Fenland

## Kingdom of Fenland

Heraldic arms of Fenland

The Kingdom of Fenland is situated on an island west of Reirgaror and south of Khai. It has resisted invasion from both Gerran and Clansmen for thousands of years and currently boasts the longest dynasty in the realm. They are famed for their fortresses and defense. Currently King Edward VI sits the throne who succeeded his father George III in 1041AD.

## The Khaian Conquest

832BD

- Dunland is split into 4 Kingdoms: Granford, Ashton, Dalry and Hawkshire.

- It has resisted Anhurian and Reirgarorian invasion and now remains the only "Barbarian" land remaining.

- The young King of Granford (Athelwulf) dies suddenly in his sleep, possibly from an infection stemming from a cut on his cheek.

- Granford is inherited by Athelwufs older sister Athilda who was married to the King of Khai, George Robertson. George died in 834BD on campaign crushing a peasants revolt in the north, leaving his son Robert to inherit the throne.

830BD

- Queen Athilda of Granford dies of complications due to a traumatic still birth 2 months earlier.

- King Robert III of Khai becomes King Robert I of Granford, the first outsider to ever hold land in Dunland.

- King Aethelwold II of Ashton publicly denounces Robert as having no true claim to Granford as the throne cannot pass to an outsider if a living relative still lives, which happened to be himself by way of his fathers marriage to King Godfred of Granford sister Bilswith.

- When Robert refuses to return to Khai and surrender his crown to his cousin, King Aethelwold II declares war on King Robert I

829BD

- Knowing it will take Robert some months to bring his army across from Khai, Aethelwold sets out for Dalry and King Baldhart to seek his assistance and more importantly, his 1,000 cavalry.

- After a week of negotiation, King Baldhart gives his military aid to Aethelwolds war, in return, should Aethelwold be victorious, Baldhart will be given the Isle of Rayne and control of the bay.

- Before Aethelwold can set out for Hawkshire, he hears from his scouts that Robert has already landed in Granford with an army 4,000 strong to add to his 2,000 men loyal to his mother.

- King Baldhart brings his cavalry north hoping to catch and encircle Roberts army. Instead he finds that Robert has stolen the march on him and is already halfway to Ashton.

- In the last days of Autumn, Roberts army arrives outside Ashton and sees Aethelwolds army before him, 8,000 strong, half of which were unarmoured cavalry. Battle lines are drawn and the battle is to commence the next day.

- At dawn, an eerie mist descends on the battlefield. King Aethelwold has drawn his up in the customary 3 groups. His archers sitting on the high ground outside Ashton, flanked by footmen and cavalry.

King Robert has slanted his formation to absorb the cavalry as his scouts had already told him about the numbers of cavalry the previous night.

- Robert begun the battle by pressing his footmen forward, ordering his men to keep their shields up no matter what happens. Robert himself was within the armoured cavalry, only set apart by the crown on his helm.

- Keeping their shields raised high, Roberts footmen edged closer and closer to the Ashton archers, forcing Aethelwold to commit his cavalry.

- When Aethelwold charged his cavalry, the hail of archers was too much and they charge was called off. Regrouping, Aethelwold charges again yelling that any man who turns back would be hung.

- Avoiding spears and arrows, Aethelwold charges into Roberts footmen at the same time Robert blows the horn, signalling the charge.

- Before Aethelwolds footmen can commit to the engagement, the are facing a direct charge from a thousand armoured horsemen.

- At this time in history, metal or plate armour was exceedingly rare due to no exprienced metalworkers and little to trade with outsiders. It was in this moment when the old culture died and Roberts dynasty truly begun.

- With the arrows boucing off the plate armour of the attackers, the footmen facing charge begun to turn, only to get cut down in the hundreds.

- The fleeing of the Footmen left the archers of the high ground completely exposed. Robert, showing his experience, got control of his men and quickly turn them on the archers for a new charge.

- The charge hit the archers before they reposition and all were either felled or fled.

- Having no archers or reinforcing footmen, Aethelwold found himself caught out and tried to flee with his remaining men. Almost all his men were either hit by archers or swept through by Roberts cavalry.

