Over Reaching: Reaving the Reach

[Pericles of Athens]

The grand fleet assembled under Euron Greyjoy and Lord Harlaw finally arrived at its destination, the Shields of the Mander, and they were pleased to find it largely bereft of Reachmen ships. The fleet of Ironmen was grand in size if not composition, though most of the flotilla was made up of long ships of varying sizes there were still some retrofitted Greenland war ships bobbing in the surf beside them. The intention of the Ironmen was clear, sink or seize any ships patrolling the straights and take advantage of their rare opportunity to break the shield of Highgarden and show them that Ironmen should forever be feared.

Euron stood aboard his ship the Silence, his smiling eye overlooking the placid waters of the Straits. "It seems the Reachmen aren't home, at the least not most of them." he mused aloud, his crew could hear but none could answer so they continued about their business. "Not a talkative bunch, my crew.." he was in one of his infamous foul moods today, though the prospect of pillaging the for four Shields had brightened it a slight.

The Crow's Eye spoke up again, this time more directly as if he was actually addressing his mongrel pets. "I want to see Oakenshield Port ablaze by the morrow, and you all know how I hate disappointment." that was enough to spur the Silence's crew to action and they rushed about preparing her for combat as his first mate, a man with a great bleeding falcon engraved in black ink across his chest, sent word to the other Captains in the fleet.

Meanwhile Euron descended to his cabin, to his fine liqueurs, his silken Pentoshi bed, and a docile Yunkish slave girl with nipple piercings. 'That reminds me' he thought dumbly, as if he'd forgotten to lace his pants up, 'I must remember to remove her tongue today.'

Ironborn Forces

Euron Greyjoy
+3 Pathfinder
+3 Survival
+3 Charisma
Lord Ivar Harlaw
+2 Duels
+3 Sea Battles
+1 Land Battles

248 Levy Ships
194 Dromonds
118 Heavy Galleys
65 Ironborn Warships
22 Grand Warships

Total: 646 Ships (12,920 Reavers)

Reachmen in the general vicinity

Not sure if any Shield Lords would be present
58 Levy Ships
40 Dromonds
24 Heavy Galleys
14 AOR Ships
4 Grand Warships

Total: 140 Ships

Flank:
Right: Euron Greyjoy - 124 Levy Ships, 47 Dromonds, 34 Ironborn Warships, 1 Grand Warship
Center: Lord Ivar - 21 Grand Warships, 100 Dromonds, 118 Heavy Galleys
Left: 124 Levy Ships, 47 Dromonds, 32 Ironborn Warships

Orders: The Ironborn will use their numbers and mobility to their advantage, flanks sweeping around them attempting an encirclement of the enemy fleet. They will also attempt to board and seize control of the enemy ships with their reavers, those that cant be taken will be sunk.

OOC It would be great if you could do roles to see if any Shield Lords present, as well if any are captured in battle.

[Jokern]

The fleet of the Shield Islands has sailed with Lady Redwyne and only the ships left stand in defense of the isles.

As the difference in numbers are so great, this will be viewed as a one-on-one battle.

Battle:
Reach points: 454
D20*454 = Score
Rolled a 7

Score: 3,178

Iron Islands points: 2,160
D20*2,160 = Score
Rolled a 19

Score: 41,040

---

Winner Ships Lost %: 3,178/41,040 = 7.7%
Loser Ships Lost %: 41,040/3,178 = 50%

Captured Ships: D70*0.25 = 17 ships captured (25% of ships lost)

---

Result:
The Reach fleet is easily swept away by the vastly stronger Ironborn ships. They lose more than they captured, but the losses for Crow's Eye are insignificant. The Shield Islands lie open for Euron Greyjoy and his men. The remnants of the smashed Reach fleet flee to Norcross.

