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Thread: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

  1. #21

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Quote Originally Posted by Maiar93 View Post
    I miss pictures...
    Sorry, but there aren't going to be a lot of pictures in this AAR outside of the battles; mainly because most of the stuff I'm writing didn't actually happen.

    I could post random shots of armies and agents moving/doing actions, but I don't like those because they:

    A) Are needless

    B) Include game-objects like buttons and cursors, which distract from immersion.

    I agree that more pictures are always nice, though. At least I get to put some in the battles.
    Last edited by Beckitz; January 23, 2011 at 02:00 PM.

  2. #22

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    well written.

    KINGS AND PAWNS, EMPERORS AND FOOLS...

  3. #23

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Chapter VII – Turncoats

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    The Kingdom of Skandza was even more wretched and inhospitable than Heruwulfaz had imagined. It was late in spring by now, but the air was still perpetually cold and crisp here; it seemed that no matter where they were or where they were facing there was always a fresh windstorm or rain shower to rail against them. The very earth on which they marched seemed cruel and alien; massive rocks and boulders lay impaled in the ground like dagger points, causing the warriors to cheer with delight at even the most miserable of flora along the path. It seemed as if they had been traveling forever, and Heruwulfaz knew there was further still to go; before too long, their trail would take them over arduous mountains and through brooding forests.


    The host no longer marched so much as it shuffled, dragging their tired feet along the petrified surface of the trail. The sudden disillusionment of his host frustrated Heruwulfaz, but he had to concede that it was neither unexpected nor unreasonable. The king had badly misinterpreted his scouts’ reports of Skandza; when they claimed it was a desolate and unforgiving place, he had automatically assumed their assessment was colored by the natural ailments of winter. As it had turned out, this northerly kingdom was miserable whatever the season and whatever the weather. The invasion wasn’t in jeopardy, of course; their armies still had plenty of food and supplies left to press the advance. The dent in the morale was dangerous in its own way, however, and against a professional army like that of Skandza, any handicaps at all could prove to be fatal.

    “I have traveled far in my time,” Okaz mused as he sloshed undaunted through a group of puddles, “but I don’t think I’ve ever been this far north before in my life. I had planned a trip once, but a trader in Kimbroz talked me down – said this place was an armpit. Turns out he was right.”

    Heruwulfaz gave the man a distracted laugh. “It is a wonder that the people of this land survive at all, let alone build a state all to themselves. King Ulfilaz must have been a great ruler to be able to turn nothing into something.”

    “He was tougher and crueler man than all his subjects combined,” Okaz agreed through tired breaths. “They say the reason he built his capitol so far north was to make sure petitioners would literally shiver when they came before him.”

    “And now this ‘Hlewagastiz’ sits on the throne,” Heruwulfaz sighed darkly. “He is a dangerous character – all the tyranny and brutality of his father, without any of the same talent for rule. Little news comes out of Skandza anymore, but I doubt the people are happy under his rule.”

    Okaz shrugged. “The common people are unlikely to have strong feelings in the matter – I’m sure their lives are little different now from what they were before. They will not hinder our conquest, but I doubt they will take up arms alongside us either. No, I believe it is the Skandzan nobility who are of genuine political concern.”

    Heruwulfaz would be the first to admit he still had much to learn about politics, but he was still surprised to find himself being corrected by a rank and file soldier. “How do you figure, then?” he asked curiously.

    “I know little of Skandza, but I am sure their kingship system is the same as any other,” Okaz explained. “Hlewagastiz relies upon his lords and vassals for political and military support. In return, he is supposed to provide them with skilled leadership, and fairly distribute the wealth taken from his enemies. So far as I can tell, Hlewagastiz is not a skilled ruler, and has only succeeded in entangling his kingdom in a war it cannot win. Now if you were an earl, and your king was trying to drag you into oblivion with him on a foolish suicide mission, what would you do?”

    “You have a point,” Heruwulfaz mused in an attempt to sound competently informed. “King Hlewagastiz has indeed greatly wronged the laws, and left others to pay for it. My agent, Wilagastiz, was not well received with the Skandzan king, but he did manage to deduce some points of interest.”

    Okaz nodded grimly, “yes, I heard about how he poisoned his father. An unforgivable crime, that.”

    “Not only his parricide,” Heruwulfaz interjected, “but other things of concern as well. I’m told that he has been behaving madly in court; launching into furious rants at the slightest provocation, and then bursting into laughter or tears in the same breath. I’ve even heard he eats alone and won’t touch his food until it’s been thoroughly tested.”

    Okaz snickered, “he fears he will suffer the fate of his father, no doubt – that figures. Blood has a funny way of getting stuck to a man’s hands.”

    Their advance began to take them up a large hill, covered in a deadly array of loose gravel and stones. The dirt road they had been following wavered and tapered off into nothingness, taking with it the last lingering feelings of comfort and security. For the first time since they had crossed the sea, Heruwulfaz realized the gravity of their situation; trapped, as they were, deep in hostile territory.

    “Let’s keep moving,” the king urged anxiously. “We’ll want to get through these rocks as quickly as possible.” In a single motion he snatched a horn and began to gallop towards the front of the column. “We’re not stopping – not yet, anyway! Sound the advance again!”

    “Father?”

    Heruwulfaz turned around in vague surprise, finding himself staring right into the eyes of his son Harjawulfaz. The boy was fidgeting uncontrollably on his horse, sucking air through his teeth as if were in pain. Okaz, late as usual, was still lingering in the rear.

    “Can it wait, son?” the king insisted as he gestured toward the advancing host. “I don’t want to spend too long here.”

    “Father, I’m tired!” Harjawulfaz whined petulantly. “We’ve been on the march since before sunrise – can’t we stop for just a little while!?”

    Heruwulfaz clicked his tongue impatiently and rolled his eyes. “No, we can’t stop. We need to get out of here before any of Hlewagastiz’s scouts discover us.”

    The boy crossed his arms and sulked, trying to wear down his father as he had done with a thousand royal servants in his time. If he could have, he might very well have dug his feet into the dirt. “I don’t want to go any further! I want to rest!”

    With dizzying speed, the king snatched the reins of his son’s horse and yanked the beast forward, nearly knocking Harjawulfaz off in the process. “Well that’s too bad,” he seethed through gritted teeth. “Because you’re either coming, or you’re getting left behind. I know your mother’s always been there to keep you from doing anything, but its high time you-“

    “They’re here!”

    Terrified cries began to reverberate along the length of the column; proud warriors began to scream and panic in a disturbing display of child-like terror. Heruwulfaz, thoroughly confused, began to force his way through the mob, searching for somebody who could explain the sudden outburst. By chance, his eye happened upon the warrior Okaz; with impressive precision, the king shot out a hand and grabbed the man by the hair.

    “Okaz!” he bellowed, paying no heed to the warrior’s discomfort, “what in the name of Wodan is going on here!?”

    “Gods preserve us,” the man swore as he wriggled himself free. “It’s the Skandza – a whole army of them. One of our advanced scouts spotted them just ahead.” His voice was calm and even, and marked only by the defeated tones of reluctant acceptance.

    Then, as if cued by some hack playwright, they appeared. It was impossible to make out any specific details at this distance, but there could be no mistaking their numbers. Their host stretched across the hilltop in a perfect line; each warrior standing shoulder-to-shoulder like conquering heroes on parade. Indeed, so complete was their surprise and so perfect their timing that they were doubtless already imagining the glory that awaited them back home. Heruwulfaz drew his sword and steeled himself for a charge.

    Torturous moments passed, and yet the Skandza still made no move to advance upon their prey. Terror quickly turned to confusion, and then intrigue as the Sweboz began to cease their hysterical antics. What could they possibly be waiting for? Their advantage was slipping away from them by the second; Heruwulfaz’s quartermaster was already hastily handing-out weapons and armor to their warriors. All eyes were tightly glued to the ridge, but for nothing.

    Suddenly, there was movement; dust kicked up into the air as a small group of horsemen began to slowly descend down the hill. At once the Sweboz were back at arms, nervously gripping their weapons and awaiting the order to strike. Their numbers were large enough that they could have easily cut down the entire party at a whim; still, something about their peaceful approach convinced Heruwulfaz to hold his attack. “Stand down!” he ordered, as confidently as he could manage. “These men aren’t a threat.”

    The wall of armed Sweboz reluctantly parted way for the riders, holding their shields out in front of them as if to form a human corridor to their king. Heruwulfaz, trusting his gut instincts, nudged his horse and rode out to meet his unusual guests. Quickly, as if an afterthought, he swung around and motioned to Okaz. “Come,” he dictated. If he was going to speak with his enemies, he certainly wasn’t going to do it unguarded.

    A single figure on horseback advanced from the rest of the group, tucking his ornate helmet casually beneath his armpit. It took only a second of observation to conclude that this man was a nobleman of some kind. His hair and beard were impeccably well-groomed, and the coat of chain-mail around his chest clearly implied significant wealth. The lord slowly dropped a hand to his waist, and for a tense moment Heruwulfaz anticipated an attack, but to his relief the Skandzan merely drooped forward into a bow.

    “Hail to you, Heruwulfaz, great king of all the tribes of the Sweboz!” he greeted with an easy smile.

    “Hail to you as well,” Heruwulfaz returned cautiously. “Although I must say this is not quite the greeting I would have expected.”

    The Skandzan laughed, “Indeed! I’m afraid that our ‘noble’ king has had an unfortunate propensity towards killing his guests!”

    Excitement suddenly began to bubble in the king’s gut. “Then you do not stand with Hlewagastiz?”

    The other threw his head back and scoffed, “surely not – unless I should find myself standing atop his corpse! Though even that would be too good a fate for a cur like him.”

    Heruwulfaz began to grin stupidly. “And these warriors you have brought? They are with you?”

    “They are with us,” the nobleman corrected with a nod toward his comrades. “We represent those who still have the honor to stand against tyranny when it rears its head.”

    By now the king was positively beaming. “What is your name, friend?”

    “They call me Fruhijaz, and I like it well enough. My brothers and I brought our loyal warriors to the field as soon as we heard you were here. Hlewagastiz believes we intend to drive you from the field, but I have slightly different plans in mind.”

    “Indeed,” Heruwulfaz grinned, “and now that you are here, I have a plan of my own. A plan to give even more men the courage to stand against tyranny.”

    Fruhijaz crossed his arms expectantly. “And what plan is that?”

