The Aftermath of the Previous Campaign

For any one who requires a reminder of what happened during the summer of 1623...

Aftermath

Sir Bohemond Dashfern and his allies in the Order of Vigilance had long planned their insurrection. Their scheme had been timed to take effect on the first day of Jún, and in all seven of the Counties of Takshendal, Royalist forces had mustered secretly. In Wapontak, an assassination was foiled because Lord Phelonius arrived to spread the warning, and in Fulkingtor, Baron Hubert Bellbottom and his family were massacred whilst on a hunt. In Keresfan an army of southern mercenaries swept out of the Rapthians and overthrew Baron Sackschild, scattering his forces and occupying his house.

Feckletor was already under the control of the Order of Vigilance for Baron Johan Sapwood was a prominent member and as it transpired an important co-conspirator who had used his county’s resources to help feed the growing army hidden in Morden Forest.

Every where else, the rebellion failed as the Royalist’s rapidly learned that their leader had been killed. In Castelopea, the conspiracy was suffocated by intrigue and assassinations before it ever began and in Meklsbeg, the Royalist leader was a mercenary commander named Arnoldo Bragaldo who had so few local connections that his puny force of Mursulan mercenaries was left to fend for themselves by their peasant allies. Baron Nathaniel Grandmantle accepted Bragaldo’s surrender without a single drop of blood being shed. In Doxfortor the Royalist force was too small to be effective by itself. Later investigations showed its leadership had prudently delayed their attack to see which way the wind would turn, but the torture of Arnoldo Bragaldo revealed the guilt of numerous local dignitaries and several were discretely executed.

With Sir Bohemond dead and the Order of Vigilance exposed as traitors, the rebellion was ended. By 7th Jún, the Royalists had control of only the two western most counties Feckletor and Keresfan. The peasant rebellion had failed to manifest itself and the mercenary army under the command of Niccoló Sigismundo had agreed to hand over Overmore Castle, Earl Phelonius’s family and the village of Snoad in return for amnesty. Niccoló Sigismundo himself was unable to return to Casilicus where there was a hefty price on his head, and unwilling to return to the life of a condotieri he struck a deal with the Marshal of Takshendal; Sir Reginald Flatlock, gave up ownership of the Compagnia del Stella and settled as a gentleman of means in Castelopea. In the months to follow he set about writing a book entitled ‘The Art of War’.

The Falcon returned to the forest but very little was heard of him in the next few months until the body of an old man was found on the road from Snoad to Thickly Vale, and various local grey beards identified the former bandit leader. Deep in Morden Forest the out cast community continued to hold their own, according to rumour under the leadership of Cedric Applegrate, ignored by the surrounding counties which were busy dealing with the recapture of Keresfan. This took considerably longer than it ought to have done, but by Septemus, the rebels had been cleared out and the County placed under the authority of Sir Roger Flor.

Of Sir Bohemond Dashfern’s right hand man, he known to Misteline and his companions as Archibald Pillorseed, the man who abducted Silas, there is no sign. Rufus attempts to track the man down but no one he questions has the faintest idea of who the man was or from whence he came. The only clues Rufus finds is from one of Dashfern’s former guards who tells that the man was seldom seen at Dockrey House and whom expresses the opinion that the man sometimes had a slight accent, as of Merdun. This same guard also tells Rufus that the lad with the cleft lip was almost certainly killed because he knew something of the man’s origins.

Eleven months after what eventually became known as the Battle of Gripen, the Grand Arch Duke of Takshendal fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a broken neck, but miraculously survived. In the next few days, as he lay on his bed, slowly dying, his advisors and political allies pressed him to name a successor but the old duke refused to do so, arguing that he still had a great many years of life left in him, and as soon as he was recovered, he was going to initiate a new golden age.

Grand Arch Duke Ranulph Jarvis Underhock, fourth Arch-duke of the City of Takshendal, died on Aprila 21st. 1624, without issue or designated heir. The nobility, with only a few exceptions, declared Earl Phelonius Grambeline to be the rightful heir of the Crown of Takshendal and the city council, all too aware of the deplorable state of the city’s economy, agreed. King Phelonius the First was crowned on the first anniversary of the Battle of Gripen. His first act of decree was to make Sir Adley De Ives Baron of Overmore.

Misteline

Misteline’s early career had been kick started by his having witnessed the attack of the notorious pirate Captain Murder, and the brave exploits of Alesandrox Wormpole. His greatest work of art in his early career was held to be the bronze equestrian statue he sculpted to commemorate the event, and which stands to this day in the central plaza of the Mercantile District.

Having now been present at the Battle of Gripen, Misteline had ample opportunity to feather his bed with numerous commissions, to create new and ever more brilliant works of art and to firmly cement his position forever as the greatest artist of his age. Within days of his return to the city, Misteline began numerous works, including a grand vista of the battle at its climax, a study of Sir Adley De Ives holding aloft the head of Sir Bohemond Dashfern and in the aftermath of the coronation of King Phelonius, an equestrian statue of the king trampling a writhing dragon to be even larger and grander than that of Alesandrox Wormpole.

