Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 18th February 2018]
“Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR.)
Chapter 6: Fog of War (Part 2.)
("Atuatuca Stronghold of the Eburones.")
Atuatuca. I have heard tales of this place all my life. The blood of many of my ancestors is seeped into the very soil we stand upon, for both Nervii and Eburones have fought and died here many times before. But no Nervii army has marched upon the Eburone's stronghold in a generation. And surely none has ever done so in such circumstances as these.
My army now lies in the shadow of Atuatuca's wooden palisade, spread out across the gentle slope that leads towards its main gates and ready for battle. I have placed my swords in the centre, spears on the flanks and in reserves, with my small force of skirmishers and slingers ahead of the battle line. It is a simple formation, but one which has served me well before. But now it seems like a mockery, for what good is a battle line without a battle?
Gathered with me are several of my most experienced warriors, Caxtos and Sacrapo amongst them. These are men I know, men whose council and bravery I can trust without question. And right now, we all look upon Atutatuca through the dense fog and wonder.
From where we stand , there is no sign of life. No smoke rising from cooking fires, no sounds of animals taken within the walls for safety and groaning at their confinement. All of my senses tell me that just like every other dwelling we have come across on this march there is nobody who awaits us. But I cannot rely on these signs alone. It is the scouts who have got us this far, and it is upon the scouts report we now wait. I do not have to wait long .
But their answer is one I feared I already knew.
“Deserted?” I repeat, hardly believing the word as I say it.
“Yes Warlord,” the young scout replies.
“How could you tell?” Sacrapo says, with a nervous laugh. This fog has dampened even his enthusiasm. But he has a point.
All about me I know men look to me for guidance. We have marched for many days to get here, through dense forest and stinking swamps, this unnatural fog holding us in her cold embrace all the way. Many of us have been awake since before dawn, the nervous energy and anticipation of a battle too great to keep us in our slumbers. We are tired. We are hungry. But we are all prepared for battle.... A battle that does not seem to have arrived!
If the Eburones have truly abandoned their stronghold then we should enter now while we have the chance, see what supplies they have left and rest up, before sending out the scouts once more to search for our foe.
“Just give the word and we'll take the town.” Sacrapo says, more resigned than anything. He came here for a battle. So did we all.
But this makes no sense. An image flashes before my eyes, of a head rolling across the ground to rest at my feet. A brave man I sent to his death because I trusted an Eburone. Why send a message such as that, and then leave before the battle?
Had even a mad man like Ambriorix come to his senses at last and realised that what was coming for him may be too great for even his inflated ego to overcome? But if so, why leave the settlement like this, intact and ready to be used? And why withdraw so completely that not even a sign of him or his people can be found?
The warrior in me says to enter the town, take the spoils and be done with it. But still I hold back. There is little I understand about this situation. But deep down in my soul I know one thing for certain. This is wrong. Very, very wrong.
I turn to Sacrapo and two other experienced warriors I know on sight. “Take your men and the scouts and search the whole settlement. Every building, every hut, every shed. Check the wells too. If you find anyone then bring them to me at once. I want to know how long ago the Eburones left and where they went....”
The warriors nod, and turn to gather their men, each armed with a sword and shield.
“...And watch your backs!”
("The warriors of the Nervii await battle.... if it comes.")
*******
All the Best,
Welsh Dragon.
Last edited by Welsh Dragon; February 18, 2018 at 06:50 AM.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 18th February 2018]
An excellent chapter, with vivid descriptions and rising tension - which makes good use of Rome II's line of sight system (I enjoy the fact that we can't see the enemy army until our units can see them). Are the Nervii heading into an ambush? I look forward to finding out!
(I'm also grateful to you for demonstrating how to use the TWC album system to make screenshots available on TWC without needing a third-party image hosting site. I have posted some instructions on the Writers' Study Chat Thread for any other AAR writers who would like to use this system.)
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 18th February 2018]
Originally Posted by Alwyn
An excellent chapter, with vivid descriptions and rising tension - which makes good use of Rome II's line of sight system (I enjoy the fact that we can't see the enemy army until our units can see them). Are the Nervii heading into an ambush? I look forward to finding out!
