A Concise History of England

[Tricky Lady]

As some people seem to be interested in a new English PBM campaign, I decided to start a topic for the write-ups and comments of this new campaign.

This is the list of candidate kings so far:

Chimpyang - is playing the first King.
ThijsP
alman9898
Tricky Lady

To confirm:
Ellesthyan

These were a few suggestions made by Lord Armbandit in the Entrance hall post:


Quote[/b] ]Just a suggestion - how about everyone writes up a 'mission statement' when they take over of what they intend to acheive? These should be a bit ambitious, and it will add flavour to the write-up at the end. Also, the 'take-over' post should give a bit of a review of the predecessor's performance, e.g.

King Stephen was a mighty king who grew the lands under his dominion through fire and sword, brought trade to the merchants and craftsmen of his Kingdom, and died with no less than 4 valiant heirs to follow his example

And what would the preferred ending write-up style be? i.e., historical text, e.g. -

King William then sought to secure his northern borders from the rebellious Scots. He sent emissaries to their King and attempted with offers of coin to earn his allegiance. When this failed, his mighty armies descended upon the castle of Edinburgh and laid siege, eventually eradicating the flower of scottish nobility

My 'Mission statement':

I do hereby pledge to build a mighty nation for my descendants to rule, to crush the French, purge the infidel moors from the Catholic lands of Europe, and quell the rebellious celts of Wales and Scotland.

Waiting for Lord Armbandit's write-up.

[Ghostmonkey]

I think I'll stay out of this one. I don't think I can handle this on hard and final exams are going to start soon so I won't have much time to do anything anyway.

[alman9898]

I'll join... haven't played as the english though in a long time.

[Ard-Ri McCullaugh]

Oh I see now, when a King dies, the next player takes over the position. I had inquired on the subject elsewhere, but the roster explained it all to me. I am assuming that my... assumption is correct though.

[Demon of Light]

I was going to drop a link in the other thread but it looks like you got it.

[Ard-Ri McCullaugh]

Yes, but regardless, much thanks for considering dusting off old tomes to educate newer members.

[Ard-Ri McCullaugh]

BLAST No editing of posts yet. Well sorry for the double post, it is a necessary evil. I would be willing to participate in said game, as it is summertime and I have plenty of time on my hands.

[ThijsP]

Lord Armbandit is out what now??

I dont want too play the first session

[Tricky Lady]

Hmm... This is not going in the right direction.

If no volunteers show up for the first reign, than I'll kick off this PBM.

Volunteers will have plenty of time, because I'll be in Stockholm from Friday to Monday. I guess I'll start the game next Tuesday or Wednesday.

The list on top of the page is edited again.

[Chimpyang]

I've started it for you, i'm at 1005 right now and my mission statement is : I shall strive to take out the French asap and build a empire from the rubble of their worthless kingdom

[Tricky Lady]

Thanks Chimpyang Great job. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-thumbsup.gif

[katank]

that's nice

1005 and they are still alive? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

no chance for a blitz then, huh?

I was hoping for the worthless kingdom to not receive any ambiguity as regards to our position towards them and usually kill em by 1095 or so while their king dies in 1092 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Chimpyang]

I've finished now and it was in the penultimate year of the Reign that I managed to finish the French off.

I've uploaded the .rar file up to the filespace and it's called England 1118 long live King Edmund III

It's funny that Edmund is the 3rd child to William II cos i managedto get 2 heirs killed in the battles against the French.


http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-embarassed.gif

[Chimpyang]

1087 - King William II is made King, standing on the steps of westmnster cathedral, William proclaimed :The lands in France are rightfully mine through my father William I, I demand the French King hand them over to us.

1090 - William spent the next 3 years moving forces down to wessex and it was in 1090 that he personally lead the attack into Flanders, the cowardly French retreated and Flanders was to remain in English hands.

1094 - The French King did not retaliate in the wake of this retreat and it allowed William to regroup his troops and expand his army. William once again lead his troops into battle, this time into the heart of French territory, the ile de france. The french king decided to do battle there and William set up his battlelines with his archers out front and his urban militai and hobilars behind. Beside him was his son William and as soon as the battle started William ordered a advance to the frenmch lines, hoping for a rush to bypass the disadvantage he had in the number or archers.

William's son lad the first charge, with hobilars but these were repulsed by the french lines, then william lead the charge himself, spearheading his troops into battle. However the King did nt manage 1 single kil on this day as the French, seeing his troops rushing at them ran and only their King remained to do battle with prince william and his houseguard hobilars. After a lot of fighting, Prince William managed to plunge his sowrd into the French king's chest but was killed by the last surving member of the King's entourage.

1103 - The KIng spend many years bringing reinforcements from England and in 1103 mounted an attack with fresh troops on Toulouse. Toulouse was quickly overwhelmed and taken, however some French troops managed to escape into the fort which was assaulted next year and burnt to the ground. The king wasted little time to offer peace to the French who were threatening the borders of Anjou and Ile de France however the proud french king reject this chivalous offer.

1109 - After bringing yet more troops in from England he King personally lead yet another attack, this time on the strong french army in Brittany, after putting up a courageous fight the French line finally broke under intense archer fire and the french army was captured before they could retreat to the castle.

1115 - Leaving only a token garrison behind, the King again lead his troops - bolstered by the hiring of mercenaries into Champage. The Frenhc king was the only unit to put up much resistance as German allies help sweep the shattered remenants of the French army off the battlefield. However, the french king was killed this time by a faithful unit of hobilars who chased him to his death.

1117- King dies, leaving behing a flowing empire.

[ThijsP]

Wow, you killed your sons really quick http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
I will start playing this evening.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-oops.gif

[alman9898]

Can't wait for my turn. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif I can't ever to seem to get my TGAs to work, cansomeone help

[ThijsP]

Erm I will play tomorrow. The battery of my mouse is low. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wall.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-furious3.gif Now if I can just press that buuton there http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-computer.gif

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (alman9898 @ June 02 2004,21:33)]I can't ever to seem to get my TGAs to work, cansomeone help
Check this topic (http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=24;t=10398) from the Mead Hall.

Scroll down the page until you see How to convert your TGA into JPEG and resize it to fit the screen. That'll get you started.

[nightcrawlerblue]

I'd play but I don't have VI... Anybody wanna buy me a copy of VI so I can play? Drat. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[Tricky Lady]

If you would have VI, you could also join the Sicilian, Italian, Aragonese and Egyptian PBEMs... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-smiley.gif

[Chimpyang]

Quote[/b] (ThijsP @ June 02 2004,13:10)]Wow, you killed your sons really quick http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
well i managed to leave you a 5* king (ableitly i have never had a king edmund before)with 5/6 feathers, oh btw I have managed to lose ALL of the TGA's from my reign, (anoying little sister) so the writeup will be all in dull text. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-confused.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-embarassed.gif

[katank]

that's nice as the first two heirs usually aren't great anyhow

5* with these stats is really good for English second king.

nice job. would there be an incursion into Iberia, perhaps?

navarre and aragon at the least is very nice chokepoint wise and also providing iron.

[Ard-Ri McCullaugh]

I'll fill in as an heir to the throne. And btw, how does one take screenshots?

[alman9898]

f2 or print screen

[ThijsP]

Mission:

Invasion of the Iberian Paninsula.

PLaying as I speak.

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

If it's alright, put me down for a go.

Llywelyn

[nightcrawlerblue]

Hmmm nobody's willing to buy me a copy of VI... They must all be jealous of my awesome playing skills... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (nightcrawlerblue @ June 03 2004,22:11)]Hmmm nobody's willing to buy me a copy of VI... They must all be jealous of my awesome playing skills... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif
Perhaps you should try to collect some $$ in the Tavern. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink.gif

[Obadiah]

Hi all - I haven't played a pbem before, but like the idea, and will gladly give a go at a reign. But I need someone to explain the whole 'version' thing to me. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-help.gif I've got the basic M:TW, and VI installed. Would I need to install a med-mod? Would it mess with my current campaigns? (Or need to be installed as a separate, duplicate version?). Thanks.

