The Golden Hordes

[Genseric]

This is based on TETurkan’s Test of Time maps with me as Mongolia with its initial cities placed down. Its a short story and I do have some pics somewhere and I will attempt to put them up if i can figure it out somehow.



Timur looked towards Pyongyang and could discern the shapes of men frantically garrisoning the town. Several thousand brave warriors of the backwards nation of Mongolia were going into battle. The first battle for the newly unified peoples of the harsh steppes of Asia, who banded under the leadership of Temjuin, or Chingis Khan; the Great One. Temjuin had avenged the murder of his father and brought together the loose bands of horseman, whether it was willingly or viciously forced.

His teeth were a dirty shade of yellow; some were missing and his black hair was dirty. He looked back towards his assembled hordes. It was time. “For the glory of our Great Khan! For the glory of Mongolia!” he shrieked. At that instant the men poured on towards Pyong-Yang and crashed violently into the assembled defenders in a sickening display of brutality. Axes slashed, clubs smashed, spears stabbed and flesh ripped. Blood began to stain the ground.

The Koreans attempted to drive through the Mongolian foot soldiers at the center but Tartar horsemen furiously routed the attack on the flanks and after several hours the Mongolians overrun the brave yet futile resistance. The hordes were completely caught up in the orgy of victory, sacking the town in a display of ungodly rapine and rapacity. The surviving garrison was crucified, its inhabitants sent into a life of utter misery as slaves.

Nothing left remained of Pyongyang, just patches of rubble with smoldering timber and carcasses piled one on top of each other. It was the first success in the empire of Mongolia and the news delighted the Great Khan. Chingis Khan did not stop there, for the capital of Seoul lay at the end of the Korean peninsula. This would be a tougher proposition but Temjuin trusted his loyal warlord Timur, also known as Tamerlane or Timur the Lame. He was lame on one side of his body and he looked utterly terrifying. Timur relished the chance of the immense amount of booty that would fall into Mongolia’s hands if the city fell. The city inhabitants offered a peace treaty but it was refused, sending the people into a panic after the news of what happened at Pyongyang came from the pitifully few survivors.

With many thousands of men at his side, he threw forward his first attack and pushed back the garrison deep into the city. When a second sortie was attempted, a strong vanguard of spearman threw back the heavy foot infantry, retreating back to Timur’s lines. Infuriated, Timur pulled his forces back and begun to camp within several miles of the last bastion of Korean independence. Korea would fight on to the death for only a horrible life of slavery awaited those or execution for the civil leaders. They took to arms to repel the hordes.

 

[Genseric]

Young Batu lead his men across the semi-barren plains of the steppes of central Asia to discover new territory, fertile territory in which for settlers to inhabit and to raise their horses. The cousin of Temujin was hot headed and eager for battle. He had with him the hardened men used to fighting rogue Tartar encampments not allied with Chingis. They were brave and courageous yet cautious, sensing ambushes and knowing when to disengage. They could easily see Batu killing himself in a rash charge, not least the entire force.

It was the 11th day of travel from Karakorum. Several miles ahead distinct shapes of men on horseback could be seen traversing a high peak on the terrain.

“Tartars!” said one man simply. “They would have seen us many miles back” said another. The Tartars made no attempt to move towards the party. “Let us take the high ground, we will have some degree of safety” said Batu. Up they went and they begun to pitch camp. Suddenly several hundred horsemen attacked them. They beat off the attack, killing them all. Batu wisely opted to remain in camp. “We set off in the morning, their camp is just over the ridge, down the next embankment. We will plunder it”

Come morning the men moved off and faced the camp. The older men were apprehensive as they noticed rows of impaled skulls. It reeked of death. “This is not a good idea Batu” said one man. “Quiet! We will attack and will carry off the plunder!” hissed the leader. They wasted no time in attacking, catching the dozing inhabitants off guard. Yet they quickly recovered as experienced warriors mounted their horses and attacked from the rear, trapping the men inside. Batu could see the villages shrine and took a picked force to capture some of it and try and ride out. He got as far as the entrance before been cut down. Soon it was over as few were left from the battle. Those left were hideously tortured. They failed to capture the village and Batu got himself killed ingloriously. Chingis would never know what happened to his cherished brother.

