Assalamualaikum,
Yup, this is the last episode since after Targaryen invasion there were no other triggered events in this mod. For those who missed the previous episodes. Can check the link below:
- E01 - Reyne of Castamere - The Baratheon's Usurpers
- E02 - Reyne of Castamere - The Wrath of Kraken
- E03 - Reyne of Castamere - Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
- E04 - Reyne of Castamere - Tully's Strikes Back
- E05 - Reyne of Castamere - The Return of The Starks
328AC - Lord Varys, having knew Fredrik's relationship with Queen Cersei continues to scheme the downfall of the Queen's Hand. It starts with one incident which later sparks the invasion of Queen Daenerys, the last surviving member of House Targaryen. The incident? The cold blooded murder of Lady Janei Reyne at Goldsroad on her way to Lannisport, followed by suspicious death of Tysha Lannister made things goes worse as there was a possibility of civil war between two of the most powerful houses in the Westeros
The Queen later instructed the City Watch to seized Fredrik and put him in the prison while the investigation in motion. Three months later, the trial begin with the former Queen's Hand remains in defiance to confess since there were no concrete evidence that linked him to Tysha's murder. "I stand here as the witness of my lord's crime. He paid assassin to kill Lady Janei at Lannisport. He personally asked one of the maiden to put poison into Princess Tysha's food. Lord Varys is a Targaryen scum. Daenerys Targaryen will be invading us my Queen. I don't want to be traitor to our people!" It was by the honorable act of Arthur, Varys's slave who later testified the crime carried out by Lord Varys under the immediate order of Queen Daenerys who intended to split the realm prior to her invasion of Westeros. All this while, Lord Varys who sat at the Queen's Council was actually the Targaryen's agent!
With Lord Varys executed in mid 329AC due to his crime against the realm, Fredrik was being reinstated as the Queen's Hand. However as the Targaryen's invasion drew close, the Queen wished to abdicate the crown as she felt incompetence to lead the realm during the crucial time. Nevertheless, Fredrik consoled the Queen and gave his assurance on their capability to repel the invasion. The Queen who resolute with her decision, named Fredrik as the Lord Protector of the Realm. "Cersei, let me be your protector. Let's rule together..". Surprised with the decision, Fredrik later took Cersei's hand and proposed the alliance of both houses by marriage.
329AC - Fredrik of House Reyne and Cersei of House Lannister sealed their marriage at King's Landings, witnessed by hundred of Westeros lords. With this solemn alliance, Cersei gave up her crown in favor to her new husband. This is a total blow to Daenerys' plan to ignite a civil war among the Westerosi kingdom. In fact, the realm is getting stronger with a reputable warrior-king to lead the Royal banner into the battle.
King Fredrik Reyne, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdom and Protector of the Realm. Shortly after his coronation, the new King quickly assembled the privy council to discuss on the imminent invasion of Daenerys. During the meeting, Qyburn informed him that the invader totaled around 100,000 troops comprising of 50,000 Dothraki's raiders, 8,000 Unsullied, 20,000 Golden Company, 10,000 Second Sons mercenaries and another 12,000 Crownland separatist from the exiled House Velaryon & Celtigar. These massive invading forces is now waiting for the completion of Pentoshi Fleet to sail across the Narrow Sea for Westeros, it will take roughly another one year.
Assessing his strength, the realm is not really in a bad situation. His initiative few years ago starts to produce result as the economic is booming, people seems to be at content with their life, but the main concern is the military capability. The Westeros lords were already war-wearied due to constant warfare for almost thirty years. Fredrik himself approved the concern, as he has been fighting numerous campaign since he was sixteen and he is forty-four now! But the realm is facing the real threat and they must be prepared. He decreed the order to raised levy and extensive military programme, with each Wardens must contribute at least 8,000 troops from their region. The Crownland which is under the direct jurisdiction of the King will provide another 8,000. As for naval superiority, Fredrik already ordered the expansion of the Royal Fleet and instructed Greyjoy's Iron Fleet to sail for Port of Sunspear.
