The Story of Souls: A Sweboz AAR

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Hello everyone This will be my first AAR on these forums so plz be nice to me
anyways the rules of my AAR are the difficulty is M/M, i will fight all FM battles myself unless i or they are horribly outmatched and i will be posting in chapters of about 5 years each.
For the first few posts i wont be able to post screens due to the fact that im working on get it to like me when i hit the print screen button
Also i will be posting many of the names without all the marks and other things that the game uses cuz i cant get my comp to do that.
Disclaimer: NONE OF THE PICTURES AND ARTWORK USED IN THIS THREAD ARE CREATED BY ME (except for maps and screenshots). I HAVE GATHERED MANY OF THESE PICS FROM ACROSS THE INTERWEBZ. AS SUCH IT WOULD TAKE WAY TO LONG TOO CREDIT ALL OF THOSE ARTISTS.
ACT 1:The Story of Souls

Introduction:The rise of a tribe.
EXERPTS OF THE GREAT HISTORY OF OUR PEOPLE


The first Winter of unity:(272 BC)

My name is Aluruno. I am ten winters old and I am the daughter of the great chief of all Sweboz and ruler of the lands between the Oder and the Elbe, Heruwulfaz. As he is the son of the unifier Swartagazaz he inherited the chieftenship from my grandfather upon his death just two months ago. My father told stories of my grandfathers conquest around the fire in the mead hall last night, and the old priest that my father assigned to me to be my tutor as he doesnt have a son yet told me to start a journal and write of momentous events within it. I will do my best to relay these event now.

My father was a great man. Great for his victories,Great for his courage, and great for his love of our people. When the Macromannez of the Elbe insulted our tribe with the sacking of one of our villages we responded with unbeliveable force. I myself rode with the Ridonez while my father and his personal guard assulted the Macromannez villages one after another fell like dust. When we got to their main village we promptly found ourselves outnumbered five to one. My father was told we should retreat. He laughed at the face of danger the had the fools who suggested it torn apart. when we attacked the village they sent most of their force after my Ridonez. As we rode i directed them into a patch of woods where our host was waiting for them. I taunted them into our trap. As the warriors shreded the foolish Macromannez, my fathers guard attacked three whole warbands of enemy spearmen and crushed them. We then proceeded to crush the personal guard of the Macromannez chieftan. My father personally fought the enemy leader in single combat. As they met the enemy chieftan roared his cruses at my father and leaped at him with his sword drawn. My father easily parried his foul blows as he searched for a weakness. When foolish man tried to cleave my fathers head from his shoulders my father ducked beneath the blow and shoved his sword straight through his heart. He then pulled it straight up spliting his skull in half. (My father laughed hard at this point for serveral minutes). Ahhh...Now upon see their chieften fall the few remaining Macromannez surrendered to my father and all was at peace in these lands. However a few foolish Macromannez were still bitter about the defeat. And one dark and bloody night the cowards poisoned my father. However my fathers will was strong and he lingered for serveral weeks as i hunted down the assassins and killed them. Unfortunelty the will of Odin dictated that he go to the hall of the heavens. As such he named ME ,Heruwulfaz, as chieften in his stead.

And with that the story has come to present. Now a few things about myself. As i stated before my name is Aluruno and i am only ten winters old. I have been told by my father that i have the most beautiful blue eyes hes seen since my mother died giving birth to me and hair as golden as the fields of wheat from the the southlands. I am currently being taught the runic script of our people by an old priest of Odin due to the fact that i am my fathers only child. I started this journal on the adviced of this priest as he said he thought id make a good historian. Im writing in a new invention from the southlands called a codex by a people called the Romani. The pages are of a material called parchment. My father says it was not easy to acquire one of these codesies for me to write in but i promised him id be careful. My teacher thinks this is a wonderous idea for me and it would be a way to make my tribe proud. However for now i must go for my father calls for me.

[desert]

Interesting start, but is Swartagazaz really the father of Heruwulfaz? I always thought he was just there because RTW demands that everyone have a father.

I can't remember off-hand, but doesn't it list his birth date as, like, 350 BC?

[Maion Maroneios]

Ah, finally a Sweboz AAR! I wish you the best for the future and may it last long (unlike most AArs sadly). Good intro btw, here have a balloon from me:

Maion

P.S.: You can download Fraps from the net, it's a free and easy to use picture-taking program.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

YAY I HAZ BALLOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok on a serious note
@desert i looked on the family tree and it says he was a former faction leader so i RPed him uniting Swebozlandam and yes imma make this last ALAP so let see where this takes me.

BTW NOTE: right now its already 243 BC so im well into it ill prob start posting pics once i get to that set of posts, also according to the EB historical notes the Sweboz call years in terms of Winters passed so my years are winters

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Alrighty now for the first set of chapters

Chapter One: The Coming of Darkness
272-269BC
Yesterday news of strange tidings reached the ears of the court. Messengers brought news of bear rearing up on their hind legs and dancing, of wolves howling and trying to fly by jumping off of hills and of the men of the other tribes of my people preparing for war. My father was disturbed by these omens and order the seers to try and make sence of this turn of events. While this was going on a man came to the court demanding to see my father, for he said that he had horrible news for him. When i looked at the man he turned and smiled at me thourgh the folds of his hood. I was horrified at the sight of his face. Within the hood i could see eyes blacker than coal and i though he must have been scarred in some way. When my father let him speak he first greeted him and then proceded to remove his hood as my father requested. I almost threw up at the sight of this man. His hair was Shocked white with streaks of blood red within it. He had this....well... all i can call it is hungry look on his face. And most terrifying of all he had on each eye a DEEP scar that started above his eyes and went down to stop below his eyes. And I swear on my grandfathers grave they were glowing red-black. However when i looked at the other people in the room they looked at him as if he were a normal man. Even my father said nothing to his about what i saw. He didnt even look disturbed at the sight of this man. And then he started speaking to my father. I will record the conversation here.

