The Manische War
Forces Involved:
The Allied Varican Army
- Commanded by Haecadem II of Werhold, Thane Boheort serves as his second
- Army of King Haecadem II: 475 Archers, 450 Spearmen, 445 Tiaka, 85 Raeka
- Werar Warband: 680 Warriors, 225 Skirmishers, 115 Aikings
- Kaldar Warband: 200 Warriors, 70 Skirmishers, 35 Aikings
- Bealdar Warband: 300 Warriors, 110 Skirmishers, 55 Aikings
- Torica Warband: 300 Warriors, 110 Skirmishers, 55 Aikings
- Validiran Contingent: 60 Raeka led by King Matteo and Prince Miaeus
- Gibraly Contingent: 55 Archers, led by Captain Berg
- Sisiric Auxiliaries: 180 Thune Skirmishers, 10 Scorpions
The Army of Sisiric
- Commanded by Chief Riciki of the western Sisiric, seconded by Earl Beriar of Werhold
- Werar: 100 Archers, 100 Spearmen
- Sisiric: 170 Thune Skirmishers
The Black Army:
- Commanded by King Vigvitr, seconded by Queen Jyanna (de facto commander)
- Hrafn: 380 Spearmen, 190 Archers, 325 Tiaka, 205 Raeka, 1 Light Weapon (Dalrir)
- Hrafn Volunteers: 80 Warriors, 25 Skirmishers, 15 Aikings
- Romadi: 190 Tiaka, 190 Warriors, 20 Aikings, 10 Seers, 40 Trained Jormanda led by King Goros
- Imperial Varican Army: 135 Archers, 130 Spearmen, 140 Raeka led by Hronu
- Sisiric: 200 Thune Skirmishers
- Tessil: 20 Engineers, 6 Heavy Ballistae, 1 Siege tower
The Army of Duke Zio
- Commanded by Duke Zio, seconded by Lady Rian the Hyren
- Ducal Oathmen: 1500 Manische Spearmen, 400 Manni Blood Brothers, 280 Thune Skirmishers, 1 Star Warrior (Duke Zio)
- Princely Contingent: 195 Imperial Guardsmen, 50 Yomba Cavalry
The Army of Duke Locia
- Commanded by Lord Ucae, seconded by Lord Hysos
- Ducal Oathmen: 800 Manische Spearmen, 200 Manni Blood Brothers, 100 Thune Skirmishers, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ucae, Hijon)
The Army of Prince Hymbae
- Commanded by Prince Hymbae, seconded by Lord Ubjion
- 400 Imperial Guard, 200 Yomba Cavalry, 3 Star Warriors (Lord Ubjion, Logun, Rimae)
The Siege of Jozioc
The Varicans, well supplied and energized after their successful campaign the year before, were ready to move against the Manische as soon as the first snows melted. The Werar army advanced to Jozioc first while the Hrafn focused on absorbing the Thune and Hrothnani into the Black Army, making sure to bring everything they needed for a long siege.
The Werar quickly re-occupied western Zio and advanced on the fortress of Jozioc. The Werar did their best to convince the defenders to sortie, hiding half of their forces behind the lip of the crater, but the Manische defenders refused to sortie, perhaps due to the low quality of the warriors defending the castle, or due to the commanders stalwart refusal to disobey his orders.
When the Hrafn arrived, they helped insults and threats upon the besieged army. They remained unmoved, however. Even the loss of relief convoys and a few foiled attempts at infiltrating in or out of the castle which the Varicans boasted about did little to move the Manische. They remained behind their walls waiting for something. The Hrafn settled in for a long siege while the Werar moved on to juicier targets.
The Thune engineers prepared siege lines in the Thune style and began to build their engines. The Hrafn left the siege under the eye of Dalrir and enough forces to prevent the Manische from breacking out, then joined the Werar in the field to act as their hammer.
Maneuver
The Werar planned to draw the Manische army out where it could be crushed between the Werar and Hrafn armies. However, the Manische had learned the strength that Varicans could display. Despite their dwindling food stocks, the Armies of Zio and Locia remained at Zioc for the arrival of the Princes professional army.
The Varicans occupied the countryside, removing ducal administrators, raided grain stores, and generally having their way (though gently) with the countryside. After weeks of nothing, the Werar began to withdraw. This was the final attempt to draw the Manische from behind their walls. The large Manische army would have to move quickly too, or face starvation that winter if they failed to retake part of the countryside in time for the harvest. As it was, the summer fruit and vegetable harvests would be needed to feed them.
Finally, bolstered by Prince Hymbae, they marched out after the Varicans. As the enraged Zion Vanguard skirmished with the Werar rear, Haecadem put his next ruse into play. His veterans began to break up and lose cohesion, as if they were routing ahead of the advancing Prince. The Zion vanguard plunged ahead, eager to rescue Lord Eijion, who had been paraded before the walls of Zioc itself in order to draw out this very reaction.
