The Battle of Burned Hollow

King Pratesh appointed two commanders for this battle - Astrid Brakenburg from Trakkenstram, and his loyal friend Felantros Witherall. They were both veterans from the Demon wars from impressive military lineages. Brakenburg was in command of the infantry and artillery, while Witherall oversaw the cavalry. They gathered on the rise in the ruins of an old village, and deployed thus: the archers, as well as seven great trebuchets, set up along the rise of the hill, defended by foot soldiers from Dark Atreius. The cavalry of the united Empirical forces gathered before them, armed with lances, and their plan was to shock the Demons with a terrible cavalry charge. The Atreians used long birch lances, backed up by Trakkenstrami archers on horseback.

Burned Hollow is the centre of Blasted Heath, the land so blackened by Demonic presence that no plant life can grow upon it. The land was hard and barren, an open plane on which the forces of Man hoped they could not be surprised and overwhelmed. Landmarks in this empty place included the ruins of a small village from which the Atreian Commanders observed the battle, a rotten and dank river that ran parallel to the two armies, supplying the Demons with water. The humans had to bring in their own from fresher lands.

Over the five days of the battle, there was little rain. The sun was cold and glaring, and got in the combatants' eyes. This was used effectively by the Human Commanders, attacking in the morning when the sun was at their back.

The first charge was damaging, but not as devastating as the Human Commanders had hoped. However, on the retreat, the cavalry drew the Demons in range of the archers, and the Demons were then shot down. They retreated, and then the two sides faced off for a time. That night, the Demons struck, and their attack was mildly effective, destroying two of the great trebuchets. However, they were driven off by the soldiers from the Old World. The next day was spent with minor skirmishes, with neither side gaining much ground. That night, the human Commanders and their underlings met to discuss strategy. The next morning there was another cavalry charge, but it was devastated by the waiting Demons, who had predicted the attack. The depleted cavalry retreated hastily, but their devastation caused the human army great worry. That night was peaceful, and so it came to the fourth day. There was little to no fighting on this day, until twilight, when the Demons attacked out of the setting sun. The fight was short but fierce, and both sides took heavy damage. That night, the fighting raged on and on, fierce and bloody. It was hand to hand stuff, desperate and brutal. There was no repenting. Then, the cavalry came. Regrouped and led by Commander Brakenburg, they ran through the melee, using swords and picking out the Demons. this drove the forces of darkness back, and there was a brief respite. Seizing the advantage, Felantros Witherall took command, and with the news of Brakenburg's death, gathered all the forces of Man. Then, out of the rising sun came the Dragons of Trakkenstram, and along with the cavalry they destroyed the unsuspecting Demons. So it was that, on the fifth day, the Demons fled, and Eleros was finally liberated.