"My lord i regret to inform you the the combined might of the Rugoz and the Kimbroz tribess are attacking the north of SSwebozlandam. We must prepare to sstrike them at once." My father looked at the man and said to him, "But my good freeman how can you claim this? We have an alliance with these northern tribes" And the man said to him, "My lord ive brought sseveral people from my village to confirm thisss". As he said that several bedraggled looking peseants came forward and told my father the same story. And my father was grealty troubled by this ad said "I will send emmissaries immedately to the Rugoz and Kimbroz. We must find the cause of these attacks". But the Black-eyed man spoke up again and said "No ssire we must strike them down while they are sstill Celebrating their ill gotten gains." And my father looked at this man and said, "Why must this be?!?!? You would have me attack like a coward??" and the Blackeyed man said, "No no ssire why i am merely ssuggesting prudence. Am if i am not mistaken your father did much the ssame thing when he defeated the Macromannez". At this point my father stood straight up and looked at this man who i thought was insane and said "YOU DARE TO CALL ME A COWARD AND A FOOL?!?!?!?!!?! How DARE you sully my good name so....caulallsly!!!" The Black-eyed man merely stood there and waited for my father to be done, then said "SSire no thatss not what i mean at all. I also ssnuck into a camp of the Rugoz the night after my village was burned. And i heard the leader talking, he had ssaid that if this doessnt lure that fool Heruwulfaz into our trap nothing will. I believe they are trying to kill you and have left their villagess unguarded as a result." At this my father calmed down instanly, almost inhumanly, and the he smiled and said,"Stranger i know not your name but you have given me wonderous news indeed. I will proceed to attack the Gawjams of the Rugoz and Kimbroz and end this war before it starts." The Black-eyed man said, "Ah my lord of coursse how rude of me not to sssay my name before now. I am know as Parssal." Well at this point i though tha my father was done with this man and his trange lisp. But to my shock he said, "Excellent Parsal i am going to make you a wealthy, wealthy man. You will join my court of advisors and aid me in my endeavors." The Black-eyed man i now knew as Parsal said, "Ahh yess ssire may i make a ssuggesstion then?" My father nodded. He then said, "Well my i say that i dont think you sshould go becausse if they notice your missssing then they might become ssupisssiouss and hury their forcess home." My father thought about this and then said,"My brother Athawulfaz (he steps forward at this point) will lead our attack on the vile Rugoz, you will go with him to assist the campain. Meanwhile my cousin Harbranaz will attack the Kimbroz fools while they are unready". My father smiled at what he though his own cleverness. However Parsal smiled at that moment too. And his smile made me shudder. He then said' " As you wissh ssire." Then the meeting broke up.

I later had a private talk with my father and asked him if he was crazy allowing this man to live in our home and aid him in his affairs of state. He told me that this man was a treasure because he seemed to be a true freeman serving his king with his own free will. I blurted out "But hes a FREAK!". My father looked at me like i was crazy and ask what i was talking about. I told him of the Features id seen on the man. He looked at me like i was the crazy one here and said to me,"How can you say such things of him when they are clearly not true. I have seen notbing of such traits in this Parsal." I was dumbfounded, for i KNOW what i saw of him. But when i insisted my father became angry with me and yelled at me. He said that i need to learn the hard life that his men face so that i wouldnt have time to make up such vile lies. He ordered me to go with Parsal and record the campain in my journal for future generations. With that he left infuriated and yelling curses at servants left and right. I was scared out of my mind. This was not how my father acted. I hurried to ready my things so not to make him any angrier. All the while i was crying for my father had never yelled at anyone not a foe like that before.

I left with the men the next morning and we began the four month long march to Gawjam-Rugoz. All the while this Parsal was issuing orders like a general or even a king in his own right. The strange thing was that none of the warriors, Several of whom id known for year to not tolerate such treatment, obeyed insantly as if this man were my father.
271BC
Today we reach the Gawjam and found it more densly populated with men than was at first predicted. Athawulfaz looked at Parsal and said,"This is not as you said it would be. All of their fighting men are here." And Parsal said to him "But look none of them have weapons and they are at ease as they would not expect us." Athawulfaz looked at this an said, "i see... Well lets begin the attack." As we apporached the unsuspecting village my told me to stay back and watch. So i stood a group of archers and watched the.... well i cant really call it a battle. Rather id say it was more of a massacre. The warriors attacked the villaged from three sides and overwhelmed the poorly prepared people. The only real resistance was when the enemy chieften and about 50 of his guard charged some Dunguntiz. But they were quickly surrounded and butchered. When the chieften was killed the enemy surrendered. And Parsal ordered the warriors to raize the village. Parsal himself oversaw many of the killings himself muttering strange words the whole time. When it was over it seemed as if the lines apprently only i could see were glowing stronger. And thus the Gawjam-Rugoz was captured. I found a Rugoz woman hiding under the floor of her hut. When she saw me she screamed,"I THOUGHT OUR PEOPLES WERE AT PEACE. SINCE YOU MONSTERS KILLED MY HUSBAND AND THREE SONS I HOPE YOU ALL BURN IN THE PITS OF HEL FOREVER!!!" She was draged off broken and screaming. I was confused. Didnt they attack us?
270BC
Today our host has returned home yet im still shaken by the events atthe Gawjam of the Rugoz. When i got to the court i heard of similar event in the Gawjam of the Kimbroz. And i was also told by my teacher that papers had been found that linked the "attacks" to the tribe of the Habukoz in the west near the mighty Rhine. My father order his brother to attack the Gawjam of the Habukoz. I was to go with them again. However this time Parsal didnt go for the king asked him to aid him in administering the new territories. I have grown uncomfortable with the amount of influence this man holds over my father.

