Nightsong

[Lord Lyonel Vikary]

Nightsong was originally the seat of House Caron. The castle is located in the Dornish Marches in the southwestern stormlands, north of the Prince's Pass and the Red Mountains.
The Carons held Nightsong for many centuries and the castle guarded the western border of the Kingsland, but also that the Goldlands kingdom was controlled the entire western marches from Horn Hill to Nightsong. Records indicate the castle has been besieged at least forty times in the last millennium.

Recently the castle has changed hands several times, with the Fowlers of Skyreach in Dorne holding the castle for a short while, until the Stormlands reclaimed it at the end of the last Dornish war.

[The Forgotten God]

At word of the arrival of the immense Goldland force, the castle has been largely evacuated save a garrison prepared for a siege. The majority of House Caron's armies have moved east, to join King Aaron's host in the Kingswood.

[Lord Lyonel Vikary]

Lyonel wastes no time in acting.

After meeting with Lord Tarly he sends an emissary to the garrison demanding the castle surrender itself and Isabel Tarly. He promises clemency for the garrison if they surrender peacefully. If not, no quarter will be given.

[The Forgotten God]

The garrison response indicates they don't have Isabel Tarly. The rest is left unsaid. The castle is massively well defended, having fought in sieges for centuries, and a direct assault could kill thousands.

[Lord Lyonel Vikary]

Lyonel begins the siege. He divides his force, leaving his infantry and siege machines to batter the walls of Nightsong and to cut off all communication both in and out of the castle.

Leaving Arthur Tyrell in temporary charge of the siege (Siege: 50, Scouting: 50), Lyonel places the cavalry at his disposal under his direct command and moves north-east towards Harvest Hall (which is about equal distance between Nightsong, Ashford and Blackhaven), burning and pillaging. He sends scouts ahead to warn of any approaching forces.


Lyonel Vikary:
100: Land Comm.
90: Cavalry
70: Scout, Raid
50: Ambush, Rally, Siege

Special Abilities:
+5 ambush, scout, rout. +5 any roll made against dismounted opponent when mounted.
adds cav. command to army's first battle roll unless siege or some issue stops cavalry charge (river, ditch).

[Lord Lyonel Vikary]

After being informed that Maester Fremont has travelled with the army, Arthur summoned him to his presence. A strange man, Maester Fremont is Queen Joanna's resident expert on siege engines and techniques. Frail but not old, the 45 year old Fremont orchestrated the destruction of a holdfast known as Connor's Point in merely three days. Arthur also recalled that Maester Fremont had successfully directed the siege of Highgarden during his uncle's rebellion. Other similar feats have made him well known in the Westerlands at least. (Land - Siege).

Upon speaking with him at length, Arthur put Maester Fremont in charge of directing the siege.

[The Forgotten God]

Lord Vikary's army settles in to begin the siege. After a week of battle Lyonel, arriving near the castle of Harvest Hall, again sees it denuded of unnecessary people and guarded by a small garrison. Scouts from the north report that the massive Stormlands/Order army is moving to the Rose Road, apparently intent on using the garrisons of the stout Marches castles to slow the enemy advance while splitting the Goldlands in two. Currently the majority of the army is directly west of Bronzegate on the Road Road moving southwest, while the enemy cavalry under Cedric Dayne is riding hard towards Bitterbridge. Control of the river crossing there would impede any efforts to intercept the enemy advance by days while the Kingsland army could strike south toward Highgarden, or even northwest towards Lannisport.

Siege Round 1:

Maester Fremont (+75): 245/131
Arthur Tyrell: 146
Korben Kenning: 179
Andre Hill: 166

Ser Norman Caron (+90): 215/166
Darren Wylde: 134

The battle opens with Maester Fremont's massive siege weapons launching dozens of projectiles a day for six straight days, but the stout castle absorbs a fair chunk of the damage and fights on. Men scramble and assault the thick walls with ladders and the defenders use oil and more to slow their advance. The main issue is the positioning of the castle, which precludes the vast army from exploiting its unfathomable numbers advantage.

Goldlands: 39,500
Stormlands: 330

Nightsong loses ten points of siege protection

[Queen Joanna Lannister]

Ser Cedric... Toyne, who'd accompanied the cavalry on its raids, approached Lord Vickary with a curt formal bow. "They think they're so fucking clever," he said, lifting the visor of his blackened helm. "What's the plan?"

[Lord Lyonel Vikary]

"We continue to besiege Nightsong." replied Lyonel, briefly scanning a map.

"If needed, we can break off the siege and respond elsewhere. My scouts tell me the enemy cavalry are making for Bitterbridge. I plan to move north-west to the Mander to intercept their cavalry with our own cavalry before they reach there. Troops from around Oldtown are continuing to muster at Highgarden and they will act as our reserve ."

[Lord Korben of Nightsong]

"If We had enough men, I'd have liked to have them start raiding the Northern end of Blackwater Bay. Give the bastards a taste of their own medicine." Korben said with a growl, arms crossed as he looked down to the map, "So while you go out, we take Nightsong. Am I getting that right?" He asked.

[Lord Lyonel Vikary]

"That's correct." replied Lyonel to his old comrade-in-arms. "I have no aversion to someone leading raiding parties northeast to the Blackwater. Gives them something else to think about. Are you volunteering to do that?"

[The Forgotten God]

"That's way too far for a simple raid," Fremont said, as he looked at the besieging army. "Best win this war in the field," he said. "Take Nightsong and then crush Baratheon before he gets into the heart of the Reach or finds high ground in the West.

[Queen Joanna Lannister]

"You don't need an army this big to take one tiny castle," reminded Cedric, looking to Vickary. It didn't occur to him that the Lord of Castamere had actually not asked for anyone's opinion. He got a few, anyway. "It's a dud castle. You wanna keep it because of the Dornish?" he assumed.

[Lord Lyonel Vikary]

"If it was such a tiny castle, then why haven't we already taken it with the numbers at our disposal?" replied Lyonel.

"I'll tell you why. We could order an all-out assault and take the castle now, but that may cost us dearly and moreover cost us our ability to fight the Baratheon forces evenly in the field. However I mislike having Nightsong at our rear before we move further into the Stormlands. Ideally I'd like to secure it, but we need to make sure we also stop the Baratheons before Bitterbridge."

[Lord Korben of Nightsong]

Korben was in silence as he thought it over, shaking his head to himself as he mumbled out, "Can't break a stone bridge fast enough...we have to hold it instead." He said as he brushed the mop of blond hair out of his face. He uncrossed his arms, hitting his hand on the map, right on top of bitterbridge as he looked around to the others.

"Whatever happens, We can't lose Bitterbridge...we can all agree on that, yes?" Korben said as he looked around to the others, "They'd march right to Highgarden. And it's not as if they'll stop there. They'll take the Searoad next straight to Lannisport, if we don't stop them in their tracks." As he spoke, he traced his finger along the path, before he looked to Vikary.

"This castle's garrisoned well. They can hold out for a while under the siege. But that also makes them stuck there, in Nightsong, as long as we keep the pressure up. Their castle will become their prison, as long as we keep them there..." He said.

"Stopping our enemies at bitterbridge is more important then taking Nightsong. In fact, you asked me if I'd be up for some raiding. I would...but not the north..." He said as he looked down towards the map, towards one castle in particular. "If we hold nightsong, that'll do us well. But I'd like to try my luck at Blackhaven...find out what we're dealing with ahead of time. Maybe stir some chaos to save us some time once this gets wrapped up."