Megacampaign part 1 - Old Dacia

[Falhxer]

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Dacia at the peak of its expansion in 638, shortly before losing vast territories to a new rising power the Rashidun Caliphate, the previous Persian Wars weakened the empire enough to crumble under the weight of a new invader, in just a few years a massive empire will knock at the dacian doors, halting its expansion and creating a new defensive mentality.​

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Introduction:​

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Hello to everyone reading my AAR. Hope you will enjoy it, even if the initial writting style will change quite a bit down the road. Sadly, this will be just a regular campaign of eu4 extended timeline mod. I play as Dacia and try create a more or less realistic empire. I will obviously blob a lot, but worry not I will make it interesting to read, or at least try. ​

The 1.30 update made me unable to access the old saves or even load the mod in 1.29 no matter how many times i tried. Despite this i still want to continue the AAR, because in my opinion, it would be a shame to leave it unfinished.​

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The version of the game im playing is 1.29. I used a few mods, but the ones that really changed the gameplay were a few I created. One mod that boosted the casualties to make them realistic to them victims in an ancient battles and the another one, boosted the Caliphate. I felt the new rising Caliphate was too weak, so i just boosted it, by a lot to make it a worthy foe. ​

English is not my native language, sorry for any grammar errors, i will still try my best and hopefully writting i would improve as time goes.​

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Well, there is not much more i want to except enjoy the AAR!!!​

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[Falhxer]

The collapse of an empire 62-74

In 62 a serie of political failures led the Roman Empire to an abrupt end. It was split in two parts, to assure a better administration and stability. The Western Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, named this after its city Byzantion, before later an emperor called it Costantinople in his honor.

West Rome was somehow stable and only lost some territories to the tribes. Byzantium was under a temporary civil war and rebelious generals trying to split the empire to carve out their own ones.

Dacia was ruled by an oligarchy in 62, with the king as only nominal figure. In 61 Dacia, allied with the Gepids launched an attack against the slavic tribes of Antes and its ally Venedi.

The war ended by the end of the next year. Chronicles report heavy casualties on both sides. As the slavic tribes tried to resist as much as possible the thracian and germanic invaders. The demands weren't as many for the price paid, however controlling more territory would prove to be difficult since many died during that short war. The winning party decided to settle for more lenient demands, more for a practical point of view instead of a morale one.

In 65, Dacia announced its ambitions to gain more land around the black sea, to increase more the trade. That was on the east, on the west the council was already planning to invade and crash the Iazyges, a seminomad tribe of persians, similar to the Sarmatians, their existence was a threat to Dacia, since they could both launch a double attack and if not win cause at least massive devastion in the area.

The Dacian-Byzantine relations weren't good at all. Dacia desired more coastal land and Byzantium desired the dacian gold mines. Historians still argue today that Dacia by 120 could have been crashed by Byzantium if not the disaster against Parthia, where all of Byzantium armies were wiped out completly by parthian cavalry, which had surrounded them. Making the decline of the empire inevitable, the greeks wouldnt see freedom for another thousand years, or at least semi-autonomous under dacian rule later. As greek dukes would gain more and more power in the medieval times.

Some other historians argue that the fall of Byzantium was only the change of name from Byzantium to Dacia, as soon as the region was conquered,little to nothing was changed, in fact Dacia adopted roman traditions allowing for a stable and growing empire before the persian wars and the arab conquests, which stopped the empire from growing and instead starting to built walls on all borders.

In 69 a brief and unclear war happened between Dacia and Sarmatia. The goal was to completly wipe them out. The Alans agreed to inavade, they were only happy to take territory from their rival.

However it didnt go as planned, the greater part of alan land was subjugated and Dacia found itself alone in open stappes against horselords, after some minor defeats. A honorable peace was achieved, where the Sarmatians had to pay a simbolic tribute. It was a useless war that only strenghtened Dacia's enemies.

By 72 rumours were spreading that the Western Roman Empire was failing, torn apart by civil war and barbarian invasions.

Gallia a roman kingdom under rebelious generals was rising. Suevi migrated into the Hispania, establishing already a kingdom there. A smaller kingdom was seizing land from the old empire, Aquitaine, insignificant for many centuries will become a major power by the end of the medieval times. Mixed roman-barbaric kingdoms as Genoa and Venice were claiming the north.

While the rest of the peninsula was just fracturing in smaller sub-roman states.

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[Falhxer]

The foundations of an empire 75-89

After few years of peace, another war was started. It was a bold move. Vastly outnumbered by its foes, in the end Dacia managed to win, slowly paving its path to glory and greatness of the Old Dacian Empire, a nostalgia that led to the recreate of the second empire during the Victoria Era, but enough digressions.

The year of fate was 78 AD. Still not fully recovered from the precedent war, without any reserve of manpower Dacia launched itself in a full attack on the western borders.
A single man was responsible for this, but for now was just a very influencial noble in the council.
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After killing almost ten thousand gepids in an elaborate ambush, a peace agreement was achieved with Gepidia,
where they will have to pay a tribute to Dacia for ten years.
A general distinguished himself, Oroles the Wall, called that way because was able to organize the army in tight formations similar to the romans, but witht he ability to move freerly in the forests, lure the enemy in ambush in disavantageous places and slaughter them all. He is the first general with written accounts about.​

The casualties are not clear, however it is believed he lost six thousand men in total against twenty thousand of the enemy. The Iazyges were crushed.

This battle marked the start of dacian land supremacy for the next few centuries.

In 79 the surrounding neighbours started to look at Dacia no more as a mere regional power but and established rising power, capable to rival the old empires.

With the Iazyges under control Dacia could claim further provinces into the collapsing Western Roman Empire.

Which is exactly what they did. The empire itself had no more than one thousand men. Directly guarding the emperor, if he could still be called as one, an infant under an incompetent regency council. Old corrupt men, more worrying about their riches than the empire collapsing.

Sixteen thousand men flooded the undefended roman border. An incident happened, where the Iazyges started to raid dacian land, or more precisly former iazyge land. Claiming they mistook for roman land. It was aimed to retake back as much riches as possible. The vassal was still deeply unloyal if not capable to rebel on its own. After the war the Iazyge ruler was thrown into the Danube for his acts and later the lands would be directly incorporated into Dacia, to avoid such incidents.
Despite initial success, the war would prove to be long and sluggish, with continuous small skirmishes only to be culminted by the battle of Carthago Nova, meanwhile the dacian army was becoming higly professional and trained.