Spring 269BC
Today we left our Gawjam behind, on our way to war again. My uncle had his orders. We marched out during the spirng of the fourth winter of unity, thorught the dark forests and bog swamps around the Sweboz Gawjam as we marched i once again smelled the dark earth and saw the bogs form atop the elevated roads of my homeland. I talked to my uncle and asked him what he though of all these happenings. he told me that while he though these strange his first priority was to his king. As such he march his armies out to the lands of the Habukoz and assulted their Gawjam.
Summer 269BC
While our enemies were unprepared once again they held out for most of the summer due to the walls around their Gawjam. However once we had built a ram we began our attack. As the ram was moved up to the wall it became stuck serveral times. However we got it up to the wall and broke the gates into splinters. And our warriors poured in to the Gawjam. The weakened enemy desperately tried to stop us five different times however when their chieften fell they retreated to the center on the Gawjam and fought to the death. In all it was a brave defense, however futile. However my uncles orders were to bring all of the inhabitants back to our Gawjam to be terminated. I found this horrifiying. However my uncle had his orders.
Winter 269BC
Just yesterday we arrived back at our Gawjam with many prisoners,among them the son of our enemy chieften. Parsal ordered them al to be executed, except for the boy. He is barely 12 years old and is one of the most beauitful people ive ever seen. This poor boy was brought before Parsal and he was questioned. When the boy told Parsal he knew nothing of his fathers plans, Parsal because irritated. After several hours of questioning that got him nowhere he became enraged and ordered the boy brought to his private chambers. I followed them as they shoved the boy inside. Parsal tortured him for another hour. When the boy still didnt talk, Parsal got REALLY quiet. he then put his finger up and began to mutter more of those strange words. Then he placed his finger to the boys head. What happened next brings horror to my mind as i write it down. I swear to you, Odin, Thor and all the stars in the sky, when that "man" (at this point she throws up) put his finger on this tender youths head the boy stood shock still then after a few seconds his stomach began to roll up and curl. Then it looked to me as if bubbles were forming in his stomach.Theyquickly speard to most of his body. He looked as if his were being ripped apart by monster and evil spirits from the inside out. Then he opened his mouth to scream. What came out of his mouth was not a scream but instead it was his blood and red tinted steam. Parsal had i realised caused the boys blood to BOIL. As i watched his body MELTED into a puddle. Parsal merley got a servant to wipe up the mess and then went on with his day. I cant write anymore as this weeks events have left me bone tired and frightened.

[Maion Maroneios]

Wow, you have talent with this, seriously! You are now officialy a fellow AAR writer!

Maion

[Olaf Blackeyes]

At this point not a lot happened in my Game as i was 21k mnai in debt but thanks to all the conquests i was able to get out of it in about 3-4 years. So this is mainly a story part.

Chapter Two: Omens
269BC-264BC
Winter 269BC
Today my father summoned me to his private chambers to celebrate my thriteenth winter of life. The only people in attendance were my father, my uncle and his two boys,and my new baby half-brother named Wagaztizga. The little baby had a rough time coming into this world as his mother died giving birth to him, much the same as mine did. As the only boy born to my father he was to be the heir to my fathers kingdom upon my fathers death, i pray that never happens. However i fear it may be far sooner that i think for recently my father has become pale, sickly, and weak. While he remains an able adminstrator, it is my uncle who does most of the fighting. However recently there has been peace among our lands, as well as a population boom. With all the new and empty lands that have been conquered the people have begun moving to rebuild the destroyed Gawjams and resettle the new lands. And most of our enemies fear us for our prowess (i think its the amount of buchery and shadow warfare we have engaged in) as Parsal puts it, they mostly keep to themselves. However today was a happy day and i am now proudly one winter older and only three winters away from the marriage age.

Summer 268BC
Today we recived more strange portends. The Thing brought us news of a fallen star in the south of Swebozlandam. My uncle immediately called upon Parsal whom, as we had gradually found over the past few years, was a highly skilled seer to interpret these events. Parsal first asked if the star had been found. The Thing's messenger pulled forth a small chunk of a strange colored metal. This was VERY different than the peat bog iron that you would usually find in these lands. As most of the iron in these lands is peat brown/black, this chunk was blue and it shimmered in the light. At the sight of this metal Parsals eyes grew wider than shields. He immedialty DEMANDED the messenger give it to him. As the man did so Parsal smiled his horrible smile wider than usual and started drooling as if he had recieved services from one of his female "servants" better than usual. Then he immedialty retreated only say to my father that he had to study this portend. My father did nothing to even question him. I sometimes wonder what happened to the man i used to know and love.

Winter 266BC
Today we got a shock. Apperently the tribe of Heruskoz were raiding our southern borders. Immediately Parsal took command of our warriors and bade them march to the Gawjam of the Heruskoz and crush them. I was not to go as it was to cold for one as young as me to be raiding.

Spring 265BC
News from the southland raiders is not good. Apperently our forces were driven off as we tried to assult the Gawjam. Even as i write this they are apparently raiding smaller gawjams of the Heruskoz inpreparation of the next attack. Also i have noticed strange things happening within our Gawjam. At first it was minor like i though that i saw shadows moving or objects floating. But then it got worse such as several murders of young men and women where apperently their blood have been drained away. I think it is all Parsal's fault but my father says its nonsence and that these are the omens of the Gods. I simply cant understand how he can like this man so much when hes never trusted anyone but his brother and me like that before. But then i think what can i do and go to my favorite place within our gawjam. In the western side of the Gawjam there is a great old oak tree that has been there for centuries. In fact out village had been build about this Great Tree for an omen had told us it was sacred to Odin. And whenever i am sad i go there and sit in it great branches to clear my head and think things over. I also sometime see little fey (spirits) playing within the boughs of the tree.
This is a sketch of my tree.

However when Parsal comes near they all start crying and run away. I simply dont now what it is about that man that bothers me other than his prowess as a seer. I mean yes he does have a penchant for cruelty but then most of our people are like that. However i have also noticed his strange "obsessions" such as his love of what ive come to call blood boiling. Also he seems to love very young women a bit too much. I hope he never turns his "attentions" to me.

Winter 265BC
Today is the best day of my life!! Today my father and i celebrated my 16th winter of life. He went thorugh the ceremony of declaring me a woman before the Gods at the glade of Odin within our walls. Once he was done he immediately asked me what i though about being an adult now. I told him it was a wonderful feeling. Now i would be able to make him proud of me. After our little celebration i went to the tree again and mulled over my day. As i sit in its branches im writing this. i will have to go as there are important adult (she says this with joy and youthful impatience) matters that i must attend to.
------------------
Tear stains are all over these pages

Winter 265BC
OH horrible, TERRIBLE day! Even as i write these words iam shaking like a leaf and i appologize if my writing is sloppy. Barely a week after i became of age Parsal came to my father and askedfor my hand in marriage. I was horrified at the prospect but thankfully my father said to him, "My friend. I am sorry but i cannot grant you this favor as you are not of royal blood." As much as Parsal insisted my father gently but firmly refused. Parsal left angry but undaunted. Then just yesterday while my father was sleeping Parsal barged into my room and grabbed me by the throat and dragged me to his chambers. I kicked and screamed the whole way, cursing at him telling him my father would kill him for this. He just laughed his bone-chilling laugh and threw me onto his bed. He then stripped me down and said to me, "No matter what your father ssaid i WILL have you!!"". He then......he.....(she stops here and starts to bitterly weep)...he had his way with me. He was....(more tears)... i cant even bear to write about what he did to me. After he was done and had passed out i ran away as fast as i could i ran to the tree and weapt for several hours at what that....that MONSTER had done to me. The next day i told my father everthing but he didnt even beileve me or seem to care. When i saw that monster again he somehow froze me in place and told me that he hopped id bear good children for him. He then walked away laughing his hateful laugh. As i write this i am still crying my heart and soul out. But now i must go and get some sleep.

