Tales from the shepherd Empire
Chpater 5 The Emergency

Latronos Scoffed at his meal. Upon entering Arsé he had declared the Edanti full Lusotannan members, which had got the backs up of the lesser tribes of the confederacy notably the more southern tribes. Comparisons were made that the Carthaginians were better rulers then the Lusotannan and small uprisings took place. The Carpetani had proved to very critical of the move. Baikor demanded Full rights within the confederacy. Sucum- Murgi had a notable population drop as people began to move south.

Agents had been spotted around the border with the cities to the south. Foul play was at work and a large increase of soldiers in the south had Latronos on edge. He had grown fat in Arsé enjoying the delights of the Greek style of leisure a far cry from the Stoic philosophy his father had preached persuing a lifestyle of those men in cities would prove to be a Lusotannan mans downfall. The endless pursuit of wine and women and the coin of precious metals made men soulless and empty. Latronos was to busy having fun to care for the little things he knew his was time was close and a successor would have to be named.

Katunos was the choice as he had saved the southern armies at the gates of Baikor He had also managed to prove himself as a ruler calming the men of Baikor but even now he was having trouble. More and more agents have been spotted in and around Baikor in an attempt to curb the trouble he tightened security but it just made it worse. Latronos seemed to be no help. Rotenanko his second son had made a name of himself curbing the rebellions. He was the new generation of Lusitanian nobles that had grown up alongside the new subjects of conquered tribes of Iberia and this way he had learnt to appreciate their customs where his fathers could not. He was going to lead an army against the Arevaci in a bold move to prove the strength of his kingdom before it collapsed Many men did not like the word Kingdom and influx of tribes and peoples made it hard to re order everyone in their place. Things were going to take a drastic turn for the worse.

Latronos sat eating. Looking out of the palace he watched the people living their daily lives a messenger was telling him of increased activity of Carthaginians He scoffed at the information and laughed he was drunk. As he continued to sputter he tried talking drinking and eating all at the same time the sputtering worsened and he was soon choking. His body guards surged forward and he hit the floor clutching at his throat the men tried to beat the mans chest as his chocking got continuously worse he fell again this time face first vomiting all over the men’s feet as they tried to help him. A blood-curdling scream muffled by the wine and food lodged in his throat echoed around the room. Then silence.

The messenger hurried to the centre of Baikor. “Latronos is dead!!!! I must get through”

”Katunos is speaking with some agents from the south he requested privacy no-one is aloud through” The messenger pushed through the men and continued on “STOP!!!” He swung round a drew his sword
“I must speak with Katunos immediately and if you stop me by Lugos I will kill on the spot you stand”
The men backed off the messenger was one of the nobles who rode with Latronos he was scared by battle many times over and he smiled as the men stepped forward and hesitated they quickly broke and run. He laughed and walked through as he stepped inside it dawned on him why the men would run off surely in this place they were tasked to guard Katunos with their lives. The place was a mess. He realised then who the guards were but curiosity drove him on. Two bodies lay on the ground. Both holding their throats like Latronos was as he died in his arms. “Katunos?!?! Master?” He continued on to the inner sanctum of the warrior hold “fuc….”

”TREACHERY!!!!! THE KINGS OF LUSOTANNAN HAVE BEEN SLAIN!!!!”
Rotenanko looked up. “Murdered and poisoned!!!. Rotenanko looked at his men Settling down for an evening meal Rotenanko dropped his food. NO ONE EAT!!! We must hurry back to Oxtraca.

