Caerleon

Notable Personages of Caerleon

Queen Jessica Caerleon

Jessica Caerleon is the only child King Daywd Caerleon, all other issue having died within one to two weeks of issue of an as yet unknown wasting disease. Borne in the midst of night in the deepest depths of winter Jessica was as healthy as her siblings at birth, but the King, grief stricken by the deaths of all his other children would not look upon her commanding that she be taken to the priests that they see to the purity of her soul before he believed her inevitable death. At the kings command the midwife took the young Jessica to the small chapel within the kings manor in Aberffraw and delivered the young child to the young under priest who was standing vigil, Maelgwyn ap Cadwgan. Maelgwyn, a most devout priest of the One God prayed fervently with the One God for his intercession in the life of this child.

Two weeks later Jessica Caerleon still lived, untouched by any wasting disease, her survival after all of her preceding siblings had passed was acclaimed as a miracle, the first performed by the man who would go on to become the Archpriest of the Temple. King Daywd, understanding that the intercession of God meant great things for his daughter moved to ensure that she was well educated and so from a young age Jessica spent a full half of time as a child learning at the Temple, and the other half learning at the court.

On reaching her majority Jessica Caerleon was inducted into the Knightly Order of St Columba by Rhydderch Penkawr, Lord Militant of the Temple. But in a change from the previous Kings and Queens of Caerleon who had been indicted as Knight-Companion of the Order, Jessica Caerleon was inducted as a Knight-Paladin of the Order of St Columba, signifying a strong connection to the One God and widely considered a sign of divine favor.

Sir Estian the Wise

Sir Estian is the younger brother of the late King Daywd Caerleon, born the son of the King Masven Caerleon and an unknown woman, who is suspected to be a chambermaid or other serving woman.

At a young age Estian was given into the care of the court bard who was instructed to see to his raising and learning with instructions that he be taught all the skills appropriate of a noble, and whilst Estian was an apt student it was clear that he had more expertise as in the administration of the court than the leadership of the country. Estian delighted in the intricacies of estate management and administration.

On reaching an age of fosterage Estian spent a year residing with each of settlement leaders in Caerleon, learning details of their personalities and peculiarities. Most learned scholars suspect that Estian was being groomed as potential successor for his brother King Daywd who had had no issue at the time (though from salacious rumour, not for want of trying).

It is at this time that Estian, became Sir Estian, knighted on the battlefield for rallying and then leading the levy in a series of engagements where they successfully chased down, and then wiped out a large group of seaborne raiders who had come from the north, who had raided a nunnery and monastery.

When his niece Jessica was born, rather than displaying any disgruntlement at losing his position as heir, Sir Estian led the celebrations of her birth and was one of the foremost proponents of female succession, pointing out quite strongly that the Princess Jessica had been gifted by God of a bloodline of such great strength that it was even apparent in a newborn babe and that to disregard the obvious involvement of God was sacrilege.

Since Jessica's birth Sir Estian has been active in her training, working closely with the local Ecclesiast of Caerleon to ensure that the future of Caerleon is one blessed by God and supported by man.

Elder Homnan of Pwlldefaid
Homnan is not a noble man by birth, but rather one by circumstance, having been selected as one of the 3 elders of the village of Pwlldefaid by the folk moot every year for the last three decades. The reason for his success is his reputation as a man of faith without being a zealot, as a man of intelligence without being arrogant, a capable warrior without being a bully and so on. In all things important to the village he is slightly more competent than the norm without being exceptional at any one thing.

Dougal Macleod, Laird of Fort Bangor

Ask any member of the Macleod family and they will happily tell you of their proud Lothian heritage, the great strength of their ancestor Warlord Ken Macleod and the one man who beat him.

