Return of the Spear Danes

[Atterdag]

Agreed keep it running!
I'm about to post my latest - a Pisan AAR - do have a look and leave a comment please

[Diarmuid]

Hello all,

Just wanted to let y'all know I still intend to finish this thing.... however now that school has started back I have had no time to really get in the mood and write or play for an extended period of time. I'll try to get a few more posts done, sorry for the delay.

Diarmuid

[Diarmuid]

It seemed like a dream now, a long, gory, bloody dream. A dark and angry red gloom surrounded me, surrounded us all, for now night had come, throwing its dark cloak over the world, over York too, and the countless bodies that lay there, tangled in the cold embrace of death. Exhausted I sat, both my sword and shield arm ached from use, it had been a hard desperate fight for the town, and the fighting had been brutal, no quarter given on each side, and none asked. The fighting had started that morning, and ended in a red evening, the ground soaked with blood and the rain that had fallen during the afternoon.







Our king had led us well, and without his tactics I doubt we would have claimed victory. His plan was simple, once our battering rams had smashed through the town’s wooden walls at several points, we attacked at intervals at the differ rent openings, some he had planned would be fake attacks, and at the sound of a war horn the planned retreat began, our ranks pulling back leading the English down through the breach after them, hot to inflict an easy slaughter on our fleeing men. Then we’d turn on them, envelope them from all sides and many would be cut down before they could run back into the safety their walls.

Once we were caught off guard, when the English attacked with cavalry through one of the breaches in the wall, some of our men were cast back, knocked over and trampled, others speared clean through by sturdy English lances, but once the shock of the charge had done its worst, keen Danish axes closed in and did their grim work upon the English, so that not one of those gallant riders, not one, survived, under our axes they met a gleaming death, their burnished coats of mail broken asunder, lances shattered in their hands. Yet how many of our own warriors had fallen in like manner? Their burnished mail coats broken and pierced in many places, shields hacked to bits, sword broken, and blunted against enemy steel. The tools of war making a wreck of men, sending our frail bone cages into the dust never to rise again.



By that afternoon the English had grown wise to our tricks of war, the false retreat no longer succeeded in drawing their hot blooded fighters, running and yelling out from behind the safety of their ramparts. Now the fight had no strategy, not tactics our wise lord could create to fit this situation, now was the time for stout hearts to stand together in the shield wall, for sword-brothers to make good their bonds of friendship. And so, slowly ,we pushed the English back from the walls into the town, terrible slaughter being inflicted on both sides, as now rain began to beat down upon the raging armies.


Surprisingly, I remember little of the conflict. A jumble of images poorly strung together. I remember, a English huscarl, a mighty man gleaming arrayed in mail, the blow from his axe drove deep into my shield, yet alas for him it stuck there, giving me time to drive the point of my blade into his gut, before drawing it out quickly to cut him down with a blow to his shoulders.

I remember being hit in the side, a glancing blow from a spear point, but my mail war shirt turned the deadly blade away from me and I was unharmed. Turning in that direction I raged and cut down a spear bearing Englishman, I know not if he was the one who had nearly wounded me, I knew only he was a foe, and the smell of blood was in my nose, the furry of battle in my head, so into the enemy ranks I drove, pushing men aside with my shield to cut my target down with a single sword stroke.



On and on we fought, I cut my way to an enemy captain and cut him down with three mighty strokes, a grim loss for the defenders. Yet around me too, I saw my friends falling. The young Halfdan, a joy in the camp, never without a song or verse to brighten the mood. The grey haired Bjorn, that old warrior, fate decreed this to be his last battle. Harold son of Svein, fell there too, crying out as he legs were cut out from under him, falling to the earth he was still swinging his sword, so that even in his death throws the ankles of his enemies were not safe. Many more fell, some I can name, many I cannot, yet brave men one and all.

Last of all came the fighting at the town square, there were the bodies piled the highest. There the English made a final end, though in truth, there were few of them left by that time. Their bravest fighters already dead, their bodies laying here and there, at the gates, or at the broken places in the wall. Slowly, the bloody fighting came to a grinding halt, at last, after hours of fighting, the final sword stroke fell.



England.... was ours! So was the dream of our forefathers realised. And we had done it! Let all know, and let all remember.

[Elohim]

Yay!

Go the Danes! They're my favourite ChivTW faction.

[bomberboy]

Is this the end to this AAR it's great.

[removeduser_4563362]

Something tells me this isn’t the end of the great AAR. I think Diarmuid has a challenge ahead of him. But will just have to see.

[bomberboy]

Hopfully it isn't the end.

[Diarmuid]

Unfortunately I am going to have to call this ARR officially ended. As for those curious about what did happen next I will say that England remained in control of the Danes for as long as I played the campaign. What happen was a grueling war with HRE that went on with countless battles, including many defeats and victories, so that when I lost my notes I had jotted down to keep track of it all was just to much to try and remember, or attempt with the play by play writing style I was using. This being my first ARR however, will not be my last, as I am still playing Chivalry. So hopefully the next one will be a bit more organized, (and with a more concise ending in sight).

Thanks to all those who commented on this ARR, and sorry to disappoint any of you who really wanted to see it continued.

- Diarmuid

[Herr Lindstrom]

ahh yes.. the gruelling war with the HRE. I remember those battles well. Many brave warriors fell in the wars with the HRE..... many of their brave and foolish warriors to be exact. I was the terror of the enchanted forests, the flood of the rivers, and the scourge of the earth. They knew not the terror of the Danes and the evils of their lands until the hounds of hell were unleashed by their own foolish deeds.

I trust you that you made the HRE's life as miserable as I did

BTW. Good work on taking England, something that I can never do because I always Unite Scandinavia first... and usualy after that the HRE strike so men and money is used to beat back the fools