Kronicka Polska - A Series of Polish AAR's - Part 1 - Kiedy Storice Bylo Bogiem

[Brucha]

Now, while my companions and I were treated as special envoys among the Venedae, the local Abotritii, through greed and fear of the avarice of the Venedae, had broken the truce they had long observed under other starosta of the south and east. They laid waste the eastern banks of the Vistule, so long held by the Boruscii and boldly brought war upon the Boruscii in the north to whom Radzim called brothers.

In this plight of his fellow Venedae, Radzim hastened with all his might north to Campus Abotrites in the early spring of the year four thirty-five, bringing with him the troops of almost his entire tribe and clan. He sent Jaczevoj before him as a scout with certain picked mounted troops. Then in one great host he made his men march north to cross the Venedii frontier into the wilder lands.

But the Abotritii were on alert. They took up arms again and sent a small force south to meet the oncoming Venedii, catching Jaczevoj by surprise in the first encounter. Overwhelmed and outnumbered, Jaczevoj was forced to flee south to meet up with the main body of Venedii marching north from Campus Venedae.

There were in all two routes by which Radzim could go forth from the south: one via the main road curving west from the Vistule (much easier and freer from obstacle, but guarded by the Abotritii); the other, through the wild forests, by which scarcely a body of men could walk in formation (yet concealed enough so that very few could intercept them). In the end, Radzim proceeded to bypass the road and brave the perils of the forest march into the north.

When it was reported to the Abotritii commander that Radzim was attempting to make his route through the region via the tangled forests, Chvalimir hastened north towards the town of Campus Abotritii. But Radzim’s cunning was unrivalled and the passage through the dark forests allowed him to reach Campus Abotrites ahead of the smaller Abotritii force sent south to meet him.

When Radzim was informed by his scouts that he had reached the town ahead of Chvalimir, he as delighted with the news. He immediately ordered his men to lay siege to the town and sent men into the nearby woods to begin construction of crude battering rams from felled trees.

Now Chvalimir made with all speed north to the beleaguered town only to find it besieged by Radzim’s men who held the road to the town itself. With little other option, Chvalimir ordered his smaller force to immediately attack the Venedii force from the south while word was sent to the Abotritii commander, Sulibrat, within the town to launch a separate attack from the north.

My most reverenced Lord of the Romans, I attempted to correlate figures for the size of the barbarian armies that clashed that day. The Venedii numbered perhaps 1,000 men strong and it is unlikely that the total Abotritii was more than 1,000 men as well.

When the advancing troops of Chvalimir were spotted marching up the road towards the town, Radzim ordered his men to deploy abreast of the road to deal first with the garrison of Abotritii troops marching out of the town. He placed his lighter infantry in a main front line in close order, with skirmisher javelin-men in a screen ahead of that. The Venedii Konnica horsemen were placed on his extreme right flank, while he kept his valued Druzina warriors in reserve along with his personal guard of horsemen. With all in place, Radzim did not wait for the enemy to advance but rather ordered his men forward to meet them.

As the Abortrtii advanced, Radzim ordered his Konnica forward to harass the enemy advance from the right



As the enemy neared the Venedii front line, the Konnica, now having expended their missiles, fell back and the Venedii skirmishers now launched volleys of javelins into the crowed ranks of the advancing enemy.



Soon, though, Radzim pulled his light troops back as well through the tightly-packed front line as the men braced for the coming Abotritii charge.



The first attack of the Abotritii was easily repulsed by the Venedii, who had the advantage of their shield wall of hardy spearmen. The Abotritii charge was stopped fast and then forced back under the superior weight of the more numerous Venedii. While the front line held the enemy in place, Radzim swung his cavalry round both flanks and the Abotritii were surrounded. Close-quarter infantry combat ensued in a great chaotic melee. The brilliant tactical maneuver by Radzim of enveloping the enemy on three sides made it so that the Venedii reserves were not even engaged.

