Greetings!

The great Gothic hordes that assaulted the Roman Empire, and feasted upon the carcass that was Rome. It is interesting to consider that the Goths migrated from the island of Goatland! Goatland is some small island off of the southern coast of Sweden, in the Baltic Sea. Whatever the Goth's original, initial numbers, they apparently migrated down to the Black Sea region, where they lived there for a few centuries. Then, they migrated westwards, and marched into the Balkans--into the Roman borders of Dacia and Illyria. Tragically, when the Goths were suffering from starvation, the Romans would demand the Goth's children as slaves, in return for a dog to eat! This was of course, after the Romans had offered to befriend the Goths! It is not surprising when the Goths rebelled from this, and marched to war against Rome.

The war against the barbarian Goths, sometimes estimated at over 500,000 people, perhaps more--the Goths just put enormous armies of fast-moving cavalry into the battle. The Roman armies were absolutely annihilated at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 A.D. The Gothic King, Fritigern, led his mighty Gothic armies in a fearsome victory that slaughtered the Romans, including the defeat and death of the Roman Emreror, Valens. The Gothic armies also had contingents of Alans barbarians amongst them, from the steppes! The Battle of Adrianople ranks up there with the Battle of Cannae as far as the scale of the disaster. In the atermath, well, strangely the Roman's attitude changed dramatically towards the Goths, and huge payments of Dane Geld were sent eagerly to placate the vengeful Goths. The Romans were pathetically weak before the Gothic might. Gone was the Roman arrogance and smugness, and cruelty. Now, the Romans begged frantically, and sent the Goth armies huge caravans full of god, silver, armour, weapons, and other supplies.

The Goths went on to sack Rome itsef in 410 A.D., under the leadership of the briliant Alaric. The Ostrogoths would establish an entire Gothic Kingdom in Northern Italy, with their capital at the city of Ravenna. Further westwards, the Visigoths, would estabish the Visigoth Kingdom throughout Iberia, Spain, and Southern Gaul. While the Eastern Roman General Belissarius would ultimatey reconquer Northern Italy, and bring an end to the Ostrogoth Kingdom, the Visigoth Kingdom endured until being overrun by the Muslim armies in the 7th century A.D. Interestingy, a surviving Gothic Nobleman and his family, moved northwards into the mountains of Northern Spain, and founded the Kingdom of Austorias. The Gothic banner of Austorias would lead the Christian Crusades during the Reconquista, and ultimately fulfill a glorious victory against the Muslims in Spain in the final Muslim defeat in the 1400's.

One of the most fascinating events is the translation of the Bible by Jordannes into GOTHIC. That is wild to think about! Despite the Goths having this ancient reputation as bloodthirsty, savage barbarians--it was Gothic leadership everywhere amidst the Gothic Kingdoms that worked diligently to preserve everything Roman--from Roman Architecture, Art, Laws, and Engineering, to the Roman Libraries and Litertaure. All of Roman culture and science was respected and greatly valued by the Goths.

Also, intriguingly, the Goths apparenty did not like witchcraft at all--and they forced large numbers of Gothic women witches into exile out into the steppes. Additional lore maintains that these Gothic rebels, these Gothic women witches--proceeded to mate with dark, evil spirits--from which their offspring were the Huns! This historical legend gives some interesting perspective for later on, when Hun armies invaded Europe and ravaged the entire continent. Everyone--barbarian, or Roman, or Greek--described in detail how uniformly ugly, bestial, and savage the Huns were. These claims are not hyperbole, or exaggerated propaganda--the Huns ritually embraced customs of scarring their faces, filing their teeth into sharpened points, and generally were eager to embrace styles of appearance that intentionally made them look savage and demonic. One wonders if the Huns also embraced tattooing their bodies, and likely their faces, as well. The Huns thus had a universal and enduring reputation for a grotesque appearance, and mannerisms that were especially harsh, cruel, and savage. Rapine, torture, and plunder were exercised eagerly, by all ranks of the Huns, from high to low. Against the enemies of the Huns, no form of torture, savagery, or degradation was spared or restrained. The Huns promoted mass slaughter, rape, torture, and enslavement on an enormous and grand scale. It is sobering--and the evidence supports the hysteria--that literally *everyone*--the Franks, the Germanic tribes, the Goths, as well as many Steppe tribes from Central Asia, the Greeks--and finally, even the mighty Romans--were terrified of the Huns. It is not a laughing matter for all of these peoples--none of them laughed, or downplayed the Huns. The Huns had slaughtered entire armies from all of these groups, and made it look easy. The Huns massacred them all, and then dominated them ruthlessly by raping, plundering, and slaughtering, again, on a mass scale. The Huns had crushed and shamed all of these peoples and tribes. The Huns laughed at them all. The Huns drove entire tribes, vast numbers of people, to migrate thousands of miles, to flee in terror, from them. There was no freedom, or independence alongside the Huns. Enemies were slaughtered, and enslaved. Friendly tribes became absorbed into the Hun armies, and served as moving juggernauts, men, women, children, animals--all were to pour over the landscape, and crush and dominate all peoples that were not Huns. Everyone beyond the grasp of the Huns took the Huns very seriously. Their continued existence and survival absolutely depended upon taking the Huns seriously.

