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Thread: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

  1. #21

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    The Chronicles of Cimmeria



    Part 8: Long Way From Home

    February 230 BC, on the euxeinos
    Dark fog lay over the rugged waters of the euxeinos. They had left Pantikapaion very early this year to strike as soon as possible. Spartakos had grown impatient throughout the winter months and had eagerly awaited the departure of his fleet. Now Spartakos stood at the bow of his ship and stared towards the horizon. For the first time in years, he felt alive again. This could be the chance, he thought, to finally leave his father's shadow. To finally forge his own legacy.


    The gust blew fine drops of salty water into his face but he kept staring, deep in thoughts about the past. The civil war had made him a man, for the better or worse, but it had also revealed an emptiness within him about which he had not even known about before. When the war started, he had fought for his survival. He had just wanted to be alive, and to keep Samion alive. But success had made him more driven and Apollonios' defeat, when Spartakos had crowned himself king of Cimmeria, left a hunger within him that he had never been able to fill since. He had never felt bothered by the fact that he was standing in his father's shadows. Back when Pairisades had still been alive, and sent his son to watch Apollonios on his march towards Armenia.

    But when Spartakos became king, the victor of the war, and after he had successfully faced the biggest challenge of his life, the references about his father had started to become hurtful. Some people even had suggested that Apollonios would have been the better, the greater king for Cimmeria. But now he would prove them wrong, Spartakos thought. He would show them Cimmeria's greatness, his own greatness. And even Samion would finally see him as the leader he was meant to be.

    Of course, Spartakos did not really understand that the problem between Samion and himself had been his own ego. Seduced by power, his own success had sweetened him for more and that longing had made him insecure. Insecure and proud. And false pride was it that had made his relationship with Samion difficult. She was a strong woman, indeed, and as such incapable of showing the subservience towards him that he demanded, and that he longed for. But Spartakos only thought he needed to prove himself more. And he was determined to do exactly that.

    "Spartakos," he could hear the scratchy voice of Apintas from behind. "My king. The men are eager and hungry, lord."
    The king nodded and Apintas stood next to him, follwing Spartakos' gaze across the ocean.
    "This campaign has been thoroughly planned. Nothing will go wrong." Apintas' eyes were equally as power hungry as Spartakos', and a confident smile was showing on his face.
    "Indeed. Is there news from the egyptians?"

    Egyptians, Spartakos had said that with a snide tone in his voice. Over the last fifty years, the ptolemaic greeks in Egypt had vastly expanded their territory and were now bordering their old brethren from hellas in asia minor. But for every greek man, the hellenic rulers in Egypt were known as orientalists, strangers, and Spartakos did not trust them. But he had to, as the ptolemaic spies and informants had proven to be vital for this expedition. Even though they did not want to spare any armies or garrisons, they were still supporting Nikaia's revolt and Spartakos' plans to interfere with the pontic rulers in asia minor.

    "Yes. They are awaiting our arrival. The hellespont is free, no enemy ships. We will have a safe passage."
    Spartakos smiled. "Good." But then the king's smile fainted and his expression was serious again.
    "Apintas, where do you think this will take us?"
    "To Nikaia, I hope." Apintas' witty reply did only summon a faint smile on the king's face. With his stern face, Spartakos commanded seriousness. Of course he had always liked Apintas. Apintas was the son of Moschion, who had once died trying to protect Spartakos' father, the legendary Pairisades. Apintas had continued the good deed of his father when he had killed the rebellious Apollonios and by doing so, he had, quite possibly, saved Spartakos' life. Since then, the two had become close companions. Apintas, who was about twenty years younger than Spartakos, did look up to his king and had eagerly joined his companions. The latter, on the other hand, enjoyed Apintas' admiration and had gladly taken him under his wings.

    "It is the right thing to do, my king. The nikaians are our friends, greek friends. And they need our help."
    Then he pointed towards the horizon, towards Nikaia. "You are a strong king, Cimmeria is a strong kingdom. We should take part in the politics of the world. Your father has made Cimmeria strong, yes, but he also kept it confined at the northern edges of our world. This is where our future waits!"
    Spartakos continued to look stern, but inside he smiled. He liked Apintas' view and agreed with it. Deep within, however, he was not so certain.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    Siege of Nikaia

    In winter 230 BC, Spartakos led his army over the euxeinos. His army of more than ten thousand consisted of hoplites, heavy skirmishers, and numerous skythian levies that Spartakos was able to raise from his subject clans. While the king crossed the Black Sea with his army, his brother Leukon took the land route: From Pantikapaion, Leukon traversed through Cimmeria, stopped in Olbia, and then went southwards towards Histria.


    Skythian levy archers preparing for battle, Nikaia, 230 BC.

    Spartakos arrived Nikaia in february 230 BC and merged his army with the few forces his local allies were able to field. Right before the siege, late winter snow surprised both attackers and defenders, but the Cimmerians found themselves too invested in this campaign and decided to push through. The bosporian army errected siege towers and began the assault. The pontic garrison, surprised by this attack, were only able to show little resistance. Spartakos' took the walls with little ease and prepared the attack on the city center.


    Cimmerian heavy infantry only met little to no resistance on Nikaia's walls.

    The final battle in the snowy streets of Nikaia was bloody and fierce. Spartakos, even though not the most virtuous leader, still fielded the same bravery as all hellenic kings: He personally led the charge on the remaining forces of Nikaia's garrison. At this, he was accompanied by Apintas. Side by side they rode into battle, just as they had done four years earlier at the siege of Pantikapaion.


    Nikaia's brave garrison commander was slain, and the city was taken. Spartakos, though reluctantly, held his end of the bargain: The city gained back its independence, but promised to serve Cimmeria as steadfast ally in the emerging conflict. Spartakos and his men set up camp in the city. Relieved that the battle went easier than expected, Spartakos enjoyed the celebrations. He imagined his father seeing him, seeing his accomplisment. Cimmerian forces had conquered territory far away from the homelands of Pantikapaion and he, Spartakos, had led them there. For the first time in years, Spartakos felt relaxed and content.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    The king's contentment was not destined to last long. In early spring 230 BC, a pontic counter expedition was closing in on Nikaia. The force was larger than Spartakos, and his allies, had expected. Spartakos had no choice but to hunker down in Nikaia and prepare the defenses. But a frightening force it was: Nearly fifteen thousand soldiers had marched towards Nikaia and Diophantus, the king of Pontus, was determined to take back the city. Spartakos was cornered. What had started as a successful military endeavour had now turned into a nightmare: He had overextended his ambitions and had put himself, and his men, into a dire situation. With no way out, the king had no choice but to sit tight and hope that his brother would arrive in time.


    Nikaia, spring 230 BC. Spartakos is surrounded within the city's walls, while Leukon rushes in to
    free his brother.

    Late April 230 BC, Nikaia
    The siege had been going on for a month now and Spartakos grew nervous. Even Apintas had not been fully able to re-assure him and to calm his nerves. Where was Leukon? Spartakos had the concession of the Egyptians in Byzantion to support Leukon when crossing over the hellespont, but there was still no sign of Leukon. Without his brother's forces, there was no way for him to hold the city. Of couse he did not tell his men, but they were too few and Nikaia's fortifications too deficient to hold off such a massive force as Diophantus'.

    But Spartakos had no choice but to wait. Nikaia, his conquest, was surrounded. Siege towers and rams where being build, and wherever Spartakos turned his view, he saw pontic soldiers waiting for him.

    Maybe this time, there would be no way out.
    Last edited by Zeion; December 18, 2015 at 04:22 AM.
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  2. #22

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Nice, keep it going!

  3. #23
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Excellent chapters! I agree with McScottish, the combination of pictures, screenshots and narrative works brilliantly. The Civil War was well done and I liked your OOC explanation of how it worked. I look forward to seeing how Cimmeria responds to the crises it will face under the stern rule of Spartakos.

  4. #24

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    The Chronicles of Cimmeria



    Part 9: The Plague

    The manifestations of Spartakos' curious reign are the many moments when the luck of the gods was truly with him. Be it his lucky escape from Apollonios' assassins in 240 BC, or the surprising revolt by the skythian tribes in Paniardis that shifted the balance of power during Cimmeria's civil war. Spartakos almost lost his life in the siege of Pantikapaion, but was saved in time by Apintas who struck down the traitor Apollonios. Every critical moment of Spartakos' reign had turned out in his favor - and that with very little contribution from the man himself.

    The Nikaian conflict was another of these situations where the king was eventually saved by divine, or perhaps merely random, intervention. In 230 BC, Diophantus, the Pontic king, had the city well encircled and certainly held the upper hand. With Leukon and the Cimmerian reinforcements still out of reach, he could have taken the city, slaughtered Spartakos and his men. But instead, he chose to retreat. Perhaps concerned about his own life, or perhaps simply victim of his own indecisiveness, Diophantus chose to retreat.


    Nikaia under Cimmerian protection, 230 BC.

