Spring, 53 ET

General Summary

Eorldom of Swords, Lower Sword Coast

As the ice began to melt and the rivers rise, the Eorl’s messenger’s arrival was expected. Each Spring, before the rivers became impassable for a week or more, the Eorl invited all to Brynwall for the Springmelt Festival. An opportunity for feasting and politicking, it was also the best opportunity to learn of the season’s events and duties with those in attendance often gaining more attention. After the past few months spent on their lands, the new knights were excited to partake of the social life that their rank now allowed them. One by one, they received the Eorl’s invitation. Even as the messenger departed the northern lands of our Companions, they corresponded and agreed to travel south together to Brynwall.

A Journey Interrupted & A Call To Arms

28th of Spring

A day later found the knights, Ser Eadric Léowen, Ser Emrys Gwalchmai and Sera Catriona Ruari heading south with their squires to Brynwall. Traveling on the Eorlsroad south, they head towards the bridge over the Saan River when a fast-approaching horseman hails them. They quickly recognized the Eorl’s heraldry on the messenger and he introduced himself as Membry, a messenger and scout in the Eorl's service.

He quickly informed them that several bands of mountain raiders, under the banner of Manduin Broke-Ear, had been seen striking east from the foothills into the Eorl’s lands. Membry indicates that he is one of several messengers and that one has been sent to Brynwall already but the message will arrive too late. The messenger hails from one of the foothill towers, set along the base of the Giantspine Mountains, and has already traveled far to encounter them. He alerts them to a warband pushing through the Greavewood just south of the Saan River. The messenger insists that he must continue to spread the message and so it is up to the newly-dubbed knights to effect a defense. Ser Eadric Léowen concludes that the warband would likely skirt the north edge of the Greavewood for the fastest movement. This gave them an idea of where the warband’s path would lead them; either northeast to Sanera or southeast to Caam, the lands of the Brynonne.

Acting quickly, the knights surmise that crossing the Saan River and gathering at the small town of Sanera is the best place for a muster. Ser Eadric points out that if they move fast enough there is a line of low hills south of the settlement that would serve well as an obstacle to any raider advances. They quickly order their squires to race back to their respective lands to gather a decad of footsoldiers each and to hurry to meet them at Sanera. As their squires disappear in a fury of hooves to the north, the three knights turn south and race towards Sanera and the bridge over the river.

The three knights thunder into the village of Sanera and cry out for the town officer. The older, rounder official stumbles to their cries and learns of the oncoming warband with great alarm. He immediately alerts the garrison which numbers ten armored soldiers and fifteen regular foot. The gate to the town is quickly closed and the garrison begin their preparations. Sera Catriona implores the town officer that the best chance is to intercept the warband in the field where they would have maneuverability and the benefit of cavalry. She tries to inspire him with fealty to the Eorl but this only reminds of his duty toward the Eorl’s village. He agrees to hand over five of the regular footsoldiers but refuses to weaken the defenses of the village further. He is clearly relying on holding out until the Eorl and his forces can rally north and come to their rescue. When Ser Emrys tries to point out the tactical errors of this approach, he ends up upsetting the man and the official cuts him off curtly. He would hear no more of weakening the garrison!

In speaking with the officer, the knights learn of several outlying hamlets and clusters that would not have received the benefit of a warning from any messengers. The three knights decide on a plan. Ser Eadric would remain in Sanera to organize the troops as they arrived. Sera Catriona and Ser Emrys would ride out to warn the outlying tenants of the coming danger. Once their footsoldier refinforcements arrive in Sanera, Ser Eadric tells them all to meet east of the low hills known as the Baem Stands. The Stands formed a line southeast of Sanera and between the Greavewood and lands east of the Eorlsroad. Respecting Eadric’s tactical acumen and without wasting another moment, the two knights race out the gates of the village while Ser Emrys bends his attention to assisting the village prepare while he awaits the arrival of their own soldiers.

Separating, Ser Emrys and Sera Catriona plunge into the countryside attempting to follow the hurried directions of the Official to the outlying clusters. They had only limited time and would reach as many as possible in the time remaining. Sera Catriona, unfamiliar with the lands west of the Eorlsroad quickly finds herself lost and struggles to find a landmark that will point her back in the right direction. Ser Emrys fares much better and quickly storms through the mud path crossing a cluster of huts and gets the tenants moving towards Sanera and safety. Having passed on the message, Ser Emrys continues on and warns another cluster and then a third! He stops for a moment and contemplates the heaving flanks of his horse. Knowing the fate of anyone caught in the raiders path, Ser Emrys pushes onward and to find further out clusters but finds himself too deep in unfamiliar woods and turns back towards the rally point.

Back in Sanera, Ser Eadric is relieved to see thirty footsoldiers, led by their proud squires, come barreling across the bridge and pile into Sanera. He gives them a quick moment of rest, organizes them and begins fast-marching them out into the field south and west towards the Baem Stands.

