Magna Germania - Sweboz AAR

[Justiciar]

Magna Germania

The thick-set and wild-eyed priest's chanting was low and monotone as he strode through the gathered crowd of men, women, and children. Behind him came Swártágáizáz, carried by the four greater chieftains of the Swêboz on a grand ceremonial shield, gilt and inlaid with amber. Following the fallen Kuningáz came an ox-drawn cart brimming with his prized belongings, taken over a lifetime of raiding and war. As the procession made it's way up the winding path to his ornately prepared barrow the priest's chanting grew alternatively quicker and slower, ebbing and flowing. Along the way parents raised their children to touch the dead Kuningáz, their blue eyes wide with awe as he passed. When at last they reached the rise’s zenith they placed him upon a bed of wood and straw. The chanting stopped, and the priest held aloft the Kuningáz' sword. His prayer was hushed and quiet, but from amidst the crowd came grunts of consent, acknowledgment, and accord. Many of the elder tribesmen knew the ceremony by heart. At last the aurochs was dragged forwards, having been held in captivity for days. A great and noble beast with thick and spear-like horns. No other creature could be as suitable a sacrifice on this day, nor for this man. It took ten men to hold the colossal bull still as the holy man dragged the notched blade across it’s neck. The blood came gushing forth, falling at the base of Swártágáizáz' pyre. When the aurochs finally ceased to struggle the bloodied sword was placed within the Kuningáz cold hands. The crowd needed no prompting when the torch was brought forth. Before the flames had even begun to spread a cheer of joy arose, peppered by wails of grief. The afterlife beckoned for Swártágáizáz. The reign of Hêruwulfáz had officially begun.

Vengeance it seemed, after so many weeks of waiting, could at last be dealt to the Hêruskoz.

---

My first attempt at an AAR, so bear with me. I'll get started on it tomorrow.. probably. Just got to finish off this damned Casse campaign.

[Aenos]

Great introduction! Loved it! Wish I could write like that.. Can't wait for the first 'real' part.

[scourgeofrome]

Good luck.The Sweboz are so much fun (one of my top 5 factions).

[Moros]

Good luck and give me an update!

[Justiciar]

Part One
The Siege of Gáwjám-Hattoz


The palisade splintered, pieces of wood falling away as the ram was withdrawn. With a deep breath Ágáltiz gritted his teeth as they lunged it once more at the wall, for what may have been the tenth time. With a loud crash one of the heavy logs broke in two, falling amidst the crowded Hêruskoz defenders. "Again!" roared Burágáz, the warband's leader, a tall and fearsome looking fellow with a thick brown beard knotted at the end. After only a few seconds they brought the ram slamming once more into the wall. Further down the palisade’s length the gate of Gáwjám-Hêruskoz broke at it's hinges, and the men of the Sweboz poured inside, lead by the Kuningáz himself. Ágáltiz glanced in their direction, hearing their war-cries and the Hêruskoz' deep and throaty reply. "Don’t stand there gawping!" Burágáz boomed, shoving Ágáltiz out of the way and taking his place at the heavy stone-headed battering ram. He watched as the ram came bursting through the wall, spraying long daggers of wood on the men behind it. The wall was down, and the ram was dropped.

Burágáz climbed atop the fallen pieces of timber, his Gallic longsword drawn and his voice filled with the joy of battle. With a manic cry he leapt amidst the Swáinoz of the enemy; little more than green boys. Ágáltiz followed the rest of his warband over the breach, his spear held over hand and his shield grasped tightly. In little time at all the Swáinoz were fleeing through the dust-strewn ways of the Gáwjám. As they moved to follow them they heard the long and ominous sound of the Kuningáz' warhorn. That was their signal. Burágáz slammed the butt of his staff on the thick layer of soil beneath them. "To the hill!" He lifted his sword, pointing it in the direction of the elevated mound in the middle of the settlement. Ágáltiz could just make out the Hêruskoz' banner; a stretch of boar's hide, painted with an intricate image of the World Tree in thick rust-coloured ochre.