[desert]

Ever play KOTOR or Fable?

Thanks for the balloon, btw. I thought you would get pissed off!

[Olaf Blackeyes]

NP at al dude i wont get pissed off cuz that acutally helps me out so its cool
also no ive never played Fable but i have read about it on wikipedia
and what game is KOTOR?

[desert]

Knights of the Old Republic. It's just that your magic system seemed somewhat familiar.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Ok Time for an

INTERMISSION
A history of Earth (Part One)
10000BC
Humans in the areas of the Fertile Cresent and the Nile Delta settle into small villages due to the rich amounts of food their, unlike previous generations that were completely nomadic hunter-gatherers, these human have a small but steady source of food.
8000BC
Humans settle in the southern areas of Asia Mikra, at a place called Catal Huyuk. The humans of the Fertile Cresent develop the first types of cultivated plants and domesticate animals, to supplement the sources of food that have run out over the centuires. This quickly spreads to the Nile Delta as well, for pretty much the same reasons.
5000BC
A Great Flood devastates much of the world. The lower sections of the Fertile Cresent dissappear under the tides of death becoming what is today the Persian Gulf. This forces the humans in the regions to migrates northwards along the river, where they come in contact with humans fleeing south from the Anti-Taurus mountains due to the Flood as well. Catal Huyuk, once a great center of culture and knowledge is completely destroyed. The flood does inundate parts of the Nile Delta, but nowhere nearly as bad as the Fertile Cresent disaster. However this still convinces many of those on the Delta to move southwards.
4000BC
Within the Fertile Cresent the two previous cultures combine peacefully to from a new culture, Sumer.
These Sumerians found the first true cities of humanity. They are Ur, Uruk, and Lagash. To the southwest the peoples of the Nile begin to coalese into a new culture. This is due to their discoverey of magic at its most primitive. The story goes that one day a little boy was playing along the riverbanks when he fell in. Even though the people of this village looked and looked fpr him he was never found. He has been saved however by the godess Nile for she had fallen in love with the boy. He grew up within her palace at the base of the great river. When he finally became a man she slept in lust with him. They sired two children together. Upon these children were the gifts of the river as well as humanity. However in time the man grew homesick. The godess understood and sent him back to his village with their two children. When he returned he was greeted with surprise and joy, for his family had thought him dead. However when he told them his story he was not believed at first. Then he summonded his two children. When the children showed their prowess to the villagers all disbelief vanished. The river was declared sacred and the godess Nile was worshiped by all of the villagers. She rewarded them for their beliefs with many children, much food, and powers over the magics of water. In time the village grew into a city, called Memphis. From this city many of the other people of the Lower Nile were conquered into a kingdom. The Upper Nile formed along similar lines except they had no magics for they did not believe the Nile was a godess. However soon they begin to do so, for magic spreads across the world at an unbalievable pace.
3500BC
The humans along the Indus River in India and the Yellow River in China form their first cultures and cities. Farming also spreads to them as well. Along the Nile the Great king Scorpion, unties the Lower Nile and Upper Nile together to form a single kingdom, Egypt. In the Fertile Cresent the city-states of Sumer clash constantly over border disputes. They also discover magics with the help of an Egyptian sorcerer whos name is unknown to us. The two gods Tigris and Euphrates, whom are brother gods, give to the Sumerians children, food, and the magics of water and air. The Sumerians use this prosperity to invent the wheel, more advance farming techniques, simple math, the concept of barter and wealth, writing and reading, and discover metal working in the form of copper weapons and armor. This spreads to much of humanity through the trade routes along the Levant. They also build great monuments to their gods and build mighty walls of mud-brick to protect themselves. However their two gods are very young and foolish. One day they spy the godess Nile bathing naked within the great ocean. They fall in lust for her and kidnap her to their palace at the deepest part of the rivers, where they both meet underground. They then proceed to rape the godess for ten days each. Of this union is born the godess Ishtar. The two brother take Ishtar as theirs and leave Nile upon the shores of her own river. She curses the two brothers for their arrogance. She makes sure that so long as their rivers' flow, the lands they flow through shall never know peace. And thus it is, for Ishtar being born of such a violent union becomes a godess of sex and war. She encourages the mortals to kill each other, and beds with the strongest of mortals to fullfill her sickening sexual desires. The city of Ur become her holy site, and she can often be seen at her ziggurat-temple, struting about with nothing on at all, and taking men to her chambers whenever she pleases.
3000BC
The area of the Levant becomes populated with cities of a people called Cannanites, due to the trade routes that pass through it. The cuture of Sumer falls to its own violent ways and the encouragements of Ishtar. To the north of Sumeria, along the River Tigris a people called the Akkadians found the city of Akkad. Their king is a man named Sargon I. Seeing the weakness of his southern neighbors he invades their city-states and conquers them with ease, creating the first empire in human history, the Akkaidian Empire. Having conquered the Sumerians they then adopt many aspect of the more advanced civilazation and proceed to conquer the rest of the Fertile Cresent. They add their god, Marduk of the Sun, to the expanding Pantheon of the Fertile Cresent. This adds fire to the arsenal of the Akkadian/Sumerian magic. Also they conquer a group of migrating barbarians to the east and take them into the Fertile Cresent area. These powerful warriors serve the Empire as shock troopers.
2500BC
One of the greats kings ever know to Egypt dies and a great monument, called a pyramid, upon the Giza plateau is built to be his tomb. This becomes the site of several other pyramids to other kings of Egypt. Within the Empire the death of Sargon I was the end of all the good times, as royal struggles for power over the centuries, have weakened the Empire. However none of the other minor powers within the region dare cross the Empire's might. To the far east, the Chinese built a large kingdom and develop many different types of technologies that the rest of the world wont see for a millinium, due to China's isolation. The Indus peoples Also found a large kingom however they dont develop many new types of anything due to their extreme wealth and extensive trade routes.
2102BC
The gods Tigris becomes angry with the people of the city of Akkad for not worshiping him enough over his brother Euphrates. In a fit of rage he sinks the city beneath the ground. However a great heor called Gilamesh manages to fit off the gods minions and save most of the citizenry. The citizens move south and with the help of Marduk and Euphrates found a new great capital of the Empire, the city of Babylon. A great ziggurat-temple to Marduk is built within the city, and life begins as normal again. Meanwhile in the Levant a people called the Urgurites invade Caanan. After many years of death the barbarians flee the lands back into the desert.
1903BC
The worst set of winters ever seen by humans causes much death and starvation among the peoples of the world. For almost 20 years there is no summer. Ice makes its way into the Nile and even into the deserts of Arabia. So as the world recovers barbarians begin to move south En Masse. A light-skinned people of barbarians called Indo-Europeans migrates from the steppes of Asia, and splits into five tribes while moving in three different directions. The tribe called Arians attacks the people of the Indus valley, and conquers the weakened kingdom with ease. They then conquer the people of the Ganges river as well forming many new peoples of India. They also move father south down the subcontient destroying all of the old peoples in the way. Soon they conquer everything on the subcontient. But they divided futher into other tribes as they go. They also establish a religion called Hinduism, where there are many gods in one. Another Indo-european tribe called the Iranians move into the plateaus and mountains east of the Tarus Mountains and split into serveral more tribes as well. Another group of Indo-europeans called the Hitties attack the Empire directly. However the current King of Akkadia barely manages to ward them off. As a result they invade the Mikra Asia. They found a kingdom of their own that remains united. They also invent many things, like chariots but most importantly they invent Bronzeworking. This technology spreads like wildfire among the peoples of the trade routes. The last two tribes of Indo-europeans invades a sparsely populated Europe and begin to settle everywhere, destroy what few cultures that they find there.
1844BC
The Hitties become and empire by conquering many of the tribes around their city of Hattsua. They then use the new resources to conquer all the way to the Aegean Sea int the west and all the way to the Medditerainian Sea in the south. However they also discover another way of performing magics. Due to the lack of a Great River within Mikra Asia there is no god/godess avaible to get their magics from. So one day a sorcerer, whose name has been struck from history due to his evil, is expirimenting with what minor magics are at his command, at a camp for criminals to be put to work for the empire. The man is trying to make his magic stronger. He then stumbles upon a dying criminal. The man knew that the power within a person left them when they died. So he wondered if he could harness that power. He chanted a spell that inadvertently sucked the mans soul out. It increase his power tenfold. This man became the first demon right then and there. He soon discovered the side effects of using this magic and how to use it properly. He soon became far more powerful than the court magicians and supplanted first them and then the king, delcaring himself king using his magical prowess to enslave the people of the Hittite Empire to his will. He then began to expand the empire once again spreading these foul magics to many parts of his empire that were already conquered.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Chapter Seventeen:The Battles of Gaul (Part Four)
(From the Latin book:)
Spring 227BC
As i write these words we are marching north, towards the Belgae tribe of Gauls, the last of the free tribes. The battle at the Rhone river crossing was rather quick and easy for a conflict of that magnitude.
It began at night, with a massive rainstorm in the works. The river was swollen by the rain and the beggings of spring melt.