Ser Emrys spies Catriona as they both canter across the countryside towards the meet. He quickly relays his success and Catriona groans that she was only able to warn one cluster of tenants. No matter, they reason, as any warning was more than folks would have gotten without their actions. As they turn their horses together towards the Stands, the two knights spy a column of dust that approaches their position and are heartened to see Ser Eadric and their squires at the head of approximately thirty-five foot moving towards their position. Sera Catriona spies another column of fast-moving troops coming from the south. A few moments of concern pass she hollers when she sees Ser Caloial ne'Brynonne, the heir of Brynonne and also recently knighted, at the head of fifteen soldiers. Five of whom, Eadric noted, were armored veterans and exuded professionalism. They hailed each other and Ser Caloial relayed that he had traveled as quickly as possible and that his father was attempting to rally more troops but that it was likely that those numbers would wait for the Eorl as the messenger indicated several raids by the mountain-men in various places.

Considering their situation, Ser Emrys raced his horse toward the low rise of the Baem Stands and crested the hills. Atop their vantage point, he was able to see further to the west and see the plains between the Stands and the Greavewood. From here, he could see the dark splotch that must be the warband approaching from a couple miles away and too far to get a strong count of numbers. Although, he noted, they were easily as numerous and likely more so than his own gathered forces.

As they broke off the road, another horse and rider approached and the knights were surprised to see Ser Ondaul Kashyr turn towards them and hail them oddly. The vassal knight was a few years older than them and had commensurate lands equal to their own. Ser Eadric and Emrys had noted in the past that he often appeared where Sera Catriona happened to be but so far the young woman had seen nothing odd about it. So the two knights had remained silent but amused between themselves the past year. Ser Kashyr approached them closer and must have clearly seen the force arrayed around them but made no sign of such awareness. He seemed a bit pre-occupied and stuttered a greeting to Sera Catriona. After some attempts at light conversation, he seemed to gather himself and asked to accompany Catriona to the Springmelt Festival. She recovered quickly and noted that, at present, they had a different focus and the knights quickly informed Ser Kashyr of the situation. Once he noticed the others gathered around, he quickly joined his sword and squire to their forces.

Ser Emrys clattered down the Stands and raced back to his fellows to share his observations. As he did so, the scion of Brynonne began making moves to assume command although he seemed ill at ease with their position. As he mumbled his way through several unripened ideas, Sera Catriona recalled that he was not much older than them and likely inexperienced in the ways of battle. As she watched him try to assert control this became only more apparent. She sidled her horse over to Ser Caloial and explained that her friend, Ser Eadric, was a skilled strategist and warleader. Seeing she had his attention and did not appear upset about this intrusion into his seniority, she explained that Eadric had already conceived of a plan. The female knight’s words are delivered respectfully and Ser Caloial seemed to appreciate having the burden taken off his shoulders. He quickly placed his troops under the command of Ser Eadric and company.

The Clash At Baem Stand

28th of Spring

No one recognized the crude banner borne aloft by the raiders. As it closed the distance though, it was clear that it belonged to some warleader likely serving under Broke-Ear. Their line was spread out due to their pace but still clustered from what Ser Eadric could see from his vantage point. He turned back to the forces arrayed along the east side of the Stands and prepared himself for his first command.

Under Ser Eadric’s guidance, the foot and horse quickly organized into lines and units. He called out the various unit heads and rattled off his orders once they were engaged with the enemy. There was a hurried shout, mostly from the men and women who knew the knights leading them, and then last minute preparations commenced.

The clansmen warband swarmed over the hilly Stand in their wild garb and howling challenges to the force arrayed against them. At their front, the twin horned helmet of their leader, discovered later to have been Gourag the Bad-Moon, could be seen yelling and gesturing at his men to gain some semblance of order against the ranks arrayed against them. He chivvied them as they continued to advance until they fell into a sort of unit but such clansmen were too independent for civilized tactics. They reveled in the single combat that brought glory and loot. They thrived on the fear in the eyes of their civilized foes at their outlandish appearance, loud cries and savage strength. The semi-neat lines laid out amongst their foes enraged them and got their blood up such that their advance was inevitable.

Ser Eadric had seen enough. He had waited as the clansmen howled their rage. He had waited as they clanged sword and axe to shield in an unholy clamor. He had waited until they committed themselves to the flat ground and then he raised his hand… and shouted the charge!

The thunder of the knights charge was quick to form and continued to grow as it bore down on the mountain clansmen before them. Many of these clansmen had never faced a chivalric charge in open ground before and were more used to vicious melees and ambushes in the rocks and trees of their territories. There was a shiver in their ranks for a moment until the older veterans steeled their spines with shouts and howls. As the knights dropped lances as they moved into the final gait, the clansmen readied their weapons and shields for the charge.

Their efforts were enthusiastic but helpless against a charge of knights with warlances. Even the charge of only a half-dozen knights was sufficient to crack the weak lines of the howling clansmen. As their horses hooves dug deep and propelled their lances, the knights all felt the solid wet crunch of a good strike. They tore through the front and back lines and their targeted foes dropped behind them or flew through the air to collapse bonelessly in their wake. The knights pushed through and began to wheel around even as Ser Eadric was howling for the foot to move in for the kill. Shaken and scattered by the charge, the clansmen spun back and forth between vengeance against the knights or facing the arrayed foot coming at them.

