JoeMacUnGee
Warlord
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2010
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Indeed, the crusade is gathering momentum. From no party to power-broker and hopefully to righteous conquest! For Christ! For England! Faith and Strength!
Realpolitik CIV - An Interactive AAR
- Thread starter Lighthearter
- Start date
- Status
Indeed, the crusade is gathering momentum. From no party to power-broker and hopefully to righteous conquest! For Christ! For England! Faith and Strength!
Lighthearter
President of the United States
"Forward!" Yelled Marius Sulla, astride his charger. For good effect, he waved his sword in the air to inspire his men. They needed no inspiring - the English were folding before them easily. They stormed over the path, which ran above a small sewage culvert, cheering and shouting "Caesar!".
Unknown to them, Captain Athers and the Night Eagles were watching from a nearby rise. The commandos were here to slow the Roman host by any means necessary. Maybe that would buy Ravus-York until nightfall - he didn't know. But he did know that -
"Come on," Athers snarled under his breath, bow at the ready, as his train of thought concluded, "Just ride another fifteen feet this way, Sulla, you son of a -"
"Captain! The main body is over the culvert."
"Oh. Thank you, Lieutenant. I suppose we'll have to knock off the thrice-dammed Roman some other time. Fire them."
Masters nodded and pulled out his flint and steel. He leaned over to what appeared to be regular ground and cast sparks on it. A fuse, concealed in a small pipe that the Eagles had buried a few inches underground, flared briefly then faded into the darkness. The Eagles waited, hoping to see if the trap would spring. After a second, a Roman paused, then pointed at the culvert with finality, a shocked expression on his face.
"Get ready to move." Athers commanded, "If they've seen the barrels then we might have to-"
A massive explosion interrupted him. Flames sprung into existence all along the path, the oil that the Eagles had stored both in the culvert and spread along the path, igniting in a horrendous show of pyrotechnics. Athers whirled as his hand-picked men rose, firing arrows at the inferno. A few Preatorians fell. More of them pointed and took off for the Englishmen. A major part of the army followed them, seeking direction. Sulla was down, his horse burning and galloping away, him on the ground gasping for air after being thrown in the nick of time by the terrified animal.
"MOVE!" Athers yelled, snapping off a shot that caught a Praetorian in the throat, at the joint of his armor. The man seemed to topple in slow-motion as his comrades charged. The Night Eagles fled, moving for the old mine shaft they had found. Athers leaped a tree trunk without breaking stride. The Romans coming behind him were suddenly halted by a volley of arrows directed by Sergeant Potter, who, along with ten archers, had been hiding behind that tree. The fleeing Eagles added their own shots to the barrage. The Romans paused in confusion. Athers and his men took off, Potter and his joining them. The group flew along the path, then Athers halted.
"We don't want them to lose us." He reminded the group, and they all paused to breathe, leaning against trees and some even crouching while they gasped for air. After about ten minutes, a Praetorian stumbled through the trees - a hundred feet to the Eagles' north and facing away from them. Athers frowned disgustedly.
"We must have killed the only real trackers in that bunch with the little arrow ambush!" He exclaimed, and shot the Roman. He then swept a horn from his belt and blew it - hard. Almost a full minute later a wave of Roman axemen broke through the trees. The Eagles shot some of them and kept running. They quickly arrived at the mine shaft, the majority running in. Potter and his men remained outside to ensure the Romans knew they were there.
Athers arranged all the Eagles - the rest had been waiting here - into a fighting line except for a few led by Masters, who moved the last pieces into place. The trap was ready. Only a moment later Potter and his men came whirling in and tore up the small set of stairs behind the main chamber, reaching the balcony above and readying their bows. The one other exit from the mine was from that balcony. There was only one stairway from the rough, cave-like dirt-covered entrance. Athers was counting on it. A rope held a net with many barrels in it above the main floor, locked in place by a wooden board slammed in between a set of gears. Athers felt an evil grin cross his face at the thought of the trap here.
The first Romans charged in a few at a time and the archers shot them without hesitation. But a few escaped and rallied the rest into a massive wave that barreled into the mine, swords raised and axes shining. The Eagles slammed into them, fought for a few moments, then fled up the stairs a few at a time. Within minutes only Athers was left. The leader of the Eagles suddenly noticed the Romans begin to pull away from him. A jolt ran through him - had they seen the trap. But no - more of them crowded in. Then the crowd parted and a burst of shock filled Athers.
