Siege of Randleton

The Siege of Randleton was a siege battle fought during the Doric-Aijian War, it was fought between the defending forces of Surcount Armas of the Randles and Hedfeld Camryd of Hestrja. The castle town of Randleton was besieged by the forces of Hedfeld Camryd which primarily consisted of Redorian Mercenaries which great angered the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Canyndor and did great harm to their relationship with the Kingdom of Redoria. The defenders thwarted every attempt by the besieging forces to take the castle and the town, however, Randleton would eventually fall after 16 months of withstanding the enemy. The conflict was further complicated when the defenders managed to capture Hedfeld Camryd during an attack on the castle. The siege lasted the greater portion of the war, even continuing a day after peace terms had been met due to the lag of communication.
The Aijian force, led by Hedfeld Camryd, was largely comprised of the Redorian mercenaries, the infamous Blazing Eagle company chief amongst these, well known for their brutal reputation on the battlefield. While Randleton was surrounded by the Aijian force, they were largely impeded from heading further south in Doria due to the guerrilla bands that inhabited the hilly terrain south and the Maali Rebellion in which many of the Redorian loyalists in the Randles had taken up arms, perhaps counterproductively, against both Doric and Aijain forces.
While Randleton is not a small settlement, the gruelling length of the siege led to grave conditions within the defending camp where strict rationing had begun to cause malnutrition amongst many only by the second month. By the fourth month, after a slew of deaths among the elderly and sick populations, Surcount Armas attempted to send the majority of the civilians still within the settlement out past the besieging in an effort to prevent further starvation. Though some were able to escape south past the thinly dispersed Aijian forces, many were intercepted and forced back into Randleton. By the seventh month, no more men among the civilian population had survived, any food spaired by Surcount Armas being expressly reserved for women and children. It was on the ninth month of the siege that an attempted assault of the town walls by Aijian forces ended disasterously as they were quickly repelled. Hedfeld Camryd, who had led the thrust of the attack by siege ladders, had been captured alive. This would allow Surcount Armas the leverage through which to ransom his prisoner, firstly securing roughly another two months food simply for his promise of noble treatment of the captive Hedfeld. Hors Leidner, leader of the Blazing eagle, negotiated fiercely thereafter to secure the release of Hedfeld Camryd and the surrender of Randleton. However, this would not materialize in any agreement, the siege continuing until the end of the war, after which the population of Randleton had been devastated, many in Surcount Armas' household had starved, including several noblemen of note.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The resistance of Surcount Armas and those within Randleton during its siege was seen as an act of great sacrifice in the rest of Doria, many believing the delay it would cause to the mercenary army of Hedfeld Hestrja would prevent the fall of other Doric armies at Paybridge and in the Baneswood. Surcount Armas was seen as a Doric hero for his defiance in the face of brutal starvation, a factor which played no small part in his eventual succession to the title of Grand Duke of Canyndor.

Included under Conflict

Doric-Aijian War

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Urban

Start Date

4th Tammi 7663

Ending Date

15th Huhti 7664

Conflict Result

Stalemate, resovled due to end of Doric-Aijian War