[EB II] Song of the Steppe (Sarmatian AAR)

**Beckitz** · January 12, 2016, 04:37 PM

Rebooting this after the forum crash which wiped everything out. I will start posting updates from where I left off and in the meantime, I will work on recreating the earlier posts.

For the time being you can read my notes to refresh your memory if you want. if anybody knows a way to recover a cached version of this thread from between the 8th and 11th of January I will declare you to be Jesus Christ

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Song of the Steppe
***

O son! Son of steel, hear me! I sing now of Sarmatia, fierce-land mother, the spirit of the wide grass and the whipping wind. I sing of Rheus-Pater, sky-father, fierce lord of justice, at whose mercy we live. I sing of your ancestors, brave knights and warriors, who undertook perilous journey to bring you here where you could live in comfort. And I sing also of you, young one - your past, your heritage, and your bloodline. This is your story.

Table of Contents

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Kings of the Sauromatae

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Major Tribes

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Minor Tribes

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Archived Posts
These posts are from before the data crash. They are WIP being restored :/

1.

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O son! Son of steel, hear me! I sing now of Sarmatia, fierce land-mother, her children hard of the Earth liked gnarled bone-marble roots in the useless dust. I sing of Rheus-Phater, great sky-father, the lord of storms, righteous, fearful destroyer. Long lived we by his mercy in the lands between the Skythi, and the Aorsi, and the Halani - our mortal foes. For sky-father, in times ancient cleaved us apart and separated us from our brethren as if hammer striking rock. Among the others of our race we were peerless; land-mother blessed us with good health and rich grass like tapestry weave. But sky-father despaired of our might and plagued us, set storm upon us, let hell-hooves make cowards of us, let hell-hounds make corpses of our harvest.

In those days the king was Khaufarn, later known as the Wise, because it was said that he could resolve any dispute. And indeed, two shepherds once approached him in a quarrel, both claiming the same fine horse as their own. And since the king had no other pressing business he called for the two men to be brought before him with their supposed horse. And indeed it was a fine horse, supple and sleek, fast as the lightning and tall as two grown men. When Khaufarn saw the horse, he asked of the two men, "which of you has tamed this horse?" Said the one man, "I did, of course. When I was riding by the river I did see it and take it into my grasp with the rope."

The other man was silent. Said the king, "can you speak the truth in saying that you have tamed this horse?" Replied the man sheepishly, "no, my king, for I have not tamed this horse, as it was too wild for me." The king immediately granted that this horse belonged to the second man, saying that no man could honestly claim to have tamed a steed so fierce, since in the finest of stallions it is said that no man ever tames them, but they permit to be rode because they are ambitions and loving of glory and the taste of the wind.

Now when Khaufarn saw that great calamities were befalling the nation, and each passing day brought more word of floods or howling storms or savage raiders stealing the livelihood of the lands he was deeply troubled, and withdrew in private to consult with the Gods about what the required of him. And so he left, taking nobody with him, and went into the wilderness to study the will of the Gods in tranquility. He spent seventy days and seventy nights out in the wild; each day when he woke he would say, "today is the day I will hear the will of the Gods." And so, without fruit, he would wander the holy places, the shady groves of trees and the pleasant ponds and the wooded hills where the old ancestors still sleep. But nothing came to him. Finally, when on the seventieth night, so wearied was he that he made no affirmation about the next day, but merely fell into slumber, it was then as he slept that he was visited by the shade of his father, the great king Barbos. And his father said, "son, you have been a wise king, but it is the way of wisdom to endure sufferings, and never to strike back." Khaufarn despaired, saying that it would be preferable to lose all mortal wisdom than to let these calamities destroy his nation. Then, the shade of his father vanished, and Khaufarn awoke to find three broach-seals left on the ground before him.

From this tale comes the saying, "only those who have stopped searching for the Gods can receive the intervention of the Gods". And also, "wisdom may teach a man temperance but courage will teach him to temper others". So Khaufarn returned, understanding what he was supposed to do, and he summoned the great chiefs of all the tribes to speak, as was custom, on horseback in the Great Summit, the ritual meeting called in times of dire importance.

Among these was Ausigasa Dzaergaes, the King of the Roxolan. He had been a mighty ally to Khaufarn and several times he had lent the strength of his camp in battle. When Khaufarn spoke of the dream he had, many were skeptical - even accounting for the great wisdom of the king - because none had been there to see the oracle and so there was no evidence, as some put it, that it had not been simply a fanciful dream, as often when men need to have their way some convenient omen or another strikes down as if sky-father had orchestrated everything in the first place on their behalf! But Ausigasa Dzaergaes belittled the men who doubted the vision. "Can you really believe," said Ausigasa, "after all of these great calamities that have befallen us there is no place for the hand of heaven left in our midst?" And they were truly reproached by this, for Ausigasa had long ago made an oath at the death of his mother to speak little, and listen more, for it was said that as she lay dying, his greatest regret was that he had wasted too much of her time speaking and permitted to little to listen.

So the council agreed to listen to Khaufarn's proposal, and three swift riders were sent in different directions, to search for a homeland unscathed by the late wrath of sky-father, who was truly unleashing his full horrors from the east.

The first set off toward the setting sun, but he found only bogs and woods, which would never support the livestock or the animals of the clans. The second rider went south and west, heading for the long river, but he found only mountains and snow, too treacherous to cross with babes and womenfolk. But the third rider went south, following the shore of the sea, and found a bountiful land, where men lived in walled cities and farmed all the food they would need from land-mother. And so beautiful was the description of this place, that there were none who opposed to make it their new home, but indeed all quickly professed how devoted they were to that cause which they had only just deliberated uncertainly. Thus is the origin of the saying, "a beautiful maiden is always the object of truth."

So it was with great fanfare that the nations assembled, a glorious sight, in wagons stretching for many miles beneath the sky, men and women and babes huddled up, wrapped in cloth and with their homes at their backs, desirous to escape the plague of calamities which had been besetting the whole land for so long.

First on their journey, they came to the lands held under the sword by the city-king, the tyrant, who ruled the city of Cheresonesos with his iron fist. Khaufarn, being a wise king, sent envoys to the palace and professed gifts and good intentions in the halls. But the tyrant was in contempt, and he laughed at the journey being undertaken, and commanded the nations should not travel even one more mile within the lands the tyrant had claimed for himself. At this the envoys were indignant, and they beseeched the tyrant to reconsider, asking why it would be that the Bosporan king should covet the simple wagons and rugs and blankets of women and babes. Said the tyrant, "it is not for savages to contemplate the logic of civilized men any more than it is for us Greeks to contemplate the logic of savage practices. We will fight you because we have always fought, because it is fate for us to fight, and if you will not resist then we will overwhelm you and the glory shall be taken all the easier from you thence."

