Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
The retreat of the forces of the shires enabled the Irish to mount a devastating counter attack that the Scots did not prepare for.
The Scottish grip on northern Ireland is under serious threat, as King Hew himself is isolated from the main communication routes.
What was about to be a decisive march south to finish off the Irish has turned into a survival struggle.
At the same time, tension is rising as the English surround York.
---
"What is your business here?" The cloaked men dragged the terrified Welshman outside his carriage.
"I a just a Welsh merchant" stuttered the poor guy.
"Of course you are" The Scottish henchmen laughed as they put a rope around the man's neck. "We saw you coming from the Welsh camp. You are trying to sell your services to the Irish aren't you?"
The Welshman denied all charges, but was suddenly silenced as he he dropped from the tree.
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
The situation escalated wildly out of control and Lord Geoffrey was not a man of action like Lord Lewes who was the main fighting general of the duchy of York and Newcastle, and the resultant talks between the King of England , became heated , when the king demanded complete submission and surrender of Waylander in part for the killing of his heir. There was nothing to be done, with the treasury being bare, the poor shires having pushed themselfs to the bring of financial collapse, fielding near four field armies, sending 2 west to the isles of mann and ireland, the fact one had been destroyed at irish hands, did little to resolve the money situation as a new garrison had been made at the isles of mann, and also those at York bought to full strength kept the burden at its fullest.
The English king had three field armies with him at York and a siege would be shortlived no matter the number of defenders, the duke could field, for 3v1 was always the same story, and he could expect little help from the north, from newcastle, for with 1 army he could little. There was always their allies, the scots, but after Nicolas had withdrawn to protect the isle of mann , their armies had been mauled in the irish backlash, and a furious scottish king had sent a note, listing his grievances with "Nicolaus the coward" as he now called him, and listing his ill will towards the duchy of York and Newcastle.
There was little doubt that Duke Geoffrey had to act, but the only plan left to him , was one of frightening consquences, of leaving York , probably the most financial city in the lands, and march northwards to a meeting of all the northern shires powers, and then face the english king with equal power of three armies to three armies...that at the very least had the greatest chance of success and would force the english king to talk with him on equal standing.
So that night, the Dukes forces, sneaked out the unguarded northern entrance and marched north in quiet ,not wishing to alert the population of the city nor the english armies nearby , heading to the next available defensive point of Barnard Castle , whilst sending message of help to Newcastle [ vassal he helped put in place] and to the annoyed general Nicolaus the scarred to congregate, north of Barnard castle to make a final stand at Newcastle with all three armies. He didnt send a message to Godwin lewes, for he knew that he wouldnt send any troops, for he had no love for the scheming duke.
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Godwin lewes , kept in communication with his brother in the english army on the isle of mann, and the situation became a comfortable zugswang, with neither side wishing to start combat for fear that the otherside would be able to send forces [nicolaus was still nearby] and reverse the situation. With neither brother wishing to attack the other, messages were sent, and then the generals from both sides, began to talk and eat together in a tent placed between each others armies , enjoying the best rations that Castletown could provide, for it was in Godwins interests not to attack his brother, and the english forces, were worried about attacking , with equally Jasper lewes[part of the english command staff] persuading his joint general that they should wait things out, and see what would happen to the english king...if he died in battle , they were sure to benefit in the recurring shuffle..and if the duchy of York&newcastle prevailed, then they could negotiate with good grace , saying they hadnt attacked. If however if the english king and Duke Geoffrey managed a joint settlement, then it would be better for both sides if Castletown was undamaged, leading neither side to offer reparations for damage, so it was a win-win for each side at the moment, as the joint command teams of Lewes, and the english commanders, sat , ate and drank noble quality food, and awaited the outcome on the mainland.
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Nicolaus the scarred got two message this season, one from the scottish king, rather insulting and demeaning words, calling him "Nicolaus the scared" which annoyed him to a great degree, for he was a courageous soldier and nobody had ever called him coward for he always did his duty. The other message from a desperate Geoffrey was rather problematic, calling him to newcastle, to stand against the english threat.
Nicolaus sighed, and reviewed his options....he couldnt stay where he was for, he relied on supplies being transferred from York and Newcastle, and without their assistance , he would loose both money and supplies and his army would soon fade away. Indeed, both of these had grown short of late, with payments to troops patchy due to his distance from the duchies supply route. The isle of Mann could support his army group, Moving to ireland, again would risk him losing all his moneys and supplies, and their irish were still happy to be killing northern duchy-men, and yet scotland was proving suspicious and annoyed at his lack of actions.
He therefore decided to do the other thing , he could do...a certainly brave thing, considering the words of the Scottish king, and sailed to Carlisle, hoping to pass these scottish lands, to get to Newcastle at all possible haste. He set a message to the scottish garrisons there asking free leave to pass thorough their lands, for their power in this area was such that the scottish could destroy his force, at their own convenience if they wished....but perhaps he thought to himself, this was more proof of the mettle of himself, sticking his head on the chopping block for the risk of his own kingdom...perhaps the scottish king could see the worth of such a man, and certainly he could'nt call such a man , a coward, nor a betrayer of his own nation.
