>> Yes it's a lovely piece of artwork but if that fortress is
>>what's being besieged they're going to need half the Red Army to
>>dislodge a few hundred Orlanthi. Even Shargashi wouldn't try to
>>assault that unless a moonboat dropped them directly on the temple
>>of Orlanth.
> An excellent point against all Masada parallels. We do want heroic
> combat and magics. And we know there are no superior numbers
>attrition fights like Helm's Deep.
Let's avoid throwing out the baby with the bath water. I think the
illustration is a great first stab at our ideas. Here are a few
suggestions which may help solve some of your problems.
- On that tip of the plateau, below the citadel, put 'Tarkalor's
New Town'. It is dwarfed by the fortress. The new town was built by
Tarkalor to provide better accomodation for craftsmen, towsnfolk
etc. It is a disordered array of mostly wooden houses, some with
gardens etc. that grew up under Tarkalor. It might have its own
mayor or the like. It is not aw well defended, with a small
crennelated wall, dwarfed by the citadel above it. (Perhaps this is
the section illustrated in DP:LoT). See the DP:LoT entry on Satarite
cities, as Tarkalor would be influenced by these.
- Tarkalor's Road with its bridge and gatehouse runs up to the new
town, not the citadel (and is less overlooked by those walls). The
gatehouse,halfway along the bridge, is probably the best defensive
structure preventing access to the new town (perhaps on a natural
pillar of rock).
- While the bat assault is probably an attempt to take the citadel,
and prevent a long-winded siege other assaults are probably
initially directed at the bridge and the town.
- The bridge probably changes hands several times during the
fighting.
- The residents of the town probably shelter in the citadel during
serious assaults, giving the place a refugee crowded feel (there are
now too many folk here). Eventually the town will become the weak
spot, too hard for the Orlanthi to defend, and it is the townsfolk
who get evacuated first.
- That leaves the final stand at the citadel.
Does that sort of thing help those who do not like the citadel?