[IB AAR] Severus The God

[Kátz]

Great update, when will the Picts shouted the words "WE SHALL RULE!!" along with Severus?

[Beggar]

Can you please give me a link to your Juvenals Journal AAR. I have heared people talk about it but cannot find it.

It's seriously worth reading. High quality (as you probably excepted)

Also, great to see you getting back on the Picts. Of course other stuff was great to read, but this is what we have been waiting for ! Good work, waiting for the next update.
Too bad I don't have enough posts to vote yet... But soon I'll have I guess.
E: Voted now!

[Edward lV]

cool just read the entire AAR (Journal) and i have to say its probobly the best ive read.

[Juvenal]

VII: MEROVAEUS THE FRANK

“Potuit fortasse minoria Piscator quam piscis emi”
(The fisherman could perhaps be bought for less than the fish)
Juvenal

An Audience with Severus
Severus was a busy man. He ran a network of scouts and spies in Gaul (observing both friend and foe). He obtained supplies for the armies of Drest and Cirech. He organised the flow of reinforcements from Britannia. And despite all of this, he still managed to oversee the administration of the realm, even in his absence, by means of daily consignments of dispatches shuttling across the Germanicum Mare.

So it would have been quite shocking, to those who knew him, to observe everything come to an abrupt halt on Julian's arrival.

Julian was immediately greeted by Titus, Severus's majordomo, who had servants whisk Julian off to be washed, perfumed and reclothed for an audience with Severus.

Knowing something of Severus's current importance, Julian was surprised at the lack of ostentation in his accommodation. The tent and furnishing were functional and well worn, as if Severus were a Legate on campaign rather than Vortigern of the ex-Diocese of Britannia.

Julian was offered bread, fruit and wine while he and Severus exchanged pleasantries. They spoke of life in Britannia before the wars. Julian remembered that they had actually met briefly when Constantine was still Dux of the northern marches. Severus had been a trader then, and a teenage Julian had marvelled at his ability to be the sole source of supply for goods that had suddenly become vital for success in Constantine's campaign against the Picts and Saxons.

Severus gently questioned Julian about recent history and how he had come to be imprisoned in Hatomagus.

“I was a disappointment to my father. I did not have the makings of a soldier, so I tried to serve him as an administrator. He put me in the care of his Magister Militum, Decimus Rusticus, and I looked after the provisioning of the garrisons in northern Gaul”.

“My mistake was in being too diligent. When the Burgundii attacked Durocortorum, I took it upon myself to start making arrangements for the army in Samarobriva to receive supplies at the end of its march to relieve the city. I foolishly confided in Decimus and the very same night men in masks dragged me from my home and took me to the gaol in Hatomagus”.

“I had never imagined that Decimus was a traitor, but it is of no import now that he is dead. Luckily the Franks had no idea who I was, so when they captured the city, I was ignored”.

Severus enquired about affairs in Belgica.

“Gnaeus Macrinus commanded at Samarobriva, so he will now be Praefectus for the whole of Belgica. He is a good man and a good Roman, loyal to the Empire and therefore to Constantine. He would be a good ally against the Franks, especially after they murdered his father at Durocortorum”

That night, Severus ruminated on how the information from Julian might help the cause. It seemed that Gnaeus Macrinus could provide a useful buffer against the Frankish heartlands in the north, allowing the Picts to concentrate against the recent Frankish acquisitions of Condate and Avaricum. He resolved to find a way to manipulate Drest into assisting Macrinus. If things went well, the remains of the Imperium Constantini could even become a Pictish Vassal.

Problems with Public Order
Hatomagus under the military rule of Drest had changed radically from the bustling town that it had been, even under Frankish occupation. A third of the remaining population had been transported to Britannia as slaves, and all signs of Christian worship had been destroyed.

Although Drest, through his army, ruled Hatomagus with an iron fist, his men could not be everywhere, and a substantial Christian resistance movement, based in the hinterland, was conducting sporadic acts of arson and sabotage.

Bishop Germanus, recently sent by Pope Celestine to put down the Pelagian Heresy in northern Gaul seemed to be at the root of much of the discontent. The insurgents looked to him as an inspiration for their struggle. Drest had sent several punitive expeditions to “rid him of this troublesome priest”, but they had always arrived too late to catch him.



