Andraste's Children (Iceni AAR) [updated November 26, 2017]

[Kingslayer101]

Just found this great AAR with one of my favourite factions in Rome II. Great writing, brilliant screenshots (and historical pictures) and one of the best storylines I've seen in any AAR that I've read. Will definitely be following this, amazing work!

[Alwyn]

Wow, thank you, Rabbit55821, theSilentKiller, Caillagh, Lugotorix and Kingslayer101, your encouragement means a lot to me!

[Johnadiw26]

Alwyn, i am very enjoying your story, well written,and excellent pic you have taken, my favorite character is Mabon.

Sent from my Smartfren Andromax AD688G using Tapatalk

[Owlparrot3]

I just love the Icenia and everything about ancient Britons who were almost wiped out .This aar is the best rome2 aar for me .

[Alwyn]

Thank you, Johnadiw26 and mad orc, for your generous comments! Now, the tale continues...

Chapter Eleven

“Your riders came too late!” repeated the young woman, “what will happen to the people of my village? Will the raiders enslave them or sacrifice them?”

Mabon sighed, sat on a fallen tree and tried to think of an answer. The raiders had escaped by sea, but Mabon had no ships to pursue them. He had no idea of what the raiders would do with the villagers they had taken – and no way to predict which village would be attacked next. Even if he could find the raiders, he did not know whether his single company of horsemen could defeat them. Mabon shuddered as he remembered watching his horsemen die, cut down one after another, in the attack on Eildon. He could not lead more horsemen to a similar fate.

“I cannot answer your question,” began Mabon “but, with your help, we can prevent other villages from suffering the same fate as this one. First, we need something to eat. Then, we can talk about what we will do.”

Reassured by their offer of help, the young woman showed Mabon where some fish and bread was hidden. At their invitation, she shared the food with them. Mabon explained his plan. “They travel by sea and we cannot track them until they come ashore,” he began.

“But after each raid, they go back to their ships,” said Blaidd, “so we cannot track them after they have come ashore, except to follow their path from their ships to the village and back.”

“They attacked the village where … this lady’s brother -” started Mabon.

“My name is Angharad”, interrupted the young woman.

Mabon continued, “Angharad’s brother lived, before they came for the people of this village,” replied Mabon. “If one of our riders had seen their ships arriving, we could have warned the people to evacuate. We could then warn villages nearby.”

“But I warned the people of my village,” objected Angharad, “I begged them to leave with me. They would not go.”

“My men will tell them what happened to the people of your village, who did not listen to you,” said Mabon. “If the villagers still do not listen, my men will tell them that the King of Silures commands them to move inland. They will grumble, but they will obey.”

“But has the King of the Silures commanded this?” asked Angharad. She saw Blaidd grinning, in response to her question.

“Not yet,” replied Mabon, “but he will, when he hears your story. We should go together, to the hall of my brother, the King. Angharad, will you tell the King what happened to your village?”

She nodded, and they got ready to travel.

Mabon, Blaidd and Angharad rode to the hall of Rhys, King of the Silures, to seek his approval for Mabon’s plan.



Rhys was visibly moved by Angharad’s tale of the loss of her friends and family members, and warmly agreed to his brother’s plan. As Mabon had anticipated, some villagers moved inland readily when Mabon’s riders warned them of approaching ships, while others did so reluctantly.

Rhys advised his brother to think ahead. “You will save many people from sacrifice or slavery,” said the King, “but we must anticipate how the raiders will respond, when they find our coastal villages deserted. What will they do then?”

“They are determined to take our people,” said Mabon, “so they will march inland. They will expect us to fight, so they will bring more warriors.”

“If they will bring a small army, then we must be ready for a battle,” said Rhys. “Your riders will bring their spears and my noblemen will bring their swords. But that will not be enough. We need more men. You know Dagomaros, general and prince of the Iceni. You fought with him at Moridunon, Eborakon and Eildon. Could you ask him for warriors from his army?”

“I and my surviving horsemen ran from battle at Eildon. Dagomaros trusted me with command of his reserves, but I fled,” Mabon reminded his brother, “Dagomaros would not lend soldiers to a man without honour.”

