NationStates Jolt Archive

Rhuidean, D'maduente Aiel

Water. A valuable resource in the lands of the Aiel. The deserts are unforgiving and shade sparse. A man without water would die within hours in the land often called the Aiel Waste by outsiders. It had been many years since the last time the Aiel crossed the Northern Mountains and attacked the Wetlanders but they took no land only killed the King that displeased them and went back to their ways. Now was a different story.

Reports had been coming into the capital about the vast lake to the north just past the mountains. Aiel were not so used to such a huge amount of water and many were in awe when engineers fixed the fountains in the long abandoned city a thousand years ago and they began spouting water. If they controlled that lake they could figure out the intricacys of a navy and overwater transportation. As the Car'a'carn sat in his private study the leaders of the various warrior societys includeing the one that shocked Wetlanders the most, Far Dareis Mai, Maidens of the Spear. Women as fierce as men a two times as agile with their spears and horn bows. The newest addition to this council of warriors was the D'caba Shen or Band of the Horse, a new society created after years of breaking down the Aiel taboo against riding horses. This group was made up of the best horseman to ever grace the desert.

Rand looked up from his reports to study his current company. A man of only 22 he was dark skinned with blonde hair and grey eyes. A young man who had become Car'a'carn after the untimely death of his father Rand XIII. He had proven himself in being a capable leader and one who could deal impartial justice and make decisions which would raise the Aiel to the highest heights a nation had ever achieved. He finally spoke, "Welcome, I have invited you here to advise me in my newest venture. We are to invadee the Wetlanders and take control of the lake to the north of the mountains. All 25o,ooo members of the Societys are to march north over the mountains and begin at the coast of the lake and slowly move outward until you reach the coast of the ocean."

Avendin, leader of the Aethan Dor, spoke after he finished. "Our nation will finally stretch out of the Three-fold Land and into the splendor of the wetlands. We will be a fertile nation and will have the capacity to march from sea to sea with the fertility of the lands we are to gain. You have my full support."

The room was engulfed in a murmur and slowly the rest fo the leaders began nodding and shouting their agreement. It was done. The next day the grand force set out for the mountains and victory.

ooc: The Aiel warriors are legendary for their stamina and the ability to fade in and out of their surroiundings due to their clothes. Most do not where armour but a few, includeing the D'caba Shen, do. Also I know 25o,ooo men is a lot but this is a warrior society where everyone is trained for war but only some decide to join the Warrior Societys like the Aethan Dor or Far Aldazar Din. My whole population is only about 1200000 I figured as there are 12 Aiel Clans and I guessed about 100,000 people per Clan. Anyway Im moveing into the lands south east of Nistolonia. Do I just RP the resistance? I would prefer if somebody else RPed the resistance.

OOC: Just to everyone, i'd put the population max at about 1.5 million a country. Aiels would be less, as would anyone else who lived in a harsh environment. Militarily, about 1/4 of your country could be called to war (maybe more, depending on the country) but only about 1/5 of them would be professionals. The rest are militia. If they weren't militia, then you qouldnt have any farmers or hunters and your nation would die. And remember that for humans, 30 is old. 40 is really old. 13 is adult.
I can RP the resistance. I'm assuming they're just some humans?

ooc: Yes just some humans. Also I seem to have not explained this thoroughly enough. EVERYONE is trained in the arts of war meaning that from the age of twelve up everyone can wield a bow and all males can use the spears and knifes. The warrior societys are just Societys that are the first to go to war but act as a militia where when they are not fighting they are farming and hunting. It a comlpicated thing but ill change it to 2oo,ooo so that its only one fifth. And the Aiel are very adept at living in the waste as theyve been there for more than three millenia. They have large cities spread all around.

OOC: Ok, in that case, you could probably have about 250,000 men, maybe a bit more. Assuming half your population is men, and half is women, and 1/4 of each of those is children, then 400,000 is about your entire adult male population. 250,000 would be the biggest expansionist force you could field, and 400,000 would be your entire army if your nation was attacked.

