ON THE FINAL VICTORY OF THE FORCES OF THE FEDERATED FREE COMPANIES UNDER CAPTAIN-GENERAL MESSER OVER THE THURAZ IN THE RUIDESIDE
Being a true and accurate account of the events of that most famous campaign that resulted in the absolute defeat and destruction of the enemy counter attack, as witnessed by the author herself
Recounted by
Matilda Lilje
Singer and teller of tales in the household of His Excellency, Otmar Messer; Lord-Commander of the Federated Free Companies and the Realms regained in Thurazor, Governor-General of the Ruideside, Marshal of the Realm and Captain-General of the Brethren of the Black Flag.
Dear reader, now the time has come for me to give a brief accounting of the manner in which our brave Lord-Commander accomplished the final victory over the forces of the Thuraz and thus secured the Realm of the Ruideside.
In the interests of historical accuracy and brevity, I shall refer to the provinces by their old Thuraz names, and for therefore will here provide a brief explanation of the names now held by those provinces of the Regained Realm. First there is Hope’s Bastion, the domain of the Lord-Lieutenant, once named Storm’s Release, Twan Kefarheayfa in the Thuraz language. Then comes the province of Victory, once known as Falling Timber, Garny Ikerfa in Thuraz. Next comes Boerstand, which formerly was named Bloodbay, Khwan Khlifaj in Thuraz. And lastly comes Boer Valley, which was before Mergarrote.
Now I will begin my recounting of those most glorious events that led to the establishment of our present happy Realm.
In the aftermath of the battle of the Talahar, while the victorious Captains were reorganizing and refitting their armies, a large mounted force of Thuraz invaded Bloodbay, while another larger army was massing in Crushing Hills. Accordingly, Grand Master Donalls took the cavalry south to counter the goblins while Captain-General Messer remained in Falling Timber with the infantry.
When the main Thuraz force, under their new king, the vile and ungodly Kral Two-Toes, moved into Falling Timber, the Captain-General withdrew towards Storm’s Release, but upon learning that the Thuraz were between him and that province, he switched directions and marched east, intending to get behind the Thuraz forces and cut them off from their base of supply. The enemy’s scouts detected the move and he followed, getting his forces to the south of the Captain-General and thus thwarting bold Messer’s stratagem.
During this time, agents of the Captain-General were in contact with a disaffected Thuraz commander, one Ksog Dreadhand, and had arranged for him to betray his countrymen and fight on the side of the Lord of Truth.
Captain-General Messer then, employing a most cunning ruse, abandoned his baggage train and sent the sick and wounded and camp followers, disguised as soldiers, marching rapidly to the west (shown in grey on the accompanying map), thereby tricking the Thuraz into thinking he was making a run for Storm’s Release. Meanwhile, the Captain-General slipped away with his main force and through a gruelling forced march looped around to the north and then west and thus contrived to put himself ahead of the perusing Thuraz, who had been delayed looting the baggage train.