In the time of the first Branson Caerleon, large Lothian war bands drove deep into the southern lands, what would go on to become the Five Kingdoms. The war bands under Warlord Kenneth Macleod, never defeated in single combat, had plundered their way through Bayard and Camelot yet each time a scouting group headed into mountainous Caerleon not a one came back. Eventually the Warlord took note of this and personally led a band of reavers into Caerleon. Travelling along the southern coast they came upon abandoned village after village as they headed deeper into Caerleon. Eventually the war band reached the village at Bangor, which sat atop the only ford to the Angelsea Isle, on the far side of the ford they could see columns of villagers, with wagons full of their possession struggling up the paths cut into the towering bluffs.

Standing before them, at the far end of the ford was a single man, his flaming red hair thrashing in the wind, resting his hands upon a maul, casually waiting. The war band surged forward seeking to cast aside this single warrior who barred their path from the plunder the villagers represented. Yet as they approached him they found that they could go no further for the man was surrounded by a powerful aura that cowed them and held them back. Then in a powerful voice Branson Caerleon called out challenge to single combat daring Kenneth Macleod to face him or prove himself a coward.

The Macleod, unable to decline this challenge in the face of his men, stepped past his mail armed men through the ankle-deep water of the ford to face his challenger. Sword met maul in a ferocious cacophony of sound and battle was joined amongst the waters of the Bangor Ford.

As Macleod fought Caerleon, the eyes of the war band fixed on them, none noticed the quickly approaching summer storm, the shallow water of the ford rising from ankle deep to knee deep in a matter of minutes as the storm front moved in. Soon the clashing of blade on maul was joined the clashing of thunder and lightning as the heavens opened, torrents of rain pouring down on the two warriors, surging back and forth in the rising water.

Then the gods intervened in the battle making their favour known, a great wave, as tall as two houses stacked one atop the other, surged down the channel towards the battling men and watching reavers, Branson seeing the oncoming water planted the heavy head of his maul into the soft sand, wrapped his hand strongly in the binding leathers and squared his shoulders against the wave. Kenneth Macleod drove his blade into the sand and held on with all his strength. As the wave surged over the ford the reavers in their heavy mail where quickly washed away to drown in the deeper sections of the channel whilst Kenneth Macleod's grip slowly failed against the unrelenting power of the wave until eventually is failed and he began to be swept away.

Then a great hand struck powerfully through the wave and grabbed Kenneth by the wrist, holding him fast against the waves until it passed. When the wave passed the villagers turned to see Branson Caerleon unmoved before the wave and Kenneth Macleod kneeling before him in the sand, submitting.

Kenneth Macleod would eventually marry Branson Caerleon's third sister, would be named Laird of Bangor having given word to "guard the ford like Branson did" and with the coming of Saint Columba was one of the first converts to the True Faith.

The current Macleod is Dougal, a youngish warrior of one score and five years who is married to a local villager. He has a son, Connor, who is aged 12 and fostered at Aberffraw. He can oft be found fishing from the ford with rod and twine.

Shaben, Chief of Garth Celyn

The current chief of Garth Celyn is a large taciturn man, similar to most of the fisher folk that he is responsible for. He is widely regarded as a competent sailor with a in depth knowledge and intimate understanding of the local weather and currents. Chief Shaben is married to Isabel de Braose, the daughter of a merchant from Normandy shipwrecked over a decade ago, and has a large family with 3 sons (Crwys, Dylan & Gwyndaf) and 2 daughters (Isabel & Marie).

In the mild winter of [T8] Chief Saben and his wife where blessed again with another child, a boy. The child having survived winter is now ready for baptism and rumour has it Chief Saben wishes to name the boy James in honour of Lord James Holt whose merchant ships have been buying much of salted and pickled fish sold by the village.

Recent History of Caerleon

Turn 1: The Trouble with Banditry.

As her first official act as Queen, having buried her father in a private ceremony the previous winter, Queen Jessica Caerleon took the Queendom's contingent of Outriders on a tour of the realm. Not merely content to simply meet with her new subjects, Queen Jessica Caerleon aggressively hunted down and applied high justice to a rash of bandits who had taken advantage of her fathers long infirmity to be a plague of commoner and noble alike. At the conclusion of the season it was said that a man could walk with a pouch of gold from one end of Caerleon to the other without being robbed, such was the totality of the Queen's justice.

