Why did the Covenant attack Stonefalls ?

covenant_merchant

Okay, so. We were ERPing with a friend in Stonefalls since TF was laggy, and suddenly a question popped up : Why did the Covenant forces go all the way to Stonefalls when it would've been much easier to attack Eastmarch instead? Look at the map below for an illustration.


So there's Tamriel, and the red star indicates Stonefalls. Now, the logical way for the DC forces to proceed has been outlined in red (via Skyrim and the sea of ghosts, or w/e its name is). Thing is, Bleakrock Isle is way up North and closer to Eastmarch than anything else. So why bother going all the way to Stonefalls instead of disembarking and raiding, violently subduing women, and pillaging that part of Skyrim?

My theory however, is that the DC forces followed the green trail, but that theory supposes that the TES world is round and has nothing in between Glenumbra and EP territories (Just picture Alaska - Russia distance). However, I am very unsure about that, given that there's Atmora (well, the Akaviri continent) as well as the Maormer one (Pyandonea) floating around somewhere. So for all I know, there might be other continents floating about, or it might be a Here There Be Dragons issue with uncharted waters.

Any input, folks ?

starkerealm

covenant_merchant wrote: »

Okay, so. We were ERPing with a friend in Stonefalls...

o_o

maltinkilic

Well green trails are impossible. If you go west from covenant region you end up in akaviri lands which are not included in game.atmota is north nothing to do with any of trails

covenant_merchant

starkerealm wrote: »

covenant_merchant wrote: »

Okay, so. We were ERPing with a friend in Stonefalls...

o_o

That's the only thing you chose to pick out of my question ><' ?

starkerealm

covenant_merchant wrote: »

starkerealm wrote: »

covenant_merchant wrote: »

Okay, so. We were ERPing with a friend in Stonefalls...

o_o

That's the only thing you chose to pick out of my question ><' ?

I made the mistake of starting to read it, got that far. Now... cannot unsee.

Cannot unsee.

o_o

covenant_merchant

maltinkilic wrote: »

Well green trails are impossible. If you go west from covenant region you end up in akaviri lands which are not included in game.atmota is north nothing to do with any of trails

Mhh I was under the impression Atmora was the Akaviri land, but I stand corrected.
Okay, so why then pick Stonefalls over Eastmarch?

FluffyReachWitch

I'm inclined to think they took the red path, which would probably be the shorter route. There's probably a lot of space east and west of Tamriel that would make the journey longer if they just sailed west until they came back to Morrowind, especially with Akavir and other continents like you said. Scooting between Tamriel and Atmora through the northern Sea of Ghosts would be quicker and easier. (There might even be a nice current that helps the journey from High Rock.)

Not sure why they picked Stonefalls though, other than that it makes for immediate alliance war drama. I'm not sure who in the Covenant decided, "Hey, you know that area where the Akaviri armies were strategically roflstomped? Let's invade right there."

(But, it's possible they had the idea to try disrupting travel between Skyrim and Morrowind, which could definitely weaken the Pact.)

starkerealm

covenant_merchant wrote: »

maltinkilic wrote: »

Well green trails are impossible. If you go west from covenant region you end up in akaviri lands which are not included in game.atmota is north nothing to do with any of trails

Mhh I was under the impression Atmora was the Akaviri land, but I stand corrected.
Okay, so why then pick Stonefalls over Eastmarch?

Eastmarch is more fortified, and suffers from far more severe winters. An assault there would require taking Windhelm as soon as they landed, rather than targeting a relatively minor settlement like Davon's Watch or Bal Foyen.

Also, before you ask, Haafingar has steep mountains overlooking the sea, making it unappealing. Hjalmarch is mostly swampland, making any ground invasion difficult to impossible. The Pale and Winterhold are both glaciers, making those unappealing as landing sites.

devilsTear

They wanted to farm red mountain and silks of the sun before they started their attack.