Soon, the enemy was being forced back against the massive weight of the Venedii counter-attack and soon the men wavered then bolted from the field only to be ridden down by the pursuing Konnica and slaughtered.



With great haste, Radzim now whirled his troops round to face the south from whence Chvalimir was marching in earnest to reach the beleaguered town. The Venedii had only enough time to re-position their lines before Chvalimir’s men came within range. A single volley of missiles from the lighter skirmishers was all that was allowed before Chvalimir’s men charged headlong into a bristling wall of Venedii spears.



With the Abotritii held down by his main line, Radzim again ordered his cavalry round the enemy flanks to fall on their unprotected flanks.



This again proved to be too much for the Abotritii to bear and Chvalimir could only watch in imagined horroras his men broke and begun to run from the line, only to be ridden down by pursuing Venedii cavalry. In all, the battle was a slaughter by the Venedii and by evening, only a handful of the enemy escaped the field with their lives.



Now the road was open for the capture of the town and Radzim let loose his men in a frenzy of barbarous pillaging and looting. My Lord never have I witnessed such brutality or cruelty on the part of the Venedii in the sacking of the town. More than 6,000 persons, including women and children, were put to the sword in the looting, and much gold was secured from the hapless inhabitants (perhaps upwards of 5,400 denarii total). Yet the bloodletting did not end that evening; in the days to follow, Radzim ordered virtually the entire destruction of the town, including the dismantling and destruction of the town’s port facilities, sewer system, market places and even the straosta meeting halls.

Long was the wagon trains that departed from the north, laden with the spoils of war that turned to return to Campus Venedae with Radzim’s victorious army. In all, the rape and destruction of Campus Abotrites amounted to a small fortune by Venedii standards (perhaps over 9,000 denarii worth were brought back to the south in the end).

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Great news! Look forward to reading the next updates!

[Brucha]

Great news! Look forward to reading the next updates!

I am glad that people are still intertested in the story! And again I am sorry for the long wait for the rest of the story.

[Riothamus]

I am glad that people are still intertested in the story! And again I am sorry for the long wait for the rest of the story.

Welcome back Brucha

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Yes, Indeed this does sound interesting.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Excellent update and worth the wait! I was wondering if you are posting this also in the main RTW AAR forum and you should also think about entering it into the Monthly AAR competition as it certainly deserves a listing there too?

[Constantius]

I agree with my friend SBH, could be on to a winner. I have enjoyed reading this a great deal.
I noticed further up the thread talking about Slavs in Poland, and yes the growing consensus with scholars at present is that the Slavs in Poland were probably indigenous. The Sukow-Dziedzice and Korchak cultures look so different to that of say Moravia, Bohemia and Elbe regions it must of been generated else where. So either it was submerged beneath Germanic groups or moved there, sometime around 500 and not from Slavic 'homeland' of Carpathians. According to Carolingian sources there were two Slavic expansions.
Anyhow look forward to further reading.

[Lord Minotaur]

to me its silly to see slavs in a phalanx ( similiar) formation. is this historacly right?

[Brucha]

Excellent update and worth the wait! I was wondering if you are posting this also in the main RTW AAR forum and you should also think about entering it into the Monthly AAR competition as it certainly deserves a listing there too?

I agree with my friend SBH, could be on to a winner. I have enjoyed reading this a great deal.
I noticed further up the thread talking about Slavs in Poland, and yes the growing consensus with scholars at present is that the Slavs in Poland were probably indigenous. The Sukow-Dziedzice and Korchak cultures look so different to that of say Moravia, Bohemia and Elbe regions it must of been generated else where. So either it was submerged beneath Germanic groups or moved there, sometime around 500 and not from Slavic 'homeland' of Carpathians. According to Carolingian sources there were two Slavic expansions.
Anyhow look forward to further reading.

First, I am very happy for the renewed interest, considering my disappearance of late. I never thought to post the AAR in the main AAR RTW forum, nor join the Monthly AAR competition. Certainly, posting links in the main AAR RTW would net me more readers, but I am unsure about joining the competition.

to me its silly to see slavs in a phalanx ( similiar) formation. is this historacly right?

