Io's Labyrinth

[Anastasia]

And thus the game begins. The sapphire dragon focuses on it as your forces war. Winds counter fogs, arrows close the distance while invisible foe meets invisible foe. Every move is smoothly countered - and countered in turn by Seira's tactics. Counter. Reverse. Riposte. More than anything else, it immediately seems to be a close, hard struggle, neither side looking to go down right away.

Yet as it unfolds, "..aaaah. I yield." Scandamalonax says, bowing her head to you - and looking up with a big, toothy draconic smile. "Your plan is daring and competent enough, while your execution is sufficient. I will not test you on the vagaries of war when there's little point in leaving it to chance, for chance ruins all the best plans and scatters them about like ashed on the wind."

"So it does," Oberuth speaks up, "Like a wild horse, whom you have to hold and break to ride, no matter how hard it tosses you about."

[Nephrite]

Moore blinks. He's a bit surprised that she gave up so easily, but the reasoning is solid enough.

[Corwin]

"Thank you for an enjoyable game," Seira tells Scandamalonax politely.

[Anastasia]

"It's the first new opponent I've had in ages," The dragon goes on, words coming faster now, "Suicidal pikemen is an interesting strategy in a void, but of course you could almost never use it in reality."

[Corwin]

"It's a valid plan for summons or mindless golems," Seira counters. She snorts, adding, "Or on Ysgard, actually?"

[Anastasia]

"Oh of course on Ysgard," Scandamalonax concurs, "But in a normal battle, the odds are it won't be there. I loathe wasting troops, even if sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn to capture a queen."

[Corwin]

"Whenever you step away from the void to give the situation some context, things begin to get complicated," Seira muses. "Why is there even a battle? Were the two sides unable to resolve the situation any other way? And what are the consequences of losing? The territory merely changes hands, or the enemy lich-king gives everyone a fate worse than death? While I would not throw my people's lives away, there are times when we have to fight even when the odds are against us and as we know that some of us will not make it past the next battle."

[Anastasia]

'IT is unavoidable," The dragon concurs with that, "Sometimes fate means there is only battle, no matter how dark and hopeless. Ah, the stuff of heroic last stands and final battles against an unstoppable foe. The legacy of sieges and crushed armies, broken castles and kings in chains."

[Corwin]

Seira nods in agreement.

[Anastasia]

"Ah, sieges. I adore sieges," Scandamalonax goes on, "The eternal tension between time and pressure inside versus possible pressures on the sieging army. The tension of holding on, trying to defend, keeping the air clear if need be while wizards fight duels that can turn castle walls into decorations. The pressure on commanders on the defensive, having to live up to it or succumb. It's a marvelous test of courage and determination to endure a siege, to be able to take your men to the utmost and survive one, and yet maintain a fighting force within as the days become weeks."

[Corwin]

"Magic does make sieges redundant," Seira voices. "Past the fifth circle, at least, you can maintain lines of communication and be able to respond swiftly across the land and deliver any supplies. I must say I do prefer things to be that way, since sieges are very difficult on the civilian population. As a pure wargame they are interesting, but in the real world disease alone makes them horrifying."

[Anastasia]

Oberuth grunts at that, "All too true. At least an open battle takes its toll and the war moves on. A siege is a vacation in Hell."

"They are hard," Antenora says, "But that is what faith is for - for the miracles we can give will aid those who stand true in a terrible siege."

"All of war is bloodstained," The dragon retorts, raising a single claw up as if to object, "Yet war never ceases and never departs us. It says much of us and the Creation we live in that it is so."

[Corwin]

"I prefer battles where the participants chose to be there, whether they are fighting for their ideals or some coin."

[Anastasia]

"Ah, mercenaries. Now that's a subject I can talk about," Scandamalonax smiles even more, "What better way to wage war than to pay professionals, so that the unwilling are not dragged into peasant levies and militias?"

[Corwin]

"And you get better training and troop cohesion, too," Seira muses. "At least as long as you can keep paying them, and so long as they are the trustworthy sort."