Invasion of the barbarians

So, check this out: While the elven civil war was laying waste to thousands and causing all sorts of mayhem, there was this one dude, Solarian, just chilling and watching the whole thing like it was some sort of blockbuster movie. He's into chaos and all that jazz, and the elven civil war was like prime-time entertainment for him.

But then, something else caught his eye, something fresh.

Year: 1595

Up in the north, where it's all cold and harsh, there's this guy named Tanru. He's the big boss of the Tan tribe, right? And this guy's got ambition.

He starts knocking heads and conquering tribe after tribe until, boom, he's the top dog of the entire northern region. That's some serious Game of Thrones action right there.

But it gets better. Tanru stumbles upon these ancient scrolls left behind by their ancestors – you know, the folks who migrated from the west to the north ages ago.

And these scrolls are like a treasure map, talking about a land that's all warm and full of food and tough warriors. It's like finding directions to a secret paradise, and Tanru is all over it.

He gets super psyched about finding more warriors to brawl with and new lands to conquer.

So, he orders his men to start digging around for the route their ancestors took to get to the north. It's supposed to be hidden somewhere among these massive mountains.

And guess what? They find it, (after for searching for years, of course.)

Tanru's like, "Pack your bags, boys, we're going on a road trip!" He's all set to march out of the icy north and check out this legendary land his ancestors left behind. And knowing Tanru, he's not just going for a sightseeing tour – he's planning to invade and make a grand entrance.

So, yeah, things are about to get a whole lot more interesting with Tanru and his barbarian crew heading out of north.

Year: 1596

Tanru, leading an immense army of over 75,000 barbarians, finally emerged from the northern wilderness into a world vastly different from their own.

They were greeted by the sight of expansive plains, warm weather, and unfrozen lakes—a stark contrast to the icy expanse they had known.

After months of journeying, they stumbled upon a city perched on the bank of a river. In a rare display of diplomacy, Tanru opted for negotiation before conflict.

He dispatched a group of his loyal soldiers to communicate with the city's inhabitants, assuming that their language would be similar given that his ancestors had originated from these lands.

However, the city's guards, upon seeing a formidable horde of armed barbarians on horseback approaching, reacted with panic and hostility.

Without warning or parley, they unleashed a volley of arrows upon the approaching group. The barbarian emissaries were swiftly cut down, their bodies riddled with arrows.

Year: 1596

The brutal killing of Tanru's emissaries ignited a fiery rage within the barbarian chief and his army.

The sight of their fallen comrades, struck down without a chance for dialogue, was a clear declaration of war.

With no further hesitation, Tanru ordered an immediate assault on the city. The barbarian army, adept in horseback riding and combat, launched a ferocious attack.

Their tactics, honed in the harsh conditions of the north, were ruthless and effective. They charged with a terrifying intensity, their war cries echoing across the plains as they closed in on the city.

The city, caught off guard by the sudden and violent onslaught, struggled to mount a defense. The barbarians, with their superior numbers and battle-hardened resolve, quickly overwhelmed the city guards.

The battle was merciless and brutal, with the city's defenses crumbling under the relentless barbarian assault.

The city under attack was a big one in the Aurion kingdom. It had about 7,000 people living there and a guard force of around 1,500. That's a pretty big army for those times.

But even with a good-sized army, the city couldn't stand up to the barbarians.

Why? The barbarians had a massive army of over 75,000 fighters. The city's guards were totally outnumbered. The difference was huge - for every one city guard, there were 50 barbarians.

So, the city's defense didn't last long. The barbarians, with their huge numbers, just overran them.

The city guards tried their best, but they just couldn't handle the sheer size of the barbarian army. In no time, the barbarians had taken over the city.

Houses were set ablaze, and chaos engulfed the streets as the city's inhabitants tried desperately to flee or defend themselves.

The barbarians showed little mercy, driven by a desire for conquest and revenge. The clash was a massacre, with the defenders outnumbered and outmatched.

Year: 1596

In the aftermath of the brutal battle, a city guard, badly injured and bleeding, managed to escape the notice of the rampaging barbarians. He knew he didn't have much time left, his wounds were severe. But he had one last duty to fulfill.

Dragging himself with great effort, he made his way to the highest tower in the city.

Each step was agony, but determination fueled him. Reaching the top, he found what he was looking for - a cage with a single white pigeon.

With trembling hands, he scribbled a message on a small piece of parchment. The message was simple but urgent: "City attacked and destroyed. Enemy advancing into kingdom." He tied the note carefully to the pigeon's leg. Taking a moment, he whispered to the bird, "Fly fast, little messenger. Warn them."

With his remaining strength, he opened the cage and sent the pigeon soaring into the sky. As the bird disappeared into the distance, the guard collapsed.

His body was giving up, but his eyes remained fixed on the horizon where his last hope flew. As he lay there, slowly fading, a single thought echoed in his mind, "You will all pay for this."

Year: 1597

The king of Aurion was furious when he read the message from the fallen city. His anger boiled over, and he immediately issued a decree calling all the clans in his kingdom to arms.