    Spartakos not only got away with his life, but Nikaia also remained free and in his debt. Even though officially not part of the Cimmerian kingdom, Nikaia was technically under Spartakos' control. The Bosporian rulers, who were already starting to lay eyes on further Pontic holdings, where unaware of a new threat, however. For years, another conflict had been simmering under the surface of official diplomacy, and Spartakos interference in Nikaia had finally led to its eruption.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    The First Armenian War
    229 BC

    Ironically, the tensions that ultimately escalated is the First Armenian War originated in Apollonios' aggression towards Hayasdan, the Armenian kingdom, several years earlier. Hayasdan was an ally of the Pontic kingdom and with the Nikaian conflict at its climax, the Armenian kingdom saw its chance to attack. They marched their armies along the euxeinos and quickly took the lands around Paniardis under their control with little resistance.


    Armenian forces marching north, 229 BC.

    In Nikaia, Spartakos was shocked when he heard the news. Reports say he burst out with anger and threw cups of wine at the messengers. He must have felt like another sword of doom is coming down at him. Only a few months had passed since Diophantus and his army had lifted the siege and Spartakos was devastated to see yet another threat coming at him. Suddenly, all his dreams of further conquest, all his ambitions to step out of his father's shadow seemed vein - when the core of his kingdom was at stake.

    When cornered, however, Spartakos managed to turn his pessimism and indecisiveness into action: He immediately boarded his ships to take his army back to Cimmeria, while his brother Leukon was ordered to take the land route again and to head back through Odrysai. The homeward journey on the euxeinos was not quite as heroic as the journey towards Nikaia. Spartakos was worried and felt as if a snake's grip around his torso grew tighter and tighter. Before the king had set foot on Cimmerian soil again, the Armenian forces had already taken Skythiapolis as well. All the lands to the north where lost and the clans were subjugated by his enemies. Spartakos was faced with yet another dire challenge.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    Leukon's Journey Home

    Meanwhile, his brother Leukon moved northwards, when his scouts reported Tylis to be largely undefended. Tylis, the major city in Odrysai, was at that time in control of the kingdom of Pontus and Leukon could not resist this chance. Little was known about Leukon, who never stepped out of his older brother's shadow and into the spotlight of important events. Contemporaries usually described him as a typical soldier's soul: Brave, strong, and perhaps a bit dull and narrow-minded. He had always served his brother well, so this act of pertinacity is even more surprising.

    Leukon closed in on the city and was, probably, expecting a quick and easy siege when he was ambushed by another Pontic army, waiting for him to engage the city. What followed was one of the most bloodiest battles in Cimmerian history to that point. Even though both forces did not field great numbers - Leukon deployed little more than nine thousand men, while the Pontic army numbered only four thousand fighters - both armies fought until their last breaths.


    Cimmerian skirmishers await the Pontic army rushing up the hill.

    The Cimmerian forces had the advantage of terrain on their side. Leukon was able to take a defensive position on top of a hill and let Pontus attack. Leukon's forces, however, mainly cosisted of ranged troops, skythian levies and mercenaries from Crete, and his melee line was no match for the professional troops from Bithynia and Galatia.


    Pontic melee line overwhelming the Cimmerian infantry in the center.

    The Bosporian melee line quickly broke, and what followed was a skirmish over the whole battlefield. Therein, the Pontic heavy cavalry was a huge threat to Leukon's troops and it was very difficult for him to engage them in hand-to-hand combat. Wherever these cataphracts turned to, Cimmeria lost ground. Leukon commanded his men to retreat whenever they had to, kiting the Pontic cavalry through the woods.


    Pontic heavy cavalry chasing Cimmerian troops.

    Eventually, the Pontic army was drained and tired from the skirmish. Leukon, who fought bravely himself, rallied his last forces around him for a final stand.


    Leukon leads the remaining forces into close combat with the Pontic cavalry.

    Finally, the Pontic commander was killed and his few remaining troops routed from the field of battle. It was a close victory, but a victory indeed. After the battle, Leukon took Tylis with ease and freed it from the Pontic invaders. Leukon then marched further north and reached Histria in summer 227 BC.

    At the same time, however, events in Bithynia did not go in Cimmeria's favor. Diophantus, supported by his Armenian allies, saw his chance to finally re-take Nikaia. And so he did.


    The Fall of Nikaia, by an unknown painter of Pergamon origin.

    The remaining forces of Cimmeria and Nikaian nobles combined where no match for Diophantus. After only two years, the city fell back into Pontic hands.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    Campaign in the North

    In 228 BC, Spartakos began his campaign in the north. Directly after he had set foot upon Cimmeria again, he had marched north towards Skythiapolis. His goal was clear: Re-take the city and put an end to the Hayasdan occupation in the north. Again, luck was on Spartakos' side. The Armenian forces, exhausted from the battles against the skythian supporters of their Cimmerian king, were regrouping in Paniardis.


    Spartakos and his army of experienced troops rush north to take back Skythiapolis.
    The Cimmerian king is accompanied by Apintas (center), and Lysippos (right).

    As the king marched towards the camp, memories came back into his mind. It was the third time already that Spartakos was marching towards the camps of Skythiapolis. The first time, 257 BC, almost thirty years ago, he had accompanied his father Pairisades on his campaign in the north. The campaign in Skythiapolis had been brutal. During the winter, they had chased skythian warbands around the cold plains. Both Spartakos and Leukon had suffered greatly during this war, and Pairisades' health had never fully recovered from it, too.

    The second incident had been in 236 BC, when Spartakos freed his allied clans from Apollonios' suppression. This battle, even though in itself not very significant, had marked the turning point within the civil war. It enabled Spartakos to finally engage his rival in Cimmeria's capital, Pantikapaion. And now, eight years later, Spartakos was once again marching towards the cold plains of the north, awaiting another battle.


    Battle of Skythiapolis, 257 BC. Spartakos took part in the previous king Pairisades' campaign.

    Spartakos took this chance and defeated the Armenian garrison within Skythiapolis' camp with relative ease. Spartakos' army of veterans had been supplemented with old regiments that were conscripted back when Pairisades still had been king. Skythiapolis' garrison of Armenian and Persian levy troops were no match for these experienced troops.

    But the forces of Hayasdan were many. Cimmerian spies reported more and more regiments streaming northwards and Spartakos was worried that he might not be able to hold the skythian plains. Together with his generals, Spartakos prepared his plans for defending his kingdom. He decided to guard the approach to the Cimmerian peninsula with his main force while Apintas would patrol the region around Skythiapolis with a skirmishing force.


    Skythiapolis back under Cimmerian rule, 227 BC.

    The Armenian war machine, however, continued to pour troops towards the skythian north. Apintas was pushed south, and joined with Spartakos forces in 226 BC. Cimmeria was pushed with its back against the wall and Spartakos was the first of all Cimmerian kings to experience an attack on his home land. And as if the situation was not severe enough, another calamity was waiting on the horizon.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    The Plague of Chersonesos

    In 228 BC - 225 BC, the Cimmerian Plague hit the port city of Chersonesos and decimated its population. A severe form of influenza virus struck the city and almost a third of its population fell into its decline. Democharis, governor of Chersonesos in those years, tried his best to get hold of the plague and to make sure that his city endured its misery. First signs of a widespread disease came known shortly after Spartakos had returned to the Bosporos, but the king had little time to focus on these matters and instead focused on the defense against the Hayasdan.


    Plague of Chersonesos, 228 BC - 225 BC.

    The disease turned out to be highly contagious and victims sometimes passed away as quickly as several days after they have had contact with other ill persons. And in 226 BC, an event occured that put this outbreak very high on the king's agenda: Samion, Cimmeria's queen, fell ill with the disease. Samion had been a strong supporter of the plague's counter-measures right from the start and had assisted Democharis in his battle to fight the spreading of the plague. She did not think herself to be too good to help out in hospitals and improvised sickbays. But her bravery took its toll.

    When Spartakos heard about the queen's illness, he immediately left his army's camp, left Apintas in charge, and went for Chersonesos. He had not seen the queen for almost five years, not since he had left for Nikaia, but the thought of her demise had an impact on his reality like nothing before.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    The Covenant

    226 BC, Chersonesos
    Spartakos arrived in Chersonesos late on a cold early autumn day in 226 BC. The guards, reluctant to allow their king to enter the infested city, were told off harshly and were pushed aside. Spartakos stormed the inner citadel of the city where the governor's residence was located. When the king rushed into his queen's chambers, he did not even think about security measures, about keeping distance or avoiding physical contact. He embraced Samion and all of the sudden, all their quarrels and disputes were forgotten. Both held each other in their arms for minutes without saying a word.

