Siege of Athin

The Siege of Athin took place during the Vampire War, in which the Nightstalkers and Task Force Gladius assaulted Castle Athin, the ancestral home of Belabrithol the Progenitor, planting demolition charges and leveling the keep.

Battle Lines
The siege was undertaken at Frank Castle's strategic appraisal, in an effort to root out any vampire lords who could potentially have - or already had- allied themselves with Mark Hoffman. Owed to the fortress' remote location and relative obscurity, the Nightstalkers were operating on limited reconaissance data on their approach, and quickly found themselves outnumbered and fighting on unfamiliar ground. During a prolonged skirmish through the hallways of the keep, Amanda Young was separated from her compatriots, bitten by one of Belabrithol's wights, and captured. Her rescue became the primary objective of the remaining attackers, though the Nightstalkers opted to retreat after a direct confrontation with Belabrithol. Despite their diminished numbers, Task Force Gladius engaged in hit-and-run strikes until being driven back to the dungeon, where they discovered and freed Amanda. A series of smaller engagements followed while Frank planted C4 charges in key points within the stronghold, eventually calling for a full withdrawal so as to demolish the structure.

Repercussions
Belabrithol was presumed killed by the explosion, though this fact was not ascertained. Amanda Young was infected with vampirism, mutating into a Noble-strain vampire and forcing the Nightstalkers' retreat to the New York safehouse. News of the assault on Athin reached Alaric Sunslayer, serving as the catalyst for his movement into Forks and resulting in the confrontation between the Huskarls and Hoffman's armies.