Flourford-Mossford

The principal battle of the United Cities War between the Grand Duchy of the Grey Horde and the Mephitist Empire, fought during the latter part of the reign of King Adler Sartoriusson. It ended in both a tactical and a strategic defeat for the Grey Horde, owing to the heroics of the 37th Regiment of the Imperial and Royal Army.

The plan of the Grand Duchy was (apparently) first to take over the United Cities, a small realm lying between it and the eastern extremities of the Empire, and then block any moves by the I&RA to come to the rescue of the United Cities.

While the Grand Duchy did succeed in taking over the United Cities, it did not reckon on either Marshal of Faerie Roland Satoriusson being proactive in sending, in effect, a commando team to disrupt the occupation of the United Cities, and secondly in bringing to bear reinforcements in a timely manner.

After Westersloe Winterbough V, Meadow Grainmaster and one of the privates from Thorn Platoon of the 37th Regiment had rescued both Sir Jasper Chitterleigh and Hugo Chestnut (a high-ranking member of the United Cities government), the paws of the Grey Horde were forced into battle much sooner than anticipated, and a sharp series of fights lasting nearly a week were triggered, in the middle of winter.

While the bulk of the 37th Regiment was at Flourford, a milling town on the border with the United Cities, a detachment (Thorn Platoon) of the Regiment was camped at Mossford, a small village a few miles upstream. The bulk of the Grey Horde's attacking force was sent to Flourford, but a significant portion was sent to Mossford, including an elite cavalry regiment commanded by The Great Wolf. The Great Wolf and the cavalry were defeated single-pawedly by Winterbough using wild magicks. It was observed by one of the surviving officers of the 37th that had Winterbough not done this, it was likely the forces at Flourford would have faced this unit, and likely would have led to the defeat of the 37th Regiment.

As it was, the fight at Flourford was a pitched affair, with the Regiment sustaining serious losses before being relieved by the regiments Marshal Roland had brought up. The villages of Flourford and Mossford were largely destroyed in the engagement, though they were subsequently rebuilt. The I&RA dead were buried in a cemetery near Mossford.