[Britannia Expansion - Custom Submod] The Isles of Chaos (Roleplay Hotseat)

[joerock22]

The Norwegian prince advances cautiously; he is out of range by land, but Scottish forces can reach him by sea. The result is a heavy defeat.

Norway:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FJr...ew?usp=sharing

Screenshots:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MQt...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y4q...ew?usp=sharing

[Der Böse Wolf]

Before I start the RP, I'd like to point out that it is annoying to play against a faction without a player.
Don't get me wrong, I thank the admin for stepping up and letting the HS flow, but it's frustrating in a RP HS to have to deal with this for many turns, as one cannot engage in diplomacy, the faction doesn't develop the story and is being very aggressive.
You might say that a new player would have done the same. Maybe.
But he would also work on the RP and maybe develop another story or agree on different outcomes.
Right now it's a plain total war HS, which is not the essence of this particular HS.

I hope we find a new Scotland player soon as this has been dragging for 5 turns now and is breaking the HS element for me as I alm directly dealing with the Scots.

Onwards.

In the Noregveldi camp, on the bridge west of Aberdeen
----------------------------------------------------------------

"We will reach the border fort next month my Prince.
The Aberdeen army will join us. They are a week behind us.
The scouts have reported a heavy Scottish army near the broder and we will probably face off in a decisive battle.
The men are eager and ready."
The captain gave his report.

Prince Inge was sharpening his axe, his eyes red with lust for blood.
"Very well, prepare to cross the bridge."

As the huge Norse army started crossing the bridge, cries rose from the rearguard.

"Scots, Scots are attacking the rear!!" The captain was shrieking!

"What!!?? Where did they come from?" Inge was caught completely by surprise.

Indeed, under the cover of night, scottish ships have disembarked a huge scottish army east of the bridge.
The Norsemen, unsuspectingly crossed the bridge and were caught in a precarious position.

"Turn back, turn back and drive them back!", the Noregveldi Prince, realising the disaster, started rallying his men.

In a courageous turnaround, the Vikings fought like lions and drove the Scots back to their ships.
But they paid a very heavy price for this.
2/3 of the army lay slain on the battlefield.

The vikings were outplayed at their own game. They got raided from the sea.
The mood in the camp was morose.

Many warriors blamed Inge's arrogance for this catastrophe.

He was supposed to wait for Mason's army from Aberdeen to march together to the border castle, before attacking Perth, the Scottish capital.
But Inge, seething with anger after the dramatic fall of Castletown, marched too far ahead of the reinforcing army and got caught off guard.

Mutiny was in the air. But the nearby presence of the large scottish army with catapults kept the men on their toes, focusing on the next imminent assault.
-----------------------------------------------------


In Inverness Castle
------------------------

King Magnus was devastated.
The loss of Castletown, his beloved Castletown, was a very big blow for the Norse warrior.

He loved that place and was ready to defend it with his life.

At the same time, he was seething with anger at the turn of events.

A year ago, a mighty invasion was launched on Dublin, coordinated with the newly crowned kink Edward of England.
The preparations took years and the plan would have all but crushed the Irish, by far the biggest and driving force in the Celtic Alliance.

But the campaign failed miserably with Edward making a mess of the landing at Dublin, and the commander of Castletown not joining him in time as he decided to attack the Irish near Dumfries instead.

Now Edward is dead, Dumfries is till under Scottish control, Castletown has fallen to the Irish and King Brian is as strong as ever.

Moreover, Prince Inge got ambushed near Aberdeen and the city is now under direct threat from the menacing Scots.

"My king, the men have very low morale. Some are cursing the gods and saying that the Christian God is taking his revenge on us for forsaking him..."
Magnus' advisor spoke the words in a sharp tone, as if he is blaming Magnus for the ill fate setting upon the North.

"Is that so? How can the Christian God, the God of love, the God of turning the other cheek, be wrathful against his children? Aren't we all his children, according to his doctrine?"
Magnus' theological answer did not impress the advisor.

"Sire, the situation is dire. The men lack faith. We lost the islands in the west, we lost Castletown, Aberdeen is in serious danger, our allies are so far away from us...we are forsaken!"
The advisor's voice broke in a panicked high pitch as he pronounced the last words.