By 81 Byzantium revoked its claims directly on dacian lands, as a rebel prentender declared Egypt as an indipendent entity. Putting Byzantium a precarious situation, surrounded on three sides by enemies: Dacia, Parthia and Egypt.

The kingdoms in northern Italy were higly unstable. In fact the entire western europe was completly devasted.
News spread soon that Genoa fell in civil war. As the old ruler died, the sons went to war to claim the kingdom for themselves.

A strong king in 82 ascended to power. Deceneus I, he introduced new roman technology, making Dacia more wealthy.

By 84 the Burgundians tought they could easily overpower the Gepids that lost important wars till this point. After three years of brutal fight, not only they managed to defened their homeland but also pushed deep into burgundian territory leaving Burgundy as a minor tribe, to be conquered by someone else any time soon. This were bad news, Dacia was growing in power but so its enemies.

The Tales of Scorilo the Great started to appear during that period too. As disproven by historians, he was nothing but a mere pawn in the hands of nobles. It was just an elaborate propaganda Deceneus was using to justify his ascension to power and avoid the same as his predecessor.
It is also claimed in very controversial theses that he was the one responsible for killing Scorilo and capitalize on his "successes" as righteous ruler. It worked.
He introduced the alphabet, insipired from romans, as advancing into roman land more and more technology and culture was assimilated into Dacia. The military tactics and equipment were also started to became more and more standardized across all the kingdom, under the rule of Deceneus I.

As Western Rome lost almost all the control over the Italy except some isolated cities. Hispania became the central core of the empire. With Carthago Nova as its capital.
In 88 after many months of march the army reached the capital. A prolonged siege made the capital surrender after months and months of siege.
Peace was finally achieved, Dacia lost twenty thousand men, seven thousand only to attrition and the rest fighting a rebel general in Hispania that aimed to control the empire themselves and repel the invaders.
Oroles the Wall managed to win, it was a defensive fight, outnumbered by the enemy, as months of marches took it heavy toll on an already worn out army. The enemy had almost no cavalry, while Oroles had the Iazyge heavy cavarly with which he butchered the roman cavarly and attacked from behind the romans, this caused total rout of the romans that were chased and many killed by the cavalry. The name of roman general remains unknown as he was killed during the chaos.​

The peace treaty was pretty heavy for the romans as they had to relinquish the balkans and pannonia.

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[Falhxer]

Towards Isolationism 90-92​

Following the next year, 90, Deceneus decided to cut down any diplomatic relations with any uncivilized neighbour. He demmed them a little better than savages. Like the germanic tribes in the north, the nomands in the east and the unstable germanic-roman kingdoms in northern Italy.

Until the 3rd century Dacia will have some allies, here and there. Short, unstable alliances, made on the rush, being more about to secure areas from invasion while launching attacks in other areas.

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The alliance with Siracia was broken, even the royal ties, sending back many nobles. Dacia did not need unreliable allies that one day are stable and the next one embroiled in civil war or calling Dacia into useless wars where it would gain nothing at best. The decision he was about to make would completly change the way Dacia looked at the world. A new era of deep distrust and isolationism was about to begin. Where even commerce would be higly limited, inducing the conquest of new lands as the demand for goods was increasing, from prolonged internal prosperity. Dacia would not commerce, but rather conquer, as Rome. However, Rome was no more. Divided, weak and decadent.​

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Deceneus knew it would be only matter of time before Dacia would further advance into roman land, especially byzantine land. He deemed the west to be wasteland of barbarians and endless wars, the properity once there was no more. The East on the other hand, was civiled, prosperous and rich. That was the land that should be taken. His toughts were too early for his era. He knew he wouldnt be able to conquer those lands himself, but maybe his successors...

He founded this mentality of conquering the East and mostly ignoring the West, fortifying it. Building extensive walls, outposts and heavy fortified fortresses to protect themselves from the savagery. Savages and civilized people could simply not live togheter, Rome let them inside and this was the reason of their downfall.

Historically the reasons are actually more complicated than simply barbarian invasions. Series of unfortunate events made the empire crumble and be divided. What was supposed to the solution to the problems of Rome actually accelerated its dissolution. A new restored empire, or rather a poor attempt was made in the dark ages. Called dark ages, because of a total degration of the urban and rural areas. The Dacian Empire, became itself higly decentralized, where the emperor sometimes was only mere figure. Civil wars were as frequent as the change of seasons. Back to the restored empire, it was a king that in the second half of 8th century manage to crash Dacian hegemony in Italy, bring most of Gaul underhis iron rule and anihilated the last arian king in Hispania, ending the arian faith in europe.

Such large conflicts erupted because of the ambition of Dardanos Aedi, to create the Daco-Roman empire with the ambition to take over Italy and finally cement his rule as absolute. Himself and his dinasty as choosen from God. His failure would let to a chain of disastrous consequences.

But that will happen many, many centuries ahead. For now Dacia is just emerging as an established power in region more and more.

Two new client kingdoms were created, ruled by the current king and the council of nobles. Maladina and Pannensis were thus born. Maladina, roughly meaning sealand, despite having large areas of mainland and Pannensis being a butchered pronounciation of how the locals called it.

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Deceneus kept his promise and dissolved any ties with the barbaric kingdoms. This caused immediate civil war in Venice, as the alliance with Dacia was the only thing the king could display as power and threat and call them against his enemies. Soon Venice will be reduced into irrilevance, as powerful support fadded away and unified sub-roman states were rising in south, meaning the romans werent't done...not yet.

In May, envoys were sent to Byzantium to announce the new rivarly, sadly, they never came back...

Maladina proved immediatly to be a very unstable area. With never ending tensions between the population with very often rebellions. From the beggining of its creation, it became a costant drain of manpower and resources, till the very end until its final annexation at the beggining of the 5th century.

Pannensis, smaller, had its fair share of instability too. However almost always had a bigger army, better economy and population homogeneity.

Iazygia, considered a dangerous subject, had to be incorporated into Dacia as soon as possible.

