» Mon May 07, 2012 9:44 pm YouTube Video of the Carnage (Best to watch after reading, but will not spoil the ending): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6t9LhHz3bQ
Experiment 1: Leyawiin Rebellion
Background: Let's face it. Every Argonian and Khajiit lover out there thinks Alessia Caro is a real b-i-t-c-h. She favors pure-Imperial races, houses a secret torture chamber, calls for a "transition to normality", looks down on minority races, and calls you out on it if you talk to her. Wow.
Isn't it about time the "alien" residents of Leyawiin teach that arrogant prom-queen a lesson? I mean, almost 75% of the city is either Khajiit or Argonian. Not to mention several other pissed off races like Dumners and Orcs. What if all those citizens came together, armed themselves, and rampaged as an angry mob through the streets of fair Leyawiin? Better yet, let's roleplay a whole battle!
Hypothesis: I predict that the People of Leyawiin (Only foreign-born or non-Imperial residents) will NOT triumph over the Count and Countess, the Leyawiin Guard, and any sympathizers standing in their way. There's a reason Guards were made so tough.
Plan: As I wanted to actually make a drama out of this battle, I decided to roleplay a bit. I picked a young, http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt317/Kaw434/Oblivion2011-08-2514-54-39-07-1.jpg for the experiment. He would serve as the so-called "hero" who would unite the citizens of Leyawiin in opposition to their rulers. As a Bard and fresh out of the sewers, my Argonian had little to no combat skills, and thus would not actually participate in the battle itself. I also removed all his items using a console command; for this experiment, any and all items used by me or the People of Leyawiin had to come from within the walls of the city proper. That means nothing you'll see in the conflict ahead came from outside Leyawiin. In terms of recruitment, I planned to only recruit Khajiit and Argonian citizens inside the city; though any person who harbored special resentment against the county could join as well. And, of course, all essential characters were set to non-essential. I then picked up a Companion Share mod, joined both the Fighters and Mages Guilds, and then set off for Leyawiin.
Data:
Preparation: I arrived in Leyawiin and started preparing on the 28th of Last Seed at exactly 6:00 AM. To my surprise, very few citizens of Leyawiin were ready to voice opposition to the Caro's rule. Even fewer desired to raise a rebel force to overthrow the county throne. Thus, I was forced to start out from scratch. In order to establish my reputation, I began accumulating a modest amount of wealth. Through buying and selling, searching and picking, I was able to raise a fair bit of septims and immediately began to put it to use. I approached one of the local beggars, and offered him 100 septims if he joined my cause. Eyes shining, he immediately consented, and my rebel force was born.
One beggar was far from enough, but I now had the money to do whatever I pleased. Taking care to avoid the watchful eyes of the guards, I slipped into the castle and approached stewardess On-Staya Sundew. Though tentative to speak at first, a few pieces of gold quickly changed her mind; soon statements of bitterness and resentment began to flow from the Argonian's lips. With the castle stewardess on my side, thing became much easier. Frightened townspeople now realized that they were not alone in their opposition to the Caro family; they rallied around the rebel cause and quickly clamored for action. Only the chapel priests, some of the shopkeepers, and some of the members of both guilds refused to participate. By the 29th of Last Seed, my forces numbered nearly twenty-five strong.
Many flocked to the cause. All the innkeepers laid down their pitchers in exchange for daggers. Fighters Guild and Blackwood Company minority troops set aside differences and stood shoulder to shoulder against the county court. Even fence Dar-Jee volunteered to follow the rebels. "Better than doing nothing" he shrugged. Cautious of the watchful guardsmen, the rebel troops agreed to seek shelter in the Cathedral of Zenithar, as the priests themselves were neutral in the conflict.
Nevertheless, several obstacles still remained in my way. The town guard was heavily equipped and trained, while my rebel forces had only a smattering of veteran soldiers (most of them Blackwood Company or Fighters Guild). Thus, I needed to appropriate enough weapons and armor to equip the eager townspeople. Suffice to say, I had to go looking. The Fighters Guild was well stocked with armaments, and with the help of the neutral guild mates, I was able to acquire several warhammers, helmets, and even a set of steel armor. While this was enough to arm most of my comrades, there were still a few unarmed participants. I countered this shortage by both buying up surplus arms from the Dividing Line and raiding private homes for bits and pieces. Though tiresome, this search yielded several private collections of armor and plenty of weapons to arm the rebel forces. Properly armed, the only thing the rebels needed now was a plan.
