My main complaints are that I don't support attacking unprovoked and that I had expected more...radical content from the first sentence, not just details.
The radical content is the speed. Speed makes much of it work, and you can't rely on any of this working after time has passed. It is not supplementary to a slow cautious approach.
Oh, I see now.
Still, you had built my expectations up a fair bit with that first sentence. I was expecting something crazy enough to work...and got "what we're doing, but a bit different."
On the bright side, it means we're probably on the right track.
Owen is not officially the Count except by his own proclamation and de facto residence in the keep. He has yet to have his fealty accepted and he is known as a potential murderer. This is not rebellion against a true lord. If anyone continues to view this as a rebellion where we are to be faulted, let him state the reasons that Owen has legitimacy. An accepted vow? The love and acclaim of the people? An untarnished reputation for justice? He's de facto Count only because he is in Curbiston with supporters.
True, but is this enough reason to invade? If nothing else, he is
acting Count, and if we up and invade we'll be seen as power-hungry traitors likely as not. Unless we can claim we were manipulated by someone, perhaps...but that's not much better.
Until we can provide justification to invade, I don't feel that we should invade. That's my general policy on invasions.
Now, if we wait for all those things that satisfy legal requirements, there's a larger chance that Owen finds other powerful allies outside the city which is filled with dissent. He brings those inside. The guards are changed. Everything that you suppose is a supplement to the plan of moving slowly is suddenly voided by, say, Count Zander finding a political advantage in backing his old household knight and sending reinforcements from his county. After a certain critical mass of outside help, standing behind them with swords drawn, even wobbly insiders will stand firm.
Which is why we don't dawdle with our
peaceful and
non-rebellious-looking methods of securing Arthur's position.
...If he's coming to us, either he has an exquisite sense of justice, or his office is being removed or rumours of such are floating. Without his old office, his other holdings may classify him as just a minor knight. Or he may have large holdings outside the city. Unknown.
Hm...
In any case, this war becomes his now. The former marshal leading the claim is far better than us being out in front. And he keeps his office. We say something like, "I have this boy in my keeping, true, but I have been waiting for someone of rank and importance with a sense of justice to seek him out. If you come to lead his claim, I pledge the full support and co-operation of my town and its soldiers to dispose of as you will, Lord Marshal." This is regardless whether we move fast or slow.
If we can make it so we can blame our actions on Uriel, I suppose we could do the invasion thing. I can't really think of anything that would stand up to basic scrutiny, however.
This is fantastic luck! I'll bet a lot of the guard is more loyal to Uriel Lope than to Sir Owen, since he's been the one leading them through thick and thin over several years, while Sir Owen just got there a couple months ago.
Well, yeah.
We should move now! If Uriel found out about the bastard, chances are Owen will soon, if he hasn't already.
I believe that this is essentially agreed on; the main bone of contention is how violent our advance will be.
Get anyone together we have on our side and march on Folesden. See if Uriel can arrange for the gates to be open and the guards to welcome us in. If they're loyal to Uriel, maybe we can get the majority of them to surrender or even join us without any major fighting! Even if that doesn't happen, the defense will be unorganized now that the marshal is gone, and Owen doesn't really know the city well. I'll bet Uriel can point us to a weakness.
Aside from marching, I'm fine with this. Which means that until I'm convinced we should march, I disagree with most of this. When we do...well, this could work.
