Collaborative Campaign Year 5: Part 2

 For the second part of the action during the Year of the Fox, attention turns South again.

Martin Smith has kindly played and reported on the latest invasion of Pylonia by the Ziguran Empire... 

Battle on the Plain east of Raphan

In the High Temple of Zigura in Issisha, the High Priest of Taran has read the entrails and declared that the War God demands more territory should be taken for the empire. To that end the Ziguran Lord Balshezbu, Zatrab of the Magreeb, has been despatched westwards, and has invaded the province of Raphan, which contains the current capital city of Pylonia (after the recent loss of Nyos).

Balshezbu  leads a moderately sized army, and is content that his expeditionary force emphasises quality over quantity. At its heart is a body of Zigura’s finest heavy chariots, every man an expert archer, supported by Ziguran infantry archers from the regular army, and a body of mercenary armoured spearmen, these being Cyraenians from the nearer parts of the Pentapolis, under one Kratonas of Heralion. 

Additionally, to boost numbers, the Zatrab commands a number of Ziguran peasant bowmen and has also, against his better judgement, enlisted the aid of a rabble of fanatical camel-riding desert tribesmen from the interior, with a reputation for being ferocious but fickle, valuing pillage over prowess in battle.

To meet this existential threat to his homeland, God-King Hipohap XXXVI has hurriedly assembled all available Pylonian males at a muster outside of the city of Raphan, trusting command to General Hepu, Governor of that city and province.

Hepu leads the chariot-borne archer nobles of the Pylonian Standing Army, one unit of mercenaries, (Cyraenian armoured spearmen based at Raphan, under Mercenary Captain-General Imbrios), regular bowmen from the Raphan garrison, and four bodies of spearmen, provincial Pylonian levies.

Advancing eastwards along the shoreline before dawn, Governor Hepu arrays his forces with the regular archers covering the coast road, noble charioteers to their right and with the inland flank held by Pylonian levy spearmen, between his chariots and sand dunes. He holds in reserve the highly valued Cyraenian armoured spearmen, renowned throughout Pylonia for their stoutness in battle. These he plans will plug any gaps that appear, should the frontline units show signs of weakness. Also available to the general are three more bodies of levied troops, which he also keeps back in reserve, mostly from concern over their willingness to fight.

As the Sacred Sun breaks through the dust on the horizon, with hand-shielded eyes Hepu’s gaze falls upon a quickly advancing Ziguran force: Inland, somewhat behind the front, unmistakable with their glinting brazen shields, march slow moving Cyraenian spearmen in tight formation. Nearer still are a milling swarm of camel-riders, filling the centre of the enemy array, while to either side of the coast road trot the horses of the feared Ziguran heavy chariotry, massed into a dense and deadly block of horseflesh and archers.

From behind his own front line, Lord Balshezbu gives the order, and the Ziguran charioteers whip their horses forward, directly at the Pylonian regular bowmen covering the shoreward flank. As this animated mass of death and destruction rumbles towards them from out of the sunrise, despite years of training the archers’ resolve rapidly fails, and they break and run from their frightening opponents. Seeing the bowmen break, Hepu now calls upon his Cyraenian mercenaries to earn their pay, sending them left to block the jubilant advance of Zigura’s finest. The spears of the bronze-clad men lower, and a long, drawn out contest for the beachward flanks of both armies begins in earnest, from the surf to the coast-road, advantage going from one side to the other in a closely matched tussle between the best in their sphere.

Now the Zatrab takes a gamble. Having deployed the camel-mounted desert tribesmen in the centre, to preclude any escape south into the dunes, he commands them to attack. His hopes are raised as with wild cries the nomads immediately lurch forwards to attack those Pylonian charioteers opposite them……only to be dashed as the camel-riders are instantly scattered by the stinging volleys of arrows which meet them at close range. Racing past Balshezbu in flight, the desert dwellers head east. Their formless throng parts to skirt the more resolute Ziguran peasant archers, who move up to take their place before beginning an archery exchange with the Pylonian charioteers opposite, who fall back under pressure.

But where are Kratonas and the Heralionic spearmen of the King of Kings? Will these foreign mercenaries not earn their pay and prove their worth? Can Kratonas be trusted?

The southern flank has yet to be contested, when a climax is reached in the struggle between Pylonia’s  Cyraenians and the Ziguran nobility on the shore. Ordered for one more attack by Captain Imbrios, Pylonia’s battered and bruised men of bronze can take no more and begin to fall back in disorder. The Ziguran charioteers, opposite, are also spent and are unable to resist the advance of spear-wielding Pylonian levies who march up the coast road to face them.

Finally, Kratonas and his mercenaries reach the southern part of the battle line, engaging and driving off the Pylonians before them…but too late. With the retreat of the Ziguran chariotry and the flight of the desert tribes, the weakened Ziguran line begins to falter and break, first on the shoreward flank and then in the centre, where Pylonian levies press forward, scattering Ziguran archers before them.

Kratonas thus finds his right flank badly exposed, and with the last remaining viable force under his command, begins a slow and measured retreat, maintaining order and praying for nightfall. It will be a long march back to Zigura, harried all the way by exultant Pylonians.

***

What an Epic! The shifting sands of Pylonia have once again produced a battle fit to include Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas! Thank you, Martin for the wonderful report and visuals. 

Ziguran expansion has been halted, at least temporarily, and the God King Hipohap can put his feet up on a eunuch and rest easily.