The following is a historical account of today's Siege of Bhulaban, another episode in the crusades launched by the Red and Green factions.
As the town of Uslum, belonging formerly to the Uniate was compromised and besieged and pillaged by the Hospitaller and their legions, the Greens mustered an offensive force to press the Reds back. Bhulaban was the second town of the Hospitallers' to be sieged today, in what can only be described as a significant move for the Greens. I write these accounts without bias, though I am sided with the Greens. Reds took everything from us, our home, our gear, my arm, and a small bit of pride when they stole Uslum from us. But now, the Chaos and LLJK combined faction of clans separates the Hospitaller territory by their taking of Hanun and Bhulaban, effectively drawing a line between the Northern Snow and the Mountain Steppes.
We had heard for days that an army was leaving for Bhulaban, but it was the shear speed in which it reached that town that surprised us all. Those of us back in Tismirr and across the great river were strongly fascinated at the speed in which some fifteen-hundred scores of men had taken to fighting at Bhulaban, and even more-so that they did the same to Hanun. So far, this war has been a tit-for-tat war. One side loses a village, only to retrieve it a few weeks later. It is only today, that this stalemate seems to be broken. If the Greens do continue to press deeper into the Steppes, they may very well begin to effectively win this war or force the Reds into a peaceful surrender or treaty.
The battle at Bhulaban, I barely made it to. The snow-fall from the morning prior made it difficult for my laiden caravan to travel. As we approached the hills surrounding the city, you could hear the echoes of men fighting, arrows piercing steel, and the cries of agony as those not-yet-dead lay dying. The Greens forced the Reds to constantly send men forward, giving little time for the Hospitaller and ATS archers to scramble for cover and a perch in which to shoot from. We'd heard of their archers in the Steppes. Men who had once hunted large game, were not Man Hunters themselves. Their infantry relied heavily upon these rangers to be a reckoning force to deal with, but given the geography of Bhulaban, it was not entirely so.
Bringing their own prized archers to the battle, the Greens equipped Sir Robin Longstride, Julus Ceasar, and Shik effectively to lead their kill-counts in ranged warfare. These three archers, amongst others, were able to effectively pin down most of the Reds' archers and keep them from dealing significant damage to the lightly armor Greens whom wore a comprised gear-selection of Cavalry Robes, Padded Vests, and white tunics. Though their infantry's weaponry was well-armed, their men were very susceptible to ranged attacks, making the archers' work even more volatile. The Hospitaller and their allies were fairly well dressed. Their first waves wore heraldic tunics over mail, and when those scores of men died or could no fight longer, men in leather studded coats and lamellar vests took their place. As the battle raged on, gear dwindled on both sides. What had been a forward offensive by both sides was now a war of attrition. Whomever could stay better equipped for a longer period of time was sure to be victor, and as the battle raged on, it was clear the Greens had come prepared for such a conflict.
From the beginning, it was very eye-for-an-eye. When an attacker would kill a defender, the defenders would kill an attacker, and it was so for a good hour or more. Though, it wasn't until gear began to leave the defenders and their men were unable to effectively preserve it that the battle's rhythm began to change. What was once some 1,500 attackers was barred down to 900 by the time the defenders' 1,000 men were at scores of only 250. Though it was a costly battle, the attackers made sure to secure Bhulaban as their own, and defeated the opposition in a timely and honorable manner. Those Hospitaller men whom survived, fled in-land, deeper into their territory. Surely to muster another force and attempt to reclaim Hanun and Bhulaban, but it would not be this day for this day belonged to the Mighty Greens.
Sir Tanken of KUTT
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