The other day, i finished a book i had received for christmas "Heroines of the Medieval World by sharon Connorly" , which was ok, [rather data-ry in most places but there was one story of the rather formidable black agnes that was worth telling, so i will provide it here with the castle it involves]
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle in Lothian was once one of the most impressive and imposing castles in Scotland. The castle ruins still dominate the approach to Dunbar harbour.
While the Castles on the line of the Border were intended, to check the invasions of the English by land, the strong towers of Berwick, Fast, Dunbar, and Tantallon formed a chain of defence on the seaboard which might well discourage invasion from that quarter. The magnitude as well as the strength of these Keeps enabled their possessors to garrison an army of very respectable dimensions, and their proximity to one another rendered a junction of their forces comparatively easy. And thus the Lowlanders were prepared to resist their foreign foes. Nor were their preparations uncalled for, since their enemies were diverse and ubiquitous. Now it might be
"The Percy out of Northumberland, And a vow to God made he, That he would hunt in the mountains At Cheviot within days three, In the mauve of doughty Douglas, And all that ever with him be."
Anon the defence had to be made against the searovers, when in that more dangerous time:—
"Hither came from eastern shores The Jutes and Angles over the broad sea; Fierce battle-smiths, and Britain sought, O’ercame the Welsh and gained the land."
HISTORY OF DUNBAR CASTLE
The importance of Dunbar was realised as early as the Iron Age. The name 'Dunbar' comes from the Brythonic words 'dyn barr', which translates as 'the fort of the point'. This suggests that the fort came first, followed by the settlement we now know as Dunbar. The fortification on the point of land defending Dunbar harbour was used by the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia as early as the 7th century.
In AD 678 St Wilfrid, Bishop of Northumbria, was briefly held prisoner at Dunbar Castle.
Situated on a rocky outcrop projecting into the Firth of Forth, there has been a fortification on the site since at least Roman times. During this period a timber fort was occupied by the Votanidi tribe and later became part of the Kingdom of Northumbria which stretched from the Forth to the Humber. Later taken by Picts, little is known about it until AD 849 when it is recorded as owned by Kenneth MacAlpin. He had seen off his competitors to become King of both Picts and Gaels against a backdrop of Viking raids. In the 10th and early 11th centuries, the Norsemen made increasing inroads in Scotland and in 1005 a record exists of a Patrick de Dunbar, under Malcolm II, engaged against the Norse invaders in the north at Murthlake a town of Marr where alongside Kenneth, Thane of the Isles, and Grim, Thane of Strathearn, he was slain
The medieval fortress probably evolved from the earlier defences but is generally credited to Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria or his son, also Gospatrick, who took the title Earl of Dunbar. The former had been a magnate of Northumbria but had been expelled following William I's 'Harrying of the North' in 1069/70. The castle continued to be developed over the subsequent centuries and became a substantial fortification that comfortably withstood an attempted assault by King John of England in 1214.
Dunbar Castle was the scene for the first major battle of the First War of Scottish Independence . In 1292 Edward I had arbitrated between rival claimants for the Scottish throne and had ultimately chosen in favour of John Balliol; an individual Edward was confident would be his vassal. However, Edward's excessive demands for men and money to support a war with France placed the new Scottish King in an impossible position. He was left little choice but to rebel and sought to agree a mutual defence pact with France. Outraged Edward raised an army to deal with the threat and by March 1296 the two countries were at war; the Scots launched a failed attack on Carlisle Castle on 26 March but this was followed by a brutal English assault on Berwick on 30 March. The sacking of the latter, Scotland's largest port and a thriving mercantile community, was designed to awe King John into submission. After one month militarising Berwick, Edward commenced preparations for penetration into southern Scotland and a key installation along the coastal road was Dunbar Castle. Although owned by Patrick, Earl of March - who supported Edward I - the castle itself had been handed over by the Earl's wife, Marjory Comyn, to the forces of King John. The castle was besieged by John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey prompting the Scottish garrison to send a frantic plea to help to King John. He duly detached the mounted elements of his army, under the command of John Comyn, but the subsequent battle was a disaster with the Scots routed and over 100 high status prisoners taken. With the arrival of Edward I and the main English army on 28 April 1296, Dunbar Castle surrendered to the English. Later that year King John capitulated to the Edward I and was stripped of his throne. Thousands of other Scottish magnates would subsequently pay homage direct to Edward I at a gathering at Berwick Castle.
Despite the English victory at Dunbar, which saw the Scottish throne left vacant, the Wars of Scottish Independence continued. William Wallace rebelled the following year and starting a guerrilla war against the English which reached its high point at the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297). Although Wallace was defeated, another rebellion, this time led by Robert the Bruce, started in 1306. Edward I's death, a Burgh-by-Sands on his way north to suppress the revolt, led to a change in fortune for the Scots; the new English King, Edward II, was no substitute for his father. In the first years of his reign he would lose control of almost all the castles in Scotland until finally, prompted into action by a siege of Stirling Castle, he brought and army north. At the Battle of Bannockburn (1314), Edward was decisively defeated requiring him to flee the battlefield. Refused entry into Stirling Castle, Edward rode at speed to Dunbar pursued all the way by the Scots. He left his horses outside the castle's gates and took a fishing boat back to England.