The Borcje spearmen in the pics you are referring to are set in a shield-wall formation in guard mode - unfortunately this does make it look sort of like a phalanx, which would be most certainly be historically inaccurate. Out of their shield wall formation, the Borcje tend to look alot better, but there are limits of what I could change in the game.

I feverishly looked for all available material on Dark Age-period Slvic warfare to determine the correct troop types. The problem is that there is little historically writing to describe early Slvic styles of warfare. In the end, I decided that the Slavs would fight in a similiar, Germanic-style fighting, basically a mixture of heavy infantry and lots of lighter infantry and skirmishers with few cavalry.

[Brucha]

Now, let us return to the lands of the Venedae, which I wrote of before. Here in the dark north there lies the great land of the Venedae situated along the shores of the northern Ocean. This land lies bordered to the east by the Vistula, which rises in the Sarmatian Mountains to the south and flows through its triple mouth into the northern Ocean, and by the great Polesie Marshes (named so by the Venedae themselves for I know not a name for it). To the west, the mighty Viadua River marks the western-most borders of the Venedae peoples. The rest of the lands are taken over by great swaths of lowland plains dotted by primeval forests.

Map of the Venedii - Circa 437 AD

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Now, surrounding this placid land of which I speak, there dwells many and diverse peoples, though none could be called kingdoms in any sense. In the west, along the lapping shores of the northern Ocean, there lies a region of exceeding cold, where Carini dwell, brethren to the Lombardi to the south. There are other peoples as well. There are the various Veltae and Gutanes peoples, who are said not to seek the cultivation of grains for sustenance but rather live on the flesh of wild beats and birds’ eggs. They are a people famed for the dark beauty of their furs and though living in poverty, are most richly clothed. They are a fierce people, my Lord, bold, quick to anger and swift to fight. Yet all of them live like wild animals in the wilderness and fight with the cruelty of wild beasts.

To the south stretched the lands of the Gothic Lombards along the reaches of the Sarmatian Mountains, to which your servant had previously journeyed through and learned much from. All these peoples were certainly Teutonic of old, tracing their stock from the tribes of the far north of dark and mysterious Germania.

I must now return to the telling of Radzim, starosta of the Venedii. Following the sack and pillage of Campus Abortrites, Radzim and his men returned home ahead a vast wagon caravan of loot and pillaged wealth. We spent the remainder of the next two years among Radzim and his people, and was afforded much in the way of courtesy as due our status as envoys from the Empire. When Radzim entered the town, he was met by young Slavic girls tossing flowers at his feet in honour of his great victory. Other folk made haste from their dwellings to cheer the return of the victorious starosta. Prisoners were separated from the wagon train and many men began the long but ardent task of unloading the vast pillaged goods and wealth.

The next day, following our return, I was called to Radzim’s hall for a great feast of celebration of his victory over the Abotritii and I bore many gifts to his wife, whose name was Ramis. His hall was more splendid than others in the settlements, befitting his stature as a starosta. It was made of stout beams and high roof, and surrounded by a wooden enclosure designed, not for protection, but for appearance. The hall of the wiec was second to the straosta, and was also encircled with a wooden palisade, but it was not adorned with towers like that of the straosta.

When we neared the great hall, the wife of Radzim waited at the door for us with a number of servants, and bore meat and wine, and saluted him on his great victory. Inside was held a vast feat in his honour. During the feast, I observed many people had gathered outside the hall where there was a great commotion and noise. There Radzim strode to stand in front of his hall where many of his people who had lawsuits with one another had come to receive judgment.

The years of four thirty-five and four thirty-six was marked by unsurpassed peace among the Venedii and no strife nor war made its way to the lands of those peoples during that time. It was a time of great celebration and rejoicing for it seemed that the will of the fierce Abotritii was broken for all and they acknowledged the might of Radzim and of his peoples. Here too the friendship with the Lombardi to the south was brotherly and nothing but gifts and trade flowed between the two people..