A man standing almost eight feet tall and with muscles the size of chairs charged through the opened Roman ranks, leaped at the end and landed near Athers, the ground shaking with his impact. He was dressed in hide pants and wore a simple headdress dominated by a massive scarlet feather. A giant axe was slung over his back, the only thing he wore on his upper body, but he simply seized Athers by his left leg and flipped him, slamming him into the ground. Athers' vision swam and the world spun, but he jerked out of the other man's grip and rolled to grab his dropped sword, then faced his opponent.
"So, Red Feather - you tracked me all the way from America, eh? I thought you swore allegiance to Sitting Bull?"
"I swore allegiance to killin' YOU!" Red Feather roared. "Ruler not matter. I break you, Athers, then Caesar break your nation!"
OOC: Now whaddaya think of that?
Found a way to get him in after all. Oh, and yes, Red Feather looks like Bane from Batman: Arkham Asylum on Venom. And the whole thing with the trackers and the horn WAS shamelessly ripped from Feist's Riftwar.
- Lighthearter
Unknown to them, Captain Athers and the Night Eagles were watching from a nearby rise. The commandos were here to slow the Roman host by any means necessary. Maybe that would buy Ravus-York until nightfall - he didn't know. But he did know that -
"Come on," Athers snarled under his breath, bow at the ready, as his train of thought concluded, "Just ride another fifteen feet this way, Sulla, you son of a -"
"Captain! The main body is over the culvert."
"Oh. Thank you, Lieutenant. I suppose we'll have to knock off the thrice-dammed Roman some other time. Fire them."
Masters nodded and pulled out his flint and steel. He leaned over to what appeared to be regular ground and cast sparks on it. A fuse, concealed in a small pipe that the Eagles had buried a few inches underground, flared briefly then faded into the darkness. The Eagles waited, hoping to see if the trap would spring. After a second, a Roman paused, then pointed at the culvert with finality, a shocked expression on his face.
"Get ready to move." Athers commanded, "If they've seen the barrels then we might have to-"
A massive explosion interrupted him. Flames sprung into existence all along the path, the oil that the Eagles had stored both in the culvert and spread along the path, igniting in a horrendous show of pyrotechnics. Athers whirled as his hand-picked men rose, firing arrows at the inferno. A few Preatorians fell. More of them pointed and took off for the Englishmen. A major part of the army followed them, seeking direction. Sulla was down, his horse burning and galloping away, him on the ground gasping for air after being thrown in the nick of time by the terrified animal.
"MOVE!" Athers yelled, snapping off a shot that caught a Praetorian in the throat, at the joint of his armor. The man seemed to topple in slow-motion as his comrades charged. The Night Eagles fled, moving for the old mine shaft they had found. Athers leaped a tree trunk without breaking stride. The Romans coming behind him were suddenly halted by a volley of arrows directed by Sergeant Potter, who, along with ten archers, had been hiding behind that tree. The fleeing Eagles added their own shots to the barrage. The Romans paused in confusion. Athers and his men took off, Potter and his joining them. The group flew along the path, then Athers halted.
"We don't want them to lose us." He reminded the group, and they all paused to breathe, leaning against trees and some even crouching while they gasped for air. After about ten minutes, a Praetorian stumbled through the trees - a hundred feet to the Eagles' north and facing away from them. Athers frowned disgustedly.
"We must have killed the only real trackers in that bunch with the little arrow ambush!" He exclaimed, and shot the Roman. He then swept a horn from his belt and blew it - hard. Almost a full minute later a wave of Roman axemen broke through the trees. The Eagles shot some of them and kept running. They quickly arrived at the mine shaft, the majority running in. Potter and his men remained outside to ensure the Romans knew they were there.
Athers arranged all the Eagles - the rest had been waiting here - into a fighting line except for a few led by Masters, who moved the last pieces into place. The trap was ready. Only a moment later Potter and his men came whirling in and tore up the small set of stairs behind the main chamber, reaching the balcony above and readying their bows. The one other exit from the mine was from that balcony. There was only one stairway from the rough, cave-like dirt-covered entrance. Athers was counting on it. A rope held a net with many barrels in it above the main floor, locked in place by a wooden board slammed in between a set of gears. Athers felt an evil grin cross his face at the thought of the trap here.
