The Hounds of Molossus: An epiros AAR
"Please, I beg of you, turn south and abandon this endeavour, strike at sparte itself, if you head for the throne of Macedon, it shall surely become another Ro-"
The arrogant greek was silenced by a blade to his throat, and through clenched teeth Pyrrhus spoke, making sure to bite through every word:
"Never-Mention-That-Name-again." Returning to his normal tone the great general spoke again. "We are a day's march from Pella, the throne will be mine by the setting of the next night's sun, and I will claim my rightful place as heir of Ceraunus of Macedon. I will hear no more protest from you Cleonymus, lest your tongue lead me to find another hated greek to make my puppet."
Sure enough, come dawn the first awake was King Pyrrhus, already having his armor strapped on by his helots. When the breast plate was attached, he stepped outside of his grand tent. The crisp morning air bit at him, it was spring, and he could feel the winds rolling off the balkan mountains across the plains of Pella. Some six hours march away were the gates of the city itself, a small wooden palisade protecting the illustrious capital.
Around him was his army, mostly galatian mercenary foreigners, people who spoke in their strange pig-tongue, filthy savages... but... "There is something to be admired about their honor" The great king thought. The Galatians had no need for tents, they slept in the woods, bare-chested against the spring wind. The 300 or so celts were gathered around various fireplaces, roasting a few rabbits to share among the lot of them. Looking disparingly to his own greeks, the phalanx-men, who were eating, what by comparison, seemed a feast; Pyrrhus sighed and recalled his previous admiration for the celts. Were they were eating enough to go on, while his own men eating to fill. And after all... a lean stomach leads to a sharp and fresh mind...
Suddenly a thunderous crash erupted behind him, as if the furies had town open a pit to erebus itself and all the torments spilled forth into the camp. One of the elephants had been scared, and it's throes had sent a tree hurling into camp. The Driver tried his best to calm the beast while the archers gathered near to where the tree landed had fled for safety. The beasts, for all their useful-ness demanded too much in food and care to be of any use.After pella, the beasts return from the forsaken jungles of Asia from whence they hail... Pondered Pyrrhus as he readied for the march.
There it was, it's gates pulled shut and the horn of battle sounded, Pella. From his vantage point, the great king could see the city, in his mind he saw the route of battle.
"Lord, shall we hasten to assemble a ram?" called one of the phalanx-men.
"No, we afford no time to allow the Macedonians to prepare any further, the walls are weak, Order the Elephants forth onto the gates, let the archers deal with the Macedonians as they please" Spoke Pyrrhus from his horse.
He shot an ice-cold glance to Cleonymus, then thrust his head to the fore front, the elephant drivers were moving. "SKIRMISHERS! WITH THE GALATIANS!" he called. "Push through the gate when it shatters!"
Elephants, their very hide was as toughest iron, beasts thrice the size of horses, they had served him well in rome, and now his remaining beasts would crush the macedonians. They thundered against the gate, the archers shooting down slingers fleeing the splintering wood. Within seconds the gates of the capital burst apart, the archway collapsing as the celts rush in to meet slingmen in combat. Caught up in the charge, a sole elephant is herded into the fray. Now more trifles to throw his plans into disorder, the brazen general of pella charged into the fray in hopes to scare the celts into retreat.
Pyrrhus would have none of it. "ELEPHANTS! PUSH!" at this order, the beasts pushed into the horsemen, the celts falling back and bringing up their shields, fighting to hold their ground while they split to accommodate the massive beasts. Soon the general's guard are met by the archers astride bests terrifying to horses. The guardsmen, solid in their hearts, bring a beast down, punching through it's skin and tearing at it's heart. The beast collapsed with a mighty and terrible howl.
Time seemed to slow as the beast fell, it collapses to it's right, landing upon the general. It all played out in the mind of pyrrhus as if he had been right there. The elephant in it's death throes had stamped upon the rear leg of the horse, crushing it and pinning it. Then the beast tumbled onto that poor horse. A terrible groan sounded as the horse's armor was flattened and it's ribs were shattered, it's lungs and heart being crushed and exploding within the horse. The general scrambled to flee, but his feet were pinned by the elephant. The tower in which the archers rested however, fell upon him, the weight of the timber shattering his bones and puncturing his lungs. For almost a minute, the general weakly clawed and let out silent screams. He was too unlucky to die by the tower,instead he was unable to breath. He spent his last moments in suffocation.