We formed up on our side of the river in a cresent formation, to cover all of the attacking horde.

The enemy began to form up so it could rush the river and, what they hoped, our unprepared defenses.

As they formed up we could hear their hatred of us and their fear, they cursed us and wished utter death upon our decendants. My scouts could make out thier general forms in the rain. They had their heaviest troops to the fore. I believe those men were going to be a battering ram to break our formation, the other troops to follow behind and finish us off. They began thier charge with a massive roar.

In the front were their armed Druids, their swords aflame, their screams of rage growning louder by the second. Behind them their heavy swordsmen. However when the rest of the horde tried to cross as well, the rivers depth and their sheer numbers forced them to slow down significantly.

Thus they fell behind the "ram". When the ram did hit us they make some headway but colud not keep going due to their lack of numbers. When the rest of the horde did arrive their advance had stalled. The extra men and their sheer weight managed to push us back.However this was only at the center. I noticed that our flanks were pressing them in. I ordered the flanks to surround the poor fools.

They saw this had happened only just after it was complete. Then most of their levies paincked and the streght of their army broke into shreads. Many died right then and there.

Then their final reserves of skirmishers proured across in a desperate attempt to save the rest of their men.

However by then it was too late. They only joined the utter destruction of their peoples hopes for freedom.

We later found out that their Druids were once again responsible for the bad weather. It was once again their attempts to stack their odds that killed them in the end, for the rains had swollen the river and had stopped their levies from coming acroos as fast as planned. Some people never learn. Ah well, their women and children will make great slaves for the Empire. Now we are going up the Rhine river and conquering the west bank for Roma. Along the way we have conquered many minor Gaulish tribes. We have also come across some tribes of German rebels that do not accept the rule of the feathered whore. Most of these tribes surrender immediately. While it would give me great pleasure to kill these German pigs, my orders from the Sentate are to treat any tribes that surrend to us with the utmost respect. This is to encourage the surrender of other tribes. Those idiots in the Senate. They dont know my pain, for most of the filthy bastards fled before the Germans burned Roma in 238. Someday i will kill all of them for this and many other betrayals they have commited against me. However that is for another time and place. For now though i must go. There are more reports that need processing.

[julius_caesar_the_first]

I have never seen anyone post so frequently. You must really like doing this. Congratulations

Also the way you use custom battles gives your AAR a unique flexibility. Keep up the good work

[Tyrfingr]

I'm confused, weren't this supposed to be a Sweboz AAR?

[Olaf Blackeyes]

I'm confused, weren't this supposed to be a Sweboz AAR?

Well yes it is but at this point in the story the action has moved away from the Sweboz lands and into Gaul. As soon as Gaul is conquered itll go back to the Sweboz dont worry.