The first Romans charged in a few at a time and the archers shot them without hesitation. But a few escaped and rallied the rest into a massive wave that barreled into the mine, swords raised and axes shining. The Eagles slammed into them, fought for a few moments, then fled up the stairs a few at a time. Within minutes only Athers was left. The leader of the Eagles suddenly noticed the Romans begin to pull away from him. A jolt ran through him - had they seen the trap. But no - more of them crowded in. Then the crowd parted and a burst of shock filled Athers.
A man standing almost eight feet tall and with muscles the size of chairs charged through the opened Roman ranks, leaped at the end and landed near Athers, the ground shaking with his impact. He was dressed in hide pants and wore a simple headdress dominated by a massive scarlet feather. A giant axe was slung over his back, the only thing he wore on his upper body, but he simply seized Athers by his left leg and flipped him, slamming him into the ground. Athers' vision swam and the world spun, but he jerked out of the other man's grip and rolled to grab his dropped sword, then faced his opponent.
"So, Red Feather - you tracked me all the way from America, eh? I thought you swore allegiance to Sitting Bull?"
"I swore allegiance to killin' YOU!" Red Feather roared. "Ruler not matter. I break you, Athers, then Caesar break your nation!"
OOC: Now whaddaya think of that?
Found a way to get him in after all. Oh, and yes, Red Feather looks like Bane from Batman: Arkham Asylum on Venom. And the whole thing with the trackers and the horn WAS shamelessly ripped from Feist's Riftwar.- Lighthearter
MathNerd
High on math (a, not e)
Must... read... more... dying... write... quicker...
EDIT: I love your rule of writing. (The one in your sig)
EDIT: I love your rule of writing. (The one in your sig)
Lighthearter
President of the United States
Red Feather charged, a roar escaping his lips. Athers dove left, rolled and came up, dodging Red Feather's charge. The Sioux bellowed again and swung a punch, but Athers ducked and slashed the bigger man's arm. Red Feather pulled back, anger blossoming across his face, before ripping a section of the stairway from the rest and hurling it at the Night Eagles' captain.
Athers rolled under that attack too, but now his way out was gone. Red Feather seized a barrel that sat against the wall and flung it. Athers ducked and it slammed into the Romans, spraying a sticky liquid everywhere. He charged at Feather, hitting him with the hilt of his sword. The Sioux staggered back, and Athers came in and kicked him hard in the chest. Red Feather snarled and seized Athers by his arms. He raised him up and threw him across the room. Athers hit the wall and bounced off, slamming hard into the ground and spinning along. It was a miracle nothing was broken. Somehow he had also held on to his sword. Now Athers tried to get to his feet, but Red Feather grabbed him again. His sword skittered over next to the gears. That's it!
"It's over, little man!" Red Feather yelled triumphantly.
"Captain!" Masters yelled from above.
"I have broken you!" Red Feather cried, and lifted Athers higher.
"No, Red Feather." Athers snarled. Red Feather blinked. "This time I break YOU!" Athers' snapped his feet up into Red Feather's chest and kicked away, back-flipping next to the two gears and kicking the board out from between them as he grabbed the rope and his sword. The gears spun, the barrels shot downward - right onto Red Feather. The Sioux collapsed with a roar. The rope snapped upward, yanking Athers almost to the roof. He let go, flinging himself onto the balcony.
"NOW!" he yelled.
Fire arrows lanced out, burying themselves in the cluster of barrels. A massive inferno blazed into existence throughout the mine, encompassing the Romans and spreading throughout the other barrels stashed around the walls. In an instant the entire mine was burning. Athers smiled slightly in relief.
With a roar Red Feather hurled himself through the floor of the balcony, somehow not even singed. He charged forward, his axe now unslung, and slammed it into the wood floor, which buckled and cracked. Athers leaped at him, slashing high while the Night Eagles began to withdraw. Masters stabbed Red Feather in the leg, but the Sioux warrior jerked enough that the blow was superficial and backhanded the Lieutenant in the face, sending him flying. Masters shook his head dazedly.