Pyrrhus had seen much battle, but he could not squelch out the fire of his chivalry, he would give the general a proper burial with his own oulos over the generals eyes, to pay the ferryman across the styx. however, it still pained him that he could not meet the general in proper battle.
Pushing through the gates, Pyrrhus saw Macedonian skirmishers coming in through the streets, attempting a flank upon the flat-footed army. "Light infantry, split from the main, and meet the skirmishers, when the last falls push down that side street thought he buildings and move to the city's plaza. Phalanx men form up shoulder to shoulder, both units of you, march down the street and meet them with the push of your Sarissas. Elephant- men, take the street parallel that of the light infantry, push to the plaza, my fellow noblemen, with me as we follow the phalanx!"
Sure enough the skirmishers fell and the orders of the king were carried out. the troops advanced to the plaza. When the phalanx-men reached the plaza, the remaining slingers struck as they coud at the wall of spears. Foolishly the Macedonian bodyguards.. or not foolishly perhaps, perhaps they had instead realized their own death, and honor before coward, they charge to kill as many as they can of the enemy Thought Pyrrhus... regardless, the cavalry charged the wall of spears. one became impaled upon the wall of pike, the remaining two shattering the pike and fighting as they could against the phalanx-men...
Yes, not foolishness.. bravery... valiance almost.. cleonymus might well object to my spending of oulos this day.. Thought the Molossian king with a chuckle. When the pikemen had consumed the last of the horsmen, though with struggle, as the horsemen, caught in the realization of their doom, fought tooth and nail to the last, killing ten phalanxmen, they moved to confront the Macedonian pikes. Seeing their sharp confidence, Pyrrhus sought to break it. Looking in the direction of the flanking light infantry he cupped his hands over his mouth and called.
"CEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLTS!" he cried, and a howl more terrible than the cry of Cerberus sounds. The celts mowed down the slingers and drove into the flank of the Macedonian pikemen as the Epirote phalanx pushed on them.
The macedonian phalanx turned it's spears on the celts as the Epirote phalanx marched up to meet the flank. Pyrrhus himself headed his guards as he brought his hourse around the plaza to the rear-left flank of the Macedonian phalanx, and again he headed the charge as he drove his horsemen, howling like Alexandros himself on Bucephalus. And true to his nature, the molossian king would not relent and he dove into the flank.
His fury would have to be short though, he heard the Great trumpeting beasts and ordered his guard to withdraw, almost foolishly some macedonians chased him as the epirote pikemen cleared a path. The macedonians did not see it coming. Tons of flesh and iron-hided beasts, driven by their drivers, tore apart the phalanx, their mighty heads flung men high into the air, their trunks wrapped around men and crushed their bodies, their shields formed a weak wall as the elephants pushed the men with their shields back into their comrades.
Pyrrhus ordered the elephants to retreat as he capitalized upon the terror, the men, their attention turned to the elephants he brought his guard intot he flank, as the celts, loosed like dogs, charged into the front of the phalanx-men where the elephants once were. The celts, their blades screaming, went Snicker-snak through the necks and shoulders of the unsuspecting phalanx-men, while the Epirote Greeks Brought their swords down on the shields of the Macedonians.
The maddened Alexander, the molossian king, seemed all but lost to the world, he sent his sword through man ofter man, thrust into the heart of the fray. His guards rushed to protect the man they were duty-bound to serve, they brought their horses to the fore and pushed Pyrrhus back behind them. The charge of the Alexander had been so strong it pushed the Epirote Pike-men away from their battle, they were thrust from the bloodletting but their stubborn king.
The last macedonian defender lost his head to a Galatian, who held it in triumph and screamed his howl, his fellows joining him. Even the greeks joined in, All save Pyrrhus himself. Instead the Molossian king turned to one of his guards, handing him a sack of coins, and said sternly "See too it three Defiant guards and the general, whoever he was, get the burial of heroes"
"As my lord decrees, yet the general, he was called Alkyoneus" replied the loyal guardsman. "And you lord? why can you not do this?"
" Faithful Demetrius, I must claim what is mine" And with that, the Molossian Lord dismounted and entered the great palace doors. He felt his entire body quake as he took in the sight. the battle had lasted long enough, that the sunlight streamed down upon the golden throne of pella. Tentatively he lowered himself onto the throne, and relished the feel of it against his body.
At last, the throne of Macedon was his. The Peleponessos would quake.
OOC: that's the end of it, Sorry for the lack of quality, first time writing something like this. It's the first battle of my game.Please review and give me criticism.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks