Fernian Last Stand

The Fernian Last Stand was a battle that occurred when Arthurian soldiers, under the command of the Red King, stormed the kingdom of Fernia with the intent to conquer it. It is considered the first true battle of the Red War.

History
Shortly after the Red King successfully killed and usurped Elwin Pendragon, he set his sights on the kingdoms and city-states around Arthuria, especially those governed by nonhumans. Meanwhile, a wandering half-elf knight learned of the coup and feared for his homeland, returning to Fernia to warn them. His warning was heeded, but the Fernian forces only had a few hours to organize a defense before Arthurian soldiers arrived.

The Arthurian soldiers were taken by surprise, expecting no organized resistance at all. In fact, their numbers were nearly halved by the Fernian defenders. Despite this, their sheer numbers overwhelmed the elven forces. After a bloody battle lasting several hours, Arthuria's forces emerged victorious. Fernia was stormed, and any elves that had already been cornered within Fernia were killed as the forest kingdom was almost completely razed to the ground. The only one spared was Armiston, who impressed the human soldiers with his strength and survivability.

Arthurians

 * Red King (commander, indirect)
 * Hundreds of unknown soldiers

Fernians

 * Armiston Pendragon (commander)
 * Serenio Cambarro (commander, KIA)
 * Hundreds of unknown soldiers (KIA)

Aftermath
Fernia, or what was left of it, fell under Arthuria's control. He set aside the land to give to loyalists to build on, but while a noble claimed it, nothing lasting was built. After the Red War, the surviving elves returned and rebuilt Fernia, now more xenophobic than before thanks in no small part to the battle. As Fernia's king was killed in the last stand, his daughter, Merinna, took over as ruler of Fernia.

Armiston was stripped of his weapons and armor and imprisoned in Camelot's dungeon, where he would remain for seventeen years until finally being freed. The last stand, along with his experiences while imprisoned, led him to actively seek revenge against the Red King. This inadvertently led to Armiston discovering his Pendragon blood and becoming king of Arthuria.