[IB AAR] Spite of Severus

[Jingles]

Good updates, Juvenal. I do love epic battles . I expected the Mormaers to do a little better though. In the online battles I've played as the picts, they've always fought as if they were the spartans in a certain graphic novel....which I refuse to name. *shudders*

[Juvenal]

... I expected the Mormaers to do a little better though....

I think they did quite well under the circumstances. Their kills were 61 for 30 lost. They didn't get to charge and did most of their fighting against the bodyguard of Caratacus. Those Equites Stablesiani are pretty good too.

Contrast that with the Marchan who killed 12 Alans and lost 87!

The big problem for me in this campaign is that I can't use the main Pictish strength - dirt-cheap troops with zero-turn recruitment - because I am 3000 denarii in debt.

[Jingles]

mmm, debt is at it's worst with the 'cannon fodder' factions... What makes it worse I suppose is the Picts lack of fertile farmland to base an economy on...

[Basilacius]

good AAR

[Juvenal]

IX: THE RELIEF COLUMN

Canis timidus vehementius latrat quam mordet
(A timid dog barks more violently than it bites)
Curtius Rufus

Every day the wounded were stronger and Talorcan was closer with the reinforcements from Inchtuthill. A report arrived from Angus's son Drest saying that Sennianus had advanced into Pictavia. This was good news, because it meant he wasn't heading for a junction with Vortimer. Drest had now received the levy from Dal Riada and was preparing to offer battle.

I had just begun to hope that our reinforced army would be able to meet Vortimer in the field when two blows of ill fortune struck in quick succession. Firstly another message from Drest arrived. Sennianus had withdrawn and contact with him was lost. While we were digesting the possible implications of this, our scouts from the road to Cataractonium came running in with the news that a large column of the enemy would arrive by the next morning.

In a hastily convened session of nobles we argued about the best action to take. I told Angus that we didn't want to get bottled up in the castra. Vortimer's legion was larger than that of Caratacus, he had more cavalry and experienced spatha-wielding Pedites as well as Milites spearmen. I said we should leave those who couldn't march to hold the castra while the main army harassed Vortimer's foragers and couriers. Then when Talorcan arrived we could unite and try to catch Vortimer by surprise.

Angus angrily dismissed all of my reasonable suggestions as dishonourable. He insisted that this ground that had been bought with Pictish blood was now sacred, and that not one pace of it was to be relinquished to these pretend Romans who were in fact just the same old hated Brigantes under another banner.

I considered leaving with my reduced followers, but that would mean losing all influence over Angus and the end of my ambition to be master of Eboracum once more, so I bit my lip and deferred to the old fool, hoping that Talorcan was not considering his own chances against Drest should Angus unaccountably die unrescued on his self-proclaimed hallowed ground.

The Romans arrived, cautiously exploring our perimeter. But we had pulled back entirely behind the walls with as many provisions as we could find in nearby Vinovia at such short notice. I found that enemy discipline was poor, so it was not difficult to sneak agents out by night to observe their encampments.

When my spies returned and delivered their reports I was almost speechless with surprise. Vortimer was not in command! He had sent a subordinate, Tribune Bolgios. The poor man did not even have the whole of Vortimer's force in hand. He had four vexillations of Scutarii and Stablesiani, three ordines of Milites Staionarii and two of Pedites Romani. It was still too large a force for us to sally against, almost double that of Caratacus, but I felt confident that if Talorcan arrived, we would have a chance of victory.

It was the afternoon of the seventh day of our investment when I heard the welcome news that Talorcan's column could be seen on the road from Pons Aellii. I took this information straight to Angus (it never hurts to be the bearer of good news). Angus was confident, he decided to sally at once with his whole army in order to join with Talorcan and hopefully bring on a battle. He didn't even feel the need to lead the column, preferring to let his slaves put on fresh woad so he would look more imposing for his victory speech.

As our column snaked out though the east gate, the enemy could be seen withdrawing. Angus was apparently disinclined to let them get away unscathed, so he instructed me to take the rear of the column out through the south gate and follow the retreating Romans.

And so it was that our army came to be in three isolated groups while the Romans were concentrated and ready to fight. Talorcan's army remained frustratingly distant. He had a hard climb to make before reaching Angus's deploying left wing. Angus himself had yet to join the column.