The Hrafn maneuvered their smaller army out of sight of the Manische, preparing the strike the Manische from the flank or rear. The stage was set for the next great battle of the war, but this time, the Manische had their greatest warriors ready.
The Red Valley
Haecadems men had scouted the perfect spot for the ambush. The rearguard retreated widthwise across a long depression and over a ridge on the far side. As the Manische followed, they were struck with a hail of arrows from the reverse slope. The Manische spearmen had only a moment to rally before the Werar came screaming over the ridge in great numbers. Out of formation, the Manische were slaughtered. It was a deceptively easy beginning for what would turn out to be a much more difficult battle.
The Werar arranged themselves on the ridge, ready to meet the Manische head on. The Werar outnumbered the Manische, but the bulk of their men were warband troops. Haecadem had the skill to direct them effectively, but Prince Hymbae was an unknown quantity and the only Varican commanders to face the dreaded Princely armies were three years dead in Hyren land.
Prince Hymbae knew he was outnumbered. His own levies were poorly motivated and poorly disciplined, but he had three tools at his disposal that could strike fear into the hearts of the Varicans. His three weapons would win this day. Slowly, he moved the first of his weapons into place. The Imperial Guard, armed with their massive crossbows, slowly advanced. Out of Varican bow range, the Imperial Guard set up their wooden pavises into a makeshift palisade. Varican skirmishers ranged ahead of their lines, peppering them with arrows while both sides thune fought their own deadly duels on the sloping green ridge.
A few Guardsmen fell, but once their work was done, a greater number of Werar fell. The giant crossbows carried by the Manische are incredibly fearsome weapons, capable of killing from hundreds of feet away. They had a range equal to the experimental Scorpion that the Tessil engineers were making as siege engineers for the Varicans, but in much larger numbers.
Haecadem was content to led his more numerous skirmishers thin out the ranks of the Manische, but the deaths of his men from such a range with weapons that could pierce through their shields worried his men.
Yuarn, a brave Torican aiking, decided to take the honour of the first charge into his own hands. He charged down the slope, eager for blood, ready to break the Guard. But as they approached the Guardsmen, beams of light struck Yuarn and other leading Aikings, along with another volley of bolts. The Toricans faltered.
Word reach Haecadem at that moment that the Hrafn were nearly at the battlefield. He ordered a general advance to keep the Manische occupied to prevent Vigvitrs army from being noticed.
Protected by a great volume of arrows, the Werar advanced. The large Tiaka contingent aimed to break the wall of pavises the Imperial Guard defended. The Manni closed ranks twenty paces ahead of the Guard on either flank, ready to aid them in repelling the Tiaka horde.
The Tiaka were just about to hit the Guardsmens line when two great explosions ripped through their advanced men. Many Tiaka were blown back by the blast. Body parts rained down on the rear ranks or clattered off of the shields of the Guard. Though only a score of men had died, the Tiakas charge was blunted severely. It seemed that the Prince was risking four of his precious Sky Warriors together in one ball, two with longer ranged god lances like Dalrirs and two with the shorter ranged star throwers.
The Tiaka did their best to recover. They struck the Guardsmens line, which was defended by a special company of Guardsmen armed with some sort of spear with a small axe like head attached. The thing could cut or puncture and wrecked a toll on the Werar.
On the Flanks, the warbands fared better, buckling the Manische lines and throwing them back. Varican man proved the better of the Manische while the Blood Brothers fought hard against the Tiaka and accompanying spearmen.
The Prince had hoped his sky warriors would break the Werar. It had terrified them, but somehow they still held, if shaken. Unless he did something soon, it would be the end. Already, a breach appeared in his line, a hole carved by fanatical Tiaka.
He had one last card up his sleeve.
Lord Ubjion, eager to rescue his brother, was already leading the Yomba down into the valley, onto the flank held by the Bealdor. The Yomba came screaming towards the flank. The Werar, with their superior numbers, had left a guard on that flank just in case, but the Yomba rode through the Bealdor, carving a path of destruction. Leading the charge, Lord Ubjion left terrified enemies in his wake. Once his spear had broken off in the chest of Bealdor man, he had only his hands to fight with, one of them covered in a great metal gauntlet that shone with an strong, blue inner light. With each swing of that hand, a man was sent flying into the air. Thane Boheort hurried to meet the lord with a team of picked men. With a throwing axe, he slew the lords yomba. The lord rolled landed well. Boheort charged Ubjion, but the later caught the blade in his hand and crushed it. Boheort was struck and suffered badly, but still breaths.
Seeing this, the Bealdor broke. The Kaldar, whose unreliable flank the Belador had been there to support, fled with them. Finally free to shoot at the Ubjions cavalry, the gibraly and Werar archers let fly, killing a fair few of the beasts, but the Yomba drove behind the Bealdor and threatened to ride right into the weakened archers, if not for Miaeus brave stand with his Raeka. Miaeus was wounded in the fighting, but he held the Yomba back from the archers long enough for Haecadems Raeka to support him.
With his flank collapsed, the toll of the light weapons, and the threat to his archers convinced Haecadem to withdraw. The fight in the middle of the field threatened to annihilate all of his Tiaka along with the Imperial Guard they faced.
