Bad Omens (AAR)

[Tyrfingr]

Chapter I: Introduction

The omens have been bad this year, really bad. When the snow started to fall, we were not prepared. The harvest had been poor for several years but we had managed, barely, but we were always alive to see the grass return. We are starving.

Our holymen claimed the gods demanded several slaves as sacrifice, but as we drowned our own slaves to please the gods, the starvation got worse. The farmers barely had the strength to reap their crops, the lumberjacks the strength to cut down trees, and the children the strength to eat. Needless to say, the old, weak and children died by the hundreds.

Stories began circulating, our allies were not faring as well either and it was depressing to listen to the bards from the west, how famine and plauge has swept across the lands, leaving several villages empty. Although I don't understand all the words of the bards, it was not just harvest that was poor. The political relations with our allies had started to fail, and there was talks of oncoming war. We share the same gods, but they have always been after the throne, the throne that is rightfully ours by divine right. I guess the hard times creates desperate men.

The snow stood half a spear when the cold grasp took my two sisters away. My older brother had passed away just before the snow, attacked by wild dogs when he was out hunting with the men of the village. Father could only carry his mauled body back to camp, our healers could do nothing to save him. Without their oldest son to help us in the hunt, as I'm still young, food became even scarse and my sisters died.

My mother and father were in a dreadful state, and the grief from the loss of both my older brother and younger sisters became too heavy for me...

...So I left home to wander the roads, to beg, to steal, to survive. I followed the roads southwest, through the lands of our so-called "friends" and they were sure not friendly anymore. As the snow started to melt, I found the roads leading south, to our largest city. There, I was going to find what I was meant for...

[Chirurgeon]

Hmmm...this sounds intriguing. Wonder what faction this is?

Oh yes and welcome to the forums!

The second wave of AARs is upon us after the release of EB 1.0

[johnhughthom]

Sounds like Arverni to me, it will go nicely with the Aedui one just started if it is.

[Leão magno]

Mistery! :) Great approach... why can not it be Sweboz???

[Wolfman]

If it is with the Sweboz that would be Bitter Sweet since I was writing a Sweboz AAR and it pretty much started out the same way.
P.S. Leao Are you planning on rejoining the PBM? If you are I can't wait!

[Tyrfingr]

Chapter II: Recruitment

I walked through the gates of our capital, but I was much confused. The tales had spoken of a great city, with houses made of silver and armies clasped in gold, and all there was to see was dirt. Dirt roads, dirty houses and dirty people. I wandered along the cramped streets and coming from a much smaller town, I began to regret my journey southwards.

I had nothing to eat, or coin to buy anything to eat or rent a room, so I had to sleep outside, in the alleys. The weather were not too bad, but it was still cold. For six days, I stayed in the alleys, stealing bread and coin from the market to survive. On the seventh day, everything was about to change.

As I was about to steal a loaf of bread, the guards caught me and had me arrested. The captain, a man about twice my age, stared at me with grim eyes. He explained that I ought to be hanged, as is the custom, but these were hard times and he gave me the option of enlisting in the army. Between death and the army, where you atleast were given food, the choice was obvious.

I was taken to the barracks and assigned to the Iaosatae. We crafted our own weapons, the sling, a small shield and a small knife. My company consisted of men of all ages, some were old with grey beards but most were about my age. Our officer reminded me of the captain of the city guard, but much more scarred, I guess he had seen alot of wars.

I was not too bad with the sling, as I had alot of practice from the countless hunts with my older brother. The officer noticed it when I managed to shoot a bird of a rooftop, and he asked me for my name.

- Taranix, of the Vocontii, I answered him.
- Named after the Thundergod are you? Well, little Thunderer, we will need your skills with the sling. War is coming...

[The Wandering Scholar]

Nice writing.

[Hooahguy]

could use pictures.....

[Tyrfingr]

Chapter III: Advancement

War was indeed coming, and the following spring, me and my comrades among the Iaosatae were assigned to a great man by the name of Belenos. Belenos was one of the Arverni nobles, and son to our great Verrix Aneirin.

Great verrix Aneirin had summoned every able man and horse to march against Bibracte, the capital of our enemy. I learned now that our enemy was our former friends the Aedui. The cause of war was still not clear, but rumors whispered about the Aedui having secret connections to a tribe in the south, name unknown to me.

