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PostPosted: February 4th, 2017, 8:53 am 
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Imperial Court~

I am sending this letter to inform you of a great defeat my forces have suffered at the initial military engagements with the Östron realm of Östlæd.

The First Battle of Wiccaweald Farthing - Summer, 544

After release from my imprisonment, and after I sent letters requesting assistance from the realms of the great Mercurian Empire, my forces gathered in Wiccaweald to prevent a great host from Acholm from pressing into the realm of Östlond. Estimates indicate the forces of Östlæd numbered well over 20,000 (with 4,600 members of the Halig Frecan). A quarter of this force entered Wiccaweald Farthing from the east(Frithengestshire), with the remaining entering from the northwest (Merscafen, Acholm). Our forces numbered just slightly under 16,000 (with 3700 members of the Östronweard).

We were prepared for their assault, however, the Halig Frecan began to burn down parts of the forest with large fire charge barrages. Many of our ambush forces were killed in the initial attack. A small skirmish between their crossbowmen and our archers broke out on the north side of the village of Wiccaweald, and losses were mostly even on both sides. To avoid further destruction to the town, and more of our forces, we retreated using a great many longboats through the Groenesee and into the mountains of the Sæppebeorge to the south.

Total estimated losses are 700 dead or wounded for Östlæd, and 1200 dead or wounded for Östlond.

Our initial reports indicate that the Halig Frecan have incurred a great many casualties from our guerilla agents in the village. We may attempt to retake the village in the coming weeks.

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Ealdorman Cerdic Beoden Accynnafon of Östlond
Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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PostPosted: February 4th, 2017, 9:01 am 
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The First Battle of Skovgaard - Summer, 544

The battle of Skovgaard occurred days before the battle of Wiccaweald, however, word of the battle was late in reaching the Östlond central command in Entshire.

5000 men of the Halig Frecan and associated Östlæd militia traveled from Frithengest and Beorcfeld to occupy the lightly defended large hamlet of Skovgaard. The Gelderlondish forces there were not equipped to handle the assault of Frithengest’s heavily armed knights. Minimal losses occured among the 900 members of the Gelderlond Östronweard as they retreated towards Northubeorc.

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Ealdorman Cerdic Beoden Accynnafon of Östlond
Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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PostPosted: February 6th, 2017, 3:57 am 
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The Naval Battle of Secara - Fall, 544 A.I.

The Pyrencian Navy arrived in Secara, Casadia earlier in 544 with over 1000 soldiers, including members of the famed Pyrencian Wande’serathrall Cavalry and the elite Serathrial. Guardian Cerydon and King Erastil met in person during 543 and agreed on a course of action should Östlæd continue down its path of religious fanaticism and anti-Imperialism.

Östlæd’s navy, the Östfleot, included sailors from all Östron Farthings. Many sailors who hailed from what became Östlond were unaware of both the extent of the Östron rebellion as well as the recognition of Östlond by the Mercurian Empire as the legitimate Östron realm. With many Sea-Knights (dedicated, fanatical sailors) throughout the fleet, mutiny seemed unlikely and many Östrons from Östlond felt it was not in their best interest to question the legitimacy of Östlæd.

The Östfleot blockaded Casadia not all that long after the Pyrencian navy arrived in Secara. The blockade was not entirely effective, as many minor traders traveled at night between various smaller ports in the Imperial Sea to evade capture. Warships, and larger trade ships were often stuck in Secara during this time.

The self styled “Cyning” Mark Accynnafon II ordered a naval barrage on Secara to discourage the Casadians and Pyrencians from leaving the safety of Casadia, fearing a possible attempt by these two nations at assisting the rebel realm of Östlond. Afterall, he estimated some nearly 5,000 troops from the combined Imperial forces would make his reestablishment of control over the lands of Östlond much more difficult.

