Reunification: a Marcomanni AAR (updated chapter 25)

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

So, your Germanic brothers eventually decided that co-operation was the better part of valour! That 'glorious future' seems to be getting closer (well, once you've dealt with everyone else)...

[Alwyn]

The continuing rise of your confederation is impressive with great reporting of battles and stunning screenshots (+rep).

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Thirteen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

News of the Caledones invasion rocked our people. Never before had a foreign tribe so haughtily attacked and conquered our lands. We had others invade, yes, but never had they taken territory. An only partially irrational panic gripped us, as the invasion brought on memories of their invasions so many years ago when the great Suebi empire began to crumble. Were we about to face the same fate?

We looked back upon the Helvetii attack against our capital only ten years ago in which the intrepid defenders managed to drive off the invaders against great odds. The Defenders of the Hearth, they were called, the valiant three thousand warriors who stood to defend our homeland against invasion. With Siegfried as their commander, they stood proudly, ready to face any threat.

And now they were called upon again to defend our lands. They made haste for the coast, meeting up with Nevelung’s army along the way. Not too far from where the Caledones violated our people, we met them in battle.





On a glorious autumn day did Nevelung and Siegfried face the two Caledones armies which had invaded our lands.





The Caledones had field artillery so we had to move fast to prevent them from inflicting too much damage. Our commanders had our men stalk through the woods on approach, hiding from enemy eyes until the moment came to charge. But there was a large clearing which we must cross before we can wipe out the enemy artillery crews.





The second our men emerged from the woods, the Caledones artillery aimed at us, killing dozens instantly.





It was not a great start to what was to become a very bloody battle. We charged towards the enemy while under fire from their artillery. We were in disarray. Men hesitated among explosions, fearing to press on. Nevelung and Siegfried rallied the men, urging them to press on. But even with the rallying cries of the heroes of the Marcomanni, our forces were uncoordinated. As a result we did not attack the enemy as one, and instead as broken groups of men, allowing for the Britannic warriors to pick apart entire Germanic warriors.





The Britannic warriors who we fought were not your average warriors. These were not levy spearmen or anything. These were battle hardened troops with tough armor and an even tougher resolve. They were veterans from wiping the floor with the Arii a few years back when the Arii had invaded their lands. The Arii invasion ended in failure, as the Britannic tribes converged on them and subsequently kicked the invaders off their island. So this was making to be a much tougher battle than expected. Some of them also had funny hats.





Our commanders managed to stabilize the line and plug any gaps before any more serious damage could be done. The battle raged for hours. Nevelung told me afterwards in a letter that watching our men go tooth and nail with the Britannic warriors was one of the most nerve-wracking things he has ever gone through. Three units of our swordsmen were wiped out by the armor-clad Caledones, who were only defeated when we managed to get units around their flanks.





The Britons also had a lot of cavalry. Their cavalry outnumbered us three to one, but our cavalry was heavier, so while our heavy cavalry tied up their heavier cavalry, their light cavalry attempted to attack our men. They didn’t have much success in that. Whatever experience their infantry had, their cavalry clearly did not share.





Finally the enemy broke into a mass rout when we killed one of their generals. Those chariots are really not designed for agility (and if you knock a wheel off it is rather easy to kill the riders), so I’m not so sure why their generals would think it’s a good idea to ride around those things on a battlefield. Though I will admit that I do want one. I wouldn’t use it on a battlefield, that would be insane, but I would love to race down the streets of Bergium on one.





While our cavalry chased down the last of the Caledones, we surveyed the battlefield. It was carnage. Almost six thousand bodies were strewn over the field, and their blood would soak this field for years to come.





Our casualties were heavy. Almost two thousand of our brothers were slain, and many more were injured. We had lost three entire units, and many more had taken serious casualties. The Caledones, on the other hand, were basically wiped out.





On the heels of our victory, Nevelung and Siegfried swooped in and re-took Flevium. What was once lost was now back in our hands.





I wished that with the good news of the defeat of the Caledones invading force things would get quieter but that was not the case. Three armies were at our border. Two of Pompey’s Roman armies and one Dacian army (they were military allies) were seemingly poised to invade. After sending some envoys, it seemed like the Dacians were pretty angry at us, but more on that later. In the end they did not invade, much to our relief, and they moved away from the border.





A month after the Caledones defeat, the Iceni seemed to think it was a good idea to declare war on us. I really have no idea why they would do that, but those Britons, so unpredictable!





No huge invasion force landed on our shores, but there was one Iceni army that had been camping out near Treva. We had been okay with it for some odd reason but now that it was war, this would not be tolerable. Though when a freshly raised army led by a green general by the name of Folcher offered battle, the Iceni general seemed genuinely surprised; I guess he never got the message that we were now at war. Sucks for him I guess.





We had artillery for this battle, and our men seemed a little too excited to see it fire at the enemy.





The Iceni had a lot of cavalry in their army, so our men had to buckle down and use their counter-cavalry tactics against the attacking cavalry. And even with our fancy tactics, it eventually broke down into single combat between the Iceni cavalrymen and our swordsmen.





We managed to chase down their general once again since he was on those very impractical chariots (seriously, who thought it was a good idea to fight on one of those?).





One expects an untested general to hang back for his first battle and not get physically involved, but that clearly was not Folcher’s style. He saw an opening through the lines and charged right through into the Iceni skirmisher units. He might not have been right at the front of the charge, but he was in the very respectable third rank I heard, so good on him! A real leader of men!





Around this time some Iceni heavy cavalry snuck around and hit one of our units of archers. They devastated the unit, though we managed to save them at the last minute, but by that time the vast majority of the unit was slain.





Back on the main line, the Iceni infantry had for the most part fled already, save for a single unit of woman warriors. We were surprised that they outlasted their male compatriots, and even though we ended up slaughtering all but two of them (who managed to flee into the woods somewhere), they earned our respect.





On the other hand it was kind of enjoyable to run down the other fleeing Icenis, capturing anyone who we could and killing the ones who resisted.





We had won the day and captured over two hundred Iceni prisoners. We ended up enslaving the ones we captured, as Folcher felt kind of bad for surprising them with the declaration of war earlier.





It was then that a peace envoy came from the Iceni. For some reason they now wanted peace. I’m not really sure why they even bothered to declare war on us in the first place if they just wanted peace as soon as they suffered one defeat, but whatever works for them I guess. Besides, we have enough enemies now that we don’t need the Iceni to be at war with us as well. So we accepted their peace offer and put the very short war behind us. For now.





Do you remember how the Dacians hated us and seemingly were about to invade with their Roman allies? Well I finally found out why. One of the old Nahanarvali generals, a man by the name of Sigivald kept leading small raiding forces into Dacian territory, killing innocent villagers and plundering whatever they could. Somehow this went unnoticed and unreported by my advisors. Apparently the complaints by the Dacians had been ignored by a select few advisors who were profiting from the raiding, so news of the raids never reached me.

I executed Sigivald and the corrupt advisors in an effort to placate the Dacians. We will see what that will do, as the Dacians are extremely angry I let something like this slide for almost three years now. Besides being angry at the advisors who took corrupt money in exchange for ignoring an action that could result in a war we are not prepared for with an empire that is roughly our size and strength, I was angry at myself. Something like this happened under my watch; I was supposed to be better than this. I was supposed to be vigilant against actions like this but I had failed. For the first time in over twenty years, I felt like I had failed as a leader of my people who had entrusted me to lead them into glory. Of course the path would not always be smooth for us, I knew that from the very start, but this was a travesty and I could only hope that the gods would continue to show us favor.






After the executions I made a trip to the altars of Wodanaz, Teiwaz, and Thunaraz. I made offerings to them for their continued protection against our foes, the ones who lay beyond our lands and the ones that hide within. We had been lucky so far, but who was to say how long the gods and fates would remain on our side?

[Scottish King]

Wow! Great update. Your screenshots are amazing! It felt as if I was actually on the battlefield as read through. Shame you had to kill one of your own to try to placate the Dacians. Hopefully, the tactic works. If it doesn't at least we get an interesting story.

[hooahguy14]

Yeah, Im annoyed I didnt catch this guy who was trespassing earlier. When I caught it my relations with the Dacians was at around -310. Now its about -280 so its getting better but its a slow process. If the Dacians attack they will bring Pompey into it as well, and if they do that would be quite the war as both of them are very strong.

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Fourteen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Farabert, my friend and leader of the rival families, died a few days ago. He was seventy years of age, only two more than me. He died of an illness which he most likely got while leading his army in Octoduris. I knew I always hated that place, it was a dirty town with sewage running in the streets, even with the much vaunted Roman sanitation systems. Farabert tried to clean it up but clearly that cursed town got the best of him.





His death got me thinking about my own. I was not much younger than he was, so I had to begin to think of who would succeed me should I pass from this world. Nevelung was my favored choice. He was still relatively young, not even 50 years old, so he would have a good while of leadership. He was definitely qualified for this position as well. He is a true leader if I have ever seen one. He might even be a better one than I am! But besides his obvious qualifications, we share the common goal of attaining glory for our people, and to once again expand our empire to the size that the Suebi once had us. We had expanded under my watch from just a single region in the middle of Germania to a swath stretching from the western sea, to the northern sea, and then almost to the eastern sea. And soon I hope to reach the southern sea as well! The sheer magnitude of what we have accomplished in just twenty five years has shocked everyone, but not me. We Marcomanni have been destined for greatness from the beginning. We had our triumphs and tragedies over the decades, but we will come out on top, now and forever.


