Wolves of Zalmoxis (Getai AAR)

[Laevex]

Chapter 4: Unification of the Thraikai

For 6 years the Getai existed in this relaxed state, living peacefully off their own lands while their warriors became stronger by the day. Koson became respected as a good ruler and administrator, but not loved, for the Getai take pride in their martial prowess and he had only won a single decisive battle during his years as Basileus. The people muttered that even if the Gallic-ruled Scordiscii laid Buridava to waste, Koson would try to negotiate peace. This bothered the great man, as he began to realise he had become the very opposite of his father and in trying not to become a bloodthirsty beast he had become a cowardly mouse.

Koson took command of the army and marched to Singidunum, laying seige to the city. He ordered his men to chant Getic war-cries at the enemy and insult the Gauls within the walls.



Although the gates of the town had been opened by Getic spies, he made sure the warriors of his army stayed camped outside Singidunum's walls and sent this message to the Averni captain:

Captain Lannildot,

Your king has posted you here in charge of these people, but you do not belong here. My father - a savage brute of a general - obliterated this town 14 years ago because he and his master believed these people are weak. I do not share my father's views.

I have marched here with loyal men at my back because you have remained in this land - as an enemy of the Getai - through all these years without regard for these people's needs. Granted, you were willingly given control of this place at first, but these people asked you to defend them from my dispicable father and his rampant pillaging, not to bleed these good people dry with your taxes and exploit them as pawns to your country.

I offer you a chance to regain some honour now. Either you and your army march out and meet our forces on the battlefield, or you chose to hide with your tails between your legs and let these people starve to death under your vile rule. I know well that your allies in your homeland are busy fighting another war, so you cannot hope for any aid from them. Your position is hopeless now, you must realise your chances of victory are slim at best, so be valiant and grant us an honourable battle.

Gauls, we stand here today, and we shall stand here tomorrow. We shall stand here until these people are free.

Koson, Basileus per Getia

The Gallic captain responded to Koson's proposal reluctantly, marching his army onto the field of battle in the spring of 252BC. The the sons of the wolf were confident and numerous, taunting the enemy relentlessly. The shamed Lannildot ordered the Gallic charge as soon as his army were arrayed and the bloody business commenced.



Koson's army fought well against the Avernii, slaughtering every last one of them and putting the Gauls to further shame.



Many Getai were awarded precious gifts by Koson after fighting like true wolves of Zalmoxis. The people of the newly-rebuilt town of Singidunum recieved a public apology from the Basileus himself for their extermination at the hands of his ruthless father. Koson offered the Scordiscii peace and allied status as long as they recognised his rule. They accepted, pleased at the ruler's humility and kindness and the tribe happily became clients of the Getai.

The Scordiscii proved useful friends to Getia, aiding the nation with its funds in return for protection against invasion. Although the Gallic threat was now quelled, other factions vyed for power in the area. Epeiros reared up as one of these threats - a warlike kingdom of hellenes who had been forced to withdraw from Italia many years ago and were now beginning to brutally conquer the whole of northern Hellas and now some of Thraikia. The brave Odrysai had fallen when faced with their might and the mighty polis of Byzantion now also lay under their rule. The Epeirotai seemed to be destoying all in their wake and the people of Getia soon began to feel threatened.

Koson decided that the Getai would be the ones to push back these arrogant and perfumed hellennes, for the wolves of Zalmoxis were the most fearsome and formidable military force in the whole of Thraikia. In order to defend the Thraikai, the Getai would have to unite them so that they would become a stronger military force. Koson realised that the proud rulers of these peoples would not simply submit to his rule and so the army marched forth from the heart of the land to unite them through force.

The first target of liberation would be Kallatis - a town whose inhabitants were brothers of the Getai. The region was under heavy threat from the Epeirotai and so the Basileus lead his warriors at a back-breaking pace as they raced towards the coastal polis.

