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Author Topic: Dux Britanarim - campaign  (Read 20646 times)
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EvilGinger
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« on: 29 March 2012, 17:04:41 »

Introduction
The Dark Ages is an era that is shrouded in mystery, especially so in the period from the Roman
withdrawal in around 410 to the end of the 6th century which is where these rules focus. This was
the period in which the British inhabitants were obliged to fend for themselves and to establish
their own means of protection. The collapse of Roman authority at the beginning if the 5th century
left a power vacuum on an epic scale at a time when the Britons were under immense pressure
from Germanic raiders on their south and east coasts, Irish, Picts and Scotti on the west coast and
in the north. At times around 400AD it seems that the light of civilisation was entirely snuffed out
by constant warfare, yet in truth much that was part of Roman civilisation remained with the
Britons are the Christian protectors of that legacy.

The arrival of a Saxon mercenary contingent in the first half of the 5th century, apparently at the
request of Vortigern (whose name translates to Over‐lord or High‐King, so may well be title rather
than his actual name) followed a pattern well‐established by Rome; if you can’t beat them, employ
them. And it seems that Hengist and his followers arrived to fight for the British as foederati in
much the same way that Germanic troops were being used right across the western Empire.
Unfortunately for the Britons Hengist liked it so much he decided to buy the company, and, the
story goes, when Vortigern attempted to cancel their contract and send them home they were
having none of it. Kent (Caint), but now one of the myriad of small localised Kingdoms that had
sprung up in order to provide protection and some kind of economic and social structure for the
Britons, was ravaged “from sea to see” (not quite so impressive when one considered the
distances involved in doing that in some parts of Kent!) and a Saxon Kingdom established some
time around 453. Over the next 350 years the Anglo‐Saxons, Angles, Jutes and Saxons, Germanic
tribes with identical DNA make‐up but some minor cultural differences, fought the British,
conquering Kingdom after Kingdom until the point in the 9th century where Offa’s Dyke delineated
the line between Anglo‐Saxon England and British Wales which still, for the most part stands
today.


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EvilGinger
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« Reply #1 on: 29 March 2012, 18:27:48 »

The three ships slid out of the mist on the  march morning, dark hulls & dull red sails like dried blood against the dawn. They tacked up and down the coast as the boy watched hidden in his nest of reads on the edge of the marsh they where looking for some where to land. to land & then do no good. The boy waited hidden the reeds damp against his  ragged trews until the ships slid out of sight around the promontory before leaving. The people had to be warned the Saxons where coming.....

To be continued


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« Reply #2 on: 08 April 2012, 12:32:35 »

In the square before the Forum & the church the bold men of Laudanum stood in array &  listened to the bishops droning sermon about the rightness of their cause and of how they where gods weapon to smite the heathen. At the back Macus Flacus the baker held his spear some what awkwardly and felt the unfamiliar weight of his shield & hoped that the pious bishop was right as he him self felt up to smiting nothing more offensive than dough this morning & the tales the traders and worse the refugees told of the savagery of the barbarians was enough to make a civilized man's knees buckle.


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« Reply #3 on: 08 April 2012, 20:59:40 »

Off the coast Raedwald was not a happy man he was no great sailor at the best of times & that they they had spent another week fruitlessly cruising along the marshy coast looking for a suitable landing spot had helped not at all. It was after all his big idea to go and raid the island of the Romans & to do so further south than his folk had in a long time to avoid the line of forts the thrice cursed Romans had built to hinder them. His captains & his lieutenants his half brother chief amongst them where beginning to grumble and say that he should have gone ashore three days past. Had no one noticed the bloody great stone fort on the promontory commanding the approaches in land from the landing place?  This was supposed to be a raid for some easy loot not a blood bath, not that Raedwald had any real objection to those its just up against a stone fort even one manned by farmers, his bloody fool half brother again, the blood bathed in was likely to be that of his people not the Romans.

The look out on the lead ship shouted and Raedwald looked as every one did thought the clearing morning mist and saw a beach and no fort to cover it. Eager for the feel of solid land under his feet & to silence the grumbling he did not hesitate to order the ships to turn inshore and prepare to make land fall. No one saw the lad hiding in the reeds beside the marshy creek beyond the dunes who would give the game away.

To be continued......