    “Bear this news back to the court of your despot,” Heruwulfaz said simply. “His throne has been most dishonorably taken. King Ulfilaz did not contract the plague – it was poison.”

    ***

    “I am sorry for the meager accommodations,” Hrabnaz began as he aimlessly poked at the raging fire in the hearth. “I know you have traveled a long way to get here.”

    Hrabnaz’s mysterious guest put on a tight smile as he seated himself, keeping his cloak firmly wrapped around his person. “I find your hall to be more than comfortable, noble lord. Besides,” he added as a subtle glint streaked through his eye, “I am very eager to speak with you at last.”

    “Before we speak,” Hrabnaz sighed as he tried to make himself comfortable, “I must insist that I know your name – for your sake as much as mine.”

    The other touched a modest hand to his chest. “I am Gloaugiz, of the Habukoz – and I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, lord Hrabnaz,” he smiled.

    “Likewise,” Hrabnaz returned, with somewhat underwhelming emotion. “Well then, lord Gloaugiz, I understand you had something of a proposal?”

    The other seemed glad to finally get down to business. He put aside his cup and straightened himself. “Indeed I do, lord Hrabnaz; and I know you are a busy man, so I shall speak quickly.”

    Gloaugiz sighed and cracked his joints, clearly struggling against the heavy pull of sleep. Hrabnaz could feel it too; the lateness of the hour, combined with the sedating influences of food and drink, made it hard to stay awake. “Go ahead.”

    “Lord Hrabnaz,” the other began thoughtfully, “how is it that you came to find yourself here, in Rugoz?”

    The lord shrugged indecisively, “I don’t know. King Heruwulfaz offered me the office of governor, so I took it, I guess.” His voice trailed off, a weakness he tried to mask with a hoarse cough.

    “I see….and how do you like this office?” Gloaugiz pressed. “Does being a governor interest you at all?”

    “Well it’s better than fighting raiders in a swamp,” Hrabnaz said a little helplessly.

    “Perhaps – but that’s no different then saying one broken tooth is better than two; it’s terrible in either case.”

    Hrabnaz crossed his arms and stared at his guest for a moment, trying to get a reading on him. A visit from a fellow lord was innocuous by itself, but there was something suspicious about this man that Hrabnaz couldn’t quite pin down. “So, you’re comparing being a governor to breaking a tooth?”

    Gloaugiz smiled humorlessly, “governor of Rugoz, at least. I would sooner be a poor farmer, tilling the earth with my bare hands, than try to bring good governance to this place,” he said with a dismissive wave.

    “It’s not that bad,” Hrabnaz tried, but it was obvious he did not believe his own words.

    “Seems pretty bad to me,” the other remarked. “You spend years loyally defending your countrymen from raiders – often without enough food or supplies for your forces. You were called home, but then what? Your brother Heruwulfaz feared your newfound fame – you were a threat to him! So, what did he do? He pushed you the sidelines; he condemned you to waste away here, on the easternmost edge of the world, governing a tribe that was once the sworn enemy of your kin!”

    “Things have changed!” Hrabnaz protested, but his voice caught in his throat.

    “Indeed – and they have left you behind, Hrabnaz. You are well on your way to being forgotten by history.”

    “And you,” Hrabnaz began cautiously, “you can stop that from happening?”

    “Indeed.”


    ***

    In our next installment: a battle!
    Last edited by Beckitz; February 02, 2011 at 08:15 AM.

  4. #24
    Orontid's Avatar Civis
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Great read so far. I like the fact that you are fleshing out the people with all these dialogues and incidents which allows you to develop them as characters. A lack of pictures may make it a harder read, but the extra writing makes it a better "story" (in terms of plot).

    I suppose it would be quite tempting to shorten the campaign if the story progresses too slowly (as it is with my AAR - very difficult), but as long as you are having fun doing it, keep doing it your style.
    "There's only one word for that - magic darts." - Sid Waddell
    "Inspiration is for amateurs. I just get to work." - Chuck Close

    [RM + GUAM] The Celtic Pilgrimage: A Scottish Migration AAR

  5. #25

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Quote Originally Posted by Orontid
    Great read so far. I like the fact that you are fleshing out the people with all these dialogues and incidents which allows you to develop them as characters. A lack of pictures may make it a harder read, but the extra writing makes it a better "story" (in terms of plot).

    I suppose it would be quite tempting to shorten the campaign if the story progresses too slowly (as it is with my AAR - very difficult), but as long as you are having fun doing it, keep doing it your style
    Thanks, and I think you are right in terms of the trade-off. I'd like to think my writing is entertaining enough, but I suppose there is some truth in the saying 'a picture is worth a thousand words'.

    I'm not sure where I'm going to end the campaign, but I have a couple of specifics events or points in the story where I think it would be a good idea to draw the line. I think having an endpoint keeps the whole story in focus, whereas never-ending AAR's (I think) tend to become a confused slough.

    ***

    Chapter VIII – The Fall of Hlewagastiz

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    “We’re still trying to compile all of the reports,” the lieutenant cautioned uncomfortably, “but there are a few facts of which we may be certain. Most of them, admittedly, are not good.”

    A cruel snicker hissed from Hlewagastiz’s lips as he beheld his terrified subordinate, leering at the soldier with the same disdainful revulsion one might give to a feral mutt, or a blood-sucking insect. Ashamed and helpless, the lieutenant hung his head and cringed, leaving his king to slobber noisily from his goblet.

    “Of course the news is bad!” Hlewagastiz roared, carelessly splattering drops of mead into his unkempt beard. “You incompetent fools haven’t brought me good news in months! Always the same pathetic failures – always the same pathetic excuses!” The king’s fury reached a climax as he pounded his fist rowdily against the arm of his throne.

    “My…my deepest apologies King,” the lieutenant stuttered, his anxiety growing worse with each passing moment. “I was merely passing on the scouts’ initial reports, as you ordered. I did not mean to offend you, my lord.”

    Hlewagastiz returned with a disgusted snort, but for the time being his barrage of insults was stopped. He abruptly became quite sober, slouching deep into his seat as his face became heavy with weariness and depression. Once more he began to bring his cup to lips, as if to rejuvenate himself with its power, only to toss it away at the last minute, its contents sinking into the aging rushes.

    “Should I…fetch another cup for you?” the soldier began, but there was clearly no point. Hlewagastiz was beyond all forms of reason and human understanding by this point; he seemed to exist in an alternative reality, or perhaps saw things that nobody else could see. The king thought that made him rather unique, although most others would venture to replace ‘unique’ with ‘strange’. The lieutenant wasn’t even sure if his words were getting through anymore; at the moment Hlewagastiz was slumped catatonically in his throne, staring off into space.

    “Behold how easily evil triumphs,” the king mumbled, still intently gazing at empty air, “when no man is willing to rise against it. Heruwulfaz will rule over the whole of the world, and all my efforts – all my tormented, sleepless nights – will be as if for nothing.” His voice was faint, and laden with terrible sadness.

    The lieutenant watched his lord uneasily, torn between his desire to flee and his fear of reprisal. Hlewgastiz hadn’t spoken sense in a very long time now, but there was at least one thing on which the two men were agreed: Heruwulfaz would win the imminent battle. His host was the bolder, the better trained, and the better motivated. He was a brilliant and accomplished young man, while Hlewagastiz was little more than an animated corpse, stumbling comatose through the motions of mortal society while his mind was lost somewhere far away. A competent and energetic ruler could have still snatched a victory for the remaining forces of Skandza. Hlewagastiz was not endowed with either of those qualities.

    The Skandzan king slowly managed to rise to his feet, his eyes still locked eerily into space. For a few moments he tottered limply about like a marionette, trying silently to find his balance. In all his repertoire of mad and unnatural displays, this one was entirely unprecedented. His lieutenant stared longingly at the open door, trying to calculate his odds of escape on the fly.

    “If I must put my life on the line here,” Hlewagastiz declared with sudden clarity, “in defense of the Old Ways, I shall be glad to do so.” Having evidently found a renewed source of vigor, the king quickly strode over to his banquet table, which in recent times no longer played host to sumptuous food and drink, but instead a giant map of the Skandzan Kingdom, with crude wooden figures used to represent known detachments of soldiers from both sides.

    Hlewagastiz wasn’t entirely certain how to read the map, which was just as well given that he probably would have flown into a mad rage if he knew what it reported. A long, ominous line of figurines were arrayed in a semi-circle around the capitol, their pedestals carved with the insignia of the Sweboz Confederacy. Even more Sweboz armies were depicted crossing the great sea to the south. Amidst this vast horde, a single Skandzan soldier was placed over the capitol, defiantly baring his spear against the swarm of oncoming foes. At the very least, Hlewagastiz knew the events depicted on the map were bad; that was probably the reason why he had since given up on strategizing.

    “You said you had reports to present,” the king barked to his lieutenant as he sat himself down in front of the map. “I’d very much like to hear them now, if you don’t mind.”

    Hlewagastiz’s sudden transformation in mentality was almost too much for the poor soldier to comprehend; he struggled to remember what he was had wanted to say as he dashed over to his lord. “Yes – of course, my king. I just received word about King Heruwulfaz-“

    “He is on his way, then,” Hlewagastiz concluded darkly, pulling one of the Sweboz figurines further up towards the capitol.

    “Yes, my lord. His attack is imminent. When I came to warn you, my scouts estimated he was a little less than two hours away. That figure will be even less now; given the time you have dallied.” The soldier briefly cringed at his unintentional insult, fearfully of any provocation that might interrupt the king’s miraculous burst of sanity.

    “We don’t have much time left,” Hlewagastiz agreed with a sigh. “Tell me what else, quickly.”

    “As you will have possibly deduced,” the soldier continued, “Lord Fruhijaz did not turn back the Sweboz with the army you gave him.”

    “He was defeated?” Hlewgastiz said with mild shock. “I thought a warrior as capable as he would have been able to handle a few stubborn Sweboz.”

    The lieutenant spoke the next few words as if they scalded his tongue in passing. “My king, lord Fruhijaz was not defeated, per se. He actually has defected to the Sweboz.”

    A remarkable anomaly began to unfold on Hlewagastiz’s face; his features began to steadily cycle through the full range of human emotions as he gradually processed this latest revelation. Tiny blood vessels bulged and began to tremble as a strange choking noise bubbled from inside the king’s throat. Just when the terrified soldier thought his lord might burst into flames, Hlewagastiz began to relax again; he placed an exhausted hand over his eyes and exhaled. “This is unfortunate,” he observed rather unemotionally.

