Friday 16 March 2012

Siege of Kasos.

For around a month or more, infact ever since the start of the Hardenburger war of sucession, the Hardenburger garrison of Kasos on the eastern coast of Tilea had been under siege by the Border prince and Arabyan allies of the Bretonnian crown. The war had been started when Pietr had claimed sucession to the Hardenburger thrown (claiming direct descendence from Moltke von Blucher who had ridden beside Magnus the pious to the gateso of Kislev) over his Uncle, though unlike his uncle he had no wish to execute a coup d'etat on the Vyshnevtskys. With an ancient grudge against both the Vyshnevtskys and their ancestor, Robert mc hune (who had userped Moltke von Blucher and lead a campaign to Bretonnia), the Kingdom of the Bretonnians had challenged Pietr's claim and rissen in support of his Uncle.
In Kasos (A Tilean city captured while at war with the vampire Raspartine) supplies were running short. Pietr had himself ridden to the city, intent on keeping the supply routes open to the southern front in Sylvania. The Bretonnian's allies were encamped at the opening to the valley that was the only route in or out of the city. They were out of cannon range and were stopping any supplies reaching the besieged city. But that morning Pietr had been awoken by the angel of Morr, the god's servant known as the Black knight of Albion. He had told Pietr that if he sallied out today, he would win a victory worthy of song... a victory that would go down in the annals of history!

The Southron allies of Bretonnia 2700pts
Peredur II Marshal de Parravon, Lord on Pegasus
Ceolwulf count of lyonesse, Army standard bearer on horse
Redwald count of montfort, paladin
The green knight
The fey enchantress
Men at arms of the Border princedoms, 32 men at arms
Arabyan milita bowmen, 12 bowmen
Border princes, 8 knights of the realm
Guardians of the Grail, 8 grail knights
Knights of Parravon, 3 pegasus knights
Trebuchet

The Garrisson of Kasos 2700pts
Pietr Senechal of the black bears, Grand master
The black knight of Albion, Grand master
Yann the bold, warrior priest
St. domonic, warrior priest
Captain marlow, army standard bearer
Sigwalda the fiery, Lvl 1 lore of winter
Knights of st. Slaar, 10 knights
Knights of the black bear, 10 knights
Tilean Fanatics, 30 flagellants
Tilean peasant milita, 40 free companies
Garrison of Kasos, 35 halberdiers
Prince's guard, 5 outriders
Prince's guard, 5 outriders
Prince's greatswords, 30 greatswords

 The battle opened up with my Outriders vanguarding down the valley to form a thin green line. They would work as a screen for my main force, out of range of bows but in range if the Bretons advanced.

 I then force marched the rest of my army up behind them withe the knights sheltered behind the Outrider screen ready to charge when the Outriders were eventually destroyed. The rest of my Infantry, with warrior priests singing their praises to Morr, formed up behind  the horse.

 It was then that the southrons started their advance. The fey enchantress and her Grail guardians made a break from the rest of the force, coming into range of our guns. But they had co ordinated their charge with covering fire from the trebuchet, which took down three of the outriders.
I then opened up fire with my vanguard dragoons on the Grail guardians, taking down two of the knighly guardians.


It was then that the Green knight appeared, rising from the Sarcred fountain on his barded steed to face the outriders... and there was nothing they could do about him!

My outriders, ignoring the etheral green knight, continued to open uppunishing fire on the Grail knights, taking down another two of them. Sigwalda then summoned a blizzard hurling it across the peasantry and freezing three two their stakes.

 Then the green knight charged, swirling his blade through the outriders and taking down both of them in his wild slashing, only to be cut down by Pietr's magical blade after refusing the Seneschal's challenge! The outriders then opened fire on the grail knights with one final crushing volley, that killed two, broke their nerve and sent them and the fey enchantress fleeing. Sigwalda then whipped her storm up and blasted another Arabyan archer.

After a final dhot from te Trebuchet that killed two outriders, leaving only two, I withdrew them and charged the knights and Sigwalda up to form a steel line across the valley. My four hordes the marched forward behind the cover of the knights. The fey enchantress then rallied her guards and sent them back to the line.