Just a week before his planned naval barrage of the Casadian coast, Cyning Mark Accynnafon II received information that the G.R.H.H. was funneling supplies to Östlond. He officially declared war on Casadia, Pyrencia, Ertia, and the G.R.H.H. at this time. He ordered a contingent of the southern and home fleets of the Östfleot to blockade the G.R.H.H. entirely until he could properly focus on attacking them. Information from the northern fleet indicated that the number of ships and forces from Ertia, Perth, Dawnstar, and other nations near the Amoran canal placed increasing pressure on the blockade there. The decision was made to place much the home fleet off the shore of Ertia.

Ships from Östlond - mainly small longships that are quite agile and hard to hit - inflicted minor damage using hit and run attacks on the southern Östfleot, in addition to capturing a portion of the ships. Of course, this mainly occurred when the crew included mainly Östlondish sailors.

The southern Östfleot sailed for Secara in the fall of 544. Secara is a well protected port with coastal defences strategically placed. Its position did make it easy to blockade, however, not easy to assault. The cogs and carracks of the Östfleot were well equipped with many fire charge dispensers, but with limited range. This limitation meant they had to attempt to fire from inside the bay.

The coastal defense at the entrance to the bay were ready for the Östfleot. The Casadian forces lit giant fires to warn the village of Secara, and many other nearby villages and hamlets of the brave Casadians. The Pyrencian forces sailed south from the northern part of the bay at the same time the Casadian fleet sailed west across the bay to meet the Östfleot head on.

The forward mounted fire charge dispensers inflicted heavy losses on the Imperial fleet present in the bay. The situation was not looking positive despite the the significant naval presence in the bay. The Östrons were not without losses, as the sheer size of their force meant that inaccurate fire charges (which by their very nature they are!) meant they almost always found a target.

The admiral in charge of the Östron fleet pressed on. He instructed ships to fire from both sides when safe to do so, aiming to harm the village. Small fires broke out in the northwestern part of the village; fortunately the Casadians had long prepared for this attack and were ready with mule-driven pumps designed to put out fires.

=-=

Months before the battle, King TIber of New Isilioth promised his support to the Imperial cause, and to Ealdorman Cerdic Accynnafon. His distance from the conflict gave him the confidence to send a large number of his military force - nearly 5000 soldiers (4000 of which were militia members) to Secara to meet up with the Imperial forces.

As the Isilian fleet cleared the straits off of Prismaros, they were frightened to find a moderately sized fleet of Östron cogs behind them. The Isilian admiral ordered the fleet to fall into defensive positions. As the Östron fleet neared, they spotted not the crest of Östlæd waving from their ships - the crest of Östlond was seen instead. Ships from the G.R.H.H. were present as well just behind them. Messengers were sent to discuss this coincidence only to receive knowledge of a likely naval battle occurring in Secara.

=-=

The Östfleot admiral ordered more ships to prepare for a barrage of Secara. Fire charges don’t often sink ships - they are, however, often unable to sail or end as burnt out hulls. Many ships on either side were certainly damaged during this battle. Despite his confidence and almost ensured victory, the admiral could not have been more wrong.

The lookout in the crow’s nest of the flagship began to yell and wave his arms up and down. He just kept yelling and yelling, until the Admiral finally paid attention to the direction he was pointing - west. The sight of the Isilian, Gathered, and Östlondish navies inflicted such a fright on the admiral that he passed out and hit his head on a nearby barrel of ale.

The Vice-Admiral ordered the immediate retreat of the Östfleot. Lucky maneuvering allowed them to leave the bay through the northern entrance. The Östlondish fleet chased them up the coast of the Imperial Sea for a few days, capturing and rescuing a great many Östlondish sailors.

The end result of the battle relieved the southern Imperial Sea of the blockade, and allowed the Imperial Forces to bring in more supplies to repair the damage vessels. With the Southern Östfleot almost entirely in the hands of Östlond, it also meant that the ability of the Östfleot to blockade any further was eliminated.

With the winter of 544 at hand, it was a time to rebuild, rest, and prepare for the battles of the spring.