(I'm also grateful to you for demonstrating how to use the TWC album system to make screenshots available on TWC without needing a third-party image hosting site. I have posted some instructions on the Writers' Study Chat Thread for any other AAR writers who would like to use this system.)
Glad you're enjoying the story Alwyn. Things were pretty tense as I marched my army through the fog towards Atuatuca, so glad that's coming across in the writing.
And thank you, but I really didn't do much. Hitai de Bodemloze is the one that brought hosting images on TWC to my attention. And thanks for writing that guide, it's going to be useful as while I figured out how it worked fairly quickly the first time, no guarantee I'll remember.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 18th February 2018]
Are you sure you're not writing Doctor Who?
That last chapter had me as nervous as any Dalek (or the Master) episode from my childhood... I tell you, from now on I'm only reading this from behind the sofa!
"...what good is a battle-line without a battle?" is a fantastic line, and sets up the rest of the chapter wonderfully. Right now, I can feel eyes watching the Nervii...
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 18th February 2018]
I did not realize until I returned -- your start of post 41 has captured a bird in the center. Is there any hidden symbolism in this? If not perhaps you should look at such a bird as an opportunity such as described in this link -- http://www.ravenfamily.org/nascakiyetl/obs/rav1.html
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 18th February 2018]
Originally Posted by NorseThing
I did not realize until I returned -- your start of post 41 has captured a bird in the center. Is there any hidden symbolism in this? If not perhaps you should look at such a bird as an opportunity such as described in this link -- http://www.ravenfamily.org/nascakiyetl/obs/rav1.html
I was wondering if anyone would notice that!
It is why I used that specific screenshot (I have a lot from this one battle,) but I used it because I thought it looked interesting. I don't have any specific plans for using that bird, but that's a really interesting idea that would fit with the tone I've set with the prophecy and all. I'll have a think. Thanks!
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 18th February 2018]
“Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR.) Chapter 7: Fog of War (Part 3.)
The wait for news is interminable. Every moment that passes I can feel the tension rising and frustration building amongst my warriors, and in truth within myself as well. That nervous energy, with nowhere to go and held back for far too long, threatens to erupt into violence amongst each other. The fog doesn't help. They came here for a fight and to avenge their fallen comrade. Right now they can do neither. And the longer they are denied, the worse it will get.
I turn my back upon Atutauca for a moment, for a change of view if nothing else. But there is little to see, as the fog blankets all. Just a few round huts outside the palisade and a fence that has seen better days. My eyes are drawn to something perched upon the latter. A bird, its black wings stark against the grey fog. The first sign of life I have seen in this cursed place. It appears to study me even as I look at it... A raven, I realise and find myself taking a half step back. For a raven is a bird of prophecy that serves many masters. A messenger of the gods...? A herald of doom...? An omen...? It could be one, all, or none of those. But if so, who is it here for? And what is its message?
I do not have time to consider this further, for I hear a sound. The raven hearing it too takes flight and vanishes into the fog as if it never existed... Maybe it didn't. But what is this sound? I think. A cry perhaps, abruptly cut short? From the right, near those huts maybe? Though in truth I cannot be sure what I heard or from where. This fog does strange things to sound as well as sight. I turn, searching for the source, and for a moment I am not sure what I am seeing. Indistinct black shapes moving in the murk like some great sea beast...
But suddenly there is a shift in the fog, and for a brief instant they resolve into all too familiar figures. Dozens, no, hundreds of warriors. Their clothes the pale red and green of the Eburones, emerging from the fog like monsters from the stories of old and hurling spears and javelins as they come, sling stones arcing over their heads.
(“The Eburone are revealed.”)
“TO ARMS!” I shout. But even as I do I already know I am too late. Many of the warriors on that flank do not stand a chance, cut down by the hail of javelins before they even know what is happening. The rest are stunned by the sudden unexpected onslaught.
But this lasts only for a moment. Even as I prepare to shout a second warning, they turn, raising their spears and shields to face the oncoming enemy with determination and the desire to avenge their fallen brothers. The ambush has caught my men off guard, it is true. But they are still Nervii warriors. And we do not shy away from battle!