[nightcrawlerblue]

I have more than enough to buy VI but I'm saving it for various things that come out in later months (RTW, Evil Genius, possibly a PC upgrade).

[ThijsP]

Citaat[/b] (Obadiah @ Juni 03 2004,16:31)]Hi all - I haven't played a pbem before, but like the idea, and will gladly give a go at a reign. But I need someone to explain the whole 'version' thing to me. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-help.gif I've got the basic M:TW, and VI installed. Would I need to install a med-mod? Would it mess with my current campaigns? (Or need to be installed as a separate, duplicate version?). Thanks.
You only need the patch for 2.01.
I dont know if it messes up yor camoaigns though.

[alman9898]

It doesn't mess up your campaigns unless you upload it and you have a game by the same file name that this was has.

[Obadiah]

Ok, then put my name on the list for a reign

[ThijsP]

Im really sorry but i had too quit the game a bit too early but my sparetime is decreased incredebly for the next two weeks, school... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif . I could finnish it entirely but then you had too wait for so long.

I gave my king a heros death on the battlefield.

The game is uploaded as The English 1136.
Im doing the writing now.

[alman9898]

w00t I have spare time (all weekend, as always..) I shall begin now http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[ThijsP]

In 1118, after the tragic death of his father, Edward becomes the new King of England and France, after his father claimed the crown of the French in his life. Although the Kingdom was the larger then it has ever been it wasn’t strong. After long wars against the French, the economy wasn’t at it best. Also the border army’s aren’t nearly as strong as the ones on the German and Spanish side. Edward first needed to gain some stability and economical improvement to be able to keep the lands that his father had worked so hard for and his brothers died for.

In the first years new farms were constructed and border forces reinforced. In 1118 his younger brother, Stephan, became 18 and would help his brother with commanding. In 1122 Stephen married the lovely Sofia of Sicily.

In those years the Arogonese, who fled their homelands for the Spanish forces to the mountains of Navarre, became restless. In 1123 our reconnaicense saw the entire Aragonese Army marching back to Aragon to reclaim their homelands. The commander in Aquitaine didn’t hesitate and took over Navarre immediately. The Arogonese were defeated by Spain and were all captured and killed.

1124 The King became father of his first son. He named him Richard.

After that the King became more and more irritated by the Welch Rebels who didn’t pay taxes to the English throne. In 1128 he couldn’t take it anymore and decided too attack Wales with a small force of Mat-at-Arms and Fyrdman.
http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/thijsp/pics/ThijsPwalesinv.jpg
The expert welsh bowman were easily defeated by the professional English soldiers.
http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/thijsp/pics/ThijsPwalesbattle.jpg
In the same year on the other side of the Kingdom there was an unsuspected attack of Spanish forces in the province of Toulouse. Our army’s retreated for to the Fort in wait of reinforcements from Aquitaine.
The next year the cowardly Spanish fled our lands. We can not launch any counter attacks as the Pope wouldn’t agree with it.

The Spanish couldn’t take their defeat and made a Deal with the Germans. And in 1130 the Spanish once again crossed our borders and the Germans came from province to aid the spannish.
http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/thijsp/pics/ThijsPcombinedatt.jpg
Our man retreated once again to the fort waiting for reinforcements. The Germans thought their job was done and went back to their homeland. The Spanish staid and were confronted with our army’s. They were defeated.

In 1131 a famous and smart Commander joint our army. His strategic skills are unmatched in Western Europe. His name: Strongbow Fitzgilbert.

In 1133 the King marched to the north. After his glorious victory against the Welshmen he believed he could takeover Scotland as well. To prevent any war with the Germans he married his Daughter to the son of the Emperor. After a beautiful wedding and some good conversations with the Nobles of the HRE, an alliance was made with the Empire to prevent wars.

But the next year the Germans informed they could no longer be our allies because of our ongoing war with Spain. Edward was furious that the HRE choose the Spanish side and immediately marched in to Scotland so then he could focus on the Germans who insulted him with their acts. But the invasion army was still in Wessex and the King had to do fight the Scottish clansman only with his bodyguards and some armed peasants. This proved to be a crucial mistake, as the King was killed in action.
http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/thijsp/pics/ThijsPscotts.jpg

His Younger brother now takes over the Kingdom. His brothers were all destined for death on the battlefield, would he have the same fate…


edit:pics

[alman9898]

Im done, my first encounter with hard level... lost two or three battles but gained everything that was lost (Anjou) back as well as taking some more provinces.

Conquered -- Aragon, Scotland, Valencia, Castile, Leon, Provence, Burgundy, Lorraine

We're excommunicated and Germans and Spanish are our enemies.

King Stephen I (1136-1157)

Write up to come soon, hopefully..

File uploaded, English 1157

[Obadiah]

Can somebody (Tricky Lady?) post the order of the next few kings? Alman's done, but no one seems to have picked it up. I'm not sure where this thread stands right now....

[Tricky Lady]

You're right Obadiah, it's a good time to post a short overview of the past Kings of England. I've added two names to the list, in order of appearance.

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
Ard-Ri McCullaugh
Obadiah
Tricky Lady

Waiting for Llywelyn ap Gruffydd to pick up the game.

EDIT: change Stephen's date of 1156 to 1157, it's a typo --> done

[alman9898]

change Stephen's date of 1156 to 1157, it's a typo

[Ard-Ri McCullaugh]

Sign me up

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (Ard-Ri McCullaugh @ June 08 2004,20:52)]Sign me up
Sorry, I forgot you
I'll edit my list.

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Excellent.

I will begin in a couple of hours.

Llywelyn

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

OK

I finished. The file is uploaded as The English 1189.zip.

King Edward III had a very long and profitable reign.

As it is currently after midnight, I will write this up in the next couple of days.

BTW, sorry for the next monarch. King Edward didn't find the time to have an heir until VERY late in his reign. Since young Prince Edmund is not of age yet, Edward's younger brother John has become king. Younger is quite relative in this sense because he's already 50.

Llywelyn

[Tricky Lady]

I propose that Ard-Ri McCullaugh plays both King John's and the future King Edmund's reign.

If he doens't want to, I'll play King John.

So this is the updated list:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1189)
Ard-Ri McCullaugh - current king of England
Obadiah
Tricky Lady

[nightcrawlerblue]

I start a PBEM and can't get anyone to join. TL starts a PBEM and everyone wants to join. I smell a conspiracy... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-inquisitive.gif

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (nightcrawlerblue @ June 09 2004,18:25)]I start a PBEM and can't get anyone to join. TL starts a PBEM and everyone wants to join. I smell a conspiracy... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-inquisitive.gif
LOL

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-laugh.gif


I suppose it's got something to do with VI vs. MTW 1.1 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-vanish.gif

[alman9898]

I won't be able to provide a complete write-up as it was a quick game and I took brief notes.

So here's a summary of the Often Drunk Stephen I's reign via a conveniant journal entry (some facts may be distorted because Stephen was probably drunk at the time of the writing)


......EXCERPT I

First entry in the year of our Lord 1136
I have taken the throne and now the fate of England rests in my hands. I don't know what I am to do -- the Iberian War began several years before and I'm left with a formidable enemy.

I shall attempt to consolidate our forces and increase public construction projects to glorify England.

Second entry in the year of our Lord 1136
I've decided that Aragon must be invaded, the scoundrels they are. A Spanish force resides there and England will surely be victorious should a conflict occur. I do believe that God has granted me the Divine Right to all of Iberia.

A vast force now marches into Aragon to defeat the petty Spanish buffoons.

..... EXCERPT II

First entry in the year of our Lord 1137
The bastard Spanish have retreated from Aragon and now the land of the Catalans is in the hands of mighty Britain

My sources in Spain tell me that the Spanish fled like young maidens, screaming at the top of their lungs as English soldiers flooded into the countryside.

