Towards the Present We Go, Langobards AAR (The Steppe Wolf MOD)

[unmerged(471650)]

I read all the updates when I get a chance to login.
But with my work schedule (90+hours a week) I just don't have time to post.
I am gameplay oriented, but any screenshots are a help.

 

[blklizard]

I think for wars like that I need maps and screenshots but that's just me because I'm very gameplay focused.

Liked the little narrative bits though

I agree with Prawnstar.

I read all the updates when I get a chance to login.
But with my work schedule (90+hours a week) I just don't have time to post.
I am gameplay oriented, but any screenshots are a help.

Thank you all for the feedback. I promise my next big war will be more in depth (thinking of try to be more descriptive of battles).

Chapter 80

With the war against Rome ended, the Langobards nation still had many loose ends to take care of. First, the minor war with Gaul needed to be ended. Nothing has happened during the entire duration of the war and any extension wouldn't change anything. A white peace was agreed which made the war with Aksum the only remaining war. Another loose end to take care of would be the ruler. Giovanna was still an infant when the Romans began their holy war. With the regency council taking care of everything, the young heir grew up in the eastern parts of the nation. The heir's uncle, with great influence in the nation, was temporarily named the king to deal with the war. The conclusion of the war and the heir reaching the right age saw Giovanna taking the throne. With her rise to the throne, her brother was named the new heir to the throne.

The first decision made by the queen was to end the war with Aksum. The regiment in northeast Africa was able to reinforce the province in Arabian peninsula in time and fought back the Aksum forces. With the regiment sealing off the strait, the Aksum cannot make anymore advances. Conversely, the regiment cannot cross the strait due to the lack of ships to control the strait. As a result of the stalemate, both sides agree to a white peace. However, the situation in Rome was getting worrisome for the Langobards queen. Rome has expanded a fair bit since the war and they still looked to continue their expansions. Their expansion in Northeast Africa became extremely worrisome. The loss of their territory in Asia has pushed the Romans out of the region. To compensate for the losses, the Roman emperor wants a stronger front in Africa and, should a war break out again against the Langobards, they can attack where the Langobards are the weakest. The constant wars has made the queen very cautious with his decisions regarding Rome. Should the Roman expansion continue, the tension may just cause another war to erupt.

Tech:

Government: 8
Production: 7
Trade: 6
Naval: 11
Land: 14

Map of Langobards in year 456:

SPOILER: A big war is coming up in the next update!

 

[PrawnStar]

Are you still unable to colonise?

 

[blklizard]

Are you still unable to colonise?

I can colonize but I hardly get any colonists. That may explain why there doesn't seem to be much colonization. In the 456 map, you will notice I colonized a bit more of the Arabian peninsula compared to the 411 map. The war with Rome didn't help either . Of course, some places such as the British Isles are out of my colonial range at the moment.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 81

[Somewhere in Aksum]

A Roman messenger got on his horse to meet with a messenger waiting in Alexandria. After he chose the quickest horse, he rode quickly to get the general's message back to the Roman emperor. The invasion of Aksum has been going as planned. The Aksum resistance proved to be minimal as the Roman legions pushed forward taking towns after towns. The Roman general at the front line wanted to report the situation back to the Roman emperor. However, the path for the messengers still weren't safe. Despite taking town after town, the Aksum freedom fighters still controlled many major roads. The Romans simply cannot muster the troops to patrol the roads and occupy the towns. As a result, the roads still posed threats to defenseless messengers.

The Roman messenger, with his quick horse, believed that he can get to Alexandria without any problems. After an hour of riding, the messenger still hadn't encountered anyone. Just as he was letting down his guard, he and his horse tumbled into a pit. The horse was immediately killed from the impact. The messenger, stunned from the impact, saw a few men gathering above the hole. After the men talked amongst themselves, one of the men raised his spear and threw it at the messenger. The spear pierced the messenger's chest and he died instantly. Following the death of the messenger, the men quickly got to work to robbing his corpse. One of the men took out the scroll containing the message and began reading.

Hail emperor!

