Post by Romae Fabulus on Jun 27, 2006 17:30:27 GMT -5
Lucius Orellius was busy training his troops when news came of the enemy's marching army.
Apparently Beralic's army was in close proximity of the camps and villages that they called the base of the lost legions. Further reports brought word that Beralic would arrive within a matter of days.
Final training was done, as well as last minute repairs to what armory they had, and the handing out of weapons.
Two nights of rest could not prepare Orellius for what occured on the third morning. Orellius for the first time in years so an army that had been three legions, reformed and as refurbished as possible. Their call to arms was inspiring as they cheered him on to speak.
On a hillside the thousands gathered in formations as Orellius spoke. For half an hour Orellius orated on the savagery of Beralic the Brutal, and how this was the end of his reign, this day it would all come to an ultimate end.
He recognized that his men were lacking the experience they had years ago but he knew that they had heart that they never had had before.
As he neared the end of his speech he gave a ferocious cry and raised his sword into the clear morning sky. The bright light of July casted off his sword and it shone like the sun.
The last words of his speech ended as arrows caught his men unprepared. Sharpshooters mounted in trees nearby had caught a dozen men dead. The battle began.
Orellius pivoted to see the bulk of the barbarian army charging forward. Orellius commanded a fifth of his men to regain their flank and the rest to charge forward.
The men of the lost legions charged forward towards the barbarians who had displaced them, ruined their home, destroyed their families and their lives. Every kill was a victory for Rome, every life lost was one lost for cause more precious than gold.
The battle was met in the center of a great field, both sides roared and clashed to an unsurpassable sound which can only be described by one word: battle.
At first the barbarian's fearsome approach had caught them off-guard and they had taken the center away from the Roman front line, but as the hours dragged on the heart of the Roman army pushed them forward and their sheer numbers and will to survive and hatred for their foe worked wonders in battle.
Hundreds died in the first hour, and thousands by the fourth. Orellius found a gap in the barbarian formation and meanwhile a lieutenant of his had brought in what little cavalry still existed in an attempt to flank them.
Orellius screamed a blood curdling cry and charged forward on horseback. Years could not have prepared him for the joy it gave him to experience this finally.
The bowmen of the Visigoth army, having been almost entirely crushed by Roman legionnaires, gave sight to this close figure on horseback and let fly thirty arrows. Ten hit their mark and Orellius felt his life was at its end. Emitting a cry that put his last one to shame, he charged forth into the core of the enemy army's front. Thousands of Romans followed him, inspired by such a noble death and eager to avenge him.
Hours later the fields were bloodied and while five thousand Romans were alive fighting the Visigoths, the invaders had only an army of several hundred. Beralic's elite. While once Beralic had defeated half of legion with his prized guard, the spirit of the Romans had struck something close to fear into his stone-cold elite.
In terror of his own mortality Beralic surrounded himself with his own guards as they tried to push past the Roman lines.
Within another hour even those guards were killed after having downed a thousand more Romans. Beralic was left at his knees in an unthinkable defeat.
Tullius Concortius, the Legatus of the fifth legion, now only half a thousand men, stood before Beralic. Beralic was intimidating to any man who looked at him, but Tullius had no time for fear, and had vengeance to take. Drawing sword from sheath, Beralic started to crawl away from the steel. Tullius jumped forward and stabbed the sword right through Beralic's throat. Blood gushed forth and rained down his body, Tullius then made a two handed cut and severed the head.
Raising the head of tyranny before him, the lost legions felt free for the first time in years. A new Rome could now be built, granted the destruction of the presence of the other barbarians on the Italian peninsula.
Tullius would bury Orellius a hero, a man who had taught evil its lesson after so long.
Results
9,866 Roman legionnaires of the "Lost Legions" killed
1,308 Roman legionnaires of the "Lost Legions" wounded but still alive
1,134 Roman legionnaires of the "Lost Legions" still alive, and in fighting shape
King Beralic killed
Primus Legatus Lucius Orellius killed
5,896 barbarians killed, including the elite guard
104 barbarians fled from the battle
Apparently Beralic's army was in close proximity of the camps and villages that they called the base of the lost legions. Further reports brought word that Beralic would arrive within a matter of days.