It is wild to consider that the Huns themselves conquered everything from Russia and the Black Sea to Poland, Dacia, Illyria, Northern Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and most of Gaul. That is quite an achievement for some so-called primitive barbarian tribes on horeback!

I digress into the Huns. As for the mighty Goths, the Goths definitely had some huge historical achievements!

So many interesting and inspiring elements for  game campaign!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Greetings!

Another interesting aspect of the Goths is that they were also skilled at crafting ships, and operating naval and amphibious raids throughout the Aegean Sea and beyond. Definitely a new kind of marauding pirate in the region!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

I am a big fan of the Migration Era where Germanic, Turkic, and magyars bounced all over Europe and western Asia.  Many of the Viking Sagas feature Attila the Hun, so the Huns, Alans, Avars, and, Bulgars must have made a lasting impression on the people of the north. 

Theodoric's Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy was interesting, though short-lived.

My Wildland setting is directly inspired by the migration period at the end of the Western Roman Empire.

Background

The Bright Empire once dominated Darish De'Cour or "Land of the Great River." When the Empire expanded into Darish De'Cour, two provinces were created — Darish, east of the river, and Tharvengia, west of the river. For centuries the Bright Empire prospered, standing as a pinnacle of learning, commerce, and religion. However, in the last century, two rival factions arose that would eventually tear the Empire asunder. The earthly followers of Delaquain, the Goddess of Honor and Justice, and Sarrath, the God of War and Order, long at odds with one another, eventually forced the Bright Empire into a ruinous civil war. Weakened by the internal struggle, the Empire could no longer defend its sprawling provinces from the predations of marauding barbarian tribes. This was especially true in the Tharvengian Province, and it was quickly lost.

The final downfall of the Bright Empire came when humanoid tribes (orcs, goblins, gnolls, etc.) attacked the barbarians living in the defeated province of Tharvengia, routed them, and drove them en masse across the Great River into Darish. After devastating the Darish, the Barbarians moved into the Empire's heartland to the east. In the battle known as The Shattering, the barbarians destroyed the last organized forces of the Bright Empire, ending the civil war not with a final victory but with a final collapse.

Ten years after the civil war, barbarians and humanoids dominate this region, and only a single town and a few villages remain as beacons of civilization. Shortly after the fall of the Bright Empire, the remaining forces of Delaquain helped the survivors, but their efforts were stymied when the followers of Sarrath seized control of Yellzurthi, the last town in Darish. The followers of Sarrath now use Yellzurthi as a base to launch attacks against what remains of Delaquain's followers, striving for complete control of war torn Darish De'Cour.

The Goths, particularly the group that became the later Ostrogoths, had significant cultural influence from the Alani and then later the Huns.  I'm a huge fan of migration age history.

Quote from: Svenhelgrim on June 20, 2023, 12:58:28 PM
I am a big fan of the Migration Era where Germanic, Turkic, and magyars bounced all over Europe and western Asia.  Many of the Viking Sagas feature Attila the Hun, so the Huns, Alans, Avars, and, Bulgars must have made a lasting impression on the people of the north. 

Theodoric's Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy was interesting, though short-lived.

Greetings!