Drest faced a difficult dilemma. Hatomagus could only be won over if Pictish holdings were extensive enough to keep the rebels far away, but until then the town required a large garrison leaving Drest with insufficient forces to conquer the required territory.

The arrival of Severus failed to lighten Drest's mood, especially when his entourage became snarled up with the latest batch of executed rebels being transported to the lime pits outside the town. With gritted teeth, Drest agreed to an audience with the old Roman traitor.

Severus proposed seeking an alliance with the remnant of the Imperium Constantini that controlled the province of Belgica. It would secure the northern border against Frankish incursions. He suggested that a good way to impress and persuade them would be for Cirech to drive off the Franks facing him at Bratuspantium. With such an alliance in place, Cirech's army would be free to march west, extending Pictish control along the coast.

Despite the strength of this argument, what actually finally convinced Drest was the agreement of Severus to help catch Bishop Germanus, provided that Drest tone down his persecution of the Christians so as not to offend the Constantini. His mind made up, Drest sent a courtier to instruct Cirech to destroy the Frankish forces facing him while Severus prepared a mission to travel to Samarobriva.

Battle of Bratuspantium
The camp of Cirech macErp “The Cunning” sat in a sea of mud. Dense clouds of midges covered everything that moved and visitors needed to be especially careful and polite with the guards, whose tempers were becoming dangerously short.



Cirech was out reconnoitring when the courtier arrived. The Franks continued to sit on their hill and didn't seem inclined to come down to face the more numerous Picts. Cirech would have liked to move, but he was charged with covering Hatomagus.

The courtier conveyed the change of orders from Drest. He was a member of the multitudinous Dal Riata minor nobility and clearly felt that Cirech, a Pict of the Taexali, was his social inferior. Cirech was given to understand, in the most condescending of terms, that he had been derelict in his duty and that the Franks to his front were to be destroyed immediately.

Hiding a grimace, Cirech turned to the courier and bid him go back with one his men to the camp to eat and drink before leaving. Taking his own man aside, he quietly instructed him to make sure that the courier received a repast that would have unpleasant consequences for him on the road back to Hatomagus.

Although irritated at the scorn of his King and Brother-in-law, Cirech was relieved to be allowed to finally take action. If only uncle Cinioc had been a little more energetic all those years ago, it might have been Drest's bones mouldering in that Caledonian forest and Cirech might now be Chief of an independent Taexali tribe. Of course Cirech didn't share these thoughts with Esselt his wife, even though she hated her brother almost as much as he did. Esselt accompanied Cirech on campaign and was adept with dirk and poison. Cirech was always careful to be the dutiful husband, attentive and supportive of her plans.

Back at the camp, Cirech called in his foragers and briefed his commanders. His scouts had been observing the Franks for several weeks. The foe were led by Faramund's youngest son Merovaeus, a stripling of 17 years. His army was modest, and had been filled out with locally recruited Foederati. The core of the army, and the units to fear, were the band of Frankeska Heriskara axemen, the Antrostja-Scola bodyguard of Merovaeus himself, and the vexillation of mercenary Equites Bucelarii.

Freed of the need to cover Hatomagus, Cirech's army left the stinking camp and swung around to the right of the Frank-occupied hill. Merovaeus was forced into a hasty flight to the north-east to avoid being trapped against Samarobriva. But whatever the faults of Pictish armies, they could at least move quickly, and Merovaeus found himself caught by them between Samarobriva and Bratuspantium.

As Cirech's army deployed for the attack, Merovaeus argued with his advisers about the best thing to do. He was reluctant to give battle with his second-rate forces, but his advisers were adamant that no Frank could retain his honour after running away from Picts, and that the enemy were little more than a militia anyway, mere target practice for the Romans who had manned the Severine Wall (before Constantine had taken them to Gaul).

The result of this conflict was that the Frankish army remained half-deployed, completely surrendering the initiative to the Picts.



The Franks could be seen drawn up between two stands of trees, but their exact dispositions were concealed by the long grass and the brow of the slight rise that the Picts would have to negotiate in order to make contact.

Cirech was confident in the strength of his force, but mindful of the need to contain the Frankish elites. He sent his excellent Roman archers escorted by his armoured spearmen while the rest of the army followed at a distance.

Coming into range, this vanguard stopped and began launching volleys to tempt the Franks into revealing their intentions. They didn't have long to wait. The Equites Bucelarii came thundering up to clear the Picts away while Foederati cavalry galloped around the Pictish left.

