Defender of the Isle

“My lords, please hear me. I promise you this threat is very real, you ignore it at your peril!” So spoke Galen, elder Druid to the council of the King.

Lord Fox stood up, a rotund man, and one fond of his luxuries. “Oh Galen, you are always trying to frighten us with your tales and warnings. Why only last year you said that falling star over Connaught signalled the end of the world”. There were snickers heard from some of the other clan lords in the kings council as they remembered the incident. Lord Fox continued “Why should we believe your tale of Doom this time I ask?”

“You are a fool Lord Fox!” cried Galen “Did I not say that was one of the portents to our present crisis! Corwen believed this, enough to give his life, would you now gainsay his death and the warning he brought back?” This silenced many in the chamber as they looked in distaste at the lord who would denigrate the actions of their greatest hero.

Looking thoughtful, the King finally spoke. “What would you have me do Galen?” asked the King finally. “Would you have me rally the clans and march on Greece? And how would we go about doing this? We have no navy and no coin to build one. We are a poor people Galen, how can we hope to combat this evil you describe?”

“For now I ask only that you strengthen the nation my liege. Ignore the outside world no longer and build stronger ties with our cousins abroad. In time our strength will increase, I just pray it will be soon enough to stop Balor before he grows too strong. I suggest you begin by approaching our cousins in Brittany. It is vital we establish a base on the continent. We must bring an end to the incessant fighting in France and unite the Kingdoms of that region to combat the threat from the East. If they remain divided as they are, we are all doomed.”

And so the King of the Isle heeding the advice of the Druid Galen set about looking beyond the shores of Eire and to the continent of Europe for the salvation of his people. But Duke Jean of Brittany was to laugh at the warnings he brought, and so Galen supervised the building of ten great galleys to ferry over a small force of brave clansmen to show the Bretans the error of their ways. Many boats were lost in the turbulent seas off the Irish and French coasts, but enough would reach their destination to force the Bretan Duke to kneel before the Irish King. Realising that Duke Jean would never be a willing participant in the fight against Balor, and following the advice of Galen, the King required that he relinquish control over Bretan and Armour, and so the clans of the Isle moved one step closer to their destiny.

Hello MrT and Storey - MrT guessed right, I didn't bother building any fortifications in Eire to begin with and DOW'd Brittany after building up for about 4 years. Galleys are relatively cheap after all, and I waited until Brittany dropped out of the English alliance. They were also still at war with France which helped . I remember your Eire AAR Storey! One of the first I read when I found this forum

I figured getting a foothold in France whilst it was all still divided would open up all sorts of interesting opportunities, and besides I needed the income

Craig - I've been toying with this idea for quite a while. I wrote the first drafts whilst sitting in the Sun on holiday in Portugal but I couldn't come up with a narrative tone I was happy with. Then I watched LOTR's the other night and it just clicked! BTW there's nothing wrong with two AAR's on Eire you know.

Wow thanks for all the feedback and support everyone, I'm really surprised at the responce my first couple of posts generated. Please keep it coming as I go along to let me know if I'm maintaining interest or not, it doesn't hurt my ego either.

LD I'll try and weave some dates in as I go along. You're right I need to clarify how the passage of time is progressing.

The Menhir, a missive monument to a bygone age dwarfed Bedowain, its shadow bringing an early darkness to precede the setting sun. Galen had told him tales of the stone circles and standing stones in his youth. Sites of great mystical energy and power that some said marked gateways to other worlds. Bedowain had considered these tales idle fancy … until now.

Now Galen was going to use the power of the Dundalk stone to send him to the end of the world and the heart of the enemy. His guts churning, Bedowain walked up to the stone and vanished.



Carrickfergus Castle – Ulster 1439AD


“Order, Order” cried out the Chancellor, as the clan lords settled into their seats. “All rise for King Eoghan. We are gathered here in council on the first day of August fourteen hundred and thirty nine. This is a private council, all me should speak freely, but to repeat what is discussed outside these walls will be deemed treason."