 

[Al Zan]

post a pic!

 

[ArmPilot]

Unluss you changed your name, its Gengis Khan not Chingis.

 

[Gengis Khan]

Someone call my name?

 

[Conqueror '91]

Impressive... you're a good writer! Even better than me, I might say...

 

[Genseric]

I made it Chingis due to to sources I was consulting referred to Temujin as Chingis, saying that Genghis was a corruption of the original word for Great Khan etc. But I wont split hairs over it.


The Mongols were looked down upon by the nations that had met Chingis Khan in his Spartan chambers. Yet they were a little nervous in front of the man, given his intense looked that came across as purely murderous. China watched the semi-nomadic horsemen crush Korea under foot and reacted accordingly. They demanded tribute in the form of territorial maps and eleven talents of gold from the puny treasury. It was duly paid but Temujin made a mental note to punish the Chinese for their audacity. He would see to it that their cities burned and their citizens suffered. Their great Khan begun visiting the provinces to raise troops and have them trained to attack China on a certain date in the future. It would require great courage, bravery and strength to do so.

Temujin had lead a harsh life, having to forage for roots and rodents after the death of his father when his fellow clansman abandoned his family. Temujin was too young to rule the empire. Yet over the years, he enacted his revenge well returning after exile to claim the Mongolian empire for himself. Despite the backwards claim of the empire, he ran it efficiently, organizing his military will preciseness.

Mongolia lagged well behind other nations in science. It had nothing to trade with other nations for new ideas and applications. It sent itself broke acquiring bronze working from India who was generous and friendly. At least the Mongol armies could fortify themselves with spearmen. Chingis would not attack Gandhi despite the religious mans piety and moral righteousness. He needed all the allies he could get in such a brutal world full of enemies looking to overthrow Mongolia. It seemed that other nations appeared content just to leave Mongolia be. What trouble could these people pose from such a harsh landscape?

 

[Genseric]

Hooray! It worked! Never mind the fact that is badly sized and that but its cool now. Thanks for the kind words Conqueror

 

[Genseric]

A large ceremonial fire burned in the grounds of Karakorum’s temple. Many people were gathered, feasting and drinking to their hearts content. Occasionally screams punctuated the night as prisoners of Korea were sacrificed in the name of Chingis Khan, pushed into the flames. Chingis sat on a stone chare padded with leather skins. Chingis stood up and almost instantaneously the crowd fell silent.

“My fellow Mongolians! It is our finest hour yet, the crushing of Korea. Under our most able war lord, Timur, we have brought Korea into the Mongolian Empire. Feast, drink and enjoy the glory!”

Timur was brought to his leader and began to relate the battle of Seoul. His archers from Shen and Huining added power and his foot soldiers begun ravaging the plains on the outskirts as it moved into the city. Korea begun throwing archers into the battle to harass the seigers but were beaten back behind the walls. Timur claimed he cut down ten of these attackers with his short sword, as his arrows remained slung across his shoulder. Timur related how more foot soldiers attempted to halt the advance but they were brushed aside as if they were flies or people brushing dust from themselves.

15,000 men begun attacking the walls and were scaled after just five days. The bloodshed that ensued was sickening as the earth was stained deep red. The city had rejected an offer for surrender and instead paid a shocking price for their foolhardiness. Timur had showed Chingis the sacks of plunder and the long line of slaves who looked dejected as they faced a life of miserable servitude. Timur was animated in his tales of conquest, sometimes embellishing the truth somewhat. With Seoul crushed, he sent off Subedei, his most able general to finish the job at Pusan were refugees had fled. The devastation wreaked upon the city saw it barely fit for inhabitation. Subedei was allowed to claim leadership in the city and begun rebuilding it. It was in a prime location facing the ocean.

Chingis spoke softly to Timur, who was now joined with Subedei. “The time has arrived for our raid on China. Their pusillanimous behaviour cannot be tolerated. Let us teach them a short sharp lesson. I want you Subedei to attack Tsingtao and you Timur, I want you to move on Peking. Peking holds many treasures for us. Take this city and you will become my second in command”. Timur bowed before Temujin and offered his many thanks. Timur left at once to assemble his men who were waiting for the day of war. Subedei left soon after. The Golden Hordes would soon descend upon Chinese soil.