Dunbar Castle was slighted after 1314 to prevent further military use - its coastal location and port facilities being regarded as too useful for the English with their significant maritime assets. However, whilst the First War of Scottish Independence ended in 1328, peace did not last long. Once Edward III had overthrown Roger Mortimer, Earl of March he keenly restarted the war. A significant English victory at Halidon Hill (1333) saw southern Scotland re-conquered and Dunbar Castle was fortified once more. However, it was later recaptured by the Scots and, under the command of Agnes Randolph, successfully withstood a five month siege as the English tried to re-capture it.
Dunbar Castle was taken into Crown ownership following the forfeiture of George II, Earl of March. By this time the castle was ruinous but substantial rebuilding was initiated. The upgrades were significant enough to enable the castle to withstand another English assault, led by Henry Percy, in 1435. Another attack in 1448 saw Dunbar Castle badly damaged once more and it is unclear what rebuilding took place before the castle was purposely slighted in 1488 to again deny its use to the English.
Dunbar Castle was rebuilt in 1515 during a period of fighting between England and Scotland. The conflict continued sporadically through the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI culminating in the war of the Rough Wooing; an attempt to force a marriage alliance between Edward VI and Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1547 the English had significant success at the Battle of Pinkie but the English commander - Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset - was unable to press home his advantage. The following year though he did raid into Scotland attacking Dunbar Castle and leaving the site ruinous.
The castle was extensively upgraded by Marie de Guise, widowed Queen of James V, between 1550 and 1560. These upgrades restored the castle to a first rate fortification and accordingly her daughter - Mary, Queen of Scots - made regular use of the site during her reign. Of note she chose it as the location to rally her supporters following the murder of her unpopular Italian secretary, David Riccio, at Holywood Palace. Another important visit occurred in April 1567 when she arrived there with James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. He had allegedly kidnapped Mary and had taken her first to Hailes Castle and then onto Dunbar. Whether this action was with the connivance of the Queen or not is disputed. Either way, it spelled the end for her regime with key magnates rising in rebellion. On 15 June 1567 at Carberry Hill near Edinburgh she surrendered to her opponents and was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle where she was forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son, James. Whilst she escaped and rallied her forces she was defeated at the Battle of Langside, fought on 13 May 1568, and fled to Carlisle Castle in England. Bothwell fled to Dunbar Castle and then abroad to Norway hoping to enlist the support of Frederick II of Denmark. However, the King imprisoned him and he was never released.
Bothwell left some of his supporters to hold Dunbar Castle and Regency forces besieged the castle in September 1567. They were eventually ejected but Dunbar Castle was once again slighted to prevent any reoccurrence with some of the stone robbed to rebuild the quay side at Leith. The castle was never rebuilt and suffered further destruction when the Victorian harbour, complete with its own gun battery in the north-east corner, was built in 1844. This created a new entrance for the harbour with ships sailing through what was once the centre of the medieval castle. What is left has been closed to the public since 1993 when a portion collapsed into the sea.
[a new map of the harbour , showing how the castle location [top left is intergrated into the harbour - ignore some of tnewer buildings and locations ]
Structures
The body of buildings measured in excess of one hundred and sixty five feet from east to west, and in some places up to two hundred and ten feet from north to south. The South Battery, which Grose supposes to have been the citadel or keep, is situated on a detached perpendicular rock, only accessible on one side, seventy two feet high, and is connected to the main part of the castle by a passage of masonry measuring sixty nine feet. The interior of the citadel measures fifty four feet by sixty within the walls. Its shape is octagonal. Five of the gun-ports remain, which are called the 'arrow-holes'. They measure four feet at the mouth and only sixteen inches at the other end. The buildings are arched and extend eight feet from the outer walls, and look into an open court, whence they derive their light.
About the middle of the fortress, part of a wall remains, through which there is a gateway, surmounted with armorial bearings. ths gate seems to have led to the principal apartments. In the centre, are the arms of George, 10th Earl of Dunbar, who succeeded his father in 1369, and who besides the earldom of Dunbar and March, inherited the Lordship of Annandale and the Isle of Man from his heroic aunt, Black Agnes of Dunbar. They must have been placed there after his succession, as he was the first who assumed those sculptured Arms: viz, a large triangular shield, and thereon a lion rampant, within a bordure charged with eight roses. The shield is adorned with a helmet, carrying a crest: a horse's head bridled. On the right are the Arms of the Bruces, and on the left those of the Isle of Man.
The castle towers had communication with the sea, and dip low in many places. North-east from the front of the castle is a large natural cavern, chiefly of black stone, which looks like the mouth of the Acheron – a place that leads to melancholy streams. This spot is supposed to have formed part of the dungeon where prisoners were confined, such as Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld, who was a prisoner here in 1515. There is, however, also a dark postern which gives access to a rocky inlet from the sea, and it seems probable that it was through this that Sir Alexander Ramsay and his followers entered with a supply of provisions to the besieged in 1338.