Turn 2-4: The Umbrian Campaign.

In the spring of (T2) a great coalition was formed with the intent of stopping the advance of the Lothian forces into Umbria, as to the kingdoms of Albion an expanded Lothian presence in the north represented a strategic threat to peace in the south. Forces from most of the realms of Albion gathered in Elmet, a province of Camelot, and under the command of Sir Estian the Coalition forces advanced into Umbria and in what is recorded as one of the most unusual campaigns over the course of multiple battles the Coalition forces did not hold the field once, yet slew twice the men they lost and by the winter of (T4) had forced the Lothian forces, who had been subsumed by the Temple of Blood to sue for an end to hostilities.

Turn 3-4: Sir Abwen of Durry joins the Court of Caerleon and is appointed Quartermaster General of the Army.

A casualty of the Umbrian Campaign Sir Abwen had impressed Sir Estian with his understanding of the practicalities of warfare, something that his younger peers had lacked. When Sir Abwen was injured beyond healing in the 2nd season of the campaign and had an uncertain future Sir Estian quickly moved to recruit him a military advisor to Queen Caerleon. Soon after in the winter the Queen organised a rigorous examination of Sir Abwen's competency by the Court, and after an exemplary showing and supported by Sir Estians testimony to his martial valour and high moral character he was appointed Quartermaster general of the Army.

Turn 4: The Southern Traders Winter Ball.

In the first winter since her ascension to the throne of Caerleon, Queen Jessica attended the Winter Ball hosted by the Southern Traders. Mindful of her duty to her country to ensure a stable future succession, her primary goal at the Winter Ball was to identify and complete the required negotiations for a marriage contract. To this purpose the court of Caerleon sent letters asking all eligible realms to submit an offer for the hand and blood of Queen Jessica Caerleon.

Queen Caerleon, in a series of diplomatic manoeuvres worthy of a master (or mistress) of diplomacy was able to negotiate a number of new diplomatic agreements as well as expanding some existing agreements. Over the course of the winter Caerleon was able to negotiate a binding defensive alliance with Gawant, cemented a strong relationship with the newly named Southwestern Traders that would ensure stability in guild activities, deepened the relationship of the Crown of Caerleon with the Temple of the One God and as the crowning jewel of her diplomatic overtures negotiated a marriage contract with King Pendragon that bound the two nations more closely together.

During the course of the Winter Ball King Consort Dunbar was accused of both murder and espionage, actions that breached guest right. Queen Jessica Caerleon, as one of only few sovereign nobles present sat in judgement on the case. Based on the evidence presented over the course of the trial Queen Jessica Caerleon found King Consort Dunbar guilty of espionage but advocated a lesser sentence as much of the information presented indicated that King Dunbar was afflicted by a malady of the mind. Once the judgment was presented King Valiant and King Oden used the potential sentence to force a settlement on Nemeth on unelated matters involving the SouthWestern traders, an action that caused a significant degree of friction between the Caerleon contingent and the Dumonian hosts.

Turn 4-5: The Slaver Wars

Late in the winter of T4 a large fleet of ships bearing the banner of the Hibernian Slavers, purporting to carry grain and other foodstuffs to relieve an incipient famine caused wastage amongst stored grain, where permitted unopposed access to the harbours of Nemeth. In addition to unloading grain and other humanitarian supplies the fleet disgorged an army reported by some panicked sources as being comprised of over a score of units.

As winter broke the response from neighbouring nation was swift, Dumonia moved to reinforce it's neighbour and ally Alined. While closer to Caerleon our ally Camelot raised their levy and prepared to march to Alined's defence. Far to the north the troops deployed in the Umbrian raced southwards to ward off this new threat to Albion.

Unfortunately the enemy did not wait till all of Albion had gathered to oppose them, and striking with vicious speed they attacked the forming army in Alined, breaking it and driving it back towards Camelot. Thankfully Sir Estian arrived at the head Coalition Army and pausing only to reorganise the shattered remnants of Alined's and Dumononia's armies into his own over a month long campaign he was able to reduce and then destroy the Hibernian Slavers, shattering them on the beaches of Wessex.

