Sack of Berham

### Outcome

Sack of Berham by Falsili forcesExtinction of Dunfleasel's royal family House Erlinghard

Combatants| Kingdom of Dunfleasel | Nominally Vardanid Empire* Shahdom of Falsil

The Sack of Berham was the opening action in the short, sharp Sultan's War. It pitted the defenders of the Dunn capital of Berham (now the town of Bargaria) against an attacking Falsili force led by Shah Abdalla the Lion.

## Forces Involved

The defending forces of the Kingdom of Dunfleasel comprised just over a thousand men. Of these, 300 were city guardsmen led by Sir John Bardell, a minor nobleman with a family seat in the surrounding countryside. The Dunn were also able to drum up support from both levies and student volunteers - the latter hailing from the local university. Overall these were led by King Henry himself.

In the initial stages the Dunn also had the support of Count Alaric of Northnasloe and Greenlee, but the Count's forces were routed at the Battle of the Barrow Hill. His men were 1700 strong, and on top of this was the small mercenary unit Vorder's Men, led by Vorder the Proud.

Shah Abdalla also personally led his own forces, delegating second-in-command to his vassal Sheikh Buzin Al-Menir. These were three thousand levies drawn both from the Shah's personal domain, and from those of his vassals.The Red Horse Band was also present, commanded by Ali of the Red Band.

## Background

For a long time the Shahs of Falsil had been looking for an opportunity to take the city of Berham, along with the lands surrounding it - Al Asad, the Lion's Land. This chance came in the late 650's, with the secession of Dunfleasel from its mother country Faramond.

This weakness was exacerbated by the weakening of Falsil's own oppressive overlord - the Vardanid Empire. The Vardano-Reman Religious Wars had left the empire weakened as rogue Reman legions attacked across its eastern border. The Vardanid armies were focused, therefore, on the east and the Shah's forces in the west were free to do as they pleased.

When Shah Abdalla judged this skewing of force was appropriate, he moved his forces over the border in October of 659 and laid siege to Berham.

## Early Siege

While Berham was woefully unprepared for a siege, its defenders nevertheless managed to bar the gates in time to prevent a frontal assault. The town was quickly encircled and a siege camp built, showing that the Shah was content to wait the defenders out.

The day after the siege began, King Henry of Dunfleasel met with the Shah under a flag of truce. It is recorded that King Henry believed the Vardanid Empire was responsible for the siege - Shah Abdalla was flying the imperial banner, after all. King Henry pleaded for peace between the Vardanids and the Dunn people. Shah Abdalla is believed to have said in response 'You may plead with the Shahanshah all you like. He does not know of this siege, nor does he condone it'. With this the meeting was over, and both sides went back to their respective camps.

## Battle of the Barrow Hill

The siege was relatively stable until late November - while Shah Abdalla did not attempt an assault, King Henry did not try to break out of the siege either. This situation was changed with the arrival of the Count of Northnasloe and Eastlee. A fervent supporter of the King, the Count Dardivel had raised his forces as soon as the King's situation had become known to him. Discarding any reason or thought, he committed his forces to break the siege - an army of around 1700 levies, supplemented by the mercenary unit Vorder's Men, an additional 500 heavy infantry.

The Count's approach was detected by Shah Abdalla's outriders, and the two forces met in battle at the foot of the Barrow Hill, northeast of the city itself. Shah Abdalla had numbers and defence on his side, and easily swatted aside Dardivel's forces. Dardivel himself was captured, and remained a prisoner for the remainder of the war. His forces were withdrawn from the battlefield by his eldest son, Orneric Dardivel, who later attached them to the army of the Duke of Armel.

## Later Siege

After the Battle of the Barrow Hill, the siege returned to its former status quo. At least, until February. The Shah's brother Desharvi Al-Magribi, fresh from the conflict in the east, brought with him schematics for a Reman siege engine - a trebuchet. Three were built, blessed, and sent into action. They quickly reduced the western wall of Berham to rubble.

In early March, enough damage had been done. In the pre-dawn mist of the 4th of March, the Shah's forces gathered. The ensuing assault was expected by the Dunn defenders, but like the siege itself, prediction was no tool for negation. The city was put to the sword, despite Shah Abdalla's best effortws to control his men. In his rush to attack, Abdalla left no guard on the east gate. It was through here that the panicked and defeated defenders escaped in groups of three or four.

The King himself, and his retinue, made no attempt to escape. They barred themselves in the throne room of Berham Castle, and refused parlay three times before the castle was set alight.