At this the envoys hurried back to the camp of the king. Already there was commotion in the city and fighting men were being mustered and cart wheels were clanging and gates were opening and shutting and women with their handkerchiefs out were not wiping their tears but waving in expectation of victory. Khaufarn, wise king, readied his men to descend upon the Greeks before they were prepared, and take by the sword the safe passage that he could not take through humanity.

2.

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**Beckitz** · January 12, 2016, 05:36 PM

The Reign of Khaufarn: Part VI
Cont'd from The Sarmatian Kings

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**Slaytaninc** · January 12, 2016, 07:50 PM

Hey, how's your recruitment working? Have you started transitioning away from horse archers out of necessity?

**Beckitz** · January 12, 2016, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Slaytaninc

Hey, how's your recruitment working? Have you started transitioning away from horse archers out of necessity?

It's definitley limited in terms of mounted Sarmatian units. I can train horse archers in some of my cities where I've built the "settled" government building, but its only 1 or 2 units every dozen turns or so. Otherwise if I want those units I have to bring them down from the steppes which takes a long time.

I still have a decent number of factional units intact but they are getting worn down so I think you'll the Greek and Thracian troops carry the load more and more.

**Beckitz** · January 13, 2016, 07:33 AM

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The Reign of Khaufarn: Part VII
Cont'd from The Sarmatian Kings

It doesn't matter now what happens
I will never give up the fight
Long as the voice inside drives me to run and fight
It doesn't matter who is wrong and who is right
Sonic the Hedgehog

[...Hastily measures were enacted at Histria at the instigation of the Sauromatae, for the provision of levies and equipment and training for new soldiers. For it was well obvious that this was only the beginning, and the competing destinies of Sarmatia and Getia were soon to clash decisively. Zalmodegikos would no more be able to bear the loss of his tyrant without retaliating than Khaufarn could have allowed Wardanu to fall from grace and lose the commerce which their alliance had cultivated. So war was on the horizon, and all across the land there were preparations, the peasants no longer wandering far from their homes, the knights polishing armor and sword, the merchants closing their shops and moving their wagons to the city, the scouts seen riding over hill and dale looking for sign of provocation.

Khaufarn sent out a missive to all of the settlements, summoning the levies for war. And from his confederates he received 10,000 knights, from Thrakians 8,000 infantry and 5,000 horse, and from the Greeks he received 25,000 infantry equipped in the old style.

Meanwhile during preparations for war with the Getai more worrying events came to light. For the Antigonid kings in Makedonia, having long carried on hostile disposition toward their Sarmatian neighbors, now were agitating with a new vigor, making provocations and the like. They reinforced their forts in the east and at times were claimed to be within the territory of Sarmatian Thrace, questioning travelers on the road and searching them for weapons or money. This was entirely intolerable to Khaufarn, whose honor demanded he protect his subject people, so he summoned the knights of the Siraci from their settled places to awaken and guard the roads near Makedonia, and for this purpose he dispatched a royal legate to observe conditions on the border and report back about any malicious happenings.

It was shortly after this precaution was taken that the die was cast in Getia. An envoy was sent to the camp of Khaufarn, and on behalf of Zalmodegikos he issued this ultimatum: that the Sarmatians must, immediately, remove Wardanu from office in Histria and allow the restoration of Sinis as despot over the city. If not, there would be warfare between the two nations.

Khaufarn knew that these terms had been calculated to be unacceptable, and by this design it would appear that he was the aggressor, for denying the request of the Getic king. So he strongly rebuked the messenger, and left him with these words; "let Zalmodegikos come and put Sinis back in office if he thinks this to be so important. For our part we have merely upheld the natural law and the law among nations, to protect the order of things and keep the rightful ruler of the city in his office against the depredations of flatters and conspirators." And the envoy said, "then this will mean war?" Said Khaufarn, "it will not mean peace." And so the conflict long anticipated was regretfully begun.

Khaufarn spent the winter reinforcing his armies and bolstering his granaries and supplies. When spring came, he took to the field and advanced from his camp near Histria across the river Danube and into the Getic territory. Zalmodegikos was cagey, and he shadowed the movements of the Sarmatians while keeping his distance, and since he knew the country well he was able to avoid giving battle while he struck by hidden partisans at the rearguard or ambushed foraging parties, careful not to commit his whole forces.

Khaufarn was troubled. To bring the king to battle, he split his army into cohorts and sent them through the countryside to pillage the towns of the land. Zalmodegikos, seeing his towns and villages looted by the enemy, could not afford to remain aloof and was forced to seek battle. Knowing the area, he brought Khaufarn to bear in a hilly place, where he could occupy the high ground and descend on his enemy, while the men and horses in the Sarmatian host would struggle to keep their footing or acquire momentum.

That was his plan. But thankfully, some Thrakians in the Sarmatian army knew the countryside, and they showed to Khaufarn a path through the hills which would outflank the Getai on their right. When the battle began, Khaufarn allowed his enemy to think he was losing, as he sent a detachment of troops up the rough terrain. This encouraged the Getai and compelled some of them to come down a ways. And just when the battle was peaking, a party of knights sent around the flank charged in and trampled into the rear, causing a panic.

The melee was drawn at close quarters. It was hard to find room to use a spear or a sword. And although little is known about the details, this is what is said to have happened. Somewhere in the mob, the son of the Getic king was seen fighting with his retainers at his side.

Enemies flocked to his position, and he tried to cut a path to safety. But with his back turned, a knight ran him through at the chest and took his life in an instant. Filled with grief and terror, the Getai were put to flight, and very many were run down and slaughtered as they fled. Only the arrival of the elite cavalry under Zalmodegikos saved his army from destruction. With the remnants of his army, the Getic King withdrew to a fort in the mountains, called Buridava, which controlled the passage to the capital city and the seat of the kingdom, Sarmistheguza. Khaufarn followed him there, hot on his tail, taking provisions from the country along the way.

The fort was constructed of wood, with walls about 4 meters high and perhaps a half meter thickness at the base. With the low height of the walls, the Sarmatians were able to use their favored tactic and rain arrows over the battlements and upon the heads of the defenders.

Rams opened breeches in the palisade and the charge was made, with the Greeks and Thrakians leading the way.

They fought with determination, each time one of their rank fell another would rise in their place, and by this steady determination the enemy was slowly forced back. They fought bitterly, yielding no ground, readily abandoning their lives, which they believed to be forfeit already. Their resolve was costly, resulting in huge casualties for the heroic Greeks and Thrakians.