But back to the present! With the Britannic invasion dealt with for the time being, it was time to deal with the Belgae, who had always been a thorn in our side for as long as I could remember. We had never been at war with each other until now, but there was always an air of mistrust between our two nations, with them hating us because of how successful we were and us hating them because they hate us. Clearly they just hate us because they ain't us. Anyways, we never had a reason to fear them, as they never really had any strength behind them. That is, until they got into an alliance with the somewhat powerful nation of Gaul, who decided that declaring war on one of the most powerful nations in the known world was a good idea. So the Belgae dutifully followed their masters into war, which was a rather tragic mistake on their part. What a shame, we could have been such great allies.


I took my army of veterans alongside Chariovalda who had another army and headed towards the Belgae town of Bavay. We encountered no resistance, and we conquered the town effortlessly.





We then left and headed towards the fortified Belgae city of Nemecatum, and once again, no defenders in sight. Where were all the Belgae? After taking Nemecatum we decided to hold back for a little while until we could ascertain the position of the surviving Belgae forces.





It didn’t take long to find them; they surfaced near the town of Vesonto. After scouting for a bit, it seemed like besides a couple of very small forces peppered throughout the countryside, there was only one major Belgae army, which was the one parked right next to Vesonto. The defending armies, led by the new leader of the opposing families, Ricohard and another army led by a general from my family named Adalwin took to the field. The Belgae tried to retreat, but we had forced them into battle.





Because we had known about the Belgae being in the area, I left my army in the capable hands of my captains, selected, my best bodyguards, and traveled south to Vesonto to join up with Adalwin’s army as a member of the much-vaunted Thegnoz Drugule, who are considered the elite of our armies. We only recently began to train them as they have to be drawn from existing veterans and only recently were we able to afford to let hundreds leave the army for more training. They were all on the older side, so it should not be too strange to have someone who was almost seventy years of age among the ranks. Was this risky? Of course, but I was still in great shape and my body had not yet begun to falter from age, so I was not too worried. I just had to stay away from ranged units and I should be fine. It has been a while since I have seen battle, and I wanted to get another taste of it as soon as I could. After all, I was almost seventy years of age, and even if I fall in today’s battle, it would be preferable than to dying of old age, decrepit and wasting away on some bed.


With our potential deaths in mind, we donned our armor and set out for battle.


Not wanting any surprise Belgae reinforcements, we took to the field as soon as we possibly could. The conditions were not great, as it was snowing rather heavily. We were confident though, we had defeated in the past much larger foes so this should be a simple affair, and a way to get my sword wet with blood once more instead of hanging back like I am used to.





We lined up in our ranks, eager to start the battle. In our army we had a unit of field artillery, which was pushed up front, and we were on either flank to allow for a clear field of fire for them.


A cry went up. "Enemy field artillery!"


A second later, Belgae explosive shells began to rain down upon our lines, exploding with the sound of thunder as shrapnel killed and injured dozens in an instant. We pressed forward, holding our shields closely to our bodies, hoping that the relatively thin wood and metal could withstand a direct hit.





Our artillery replied in kind, though, trying to silence theirs before they could do any more damage. They didn't manage to hit any of the Belgae artillery, but they did manage to get a few great hits on their infantry, which will be a help later.






Our reinforcements were only about a kilometer behind us, but for some reason, Ricohard decided to hold the line up until they could catch up. Fatal mistake for hundreds of our brothers, who fell due to just being inside Belgae missile range, not to mention constant artillery fire. I was incensed as we waited for the others to catch up while we kept getting hit. This battle was already being mismanaged and we were just getting started!





Finally our advance resumed, and we finally made contact with their lines. We threw our javelins, striking dozens of the waiting Belgae spearmen down. Before they could recover, we charged. We were on the left flank. In the center, our men were hitting one unit of their artillery, while on the right flank our men pressed hard to take out their other unit of artillery, which was trying to hide in some woods and being protected by bands of spearmen. But they could only resist for so long, and they fell beneath our swords. And when we reached their artillery crews, we slew them with a vengeance.






Among the ranks of Belgae infantry were their naked warriors. They weren’t really naked, rather they had only a loincloth to clad themselves with but otherwise they wore neither shirts nor pants. Rather interesting if you ask me, though their lack of armor made them easy to kill. But what they lacked in armor they made up for it with ferocity.





The left flank had to deal with the Gallic cavalry. This was not a hard thing for them to do as they were armed with spears, and had been deployed on that flank for that reason. Good call for the commanders, if I may say so myself.





Then there was the center of the line. That’s where we were. We were not facing their elite units, but there were a substantial number of Gallic spearmen, not to mention the heavy spearmen belonging to their general’s bodyguard.





We ran forward, calling out to each other who we would be taking as an opponent. I picked a Gallic warrior with a bare chest with blue and red trousers. We faced off. He took a swing at me which I swiftly blocked with my shield. I took my own swing at him which was blocked as well. He swung his sword in an arc, and I jumped aside to avoid the blade. But it was then I found my chance. I hit him with my shield which made him stumble and sliced my sword through his upper leg. He went down on one knee, screaming in pain, swinging wildly at me in an effort to end the agony. He managed to cut me in the thigh, but I grimaced and ignored how much it hurt. I drew my blade up and sunk it into his neck. I watched the life fade from his eyes, pleading to me for mercy. But he would get none from me. I felt alive as the adrenaline surged through my veins. Another Gallic warrior came at me and I cut him down with a swift slice through his chest. I managed to cut down another two more before they all fled.





Finally the Belgae turned and fled. We chased them with arrows, explosive shells from artillery, and the traditional cavalry. Few got out alive. This time more than ever it was a pleasure to see our men ride down the fleeing Belgae.






It was a great victory for us, and it sealed the fate of the Belgae from one of mediocre existence to one of annihilation.





There were still a couple of Belgae tribal leaders roaming the countryside, hiding from our forces as best they could. But they could not hide from our agents, who killed them one by one, scattering their forces into the wind, effectively ending the sovereignty of the Belgae people.





But with all the good news, there is always bad to go along with it. The wound I sustained in battle got worse. That Belgae warrior’s sword had cut deep and efforts by our best healers to close it were not working. The wound began to fester, and the sickness spread to my leg, and then to my whole body. I have been bedridden for almost a month now, during which I have been writing this chronicle of the journey I set us on almost three decades ago. As for wound treatments, nothing has been working. Sacrifices to the Gods have yielded no reprieve from my suffering. I recalled Nevelung from the field and we spent the days talking about my vision for the Marcomanni and the Germanic people. I can see my death coming closer as I become weaker. I made Nevelung swear to me to continue this chronicle after I pass, so this will not be the end of the narrative of how we went from a solitary tribe of a single region to a large confederation of brothers with almost two dozen regions under our control.


And with the empire I have nurtured in good hands, I can peacefully pass from this earth and into the welcoming arms of the All-Father.

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

I like the touches of humour in these updates, and the screenshots are great, as usual.

It's good to hear Nevelung will be continuing the record of events. I wonder if his vision for the future, or his opinions of the other peoples of Europe, will differ in any way from Theodoric's.

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Fifteen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

My name is Nevelung. I am the man who my predecessor, Theodoric, entrusted to lead our people to the realization of his dream of a lasting Germanic empire. I have accepted this burden with a heavy heart, as Theodoric was a leader who was loved by all, and he welcomed me into his family with open arms. He will be remembered as the one to take us from obscurity and into prominence in the great arena we call our world.





The Lightning Riders were the personal army of the leader of our people. They have faithfully served the ruler of our people for many years now. For almost three decades they served Theodoric. Now, they were to serve me. It would be sad to leave The Lone Fighters, who I had led for the past twenty years. And after saying goodbye to my old family of brothers, I left them and joined my new brothers, who were camping by Nemecatum, protecting it from another impending Caledones invasion.





But our focus was not on the unruly Britannic tribesmen about to land on our shores, but of a Roman city that was soon to fall to our forces: Bibracte. With towering walls and over five thousand Roman defenders, trying to storm the city would be suicide for any attacker. Should we assault, we would sustain thousands of casualties. So we waited it out. The city only had about a year’s worth of supplies, so it would not take too long before they would be forced to come out and face us or surrender. But other forces were at play. The Gauls were lurking nearby with two large armies, and the Romans had another two armies in a nearby town. Because of the threat that four enemy armies could converge upon our forces besieging the town, I decided to send four of our own armies, led by the generals Karl, Caesorix, Ricohard, and Adalwin. Just in case.





But no relief army ever came. That might be because we managed to intercept every message from the city asking for help, but in any case, the defenders finally emerged from the city to challenge us.





Ricohard, who was the overall commander of the four armies, deployed just behind the ridge of a large hill that overlooked the battlefield. I’m not entirely sure why he didn’t just set up on the crest of the hill, but I'm sure he had a perfectly valid reason for doing so. Moron.





