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{{event |
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|image=Plateau Battle by Miguel Sastre.jpg |
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|effects=Summoning of the [[Everstorm]] |
|effects=Summoning of the [[Everstorm]] |
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|world=Roshar |
|world=Roshar |
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|universe=[[Cosmere]] |
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|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]] |
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]] |
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}}{{spoilers|book=sa3}}{{objective|date=2018-08|claim=skaa}} |
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The '''War of Reckoning''' was a conflict on [[Roshar]] between [[Alethkar]] and the [[ |
The '''War of Reckoning''' was a conflict on [[Roshar]] between [[Alethkar]] and the [[Parshendi]]. This name for the conflict was used by Brightness [[Hashal]]{{book ref|sa1|43}} in reference to the origin of the war as an act to bring justice on the Parshendi for their responsibility in the assassination of the Alethi King [[Gavilar Kholin]]. |
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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King Gavilar encountered a civilization of [[parshmen]]-like beings while exploring a forest south of the [[Shattered Plains]]{{book ref|sa1|28}}. Because of their similarity with parshmen, the Alethi called them [[Parshendi]]. Diplomatic relations were established, and eventually a treaty between the Alethi and the Parshendi was made. |
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While exploring a forest south of the [[Shattered Plains]], King Gavilar's brother [[Dalinar Kholin]] encountered a society of non-[[slaveform]] [[singers]] who called themselves '''listeners'''.{{book ref|sa1|28}} Not knowing what they are, and seeing their similarity to [[parshmen]], Gavilar's [[stormwarden]]s coined the term '''Parshendi''',{{book ref|sa1|45}} meaning roughly ''parshmen who can think''. "Parshendi" became the official Alethi term for the listeners, and it also spread to other countries on Roshar. The listeners did not show any offense for the term.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} |
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The king invited a Parshendi delegation to celebrate the signing of the treaty in [[Kholinar]].{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} That night, Gavilar revealed to a Parshendi scout and interpreter named [[Eshonai]] his secret intention to bring back the [[Fused|old Parshendi gods]] in order to also bring about the return of the [[Herald]]s. He mistakenly believed that the Parshendi would welcome this idea. In reality, their ancestors had abandoned their gods in favor of freedom, and they did not want their gods to return.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} |
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After hearing the news |
After hearing the news and fearing Gavilar's plans, the Parshendi leaders decided to have the human king assassinated that very night.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} They assigned this task to their newly-acquired slave, a [[Shin]] [[Truthless]] named [[Szeth]] who possessed [[Jezrien]]'s [[Honorblade]]. After an intense fight, the man who would later be called the '''Assassin in White''' succeeded in killing Gavilar.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} |
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While the rest of the |
While the rest of the Parshendi delegation fled from Kholinar, three of their leaders remained to take credit for the assassination. The Alethi had the three hanged.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}} |
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During Gavilar's funeral service, his |
During Gavilar's funeral service, his successor King [[Elhokar]] made the Alethi highprinces vow to avenge his father's death. This '''Vengeance Pact''' brought Alethkar to war.{{book ref|sa3|105}} |
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== Participants == |
== Participants == |
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=== Alethkar === |
=== Alethkar === |
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The Alethi army is comprised of ten armies, each from one princedom, and led by ten [[highprince]]s: [[Roion]], [[Torol Sadeas]], [[Aladar]], [[Dalinar Kholin]], [[Vamah]], [[Ruthar]], [[Thanadal]], [[Hatham]], [[Bethab]] and [[Sebarial]].{{map ref|Alethi warcamps}} <!--- King [[Elhokar]] had a complex to himself but led no army as he belonged to [[House Kholin]] and the respective army was led by Dalinar. - E. is king and therefore has no "house" nor an own army I think ---> |
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On the edge of the Shattered Plains there were ten warcamps, each of them serving as a base of operations for each highprince fighting on the plains. The ten warcamps were situated in hollows on the leeward side of the [[Shattered Plains]].{{map ref|Alethi warcamps}} |
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[[File: {{map|Alethi warcamps}}|700px|center]] |
[[File: {{map|Alethi warcamps}}|700px|center]] |
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The majority of the Alethi armies were composed of [[darkeyed]] spearmen organized into battalions and led by [[lighteyed]] officers. Darkeyed soldiers were only allowed spears{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}, so Alethi archers and swordsmen were all lighteyes.{{book ref|sa2|76}} |
