Collaborative Campaign (update)

 There was much rolling of dice and consulting of entrails (well lists anyway) over the weekend, and the fate of Nations was decided. The red-handed Haruspex brought the results to the High Priest who intoned the following summary:

Game Year 24 (Year of the Stoat):

A Year of uneasy Peace across the lands, a source of relief after the recent turmoils.

Game Year 25 (Year of the Camel)

Further Peace and possibly mellow fruitfulness. A little prescipitation in the North West.

In Zigura, A miscalculation in the treasury (or creative accounting by Amhapup, the High Master Treasurer) has exposed a hole in the budget leading to a reduction of 10% in the standing Army. (Lucky they're not at war).

Game Year 26 (Year of the Water Vole)

Year of continued Peace; a bit of a lull in Picenian bellicosery (made up word)

Game Year 27 (Year of the Sparrow)

Rein de rein on the war front, however, a Pylonian Spy network has been discovered in the Court of Toshibbaz, King of Kings. The Great King is merciful to Pylonia and merely sends the remaining parts of the spies back in a number of baskets.

Game Year 28 (Year of the Pike)

Plague has struck the Picenian Empire beginning in Luss and reducing the fighting capability of the Army by 20% - could THIS be the Curse of Rionach?

In an attempt to expand the Empire, Toshibbaz, King of Kings has attacked the City State of Heralion. Finally we're back to normality...

With the Cyraenian League reduced to just three City States, the vultures were circling. The Ziguran King saw an opportunity to take a rich city on his border and pounced.

On hearing of the approaching Ziguran force, General Damianos led the Army of Heralion out of the city, not wanting a siege that would likely see the destruction of his home city. The two armies met on a plain, South of Heralion.

(Observant readers may notice that there is a similarity between the Zigurans and the Army of Turan featured in the previous post; this is purely coincidental... The rules used were Dominion of the Spear: Big Battles).

Both sides field Elephas! The small dice represent Elite troops.

General Qobad, commanding the Ziguran force, observed that the Heralion's had placed their elite hoplites on their left flank. He countered this with his elite Cataphracts. 

 The battle began badly for Damianos. In no time he had seen an elite unit broken and archers in the centre trampled by elephants.

The men of Heralion fought bravely but their losses began to mount up.

The Zigurans did not have it all their own way and Qobad, driven by fear of his Royal Master's disapproval, urged his men forward.

The awful gods of Zigura smiled on Qobad as his army fought the Heralions to a standstill.

The glorious stand of the Heralion hoplites and their leader saw them fight to the last man.

The City of Heralion threw open its gates to the Ziguran Empire, much to the relief of General Qobad.