The knights spun back around, drawing blades, axes and blunts, they spurred their horses back into the fray and began their bloody work in earnest. Their footmen crashed into the front of the warband while the knights scattered their cohesion from behind. The clansmen were fierce individually but against the mailed fist of Rhone they quickly fell apart! It was a matter of only minutes before the slaying ended and the knights looked to each other in triumph. Only scratches and bruises! They had cut down their equal in clansmen and the few remnants were scattered and racing back to the mountains as quickly as they had come! The cold body of their captain, Gourag Bad-Moon, was down in the field and their spine had fled with his lifesblood.

There was a great shout from the Rhonish troops as they saluted the knights and especially Ser Eadric who had led them to a victory and saved their neighbors from a red-handed raid. Wearied but exhilarated, the knights guided their horses together to hold a quick conference on their next actions. It was decided that this rabble was done for and that they should carry on to the Eorl’s demesne with haste.

And so ended what came to be known as the CLASH AT BAEM STAND.

On To The Springmelt Festival

29th to 34th of Spring

Having ordered the footmen back to their homes to defend against any stragglers, Ser Eadric, Sera Catriona, and Ser Emrys rallied their squires and set off for the Brynhold and the Springmelt Festival. While they made good time, it was not until the next day that they arrived at the castle and sought entry from the wary sentries at the gate. With hurried shouts of their names, the knights pushed their way in and were greeted with a small crowd eager for word of the northern fiefs. It seemed that Membry the horse messenger had gotten through in the end. As they were ushered into the hall, their mentor Ser Obial Lechondal congratulated them and assured them that others had dispatched the remaining warbands although their group was the only to bring down one of the leaders.

While their exploits made them miss the actual Springmelt Feast, there were several days of festivities and other feasts to be had over that time. The knights were acknowledged by many of the common soldiery and even some of the more impressive blades at the castle. The household knights of Swords were definitely more welcoming as proof of their fealty to the Eorl and service had been shown on the battlefield. Some whispers from expected corners were present but, on the whole, the knights enjoyed their time.

At the very first feast since their arrival, they were invited to tell the story of their battle. A bit reluctantly, Ser Eadric was chosen to speak of their actions and, while the finer points of the historical notions of military strategy that he injected were likely of interest to the veterans, on the whole it was a rather dull telling of Clash At Baem Stand. A bit dejected despite his leadership role in the victory, Ser Eadric settled into several flagons to mull his disappointment.

The feasts were filling and there was much singing and dancing at the threat that had been abated by the actions of the northern knights and, it was learned, elsewhere by the southern knights led by the Bannerlord Iadir Kolaere. The companions were joined by the erstwhile friend, Ser Kalawun Ember, who had traveled separately and missed the Clash. Ser Caloial Brynonne was appreciative of the knights discretion in their retelling of the tales without mention of his inexperience. This warming led to Ser Eadric being the attention of some womenfolk while Sera Catriona ignorantly dodged the clumsy attempts of Ser Ondaul Kashyr. Even the Lord Caluth Brynonne was pleased with their actions as his lands were right in the path of the warband. This led to an amusing re-introduction of his daughter, the Maiden Sesnia Brynonne, with the knights that allowed a drunken Ser Eadric to catch her eye and attention. This passing of attention was welcome to Ser Emrys as he remembered his first introduction to her, several years ago, had gone very wrong.

The more interesting development from the few days of the festivities was that Eorl Ronin was clearly besotted with the Maiden Nynelle Bashamon. Her beauty was certainly not to be denied although Sera Catriona’s features could draw more looks; it was clear that Nynelle was far more savvy in the realm of dancing and courtship. The Eorl spent much of his time speaking with her and her father, Nanris Bashamon, did his best to see that they were not disturbed. This raised the concerns of several other vassals in quiet conversations and Ser Obial vented on more than one occasion to his former understudies that it was a relationship with concerning results. For Sera Catriona, the concern was more immediate in that she knew the upcoming tournament by the Eorl Damalda of Shields was specifically intended to introduce her Eorl to his daughter, Moethe Damalda. With her mentor’s hopes revealed to her, she began to grow very concerned about the budding tenderness between Nynelle and Eorl Ronin.

Undercurrents aside, the festivities drew to a close and Ser Kalawun, Ser Emrys, Sera Catriona and Ser Eadric traveled home together in the north of the Eorldom. They agreed to meet up soon after tending to their lands and resolved to travel south to the tournament in Shields as a party.

Character(s) interacted with

Ser Ondaul Kashyr-Knight and lord of Kashyr. It is known by everyone except herself that Ser Ondaul has paid significant attention to Sera Catriona Ruari since she became a woman.

Ser Caloial ne'Brynonne-Knight and heir of Brynonne.

Maiden Nynelle Bashamon- Nanris Bashamon-Daughter and heir of Bashamon. A beautiful young woman whose family bears a black mark.

Gourag the Bad-Moon-An ex-infamous lieutenant of Manduin. Slain at Baem Stands.

Manduin Broke-Ear- An infamous mountain clan warleader who has plagued the Sword Coast for many years.