“The times are dark and we have little time for pleasantries. Cormac, pray bring us your news that this council may commence.” So spoke Eoghan, High King of Eire.

Bowing low Cormac began “It appears our English cousins are wont to fight once more” there was a stirring around the room “nay not against us my lords, but our kinfolk across the waters in Scotland.”

“Fools” muttered Farrell, Chancellor to the King, “did they not learn their lesson fighting the French knights these years past? Charles of France will not sit idly by whilst English strength runs rampant in the north!”

“How does this concern us” asked Lord Fox, striking the table with this pudgy fist, “what are the Scots to us? Bah let the English waste their youth in their foolish wars”.

“What say you Galen? I would hear your council.” And so the high King called upon the Druid once more as events in the world of men approach a turning point in history.

Lord Fox glowered darkly at the Druid, his enmity plain across his quivering body, as Galen, Druid and advisor to the King climbed to his feet. “This is a time of great opportunity and peril my Lords. ”The darkness in the east grows ever more bold, but has yet to turn its eye upon us. Thrace has come under his sway and dealt a terrible blow to the surrounding lands, but for now he is held in check.”

“… and your point Druid?” rumbled Lord Fox.

“My point if you would be so kind as to let me finish is that we cannot sit on our fat behinds whilst the world passes us by.” His voice rising in passion, Galen continued “Soon Balor will break his chains and lead his armies west, and we must have the strength and the means to fight him when he does! I have been studying the ancient texts and it is clear that Balor cannot be defeated by steel alone. We must harness the lay energies of the land if we are to have the power to chain him once more. It is vital we control the Gates of Power when we finally meet him on the field of battle”.

Eoghan studied the Druid carefully “These gates you speak of, what bearing do they have upon the matter we discuss today?”

“Some of the most powerful gates my King are located in the lands of the English, we should take this opportunity to seize them!”

The chamber erupted at these words. “You’re crazy!” someone cried out “… madness”.

“The Druid would doom us all” Lord Fox added his voice to the growing din.

“Silence!” Holding his staff, energy crackling from it tip, the Druid’s steely gaze stared down upon his adversaries.”

“The English lands in Normandie and Caux are undefended, her armies are concentrated in the North fighting the Scottish clans and her navy is spread thin patrolling the French coast from whence she perceives her greatest danger lies.” Galen turned to Lord Fox, “and our noble Lord Fox here I am informed has recently commissioned the building of 5 great ships, a match for any English vessel. When added to the Kings navy they should prove sufficient to launch a raiding force into the English mainland.”

“Nooo!!” screamed Fox, “you would rob me of my wealth Druid as you try to rob our country of her sanity!”

“What is this Lord Fox?” asked the King coolly, “surely you are not building a private fleet?” he spoke in a dangerous voice.

The colour draining from his face, Lord Fox stammered “Never my liege, never would I challenge the King. Err urm" he fumbled, "they are merely merchant vessels.” Seeing the continued hostility on the faces around him he continued “but I’d be honoured to have them outfitted as warships for the Kings navy if my King so wishes.” He trailed off, sweat trickling down his gravely face as he slowly sank back into his chair.

“Then it is decided, we attack the English as soon as our forces can be assembled. I deem this council at an end.”



Following the advice of Galen, and using the ships Lord Fox had grudgingly provided, the clansmen of Eire decended upon the English as her back was turned. Calling upon the powers of the Morrigu, Galen beseeched her to endowed her warriors with a berserker rage that would sweep all before them. Normandie, Meath, and then Cornwall fell before the brave clansmen, and soon all of southern England would be in flames. After three hard years of fighting, the English finally sensing the futility of their struggle came to the peace table on bended knee. Their war with the Clansmen of Scotland abandoned, they would surrendered Meath, Normandie, Caux and Cornwall to the High King Eoghan on a spring morning in fourteen forty three.

Deaghaidh - I'll have to take a look at your AAR, it should be interesting to see how our strategies differ. Of course I'm pretty warlike with them, but then I have a timetable to meet. I do need to avoid accumulating too much BB, something I'm going to have to watch as I don't want this game degenerating into a BB fest.

