Desert Seiges

[Solas]

Hmm, after thinking alittle about that scene in Lord of the Rings while playing, I began to wonder if seiges occur in Zalanthas often, if ever, with a real hard-coded army that is. I mean, the city of Allanak and Tuluk have some massive walls and gates, I don't think even a very large army would charge the city after only a couple weeks of seiging. Of course, there would probably be so many different ways to seige a city-state, but...I don't really know when such a time happened except in the history-books. I'm sure attacking a small village wouldn't be a problem for an army, let alone a large group of bandits.  :wink:

Anyways, if ever a seige did occur that could last a long time in the dessert, anyone have any ideas as to what it would be like?

[Twilight]

Allanak was seiged during the Ironsword times, if you check out the history section.  For an exact IC year.  Not sure how much of that was hard coded, but I would image a bit of it was.  So, um, yes it can happen.

[sarahjc]

Nevermind

[Agent_137]

Speaking from my casual studies of war:

There's a quite a few factors in a siege.

First, you're laying siege because you can't storm the castle successfully.

In the siege, you hope the surrender because they are starving to death and dying in disease, or that enough of them die that you -can- storm the city with success.

How long a city can last in a siege is dependent on its stores of food and water, it's ability to fight disease and fire, the effectiveness of the siege runners for resupply, and the effectiveness of the soldiers to keep down revolt.


In zalanthas, the nature of a siege would be very different than in the fuedal eras of our world.

First, where do cities get their water? It seems they both have internal sources. And if nak's water is magical in nature, it can't be poisoned easily.

Food, though, comes from outside for both city states, it seems. But certain basic foods can be stored. The question is, are they?
Of course, if grains were stored, i imagine they'd only feed the nobles, templars, and soldiers. The commoner's would be left to starve, for the most part. Perhaps given just enough to keep some of them weakly alive. You gotta have -someone- to oppress if you survive the siege.


Two other options with siege warfare are biological attacks and fire attacks. I think both cities would have trouble sustaining a fire, but at the same time, it'd be near impossible to put it out without magical being used. So you'd likely have pockets of burning where the fires did catch, but it wouldn't burn the whole city.

Biological warfare . . .  diseases don't seem to exist codedly, but they -do- exists on zalanthas. catapult a few diseased bodies over the walls and hope it catches.


Oh, also, the conditions outside the city for the siegers are nearly just as bad as within the city. They're strung out, open to being attacked easily, in camp so they can get diseased easily, and if the only source of local water is -in- the city, they may be short on water. For the siegers, they need solid logistical lines that keep them -well- supplied. They have to out last the people being sieged.

So if you want an idea, just take all these factors in and mull over them yourself. In real life, and especially in zalanthas, sieges are HARD on both armies. It's a last resort for both armies. So, yea, they're going to be rare, but sometimes, shit just happens.

[wizturbo]

With magick involved, all real life siege strategies are null and void.

Food and water sources can be dealt with magickally.  Either by creating them through magick or transporting them past the siege through magick.

Walls and other barriers are not so limiting when mages can reduce them to ash and rubble with a gesture and incantation.


In my opinion, a classic siege in Zalanthas would be incredibly foolish.  The desert, without proper shelter, would destroy the siegers rather then those sieged in the shelter of the city.

[Miee]

With magick involved, all real life siege strategies are null and void.

Food and water sources can be dealt with magickally.  Either by creating them through magick or transporting them past the siege through magick.

Walls and other barriers are not so limiting when mages can reduce them to ash and rubble with a gesture and incantation.


In my opinion, a classic siege in Zalanthas would be incredibly foolish.  The desert, without proper shelter, would destroy the siegers rather then those sieged in the shelter of the city.

Not to mention the Whirans and the Rukkians.  Lately they've been really bad and all the stor... oh.  Uh, I'll be in Mexico.  Don't tell the Imms.

[Gilvar]

And considering the ending of the last real siege on Allanak went something to the tune of:

Exactly one year after the beginning of the siege of Allanak, Tektolnes reappears in the guise of a dragon and breaths death upon the sieging army - the army ceases to exist. Over the course of the next few years, a temple is built near the entrance of the city, in which the newly formed white-robe templarate preach the worship of He Who Rescued Us, the Mighty Dragon Tektolnes

Its unlikely that anyone, besides Muk would really decided to send all their people to a likely doom in a pointless siege.

Why Allanak doesn't lay siege to Tuluk is another question, best found out Icly!

[Xerokine]

Without knowing to much about either sides Templarate and whats possible... I believe just going with what resources Tuluk and Allanak have.. I would say Allanak should win in any seige, infact I don't see a reason Allanak lost the entire Gol Krathu area.. FOr christ's sake, they have shitloads of magickers as a broad tool.

[Larrath]

Tuluk is not all that weak either.

As for the magickers...well, what truly happened is obviously IC, but I think it's enough to say that both Allanak and Tuluk are led by disgustingly powerful Sorcerer-Kings.

[wizturbo]

Think of it this way.

Both Tuluk and Allanak have "the bomb".  While one side might win in open war, the losses would be staggering.  Both cities could be completely destroyed, along with nearly all of the combatants.

[Gaare]

I guess magic users of the both sides, uses their powers not during a battle mostly, before it. Else , they would be crashed in between giants, cavalaries, etc.

Zalathantas sieges.. I think Siege is more harder than trying to go inside the city, since It's harder to find water outside of the walls. So attackers would lose much greater power than the ones inside. So attacking cities would be much faster and with different methods than a slow feudal siege. Even an expected storm may harm an army and it's always stormy.

So probably the center of the attacks would be directly to the gates, maybe by flying, or using a powerful beast, digging hole under it or with explosives. Maybe you can send a group of elite men with enchanced magic to open the gates... The scenerios are limitless.. It's really hard to guess which one would be used, but defenitely it would a fast attack and defender needs more than obsidian tipped arrows to stop attacker.

[Sir Diealot]

but defenitely it would a fast attack and defender needs more than obsidian tipped arrows to stop attacker.

Then it is not a seige, it is an assault.

[Gaare]

but defenitely it would a fast attack and defender needs more than obsidian tipped arrows to stop attacker.

Then it is not a seige, it is an assault.

Yeah I guess, but the original post was giving example of LOTR.. They are assults too..

[Dresan]

Allanak has a large stash of magikers and Tek, however seems to me that Tuluk like any power hungry nation would be foolish not to have something just as powerful in their disposal, my guess, mind benders.  Which might be able to prevent the average magiker from successfully being able to cast a spell.  The docs state that they disappear and are never seen again, not that they are killed on sight like magikers in tuluk. Course, this is all speculation.