Siege of the Iron Meteor

During the War of Ashes, Isturoth was in a state of perpetual warfare, with every fledgling kingdom attempted to conquer the others. This involved many conflicts, battles and sieges over the length of the war, but one siege is particularly memorable in the minds of the Isturian people.
At the stronghold of Burzha Vel, the Siege of the Iron Meteor has been recalled as one of the greatest battles fought by Isturians and represents a significant advancement of warfare technology.

The Conflict

Prelude

As part of the ongoing chaos of the War of Ashes, a warlord by the name of Zhurad “the Greathand” had amassed an incredible army of soldiers and mercenaries. Zhurad had been on a warpath to take fortresses across a kingdom in a line, so as to divide it into two halves. One-by-one, they fell to overwhelming military might.
Their final objective, the stronghold that would complete the division, lay in sight – the castle of Burzha Vel. This fortress was built upon the steep slopes of a mountain and had numerous towers around the outer wall, perfect positions for ranged attacks. The castle was composed of an inner and an outer wall and a single gate.
It was built upon the ruins of an earlier stone fort, which made its foundations stronger than usual. Burzha Vel housed about 2000 bodies (comprised of soldiers, peasants and artisans) under the command of a veteran soldier, Demul Rokušta.
The Greathand’s army arrived and set up an encampment to prepare for the siege. This force was made up of about 35 to 40 thousand soldiers, including archers and ballista squads, that manned four large, metal ballistas. 5 days later, they began their assault.

The Engagement

With their siege weapons, they inflicted major damage to walls, often attempting to pull chunks of the walls down. The defenders of the fortress didn’t have the range or the firepower to put up an effective resistance, but put up a decent defence, despite the odds stacked against them.
The resolve of the invaders held strong and, inevitably, the walls fell and a breach was made. However, the overwhelmingly outnumbered defenders held the line, fighting valiantly due to the bravery and charisma of their veteran commander. Peasant and solider alike repulsed the invaders day after day.
This was assisted by the fact that an extremely talented alchemist and inventor, Višakh Kalevti, was in the midst of groundbreaking research into applications of blasting powder, a substance that was still in its infancy and had not been utilised to the extent it is today.
Kalevti had cemented his legacy as the inventor of a slew of anti-seige weaponry. Defenders of Burzha Vel employed a primitive form of thrown explosive that Kalevti had devised. He loaded these with oil, sulfur, and flint in order to shower the enemy with burning missiles. His most iconic instrument of destruction was an improvised vehicle called the Iron Meteor, large wheels shaped from metal cages that were stuffed with explosives and lit aflame, before being rolled out into the invading forces. The explosive wheels caused panic and mass destruction and played a major role in keeping the invaders at bay.
The Greathand’s forces refocused their efforts beneath the earth and began digging a network of tunnels that inched towards the fortress. Commander Rokušta and Kalevti were prepared for this however, and had set a series of rudimentary mines that obliterated the invaders as they dug closer.
During the siege, the invading army had run out of ballista bolts and arrows at least twice, limiting their use of siege weapons for a week or more. The end of autumn arrived earlier than usual with heavy rain, thick mud and freezing nighttime temperatures. Reduced rations and lack of progress had caused discontent among the invading troops. Weather, morale and infighting had all compounded, and the invading force, beaten and exhausted, abandoned the fight. Against all odds, the defenders had won.

Outcome

Modern estimates account for only 300 defenders dead while the invaders lost over 8,000. The failed completion of his dividing line meant that Greathand could not complete his separation of the kingdom and he did not have time to organise another siege before the line began to fracture.
While Burzha Vel managed to avoid much of the war for a while, eventually they were approached, not by an invading army, but by another nation that wished to join forces and share their knowledge and power.

Aftermath

The applications of blasting powder in warfare were well established after the siege. Višakh Kalevti's creations spread far and wide, from knowledge he himself spread and by those attempting to imitate and perfect his designs.

Historical Significance

Legacy

Burzha Vel has become an emblem of defence, a symbol of patriotic heroism and the superiority of a defending army over an unmotivated mercenary force.

Included under Conflict

War of Ashes

Conflict Type

Siege

Battlefield Type

Land

Conflict Result

The invaders repelled

Location

Burzha Vel