"Generals of the Golden Horde!" - Sugubei spoke inspirationally to the Mongol commanders in Khazaria - "The Khazars have betrayed us, and thought they tricked the Khan of Khans! He was wrong! Genghis Khan, in his eternal wisdom, saw that we to turn around and crush the puny, horse-less Khazarian army. They are no warriors, mere merchants and peasants. Let us bury them! To arms, Mongols! For The Horde!"
Sugubei jumped on his horse, and the generals followed his example. The Mongols turned around, and rode back west.
Sugubei glanced at the map one last time, before he hid it in his saddlepack. The Khazars were probably assembling in Kiiv and that other town, Sarkel. He glanced at a location on the map, the "Hava ha-Shoter". It had some symbollical meaning to the Khazars, they probably repulsed some of the lesser nomads there once, or so their odd legends say. It seemed strange to Sugubei. It was just a farm...
But that was unimportant. The Mongol army was to pass near that place, as they headed to Sarkel. Near it, the Horde would be at advantage, and the Khazars, vainglorious and infantry-minded as the rest of those weakling "civilizations" and "kingdoms", will give a battle on flat terrain. The Horde would win. It would be unstoppable.
---
Sugubei was getting irritated. The Khazars were different from other armies that were crushed so far. They did not give an open battle yet. Instead they used the tactics and strategy familiar to all Mongols... and the one that was least expect. Hit-and-run. The Steppe Nomads were hitting the supplies, and running away, hitting the advancing Mongol army.
This was strange and unexpected. Oh well. Not that they could crush the Mongol Horde.
Sugubei looked at the map again. He suddenly realized that he was closer to Hava ha-Shoter then to Sarkel. Odd. And the best road led to Hava ha-Shoter as well. He dared not advance in a foreign land across unknown territory - with the unconventional Khazar tactics, it would cost unacceptable casualties.
---
Khazaria did not surrender. It lay low, ignoring the humiliation for one long month. And then, as was planned, it threw off the Mongol rule which was never even imposed.
A huge Khazarian army has been gathered. Brave Baghators rallied to the Banner of ha-Shoter (essentially, a magen david star, but golden and on a black banner), the Vanquisher of the Scythians. Endless armies marched to face the Horde - they were joined by Novgorodians, Poles, Finns, Dacians... A huge army, and it was commanded by (OOC: Ariel) Sharon, the Prophet-Kagan.
Men of the West!
Men of Europe!
We have been challenged! O, men of Europe! WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO THIS BATTLE! We are the New Great Wall - a steel wall, made of the steel will and resolve of the Free Western Men! Khazarians! Novgorodians! Dacians! Finns! Poles!
Let us fight like we never fought before - for never before have our ways been threatened as much!
Let us fight like if there is no tomorrow - for there isnt, should we lose!
We worship different gods and speak different languages - yet we all have one thing in common. WE ARE CIVILIZED MEN! WE RESPECT EACH OTHER! BUT THE BARBARIAN MONGOLIC HORDE RESPECTS NONE!
Near us is Hava ha-Shoter. There, men of Khazaria have defeated such a Horde. Those were glorious days. Dangerous days. Yet these... are even more dangerous... and will be even more glorious, once united, we shall stand and crush the Mongols!
Mongols were foolish to put all their strength in cavalry. The Jewish and Khazarian philosophers have long ago understood the concept of the Golden Middle. Their armies consisted of cavalry and infantry alike.
Remember - the God Himself wishes for us to win. - this time, Sharon only addressed the Khazarians, while the other armies were being given separate speeches by their own leaders: Igor of Novgorod (OOC: I assume there was a SMALL contingent along with our main forces), Vaako of Finland, Wladislaw of Poland and Spartak (OOC: I know Spartak - or Spartacus - was Thracian, but Dacians and Thracians are closely related) of Dacia. - Yes - we might side with pagans as well. But they are humans too, and can always redeem themselves in the fullness of time. If we make this stand and win, civilization will be saved. If we fail - then its death will be glorious and a one that will forever be remembered. And know that even if we do fail, Jehovah wishes us to win. I said His name - for this is one of the greatest days of His creations and His Chosen People.