Entering seven months of his reign, Fredrik was being informed by Qyburn that the Pentoshi fleet has been completed and the Targaryen army is now preparing their invasion. "They will land here, at Crownland. Aegon begin his conquest there and so do Daenerys.." Further information on the landing zone has yet to be known, however Fredrik predict that it would take place in multiple shores - Crackclaw's Point and Blackwater's Bay at Crownland region. Other commander also put their guess as far as Sunspear at Dorne region. Wherever the landing took place, Daenerys would definitely aiming for Dragonstone Island, the old ancestral seat of House Targaryen prior to Aegon's conquest of Westeros three hundred years ago.
He gave order to Lord Loras Tyrell to mobilize the Royal army with due haste. The King's Hand sent a flock of raven across Westeros to the respective Wardens. In three months of time, majority of the Royalist already within the vicinity of Crownland. Lord Addam Marband's 16,000 Westerland troops camped near Blackwater Rush. Lord Robin Arryn's 10,000 Vale soldiers already reached Crackclaw's Point to fortify the castle, they will be join by Riverland's army with 5,000 troops lead by Lord Horas Harroway. Around 13,000 Reach soldiers command by Lord Dickon Tarly entrenched in Felwood, another 7,000 Dornish troops lead by Lord Ryon Allyrion will be ferry by the Iron Fleet to Stormland to join the Reach. The formidable Iron Fleet is protecting the Jade Sea from any incoming attack. The Royal fleet is docked at Dragonstone to support the Vale defender.
330AC - Daenerys invaded Westeros at four different landing zones - as predicted, the main army under the Queen herself captured Dragonstone and Driftsmark after defeating the heavily outnumbered Royal Fleet. Two armies under Ser Jorah Mormont and Greyworm landed at Crownland while one army led by Lord Damon Velaryon landed at Stormland to capture Storm's End.
The Royal army commanded by the king himself left the capital for Stonedance to fortify the castle. "My dear Cersei, I will come home. You take good care of yourself. Ask Qyburn if you need any help.." Before his departure, Fredrik had the opportunity to meet Queen Cersei who heavily pregnant with their child. She will administer the kingdom in the absence of his husband. The Westerland army under Lord Marbrand joined him to form a strong defensive line at Blackwater's Bay.
To the north of King Landing's, 15,000 Royalist under the overall command of Lord Robin Arryn met with heavy resistance from Greyworm's Unsullied legion and 20,000 Dothraki's raiders under the command of Khal Ponno. The Vale-Riverland army fought valiantly to bide time for fresh reinforcement under Lord Dustin with 7,000 Northern army to arrive at the battlefield. Despite the reinforcement, the still heavily outnumbered Royalist were forced to retreat.
The battle lasted for two days with the Royalist defeat, but managed to inflicted heavy casualties to the Targaryen's army. Upon receiving raven from Lord Arryn, King Fredrik gave marching order to Lord Marbrand to race for King's Landing, leaving only a substantial defense of Stonedance.
To the south, Lord Tyrell successfully repelled Lord Velaryon's army at the Battle of Bronzegate but failed to take initiative to follow the tattered Targaryen's symphatizer. The battle was short where both sides suffered only minimal casualties before Damon start to pull back.
However, the decision was prove correct as it's actually a feigned retreat set to trap the Royalist into an ambush. Prince Quentyn Martell's Dornish contingent took the coastal route towards the landing zone and destroyed Velaryon's defenseless forward base.
Ser Jorah Mormont's army lay siege of Stonedance with a total strength of 20,000 Golden Company division supported by 20,000 Dothraki raider. The outnumbered Royalist hold the castle steadily with no intention to sally forth. Fredrik always remembered the great King Robert Baratheon's word "Only a fool would meet Dothraki in an open field..". The defender continues to battered the besieging Targaryen's army with their numerous number of trebuchets and scorpion gun.
