Taking over a city

Sadarth pried open a volume of maps. One of the problems with living seven centuries was that the borders shifted, rendering many of Sadarth's maps out of date. One of the older maps showed the Grand City of Sunley, Her Attendant Territories and Faithful Allies. Sunley was positioned at the head of the bay, at a point where seagoing merchants could unload their cargo for transport over land to the fractured Kingdoms of Oloan. Sunley, on this map, was a mighty power, dominating the bay on which it sat, controlling vast lands and exercising control over its many allies.

A more recent map told a different story. The High King of All Oloan, in a rare fit of activity, waged war against Sunley. Sunley's main strength was at sea, leaving them **** to the attacks of the Oloani. The war crippled trade in the empire, and the well-drilled pike of the Grand City of Sunley fought bitterly, but ultimately could not withstand the repeated assaults of the Oloani warrior-elite, all eager to take what land, ships and treasure they could from the outnumbered Sunley army.

Sunley went into a sharp decline thereafter. As no more than a prize for Oloani lords to try and take from each other, Sunley was besieged many times, as its fleets were disbanded, its city assembly banned and its monuments gone to rot.

It must be humiliating, thought Sadarth, almost feeling sympathy.

The city was ripe for her taking. But she could not simply stroll in and demand their obedience, could she?