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Difference between revisions of "Battle of the Tower"

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|participants=[[Dalinar]], [[Adolin]], [[Kaladin]], [[Torol Sadeas]], & [[Eshonai]]
  
|participants=[[Dalinar]], [[Adolin]], [[Kaladin]], [[Torol Sadeas]], & [[Eshonai]]
 
|effects=Sadeas's treachery revealed, Kaladin joins Dalinar's guard
  
|effects=Sadeas's treachery revealed, Kaladin joins Dalinar's guard
−
|date={{Rosharan date|1173|9|6|4}}{{cite|sa1?}}
+
|date={{Rosharan date|1173|9|6|4}}{{cite|sa1?}}
−
|world=Roshar|location=The [[Shattered Plains]]|region=The [[Tower]]
 +
|region=Shattered Plains
  +
|location=The [[Tower (Roshar)|Tower]]
  +
|world=Roshar
  +
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
 
|books=[[The Way of Kings]]
  
|books=[[The Way of Kings]]
  ⚫
}}
−
}}{{update|book=sa3}}
  
  +
{{quote
⚫
The '''Battle of the Tower''' is a major engagement during the [[War of Reckoning]] fought by the combined armies of the [[Alethi]] [[Highprince]]s [[Dalinar Kholin]] and [[Torol Sadeas]] against the [[Parshendi]] forces led by [[Eshonai]]. The engagement takes place on a plateau of the [[Shattered Plains]] called the [[Tower]], the largest and most coveted of the plateaus.
  
  +
|He saw a chance to pull out, letting the Parshendi destroy us. So he did it. A very Alethi thing to do. Ruthless, yet still allowing him to feign a sense of honor or morality.
  +
|[[Dalinar]]'s description of [[Torol Sadeas|Sadeas]]'s betrayal{{book ref|sa1|69}}
  ⚫
}}
  ⚫
The '''Battle of the Tower''' is a major engagement during the [[War of Reckoning]] fought by the combined armies of the [[Alethi]] [[Highprince]]s [[Dalinar Kholin]] and [[Torol Sadeas]] against the [[Parshendi]] forces led by [[Eshonai]]. The engagement takes place on a plateau of the [[Shattered Plains]] called the [[Tower (Roshar)|Tower]], the largest and most coveted of the plateaus.
   
−
The battle is actually a trap engineered by Sadeas to undermine Dalinar, leading to a massive loss of life, resulting in a strategic and tactical defeat for the Alethi side. In particular, Dalinar's army is severely weakened while Sadeas's army is practically untouched.
 +
The battle is actually a trap engineered by Sadeas to murder Dalinar, leading to a massive loss of life, resulting in a strategic and tactical defeat for the Alethi side. In particular, Dalinar's army is severely weakened while Sadeas's army is practically untouched.
   
 
== Background ==
  
== Background ==
  +
{{for|War of Reckoning}}
 
In carrying out the [[War of Reckoning]], all ten Alethi Highprinces gather on the [[Shattered Plains]]. They compete with the Parshendi and their fellow highprinces over killing the creatures known as [[chasmfiend]]s, which contain [[gemheart]]s—very large and valuable gemstones.
  
In carrying out the [[War of Reckoning]], all ten Alethi Highprinces gather on the [[Shattered Plains]]. They compete with the Parshendi and their fellow highprinces over killing the creatures known as [[chasmfiend]]s, which contain [[gemheart]]s—very large and valuable gemstones.
   