    Then, Samion was the first to speak. She looked pale, and cold sweat was shimmering on her forehead. But her face showed an honest, heartly smile and her aura of beauty was undamaged.
    "I was hoping you would come..." She said with a soft voice.
    "Samion... if I only had known." Spartakos kissed her forehead and held her close against his chest. His face was full of pain and despair.
    "I will make sure you have the best physicians in Cimmeria. I will do everything to keep you safe!"
    She looked him in the eye, as if she understood, as if she could feel his remorse.
    "I know." Then she gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.

    Spartakos spent the whole night with his queen, taking part in treating her disease and doing his best to help curing her. During the night, he felt like a fool. What had he longed for all those years? Confirmation? Prestige? Now, in the dark chamber of his ill wife, he realized that she was the only thing that really meant something for him. The only thing that made his life worth living. He needed her, and he needed her more than he needed her validation and admiration.


    The next morning, Spartakos left for Chersonesos' main temple. It was a temple of Argimpasa-Aphrodite Ourania, the ancient mighty goddess of Cimmeria. Guardian of kings and queens, protector of the land and goddess of fertility. In her temple, Spartakos bowed down to Aphrodite and made a vow to be a better man, to be a better husband to his wife, and to be a better king to his country. Deep inside, he knew that the plague was Aphrodite's punishment for his thirst for power, for his expedition to Nikaia. It was impossible to be a coincidence. Argimpasa-Aphrodite was punishing his hubris - and he was willing to repent.
    Last edited by Zeion; December 21, 2015 at 03:39 AM.
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  5. #25

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Hello Zeion,
    I detected your story today and read it with great pleasure. I really liked the elaborated part with the revolt and also, that you managed, to smuggle a strong female figure inside your tale. So good to read a substantial and reasonable AAR based on the great Europa barbarorum again.
    Keenly awaiting your next update! Keep on campaigning!
    Best regards!

  6. #26

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Incredible chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. #27

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Quote Originally Posted by Zeion View Post
    The Chronicles of Cimmeria
    Due to the TWC database crash, you might have to re-upload your AAR posts... Can't wait for the next part, btw...

  8. #28

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Hey everyone,

    as TheEldarion said, the forum was rolled back to a state on December 23rd 2015, so some of the later chapters have to be re-posted. Most of the stuff is saved on my harddrive as well, so I expect it will not be a major problem. I hope you all stay tuned for the re-release, and let's all make sure this forum quickly recovers from this unfortunate event.

    Cheers,
    Z
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  9. #29

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    The Chronicles of Cimmeria



    Chapter 1: Time of Strife
    Part 10: A Final Boon


    "Therefore, there remains only one true imperative for a ruler: Strictness against one's subjects, and obediance and devotion towards the gods. For only the gods can grant a ruler the strength to overcome the challenges ofhis reign. One must not succumb to hubris and believe that prevailing these challenges is in one's own hands. For it is not. Diplomacy, politics, military prowess - these are all illusions that we fall for, illusions created by the gods as means in their eternal game.[...]"
    - Spartakos, "Compendiumfor Divine Rule", Pantikapaion, 219 BC

    "Spartakos bowed down to Aphrodite and made a vow to be a better man, to be a better husband to his wife, and to be a better king to his country. Deep inside, he knew that the plague was Aphrodite's punishment for his thirst for power, for his expedition to Nikaia. It was impossible to be a coincidence. Argimpasa-Aphrodite was punishing his hubris - and he was willing to repent."
    - Chronicles of Cimmeria,Chapter 1, Part 9: The Plague

    And Aphrodite did hear the king's pleading. It was the apex of a chain of peculiar events during Spartakos' reign, and certainly the most significant one. Shortly after Spartakos had visited the temple of Cimmeria's guardian goddess, Aphrodite granted him his wish: Samion was cured from the plague, and in the following months, the plague disappeared from Chersonesos entirely.


    Aphrodite had turned out to be on Spartakos' side, once again, and he held his part of the covenant as well. In 225 BC, the year Samion was cured, Spartakos initiated peace negotiations with Diophantus of Pontus. The Hellenic-Armenian kingdom south of the euxeinos turned out to be a tough negotiator, but Spartakos had changed his course entirely. Where once pride had controlled his actions, humility now guided his decisions. Where he once seeked for personal gain and glory, obedience to Aphrodite and his country became his priorities.

    And so peace was made, and for great cost at that. Odrisai, the province that the king's brother Leukon had conquered several years earlier, was given back to Diophantus and his pontic kingdom. Spartakos agreed, and Leukon, who only objected initially, followed. This ended the Cimmerian-Pontic war that Spartakos had started by interfering in the Nikaian conflict.

    At the same time, another threat dissolved automatically with little of the king's own intervention: The Hayasdan, the Armenian kingdom that was at war with Cimmeria since 228 BC, saw itself confronted with a severe threat from the north: the Sauromatae. Even though these tensions never broke out in an actual war, they still prevented the Hayasdan from pushing deeper into Cimmerian territory.


    The northern border between Hayasdan and Sarmatian territory, 225 BC.

    The First Armenian War had turned into a cold conflict and Spartakos wasted no time to seek peace. Initial attempts did fail, but in 222 BC, he was finally able to convince his mighty southern neighbor to sign a peace treaty. Spartakos had finally found peace with himself and the world, and therein he brought peace to Cimmeria as well. Under Spartakos late rule, Cimmeria enjoyed the longest time of peace in its young history. It would take almost twenty years until Cimmerian soldiers would engage in a true conflict again, and that was Spartakos' most significant achievement.

    Through divine intervention, as he saw it, for by sheer luck, as his critics usually portrayed it, Spartakos had maneuvred Cimmeria through multiple severe crises: Cimmeria's civil war, the Nikaian conflict, the plague of Chersonesos, and finally the First Armenian War. In the end, however, Spartakos had turned into a better person, into a better king.


    The euxeinos and its kingdoms at the beginning of Cimmeria's civil war, 240 BC.
    The map shows Cimmeria (red), Apollonios and his Cimmerian seperatists (orange),
    the kingdom of Pontus (purple), the Hayasdan (light blue), and the
    Ptolemaioi holdings in asia minor (yellow).


    Cimmeria's civil war ended in 234 BC and Spartakos unified the lands of
    the Bosporos under his rule. The map shows the situation in 228 BC, shortly
    after the Nikaian conflict, when Cimmeria was at its peak of power
    during Spartakos' reign.


    Cimmeria at the end of Spartakos' reign, 205 BC. The lands east of the
    maiotis where lost to the Hayasdan. The map now also shows the
    Getai (brown), who had seen significant expansion in the previous years
    and who where then in control of the lands of
    odrisai.

    Spartakos died in 205 BC, at the age of 73, and left a peaceful kingdom behind. Still, the king's legacy was not without opposition. Often critized for his harsh and insensitive rule, Spartakos had difficulties to show a soft side when it was adequate. His devotion to the divine goddess, even though approved by many, was seen with suspicion by more progressive elements within Cimmeria's society and its intellectual elite. Nevertheless, Spartakos late work of 219 BC, "Compendium forDivine Rule", quickly became a standard source of statecraft in Cimmeria's schools.

    After Spartakos' covenant in 226 BC, the priesthood of Aphrodite gained more and more influence in Cimmeria's civil administration. The king, once strong supporter of the military, had started to cut down these expenses and focused on economic, civil and religious departments instead. Spartakos' devotion was not completely unselfish, however. He developed an obsession with festivities in Aphrodite's name: musical presentations, dances, drinks and food. Despite Spartakos' love for the sight of young woman dancing to flutes and pipes, presenting their well-shaped bodies in the name of their goddess, his worldly devotion to Samion remained steadfast to the end. She remained by his side throughout the rest of his reign, and was involved in many government affairs.

    At the end of Spartakos' reign, his and Samion's reputation was almost divine as well. The royal couple was loved and respected by the common people, and as much Spartakos strict hand was feared by many, Samion's mildness and benevolence was loved. The fact that they remained childless only increased the mysticism of their marriage. Legends were told about Aphrodite withholding the gift of fertility to not burden the queen with such labors. Others told tales of Samion being the goddess of beauty and fertility herself, and that this was the reason she did not want to carry any children on her own.

    Therein, Spartakos, who had often relied on his wife's council in worldly affairs, also depended on her in his godly reputation. Through her radiance, he was uplifted. Through her beauty and wisdom, he had gained a place amongst Cimmeria's most influential rulers. A feat that Spartakos alone could not have achieved without her, Samion - queen of Cimmeria.



    215 BC, Pantikapaion
    The sun was high above the city when she made her way to the palace. Surrounded by her royal guards, she passed Pantikapaion's agora, the great market, where merchants from all parts of the world were offering their goods. The city's economy was thriving, filling the kingdom's treasure chests and its merchants' purses alike. She finally reached the wide marble steps of the royal palace where her husband, arkhon Spartakos, was waiting for her. As she entered the palace, common folk from the plaza below were chanting her name in praise. A shiver of happiness flooded her. She was Samion, queen of Cimmeria, loved and respectedby the people. Her life was full.