A great roar sounds out from both sides, and battle is joined. But even the bravest of warriors have their limits. I quickly see that no amount of bravery will overcome the strength in numbers the Eburones have on that flank. And they are not our only enemy this day. Nearly a third of my army still lies on the left flank. Lost to me in the fog. Unable to see what is happening to their brothers on the right flank and I doubt able to hear them, or my shout either.
I quickly issue orders to those nearest me, sending more of my warriors charging down the hill to my right to aid their brothers near the huts, whilst also sending runners to my left to take word to those on that flank. There may be more Eburones hidden in the fog, and if we are to win this day we cannot afford a second ambush like that.
But it is not only what lies in the fog before me I have to worry about. As I prepare myself to join the fray I hear a second roar. For a moment I think it is just a further trick of the fog. But then the roar is followed by other sounds I know all to well. The clash of metal upon metal. The cries of pain as a blade cuts flesh. The screams of rage as warriors come to blows. These are the sounds of battle, and this time they come from behind me, from within the wooden palisade where I sent Sacrapo and the others to investigate. And for a moment I freeze.
I know I am no coward. I have proven time and again that I do not lack the courage to throw myself headlong into battle, no matter the odds. I have earned the right to lead. But that right comes with it a terrible price. For at this moment I am torn between two choices, neither of them good.
Do I join the men in front of me, as even now more Eburones continue to pour forth from the fog, javelins flying, swords and spears waving, leaving those fighting behind me to their fate? Or do I turn my back on this battlefield to face whatever threat has risen up within the walls of Atuatuca? Not long ago I was bemoaning the lack of a battle, and now I find I have two!
It is wise Caxtos who settles the matter.
“Boduognatus.” He shouts to be heard over the din of battle. “We have to divide our forces.”
He is right. I nod my thanks and see the briefest of smiles beneath Caxtos's helmet, before he turns to his men.
“Spears form up with Caxtos. Take the town.”
My orders are brief. There is no time for more.
“Swords on me.” I shout, holding my sword arm high above my head. “Lets teach these treacherous scum what we do to oath breakers!”
A great roar goes out from all around me. And with that I charge, hurling myself down the slope towards an uncertain future. I am matched every step by my Oathsworn and the swordsmen that follow me. Swords and shields held ready for battle. This is what I was born for. This is what we were all born for. For we are Nervii, and battle is in our blood.
So if I die this day, I know I die in good company.
What more could a warrior ask for!
*******
Author's Notes:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Credit for the inclusion of the raven must go to NorseThing. It's a really great idea and adds a lot to the opening of this chapter, which I was having trouble with. Thank you.
Also, needless to say the fog in my story is a lot denser than the fog in game... because unlike CA, I don't have to worry about whether the “player” can actually see what they are doing!
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 3rd March 2018]
Great update, the appearance of the Eburones and the reaction of the Nervii general are well done - and the reflections on the significance of the raven are a nice touch.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 3rd March 2018]
I've just finished reading your AAR and it's very good. I love the characters, the setting is one of my favourite (I don't have Rome 2 but I do have De Bello Gallico). Keep it up and we'll keep reading and commenting. I know it's ealry in the story, but I want to know who the other 3 men are, from the prophecy. I know, I know, but that's what I want. Keep up the great writing Welsh! + (well deserved) rep
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 3rd March 2018]
Originally Posted by Alwyn
Great update, the appearance of the Eburones and the reaction of the Nervii general are well done - and the reflections on the significance of the raven are a nice touch.
Thanks Alwyn. I really can't claim credit for the Raven though, as NorseThing is the one that put the idea in my head.
*
Originally Posted by Darkan
I've just finished reading your AAR and it's very good. I love the characters, the setting is one of my favourite (I don't have Rome 2 but I do have De Bello Gallico). Keep it up and we'll keep reading and commenting. I know it's ealry in the story, but I want to know who the other 3 men are, from the prophecy. I know, I know, but that's what I want. Keep up the great writing Welsh! + (well deserved) rep
Thank you Darkan. Glad to hear you are enjoying the story and new readers are always welcome. As for the other 3 men, yes they're a bit of a mystery even to me. I have some idea who they are, but both prophecies and campaigns have a funny way of developing in ways you don't expect, so who I intend them to be may not be who they end up being in the end...
