[Suebi] Children of The Forest: A Radious Mod AAR

[Chirurgeon]

This is shaping up to be a very nice geo-political map. It will be a joy to play out I'd wager. Plenty of major factions still around and thriving.

Yes I agree. Rome looks about what it did in 225 BC which is kinda neat. So we have me, the Gallo-Picto-Nervi alliance, Daorsi-Romani Alliance, and the Atheno-Sparti Alliance. it is a very cool map indeed

[Lugotorix]

Yes I agree. Rome looks about what it did in 225 BC which is kinda neat. So we have me, the Gallo-Picto-Nervi alliance, Daorsi-Romani Alliance, and the Atheno-Sparti Alliance. it is a very cool map indeed

Also Parthia and Pontus are cooking something. You can't tell what it is, but you know it has a bite to it.

[Chirurgeon]

The Thing that would meet each year began to grow suspicious of various plots. The feeble Wulfgar did little to calm the storm here. Instead he insisted we unite with the gods in appeasing them. Accusations flew as to what was going on. Wulfgar himself was found dead in his sleep but he was a 64 year old man.



Scribes began to keep records of these meetings and we begin to find transcripts of the various meetings. It is clear there is still a fear of the Iceni on the Greater Tin Isle. Some want to avenge the Suebian losses at Stonehenge but many are beginning to forget the disaster over ten years previously.

As later history would tell us Wulfgang was not idle during this time. Securing promotions and gaining leverage over various other chieftains he was quietly mounting a coup. He was fourth in line to the throne and would likely not see it till he was an old man if then. He knew what needed to be done, at least according to his autobiography. In the book he defends the actions he took as necessary for the survival of the Suebian Kingdom. His argument was simple. If the Suebians did reconquer lost lands they would be viewed upon as weak and that is the last thing any German would want. Of course his biography was not discovered after his death and many felt his actions were a necessary means to an end.

After seeing how well neighboring cultures like the Hellenistic groups and the Celts it became apparent something had to be done. Wulfgang slowly began to win favor of the six or so chieftains in Caledonia at Eilkon. This was done as way of garnering support. Over the course of several years the various Kings would be eliminated in what would look like a tragic accident.



Of course to prevent a younger man from doing the same to him he secured alliances and apparently made promises in secret to give those lesser chieftains much more power than they would otherwise have.

It is unclear if any of these men died of natural causes. However the grave of Reinald was exhumed in 2010 in an effort to learn his fate. Toxicology tests revealed high levels of arsenic and lead in his body. Both were elevated but the level of arsenic was determined to be a fatal dose. It is plausible that he died from lead poisoning but most experts agree the arsenic levels in his tissues would have been sufficient. Most experts agree that ancient cultures did not know the risks associated with lead.



Unfortunately we have no evidence of the fates of the other two in front of Wulfgang and his ambitions to be king. Based on what we know from Reinald’s fate it is reasonable to assume they suffered at the hands of Wulfgang and his agents.


It took Wulfgang three years to gain the throne, but once there he began to get smiths trained on how to make ringmail and chainmail in order to better protect his men. Hrodorich was his younger brother by two years and the two worked together to get enough iron to make the armor that would be needed for their men. It is rumored that Celtic craftsmen from the Nervii tribe were brought secretely to Eilkon to teach other smiths the painstaking and tedious process of making ringmail. It would take years for the smiths to learn the skills necessary.



When he was able to outfit about a hundred of his men with armor he paraded them off to some of the other chieftains and the reception was anything but warm. We cannot be certain the reason but the reality is that the other chieftains rebuffed efforts from Wulfgang and Hrodorich to convince them to outfit their men with the mail.
There could be several explanations for this. We know that mail is very expensive to make and takes a long time. It would have cost a tremendous amount of money to outfit a chieftain’s army with mail. Wulfgang may have been rich, but the other chieftains may not have had the resources. Another possible explanation may come down to pride. The Germanic warriors prided themselves on their physique and their unwillingness to hide behind armor. Part of the fear factor was that the Germanic tribesmen bet their money on their skill on battle not their armor. There was an engrained culture of wearing little on the battle field. In fairness this would provide tremendous mobility but ultimately in close quarter combat being half naked is likely more of a risk than a benefit. Changing that culture of thinking would need a dramatic example to convince others.

[Chirurgeon]

It seems I have exceeded my monthly bandwidth for Photobucket guess we will have to wait to see the pics...sigh

[Lugotorix]

It seems I have exceeded my monthly bandwidth for Photobucket guess we will have to wait to see the pics...sigh

It disabled all of them, not just the ones over bandwidth. That's just rude on their part even though it's a free service.

[Chirurgeon]

It disabled all of them, not just the ones over bandwidth. That's just rude on their part even though it's a free service.