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« Reply #4 on: 08 April 2012, 21:15:31 »

The Britons
Ursinus  Caecus Magnate of Laudanum  leader of the Britons
Florinus Sextus A leader of the Britons
Constans Magnus A leader of the Britons
Florinuis A leader of the Britons
Gwarddur of Elmet Champion of Laudanum & chief of Ursinus' retainers
Paulinus the Bishop
Marcus Flacus the British every man
Ged the marsh dweller
Alcibiades The spice merchant & geographer

The Saxons
Raedwald the chief
Rothulf, Raedwalds half brother and lieutenant
Sicga,  Raedwalds chief ships captain & battle lieutenant
Eric the Geat - natural son of Beowulf Raedwalds champion & a right nutter
Swidhelm One of Redwald's warriors & the Saxon every man


Others
Clovis the sell sword mercenary captain
Osric the Angle mercenary captain

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« Reply #5 on: 08 April 2012, 21:54:22 »

Swidhelm splashed through the marsh his new & heavy Seax swinging from his belt his spear shouldered and his small shield hanging form it by its handle. It was a pleasant day now the mist had cleared though he was not sure this was the land of easy loot which his lord Raedwald had spoken of over the winter when they had been planing the raid or quite how this marshy land was any different that at home indeed Swidhelm thought if his lord wanted to raid a marshland holding then it would have saved him the unpleasantness of the sea voyage if he had raided one of his neighbours.

Still Swidhelm thought this was rather better than trying to scrape a living from the small farm his father had in the mashes at home & his lord had given him some fine gifts & fed him even if the promises of more proved to be as illusory as the mists which had cleared as they had landed.

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« Reply #6 on: 11 April 2012, 01:12:07 »

The heathen came out of the marshes howling like unto wolves or rabid dogs surging forward with no order, discipline  or leadership. A fearful sight to those given to fear but on seeing the bright line of the British array they slowed as if confounded and came to a halt just over a bow shot away whilst there leaders stormed about before their raged line and attempted to goad them into going forward & crossing spears with the men of Laudanum.


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« Reply #7 on: 16 April 2012, 23:04:43 »

Leaving the two rivals at the point of coming to blows for the first time lets zoom out & look at the larger picture well the bits which are now East Anglia & Lincolnshire any way with mentions of places further a field.

First considering the kingdoms of the  Britons


Laudanum  holds an enclave on the north Norfolk cost facing the sea inlet  which becomes the wash to the west of it it is cut off from the rest of Norfolk by marshland inhabited by the marsh folk whose lives have been much as they now are time out of mind.  to its east partly cut off from it by the marsh is one of the forts of the old Roman Saxon shore defensive system stone built & in the 430's in good repair it has a name but its inhabitants just call it the fort (burgh) it is held as are a line of small fishing settlements. . & parts of the marshes by the descendants of those of the Limes unit stationed their who chose not to follow Constantine the third on his Gallic adventure. The forts Commander Tiberius is not part of the enclave of Laudanum but he has treaties which in return for guarding the coast supply his people with the food stuff they can not grow on their very limited lands. Tiberius is a proud man & still sees himself as a Roman soldier thought the writ of Rome has not run here in a generation and his men are very much soldiers even if necessity has made at least some of them part time soldiers. There are also rumours that Tiberius has a certain ambition to absorb the lands held by Laudanum & beyond so as to better protect them form their enemies. His detractors also claim that the old soldiers cult of Mithras is still practised in the fort something which Bishop Paulinus particularly is keen to discover the truth of and put an end to if true.

To the north over the other side of the wash is the kingdom of Lindsey whose capital is the city of the legions Lindon itself not an ally of Laudanum  so much as a trading partner & a strong bulwark against incursions of the pagans for it still holds a significant  section of the Saxon shore defences

South beyond the marshes lies...

To be continued.

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« Reply #8 on: 16 April 2012, 23:18:36 »

Then considering the threats to these kingdoms from the barbarians beyond the seas

There are it seems a myriad of foes to plague the Britons & not so long ago they twice looked as if they would extinguish civilization in these lands the first time the emperor of the west sent his best general Theodosius and many legions to restore order and put the barbarians back in their place beyond the limes of Rome then more recently the emperor again sent his best general the half barbarian Stilicho to reinforce this lesson when once again the barbarians forgot the education they had gained form Theodosius who later became emperor. However the Britons showed no gratitude and revolted  making a man called Constantine emperor and when he took the last of the Roman armies on an adventure to Gaul & beyond make himself emperor in the west which failed.

When the barbarians came again & breached the weakened Limes the emperor of the Romans with much trouble to deal with closer to home decided to teach the trouble some Britons a lesson by cutting them adrift at least for a while and this has been the case for over twenty years.

The situation in Gaul & Germania has not improved since indeed it could be argued it has become even more dire and that the empire of the Romans in the west at least teeters on the knife edge. However most in Britain have their own local problems to deal with & for Laudanum & its neighbours the external ones at least consist of sea raiders grown ever bolder since the might of Rome has ceased to be their to stop them and the defence of civilization has fallen on the local principalities & city states. Though it must be said they have so far been successful in holding their own, The men of Eboracum won a great battle over a huge raid not three years since catching it on the strand & ridding it down before it could withstand them or flee in its ships, but it is to be doubted that this will continue should the Barbarian conspiracy revive in full strength.

