AN: Viewership still going well, though SB has overtaken AH. As expected really. On the subject of updates, they'll remain the same length and frequency for the moment, and at the end of this arc it'll change depending on feedback etc. I've got other stuff to do for the next couple of weeks so the shorter content helps to keep on top of it.
"Well, in any case, there's not much to note for a while after that. The Romans raid the Beastlands, the beasts raid the romans, a few minor cities are destroyed and so on. I think during this period the society starts to forget things though…"
"Your hypothesis of intellectual degradation?" Basin asked.
"Yes, by this time the historians who've been trained, the priests who perform the ceremonies and so on have all died, and the stories of old Italy, Greece, and so on have become confused. Lebev is looking into it." Igor shrugged, and took a drink from his canteen.
"But then the romans take the Stargate." Said Durov. "The attacks increase in ferocity and frequency, some taking the city. Is it possible Igor that they only take half of the city, or only the outskirts? I find it difficult to believe all the roman fortifications weren't able to keep them out."
"Ah but this is surely rhetoric?" put in Basin, "Just as you might say a country was invaded, even if only a border post was taken."
Igor shrugged again, "It's possible Comrade-Commissar, in one invasion at least, only the outer city was taken, and all the people there had already retreated to the inner part. The beasts used their mounts to smash down the outer walls but the inner ones were too strong for them."
"Then we have our answer surely?" said Suslov, "Vulcan is weakened, he retreats to a place he knows to be peripheral, given the lack of technology, to rebuild. He tries to compel the people he's brought into servitude, that doesn't work so he has slaves taken. Eventually this enrages the people so that they attack and seize his Stargate, which, I can only assume is his only way of getting home."
Ivanovich spoke next, "Vulcan can't leave without his 'chariot', his spacecraft, which has been damaged somehow, and is using some kind of artillery to attack each time, but we can assume this has a limited range, which is why he can't use it more often."
"Yes, that is what Basin and I have concluded." Durov said, "However, we can't make assumptions about what we'll find on the other side of those mountains. We still don't know how Vulcan controls the beasts, whether by some psychic ability, or simply through religion. We don't know why the invasions are so infrequent."
Igor looked up, "On the last question I may have an answer," he said, "populations before the modern age grew in steps, based on their agricultural capacity. I don't know if the beastmen farm, but from their mounts they are at least pastoral. Whenever food is plentiful they'll grow faster. It's my theory that Vulcan' space is limited, perhaps his domain is just a few mountainous valleys, which means that to accumulate a large enough force he'd have to plan years in advance, conserving food and managing population sizes of his subjects. Therefore, the only way he can amass a large enough force is to wait for long enough to sustain it, and he has to send them out, otherwise they'll all starve."
"I don't know Igor…" said Ivanovich, "If Vulcan can plan and organise that well why hasn't he started them mining and smelting metal to make armour, or something more useful?"
Igor threw up his hands, "I have no idea. I agree his inability to advance is unusual, but until we get there we won't know."
"Then we must continue to consider Vulcan's capabilities." Replied Durov. "We've taken on this frenzied aspect because we know Vulcan's already destroyed the outer defences, it should only take three days to meet the enemy army. Both we and the enemy must defeat the other as quickly as possible and continue on, and I've no doubt Vulcan or whatever commander he sends to rally the beasts knows this. The romans say this invasion shouldn't have come for several years, and we know Ra only visits Abydos once in a generation. I think Vulcan has a remote means of monitoring the Stargate, and believes we serve a rival god."
"What about spies sir?" Ivanovich asked, "There must be a few heretics who still believe Vulcan's their true god."
"If there are we have the same problem. The romans guard the mountain pass, so no one could have carried the message by hand, and there's been no mention of semaphores or other systems that would allow someone to get a message over the wall. If there are spies, they likely have a sort of radio." Explained Durov.
"And Vulcan must know if we're servants of another god he's in great danger." Said Suslov, "We have to get to him to stop him finishing whatever preparations he's making and he has to stop us from establishing a more advanced beachhead."
Durov nodded, "True, and given that I've promised the romans captives, Ivanovich, I want you to go out and have a look at things tomorrow morning. Igor you go with him. Take however many you think useful; I leave the details up to you. We must know who we're fighting…"