Benz282
Sergeant
Foreward: I am not new to M&B...I've just been lurking...a lot 
. Some of you may know me from TWC. I write AAR's over there, along with some modding and, recently, beta testing RS2. Anyways, I have been a fan of M&B since the day I first played it. There was always SO much to be said about playing it (role-playing wise), but without a story, I largely felt like the game was "empty". While I love M&B for its great combat, I wanted more from it.
I noticed this mod a while ago, quite a while back actually. Back then I wasn't interested in it, though, and I was more drawn to Custom Settlements (another great mod, for those who haven't tried it yet). Now, I have come back to this, and seeing as it seemed to offer many more features than I previously remembered, I downloaded it about an hour ago and started playing. Gotta say, it is a wonderful mod (even though I've hardly played, I have heard from others and read most of the topics here). And so, I want to start an AAR for this mod (partly due to the massive amount there already seems to be...I'll get around to reading them sometime).
This AAR will be deep. It will probably feature long updates, and will probably read more like a book than a typical AAR (this is something I am experimenting with in one of my Rome:Total War AAR's and I like it thus far). There will be pictures. Some might be edited, but know that when I include pictures, they will be good. This AAR will focus (mainly) on the internal debates and struggles my character (King, or "Sir" at this point, Michael I) faces, as he prepares a resistance to the Invasion (nothing new here, I am sure). I will let the AAR speak for itself, when it is written, but I hope it forces you (the readers) to question your own beliefs, and your own views. That is my goal, for I believe human beings, having been gifted with the ability to "think" at the level we do, must constantly question themselves and each other in order to learn more about themselves, both as individuals, and as humans as a whole.
I apologize for posting this thread without having any "real" content to show you guys, but it is 1am and I have school, so for the sake of my grades, I'm putting it off till tomorrow.
Oh, and hi everyone !
Prologue:
I came from Villian, a city of contrast, yet, of unspeakable beauty.
Villian sat on the very edge of the ocean. At midday, the great waves would calm and the surface would meet with the sun, producing a dreamy haze of mist that floated out across the bay and even into the city itself. The Great Mist was revered by many as the proof of a sea-god that watched over us all, and that the Mist was intended to bring joy, happiness, and youth back to the townspeople. And so, when the Mist descended, droves of people would gather near the shore and immediately begin humming prayers. Some men even made their living off of "bottling" the Mist and then selling it off as a symbol of "good luck" and prosperity. Indeed, the Mist was somewhat euphoric for some, and belief in the sea-god was widespread among the population; most of us were sailors or traders, whose lives and profits more or less depended on which way the ocean decided to ebb and flow, after all.
I myself, never believed in the "Mist-god". I enjoyed the mist, and welcomed it as much as the next Villianese, but I saw no god in that salty air. Villianese ships of Villianese crews still sank. Mothers and wives of those men prayed to the sea, and too many wept even still. Indeed, I saw no prayers being answered, whether they were for love, prosperity, happiness, or safety. I saw no reason to dedicate faith to Her when She would not dedicate herself to those who already had.
My parents were both fervent "Misters", but supported my right to believe what I wanted. My father was incredibly upset when he found out, so much so to the point I faked having faith out of guilt, but once my mother learned of my true conviction, she immediately excused me from joining the mass-"oh, pity me, Lord!" gatherings at midday. Despite this, I loved both my parents and they loved and cherished me as well...even to their dying breath.
My father...he was a merchant. Not the richest or most successful, but he certainly held claim to his own little corner of Villian. My mother, on the other hand, was part of the governing body of Villian and her various colonies. Of the thousands that inhabited the city itself, her and four others were selected, as the wisest and most benevolent members of the society, to rule. These men and women had no other duty than to serve the state. Everything was payed for, and they were as far removed from the rest of the city as possible. For the rest of their lives, they were to hear cases (serving both as a court and a jury), pass legislation, control the army, and to generally bring order to Villian. Quite frankly, they did a great job at all those things; granted, we never had to worry about wars, so controlling the army was more like supplying a militia (ensuring all the citizens knew what to do in case of an attack, issuing out uniforms and weapons, etc). Why we never had to deal with invasions is puzzling to me, even to this day. Now of course, war has become a terrible, yet inescapable part of my life, but I suppose it is to do with the fact we never heard of any nations other than our own. We were isolated, cut off from the rest of the world; whether that was good for me to grow up in that environment, I do not know, but I can attest that those years were easily the most enjoyable years of my life.