Two events of note I wish to relate to my Lord of this period. The first concerns Ramis, wife of the starosta, Radzim. Though married for more than a year, Ramis had as of yet produced an heir for the expectant straosta. In this regard, Radzim chose a traditional Venedii custom of adoption and Radzim proclaimed this adoption to his people: ‘For the sake of my oath as starosta, I have given up to Zbylut the pledge of fathership and I shall take him as my son and he shall be blood with me.’ Within that same year, a family of no small matter had given up their daughter to the most powerful and noble man below Radzim and Zbylut had been betrothed.



That same year, Ramis gave birth to Radim’s first child, their daughter Othelhids, for whom the starostahad waited so long for Ramis to give brith to. Yet it was not a son as he had hoped and this was considered an ill-tidings among many of the Venedii.

[Brucha]

So, I have managed to play through a full two years, from the start of 435 AD to the first Summer turn of 437 AD (reminder - I am playing with the 4 turns per year mod for the game. As such, I reduced movement limits on the strategy map as well as modified the aging of characters as well).

Although it is too early to tell in great detail, I believe I am doing alright considering the restrictions I have placed upon myself. I am basically surrounded by rebels except to the south, and the Langobardi as the only coherent faction. I was invaded by rebels once and was successful in defeating them - though this may not seem like much, with only two settlements, my ability to field large armies is severely curtailed at the early stages of the game (and perhaps for most of the game). I also managed to sack and loot the offending rebel settlement (following a small but crucial battle) that netted me over 9,000 gold for my treasury.

I have played a full two years past the sacking of Campus Abortrites and have been lucky to not see further rebel raids into my lands nor have the Langobardi shown signs of breaking the alliance I have with them (though, in RTW, the AI usually does not respect alliances at all...). I hope the peace with the Langobardi keeps up....

One thing I absolutely enjoy about RTW is the strategic mechanics of the game, especially settlement micro-management. Here is a run-down of my economy as of the summer of 437 AD:

Financial Overview

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Campus Venedae

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Campus Borusci

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Not the greatest incomes for now, but I am generating a steady postive income each turn, which is allowing me to further build improvements in the settlements. I have not increased the size of my armies as this would put a massive strain on my income each turn. I am also running at a negative popultion growth but this is mainly due to the high taxation rate to keep monies flowing into my treasury. I hope that any conflict in the near future is rebel-oriented and not from a true faction, as I can fight off most rebel aggressions but a military campaign against a faction could be devastating at this point.

So, I hope the read of the story is entertaining this far and I welcome any criticism/advice concerning the story and/or strategy.

[Constantius]

I think it is just a matter of time before the Longobardi invade! How far away are Huns/Bulgar's ? Perhaps you could consider raiding more( as per history) increase slaves and cash?...By the way very well written I am enjoying this allot.(at the risk of advertising) I hope AoDIII will be available to you when the time comes.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

I would urge you to join the competition - it is good exposure, if nothing else! I am sure it would be in with a chance at winning too!

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Good job! Very entertaining.

[Brucha]

Excellent update and worth the wait! I was wondering if you are posting this also in the main RTW AAR forum and you should also think about entering it into the Monthly AAR competition as it certainly deserves a listing there too?

I started a thread in the main AAR forum linking back to this thread so that more persons can read the AAR.

I think it is just a matter of time before the Longobardi invade! How far away are Huns/Bulgar's ? Perhaps you could consider raiding more( as per history) increase slaves and cash?...By the way very well written I am enjoying this allot.(at the risk of advertising) I hope AoDIII will be available to you when the time comes.

The Langobardi will certainly invade once they exhaust any nearby rebel settlements, but I am hoping against hope for some breathing room. As far as more raids, that is exactly what I have in mind, since I am nearly surrounded by rebels. What is the news for AoD III? I ws told that AoD II did not allow the Slavs as a playable faction? Will AoD III include the Slavs as a playable faction?

