Battle of Tigaraska: Birth of a Nation
August 2nd, 1124, outside of Tigaraska.
Background
For 15 years, the Ghazis had raided and enslaved countless Risuners. The Emir of Zakar, Abd-Muhammad, had become a rich man from these raids, one of the richest in the Sultanate. He had humiliated both the Oiseaux and the Risuners a like with his ventures, that was until the Marquis de Maumigny entered the picture.
Maumigny turned the tide in short order, first by building and fort and befriending an ambitious Risuner Chief by the name of Commodus. The two realize their circumstances were bleak without further support from the other Risuner tribes and ventured to Silvanus, the fabled capital of the Risuners to try to get help. Along the way, however, they encountered one of the most humiliating events in Risuner history, the City of Panrong, center of the South, was being stormed successful by bunch of Ghazi raiders. Maumigny's quick thinking saved the city and turned him into a hero for many Southern Risuners.
But what should have been a national wake up call for all Risuners was ignored. Risuners were more focused on sex, and the trinkets from foreigns than dealing with a real threat. Empty promises from Silvanus only went to show this bluntly to the Marquis and Commodus. Commodus in particular took this hard, and this could be marked as a turning point in his life; where he started to become the man we know him as today, the man they call Joyo Cahya and Pemenang Terhebat. The two returned South with renewed vigor after the debacle at Panrong.
Soon enough, forts were erected along the border and another defining event would soon happen at what we call Fort Maumigny. The site of the future fort was occupied by Ghazis, who used the fort as a base for their deep raids into Risuner lands. Commodus managed to rally several dozen tribes to his banner, a show of his abilities as a unifier, but the tribes had no desire to cooperate. In a famous encounter, Maumigny allowed the stubborn Risuners to their fate after they refused to coordinate their attacks and many of them died in a worthless assault. Commodus watched on in horror at this event, which further transformed him into the future man who was soon to become. The next day, Maumigny launched his own assault and despite being wounded, was able to take the fort with coordination from the Risuners.
This whole affair served as a launching point for the reformation of South Risu, many Southern Risuners, which we call Dirajarisuners today and will refer to them as such from this point, began to realize their error of their ways and rallied behind the charismatic Commodus and the ever-friendly Marquis. For the next two years, 2,000 Dirajarisuners were trained in the modern art of war in line of battle tactics in the Pomeranian style. It was quite the culture shock, but it would pay dividends long term. Heinrich-Pomu von Katzbach was despised by many of them at the time, but as fate would have it, he would emerge from this whole affair as a hero.
In the meantime, Abd-Muhammad had been busy dealing with a local tribal uprising during 1122 and 1123 that prevented him from truly stopping the efforts of the Oiseaux and Dirajarisuners. He also had thousands of Risuners flood into his lands, converts to his cause, led by another charismatic man known as Kusuma. Kusuma's reaction to the raids was that it was a sign from Ayunda herself to abandon the old way and become one with the superior teachings of the Ghazis. Acting as a Prophet, he managed to sway 20,000 Ghazisuners to his teachings, which he called the Jalan Ayunda. He would join with the Emir during 1122 just before the capture of Fort Maumigny. With him, he brought several magic users turned converts, including one important to our story known as Jalawan.
The Emir, now with an Army numbering some 45,000 fanatical and skilled warriors set out to end these pesky Oiseaux and Dirajarisuners in June. Kusuma, in a speech he gave to his Ghazisuners, stated "Brothers, our time has come! The Jalan Ayunda shall liberate our lands from the Oiseaux occupiers and transform our degenerate society into one of holiness and sanctity."
Awaiting the Emir was an Army of 15,500, under the Marquis, who shadowed his movements and would force him into battle at a location he deemed to be favorable, just outside the tiny village of Tigaraska. The battle that would decide the fate of all Risuners was at hand and its victor would be able to transform the Selatan (the South) into whatever he wished.
Order of Battle
Oiseaux-Dirajarisuner Army
The Allied army was composed of 15,546 men, mostly Oiseaux veterans from previous campaigns along with Commodus's 2,000 trained Risuners. Commodus could also count on 5,000 more untrained Dirajarisuners to join him if the battle went south, but as it would turn out, their commander, Ignatius, had not even made the effort to even march to the assistance of Commodus, perhaps holding a grudge against the Marquis for allowing the disaster his own tribe faced at Fort Maumigny 2 years before. He would come to regret this insubordination in time.
