The Siege of Cindralith
Objective Type: Assault / Defense
Victory Points: 6 Points
From the personal log of Field Captain Adrien Korr, 7th Siege Battalion
SOL 40, Year 3 of the Broken Crown
They said the walls of Cindralith could never fall. From where I stand, watching them burn against the night, I almost believe
they still won’t. The marble glows like embers — veins of Aether running through every fracture, humming like a dying heart.
We’ve been shelling the eastern gate for three days, and still it holds. The air tastes of ash and copper. Every explosion shakes
the ground, but the city refuses to give us its breath.
The Virelion banners haven’t lowered once. Their soldiers fight like they’re defending the sun itself — disciplined, deliberate,
unbreakable. Word spreads that the relic buried beneath the city is waking, that it’s bleeding Aether into the streets. Some of
the men swear they’ve seen shapes in the fire — silhouettes of crowns, faces in the smoke. I don’t know what’s truth anymore.
If we breach the gates, we take more than a fortress. We take history. But looking at that burning skyline, I can’t shake the
feeling that Cindralith isn’t being conquered. It’s choosing who’s allowed to survive it.
Excerpt from taken from The Chronicles of Vaelthar
Scenario Setup
The battlefield represents the outer walls and courtyards of Cindralith. Divide the board lengthwise: Defender’s half (fortified city wall and
gate) and Attacker’s half (open battlefield). Place 2 Gate Objectives (one central, one flank) along the Defender’s line — these represent breach points. Place 1 Relic Core Objective in the Defender’s rear zone.
Primary Objectives
Breaching the Walls (3 VP): The Attacker scores 3 Victory Points if they control at least one Gate Objective at the end of any round.
Seize the Relic Core (3 VP): The Attacker scores an additional 3 VP if they control the Relic Core by game’s end.
Special Rules:
1. Fortified Walls
Units on or behind wall terrain gain +2 DEF against ranged attacks. Climbing walls requires using a Climb Action, reducing movement by half.
2. Breach Points
Each Gate Objective has 12 Structural HP (DEF 14). Gates can be damaged by heavy weapons, Aether attacks, or melee attacks from units with the Siege keyword. Once reduced to 0 HP, a Gate becomes Breached Terrain (difficult terrain, no defense bonus).
3. Aether Overload (Environmental) At the start of each Aether Phase, roll 1D6: On a 5+, an Aether Surge erupts near a random objective. All units within R1 take 1D6 damage (Aether type). The Aether Counter increases by +1.
4. Scorched Earth: Any unit destroyed within R1 of a Gate leaves behind Burning Terrain until the end of the next round. Units moving through Burning Terrain suffer –2” Movement and 1D6 damage.
Deployment:
The Defender deploys within R2 of their board edge. The Attacker deploys within R3 of the opposite edge. Defender takes the first activation in Round 1.
Game Length: 6 Rounds
At the end of Round 6, determine who controls the Relic Core. If both sides contest it, no one scores those points — the relic remains unstable.
Hold the Line (3 VP): The Defender scores 3 VP if no Gate Objective is under enemy control at the end of the final round. Secure the Core (3 VP): The Defender scores 3 VP if they still control the Relic Core at game’s end.
Tactical Summary
The Siege of Cindralith is a scenario of attrition, timing, and pressure. The Attacker must commit resources early to breach the gates before the Defender’s fortifications and aetheric counterfire grind them down. The Defender excels in endurance — delaying, repairing, and retaliating from behind the walls. Every Aether Surge introduces unpredictability, forcing both sides to adapt as the relic itself awakens beneath the burning city.