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In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Prologue: My Father at Five
My father once told me the story of how we came to be allied with the kings of Hayasdan. It was a great story, one that would captivate my siblings and my own imagination for all of our childhood.
The Hayasdan king was a man named Samus. He was as big as a tree and rode on a two headed horse that shot fire out of one mouth and ice out of the other. The host numbered over six million, all clad in the finest gold armors and wielding weapons too large for any ordinary man to handle. King Samus was also a magician, summoning great beasts from the air to aid him in battle. The defenders of Trapezous were outnumbered ten thousand to one, but still they refused to surrender, brave Greeks they were.
The battle began with the dragons swooping down on us, scorching our homes as they searched for virgins to capture. Our brave defenders warded off the flames with their shields and returned with their own shots of flaming arrows. No one missed and each arrow found their mark. The great beasts fell and our city stood.
The Hayasdan king was furious and he sent forth great machines at our gates. They were horrendous things, made of children bones and imbued with dark magic. Yet we did not fear them. The great defenders burned forty of the dark machines, thus saving the souls of the children trapped within, but there were too many. At last our mighty walls fell and the enemy stormed our city.
The fighting was furious in the streets as the enemy swarmed in from all directions. Surrounded, the great Greek defenders, descendants of Achilles, trained to fight in Sparta, learned in the ways of Athens, veterans from the campaigns of Alexander, fought to the death. They took hundreds of the enemies with them before at last they fell. My father himself, though only five years old at the time, killed seventy of the king’s personal bodyguards himself with nothing but a rock and a blade of grass before he was captured.
The enemy, after suffering such horrendous losses, feared the men of Trapezous greatly. Yet, it was during that battle that they knew we were of better use to them as allies than enemies. The lives of the survivors were spared and were all granted great wealth. All the King of Hayasdan asked for was for us to forgive them for their transgression. After that, peace settled on our land once more.
I was ten years old when I began schooling. I learned many things, like letters and numbers. I also learned that my father was a big fat liar.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Great beginning. Looking forward to this one: a Hellene in the army of the Hai... Perhaps Xenophon comes to mind?
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
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You got the thing man! :2thumbsup:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Thanks for the comments. I'm going for a lighter approach this time instead of the dark brooding death is right around the other corner mood in Spear and Shield. Just trying to diversify my writing style...
So yeah, I'll be playing as Hayasdan. The unit that will be followed around will be announced with the next update or so.
Settings:
MiniMe's unit mod
MAA's city mod
Playing on Barbarian Invasion basic with no shield wall, night battles, etc...
All the EB 1.0 fixes
VH/M
No banners or green arrows
House Rules:
Auto-Win only when odds are 2-1 in my favor except when fighting rebels
Alright, that's all I can think of for now... hope you enjoy!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Good to see you writing a new AAR, dear sir!
Yours,
Treverer
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
:smash:
Quote:
Surrounded, the great Greek defenders, descendants of Achilles, trained to fight in Sparta, learned in the ways of Athens, veterans from the campaigns of Alexander, fought to the death.
:inquisitive:
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My father himself, though only five years old at the time, killed seventy of the king’s personal bodyguards himself with nothing but a rock and a blade of grass before he was captured.
:clown:
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I was ten years old when I began schooling. I learned many things, like letters and numbers. I also learned that my father was a big fat liar.
This here AAR, is an insta-classic. :yes:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
BerkeleyBoi,
your name is now synonymous to HQ AAR
bookmarked, and waiting patiently for next episode
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
BerkeleyBoi , nice to see Hayasdan AAR.
I am around 210BC in my Hayasdan game so I look forward to see how You will do.
I really like the style of the prologue (mystifying the history ) but it was a bit overdone in my opinion.
Cant wait for next chapter.
Good luck.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
niiiiice!
i subscribed to this thread......
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Instantly subscribed:clown: Can't wait for you to get into the fray:smash:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
I was ten years old when I began schooling. I learned many things, like letters and numbers. I also learned that my father was a big fat liar.
:laugh4:
great to see you picked Armenias. enjoyed your Saba epic now there is this one to follow instead.
good luck
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Wooooooh!
Another great AAR coming! Yayness!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Thanks to everyone for their comments again! I will post chapter one as soon as photobucket starts working again...
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
I myself was five years old when I saw my first battle. My father left our home early in the morning, a grim look on his face as he picked up his cloak and left to battle the enemy. I did not know who the enemy was, but with the great King Samus leading such great men as my father into battle, what could overcome them?
I was left at home, told to protect my mother and sister, but the desire for glory and honor filled me even at that young age. I grabbed a rock from the side of the road and was looking for a good blade of grass near the walls when I heard the yelling. The battle had begun and I was locked inside.
Desperate to see my father in battle, I climbed up into one of the small wooden towers where two men were waiting for the enemy to come within range. They ignored me as I squeezed in between them and looked out.
