1400AD
A strange leader visits the Mongol court
LEADER: Greetings from Incas, my fellow leader. It is good to see another civilization at last, I predicted there must be more.
GENGHIS: Who do you know already?
HUAYNA: Only Montezuma, and Roosevelt. Hardly enough to throw a proper dinner party, is it?
GENGHIS: Dont worry, theres thousands more wackos on this continent. Perhaps one day, youll sail over and find them.
HUAYNA: I hope so.
GENGHIS: Right. So lets have Open Borders, and then I propose a trade. There is none of your Corn on this continent. I want some. I am prepared to give you some beef for it. Some cows.
HUAYNA: Do you have no hamsters? They taste nicer Ill wager.
GENGHIS: Hamsters? What are they?
HUAYNA: Never mind. We have none to spare. The deal is accepted.
GENGHIS: Great, so you can go back now and sit in your mountain kingdom.
HUAYNA: Thank you.
Huayna exits
GENGHIS: So now were down to feather wearing leaders of small mountain kingdoms. There cant be many more leaders out there.
IALBUK: Id be surprised if there was another actually sire.
In the next years, more still happened. Among other things, Ialbuk finished his research on Gunpowder, and this meant even more powerful weapons for the use of the Mongols, such as Muskets. Also, much to Genghis delight, the Mongols were rated the most powerful civilization in the world, ahead of the Aztecs, by an independent author who managed to form a reasonable estimate of each countrys military by doing his own investigations, and not by listening to the exaggerations of the leaders.
After this, there was yet more military success for the Mongols, as an important town in the Taklamaklan, Dariush Kabir, was captured after a short siege. There was much plunder to be had from the town, and it was used by a segment of Genghis army to revive and to wait for reinforcements before plunging into the heart of the desert satrap.
This was only a prelude, however, to the more important business which Genghis was near to achieving. For now the great heart of his army, 40000 men, around 15000 of those skilled in siege and working artillery, the other 25000 elite melee, cavalry and other specialised auxiliary units such as Crossbowmen, the pride of the Mongol Khan, this army was camped beneath the towering walls of the great Persian metropole of Pasargardae. Ever since it had been founded millennia ago, this city had been known as the real seat of Persian power, the capital of the Mespote, the rich jewel in the crown of Persia. And here Genghis was, with his men, attempting to take the city for his own.
The city was not well defended; a garrison of less than 10000 manned the walls, a small fleet was anchored in the harbour, trapped, and useless. If they ever tried to sail out the Mongols would be able to bombard them with incendiary missiles from their catapults and cause serious damage.
The siege began.
Genghis had some of his Trebuchets set up within range, and they started hurling rocks at the walls. Their orders were not to aim at the archers and other men manning the walls, merely to cause damage at the foundations of the walls and damage them enough so that they would give little protection to the Persians. This meant they were set up out of effective archer range but could still hit the walls with accuracy. No arrows came at them from the walls; it would be almost useless to try and the Persians needed to conserve their ammunition, Genghis suspected.
An army of lesser experience might have brought far less siege equipment, and then a lengthy siege would be required to cause the damage required. But Genghis was a very experienced warlord, and he had brought more than enough. Far more than enough, in fact, as the second stage of his bombardment came into action.
The walls humbled, the city looking weak and despairing of its defenders, Genghis sent in his remaining artillery. These machines were ordered to hurl missiles further into the city and cause casualties among the defenders. Rocks and boulders fizzed through the air and came smacking down on the top of the walls, almost at once finding the first casualties of the siege. However, this was not done without reply. The machines had to be within archer range for this and so the Persian archers let loose a terrible storm upon the Mongols. Cries amongst the artillerymen told that the arrows had found targets for some part at least. Those manning the catapults were in the front lines of the artillery and accordingly those men took more casualties.
However, as the bombardment wore on, the Persian arrow storms thinned, then they were reduced to volleys, which became less and less frequent. Then they stopped coming. The vast majority of the archers had been killed or maimed, and there were none in reserve.
This was when Genghis ordered his final assault.