Ironborn Fleet:
229 Levy Ships
179 Dromonds
109 Heavy Galleys
60 Ironborn Warships
20 Grand Warships

Captured ships:
7 Levy Ships
5 Dromonds
3 Heavy Galleys
2 Oldtown War Galleys

Total: 614 ships

Reach Remnants
29 Levy Ships
20 Dromonds
12 Heavy Galleys
7 Oldtown War Galleys
2 Grand Warships

Total: 70 ships

[Pericles of Athens]

The enemy had been swept aside - not too dissimilar from the way in which the tide pulls away pebbles from a beach. His smiling eye looked out upon the corpses of men and ships alike sinking into the deep, 'they'll feed the fishes by sun down' he thought. The dusky women stood beside him, though she looked like life itself had been drained from her all sunken and hollow stares, looks like Euron had finally followed through on her welcoming to the ship.

All around them the Ironborn were screaming their war cries, proud to be Ironmen to have this great victory. The Shields were broken for the first time in a thousand years, and the way to riches clear. But that was all for later, the Shields themselves would be the first victims of the Ironmen's wrath..

Euron Greyjoy
+3 Pathfinder
+3 Survival
+3 Charisma
+10(%) on Loot Rolls (Ironborn bonus)

100 Levy Ships
2000 Reavers

OOC I'm, attempting to burn Lord Hewett's Town, so I'm thinking this would be another battle not a raid, though I'm not sure? Either way I wont assault Lord Hewett's Castle or attempt to hold the Island, but the town's gonna burn without ship's to block an Ironmen assault.

[Honors Bastion]

OOC: I will roll this out as a raid, not a battle since you aren't going to attack the castle.

Detection Roll:

Rolled a 9, -3 path finder is 6.6-10, the peasants muster a weak defence, but in the chaos do not send riders to report the attacking banners. Proceed to Raid Roll.

Raid Roll:

Rolled a 6, so 6% casualties (120 reavers) are suffered by the Ironborn during their raid.

Loot Roll:

Rolled a 9, so 9% + 10% (ironborn) = 19% of 50,000 Dragons is 9,500 Dragons loot.

[Pericles of Athens]

A hundred longships entered Lord Hewett's port, no ships obscured their path - no soldiers either, even though a number were garrisoned just up the hill at Hewett's Castle, cowards. From the moment the reavers disembarked the battle was lost, the town was twice the size of Lordsport, a good ten thousand souls, yet Lordsport never would have been taken in such a manner - these Shieldsmen may live astride an Island but they fought like Greenlanders all the same.

Many men had been taken for the Greenlander war, Robert's Rebellion they were calling it now, all that remained to defend the women and children of Hewett's Town were green boys and graybeards, easy pickings. They stood their ground, arming the selves with whatever they could find - they didn't stand long. The men were put to the sword quickly, many were drowned in the bay as an offering to the Drowned God, others were hacked to pieces. The women were in for a different fate, raped, some raped to death, and if they survived the pretty ones were taken back aboard the longships as salt wives.

Euron himself took many women, sowing the screeching flowers with his seed, the Crow's Eye would leave most of them behind or pass them on to hus mongrels. Those he claimed as his property and took with him would be begging for a clean death within a fortnight, but now was not then and the women feared death so they came like lambs to the slaughter.

The Ironborn burned and looted the town the whole night through as the screams of the dead and dying rose up to the castle's walls, along side them the screams of rape and the bawdy tune of Ironborn Reaving ballads. By the time they began to return to their ships Lord Hewett's town was home to naught but the ghosts and burnt out husks of buildings.

[Pericles of Athens]

After his successful attack on Oakenshield Euron moves on Southshield, the Silence was earning a reputation here in the Reach similar to the one it'd earned back east. The blood red hull and deck, the sails black as night, even the black iron maiden mounted upon the prow is missing her mouth, the ship itself was fearsome, her deed's worse still. The truth of it is when men see Euron's sails they pray.

This time only a small group of reavers come with him, including his mongrel crew of course. There was central town to attack here on Southshield, so they'd have to go from village to village to get their women and their plunder, and pray to the Drowned God that word wouldn't spread and the people hide from them.

Euron Greyjoy
+3 Pathfinder
+3 Survival
+3 Charisma
+10(%) on Loot Rolls (Ironborn bonus)

10 Levy Ships
200 Reavers

RAID ROLL on Southshield, please.

