england is in the grip of the anarchy, as king stephen and the empress maud contend for the throne. ranulf of chester sought the aid of the empress's forces when he and his brother broke their agreement with king stephen, and were joined by madog ap maredudd, lord of powys in mid wales, and cadwaldr, the brother of owain gwynedd, ruler of gwynedd in north wales. a contingent from shrewsbury and the county of shropshire has gone to fight for king stephen at lincoln.