The army of Koson reached Kallatis in the spring of 249BC with the hellenic army only a few leagues away to the south. They laid seige to the inhabitants, offering them peace as fellow Getai, but the stubborn King of the Crobyzii refused to surrender, distrusting of the sons of Zalmoxis after their raid many years before.



The conflict that ensued when the Getic warrior band attacked Kallatis turned out to be more of a show of force than a battle. Only 60 men died in total as the Kallatai soon surrendered. Koson forgave Takosis - the defiant Basileus of the tribe - but nevertheless assumed rule over this land himself. Another humble apology was made for his father's sack of the land and the people learned that their distrust had been pointless, as the region was decreed a true Getic tribe and its menfolk acknowledged as fearsome wolves of the prophet-god.

The Epeirote army abandoned its attack on Kallatis, evidently daunted by the glorious and dangerous Getai and marched west towards Naissos. Once again the wolves of Zalmoxis had beaten the eager hellennes to the settlement. The freshly-recruited second band of Getia's army stormed Naissos 6 months after the fall of Kallatis under the command of Rhemaxos per Drobeta - the young brother of the Basileus.



The defending Triballi hardly had a chance against the Getic horde, but they stood stubbornly at arms for their tiny home all the same. The battle was a massacre, with only one Getic casualty (A bumbling jester of a man named Tylammo. His immortal soul now jests at the side of Zalmoxis).



Once more, an apology was made and the tribe began to submit to the grand empire of Koson's expanding rule. Getia's influence was now wide and powerful, with many of the Thracian tribes united under the banner of Koson per Drobeta. The hellenes to the south would have a daunting task if they planned to conquer our lands now.

[Conradus]

Laevex, I really like your AAR, reminds me of my old getic campaign in 0.72. Ow and happy birthday.

[Laevex]

Laevex, I really like your AAR, reminds me of my old getic campaign in 0.72. Ow and happy birthday.

Thanks for the kind words. All I hope for is that people enjoy reading it.

I'm thinking of just continuing it until the Getic empire has risen and fallen/until the end of time because writing an AAR really enhances gameplay for me. I feel like Koson is a really great guy and I actually hate Epeiros. I've never got emotionally involved in a game before.

[Laevex]

Chapter 5: The Cowardice of Epeiros

The Basileus now believed that his alliance of the Thraikai under Getic rule had created a strong enough border with the Epeirotai. To the south were the last independent tribe of the region - the Dardanoi. This tribe was strong and Koson had faith that they could hold out against this threat, as they had already repelled several Epeirote attacks before now. The next objective of the king was to liberate the valiant Odrysai from the Aiakides family's oppressive rule. He merged the military forces of his lands into one army and garrisoned them in freshly-conquered Naissos as Eucharion of Epeiros approached from the east.



In the spring of 247BC, the army of Eucharon attacked Naissos. The grand army of Getia marched forth to meet them in noble defence of their homes and allies.



The brave men of our land fought with pride and disregard for their mortal lives in the name of Getia and Zalmoxis. The courageous wolves of the Getai soon broke the Epeirote line and sent the hellenic prince fleeing for his life with only a handful of remaining troops.



Koson's triumphal speech in Naissos was full of disdain for his enemy. He famously boasted "If the general we vanquished today was a hero of these people, then every wolf of Getia is thrice a hero in comparison." This kind of flattery and pride in his army had become a habit and was no doubt highly beneficial to Koson, as his men grew to believe they were the ultimate warriors.

The Epeiro-Getic war was now official and at thanks to the victory at Naissos, the Getai had gained the upper-hand in its first stages. Koson was a wise Basileus though and decided to attack the nearby army of Damophilos as well, refusing to sacrifice Getic momentum.



Despite his proclaimation of Getic might, the last battle had seen a considerable number of Koson's warriors go to the afterlife and the army was at reduced strength. This did not matter however, as the strong wolves of Zalmoxis still outnumbered the Epeirote prince's relatively modestly-sized army.

The Basileus fought with the strength of ten wolves against the Epeirotai that day, slicing his way through the enemy cavalry and leading his men by example like Megas Alexandros.