_________________
Ealdorman Cerdic Beoden Accynnafon of Östlond
Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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PostPosted: February 8th, 2017, 1:54 pm 
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The Ambush of Lecganford - Spring, 545 A.I.

The forces of Östlæd headed north once the snow melted in Skovgaard. The original 5000 troops mostly overwintered there, as well as in Beorcfeld and Frithengest.

Their route took them down the Lecgan Ea, a great river that cuts through Lecganford Farthing. Close to Sæppeham, a small hamlet, they departed the river and took a mostly northerly route up the coast. Reports indicated the Gelderlondish forces, numbering somewhere around 1500 troops, had overwintered somewhere at the foot of the Gelderbeorge. They hoped to attack them at their camp, then continue on the Northubeorc.

~oOo~

The village of Cerdicesleage is a rather oddly large number of dissidents living in Östlæd. Many individuals from Acholm, Merscafen, and Beorcfeld that were mostly related moved to the site of Cerdicesleage in 432 to escape what they saw as an every increasingly deteriorating situation. Over time, the village’s population grew to over 4500 Östrons. The people of this new tribe of Östrons armed themselves to the teeth with crossbows, ballistas, and various pole-arms. They intended to defend their way of life - the mildly religious life - with their lives.

News of the Halig Frecan moving north in the spring of 545 A.I. - news given to them from expert scouts from Wiccaweald - rallied the people, who demanded the Thane lead them to war. The messenger network developed in the north of the Östron realms was based on maritime travel. Their scouts reported their departure from the Lecgan Ea; this gave the Thane of Cerdicesleag an idea.

~oOo~

The troops from Skovgaard, along with a few troops from Northubeorc were warned of the Halig Frecan enroute. Outnumbered more than 4 to 1, and armed with inferior weapons, they knew they had no choice but to retreat to Northubeoc - and fast.

~oOo~

The militia from Cerdicesleag made their way north along the shore at night, taking to the sea in silence. Their Thane lead the force personally, as is the Östron way. They made their landing north of the mouth of the Lecgan Ea.

~oOo~

Word reached NorÞubeorc just 2 days prior that scouts of the Halig Frecan had moved north. An additional 1000 soldiers were spared from the village in the hopes they could delay the arrival of the Halig Frecan long enough to ensure the arrival of the troops from Skovgaard. They encountered the Skovgaard forces in the southeastern portion of NorÞubeorc. They found them building a small dirt rampart structure, as well as temporary watchtowers and signal fires within the line of sight of an additional watchtower on the mountainside. This dumbfounded the reinforcements from NorÞubeorc, as they expected them to continue on to the village. The head knight of the Skovgaard forces lead him to the main tent inside the fort and introduced him to a new friend.

~oOo~

The Halig Frecan continued their march. They were now in pursuit of the Skovgaard forces. For many days, their scouts reported moderate gains. Word that they had built a dirt rampart fort just 2 days ahead encouraged celebration from the men of the Halig Frecan. They knew victory was at hand.

~oOo~

The mountain watchtower noticed the Halig Frecan first. From a great distance they witnessed columns of heavy Knights from Frithengest, archers from Beorcfeld, swordsmen from Getwinnhlith, and various other militia from Frithengestshire. They would arrive at the fort by nightfall. Their sentries quickly lit the warning fires, and preparations were made for the battle.

As the last rays of light from the sun disappeared as twilight, the Halig Frecan entered a shallow bowl south of the dirt walls. To the east were mountains; to the west, a series of coastal hills. The Halig Frecan beat their drums and blasted their war horns with great ferocity. Their leader called out to the Gelderlondish forces, offering insults and taunts. He gave an ultimatum: “Unite, or die.” When no response came, an attack did.

