I found one of my Aseri Veteran Infantryman’s diaries, this was the most recent entry.

Dear diary;

It has been 892 days since my I joined my liege, and somehow I am still alive. As you know, my liege is… an eccentric man. Two days ago, 150 of us, 100 infantry, 40 archers, and 10 cavalry, joined forces with 200 militia to defend Epicrotea. The enemy? They numbered just over 1300. Madness… utter madness, and yet I had never felt more confident going into the battle.
Why you might ask? Well, the last few weeks, my Liege has no longer chosen to lead the cavalry as he once did, but instead had chosen to march with the infantry. My Liege was initially… challenged at the rigors of infantry, to used to a horse to carry him everywhere and it affected the entire unit. I had thought we were doomed, and then, at the start of the battle my liege took one of his mighty crafted javelins and threw it over 50 meters into the torso of the enemy Lord. I felt it in my bones, and every other infantryman and wilding could feel it too. Our javelins were much stronger, and so were our sword arms, and the enemy cavalry could scarcely run a single charge, and the infantry broke upon our lines.

Yet… when the dust settled Burin was dead, I hated him, but he was a brother in arms, an original like me. A few other were dead, but I hadn’t seen how. It was strange, for so many years I thought my liege a tactical genius, invincible. In a decade we had only lost three men and now? SIX in one battle!

Yesterday, I had seen why for myself. Out liege would break from formation as the lines met and throw his mighty Javelins at the backs of the enemies. But, my liege, he, he killed his own men! 13 died yesterday and they ALL died by his mighty hand. Carth and Cicero didn’t even stand a chance, Kaiden, Carth’s brother was next. At first I thought it a vendetta, nobody liked those assholes, but then Ace had both knees hit! I had just prayed I wouldn’t be next.

Which is why I was happy, for my liege would be on the walls. I should have known better. He has grown mad it tell you MAD! He placed 50 of us elite infantry on each set of ladders, and the militia in reserve, he let the archers be led by the Seargents. The siege began and our Lord bounded up the keep as fast as a horse and… set upon our only catapult. A few brave soldiers were able to get some shots off killing a few dozen men, but the ram was not destroyed. They would beat down the gate and overrun us.

We waited and watched the ram encroach. Once the ram was at the gate, a fire pot was flung from the battlements, not at the engine, but at the troops behind, 30 men dead in a single instant! There was a brief silence, and our men ROARED in triumph and awaited the enemy to scale the ladders. A few more firepots and it didn’t matter that the first gate was down the enemy behind the engine was all but wiped out. Next came the enemy at the bottom of our ladders. GONE, in but seconds! 863 men single handedly slain by our lord.

As the enemy went into a retreat mad cackling echoed from the battlements as our lord kept to the ground throwing a javelin and slaying a retreating soldier. Javelin after javelin thrown, enemy after enemy felled. Our once slow and ponderous liege now the speed of a Cossian Never before had I seen such a sight.

I fear this to be my last entry, and the blood lust has taken my Liege. The enemy won’t be enough, our allies will be consumed as well.

submitted by /u/Drake_Acheron
[link] [comments]