The Marauding Deity - A Hephthalites AAR

VI.​

[Sindh Province. Under the Wicholo heat.]

[Agra led his men through the scorching heat of the Wicholo region. For some reason, there was no breeze to ease the burn of the sun, and the remaining troops of the Gupta Empire's once-great army suffered for it. But Agra did not seem to notice it. In fact, he had been silent for the entire duration of the journey since the escape from the Indus River. The men, in their shattered morale, speculated amongst themselves that their commander had lost his will. Agra did not bother to quell these conjectures, remaining utterly quiet. That did nothing to help troop disposition-- not only were they defeated, but it seemed that they were virtually leaderless. In their march back to Hyderabad, warriors were lost to desertion. Others to grievous wounds suffered against the Huna savages. As they neared Hyderabad, their pitiful disarray was apparent.]

[Those who had remained with Agra sighed with relief when Hyderabad was in sight...]

[The first wind to pass among them came. But... It was cold. Agra halted.]

[Mumbling among the ranks. They knew what was coming... If they weren't inside the walls soon...]

[The sound of sliding metal startles them out of their growing panic.]

Agra: ...

[The Gupta general has turned about, sword in hand.]

Agra: Do you want to hide in that city? Do you want to hide in that box, and die like dogs!? Then be my guest! I am a man of the Empire! If I must shoulder the duties of defending it alone, then so be it! By Indra's will and the creator divine!

[... They were all men of Gupta. Though they wavered where they stood, they prepared to fight...]





[It seemed the enemy had sensed their presence even before the stampede of hooves could be heard. Akhshunwar held the handle of his sword tightly, as he saw the Hephthal's foes charge. At the forefront was Agra himself, yelling to the greatest extent his lungs could. A cornered beast... To be backed into a corner was the exact kind of situation where an enemy could be most dangerous.]

[But the Gupta forces were literally charging at them. To go so recklessly against any cavalry, much less the elites of Pa-ti-yen, was suicide. Not that Akhshunwar believed that they enemy was already defeated, but it seemed like such an egregious decision…]

[It was fortunate that Akhshunwar was only cautiously optimistic about the battle. A hail of awkwardly-shot arrows filled the sky. Knowing that he could not just halt the momentum of his company, Akhshunwar called for the riders to put up their shields. He did so himself, and was soon rewarded for his circumspection when his horse suddenly slumped over, two incredibly lucky arrows piercing through his eyes.]

Akhshunwar: Of course.

[He muttered this under his breath, as his ride collapsed under him. Thankfully, his second-in-command was behind him, and able to direct the path of the cavalry to his rear away, preventing Akhshunwar from being trampled. Cursing, he quickly got to his feet and charged with his men, regretting his luck.]




[It was to be expected that the Gupta army would suffer terrible losses from such an assault at the onset. Indeed, they would not last much longer as one after the other fell. Agra, however, showed an amazing passion for what was more or less a lost cause of a battle, swinging his blade so fervently that none of the passing Hephthal elites could attack him. The Gupta general even downed a few riders, which further incensed him.]

[Then he saw him.]

[Akhshunwar… The blight that caused the gods to forsake him.]




[As Akhshunwar yanked his sword out from the body of a hapless Gupta archer, he heard a shriek from behind. He turned, and was barely able to raise his sword to defend himself against the wild swings of a raging Agra. Forced to step back over a row of corpses that had been his doing, he noted that Agra was certainly displaying the proper violence for a warrior. But his foe’s blade was too clumsy and slow, using force overmuch. Akhshunwar deflected each blow easily, waiting for his chance…]

Agra: Urk!

[Akhshunwar’s sword lashed out, slicing cleanly through Agra’s chest. The Gupta commander stumbled back, and Akhshunwar took this chance to attack again.]




[Agra cried out in pain, releasing his weapon. He was blinded by his own rage, the dust of battle, and the adrenaline that consumed his body. He could scarcely see his hand, vaguely bloodied and causing him pain. Someone grabbed him from behind, and pressed something to his neck.]

Akshunwar: Farewell.

[The whisper was scant, as a blade dug into his throat…]




[The messenger returned from Thar, riding past countless corpses. The great majority of them were of the Empire… That was definitely a good sign. If there had already been a great battle out in the field, then it would be as he’d surmised— the Hephthalites had already started the siege on Hyderabad. Sure enough, there was camp of numerous tents stationed some ways away from the city’s gates. At the edge of the camp, it seemed General Akhshunwar was already waiting for him. The messenger waved the flag of Hephthal over his head, to signify his allegiance. Then, to his surprise, when the messenger was close enough, the general hurled an object into the air. The messenger picked up speed so that he might catch it.]