I have seen nothing of the Huns at all so far. And I am glad for that!

I would urge you to join the competition - it is good exposure, if nothing else! I am sure it would be in with a chance at winning too!

I am contemplating the competition, but am unsure as to how to join. I will have to take a look at the main thread.

[Constantius]

AoDIII will follow very quickly after II, as the map, settlements a large amount of units etc etc would already be done for part II. So I suppose it depends on how long it takes you to do this campaign. I hope it'll be ready for you, as its the 'Real' awakenning of Slavic history, in the sense of the peoples we know today

[Brucha]

I shall now relate to you the events which took place concerning the War with the Veltae. My Lord, over the winter of four thirty-seven, there began to come to our ears various rumblings from Campus Boruscii, whom I have mentioned before. It was said that the mind of Gorzyslav, straosta of Campus Boruscii, was bent on the devastation of the nearby Veltae on the far reaches of the Polesie Marshes. Word had reached us that he had begun to incite his men and the local wiec by many gifts to make war upon the Veltae for he had become jealous of the success and prestige of Radzim and his victory over the Abotritii and the wealth and fame that it brought him.

Gorzyslav therefore, in his efforts to bring war to the Veltae, began to gather many more warriors to his banner while sowing strife among the Veltae by dispatching his ambassadors into the Veltae lands. His ambassadors declared to the Veltae chieftains that he was in no way violating the friendly relations with the Veltae but that he had a quarrel with those who had aided the Abortritii on the raids the previous year.



In a like manner, he spoke directly to the wiec urging them to support his plans and reminding them of the violation by the Abortritii, to whom the Veltae were brothers with:
“Bravest of all Boruscii, is it not the part of prudence for us to unite against this scourge of the east that has already despoiled our lands once before? Who among us requires no just cause for battle when there already exists so? Who among us did not witness those who had sought to measure their ambitions by might of war? Greed and havoc satisfies their pride and avarice and thus show themselves who clearly is the common foe of us all, and deserving the hatred of one and all. Pray remember that we did not break peace with them but it was they who did so. Can we suffer such insolence and allow such to go unpunished? Our people are mighty in arms, yet give heed to our collective danger and join hands in common against this scourge. “

The members of the wiec shouted with assent as a reply and the clan leaders gladly followed. All were fierce for battle and longed to meet the Veltae, their common foe. Long was the preparations for war and the winter passed by as did spring and summer of the following year and no move was yet taken. By fall, Gorzslav’s preparations were complete and a great host had been assembled at Campus Boruscii as the northern winds began to hint at the coming of winter. All told, over 1,200 men had rallied to Gorzyslav’s banner. Henceforth Gorzyslav set out to the east to plunder the lands of the Veltae and bring fire, vengeance and sword to their lands.

The Boruscii force marched round the northern reaches of the Polesie Marshes and crossed over into Veltae lands as the first snows began to fall. Yet, they did not stop for the oncoming winter, for now they were deep in enemy lands. And march they did through the deepening snows, making their way deeper into the lands eastwards for they were now hemmed in by forests and marshes.

Map of the Campaign

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But the Veltae were on alert. They took up arms and hastened with all their might to meet this grave threat, calling for all men of almost the entire peoples to throw back the invaders. Veltae spies shadowed Goryzslav’s advance through the winter as two smaller armies speed with all haste to intercept.

Now The Polasie Marshes is extensive and mostly impassible at all times, forcing Gorzyslav to go by a circuitous route to the north, which winds through hilly country and forests called the Herzyi Forest. This land to which Gorzyslav now passed through was not only dense but ripe for enemy ambush. Therefore, being deep within hostile lands, Gorzyslav did not send up front a scouting force but kept his numbers together. Yet he feared an ambush in the wilds of the forest.

As the winter reaches its zenith, Gorzyslav pushed his men faster, knowing the dangers of dwelling too long in the forest. And rightly so, as the Boruscii reached the far eastern borders of the forest, the Veltae forces had marched furiously through the winter and had just begun to arrive in the region, having already planning an ambush both from the north and south simultaneously.

