In Search of Truth: A Hayasdan AAR

[Kuningaz]

That broken English is a really nice idea. Sort of reminds us that the guy is just a simple warrior.
Keep going

[BerkeleyBoi]

Well, heavy snowstorms will prevent me from going home for the holidays... so there might be a chance I'll be able to update before Chinese New Year.

I actually strongly regret my last update, the broken English really breaks with the theme of my AAR... oh well, what's done is done. I'll try to do a better job with the next one.

[Subedei]

Brilliant AAR....How big is your empire by now?

Very entertaining staff...Bravo!

[Mouzafphaerre]

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I actually strongly regret my last update, the broken English really breaks with the theme of my AAR

I perceived it upside down.

You can see that this letter is written very bad. The old letters sound better because my friend help me write it. This letter I write myself because my friend die when we fight in Susa. No many Greek left.

Dumb me! I read the chapter hastily and thought it was the guy who was writing it down for our Trapezuntios that had the bad Greek.
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[BerkeleyBoi]

Chapter Ten: Elites

Seleukeia. A new city that seems like it was grown from the earth instead of built by the hands of men. I learned nothing about it in the few years of schooling that I had, yet some of my comrades said that it now rivals Athens as the center of Greek culture. Marvelous temples to the gods, bathhouses that could cleanse the stench from our entire army, gardens that grow from the desert sands, and markets selling goods from the farthest ends of the earth are all housed behind those great walls. Then there are the smithies and forges, the training halls, and the barracks that equip, create, and house the elites of the Seleucid armies. And here we are, an army led by barbarian warlords composed of Armenians, Scythians, Persians, and a handful of Greeks. We could hear the enemy’s laughter even as we prepared for the siege.

But all those trees that we felled for our machines died for no purpose.

A large enemy force came from the north, a ragged group of mercenaries with an inexperienced sixteen year old minor nobleman at its head. If they came at us alone, then there would have been nothing to fear, but the garrison of Seleukeia was not made up of ordinary peasants and weekend soldiers.

There were the Hypaspistai and the Pheraspidai, the royal guards of the Seleucid capital equipped with fine armor and weapons, trained from infancy, and ready to die for their king. Yet it was not they that we feared. From the first day that we arrived, the metal men were drilling in front of the city walls even as our entire army camped just outside their tower’s range. They seemed to be inhuman, golems of iron that were crafted for the sole purpose of waging war. They had no faces, only layer upon layer of mail. Their wicked, long headed spears whistled as they practiced, cutting through the air with such speed that we could feel a breeze to blow by as we spied from the distance. Thorakitai Agemata Basilikou. We feared them, it as simple as that.

When the battle began, our commander, who was also the heir to the Achaemenid throne, split our armies in half.

My unit, battered and beaten, was tasked reinforce any weak points in the Persian lines until the enemy force across the river was defeated. We were not expected to win, as the general had no such expectations, but only to stand our ground against the mightiest of foes.

The battle began first behind us and victory was certain. The idiot captain sent his entire army charging across the bridge right into wall of Persian spears while arrows rained upon them.

Yes, victory against those fools was certain, but I was not certain they would crush the enemy before one of those broad headed spears struck me down.

Perhaps the King of the Seleucids was a little too impetuous as he charged his unit into our line of spears. Perhaps he was trying to save the other army from their fate. Perhaps he thought we would flee at the sight of his glorious army. Or perhaps he was tired of life and was feeling suicidal. Whatever the case may be, he charged his men into our spears and our prince outflanked him and crushed the Seleucid king’s skull with his mace.

With a single stroke, we had cut off the head of the serpent.

We did not expect the enemy to flee as they usually did after the death of their commander. No, we knew that men such as these would never surrender. The death of their general would only harden them as they lusted for revenge. And so they came.

The golem elites slammed into the ranks of our Persian hoplites and immediately sent them back ten steps and causing a hole to appear in our line.

