Well, maybe some of you will ask me… are this campaign is allready over... I try to bring you, all of the orgahs here, a really complete AAR that written in the novel-ish format, in flashback genre. And I also learn from my own crappy internet connection here, that loading a lot of web pages will cause hang in my firefox, so I write this first using word, and then copy - paste it... but expect some time for update... (writing the AAR after finishing my homework) This was my second attempt at AAR (the first AAR was a little mess on the EB AAR forum, sorry), so I’ll appreciate any replies! Thanks!
DON'T MESS WITH THE SAKA
An Epic Tale Of Nomad Conquest...
Grandpa Moga’s Tale…
Inside the Hasta-Hiya Banai, Khiva, 203 BC
This winter night is very cold, I was barely able to mount my favourite old horse that served me well in my old days. But then, a letter was coming to me, telling that our family reunion will be held here, in Khiva… Hahh… a long time no see each other, but after all, most of my family attending this “reunion” was little boys, girls, and their mothers, only my nephew, Ysamotika, attended this reunion as a grown man, but after all, he was tasked to made certain our precious time didn’t go awry because of sudden attack by raiders. This place was chosen as a surprise for me… the oldest living member of Royal Saka Family. I was living here, alone, after my beloved wife’s passing, to rule this province and oversee the daily bueraucratic system run by our Yvana servants.
So after a short journey, I’ve arrived in my office, the Royal Stables in Khiva. Some of my bodyguards helped me dismount and spread the carpet to give the children a comfortable place to sit. As soon as I open the door, Ysamotika order the children, one by one to hug me and help me to sit down comfortably. He himself was helping my servant (and some of his own), to clean up this place, lit up the fireplace and bring some lanterns. After all the preparation was done… I order my servant to bring us foods and drinks. We got a spicy lamb fresh from the fireplace, warm vegetable soup, some milk, cheese, and of course haoma to drink together.
After some time spent eating our share of foods, and talking about daily routines, those children ask us to tell some bedtime tale. At first, I think to tell them a tale about ancient gods, and their powers, but then, Ysamotika says that I better tell a tale about our own empire, as some of those boys are allready enrolled in Yvana’s school, and some was in Persian school, and they would be confused if we tell that Artemis, is the very same godess as Anahita, and much more intermingled Yvana-Persia god-family squabbles. In the very same time, he argued that by telling them a tale of our greatness, these boys will learn more about our sucessful military valor, and these girls will choose good soldiers as their husbands. And so my first tale begins:
Uniting Saka Tribes
It was begins 69 years ago… when I was younger than most of you… I heard this story from my father, and my father know this from my grandfather…
Our great kingdom start out rather small… that time, we just a mere family of nomadic warlords. My grandfather, Sapalbizes, has rather small army, and we have no riches. We lived in peril, as our tiny kingdom are placed in the jealous eyes of our own nomadic relatives, and even by some diplomatic misconduct, a large empire threatens to exterminate us. Truly, we only hold my birthland, Chighu, and didn’t have much time left before we going out of food, and we must raid another people’s food to survive. In that desperate situation, my grandfather Sapalbizes lead an expedition to bring us food from the most vulnerable settlements, Gava – Saka.
With his men, he march into the land of Gava-Saka, but in the vast plain, he was attacked by Gava-Saka soldiers… Knowing that he has no chance to turn back, and has veteran soldiers in his side, Sapalbizes muster his courage as he prepare his tactics to defeat this foe.
At first, he order his cavalry to form a line, with the nobles in the right side, and the commoners in the left side. He place his own, trusted bodyguards in the center, and order the foot archers to stand firm behind him. Then, they move slowly to meet enemy army. As a good leader, Sapalbizes rides ahead of his main army, trying to lure the enemy into a rash, premature attack.
