Short AAR: Death of an Empire

Recently I was playing the Floris Expanded Mod Pack 2.1 and had a very memorable war which I have decided to turn into a short AAR. This AAR will probably be about four or five chapters (the introduction does not count) which I will post sometime this week and will be centered around the conflict of the Swadians and my kingdom. I would post all chapters tonight, but I am working on a great many other projects and have a good amount of homework tonight. The main problem is that I had to uninstall M&B so some of the specific details might be off by a bit (not a lot, though), but I fought this war a few days ago so the facts about the war itself will be very accurate. I also lost all screenshots  .
(Since my game was uninstalled, my profile was also lost. Therefore I will make a more interesting ending to this AAR)

Game Info
Difficulty: 124% (or something close to it)
Campaign/Battle AI: Good
Battle Size: 1000  (btw, I had routing turned off)
Character Level: 37
Day: Something like 500 days (it's been a while)

Table of Contents
Introduction and Background
Chapter 1: The War Begins
Chapter 2: The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 3: The Battle of the Five Armies (several parts)
          3.1: The Charge
          3.2: The Battle Climaxes
          3.3: The Last Stand
Chapter 4: Brom's Final Words
Introduction and Background
My name is Brom. I had entered this land a mere peasant with nothing but a sword, a few denars, and the clothes on my back. For the first few months in this new land I struggled to make a living, and everywhere I turned there seemed to be a group of bandits ready to beat me senseless and take whatever small fortune I had attained. I had entered the service of King Harlaus of the Swadians and had been the primary reason for their great expansion. We had nearly destroyed the Rhodoks, Nords, and Vaegirs, but the wars had costed thousands of lives and denars. Harlaus secured truces with all of them and felt that his kingdom was in absolute harmony now. The foolish king then began a "campaign" to raise the spirits of the nobles who had witnessed their villages destroyed, their men slaughtered, and had been taken captive by the furious Rhodoks. For at least three months he held feasts and created a previously honorable and mighty group of men into complete asses.

Meanwhile the Sarranids had been preparing for the downfall of the superpower of Calradia and had been making alliances with nearly every kingdom. Then in March of 1258 the Calradian Coalition launched a massive assault against the Swadian Empire. Most lords were caught completely off guard and had their armies decimated and been taken captive. Only Counts Deglan, Delinard, Tredian, and myself had been preparing for the war and had ignored the numerous feasts of the king. Our four armies numbered 250 or more men each while the rest of the lords had around seventy. Without those three lords the entire Swadian Empire would have been wiped out in the first month of the war. The war was a complete bloodbath: the Swadians lost nearly every land that they had gained in the Great Wars, the Coalition fell apart halfway through the campaign and began warring with each other, nearly every village in Calradia was looted at least twice, and thousands fell to the sword. At this time my only fief was Veluca: I had never asked for nor accepted any fiefs because I wanted to consolidate my power in Veluca, and for this reason Harlaus hated me deeply. Due to my decision to consolidate my power in a sole city, I had a thousand troops stationed in Veluca and only my villages remained untouched by the war. During this time I broke off from the Swadians.

By this time the Great Wars were over and the boundaries of the Calradian kingdoms had been reduced greatly. The kingdoms were nearly what they were when I arrived in Calradia. The Sarranids had not only succeeded in destroying the Swadians, but had also all of Calradia. Seeing the weakened state of the land, I decided to take the poorly guarded Ergellon Castle and then ask for it's ownership, which was obviously declined by Harlaus because he despised me. I then rebelled, taking Veluca and Ergellon Castle. I knew that if I was going to maintain my kingdom, I needed an ally, in this case the Rhodoks. After many gifts they soon loved me greatly and supported me fully, but would not create a non-aggression pact with me no matter how many times I asked. I appointed Bunduk, Marnid, and Rolf as my vassals and reinforced their armies greatly. I soon added the Swadian-controlled Almerra and Grunwalder Castles to my domain. Soon after I made a truce with Swadia, marking the end of the Great Wars and the beginning of a period of complete peace and harmony in Calradia. The deep wounds of the Great Wars began to heal. As Swadia recovered, they began remembering how great their kingdom once was. Only two months after the Great Wars had ended, Harlaus' plans for a unified Calradia had returned.

Its great, I'm looking forward to the next instalment.

July 24, 1259
There had been no peace in Calradia since the old Calradian Empire united the land under one banner. Since then the kingdoms have been in constant war with each other, always plotting and fighting. Now that the Great Wars were over, Calradia was able prosper. I spent most of the months of peace establishing new trade routes, improving relations with lords and kingdoms, and driving bandits from my lands, but I also began preparing for the next war which would inevitably come. I had amassed such wealth that not only could I field a massive army and garrison in my city, but I could also give many troops to my lords. My economy and my military were unstoppable.