Most of the army was Line Infantry and were some of the best troops Oiseau had at her disposals. Many of the men were veterans against the Ghazis from different theaters, and more fought under the Marquis himself. They were splendidly dressed and as one observed said "No finer dressed troops in the world, with their white uniforms with light blue facings and golden buttons."
One notable regiment of Étrangers was also present at the battle, 44ème Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne. This Pomeranian Regiment was one of the elite formations of the Oiseaux Army and had recently arrived to the area in April. They would be stationed in Bellevue's division on the far-right flank. 44ème Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne
Chasseurs were present as well and would play a cruical role in the battle. Like the Line Infantry, all were veterans of previous campaigns and were itching for a fight.
Cuirassiers and Hussars made up the cavalry, and were vastly outnumbered by the Ghazis, but they too would play a crucial role in the battle in their own right. Camille de Polignac, in particular, would become legendary from his actions during this battle.
The Dirajarisuners were mostly line infantry, some 2,000 of them. All of them at this point were led by Pomeranian Officers, hated by their men but respected if nothing more. They were dressed in a Greenish brown overcoat with White facings and pants. All were armed with Oiseaux pattern muskets and were well drilled if nothing else. Their abilities in battle had not been put to the test but Commodus convinced the Marquis that they would fight hard for their families and homeland.
The remainder of the Dirajarisuners were the elite Pemburu, which were much like the Chasseurs but arguably better shots given their extensive experience as hunters in the past. They too, would play a crucial role in the fight.
The Marquis was able to count on two batteries of artillery, some 48 guns for the upcoming fight. Oiseaux Artillery was in the middle of a transition phase during this period, and Tigaraska would actually be the testbed for the new techniques that were devised.
Ghazi Army
Abd-Muhammad's is estimated to be around 40,000 to 60,000 men strong. Without proper records, it is is hard to properly number the army itself, but many historians consider somewhere around 45,000 to 50,000 to be an accurate number of the Army.
The Ghazis themselves were all veterans of many raids and jihads against the Oiseaux in the past and also against Risuners. Most of them were cavalry, with it being estimated that the Ghazis had 15,000 cavalry alone during this fight at minimum, with some sources claiming up to 25,000. These horse warriors were a mix of Deli Horseman, Qizilbashi, Akıncı, Zırhlı Süvari, Ağır At Okçusu, Mamluks and Sipahis (more info about them here)
The Ghazi Infantry numbered less and were far more questionable in quality compared to the cavalry. Most of the men were either melee infantry or levied Musketeers and Bowmen. There were perhaps 10,000 of them present on the field.
The Ghazisuners, however, were the backbone of the army's infantry and were fanatics armed with bows, and spears. What they lack in firepower they made up for in heart and speed. Also part of their ranks were several mages, including Jalawan. Jalawan had a secret weapon at his disposal, known as a prismatic bomb, that he planned to use with great effect in this battle.
The Ghazi's had more guns that the allies and quite a bit more, some 96 pieces. But most of the guns were outdated to some degree and this factor would come to haunt the Ghazis during the battle itself.
Deployment and Battle Plans
The Allies set themselves up on two hills, Tigaraska Hill on their right and Pakkat hill on their left. The surrounding region was heavily wooded and Maumigny chose this ground because it was the only real way the Ghazis would be able to march through with their large army. Swampy ground and thick patches of trees would inhibit cavalry action greatly, he thought as well. It was an excellent decision.
Some effort was made to deploy Cheveaux de Paon across much of their lines to even the playing field given the cavalry disadvantage they were in. Gabions, Breastworks, and Firing pits were stationed along the whole line in accordance with the Oiseaux Way of Defense, which had long ago been mastered by Marshal de Comeau. Nonetheless, their task this day would be a tough one.