“This is a difficult situation, indeed,” reflected Rhys. “If you defeat the raiders, then you will save our people and restore your honour. You cannot defeat the raiders without more men. But you cannot get more men from Dagomaros without restoring your honour first.”

Mabon smiled and said “I have an idea.”

To be continued…

[theSilentKiller]

Can it be? Ouch- yes I am not asleep. The long awaited next chapter. Mabon's mistake surely did birng them in more of a precarious situation than needed. Furthermore not being able to track them due to the ships...

Mabon smiled and said “I have an idea.”

Oh come on! This is torture!

I wonder what this idea will be, looking forward to the next chapter!

[Rabbit55821]

Yay! I am glad to see this AAR return. I wonder what Mabon's idea will be and if it will work. Can't wait till the next post!

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

These raiders are a serious problem, aren't they? I'm glad Rhys was sympathetic and wants to help - but if it won't be enough, then I do hope Mabon's idea is a good one.

Mabon smiled and said “I have an idea.”

Oh come on! This is torture!

And I definitely agree with theSilentKiller on this!

[Alwyn]

Thank you, theSilentKiller, Rabbit and Caillagh! I wonder if you think Mabon's idea is a good one...

Chapter Twelve



Mabon explained his plan. “The rulers of the Demetae, the Deceangli and the Cornovii all have lands which border the sea. Like the Silures, they are in danger from these raiders. They could all supply fighting men. If we can persuade them to combine their forces with our Silures warriors, then we could defeat the raiders and discover who sent them.”

“A fine plan,” observed Blaidd, “but will they be willing to send their warriors away from protecting their homes, to join your army?”

Mabon, Blaidd, Angharad and Rhys talked long into the night, planning how the other rulers could be persuaded.

After a long ride to Moridunon, Mabon, Blaidd and Angharad arrived at the Demetae Queen’s hall and dismounted. The Demetae guards took their horses and insisted that they hand over their weapons before entering. As Mabon walked through the gates of the hall, the absence of the familiar weight of his sword on his left hip made him feel vulnerable.

Cerridwen, Queen of the Demetae, smiled coldly at Mabon while Blaidd and Angharad watched from the edge of a crowd of Demetae nobles. She said, “For generations, your people looked to my tribe for leadership, prince of the Silures. You betrayed us, siding with our enemies, the Iceni. You personally acted as a guide for the Iceni army which marched here to Moridunon. You fought with the army that killed my father and brothers. Now you dare to ask me for warriors! I could have my nobles kill you where you stand, traitor! It would please my ancestors to see my gate decorated with your head!”

“You could have me and my friends killed,” agreed Mabon, maintaining the appearance of calm. Part of him longed to explode with anger. The Silures had only sided with the Iceni against the Demetae after the Demetae seized members of the Silures tribe and sacrificed them – including one of Mabon’s brothers. Perhaps starting another war with the Demetae would not be a bad thing, he thought. After an Iceni and Silures army defeated them, the Demetae acknowledge the Iceni as overlords. But how long will this last before the Demetae rise against us?

Then Mabon noticed Angharad staring at him with a furious look on her face. It seemed that Angharad was not happy about Mabon’s apparently calm acceptance of Queen Cerridwen’s threat to have them all killed. Many lives are at stake here, thought Mabon. Angharad lost everyone she knew to these raiders. If we fight the Demetae instead of the raiders, then many more villages will suffer the same fate as her home. I must speak carefully here. Mabon restrained his anger, barely. He forced himself to speak calmly, “Rulers think ahead and do not expose their people to unnecessary danger. You must know that my brother, the King of the Silures, would bring his warriors to avenge me.”

Queen Cerridwen’s smile was not disturbed by this threat, “I have warriors, too.”

“Indeed,” replied Mabon, “Your men are known throughout these lands as skilled warriors. What would you do? Would you put your strong fighting men in between the raiders, who would strike Moridunon from the sea, and my brother’s army, who would attack from the land? Even Demetae fighting men would prefer not to fight on two sides at once.”