Our war in Aksum has been going very smoothly. We should occupy all of Aksum in a few months. It's won't be too long before we can take over all of their territories. I only wish that we can complete this sooner. Aksum isn't even a challenge for us. However, I understand that conquering them is a necessary step for our future conquests. The Langobards have been around long enough. With the territory they have taken in Asia, we have become weaker. Our recent conquests will make us stronger. Once we control Northeast Africa, we can finally begin the war that will start of the decline of the Langobards. Now, we mustn't startle the Langobards. If they learn of our plan, then they will surely strike. Anyways, our conquest here will end soon. I eagerly await the war with the Langobards. We will rise up and be supreme. Long live the Roman Empire!


"The Gods have been generous! With this message sent to the Langobards, the Romans will be unable to invade us further. Men! Let's get this message to our king. He will know what to do with it."

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 82

[Trier, Langobards]

The Langobards queen, along with her uncle and her most trusted adviser, sat in the queen's study to discuss domestic issues when they received a message alleged to have came from a Roman messenger. After all three people read it, they began to sit down to think. The queen broke the silence first.

Queen: Well?
Uncle: How can we be certain the Romans wrote this? Who sent this?
Adviser: We received it from the Aksum king.
Uncle: That makes sense. If we attack Rome, they will be spared. What an ingenious plan!
Queen: Still, we cannot ignore the facts.
Uncle: Which are?
Queen: Uncle, are you being so thickheaded on purpose?
Adviser: I understand about your uncle's hesitation to believe this. After all, he doesn't want another war with Rome. Let alone one that comes so soon after the last one.
Queen: The problem is the Romans don't want peace. Why else are they expanding so rapidly?
Uncle: They are power hungry alright. They still haven't learned their lesson from the last two wars.
Queen: If we allow them to solidify their power in Northeast Africa, then they will attack us without a doubt.
Adviser: Indeed, the only difference is who gets the more favorable odds.
Uncle: These Romans are disgusting pigs. All they know is war. However, when will this all end?
Adviser: This will all end when the Romans are completely annihilated. Once their nation is crushed, then it will be over.
Uncle: How many wars will that take? How many lives will that take? Will it ever end?
Adviser: I wish I knew the answer.
Queen: Uncle, we will always be in conflict as long as we are neighbors. There can only be peace if one of us is annihilated.
Uncle: Wrong! The Romans will continue their expansion into smaller and weaker nations. Our nation is the only great nation that can survive without warfare.
Adviser: Are you suggesting that we put down our weapons then?
Uncle: Don't act like you're a know it all. Our weapons will be used for self-defense.
Adviser: What if we need to expand?
Uncle: We can colonize. There is so much land we haven't explored. You worry that we would be unable to further expand?
Queen: Back to the business with the message. What are we going to do?
Adviser: I say we strike. Better we strike first than they strike us first.
Uncle: I'm afraid I have to agree with him. However, we need a reason to strike, don't we?
Adviser: That's easy to deal with. We can make a claim on one of their provinces. Then, our war can begin.
Queen: I guess it's all decided. Let the third Langobards-Roman war begin.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 83

The primary goal for the Langobards was to weaken the Romans more. If the Romans remained a dominant power in the region, there remained a threat to the security of the Langobards. Given their warlike attitude towards other nations, the Romans must be defeated thoroughly before they learn to be more passive. However, a war without objectives couldn't accomplish much. In the previous war with Rome, the Langobards were forced to fight on multiple fronts. Not only did the two nations share a large border in Europe but Asia as well. With large armies on both sides, focusing all the men at one area was the only way to accomplish anything. The war concluded with the Romans kicked out of Asia.