The Marquis, the overall commander, put Commodus in command of the left wing, including the Oiseaux forces stationed over there to the disgust of the Oiseaux commanders. Fortunately, Katzbach was made the second-in-command on this wing, and he was able to keep these snooty Oiseaux in line with his presence. The Marquis took personal command of the Left Wing but had it formally under the Louis d'Arlon in case his attention was needed.
Deployment of both armies on the eve of the battle
The Ghazis on the other hand had deployed themselves in a more haphazardly fashion, given their infantry. The overall plan devised by Abd-Muhammad and Kusuma was to overwhelm the Allied Army on their flanks and center. Kusuma, being familiar with the area advised the dispersion of the infantry to minimize the effect of artillery on the army. On the Ghazi Left (Allied Right), the Ghazisuners would not directly assault the infantry stationed there but rather engage in skirmishing tactics while the mass of cavalry would overwhelm the flank and turn it. On the Ghazi Right Yusulf ibn Abdullah's Cavalry would swarm the Oiseaux forces in the area and pin them down.
But the main attack was concentrated at two points. The gap between the two hills, known as the Hutan ek, would be where Kusuma would lead most of the infantry and Ahmed Pasha would lead the heavy cavalry forward to break the lines. While Mustafa Pasha's infantry tied down D'Arlon's, the best cavalry at the Emir's disposal under his brother al-Hakim would be thrown directly at the forces of Castillonnès in the hope of breaking them and capturing the artillery behind them. All the time this would be going on, artillery would be hammering the enemy guns to neutralize them.
Battleplan for the Ghazi Army
It was a decent plan, but a flawed one at the end of the day. It would have worked with great success in most battles because of the raw numbers and shock that would have been thrown at their enemy. Unfortunately as would be found out, the greatest flaw in this battle plan was that the enemy they were facing had prepared for such an attack. It is a testament to the bravery of the Ghazis that this battle was a close run as it was.
The Calm before the Storm
As the sunset on the 1st of August, the Marquis met with Commodus and his other commanders at his tent. With a local map of his own dispositions draw up by himself in front of him, he briefed his men on what he expected the next day. It would likely be clear day and the ground would be hard enough for Cavalry to be used effectively. Tomorrow would be the day, he presumed correctly. With a silence of anticipation from all, the Marquis would open up.
"Gentlemen, it is my belief in accordance with reports about the upcoming weather for tomorrow that we will likely have a full engagement tomorrow at some point." takes a sip of tea "Excuse me, continuing forth. Each one of you already knows what it takes to put us into in the best situation to win the coming fight. We have done all we can, and though we are certainly outnumbered, with élan, nerve, discipline and the blessings of Reine and Risu, I firmly that victory can and will surely be found." Looks at each one of them, the look of uncertainty but dutifulness fills their faces. One man speaks up, it is Chevalier de Ribagnac.
"Sire if I may."
The Marquis nods gracefully
"It is no offense intended towards our dear friends, but I urge you to reconsider my early protests against Commodus being the commanding of our Left Wing. I do not doubt his abilities and I firmly believe that he is capable as a commander, but not on the scale you have given him. This comes not from a place of bias but rather from a place of genuine concern as he has never commanded a regiment before, let alone an entire wing of an army! Herr Katzbach being there certainly helps matters, but if I may suggest that if nothing more that Katzbach be given command of the wing himself and Commodus be made his second in command. Our chances of victory are more important to me than political gain from this."
The Chevalier bows. The tent is uneasily silent for a 30 seconds as the Marquis pours another cup of tea and drinks from it before sitting it back down again. With his hand on his chin, he replies calmly
"Thank you for your concerns, Jacques. I am sure our Risuner friends understand why you would say it, after all, my dear friend Commodus has never been trained as a commander and all that he knows, he got from reading literature on the subject and from long talks with myself, Katzbach and others." He stops for a moment to collect his thoughts "With that being said, I am not going to change my stance on this matter for several reasons. Firstly, this is not down to politics or how things appear but rather who I believe is the right man for the job. Commodus, as you correctly said, has no experience, but what he lacks in experience he makes up for his charisma, his intelligence, and decision-making skills. The manuals that we all learn can only teach us so much, and while he is still grasping some of the aspect of being a commander, I believe he is a natural fit for the position because of his natural instinct and skills that have become self-evident to me the longer I have known him. In the areas he lacks, Katzbach will make up, that much I am certain on. Jacques, i implore you to have faith in Commodus as I will and I urge the rest of you to do the same. We will win this battle tomorrow if we trust each other. That much I can say for certain."