I saw stones flying across the air and striking at men far off in the distance. Soldiers from our city marched forward, but I was confused. Where was the golden armor? Where were the massive weapons?
They were all dressed in the same clothes as they would when they worked in the fields. The only difference was that a spear replaced the hoe. The two lines charged at each other and clashed in the middle of the grass field where I used to chase rabbits. Some people fell and were quickly stabbed or trampled. I heard people screaming and cursing. I searched in vain for my father, but could not find him.
Then there it was. The glittering golden armor! Riding on beautiful mounts and their long lances leveled, a band of glorious horsemen slammed into the back of the enemy, sending them flying into the air or buried in the ground.
They turned around, whirled back, and charged again before disappearing just as quickly as they came, leaving dead and dying men behind them.
The enemy was in disarray. Soon afterwards, they broke. I jumped down from the tower despite the warnings of the guards and landed on a dead body which broke my fall. I scrambled back up and ran towards the horsemen. My father must have been one of them, one of those great men charging into battle.
The king rode by. He did not notice me. I searched the faces of those men, but my father was not there. I called for him, but received no answer. The foot soldiers then walked by, but my father was not among them either. I felt my stomach turn. I feared the worst. I fell to my knees and was unable to move.
The townsmen now rushed out to take whatever was left on the bodies. They sickened me. They were robbing the men who died to defend them. They were stealing from my father. I saw a man in front of me pulling a pair of trousers off a corpse. Anger swelled up and I jumped onto his back and began to beat him with my tiny fists. He threw me off and was about to hit me, but suddenly he stopped.
My father was a great warrior, not a scavenger, but there he was with a pair of bloody trousers in his hand. At that moment, I looked at the corpses around me and wished my father was one of them. What a pity that wishes don’t always come true.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
interesting how would he treat his father now:book:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Hehehe, nice start:2thumbsup:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
His father was cheap....trousers???
At least grab a fine sword dammit!!
Extremely entertaining AAR so far.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Awesome AAR, BerkeleyBoi! Hopefully this will be as epic as Spear and Shield.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Nice start! Some nice morale conflicts and horrors of war in there to make it interesting.
The character and his father are Hellenes, right?
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vorian
His father was cheap....trousers???
At least grab a fine sword dammit!!
Haha, well I figured all the levies who actually fought would have had first pick at the goods.
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Originally Posted by Chaotix27
Awesome AAR, BerkeleyBoi! Hopefully this will be as epic as Spear and Shield.
Ah, I hope so too. I also hope I won't get killed as quickly either...
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Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Nice start! Some nice morale conflicts and horrors of war in there to make it interesting.
The character and his father are Hellenes, right?
Thanks for the comments! Yeah, the father is Hellenes, but the character... well, more will be revealed about him later :2thumbsup:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
^
That would be priceless.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Chapter Two: Throwing Rocks
My father disappeared when I was eleven years old, leaving me with my mother and three younger sisters to fend for ourselves. I was forced to leave school and find work as an extra farm hand for a wealthy Rhodian though I didn’t understand how he became so rich. He was a lazy drunkard. He spent most of his time beating his workers for minor offenses or lying on the floor passed out next to a pool of his own vomit. Most of the other workers were Easterners, or barbarians as my father taught me, but I found I liked them more than the wealthy Greek who lorded over us.
I found my escape a year later when the capital of the Hayasdan was besieged by the Seleucids. Since I was too young to fight with a spear and too weak to draw a bow, I was given a sling and a pouch of stones to pepper the enemy before the true soldiers entered battle.
I had used a sling to kill rabbits for stew since I was a little boy, so I guess they figured I could kill a man, or at least give him a major headache, as well.
We marched for many days towards the capital, but found we had arrived too late and the siege was already relieved. However, we were not sent home, but instead put on permanent garrison duty as there were reports of more Seleucids coming to attack.
The capital city of Armavir was not very impressive compared to my home. It was even smaller, had less goods in its marketplaces, and lacked the sanitation system of Trapezous. It was no wonder that King Samus decided to reside there instead of the capital. As I walked the streets, I noticed that the city was nearly empty of people. I was later told that most of the men have been conscripted to fight as the enemy armies draw nearer.
The battles were many, but I do not remember much. Each time they laid siege to us, we would rush out and pepper the enemy with stones. The spearmen would clash with the enemy and suffer tremendous casualties before the royal horsemen smashed the enemy. Each and every battle was completely dependent on the thunderous charge of the King’s kinsmen.
Each time I remembered fearing that all would be lost as I watched our levies die in droves as the professional Seleucid armies cut them down until suddenly, bursting out from a cloud of dust, the glittering golden armor would appear and save the day.
