Kiskiya

General introduction

The kiskiya (also called 'ketas' or 'gishkit' in other Andaperna languages) is a sturdy chariot introduced when the Duiniken started to push east, fleeing from the insurgence of the Tarrabaenians and the invasions of the Messelat Mdûlûn from the South. Kiskiya were developed by the northern city states as a response to Duiniken military presence with their heavy infantry.

Kiskiya are mobile and cled with metal plates, negating most ranged attacks from bowmen and skirmishers. The invention of these chariots greatly advantaged the northern Andaperna city states and gave them an edge over the southern states, which were put under huge pressure and in part wiped out by the northeners pressing south. Only later did the southern city states find means to fend of the kiskiya. Thus this chariot caused a big shift of power in the plains of Andaperna, ushering the rise of those city states to invent the kiskiya and the downfall of many other city states especially in central Andaperna.

Functionality and construction

A kiskiya is quite a rare commodity, as it has to be drawn by four horses due to its heavy built. It is faster and more nimble than infantry troops but slower than cavalry. Its original purpose was to be able to fend of the Duiniken which started to settle on the northernmost fringes of Andaperna. They almost had no horses and could easily be engaged with kiskiya loaded with bowmen keeping their distance. Shields and roof structures on the chariots proved useful to keep enemy projectiles out.

A major drawback is, that kiskiya require flat and solid battlegrounds. They have four wheels to provide stability for the warriors on the chariot, but in turn cannot be used in rough terrain. Also, as wood is rare in Andaperna in general, building and maintaining kiskiya is quite costly. But their usefulness has never made them fall out of fashion since their inception.

Powering, use and overall importance

Most of the kiskiya are pulled by four horses, while in history bigger kiskiya drawn by six horses also seem to have existed. They are manned with a charioteer steering the kiskiya and three to five warriors. Some of them are mainly used to transport weapons or materials onto the battlefield. Nonetheless, there are always at least three Men on board to navigate and defend the cargo.

As the land to the South in Andaperna is more navigable than in the North, the Kiskiya soon enabled northern city states to use them not only for defence - especially since the Duiniken proved to be more pleasant newcomers than expected - but also for offence against their southern neighbours. The advent of the Duiniken thus started major powershifts across all of Andaperna, since the usage of kiskiya favoured new city states in their constant struggles with each other. The northern city states invaded the South and overthrew local governments, either installing puppet governments or burning cities of deeply hated foes to the ground. Some southern states found effective ways to deal with the kiskiya and started their own campains. Overall the kiskiya brought major changes to all of Andaperna, when it was first introduced.