BLCC-14

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BLCC-14

Utheliam Castle after CC-14

Set 1

Leading by Example

Set 2

All Equal In The Defence Of The Republic

Set 3

Repelling The Barbarians

# Legions, Bows, and Denars

## Lore

*The tried and true argument of who is the true North comes to Calradia.*

*The northern Imperials do not view themselves as rebels. To them, Garios was the one who declared an illegal senate, and in the case of the south, Rhagaea betrayed the Empire's interests by inviting a foreigner into her high command, preferring to sit behind her city walls doing Gods know what while sons of Calradia spilt each other's blood on the whims of an incompetent Emperor's scheming widow and rogue general.*

*When Senator Lucon declared the senate to be residing at Diathma, the full might of Imperial bureaucracy joined up with him, for better and worse. While many Archons and their hosts supported the legal right of the senate to dictate imperial affairs, the fact of the matter remains that the North contains more record keepers and scribes than it does skilled blades. This shortage has led to strong men arising from hard times, such as Senator-General Vaesor and the great warriors Benz of Diathma and Llegate of Epicrotea.*

*While Lucon has typically kept himself busy with the politics of the realm, leaving the warring to the aforementioned imperials, the time has come to take the reins of command himself. The Sturgians to the north have busied themselves with campaigns against both the Battanians and Vlandians, and the Head of Senate sees his opportunity to seize parts of the Sturgian frontier. Filled with hubris from previously humbling the Sturgians on the Myron River, Lucon has emptied the North's coffers on hiring mercenary bands in the name of "National Security" and has declared an invasion of the Principality's lands. While some other imperials see this as a pet project of his that ignores the reality of the civil war, all have joined him in lockstep as his host descends on Utheliam Castle.*

*While the Vlandian and Battanian campaigns have cooled in intensity for now, it will still be trouble for the Sturgians to have legionaries at their doorstep. Already Sturgian commanders hastily assemble a third grand host to challenge imperial aggression, and if the imperials are expecting to be in Utheliam within a fortnight, they may be sorely disappointed.*

## Post Event Lore

*Lucon's reign has been plagued by accusations of corruption, cowardice, absenteeism, and worse. Military-minded nobles across Calradia publicly rate his domain as the the Empire's weakest third; a collection of doddering old men more concerned with lining their pockets than unifying their ancient empire. By his actions he continues to reveal these attacks as nothing more than bitter and dangerous hubris.*

*Lucon picked his ground expertly, choosing a strip of open coastline flanked by an inland forest. He planned to use the trees to conceal the movement of his cavalry, but was surprised by the onset of a blizzard which lowered the visiblity of both hosts. His decided to press on, arranging his heaviest infantry at the front of his column to resist any Sturgian attacks. The Sturgian force was led by a veteran captain who, while relatively unknown, came with strong recommendations from high-ranking princes. Sensing Imperial trepidation, he sprung on Lucon's column head-on as they emerged through the blowing snow. The ensuing fighting was bloody and inflicted heavy losses on Lucon's forward elements before they could organize support from their light troops and cavalry.*

*After pulling back from the initial engagement, Lucon conducted a series of maneuvers that utilized his legionaries more conservatively. Using the surrounding terrain, the Northern Imperials took up defensive positions that allowed their crossbows to support their flanking cavalry. Forced to choose between attacking tight ranks of heavily armoured legionaries or staring down the feared Imperial cataphracts, the Sturgian warriors were slowly worn down. Trusting the skill of their infantry, the Sturgians made a series of ferocious attacks, even conducting a surprise flank through the forest, but Lucon was ultimately able to steady his troops. With the Sturgian attack unsuccessful, the cataphracts made short work of their scattered formation, and Lucon was left free to send a party to occupy Utheliam castle.*

*Pressing his attentions elsewhere, Lucon led his main force to siege Uriskala castle, hoping to break the remnants of the Sturgians he defeated in the field. Imperial siege engineers successfully brought down a section of wall, allowing a stream of legionaries and recruits to enter the courtyard. They saw considerable initial success, pushing the Sturgians into a corner towards the rear of the fortification. At one critical chokepoint, Sturgian veterans organized a desperate defence, even firing a hastily-erected ballista over the heads of (and sometimes through) their own troops. Faced with mounting casualties and wavering morale, Lucon wisely cut his losses and vowed to complete his victory another day.*

*A second defeat has been inflicted on a Sturgian army in the field by Northern Imperial forces. By subduing such a fearsome enemy, Lucon has proved again to Calradia that it is unwise to conflate his reputation as a bureaucrat with an inability to lead his forces.*

## Aftermath

The Northern Empire took Utheliam Castle from the Principality of Sturgia.

## Links

Event post: [1]

Wrapup post: [2]