Now of course, that has all been torn away from me... It is something to strive for, though. Indeed, it is the only thing I have left: Memories.
Book I - The Fall
Chapter I - The Bay of Villian
The bay was calm, and as the reds and oranges of the dying sun reflected across those clear waters, I sat in wonder. For but a moment, I no longer felt the wind. I felt no warmth, and no cold. The itchiness of the grass on which I sat no longer seemed to bother me. I was in my own world, the world in my head, and in that world there was nothing but the endlessness of the sea as it met with the great eternity of the sky. There were no thoughts, and yet there were. There are some things man cannot attempt to convey through words, and of them is the awe that filled me at that moment.
I was questioning, as I always did. But now it was different.
The bay had not always been this calm and quiet. With ships of all size and make, from every corner of the world, constantly sailing around; sailors and crewmen always yelling, rushing to load and unload their massive cargoes of goods so that they might be off again and on their way...very rarely were the waters here so untainted by the wake of ships and the disturbance man makes. Very early in my life, I learned to silently detach myself from the chaos that reigned on the many piers, and so I had found my own spot further down along the shoreline, where I could be free to be with nature in her purest form. Free from the company of others who might ruin it. Very few knew my spot, and those who did, knew only because I trusted them. Because despite the self-imposed nature of my "isolation" there, I often found myself yearning for one to appreciate it with.
And yet then I was able to indulge in a scene that was oh so very different and contrary to my previous "ideal", though it was still so very wondrous. I had gazed out to see the sun and the sea meet countless times, and yet the contrast of the lifeless piers jutting out deep into the bay added so much to the picture. It was breathtaking.
And all was made possible by the fact the ships had nowhere to go. Our mariners were turned back no matter where they turned to, seeking only to trade goods. Ships which were not prepared for this had tonnes of goods spoil on the return journey, which then had to be turned overboard. Crates of food and other items washed up on the shores here, and no doubt on the shores of far away lands as well. The merchants who had sponsored the expeditions quickly lost their fortunes. My father was among them, and had my mother not been a member of the Five, my family would have likely been forced out onto the streets. Instead, I was forced to look down into the faces of those less fortunate than myself every time I took a stroll through the city; men and women and children who had lived off the profits the sea provided for them, and yet now were forced to beg for mere scraps of food. One could not help but attempt to wonder at why it was they who had to suffer.
So our vessels sat in port, their anchors burrowing ever deeper into the sandy bottom.
Food supplies began running short. The city was founded on trade and when that trade was cut off, so too were the copious amounts and differing varieties of sustenance which the people had previously survived on. To make matters worse, the Five quarantined the city, stating that there was a "plague" rampaging through the countryside, though my mother refused to say much about it when I questioned her. The result was simple: the city was slowly...painfully dying; and we all knew it.
Chapter II - The Rising Eagle
For the first time in my life, as well as many of my comrades', I felt the weight of mail bearing down on my shoulders. Villian, the city who knew nothing but peace, was forced, for the first time in its history, to send her sons and daughters out to fight and die in the name of liberty. The Five Lords of Villian had warned of a plague, and a plague had indeed come to the city; though it was not the plague that was implied. The name of the sickness was one we had never before heard of: War.
Rome had spent the last decades conquering, subjugating, and enslaving the various kingdoms, fiefdoms, and duchies of the world. Delegates were sent to every royal court, offering peace and prosperity...but only under the crimson wings of the imperial eagle. The kings that turned down the offer, seeking to preserve their own power, were swiftly removed from power by the endless armies Rome could muster. The legions of an entirely unfamiliar enemy descended upon us. The Empire of Antares. The Republic of Marina. The Kingdom of Aden. Even the mighty Zerrikanian Sultanate fell to the advancing wall of men; all kingdoms and nations equally as ancient as our own. And now, the legions of this awesome and entirely unfamiliar "Republic" of Rome had set their sights on Villian.