From afar we saw the Romans approaching us in a calm, orderly fashion. They seemed a bit too calm, considering they were outnumbered over three to one. So something was up, and we knew it. So we watched them carefully as they jogged towards the hill.





Meanwhile our reinforcements were arriving. Caesorix arrived first from the east:





And just as Ricohard saw Caesorix’s men begin to arrive, the Romans came over the hill. Where did they come from? The Romans we saw from afar could in no way have arrived that quickly! Clearly they must have been hiding at the bottom of the hill, trying to surprise us. We managed to open fire on them quickly though with all we had.





The Romans brought some quality units to the fight, including many veteran legionaries, archers, and elite city guards, all came to bear for this fight. They would die gloriously by our swords.





One unit of Roman auxiliary cavalry tried to charge our lines, but was cut down immediately by a storm of our arrows and javelins.





The reinforcements led by Karl and Adalwin say that as they jogged towards the battlefield they could see the arrows and artillery flying, even from a few kilometers away.





Ricohard told our artillery to target their general, who was riding between the Roman lines and encouraging his men. We aren’t entirely sure if they managed to hit the enemy general, though they did score a number of hits on his bodyguard.





Roman legionaries are renowned for their discipline, achieved by an iron-like obedience to their leaders. It was to be admired, I think. I wish our men had that kind of discipline. Though what we lack in sheer discipline, we make up in ferocity. And having seen the kind of ferocity our warriors are capable of, there is no way that the Roman legionaries could ever match it.





But we did not only face the disciplined Romans. They had enlisted the help of Gallic auxiliaries, who fought with Roman armor but in the Gallic way. But we had fought Gallic soldiers many times before, and they fell with ease.






But with the routing of the Gallic auxiliaries, that is where the easy part of the battle ended. The Romans threw everything they had at our center, where only a few lines of our men held the line between the Romans and our artillery. They pushed hard to get to the artillery. The romans knew that if they could break through to the artillery and destroy it that would send ripples down our ranks and demoralize us. Not to mention they would be able to roll up our flanks. But we held firm, not letting a single Roman get through, but those units in the line of the Roman assault took very heavy casualties. A total of seven of our units took extremely heavy casualties, with a number of those were teetering on the edge of being wiped out completely.





But we pulled though, and the romans were routed, leaving thousands of bodies littering the field in their wake.





It was our first open battle with the Romans. Forget fighting in tight city streets where sheer numbers and brutality wins, here we out-maneuvered and out-fought the Romans, and even though we lost almost one thousand five hundred men in the process. Their losses were total though, and we strolled into Bibracte with no opposition. After all, we did kill off basically every male Roman who could take up arms against us beforehand.






I wish that the Romans knew when they were beat. But then again, they didn’t bow to Cathage, so why would they bow to us? We wanted some peace and quiet in the south, to deal with the Gauls and then finally the Britannic tribes who will probably always be a pain in our sides and would only cease when we brought the war to them. But in the meantime, we would have to finish up this silly war with Octavian’s Romans, which I had a feeling was about to ramp up.

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Sixteen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As we were smashing the Romans in the south, the Caledones landed an army on our northwestern shore, right near Nemecatum, where Chariovalda and I were stationed to protect us against invasions such as them. This would be my first chance to prove myself with the Lightning Riders, being their new leader and all. I wasn’t a new commander by any means, but leading a new batch of men is always a nerve-wracking experience.





We had pressed them up against the coast, giving them no way of escape, as I have been told that those remarkably short-sighted Britons had burned their boats before beginning their march inland. They must be feeling rather silly right now as we took the field.





The Caledones decided to charge us before we could bring all our forces to bear against them and bring them a crushing defeat. This was good though, as it meant our archers could work their magic on them to full effect, and our swordsmen could shower them with javelins as they charged.






And charge they did. The Caledones descended upon us with a savage fury. They knew they were hopelessly outnumbered. They knew they were doomed, but they charged anyways. For that I had to admire them.





But considering how much we outnumbered them, they could not hold down our line and protect their flanks. So I sent the cavalry around their flanks, smashing their ranged infantry and scattering them from the field.





They folded quickly, and I allowed our cavalry to give chase to make sure that they were properly shattered, as there was not an immediate need for them to return and smash the flanks of the Britannic infantry.





Speaking of which, they were not doing so well against our heavy infantry. The Britannic infantry tended to be lighter and faster than ours, which were great for hit and run attacks, but if you could pin them down they were very easily smashed.





Soon the rest of this initial Caledones landing force were on the run.





And we gave pursuit as always, cutting down hundreds of them and capturing many hundreds more.





Save for a few survivors of a unit of spearmen (who undoubtedly fled back across the sea to warn their brethren of the hell that awaits any Britannic invasion force who dared step foot on our lands), the Caledones were utterly demolished. And my first time leading the Lightning Riders was a great success! No insubordination, no issues with my leadership, giving me confidence in this new army that I was to command for my time as faction leader.





But the Britons seem to never learn. Scouts report that more Caledones invasion forces were preparing to land, so we made ready for the next challenge that would come from across the sea.





While this was happening in the northwest, in the south our generals were preparing to move against the combined forces of Gaul and Octavian's Romans. This was our first time facing the Gauls in battle, after having crushed their Belgae allies earlier last year. The Romans who would be reinforcing the Gauls in this battle were the garrison of the town of Gergovia, which was our next goal. After chasing the Gauls around for a few days, we managed to catch them in their camp. Roman reinforcements were shadowing us, but it would take a while for them to catch up to us.





Our field artillery was set up to smash down the walls of their camp to allow easier access for us. Their camps were designed to funnel enemy troops into a killing zone, so breaking up that zone is imperative.





Seeing as they were under artillery fire, the Gallic general decided to charge his men out and towards our lines instead of waiting to be struck down by artillery. A wise move by them, as artillery wreaks havoc on infantry that is packed together.





The Romans were sighted. They were still very far away and marching slowly towards us. We did not want to have to face both the Gauls and the Romans at the same time, so we were in a rush to defeat the Gauls before we had to deal with the Romans.





We had deployed our men in a line, as always, but Caesorix had deployed his cavalry behind a hill on the right flank, hidden from sight. So when the Gallic cavalry predictably hit our infantry on the right flank, Caesorix charged the cavalry right into the surprised Gauls. They had walked into our trap, and we crushed the enemy horsemen almost instantly.





But there was no such trap laid for the left flank, which was left without cavalry support. They had to face a combined force of Gallic infantry and cavalry on their own, and even though they put up a fantastic fight, they took heavy casualties.





But not for too long. Our reinforcements, who were running as fast as they could towards the battle, had arrived to relieve the left flank. First with cavalry support and then with heavier infantry should it be needed.





The Gallic general tried to intervene, but we headed him off with a wild charge by our cavalry, killing the Gallic general and most of his bodyguard.





With the Gallic general dead and their cavalry gone, it would not take long for our more heavily armored men to take down the Gallic infantry.





Then the Romans arrived. We had set up lines to counter the Roman juggernaut with, but the majority of our forces were still held up with the Gauls.





The Romans charged in their legionaries, crashing against our lines with a fury that I can only imagine struck fear into our ranks. I was told that it was a sight to behold: heavily armored men clawing at one another in a desperate attempt to kill each other. It was truly kill or be killed when it came to the Romans. No quarter would be given and none would be received.





Finally our cavalry returned, and a massive charge against the Roman flanks began. With a rallying cry, our horsemen set about the task of crushing Roman resistance, who, by this time, were pressing our line rather hard. But our men were standing strong against the waves of Romans.





But not everyone could hold off the Romans. Our left flank had begun to collapse under the sheer weight of the Roman numbers, and we had to rush reinforcements in so the Romans could not use this to their advantage.





Even with our better infantry, the fight was ferocious. These Romans seemed to know what they were doing. They fought for every inch of ground, even when outnumbered and surrounded.





But eventually they broke and ran, as all men do. Even the strongest, most elite and ferocious warriors have a breaking point. It is just a manner of when.





It was a bloody day.





Thousands lay on the ground dead or otherwise seriously injured. Most of them were Gauls or Romans, but over 1,600 of our men lay among the dead. The Gallic army was crushed. Fewer than one hundred of the almost three thousand Gauls who initially too the field against us remained, and they scattered into the woods. The Roman survivors fled back to Gergovia, thinking they would be safe there.







They weren't, as we swiftly marched on the town and took it with no resistance.





Another Roman town had fallen to us, yet another in what was now a long line of conquests. More were sure to follow, though how long until the feared Octavian himself came to face us? For now he was hiding in the fortified port-city of Burdigala with a mighty force by his side, so I think it is only a matter of time before he brings it to bear against us. But we will be ready, and the gods will give us victory, just like they have a thousand times before and undoubtedly will in battles to come.

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Seventeen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Less than a month after we repelled the second landing by the Caledones on our shores, they landed once again, and once again we marched out to crush the invaders.