I fought through almost ten battles against the Seleucids, each time I just slung my stones until none were left before retreating back into the city. The real soldiers would handle the rest.
Then there was one day, we were badly outmatched that time, even worse than usual.
The sally began as usual, with us slinging rocks as the spearmen charged forward to die.
But this time, they died quicker than usual. Ten fell in an instant as the veteran mercenaries and phalanxes cut then down. Then twenty died. Forty. Eighty. Soon, more were dead than alive. The general needed the enemy pinned for his charge to be effective, so the signal went up for the first time. We slingers and archers pulled out our rusty knives and marched forward.
There was an old man who I befriended that marched alongside me. His name was Arzad, but we all just called him the Old Persian. Some claimed he was so old that he once fought against Alexander’s armies. Yet, he could sling a stone harder and more accurately than any of the young men in our unit. His sling had probably killed more enemies than even the kinsmen’s lances. There was so much skill and experience in those hands. And he was the first to fall.
The Seleucid phalanx was murderous. We were cut down even quicker than the Kavakaza Sparabara. The charge was delayed as the general was engaged with the enemy’s cavalry. We were on our own.
In the end, we were victorious. Of the one hundred and twenty men who began the battle, only twenty survived. Our unit was disbanded and we were sent home. The small bag of coins tied around my neck made a small clinking sound with each step the whole way back.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
its really depressing, IMO, how you lead the levies to their death, but still, great update!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Campaign Notes:
Hayasdan has been very difficult, but I've been making a lot of progress I think. I've had huge income problems in the beginning, being over 10,000 in debt, but I was able to get out of that and the save money over 6 turns and build mines. Currently, I have no monetary problems.
Pontos has been a pain. They keep on harassing my western borders with medium sized armies which divert my attention away from the east, where I want to expand. I'm avoiding the south because I don't want to share a border with the Yellow Fever and share the same fate as my poor Saba in Sword and Spear.
In battles, I'm suffering huge losses each battle as I need to use my cheap spearmen to pin the enemy while my bodyguards smash their armies. I have become completely reliant on rear cavalry charges with the bodyguards, winning against up to 1:4 odds with those guys. I have been able to win almost every battle, but retraining my armies has depleted my capitals population down to 500 people. Pop growth also seems slower with MAA's citymod.
However, with all that said and done, I have been able to escape the initial problems and the Ptolemies have been helping me a bunch. They are keeping the Seleucids busy and I have stretches of 5-6 turns where I don't have to fight before suddenly the gray banners come out of nowhere and siege my cities. Even so, as I've said, I've been able to win the battles. I think I've finally reached the point where I can turn to the offensive. There might be more action coming soon...
...but I have a conference in Hong Kong this weekend so I won't be able to update until Monday. Sorry!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
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Good luck! :medievalcheers:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Another nice update. What's he going to do now?
I recall the population drain in Armavir when I played Hayasdan. If you can afford it, build farms. They give both population growth and income. Also build health buildings, though the citymod does kind of make them less effective for huge population boosts.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Chapter Three: The Beginning and End of Peace
My mother aged forty years in the four years that I was gone. She was no longer the strong beautiful woman that stood up to my father even as he beat her or the wise mother who told me stories of Darius and Cyrus. She was bent and broken from her hard labor collecting night soil from the townsmen and carrying it far out into the fields for use as fertilizer.
I stopped my mother in the street as she carried the buckets of waste in each hand. She stared at me as if she did not know me before her mouth broke into a wide smile. She staggered towards me, her arms open as she reached to embrace me. Three wretched girls peered out from behind her, their eyes widened as they saw me. We left the night soil in the middle of the street and started a new life.
The new social standing that I gained through those six years of service had many benefits. I was given a patch of land in the outskirts of Trapezous that, though small, hilly, and poor, was more than my family ever had. At the age of sixteen, I began working the land by terracing the hills with my sisters, planting wheat interspersed with fruit trees to hold the soil. I became close friends with a neighboring farmer, an old Greek who traces his ancestors back to Korinth, and eventually married his daughter while one of my sisters married his son. I remember gazing out over my little piece of land, my young wife sitting next to me while my mother cradles my baby son in her arms, thinking that this was the life I was destined to live. But I guess it was naïve of me to think that such good things could last forever.
The lands of Hayasdan have expanded, but the number of people inhabiting its lands was small. Taxes were very high to support the richly ornamented bodyguards of governors and generals while the fertility of the land was low. There was little extra income to improve the sanitation of the cities and as result, disease and early death took the lives of many boys before they reached the age to serve in war.
The cities were being emptied of men. The fields were tended by children and the elderly while widows sat begging or selling themselves for an extra day of life. Even my once wealthy home was devastated. A series of attacks by the warriors of Pontus and an offensive campaign to take the town of Ani-Kamah had depleted the population to the point that daily life was barely functioning. Lives were now much more valuable. Reform was necessary.