But, none of that mattered. The people were scared. Never before had a Villianese arrow been launched in anger. The people were not ready to fight, as until now, no one had been expected to; though perhaps the most deadly enemy we faced was fear. They were all scared, and they all wanted answers. But they could not turn to the Five Lords themselves for answers, as they had already shut themselves away in the depths of their sacred halls in anticipation for the end, so the people turned to their children, whom they expected to know just as much as their parents did. The truth? We knew little more than they did, and on this dark and rainy night, we were all just as anxious and fearful as they.
That night, we were all the same. There was absolutely no telling between any of the men and women that stood atop those high walls. To the enemy, we were all naught but cattle. And, like cattle, we were destined to be slaughtered...
-:-
The Imperial Forces Camp - Outside Villian
For weeks we had sat here. For weeks, we had sat idle, knowing that at any moment, battle could start. Some men saw it as a chance to relax; a welcome break from the usual policy of incessant campaigning. Others, like myself, found it frustrating. We had made ourselves masters of the known world. Conquered every people. Slain thousands of men. And yet, here we were forced to halt. Here of all places; a city whose only defense was a few feet of stone and brick. We had faced more intimidating fortifications before, and never before had our leaders faltered. Why now? Why against these men, who cowered behind the walls of their city, rather than face the enemy in an honest battle. They were all cowards! All of them!
The fire cracked, shooting out a jet of sparks; each gracefully flying through the air before landing in the dirt and mud. As this happened, I focused on one particular spark. It seemed to be the brightest, and so it immediately caught my attention. I watched it as it was born out of the heat of the fire, and as it slowly withered away, losing its luminance, before finally it was nothing; forgotten. It died alone, away from its brothers...away from its home...none would ever remember where it died (even I, who still stared at that very place, for I knew as soon as I looked away, I would never be able to find it again). Its grave would belong to a stranger, one who knew not what it was, other than it brought the scorching heat of that fire which burned oh so far away...
Perhaps that is why my comrades and I often found ourselves gazing into the fire as we rested between the many battles we faced on our long journey.
But this would be it. The final city that still resisted us was in reach! All we needed to do was extend our grasp a little bit further...that is all that would be required! Then the eagle would finally reign over a fief worthy of its protection! My hands gripped the Aquila; the familiar groove of the wood projecting itself into my palm.
Never will the eagle fall.
-:-
To Be Continued...
. Some of you may know me from TWC. I write AAR's over there, along with some modding and, recently, beta testing RS2. Anyways, I have been a fan of M&B since the day I first played it. There was always SO much to be said about playing it (role-playing wise), but without a story, I largely felt like the game was "empty". While I love M&B for its great combat, I wanted more from it. I noticed this mod a while ago, quite a while back actually. Back then I wasn't interested in it, though, and I was more drawn to Custom Settlements (another great mod, for those who haven't tried it yet). Now, I have come back to this, and seeing as it seemed to offer many more features than I previously remembered, I downloaded it about an hour ago and started playing. Gotta say, it is a wonderful mod (even though I've hardly played, I have heard from others and read most of the topics here). And so, I want to start an AAR for this mod (partly due to the massive amount there already seems to be...I'll get around to reading them sometime).
This AAR will be deep. It will probably feature long updates, and will probably read more like a book than a typical AAR (this is something I am experimenting with in one of my Rome:Total War AAR's and I like it thus far). There will be pictures. Some might be edited, but know that when I include pictures, they will be good. This AAR will focus (mainly) on the internal debates and struggles my character (King, or "Sir" at this point, Michael I) faces, as he prepares a resistance to the Invasion (nothing new here, I am sure). I will let the AAR speak for itself, when it is written, but I hope it forces you (the readers) to question your own beliefs, and your own views. That is my goal, for I believe human beings, having been gifted with the ability to "think" at the level we do, must constantly question themselves and each other in order to learn more about themselves, both as individuals, and as humans as a whole.
I apologize for posting this thread without having any "real" content to show you guys, but it is 1am and I have school, so for the sake of my grades, I'm putting it off till tomorrow.
Oh, and hi everyone !
Prologue:
I came from Villian, a city of contrast, yet, of unspeakable beauty.