    “Others…have joined him as well, my liege.” The lieutenant decided it best to simply plow through the rest of his bad news all at once. “In fact, most of your noble lords have left the city to join Heruwulfaz in his camp. They have taken with them the better part of their loyal warriors – only your own personal troops, and those of the honorable Lord Gilogaz, remain to defend the crown.”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    “Why?” the king asked simply, barely keeping his voice even anymore. “Why have they who once applauded me and did me honor so quickly forsaken me for a foreign dog!?”

    “There have been rumors,” the soldier whispered, as if his own words terrified him, “baseless ones, I’m sure – which seem to suggest that you were responsible for your father’s death. I can only assume that your former vassals believe these rumors to be true.”

    “That’s absurd!” Hlewagastiz blurted, far too quickly and far too emphatically. He threw a conspiratorial glance over his shoulder. “My father died from illness – it was the plague, everybody knows that!”

    His lieutenant shrugged and threw up his hands helplessly. “I don’t know what to tell you, my king. All I know is that there have been stories going around that you poisoned your father, because you wanted to take up the throne for yourself.”

    In another instant Hlewagastiz was on his feet once again, towering over his subordinate in an indignant rage. “For myself!? No!” he insisted, almost pleadingly. “I did it to save our kingdom!”

    The lieutenant hastily motioned for the king to be silent, eyeing the doorways for signs of potential eavesdroppers. “Your majesty,” he pleaded, “I seriously recommend you not discuss this further.”

    “Be silent!” Hlewagastiz demanded, returning to his usual imperiousness. “If my memory must be tarnished by this fact, then if nothing else at least let it be the truth!” He spun around and began a frenzied pacing. “I loved my father dearly, but I love this kingdom more; and I cannot bear to see it fall into the hands of dirty foreigners and egg-headed reformers. I know that he would have understood.”

    “This is not the time for apologetics,” the soldier said kindly, but firmly. “If you believe that you did the right thing, then you must see your choices through to their conclusion.” He rapped his knuckles on the map between them. “The host of Hlewagastiz approaches rapidly, and our forces still await your orders for battle. If you still yet believe in the Old Ways, now is the time to prove it.”

    “I do,” Hlewagastiz insisted, as if he needed to convince himself of it, “and I will. Though odds are stacked against me – and though my enemies crowd around me like vultures – I will still fight to the last!”

    For the first time in many troubled weeks, the lieutenant felt himself grin. “Now that sounds more like the boast of a king.”

    ***

    War drums crashed, and the whole countryside for a mile around seemed to shake and tremble as the vast horde of Sweboz made ready for battle. The placid field on which they camped suddenly devolved into a chaotic cacophony of noises, sights, and smells as hundreds of men struggled to make themselves ready for the coming bloodbath. Some devoted their precious remaining time to bathing and hygiene, trying to at least look presentable before they cut down their foes. Others turned to games and rituals, in hopes that they might chase the possibility of death from their minds.

    It had been a long time since Okaz had ever felt nervous about a battle, and he certainly wasn’t going to start today. By now he had fought so many men in so many places that they all seemed to blur together, until Okaz could rarely ever tell who he was fighting, never mind where or why. Each one of the deadly encounters he was thrown into was little more than an exercise anymore; a round of mundane practice for his fighting skills. It was not a fun way to approach the job of a warrior, but at the very least he was good at it.

    For the moment, the old warrior lay motionlessly beneath the tattered rag he called a tent, taking deep breaths as the tantalizing smell of sizzling meat wafted through his head. Part of him – the baser, more animalistic part – hungered to arise and join in the lunchtime feast. A second later, and he had thought better of it however; as good as the food might taste now, it wouldn’t feel nearly as great in the heat of battle. Instead, Okaz grabbed his washrag and wet it again, polishing his weathered shield for the umpteenth time. Better to keep his thoughts on the coming battle.

    The harsh bleating of war-horns suddenly shot through the camp, rousing all the warriors to stand as they quickly sounded off the order to form up for battle. A strange sensation rippled uncomfortably through Okaz’s stomach; it took him a moment to realize he was excited, or possibly nervous. After such a long time spent in apathy, the emotion seemed to hit him wrong; it felt unnatural and unwanted. As he pushed away the flaps of his tent and his eyes feel naturally on the sprawling city ahead of him, the churning sensation only intensified further.

    It is revenge, Okaz concluded as he gathered up his weapons and belongings. My body must know that vengeance is at hand.

    Yes, it made sense alright – and vengeance was something worth being excited over, after all. Surely any man would be anxious at the prospect of putting his nightmares to rest! Okaz had already suffered long enough for crimes that were not his own. He had thought subjugating the Rugoz would grant him peace, but if anything it only left him emptier; less human and more…warrior. Surely, this would be the end of it all; one final, heroic effort was all that was needed. Today, he was determined to win back his life; even if it had to come with a mountain of corpses.

    “Wait – Okaz! Before you go!”

    The old warrior turned in time to see his king galloping recklessly through the camp, at the same time clumsily trying to secure his helmet with his free hand. Moments like these, in which Herueulfaz’s youth and inexperience briefly surfaced from beneath the façade, did much to make the towering king seem more human.

    Okaz managed to suppress a snicker, and hid his smile by quickly dropping into a bow. “My king commands?”

    “I’m taking you off horseback for this one,” Heruwulfaz explained as he finally managed to fix his errant cheek flap. “One of Fruhijaz’s horses broke a shoe, and I don’t have time to get it replaced, so I’m going to give him yours.”

    Okaz was somewhat taken aback, but he obediently passed the reins of his steed to the king. “Where would have me then? With the duguntiz?”

    “Yes, I think that would be best.” There was an uncomfortable pause as the king lingered. “You don’t mind, do you? Honestly, it’ll probably be safer on the ground anyway.”

    Okaz seriously doubted that was true, but it was never a good idea to argue with one’s king. “Of course, my lord. I shall do as you wish, always.”

    “Come,” the king said kindly, “walk with me. The battle is about to begin, I think.”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    The two men finally began to make their way out of the camp, traveling with the rest of the stragglers toward the mob that had formed out in the field. Okaz grimly realized that it was smaller than the one he had seen last year fighting the Rugoz ; even with the reinforcements from the Skandzan turncoats, their forces numbered less than five-hundred. From the looks of it, Hlewagastiz’s personal troops numbered somewhere around six-hundred, most of which were milling about inside the confines of the village.

    “They outnumbered us,” Okaz observed, “but after everything that’s happened there might be some reason to question their morale. Do you have a plan?”

    Heruwulfaz nodded confidently. “Hlewagastiz has numbers, but his host is uniform in its construction – in particular, he has no archers or horsemen to speak of. I think we ought to sit at range and pelt them on their approach.”

    Okaz shrugged, “I have neither the authority nor the wisdom to pass judgment upon you, my king. I can only say that, personally, I believe your plan is sound.”

    The king chuckled modestly, “you waste too much effort on paying me respect, Okaz. If my kin are afraid to tell me their minds, how can I ever hope to succeed in my rule?”

    “I agree,” Okaz responded flatly, “but in this case rest assured that I have spoken truly.” He was feeling especially terse at the moment; the alien sensations were twisting about in his gut again.

    “Go,” Heruwulfaz finished, sensing his companion’s unease. “Find a spot in the battle-line – I’m going to sound the attack in a minute. And stay alive!” he added as he rode away, “that’s an order!”

    The warrior tightened the grip on his spear as he formed up, his king’s farewell echoing in his mind. “Stay alive,” he muttered sarcastically to himself. “I suppose I can do that.” A few of the warriors next to him tried to strike up a conversation, but the look on his face shot them down in an instant. Okaz had no time for childish banter; this was important.

    These moments in a battle were the worst ones of all, primarily because absolutely nothing was happening. Hlewagastiz’s army had deployed across from the Sweboz, banging drums and yelling out their boasts to anyone who would listen. Despite the gravity of the coming battle, they seemed to be largely at ease, almost to the point of being unprepared. They were probably waiting for Heruwulfaz and Hlewagastiz to speak, as was the traditional start to a battle in the Northlands. Traditionalists to the end, Okaz thought with a smirk. By his reckoning, they were about to receive a very rude awakening from their quixotic nostalgia.

    “Archers, advance!”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    The warriors heeded Heruwulfaz’s call, as a band of the thinly-built skutjonez stepped out from the line and began to cross the field. The Skandzan army seemed to be puzzled by the maneuver; in their telescopic understanding on the world, they thought it unthinkable to begin battle without the preceding rituals. Fatally, they made no move to defend themselves or get to cover, standing totally exposed and totally unawares. From his spot in the frontlines, Okaz could barely contain his anticipation. Let’s see you try and escape this time.

    “Fire!”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    There was a momentary pause as the command was processed, and then an instant later the sky was darkened by a furious volley of arrows, whistling gleefully as they shot across the width of the clearing and into the hearts of their targets. Even from here, Okaz could make out the alarmed screams of the Skandza, angrily cursing their foes as death rained down upon them. The Sweboz, unmoved, fired off another salvo.

    “They are charging!” somebody shouted, and sure enough Okaz noticed that the Skandza had recuperated enough to mount a counter-charge. The whole lot of them swarmed across the field like a mighty human wave, screaming curses and swinging their weapons wildly in a blind rage. The archers began to pick them off a couple at a time, but the horde press on undaunted, vaulting the bodies of their fallen comrades with impressive dexterity.

    “This is it, brothers!” Okaz called to his kin on either side. The Sweboz archers quickly pulled back in the face of the oncoming swarm, and now there was nothing standing between Okaz and his righteous vengeance. He heard no orders given, but the petty formalities of command would not hold him back any longer. With a bestial roar he hurled himself towards the Skandza, his fellows charging in sync at his side.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Everything he had ever learned about combat flowed seamlessly through his mind; his limbs and body moved unbidden, reacting instinctively to the tide of the battle around him. Just as the two armies were closing together, Okaz felt himself jab out with his spear; a hard tremor reverberated up his arm as the metal point struck beneath the enemy’s exposed throat. A second later, another hapless victim had risen up to take his place; amused, Okaz bashed the young man in the face with his shield and ran him through at the midsection.