Without hesitation, we charged to plug the hole, intercepting a unit of levies before they could cut our line in half.

The royal guards soon followed, their ferocity alone driving the Persians into the ground.

I stood face to face with one of those golems. From beneath all that metal, I could feel his joy as he closed in for the kill. He thrust his spear at me, but it was deflected as a comrade to my right covered me with his shield. Another spear came at the man to my left, but I raised my shield to deflect the blow. The elites pushed at us, trying to break our formation, but the men behind us braced for the charge and they enemy’s charge was stopped. The Persians around us began to form together as well, holding their ground against the masses of the enemy. I could feel the enemy begin to waver, doubts creeping into their minds as they failed repeatedly to dislodge us.

Suddenly, the man to my right screamed. I thought he was hit, but instead he charged forward. Then, I felt my feet moving and my mouth open and my throat throbbing as I screamed and charged as well. Our entire line slammed into the enemy, completely catching them off guard. Though the weapons we wielded could not penetrate their armor, our bravery and courage cracked their morale.

As javelins rained down on the enemy from behind, the elites broke from their formations and ran. We followed and cut them down.

We turned back after the last enemy was dispatched and, to their surprise, joined the other half of the army holding the bridge.

We surrounded the Seleucid phalangites that still held their ground and aided our brothers in dispatching them. The victory was absolutely crushing.

There is no such thing as an elite soldier. I know that now. No matter what armor, weapon, or even training a single man has, he can never be an elite. Elite, in the singular form, does not exist. We as an army, with our cohesiveness, our single mindedness, and our faith and trust in each other, is what make us all elites. As an army, we are unstoppable.

[BerkeleyBoi]

Brilliant AAR....How big is your empire by now?

Very entertaining staff...Bravo!

Right now... well, I actually haven't played in a while. Work has been keeping me busy as well as the countless hours I spent fighting in the train station for a ticket back home. The updates are actually from before I left in December. As for how big my empire is... well, I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say this AAR isn't gonna end up like my Saba one!

Oh, and the above update will by my last one for about two weeks or so. Hope you all enjoy and please leave comments!

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Perhaps the King of the Seleucids was a little too impetuous as he charged his unit into our line of spears. Perhaps he was trying to save the other army from their fate. Perhaps he thought we would flee at the sight of his glorious army. Or perhaps he was tired of life and was feeling suicidal. Whatever the case may be, he charged his men into our spears and our prince outflanked him and crushed the Seleucid king’s skull with his mace.

Great update BerkeleyBoi! Can't wait for two weeks but I have to.
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[EmporerOfNothing]

Appears from the shadows.
Ive been lurking in the shadows reading your AAR for a while now and its great.
Keep up the good work.

[Subedei]

2 weeks over yet? More action, plez!?!need good stuff to

[BerkeleyBoi]

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Great update BerkeleyBoi! Can't wait for two weeks but I have to.
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Sorry for making you wait. I am back in Beijing now and I might be able to update soon!

Appears from the shadows.
Ive been lurking in the shadows reading your AAR for a while now and its great.
Keep up the good work.

Thanks for commenting! I'm glad you've enjoyed it!

2 weeks over yet? More action, plez!?!need good stuff to .

Yes, 2 weeks are over! Which means I have to go back to work, which is bad for me, but increases the possibility of me writing a new chapter, which might be good for you!

[Gebeleisis]

you are a god m8,why dont you start writing books based on the storys from the campaigns you do?

those would make some hell of storys

You rock man cannot w8 for an update and more aar's by you

[zooeyglass]

fantastic! i've read a few of these now (read - 20 or so) and this one is absolutely brilliant! it made me want to quit my makedonian campaign immediately and take up the reins of the Hayasdan empire. Such a great AAR, and by focusing on one character with such detail, it's become very engaging and entertaining.
I wonder, is our hero going to turn out like his father, in facing super-human foes? It seemed like it was getting that way when he described the elite seleukids as "golems".....will he gain the same verbosity as his father?

congrats on a great read.