Queen Cerridwen looked thoughtful, “Then I will allow you to leave, Mabon of the Silures. You and these raiders will fight each other. My warriors will not help you, but they will not hinder you.”

Mabon thought, What you are not telling me is that, when the raiders and the Silures have fought each other to bloody ruin, your warriors will slaughter both them and us. Mabon bowed politely, “I am grateful for the gift of my life. In exchange, I will tell you what the King of the Silures has commanded his people to do.” Mabon noticed Queen Cerridwen leaning slightly forward. He continued, “You should know that my brother has ordered villagers all along this coast to march inland, to escape the raiders. The raiders are determined to take captives – whether for slaves or sacrifices, I do not know. With no other targets remaining along the coast, it seems likely that the raiders will come here to your city of Moridunon. The raiders must know the reputation of Demetae warriors, so they will bring many armed men.”

Queen Cerridwen replied, “At least you have the courtesy to warn me of their attack. I will gather my best fighting men, to hold them off.”

Mabon replied, “What if I told you that my brother is offering to bring Silures warriors to fight alongside you? What if I spoke to the kings of the Deceangli and the Cornovii, as an emissary of the Demetae and the Silures? The Deceangli and Cornovii have coastal land too – if we do not stop the raiders, they will go after the Deceangli and the Cornovii too. If the warriors of our four tribes combine, then we can do more than repel the raiders. We can destroy them utterly.”

Queen Cerridwen gestured to the guards at the main door to her hall. Mabon saw the guards open the doors. A young woman strode confidently into the Queen’s hall, followed by several armed men. Mabon noticed the woman’s fine cloak, the well-crafted torc around her neck – and the sword which the woman carried in a scabbard on her left hip. I could not bring my sword into the Queen’s hall, thought Mabon, She must be trusted.

Mabon bowed to the woman and introduced himself, “I am honoured to meet you. I am Mabon, prince of the Silures.”

“Rhiannon, princess of the Demetae,” came the reply. Rhiannon spoke to her sister, Queen Cerridwen. “It is as you thought. The rulers of the Deceangli and the Cornovii will send spearmen and slingers to help us fight the raiders.”

“This is good news,” said Queen Cerridwen, “this prince of the Silures tells me that his brother offers fighting men, as well.”

Mabon was startled, “Your plan was the same as mine! You intended to combine the warriors of the four coastal tribes to fight the raiders. You planned this, yet when I arrived you threatened to decorate your gate with my head!”

Queen Cerridwen smiled more warmly now, “You did lead an army here, to Moridunon. Your Silures warriors helped the Iceni to shed the blood of my people. If the Silures march with the Demetae, calm heads will be needed to avoid our warriors turning on each other. I needed to know that you could remain calm, if you were provoked. It seems you can.”

Rhiannon spoke again, “The Deceangli have seen a fleet of raiding ships sailing along their coast. The enemy are sending more men than before - they could land at any time. If we will combine the warriors of the Deceangli, Cornovii, Silures and Demetae, we must summon them now. We might already be too late.”

[theSilentKiller]

Terrific chapter! The conversation between Mabon and queen Cerridwen, Mabon trying to be calm and the queen's intentions. Hopefully it will not be too late - even if not, the fighting won't be easy. Especially if maybe some warriors feel some resentment towards their "allies of necessity", so to say. Can't wait to see more of this!

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

Ooh, I like Cerridwen. She's fierce. And sneaky.

It seems that Mabon's idea might work - if they're not too late...

I really like the screenshot with the ships, by the way.

[waveman]

Indeed, she seems to be a cunning one!

[Alwyn]

Thanks, TSK, Caillagh and waveman. You're right, the fighting will not be easy. Yes, Queen Cerridwen is fierce and cunning, and so is her sister, Rhiannon...

Chapter Thirteen


The Ebdani raiders marched in a long column. Sonnios, their general, had previously commanded small bands of raiders, snatching people from coastal villages. Now, the Britons had fled their coastal villages and the Ebdani raiders had to march inland to find their prey. Moving further from the coast made the Ebdani more vulnerable to attack from the local petty kings, so the raiders no longer travelled in small, easily-defeated bands, but as a large army.

