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    Canonfire :: View topic - Battle of Critwall Bridge
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    Battle of Critwall Bridge
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    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Sun Mar 22, 2009 3:45 am  
    Battle of Critwall Bridge

    Hi all. Can anyone tell me who where I can find any details about the Battle of Critwall Bridge? I also need to know who would likely have fought at the Battle of Critwall Bridge, troop numbers etc. I think it was early in 582 CY. I am running the battle in my home campaign in a few weeks time and would greatly appreciate any help.

    Mordenkainen, Otto and Bigby were there for sure, and I believe that Count Gladwell Solon was there also. I haven't found much so far so speculation would be just as welcome as fact. On Iuz' side, I plan on Vayne making an appearance, and perhaps the mysterious Ortuz and/or Patch.

    Thanks.
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:12 pm  

    Lady Katarina commanded the army.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:38 am  

    Actually OneEye, Katarina wasn't in charge until the war of reclamation launched somewhere around 586 to coincide with Belvor's Great Northern Crusade.

    The original Battle of Critwall Bridge was the desperate stand made by the fleeing Shield Landers, together with Furyondian troops and Knights of the Hart, along with as many of the powerbrokers like Tenser, etc. as could be mustered.

    The battle was important because it was Iuz's first major loss, and it eliminated the momentum his army had gained in its easy defeat of the Shield Lands proper.

    I'm guessing some major names would have been Incosee, later of the Bronze Band, Artur Jakartai, Lady Valdaresse (spelling?), any of Belvor's best people that could reach the border quickly enough, Furyondian forces from the eastern counties and Willip, as many Knights of the Hart as could reach it, Tenser and other do-gooders that had a vested interest in making sure the Old One didn't invade Furyondy!
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:45 pm  

    True on that, Shadrach. Serves me right for just posting something without looking it up. Much like Manassas in the American Civil War, there have been several battles of Critwall.
    Black Hand of Oblivion

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    Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:44 pm  

    Here are some of my research notes for my "The Knights of Holy Shielding" article, culled from various sources:

    "Incosee- A slight built, tough, normally taciturn Flan mercenary, noted for endurance. Symbol is a bronzewood tree. Bronze Band’s colors are green and brown. After the Horned Society fell, he sought employment in the Shield Lands, where he and his company became notable heroes. He was eventually knighted by the Earl himself before the Shield Lands fell just prior to the Greyhawk Wars. He likely has a sword, and definitely has a barbed spear suitable for throwing. Skilled fighters and spell workers are members of the Bronze Band, and the brown and green is a byword among Shield Landers, meaning that the Bronze Band is noteworthy, reputable, and capable."

    So, Incosee led the Bronze Band before being knighted, and so would have led them at the Battle of Critwall Bridge, if he was there. I was unable to locate any further info on him. Perhaps Living Greyhawk did something with this, perhaps not.

    Another few extracts from notes I made, these being snipped from "From the Ashes":

    "Artur and Valderesse escaped to GH during the fall of the Shield Lands; hired mercenaries and traveled to North Furyondy to fight Iuz; Valderesse slain there by cleric of Iuz;"

    A lot of action left out there obviously, but Valderesse could very well have croaked at the Battle of Critwall Bridge if they got back there in time, while Artur survived to become the brilliant ruler that he is. :D
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    Last edited by Cebrion on Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:21 am  

    Interesting info on Incosee and the Bronze Band Cebrion!

    I found my old Dungeon #113, which has the Living Greyhawk Journal #25, and it is full and great info on the Shield Landers, names, stories, and a Prestige Class. I suggest getting ahold of a copy 8)
    Black Hand of Oblivion

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    Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:36 pm  

    I have the issue and it does have some additional info in it. It does indeed mention where Valderesse dies(Great Northern Crusade, Crockport). This makes sense seeing as her and Artur were both tooling around Greyhawk City at a later time, looking to garner support for retaking the Shield Lands. The article also presents the Bronze Band as something other than what it is/was, depending upon how close to their origin you want to stay. Franz Torkeep originally comes from "Isle of the Ape"(he's a pre-gen in the module), Incosee from the Gord books, Janszen Reynald and Harmenn Delevan from "Iuz the Evil", Artur and Valderesse from the "City of Greyhawk" boxed set(blue box), Holmer and Katarina are well known, and Lemanda Iormad may be newly presented in the article(not sure on her).

