Moridale attacks Hadovean and Geldhiem forces
Military: Battle
7/2
The Duke of Moridale mindful of the advancing armies on both side hires mercenaries to attack both armies. By the end of the battle Null of the Dragoon was captured by the Syndicate.
Out of all the locations in the Contested Land, the Duchy of Moridale was easily the wealthiest. It's position on the edge of Lake Moridale meant not only it benefited from fertile farming land but it was also a significant trade hub in the Contested Lands. But all this meant nothing but a slight bump in the road when compared to the might of either of the two factions. The Hadovean Empire is advancing from the West, the Kingdom of Geldheim from the South. It was only a matter of time before one eventually reached the Moridale border. The Duke knew that on this fateful day he would be next to powerless to stop them. His best course of action, play for time, delay their advances in anyway they can and hope. Word has reached the Duke's ear of factional troop movement. Although still very far away it is clear what their eventual target is. The Duke decided this information provided an opportunity to slow their advance. He would hire mercenaries to firstly attack the Kingdom advancing force then wheel to the West to attack the Empire force, hiring more mercenaries on the way. If done right the Duke hoped his actions would not be traced back to him. As luck would have it he had many contacts that could provide him with a number of mercs that would be suitable for the right coin.
Battle Outcome
The citizen's militia of Moridale, bolstered by various mercenaries, and a significant force of syndicate mercenaries, came out hard initially. Each army had selected key people opposing them to remove, as it were. After some initial set backs, the Kingdom managed to push back, effectively. Several successful assassinations shook the Moridale combined forces. Moridale then held Kingdom at bay when things turned. Explosives were deployed on the field. A Moridale pirate sacrificed himself to blow up a key bridge for the advancing enemy. Despite this set back, once the Kingdom army broke the line that was holding them they pushed up to the Moridale camp, destroying much of it with the explosives. The Moridale forces though were not there though. They had already moved west. The Kingdom's command briefly considered pursuing, but, given they were fairly sure Empire forces lay that way, they chose to remain here and recover some. Despite gathering more mercenaries along the way, Moridale proved no match for the Empire army they encountered. Despite deceptively close battles often, Empire were victorious. The last stand almost entirely destroyed the Moridale combined forces. It cost Empire dearly to do so though, with almost nothing in reserve. The Duke had been successful in slowing both forces, but it had come at a horrendous and significant cost to his own militia. He would ultimately take little comfort in his small success, as they had lost both battles. It wasn't all doom and gloom for the Syndicate, they had taken Null of the Dragoons which they intended to ransom.