Agent: Oof!

[He was successful in the endeavor… To then find that he’d caught a severed human head. Specifically, a head that once belonged to one General Agra. Suppressing the urge to vomit, he reared his horse to return to the King, who’d probably already arrived at Bikaner…]

Duke of Wellington: Oh geeze, more puns. Dunno why I find 'em so funny, it's nothing to lose one's head over

Lofman: I'm way ahead of ya.

[Pa-ti-yen. The Walled City in Which the King Resides. Capital of the Hephthalite Kingdom.]

[The year is 486.]

[War continues to take its toll on both the Hephthal and the Gupta dynasties. Moreso for the Gupta... They were never truly able to recover from the devastating defeats of the earlier battles, losing time and again to the Hephthal Elites. There was the occasional victory here and there, where the Hephthalites would overpursue into mountainous provines such as Malwa where cavalry lacked the advantage, but otherwise Budhagupta had no remaining generals to field that matched Agra's tenacity, much less the combined might of Akhshunwar and Khingila in combat. To make things worse for the empire, even the Avars from the distant north successfully harassed Gupta infantry with their own horseback troops. The Empire's own allies, the Vakataka nation, provided little support, occasionally joining Gupta excursions to fight off encroaching invaders but often retreating just as quickly as they'd arrived.]

[Vakataka viewed clearly the reality that Budhagupta denied to himself... The war was a lost cause.]

[For the Hephthalites, their territories were left almost completely untouched by the war. The administration that Khingila had left behind were more or less left in peace, though the populace were becoming undeniably more strained with each passing year...]

[Of course, Khingila had left people to take care of the domestic issues.]

[Sitting amongst each other in the king's palace at Pa-ti-yen were the three brothers that had advised Khingila before the war. Before them was an excellent feast, accompanied by wine. Khingila's wife was also present, and she had laid herself on a couch next to a nearby window, staring at a Hephthal flag raised high on a staff, whose cloth billowed in the wind outside.]






[As he imbibed himself with drink, the oldest of the brothers was the first to speak, discussing the marriage between the daughter of a prominent Hephthalite and the son of an Avar chieftain.]

The Eldest: Well, their man made the mistake of saying she looked like a cow without realizing the father's presence. Managed to calm things down before the situation became too serious. Even managed to exchange information with one of their diplomats about western lands.

[The next oldest spoke of his own problems on the home front.]

The Middle: The peasants aren't taking well to how we're emphasizing the king's laws. No riots yet, but it may not be far off if the war continues.

[Finally, the youngest was the last to speak.]

The Youngest: We've finished establishing a proper system of taxation in our northern provinces, but those are the most vulnerable as the cities have no walls built up. If there is a rebellion, there won't be a garrison to hold off rebels.

[The three of them sigh together.]

Khingila's Wife: I suppose there's only one way to relieve all this stress. More wine?

The Brothers: Yes!




[+1 Centralization. -1 Stability.]
[Diplomatic Insult. -10 Relations with Avars.]
[Entered a royal marriage with the Avars. +15 Relations.]
[Shared explorations with the Avars, allowing us to know more of lands to the west and northwest.]
[Every province has a tax collector. Ducats. Yum.]

[The flag image is by Ivan Sache.]

Duke of Wellington: Alcohol in general, at least, is used by a lot of my peers at college to-- well, not SOLVE their problems, but rather make them go away.

VIII.​

[Pratalipudra. Capital of the Gupta Empire. The imperial court.]

[Normally, the Gupta Emperor would address all foreigners from the comfort of his ornate cushioned throne, with accompanying lines of soldiers. The emperor would then provide those foreigners with the offer of food, drink, and entertainment. Essentially, the imperial court would assault both the fears and desires of ambassadors and diplomats, dulling the ambition of other nations' representatives with intimidation, pleasure, or a combination of both.]

[Such tricks did not work with the current Emperor's guests, partly because there were barely any soldiers present, simply the battered remnants of a garrison. When there were more resilient arrivals, the Emperor himself often conducted negotations... But Budhagupta was not exactly good at diplomacy. And it was supposedly his strongest trait. But it was too late for him to prevent a face-to-face confrontation with his hated enemy... Khingila the First, of the Hephthal Dynasty.]

Budhagupta: ... I'll never give in to any of your demands.

Akhshunwar: How dare you! Gupta is in no position to bargain! Even the very walls of Pratalipudra have fallen and still you are stubborn! I should cut you down where you--

Khingila: Enough, Akhshunwar. Now then... You know, Emperor... My subordinate is correct.