The column trudged through the thick snow, becoming tired as they walked steadily uphill. Sonnios marched at the front of the column. He felt almost like a child again, as he made foot-prints in the fresh, untouched snow in front of him. It would be easy for anyone to track his column by the wide trail of foot-prints behind them. That morning, his men had seen a small group of horsemen watching them from a distance. The horsemen were too few to be a threat to the swordsmen, spearmen and slingers in the Ebdani column, but the appearance of the horsemen had unsettled Sonnios. He had ordered his men to quicken their pace.

The column was heading for a gap through a line of hills. The gap they were marching towards had a small forest just below the ridge-line on the left. The trees would provide a source of wood for tonight’s camp-fires. Sonnios watched the ridge-line carefully for enemies waiting to surprise him. He knew that his column would be vulnerable to men on the hills until they had passed through that gap and put the hills behind them.

Behind Sonnios and his bodyguard marched the spearmen, the slingers and the dog handlers with their hounds. The King of the Ebdani had been surprised that Sonnios had wanted to bring hunting dogs on a raid. Sonnios had explained that the people of this region were hiding from his raiders, now – and the dogs could track villagers as well as deer. Sonnios heard the hunting dogs barking. He saw men pointing to the top of the ridge on their right. Just below the ridge was a small line of spearmen.



Behind them, the general could see a second line of enemy infantry, without spears. Perhaps they were slingers? The enemy were few in number, too few to be a serious threat. But the general did not want his column to be harassed on their march. Perhaps these men were the warriors of one of the petty kings of this region? If they were not dispersed, then more warriors might arrive and join them against the common foe. Sonnios could not allow this. He ordered his spearmen to turn right, climbing the steep ridge towards the pitifully small line of enemy spears. He sent his slingers on the right, to attack the enemy’s flank.

This had the appearance of easy victory, but Sonnios was wise enough not to risk his life on appearances. If the enemy had a surprise planned – perhaps there were more warriors hidden behind the enemy slingers, over the top of the ridge – then his swordsmen and hunting dogs would deal with them. Suddenly there was a cry from close behind Sonnios. He turned to see enemy swordsmen running swiftly from the forest, approaching the rear of the Ebdani line. Soon, the Ebdani would be caught in between the spearmen and slingers on the ridge ahead, and the swordsmen behind.



The general issued his orders, “Our swordsmen will turn and engage theirs. Release the hunting dogs as they approach. That will blunt their charge. Tell half of our slingers to turn and attack the enemy swordsmen.”

Sonnios watched his messenger run uphill to the nearest company of slingers. He saw them begin to turn … and then watched in horror as enemy horsemen seemed to appear from nowhere, scattering his slingers and chasing them down. He noticed a low hill near the forest, perhaps the riders had used that hill to hide from his men.

Sonnios cursed, realising that his advantage – his much larger force of slingers – was being scattered and broken as he watched. His spearmen, who could have protected the slingers, were all engaged in fighting the enemy spearmen on the hill. “Damn them! They anticipated every move we made!” His bodyguard prepared to fight, seeing enemy swordsmen approaching on two sides.



More enemy swordsmen charged into the fight. Sonnios and his bodyguard were fighting for their lives. He saw that the enemy riders, having killed or scattered his slingers, were now approaching his swordsmen. Surrounded, and seeing his bodyguard dying around him, Sonnios prepared to sell his life for a high price. A spear-tip grazed his cheek, and a grim-faced rider called out, “Drop your sword!” Defeated and almost alone, Sonnios complied.

“I am Mabon of the Silures” said the rider.

Sonnios remained silent.

Mabon continued, “We are going to have a little talk about why you are taking people from these lands.”

“Talk all you want!” said Sonnios proudly, “You will learn nothing from me.”

Another rider, who was wearing a hood, dismounted. When this rider pulled back their hood, Sonnios was startled to see that this rider was a woman. A woman holding a bloody sword as confidently as any warrior. She spoke, “I am Rhiannon of the Demetae.” She paused, wiping her sword on the snow. There was an awkward silence; in other circumstances, it would have been very rude for Sonnios not to introduce himself in return. In these circumstances, the general remained silent.