In our haste to catch the Romans, we were at first relieved to see that they had stopped withdrawing and were deploying in line of battle. But then, Angus's advancing soldiers provoked a further reaction, and a vexillation of Equites Scutarii came trotting forward from their right wing,

The men of Angus were scattered all across the field, with Angus himself still inside the walls. I galloped over to the men of our left (who I did not command) and bullied them into concentrating against the oncoming cavalry, then I rushed back to my own men to try to get them linked up with the rest of the army.

Gai Aumahr trotted up to face the cavalry while Elbharu and Chodaoer rushed up behind to fling their missiles. As the Picts of the left wing came together in a large clump, the enemy cavalry seemed to think better of their opportunistic charge and turned back. The Elbharu got a couple of volleys in as they withdrew and we saw several fall.

No sooner had this crisis passed than my own men came under threat as a vexillation of Stablesiani came forward from their left wing. My men were strung out trying to march around the wall. Expecting the rest of the Romans to attack, I was forced to halt them to avoid my Fleet archers and Dimba being cut-off. I sent the spears and axes forward to show a bold front while the sailors put in some serious volleys. Again, the Roman cavalry seemed to change their minds and cantered off.

In fact the cavalry hadn't entirely given up, two ordines of Milites were coming up in support, but now we were ready and they received a withering fire of arrows, crossbow bolts and javelins from our newly formed line.

I ordered everyone forward at once, the Milites turned and tried to march off, but we were running now and as we caught up with the Milites they broke and fled for their lives.

Angus came galloping up to me, a slightly comical sight with woad on only one side of his face. He took command without much grace, considering the service I had just done him. Tribune Bolgios had clearly lost his nerve and his army was marching off rapidly. Angus took this all in and, screaming with frustration, ordered an all-out attack. The whole army surged forward with no order and no formation, each man fighting to be first at the enemy.

The wildmen were soon out in front, perhaps through being “unencumbered”, and they pitched into the rearmost ordo of Pedites. The Pedites turned and fought back strongly, outnumbering the wildmen five to one and Angus was forced to gallop his bodyguard into the melee in order to save them. A good number of his pampered horsemen were brought down together with many wildmen whose tattoos were proving no match for Roman spathae, but then, perhaps overwhelmed by the sight of our entire army bearing down on them, the Pedites gave way and were soon ridden down.

Amazingly, the remaining wildmen didn't stop to celebrate their victory, they simply ran off after the next ordo of retreating Romans. Again Angus was forced to support them with his bodyguard. The next ordo proved tougher and the exhausted wildmen were quickly whittled down until only four were left after the remains of Angus's bodyguard had hacked its way through.

No more Romans were caught that day, and the exhausted Picts simply collapsed where they were to contemplate their unexpected victory. When the men of Talorcan finally came up, I could see that they were angry and ashamed to have arrived with the battle already won. I noted this, as it is always useful to have some lever with which to influence people should the need arise.

It took a little while for me to appreciate the enormity of the outcome of this battle. Vortimer's main force had been defeated by its own timidity and the road to Eboracum was open to us!

[Kallum]

great update finally seeing a counterattack of the Romans

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Excellent update, Juvenal - although I remain a little curious as to this phrase and a possible innuendo: perhaps through being “unencumbered”, and they pitched into the rearmost ordo

I say, Matron!

[Juvenal]

I was quite surprised at the way this turned out.

Had the Romans attacked with their whole force, Angus would have been defeated. Picts are mostly skirmishers and they have a tendency to rout. Once Roman heavy cavalry get amongst them they are going to get slaughtered.

I am used to the A.I. moving its investing army off to the side when I sally with a strong force. I assumed I would be able to deploy at leisure, but I must have got a bit too close and they reacted.

Unfortunately that was only sensible thing they did, the retreat was pathetically executed and I really punished them for it with very little loss to my troops (except for the damned wildmen who were berserk and therefore not controllable).

@SBH - well really! that was one double-entendre further than I actually intended. I only had increased running speed in mind when I wrote that bit. Anyway the Pedites did turn to face them before getting hacked to pieces by Angus's bodyguards.

