Danlia: I’ve received word from my scouts that Malacon, the leader of the Marinian cavalry has been sighted south of Marinia. He has been exiled ‘to patrol the countryside’ while the other military leaders struggle for control of the city.
Hodgkin: I know Malacon from the time before I came into the Duke’s service. He’s something of an exception to the Marinian soldiers. He’s an honorable man and joined the army out of desire to protect his people, not to loot them.
Danlia: He was attempting to organize a revolt to overthrow the generals of Marinia when he was exiled.
Orick: Malacon commands enough loyalty among the military that they couldn’t simply eliminate him. But the other generals have enough forces between them that they could drive him off.
Karl: Do you think it would serve Aladda to aid him?
Hodgkin: Aye, your Grace. If Marinia remains in this state of lawlessness, we might see raiding troops of brigands once they can’t support themselves by pillaging their own people.
Danlia: We’ve had to turn back bandits several times already, your Grace.
Karl: Alright. We’ll see if we can contact Malacon once the weather is improved. We’ll leave the Foot to defend Aladda and take the rest of the army with us.
By March, the weather was only rainy enough to slow movement, allowing the Army to set out.
Almost immediately, they ran into an Orcish army on the road, which they routed with few casualties.
They reached the outskirts of Marinia by the end of the month and met with Malacon.
Karl and his advisors agree that this is a fair offer – a tribute of 250 gold per month, whatever the season or weather far outstrips the cost of having to maintain, improve and garrison the city through their own coffers.
Together, the Young Duke and Malacon lead their forces against the bandits occupying Marinia.
The Ducal Guard deployed with the Outriders and I Cohort to their north. The Militia supported by Orick and Pheiwald were deployed behind their mounted compatriots.
The enemy moved to occupy the crumbling fortifications of the town and the more populated portion of the town, hoping to use the buildings to hem in Malacon’s cavalry.
Malacon brought 52 cavalry alongside 3 knights (including himself). The Army numbers 107, while some of the rabble slipped away before the fighting – we face five units totaling 160 men.
We moved up in support of Malacon’s forces, the Outriders scoring a few wounds but otherwise little of importance happened this turn.
Malacon committed his forces to push half of the militia out of the town. They succeeded, but lost almost half their numbers in the battle, leaving his forces disorganized and unable to commit further to the battle.
Aided by a Confuse spell from Orick, the Militia and Outriders engaged the forces holding Marinia’s fortifications before I Cohort marched in, taking the fortifications in fierce hand to hand combat. They lost 5 of their number in the fighting and became disorganized. Karl then rode in with the Guard at his back and drove the disorganized brigands further away from the walls. While the tallies of those alive aren’t updated, the number of remaining hits has been, and they took severe casualties in the fighting.
Our army is the only one capable of fighting still in an organized fashion, and it shows. The Outriders soften up the shocked remnants of the northern brigands before they’re ridden down in a fierce charge by the Guard. To the south, Orick continues to deploy Confusion spells against the remaining two units of brigands, keeping them ineffective while the Militia continues to pincushion them.
Despite their losses, the brigands refuse to surrender. Orick, the Outriders and the Militia continue to bombard them without mercy, before they’re pushed back by another charge. The I Cohort then makes a final push and wipes out the final survivors.
Despite the many wounded during the battle, only six members of the army perish.
The month of April brings frequent and exceptionally violent hailstorms, to the point that movement on the roads is hazardous and runs the risk of death.
The Young Duke returns to Aladda the following month, to be met by demands of the Tranavan Elves to the east.
Their demands are simple – stop logging of the Tranavan forest to the east, and never again expand Aladda’s logging industry, and peace will be maintained between the two nations. Failure to do so, and the Elves would declare war on Aladda.
The demands are galling, but eventually Karl agrees. The threat of orcs and goblin, as well as Paritan to the northeast are too great to add another foe.
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