    He was no longer Okaz of the Markamannoz, a humble warrior from the southern borderlands. He was no longer a weary observer, struggling to right the wrongs he had been forced to bear witness to. He was a faceless warrior in a crowd of pathetic weaklings, mewling feebly as they were cut down by their betters. A sort of grisly dance began to unfold, as Okaz bounced between targets, buying himself time on one flank so he could focus on another. In time, his brothers in arms found themselves enraptured in the same energy, and together a bloody swathe was cut into the enemy formation.

    “The cavalry have come!”

    The sound of coherent human speech came as a corrosive shock to Okaz, who was suddenly totally alert and totally confused. “What are you talking about?” he panted to a comrade, as he and his enemy cautiously stared each other down.

    “Look!” the other cried, pointing a finger beyond the heads of the Skandza. “Our horsemen are charging!”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    A second later, all questions were answered as a thundering mass of horses smashed into the rear of the Skandzan lines, sending grown men flying like children’s dolls. A general panic overwhelmed the remaining enemies, and save a few courageous individuals, they tossed their weapons to the ground and began to run. Infuriated, Okaz tried to hunt down as many cowards as he could, but he had not realized just how exhausted he was. He was forced to watch as the rest disappeared into the settlement.

    “It is not yet time to rest,” a warrior cautioned, although he himself was gasping for breath. “More still are coming.”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    The next wave of enemies had indeed arrived, passing their disgraced kin as they charged down the path out of the city. Okaz gave the new arrivals a quick assessment; they seemed to be Hlewagastiz’s best and most loyal soldiers, given the quality of their equipment and the royal heraldry on their shields. Their arrival on the field meant that the hardest struggle was to come, but also one of the last. If the Sweboz would win now, they could win the whole battle for sure.

    Something bright and shiny suddenly flashed at the corner of Okaz’s vision, and he turned to look into the face of Heruwulfaz, bright red and covered in grime and sweat. The warrior quickly lurched into a bow. “Hail, great king. You look well.”

    Heruwulfaz laughed happily, “better than I have been in a long time, my friend! I trust things went as well in the center as they did on the left?”

    Okaz nodded towards the Skandzan warriors forming up, “well we have them down to their veterans, for what that’s worth.”

    “Then what do you say we finish them off?” As he spoke, the king drew his sword once more, crusty patches of blood still clinging to the tip. With theatrical flourish, he pointed the blade high into the air, causing the metal to shine in the heat of the sun. All eyes rested eagerly upon him.

    “With me, sons of Irminaz! Attack!”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    All of Okaz’s fatigue seemed to evaporate in an instant; the familiar blood haze could be felt creeping over his mind once more. His feet began to pound the earth beneath him, and a moment later he found himself hurtling into battle once more, his brain already casually picking out likely targets and threats.

    His first victim went down easily, screaming in horror as he clutched the gory hole where his eye had once been. Pleased, Okaz spun around and prepared to attack his next target, when a gray blur suddenly flew into his field of vision from the side. His shield automatically jerked up, but the blow had been well-struck. The warrior lost his balance and fell hard onto the ground. Through tears of pain he saw his assailant towering over him, his sword raised in preparation for the finishing blow.

    “Hlewagastiz!”

    The Skandzan king suddenly turned around in confusion, forgetting all about his hapless victim as he locked eyes with the treasonous Fruhjiaz. Hlewagastiz snarled and readied his sword. “So here he is,” the mad king began, striding causally through the mass of fighters as if he were simply an actor on stage, “the most fickle Lord Fruhijaz. I must commend you on your little stunt – I admit I never suspected you might turn your back on your own countrymen!”

    “Half the warriors who have railed against you today are Skandzan!” Fruhijaz insisted. “It is you who have done the betrayal, not me!”

    Hlewagastiz waved his kinsman down impatiently. “Bah! It is only treason when done for selfish reasons. Everything I have done, I have done because I believe it to be right.”

    “How can you still say that!?” Fruhijaz cried exasperatedly. “You must have some understanding of how insane all of this is!”

    “History will vindicate me!” Hlewagastiz roared. “When all of the once-proud tribes chafe under the rule of petty tyrants, and men can only ever dream of being free, they will realize just how right I was – they will mourn for my failure!”

    Fruhijaz lowered his arms and stepped forward, his face heavy with sadness. “Hlewagastiz-“

    He would never finish his sentence. As he advanced toward his king, unarmed and in good faith, Hlewagastiz gave a mighty swing of his sword, burying the blade deep into Fruhijaz’s neck. For a surreal moment, it seemed as if the nobleman might survive his wound, as he stood rigidly on his two feet, blood pouring from the gash in his neck. A few seconds later, he toppled to the ground and died.

    The Skandzan king took a deep breath, but whatever empty platitude he was about to produce was cut off by a heavy blow to the back of his head. Stars flashed across his eyes as he stumbled forward, rolling to the ground with a dense thud. The Sweboz quickly formed a human circle around the prostate usurper, holding their shields out like a palisade. Hlewagastiz was all alone.

    “I think you have killed enough for one day,” Heruwulfaz remarked as he stepped towards his fallen enemy. “Although I must admit, you are very good at it. This field is littered with men whom you have heartlessly sent to their deaths.”

    “Flippant and conceited,” Hlewgastiz gasped exhaustedly, “even in victory. You will…never understand.”

    “Probably not,” Heruwulfaz retorted, “for I can never understand the man who is driven to kill his own father.”

    “You would have too,” Hlewagastiz grunted, “if you believed it was necessary. If you believed it was right.”

    Heruwulfaz shook his head pitiably. “You truly are mad. You believe the Confederacy brings the bonds of slavery.”

    It was difficulty for Hlewagastiz to remain conscious any longer; his head drooped weakly around on his neck. “I don’t believe it….I know it.”

    Heruwulfaz took another step towards his opponent, who began a pathetic attempt to wriggle backwards through the dirt. “No – don’t! Stay back! Don’t you dare touch me! I am the King of Skandz-“

    The sword shot through the Skandzan swiftly; the life in the mad king’s eyes seemed to flicker and fade away. His last, pathetic cries were left to echo off into the countryside. With the resignation of a man bound to duty, Heruwuflaz returned his bloodied sword to its sheath.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    “All hail King Heruwulfaz! All hail the great Xorjonoz!”

    The chant stunned the king as it reached his ears. Surely he could not be hearing correctly! He may have won a great battle here today, and he had far more accomplishments then most men his age, but the honor being proclaimed Xorjonoz seemed to great for someone like him.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    “My friends-“he tried, but the mob was unstoppable. They cheered and beat their weapons madly against the ground in elation. Behind him, the corpse of Hlewagastiz was scooped up and carted away like a trophy.

    “Xorjonoz,” he mouthed as he was hoisted onto the shoulders of his warriors. “Perhaps I could get used to that in time.”
    Last edited by Beckitz; January 29, 2011 at 01:30 PM.

  6. #26
    dezikeizer's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Great updates as always, and good to see the Scandza got their just dues. Any information on the casualties in that battle? +rep when I can. Just a few things:
    that the might western river
    I think you meant: that the mighty western river.
    We’ll want to get these rocks as quickly as possible
    I think you meant: We'll want to get through these rocks as quickly as possible.
    a whole arm of them
    I think you meant a whole army of them.

  7. #27

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    well written, great scenes, from the behavior of the skandaz king, to the perspective of okaz in the battlefield, and finally the death scene of the skandaz king, u have a talent to make the reader spellbound by the narrative.

    KINGS AND PAWNS, EMPERORS AND FOOLS...

  8. #28

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Quote Originally Posted by dezikeizer
    Great updates as always, and good to see the Scandza got their just dues. Any information on the casualties in that battle? +rep when I can. Just a few things:
    Thanks, I'll fix those in just a minute

    Quote Originally Posted by sinner
    well written, great scenes, from the behavior of the skandaz king, to the perspective of okaz in the battlefield, and finally the death scene of the skandaz king, u have a talent to make the reader spellbound by the narrative,
    Thank you; glad you like it!

    ***



    Chapter IX – New Ties

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    It was a strange and surreal thing to be holding court in the house of one’s enemy. The situation in Skandza still being rather volatile and unstable, Heruwulfaz had decided it best to remain in the country for a while, at least until he could be sure that the latest addition to the Confederacy would not violently disintegrate upon his departure. Perhaps to emphasize his triumph, or perhaps simply out of convenience, the king had set up his offices in the palace of the late Hlewagastiz, perching himself on the same throne from which the mad Skandzan had once orchestrated the downfall of his people.

    Even the pettiest of chiefs and kings had been watching as the armies of Sweboz and Skandza clashed, and for good reason; Hlewagastiz and his host had represented the last true challenge to Sweboz authority in the Northlands. Now that the Skandza were defeated, the assimilation of the remaining tribes was no longer a question of “if”, but rather “when”. To prevent his neighbors from doing anything desperate, Heruwulfaz found himself playing a tense diplomatic game, trying to assuage the worst fears of the remaining tribes whilst simultaneously prodding them towards membership in the Confederacy. So far it was working, but only just.

    “I have taken a census of these new lands, as you ordered,” the retainer announced with a flourish, “and return now to present them to you at your Lordship’s leisure.”

    Heruwulfaz crossed his arms expectantly, stifling a tired yawn at the prospect of another long day. As far as the duties of a king were concerned, listening to long lists of statistics ranked among the worst of them. “Present them, then – lest you should forget them first!”

    The other laughed politely at his king’s joke before continuing. “First, I have the account of the casualties from the battle with your enemy Hlewagastiz. My king, we have finally finished identifying all of the dead and fallen, and I am pleased to report that casualty rates were better than we initially expected. It would seem that our forces lost no more than one-hundred warriors, whereas almost none of the Skandzan host survived.”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Heruwulfaz grunted his approval, trying to present the appearance of an impassive and commanding king. “See to it that all of the dead are buried honorably, in accordance with the traditions of their kinsmen,” he insisted. “Lord Alugobaz can instruct you on the proper rites for the Skandzans – the rest, I am sure, can be handled easily enough.”

    “Of course, it will be done my lord. As for the rest of my report…” the servant began clearing his throat noisily. “Your agents have traveled through the breadth of this land and taken careful accounting of everything – what little they could not see for themselves they have gleaned from the native inhabitants. To begin with, I have been told that the people of Skandza number a little more than one-thousand persons – women and children included.”

    “This land is populous,” Heruwulfaz remarked with genuine surprise. “I do not recall seeing so many villagers when I was on the march.”

    “The land of Skandza is incredibly vast,” the retainer explained, carefully defending his report. “Civilization is not very dense here, true, but across so great a distance the numbers add up quickly.”

