Subduing the Harren's Seat

[Oznerol]

ooc: still 4 hours to arrive.

SUBDUING THE HARREN'S SEAT

(ooc: really? I wrote bad the thread's title, D'oh!)

The King, his Grace, arrives to Harrenhall with the Sun high in the Sky. His sizable host arrives to the shadow of Harren's monstruosity, it's thick black walls towering before him, menacing and terrible, melted down and twisted, a perpetual symbol of Harren's final defeat. Determined to seize the greatest castle in the Realm, Baelor sends his heralds.

"The Lord King, his Grace, Baelor, offers forgiveness to the Lothsons if they agree to bend the knee and open the gates. If they refuse the King will make fire rain upon your heads, like Ageon and Belarion the Black Dread did. If you don't surrender, green flames will engulfe the your castle. Fire and Blood or the King's gratitude, you choose"

ROYAL ARMY:

-100 men-at-arms
-1,200 siegue crossbowmen
-900 household knights
-1,800 dismounted knigths
-4,100 archers
-4,000 light infantry
-3,000 heavy infantry
-2,000 polearms
-1,500 light cavalry
-1,000 heavy cavalry
----------------------------
TOTAL=19,500

Commanders:

KING BAELOR:
Traits: +4 Field Battles (+1 of Dragonstone bonus), +2 Duel, +2 Survival, +2 Income, +3 Siege Battle
Equipment: Full set of armour and longsword

SER DEVAN WESTERLING:

SER GWAYNE CORBRAY:
+6 Duels, +4 Survival, +4 Field Battles, +1 Escape, +1 Jouster, full set of armour, castle forged sword (giving a total +11 Duels)

The King orders the building of a fortified, square, camp, protected with fences, dry moat and palisades. In the middle, the Royal Tent, red and black, is erected. In front of it, the Great Royal Banner, with the three-headed dragon roaring to the Sun.

[ByzantineCaesar]

The black walls of Harrenhal rose higher than any he had ever seen. What madness befouls a man that he would build such a monster? The castle was plagued with ghosts and ghouls and spellcraft, burned down twice by dragons and the final resting place of two of them. His wetnurse had told him of the Green Men in the Isle of Faces, an island entirely covered by weirwoods, a holy place of the Old Gods in the middle of the God's Eye. Many Valemen had been worshippers of the Old Gods in the past, yet the Targaryens never considered them, preferring to keep to their pagan Valyrian pantheon and then to the Seven. Gwayne shuddered at the thought of what these Green Men would do to Baelor. They favoured the Kingslayer in the Weyland fields, by the God's Eye. Will the ghosts of Harren the Black haunt us? Will the Mad Maid of Harrenhal who bathed in the blood of young virgins cast spells upon us?

He decided to not like this place.

OOC: Ser Gwayne Corbray of the Kingsguard (age 40): +6 Duels, +4 Survival, +4 Field Battles, +1 Escape, +1 Jouster, full set of armour, castle forged sword (giving a total +11 Duels)

[Oznerol]

The King is in his tent, waiting the Lothsones' answer. He turns to his two commanders: Corbray, and Westerling.

"What you think my Lords? It seems Harrenhall is poorly defended, few troops remain, and such a big castle is difficult to hold without a sizable garrisson"

Baelor did not like either the cursed place, but he had to do an example of Harrenhall, if they surrendered, of mercy, if they rejected, of power.

"I think we will be able to take it, even if we finally have to use the trebuchets with wildfire, which Wisdoms gently provided us with"

ooc: What are Westerling's traits?

[ByzantineCaesar]

Ser Gwayne considered his words. When he had been a green boy, Lord Domeric made him the Knight of the Bloody Gate, so he was no stranger to siege warfare. This is what I was born to do. No court intrigues and schemes, but open and honourable battle.

"Harren's disgrace might be under-garrisoned, Your Grace, but its walls are high and thick. I know not what you would achieve with the wildfire, other than hitting stone after stone. Wooden structures are rare and well within its drum towers in Harrenhal, they learned from Balerion the Black Dread and Vhagar. To storm the castle would be difficult, mainly due to the height, but if we were to send troops with siege towers to several different places around the walls, they will not have enough manpower to hold every chokepoint."

[Oznerol]

Ser Gwayne considered his words. When he had been a green boy, Lord Domeric made him the Knight of the Bloody Gate, so he was no stranger to siege warfare. This is what I was born to do. No court intrigues and schemes, but open and honourable battle.

