webnovel

Lord Raven's Court

In the year 556 of the Runtallian Calendar, a war broke out in the eastern frontier of the Kingdom of Runtallia between the eastern overlord, Duke Gaverone Walruse of Regalia, and the barbarian chief-thane known as Dariun Drunzelle of the Shiradonii tribe, one of the Four Great Tribes of Norsmund, a nation that borders the Kingdom, deemed to be the land of brutes and savages. As the Duke of Regalia marches with his army to defend the disputed land of Kurlon, the barbarians have taken such an opportune moment to launch another incursion near the eastern border of Regalia near the town of Flendle, with the intention of dividing his army. However, despite accepting the town and the surrounding local lords' territories as lost cause in the war in favor of Kurlon– a newly discovered territory bountiful with veins of iron and other minerals– the Duke tasks his third son, Lord Velmund Walruse, along with his retinue, the Order of the Raven Knights, to fend off the attack. Now faced with the plight of defending the border town against a 5,000-strong Norsmundi army with his few yet skilled knights, along with an ill-equipped and undermanned militia, Lord Velmund has no choice but to fulfill his duty as a noble, relying upon his wits and his few but capable retainers to survive his first battle at the tender age of sixteen summers and winters. Contrary to his timid, youthful, and innocent appearance, however, lies his sly and scheming nature, evident by his fondness of dark magical arts specializing in illusion spells. Nevertheless, he himself has no idea of what he is capable of, and what he is destined to become. Meanwhile, further east at the frontier with Norsmund, a plot hatches to ensnare the Duke within the clutches of his treacherous vassals. Not only his life is threatened by these schemes, but his sons Theo and Varus as well. With this scheme put into motion, the Duke and Velmund's siblings, Varus and Theo, would taste fate's twisted humor, with the former meeting his demise in a blaze of glory amidst the field of battle, and the latter two vanishing in incidents shrouded by mysteries. With the death of the patriarch of Regalia and his heirs' disappearance, the young lord who was initially third in line for the succession of the ducal seat became its temporary occupant. And thus, the tale of him and his court begins… CHAPTER RELEASE: January 1st at 12:00 UTC

SlothfulChronicler · สงคราม
Not enough ratings
191 Chs

Information for Public Disclosure: The Crown Guard

The Order of the Guardians of the Crown, otherwise known as the Crown Guard, is the largest cavalry-based unit incorporated in the Kingdom's Royal Army, currently with approximately 4,000 knights and men-at-arms. As the members of the Crown Guard are to sworn fealty only to the King, the admittance in the military order is strict and limited, but increases one's prestige as a warrior incomparable to that of any noble's knight or that of a normal men-at-arms under the Four Grand Generals of the Royal Army.

The order's most notable achievement was the Battle of Denhark in the Third Runtallian–Gittlornian War. In the autumn of the year 549 of the Runtallian Calendar, around 350 war galleys and transport vessels from the Republic had set sail for the northern coast of the Kingdom under the orders of the Republican Senate. The invading force landed on the Duchy of Randuin, specifically at the port town of Denhark, disembarking over 40,000 phalangites led by Republican Governor Amadeus. The invasion from the Republic was anticipated by Duke Grendle and the other northern lords, and the Nordfell Faction had initially intended to fend off the invasion by their armies alone, but nevertheless the scale of the attack was unforeseen and almost caught them off guard. Even with the defender's territorial advantage, the northern lords were only able to muster 10,000 men, mostly professional soldier retainers and mercenaries, as at the time peasant levies were limited due to the harvest season. As a result, Duke Grendle wrote a letter to the King pleading for military assistance, as was expected of him in the first place, but the Duke still refrained to seek help from the other ducal factions, which can only be attributed to his pride and arrogance.

As days passed by without any major battles taking place, the Duke of Randuin received his reply from the monarch in the form of the First, Second and Third Banner of the Royal Army with the Crown Guard headed personally by King Garrett Siegmund Durhamfortt XIII along with two of the Four Grand Generals, totaling to 19,000 infantry and cavalry. As the Republican Army received reports of the reinforcement, Governor Amadeus decided to instigate a field battle with the Duke's army to eliminate him before the King's forces arrived. However, half an hour during the battle, a horn was suddenly heard in the horizon and suddenly a contingent of heavy cavalry several thousand strong emerged upon the right side of the Republican Army, which eventually resulted to a flanking maneuver, and not too long the Gittlornians began fleeing the battlefield as many of their comrades get slaughtered. At the end, the Republicans were routed and before they were able to successfully board their ships to escape, the death toll had already amounted to 13,000 casualties and another 8,000 soldiers and officers were captured and ransomed. It is also worth noting that after the disastrous war with Norsmund three decades prior, the influence of the Royal House declined over the years due to the previous monarch's failed military campaigns, paving way for the ducal factions to gain more power and influence. However, after the Battle of Denhark, the Crown Guard gained recognition for their exceptional discharge and strengthened the Royal authority throughout the Kingdom, especially on the northern region after providing reinforcements and winning the war. The current king was able to also consolidate his rule among the hostile lords of the western region owing it to the military presence of the Crown Guard.