Now the tables were turned on the Veltae as Gorzyslav’s scouts alerted him to the arrival of the enemy and the well-planned ambush evaporated. Instead, now trapped and surrounded by the enemy, Gorzyslav took refuge atop a low hill amidst the forest and awaited the inevitable attack. Yet, despite this fortuitous turn of events, Gorzyslav had much to be concerned of. The two enemy forces, though split in twain, still outnumbered the smaller Boruscii force of some 1,200 men by a further 300 strong.

Despite this looming threat, Gorzyslav quickly arrayed his men atop the hill facing to the south towards the larger contingent of enemy marching furiously north.



As the enemy advanced, Gorzyslav now unleashed his light horsemen upon them to rain showers of thrown javelins onto their heads. As the enemy neared the summit of the hill, the Konnica withdrew and the skirmisher Lekki Voje now let loose volleys of missiles onto the advancing enemy.



In the face of such a continued volley, the first attack up the slopes was easily turned aside and the enemy retreated only to reform and once more march back up the slopes. Then as he awaited the long-awaited assault on his position, Gorzyslav received news that brought hope to his heart. His scouts rushed to his side to inform him that the warlord, Namir, with over 400 men from the north, was nowhere to been seen on the field.



To this he rejoiced for he now did not need to fear the hammer and anvil attack from all sides. He rushed back to his men with the news and a great cheer roared from the Boruscii ranks. Emboldened with the great news, Gorzyslav’s men roared with contempt at the advancing Veltae and held firm their ground. With a signal, Gorzyslav now drew back his skirmishers to reveal a solid wall of spears and shields to the enemy. In desperation, the Veltae threw themselves onto the Boruscii line in earnest yet the line held firm.

As his center held fast, Gorzyslav first sent forward his horsemen to sweep the enemy skirmishers from the field while simultaneously swinging his remaining warriors held in reserve forward to flank the enemy on both flanks. A bloody close melee ensued but not until the Veltae began to give ground only to be pushed back down the hill. Now, with the enemy skirmishers swept from the field, the Boruscii cavalry now turned to fall upon the enemy’s rear like a thunderbolt. Soon the withdrawal turned to a rout as the Veltae fled the field, only to be ridden down.



It was at this time that the delayed Veltae forces from the north choose to arrive as their companions lay dead or dying on the snow-covered hillock. With time aplenty, Gorzyslav calmly re-grouped his men atop the hill and awaited the new arrivals.



At first, the enemy demonstrated near the bottom of the hill wary to climb its slopes in the face of the awaiting Boruscii. Yet, Gorzyslav was patient and time and terrain was his fortune that day. To entice the enemy forward, Gorzyslav then ordered his Lekki Voje (now having expended their last javelins) forward from the main line to taunt the Veltae to attack. With murderous intent, the Veltae charged up the snowy slopes, but the lighter faster Lekki Voje simply melted further up the slope to the safety of the main line.

Now, with the Veltae lines in disarray from the charge up the slopes, Gorzyslav then unleashed his men in a furious charge into the enemy. Hacking and screaming, the Boruscii tore into the Veltae formations as the Boruscii cavalry swung round the flanks to fall on the enemy unprepared. The Veltae were no match for such an onslaught and they quickly gave ground and began to flee from the battlefield as best they could.



Long did the Boruscii hunt the remaining Veltae down one by one in those dark forests that day until not one remained alive.

[Brucha]

There was much rejoicing at Gorzyslav’s victory at the Battle of Herzyi Forest and none could now doubt his resolve and superiority in battle. And this did much to raise the spirits of his men to drive them further onwards.



Now it the time for telling of the sack of Victus Baltia by Gorzylsav’s rampaging armies. After the Boruscii had thus defeated the combined Veltae armies at the Battle of Herzyi Forest, Victus Baltia next felt their fury. For Gorzyslav went thither with all haste to attack Victus Baltia, a city in its own regards at the edges of the Hoerzyi Forest atop a high hill. Yet Goryslav did not take occasion from battle to withdraw back but rather pushed forward with renewed effort now that his enemies were scattered, defeated and divided. With great speed, he moved forward once more with his array to attack the very city itself. And in the spring of four thirty-eight the Boruscii reached the city.