"Harren's disgrace might be under-garrisoned, Your Grace, but its walls are high and thick. I know not what you would achieve with the wildfire, other than hitting stone after stone. Wooden structures are rare and well within its drum towers in Harrenhal, they learned from Balerion the Black Dread and Vhagar. To storm the castle would be difficult, mainly due to the height, but if we were to send troops with siege towers to several different places around the walls, they will not have enough manpower to hold every chokepoint."

The King unfolds a parchment roll, a map, copy of an original from Daeron II reign, of Harrenhall and surroudings, it also detailed the castle's structures. Courtesy of the King's Library.

ooc: that was also my plan

"If you see the map, you will notice I've already chosen the points I think would be wise to strike. I had the same strategy, with few men, it would be difficult for them to defend all those spots and all it's walls. We shall assault these towers and these three sections of the wall. It are the places where dragon's fire melted more stone, and are a little bit shorter than their counterparts. However we will keep two strike teams, ready to assault undefended wall sections, while the defenders focus on our other troops. Before the attack, the siege crossbowmen, covered by mantlets, will rain death upon the battlements. Our siege towers will also have a crew of archers and crossbowmen, to kill all the defenders they are able to. If they leave the walls and retire to the keep, we will be able to burn their gates down with wildfire, nevermind the thick their oaken gates are, they will burn entirely. A special squadron will hand it, with acolytes, carrying sand, to extinguish the remaining flames, after wood and iron are burned down"

[ByzantineCaesar]

Ser Gwayne wasn't convinced. Baelor puts too much faith in magic.

"Your Grace, I am unsure if the wildfire will melt the iron portcullis. Even if it did, to storm the gatehouse before we have secured the walls would be disastrous. Considering its size, there must be at least ten murderholes between the outer and inner portcullis," he explained and unsheathed his dagger. With it, he pointed at the Eastern Gate. "If you are adamant about it, though, the Eastern Gate is smaller and less guarded. Our casualties will still be high, but lower."

[Lord Dread]

Harrenhall garrison

250 Light Inf
120 Heavy Inf
70 Polearms
60 Archers
60 Light Cavalry
30 Heavy Cavalry

Walls Tier I: +1 additional siege roll

• Immense Castle: Built by Harren the Black on an enormous scale and burnt by Aegon's dragons, Harrenhal is one of the largest castles in the Seven Kingdoms, and anyone with enough men to defend it properly will find it to be one of the strongest too. +4 to seige defense, rising to +6 if the defender has at least 10,000 men.
• Harrenhall: Large castle - may garrison an additional 200% of the levy. Requires at least 1,000 men to defend or a -1 siege defense modifier is applied.
• The Curse of Harrenhal: Harrenhal is notorious in that those who control the castle often meet horrific ends, ever since Harren was burned to death in his castle. Chance of death in death rolls increases +1.

Tactics

Same as at Riverrun. Sorry, but I have to calculate numbers of a more important host now and don't want simply copy and paste.

[Jokern]

OOC: Devan's traits:
Duels +4
Capture Rolls +3
Survival Rolls +3
Escape Rolls +2
Fistfighter +2

IC:

Ser Devan followed the map as the King told of his plans. He frowned as the King spoke of wildfire, such a destructive and dangerous weapon.

"This sounds like a reasonable strategy, your Grace. I am cautious of the use of wildfire, however; even with the acolytes here to aid us, it still poses a great risk to use it. Charging in with its flames still burning hot would be suicide to any man, no less one clad in metal. I would advice you to not use the wildfire unless it becomes an absolute necessity, your Grace."

[Oznerol]

Ser Gwayne wasn't convinced. Baelor puts too much faith in magic.

"Your Grace, I am unsure if the wildfire will melt the iron portcullis. Even if it did, to storm the gatehouse before we have secured the walls would be disastrous. Considering its size, there must be at least ten murderholes between the outer and inner portcullis," he explained and unsheathed his dagger. With it, he pointed at the Eastern Gate. "If you are adamant about it, though, the Eastern Gate is smaller and less guarded. Our casualties will still be high, but lower."

"Look well, Corbray, we won't even touch the gatehouse, it's too strong, but one of the two outer towers, the walls sections between them, attacking it directly would be a suicide. Thanks Gods there are other ways to assault the castle, even if we will have to take few lines of walls before we reach the main courtyard"

OOC: Devan's traits:
Duels +4
Capture Rolls +3
Survival Rolls +3
Escape Rolls +2
Fistfighter +2

IC:

Ser Devan followed the map as the King told of his plans. He frowned as the King spoke of wildfire, such a destructive and dangerous weapon.

