The First Invasion of Egg-Home

Why the G'ecko do this and the point of it all is the utilization of a strategy used by many animals and even by humans throughout our history. That of being LOUD and BIG to intimidate a threat into running away. In the case of the G'ecko, add in the idea that showing off an example of a high-degree of "military coordination" as a further reason why trying to engage in pitched warfare might not be a good idea.

Throughout the singing and the dancing, the G'ecko make alot of coordinated noise by banging on their shields, drumming on massive drums, and with many musicians playing horns and pipes. I think it is important to emphasize that this is not a massive cacophony but all HIGHLY coordinated with the song and the dance, designed to enhance and emphasize the level of mass coordination the G'ecko are capable of.

The ultimate effect/responce of this is that, the canid army is so surprised by this sudden show of coordination and "military strength" that the army turns on the Sultan and kills him. In thinking about this after my imagining of the "battle" itself, I came to this image of the Sultan and his retinue of generals being at the forefront of the army on mounts and being able to see the full extent of the G'ecko performance. I should mention that the invading army still has quite a distance between themselves and the army of G'ecko. I would say within range of artillery/seige engines, but just a bit too far for archery to be effective. Part way through the performance, the Sultan would demand the army goes on the attack and charges the G'ecko. A general to his side would draw their sword and them with little pretence, the Sultan was beheaded where he sat on his mount.

This turn of events needs some explanation, I started with this idea with the song and the idea of the G'ecko "dancing" to scare off an army as the beginning inspiration for this whole event, but in the reality of their world there would have been a very long built-up to this event. The Sultan and his Empire at this time would be familiar with the G'ecko as desert nomads on the edge of their territory. At this time the Empire would have colonies/fully integrated towns on the coasts of the Great Desert. At this point in time for the Empire, they would have a long history of having traded with the G'ecko to gain certain trade goods that were not found in their own territory. Much like the real world examples of Petra, the many Berber tribes, Carthage, and the Persian Empire, when you maintain a monopoly on some resources, war can come just to try to overturn your economic power. This is what the Sultan was attempting to do, conquer the G'ecko so that his empire could reap the benefits of their trade without needing to actually trade with the G'ecko.

So the Canid Empire crosses the straight between itself and the Great Desert and then begins the long treck southwards towards what they believe in the "capital" of the G'ecko. The whole time they are in-fact being watched by the G'ecko. The G'ecko quickly realize what the purpose of the "bahoo" army is. The first tactic they employ is one they have a long history of using which is "water denial." The G'ecko are master's of cultivating and maintaining wells, and oasis throughout the Great Desert and many of those who live on the outskirts of their territory say that "No one drinks in the desert without the G'ecko." The G'ecko hide and/or destroy sources of water ahead of the advancing army. The army quickly starts to exhaust their supplies and as they get further and further into the Great Desert it becomes harder and harder for their wagon trains to reach them. These wagons of supplies often running afoul of "freak" sandstorms, outright G'ecko raids, or misdirection from their guides who lead them off into the desert themselves. Thus by the time the Canid army gets anywhere close to Egg-Home, the army has lost many of it's number to starvation and dehydration, it is heavily demoralized and really has only made it this far due to the Sultan's stubborn refusal to turn back and the threat of punishment should any attmept to abandon their duty to him. Thus when the G'ecko finish their "Battle Dance" and with a great cry, charge the Canid army. The army quickly kills the Sultan and begins to retreat back across the desert.

As the army retreats, the G'ecko pursue and maintain the pressure, but never get close enough to actually risk combat. Instead they make sure the Canids know that they are being watched and could be attacked at any moment. They also make sure that the Canids have MUCH more motivation to continue their retreat back home. The Canids find water and supplies conveniently only on paths aligned in the direction of their closest settlements. Also conveniently, they only find enough supplies to just barely keep them from starving or dying of thirst, never enough to fully recover from the weariness of their march.

The Canid army eventually does make it back to their own settlements and fully retreats back across the straight into the Empire's main territory. Within the Empire, the story is told that the Sultan went mad outon the desert and the army mutinied against a mad tyrant. The generals leading the army were beheaded for their disloyalty, but the army itself was not punished. No further incursions into the Great Desert were attempted for centuries after this event. The fact that the G'ecko formed and army and intimidated the Canid army is not mentioned except mockingly and is generally disregarded as the soldiers being affected by the heat and dehydration.