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Episode: The Sack of Bastion

Posted by Story on 05/31/22
The drums of war beat in the Mourning Isles, with open acts of aggression taken against Redreef Shore across the entirety of their domain, and with one particularly nasty naval engagement at the Seacoast Watch that sees a ship captained by Lord Jace limping back to Redreef Shores with Lady Martinique.

There's no mistaking who's responsible for this, as the man behind it makes an open declaration to the region. It comes from Admiral Anders of House Nightcove, a march sworn to House Helianthus.

"I will not stop until every ship of House Redreef has been sunk to the bottom of the seas. I will not stop until I have secured the sanctity and security of the Mourning Isles, its people, and its grand traditions. I will not stop until Countess Ember Redreef's head is mounted upon a pike and displayed as a lesson to every other dangerous radical that would seek to destroy us."

House Tyde spends several long months in a period of tense peace, working to stabilize tensions in their region on a variety of fronts. Their efforts are commendable, but sometimes the drums of war beat and the only choice a person can make is what stand they will take.

Admiral Anders of the traditionalist Nightcoves of Eastcrest, a march sworn to House Helianthus, begins a series of military campaigns against those they perceive as enemies to the sanctity and security of the Mourning Isles. He whips up numerous vassals under Tyde into a rage, encouraging them to join him and they begin a long series of reaving in the Tydelands that sees fields and villages razed. There's a particularly brutal sea battle not far from Tyde Hall that ends in loss for Anders' forces. But not for Anders himself as he wasn't there personally and continues to pull strings.

Make no mistake, this is war.

Duke Valdemar Grimhall begins the initiative to prepare for war by setting up new watch towers, barracks, and roads within his domain. This creates work and income for natives of the duchy as well as refugees and thralls alike. It's a wildly popular move, with partial success attributed to Orchid Champagne and her hands-on approach to the execution of the project. But all is not well, not even in this well prepared duchy.

War engagements begin to rapidly spread across the Mourning Isles, hitting numerous houses and their domains. Grimhall's lands seem unscathed until the day that a series of newly constructed watch towers south of Grihem's Peak are razed to the ground. They're burned down until every last timber is a smoldering pile of ash and the blocks of stone are toppled into ruin. Every military officer and thrall stationed to work or oversee the project has been killed, their heads set upon pikes and faced in the direction of Grihem's Peak itself.

As tensions mount and battle finally breaks out over the Mourning Isles, House Kennex stands ready against the storm. Attacks do fall on the duchy, with traditionalist forces harrying the outer islands. They're met by a wall organized navy that does much to repel their efforts. They're also met by the Orazians, who attack the invaders furiously and drive them off several of the smaller isles before they can gain a true foothold. Still, some farms and villages take a hit. But Kennex is prepared to help feed and care for their people for the time being.

As many houses are doing in the Mourning Isles, House Darkwater prepares for the oncoming storm of conflict that's been brewing for ages. Their efforts are well thought out and executed, leaving the county in a better position than it was previously. A curious thing that has the Redoubt at large on edge is the visit of Admiral Anders Nightcove of Eastcrest, a vassal of Helianthus. A staunch traditionalist, he spends the night dining with the Darkwaters. It's surely a coincidence that shortly after the visit, one of the Darkwater's lighthouses is toppled and burned.

House Eswynd has been heavily involved in the unrest in the Mourning Isles, from assisting diplomatic efforts in order to keep the peace, to being unafraid to use the sword when talks fail them. A heated exchange transpires in the barony of House Saltshoal where Eswynd forces clash with a fleet organized by Lord Anders Nightcove. By all reports they were mere inches away from getting their hands on the fierce admiral of Eastcrest, but he escaped when a freak shark attack saw the ship Lord Haakon and Lord Odin were standing on sink into the sea. They made it out alive as well, seeing the barony saved by but their enemies living to fight another day...