When the dead were counted on both sides, the toll was staggering. Many Greeks had perished. For their efforts, they were rewarded with lands of 30 stadion each. For Zalmodegikos, the tool was even higher. He had lost most of his army, and even two more of his sons, slain in battle like common soldiers - at once noble and humbling. The King was forced to sue for peace. And his terms were harsh, requiring him to disarm and pay an annual tribute of 20,000 talents. He was essentially reduced to a client, although he kept his independence in name for the time being, he lost all of his wealth and his dreams of empire were shattered forever.

Khaufarn took some time to winter in the country and establish forts and settlements of knights, to reward his followers and to keep an eye on the Getai. But at the soonest possible juncture he raced home - too late, we shall soon see - to try and control the burning flames of conflict that were rising between the Sauromatae and the Kings of Makedon.

**Beckitz** · January 13, 2016, 10:45 PM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The Reign of Khaufarn: Part VIII

Cont'd from The Sarmatian Kings

I guess that's why I'm here and I can't come back home
And guess when I heard that - when I was beck home
Kanye West

[...The annals of history are replete with instances when events fall far out of pace with design, and by freak fortune things never imagined or intended come to pass. This was true of the Macedonian War, which in almost every way was an accident, unintended and unlooked for. If it had not been for the laudable resolve and skill of the Sauromatae warriors, and the tight bonds which held the polity together, it is not hard to imagine that it could have become an unmitigated disaster for the state, inflicting ruin and injury all around.

The troubles had perpetuated for a long time. Even before the fall of Attalos in Pergamon, the Makedonians had taken steps to militarize the border. As I mentioned earlier, they built extensive fortifications accommodating even artillery, and when Khaufarn was distracted by the rebellion of Troinos they took advantage of the danger to press claims by force on Sarmatian territory; they blockaded and harassed forts Khaufarn had built to control the land and menaced the homesteads of knights and settlers. In every respect they acted as if to provoke violence. And yet still diplomacy might have carried the day, if not for the tragic indiscipline of the Siraci and their king, Wargadaga Batyradz.

As I mentioned, the Siraci had been settled on the Asian side of the Hellespont. And because of their proximity to the Makedonian border, their knights and settlers had the responsibility to guard against attacks and keep a watchful eye on events. In this capacity, they had been granted as help a portion of the Great King's own royal knights, giving them a mighty force at their beck and call. But this proved to be a mistake, because it caused the Siraci to overestimate their own power. Foolishly one night, after a bout of drinking, some forgotten warriors thought up the idea to raid a village in the near valleys on the Macedonian side of the border, as if to teach them a lesson. When the Siraci king heard of this adventure, he hastened after the drunkards with the main body of his army, hoping to catch up to them and prevent them from their terrible plot. But he was too late, and arrived to find only ruins.

Now word of the attack spread quickly to the Macedonian commander in the area, whose responsibility it was to guard against depredations exactly of this nature. As Wargadaga tried to retreat in utter shame from the territory, presumably to devise some excuse or alibi upon his return, he was intercepted by the Macedonian army in the field and in a state of such low spirits the king was utterly crushed; he was fortunate to lose his own life, while many others were taken prisoner or left to lie on the battlefield maimed and injured.

The survivors did not know what to do; since they had not been permitted to cross into Makedonia in the first place they were fearful of reporting what had been done. So it was actually several weeks before Khaufarn received word of the disaster at his camp outside the City, Saurogav. When he heard the news, he was severely agitated, despairing of this war which he had not intended, certainly not at this time. He sent envoys, flying at all possible speed, to Pella to seek the audience of Antigonos but they were rebuffed, for by that time the Macedonian army had returned and brought fury-choked news of the crime that had been committed.

The envoys pleaded ignorance, attributing the matter to foolishness and ill-temperament, but Antigonos could not be soothed and banished the delegates from his realm, warning them on pain of death not to return. And so he prepared for a righteous war of justice across his land.

The Great King's spies reported that the Makedonians were forming into two hosts, and gathering supplies to retaliate along two fronts, into Thrakia and Asia, to wreak havoc and take vengeance in booty. Fearful of the destruction that would follow this course of events, Khaufarn resolved to strike into Macedonia and with a quick show of force end the war speedily. But the Makedonians were wise to him, and they staged an ambush which trapped the Sarmatian army on all sides.

At first a rumor ran through the ranks that the Great King had been killed, and his body taken by the enemy. But when Khaufarn showed himself, he was able to rally the soldiers to cut their way out. They retreated in haste, suffering some significant losses. As the pursuers chased their quarry, they were tricked into spreading out thinly, and the rearguard salvaged some success that day by cutting down these isolated pockets of stragglers.

But now winter was falling, and the army was worn down and undersized for the scale of the operation to be attempted. So Khaufarn was forced to retreat to Thrakia and rebuild and expand his host for the coming spring.

While the winter passed in inactivity, messengers were dispatched across the whole realm, from one end to another, summoning all of the knights and warriors to duty. And it was like the days of the steppe, when the people lived on horseback and traveled from one place to another, such was the nature of the host that was assembled. But there was little complaining and sad longing for the homestead, because it was known that the Makedonians were in a great fury and would not be merciful; that if they did not leave their homes this one time to protect the realm, everything they had gained so recently would be reduced to rubble or stolen from them.

Come springtime, Khaufarn again advanced into Macedon, seeking the army of Antigonos. He found it at a place just outside the city, on a flat plain where the terrain favored his knights, and they were able to use lance and bow to break the flanks of the enemy and pull the noose around the army.

Now the way to Pella was open

But as Khaufarn was marshaling his forces and consolidating his position in the land, an entirely unexpected disaster happened. The Illyrian tribes of Epirus, disturbed by some famine or another, invaded Macedonia from the northern mountains and began to loot and pillage the whole country, running across like a swarm of locusts. They laid siege to Pella and seemed prepared to continue into Thessaly and Attica, sacking the whole of Greece in the process.

In haste, the Hellenic League met at Demetrios to discuss the emergency. Khaufarn sent delegates on behalf of Sarmatia, and they addressed the council to urge the League to intervene in Makedonia and stop the invasion before it could reach a scale threatening to Greece and Sarmatia alike. But the League was wary of involving themselves, especially since the Epirotes were a known quantity, and the Sarmatian presence in Makedonia was off-putting and worrisome. The Sarmatian envoys swore it was a mistake, and they would carry the burden of defending the homes of them all by themselves.