[Maion Maroneios]

Good, I was starting to wonder that myself as well :-P

Maion

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Ok to all of my readers i will be contuning this in the MH at some point so plz see that for future installments

[julius_caesar_the_first]

Just an idea: maybe when you start the next part of the AAR you should post a link to it here in this thread to make it easer to find

[Olaf Blackeyes]

ill be putting it in my sig

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Chapter Three: High Treason
Spring 360AD
It has finally happened. Three weeks ago there was an attepmt on the High Kings life. Even though it failed many tribes have taken this as a sign of the king's weakness, and that he is unfit to rule. As a result of these events some of the tribes have started to revolt. The main aggresors are the Langozbarad, Alemannez, and Frizez Tribes. I fear the Saxonz may soon join them. The only tribes we are sure of are the Semmonzez, Swebozez, Franx, Macromannez and Gauts. The Silengoz, and Skandza wish to remain out of this conflict for their lands are fine, as they put it. I fear that it will not remain that way for them for very long if this keeps up. I accompanied the High king with what warriors remained loyal to me. We met the first of the rebel Jarls about five days ago. The King's warband assumed its standard defensive postion. It was assembled in no time, even the shield wheel was ready quickly. That is not something easily done.

The nature of warfare in our day and age has become VERY different from what it was nearly 400 years ago. Back then cavalry was for fools and idiots. The sword was an impossible weapon to get at without being rich. You were luck to get a sharpened stick that passed for a "spear". However almost 100 winters ago the nomads of the steppes introduced us to an new invention called the stirrup. This allows the men on horseback to be FAR more stable and flexible on their mounts. This opens up the possiblity of DEVASTATING cavalry charges, which have become the norm amongst most armies of Germania, and even the Eastern Roman Empire appercitaes the new power of horsemen, even though they still use the legion format as their main tactic. The Western Roman Empire considers this great invention to be worthless. Only their mercenaries use it at all. But i digress, dont i?
The Langozbaradez began a madden rush towards us.

However soon we began to hear strange noises coming from the enemy ranks. Then one of the scouts cried out in fear. I looked at what he was pointing at and almost threw up in horror. I saws something that had only been described in nightmares. Men turned into blood-drunk dogs of death and pain, their souls taken from them, in exchange for unbalieveable power and rage. They wore not but skins of wild animals, and were armed with gigantic swords that ordinary men could not even dream of holding. They could not longer speak but instead howled like rabid wolves and dogs. And their eyes.... their eyes had become pure black with hatered and rage. These men had become Ulfkinz ((Beast-Men)).

I could only look upon them with pity, for no man, no matter how evil he was, no human deserved such a horrible fate as that.
However soon the battle was joined. The first blood was drawn by the cavalry that i was a part of. The High King lead us into the thick of the fray. On his noble charger the King hit the first of the enemy that day. It was a clean kill, a good sign. The band we hit melted away like the great ice of the north upon the coming of summer. So did a few other after that. However then the Ulfkinz spotted us. They began to howl in rage and pain, and hurtled after us like mad dogs. We knew that if we got too close the would tear us and our horses to shreads. So we tore out of there. The poor bastards followed us.

The main lines finally joined up. And the first great problem was that the Housekarls of the Langozbarad Jarl began to cut a hole in our line forcing our Runic-Hand members into the fray, swords aflame, and battle cries upon their lips. Even the elven warriors fought like mad-men. It was barley enough.

The idiot then decided that it would be a good idea to attack our Dugundiz head on. It didnt end well for him. He filped off of his horse and onto the spears of a few of the interlocked Dugundiz. This didnt even cause his army to faulter. They kept up the attack, if anything they began to fight EVEN HARDER. All the while the Ulfkinz kept after us. However we ran back thorugh some trees to get back in the fight and surround his remaining warriors. However wwe encountered another unit of our Dugundiz in the woods. We yelled for them to flee, but they didnt understand us over the roar of battle. It was too late for them to flee when they finally saw the Ulfkinz coming RIGHT at them. They made ready as best as they could. I turned around to watch and prayed for the men that were back there. What i saw next horrified me. It appeared as if the Ulfkinz ATE the band of men.

At that point i leaned over on my horse and threw up in horror. However at the main line the battle had swung fully in our favor. And the Royal archers had finally been freed from combat. The High king told the archers to fire upon the Ulfkinz. For the beasts wore no armor for it would only get in the way of their animalistic rage, nor did they have shields for they knew nothing of protecting themselves. The archers made incredibly quick work of the beasts. Then i saw an explosion of black fire from among the beasts, and they stopped dead in their tracks, looking confused. I realsied that the Demon that was empowering their rage had been killed. As soon as the beasts saw us they fled like rabbits. The archers did not stop firing. We put them all out of their misery.

And, somehow, much of the army survived the slaughter.

It was a victory.

The next day we made it to the camp of the foe. The retribution that the High King ordered was BRUTAL. He ordered them to be strung up and pulled apart. Other were cut to pieces to feed the dogs. The women and children were just outright slaughtered. But it was also nessassary. This kind of treatment will prevent future revolts from occuring. Im just so sorry that we have to do this to our own people. It so different from the days of goodness and plenty amongst our people, when the land was plentiful and the earth bountiful. Now it just seems as if theres never enough to go around.
I can only hope that we can take care of the other tribes before this gets out of hand. The Western Romans, in spite of the religous unrest within their Empire will GLADLY take lands from us, for no Roman has ever forgiven Germania for the War of the Bane. The Eastern Romans are too busy trying to contain the Akkadian Empire, the Haydisan; whom have also converted to Chirstanity, and a new Empire that has overthorw most of the old Parthian one. They call themselves the Sassanid Persians. They are made up of some of the old Iranian tribes of the highlands. The people also believe in a single God, He is the fire God, Ahura Mazad. These people have become a titanic force in their own right, having taken lands up to the Oxus river and all the way up to the Fertile Cresent, where they fight the Akkadians, abiet unsuccessfully. We shall have to wait and see what happens i suppose.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Chapter Four:Civil War
Summer 362AD
Unfortunately we have not been able to contain the rising chaos within Germania. Civil War has broken out. To be honest i think we might be in for a long war. While the revolt within my Jarldom was swiftly suppressed when the rest of Germania heard about what had happened to the Langozbaradaz, several tribes that we though loyal either changed sides or outright fled the Kingdom. The Gauts, and the Alemannez have fled while the Macromannez have revolted against us. The Saxonz that were within my Jarldom fled for the coasts to get upon boats that their Frizez breatheren had provided for them. I tried to halt the Saxonz as they fled for their boats with what troops i had.

However even after a forced march we only managed to catch one of their armies on the way to their ships. And they got very close before we could deploy. As soon as they spotted us, they picked up the pace in a Hel of a hurry.

