Battle of Ashford Wood
Posted by Apostate on 05/06/19
Duchess Lisebet Ashford, the new Duchess-Consort of Ashford Keep, led a huge initiative to try to settle refugees and former thralls of the Mourning Isles on Ashford Lands. Immense preparation was done in improvements in infrastructure, housing, farming in order to deal with the large number of new arrivals that the duchy is opening its gates to, with Olivia, Tabitha, Eurion, and Harlan helping make certain the duchy could handle the influx, and seeing that they would arrive safely. To escort a huge group of former thralls from the Isles to Ashford Keep, a group of Leary and Ashford soldiers under Marquessa Iliana Leary and Lady Rhiannon Ashford met the refugees to lead them safely through Ashford Wood, as that part of the Gray Forest is called. While the rumors around what happened are unclear, word reaches Arx that a large number of the former thrall refugees turned violent, and may have been a planned ambush that attempted to slaughter the other refugees and turn on their escort, but was repulsed and put down by Ashford and Leary troops, with Lord Pharamond distinguishing himself in the battle. Details are sketchy, but rumor has many of the violent infiltrators had centipede tattoos on their person.