[BerkeleyBoi]

Well, so it's been a little while since I've update and it seems like it will be a while longer...

...I was kicked out of my apartment a few weeks ago and with housing prices going through the roof in Beijing, I can only afford to rent a closet with no internet. My screenshots are at my home computer and I'm not allowed to bring flash drives to work for fear of smuggling out sensitive information. Which means I'm a little stuck.

So for people who were hoping for an update, I apologize. There might not be any updates for a long time, though I refuse to say this AAR is completely dead.

[Subedei]

Oh, this sounds bad. Hope you can find a new place! Good luck to you, BerkleyBoi! Sub

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Indeed, good luck to you.
I hope you come back and continue this AAR.

[Chirurgeon]

I hope you find a way to continue this...I just finished reading it. I like it!

[d'Arthez]

Good luck BerkeleyBoi with sorting things out. I hope you can soon find a suitable and affordable place.

[LusitanianWolf]

Awesome AAR!!!!
Good luck fighting your way throught the walls of iron from Silver and yelow death...

I've never played with Hay, but theres an thing in your AAR intriguing me: why do you, playing as an HA nation use so few cavalry? For saving money sake? for roleplaying?


Thanks and keep the excelent job coming!!!!

[Laevex]

Your situation makes me feel guilty that I havn't turned out a decent AAR in all the time I've had to freely play EB.
The best of luck finding a decent place and I hope this brilliant AAR can continue because it's really quite compelling.
I love seeing factions that usually get crushed by the Grey/Yellow/Blue death do well.

[Reality=Chaos]

It's very sad I like this AAR a lot. I hope you get a better appartment soon. Probably not half as easy to do though I'll keep remembering you Berkleyboy, and when you are back, I will be onto this AAR like a shot. I don't care how long it takes.

[keravnos]

RL can be a female molossian hound sometimes...

Don't give up yet. There are two things I can advise, if possible, because I do believe that your writing is the stuff of legend.

1. Save your work and post from an internet cafe, along with pics (Hopefully there is an internet cafe that you can upload information on, aka their PC's usbs are working)

2. Continue on, then use a .pdf converter and make a .pdf of your story when it reaches a finish. I guarantee you people will read if for a LONG time!

Whatever you do, keep on with the story. It is just too good to let go.

[Obelics]

good luck for your life in BeiJing BB, it's a town i love... i have been there for some time...

[BerkeleyBoi]

So I found out I can sneak my iPod into the office with screenshots on it and then upload them at work no problem since I can just say that I'm recharging my MP3 player.

However... I just found out that EB 1.1 is out and 1.0 saves are not compatible... decisions decisions...

EDIT: And I'm working full time, blogging, and making a module for NWN2 at the same time... hmm...

[eliad91]

Thats very awesome AAR,Keep it up

[BerkeleyBoi]

Chapter Eleven – To Find the Truth

The roads were filled with refugees as we marched towards Babylon, but they were not fleeing from us. They cheered as they passed by, with little gifts shoved into our hands. The children ran around our army, waving poorly made banners of the New Persian Empire, while old men bowed from the side of the road. We could not understand what was happening, for we have slaughtered thousands of peasants since we first began our campaign, but at least, truth has reached our years.

Babylon for ages was in the hands of a kind Seleucid governor who tolerated all people within the ancient city. Even as Seleukeia was being built to replace it, the old man still acted as if he still stood at the center of the world and the people within it were gods among men. That all changed when our armies smashed the Seleucid Empire into dust.

The Ptolemies took advantage of their old rival’s weakness and snatched Babylon away from the old governor, displaying his tortured body for weeks at the old blue gates. The people suffered tremendously under the rule of a cruel new governor and now they fled for our lands, hoping that we would be more merciful.

