The advance began at midday under a hazy sky that cast flat, even light across the farmland between the ridges.
Eight thousand four hundred warriors moved down the Thornfield ridge in echeloned formation. The 1st Warband under Arka'garr held the center, one thousand veterans advancing in tight, disciplined ranks. The 2nd Warband anchored the right flank against the river. The 3rd through 8th Warbands filled the spaces between, creating a front that stretched across half a mile of farmland.
The Roarers fired their first volley at four hundred paces. Fourteen hundred weapons discharged in a staggered pattern that produced a sustained crackle rather than a single blast. The balls struck among the Threian positions on the northern hills. The range was extreme for the Roarers' limited accuracy and casualties were light, but the psychological effect was immediate. Threian soldiers dropped behind cover.