It was long said the castle was invulnerable, possibly because of the many sieges it sustained. The castle was built with a red stone similar to that found in the quarries near Garvald. Large masses of walls, which have fallen beneath the weight of time, appear to be vitrified or run together. In the north-west part of the ruins is an apartment about twelve feet square, and nearly inaccessible, which tradition states was the apartment of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar and March (c. 1312–1369), known as Black Agnes for her dark complexion, was the wife of Patrick, 9th Earl of Dunbar and March. She is buried in the vault near Mordington House.
She was the daughter of Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, nephew and companion-in-arms of Robert the Bruce, and Moray's wife, Isabel Stewart, herself a daughter of John Stewart of Bonkyll. Agnes became renowned for her heroic defence of Dunbar Castle in East Lothian against an English siege led by William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury, which began on 13 January 1338 and ended on 10 June the same year during the Second War of Scottish Independence from 1331 to 1341.
Siege of Dunbar
On 13 January 1338, when Patrick Dunbar was away, the English laid siege to Dunbar Castle, where Lady Dunbar was in residence with her servants and a few guards. However, she was determined not to surrender the fortress even though the English were a vastly superior force of 20,000 men, and is said to have declared:
"Of Scotland's King I haud my house, I pay him meat and fee, And I will keep my gude auld house, while my house will keep me."
Women were known to take charge of castle or manor business while their husbands were away in the Middle Ages and defend it if need be, but the stand of Lady Agnes is one of the best remembered instances. Salisbury's first attempt at taking the castle centered on catapulting huge rocks and lead shot against the ramparts, but this was met with disdain by Lady Agnes, who had one of her ladies-in-waiting dust off the ramparts with her kerchief.
The English were employing an enormous siege tower called a sow in an attempt to storm the castle, but the countess simply advised Salisbury that he should "take good care of his sow, for she would soon cast her pigs [meaning his men] within the fortress."
She then ordered that a boulder, [the scots would collect the displaced rocks hurled at them by siege engines and store them for use against the english -winks]which had been heaved on them earlier, be thrown down from the battlements and crushed Salisbury's sow to pieces.
When one of the Scottish archers struck an English soldier standing next to Salisbury, the earl cried out, "There comes one of my lady's tire pins; Agnes's love shafts go straight to the heart."
Unable to make progress through arms, Salisbury turned to craft. He bribed the Scotsman who guarded the principal entrance, advising him to leave the gate unlocked or to leave it in such a manner that the English could easily break in. However, the Scotsman, though he took the Englishman's money, reported the stratagem to Agnes, so she was ready for the English when they made entry. Although Salisbury was in the lead, one of his men pushed past him just at the moment when Agnes's men lowered the portcullis, separating him from the others. Agnes, of course, had meant to trap Salisbury, but she moved from stratagem to taunt, hollering at the earl, "Farewell, Montague, I intended that you should have supped with us, and assist us in defending the Castle against the English."
At one point, having captured Agnes's brother, John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray, the English threw a rope around his neck and threatened to hang him if Agnes did not surrender the castle. However, she merely responded that his death would only benefit her, as she would inherit his earldom. She was not actually in line for the earldom, so either she was taking a serious gamble with her brother's life or the story is a later embellishment.
As his last resort, Salisbury decided to isolate the castle from the roads and any communication with the outside world in an effort to starve the Countess and her garrison, but Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie, who had earned a reputation for being a constant thorn in the English king's side, got wind of what the English were trying and moved from Edinburgh to the coast with forty men. Appropriating some boats, Ramsay and his company approached the castle by sea and entered the postern next to the sea. Charging out of the castle, the Scotsmen surprised Salisbury's advance guard and pushed them all the way back to their camp.
from the book :- The problem for the English lay in the fact they could not surround the castle. Although they could surround it on the land, the castle was still accessible by the sea. An english fleet guarding the harbour, but Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie managed to replenish the castles dwindling supplies by using a fleet of fishing boats, approaching in early dawn from the cover of the Bass rock. He managed to sneak though the enemies lines making a dash for the harbor before the larger english vessels could get underway. Ramsay managed to land vital supplies and reinforcements for the garrison though a partially submerged entrance.Agnes even sent the Earl of Salisbury some fresh baked food when she knew the english supplies were running low, taunting the earl."
Five months had passed since the English had come to Dunbar. Salisbury admitted defeat and lifted the siege on 10 June 1338 but the triumph of a Scotswoman over an English army lives on in a ballad, which puts these words in Salisbury's mouth:"Cam I early, cam I late, I found Agnes at the gate." [full statement below}
"‘And do they come? ‘Black Agnes cried, ‘Nor storm nor midnight stops our foes. Well, then, the battle’s chance be tried, The Thistle shall out-thorn the Rose! ‘"
The failed siege of Dunbar had cost the English crown nearly 6,000 English pounds and the English had gained nothing from it.Thus ended the Siege of Dunbar, and thus the hand of a feeble woman, when nerved by patriotism and armed with chosen Scottish valour, was sufficient to checkmate the plots and schemes which the English politicians had laid for the overthrow of Scotland.