[The Gupta Emperor scoffs.]

Budhagupta: Huna dog.

[Akhshunwar begins to draw his weapon, but a powerful hand stays his sword-arm.]

Khingila: All we ask is that you act reasonably for the first time in your life, Emperor. After all, even if we could never destroy your armies completely, constant raids are going to ruin your empire. Your populace understands full well that you've been beaten, and badly. After all, if you had any chance to begin with, we would never have made it to your capital.

Budhagupta: You rode here while ignoring everything else, Huna!

[Khingila ignores him.]

Khingila: We are willing to make a deal that will work to everyone's benefit, Emperor. Our allies, the Avars, have managed to take control of Panjab province. We'd rather not see it go into their hands as that's territory that's clearly for us. Not to mention, with their foot firmly in the region, they'll wish to expand even more into your remaining territories. I'd rather not enter another war against you so soon, so we will simply take the Thar, Indus, and Bikaner provinces--

Budhagupta: Enough! There is nothing you can say that will persuade me to--

[Khingila slams a box on the table.]

Budhagupta: Gods! What is that smell...!?

Khingila: We can try a different route, then. You can join General Agra--

[Khingila opens the box to reveals Agra's rotting head. Surrounding flies are quickly attracted to it.]

Khingila: And keep your dignity intact. As it seems you'd rather die than compromise.

Budhagupta: Hugurrk!

[... Once the Emperor is done vomiting...]

Budhagupta: ... Thar and Indus. No more than that.

Khingila: Now we're getting somewhere. But that's not enough.

[The ambassador from Vakataka enters. Like the Hephthalites, he had never fallen under the siren spell of the imperial court's vices, nor had he been intimidated by the Gupta Emperor. Especially not this one. Otherwise, the marathi nation would be Gupta subjects, not contemporaries.]

Vakatakan Envoy: In the way of land, that's all you're going to get. How about we compensate you and your allies with funds, or did you think it would be amusing that the Avars got nothing for their part in the war?

Khingila: Hm... You have a point. How much are you willing to give us?

Vakatakan: Ninety-two chests of gold, with the Gupta Empire to provide another ninety-two chests.

Khingila: That's certainly enough to satisfy the Avar chieftains' greed. Well, Emperor? Shall you take up the pen or suffer the blade?

Budhagupta: ...

[And so the provinces of Indus and Thar were ceded to the Hephthal Dynasty. Khingila and Akhshunwar led their armies out of the Gupta capital, with much treasure in tow. When they arrived back at Pa-ti-yen, there would be much rejoicing and merriment to be had. Akhshunwar, however, looked pensive as they reached the outside fields...]

Khingila: What's wrong, Akhshunwar? We've just settled a war favorably, even you should be happy.

Akhshunwar: We could've acquired more from that. Why couldn't we just continue the war for a better deal? Especially with the capital and the nation's Emperor in our grasp...

Khingila: Well, I'd never intended to kill Budhagupta in the first place. I want to see that blunderer on his throne for as long as possible. Not to mention, Akhshunwar, do you really think we can handle too many more Buddhists in our domain? Multiple faiths already permeate our lands, whose followers have a problem being servants under a king who follows an alien religion.

Akhshunwar: I think the Elites could handle more of any who follow different religious practices. Especially those who follow the pacifistic weakness of the Buddha.

Khingila: The Hephthalites experience more friction with the southern peoples. We could never get them to join us.

Akhshunwar: My lord... Are you talking about converting the populace to the Hephthal faith?

Khingila: Maybe. It's something to think about if the Kingdom is to expand appreciably. Whetting the appetite for territory is better spent on those who we're more familiar with. I look west, Akhshunwar.

Akhshunwar: ... I see...




[Thus, the Hephthal-Gupta War came to an end. The year is 487.]

IX.​

[A look at the religions within Hephthalite borders.]






[Where the religion of the Hephthalites has taken hold.]

[Gods of sky and fire. These deities are at the center of the Hephthal faith. Before each repast, the Hephthalites honor them. In addition, certain Hephthalites revere more than these two beings in their veneration of divinities. Khingila and his family in particular pay deference to another lord, a god of war...]






[Where Buddhism is predominant.]

[Buddhism, a religion based not around any higher presence, but rather on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, a Buddha, "one who is awake." It revolves around the end of dukkha, or "suffering", through attaining enlightenment. It is most present in the southern territories and the Hephthalite-controlled area stretching into the Tarim Basin.]






[Where the majority are of Eastern Theism.]

[The most prominent nation that contains followers of Zoroaster is the Persian Empire. It is not surprising, then, that much of the land that the Hephthalites control bordering the Persians are of the spirituality of Zoroaster. Judaism has also been looked upon favorably since the reigns of Shapur I and II.]