 

[Genseric]

1250 BC

The First Mongolian-China War

“Our leader demands you remove your men from Chinese territory NOW!” demanded the emissary from Mao’s court. Timur looked down at the small man from his horse and sneered. “No little man, we are here to collect your…goods. Now tell your beloved leader to yield to us or blood will flow today”. The small man huffed and puffed, taking his men with him. A couple of days later Mao received his emissaries and could not believe the audacity of the ‘barbarians’ from the north in dictating terms to him. As he prepared his emissary for a reply and to send an order to arrange troops, another dispatch arrived, this time with terrible news. Peking was burning and a great slaughter was underway, without a formal declaration of war.

Timur slashed away, dismounted from his horse for the battle, felling Chinese foot soldiers as he headed for the administrative center. Amidst the carnage, women and children ran, some not so lucky as ravenous Mongols seized them. The defense of Peking was been broken and flames begun to erupt from torches of the invaders. Sacks upon sacks of treasure were loaded onto horses and slaves and made their way back to Shen under escort. Loose Chinese soldiers were roaming the plains, causing some havoc on Mongol raiding parties. Timur had no intention of holding the city for Mongolian rule. A defense would have been too costly. Instead he took what he could then burnt the city to the ground, retreating backwards, as quickly as he had came.

Subedei meanwhile besieged Tsingtao and had to put up with attacks from Chinese Arches. This merely hardened the resolve of Subedei’s men and they begun dismantling the garrison in difficult slogging matches. Tsingtao met the same fate as Peking, burned out of existence. Piles of rubble marked were the city once stood. Subedei too retreated to safe distance. His force however was ambushed by the Chinese and was all but massacred, yet Subedei made good the confusion and escaped back to Karakorum to regroup.

The horror on Mao’s face was clearly evident and it soon gave way to rage. He had troops north near Mongolia but they were too scattered to do much and riders to deliver messages would have been cut off by Mongol raiders. When peace was offered, Chingis had the upper hand and walked away with 40 talents of gold. It was a frosty meeting between both leaders as hostilities were ceased. Mao threatened and ranted and Chingis took it all in quietly. He was again planning more attacks. More raids, more devastation. “Beware what you say Mao for one day it will backfire on you terribly. We have beaten you once and we can do it again.”

Off Mao fumed, no doubt scheming and planning but he left with his tale between his legs. Chingis could afford a half smile for he won the first round. Timur’s army remained stationed around were Peking once stood. Mongolian settlers were moving down to establish a base for which fresh recruits could base themselves.

 

[silver 2039]

Cool! Keep it up!

 

[Genseric]

It was a most productive meeting with the Germans. Though the Germanic people came across as rather arrogant and contemptuous, they had been rather co-operative in dealing with the Mongolians. Bismarck came to Chingis with an offer to exchange maps and some gold. Chingis took the initiative and made a totally new deal. Mongolia offered horses (which Germany was short on), territory and world map in exchange for the concept of philosophy and literature, were the Mongols could put their histories and such down into storage into Libaries for the people to access. Bismarck went away happy and with a rather cautious opinion of Mongolia, were as the rest of the world seemed to be rather annoyed with Chingis. Still, the planning continued for the sacking of the Chinese capital.

Mongolia’s first ship was created, a small trireme as they called it in the far west. Mongol could send settlers abroad to the large island that ran along Asia. In fact, they could reach beyond, if only pirates did not sink the ship first.

Hundreds of miles to the south-east, men poured into the newly settled Hovd. It so happened that the first object of Timur’s army was Luoyang, the capital of China. It was a massive prize and its capture would bring fear into the hearts of Chinese people. Timur was in a dilemma. Should he capture the city and help expand the empire, or completely and utterly smash the city and satiate his thirst for destruction and take the booty and run?

That would be decided when the city was overrun. Timur had done his homework. The garrison was surprisingly small, only three thousand. His spies had checked the condition of the garrison and its armaments. Timur was assured of victory. Far across onto the China Sea, another military leader, Kublai, brought his men around to the hills overlooking Macao, isolated from China with Mongolian territory splitting it in half. Kublai was looking for glory, to perhaps be crowned ruler of Macao.

