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THE DEFENCE OF WARSOVIA Description of the unexpected siege, from the point of view of the Defenders of Warsovia C. 1909 [ ♪ ] Depiction of Warsovia It was a sunny day, a day like any other in the mountains on the western border of the Kingdom of Aaun. Lord Jan and Lord Wiktor were just finishing their work when Prince Ottomar von Alstreim came to the castle. Due to exhaustion, Wiktor went to rest while his nephew Jan received the Prince and sat with him by the fire. Count Jan and Prince Otto are close friends, so the conversation between them was quite informal. They talked about everything and nothing, gazing into the dancing flames of the bonfire. When their conversation, as it usually did, descended into the subject of politics towards Petra, which was still at that moment in a state of civil war a sudden sound came from behind the two men. The sound of quick footsteps and as if with a whip Prince Ottomar suffered an axe blow to his black polished armour. "Jan! Look out!" exclaimed the red-haired prince, but in vain, as another blow went Jan's way. After a blow from his attacker, Prince Alstreim miraculously dodged the fire and fell right next to it. He picked himself up and ran at the thug, disarming him. Breathing heavily he offered his hand to Jan to get him up as well "What was that?!" muttered the Prince, fixing his hair. "I have no idea..." said the Lechian Count, equally confused. Their tranquillity did not last long, suddenly a horn sounded and the clatter of feet sounded behind the palisade they were just looking at - dozens of footsteps resounded through the mountain valley. "What is that sound Jan?" asked Ottomar, "I don't know..." Jan repeated once more and shrugged his shoulders before taking out his sword, "Get ready Otto, it's not over.". Little did they know what awaited them. Immediately, siege hooks appeared at the top of the palisade and the ropes to which they were attached tightened. A siege began that neither Warsovia nor Grodno had experienced. The two Lords stood in their armours and with swords in their hands - ready to face their opponents. The first wave of a dozen mountain bandits poured out from behind the palisade, leaping onto the compacted earth one after the other. The two men nodded at each other then went into battle together - slashing, piercing and dismembering their inexperienced opponents. The courtyard filled with bodies after a while of struggle. The Lords emerged victorious from the battle, yet their struggle was far from over. After the first wave of aggressors, a voice resounded: "Lord Ottomar, Lord Jan! We have surrounded the fortress, surrender immediately!" For these two, surrendering to unknown attackers was not an option, so they collectively replied " You will have to take us by force!" - and so it happened, the ropes tightened again, and more hooks came landing not only on the palisade but also on the walls. There was no turning back now. Bandits flooded the courtyard of the ruined Grodno, no longer in tens but hundreds. The fight was fierce, and in the course of it Ottomar disappeared somewhere. Count Jazloviecki managed to get to the castle where he closed the gate and woke up Wiktor. The two kinsmen wearing armour grabbed their bows and arrows and ran as fast as they could to the wall. The Lechians sent arrows into the enormity of their enemies one after another. It didn't do them much good and it was clear from a distance that the invaders had opened the gate and were drawing even more troops inside. In response, John instructed Wiktor "Shoot as many of them as you can, I have to inform the King!" and ran along the wall towards the aviary. The Count wrote two letters as quickly as he could - one to King Charles and one to his soldier Kazimierz, who was staying at Minitz that day - then sent the birds towards Neu Brandthof and the Aaunic capital. Enemies were not diminishing; on the contrary, the crowd seemed to be thickening. Jan joined Wiktor and they defended the castle together for just over an hour before a bird sat on the wall with an answer to one of the letters sent towards the capital. "Hold your ground, we are coming to relieve you, brothers!" ~Brandt Barclay So it was decided, help is on the way. This news gave the Warsovia defenders a boost. Arrows flew from the walls even more frequently - killing even larger swathes of enemies. Unfortunately, the vigour was not endless as Wiktor tapped Jan on the shoulder and said "Kurwa we are out of arrows!". Without a counterattack, the fall of the castle was inevitable - the only salvation was reinforcements from the King and Herzog of Minitz. Suddenly, siege hooks got on the gate and the attackers started to climb up the gatehouse. Unable to face the outnumbered enemy, the two Lechians were forced to flee to a nearby tower where they desperately defended themselves against the onslaught of swords. Then, after a few minutes of fighting the assault seemed to quiet down and a familiar shout came from the gate "REINMAR!". Depiction of Brandt Barclay waiting for an opportunity to break through the enemies to the castle The first reinforcements have arrived - Lord Brandt, heir to Herzog Leon, and Kazimierz, Thane of Warsovia. Jan and Wiktor knew they had to break through to the gate to let their allies inside, so they began a suicidal battle against a mass of opponents. God was with them - opponents in the gatehouse were defeated, and the way to the gate mechanism was free.With the power of their muscles, they set the mechanism in motion and let the two riders in. After a brief conversation, Kazimierz and Brandt joined the defence. They knew that they had to survive until support from the combined Minitz, Adrian and Alstion armies arrive. The sun was already setting and the smell of corpses was in the air. The defenders were exhausted after a long struggle, morale was waning. Suddenly the sound of hooves resounded, it resounded the same way as the footsteps of the opponents a few hours earlier. Kazimierz raised his head and looked out over the wall. His pupils dilated and he exclaimed: "Konni jadą!" then he took a moment to clear his throat and spoke in common once more "They're coming! Herzog Leon, Duke of Adria and King Charles!" Depiction of the Aaunic forces riding to Warsovia's rescue At the sound of hooves, the heads of the opponents turned towards the gate from where a large group of horsemen poured into the courtyard of the ruined castle. Armed with lances, spears and bows - soldiers of the allied armies of Alstions, Minitz and Adria came to save Warsovia from her inevitable defeat. The bandits besieging the gate were forced to retreat to assist their comrades who were being stifled by the fast cavalry, giving the defenders a chance to counterattack. So it happened, Brandt Barclay rose and, catching the bloodied sword in his hand, raised it to the sky "Lechs! Who believes in God - after me!". Wiktor opened the gate but was shot in the arm just moments later and forced to stay on the wall - he fulfilled his duty. Accompanied by Jan and Kazimierz, the young Waldenian fearlessly set off on his enemies. As the defenders poured out of the castle and the cavalry continued their recurrent attacks on the bandits, there were fewer and fewer of them left in the square. The sun was setting lower and lower, and the enemies began to flee in fear. At this point, everything was all but certain - victory belonged to the defenders. Defeating the last enemies, King Charles, Duke Heinrik and Herzog Leon rode up to the tired and bloodied defenders, even wounded Wiktor managed to get out of the castle to greet those to whom he owed his life. "Greetings Lord Jan, sorry for the delay but the Alps don't have the best roads." said his Royal Majesty, Charles Alstion "We came to the rescue as quickly as possible, ja." Herzog Leon added to that. After a brief conversation, from which nothing could be deduced - neither who ordered the bandits to raid, who they were, nor why they had come here in the first place, the army leaders thanked their soldiers and, after a moment's rest, departed back to their own lands. Depiction of the Warsovian battlefield THE SIEGE HAS COME TO AN END A battle like the siege of Warsovia has probably not been seen by any fortified stronghold in the history of Arentania. From that day on, Warsovia had a debt to repay to anyone who abandoned their business and rushed west to help, and anyone who has soiled their sword with the blood of bandit invaders can call themselves a friend of the Jazlovieckis. To commemorate the event, Count Jan ordered the creation of emerald pins for each of the defenders to honour their bravery. The aid given by the Aaunic Lords in the year of our Lord 1909 will live long in the memory of Warsovians...