Spain shall burn.

Second entry in the year of our Lord 1137
The filthy swine of the Spanish have drew their swords against one another and now Iberian battles Iberian in battle as English troops pillaged their homelands.

In a battle today my dear Prince Edward lead England to a glorious victory. Only eighty nine and two hundred English men perished while a grand total of four hundred and eleven Spaniards fell to our blade.

....... EXCERPT III

First entry in the year of our Lord 1141
The weak fool whom decrees himself the rightful leader of Spain ceased to exist. I sense victory. Internal problems and embarassing defeats strengthen these beliefs of mine.

..... EXCERPT IV

First entry in the year of our Lord 1144
Another invasion and another English victory Our armies are unbeatable and Spain cowers in fear from our might.

..... EXCERPT V

First entry in the year of our Lord 1146
The lands of Valencia and Castile were added to what I now call the Empire of Stephen.

London grows in brilliance as does Paris and the newly conquered Barcelona.

..... EXCERPT VI

First entry in the year of our Lord 1147
A traitor to the English crown was born today. Treasonous swine

Strongbow Fitzgilbert lead an attack without my authorization into Leon. The English forces were ruthlessly killed as we were meeting with the Spanish general, discussing the terms of battle.

Fitzgilbert agreed to lead our army into disaster in return for a luxorious position as a general in the Spanish army. Fool is he. Fool is he. The dog turned on him and he was forced to fight for his life. I wish they had taken it, but now I am assured that his loyalty to England is secure.

First entry in the year of our Lord 1148
FOOL WORTHLESS FOOL HYPOCRITE OF A HOLY MAN IS HE The man claiming himself to be the leader of the Catholic world has excommunicated England for her valiant efforts to liberate the people of Iberia from their oppressive rulers.

He shall pay in blood, I tells you. And I swear upon my grave that it will be an Englishman who cuts the head off of him Only time will tell.

.... EXCERPT VII

First entry in the year of our Lord 1149
And now the pitiful Germans have betrayed England. Buying into the Papal decree and propaganda, they have invaded Anjou. Our forces have retreated so they may fight another day.

The days are getting longer and the only comfort comes from a glass of vodka each and every day. Sofia tries to comfort me, but my mind is in total disarray.

..... EXCERPT VIII

First entry in the year of our Lord 1150
We valiantly sent a force to cross a bridge to fight the filthy Germans. A defeat, yes, but the Germans can now see that their time is coming to an end.

..... EXCERPT IX

First entry in the year of our Lord 1151
We have seized Toulouse... I cannot remember no more, my vision is blurry and I am stumbling about. I must get my rest...

..... EXCERPT X

First entry in the year of our Lord 1152
Oh, what joy What joy Anjou has been retaken and the now the Germans flee.

..... EXCERPT XI

First entry in the year of our Lord 1153
We've taken two more German territories and I now dream of the rape of Germany. God has given this as a sign. We mustn't let them live.

Provence and Burgundy are in our hands.

...... EXCERPT XII

First entry in the year of our Lord 1156
I tell you this as I lie in my deathbed; my dear servant writes for me.

And now Lorraine has fallen after years of peace and tension.

I feel ill and humors strain my stomach and lower abdomen. I feel faint and now am confined to my bed. Salvation is to come to I after years of devotion to God and Church. London is now the envy of the world and Catholicism spreads to far lands of Arabia and to the desolate lands of Russia.

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

*deep breath*

AD 1157
A fledging kingdom poised for greatness becomes mine to rule. I, King Edward III, shall endeavor to spread the influence of my people to the ends of Europe. Trade routes will be established, agents will be sent abroad, and peace will flourish in quest of this goal.
Owing to the foresight of my predecessor, King Stephen I, Sir Strongbow Fitzgilbert is made Chancellor of the Exchequer. Naval vessels are sent to the north to establish trade.
In order to begin the process of peace, I order a withdrawal of our forces from Lorraine and Provence to exhibit good faith toward our neighbors, the Holy Roman Empire. His Holiness agrees that perhaps the excommunication was premature and graciously rescinds.

AD 1158
I wed the daughter of a nobleman as England requires and heir.
Lord Fitzgilbert weds Princess Catherine.
Prince Richard weds Princess Agata of Hungary.
Negotiations (nod, nod, wink, wink) are held with Swedish Vikings.
My younger brother, Alfred comes of age.

AD 1159
Sir Charles de Vere weds Princess Joan.
Prince John weds Princess Laura of Italy.
Princess Mary is born.
Sweden becomes English territory.

AD 1160
Negotiations (nod, wink) are held with Norwegian Vikings.
Stockholm castle remains under seige.

AD 1161
Norway becomes English territory.
The HRE have trampled my offer of a ceasefire. It is understandable they are not ready to take such a step.
One of my trusted advisors is sent to Antioch to assess the place.

AD 1162
HRE again rejects a cease fire.

AD 1163
Princess Margery is born.
HRE again rejects a cease fire.

AD 1164
Our naval vessels now regulary patrol as far south as the Rock at Gibraltar.

AD 1165
His Holiness is convinced that Antioch must be brought under Christian rule. I agree. A crusade is launched to free Antioch.

AD 1166
The Turkish Sultan and the Byzantine Emperor both die. Good riddance. Now, maybe these two factions can end their futile war.
The Sicilians, Hungarians, and Italians cancel treaties with me. It seems they do not agree with our Crusade against the heathen Egyptians who now hold Antioch. I am convinced our cause is just. They will change their minds when Antioch is in Christian hands.

AD 1167
The Crusade reaches Tyrolia with 1492 men.

AD 1168
The Crusade reaches Austria with 1922 men.

AD 1169
The Crusade reaches Hungary with 2790 men.
Princess Emma is born.

AD 1170
The Crusade reaches Serbia with 2538 men.
The Spanish reject our offer of a cease fire. I thought their animosity would be gone by now, especially with the Almohads knocking at their door.

AD 1171
Emperor Otto IV of the HRE dies. Good riddance. Now maybe we can call a truce.
The Crusade reaches Tripoli with 2453 men.
Egyptians immediately retreat.

AD 1172
The Crusade reaches Antioch, finally, with 2453 men and the Egyptians flee before our might.
Tripoli pillaged and left for ruin.

AD 1173
Antioch conquered. I am confident this glorious achievement will be a legacy of my reign.
The Spanish, relegated to the rebellious province of Portugal are now fighting a rather large peasant revolt. Perhaps there is an opportunity here.

AD 1174
Sir William Marshall weds Princess Mary.
Princess Clare born.
Veteran crusaders are moved to Tripoli for the voyage home. Antioch, once again, falls into Muslim hands.

AD 1175
Ireland is brought under English control.
Portugal is also subjugated. The Spanish king and his remnant are under seige.

AD 1176
Tripoli falls into Muslim hands.
The Almohads try to regain some of their lost glory. They invade Castile with overwhelming force. I have no choice but to retire a garrison to the castle and await reinforcements. Fortunately, new units are constantly in training close by and can be organized rapidly.
In addition, I order a Crusade to be launched against the Almohad-held province of Cordoba. I will see how they like an invasion.
The addition to the majestic Tower of London is complete (citadel).
Talks are held with Lithuanian rebels.
Poles, Danes, and Byzantines cancel their treaties with us in favor of siding with the traitorous Almohad Kalifah.
I have ordered construction of an Admiralty in order to manage our growing fleet.

AD 1177
Lithuania becomes an English territory.
The Almohads, faced with superior forces, retreat from Castile.
The last remnants of the Spanish are swept away and Portugal becomes an English province.
The Crusade reaches Burgundy in route to Cordoba.

AD 1178
Lord Simon de Montfort weds Princess Margery.
Talks are held with rebel forces in Livonia.
The Crusade reaches Toulouse with 1133 men.