 

[Genseric]

Chingis despaired. He cried out to the gods. “Why have you deserted the Mongolian people!” His face was flushed red. He pounded the earth with his fists around the temple in Karakorum. His raid in China was a massive failure. Aside from sacking one city, Chinan, the assault on the capital failed. The small garrison had been improved with better weapons and armour, so the assault broke down quickly and soon swordsman begun chasing Mongolian archers out towards Hovd. Eventually they caught up with them and begun to destroy them all.

Hovd collapsed and was handed over to the Chinese. Ta-Tu was besieged and for some time held off the Chinese there but became too weak and soon collapsed. It was a disaster. Troops who sacked Chinan moved near but could do little so they moved to the mountains and begun waging a guerilla war. The capital had to deal with marauding troops who pillaged the country side. They also lost Ullanbataar which the Chinese paid in kind the savage burning of their other cities. Subedei died in Ta-Tu, heroically defending the city, leading his loyal men on one final assault before falling to an arrow in the heart.

Soon Mongolia was reduced to groveling and finally Mao accepted peace envoys. To rub it in, Mao demanded the town of Kazan for peace. It was duly handed over as Mongolia had no other alternative. Mao was now satisfied that Mongolia offered no more threats to the people of China and dismissed the emissaries with shame on their heads.

It appeared very much the days of adventure and plunder was over for the Mongols. They had been greatly weakened and now could only hope that one day China would not retaliate and attack. With their amount of troops, Mongolia could be obliterated within a year.

War again racked Mongolia with more nations demanding tribute, not that they could get very much out of them. Chingis Khan was in no mood to co-operate, telling the Songhai, German and Russian ambassadors to take a trip to hell. This reply caused all three to go to war. Yet the only encounter they faced was against Russia who actually appeared to care to fight. A small army arrived around the newly settled Choybalsan. After a short siege, they attacked, beating the small spearman garrison. Luckily they had offensive troops so they were thrown out to attack Russian soldiers. The attack was beaten off, leaving Russia with its tail between its legs. The garrisons leader, Ogodei, was rewarded for his efforts and was considered an elite soldier.

Russia tried again after peace negotiations fell apart (Russia demanded the besieged city to surrender to them in exchange for peace) but once more was beaten back. This greatly heartened Chingis after all the misery inflicted upon Mongolia. At least something went right. It was now 10 A.D, in a new millennium, four thousand odd years since Mongolia came to be.

Disaster returned however, as Choybalsan finally was overrun, its leader Ogodei fleeing back to Karakorum whilst the Russians burnt the town. At least there was some distance to the capital of Karakorum, which could produce a decent defense from its people, and hold of a siege for a while if that.

Dalandzadgad was the price to pay for peace with Russia, which sat on the island of the Ainut (Japan). It was a terrible blow for Mongolia which was trying to quietly expand its empire. Now it lost some of its new territory. Chingis did not know what to do. His empire was been dismembered.

In 230 AD, peace was declared with Germany. Bismarck only wanted peace, nothing else but Chingis asked if he could get 10 talents of gold if he supplied all his maps. Bismarck was happy and left it at that. Chingis did not bother offering peace with the Songhai. As far as his mathematical ability could work out for him, the Songhai were over two continents away, at least 25,000 kilometers, even more. So they posed no threat. Quite why they bothered with war in the first place baffled Chingis but whilst they were over there and he was here, he did not care.

As time passed, the empire faded into history, remembered by the few writings from ancient Chinese scribes and the like. The empire began to disintegrate after the death of Temujin. His empire was left to his subordinates but there was quarrelling and they all either fought amongst themselves for land or were assimilated into the Chinese nation. Occasional burial grounds and objects were found by architects and preserved. They had left a brief but indelible mark in history as marauding horsemen intent on plunder and military glory.


And that folks, is the end of the story.....

 

[blix]

That's the end?What about Kublai? It shouldn't end like that.It's a horrible ending.

 

[Genseric]

Oh yeh, sorry. I forgot about him. And Kublai lived happily ever after.

Well, I couldnt come up with a better ending (its not a strength of mine when it comes to writing) so I decided to leave it at that seeing as the game basically died in the arse and was impossible to play.

 

[blix]

(Stares at Genseric menicingly)