The Eagles of Avalon

[coz1]

Though Selenus still seems green, he has learned much in his travels thus far and dealing with gruff generals will only continue that education.

And I see where you are going with Varic. But I suppose the question is (as you mentioned) - how much do those underlings realize the special relationship Varic has with Romulus. Perhaps Romulus does not care, but if so, that may be part of a potential downfall. Though not literally a truism - appearence can often equal reality in some eyes.

 

[Stuyvesant]

Two updates so soon together! Joy!

First off, it's clear that Romulus is still an ass. The way he carries himself rings hollow, the way Varic can challenge - and indeed direct - his actions is revealing, even if most people are unaware of it. Varic knows and Barbaria must know it, too. Romulus now has had some years on the throne, time to get used to his powers and responsibilities, time to counter and break free from the influence of others. That he hasn't been able to do anything like that yet (except for dismissing Remus, his biggest asset), really makes me believe he never will.

In the future, Romulus might wish Odoacer were still alive. A dangerous man, yes, but he might have made a useful counter against Varic's influence.

As to Selenus, he needs to be paired up with a sensible commander who can do the fighting for him, while deferring to him for matters of logistics. This Verus is clearly a poor match for him, I wonder who set it up? If it was Romulus, it shows another bad decision: he should have waited till the end of the siege in Ravenna and sent Claudius down south. If Varic had a hand in the selection of this commander, either he is trying to strengthen his hand throughout the Empire (scary), or he wishes this expedition to fail (even scarier). Selenus should write his patron, Lady Barbaria, and make her work for him. I'm sure she could get a more suitable commander appointed. After all, I doubt she would want to see her creature (that being Selenus) fail.

 

[CatKnight]

The fact that Varic DARED do that, regardless of whether it was the right decision or not, shows how exceptionally weak Romulus is as an emperor. I think this will go bad for him. Certainly he had the right (and probable expectation) to finish Odoacer off, but the fact he'd just given the barbarian his life means to those who saw it that 1) Varic acted without authority, which reinforces his weakness, or 2) Varic acted with the emperor's authority, in which case he's effectively an oathbreaker.

And I tend to agree with Suomar: Despite his experience, Selenus knows nothing about warfare. Of course his men are going to sack Messina. Be happy if they don't sack Syracuse for an encore. On the other hand, if Suomar is really this...oblivious..to the state of his own army (numbers, etc.) then he's not so brilliant either. Certainly he needs clerks to track the mundane details for him, but Suomar really should know things like numbers, terrain, and at least whether he has enough supplies or not.

 

[Amric]

Two updates to comment upon! Yes! First off, Varic killing off the barbarian was good policy. HOWEVER, when you DIRECTLY do something that makes your imperator look like a fool, and in FRONT of his troops, that is not good. It shows supreme weakness to the men. If I were Romulus, I would be putting him on a cross right quickly. The sooner the better. By directly defying Romulus he has put the imperator in a untenable position. He has shown Romulus to be weak. Unwilling to immediately do something to Varic is a bad move on Romulus' part. The troops will talk. Showing mercy was perhaps a bad idea, but it was Romulus' idea. In respect to Odaocar who didn't kill him when he had the chance he was returning the favor. Varic ruined it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Odaocar didn't KNOW someone would kill him and soon.

He had lost. He would be in exile with few men. His final comment about victory but not being triumphant is seemingly prophetic. With his death, a worthy enemy has been eliminated. However, the MANNER it was done will do more to make Romulus' throne even more unstable than it already is. You don't give mercy and then take it away. Even by proxy. It just isn't done. This will cost Romulus more than he knows. His impotence with Varic will likely some day get him killed.

Like I stated before, had it been me, I would have ordered my guards to take him and crucify him. Immediately. Yes, Odaocar would still be dead. But the instant execution of the man who defied him would help mollify the troops. Showing he has a spine and the willingness to back up what he wants done. It's not likely to happen, unfortunately.