We only managed to catch a few of their bands with the royal cavalry.



What we did catch we tore to shreads. However far more of them got away due to the slowness of the infantry.

The High King was most displeased at the news that these Saxonz and Frizez Dogs could still threaten Germania. He delcared all of the tribes that had fled to be no longer Germans, due to their treachery and loss of faith. The loss of these tribes had weakened our kingdom, for we are that many troops shorter than we were before this whole mess started. And the steppe peoples are coming closer and closer by the year. We can only hope that things will improve with each victory we score.

Winter 362AD
Well i think that we are getting closer to ending this foul conflict. The Macromannez have suffered several defeats at the royal armies' hands. The Saxonz and Frizez have left for good, heading for the old Roman province of Britannia. The province had been abandoned by the Romans after a civil war forced the emperor Constantine to pull those troops out to defend his rule and the Empire. In the time since they left almost 30 winters ago the celts of the north and west of the great isle have been pillaging non-stop against the former Romanic Britons. The weakened Britons cannot fight them off alone. I heard rumors of them hiring the Saxonz and Frizez to fight the celts for them. The fools have let a wolf into their den so that they can be protected from a rabid dog. Well they will learnt the error of their ways soon enough.
Meanwhile, the Gauts fled south, away from Germania and Gotland Isle. They have been fleeing for months now. I can only hope they find what they need beyond the borders of Germania, for they will never be welcomed back here. The Alemannez have invaded the Western Roman Empire, in what many even here consider a foolish move, they are trying to overrun Rome and hold it for ransom. However an elite Roman legion, the Legio V i think is currently fighting them in the Po valley. We will have to see how that goes for the poor fools.

[julius_caesar_the_first]

Very good chapters.

Just one question: is there a faction in BI that has a similar banner to the Sweboz or did you change that? I've only played BI a little so I don't know what factions there are.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

The Burgundii have the similar banners to teh Sweboz thats why i picked them to be the royal armies

[PriestLizard]

I like the fact that you even use different game versions (EB, BI etc) to tell your story. Its sad that your save games were broken (use ALX.exe!)... but its great that you didn't give up.

I have one suggestion for you: Use the campaign map pictures you can get on the main page and color the different provinces in the coresponding faction colors. That way you can give us a good image of how the campaign map would look like (at least the world map).

I admit that I didn't read too much of your story yet, only the latest chapters, so I'm still a little bit confused about the time jumps ;) I have to start the story from page 1 I guess :D

[Olaf Blackeyes]

@ PriestLizard I would be more tha happy to find such a map to put at the end of all my posts, i just gotta find the Damn thing first and figure out how to use it. This would make describing my Story FAR more easier. Ill will have to go looking.

EDIT: I havent found the map, could someone plz tell me were on the main site i can DL it at and how i am supposed to color it????

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Chapter Five:Happenings
Spring 363AD
There has been a great battle south of the Po, between the Alemannez and the Romans. Nearly two whole hordes of them have been crushed. The battle itself was short but brutal, or so our spies report.
It began when the Roman Legio V took up postions south of the great river Po. This effectively blocked the Alemannez from Rome, their final target. The Alemannez tried to push them aside with skirmishers but to no avail.

However both hordes arrived VERY quickly after that so the battle was joined.


The first move by the Roman commander was an odd one. He himself ordered his CAVALRY forward. Of course these men were mostly steppe horsemen under the thumb of Rome, so it may not be surprising as we think it is.

They horsemen began to harrass and attack the rear elements of the Alemannez Hordes. This caused many Alemannez to break off their attack and go after the Romans that meanced the camp and their wives and possessions. This was a bad mistake, for had they attacked the main Roman line they probably could have overwhelmed them. However as it was, all they could do was a solid hit on the Roman right. They even tried to get a band of dugundiz past the Romans to hit them in their rear. However there were woods behind the Roman right that hid several bands of archers, whom promptly opened fire upon this poor band. They broke almost immedaitely under the intense fire.

However the left of the Alemannez line had managed to break a large portion of the Roman cavalry, the General had to flee back to his lines, with the Alemannez hard on his heels. Thusly the Alemannez began to hurl into the Roman lines of the left as well. However the left held handily, even against the housekarls of the Alemannez. The right had fallen back in dissary after the failure to flank the Romans.

However the Jarl of that army managed to rally many of his men for another charge. I did him little good for when his cavalry chagred he was one of the first to die. This threw the Alemannez into a panic. The Roman general saw this and order his men to break formation and crush the foolish Alemannez. It was a resounding success.

The Roman victory was total. To think that the armed men of Germania have fallen THIS far from the day of the War of the Bane is a sad, sad sight.
The remaining Alemannez warbands have fled from the Po, heading east. It appears that the Eastern Empire will soon have some company. I hope that they obliterate those fools, for men whom lose like THAT do not deserve to live amongst the great peoples of this world.

Winter 363AD
The attacks against the eastern borders of our kingdom have become increasingly violent and much more numerous over the past year. The Subiez are getting more and more desperate to get off of the steppes. More rumors of evils out on the steppes have reached the ears of the court. I heard tell of tribal witches that were forced out of their tents were forcible made to mate with demon out on the steppes, and of this union were born half-men, beasts that live their whole lives in the saddle, even mating and giving birth in it, and not being able to walk. Their faces are horned and twisted by demons magics. And they are excellent shots with a bow, even from horseback. What agents that we could send out have not reported back when they were supposed to and havent been heard from since. These stories have everyone terrified, even the High King is worried, even though he does not show it. The Gauts are still feeling south and we hear tell of many unsuccessful Subiez following them rather than attacking us. I can only hope this trend continues because it will make things easier on one front of ours.
The Alemannez, meanwhile, are currently raiding the northern provices of the Eastern Empire, and are moving into the lands of the Vampire lords of the Getai. Why they are making such a move i do not know. The Vampire lords have proven stronger than the Romans even. So why would someone whom loses to Roman try to attack those CLEARLY better than them? This i cannot say. However there is nothing i can do about it either. So for now we must watch and wait.

[PriestLizard]

The maps: https://www.europabarbarorum.com/downloads_artwork.html

Edit them with a good image program, like Photoshop. I personally use GIMP ( http://www.gimp.org ) as its basically the same as photoshop but totally free (gnu license).

