It's funny that you ask that, because it really could have easily gone the other way half a dozen separate times. Going into the night I really thought Battle was going to win.

I'll never tell. :) I'll only say that while the overall effects would have been similar if Battle had sounded the Horn instead (e.g., the Veil calms, fluctuations of magic become less erratic), I was prepared for Battle to win and some meaningful things would have been different right away, the kinds of things people not playing Battle would probably be bitching about right now.