However, the victory still didn't eliminate the fact that the two nations still shared a very long border. To shift the balance of future wars more in favor of the Langobards, the Langobards queen had her eyes on a region. The region called Greece was a rich area that provided for a lot of the Roman's naval capacity. Not only would the capture of Greece cut down on the border shared but it would be a big blow to the Roman navy. In the new war, the Romans still have naval dominance which meant that the Langobards must still rely on their army. Of course, the lack of naval dominance also saw the Langobards gathering their main forces in Constantinople where a blockade wouldn't be a problem. The force would push westwards and southwards to occupy and seize provinces in Greece. The Langobards, after their many wars with Rome, knew that the Romans like to break up their army in many regiments to siege many provinces at once. While the sieges were numerous, such forces would be unable to deal with the force that was mustered at Constantinople. The Langobards queen hoped that such a large force would force the Romans to dedicate their main forces in Greece as well. With all the preparations ready, the Langobards made their move in Constantinople.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 84

General Pieroni was assigned as the general of the mighty Langobards force in Constantinople. When he was first assigned the position, no one knew the exact number of troops he would command. Given the importance of victory in the region, it was rumored that he would command the largest regiment in Langobards history. Pieroni was assigned the position mainly for his sieging expertise. The Langobards need to occupy quickly to counteract the Romans progress in the France region. Of course, the general wasn't alone. A mighty force required more officers and thus many generals were assigned under Pieroni to command more manageable numbers. A few months prior to the start of the war, general Pieroni was sent to Constantinople to inspect the troops and make the necessary preparations. Regiments poured into the city as the war drew nearer. When the war has finally begun, it was estimated that a hundred twenty thousand men were assembled in Constantinople. Of course, the muster of the force was kept a secret from the Romans and a Roman regiment in Kirklareli was the first regiment to fall victim to such a massive regiment.

When war was declared, Pieroni didn't waste time in mobolizing his troops. The troops were well trained and they made good progress in Roman territory. Langobards scout reported that, in the area, there was only a single Roman regiment. The Roman regiment was estimated to be roughly seventeen thousand strong. There was, without a doubt, that the general leading the regiment hasn't even received news of the war yet. With element of surprise and massive numbers, the battle was expected to end swiftly. As expected, a patrol party the general sent into Roman territory didn't see any signs of Roman patrol parties. The large Langobards force was able to arrive at the Roman city in Kirklareli undetected. At the time, the Roman regiment posted only a few men on the walls while the rest were still garrisoned within the city. The general ordered the troops to rest up and strike at night. He didn't want the Romans to discover them until he can enter the city. Once the moon rose in the sky, the general ordered his troops to move quickly. With the darkness providing cover, the first wave arrived at the wall without alerting the patrols. They quickly scaled the walls and killed off the patrols silently. Once the gate was opened, the Langobards troops poured in. The Roman soldiers, woken up by the war cries outside, rushed to arm themselves. The Langobards struck swiftly and only those that resisted were cut down. The Roman general and a large number of his regiment refused to surrender and fought valiantly. In the narrow streets, the number advantage of the Langobards was neutralized and the Langobards suffered more casualties than expected. Despite their valiant efforts, the Romans were completely annihilated in the city. The general has won a key victory in the region by annihilating the only Roman regiment in the area. The Romans will struggle to reinforce the area considering the distance from the Roman capital. The fight to control Greece has begun.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 85

With the two great nations clash, one of Langobards' neighbors had her eye on Langobards territory in France. The Gauls have been waiting patiently for a chance to reclaim their territories. The new war was the opportunity they were looking for. The Romans have offered the Gauls some territory if they joined Rome by declaring a separate war. The Gauls ruler, tempted with such a juicy offer, agreed to join. Their involvement in the war would be a problem for the Langobards. The original plan involved pushing in Greece swiftly so they can reinforce France quickly. However, the Gauls would wreck that plan by speeding up the occupation of provinces in France. If the progress was sped up, then Trier would be in danger quicker. With the new player entering the stage, the Langobards queen was forced to evacuate to the east where it's shielded from the Romans. In addition, the Langobards were forced to recruit and mobolize more troops into France to deal with the new threat. The news of the Gauls' involvement was immediately sent to Pieroni and urge him to speed up the progress in his mission to capture Greece. Meanwhile, the Langobards nobles began to plan out diplomatic means to end the war with the Gauls. A prolonged war with Gauls would hurt the Langobards far more than one expected.