Magnus gave the old man a dark look.
He picked his axe and walked out fo the hall.
----------------------------------------------------------

The barons next: https://www.mediafire.com/file/oub935uc328cwz3/TIOC_barons_36.sav/file

[joerock22]

I've advertised for it, but I think the RP nature of the hotseat is deterring the more casual participants. If anyone has an idea for a player who might join, please invite them. I don't know a lot of you because I haven't played in the general hotseats section in a while. I took on the admin role as a favor to Jadli more than anything else.

As for Scotland, I am just trying to defend my lands. I believe this was the first battle I fought on Norwegian soil, and even then it was right across the border. Maybe I'm playing better than the previous Scotland player, who it seemed had simply stopped caring at some point. But I'm not trying to be aggressive or do anything out of the ordinary.

[Der Böse Wolf]

I've advertised for it, but I think the RP nature of the hotseat is deterring the more casual participants. If anyone has an idea for a player who might join, please invite them. I don't know a lot of you because I haven't played in the general hotseats section in a while. I took on the admin role as a favor to Jadli more than anything else.

As for Scotland, I am just trying to defend my lands. I believe this was the first battle I fought on Norwegian soil, and even then it was right across the border. Maybe I'm playing better than the previous Scotland player, who it seemed had simply stopped caring at some point. But I'm not trying to be aggressive or do anything out of the ordinary.

Of course man and I thank you for your effort.

As for Scotland, do whatever you deem necessary.
My only complaint is that the faction is on auto-pilot, a very efficient auto-pilot. And being on auto-pilot, I cannot engage in diplomacy, cunning, negotiation...and the faction's movements are very efficient because it is disregarding the RP element which might make the player take different decisions for RP's sake.

Cheers.

[paladinbob123]

At the news of Henry's personal knights being forced back , by a English crown counterattack and the storming of the isle of Mann, Henry knew the limits of his power, as most of the rest of the barons and lords of the north, were rather disgruntled at the affairs of things. Their word , they had stood by , fighting at the side of the welsh king against the new insane king of England, to little effect, but progress had been made against the pagans , a fact , that most of the north of England , being god fearing men , appreciated, , bolstered his standing more than a little. The victorious remnants of the army that fought at the dreadful battle at Shrewsbury returned, those that had fought two battles, one a massive defeat and another of victory , now wished to be stood down , and Henry was eager to oblige but for one fact.

Conisborough Castle in Yorkish terrority was still undersiege by the English crown , and Henry of Lancaster, Protector of the northern shires was sure to react to the problem. Armies were mobilised and threats were sent to the English king for him to desist in his attack there or risk the peril of another mobilisation of the northern shires against his northern and perhaps eastern borders. With the current gains of the irish and the dominance of the celtic ships on the western coastline, such a thing would be sure to cause the English crown some problems , so the view was the English crown would not pursue the matter, but with such a insane leader, the issue was definitely in doubt.



Henry de brus was still alive ,after the engagement against the English counterattack, and had retreated to the barons ships , with the remainder of the henry of Lancaster's cavalry , and the navy was reinforced from more ships from Lancanster so they could equally return home , if god wished it. Letters were sent to the English crown hoping for settlement to dissuade the siege , and to move to a peaceful status, between them , as Henry knew the peoples of the north, were tired of warfare. In the last ten years , they had fought the first barons war against the crown helping to bring it to its knees, with immediately after that , two attacks from the Scottish sacking both Carlisle and Newcastle , with multiple Scottish forces being destroyed, and with the return of action on there southern border, both by rebels and from the regular forces, meaning the peoples of the north , were exhausted of war, wishing just to return to the soil , and till the land. Henry hoped such a thing could happen , to give the people relief from the constant warfare, which sprang up around these isles of chaos , in these turbulent times.

Some of the peoples of the north preached a new crusade against the pagans in the far north using the excuse of advancing christianity, but generally those thoughts were from the far northern nobles, in Newcastle and Carlisle , who sought wealth and enrichment in the distant north, but most of the barons shouted them down, quelling there thoughts and ideas, at the moment, with the attritional losses of peasants and lords to manage estates and run the field systems and running of the administration to keep life stable.

