The Rape of Trnova

Excerpt from the interview with Three-Eyed Pavol, headman and sole survivor of the border colony of Trnova. As recounted by the scribe of Bohdan, under-senschal to Raugraf Androj Animachus the Younger.

Bohdan: Again from the beginning of the attack, itself. Surely, man, you can't still be drunk? It's been over a day since you've received the hospitality of my most puissant and gracious master.

Pavol: Dzzeruphenated.

[Bohdan slaps the hollow-eyed beet-red headman soundly across the face with the handle of his horse-whip.]

Pavol: Sweet jabberin' black goat of the thousand hills, you overshtufed popinjay! I tolds you what I knows.

Bohdan: Again or I shall reapply the supplications of my whip.

Pavol: It twas earl in the morn and I was sounding out the sturdiness of my tuber-cellar.

Bohdan [impatiently cuts in]: yes, yes you were inebriated and passed out from the debauched rites of your borderlands pagan rites of the night before. [Shudders and makes a two-fingered counter-swirling sign of the Sun Lord as practiced by the Reformed Orthodox Seventh Lodge.] Just what happened man.

Pavol: There was a screamin' and a yellin' something fierce. I armed myself fir battle with an over-large chleb-root and bravely strode out to meet the enemy.

But them was a quick buggers—and furry. A pack of wolves I tell you but like men. They were up on two legs and all a hollerin' and a hootin' between their big wolf fangs. And they were making a right bloody mess o' the colony village. Killin' and a hackin' away. If it hadn't been for that Svat-cursed malplaced cellar beam, I would have whip 'em a-plenty.

Bohdan: yes, yes, you craven drunken imbecile, you knocked yourself senseless running into it. But how do you account for a complete massacre of every inhabitant? And the failure of them to lift away the pay coffers and other valuables from Trnova? Are the Brazonians that daft and bloodthirsty?

[End excerpt]

Hussite Wars, Full Movie

The whole film of the clip I posted yesterday from the Czech film, Proti Vsem (Against All). Click on "cc" in the bottom right corner to get English subtitles.

Battlefield Britain - Battle For Wales

Battlefield Britain - Hastings

The Hussite Wars, Part 1

Battle of Stamford Bridge (Ch. 4: 1066) Part 3/3

Battle of Stamford Bridge (Ch. 4: 1066) Part 2/3

Battle of Stamford Bridge (Ch. 4: 1066) Part 1/3

The Animated Bayeux Tapestry

Castle Blackmoor

Just after dawn an exhausted rider rode through the great gate house of Baron Fredrick's castle,
challenged by the sergeant of the watch as he came to halt inside the bailey, "what news of the south?"
the asked. The courier wiped sweat and dust from his face and replied," Sergeant, I bare sad tidings from young Lord Roger,  the village of Hasburgh is lost!" The sergeant commanded the courier to
wait where he was and then sent a runner to wake the lords Reeve.

Egbert Baron Fredrick's Reeve was startled awake by loud knocking at his chamber door, throwing
on his robe he called out to see what was the matter. He was briefly told of the courier that awaited
him in the castle bailey. Hurriedly he called his servants to dress him and wake the rest of the castle.
Rushing to the bailey he saw the tired figure standing beside the watch sergeant holding the sealed
message tube in his hand. He asked the courier to describe to him all that he had seen then said,
"the Baron will want to hear this from you, follow me."

Egbert led the courier into the main hall where the Baron was already seated. Baron Fredrick
always a large powerful man had gone fat in his later years but he had lost none of his wit or
intelligence. His dark eyes looked out under heavy brows as he stroked his full dark beard.
The Baron's full voice boomed, "what news Egbert?"

Grave news my lord,  the village of Hasburgh has been destroyed and all the people are missing.
As Egbert told his lord this the courier knelt before his lord and held the dispatch out to the Baron.
Fredrick broke the seal and removed the parchment, and began to read his son's hurried but steady hand. The lord's face was drawn as he took in the grim report, at last he looked up at the courier
and said, "Your Tully's son James aren't you? "I my lord" the the courier replied surprised that
the baron would remember the son of a lowly archer. Fredrick had his man give all the details he
could recall then dismissed him to eat and rest.

The Baron sat deep in thought for several minutes then arose and began to give orders to his retainers,
sending riders to summon his banner men here. He dictated a detailed letter to the Lord Marshal and
to the lords to his north,east and west. The castle was now a rush in activity, riders came and went on the hour. The Baron was to gather his forces with in the week and march south........

Viking Psi-Ops

Village Of Hasburgh Destroyed

A cavalry patrol lead by Roger the youngest son of Baron Frederick came upon a horrendous
sight as they rode to the southern most part of his fiefdom. As his lance entered the north end
of the valley the village of Hasburgh located on the southern end was ablaze.

The 40 riders galloped their horses to the gate of the stockade that was torn down, Roger ordered
scouts to follow any tracks out of the village, he then ordered the rest of the men to search the
village.

After four hours of searching not one person living or dead was found, the scouts returned and
informed their lord that the tracks of a large body of men and horses disappeared at the edge of
the river to the south. The scouts estimated that the tracks were at least five hours old.

Roger sent word of this attack to his father but, he wondered how any enemy could take such
a well fortified village and where are the people? As is the imperial practise boarder villages
are surrounded with a stockade and have a watch tower manned at all times, furthermore the
village headman was a retired man at arms as were many of the other village men. It is the
custom within the empire to settle old soldiers on the boarder lands and to recruit their sons as
they come of age. These facts weighed heavily on Roger when thought that there were at the
very least 60 well trained men in this village and over 250 souls in total. The strangest thing
of all was that nothing of value was taken, helms, armor, swords left where they fell, shops
burned with goods left inside. The only thing taken were the livestock and people.......

Hosts Gather

In the Beginning!!!!

Chris and I met on his blog Hill Cantons  (we have met in person briefly at the South Texas Mini-Con back in August  ) I found his blog through a mutual friend's blog Super Galactic Dreadnought. I was drawn there by Chris's work on a miniature wargame system after some conversation it was agreed that we should meet in May and have a battle or two...