[The Hephthal Dynasty has these cultures as the core of their nation, and in addition to finding them easier to gather taxes from, it will be easier to convert people of these cultures in what was an unprecedented missionary campaign. The Hephthalites that had simply fought to sate the desire for control would now seek to integrate conquered peoples by converting them towards their own faith.]



[The tools that Khingila needed-- funds and devoted men-- were not out of reach. Neither were the nations that contained the Turkic tribes, Bactrian peoples, and Persian lands that would be considerably easier to convert than the Gupta lands to the south. But to attack north was to lose allies, and to move east against the smaller countries and fell entire courts would put a damper on foreign relations.]

[That left the traitorous Khwarazmites and the Persians, the latter of whom were embroiled in a war against the Eastern Roman Empire. It was exactly the kind of opportunity Khingila was looking for... But they would not be pushovers like the Gupta, and Akhshunwar thought he might opt instead to go for the easier target of his home country.]

[... Even if the Hephthalites did attack Persia first, a war against Khwarazm would come sooner or later.]




[Current treasury of 352 ducats in the year 488, which along with a census tax of 92 ducats will go nicely towards conversions. Not to mention the Hephthalites have a lot of cultures compared to other countries. Off the top of my head, the Visigoths are the only other nation I can think of in the 476 Scenario with the same amount of cultures.]
[I can't wait to have stab costs that are actually tolerable, and by tolerable I mean not more than 450 ducats. ]

Duke of Wellington: Still, I must have more ducats! The best way to get that while satisfying bloodlust is more land!

Laur: Sounds like something biblical. By iron people are you talking about the Gupta, or the Chinese states, or even the Hephthalites themselves?

[Atop the walls of Pa-ti-yen.]

[The negotiations had begun rather unexpectedly. The emissary from the west had arrived under the cover of night, and demanded to see the king. Khingila agreed to meet with him, though he was so irritated to be woken at such a late hour while not in a campaign that he nearly slew the man upon seeing him. Fortunately, the cooler head of Akhshunwar was present to halt him. Cooler head... Akhshunwar remembered being angry at the Gupta Emperor. To disrespect one's lord... That was the only thing that could anger Akhshunwar. Otherwise, he would brood or plan, calculating in such a way that Khingila would call him detached. Though in jest, it was obvious that Khingila believed himself to have made a correct observation.]

[Akhshunwar knew better, or at least the Hephthalite general thought so. He knew without a doubt he loved his wife, loved his daughter, loved his country... Both the Hephthalites and his Khwarazm homeland, however treacherous they were. Though he was loyal to Khingila, Akhshunwar was still finding it hard to reconcile his feelings.]

Persian Emissary: ... A marriage between a member the Hephthal Dynasty and a member of the Sassanid Dynasty, and the exchange of key military tactics between our forces.

Khingila: Quite a lot for simply giving Kavadh better political legitimacy against his uncle Valkash.

Persian Emissary: That is where our negotiations have taken us. I was commanded to do whatever is necessary for the benefit of both our peoples.

[Such honeyed words would not affect his king, Akhshunwar knew that... But this made things incredibly convenient for the Hephthalites. Now that the Persian Empire's inevitable head-of-state was entreating the Hephthalite Kingdom, the path was laid out before them. Before the month was out, the Elites would ride to the borders of Khwarazm and crush the small nation for its betrayal. Akhshunwar was not a pious man, but before the day came, he would pray to whatever powers would listen for forgiveness.]

Khingila: I refuse.

[Akhshunwar froze, as did the attendants and the emissary from Persia. The emissary shook his head, as if he had not heard correctly.]

Persian Emissary: ... To drag on negotiations towards such terms, only to refuse? Forgive me, Lord Khingila, but that does not take.

Khingila: Well, to put it simply, it would be inconvenient for us to support anyone from Persia that would not help to solve our own dilemmas. For instance, the presence of land on your eastern side that clearly should be in better hands.

Perisan Emissary: You demand territory! This is unacceptable.

Khingila: Your king is in a tight political situation. Are you in any position to--

Persian Emissary: This is unacceptable!

[The emissary screamed in rage, and moved in such a hostile manner that Akhshunwar and the attendant Elites present stood between him and Khingila. Though he was clearly outnumbered and not much of a warrior, his anger did not err in the face of these Hephthal warriors.]

Akhshunwar: Do not raise your voice to our King!

Persian Emissary: Be silent, servant!

Khingila: He's right, you shouldn't have. You leave me no choice. There is only one message you need to bring to your king. That the Persians will face the might of the Hephthalites in combat.

