idea for defending Whitewall?

From: bryan_thx <bethexton_at_YzWpmIhjeODiL4XA5Y4MS6qV6Yz38KIDrheID5OSsY2dPwYW0mG59j5BO89MlwIetR>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:06:50 -0000

Not the great defense leading to the Long Winter in Orlanth is Dead....a lesser defense that I still want to make feel fairly epic.

In my game it is the final weeks leading up to the consecration of the new temple of the reaching moon. The Lunars had destroyed the temple to Orlanth in Whitewall, but at this point only lightly guarded it. As a diversion to their real plans, several rebel bands send much of their forces for a surprise attack that succeeds in siezing Whitewall.

The now-defending rebels are supposed to hold out as long as they feel secure, then withdraw. My intent is to keep things going until the big day up north, and have them take part in a ceremony supporting their leaders in their response to the temple (not mentioning what that entails in case curious eyes read this).

The early Lunar response has been sluggish, most commanders are tied up in matter mystical. But before the end I want to ratchet up the tension and difficulty, leaving the whole thing to feel fairly epic.

My only problem is I'm short on cool (especially Glorantha feeling) ideas, that would work well in HeroQuest.

So far there is a bit of standoff, several hundred lunars now gathered (a mix of modern lunar military, hawkheads, and barbarian levies), a second force of Aeolians looking to sieze it for themselves (Rikard's army reborn), and a lurking force of scorpion men, drawn in for mystical reasons--so the Lunars can't turn fully against Whitewall yet.

In the meantime they tried to infiltrate through a tunnel they'd built while they occupied Whitewall, and are now using customized trebuchets to launch Hawkeads up in the air to drop flaming missiles inside the walls.

The Lunars did manage to infiltrate an assassin of sorts who has taken out the leading rebel via a slow poison (and who is now in hiding inside the fortress still) so there is the potential for squabbling amongst the various rebel factions--they are all under 'lieutenants' as the primary leaders are off with Kallyr.

I feel like the set up so far has gone well....I'm just short of idea on how to really ratchet it up from here. So reaching out to the list, figuring you all seem to have lots of brilliant ideas, and someone must have played an interesting siege scenario!

Thanks in advance for any help.