    “Which brings me to my next report,” the man continued. “In riding throughout the countryside, your agents have achieved a rough understanding of this country’s borders. Let me begin by saying that, to the north, your dominion now stretches without end. The forests and crags of Skandza eventually give way a boundless expanse of snow and ice, which reaches all the way to the very ends of the earth.”

    Heruwulfaz sat up in his seat, honestly intrigued. “Am I to understand that my scouts have actually seen the ends of the earth!?”

    The servant shook his head apologetically, “I am afraid not, my lord. In time, as one travels far enough north, the obstacles arrayed against them become insurmountable; I am told that it is cold enough to sear a man’s skin to the bone, and that the ice becomes fickle and untrustworthy. Clearly, as the world of men begins to transition into the world of the Gods, the land becomes corrosive to mortals. One of your loyal servants actually died trying to press onward – he sank right into the water and froze to death.”

    “A bitter lesson,” the king mourned, “but well-learned nonetheless. What else do you have to tell me?”

    The retainer bowed and began to speak again. “In the west, your patrimony now extends across forests and mountains, all the way to the open ocean. You did not pass through this region during your campaign, but I can assure you that this part of the land is very much the same. Your scouts wished to emphasize, however, that the fishermen in these parts are particularly talented, and they have excellent knowledge of sailing and navigation.”

    Heruwulfaz reached idly for his cup. “What lies across this new ocean, if anything?”

    The other shrugged, “none of the villagers have ever crossed it before, my king.”

    “That will have to change,” the king mumbled, more for his own benefit than for anyone else. “I have already seen the south for myself,” he added quickly, growing bored once again. “Give me your report of the east so we may be done with this.”

    The retainer seemed to be flustered momentarily, but he recovered gracefully and carried on. “You should know first that it is impossible to go east in Skandza without also going north; the whole country is shaped like a wide horseshoe. The east, therefore, is cold and snowy as the north is, with little in the way of civilization. With enough travel, your lands soon transition into those of the Sami, who prefer to keep to themselves.” Having finished his report, the man took a step back and dropped to one knee.

    “My thanks for your assessment,” the king replied between gulps of beer, “you have done fine work, and will soon be rewarded. For now, you may go.”

    No sooner had the servant made his way from the hall then the door shot open again, smashing so fiercely against the wall that the whole room seemed to shudder and groan with the impact. Trapped between astonishment and irritation, Heruwulfaz pushed himself to his feet, a stern reprimand already waiting on the tip of his tongue.

    It was not some incompetent slave who emerged through the doorway, however, but rather a very irate-looking Erilaz, storming across the length of the chamber as fast as his cane would allow. Heruwulfaz couldn’t avoid the tiniest pang of pity as he watched his political rival struggle to simply cross a room. Neither age nor circumstance had been kind to the old man over the past year; he looked like a man on his deathbed, the flesh of his face sunken, withered, and sallow as a corpse. Even his long hair, a gift he had once taken great pride in, was now thin and brittle, more akin to a batch of twigs then anything else.

    Simultaneous with the decline in Erilaz’s health, his political power and reputation had taken a dive as well. Heruwulfaz’s triumphant victories in the field had made criticizing him akin to political suicide, and in this sense Erilaz had fallen upon his sword hard. His ring of powerful supporters and advocates had dwindled down to almost nothing, leaving only him and a small group of devout reactionaries to rally a hopeless defense against the rest of the Thing. Even if he had still been the puppet master of the Thing, it would have done him little good. Through his victories, Heruwulfaz had made himself powerful enough to all but obviate the Thing as a political force; in particular, his recent investment as Xorjonoz by his troops gave him uncontested authority over the army, and uncontested control over the army essentially gave him uncontested control over the whole nation. Still, it was not in Erilaz’s nature to back down, not even from a king.

    “Heruwulfaz!” the old man wheezed, infusing his reedy voice with as much malice and contempt as he could possibly muster.

    “You do not look so well, my old friend,” the king commented kindly. “Surely your healer has forbidden you from traveling like this?”

    Erilaz literally spat onto the floor, still hobbling awkwardly towards Heruwulfaz. “My healer is a moron and a windbag – vices which seem all too common lately, I might add.”

    Heruwulfaz patiently ignored the slight, motioning for his servants to bring a chair. “Since you have come so far, I suppose it would be remiss of me to waste your time with small talk. What can I do for you?”

    The venerable statesman took a few moments to settle himself, stretching out his limbs with a series of discomforting pops and cracks. Having finally made himself comfortable, he put aside his cane and cleared his throat. “Your lordship, I come before you with a single, simple request: you must disband the army.”

    The question was so blunt and so bold that Heruwulfaz could not help but laugh at it, nearly spitting out a mouthful of beer in the process. Just seconds later, the stony glare on Erilaz’s face had turned the king’s mirth into confusion. “Surely you can’t be serious?” he insisted, still chuckling a little to himself. “This is the strongest our host has been in living memory! Why would I send them home now?”

    Erilaz stubbornly crossed his arms, planting his feet into the ground as if to make himself physically immovable. “Do not attempt to mock or belittle me, Heruwulfaz. I ask this of you in all seriousness.”

    As luck would have it, the king did become serious, leaning forward from his throne with a distinctly un-amused look plastered on his face. “Listen, I know what you’re trying to do, Erilaz,” he whispered dangerously. “First off, even without the army I have more than enough political support to keep you down. You’re time on the stage is over. In any case, this conversation is pointless, because as a matter of fact I am not going to disband the army, I am going to keep it.”

    “This has nothing to do with politics!” Erialz hissed, and this time Heruwulfaz could tell that he was being serious. “This is a matter directly relevant to the well-being of our nation. This constant war-footing is draining all the wealth from our lands!”

    Heruwulfaz stared back incomprehensively. “I don’t-“

    “It’s the economy, stupid!” Erilaz roared, the exertion causing him to be momentarily consumed by a ferocious cough. Instead of waiting to recuperate, the old man pressed on through his bouts of wheezing. “What do you…think happens when…people aren’t home for the…harvest season!? No crops can get picked and then…there’s not enough food!”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    The king waited patiently for Erilaz to finish, already regretting his earlier threat. “I’ll admit that the economy has suffered a little, with all this constant campaigning. However I have spoken at length with my advisers about this issue and I believe that, as the Confederacy adds new tribes, its internal trade will increase exponentially. I’m told that we’re already beginning to make back some of the wealth we lost last year. Once we begin to integrate larger territories like Skandza, trade should begin to flow again.”

    Erilaz grumbled and mumbled to himself, but offered no further protests. With childish petulance, the old man snatched his cane and returned to his feet, shuffling towards the exit as fast as his age would allow. Heruwulfaz smirked, taking a quiet pleasure in yet another victory. “Be safe on the roads,” he called after his rival, “travel can be quite taxing on a man of your age!”

    “I am going for a walk,” the king declared, leaving a small crowd of petitioners to groan in disappointment as he started towards the door. They would just have to wait; Heruwulfaz had spent all day cooped up on his throne and his limbs with aching with restlessness. A nice walk – or maybe even a quick ride – was the only thing that could get him through the rest of this day.

    Heruwulfaz had not taken more than five steps out the door before he abruptly collided with another pedestrian, tumbling backwards into the road with a painful thud. Dazed now, he stumbled back to his feet and readied a furious oath at the blurry culprit in his vision.

    “My sincerest apologies, your lordship,” the figure offered as it began to back away. “I should have paid more attention.”

    “Wait a minute,” Heruwulfaz began as his brain slowly processed the other’s voice, “Okaz, is that you?”

    Even as he asked this, the blur on his vision had already begun to fade, revealing the familiar countenance of his friend Okaz. It was no wonder that they had walked right into each other; the old warrior, although always looking somewhat fatigued, appeared to be especially exhausted today, sporting dark, baggy layers of skin beneath his eyes.

    “It seems I’ve been bumping into you everywhere!” Heruwulfaz remarked as he began his walk again. “Where are you off to?”

    “Making rounds,” Okaz replied unenthusiastically. “We’ve been told to go through the settlement and search all the houses for weapons.” The simple act of saying this made the man sigh with exhaustion. “There are a lot of houses.”

    “You don’t look so well, my friend,” the king commented with some concern. “It’s only been a couple of weeks, yet you look ten years older.”

    Okaz turned his head away defensively. “I have not slept in a while,” he replied, trying to make his insomnia sound trivial.

    “I know the feeling,” Heruwulfaz replied kindly. “I’ve been told that difficulty going to sleep is a sign of restlessness. You probably need to burn off some more energy during the day.”

    Okaz shook his head flatly. “I can get to sleep just fine, usually. It’s…my dreams that give me trouble,” he muttered, chiding himself for wasting the king’s time on his own, petty problems.

    “Your dreams?” Heruwulfaz replied curiously, “what about them? They are strange?”

    No, they’re…” Okaz trailed off, desperately searching for the right words. “It’s like they’re punishing me – mocking me.”

    He took the king’s silence as an invitation to continue. “The job of a warrior, at its simplest, is to defend his home and his people. Every battle I’ve ever fought – every man I’ve ever killed – I justified by saying that I was defending innocent people. I tried to convince myself of it – I guess I’m still trying…”

    “I spent over three years fighting to try and to stop the Rugoz,” he recounted bitterly, “and they always seemed to slip through our fingers. Scores of villages were torched to the ground, their inhabitants slaughtered like animals – I’d never felt so useless before in my life. You can’t imagine what it’s like until you’ve seen it. You have to be there, walking through the smoldering embers of some innocent person’s life, listening to their wailing just echo around in your mind.”

    The warrior grew visibly distressed, “I thought that conquering the Rugoz would make everything right again, but nothing changed – I can still see it all in my head while I sleep. It just added more nightmares to torment me; I can’t stop wondering who was innocent and who was guilty. So many of them were young – barely older than boys!”

    There was no stopping the flow of words anymore; they poured from Okaz’s mouth like a thunderous tide. “Then, in Kimbroz, I watched that village as it burned to the ground. It was hard to see with all the smoke, but some people must have been trapped inside their homes – I could hear them screaming. There I was, an experienced warrior with years of service under my belt, and I still couldn’t do anything to help people!”

    “I thought…I hoped that the battle here in Skandza would change things somehow. I thought that, by defeating somebody who I really knew was evil, I could just put it all to rest. As usual, I had no such luck. I just keep seeing all of these terrible things in my mind – they won’t ever leave me alone, I know that now. They are the curse that every warrior must bear – from the start of his career until the last mound of earth is placed over his grave.”