AD 1179
The Almohads flee Cordoba as the Crusade enters the province.
Praise be to God. Prince Edmund is born.
Our naval vessels now reach all the way to the Black Sea and trade is booming. We are adding over 9000 to the treasury this year.

AD 1180
The Almohads have summoned all of their might. Too many men are brought to bear against our forces and Cordoba must be abandoned. We will return.

AD 1181
We return to Cordoba with an even larger force and the Almohads again cower away from battle.

AD 1182
The Almohads timidly enter Cordoba and a mighty battle occurs, but they are no match for overwhelming force and they are defeated.

AD 1183
Cordoba falls and becomes completely English owned.
Talks are held, again, with Livonian rebels.

AD 1184
Livonia becomes an English territory.
Lord Marshall is promoted to the position of Warden of the Cinque Ports.
I order construction of a Constables Palace in order to better manage our growing military might.

AD 1185
Sir Walter Langston weds Princess Emma.
Princess Bianca is born.

AD 1186
Talks are held with Finnish vikings.

AD 1187
Finland becomes an English province.
The Almohads once again invade Cordoba in hopes of regaining some of their land. However, English forces prove too much and they are defeated with all haste.

AD 1188
News has reached me that a flood has destroyed the town watch in Cordoba. This will need to be rebuilt.
Our forces are besieging Hame Castle in Finland.

King Edward III dies as King John I assumes the throne at the age of 50.


-------------------------
Failures
OK, I did something really stupid with the Crusade to Antioch. I forgot we are playing glorious achievements and left the province because I didn't want my forces stranded on the other side of Europe. Since I almost never play glorious achievements, I didn't know you have to hold the province until points are counted. Oh well, King John I, you should have plenty of resources to successfully launch, and hold, Antioch. Not having heirs sooner. Not much I can do about this one.

Successes
$$$, We now have mucho dinero in the bank and a decent economy. 22087 in the bank when I started, 55372 when I died. Peace with the Egyptians and/or Almohads will greatly increase this net income. This doesn't seem very likely because I don't think the Almohads will ever agree to peace and we have to take Antioch from the Egyptians. Since I sent agents pretty much everywhere, we can now see almost the entire map. Oh yeah, and our navy is huge. Added Norway, Sweden, Livonia, Lithuania, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, and Cordoba.

[Obadiah]

I'll be traveling and away from the 'net through next Thurs (6/17). If my turn comes up, feel free to swap me back a slot so no one has to wait around.

[Chimpyang]

it's interesting to see how this campaign has expanded from the end of my reign. We were broke (yes completely broke at King Edmund's ascension) so well done for improving the financial situation

[alman9898]

Well, capturing the spanish king in my reign added much needed cash. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

alman9898,

How much did you ransom the Spanish king back for?
I started with around 22,000 in the treasury, which, might I add, helped tremendously with my strategy early on.

Llywelyn

[alman9898]

At least 10 grand.

[Lord Armbandit]

Cheers guys for taking over the job. I was dumped by my girlfriend of eight years, whom I own a house with, not long after starting. So I've got a good excuse for dropping out I've still got both files and savegame, so one day you can all come and play it.

Wish me luck in my search for a new bird and a rental flat

[Tricky Lady]

I sent a PM to Ard-Ri McCullaugh . If he doesn't download the game before Thursday evening (Brussels time), Obadiah will be invited to play the next English king.

Updated overview of kings and heirs:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)
Ard-Ri McCullaugh
Obadiah
Tricky Lady

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[alman9898]

Tricky, do you want to play last or somethin? you keep puttin new players before you http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-inquisitive.gif

[Tricky Lady]

nono not really, but I just thought I'd give other players a chance to play a reign in a PBEM campaign too.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-smiley.gif

But anyway, if Ard-Ri McCullaugh doesn't reply, I'll play the next king, so...

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-crown.gif

[Ard-Ri McCullaugh]

*sigh* Sorry, I've been insanely busy as of late. Perhaps after your reign is up I could pick it up. But lately, I've had little time for MTW. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-furious3.gif

[Tricky Lady]

OK, I'll take over.

So this is the updated list:


Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)
Tricky Lady - current king of England
Obadiah
Ard-Ri McCullaugh
Chimpyang

Added Chimpyang again.

[Chimpyang]

If neither of them can pick up after you I'll be more than happy to play another reign.

[YAKOBU]

Hi Tricky Lady http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

I think after our game on Normal I may have to step up to Hard. I would have enjoyed this game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Obadiah]

Hi all- back from my travels. Can pick up a reign when you're done, Tricky.

[Tricky Lady]

So YAKOBU, I can add you to the list?

Here goes:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)
Tricky Lady - current king of England
Obadiah
Ard-Ri McCullaugh
YAKOBU
Chimpyang

[YAKOBU]

Hi Tricky Lady http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

If you trust my ability http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-jester.gif

Will I need a new install without your amendments of 2.01 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Also is it conquest as I haven't played GA yet?

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (YAKOBU @ June 18 2004,17:54)]Also is it conquest as I haven't played GA yet?
Total Conquest, iirc. I didn't RC, as it seems to be a GA game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-embarassed.gif

But I need to launch MTW and double-check... EDIT: Just did, see comment above.

Seems that I got to play an old bugger (50 years old).
No problem. I'll finish this short reign, and add my name at the end of the list again, lol. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-curtain.gif

[Tricky Lady]

I just finished King John I's incredibly long reign The poor guy was King of England from 1189 to 1193.

This is the write-up. Sorry very short as not too many things happened.

1189
1189 is a most unpleasant year for John Plantagenet. First he loses his oldest brother, King Edward III of England. Second, as he his the next in line to the throne and his nephew Edmund is still too young to reign, he must become King John I of England.

Why oh why did our fine King Edward died before his son Edmund become of age? His brother John is nothing but a lout. Does nothing but swearing and only thinks of food and wine. Dear Lord, where will this end?


King John has spent most of his life outside the court, living in his isolated castle in Northumbria. He spent his days hunting and holding huge parties. Most historicians suppose he was illiterate and couldn't write, as the few documents that were signed by him personally, were marked by a cross and a J. (hardly recognisable).

1190
(Somewhere in a castle in Northumbria)
Damn you Of course our armies are strong enough to march on Lorraine
But, my liege, our food supplies can't stretch that far. We are still building up our supply lines in Flandres and the north of France. And besides, we must keep strong garrisons in the main Flemish strongholds, as we are not popular. When we show a sign of weakness...
WE SHALL NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF WEAKNESS shouted king John.
Ahem, well, errr... of course not, my liege. stuttered Neville de Vere, the king's chief advisor.
So why do you continue discussing with me? To hell with those Flemish Execute a few of the prisoners you took when you crushed that rebellion a few years ago. Just torture a few of the ringleaders in public, say in Ghent, and they'll obey and respect us.
I don't think...
Don't think Act
But on the matter of Lorraine...
Thank you very much. My decision is taken. I'll lead our armies to glory and will conquer Lorraine.
But the po...
What po? Bye, and never see you again. My decision is taken. I'll leave for Flandres next week. Make sure everything is ready.

Of course. Just march head on to Germany. No problem. Easy. Even I could think of a 'strategy' like that. Even I. But I am not King of England. Oh well. We'll see. May he soon die.

1191
Sire, Germans have crossed the big river east of Ghent but they retreated when they heard that you had arrived in Bruges.
Well done. Now let's start chasing some of those cowards.

Cowards *sigh* He doesn't know what he says. I know for sure that the mighty Holy Roman Emperor Conrad IV will counter-attack. If not on the battlefield, then he'll surely work out a diplomatic strategy. It is well-known that Conrad maintains good diplomatic relationships with his Holiness. But of course, our dear King won't hear this when you tell him. Ha He'll find out soon.

Lorraine is invaded and the Germans retreat without putting up a fight.

