The Devil's bastards: The Bellêndés vs the Duke.

The "De moribus et actis primorum Normanniae ducum" (Latin, "On the Customs and Deeds of the First Dukes of Normandy" reveals how in 1032 Duke Robert of Normandy sacked Dol a stronghold of his cousin Alan of Brittany and blocked the Breton's attempts to raid Avranchés.  

Gathering his trusted vassals Robert mounted a campaign against Brittany.  However, Alan appealed to their uncle, Archbishop Robert of Rouen, who then brokered a peace between Duke Robert and his vassal Alan. 

The Bellêndés, a Norman family that had taken advantage of the fighting abruptly found themselves isolated.  The elder of these, Yvés de Bellêndé, had abandoned his wife years before, to take up with a peasant woman, whom many accused of witchcraft.  His sons by this lady were scorned as "the Devil's bastards."  Whilst his brothers swiftly submitted to the Duke, Yvés, over confident, attempted to ambush the Royal party as they advanced along the Orne River.  

Yves younger brother, the Bishop of Seés swiftly betrayed the plot to the Duke, who promised the priest rewards once the "devils" were dealt with.

The Bellêndés

• Fervour trait @1

• 1 Mounted character figure @1

• 1 Character  @1

• 1 Norman Milites @ 6 points

• 1 levied Spearmen @3 points

• 1 levied archers @3 points

Duke Robert

• Fervour trait @1

• 1 Mounted character figure @1

• 1 Ducal standard  @1

• 2 Norman Milites @ 12 points

• 1 Upper Class Spearmen @4 points

Alençon has been seized by the Bellêndés.

An impetuous charge into the Duke's Breton Scouts.

But poor luck and the Bellêndes scatter back battered.

The Duke's Milites storm into the battery horsemen routing them.

And Yves de Bellêndé is slain.

The survivors break

William Iron-head is now Lord of Bellêndé. 
 He passes morale for the death of his father.
William leads his upper class spearmen
 back to the gate and forms a shieldwall.

The Devil's bastards await the Duke's assault.

But the Duke cautiously orders his approach.

Brian the bald, Captain of my Bretons,
rides up to the palisade and volleys javelins
 into the bowmen.  Did he think this through?

Meanwhile the Dukes spearmen attack
the gate, and bounce off.

A Mounted charge by the Milites
pushes the shieldwall back, battered.

Bald Brian, last man standing.  Breaks for home.  He's not happy.

And the Duke's Milites break into the town

As a distracting attack on the palisade occupies the bowmen.

The Milites turn on the archers,
 but those guys fail morale and break anyway.

The Duke orders the arrest of the Bellêndé boys. 
The Lordship is given to their Uncle, the Bishop
The surviving sons of Yves Bellêndé flee to Italy.