When one thinks about the military successes of the world, learned minds lean towards the pivotal moments that toppled empires. In many cases these were minor engagements, but they set the tone of a war, or allowed a key figure to rise to prominence. They were the initial stumbling blocks from which the eventual losers never quiet managed to recover. There were of course, the other kind of pivotal battles. Those clashes of titans that often left all involved dreadfully weakened. The Holding of the Mimonal Line. The battle to Fivers Creek. The Sacking of Torvence. The Defense of the Braid. All massive battles, involving thousands of men and killing most of them.

The less culturally exposed often focus on the latter, the mighty smiths hammer blows, rather than the keen sculptors chiseling. And it makes sense that they should do so. One is loud, and noticable, and the echoes do so resound. And the other is quiet, compact, and most appreciated in a gentlemans study.

Personally. My favorite victory, or more accurately success, is neither of these. But a simple series of small engagements that spawned the Crimson War. Those involved have worked in surprising concert to hide the true cause of the conflict. Which was what intially caught and tickled my curiousity.

I was studying the history of engagements around the wheelstone area of Printh, when I came upon a surprising bit of lore. The locals in the pub were telling tales about the start of the Criimson War. But they told of a version I had never heard before! No decrees from gods, or demon spawn amongst men here. Just a simple tale, almost too simple to believe. I double and triple checked the local lords librarys and found no mention of this ignition point. 

I started searching, seeking out scraps here and there, and as history has shown so many times before, nothing is ever truly forgotten. Eventually I managed to gather enough information, and even interview a few who were directly involved.

The initial spark that bloomed into the Crimson War was a fairly common one. The soldiers of one kingdom dressed like bandits and raided another kingdoms land. This is, as I said, a fairly common thing. Especially when neighbors are not on the best of terms. That made this raid so special, was a rather dogged band of mercenaries.

The name of the band, and the name of their leader is lost, burned or buried. But the tale of their exploits lingers in the minds of the locals, and it is from them that I managed to parse out this story. I am missing pieces, but I believe that I have managed to cobble together a fairly accurate summation of the events.

So here it is.

On a fine autumn day, Duke Eltry of Po sent a band of his huscarls to cross the border into the neighboring kingdom of Went. They successfully attacked the lands of Countess Warven of Went, and proceeded to attempt to recross the border. As they went, they ran smack dab into a passing band of mercenaries.

To the best of my knowledge, they were never asked, directed, or paid to waylay the raiders. One fellow said that their leader had decided to capture the raiders, in hopes of recieving a prize or compensation of some sort. This is very odd behavior for a mercenary captain, as they typically avoid all risks possible, unless paid extremely handsomely. This leads me to believe that this company of mercenaries was either young and naive, or just plain daft.

Possibly a combination of the two.

Regardless, the mercenaries attacked the raiders. Perhaps the soldiers were surprised and weary from their endeavors. Because when the mercenaries fell on them the raiders were swiftly killed or captured. 

Now, this is where things get interesting. The mercenaries brought their captives to the wrong place. The brought them to Baron Jorge of Mancarstai. Confused and bewildered by the sudden appearance of captive Po raiders in his lands the Baron sent a strongly worded message to the Duke. Demanding ransom for his captives. In the meantime, he quietly took claim of the cattle the raiders had plundered from the Countess.

The Countess in the meantime had sent a letter of her own to the Duke, demanding the return of her cattle. The Countesses letter arrived first. Presumably confused as to how her courier had beaten his raiders back to his lands the Duke nevertheless agreed to release the cattle he had thought captured back to her. For a very high price.

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Though there was no doubt some conversations being held behind closed doors, the deal was accepted. The cattle were to feed her land through the winter, it was unlikely for all of her people to survive without the meat, hides, milk, and warmth of the stolen herds.

So the Countess sent the gold to the Duke, who was unable to honor his side of the bargain as he had yet to hear from his raiders. Which is when the Barons courier arrived. Learning that his raiders had been captured, the Duke hurriedly agreed to pay the ransom, and get his men and the cattle back.

