Besiegers Crossbowmen

The siege was dragging on far longer than the Imperial generals had anticipated. Despite having all the resources at their disposal—siege weapons, projectiles, battering rams, and fire—the final step, advancing on the walls themselves, proved far too costly due to the ever-present enemy missile units. Engaging them with their own ranged troops was a losing proposition, as the defenders, perched high on their cursed walls, boasted both greater numbers and superior accuracy. As a result, advancing the infantry for a direct assault meant incurring such heavy losses that the remaining forces were too few to complete the task.

Aware of this dire situation, one of the commanding generals did not hesitate to hire a reputedly skilled unit of mercenaries from distant lands.

Taking advantage of a pause in the fighting and an unusually dark night, these mercenaries positioned themselves dangerously close to the walls. There, they began erecting strange structures that sparked both curiosity and skepticism among the onlookers.

At dawn, the attempts to approach the walls resumed under the newcomers' bold promise that the battlements would be cleared of enemies. To everyone’s astonishment, they delivered on that promise. Every time a defender dared to peer out to fire their bow or crossbow, they were struck down by the precise bolts of the Siege Crossbowmen, safely sheltered behind their enormous pavises.

The battle ended, as expected, in victory for the attackers, who suffered minimal casualties during the final assault. However, a significant portion of the loot quickly found its way into the hands of those strange and highly efficient crossbowmen.