The Reluctance of Pepin the Fat

From "a concise History of Frankish Viking interaction" by Professor Sir James Coxpole of the University of North Durham:
King Pepin the Fat, interesting bloke, very hungry.  Fought the Vikings of Harald the Black and Egil of the Variable Dice Luck for Normandy.  Pepin's big mistake was calling in Earl Odda of the Saxons as his ally.

The Franks line up, ready to face the Vikings

Across the valley the Vikings appear.   Is it just my imagination or are there a lot of them?

Harald the Barrel, fresh from his success in bullying the British 

King Pepin, accompanied by man with picnic hamper.

Lord Oliver charges home as the Frankish Panzers roll.

Earl Odda leaves half of his army in the village

Count Oliver and his men perish, as Pepin refuses to charge up that hill for the second time.

Earl Odda gets stuck in, with the very centre of his line, leading in person.  He is soon killed and  two thirds of his army run away.

Still looking for my photo of that event,  sadly lost to the memory card of time...

Captain Martel attacks and rolls nine hits with twelve dice.

Martel bursts through and routs the warband opposing him.

Whilst King Pepin refuses to move for the fourth time.

Finally Pepin goes for it on the fifth try, up the hill breaking through the Vikings.  He may be fat, but turns out he is also Mighty.

But he reaches the summit a weakened force.

Captain Namon gets stuck in too, routing and destroying a Viking band.  

With Bishop Turpin killed and their levy all but holding out the Franks survive until pub o' clock.  

Turns out the Franks are rather handy, and well capable of hammering Vikings.
Next week we turn to the Celtic fringe.  How will they fare against the Viking horde?