Given their competence at engineering and sturdy constitutions, dwarfs make excellent siege troops. While their holds are designed and constructed in such a way to thwart any besieging force, their ar- mies are well equipped for the besieging of enemy fortifications. Dwarfs do not usually use direct as- sault against an enemy castle or city, for they are mindful of the waste of lives such bloody battles ac- crue. Instead, a well-formed timetable of besiegement, reduction and undermining is undertaken.
(1) Firstly, the dwarfs set up batteries of their great war engines, and with these they target the most formidable defences, such as gatehouses and towers. Counter-battery fire against the besieged forces’ war machines is also given priority, so that the next stage of works can begin.
(2) When safe from enemy fire, sappers begin to create earthworks, behind which the defences of the batteries can be strengthened and miners can begin their work. The miners dig beneath the walls of the enemy fortifications, using wooden props to support their tunnels. As expert diggers, the miners can carve a tunnel some four hundred paces or more long and still undermine a specific stretch of wall no larger than a half dozen paces across. These sections of wall are surveyed at distance by engineers to locate the areas of greatest weakness, both from natural shoddy build and the effects of the cannons and catapults. The miners will dig their tunnel underneath the chosen wall section, cutting through soil and rock at speed, and with surprising stealth so that the enemy remains unaware and cannot build a counter -mine.
(3) When the mine reaches its target, it used to be that a fire was set that would burn away the props and collapse the tunnel. In recent centuries, the dwarfs use black powder explosives known as blasting charges to bring down their tunnel. With its foundations collapsed, the wall will give way under its own weight and create a breach.
While these labours continue, the dwarfs encircle the settlement and cut off all supply, led by the rangers. Access by river and road is intercepted, and usually guarded by well-armed beardlings as an in- troduction to battle. The enemy starves from this isolation, which can sometimes last for months on end if the dwarfs feel no hurry to end the siege—as might be necessary should enemy reinforcements be approaching.
(4) Lastly, once breaches are affected, usually three or four at least, the dwarfs will being their as- sault. Hidden behind great pavises, thunderers and quarrellers advance into range and pour fire upon the defenders of the breach with handguns and crossbows. Whilst the enemy is pinned back by the volleys of these regiments, the hardiest dwarf warriors storm the breach, often led by the hammerers or, more preferably, ironbreakers. The miners have also contained their labours and will have dug side tunnels or entirely new workings. As the besieged troops rush to defend the gap in their defences, the miners will break through to the surface and attack from within the castle. Caught between these forces, the garri- son is quickly overwhelmed, and dwarfs show little mercy in such situations. Time and time again has this strategy proved insurmountable to the defenders, and it is now common practice amongst the wis- est commanders to surrender with whatever terms are offered upon the moment of the commencement of the first bombardment!
On the sixth day magical fire has blasted the work- ings of Grik and forced a collapse. A sally led by an elven prince destroyed many of the workings of Thom, though we captured the prince before he could retreat. He names himself Prince Alyr of Eataine, and we have sent word and ransom to the commander of the garrison of Tor Alessi. Alyr has asked for no pa- role and we have offered none. He is currently caged with the mules, while his warriors have been set to work gathering wood for the furnaces.
The king has ordered work on Thom and Grik to be halted and all efforts to be concentrated on Ari.
Under covering bombardment of enchanted bolt and rune-carved boulder, we set the fires in Ari beneath the right-most tower of the western gatehouse.
The tower, elf-made and weak, collapsed within minutes, crushing a great number of elves and opening a breach for us to attack. At the forefront strode the ironbreakers and a great skrund erupted in the debris as elven spears met the axes and hammers of our kin. The footing was unstable and our folk laboured badly to effect entrance, but were successful for a few hours to hold back the elves. In doing so, we have drawn forces that would have fought the High King’s assault on the eastern gate in the last hours of light. We were forced to withdraw at dusk having lit many fires in the city, which now illuminate the night sky like day.
Word has reached us from the High King that an elven fleet has been sighted several miles off the coast, heading west and south. We are to lift the siege lest our forces become trapped between this newly arrived host and the walls of the elven city.
The elves rose a great jeering an clamour as we de- parted, yet they were soon silenced as we sent back Prince Alyr to his people, his head removed and packed in a pickling firkin to accompany the corpse. A great many engines have been abandoned on the field, for the elven reinforcements have landed and must swiftly seek the sanctuary of the mountains while we judge their number and keenness for battle.
Some fourteen days past, the warriors of this hold did wage honourable war in the seeking of righteous compensation for the wrongs done to us by the fickle elves. Hereafter entered the names of those who did lay down their lives for the prosecution of our endeav-
ours and the protection of the king and High King62.
It has come to the attention of the king that the friv- olous elves are referring to this great and bloody con- flict as the War of the Beard. This facetiousness is typical of the disdainful manner with which the elves view us, and another example of their facile and inap- propriate humour.