    Spartakos was standing on the balcony of his chambers.
    "My love." His greeting was warm and loving. His beard was full as always, but instead of its dark brown color of previous times, it was now white as the snow in winter. The king looked content, but seemed to be lost in the mist of nostalgia. Alabaster statues of Aphrodite were glittering in the sun behind him, exposing the young beauty of Cimmeria's goddess.
    "The expedition is on its way." Samion announced. She was referring to a traders' caravan she had helped to organize over the last months. The caravan was meant to travel through the skythian lands to the east, through Parthia and finally into Sogdiana. It's destination: Maracanda, the great jewel of Sogdiana within the Graeco-Baktrian kingdom, and gateway to the far east. The expedition carried goods from Cimmeria and aimed to establish regular trade between the regions.
    "Good. That's good news, Samion." Absently, Spartakos touched her shoulder, then turned away and continued to gaze towards the horizon.
    "What is it, my dear?" But the king kept dwelling in his own world. After awhile, still gazing towards the sparkling waters of the euxeinos, he finally spoke.
    "It feels like another life that I slid down that slope somewhere in the south." A little chuckle slipped out of Samion's mouth. It seemed a long, long time ago indeed. "I had no idea where my life would take me." She was still listening, allowing her king to dwell in his memories.
    "All the hardships of the civil war. My foolishness afterwards. I had nearly plunged Cimmeria into a disaster. I was a lost man, Samion. A truly lost soul, until our goddess rescued me. Rescued us."
    She showed a faint smile and put her hand on his arm. Spartakos continued: "And I must thank you for always staying by my side, Samion. I'm truly grateful to Aphrodite, our guardian, to have shown me the right way, and my true path." He looked away again, towards the infinite waves of the ocean. "I was poised with insecurity. I needed you, I always have. And our goddess helped me to understand it."


    She showed a smile, an honest one at that, even though she did not share the king's deep devotion to their goddess. Of course, she was grateful for Aphrodite's blessing, but she did believe in the power of men to change their path themselves, their course through life. Spartakos had found his way, on his own, as she believed, and she was happy for that. It saddened her a bit to see her husband giving away the responsibilities of his own choices and actions, but she acknowledged it had made him a better man, a better king, and that it had allowed him to come to peace with himself.
    She realized that Spartakos, despite her love for this man, had always been a weak, vulnerable soul. It had been her role to strengthen him, to give him direction. For only a strong mind can navigate this world and accept responsibility for his fate, and take pride in his own freewill.



    ¤ ¤ ¤

    The Aftermath

    When Spartakos died in 205 BC, his brother Leukon became king of the Bosporos. In the early seventies himself already, Leukon saw himself in no position to exercise actual rule over his country. The only noteworthy act of governance was then only to appoint his son, Hegesippos, as his successor and de facto acting ruler of Cimmeria. Cimmeria's bloody civil war had thinned the ranks of the royal family, and Spartakos' strict and peculiar reign had not allowed for a re-establishment of a ruling nobility. Despite Spartakos' trusted strategos Apintas, son of Moschion, very few nobles had an important impact on Cimmeria's politics. Instead, the cult of Argimpasa-Aphrodite Ourania, a mixture of greek, skythian, and other indigenous influences, had risen to power.

    This was bound to change with Spartakos' death. A new, young generation of nobles was gathering around Hegesippos and was eager to leave its mark on Cimmeria's course in history. In that sense does the end of Spartakos' reign also represent the ending of a certain policy, the ending of the old ways. Hegesippos, the last descendant of the once powerful Leukonid dynasty was bound to lead Cimmeria into it's next chapter.
    Last edited by Zeion; January 13, 2016 at 04:43 AM.
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  10. #30

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    The Chronicles of Cimmeria



    Chapter 2: The Last Leukonides
    Part 11: Wind and Sea


    The Skythian sky was an eternal world on its own, a world full of emptiness. It drew you in and as your gaze wandered towards the horizon, you could feel the pettyness of your own existence. Insignificance, in its purest form. This was the sky of my homeland, the shores of the maiotis, the euxeinos' little sibling, embedded in the Skythian plains.



    My name is Menandros, son of Argallos, and I was born 225 BC close to a city known as Azara. The land of my father had been given to him by the great arkhon Pairisades himself, as reward for his service in the king's wars. My father died, however, before I really knew him and he is merely a construct to me, entangled in the fibres of my past. Was he a good man? So I have been told. My mother used to speak dearly of him. But as much as my memory of him became more and more blurred in the tidings of the present, her own perception of the present was equally blurred her memory of past times.


    Menandros, son of Argallos

    When I was sixteen, my mother arranged my marriage into the royal family. I had been a talented boy, proficient in the practices of battle, in mathematics and the study of law. I was deemed to be a valuable match for the royal family, so I left my home for Chersonesos. I would not return for many, many years to come. And that is how my past life had been swallowed as if a sea creature from the depths of the maiotis had taken grip of it. My new family, the family of my new wife Myrsine, were descendants of Diodoros, arkhon Pairisades' older cousin. My mother-in-law, Timagion, was a Leukonides and she was proud of her lineage. Her husband, however, was a son of the lands of the maiotis, like me. It made easing in into my new life easier, even though I only saw little of them.

    Myrsine was a beautiful girl in her most voluptuous years, sharp minded and full of wit. Her body was equally tantalizing and terrifying, and her scent and the touch of her skin made these early days in Chersonesos a cortex of emotions. Despite these physical adventures and the lust she enflamed in my loins, we never truly fell in love with each other. But what did I know about it back then? About true love?

    You might not think this to be a story about love, but about love indeed it is. For in the end, as I have found, life is about love and we are driven by it, fueled by it, and eventually consumed by it. Like ships on the ocean, lost without boatmen and direction, love is the wind in our sails that carries us to our destiny.

    In my years in Chersonesos, however, I was equally oblivious, of course, and little did I know about where life would take me. I entered the revered school of Chersonesos to complete my studies, and began my career as an officer in Cimmeria's army. My education did not only cover military aspects, but also those of statecraft: economy, trade, and administration. It was back then that I first met Hegesippos, son of Leukon and the only male descendant of the Leukonid dynasty in my generation. The last Leukonides, as he would later be called. Hegesippos, even though a young officer himself, seemed far ahead of most of us others. He was ten years older than me, and his understanding of military, politics and mathematics reached much further than my own or those of our classmates. While not the strongest in a physical way, Hegesippos always managed to make up for it with his sharpness and intelligence, no matter what contest it was. Whatever the teachers told us, he seemed to eagerly soak up everything. He was especially obsessed with the rise of Rome, the mighty latin republic that had recently expanded its territory into nothern Europe. Even in our free time, Hegesippos would talk and philosophize about Rome's statecraft and politics. And I, I was merely hanging on his lips and listening to whatever wisdom he was pouring into me...

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    The Rise of Rome

    The Roman republic had been in control of the Italian peninsula for almost seventy years now. Despite a couple of minor wars against Epeiros (for Tarentum and Syracuse) and Carthage, Rome showed no wish for conquest or expansion. In 229 BC, however, Marcus Valerius Maximus convinced the senate to interfere in the wars north of the alps. The Boii, a celtic tribe of central Europe, had continuously sent warbands over the alps and had raided the rich cities of northern Italy. Rome sent an expedition under the command of Marcus Valerius Maximus and in only five years, the Boii were eradicated from Europe's landscape. Even though the war was short and decisive, it was only the beginning of Rome's rise to power. The war against the Boii was a severe interference with the political situation in central Europe, and ultimately led to tensions with the Sweböz, the powerful confederation of Germanic tribes. These tensions erupted in open conflict in 215 BC. It was the greatest war central Europe had seen so far, and Marcus Valerius, as well as his generals, were forced to fight on multiple fronts.



    Rome emerged victorious when Cnaeus Cornelius Scipio, a young Roman general, conquered the last Sweböz settlement on European mainland. The excellence in which Rome purged the forests of Germania was astonishing and almost frightining. This excellence was Hegesippos' obsession. Marcus Valerius Maximus fielded a sizable professional army of some core troop types that was supported by highly trained local auxiliary regiments. Hegesippos believed Cimmeria needed to adopt a similar system, and I agreed. And as these visions would eventually drive Hegesippos to greatness, the same vision also drove Rome forward. After the impressive conquest of the Sweböz, Rome turned against its former allies, the celtic tribes of the Aruernoi. Only two years later, in 206 BC, the Aruernoi were defeated. Rome, controlling all of central Europe, was now the most powerful faction in the known world.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    The School of Chersonesos

    It was this example of excellence and greatness that inspired Hegesippos. And he knew how to inspire us. It was the spirit of adventure, change and sublimity that bound me to Hegesippos and his comrades. We were a group of roughly similarily aged boys and young men, eager to learn and even more eager to become masters of this world. A new generation of Cimmeria's elite, and I was part of it.