From the perspective of the spearmen, the Bucelarii seemed faster than stooping hawks. They barely had time to brace their spears before the enemy were upon them, horns blaring, men and horses screaming, sword, spear and shield clashing, and men's bowels turning to water.



Cirech turned to his cavalry commander. “Gartnait, do you see those cavalry skirting our left flank? Kill them for me if you please”. Gartnait saluted, after the Roman fashion, and galloped off. Cirech then ordered the pikemen forward to extend the spear line to the left.

The mass of Pictish Marchan slammed into the Frankish light cavalry like a crashing wave, and once they were engaged, the leftmost of the Pictish Pike bands peeled off to attack them in flank. Cirech observed the slaughter with satisfaction.



The remaining pikemen passed behind the enemy Bucelarii, whom Merovaeus had failed to reinforce. Already suffering at the hands of Pictish spearmen, these now gave way and the whole Pictish line surged forward cheering wildly.



Cirech saw the banner of Merovaeus move to the rear. He immediately ordered the whole reserve forward at the run while his archers fired at retreating Frankish backs.

Galloping with his Mormaers through the original Frankish position, he happened to notice the Frankeska Heriskara standing under the trees to his left. As he watched, a band of Pictish pikemen stumbled into them. Cirech reined back his horse and instructed an aid-de-camp to gallop over to the chief of the Aumui Boai wildmen and tell him to support the pikemen with all possible speed.

Satisfied, he resumed the pursuit.



After passing through the forest gap, Cirech came within sight of Samarobriva, and also of Merovaeus and his bodyguard of Antrostja-Scola axemen. Whipping his horse with the flat of his sword, Cirech led his Mormaers into the mass of retreating Franks.

These Franks were all big strong men, and the Pictish ponies did not scare them, but neither could they continue their retreat, so the fight remained in balance, Merovaeus swinging his axe while retainers shielded him. But then the Graal Knights arrived behind the Franks and it was suddenly all over. None fled or asked for quarter, they fought and died where they stood, loyal to the last. Cirech was impressed with their bravery, but not their intelligence. After all, how could a general successfully command an army without a horse?



By the time Merovaeus was slain, there were no more Franks left to fight, many had escaped, and the remainder were too dispersed to pursue.

Cirech trotted over to see how the fight in the woods had gone. Some of the Frankeska Heriskara had got away, but those who had fallen were surrounded by a disproportionate number of Pictish dead, mostly Marchan horsemen. Cirech angrily demanded to know what had become of that fool Gartnait who had seemingly forgotten the first rule of fighting with cavalry, but it appeared that Gartnait was among the fallen, whatever his faults, at least cowardice was not among them.



A Prize not worth the Winning
The diplomatic mission of Severus duly arrived at Samarobriva and, as desired, found the Constantini very impressed by Cirech's victory. But that was the only good news Severus received that day.

The mission was welcomed by the Constantini commander Valens Septimius. Enquiring after Gnaeus Macrinus, Severus discovered that Macrinus had died the previous month in a battle against the Franks at Taruenna in the north.

Valens was more than eager to be under the protection of the Picts, his army was a wreck and northern Belgica was already at the mercy of the Franks.

It was with a heavy heart that Severus returned to Hatomagus to inform Drest of his new Ally.

[Legio]

Another great update!

[Selifator]

Poor Severus, his plans always seem to go wrong.

[bomberboy]

It could be a simple blip on his plan.

[Sunbird Alkibijad]

This update explains why You edged past all of us in the competition for January and the amount of your points.

Is Severus character inspired by the emperor Severus Septimius(not sure of the last name, i think that's the one tho) from 3rd century AD?

[Kátz]

Great update, seems the enemies of the Picts started getting crushed.

[Edward lV]

Update?

[Selifator]

Shh, you're disturbing the genius..

[Juvenal]

It's nice to see a small community forming here on the thread. I am reminded of a queue at a bus-stop with people speculating on when (if ever) the next bus is going to come along.

@Selifator - I shall choose to take your compliment literally.

@twking - I'm glad you liked the Journal, a new Severus update is coming along at the weekend.

@Aster - Sadly, the enemies of the Picts are more often crushed under the weight of Pictish corpses. The Picts don't have any heavy infantry or long-range missiles (except mercenaries).

