The Manipur Coast
Update Four: War & Peace
Matilda knew in her heart, but couldn’t prove, that the troubles of the late 4th Century and early 5th were rooted a hundred years earlier in the wars that established the powerbrokers of the time. She had spent a full day gathering what evidence she had and was ready to sift through it today. Servants had taken the children down to the river so she could have peace and quiet at least for the morning. Piles of scrolls and papers lay across her table and after a swallow of hot tea she started in. somewhere n this mess she hoped to find the “nudge” that caused so much turmoil in later years. She was sure it was here. Like the sun she too would start in the east and make her way west with day.
Racadonian Intrigues
Empress Catherine died in 311 and her two legitimate and one illegitimate offspring were all under 15 at the time. Ivan and Anna shared the Emperor as their father, while Julia’s father was the unpopular noble Zharrov Ceaser. A regency council was hastily formed to rule until succession priorities were determined and the heir’s age of majority reached. But the children would have none of it. They banded together, and raised sufficient troops to “disband” the regency and take full power into their own hands. Ivan immediately renewed the war against the remnants of Toki. His effort was successful and little of the old nation remained free of Racadonian rule. Unfortunately, the young leader died at the hands of band of warriors who recognized his battlefield banners and made a determined effort to slay him. Meanwhile on the home front, the half sisters were being manipulated by advisors with their own plans and the seeds of distrust between them sprouted into violence. In the end, Julia whose popularity with the masses never waned, killed Anna and her allies in a bloody execution. The House of Ceaser was raised to one of nobility and the Haiming-Ceaser dynasty established in 314. With her ascension to the throne, the worship of Padia, the great Mother, eclipsed its pagan predecessors.
In Yexal death stalked the kings as well. Var Villafuus was assassinated in 315 and his sister, Keesalee, suffered a near miss. It would define much of who she was and how she ruled afterwards. With persistent dedication she tracked down the murderer, a rogue named Kaskuubi, who had ties to groups who wished to end the rule of all Vars. He was butchered slowly and with the intent to inflict great pain. Keesalee assumed the role of Var and ruled the ensuing years wisely. She encouraged religion and the holding of festivals to celebrate devotion and obedience to the Voruu Kaskuuix. As the war between the failing Toki and Racadonia continued she pushed her armies east into any of the land she could grab before her neighbor did.
The instability of power was further exemplified in Mernacia. Prince Negala came of age in 311 and didn’t formally ascend the throne until 319. In that time he fought off repeated attempts at assassination and intrigues seeking to overthrow his leadership. In spite of the disorder and istability of his power, the Prince did manage to improve roads and canals and spent heavily to improve education, military leadership and study of the sciences.
Methusshelah King of Aabal! was getting old. He had ruled for more than twenty years. In 314 his last child, a daughter, Ahamin died and he took it upon himself to raise his grandson Nuh Splinter-hand. Ruling was more difficult for him and he left many of the routine tasks to a skilled cadre of administrators who were loyal to him. Seeing the troubles all around them, these ministers worked hard to improve the army and how it did things. When the war came these administrators managed it themselves. The best record of the war was from an Aabal! General named Bergma. And while usually deemed a bit self-serving, it was the most extensive written record from that time. Most scholars thought that wall carved text was probably in his villa as part of its decoration. It was probably his commemoration of himself. Matilda’s papers were copies of the fragments that had been found and pieced together to create a whole story. The war started with an Iskan invasion of western Aabal! Bergma admitted that it had been a surprise and the troops in the west were not prepared. As the regular army rushed to stop the flow of Iskan troops from advancing further, Bergma was entrusted to raise 2,000 levies, get them armed and to the front as soon as possible. His history told of the failed defense and bloody fighting that worked its way east on the north bank of the river Gihon towards the city of Domarhin. High water kept the enemy from crossing the river, raiding the southern side and capturing the city which was on the south bank. To hear Bergma tell it he brought his new troops forward and assumed command of the defense. In a great pitched battle he attacked the enemy at a place called Nor Bah and destroyed their army saving the country. Some of it Matilda took for truth, because the invasion seemed to have ground to a stop after the battle, but the failure of the Aabal! to retake their lost lands implied a somewhat different story. Bergma’s slaying of the enemy leader in battle was also likely to be fiction even though the battle descriptions were some of the very best from that era. Bronze swords and spears dominated with the infantry and the transition from chariots to horsemen was nearly complete for both armies.
This was and time when battlefield tactics were first being used by the better generals. The Aabal! army seemed to use a simple line of battle, one step up from the rushing mobs of earlier times. His description of the Iskan army clearly showed that they were experimenting with new ways of fighting. The name used translated as “hidden wing boxes” and appeared to be some kind of checkered formation that allowed units to rotate in and out of the battle as needed. Such details were not Matilda’s area of strength; so she made what sense she could and figured that in the end it was just hacking masses of armed men going after one another until one group either died or ran away. In addition, it was in this war the first known use of smoke to obscure one’s army from the enemy. However they fought, it does seem that Nor Bah as a turning point. In passing the chronicle noted that an attempted sea invasion by Iskan was handily defeated by the Aabal! navy.
Central Manipur was quiet during this early decade of the century. Neither Kapo nor Striga mobilized for war, even though the records indicated that Striga supported the Harum invasion of Trys with horsemen. Striga demanded tribute from the newly formed coastal kingdom of Tradur and treasury records showed that the lords of that small nation were prompt to pay what had been asked (+1 EP Striga). Even the death of old King Ragnar and the crowning of Queen Beloslava in 311 failed to disrupt the quiet calm of the kingdom. The queen improved roads and built temples to the god Amaruark. To the south in Kapo King Moss II switched his focus from roads and infrastructure to education and dreamed of a great college in Kapona, his capital. Unfortunately, he never lived to see it completed. One afternoon, while touring the construction site, he was crushed by a falling stone from an upper story of the building. It appeared to actually be an accident. His son became king Moss the III; 18 year old Princess Tris became the heir apparent.