Now, while all this was going. The mercenaries were wandering about, looking for work. The Baron had, if the stories are true, not paid them so much as a wood nickle. He had then demanded they leave his lands, and threatened to have his men attack them. There is no clear indication as to why this happened exactly, but some accounts say that the mercenary captain had badly offended the Baron in some manner.

As they were wandering they came across the group of guards the Duke had sent to retrieve his raiders and the cattle. Word had spread of what the mercenaries had done among the Dukes troops. So upon seeing the mercenaries standard, which has been rather cleanly erased from history, the guards attacked them. Seeking revenge no doubt.

Now, these were the honor guards of a massive sum of gold. Hundreds of huscarls. They heavily outnumbered the mercenaries, and yet somehow they lost all the same. Any clues that might have been gleaned of the source of this surprising victory are lost. A forest fire swept through the area at some point, and destroyed all evidence beyond some scorched swords and armor.

It is believed the mercenaries made off with the gold, or at least, none of the locals have claimed to have found it.

So, The Duke was out a few hundred soldiers, a load of gold, and wouldn't be able to produce the cattle upon arrival of the Countesses forces. This was a bad thing, as far as he was concerned. As far as he knew, the Baron had not only attacked his raiding group, but had also ambushed his ransom chest. So he prepared to attack the Baron. 

When the Countesses group neared the Dukes lands, and saw the Dukes soldiers preparing for combat. Well, they assumed themselves the target. Speeding back towards their lands. Along the way, they ran directly into the hapless mercenaries. Again, they leapt to an assumption. Thinking the mercenaries had been hired by the Duke to slow their retreat so his forces could catch up to them, they attacked. All accounts agree, the commander of the Countesses ransom forces was a nitwit.

Again, a small force of mercenaries, the numbers vary from story to story but never were they more than a hundred strong, face and destroyed a numerically superior force. And again, it is thought they made off with the gold.

Meanwhile, a Went merchant happened to be passing through the Barons lands in Mancarstai. They noticed the cattle, branded with the Countesses mark, and reported it to her as soon as possible.

Having her ransom disappear in the Dukes lands, and finding out her cattle were among the Barons herds. The Countess was quite angry. She came to the conclusion that the Baron had sent raiders into her lands, masquerading as the Dukes men masquerading as brigands. Then when she had approached the Duke he had accepted her offer of ransom with absolutely no intention or ability to return her stolen cattle. But rather intending only to ambush her forces and steal her gold.

She immediately split her soldiers into two poorly organized forces. One headed into the Dukes lands, to reclaim her gold and honor. The other dove into the Barons lands, to seize her stolen cattle.

The token force the Duke had left behind to guard his castle while he led his forces against the Baron where swiftly overwhelmed, and his home was destroyed while his valuables were stolen.

Meanwhile, the Barons herds were stolen or slaughtered, the Barons soldiers too busy fighting of the Dukes forces to notice the Countesses army.

The Baron had sent for reinforcements from his kingdom as soon as the Dukes men began invading. He knew he alone stood no chance against the Duke. He had the raider prisoners executed atop the castle walls as he came under siege. Which no doubt angered the Duke.

That anger was probably eclipsed when one of his frantic sons came galloping to the front to inform him that his home had been looted and destroyed. He sped off after the Countesses forces to enact some revenge. Through some combination of geography and bad luck he stumbled across the forces she had sent to reclaim her cattle from the Baron. 

He slaughtered them all, soldier and cattle alike. Then marched into her lands. She had been expecting retaliation though, and had already called upon her allies and kingdom. So he was swiftly sent running back to his ruined halls. He raised the call for aid himself.

The Went Kingdom forces behind the Countess attacked the Baron, running into stiff resistance from the Mancarstai Kingdoms reinforcements. Meanwhile the Po Kingdom rallied behind the Duke and engaged both forces at once.

And so the Crimson War began, and I'm sure you all know how it ended. What you, myself, and pretty much everyone else doesn't know however. Is, what happened to that mercenary band? And what did they do with all that gold?

I suppose we might never know, but whenever I think of that small band leading three giants around by the nose. Well, I have myself a little chuckle.