The Illyrians Epirotes were spread out, not well ordered or concentrated, but merely roving the country at will in search of plunder. In a wide effort, Khaufarn picked at their separated groups and defeated them piece by piece, driving them like a herd of animals into a valley where they were set upon and annihilated.

Now the Sarmatians addressed the league again, and they assuaged many fears by promising to turn Pella over to the League once Antigonos had been subdued and forced to end his thirsty work of vengeance. This time, the intervention of the Sauromatae was met with some excitement, since they seemed to be showing a noble and honest side of themselves, and many Hellenic volunteers flocked to the banner of Khaufarn for a chance to reckon with the old enemy and avenge the storied honor of Greece.

With the last remnants of his once-glorious army, Antigonos gave battle in the fields outside the royal city.

But while the battle was going on, a devious scheme was put into place. The elite of the Greek and Thrakian contingents in the Sarmatian army used stealth and guile to clandestinely scale the walls of the city.

When they had mounted the walls, they ran through the battlements like a whirlwind terror, butchering sentries and guards. They took control of the city gates and massacred the garrisons.

In the fields, Antigonos was being overwhelmed. But when he tried to withdraw into the city, the gates were barred and the Greek infiltrators threw missiles from the walls. Cornered, the Makedonians fought to the bitter end, their backs pressed against the walls and the gates for dear life.

In an epic ceremony, Pella was handed to the control of the Greeks. And arrangements were made on both sides, for future amity and for the settling of veterans.

So what had begun as a disaster, and nearly cost the state its entire armies and its relations with the Hellenes, ended in a triumph for Sarmatia in the eyes of the world and for the Greek League in practice, who avenged their stained honor and completed their mastery of all Hellas. And the new arrangements were to last a long time, although not forever, as the reader shall see at the proper time.

**Beckitz** · January 14, 2016, 02:42 PM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The Reign of Khaufarn: Part IX

Cont'd from The Sarmatian Kings

The money is mine - I won
I won the money
Vegas Vacation

[...at last across Europe and Asia Minor there was peace. Khaufarn returned to a glorious triumph in the city, marching at the head of his lauded army while people from windows and balconies threw garlands in the air and citizens thronged the streets and alleyways to cheer in pride. It was the 19th year of his reign and the 56th year of his life. To commemorate his victory over Makedon he constructed a vast new public square and for 90 days announced a tax holiday for all merchants and shop owners, in general cultivating an air of festivities across the land.

It was the first time that the realm had really seen a peace without some crisis or another on the horizon. And Khaufarn proved himself as capable in peace as he had been in war. He devoted himself to improving the administration of the state; he clarified new accounts in the treasury and designated them to distinct purposes; he reformed the tax code and adjusted the scheme of taxation along district lines, to better micromanage where the burden was applied; he built countless new marketplaces in the cities, lighthouses in the ports, and travelers stations along the roads which he rebuilt in many places, some building them anew; and he built the first fleet of the realm, to chase the pirates out of the waters.

From all of this, the Black Sea became a haven of prosperous trade, benefiting under these wise acts of patronage. Merchants from the realm, strongly supported by mercantilist policies and the credit of the king's own wealth, became famed across the region for their wide selection and competitive prices. They established new communities throughout the area, bringing with them families and children, creating whole new towns in some places. They attracted, by the sheer prosperity of their lives, the awe of other nations and many desired to replicate the success of Sarmatia. The city of Olbia, that old friend of Khaufarn, was admitted into the realm as a free city, paying no tax but supplying the realm with abundant grain.

There were many things of value traded across the Black Sea in this era, but the most valuable of all was amber. That precious metal was like gold, only better, because it lasted longer and could be crafted all the more easily. The people of the realm, and of the whole region, desired amber with an avarice unprecedented before, like the hunger of a starving man for food or a freezing man for the embrace of sleep.

The amber was not local, but it came from far away - way up north, where the Baltic Sea is. It was shipped downriver on pontoon boats, where it would arrive at Olbia and be bought and sold from there. But the supply of amber was controlled sharply by cartels, known as the Amber Gangs.

The gangs were like a den of thieves, but they were crafty like wolves and foxes. They had a camp, Klepidava, downriver where they collected the amber that was shipped from the north and stockpiled it, releasing only a little at a time, sometimes not at all. But this design they could control the price, or if they needed to extract some concessions from the Olbian despot they would cut the flow of amber into the city, and force the citizens to capitulate in exchange for their much-loved sap.

This state of affairs was greatly injurious to the people of the Black Sea, and left them powerless. Khaufarn hatched a plan, to capture the camp of the Amber Gangers and disperse them, taking control of the supply into the hands of the state. So he dispatched an army, drawn from the knights of Madusaga Eltagan, and led by a legate of the royal tribe, his name Nawaga.

Meanwhile other events were happening in Asia Minor. First, a revolt broke out in the free city of Halikarnassus, when the slaves employed at the docks refused to work any longer and demanded their freedom. The local Sauromatae settlers - the Halani, as I mentioned - were called up to service to end the rebellion and restore law. The slaves armed themselves with crude weapons and armored that they had managed to steal, but it proved to be too little to resist the ferocity of Sarmatian warriors.

About the same time that this was going on, another incident was brewing near Nikaia. The realm of Ausigasa Dzaergaes and his Roxolani was accruing the ire of the local Selukid governor, the Satrap of Ipsos. For Ausigasa had been careless with his settlers, allowing them to stretch the borders of Roxolani land well beyond what had been originally agreed upon. Their presence was causing conflict with the locals and leading to incidents of violence.

Ipsos wanted to deal with the matter by force, and re-establish his borders at the point of a spear. But the Satrap of Sardis, learning of the dispute, hastened to Ipsos, where he invited Ausigasa to confer with the two of them and they would hammer out an agreement that would prevent needless bloodshed.

The negotiations began. Ausigasa insisted that the border of Roxolan should be drawn at a point 2,000 stadion beyond what Ipsos claimed at his domain. The two men were hot in the head. Ipsos made some remark about how the Sarmatians never should have been invited into Asia, and this nearly sent things into a spiral, if not for complete chance. For it just so happened that at that time, several envoys from Galatia were present in the court on business. Hearing the shouting and raised voices, they timidly stumbled into the room. In the heat of the moment, Ausigasa exclaimed to them, "can not a tired soul settle on land which has not even touched plow or seed?" Said Ipsos quickly, "shall the borders of men be drawn like puzzle pieces and scattered across the land like feed for a cattle?"

The barbarians were taken aback, sheepish at the outburst. Until one spoke, "it must be both - for who uses the land owns the land, but who profits from the land also owns the land." By this it was meant that, if Ipsos were nearer to the land that Nikaia, it should make no sense that the taxes and harvest would go to Nikaia and not Ipsos. So it was tepidly agreed, that the distance between the two cities would be measured and at exactly the halfway point, they would draw the boundary marker.