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News of war between Sarmatia and Alania worried Deceneus, Sarmatia was becoming too big and powerful.

Tensions were as high that dacian nobles just ouright declared byzantine territory as lawfully their and that the romans had no right to it...higly dubious claims, but neverless useful to Deceneus.

As more and more revolts were errupting in Maladina the nobles claiming more and more territory as theirs, a new threat arised: Sarmatia emerged totally victorious over Alania and the khagan was ready to expand into Dacia.

 

[generalis Julius Caesar]

Nice AAR. I really love this idea.

 

[Falhxer]

Nice AAR. I really love this idea.

Thank you very much !

 

[Falhxer]

The Second Sarmatian War 93-95

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Dacia had invested significative resources and manpower to supress the rebels in its client states. Manpower was now a luxury, the army was the shadow of its former self. However Deceneus had gold, roman gold. He decided to put that gold to good use.

The devastation in the area left many men desperate. In order to feed their families, as the fields were all devastated and barren, many took the inviting opportunity to became mercenaries.
Men from all balkans rallied under the call of Deceneus. He was promosing good and stable pay. All they had to do is die for Dacia, become loyal mercenaries and if they returned back they would be rewarded with great riches.

It was the usual propaganda, however desperate men came in thousands to become mercenaries. Exactly what Decenesu needed. He promised many things, but he wouldnt exactly keep his word.
He was a ruthless, deceiful, greedy and sometimes cruel man, that would stop in front of nothing just to obtain what he wanted. Truly a great ruler, that posed the bases for a future empire.
Even the death of Oroles the Wall, is heated argument of today historians. But thats it for now, lets focus on the incoming war.

The Second Sarmatian War become reality with the ascendancy of a new khagan. Unfortunatly no written records remains today about the identity of this sarmatian ruler.
Sources claim of an invading force of about fifty thousand men, were mostly exaggerated, the real force is stimated being between twenty and thirty thousand sarmatians and scythians.

The combined force of Dacia and its clients was around eighteen thousand men and three thousand heavy cavalry. Ten thousand infantry and another three thousand light cavalry mercenaries were recruited. A massive number, never seen before. To another kingdoms and smaller tribes this must have been seen as the riches in Dacia were bottomless. This in fact triggered a century later two barbarian invasions from the north, after the religious civil war to seize such riches, a war that lost, could have changed the history in totally unpredictable ways...now back to the Second Sarmatian War.

As the year 92 was ending, during the winter, Deceneus recruited mercenaries and organized the new army.
Oroles the Wall had to lead it now. Despite the winter, the invaders managed to capture many villages and some important cities on the border, threatening now the internal trade routes.
As the spring arrived the new army finally reached Zusidava, that was now under enemy besiege.
Without much delay he ordered an immediate attack on the enemy to alleviate the stress on the defenders without waiting the other colums, that remained behind. It wasn't neccessary, they have been instructed to follow no matter what without delays or stop to fight enemy armies nearby and only to unite with the avanguard, lead by him.
Deceneus wasnt himself a bad commander too, but he decided to remain in the capital and plan his next move. A move some historians today claim lead to sudden death of Oroles.

Fourteen thousand men, a third being cavalry only, engaged two thousand sarmatian horseman and four thousand scythians. Oroles broke completly the enemy lines, the cavarly completly overpowered the enemy counterpart, this was a succesful but risky move, crossing the Pyretus river (otl today Prut) without any immediate additional forces.

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Two thousand men were lost against four thousand invaders.

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Just two weeks later another imporant engagement was fought in Tira. The infantry had no problem to crush into enemy lines and rout the enemy. Despite being outnumbered the enemy commander chose strategic defensive points and didnt lose as many as he was supposed to. Oroles, was quite furious at what he called cowardice.

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Less than thousand soldiers were lost and around a thousand cavalry, mostly light cavalry. While the enemy lost almost four thousand men and less than thousand horse units. It was a strategic and tactical victory, however a rather costly one. The cavalry outnumbered two to one, yet struggled to fight against the experienced sarmatians. This not only minimized to casualties but also gave time to organise a fast retreat and most importantly denied the possibility to encircle and slaughter the enemy. The enemy commander was no talented man, but he had experienced veteran horseman.

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After the succesful spring campaign, all the enemy armies retreated. Now they were the ones being outnumbered. In summer twenty thousand men were sent into enemy territory while thirteen thousand were left to besiege back any captured city and deny the enemy the possibily to attack from behind. Also the treasure was a third of what used to be. The war had to end quickly.

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After 3 months of quiet, Vinnitsya, an important scythian city was under siege by Oroles after butchering half enemy army, while the other half ran away in terror.

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He decided to not stop however and after ten days of unrelentless pursuist he killed to the last man rest of the remaining army with the new reinforcements along the way, losing only five hundred men.

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As Oroles was passing the winter sieging Vinnitsya, Deceneus made finally his move. At the beggining of 94, he personally issued an order to rally all mercenaries in two columns and attack an imporant trading center near Yedisan. Much of what happened later is not clear, and left to matter of debates and hypotheses. Eleven of seventeen thousand were killed in an obvious ambush. It didnt make any sense, almost as Deceneus left it to happen, and they were all mercenaries, that had yet to be paid soon.
To make things even more suspicious just a few weeks later, Oroles received order to head in Dacia and then in Pannensis, another order void of any sense. Pannensis was on the other side of Dacia, such move would certainly benefit the enemy. Or maybe benefit someone else more than anything.

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After the crashing defeat of West Rome, Oroles the Wall, aquired fame, wealth and power. Things the king didnt take to heart too much, if someone else other than him had all those things.

In fact the ties between king Deceneus and his best general, Oroles are strained. The last chapter of the Second Sarmatian War is about to begin.

The order was to crush a rebellion in Pannensis. After taking over the city, leaving it surprisingly intact, for his temper. A second battle happened. This time lead by Oroles the enemy didnt stand any chance. Not only being in numerical disadvantage and crossing open fields, having less cavarly than the sarmatians, in an move only him could pull out and win. Half enemy army was butchered, this time.