The main target of the attack was to be the County Hall, otherwise known as the castle. The barracks, though considered, was dropped due to the risk of heavy casualties. Along the way, the rebels would also accomplish secondary objectives against the residents Eitar and the Plotius family. Eitar had made several taunts against both Khajiit and Argonian alike, and it was about time he felt the repercussions. Meanwhile, the Plotius family staunchly and openly supported the Caro's actions; they were to die with them as well. Finally, the rebels agreed that the attack would only end after both the Count and Countess lay dead in a pool of blood. Thus, with this plan in mind, the rebels set up bedrolls on the stone floor of the chapel and eagerly awaited morning.
Battle: At 6:00 AM on the 30th of Last Seed, I personally led seven Leyawiin Rebels from the chapel doors. We first descended on the City Watch member at the front gate, falling upon him with sharp blades and heavy hammers. Though the brave guardsman managed to cut down a friendly Khajiit, he was finally bested after an armored Argonian smashed his head to a pulp. After stripping the body of armor and distributing it among eager hands, our force moved on through the northern side of the town. We found Eitar hiding in the nearby Five Claws Lodge, and quickly executed him without much disturbance. Everything was progressing superbly until we passed near Gundalas' general store, where a lone guardsman challenged our advance. He was quickly hacked to the ground, his armor being given to an eager Rebel.
7:00 AM
Caro Loyalists: Eitar and 2 Leyawiin City Watch dead.
Leyawiin Rebels: 1 Leyawiin Rebel dead.
Around 7:00, our force reached the house of Betto and Julitta Plotius. Smashing down the door, we rushed inside to apprehend the Plotius couple. To our surprise, both Betto and Julitta bravely denounced the Rebels and reaffirmed allegiance to the Caro family. Without batting an eye, the Leyawiin Rebels cut them down without mercy. Exiting the bloodied house, our small army moved on to the North-east gate, where three Leyawiin City Watch and Guardsmen blocked our advance. Charging in, my fellow Rebels fought well, but reinforcements from the county hall in the form of two Guardsmen quickly stymied the assault. One by one, the Leyawiin Rebels perished; the last being an Argonian named Bejeen, who fell just feet from the County Hall door.
9:00 AM
Caro Loyalists: Betto and Julitta Plotius and 2 Leyawiin City Watch dead.
Leyawiin Rebels: 6 Leyawiin Rebels dead.
A couple of minutes later, I regrouped my forces in the chapel and assembled a second assault force. At seven strong, the force included Weebam Na, the famed hunter and husband of Bejeen. Incensed at his wife's death, he vowed to "fight to the last". This time, I sent my forces to reconnoiter the southern side of town. Moving carefully, the troops made good progress, reaching the castle gate without any opposition. However, once at the gate, the Countess' Bodyguard appeared, and raised the alarm. Immediately, four Leyawiin City Watch and Guardsmen counter-attacked the Rebels, separating their formation and breaking their discipline. After only a few minutes of combat, the Leyawiin Rebels were put down for good, including Weebam Na, who literally fought with every weapon he had.
11:00 AM
Caro Loyalists: 1 Countess' Bodyguard dead.
Leyawiin Rebels: 7 Leyawiin Rebels dead.
The third assault wave included the Fighters Guild soldier and most of the Blackwood Company. Aided by these veterans, I was sure victory was at hand. This time, I led the Rebels right through the center of town towards the County Hall door. Just steps away, we were again blocked by three more City Watch and Guardsmen. As my forces engaged the enemy, I spotted Alessia Caro and her attendant Hlidara Mothril emerge from the castle. Seeing the battle, she endeavoured to return to safety, but I had already ordered my troops to switch targets. Even as the Rebels assailed the helpless Countess, the Leyawiin Guardsmen continued to press the attack. Against the onslaught, the Rebel resistance finally collapsed and the Countess escaped.
1:00 PM
Caro Loyalists: Hlidara Mothril dead.
Leyawiin Rebels: 7 Leyawiin Rebels dead.
