[Northkeep] The Seige of Northkeep

[Perrin de Beaujeu]

This looks really fun, and with your permission, I want to move this idea
around to some other minds and see if we can make something like this
happen sometime soon.

On Thu, Feb 2, 2023 at 2:37 PM Niewoehner, Hugh <
Hugh.Niewoehner at flightsafety.com> wrote:

> Lot’s o’heads came together for this one in the ’88-90 time frame
> Angus & Damon as cohorts in trouble of course,  Andrew Selwyn, Wilhelm
> D’Kaalavo (AKA Wilhelm the elder), and a couple others including a dash of
> Ferd for color.
>
>         Damon & Ismet
>
> ---
> The Siege of Northkeep
> Premise:        Criminals operating on the border of Vindheim and Calontir
> are being a problem.  Northkeep and Bois D’Arc send out patrols looking for
> brigands and in a classic case of failure to communicate, encounter each
> other, mistake their identity and engage while sending for reinforcements.
> Things spiral out of hand from there.
>
> Scenario 1.      Meeting engagement
> First of all remember the spatial relationship of the various groups.
> Grimfels, and possibly Gleann Abhann showing up for some fun, creates an
> interesting tactical problem for Northkeep.
> NK and Bois D’Arc & Crystal Mines mid-field.  After #minutes MoonShadowe
> and V’tavia enter the engagement from the west (Northkeep’s left regardless
> of which way they’re facing.)  +? minutes later start feeding in everyone
> else as the localities respond to the Crown call to arms.
> Right off the bat, the respective armies are controlled by the locals.
> The Crown, Prince, etc. or their designated army commander, cannot
> influence the lay of battle until their respective home group enters the
> fight.
>
> Scenario 2. Woods battle
> Well, someone lost the meeting engagement.  A rear guard is set to delay
> the winner’s army while reinforcements reach the castle.
> Use one of the trails through the woods below the castle or great hall.
> One side, let’s call them the “defenders” set up first in ambush and the
> attackers in column of march (2 fighters wide) walking into the woods, are
> constrained to the trail until the engagement begins by defending archery
> or the defenders close to a reasonable distance (4x spear range?)  from the
> trail.   I know seems really fake to not let the guys on a nature hike do
> something about the guys you can see but lets’ make the two commanders
> think about how to best order their men for what they know is going to
> happen.   Have the attackers form column behind the hall where they cannot
> see the initial disposition of the ambush.  Once in column they are in
> fixed order until the “Fights on”.
>
> Scenario 3.     Bridge
> We can set up a bridge on the field near the castle or down in the woods
> below the feast hall there is a small foot bridge about a foot off the
> ground.   The usual rules.
>
> Scenario 3.     Sappers under the curtain wall.
> Picture a tunnel 5’x5’x10‘ long.  Sides and top will be made with stock
> wire or similar restricting weapons from swinging.  Ideally one side of the
> tunnel should be able to swing down to let the dead out.   Sorry, no
> staying at one end and setting up a kill pocket for the poor guys trying to
> raise to their feet.  Even if you are not in the tunnel itself, only people
> directly in line with the tunnel can fight into or out of.
> Fighters are limited to things sappers might carry: Maces, daggers, short
> swords, axes/picks less than 48’ and so on.  No shields larger than a
> buckler.  No archery of course.
>
> Scenario 4.     Castle battle
> The attackers made it through the curtain wall.  This is your standard
> castle fight using the main gate and sally ports we all know and love.
> Archery and siege engines allowed.
> All of these can be fairly easily run with Cut & Thrust as well as the
> chivalric format.  Given hay bales or someone bringing down the Lilies
> porta-fort you could build a town battle.
>
>
>