He managed to withdraw in good order, hoping that the Hrafn would arrive in time to protect still catch the Manische, but the battle had been over too quickly. The Black Army arrived in mid afternoon. Yomba riding scouts reported the Hrafn. Hymbae set himself up on the same ridge, hoping to use the same upper ground against the less numerous Hrafn.
When the Hrafn arrived, they faced an enemy that outnumbered them by a factor of more than 3:2 who held the high ground across a valley slick with blood who had just defeated their Werar allies. Despite the odds against them, the Black army was ready to fight. The Romadi promised that their trained Jormanda snakes and seer magic would defeat the Manische. They gave the Romadi the opportunity to try their luck.
Advancing over the bloody ground, they advanced into range of the Imperial Guards crossbows. The guard were exhausted and low of bolts by this point, so the fire was sporadic. The Romadi jeered and flashed their privates to the Manische as their seers advanced along with the Jormanda handlers.
Once again, the thune skirmished, supported by Varican archers.
The Seers chanted and danced in the center of the valley where the Werar Tiaka and Manische Guard had fought. There they were slowly picked off by bolts. Eventually, one brave star warrior rode out on a Yomba and blasted the advanced party of seers with his star-thrower. The Seers promised the earth would tremble, but they were the ones scattered by it.
The Jormanda were more successful. They slithered in a fan towards the Manische. Some caught with running thune, mostly the enemy, and quickly strangled the life out of them. Others continued on to the Manische spearmen who ran as the snakes approached. But they were few in number and easily distracted. Most of the Jormanda were hacked to pieces as they tried to crush the life from unfortunate Manische. Others ignored the Manische altogether and left.
The Romadi had promised much, but their magic was shown to be no match for the Manisches. King Goros was inconsolable. He had been shamed greatly by this failure.
The Hrafn quit the field soon after. They regrouped with the Werar the next day. Haecadem turned the allied army back towards Jozioc, determined to gain a permanent foothold in Manische territory.
The Assault on Jozioc
After the army arrived at the siege lines of Jozioc, rumours reached them that one of the Tiaka had broken through far enough to strike down Prince Hymbae himself. It is said the Prince only allowed himself to collapse from blood loss after the Hrafn retreated and all of his men were seen to, but these are only just rumours. If they are true, then the Manische have extremely poor luck with the commanders, as all three of their commanders in the three major battles of the war have been killed or badly wounded.
The Tiaka had indeed penetrated deep, as one of them returned carrying a star-thrower, one of the short ranged light weapons that shot exploding balls of death. The weapon belonged to Rimae, a star-warriors of the Princes retinue, according to lord Eijion. The Tiaka suffered badly in the fighting for these two victories, but their hold their weapon high and brag about which of them struck the Prince.
Dalrir and the Tessil had made progress on the siege. Large siege ballistae that fired rocks against the Manische walls had made managed to knock the battlements off of a good sized portion of the wall. The thune built a tower covered in oiled skins that could be used to walk onto the walls itself protected from arrows.
The Black Army prepared to take Jozioc, an honour they request and the Werar were quick to grant. Dalrirs light weapon destroyed the hinges of the great gates he had weakened earlier. The wooden fortifications were moved ever closer to the castle walls. Everything was done, in short, to convince the Manische a final assault was underway. This was the last chance to draw the Manische out before a final assault.
The Manische took the bait. The Werar army was hiding beyond the crater edge, ready to assist, while the Blacks army archers, which greatly outnumbered the defenders wall mounted crossbows and lighter thune models, showered the sorting Manische. As the Tiaka met the Blood Brothers outside the gate, the Romadi began to wheel the siege tower into place, eager to remove the stain on their honour.
While the Romadi charged forward with wild abandon, the Hrafn were silent and solemn as they marched. The Werar began to flood over the crater edge once the battle was joined, as well the Hrothnani who hid with them.
The Manische retreated once they realized the trap, gathering together at the gate, but by then many were already dead. Blood brother fought Tiaka in a wild melee at the gate while oathmen hurried to stem the tide of Romadi on the walls. The Tiaka broke through, inevitably, forcing the blood brothers to break ranks. The Manische fled to the central tower. Half-starved, exhausted, and missing two thirds of their men, the Manische Commander, a brave blood brother named Lochi, who kept the defenders together threw his own iron will alone, surrendered the castle in exchange for his life. His men are now prisoners at the whim of the Black Army. Their fate does not look bright. Lochi demands that his men be released with an oath not to raise their arms against the Varessans again. He will submit his head in place of his men, if it is a price that must be paid.
Autumn
With Jozioc taken, the Varicans decided to make it their base of operations for the coming year. Prince Hymbaes forces moved south to Eicain, anticipating Haecadems plan campaign there. Haecadem moved to the now more weakly defended Zioc. This has denied the enemy some of them food, but a Locian march north to Jozioc forced the return of the Werar. At the end of the year, half of Zio was in the hands of the Varicans. There have been few problems dealing with the people. Their duty, apparently, isnt to fight unless called. They dont have any obligations either, so consider themselves independent until Zio returns, whatever the reality may be.
