Battle of Verneuil
The Franco-Scottish forces attempt a desperate cavalry charge against the disciplined English formations, but their lines are breaking under the relentless hail of English longbow fire.
Setting
Open fields near Verneuil-sur-Avre, with scattered patches of woodland and low rolling hills. The battlefield is littered with the remnants of earlier skirmishes, broken weapons, and trampled earth.
Characters
English Longbow Captain
primary
A rugged man in his early 40s, with a lean, sinewy build honed by years of archery. His face is weathered and lined from years of campaigning, with piercing blue eyes that miss nothing. A jagged scar runs down his left cheek, a souvenir from past battles. His hair is cropped short and streaked with grey, and his beard is trimmed to a practical length.
Scottish Knight
primary
A battle-hardened Scottish noble in his late 30s, broad-shouldered with a muscular build. His face is weathered from years of campaigning, with a thick red beard streaked with grey. A deep scar runs across his left cheekbone, earned in previous battles. His piercing blue eyes burn with determination and fury.
French Squire
secondary
A young man in his late teens, slender but wiry from combat training. His face is smudged with dirt and sweat, his dark brown hair matted under his padded coif. His light blue eyes are wide with a mix of fear and determination.
English Man-at-Arms
secondary
A grizzled veteran in his late 30s, with a muscular build honed by years of warfare. His face is weathered and scarred, with a broken nose and a thick beard matted with sweat and dirt. His chainmail coif is pushed back, revealing short-cropped hair streaked with gray.
Wounded Archer
background
A young English archer, likely in his early twenties, with a lean but muscular build from years of pulling the longbow. His face is streaked with dirt and sweat, and his hair is matted under a simple cloth coif. His left leg is badly wounded, leaving a trail of blood as he crawls.
Dialog
English Longbow Captain
Steady, lads! Nock your arrows and hold! Let them come to their deaths!
Scottish Knight
Dia gu bràth! They think their sticks can stop us? Forward, for Scotland and France!
English Longbow Captain
Loose! Send them to hell where they belong!
Scottish Knight
Shields up, you dogs! Don’t let their feathers prick you!
English Longbow Captain
Reload, damn your eyes! Quicker! They won’t give us another chance!
Scottish Knight
Alba gu bràth! Break their line and spill their guts!
English Longbow Captain
Hold, you fools! Hold or we’re all dead men!