----------------------------------------


Ridge and furrow system

Ridge and furrow is an archaeological pattern of ridges (Medieval Latin sliones) and troughs created by a system of ploughing used in Europe during the Middle Ages, typical of the open field system. It is also known as rig (or rigg) and furrow, mostly in the North East of England and in Scotland.

The earliest examples date to the immediate post-Roman period and the system was used until the 17th century in some areas, as long as the open field system survived. Surviving ridge and furrow topography is found in Great Britain, Ireland and elsewhere in Europe. The surviving ridges are parallel, ranging from 3 to 22 yards (3 to 20 m) apart and up to 24 inches (61 cm) tall – they were much taller when in use. Older examples are often curved.

Ridge and furrow topography was a result of ploughing with non-reversible ploughs on the same strip of land each year. It is visible on land that was ploughed in the Middle Ages, but which has not been ploughed since then. No actively ploughed ridge and furrow survives.

The ridges or lands became units in landholding, in assessing the work of the ploughman and in reaping in autumn.

In the Middle Ages each strip was managed by one family, within large open fields held in common , and the locations of the strips were the same each year. The movement of soil year after year gradually built the centre of each strip up into a ridge, leaving a dip, or "furrow" between each ridge (note that this use of "furrow" is different from that for the small furrow left by each pass of the plough). The building up of a ridge was called filling or gathering, and was sometimes done before ploughing began. The raised ridges offered better drainage in a wet climate: moisture drained into the furrows, and since the ridges were laid down a slope, in a sloping field water would collect in a ditch at the bottom.Only on some well-drained soils were the fields left flat. In damper soil towards the base of the ridge, pulses (peas or beans) or dredge (a mixture of oats and barley) might be sown where wheat would have become waterlogged, as Thomas Tusser suggested in the 16th century:

For wheat till land
Where water doth stand.
Sow pease or dredge
below in that redge.


turn to England
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zq3957nvnx...nd_37.sav?dl=0

[Turkafinwë]

Apologies for the delay. I had a deadline today for my thesis so I have had little time to do anything else.

Will be up later today.

[Turkafinwë]

England

"My lord, I have a message from Henry of Lancaster."

"Bring it here." the king softly replied, his eyes bloodshot. Edmund hadn't had a good night's sleep for the last couple of weeks. It was because of those bloody Irish, those red-haired savages from across the sea. Their numbers seemed endless and their willingness to throw themselves on English steel unsatiable. Normally this would not concern the king but Edmund thought of the Irish were no mere men but demons from Hell sent to torment him.

The king shook his head and stretched out his hand when the envoy presented the letter to him.

"Let's see what old Henry has to say this time shall we."

After a quick read Edmund burst into a fit of laughter finally uttering one word in a violent outburst.

"PEACE!"

The laughter continued until it stopped dead in a matter of seconds. Realisation hit the king, peace wouldn't be such a bad thing, under certain conditions of course. England had long enough suffered because of this divide and Edmund would not take a peace that would not be beneficial to him and his people. If Henry wanted peace he would have to pay for it like the people of England paid for his trangressions during the invasion by Welsh and Irish forces.

"Clerk!"

"Fetch your parchments and ink, I have thought of a reply to send to our good friend Henry."

As the clerk settled down, Edmund paced the room. Once he was seated and ready the king formulated his answer.

"To Henry, Lord of Lancaster, ....


Ireland: http://www.mediafire.com/file/y2j5ybl4qq0bwq0/TIOC_Ireland_37.sav/file

[PeaMan]

The Irish forces at Castletown prepared themselves for the great war to come in Wales with small boats carrying men to the ships that lay at anchor of the coast while the High King of Ireland visits his sons tomb atop the great hill..

Entering the mighty structure he commanded be built in honour of the fallen he felt a sense of guilt for hundreds of dead Irish lay in their crypts around him, many of whom he sent to their deaths he thought.

As he advanced towards his sons great gravestone he felt a sense of dread feeling the eyes of the fallen on him.. The High King spent a couple of hours in the tombs, He had seen 57 summers pass and knew these last couple years would be his last and this would be his last war with fears of what would happen to his people under his grandson and sons for though they were brave and their heads filled with chivalry they were still young and green to battle.. He had thoughts of confessing his sins before his death but what sane priest would absolve him of his sins he thought, he had put castles to the sword and spared none in battle even the prisoners..