The odds this day were much more even than before. We were not able to prevent a reinforcing Caledones army to come in by sea, as they were right on the heels of the army which had already landed. So we would have to use all of our tactical skill to ensure that we see victory for this battle. And perhaps a little help from the Gods as well.





From afar we could see the Britannic ships slowly making their way towards shore, struggling against the rough waves that battered the coast. The twenty or so ships made an imposing sight as we nervously waited for the Caledones to arrive. If these Britons played their cards right, they could easily crush us by landing on the shore behind us as the other army hit our lines from the front.




Initially I considered pulling our army back to a position where we would have an easier time defending but in the end I decided against it. Our artillery was already deployed and I decided to just curve both flanks towards the shore to prevent a flanking attack by their chariots, which were a silly and yet deadly part of the Britannic armies. While they were fragile, they could also pack quite a punch when they charged into enemy lines. Theodoric hated those chariots, and I had a feeling I would hate them just as much.





Then the Caledones did something which surprised me. They charged towards our main line, not waiting for their reinforcements to land first. This puzzled me. Why would they do this? It went against every tactical convention to split a force like that, especially because their reinforcements were still almost thirty minutes away from being able to land, as the rough seas were making it difficult to travel. The Gods were clearly on our side this day!





The Britannic horde descended upon us, howling and screaming in a strange tongue about what I can only assume was promising our deaths.





All along the left flank and center we were pressed by the Caledones, as we desperately tried to force them to turn before the reinforcements arrived, as our artillery and archers rained death upon them.





Taking lessons from previous battles, I rushed our cavalry in. Sending them around to first deal with their light cavalry, they crashed into the Caledones from behind, crushing the enemy morale, as not only were they being cut down from the front, but also being crushed underneath the hooves of our cavalry from behind as well.





It wasn't long before we had them on the run! First a unit of spearmen broke. As their comrades saw these spearmen begin to flee, the rest began to as well, losing the will to fight as their blue body paint began to wash off with their fallen comrade's blood that splashed over their bodies like rain falling on a rock.


We gave chase to the exhausted and demoralized Britons, cutting them down when we caught up to them. Our men were tired, but still had enough energy in them to chase down the fleeing enemy, killing or capturing anyone they came across.





But then the first reinforcements began to land on the shore.





Thankfully the first Britannic army had for the most part been defeated by that time, with our cavalry mopping up the remnants of their army. The battlefield was already covered in dead Britons and broken chariots, and we had not even begun to engage this second army, who were quickly approaching.





Most of the Caledones reinforcements had not landed yet, so we turned our artillery on them. Switching from an explosive artillery shell to one of solid iron, they tore through a number of their ships, sinking them. The enemy units they carried drowned as well, their armor dragging them beneath the turbulent waves as they desperately tried to claw their way to shore. None of those on the sinking ships survived that we could tell.





But most of the Caledones avoided our artillery, and landed on the part of the shore right next to our lines. They probably could have landed further on down the shore and forced us to turn our lines completely around, but they probably did not want to risk any more of their ships sinking and taking an entire unit along for their ride to the bottom of the sea.





The Caledones formed up opposite us, as we stood over the bodies of their dead comrades. And with not a moment of hesitation, they charged at us with the same howling and screaming that we have now come to know as standard for the Britannic tribes. Our tired men summoned all the strength they could and charged towards the Caledones who were descending upon them.





As our warriors engaged the first elements of the Britannic reinforcements, the main element arrived, and our artillery tore into them with explosive shells.





Our exhausted and blood-soaked men desperately fought to keep the Caledones from breaking through. They were already close to breaking through to the artillery and that was something we could not allow. The Caledones tried everything to bash through our lines, and even tried to go around our forces to attack us from the rear. We only just managed to stop them in time.






Finally we had whittled the Caledones down to the last of their units, who despite being hopelessly outnumbered and doomed, and many of which fought like mad to kill as many of us as they could before they were killed in turn.





But eventually they were routed, and with a vengeance for our fallen brothers we ran down whoever we could reach.





Even I participated, hunting down the remnants of one of their heavy swordsmen units who decided to not fight to the death. It was a sweet thing to die for one's people. It was an even sweeter thing to kill those who meant your people harm.





It was a tremendously bloody battle. There was a thick layer of dead bodies, dead horses, and broken chariots that covered the battlefield.






It was a tremendous battle for us. We had lost just over a thousand men but had killed almost five thousand of the Caledones. Two of their armies were completely shattered if not wiped out completely. But there was still one question which bothered me. Why had the Caledones army which had already landed now waited for the other army to land before attacking? It would make much more tactical sense to combine forces and then attack. But one captured prisoner, who happened to be a captain of one of the generals, revealed that the two generals were feuding before the attack. Each wanted the glory of leading the attack for themselves, so instead of working together to defeat us, they were crushed individually.





But this would not be the end of our conflict with the Britannic tribes. This was far from the end. Because where the Caledones came from there were thousands more to take the place of those we had just killed. This war would never end if we just keep fighting off whichever army decides to land on our shores, whether it is the Caledones or their allies the Demetae, or even the Iceni. We would have to defeat them in their own homeland. Nothing less would do.


If they will not make peace on their feet, they will make peace on their knees.

[Alwyn]

Your narrator's comment on Ricohard's deployment in chapter 15 was hilarious. I like the surprise, just as Caesorix's men are arriving. You do an excellent job of presenting the battles from the perspective of different participants, such as the comments about what the reinforcing units can see. I like the way that you comment on the characteristics and tactics of the different units. I haven't tried Rome II (I really enjoyed Rome: Total War) and reading your AAR makes me want to try the game. Fighting Romans and Caledones sounds like a challenge. I like the way that your general, in chapter 17, has learned from previous battles and comments on the foolishness of the enemy actions, showing how he is growing as a commander. As before, your screenshots are excellent. May the Lighting Riders ride on to many more victories!

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Eighteen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

There comes a time in every leader's tenure when he must make difficult decisions. In my case, I have decided to bring the war to the very shores of Britannia. For decades we have sustained attack by the Britannic tribes, and finally it was time to solve this problem at its source. Having crushed the Britons time and again, I decided to send them a peace offer. Maybe they learned from their many defeats at our hand and would want to live in peace. At least for a little while anyways. Our envoy returned empty-handed. Clearly they were in this fight until the last man.


We needed a plan. This was not going to be an easy fight, as the Britons had concentrated their forces into the southern half of their island. Bringing the fight to them would require at least half a dozen of our armies, if not more. This was going to be a monumental effort on our part. Tens of thousands will die, but before we can embark on ships there is another problem that must be addressed before we can begin any attack on the Britons: the Gauls.


After scouting the Gallic territories, we discovered that the remaining four Gallic towns were either lightly defended or totally absent of enemy forces. So I gathered three armies together, led by the generals Meginrat, Caesorix, and Meginhard, and they launched their assault on the Gallic lands. They were later joined by a fourth army, led by Leudagar. Their first target was Cenabum, which was taken with little resistance.





After leaving a token force behind to ensure security, Caesorix and Meginhard moved onto the next town, Darioritum, taking it with some losses but very light compared to what we expected. The remainder of the Gallic defenders along with their government took to the sea, fleeing for safer waters as we took over their town.





And while Darioritum was being taken over, Meginrat marched down to the town of Limonum, taking it with no resistance. Where were the Gallic armies?





There was just one final Gallic holding left, and that was Iuliobana, which was on the northern coast of Gaul. But we took that over quickly as well with few losses. The Gauls were essentially defeated, having no more lands and no more armies, save for a couple of small fleets which scattered into the wind. We decided not to pursue at sea, as I didn't think that the small Gallic fleets posed a real threat. But armies were still stationed by the coastal towns, as the possibility for a Roman naval invasion was still very real.





Our lightning campaign through Gaul had worked. The Gauls posed no threat to us now, so all that was left was to deal with the Romans and the Britons. We never found out what happened to the Gallic armies. We had defeated one of them near Gergovia, but other than that, no significant Gallic armies were to be found.


I convened a war council to decide how to deal with the challenge of the Britons.


For hours we debated how best to execute the invasion. Ricohard suggested a frontal assault on the southern area of the island where the majority of the Britannic forces were assembled.


Chariovalda did not like that idea.


"Our spies say that there is only one good landing site in that whole area, and what if they attack us as we are coming off the boats? We will be wrecked even before we land! Look at the most recent invasion by the Caledones. We wrecked that second army as they came off the boats since they could not organize fast enough! A similar fate could awaits us if we pursue this course."


I agreed with Chariovalda, and Ricohard's plan was scrapped.


Siegfried suggested that we assault the fortified town of Camulodunum first, capture it, and then press outwards through the island.


"If we can capture that major port city, we can use the defenses of the city as a starting point for the rest of the campaign through the island. A strong base from which to expand from is critical."


I liked that, but I raised an issue.


"That sounds like a great plan, but how to we take the town? A direct assault might work, but considering how close the rest of the Britannic armies are to the city, it does not seem like a very good idea to try to take them on all at once. Even though we are committing at least six armies and over 16,000 men to this campaign, we need a cautious approach to this endeavor. I clearly remember how well the Arii did initially against the Caledones and their allies, but then they got overwhelmed and crushed later on in their campaign. We must learn from their mistakes this time around."