Turn 5: The Wedding of King Pendragon of Camelot and Queen Caerleon of Caerleon.

Whilst to the south of Camelot's border Sir Estian commanded a coalition of forces against the Hibernian Slavers threat within Camelot another matter was on the agenda. Recognising that the persistent instability that plagued the land required strongly bound relationships the courts of Caerleon and Camelot moved quickly to complete the marriage contract. In a series of public ceremonies attended by allies and neighbours of Caerleon and Camelot the two realms where joined by marriage, then followed by the creation of Jessica Caerleon as the Duchess of the Isle of Man, a senior peer of the Court of Camelot.

Turn 6: A Royal Tour of the Isle of Man.

In the summer after her marriage Jessica Caerleon, Queen of Caerleon and now Duchess of the Isle of Man undertook a tour of her new domain, accompanied by her personal guard, she was preceded by a great number bards who spread word of her coming in every village. It is said that the Queen personally interviewed every lawman and sheriff on the isle, reorganising wherever she went, promoting some, recruiting others and replacing a select few.

Turn 7: Slavery Revisited & The Nemethian Intervention.

Autumn proceeded with very diverse events in very different locations. At the very beginning of Autumn, the Queens Sheriffs working hard to enforce the new laws decreed in the prior Summer immediately happened upon a most unexpected situation. Upon the manors held by Sir Rhys of Southfield Holding and Sir Bevan of Westridge Wells most distressing and unusual circumstances where discovered. The conditions on the estates, far from the just and lawful serfdom that is practised in Caerleon was much closer in practice to the slavery of Hibernia. The sheriffs, directed by the Queen's man, Lord Baron Douglas of Douglas arrested Sir Rhys and Sir Bevan submitting them to public trial.

In the Sheriffs wake select agents of the Crown, personally organised by Sir Estian gathered testimony for the trial, at the same time re-organising the estates and preparing them for new nobles to take the reins of leadership and management.

But whilst matters in the Isle of Man proceeded apace, in the south, still reeling form the Slaver Wars, more instability was to follow. In the Autumn, a short civil war had erupted. According to rumour and other unreliable forms of communication, Queen Ursula had slain her vassal Baron Tate in vile ambush, further to this the Baron's chief arms man, one Commander Dale rallied the late Baron's army and in a vicious battle shattered the Queens forces and took the Queen captive. Queen Ursula's allies, Queen North and Lord Protector P'téën, planned to take action but where held back by the druids of the Conclave who feared that the territory of Nemeth would simply be claimed by one of the larger nations.

Seeking other options the allies approached Caerleon, asking them to lead an intervention into Nemeth, to secure peace in the province and create a situation whereby the due process of law could examine the events around the Western Garrison and the death of Baron Tate. Initial stages proceeded peacefully, the Coalition army led by Sir Estian who was assisted by King Gildenwolf, entered Nemeth and compelled both armies to return to their garrison. It was then that disaster struck, Lady Rowena, acting for the Crown of Nemeth launched a rescue mission that failed catastrophically. If this was not enough to stoke the fires of the situation, Commander Dale, seemingly acting with the blessing of the Druids of Natures Soft Embrace took Queen Ursula from her cell and executed her.

Weeks later the Coalition army was approached by a force led by Governor Alden of Helna, who claimed that with the attestation of Natures Soft Embrace that he was the Lands Choice. Sir Estian, rightfully suspicious of this requested that the Governor demur and allow a council of the Barons of Nemeth to investigate the issue. The Governor and his druidic advisor Falea declined with arrogant word and insult. Unfortunately the intemperate and hasty words of the druids drove King Gildenwolf to righteous anger and he summoned his army to battle. Sir Estian compelled to join his ally lest he be overwhelmed. In a vicious battle the Coalition forces where driven from the field, the castle of Nemeth proving too much for the Coalition to overcome.

Turn 8: A Winter Ball in Camelot.