The scythians lost thousands, the sarmatians had used them as meat shield. In May 94, envoys, literally begged for peace. Oroles handed the deal, demannding never less than Vinnitsya, the only intact settlement left. All over was only devastation. All this happened before the revolt in Pannensis. Altough he had such power, Deceneus did not like it one bit, despite trying to remove it from history something remained, that would claim his full involvement in the death of the great general.

In August of 94 Oroles sent his army to crush the rebels. He succeded with minimal casualties, only to die suddenly a few days later.
An arrow pierced his right eye. It infected quickly and lead to death.

A new loyal but very capable general was promoted from lower rank

One war was coming to an end and peraphs another war was looming soon. The gepid tribes managed to unify and subjugate everyone else around them, creating a considerably strong threat on the dacian border.

In April 95, Deceneus agreed to a very dubious peace with the Sarmatians, all they had to do was to pay back the gold Dacia was forced to spend to fight them and a serious of diplomatic actions. It obviosuly was impossible for them to pay back such sum. It was all just a scheme to mask the real intentions behind those actions. To mask the opportunities taken and the lies told by one ambitious and ruthless man, that happened to be also very paranoid, who that could possibly be ?

Found two centuries ago in an archeological site, today lost. Impossible to confirm if its real or just made up a letter engraved in ceramic table. It was a discussion about an eye injury. The autor claimed it was an assasination attempt. A special squad to hunt specifically him down. It claimed the campaign in Pannensis was a trap to kill him. Because he wanted to conquer the western half of sarmatian lands, create a new client under Dacia with him as ruling noble. Deceneus was afraid of him and for this he wanted to kill him. Half of the council of nobles was on his side and they would glady approve the creation of a new entity under Dacia, especially after an war of invasion and the pillage on the border provinces. The next part was a rather long string of curses to bring bad luck and doom over Deceneus. Written under the order of...Oroles the Wall.

It indeed is unanimously concorded that Sarmatia had almost no more manpower and Dacia had indeed the capabilities to invaded and freerly seize those lands. It is believed the death of Oroles, made the nobles recycle the idea as too risky without any capable commander. Thats the official theory. Historians deny the involvment, or at least direct involvment of the king against his best general. He rather left the matters uncheked, because Oroles in fact had half of the dacian nobilty supporting him and his desire to establish a new eastern sub-kingdom. A direct involvment would likely plunge the kingdom in civil war, and that didnt happen till the religious war, a century later. One thing is certain for sure, we will never know what truly happened, the truth was burried long time ago.

 

[generalis Julius Caesar]

Nice, plots are always good.

 

[Falhxer]

Nice, plots are always good.

It will get only worse and that's without me doing anything, in fact ill have to write realistic plots for this, fortunatly reality is full of such cases from which i can take inspiration. For some reason my rulers kept dieying one after another, I would say it's somehow fitting for the kind of governament im creating for Dacia in this timeline.

Also i want to create a mini chapters or topics sometimes at the end of a chapter called History of the Nations, in which i try to write about the formation and history of a certain kingdom and nation with some custom maps created by me, obviosuly matching the borders in game, trying to make as much as historically plausible. In this way they will have a backstory, a why they exists and to make it more, i dont really know how to describe it, but add something more to the story overall.
Im asking, writing as a reply, because you have been the only one so far replying here, but anyone is free to answer if you would like something like this ?


Update will appear soon very late today or tommorow.

 

[Falhxer]

A brief period of peace 96-113​

As Dacia was approaching a new era, a new dangerous alliance was formed. Months now, the barbarian king and the horselords were meeting, discussing and plotting the downfall of Dacia. These pacts of mutual assistance, by the end of 96 culminated in the official forge of an alliance. With the mariage of the sons of both sides with the respectful daughters.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. (Sun Tzu)


As alliances were being created by various tribes in the east, Dacia was facing the consequences of this long war. Naturally, Deceneus decided to ignore completly the problem, arguing he was the one he saved them. Without him they would be dead or sold as slaves by the Sarmatians. It was only right they continue to pay the regular taxes, he earlier in his reign imposed.

In fact Deceneus I, created from scratch the legislative fondaments for the future Dacian Empire. Most of it was copied from romans laws, but the romans did the same when they rose to power, only pragmatism and practicality at the end of day...
Formally Dacia was fieleding nineteen thousand men, ready for war at any moment.
News came from Siracia, spies were reporting the sarmatians were selling some land for goods in exchange, mainly horses... Concerning news.

Growing older, he became also more conscious. He knew that imposing the dacian religion and customs had to be done gradually, over time, leaving the conquered populations some degree of liberty and self governing. It wasn't act of mercy, he knew that even more rebellious would prove too much to handle the already conquered territory properly.

Around year 100 barbarians declared war on other barbarians. However these were not simple barbarians but a threat. Massive armies were marching into Antes. Antes was about to disappear from history after losing aproximatevly half its population, historians estimate. The sarmatians wouldn't last very long, torn apart by their enemies, an even bigger tribal confederation would become free just few years later.

At the same time in Dacia, the king pushed for cultural assimilation, he decided to scrap the tolerance and integrate every conquered population directly into Dacia otherwise leave as half-autonomous vassals to avoid internal problems and at the same time to create depent subjects that would provide taxes, manpower and land between Dacia and the invading forces. Assimilate or settle those who refused outside the kingdom boundaries, in reality many who refused ended just as slaves put to harsh work into the mines, living short lives of few years before dying of extreme hardships.

Zalmoxism was spreading further thanks to the effort of priets. It wasnt directly something the king wanted at all costs but it neverless proved a stabilizing factor in the kingdom.

In summer of the next year, the former small king (a title created by Deceneus, to mean submission to the the king, him, of Dacia) died suddenly, after years of bribes, promises, gifts and royal marriages, the nobles in Iazygia finally agreed to become direct subjects of the king. It was used only in this particular case. Later, the governors, would be called the ones controlling dacian provinces.