    I chose to present the order in a slightly different manner in my own prestige class. I would have loved to have detailed some of the events leading up to the fall of the Shields Lands and afterwards as the events there would make for some great adventuring, but that wasn't really the focus of my article. You can read the article HERE.
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    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:58 pm  
    Valdaresse

    In spite of what that article says, I believe that Lady Valdaresse Sharn had already bought the farm prior to the Great Northern Crusade. The "From the Ashes" boxed set claims that she was slain at Crockport by a priest of Iuz, bringing on a battle madness or somesuch in Artur that lasts until he can be magically cured later in the war. From the Ashes is set before the Great Northern Crusade.

    Who is Lemanda Iormad? Is she in the Living Greyhawk Journal #25?

    Living Greyhawk Journal #0 states that Bigby, Otto and Mordenkainen were there. I figure they would have mentioned Tenser if he was there, so he must have been doing something else. Anyone care to speculate?
    Black Hand of Oblivion

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    Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:32 pm  

    This is part of the fun of having so many Greyhawk authors Damien- everything is "not necessarily always in agreement". That is the nice way of saying "not always very accurate". Wink

    So...that leaves it to individuals like us to do with it what we will, as some things are either skewed slightly(as in the Bronze Band now being a bunch of knights beyond reproach rather than a bunch of mercs of varied professions with a reputation for success) or just blatantly don't agree with what has come before. It is of course then our prerogative to make sense of it all and put things in a more sensible form(i.e. one that is in agreement). Happy
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    Last edited by Cebrion on Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:23 pm  

    Just so. As far as the Bronze Band is concerned, I would argue that Incosee and his fellows earned their knighthoods in the protacted loss and then reclamation of the Shield Lands from the Horned Society and the Bandit Kingdoms in the war of c. 577-582 CY. It seems that a band of rangers and guerilla fighters used to hard living in the wilderness really could have "earned their spurs" in that conflict.

    When I think about it, I kind of like the muddling of history with Artur and Valdaresse. The way I see it, that is how legends grow...

    There doesn't seem to be too many opinions for noteworthy folks at the battle so far. Can anyone venture a guess of army numbers for the battle? Or tactics involved?

    At the moment I'm imagining about two-thirds of Furyondy's Knights of the Hart, accompanied by their men-at-arms, arriving first. These would be followed by other knights of Furyondy, the Knights and men-at-arms of the Baron of Willip, the Count of Crystalreach the Viscount of the March. Last to arrive are the famous, and reasonably fresh bootmen of the March. Their goal is primarily to secure their end of the bridge. That is about as far as I've detailed... Suggestions are most welcome.
    Master Greytalker

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    Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:00 pm  

    Interesting. I have checked Greyhawk Wars, FtA and ItE, what seem to be the logical choices for describing the battle, and found next to nothing.

    "Mordenkainen, Bigby and Otto fought against Iuz's army at the Battle of Critwall Bridge..." says Maldin.
    http://melkot.com/mysteries/circle.html

    Ah, memory. I was sure I had read somewhere that Mordenkainen used his disjunction at Criwall Bridge to kill Patch, but I can't seem to find that reference anywhere.
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    Black Hand of Oblivion

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    Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:39 pm  

    That might be referred to in one the Gord books, but I can't recall. There are just so many bits of Greyhawk lore that are simply not covered beyond a simple mention and the effect they had. The Battle of Critwall Bridge is one of them.

    Which of course leads me to ask, who is going to write it up? Happy
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    Master Greytalker

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    Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:11 pm  

    IIRC Mort was going to do a series about important battles in GH.

    Perhaps he could be persuaded to tackle Critwall Bridge Question
    Black Hand of Oblivion

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    Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:56 pm  

    Mortellan does have a list of battles that could be done. I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of them. However, seeing as so little information is available on the battle it would have to be fully created.

