First Siege of Lothern
| Conflict | Sundering |
| Date | -2750 IC to -2745 IC |
| Location | Lothern, Eataine[1a] |
| Outcome | Victory for High Elves |
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| High Elves[1a] | Dark Elves[1a] |
| | |
| Aerethenis[1a] | |
| | |
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The First Siege of Lothern was an early battle in the Sundering that lasted for five years.[1a]
History
Following the Massacre at the Shrine of Asuryan, Carathril was leading the Sapphire Company of the Lothern Sea Guard to meet with Captain Fyrthril of the Ruby Company at the town of Hal Mentheon and head into the Enullii Caith on the border of Caledor. On the march however they saw three Dragonships and eight other former Tiranoc ships filled with Naggarothi warriors heading for Lothern itself. Many of his soldiers, including Aerenis had family in the countryside and he told them to fetch them to the city whilst he and the remaining soldiers warned the capital. [1a]
The landed warriors advanced on Lothern over the next day and half, burning towns and villages and capturing Anir Morien, the closest watchtower but Tir Athenor continued to hold, at least initially. The initial assault took place at night, heralded by artillery exchanges and then bows versus repeater crossbows before a dark metal ram was brought forward by cavalry. This was countered by a risky sortie several hundred knights who drove home their charge against the gold-and black knights of Anlec. Archers on the walls supported the charge and a portion of the knights managed to extend their attack and wheel into spearmen carrying ladders. The cavalry retired in good order back inside the city but they had lost almost a quarter of their strength. As dawn rose, the Naggarothi retreated but they would come again, many times over the following seasons. [1a]
For two years, the Naggarothi battered the walls of the city with magic, monsters and war engines and in addition, the ships taken by the besiegers from Tiranoc were also reinforced by vessels captured in northern Ellyrion. Finally Prince Aerethenis agreed to use the formidable fleet of the city, despite this leaving the Naggarothi free to raid across the Inner Sea with impunity. [1a]
A fleet of ten ships emerged from the Sapphire Gate supported by the Mage Eltreneth and attacked the Naggarothi with only a few of the beached ships able to respond to the sortie. Two Naggarothi vessels were quickly sunk although one badly damaged Lothern Hawkship had to retire back to the city whilst the rest of the fleet began to bombard the beached vessels of the enemy and war engines of both sides got involved. Two thousand Sea Guard landed and attacked the Druchii camp to burn the siege engines and towers before they were forced to retreat by the knights the Naggarothi. By the time the fleet returned to safe harbour, twelve enemy vessels had been destroyed at the cost of three of their own. [1a]
The final assault on the city took place five years after it had begun - by that point the area around Lothern was a wasteland. The Druchii had built up their forces for several weeks with the fleet of the city unable to prevent many landings of reinforcements, although they had delayed the assault. [1b]
As the gates were once more bombarded with missiles, three waves of warriors charged forth, siege towers and rams within the host as well as war Hydra's. As they neared the walls, cultists emerged in force from within the city carrying brands and forcing squadrons of knights to pursue them through the streets. [1b]
Yet as the towers neared the walls, the first of them exploded into splinters as a green-scaled dragon burst through it, the first of a dozen of the mighty creatures to be unleashed on the besiegers by Caledor I. The siege was over. [1b]
Sources
- 1: The Sundering (anthology) (Time of Legends edition): Caledor (Novel) by Gav Thorpe
