Baron Chessel of Fortenbras is currently based at Castle Murtova, which was rebuilt somewhat after falling to siege early in the fight. Though the initial fighting went well, Pine March has gotten sudden new reinforcements in the form of Orcish war parties, led by Hobgoblins, accompanied by some strange and terrifying new sort of undead warriors. The soldiers of Fortenbras are unable to cope, and the lines are buckling.
On the orders of the Duke, Baron Baden of Rannik has dispatched his son Lord Thurias, along with a fairly large force. A small force of cavalry from the Barony of Rondhoff is here as well, to represent the Rondhoff-Nurbanu's interests in the war. Most controversially, a unit of paladins and war priests, members of the "Order of the Dawn" have marched from Tempelhoff on the invitation of Lord Thurias. This new force is also encamped in Murtova, and Lord Thurias and Baron Chessel are suffering public personality clashes. It is rumored that Lord Thuria, a well-known warrior, is in town to replace Baron Chessel as war leader. If this happens, it is likely that Baron Chessel's land grants could be rescinded and his knights displaced. Or so goes the rumor. There are numerous conflicts between the two baronies, but with the recent Imperial expansion, Duke Durmond doesn't want his borders left unguarded. Sir Kellen and his entourage are en route to Murtova in order to have Elika knighted, granting her the title of Dame. This would firm up her status in the hierarchy. Controversy? She is a commoner and of Pershamon extraction, something the Baron Chessel has issues with.
Siege of Medrehacz - When the front broke, most units were able to hold in place long enough to retreat back to Medrehacz, which is a strong defensive position. The city's downside is that it has several gates, each of which constitutes a weak point. The city must be held until Baron Chessel and his forces can relieve the city. There are several hundred foot soldiers in the city (spearmen and archers), perhaps a dozen knights serving as commanders, a handful of gunners, five mages, and the city clergy working as healers. The city is under the overall command of a Lord Harthen DeRoy, an old veteran from Silverwater, with experience in the Keller Legions. There are only a hundred civilians inside the gates as well, since most of them fled to the south and east. These civilians are not considered reliable or loyal, as they are Pine Marchers.
Enemy forces include over a thousand Pine Marcher infantry and archers, two groups of a dozen Bane Zombies, several mages, a platoon of Hobgoblin infantry, ten knights and squires, and an orcish warband with several ogres. Finally, two hill giants have tagged along for the fun, camping with the orcs. The force is theoretically under the command of Sir Manfred Loren, son of the "Witch Queen", but the orcs and hobgoblins operate independently. The orcs and hobgoblins hate one another, and the human troops revile all of them, so morale is low. The Bane Zombie groups obey Sir Manfred's two hobgoblin captain assistants. His force of twelve skeletons, granted him by his mother as a bodyguard unit, obey him unquestioningly. Everyone fears the queen, and that keeps the army together. The various units are encamped around the northeast of the city, with the Orcs ranging off to the west. The assaults have focused on the Gladford gate so far, as the castle and much of the wall is covered by cliffs too high to safely scale. The hobgoblins have constructed catapults and are working on a siege tower to get over the walls, as their battering ram failed.