- Cautiously lifting his visor to survey the field, Robert thrusts his bloodied sword into the air declaring victory for himself at would be become known as the 'Battle beneath Baylith'

- Aethelwolds body is found slumped against a tree two days later having died from multiple arrow wounds.

- Now Robert faces his greatest challenge, bringing the people of Granford and Ashton under his rule. To address 2 problems at once, her marries the only child of King Aethelwold: a young lady named Hild. This gives him a direct tie to the old regime and gives his heirs direct ties to the land. It also addressed the problem of his reigns vulnerability as King Robert has no brothers or sons to take the Throne should he die.

- With his new bride in tow, Robert returns to Granford to plan his eastern expansion and destruction of King Baldhart's realm.

## The Disaster on the Lira

828BD

- Queen Hild gives birth to a son named Robert after his father.

- King Robert hires hundreds of builders from across the realm to tear down the old pallisades and construct him a great fortress of stone, one to rival Anhur, Dagger Post and Gerra. He believes this will cement himself as one of the great powers in the realm and possibly even garner the attention of the Gods.

- With the snow melting beneath Krukid and the path to Dalry open, Robert launches his invasion.

- Reaching the source of the Lira, Robert seeks to cross and take Redwater but finds himself across from Baldhart and his 10,000 men

- It is here that we must introduce a man named Kirk, better known as 'Stonewall' for his unyeilding nature and his protection of his King. His orgins are lost to us but it is believed that he was a man-at-arms under King George II and was a mentor to the young Robert. Regardless, Stonewall was Robert most trusted man at the time as it was partly his advice that won Robert the Battle beneath Baylith.

- Robert suggests to his commanders that he wants to attack. He argues that the water isn't very steep and that they still have no answer for his armoured cavalry. Only Stonewall speaks out against his King, arguing that if his men fail to make the crossing, then the war is over before it starts. His words would prove prophetic when Robert ignores him and orders the attack for the next day.

- Grouping most of his army together, the men of Granford and Khai stand ready to charge across the shallow river. Robert has also placed a few hundred footmen on his flank in a hope to be able to encircle his enemy and trap them between his army and the river.

- King Baldhart is much experienced commander than Aethelwold was and has the advantage of better information on Roberts army. Knowing Roberts trump card is his cavalry, he postions spearmen across the shallowest part.

- At around 10:30 in the morning, Robert begun the battle by pushing his footmen across the shallows under a barrage of arrows.

- Baldhart responds by bringing his men into a tighter formation around the shallows.

- After an hour of intense fighting, Robert has made no ground and lost nearly half of his footmen, hearing Stonewalls words in his mind, he pulls his flanking force back and sends them into the heart of the fighting to try and brute force his way through.

- Not since the times of old has the Lira run red and was literally choked by the bodies of the slain. It was so choked by noon that Baldhart was able to cross his cavalry further upstream.

- Robert knew he was beaten, his gamble had failed and seeing Baldharts cavalry bearing down on his trapped footmen he realised he had been beaten with his own plan.

- At the urging of Stonewall, Robert made to flee into the mountains with his remaining men.

- The path into the mountains is tight, possibly only 3 men wide. This meant that most supplies had to be abandoned in their haste.

- 100 armoured cavlarymen dismount around their King and it is at this moment when a legend was born. Knowing that Robert will be caught in the mountains, Stonewall and the 100 men ask for permission to die with glory while the army escapes to fight another day.

- Stonewall and the 100 held out for 2 whole days before they were finally defeated, it is said that they fought to the last man with Stonewall himself slaying 50 men before finally being given rest.

- A grueling trek begun for Robert, with barely any supplies and a hungry army with months ahead of them. The supplies didn't last a month, and men quickly ate their horses. Some even ate each other.

827BD

- King Robert emerges out from underneath Ymbrenscar a shell of himself with barely 500 men left of his orginal 6,000. He immediately plunges his face into Lake Truemont.

- King Robert arrives in Granford to hear his only piece of good news in a year, his wife had another child, a son which Robert named Kirk.