Now as for the second update. Selenus' commander is a fool. Not thinking about supplies and so forth is stupid. Trusting it all to clerks is all well and good, but a good commander keeps his hand in, making sure things are going as they should. He might meet a dagger in the night if Barbaria hears about his. She doesn't strike me as one who will let that slide. Selenus is doing so, but Barbaria is likely to do something about it. This invasion is ill omened, it seems. Perhaps it can be turned about, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be unmitagated disaster. Not unrecoverable, but one that will seriously damage Rome's new reputation of empire. Newly reconstituted it cannot afford disasters like this one that seems to be brewing. It allows external enemies the idea that Rome is weak and can be destroyed once more. Showing strength and not advertising one's weakness is absolutely imperative to keep the empire safe. Let's see what happens.

 

[unmerged(28944)]

I have the feeling that all these actions are going to come back and end up hurting our young Romulus. He's made to look a fool in front of his troops (which was bound to happen sooner or later!), and he's made the foolish mistake of sending a blood thirsty idiot to take Sicily when he needs a smart commander to make the take over as easy and painless as possible! Foolish, foolish, foolish.

Fools, history has shown, rarely stay in power for long... especially when there are ambitious people in the wings with little or no loyalty to rely upon.

I am simply enjoying this wonderful ride of an AAR!

 

[VILenin]

Varic killing Odoacer in that manner certainly reflects poorly on Romulus but I have the feeling that many in the army probably support his action. If Romulus kills him for eliminating an enemy of the Empire and doing it (nominally at least) for him that could cause just as much discontent.

And Suomor is definitely off to a bad start. Imperial power is much too weak to go around alienating Imperial citizens with senseless massacres like the sack of Messana he is proposing. I hope Selenus finds a way to stop him.

 

[cthulhu]

Excellent writing as always my friend.

Either he show weakness, or settle the impression that Odoacer’s death was by his hands.

I agree with Varic that it was a mistake to release Odoacer. He should have been executed. An even bigger mistake was not to have Varic killed for what he did! Show weakness? The Emperor's authority was completely undermined by Varic's actions. Even if Romulus managed to pull off acting like he had planned this all along, he comes off as conniving man without honor. If the audience, as I suspect, didn't buy that the Emperor had planned this all along, then Varic completely undermined Romulus authority. The only course of action would be to have Varic killed, as his actions have proven him to be completely untrustworthy and a threat to the Emperor himself.

"But leave the bravery to me! Now get moving!"

This clown seems to confuse savagery with bravery.

 

[unmerged(18239)]

Excellent writing as always my friend.

Indeed, too bad I only caught up now. I will be following this for sure. Mett, great story!

 

[The Yogi]

I have missed a few updates, but my project to re-read the Third Empire showed me how much I prefer to read on paper rather than on screen. I've printed them out and will catch up in no time.

In the meantime, consider this paraphrase on the parable of Hercules and the Turtle: no matter how fast i read, I can never catch up if you keep producing updates while i read!

 

[Avernite]

Very interesting to see things in Rome again. I hope Scylla eats suomar, so Selenus can lead the troops to victory and march home as a conqueror

 

[Mettermrck]

stynlan: Writing Suomar and reading everyone's comments, I think I portrayed him too incompetently. I wanted him to be a good tough general, which is probably hard since we're not in battle yet, but always wanted to give him a barbarian mentality of not knowing or caring much about logistics. He know the values of plunder for his men's morale, the need to seize supplies on the guy, but he is somewhat knew to the concept of commanding a professional army. I wanted to give the impression that Romulus, low on commanders, is scraping the barrel.

coz1: It's hard to tell what the army would think. Depending on how Romulus sold his performance, the army would probably object primarily to Romulus going back on his word, though many would see the sense of killing his rival. His guard would probably back him, since they're nascent Praetorians and owe their position to him. The field army despises him somewhat already, so this would add to their feelings.

Stuyvesant: Yes, I think the dynamic for Romulus' soul will be Varic and Barbaria, none of whom are really altruistic in this story. Remus is a third option, though for the moment Romulus has clearly flung him away.

CatKnight: Romulus is weak underneath his bravado. His is an emperor who owes his position to another, whether he says Remus or Varic, or etc. He is someone who needs to rely on another and doesn't have much of a will of his own, as can be seen. For the moment, the people tugging on his strings aren't in conflict, so he mainly looks silly, not conflicted. Glad you did like Suomar. I wanted him to be tough and realistic, not necessarily bad at command.