At first sight of the city, the Boruscii were dismayed for this was not a tiny palisade-surrounded town but a true city, complete with high stone walls and guard towers. There began rumblings among the Boruscii of the long and fierce siege that would follow and many became discontented and eager to withdraw. But Gorzyslav was more shrewd and cunning and said to his soidiers:

“Did we not come here to fight and gain vengeance for the blood that hath been split? We have defeated the Veltae in the field and they now lay dead upon the ground. What is left of them I say but women and children? Do not see these lofty walls as an obstacle but a chance for glory and greatness! Those left in this city are doomed to fall by reason of imminent peril. There is no one coming to fight for them. They are alone in sea of our warriors. Who must say more?” With this, he inflamed the hearts of his men once more to proceed with the attack onto the city.

Now the Velate had received word of the destruction of their army and all from the surrounding countryside fled back to the city in panic to take refuge. But these were not warriors, but simple farmers, women and children. In Vitcus Baltia the thus many citizens took refuge at the lord’s hall in the city center and barricade themselves in.

The city now cut off, and without food nor water, both men and animals quickly began to die of thirst and hunger. Yet Gorzyslav knew that time was not to his advantage. As the spring waned and fall approached, he began to fear the arrival of an enemy force to break the siege. And too he wished to hasten the end of the siege as he and his army was still very deep into unknown lands and far from home.

Thus, he ordered his men to begin constructing battering-rams and all manner of engines of war. This preparation went on through the summer until on October 13th, all was ready. And on the morrow, the citizens of Vitus Baltia awoke, much to their surprise and concern, to the sight of massive siege towers rolling up towards the walls of the city. With the towers came battering rams to break down the iron gates that locked the city from harm.



At first, the Boruscii stormed the gates of the city with their engines of war and stormed it with arrows and the city resounded with clamor, the people were aroused, the walls trembled. All available men not cringing in the main hall came together what few they were to defend the gate and gate towers. Yet, to Gorzyslav’s dismay, though the gate had been sorely tried, its foundations were still solid and the defenders struck back with shot and arrow and flaming oil to set alight the battering rams.



But this was but a feint for the heaviest blow Gorzyslav now threw at the walls north and south of the gates. As the battering-rams burning brightly now useless in front of the sturdy gates, the great siege towers slowly rolled forward with relentless conviction. With hoarse cries and rolling beats of drums, the towers pressed to the lofty walls.

Once more the defenders engaged the siege-craft in violent conflict. On each side arrows sped and blood flowed and with them mingled the stones and flaming oils hurled by bow and hand and sling; the air was filled with them. The towers which had been built during the summer groaned under the strokes of the darts, yet relentlessly they pushed on. The city walls shook with the struggle, the people ran hither and thither, the bells rang out in earnest. The Veltae warriors rushed vainly to defend the tottering walls and to repel the fierce assaults, running along the ramparts to hurl back the enemy.



Yet they were too few and the Boruscii were many and their resolve and numbers won the day. Some of the defenders atop the walls died in their place, others threw themselves from the heights to escape the rush of the enemy. And with that the walls had been breached and soon Boruscii warriors were rushing down the ramparts to secure the very gates of the city from within. With a heave and a cry, the gates of the city were flung open and with this the Boruscii, growing bolder with success and still lusting for Veltae blood, they raged madly through the streets laying waste to all in their path.



Through the narrow streets the Boruscii went killing and slaying until their feet were coloured to their ankles with the blood of the slain. What those warriors who had taken refuge in the city center were neither spared and were cut down. And with that, the city had fallen to Gorzyslav’s hordes.