It is sufficiently evident from the literature of the time that the English army expected that Dunbar would fall an easy prey into their hands. More as a jest than as a serious engagement did they begin the siege. There was, therefore, a little lugubrious humour in the songs which their minstrels sang in the camp before Dunbar; and the laugh was latterly quite against them. One of these lays, preserved by Wyntoun, gives a glimpse of their elephantine humour:-
"Of this assiege in their hethyng The English oysid to make karping. ‘I vow to God she makes great steer The Scottish wenchie ploddiere. Come I aire or I come I late, I found Annot at the gate!'"
But when they returned to their own land, discomfitted, overthrown, and disgraced by the power and endurance of a weak woman, and the grim "heroes of a hundred fights," had to confess that they had found a superior in the Scottish heroine, well might they ponder on the text thus rendered by a modern poet:-
"He has put down the mighty from their seat, And has exalted them of low degree."
For centuries afterwards, Agnes's defense of Dunbar Castle caught the attention of contemporary chroniclers and Scottish historians due to her bravery and might.
{basically agnes is a formiable commander, both stopping siege equipment, using the enemies hurled rock against them , insulting them , allowing subtefuge[most common way a castle to fall] and using it to her advantage, almost capturing the enemies commander{winks} and then with use of bluffing to retain supreme morale of her forces - a considerable commander of a siege indeed!
Family Some accounts describe her as Countess of Moray, on the assumption that she inherited the earldom when her brother John was killed at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. However, the earldom actually reverted to the crown. However, in 1371/2, Agnes's nephew, John Dunbar, was created Earl of Moray by Robert II, his father-in-law. Agnes's family was active in Scottish resistance against the English attempts to conquer Scotland in the fourteenth century. Her father, Thomas Randolph, earl of Moray was appointed regent from 1329 to 1332. Agnes's brother became joint regent in 1335, but was captured by the English shortly afterwards. In 1324 Agnes married Patrick, ninth earl of Dunbar and March, governor of Berwick.
When Berwick became occupied by English forces in 1333, Patrick decided to join the English, and Edward III granted Agnes and Patrick English lands. [the continuous changing of alliances here is head spinning, no wonder many medieval lords tried to trick their way into settlements with the pretense they actually were allied after alliances had changed - winks ] Patrick was given permission from Edward to refortify Dunbar Castle. Patrick switched back to the Scottish side. Agnes was deeply angry with her husband for his switching loyalties, but Patrick was also suspicious of her. It seems that there were no surviving children of the marriage between Agnes and the Earl. Their estates were left to children of the marriage between the Earl's cousin John de Dunbar of Derchester and Birkynside and his wife, Isobel Randolph, Agnes's younger sister.
The three nephews were:
George, Earl of Dunbar and March John Dunbar, Earl of Moray Sir Patrick de Dunbar, of Beil She also had a ward, Agnes Dunbar, who became mistress of King David II.
Last edited by paladinbob123; July 16, 2021 at 06:50 AM.
"War is the continuation of politics by other means." - Carl von Clausewitz
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
England
War! War was the only answer! The flight of Duke Geoffrey had been the nail in the coffin. The Lord of the Northern Shires' unwillingness to cooperate had infuriated Anselm. His men were bored out of their skulls and an army that is bored does irrational things. They were all called upon to fight. They needed to be paid and by now they hadn't seen anything yet. Anselm's anger and fear led him to give the order to surround the city of York and prepare for siege.
York, jewel of independent English Barons would fall first. Then Anselm would pursue Geoffrey north and bring him back under English rule.
Well, I put up an advert and nobody showed up... So Ireland is possibly gonna be vacant for long.... I dont have time to play it properly RPwise, and as thats the case, I wondering that if it perhaps was turned AI, you guys could kind of RP "for Ireland" by interpretating the moves of AI? Up to you guys
I'd prefer if Irealnd is not turned over to the AI because that would practically mean a definitive win for Scotland against Ireland (no AI can compete with a human player).
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
King Hew was looking at the massive Irish horde, led by the capable Prince Noah.
The Irish counter attack, after the sudden retreat of the Shires forces, has left the Scots in a tricky situation.
Under siege and low on manpower and morale, Hew started questioning the Irish campaign, for the first time.
As the tired king was looking at the burning torches of the Irish camp, a messenger arrived.
"It of utmost urgency" he told the guard.
Once inside the tent, the messenger, weary, delivered the horrific news from the mainland: The English have besieged York! War is back.
"I thought Anselm was a reasonable man! This is the last thing I needed! I am stuck here, my army is depleted, the Irish are about to attack and destroy the remaining few, while the English break our truce at the worst possible moment!"
Hew flew in a rage.
Ever since the Irish campaign and the atrocities that happened on the battlefields, he has become to be known as the Hew the mean.
That campaign has took a toll on him.
His obsession with doing better than Alexander is making him lose focus.
And he needed focus now!
"What shall we do, Sire? We are besieged and outnumbered. But we must help York. If it falls, Newcastle will be next and the English will swim in money, right on our doorsteps!"
"Only a miracle can help us now. Send messengers to Newcastle, Anselm and to Carlisle..." Hew was feeling hopeless.
The messenger left carrying orders. But as soon as he stepped out, he cam back screaming. "Sire, SIRE, the torches, torches are rising from the east" "What?? Are the Irish making a night attack??" Hew was sickened by the idea. "No Sire, they are coming from further north east! They are Scottish reinforcements!"