Ladders and siege towers were brought to the fore, and a ram was advanced towards the gates. The Mongols on the ladders were up them like acrobats and threw themselves over the crumbling battlements at the remnants of the Persian force. Here and there a ladder was pushed back before it could be secured, and the Mongols had to dodge their falling comrades. But it was not long before the Mongol soldiers established a bridgehead at two points on the walls, and the Persians, seeing that there was no chance of clearing them, and that the walls were lost, retreated down into the city. But they were little safer there, as a stream of Mongol warriors came through the gates! The ram had triumphed, and soon the Persians faced attacks from many sides. Outnumbered, outclassed, and weary, the Persians fought to the bitter end, but were eventually all slain. The city was taken.
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Late that night, Genghis was with his advisors and bodyguard in the city, exploring its many fascinating alleyways and corridors. The sounds of drunken revelry and mayhem could be heard all around as the soldiers celebrated their victory with free ale from the taverns (the barowners were in no position to protest as Genghis had turned a blind eye) and the pick of the local girls. Genghis smiled. The average soldier had no other facets to his life; it was all about fighting the next battle, and, if you survived, you looked forward to more evenings spent playing dice, drinking cheap ale and getting your hands on a few women. That was it.
The party approached a particularly dark alley. Griznakh shrank back in disgust as Genghis motioned to his men to enter. But one look from Genghis, and Griznakh followed the party into the corridor.
In the gloomy, dimly-lit passage, the party and the Persian man coming the other way almost collided, so poor was the visibility. Genghis, at the head of the column, saw the man coming first. He was just about to open his big mouth to brag about the victory when a shaft of light illuminated the mans features better. The man, alerted to the Mongols presence, looked up, startled, and then turned to walk away. But it was too late. The Mongol Khan had recognised the man.
Halt! Or else I kill you bellowed the Khan. The man glanced over his shoulder, and then sprinted quickly in the opposite direction. The Mongol leader charged after him. His bodyguard, seeing the Khan charging off, strained to sprint after him. But, in the maze of alleyways, they eventually lost sight of Genghis, and, wondering what the hell had gotten into their leader, started to search for him.
The Khan had never lost sight of his target as the Persian raced through alley after alley. Several times he had to duck swiftly in mid-stride as a washing line across the street almost caught him out, or jump over an amphora left carelessly in the road. But he didnt lose his man. And eventually he started to gain on the Persian.
Then Genghis turned another corner to see his target had pulled up in the face of a brick wall, flanked by two warehouses. The area was deserted. Genghis had his man tripped. He pulled up, and caught his breath as the Persian turned to face him.
You were a leader of cavalry stated Genghis. In my army. You were a minghaan officer, a senior, trusted soldier.
The man shook his head. I was a Persian agent.
Your empire is destroyed. Your lands belong, or will shortly belong, to me.
Our empire is weakened, it is true. Yet there is still resistance to your tyrannical rule gasped the Persian, who seemed to be gasping for breath, and took a step backwards, leaning against the wall.
And your agents are gone said Genghis. He was beginning to tire of this.
Not so lied the Persian. There are still some loyal to the Empire in your crowd of peasants. But look, here come some now.
Genghis, taken by surprise, glanced around. That was when the man made his move. Recovering from his false exhaustion in a trice, he leapt forward, a dagger glittering in the moonlight. He dived for the Khan. Genghis, turning back around, threw himself to one side, and the dagger missed his throat by a hairs breadth. He instinctively jerked his knee up, and brought it crashing into the Persians groin. The man slumped to the ground, in real agony this time. Genghis prised the dagger from his clenched fist and slit his throat. He was getting fed up with all this bloody cloak and dagger stuff. It was time he told Ialbuk to get him a proper intelligence service; it could sure piss a guy off, which might be useful.
Just then, a band of men hurtled round the corner - but it was only his bodyguard, and they slowed to a halt in front of him. The bodyguards looked down at the man, and then at the bloodstained dagger in the Khans hand. Genghis put on his unconcerned face.
Just some traitor I had to finish off. You boys were too slow, missed the show.
Apologies, my lord said the leader of the bodyguard, Vortex.
No danger lied the Khan. These Persians might have guile, but theyre still all effeminate bastards, arent they? Couldnt fight off an army of grannies!
The bodyguard forced a laugh.
Come on then said Genghis. Lets get back to camp.
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