Ironically the enemy general, who claimed descendancy from the great Macedonian conqueror, cowered at the back of his army while the Getic host brought death to his men. Damophilos then turned his back when he was sure of defeat, running away from a dignified death into a life of shame.



The battle resulted in a Getic victory, but Koson's lack of any great commanding talent meant that another large number of his men ended their mortal lives that day. This meant that the grand army of Getia was now severely weakened.

The Epeirotai had been driven out of Getic lands, but their threat was still felt in the Balkans. The men of Tylis and Byzantion were still under their oppressive rule and these people were friends of the Getai. The Dardanoi were still holding their ground, for they were strong men and proud warriors.

Soon the Epeirotai retalliated against their new enemies, laying seige to Kallatis. In the winter of 246BC, Koson took a small force to repel this attack, whilst his brother Rhemaxos took another army across to defend the west of the Getic empire.



Epeiros was shown to be a nation of cowards on the day Koson's army marched to Kallatis. His troops had to do no more than stroll towards their vastly outnumbered enemies and they quaked, running away like ants from a boot.



With the Epirote war well established by now, Rome - another enemy of the arrogant Epeirotai - saw a friend in our empire and declared itself an ally.



The Romans were a mighty force, at this time a rising empire with a skilled and disciplined military, and promised to prove valuable friends to Koson's nation.

After the embarassing events of Kallatis, the Epeirote army fled southwards. Koson and the first band of the Getic army persued them, driving into enemy territory. Any skirmishes were easily won, as Thraikia was a land familiar to the wolves of Zalmoxis and they knew how to use the forests and mountains to their advantage against the sluggish enemy phalanx troops.

Meanwhile the second band were under the command of Rhemaxos in the east, warding off the pesky Epeirote forces that marched on Getic soil. The newly-mustered third band of the army was commanded by Dekeneus per Histria - a young general and a good friend of the Basileus. The third band was scheduled to march south to rendezvous with Koson's first band and then push southwards to liberate the Thraikai who were living under hellenic tyranny.

When the disgraced Epeirote army finally stopped running away, the first band attacked them.



As was expected, the brave sons of Getia crushed their foes, leaving the hellenic-ruled Tylis exposed and ready for liberation.

As the first band marched for the home of the Odrysai, reports came in of a large Epeirote host approaching from the south-west. Koson was vulnerable with only the first band to defend with, as Dekeneus was still far to the north with the fresh third band and would not reach the first in time to reinforce them if the enemy army attacked now.

The menacing Epeirote army attacked Koson's troops, as the Basileus expected. It was commanded by Alexandros Aikides - a competant commander, schooled as a general in a hellenic academy. With no hope for an even battle, Koson called army of Daoi out onto the battlefield and prepared for the bloody battle that was to come.



The Basileus had experienced the nature of hellenic armies and how they worked best in open fields, relying on tightly-ordered hoplitai and phalangitai. He deployed his men deep in the woods, telling them to hide in the shrubs and trees and instilling confidence in them by claiming the Epeirote troops would crumble into a mere rabble if the wolves of Getia sprung a surprise attack on them from behind the trees.



As the hellenes neared the Getic battle line, the komatai sprang out from the trees and grass and hurled their javellins at the enemy, causing panic and distress to manifest in the enemy's minds.



The Daoi faught with the strength of ferocious wolves indeed, obliterating the enemy who greatly outnumbered them through courage, strength and intelligence.



No longer would these hellenes have any reason to look down on the brave Getai. Koson was beginning to become known as a great commander, a strategist worthy of his crown, but he persisted to deny this, thanking instead the courage of the fearsome wolves at his back.

The following winter, Koson's first band were busy back in the heartland, recruiting more brave men to replenish its ranks. The ruler had placed Dekeneus in charge of the war to the south. The third band were camped west of Tylis, deep within the Epeirote territory. A small army attacked their camp one bitter day, threatening the only defence the Getai had in the area at the time.