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Aside from regular weapons, the Alethi also had around twenty [[Shardblade]]s.{{book ref|sa1|52}} It is uncertain exactly how many of these were used in the war and how many remained in Alethkar, but there were more than thirty official [[Shardbearer]]s in the warcamps, a few of whom had both Plate and Blade.{{book ref|sa2|5}} |
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⚫ | In order to fulfill the Vengeance Pact as quickly as possible, the Alethi highprinces initially planned a full-scale attack on the Parshendi. However, they were unable to immediately locate the Parshendi center of operation, and upon arriving at the Shattered Plains, the highprinces realize that a full-scale attack on the plateau in the center of the Plains would present huge risks because of [[highstorm]]s. |
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The Alethi also had [[fabrial]]s, some of which, like [[grandbow]]s, had military applications. |
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The highprinces decided upon a siege strategy.{{book ref|sa1|15}}{{book ref|sa1|18}} As the Shattered Plains are only accessible from the leeward side, the plan assumed the Parshendi would leave their camp from hunger and face the Alethi.{{book ref|sa1|15}} |
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Unlike the Alethi, the listeners had a single unified army. Their society was governed by the [[Council of Five]], whose members each represented one of the five [[Singer#Forms|singer forms]] that the listeners used. The Council member who used [[warform]], which is the singer form used by listener warriors, served as the general of the army.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}} |
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At some point during the war, Eshonai became the warform member among the Five and started leading the fight for survival against the Alethi. She also possessed the listeners' only remaining set of Shardblade and Shardplate, and used these in addition to warform during battle.{{book ref|sa1|68}}{{book ref|sa2|i|4}} |
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⚫ | Once the Alethi settled on the border of the Shattered Plains, they discovered that [[chasmfiend]]s live in the chasms between plateaus. Chasmfiends contain gemhearts which hold enormous amounts of [[stormlight]] for use in [[soulcasting]]. This enabled the armies to Soulcast metal for weapons, wood for bridges, barracks of stone and food for troops.{{book ref|sa1|15}} |
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Both the Alethi and Parshendi used these gems to sustain their armies, prolonging the siege. |
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Warform gave listener warriors a carapace armor as well as increased strength.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} Though not as strong or resilient as someone with Shardplate, warform listeners were a real threat to regular human soldiers. Their strength allowed them to use heavy weapons like battleaxes, hammers, and sometimes clubs and swords.{{book ref|sa1|40}} They were also capable of jumping far enough to cross chasms{{book ref|sa1|27}}, something that only those with Shardplate could do on the Alethi side.{{book ref|sa1|55}} |
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While they also used archers just like the Alethi, the listeners' combat strategy also involved using '''warpairs'''{{book ref|sa1|26}}, or pairs of warriors who fought side by side as partners. These listener warpairs would jump around the battlefield in coordinated maneuvers and attack enemy troops with heavy weapons from multiple directions.{{book ref|sa1|28}} |
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In order to cut the supplies of the Parshendi, the highprinces raced each other to the gemhearts before the Parshendi can claim them. |
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⚫ | Whenever a chrysalis is spotted on a plateau, a race between the Parshendi and Alethi highprinces would occur.{{book ref|sa1|15}} Whoever arrived first--Alethi army or Parshendi--was usually attacked by the other. Since every highprince worked on his own, depending on where the chasmfiend was pupating, several Alethi armies could attempt to get to the chasmfiend first. Whenever an army arrived and another Alethi army was already there, the second army turned back home.{{book ref|sa1|17}} This led to rivalry between the highprinces because success in gaining gemhearts meant wealth and appreciation from King Elhokar.{{book ref|sa1|12}} |
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⚫ | In order to fulfill the Vengeance Pact as quickly as possible, the Alethi highprinces initially planned a full-scale attack on the Parshendi. However, they were unable to immediately locate the |
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⚫ | The Shattered Plains{{map ref|Shattered Plains}} |
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=== The |
=== The Battle of the Tower === |
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⚫ | Once the Alethi settled on the border of the Shattered Plains, they |
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{{for|Battle of the Tower|more information}} |
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⚫ | The [[Tower|Tower Plateau]] is a very large plateau not far from the center of the Shattered Plains. Because of this, the Parshendi always arrived first whenever a chasmfiend pupated on the Tower Plateau, and they usually had enough time to arrange themselves into battle formation and prepare their defense. Consequently, no Alethi army had ever won a battle at the Tower during the first six years of the war. |