December 1191
WHAT??
Neville de Vere trembles. He nervously watches his feet. He opens his mouth but his voice seems to have disappeared.
READ THAT LETTER AGAIN
De Vere clears his throat and starts reading:
To John of England, King of England, Ireland and France:
As exhibited to us by the people of the Holy Roman Empire and as clearly proven by the claims you recently made, forces have invaded the province of Lorraine under the banner of the English crown.
As the domain of Lorraine belongs to the territory of the Holy Roman Emperor, it is decided that thou shall cease all hostilities against the Holy Roman Empire and its people within one year.
Given at Rome, on the third of November of the Year of our Lords 1191.
What does he think? That I'm going to obey THIS, and just withdraw all my forces from Lorraine? 'Oh dear Emperor, please accept my most humble excuses, and you get your nice province back'? NO WAY. Tell the siegers in Lorraine to storm the castle and kill all the defenders. Lorraine is English. No claims from other kingdoms are valid.
The Pope doesn't say you have to abandon the country. Just end hostilities.
Very well then.
King John thinks.
Well, tell the commanders of our garrisons in Cordoba to prepare an invasion of Granada and Morocco. We have enough ships in Seville and Huelva to transport a seizable army to Morocco, right?
Yes my liege.
Good. At least this might ease down this stupid pope.

Stupid pope? Stupid pope? May God's revenge strike down on this man for such blasphemist words.

1193
My liege. Messengers from Morocco report that the Almohad armies have abandoned the province. The Almohads in Granada, under command of prince Umar, didn't retreat, and nearly defeated our armies.
How come?
The general underestimated the strength of the Almohad Urban Militia charging downhill. Most of our spear units got annilihated due to these charges. Our cavalry was too late to support them, so we suffered bad losses in the infantry. The Almohad general managed to escape. We don't know where he is. We suspect that he escaped to Algiers. But we'll have to wait our spy reports. Perhaps they will find out where he hides.
They'll better. So nothing but good news, right?
Neville de Vere preferred not to tell that the Granadian army wouldn't be able to crush rebellions. Reports clearly indicated that the people of Granada were most unhappy with the English invasion (they feared abolishment of religious freedom), and many muslim corporals and lieutenants were gathering forces to fight the occupying armies.
Errr... yes, my liege.

Dear Lord. Thank You for hearing my prayers. Finally our King John I Brutus is dead. He he, he officially choked in a fish bone. And his nephew is not old enough yet to be crowned as King of England, so this friendly old William will take over the reign for a few years. I think our Lord will like this King much better. Oh yes, I may not forget to write the pope about the success of our operation...

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England/KingJohn.jpg

*****

The savegame is uploaded. You can download it HERE (http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/The_English_1193.zip).

I have one question. As my reign was mega-hyper-short (4 years), do you mind if I put myself back at the end of list, so I can play another reign? Or else, I'll play the reign of King William III (also 50 years) too?

What do you think?

[alman9898]

I might have a few screens (TGAs) from my reign though I dont remember if I do... but I dont feel like DLing PSP just to convert them to JPG

[Tricky Lady]

Send your images to me, I'll convert them to JPG. And then you can host them somewhere.

[alman9898]

Email address? I took 8 shots

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (alman9898 @ June 20 2004,23:07)]Email address? I took 8 shots
Just click the little enveloppe under my posts.

I'll reply, and then you can send me your screenies.

[Obadiah]

Tricky,
4 years really is too short By all means play William III too. Or again at end of list. Just please pick either way, and let me know when I should start playing. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (Obadiah @ June 21 2004,04:46)]Tricky,
4 years really is too short By all means play William III too. Or again at end of list. Just please pick either way, and let me know when I should start playing. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
Deal

So I'll play King William III's reign too. I hope to get back with a write-up...errr... Friday or so.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/medievalcheers.gif

[alman9898]

Ive got about 30 years left in my NTW game.. I might wanna give this thing another go. But not immediately as the last years of my NTW are going to be long, brutal, and bloody. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[mercian billman]

If it's alright I would like to join the campaign. Never played a PBEM before, and I've spent most of my time playing MP but, I should do alright.

edit: I used to play a lot of SP but haven't played in a few months. I'll probably need a little practice.

[Tricky Lady]

So, I've played the reigns.

Here's a short summary, telex style:

1193: Coronation of King William III.
Loyalist rebellion in Granada
1194: http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-stunned.gif Death of King William III.
(this must have been the shortest MTW reign ever)
Coronation of King Alfred III.
(and so all sons of Edward III have become King)
Italians backstab and invade Flanders from Friesland.
Morocco abandoned, rebellion in Granada defeated.
1195: many rebellions (probably due to low influence of King Alfred).
The English Admiral orders an attack on all spotted Italian fleets. Many Italians ships are sunk, only a few English ships are defeated. Trade suffers heavily: yearly income of around 10000fl/y drops to a loss of 5000fl/y
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-stunned.gif
1196: Flanders is reconquered.
Provence is conquered.
1197: An army marches from Flanders to Friesland and defeats the Italian outpost.
1198-1205: attempt to re-establish trade and regroup armies and fleets.
1205: Death of king Alfred III. Long live King Edmund IV (a young guy with pathetic stats) http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-grin2.gif

[Tricky Lady]

And here's an updated list of English Kings:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)
Tricky Lady - John I (1188-1193)
Tricky Lady - William III (1193-1194)
Tricky Lady - Alfred III (1194-1205)
Obadiah - current king: Edmund IV (1205- ?)
Ard-Ri McCullaugh
YAKOBU
mercian billman
Chimpyang

So, Obadiah, the game is all yours.

You can download the English savegame HERE (http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/The_English_1205.zip).

Good luck

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[alman9898]

I think TL's 3 kings should have some sort of nickname for their unusually short reigns. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Obadiah]

Tricky, et al: Bummer A big piece of work just hit (here I am working on a Friday night), and won't wrap up for a few weeks. Like that British royal who decided to pass up the crown for the woman he loved, I'll pass up the reign/crown..... so I can keep paying my bills. I'll keep my eye on the game, and perhaps get back in later on.

peace

[mercian billman]

Quote[/b] (alman9898 @ June 25 2004,16:44)]I think TL's 3 kings should have some sort of nickname for their unusually short reigns. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Talk about a death parade. Though it is pretty cool that all of a king's sons' got to become kings; kinda makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Chimpyang]

Well at least everyone got to have a go at being king.

[Tricky Lady]

Quote[/b] (alman9898 @ June 25 2004,23:44)]I think TL's 3 kings should have some sort of nickname for their unusually short reigns. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
What would you think of John I the Quarrelsome, William III the Ephemeral and their brother Alfred III the Waverer?

A bunch of inbred loons if you ask me http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-smile.gif

So Ard-Ri McCullaugh you can download the game and play King Edmund's reign.

Updated list:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)
Tricky Lady - John I (1188-1193)
Tricky Lady - William III (1193-1194)
Tricky Lady - Alfred III (1194-1205)
Ard-Ri McCullaugh - current king: Edmund IV (1205- ?)
YAKOBU
Obadiah
mercian billman
Chimpyang

Obadiah, as you seem to be so busy, I put you after YAKOBU. If you mind, just PM me, and I'll move you up again. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink.gif

[ThijsP]

Yey I finaly put my pics online.~http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-rolleyes.gif There a bit large though http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-anxious.gif

[mercian billman]

Tricky Lady, If Ard-Ri McCullaugh doesn't post anything I would be happy to take over for him.

[YAKOBU]

Hi Tricky Lady

Being next in line I'd prefer to take over if Ard-Ri McCullaugh doesn't come back http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-smile.gif

No offence mercian billman but really want to get me hands on those longbows http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[mercian billman]

Quote[/b] (YAKOBU @ June 30 2004,05:27)]Hi Tricky Lady

Being next in line I'd prefer to take over if Ard-Ri McCullaugh doesn't come back http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-smile.gif

No offence mercian billman but really want to get me hands on those longbows http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif
No problem YAKOBU http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[Tricky Lady]

Okay, here I am again with an updated list... Must be the twentieth list I post here, lol.