The whole army was now on the move, and we were moving into enemy territories. The weather was kind, not too cold nor too hot, as we marched towards Bibracte...

https://img187.imageshack.us/img187/2415/000marchintoenemylandssr5.jpg

[Tyrfingr]

Chapter IV: First Blood

We gathered near Bibracte, and our initial scouts had told us the city garrison consisted of the aged leader of the Aedui, Cocolitanos, and his guards. These men were experienced, but none the less outnumbered so Verrix Aneirin and his son Belenos made camp at the edge of the forest. Next morning, we were awaken by loud noices and screams, the enemy had been sighted!

Returning scouts told us that Cocolitanos had been relieved by his son Denneros, and that Cocolitanos had been sallied forth from Bibracte to meet his son and together drive us away. Belenos knew Verrix Aneirin was close, but he didn't know how close. Instead of retreating and endanger his father, Belenos chose to stand his ground.

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6717/000prebattletx5.jpg

Thousands of enemy soldiers had gathered on a ridge near the camp, they had taken the high ground and was marching towards me and my companions. Our captains shouted out the orders and had to beat several of us younger soldiers to form battle lines.

The enemy had the higher ground, but to get to us they would have to cross a valley, and when passing through the valley, we would have the better place on the other side of the valley.

Soon, it was discovered that Cocolitanos had been delayed, the road had been blocked by Verrix Aneirin and now Denneros had no choice but to retreat in shame, or confident in advantage in numbers, attack us. He chose the latter.

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3074/000battlelineuppp2.jpg

I was among the first to fell an enemy soldier. The war-hardened soldiers in my company told me it was custom for the Aedui, as for us, to send the Iaosatae against each other to demoralize the enemy. He was right, the enemy Iaosatae ran in front of the army and soon the stones began to fly around us. We returned the fire, and I saw many men falling down. The enemy must have been fresh recruits, because few of their shots reached our lines, causing only minor casualties.

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3360/000slingeractionta0.jpg

As their Iaosatae failed, they sent cavalry trying to come around our lines. Belenos saw this and sent his own cavalry to chase them off. With our own cavalry on the march, and me and my comrades sending showers of stones, the Aedui flankers soon retreated.

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6690/000failedflankingrm9.jpg

Enraged by his soldiers failure, Denneros himself led the charge against our battle lines, hoping to break us in one blow. Me and my comrades stood safely behind the lines, still sending our shots into the enemy but I could not help to shiver as the enemy screamed and blowed their battle horns just as they charged into our lines. The men of the front stood firm however, threw their javelins against the charging enemies and braced themselves for the attack.

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/2706/000armyclashff7.jpg

This was the moment Belenos had been waiting for. As the Aedui fought to break our lines, he sent his cavalry around the sides and had them wait for the right signal. He then charged for Denneros himself, and his bodyguard with him. In the turmoil I could barely tell friend from foe, but soon I heard the signal: the blast from Belenos horn telling us Denneros had fallen!

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4886/000dennorosfallenbd8.jpg

This was the signal the cavalry had been waiting for, and they charged the Aedui in their backs. Demoralized by their loss of their leader, the Aedui fled the field, only to be chased down by our cavalry.

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/9346/000pursuitcs1.jpg

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4199/000outcomezp6.jpg

The victory was ours, but no time for celebration. Words had reached Cocolitanos about the loss of his son and sent for his grand army commanded by the nobleman Tancogeistla. They would be here soon, and this time we would be on the offensive...

[Gebeleisis]

you made me wanna try out the avrerni or the aedui :P
im running 4 campaigns so far lol:laugh4:

[Tyrfingr]

you made me wanna try out the avrerni or the aedui :P
im running 4 campaigns so far lol:laugh4:
I'm currently running campaigns as:

Getai
Arche Seleukeia
Sweboz
Pontos
Romani
Koinon Hellenon in Iberia (migration campaign)
Lusotanna
Arverni

should I finish one or two campaign?

[Ower]

Celts all the way. I am curently playing the Aedui and own almout all of Western continental Europe. But I am quit woried, as a yellow nightmere creeps into Europe, with an almoust alexandric empire behind them. (map in the ai section)
Nice AAR.

[Long lost Caesar]

nice AAR, good to see the story developing.