The king first searched among his own people to replace the Kavakaza Sparabara.
The result was a spear unit of Hayasdan tribesmen called the Hai Nizagamartik.
However, they performed poorly in the siege of Ani-Kamah and even worse in the attack on Karkathiokerta. The King of Hayasdan needed infantry that could not only stand against the enemy, but survive to fight another day.
Eventually, he found his solution. And I was part of it.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
i like this, really nice writing and nice pictures!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Great AAR. Keep up good work.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Now the real fun begins^^
Clasical hoplites are just totally badass:smash:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Excellent Update! I hope you are enjoying one of my favourite factions?
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. It really makes it worthwhile for me to write this thing when I know people are enjoying it! Now, for some campaign notes:
The first reforms have taken place and I have level one and two governments built in all my cities except Trapezous (which I have kept at level three to for the story's purpose). Mines were built everywhere and I have a steady income each turn while maintaining one full stack and several large garrisons where Pontus and Seleukia always attacks. Population is no longer too much of a problem since I began switching over to stronger units and building farms.
So I'm really enjoying the campaign right now, though I still liked playing as Saba more. I now share a border with Ptolemies so things might get excessively interesting very soon...
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
What a great story. I love the personal touch! Keep it up
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Chapter Four: Of Giants and Hetairoi
Before I married his daughter, the old Greek asked me about my father. I told him he was a great warrior, one of the warriors who fought against King Samus when he conquered Trapezous many years ago. I told him that he fought on until the very end, when he and the survivors regrouped in the town square where at last they fell. I told him my father was dead, but he died as a hero.
The old Greek came to me again one day, a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. My wife stood behind him, an attic helmet, linen armor, and greaves in her hand. He said that this was his old armor and weapon, the same equipment that he used when he met the Hayasdan in battle almost forty years before alongside my father. He wanted me to have it and carry it into battle for he was too old and had no sons to fight.
I was ashamed and I told him the truth about my bloodline. I was the son of a scavenger and coward who fled from his own responsibilities as a father. I expected him to abuse me or perhaps pierce me through the chest with his spear, but instead I found his old hand on my shoulder. He put the spear and shield in my hands while my wife dressed me in my armor. He said nothing in response, but as he turned to leave, I saw a smile on his face. My wife later told me that he always knew the truth.
The King of Hayasdan wanted to test us as the new basis for his front line soldiers.
He sent us, as well as a band of newly outfitted thureophoroi and one of his lesser generals against a band of Seleucids who had been raiding the country side. We caught up to them high in the mountains, but they did not flee. They stood their ground and we found ourselves facing a full strength band of mercenary phalangites and thureophoroi as well as a large number of experienced hetairoi.
As we stood high up in the mountains, I remembered a story. My father once said that there was a cave near Trapezous where a giant once lived. He terrorized the farmers in the area until one day, the king sent his son to kill the beast. When the giant saw the warrior, he laughed and asked why the king did not come to face him himself. The son replied by saying that his father feared the giant. The giant laughed again and said that if a father is a coward, then the son must be an even greater coward. Before the giant could laugh again, the warrior jumped onto the beast and slew him with a single blow. With that, he redeemed the name of his family.
The battle was quick and bloody.
The golden cavalry charged into the enemy spearmen while we engaged the phalanx from the front.
We were able to maneuver past their pikes and engage the phalangites in close combat, thus removing their advantage. Our thureophoroi then moved to the phalanx’s exposed back and, after a shower of javelins, slammed into them. The battle seemed all but won when I found myself flying through the air, landing in a heap several feet away. I was dazed, but otherwise unharmed. A spear came at me, but I was able to roll away, grabbing my own spear as I stood back up.
A hetairoi was above me. He was laughing. He thrust his pike at me again, but once again I was able to dodge it. He called me a coward and ordered me to stand and fight. He rode slowly towards me, taunting and laughing when his horse suddenly collapsed onto the ground with a spear in its stomach. I was quickly on top of the horsemen and before he realized what was happening, I inserted my spear into his neck.
We performed well above the king’s expectation. Upon our arrival in Trapezous, we were showered with honors and presents for our bravery in battle. After being reinforced with eager volunteers, we marched towards Phraaspa to help train a new army that will conquer the Seleucids.
I went to see my family one last time before I left. I told my wife that I would bring honor to my family. I told her that my son would never have to lie for my sake, that my deeds would be so well known that words would not even be necessary. She only smiled and handed me a bag of fruit freshly picked from our trees. She said I should treasure them, for it may be a long time before I returned.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Ah the dreaded Selucids. Endless, relentless, and resilient.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Like it's straight out of one of the better Cornwall books. Great job!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Give them a nice punch in the face! Smack'em around!:boxing:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
This AAR is very good, one of the best.
