Battle at Stonewatch Abbey

The Battle at Stonewatch Abbey was a battle in the Om campaign.

### Defending Units

Bandit Company, Orlesean Regulars, Conscripts, Half-Elf Mercenaries, Thuun Mercenaries

## Results

### Victor

Royal Explorers

The Battle at Stonewatch Abbey was a skirmish where the Fate Fighters infiltrated and captured the fortified structure from the bandit company led by Goddard Brandik and a troop of Orlesan soldiers.

## Background

Stonewatch Abbey had been the headquarters of an order dedicated to ensuring the safe travel north from Waymere. However by 465, the order was gone and the abbey had stood empty for years. The renegade Gildornian bandit captain Goddard Brandik had taken up residence there with is bandits and made several attacks on trade caravans.

In short order Brandik had allied with Orlesea and a company of Orlesean soldiers were stationed there as well, including Balmar the Blue. They began gathering more men whenever possible and preparing for an attack on Waymere.

## Pre-Battle

Goddard Brandik and his Orlesean allies had a total of around 200 fighting men at their command at Stonewatch Abbey. This included Brandik's company, Orlesean regulars, a large amount of conscripts and a small group of Thuunish barbarians and another small group of half-elven mercenaries.

The bulk of these troops and the handful of staff were quartered about a mile from Stonewatch Abbey itself in a military camp, while Brandik and his company, Balamer the Blue and some of the Orlesean regulars and officers quartered in the comfort of the abbey.

Meanwhile the Royal Explorers had been sent by Atticus Brock, the Gildornian Royal Spymaster, to capture the Abbey and end the threat of Brandik and his bandits. They were unaware of the Gildornians on site however.

## The Battle

### Capturing the Abbey

On the 1st of Twins, 465, the Royal Explorers arrived at Stonewatch Abbey. They had scouted the area thanks to the ability of Elriel "the Opal" to change to the form of a bird, so they had a good layout of the area, and became aware of the Orleseans and recruits at the military camp.

The Royal Explorers planned an approach that would take allow them to use the hills to approach the abbey without being seen by the men on the walls.By the time they were in position to attack the it was nearly dusk, which helped to cover their approach.

Using a combination of magic and skill, the Explorers climbed to the top of the abbey's tower, making their way down and systematically eliminating the bandit guards within as quietly as possible. They were on the second level of the tower before a the bandits managed to detect them and sound the alarm and the Royal Explorers were quickly forced into a position where the had to defend the tower from the inhabitants of the Abbey on three different fronts.

Fernith and Opal returned to the top of the tower, where a squad of men advanced on the tower with a ladder. The two called upon their nature magic to both pin them in place with a growth of plants, but also to add dangerous thorns to the plants. While the magic held the men and tore them apart, Fern picked them off with her bow, essentially killing the squad to a man before they got anywhere near the tower.

As that was happening Wu Xen and Corin Ironcheek barred the doors to the rest of the abbey on the second floor and set a series of traps to harry the bandits and Orleseans once they broke through the door. By the time the Orleseans reached Wu and Corin they were injured and the two were able to successfully slay the men.

Meanwhile on the first floor, Noel Gorehammer, Jasper Conroy and Fynnhannar took on Goddard Brandik himself alongside Balamer "The Blue" and a handful of warriors. Noel made short work of the warriors but Balmar merely animated them as zombies to keep fighting. The fight began to turn in the Explorers favor and as Jasper literally grappled with Brandik while Noel cut down the zombies and Fynn lobbed spells at Balmar. The blue wizard teleported away, abandoning Brandik. The bandit chief offered to surrender, but Jasper refused the surrender and the trio slew him.

As luck would have it, however, Fern had descended to the basement, drawn there by a sentient artifact she carried called Fiyang’yellak. As it turned out the basement was where Balamer teleported, seeking to collect a magical orb before fleeing. Fern engaged him, but he successfully fought her off. However, by the time he did she had called a warning to her companions and they ran down as fast as they could, continuing to harry Balmer's escape piecemeal as they arrived, only to be stopped or stymied by spell after spell by the Blue wizard as he continued to withdraw. Eventually, however, the Explorers got in a lucky shot that knocked Balamer unconscious and Fynn promptly executed him.

