The king's herald signals that the enemy is sighted
Chapter Four
Upon his return from the crusade, the Black Knight paid his friend prince Merlin a visit, to see how his war against his "rebellious son" was progressing. Finding the elder prince in a state of melancholia, the Black Knight felt it his duty, as a friend, to pay back old favors, by lending prince Merlin military assistance. This raised Merlin's spirits enough for him to muster his troops for a renewed assault on the royal abode, the castle of king Merlin his father, where prince Richard was taking refuge.
The king's herald signals that the enemy is sighted
The military expertise of the Black Knight provided prince Merlin with a formidable assault tower, a sturdy wheeled matlet and a generous supply of assault ladders.
The assault tower sheathed in flayed animal hides
It was before sun-up as the allies approached the walls.
King Merlin's castle as seen by the approaching crusaders
Inside the castle all was bustle as the defenders took their assigned positions on the walls and towers.
From the walls, the Black Knight and prince Merlin's combined armies are seen moving up
King Merlin, lamenting this latest outrage between his son and grandson, shook his hoary head and turned the outcome of the day over to his belicose progeny.
Inside the castle yard: prince Richard and his men-at-arms on horseback
The king, his daughter and the court, taking refuge in one of the towers
Prince Merlin's men on the left, and the Black Knight's troops on the right, come within a bowshot of the walls.
There was a pause for full daylight, then the signal to make the final advance was given.
Prince Richard fine-tunes his defensive dispositions
The first fire-tipped arrows and bolts arced up from the castle and thumped into the mantlet and assault tower. The effects are minimal at this range, as the firebrands are necessarily slight to achieve the range.
Crusader pikemen push their tower forward
As the attackers wheel their machines closer, the defender marksmen can shoot shafts with heavier firebrands. The assault tower is the most dangerous weapon the attackers have, so most of the fire arrows concentrate on that; smoke begins to rise up as the wet hides covering it smolder.
Inside effective range
As it was the plan of prince Merlin and the Black Knight to carry the defenses with the assault tower, the prince's men were employed in a flank attack with ladders to distract the garrison and thin the defense in front of the crusaders. It was intended that once the crusaders took the wall, they would open the gate and admit the cavalry.
Prince Merlin's footmen run with their ladders to divert the defenders to the north wall
The defenders turned some of their marksmen to shoot into the threatened first assault. First blood was scored on prince Merlin's footmen.
First blood goes to prince Richard
Prince Merlin's men struggle to raise ladders as missiles strike down more of their comrades.
The first attacker to reach the top of a ladder falls to his death (full plate works against you when you fall!)
The assault tower reaches the wall and the drawbridge thumps down. The crusaders' attack is stopped by a valiant defense. Meanwhile, the marksmen have succeeded in setting the assault tower alight. The first flames lick up its right side.
The crusader attack is halted.
Pikemen scramble up the ladders to pack the upper storey of the assault tower
Once the tower is alight (which takes three successful hits: of 12 outside 15", or 11 and 12 closer) the tower will last 1d6 more turns before being engulfed in flames: I rolled a 6.
Merde! Fire!
The diversion at the north wall is going poorly for the attackers.
No headway yet; the defenders are holding off the diversion handily
Casualties mount among the crusaders. Their front rank goes down and the defender marksmen score hits among the back ranks. The defenders also take losses. But they give twice as good as they take.
Officers down, the crusaders press desperately on, as the flames mount higher: time is running out!
Panic begins to take hold of the crusaders. Most of them quit the tower before they fry
The attack is doomed. That is plain.
Zounds! Get out!!
And the tower goes up in flames, cutting off the two crusaders in front, who barely gain the parapet, where they are taken prisoner
The tower is abandoned to the flames
The crusaders abandoned their tower at the last minute. No one perished in the fire.
Two crusaders are taken prisoner; better than being burned alive!
Prince Merlin's men, having taken fifty percent casualties, and seeing the failure of the main assault, quit the attack and skedaddle back to their lines. One of them falls prisoner, his "reward" for valiantly gaining the parapet.
"The prisoner" is told to lay down his weapon
Routing halbardiers
Final tally of the casualties of war: out of four wounded crusaders, two dead; prince Merlin's army suffered the most, six wounded, one fatality; and prince Richard had four men wounded, but none killed. In addition, the Black Knight had to ransom two of his men, and prince Merlin had to ransom one of his.
Prince Richard rewards himself with a victory lollipop
The Black Knight is glad to get away as lightly as he did. His force could have been lost entirely in that fire! He bids his friend "good bye" again, and considers his debts of the past paid off. Prince Merlin returns to his dank castle and broods over his repeated failures, slipping into his typical melancholia once more. His son ignores his father and continues to enjoy the royal favor of his grandfather the king.