Updated list:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)
Tricky Lady - John I (1188-1193)
Tricky Lady - William III (1193-1194)
Tricky Lady - Alfred III (1194-1205)
mercian billman - current king: Edmund IV (1205- ?)
YAKOBU
Obadiah
Chimpyang
Ard-Ri McCullaugh
Rufus

mercian billman I put you after YAKOBU.
If this is a problem for you Obadiah, please post here, and I'll edit the list, as you have the right to play a reign first.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Rufus]

Tricky Lady - Is there a maybe list? I will probably have time to play in mid-August, if it's still going at that point.

thanks

[Tricky Lady]

I'll add you to the en of the list, and keep on moving you down untill you want to participate...

[Rufus]

Actually if you want you can remove the mid-August caveat - I was mainly worried about the end of July/early August (when I'll be traveling) but looking at the rate of the campaign so far, it looks like it would probably get to me before then. (Hopefully my turn would fall on a weekend ...) If there's a problem when my turn arrives I'll just pass at that point, if that's OK??

In other words, please keep me in the list where I am - I probably won't have to wait until mid-August to play.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[YAKOBU]

Mercian Billman - can we swap reigns as I have a Spanish PBEM to do this weekend too and I've had my son all day and am out tonight. I can't see me managing both tomorrow.

If the answer is yes please take over asap http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[mercian billman]

I would be more than happy to swap reigns Yakobu http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[mercian billman]

TL, when I try to download the file it's always a .GIF file http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-help.gif

I checked the org PBEM files and I can't seem to dl .ZIP files but, I seem able to dl .RAR files.

[Tricky Lady]

OK, I've uploaded a new file (RAR format). You can download it here. (http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/The_English_1205.rar)

Good luck

[YAKOBU]

Can you let me know if you get it up and running ok mercian billman http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I had a quick look at it and was surprised that Wales was nowhere near ready for longbowmen http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif but there are some in Friesland. Also Mercia not as advanced as it could be. Sorry in my games all I do is build both straight away ready for their valour bonuses http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[mercian billman]

Thanks, TL game is up and running http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

I will start playing tomorrow since today is the 4th.

Finally the last advisor arrived in the throne room. King Edmund stood up said,

My first act as king will be to insure the defeat of the Almohads, Germans, and Italians. This plan shall be done in two phases. First we shall defeat the Almohads in Algeria, and Tunisia. As we speak the armies of Lords Berkely of Cordoba, and Castile are moving into Algeria, Lord Montefort will be joining them soon.

While we do this we shall stabilize the German and Italian fronts. Germany has many enemies and I doubt we shall have to worry about them attacking us, and the Italian Navy has been throughly defeated. The army of Sir Goodwine Cromwell has been tranferred from Ireland to Provine to bolster our forces. We can take our time.

Before acsending the throne I did not realize how badly equipped our armies are. When I traveled through Flanders a militiaman boasted he was using the same weapons and armor his great-great grandfather used in the First Battle of Flanders. That battle was fought 115 years ago As these wars we fight come to close we must look towards the next war. Our armies lack heavy cavalry, missle units, and a unit capable of countering heavy cavalry.

This must be fixed Wales shall begin building facilites capable of training and equipping archers. Mercia shall be tasked with producing a soldier capable of defeating a frontal cavalry charge from Knights, and the lands of France shall be used to build Knights of the finest quality.

There is some goods news though swordsmiths in Wessex have managed craft a new type of sword. The sword ways the same as our current sword but, uses a different type of metal which the swordsmen claim is more durable. Unfortunately the sword can only be produced in Wessex, and only a limited number of swordsmen can be trained and equipped.

[Chimpyang]

hmm the first battle of flanders.....was that me or was it someone else? i don't remember using any polearms in that battle, but then again the peasents may have equipped themselves with their own weapons.

[octavian]

i will join, you will have to link me to the upload page though, i cant remember where it is.

[mercian billman]

Chimpyang I was just making that part up, I noticed there were Urban Militia in Flanders and well you know...

I will gone for the next to days but, I've played through 1222, and will give you guys an update.

From The Official Royal Histories,

1206: Battle of Lorraine, A English Army with no missle troops led by Sir Robert Mortimer defeated a Similar German Army losing 289 men and killing (Germans refused to ransom 419 men) 952 Germans.

1207: Lords Berkely of Cordoba Defeats a Almohad Army in Algeria Killing 1381 and losing 453. Almohads refused to ransom their captured.

1210: Lord Berkely of Cordoba Defeats an Almohad counter attack in Algeria. Suffering 116 losses, and killing 457, including 2 Almohad Princes.

1213: Prince Stephen turns 16 years old.

1214: Papal Excommunication is Lifted.

1216: Offenses resume on the Italian Front with mixed results. The Italians were defeated due to the fact they were outnumbered and the skills Lord Berkeley of Castile.

The Italians were victorius in Milan losing only 300 men while the English Army led by Sir Cromwell lost about 700 men. Details are sketchy but roughly 300 men were ransomed back. King Edmund IV who is normally very quite pointed out that the Italian Army was equipped much better than our own forces, and ordered modernisation to be sped up.

1218: Due to the warnings of the Pope Genoa has been abandoned.

1219: Leading an Army made up of Longbows, Billmen, and CMAA (the first time all three units were used in battle) King Edmund IV attacks Denmark after the Royal Family was overthrown. Danish Rebels flee the field before battle starts.

1222: King Edmund IV Storms Copenhagen Castle and defeats rebels. Casualties were relatively light, and Catapaults were successfully used.

[mercian billman]

This campaign is my first real attempt at fictional writing so excuse me if it sucks http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Copenhagen Castle, 1223 Royal Banquet.

Noblemen of England it is good to see you again. said the King as he stood up. We are gathered today on the 18th anniversary of my reign as King. I feel that I have accomplished most of the goals I've set out to. We have made peace with the Germans, The Almohads were finished off by the Egyptians, our only enemy now is the Italians, and they are losing a war with the Sicilians.

So far our modernization has been on track except we have not produced capable Knights. We now produce Billmen, Longbows, CMAA, and our engineers are working on a device called a pavise which they hope to give to our crossbowmen. The Baltic Front shall receive first priority in reequipping. Finland, Livonia, Lithuania shall receive the first of these units available. The central Front which comprises Friesland, Lorraine, Burgundy, and Provene, shall receive these units next. Algeria will not receive the new troop types for some time, Draftees from Scotland and Ireland shall make up the garrison.

As he made his last statement the Nobles of England let out a hearty laugh. Better Scots and Irishmen endure the heat of Africa than English lads.



BTW Octavian the link is
here (http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/)

[mercian billman]

Just posted to announce the arrival of the GH Lithuania and Livonia are ready, priority shall go to Lithuania first since they would be first to face the GH.

[mercian billman]

Here's my final write up https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/ceasaryes.gif I'll send the update soon.

Official Royal Histories: The Reign of King Edmund, The Lithuanian Wars written 1242

1235

First Battle of Lithuania
1993 English vs 1938 Mongols
losses-347
kills-544
captured-433 (ransom paid)

1236

Second Battle of Lithuania
2294 English vs 3292 Mongols
losses 515
kills 1352
captured 316 (ransom refused)

1237

Third Battle of Lithuania
2560 English vs 2340 Mongols
losses-281
killed-483
captured-265 (executed)

1238

Fourth Battle of Lithuania
2816 English vs 3625 Mongols
losses-232
killed-350
captured-520 (ransom refused)

1239

5th Battle of Lithuania
2660 English vs 2852 Mongols
losses-49
killed-176
captured-535

1240
6th Battle of Lithuania

2631 English vs 1005 Mongols *Led by Mamai
losses-180
killed-724
captured-71

In the first five battles the Mongols were led by
Khan Ogadai I, in the 6th and final battle the Mongols were led by General Mamai who fared no better than his Khan. In all 6 battles the English Forces were led by Lord Howard who handily defeated the Mongols on each occasion.

