Marnon Campaign
Part 5

The Duke Who Would Be King

By Al Karasa

Marnon Campaign: Part 1 (v4n2)
Marnon Campaign: Part 2 (v4n3)
Marnon Campaign: Part 3 (v4n4)
Marnon Campaign: Part 4 (v4n5)

FEUDAL SUBDIVISIONS AFTER THE RETURN OF BENTWOOD (1233)

In future years, the deBlac clans were to lay claim to Gaudy Castle against the Duke's demands of ownership. They harassed users of the road connecting it to Oxleaf Castle and levied taxes on the bridge in Whispery Meadow. Eventually, with deGascon 's support, they succeeded in separating the Duke from deMarl not only geographically, but politically as well. The result of these feuds split Marnon in half and threatened to incite a civil war with only Radner and the Sheriff on Bentwood's side. This was the beginning of a 2-player mini-campaign which, unfortunately, was never brought to conclusion. It left us, however, with a scenario suitable for continuation by up to 6 players.

Note: This last chapter of our hypothetical medieval campaign has a moral--the futility and hazard of fighting among ourselves in the face of a greater peril. In the case of Marnon, the greater peril were the Tatars of Toghrul Khan who took advantage of Marnon's weakened military state, caused by inter-faction feuds, and nearly overran the entire country. Enter Bentwood--the duke who would be king.

A year of unrest and internal power struggles had sapped Marnist resources to dangerous levels even before the costly battle at Heatherlawn in December.

In January of 1233, Prince Henry could barely muster 60 knights from his castles at Dunes and Bentwood. His infantry was down to a handful of archers and a motley lot of local feudal levies. Other factions were in a similar state of dismay. Only the Gascon Free Company had well-trained veteran infantry in its ranks, but the unit was small and ill-equipped.

This vulnerability was exactly what Toghrul Khan had hoped for. His own army was still sadly depleted after Heatherlawn and a new campaign to advance his holdings would have to wait. As it was, however, reinforcements received by sea via harbors in his control were enough to start another major offensive. It was helpful, beyond all measure, that the harsh Marnish winter (see weather in part III -- The Siege of Oxleaf") had frozen all fresh water on the island. The freeze persisted for weeks, rendering Amnon River and all the marshes ip the East easily passable by his cavalry. Even the inland Sea of Marnon had frozen solid!

The need to wait was not only any longer necessary, but pointless in view of an opportunity unlikely to recur in the near future. As might be expected, but unknown to any Marnish faction, Toghrul Khan began to move in the second week of January. His army was divided into 2 groups. Barak led the advance across River Amnon to retake previously held NW Marnon including Lizard's Bay and Henry's Castle of Dunes. The Khan marched through the forest on Flintcastle at the same time. Both castles fell into Tatar hands with no chance of resistance-the small garrison at Dunes was slaughtered to the last man in Barak's overwhelming assault, and the handful of feudal archers in Flintcastle fled into the mountains of Flintshire and Windfor. Some reached Castle Kilgarren with the sad news 4 days later and spread the word.

Montreil deGascon mobilized his company at Kilgarren and laid out his plan, to await Toghrul Khan's next move and perhaps chance Prince Henry's defeat at Bentwood Castle before making a commitment. It was treachery of the highest order, of course, but deGascon already knew what the coming spring would bring, even when the rest of Marnon was ignorant ...

Sieur Falcon deBlac was with Henry at Bentwood when the Tatar host was seen approaching across the froze surface of the inland sea. It was a clear winter's morning and the great clouds of steam, rising over the horses on the snow covered ice, could be seen 4 league distant. Toghrul chose this as the shortest and fastest route. Mountains unsuited to cavalry lay to the West, vast frozen marshlands and a long way around, which would take 5 days to cross lay to the East. Here, th Tatar cavalry moved slowly along the western shore and would still reach Bentwood Castle before sundown.

As DeBlac and Henry later watched the flickering rows of Tatar campfires along the icy shore the night, it occurred to both that the castle could not hold out for long against such numbers. Not knowing the fate of Dunes, they did not consider sending for help there, as a messenger would need 3 days to reach there. It was obvious that deBlac's Flintcastle had fallen and the Duke's supporters at Fernharn were certainly not counted among Henry's allies. Worse yet, deGascon (at Kilgarren) could not be trusted. Such were the persuasions that convinced Prince Henry it was time to hide. At deBlac's suggestion, Henry vanished in the night, sure of him as the last dependable ally.

Barak had, in the meantime, begun to move eastward spurring deGascon into action. He marched to Fernham Castle in hopes of combining forces there with Sir John deMarl and Sir George Radner. En route through the Ancient Forest, the Gascon Free Company were overtaken by Barak's light cavalry and forced to make a stand.

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