Meanwhile Wu and Corin, unable to access the basement due to some of Balmer's lingering spells, made their way to the courtyard via another route that saw them needing to battle a half dozen half-elves. They men were defeated, and their leader was briefly captured.

The Royal Explorers rendezvoused in the courtyard, though Noel accidentally set off an magical alarm set upon the front gates, alerting the soldiers camped down the road of danger. They sealed the gates and began making preparations for a lengthy siege.

Fynn attempted to use the orb that Balamer had tried to recover to contact Atticus Brock for reinforcements, but found that the blue wizard's soul was within the orb and trapped Fynn there. The sorcerer was forced to duel the Balamer within the magical mental space of the orb, defeating him but being rendered blind in the process.

### Holding the Abbey

Though 30 of the remaining 120 fighting men were out on patrol at the time of the attack, 60 rallied when the alarm was set off and began to march to the abbey, arriving within the hour and demanding entry.

The Royal Explorers attempted to make it seem as though the abbey was still under the control of Brandik and Balamer and convince them that the alarm as an accident or training exercise. However the Orlesean officer leading the group saw through the ruse, and ordered an attack. Noel Gorehammer then hurled the severed heads of Brandik and Balamer off the battlements to the feet of the soldiers, shouting that any attackers would meet the same fate as their leaders had.

This effectively demoralized the men, and one of sergeants, Grizz, stated that he was willing to parlay. He was supported by the leaders of the two small mercenary groups, a squad of half-elves led by a man named Quintillis and a group Thunnish barbarians led by Torr Nine-Fingers. The Orlesean officer and his second in command flew into a rage, ordering the men to attack and even slapping Torr. The Thuns immediately slew both men in seconds, and reiterated that they would parlay.

### Negotiations

The Royal Explorers initiated a parlay with the leaders of the three remaining factions represented, Torr, Grizz and Quintillis. Eventually they reached an accord with all three factions. Using a fraction of the stolen gems that Brandik's men had stolen from the caravans they paid Torr's group to seek further mercenary work elsewhere. As the half-elves merely wished to have a place to work and live their life, the Explorers urged them to head to Fernstead, where skilled hunters and laborers would be welcome.

Grizz's negotiations were more delicate. The mercenary revealed that there were around 180 men in the camp, and that 60 had marched to the abbey when the alarm was sounded, 60 were still in the camp and that 60, the most loyal Orleseans and bandits, were on patrol and would be back within a day or so. He reported that while some were hardcore bandits or Orlesean soldiers, many merely had no other employment opportunities and joined Brandik so they and their families did not starve.

The Royal Explorers ultimately agreed to pay the men out of the store of gems to win their loyalty and offer them three choices: to go join the Gildornian Army, to join the mercenary force that the Explorers would put together when their new company formed, or lay down their swords and travel to Fernstead to return to farm life. Much of the men agreed, and those that refused and insisted upon remaining loyal to the Orleseans were executed. The offer was repeated to the forces still encamped and only 18 men refused, though they were imprisoned rather than executed.

### The Final Skirmish

The following day the final third of the men returned from patrol, under the command of Captain Pierre Foseaux. However Foseaux now faced the Royal Explorers and 2/3 of his former allies. Still, Foseaux refused to stand down. Grizz and Noel Gorehammer led the bulk of the footmen, smashing into Foseaux's flank while a squad of archers commanded bu Wu Xen gave them cover.

When the battle was in full force, Wu led his unit in a charge down the hill they were positioned in and smashed into Foseaux's flank. Coupled with Noel charging and routing Foseaux personally, the attacking unit promptly fell apart and Foseaux was defeated and captured.

## Aftermath

In the aftermath of the battle, the Royal Explorers secured the abbey. As promised the defenders were allowed to chose to leave, to join the Gildornian Army or to join the militia that the Explorers would soon be forming. Those that refused were held captive and ultimately turned over to the Gildornian authorities.

A great deal of intelligence was gathered from the paperwork of Goddard Brandik and Balamer "the Blue" and Atticus Brock, per his agreement, sold the Abbey to the Royal Explorers. They officially left Gildornian service and reformed as the Fate Fighters and the Abbey became their headquarters.