Final training was done, as well as last minute repairs to what armory they had, and the handing out of weapons.
Two nights of rest could not prepare Orellius for what occured on the third morning. Orellius for the first time in years so an army that had been three legions, reformed and as refurbished as possible. Their call to arms was inspiring as they cheered him on to speak.
On a hillside the thousands gathered in formations as Orellius spoke. For half an hour Orellius orated on the savagery of Beralic the Brutal, and how this was the end of his reign, this day it would all come to an ultimate end.
He recognized that his men were lacking the experience they had years ago but he knew that they had heart that they never had had before.
As he neared the end of his speech he gave a ferocious cry and raised his sword into the clear morning sky. The bright light of July casted off his sword and it shone like the sun.
The last words of his speech ended as arrows caught his men unprepared. Sharpshooters mounted in trees nearby had caught a dozen men dead. The battle began.
Orellius pivoted to see the bulk of the barbarian army charging forward. Orellius commanded a fifth of his men to regain their flank and the rest to charge forward.
The men of the lost legions charged forward towards the barbarians who had displaced them, ruined their home, destroyed their families and their lives. Every kill was a victory for Rome, every life lost was one lost for cause more precious than gold.
The battle was met in the center of a great field, both sides roared and clashed to an unsurpassable sound which can only be described by one word: battle.
At first the barbarian's fearsome approach had caught them off-guard and they had taken the center away from the Roman front line, but as the hours dragged on the heart of the Roman army pushed them forward and their sheer numbers and will to survive and hatred for their foe worked wonders in battle.
Hundreds died in the first hour, and thousands by the fourth. Orellius found a gap in the barbarian formation and meanwhile a lieutenant of his had brought in what little cavalry still existed in an attempt to flank them.
Orellius screamed a blood curdling cry and charged forward on horseback. Years could not have prepared him for the joy it gave him to experience this finally.
The bowmen of the Visigoth army, having been almost entirely crushed by Roman legionnaires, gave sight to this close figure on horseback and let fly thirty arrows. Ten hit their mark and Orellius felt his life was at its end. Emitting a cry that put his last one to shame, he charged forth into the core of the enemy army's front. Thousands of Romans followed him, inspired by such a noble death and eager to avenge him.
Hours later the fields were bloodied and while five thousand Romans were alive fighting the Visigoths, the invaders had only an army of several hundred. Beralic's elite. While once Beralic had defeated half of legion with his prized guard, the spirit of the Romans had struck something close to fear into his stone-cold elite.
In terror of his own mortality Beralic surrounded himself with his own guards as they tried to push past the Roman lines.
Within another hour even those guards were killed after having downed a thousand more Romans. Beralic was left at his knees in an unthinkable defeat.
Tullius Concortius, the Legatus of the fifth legion, now only half a thousand men, stood before Beralic. Beralic was intimidating to any man who looked at him, but Tullius had no time for fear, and had vengeance to take. Drawing sword from sheath, Beralic started to crawl away from the steel. Tullius jumped forward and stabbed the sword right through Beralic's throat. Blood gushed forth and rained down his body, Tullius then made a two handed cut and severed the head.
Raising the head of tyranny before him, the lost legions felt free for the first time in years. A new Rome could now be built, granted the destruction of the presence of the other barbarians on the Italian peninsula.
Tullius would bury Orellius a hero, a man who had taught evil its lesson after so long.
Results
9,866 Roman legionnaires of the "Lost Legions" killed
1,308 Roman legionnaires of the "Lost Legions" wounded but still alive
1,134 Roman legionnaires of the "Lost Legions" still alive, and in fighting shape
King Beralic killed
Primus Legatus Lucius Orellius killed
5,896 barbarians killed, including the elite guard
104 barbarians fled from the battle