But not everyone agreed that we should invade the Britannic lands. One of them was a statesman by the name of Warin.


"Why do we need to invade them at all? Why not keep the current situation where we have armies posted on our border with them and we keep repelling them as they attack? Why risk so many of our men in what can only be called a fool's errand? I remember very clearly the Arii invasion of the island. I remember how well it went initially for them, as they tore through Britannic armies like a sword cuts through grass. But then the Britannic tribes rallied, and ended up crushing them. In fact, that's how the Caledones got more power! They led the charge against the Arii, and ended up capturing the former Iceni capital of Camulodunum, refusing to return it to the Iceni. And so the ruled became the ruler!


Don't get me wrong, I do believe that the Caledones are a threat. But I feel we should concentrate on the Romans first before we plan an invasion like this; I do not want us to befall the same fate as the Arii."


I pondered what he said for a minute or two.


"Warin, I understand your trepidation towards an invasion of the Britannic islands, but have you faced the Britons in battle before?"


Warin replied that he had not.


"Well then, let me tell you something about the Britons. Specifically the Caledones. They are unrelenting. They will keep invading our lands until the end of days! Do you not remember what they did to Flevium, when the Caledones captured it? They butchered a large portion of the population, and they are still recovering from that attack. The Britons are a brutal people, lacking any of the tact that we civilized people have, and as such, must be subjugated if we ever want peace. As for the Romans, we will deal with them afterwards, since for now they are acting very defensively. They are pressed on all sides, and as we speak, the combined forces of Pompey and the Dacians are hitting them hard in the south. While we certainly cannot leave the southern flank unguarded, they have not shown the same aggression that the Caledones and their friends have. At least not yet anyways. Things might change, which is all the more reason to start and conclude an invasion of Britannia sooner rather than later."


Warin said nothing, seemingly understanding my point.


Then Leudagar, a relatively green general who helped take the final Gallic town of Iuliobana, spoke up.


"What if we attacked the town of Iska? It's a bit further away from Camulodunum, but it has large beaches on which to land and our spies report that there are few, if any, Britannic armies lurking about there. It seems like an ideal place to land our forces. If we take Iska, it might provoke the Caledones and their allies to assault in an effort to retake lost lands, ultimately giving us the upper hand."





I liked that idea, but I worried that landing so far away from the main bulk of the Britannic forces would leave our shores open to attack, or maybe even a full-on invasion. Leudagar suggested that we leave a couple of armies behind to counter any possible invasion, and ferry them over to the island later to assist in the conquest once we were sure that our shores were safe from attack.


We agreed it was a sound plan. We would land with six armies around the town of Iska and capture it, giving us a base on the island from which our conquest will be launched from. We would see how the Britons react. If they would charge into our waiting forces, all the better, but should they attack across the sea, we should be ready for them as well.

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Nineteen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It took a couple more months before we could get everything in order, but once the seas calmed, we prepared to board the ships to invade Britannia.

There was an air of excitement by the docks in Iuliobana, where almost fourteen thousand men prepared to board ships to defeat an enemy that have caused our people so much trouble for over a hundred years. We would finally have retribution!

In the end, we decided to send only five armies over for the first wave. Our spies reported that there was a considerable threat of Caledones invasion by sea. They had their ships ready to go from Camulodunum at a moment’s notice. We could not allow them to ransack our towns again, so one of the armies that was initially slated to head over the sea was held back to help defend against a possible threat.

There was another bump in the road. One of my oldest friends, Karl, had died. He was supposed to lead one of the armies in the invasion, but he had fell ill and passed away. He had been one of my closest friends for a long time now, as he started out with me when we were both young captains under Theodoric. I was sad that my friend would not be able to see us conquer Britannia like we had once dreamed of many years ago. He will be sorely missed.



But I could not mourn Karl for too long. There was an invasion to launch! It was already late in the summer when we boarded the ships and sailed towards Iska.



When we landed there was some snow on the ground. But that did not deter us, and we took Iska with ease. The garrison crumbled quickly under the sheer might of our armies. We stayed around Iska for the winter, waiting for the Caledones or the Demetae to strike.



But nobody ever came. They were all seemingly encamped by Camulodunum, making it very easy for our spies to poison the wells that their armies used, killing thousands of their men. The huge armies that we once feared were now but a shadow of what they were.

Finally when spring came we left Iska and moved towards the Demetae homeland of Mordiunon. We took it easily, executing their uncooperative elders which we captured and anyone else who dared oppose us. For years we asked the Demetae for peace but they rebuffed us time and again. Now the chickens have come home to roost. When the other Demetae heard that they had lost their homeland, they sent a single emaciated army towards us, not even 1,300 men to face a force of over five thousand. It was almost sad to see how pathetic this was. But we took to the field anyways. They wanted a fight, so they would get a fight.



The already severely whittled down Demetae charged our lines, sprinting to close the gap and get away from our missiles which rained down upon them.



The Demetae had hired a number of mercenaries to boost their numbers, including a large number of light cavalry. But even with them charging into our heavy infantry, it was not enough to break us.




But even though they were heavily outnumbered, we had to admire the Demetae. They fought hard, and while I might hate them for their stubbornness but I'll be damned if I don't admire them.



But in the end, all that was left were dead bodies, broken spears, and fleeing Britons.



A crushing victory for us. Not even one hundred of the Demetae managed to escape.



And with the path to the Caledones town of Sleaford wide open, we jumped at the opportunity. By then the news of our arrival had spread through the land, and many chose to flee rather than face our might. A delegation arrived at my camp. The Caledones asked for peace, but in their haughtiness they also requested eight thousand gold coins in exchange! I almost laughed at the very thought of giving them peace now that we had the upper hand! I rejected their offer and sent them on their way, like they had to our offers of peace so many times in the past.



Taking Sleaford would not be as easy as taking the last two Britannic towns had been. This time four thousand Britons stood in our way, and they were determined to defend Sleaford until the last man.



Their army consisted of mostly Caledones, but also about a thousand Demetae warriors who had taken refuge nearby. Scouts reported that they planned on attacking, not waiting for us to come to them. We prepared accordingly. The first action of the day was a cavalry assault by the Demetae on our left flank. But they were intercepted by our cavalry, preventing them from doing any real damage.



Then came what was left of the Demetae warriors. They courageously charged us, under heavy missile fire, which cut many of them down even before they could reach us.



The few who did make it to our lines were quickly cut down. There simply were not enough of them to do any real damage to us.



Then our scouts saw the other three thousand Caledones. They were hanging back far from the battle, seemingly waiting for the Demetae to be slaughtered before attacking. It was very puzzling as to why they would not combine their forces and attack as one. This isn't even the first time they did not coordinate their forces. I will never understand those Britons.



Finally when the last of the Demetae had fled the field, the Caledones moved forward. They were titillating targets for our artillery, who battered them with explosive shells, killing dozens.



Finally our lines smashed together in a whirlwind of flesh, blood, and iron. They pressed us hard on our right flank, but we threw in reinforcements and our men held the line.



Then something shocking happened. Their general was killed when he charged us in one of those stupid chariots, and in the time it took for that news to spread through their ranks, the Caledones cracked and fled in a mass rout!

I was very surprised how quickly they broke and ran, even units that had lost less than a third of their men ended up fleeing in a panic.



But they could not flee very far, as our cavalry descended upon on all who tried to flee with a merciless vengeance. Hundreds were either killed or captured in the ensuing rout.



We surveyed the scene. Thousands were dead or dying on the field, and the blood soaked into the earth.



It was a great victory. Over three thousand Britons were killed and five hundred were captured, with just over two hundred escaping into the surrounding woods. Sleaford was now in our hands at a very small costs to us. Not even eight hundred of our men had fallen in the battle. I know that sounds kind of callous to say, as each of those eight hundred men had families, but considering that we were expecting heavy resistance, I was preparing for thousands of dead on our side, not hundreds. So while the loss of those eight hundred were very sad, I am simply glad that we do not have to bury more of our own.



At this time we began to look towards Camulodunum. At the time they had little in the way of defenders, which was great for us. Unless of course, the Iceni enter the war. The Iceni were still a huge question for us. They had a number of large armies roaming the countryside, and while they did not show any blatant aggression, we had to be careful with them. We did not want to deal with the powerful Iceni armies and navies while dealing with what was left of the Caledones. We can only hope that they do not join the war until we are good and ready for them. But I will tell you this: their time will come soon enough.



When winter set upon the land, we hunkered down, waiting for spring to come to launch another attack. Word spread that the remaining Demetae forces, or what was left of them, had disbanded and scattered into the winds in despair. What fools they were to try to take us on! But no tears will be shed for their departure, as they chose the path that led them to here.

Before we could take Camulodunum and then face the Iceni, we would have to deal with the last of the Caledones, who seemed intent on making a final attack on us before being extinguished like the last burning embers in a fire pit that is about to die out.

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Twenty

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Camulodunum was in reach. Besides the garrison, which had been whittled down by our agents already, there was nobody else there to protect the biggest city in Britannia. So with two armies we charged down and attacked.