Hew jumped and looked with disbelief. Bagpipes can be heard, as torches rise!
The glorious sight gave Hew a new-bloodthirst.
He ordered a sally out from the west just as Lord Makmartane, leading a huge Scottish relief army closed on the Irish from the east.
As good as Prince Noah was, the encirclement was complete.
The Irish were massacred. The survivors tried to flee south to join the reserves troops of King Lochlainn, but were chased and cut off, as the encirclement closed all escape routes.
Not one soldier escaped the blood fest.
The victory was complete.
The Irish counter attack was annihilated, leaving old King Lochlainn with a handful of troops to mount a defence. Moreover, the High King lost his son and best commander.
The Scots have landed more men on the east coast.
After much brave resistance, the withdrawal of the shires army and much setbacks, the Scots seem finally in a situation to move in decisively.
But the new problems in York has made this victory bittersweet.
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
I agree about Ireland. it should remain human-controlled. It is an interesting situation for a new player to salvage the island through war or...diplomacy.
I also believe Wales should also have its own player.
We need two new players.
This HS is popular on this forum, we should be able to find two new volunteers, shouldn't we?
Frei zu sein, bedarf ist wenig, nur wer frei ist, ist ein König.
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
The war was going badly for the duchy of the northern shires, with a massive siege commencing on York, and with only a sixteen year old lord,Harry Herbert [grandson of the line of simon de montfort,whose grandfather was adopted into the family,and whose father died in the plague] who just found himself in the middle of things, having finished his tuition from his teacher , rally the city , and a few of the townsfolk to man the walls. Enthusiasm with passion, and convinced in his cause he didnt have the rational , of the forces arrayed against him, and many questioned the townsfolk that had decided to guard the walls, with them. Most within the city had already readied themselfs for a english take-over , suspecting the defenders would rout with the first english assault with the inevitable losses that would arise,they began boarding windows, and securing properties as best they could, hiding what valuables and food in hidden cellars or cubbyholes.
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Godwin lewes, worried about the situation when the dinners with his brother ended, and it was clear the reason for the increased tensions, as a large welsh army also landed on the isle of mann, bringing a new factor into the equation, as certainly Godwin didnt know what to think about it. All he could do was rally his men, keep up the drills with the town of castletown and keep up the readiness of his troops, so if their was action , he would be ready for it.
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Duke Geoffrey knew he could be caught at barnard castle and sieged, and so he deserted the castle and moved towards Newcastle to await Nicolaus's & his forces. He took a position on the main highway south of Newcastle sighting his forces within support distance of the city, but over the single bridge that lead north providing a hard shoulder towards the english as they prepared their forces reading for the battleground they had picked.
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Nicolaus the scarred cursed and let rip with the baser form of english language in his native dialect, when the scots garrisoned nearby demanded checks on his forces [the zones of control] before allowing him to move forward a little more eastwards until the lord at Hermitage castle[ne of carlisle] rode out asking for further checks to his destination and surety of passage. Nicolaus almost exploded in anger at the inconvenience and the slowness of his movement between the Scottish settlement and castle, and had to dragged away before extreme words or actions happened, and his second in command was left to continue the talks, shrugging his shoulders to deal with the Scottish lord, to fill him on what was happening.
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
England
Brave Harry stood his ground. Brave but foolish to resist the inevitable. What Kings had not been able to do Anselm had done just like that. York was English once again. With vigour the Lord Protector sent his force north in pursuit of the cowardly Duke Geoffrey. There would be only one English state. The Kingdom. For the first time Anselm imagined himself as King. If he could reunite the two English realms the nobles would surely support him. Noone, not even the Lewes brothers would then stand in his way.
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
The fall of York and the advance on Newcastle added a new layer of complexity for the political situation on the Isles.
In Ireland, Irish troops are regrouping near Downpatrick to resist the Scottish advance to the south.
The peace with England and the subsequent opening of Irish ports to trade with the Crown and its Welsh vassal have filled the Irish coffers with much needed money to fund the defensive war.
This is a big blow to the Scottish campaign as King Hew was relying on attrition to finally subdue the Irish who were low on money before this new trade deal.
However, the campaign must go on. Too much blood have been spilled to stop at this point.
An Irish navy blockading ports on the west coast have been put to rout.
Sorry, forgot to take a screenshot of the result, which was a clear victory with surviving ships.
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On the mainland, Scottish troops entered into action. But it was not against the Crown.
King Hew is still hoping for a political solution before breaking the truce with Anselm.
However, negotiations were not a tool he used when dealing with the Welsh troops under Maredd, the same renegade who disrupted the campaign in Ireland. as they landed near Carlisle, uninvited.
The invaders were defeated and sent back to the their ships, with a warning issued to Lord Vortipor.
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
The Scottish promised support against the english , for they had 3 major forces on the border of england and scotland, with 2 forces on the west coast ,[ one at Carlisle ,another at Hermitage castle] and another marching to Hume castle covering the main north/south road. Now the scots decided to play their own hand, sending one force down the western coast, striking at a welsh army on the coast, driving them of the coastline and back to their ships, and another army marching from hume down to support Newcastle.
