Roman-Rexxarite War

The Roman-Rexxaraeite War was a conflict involving the conquest of modern-day Rexxarae by Roman consul Gaius Julius Caeser. The warring involved massive troop mobilization, particularly at the side of the Romans.

Invasion

Caeser marched four legions into Rexxaraeite territory in late winter 54 B.C. He encountered nearly no resistance what so ever. He easily took the city of Benaun and a small fort maintained by it's ruler. Benaun was a prominent power in southern Rexxarae, and it's fall to the foreigners was unpreceeded and shocking. The king of a nearby city, in great defiance of a treaty he signed with Rome, gathered an army of several thousand troops and engaged Caeser. His forces could not penetrate the legionary formation and were masscred.

The Rexxaraeite Alliance

Shocked by the ease at which the Romans conquered their cities, the Rexxaraeite kings called an assembly. King Sra Jo of Yapan stepped-up to lead the coalition. He believed the Rexxaraeites must fall back, teasing and picking at the Roman army, until the time for a concentrated strike came. Many rulers disagreed, forcing him to change his war-plan in-order to preserve the coalition. Sra Jo sent whatever forces he had in his immidiet environment to reinforce various cities and forts near the Roman conquest zone.

The wheather conditions made it extremely difficult for the Rexxaraeite kings to accumulate large fighting forces. However, the noteable military leader Kara managed to raise a large force counting 20,000 infanry and cavalry, and made his way south. Caeser advanced at 2 more cities, and succeeded in conquering them. Kara's men camped by a large fortress in the south-west. The Romans sent two legions to attack the fort, but Kara outmanouvered them and annhilated them. He proceeded to try and liberate one of the captured cities, but failed, losing most of his army. Another large part of it died-out during the cold journey back north.

Renewel of Roman Advancement

As spring came, Caeser drove his force deep into the Rexxaraeite north-west. He isolated several well-defended cities, keeping small forces around them as-to prevent escape, while letting them wayne and starve. His strategy worked, allowing him to march on many city-states unchallenged.

Caeser besieged 'Aymes', Kara's own city-state. Kara fought bravely, but was forced to abandon with the remainder of his troops by order of Sra Jo in mid-battle. The Romans entered the city, looting, raping, and enslaving. The news of Aymes' fall arrived at Yapan even before Kara did. When hearing of the event, he immidietly demanded that Sra Jo grant him a large force of elite raiders in-order to reclaim his domain. When Sra Jo refused, Kara threatened to lead-away some city-rulers, forming a league of his own. Realizing this is precisely what Caeser wanted, Sra Jo compromised - sending some troops with Kara, but not many.

As Caeser continued advanding north, Kara double-paced his regiments around the Roman column, striking at his home-city of 'Áymes'. Kara easily reclaimed the ruined site, ambushing any unaware Roman supply-liners passing by. Caeser was informed, and he marched his army back east. A forwarding legion was cuaght in a small forest and slaughtered by Sra Jo's army. The Romans retook Aymes, defeating Kara's troops in a bloody series of battles. Kara and the survivors of the battle returned the following night to set fire to the Roman camp; they were killed shortly after.

During the summer, Caeser's army arrived at the city of Quel, unexpected. The Romans prepared their usual double palisade and trench around the city; besieging it. Sra Jo arrived with his cavalry and whatever infantry he could rally in such short notice, and tried to attack the Roman fortifications. He failed miserably, losing all his men and just barely escaping. As the summer came to an end, the Romans entered the intact city, finding only a small, renegade gang of cannibals that survived the siege. Caeser named Quel after himself, and established it as his headquarters for northern Rexxarae.

Attempting an Exodus

By now it was clear that Sra Jo has lost all power against the Romans. As The Roman army conquered city by city (some cities submitting willingly), the young Rexxaraeite sovereign attempted several counterattacks. On one occasion he forced a Roman platoon into a box-like formation with forest archers, then sending the remnants of his cavalry against them, but the legionnharies defeated his horsemen and then his archers, too. On another time he chased an entire legion up-against a well-defended fortress, only to have them take it.

The Rexxaraeite soldiers simply couldn't fight well-enough.

As fall settled in, Sra Jo and whatever remained of his alliance decided that the plains were no longer defendable. They started to store beasts, grain, and raw materials, preparing to leave Yapan. The plan was to take whatever civilians they could muster to the north-eastern mountains (an easily defendable position) before winter arrived and the passes would close.

The news reached Caeser and he realized that if he did not act soon, his precious republic would have to face an uncapture-able line of fortification for decades. The north-eastern mountains could not possibly be conquered; he had no choice but directly confront Sra Jo's formidable force.

The Battle of Yapan

See: The Battle of Yapan

Caeser's forces assembled before the large city-state of Yapan, the capitol and last-bastion of the Rexxaraeite alliance, on the north-eastern edge of the central-Rexxarean grasslands. He sent a few hundred men to establish the palisades and encampments around the city, treating the concept like beuracracy. The main bulk of his force quickly formed before Yapan's walls, facing Sra Jo and his allied monarchs. Secretly, half-a-legion of Roman troops was heading for the northern gates of the city, to block any attemptive escape.

The Rexxaraeite defenders threw everything they could get their hands on onto the Roman legionnaries. The first Roman battering-ram sent against the city's gate was unmanned and burned. For hours Caeser struggled and pushed his men against the city's entrance, but to no avail. Eventually, a second ram was brought in, but it's handlers were also slain in a shower of arrows. Another crew came for the precious instrument of war, and managed to burst through the wooden gate.

The tired, injured, hungry, thirsty, compressed, and exhausted Roman legionnaries now came face-to-face with a well-fed, well-equipped, savage, vengeance-fuled elite force of veteran Rexxaraeite warriors, in a spectacular mellee.

Meanwhile, the forces Caeser sent to the northern entrance of Yapan managed to overcome the garrison there, and enter the city. They defeated a symbolic force sent to stop them, looted what they could and set fire to the straw roofs of some structures. They quickly exited the walls, permitting the defended city to burn.

Back at the western gate, the Romans were victorious. They collected their dead and left the city walls, watching it burn from a safe distance. After the battle, a classic Roman Victory Gate was raised at the site.

Aftermath

The Roman-Rexxarite was changed everything. Firstly, Rexxarae was no longer a sovereign, strong land not to be conquered or quarelled with, but a weak and poor territory to be quarrelled-over between rival empires. In addition, the Roman occupatin gave Rexxarae it's current name and medieval duty, as the private tirf of monarchs.