At the same time a treaty of cooperation, based on trade and mutual assistance in case of invasions was signed with the League of Urbinum, at this point was much larger than a city state, in fact it was a latin league of cities united toghter with the goal to reunite the italic peninsula and reinstitute the Roman Republic back. This new league of cities directly opposed the already existing entity of West Rome and East Rome. At this point in time, West Rome didnt represent any threat at all, having most of its lands in Southern Hispania and some isolated coastal cities in Italy. The real threat was East Rome. An enemy, both Dacia and the League of Urbinum were both hostile to. Such a pact came only at a perfect time. The hostile relationship with East Rome could only mean on thing, war. Deceneus wanted to avoid a conflict now at all costs, while still dealing with internal problems and client internal instability, , the newly formed clients were continously dragging resources and manpower from Dacia, forced to reinforce the new established borders with more and more men in small forts in order to keep under control the rebellious cities and rural surroundings.

The last month of 101, news of the peace traty arrived in Dacia, Antes has been reduced to a remote province, deep in scythian homeland.

While dealing with internal problems, the supply of salt dropped immediatly causing unrest and overall inflation in the economy making most goods the artisans produced, to be sold at a higher price, poverty was growing, the kingdom needed some solutions soon.

In autumn of 102, first unconfirmed rumours and later proven and reliable information, made clear Sarmatia was expanding even more into east, bringing more and more tribes under the control of one man, with one purpouse, launch an invasion of Dacia.

The last months of the next year were also full of surprises but the most important one was about Venexians intentions. An envoy from the League of Urbino announced that spies in Venice heard about the plans of the barbarian duke to conquer the remaining west roman cities in Italy. They urged to keep the dacian army prepared, they might attack soon the League itself. In those years Venice was allied with Genoa and they did really had plans to expand into Italy.

The year 104 has seen much more than the previous ones. In summer, the nobles in Maladina and those estates were bordering East Rome managed to create claims suggesting that area was under daco-thracian control in times before even Rome existed, obviosuly such claims were harshy disputed by the romans as false and ridiculous. In autumn, an envoy from Egypt arrived declaring Dacia as a threat and rival. Today historians talk not as why Egypt posed itself as dacian rival, but more why the rulers declared Dacia as enemy. One possible hypotesis could be claims. Egypt at that time was still under roman control, or better said under a roman dictatorship. The kingdom was relativly small, it broke away from East Rome because of disagrement between the emperor and some generals. It was supposed to be a short term break-away. A disagreement that will never heal. As Egypt launched invasions to reclaim Byzantium, as it was called after the fracture. Easte Rome would be whole again with Egypt incorporated into the empire again. Whoever the future wars failed, Byzantium was weakened enough to fracture further. Also a massive invasion from Parthia, trying to recreate the Achemenid empire destroyed every hope of reunification. The loss of the entire middle east and the creation of a new kingdom the kingdom of Palmyra exacerbated the situation further. Parthia would later collapse and fracture in many persian satrapies, but it was too late at that point. A new power would rise in the region and crush any opposition.

With the definitve integration of Iazigya, loyal nobles were rewarded lands and the disloyal ones were all executed or exiled and all the properties confiscated and redistributed to the loyal ones and new dacian ones.

This year ended with the defeat of ten thousand gotini tribesmen, an ambitious barbarian tried to settle into Pannensis and claim large parts of it. Many of them them were killed, but even more were sold as slaves across all Dacia and its client states.

The new year saw massive improvements and construction projects in the capital: Sarmisegetuza. The king ordered many houses, theatres and temples to Zalmoxis to be built. The city also grew in size as more and more people were moving into the capital, making it one of biggest at the time.

While the kingdom at peace, the army was restless. New tactics, drills and an improved military hiercachy has been established by Cotys. A general, many were saying as talented as the legendary Oroles the Wall if not even better. His new military doctrines broadly speaking, consisted in dividing the army in more separated smaller armies in control of a general who would oversee them. At the top the king or one the generals would command the all the armies. In desperate situations the individual coordination of each army would be left to the assigned general to proceed as he best deemed. In this way each particular situation could be easily dealt with. That's of course only a very vague and short description of a more complex doctrine, Cotys envisioned even before being promoted to such high position. He could have been a great commander and general, however reality was far from romantic and heroic. During a drill while crossing a river he fell from the horse, while he could swim the heavy armour dragged him to the botton, leaving Dacia without the most capable military man, in mere seconds.

Two more years passed without any remarkable event when one day, Deceneus heard that the old allies were now warring against each other. Gepidia and Sarmatia were enemies now. These news have been seen as an omen from the gods. Big festivals took place in all Dacia while the sarmatians were killed in the forests that previosly belonged to the scythian tribe of Antes.

There are not many records of this war at all. It is something strange, because after all this conflict was probably the one that sealed the fate of Byzantium and projected Dacia from simple regional power to superpower of the age. Throwing men at byzantine fortifications instead of defending the homeland from could have been the biggest barbarian invasion without any precedents to occur.

The few remaining records are also incomplete and not completly trustworthy, most of them dating several centuries later since the conflict. This war even if won by the germanic tribes was so devastating for both sides it would collapse their hegemonies in the area for years to come.

Sarmatia wouldnt expand anymore and would later fall in the last Sarmatian War, where Dacia invaded the nomadic steppes with almost one hundred thousand men. Despite this they would fight bravely, but thats for the future to come, back to present.

It was debated and mostly agreed upon it that the main cause for war would appear an insult, or rather something that the sarmatians viewed as an insult perpetrated by the gepids. All relations ceased and just a few months later in spring Sarmatia assembled a force numbering forty thousand horsemen. It was a combined force of sarmatians, siracians, antes scythians, mostly coerced into cooperation under threat to unleash their wrath first on what remained of their home and later on the enemies and possibly even alans. On the opposite side, the gepids were allied with the skirians. A tribe much further north, deep into Germania Magna, as the romans used to call it. The fragmented records, place the germanic force at a similar size. In the first months of the conflict the germanic armies were forced to retreat by the horsemen. They inflicted severe casualties and pillaged deep into enemy territory. In autumn, after two seasons of devastation they had finally their revenge. A new leader took the command of the tribes and tricked the sarmatians to follow them into the forest as they were running away defeated and surprisngly the sarmatian khagan gave order to chase them. A well orchestrated ambush happened, throwing the vulnerable sarmatians off their horses and finishing them on thr ground in which clearly the gepids and skirians had a better advantage. Following the end of the battle only one third of the invading army remained, mainly antes scythians, refusing to follow into the forest. The germanic union of tribes lost as much as half army, after all they were strongly outnumebered, the previous defeats reduced their enemies, to what the records suggest, about twelve thousand men. After their defeat what remained of gepids and skirians flooded the undefended territory pillaging entire encampaments and forcing many more to run away.