@Sunbird Alkibijad - Oddly enough, the last episode was intended to help boost my vote, but I didn't manage to finish it until just after the poll closed! My character Severus, whose full name is Octavius Severus Alexander, is the descendent of Emperor Septimius Severus. A full explanation of this can be found at the beginning of my AAR Spite of Severus.

@bomberboy - I'm not sure if Severus actually has a master-plan at present, but he does have ambitions, such as extending his administration into Gaul (for their own good) and bringing down his nemesis Drest.

@Legio Caesar - I really appreciate your visits here, especially since it means that the eyes of the Scriptorium are upon me.
@Kohvi - I wrote the earlier episodes to create a context in which the saga of the Picts can be played out. I wanted a well fleshed-out story rather than just having a succession of non-entity opponents for the all-conquering Picts to beat up.

@Mr. Cursed - The Picts have arrived! ...but I think they are going to need reinforcements.

@Kallum - Well you got your field battle, but it wasn't all that epic, still the next one will be a bit bigger.

[Sunbird Alkibijad]

@Sunbird Alkibijad - Oddly enough, the last episode was intended to help boost my vote, but I didn't manage to finish it until just after the poll closed! My character Severus, whose full name is Octavius Severus Alexander, is the descendent of Emperor Septimius Severus. A full explanation of this can be found at the beginning of my AAR Spite of Severus.

You missed my point, or I sucked badly at putting it down(AGAIN?!?!):

What I've meant to say, the style of the latest update You made, explains WHY you have the edge over the rest of us.

[Beggar]

@Kohvi - I wrote the earlier episodes to create a context in which the saga of the Picts can be played out. I wanted a well fleshed-out story rather than just having a succession of non-entity opponents for the all-conquering Picts to beat up.

Yeah, I'm quite glad after all you did it, it's different and keeps things interesting.
And it would seem you won the contest, congratulations !

[Juvenal]

@Kohvi - Yes, I won MAARC VII, which is really great. It's going to be a little while though before I have anything I can enter in future competitions since this AAR has probably got a long way to run.

@Sunbird Alkibijad - Your praise is much appreciated. It takes me a long time to produce an episode. Yet the more I write, the more impressed I am with published authors. Imagine trying to write a whole novel that is consistent from start to finish, and maintains the reader's interest all the way through without any supporting pictures - incredible!

[Juvenal]

VIII: ENCOUNTER AT ALETUM

“Nihil est quod credere de se Non possit, quum laudatur dis aequa potestas”
(There is nothing which power cannot believe of itself, when it is praised as equal to the gods)
Juvenal

The Triumph
When Drest received Severus at Hatomagus, he did not seem unduly unhappy to learn of the eclipse of the Constantini. He complimented Severus on his diplomatic work with a false bonhomie which Severus found quite excruciating, so much so that he was glad to be able to set off on the journey to his base at the port of Juliobona that very night.

Drest now called Cirech and his army back from Bratuspantium and gave him a Triumph after the Roman fashion. From Drest's point of view this had the dual advantages of impressing the (remaining) locals, and of alleviating any suspicions that Cirech might still harbour regarding the security of his position.

While the army remained encamped outside the walls, a feast was held at the ex-Pro Consul's Palace for Cirech and his commanders. After the larger part of the wine cellar of Decimus Rusticus had been consumed, Drest gave a fine speech extolling the martial prowess of Cirech and expressing his expectation that the coming campaign to capture Condate would bring him further laurels. He also publicly proclaimed his fondness for, and confidence in, his esteemed brother-in-law. The, by now, thoroughly addled guests were then given into the care of some of the surfeit of slave girls that Drest was accumulating as a consequence of his pogroms against the Christians.

Campaign of Condate
After the Triumph, Cirech and his army were immediately sent west, with instructions to capture Condate. Drest gave him his remaining Gai Aurmahr spearmen (half a band) and two bands of Chodaoer to make up for his losses. Talorc Morbet and his spies rode on ahead to make sure that Cirech wasn't ambushed.

Cirech reorganised his army under three trusted leaders. Master of Horse Gartnait, tall lean and fair, who had survived Bratuspantium but lost the use of his left arm. Master of Spears Finechta, a dour and phlegmatic giant, commander of the battle line. And finally, Master of Swords Calgacus, a small restless fierce man with darting green eyes under beetling brows, commander of the reserve, a specialist in sudden charges and flank attacks.