*Laughing* SO TRUE MY FRIEND!
I also love the Migration Period! Historically, yeah, as you mentioned, you literally have MILLIONS of people on the move, from all over Europe, and Central Asia, moving into the Near East, Southern Europe, and Western Europe! There were so many awesome Germanic tribes just marching everywhere in huge numbers! Then, of course, there were many Central Asian Steppe Tribes, like the mighty Huns! The Turks, the Avars, the Magyars, the Alans! All going crazy everywhere! And, also, the SLAVS!

There are so many interesting chieftains, kings, and glorious heroes! It can be a challenge keeping up with them!

Awesome legends like the legend that says that the Huns worked to divert an entire river, whereupon they dug a great tomb for Attila, and buried him inside the river tomb with vast treasures from his conquests all over Europe and Asia! Legend also says that Attila wielded a mighty, enchanted sword blessed by the War God, Mars. His magnificent sword that made Attila invincible in combat was buried at his side within the secret tomb, along with the vast treasures, and thousands of slaves! I have read that Attila's sword was finely made, magnificent and beautiful and dreaded to behold, all at the same time. To this day, Attila's royal tomb has never been discovered. Interestingly, Attila evidently died from a heart attack or stroke while romping with some gorgeous 16 year old slave girl in his bed all night. How's that sound for going out in style like a KING?

After the stalemate battle in Gaul against the valiant Roman army, as well as the Franks and Goths, Attila was in the process of gathering an even larger army to return to Gaul again the next season! Just imagine what THAT campaign would have been like?

Even if a GM is not running a strictly historical campaign, but rather, a historically based fantasy campaign, the inspiration from the Migration Period is simply stunning and mind boggling! Armies marching everywhere, desperate defensive stands, epic sieges, horrifying slaughters and massacres, palace intrigue and treachery, inspiring heroism and valour, the scope is nonstop and relentless!

I love it all. I never get tired of reading different books covering the era of the times, and all the things going on!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: estar on June 20, 2023, 02:09:37 PM
My Wildland setting is directly inspired by the migration period at the end of the Western Roman Empire.

Background

The Bright Empire once dominated Darish De'Cour or "Land of the Great River." When the Empire expanded into Darish De'Cour, two provinces were created — Darish, east of the river, and Tharvengia, west of the river. For centuries the Bright Empire prospered, standing as a pinnacle of learning, commerce, and religion. However, in the last century, two rival factions arose that would eventually tear the Empire asunder. The earthly followers of Delaquain, the Goddess of Honor and Justice, and Sarrath, the God of War and Order, long at odds with one another, eventually forced the Bright Empire into a ruinous civil war. Weakened by the internal struggle, the Empire could no longer defend its sprawling provinces from the predations of marauding barbarian tribes. This was especially true in the Tharvengian Province, and it was quickly lost.

The final downfall of the Bright Empire came when humanoid tribes (orcs, goblins, gnolls, etc.) attacked the barbarians living in the defeated province of Tharvengia, routed them, and drove them en masse across the Great River into Darish. After devastating the Darish, the Barbarians moved into the Empire's heartland to the east. In the battle known as The Shattering, the barbarians destroyed the last organized forces of the Bright Empire, ending the civil war not with a final victory but with a final collapse.

Ten years after the civil war, barbarians and humanoids dominate this region, and only a single town and a few villages remain as beacons of civilization. Shortly after the fall of the Bright Empire, the remaining forces of Delaquain helped the survivors, but their efforts were stymied when the followers of Sarrath seized control of Yellzurthi, the last town in Darish. The followers of Sarrath now use Yellzurthi as a base to launch attacks against what remains of Delaquain's followers, striving for complete control of war torn Darish De'Cour.

Greetings!

Very interesting, Estar! Are you players big fans of the Migration Period History and the Late Roman Empire?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: The Spaniard on June 21, 2023, 09:36:57 AM
The Goths, particularly the group that became the later Ostrogoths, had significant cultural influence from the Alani and then later the Huns.  I'm a huge fan of migration age history.

Greetings!

OOH RAH MY FRIEND! Spaniard, how have you been inspired in your campaigns by the Migration Period?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: SHARK on June 21, 2023, 11:02:53 AM

Quote from: The Spaniard on June 21, 2023, 09:36:57 AM
The Goths, particularly the group that became the later Ostrogoths, had significant cultural influence from the Alani and then later the Huns.  I'm a huge fan of migration age history.