Father_X_Zombie

I think they just needed to put in a quick questline. It really doesn't make sense that the Covenant would attack stonefalls but not spare soldiers to attack coldharbour because they would think the other alliances would try to get an advantage on them.

AtAfternoon

IIRC, Emeric wanted to get rid of a mage commander dabbling with necromancy so he sent him to Bleakrock Isle. One thing led to another, and the Covenant launched an assault on Morrowind.

starkerealm

FluffyReachWitch wrote: »

(But, it's possible they had the idea to try disrupting travel between Skyrim and Morrowind, which could definitely weaken the Pact.)

Yeah, mostly this. If supported by a naval blockade, holding fort Virak would effectively eliminate the ability for the Argonians or Dunmer to defend any attack against Skyrim. Either via sea, probably landing at Dawnstar, or north over the Jeral Mountains and into Falkreath.

starkerealm

Father_X_Zombie wrote: »

I think they just needed to put in a quick questline. It really doesn't make sense that the Covenant would attack stonefalls but not spare soldiers to attack coldharbour because they would think the other alliances would try to get an advantage on them.

The assault on Stonefalls would put their forces very close to being able to stage an attack on Mournhold, while still cutting off the line of Nord reinforcements. As a flanking attack, it's more reasonable than the Dominion foothold in Glenumbra. That one is just shaky as hell, tactically. The Pact foothold on Auridon isn't much better. Of all three first zone invasion sites, the Covenant's is probably the one with the best chance of actually having an affect on the war.

trav2609rwb17_ESO

Well part of fact is from gameplay each starting region is invaded by one of the other factions.

Would say East March does make more sense from a distance point of view but you only really have one bay to come in and have it guarded by the main city. Also they might have expected an attack there but not a sneak attack that far south so all the forces might have been moved to defend East March. Stonefalls coast is very open and looks like can have many attack routes which is why you also find them in a few spots.

That is this ones thought but strange things have been know to happen in wars and not all attacks make sense if dont have the enemy leader to chat to - friendly like with a devices to help loosen their tongues.

Wing

portals can be established by mages once you gain a suitable location, though this is hit or miss as sometimes its easy and others impossible it seems. so resupply becomes less of an issue.

at that point its get at least 1 mage that can make a portal to the best position he can and start teleporting in troops and supplies.

starkerealm

Wing wrote: »

portals can be established by mages once you gain a suitable location, though this is hit or miss as sometimes its easy and others impossible it seems. so resupply becomes less of an issue.

at that point its get at least 1 mage that can make a portal to the best position he can and start teleporting in troops and supplies.

Not quite. Mages can safely open a portal to somewhere they've been. If they come with the invasion force, port home, they can then set up a portal. But judging by how we see it used, it's far more expensive and risky to move large forces this way. It is useful for sending in small advance teams, but it's too expensive to completely replace logistical supply lines.

maltinkilic

Also in elderscrolls lore ( don't know if it is before or after eso) akaviri launched an invasion to Vvardenfell. Vivec saved the dunmers by teaching them how to breath under water and submerged whole island. It seemed rather disturbing at that time that they didn't invade Daggerfall which is closer to Akavir. But the invasion pattern is similar to this one.


And who knows maybe DC wants to go to Deeshan to farm Mother's Sorrow set.

Molydeus

I feel like I might be reading spoilers here.

MattT1988

Cause that's what the Pact would of expected....

stuartx13

DC wanted to show there fleets power so we (dc) went right to the front door.

Enslaved

Why did DC attack Stonefalls? I think the answer is same as why DC attack Kingscrest when EP has no scrolls and AD holds 75% of the map. DC are (censored).

Anyone who played the entire EP questline could give the answer why DC didn't attack Eastmarch. DC tried to put quisling ruler there, so direct military intervention there was not needed. And Stonefalls are the key of entire EP coastal trade/supply routes. Not to mention splitting the EP in two, since Deshaan and Black Marsh would be cutoff from the Rift and Easthmarch.