@Kallum - thanks for your comments. There are some quite large pitched battles later in the campaign (proper ones where the Romans actually fight in a sensible fashion), but in the immediate future it will be mostly sieges.

[bomberboy]

Nice update Juvenal.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

I'm looking forward to the next update (rearmost or not!). The idea of Severus as a Roman traitor within the Pictish forces is very compelling from a game AAR and narrative point of view. Well done for seizing on that potential and turning it into a really engaging story!

[andrewmc]

Im off on holiday for a week an can't wait to read to the next update when i get back. I would say this is one of the most interesting AAR ive read. Keep up the good work Juvenal

[Jingles]

Nice update. The picts look like they have quite a promising campaign experience. Last time I had the most fun on IBFD was playing as the Lakhmids.

Hmm....My urge to go and play Arthurian is rising quite rapidly. And I've had a kooky idea for an AAR inspired by this. Many thanks!

[Juvenal]

X: MARCH ON EBORACUM

omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis
(All things change, and we change with them)

It was exhilarating to have the freedom to travel about the north-east and survey our new dominion. Angus was all for sacking Vinovia, but I persuaded him that it could become a profitable part of his realm. In any case the great prize of Eboracum was within reach, together with the delicious prospect of completing his subjugation of the Brigantes.

Angus allowed me to administer the conquered land. All he was interested in was the collection of sufficient taxes and a steady supply of slaves and concubines.

The road to the south, now dotted with Roman dead and wounded who had fallen out of their retreating column, passed through nearby Vinovia. With my Milites and mounted bodyguard I swept into the town, making an impressive show of force.

No magistrates could be found (they had clearly all fled), but I was greeted by Kaeso the Praefectus vigilum (police chief), a reliable man I had known during my brief spell of military command here. I informed him that I was the new Procurator (tax collector) for this province, and that I would also stand in for the magistrates until new ones could be elected.

The following afternoon I had as many propertied men of the town that could be found gathered in the forum and I gave a speech.. I assured everyone present that life under Angus was going to continue much as it had before. The old offices would continue, the people would keep their land and their slaves. Taxes would be high for a few years, but they would see the benefit of this in the form of public works. The only stricture I made was that public Christian worship and evangelising was henceforth forbidden. People could worship what they liked in private, but in public the gods of our Pict and Gael masters must be respected - on pain of death.

I demanded that Kaeso compile a list of those who had fled, and organised my men into small groups to take possession of their property. Out of this haul I was able to satisfy Angus and build a small treasury for my own future activities. I made Kaeso chief Magister on the proviso that he organise a new senate for the town.

With Talorcan's men in hand, Angus had an army larger than that which he had originally brought over the Wall. The host marched with confidence down to Eboracum swarming like an army of locusts across the civilized lands of Maxima Caesariensis. I winced at their depredations, because I knew that I would need to repair our relations with the people here if I were ever to make this province profitable. We arrived at Eboracum unopposed, Vortimer had concentrated his remaining forces there and the gates were secured against us.

Eboracum is a beautiful town, it has a sense of order and peace about it which I always found useful when trading there since it seemed to make my customers especially gullible. But since nothing was going to happen before the rams were built, I took a small party to repossess my villa. I didn't think there was any need to hurry, but I was wrong. As we drew near in the dusk a black pillar of smoke became visible, we hurried forward only to find the villa ablaze and beyond all hope of saving.

A black rage descended on me. These pathetic pretenders to Roman civilization were too cowardly to come out and face me, but instead resorted to petty acts of revenge. Well soon they would have nowhere to hide and when the walls of their bolt-hole were broken down and they were delivered into the hands of the Picts, they would regret not taking the opportunity for a clean death from me.

We camped by the villa, and in the morning while searching the ruins, I found the bodies of several people who had been trapped in a courtyard. My enemies immediately went down in my estimation. These people were undoubtedly slaves, and slaves were valuable. Revenge should never get in the way of business.

The siege preparations proceeded slowly and winter began to grip these bare northern lands. We were acutely aware of the possibility of a relief army coming from the south. Vortigern and his son Madrun commanded more than enough forces to send Angus fleeing back to Pictavia. So I had my agent Brede scouring the south trying to understand the military situation there.