Let us remember that Adonai is on our side! Let our battlecry be For His Eternal Glory! - and know, that those of you who shall die in this sacred battle shall go straight to Gan Eden! And remember - David ha-Shoter watches over all of us today! So does Kagan David, Abraham the Prophet and Moses the Savior! So do all those who lived and died before us! Remember this before all - EITHER we win, EITHER we all die!
The Khazarian army cheered. There was no visible end of it... and yet the Horde was just as big, if not bigger. Sharon disregarded his last doubts. Victory will come.
The soldiers of Khazaria were counted, and great was their number. They marched out to fight for Khazaria, the True Faith... and Civilization. In their eyes, Sharon saw determination. Those who feared forced back their fears. They prepared - either for victory, or for Gan Eden.
Infantry formed its line, horse archers rode out to face the enemy. Sharon put on his armor and raised his jatagan. The Baghators were ready.
The Mongol Horde was forced to give battle. And a great battle it was.
The Final Prayer was said, the Khazarian - no, Civilized! - army took up positions. The horse archers rode out. The Baghators and other cavalry prepared to strike. The Battle of Hava ha-Shoter has begun. The Fate of the World was being decided.
---
Ioseph could not quite understand what was going on. The Khazar, Dacian, Finnish, Polish army was standing in a line, without any obvious cavalry or archer support. A line, whose flanks were exposed. Sure, he was a mere soldier, but he knew that when fighting against a cavalry-dominated army, the flanks were in particular threatened.
His comrades seem to share those concerns.
Then it came.
The line of troops of different nations, religions and languages were animated by Khagan Sharon's presence, and by that of the other leaders. Khazar and Novgorodian (though Novgorodians sent a small force only - probably because of iternal strife) troops had particularily high morale. And yet, even they felt fear grasp their hearts and make their limbs go numb when the huge army appeared from the east. Not an army, in fact.. A Horde. The Horde.
Ioseph overcame his fear barely, and grasped to his long spear. He prepared to meet the charge of the fearsome Mongols. They let out a warcry which made his blood chill, and he closed his eyes and prayed to Adonai.
'Our power comes from faith.' - a thought came to him - 'our faith allows us to overcome our fear, and in battle, when we trust ourselves to the Allmighty and Everpresent, we are reinforced by our faith in Him.'
He opened his eyes. The Mongols were getting close. It was a silent advance now, save for the monotonous beat of the hooves of the horses. He... no longer feared. He decided to remember what was to come, to tell it to his children. Provided he has children. And that he survives to tell them...
Suddenly, from behind the hilltop of the old, abandoned farm at which the Scythians were checked by David ha-Shoter, sounds of hooves came as well. Panic almost grasped Ioseph, until he heared the blow of the horns. He was relieved. Those horns signified the Baghators.
---
"And when the fear grasped the hearts of the Civilized Army at the side of the demonic Horde, the loud sound of horns being blown gave much relief. With God-given wisdom, the wise Prophet-Khagan Sharon chose to let his powerful cavalry come in at the unexpecting Mongol heathens in the last time. And while the bravery of the Khazars and the Novgorodians was reinforced by their True Faith, and the bravery of the allied armies was reinforced by the Novgorodo-Khazarian example, the Mongols found no relief in their heathen, pagan beliefs and their savagery. The hearts of the Mongol Horse Archers was filled by fear for the first time. The Khazar arhcers too have emerged, and fired organizedly at the Mongol savages.
But the impact of the Baghators was the greatest. Firing arrows from a distance, they charged with their God-blessed jatagans, cutting many heathens into pieces before the rest of them could flee in shame. Sugubei, the Mongol general in Khazaria, could not understand how could the "invincible" horde be dealt such a setback.
- War with the Steppes. Ioseph Arami.
---
The Big Monotheistic Encyclopedia (Bolshaia Monoteisticheskaya Enciklopediya, Ha-Entziklopedia Monotheisti Ha-Gdola), 1st Pictish edition.