    There was Hegesippos himself, of course. I admired him from the first moment on, when I heard him arguing with one of our teachers about men's responsibility to develop his own morale system, a thought that he defended most fiercely. His physical appearance was all but impressive: He was too short and weak to be a great athlete, too thin to be a strong fighter, with a protruding and curvy nose. But he was a man with an extraordinary strong mind, which he wielded more efficiently than any sharp blade could ever be wielded.

    Then there was Thabyttion, Hegesippos oldest friend, and a Maiotis like me. He was smart and most capable, but his true passion belonged to farmwork. He would always tell stories about his parents' land and how he wished to one day be a farmer himself. It was comical, how this eloquent and most educated man was dreaming about ploughing fields and harvesting crops. At the same time, however, Thabyttion never missed to mention that his first priority would always be to belong to Hegesippos' companions. "Until all work was done," as he liked to say.

    Apatourios, Hegesippos' older brother-in-law was a very capable man, with a slightly devious aura. Of all his skills, seduction was his greatest. I always felt a bit wiery in his presence, but he was a good friend and comrade just like the others. Eupolis, the youngest, perhaps the most simple minded one, but still an integral part of our group. His parents were from Greece, and he sometimes had to live with reprisals due to his origins. But amongst Hegesippos comrades, only character and personality was important, not origin. Amongst us, we treasured exchange of knowledge, of ideas, and many topics of statecraft were discussed, theories created and potentially rejected. Others prevailed. One such idea that we all agreed on was the prevelance of reason. The ways of king Spartakos, the ways of blind devotion, as we understood it, and worship of the gods had done Cimmeria some good, we had to admit that, but it was time for a change. Spartakos had brought wealth and prosperity, but the economy was stalling and all that we could see was stagnation.

    "We need to make administation more flexible. Remove the dust from this system that has been in place for generations." Hegesippos was as passionate about this idea as he always was when it came to questions of statecaft. Usually, I was easily convinced by his worlds and charisma, too easily, perhaps. Not so Thabyttion.
    "Spartakos has ruled this land this way for how many years now? Almost thirty! Why would you want to change it? His principles are simple: be harsh to your subjects, harsh but far, and they will accept your superiority and serve you well."
    Hegesippos smiled and his long nose was pointing towards his friend. "Don't you see, Thabyttion? This is where the king is wrong. Not fear or obediance is the fundament of rule. We need to provide safety to our countrymen, opportunities for our traders to prosper, and glory to fuel our people's dreams."
    This was Hegesippos. A dreamer himself, who wanted the best for Cimmeria and its people. Not for his personal glory, not even because he loved his country and its people. Simply because he loved excellence, and excellence in ruling was what he was thriving for.

    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  11. #31

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    The Chronicles of Cimmeria



    Chapter 2: The Last Leukonides
    Part 12: Embracing Change


    206 BC, Olbia
    When I had finished explaining my newest assignment to him, Ekallos seemed worried. He had been my assistant for almost a year now, and even though I was higher in command, I often profited from his experience and expertise. Now his dark skythian eyes looked at me skeptically.

    "This will be a major investment, my lord. Are you certain?"
    "I am." And I was. Expanding the city's trade network and the development of new business opportunities for our traders and artisans was my main objective. I had been sent to Olbia as governor in 206 BC, when I was only nineteen years old. It had been a major chance for me and I had been thrilled to take it. After almost three years in Chersonesos' revered school, I had certainly craved for a real challenge. But I missed the others, and often thought about our time together. Hegesippos and Thabyttion had moved to Pantikapaion. Officially, to help with royal administrative affairs, but my suspicion was that our aging king Spartakos wanted to have his potential heir closer to himself. Apatourios and Eupolis were still in Chersonesos - the former to oversee the city's trade relationships, the latter to help in his father's business (who was a wealthy wine merchant with business relations as far south as Krete).

    Myrsine, my wife, enjoyed the brimming life in Cimmeria's biggest city. Her happiness made me happy, or at least it made my life easier. Thinking back, I do not really think we enjoyed our life together, but I had very little time to even realize it. We shared the pleasures of the bedroom together, however, and her body was a welcoming reward for the challenges I was facing as governor. But even though these pleasures imbued my loins with joy, my heart did not meet the same fulfillment.

    My true mission was to rule the city. I wanted to master this trial, but there was another aspect to it: I wanted to show the world, prove the world, that Hegesippos' theories and beliefs were the best form of statecraft. This was driving me forward in these days, and for the better or worse, it certainly made me an ambitious governor.

    Ekallos finally backed down. "Well then, my lord. I will personally oversee the expansion of our waystations." He performed a plain curtsy and left my office. The improvement of fortifications in the lands around Olbia would indeed drain the city's treasure chest significantly, but I was certain it was the right thing to do. Trade and agriculture had always been Cimmeria's source of wealth and I intended to expand on that. Encouraging commerce and then benefit from the pulsating veines of trade. Helping farmers and then reap their rewards with them.

    ¤ ¤ ¤


    One year later, everything changed. It was the year 205 BC, and my assignment in Olbia was turning into a complete success. Trade had indeed expanded more and more, and the city was one of the richest in whole Cimmeria. I was glad about these developments, of course, but at the same time I started to crave for the communal spirit of my friends from Chersonesos. Here in Olbia, I was the governor, barely twenty years old then, and I longed for direction. I needed leadership, someone to look up to. I needed Hegesippos.

    News arrived that would change it all: Spartakos had died. The great king had died, and his curious reign had come to an end. Spartakos, though loved and respected by the people, had few devoted followers among the new generation, my generation. It was time for a change, and that moment was soon to come
    Attached to the official announcement was a personal letter by Hegesippos. I turned away from my staff and dismissed the messangers as I opened the letter. As if reading the message was too crucial and too intimate to share my reaction with others. Of course, it was much less intimate as I had hoped, but just as exciting as I had expected it to be. Hegesippos was summoning us, his companions from Chersonesos, to come to Pantikapaion. His father Leukon was now the arkhon of Cimmeria, and Hegesippos would act as regent to rule in the name of his aged father. And he wanted us to be his council.

    The excitement was rushing through me as a summer storm flushes the Skythian steppes and frees it from the sticky heat. During the next days, while I planned my departure for the capital, I felt elavated by this new prospect. It was all I had hoped for. Myrsine would remain in Olbia, as she had made herself a new home in Cimmeria's jewel. And the way I saw it, I would only have little time for her in the capital. My last night with her, however, would remain in my memory for quite a while. Her curly, black hair, falling over her white, silky skin. But even though my body would long for her, my heart was free as I set off towards Pantikapaion.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    205 BC, Pantikapaion
    The rolling thunder outside was the right setting for Hegesippos' first council meeting. He was not arkhon yet, but we all knew he soon would be, and we were all proud to be part of this. It had been a warm reunion with old friends, but there were also new faces amongst Hegesippos' companions. One of them struck me the most: Apintas. The bearded veteran who had served Spartakos for many years. He had killed Apollonios, the traitor, during the siege of Pantikapaion and had been by the old king's side through all conflicts since then. And as I was thinking about his presence among Hegesippos' companions, the latter adressed the subject during his speech.

    "And this is only one of the reasons why I have asked our revered friend Apintas to be my prime advisor. Nobody has more experience in ruling this country, perhaps not even my father, who had spent most of his life in the field, and I believe he will be a most valuable member of this council. I expect everyone to listen to his advise as you would listen to mine." It was brilliant, of course. By putting Apintas in this honorable position, he secured himself the support of the old elite, even though his visions for Cimmeria clearly deviated from the old way, from Spartakos' way.

    As Hegesippos' speech was coming to an end, the storm outside was still roaring. His final words would be the beacon of our mission for the years to come.
    "I have one vision for Cimmeria: excellence. Economic strength, military superiority, and cultural integrity. Excellence. Spartakos led this country in the right direction, but I will take it further. I will take Cimmeria to the level of excellence it is meant to portray. And I need to know: Are you with me?"
    I was among the first to club my hands against my leather armor, and to salute our leader to demonstrate my support. Even Apintas, though reluctantly at first, joined in into the general wave of approval.

    Later that night, I finally had a chance to speak to Hegesippos alone.
    "It is good to see you again, Menandros." He looked me in the eye with an honest expression. Stern, but with a warm heart.
    "You too," I said while I put my hand on his shoulder. A feeling of nostalgia and happiness streamed through my body, and we embraced each other silently.
    "I heard you had a successful assignment in Olbia then."
    "Yes, indeed. But it became boring way too quickly. Nothing makes me feel more alive than being with all of you, aiming for the stars themselves." I said with a grin on my face.
    "That is good to know." Hegesippos did not smile often, but when he did, then with all of his heart.
    "How is Myrsine? Did she turn out to be a manageable wife?"
    I had to laugh. "She is well. Manageable, I do not know. She is fiery as always though."
    "Good, good." He gave me a pad on my back and together we turned towards the wine. After we poured our cups, his face was serious again.
    "I have big plans for Cimmeria, you know. Spartakos might have brought unification to our country. Stability, perhaps. But the only thing I see is stagnation."
    I nodded slightly. "It is true. I have seen it in Olbia. Inflexible administation, rusted minds. It was difficult to bring fresh ideas into the people's minds."
    "Exactly. That is what we need. Not only in Olbia, but everywhere."
    We saluted and enjoyed our wine.