Rhiannon smiled at Mabon; it seemed as if they were sharing a private joke about the Ebdani general’s lack of courtesy. “This man” – she gestured to Mabon - “brought an army to my father’s hall in Moridunon. I didn’t like him very much for doing that. But then I remembered what the old King of the Demetae, who was overthrown by Mabon’s attack, was like. He was a vicious, murdering bastard. Worse than that, the old King was a weak man. He was afraid of you Ebdani.” She noticed that the general looked startled when she casually mentioned his tribe, as if he had not expected her to know that. She thought, He is Ebdani, then – just as we suspected, the raiders came from Ireland.

Rhiannon continued, “When my father ruled our people, I remember seeing people being taken to the port of Moridunon at night. Their hands were bound. They were handed over to warriors we did not know who loaded the prisoners onto ships. My people, the Demetae, lived in fear. No-one knew who would be next to disappear in the night. My father even took some of Mabon’s people and handed them over, too. My father was handing over his own people to the Ebdani, wasn’t he?”

Finally, Sonnios spoke, “Your father was weak and your people are weak. You have no chance against us. Your father accepted that.”

Mabon spoke, “We brought half as many warriors as you had and we defeated you easily. The people of these lands do not want to be slaves.”

Sonnios thought that he had one last chance to crush the spirit of his enemies. “Do you think the people we took are living as slaves? Our druids say that, if we sacrifice enough lives to the Morrigan, our armies cannot be defeated.”

Mabon looked at the bodies of the slain, strewn across the battlefield. “Your druids told you what you wanted to hear. Your raids have united the tribes of these lands against you. Your people are alone.”

Sonnios smiled grimly, “We are not alone! Our allies have a large army, stronger than your pathetic rabble. Soon, we will have many sacrifices, and you will be among them!”

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

That's a disturbing last line!

I like the image of Sonnios feeling like a child as he enjoys making footprints in the snow.

[theSilentKiller]

Quite the contrast between the childlike behaviour of making foot prints in the snow and then smiling while threatening the enemy. I have to agree with Caillagh, the last sentence is ominous. But so far everything worked well.

[Owlparrot3]

I wonder which allies.
Hope there are none .Excellent chapter with the best ever last line on twc.

[McScottish]

Glad to see this still going, and looking forward to seeing where it's going. Bring on the allies and the (human?) sacrifices.

[Alwyn]

Thank you, Caillagh, TSK, mad orc and McScottish! Where this story is going will gradually be revealed...

Chapter Fourteen

After their successful ambush of the Ebdani army, Mabon’s hastily assembled band of warriors marched north. Mabon saw swordsmen and spearmen struggling as they trudged through deepening, drifting snow, cursing as they slipped. Rhiannon was concerned for the well-being of warriors who had been wounded in the ambush. She insisted that they find shelter.

Fortunately, before long, they saw buildings ahead on a hill. They turned towards the settlement, hoping for a welcoming fire and some food.



Mabon’s riders rode ahead to investigate. The settlement was a large village. Blaidd, who had keen eyes, called to Mabon and pointed to the small wood on their right, on the edge of the settlement. Mabon realised that there was a small band of grey-cloaked swordsmen among the trees, keeping watch on Mabon’s riders.

As Mabon’s riders approached, the grey-cloaked swordsmen emerged from the wood with drawn swords. They were not attacking, simply making their presence known. The captain commanding this band wore the yellow-and gold cloak which was traditionally worn by the Iceni nobility. This design of cloak was now also worn by commanders like Mabon, people from tribes whose kings owed allegiance to Adiatorix, King of the Iceni. Mabon felt reassured that the captain of the grey-cloaked swordsmen wore the same kind of cloak. Mabon signalled for his riders to halt. Mabon, Rhiannon and Blaidd dismounted. They walked slowly ahead, on their own, to show that they came to talk rather than fight. The commander of the grey-cloaked swordsmen seemed to feel the same way; noticing Mabon's cloak and peaceful intentions, he nodded for Mabon and his friends to proceed.



