Cracking the head: Assault on Stonehelm

[Hengest]

All of Dorne had assembled under the regent's iron fist, much like his father, yet still a mere shadow of that man- for he had yet to prove himself. And the gods had granted him this; the opportunity of the rebellion. Rors watched from the highest tower of Sunspear promontory castle overlooking Tristayne's fleet as nigh-on one thousand ships sailed into the dawn from the Broken Arm. So much rested on this fleet, this first battle may well define the war and not least the future of Dorne for centuries to come. For Rors it was one small piece in his great game of Cyvasse, but it was an essential one nonetheless. All his enemies and his rivals would also see it as such- how could a mammoth move such as this go unnoticed? Yet, he clenched his fist and grit his teeth with a capricious grin, you have no idea what I am really doing and what I am truly about to do.

Tristayne held the ropes at the forecastle, leaning over the sea-spray in the cool dawnlight. He closed his eyes and sighed with happiness- the sea, the sea. Mother of men. He felt a shadow behind him and turned to see the tall cliff-top stronghold of Sunspear proper, its towers topped with flowing sepia banners emblazoned with the sun... and somewhere thereabouts he knew Rors was watching him. He shrugged off the chill and spat downwind. "Raise the signals to the fleet, full sail and north by northwest!" The boatswain repeated the order and it was in turn echoed down the chain of command until rapidly the colours of pennants ran the line up the highest mast of Tristayne's capital: the Sea-Snake and so the order went out across this huge fleet.

A few days past the rounding of the Broken Arm and the fleet parted into three. A reserve continued along the coast, a spearhead with Tristayne at its head tacked northeast and this time from the helm himself he watched as the marine fleet sailed into the dark dusk. Before dawn they would cut the sands off Stonehelm and land the greatest Dornish host in over a century. Somewhere amongst those ships sat Delziel his secret brother, snorting like a bull in the heat beneath his horned helm. Gods and men had made him a monster, and Delziel was long dead- now only the Minotaur remained and Rors had harvested his sorrow well- turned Delziel into the monster all would have him be. Tristayne could truly hate Rors, for taking his brother from him. But Rors likewise had been made into a monster by circumstance as well as nature- and removed from him likewise Delziel. In turn, Elia too. Tristayne breathed in the perfumed night air and thanked the stars that although he was alone among four siblings he was free and he was himself.

Commanders

Prince-Captain Tristayne
3 Naval Battles
1 pillager
1 capture
1 duel

The Minotaur
3 duel
3 survival

Areo Blacksand
3 duel
3 survival
3 capture
3 rearguard

---

Host

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Marines
Heavy Infantry 4194
Polearms 7319
Archers 7061
Light infantry 2485
Heavy Cavalry 2114
Light Cavalry 1374
23,188 men
Orders: to land at Stonehelm and lay siege to the castle.
Characters: The Minotaur. Areo Blacksand.

Landing Fleet
250 levy ships

Spearhead Fleet
30 Heavy Galleys
18 AOR “Dornish Dromonds”
17 Grand Warships
236 Dromonds
Orders: To lay anchor over the horizon from the coast at the skerries south of Lockport, and to keep watch and patrol east and south for foreign ships.
Characters: Prince Tristayne

Time:
Landing 19:00 GMT 15th June
Assault (if uninterrupted) 19:00 GMT 16th June

[Honors Bastion]

Stonehelm Garrison:

75 Heavy Inf
188 Light Inf
100 Polearms
113 Archers
75 LightCavalry (Fighting Dismounted)
25 Heavy Cavalry (Fighting Dismounted)

Give me your orders and I will do the roll.

[Hengest]

Thank you

Archers saturate the walls with arrows
light infantry scale the walls
polearms break through the gate and push in
heavy infantry reinforce
heavy cavalry charge in third wave

Areo remained at the rearguard of the landing fleet overseeing the assault, the night was lit up by flaming arrows and torches before him. Thousands of burning eyes in the darkness, the black sea bled as if the first finest breath of dawn was already upon them. Hundreds of ships swarmed over the beach, and broke into the broad wharfs of this renowned trade port, there was still not enough room for all to land. It was chaotic. Ships broke past the defensive pontoon and into the estuary to find a place to alight their troops. Men desperately clambered from ship to ship, boat to boat, boarding the docks and filling the harbour streets.

Amongst all the raging orders and terrified battle-cries; a monstrous noise was heard from the centre of the landings at the foot of the castle itself. It rose again, this time louder. And the entire army stilled its voice. It roared a third time, and even Areo shuddered.

It was the Minotaur, his voice ringing like a warhorn. Men soiled themselves. Swallowed hard. Men vomited. As fires were cast at the main gate, building into a pyre that would ultimately break it, the silhouette of the huge bull-like warrior stood with arms raised as if challenging the entire castle above him. "Kill me!" He cried with impaired speech. "Kill me!"

[Pericles of Athens]

OOC The following should also be garrisoning Stonehelm.
487 Heavy Infantry
894 Light Infantry
800 Polearms
516 Archers
487 Light Cavalry
162 Heavy Cavalry

Edit
Total Garrison
562 Heavy Infantry
1082 Light Infantry
900 Polearms
629 Archers
562 Light Cavalry
187 Heavy Cavalry

[Honors Bastion]

Siege Results:

Like Nightsong, I am just going to post the results and skip posting the tedious details from the calculator.

After a hard fought assault, the Dornish Army is able to come out victorius capture the vital Stormlander port of Stonehelm. However, the capture comes at a great cost to the lives of the Dornish attackers for every one Stormlander soldier who has fallen, two Dornishmen have been killed with him.

Dornish Casualties: 40% Dornishmen killed.
Stormlander Casualties: 50% maximum (in reality 95%)