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  1. #1
    EB:NOM Triumvir Member gamegeek2's Avatar
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    Default Of Mail and Men

    Of Mail and Men
    (by gamegeek2)

    Chapter I: A Whole New World

    Sleep in the saddle. Eat nothing but what may fall to your arrow. Drink naught but man's sweat, sheep's milk, and horse blood. Such is the life of a nomad at war, as he rides over the earth, the steady beat of hoof meeting earth sending shockwaves up your spine. Such is the life of a nomad at war. Or so my father says...

    I suppose I should introduce myself. Aysaninu - "Horse Lord" or something like that. Not a very feminine name, but I don't care - I was raised as a son anyways. I was my father's only child before his accident in war (I think you can guess what happened). He raised me as a son, cutting off much time for teaching me more "female" tasks. I hated weaving, etc. when I tried it anyways. So I got full upbringing as a male, with few exceptions. And, as all steppe children learn, I could ride as soon as I could walk, a geldling when I could converse, and a fine warhorse (my family is noble) when I could shoot.

    Though we are nobles, we live a very similar life, the only difference being tradition-based status and the subsequent benefits, which are relatively minor. In battle, we perform archery like the "commoners" (except the elite cataphracts, which we can't even yet afford to muster) and we bear the brunt of the shock combat (but not pursuit). We tread carefully, trying not to be haughty and abusive; animals (and gods) can make fools of us all.

    However, one day, the Hina-Bayai rode into camp, saying that the apples of the "Baktrian" tree were ripe for plucking. He told stories of his visit to their kingdom, adorned with gold mines and beautiful pastures for gold and horses. Drooling, I packed the tent and our belongings in a whirlwind and had the horses saddled up and packed when Father came back from the hunt (a wolf-hunt; I'm good enough with the spear yet).

    As we left, the flame of my nomad spirit became a bonfire. The world was mine now, flying over the land (albeit landing with hooves) on Hetairos (my horse, also named in Yavana). My long auburn hair whipped out behind me, and we made hundreds of li* before the heavy winds began to blow. News arrived that the advance guard had captured Chach; but this news was old, the messenger said (he got caught up in the mountains by some angry natives).

    Winter - Camped in northern "Sogdiane", a Yavana-controlled land. Haven't met any Yavanas yet, though. Maybe I'll see a few in battle. All the locals say (in their weird tongue, which is strangely similar) is that the Yavanas used to have a Hina-Bayai called "Iskander" who conquered the land from the Yavana homeland (apparently over 5000 li away! I didn't know the world was that big!) to here. Now that he was dead, they said, the Yavanas split up into rival kingdoms and fought each other for power. They also told of the great "Seleukioi" (great, more Yavanas), who took the largest portion of the empire, along with the "Pahlava", "Indioi", "Ptolemaioi", "Hayasadan", and "Pontikoi". I kner that the Pahlava fought us in the past for lands around the Dahyu of the Alanna and Massakata, but we are no longer so big. That was before I came into the world, anyways. I had never heard of the others before. Also, I wonder if "Iskander" is "Alexandros" in Yavana? They sound quite similar, y'know.

    Spring brings the siege of Marakanda. News arrived that we had captured Alexandreia-Eschate, another Baktrian settlement. Soon, however, before our engineers arrived, the Baktrians brought a large army and attacked. Too bad I couldn't fight (stupid melee training and 150-pound bows) but I could watch, as long as I didn't get myself killed (or too close to it).

    The Yavana troops were a mix of natives and Yavanas. They looked funny...



    ...especially their heavy horse...



    ... but no horse archers! They're either really good or on some of that Chinese "opium" that I've heard about.



    The latter proved to be correct: my dad + friends (he's the guy in the center above) absolutely demolished their general. They didn't seem to know how to fight us; we just poked them until they were bruised all over and gave them the 1-2. Sure, they did a number on some nobles, but there were alot of the bastards, and we don't have infinite arrows. So we figured, "Why sacrifice the "commoners" for no gain?" Damn large Baktrian army. Here are some sketches, colored in with Chinese pastels and watercolors:





    With the local Sahiya dead in the battle (along with most of his troops), Marakanda was severely weakened. The engineers finally finished the ram (it was really overdone) and we captured the city without a real fight; we shot down their archers and walked in, and they all just ran back to their homes. Sogdiana was ours.

    * Han distance measurement. 3 li ~ 1 mile

    (DISCLAIMER: Apologies for anything that might offend you. I am not a female myself, just that all the other AARs are from male perspectives; I wanted to do something different.)
    Last edited by gamegeek2; 01-28-2008 at 21:45.
    Europa Barbarorum: Novus Ordo Mundi - Mod Leader Europa Barbarorum - Team Member

    Quote Originally Posted by skullheadhq
    Run Hax! For slave master gamegeek has arrived
    "To robbery, slaughter, plunder, they give the lying name of empire; they make a desert and call it peace." -Calgacus

  2. #2
    Peerless Senior Member johnhughthom's Avatar
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    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    Good start, I particularly liked "we just poked them until they were bruised all over," sounds like a sound military tactic.