The garrison was weak, but could still do some serious damage if we are not careful, so we would be bashing down the walls in two places then storm the town.





The Caledones were brave to not take cover during our bombardment, almost to the point of sheer foolishness. Dozens were torn away from their positions on the parapets as the heavy stone projectiles smashed into the walls, shattering stonework and bones alike.





On the right side of the town, a few units landed on the shore. They were a small group of reinforcements sent to help the garrison. We wondered why they didn’t land directly in the harbor, instead of landing outside and trying to run to the safety of the city walls.





But we can’t really complain now, can we? We rushed our men to the shore upon which they landed and slew them as they got off the boats. I almost felt bad for them, as they almost escaped our forces.





But that was not our problem anymore. A few light units coming off of boats barely registered a threat to us. But the fight was about to ramp up, as our ladders were pushing towards the walls and the other men were swarming through the breaches in the walls. Our plan was to tie up enemy forces with the forces going over the ladders and then surround them by units coming through the breaches. The Caledones did not have enough men to hold the line everywhere so it was going to be easy to surround them.






But our men on the ladders soon ran into trouble. Due to the steep slope, our men were hopelessly exposed as they were surrounded and fighting off hundreds of Caledones defenders, some of who mercilessly hit our men with missiles, causing massive casualties.





But it did not take long for reinforcements to arrive, and they quickly relieved our beleaguered men, who by that time had lost almost two thirds of their numbers in less than thirty minutes.





With the initial resistance defeated, the rest of the lower portion of the city was strangely empty. No second line of defenders was found.





But there was a final line of defenders though. The way Camulodunum was set up allowed for three rings of defense. Provided they had a full garrison and some additional forces to defend the city, they would be able to defend all three levels of the city. Defenders on the wall to try to fight off the attacks as they come over the wall, a second ring of walls with a raised position overlooking the lower section of the city, and finally, an even higher positon of walls and towers, containing the city’s chieftain house and mead hall. So in this case, the final few defenders holed up at the final ring of defenses, determined to die than to flee. When our units finally reached the final defenses, our men were charged by a unit of Britannic cavalry, in an attempt to drive us off.





They failed, and when the last of the defenders were forced to fight our men in hand to hand combat, they were destined to fail.





It was a great victory. The largest city in Britannia was now under our control, and we could now move forward in the final conquest of the Britannic isles.





We were rather lucky this time, as the Iceni did not try to intervene and help the Caledones in defending their towns. But we had a feeling that should war break out with the Iceni, and it definitely will in the near future, they would try to take back their homeland.





But that did not mean that the Caledones did not try one last invasion of our home. One final army of the Caledones made a brave attempt to attack us on our own shores. Why? I am not entirely sure, but maybe it was to please their gods, that even though they have thrown themselves against our defenses a dozen times, this would be their last battle cry. Or maybe it was because we falsified information that all the defenders around Nemecatum had left the city, leading them to be overly confident and land on our shores. But instead of an empty city, ripe to be taken over by hungry Britannic forces, there was a Germanic army waiting for them.





We struck at night.





Both sides had brought artillery, so we had to close the gap as soon as possible.





And once again, those Britons charged us with their chariots. But they did not do much damage as most of them were cut down almost immediately by a volley of our javelins.





Our forces were locked in combat with the Britannic invaders, and with our archers using fire arrows, it made for quite the sight, as swarms of light ascended and descended across the night sky. It was quite the pretty sight, if there wasn’t for the small affair of slaying every Briton who got in our way of course.





The battle raged. We did not have overwhelming force this time around, so we had to carefully position our men to make sure that there were no gaps in the line. The Caledones had sent in some of their best troops for this battle, so it was our best men against their best men, making for a very even battle.





But as with all battles, the Caledones eventually crumbed, and we ensured that as few Britons as possible left the field alive, giving us yet another great victory.






With the Caledones general dead, over three hundred of the invaders captured, and just over sixty of them escaping, their hopes for retribution for the lands we have taken from them perished.





So as the sun was setting for the Caledones and their reign of terror, we could look forward to the final conquest of the Britannic islands, and peace to rule in our northern lands.


But even though we would be safe from outside threats, there was always the problem of traitors from within. I found out that Warin, the tribal leader who had argued against invading Britannia, had been spreading lies about me and my family, saying how I was not fit to rule since I was raised from the ranks into office by Theodoric. This had to be crushed immediately. I had him held in a cell until we could search his home. We ended up finding gold coins minted in Briton. Treason! This could not stand, so after a quick vote by the other elders, we had Warin executed for his traitorous behavior.





But this spelled trouble. Warin was in high esteem of the population. How many other elders had his thoughts? Would I be able to hold this confederation together for much longer? How long until we fell apart, just like the old Suebi empire fell apart. I could only hope that the duty to hold us together would fall upon someone who was more qualified to deal with something like this than me.

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Twenty-one

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Predictably, the Iceni declared war on us. It was in their nature to do stupid things like this, but instead of telling them they should reconsider and getting peace back for another year or so before they decided they were strong enough to take on the combined armies of the Germanic Confederation, we chose to accept their declaration of war and strike back. Hard.





The Iceni, with maybe more sense than their predecessors, Had two armies blocking the way to their only holding on the Britannic mainland; a fortified city named Stanwick. Incidentally it was also the capital of the Iceni people. The first army was on the smaller side and was encamped by the first path to the city. We took to the field with a single army, led by a family member named Sigimund, coaxing them into combat.





The Iceni were stronger than the Caledones. They had better infantry, better ranged units, and more importantly, better cavalry. They had these feared shock cavalry that could just tear through enemy lines like they were nothing. We had nothing of the sort. As such, our artillery made targeting them a priority. But the nimbleness of cavalry made them hard to hit, and perhaps it would have been more wise to hit easier targets, like their heavy infantry?





The battle began in earnest when the Iceni heavy shock cavalry hit our main line, right in front of our artillery. That surprised us. Never before had heavy cavalry hit our lines right in front of the artillery. They usually hit us on the flanks, hoping to turn it and then roll up our flanks while their heavy infantry attempted to bust through the center to reach our artillery. But this time, we had positioned our artillery a bit too close to our main line, and the artillery crews lost a few men when a couple of the cavalrymen managed to break through our line. They caused so much trouble for us that Sigimund had to charge in to help the struggling infantry beat back the Iceni shock cavalry.





Our center wasn't the only place that was hit by heavy cavalry though. They also hit in customary fashion both flanks with heavy melee cavalry. Not enough to break our flanks, but enough to warrant reinforcements to rush in to assist our troops.





But as always the Iceni crumbled under our might, and we brutally cut them down until all that was left was blood and body parts.





It was a quick an easy victory. We lost fewer than 200 men in the battle, a mere pittance to the over 1,100 that the Iceni lost. Their army was shattered, and the handful of survivors scattered into the surrounding woods.





With the way into Stanwick wide open, I took my army and two others and besieged the city. I wasnt sure if we should starve them out or not, but time would tell and I would make my decision later. So for now we would put the town under siege and see what would happen.





At that time the Iceni elders came to us, asking for peace. They even offered 6,000 gold coins to end the war and give them some relief! I laughed in their faces and sent them on their way. There would be no peace. Just like I wrecked the Caledones, I would wreck the Iceni as well.





There was one final Iceni army roaming about the area. They were stronger than the last army we fought. When we confronted their army, they initially fled. But we cornered them by the coast, and they had to fight.





Striking them down with our artillery, the Iceni had to charge us, or face a fiery death by exploding artillery shells.





They had once again brought their heavy shock cavalry, but we were able to surprise them with our melee cavalry, who caught them by surprise as they were preparing to charge into our infantry. While shock cavalry are fantastic against infantry, they are pretty mediocre against other cavalry, as their long spears made fighting other mounted units less than practical.





Our infantry and archers got to work. They had their work cut out for them, as they had brought plenty of heavy infantry and were putting up stiff resistance.






But they could not stand up to us, and with our expert infantry and archers killing them by the dozens, they soon turned and fled.





But they could not flee far, as they were on the coast and had no boats to leave the shore on. So we captured the rest and put them in chains. We did not harbor the same intense hatred against them that we had against the Caledones, so we took a softer approach to prisoners with them.





With the end in sight, I decided to assault Stanwick in the early spring and not wait out the siege. While the Iceni had no more armies roaming about that we had to really be worried about. So gathering my forces together, we assaulted the city.





After bashing down a portion of the wall, we sent in our men. Four units of heavy infantry pushed ladders to the walls while the rest charged through the hole in the wall that our artillery had made.






We faced little resistance initially. The few units who opposed us at the first ring of defenses crumbled rather quickly as we swarmed over the wall.






We moved into the city. Unlike Camulodunum, there was spirited resistance.





When we rushed up the ramp to the second row of defenses, we met very stiff resistance. Iceni heavy infantry met us at the entrance, bogging us down for over two hours. Hundreds were killed as we struggled to break through the choke point. It was savage fighting, with some resorting to using their fists and even their teeth to attack their foe wherever possible.





Our men got very tired so I gave the command to begin cycling out exhausted and battered units and to replace them with fresh ones.