Winter normally a time for sedate diplomacy, quiet reflection and contemplation was instead a whirling riot of word and sound. Following the precipitous and extreme actions of the previous season, Queen Caerleon had been able to convince the Druids of Natures Soft Embrace that whilst they might feel there actions divinely sanctioned, that they had taken action on the mortal plain and that they must submit to mortal justice. In a further sign of her great diplomatic ability the Queen had been able to convince Alden of Nemeth to empower a panel of personal representatives of the five most powerful nobles in Nemeth to sit in independent judgement.

Arguing strongly before the tribunal Queen Caerleon advocated the position that it was hubris for mere mortals to dispense divine justice, as the gods had more than enough power and ability to enact their own sentences, and that as the druids acted in a secular role as judge, jury and executioner that they should, in turn, be judged by secular authority for the rightness of their actions.

In a most unexpected outcome, considering the partisan divide of the tribunal, the tribunal members, after due deliberation and consideration, found by a majority that the Druidess Falea and Commander Dale of the Western Garrison where guilty of the crime of regicide and should be executed.

Observers of the trial commented favourably on the lack of inappropriate influence being applied to the judges and where heard to comment that it was "a true and uninfluenced verdict found without fear or favour". The judgement of the court though was soon overtaken by current events when word reached Camelot that both the Druidess Falea and Commander Dale had died in an incident in a mine.

Queen Caerleon, whilst most active in the trial found ample opportunity for other activities, signing a Middle Albion Alliance, binding Caerleon, Camleot, Mercia and Tir Moreth to common defence. A position she stated was necessary for the central powers of Albion to avoid the instability that had plagued both Northern and Southern realms.

While the Queen was busy in Camelot the Court of Caerleon proceeded on more mundane matters, inducting Daffyd Ap Owen, the protégé of Sir Estian into the Court.

Turn 9: The War of Justice, a Conflict Birthed From the Ashes of the Umbrian Campaign.

At the conclusion of the Umbrian Campaign a peace had been agreed that included with it the return of all prisoners, as well as certain other agreements. It was in fulfilling this agreement that the Lothian Warlord and Archdruid of the Temple of Blood laid down the seeds of the current conflict. When the Priestess Meinwen ap Cadwgan, sister of the current Highpriest of the Temple of the One God was returned it was revealed that she had been most foully treated, in contravention of the social contract held by all civilized realms about the treatment of noble prisoners.

The Temple of the One God was rightly incensed and began the process of arming for war in the event that the Temple of Blood did not make proper redress for the insult done, and as winter turned to spring laid formal charges at the feet of Jorn Morrow, and when he did not respond, declared war.

In a stunning reversal, the King of Bayard repudiated his treaty with Lothia, and like an assassin struck Lothia and occupied the province of Gododdin. Further north Aelven armies under the command of Sir Estian struck Lothia forces, dealing heavy damage to the Lothians and then ravaged the Lothian capital of Lothia, seeking to ruin the ability of Lothia to make war for generations to come.

Closer to home Queen Caerleon focussed on more domestic pursuits, organising the last influx of new settlers into a number of new villages placed along the partially built highway between Caerleon and Camelot, completion of the Dolwyddelan Quarry and in a unplanned event Daffyd Ap Owen was promoted to Chamberlain of Caerleon after proposing a scheme whereby quarry offcuts, otherwise waste where able to be repurposed as roadbed for the highway, generating a significant one-off increase in the courts funds.  A number of informed sources amongst the court have commented on the fact that the Queen has begun to express a preference for a pungent goats milks cheese and has replaced her normal morning sparring sessions with sedate walks through the palace gardens.

Turn 10: The Fruit of the Seed of Tyranny.

As the second Umbrian campaign settled into minor raiding and skirmishing, as a result of the virulent plague running rampant through Lothian lands, the Nemethian conflict which had simmered through the spring flared into outright conflict.