The crossbowmen of the Halig Frecan shot flaming arrows into the fortification. Fortunately, the tents had been moved to a safer area should they win the battle - also in anticipation of flaming arrows. The archers of NorÞubeorc returned fire in kind. The initial losses were mitigated by a great many shields on both side. The head knight of the Halig Frecan ordered his heavy knights, armed with halberds to proceed to the gate.

~oOo~

In the mountains to the east was a pass that lead deep into the range. It opened onto the coastal plain in such a way that you quickly lost sight of the forest below the pass - those in the forest could not easily see into the pass either. The forces from Cerdicesleag had carefully hidden in this pass, patiently waiting for the Halig Frecan to move forward. They witnessed the enemy army advancing to the fort. As night fell, they followed the Halig Frecan. With the forces of Östlæd focusing on the looming battle, their scouts were nowhere to be found behind them.

~oOo~

The Halig Frecan engaged with the Gelderlondish force in hand to hand combat. The Knights from Frithengest were a fearsome enemy, as were knights from other villages. A surprise force of NorÞubeorc knights, armed with crossbows, fired heavy bolts from the western hill into the unsuspecting Halig Frecan. Despite this out maneuvering, the superior numbers of the Halig Frecan meant that even moderate tactical errors meant little.

Bolts from crossbows and fire charges from ballistas hitting their rear were not mistakes they could afford to endure. The additional forces from Cerdicesleag had come from the rear and managed to setup portable ballistas on the higher land to the south. Confusion set in with the forces of the Halig Frecan. Militia of Östlæd began to retreat right into the line of fire of the Cerdicesleag forces. Some groups, in particular from Beorcfeld, surrendered. The Knights of Frithengest broke through the archers to the west, and made their way to the sea. Despite their initial advantage - 5000 to 2500 - the additional 1100 men (and some women!) from Cerdicesleag arriving in an ambush from the rear resulted in the loss of not only this battle for the Halig Frecan, but several thousand men. Fortunately many militia were spared in the surrender; they would be taken to NorÞubeorc for judgement.

This first loss for Östlæd’s might Halig Frecan taught them a mighty lesson - their realm was not united behind them. Well, perhaps behind them - but not with them.

This win for Gelderlond gave their forces a unique opportunity to advance into Östlæd. How far could they get before forces from Acholm headed north to destroy everything in their path?

_________________
Ealdorman Cerdic Beoden Accynnafon of Östlond
Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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PostPosted: February 8th, 2017, 2:10 pm 
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The Battle of Blæcwyrt - Spring, 545 A.I.

The Battle of Blæcwyrt was a minor battle in the Östron civil war. Minor forces from Östlæd attempted to capture the walled town with a little over 1000 men,. However, unaccounted for militia from undocumented Östron towns in the south of the Fuhrwudu Farthing bolstered the forces at Blæcwyrt which resulted in the Halig Frecan abandoning their siege of the town.

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Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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PostPosted: February 9th, 2017, 10:25 am 
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The Battle of GlæÞrveld - Spring, 545 A.I.

After the loss of Wiccaweald, the Östronweard of Östlond overwintered in the Saeppebeorge, as well as Gourdham. Various militias maintained the defense of smaller towns like Blæcwyrt. Ealdorman Cerdic Accynnafon held the Thanesmoot of 545 deep in the Sæppebeorge, in the beautiful Sæppedun (Spruce valley). As spring approached, he made his battle plans. His main forces would split into two, with some staying in Gourdham, and the others taking to the Groenesee to mount an invasion of western Wiccaweald Farthing. From the GlæÞrveld, a coastal grassland west of the forest, they would make their way north of the village with the intention of ambushing the Halig Frecan forces in Wiccaweald.

~oOo~

“Cyning” Mark II feel prey to a slowly crippling alcoholism in the early spring of 545. With the loss in the north against the Gelderlondish forces (due to reports of a surprise ambush force from an unknown village), the arrival of Imperial Forces in the east after the loss at Secara, and another silly loss at Blæcwyrt, he hoped to make a large push once the spring mud hardened deep into Östlond. Additionally, a great number of ships had been repaired and new ones built over the winter. A win against Östlond’s main force in the mountains would allow him to invade Gourdham or the Scitteeige by sea.