But we were soldiers of war, not peace. We brought only death and suffering to others while enriching ourselves. I had no delusions about that, yet I have grown numb to killing. It has all become routine to me now that there was nothing left to fear. I have grown to love only my comrades and the Persians we trained long ago. When we are in battle together, we are like one mind, one body with only one purpose: to kill all who stand against us.

Siege was laid upon the city of Babylon. There is little to speak of. The enemy was weak and we crushed. We piled their corpses within the ancient Hanging Gardens and slit their throats to water the plants with blood.

Arbela was our next target and it went with barely a fight as the remaining Seleucid mercenaries deserted their young general.

Finally, we marched for Edessa. Our general told us that after the city was taken, we would finally be released from our service with great honor and reward.

There were forty of us left in our unit and a little over a hundred Greeks including the Thureophoroi. As we sat in our camp, we talked of our home, trying to remember the greatness of us Greeks, the heroics of our ancestors, the glory of our land, but there was nothing. All we remembered was the cowardliness of our fathers, the pompous lies of our great history, and mostly, the poverty under which we struggled. Only our shell remained Greek, our hearts, our minds, our blood, our souls have become the same as that of our Persian brethren.

And so we drank. We drank to our transformation into true men. We drank to the ancient Persian gods and heroes, we drank to the victories that we ourselves have won, and we drank to our fallen brothers, Greek and Persian, who have died so that we may live.

But most of all, we drank to truth. We drank to the truth that war is killing, that empires are built on the bones of the innocent, that we are nothing but tools to empower our betters. We drank to the truth that greatness is not a birthright, the truth that honor must be earned, and the truth that we have earned it.

We expected another easy battle, for the enemy to flee before we could meet them in battle, but this time, it was different. It seemed all that was left of the Seleucid Empire had gathered to face us one last time. Which is quite fitting for our last battle, for after all the suffering the Seleucids have inflicted upon us, it would have been a pity if they disappeared with barely a whimper.

[BerkeleyBoi]

Chapter Twelve – My Father at Fifty

The old man was brought to me before the battle began. He was found sneaking around the perimeter of our camp the night before and was to be executed as a spy before one of the Persians found, to my shame, that he resembled me.

He was a ragged, dirty old man nearly just skin and bones. His hair would have been white if it wasn’t for the dirt and his body was covered with old scars and bruises. For a while, we just sat there in silence broken only by the old man’s chewing of the bread and slurping of wine. Finally, he lifted up his head with tears in his eyes.

He said they were tears of joy, for he had not known that someone of his blood could grow to such greatness. He called himself a wretched, useless coward who could never accomplish anything in this life. He said that as he looked upon me, he saw everything that he wanted to be but couldn’t. He said that as the sun rose behind me, I had the look of Hercules.

Before he could finish the last sentence, I ran him through with my spear. He looked at me in shock before it turned into anger. He cursed me even as blood gurgled up his throat. He called me a traitor to my people even as his eyes rolled back into his head. He scratched at me even as he fell to the ground. When my comrades questioned my action, I told them he was not my father for he had died long ago in the defense of Trapezous.

Dust can be seen rising in the distance. My father was quickly forgotten, my spear was wiped clean, and we march off in unison to meet our enemy in the field of battle.

Before the image of my father completely faded from my mind, I could not help but think: Perhaps what I was seeking for all these years was not the truth. I did not want to know that my father was a coward, that I pissed on myself during my first battle, and that the fact that I'm still alive is entirely based on luck. No, I guess I was not searching for the truth. I was redefining it.

[Reality=Chaos]

Yaaaay. Two more updates of this awesome AAR. I liked the bit with his father. Maybe a bit short on Drama, but that suits the character of the protagonist just fine.

[BerkeleyBoi]

Well, to be honest I'm just rushing to finish this AAR so I can start playing EB 1.1.

So I think 2 chapters, maybe 3 left and I'll end it.

[Chaotix]

Yeah, it must be tough to write an AAR with the conditions you described... but you still manage to make it great! Good luck, and finish this AAR off with a bang!