Katzbach speaks up
"Ja, Pomerlane himself emphasized this that there are things the akademies cannot simply teach! I believe Herr Commodus has what it takes, he has a bit of Kieselbach and Pomerlane in him!"
The room eases up and the Marquis gets into the details of the plan. The plan is basically that the Center must hold and that when the opportunity arises, a counter attack must be launched. Everyone but Commodus leaves the tent and the two friends discuss things for some time before he departs
It is now sunrise on the 2nd of June, it is a beautiful day but will be a bloody one. On both sides, men are being inspired by their commanders but Commodus in particular gives a rousing speech of his own to the Dirajarisuners. Riding on a white horse, he starts his speech
"My comrades and brothers in arms! Today is a day that will go down as the most important date in the history of our people and will long be remembered as the day that we became more that just members of different tribes, but as part of a united nation under one banner. Regardless of who wins today, we shall see the birth of a nation! The question is which nation will be born out of the blood of today. Will it be a society that loves and honors Risu? Or will it be one that loves Ayunda? Across from us are traitors to Risu and her teaching. These bastards have forsaken the way of our ancestors and joined our enslavers, no doubt to enslave our families and convert them to the wickedness that is Jalan Ayunda. They are nothing but the scum of the earth and they all must be killed for their blasphemy! It's time we reversed the constant embarrassments we have suffered thanks to the backwards ways of our society and be willing to lay down our lives for a greater future! Any man who dies today will be considered the worthiest of Risu's love, FAR more than those Witches, and the high and mighty explorers that have done NOTHING for us in the South! For our families, for our friends, for all Risuners and FOR RISU!"
The Battle Opens
900hrs
After an hour of prayer to Watame and Ayunda, the Ghazis moved forward at 900hrs. Their morale was high as was their belief in victory. Surely their piety would win a great victory today, and that this victory would lead to the spreading of the true faith into the Risuner Tribes. Abd-Muhammad was also confident. He had never lost a battle personally before to the Oiseaux and believed that the Risuners were weak-willed degenerates that would flee as soon as things got tough.
On the other side, the Oiseaux and Dirajarisuners waited with anxiety. Like their foes, they fully understood what this battle would mean and were a mixture of eager and nervous at the sight of the coming dust and sound of many hooves and boots moving forward. It would be a stead unpatience until the Ghazis were spotted at 945hrs, out of range but approach in good order. The sheer size of their army put fear into the hearts of many of the Dirajarisuners, who had never seen that many men.
Maumigny watched with patience and observed the maneuvering carefully for the next hours and a half as the Ghazis formed up. Artillery fire was being exchanged by both sides by 1015hrs, with the first shot of the battle being fire from an Oiseaux 12 pounder. Commodus too watched the Ghazis formed up when suddenly a thought struck his head. He immediately galloped over to a tall oak and climbed it with his rifle. From a range of 500 yards, he spotted one of the enemy commanders, Mustafa Pasha riding a black horse and glisining with golden braids. Commodus was a crack shot but had never attempted one at this range but sure enough, he lined up Mustafa as he was talking with the Ghazisuner local commander, Hanif, and fired. As if guided by Risu herself, the bullet pierced Mustafa's throat and he died a rather bloody death with blood gushing like a fountain from his throat and mouth. It was stunning to the Ghazis, as Mustafa was one of their most beloved commanders. But it also angered them greatly, which would show in time.
Commodus's feat was immediately recognized by one his aides, who shouted out "Commodus has just killed one of their commanders!' At once, the whole line erupted into cheers. It was a much-needed morale boost would what was to come.
The Carnage begins
1200hrs
At Noon, Abd-Muhammad signaled using a horn to begin the attack. Like a slow-moving tidal wave, the masses of infantry and cavalry approached the Allied line. The Artillery duel was turning against the Ghazis, as the skill of the Oiseaux gunners was prevailing. But that did little to aid the problems that were about to emerge on the ground. The cavalry purposely allowed the infantry to get ahead of them so that when they struck, they would be able to break the enemy lines easier.
