Antora: Difference between revisions

Casilló secured the capitulation of Eleuvros in this advance and took significant defensive forts in Imodé. Simultaneous assaults on towns from land and river led to more surrenders and what is estimated to be a fourth of Réal's total military strength laying down their arms. By 1581 the kingdom of Réal had been reduced in free territory to Marsalvano and the western portions of Imodé King Marius Sancho had by this time summoned all available lords to defend Marsalvano and the capital city, though only a third of those available joined him. The rest either did not reply or cited threats to their own lands. At this point in the war, Félipe I was able to call upon an estimated 45,000 professional soldiers with a further 120,000 conscripted infantry and 25,000 mercenary troops, with the rest of the Royal Arranzic Armed Legions serving as defensive or occupational troops. He also had the various mercenary sailors and fleet marines making up another 10,000 troops. In contrast, Marius Sancho had approximately 20,000 professional soldiers across his remaining territory with 9,000 available for maneuvers, and around 40,000 conscripts and 8,000 mercenaries, mostly pikemen from Celannica. The defenses of the capital territories of Réal were formidable but never battle-tested.

 

[[File:1579 Siege of Maastricht - Aranjuez Palace.jpg|thumb|275x275px|''The Siege of the Royal City'', 1600|alt=The Siege of the Royal City, 1600. A painting depicting a grand scale siege against a city that is split by a river. The painting overlooks many siege lines and tents and soldiers. In the foreground are two parties of horsemen dressed in orange, with several banners, approaching each other. Behind them are formation of musketeers and pikemen marching towards the city. In the center of the painting is prominently displayed a large tower, inside of which are large cannons which are firing on the city. Cannons are also surrounding the city on the close and far sides of the river. The city walls and buildings inside them have smoke, fire, and explosions on them. ]]

Marius Sancho ordered the continuation of the work on the river walls. With no outside resources and no quarries within the city, this involved demolishing buildings within the walls and dumping the stone into the river. The populace was incensed by this and the rapidly dwindling food stores being monopolized by the thousands of soldiers. When the Arranzic army began shelling the fortifications with cannons on board ships in the river, the laborers stopped work and refused to return, leaving the river walls half finished. Félipe I sent heralds repeatedly to the city asking for surrender, but they returned each time with ruder and ruder replies. Félipe I attempted to personally negotiate the surrender and brought his sons Arturo and Félipe with him to the walls. Marius Sancho outright refused to surrender or entertain the though of a settlement, despite the protests of his own son Enriqué. A Réoran crossbowmen, apparently intending to kill Félipe I, instead shot Arturo, which killed him within seconds. Marius Sancho killed the archer on the spot, audibly shouting about how the death of the Arranzic crown prince had doomed the city. Félipe returned to his camp and ordered a continuous bombardment of the city walls until all cannons had run out of either ammunition or powder.