Duke Geoffrey received the urgent messages from both the scots promising their support and their request that forces strike a english army which was marching up the western coast, and another from the English king, Anslem. The message from England , was one that the duke had hoped, for, worked hard for , and supported....for it promised the return of York back into his hands,with a promise of peace and unity. the damage to his own city of York had came at great risk , but he had to convince the Scottish that he and his duchy was in supreme peril , and as such it had needed the sacrifice of York, for it was perhaps the only thing of value that they would believe was dear to the duke, and perhaps in that the scots had misread the duke. For that deed there was perhaps much blood on his hands..innocent blood perhaps..but people in the city of York were but subjects of his ..tools of convenience to spend where he willed it and he had cashed in his chips. Peasants&townfolk would be replenished , over time,buildings could be rebuilt with the treasure that would await him, made the risk worthwhile, but he breathed a sigh of relief and even a small smile at his success. The risk had remained that england would betray him in turn, and keep York for themselfs, leaving him nowhere to run, other to the scots ,but this fear had vanished, as both the forces of the Duchy of York and Newcastle now acted as one with the english crown.
This unity had been long in the making , perhaps having taken root , ten years ago, where conversations had started promising the Duchy a return of ancestral lands, in exchange for new lands,which would have to be gained. The idea had blossomed into expanding the plan , convincing the scots into ireland , to be tied down in that land of bogs and pits, at the promise of land for the duchy and so it had all began...
The duke turned to his son, and asked him to release the pigeons , with the messages that had taken long in the planning, for his&the english monarch's plan to execute.
Around Newcastle, the area, swarmed with army's , as the duke's had camped in the open, as Lord Loefwine had sailed from the south to take command of the forces in Newcastle, leading them out by the western gate, to form up in the field, as the scot's arrived from the north, tired from their long march in the snow. The dukes army had deployed in the field ,and the northern men cheered the arrival of the scots , as Kirk the malevolent rode out with a small retinue at its fore. The duke in turn sent out his own representatives to greet the Scottish leader.
In the centre of the field they met, but all heard the harsh words, on the wind, as swords were drawn, and several of the scots were cut down with viscous surprising strikes, Kirk himself took his axe, whirling it wildly, keeping all englishmen away from him, until it finally met resistance striking a english knights helm , flooring him , and possibly killing him. Changing his blows, to left, and right, Kirk , kicked his horse, pushing it into a gallop away from the parley , and looked behind him hearing another cheer, as the Dukes men, drew their weapons, and surged forward towards the scots army who were completely unaware of what was happening.
Most of the things that occurred now,became blurred in both fact,history and reality as both scots and northerner warriors met in fierce hand to hand combat, taking on opponents from each other, ,inflicting severe casualties or wounds in equal measure, but the battle was not equal , as Loefwine was present with the army from Newcastle and yet had to move in the battle.
"Kill those effing bastards and take their heads!" , cried Leofwine , "remember the days of the scottish invasions and what they took from you!" {Leofwine grinned and then shouted!}..."....And now!.....Lets take it back!".
The men of newcastle cheered at the thoughts of the return of their ancient lands, and the wealth they could gain from it, drawing weapons, cheering again at the thought of personal riches , rather than any of Leofwines words, and charged into the flank of the Scottish army which threw three companies of gallowglassers at them. The hardy warriors fought well , but were slowly being pushed back from shear numbers of warriors, buying some time, for Kirk who by this time had received a bloodied wound in the head, shouted for those that could retreat to do so, and head for the river. Many scots fled, light in armour, but fleet of foot, escaping northwards , not in companies but in small batches of men to survive again to fight another day. Kirk had to be knocked unconscious,such was his anger at being asked to leave the field and was carried with them to safety ,.... he didnt see the end of his army, as the men from Newcastle, cut the gallowglassers to pieces, broke through the flank , and envelope the last of the scottish army , cutting them down.
As the light began to fade , the duke sent some troops to bury the dead, and moved swiftly , dividing what forces he had, heading northwards at speed, to bring siege to warkworth castle, which was once a english castle, and what he hoped would be english again under his control.
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On the isle of Mann, the message sent by pigeon had finally arrived explaining to Godwine of the betrayal of the scots, and the reasons for doing so , which explained much to Godwine about the moving of the english army[with his brother] and the army of the welsh. But he had been given orders of a different kind, and with a appropriate promise of more land to come, to advance his family, was a price he would jump at. The scots in their turn had requested their help to attack a english army to their south[the one that contained his brother as one of the leaders],so they would be expecting a northern duchy force, to arrive in this area as he would attack them before the news of the betrayal would reach them.
It took a few days to organize the men, with supplies to sail, but sail they did , crossing the wintery seas from the isle of mann, to land next to the Scottish force commanded, by Matad Forster, whose forces had been blooded and diminished with their assault on the welsh army just weeks before. The scots welcomed the duchy troops into the camp, sharing drinks and food, but a sudden horn blast rang out, and the duchy troops drew their weapons cutting down any nearby scottish troopers. A slaughter began in the camp, as the surprise and sudden violence, destroyed the cohesion of the Scottish camp, where only those scots troops in the eastern side of the camp had time to react, and finally to flee. Even Matad himself, barely escaped alive, with nearly all of his bodyguard being cut down , leaving him to escape with just two of his companions.