Warspite - The English surprisingly left me alone early on, I think because they were tied down with France for a long time, and afterwards I guess I had large enough armies to frighten them off, well at least for a time......

Bismarck - I've never played Scotland. I know, I should give them a try sometime. How difficult is the early war for Scotland? If they can do well in that I'd assume they could go on to great things.

Peace settled across Eire as the Morrigu[1] withdrew her presence once more from the world of men. The clans now transferred their energies into fortifying their coastline and looking for allies in the wider world. But allies were few and far between in those dark times and enmity from the French and English against the Irish King was only surpassed by the enmity they bore each other.

As the years passed, England once more dispatched her armies to the Scottish highlands, overrunning the clan lords and killing the Scottish King in battle at Rutherglen, one cold and windy day.


1452AD - Carrickfergus Castle, seat of the King


“You have told me repeatedly these many years past that we need to strengthen our realm, and now when I have a chance to do just that you gainsay me. I struggle to understand your motives sometimes Galen.”

“I have only your best interests at heart my liege, you may have a true and legitimate claim upon the throne of Scotland following the death of James, but to press it at this junction would only bring conflict with France. The highland clans are not yet ready to bind themselves to our cause and Charles has grown strong these last score years. Brittany, Provence, Auvergne and Lorraine all now swear fealty to his crown, if you press your claim on the highlands at this juncture I fear we stand to lose all that we have gained.”

“Our armies are strong and our clansmen brave, Charles would not dare interfere” so declared the king. “I grow old and weary and will not see the final battle with Balor, but before I die I will unite our people wherever they dwell, be it Eire, Scotland or Brittany. Together they will give you an army Druid that will march to the very gates of hell! Now trouble me no more, I grow weary and must call on the clan chiefs tomorrow.”

But Eoghan was not to press his claim to Scotland after all, for that very night a messenger from England would arrive demanding recompense for ancient wrongs and the withdrawal of all Irish clans from the English Isle.


March 1455AD somewhere near Bristol


Eoghan, High King of Eire, and ruler these last 36 years surveyed the field. The English forces were drawn up in rank, 20,000 strong, composed of stout English longbowmen and 5000 Knights. Eoghan had been instrumental in reforming the clans from a predominantly foot based outfit into one of the finest mounted forces in Northern Europe. His warriors may not have looked like the shining knights of the French and England courts, nor did they adhere to such knightly codes, but they were effective in their task. Nineteen thousand strong, the king’s army advanced across the fields of Bristol to engage the English monarch.

None could say clearly after the battle ended how Eoghan met his end. One moment he was riding at full bore towards the English line, the next he lay on the ground, his eyes glazed over and body growing stiff. Had his heart given out? Perhaps. Or had Balor reached across the lands of Europe from ancient Greece and played a role in his demise? All that one could say for sure was that no mortal wound was ever found upon his body.

And so it was that in their hour of need, when leaderless and demoralised, a man would step forward who would shape the very fate of the world. Enri Mac Eoghain, cousin to the King rallied his kinsmen on that bleak dark day and drove the English from the field. Pushing on Enri would prove ever victorious against the English forces, an outcome unfortunately that was to elude Lord Fox.

In command of the continental army, Fox would spend his time surveying his new estates in Armour, hunting and plotting whilst the English troops ravaged Normandie and Caux. Finally forced to act, his forces crossed the Seine in the summer of 1457 only to be sent scurrying back to Normandie like beaten hounds. From there on in he would ever be one step behind the English raiders. But whilst Fox prolonged the war in the South Enri marched ever east and north capturing Kent, Anglia, Bristol and Wessex. Finally, when the peasants revolted in Armour against the petty brutalities of Fox’s reign, Enri’s patience drew to a close, Lord Fox was relieved of command and sent back to his estates in disgrace. A broken man, his son Orin, the Blackhand would take his place as chief of his clan.