[Honors Bastion]

Detection Roll: Rolled a 11., -3 pathfinder, equals 8.

6-10, the peasants muster a weak defence, but in the chaos do not send riders to report the attacking banners. Proceed to Raid Roll.

Raid Roll: Rolled a 10, 10% (20 reavers) perish.

Loot Roll: Rolled a 14, so 14% of 20,000 is 2,800 Dragons looted.

[Pericles of Athens]

The Ironborn rolled through the first few villages near the keep easily enough, it seemed the people really didn't have the spirit to put up much of a fight, perhaps it was the scattering of their grand fleet and they were a defeated people. Some ran, others tried to hide, the few that did fight were swiftly gutted for their troubles and the few that fought well enough to get any notice were drowned as offerings to He who Dwells Below the Waves. They hopped to entice the garrison into battle, but like the "soldiers" in Lord Hewett's Castle the screams of the smallfolk fell on deaf ears.

The men raped most of the women, save the hideous ones which they killed for sport, and some of the lesser reavers took the best looking ones as salt wives, though the more experienced ones said they weren't worth the trouble of keeping them. Getting their wealth wasn't difficult either, as the villagers didn't seem to have much of any, there wealth was in human stock and low quality human stock at that. After they hit the three closest villages to the keep the preceding ones became ever more emptied before their arrival, until after the sixth there was no one in sight up and down the entire coastline, some of the runners got word to their friends the Crow's Eye wagered. But it was no matter, they'd cowed yet another one of the Mander's vaunted Shields.

When the men sailed back to the fleet they made their way for the next Island in the chain..

RAID ROLL on Greenshield, please. Euron wont actually be free to make the move for another two hours but I thought I'd post it now. 200 reavers + Euron Greyjoy.

[Pericles of Athens]

Will fill in with RP once I get secure Internet access.

Battle at the Redwyne Straits

Ironborn
Euron Greyjoy
+3 Survival Roll
+3 Charisma
+3 Pathfinder
Lord Harlaw
+3 Seabattles

236 Levy Ships
184 Dromonds
112 Heavy Galleys
60 Ironborn Warships
2 Oldtown War Galleys
20 Grand Warships

Reachmen
17 Levy Ships (17 points)
8 Dromonds (24 points)
5 Heavy Galleys (25 points)
3 AOR Ships (24 points)
1 Grand Warships (10 points)

Follow up with a RAID ROLL on the Arbor. 500 Reavers and Euron Greyjoy.

[Honors Bastion]

Greenshield Raid:

Detection Roll: Rolled a 7 -3 pathfinder equals 4

1-5, the peasants are caught completely by surprise and no defence can be mustered. Proceed straight to a Loot Roll.

Raid Roll: Not needed

Loot Roll: Rolled a 4 +10% Ironborn = 14% of 12,000 is 2,800 Dragons looted.

Battle of Redwyne Straights:

I will need orders from both sides before I roll it.

Arbor Raid:

This will have to wait until the naval battle is concluded. In addition, since Xion apparently has a garrison positioned at the Arbor, the raid will become an immediate land battle as a result of a naval battle having been fought offshore if you so choose to continue with the raid.

[Pericles of Athens]

Orders
The Ironborn fleet will come in at full force surround the enemy and crush them if they choose to give battle, if they choose not to the reavers will land unopposed anyway. The repurposed Oldtown War Galleys will lead the charge.

I'm fine with a battle as well, I'll just push the number of raiders up to 3,000. But them coming out to meet me in pitch battle should put the keep at risk if they're overwhelmed.

[Honors Bastion]

I will need orders for both the v\naval and land battle before I can roll it.

[Pericles of Athens]

OOC I've sent in my orders and It's my understanding that Xion has already done the same.

[Xion]

OOC I've sent in my orders and It's my understanding that Xion has already done the same.

OOC : Resent the orders just in case.

[Honors Bastion]

I'm about to roll the battle now.

[Honors Bastion]

Naval Battle of the Redwyne Straights:

With such a large number disparity, I rolled this as a slightly modified one-flank battle, still accounting for your orders that were Pmed to me.