    "And there is one more thing." Hegesippos had a sparkling glow in his eyes that made him look almost surreal, like an ethereal being sent by Aphrodite to shake the foundations of our world.
    "What is it?"
    "Armenia."
    "Armenia?"
    "Yes. My vision for Cimmeria reaches further than the maiotes, my friend. There can only be one power of the euxeinos. And we will be its vanguard."
    I took him by his forearm and felt his determination, his fortitude.
    "Whatever you plan, Hegesippos. I will be with you." He took my face into his slander hands and smiled, then he went off. I watched hima s he went to a group of other officers. I did not hear what they said, too lost I was in my own thoughts.
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  12. #32

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    The Chronicles of Cimmeria



    Chapter 2: The Last Leukonides
    Part 13: Life and Death


    It was time for war. I knew it had been coming, but when Hegesippos announced the beginning of the campaign, I was still dazzled. We had been training for this, prepared for this. The concept of war that had always felt a bit unreal was now about to become reality.
    Hegesippos planned to move towards Paniardis within a month, and he wanted his armies to gather immediately. This would be it then, the great conflict of my generation: The Second Armenian War.

    Hegesippos would lead the First Royal Army, together with Thabyttion. And me, I was appointed with the great honor to lead the Secondary Army, supported by Apintas. While Eupolis would lead the Reserve Wing behind the front lines, Apatourios stayed behind in Pantikapaion to govern in Hegesippos' name. We all knew how much he loved the city and that he was meant to navigate the chambers of the palace, not the battlefields of war.

    Both of our armies were composed of similar battalions: the backbone of each army was composed of a hoplite infantry line of four battalions. Two battalions of hoplites hoplitai, and two regiments of classic hoplites. These fighters were tough as nails and I was confident nothing would break this melee line. In fact, as I oversaw their training on our first camp during the campaign, I could not wait to lead them into battle. But they were not alone. Two cavalry regiments would support the infantry line, consisting of two battalions of sauroma wazdatae, experienced riders from the steppes, battle-hardened and tough, on horses of finest stock. One of the cavalry regiments in Hegesippos' army, a regiment of xystophoroi, had already served under Pairisades and were known to only accept the best riders and finest horses.


    Peltastai Logades, Cimmeria's heavy skirmisher infantry.

    The main punch of each army, however, was Cimmeria's heavy skirmisher infantry. Composed of Cimmeria's best fighters, these regiments had a long tradition of fighting in our wars. They were versatile troops, highly-disciplined, and well-equipped. Truly a force to be reckoned with. Finally, both armies fielded several regiments of Skythian archers and light troops. Each army fielded about twenty thousand men, making Hegesippos' expedition the greatest military endeavour in Cimmeria's history.

    War was calling, and we where ready.

    Hegesippos' Council
    Click to expand
    Hegesippos (Leukonides)

    - Arkhon Pantikapaion, regent tyrant of Kimmerios Bosporos
    - strategos of the First Royal Army

    Apintas (Bosporian)

    - First Royal Counsellor
    - Second in command of the Second Royal Army

    Thabyttion (Maiotis)

    - Second in command of the First Royal Army
    - Previously supervisor of agriculture in Pantikapaion

    Menandros (Maiotis)

    - strategos of the Second Royal Army
    - Previously governor of Olbia

    Eupolis (Hellen)

    - strategos of the Reserve

    Apatourios (Bosporian)

    - Governor of Pantikapaion
    - Royal Steward and de-facto regent of Cimmeria in Hegesippos' absence


    ¤ ¤ ¤

    We set out to war late in the year 205 BC. The plan was to strike at Paniardis before the winter, then march south and begin the campaign within Armenia's heartland early in 204 BC.
    Hegesippis approached Paniardis, while I was meant to guard the southern coast towards Armenia. I was positively surprised that Apintas and I got along very well. Even though his military expertise was restricted to the sieges of Pantikapaion (234 BC) and Nikaia (231 BC), his tactical understanding was sound and, more importantly for me, he knew how to keep the men on their edge.

    As it turned out, going to war was intense enough, but waiting for our first battle to get blooded was even worse. Apintas knew how to keep our soldiers motivated and after observing him for a while, I was soon walking through camp myself, barking encouragements, or sitting down with my men for an honest word, whenever it was required.



    At the same time, the drums of war were thundering further north, when Hegesippos launched his attack on Paniardis' biggest camp. The Armenians, witty opponents as they were, had layed an ambush in the woods outside the camp, but Hegesippos was prepared. He re-grouped his men, encircled the main camp that held the Hayasdan garrison, then slowly advanced.


    His maneuvres were precise and calculating, just like his character. The inexperienced garrison commander finally lost his nerve and led his man into a carefully layed out trap within the camp's walkways.


    The battle ended with a clear victory, and after more than twenty years, the clans of Paniardis were re-integrated into Cimmeria's realm. Hegesippos' campaign had seen its first victory.

    My own first encounter with the enemy was then much less heroic. Shortly after Hegesippos' victory in Paniardis, we intercepted a small Armenian scouting party. It was a quick skirmish and my cavalry hunted down our enemies with relative ease. We killed a few men, and took most others as prisoners. Nothing to boast about, really, but I still felt thrilled by my first true battle experience. After the short battle, my arms were shaking as my body seemed flooded with energy. Fear, rage, excitement. As I had led the cavalry charge into the Armenian skirmishers, I had slain a foe or two myself, bashing my sword left and right. It had been wild, and I had to bring up all my strength not to get lost in the carnage, but rather to focus on leading my men and on commanding my steed.

    Did I feel shame? Remorse? No. I had faced our enemy eye to eye and as he had tried to kill me, I was able to strike first. When I look back I have to admit that most of all feelings, I felt proud. Proud as a young soldier, and proud to have served the purpose of our campaign. I was only twenty years old then, and already carried a lot of responsibility. My men relied on my command, our countrymen were rooting for our victories, and most importantly, Hegesippos had made me his right arm during this campaign. I was not going to disappoint him.

    I remember the notice I sent to inform Hegesippos of our skirmish. I felt like a young boy who had finally been out alone with his horse, eager to tell his parents of his adventures. In his reply, Hegesippos showed his appreciation and gave me new orders: Eupolis would oversee the pacification of Paniardis with the Reserve, while Hegesippos and I would head south, towards kolchis, and then even further, deep into Hayasdan territory.

    Hegesippos led, and I would follow.


    The eastern part of the euxeinos at the beginning of Hegesippos' campaign, early 204 BC.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    205 BC, military camp at the shores of the euxeinos
    It was then, during the first stages of our campaign, that other news arrived from home. I remember very well how I stared at the message. Apintas and me had been reviewing our marching route through the northern part of egrisi into enemy territory. I had been fully engulfed in my new life, by this new mission of mine. I dismissed the messenger with a short nod, then slowly turned towards Apintas.
    "A son." I simply said.

    The letter was from Myrsine, informing me that we were expecting our first child. I, again, swiftly remembered our last night in Olbia but was startled by the surreality of my memory. It just seemed so far away: Myrsine, our life together in Olbia. And now, a child?

    Apintas' laughter brought me back to reality. "Congratulations, Menandros." He came around the table where we had layed out our maps and gave me a heartly hug. "Good for you!" Then he turned around, still showing a happy grin, and looked back on the table. To him, it seemed as everyday news. Maybe it was? I tried to shake off my confusion, and I slowly managed to converge back into the present.

    Later that night, I sent a reply, letting her know that I will make sure she received the best care to be found in Cimmeria, and that she would be provided with anything she needed. I knew that she was not depending on it, she was from an old and wealthy family after all, but it still felt like the right thing to do.

    The reality of our military campaign made it easy to forget, however. Too easy, as I would later feel. The daily drill, the daily responsibilities, however, became the overwhelming present again. And even though I was looking forward to telling the others about these news, I soon only spent little time thinking about Myrsine and our son. Soon enough, all I could think of was marching plans, camp sites and scouting parties.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    Early winter, 205 BC, Egrisi
    The nights were getting longer and we decided to make camp along the coast of the euxeinos, in the province of egrisi. We had reached our first campaign goals: Pushing back the enemy deep into his own lands, and preparing the invasion for next year. We believed our presence in Hayasdan lands would apply pressure to their rulers, and we did everything we could to increase that pressure: We destroyed any military camp along our way, and any supply storage that could be used by our enemy. I felt like a wild lion, driving my prey forward. Even though not as glorious as fighting great battles, it was the most effective thing to do, especially so late in the campaign season.