The winter wasnt as harsh this year. Few Varicans succumbed to it thanks to the continuous flow of supplies from Werar, Assfell, and Validira. Half of the surviving Hrafn volunteers have left. The rest will likely leave before the end of next year. A few Romadi have left with them. The Werar have begun to see a few desertions as well, especially among the Kaldar. They will be much greater next year.
Results:
- Varicans occupy countryside again
- Hrafn begin siege of Jozioc
- Manische forced to leave their castles
- Werar catch Manische vanguard in a trap
- Werar lose battle of Red Valley, but maintain order as they retreat
- Thane Boheort and Prince Hymbae badly wounded
- Romadi magic fizzles
- Varicans retreat to Jozioc
- Jozioc taken by storm
- War of maneuver begins, Manische prevent Varicans from seizing another castle
- Supply situation remains great for the Varicans, poor for the Manische
- New light weapon captured by Werar
A summary of information gathered on the Manische this year:
- The Mansiche severely lack ranged weapons, though their heavy crossbows outmatch anything short of a thune repeating crossbow
- They must have some reliable source of metal, as their Imperial Guard wear more of it than even a Varican Raeka
- The Hand of God wielded by Lord Ubjion is second in power only to the near-mythical Fire-pike, of which only five copies exist, one of them by Prince Hymbae, who chose not to use it at Red Valley
- The Varicans lost only a few more men than the Manische at Red Valley. It was fear that broke them. This fear will be dimished if its sources can be soundly defeated. Captured Rimaes weapon and wounding Hymbae has helped.
- Yomba Riders and Imperial Guard seem much rarer than Raeka and Tiaka
- The former Drisili city of Silisre has been located. This was once the hall of the greatest Drisili chieftain, now it a wooden fort and Haecomus settlement in a march controlled by Duke Locia
- Another duchy, Frulin, has been discovered. The Frulin are not involved in the war currently. The people of Jozioc say that Frulin is important enough to have its own prince, unlike Hymbaes principality which protects three duchies
- The injury of the prince seems to be what stopped the Manische from making further aggressive moves.
Forces Remaining:
The Allied Varican Army
- Commanded by Haecadem II of Werhold, Thane Boheort serves as his second (incapacitated)
- Army of King Haecadem II: 400 Archers, 305 Spearmen, 275 Tiaka, 75 Raeka
- Werar Warband: 530 Warriors, 175 Skirmishers, 100 Aikings
- Kaldar Warband: 130 Warriors, 45 Skirmishers, 20 Aikings
- Bealdar Warband: 175 Warriors, 60 Skirmishers, 35 Aikings
- Torica Warband: 215 Warriors, 75 Skirmishers, 45 Aikings
- Validiran Contingent: 45 Raeka led by Prince Miaeus
- Gibraly Contingent: 50 Archers, led by Captain Berg
- Sisiric Auxiliaries: 110 Thune Skirmishers, 10 Scorpions
The Army of Sisiric
- Commanded by Chief Riciki of the western Sisiric, seconded by Earl Beriar of Werhold
- Werar: 100 Archers, 100 Spearmen
- Sisiric: 170 Thune Skirmishers
The Black Army:
- Commanded by King Vigvitr, seconded by Queen Jyanna (de facto commander)
- Hrafn: 320 Spearmen, 170 Archers, 280 Tiaka, 200 Raeka, 1 Light Weapon (Dalrir)
- Hrafn Volunteers: 30 Warriors, 10 Skirmishers, 5 Aikings
- Romadi: 170 Tiaka, 150 Warriors, 15 Aikings, 2 Seers led by King Goros
- Imperial Varican Army: 125 Archers, 120 Spearmen, 135 Raeka led by Hronu
- Sisiric: 180 Thune Skirmishers
- Tessil: 20 Engineers, 6 Heavy Ballistae
The Army of Duke Zio
- Commanded by Duke Zio, seconded by Lady Rian the Hyren
- Ducal Oathmen: 1100 Manische Spearmen, 250 Manni Blood Brothers, 140 Thune Skirmishers, 1 Star Warrior (Duke Zio)
- Princely Contingent: 180 Imperial Guardsmen, 40 Yomba Cavalry
The Army of Duke Locia
- Commanded by Lord Ucae, seconded by Lord Hysos
- Ducal Oathmen: 600 Manische Spearmen, 150 Manni Blood Brothers, 60 Thune Skirmishers, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ucae, Hijon)
The Army of Prince Hymbae
- Commanded by Prince Hymbae, seconded by Lord Ubjion
- 300 Imperial Guard, 150 Yomba Cavalry, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ubjion, Logun)
Jozioc Garrison
- Commanded by Lochi
- 100 Spearmen, 20 Thune, 40 Blood Brothers captured. Twice that number died in the battle and another hundred from the siege. Another two months would have completely starved the garrison.