After two years, the germanics were still pushing into defensless sarmatian territory, the sarmatians were running more desperate than ever, retreating deeper and deeper into their east holdings. A new duchy, was enherited by an etruscan. What was supposed to be part of the League of Urbinum, was now a herditary despotic monarchy under the rule of an etruscan duke. He declared the rebirth of Etruria. A kingdom subjugated by Rome many centuries ago would rule its lands again. Hostilies started immeditatly between the League and Etruria. However a third player entered the game, Genoa, hoping to take over as many land as possible before certain downfall of the newly formed duchy. Little did they know that one day that small duchy will rule all over them.

The year 113 confirmed to the League's fear, Venexians and Genoese had really intentions to invade the rest of Italy. Genoese open hostility towards Dacia for supporting the League of Urbinum, now that Etruria has been reduced to a mere polis. Was this provocation pheraps the start of another conflict?

​

 

[generalis Julius Caesar]

Really cool, I tried to loop in @stnylan and @Nikolai but they haven't responded yet.

 

[Nikolai]

Really cool AAR, thanks for letting me know, @generalis Julius Caesar

 

[Falhxer]

The First Germanic Campaign 114-123

​

The First Germanic Campaign, called this way because exclusivly consisted in fighting germanic tribes. There are two wars. Not particularly relevant to the grand sceme but neverless proved to be crucial in Germany to determine which tribe will prevail over which. Dacian intrusion in germanic affairs tilted quite a lot the balance of power, leading the history to take one course instead of another.



Gotini-gothic War:

It started in 114, Dacia invaded almost without pretty much any casus belli the weaker Gotini. Their ally, the Goths entered the war indignated by such unprecedented act of aggression, Dacia was just taking over without any restrain or proper justification, only a hastily made claim here and there, made in one day by Deceneus himself just to get quicker into the war. In fact the armies were already pillaging and seizing quarter of gotini territory.

The invading armies combined were around twenty thousand heavy infantry and six thousand between light and heavy cavalry. The defenders, records poorly describe, around twenty thousand light infantry and six thousand light cavalry.

The first battle, records greatly exagerate saying Dacia lost no men while the barbarians died in thousands, went asthoungly well. This war was really to test the army, for something much, much bigger, it was a preparation to take down the eagle in the south, the latin juggernaut.

The leading general, Amadocus, a talented and ruthless man, completly destroyed the enemy. The leading chieftain was killed early in the battle while trying to lead his force in a defensive retreat tactic, by an arrow. He decided to kill them all, the war was still early on, transporting over seven thousand slaves to Sarmisegetuza would prove a risky move if the germans would make a move and he would have to fight not only against the newly arrived attackers but also rebellious slaves. He did what he did, after all they could simply surrender or run away instead of fighting. The loser takes upon him the consequnces.

In just two weeks of war the enemy has been crippled to defend only.
A month later, another, less numerous army, was defeated, this time the nobles waiting impatiently finally saw their new slaves, great building projects were now set in motion. The city would grow bigger and bigger but over time would lose importance to Byzantion, once the dacian population became majority there, Byzantion became the new capital.

Smaller skirmishes followed, a scout army was wiped out. It was a decoy, ended badly, but neverless one to trick dacian army away. The barbarians then attacked the isolated army, Amadocus was comming, too busy to plunder to keep up with the others.

It didnt end pretty for the enemy, losing half their army, they have been forced to retreat deep into the forests, however, his army suffered loss of a third army, the dacians had been caught completly unprepared for such a surprise assault, any other tradition army would be routed with undescrivbile casualties, but not the dacian army.

The dacian army was becoming as fearsome between the neighbours as once the romans were feared and hated. Completly disciplinated, launching war cries that terrified the enemy, they knew the dacians were coming before even seeing them.
The germans at this point were completly disorented and lost, Roigos another, talented general, close friend of Cotys, was applying new shock tactics that worked extremly well, wiping one army after another.

Amadocus, not so busy seeking glory was instead chasing smaller armies, escorting the civilians running elsewhere and enslaving them in thousands, becoming in a very short amount of time one of the most wealthy man in the known world.

The war concluded well, whoever there was one problem, the supplies, half of casualties were caused by attrition alone. Another half could have been avoided by two thirds if not for the greed of some other men, too busy ordering the sieze of fortiefied villagies, taking over all possible treasures, causing regular ambushes and harassment even by neighouring tribes, horrifed by such actions, asking themselves if they were really the savages they heard so much being called by Rome and now Dacia...

Pannensis doubled its size, this couldnt be said about the population, reduced the three quarters. This instead was what exactly Deceneus needed, he praised Amadocus for his loyalty and and prefect order follower. From a economic point of view it was ruinous and devastating for the region, but from a stability one, there would be no people to revolt and over time dacian settlers would replace the local population. In order to create something new the old has to be destroyed.

Quadia also seized back lands it has lost, some sort of support to Quadia was beggining to form, the policy of supporting the weak and cush the strong. And when the situation is again unstable, crush the new dominant power, keep the neighboring tribes weak and divided, this would be the dacian strategy for the centuries to come.

Northern Intervention:

The summer of the following year, a small tribe, the Quadi, declared war to Gepidia, any sane enough man would judge such a move, deliberate suicide. Gepidia was huge, despite the war with Sarmatia, could still field few thousands tribesmen to protect its homeland. Little did they know, that wealthy and influential nobles and the germanic chief made an agreement to send mercenaries in exhanchange for a simbolic payment. Gepid incursions on dacian borders had become unbereable and the entire villages were left abandoned as the people moved inland more and more. This was unacetable, not only taxes were not paid, there were strong shortages of salt for years now and the grain production was dropping forcing the market to import food. Empty lands would also encoure new, settlers on it, indirectly claiming the land, not thru direct war but terror.

A direct declaration of war would drag Dacia into a war long, even maybe decades, facing a strong alliance of many tribes, even the fearsome army would struggle to keep them all at bay and not leaving them freerly and unpunished to ravage the homeland, such a war would make losses hundred of times bigger than the gain.