    We finally settled near the town of Pityus, which had originally been founded by Greek colonist, but which was now entirely inhabited by Armenian people. Much to the criticism of Apintas and even Thabyttion, Hegesippos wanted to negotiate with the local elders to make sure their transition into Cimmeria's realm would be peaceful and without bloodshed. They were allowed to maintain their autonomy as long they would help to provide supplies for our armies. And both armies needed lots of it: Grain, lifestock and meat, water. Like a hungry pack of wolves, we drained the town's supplies.


    The mountains of the caucasus.

    And in the distance, we would always see the great mountains of the caucasus, where our campaign would take us. It felt alien to me, compared to the Skythian plains of the north and the shores of the maiotis. But at the same time, this sense of exploration only increased the excitement of our expedition. We came to claim this land, so it may serve our greatness, Hegesippos' greatness.
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  13. #33

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Nice to see you're back where you were before the crash. Looking forward to more.

  14. #34

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Awesome! Can't wait for the next installment

  15. #35

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Hey everyone,

    I'm sorry for the delay. I have started another AAR (Blood Red Eagle) which takes up a bit of time right now. Blood Red Eagle will only be a short AAR, however, and Chronicles of Cimmeria will be on top of my priority list soon enough.

    The writing for Part 14 of the Chronicles is already finished, I just need to get it into digital form. I expect to release it at the weekend at last. Also, I was quite busy sketching the remaining parts of the Last Leukonid chapter, and I needed to make some important decisions first before I can proceed with the writing.

    Thanks for your patience!
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  16. #36

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Great work, Zeion as always. Look forward to seeing more of what happens in the war and great final picture as well, quite a stunning painting of that land.

  17. #37

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    + Rep. Cant wait for the upcoming war! It seems the massive Hayasdan Empire isnt putting up much of a resistance at the moment. Surely it will change once they cross the Caucasus and enter Armenia?

    Btw, I really like your maps. How do you make them?

  18. #38

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    The Chronicles of Cimmeria



    Chapter 2: The Last Leukonides
    Part 14: Wolves of War (1/2)


    204 BC, Camp of the Second Royal Army, province of egrisi
    I did not sleep that night. It was spring of the new year, and our campaign to invade the lands of the Hayasdan had begun. We had left the city Pityus and were moving towards the small gap between the caucasus mountains and the euxeinos, the only mountain pass with easy access into Armenia on this side of the mountain range. In the distance, I could see the glowing campfires of Hegesippos' army. We were at war, deep in enemy territory at the foothills of the caucasus, and the fiery glow on the horizon seemed like a beacon of safety in the surrounding darkness. We had proceeded along the coast and were now about to enter the Armenian mainland. I had suggested our armies should stay together, move as one. But Hegesippos had declined. He wanted to keep Cimmeria's two hosts as flexible as possible. He wanted to be able to strike at the enemy when he saw the chance while having enough tactical flexibility.

    This chance was now emerging: A great army of the Hayasdan, led by a commander called Zare, as I would later find out, had been moving north to intercept our advance. It was Hegesippos' plan to engage this force. And I? I was ordered to keep my host behind and take an eastern route southwards to get behind the enemy. This would prevent them from an ordered retreat, a classical pincer move. Still, it was excruciating to know my friends would ride into battle the next day, while I would stay on the sidelines.

    As I looked at the blurry haze of glowing red at the horizon, Apintas came up and stood next to me. Without a word, he followed my gaze towards Hegesippos' camp. For a while, we just stood there and his presence was fueling my confidence. He, Apintas, was second in command - a man from one of Cimmeria's most noble families. His father, Moschion, had once died trying to protect arkhon Pairisades. Apintas himself took revenge, eventually, by slaying his father's murderer six years later, Apollonios the Traitor, and had later served arkhon Spartakos. Even though Apintas stood for the old ways, the old art of statecraft, it was still an honor to command him.

    "Hegesippos is certainly brave. Let us hope he knows what he is doing." Apintas finally said.
    "He does. Tomorrow, he will have the Armenian army by its throat. I trust him."
    "I know you do." I looked at him and his lips were curling to a smile. "But I am not sure this will suffice. Spartakos once almost payed the highest price for his bravery. Sometimes it is better not to provoke the gods."
    "These were different times, Apintas. The wind of change is leaving its mark on Cimmeria. Not only here, not only in war. Everywhere. Do not constrain yourself with old superstition. We need to focus on the only thing that matters now: To lead this army to victory. We cannot rely on the gods. And we won't."
    Apintas' old face was grim, but I had certainly removed the wind from his sails. After a while, he spoke again.
    "So we will try to intercept the enemy the day after tomorrow?"
    I nodded, then pointed towards south-east.
    "There. We will take the eastern route, move around tomorrow's battlefield and surprise the Armenians the day after."
    "It's awful, isn't it?" I looked at him again, not knowing what he meant. "To wait for battle. For an inevitable one at that."
    "It is." I agreed. It was good to know he understood, and that he felt it as well. "As in Nikaia?" Of course I knew about the siege of Nikaia, in 230 BC, when the city was surrounded by Diophantus of Pontus, and when Spartakos and Apintas were waiting for the final assault - being sure that they would not survive the upcoming battle.
    "Right. But then again, that fight never happened."
    Diophantus had eventually lifted the siege and so the battle never took place.
    "This fight, however," and he pointed south. "will surely happen. We better be prepared."
    "It is good then that you know how to keep the men on edge," I said, and I meant it. Apintas' presence was indeed good for the men's morale. He was looking at me as if evaluating the authenticity of my statement. A bit surprised, perhaps, but mostly content, he nodded.

    We spent some more time outside the tent that night, and Apintas was sharing old war stories with me. Not that I had not learned about these in Chersonesos, but hearing the unfiltered opinion of someone who had experienced these battles first hand, provided me with a good and honest perspective. The conqeust of Nikaia, the siege of Pantikapaion, the battle of Skythiapolis. We had analyzed them all in great detail, during the years in school. But there was another facet to the reality of war: its cruelty, and its horror. Strategy and tactics were one thing - but keeping yourself together when the grim reality of battle sets upon you, that was a totally different challenge.

    The fires stopped to illuminate the horizon in the very early morning hours, and the sun was slowly rising in the east. It was time for us to move.

    ¤ ¤ ¤

    1st Battle of Egrisi

    While Apintas and I moved east and then south, Hegesippos met our enemy on the field of battle. It was the greatest battle Cimmeria had seen until then in its entire history: More than twenty thousand Cimmerians faced off with more than twenty-five thousand Armenians. The Armenians, intimidated by Hegesippos' direct advancement, were trying to use the highground to gain an advantage - but the First Royal Army was able to cut them off from the slope and get in position first.


    On a warm spring day, while the sun was high above the lands, Hegesippos' battle formation was closing in on the enemy: the hoplite infantry line in the center, covered by heavy infantry on the sides. Hegesippos and Thabyttion themselves were leading the cavalry charge on the flanks, while the archer regiments from Skythia were acting as ranged support to thin out the Hayasdan lines.



    While the melee lines clashed in the center, both armies' cavalry met on the right wing. Hegesippos himself fought like a true warrior, always protected by his trained guards, willing to give their lives for their commander. Cimmeria's royal guard was better trained, and better equipped than the Hayasdan cavalry - and the same was true for the infantry. Wherever our soldiers crossed swords with the enemy, we emerged victorious.



    First, the right flank of the Armenian army broke. Pinned against our hoplites, they were flanked by Cimmeria's heavy skirmishers. Many Hayasdan warriors were slain within moments, causing their comrades to waver. Shortly after, the battle at the center was won as well. Hegesippos and Thabyttion, who had successfully disabled the Armenian cavalry, were finally joining the melee line, where the remaining Hayasdan troops were either hunted down or taken prisoner.



    The battle was a clear victory for Cimmeria and our commander, Hegesippos. In the first real engagement of this war, the Hayasdan lost more than fifteen thousand men, while Hegesippos only lost two thousand, with about one thousand more men wounded. It was an important victory. Not only did we gain confidence to beat the Armenians in such a large-scale battle, but also cleared the way towards the Hayasdan mainland. The path into Armenia was open.

    To be continued...
    Last edited by Zeion; January 24, 2016 at 02:59 PM.
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  19. #39

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    Above, the first piece of Part 14: Wolves of War. I have split it into two pieces to serve it in more digestable chunks.
    Section 2 will be released soon.

    Quote Originally Posted by seleucid empire View Post
    Btw, I really like your maps. How do you make them?
    Gimp. I use the maps from Rome 2's custom battle map selection screen. Then I draw the regional ownership by hand in Gimp and color it accordingly. For the arrows, I use a script I downloaded from the web. In the Writer's Study forum is actually a posting where I explain how to install and use the script.