With the Gauls entering the war, the Roman regiments gained more confidence. They knew that even a powerful nation like Langobards cannot win against such odds. While the battle Kirklareli caught the Romans off guard, they managed to regroup and press their advantage in France. In Auxerre, a leaderless Roman regiment ambushed a Langobards regiment patrolling the borders. The Romans went the long way to cut off the retreat of the Langobards. Once they completed the surround, they began their massacre. The Langobards regiment wasn't ready for an engagement and the ambush proved to be devastating. The Langobards soldiers panicked and didn't put up any fight. The Roman casualties were results of friendly fire from Roman pila. Thus, an entire Langobards regiment was annihilated in a few days and the Romans have begun their invasion of Langobards' France region.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 86

After the initial victory in Kirklareli, more Langobards reinforcements began pouring into the region to aid in the sieges. Pieroni had his regiment waiting in friendly territory to react to the Roman counterattack. One Langobards regiment has treaded too far believing that no Roman regiments were in the region. As a result, they were caught off guard by a recently built Roman regiment. The two sides met in battle in Novi Sad where the Langobards suffered heavy casualties. The survivors attempted to retreat so they can meet up with the other regiments. However, Kaposvar was the furthest they reached as the Roman annihilated this regiment. This sudden battle caught the Langobards off guard. They didn't expect the Romans to be capable of recruiting so quickly. Pieroni, once he received the news, began mobilizing his troops to better combat the Roman regiments that do arrive.

At Bor, Pieroni was leading a small detachment to do some scouting. To his surprise, he encountered a Roman regiment that had only just arrived in the province. With both sides taken by surprise, there wasn't enough time for either sides to prepare their formations. A chaotic battle ensued. Pieroni, with a detachment larger than the Roman regiment, was able to utilize his number advantage in the chaotic battle. The Romans were isolated into small groups and wiped out. The Roman general, realizing that he was losing the battle, ordered a hasty retreat. Despite suffering great casualties, the Roman regiment was able to retreat safely back to Greece. Pieroni, with limited information of the region, didn't dare to enter the unknown where he could be ambushed. Thus, he returned to friendly territory while he received news of successful sieges. Once he regrouped, Pieroni hoped to make a hard push before the Romans can send enough reinforcements to be a threat.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 87

The situation in the France region had became worse for the Roman. While the Gauls were fighting the Langobards, the Gauls and Romans still had their own conflicts. Following the many wars between the two nations, bad blood still ran deep through the two groups. As a result, the Roman regiment and Gaul regiments had, in many occasions, fought amongst themselves with little or no gain. The constant conflict had the Gaul ruler worried. These conflicts weaken the Gauls far more than the Roman. Should he allow the conflicts continue, his nation would be easy pickings for the Roman. Fearing that the Romans plotted all this, the Gaul ruler ordered his right hand man to prepare a peace deal with the Langobards. For the survival of his nation, he decided to end the war with a white peace to save his resources for the inevitable Roman invasion. The Langobards queen, losing sleep over the entry of the Gauls, was only too happy to agree. With the Gauls out, the France region would hold out longer while the main Langobards force can take Greece.

In the east, Pieroni was leading his own regiment to reinforce a small regiment sieging a city nearby. He left the bulk of his forces in Kavala where the men set up camp at a few very defensive locations. There were patrols sent out to the nearby locations to see if any Roman regiment were nearby. Interestingly enough, the patrols failed to detect a large Roman regiment, fourteen thousand men strong, marching straight to the location of the Langobards camp. The Romans, upon coming upon the camps, were foolish to think they outnumbered the Langobards they have just encountered. Without thinking, they charged in hoping to annihilate the Langobards. While the Romans did have an advantage with their surprise attack, their advantage was soon neutralized when the other camps were alerted and Langobards poured into the area. The Romans, soon surrounded without a chance to escape, fought for their lives. In the end, they were simply outnumbered and were wiped out completely. Pieroni, hearing the news, immediately made his way back to Kavala.