As he left the crypts all his thoughts of forgiveness was left and being atop the great hill of the Island where the tombs were built he was met with quite a sight, atop the hill he saw thousands of Irish ships in the bay with near 5,000 men being transported to the fleet.

High King Brian steals one last glance at his sons burial place then departs for his flagship..

Shortly after the Irish fleet arrives at northern Wales and lays anchor of the coast trapping the English ships in port though alarms were raised when sails were spotted in the distance and men readied themselves for battle.. though fears of a ambush were soon gone for the ships were those from Dublin who had been sent by the heir to support his grandfather along with 300 Irish knights and 700 Ulster Swordsmen in support for his campaign to reclaim Wales for its true owner.

Some eager Irish bands storm into Wales without order from their High King and ambushes Charles Bourchier south of the Kings position forcing the English noble to retreat next to the English fortified position setting the stage for the first great battle of Wales next turn which will follow with the first settlement for our Welsh brothers..

https://gyazo.com/de42f35f34e5f94bfa9348639391d8e2

https://gyazo.com/e6121ab5c8ad0e1ff7726cb438c325f3

https://gyazo.com/ffdac45686e4c0e99270971261744271

Wales up - https://www.mediafire.com/file/xo3qwjlpyti1t9x/TIOC_Wales_37.sav/file

[zender9]

With the exchange of Castletown and Downpatrick, Welsh royal family moved to Castletown. The palace wasn't as good as at Downpatrick, one may barely can even call it a palace, but Welsh brought joy to the castle. As soon as they arrived, King's elder sister Dyddgu, married a fine, young and smart man. Celebrations continued for a while.
With every victory news, Welsh were getting excited about returning to their homelands. If only King Llywelyn could see these days too.


Scotland up:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jCB...ew?usp=sharing

[ScotlandIsBest]

i could retake scotland btw if it is still available

[Der Böse Wolf]

Welcome back!

[joerock22]

i could retake scotland btw if it is still available

Sending CS; 48 hours starts now.

[ScotlandIsBest]

thanks for having me back. turn will be up soon

[joerock22]

Yeah, I think ScotlandIsLate ScotlandIsBest has just about used up all of his chances.

Another victory is won, and afterwards the Scottish forces get back on their ships, secure in the knowledge that their navy has cleared away any enemy fleets which might threaten them.

Norway:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z1M...ew?usp=sharing

Battle:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dH2...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12PU...ew?usp=sharing

Naval Battle:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fYk...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ik...ew?usp=sharing

Assassination:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dOV...ew?usp=sharing

[Der Böse Wolf]

Somewhere on the coasts of Aberdeeen
------------------------------------------------

"Where are our bloody ships? We are ing vikings and can not stop some damn Scottish floating woods from raiding us!"
Prince Inge has had enough of the constant attacks on Aberdeen from the sea.

Ever since the loss of Castletown, the Noregveldi coffers aren't being filled as before.

With all the neighbouring kingdoms closing their ports and roads to Norse trade, the army is suffering to muster ships to attack the Scottish raiders.

Call for help for the Mad King has remained unanswered.

Worse, threat arrived from the Northern Rebels, now that they are at a supposedly ceasefire with the English.

King Magnus is under pressure from an unhappy populace.
Some viking lords already defected to Ireland after the fall of Castletown.
They were the Christian chieftains who were not happy with the pagan ways promoted by Magnus.

But with the empty war chest, troops stopped coming from mainland Norway.

The British dream has lost support from the Homeland.

Magnus sent his fastest riders south. He needs to know. Now.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The northern rebels ate next: https://www.mediafire.com/file/bx3hghb6u9qiqb2/TIOC_Barons_37.sav/file

[paladinbob123]

The English crown retreated there forces from the Castle [fort] within Yorkish terrority , although the message from King Edmund was stark, asking for something to prove the northern shires had no reason to resume the war between them , a month or even a year later. Henry couldn't give up barons lands [even that newly acquired] as he was protector in name only , and such a thing as giving up the barons lands to the English king [even more so , a rather mad one] would set a dangerous precedent , he was not willing to start.