By far the most valuable asset he had was a spy in Cerdic’s most trusted circle of Knights. Several Knights had chosen to stay with Östlond, despite their true allegiance. It was through this traitor to Östlond that Mark II learned of Cerdic’s plan.

~oOo~

Reports of Halig Frecan losses near Gelderlond and Blæcwyrt gave Cerdic the encouragement he needed to carry out his plan. It was clear to him that the Halig Frecan was fraught with arrogance, and quite susceptible to ambushes and unexpected tactics.

The Halig Frecan expected this attack. The Östronweard (Östlond’s forces) landed on the GlæÞrveld just before dawn. Waiting for them across the rolling hills of the GlæÞrveld were not the pleasant wild mooshrooms and swine; instead almost 20,000 members of the Halig Frecan and Östlæd militia waited for them on those pleasant grasslands.

The uneven forces (Cerdic’s forces only numbered about 11,000) engaged in intense battle. Ealdorman Cerdic ordered his troops to maintain defensive shield formations to minimize losses. Cerdic certainly thought that this was the end of his short reign. Questions about tactics did not fill his mind; only the rage for the spy on his military council.

The Östronweard was nearly surrounded by the Halig Frecan after a few minutes of heavy fighting. Casualties were moderate on both sides. Maintaining their defensive shield circle, the Östronweard slowly pushed into the militia preventing their escape into the forest to the north. The militia pushed back. Retreat became the only option. The Östronweard slowly made their way back to shore, with defensive shield formations intact. Yet another tactical retreat for the Östronweard.

The Battle of GlæÞrveld resulted in the deaths of 2,000 Östronweard, and only 1,500 Halig Frecan - mostly militia members.

The Halig Frecan of Östlæd proceeded with their invasion of Östlond.

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Ealdorman Cerdic Beoden Accynnafon of Östlond
Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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PostPosted: February 9th, 2017, 10:30 am 
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The Capture of the Scitteeige - Summer, 545 A.I.

With the success at GlæÞrveld, “Cyning” Mark Accynnafon II ordered the invasion of the Scitteige. His information lead him to believe that their knights were in few, and spread thinly through the island chain. Despite the growth in the Östlondish navy, a concerted invasion could seize these islands and harm the trade coming into Östlond.

The battle itself carried out as expected; total destruction of the Knights in Scitteeig, and surrender of the local militia.

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Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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PostPosted: February 9th, 2017, 10:51 am 
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The Retreat of the Östronweard, the arrival of Imperial Forces, and the Naval Campaigns of the Summer - Summer, 545 A.I.

Cerdic’s forces didn’t stop retreating for many days. Cerdic knew that his brother’s next move would be a sea invasion of Gourdham. He needed the Imperial forces. Upon arriving in Gourdham with his wounded and tired soldiers, the news of the loss of Scitteeige shook him greatly.

The navies participating in the Imperial coalition (Pyrencia, New Isilioth, Casadia, and the G.R.H.H) joined forces with the Östlondish fleets in the summer of 545, after months of smaller skirmishes. Several large naval battles occurred in the Scitteeige ( after their capture earlier in the summer), and in the Groenesee, and finally at the Naval Battle of Gourdham.
Mark II ordered the Östfleot to begin to “soften” up Gourdham in preparation for a large scale invasion. Succes here would ensure a swift end to this rebellion, and open up a path to securing independence for Östlæd. His forces were making their way slowly through ambushes and other problems in the northern Sæppebeorge; a large invasion was not possible through the mountains, however.