"This sounds like a reasonable strategy, your Grace. I am cautious of the use of wildfire, however; even with the acolytes here to aid us, it still poses a great risk to use it. Charging in with its flames still burning hot would be suicide to any man, no less one clad in metal. I would advice you to not use the wildfire unless it becomes an absolute necessity, your Grace."

*Sigh*

"We will leave for now, it will turn our last weapon, if the situation, in this campaign, turns dangerous, we will unleash the wildfire upon those who dare to face us"

"Anyway, these are my orders"

Baelor explains them what will they do.

ORDERS:

Phase I:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

-The troops attack at four different points of the castle:
Each assaulting force will have:
-1000 light infantry, 1000 archers, 250 heavy infantry, 300 siege crossbowmen
-->Archers and crossbowmen will carry mantlets, covering the advancing troops. Crossbowmen will try to aim the heaviest and armoured troops, leaving archers for their counterparts.
-1,000 dismounted knights, split in two, 500, supported by 1,000 heavy infantry each, will wait to the next wave. After the defenders are focused with the four assaults, they will attack two different points in the castle walls. Corbray will led this assault, joining the fray where is most pitched, to rise the moral, and keep them going.
-Cavalry will protect the archers and crossbowmen from rallies out of the Castle. If they rally out they will countercharge them, but leaving a third of their forces still protecting archers and crossbows.
-In reserve: Polearms, the men-at-arms, household guards, and 800 dismounted knights.

Westerling will protect the King.

Phase II:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

-If walls are overrun, the four groups will join in a sole force. Then, when the walls are clear, the archers will replace the soldiers in it, aiming to the remnant enemy, from their very own walls and towers, above their heads. When the enemy is decimated enough, the assault force will strike to the few surviving soldiers. If needed the Corbray's troops will reinforce them.

[Adamat]

A freerider like any other arrived at the camp in the afternoon three days before the attack. He took care not to attract any attention.

Ooc: This is Ser Vardis Egen. I rped him as leaving the Vale ~3 days ago to speak to Lothston, but Alex never reacted to it in that thread. Just so you know he isn't coming out of thin air.

[Adamat]

The freerider that had entered the encampment three days ago, was tired of waiting. He shaved his beard, cut his hair short, and donned his ragged freerider's armour. With a rusty sword on his hip, he looked at the small saddlebag in the corner of his tent. It contained the keys to a chest, hidden near Harrenhall under a tree. The proud Knight of the Vale had been forced to sell his horse, but he had kept his armour and weapons.

When the ragged knight was satisfied that he looked like a proper mercenary, with a crust of blood from a razor on his chin and a face full of mud, Ser Vardis went up to the King's pavilion. Instead of trying to get an audience with the King, he tried to get a hold of Ser Gwayne Corbray, the Valeman Kingsguard.

[ByzantineCaesar]

Ser Gwayne Corbray stood by the tent's entrance, guarding the way in, while Baelor spoke with the Lord Commander and his bannermen. We should attack, now. The men are losing faith. Black Harren's walls are intimidating. A freerider walking towards the tent at a fast pace caught his attention; he seemed to want to gain entry. He's no lord, he's no knight of songs, who is he? Ser Gwayne of the Kingsguard then got hold of him and the whitecloak naturally put his sword hand on Lady Forlorn's hilt. Easy, now.

"State your name and intentions!" he demanded in a deep voice as the freerider got closer.

[Adamat]

Ser Gwayne Corbray stood by the tent's entrance, guarding the way in, while Baelor spoke with the Lord Commander and his bannermen. We should attack, now. The men are losing faith. Black Harren's walls are intimidating. A freerider walking towards the tent at a fast pace caught his attention; he seemed to want to gain entry. He's no lord, he's no knight of songs, who is he? Ser Gwayne of the Kingsguard then got hold of him and the whitecloak naturally put his sword hand on Lady Forlorn's hilt. Easy, now.

"State your name and intentions!" he demanded in a deep voice as the freerider got closer.

"Are you Ser Gwayne Corbray?" The man asked, knowing full well that he was. He'd spent years at the Capital as Lord Arryn's captain of guard, and had seen Corbray countless times. "Word is that you will be commanding a part of the army. I'd like to speak with you. You see, I might look like a ragged freerider, but in truth I am a hardened veteran of a hundred - no, thousand battles. If you'd listen to my suggestions, we might limit the amount of casualties we take storming that thing." He pointed at Harrenhal. "But we should do this more privately, there are eyes and ears of the enemy everywhere in an army encampment." In his mind, Ser Egen laughed.