We shall see.
*
Next chapter is having some slight teething problems, but will hopefully be ready sometime this week or next. Writing a battle is proving quite the challenge, especially from a first person perspective, and I'm also mindful of not wanting it to be too similar to a later battle I've already written. (My writing style is a little non-linear at times. Less ABC, more jigsaw puzzle. )
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 3rd March 2018]
“Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR.) Chapter 8: The Hordes of Segomo
(“The Eburones believe themselves lead by a god.”)
We quickly cover the ground between us and the Nervii warriors who are even now fighting for their lives against the Eburone's ambush. Already I can see my warriors there are beginning to falter, the sheer ferocity of the Eburone's surprise attack taking its toll on even the most grizzled of veterans and hardiest fighters. I cannot allow this to become a rout, or the battle will be lost almost as soon as it has begun.
Pushing forward past Nervii who are already injured or exhausted, I quickly find myself at the front of our lines, face to face with the snarling visage of an Eburone warrior. He carries a spear and shield that appear to have seen better days. His simple clothing and lack of adornment mark him as a freeman of one of the Eburone's client tribes, rather than a full time warrior. But he is no less dangerous for his lack of experience. Glory and a desire to prove your worth are powerful motivations in any man.
The Eburone lunges forward with his spear, the sharpened point narrowly missing my head. The Nervii warrior standing beside me is not so lucky. He lets out a scream that is all too quickly lost in the sounds of battle. A life cut short in an instant, one of far too many already. But his sacrifice is not in vain. For just a moment the Eburone's reach is over extended, putting his shield out of position and leaving his body unprotected. That is when I strike, a quick slash to his exposed belly. A mortal wound, we both know it. Even should he survive the battle, only a slow and agonising death awaits him on the other side. He will not see another sunrise.
But a wounded animal is also the most dangerous, so I follow the slash with a stab to the Eburone's throat, killing him instantly. In a battle such as this that is all the mercy I have time for.
I step over the body and push forward again, driving further into the thick of battle...
*
Time passes strangely in a battle at the best of times. Minutes and even hours can pass by in the blink of an eye, whilst a single moment can last an eternity. But within this fog? Each moment seems to slip by as if water running through my fingers, leaving only impressions of what has come to pass. Pictures. Sounds. Smells.
The look of hatred in an old man's eyes as he tries to split your skull with his axe.
The sound of a young warrior crying out for his mother, who he will never speak to again in this life.
The smell of death and other things that are best left unsaid.
Each of those moments blends together into a tapestry of suffering. For war is as terrible as it is glorious.
I know these are things that will come to me in my sleep, should I survive this day. But for now there is no time for thought, only deed. Kill or be killed. Survive or die. That is all that matters....
*
(“The Nervii stand firm... but for how long?”)
The sword slash nearly takes my hand, only reflexes born from years of fighting letting me react in time to block the blow with my own sword. But such a move does not come without a price. I feel a quick flash of pain, the force of the blow travel through my sword and up into my arm. It buys me a moment, but no more than that.
The sword's owner, a bare chested Eburone with a wild look in his eyes, shouts an oath. But he is undeterred. He comes at me again, hacking and slashing with his short-sword in a wild frenzy, driving me back with each and every blow. A clumsy move, but one whose ferocity makes up for its lack of skill, and in truth it takes everything I have just to block each attack with my own sword. I am not the young warrior I once was.
But what little I may have lost in speed and strength, I have gained far more in hard earned experience. In his single-minded fury I see my opening. I see his eyes following my sword, focused on the sharpened blade and the threat it poses. But so focused is he on the weapon in my right hand, he ignores the one in my left. A mistake I might have made in my youth. But I am not that young man anymore. A youth sees the shield as just a piece of armour, to block and protect and nothing more. But a veteran knows that in the right hands a shield is also a weapon.
I block another blow with my sword, using my right arm to push both our blades aside, and in his moments distraction I drive forward with my left, putting all of my weight and strength behind my shield and smashing the hardened top edge into his exposed face. His nose breaks in an instant, the crack audible even over the battle noise, sending pain lancing into his brain. He screams. His reaction is a natural one, reaching his hands up to protect his face, where even now blood pours down from his misshapen nose.