Therefore the archbishop of York , was invited to Lancaster to preform a ceremony, so that Henry , Lord of Lancaster, and Protector of the northern shires , would swear on the holy bible in front of the Archbishop of York , a certain John le Romeyn who held the ceremony in this summer of 1294AD. For swearing a oath that the northern shires wouldn't resume war with the Crown of England, without a threat/assault from the English lands in the firstplace. Such a oath being sworn , would be done against the peril of the individuals very soul , and both Lord Henry and the archbishop took such oaths very seriously , and this was the message , of security , the Lord protector could give, to the king, to show his own commitment.

There were some harsh words for the northern barbarians who still remained pagans and the northern shires protector couldn't promise that the northern lords inside the northern shires, could perhaps use the fact , there were pagans in the north of Scotland to perhaps finance there own limited crusade to raid the northern lands, in the cause of Christianity, so he urged King Magnus to reconvert to make his lands and people safer and to save their own souls....



{I thought this appropriate ..merry Christmas all !}


History of Current Archbishop and the one before..

William de Wickwane {archbishop before john le Romeyn}

Wickwane's background is unknown, as is his place of education, but he was referred to as magister so he probably attended a university. He was prebendary of North Newald in Yorkshire by 1265 and also held the prebend of Ripon. He was elected Archbishop of York on 22 June 1279, and consecrated on 17 September 1279 by Pope Nicholas III at Viterbo.On his return to England, he had his primatial cross carried in front of him through the see of Canterbury, thus reviving a centuries-old controversy between York and Canterbury. He was enthroned at York Minster on Christmas Day 1279. The matter of the cross involved Wickwane in a dispute with Archbishop John Peckham of Canterbury.
{the two major cathedrals at York and Canterbury had in its own way a power struggle within the church for the primary site for the powerbase of the church...here William restarted the fight again perhaps hoping for more power?}

While archbishop, in 1281 Wickwane tried make an archiepiscopal visitation of the cathedral chapter of Durham, but was forcibly prevented by the cathedral chapter, after which Wickwane excommunicated the chapter and Robert of Holy Island, the Bishop of Durham, and placed the entire diocese of Durham under interdict. The chapter and bishop appealed to Rome, and the case dragged on for six years before eventually being settled by a compromise.He also wrote to Bogo de Clare while the later was still a canon of York Minster, taking Bogo to task for the state of the vestments and other liturgical items in the cathedral. Wickwane also attempted to keep clergy who kept concubines from performing clerical functions in the diocese of York.

Wickwane died on 26 August or 27 August 1285 at Pontigny Abbey in Burgundy while on his way to the papal curia to plead his case against the monks of Durham{obviously this archbishop was not one for forgetting and forgiving }. He was buried at the Cistercian abbey there in Pontigny.

John le Romeyn (or John Romanus)

Romeyn was the illegitimate son of John le Romeyn the elder, treasurer of York[see here even today over two hundred years after hastings the influence of the norman families]. The younger John was born while his father was still a subdeacon, and nothing is known about his mother, except for a 14th-century chronicler's mention that she was a waiting woman. His birth was probably around 1230. He was a master at Oxford University and a Doctor of Theology at the University of Paris by 1276.

Romeyn was rector of Nether Wallop, Hampshire and precentor and chancellor of Lincoln as well as holding the prebend of Warthill in Yorkshire before being elected Archbishop of York on 29 October 1285. Romeyn went to Rome to receive his pallium, but while there questions arose about the canonical validity of his election, so John resigned, and a new election was held under Pope Honorius IV's supervision, where Romeyn was once more elected. He was consecrated in Rome on 10 February 1286 by Latino Malabranca Orsini, the Bishop of Ostia, nephew of the future Pope Nicholas III. He was enthroned in York Minster on 9 June 1286.

During Romeyn's first seven months as archbishop, he held two group ordinations of priests and attended Convocation as well as visiting eighteen priories, twelve of the rural deaneries, the towns Otley, Ripon and Beverley, and an abbey. Romeyn often used the Bishop of Whithorn as his deputy for confirmations and other ecclesiastical matters. In 1286 he issued an order to all the clergy in his diocese that held benefices but that were not yet ordained a priest to come to Tadcaster to be ordained.