Persian Emissary: So in the end, this has been an utterly useless endeavor. You're just a hungry beast of the hordes!

[The sun arrived earlier than anyone expected, surging brightly from afar.]

Khingila: The fire rises to burn away the weak. Those filled with weakness never realize it until their end...

[Akhshunwar drew this sword and, before the emissary knew it, the tip of the general's blade was at his throat. The emissary paled considerably, and took a step back. It was just then he realized that to deliver the message Khingila intended, he needn't necessarily be alive. Doom was imminent, but still he grasped for his dignity as a messenger of the Persian Empire.]

Persian Emissary: This is blasphemy, Hun! This is madness!

Akhshunwar: Madness? No.

Akhshunwar: This...

Akhshunwar: Is...

Akhshunwar: HEPHTHAL!

[The general swiftly booted him in the chest, sending off the walls of Pa-ti-yen to plummet to his death. Thus did the war between Persia and Hephthal begin.]




[Event: "Dynasty Struggle in Persia."]
[Went with "Don't bother" to help Kavadh out.]
[Stability +1. Offensive Doctrine -1.]
[Declared war on Persia.]




[Pardon the silliness. The sad part is, I didn't even watch 300.]

Laur: Actually, the Wei to the east indirectly helped me as you'll soon find out.

Duke of Wellington: Especially since they're a huge target ripe for the picking.

XI.​

[Khorasan Province. Second siege of the city of Merv.]

[The year is 489.]

[At first, it seemed as if the Persians would be swept as easily as the Gupta. The provinces of Baluchistan and Kalat, their provincial capitals completely garrisonless and undefended by any forces in the field. The cities of Birjand and Zabol had been besieged, and quickly fell. Meanwhile, the Avars showed themselves as frightening opponents, crushing the invading tribes of the Alanes and the Sabir nation. When the Rouran Confederation-- whose relations with their vassal Gaochang soured to the point that the alliance failed under the duress of an eastern alliance led by the Wei Dynasty-- joined the war on the side of the Hephthalites, the Persians seemed to be finished.]

[Then came the arrival of a large Persian contingent, which had come from Persia's western front. Barely fighting on even terms with Eastern Rome in 488, fortunes turned and began to favor the Sassanids. Before, the Hephthal Elites would battle small Persian armies that were often outnumbered by the Hephthalites one to five. Much of the Sassanids' infantry, twenty-thousand in all, arrived at the city of Merv to break a Hephthal siege.]

[The Hephthalites were defeated in the first truly bloody battle of the war.]

[Ankara, the Hephthal General in charge of the siege at Merv, was forced to return in shame. If Ankara were under his command, Akhshunwar would have punished him, but Khingila simply assigned his force to remain in Bukhara. The Hephthal King reminded Akhshunwar that the Persians were greater warriors than the Gupta, and serious losses should've been expected since the start of the war. Grudgingly, Akhshunwar respected Khingila's decision, and led his own force to fight the Persians at Khorasan.]

[Akhshunwar's army of fifteen thousand, a third of which was cavalry, managed to achieve a bitter victory against the remaining sixteen thousand infantry there. Despite being a mountainous region disadvantageous to cavalry, he managed to rout the Persians and re-establish the siege on the Merv.]

[At the moment, he acquires much rest in his tent. Having not had proper sleep for months, any opportunity to slumber was much appreciated...]




Toramana, son of Khingila: May the Marauding Deity bless your endeavors, Uncle Akhshunwar.

Akhshunwar: ... I do not need the assistance of any gods.

Toramana: Our god of war cares not. The Marauding Deity grants favor on all who are worthy, whether they desire such support or not.




"It is a shame, Akhshunwar. Khingila only delays the unpreventable. Had he chosen a wiser war... At least you would have the pretense of serving your lord's wishes..."

"Once the decade is done..."

"You will be forced into a decision that will cause you much pain."




[Akhshunwar bolted upright. Breathing heavily, he grabbed a rag to wipe the sweat from his face. In his dream, he remembered having a conversation with the King's son, but then a voice had interrupted him. He could not remember its words, exactly, but something about it had alarmed him so much that he could not take it. Was it some manner of bad omen...?]

Guard: My lord!!

Akhshunwar: What is it!?

Guard: The Persians!! They return!

[Under his breath, he mutters.]

Akhshunwar: Of course.

Akhshunwar: Sound the call throughout the camp! To arms!




[I'll say one thing: 490 will be a very bad year for Akhshunwar.]

Duke of Wellington: 'tis to be a sad year for all Hephthalites.