 Ceolwulf then showed the Grail knights real courage as he charged into the Knights of the black bear, and accepted Pietr's challenge, sweeping up his gauntlet with his sword before the two then tilted their lances and charged! But Ceolwulf definatly came off the worse with Pietr's lance splintering on his armour and wounding him.

Disaster then struck as the trebuchet hurled a massive boulder straight at the black knight of Albion! When the dust cleared and the knights searched the rubble they found the body of one of their comrades... but of the Black knight there was not a trace. Had Morr abandoned them in this valley, would Kasos fall even now? And as the Fey enchantress revived two of her fallen guards it seemed as though the very walls of the valley threatened to bury the Hardenburgers.
But Pietr was oblivious to all this as he rushed at the fallen Ceolwulf swirling his sword again and again. Eventually the count was at his Mercy and seceeded defeat to the heir whos legitimacy he had challenged, mounting and riding from the field. After that his knights fled and were cut down as they run by the knights of the Black bear. Sigwalda then threw up a blizzard around the trebuchet freezing half the crew.

 Pietr and the knights of the black bear then charged the Grail guardians. Pietr rode out of the ranks on his great black bear, shouting out a challenge to the Fey enchantress, but with the words "dude, she's a lady" the Bretonnian general sent forward one of the lady's living saints to duel Pietr (who was now making quite a tally of oppoenents he had defeated). But Pietr had found his match and could not brake this foe, but nor was he himself defeated. However his knights easily overpowered and broke the other champions and the fey enchnatress, sending them into flight and cutting them down.

Having charged the Arabyan, even through their stakes, and wiped them out the Knights of st. slaar and the knights of the black bear turned to face the flanks of the men at arms and pegasus knights. Sigwalda then blizzarded the men at arms killing five of them!

 Peredur and Redwald now stood alone with their men surrounded by the Imperial knights and with a hundred and thirty five infantry marching down the ravine towards them. Who could deny Pietr the throne in such a situation? If anyone could it was the brave Knights of Bretonnia and their border prince allies.

 Then the Green knight returned... Rising from the sacred pool adimst the formed ranks of infantry, marching after the knights!

Wishing to add yet another shield to his collection of those he had defeated in tilts, Pietr challenged Peredur the second to a duel! But this time the two generals were perfectly matched. Mounted on their monstrous steeds they smashed at each other with Lance and sword, battering to no avail.

Then the men at arms from the Border princedoms charged the Knights of St. slaar. Redwald duelling with the Knightly champion, who wounded thr much nobler paladin, taking no blow in return. In the combat the his knights smashed their way through the men at arms, taking but one casualty. And with their Count wounded and their spirit broken the horde of foreign peasantry fled, all being cut down by the knights as they ran.

 But six Bretonnians stood now upon the field, whilst nearly two hundread Hardenburgers surged down the valley. With the crazed flgellants, burning for blood and death, prepared to charge the pegasus knights.

 A charge and two Martyrs later Peredur was fleeing the field. The frenzied Tileans had charged into the combat tearing down the remaing knigt from their steeds and terryfying the Bretonnian General into flight. The Knights of St. slaar to were bearing down on him, having finished off the trebuchet's crewmen.
The green knight now stood alone against the hordes of infantry. With a charge from the Garisson troops and the last mounted guards the Green knight was forced to vanish back to his watery world.
Victory was Pietrs and Morr had truly favoured the Kasons today.

Pietr dismounted. He had won a great victory. Not only had he personally seen of the green knight Ceolwulf, a Grail guardian and Peredur II in single combat but he had lead a Hardenburger army to one of the city's greatest ever victories. The black knight had been right, Morr had truly favoured them and had denied them access to his realm. Only 20 Hardenburgers had died, while on the field there lay all sixty five of the Southrons guarding the pass, and all were dead. The supply route was open and in less than a week the Sylvanian south front would be broken or abandoned! Pietr was truly worthy of the title Seneschal.

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