It seems that I've passed 1000 posts, yay me.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
The road from Trapezous to the capital at Armavir was one I traveled on twice before, but the additional armor, shield, and spear seemed to make the journey go much slower. While some of the other men in my unit had servants who carried their equipment, I was forced to bear the burden myself. Who would have thought that linen was so damn heavy?
We stopped and restocked our supplies in Armavir for three days before continuing eastwards for Phraaspa. The road got much rougher then. The roads were no longer paved and there were fewer markets from which we could restock on our basic necessities. However, since our numbers were few, we were able to forage for whatever we could not buy.
Phraaspa. The town was inhabited almost entirely by Persians and our commander had some doubts on whether they could form the basis for a new hoplite force.
The majority of the garrison was made up of Nizagan-I Eranshahr, an archer-spearmen light infantry with greater range than any Greek bows, but severely lacking in terms of discipline and holding power. Our commander met with the local military officers and, despite our reservations, began to train the Persians to fight as hoplitai.
They were called the Kardaka Arteshtar, Persians trained to fight like Greek hoplites. Their task was simple enough: hold the enemy until the king’s golden horsemen charged in from behind. Staying alive would generally prove slightly more difficult.
Our general was a member of the Hayasdan royal family and has fought in many battles defending Armavir from the Seleucid invaders. He was grizzled, smart, sturdy, and impetuous. When he heard reports that the Seleucid city of Ekbatan was lightly garrisoned, he immediately led us and our freshly trained warriors to attack.
One season after laying siege to Ekbatan, a huge force of mercenaries, led by the great Seleucid general Timon Gabalon Syriakon, appeared from the east to relieve the city.
Combined with the garrison, we would be greatly outnumbered and I feared our freshly trained soldiers would be slaughtered like pigs before a festival.
The general knew we wouldn’t stand a chance if we were caught out in the open. We positioned ourselves on the top of a small hill with some huge boulders guarding our right flank.
The Persian archers stood in the first line, followed by six bands of green Persian hoplites. The Greek Thureoporoi and Peltasti guarded the narrow passageway on our right flank while eastern axes stood ready to plug any holes in our lines. The golden horsemen stood ready in the rear. My unit stood on the left end of the Persians, warding off any enemy who try to outflank us. The plan was the same as always. We infantry hold and tire the enemy. The horsemen will do the rest.
The innumerable enemy came at us. We could hear their chanting grow louder with each second. I adjusted my helmet nervously and glanced at my comrades. They were trying their best to look brave, but I could feel they were scared too. The Persians were the same. I saw one boy, he could not have been more than fifteen years of age, gripping his spear so tight that his knuckles were all white and veins popped up along his arm to his neck. His eyes were bloodshot and stared blindly into space. Suddenly, he dropped to the ground. I thought an arrow hit him and I quickly ducked under my shield for protection along with the majority of my unit, but it turned out he was just throwing up.
As the mercenary army drew close, our archer-spearmen let loose a huge volley of arrows. The light infantry was stopped in its tracks and tried to retreat. A second volley nearly completely wiped them out. We all cheered and thrust our spears into the air, but suddenly we saw arrows flying towards us. We immediately ducked and suffered no casualties, but the Persians, lacking shields, were nailed to the ground.
The enemy cavalry charged towards our lines and the archers immediately pulled back to the safety behind our shields. For a second I feared that the fresh Persian hoplites would collapse under the charge, but to my surprise, they held firm. The true test has begun.
Babylonians came next, slamming into the ranks of our spearmen while the rest of the army was brought up. Our golden horsemen tried to circle around for a charge, but the enemy was too many.
Seleucid phalangites soon met our lines, followed by skirmishers, spearmen, and a random assortment of axes, swords, and knives while arrows, stones, and javelins rained down from the sky. It was chaos. No orders could be heard. We all acted on our own initiative.
We held the left flank against the onslaught of the enemy axmen. They slammed into our shields, but together, we pushed them back and stabbed those who were in range. They charged again, but we refused to break while more of the enemy was downed. The third charge was half-hearted and they broke on impact like an urn thrown against a wall.
To our right, the Persians began to pull back after they failed to break through the pike wall, but instead of fleeing, they immediately turned back after creating some distance and met a hetairoi charge head on.
The great general Timon was felled with a Persian spear between his ribs.
The enemy instantly lost their will to fight.
We surrounded and smashed the few holdouts while our cavalry ran down the cowards who tried to flee. The battle was over. My commander reorganized our lines and surveyed the damage.
We stood knee deep in corpses with many of our own among them, but not only did we win, our army was still intact to continue the offensive.