Forces Involved:
The Allied Varican Army
- Commanded by Haecadem II of Werhold, Thane Boheort serves as his second
- Army of King Haecadem II: 475 Archers, 450 Spearmen, 445 Tiaka, 85 Raeka
- Werar Warband: 680 Warriors, 225 Skirmishers, 115 Aikings
- Kaldar Warband: 200 Warriors, 70 Skirmishers, 35 Aikings
- Bealdar Warband: 300 Warriors, 110 Skirmishers, 55 Aikings
- Torica Warband: 300 Warriors, 110 Skirmishers, 55 Aikings
- Validiran Contingent: 60 Raeka led by King Matteo and Prince Miaeus
- Gibraly Contingent: 55 Archers, led by Captain Berg
- Sisiric Auxiliaries: 180 Thune Skirmishers, 10 Scorpions
The Army of Sisiric
- Commanded by Chief Riciki of the western Sisiric, seconded by Earl Beriar of Werhold
- Werar: 100 Archers, 100 Spearmen
- Sisiric: 170 Thune Skirmishers
The Black Army:
- Commanded by King Vigvitr, seconded by Queen Jyanna (de facto commander)
- Hrafn: 380 Spearmen, 190 Archers, 325 Tiaka, 205 Raeka, 1 Light Weapon (Dalrir)
- Hrafn Volunteers: 80 Warriors, 25 Skirmishers, 15 Aikings
- Romadi: 190 Tiaka, 190 Warriors, 20 Aikings, 10 Seers, 40 Trained Jormanda led by King Goros
- Imperial Varican Army: 135 Archers, 130 Spearmen, 140 Raeka led by Hronu
- Sisiric: 200 Thune Skirmishers
- Tessil: 20 Engineers, 6 Heavy Ballistae, 1 Siege tower
The Army of Duke Zio
- Commanded by Duke Zio, seconded by Lady Rian the Hyren
- Ducal Oathmen: 1500 Manische Spearmen, 400 Manni Blood Brothers, 280 Thune Skirmishers, 1 Star Warrior (Duke Zio)
- Princely Contingent: 195 Imperial Guardsmen, 50 Yomba Cavalry
The Army of Duke Locia
- Commanded by Lord Ucae, seconded by Lord Hysos
- Ducal Oathmen: 800 Manische Spearmen, 200 Manni Blood Brothers, 100 Thune Skirmishers, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ucae, Hijon)
The Army of Prince Hymbae
- Commanded by Prince Hymbae, seconded by Lord Ubjion
- 400 Imperial Guard, 200 Yomba Cavalry, 3 Star Warriors (Lord Ubjion, Logun, Rimae)
The Siege of Jozioc
The Varicans, well supplied and energized after their successful campaign the year before, were ready to move against the Manische as soon as the first snows melted. The Werar army advanced to Jozioc first while the Hrafn focused on absorbing the Thune and Hrothnani into the Black Army, making sure to bring everything they needed for a long siege.
The Werar quickly re-occupied western Zio and advanced on the fortress of Jozioc. The Werar did their best to convince the defenders to sortie, hiding half of their forces behind the lip of the crater, but the Manische defenders refused to sortie, perhaps due to the low quality of the warriors defending the castle, or due to the commanders stalwart refusal to disobey his orders.
When the Hrafn arrived, they helped insults and threats upon the besieged army. They remained unmoved, however. Even the loss of relief convoys and a few foiled attempts at infiltrating in or out of the castle which the Varicans boasted about did little to move the Manische. They remained behind their walls waiting for something. The Hrafn settled in for a long siege while the Werar moved on to juicier targets.
The Thune engineers prepared siege lines in the Thune style and began to build their engines. The Hrafn left the siege under the eye of Dalrir and enough forces to prevent the Manische from breacking out, then joined the Werar in the field to act as their hammer.
Maneuver
The Werar planned to draw the Manische army out where it could be crushed between the Werar and Hrafn armies. However, the Manische had learned the strength that Varicans could display. Despite their dwindling food stocks, the Armies of Zio and Locia remained at Zioc for the arrival of the Princes professional army.
The Varicans occupied the countryside, removing ducal administrators, raided grain stores, and generally having their way (though gently) with the countryside. After weeks of nothing, the Werar began to withdraw. This was the final attempt to draw the Manische from behind their walls. The large Manische army would have to move quickly too, or face starvation that winter if they failed to retake part of the countryside in time for the harvest. As it was, the summer fruit and vegetable harvests would be needed to feed them.
Finally, bolstered by Prince Hymbae, they marched out after the Varicans. As the enraged Zion Vanguard skirmished with the Werar rear, Haecadem put his next ruse into play. His veterans began to break up and lose cohesion, as if they were routing ahead of the advancing Prince. The Zion vanguard plunged ahead, eager to rescue Lord Eijion, who had been paraded before the walls of Zioc itself in order to draw out this very reaction.
The Hrafn maneuvered their smaller army out of sight of the Manische, preparing the strike the Manische from the flank or rear. The stage was set for the next great battle of the war, but this time, the Manische had their greatest warriors ready.