The Östlæd Östfleot would never have the chance to properly barrage Gourdham. Minor damage was taken in the downtown area of Gourdham, but the Castle Gourdburg remained unscathed. With the combined power of the Östfleot, bolstered by the Pyrencian, Casadian, New Isilian, and Gathered naval forces, the Östlæd Östfleot became locked in their harbors in the Groenesea after the Naval Battle of Gourdham in the late summer of 545. Cerdic did not wish to harm other Östrons, especially civilians; no bombardments would be taken against Acholm (not that such an attempt would leave their fleets healthy - Acholm’s coastal defences are second to none).

The reduction of the threat of the Östlæd Östfleot and arrival of almost ten thousand Imperial soldiers gave Cerdic the relief he was looking for. He couldn’t match Östlæd’s numbers yet - Mark II had been holding back several thousand troops to protect against small incursions and local rebellions. 10,000 fresh troops with unfamiliar tactics to the Halig Frecan (despite their studies of these nation’s military units) would prove to be most valuable.

Cerdic predicted that the next battle would be the bloodiest of the war, at least until the capture of Acholm.

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Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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PostPosted: February 10th, 2017, 9:03 am 
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The Battle of Stænan - Fall, 545 A.I.

Stænan is the name of a stony peninsula on the shore of Entshire on the Western Groenesee. Underpopulated, with hard terrain. In the Fall of 545, the Halig Frecan reinforced their troops headed for Gourdham through the narrow valleys of northern Sæppebeorge by landing on this stony peninsula. The deep waters off of its western shore provided the longship soldier carriers of the Östfleot ample room to land longship after longship of troops from the Eastern Groenesee.

Cerdic’s spies - a growing number with word of deadly suppression of dissent in Acholm - reported to him at his base in Sæppedun of troop movements in the north. His council of advisors (knights and commanders from the Imperial forces) all agreed - it was now time to face the Halig Frecan in a pitched battle.

The winter winds were already blowing fierce from the deep mountain valleys. The oaks had already lost their leaves, leaving the tall spruces of the region as the lone shreds of green. The coast was sure to be cold - surely the signs of an early, and harsh winter.

The Halig Frecan had relocated some troops from Wiccaweald to attempt to deal with issues in the southeast. Troops from Acholm moved north to find the location of hidden raiders harassing their troop movements. 17,000 were already present in Sæppebeorge, with an additional 12,000 arriving from from Acholm Farthing - a fearsome total of 29,000 Knights, professional troops, and massive numbers of militia.

The Halig Frecan made their camp on the stony peninsula, and set up temporary watchtowers on the coastal hills and small mountains. Their plan involved entering the northern-most east-west valley that runs through the Sæppebeorge, and proceed to Gourdham Farthing - hopefully to fight what they considered an inferior and scared Östronweard

The Östlond Östronweard moved into this same valley from the south. Recent arrivals of Imperial Forces came from the west (mostly additional troops from Casadia and Ardol). Reports of the massive size of the Halig Frecan sparked much dissent in the Imperial Camp - what were they to do? How could they possibly defeat this force? They were outnumbered by over 10,000. Cerdic revealed to them a secret about the Halig Frecan, a secret that would hand them this battle.

The Halig Frecan’s scouts spotted the movements of the larger contigent of the Östronweard/Imperial Forces. Their commander ordered a temporary retreat back to the stony peninsula - they did not want to get ambushed or outflanked in the tiny northern valley of the Sæppebeorge. The Östroneweard moved forward, and four days after the reinforcements of the Halig Frecan arrived in Stænan, the battle appeared to finally be at its starting point.

Positioning themselves on the hills to the south, the Östronweard fired ballistas and trebuchets into the Halig Frecan. The Halig Frecan returned fire with an enormous amount of the same kinds of weapons. Cerdic’s scouts spotted strange dispensers that had long tubes, which the Halig Frecan knights of Acholm appeared to be loading with - fireworks?

Cerdic fetched one of his informants and asked him what these new weapons were. His informant explained that they were a kind of weaponized firework rocket, capable of limited range, poor accuracy, but concussive damage similar to TNT. Soon came the minor explosions, not capable of killing men with one hit; the sheer number of them fired at the Östronweard however, were. According to the informant, he had heard rumors of such a weapon, but very few knights had been trained to use them. They would not change the course of the battle in the end.