Villian sat on the very edge of the ocean. At midday, the great waves would calm and the surface would meet with the sun, producing a dreamy haze of mist that floated out across the bay and even into the city itself. The Great Mist was revered by many as the proof of a sea-god that watched over us all, and that the Mist was intended to bring joy, happiness, and youth back to the townspeople. And so, when the Mist descended, droves of people would gather near the shore and immediately begin humming prayers. Some men even made their living off of "bottling" the Mist and then selling it off as a symbol of "good luck" and prosperity. Indeed, the Mist was somewhat euphoric for some, and belief in the sea-god was widespread among the population; most of us were sailors or traders, whose lives and profits more or less depended on which way the ocean decided to ebb and flow, after all.
I myself, never believed in the "Mist-god". I enjoyed the mist, and welcomed it as much as the next Villianese, but I saw no god in that salty air. Villianese ships of Villianese crews still sank. Mothers and wives of those men prayed to the sea, and too many wept even still. Indeed, I saw no prayers being answered, whether they were for love, prosperity, happiness, or safety. I saw no reason to dedicate faith to Her when She would not dedicate herself to those who already had.
My parents were both fervent "Misters", but supported my right to believe what I wanted. My father was incredibly upset when he found out, so much so to the point I faked having faith out of guilt, but once my mother learned of my true conviction, she immediately excused me from joining the mass-"oh, pity me, Lord!" gatherings at midday. Despite this, I loved both my parents and they loved and cherished me as well...even to their dying breath.
My father...he was a merchant. Not the richest or most successful, but he certainly held claim to his own little corner of Villian. My mother, on the other hand, was part of the governing body of Villian and her various colonies. Of the thousands that inhabited the city itself, her and four others were selected, as the wisest and most benevolent members of the society, to rule. These men and women had no other duty than to serve the state. Everything was payed for, and they were as far removed from the rest of the city as possible. For the rest of their lives, they were to hear cases (serving both as a court and a jury), pass legislation, control the army, and to generally bring order to Villian. Quite frankly, they did a great job at all those things; granted, we never had to worry about wars, so controlling the army was more like supplying a militia (ensuring all the citizens knew what to do in case of an attack, issuing out uniforms and weapons, etc). Why we never had to deal with invasions is puzzling to me, even to this day. Now of course, war has become a terrible, yet inescapable part of my life, but I suppose it is to do with the fact we never heard of any nations other than our own. We were isolated, cut off from the rest of the world; whether that was good for me to grow up in that environment, I do not know, but I can attest that those years were easily the most enjoyable years of my life.
Now of course, that has all been torn away from me... It is something to strive for, though. Indeed, it is the only thing I have left: Memories.
Book I - The Fall
Chapter I - The Bay of Villian
The bay was calm, and as the reds and oranges of the dying sun reflected across those clear waters, I sat in wonder. For but a moment, I no longer felt the wind. I felt no warmth, and no cold. The itchiness of the grass on which I sat no longer seemed to bother me. I was in my own world, the world in my head, and in that world there was nothing but the endlessness of the sea as it met with the great eternity of the sky. There were no thoughts, and yet there were. There are some things man cannot attempt to convey through words, and of them is the awe that filled me at that moment.
I was questioning, as I always did. But now it was different.
The bay had not always been this calm and quiet. With ships of all size and make, from every corner of the world, constantly sailing around; sailors and crewmen always yelling, rushing to load and unload their massive cargoes of goods so that they might be off again and on their way...very rarely were the waters here so untainted by the wake of ships and the disturbance man makes. Very early in my life, I learned to silently detach myself from the chaos that reigned on the many piers, and so I had found my own spot further down along the shoreline, where I could be free to be with nature in her purest form. Free from the company of others who might ruin it. Very few knew my spot, and those who did, knew only because I trusted them. Because despite the self-imposed nature of my "isolation" there, I often found myself yearning for one to appreciate it with.
And yet then I was able to indulge in a scene that was oh so very different and contrary to my previous "ideal", though it was still so very wondrous. I had gazed out to see the sun and the sea meet countless times, and yet the contrast of the lifeless piers jutting out deep into the bay added so much to the picture. It was breathtaking.
And all was made possible by the fact the ships had nowhere to go. Our mariners were turned back no matter where they turned to, seeking only to trade goods. Ships which were not prepared for this had tonnes of goods spoil on the return journey, which then had to be turned overboard. Crates of food and other items washed up on the shores here, and no doubt on the shores of far away lands as well. The merchants who had sponsored the expeditions quickly lost their fortunes. My father was among them, and had my mother not been a member of the Five, my family would have likely been forced out onto the streets. Instead, I was forced to look down into the faces of those less fortunate than myself every time I took a stroll through the city; men and women and children who had lived off the profits the sea provided for them, and yet now were forced to beg for mere scraps of food. One could not help but attempt to wonder at why it was they who had to suffer.