Dekeneus saw no threat from these hellenic vermin and immediately marched the wolves of the third band out to face the attackers.



The enemy quaked at the mere sight of the brave Getic Daoi and ran away from the battle, pathetically upholding the cowardly reputation that their nation had gained among the wolves of Zalmoxis.

By the spring of 244BC, the third band had moved towards Tylis in another attempt to free the opressed Odrysai. Koson had assumed command of these men, with Dekeneus his leiutenant. Frantic for a victory against the vicious 'barbarians', the Epeirotai threw two armies at the third band successively.



Both battles were victories for the Getic army, managing to slightly deplete the enemy's vast military forces. The Epeiro-Getic war was beginning to look promising for Koson, but he and his troops were worn out from the persistent fighting that had brought them these victories.



By the Autumn of the same year, the teenaged Zyraxes - first son of the Basileus - had reached the Odrysai region with the replenished troops of the first band. He lead the brave Daoi against Xenolaos Aiakides, a young prince that the Epeirotai regarded as a fine commander. The enemy army was outnumbered by the Daoi, but these hellenes were a particularly well-trained and well-equipped force and posed a great test to the young son of Koson.



The battle went well, Zyraxes using his intellect well to command the wolves of Zalmoxis. The day ended with a familiar sight - another member of the Aiakides family running from the battlefield after a crushing defeat. It would seem the Epeirotai had absolutely no concept of honour or bravery.



After this latest victory, Zyraxes marched the first band to join the third band of the Daoi, where the two merged and formed the 1st Warhost of Getia under Koson's command. The system of bands was done away with, as these were too small for the scale of war the Getic empire now intended to wage. Recruitment in the north-west of the empire began to complete the 2nd Warhost, which was to be commanded by Rhemaxos.

Koson and the 1st Warhost attacked Tylis the following spring, facing up to the cowardly Xenolaos and his Epeirote garrison.



The Getic wolves ravaged the cowardly Epeirotai soldiers that day, letting a river of hellenic blood flow in the name of Zalmoxis and freedom for the Odrysai. A member of the drapanai named Dopimikos was one of the heroes of the day, single-handedly fighting his way to the vile Epeirote prince. His falx sung through the air as it rended limbs from bodies. When he reached the commander he leaped into the air with a cry of pure fury and sliced Xenolaos' head clean off, leaving his lifeless body to topple off its confused mount. Koson proclaimed Domigikos Grand Master of the Drapanai for his bravery, so that he could inspire the other falxmen of the 1st Warhost as he lead them in subsequent battles.

The day ended in victory and the Basileus declared the Odrysai tribe a free people under the rule of the Getai. He promised them peace and fair treatment if they became part of his growing empire, which now had united the majority of the people of Thraikia.



Koson now planned to simply hold his empire in one piece. He was not an ambitious man and felt no desire to conquer hellenic lands to expand his empire. He ruled by affection and loyalty to the tribes of Thraikia and now that all these tribes were free of the despicable rule of Epeiros, he was content. The only Thraikai now independent of Getic rule were the Dardanoi - who were still defiant towards Epeiros - and the men of Nikaia - who were becoming rich through being absorbed into the gargantuan Arche Seleukia.

The Epeirotai still considered themselves vicious enemies of the Getic empire, but Koson felt that for now he should simply consolidate his lands and repel any threats to them, as the war had made his people less prosperous.

[alatar]

Great post.
I played a campian in FATW, with dunland.
After I'd concqers everything north of the white mountian and east of the isen, I made them stop.
The old kingdecided it was enough, his son got agitated as he had defended the crossings for about 20 years. As soon as his dad dies, he will pour into the enemies land.
Thats what I hope will happen in your AAR aswell. Surely the kind kosan has a selfish heir who will raid the epierote enemy!?

[Laevex]

alatar:
That's a grand idea. I need an excuse to wage some good thoughtless war.
Zyraxes is a bit hot-headed, I think so he fits the bill.

[alatar]

Glad to help, I like this AAR (the way you treat rebel's as real factions is great).