Collaborative Campaign

 The campaign has reached Turn 20, the Year of the Hamster. Mark Cordone, having been allowed to have a well-earned rest, once more takes up the tale...

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The year of the Hamster saw a civil war in the north.

Enter Multiflavious the younger.

Despite the inauspicious omens indicated by the High Priests and associated with the naming of the year, the Senate decided to launch yet another invasion of Sentis.  This time, however, many of the men in the Eastern army had had enough and longed for peace.  (And many had no desire to face Anaxander on the battlefield again). The Ninth Legion mutinied and refused to fight.  The Governor ordered they be decimated in response, but the Tribune, Vettius Scato, in command of the legion refused to carry out the order.  The third legion was then ordered to carry out the order, but they too refused, and, along with men from the ninth lynched the governor instead.  The Ninth then proclaimed Scato Imperator, and the rebellion spread like wildfire through the camps and the whole of the eastern army pledged their loyalty to Scato with the expectation he would end the war. He attempted to open negotiations with the Senate, but they pronounced a death sentence on him and any soldiers who followed him.  Having no other real choice he left a skeleton force behind and marched on Areligno. 
Meanwhile, the Senate took steps to raise an army of their own.  In Desperation the turned to the eldest son of the late hero Multiflavious, Multiflavious the younger.  They appealed to his sense of civic duty and patriotism, and he chose to accept the title of Imperator, and raised an army for the defense of the Republic.
Multiflavious had very little time, and not much to work with, but he managed to cobble together a force and take the field just in time to intercept the rebels.

The Battle of Areligno (the game was played with Dominion of the Spear - Ed.)

Multiflavious decided to spare the city the horrors of a siege and offered battle instead taking up a position about a days march east of the city with a wood anchoring his right.  The nucleus of his army was the elite, disciplined first legion, garrison of Areligno which formed the center of his battle line. In addition, he had two other new legions composed of discharged veterans and volunteers, the first of which he posted on his left, the other in reserve.  Also in reserve he had his cavalry, composed of both regulars and veterans and overall, of good quality.  He also had two "legions" composed of mixed foot and horse raised from the private armies and slaves of the senators.  (Classed as unreliable missile foot).

Scato deployed his veteran army as follows:  his archers in front of the woods, the 7th legion in the center and the 9th on his right.  His cavalry and the elite disciplined 3rd Legion were in reserve.  He was not expecting much difficulty as he opened the battle with an advance by the 9th, but much to his surprise they were thrown back in disorder, and on the left his archers were also routed.  

His cavalry stabilized his left wing and the 3rd moved up on the right.

Meanwhile in the centre the rebels scattered the first legion, who had no stomach for slaying their countrymen...

and then the new 2nd Legion sent forward to take their place.  On the right the third routed the Republican legionaries in front of them and things were looking grim for Multiflavious.

In desperation he put himself at the head of his cavalry and told his aides, when in doubt, charge!  

Still sorting themselves out from their melee, the 7th were scattered by the ferocious charge. Seeing the danger, Scato rode forward to order to 3rd to turn to face Multiflavious's cavalry wheeling to take them in the flank.

This he succeeded in doing, but as his men were still closing up to repel cavalry Multiflavious struck, and they crumbled.

Seeing this his cavalry promptly surrendered, as did almost the whole of his army.

The Republic was saved!

Elsewhere:  Anaxander wanted to take advantage of the situation and invade Lussatia, but his priests told him the omens were bad, and more importantly the rest of the Tetropolis refused to support an offensive war and flatly stated that should he lose, they would not defend Sentis, so he was forced to cool his heels and await developments.  This did not prevent him from trying to stir up trouble, however and his agents made contact with Rionach in the north and convinced her to return to Lussatia to lead a rising with subsides and promises of support.  Early summer saw her come down out of the mountains with around 1000 Wend and Luss warriors.  However, when she moved to join up with a substantial force of Luss warriors she found she had been betrayed and they, along with several cohorts of Picenian troops ambushed and destroyed her force.  She, along with a few score survivors were put in chains and marched off to Areligno.

On Therissa however, things took a dangerous turn for Picenian interests.  The governor, Gaeius Epidius Marullus, declared the island free of Picenian control and himself as king of the island.  In possession of a veteran, and loyal to him, army and fleet, he was convinced to take the plunge by the merchants and nobles of the isle.  In exchange for their support, he lifted the duties and tariffs imposed by Picenia, and waived the payment of the rest of the indemnity.  The Tetrapolis however, was still wary of him and tabled, at least for now, his request to join the alliance.

Sensing an opportunity, Anaxander sent his own envoys to Terissa to propose a meeting......

***

Thanks, as always, to Mark for creating a silk purse of a text from my brief pig's ear instructions! Picenia's past successes seem to be in jeopardy. Where will things go now?