Khal Iddo wearied with lack of initiative from Ser Jorah, immediately persuaded him to commence the attack against Stonedance's wall as they need to secure the Blackwater's Bay quickly. The attack begin at 10am as the Golden Company led by its commander, Captain-General Ser Harry Strickland scale the wall and met with heavy resistance from the Royalist knight.
The outer wall fall into the enemy at 1pm, Fredrik ordered the retreat to the inner wall. Here, savage fighting between the Royalist and the Targaryen's troops happened where the Westerland's halberdiers lock their shield in a tunnel defense while the missile troops well-hidden behind the stonewall poured a devastating arrow shot to the advancing enemy.
The attacker starts to lose their cohesion and retreated back to their camp at 4pm. Ser Jorah blamed Khal Iddo's for the failed attack as they should wait for the Queen Daenerys to arrive with the rest of the army. For the first day of the battle, the Targaryen lost approximately 10,000 casualties while Fredrik suffered 4,000 killed or wounded. The siege continues for another three months with the defender still afford to enjoy a better provision against the ill-supplied besieger
Lord Arryn, having defeated at the first battle retreating to Rook Rest to join the Westerland's reinforcement led by Lord Marbrand who holed up in the castle. Greyworm demonstrate the infamous Targaryen's atrocities by sending 10,000 Dothraki's raider under Khal Ponno to loot and burn the villages, stealing the crops and livestock while killing many innocent civilians in process.
Lord Tyrell continue to shadow Monford's army at the southern front, having merged his force with Prince Quentyn, the Royalist start to gain advantage against the Velaryon's traitor. The two armies met near Storm's End with Lord Tyrell successfully crushed the Crownland rebels once for all. His victory helped to clear the Southern front and following the King's initial plan, he maintained his army at Stormland.
While both of his commanders still fighting at their respective front, the King is now isolated from any potential reinforcement forces. Concerned with the fate of his people, Fredrik decided to act before Queen Daenerys join the siege. Confidence that the Targaryen had already landed most of their armies, he sent raven to the Iron fleet docked at Sunspear to sail northward and blocked the entrance of Blackwater's Bay. The Royal army sallied forth to offer battle to the Targaryen's host.
After assessing the enemy, Fredrik spotted an ideal location to diminish the effectiveness of Dothraki's raider. Here at the marshy plain of Massey Hook, 13,000 Royal troops led by the King himself is about to face 30,000 Targaryen's soldiers. He lined up his Unsullied Legion as the vanguard, anchored by Westerland's heavy infantry at both flanks. The second line were being manned by missile troops, also protected by a contingents of heavy spearman to avoid any flanking maneuver. The Royal cavalry, with 2,000 knights led by the Kings Guard, Ser Sybel Spicer is position far near the village to conceal their position. His opponent, Ser Jorah is the veteran lord from House Mormont of the North. He was being exiled forty years ago by King Robert due to his involvement in slavery which is prohibited in Westeros. Now, he is the Queen's advisor and one of her finest field commander. In this battle, he command a majority of Dothraki's raider around 17,000 men, another 13,000 is the remnant of the Golden Company and a handful number of Unsullied.
The battle starts at 11am in the morning. Confidence with his number of horsemen can overrun the Royalist, Khal Iddo ignored the order from Ser Jorah and led his 17,000 Dothraki's raider to charge Fredrik's position and hope to finish the battle and get the credit. As what the late King Robert said, the Dothraki's horseman eventhough terrifying but lack of discipline. This incident just prove that. One of Dothraki's weakness also lies at their lack of armor, but the speed of their stallion is the winning formula for most of the Khals. But, Khal Iddo underestimated the brilliant mind of the Westerlander's king. Massey Hook chosen by Fredrik due to its marshy plain and would be able to slow down the horse which definitely undermined the Dothraki's advantage.
