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{{update|book=sa2}}
The '''War of Reckoning''' was a conflict on [[Roshar]] between [[Alethkar]] and the [[Parshendi]].{{book ref
== Participants ==
=== The Vengeance Pact ===
{{for|Vengeance Pact|more information}}
When King [[Gavilar]] was assassinated by the [[Assassin in White]], the Parshendi took credit for the assassination. This led to the formation of the [[Vengeance Pact]].{{book ref
=== Beginning of the siege ===
The Shattered Plains{{map ref|Shattered Plains}} were a very big area and the armies had to cross chasms in order to get from one plateau to the next. The consequence was that armies would take a very long time to reach the centre of the Plains. This would include the risk of a highstorm surprising the armies. Due to the violence of highstorms and the lack of shelter on plateaus a highstorm would most probably have destroyed any Alethi army camping on a plateau.
Also the chasms were flooded during every highstorm which made it impossible to advance on the bottom of the chasms.{{book ref
Therefore the highprinces decided to change their plan and settle for a siege.{{book ref
=== The impact of gemhearts ===
Once settled on the border of the Shattered Plains, it was quickly discovered that [[chasmfiend]]s lived in the chasms between plateaus. Chasmfiends had gemhearts which were very valuable. Not only for the value of the gemstone but mostly because of its ability to store huge capacities of [[Stormlight]].<!--- The stored Stormlight could power [[Soulcasting]] - Is this really the right definition? ---> This was extremely important for the armies, as this could be used to Soulcast metal for weapons, wood for bridges, barracks of stone and food.{{book ref
The continued Soulcasting allowed the Parshendi to supply themselves in everything they needed. This considerably lowered the chances of success for the siege.
That was not the only impact of the gemhearts. In order to cut the supplies of the Parshendi, the highprinces tried to get gemhearts before the Parshendi could get them.
The safest way to win a gemheart of a chasmfiend was to wait for the chasmfiend to climb on a plateau, where it pupated.{{book ref
So whenever a chrysalis was spotted on a plateau, a race started between the Parshendi on one side and Alethi highprinces on the other side.{{book ref
Over the years the result was that the Alethi army lost its original purpose—to fulfil the Vengeance Pact—and their unity. The ten armies fought on their own instead of fighting united against the Parshendi.
The [[Tower|Tower Plateau]]<!--- I'd like to insert: {{map ref|Battle of the Tower}} but it doesn't work, if wanted, pleas help. ---> was a very large plateau not far from the centre of the Shattered Plains. Because of this, the Parshendi always arrived first whenever a chasmfiend pupated on the Tower Plateau. Also, they usually had enough time to arrange themselves into battle formation and prepare their defense. That's why no Alethi army had ever won a battle at the Tower during six years of the war.
When Dalinar worked together with Sadeas, a chasmfied was spotted on the Tower.{{book ref
Dalinar and the remnants of his army were saved by a [[Bridge Four]] led by [[Kaladin]]. In the following, 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
== Warfare ==
=== The use of bridges between plateaus ===
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
During a race for a gemheart, mobile bridges were used by the Alethi armies. There were two main types of bridges.
;heavy bridge
: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
;light portable bridges
:These were only light in comparison to the bridge-towers. At least 25 men were needed to carry a bridge{{book ref
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
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
Kaladin was the first to train a bridgecrew of a light bridge{{book ref
=== The use of Shardbearers ===
When an army arrived at a plateau and the enemy army was already formed up for battle, the only way for the attackers often was to send in [[Shardbearer]]s who could jump over the chasm and clear a space for the bridges to land.{{book ref
Also, Shardblades were a very effective way to cut open the chrysalis in order to get the gemheart.{{book ref
Apart from that, Shardbearers had the same use as in every other battle during that time on Roshar.
=== Chasm duty ===
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
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
== Notes ==
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