Post by talis on May 17, 2016 22:51:28 GMT
The march on "Marquis" Dumant's land was supposed to be little more than a show of force. New Byrnis' grand coalition was of immense size and power. It was assumed that the Marquis troops - who were little more than bandits - would simply surrender at the first sight of the great host set against them. Unfortunately, bickering and disagreement would soon turn what was supposed to be an easy victory into an exercise in difficulty.
The disagreement would arise over the treatment of villages around the fort. New Byrnis had sent the Gospodar mercenaries ahead as a vanguard to capture the surrounding villages before the Marquis could make use of their resources, promising the mercenaries the right to any loot they might recover. King Azlyn of Elon and Daimyo Naozomu of the Ikegami Clan both objected to this treatment of innocent villagers and demanded that the Gospodar forces be called off. What followed was a flurry of letters and changing orders that would compromise the momentum of the coalition and give the Marquis time to prepare. For first Elon's cavalry rode south to intercept and block the Gospodar forces. Harcur Kharok took Elon's behavior as an insult to the honor of the Gospodars, and his forces would withdraw in anger while demanding the Elonese withdraw. Upon hearing word of the dispute, New Byrnis then assigned Elon and the Ikegami to seize the villages in place of the Gospodar.
By the time the coalition settled its disputes and reached the Marquis' lands, the damage had been done. Troops from the fort had visited each village, forcefully conscripting the young men, seizing any supplies available, and destroying anything that could not be moved in time to avoid the approaching armies. Where once two villages stood there were now only burned-out husks and barren fields that would provide no sustenance or shelter. Hunger was already setting in as the coalition set up around the Marquis' fortress. Forage was scarce with the winter weather, and Elon, intent on protecting the welfare of its own people, refused to allow the coalition to take more food from the nearby villages than the peasants were willing to sell - an amount far short of what was needed to feed three united armies.
Thus, the besiegers were left with a choice: they could launch an assault, potentially costing thousands of lives and by no means guaranteed to succeed, or they could settle in for a potentially long and difficult siege.
The disagreement would arise over the treatment of villages around the fort. New Byrnis had sent the Gospodar mercenaries ahead as a vanguard to capture the surrounding villages before the Marquis could make use of their resources, promising the mercenaries the right to any loot they might recover. King Azlyn of Elon and Daimyo Naozomu of the Ikegami Clan both objected to this treatment of innocent villagers and demanded that the Gospodar forces be called off. What followed was a flurry of letters and changing orders that would compromise the momentum of the coalition and give the Marquis time to prepare. For first Elon's cavalry rode south to intercept and block the Gospodar forces. Harcur Kharok took Elon's behavior as an insult to the honor of the Gospodars, and his forces would withdraw in anger while demanding the Elonese withdraw. Upon hearing word of the dispute, New Byrnis then assigned Elon and the Ikegami to seize the villages in place of the Gospodar.
By the time the coalition settled its disputes and reached the Marquis' lands, the damage had been done. Troops from the fort had visited each village, forcefully conscripting the young men, seizing any supplies available, and destroying anything that could not be moved in time to avoid the approaching armies. Where once two villages stood there were now only burned-out husks and barren fields that would provide no sustenance or shelter. Hunger was already setting in as the coalition set up around the Marquis' fortress. Forage was scarce with the winter weather, and Elon, intent on protecting the welfare of its own people, refused to allow the coalition to take more food from the nearby villages than the peasants were willing to sell - an amount far short of what was needed to feed three united armies.
Thus, the besiegers were left with a choice: they could launch an assault, potentially costing thousands of lives and by no means guaranteed to succeed, or they could settle in for a potentially long and difficult siege.
