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[tryrar]

Since my plan is seconded, if it has no objections, it can probably go forward next turn. If the ram and welsh cat are expected to be finished by next morning, the attack can happen a whole day before the town guard is due to return. The Feroshire levies can be ignored. They were needed before we found tryrar's secret tunnel. That discovery changes this from frontal bludgeoning to something with far more finesse.

Just a thought, and unrelated to the actual attack plans... Okay, we kill Owen in the heat of battle--not sure about Arthur doing it, but it happens nonetheless. I think we can live with that, even though it destroys my newly-minted term. But there's something that's a bit trickier here. Consider that we're probably going to find his wife, also. She is the true source of his claim. She can wed another noble, any noble, and that noble instantly has the same claim.

Maybe we should let Owen live rather than killing him. There are a variety of medieval punishments that were legally handed out. Castration, for example. We could brand him as a murderer. Literally. On the face. Make him a shamed grotesque that can't draw supporters to his cause. It may be better to leave a shattered man alive, bound in marriage to the real claimant, than risk the girl marrying a powerful and ambitious noble later on. A bit hard-edged, but worth a think.

Or we could have our claimant marry her. Derp forgot. Half-sister(not that that would have been a large consideration back then!)

[Mlamlah]

Pretty sure that was frowned upon tryrar. Also, so was divorce.  Heh.

[Maldevious]

With the sun overhead, you spend the rest of the day engaged in a bit of misdirection. You have the town guards gather up in nearby alleys, in sight of the Keep but out of bow range, and you supply them with the ladders and mantlets as they are built. You want the attention focused on them, and it seems to be working: a few stray arrows are shot in their direction through the early evening.

Through the night, you engage in many fake attacks, blowing a horn to call the guards into action, only to have them grab their ladders and wait. This seems brutally effective, and you can see the men on the battlement growing disheartened with every false alarm. You put one of your men in charge of this, and then head off to get some sleep, as your part in this play comes in the morning.

When the sun rises again, you are up and armored, heading to the secret passage with the other heavy fighters. As you hear the horn blow for yet another false attack, you enter the passage way, a few ranks back from the front with Luther at your side. You have told your men to wait an hour or so, then to move the ram into position for a "real" attack.

Your trip through the tunnel is uneventful. Gratefully, you encounter no resistance, as your Halberdiers would be worthless in these quarters. You emerge out into a musty sub-cellar, which Lope tells you is one level below the Great Hall. You nod your head, closing your eyes to strain to hear the sound of the ram.

Several minutes later, you hear it: a faint thudding sound emanates from above. You nod to Lope, who begins to lead his men up the staircases. You follow shortly thereafter with Luther at your side. Rushing up the stairs, you emerge into the Great Hall, where you are surprised to find a haggard looking Owen staring at a large map. Your men quickly overcome the guards on hand, their weapons mostly bouncing off the armor of the Heavy Cavalrymen. Luther bats aside anyone who comes near you with startling ferocity.

Before you know it, the Great Hall is yours. Only three of the men under your command lay dead (none of yours), while Owen is disarmed and holding what looks to be a hideously broken arm. You send your Halberdiers to secure the two doorways, while you consider your next move. With Owen in hand, this siege could be over without further bloodshed... or you could slaughter the now leaderless men who opposed you. What now?

[LordSlowpoke]

Owen tells you is one level below the Great Hall.
Rushing up the stairs, you emerge into the Great Hall, where you are surprised to find a haggard looking Owen staring at a large map

the mysterious teleporting owen

FEAST TIME!

[Maldevious]

Owen tells you is one level below the Great Hall.
Rushing up the stairs, you emerge into the Great Hall, where you are surprised to find a haggard looking Owen staring at a large map

the mysterious teleporting owen

FEAST TIME!

Missed that one. Fixed now. Thanks.

[tryrar]

typo

Well, I say we order everyone still alive to surrender now that their false Count has fallen. Anyone who resists will be killed on the spot, and anyone who complies will be treated fairly. They might still be executed, but at least they'll have a trial first.

[Gervassen]

Agreed. Tell them all that their cause is hopeless and to throw down their weapons. Arthur has jurisdiction of the courts here. It'll be easier on us if we allow them to live long enough to dig the trench that we throw their bodies into.

Also, gather communications and documents in the Great Hall and other places around the keep, once secured, in order to find out which local knights and lords supported him. They will also have to face punishment for their crimes. Their lands are escheat to the true Count.

