Battle of Kara Khitai

Battle of Kara Khitai
Part of the Great War
Date 1004 AE Location Kara Khitai, Maar Sul Result Khitan and the Delegation of Thirteen victory
Combatants
Delegation of Thirteen Khitan Khanate	Fang
Commanders
Sen Wisteria Qishou Khan †	Glaurung Losstarot

The Battle of Kara Khitai was fought between the Fang and an alliance of Khitans and the Delegation of Thirteen in Kara Khitai in Maar Sul in 1004 AE during the Great War. Qishou Khan, the leader of the Khitan Khanate, lost his life in a duel to the Fang commander Glaurung Losstarot who made her first noteworthy public appearance. The Khitans managed to drive the Fang away with help from the Delegation of Thirteen, but Glaurung and several of her officers managed to flee before they could be caught.

Background

Main article: First Battle of Maar Sul

After the Struan Rebellion had been dealt a severe blow by the execution of the usurper Martin Struan, the Grand Alliance took over Maar Sul City in the First Battle of Maar Sul and Kagetsu II was crowned the King of Maar Sul. Knowing that the House of Struan, which had been collaborating with the Yamato Empire and the Clergy of Mardük in the Great War, would be angered by the death of the head of their house and would thus prevent the Alliance from accessing Port Cedric which was vital to the Alliance's ongoing campaign in Maar Sul.

While negotiations began with Jardine and Matheson to join Kagetsu II and the Alliance in the war against Yamatian invaders, Chancellor Sen Wisteria was sent to the Khitan Khanate to negotiate with the Khitans and gain access through their land as well as gain the Khitans as allies in the war. Sen took several members of the Alliance with him for these negotiations, and they became known as the Delegation of Thirteen.

Battle

The delegation eventually reached the khanate lands and were escorted to the Khitan encampment, Kara Khitai, by Alghu Khan who was one of the sons of the reigning Khan Qishou Khan. The Khan was suspicious of the travellers' motives since the Khitans had always been independent in Maar Sul, but words from his Maar Sulais advisor Nicholas Draco convinced him to hear Sen out. The delegation learned that a mercenary group known as the Fang, led by the enigmatic knight Glaurung Losstarot, had been harrassing Khitans and their horses and livestock as of late although none knew who exactly the mercenaries were working for.

While the negotiations continued, the Fang attacked the Khitan encampment, having managed to use spells of illusion to sneak past Khitan sentries. The mercenaries showed no mercy, killing anyone who stood in their way. The Khan, having been notified of the attack, rallied his people to defend themselves against the attackers and went to face the mercenary leader in combat. The delegation offered its assistance to the Khitans and fought alongside them.

After a fierce struggle, Qishou Khan was killed by Glaurung who immediately ordered her men to retreat; it turned out that her real target had been the Khan all along. Although Khitans and the delegation gave pursuit, the mercenaries had faster horses and managed to flee to safety although they had suffered some losses along the way.

Aftermath

Main article: First Battle of Victoire

Alghu Khan succeeded his late father Qishou as the new Khan of the Khitans and, angered by the mercenaries' actions and believing them to have worked for the Yamatians, joined the Grand Alliance in the war against the Yamato Empire. The Alliance, having secured the Khitans as allies, turned its attention to Victoire and attacked it in the First Battle of Victoire.

Glaurung and her inner circle reported to their employer who had accomplished his goals with their help and retreated to Libaterra to let the Alliance finish its campaign in Maar Sul. Glaurung would eventually take over the Rebels in Libaterra by the time of the Cataclysm which ended the Great War and lead to the rise of the Crimson Coalition against the Grand Alliance in the Second Great War over a decade later.

See also

• Glaurung Losstarot
• Kara Khitai
• Qishou Khan