Castle Siege with 8 Phased Variants! [65x69] [Preview]

Dialogue between the Melians and Athenians during the siege of Milos:

"Athenians: ...Of the gods we believe, and of men we know, that by a necessary law of their nature they rule wherever they can. And it is not as if we were the first to make this law, or to act upon it when made; we found it existing before us, and will leave it to exist forever after us; all we do is to make use of it, knowing that you and everybody else having the same power as we have would do the same as we do."

~Thucydides, Historiae, Book 5, 85-116

Hey everyone! This month's map pack which was voted by our Dragon-Tamers:
A Castle Under Siege! There are 8 phases and states that this stronghold goes through, before it eventually succumbs to the attackers and the passage of time.
Forts were not just garrisons for soldiers and weapons, but often served as trading centers, housed farmers and workers, and were used to assert control over a given area. Our castle is besieged, and each tier gains access to different phases of the siege:

-No Siege

The gate is lowered above the murky waters of the moat, tradesmen are coming in and out, whilst the garrison performs its daily duties.

-Phase 1- The Attackers Assemble

Siege equipment and war machines have been built . The attackers lay claim to this fief and are ready to shed blood to conquer it!

-Phase 2- The Attack begins

The towers draw near, the battering ram approaches, and the soldiers raise their shields as the defenders rain arrows upon them! Every inch is won with blood and sweat. In the meantime, a secret mission begins in the North. The attackers have employed engineers and miners, Gods know for what....

-Phase 3- First Breach

The walls have finally been partially breached! The attackers struggle to pass through the smashed battlements, while the defenders pour hot oil, water, and throw rocks at the climbing men-at-arms, arrows still pouring all around them. The fort however, no longer seems impregnable, and soldiers have begun sneaking on top of the walls from the Eastern side.

-Phase 4- Multiple Breaches

A grant explosion, as if a hundred fireworks all went out at once! The miners have managed to dig under the moat to the castle's foundations, and the engineers have planted explosives and other chemichals succesfully!  Now the tide turns...

-Phase 5- Fully Breached

Now the attackers pour in from every side. The Northern walls compromised by explosives, the Southern by the constant firing of the catapults, trebuchets, and the soldiers on the siege towers. Houses are torched, the plundering begins! Men and women are put to the sword as the once defensive haven of the local lord is reduced to ashes and brimstone.

-Post Siege- Looted

The loot is gathered in the center of the courtyard from the treasury. Any supplies that can be salvaged will also be taken by the army. The wounded are tended to and the dead buried. Nothing of value will remain on this former bastion.

-Castle Ruins

Years after the siege, songs were written and performed from both sides, praising the valiant efforts of their soldiers and heroes, villains and scoundrel to the oppossing factions. Yet the castle succumbs to a different enemy now: time.
Overgrown vegetation, crumbling walls, rising water levels. Rotting wood. This place is not what it used to be. Yet things might still lurk deep in its halls...shadows still crawl on the weathered battlements...and any adventurers that wish to make this their restful abode should be weary during the nights....

Hope my narration didn't tire you too much, but instead gave you a few ideas on how to run these maps in your own sessions!

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As always, my Patrons can find the 4k pngs/pdfs/webps of these maps here:

Castle Under Siege 2€ Rewards [No Siege, Phase 1]
Castle Under Siege 3€ Rewards [Phase 2, Phase 3, Phase 4]
Castle Under Siege 5€ Rewards [Phase 5, Post-Siege, Ruins]