As it turned out, Ausigasa only lost some token settlers, contrary to the mad claims of Ipsos. But still the matter was concluded and laid to rest for the time being.

Meanwhile at Klepidava the camp of the Amber Gangs was assailed and destroyed, the Gangers put to flight. On the site of the camp, a fort was constructed, and workers were conscripted to dig new roads through the forests, down to Olbia. And the restrictions on supply were lifted and amber flowed freely into the Black Sea to the delight of all.

Envoys from wild woods people, the Boioi and the Lugiones, came to the fort and new arrangements were made for the movement of the amber from the Black Sea. With the supply networks opened up, Sarmatia became the virtual ruler of the Black Sea trade, profiting hugely from the amber. And in that short span of 19 years, now almost 21, Khaufarn had done more for the Black Sea civilization then they had ever managed to do for themselves in hundreds of years.

Yet power has its detractors.

**Zeion** · January 15, 2016, 03:26 AM

Hey Beckitz,

good to see you are moving forward with some more great updates! It would be great if you could restore the remaining missing chapters as well.

I said it before, but I think your writing is brilliant - very matching with your story and your campaign, and truly inspiring! This AAR is truly brilliant work.

Just one thing: I am a bit confused by your summary in the OP. In general it's a cool idea to show events summarized like that, but I'm a bit lost as to whether or not these events take place in parallel? Or is it chronologically from top to bottom? Also, the kings of Sarmatia - I think it would be good to explain who is king of what tribe. I had to go back and forth between the kings and tribes to make the connection.

Also, just out of interest, since I have never played the Sauromatae myself: Is the tribes system implemented in the game or is this something you came up with yourself?
On a side note: I would be very interested to see a map of the world, as drawn by the storytellers of Sarmatia...

Cheers and hope you continue to move on at this pace!

**Beckitz** · January 15, 2016, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by Zeion

Hey Beckitz,

good to see you are moving forward with some more great updates! It would be great if you could restore the remaining missing chapters as well.

I said it before, but I think your writing is brilliant - very matching with your story and your campaign, and truly inspiring! This AAR is truly brilliant work.

Just one thing: I am a bit confused by your summary in the OP. In general it's a cool idea to show events summarized like that, but I'm a bit lost as to whether or not these events take place in parallel? Or is it chronologically from top to bottom? Also, the kings of Sarmatia - I think it would be good to explain who is king of what tribe. I had to go back and forth between the kings and tribes to make the connection.

Also, just out of interest, since I have never played the Sauromatae myself: Is the tribes system implemented in the game or is this something you came up with yourself?
On a side note: I would be very interested to see a map of the world, as drawn by the storytellers of Sarmatia...

Cheers and hope you continue to move on at this pace!

Wow thanks!

The OP is where I'm putting the old posts that were deleted. So they're in chronological order, from top to bottom, and then all the posts after the OP are a continuation from where I had left off. Replacing the old posts is a priority for me, but I couldn't get them back in the cache, so it will take a lot of work and some considerable time :/

I tried to include the kings of the major tribes in their descriptions. The minor tribes actually don't have kings, most of them, because they are not represented in the game but I included them for story purposes. The tribes I did based on the the ethnicity trait system, which ascribes an ethnic group to each character. So Khaufarn has the trait 'Sai' (the royal tribe), Ausigasa has the 'roxolan' trait, etc. It's pretty cool - but you know that already. There are some unique tribal units (Aorsi horse archers for example) but for the most part it is something I roleplay.

And I am a piss poor drawer but I will perhaps give it a go!

**Alwyn** · January 15, 2016, 11:30 AM

I'm sorry to hear that couldn't get your old posts back in the cache. I find your notes in the OP helpful, to keep track of the sequence of events. It is good to see this impressive AAR continuing.

**Beckitz** · January 16, 2016, 11:27 AM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The Reign of Khaufarn: Part X

Cont'd from The Sarmatian Kings

I'mma show you how to turn it up a notch
You get a swimming pool full of liquor and you dive in it
Kendrick Lamar

[...the Black Sea is large, requiring months of travel to cross from one end to the other. But it was not large enough for the ambitions of Khaufarn, the Great King of Sarmatia, and Pairisades, the Tyrant of Pantikapaion, to co-exist in peace. For both men had dreams to construct mighty empires out of the fertile Sea and to control the wealth that passed through its communities.

Khaufarn was a great patron of merchants and craftsmen, which he did through the merchant colonies, also sometimes called outposts. The way the merchant colonies worked was like this: first a small group of merchant ambassadors would be sent to a town or city, and they would bring with them samples of their wares to display to the authorities and signed letters from the King personally, approaching with amity and peace. And if the local rulers were intrigued by the offerings, the Sarmatian king would dispatch a party of freemen merchants to establish business in the community. By the support of the King, they could achieve profits greatly in excess of the abilities of a private individual, and they were able to make transactions on credit using the good name and authority of the royal treasury.

There was a practice in these colonies, once established, of destroying competitors by collusion, offering cheap prices that the other merchants could not match, and then once all other suppliers were eliminated, the merchants would all raise their prices to soaring heights, wringing the lifeblood out of the population. This policy was ruinous to many people, robbing merchants and citizens alike of their wealth, and driving them to anger and hate. It concerned the Greek cities of Cimmeria so much that, finally yielding to the pressure of the mob, they passed laws to confiscate the property of the merchant colonies, to compel them to lower their prices, or to expel them from the community entirely.

This accrued the ire of Khaufarn, and he issued ultimatums to the offending polities to restore the status of the merchants or else suffer retribution. Their compliance not forthcoming, he dispatched a host by sea to surfeit the rogue cities and put them back in their place.

While this was going on, a danger to the state loomed in western Thrakia and above Greece. Driven by pressures from their neighbors, the Illyrians had abandoned their homes and turned to living on foot and horseback. Everywhere they went, they despoiled the countryside for food, water, and money which did not belong to them. And as they crossed into Sarmatia, they turned to pillaging the homesteads of knights and Greek veterans, spreading fire and fear through the land.

Madusaga Eltagan was King in those lands, where the Aorsi held dominion. In haste, he summoned his knights and warriors and proceeded into Thrakia in full alarm, his scouts reporting pockets here and there, sometimes clashing with the foe.

In heated melee the discipline of his warriors held the line and put the wandering bandits to flight.