Eventually we got the upper hand and began to push out to a more open area, giving our numbers a larger advantage. But even though the Iceni knew they were doomed, they still fought to the last man.





Finally we broke free. There were only a few units remaining of the defenders, and try as they might, they had but a thin line of defenders against our unstoppable force, and those defenders broke quickly.





By that time the battle on the ramp to the second level had fully subsided, leaving only a large mass of dead bodies. Our reinforcements had to make their way over this huge pile if they wanted to help their brothers in the fight. I could smell the stench of the bodies, already beginning to rot, all the way from the entrance to the city. It would take days to clean it up, something I imagine our men were not looking forward to.





Finally our men reached the final level of the city, where the seat of the Iceni government was. There were not many Iceni defenders left, as most of them had thrown themselves against us at the ramp, and they were quickly cut down.





Stanwick was ours! Our losses were relatively heavy, but considering the ferocity of the fight, could have been much worse.





The Iceni elders, who had fled the city before our arrival, begged for peace. We gave it to them. We were satisfied with our recent conquests, having wiped out two Iceni armies and taken their capital. But we were not done with them yet, not by a long shot.





But before we could finish off the Iceni once and for all, we would have to deal with our oldest enemy: the Caledones.The recent break in the fighting for them had allowed them to partially rebuild their forces around their capital of Eilodon. This was going to be a tremendous battle. The Caledones had been at best an annoyance and at worst a grave threat to our nation for over three decades now. And now, with three armies of the Germanic people, we were about to end that threat once and for all!

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Twenty-two

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I sat in my tent, reviewing maps of the area around Eilodon. I was camped with my army outside the town of Stanwick, which we had captured only a few weeks before. We were preparing to move out in the coming days and I wanted to be sure that we knew the lay of the land very well before charging in. An initial estimate of the Caledones had them at around six thousand strong. That was not a for sure estimate, only one that our scouts reported, so for all we know we will take the town unopposed. Or face a much larger force.


One of my aides entered my tent.


"Nevelung, we got word today from Iska."


"What happened in Iska?"


"They found the bodies of a number of the Demetae on a shore near the town. They appear to have drowned while at sea."


So the Demetae were finally wiped out. They took to sea last year after we had thoroughly trampled them into the ground, in a desperate attempt to keep their tribe alive. But they were just on two boats and had limited provisions. They used to be resupplied by the Caledones when they could, but after we took their coastal towns, the Demetae desperately tried to find safe harbor. They found none with us, and they had been caught trying to flee to the more friendly Iceni waters when they sank. A similar fate befell the Gauls years ago, though there were no friendly waters for the Gauls to flee to, and had been caught by pirates and executed.





With the good news in mind, my army, as well as the other two armies led by Fulbert and Hroderich, packed up and attacked Eilodon, the last refuge of the Caledones.





We outnumbered them almost two to one. Our agents had misled the two other Caledones armies, and as such, they would be of no help to the Caledonian defenders.


I looked over the battlefield as our artillery pounded the quickly advancing Britons with explosive shells. I could see Eilodon in the distance. It was hard to imagine that the end was in sight for this long struggle with the Caledones.





The Britons rushed forward at full speed, determined to close the gap and get out of range of our artillery.





We were ready for them though, and four and a half thousand Britons collided with our heavy infantry with a tremendous roar. The clanging of metal, the hiss of arrows, and the clamor of men screaming at one another as they desperately tried to kill their foe before they were killed themselves filled the air. Such sights and noises were almost music to my ears.





Our left flank was holding firm against the Caledones assault, but the right flank was having trouble. They had arrived to the battle a bit later than expected, and had to run into position. But they were not able to get into the correct position in time, and had to quickly re-adjust to ensure the right flank was not turned. The Caledones saw this and committed their heaviest troops to the fight, surrounding parts of the disjointed right flank as they fought to keep their homeland.





But Hroderich, who I sent to fix the developing situation on the right flank, sent our cavalry around our surrounded men. Charging into the exposed flanks, they routed the Britons who only moments before were boasting about their impending victory. "You dogs will never live to see tomorrow's dawn! Our island will remain free!" they screamed at us, moments before our cavalry's spears tore into them.





The battle turned in our favor. As the right flank finally began to break free of the Britannic encirclement, the left flank began to circle what was left of the Caledones on their end. We had positioned our left flank at the bottom of a steep hill, so steep that our horses had a hard time getting up there. So now the Britons were trapped against a steep hill, and our warriors crashed into their flank, causing instant panic among the enemy ranks.





The Caledones folded. Fleeing for their worthless lives, we hunted them down as we chased them into the town. Fewer than three hundred managed to escape, the rest either killed or captured.





The town was ours. We had taken a large number of losses, but for everyone one of us they killed, we took four of theirs. While I would not say it was an easy battle, it certainly was not as difficult as I thought it was going to be. When we took the city we executed every fighting age man we found. We had no mercy for the Caledones, just like they had no mercy in their numerous invasion of our own lands, including the sacking of Flevium, where they brutally murdered every man woman and child in the town. We had more mercy than that, and left the women and children alive. But for their fighting age men we had no such mercy. They faced the same fate that our own people did at the hands of their brethren. Their elders also faced the execution block. They perpetuated this war, and they would face the consequences of seeing their people slaughtered and the conquest of their lands. Fate did not smile upon them anymore.





There were two more Caledones armies out there. One was a small one that we were not worried about. The other was a tad larger, but I was still not worried about. They were cut off from the land with no supplies and alone. Their defeat will come soon.





And soon it did. The smaller of the two Caledones armies attacked in the evening the day after we captured the town. They had tried to launch a sneak attack, but they failed to coordinate with the other Caledones, and they were easily cut down even before they reached the town.





The other army, hearing of the crushing defeat of the other army, tried to flee south. Were they trying to take Stanwick in a last ditch attempt to gain some land back? Or were they just trying to flee to somewhere a bit safer? It did not matter- they had to be wiped out. With the Caledones starving in the middle of winter, we struck.





Snow was falling in the early afternoon as the enemy slowly made their way through the snow.


As I watched out artillery do their thing, I reflected over the past few years and how far we have come. Once long ago, these islands were considered unconquerable. The Britons were too wild, they said. But we had proven them wrong; we were about to put down the last remaining force of a people who had terrorized our predecessors for over two hundred years. Would our annexation of Britannic lands go over peacefully with the natives? Time would only tell.





The battle began with cavalry action from the Caledones. In an attempt to flank us, they sent light cavalry behind us. Or they tried to anyways. Our cavalry rushed to intercept, and in the ensuing melee, wiped out the Britannic cavalry.





Most of the Caledones infantry were levies, but they still had some heavier infantry in the mix. They gave us some trouble, but we were just too much for them, and they eventually crumbled.





When the battle turned into a rout, we chased every last one of those Britons as they tried to flee to fight another day.





We didn't let them.





The Caledones had been utterly defeated. Barely over two dozen of them had managed to flee, and even so, they were later hunted down by our patrols.







The few survivors took to a boat and fled to sea, just like the Gauls and the Demetae had done before. They would not last long.





And just like that, the Caledones were gone as a threat to our people. Two hundred years of being subject to their incursions, and now it was over. For two hundred years we were in fear of those Britons who painted their bodies in blue, came over the sea, and attacked our shores. But now they had been reduced to a single boat as they fled our wrath. We felt no pity. They brought this down upon themselves. We could have lived in peace, but they wanted war. We offered peace time and again, even after we crushed their invasion forces over and over, but they refused. Now they had nothing. Their gods have abandoned them. Fate did not smile upon them. They had no hope left, and undoubtedly one day we would find their bodies on the shore. I only wish that I could see their faces as their ship eventually sinks beneath the waves, knowing that declaring war on us was the biggest mistake of their wretched lives. But for now, the mere thought would have to do.


So as I moved with my army to the western shore of the island, preparing for our next target, I smiled, and the Gods smiled back.

[Alwyn]

Impressive battle descriptions and victories, with great screenshots. I like the way that you compare the Caledones and Iceni as foes - and also your final observations on the fall of the Caledones at the end of the latest chapter - the biggest mistake of their lives, indeed!

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

Just caught up with this. The descriptions of the foolish tactics of the Caledones are nicely done. The bewilderment, and contempt, of Nevelung really comes through. I particularly like the fifth screenshot in Chapter 22 (the one with a man holding a shield painted with runes in the foreground) - it gives you a great idea of how far the battle spreads, and yet how small it is compared to the whole landscape.

[hooahguy14]

Hey folks, sorry for the super long delay, real life and other games grabbed my attention but don't worry, this isn't over yet!




Chapter Twenty-three

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

During the long winter, I contemplated whether or not I should leave the Iceni alone. They did not pose much of a threat at the moment, and with them being confined to their last territory, I wondered if it would be a good idea to just let them be in the hopes that they would stay where they were.


But that idea was quickly removed from my head when word came back that the remainder of the Caledones had attacked a small fishing village on the Britannic coast, near Iska. Killing all of the villagers and taking all of their winter food stores, it seemed like the winter was not treating the Caledones very well. But that was to be expected, considering that they were confined to the ocean and the winter seas are notoriously unkind to the wandering.


