High Hill Crossing
Crisis Updates
After word came of the destruction of High Hill, Duke Arn Telmar and others sought to organize a response to it and the presumably related destruction of House Moore. All news was that this was a large scale Abandoned attack that was likely related to the construction of the Great Road, as Abandoned and Compact forces warring had become increasingly coming, particularly in the Oathlands where traditionalists like Beaucage had tried to perform large scale purges of their long standing foes. That House Steelhart, a significantly powerful county, was destroyed was grave concern, and Duke Telmar organized a large force of House Telmar, Valardin, Blackram and Rivenshari troops to march on High Hill to repulse attackers.
Precautions were kept, with scouting forces being led by Lady Lilia Telmar and Lady Eshra Rivenshari attempting to see just who was responsible for High Hill, and Lord Rohran Keaton led a similar mission to House Moore's Acorn Hill.
News of the outcome is starting to trickle back to Arx.
Word is that the scouting forces have found a distinct lack of survivors, and signs that the attackers have since moved on, but considered the rightful Compact forces there trespassers. This isn't too shocking to members of the Compact, as some Abandoned have territorial claims for current Compact domains stretching back to the time of the Reckoning, and have been a large source of the blood shed before and now. The scouting forces were able to withdraw safely, with the scouts of Acorn Hill, High Hill, and the patrols around Riva not encountering the enemy, or suffering losses.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the main military force led by Duke Arn Telmar, as it sought to encamp near the borders to High Hill.
Details are still very scarce about the Battle of High Hill Crossing, but what's known is that well over a thousand Oathlander troops are dead, and elements of Arn's force were completely destroyed. Prince Caius Valardin, leading the column, was killed first by the Abandoned attackers. His Valardin cavalry was cut down, as were nearly all the Blackram pike. It's said that in the initial assault, ruinous losses were inflicted upon the Telmar forces, but Duke Arn personally led a daring charge on the attackers. He was mortally injured during his counteroffensive, but still managed to land a fatal blow on the enemy commander, and his troops rallied around him.
Further details are sketchy and confused. A few wild reports claim that it was the work of a single attacker that caught them off guard, but that's presumed to mean an enemy Abandoned commander that led the Telmar forces into an ambush. It is said that Caius was killed by some sort of siege weapon, as there's not really anything left to bury, unfortunately. The attackers were killed, so the Battle of High Hill Crossing could be considered a victory, but it was a remarkably costly one, if the earliest reports are any indication. And for Telmar and other Oathlander houses, it's time to mourn, and hope that was the last of them.