Khal Iddo continue to throw a countless number of cavalry maneuver with the raider circling around the Royalist and shooting arrow from horseback, while the screamer charge straightly into Fredrik's line to break his troops. Nevertheless, the trained infantry managed to absorb the attack supported by the line of wooden stakes deployed before the battle.
For a long three hours, the Royalist steadily hold their position while the missile troops shooting arrow to counter the horse-tribes. The Dothraki's cavalry having made a pointless charges has suffered terrible losses with 8,000 dead or wounded. A piles of dead stallion covered the battle as Khal Iddo called of the attack. Disgusted with the Khal, Ser Jorah maneuver his army into a battle formation and request Iddo's assistance to cover the flanks with his cavalry, he denied the request as both of his men and horses were exhausted.
The Golden Company led by Ser Harry Strickland strikes Fredrik's left and right in his attempt to draw attention before full frontal attack on the center by Ser Jorah's Targaryen elites. The Westerlanders fought fiercely to maintain its cohesion. At the height of battle, Fredrik's scout returned with a report that Khal Iddo's is resting at his camp. Seeing the opportunity, he sent raven to Ser Sybell to attack the Dothraki's camp immediately.
The Royal cavalry, around 2,000 heavy knight smashed the Dothraki's camp at 4pm. The attack was so swift as the unready Dothraki's horseman totally caught-off guard. With no steel armor like their counterpart as well as fighting on-foot, the attack has become a massacre with almost 6,000 Dothraki killed, and the rest captured together with a number of stallion.
Ser Jorah, unknowing the total decimation of Iddo's army continues his attack against Fredrik's position and entered the battle with the Targaryen's heavy knight. Fredrik sent his elite Royal Guard to strengthen his center. The Golden Company started to waver when the commander, Ser Harry was being wounded by arrow shot. The Westeros's king led the pincer movement from his left flank to envelope Ser Jorah. In a classic Hannibal's tactic, the encirclement was complete when the flanks joined at 5pm.
The survivor fled the battlefield but most of Targaryen's soldiers trapped in the pocket were being killed as the gap closed its door. Unlucky for the fleeing survivor, they met with Ser Sybel's cavalry en route to join the battle and being pick one by one.
Fredrik's gamble paid off and scored an important victory to the Royalist. The siege has been lifted by tactical genius of the King, and the bravery of his army.
The Battle of Massey Hook ended at 6pm with destruction of the besieging army while its commander captured and sent to dungeon - Ser Jorah, Khal Iddo and Ser Harry.
After the battle, the victorious army returned to Stonedance while keeping intact with progress from the other fronts. Qyburn sent the message to Fredrik alerting him for the second wave of the invasion. Another 12,000 troops command by Magister Ilyrio of Pentos is now crossing the Narrow Sea joined by another mercenary from Essos, the Windblown command by Lord Jhogo with 8,000 soldiers. Unable to levy new army, Fredrik is now depending on the Iron Fleet to intercept the Targaryen's reinforcement navy.
331AC - Dire news from the Northern front, Lord Arryn suffered another defeat against the Targaryen forces and was heavily wounded. Lord Marbrand quickly took command of the now meagre army and retreating to Stokeworth Castle. Queen Daenerys finally landed at Crackclaw's Point to join Greyworm shortly after the battle.
Fredrik quickly march his army to King's Landing while sending a raven to Lord Loras urged him to take his position. 11,000 Reach army break camp and march to Stonedance, while leaving 5,000 Dornish troops to protect the Stormland region. A fierce naval battle happened at Blackwater's Bay which saw the Iron Fleet under Lady Yara Greyjoy managed to inflicted heavy defeat on Pentoshi fleet, despite the great victory she didn't chase the retreating Pentos and as a consequence, Magister Ilyrio and the survivor around 9,000 men landed near Straits of Tarth and proceed to besieged the Dornish defender.