    Heruwulfaz tried to think of something suitably to say, but he would have had better luck trying to grab hold of the wind. After a few minutes of unfathomable silence, the king quickly resumed his walk again, burdensome thoughts floating around in his head.

    ***

    “Lord Hrabnaz,” the king commanded, his voice reverberating through the vaulted confines of his hall, “step forward.”

    Hrabnaz willingly complied, quickly hurrying up to the throne and placing himself prostrate on the ground. It was an act of supplication, but Hrabnaz added a certain confident theatric to the ritual that made him seem imposing in his own right. “I am right here, King Bidajaz. What is your will?”

    The king of the Habukoz smiled, relishing in watching his plan come together so seamlessly. He rose to his feet and motioned for Hrabnaz to do the same. “There is no need for you to lower yourself in my court, Hrabnaz. Unlike your kinsmen, I hold you and your abilities in high esteem.”

    Hrabnaz blushed slightly at the compliment. “You are too kind, lord. Your eye for character and talent is unmatched.”

    “I trust none of your brothers are aware of what has transpired between us?” the Habukoz king asked, his tone abruptly becoming grave and conspiratorial. “Not even the slightest hint of suspicion on their part?”

    Hrabnaz carefully pushed the man away, moving forward with an air of supreme confidence. “I thought you said you trusted in my abilities?” he teased. “Believe me; they are none the wiser – and they never will be.”

    Bidajaz seemed satisfied, clapping a paternalistic hand on Hrabnaz’s back. “You will be an excellent servant of Habukoz, Hrabnaz. For a man as talented as yourself, I believe your career will go far indeed; and who knows? Perhaps, given enough time and loyal service, the throne could even be yours.”

    A look like that of an excitable child crossed over Hrabnaz’s face. “Do you really mean that, my lord?”

    Bidajaz smiled; this impetuous young noble was far too easy to manipulate. “Time will tell – certainly stranger things have happened; and I am certainly not one to let blood ties come before ability.”

    “Then tell me what I must do,” Hrabnaz implored, “so that I may perform it quickly and flawlessly.”

    “Your brother’s victory against the Skandza puts me and the rest of the remaining free tribes in a difficult spot,” the Habukoz king sighed. “We do not have the military might to openly defeat the Sweboz, not even if we all banded together. Through the employment of subterfuge and cunning, however, we may stand a chance.”

    “I need you to return to your brother’s court,” Bidajaz explained, “and report to me anything and everything that he does. Troop movements, new appointments to office, war plans – if he as much as sneezes, I want to hear about it. If I can know his every move in advance, then I can easily undermine him – and if I can undermine him, my tribe…our tribe can persevere.”

    Hrabnaz digested his instructions with a single nod of the head. “It will be done, your lordship – you can count on me.”

    His orders given, King Bidajaz turned away and headed for bed. “I expect great things from you, Hrabnaz. I’m sure you won’t disappoint.”

    ***

    ”Two weeks after crossing the River Rin into the lands of the Walhoz, we began to pass through territory belonging to a peoples called the Arverni. The Arverni are among the most powerful and prominent of the Walhoz, commanding countless settlements and many worthy warriors, who are decorated in fine panoplies of metal. Yet none of their wonders could compare to that vast city they call Vesontio.”

    Amongst the tribes of the Northlands, it was exceedingly rare to see a single building made out of stone, let alone an entire defensive wall. Hagaradaz and his party were still some distance away, but even now they could get an acute sense of the city’s imposing power and grandeur. Like all cities of the Walhoz, it was perched at the very top of a steep hill, lording over the surrounding villages and farms as an unquestionable edifice of power. The villagers they had passed had only spoken of Vesontio in awestruck whispers; having seen it for himself, Hagaradaz at last understood their behavior.

    “There it is,” Berdic sighed, his eyes beginning to mist a little at the sight of the massive oppida. “Vesontio…it hasn’t changed the slightest bit.”

    “That’s right!” Hagaradaz blurted suddenly as they started their approach up the hill. “You said Vesontio was your home, didn’t you?”

    Berdic laughed and shook his head. “Not the city itself, no. My family lived on a farm a few miles out from here, but during the harvest season, I would usually help my father bring our crops to market here. It was always really exciting,” he added a little wistfully. “The plazas are huge, and my father would always give me a spare coin to spend when I came with him.”

    “Your kind use coinage then?” Hagaradaz asked, wisely bringing the conversation back towards their task. “I thought I heard that before, but I wasn’t sure.”

    “Gold and silver ones, mostly,” Berdic explained. “Sadly, we didn’t come up with the idea by ourselves; the Massalians – an odd group of peoples in the far south – spread the idea to us. It makes commerce easier, but it also introduced us to the fickle thing called ‘taxes’.”

    It was clear that they were not the only people heading into the city that day; the path up the hill was clogged with a veritable swarm of travelers, peddlers, and citizens. In such terrible congestion, to be on horseback was a wonderful thing; the crowd, eager to avoid being trampled, gladly parted way for the party of Sweboz. A few travelers cursed loudly at the disruption; Hagaradaz urged his horse forward, grateful that his knowledge of these peoples language was still perfunctory.

    The Sweboz knew what a city was, of course; their knowledge of the world was broad enough that they knew of the Walhoz and some of their customs. Even so, Hagardaz couldn’t possibly have been prepared for the sheer sensory overload that assaulted him upon passing through the gates of Vesontio. It was as if all orderly constraints of color and sound had been chaotically torn asunder; a hundred voices all seemed to shout at once as conversations struggled to make themselves distinct within the din. Brightly made tarps and ornamented carpets hung over long rows of cramped merchant stalls, which stretched in long rows at either edge of the street, funneling people onward even as they tried to draw them aside. Berdic, the more experienced of the two by far, took his master by the arm and began to lead him.

    “Keep your eyes forward,” he insisted, mumbling out of the corner of his mouth. “Try not to bump into anybody – and if you have to, at least try to avoid the ones with weapons. If somebody tries to sell you something, keep moving; don’t stop for anybody, even if they look hurt.” With great difficulty, he steered the pair towards the path to the governor’s office. “Make sure you keep an eye on your belongings too, because they can get stolen before you know it.”

    Breaking away from the mob was akin to escaping a howling tornado; it took all their willpower to escape, and once they were out the change was immediate and visceral. The dull roar of human speech seemed to fade into a quiet murmur; all of the dizzying sights passed mercifully out of view. Hagaradaz took a huge breath, greatly relieved to be back in his element. As they got to traveling again, only a handful of venerable-looking persons traveled along the road with them; whoever the governor was, he clearly wasn’t amenable to the common rabble.

    Like most of the buildings in Vesontio, the governor’s mansion was made of finely-polished stone, standing at the absolute summit of the hill in a very unambiguous expression of his authority. The guards at the front entrance appeared to be suitably well-equipped, sporting a fine kit of chainmail and padded helmets, and sharp-looking swords to boot.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    “Please step aside,” Hagaradaz requested with his meager mastery of the Walhoz language. “I am a diplomat of the Sweboz. I am here to talk.”

    The two soldiers seemed to get the message; one of them disappeared into the mansion, while the other held out his hand to suggest that they should wait. Nervously, Berdic leaned over and whispered in his master’s ear. “I recommend that you let me translate, from now on.”

    Hagaradaz suddenly looked petrified, “by the Gods, what did I say to them!?”

    “No, no, you did fine!” the slave assured, “but I’m worried you’ll say something offensive by accident.”

    The door creaked open once more, and the returning soldier beckoned for the two to follow him back inside. Quietly steeling himself, the diplomat nodded his thanks and stepped boldly through the threshold, Berdic following cautiously in his wake. Somewhere behind them, the door slowly groaned shut.

    The building’s stone construction leant itself to a dark and labyrinthine interior. In less than a minute spent inside, Hagaradaz had given up trying to memorize his way out. A minute later, he was utterly, hopelessly lost. He stuck to his Arverni guide with an almost desperate attachment, terrified of the ramifications if he managed to get left behind.

    In time, their nonsensical navigating led them to a wide open audience hall, where a single circular table had presumably been placed for them to sit at. No sooner had they entered than they were accosted by a burly, greybearded man, his clothes finely adorned in the sacred symbols of the Arverni nation.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    “In truth, I never thought this day would come,” he exclaimed, his tone hovering somewhere between good-humored and disdainful, “a man of the east who comes to our lands not to fight, but to parley! What has happened to your kind, easterner, that you now employ the virtue of restraint?”

    Hagaradaz began to reply, hoping that Berdic could catch his words as he went. “Many things, noble lord of the Arverni, but foremost among them is an awakening. For we, the miserable masses of the Northlands, having lived countless centuries in misery and squalor, have resolved to build for ourselves a future in which all may prosper, not merely the strongest.”

    The nobleman let out a barking laugh, but a measure of respect could be seen to glisten in his eye. “What is your name, easterner?”

    “I am Hagaradaz, of the tribe of the Samanoz. This,” he added with a sweep of the hand, “is my translator Berdic. Who are you, lord?”

    The Gaul puffed out his chest, “I am Aneirin, the governor of Vesonito – devout worshipper of the god Lugos, a peculiarity for which I have become quite well-known.”

    “Good health to you, Aneirin,” Hagaradaz returned genially. “Now, shall we get down to the business of this meeting?”

    “Indeed, and you can begin,” Aneirin rumbled, “by explaining the meaning of these eastern raids into our lands. We have a war to contend with as it is – your kind nipping at our heels only complicates matters further.”

    “I was actually just about to ask you,” Hagaradaz returned patiently, “what cause your warriors have to be making forays into the Northlands. Admittedly, your attacks rarely reach Sweboz territory, but my noble King endeavors to style himself as protector of all the tribes. Your raids on the Habukoz and Heruskoz make things difficult for us politically.”

    Aneirin clenched his fists dangerously. “We are in the middle of a war – you easterners have always been a nuisance at best. To keep our borders safe, it is only prudent that we endeavor to weaken our neighbors.”

    “There is a war going on in the Northlands every day,” Hagaradaz countered, “a war that is deeper and more pervasive than any other fought before, or any that ever will be fought. It is a war between two forces – two ideologies – that are incompatible with ne another. One of them – the one I fight for – advocates for a civilization peace and cooperation with its inhabitants and all of its neighbors. The other, the one we fight against, is an ideology of chronic warfare and violence, punctuated only by despair. I ask you, which civilization would you rather share a border with?”