The Red Valley
Haecadems men had scouted the perfect spot for the ambush. The rearguard retreated widthwise across a long depression and over a ridge on the far side. As the Manische followed, they were struck with a hail of arrows from the reverse slope. The Manische spearmen had only a moment to rally before the Werar came screaming over the ridge in great numbers. Out of formation, the Manische were slaughtered. It was a deceptively easy beginning for what would turn out to be a much more difficult battle.
The Werar arranged themselves on the ridge, ready to meet the Manische head on. The Werar outnumbered the Manische, but the bulk of their men were warband troops. Haecadem had the skill to direct them effectively, but Prince Hymbae was an unknown quantity and the only Varican commanders to face the dreaded Princely armies were three years dead in Hyren land.
Prince Hymbae knew he was outnumbered. His own levies were poorly motivated and poorly disciplined, but he had three tools at his disposal that could strike fear into the hearts of the Varicans. His three weapons would win this day. Slowly, he moved the first of his weapons into place. The Imperial Guard, armed with their massive crossbows, slowly advanced. Out of Varican bow range, the Imperial Guard set up their wooden pavises into a makeshift palisade. Varican skirmishers ranged ahead of their lines, peppering them with arrows while both sides thune fought their own deadly duels on the sloping green ridge.
A few Guardsmen fell, but once their work was done, a greater number of Werar fell. The giant crossbows carried by the Manische are incredibly fearsome weapons, capable of killing from hundreds of feet away. They had a range equal to the experimental Scorpion that the Tessil engineers were making as siege engineers for the Varicans, but in much larger numbers.
Haecadem was content to led his more numerous skirmishers thin out the ranks of the Manische, but the deaths of his men from such a range with weapons that could pierce through their shields worried his men.
Yuarn, a brave Torican aiking, decided to take the honour of the first charge into his own hands. He charged down the slope, eager for blood, ready to break the Guard. But as they approached the Guardsmen, beams of light struck Yuarn and other leading Aikings, along with another volley of bolts. The Toricans faltered.
Word reach Haecadem at that moment that the Hrafn were nearly at the battlefield. He ordered a general advance to keep the Manische occupied to prevent Vigvitrs army from being noticed.
Protected by a great volume of arrows, the Werar advanced. The large Tiaka contingent aimed to break the wall of pavises the Imperial Guard defended. The Manni closed ranks twenty paces ahead of the Guard on either flank, ready to aid them in repelling the Tiaka horde.
The Tiaka were just about to hit the Guardsmens line when two great explosions ripped through their advanced men. Many Tiaka were blown back by the blast. Body parts rained down on the rear ranks or clattered off of the shields of the Guard. Though only a score of men had died, the Tiakas charge was blunted severely. It seemed that the Prince was risking four of his precious Sky Warriors together in one ball, two with longer ranged god lances like Dalrirs and two with the shorter ranged star throwers.
The Tiaka did their best to recover. They struck the Guardsmens line, which was defended by a special company of Guardsmen armed with some sort of spear with a small axe like head attached. The thing could cut or puncture and wrecked a toll on the Werar.
On the Flanks, the warbands fared better, buckling the Manische lines and throwing them back. Varican man proved the better of the Manische while the Blood Brothers fought hard against the Tiaka and accompanying spearmen.
The Prince had hoped his sky warriors would break the Werar. It had terrified them, but somehow they still held, if shaken. Unless he did something soon, it would be the end. Already, a breach appeared in his line, a hole carved by fanatical Tiaka.
He had one last card up his sleeve.
Lord Ubjion, eager to rescue his brother, was already leading the Yomba down into the valley, onto the flank held by the Bealdor. The Yomba came screaming towards the flank. The Werar, with their superior numbers, had left a guard on that flank just in case, but the Yomba rode through the Bealdor, carving a path of destruction. Leading the charge, Lord Ubjion left terrified enemies in his wake. Once his spear had broken off in the chest of Bealdor man, he had only his hands to fight with, one of them covered in a great metal gauntlet that shone with an strong, blue inner light. With each swing of that hand, a man was sent flying into the air. Thane Boheort hurried to meet the lord with a team of picked men. With a throwing axe, he slew the lords yomba. The lord rolled landed well. Boheort charged Ubjion, but the later caught the blade in his hand and crushed it. Boheort was struck and suffered badly, but still breaths.
Seeing this, the Bealdor broke. The Kaldar, whose unreliable flank the Belador had been there to support, fled with them. Finally free to shoot at the Ubjions cavalry, the gibraly and Werar archers let fly, killing a fair few of the beasts, but the Yomba drove behind the Bealdor and threatened to ride right into the weakened archers, if not for Miaeus brave stand with his Raeka. Miaeus was wounded in the fighting, but he held the Yomba back from the archers long enough for Haecadems Raeka to support him.
With his flank collapsed, the toll of the light weapons, and the threat to his archers convinced Haecadem to withdraw. The fight in the middle of the field threatened to annihilate all of his Tiaka along with the Imperial Guard they faced.
