Difference between revisions of "Storming of Kraken's Watch"
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== Prelude == | == Prelude == | ||
| − | At the Diet of Saltstone, the Imperial State had dictated that Lord Britannus' rule of Kraken's Watch was legal, and that Lord Britannus should swear fealty to Duke Alexander as his liege lord. Both parties agreed, hoping to form a long lasting peace between the two Houses and to put an end to any previous conflict. A few years later, the deaths of Britannus' uncles, Lords Arik and Vasili Vanir, had raised tensions with men in both Houses desiring conflict. In an effort to calm his men and family, Lord Britannus declared a feast in celebration of Saint Edmond's day. Duke Alexander, however, made use of this opportunity to take back what he saw as rightfully his. | + | At the Diet of Saltstone, the Imperial State had dictated that [[Britannus Vanir|Lord Britannus']] rule of Kraken's Watch was legal, and that Lord Britannus should swear fealty to Duke Alexander as his liege lord. Both parties agreed, hoping to form a long lasting peace between the two Houses and to put an end to any previous conflict. A few years later, the deaths of Britannus' uncles, Lords Arik and Vasili Vanir, had raised tensions with men in both Houses desiring conflict. In an effort to calm his men and family, Lord Britannus declared a feast in celebration of Saint Edmond's day. Duke Alexander, however, made use of this opportunity to take back what he saw as rightfully his. |
== Battle == | == Battle == | ||
| − | + | On the 12th of the Sun's Smile, an assembly of 600 to 700 soldiers gathered in Riga, under orders from [[Alexander Staunton|Duke Alexander]]. In command of this regiment was Ser Demetrius Palaiologos, the previous Baron of Kraken's Watch who felt he had been robbed of his rightful holding. The regiment marched, under cover of darkness, to the keep, where celebrations for Saint Edmond's Day were underway. Palaiologos split his forces in two, intending for one group to enter through the main gate while the other stormed the storage tower. | |
| + | |||
| + | Palaiologos then had a small group of men, numbering up to six or seven in size, trot up to the gates of the keep on horseback. Given the darkness of the night, the guards on duty assumed the riders were guests seeking refuge for the night. Upon their entry, the riders slew the gatekeepers, and signaled for Palaiologos to commit to a full attack. [[Britannus Vanir|Lord Britannus]], seeing that his keep was being attacked, attempted to quickly organize his men to defend the castle. However, many of his men were in a drunken stupor, and were unable to properly fight the Courlander infantry. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ser Asher Highwind, seeing that the keep was lost, took the Vanir family, along with a small guard retinue, through the hidden tunnels beneath the keep, through which they were able to retreat to the court of [[Jan Kovachev|Duke John of Carnatia]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Aftermath == | ||
| + | The battle was a Courlander victory, with [[Alexander Staunton|Duke Alexander]] seeing it fully within his rights as Duke to revoke a vassal's holding. The storming of the keep, however, provided [[Britannus Vanir|Lord Britannus]] with the spark he needed to form the Carnatian League, and gain [[John II, Holy Orenian Emperor|Emperor John II]]'s approval for an approved internal Imperial conflict. | ||
Revision as of 13:25, 19 January 2017
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The Storming of Kraken's Watch of 1558 was the starting battle of the Riga War, where a small detachment of soldiers from the Duchy of Courland seized the Castle of Kraken's Watch during the celebration of Saint Edmond's Day. The battle was the result of immense political pressure on Duke Alexander, and his desire to fully solidify his rule as Duke, seeing the lordship under the House of Vanir as relic of his dead brother's reign. His decision to storm the keep at night and during the holy festival would result in outcry from various nobles in the Holy Orenian Empire, specifically Duke John of Carnatia, and Hetman Sveneld of Krajia, ultimately leading to the formation of the Carnatian League.
Prelude
At the Diet of Saltstone, the Imperial State had dictated that Lord Britannus' rule of Kraken's Watch was legal, and that Lord Britannus should swear fealty to Duke Alexander as his liege lord. Both parties agreed, hoping to form a long lasting peace between the two Houses and to put an end to any previous conflict. A few years later, the deaths of Britannus' uncles, Lords Arik and Vasili Vanir, had raised tensions with men in both Houses desiring conflict. In an effort to calm his men and family, Lord Britannus declared a feast in celebration of Saint Edmond's day. Duke Alexander, however, made use of this opportunity to take back what he saw as rightfully his.
Battle
On the 12th of the Sun's Smile, an assembly of 600 to 700 soldiers gathered in Riga, under orders from Duke Alexander. In command of this regiment was Ser Demetrius Palaiologos, the previous Baron of Kraken's Watch who felt he had been robbed of his rightful holding. The regiment marched, under cover of darkness, to the keep, where celebrations for Saint Edmond's Day were underway. Palaiologos split his forces in two, intending for one group to enter through the main gate while the other stormed the storage tower.
Palaiologos then had a small group of men, numbering up to six or seven in size, trot up to the gates of the keep on horseback. Given the darkness of the night, the guards on duty assumed the riders were guests seeking refuge for the night. Upon their entry, the riders slew the gatekeepers, and signaled for Palaiologos to commit to a full attack. Lord Britannus, seeing that his keep was being attacked, attempted to quickly organize his men to defend the castle. However, many of his men were in a drunken stupor, and were unable to properly fight the Courlander infantry.
Ser Asher Highwind, seeing that the keep was lost, took the Vanir family, along with a small guard retinue, through the hidden tunnels beneath the keep, through which they were able to retreat to the court of Duke John of Carnatia.
Aftermath
The battle was a Courlander victory, with Duke Alexander seeing it fully within his rights as Duke to revoke a vassal's holding. The storming of the keep, however, provided Lord Britannus with the spark he needed to form the Carnatian League, and gain Emperor John II's approval for an approved internal Imperial conflict.