I looked down at my feet and saw that Persian boy who threw up before the battle. An axe cleaved his helmet in half and split his skull, but under him was a Seleucid mercenary with a spear through his chest. The Persians have passed the test.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
You know who you got there in the garrison army? Theodoros Syriakos, or better known as Antiochos II! Now that's a good thing for roleplaying, isn't it:beam: Amazing chapter as always. You are lovely chap:laugh4:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by Basileus Seleukeia
You know who you got there in the garrison army? Theodoros Syriakos, or better known as Antiochos II! Now that's a good thing for roleplaying, isn't it:beam: Amazing chapter as always. You are lovely chap:laugh4:
Ah... these are the times when I wish I knew something about this time period's history! Oh well, too late now...
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Good AAR, and congrats on that heroic victory.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Nice update, and nice battle!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
This is the first AAR where I am reading every damn word and excited to hear whats next. GREAT JOB!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. I'm amazed that this AAR already has over a thousand views... so thank you very much!
So I just installed TWFanatics mod and will be trying it out for a little bit. However, I don't want to throw my campaign out of balance and this mod might make a huge difference because of my reliance on hoplites, so I will be testing it first before using it in my Hayasdan game. And if I do decide to keep it, I'll have to decide how to RP the difference in fighting style...
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Chapter Six: Name Calling
The snow melted and the rivers were swollen, threatening to break the dikes and flood the fertile farmlands around its banks. My small patch of dry land in the Trapezous foothills never had this problem, one of the few advantages of terrace farming.
We progressed slowly towards the Seleucid’s capital city of Susa as there were not even dirt roads in the uncivilized eastern lands. We were forced to hire small boats to ferry us across the rushing rivers and many men were lost when our general ordered us to continue crossing during a storm. The man was in a rush, I wasn’t sure why at the time, but we footmen had little choice in such matters.
It was a fine spring day when we intercepted an enemy force in the rolling hills southeast of Ekbatana.
We arrived on the battlefield after the enemy and found ourselves in an unfavorable position on the bottom of the hill. The general was furious at our tardiness and immediately ordered us to rush for the high ground at all costs, even if it means exposing ourselves completely to the enemy.
We scrambled up to top of the hill as the enemy moved against us. A few arrows began to rain down, but the enemy commander was too cautious and did not take advantage of the situation.
Soon, although tired, we were in position and our great archers began to rain arrows on the advancing skirmishers, annihilating their ranks.
After the skirmishers were properly decorated with arrows jutting out of their corpses, we hoplitai moved forward in a long line with my unit once again protecting the left flank.
The enemy sent their army piecemeal at us. Their axmen rushed in without support and were annihilated by the Persians.
Another unit tried to come around our flanks but we intercepted them and methodically buried them.
The golden horsemen charged while we slaughtered their local levies of Scythians and Parthians. At last we reached the Greek pikemen and the Hetairoi.
It never really occurred to me that the enemy we killed was Greek while the kingdom we were fighting for were Eastern barbarians. Some of the men in my unit were talking about how we were betraying our history and our people by fighting for the wrong side. A few of them even deserted, though they did so probably because they didn’t want to ford the roaring rivers rather than for some other noble reason.
I didn’t care much about who I fought for or against. I fought for the sake of my family name, to bring honor to my ancestors in a way that my father never could. I fought for my wife so she would not feel ashamed to be married to me. But most of all, I fought for my son so he would never have to suffer as I did. That was important, not those vague ideas of Greek glory or the restoration of the Achaemenid Empire.
The Persians threw themselves at the wall of pikes without heed for their own safety while we circled around and cut into the backs of the phalanx. The Hetairoi tried to mount a charge against us, but were intercepted but our general’s bodyguards.
The Seleucid phalanx was surrounded, but they refused to surrender or retreat. They called to each other to keep fighting, saying that it was glorious to die for their country.
Meanwhile, we brought the rest of our army to the front and cut them to pieces. Not a single one retreated.
The last man standing stared at me as I raised my spear to finish him. He spat angry words at me. Mercenary. Traitor. He was about to say something else, but only managed to make a gurgling sound as my spear entered his gut.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Some great writing in here! :2thumbsup:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Ah, now we're getting even deeper in his mind here:2thumbsup:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Great chapter, keep going.
If you take Susa, be careful of the counterattacks. The AI hates having divided territory.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
This is ridiculously similar to what I intended to do, but I got some stuff dumped (phat TESTS etc.). I love playing as the 1-province factions.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
As always, this is just simply great!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Just perfect, as always.:2thumbsup:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Great chapter, keep going.
If you take Susa, be careful of the counterattacks. The AI hates having divided territory.
Ah yes, I realize that now... but the Seleucid army is pretty much shattered now. After using up the remaining soldiers that had left over before I took out the center of their empire, they only send little levy armies against my eastern garrisons. Since the odds are greater than 2:1 most of the time I just auto-win them...