Heavy mounted knights from Gourdham and Acholm engaged in fierce fighting after huge arrow volleys from crossbows and longbows. The Knights of Wiccaweald in particular fielded their latest ballista designs, capable of rapid firing groups of arrows intended to give accurate, but wide spreading damage. Both sides lost several hundred men by this time during the battle. Pikemen from Acholm inflicted heavy damage on a Gourdham cavalry group.

Cerdic’s advisors and Imperial allies were becoming nervous. They knew the secret, but not when it would be sprung. Cerdic became nervous too - why wait this long? Simply, the secret was in the making of an even greater plot.

The aforementioned fireworks rockets were stored in simple stone barriers, but close together. Militia and knights from Grestanhlith, a mining village surrounded by Westmæd had conspired to rebel during the battle. After witnessing what knights from Westmæd had rolled out, they hatched a plan.

Cerdic was growing ever more impatient. The heavy knights of Acholm were the most fearsome fighting force he had ever seen, and it was not until this battle that they had arrived in such great numbers. Over 600 of them, accompanied by heavy Acholm cavalry, were forcing the battle to become an all out melee.

Cerdic witnessed the expansion of air push the Knights of Acholm to the ground, horses with them before he heard the sound of the huge explosion. The forces from Grestanhlith had lit each of the firework rocket piles to explode in sync. Nearly a thousand men were killed in the huge explosions - mostly militia - and thousands more were knocked off their feet and wounded. Suddenly, the rallying song played with horns and drums of Östlond was heard playing in the Halig Frecan camp. In various places throughout the Halig Frecan forces, members of the Grestanhlith militia, soldiers, and Knights began to attack their fellow Halig Frecan. Cerdic couldn’t believe what they had just pulled off - a sudden gain of several thousand men on his side, the death of mostly Östlæd loyal soldiers, and the incapacitation of thousands more.

The Heavy Knights of Gourdham, along with elite units from Pyrencia, surged into the column of Halig Frecan knights in the center of the flank. Many more died over the next hour, as the Östronweard forced the Halig Frecan to retreat. Despite the sudden change in numbers, most the Halig Frecan made it back to the shore and made their way back to Acholm Farthing.

This was the great victory Ealdorman Cerdic Accynnafon needed. With winter setting in, he intended to make his way to Wiccaweald and secure forts on the border with Östlæd. Tales of this betrayal would make it back to Mark II - thankfully much of the Grestanhlith militia and even Halig Frecan stayed home to protect Acholm. He would need to arrive as soon as he could to prevent the death of their families.

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PostPosted: February 10th, 2017, 9:21 am 
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The Battles of Finwarfæstnes - Fall, 545 A.I.

The Östronweard and Imperial forces captured several forts along the border, in particular the border between Entshire and Frithengestshire. One such fort, the largest on the border, was the Finwarfæstnes. The Finwarfæstnes sits near the meeting point of Wiccaweald, Sæppebeorge, Haligstrom, and Tunindæl Farthings. Situated on a high hill overlooking a forest river, it was a great defensive point to control entrance into Östlond from the east - as well as securing a possible route to communicate with rebellious factions in Tunindæl.

The first battle of Finwarfæstnes occurred after the Östlond win at Stænen. A small contingent, along with mostly Casadian and Isilian forces helped to capture the fort initially. Some days later, a force of Knights and militia from Frithengestshire arrived to attempt to take the fort. After attempts at penetrating the fort using tunnels they had dug well before they lost the fort, the Halig Frecan assaulted the fort from all sides. In the end, despite forcing their way in with tunnels, battering down the front gate, and climbing over the walls, the stalwart Imperial forces held the fort.

_________________
Ealdorman Cerdic Beoden Accynnafon of Östlond
Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice


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