IC:

Duke Galonor le Gallent looked up from the stack of parchment on his desk at the messanger who had burst into the room, wild eyed. Father Beatard, who had just been talking with Duke Galonor, barely glanced from the old map he was studying.
"What is the meaning of this?" Duke Galanor rose. "Bursting in to my private chambers! Where are my guards?"
The messanger bowed, panting.
"I'm, ah, sorry milord..." he replied nervously. "It's an...urgent message."
"It had better be urgent! What is it, for God's sake?"

The messanger rose "Sir Pedoras' men saw a burning village, so they investgated. They're were men there, strange men, tall and dark haired. He says his men could never get a good look at them because they appeared and dissappeared like shadows."
"So? Bandits and raiders in that area are Sir Pedoras' affairs. I cant be bothered to ride out whenever a village is raided, by shadows or no. Tell Pedoras to take care of his own business." Duke Galanor started to sit.
"Milord..."
"What is it? You are dismissed."
"Milord, the men were more then a raiding band. There were thousands."
Duke Galanor sat down, hard.
"Thousands? How many thousands?"
"Dozens and Dozens. They reached across the hills!"

Minutes later, the bell on the top of Castle Leoff was ringing franticly. Peasants filled the parade grounds, where men-at-arms were handing out spears and bows. Messangers galloped out of the city in every direction, running to the nearby baronies. Leoff was preparing for war.

Unknown City, Unknown Country

"We have taken the city. I believe we were spotted Dai'shan. About a dozen men up over the crest of that hill."

"Thank you. Tell Bael to send out 100 D'caba Shen in the direction of the men and send 250 Far Dareis Mai with them. They are to scout and only attack if the force is smaller than them. tell them to come back as soon as they have gathered information on the next city and the men that were seen over the hill."

"Right away Dai'shan."

The battle if you could call it one had taken less than an hour. The Aiel filled the air with arrows before the town watch even knew they were there and by the time the Second force reached the town all resistance had been eliminated. Gai'shain had already been taken and the Militia barracks was burning. For the time being they sat there...

Several hours later...

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Dai'shan. Only about 5,000 men maximum."

"Good. we march at first light. For now we camp."

OOC: the 5,000 was just a random number so if you want you can change it and ill just say that they didnt see the full force. Ill wait for you to post a beginning to the defense...they do have siege equipment but will only use it if there are stone walls...

OOC: 5000 is about right for the garrison at Sir Pedoras' castle. Leoff has about 7000, and the other two castles have about 4000, for a total of 20,000 men. The walls are stone, so you can use your seige weapons.

IC:
Sir Pedoras was dressed in his ornate plate armour and helmet and accompanied by two similarly armoured knights as he walked across the walls of his castle. Men-at-arms and bowmen lined the walls, and ballistae were perched on the towers. In the courtyard, two catapults were being loaded quickly by their crew.

"Sir Aginor, you take the west wall, Sir Fredor, take the east. I shall command the south wall." Sir Pedoras walked through the ranks of men-at-arms as he spoke. "Remember that our longbows will have greater range then theirs (OOC: Palm trees dont make good longbows), and we will have the advantage of cover. We have plenty of arrows, so dont worry about conserving them." He stopped at the front of the south wall, where the first ranks of the advancing enemy could barely be seen. "Go to your posts! We only need to hold until Duke Galanor arrives!"

ooc: their made of bone, glue, and sinew like a compact bow. also ive been grouded so i wont be on to often.

IC: The army had taken a slight beating on the first day but it had only taken that long to devise a plan.

The Aiel lit thousands of fires in daylight and as night came upon them they moved. the catapults kebt firing on the walls while a force of 8,000 Aiel moved to the walls on the otherside of the castle under the cover of darkness and threw grappling hooks over the walls and began to climb up. If they were found out then it would be a disaster but if they succeeded then the siege would en easily...

OOC: Tag, and perhaps we should have one main thread, and then have all these smaller threads?