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⚫ | When Dalinar worked together with Sadeas, a chasmfied was spotted on the Tower.{{book ref|sa1|64}} According to their plan, Sadeas, whose armies were faster than Dalinar's, had to clear a space on the Tower for Dalinar's troops, who were better trained, to engage the Parshendi.{{book ref|sa1|64}} This worked as planned until Sadeas abandoned Dalinar, leaving no way to retreat for Dalinar.{{book ref|sa1|65}} |
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⚫ | Dalinar and the remnants of his army were saved by [[Bridge Four]] led by [[Kaladin]]. In the aftermath, Dalinar made his nephew, King Elhokar, declare him Highprince of War. It was Dalinar's goal to re-purpose the Alethi armies into to fulfilling the Vengeance Pact and to unite them again.{{book ref|sa1|69}} |
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Both the Alethi and the listeners used these gems to sustain their armies, prolonging the siege and greatly extending the duration of the war. Whenever a chrysalis is spotted on a plateau, a race between the listeners and Alethi highprinces would occur.{{book ref|sa1|15}} Whoever arrived first would have to retrieve the gemheart from the chrysalis before the opposing army arrives, otherwise a battle would occur. |
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For five years, the war was fought mostly through these skirmishes over gemhearts. |
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⚫ | Since every highprince worked on his own, depending on where the chasmfiend was pupating, several Alethi armies could attempt to get to the chasmfiend first. Whenever an army arrived and another Alethi army was already there, the second army turned back home.{{book ref|sa1|17}} This led to rivalry between the highprinces because success in gaining gemhearts meant wealth and appreciation from King Elhokar.{{book ref|sa1|12}} |
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:''Main article:'' [[Battle of the Tower]] |
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⚫ | The [[Tower |
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⚫ | When Dalinar worked together with Sadeas, a |
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⚫ | Dalinar and the remnants of his army were saved by [[Bridge Four]] led by [[Kaladin]]. In the aftermath, Dalinar made his nephew, King |
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=== Stormform and the Failed Peace Talks === |
=== Stormform and the Failed Peace Talks === |
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Eshonai, now the general of the Parshendi army and a member of the [[Council of Five]], wanted to find a way out of the protracted war. She had been planning to approach Dalinar Kholin and sue for peace, however her sister, the scholar [[Venli]], did not believe such a plan would work. Instead, Venli proposed that they should use a [[Singer#Forms_of_Power|Form of Power]] in order to defeat the Alethi.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} |
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Secretly guided by the voidspren [[Ulim]] |
Secretly guided by the voidspren [[Ulim]]{{book ref|sa3|i|3}}, Venli had previously captured a [[stormspren]], a spren that granted [[Stormform]]. This Form of Power was believed to allow the summoning and control of storms.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} Eshonai initially protested the idea due to the form's connection to [[Fused|their hated gods]]. However, after the other leaders sided with Venli, Eshonai ended up volunteering to experiment with Stormform to see what it does.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}} |
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Prior to bonding the stormspren, and with the help of |
Prior to bonding the stormspren, and with the help of [[Adolin]]{{book ref|sa2|26}} and [[Thude]], Eshonai was finally able to arrange a meeting with Dalinar to discuss a possible end to the war. The plan was for the meeting to happen in seven days. Having received confirmation of the arrangement, Eshonai went out to experiment with Stormform.{{book ref|sa2|i|5}} |
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Stormform gave Eshonai a different kind of armor and the ability to jump chasms more easily. She started attuning to a new set of [[Singer#Rhythms|Rhythms]] that were more aggressive.{{book ref|sa2|i|8}} More importantly, the new form changed Eshonai's personality, making her more arrogant and belligerent. She abandoned her plan to negotiate. Instead, she challenged the Alethi to try and destroy |
Stormform gave Eshonai a different kind of armor and the ability to jump chasms more easily. She started attuning to a new set of [[Singer#Rhythms|Rhythms]] that were more aggressive.{{book ref|sa2|i|8}} More importantly, the new form changed Eshonai's personality, making her more arrogant and belligerent. She abandoned her plan to negotiate. Instead, she challenged the Alethi to try and destroy the Parshendi if they could.{{book ref|sa2|51}} She planned to lure the whole Alethi army out far away from their warcamps and destroy them with a summoned highstorm.{{book ref|sa2|i|11}} |
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Along with Venli, Eshonai organized the adoption of |
Along with Venli, Eshonai organized the adoption of Stormform for all of their people. A few of the Parshendi did not agree to this plan and managed to escape.{{book ref|sa2|i|11}} [[Rlain]], a Parshendi spy who infiltrated the Alethi army and joined [[Bridge Four]], returned from his espionage mission and discovered the new Stormform army. He decided not to join them.{{book ref|sa2|78}} |