Line 21: Line 29:
 
Soon after, a chasmfiend is sighted on the Tower. Dalinar sends out eight thousand men while Sadeas gathers seven thousand to assault the tower.{{book ref|sa1|64}}
  
Soon after, a chasmfiend is sighted on the Tower. Dalinar sends out eight thousand men while Sadeas gathers seven thousand to assault the tower.{{book ref|sa1|64}}
   
−
== The battle ==
 +
== The Battle ==
  +
{{image|Shattered Plains.jpg|A map of the [[Shattered Plains]]. The Tower is the large plateau on the lower right.|side=left|width=350px}}
−
Sadeas lends Dalinar eight of his bridge crews, and they gather before the Tower. Although the Tower is surrounded by plateaus, only a few can be used; Sadeas's men uses the northern one, and Dalinar uses the one just below it. Unwilling to risk lives unnecessarily, Dalinar only commits his forces after he sees that Sadeas has secured a landing zone for Dalinar's men. As Dalinar fights the Parshendi, Sadeas retreats without warning, pulling out all of the bridges, including the eight lent to Dalinar. Additionally, a second Parshendi army has arrived, trapping Dalinar with no means of escape and surrounded by enemies.{{book ref|twok|65}}
  
   
  +
=== The Plan ===
  +
When the horns sounded that a [[chasmfiend]] chrysalis was once again spotted on the Tower, Sadeas came to Dalinar's warcamp to discuss the joint assault. The [[listeners]] traditionally brought ten thousand soldiers to secure the Tower as it is both large and close to [[Narak]]. Two of the sides of the plateau are inaccessible to cross. Sadeas proposed that a joint assault on the Tower would be the perfect time to turn the tide of the war by winning a decisive victory on the plateau that had never been taken and destroying a third of the [[listeners]]' remaining army. Dalinar agreed to the plan. They mobilized seven thousand of Sadeas's troops and eight thousand of Dalinar's troops and marched to the plateau, using only Sadeas's bridges for speed.{{book ref|sa1|64}}
  +
  +
Dalinar and Sadeas planned to launch the assault from the two western plateaus. Sadeas would use thirty-two of the [[Bridge crew]]s to secure a landing spot on the Tower. Dalinar would use the secured ground to bring his army onto the plateau. Dalinar would cut the listener army in half, trapping one side against the cliffs to the southeast of the plateau and the other half between the two armies. Sadeas left scouts on the northern adjacent plateaus to watch and warn of any listener reinforcements. Unbeknownst to Dalinar, Sadeas had his own plan in place for the fight. The strategy he and Dalinar employed would leave him in a perfect position to pull out and leave Dalinar to die with no way of escaping.{{book ref|sa1|65}}
  +
  +
{{image|16 Seconds pre-death by Petar Penev.jpg|side=right|height=250px|[[Dalinar]] and [[Adolin]] preparing for the battle}}
  +
  +
=== The Assault ===
  +
The plan that Dalinar and Sadeas had created for the assault occurs exactly as expected. Sadeas has thirty-two of his Bridge crews, including [[Bridge Four]], charge the plateau. The entirety of Bridge Four had armor covered in carapace. Kaladin and four of his men, including [[Moash]], ran before the bridge to draw listener fire away from the rest of the crew. The listeners mainly targeted Kaladin, recognizing him as the one responsible for the desecration of the bodies. Despite these distractions, the listeners still managed to drop five bridges. Of Bridge Four, [[Skar]] got an arrow to the foot, and [[Teft]] got an arrow to the shoulder. They tended the wounded as the battle continued.{{book ref|sa1|65}}
  +
  +
Dalinar landed his Bridge crews on the plateau once Sadeas secured it enough that the men wouldn't get fired at. He began to push forward, carving through the listener ranks. The listeners attempted to sling enormous rocks at Dalinar in order to stop him, but he climbed the rock they were on and killed them. Filled with the [[Thrill]], Dalinar enjoyed the killing and wished the [[Shardbearer]] would appear to challenge him. When Dalinar realized that the listener he was fighting was young and terrified, the Thrill left him. He felt sick and stopped fighting.{{book ref|sa1|65}}
  +
  +
{{image|The Leap by Grant Hansen.jpg|side=left|width=300px|[[Kaladin]] leaping onto the Tower to save Dalinar and his men}}
  +
=== The Betrayal ===
 