[Origami_Psycho]

Don't kill them.  Also, we did keep a couple of our men on hand in case Owen or an Owenist tries to be a hero, right?

[Gervassen]

I'm going to be gone hiking till the end of Labour Day, and I'm still waiting for this whole smartphone fad to blow over, so I'll just ramble a bit here before I leave. There should be a lot happening as the dust falls in Folesden. Here's some thoughts.

We sink into the background during the bad parts of the takeover. Like rendering justice to the Owenists and stripping titles. We stay active behind the scenes to soak up the benefits in a reasonable ratio to other involved parties, but no grasping and over-reaching. Make sure our boys Denton and Percival get rewarded, too.


"Sir Stone, you say? Sir Stone's just a knight. Uriel came to him, and he loyally answered the call, same as Sir Denton and Percival. Countryside gentry like those lot ain't too different from the rest of us when the mighty ones start shoving each other around and we all get caught in the middle. Did you see him on any tribunals or courts after Owen was defeated? No, sir, just the Count, the Mayor, and Sir Uriel Lope. Sir Stone now, sure, he might have stronger opinions than those other two knights that answered the call, but everyone's got an opinion, right? Maybe Stone gives advice, maybe people even listen in the right places. Who knows? And who knows what that advice is, anyway? Not me. It's probably not interesting enough to even speculate about.

"But I'll tell you what I do know. Uriel Lope was part of the old court, and a major player back then, too. You remember those bad old days? I can't escape the feeling that Uriel has too much power with the new young Count Foles. Nothing good'll come of it. Mark my words."

    -- Overheard in a Curbiston tavern


As for rewards to seek... Land is always good. We also need a high office at county court to get our skin in the political game there. Preferably something under the radar, rather nebulous in powers granted, and not an infringement of other officials' current purviews. I suggest "Provost of the Folesden Fairs" with powers to regulate trade, traffic, and river and road tolls in the County--in order to encourage and facilitate the officially-recognised county-wide fairs held in Feroshire each spring and autumn. A new office that doesn't step on any old guard toes, and as yet unknown in breadth and extent of mandate. Trade is good for the health of the whole County, and the Fairs bring traffic and prosperity to all. Time to appoint an officer of the court to oversee it all.

To be introduced at the spring fair this year on a hot day: ice cellar + cattle herd = ice + cream = a new discovery, what I call a "Feroshire-style chilled cream" ... Catchy phrase, don't you think?

[GreatWyrmGold]

The not-killing-them plans sound good. And, unlike so many plans I support, it's supported by many people who aren't me!

Gerv's ideas sound good, although I'm a bit...something...about ice cream. It feels off. Still, if it works...

[Gervassen]

Not a big deal if it breaks anyone's immersion in the time period, although the major obstacle to be overcome here was the ice cellar. From there, it all flows downward to the inescapable inevitabillity of ye olde iced cream.

[Gotdamnmiracle]

In support of both. I assume the ice cream won't create a "time paradox!".

[10ebbor10]

Well, a quick survey of wikipedia reveals that milk based icecream dates back to the 10^the century. So no anachronism*, but an anageonism.

*Paradox would require timetravelling icecream from preventing it's own discovery

[LordSlowpoke]

Well, a quick survey of wikipedia reveals that milk based icecream dates back to the 10^the century. So no anachronism*, but an anageonism.

*Paradox would require timetravelling icecream from preventing it's own discovery

What if we are the ice cream. A highly advanced ice cream related lifeform that through the invention of ice cream at the current date will prevent it from evolving into a sentient being which will be thus unable to travel back in time and take control of a THOWN. Have you considered this?

[Plato Play-Doh]

What's with the obsession with anachronisms? Sure, we can't feasibly get sniper rifles, but a noble who encourages intellectuals in his town, and tries to get as many great thinkers as possible, would be a fairly rare occurrence at this time, and they would be fairly likely to get some inventions prematurely. Sure, it might take a bit of time, but it's entirely possible (and not at all immersion breaking, at least not for me) to get some technology that's not quite suitable for the age. Hell, with a few years and the desire to do so, we could make our own pocket of renaissance in this medieval period. Not such a stretch, honestly. Remember: this is NOT medieval Europe. This is a different world altogether, with significant similarities, yes, but a few slight anachronisms are fine, as long as we do them right (no sudden ICBMs, guys).