Flight of Dragons - The Deeds of the Kings of the Sauromatae

[Aaldaemon]

The Flight of Dragons - The Deeds of the Kings of the Sauromatae



STELA I – The Deeds of Abeakos, Dragon King, Lord of the Horizons.

Part I: The Dragon Awakens


My name is Abeakos. Remember that name, for I am the Khashaya, King of the men and women of the Dragon. When I was but a boy, my father took me to the lands of the Yavanas, so I could see the foolishness of men grown fat on grain and wine. It was there I learnt to write, and this I hold the only good thing to come from the lands of city dwellers, for one day when I will be gone to ride with my ancestors, my words will remain written in stone, and all will know of the great deeds of the people of the Dragon.

When I was a boy I heard the tales the Yavanas tell about us. They know nothing but falsehoods, yet they pretend to worship reason and treasure knowledge. Wine-soaked fools. One day they shall all be crushed, their cities dust in the wind, for a true man is not a creature of stone and water, but a being of earth and wind, spreading the fire of the Dragon wherever he goes.

Know then that in the year of the Serpent Moon (272BCE) I ordered the Dragon banners to march south to Tanais, and there we scourged the land with fire.



The men of Tanais came to fight us with spears and shield and we drowned them in a sea of arrows. We made countless mounds of their dead and sent their flesh to the Fire god in a great offering. We took their women for our own, sent their young into slavery and slaughtered their old and sick, for the War God despises the weak, and they are good for nothing but to feed the fires of sacrifice.



While Tanais burned in the south, my son Babai scorched the lands to the north. The tribes of Dahyu Yugra could not oppose our wrath, and they submitted meekly to the favored of the War God after their warriors were culled in battle. Let them know their place as slaves to the will of the Khashaya.




A strong King never rests, so we did not tarry in Tanais. The banners flew westwards to Gelonus, and there we came upon the men of that place carrying death on the winter winds. Their hearts froze stricken by terror and we gave them to the fires.



Let the women of weaklings cry their songs of despair as they see the bodies of their husbands burned by the breath of Dragons. Hear their lament and laugh, for the War God sees your strength and is pleased. Despise weakness in all things, and give nothing but death to your enemies. Let the Dragon banners fly forever!

[Aaldaemon]

It's been years since I wrote an AAR, (long time ago I wrote some AARs for Paradox games under a different name, so no I never wrote a TW AAR before) so I got the urge to write one tonight as I was starting my next long term game, with a faction I have never played before - the Sauromatae.

So far the plan is to keep this AAR simple, I have the tendency to ramble and write too much, so I did my best to keep it short and to the point. If you liked this style and there is interest in this tale, I will continue it as my game evolves... the Dragon banners will fly regardless.

EDIT: This is a late, late edit to warn newcomers to this AAR that this information is outdated - this AAR is going other places than those I originally intended. You will see this if you keep reading it.

THE MOTHER OF ALL EDITS: FOR NEWCOMERS TO THE AAR: THIS AAR EVOLVED INTO A CONVOLUTED STORY COMES FIRST AAR SO BE WARNED, THE ORIGINAL UPDATES MIGHT NOT ENTIRELY REFLECT FUTURE PARTS, AS THIS AAR WILL FEATURE BOTH SCREENSHOT HEAVY CHAPTERS AND WALLS OF STORYLINE TEXT.

[Hax]

This will be great, a Sauromatae AAR.

I will certainly follow this. By the way, have you got plans to form a Steppe Empire or do you wish to invade the Seleukid lands (or perhaps migrate to Germania or something)

[Aaldaemon]

The plan is to scorch the world under the breath of Dragons... or at least try. As I've just begun my first game ever with the Sauromatae I'm not quite sure where the winds will take me, but so far I think the plan is to go West and show the Getai they can not steal my precious dragon banners and get away with it... They MUST BURN.

I like to roleplay my kings, so while dear old Abeakos is an aging Genghiz Khan wannabe, I'm not so sure the next king will follow the same route... we shall see...

[Reality=Chaos]

The plan is to scorch the world under the breath of Dragons... or at least try. As I've just begun my first game ever with the Sauromatae I'm not quite sure where the winds will take me, but so far I think the plan is to go West and show the Getai they can not steal my precious dragon banners and get away with it... They MUST BURN.

I like to roleplay my kings, so while dear old Abeakos is an aging Genghiz Khan wannabe, I'm not so sure the next king will follow the same route... we shall see...

I've not seen a sauromatae AAR before. This looks promising, maybe an occasional time update would help though? just a suggestion.... Now go on cover the world in horse archers and burn all those who oppose you...

[Aaldaemon]

Time update? What do you mean? If you mean showing the game year and such, know that all this happened during the first year (the year of the Serpent Moon (TM)), and yes I'm going to make sure I give more information on what happens when in the future. And now it's time to go to bed since it's 2:18am over here. :)

[The General]

The Flight of Dragons - The Deeds of the Kings of the Sauromatae

I do love the way that unit looks.

Also, I likes the AAR - keep on goin', and fly that dragon banner high!

(Also, the name of the thread reminds of a song... But that's beside the point.)



(Edited part in italics.)

[Aaldaemon]

I do love the way that unit looks.

