Conquest.
The horde moves onwards. The rumbling of hoof beats and the twang of bowstrings heralds another victory for Andhaira and his nomads. Marching down across the Khorasan mountains, the first Andhairavid brings his men galloping around the retreating Khorasani army. The maneuver is both drastic and effective. The Khan's army is forced to battle and slaughtered, although the Khan himself escapes. He will regret forgoing an honourable death alongside his warriors.
Amongst the Baluchi tribesmen, not all fight on horseback. Some of the hardiest men live up high in the mountains, scraping out a living despite the harsh punishment of nature. These men are strong and quick, with or without a mount. They compliment the predominantly cavalry army well, at least on a strategic level. These mountain tribesmen can busy themselves with the occupation of rightful Baluchi lands. Meanwhile, Andhaira can continue to ravage Khorasani and Persian armies.
Andhaira raids into the lands of the Black Sheep. Many small patrols or freshly raised levies are scattered to the winds. Many evils are delivered upon the tillers of the land. Do not weep over them, for they are only civilized. During his raids, he receives terrible news from the lands of the White Sheep. Despite the valiant resistance of the White Sheep Turkomans, their army has been mauled by a combined force of Mamelukes and Persians. The Khan assures Andhaira that they will not surrender, but they cannot hold out for long. The Shah must act quickly to crush the Khorasani before the Black Sheep turn Eastwards.
The great Shah withdraws the horde from Persia. Sistan and Makran must be taken. These are the Baluchi lands that the tribes have set their sights upon. The nomads here long for independence from their Khorasani masters. They will make fine additions to the great horde. The Khorasani defenders shall be driven out. After that, Andhaira will be free to wreak bloody mayhem amongst the ranks of his hated enemies.
Unable to count on the loyalty of the local population, the defenders are driven out in short order. All that remains is for Andhaira to drive the foe before his horsemen until they finally concede.
The campaign continues. The Khorasani Khan, the courageous imbecile that he is, refuses to contemplate the notion of defeat. Andhaira will have to drive his point home. The Khan attempts to muster a force in North Khorasan. It is scattered in all directions. All that stands between mighty Andhaira and total victory is the possibility of a joint Mameluke-Persian attack.
The White Sheep has fallen. Now Andhaira must brace himself for the coming carnage. It will be bloody and glorious. Total victory or total defeat.
The Mamelukes begin approaching. Soon they will spill out of Persia in force. They must not be allowed to mass together. Clever maneuvering combined with hard, decisive attacks will be key. An open battle against the entire enemy would be foolish and suicidal. Bravery is a manly virtue, idiocy is not.
The Persian city dwellers are sent flying back westwards. Mercy is not a virtue for such worthless human cattle. They fight with the vigour of an aged and dying goat. They have only half the comeliness.
Basham, one of the Shah's most loyal and trusted generals, is given command of a small force to starve out the Khorasani capital of Herat. A larger Persian force attacks him. Andhaira is unable to send aid, delayed by the initial Persian attack. Despite the poor odds, Basham achieves a magnificent victory. It is a small triumph, but it is well deserved. Andhaira's trust is vindicated.
The Shah pulls his horde around to central Khorasan. The city dwellers must be driven out, or they might march into Baluchistan and wreak havoc amongst the tribes. This is a gamble. The mixed Iranian force there shouldn't be a problem, but war is never predictable.
Hmmph. Timur is rolling in his grave.
The maneuver is a complete success. So rapid was it, that Andhaira is left with the opportunity to wipe out the initial Mameluke force.
A victory as sweet as a beautiful goat. The initial wave has been turned back. Through the manliness of his hordes, the grace of God, and his own genius, Andhaira has turned back two of the mightiest Islamic powers. Mighty no longer, if this is the best they can do.
The second wave of city-dwellers blindly surges along the coast. Andhaira immediately gallops south to meet them. The defeat is utter, the victory glorious. Andhaira immediately rides west to destroy the remains of the Persian force. A Mameluke army is also found marching Eastwards. The imbeciles are persistent, that is certain.
More worthless settled soldiers are slaughtered. Despite constant defeat and humiliation, their Khans seem surprisingly undaunted. If this continues, then eventually it will not matter if they are stubborn or not. Soldiers do not merely march out of the desert to serve. They cannot sustain this for long.
The city of Herat is starved out. Thousands are killed. The Timurid Khan of Khorasan is captured. How far the mighty have fallen.
He does not seem to comprehend what has happened. One could pause for thought and find it amusing, but their are still many more enemies to destroy. It would appear that only the complete and utter annihilation of every last drop of manpower will persuade them to peace.
Suddenly, the tables are turned. The Persian and Mamelukes may well have thrown everything they have left into the killing field. There are too many to risk direct battle. Let them tire themselves in the mountains of Sistan. Andhaira and his nomads can ride freely and without fear of attack. If Sistan is lost, the enemy will be weakened. Then, the Shah can pounce.
The toll in men is high, but the enemy take Sistan. The army disintegrates, heading in multiple directions. Now is the time to strike.
Thousands of city-dwelling infantrymen are massacred. Andhaira does not even deign to give them an honourable death. After the battle, the field is littered with arrows.
The remains of the army flee back into Persia. A detachment of troops under Basham is sent to retake Sistan.
The region of Kandahar is isolated from the rest of Khorasan. A joint raid is organised under the leadership of a major tribal chief.
With God's blessing, the raid is another triumph for the Andhairavid hordes. The world does not yet pay homage to the mountains, but a small part of its wealth has been plundered.
Like lambs to the slaughter. Like goats to the brothel.
Andhaira attempts to gauge the political situation in Persia. The Shah discovers through slightly less than wholesome means that there is significant opposition to the war. Not surprising, considering the list of Persian victories numbers just under one. The Shah offers a very generous peace deal to the Khan of the Black Sheep, knowing that he will refuse. This will no doubt cause a great stir in Persia. With his army reduced to a handful of soldiers, and his country torn inside out, the Khan will have to swallow his pride and admit defeat.
The war is a mighty burden for his people, but Andhaira urges his nomads on. The victories are plentiful, but at a great cost in Baluchi life. Nevertheless, God has imbued man with great skill in the making of more men. These losses will be replenished quickly enough after the war ends.
Sistan is Andhairavid once more! Nothing can stand in the way of the Shah, but the tribes are exhausted. The war has been appallingly bloody. Despite the urging of some of his more bloodthirsty generals, Andhaira proposes an individual peace to the Khorasani Khan.
Himself captured, his army destroyed, his country torn asunder. Finally the fool realises how total his defeat is. Despite his pride, the Khan concedes the Baluchi lands.
The Baluchi people are one! Now Andhaira the mighty need only point and shout, and whatever he sets his eyes upon will be his!