At the time of the massacre in Kavala, a force led by the Proto Finnish ruler had arrived at the front lines. Along with a local Langobards force, they began to lay siege in Kragujevac. To their surprise, a Roman regiment suddenly launched an attack behind them while the Romans inside the city charged out. The Romans hoped their attack would make the Langobards panic and thus lift the siege. The Proto Finnish ruler, Frederik, was experienced in battle and ordered his troops into a defensive stance. With their general calm, the soldiers held their ground and the Romans failed to break the morale of the Langobards. Without good leadership, the Romans lost much of their forces in the attack. Frederik then launched a counterattack which not long saw the annihilation of the Romans but also the capture of the city. Following the great victory, Frederik continued his conquest in the next Roman province in hopes of gaining favor of the Langobards queen.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 88

Following the encounter in Kavala, general Pieroni decided to take action and order his troops to retreat further back. With such a massive regiment, he had no choice but to split it into two regiments. Pieroni would lead one half through a more dangerous path while the other leaderless regiment would retreat through a safer path. For the leaderless regiment, they would need to cross Strumitza before arriving at their final destination. As luck would have it, a Roman regiment got lost and was trying to find their way. This regiment heard news of a battle in Kavala and was ordered to reinforce the Romans there. While the Roman regiment did mobilize quickly, their guide died along the way and the soldiers cannot find their way out. The Romans were camping on a hill when their scouts saw the Langobards regiment passing nearby. The Romans, thinking that this must be a retreating Langobards regiment, armed themselves and prepared an ambush. The Langobards, thinking that they had the safer route, relaxed their guard and were taken completely by surprise. The Romans were able to deal some serious damage and the Langobards suffered fairly heavy casualties. What the Romans didn't expect was the fact they only managed to ambush the head of the Langobards regiment. While they thought they have won the battle, more Langobards soldiers were pouring in. By the time the Romans realize the grim situation they were in, they were already completely surrounded and, following a few more days of fighting, were annihilated.

Meanwhile, bad news hit the Langobards nation hard. The queen had suddenly died. No one knew the cause of her death and some blamed on Roman assassins. Whatever the case, the Langobards needed a new ruler to continue the war against the Romans. The nobles within the court gathered together to spread rumors that would support the idea of Roman assassins. The rumors would help increase the morale of the troops while silencing the ideas that the queen was killed by someone she trusted. With the war with Rome still raging on, the Langobards cannot allow chaos within their own ranks. Such a problem would undermine their ability to fight back the Romans and win the war. The new ruler, a king this time, knew his duties and began to hold meetings everyday to keep himself updated with the war.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 89

Three Langobards regiments were stationed near Kragujevac. The territory west of Kragujevac acted as a choke point which the Romans must use if they travel by land. Traveling through Kragujevac would be a lot faster should one hope to arrive in Greece. Thus, placing a few regiments would force to Romans to travel the long way around. The delay would slow the reinforcing speed which would make the capture of Greece that much faster. The plan worked for awhile but one Roman regiment began to challenge the Langobards for the control of the choke point. In Kragujevac, a Roman regiment set up camp to hold off the Langobards. The Romans, believing they had a strong defensive position, were confident that no Langobards regiment can defeat them. When the nearby Langobards regiments received the news, they were furious that the Romans dared to challenge their control of the area. The three regiments quickly grouped and prepared a sneak attack on Kragujevac. The Roman regiment was caught completely off guard and deserted their camp before either sides suffered too much casualties. The Romans were completely routed and the Langobards gave chase. The Romans tried to escape into the city in Uzice where they hope they can hold out until reinforcements can arrive. The Langobards, with their overwhelming numbers, had detached half their forces to cut off the Romans. Just as the Roman entered the province of Uzice, they were cut off and annihilated.