Dalinar doesn't notice Sadeas's maneuvers until it is too late. Left with no choice, he and his men resolve to die and prepare to make a last stand.{{book ref|twok|66}} However, they are saved when [[Kaladin]] and [[Bridge Four]] returns for them. Bridge Four sets down their bridge and holds it against a Parshendi assault, allowing Dalinar's army time to fight their way to the bridge.{{book ref|twok|67}}
  
Dalinar doesn't notice Sadeas's maneuvers until it is too late. Left with no choice, he and his men resolve to die and prepare to make a last stand.{{book ref|twok|66}} However, they are saved when [[Kaladin]] and [[Bridge Four]] returns for them. Bridge Four sets down their bridge and holds it against a Parshendi assault, allowing Dalinar's army time to fight their way to the bridge.{{book ref|twok|67}}
   
  +
=== The Rescue ===
 
As Dalinar and his army reaches the bridge, [[Eshonai]], a Shardbearer and the Parshendi commander, appears and draws Dalinar away, engaging him in battle. While Dalinar is engaged, Kaladin organizes a retreat for most of Dalinar's men, including Adolin and the [[Cobalt Guard]]. Finally, Kaladin goes to rescue Dalinar, incapacitating Eshonai in the process. With Dalinar safe, Bridge Four and Dalinar's army retreats back to the warcamps.{{book ref|twok|68}}
  
As Dalinar and his army reaches the bridge, [[Eshonai]], a Shardbearer and the Parshendi commander, appears and draws Dalinar away, engaging him in battle. While Dalinar is engaged, Kaladin organizes a retreat for most of Dalinar's men, including Adolin and the [[Cobalt Guard]]. Finally, Kaladin goes to rescue Dalinar, incapacitating Eshonai in the process. With Dalinar safe, Bridge Four and Dalinar's army retreats back to the warcamps.{{book ref|twok|68}}
   
 
== Aftermath ==
  
== Aftermath ==
  +
{{image|Grave Injustice by Artur Mosca.jpg|Sadeas riding away from the battle|side=right|height=300px}}
  +
  +
{{quote
  +
|Well, you've shown me something today, Sadeas – shown it to me by the very act of trying to remove me. . . You've shown me that I'm still a threat.
  +
|Dalinar to Sadeas after the Battle of the Tower{{book ref|sa1|69}}
  +
}}
 
Dalinar Kholin's army is decimated; of the eight thousand men that he brings with him, approximately six thousand are killed, leaving behind only 2,653 men.{{book ref|sa1|69}}
  
Dalinar Kholin's army is decimated; of the eight thousand men that he brings with him, approximately six thousand are killed, leaving behind only 2,653 men.{{book ref|sa1|69}}
   
−
As a result of [[Bridge Four]] saving Dalinar's men, every [[bridge crew]] from Sadeas's army is freed. Although some take an offer of money and freedom, most join Dalinar's army under the command of [[Kaladin]], instantly creating a thousand-man battalion for Dalinar's army. Bridge Four becomes the Kholin family's personal guard, as well as the headquarters unit for this new battalion.
 +
As a result of [[Bridge Four]] saving Dalinar's men, Dalinar offers to buy all the [[bridge crew]] from Sadeas's army with 60 emarald [[broam]]s each. After being rejected, he gave up his [[Shardblade]] [[Oathbringer (Shardblade)|Oathbringer]] as price. Although some take an offer of money and freedom, most join Dalinar's army under the command of [[Kaladin]], instantly creating a thousand-man battalion for Dalinar's army. Bridge Four becomes the Kholin family's personal guard, as well as the headquarters unit for this new battalion.
   
 
Kaladin rises to unheard-of heights for a [[darkeyes]], becoming an officer at the rank of captain, in addition to commander of a [[lighteyes]]' personal guard. Additionally, Kaladin advances his [[Surgebinding]] powers and path to becoming a member of the [[Knights Radiant]] by swearing the [[Immortal Words|Second Ideal of the Immortal Words]] during the battle.
  