As they marched through the town they came across the devastation caused by their Ridáhárjoz; the Swáinoz that had escaped their own wroth had been duly cut down from behind, trampled by the horses, and impaled by a hail of javelins. From the shadowed doorways of the crowded inner houses of the Gáwjám, Ágáltiz could see many faces, pale and gaunt with worry. At last they reached the bottom of the hill, forming a shieldwall and progressing slowly upwards. It began to rain. A second long and solemn note was sounded from the warhorn; the Kuningáz had assaulted the hill. From it's nadir he could hear the struggles of battle. "For Irmináz!" Boomed Burágáz breaking into a full-on charge, Ágáltiz and the rest of the Frámehárjoz quick in tow, their shields still locked together. They needed no more encouragement, as all had been raised on stories of the ancestors, Irmináz chief amidst them. His very mention inspired men to great things.

With a passionate shout, mixed with both joy and fear, Ágáltiz charged into the amassed Hêruskoz-Swáiut. Stabbing his spear into the naked back of a man lacked glory and honour, but he had learnt from a young age that such ideals mattered little in war. With his spear firmly lodged in the spine of a dead man, he pulled his knife from it's sheath of wood and ox-hide. He could see from the corner of his eye that their foe's Kuningáz, Hrábnágástiz, was cutting his way towards their own ruler and warchief. They were both tall and healthy men of their middle-years, though all had heard of Hrábnágástiz' triumphs in personal combat. He had afterall been the one to attack Lángobárdolándám eight years ago, a meagre seventeen summers old, starting the war that had brought them here in the first place. It had also been he that had murdered of the late and much loved Swártágáizáz. He had even taken the Hêruskoz' throne by the virtue of his own - then scrawny and boyish - sword arm.

Cursing, Ágáltiz ducked beneath the tightly packed shields of his companions, bowling into the legs of the opposing and greatly outnumbered warband. His knife gripped tightly in his hand, he darted towards Hrábnágástiz, lunging eagerly towards him. Before he could reach his target the shaft of a spear whirled around, smacking him firmly across the chest. He fell back into the shields of his own brothers, his vision blurred and his breathing strained. A heavy hand grabbed Ágáltiz by his shoulder and pulled him back into the ranks.

Gradually he found himself at the very back, amidst the younger men and the cowards. The men of the Sweboz began to jeer, mockingly laugh, and throw a barrage insults at the last men of the Hêruskoz. Keen to see what was going on, Ágáltiz pushed his way through the rain-soaked lines of men. There in the middle of the elevated dais, atop the hill of Gáwjám-Hêruskoz, stood the enemy. All six of them, gathered around the flag-pole, their weapons on the floor and their hands raised in surrender. Hrábnágástiz lay on the wooden platform, headless, his heavy blue cape turned dark and purple by his blood. Hêruwulfáz strode to the middle, his opponent's head grasped firmly in one hand, his sword in the other. "Take that rag down-" The Kuningáz said with a grin, before tossing Hrábnágástiz' head to the six men, "And raise this." After a moment the six men complied. Ágáltiz was first to cheer.

With the Gáwjám taken, the Hêruskoz remnants would have no means of gathering. Though for days now a rumour had been in circulation that Hrábnágástiz' brother, Ermánágástiz, had gathered a force at the banks of the Rhine. Though for a time, no one cared. The Hêruskoz had been defeated in their own homeland, having spent just short of a decade ravaging the lands of the Sweboz tribes.

As far as they were concerned, they had already won. Now was a time to celebrate, to take what loot and slaves one could, and to raid the local stocks of mead and ale. Victory was theirs.

[Aenos]

Well written! I liked it a lot, will be following this one!

[Justiciar]

Sorry to anyone who had hoped to see more of this. But I'm going to be putting this AAR on hold until there's a little more done with the Sweboz. I just want to see what direction the EB team intend to take it. I recall them saying some time ago that they wanted a complete make-over for this faction. If it's already been and gone, I think I missed it. Hopefully there'll be a few more officer models within the next few releases, too.

[Aenos]

Aww.. A shame.. Well, I hope you'll write another AAR somewhere in the future?