For the next two months, the army travelled slowly west in three parallel columns, scouts ranging to the front and flanks. From time to time a messenger would visit from Talorc Morbet to give intelligence on the situation ahead.

Cirech used the opportunity given by his preponderance of force to confirm the local tribes in their new-found loyalty to Greater Pictavia. Although the rural Roman administrations had fallen into disuse during the rebellions and counter-rebellions of the Constantini years, they were the chosen instrument by which Severus would extend his enduring control into the Gallic provinces. Soldiers and administrators provided by Severus were left in every large settlement to remind the local leadership of Pictish power and to organise town councils to enforce the laws and gather taxes.



In this way, the Unelli, Baiocasses, Lexovii, Viducasses and Ambivariti were all brought within the Pictish sphere. It meant that Cirech's advance toward Condate was slow, but he preferred this to finding himself trapped in unknown territory far from support.

Cirech was at the town of Abrincates with the autumn well advanced when a small party of weary travellers arrived at his camp. It was Talorc Morbet himself with several of his aids. Morbet declined an offer to bathe and take refreshments in the town and instead called for an immediate consilium.

Morbet's news was that the Frankish Prince Hariulfus at Condate was about to be reinforced by Sigimer from Avaricum. This presented Cirech with a difficult dilemma. The combined force would be too strong for the Picts to face, and a hasty retreat back to Hatomagus would undo all the hard work pacifying the land, as well as leaving the entire Pictish expeditionary force bottled up and inviting destruction. But, to continue the advance risked destruction all the sooner.

That night after he retired, he discussed his problems with Esselt.

“It is true that we face great dangers my husband, but really they are no greater than everyday life in Drest's court where at any moment we could be faced by the knife of an assassin or sudden arrest by my brother, our blessed liege-lord”.

“Think about it, we now know the intentions of these Franks, but they are ignorant of ours. Let us get close to them, that we may strike one or the other alone before they realise that their own plan is discovered”.

Cirech took these words to heart, Esselt was skilled at court politics and had already foiled several plots to cleave Cirech from his position of trust with Drest. In the morning, he called Morbet to his tent and asked that he leave with all speed to discover the exact locations of the Frankish armies. He then called his commanders together and announced that the army would break camp immediately and resume the advance west.

The army advanced in close order, each band carrying food for five days. Cirech stayed in the vanguard, taking reports from scouts in person and riding to the top of every hill they passed to try to discern the signs of approaching Franks.

Finally, just after dawn on the third day, the army crested a ridge and came within sight of the port of Aletum. The roads to Condate and Avaricum converged here. Cirech was immensely relieved, this was the commanding position from which he could turn and strike at the Frankish forces individually. He urged his horse forward and began to descend the slope

As the last of Cirech's men came over the brow, he noticed activity at the town. Soon afterwards, scouts came galloping up from the plain to confirm his suspicions. A Frankish army had beaten them to Aletum.


Battle at Aletum
With the Picts in plain sight, there was going to be little room for subtlety. The enemy took up position athwart the road to Condate and began to advance up the hill.

Cirech cursed his luck. The presence of the banner of Sigimer showed that this was the Avaricum force, but there was no sign of Hariulfus either here or on the Condate road, so perhaps there was still a chance to win this battle after all provided the Franks were overconfident.

If this was to be a victory, then let it be a decisive one. The first thing to do was to prevent the Franks from retreating through Aletum onto their reinforcements. Accordingly, Cirech decided to give up his hillside position and ordered the whole army to run around the Frankish right so as to control access to the Avaricum and Condate roads.



The Franks, confused by this manoeuvre, stopped and wheeled right to face the new Pictish line. Cirech took advantage of their indecision by posting his archers to fire volleys down into their ranks while the rest of his army deployed.

Stung by the volleys, the whole body of the enemy surged toward the Pictish position. Cirech bellowed urgent instructions for Finechta to draw up the spear line in front of the archers, and then struggled through the mass of his own men to join his cavalry on the left flank.



Enemy Equites Bucelarii were attempting to get amongst Cirech's archers, but Gartnait was ready for them. Still agile, even with his useless left arm strapped to his side, he pounced on the Bucelarii with his whole cavalry force. However, the enemy were tough, and a melee ensued rather than a route.

Spared the cavalry charge, Finechta was able to sort the spear line out before the Franks struck. Cirech noted with irritation that the Franks appeared to be drifting toward his trailing right wing, while his own best warriors were now on the left and out of breath from their flank march.