From the late 13th century onwards the Archbishops of York monitored Kirklees Priory as there was considerable concern for its spiritual health. In 1287 Romeyn asked the prior of St Oswald's to visit the convent. He was instructed to hear the nuns' confessions and to ensure that they were living worthy lives, keeping a secure house and adhering to the church's and their order's doctrines and laws. In August 1287, the parish church of Saint Oswald, in Oswaldkirk, was re-consecrated by Henry, Bishop of Whithorn on Romeyn's mandate.

On 25 January 1288, Romeyn issued a decree concerning the financing of a chapter house at Southwell Minster.
On 27 April 1289, Romeyn requested the Provincial, Henry of Hanna, to receive Richard Manlovel, a canon of Thurgarton, of the Order of St. Augustine, into the Carmelite Order.

In 1293, Romeyn was brought before Parliament on a charge of usurping the royal prerogatives for having excommunicated Anthony Bek, the Bishop of Durham, [cough..cough..still problems with Durham ] because Bek allowed the arrest of two priests of Durham. Parliament held that Bek had been acting as earl palatine and not as a bishop, and ordered that the archbishop be imprisoned. However, Romeyn avoided arrest by paying a fine of 4000 marks to King Edward I of England. Romeyn was a member of a few embassies for Edward I, but otherwise does not seem to have been involved in the government of the kingdom.

The archbishop died 11 March 1296 at Bishop Burton near Beverley in Yorkshire and was buried at York Minster

Turn to England
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0www5vgmkq...nd_38.sav?dl=0

[Turkafinwë]

England

Disaster! A plague ravaged the city of London, unlike any they had ever seen. It started with a slight fever, head-ache and muscle-aches, like many diseases but the patient quickly developed black boils in the neck and upper legs. These boils would ooze pus and blood when cut and leave a waft of death lingering in the room. People were dying rapidly and were looking for someone to blame. Some blamed old women, who dabbled in herbs, for bewitching them others looked to the Jews, the scapegoats for many a thing, but also lepers, other foreigners and just about anybody they could blame was lynched. The streets of London were littered with the dead and pyres were built to burn the boil-ridden corpses.

Far from the cries of London sat Edmund, happy to ignore the dire situation in the south and instead focusing on the dire situation in the west. The Irish fleet lay anchored near the port of Caernarfon waiting to pounce on the Welsh mainland. Walter Giffard, the man who had defeated the Welsh invasion force a couple of years before, was charged with the defence of the castle. A small Irish force had had the gall to land south of the stronghold and attack a convoy of English reinforcements. Giffard marched, in a lightning maneuver, from Caernarvon and sent the Irish running back to their ships.

Through subterfuge was the castle of Flint recovered. The gates were openend for Stratford by his agents. Once inside Stratford's mercenary force made quick work of the horse archers inside. There was, however, no sign of the lone knight, whom Stratford would've liked to have met, as well as Edmund would've. Pity he was no longer here. Where he went none knew, perhaps he had layed down his arms and began a life of peace in the serene hills of Wales. Who knows.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Ireland up: http://www.mediafire.com/file/7vveag...nd_38.sav/file

[PeaMan]

No RP from me this turn.

English diplomat killed.. -

https://gyazo.com/7cd90ffda5a02f8ad88a3bf5ac523cc1

English fort taken -

https://gyazo.com/035b2b947833588ad0d73a0871de482b

https://gyazo.com/91b5fbf86b62e03d1adc18ff95c14839

First major victory in the Welsh campaingn.. -

https://gyazo.com/2bcee1de8abd4667df4a5653a5a92394

https://gyazo.com/768cf1353d44a171042024fb4f4ff44c

Wales up - https://www.mediafire.com/file/ps11fnf5298xx7i/TIOC_Wales_38.sav/file

[Turkafinwë]

Unfortunately I do have to inform you that you aren't able to take the fort only with a catapult. According to the rules you also need a battering ram.

Siege Equipment
> If there are less than 4 full units or less than 250 men in a besieged settlement, only a battering ram is required to be able to breach a set of walls.
- To remind again, you need to fullfil also requirements for siege artillery, not only siege equipment.

[PeaMan]

Unfortunately I do have to inform you that you aren't able to take the fort only with a catapult. According to the rules you also need a battering ram.

The rules state that a catapult can take a fort solo - https://gyazo.com/acf4cf3259b633a9bf7920504772ecf8

Edit: I missed 1 part in the rules where it says forts fall into the category I'll replay and have it up shortly.