Army of the Honeywine: currently encamped at Highgarden

**Honors Bastion** · November 19, 2013, 01:53 PM

Composition

Here is the encampment of the Army of the Honeywine which is currently encamped near the Reachmen Fortress of the Ring.

The Army is commanded by Ser Rolland Hightower with Lord Jon Tarly and Lord Samwell Florent as his subordinate commanders.

**Wheatley** · November 19, 2013, 02:27 PM

Lord Marshal Rolland Hightower,

Both the Riverlands and the Westerlands have raised their levies. Therefore your men shall march to the lands of Alden Keep, close to Payne Hall. The army in Goldengrove will be divided between us so our forces do not become outnumbered should either the Tullys or Lannisters strike out. Hopefully the king will intervene before this escalates further. Victor has chosen to stay at Highgarden and await word from the king. Ulrick will be sent to represent house Tyrell if anyone sends a delegation to your army.

- Ser Rickard Tyrell, commander of the West Roses.

**Honors Bastion** · November 19, 2013, 02:53 PM

The Army of the Honeywine moves from its position at the Ring to Alden Keep to the North of the Ring. When they arrive at that location, they are to make an encampment and fortify it from an attack from the Westerlands or the Riverlands while they await the next orders from Lord Tyrell.

**Wheatley** · November 20, 2013, 12:55 PM

Ser Rolland Hightower,

We have gained permission from the king to enter the Westerlands. However he has forbidden us to live of their lands so instead we will maintain supply lines. Go to Payne Hall. The reinforcements should arrive now as well.

- Ser Rickard Tyrell

**Honors Bastion** · November 20, 2013, 05:33 PM

After receiving Ser Rickard’s message, Ser Rolland Hightower decides first to dispatch scouts into the Westerlands. After all, he and his men were marching into potentially hostile territory without the ability to harvest the land to survive. In this kind of situation, any man would be hesitant to advance and this sentiment was only furthered by the fact that by marching forward, he would leave his homeland open to attack again. He and most lords of the Reach still remember the ravages done to their region in the last conflict and many like him were hesitant to advance further.

OOC: Can I get scout rolls for the following provinces. Roland has no skills that would help in the rolls.

Harpshire
Tumbleton
Payne Hall
Redbramble
Byford
Wythers

**Honors Bastion** · November 22, 2013, 03:33 PM

OOC: Since my scout request has gone unanswered, I will just say that the scouts have et to return so that I can move my RP forward.

In his current encampment at Alden Keep, Ser Rolland Hightower impatiently awaits the return of the scouts that he had dispatched days before. It was unnerving to him that the Reach was again on the brink of ware and yet he had no idea where his enemies were or what their numbers could be. He did not like it. After deciding that he could not wait any longer, he called a meeting of the Reach nobles that were in his encampment. When they had all gathered he said,

“My fellow lords, we are in a dire predicament. The scouts that I have dispatched several days ago to track the movements of the Westerlanders and the bandits that have raided our homeland have yet to return and this worries me greatly. We do not know if they were captured, killed, or gotten lost? I have been given orders by Ser Rickard Tyrell to march to Payne Hall in search of the bandits. Given our current situation, I cannot do so. Our enemy easily could have captured our scouts and discovered our location and therefore they may have set up an ambush for us to march into."

He then turned and focused his attention on a nearby map and pointed at two places, Bitterbridge and the Ring “Our position here at Alden Hall is untenable. The countryside while fertile will not be able to support us for much longer. Because of this, I think that we should retreat towards the Ring or Bitterbridge. Both castles would be in a much better position for us to withstand a Westerlander invasion compared to here at Alden Hall. What say you Lords of the Reach?”

After a long debate of the various Reachmen, lords, it was decided that the Army would first pull back to the Ring. From there, they would send orders to Ser Rickard’s force for further orders.

**Poach** · November 23, 2013, 10:00 AM

It was late in the evening when an exhausted Ser Godric Lefford finally found the Hightower camp. He, and a small band of riders, entered the camp and wearily dismounted. Godric approached the nearest knight.

"I am Ser Godric Lefford," he said in a tired voice, "I must speak to Ser Rolland Hightower. Is he here?"

**Honors Bastion** · November 23, 2013, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Poach

It was late in the evening when an exhausted Ser Godric Lefford finally found the Hightower camp. He, and a small band of riders, entered the camp and wearily dismounted. Godric approached the nearest knight.

"I am Ser Godric Lefford," he said in a tired voice, "I must speak to Ser Rolland Hightower. Is he here?"

Godric and his men were quickly escorted into the encampment by a small group of Infantrymen. They are led into a large pavilion that Ser Rolland Hightower was using as his command tent. There they see Ser Rolland Hightower along with a few other Lords of the Reach, primarily, Lord Jon Tarly of Horn Hill and Lord Samwell Florent of Brightwater Keep, among the most prominent ones, surrounding a large oak table. Rolland sees the approaching Westerlanders, including his brother-in-law, and he immediately went around the table to meet him.

He noticed the look of fatigue an exhaustion on his brother-in-laws face and said to a servant “Bring them food and drink.” Before he then said “Godric, what are you doing here?”

**Poach** · November 23, 2013, 01:22 PM

"I come as a diplomat," said Godric, "Our forces have cornered an invading band commanded by Sirsha Stark near Lannisport. As I departed battle was imminent, with both camps hastily forming their lines. She spoke of bandits and had no shortage of insults towards Ser Guy Lannister. They parted in anger and readied the armies."

He sunk into a chair as food arrived, draining the water provided and hungrily devouring the plate's contents.