        Near the beginning of June I received a message that the Sarranids and the Swadians had formed an alliance. This news sent a wave of fear and foreboding throughout Calradia. The Sarranids and the Swadians were the most powerful kingdoms, fielding thousands of troops. I immediately realized that my current kingdom would be no match for the combined forces of the Swadians and the Sarranids. I began commissioning as many patrols as possible, recruiting like a madman, and attempting to form alliances with as many kingdoms as possible. As I began improving relations with the Vaegirs, a messenger informed me that an alliance had been formed between the Sarranids and the Vaegirs. Now the three major powers in the land were formed into one alliance that seemed almost unstoppable. This alliance also got me thinking that making alliances would be much tougher. The only kingdom I was connected to was the Rhodoks, which was the weakest kingdom in Calradia. The Khergits and the Nords were doing relatively well, but they fielded very limited armies of either entirely cavalry or entirely infantry. The Khergits I knew would fall fastest, as they were surrounded by all three kingdoms and their light cavalry would prove to be no match against the flexible armies of the enemy. The Vaegirs, Sarrands, and Swadians formed the Calradic Coalition. The Coalition's main purpose was supposedly to unify Calradia under one banner, but their true intentions remained in the shadows. My position was worsening by the second: I had no alliances and the Coalition was gathering their armies for a swift victory.

        On July 10th, the Calradic Coalition declared war against my kingdom. Immediately Swadians, Sarranids, and Vaegirs began flooding into the Rhodok's and my lands. They went in groups of three lords all with at least 100 men and began destroying our lands. My patrols were mercilessly slaughtered at the hands of the Coalition while the innocents were massacred by the hundreds. I realized that the only way to achieve victory in this war was to establish alliances immediately and recall all armies to Veluca, so that we could have at least one remaining stronghold to which all could flee. As I surveyed a recently updated map of Calradia, I realized the the Coalition was going to win this war unless I was able to unite the remaining kingdoms. Wercheg and Alburq Castle had fallen to the Vaegirs and the Khergits had lost all lands to the west of Narra.

        I ordered my lords to remain in Veluca while I took a group of elite cavalry and led a minor counterattack against the numerous lords roaming free in my kingdom. I was able to defeat several war parties and capture several lords before having to retire to my city. The moment I returned to my city, a messenger informed me that both Almerra and Grunwalder Castles had been besieged. I set out with my most elite troops, but the moment I saw Grunwalder I knew hope was lost for that castle: there was an army of at least 1,500 troops surrounding my castle. I returned to my city defeated and hopeless. As I was thinking what I could possibly do to turn around this nightmare, a messenger returned with the most crushing news that I had ever heard. The Nords had lost Sargoth and the surrounding castles and no one had accepted my alliance. I would have to face the Calradic Coalition alone.

July 28, 1259- I write this from my camp on the Plains of Ergellon

          On July 25 the Coalition finally started their Grand Campaign, which was the first well-organized strike against my lands. Before the enemy had sent small raiding parties of 300 men and lone armies which I defeated easily, but they had assembled an army of about 2,000 and taken Grunwalder and Almerra. Now they had their sights set on Veluca and my head. I knew that if Veluca fell there would be no hope for both the Rhodoks and myself. In desperation I formed an unstoppable army: the Imperial Guard. The Guard was few in number and very expensive, but were the most elite troops in all of Calradia. All my hopes lied with the Guard as the enemy approached. I spotted a man who went by the name "The Diplomat" in a tavern at Veluca the night before I rode out. He was armed to the teeth and eagerly joined my army at first mention of a battle. This mysterious man would be the greatest
          The enemy had reached Grunwalder Castle by July 27 with a combined army of 6,000 troops. As I prepared my vassals and my personal army to meet the Coalition, my newly appointed vassals Firentis, Jeremus, Lezalit, and Baheshtur arrived with armies of about sixty men each, reinforcing my armies and renewing the hopes of many. I had a total force of about 1,500 men by the end of the day, and I decided to ride out the following day. For some reason the Coalition besieged my last remaining castle, Ergellon, and got caught up in a battle which killed 500 of their men. As soon as I left Veluca, the Rhodoks and all the men they could possibly muster came to my aid. With a total force of 3,500 men, the Rhodoks and my armies finally spotted the Coalition on the horizon. On July 28, 1257, the bloodiest battle ever recorded in Calradian history will play out, and the winner will rule Calradia.
        I must now prepare my men for the fight that lies ahead. If I do not live through this day, one of my vassals will record the events of today. Calradia's wars will end today.