The naval battle off that was fought off the coast of the Arbor is a quick one and the Ironborn come out triumphant. However, the battle is not an overwhelming success for the Ironborn. Although they were able to envelop and destroy half of the Reachmen fleet, it was not without some significant losses for the Ironborn.

Remaining Ships:

Ironborn:
225 Levy Ships
178 Dromonds
108 Heavy Galleys
57 Ironborn Warships
1 Oldtown War Galleys
20 Grand Warships

Captured Ships:
2 Levy Ships
1 Dromond

Reachmen
7 Levy Ships (17 points)
4 Dromonds (24 points)
2 Heavy Galleys (25 points)
2 AOR Ships (24 points)
1 Grand Warships (10 points)

Raid on the Arbor:

Xion has given me the option to forgo the battle and instead do the raid rolls and I have taken up that offer in the interest of time. However, as a result of the garrison being present, I will give a negative modifier on the loot rolls to represent the presence of hostile soldiers nearby and them preventing the reavers from being able to completely loot the island.

Detection Roll: Not needed, proceeding directly to raid roll.

Raid Roll: Rolled a 3, 3% of the Ironborn reavers (about 120 men) are lost due to desertion, death, or disease

Loot Roll: Rolled an 8, 8% – 5% (local military presence) +10% (Ironborn) = 13% of 70,000 is 9,100 Dragons looted.

[Pericles of Athens]

Drunk on their victory at sea the Ironborn descended on a seemingly ill defended Ryamsport. The few city guardsmen were easily slain and it seemed bussiness as usual, the garrison would be too frightened to fight them, hiding further inland or cowering behind think stone walls. Perhaps it was that the Ironmen began celebrating their victory too early..

Despite what his Ironborn had assumed, the Redwyne soldiers did not flee further inland or hide behind stone walls as the others had, leaving Ryamsport to burn. Instead the garrison lied in wait, they made their move charging at the Ironborn after they streamed out of the commercial district and began making their way into the cites heart. Smoke began to rise as those Ironborn closer to the harbor began setting fire to builds, after killing the former occupants and relieving them of their worldly possessions of course. The screams of crones, maids, and mothers alike caught by the reavers rang out through the city along with the reaving songs of the Ironmen and the sounds of drowning men, men who'd been captured early in the assault.

The first Ironborn to fall would be those trampled under foot by charging knights of the Arbor. They were in shock, and not only from the brute force of being trampled, they'd grown accustomed to easy pickings under Euron's lead the Crow's Eye always seemed to know where and when to strike and the most resistance they'd faced up until this point were green boys or greybeards or farmers armed with rusty knives playing at hero attempting to stop the rape of their daughter or wife or mother. Some of the Arborians fell as the Ironborn regrouped under Ulf Ironjaw, under his leadership they formed a shieldwall on one of the bridges leading to the coastal districts where hundreds of Ironborn were helping themselves to wine, women, or fighting over some bauble they found in a house. Volley after volley struck the sheildwall, some fell more stood their ground, they had to hold the line to protect their fellow reavers who'd be taken unawares should they fail. As the fight on the bridge dragged on it turned into a brutal slogging match, inch for inch blood for blood.

Euron pulled himself from the revelry quickly, the first to do so, he could hear the clash of steel anywhere and it was ringing out clearly from further in the port town. He ordered the Ironmen to take anything that wasn't nailed down and burn the rest, and this they did. The Crow's Eye had what he came for - he wasn't about to risk everything for a bit more.

By sundown the Redwyne forces reached the harbor, but the Ironborn had already disappeared, leaving behind a smoldering ruin devoid of life where once there'd been many homes, brothels warehouses, ships, and shops bustling with life. Slinking back aboard their ships with their wines, jewels, salt wives, and thralls making off toward there next (hopefully less prepared) target. Ulf Ironjaw had fallen, but he and his hundred warriors held off fifteen times their number to give the rest of the Ironmen an avenue to escape, and they'd be remembered forever, immortalized in the drinking songs of their people.