Also while these events were happening, the Satrap of Sardis - friend to Sarmatia - was summoned by Antiochos himself to go and serve in the court of the Basileus as retainer. He was replaced by Ipsos, who now was also Sardis, doubling in power and authority.

But let us return to the events in Cimmeria. Khaufarn landed in the heat of summer and contended with his first rouge city, Kheresonesos. The tyrant of that place was called Epaineros, and he had many powerful retainers, including Raukhasapur, the King of Scythia, who was commander of a mighty horde.

The cavalry of both sides began the battle with a charge, colliding at full pace. The Scythians held for a time, until someone in the ranks slew the Scythian king and had his head impaled on a spike pole, which was raised as if it were a standard over the heads of the combatants. The sight imparted a terrible fear, which broke the ranks of the Scythians and allowed the Sarmatian knights to crush the Greek army from the side, trampling them en masse.

Still the tyrant of Pantikapaion remained in resistance. And this conflict was bitter, steeped in the memory of the cruel deeds done by either side during the long journey to Thrakia. Pairisades, the Basileus, was cagey, not giving battle against the mounted horde, but holding key forts across the country and striking tepidly from these with partisans.

But Khaufarn took control of the routes and roads which carried grain across the province. Pairisades was then forced to try and bring his army into the country, where he would have fortified the fields and camped directly within them, guaranteeing provisions. But he was intercepted while he tried to complete the maneuver and brought to battle near the shore.

The Basileus retreated to the city, and Khaufarn began a siege from land and sea. The Sarmatians stormed the walls, trapping the survivors inside the keep. After promises of clemency and honorable surrender, they capitulated.

The Basileus himself died in the fighting, refusing to sully his honor. The city was destroyed utterly, the inhabitants deprived of home, and on the ruins of the polity Ausigasa Dzaergaes settled a new colony of his Roxolan, which was destined to grow into a great commercial city.

**Zeion** · January 16, 2016, 11:39 AM

Oh no, not Pantikapaion! Not Pairisades!

Another good update. Khaufarn is surely an impressive leader and commander, I wonder if his selfishness will lead to some problems with the other kings later on. Also, impressive battle against the Illyrians. This should make it easier to conquer the lands in the west.

And finally, I wonder what will happen in asia minor, with Ipsos as the new governor...

**Beckitz** · January 17, 2016, 01:01 PM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The Reign of Khaufarn: Part XI
Cont'd from The Sarmatian Kings

I'm a cowboy
On a stale horse, I ride
Bon Jovi

[...among the Scythian races, it is a way of life to make war on other nations and take treasures by force of arms. Since time immemorial, the Greek cities of the Black Sea had endured and thrived in spite of attacks from Earth and Man. But Khaufarn, law-giver, brought order to the region. He ended the pirate gangs and had their ranks sold into slavery. He created standing patrols for roads and shipping lanes. And he also subdued the Scythian tribes, building forts within their lands and appointing kings over their nations.

It was said commonly that Khaufarn's war in the steppes was not like a war but a grand tour. For everyone in his court, though proud of their new realm carved from nothing, always harbored deep longing for home and were overjoyed to see the wide grasses once more. And Khaufarn, carrying himself like a hero at homecoming, went from one place to the next puffed up in stature, surrounded always by retainers and flatterers, defeating one nation after another, seeing and remarking upon vast people and places with deliberate magnanimity.

The people who came to swear allegiance to the Great King were countless. Early in his campaign, near Olbia, Khaufarn pacified the Auchatai, or the royal tribe of Scythia, who lived in the grasslands above Mikra Scythia and would every now and again stage attacks on the traveling roads and the amber routes.

Khaufarn brought them to battle and crushed them, extorting pledges of fealty and submission; to solidify his control over them he built forts in their land and compelled the people to stay put, farming the land.

He took command of many of the vassals of Scythia and assumed lordship over them by right of force. Over the royal tribe he appointed his own man as king. Many of the Scythian nations refused and appointed their own candidate in opposition. A coalition of the Catiaroi and the Traspians was routed by Khaufarn and they were forced to concede defeat, admitting to a shameful indemnity.

The time when Khaufarn was in Scythia was a time of peace across the realm. The legates of the Great King ruled in his stead and advanced the administration, carving out administrative structures, by which I mean they created new offices, compiled offices into working groups with shared and countervailing authorities, and took censuses which expanded the tax base and the army. The only other thing which happened during this time was the meeting of the Hellenic League.

The Congress was called by Athens, when it had become apparent that the whole of Greece was now politically united. And at this summit the delegates established a new constitution, which expanded the voting rights of the lesser polities and gave the League more power, allowing it for the first time to demand contributions of soldiers and grain from the members, and pledged the polities to unite in war and peace so that they resolved upon either together.

The free cities of Ephesos and Halikarnassos were a tricky case. They were not supposed to have their own policies, a thing which made the citizens indignant and which the League too, liked to castigate, because they would have been so much stronger with the south of Asia Minor at their disposal. But to avoid war with the Seleukids or Sauromatae, they were not admitted as members to the Hellenic League even though they were allowed to attend meetings of the council and to speak in the assembly.

This was really just a delaying tactic, which pushed the matter ahead to be decided later. Khaufarn had always been optimistic that the League and the Sarmatians could unite over shared values and their mutual pride at arms. But Khaufarn did not live long enough to make the decisive decision about the Hellenes. At the age of 70, sortly after he returned to the city from his campaigns in the steppes, Khaufarn died.

**Beckitz** · January 17, 2016, 07:50 PM

The Reign of Khaufarn
272 - 248 BCE

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

[...now we should take some time to regard the virtues and defects of Khaufarn, King of the Sauromatae. In the old ways of his people he lived the creed of manhood flawlessly, devoting himself as a warrior, a chief, and a caretaker. He was exceedingly brave in battle, and benefited from an impressive constitution. He was very well adept at running, archery, javelin throwing, wrestling, and horseback riding, and he was a capable swimmer. To his subjects he was unerringly just, and he addressed all slaves as if they were freedmen and all freedmen as if they were knights in his own court. He was very skilled with money and he never allowed the royal office to be abused by his friends and associates for personal gain. He was beneficent to Greeks and preserved their civilization, making it part of his own. He knew how to adapt the customs and manners of civilization without losing the fierce strength of savagery. As a statesman he was far-sighted, always preferring to avoid war yet smart enough to rule from a position of strength at all times.

Of the defects of this great king, there are not so many, but it behooves me to mention them for the sake of the truth. At times he could be too much committed to virtue, and unwilling to do sufficient injury to his enemy or rivals in order to prevent them menacing the interests of the state again in the future. He was not political, and he either did not care about or failed to grasp the dangerous factions which grew within the nobility and between the nations during his rule. He sometimes preferred peace at times when he could have easily profited from war. He could be too much deferential to the most minute positions of the subject peoples even when they were terribly inexpedient or they clashed with the interest of the regime.