He managed to withdraw in good order, hoping that the Hrafn would arrive in time to protect still catch the Manische, but the battle had been over too quickly. The Black Army arrived in mid afternoon. Yomba riding scouts reported the Hrafn. Hymbae set himself up on the same ridge, hoping to use the same upper ground against the less numerous Hrafn.
When the Hrafn arrived, they faced an enemy that outnumbered them by a factor of more than 3:2 who held the high ground across a valley slick with blood who had just defeated their Werar allies. Despite the odds against them, the Black army was ready to fight. The Romadi promised that their trained Jormanda snakes and seer magic would defeat the Manische. They gave the Romadi the opportunity to try their luck.
Advancing over the bloody ground, they advanced into range of the Imperial Guards crossbows. The guard were exhausted and low of bolts by this point, so the fire was sporadic. The Romadi jeered and flashed their privates to the Manische as their seers advanced along with the Jormanda handlers.
Once again, the thune skirmished, supported by Varican archers.
The Seers chanted and danced in the center of the valley where the Werar Tiaka and Manische Guard had fought. There they were slowly picked off by bolts. Eventually, one brave star warrior rode out on a Yomba and blasted the advanced party of seers with his star-thrower. The Seers promised the earth would tremble, but they were the ones scattered by it.
The Jormanda were more successful. They slithered in a fan towards the Manische. Some caught with running thune, mostly the enemy, and quickly strangled the life out of them. Others continued on to the Manische spearmen who ran as the snakes approached. But they were few in number and easily distracted. Most of the Jormanda were hacked to pieces as they tried to crush the life from unfortunate Manische. Others ignored the Manische altogether and left.
The Romadi had promised much, but their magic was shown to be no match for the Manisches. King Goros was inconsolable. He had been shamed greatly by this failure.
The Hrafn quit the field soon after. They regrouped with the Werar the next day. Haecadem turned the allied army back towards Jozioc, determined to gain a permanent foothold in Manische territory.
The Assault on Jozioc
After the army arrived at the siege lines of Jozioc, rumours reached them that one of the Tiaka had broken through far enough to strike down Prince Hymbae himself. It is said the Prince only allowed himself to collapse from blood loss after the Hrafn retreated and all of his men were seen to, but these are only just rumours. If they are true, then the Manische have extremely poor luck with the commanders, as all three of their commanders in the three major battles of the war have been killed or badly wounded.
The Tiaka had indeed penetrated deep, as one of them returned carrying a star-thrower, one of the short ranged light weapons that shot exploding balls of death. The weapon belonged to Rimae, a star-warriors of the Princes retinue, according to lord Eijion. The Tiaka suffered badly in the fighting for these two victories, but their hold their weapon high and brag about which of them struck the Prince.
Dalrir and the Tessil had made progress on the siege. Large siege ballistae that fired rocks against the Manische walls had made managed to knock the battlements off of a good sized portion of the wall. The thune built a tower covered in oiled skins that could be used to walk onto the walls itself protected from arrows.
The Black Army prepared to take Jozioc, an honour they request and the Werar were quick to grant. Dalrirs light weapon destroyed the hinges of the great gates he had weakened earlier. The wooden fortifications were moved ever closer to the castle walls. Everything was done, in short, to convince the Manische a final assault was underway. This was the last chance to draw the Manische out before a final assault.
The Manische took the bait. The Werar army was hiding beyond the crater edge, ready to assist, while the Blacks army archers, which greatly outnumbered the defenders wall mounted crossbows and lighter thune models, showered the sorting Manische. As the Tiaka met the Blood Brothers outside the gate, the Romadi began to wheel the siege tower into place, eager to remove the stain on their honour.
While the Romadi charged forward with wild abandon, the Hrafn were silent and solemn as they marched. The Werar began to flood over the crater edge once the battle was joined, as well the Hrothnani who hid with them.
The Manische retreated once they realized the trap, gathering together at the gate, but by then many were already dead. Blood brother fought Tiaka in a wild melee at the gate while oathmen hurried to stem the tide of Romadi on the walls. The Tiaka broke through, inevitably, forcing the blood brothers to break ranks. The Manische fled to the central tower. Half-starved, exhausted, and missing two thirds of their men, the Manische Commander, a brave blood brother named Lochi, who kept the defenders together threw his own iron will alone, surrendered the castle in exchange for his life. His men are now prisoners at the whim of the Black Army. Their fate does not look bright. Lochi demands that his men be released with an oath not to raise their arms against the Varessans again. He will submit his head in place of his men, if it is a price that must be paid.
Autumn
With Jozioc taken, the Varicans decided to make it their base of operations for the coming year. Prince Hymbaes forces moved south to Eicain, anticipating Haecadems plan campaign there. Haecadem moved to the now more weakly defended Zioc. This has denied the enemy some of them food, but a Locian march north to Jozioc forced the return of the Werar. At the end of the year, half of Zio was in the hands of the Varicans. There have been few problems dealing with the people. Their duty, apparently, isnt to fight unless called. They dont have any obligations either, so consider themselves independent until Zio returns, whatever the reality may be.