In the days that followed there was much cruelty on the part of the Boruscii and what more shall I relate to my Lord? Scarcely any of the inhabitants were left alive; neither women nor children were spared the sword or torch and the Boruscii looted the city so cruelly as scarcely to leave a trace of the city’s appearance to be seen. The Boruscii seized vast stores of wealth and goods and great numbers of Velate not yet slain, both men and women, either killing them or keeping them captive, as they wished. And Gorzyslav ordered all the Veltae dead to be cast outside for the stench had become great, since the whole city was filled with their corpses; and so the living dragged the dead before the exits of the gates and arranged them in inglorious heaps and set them alight as huge pyres. Never has one ever seen or heard of such slaughter of a peoples as one that day, my Lord, for the funeral pyres were formed from them like pyramids of old, and some might guess that nearly 10,000 Veltae were slain in those days following the siege.

The looting of the city was no small affair, and it did not end that week of the next, for there was much to collect and pillage and store for the journey home. But finally, on October 29th of that year, Gorzyslav set out to cross again the perils of the Herzyi Forest, laden with treasure and spoils of war and returned along the same route by which they had entered the lands of the Veltae. Of this great wealth taken from the city, my Lord, it was of immense value. Of the spoils of war secured by Radzim over the Abortritii, this was a king’s ransom, numbering nearly 16,000 denarii in all.

[Constantius]

Another very good update, you do not disappoint.

[Brucha]

Another very good update, you do not disappoint.

Thank you very much for the praise, Constantius! First let me say that I accepted everyone's advice and submitted my AAR to the March AAR competition. I hold a great deal of doubt that I will win, but the support from readers to submit it is award enough for me.

I must admit a couple of things right away. First, when I began the march towards Vitcus Baltia, I was very concerned about being ambushed while travelling through the wooden region (which I called the Herzyi Forest). Much to my lack of surprise then that, in-between turns, that the pop-up alert for the battle was revealed! I at first did not read it correctly and I actually thought I WAS being ambushed! The one thing that came to mind was thinking of Varus and his hapless legions deep within Teutoburger Wald...

Then I got to the start of the battle as was being given the opportunity to deploy for the battle. Then I knew I had not been ambushed. Still, I was a bit nervous but when I recieved the pop-up alert that the AI reinforcements wer delayed, I was quite happy and relieved at the news. As I have mentioned before, all it will take is one or two military disasters and the game (which is already very difficult to surivive to the end) would suddenly become altogether a nightmare. The battle results were wonderful, as I not only wiped out the entire army, but that I assumed that left little to be garrisoning the city itself.

I am unsure where the army that came from the north appeared from. I can only assume it was sitting along the Veltae frontier waiting in ambush for such an attack. I am positive that the southern army (which attacked me first in the battle) came from Victus Baltia itself.

The second thing was that I was unaware that Victus Baltia had stone walls and not wooden ones. I am terrible at sieges so I was more than a bit worried at the chances of success in my assault if there had been more troops in the city. In the end though there was a single unit garrisoning the city and almost all the casualties dealt to my troops came from the intrinsic missile fire from the gates and towers themselves.

Lastly, I am wholly amazed at the loot that I gathered after looting the city! Over 16,000 gold was collected in all. That is roughly what my two settlements would generate in three years!

However, therein lies a problem. According to my own house rules, I am not allowed to capture and hold settlements other than Campus Boruscii and Campus Venedae. Unfortunately, I forgot that I cannot abandon settlements not can I give back settlements to rebels, only factions. So, once I sack a settlement, it remains in my control until it revolts and I lose control of it or a faction (or rebel) force captures it. To fix this, I will assume that the sacked settlements are forced to pay tribute for X number of turns - I will not build any buildings in the towns nor will I recruit troops from them.

The biggest danger is that, if a once-rebel-town revolts, it will be given over to a random faction (complete with a brand new and free stack of troops). For now, I am surrounded by rebels except the Langobardi to the south of my lands. Should the Langobardi begin sacking and capturing the rebel towns currently under my control, not only will I be at war with them, but they will undoubtedly surround me.