Recreated Screenshots
I was able to recreate the Imperial Guard and "The Diplomat," so I posted 'em in here. (thank you Spak!!!) Except "The Diplomat" does not have the same stats, I just made him so amazing in memory of his actions .

What mod are you using?

killer110 said:

What mod are you using?

Click to expand...

Read the intro.

killer110 said:

What mod are you using?

Click to expand...

I modified the mod. The guys are using Imperial armor from Spak's Item pack.

But for the recreated screenshots I'm using Warring States with Spak's pack. Really fun mod.

MORE! I DEMAND MOORREE!! I NEED IT! (please)

Slayton said:

MORE! I DEMAND MOORREE!! I NEED IT! (please)

Click to expand...

It's coming  But I will separate it into several parts, as the battle took several waves to complete.

Just for clarification: I was using the Native troop tree because Monnikjie's one was a bit complicated and quests got messy for me.

July 29, 1259- I, Lezalit, write this in place of my lord Brom.

My king Brom has only hours ago passed away from the severe wounds he received from the fierce battle the day before. He died in the hopes that Calradia would finally be at peace with itself. The battle in which he sacrificed himself was the fiercest battles that Calradia had ever seen, and thousands fell. In the following account I will give you the tale of what occurred on July 28, 1257.

    Brom ordered Firentis, Baheshtur, and Jeremus to command the east flank while Rolf, Marnid, and Bunduk commanded the west. The Diplomat and I were the commanders of the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard was the personal bodyguard of Brom and our job was to ensure his safety. The Rhodoks were spread out throughout the ranks with their powerful sharpshooters taking the hill behind us. As soon as we finished setting up ranks, the enemy appeared on the horizon. To buy more time fore the ranged troops to volley, Brom sent a possy of Khergit lancers and horse archers to distract the enemy. The Khergits went to far and collided into the stalwart Swadian heavy infantry and were wiped out, not one survived. Borcha and Nizar had been in charge of this group and were soundly defeated. King Harlaus was the supreme commander of the Coalition army and ordered his cavalry to charge as Brom ordered his cavalry to charge.
    Brom led the charge with his Imperial Guard following close behind. All Hell broke loose as the cavalry clashed. Brom, the Diplomat, and I drove a wedge deep into the enemy cavalry. We slaughtered the light cavalry, but heavy knights and mamelukes counterattacked, killing most men on the front lines. The Imperial Guard quickly came to the rescue, protecting their king and destroying the heavy cavalry. As both sides fought for the advantage, Brom called in the Rhodok spearmen. The spearmen proved useless against the heavy cavalry and suffered a massacre without making a dent in the Coalition cavalry. Alayen and a force of mounted Nord Huscarls had been waiting in reserve, but were called to aid Brom in the bloody struggle. Alayen's group of thirty Huscarls slammed into the Coalition and quickly gave the advantage to Brom's men. The remaining Coalition cavalry was killed off, but only fifty of the original 200 allied cavalry remained. We had been slaughterd: Alayen, thirteen Imperial Guardians, Matheld, Floris, and many more had fallen in the bloodbath. However, we were able to kill off 300 or 350 of the enemy cavalry.
    Brom, seeing that he had already lost a good portion of his army, called a retreat. Both sides returned to their camps in mournful silence: we had lost many friends and fellow comrades in one short hour. Everyone asked themselves one question: if that many men could fall in one hour, how many could fall in a day?