Damn you are right. I just checked all my other AARs in my signature. I was 10.1 Gb and their cutoff is 10.0. My reset date is the 8th of the month. so either pay 2.99 a month or just wait. I dont see how its possible I have used 10 gb of bandwidth

[Barune]

stupid photobucket

[Chirurgeon]

stupid photobucket

ugg i dont wanna pay that money!

[Barune]

ugg i dont wanna pay that money!

So don't. lol. I, for one, can wait until the 8th.

[Chirurgeon]

I know . I will think about it

[Chirurgeon]

I decided to go ahead and pay the 2.99 a month for now. So you should see all the pics now

[Barune]

Yep their back.

[Chirurgeon]

Chapter 19: Bassenthwaite

Wulfgang had procured enough mail to outfit his and his brother’s armies. Wulfgang’s autobiography indicates that he trained the men vigorously to get used to the new weight and trained them in tactics that would give them better odds of surviving on the battlefield. These specific tactics are not known but a test would be forthcoming.

One of the Brigantes chieftains had set up camp along Lake Bassenthwaite. This is one of the large lakes that makes up the Lake District National Park in the Greater Tin Isle. A statue of Wulfgang and a museum is located here to commemorate the battle. Visitors can see some of the bits of armor and spears that were unearthed at the site in the late 1800’s. Local farmers had been finding spear tips and helms for years, and is the source of some of the museums artifacts.

King Wulfgang decided to march his army south and across the northern part of the lakes and engage the chieftain in battle. Evenly matched in number it should be an evenly fought battle. However it was not as history has shown.

On a cool spring morning the two forces met. It was a battle about half the size of Stonehenge but nonetheless significant. If Stonehenge was the end of an era for the Germanic peoples, Bassenthwaite would be the beginning of a new one.

Many of the Brigantes that showed up were wielding identical spears to that of the Suebians. They also had swordsmen of which the Suebians also had. The major difference between these two forces was the level of protection. Many of the Brigantes fought stripped to the waist. They had impressive shields but would that be enough to protect them against an enemy that was now heavily armored. The armored spearmen of the Suebians were quite prepared for the onslaught.
The battle began when the Suebian archers sent the Brigantes skirmishers fleeing under a hail of arrows. This was not uncommon as the Suebian archers were superior to just about everything that came up against them.



The cavalry of the Brigantes charged into the flanks of the spearmen on the front rank, and as practiced they disemboweled many of the horses and then finished off the riders. Meanwhile the second line of Suebian infantry charged into the fray of men and horses. For a while it would be unclear who the winner would be. Both sides had skilled melee specialists and for a while things went well for both sides. However at some point the superior armor of the Suebians caused the Brigante line to thin. At some point holes began to form and slowly the Suebians were able to create pockets and isolate the Brigantes. By late morning the battle was over and almost all of the Brigantes had been killed. The Suebians lost almost a third of their men but the battle seemed to indicate that the better armor reduced casualties. This must have been a comfort to the survivors and it is likely they became a big advertiser of their armor.









Protecting the warriors fighting for their chieftain was expensive and for the time being the other chieftains remained unconvinced. It would be some time before they would adopt the same armor as Wulfgang’s and Hrodorich’s men. It would mean that Wulfgang would further have to prove himself and his new doctrine.
Wulfgang stated in his autobiography that he needed the iron of Wales to make the armor for the other armies. Getting there would mean recapturing Ekboran and Wales itself. Having made peace a few years previously with the Iceni it was unlikely to last.

[McScottish]

Screenies as good as always, and I like the addition of politics - even though it plays a little enough part in Rome II. I must say, I'm on the side of the Britons, but hey-ho. If someone must conquer then I'm glad it's the Germans and not the damned Romans.

[Khan1281]

Screenies as good as always, and I like the addition of politics - even though it plays a little enough part in Rome II. I must say, I'm on the side of the Britons, but hey-ho. If someone must conquer then I'm glad it's the Germans and not the damned Romans.

Well it does sound like the Britons are giving the Suebi a challenge. At least more than any other nation that they have encountered.

[Chirurgeon]

Screenies as good as always, and I like the addition of politics - even though it plays a little enough part in Rome II. I must say, I'm on the side of the Britons, but hey-ho. If someone must conquer then I'm glad it's the Germans and not the damned Romans.

This is true. I like the unit variety with the Icenians though. Rome is far away from this part of the world for sure. Thank you for supporting me

Well it does sound like the Britons are giving the Suebi a challenge. At least more than any other nation that they have encountered.

Yes it is true. This island is a tough nut to crack. Thank you for your support

[Chirurgeon]

Chapter 20: The Brigantian War

Sometime around 220 BC Wulfgang and Hrodorich launched an invasion straight toward the city of Ebkoran. The first time the Suebians marched on the Brigantes they offered almost no resistance. However this time was different. The Brigantes most definitely challenged the Suebians in their determination to capture their city. We know from graves from the city that almost all of the skeletons found were not buried with any metal. Unless you look at the graves where the Suebians were buried. Here they were buried with their armor and weapons by tradition.