The battle was opened by a cavalry clash between his bodyguards, and the enemy heavy cavalry… A bloody fight ensues, but those men couldn’t stand our veteran troops and soon flee for safety. While their horse archers fall victim against our arrows, and the flight of their heavy cavalry was enough to spread out panic among their ranks…
But both army was barely a match, and those who didn’t flee fight us with ferociousness any steppe warriors will show, and bring death for some of our soldiers. Nonetheless, their effort fail, and they only pawn a hadful of warriors, while we destroy most of them. There was no doubt, we win a victory here, and this victory was so important because this victory becomes the base of our confidence to grow this legendary empire…
With that victory, we then sent our reinforcements, and storm Gava-Saka. We use overwhelming numbers to let them consider that joining us is a better choice than resistance, so after killing their warlord here, the settlements finally surrenders to our cause, and we gladly raise them as equal. Leaving this settlements only attended by the foot archers, all of our soldiers then storm Chach, and bring us supremacy here… Then we spent some time to retrain, build our nomadic horde, and grow our army a bit before launch our sting into bigger enemies.
Unleash The Arrows, The Capture of Alexandreia-Eschate
After a year consolidating our foothold, we now ready to launch a major raid into the land of those settled people. Lead by my uncle, Zeonises, they delibrately send a small tactical squad to strike those fools in a defenseless and filled with nuts, backyard town of Alexandreia-Eschate… As long as I can remember, arround this time, we invent a new battle cry to scare out those that unfortunate to be our enemies… This may sound rather imbicile, especially by all of your educated standards, but believe me kids… with these battle cry, we carve our own great empire… After that I see Ysamotika, and we then shout our well remembered, and much heavily prided and sacred battle-cry… “YIPEEEEEEEEE!!!! DON’T MESS WITH THE SAKA!!!!!!!”… After that… a huge bursts of laugh exploded and those childrens are rolling in the floors… And then I said… “Shhh…don’t laugh too much, this was sacred battle-cry after all… as our ancestors invented this after drinking much haoma! So let me tell my story again…”
This battle start out in our disadvantage, their troops are twice more than ours, and they’re still in full strength when they try to sally. No matter, we just scatter our force into a loose line, and then peppering their troops with our arrows.
As expected, they even didn’t have much time to aim their bows because we constanly move arround them, and finally envelop them, piling their corpse one upon another with our bows before finally, the bodyguards give the devastating charge…. DON’T MESS WITH THE SAKA!!!!..... and they all flee and surrender immediately…We lose only a few men, and this was really a heroic deeds worthy to become an excellent example…
Just look at their casualities give us a sense of superriority…
The Rise Of Satraces
Well kids, we’re now entering the most important history of our empire, the man that his bravery, leadership, inspiration, and perhaps a lot of luck with tons of haoma drinking habits, change the course of our kingdom. I know him well, he was my brother, Satraces…to explain this, let me show all of you our beloved family tree…
Yes, you all are clever, the passed men with honorary leader sign in the center of our family tree is him. After that, it’s me… and you can see that your uncle and cousin, Ysamotika here is the prince…(Ysamotika blushed) But now, we must talk about the deeds done by Our Greatest Leader ever, Satraces…
After our capture of the backyard, nutty town of, Alexandreia-Eschate, the Seleukids want to settle a peace treaty with us. And we accept it, thinking to muster our strength until enough time, and try dealing with other factions first. But fortunelely, in the very same season that the treaty was signed, Satraces hold his Coming of Age party with a wild Haoma drinking contest. There was a lot of warriors attending his party, and he himself won this competition, beating all of his peers, and even seniors. While still intoxicated, a Yvana servant throws an insult as a joke. He says that a boy who drink too much in his 16th birthday won’t be allowed to enrolled in the Yvana’s High Academy… for this academy create very sober geeks that hates alcoholic function groups. Too bad for him, Satraces is insulted and order his men to beat the poor Yvana until he becomes a pulp, and saddle his horse, then run forward onto the nearest Seleukid colony. And then he shouts all the nights and days, insulting all the Yvana here…not a surprise, A large Yvana army then march to jail this young drunken master… but he then order his men to prepare, and fight as true Saka warriors will do!!! But some of my men, then tells me that he actually want to rob the Seleukid brewery in Marakanda.
But now, kids... night is come darker and darker... your mums will be worried if you still awake this late, so for now... have a good night....
"Yes Grandpa..." and then, my sevants help them to prepare their sleeping bags, and they sleep quickly.... hope they found an inspiration from my tale this night...
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