The Battle of Cintra, which Nordlings call the Slaughter of Cintra or Massacre of Cintra because of the very cruel actions of the Nilfgaardian army, was one of the final battles of first Nilfgaard-Nordling war.
The forces of Nilfgaard reached the city shortly after the Battle of Marnadal. Queen Calanthe gathered all her remaining troops and nobles around her and retreated back to the city. During the retreat Calanthe was heavily wounded and had to be transported into the city. There were so few troops left that there was no need for a siege, and Nilfgaard attacked quickly. Calanthe, the nobles and all the troops barricaded themselves inside the castle. Nilfgaardian sorcerers quickly destroyed the gate and the forces entered the castle. Only the enchanted inner keep could be defended, but everyone knew that even so, they could not resist for long.
After four days of resistance, the army of Nilfgaard finally managed to break into the keep. Cintran women killed their children, the women were in turn killed by the men and the men then committed suicide. Calanthe asked someone to finish her off, but nobody had the courage to do it, so she leaped headfirst out of the castle tower and died instantly upon hitting the ground. Some people said that Ciri was killed by her grandmother but in actuality Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, the mysterious black Nilfgaard knight, helped her escape. The city of Cintra was completely razed.
After the battle
The next battle was the second battle for Sodden Hill, which could never have been won had the slaughter of Cintra not occurred.