Greetings!

OOH RAH MY FRIEND! Spaniard, how have you been inspired in your campaigns by the Migration Period?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Hey brother!  Up until recently my campaign has been mostly standard adventures (World of Greyhawk).  However, I'm working on an invasion arc where the Paynims (Huns/Turks/Mongols) stage raids into the borderlands of Bissel and the party has an option to participate in driving them back and reclaiming territory.  There's lots of different branches they can go from there.  I've been reading a book on the Avars which gives a lot of background on how Justinian and later Byzantine emperors dealt with them, while simultaneously fending off the Sassanids.  Fascinating political and miltary intrigue.

Greetings!

In my own Thandor World, I was so inspired by the Migration Period that I worked on a huge project where I detailed like, three dozen or more Germanic tribes, divided into Forest Tribes, Coastal Tribes, Mountain Tribes, Farming Tribes, and Primitive Tribes. Each barbarian tribe has their own Chieftain or King, a dozen important leaders, primary deities worshipped, typical weapons, equipment, and gear. I also have a basic economy scheme for them, and specialized cultural skills and abilities that each group specializes in. These details each make the different barbarian tribes distinct from each other, and yet also loosely unified by language, religion, and basic culture. I also detail their cultural and economic skills, as tribes, so that some for example specialize in metalworking and mining, while others are skilled in agriculture, shipbuilding and seafaring, forest warfare, shepherding and fishing, as well as skills like bronze working, jewelcrafting, working with amber and walrus ivory or mammoth ivory, and specializing in infantry tactics, cavalry tactics, amphibious warfare, skirmishing tactics, and raiding.

All of the northern barbarian tribes practice the Barratus--the trance-like ritual just before battle where the entire barbarian army engages in deep, rhythmic growling in unison, preparing themselves for the blessings of their war gods, and the coming battle! Roman historians explain that listening to this eerie display was ominous and terrifying! It required considerable effort for the Roman commanders and the Centurions to maintain control over the legions!

Then, of course, are the black-robed Germanic Witches that stand partially naked before the barbarian warriors, alternating promises of hedonism and imprecations of hatred and disdain for the warriors if they fail to crush and slaughter their enemies! These black-robed Germanic women followed their men closely into battle, taking captured and wounded Roman soldiers back to their camps to be brutally tortured and sacrificed to their Pagan gods! The Roman historians said that on many occasions, the Germanic Witches would keep Roman soldiers alive for many days of savage torture, before finally sacrificing them or just slaughtering them after they had been thoroughly interrogated and tortured. If no Germanic barbarian woman present could speak Latin, well, I guess that narrows down the options quite a bit, now doesn't it?

Then, of course, there are magic animals, spiritual creatures, terrifying monsters, and lots of divine and human breeding going on, creating the various Germanic demi-god heroes. And epic magic items, like armour, swords, axes, war horns, arm rings, amulets, war helms, shields, and more!

I also have developed the ancient Koryos warbands, as well as animal brotherhoods! The fun is non-stop on the wild, northern frontiers!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Since I am a southern swede from Götaland subject has had an allure for me.

And yes, the goths origanally were götar/geats of Götaland in southern modern day Sweden, the people of Beowulf. And I won't back down on that 

Tjodrik/Theodrik/Teodoric is one of my favorite persons of antiquity. Hence my username. Arminius/Hermann also.

Quote from: Teodrik on June 21, 2023, 11:38:20 PM
Since I am a southern swede from Götaland subject has had an allure for me.

And yes, the goths origanally were götar/geats of Götaland in southern modern day Sweden, the people of Beowulf. And I won't back down on that 

Tjodrik/Theodrik/Teodoric is one of my favorite persons of antiquity. Hence my username. Arminius/Hermann also.

Greetings!

That's awesome, Teodrik! How big is Gotaland? What is the landscape and climate like there?

In college, I had a History professor, she was an immigrant from Sweden. She spoke with a distinctive accent, and she was wonderful as a professor.

I was blown away when she lectured the class on the Goths being from Gotaland. In my slight Texas-inspired accent, I would tease her, "GOATLAND???!!!"