We had only been in our camp for about two hours before the army was recalled to the battlefield. We got back into position and waited for the enemy to strike. Brom had ordered all archers and crossbowmen to hold their fire until the enemy were 100 paces from our lines. The moment the enemy reached that position, every man who had a ranged weapon sent volley after volley. The archers rained a constant fire upon the enemy while the crossbowmen fired slowly and steadily, but accurately. Brom ordered the eastern flank to swing around and slam into the enemy from the side, but at that moment the enemy's cavalry thundered right through the line of infantry and into Brom's personal guard.
The battle immediately swung in the Coalition's favor and Brom's men were systematically slaughtered. All thought that the battle was lost, but Brom still stood defiant in the face of utter destruction. He ordered both wings to swing around and encircle the enemy. The commanders who still remained obeyed swiftly and slammed into the enemy from their flank. Now the Coalition was being massacred. Brom ordered the Imperial Guard to mop up, but he was hit with a Sarranid javelin in the shoulder. Immediately following the javelin came another javelin to his horse's head, bring down both man and beast. Brom had fallen.
The Imperial Guard wiped out the remaining resistance and rushed to their lord. I was one of the best physicians in the kingdom and immediately began my work. I ordered for him to be brought back to camp. The work was messy, but I was able to preserve him, but I knew that he did not have long to live. We needed to win this battle quickly and decisively. Brom appointed me to be the supreme commander in his place. I prepared the army as quickly as possible to strike again at the enemy: they would get no rest for what they did to our king.
Both the Coalition's army and my army was almost completely cavalry. I ordered an all-out charge for the enemy, but I ordered the Imperial Guard and the mounted Huscarls to follow me. As we circled around the enemy to once again strike the flank, we watched as both armies thundered into each other, blood spewing in all directions and screams that never ceased. I sent the Huscarls to charge into the enemy's side to help out my men. My small group of Guardians collided into the enemy's flank with the ferocity of lions. My horse was speared through by a mameluke and it fell to the ground, dead. I quickly dispatched that mameluke and took his horse. I rode to a small hill and began firing volley after volley into the mass of flesh and steel.
The battle seemed to go in slow motion for me. I watched as each and every one of my arrows pierced an enemy and the blood come gushing from his wound. I also noticed that my forces had taken very few casualties and that the enemy were already on the verge of being totally wiped out. Then I heard a loud mass of thudding hooves coming from behind me: the enemy had sent in another wave. I hid behind a tree and wildly swung my sword on either side, attempting to dismount as many as possible. I recalled the Guardians to me, but it was too late. The Imperial Guard was mercilessly slaughtered, but for every one of them killed, they brought down at least seven with them. I swiftly loosed an arrow and sent it into Count Mirchaud's head, giving me a horse and one less lord to worry about. I took his horse, rode for some distant hills, and called for all of my men to come to me.
As I turned to take a quick survey of the situation, I saw about thirty men riding back to me while the rest either were dead or were being cut down as they attempted to come to me. A horde of enemies were riding like madmen towards us and I led my remaining men in a final stand. We were engulfed by hundreds of cavalry. We did have a few Rhodok spearmen who were able to stop a few cavalrymen, but they were quickly overpowered and we lost hope. The moment that hope failed, reinforcements came to our rescue. A mass of mounted and dismounted Huscarls hurled themselves into the enemy, terrifying the horses. The Coalition's men were massacred and we were saved once again.
As we mopped up, I returned to the open plain that both armies first clashed. Bodies covered the entire plain and I began looking for men who needed a physician. I found none. I returned to camp and went around for about three hours trying to cheer my men up and dress their wounds. I found Brom in a deep sleep in his tent, but he seemed much worse than the last time I saw him. I returned dejectedly to my tent and collapsed onto my bed, too tired to carry on.

The 1 or 2 remaining parts will come tomorrow. Merry Christmas!

yeah merry christmas but there is something more you need to do. I NEED MOAR!!!! GIVE IT TO ME!!!

I was awoken by my one of my squires saying that the enemy had assembled once more. I called those who remained to battle for the final time: whoever won this round would win the war. Harlaus led a wild charge in desperation, and got a Rhodok crossbow bolt in the stomach. So ended the maniacal tyranny of King Harlaus.
I watched as volley after volley of crossbow bolts and arrows rained down upon the enemy cavalry. Not one mounted man reached my lines. The Coalition cavalry was wiped out and all that was left was the infantry. I led the charge. We thundered across the wide plain with one objective in our minds: finish this battle. We pounded into the enemy lines with such ferocity that the front line of infantry fell within a minute. Though we took several casualties from enemy archers, we pressed on, hell-bent on defeating the Coalition. The Coalition then sent in their final wave of 700 men. As soon as they appeared, they sent a massive volley into our tight ranks. My men didn't stand a chance against the combined force of archers and surrounding infantry. I recalled my remaining men behind a river about 200 yards away. We would make our last stand there.
I was able to get 100 of my men back there, they were all that remained of Brom's entire army. I ordered them to dismount and retreat onto the steep banks of the river. The enemy had a infantry-only army, but still represented a great threat. I couldn't believe we had gotten this close just to fail. My plan was that my men would stand upon the banks and, as the enemy climbed the banks, kill from there.
I looked around at the men who remained and felt both joy and sadness. I had lost many friends and very few remained, but those who remained were great friends of mine. I saw Firentis and Baheshtur covered in blood, Contes Tellrog and Tarchias, and Jeremus with an arrow in his arm. We would go down fighting like madmen. As the enemy approached, Baheshtur and Firentis fired their remaining arrows and scored several kills because of their supreme marksmanship. The enemy reached the river and quickly overcrowded it with many men. This hour would decide the fate of Calradia.
The first lines of men were wiped out without one of my men falling, but we quickly were pushed back from the banks, but slowly. The enemy advanced at a crawl, losing men left and right. Tellrog wildly charged into the thick of the fray and killed at least fifteen men before falling with a javelin in his thigh. Tarchias was overwhelmed by Swadian sergeants, but was able to take quite a few of them down with him. Firentis, Baheshtur, and Jeremus backed up to me and we stood like an iron wall. The enemy had thrown everything against us in a desperate last grab at power, but we stood strong and drove them back.
The battle finally ended as I struck down Emir Ghanawa. I looked about me and saw only seventeen of my men remaining, Firentis, Baheshtur, and Jeremus among them. We returned to camp joyful for the first time in what seemed a long time. As those who remained celebrated, Firentis, Baheshtur, and I were called to a session with the king. We thought we would be rewarded with vast riches and titles, but we were very wrong.