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=== The Battle of Narak === |
=== The Battle of Narak === |
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{{for|Battle of Narak|more information}} |
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After negotiations with Eshonai fell through, Dalinar proposed a joint assault on the Parshendi camp in order to end the war and fulfill the Vengeance Pact once and for all.{{book ref|sa2|51}} Out of all the Alethi highprinces, only [[Aladar]], [[Roion]], and [[Sebarial]] joined him in the end. They set out near the start of the [[Weeping]], expecting no highstorm to impede their attack.{{book ref|sa2|76}} Along the way they met up with Rlain, who reported to Dalinar what had happened to his people.{{book ref|sa2|78}} |
After negotiations with Eshonai fell through, Dalinar proposed a joint assault on the Parshendi camp in order to end the war and fulfill the Vengeance Pact once and for all.{{book ref|sa2|51}} Out of all the Alethi highprinces, only [[Aladar]], [[Roion]], and [[Sebarial]] joined him in the end. They set out near the start of the [[Weeping]], expecting no highstorm to impede their attack.{{book ref|sa2|76}} Along the way they met up with Rlain, who reported to Dalinar what had happened to his people.{{book ref|sa2|78}} |
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Upon the arrival of the Alethi armies in Narak, a large number of the |
Upon the arrival of the Alethi armies in Narak, a large number of the Stormform Parshendi initiated the ritual song to summon a storm, while the rest prepared to fight the invaders.{{book ref|sa2|81}} |
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The battle was fought on three plateaus. Aladar, Roion, Adolin each led soldiers on their own |
The battle was fought on three plateaus. Aladar, Roion, Adolin each led soldiers on their own assigned plateau while Dalinar gave orders from the command tent on another plateau. Sebarial's army reinforced Aladar's and Roion's, as Sebarial himself did not fight.{{book ref|sa2|81}} |
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The |
The Stormform Parshendi showed the ability to shoot red lightning, which they successfully weaponized against the Alethi. Adolin and Aladar managed well enough on their plateaus, but Roion's army was eventually defeated{{book ref|sa2|82}}, and Roion himself was killed by [[Szeth]] later in the battle.{{book ref|sa2|85}} |
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Having been warned by Rlain that the |
Having been warned by Rlain that the Stormforms' song will bring destruction, Dalinar instructed Adolin to stop the singers.{{book ref|sa2|81}} Adolin found a way to get to the singers and killed many of them, but Eshonai attacked before he could finish the task.{{book ref|sa2|83}} In the end, even though he defeated Eshonai, he was unable to prevent the song from being completed. The summoned storm turned out to be the [[Everstorm]], and it came towards them from the west, bringing red lightning.{{book ref|sa2|84}} In addition, the [[Stormfather]] sent an unexpected highstorm, coming from the east as highstorms usually do.{{book ref|sa2|86}} |
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[[Kaladin]] arrived in time to save Dalinar from Szeth, who had been sent there to assassinate the highprince.{{book ref|sa2|86}} [[Shallan Davar]] managed to find{{book ref|sa2|84}} and activate the ancient Oathgate within the city, and the surviving Alethi army was safely transported to [[Urithiru]] before the combined Everstorm and highstorm destroyed the whole city of Narak.{{book ref|sa2|86}} |
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The surviving remnants of the |
The surviving remnants of the Stormform army eventually ended up as vessels or subjects of the [[Fused]], the immortal commanders of [[Odium]]'s army that returned through the Everstorm.{{book ref|sa3|i|6}} Aside from Rlain, it is currently unknown whether any non-Stormform Parshendi survived. |
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The non stormform listeners who escaped into the chasms survived with the help of a chasmfiend.{{book ref|row|115}} |
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== Warfare == |
== Warfare == |
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The location of the war—the [[Shattered Plains]]—brought some notable characteristics with it. |
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=== The Use of Bridges Between Plateaus === |
=== The Use of Bridges Between Plateaus === |
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While |
While Parshendi were able to jump the distance between plateaus, an Alethi army could only cross a chasm with a bridge from an adjacent plateau. There was no way to climb a plateau from a chasm. The bridges were made of wood.{{book ref|sa1|6}} It was only possible to construct permanent bridges next to the warcamps because further on the Plains, permanent bridges were destroyed by Parshendi raids.{{book ref|sa1|17}} |
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During a race for a gemheart, mobile bridges were used by the Alethi armies. There were two main types of bridges. |
During a race for a gemheart, mobile bridges were used by the Alethi armies. There were two main types of bridges. |
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:Bridges that functioned like siege-towers. Those were very heavy and needed to be pulled by chulls and thus were very slow. Their advantage was that they offered cover for the Alethi army until the bridge was lowered over the chasm.{{book ref|sa1|55}}{{book ref|sa1|28}} |