Kaladin rises to unheard-of heights for a [[darkeyes]], becoming an officer at the rank of captain, in addition to commander of a [[lighteyes]]' personal guard. Additionally, Kaladin advances his [[Surgebinding]] powers and path to becoming a member of the [[Knights Radiant]] by swearing the [[Immortal Words|Second Ideal of the Immortal Words]] during the battle.
   
−
Dalinar, as a direct result of Sadeas's betrayal, insists on becoming the Highprince of War to manage the war directly. He also trades his [[Shardblade]] [[Oathbringer (Shardblade)|Oathbringer]] with Sadeas to free the bridge crews.
 +
Dalinar, as a direct result of Sadeas's betrayal, insists on becoming the Highprince of War to manage the war directly.
   
−
== Characters present ==
 +
== Characters Present ==
 
=== Combatants ===
  
=== Combatants ===
  ⚫
{{columns|count=2|
 
; [[Bridge Four]]
  
; [[Bridge Four]]
⚫
{{columns|count=3|
  
 
* [[Kaladin]]
  
* [[Kaladin]]
 
* [[Moash]]
  
* [[Moash]]
Line 47: Line 76:
 
* [[Skar]]
  
* [[Skar]]
 
* [[Sigzil]]
  
* [[Sigzil]]
⚫
}}
  
−  
 
; Kholin army
  
; Kholin army
 
* [[Dalinar Kholin]]
  
* [[Dalinar Kholin]]
 
* [[Adolin Kholin]]
  
* [[Adolin Kholin]]
  +
* [[Rust Elthal]]
  +
* [[Nacomb Gaval]]
   
  +
  +
}}
  +
  ⚫
{{columns|count=2|
 
; Sadeas army
  
; Sadeas army
 
* [[Torol Sadeas]]
  
* [[Torol Sadeas]]
−  
 
; [[Parshendi]]
  
; [[Parshendi]]
 
* [[Eshonai]]
  
* [[Eshonai]]
  +
}}
   
 
== Casualties ==
  
== Casualties ==
  ⚫
{{columns|count=2|
 
; [[Bridge Four]]
  
; [[Bridge Four]]
⚫
{{columns|
  
 
* [[Jaks]]
  
* [[Jaks]]
 
* [[Malop]]
  
* [[Malop]]
 
* [[Narm]]
  
* [[Narm]]
  +
⚫
}}
  
   
 
; Kholin army
  
; Kholin army
⚫
{{columns|count=3|
  
 
* [[Havar]]
  
* [[Havar]]
 
* [[Ilamar]]
  
* [[Ilamar]]
 
* [[Perethom]]
  
* [[Perethom]]
  +
* [[Niter]]
 
}}
  
}}
−  
   
 
== Notes ==
  
== Notes ==
 
{{history
  
{{history
 
|title=The [[War of Reckoning]]
  
|title=The [[War of Reckoning]]
−
|prev=Battle of the Side Carry
 +
|prev=[[Assassination of Gavilar]]
−
|this=Battle of the [[Tower]]
 +
|this=Battle of the [[Tower (Roshar)|Tower]]
 
|next=[[Battle of Narak]]
  
|next=[[Battle of Narak]]
 
}}
  
}}
Line 85: Line 117:
 
{{partial}}
  
{{partial}}
 
{{Stormlight}}
  
{{Stormlight}}
  +
[[es:Batalla de la Torre]]
−
[[category: notable articles]]
  

Latest revision as of 13:56, 29 August 2022

Battle of the Tower
Part of the War of Reckoning
Battle of the Tower.jpg
by Isaac Stewart
Date Tanatashev 1173[citation needed]
Participants Dalinar, Adolin, Kaladin, Torol Sadeas, & Eshonai
Effects Sadeas's treachery revealed, Kaladin joins Dalinar's guard
Region The Shattered Plains
Location The Tower
World Roshar
Universe Cosmere

“He saw a chance to pull out, letting the Parshendi destroy us. So he did it. A very Alethi thing to do. Ruthless, yet still allowing him to feign a sense of honor or morality. ”

—Dalinar's description of Sadeas's betrayal[1]

The Battle of the Tower is a major engagement during the War of Reckoning fought by the combined armies of the Alethi Highprinces Dalinar Kholin and Torol Sadeas against the Parshendi forces led by Eshonai. The engagement takes place on a plateau of the Shattered Plains called the Tower, the largest and most coveted of the plateaus.