  3. #3
    The Creator of Stories Member Parallel Pain's Avatar
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    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    So you Saka Rauka? What difficulty? Can't wait to see another Saka Rauka empire.

    Man how will the Yuezhi be, can't wait.

    Give us some campaign screens too.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    Niceh.Looking forward to new chapters.

  5. #5
    Member Member paullus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    some really nice screenshots, especially that overhead shot of the cavalry melee...not sure i've seen a shot like that before.
    "The mere statement of fact, though it may excite our interest, is of no benefit to us, but when the knowledge of the cause is added, then the study of history becomes fruitful." -Polybios


  6. #6
    EB:NOM Triumvir Member gamegeek2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    Chapter II: Bak Problems (Call a chiropractor )

    We barely had time to settle in before the Hina-Bayai ordered us out of Marakanda. "We are not out of arrows yet. As long as we have horses to ride and land to ride them on, why stop? The lighthouse of Baktra points us to the dock of success." What's a lighthouse, anyways?

    Well, we pulled up to port, but fled at reports of a huge Yavana army approaching. One of them wasn't tired from marching yet...



    Only 16 bodyguards of the foe's made it out alive that day. Not a single other survived. It usually snows around here during winter, often enough that the ground is almost always covered with the stuff throughout the cold season. There were many bare patches on the ground that day; the snow was overdue. Instead, it snowed arrows that day. Funny, though; they didn't hit us. And I turned 14, too. Still can't pull that damn bowstring to my cheek.

    Spring 270 - Stupid engineers haven't arrived yet. Oh well, maybe the Yavanas aren't fighting each other after all. Hey, wait! Are those Yavanas coming outta the settlement? Better get my sketch tools...

    (My dad is right to the king's left)



    "Warriors of the Saka. Friends. Soldiers. Whatever you want to be called; I believe you know you have been called and why, right?"

    "YEAAAAAAAAAA" and "Of course we do" echoed across the plains.

    "We come for what we deserve. Not revenge against our old foes, the Dzin who tore down our old empire. We come with hammer and nail, not bow and spear. We come to build anew what lies destroyed countless li to the east. We come for a new beginning!"

    (the army starts a "HOO HOO" chant)

    "But the Yavanas rudely forced on us the extra baggage of bow and spear!"

    (chant grows faster and louder)

    "Let's make sure we didn't carry all that extra baggage in vain, then!" And he pointed his sword at the foe.

    [/URL]

    (I had to put that shot up there somewhere).




    Today, we lost many a man, and killed 5 for each of our losses. Nobody exemplified this more than the guard of one of our generals, who captured the city, defeated 2 full phalanxes in conjunction with some nobles, and defeated the enemy's bodyguards' remains, losing only 15 men through these tasks.

    The Baktrian "Empire" is now gone, replaced with the blueprints and foundation of a new Saka Empire. The time of carefree ignorance and indiferrence on the open steppe is over. The nomad bonfire has been extinguished inside me; the imperial one just got a firestarter. And a hell of a lot o' wood.
    Last edited by gamegeek2; 01-25-2008 at 23:46.
    Europa Barbarorum: Novus Ordo Mundi - Mod Leader Europa Barbarorum - Team Member

    Quote Originally Posted by skullheadhq
    Run Hax! For slave master gamegeek has arrived
    "To robbery, slaughter, plunder, they give the lying name of empire; they make a desert and call it peace." -Calgacus

  7. #7
    EB:NOM Triumvir Member gamegeek2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    Sorry, my computer's screwed and the hard drive has to be wiped.
    Last edited by gamegeek2; 04-10-2008 at 03:27.
    Europa Barbarorum: Novus Ordo Mundi - Mod Leader Europa Barbarorum - Team Member

    Quote Originally Posted by skullheadhq
    Run Hax! For slave master gamegeek has arrived
    "To robbery, slaughter, plunder, they give the lying name of empire; they make a desert and call it peace." -Calgacus

  8. #8
    Stranger in a strange land Moderator Hooahguy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    WHAT???!!!
    haha... funny joke.....
    On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
    Visited:
    A man who casts no shadow has no soul.
    Hvil i fred HoreTore

  9. #9

    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    Early April fools I am sure :) Whatever game geek you better get to it.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    Over or not i'd jus like to say this has been a crackin' aar and has inspired me to start my own Saka game. And by the way how awesome are horse archers

  11. #11

    Default Re: Of Mail and Men

    I just found this AAR today. I'm sad it is dead. I liked it. There was some humor in it, but it also shows the amazement a steppe barbarian (and a female one too kudos for that) would have if they see all these wonders like big cities and elephants and strange people with stranger cultures (at least from her point of view). I would follow a retry of this idea. Maybe put some small historical facts right like opium, which might well have existed at the time, but certainly wouldn't have come from China, since it was the brits in the 19th century who got the chinese addicted, actually it is more likely that it would be used in pakistan/afghanistan/north India region in which you were before this AAR sadly died.
    The path is nameless - Lao Tse

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