In Edessa, a Langobards regiment began their siege. A month later, a Roman regiment began to march into the area to lift the siege. The Romans' movement was discovered by Langobards scout and nearby Langobards reinforcements were alerted. The Langobards reinforcements began to secretly mobilize into the Edessa to ambush the Romans. The Romans sent some scouts to check if any Langobards reinforcements were in the area. The Romans began to fear the large Langobards force in the region and decided to play it safer. Unfortunately, their scouts were sent a bit late and the Langobards already began to encircle the Romans. The Roman troops, receiving the news, began their retreat. When the Langobards began to attack from both sides, the Romans panicked and they routed. The Roman cavalry abandoned the infantry and tried to escape on their own. The cavalry proved to be a distraction as they became the main focus of the Langobards. While the Roman cavalry suffered heavy losses, the Roman regiment was able to to retreat into Florina. However, the Romans were exhausted and they were chased down and massacred.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 90

With the sieges in Asian Minors going as planned, the Langoards general grew daring as he thought about starting the invasion of Greece by going on the offensive. With sixty thousand men under his command, Pieroni, based on reports received from his scouts, planned out a sneak attack in Leskovac. Up to this point, the Langobards haven't been on the offensive for much of the war. The Romans believed that they would be safe if they weren't the first to attack. One Roman regiment, stationed in Leskovac, was ordered to keep on eye on the Langobards. The Roman emperor feared that the Langobards were feinting their invasion of Greece and were actually aiming to invade the Italian peninsula. Positioned at Leskovac, the Roman regiment can keep an eye on the progress of the force led by Pieroni. With the sole purpose of reporting the situation in the area, the Roman regiment wasn't prepared for the attack by Pieroni. When the Romans were attacked, their positioning enabled them to retreat with little casualties. Pieroni wasn't going to let this regiment retreat and, in Scupi, chased it down. What Pieroni didn't know was that his attack misinformed the Romans of his true intentions. His attack was viewed as an attempt to redirect his forces to push towards the Roman capital. The Roman regiments stationed in Greece were ordered to pull back to reinforce the regiments near the Italian Peninsula.

A Roman regiment, on their way to regroup with the rest of the forces, encountered a Langobards regiment sieging Syar. Thinking that they could end the battle quickly, the Romans launched an attack. The timing of the Romans was off when another Langobards regiment, passing by to reinforce another province, was able to quickly reinforce their brothers. Together, they crushed the Romans and sent them packing. The Romans were forced to retreat to Kavala where they were massacred by the Langobards regiments stationed in the area. For Pieroni, the sudden movement of the Romans was alarming as he feared a counterattack. He ordered his scouts to be more alert while carefully positioning his troops so they can reinforce each other quickly. With the troops in position, he waited as the sieges continued to take place on the front line.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 91

The war between the Romans and Langobards had yet to be decided. The two major powers have lost tens of thousands of men but neither nation was fazed by such minor losses. Given that both nations had prepared long and hard for this war, it wouldn't be surprise if the war lasted a decade. For the Romans, their primary base was located in Italy which was guarded by a powerful army and navy. To push into the Roman capital would have meant that one had to defeat the entire Roman legion. The Langobards capital might be in Trier but they can easily move the capital eastwards should the situation demand it. With their main recruiting centers in the Russian area, the Romans needed to push extremely deep before they can destroy the Langobards' capacity in continuing the war.

The Langobards force led by Pieroni had paved the way to invade Greece. While the Romans tried to put up some resistance, Greece was too far from Italy and reinforcing speed was too slow. Pieroni had remained passive in the entire war and had successfully held off the Roman counterattacks. However, the Romans didn't remain idle. The Roman emperor decided that Greece was too distant to defend and had his eyes on the France region. The France region was a wealthy territory that once belonged to the Romans. The emperor saw that the territory belonged to him. The Roman legions had made great progress in the France and occupied a large territory. For the occupied provinces, the opinions were divided. While some welcome the return of the Romans, other still preferred the Langobards. For those that supported the Romans, they wasted no time to join the Romans in their fight against the Langobards. Conversely, those that oppose the Romans began the resistance hoping to release the Roman control of their provinces. Thus, the fight for control of France continued even during the occupation. The Langobards only hope that this would buy them the time they needed to control all of Greece.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 92