We later caught three men wandering on the shores near Flevium. When we questioned them, they revealed that they were the last survivors of the Caledones; the others had all been lost at sea. After admitting that they had participated in the raids on our lands, we put them to death. And so ended the once great Caledones people, who once ruled Britannia but now were nothing, exiting the stage not with a shout but with a mere whimper.





We had a truce going with the Iceni but that clearly was not going to last very long. Already our spies report that they have already begun to rebuild their forces, which could only mean they were either planning for a final stand on their last piece of land that they held or they would try to regain their lost lands in another futile attempt. So we would strike first and wipe them out for good. Then we would be able to divert our forces to the south and finally deal with the Roman threat.


I began to gather my forces. I would take my army and two others, led by the extremely capable Leudagar and the yet untested Hroderich. We were expecting stiff resistance, and reports are saying that the Iceni have already raised two full armies, plus another one that is roaming the seas somewhere near us.


We made landfall on the Iceni southern coast. The Iceni armies were nowhere to be found, which puzzled us greatly. Then we received word that they had sailed south with an unknown destination. That concerned us greatly, and I put all coastal garrisons on high alert.





With an absence of real opposition, we easily took the last Iceni settlement, Elbana. It was rather disappointing to see how easily it fell, I was really expecting a harder fight from the Iceni.





Now we had to deal with the remaining Iceni fleets which were sailing around our coasts, and they were sailing rather close to the towns of Iska and Mordiunon. They were certainly a threat, but they didnt seem to be making any sort of real move towards attacking any of the coastal towns. This puzzled us, as in the past, desperate nations will tend to hastily attack any nearby settlement that was remotely vulnerable in an effort to survive. Noticing a lack of movement on the Iceni side, we tried to coax the enemy to attack by withdrawing our forces from coastal towns and hiding them. But this did not work, as we later realized that the Iceni had no way of knowing our garrison strength anyways, so clearly they were playing it safe, which was rather uncharacteristic of them. Or maybe they were biding their time...





Finally they made a move, but it was disappointingly sparse. They attacked Elbana with a single army, which was really no match for our overwhelming numbers and overall superiority.





They came in from the south, which was a huge tactical blunder for them, as that path funneled them into a narrow pass underneath a cliff, making easy targets for our archers.





I put my best troops by the walls of the cliff, and they waited for the screaming horde of Britons to descend upon them, eager with drawn swords and spears to draw Germanic blood. But they would not get the chance they were so eager for, as we were prepared for them, and cut them down with javelins and arrows as they approached.





With almost two thousand Britons hitting our lines in a concentrated manner, the battle deteriorated into more of a brawl than an organized battle. A mere four units of heavy infantry were tasked with holding off the entire Iceni force. Our units lost cohesion as the Iceni threw everything from shock cavalry to heavy infantry to even chariots (again!). But even as we lost our cohesion, the sheer fighting skill of our warriors kicked in, and our battle-hardened men persevered with minimal losses.





Slowly we pushed forward, pinning the Iceni against the cliffs. Since we ridiculously outnumbered them, it was easy to completely encircle them, and the ensuing bloodbath quickly eroded the morale of the Iceni, causing a chain rout.





Some managed to slip away from the battle, but were soon cut down by our pursuing forces.





It was an overwhelming victory. We had totally wiped out the attacking army, and had sustained very light losses. So far, I was disappointed in the Iceni response, but perhaps they would surprise me in the near future?





They would not. A large storm hit the seas, sinking most of what was left of the Iceni fleets. I can only thank the Gods that none of our fleets were out there, as we sustained no losses from the storm that ravaged the Iceni. The wreckage and the bodies washed up on our shores as a macabre reminder of the power of the ocean.


When the seas calmed, we sent out fleets of our own, and they discovered the remnants of the Iceni, and quickly defeated them before the Iceni could find a safe haven.





And thus ended the chapter of our history that I think will be come to called "the Britannic Wars." It took almost a decade to conquer Britannia, and I was relieved that it was finally over, even if the overall campaign was mostly underwhelming. I honestly expected a more dogged resistance from the Britannic peoples and I wish that they had the guts to send everything they had against us instead of running like they did so often.


But now we could finally concentrate on a worthy enemy! The Romans are much stronger than any of the Britannic nations, and could always be relied upon to provide a pitched battle. But I was getting older. When I received word that the Iceni had been defeated, I was already sixty-seven years of age. Already my long-time friends had begun to pass away. Chariovalda, who was a close friend to both me and to my predecessor, Theodoric, had passed from a fever last winter. He was a seasoned veteran of many campaigns, so his loss was a great blow to us.





I cannot imagine that I have much time left, and I can only hope that my successor continues the legacy that Theodoric passed on to me and that I will do my best to pass on to him.


But while I was thinking of who my successor should be, I began to send armies back to the mainland. There was no need to have so many armies in Britannia anymore, though I was planning on leaving two armies there, just in case. But the rest would be heading south, to warmer climates. I want to knock down Octavian and his Romans from their haughty pedestals at least one last time before I passed from this world. Those sniveling Romans in Burdigala would soon know our name...

[hooahguy14]

Chapter Twenty-four

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Nevelung passed from this world after falling ill during the winter. He was seventy-one years of age. He accomplished much in his reign as leader of our people. He took the war to the Britannic tribes and expanded our lands in Gaul. No longer will we suffer the Brtiannic attacks on our shores, and no longer will we have to live in fear of them. Under his leadership, we have subdued many tribes, both Britannic and Gallic, and now that we are stronger than ever, that list is only going to increase now that we can fully concentrate on the Romans.





I am his appointed successor, Leudagar. I fought with Nevelung in the Britannic campaign. Together we defeated the Caledones and the Iceni, and assisted with taking the last Iceni town of Elbana. I have learned many things from that great man, and I hope to continue his legacy of making our people even greater than they were before! With no threat towards our northern border, we could put our full might upon the Romans





After a bit of rest in our Gallic territories, we headed south, towards the Roman port town of Burdigala. Our scouts reported a strong Roman presence in the town so we brought over ten thousand men with us to assist in taking the town. I elected to have my cousin Fulbert lead the assault with his army, called the Wolves of War. They were seasoned besiegers, whereas my army was much less so. While he would be taking the principle glory in this battle, it was better for our people overall to have someone in command who knew what he was doing.





But when we arrived at the city, we learned that there was no fortified Roman garrison, merely a barebone forces to patrol the streets. Very disappointing for our men, who wanted a proper fight after being denied one by the Britons for years now.


For a year we besieged them, cutting off their supply lines while keeping ours intact. For them it was a brutal siege. Stories came out of cannibalism within the ranks of the Roman Garrison. Finally, as winter was preparing to set in, we began our assault, mainly to put them out of their misery, as for some reason they refused to surrender.





A couple of Roman units tried to flee the city on ships, but the Gods were on our side, and blew the ships to shore before they could escape. Stranded on the shore, the malnourished Roman units tried to flee back into the city, but were cut down by our overwhelming numbers.





Our siege equipment blew a hole through the walls, and Fulbert prepared to send our men into the city. We had built eight siege ladders to scale the walls with in addition to the artillery. His plan was to wipe out the garrison with half of his force on the walls while the other half stormed the city through the breach and took the gates. Afterwards the two halves would meet up and take the rest of the city.








As our men stormed the breach and climbed the ladders, our archers sent a hail of arrows upon the defenders crowded on the walls, waiting for the impending assault.





And when our men finally climbed those walls, they were met with furious resistance. The Romans knew they were doomed, and wanted to take as many of us as they could with them before they were slain. They fought bravely, but it was not enough.





Even the bravest of men can get overwhelmed, and all that remained of the defenders on the walls were bodies and puddles of blood.





There were not many defenders left. The hunger and desperation of the siege had taken over half of the original garrison, so only a couple of units stood against us after we slaughtered their brothers on the walls. We could tell they were terrified as we barreled down the road towards them.





Knowing the armor of the Roman units and how large their damn shields were, Fulbert sent units around to flank the Romans who were blocking us from entering the city center. Watching our units go through the light forestry in the city, I was saw the beauty of the city we were about to conquer. It was truly a gorgeous city, with a wonderful view of the sea and the surrounding area. The Romans had been privileged to have this city for so long, shame for them to lose it!





Back at the city center, we easily broke through the first line of Roman defenders. Initially we had thought the battle won, but many more Romans appeared at the far side of the city center, and we charged to meet them. Their resistance, though, was much more dogged than we had experienced up until now.





They put up a good fight...





But in the end they were no match for us.





The city was ours, We had taken light losses in the assault, with most of our casualties being from the archers in the towers rather than Roman swords. I felt almost bad for the Romans, who on the surface seemed so powerful and terrifying, but just like an egg, once you broke their outer shell they were soft and easily destroyed.





With the northern Roman stronghold in our hands, the soft underbelly of Romans lands were exposed. Taking advantage of that, we rushed towards the breadbasket of the region, taking the town of Tolosa effortlessly.





But as Roman towns fell to us, we could only expect the Romans to strike back, so even as we were celebrating our recent victories, we had to ensure we remained on guard. For as every hunter knows, an animal is most dangerous when it is wounded...