The last chapter will be either be Chapter 4 or 5, but Chapter 4 will definitely (99% sure) be finished before the end of today. I have a twist planned which might (or might not) branch into something.  I will also post the kill counts that I remember for my companions and other lords in the final chapter.

The following account will tell the tale of what passed between the king and Firentis, Baheshtur, and I on the morning of July 28, 1257.

As we entered Brom's tent, we couldn't help but notice that the king seemed to be on the brink of death. His face was ashen gray, his breathing was sharp and erratic, and his guards watched over him with great vigilence. “Thank you for coming, my friends,” said Brom gravely. “I have very important matters to discuss and bring to your attention this morning. “But first I would like to congratulate you all on your tremendous victory over the enemy. You all showed your superior grasp of strategy and combat and proved to me that I have chosen my vassals wisely.”
“Thank you, my king,” we said. We were deeply concerned by the elderly man's condition and the words he spoke, but tried to hide all emotion. “But my king, please tell us of these things you speak so gravely of,” Firentis said.
“I will start with the most immediate matters. I am leaving the kingship to you three. I will be gone before this day ends, and there are no other men more capable than you. You must take all the lands of the Calradic Coalition and establish a strong government over them. King Graveth is weak and without me he would be nothing. You must not rely upon his aid, but instead you must turn to King Ragnar and Sanjar Khan, they will prove to be a great aid to you. With so many military leaders dead, the Coalition will crumble and so will your kingdom, unless you three take charge. Do not let my efforts die in vain.
“I do have a dream for a unified Calradia, but Calradia is crumbling. There are far greater and more dangerous powers lurking on these borders, ever watching, never sleeping. Ah, if only I had more time! I feel that the end is coming near and I have so much more to speak of,” said the king. He then had a fit of coughing that lasted for several minutes before he was able to calm down.
“When I was young, I explored many lands and found one that was most... interesting. The land used to be united under one king, as Calradia was in the olden days. The king and the royal family fell victim to a plot, and the entire ruling family was assassinated, leaving this land without a leader. The land quickly became split between many kingdoms, all vying for power. I arrived in a time of war, anarchy, and chaos. The kingdoms there are much more powerful than all of Calradia combined. I knew that if those kingdoms were conquered and the internal wars ended, Calradia would stand no chance. I created a small kingdom and made war upon every kingdom in that land. I met many friends and was able to greatly weaken the power of the kings. Sir Metz was one of my best vassals, and I left him there to continue what I had started. I have never heard from Metz since the moment I left him. I knew that he bore a son a few days before I departed, but nothing more about him. I wrote all my thoughts, experiences, and plans down in a book that I have hidden in Veluca, deep within the inner parts of the city.
“These kingdoms had very powerful and numerous armies, and have to be stopped if Calradia is to survive. You three must journey to this land and unify it under one ruling body. I am sorry that I leave you little time to consider this proposal, but if you deny it, than I fear that this land shall be wiped from the face of the earth, along with all it's good people.” Brom winced and put his hand to his stomach in a useless attempt to lessen the pain. He was only moments away from death, but, struggling, continued.
“Come near, come near, my friends! The book that I mentioned lies within the catacombs of the city. The old kings built the catacombs as a refuge if the city ever came under siege. You must find the book, it is essential if you are to save Calradia!”
“My king, what is the name of this mysterious land?” I asked in earnest.
“The n-name of the l-land is...” the king struggled to find the strength to utter the word, “P-Pendor.” The final breath of Brom, King of Calradia and Bringer of Peace, was breathed. Brom was dead.


I will post the fifth and final chapter tomorrow. And then, who knows, maybe something more.  Hope you enjoyed and Merry Christmas!

Very nice. Merry Christmas to you too.