The situation in the France region didn't look too good for the Langobards. The Romans have made a heavy push and were closing in on Trier. The Langobards had to take action to delay the Romans legion from pushing further. First, a twelve thousand regiment was ordered to station at Arlon where it will be reinforced shortly. The Romans caught wind of it and sent one of their elite regiments to ambush in a nearby province. As soon the the Langobards regiment arrived at Arlon, the Romans struck from behind and a close battle ensued. In the end, the Langobards regiment had their morale broken first and began to rout. The Romans suffered greater casualties but they weren't going to let the Langobards escape. The Roman regiment, battered but not out, gave chase. In Spa, they wiped out the entire Langobards regiment. However, they were ordered to retreat as the Romans learned of another Langobards in the area. Considering that the Roman regiment is battered and exhausted from their battle, they weren't in the position to fight another battle.

Southeast of Spa, another big battle took place. While the Romans did make a lot of progress in the France region, their push along the rest of the border has been minimal. The Langobards hoped to leave it that way by stationing more troops in the German area. A Langobards regiment, recently mobilized into the area, suddenly received word that they were needed in Landshut. Little did they know that they were misinformed by the Romans who had prepared an ambush. The Langobards, convinced that they were needed, moved quickly into Landshut. When the Romans sprang their ambush, the Langobards regiment was taken completely by surprise. The Romans tried to encircle and wipe out this Langobards regiment. Luckily for the Langobards, a fraction of the regiment was able to break through the encirclement and retreat into friendly territory. The Romans, unsure of the location of the nearby Langobards, dared not to give chase. Their victory would, however, render that regiment useless for awhile.

In Brno, a Langobards regiment just dealt with a rebel group. Just as they were ready to give chase, a Roman regiment suddenly attacked out of nowhere. The Roman general, Titus, was waiting patiently nearby and was paying close attention to the fight between the Langobards and the rebels. He was worried that entering the battle prematurely would result in too much casualties. Thus, he waited for the two parties to weaken each other before making his move. The Langobards, exhausted from their fight with the rebels, weren't prepared for the onslaught. While they put up some resistance at first, they were shattered not long after. They began to rout and, with the Romans cutting off their way to the city, they were forced to retreat to Bratislava. The Roman general wasn't going to let his prized catch get away. He ordered his troops to give chase and the Langobards regiment was wiped out just as they entered Bratislava. The Langobards were starting to lose ground in both France and German due to the combined pressure of the Romans and rebels.

While the Romans were winning many victories in the France and German region, they still believed they can win the war in Greece as well. The push into Greece would be led by general Marcus who was seasoned in battles. He proved his capabilities in the Battle of Osijek. The Langobards and her allies, with a regiment twenty seven men strong, seemed impossible to defeat with a mere fourteen thousand men. Marcus, confident in his men and his leadership, surprised everyone when he ordered an attack. Against such overwhelming numbers, one would consider an attack a suicide mission. Marcus, knowing that the element of surprise is by his side, used it to its full advantage. The Langobards coalition regiment, suddenly attacked by fierce Roman soldiers, was suddenly routed. Marcus gave chase and his cavalry proved devastating. The Roman cavalry chased down all of the enemy troops and killed every soldier they encountered. By the time the Langobards general, Abbas, reached Novi Sad, he had only a hundred men with him. Behind him, the bodies of his regiment left a trail that continued into the distance. Even the general wasn't spared as the Roman cavalry cut them off. With no chance of escape, the general told his men to fight to their death. They were part of the Langobards nation and surrendering wasn't an option. The general and his hundred men were cut down but they did took two thousand Roman cavalry down with them. General Marcus, impressed by the Langobards general's final stand, buried the body of the general.

General Arrian was making his mark in history in Wien. With his guide suddenly dying on him, his Roman regiment was isolated deep in enemy territory. With no reinforcements, the general had to make a decision. Arrian ordered his troops to prepare a siege of the city nearby. Once the city falls, they would defend it until reinforcements arrived. A Langobards regiment was in the vicinity and was ordered to lift the siege. The regiment, along with the garrison, tried to take out the Roman regiment by attacking from both sides. Arrian, having anticipated this tactic, had already placed an ambush near the city gates. As soon as the garrison exit the gate, they were attacked by elite Roman soldiers who simply massacred them. Those soldiers would enter the city and remove anymore resistance while Arrian led the bulk of his regiment to face off against the Langobards reinforcements. The Langobards attacked the Romans head on which proved to be a mistake. The Romans, with better arms and better discipline, proved to be too much and the Langobards were routed. Arrian made sure that the survivors were cut down so that no Langobards would threaten his position until he gets reinforcements.