The winter wasnt as harsh this year. Few Varicans succumbed to it thanks to the continuous flow of supplies from Werar, Assfell, and Validira. Half of the surviving Hrafn volunteers have left. The rest will likely leave before the end of next year. A few Romadi have left with them. The Werar have begun to see a few desertions as well, especially among the Kaldar. They will be much greater next year.
Results:
- Varicans occupy countryside again
- Hrafn begin siege of Jozioc
- Manische forced to leave their castles
- Werar catch Manische vanguard in a trap
- Werar lose battle of Red Valley, but maintain order as they retreat
- Thane Boheort and Prince Hymbae badly wounded
- Romadi magic fizzles
- Varicans retreat to Jozioc
- Jozioc taken by storm
- War of maneuver begins, Manische prevent Varicans from seizing another castle
- Supply situation remains great for the Varicans, poor for the Manische
- New light weapon captured by Werar
A summary of information gathered on the Manische this year:
- The Mansiche severely lack ranged weapons, though their heavy crossbows outmatch anything short of a thune repeating crossbow
- They must have some reliable source of metal, as their Imperial Guard wear more of it than even a Varican Raeka
- The Hand of God wielded by Lord Ubjion is second in power only to the near-mythical Fire-pike, of which only five copies exist, one of them by Prince Hymbae, who chose not to use it at Red Valley
- The Varicans lost only a few more men than the Manische at Red Valley. It was fear that broke them. This fear will be dimished if its sources can be soundly defeated. Captured Rimaes weapon and wounding Hymbae has helped.
- Yomba Riders and Imperial Guard seem much rarer than Raeka and Tiaka
- The former Drisili city of Silisre has been located. This was once the hall of the greatest Drisili chieftain, now it a wooden fort and Haecomus settlement in a march controlled by Duke Locia
- Another duchy, Frulin, has been discovered. The Frulin are not involved in the war currently. The people of Jozioc say that Frulin is important enough to have its own prince, unlike Hymbaes principality which protects three duchies
- The injury of the prince seems to be what stopped the Manische from making further aggressive moves.
Forces Remaining:
The Allied Varican Army
- Commanded by Haecadem II of Werhold, Thane Boheort serves as his second (incapacitated)
- Army of King Haecadem II: 400 Archers, 305 Spearmen, 275 Tiaka, 75 Raeka
- Werar Warband: 530 Warriors, 175 Skirmishers, 100 Aikings
- Kaldar Warband: 130 Warriors, 45 Skirmishers, 20 Aikings
- Bealdar Warband: 175 Warriors, 60 Skirmishers, 35 Aikings
- Torica Warband: 215 Warriors, 75 Skirmishers, 45 Aikings
- Validiran Contingent: 45 Raeka led by Prince Miaeus
- Gibraly Contingent: 50 Archers, led by Captain Berg
- Sisiric Auxiliaries: 110 Thune Skirmishers, 10 Scorpions
The Army of Sisiric
- Commanded by Chief Riciki of the western Sisiric, seconded by Earl Beriar of Werhold
- Werar: 100 Archers, 100 Spearmen
- Sisiric: 170 Thune Skirmishers
The Black Army:
- Commanded by King Vigvitr, seconded by Queen Jyanna (de facto commander)
- Hrafn: 320 Spearmen, 170 Archers, 280 Tiaka, 200 Raeka, 1 Light Weapon (Dalrir)
- Hrafn Volunteers: 30 Warriors, 10 Skirmishers, 5 Aikings
- Romadi: 170 Tiaka, 150 Warriors, 15 Aikings, 2 Seers led by King Goros
- Imperial Varican Army: 125 Archers, 120 Spearmen, 135 Raeka led by Hronu
- Sisiric: 180 Thune Skirmishers
- Tessil: 20 Engineers, 6 Heavy Ballistae
The Army of Duke Zio
- Commanded by Duke Zio, seconded by Lady Rian the Hyren
- Ducal Oathmen: 1100 Manische Spearmen, 250 Manni Blood Brothers, 140 Thune Skirmishers, 1 Star Warrior (Duke Zio)
- Princely Contingent: 180 Imperial Guardsmen, 40 Yomba Cavalry
The Army of Duke Locia
- Commanded by Lord Ucae, seconded by Lord Hysos
- Ducal Oathmen: 600 Manische Spearmen, 150 Manni Blood Brothers, 60 Thune Skirmishers, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ucae, Hijon)
The Army of Prince Hymbae
- Commanded by Prince Hymbae, seconded by Lord Ubjion
- 300 Imperial Guard, 150 Yomba Cavalry, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ubjion, Logun)
Jozioc Garrison
- Commanded by Lochi
- 100 Spearmen, 20 Thune, 40 Blood Brothers captured. Twice that number died in the battle and another hundred from the siege. Another two months would have completely starved the garrison.