Lombards

Since I picked the Lombards as my faction I decided to brush up on my history. It seems they are of viking/scandanavian blood, perfect for me.

I copied and paste this from wiki:
They were invaded by the huns then
"The Lombards themselves were probably made subjects of the Huns after the defeat, but the Lombards rose up against them and defeated them with great slaughter."

Thats my boys

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombards

Lombards (Longobards)

The Longobards place their own origins in the dim history of time where gods and men mingled to create heroic ancestors. They came from the quiltwork of Germanic peoples living in the North, around modern Denmark. It is not exactly known why these people left their homeland, perhaps it had become too crowded or resources were scarce. For whatever reasons, they picked up all their belongings they could carry and moved south. The Romans fought against them and drove them back across the Rhine for a time. They were a fierce and warlike people, though never numerous, and earned a reputation early, proving their worth in battle with the Bulgars. As the story goes, it was during the time of their first king, Agelmund. The Bulgars attacked one of their settlements, slaying king Agelmund in the ruin and kidnapping his daughter. Lamissio, the new Longobard king found vengeance for his people, defeating the Bulgars in battle. He routed their warriors and captured much plunder, and making the Longobards feared.
They moved down into the region of Pannonia, around Switzerland, probably for the same reasons they moved before...overcrowding and too much competition. Once in Pannonia they became an ally to the Byzantines, who were busy at this time battling several other tribes of Barbarians, and eagerly sought all the help they could get. However, the Byzanitines were also wary of new hostilities and kept the Longobards near...

THE LOMBARDS AND BYZANTINES

The Longobards became the Byzantine's "Christian" ally. Emperor Justinian called on King Waccho of the Longobards to aid him as he began his re-conquest of the Italian homeland, and Waccho stuck with Justinian, even when asked for help from the Ostrogoths, who ruled in Italy. In return for this loyalty, Justinian gave them several cities in Pannonia, between the Danube and Save rivers.
However, when the Longbard king Alboin began to increase in power, and spread his influence over the area, Byzantium stepped in to intervene. Alboin was stopped from defeating the realm of the Gepids, their neighbor to the east (and a buffer between them and Byzantine lands) and peace was brought forcefully. Not only that, but several thousand Longobard warriors were conscripted into the Byzantine army to aid the general Narses in his battle to re-conquer Italy from the Barbarian Ostrogoths. The Longobards eagerly lend their aid. However, it soon became apparent that the Longobards were far too feisty for their Christian allies. It is recorded of them that they would swoop down and burn and pillage all before them, ravish women, and behave altogether unruly. Finally Narses became tired of their trouble and sent them back home, thanking them for their sevices with a share of plunder, but also a special escort to see them to the border, making sure no other towns were accidentally torched. The old general markedThe Longobards' exuberence in warfare, however, and would remember them again in the future...

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER...

At a feast, Alboin tantalized his troops with baskets of fruit and grains taken from the Po and Tiber valleys in Italy, sent, according to lore, by the embittered general Narses. Alboin rallied his warriors and enflamed them with the battle lust. Why should they not attack Italy, the home of their enemies the Romans? There was wealth and cultivation there ripe for the plucking. The Lombards as one people gathered to move south like a flood.

This was a grand adventure, and the adventurous flower of German youth followed Alboin’s banner. It is said 20,000 saxons joined their numbers, as well as many from Norricum, Pannonia, Sarmatia, Bulgaria, Geipidae.

The Byzantines were disorganized. Narses, their beloved general, disgraced by the Roman populace and by his own emperor and emperess, abandoned Italy to it’s fate. He remembered the fierce Lombards, and called on them to bring their wrath upon the miserable Romans. Perhaps he didn’t know the extent of what he was doing, but I surmise that he knew exactly what would happen – he knew the condition of his troops, and knew what chaos would befall when they lost their leader and faced an organized and hot-blooded horde of foes. I think he knew well that he gave the Lombards Italy, and deemed it his last word against he complaining Romans, who had pleaded that they had preferred the rule of the Goths over the “eunuch general”.

The populace and armies melted before the onslaught of the Barbarians. Pavia alone, that proud capitol of the Goths, held it’s own, and for 3 years the Lombards could enter not it’s strong gates. But they prowled outside, like wolves around a dying stag, waiting to rush in a find the jugular when it’s head dropped. Such frustration and impatience breathed into them a furious desire for bloodshed, and they vowed not to leave a single breath alive within it’s walls, not man, woman or child. The city could not hold out forever. It was weakened by famine. At last the Lombards broke through the defences, but as Alboin rode across the threshold of the gates, his steed stumbled and fell to the ground. The Lombards took this as a sign of Divine anger, and the king relented. They sheated their swords, telling the embattled populace that they shall live, by the grace of the King, and be his obedient subjects. They readily agreed
The king so loved this city which beheld him as a bold and honorable conquerer, that he chose it as his very capitol.

Great history. Enjoyable to Read