Alden of Helna asserting rights given in treaty between Queen Ursula of Nemeth and King Valiant of Alined moved significant forces into the lands of Wessex. King Valiant, not expecting this movement and clearly believing it to be an invasion retreated to Dumonia. In a risky move Alden pushed to end of his supply lines moved into Gawant, obviously aiming for an end to the war. Thankfully Gawant had been hastily reinforced by both Bayard and Caerleon and the hastily assembled force was able to defeat Alden's army.

Having quickly obtained grudging permission from Alined the combined force under King Gildenwolf retraced the path taken by the Nemethian army occupying Nemeth at the very end of summer and investing the castle, settling in for a long siege.

In domestic events, the long awaited highway from Caerleon to Camelot was completed, and using stone from the new quarry the foundations of new fortifications where laid down at Deganwy and Aberconwy.

Turn 11: The World at War.

With Caerleon party to three separate conflicts much of the discussion in the court was focussed on where the small realms scant military resources would be deployed, the matter was made moot though when Archpriest ap Cadwgan called for a Crusade in Hibernia. Caerleon ever faithful moved quickly to support the actions against Robogdii and the Church of the Sacred Flame with both levy and leidang being raised.

With a much reduced presence in the Umbrian campaign, Caerleon advisers left much of the work to the Umbrian forces that they had fought alongside on multiple occasions, whilst in Nemeth advisers monitored the siege and where content with it's progress until Bayardian discipline failed. Thankfully the coalition supporting Alden the Usurper was unable to make any headway and as the Autumn wound down reinforcement from Alined joined the campaign.

In most joyous news the Queens pregnancy came to a successful conclusion, in a sign that Caerleon is truly blessed by the Creator, not one but two children where produced by the union of Queen Jessica Caerleon and King Glendall Pendragon. The birth of Gwenevere Pendragon and Branson Caerleon being announced widely through Caerleon and Camelot. It is said that church bells rang for a week without end.

In local news impacting the Saben family, Isabel Saben nee de Braose was reunited with her long lost brother Robert de Braose who had journeyed from far off lands in a year long journey to find his long lost sister. The Queen ever one to take advantage of opportunity quickly recruited Robert de Braose to the court citing his family ties and naval experience, which would come in use with impressment of the leidang. The court, with little to no naval experience, wisely consented to his inclusion within their rank, thankful to have someone who could answer the Queens questions on ships and shipping with authority.

The College of Aberffraw, having gained a more widespread reputation welcomed it's first guest scholar, Mirthal of Nagnati delivered a series of thought-provoking lecture on the Aelven view of creation, comparing and contrasting them with temple and druidic teaching.

Turn 12: A Smouldering Conflict.

Winter, normally a season of peaceeful reflection and consideration, was this year anything but. All Caerleon worked contanstly through what was areaonably mild winter. The Queen, recovered from the birthing of Autumn, took a brief sorjourn to the Isle of Man where she met with Sir Dallon, the new Lord of Southfield Holdings and was invited to tour the lands he managed in the Crown's name. Sir Dallon's skillful reorganisation of the slave planatations the Terror of Hibernia used to control into traditionalal Albion methods of land management has opened up new arable land for the Crown.

Meanwhile in the wake of the Queen's visit every learned man and woman was called on to read or recount Sir Estian's Letters from Hibernia, which touched on the heroism of Isle of Man levy as the fight against the goblinoid threat.

On route from the Isle of Man to Camelot the Queen continued her efforts on Elmet, meeting with the port guards who managed much of the trade between the two provinces.

Absent the Queen, the Court of Caerleon continued work on the final stage of the fortifications in Deganwy and Aberconwy, the twin forts now complete give the Royal Army total control of movement along the highway, which with Caerleon's mountainous terrain represents the only easy way in and out of the province.

Turn 13: The Hibernian Harrowing.

On the home front the Spring was quiet, the new lands identified in the Isle of Man where organised, land tilled, serfs emplaced and ground broken for the placement of granaries and the other facilities required for modern agriculture.