Amric: I appreciate the thorough comments, sir! Well, Romulus is definitely spineless, I agree. He's someone who enjoys the trappings of emperor and likes the feeling of raw power, but is easy to manipulate, being dominated by strong personalities. The two largest ones, Varic and Barbaria, got him to squeeze out the third, Remus. I think Romulus knows something of the manipulation around him, and might realize that if he cuts down one of the two influences in his life, he's in effect surrendering to the remaining one. Well, with Suomar, he's half-barbarian so he's not a Roman commander in the traditional sense. He might truly know that logistics are important, but he despises them and Selenus too.

Draco Rexus: Very possibly true about Romulus' vulnerabilities. I believe Romulus has marked himself as devious in front of his troops, which hurts just as much as weak.

VILenin: I believe the Custodiae, Romulus' version of the Praetorian Guards, don't mind at all what he did to Odoacer. They're his creatures. The field army might not like the lack of honor, but they don't have anyone to focus any discontent they might have. For the moment, they're victorious, Ravenna is cast down, and they're happy, hoping to go home I'm sure.

cthulhu: I'm thinking Romulus was shocked by the complete defiance of Varic. He had a second thought that calling out Varic for his act, in public, would make him look weak, so he didn't want to object right away. Whether he would move against Varic, or perhaps become more wary of him, that remains to be seen.

Singleton Mosby: There's always room to catch up. I have a pdf file that I create as I go, so it's always available for readers who need to read back-posts.

The Yogi: I appreciate it, sir! Sometimes it helps to put the story into a separate file and read as a whole. As for my pace, I've been trying to pick it up recently.

Avernite: That would be a quick exit for Suomar, especially considering I got him his own picture, but who knows what lurks ahead? Selenus is quite closest to a solo command than he's ever been. Again when I wrote the post, I recalled when I first introduced him, chasing after his cow in the Campanian forest. Now he's praetor, a trained military officer, combat-experienced, and still naive.

 

[Mettermrck]

​

August 487

Settling on the left bank of the Rhenus, the various tribes of the Frankish Kingdom represented a formidable power on the flank of Gaul, dominating the eastern half of that vast region. With the rise of its newest leader, Chlodwig, otherwise known as Clovis, the fortunes of this vast people became more ambitious. As a great pagan chieftain amidst barbarian kings who were beginning to convert to the new faith, Clovis felt himself in a vulnerable position. The Visigoths and Burgundians, his two great rivals in Gaul, each gave credence to the Arian faith. If either gained the upper hand, it would not go well for the Franks. By the closing decades of the 5th century, it was evident that power, represented by lands and warriors, would be the ultimate arbiter in western Europe. If he was to defy his enemies, Clovis would need to expand the Frankish territories.

In the 480s, the word ‘Roman’ brought no thoughts of Italia and the small empire there. News from that southern land was greeted as speculation and rumor. The ‘Romans’, from Gallic perspective, lay in front of the Franks, to the west, where the Gallic governors Aegidius and then his son Syagrius, maintained a nascent state amidst their barbarian neighbors. With a small professional army, this Gallo-Roman state had eked out an existence of desperate survival. B the late 480s, however, this was no longer enough of a deterrent. Clovis was young and clever and knew he had to strike quickly, but also when the time was right. Already, King Alaric II, his rival king of the Visigoths, was flirting with an invasion of Gallia, his warriors conducting incessant raids into their territory, testing Roman defenses. With Visigoth designs on Gallia, and with the Burgundians distracted by family strife, the opportunity could not be passed over.

Leaving perhaps a quarter of his tribal army to watch the Alemanni, King Clovis marched into Gallic territory in early 487, bent on bringing Syagrius to battle or surrender, and staking his claim to Gaul before the Visigoths could do so. It was certainly risky for the Franks to leave their territory exposed. Small wars with the Alemanni had plagued them for decades and the Burgundians too held little love for their Franks. Only with both quiet, could the risk pay off. Clovis, however, with perhaps ten thousand warriors, felt confident that his gamble would succeed. The core of Clovis’ army was the Frankish foot warrior, armed with angon spear, a throwing falxe and something a dagger or short sword.