**Honors Bastion** · November 23, 2013, 01:37 PM

“Really, so the Stark women has invaded the Westerlands? I can confirm to you Stark’s report of bandits. There have been raids here in the Reach. The city of Tumbleton on our Northern border and the Castle of Old Oak have both been sacked and pillaged with many nobles having been slaughtered in both places. Though I have not been to either place and witnessed the destruction with my own eyes, many others have confirmed the raids.” said Rolland. He quickly grabbed a map of the Reach and pointed to the two places that have been sacked.

“Now, the Reach has mustered in a frankly stupid attempt to track down the bandit host. From reports from Lord Tyrell, our scouts have tracked their movement into the Westerland where the trail then dies off.”

**Poach** · November 23, 2013, 01:49 PM

"I see," said Godric, "We've had forces under Reyne hunting the Reach-Westerlands border in good faith."

He ran his finger along from the coast to Cornfield.

"He reports no banditry at all. Local peasants live in peace, castles remain in rightful hands. Ser Guy now believes the bandit story to be a lie, told to disguise a Reachman invasion of our lands: if your bandit army fled to the Westerlands, they've gone into hiding or passed through in peace."

**Honors Bastion** · November 23, 2013, 01:58 PM

“It’s possible that they have gone in hiding … or we are being tricked. You mention this Sirsha Stark and her outrageous behavior near Lannisport. I wonder, she was known to have raided the Reach during the rebellion, sacking Ashford and Cider Hall in the process. Could it be that this Stark women is the bandit that we have been looking for, the one that has been raiding our countryside? She may have not had her fill in raiding the Reach or she has become drawn to banditry and now she is trying to provoke a war between our lands in favor of her being able to raid and pillage the land again. That would explain why Lord Reyne has lost sign of the bandits.” said Rolland. “What do you think Godric?”

**Poach** · November 23, 2013, 03:20 PM

Godric briefly chuckled.

"Ser Guy believes it, but holds the Reach to be the arch-culprit. I know not of Sirsha's fate but being outnumbered some 5 to 1 suggests she's dead or captured. That you have suffered bandit attacks in the borderlands shortly before we encountered that woman ranging through our territory unannounced and uninvited lends weight to the theory, though."

Godric then gave a heartier chuckle, "We may have inadvertently caught your bandit, my friend!"

**Honors Bastion** · November 23, 2013, 03:41 PM

Rolland nodded and said “That you may. I’m curious Godric, why are you here my friend? Surely you have just not come all this way to tell me that the Westerlander Army may have apprehended the bandit that has laid waste to the Reach. Is there something else that you need?”

**Poach** · November 23, 2013, 04:08 PM

"Ser Guy holds the Reach to be behind all this," said Godric, "Officially I'm here to 'buy time'. My father is not convinced that the Reach is moving against us and that, if it actually were, our bonds of family would present the possibility of diplomacy. I sought you out to establish discussion."

Godric rose and spoke more seriously.

"The Westerlands is fully mobilised, commanded by a man who fears war to be on his doorstep. The longer that misconception remains in his mind the greater the danger he will do something against the Reach."

**Honors Bastion** · November 23, 2013, 04:37 PM

“I see. That is troubling to hear.” said Rolland. “You should know that the Reach is fully mobilized as well, with half of our forces encamped here at the Ring and the other half somewhere around Old Oak near the Westerlands border with the Reach. From what I know, Ser Rickard Tyrell leads the other host. I have heard that he wishes to enter the Westerlands to hunt down the bandits. He has given me the same orders to do the same but as you can see, I have yet to do so. I think that it is foolish to march into the Westerlands to go hunting for some damned bandit. The majority of the Reach Lords here with me think the same. Why in the world are we going on a wild goose chase to find some damned bandit host, all the while leading our home undefended and open to attack?”

He paused for a few moments while looking at the map and said with a look of sudden realization “Why, that may just be what the bandit host wants, to spark war between the Reach and Westerlands so that they can easily loot and ravage both regions without fear of an organized response to them. Why else would these bandits go through all this trouble to sack a few major holdfasts? The only other explanation that I can think of is that some other power, greater and more organized then mere bandits has its hand in what is happening, a power that wishes to drive apart to former allies. But who would want such a thing?”

**Poach** · November 23, 2013, 04:47 PM

"We've no shortage of enemies since Blackfyre," replied Godric, "Any number of Baelor loyalists dissatisfied with the new Queen or status quo could be behind this, seeking to undermine our position. By driving apart former allies our image and power would be much reduced. Sirsha hails from that particular camp... I must get this back to Ser Guy."

**Honors Bastion** · November 23, 2013, 04:55 PM

“You do that my friend. I have no desire to draw my sword against you Westerlanders. I shall inform Ser Rickard Tyrell of what you have said and pray that the message gets to him before war breaksout.” Rolland said. “You are free to spend the night here in the encampment Godric to recover before you set out on your journey again. I shall also have fresh horses prepared for your company come tomorrow morning for your company’s ride back to Lannisport. Also, feel free to use the ravens that are here as well if speed is needed.”

**Poach** · November 23, 2013, 05:06 PM

"Thank the Seven," said Godric with a heavy sigh, "Your hospitality is well appreciated. We're all exhausted: I never knew huge armies were so hard to locate. I'll never doubt a Scout's mental faculties again."

Godric bade Rolland good night and retired to the tent made available for him, where he rapidly fell into a deep sleep. The journey had been hard and tiring, but Godric slept easy knowing the Reach's hostility was a myth and that soon he'd be returning home with crucial information. Seeing Rolland again was nice, too: sadly Kyra must be back in Oldtown, tent cities being no place for noblewomen.

[ooc: I'll wait for the battle in the Host of Lions thread to conclude before doing anything further.]