:Bridges that functioned like siege-towers. Those were very heavy and needed to be pulled by chulls and thus were very slow. Their advantage was that they offered cover for the Alethi army until the bridge was lowered over the chasm.{{book ref|sa1|55}}{{book ref|sa1|28}} |
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;Light Portable Bridges |
;Light Portable Bridges |
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:These were only light in comparison to the bridge-towers. At least |
:These were only light in comparison to the bridge-towers. At least 25 men were needed to carry a bridge{{book ref|sa1|6}}. Their advantage was that they could be carried even running, so they were much faster than the bridge-towers. Instead of offering cover, the bridgemen were exposed to the Parshendi archers during the approach of the final plateau. |
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⚫ | Sadeas was the first one to use the light bridges <!--- he was first? ---> and had much success with them because of their mobility. He also used the exposed bridgemen on purpose to attract enemy fire that would otherwise have centered on his own soldiers.{{book ref|sa1|6}}{{book ref|sa1|15}}{{book ref|sa1|32}} That is also why bridgemen were neither armored nor trained.{{book ref|sa1|15}} |
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⚫ | Dalinar did not use those because he was convinced that officers shouldn't demand anything from their soldiers that they would not do themselves.{{book ref|sa1|15}}{{book ref|sa1|65}} He reproached Sadeas for wasting lives. Later Sadeas and Dalinar worked together. Sadeas could reach a plateau faster than anyone else, because he used the light bridges and left his main army with Dalinar<!--- main army with Dalinar? --->. Dalinar followed with the slow bridges, using the light bridges to cross the chasms. At the final plateau, Dalinar put his own bridges forward, not to waste bridgemen's lives. <!--- not in the Tower Battle? ---> |
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⚫ | Sadeas |
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Kaladin was the first to train a bridgecrew of a light bridge{{book ref|sa1|14}} and had considerable success with it.{{book ref|sa1|59}} Not only he managed to make them faster than other crews, he also managed to figure out a way of carrying the bridge so it could offer protection for the crew.{{book ref|sa1|32}} <!--- fits passage about Kaladin (and Side Carry) in here? ---> |
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⚫ | Dalinar did not use those |
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Kaladin was the first to train a bridgecrew of a light bridge{{book ref|sa1|14}} and had considerable success with it.{{book ref|sa1|59}} Not only did he manage to make them faster than other crews, he also devised the method of "side carrying" the bridge so that it could shield arrows from bridgemen.{{book ref|sa1|32}} Although this method significantly protected the bridgemen, it was a strategical failure to Sadeas' army. The [[Parshendi]] archers realized [[Bridge Four]] were too well protected and focused their arrows on the bulk of soldiers instead, causing heavy loss of trained soldiers instead of expendable bridgemen. Other bridgecrew who awkwardly tried to imitate them failed to deliver the bridges and this resulted in a lost battle. As punishment, [[Lamaril]] was executed and Kaladin was left out for the [[highstorm]]. |
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<!--- fits passage about the parshmen bone shield in here? ---> |
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Also, Shardblades were a very effective way to cut open the chrysalis in order to get the gemheart.{{book ref|sa1|26}} |
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⚫ | When an army arrived at a plateau and the enemy army was already formed up for battle, |
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Apart from that, Shardbearers had the same use as in every other battle during that time on Roshar. |
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The Alethi Shardbearers were the only ones who could stand up to the Shardbearers among the listeners. As such, the highprinces without a full set of Plate and Blade were at a disadvantage during the times they faced such an enemy and often had to retreat.{{book ref|sa1|24}}{{book ref|sa1|54}} Shardblades were also a very effective way to cut open the chasmfiend chrysalis in order to get the gemheart.{{book ref|sa1|26}} Apart from that, Shardbearers had the same use as in every other battle during that time on Roshar. |
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=== Chasm Duty === |
=== Chasm Duty === |
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During battles |
During battles, Alethi soldiers and Parshendi warriors often fell into the chasms. The dead who were left after a battle were blown into the chasms during highstorms. At the bottom of the chasms, the dead were flooded to the leeward end of the chasms, where they stayed until another flood pulled them elsewhere.{{book ref|sa1|27}} |
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Soldiers or bridgemen were sent down into the chasms to gather weapons, armor, spheres or anything other of value from the dead. Chasm duty was dangerous because of the risk of another highstorm flooding the chasms and because of chasmfiends who could come upon a search-team.{{book ref|sa1|27}} |
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== Notes == |
== Notes == |
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[[category: notable articles]] |