Who are these raiders who try the euphoniums Saxon shore most are Germanic barbarians from beyond the borders of the empire Saxon Angle Jute for the greater part but also Frisian, Suebi, Goth & Frank & others  There is the occasional Scotii band  form the dark isles to the west though they are rare and their raids small these dark kin of the Britons are fierce folk.

to be continued....


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« Reply #9 on: 17 April 2012, 16:08:50 »

OK so what does that all mean  as far as the campaign goes?  Well first keep an eye on it as there will be more on background in both of those posts above. These will expand as I read around the subject more & boil it down into campaign background.

Well we have as possible factions for the campaign all the afore mentioned British kingdoms I have a starter force done as the men of Laudanum at the moment & have enough Romano British figures in hand to do the same for the men of the fort, Lindsey & for the as yet nameless kingdom south of the mashes in central & south Norfolk  as well as some for the less romanised kingdom of Elmet to the west of Lindsey.

I also have enough Germainc raiders for Raedwalds Band & another & some to form at least two different parties of mercenaries, one of which will very defiantly be Franks. I have plans to get some ships and a small band of Scotti in due course.

I am looking for folks wanting to join in the campaign and I will be building up to a position where I can run stuff entirely using my figures & terrain & all you have to do it to turn up & play.

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« Reply #10 on: 17 April 2012, 16:25:23 »

I will also be starting a pictures blog shortly so I can host Pictures of stuff for Dux Brittanarium & pictures for AAR's in the campaign.

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« Reply #11 on: 21 April 2012, 23:08:12 »

The Yellow Peril

I now have almost painted the second of the Saxon raider Groups & only need to recover Raedwalds band form Spirit Games and begin painting it up as a result I really need to add some background for it to the campaign.


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« Reply #12 on: 22 April 2012, 07:01:10 »

The yellows
Notable for the fact that their shields are all painted with a fairly bright yellow ochre & if there is any design on their shields it is largely in black but mostly there is none this group is of more established raiders then Raedwald & are lead by a Angle chief's bastard who has ambitions to carve himself a kingdom out of the lands of the Britons (in game terms he is on the path of King rather than Warlord or Raider which Raedwald is on)



The Angles
 Ithamar The chief, a cruel man & an ambitious man  young come to leadership who seeks a kingdom  
 Bealdric the fat Ithamar's Fathers chief follower & his sons battle  lieutenant
 Oswudu The chiefs best friend & now battle lieutenant
 Baegmund the head taker, senior  champion
 Garwig the shirtless junior champion
Eormenric the praise singer
Saemaer the blind seer also known as raven & the boy called "eyes" reputedly a magician & lore master

to be continued.....


 EvilGinger
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« Reply #13 on: 22 April 2012, 17:02:15 »

The forces avalible to each group so far

I decided for myself to increase the group size for my Dux Britanicum forces from six figures to eight for infantry which gives the infantry a little bit more staying power but not to increase the size of the missile & skirmisher groups.


The Saxons, Angles & Jutes


Radwalds band
This is pretty much the standard starter army with a few adjustments

Gedriht -                Two groups of well equipped experienced warriors confident in battle and very aggressive.

Duguth & Geoguth -   Three groups of a mixture of less well equipped but experienced warriors & young men & older boys seeking to prove themselves

Skirmishers -          Two groups of javelin armed men recruited form amongst the bands sailors and those to young to wield a spear
Archers-                One Group of bow men  recruited form amongst the bands sailors and those to young to wield a spear
 

Ithamar's band (the Yellows)

Gedriht -                 Two groups of well equipped experienced warriors confident in battle and very aggressive.

Duguth & Geoguth -   Four  groups of a mixture of less well equipped but experienced warriors & young men & older boys seeking to prove themselves

Archers-                One Group of bow men  recruited form amongst the bands sailors and those to young to wield a spear


Romans & British

The men of Laudanum

Commanipulares - One group, The best Laudanum has to offer well equipped confident & skilled with their weapons

Milites- Two groups, brave Soldiers of Laudanum less well trained & equipped then the  Commanipulares but none the less reliable & more than able to stand in the shield wall. Most are Volunteers from the city itself

Pedyt  or Numeri -  Three Groups of levy normally either conscripted or volunteering to defend there area most are not form the city itself but gathered up form the rural areas around & most would be a painful loss to the economy if killed.

Sagittari- One group of levied bowmen & sometimes slingers

Lanceri Rustici- One group levied javelin men

Equites- One group of Warrior grade shock cavalry & one group of levy  light cavalry 

The Men form the Fort

I am still working on what the men from the fort should have

to be continued......

EvilGinger
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« Reply #14 on: 23 April 2012, 21:17:56 »

Update the figures I have for the "yellow Peril" Ithamar's Band are done bar a little bit of finishing I will recover them & those of the Men of Laudanum I have at the shop then fall to painting Raedwalds band with a will.

I will set up the Blog & start posting pictures this week end.


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