And thanks again for all the comments. I have about one week left before I leave for a new job in Beijing, so I will have a very difficult time updating after that... but until then... here's another chapter!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Chapter Seven: Achaemenid Rebirth
Susa. Such a great city with a long and glorious history filled with culture, the most magnificent goods from the farthest reaches of the world, the most honorable of men, the most beautiful of women, and the Manticore! Or so my Persian comrades have said.
Actually, to be honest, I never heard any stories about this city and my father once told me that the Manticore was found in a land called India, which I’m pretty sure is much farther away.
Despite fear of a Manticore attack, we laid siege to this ancient place. No reinforcements came to aid the city and after a single season, we attacked.
The enemy was few, but these are not mercenaries who flee after a single volley. These recruits were drawn from the surrounding countryside or within the township. They were surrounded by us, a force that was twice their numbers and with a growing reputation of allowing no quarter.
Our army attacked the city from all sides. The siege tower reached the walls slightly burnt but intact, unloading a full unit of Persian hoplites to engage the peltasti who defended it. This drew the medium pikemen to assist their friends, allowing another group of hoplites to climb onto the wall without fear of harassment.
Archers guarded the rear of both hoplite units while raining arrows and fire down upon the enemy.
We Greeks watched the enemy from afar. The general refused to send us in, perhaps fearing that we would loot and burn the sacred city or maybe our very presence within the walls would bring down the wrath of the gods. Whatever the case may be, the city was taken with us sitting in the grass outside the range of their towers, gambling and drinking to waste the time away.
But afterward, there was little time to waste.
A new general arrived, a man named Narek Vrastanits, and immediately marched us out once the city was secured and attacked a large Seleucid army that arrived too late to save the city.
The fighting was a blur as we were the first the engage in combat, eager to prove ourselves after being neglected during the siege. The enemy did not fight to the death this time.
Once we smashed into their lines, they began to break and their captain died trying to rally them. Though in this battle, something peculiar happened.
One unit of Persian hoplites broke away from the rest and found themselves surrounded by axmen and slingers. Some of their comrades rushed to assist them, but by the time they arrived, the hoplites were slain to the last man.
The perpetrators were Easterners, mercenaries hired to fight for the Seleucids.
The city of Gatai was taken easily as the Seleucids sent the entire garrison to save their capital at Susa. We entered the city without a fight, secured it, and headed straight for Persepolis. We were exhausted, yet our general pushed us on. There was no time for rest as he rushed for his goal. If the Persians talked of Susa as if it were the greatest city on earth, then Persepolis would be the greatest city in heaven.
The Seleucids have exhausted their armies after several devastating defeats by our hands. Four tiny armies came at us, trying to save their city, but it was useless.
The Persians were no longer the green soldiers they fought two years ago.
They were tempered by experience and hardened by war. They were every bit as skilled as we were now.
The battle ended quickly with not a single survivor on the enemy’s side. Persepolis was ours.
The Persians celebrated all day and night after capturing the city. The residents of the city seemed to welcome us with open arms. Of course when I say ‘us’, I actually mean the majority of our army which was made up of Persians or other Easterners while those of Greek descent were snuck into the city at night and locked within the palace for fear that the residents would mistaken us for the enemy.
The general began to talk about the rebirth of an Achaemenid Empire. I could only understand bits and pieces between the thunderous cheers of the Persians, but this new empire did not seem to have much of a place for people like myself. I was a bit disappointed… mostly because I didn’t see the Manticore.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
this makes me want to play the hai again..just awesome!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Ah, good old memories of my first Hai campaign... But I hope you won't get eaten up by big seleucid stacks from all sides like I was:laugh4:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Another great update!
Its a shame you won't be updating as often anymore.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Another great update!
Its a shame you won't be updating as often anymore.
Yeah, I haven't really continued my campaign for about 4 days now since I've been busy getting all my work permit transfered and everything packed for Beijing, but I still have enough screenshots for several more chapters, so any delays to updates would be due to my laziness (or writers block)...
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Well, it seemed like I was much busier than I thought I would be these last few days...
...and until I get settled in and hooked into the internet in Beijing, I'm afraid this AAR will have to be put on hold for a bit. Sorry!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
.
Do take your time. Your loyal fans will be waiting. :coffeenews:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Sorry I haven't been around in the past month or so... work has been pretty busy as I'm trying to get adjusted while the pre-Spring Festival rush is taking place.
I will try my best to update at least once before I go back home for the Spring Festival because if I don't, the next update will probably be bringing back this page from page three...
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by BerkeleyBoi
Sorry I haven't been around in the past month or so... work has been pretty busy as I'm trying to get adjusted while the pre-Spring Festival rush is taking place.
I will try my best to update at least once before I go back home for the Spring Festival because if I don't, the next update will probably be bringing back this page from page three...