    Thanks everyone for the ongoing support!! Z
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

  20. #40

    Default Re: The Chronicles of Cimmeria (Bosporos AAR)

    The Chronicles of Cimmeria



    Chapter 2: The Last Leukonides
    Part 15: Wolves of War (2/2)


    Hegesippos executed his part of the plan, and I did mine. While Hegesippos was fighting the battle against the Hayasdan army, I seperated my troops into two divisions, one led by Apintas, the other led by myself. Together we encircled the retreating enemy and rounded up several hundred Armenians, and put them into improvised prison camps. I had not seen any actual fighting that day, only few of my men had, as most of the enemy's soldiers had surrendered immediately. Looking in the eyes of the soldiers we captured was an entirely new experience for me. These were proud men, but I could see shame in their eyes. Shame that they had lost the will to fight. That they had forsaken their fellow countrymen. And I saw hopelessness and despair. In some eyes I saw anger, hate even. In others, I saw pleads for mercy. I would remember these eyes for years to come.

    Hegesippos had offered the Hayasdan leadership an exchange of prisoners for ransom, and as I prepared the message to the Armenians, I was hoping they would accept.

    They did not.

    It was the hardest order I had yet to give in my young career as a general. The prisoners had to be executed. There was no way to let them go, and we did not have the menpower, nor the resources, to keep these men properly imprisoned. When the Hayasdan had rejected the offer for ransom, they had signed the death sentence for these men. At the time, I put all blame on the Hayasdan leadership. It was them, who had made me give the order after all. That is how I dealt with the guilt.

    There were times when I wanted to see this experience as another test to become a great general, a great statesman. Other times, I wept for the loss of humanity that I inflicted on myself that day. Once more, it would be Hegesippos who gave me direction and strength.

    But it was another reason why we met again, after the Battle of Egrisi. News had arrived from Cimmeria: Leukon had died, and Hegesippos was now the new arkhon and king of Cimmeria!
    Arkhon
    Hegesippos. While me and my guards were riding towards Hegesippos' camp, I was trying to fathom the magintude of these news. Of course I had anticipated it would happen one day, but knowing that my friend was now indeed the king of Cimmeria filled me with pride. But at the same time, the significance of these news was almost overwhelming. We would be writing history from now on. The line of kings of Cimmeria - Pairisades, Spartakos, Leukon, and now: Hegesippos. I was his right arm on the battlefield, commanding the secondary host of Cimmeria's army. As the dreamer I was, I could not resist to imagine our entries in the books of history. Would future generations read about our doings and our achievements as we once did? Pairisades' conquests, or the Roman ascension in Europe by Marcus Valerius Maximus and his generals. What would they write about us? Naturally, the faces of the Armenian prisoners came back into my mind. But I knew it was war. And war's ugly face of monstrosity was rarely discussed in the books of history.


    Hegesippos' camp and the Secondary Royal Army in egrisi, 204 BC.

    When Apintas and I arrived, the others had already gathered in Hegesippos' tent. Thabyttion was there, of course, and even Eupolis had come from the Reserve host that was camping further north. Their welcome was warm and I felt happy to be with them again - my friends and frue family. As I entered the tent and greeted my old companions and friends, Myrsine and our son were forgotten. Like entities from a previous life, they were not participating in the reality that was engulfing me. Being among my companions and friends seemed like a fading haven of peace amidst the tides of war. Amidst the tides of life.

    But in the few months of this campaign, we had all changed already. And Hegesippos, our new king, was more heavy-hearted than ever. After the initial greetings, laughter and jolly, the mood became more serious.
    "You all know me, my friends." Hegesippos said. "I might be your king now, but that does not change who I am. And neither does it change my mission, nor my friendship to you. In fact, I need you more than ever now." With his stern expression, he was mustering us, probing our integrity.

    "A ruler can only be as great as his advisors make him. That is why I chose mine carefully." We others responded with "Hear, hear" chants and raised our cups of wine.
    "If you, my companions, stay strong, we can lead Cimmeria to a glorious future." More chanting, more cups were raised and emptied.
    Apintas, of course, had to intervene to some extent. "Despite your wisdom and sharpness, my king, do nto forget the gods." His voice was kind but without hesitation. In expectation, he held his cup of wine in the air.
    "Never, my friend." Hegesippos replied, and lifted his own cup. "To the gods! Their strength, and to Aphrodite's beauty." Then he emptied his wine.

    Hegesippos continued by laying out his plans for the invasion of Hayasdan lands, and we also discussed future civil developments in Cimmeria's core cities. After we had elaborated on all these things, he finally said.
    "Enough of this now. Of plans, strategies, and economy. Tell me about your hardships, my friends. We have come a long way since we left the school of Chersonesos. Some of you were apointed with difficult tasks since then. And this war is the first real conflict for many of us." He gave Apintas a short nod to acknowledge the latter's experience.
    "Tell me your stories."

    Thabyttion was the first to speak. Before the war, he had been responsible for the grain trade of Cimmeria's capital Pantikapaion. He expressed his joy to work with farmers, "other pumpkin-heads like himself", as he said. That he would trade the sword for a rake any day, if he were ever given the choice. And that even though he would follow Hegesippos to the gates of Tartarus, he had to admit that he sometimes questioned whether or not he would be cut out for leading armies in a war, when all he wanted was to lead his stock over the fields.

    It was refreshing to see a confident man such as Thabyttion struggling. Especially because I could feel it myself.
    "Good." Hegesippos replied. "Good! I want you to have these doubts, and I hope you never get rid of them entirely. You need them to test yourself, to make sure you do not lose your mental bearings, and your inner fortitude. Eventually, you will grow from it."

    While Hegesippos mustered us, his companions, I wondered how he always seemed so much more wise than other men in his age. He was barely thirty winters old back then, but spoke like a wise men of the Old Age. Of course, there was a part within me that envied him. But mostly I felt grateful to be among his companions, hoping that some of his radiance would shine upon me.

    "That does not make it any easier." Eupolis said, and took a sip of his wine.
    "It is not meant to be easy, my friends." The young king answered. "Nobody ever said it would be easy. We are at war, after all. This war, it's challenges, it's hardships, and it's horrors, they will test all of us."
    A pause occured. Everybody seemed to reflect on what Hegesippos had said as if investigating themselves.

    "I have yet to see a true battle," I continued the conversation, "but I feel as if I have already given the toughest order I will ever give in this war. The prisonders, I had to execute them all. Unarmed men, some wounded, several hundred of them."
    Thabyttion let out a whistle but did not say anything.
    "I am not saying I regret my orders. Or that I feel pitty for our enemy. Yet I still see their faces, the faces of ordinary men, ordinary soldiers. Fathers, brothers..."

    "Yes," Hegesippos said and came closer. "This is war, my comrades. Cruelties will be made. We will face horrors, and inflict them on our enemy." He put his arm on my shoudler, then looked towards the others. "I know the hardships you are going through. I feel them myself. And I have good news for you, my friends: This weakness of yours, of ours, this spark of humanity, it shows we are still mere humans, wandering the earth, strifing for excellence, for the purity of our intensions and our actions."
    A shiver went down my spine and as Hegesippos grip of my shoulder grew tighter, he looked me in the eye.
    "Does a blade experience remorse, when it cuts the flesh of its victim? Does a wolf have mercy witht he lamb when it strikes? Embrace your doubts, this pain of yours, for it proves you are human, children of the gods. But do not lose focus because of them. Excellence is our goal, and excellence in war means to do whatever necessary to overcome your opposition."

    Everyone of us was listening as Hegesippos continued. "I therefore ask two things of you. Do what is required to lead this country to greatness. That, and only that, is our mission. And secondly: Never lose your humanity, your sharpness, and your rationality. Evaluate yourself, perhaps even judge yourself, but do not condemn yourself. Leave that to the gods."

    And then we drank. We drank a lot. I was feeling relieved, as if the ship of my life had found its course again.

    House later, at the end of the night, when the jars of wine had run dry, Hegesippos send the others away, but asked me to stay.
    "I want you to know how much I do appreciate your support, Menandros."
    I smiled. "It is an honor. We are about to write history, old friend."
    "We will."
    He came closer and his eyes looked strong and sad at the same time.
    "These are difficult times, my friend. The horrors of the night are only fed by the terror we inflict on our enemies."
    I was mustering him. "It almost sounds as if you are frightened." I was as surprised as I sounded.
    "Of course I am." His hand was touching my forearm, and instinctively, I put my hand on his. It was warm, but felt fragile.
    "Do you ask us for protection against the horrors of the night then?" I smilied again, carefully stroking his hand.
    "Only of you, Menandros. I ask it only of you." He came closer and I could feel the presence of his body, resonating with mine. Then our lips met for a warm kiss, and I drew him towards me.
    Chronicles of Cimmeria - A Kimmerios Bosporos AAR (EB2)
    The Age of Peace - A TW: Warhammer Empire AAR
    Blood Red Eagle - The Sons of Lodbrok Invasion of Northumbrialand [complete]
    Machines - A Sci-Fi Short Story [complete]

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