It was time for a break. Matilda sat back on her couch and signaled for food. Fruit, bread and a few slices of cooked meat was soon delivered. She thought about the boys as she ate. Iggy, Germanicus and probably a few friends would be splashing and playing in the river. She thought she remembered seeing a servant in the courtyard that usually attended Icarus, so the three would tax poor Clara’s control. She hoped they would stay away another few hours. The wars of the west were big and complicated and she needed to concentrate to get it to all make sense.
The three wars couldn’t have been more different. Harum would attack from the east and from the south in 313. 2,000 men, mostly infantry, would make the attack. Their target was the Trys capital. Gedmeria had decided to assemble an army under the leadership of General Vatos and wait for what they saw as an inevitable Trys attack along the valley of the Seracon. Conditions permitting, he was to advance south an attack the Trys capital with 1000 infantry and 300 horsemen in 317. The impulsive anger prone king of Gedmeria, Ataricn Mtoric was a bit of a wild card. Against this formidable array of troops is the Myoi Sous. This sudden change in leadership was the result of palace intrigues that arranged the death of the Myoi Mli to replace him with Sous. War was also part of the plan. The Myoi Sous raised 2000 levies in addition to more horsemen and infantry. His plan called for a full frontal attack down the Seracon to crush the Gedmeria once and for all. But being wary he also planned against an attack by Harum. He did not expect to march north until the spring of 313.
When 800 Harum spearmen and 200 archers poured into western Trys under the leadership of Coan’s son Zoin, it was not a surprise. They had been anticipated. The heavily wooded terrain was not suited for horsemen so the 200 mounted troops sent by Striga did not participate in the early days of the campaign. The Trys forces refused to stand for any set battle and fought unendingly in the dense forests where many small clashes game them an advantage. The Harum saved themselves by building walled camps where they could easily find protection from the unexpected and frequent attacks. Little progress was made and the winter of 313 was particularly miserable for the Harum. With the arrival of spring they ignored the stinging attacks of the Trys who would not stand and just marched west into the rich farmlands of central Trys.
The Myoi Sous had a bit of a dilemma. He was eager to take his war north to the Gedmeria, but powerful Harum armies were advancing on his capital. He had contained both the previous year, but feared that they would join forces and crush him. He would recall his troops from the field and cast his lot in a final battle before the walls of his capital. He hoped he would not be outnumbered. Within three weeks Yucai’s lover, Timot, camped his army within a half day’s march of the city. Two days later Zoin added his army in an adjacent camp. And today Myoi Sous knew his fate would be determined. His plans were in place and the troops ready. He marched them out early on a day that promised to be a hot one.
He formed his 1000 infantry in two ranks with his left flank anchored 100 paces from the city walls. Archers on the parapets would support his flank and the city gates provide escape should he need it. His 300 horsemen were in reserve, set back from the center of his battle line. As expected the two enemy armies formed up side by side. Timot faced his left with about 600 infantry and a few score horsemen behind. Zoin was on his right with two rows of infantry totaling about 800 men. Further to Sous’s right were the 200 Strigan horsemen. He ordered his own mounted troops to move right as a counter. Then he waited, but not long. The Harum began their advance in short order. As expected they moved to engage his entire line at once in a grand melee. With a shorter line Sous risked being flanked and his line rolled. He ordered his second rank to extend his line to equal that of the oncoming enemy. His biggest fear was the Strigan horse and what they might do to his already thin line, so he ordered his own horsemen to attack them prior to clash of the infantry. At that point the thinking was finished and with a shout and a rush both armies met. Sous doubted that his troops would hold their position for very long, but he needed to be patient. If his horsemen didn’t lose, he would be safe on the right. He could see little even from horseback because of the dust. He prayed to the gods of Uli Gysti and waved his sword over his head. He hoped it would be seen.
His battle line was weakening and gaps were opening; his troops would soon be in peril. Most would probably run. As he had hoped, he heard a shout from the city walls as the gates opened. Over 1,000 of his levies poured out and into the battle. The din of which prevented many of the Harum form noticing that they were being attacked from behind until it was too late. It did not take long for dismay to fill the ranks of the invaders and being far from home those not slain threw down their weapons and begged for mercy. Seeing defeat the Strigan horsemen fled the field and the Trys horsemen rounded up Timot and Zoin. The victory had been a great one and a celebration lasting several days followed. The defeated generals suffered indignities, but no permanent harm. Perhaps they would fetch a tidy ransom.
Within a month Ataricn Mtoric of Gedmeria had heard the news of his ally’s destruction, complete and total destruction. Without hesitation he ordered General Vatos forward with all speed. He would lead 1000 men and 300 horse. Mtoric himself led his remaining army west. Vatos crossed unopposed into Trys and kept going. Vatos was nervous and therefore cautious. He did not want to fall prey to some stratagem like poor Timot and lose everything. The lack of an enemy made his nervousness grow, so as summer turned to fall he made preparations to hold what he had gained and await direction from his lord. That direction never came. Ataricn Mtoric collapsed in a fit of rage towards a sentry who misspoke one evening while on guard duty. A peace of sorts remained between Trys and Gedmeria even as the map was redrawn.
Here it seemed to Matilda the fate of the west was determined. Trys had not fallen and no hand dominated the gateway to the great plains.
[I rushed this to get it posted for Nuclar kid and did not proof it, I appologize for any foolish errors. Stats will go up tomorrow.]
