Battle of Ice Haven

Talinie » Battle of Ice Haven
During the War of Greensward Succession, after a series of minor victories, Jarod Dannis' rivals combined to crush him. In 319 MR, they seized the town of Scalpay and advaned on Nowelton. Aidan Norvil was the rival claimant to the county of Greensward, and had many allies in Lindholme. Aiden had 6000 men, 3000 of his own, and 3000 allies and auxiliaries. He invaded Ice Haven with 4000 infantry, 1000 archers, 500 cavalry, and 500 knights. Jarod had no more than 4000 men, and some accounts give him as few as 3200. Jarod had 300 knights, 200 cavalry, 1000 archers, 1000 pikes, and 1500 infantry.
However, Jarod had two distinct advantages. He knew the country very well as he was now fighting on home ground. Second, he had the opportunity to decide when to give battle, at least before they reached Newelton. He abaondon the border town of Scalpay and made his stand on a ridge line know known as Jarod's Ridge. There he put his line of pikes supported by his infantry. His horse and archers were put quite a bit forward. As the enemy approached, the archers fired volleys against them and fell back. The cavalry and knights were there to protect the archers as they maneuvered. Aiden and his men saw the archers falling back and thought that Jarod's troops were in flight. Aiden pushed forward and allowed his faster troops to move ahead in a supposed pursuit. Cut down by arrows and weakened by skirmishes with Jarod's horse, Aiden's own horse was already blooded when they reached the top of the ridge, to face the pike of Jarod's army. Working their way up the hill under fire and with encounters from Jarod's covering horse, Aiden's cavalry was in no position to break a line of pikes set and ready to receive them. But angered by the attacks and unable to catch the archers they were hot and eager to break Jarod's force. The archers continued to volley forth as the knights and other horse charged the pikes. When Aiden and his infantry arrived at the top of the ridge, they found their cavalry destroyed and their knights on foot engaging the infantry who came forward to protect the pikes as the knights dismounted.
Aiden realized that the initial part of the battle was a loss, but knew that all too often a second phase of battle could win the day. He still outnumbered Jarod and believed his infantry was still fresh, though they had been hurrying uphill towards Jarod's army. Jarod pulled his pikes back and personally reformed them while his infantry fought with Aiden's force. Then Jarod maneuvered his pikes to the right side of the battle line and fell on Aiden's flanks. Aiden responded, but the pikes were able to strike at Aiden's men before they could bring their own weapons to respond. Normally infantry had an advantage against pikes, but Jarod's small force was highly disciplined and cooperated to keep an impenetrable wall of pikes between their lightly armored bodies and the weapons of their enemies.
Finally, as Aiden's lines began to fall into disarray, Jarod called for his cavalry to ride into the left side of his enemy. Duncan Scalpay, the Lord of Scalpay, commanded the horse, and rode hard and fast into Aiden's other flank, breaking his army all to pieces. As they broke down and started to flee, it was an easy thing for the horse, infantry, and archers to pursue them downhill defeating Aiden's army in detail.
The so-called Battle of Ice Haven was a tremendous success for Count Jarod, and his enemies were defeated. Jarod assembled his defeated rivals and his allies in the small keep near Scalpay. It was there that Jarod secured agreement to select a leader for all of Talinie. Jarod then selected his three year old son, Edrand, and placed him on a wooden chair, the first throne of the new realm of Talinie. To this day the wooden throne of Talinie is called the Oak Seat.