On the edge of the village, Mabon, Rhiannon and Blaidd greeted a grey-haired woman who was chopping wood. She seemed strong, despite her age, and she appeared immune to the bitterly cold wind. Mabon and his friends waited patiently for the grey-haired woman to finish chopping the lump of wood she was working on. She lowered her wood-axe and greeted him warily.

“Welcome, stranger. When strangers arrive carrying swords, people worry. What brings you here?”

Mabon paused for a moment, before speaking in a respectful tone, “We were sent by the Kings of four tribes - the Silures, Demetae, Deceangli and Cornovii. I am Mabon of the Silures and my friends are Blaidd, also of my tribe, and Rhiannon of the Demetae. They sent us to protect villages along this coast from the Ebdani raiders. Do you have news of the raiders?”

“You serve the Kings of four tribes?” the grey-haired women looked surprised. “I am impressed that you managed to persuade them to agree about anything! I am Cigfa, chief druid of this community. The druids here have trying to resolve a border dispute between the Deceangli and Cornovii since you were a boy. At least we have kept them talking, not fighting.”

“Then you have done a great service,” said Rhiannon, “without your efforts to make peace, we could not have united the tribes against the riders.”

“Your warriors could help the people here,” said Cigfa. “In this bitterly cold winter, with bands of Ebdani raiders stalking the countryside and snatching people, it takes a brave villager to go and hunt for food. There are more mouths to feed. People fled coastal villages and came here for safety, hoping that my druids would protect them. My druids do what we can. Our swordsmen guard the village and our hunters bring back food. Despite our best efforts, people here are not getting enough to eat.”

“Our warriors will protect your hunters,” said Mabon, “and some of us, like my friend Blaidd here, are skilled hunters themselves. We will help you to feed your people.”

After several days of hunting, Mabon and his friends relaxed in the hall of the druids near a wonderfully warming fire, while the success of their hunt was celebrated by the villagers with stories and songs. In this peaceful haven, Mabon noticed Angharad, the woman whose village had been taken by the raiders, smiling and laughing for the first time in a long while. She had marched north with Mabon’s small army, carrying a spear and training with Rhiannon after each day’s long march. Mabon had noticed that Blaidd made excuses to spend time with her, as they marched.

Part of him longed to remain in this safe place, to seek knowledge and enjoy community life instead of going to war. But, after a few days here, a mother and her child arrived through the snow, just as the Sun sank below the horizon. The new arrivals were cold, hungry and afraid. They warned that a band of Ebdani raiders had attacked a village just a few hours’ walk to the north. The mother and child believed that they were the only villagers who escaped. Angharad made sure that they had a good place by a warm fire and were given plenty to eat.

At sunrise the next morning, Mabon’s band of warriors assembled on the edge of the village, ready to march against the raiders. After a few days of successful hunting, returning each day to a warm hall and good food, the men were in high spirits. Having heard from the mother who had escaped the raiders, they were determined to defend the people of these lands. As they were being led by Mabon, who had fought in many battles under the great Iceni general Dagomaros, the warriors were confident of victory. As they prepared to leave, Mabon noticed that his friend Blaidd did not share the happiness of the other warriors.

“What’s wrong, Blaidd?” he asked.

Rhiannon noticed Blaidd’s sad expression. “It’s Angharad, isn’t it?” she asked.

Mabon wondered what Angharad had done to upset Blaidd.

“Yes,” admitted Blaidd. “Since we arrived here, she found a community to replace the people she lost when her village was raided. We will leave, but she will remain here.”

Mabon wished he could help his friend, but saw that there was nothing that he could do.

With a sigh, he gave the order to depart, and his band of warriors marched out from the peaceful haven of the druids’ village, to face the enemy.

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

Wise decision, being polite to the elderly-looking woman chopping wood. No doubt rudeness would have resulted in a much less friendly welcome!

This is a lovely interlude of calm for Mabon and his men - a nice contrast to the conflict they usually find themselves in the middle of.

[theSilentKiller]

People fleeing even though it is cold is definitely a sign of their despair, especially the mother with her child. Fortunately for our heros, they don't have to fight. This calm - only to make the storm even stronger? Can't wait to see them face the enemy!