The Hibernian front was anything but quiet, whilst winter had been a season of low level skirmishing spring was anything but. Caerleon forces, swelled by independent parties called by the Queens message drove north along the coast of Hibernia, and helped by spring storms that delayed Goblin movements where able to drive into Rodogbii and capture Gnarl Orkblood.

Turn 14: A Summer of Discontent.

In light of the occupation of Robogdii and the capture of High Chief Gnarl Orkblood, Queen Jessica offered the remaining forces of Robogdii and it's tributary nations the opportunity to surrender, to throw themselves upon the just and wise mercy of the Queen. The Terror of Hibernia and Highpriest of the Church of the Sacred Flame however sought to avoid the responsibility of a party defeated and rather than surrender to the combined forces of Caerleon and her allied nations, indicated instead that they would surrender to King Valiant, a recent arrival to the Hibernian war. The Queen, quite rightly, repudiated this naked attempt by the Terror and the Highpriest to avoid submission to the victors in this conflict.

The surrender demand of the Coalition ignored, the Queen ordered the seizure of all assets belonging to the scoundrels, indicating that this would continue until they surrendered. Thankfully the nobles of Ebla and Erdini, recognising their loss, negotiated an appropriate surrender, Duke Redhurst swearing fealty to King Just. At this ceremony another agreement was also negotiated and formalised. Queen Caerleon of Caerleon and King Just of Lyceni formalising an alliance between their realms and binding their houses together, the young Prince Branson Caerleon betrothed to Kings Just's niece, the Lady Melissa Lycen, daughter of Duke Arden Lycen who governs much of the province Lyceni in King Justs name.

In news local to Caerleon the launch of Caerleons first ship, the King Daywd occurs under the command of Captain Cedrych Deganwy.

Turn 15: Answering the Robogdii Question.
With no reasonable response to her previous request for the fair surrender of the remaining forces of Robogdii, Queen Jessica moved to ensure a resolution of this issue. In published decree, backed by universal laws and Caerleon force of arms the Queen asserted her primacy over Robogdii and gave the only remaining holdouts, the Church of the Sacred Flame and the Hibernian Slavers but a month to quit the province or be destroyed.

Once the Queen's decree had spread, Jessica had the defeated High Chief Gnarl Orkblood bought before her in chains and proclaimed to all authorities, both temporal and spiritual her claim over the conquered lands. In an awe inspiring ceremony the One God recognized Queen Jessica's justly won right over Robogdii and stripped Gnarl Orkblood of all his domain.

Turn 16: Answering the Nagnati Question.
In the annals of future texts historians will likely record the actions of King of the Forest, Eraemïel Laramïr, as being one of the most troubling of actions. King Laramïr, unhappy at the decision of the forces allied against Robogdii to prioritize capture of the goblin capital as a means to end the conflict over a confrontation of the main goblin force occupying northern Nagnati, used his powerful realm magic to attempt to seize control of Lycceni forces with potential Nagnati descent. WHile the attempt was partially blocked, the act had led King Just to move in and occupy southern Nagnati to prevent future re-occurrences of this.

The question of what to do with Nagnati was complicated by conflicting priorities. King Caern of Umbria desired a strong, independent Nagnati, whilst King Just of Lyceni desired a Nagnati that had no real ability to exert magical influence outside it's borders. Strong wills and sharp wits battled back and forth in a see-sawing war of words that eventually saw a just agreement worked out.

The treaty signed Queen Jessica returned to Robogdii to survey the result of the work started in the beginning of winter, whilst some had proceeded as expected, other activities had not. Indeed the Queen was heard to state that "civilizing the goblins was like swimming upstream, hard work for little reward and a moments pause would sweep you back to where you started".

Turn 17-19: The Robgodii Integration.
With the post war issues in Hibernia mostly settled with only two issue remaining. The first of these, the continued freedom on Tharak Orkblood, the Terror of Hibernia, and his mystic holdings. An issue that would require the attention of those masters of magic of mysticism on the isle to resolve. The second issue being the remnants of the Church of the Sacred Flame, one of the parties responsible for starting the war, who hid without punishment in the shadow of King Valiant. A delicate issue that would require deft diplomatic handling, complicated by the mulish stubbornness of King Arthur Valiant and his willingness to tolerate heretical theological teachings in lands paying nominal fealty to him.