Around 1230hrs, magic using Ghazisuners began to blast the Cheveaux de Paon with fire spells, and the Ghazi artillery was directed at firing on the enemy positions. As the Ghazi and Ghazisuner infantry approached musket range, both sides unleashed arrows, and fire from musketry. The melee infantry dropped to the ground as the two sides exchanged fire for some 10 minutes before they rose and charged. Around the same time, the Cavalry finally was about to unleash the hammer onto the Allies.
Then, suddenly a most shocking event happened to D'Arlon's division
"The Wrath of the Divines is upon us!"
1255hrs
Jalawan, waiting for the right moment for his secret weapon to be used with great effect, believed that the time had finally come. Directing his attention to the division of D'Arlon near the center as the charge began, he charged up his staff with the power of the Prismatic bomb and unleashed it's full power on the division.
Louis d'Arlon could barely believe his eyes, indeed, nearly everyone on the Battlefield could barely register it and everything seemed to halt for a moment, as a giant rainbow came down and exploded with the force that caused men to stagger or fall across the battlefield in the center of D'Arlon's division. From the rumble, half of his division had become casualties, including himself, some 1,500 men. The remainder of the division broke and fled. "The wrath of the divines is upon us!" shouted one man from the division.
But the Ghazi's couldn't exploit this. The force that could have done something, Ahmed's Cavalry, was totally stunned and many of the horses ran wild. Many men stopped what they were doing out of shock for a sheer minute. For this one minute, an eeree quietness engulfed the battlefield that was broke by the resumption of artillery fire. This bomb had caused such havoc that it not only broke an entire division, but disrupted the charge of the Ghazi Army. In retrospect, it couldn't have come at a worse time for them, as d'Arlon's division would be rallied and return to their position 10 minutes later, before any advance could be made.
As for Jalawan himself, he too would be killed by a rifleman shortly after this.
Struggle on the Allied Right.
Finally, after the recover from the whole prismatic bomb, the Ghazis finally were able to close in on the Allies with their full force. "Square formation!" Shouted many commanders in the face of the horsemen. The 44th Regiment, being on the far right of all of the infantry and exposed was soon attacked on all sides by cavalry and then by Infantry. The Pomeranians fought fiercely and for the next hour and a half, repelled 20 charges. Their heroism would be what many credit as stopping the Ghazis in this area from victory. Half the regiment was killed or wounded, but their steadfastness couldn't be broken and when the battle changed, the Pomeranians themselves would charge with fierocity at the Ghazisuners, capturing many and putting them all to flight. A monument has been erected on the sight of where the 44th stood that day in honor of them.
Meanwhile, the cavalry of Camille de Polignac fought fiercely in brutal melee with the Mamluks. Camillle himself was in the thick of the action, slaying 20 Mamluks and rallying his men by his example. "He fought like a man possessed, a true Cavalier!" remarked a Cuirassier after the battle. Like the 44th, the Oiseaux Cavalry did not break under the pressure and when the time came, they cut down and captured many during the later rout.
al-Hakim, however, would see much success against the infantry of the Comte de Castillonnès. Within minutes of them descending, they had done their near impossible and broke several of the squares, causing the Oiseaux to flee. However, this success was rather short lived as the Oiseaux cannons mounted above them quickly pour endless amounts of grape and canister into the Cavalry. al-Hakim, was killed in the process, and the main thrust in on the right was broken quite easily by artillery. "Artillery is everything!" remarked one gunner.
Squabbles on the Allied Left
Meanwhile, on the left, the Ghazi Cavalry did not full engage the Oiseaux infantry that were in squares but instead did their best to distract them from the main thrust in the center. They ultimately would succeed in their overall objective, which was to simply tie down the forces in this area. But their success mattered little to the outcome of this battle as when the battle turned south for the Ghazis, they retreated in good order, one of the few groups to do so.
