Capture of Sir Marcus II

The Capture of Sir Marcus II, vassal of Aedwin, was an attempt to abduct Sir Marcus II, the then-regent of Aedwin by the Lord Marshal Jurgen von Hoensbroeck of Hallengard. The event was largely successful and occurred at the peak of Hallengard's military strength. It was the first major conflict between Hallengard and Aedwin since The Great Divide.

Origins
Despite Aedwin winning The Great Divide and securing independence from the Empire of Lauchette, heavy taxes and inequitable debts were still given to Aedwin. After a confrontation with the Aedwinian Ambassador, Desmond Byrd, regarding a sunken Lauchette vessel in the South Sea they were ordered to pay a fee of 21,000 gold coins for the damages.

As Aedwin controls the main port on The Hales, their wealth and military power is vital in order to prevent any further Lauchette invasions, meaning that Hallengard is reliant on Aedwin to maintain their coastal defense. Lord Jurgen von Hoensbroeck greatly detested the exploitation of the Lauchette, calling upon King Arnold to stop paying them otherwise they would be made vulnerable to another attack, though he refused to do so.

Although various meetings were held between the noblemen of both Hallengard and Aedwin, a conclusion was finally reached by King Marick of Hallengard after Lord Jurgen von Hoensbroeck's wife, Osiah von Hoensbroeck, went missing whilst inside Aedwin-de-Steinberg. It was agreed that a group of Hallengardian soldiers would infiltrate Aedwin and abduct the Sir Marcus II, the regent of Aedwin (their king was not present at this time).

The Capture
During a cold winter day, the Lord Marshal gathered a group of eight men, including one Aedwinian deserter, and set off towards Aedwin. Throughout the journey, plans were discussed and plots were exchanged, wherein it was agreed that they would use the Aedwinian deserter to have the gates to the courtyard opened and have a feast with the regent. Upon the Lord Marshal drawing his sword, his men would attack the Aedwinian guards and flee with the regent.

The initial attack and capture was largely successful, suffering no casualties and detaining both the guards as well as Sir Marcus II. Exiting the castle was also achieved with relative ease, however the drawbridge was closed and the men were surrounded. During this time, three of the Hallengardian soldiers were slain, however the rest of the party managed to flee and returned to the rendezvous, before travelling onward to Hallengard.

Aftermath
When returned to King Marick, the Lord Marshal was given the responsibility of sentencing the regent as he bore the burden of his wife's death. He, with Sion Giasco's support, agreed that he would be tortured and then kept in the dungeon as a barter.

When he was brought to the dungeon, Lord Jurgen and Sion were confronted by supporters of Sir Marcus II, who then attacked them and fled with the regent. Despite this, however, Hallengardian guards were alerted and all perpetrators were eventually captured and executed. Against the king's wishes, Sir Marcus II unintentionally fell off the cliffs of Hallengard to his death, causing outrage in Aedwin.