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Post by Svetovida Sviatislav on May 14, 2016 18:17:28 GMT
Ivaylo and his companions were weary, they had slept poorly for many days and the preparations for their great migration had drained what little vigour they had left. On a positive note Ivaylo had been joined by two thirds of the Slavenes. The other 10,000 had been quite servile in their desire to remain with their filthy Hunnic overlord. Some had even suggested he muddy his blood by marrying one of their wretched maidens.
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The horde of Ivaylo Sviatislav head northwards along the Danube. They march by day and encamp by night, some travel on rafts and small boats, fishing and plying ahead of the rest, scouring the terrain along the mighty river and providing food. The horde marches along the rivers bank and finds its sustenance there. They should reach the small Germanic city which they desire before too long, it sits in a great bend in the river and, once conquered, will provide the nucleus of the worlds greatest Empire.
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Post by Admin on May 15, 2016 16:03:53 GMT
After escaping the lands of the Huns, they enter the lands that have learnt to fear them. The countryside seems eerily empty as entire villages flee into the hills or the woods upon hearing that Sclavenian warriors have been seen in the area. The Slavs find it easy to obtain supplies in these circumstances, and some help themselves to what treasures the inhabitants had no time to bury.
After the local Heruli chieftains realise the Slavs aren't here for systematic pillage, they begin to worry. If they help the Slavs, the Huns would be angered, if they hinder them, they will surely lose many men. In the end, most of the messages sent to the Sclavenian king are along the lines of "We will not stop you, but we request that you leave our people and settlements unharmed. In return, our fields shall be yours to reap, and the villagers shall bring you water from their wells. You may camp in the countryside and outside of palisades, and as long as you do not step foot over any wall or ditch that marks the bounds of our settlements, you will find your passage eased."
The lands of the Heruli are not directly subservient to the Huns, but it is unlikely that this will remain the case for long. Local spies (the peasants will happily share their secrets in return for their neighbour's jewellery) say that if they follow the Danube it will cease its journey northwards and take a sharp turn to the west, here it will lead them to the land of the Rugi. They say that Rugiland has many markets on the course of the Danube, and Romans often trade there, from their province of Noricum. They are bordered in the north by Lombards and the west by Thuringi.
OOC: Rugiland includes modern Bratislava. This is a good position for a kingdom, but be warned that the Huns WILL venture further up the Danube as years go by, and Bratislava will not be the safest place when this happens.
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Post by Svetovida Sviatislav on May 16, 2016 12:04:52 GMT
Ivaylo and his people continue their march through the Heruli lands and take what plunder they can, avoiding the major towns and fortifications. This land is not the current object of their desires.
After weeks of travel they find themselves looking upon the bustling capitol of the Rugi, nestled by the Danube on three sides and ready for the taking, there will be no demands, no negotiation, just slaughter.
In the depth of night two thousand Scalevene warriors quietly paddle their rafts up the river and into the less protected docks and fisheries. Once they are amongst the ships they begin to set fires, causing a great commotion and spilling into the city. With the fires lighting up the night sky Ivaylo's remaining warriors begin their descent upon the city.
Ten thousand men stream straight towards the flimsy palisades and walls of the city, screaming their war cries and loosing projectiles into the air. Ivaylo keeps a force of six thousand men as a reserve and two thousand to act as a rearguard in case of other local forces coming to the aid of the doomed Rugi.
As the battle rages for several hours Ivaylo decides that the time has come to commit his reserve. With his personal guard around him Ivaylo charges into the fray. The six thousand fresh warriors should be enough to overcome the now exhausted defenders...
Ivaylos orders for the aftermath are quite simple. buildings are to be damaged as little as possible, Ivaylo must be paid his Kings tithe in loot and the cities inhabitants are to be taken. Men will be bound in chains, children to young for use as slaves are to be thrown into the river and women are taken as personal spoils. This city is for the Slavs.