With mailed shirts, round iron helmets, and thick hide boots, the Frankish warrior was a formidable sight on the field of battle. The foot soldier was arranged in formations of up to three hundred in what their Roman enemies dubbed the comitatus. These were tribal units led by chieftains, approximately twenty men wide and fifteen deep. Arrayed together, each unit following their standard, they formed the core of the Frankish ‘boar’s-head’ formation, which brought considerable force to bear against enemy lines. Prone to impetuosity, and lacking discipline, the Franks nevertheless, when called upon, could fall back on a stout shield-wall formation to hurl back their enemies. Backed by hundreds of Clovis’ household cavalry, it was a formidable army. Its only weaknesses were the patience of the warriors and its lack of siege experience.

Clovis’ opponent, Syagrius, was an experienced Roman soldier. Perhaps one-third of his army were professional limitanei and comitatensii, as good as any in the Empire. Impressive in battle, their small numbers made them brittle and risky to expose in melee. Their use would have to be calculated for the right moment. The remainder of his army was Gallic conscripts, a mix of Latin and Celtic blood whose use as disciplined soldiers was limited by a lack of military service and their tribal roots. Centuries had not completely Romanized the population, and these infantry bordered closely on foederati. Cavalry was limited, and due to the expanse of territory Syagrius had to protect, from Visigoths, Britons in the west, and the Franks, horsemen were prime for communications and rapid response. Dangerously few cavalry would be numbered amongst Syagrius’ main force.

King Clovis’ invasion of Gaul, spring-summer 487​

It was evident from the moment King Clovis crossed the border, that Soissons was his goal. The Gallic capital and center of what was left of Roman power in the region, it was the heart of his foe’s lands. Syagrius, for his part, was tied to this Roman city, and could ill afford to maneuver away from it. Indeed, such was the importance of Soissons that many, even in his own ranks, questioned his decision to march from Soissons northeast to Laudunum, to meet Clovis head on. A bold decision, it also moved forward the decision point of battle. Some counseled patience, hoping that time and distance would dispirit Clovis’ ranks, ill-used to long campaigns. Syagrius, perhaps feeling the pressure of enemies on all sides, took a direct approach and marched just over two-thousand troops to the hill fort which protecting the traditional invasion routes into northern Gaul. Heavy spring rains, which had flooded the banks of the Gallic rivers, had provided some delay, forcing Clovis to wait until early summer before descending into the heart of Gallia. When at last he approached Laudunum, in late July, Syagrius was waiting for him, drawn up on the hillside in front of the tall fort. The Roman commander would give him the field battle he wanted.

Syagrius’ army begins to take up positions in front of the Laudunum fort as the day of battle dawns​

Choosing the fort as a fallback position, Syagrius had arrayed his army in a single line formation facing northeast from Laudunum, using the walls behind to protect his flanks and ear, and also refusing his left and right, keeping what little cavalry he had as a reserve. The Gallic infantry formed the center of his position, with Roman formations buttressing them from both sides, perhaps to fortify their courage during battle. One notable lack at the battle of Laudunum was missile troops and any siege equipment or artillery, the Franks for a lack of sophistication and the Gallo-Romans because of the haste of Syagrius march from Soissons. Any ranged engagements would be briefly conducted by the Frankish angon and throwing axes, met by the hasta and plumbata darts. Melee, however, with tough hand-to-hand combat, would decide this fight.

Although he perhaps wished to attack in the morning, when the rising sun would shine into Syagrius’ men, King Clovis found out the problems of moving a large army, particularly that with a high preponderance of infantry. Indeed, it was midday, with the hot August sun shining equally on both armies, before the first attack came.

The Frankish attack begins against the Syagrius’ left​

Seeking to dislodge Syagrius from the protection of the nearby fort, the Franks struck first against the Gallo-Roman left, several thousand infantry pouring up the hillside into the enemy infantry. As these represented some of Syagrius’ best veterans, the Roman comitatensii fought toe to toe despite brutal casualties. With three to one odds, the Franks could afford to lose warriors that the Romans could never replace.