This must have been hard as Wulfgang had spent considerable money and effort into the armor of his men only to have them buried with it when they died. He could have been reassured a little when the metal spears and iron bosses of the shields of the enemy were stripped and melted down. However burying the armor with the dead was a steep price to pay when someone else could wear it. It is assumed that the warrior would have needed it in the afterlife.

Regardless the city fell to the forces of Wulfgang and Hrodorich. Scant evidence from this particular battle exists but the coins found in the older part of the modern city indicate inhabitation during Wulfgang’s reign.

A poem made to possibly commemorate the battle is the only collaborating evidence that supports Wulfgangs account of the battle. According to his autobiography and the poem the two chieftains had laid siege to the city only to have to fight off a relief army that was making its way to the city. Having defeated it they continued the siege and eventually assaulted the city. Despite being outnumbered by the defenders the combined armies of Hrodorich and Wulfgang was able to wipe out the defenders and eventually capture Ebkoran. Again this seemed to show the new edge that better armor and weapons provided. What is certain is that there are fewer Germanic graves compared to Brigante.











Something that is unclear about the battle and remains a mystery today is how did an army of defenders not manage to inflict greater casualties? The great historian, JD Brennen, proposed a theory of withdraw during the Brigantes conflict. Where the Brigantes knew they were out classed by the Suebians and attempted to create a war of attrition. After all they still controlled Wales and if they could delay the Suebians long enough the could muster more men or get the Icenii back into the fight.
Of course there is no evidence of this, and it is only speculation. However it is a possible explanation to the result of the battle.

Over the next year the Brigantes would be pressed hard and relentlessly. Wulfgang moved his forces south along with his brother and finally pinned down a sizeable force of Brigantians near the Demetria river in Wales. This battle would break the Brigantes to the point where they would have to withdraw to Moridunum. Here another attempt would be made to muster enough men to stop Wulfgang and his brother.

Demetria was an utter disaster for the Brigantians as they were hacked to pieces by the more heavily armed and better trained Suebians. Historical evidence seems to suggest that the two forces were evenly matched but in his autobiography Wulfgang indicates his men faced a blue sea of crazed men that were only matched by the ferocity of his own men. It is clear that Wulfgang tends to exaggerate the odds in battle. However this legend he was creating was giving other chieftains pause and they must have been thinking that they should reform their armies as well based on Wulfgang’s success.











It seems the victory here was based on Brigantian incompetence rather that supreme strategy of the Suebians. Regardless the effect was paralyzing for the Brigantians.
With winter approaching Wulfgang moved his men closer to his supply from Caledonia and would renew his campaign in the spring. During this time the Icenii were again struggling against the forces of the Gallic Confederation on the mainland. This apparently prevented them from helping the Brigantes. It should have been clear that if the Brigantes were beaten there would be nothing standing between the Icenians and the Suebians.

So the stage was set for a battle for the city of Moridunum. This was a bloody street fight for the most part. All of the Brigantians had formed lines inside the city and challenged the Suebians every step of the way. Based on archaeological evidence the number of Brigantians in the city outnumbered the Suebians and of course Wulfgang’s autobiography confirms this. The Brigantians put up a heroic and well coordinated defense. Relief forces pulled their boats in as the battle raged. It was a long and exhausting day for both sides. Eventually Wulfgang’s men broke through and began to attack the flank and rears of other defenders and it wasn’t long before the Brigantians were routed.











The city was looted and burned to the ground after the fight. This was a wakeup call for the Icenii and the final deathblow to the Brigantians who had offered a most brave resistance to the Suebians.

[McScottish]

Eeeeeexcllent. Screenies are a tad dark, in my opinion, but apart from that it is fine as always.

[Lugotorix]

Eeeeeexcllent. Screenies are a tad dark, in my opinion, but apart from that it is fine as always.

Oh yes. If I'm not mistaken that was one of his first decapitations as well. The new AAR is ready btw McScottish.

[Chirurgeon]

Eeeeeexcllent. Screenies are a tad dark, in my opinion, but apart from that it is fine as always.

Hmm well maybe i can adjust the contrast somehow but sometimes the light is just like that for whatever reason. One of the reasons I am worried about doing lots of screenshots in the rain. I will see if I can ajdust the brightness or contrast and see if that helps. Thanks for continuing to follow

Oh yes. If I'm not mistaken that was one of his first decapitations as well. The new AAR is ready btw McScottish.

There was a bug introduced in patch 12 I think where when there was a decapitation it created a whole body that went flying. Very weird indeed. I do plan on reading the AAR but just have to sit down and do it. Haven't had a lot of time this week for the AAR but will be updating soon