But it also leaves him exposed. I plunge my sword into his chest, a mortal blow and we both know it. The warrior, barely a youth old enough to have grown his first facial hair I now see, has time only for his final words.
“I die for Segomo,” he cries as he falls.
It is not the first time I have heard those words today, and I doubt it will be the last. It seems the rumours were all too true. The god made flesh? Bah. Ambriorix truly is mad if he believes himself a god. But so too are those that choose to follow him. Believing themselves under his protection. Believing themselves invincible. Believing his lies. For they are lies. These fanatics die just like any other man.
But as one falls, another takes his place. And another. And another. There seems to be no end to these madmen willing to die for their 'god.' There is little honour and even less glory in slaughtering such fools, yet each must be taken seriously for any one of them could be my last. They are enough to wear any warrior down, like the sea crashing against the shore.
I take a step back, allowing two of my warriors to take my place. I am not as young as I once was, and though I am not lacking in courage, even I need to take a breather from such ferocity. So many dead in such little time. This ambush, it truly is a fearful thing.
And yet...
Gwydion once told me that an ambush lives or dies in its first few moments, when the attacker has the upper hand and the defender has no chance to react. That first onslaught, it can break an army and bring ruin upon the warriors caught within. The many dead and injured lain upon the grass all about me are a testament to that.
But if you can survive that first onslaught. If you can weather the storm. If you push past the shock and the pain and fight on together, things can change very quickly. The balance of power shifts. For an ambush is a chaotic thing. Not a battle line, where each warrior fights not just with his own strength, but the strength of those that stand beside him. We fight as brothers. And even in a battle as chaotic as this, sometimes that is what counts.
May it prove to be so today.
The tide begins to turn....
***
Author's Notes:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
That first image is a total fluke, as I just happened to catch one of the Eburone soldiers mid fade. But I loved the effect so much and it fitted with my story of the Eburones that I just had to use it. One of the rare occasions proximity fade proves useful!
All the Best,
Welsh Dragon.
Last edited by Welsh Dragon; March 25, 2018 at 01:51 PM.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 25th March 2018]
Great descriptions, I especially liked the "sounds", as in braking nose, thuds and clashes of swords. Yes, that first picture is amazing, fluke or not, Segomo among his men. I see the battle is far from finished, time for a respite and back into the fray. Well done.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 25th March 2018]
The tension and drama are excellent, as you convey the shock of the Nervii as they face this surprise attack. That first screenshot is inspired, you took something which is an understandable but sometimes irritating feature (the fading out of soldiers when the camera gets too close) and turned it into a mesmerising representation of the Eburones' belief about who is leading them into battle. Gwydion's advice sounds like a useful encouragement for a warrior who is recovering from the shock of the attack and breathing hard after intense melee fighting. I particularly like the way that you contrast the fighting spirit of the Nervii, who 'fight as brothers', with the fanatic ferocity of the Eburones.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 25th March 2018]
Originally Posted by Darkan
Great descriptions, I especially liked the "sounds", as in braking nose, thuds and clashes of swords. Yes, that first picture is amazing, fluke or not, Segomo among his men. I see the battle is far from finished, time for a respite and back into the fray. Well done.
Thank you Darkan.
After reading San Felipe's excellent Battle of the Nile (47BC AAR) (well worth a read if you haven't already,) I really wanted to try and make more use of all the senses in my battle scenes. This is my first attempt, and I'm pretty pleased with the resulting effect.
Originally Posted by Alwyn
The tension and drama are excellent, as you convey the shock of the Nervii as they face this surprise attack. That first screenshot is inspired, you took something which is an understandable but sometimes irritating feature (the fading out of soldiers when the camera gets too close) and turned it into a mesmerising representation of the Eburones' belief about who is leading them into battle. Gwydion's advice sounds like a useful encouragement for a warrior who is recovering from the shock of the attack and breathing hard after intense melee fighting. I particularly like the way that you contrast the fighting spirit of the Nervii, who 'fight as brothers', with the fanatic ferocity of the Eburones.