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Post by Admin on May 17, 2016 18:56:18 GMT
Attracted by the burning beacons of the Rugi riverboats, the local chiefs gather what men they can and head to the aid of the city. The city, if it can be called that, is a modest one. No more than a square mile enclosed by a wooden palisade. The king's hall is the grandest building in the city, but many of the buildings resemble timber-built versions of a Roman domus. This settlement has clearly had much contact with the Romans of Noricum.
The Rugi had known of the coming of the Sclavenians, as they made their way through Herule territory word had spread fast. The city was well-garrisoned, if a little taken aback by the attack at night, and the countryside was teeming with Germans. The Rugi total 10,000 infantry and 2,000 noble cavalry, including the King's hearth companions.
The Rugi rush to defend the riverside, forced to leave a minimal garrison at the walls. The King's hearth companions charge into battle on horseback, through the wide streets of the city. The original Sclavenians struggle under so much pressure, and are slowly pushed back to the river. The smell of boiling flesh and the sounds of drowning men echo as the Slavs are pushed back into the chaos they initiated. The king is with them and revels in the bloodshed as the Slavs are easily repelled from their ill-thought raid. By the time men reach him with the news from the land-walls, there is little time.
Outside the walls, the local Rugi had refused to fight an army of infantry while their nobles rode on horseback. Aside from the dishonour, it was suspected that the lords were lacking in confidence and intended to flee if things went badly. Bowing to pressure, the Rugi nobles dismounted and lined up on foot with their common soldiers. By the time they charged into the valley, the Slavs had already overpowered the few defenders left on the palisade. As the Rugi poured into breaches in their own city, and saw themselves pelted with spears from the wrong side of their own palisade, they began to lose heart. One young noble fell back to look upon the battlefield. Blood and sweat mixing on his brow, he saw the futility of the battle. "The fool left the walls unguarded," he exclaimed. Another noble added, "An idiot is not worthy to be king."
The two nobles spotted movement near the enemy camp. There looked to be more than they first anticipated. Many thousands now moved towards the city. "To the hills, I say,"
"Quickly, I say," and with that the two nobles began yelling the cry to retreat. More than willing, the Rugi pulled away from the walls in their hundreds. Before long the entire extramural Rugi army was fleeing, pursued much of the way by spear-hearling Sclavenians. A handful of Slavs continued to pursue the Rugi far beyond the battlefield. One group managed to seize the Rugi noble horses as they wandered towards their home stables and rode them to pursue and harass the fleeing enemy.
Back in the city the king stood in anguish as his small victory turned into a massive defeat. "It is time to die..." he muttered, before ordering his warriors to charge to the landward side of the city and meet the Slavs head on. The street fighting was intense, but the Slavs now outnumbered the remaining Rugi four-to-one. The king himself was wounded by an arrow, and then trampled by advancing Slavs. It is only after several minutes that one Slav noticed the fine metalwork of the king's helmet, stabbed him in the heck, and tugged it off his lifeless head as a prize.
By morning the city streets are covered in blood, and much of the commercial district of the city is burnt or ruined. Charred or rotting corpses would be seen floating on the Danube for weeks to come.
Ivaylo is presented with 1,000 Aurei worth of loot as his share, the majority of this value is in slaves. He is also presented with the young Slavic cavalryman, now known only by his nickname 'Perun'. Perun was the man that seized Rugi horses to pursue Rugi men. He presented his king with the heads of fourteen Rugi nobles (identified only by the fineness of their armour) and a hundred penises, collected by him and his men. When asked about the penises, Perun explains, "A man has two hands, but only one of these, and Perun is an honest man."
4,000 Slavic Warriors died in the battle, but killed over 8,000 Rugi. 3,000 Rugi are taken as able-bodied slaves and serve the tribe as Robi. The remaining Rugi retreated to the north, where other tribes identify as Rugi. Northern Rugiland is now under assault from Lombards, on their way south, who have capitalised on the loss of half of the Rugi lands.
The Sclavenians now rule the Danubian lands of the Rugi, bordered by the Heruli to the south-east, the Romans to the south-west, Lombards to the North, and Thuringi to the west.
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