A few Ironborn had taken it upon themselves to burn smaller ports further down the coastline, these lone captains trickled back into the main fleet with little of value to speak of, but succeeded in burning their selected targets and getting a few girls for the road. Back aboard the Silence Euron contemplated his next move, he wasn't done with the Reach just yet. There! he cried, pointing to the Three Towers. His mongrel, the one with the hawk tattooed upon his chest, said nothing just blankly stared at his captain and then the fine lambskin map. Perhaps we can't move on Oldtown, but we can make them weak in the knees.

[Xion]

The Redwyne soldiers on the island had expected a raid after hearing of the obvious defeat of Lord Goldwyne's fleet off the coast of Mermaid's Palace, but did not believe the Ironborn would be as daring to raid Ryamsport where a decent portion of the garrison had been stationed due to it's proximity to the Redwyne's keep. It began some time after dawn, some of Crow's Eye's handpicked reavers rushing ashore and easily dispatching the city watchmen on patrol, and as the reaving began, smoke rose from the coastal districts as Ironborn set fire to some buildings after finishing relieving their now deceased owners of their valuables and anything not securely fastened down. The screams of whores, maids, any female caught by the reavers rang out through the city along with the barbarians singing their reaving songs and drowning some men that they did not kill in the harbor. Ser Alester Redwyne, the Lord Commanders of the City Watches of the Arbor, and many of lesser knights of the Arbor hastily rushed all forces to Ryamsport to counter the reavers, the last man arriving some time in mid-morning while the Ryamsport City Watch had been pushed entirely out of the coastal districts and were holding the main bridge from their headquarters in the central square of the city, the Ironborn being deterred from attacking due to their desire to pillage the coastal districts. The assembled army charged into the city some time before midday, the same time as some Ironborn had tired of the coastal districts and moved onto to the inland districts.

The first Ironborn casualties would be those trampled by the knights of the Arbor who were leading the charge of the army, cleaving their way through dozens of reavers disorientated by the appearance of hundreds of armed men due to having grown complacent due to no raid so far launched by Crow's Eye meeting any form of actual resistance besides a few invalid men or young boys believing they could play hero by slaying the vile invaders. Some of the garrison fell as the Ironborn regrouped, forming a shieldwall on one of the bridges leading to the coastal districts where hundreds of Ironborn were helping themselves to wine, women, or fighting over some bauble they found in a house. Ser Redwyne ordered archers to shoot at the shieldwall first, felling one or two and injuring several others, but to no effect over the course of several volleys. Next, halberdiers and pikemen were sent in, which gradually forced the shieldwall to give ground and break, merging with another group who were mounted(on stolen horses from an outside estate) that some cavalrymen from Tisbury who had arrived were chasing, adding to the chaos.

Eventually by sundown the Redwyne forces reached the harbor, but the Ironborn had disappeared back to their ships with their loot, salt wives, and probably some thralls to set sail for their next target. The hundred or so dead Ironborn had bought their comrades enough time to alert whatever lord that was leading them to the Redwyne army and decide they got what they came for and left, leaving the coastal sections of Ryamsport a smoldering ruin for the most part or devoid of life and belongings in the buildings they could not burn or had no time to burn. The few remaining ships of Lord Goldwyne's fleet reported apparently seeing the Ironborn sail to the south afterwards from their relatively safe position at Mermaid's Palace, and in all, around several hundred citizens of Ryamsport had fallen victim to the Ironborn, fire, or another cause during the sack such as one man being trampled to death by a fleeing mob early on. A few hundred Ironborn had remained sacking lesser settlements or the vineyard estate through the night, either having landed at a different location or were part of the main force who returned knowing the garrison was in Ryamsport and unable to defend any of the other settlements until the next day when patrols would be more successful, several that went out that night were intercepted and killed by the reavers. The next morning the garrison began to scour the island for Ironborn, but they were gone with the tides before the next morning, only leaving more bodies and destruction in their wake and sailing off to their next victims.
----
Ser Redwyne and the other commanders watch as the bodies of drowning victims, fire victims, and other victims of the raid are piled up to be burnt. "This is all Lord Tyrell's fault! If he did not order the fleet away we could've..""Ironborn wouldn't of been stupid enough to hit us if the fleet was here. They'd prey on other targets while evading the Armada. Just thank the Seven we managed to prevent them from ransacking any further than they did, they also hit an outlying port or two that are now nearly destroyed and devoid of life." "How do you think the Lady will react..?" Alester shrugs. "All I can say is I'd not want to be around when she finds out, it probably will be devastating for her to hear the capital of the Arbor was almost completely ransacked by squids while she was gone and there was nothing she could do about it." Lord Vywrel looks over at some of the recent bodies discovered and vomits when he saw what the Ironborn apparently did to the corpses, to which Alester just impassively looks on."If Regenard was still alive these squids wouldn't dare come near the Arbor. Hopefully this will be a sharp, painful lesson to Rohanne and maybe shake her out of her pleasure-addled ways to become a better leader. If not, maybe she'll at least raise more men and ships to ensure the island's safety in the future."