In the week before we were going to be ready to attack, a courier from Brede arrived with important news. There was no relief army coming from the south! Vortigern and Madrun had apparently fought a great battle with the Saxon Aioulfus, and even though the Saxon had retreated to his ships, the Romans had also been seriously weakened.

Eboracum was ours for the taking, provided that our Pictish warriors were equal to the coming fight.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Another great update, Juvenal. The character of Severus is shaping up nicely with the detail about the burnt slaves at the villa. (Well, damn me if I aint tempted to do me own Pictish campign now! IBFD or IJ, though? The latter would be a REAL challenge!). Well done.

[Juvenal]

XI: BATTLE OF EBORACUM

de fumo in flammam
(Out of the smoke into the flame)

The morning of the assault dawned cold with snow flurries. I was quietly confident. I had managed to persuade Angus to adopt my plan for the assault and I was also hoping to be able to arrange a surprise for the discomfort of the wretched Vortimer. A street ran along the stone wall facing us, and I intended to turn this wall against the enemy and use it to protect our own men against the six vexillations of heavy cavalry which comprised the majority of Vortimer's force.



Our five rams were wheeled into line and the three parts of the host of Angus assembled behind them. Angus again led the right wing, I think he must have fancied himself as a new Megas Alexandros, sadly his Companions were somewhat lacking in comparison with the magnificent Heteroi of the real Alexander. It seemed to me that the rabble I was commanding bore a greater resemblance to the Psiloi than the Phalanx.

As the rams ground slowly forward, the Romans made a show of force along the street under the wall. This was good, it was going to be far easier to kill them here than back in the maze of streets of the inner town. The rams reached the wall in unison and their crews began to task of making breaches. We had studiously avoided the field of fire of the meagre wooden turrets which topped the walls at intervals, and as warriors reached the men toiling at the rams, they were able to launch their javelins and arrows at the foolish Romans.



Although the wall was stone, it wasn't thick and the rams made short work of it. But even after the breaches were made, our men remained just outside and whenever Romans came within sight they were instantly inundated with missiles. I watched with satisfaction as saddle after saddle was emptied while our men remained safe on the other side of the enemy's own wall!

The sport continued for a while, but eventually the Romans became wary and withdrew into the streets out of range. So now there was no choice for us but to risk all. I sent a runner to tell Angus that no more could be achieved with archery and he responded by giving the signal to attack.



Our whole army surged through the breaches, and of course the Romans immediately came boiling out of their side-streets to contest our attack. Talorcan's men of the left wing fared well, destroying an ordo of Milites and a weakened vexillation. But the main fight was in the centre around the gate. I faced an ordo of Pedites and a vexillation of Scutarii. My men pushed forward in a tight mass from the breaches and succeeded in surrounding them, but then a second vexillation charged into the rear of my Dimba and Elbharu and they went down like wheat in the harvest. The survivors fled back out through the breach.

After that it became a simple pushing match and the enemy cavalry, surrounding by desperate Picts, were unable to disengage and were gradually worn down until eventually none were left.

Angus finally finished killing the Milites opposing him after losing an entire band of Gairlom (militia spearmen) while my remaining men pushed onward toward the town centre.



Marching up a narrow street with my Chodaoer (light axemen) we suddenly came upon Vortimer himself with two fresh vexillations. He actually looked me in the eye as he gave the signal to charge!

[Jingles]

Great stuff, Juvenal. Those screens are quite immersive...

[Juvenal]

@Jingle_Bombs All praise is most welcome (especially from a medal-holder). There is a new update coming soon to conclude the battle.

I'm afraid I just can't help liking Severus despite his "discretion" in battle and his appalling lack of empathy (OK, so he is a cold self-centred conniving murderous bastard). Perhaps it is the first-person narrative that does it. :hmmm:

[Juvenal]

...BATTLE OF EBORACUM (continued)

As Vortimer charged, I hurried back though my men to bring up reinforcements, all the while shouting encouragement to those facing the attack. Many fell in the initial impact and those remaining ran back down the street until my Gairlom came up and brought the enemy to a halt. The Gairlom were slowly pushed back, so I sent more and more men into the mass until the pressure was enough to balance the enemy.