Drake

Having been instrumental in the rescue of Lord Phelonius Grambeline, Drake was in turn rescued by Sir Adley de Ives and his men when they occupied Dockrey Hall. Some what battered and scarred from his capture, Drake immediately then sought out and rescued Silas from his tower top captivity, tending his wounds and awaiting the outcome of events. Misteline and Nathan eventually arrived at Dockrey Hall, as did Rufus and the four comrades were finally re-united. Dockrey Hall was occupied by Sir Adley De Ives and the Dashfern family were removed to a secure location.

Drake returned to Takshendal with Misteline, and a month after the battle he received the gift of a thoroughbred horse from Earl Phelonius. Unsure whether he could keep such a magnificent animal, Drake was loath to sell it so he decided to send it to the Monasterium in Thickly Vale with Nathan who longed to return to the girl called Liselle.

Much to his surprise, when Phelonius Grambeline was crowned king, Drake was knighted and given Saffron Hall (Sir Adley was moving into Dockrey Hall), with 200 Acres of land, grazing rights in the Marches and the right to equip twenty men-at-arms.

Not long after Drake has taken up residence in Saffron Hall, he is approached by Rufus who wishes to endow a scholarship on the deformed young shepherd of Halkyn Mire. Drake agrees to assist and the shepherd and his sweetheart are soon employed by the new Knight of Thickly Vale, and live happily ever after.

Rufus

Having left Sir Adley De Ives main force with ten skirmishers, Rufus roamed north of the River Glun at will for most of the 31st Mae. During this time he disrupted communications, slew rebellious peasants and caused much mayhem. Towards the evening he penetrated Snoad wearing captured livery and made his way up to Overmore castle where he confronted the Lady Jacinta Grambeline to discover the whereabouts of her mysterious brother. Filled with mortal terror at the sight of her brother’s killer, the lady fell into a paroxysm of screaming and guards came rushing. Pausing only to stab the first man to come through the door, Rufus fled from Castle Overmore and made his way to Dockrey Hall where he met up with his companions.

As the days past Rufus came to understand that he had yet to discover the truth regarding Basilio D’Castelleto and his unsatisfactory meetings with Lady Jacinta had revealed nothing. Approaching the Earl proved impossible as the Earl, and most of the other nobles of Overmore were no where to be found. Instead then Rufus went to see Lady Marjory Flor. From the good lady he discovered that all the nobles except Sir Roger Flor had travelled to Takshendal.

Rufus decided to return to Takshendal himself when Silas informed him that a certain Lukas D’Castelleto had been appointed Commissioner of the Militia in the city. On a cool autumn morning, nine weeks later Lukas D’Castelleto was run through with a rapier and the mystery of Rufus’s assailant was solved. The ghost of Basilio was laid to rest at last.

In the months that followed the Battle of Gripen, deprived of work and adventure, Rufus retired to Takshendal and took rooms in the armorial quarter of the city, not far from Misteline’s studio, and set about writing a book on fencing. Misteline agreed to draw some illustrations, but most of these were accomplished by one of Misteline’s new apprentices as the great master was swamped with work. Misteline agreed to put his name to the drawings however, which amounted to much the same thing. When the book was finished, it was published around the time of the coronation of King Phelonius by Albrecht Greengrass under the title ‘Il Gladiatoria’. Given recent events and the three chapters Rufus had prudently added to his book dealing with the Battle of Gripen and the tactics used, the book became something of a best seller. The accounts in the book soon found direct competition with Niccoló Sigismundo’s ‘The Art of War’ which saw the battle from a first hand perspective and for a short period the two authors were locked in an intellectual spat with each books supporters slinging mud at the other book. This argument died down when Niccoló Sigismundo was found in his Castelopean apartments with his throat cut. A cursory investigation by the city militia indicated the probable culprit being Rufus’s godfather, Don Vito Magliocco D’Castelopea, though no solid proof was found to support a charge of murder.

Silas

The Lord High Sheriff of the Marne Territories resumed his duties after a week’s convalescence, appointing various sheriffs and tax collectors to take on the job of collecting money then setting himself up in offices in Takshendal. Once the conflict in Overmore County settled down, Silas began raking in the dough. Political silent, efficient and ruthless in the application of raising funds, Silas had managed to acquire sufficient funds to prepare for the day when the king was crowned and he would be replaced as having belonged to the former regime.

Sure enough, on 17th Jún. 1624. Silas was thanked for his service to the city and by the 26th he was under investigation by the Militia, charged with stealing tax money for his own purposes. Having anticipated this, Silas had prepared for the eventuality and though certainly guilty, he avoided a conviction by having obliterated any and all evidence of his self preservation. Silas retired from the Militia and to the outside world he become a private business man, but beneath his offices Silas opened a clandestine gambling den where patrons could also imbibe of a new vice, known as somniferum.

More information can be had by reading the Chronology of Events for the Dark Marches campaign.