Some of you may have lengthening roots to historical origins you might want to share, here is mine.
My known ancestors are generally posted in East Europe now known as Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Russian culture, etc. They are called as the Slavs, and are portrayed as a peaceful farming societies between villages and tribes. They at first wore no armor and rode on horses while battling with weaved shields. This however ended when the Kievan Rus empire was formed and armies were forged.
They were a very viking/Celtic mixture.
Our enemies are Germanic tribes, Asian vagabonds of the steppe, and some viking invaders.
The ancient Slavs never had it particularly easy. They always seemed to be between powerful adversaries; stuck between the warlike Germans and the martially powerful steppe nomads or developing between the Frankish and Byzantine Empires, the super powers of their day. To the North of the Slavs lived the fierce Scandinavians, a society that produced the mighty Vikings and who conquered many lands. Yet amazingly the Slavs survived, and bewilderingly, they even thrived. Slavic tribes burst forth from their homeland and conquered and settled half of Europe, forever changing the history of the continent and the world. Few of the lands that were slavasized by these ancient warriors were ever taken back by their opponents, and the migration of the Slavs continue to this day, particularly in their ancient drive to the East. Yet, the ancient Slavs that achieved this great expansion were never considered to be one of the great warrior societies in history.
Described as being unusually tall and strong, Slavic warriors typically used a wide range of weapons. A single warrior may carry a shield, spear, ax, sling and bow. They were known for their Spartan life style and ancient writers recorded that they were often quick to attack. They used bows and three bladed arrows similar to those used by the steppe nomads. Early armies consisted of only a few hundred men who could move quickly into enemy territory and quickly retreat. The ancient historian Procopius tells us in Wars VII.14, 25, that the Slavs "fight on foot, advancing on the enemy, in their hands they carry small shields and spears, but they never wear body armor".” As the Slavs expanded they began using combined arms tactics, with archers, cavalry and infantry working in unison. Their armies used speed to their advantage and often employed ambushes, flanking assaults and guerilla tactics. They learned how to take fortified cities using siege weapons from the Byzantines and learned cavalry tactics from the steppe nomads. In the North they learned to use Viking style long ships, and even raided Scandinavia giving them a taste of their own medicine. The Slavs may have exchanged their knowledge of bridge building with the Scandinavians in exchange for knowledge of ship construction.