Athers rolled under a swing, then jumped a punch. The Englishman punched Feather in the face, then leaped on top of him and wrapped his arms around the bigger man's neck. Red Feather reached up and grabbed Athers by the back of his shirt and tossed him to the wooden floor. It gave way, and Athers barely caught the edge before plummeting into fiery death. He hung there, reviewing his options. The floor above him shook and he looked up to see Red Feather approaching, axe raised.
"I have you now, Athers! You will never-"
Then the floor underneath Red Feather, already weakening as he approached Athers, gave way. The Sioux screamed and plummeted into the fire. Athers heaved himself up as the balcony began to dissolve, grabbed Masters, and ran for the surface. At the end, he dropped the lieutenant and slammed a massive stone door shut.
The Eagles fled for Ravus-York, knowing they had hurt the Romans badly - but not badly enough.
OOC: And now the battle begins in earnest. Enjoying this? Criticism is, as always, welcome.
- Lighthearter
Athers rolled under that attack too, but now his way out was gone. Red Feather seized a barrel that sat against the wall and flung it. Athers ducked and it slammed into the Romans, spraying a sticky liquid everywhere. He charged at Feather, hitting him with the hilt of his sword. The Sioux staggered back, and Athers came in and kicked him hard in the chest. Red Feather snarled and seized Athers by his arms. He raised him up and threw him across the room. Athers hit the wall and bounced off, slamming hard into the ground and spinning along. It was a miracle nothing was broken. Somehow he had also held on to his sword. Now Athers tried to get to his feet, but Red Feather grabbed him again. His sword skittered over next to the gears. That's it!
"It's over, little man!" Red Feather yelled triumphantly.
"Captain!" Masters yelled from above.
"I have broken you!" Red Feather cried, and lifted Athers higher.
"No, Red Feather." Athers snarled. Red Feather blinked. "This time I break YOU!" Athers' snapped his feet up into Red Feather's chest and kicked away, back-flipping next to the two gears and kicking the board out from between them as he grabbed the rope and his sword. The gears spun, the barrels shot downward - right onto Red Feather. The Sioux collapsed with a roar. The rope snapped upward, yanking Athers almost to the roof. He let go, flinging himself onto the balcony.
"NOW!" he yelled.
Fire arrows lanced out, burying themselves in the cluster of barrels. A massive inferno blazed into existence throughout the mine, encompassing the Romans and spreading throughout the other barrels stashed around the walls. In an instant the entire mine was burning. Athers smiled slightly in relief.
With a roar Red Feather hurled himself through the floor of the balcony, somehow not even singed. He charged forward, his axe now unslung, and slammed it into the wood floor, which buckled and cracked. Athers leaped at him, slashing high while the Night Eagles began to withdraw. Masters stabbed Red Feather in the leg, but the Sioux warrior jerked enough that the blow was superficial and backhanded the Lieutenant in the face, sending him flying. Masters shook his head dazedly.
Athers rolled under a swing, then jumped a punch. The Englishman punched Feather in the face, then leaped on top of him and wrapped his arms around the bigger man's neck. Red Feather reached up and grabbed Athers by the back of his shirt and tossed him to the wooden floor. It gave way, and Athers barely caught the edge before plummeting into fiery death. He hung there, reviewing his options. The floor above him shook and he looked up to see Red Feather approaching, axe raised.
"I have you now, Athers! You will never-"
Then the floor underneath Red Feather, already weakening as he approached Athers, gave way. The Sioux screamed and plummeted into the fire. Athers heaved himself up as the balcony began to dissolve, grabbed Masters, and ran for the surface. At the end, he dropped the lieutenant and slammed a massive stone door shut.
The Eagles fled for Ravus-York, knowing they had hurt the Romans badly - but not badly enough.
OOC: And now the battle begins in earnest. Enjoying this? Criticism is, as always, welcome.
- Lighthearter
arya126
Squad Leader
Very good writing. Looking forward to more 
.
WIM-Have you ever played the game Battle for Middle-earth? Its a LOTR game, and im assuming this is the second one since he used 'men of the west'. from the discussion with whosit can i gather that you are using the minas tirith map?(to LH). And hes probably badly outnumbered since hes playing aginst hards and brutals. But if hes good, he has a chance.