The battle is actually a trap engineered by Sadeas to murder Dalinar, leading to a massive loss of life, resulting in a strategic and tactical defeat for the Alethi side. In particular, Dalinar's army is severely weakened while Sadeas's army is practically untouched.

Background[edit]

For more information, see War of Reckoning.

In carrying out the War of Reckoning, all ten Alethi Highprinces gather on the Shattered Plains. They compete with the Parshendi and their fellow highprinces over killing the creatures known as chasmfiends, which contain gemhearts—very large and valuable gemstones.

Dalinar Kholin believes that this war of attrition is unsustainable as a war strategy, since they are not directly attacking the Parshendi forces. Moreover, the Alethi army is acting closer to ten separate armies rather than one unified army. Dalinar wishes for the highprinces to work together and to shift war strategy into directly attacking the Parshendi.

For a time, Dalinar and Sadeas cooperate, both of their armies attacking together. However, they still act as two separate armies, with Dalinar using slower, more protected bridges while Sadeas uses bridgemen, sacrificing the well-being of his men for speed. In a conversation with the king and Sadeas, the king suggests that they integrate tactics more, with Sadeas providing all of the bridge crews for both armies. Dalinar agrees to the plan.[2]

Soon after, a chasmfiend is sighted on the Tower. Dalinar sends out eight thousand men while Sadeas gathers seven thousand to assault the tower.[3]

The Battle[edit]

A very large, detailed map the Altethi have made of the Shattered Plains. This is a top down-view of the Shattered Plains. We see ten small craters on the left, which are the Alethi warcamps. The rest of the image is hundreds and hundreds of plateaus separated by chams. It looks like a piece of broken glass, jagged and with no apparent symmetry. If the purpose of this image is to make the viewer feel like the Shattered Plains are a maze that is way too complex to ever properly map, it succeeds in that. The further on the right of the map we go, which is east, towards the storms, the wider the chasms are. Near the warcamps you could go from one plateau to any of its neighbours, but that's not the case further east. Only a few plateaus connect directly to the Tower, others are way too far to bridge.
by Isaac Stewart
A map of the Shattered Plains. The Tower is the large plateau on the lower right.

The Plan[edit]

When the horns sounded that a chasmfiend chrysalis was once again spotted on the Tower, Sadeas came to Dalinar's warcamp to discuss the joint assault. The listeners traditionally brought ten thousand soldiers to secure the Tower as it is both large and close to Narak. Two of the sides of the plateau are inaccessible to cross. Sadeas proposed that a joint assault on the Tower would be the perfect time to turn the tide of the war by winning a decisive victory on the plateau that had never been taken and destroying a third of the listeners' remaining army. Dalinar agreed to the plan. They mobilized seven thousand of Sadeas's troops and eight thousand of Dalinar's troops and marched to the plateau, using only Sadeas's bridges for speed.[3]

Dalinar and Sadeas planned to launch the assault from the two western plateaus. Sadeas would use thirty-two of the Bridge crews to secure a landing spot on the Tower. Dalinar would use the secured ground to bring his army onto the plateau. Dalinar would cut the listener army in half, trapping one side against the cliffs to the southeast of the plateau and the other half between the two armies. Sadeas left scouts on the northern adjacent plateaus to watch and warn of any listener reinforcements. Unbeknownst to Dalinar, Sadeas had his own plan in place for the fight. The strategy he and Dalinar employed would leave him in a perfect position to pull out and leave Dalinar to die with no way of escaping.[4]

by Petar Penev
Dalinar and Adolin preparing for the battle

The Assault[edit]