Daenerys, having successfully combined her forces with Greyworm is now advancing to Stokeworth. Lord Marbrand, the commander of the Northern theater were forced to give battle to Daenerys after the Queen started to commit atrocities to the nearby villages. 20,000 Royalist comprising troops from Westerland, Riverland, Vale and the North. The Queen with her 50,000 troops attack the Royalist position. A two days battle raged on with heavy casualties mounted each day.
In the final day of the battle, Lord Marbrand having lost half of his troops determined to make their last stand. Greyworm's Unsullied Legion attack the Westerland's left flank which is valiantly defended by Ser Edric Reyne. An hour later, the Second Sons led by Daario Naharis smashed Addam's right flank. Unable to contain the attack, Lord Roland Westerling retreated to the second line but were being intercepted by Khal Ponno and destroyed.
At the final phase of the battle, Fredrik's firstborn Ser Edric was being killed by Greyworm when giving order to reform his Reyne's host. In the bloody three days Battle of Stokeworth, the Royalist army was being defeated with 10,000 dead while 6,000 troops safely retreated to nearby castle of Rosby, another 4,000 captured including Ser Adrian Reyne, Edric's younger brother. Queen Daenerys won a pyrrhic victory against Lord Marbrand, out of 50,000 troops participated in the battle - 20,000 killed and wounded.
King Fredrik managed to reached Rosby with 8,000 troops after lifted the siege of Stonedance and merged with the survivor from the Battle of Stokeworth. "My King, dire news from the front. Lord Edric was killed in action, and his brother, Edric was executed.." .Here, he learnt the fate of his sons - Edric who died in the battlefield while Adrian was executed by order of Queen Daenerys. This meant the Mad Queen has been directly involved in the death of four of his family members - his wife, Lady Janei followed by Tysha and recently - Edric and Adrian.
To the south, Lord Tyrell again proved his tactical masterclass after defeating Magister Ilyrio at Storm's End. With the Iron Fleet guarding the sea, he left Stormland's capital with 3,000 cavalry and quickly rode to Rosby to reinforce the king.
As for Daenerys, although managed to scored victory after victory at the Northern front, her invasion of Westeros is seems to lost its way. The Westeros realm is united against her, under the leadership of King Fredrik Reyne. She should have listened to Lord Tyrion's last word before his execution - "Fredrik came from a traitorous Westerland house, despite my father's grudge against his family. He never condemned him. Only a lion knows a lion. He is a fearless warrior like Aegon and Rhaenys. He is cunning like Visenya. All without a dragons. He will unite the realm and throw you deep into the Narrow Sea..".
During the invasion, the Targaryen managed to seized a part of Crownlands holding a key castle of Dragonstone, Claw Isle, Driftsmark, Rook's Rest, Dyre Den and Antlers. Due to a number of atrocities committed against the Crownland's people, Queen Daenerys is unable to levy a new army, only a few thousand soldiers levied from the Targaryen loyalist at Dragonstone. With less than 50,000 troops left and no further reinforcement from Essos. The best strategy is to defend her new land, instead of going offensive to take the capital. Upon discussing with her war council, the Queen decided to advance straightly to King's Landing and reclaim the Iron Throne. According to her spies, the capital is defenseless since the main army has been draw to the multiple fronts. There were only two sizable Royal army left, Lord Tyrell's 10,000 troops (3,000 en route to King's Landing, 7,000 at Storm's End) and King's army with 14,000 soldiers holed up at Rosby.
Fredrik did not want to bring the horror of war at the gate of his capital, instead he is planning to destroy Daenerys army at a place called Brindlewood. This is a perfect battle site, surrounded by a light forest with river at the back, he plan to ambush the Targaryen there. Daenerys still possessed a numerical superiority against Fredrik with 3,000 Unsullied, 13,000 Second Sons, 10,000 Dothraki's horseman and 4,000 auxiliary troops. At the opposite sides, King Fredrik have 7,000 infantry, 3,000 missile troops and 4,000 cavalry at his disposal.
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