Even better question would be why did DC attack EP to begin with, since DC have pretty much civil war in 2 of their zones, plus pretty unstable relationship within the alliance with all what is happening in Wrothgar and Alik'r Desert. But I guess that is what you get when your leader is a raging (censored) whiny breton merchant. DC is simply worst alliance out there.

madeeh91rwb17_ESO

There are multitudes of such things in this game that make me cringe.

That said, I do have a logical explanation:
Scrib Jelly!
A vital ingredient of lingering Health potions. Good luck finding it in guild stores.

Faulgor

starkerealm wrote: »

covenant_merchant wrote: »

maltinkilic wrote: »

Well green trails are impossible. If you go west from covenant region you end up in akaviri lands which are not included in game.atmota is north nothing to do with any of trails

Mhh I was under the impression Atmora was the Akaviri land, but I stand corrected.
Okay, so why then pick Stonefalls over Eastmarch?

Eastmarch is more fortified, and suffers from far more severe winters. An assault there would require taking Windhelm as soon as they landed, rather than targeting a relatively minor settlement like Davon's Watch or Bal Foyen.

Also, before you ask, Haafingar has steep mountains overlooking the sea, making it unappealing. Hjalmarch is mostly swampland, making any ground invasion difficult to impossible. The Pale and Winterhold are both glaciers, making those unappealing as landing sites.

Plus, West Skyrim (Haafingar, Hjalmarch, etc) is not part of the Pact, so there's no obvious reason why the DC should invade them.

Mojmir

starkerealm wrote: »

covenant_merchant wrote: »

maltinkilic wrote: »

Well green trails are impossible. If you go west from covenant region you end up in akaviri lands which are not included in game.atmota is north nothing to do with any of trails

Mhh I was under the impression Atmora was the Akaviri land, but I stand corrected.
Okay, so why then pick Stonefalls over Eastmarch?

Eastmarch is more fortified, and suffers from far more severe winters. An assault there would require taking Windhelm as soon as they landed, rather than targeting a relatively minor settlement like Davon's Watch or Bal Foyen.

Also, before you ask, Haafingar has steep mountains overlooking the sea, making it unappealing. Hjalmarch is mostly swampland, making any ground invasion difficult to impossible. The Pale and Winterhold are both glaciers, making those unappealing as landing sites.

EastMarch is Russia confirmed. Lol

Curragraigue

Spoilers every where in this post.


DC are in the Rift as well (public dungeon). Why invade Stonefalls? Why not? AD and EP randomly appear in places in DC zones as well so seems to be the strategy of the time to conduct raids all over.

In the original release version the DC soldiers are fighting in the streets and sieging the walls so it was a major invasion force that you had to fight through as a part of the quest. I guess they changed it to make it an easier first zone quest but it also makes the reason for why the guy raises the big skeleton more questionable as well.

SantieClaws

They were most hungry and could not shake the need for a kwama egg quiche yes?

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

covenant_merchant

madeeh91rwb17_ESO wrote: »

There are multitudes of such things in this game that make me cringe.

That said, I do have a logical explanation:
Scrib Jelly!
A vital ingredient of lingering Health potions. Good luck finding it in guild stores.

What part does actually make you cringe? Is it my off-handed mention of erp for cheap lolz? The actual question? The answers of people who are more curious about the lore and technicalities of war than I am?

Or did you just confuse threads?

mb10

That question is better suited to Reddit.

This forum is just for complaining and moaning mate, won't get a proper discussion here

Riejael

Curragraigue wrote: »

Why not? AD and EP randomly appear in places in DC zones as well so seems to be the strategy of the time to conduct raids all over.

I've not personally seen Pact forces in the AD/DC zones But I've seen AD in DC and DC in AD zones. It seems like everyone is picking on each other except for the EP. But maybe I just missed them?

Enslaved

There is some EP presence in AD/DC zones, but its poorly designed and very unlikely. I mean, EP financing Altmer racist V.H.?!

Tempah

There is more then just tamriel on nirn
so the green trail will be longer then you think. Also I don't think the AD would just watch DC ships pass through