However a tribal conflict between germans, wouldnt involve many tribes if any at all. An opportunity the nobles couldnt lose at any cost. The chance to finally punish the raiders had come to them on a golden plate, only a fool would waste it.

Thirteen thousand highly trained men were sent as mercenaries in Gepidia for a symbolic payment.

Such a military display completly demorilized the gepids, the only fight the mercenaries saw was a vanguard of merely two thousand men. Quadia alone managed to defeat the gepid army, a year later, peace was signed. The strong was weak again, the borders were safe.

Soon afterwards Dacia marched with all its might into Gepidia with over thirty thousand men against merely one thousand infantry and some thousands cavalry hired as mercenaries.
In one quick battle Amadocus destroyed them to the last man. He has been forbidden to take slaves this time, they would have to die all, the punishment for the raids.

With another lost war, the vanquished were forced to cede lands once more, forcing them to migrate into east in former sarmatian territory, the entire population has been displaced.

The Germanic Campaign was over but the instability in the kingdom was far from over, new lands and the clients were a powderkeg of costant rebellions...

 

[generalis Julius Caesar]

Cough-Rome-Cough

 

[Nikolai]

Slowly, Dacia is taking her rightful place in the world.

 

[Falhxer]

Sorry for such long updates, but i was short on ideas and i didnt want to write something mediocre. Instead i wanted to make the best i could, i hope today, if not, tommorow will post the next update.

 

[Nikolai]

No worries

 

[generalis Julius Caesar]

It's fine.

 

[Falhxer]

A small preview of something im working on, unfortunatly, the new maps im working proved to be more difficult to create and manage than i previosuly anticipated. But i decided to push for this new style of narration, with custom made and personalizied maps.​

Also the story, proved to be a chaotic still and very "raw". Since i decided to include a bit of backstory of Egypt and League of Urbinum, not too much as i plan to create special chapters for each interesting nation or which played an important role in this period i played. Because i think it adds more weitght to the story in general and i find it fun trying to understand and create, rather take from history, example for the WHY some kingdoms acted one way or another. Trying to be less focused solely on Dacia and more on its neighbours too. It will still somehow be represented from Dacia's persepective, as i wont try to write about kingdoms that didnt play any role in the development of the Dacian Empire but only about those that in a way or another shapped the empire the way it is.

Took me more than i want to admit, but i think was worth, from now on i want to try something else, leave the same boring eu4 screenshots and instead build on them such maps, less screenshots and more detailed and fancy maps like this.​

 

[Falhxer]

The death of Deceneus the Great 124 – 130

The dacian plan to rapidly strike East Rome, using shock tactics and rapidly advance on the enemy capital and force the roman emperor to the table of negotiations, before even the arrival of the army. Some chronicles refer to it as the last plan made by Deceneus, before his death, just two years later. The king was hoping for some quick concessions from the emperor to placate his pileati (nobles). His death before the end of the war.

​

After the successful war with the germanic tribes an unexpected opportunity presented itself. Zamolxist priests from a byzantine neighboring province asked the king to intervene. Lately the byzantine emperors, short on money because of the many coups of state and unsuccessful war campaigns, imposed heavy taxes on the thracian population. Especially on the ones of zamolxist faith, justfing it, they cooperated with the dacians and conspired against the empire. This was true, many believed in a new indipendent thracian kingdom, ally of Dacia, hoping for an intervention. The taxes situation excalated the situation pretty fast.

Before Burebista was assassinated, almost two centuries ago, he created the empire of the dacians, even intervening in the war between Caersar and Pompei. His support was not enough to turn the tables in favour of Pompei, because Caesar was invincible. Caesar after this would plan an invasion of Dacia, this never happened because later, both would be assassinated. Rome becoming an empire and Dacia collapsing in many smaller entities. Again in 64 the tables would turn around, Rome would collapse because of many unfortunate events, under its immense weight, while Dacia aprofitating of this would slowly but surely engulf, most of the roman eastern territory while slowly pushing into Persia before collapsing and losing most of these newly conquered territories and Egypt to the rising power of the Caliphate.

Dacia under Burebista 60-44 BC


In 124 the nomads of Siracia, invaded the byzantine Tauria. A tricky endeavour to retake those lands back for the byzantines. Parthia had deeply pushed into Armenia, directly annexing the kingdom into the empire, leaving Tauria separated from the empire and extremly vulnerable. In a direct fight Siracia would lose without any doubt, but with different circumstances now they had great advantage.
In the same time, a peasant led rebellion sparkled in byzantine territory with illyrian majority population.

Siracia occupied roman lands in the hope of occupying them permanently. East Rome, didnt stand to this and built a massive transport fleet to land in Tauria (or Tauris, modern Crimea). Upon landing the siraci didnt stand any choice and were quickly defeated. Even with the victory the damage done, remained. The people wouldnt forget such passive behaviour from Byzantion. As the years woudl pass, the Eastern Roman Empire wouldnt fall only to his external enemies but mainly to his internal. A strong empire, which dissolution was caused by poor administration and greed of its own ruling class.


Two years later, the gepids found themselves yet in another war, the desire for revenge of Sarmatians was as strong as ever. After two years of rebellion the area was still under peasant control and slowly a more organized army was forming. The emperor was too busy fighting elsewhere to bother and they didnt invade any further if not pillaging the surrounding cities.

The king was still against a war with the Eastern Roman Empire, fearing a possible draw or gaining little for too much sacrifice. However at that point, he was old, not feared and respected as before. In fact he would die soon, of old age, despite the many enemies he has made during his reign. His clever suppression of all opposition left him almost absolute free reign.
The pileati in Maladina, threatened to declare war to the Eastern Rome themselves and even seccede from the kingdom if the king would refuse. Even worse, the same threats were made by pileati inside the kingdom, especially those of more geatic origin. Threating to split and attack the romans themselves and create a new Geto-Thracian kingdom. That would absoulty weaken Dacia, especially after all the blood and effort to conquer. This would plunge Dacia into a civil war splitting it further into smaller dacic states. Leaving its neighbours room to expand into it.
The choices were two: war or disintegration of the kingdom. The king knew perfectly, he decided to go to war.
Ambassadors from the League of Urbinum, saw the great opportunity and contacted the homeland withing days. Just hours before go to war, the League offered to help Dacia invading East Rome. Of course not without gaining new lands. The League desired all the byzantine possetions in Italy. It was an offer where Dacia would only gain.