Scribe Ioseph ARAMI (person):
- Lived between 668 and 612 BJ (Before JOSHUA), 3306 and 3362 AC (After CREATION).
- One of the FIRST KHAZARIAN HISTORIANS.
- Was born in SARKEL from a MIXED KHAZARIAN-JEWISH COUPLE.
- Begun to receive SCRIBE EDUCATION in the age of 13, in the fields of HISTORY and PHILOSOPHY.
- Volunteered to the Khazar Army in the age of 18, during the MONGOL INVASION of the 7TH CENTURY BJ (34TH CENTURY AC).
- Fought at HAVA HA-SHOTER in 650 BJ, 3324 AC. Was WOUNDED, yet fought on BRAVELY, defending the CORPSE of his HUNDRED'S COMMANDER.
- Was granted the TITLE of HONORABLE SCRIBE OF MILITARY HISTORY upon his own request by PROPHET-KHAGAN SHARON.
- AUTHOR of numerous works on MILITARY HISTORY OF KHAZARIA and STRATEGIC THEORY, such as: "WAR WITH THE STEPPES", "History of the Khazarian Wars" (Four volumes), "HISTORY OF THE BAGHATORS", "MONOTHEIST ARMIES" and "ART OF WAR".
- Died (DEATH) from NATURAL CAUSES in the age of 56.
---
The Prophet-Khagan looked at the sad, sorrowful steppe, the motherland of Khazars, the Promised Land, now burned by the Mongol Horde. Hava ha-Shoter was close. The Khagan put on his helmet, and prepared his horn. He saw something.
The other Baghators too were getting weary of this. A huge army was waiting for the Mongols in these forests... but when will the Mongols come?
The Khagan looked carefully. That was it! The Khazarian horse-archers - recognizable thanks to their shields, with the blue "Magen ha-Shoter" six-pointed stars on them - were coming. They were being followed by the Khulans, the horrifying heavy cavalry of the Mongols. Now... Almost now...
He raised the horn, and blew it with all his strength. Even the Khulans were taken aback by this sound, followed by the horns of all the other Baghators. The Baghators charged quickly, led by the Khagan.
"Show no mercy!" - declared Sharon, knowing that only a few Baghators would hear him - "Led God sort them out!"
He closed his eyes. He hated killing. With closed eyes and in blind rage, feeling but not seeing the surprised Khulans who were slaughtered by him and other Baghators, he charged on, ever-forward. The Baghators followed him. They drew a wedge between the Khulans who had no time to regroup, and massacred them, with the help of Dacian forces and volunteers. It was revenge.
---
"This is impossible!" - raged on Sugubei - "Your idiotic incompetence is already making the casualties UNACCEPTABLE! UTTERLY SO! Now, go there, and DIE!"
The poor commander of the Khulans, one of the few survivors, was forced to obey. The other remaining Khulans from that army charged at the enemy and were, obviously, slaughtered.
"Let not rage overcome you, young one." - stated the Sarmatian king, whose forces were yet to join the battle - "I am sure that was their last trick."
"It better be." - said Sugubei - "But how did they hide so many troops in that forest?"
"The Khazars, they are driven by their blind faith in an invisible shepherd god. They can endure anything as long as they believe him."
"They will not withstand the torture I would give to their cursed Khagan for slaughtering my Khulans! He will be dying for many months after we capture him!"
"People of the Altays have saying." - spoke the Sarmatian - "do not divide the pelt of an unkilled bear."
"Are you saying we could lose?" - Sugubei asked. Doubts were filling his heart. This was not what he expected. The Khazarian army was odd. It had infantry and cavalry alike, and used both well.
"Let us not worry about that yet." - said the king - "I will enter my army now."
"What? But it is the reserve! We are taking risks that the Khan of Khans would not like..."
"He would like a defeat even less."
...You like Kal'thzar better than ME? NOOOO) and Panda, because he asked me to hate him.
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Btw, NK, do you have your update with Haba ha-Shoter with you somewhere? Could you repost that bit as well?