A new army had been training in Oxtraca ready for the battle with the Arevaci Baikor had rioted once the news of Katunos death was heard Martial law was placed in the town and Sucum Murgi pledged men at a extraordinary rate. Roteanko Declared himself king in a hurried assembly and proposed a march on Gader the city directly to the south of Sucum Murgi. The network of counter spies that were in the south informed him of army positions and he new that Mastia had a huge army inside and outside of the city. There was also a man named Bisaltes who rang the Iberian south from there Capturing Gader would provide masses of wealth for the rampaging makeshift army a quick force march and they were outside the city. A small scouting party went forward and reported that a large force of Iberians allied to the Carthaginians was waiting. Rotenanko had no time to spare and a call to battle was declared. The marched down a wooded valley side and in front of them the army waited. The lines clashed in usual fashion and Rotenko led a flanking force the hurried mobilisation meant mass confusion broke out among his men. Inside the forests he could see fighting but he could not see who was were. Charging into massed of men seemed to have the desired effect a foreign horn was blown and as the fighting stopped some men began to head towards the gleaming city in the distance. CUT THEM DOWN!!! The chase lasted a whole 24 hours as culminated in a mass slaughter of the Gader citizens. Rage fuelled the massacre and plundering begun. The men were happy for the moment but Rotenanko new he would have to wait to see the Carthaginians next move.

Soon enough men crossed from the mountains and headed to Sucum Murgi and Baikor. Ravaging the landscape small armies from Arsé had headed directly to Mastia and were promptly crushed by Bisaltes. Rotenanko new he would have to kill the attacking armies before he could meet Bisaltes Baikor was under siege the following month and the lands around Scum Murgi had been ravaged. Wading through two forces of Carthaginians he arrived at the Siege It was desperate situation. The stench of death could be smelt before Baikor had even come into view. Between them stood the final raiding army of Carthaginians. Their armies seemed little more then levies. Masses of untrained men Rotentko and his men had killed more then 3 times there number a trail of death where the thirst for more killing was not yet quenched in the panic of the murders and rioting. Another day another fight another massacre entering Baikor the people inside pledged allegiances spitting on the corpse of dead Carthaginians and how they had accepted their hand but the Carthaginians had betrayed them. Rotenanko was furious the speaker who told him of the Carpetani treachery was prompt decapitated more loyal tribes settled in the remains of the town and rebuilding began. News at Mastia was not good Loyal warriors from the north who had headed to Mastia had been destroyed by Bisaltes just as Rotenanko had crushed his armies

Moving along the coast Mastia was a few weeks travel Messenger reported that Bisaltes was waiting for him outside of the city. One night he watched as his men pillaged a farmstead laughing at first he watched as small boy picked up a sword and waved it around in front of the soldiers the laughed knocking it out of the boys hands as men pinned down his mother 2 more began to beat the boy senseless the mother was then turned over and head pinned down into mud his screams could not be heard. Rotenanko Froze disgusted he walked over and killed all those present a woman, a small boy and 5 of his own men. He declared that any more rape and torture of these Iberians would be punishable by death. He did not sleep easy that night and would never be able to sleep well for the rest of his life.

Hugging the mountains that ran along the coast Rotenanko men set up camp just south west of Mastia Bisaltes the feared general of these men. Approached his horses were amazing. Silver adorned and wearing their own armour Rotentako was nervous Bisaltes had also major armoured Iberian fighters that Rotenanko had never seen. The men were restless as the Silver gleaning armour marched forward charging up hill Bisaltes lead the men and crashed into the spearman tasked with holding the line. Rotenanko shuddered he had some lighter cavalry forces and used them to flank and harass the army leading men away from the main battle. Some slingers He had his own which has been hired on route to Mastia were also flanking and Bisaltes rear was open letting off a volley of shots the massed silver Calvary began to fall the lighter Calvary rushed in and soon The General and his men were surrounded now the tables had turned. Rotenanko had been fighting along the line were he had slowly destroyed the weaker units of the army the Silver Iberian fighters who were fearsome had cut many of his men down and gutted some of his Bodyguard. A horn blew out and Bisaltes had been slain somewhere down the hillside the men looked up and faltered Rotenanko blew his own horn signalling the fight to continue soon enough the fearsome armour clad soldiers decided they had enough a rout began. Once again The rout lasted well into the next day A massacre in Mastia had finally quenched the blood thirst of Rotenanko and his rugged army. For a year and a half they had fought constantly losing many men on the way and killing many others.