The response was swift and united – every clan, along with the royal army, came together to form a massive force of over 90,000 warriors. That was a huge chunk of the kingdom's population, but the king knew this was a fight for their very survival.

Leading the charge, the king and the clan leaders marched their army to the southern part of the kingdom, where the barbarian invaders were reported to be.

After days of marching, they finally came face to face with the enemy. The sight of the barbarians was startling – these were towering warriors, each easily over 6 feet tall with bulging muscles, the very image of barbaric strength.

There was a brief moment where the king considered trying to talk it out. But the memory of 7,000 of his people slain by these invaders hardened his resolve. There was no room for negotiation.

This was about vengeance, about protecting his kingdom. With a heavy heart but a determined spirit, he prepared his troops for battle. It was time to push back the invaders and defend their lands.

As the two armies collided, the sheer ferocity of the barbarians became evident.

Mounted on their robust horses, they thundered into the ranks of the human soldiers, their heavy axes and swords swinging with brutal force.

The initial impact was devastating; human soldiers were knocked off their feet, their armor doing little to stop the relentless onslaught.

The barbarians' battle cries filled the air, a terrifying sound that echoed across the battlefield.

The humans, though initially caught off guard by the barbarians' aggressive charge, quickly regrouped.

Their discipline and training came to the fore as they formed tight shield walls, their spears thrusting out in coordinated movements.

The barbarians, fierce as they were, found it difficult to break through these defenses.

Human archers, positioned behind the shield walls, loosed volleys of arrows, finding gaps in the barbarians' armor and bringing down many of the towering foes.

In the chaos of battle, individual acts of heroism and brutality emerged. A young human soldier, barely out of his teens, fought with surprising skill, taking down several barbarians before being overwhelmed.

Elsewhere, a barbarian warrior, massive and scarred, plowed through the human ranks, his axe dripping with blood, seemingly unstoppable until a well-placed arrow from a human archer found its mark.

The clash of steel, the shouts of warriors, and the cries of the wounded and dying filled the air.

It was a gruesome and relentless exchange, with neither side giving quarter.

The barbarians, with their raw physical power, caused heavy casualties among the human ranks.

However, the humans, with their strategic formations and better coordination, slowly began to turn the tide, pushing back the barbarians with their disciplined approach.

Year: 1597

The clash between the Aurion kingdom and the barbarians turned into a devastating conflict for both sides. The war's ferocity peaked from the very beginning.

On the first day, in a dramatic turn of events, King Edwin of the Aurion kingdom managed to kill Tanru, the barbarian leader.

However, this victory came at a great cost, as Edwin himself succumbed to his wounds, leaving both armies momentarily leaderless.

By the second day, the tide turned in favor of the humans.

The barbarians, who mainly relied on their brute strength and the strategic acumen of Tanru, found themselves directionless and outmatched.

Tanru's unique talent for strategy had been pivotal in uniting the northern tribes, but with his death, they lacked a leader capable of facing the organized and motivated human forces.

On the third day, the war came to its grim conclusion. The barbarian forces were decisively defeated. Of the initial 75,000 barbarians who had emerged from the north, a mere 200 to 300 were left, most of whom were taken as prisoners by the Aurion kingdom.

The victory, however, was bittersweet for the Aurion kingdom. The cost of defending their land was extraordinarily high.

Out of the 90,000 soldiers who had marched to confront the barbarians, only about 16,969 survived the brutal conflict.

The kingdom mourned its losses, including their fallen king, as they began the arduous task of rebuilding and healing from the wounds of war.

Year: 1598

The Aurion kingdom, still recovering from the war, saw the rise of a new monarch.

The crown prince, son of the late King Edwin, was coronated, taking the throne as the new king. His first task was to address the aftermath of the barbarian invasion.

Among the pressing issues were the barbarian prisoners. These captives faced relentless torture, their captors determined to extract as much information as possible.

Among the various items taken from the barbarians, the Aurion kingdom discovered ancient scrolls that had originally inspired Tanru's quest to leave the north.

Year: 1600

The treatment of the barbarian prisoners grew more intense as the Aurion kingdom sought to learn their language.

Initially, there was an attempt to force the barbarians to learn the language of the Aurion kingdom,

but it soon became apparent that the barbarians struggled with even the basic concepts of language, barely understanding their own alphabet.

After much effort, the Aurion scholars managed to decode the ancient barbarian scrolls.

To their astonishment, these scrolls spoke of other lands, inhabited by different living beings.

They tried to map out these lands based on the information available, but it was challenging.

They knew the barbarians came from the north, but the location of their own kingdom in relation to these newfound lands was unclear. Were they to the west or east of these other lands? This uncertainty made accurate mapping difficult.

The new king made two major decisions. First, he ordered the construction of a massive wall along the northern border of the kingdom.

The purpose of the wall was to protect against potential future barbarian invasions.

However, the finance minister and some other ministers warned that such a construction project could take centuries to complete.

Second, the king became deeply intrigued by the idea of the land from where the barbarians' ancestors hailed. He issued orders to organize an expedition to find and explore this mysterious land.

Throughout these events, Solarian observed from afar with amusement. Watching the unfolding drama, he mused, "Time to move to the next part of the plan,".