 

[AsdfeZxcas]

Wow, doesn't look too good. I hope the push into Greece is enough to turn the war around.

 

[blklizard]

Wow, doesn't look too good. I hope the push into Greece is enough to turn the war around.

The problem with pushing into Greece is that I seize the provinces I occupy. Thus, I don't get positive warscore unless I win battles. This really doesn't work in my favor .

Chapter 93

(A letter to the Langobards king from General Pieroni)

Greetings, my king:

I write from Greece. We have finally occupied much of Greece. However, was the cost worth it? I understand the importance of Greece in our grand plans but we have given up so much. Our nation has prospered during peace times which meant that we don't need constant expansions to stay strong. Unlike the Romans, we grow stronger the longer our peace last. Unfortunately, unforeseen events resulted in an inevitable war between our two nations. As a result, lots of soldiers were mobilized. Once the battles began, there was no stopping to the killing. Hundreds of thousands of men have died on both sides and that number continue to grow. When does it end? Will it end when one side no longer have males to be turned into soldier? We are already starting to recruit youths to join our ranks. These youths should have the opportunity to start a family before they meet their end here. Instead, they must fight along their brothers to fight a war with so little gain. We have taken much of Greece but I cannot bear seeing any more people dying. The Romans, like us, are human beings. For a small region, both sides lost so much. The futures of both nations are losing their lives. With our objective practically complete, I wish to ask for the possibility of a peace with the Romans. It's time to put down our weapons and go back home. I've grown weary of this war. I've seen too much tragedy from the war that I will never forget. I wish to go home where I can retire peacefully. Please consider my suggestion. I hope to hear from you soon.

Your humble general

 

[AsdfeZxcas]

Maybe if you sneek behind roman lines you can take some provinces in Northern Italy, spliting rome from most of land, drasticly reducing their income by making most of their provinces overseas.

 

[blklizard]

Maybe if you sneek behind roman lines you can take some provinces in Northern Italy, spliting rome from most of land, drasticly reducing their income by making most of their provinces overseas.

That could work if it weren't for Roman's large navy. In case you haven't played this mod, the naval battles during this period takes literally forever. Thus, a naval landing is pretty much impossible. If I try to sneak around by land, there is a good chance that I will encounter their troops. Overall, attacking Italy isn't an option.

Chapter 94

The Langobards king received the letter from General Pieroni and didn't sleep for that night. That wasn't the only letter he received. People of his newly conquered territories also asked for peace. While they are subjects of Langobards now, they had suffered the most in the war. Their children had been forced into Roman armies. Knowing that, the longer the war continued, there is a good chance that the Langobards would be forced to do so as well, they hoped that they could prevent it with their letters. The Langobards king realized that his nation cannot benefit from a prolonged war. Thus, he gathered his nobles to discuss of peace talks with the Romans.

The Langobards king wasn't the only one feeling the pressure of the war. The Roman emperor was also faced with a tough decision when his subjects began to oppose the continuation of war. The long war has began depleting their treasury and manpower. With no victory in the near future, they wanted the war to end before their nation collapse. The Roman emperor, once confident of his ability to win the war swiftly, finally noticed that the war has become a war of attrition. Considering the size of both nations, this war could take a century before anything can be decided. The Roman emperor was losing support when he failed to win a quick victory. With his support waning, he had no choice but to agree to their suggestion of peace. Knowing that the Langobards aren't willing to accept a one-sided peace deal, the Roman emperor asked for a white peace. The Langobards king was only too happy to agree to such a deal. The Roman-Langobards war has finally ended and both nations can start recovering.