    I'll still have one more major article to rip from his brain(as he's bound to see this- finish Kester you swine-filth ogre flatulence! Wink), and then I will see if he is ready to start on that Ull adventure trilogy collaboration(based largely on portions of his work) that we have discussed very vaguely in the past. Happy

    One other thing about Patch and the Gord books is that, if I recall correctly, it is in the Vesve Forest that Mordenkainen and friends fight against the forces of Iuz, and that this is where Patch is slain. Somebody correct me if I'm not remembering this correctly, or if later Greyhawk products changed this location to Critwall Bridge.
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    Sat Apr 04, 2009 5:47 am  

    I'll be running the battle in my home campaign in two weeks. I'd be happy to post a summary in this thread afterwards if it is appropriate. Can any of you worthies confirm the involvement of Patch? I don't have access to my Gord novels at the moment. As an aside I'd be grateful for any info on Ortuz during the wars.

    I seem to recall that Vayne was almost toasted by a Meteor Swarm cast by someone (Karzalin?) during the war. Anyone know if that might have been at Critwall Bridge? I believe the source was Iuz the Evil but again, I don't have a copy handy to check.
    Black Hand of Oblivion

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    Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:03 pm  

    "At the apex of the pyramid are the high priestesses.
    There are currently but two of these, Althea and Halga,
    among the Greater Boneheart, Iuz’s central onclave of
    human servants. The only High Priest, Patch, was
    destroyed in Furyondy during the Greyhawk Wars. The
    High Priestesses fear Iuz and his rages, since they spend
    much time in Dorakaa. The Lesser Boneheart priests
    have the same fear of Iuz, but also have to fear the High Priestesses, who see them as possible future rivals." --- Iuz the Evil(page 7)

    Seems Patch would probably have died at one of two places- Critwall Bridge or the Siege of Chendl(or one of the major battles leading up to it). I prefer the latter as it is an all or nothing gambit on the part of Iuz where every possible resource would be thrown into the effort, and which resulted from Iuz's main push into Furyondy in the first place. That is where I see Iuz's main commanders taking part, plus there is all the mayhem that the priests of Iuz were leaving in their wake. I think Patch would be overseeing that as well as taking part in it.
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    Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:18 am  

    Yowza! Critwall Bridge does seem like a pretty important Battle. As to my list I have several way ahead of Critwall that I've researched. Between those and Cebrion flogging me for Ull-stuff don't hold your breath then for anything I will develop on the matter. Good discussion here though!
    Black Hand of Oblivion

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    Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:20 pm  

    Excerpted from the excellent and extremely useful Gord’s Greyhawk site(http://home.comcast.net/~chris.s/gordmain.html):

    Ormuz
    One of Iuz's most favored members of his Greater Six, he is a tall, emaciated arch-mage, paired with Patch of the Lesser Six. He is capable of summonning Type VI demons. He is always playing power games. He and Patch are ordered to incite bands in the southern Vesve to murder and pillage. They are to take companies of Woodsrunners and Eiger guards to pick up the Theorpart from Obmi. He and Patch have a mercenary horde as well as bandits, ogres, trolls, xvarts, and other humanoids to help intercept the Theorpart. His name, as well as Iuz's insignia, are passes throughout the encampment. He is slain in the battle with the Obsidian Citadel forces over the second Theorpart.”

    Patch
    He is a high priest in Iuz's Lesser Six, who is paired with Ormuz. He dies in the battle with the Obsidian Citadel.”

    Now we just need to figure out which Gord book(title and page, if anybody can find it) the battle is in between the Obsicidan Citadel and these Iuzian forces and we'll have an answer as to exactly where Patch took a dirt nap. The notes however do lead me to believe that my initial recollection that the battle took place in the Vesve is likely correct. A little bit more hunting...
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    Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:03 am  

    Love these details. Happy

    I just wish Gary Gygax had been given enough time to write down all the interesting parts of his early campaign(s).
    GreySage

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    Thu Apr 09, 2009 12:11 pm  

    Well, that's a detail from Artifact of Evil, rather than something that came out in his gameplay, I think. I don't think he ever used the Theorparts in his actual game.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Thu Apr 09, 2009 12:14 pm  

    Hmm... maybe I could throw a Drakhar (one of my campaign's Furyondian noble families) in this battle and write it up as a fic for the site...
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