The Defiance of Asracmore

The Duel of Ruby and Silver

The Defiance of Asracmore, which took place in 105 IE, what a house revolt during the reign of Magnus. The revolt began when Drakelyn men seized the Imperial Host that was visiting Asracmore. In the aftermath of the capture of Magnus, Decadus raised his banners to siege Asracmore and to release his father from captivity.

## Background

### Pax Grevana

After the end of both the civil war and the Second Coalition, House Drakelyn became increasingly tight on budget after aiding Magnus in both wars. From once becoming loyalists to the Imperial Family, they instead turned against them after having enough of their money being ransacked for war. So just after the Second Coalition, Luksyn, the warden of Asracmore and head of House Drakelyn, made a plot to kidnap Magnus and all of the loyalist beaurecrats inside Asracmore to demand the return of the money lost during wars.

In his plotting, his main concern was the 12th Legion that is stationed inside the city for fear that they might betray him after they refused his bribes. After some rough arguments with his advisors, Luksyn ordered the 12th Legion evicted out of the city. Although this raised some concerns within the Empire’s inner circle, they ignored him because they have more urgent matters to attend to.

With the main loyalist force out of the city, Luksyn turned to the other defence regiments inside the city. He created a militia without authorization from the government and began to sway not-so-loyal regiments and evict those that he deemed loyalist. By the time when the government began to take action, House Drakelyn now had 20.000 men gathered from the militia and the defence regiments.

### Prelude

Having enough strength to hold the city rather than to take another one, House Drakelyn began to issue demands of tax exemption and the return of all the money lost in the Civil War and the Second Coalition. The tension between House Drakelyn and House Pertinax became so intense that Luksyn called the Emperor’s son Decadus a “rotting corpse” and that he should’ve nominated Titus as heir. After being called like that, Decadus wasn’t so happy and left Rhodon with a small escort to Asracmore.

When he arrived in Asracmore, he landed in the starport but was immediately seized and his escort was killed protecting him. Seeing now that Lukslyn now has his son, Magnus left Rhodon with a small escort to try to make talks with Luksyn personally. Just like the previous time, when he arrived he was immediately seized and although the escort made a meaningful resistance, all were killed except for those who escaped deep into the city.

Now with his father and brother detained in Asracmore, Titus could’ve just ascend to the throne and receive emperorship, but instead of what Luksyn had hoped the 16-year old Titus raised an army enough to burn down Asracmore. In just a month, Titus had raised an army of ten legions and several dozen auxilliary cohorts, numbering around 200.000 men. Without any experience on battle, Titus cleverly appointed Antius instead of himself as the leader of the army, with Antius doing his duty faithfully.

## The Crisis

### The Imperial Army arrives

Titus departed Rhodon for Rechester, leading with him his army. Once all his army had landed, he marched his army across the densely forested areas of Wechester, always cautious for any ambushes set by the deceitful Luksyn. When his army finally arrived in Asracmore, he found that the city had shut its gates and that the shield has been turned on, forcing him to siege Asracmore.

Titus with the advise of Antius began to set up trenches encircling Asracmore and to secure the checkpoints of the city. Although his plan was met with several skirmishes against Drakelyn soldiers, he successfully captured all checkpoints thereby controlling all the traffic coming in and out of the city.

### The Siege

Titus could just assault the walls of Asracmore if not for Luksyn threatening to kill all his captives including Magnus if he did so. With that in mind, Titus just kept a tight grip on the city. Luksyn made several attempts to make Titus commit to an assault by sending raids against the imperial camp but this did not what it hoped for. In one raid, Lucius, one of Luksyn’s sons, was captured leading it and was subsequently imprisoned. With one of his sons captured, Luksyn’s nerve was broken and he negotiated to Titus that he would be willing to exchange Decadus for Lucius if both sides bring them to the no man’s land with a small escort.

Titus did not answer for three months and Luksyn began to grew impatient until he negotiated Lucius for both Magnus and Decadus, with both bringing no escorts whatsoever into no man’s land. With the deal being more favorable, Titus cautiously agreed to the deal but grew suspicious as Luksyn was ever more deceitful.

### The Duel of Ruby and Silver

Titus rode off with three horses and Swancroon out of the imperial camp to the dismay of Antius. There in no man’s land he met Luksyn with Magnus and Decadus. Unsuprisingly, Luksyn brought with him a small escort of around 12 militiamen. During the conversation that followed, Luksyn released Decadus and Magnus but for Titus, he challenged him to a duel. With both his father and brother pleading him not to duel against the more-skilled Luksyn, Titus agreed in the sake of his honor. Before he did duel with Luksyn, he sent Decadus and Magnus away with 2 horses while he remained in the field with Luksyn and his 12 companions.

Before the duel had even started however, Luksyn’s 12 guards began to aim their weapons to Titus. Knowing that this might be very well his end, Titus charged towards Luksyn. As he had expected, Luksyn wasn’t going to duel against him but rather to execute him, with the 12 guards firing upon Titus as he skillfully dodges all their shots. Before Titus could reach Luksyn, he ordered all his guards to charge upon Titus, hoping that their numbers would overwhelm him. Although he was at a disadvantage by only carrying Swancroon, with precision and concentration he dispatches all of them within seconds. Now seeing that he was wrong, Luksyn charges himself against Titus, finally feeling that he could easily dispatch Titus himself.

The duel started with Titus being struck blow after blow by Luksyn, with him either dodging and blocking all of them. In the field, Titus’s Swancroon clashed with that of Luksyn’s Dark Steel. The duel lasted for a whole 5 minutes and with Titus winning said duel by plunging Swancroon right into Luksyn’s chest, ironically filling his dark heart with that of light.

### Aftermath

With his foe lying face-down motionlessly in the field, Titus rode off to the very walls of Asracmore carrying the head of Luksyn his bitter foe. Immediately after, the gates of Asracmore was opened to that of the Imperial Army which was prohibited by Titus himself to loot and sack the city. The order was received with cheering crowds of civilians celebrating the Imperial Army parading inside the city.