Episode 15 - The Battle of McCloughhaven's Reach

General Summary

1st of Godsnight, 995
After the decimation of Clan Eskir at the hands of House Antyre during the Antari Vengeance War, its survivors were scattered to the winds as their lands and holdings were divided up by their Banteavan conquerors. Most of them settled in the highlands near the Barony of Ayl, but one among them travelled further south to the fishing villages in what would one day become known as the Barony of Rhythavn. With little prospects, she opted to marry a minor merchant who had come from Norvalled seeking his fortunes in Banteave. They settled on the shores of Rhyver Bay after the merchant's title was recognized; he had contributed to the war effort against the Antari, and was granted the lands near the Bay in honour of his service to the King. Their children would be barons, and their children after them. Thus was founded House Ildrafn. Centuries later, the descendants of Eskir and Antyre would meet once more on the field of battle. 21st of Sunfall, 1442
Iseabail McCloughhaven oversees the assembly of soldiers at her disposal at McCloughhaven's Reach. Ildrafn has sent their loyal militia, but their detachment of men-at-arms leaves something to be desired. The scout reports also paint a grim picture, as the Antyre forces arrayed against Iseabail easily outnumber her troops. As she prepares her battle plans, her master of arms Brian Lochaber offers that she might carry a banner of surrender on her person, just in case the battle turns. If it does, she intends to save as many lives as she can by offering terms of peace. Down below in the kitchens, Madline Maeve oversees the preparation of meals for the visiting soldiers, as well as the preparation of freshly sterilized bandages. A former knight who abandoned her position years ago for a simpler life, Madline runs her kitchen staff like a well-trained regiment. When two of her cooks go missing, she searches the entirety of the manor until she finds them packing to abandon the Reach before the battle and "encourages" them to remain at their posts, no matter how bleak the situation may appear to be. Unexpected aid, however, arrives from the north in the dwindling hours of the afternoon, as Jhorhald Eskir arrives accompanied by the massed forces of The Undying and Untamed Clans Eskir and Kodroth. With the backing of three Antari warbands, surely the Reach will stand a fighting chance against the forces of House Antyre? It doesn't seem likely after the first meeting between the commanders. Their attempts to coordinate the defence of the Reach are disorganized at best, and while Ruskin Ventro sets off with a team of sappers to prepare traps in the nearby woods to draw off Antyre cavalry, Iseabail (in consultation with Madline, despite the cook's protests that she's "retired") cannot coordinate the other groups effectively. While she still manages a rousing speech that night at the Cracked Emerald tavern, many of the warriors drink excessively the night before the battle, and an unexpected dispute between the camps of the Undying and Clan Kodroth leave one of Revna's warriors badly wounded. While the dispute between the camps is being settled, Ivka steals into the kitchens to secure a slaughtered animal for a ritual she wishes to conduct. She seizes a dead chicken before being apprehended by Madline, who chastises her for her heretical practices before allowing her to leave with the carcass. Slinking away into the forest, Ivka builds a fire and casts the chicken bones in, calling forth Carrion to grant her knowledge of the enemy forces. The misshapen creature of burned bird bones crawls forth from the fire and drags her spirit up from her body as it soars across the Warblewise Forest, giving her a view of Khinar Antyre's army. She also notes the presence of Hennan Antyre, a renowned warrior also known as the Wolf of Farlany, who seems ready to lead the cavalry charge the following morning. When Ivka returns to consciousness, the burned bones have been used to draw a rough map of Antyre's forces in the dirt beside her, and she quickly scribbles down what she can before reporting her findings to Revna. Meanwhile, another divine consultation is taking place, albeit with less hallucinations and burned offerings. Having concluded her work in the kitchens for the night, Madline finds her way to the small chapel dedicated to The Six Saints. It was burned by the occupying forces during The Tambar Rebellion, but efforts have been made to restore it to a semblance of its former status, despite the scorch marks still clearly visible in places. There, six small frescoes denote the saints, with a seventh spot reserved for God should They ever deem humanity worthy of their return, but Madline focuses her prayers in dedication to Saint Soria, the Judge. She'd left her knightly path a long time ago, but may yet be called to return to the fray once more, despite her age and reticence. 22nd of Sunfall, 1442
Dawn rises upon McCloughhaven's Reach. The last few traps are set in place within the nearby woods by Ruskin and his team. The town militia, bolstered by Jhorhald's warband, marches alongside Ildrafn's men-at-arms out of the gates to meet Antyre in the field. Within the woods, the Undying, Clan Kodroth and Ruskin's forces wait for their moment. The armies of House Antyre arrive, banners resplendent, lead by a vanguard of Highland Reavers; it's an intimidating display of force arrayed against the ragtag forces under Iseabail's banner. Before the battle begins, the two commanders call for a parlay and meet in no-man's land. Iseabail and her second-in-command Brian rode out to meet Khinar Antyre and his sister Hennan Antyre, where bitter words were exchanged. Iseabail did her best to get under Khinar's skin, wheedling at his confidence, and in the end no common ground could be found to prevent the carnage that was soon to follow. The two partied departed acrimoniously, and soon the drums of war began to sound as the armies closed upon one another. In the woods, Revna made an impassioned speech to help quell the ill will between the Undying and Kodroth, and then the hidden warriors sprang their trap, riddling the Antyre flank with arrows and drawing their cavalry and skirmishers into the woods. As the main force met upon the field, Ruskin's traps began their lethal work, and the screams of surprised Antyrian soldiers were quickly cut short by deadfalls, pit traps and sharpened stakes. Upon the battlefield, Iseabail flew into the melee with her twin axes, cutting down Antyre soldiers left and right... and was joined in combat by an unexpected ally when Madline rode into the fray, wearing her old from her days as a knight of Saint Soria and wielding a heavy mace notched with years of use. Within the woods, Ruskin found himself challenged by Hennan Antyre, demanding his honour or his life. He answered her axe to axe, and despite her prowess at arms and unrelenting bravery, Hennan sustained several injuries and was forced to yield, beating a hasty retreat back through the woods. Her exit was briefly challenged by Ivka, who drew her ceremonial dagger and was prepared to send the great warrior to Carrion herself, but a single look from Hennan told Ivka all she needed to know; if she crossed blades with Hennan, it would be the druid who fell that day. With a final snarl and a vow of vengeance, Hennan disappeared into the woods. Realizing the battle was not going as he'd hoped, Khinar signalled to his reinforcements from Loyal Clan Echen to enter the field... but to his amazement, Emelyn Tahn Echen instead called on their forces to stand down and withdraw from battle, leaving Khinar's troops to fend for themselves. Amidst the confusion rippling through the ranks, Madline seized her horse and charged through a gap in Antyre's lines, headed straight for Khinar Antyre. It was a bold maneuver, but the unyielding strength of his bodyguards kept her from delivering a killing blow to the lordling who had brought war to the Reach. However, the reckless charge was enough to make him rethink his decision, and facing mounting casualties from an unexpectedly well-prepared Ildrafn defence, Khinar was forced to call for an orderly retreat. As Antyre's soldiers pulled back from the field, a bloodied Iseabail was lifted by Madline up out of the blood-soaked mud, exhausted and spent. The two warriors turned back to see the Ildrafn soldiers and their allies cheering wildly, calling out Iseabail's name. Against all odds, House Ildrafn had held the reach and won the first battle of the Eadvardian Succession War.