Enri was ruthless both in battle and victory, never forgiving the English for the death of his beloved king. After 6 long years at war he finally demanded the English crown surrender much land, that they could never again challenge the clans of Eire or Scotland. Wessex, Kent, Bristol, Lancashire and Northumberland, all would be ceded over to Enri in the ensuing peace. The Lords of Europe would now take note of this Irish chief.


Galen watched the victory parade and smiled. To the world of men one would think he was old, yet his features had barely changed these last 40 years. Advancing in years even before Eoghan’s fathers time, Galen knew he would still yet live to see the final battle with Balor. He had sworn it on the grave of the hero Corwen those many years past, in the presence of both the Dagda and the Morrigu. He would protect his people and knew that the spirits of the Tuetha de Dannan would sustain him.


[1] A quick word on Irish mythology and some of the names I’m bringing into the story. The Tuetha de Dannan were an Irish race of Gods said to rule the Isle in ancient times and from which many of the Irish deities and spirit lore appear to derive. The Morrigu was the Goddess of battle, strife and fertility, whilst the Dagda was the “Lord of Knowledge” or the “Good God”. Also those of you who have followed my AAR from the very beginning will have noticed that I have changed the name of the chief protagonist to Balor to fit in better with how I am directing the story.

If Enri Mac Eoghain expected a peaceful reign he was to be severely disappointed. From the moment he was crowned High King of Ireland by popular demand following the defeat of the English, to the time of his death, war and conflict would dog his every step.


1461AD - Ath Luain Castle, Co. Westmeath, lair of the Fox


Unlike his father, Orin was a fit and lean young man with a burning ambition that had only been fueled further by the disgrace he had seen befall his father. Together father and son plotted and made their plans, revenge was in the air.

“Very well my son, tell me of your plan that I may rest knowing you risk the lives of our clansmen in a worthy cause.”

“Rest easy father, the plan is simple and yet elegant in its inception.” Orin eagerly began to outline his scheme, “Our spies tell that Lord Monaghan, that ever so loyal friend to the King, returns from England to visit his brother Torin and travels light." Pacing the chamber from end to end, his eagerness apparent, Orin continued, "I have instigated a feud with Torin these weeks past over hunting rights between our baronies, under this pretence we shall waylay Monaghan and march on his brother. With such a hostage Torin will be forced to yield and the King will lose his strongest supporter in the land.”

“Hmm, a good start” mused the Fox, “but where will you go from there? Monaghan cannot be held a prisoner indefinitely, … are you planning an accident perhaps?” The light seemed to sparkle in his eyes at this possibility.

“Nay we don’t stop there. You forget, the King is in residence at Carrickfergus castle as we speak, only Torin's forces at Castle Monaghan stand between us and this prize, now is the time to strike. Our spies in England have arranged a rising by the Lords in the territories we occupy, this will coincide with our march on Carrickfergus. With the royal armies otherwise engaged nothing can stand in our way! The Kingship is there for the taking, by the time of Winter Solstice we shall be avenged!”


[OOC noble families feud followed by unprovoked revolt in Ulster . along with ongoing revolts across much of England I just had to weave this into the story. MrT you wanted to see what Lord Fox was really up to, now you know.]


And so it was that civil war swept the lands of Eire as Clan Fox rose up in rebellion to the King, and English Lords sought their freedom and deliverence from the Irish yoke. From Cornwall to Northumberland, rebel armies took to the fields of England, and 14,000 clansmen under the command of Orin of clan Fox drew themselves up before Carrickfergus and began to besieged the residence of the King.

For 5 months the castle would hold out, whilst Farrell, chancellor to the King rallies forces loyal to the Crown. Defeating the rebels decisively at Cornwall he set sail for Eire on a warm summers eve, with prayers to Mannanon mac Lir upon his lips. But Lord Tully of Galway, stationed in the north was not to be so lucky, driven south by the rebels of Northumberland onto the Lancastrian plains, his warriors unable to come to the aid of his Liege.

Surveying his forces assembled at Meath, Lord Farrell knew he could wait no longer, 12,000 strong he ordered his brothers, friends, soldiers and companions to march on clan Fox, and thence to decide the fate of Eire.