The chapel seemed eerily empty as I entered for the final time. All I had left were three Leyawiin Rebels: Jeetum-Ze and Ja'Fazir of the Blackwood Company, and On-Staya Sundew. Together, these three troops formed the last hope for a Rebel victory. From previous intelligence, I knew the odds did not look good. While five Leyawiin City Watch and Guardsmen lay dead, a strong force of nearly thirteen Guardsmen remained. Still, I ordered my troops forward. Just steps from the cathedral, we were apprehended by a hapless Leyawiin City Watch member. Needless to say, he was swiftly put down. After encountering and defeating a second patrolling Guardsman, our tiny force once again reached the North-East gate. This time, however, we were in luck. The Countess and three patrolling Guardsmen had decided to emerge from the courtyard and were just heading out when the Rebels attacked. Jeetum-Ze quickly spotted the fleeing Countess and cut off her retreat while Ja'Fazir and Sundew dealt with the Guardsmen. In a heartstopping chase, Jeetum-Ze struggled to catch the nimble Alessia Caro, while at the same time trying to fend off the defending Guardsman. Finally, Alessia made the mistake of jumping into a nearby pond and trying to swim to safety. Jeetum-Ze caught up and rammed his sword through her wicked form. While Ja'Fazir finished off the remaining Guard, I personally confirmed Alessia's death. Nevertheless, the task was not yet done, and my troops quickly regrouped and stormed the castle proper to end the Caro's rule. As they rushed up a flight of stairs, my weary and wounded troops ran headlong into two more Leyawiin Guardsmen, including the Count's Bodyguard. Luckily, Mazoga the Orc happened to be watching the scene unfold, and decided on the spot that it was better to back the side that didn't refuse to give her an audience when she so desperately needed one. So the green Orc joined the fight on the Rebel side, and with her help the Leyawiin Rebels wiped the floor with the defending Caro Loyalists. Strangely enough, we entered the throne room to find the Count gone...
4:00 PM
Caro Loyalists: http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt317/Kaw434/Oblivion2011-08-2515-06-57-14.jpg, 1 Count's Bodyguard, 6 Leyawiin Guards and City Watch dead.
Leyawiin Rebels: No casualties.
From here, the battle became much easier, as the remaining Loyalists were too disorganized to mount a proper defense. After finishing off a weakened Guardsman, my troops stormed the dungeon in hopes of freeing any remaining prisoners. To our disappointment, we did not find any captives, but we did stumble upon the Jailor and a patrolling Leyawiin Guardsman. After a brief fight, both fell before the Rebels' blades. Then Jeetum-Ze hatched the idea of checking the Servant Quarters. Surely, he reasoned, we would do well with some provisions and food. So we assaulted the lower levels of the Castle, only to find not provisions, but two frightened Caro servants and the remaining Jailor. After finishing the Jailor, we quickly identified the servants as fierce Caro loyalists, and in accordance put them down over a flurry of pleas and screams. Now, all that was left to find the Count and end his miserable life. After clearing the rest of the castle, we decided to attack at the heart of county hall: the private quarters themselves. Charging in, we brushed aside a final Guardsman and burst into the Count's room. Strangely enough, the Count was bold enough to approach Ja'Fazir with one final offer of peace. "I can offer you a good position in the Guard" the Count assured the tired Khajiit, "You'll have much better pay than you have or will ever have. Just leave these wretched mob-goers and stand by my side." Ja'Fazir stopped for a minute, checked his sword, and hacked the Count to Oblivion. So ended the reign of Marius and Alessia Caro, and so began a new era of peace and acceptance.
9:00 PM
Caro Loyalists: http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt317/Kaw434/Oblivion2011-08-2514-57-23-29.jpg, Januarius and Janonia Aurunceia, 2 Leyawiin Jailors, 3 Leyawiin Guards dead.
Leyawiin Rebels: No Casualties.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt317/Kaw434/Oblivion2011-08-2514-54-08-99.jpg
[/i]Conclusion: You're probably thinking that all of these was too dramatized to be a real experiment. Actually, everything you heard was a true story, with some extra details thrown in. Everything happened exactly as I told it; no overly dramatized plot-lines or anything. Of course, we have to anolyze the science behind the remarkable story.
All Leyawiin Guardsmen are Level 10 when the player is Level 1. However, several commoners were actually Levels 10, 11, and 12, and therefore with proper equipment outranked the Guards. Plus, Ja'Fazir was Level 9 with high-level heavy armor, and Jeetum-Ze was Level 6 with high-level heavy armor. Along with Sundew at Level 4 and Mazoga at Level 10, it's no wonder they wiped the floor with the scattered Guards (it doesn't hurt that three of the four final Rebels had healing spells). Of course, if all the guards had ganged up on the hapless army, the Rebels would have gone down in defeat.
Total casualties? Forty-six Leyawiin residents dead. That's seventeen Guards, twenty-one Rebels, the Count and Countess, and six Loyalist civilians. Considering there are actually twenty Guards in Leyawiin to start with (Including the Captain and Second-in-command), that means only one of the regular Guards escaped death (the outside stables post). But, all but four of the Rebels were wiped out, which is pretty heavy.
Of couse, I wouldn't recommend copying this experiment. You really have to edit a lot of thing and risk ruining the game.
But if you so choose, you know how to. Thank you for reading,
Kroot