Deceneus was on pretty friendly terms with the League. He viewed them as fellow civilized neighbours, beacon of civilization, unless the barbaric neighbours all around. Especially the League didnt have expasion plans outside Italy. He considered them a valuable ally.
Before there were many attempts to convince the king into entering the war against Byzantium, but he always refused to go to war. For him the Germanic Campaign was the last conflict, he was already too old and tired of the continue warfare, thru all his life.
This time being forced to go to war, it was a great opportunity for the League to finally assert power in the region and finally tilt the balance of power in their favour, pushing the barbarians finally out of transalpina region.

Sadly for them the king would die before the conclusion of war. Also would be assasinated shortly the great man responsible for making the League a regional power recongized and respected by its neighbours. But that is a story for a different chapter. All that has to be known now that his assasination would slowly make the League decline. It would still stay for two more centuries as a significant power in region before its inevitable fall.

In 128 dacian armies marched into roman land. The promised support from the League never arrived and wouldnt arrive until two years later, to fight a peasant rebellion in Maladina. An excuse the next king would use against the League. A step against the policies of the old king, he considered the League, unreliable and nothing more than a corrupt oligarchy. In fact, League has proven itself unable to capture the any byzantine lands.
Twenty thousand men directly marched into Skythia, the simbolic capital of the indipendist thracian movement across the empire. Skythia and Dorustum simply opened the gates welcoming the army, supplying it also in the process. Years of long seiges were awaiting ahead. Before that, the byzantine army had yet to be defeated.

A battle happened indeed, but not what the dacian generals were expecting. Instead of fity thousand men only ten thousand men and six thousand heavy cavalry were fielded. And they werent even well rested men, but straight up force marched directly from Lydia to the city Pyrgos. What followed was just a battle of few hours before the exshausted forces made a disorganized retreat. It was clear that this army, once numerous, maybe even, over fifty thousand men has seen many, many battles on the other side of Byzantion against Parthia and later Roman Egypt.

Just a month later, the remaining army surrendered to a scout army, lacking any general.
Byzantium was defeated, no armies exsisted to proect its from its enemies.
After this battle, Dacia defeated its biggest rival with minimal losses. The indecisvness of Byzantium to strike in 120, sealed its fate just nine years later.

Egypt invaded most of Anatolia between 127 and 129. Initially was an invasion with the intention to stay. However for unclear reasons, before 130 all the forces retread leaving a completly devasted area behind. Parthia later invaded further the area. It is possible that Egypt was forced to leave threatened by Parthia. Byzantium had earlier lost over 60% of its army against Parthia in the earlier war. Being a very disastrous loss, the generals in Egypt saw the perfect opportunity to size. Despite such a loss, a smaller army was assembled, around fifty thousand men. Dacia would face only a small portion of that army, completly weakened and demoralized would surrender in the second battle. Egypt, estimate force at the time, seventythousand men, most its force remained intact, despite this, they felt threatened enough by Parthia to leave the area. They would later return, but always in indirect form and never directly ever again.


Roman Egypt almost took over East Rome but suddenly left a devasted Anatolia. This would completly cripple East Rome but also would deny another opportunity for reunification of the empire. The rulers in Egypt opting for a sovereing empire like the Ptolomeic Egypt, considering the empire of origin a lost cause.

The reason the League of Urbinum couldnt provide any real assistance was because of the civil war they faced right at the start of the war, the cities they took from West Rome, some of them, were unhappy with the new administration, some feared the rising power and growth in population of Urbinum and wanted to take it down, bringning some sort of balance, leading to an extremly chaotic war in the peninsula. Urbinum has reached almost forty thousand inhabintans, in just little over half century. Making it a monstrous growth. Despite this, the League could field something between ten-fifteen thousand men. The cities that started the civil war, it is estimated amassed between twenty and thirty thousand, vasty outnumbering Urbinum and the loyalist cities. The civil war would've been won shortly before the end of the Dacian-Byzantine War. Rubbostes, the new king however refused to give any concession to the League, saying they didnt do anything during the war and only concentrated on their internal affairs, waiting for easy lands. Of course at stake was the existence of League itself, but politics are politics and such things as comprehension, simpley do not exist. Outraged, the Great Senator, wich name I will leave for the chapter specifically dedicated to all the history of the League. Somehow ended insulting the new king, later, further unsuccessful talks escalated the situation and the alliance was broken... He would later incite an inglorious but neccesary invasion of the promised lands. Stating the five thousand garrison men holding them has left for the capital. He was shortly assassinated, before the invasion couldever begin.

Rubbostes the Christian took power right after the death of Deceneus the Great. He was a controversial man. During the centuries he was viewed as a saint. First man in Dacia and Europe to convert to the world of Christ. Obviously things in reality were different from what his successors made the comati (peasants) believe and everyone else for centuries and centuries. Long before he was even born, christianity was already a large part of East Rome. Altought not still official religion, was recongnized and freedom of belief was institued. In the turbid annals of history, his reason for the converting to christianity was nontheless a pretext to label the pileati loyal to Deceneus as heathens and remove them from their position of power. He almost made it before being brutally assassinated, reinstating zamolxism as official religion starting decades of civil war. He was a hated man, by many of his contemporaries because of his crimes against the king. The king died of old age, but was under his order that the still newborn son was killed, rather died under misterious circumstances. After the death of his only son, that died in a hunting accident, not murdereded or anything. A new dynasty under a new man, would take the
control of a great and powerful kingdom.

The peace was negotiated by the roman emperor in autumn of 130. Without an army with the dacian foes near the gates of Byzantion, the emperor agreed to harsh demands.

Most of territory occupied by rebels was added to Maladina, before even the peace talks could begin, something the roman emperor protested but couldnt anything against it. The entire area around the Danube was seized. The new king then planned immediatly to build defenses against East Rome. Such plans will never come to fruition, as Dacia was about to end its days of peace of prosperity and enter a period of tulburence and violence for the rest of century.