I was worried this AAR was dead...Good to see your back...kinda :inquisitive:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Yeah, you have to continue this AAR, Berkeley! :2thumbsup: Your AARs are great- up there with Chirurgeon's and MarcusAurelius's.
BTW, where do you live, China? What exactly is the Spring Festival? (it couldn't be a festival celebrating spring :laugh4: )
EDIT: Wait, I already know you're from China, you said so a few posts up!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by keravnos
This here AAR, is an insta-classic. :yes:
I agree.
Have a Balloon, BerkeleyBoi: :balloon2:
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoffrey S
Like it's straight out of one of the better Cornwall books. Great job!
*facepalm* THATS WHAT THIS AAR REMINDS ME OF.
Was trying to figure that one out. :-)
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chirurgeon
I was worried this AAR was dead...Good to see your back...kinda :inquisitive:
Ah yes... kinda back...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaotix27
Yeah, you have to continue this AAR, Berkeley! :2thumbsup: Your AARs are great- up there with Chirurgeon's and MarcusAurelius's.
BTW, where do you live, China? What exactly is the Spring Festival? (it couldn't be a festival celebrating spring :laugh4: )
EDIT: Wait, I already know you're from China, you said so a few posts up!
Ah yes, I am Chinese living in China. Was in Guangzhou for most of my life, but recently just moved to Beijing because I got a new job. Spring Festival is known as Chinese New Year in the west, the most important holiday in China!
And thanks for the comments... and now... here is an update...
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Chapter Eight: Retribution
News arrived from the west as we entered Charax without a fight. We were in a joyous mood as we paraded down the streets, welcomed by the citizens as liberators. Whole herds of lamb were slaughtered for the coming festivities, a circus act that travelled with an Indian elephant arrived for entertainment, and sweet wine poured like a waterfall into our waiting mouths. Even we Hellens who served the Hayasdan were accepted and allowed to join in the festivities with a lamb leg in each hand and beautiful women in our arms.
The messenger arrived ragged from his travels, coming from the city of Karkathiokerta which had long been quiet and peaceful since an invading Seleucid army was crushed many years before. The enemy appeared out of nowhere, but they were not Seleucids. Their banners were yellow with a large black bird. Ptolemies.
They were once our allies against the Seleucids, keeping their endless armies south in defense against them instead of up north against our borders. It is because of the Ptolemies that Karkathiokerta had seen such peaceful days. Now, with the Seleucid’s strength shattered by our armies in the east, they have turned on us.
The battle was savage as the enemy brought their huge numbers against our walls with ladders and siege towers.
To the governor’s dismay, the gates were found to be jammed open, the work of spies that snuck into the city while his attention was focused elsewhere.
However, reinforcements from the capital had arrived in time, bringing in two strong units of elite cataphract horse-archers into the rear of the enemy.
The enemy that charged so bravely through the open gates, expecting beeline straight for the central plaza was instead surrounded by three units of Hayasdan spearmen while slingers rained stones on them from atop the walls.
The enemies treachery quickly turned on them as unit after unit of Ptolemies fell into the trap. The majority of the enemy marched through the city gates, never to leave again.
The brilliance of the governor saved that day, but it was still ill news that now, instead of a focused offensive in the east, the great king and proclaimed heir to the Achaemenid Empire now had his attention split to both the west and the east.
I learned of this news much later after the festivities had long ended. By the time news of the Ptolemeoi betrayal reached by ears, we found two more messengers in our city. One arrived from the city of Gabai, bringing news of two great victories against successive waves of Seleucid attacks.
In the first attack, though greatly outnumbered and outmatched in arms and skill, the levies fought with such intensity and spirit that the enemy, composed almost entirely of mercenaries, was overwhelmed.
The second attack was much larger and was spurred forward by a new Seleucid general seeking to gain the attention of his superiors. Besieging the city from two sides, the defending garrison was forced to split their already meager force to fend off the enemy’s attack. The fighting was savage as the enemy bravely fought their way up to the way under a hair of fire and arrows. All seemed lost as the enemy cut down the poorly trained peasants that manned the walls, but the defenders held on despite their losses. Eventually, as the siege lengthened into a stalemate, the enemy was forced to withdraw.
Soon after the great story was told, a second messenger arrived. This time, battle was coming not to a distant place, but to us. The enemy has finally arrived to face us, true soldiers and veterans, conquerors of Persepolis and Susa, and followers of the heir to the Achaemenid Empire. I wrote a letter home to my wife and tucked it beneath my armor before we headed out to face the enemy. The letter was unfinished, just to give me extra incentive to survive the upcoming battle.
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Good to see you're back. Great update!
I'd almost forgotten the plot...
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Re: In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus
Good to see you're back. Great update!
I'd almost forgotten the plot...
Haha, I forgot too... I had to go back and read all my previous chapters to get a feel for it again...