As the first of the Franks ran up to throw their axes, Cirech was obliged to order Calgacus to counter-march his four bands of reserve swordsmen at the double in order to support the spears.



The leading band of enemy Frankeska Heriskara now set its sights on the weakest looking section of line, that formed by the Gaimorlom Pikemen. Unlike the Macedonian Phalanx of old, Pictish pikemen lacked both armour and shield, relying entirely on their short pikes for protection. Pikemen who couldn't hold formation seldom survived their first battle.

The Franks threw their axes and ran in behind them. The Pictish line shuddered visibly as the axes hit, but they stood firm, men from the rear stepping up to close the gaps. Unable to penetrate the line of spear points, the Franks proceeded to chop at the pikes to break them, while the Picts frantically poked and prodded in order to keep them at arms-length.



Several bands of Heriban spearmen came up to support the attack, but they were met by Calgacus with the Pictish Wildmen and mercenary swordsmen.

With the impetus of the Frankish attack in the centre spent, it was the turn the Pictish swordsmen to press forward into the enemy mass. The fight settled into a pushing match with the Picts having the advantage of numbers and elevation.



With their first attack bogged down, Sigimer concentrated his elites and led them against the Pictish right. The attack landed like a hammer blow against the end of the Pictish line, Pikemen and Milites taking the brunt of the attack. Calgacus was obliged to release the single remaining reserve band of mercenary swordsmen to extend the hanging right.

Meanwhile on the left, the Bucelarii gave up their unequal struggle and broke off. Gartnait raised his sword high and sprang forward at the gallop, making for the enemy rear. The sword shone like a beacon in the reflected rays of the morning sun, and the whole of the Pictish cavalry immediately followed it, declining to engage an isolated band of Heriban that had arrived just too late to support the Bucelarii.



Trusting Finechta to hold the line, Cirech sent his Chodaoer forward behind Gartnait to envelope the enemy right while the cavalry ranged free in their rear.

The rightmost mass of Franks now found themselves held by the pikes at their front, assailed by the Wildmen on their right and threatened with entrapment by the Picts circling behind them. This all proved too much for these Frankish spearmen and they collapsed into rout and fled the field.

Pictish archers poured fire at their retreating backs and Gartnait pursued them with his cavalry, doing great slaughter. Calgacus continued his attack, wheeling right to push into the flank of Sigimer's mass.



Sigimer's men, despite their martial prowess, were gradually pushed into a clump surrounded on three sides by the intermixed bands of Finechte and Calgacus. With no room to dodge, a stumble or a moment's inattention was enough for a Frank to be cut down by the waiting Picts.

The Frankeska Heriskara fought on and on with an implacable will, but they were not gods, and one by one they fell, to rise no more. When Sigimer himself was finally slain, the fight seemed to go out of them, and the last of the Franks disappeared under a sudden surge of victorious Picts.



The victory was total, barely a hundred Franks managed to slip away from Gartnait and his rampaging Marchan. On the Pictish side, it was the Milites who had suffered most heavily, having held the infamous axemen at bay for a full hour while other warriors closed on their flanks. Gartnait's Marchan were also severely depleted, but the horses of the survivors were laden with trophies from their slaughter of the fleeing Franks.

Cirech decided to advance no further that day. The men were exhausted, the wounded needed to be tended and new supplies of arrows and javelins distributed. Funeral pyres were lit that evening for friend and foe alike so that the men could celebrate their fallen comrades and appreciate the magnitude of their victory.



The following day dawned bright and warm and Cirech began preparations to resume the advance on Condate. But while the army was striking camp, a dust cloud appeared on the Condate road. It appeared that Prince Hariulfus had arrived.

[Kátz]

Again another great update. Seems you are getting your luck in this battle. Although I'm curious to know how did the Franks get usually tough?

[bomberboy]

Good update but may I ask have you lost any battles yet.

[Antiochos VII Sidetes]

Good update, as usual.

I'm impressed with your defeats of the Franks; it takes me some work even with Visigothic elites! I doubt I could pull it off with Pictish Gairlom.

[Kallum]

@Kallum - Well you got your field battle, but it wasn't all that epic, still the next one will be a bit bigger.

well with the second victory(which was a nice victory btw) you have effectively crippled the Frankish military machine, two stacks in such a short notice, your invasion should go rather smoothly now I presume

btw nice updates