Carnage in the Center
In the center, however, is where the battle would be decided. With the near destruction of d'Arlon's division, the Center was extremely vunerable to attacks and all that was stopping the Ghazis here was the Dirajarisuners, Oiseaux Cavalry and eventually the rallied division of d'Arlon. For one and a half hours, a bloody struggle ensued between the Risuners of both sides. The area which this combat was taken place in was later known as the Valley of Death because of sheer carnage that took place here. At first, the Dirajarisuners held firm with their bayonets and discipline against the formationless Ghazisuners, but the Cavalry of Ahmed would soon complicate matters. With D'Arlon's reformed division in combat with the levies of Mustafa's former command, there was little stopping Ahmed from destroying the Dirajarisuners and he hit them hard and sent them into flight around 130 hrs. But Commodus, in a great act of courage managed to rally his men thanks to the efforts of the cavalry of La Calevie and cannon fire. Quickly reforming his ranks, the heavy cavalry was driven back as was the Ghazisuner infantry. The Ghazis would launch 15 more charges without much success for the next hour, that was until Commodus saw an opportunity that would prove to be the winning blow. Mounting up with La Calevie, he was about to turn the tide
Climax and Victory
Shouting at the top of his lungs "Follow me!" to the Cuirassiers behind him, Commodus led the Cuirassiers directly into the reforming Ghazisuners, that were about the launch the charge they hoped would break the enemy lines. Commodus didn't realize it but his shout was heard by his own men, who also surged forwards with great vigour. Kusuma, who was directing attacks in this area, was shocked when he saw what was happening and tried to get the Ghazi Cavalry to counter charge, but the horses were exhausted from the hot summer day and the terrain. It was no use, when the Infantry and Cuirassiers hit the infantry, they broke and fled immediately. It was 245hrs and soon the breaking of the center was felt across the front, the whole army surged forward, and the Ghazis fled like panicked sheep before a wolf.
It was a slaughter. Thousands of Ghazis and Ghazisuners were cut down in the process, the pursuit continued for another hour before the Marquis called it off. What a victory had been won here today!
Aftermath and the Legend is sealed.
The impossible had been pulled off, outnumber 3 to 1, the Allies had won a decisive victory that would not be soon forgotten. When the dead and wounded were calculated in the after math, some 5,000 allies died to some 15,000 Ghazis. Another 15,000 Ghazis were captured as well as were great numbers of cannons and loot from the Ghazi camp. Abd-Muhammad fled the field immediately, leaving behind treasure that would be relished by the victorious allies.
Amongst the treasure was a diadem, looted long ago from Oiseau. When a Dirajarisuner found it, he knew he found something of worthy of a man that he and other thought of as the Greatest Risuner of all Time. He was the chosen one from myths, that would come to save the tribes in their time of trouble and unify them! It was the Kaisar-dan-Tupai-Hebat! Shouts of "Tupai Hebat" were heard across the camp. Commodus and Maumigny, who were supervising the looting of the camp heard these chants.
"What's going on?" asked Maumigny
Commodus was stunned in silence, he understood what was happening and knew they were talking about him, was he really the man of destiny? Soon he spotted them approaching him and he dismounted. Maumigny watched in wonder as Commodus got to his knees in prayer as the shouts got louder.
Suddenly he was surrounded and the Dirajarisuner named Amadeus, who had the glorious crown, said "Commodus, you truly are the famed Kaisar-dan-Tupai-Hebat, our liberator and the fabled man of legend. Please take the crown, mighty lord!"
Commodus looked with stunned silence and reached his hands out. It was surreal to all who witnessed, and many felt the presence of Risu herself there at the moment. When Commodus touched the crown, he felt a surge of energy and saw a blinding light that stunned him. Time froze and Risu herself told him "Joyo Cahya, the greatest of my children, the man who nuts the most and leads the best. Take the crown, my child and place it on your head."
Commodus did as was asked and when the crown was placed upon his head, the whole camp erupted into cheers. He was picked up and carried off by the Dirajarisuners. Maumigny watched and laughed to himself "Sometimes legends are born in strange ways."
The story of Commodus, soon to be known as Joyo Cahya, Maumigny and others does not end here, but merely begins. More glories were to be won, and greater feats accomplished, but it was on the fields of Tigaraska that the first act of their story is concluded.