    Aneirin chewed furiously on his moustache, his face turning redder by the second, but it was clear he had no retort. “We stop our raids across the river, and you will try and stop these two tribes from attack us?”

    “An agreeable arrangement for all, don’t you think? The cessation of hostilities is only the beginning. Once word spreads that the river crossings are safe again, trade between the Northlands and your peoples can resume again. The wealth of two nations will flow back and forth, enriching all at nobody’s detriment.”

    By now, the Gaul could not possibly decline; his best bet was to try and save some face. “I suppose this is a fair arrangement. I will pass the word on to our King, who will surely approve it. But I warn you – and mark me well – any negotiations between your nation and those of the Aedui will be seen as a hostile act.”

    “Fair enough,” Hagaradaz shrugged. “I seem to recall hearing bad things about the Aedui anyway,” he added with a subconscious glance towards his slave.”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    A comfortable pause passed as Berdic took a sip of water. “These are perhaps the fastest negotiations I can remember!” Aneirin laughed. “What will you do with the rest of your time?”

    “I think I will partake in your city’s hospitality for another day or two,” Hagaradaz mused as he slowly stretched himself out. “But before long, I am bound to travel onward. I have more nations to meet with, at my King’s command.”

    “A bit of advice then,” the nobleman offered, “you will want to head south-west first. There is a peninsula in that direction, where many nations find themselves coming intersecting together. Most of them are tribes, but I have heard stories of foreign men who also dwell in cities – ones even larger than this.”

    The thought of an even larger city stung Hagaradaz’s brain like a jolt of lightening; it was both an exciting and terrifying prospect. “I guess I know where I’m headed next.”
    Last edited by Beckitz; February 06, 2011 at 12:15 PM. Reason: Forgot a picture

  9. #29
    dezikeizer's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Great update as always, and it seems that it's still going to be quite a long road to unifying the tribes. Especially with Hrabnaz being a double agent. Just a few things:
    and sallow as a corpse
    I think you meant: and shallow as a corpse.
    By now, the Gaul could not possible decline
    That would probably make more sense as: By now, the Gaul could not possibly decline.
    any negations between your nation and those of the Aedui will be seen as a hostile act
    I think you meant: any negotiations between your nation and those of the Aedui will be seen as a hostile act.

  10. #30

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Quote Originally Posted by dezikeizer
    Great update as always, and it seems that it's still going to be quite a long road to unifying the tribes. Especially with Hrabnaz being a double agent. Just a few things:
    Many thanks for catching those, my loyal grammarian; and Heruwulfaz does indeed have a ways to go before his vision is complete.

    The post after this one will be a general overview of the status of the Sweboz at current point in the time-line; much like the first post in this thread was.


    ***

    Chapter X – New Ventures

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    “Hoist up the sail!” went the cry, and within moments the narrow vessel was abuzz with energy and activity, the strained grunts and pants of its sailors echoing ominously across the foggy expanse of the shoreline. Most of them were glad for the warmth their exertion brought on this chilly morning; it had already been several weeks since the first leaves had begun to brown. Still, they would not be warm for much longer – their planned route took them north, across the murky waters to the shores of mighty Skandza.

    The people of the Northlands prided themselves as being masters of many trades; all men were expected by society to be fierce warriors, in addition to being competent hunters, woodsmen, and farmers. A discipline typically lacking throughout their culture, however, was that of sailing and navigation. To a traditionalist, the sea was a fickle and unnatural thing; it took that which was right and predictable and flipped it on its head. On the open ocean, bravery and valor were worth next to nothing, and the average Northlanders would doubtless agree that any activity in which bravery was meaningless was, to be blunt, a meaningless activity.

    Yet money and wealth, as they say, can be powerful persuasion. King Heruwulfaz was, among other things, a visionary and a reformer. He clearly saw the massive potential for wealth that seaborne commerce presented, and he certainly wasn’t the type to let Erilaz and his ring of pig-headed reactionaries tell him otherwise. Just a few months after the conquest of Skandza, Heruwulfaz sent out orders for the construction of a Sweboz trading fleet, which would ferry traders back and forth across the sea free of charge. He further dictated that his laborers should erect trading ports on either end of the sea lane; the first such port facilities to ever be constructed in the Northlands.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    This embryonic seed of seaborne commerce required a skilled and effective man to oversee it, and the royal lord Ansuharjaz was wisely given the position. Under his guidance, a vital semblance of order had been brought to an otherwise hectic and confused operation. Regular travel schedules were established and publicized, the routes were meticulously mapped, and a strict code of discipline was imparted upon the sailors, who previously had suffered from an unfortunate propensity towards inebriation. It was not a job that Ansuhajraz would have asked for, or even one he liked, but as was his nature, he did his best possible job with it. His eldest brother was counting on him.

    “You gentlemen will want to wait a while before leaving,” the nobleman asserted, speaking to no one in particular as he strode up and down the wobbly length of the ship. “The last group that left during a fog somehow wound up on the eastern shore of Kimbroz – we had to pay a fortune to keep the merchants from slandering our services after that.”

    The ship’s captain scoffed and rolled his eyes as if any aspersions against his seamanship were unthinkable. “Don’t worry about a thing, your lordship – we’ll get everybody and everything there safely, I promise.” His enthusiastic confidence was akin to that of a brazen child.

    Ansuhajraz took a suitably paternal tone. “It’s not just about getting there safely,” he frowned, “it’s about getting there on time and in the right place. A lot of this stuff we’re shipping is perishable; that’s the whole point of having a shipping schedule.”

    The captain waved away Ansuharjaz’s concerns with a flick of his wrist. “Bah with all your schedules and all this planning. All I get paid to do is sail the damn boat back and forth – anything more complicated than that is your job, lord.”

    “And if you want to ever be paid for sailing your boat back and forth,” Ansuharjaz began testily, “you had best make sure you do it exactly as I say. I don’t have the patience for any mistakes – especially not from someone as overpaid as you.”

    The captain began picking spare bits of grime from his fingernails, rapidly losing interest in the argument he had started. “You make a big show with all your threats, my lord, but you’re not fooling anyone. If you get rid of me, who else are you going to find who knows how to sail?”

    “I’m told the fishermen in Skandza do good work,” Ansuharjaz tried, but his talent for bluffing was rather underdeveloped.

    “They might do,” the elderly sea dog retorted, still casually attending to his hygiene, “but I doubt you’re going to spend months hunting down some backwater group of inbred fishermen just because you think I’m a little too cheeky for my own good, right? You and I – there’s an understanding between us. I sail the boats, you pay me, and we both stay happy.”

    Ansuharjaz couldn’t believe the man’s disrespect for a nobleman – a brother of the Sweboz king, no less! Still, the cocky sailor was correct in essence – the time and effort involved in finding a new captain just wouldn’t be worth it. Perhaps in time Ansuhajraz would be given a window of opportunity, but for now he would just have to grin and bear it.

    “You just make sure everything is done right,” the nobleman returned, trying to save face through his remonstration, “and we won’t have any problems. Which reminds me of what I was saying before – I really think you should wait-“

    “Shh!” the captain interjected his confidence and carelessness evaporating away in a second. The man’s blanched, gnarled fingers grasped intensely at the rim of the hull as he leaned over the water, squinting ineffectively through the veil of mist hung before him. The rest of the crew hastened over to join him, not entirely sure what they were supposed to be worried about.

    “What, have you gone mad old man?” Ansuharjaz joked uneasily. “There’s nothing to see out there with all this fog hanging-“

    He never had a chance to finish his sentence before a pair of firm hands wrapped around his neck and dragged him to the ground, causing him to bang his head hard against the hull on his way down. At the same time, the rest of the crew all dropped hard to the floor as well, huddling themselves tightly together in a unanimous display of terror. Ansuharjaz opened his mouth to protest, but the same hands quickly returned to cover it again. Confused and irate, the nobleman ripped the offending extremity from his mouth and turned around, only to stare into the eyes of the sea captain, his wrinkled face drained with fear.

    “What on earth-“ Ansuharjaz began, but for the third time that day he was silenced as the captain pressed a bony finger to his lips. The nobleman complied, trusting in the other’s considerably significant experience even as he had only just finished questioning it.

    “I think I see some pirates,” the captain whispered, slithering over to Ansuharjaz as a worm might crawl through the mud. “They’ve been through this area in the past – probably looking for ripe targets.”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Inch by painful inch, Ansuharjaz peeked his head over the rim of the ship’s hull, his eyes darting comically from one side to the other in his head. Other sailors slowly followed suit, until a long line of timid eyes had assembled along the length of the vessel, all watching the glassy surface of the water for even the smallest sign of a disturbance. Somewhere down the coast, a loon was heard signing its mournful song; its voice was like a clap of thunder compared to the stillness of the sea.

    Just when the tension was becoming unbearable, they appeared; materializing through the fog like ghostly ships of the dead. A rational man would have immediately dove back into cover, but all those watching were too transfixed to even so much as blink. The ships casually began to pass by the mouth of the harbor, moving with the slow confidence of a predator sauntering through its hunting grounds. The raiders reached the other side of the port and turned around for a second pass, evidently fooled into believing the area was deserted. Either out of boldness or desperation, the pirates drew closer to the shoreline, standing on the tips of their toes as they looked for any sign of life or loot.

    Then, almost anti-climactically, the pirates departed, sailing back out to sea until they disappeared behind a heavy wall of mist. Both of Ansuharjaz’s lungs were burning; he hadn’t even realized he was holding his breath. A palpable sense of relief passed through the sailors as they slumped into satisfied heaps against the hull, most of them turning to drink to sooth their nerves.

    “You have a good eye,” Ansuharjaz admitted to the captain, feeling comfortable enough to speak again. “If not for you we could have all wound up dead.”

    “Perhaps you ought to remember that,” the other said wryly, “the next time you think about trying to replace me.”

    The nobleman grinned and patted the captain on the shoulder. “I surely will – but don’t think this gives you leave to slack off!”

    The seaman snickered, already turning back towards his work. “I would never dream of it, your lordship.”

    Ansuharjaz had quite enough of snark and seamanship for one day. He whistled for his horse and made for home, satisfied that the Sweboz shipping economy, young and inexperienced though it was, could endure the days to come.