His funeral was a lavish but grave affair, done according to the traditional ways of the Sauromatae. A great funeral pyre was built, with the king's body laid across, while beneath him , like a gilded cage, they stored all of his personal possessions - his broaches, rings, tourniquets, garments, arms and armor, and all of it they lit ablaze, so that the fire consumed everything and scorched it into wax. And around the fire pit his wives wailed with grief while others sang songs and danced in ceremonies designed to placate the underworld.

After Khaufarn, his son Khisigara inherited the throne of the royal tribe, the Sai. But the two strongest kings - Ausigasa Dzaergaes of Roxolan and Madusaga Eltagan of the Aorsi - both staked claims to the throne of the realm, arguing from merit and power. Ausigasa had the rich lands of Asia Minor and some of Cimmeria, controlling the cities of Nikaia and former Pantikapaion; Madusaga Eltagan had vast holdings in Thrakia and was a middleman for much of the amber trade across the Black Sea coming from Olbia and Alazonia. The whole leadership was bitterly divided into two camps on the issue, and the two kings themselves grew to harbor deep resentment toward the other, as if their birthright were being stolen inexplicably. Neither could be convinced to relinquish their claims. After weeks of fruitless discussion, the council decided to appoint both men as co-ruler, sharing the authority of Great King.

It was clear the clashing ambitions of Ausigasa and Madusaga could not be averted, only delayed. But for a time, the dual rulership preserved the integrity of the empire. In an atmosphere of good cheer, the two men made plans for a grand campaign in Asia...

**Slaytaninc** · January 18, 2016, 12:38 AM

If you have half an appetite for modding you could build a grand empire and then make a massive civil war to fight.

**Zeion** · January 18, 2016, 01:30 AM

Great update!
Hooray, finally a map

Ausigasa and Madusaga could indeed be two competitors during a civil war at some point. Or one of them makes sure to get the other one out of the way before the end of their next campaign?

Also, I appreciated the summarizing part about Khaufarn and his character, well done.

**Beckitz** · January 18, 2016, 09:57 AM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The Reign of Ausigasa Dzaergaes and Madusaga Eltagan
From A New History of the Sarmatians

I'm praying for the end of time, that's all that I can do
Praying for the end of time so I can end my time with you
Meatloaf

Both kings spent the remainder of the year attending to their holdings, earmarking levies of soldiers for the spring and making preparations with regards to governance in their absence. Asia had been chosen as the target only after vigorous debate; Madusaga favored Pannonia and Illyria with an eye toward eventually submitting Greece, but the soldiers evidently vetoed the decision in light of expecting better plunder in the urbanized east.

Implicitly and explicitly, the two men promised to distribute the conquered land among the whole confederacy, as a way of winning enthusiastic support from the lesser nations. Come springtime, the kings had gathered a vast invading force of upwards near 90,000, most of them experienced veterans of Khaufarn's campaigns in Thrakia and Cimmeria. A wild, almost debauched atmosphere prevailed leading up to the start of the campaign. Prestigious offices and governing commissions were promised liberally and the expectations built for a glorious victory tour.

First the city of Ipsos was besieged. Progress was delayed while the Sarmatians agitated outside the walls, their poor command of siege tactics becoming apparent quickly. After three weeks of the siege, a relieving army sent by the Basileus under the command of his relative Antiochos Soter tried to attack the Sarmatian camp.

Ausigasa lined up his army like a horseshoe, allowing the Seleukids to advance into a deathtrap of missiles. He kept them busy long enough for Madusaga to dispense with the garrison of the city and hasten back with his soldiers to slice through the rear of the Greek forces and secure the victory.

In Ipsos the satrap, who always had been cagey and capricious, his resolution floating from one course to another in the wind of circumstance, was allowed to remain governor of the city in exchange for pledging his troops to the campaign. Armed with Greek hoplite power, the kings continued their advance south and approached the city of Sardis.

The citizens were anxious, not desiring to risk an unfortunate fate by resisting. Ipsos, for his part, commanded the garrison of the city to surrender but they hesitated, not wanting to damage their honor or reduce themselves to outcasts by abandoning their country. It took long negotiations and many promises of mercy before the gates were opened and Sardis was surrendered to the Sarmatians.

Now emissaries from Syria came on behalf of the Greek king. And they came in anger, shouting and grandstanding. "What can you Sarmatians," they said, "hope to do with cities and walled houses when scarcely you even think to relieve yourselves away from the savagery of nature - who take the jewels of Anatolia but camp outside their walls, who turn from being served on horseback to standing with your backs bent behind the plow, and who do not even speak Greek but still appoint men to read and write things you will never even understand?"

Ausigasa and Madusaga were infuriated, and they sent the envoys back to Syria with gags stuffed in their mouths and their hands chained behind their backs - hugely insulting. Not long after, when they had settled affairs at Ipsos and Sardis, the kings advanced to the city of Side and butchered it, and in its place they settled some of their worthiest knights and consigned the populace to slavery beneath their new rule.

Now again the Greeks approached with an army to do battle. And this time there was dissent in the ranks, as rumor spread that the former Satrap of Sardis was at the helm of the army. But in turned out to be false as instead the Basileus sent Andromachos, the commander of the household troops, along with the elite guard of the king who had the finest arms and armored. They were equipped in the deadly phalanx, and heavily armored cavalry guarded the wings.

But fatefully, the Seleukid companions could not break through the ranks of the Sarmatian knights and the wings of the army held, eventually forcing the Greek army into a pocket where it was shredded and many died or fled the field of battle forever, becoming rogues.

The survivors of the army under Andromachos fled to the city of Tarsos but they were outpaced by the Sarmatian horde and surrounded there, forced to hand over their arms and become prisoner. They were marched through Anatolia to Thrakia, to be used as slaves, and along the way many deserted or were lost to thirst and fatigue.

In Antiochea the Seleukid king was in a state of panic. His advisers were divided into two camps, one which wanted to remain and try to hold the city, the other advocating an escape to the east. In the end, the Basileus along with his whole court fled and left the capital virtually unguarded - the Sarmatians occupied it peacefully and there was minimal looting.

Here the army rested. Ausigasa settled many veterans in Syria and made appointments for offices over Anatolia. He upset many, however, who expected the lands to be distributed more evenly among the nations, because he heavily favored the Roxolani and gave the smallest and worst allotments of land to his rivals under the faction of Madusaga. Incensed, Madusaga took his knights and warriors and he left Ausigasa in Syria with his own troops.