[Olaf Blackeyes]

OK i got the antique map and imager, but it wont let me get the plain map to paintfill with which im sure will be 500x's faster an more accurate.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Chapter Seven:....arise from the pits. (Part One)
Autumn 364AD
We have had spies witness first hand the CHAOS of the Huns, for they have invaded the lands of the Poles. The first great battle happened three weeks ago. The slaughter was unbalieveable.
The Hunnic army is made up of mostly cavalry,

What little infantry they have is mostly made up of slaves. However they deploy as if the slaves must take the brunt of the enemy, so that their cavalry can destroy their enemies.
They also enjoy ambushes, in this case it was a two set ambush, one flanking force out in the open the other hidden, mainly cavalry archers, to spring a horrific surprise upon their foes the poor Polish forces.

The Polish formed their battle line, made mostly of infantry, and prepaed to charge.
However it was the Huns whom charged first, the scout that saw the battle told us. This is a shock, but with the amount of cavalry that make up their armies it should be no real surprise that this is how they fight. The charge was devastating to the Polish cavalry.


They also charged head on into a unit of Polish spearmen. None of the spearmen were left alive afterwards. The Huns then turned upon the Polish archers and wiped them out as if they did not exist. At this point the Hunnic horse archers deployed on the Hunnic left. The scout then described that it appeared to rain on the Poles, however when the rain fell, people died in its wake.
Some of the Poles that had been surrounded by the Hunnic cavalry formed a shield wheel.

However this caused the Huns to turn their bows upon the poor fools. The Polish warlord tried to save the spearmen. All that did was get him killed by the now unstoppable Hunnic cavalry.

The morale of much of the Polish army broke at this point and the infantry hadnt even engaged YET!!!!!!

However there was a set of superior spearmen that the over confident Huns did not count on. These spear formed up and managed to halt the Hunnic cavalry in its tracks. However the Huns that had been stopped simply broke off and fled behind the lines to regroup, most of their horses too tired too keep giong after having broken half the Polish army. It was then that the pitiful Hunnic infantry moved forward. What was left of the Polish army attack this force hoping to break it before the Hunnic cavalry could reform and rest. However it was then that the cavalry that had been waiting in the woods sprung the trap. The heavy Polish spears were winning against the pitiful Hunnic infantry at a surprisng speed.

However in seconds it was all over. The Hunnic ambush cavalry and the Horse archers moved in for the kill of the now pinned down heavy spearmen, which in our scouts opinion had been the only real threat to the Huns all along. The charge shattered the whole rest of the Polish army. Even the Hunnic Warlord, whom had been sitting back and watching the fight joined in at this point so he could make his bravery claims and such back at camp i guess.

The victory was total. The battle lasted barley an hour and 1/4th of the Polish "army" had been wiped out in a single stroke.

The only real losses had been among the pathetic Hunnic infantry that had been bulled into the fight.
After the fighting ended our scout left for the Huns searched for survivors. He was lucky to escape with his life. The women and children of the Polish villages that that army protected were ripped to shreads and all of the heads were put into one of the Black Altars that they worship their demons at. Several of the tribes of Poles have tried to surrender but the Huns would never allow such weaklings into their great empire, as they put it. The emmisaries have not been seen since the meetings and only on of theirservants managed to escape with the message that that Huns gave to Europe. It was simply this, "Prepare to die, for if you cannot best us in even the simplest of battles you deserve no better than the fate of dogs and pit spawn." The servant then up and died from shock and organ failure.
Many at court are fightened at this turn of events for we WILL be next once Poland is destroyed. I can only pray to the High Gods that we do not suffer the same fate as them.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Chapter Seven: .......arise from the pits. (Part Two)
Winter 366AD
The news coming out of Poland is making me sicker and sicker everyday. Several hundred more villages have been obliterated. The Poles cant fight this anymore for decades of in-fighting have destroyed any ability to resist that was left in the Poles. News of what happened in Poland has scared the life right out of many tribes and other peoples in the area. Even the Twin Empires are afraid of what is brewing out on the steppes. However they continue their indifferent policies as i the destruction of the Poles did not occur. However the tribes just beyond their borders have started a mass invasion in order to get to saftey. In the Balkans the Gauts have invaded and are plundering their way towards Constantinople, hoping to use the invincible walls to hold off the Huns. The Alemannez have the same idea however they have been slower getting out of Italy than the Gauts over the Danube, therefore are behind the Gauts in the race. The Subez have also crossed the Danube but they are heading for Athens and the Roman Imperial fleet there, hoping to use it as a means of escape across the Roman's lake ((Med Sea)). The Emperor Valens of the East is away on Campaign in Syria but will soon be returning to fight the Gauts and Alemannez.
About the only people that are not afriad are the Saxonz dogs, for they have become lords of Britannia and have the Sea between them and the Huns if Germania and the Twin Empires fall.

Summer 367AD
The Poles have fallen utterly. A second great battle has been fought. The result was the same as the first. However the whole of the Polish people was destroyed this time around.

As a result the Poles have either died or fled into the north forests were the Huns cannot go due to cavalry's limitations and ae much safer there than we are for our forests are nowhere near as thich as the Baltic ones.The Huns have begun to head south rather than west. They haveencircled the Iron Sky Mountains and have the Vampire Lords trapped within the valleys of said mountains. The tribes that surronded those mountains, however, were obliterated as if they were never even there. The chaos on the River Danube has just BARELY prevented them from crossing. The Emperor Valens has hurried home at the news that the Huns would soon invade his empire. He has arrived at Constantinople, our spies have reported and his vertans will soon march north to confront the Gauts, Alemannez, and Subez.
There are also reports that the Abandoned Tribes have left the fold of the High Gods and embraced Christianity. But this is not the Christianity of Rome. No this variant is peached by the followers of a man named Arius, whom says that the angels are things that they are not. Arius himself was killed by the Emperor Constantine Magna many years ago but his words still would not die. Now our former brothers have fallen to his lies. It is a sad, sad world where such things can happen. The Huns and their demon masers are responsible for all of this. THAT i am sure of. It will be up to my people to save this world from the monsters, for the Twin Empires are full of cowards and the other tribes have either fallen or be destroyed by the Huns themsleves. This cannot happen or the Demons that the Lady worked so hard to destroy will rise again. THAT CANNOT HAPPEN!!!!! NOT AGAIN!!!