Also, I likes the AAR - keep on goin', and fly that dragon banner high!

(Also, the name of the dread reminds of a song... But that's beside the point.)

Aye, the Aeldary Aembaltae (by the War God I love them so much I can now spell that name from memory haha) are the beautiful angels of death.

And thank you for following this AAR, next update is coming in a couple of hours or so(a few RL issues keep sidetracking me), and it will feature the Aeldary Aembaltae quite a lot.

[Aaldaemon]

Part IV: The Battle of Chersonesos 257BCE



The wooded hills were swarmed by shadows. The forest murmurs as men and horses shift and whisper. A rider comes, a specter mounting a black horse, his shadow melting in the gloom. The guards allow him to pass through, for he is expected.

The rider trots up a high hill, where men assemble. The rider looks around, then at a sign, dismounts and kneels. Before him stands a tall man, clad in silver scale. The man is old, but strong, white hair a simple crown upon his brow. He wears no gold, or jewels, but a silken cloak, a dragon roaring on its back. His only ornaments in truth, are naught but a sword, and the crescent moon hilted dagger of his kind.

The old man frowns, then his words come:

Speak, what news from the North?

The black clad man lowers his head, and answers:

My King, the Tauri move. Their prince Rauxsaspa comes.

The old man nods, his face a mask of ancient lines.

They took their time…but now they come. How many warriors does the princeling bring?

A great host my King. We are outnumbered,the kneeling man replies.

The King smiles, the Dragons stirring in his heart.

Outnumbered you say? By what, hopeless children and old fools?

My King, Rauxsaspa brings many spears, bowmen, riders… their nobles come as well, the prince has brought them all…

The King’s smile widens, his eyes sharp swords to tear the darkness.

Brought them all he has? The fool. He pauses, then turns to his nobles at his back.

You should know then my brothers, that the Yavanas come from the South as well. That fool Kallipos brings them to the slaughter.

The nobles murmur, their cloaks shift. They dare not speak. A man gathers his courage. His words are tinged with worry:

They come, my King? Should we take the banners East to slip away?

The King laughs now, the Dragon roaring mirth under the stars.

Aye, they come… with spears, and bow, and horse and lance. They come, why wouldn’t they? They are many, we are but a few. They know full well, the princeling Rauxsaspa is approaching from the North, a great host trailing in his wake, so here they come, to catch us in a trap of sharpened iron.

How can they know? We stand between them as we speak! None of their messengers can pass without our knowledge!The noble asks, the tinge of fear eating at his words.

Because I told them so, you fool, the King answers, his voice low, his eyes that of the Serpent in the night. Why do you think we waited here on these hills so long? You think I want us to grow roots and branches sprout?


Alas, it takes time for messengers and spies to do their shady work. Alone the Scythian prince and the Yavana fool are naught but cowardly worms... but bring the two of them together and they will muster enough courage to come to die on our spears.



The King laughs again, his nobles shift uneasy as he speaks:

The greatest trap of all is when the hunter dresses as the pray, and brings the would be hunter, pray in truth to die the death of fools. They think us pray, but we are ever hunters, men, and now they come to us to listen to our dirge of arrows. Rejoice now men, for a great song starts, a song of war, a song of spears, a song of lament and despair, the song of dragons.

You know this tune well men, so wait for morning and then sing! Scatter the banners, like the dragon on the winds, and let them come to meet their doom. Send the Aorsi on the left, the nobles form the center, the swift horse on the right… then spread the wings, embrace our pray, and welcome it to our waiting belly.

Horses are brought, the King mounts first, the nobles in his wake. His sword is raised, and his great roar is heard:

Forward now men! The dawn comes swiftly, and Death hungers! Let us begin the singing now in earnest! Let our bows start the song of Dragons!

The woods erupt. The men cheer.

Abeakos! Abeakos King! The bellows of men come, as the gloom lifts.

His cloak a blur, the dragon on his back aloft.

The Dragon! The Dragon flies! They shout, as the Serpent rises on the winds.



The Sun is up, the banners scatter. Before them and behind them the spears come.



Forward they come, towards their pray, the waiting hunters.



The Dragon song begins with but an arrow, as iron wings of death fly to their marks of flesh.



The Scythian prince, spear in his hand hears his death chant in the winds. He can do naught but meet it boldly, his fate to feel the fiery breath of dragons.



The Yavanas chase naught but death, as the pale rider spears them in the back, for Death is everywhere, with no refuge to be found.



The last of the spears rally, as the serpent circles, tongue ready for the bite.



The spears break under the breath of fire, as the King comes to claim the spoils of blood.



The Dragons fly, as coils of steel entwine with gusts of passing souls.
The Dragon rides! The Dragon flies! The chant is sung, and so death comes.

[General Appo]

Beautiful, I like your style.

[Aaldaemon]

Beautiful, I like your style.

Thank you. I tried to do this a bit differently - I abandoned first person and used a different narrative style, no longer entirely the words of the king, but inspired by him still - Abeakos might be a butcher, but he's also "Philosophically Inclined" and an "Epic Poet"... truly a King of legend, the Dragon made flesh.

[Lysimachos]

Beautiful, I like your style.

Yes, this chapter is a promising one. Hope to see more like this.