Upon his return to Sarmatia, Madusaga raised a huge army of Greeks and Thrakians to accompany his Aorsi cavalry, and he excited the flames of war among the subject nations by promising them huge lands in Dacia, Pannonia, and Illyria - so he began his own campaign in Europe. Meanwhile, Ausigasa was not to be deterred, but instead he rested his horde and - with the support of troops from Satrap Ipsos - he resolved to carry on into the heart of Asia.

**Beckitz** · January 18, 2016, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Slaytaninc

If you have half an appetite for modding you could build a grand empire and then make a massive civil war to fight.

No spoilers and I also haven't even decided yet but it's a cool idea

Great update!
Hooray, finally a map

Ausigasa and Madusaga could indeed be two competitors during a civil war at some point. Or one of them makes sure to get the other one out of the way before the end of their next campaign?

Also, I appreciated the summarizing part about Khaufarn and his character, well done.

Right now they are just starting to realize how much of an obstacle they are to each other

**Beckitz** · January 19, 2016, 04:05 PM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The Pontic Campaign of Urwastur

From Life of Urwastur

Started from the bottom now we here
Started from the bottom now the whole team in' here
Drake

[...The kingship of the royal tribe then passed to Urwastur, elder nephew of the Great King, even as the united throne was awarded to Ausigasa Dzaergaes and Madusaga Eltagan. But Urwastur inherited richly from the dead king, and inherited from him a mighty army of warriors, whose hooves had touched land from the Danube valley all the way to the plains of Maeotis. Being young, and finding his host anxious for plunder, the ventured to try some grand scheme thinking that it might have rewarded him with bounty of fame and fortune.

He crossed into the north part of Asia called Pontus. He destroyed several pockets of sentries and took by surprise numerous forts which fell like lightning. After meeting a small army in the eastern part of Galatia, and putting them hard to flight, he kept the march of his army through the arid parts and put the Galatian camp under siege.

The Galatians are a fierce people to behold. In battle they wear tunics and each carries a wooden shield, approximately three feet in diameter and much shorter in width, in the other hand they are always equipped with a spear. The nobles wear armor of chained mail linked together and each uses a sword, which is short in blade designed for stabbing the foe rather than hacking and slashing. On horse back they make excellent warriors, often standing in their saddles to achieve maximum weight.

He broke breaches in the fort and the Sarmatian warriors charged in, while others peppered the defenders with arrows. Finally the enemy broke ranks and were trampled in pursuit.

Word arrived that the Pontic King was coming with the royal guard forces to head off Urwastur. Urwastur tried to outmaneuver him and advance on the Pontic capital through the mountains but the enemy king got word of his plan and met him high in the mountain passes.

The cavalry on the wings clashed fiercely for a long time. When a Pontic captain was slain and his helmet taken, the remaining cavalry fled and opened the flanks to the Sarmatians.

The Pontic king raced to the sight of the rout to try and rally his men, but he was struck by a wayward arrow and pierced in the shoulder, and he withdrew to his tent.

The vanguard of the army now reached the gates of the royal city itself.

The Pontic King's son arrived with an army. At first, he cracked through the Sarmatian warriors and was putting many to flight.

But then the warlord himself arrived on the scene and rallied resistance by charging boldly into the foe.

Pontus was made a vassal of the royal tribe and many of lands were confiscated and redistributed to settlers.

Short update because not much happened but some real action is coming soon

**Beckitz** · January 20, 2016, 04:16 PM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The Reign of Ausigasa Dzaergaes and Madusaga Eltagan

From New History of the Sarmatians

I come from the land of the ice and snow
Where the midnight sun and the hot-springs blow
Led Zepplin

[...Without the forces of Madusaga Eltagan on hand, many lieutenants in the court of Ausigasa Dzaergaes tried to prevail upon him to abandon the plans for further conquest in Asia, fearing that they would surely exhaust their remaining strength in the effort. But the king was not to be deterred, and he set out from Antioch after leaving settlers behind to secure the area. He gathered his men and he gave them this speech.

"Men, we have already gone far into the heart of Asia. Lycia, Cappadocia, Syria, and many others are now under our banner? Why should we continue? I say, why should we stop! Our foes are so weak in comparison to us that it would be foolish to squander this moment in history, and prevent ourselves from being emperors and kings and settle instead to be knights and petty lords. As for me, I will take the route of glory, which I know that I can traverse with your strength and courage at my back."

His speech electrified the soldiers and charged them with passionate dreams of booty, riches, and power. Ausigasa mobilized the horde and he advanced next into Assyria, where he contended with the satrap of Edessa and his forces.

He met the Greek army in battle near the banks of the Euphrates. They had expected the river bank to be a boon to their own forces, because it would guard their flank. But in the end it only prevented their retreat, and many were lost and drowned to death in the river.

In Edessa Ausigasa Dzaergaes captured many forts and destroyed them, in their place planting colonies of knights, again with an eye to controlling the area.

The Greek king did not dare take the field. He was far away in Persia, gathering as many forces as he could for a decisive battle where he hoped to scatter the Sauromatae horde. In this tactic, he abandoned much of Syria and Palestine to the Sarmatians.

Having a free hand, Ausigasa took his time and set about reducing the rest of Syria to subjugation. He advanced on Damascus next and the city surrendered to him, anxious to avoid injury.

Next he isolated a garrison that had been stationed in the area, under the command of the king's brother himself, Seleukos - son of Seleukos - who refused to surrender the fort and was slaughtered along with his soldiers

When southern Syria had been enfeebled Ausigasa was now in command of countless nations, having forced them into submission by the sword. The wealth he acquired was very great and his soldiers were fiercely loyal to him because of the spoils. He made many of his knights governors and magistrates over his new holdings, and settled hundreds of new towns and colonies to rule over the land and administer the state.

Meanwhile, Madusaga Eltagan had taken his warriors back to Thrakia. He gathered a horde of lowborn Greeks, Thrakians, and Getai to his banner and promised them all holdings of land in whatever lands they were able to conquer. He first engineered a conflict with the Dacian kingdom by issuing an ultimatum he knew the could not accept, of huge sums of gold and reprehensible exchanges of hostages. When the Dacians refused he stormed into their country and took it by storm, deposing the king. He took a vast survey of the land and allotted it out to his troops - they received not only the earth but the people on it as slaves and laborers.

So the kingdom of the Sauromatae grew large, but power splintered in two directions. Those caught in the middle tried either to hold the confederacy together or used the opportunity to make personal gains, settling lands and taking advantage of profit.

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