So our vessels sat in port, their anchors burrowing ever deeper into the sandy bottom.
Food supplies began running short. The city was founded on trade and when that trade was cut off, so too were the copious amounts and differing varieties of sustenance which the people had previously survived on. To make matters worse, the Five quarantined the city, stating that there was a "plague" rampaging through the countryside, though my mother refused to say much about it when I questioned her. The result was simple: the city was slowly...painfully dying; and we all knew it.
-:-
Chapter II - The Rising Eagle
For the first time in my life, as well as many of my comrades', I felt the weight of mail bearing down on my shoulders. Villian, the city who knew nothing but peace, was forced, for the first time in its history, to send her sons and daughters out to fight and die in the name of liberty. The Five Lords of Villian had warned of a plague, and a plague had indeed come to the city; though it was not the plague that was implied. The name of the sickness was one we had never before heard of: War.
Rome had spent the last decades conquering, subjugating, and enslaving the various kingdoms, fiefdoms, and duchies of the world. Delegates were sent to every royal court, offering peace and prosperity...but only under the crimson wings of the imperial eagle. The kings that turned down the offer, seeking to preserve their own power, were swiftly removed from power by the endless armies Rome could muster. The legions of an entirely unfamiliar enemy descended upon us. The Empire of Antares. The Republic of Marina. The Kingdom of Aden. Even the mighty Zerrikanian Sultanate fell to the advancing wall of men; all kingdoms and nations equally as ancient as our own. And now, the legions of this awesome and entirely unfamiliar "Republic" of Rome had set their sights on Villian.
But, none of that mattered. The people were scared. Never before had a Villianese arrow been launched in anger. The people were not ready to fight, as until now, no one had been expected to; though perhaps the most deadly enemy we faced was fear. They were all scared, and they all wanted answers. But they could not turn to the Five Lords themselves for answers, as they had already shut themselves away in the depths of their sacred halls in anticipation for the end, so the people turned to their children, whom they expected to know just as much as their parents did. The truth? We knew little more than they did, and on this dark and rainy night, we were all just as anxious and fearful as they.
That night, we were all the same. There was absolutely no telling between any of the men and women that stood atop those high walls. To the enemy, we were all naught but cattle. And, like cattle, we were destined to be slaughtered...
-:-
The Imperial Forces Camp - Outside Villian
For weeks we had sat here. For weeks, we had sat idle, knowing that at any moment, battle could start. Some men saw it as a chance to relax; a welcome break from the usual policy of incessant campaigning. Others, like myself, found it frustrating. We had made ourselves masters of the known world. Conquered every people. Slain thousands of men. And yet, here we were forced to halt. Here of all places; a city whose only defense was a few feet of stone and brick. We had faced more intimidating fortifications before, and never before had our leaders faltered. Why now? Why against these men, who cowered behind the walls of their city, rather than face the enemy in an honest battle. They were all cowards! All of them!
The fire cracked, shooting out a jet of sparks; each gracefully flying through the air before landing in the dirt and mud. As this happened, I focused on one particular spark. It seemed to be the brightest, and so it immediately caught my attention. I watched it as it was born out of the heat of the fire, and as it slowly withered away, losing its luminance, before finally it was nothing; forgotten. It died alone, away from its brothers...away from its home...none would ever remember where it died (even I, who still stared at that very place, for I knew as soon as I looked away, I would never be able to find it again). Its grave would belong to a stranger, one who knew not what it was, other than it brought the scorching heat of that fire which burned oh so far away...
Perhaps that is why my comrades and I often found ourselves gazing into the fire as we rested between the many battles we faced on our long journey.
But this would be it. The final city that still resisted us was in reach! All we needed to do was extend our grasp a little bit further...that is all that would be required! Then the eagle would finally reign over a fief worthy of its protection! My hands gripped the Aquila; the familiar groove of the wood projecting itself into my palm.
Never will the eagle fall.
-:-
To Be Continued...