Frankish warriors crash into the Romans on the left flank​

Despite the casualties, however, the Roman lines would bend but not break. Weakened and exhausted, the left flank held on, and Clovis was forced to draw back. Shifting his army, the King personally led an attack in the mid-afternoon, this time against Syagrius’ right, with a similar objective. He hoped to lure the Roman commander into a personal melee, but was given no satisfaction.

Gallo-Roman comitatensii rush down the hillside to counter Frankish cavalry​

His household cavalry, which directly participated in this attack, found itself stymied on the hillside, useless in an uphill charge and thwarted by Roman spears. Even as the sun burned, making the soldiers delirious with thirst and fatigue, the defenders remained the defiant. Again, Clovis’ army withdrew down the hillside, having lost over a thousand warriors it was written.

Without a professional baggage train, and with warriors who survived on plunder and seized provisions, Laudunum could not be bypassed. King Clovis, who perhaps possessed the military imagination to outflank his enemy, knew his men would not countenance such a move. By now it was a question of honor. The Frankish warrior followed loyally a commander who could bring victory. Marching on Soissons, leaving the Romans in possession of the field, would be an admission of defeat, no matter how it was framed.

With his own defiance, refusing to admit defeat, Clovis would have to attack a third time, straight into the setting sun, now shining into Frankish eyes.

The climax of the battle – the Franks launch an evening attack on the vulnerable Gallo-Roman center​

As the light faded on Laudunum’s fields, the grim sound of Frankish axmen tramping up the hillside could carry into the fort itself. His Roman troops exhausted, and with scarcely one hundred or more horsemen to bolster his line, surely Syagrius knew that it was his Gallic infantry who would have to stand alone against this final attack. The war cries echoed up the hillside, and the first screams were heard as axes and spears flew. With a resounding crash, the two lines met. The climax of Laudunum had arrived.

 

[Petrarca]

Damn you and your cliffhanger!

I don't know whom to root for. My religious preference is rooting for a Frankish victory so that centuries from now they'll be defenders of the Catholic faith, but I suppose a newly invigorated Roman Gaul might have the same effects. Ah well, here's to Clovis, in victory or defeat!

 

[coz1]

Seems my worries might have been for naught as Clovis will take care of himself. Granted, he could pull something out of the hat here, but the set up doesn't sound good for him. Great cliffhanger, Mett. You must have been studying the works of Master Storey.

 

[Storey]

I find it interesting that the Franks with their greater numbers are attacking piecemeal. That doesn’t seem to make sense to me. Maybe King Clovis is making a fatal mistake? The next post, unless you’re going to use the dreaded switch to another part of the story ploy, will tell us how this all comes out.

Joe

 

[Darks63]

Will remus be able to pull a casaer-like reversal in gaul

 

[Stuyvesant]

Well, well... 10,000 Franks versus 3,000 Gallo-Romans? Granted, the Romans have the advantages of discipline and being on the defense, but those are unfavorable odds. On the other hand, in the battle of Strasbourg the Romans went toe-to-toe with 35,000 barbarians, facing even worse odds (if my memory isn't failing me), and that was an astounding victory. For the Romans.

With the setup you've created, it could go either way: Syagrius has come out ahead of the battle so far, but Clovis still has strength in numbers going for him.

Hope you'll resolve this cliffhanger soon! Maybe Remus can arrive, just in the nick of time, for a much needed morale boost (and bringing some valuable cavalry, more concretely)?

 

[cthulhu]

To Victory Clovis! Victory for the fledging French Empire...errrr...Frankish Kingdom!

 

[Avernite]

Wouldn't it be a bit sad if sya wins without Remus?

Ergo, Clovis will defeat but not destroy him, and Remus will save the day.

 

[Lord E]

Wonderful set of updates during the last couple of days Mett. I really liked them all. Seeing Romulus and Varic and their relationship so close, but also so dangerous was interesting.
Selenus seems to work for a man who holds much bravery, but his lack of organization might be the doom of this campaign.
Now the last updates was perhaps the best, wonderful writing there with the battle of the Franks versus the Romans, I must say it is very impressive, but I think in the end the Franks shall have to win it, the sheer number of men should be able to carry the day, and besides it would make Remus’s story much more interesting if the faces an victorious enemy, instead of one that have been defeated. I am looking forward to the next update