The Bloody Gate

[Fel]

The huge gate which guards the main passage into the Vale.

[Fel]

Ser Robert Redfort and his 500 men arrive.

Ser Robert asks to speak with the Knight of the Bloody Gate.

[The Stranger]

The Knight of the Bloody Gate is Ser Gyles Grafton, the second son of Lord Grafton. He welcomes Ser Robert into his chambers.

"Welcome Ser. I suppose you are here in fulfillment of the the Prince's letter?"

[Fel]

Robert offers a grin, "aye, that'd be it. Some mountain men giving you problem, are they?"

[The Stranger]

"Not me in particular, They've not been so bold as to attack the Gate. Not much profit in it I imagine. They've been raiding deeper into the Vale though, even as far as Iron Oaks," The man explains.

[Fel]

"Taking on the farmers of Iron Oaks, is it? Well that's mighty brave of them. It's nothing a quick cavalry charge won't beat out of them, though."

[The Stranger]

"That's true, if you can find them. Awful large host you've got here Ser, and your brother's is even larger I understand. Likely the Clannish will stay well clear of you."

[Fel]

"They can try, but we can flush them out if we split the forces up. What do you estimate their numbers at, Ser?"

[The Stranger]

"I'd say as many as twenty or thirty bands, perhaps a hundred men per band, give or take, given the frequency of the raids. Its hard to say what is the work of one group of raiders over another. Unless they were Burned Men. You can always sort of tell with them," He adds.

[Fel]

"But we can be sure they are working together, coordinated by a single leader?" Robert asked.

[The Stranger]

"I don't know. They seem to have a good idea where my men are, and they only strike where we aren't. Is that coordination or coincidence?" The Knight shrugged.

[Fel]

"It's been a long time since the clans have worked together, but we can't rule it out."

He thought for a moment, "Ser Gyles, you know these bastards best, how would you suggest we outmanoeuvre them? Clearly you don't think more men is the answer."

[The Stranger]

"Well, the Clans are like varmint, if you ask me. You can lay traps for them, or you can find their holes and dig them out. Chasing them wily-nily across the country side... good exercise, but that's about it."

[Fel]

Robert nodded, he saw a detailed map of the western half of the Vale up on the wall of Ser Gyles chambers. He walked over to it. "So where have they been attacking?" he asked. "Have they been moving in any kind of pattern? Maybe we can get an idea of where to lay an ambush for them."

[The Stranger]

The attack patterns are marked by little pins, but if there is a pattern to it, Ser Robert does not see it. Most of the attacks seem to have come from the Southeast of the Mountains down into the Vale, but there are also strikes to the Northwest.