On December 31st 1242 King Edmund IV 37 year reign had come to an end. He was no conquerer king and only participated in one battle and, there was no doubt the English would win. Perhaps it's best to say he was a wise king who understood his limitations and exploited his strengths.

[Tricky Lady]

YAKOBU, it's your turn. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-smiley.gif
The savegame is uploaded here: The English 1243.rar (http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/The%20English%201243.rar)

Updated list:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)
Tricky Lady - John I (1188-1193)
Tricky Lady - William III (1193-1194)
Tricky Lady - Alfred III (1194-1205)
mercian billman - Edmund IV (1205- 1242)
YAKOBU - current King of England (1242- ?)
Obadiah
Chimpyang
Ard-Ri McCullaugh
Rufus
Octavian

Added Octavian to the list.

As Chimpyang posted early that he wanted to play a second time, I keep him in the list for a second reign.
Newer players are added to the end of the list.
I doubt Ard-Ri McCullaugh will take up his reign as he hasn't posted for a long while and didn't reply to the PMs I sent him. I assume he is virtually out. Ard-Ri, if you wanna play please confirm by posting here (before it's your turn of course http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-grin.gif)

[YAKOBU]

It's ok Tricky Lady, I downloaded it last night and played 5 years. Was a bit awkward as I didn't know what to do with an .rar file but got there in the end http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[YAKOBU]

Hi everyone https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

Well my king died at last and now I can pass on to Obadiah. It was a bit strange as I had 2 odd occurances. Firstly there was an odd pause when my king died and it did not tell me he had passed away. I had to reload from the year before he died and it did it again. I hope this won't be a problem for you Obadiah. Secondly in a battle against the GH they withdrew after heavy losses and 2 units got stuck on the edge of the map. My archers couldn't reach them so I had to withdraw to carry on. This effectively counted as a lost battle for me https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-furious3.gif https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif

Reign of King Henry I

1243
King Henry I ascends to the throne aged 27 on the death of his father King Edmund IV. His father has left him at war with the Golden Horde and the Italians. His first order of business is to request ceasefires with both which are harshly rejected. He also requests a marriage with a Sicilian Princess to his oldest son Prince Edward which is accepted. To spread the word of god he sends a crusade to Tunisia. There is news that the HRE emperor is killed in battle without heirs and the faction degenerates.


1244
The crusade reaches Tunisia and it is reinforced by an army led by Lord Howard. The egyptians retreat without a battle and the province is ours. The pope requests crusades against the Sicilians.

1245
We invade Novgorod and the Golden Horde withdraw to Novgorod castle without a battle. This year I am blessed with the birth of a daughter and also my son Richard matures.

1246
Novgorod Castle is successfully assaulted and the province is ours. There is news that the Italian doge is killed in battle without heirs and the faction degenerates.

1247
Lord Howard invades Cyrenacia and the eyptians withdraw to Tripoli Castle without a battle. The Sicilians invade Burgundy and after a hard battle our forces withdraw to Burgundy Castle.

1248
We invade Egypt and the egyptians withdraw from the field of battle without contact. We relieve the siege in Burgundy and the Sicilians retreat. A small force trying to relieve the siege of Tripoli Castle is easily beaten back. After the unprovoked attack by the Sicilians the previous year we sink 13 of their ships losing only 5 of our own. There are peasant uprisings in Leon and Portugal as well as a loyalist uprising in Cyrenacia.

1249
We launch a crusade to Sinai. The Sicilians invade Burgundy with their king and he is killed in the battle which we lose. His heir takes over and we withdraw to Burgundy Castle. We beat back the egyptians trying to lift the siege of Cyrenacia. The uprisings in Leon and Portugal are swiftly put down. The Hungarian king dies and his heir takes over. Prince William matures.

1250
Lord Holland lifts the siege of Burgundy. Lord Howard invades Sardinia and although outnumbered easily defeats the Sicilian army. The loyalist uprising in Cyrenacia is swiftly put down. We receive a warning from the pope. The siege in Egypt ends and the province is ours. This year I am blessed with the birth of a daughter.

1251
The Sicilians invade Provence and Burgundy. Heavily outnumbered in Provence we retreat to the keep but in Burgundy Lord Holland soundly defeats the Sicilians. The egyptians assault Egypt and we are forced to retreat to the castle. The siege of Cyrenacia ends and the province is ours. We sussessfully assault Cagliari Castle and Sardinia is ours.

1252
We successfully relieve the sieges in Egypt and Province. Our crusade reaches Sinai and the egyptians withdraw to their castle. The egyptians attack Cyrenacia but are beaten back and we suffer minor losses.

1253
The Golden Horde invade Lithuania and we abandon it due to being heavily outnumbered. The Sicilians reject our offer of a ceasefire.

1254
The siege in Sinai ends and the province is ours. This year I am blessed with the birth of a daughter.

1255
Our armies have to be reduced as the funds in our treasury are falling.

1256
We are ex-communicated by the pope (not sure why https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-furious3.gif ). This year I am blessed with the birth of a daughter. We invade Lithuania but even though we inflict heavy losses on the Golden Horde we have to withdraw (soldier stuck on edge of map https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-furious3.gif ).

1257
Influenza in Aquitaine halves income. The Sicilians again reject a ceasefire, as do the Egyptians.

1258
Our treasury starts rising again after the army reductions.

1259
We attack Palestine and after a brief battle the egyptians retreat to Jerusalem. We attack Arabia and the Sultan and his 4 princes withdraw to Kerak Castle without a battle. The Sicilians invade Burgundy but are just beaten back by Lord Holland.

1260
We successfully assault Jerusalem and Palestine is ours. We withdraw from Arabia as the castle is too strong.

1261
We re-invade Arabia and easily defeat the small egyptian army capturing the Sultan in the process. He is ransomed for 10,500 florins.

1262
The turkish Sultan dies and his heir takes over.

1263
Prince Alfred matures.

1264
There is an earthquake in Provence and income is halved. The egyptian Sultan dies without heirs and the faction degenerates.

1265
The Germans invade Denmark and caught by surprise we retreat to the castle. Floods in Castile cause income to be halved.

1266
We relieve the siege in Denmark and the Germans withdraw from the battlefield without contact.

1267
The Germans invade Friesland and caught by surprise we retreat to the castle.

1268
We invade Saxony in retaliation and take it without a fight. We relieve the siege in Friesland suffering heavy losses in the process (won't mistake viking thralls for spears ever again https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/angry.gif ). Whilst relieving the siege we capture the german emperor and prince and ransom them for 10,500 florins. Both the kings of Hungary and the Golden Horde die but their heirs take over.

1269
No events of note this year.

1270
Prince Edmund matures. King Henry I dies and King Alfred IV ascends to the throne.


Well that was fun, never played Hard before but will continue to do so. My only real bad battle was against the Germans when I though Viking Thralls were spear and lined them up in front of the german heavy cavalry, BIG mistake.

The savegame is here:

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/TheEnglish1271.zip

Enjoy your reign https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[mercian billman]

YAKOBU, were you able to use FKs? I think when I was done Castile and Wessex were only 10 years away from them.

[YAKOBU]

Hi mercian billman https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

Nope I didn't use FK's. Due to being at war with a number of factions and having a large military I had to concentrate on revenue generation and reducing obsolete units. Only really started getting on a good financial footing at the end of my reign. I did say it was my first time on Hard lol

[mercian billman]

The first time you move up a level is pretty hard to adjust to. You'll dominating on expert in no time https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

The first battle of Lithuania was fought in 1235 and it took until 1253 to capture the province https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif Im surprised they didn't just continue westward.