The plan that Dalinar and Sadeas had created for the assault occurs exactly as expected. Sadeas has thirty-two of his Bridge crews, including Bridge Four, charge the plateau. The entirety of Bridge Four had armor covered in carapace. Kaladin and four of his men, including Moash, ran before the bridge to draw listener fire away from the rest of the crew. The listeners mainly targeted Kaladin, recognizing him as the one responsible for the desecration of the bodies. Despite these distractions, the listeners still managed to drop five bridges. Of Bridge Four, Skar got an arrow to the foot, and Teft got an arrow to the shoulder. They tended the wounded as the battle continued.[4]

Dalinar landed his Bridge crews on the plateau once Sadeas secured it enough that the men wouldn't get fired at. He began to push forward, carving through the listener ranks. The listeners attempted to sling enormous rocks at Dalinar in order to stop him, but he climbed the rock they were on and killed them. Filled with the Thrill, Dalinar enjoyed the killing and wished the Shardbearer would appear to challenge him. When Dalinar realized that the listener he was fighting was young and terrified, the Thrill left him. He felt sick and stopped fighting.[4]

by Grant M. Hansen
Kaladin leaping onto the Tower to save Dalinar and his men

The Betrayal[edit]

Dalinar doesn't notice Sadeas's maneuvers until it is too late. Left with no choice, he and his men resolve to die and prepare to make a last stand.[5] However, they are saved when Kaladin and Bridge Four returns for them. Bridge Four sets down their bridge and holds it against a Parshendi assault, allowing Dalinar's army time to fight their way to the bridge.[6]

The Rescue[edit]

As Dalinar and his army reaches the bridge, Eshonai, a Shardbearer and the Parshendi commander, appears and draws Dalinar away, engaging him in battle. While Dalinar is engaged, Kaladin organizes a retreat for most of Dalinar's men, including Adolin and the Cobalt Guard. Finally, Kaladin goes to rescue Dalinar, incapacitating Eshonai in the process. With Dalinar safe, Bridge Four and Dalinar's army retreats back to the warcamps.[7]

Aftermath[edit]

by Artur Felipe Mósca
Sadeas riding away from the battle

“Well, you've shown me something today, Sadeas – shown it to me by the very act of trying to remove me. . . You've shown me that I'm still a threat. ”

—Dalinar to Sadeas after the Battle of the Tower[1]

Dalinar Kholin's army is decimated; of the eight thousand men that he brings with him, approximately six thousand are killed, leaving behind only 2,653 men.[1]

As a result of Bridge Four saving Dalinar's men, Dalinar offers to buy all the bridge crew from Sadeas's army with 60 emarald broams each. After being rejected, he gave up his Shardblade Oathbringer as price. Although some take an offer of money and freedom, most join Dalinar's army under the command of Kaladin, instantly creating a thousand-man battalion for Dalinar's army. Bridge Four becomes the Kholin family's personal guard, as well as the headquarters unit for this new battalion.

Kaladin rises to unheard-of heights for a darkeyes, becoming an officer at the rank of captain, in addition to commander of a lighteyes' personal guard. Additionally, Kaladin advances his Surgebinding powers and path to becoming a member of the Knights Radiant by swearing the Second Ideal of the Immortal Words during the battle.

Dalinar, as a direct result of Sadeas's betrayal, insists on becoming the Highprince of War to manage the war directly.

Characters Present[edit]

Combatants[edit]

Bridge Four
Kholin army


Sadeas army
Parshendi

Casualties[edit]

Bridge Four


Kholin army

Notes[edit]

The War of Reckoning
Assassination of Gavilar Battle of the Tower Battle of Narak
  1. ↑ a b c The Way of Kings chapter 69#
  2. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 59#
  3. ↑ a b The Way of Kings chapter 64#
  4. ↑ a b c The Way of Kings chapter 65#
  5. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 66#
  6. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 67#
  7. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 68#
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