Notes

Below is the speech given by Revna Tahn Eskir before the battle:

There used to be this bull. A huge aurochs in our herd. It fathered over half of our herd, and it was fierce. We used to have to avoid it as we hunted, because it was so dangerous. We could pick off some of the cows when it was on the other side of the herd, but if it ever saw us, it would charge. It killed my cousin. When I was young, I swore that one day I would kill the bull. But we couldn't kill it, because it was so important to the herd. Then one day, someone made the decision that we would put up a fence around our herd to keep them in one place. Keep them managed and under control. And when this happened, our herd started to dwindle. Our cows grew fat, their meat got tender. We lost some to wolves, and the bull didn't do anything. It thought that we would protect the herd now. Besides, the bull was getting fat and lazy, too. It stopped defending the herd. It stopped fucking. It stopped doing anything. Because the bull knew that this was no way to live, and it was no way to condemn others to live, or a life to raise your young into. I saw the same thing happening to my people. When I made the difficult decision to leave my homeland, I went to the field where we kept our herd, I stepped over the fence, and I laughed. Because it was just a piece of wood - small and fragile next to the bull. It could have trampled it at any time, and been free and happy and fought and fucked to its heart's content. But it never strained - it never questioned the fence, because we had told it that it shouldn't. I walked up to the bull - I remembered how proud and defiant it had been. How fierce and angry. How territorial and mean, and how deadly the horns had been. Now it let me walk up to it. Look it dead in the eye. I lifted my knife - this knife right here. And I slashed its fucking throat. When I did that - the bull remembered who it was. It gave me this scar, and probably broke my shoulder. But then it was too late. The bull is dead, and I am here, telling my version of this story. All the bull can do now is hope that my story treats it fairly. I think, when the bull saw me, it knew what I was there to do. But I think the bull also knew that death was preferable to living a shadow of its life, trapped, beholden to lesser creatures. In the end, it was a bull, and it fought - final panicked death throes. I refuse to die like that fucking bull. I will kick down the fence and burn the fuckers who built it! I would rather die than live in the world they aim to put us in. And if I do, I'll get right back up and keep fighting - we all will. Because we ARE THE UNDYING, and they would put us in a world that I cannot accept.