Godwine looked around the camp, at the loot they had taken from the scottish army supplies and baggage train, annoyed at this current trail of events but willing to ride this out, if his fortunes would be improved, his greedy eyes looked northwards to Carlisle as a possible expansion for his realm, giving him another foot closer to regaining newcastle. He smiled to himself, at the possibilities that were beginning to open up for himself.
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Nicolaus received the news of the change of situation , whilst his own army was navigating between Carlisle and hermitage castle which put him in a really difficult position. He burnt the note, and more than a few of his accompanying company commanders could hear him swearing over the wind and snow, giving voice and words to both the duke and the scots. When he had finally calmed down, he announced the news to his undercommanders, and ordered the siege of Hermitage castle, which contained the last of the three armies , the scots had to control the border. He would do his duty even as he had little love for it, but he would obey the orders, of his lord.
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Waylander worked behind the lines, equally annoyed at the situation , but he had promised the duke some of his professional time, in part to alleviate the bounty put on his head by the english crown,and the pressure on the duchy but, as the duke had promised he would smooth things out with the english king he would spend some time in the north. But finding no targets of interest, he entered the City of Edinburgh , leaving explosives outside of their guard house, lighting the fuse, and then escaping into the countryside, leaving the rear areas, of the scottish lands, without the ability to coordinate new reinforcements.
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Ship to ship combat, took place in the English channel , but the numbers were minimal, as the two fleets, clashed, both fleets being on alert[just in case of pirates] , and neither fleet was taken by surprise, but the northern shires fleet from york, dished out the greater damage, leaving the Scottish fleet, to run into a storm, to escape in the rain, to fight again another day.
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There was some rebels [escaping out of York] who took control of the southern road into central england which connected the duchy with the kingdom of england. Fierce loyalists, who took control of York , who supported the duke, sent a small force, from the north and from the south, to remove them, and keep the lines of communication open between the english peoples.
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
England
A long planned war unleashed. The Scots were completely caught unawares though they did manage to score a victory against the Welsh army of Rhydderch. Now that decision would be their downfall. After the deception of Godwin Lewes' massacre of the Camp, the other Lewes brother Jasper, still loyal to the Crown, managed to catch up with the exhausted Scots of Matad. What ensued was a solid victory and Matad was forced to retreat to the castle of Kendall, a Scottish stronghold within English territory and a thorn in the Crown's side since the loss of Carlisle. After a couple of days of celebration summons arrived from Anselm to join them in the march on Carlisle. Jasper, still not keen on the Lord Protector and wishing some glory and personal gain, and perhaps to avenge his father's defeat in the War of the Celtic Alliance against the Scots, decided to ignore the summons and march south in pursuit of Matad. Reinforcement from Lancaster soon arrived on the other side of the river Kent completely surrounding the Scots inside. Jasper dug in for a long siege.
There was no time to lose. Spies had operated in the Cumbria region and Carlisle since its loss to the Scots. Many English still lived in the city and would welcome an English liberating army with open arms. And so it was when Arthur, second hand of Anselm marched against the small garrison still stationed in the city. The gates were opened and the three lion banners rushed inside. The Scots stood no chance against such overwhelming numbers and were swiftly overpowered. Arthur had to brutally suppress his mostly Welsh mercenary army from looting the city and after a couple of executions on the spot his army relented. The Three Lions flew over Carlisle once more.
https://www.mediafire.com/view/l8h65...642_1.jpg/file
Anselm's Grand English Alliance was realised now. English were fighting side by side instead of amongst themselves. A first massive blow was issued against the Scots!
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
Sorry, I dont really have time to sub Ireland, hence its turned AI from now on. All rules are still valid against them. Hope you guys can perhaps RP them from outside a bit
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
With bloodshed eyes, Hew shouted these words, even if the generals on the mainland wondered how.
SEEK AND DESTROY!
Alright!
We're scanning the scene in the city tonight
We're looking for you to start up a fight
There is an evil feeling in our brains
But there's nothing new, you know it drives us insane
Running, on our way, hiding
You will pay dying
One thousand deaths
Running, on our way, hiding
You will pay dying
One thousand deaths
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
There is no escape and that's for sure
This is the end, we won't take any more
Say goodbye to the world you live in
You've always been taking and now you're giving
Running, on our way, hiding
You will pay dying
One thousand deaths
Running, on our way, hiding
You will pay dying
One thousand deaths
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
Our brains are on fire with the feeling to kill
And it will not go away until our dreams are fulfilled
There is only one thing on our minds
Don't try running away 'cause you're the one we will find
Running, on our way, hiding
You will pay dying
One thousand deaths
Running, on our way, hiding
You will pay dying
One thousand deaths
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
Searching
Seek and destroy
Ps: I find this change of events very cool! Well done guys. The aim of this HS is not to win AT ALL COST (kinda of course - we should always keep the victory conditions in mind), but to create a nice RP setting.
Cheers!
and don't forget...SEEK AND DESTROY!
Frei zu sein, bedarf ist wenig, nur wer frei ist, ist ein König.
Re: [Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)
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Up to you guys