[Celsius]

Lord Desmond Crakehall arrives at the Harrenhal siege camp with his private company of mercenaries. He had not heard anything from the Armies or Harrenhal, and was surprised when he saw the royal sigil flying every which way. After making himself known, he requests an audience with King Baelor.

[Oznerol]

Lord Desmond Crakehall arrives at the Harrenhal siege camp with his private company of mercenaries. He had not heard anything from the Armies or Harrenhal, and was surprised when he saw the royal sigil flying every which way. After making himself known, he requests an audience with King Baelor.

The King was talking with Westerling inside, and few of his retainers and vassals, like Stokeworth or Celtigar.

"Come in my Lord... Desmond Crakehall, doesn't it? It seems you have seriously reinforced our Royal Host!"

[Celsius]

The King was talking with Westerling inside, and few of his retainers and vassals, like Stokeworth or Celtigar.

"Come in my Lord... Desmond Crakehall, doesn't it? It seems you have seriously reinforced our Royal Host!"

He bowed
"If your majesty needs it, then we are here. The Southern countryside is all but deserted of Riverland troops, from Pinkmaiden to Maidenpool. Harrenhal is the last Tully stronghold in the South, and if taking means that your throne is secure then it must be taken."
He nodded
"As soon as it's taken, the Riverlands will be in utter collapse, and then the Vale will stand alone......unless the Starks enter the conflict, in which case they are separated and unable to lend aid to one another. This war may have been what we needed to route out all those with traitorous hearts in with ill sweep."

[Oznerol]

He bowed
"If your majesty needs it, then we are here. The Southern countryside is all but deserted of Riverland troops, from Pinkmaiden to Maidenpool. Harrenhal is the last Tully stronghold in the South, and if taking means that your throne is secure then it must be taken."
He nodded
"As soon as it's taken, the Riverlands will be in utter collapse, and then the Vale will stand alone......unless the Starks enter the conflict, in which case they are separated and unable to lend aid to one another. This war may have been what we needed to route out all those with traitorous hearts in with ill sweep."

"Good, such we thought when laid siege to this monstrous seat. It will also be a magnificent power base for the Crown and my Host"

"After this castle is seized my Host will attack the Vale, I request your lordship to join me in my next move... the Bloody Gate"

"These are my plans for the attack"

Baelor explains

"Your forces will act as our last reserve, anyway they are a tiny garrisson, they will be butchered easily"

[Celsius]

"Good, such we thought when laid siege to this monstrous seat. It will also be a magnificent power base for the Crown and my Host"

"After this castle is seized my Host will attack the Vale, I request your lordship to join me in my next move... the Bloody Gate"

"These are my plans for the attack"

Baelor explains

"Your forces will act as our last reserve, anyway they are a tiny garrisson, they will be butchered easily"

"As you command sire. I also received a raven not long ago from Ser Abelar Lannister. Ser Guy Lannister has won a great victory in the North against the Riverlanders.He also states with information gathered by Lannister forces in the North and my forces in the south that the remnants of the Tully armies are west of the Trident in the North. He also is planning on moving the Westerland host around Riverrun, and implores your Majesty to make due haste to the Blue and Green Forks so that they will be encircled by forces loyal to your crown. I will stay with you, My King, but the armies that fight in your name will need aid soon."

[ByzantineCaesar]

"I am a Kingsguard and I follow the commands of my King. I am no stranger to battle myself, ser. If you think your input can be valuable to the battle, speak to the King. If you wish to speak to me, join my vanguard and stay close," Ser Gwayne replied. I'm on guard duty, can't he see it?

OOC: I do hope this isn't another assassination attempt.

[Adamat]

"I am a Kingsguard and I follow the commands of my King. I am no stranger to battle myself, ser. If you think your input can be valuable to the battle, speak to the King. If you wish to speak to me, join my vanguard and stay close," Ser Gwayne replied. I'm on guard duty, can't he see it?

OOC: I do hope this isn't another assassination attempt.

Ser Vardis looked around, scanning the area quickly. No-one was close enough to hear what he had to say, if he'd whisper... He slowly put a hand on the Kingsguard shoulder. No sudden movements. He leaned closer. "Where do you come from, Ser Gwayne?" He whispered in the ear of the man in white.