Thanks Alwyn. Yes, even though he died at the start of this story I continue to find Gwydion a useful presence to have, his words and deeds being touchstones Boduognatus and others call back on when times are tough. As for the contrast between the Nervii and Eburones, I'm trying to give different tribes their own personalities and ways of doing things. It hopefully helps to differentiate the various tribes a bit, which is something I picked up reading Angus Watson's "Iron Age" series of novels (which are all good reads, and the second of which, Clash of Iron, provides a very different take on Caesar's invasion of Gaul.) You'll see more of this as the Nervii start to interact with more tribes.
But in the meantime, there's the little matter of a battle in progress...
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 2nd April 2018]
“Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR.)
Chapter 9: The Swords of Segomo
(“The tide begins to turn... but is it soon enough?”)
From the left flank reinforcements begin to arrive. The runners I sent earlier have returned, and they have not come alone. They bring with them fresh warriors with unbloodied swords and unbroken spears, who throw themselves into battle with all the strength and vigour of warriors who have not spent the last few minutes fighting for their lives. Slingstones and javelins fly once more, but this time it is the Eburones who fall before this deadly rain, my skirmishers retribution for their brothers who fell to such weapons only minutes before. The sight of fallen comrades only spurs the warriors on, and they crash into the Eburones like a great hammer upon an anvil.
Unprepared for such an attack, the Eburone's own flank begins to falter. Eburone warriors find themselves having to think about not just the sword in front of them, but the spear from the side and the slingstone from above. Those that only moments before were certain of their victory now begin to have doubt, while those that faced certain defeat find new reserves of strength. Those at the edge of the great mass of Eburones start to waver, beginning to think less of killing and more of being killed. I have seen it before, felt it before and it is then that I know we can win this!
A second shower of deadly rain is all it takes to tip the balance, and the Eburones start to break and run.
(“The Eburones flee.”)
Even a fanatic has his limits.
But even as the Eburone's withdrawal becomes an open rout, I can see one group that still holds out. Their armour makes them stand out, far finer than most warriors could afford. As too does their long-swords, much like my own, slashing and stabbing with speed and precision. It is clear by the bodies which even now continue to pile up around them that these warriors are made of sterner stuff. I know in my heart that there is only one group they could possibly be.
“So these are the Swords of Segomo.” I think, not realising I say this out loud.
“They don't look so tough,” a young warrior besides me says with bravado.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 2nd April 2018]
Originally Posted by NorseThing
Just caught up. "Even a fanatic has his limits." A great line, but from where? My memory has failed! No matter -- a great set of updates.
Thanks NorseThing. It wouldn't surprise me if the phrase has been used in something before, and while I have been known to sneak in favourite lines and references into my writing, in this case I wasn't intentionally quoting anyone. The words just came to me and seemed like the right line for the scene. Even blind fanaticism can only take someone so far, because everybody breaks in the end.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 2nd April 2018]
The return of the runners is a good moment! I like your line about what Eburone warriors had to think about, as well as agreeing with NorseThing about "Even a fanatic has his limits." I hope that the young warrior will be right about the Swords of Segomo!
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 2nd April 2018]
A great tale to be sure and for a man of Belgium a very interesting read. Especially your depiction of Ambiorix, who is a popular hero in Belgium for his rebellion against Caesar, intrigues me. I wonder what made you decide to add this legend of madness to the Eburones? I like the slowpaced telling of your tale detailing much of the thoughts of the main character, Boduognatus. That way I feel more connected to the tale. I also like the way you describe the swaying of the balance in the battle. The shock felt by the Nervii, the waning of their morale by a twofront battle, the strengthening of their resolve when reinforcements arrive and ultimately the breaking of the Eburones' will to fight by this setback. Still as Darkan had said, maybe the crazy Ambiorix has something in mind to surprise the Nervii once again.
Re: “Toutatis Favours The Brave” (A Nervii CiG AAR) [Updated 18th February 2018]
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Alwyn
Keep up the great writing Welsh! + (well deserved) rep
The words just came to me and seemed like the right line for the scene. Even blind fanaticism can only take someone so far, because everybody breaks in the end.
