The Town of Lorch had suffered the privations of the siege for nearly four months. Nestled on the banks of the Reik River, the small motte and bailey fort has always offered small protection to the collection of families who call the town home, from marauding brigandes to lurking beastmen. Ruled over by Count Egon Seidl, it has not seen his shadow in nearly a year as he wages a small war with his neighbour, Count Gerad Wendl, as each seeks to absorb the other.
Wendl has stolen a march and sent a small force, under command of his son Gerwin Wendl, to take Lorch by surprise. The initial attack has failed and Gerwin has settled his men in for a siege. But winter is coming and Count Wendl needs some sort of victory to show for the money he has spent on the campaign and orders Gerwin to take Lorch before the first snows. Disease has begun to ravish the besieging forces and the garrison is starving.
It is from these terrible conditions, in a minor border skirmish between Imperial subjects, that two men will emerge as unlikely heroes of the Empire.
This is their story.