[Pericles of Athens]

With his business in the Arbor concluded Euron was free to tackle another target. This time he struck the mainland, the Three Towers, sentinels of the Whispering Sound , Keeps of the Straits, Etc., Etc. truth be told House Costayne has more pride than tangible power or wealth, but what little they do have the Ironmen intend to redistribute.

Cut to scene of simplistic village, cue perfect day and light breeze. And action.

What are we havin for supper pa?

Mashed potatoes!

I love mothers mashed potatoes.

And extra special for 'ur name day we'll be havin a bit 'o beef with it too.

As the final word fell from his mouth an axe split the man's face in two. A foul oder filled the boys nostrils as his father's body fell to the floor, he looked about in shock, only to see similar scenes playing out across his once idilic home. A swarm of lightly armed and armored men moving throughout his village, forcing women and little girls alike to their knees as their comrades slew their parents, husbands, and sons before taking the women by force. A couple boys a bit older than him were attempting to fight back, and they were being drowned alive for their troubles. He turned to run but before he could he was up in the air being moved like a crate. He was beinging moved toward his hut, when they entered the boy could see his mother compromised tears in her eyes huddle in the corner attempting to conceal her breasts and a man lacing up his pants. The man carrying him dropped before this man, a handsome man he was with an eye patch, he looked a pirate outbof the tales. Do you know where the Three Towers are?

He nodded his head, yes he knew well enough. They actually weren't far, did these men only need directions, he thought pleadingly was this just a misunderstanding.

Good the boys at the last four villages didn't know..grisly things, but no matter. Now what's your name?

Robb.. He responded meekly.

Well Robb, I have a secret for you, you're mother is a whore. Did you know that?

The boy shook his head as if to deny it.

No, but she is. She just begged me to take her here and now, even as my men took your father's life. He shook his head, Now I'm going to have your whore mother and your going to watch, I'm going to take her again and again, until she can't take any more and then I'll give her to my men and they'll finish her off and then I'll let you go. When I do you'll go to those Three Towers and tell them what Euron Greyjoy did..seem fair? Without waiting for a responds he undid his laces, the next few hours would be the longest young Robb and his mother ever suffered through.

RAID ROLL on The Three Towers. 500 Reavers. Euron Greyjoy (+3 Pathfinder, +1 Pillager, +3 Survival, +3 Charisma, +10% Ironborn)

[Honors Bastion]

I will tell you that this is one of my vassal provinces so it might be considered bias of me to do this roll. If that's the case, then ignore the following and another mod can do the roll.

===============================

Detection Roll: Rolled a 17 - 3 pathfinder = 14.

11-15, the peasants muster a defence, and report the identity of the attackers by rider to the local keep. Proceed to Perception Roll.

Perception Roll: Rolled a 3, the local populace are only able to identify the raiders as being Ironborn.

Raid Roll: Rolled an 8, 8% (40 reavers) are lost during the raid.

Loot Roll: Rolled a 13. 13% + 10% (Ironborn) + 1% pillage = 24% of 30,000 is 7,200 Dragons looted.