As those issues where not ones resolvable with immediate action, the Queen instead turned to work of integrating the new Caerleonian citizens of Robogdii into the prosperous and stable Kingdom of Caerleon. The Queens initial plans to establish a fully staffed, loyal and effective constabulary was stifled by the limited supply of skilled men and women will the requisite skills to act as the Queen's Law in Robogdii, a working command of the goblin language, being as very few goblins spoke a proper tongue. Having quickly deployed the limited sheriffs and reeves, and recruited a small number of carefully vetted goblins to train under them a review of the integration plan was conducted by the court.

After a number of months the new focus of the plan was implemented, a veritable army of bards led by Sir Estian the Wise and Daffyd Ap Owen descended on Robogdii. With a carefully tailored message emphasizing the Queen personal power and strength they where able to quickly raise popular support for the Queen. Simultaneously a civilised system of serfdom, informed by Caerleonian experience in replacing goblin led slavery, was implemented, ensuring that by the end of the autumn of (T19) every rural goblin was properly placed on lands, with appropriate feudal oversight.

T20: The Winter War.
But all good things must eventually, and in the winter of (T19) as the process of the integration of Robogdii proceeded smoothly that chaos reared it's ugly head. Firstly in the capital province where autumn landslides had exposed a previously buried system of caves of tunnels, from the dark under realm goblins riding spiders the size of small dogs and hobgoblins aplenty began the acts of depredation that are so common among the darker goblin tribes. In the mist shrouded valleys of the mountains of Caerleon, the militia only recently returned from Hibernia battled dark goblins in short sharp clashes. Supported by the light infantry of the Temple Militant the militia was able to keep the dark goblins from doing anything more than minor damage to the coastal villages.

Whilst goblinoid raiders from the mountains of Caerleon would in normal years be the most noteworthy event of the season, this was not most seasons. A second attack was made upon the Queens domain. The vicious seaborne remnants of the Hibernia Slavers, who had spent the previous seasons plundering the war ravaged land of Nagnati turned their attention to Robogdii. The prosperity that had come with the Queens rule drawing their eye and the ravening ships of their ramshackle fleet. Again though, agents of evil who had foul designs of our dominion where turned back by the Queens foresight and preparation, the fledgling Caerleon Royal Navy, supported by their much larger ally, the Southwestern Traders, met the Hibernian Slavers at sea. Over the course of weeks they engaged in an extended game of cat and mouse, slaver ships trying again and again to make for the exposed settlements on the shore being turned back time and time again by our brave navy.

If this where not enough, raiders on both land an sea, their was a third axis of attack on Caerleon. Well armed bands of goblins, gathered in the province of Venicii in the Kingdom of Alined, and evidently being overenthusiastic and with insufficient oversight, took it upon themselves to raid into Robogdii. Here again though, the peaceful citizens of Caerleon where well protected by the Queens foresight, the elite Caerleon Mountaineers, who had been patrolling the province for the last year, turned back the raiders with a series of ambushes. Leaving heaped corpses and hanged bodies as a warning against future raiding.

T21: The Tunnels of Caerleon.
With the entrances to the tunnels identified, Queen Jessica resolved to a military campaign to purge the source of the raids that they might never trouble her citizens again. Calling on the many allies that Jessica had made in Albion soon enough small contingents of large armies of Camelot, Gawant and Mercia arrived into the mountain camps in Caerleon. Commanded by Sir Estian, whose previous experience fighting goblin troops in Wessex and Hibernia was invaluable a grinding campaign was conducted. Relentless pressure with sustained attacks, the allied heavy troops being used as an anvil that the hammer of the Caerleon Army pounded the goblin forces into. For weeks the attacks continued until eventually goblins collapsed, unable to resist the relentless pressure any more. When the victorious army emerged from the now empty tunnels, it was a battered and bloodied force, but a force that had no enemy left to fight.