I loved learning everything from her. I recall that she taught several classes on world history, so we got to jump through the continents covering overviews of different cultures and history from each continent, more or less from ancient times through the Middle Ages. It ws especially interesting because she would discuss the ancient empires of the Middle East, Egypt, the Ancient Greeks, the Roman Empire, the Germanic tribes, the Celts, the Goths and the Huns, several kingdoms down in Africa, then we hopped over to India and China. Then back to discuss the Byzantine Empire, the Muslims, Africa more extensively, and Britain, the Saxons, and the growing struggle of Europe during the Dark Ages.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: SHARK on June 21, 2023, 11:00:54 AM
Very interesting, Estar! Are you players big fans of the Migration Period History and the Late Roman Empire?

The answer is yes and no. First off keep in mind the setting I refereed for 40 years is the Majestic Wilderlands which was based on the Judges Guild Maps of the Wilderlands of High Fantasy.

In order to publish, I took all the original stuff I created over the decades and made a new setting that I call the Majestic Fantasy Realms.

In the Majestic Wilderlands one of the main regions that players opt to adventure in is the City-State of the Invincible Overlord. The current present politically is about a century or two after the migration period (8th and 9th centuries). 

But the impact of my setting's migration period is still reverberating. The dominant culture of City-State is a culture I called Ghinorian. The Ghinorians believe themselves to be the chosen people of Mitra. Once ruled the largest empire in the Wilderlands and City-State was established as a colony.

But the Overlord is a Tharian Horse Lord whose people swept out of the west four centuries ago and was part of the collapse of the old empire. City-State survived as a independent Ghinorian realm until a hundred years ago when the Tharians finally conquered it.

One of the underlying conflicts of my campaigns is the fact the Tharians Horse Lords find themselves ruling Ghinorians who are heirs of an much older and more sophisticated culture. As a result the government of City-State is an ad-hoc hodgepodge of different customs and laws.

The main effect of which is that there are opportunities that PCs can exploit and have exploited. Much like in our own history. It has gotten to the point circa 2023, that a lot of what a player would see in City-State today is a result of something a PC did in some campaign going back to the early 80s.

Right now (50 in-game years from when I started) the region controlled by City-State has just wound down a conflict not unlike the one that broke up the Carolingian empire into West Francia (France) and East Francia (Germany). Both sides led by two different PC characters.

It just so happened that the two players and myself are still friends and we decided to resolve it by playing a boardgame. Afterward, I advanced the campaign in-game by a decade and have been setting subsequent campaigns (four so far) in the new time period.

https://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-invincible-overlord-is-dead-long.html

Quote from: SHARK on June 22, 2023, 05:13:37 AM

Quote from: Teodrik on June 21, 2023, 11:38:20 PM
Since I am a southern swede from Götaland subject has had an allure for me.

And yes, the goths origanally were götar/geats of Götaland in southern modern day Sweden, the people of Beowulf. And I won't back down on that 

Tjodrik/Theodrik/Teodoric is one of my favorite persons of antiquity. Hence my username. Arminius/Hermann also.

Greetings!

That's awesome, Teodrik! How big is Gotaland? What is the landscape and climate like there?

Götaland is the entire southern part a Sweden. Gotland is a island in the baltic sea, which also counts as a part of Götaland.
Here's  a map
https://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Götaland
Where I'm from , east coast, the landscape is pretty flat and agricultural with a lot of forests (pine and fir tree are very common). Climate is pretty similar to the northern part of continental Europe. Is about 28 Celsius right now in june.

I guess the female history professor of your was from the island of Gotland. They have a very distinct and charming dialect. Spent some vacations there as a kid during the annual medieval festival week in Visby. Lovely place.

Alas I think modern take is that even if Goths influenced somehow Gutnish culture (Gutnish language is splinter of Old Norse though not Eastern Germanic) - the main Goth forces came to what is now Poland from Gotaland - which is basically big chunk of Southern Sweden, so yeah they were not merely people from one island but probably quite might folk by this time, and they spread fast through coast of Baltic Sea and then deep into modern Poland keeping close to Vistula rivers, before forming army that founded kingdom in modern Ukraine. Think altogether it's quite possible Berik has way more than 3 ships