    ***

    It was, as the saying goes, good to be home. After having spent many miserable months languishing in the frozen wasteland of Skandza, the long-awaited return to Swebotraustasamnoz was incredibly satisfying. No sooner had the gates of the palisade been swung open than a crowd of overjoyed citizens thronged his caravan, desperately reaching out their hands as if merely touching their king would be a divine experience. This type of unrestrained adulation was altogether disquieting for young Heruwulfaz, who much preferred to serve his subjects from behind the impenetrable walls of his royal hall.

    A good politician must be able to mingle as well as he manages, however, and in this regard the king could at the very least muster a competent and believable façade of sociability. Upon his triumphant return, he patiently played along with the demands of his adoring public; shaking hands, giving speeches, awarding commendations, and generally doing things he much rather not do. Heruwulfaz was indeed a patient and reasonable man, but he was certainly wasn’t a saint; when the Thing asked him to recount the Battle of Skandza for the fourth time in a row, he decided he had had quite enough.

    The sun had since passed behind the horizon, but from his place on the hill the king could still clearly hear the raucous shouting and laughing of the victory celebrations as they carried on into the night. Heruwulfaz found himself struck by an immense feeling of satisfaction; the kind he thought the Gods must have as they looked down upon their handiwork each day. When he was off on campaign or perched on his throne, it was easy to loose sight of the direct effect his actions were having on the lives of others. He would not soon forget how good it felt to watch his labors pay off at last; and this past couple of victories was only the beginning. Heruwulfaz was confident that the fortunes of the Sweboz, already soaring, could climb higher still.

    “I’m surprised to see you here brother,” a familiar voice chuckled from behind, “I would have thought you’d be out enjoying the festivities!”

    The crunchy sound of footsteps upon the fall grass announced the arrival of Hrabnaz, who wasted no time in sitting himself down beside his brother, an unusually good humor gracing his attractive face. From the amount of grunting and hissing it took for the young prince to seat himself, it was clear he had spent most of the day on horseback.

    Heruwulfaz quickly pulled his brother into a one-armed embrace. “Yeah well, you know me, Hrabnaz – never been much of one for parties. What about you, though?” he asked as he reached for more food. “Not quite feeling in the mood tonight?”

    The question was something of a ruse; under the pale light of the moon, Heruwulfaz could clearly see the smile plastered on his brother’s face. The other, perhaps sensing he was being too transparent, turned his head away. “I have had a long day,” he explained flatly. “A little rest is in order for me, I think.”

    “I thought you looked tired when you came over here,” the king remarked casually. “Been busy lately, have you?”

    Hrabnaz did his best to shrug away his brother’s inquiry. “More than usual, I suppose. I haven’t had any free time like this in a while.”

    The other nodded absently, quietly picking away at the last bits of flesh on his apple. “Believe me; I think we all know the feeling. Although I must say, it’s no surprise to me you’ve fallen behind on your affairs…I hear you’ve been doing a lot of traveling out west.”

    It was quite fortunate for Hrabnaz that a cloud was passing across the moon overhead; else the whole world could have easily seen the color flow into his cheeks. “Well…just here and there, you know…checking out the borders and whatnot. Just trying to help out is all.”

    “Your wife has missed you greatly,” the king said matter-of-factly. “She was terribly upset that you were not there to greet your second daughter.”

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Hrabnaz took the news of his daughter’s birth as casual as one might receive reports of the weather. “I am sure she will be a strong and healthy woman. The strength and health of our kingdom is not so certain, however.”

    “I can’t blame you for being concerned,” Heruwulfaz continued, oblivious to his brother’s guilt. “The situation on the western border is getting worse by the day. I was hoping the defeat of Skandza would make all the others capitulate, but instead it looks like they’re determined to go down swinging.” The king chuckled through a mouthful of food, “I’ll be happy to oblige them, of course, but our forces aren’t ready for battle yet. They need time to recover from the last campaign.”

    Hrabnaz’s body quietly switched to the alert; like a proverbial puppet master, the direction of the conversation was slowly evolving as he desired it. “Yes, our forces have certainly looked better. I’d almost think that, if the western tribes were to attack now, we could very well lose!” he added, subtly trying to extract information from the king’s enigmatic mind.

    “I’m not sure I would go that far,” Heruwulfaz countered pensively. “Granted our host has somewhat exhausted itself, but they are still the largest and most experienced group of fighting men in the whole Northlands. If any of the western lords try to press the war into our turf, I suspect they will be dispatched in short order.”

    Typical, Hrabnaz thought, searing his brother with a look of bottomless contempt. Always so confident of his own brilliance – but not once does he ever do honor to those who loyally serve him! The prince cleared his throat, “I didn’t see any of our armies on my travels,” he observed innocently. “Where are they now?”

    “Moving south out of the woods,” Heruwulfaz sighed, clearly tiring of political talk. “Athawulfaz marches at the head of the column. It’ll take a week or two, but we should hopefully be able to find a clearer route to invade from. I just hope…”

    Hrabnaz hung onto his brother’s words with intense anticipation. “Go on, what is it?”

    The king reluctantly carried on. “When I last spoke to Athawulfaz, he seemed to imply that our army was the only thing preventing the western tribes from invading into Kimbroz territory. I suspect he was mistaken, but I’m worried the Habukoz will find out about our maneuvers and launch an attack.”

    The prince grinned subtly to himself. They will do more than that, if I have anything to say about it. Having finished his work for the night, he rolled to his feet and made to leave. “It’s getting late, and Edjufrithko will want to know that I’m home. I will see you in the morning, Heruwulfaz.”

    “Goodnight, Hrabnaz,” the king called as the other started off. “It is good to have you back.”
    Last edited by Beckitz; February 17, 2011 at 02:45 PM. Reason: Typos

  11. #31

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Some epic updates! Nice work!

  12. #32

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    a betrayal is at hand, looking forward to see how it unfolds.

    KINGS AND PAWNS, EMPERORS AND FOOLS...

  13. #33
    dezikeizer's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Great as always, and it seems things are about to get a bit more interesting. This could cause a lot of trouble for you. Just a few things:
    because you think I’m a little to cheeky
    Shouldn't that be: because you think I'm a little too cheeky?
    No sooner had the gates of the palisade been sung open than a cowed of overjoyed citizens
    Shouldn't that be: No sooner had the gates of the palisade been swung open than a crowd of overjoyed citizens?
    Heruwulfaz could clearly the smile
    I think you meant: Heruwulfaz could clearly see the smile.
    It was quite fortune for Hrabnaz
    I think you meant: It was quite fortunate for Hrabnaz.

  14. #34

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    You are getting +rep the second I can... This story is awesome.

  15. #35

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Looking good!
    Playing on easy seems to be making for great storytelling!

  16. #36

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Quote Originally Posted by Beer Money
    Some epic updates! Nice work!
    Thank you, glad to see you're enjoying it!

    Quote Originally Posted by sinner
    a betrayal is at hand, looking forward to see how it unfolds
    And so am I!

    Quote Originally Posted by dezikeizer
    Great as always, and it seems things are about to get a bit more interesting. This could cause a lot of trouble for you. Just a few things:
    As always, thank you for catching those; and I suspect things will get quite interesting indeed.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stingray970
    You are getting +rep the second I can... This story is awesome.
    Thanks - that's very flattering!

    Quote Originally Posted by Diomede
    Looking good!
    Playing on easy seems to be making for great storytelling!
    I guess that's the key isn't it . Playing on easy does indeed give me a lot of room to direct events the way I want them.



    ***
    270 BC

    ”A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new; when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.”



    The lands of Germania have come a long way over the past two years; where there was once instability and chaos, a type of dependable order has begun to creep over the land in the form of the Sweboz Confederacy.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Constant warfare and campaigning leave little room for any other pursuits, and barring the recent birth of Hrabnaz’s daughter Fritharikjo, no new issue have been produced from the royal family.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    The host of the Sweboz is vast and powerful, but is concentrated under a single banner. While Athawulfaz patrols the border well-equipped, the rest of the Confederacy’s territory remains vulnerable to any surprise attacks.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    By making peace with the Arverni nation, Hagaradaz has taken a great burden off of Heruwulfaz’s shoulders. Still, the terms of their treaty mean that relations between the Aedui and the Sweboz are likely to remain frigid into the foreseeable future.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    It has only been two years, but the ramifications of Heruwulfaz’s vision can already be acutely felt. Where it had once been dangerous to merely visit the next village over, a man can now ride from sunrise to sunset without having ever seen the boundaries of Sweboz, and he can be sure that every nation he passes through is a friend of his kin. No more fertile ground for growth and innovation has ever been laid.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    As the power of the Sweboz grows, their understanding of the world does as well. Through a combination of Hagaradaz’s travels, exponential trade growth, and territorial expansion, the people of the Northlands have gleaned a far more accurate perception of the world beyond the Northlands, particularly that of the city-dwelling Walhoz.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    A short update, I know, but I did say we'd be getting more of these benchmarks. Hopefully it'll be helpful in putting all of the events into perspective.

  17. #37
    Boustrophedon's Avatar Grote Smurf
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Nice AAR! I'll be following this I've always liked EB though I don't play it often lately. Keep up the good work

  18. #38

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    I already noticed we have a lot of talented new AARtists and you are one of them. I've only read the prologue so far, but I'll make sure to expand on that.

    Read my AARs:
    The Legacy of Megas Alexandros (Europa Barbarorum as Arche Seleukeia)
    The Prodigal Son (Shogun 2 as Mori)
    * * *
    You like a good reading? Then check out the homepage of our fellow TWC-member Theodotos I at www.stephenwrites.com!

  19. #39
    dezikeizer's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Great update as always. Any idea where you'll strike next?

  20. #40

    Default Re: [EB AAR] Sons of the Wolf and the Bear

    Sorry for the slight delay guys; I've been a little busy lately, but I'm gonna set aside some time to work on this AAR tomorrow.

    Quote Originally Posted by Boustrophedon
    Nice AAR! I'll be following this I've always liked EB though I don't play it often lately. Keep up the good work
    Thanks - I surely will!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lysimachos
    I already noticed we have a lot of talented new AARtists and you are one of them. I've only read the prologue so far, but I'll make sure to expand on that.
    Thank you. It's a pleasure to have you along for the ride.

    Quote Originally Posted by dezikeizer
    Great update as always. Any idea where you'll strike next?
    My thanks - and no typos this time, it's a miracle! I suspect the two settlements along the Rhine are now on the chopping block, seeing as how they're some of the last free tribes left.

    Again, my apologies for the unusual delay. Sons of the Wolf and the Bear should resume shortly.

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