Having committed all of my men, I was still losing the melee. Dispirited Picts began looking for a way to leave to fight and I had to put my own bodyguards across the street to stop them. My Gairlom spears were no match for the armoured Romans and they fell quickly. Even my Gai Aumahr began to go down despite their mail.



Angus then appeared behind the enemy with his Mormaers and for a moment I thought it was all over, but the Romans grimly continued to fight on, now back to back. My men were becoming exhausted, only my Milites still putting up much of a fight. The road along which we had been pushed back was carpeted with our fallen warriors, appalling evidence of the brutal efficiency of Vortimer's cavalry.

Vortimer was by now dismounted thanks to a lucky strike by one of my armoured spearmen, who sadly hadn't lived long to enjoy his triumph. Vortimer's flashing spatha made mesmerising curves and loops as he laid about him with manic strength.

But then in the shadow of the building behind him I saw a door open and a dark figure step out. The figure walked briskly up to Vortimer from behind, grabbed his sword arm and plunged a long knife deep into his back

As Vortimer fell, a moan of dismay could be heard from his remaining Equites, soon drowned out by shouts of triumph from my freshly enthused warriors. The dark figure slipped away in the confusion as the final slaughter commenced.

With Vortimer dead, the final act of the battle played itself out. Talorcan had gotten around behind the plaza and engaged the Pedites there. Angus marshalled our remaining men against the final reserve of Equites. They were just as hard fighters as all the others had been, and with our foot soldiers fading fast, the Mormaers had to take the brunt of the battle. But eventually these last Equites were also slain and our men poured onto the plaza.

Suddenly there was no one left to fight. The plaza was full of Picts and Gaels and corpses. No Roman remained standing.



I could hardly believe it, Eboracum was ours!

All through that bitterly cold day we gathered up the fallen. We had suffered horrific losses, three for every two Romans. But we took care that no Roman wounded would see the following dawn, while my miracle workers of Bona Dea were able to save 600 of our men although their future usefulness in battle was open to question.

That evening Angus and his closest advisers held a conclave. I promised that I was confident that I could make Eboracum into a loyal and productive vassal of Pictavia. We had strong trade links and the old Brigante aristocracy had already cleared away most of the potential malcontents. But try as I might I could not convince Angus. He was exhilarated at our unprecedented success, but he was also acutely aware that the levy had been called, the treasury was empty and his diminished army could no longer be reinforced.

It was with great bitterness that I accepted the administration of Eboracum from Angus, because his first act was to round up many of the able-bodied to be sent to Dal Riada as slaves. I vowed to myself that I would get these people back, and that under my protection Eboracum would grow and prosper until Dal Riada was seen as a dirty and uninteresting backwater to the shining edifice of my Severine Capital.



My agent Felix, killer of Vortimer was feted by Angus like a long-lost son, and I was more than happy for him to be enrolled into Angus's retinue (especially as I hadn't mentioned that Felix was my man). As for myself, I set about bringing Eboracum firmly under my control. As with Vinovia, I made a public announcement that open Christian worship was banned. To emphasise this, I had the Basilica of Eboracum demolished, and the clergy added to Angus's trawl of slaves. I also packed the Senate with my own men in order to ease the passage of the laws that would give me the power to shape the development of Eboracum in the way I needed.

While I was making these dispositions, Angus had moved outside of the walls, uncomfortable with the trappings of Roman civilisation and nervous of possible unrest and assassination attempts. He was also contemplating the glorious opportunity revealed by the reports from Brede.

Controlling all of eastern Britannia Secunda, he had already achieved more than any of his line, but now the heart of Britannia appeared uniquely vulnerable while Vortigern tried to recover from his apocalyptic battles with the Saxons. I encouraged Angus in his hubris, after all if he and Vortigern were to go down stabbing at each other's vitals then my own way would be considerably eased.

I assured him that Eboracum was secure and demonstrated this with a large haul of treasure from the Basilica to be sent back with the slaves. This seemed to settle Angus, and he called his nobles together to make the fateful announcement. The Army was going to march on Venta Icenorum!

[Legio]

Nice update, I liked the agent twist.

[Watercress]

Yeah, great update. loved the picture you got of the guy stabbing vortimer.