3 times the size of the english army? thats not much at all. MANY commanders throughout history have survived and even beaten an army many more time their size than 3. Tactics. thats the key. Its hard on the CIV world map, but on a tactic battlefield like i picked, well it should be well inside the realms of possibility.
If Athers dies....President arya will hunt down Red Feather once my term is up. I promise it. But LH, how do you plan to explain how they got here from america when we dont even know that place yet?
Ravus- I already said that it would never be an option to the coin to make either of us crippled. I said HURT.
.WIM-Have you ever played the game Battle for Middle-earth? Its a LOTR game, and im assuming this is the second one since he used 'men of the west'. from the discussion with whosit can i gather that you are using the minas tirith map?(to LH). And hes probably badly outnumbered since hes playing aginst hards and brutals. But if hes good, he has a chance.
3 times the size of the english army? thats not much at all. MANY commanders throughout history have survived and even beaten an army many more time their size than 3. Tactics. thats the key. Its hard on the CIV world map, but on a tactic battlefield like i picked, well it should be well inside the realms of possibility.
If Athers dies....President arya will hunt down Red Feather once my term is up. I promise it. But LH, how do you plan to explain how they got here from america when we dont even know that place yet?
Ravus- I already said that it would never be an option to the coin to make either of us crippled. I said HURT.
MathNerd
High on math (a, not e)
arya126
Squad Leader
I doubt it is MN, but i think the novel he is in the process of writing will be his first one. It sounds really good. But you are right, this writing is amazing.
Wait cull, what am i right about? I think thats a first and i want to know what i said..
Wait cull, what am i right about? I think thats a first and i want to know what i said..
Lighthearter
President of the United States
!!!!
Congratulations! You have officially succeeded where everyone else in this AAR has failed - you have made my jaw drop AND made m get up and wander around the house with a shell-shocked expression.
That has delayed the next post somewhat, but don't feel guilty! I'll make it better just for you!No, I'm not on there. Yet
. I intend to be after Gotterdammerung comes out - call it two years?arya - Correct - the one book and AARs are my writing zones. I have many plans, but they'll come later
I think you're right about numbers VS tactics.- Lighthearter
arya126
Squad Leader
!!!!
Congratulations! You have officially succeeded where everyone else in this AAR has failed - you have made my jaw drop AND made m get up and wander around the house with a shell-shocked expression.
No, I'm not on there. Yet
arya - Correct - the one book and AARs are my writing zones. I have many plans, but they'll come later
- Lighthearter
yeah, i kept getting confused why everyone kept saying the nigt eagles would be massacred on the russian island because of numbers, since an elite squad like them could hold of, and kill off a good bit, of a whole division for a couple of days for the most part. Training always surpasses numbers, and tactics are imortant too.
Still waiting for gotterdamerung. When its released, you better tell us. I want to be the first to buy it
.Wait your jaw dropped? i didnt think it would be that surprising. You are a really good writer after all.
MathNerd
High on math (a, not e)
No, no, no, no!
Tell us as soon as you get the publishing contract, I'll want to preorder it. When it comes out, there'll be a huge line at Barnes and Noble.
Tell us as soon as you get the publishing contract, I'll want to preorder it. When it comes out, there'll be a huge line at Barnes and Noble.
MathNerd
High on math (a, not e)
Like Black Friday.
arya126
Squad Leader
Exactly. LH is going to be rich. Hoepfully he will save some time to keep writing for us poor souls on teh CIV and Paradox forums...
MathNerd
High on math (a, not e)
LH'll just use his money to hire some people to make a site devoted to AARs, right, LH?
Whosit
Entropic Knight
I'd say that's partially true. The battle of Thermopole shows how a small group of elite warriors (utilizing defensive terrain) can massacre swarms of ill-trained enemies, but in the end, the superior numbers one. Although it was a Pyrrhic victory for the Persians, strategically, even if it was a tactical victory.
So, I'd say that there is always an amount of force that no degree of tactics and training can counter, although bringing that amount of force to bear is no small task should it be necessary.
Also, I enjoyed the writing, too.
- Status