[Tricky Lady]

Hi Obadiah, it's your turn:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)
ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)
alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)
Tricky Lady - John I (1188-1193)
Tricky Lady - William III (1193-1194)
Tricky Lady - Alfred III (1194-1205)
mercian billman - Edmund IV (1205-1242)
YAKOBU - Henry I (1242-1270)
Chimpyang - current King of England (Edmund V?)
Rufus
Octavian
Obadiah

EDIT: removed Ard-Ri McCullaugh from the list. If you still want to play, please post here and I'll add you to the list again.
EDIT: Obadiah moved to last position.

[Obadiah]

Hi Tricky, everyone

Bad news - I'm still swamped.:book2: Once again, I must abdicate. Sorry for delaying everyone. I'll enjoy the game vicariously by reading descriptions of others' reigns.

Tricky- thanks for the email reminder.

[Chimpyang]

Ok am dl'ing atm and will pick up asap.

[Tricky Lady]

okay, thanks Obadiah for posting here, and Chimpyang for picking up the game.

I'll edit my list rightaway.

[Chimpyang]

Ok, i've finished.......I've basically managed to take out the sicilians in my reign. The was i did it was kinda strge though. It strarted out as them attacking my fleet and escalated into full blown war. However, this did have it's advantages. With a depleted army the florins started rolling in, now we're over 200k but the treasury has started to slow down again, we're only getting 6k per year compared to 15k at the peak.

[Rufus]

OK - looks like it's my turn. I'll download it as soon as you post it (I couldn't find it in the PBM filespace).

I can probably finish it by the end of this weekend, if that's OK.

[Chimpyang]

i'm just uploading now......i didnt have time earlier you see......file is the_englsh_1302.rar

[Rufus]

Got it - took a quick look last night. Good job - it looks like there's not much left to do Way ahead in the GA points.

But what's up with all the unassigned governor titles? Were you getting too many vices and it just wasn't worth it to change them around anymore?

[YAKOBU]

Hi Rufus https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

I found that on my reign on this PBEM and also others. I wonder if in between saving and the next person loading it drops some of the titles. I always have all my titles allocated but it may be that others just don't feel the need to do likewise https://forums.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif

[Chimpyang]

To tell the tturth I just couldnt be bothered....too many to do...

[Rufus]

The long, glorious reign of King Stephen II has finally come to a close after 42 years on the throne. The game is saved as The English 1345.rar (with the date July 27).

I'll post a full writeup after Chimpyang's, but basically I've swept through the rest of the Middle East, Asia Minor and southeastern Europe. Treasury is 276,000 with income at 7,500/year (this is the rate after my king died, so it reflects the loss of the steward virtues, etc.). And most of our subjects seem quite happy. Of course, as I said, it looks like most of the hard work was already done by my predecessors, so I stand on the shoulders of PBM giants

Over to you, Octavian.

[Chimpyang]

To be finished of SOMETIME

1277 - The King mulled over the possibilities of the retaliation, since his ascencion to the throne in 1271 the English empire had mainly remainedat peace, only skirmishes with the Turks along the eastern front broke it. All this time England was growing rich off her massive trade network which connected every sea. The only real scare was the mongol barbarians almost taking Novogrod. The king had recieved a personal account of the battle from his general and now he thought back to their meeting.

1272
The king sat slumped in his chair, where was this godforsaken servant, he was supposed to have brought the Lord to him at 8 Trying to think of a suitable punishment the King was interuppted by a sudden noise from the door.

Sir, the Lord is here at your pleasure
Let him in

[Rufus]

Excerpts from the Diary of Stephen II, King of England, 1302-1344

1302: I knew I would be King one day but did not expect it so soon. I am but 17 years old and my father has just passed. I am ill-prepared to manage these lands stretching from Ireland to the Outremer, and all know it. At my coronation I think I even overheard whispers that I am a chinless wonder. Many of the nobles who served my father so well respect me not. And our rivals on the Continent are licking their chops; they don't take me seriously at all. I shall simply have to show them all that I am worthy to lead my father's glorious empire.

With the fall this year of Milan, the Sicilians have been eliminated, fulfilling a dream of my father's. The Poles are our strongest neighbor; an uneasy peace exists along our heavily defended frontier in the middle of the Continent. We are also at peace with the Byzantine Empire, reduced to only a few scraps by the Turks, but their naval presence is extensive. The Hungarians have not abandoned their hostilities and are likely to cause us problems to the east. The Holy Roman Empire is a mere shadow, holding only Swabia, Switzerland and, for some reason, Trebizond, yet their hostility to fair England persists as well. The Egyptians, having been ejected from their homeland, continue to maintain a state of war against us and hold a number of territories in Asia Minor. The pagan Mongols remain at war with us too, far to the east. The Turks are also hostile; they are in control of much of the old Eastern Roman Empire.

I will make my mark immediately by calling for a crusade to eject the infidel Turks from Edessa. The territories recently conquered by my father in Italy, North Africa and the Holy Land are also in need of improvements to increase their profitability. Finally, I see our military, though it is strong, seems weak on cavalry. I will order improvements in the training facilities in Wessex, Rome and Castile to produce the best, strongest knights in Christendom.

1303: The Pope has approved my Crusade to Edessa. Whilst it journeys to the Holy Land, I ordered an invasion of the Turkish forces in Serbia and Greece. Lord Fitzwalter led 2700 brave Englishmen to victory in Serbia, losing 546 men while killing over 1300 Turks. Lord Scrope defeated the Turkish Sultan himself in Greece in a smaller battle.

The Holy Roman Empire, such that it is, has declined my offer of a marriage to my sister Elizabeth. (Though I love her dearly, I can't say I blame them.) I also sent an emissary to them to negotiate a match for me with the Emperor's daughter Hedwig; these efforts bore no fruit. I shall have to look elsewhere for a bride.

1304: An outrage on the seas The Byzantines have started sinking English ships all along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts They shall pay dearly for their perfidy Our trade routes have been severed and my realm's revenues have plummeted. The trading provinces threaten rebellion.

There is little hope of finding a foreign suitor for Elizabeth, so I had her marry a most skillful commander, Sir Harry Audley, to help strengthen his loyalty.

1305: The Hungarians, despite our state of war with them, have approved the passage of our Crusade through their lands. A wise move. They are no doubt seething that an English crusade will recruit heavily among the Hungarian faithful.

But then, the Hungarian King, Istvan II, invades Serbia. Inexplicably he takes only a few hundred knights and sergeants to attack Lord Fitzwalter's army of over 1,400. Fitzwalter defeats Istvan handily.

Bad news in Greece: The treacherous Byzantines, under their legendary commander Lord Monomachus, have taken nearly 1,700 men to retake their old homeland. With a weaker force, Sir Robert Courtenay is forced to abandon the province.

It is no matter, as I have taken Antioch from the Byzantines without a fight. And Lord Langton defeated them in Tripoli.

My advisors have informed me that England's is the largest military force in Europe. Our enemies stand no chance.

The Byzantine Emperor died this year. May the perfidious whoreson rot in Hell.

1306: The foolish Holy Roman Emperor has decided to try to expand his meager holdings. Lord von Jungingen has invaded Lorraine. His army is, surprisingly, a high quality force, so Lord de Montfort withdraws to Nancy Castle.

Perhaps stirred up by the Germans' delusions of grandeur, some bandits staged a rebellion in Tyrolia this year but were easily defeated.

The Egyptians crossed into our realm in Antioch but, seeing the power of our forces, decide against challenging us there.

The castles in Tripoli and Serbia have fallen and these lands have joined the English realm.

I married off my other sister Elizabeth to Sir Roger Percy. My search for a bride continues.

1307: Our hold on our new territories in the Holy Land is tenuous at best. I reluctantly decided this year to abandon Serbia and send the men from there to reinforce our garrisons at Tripoli and Antioch.

It was good that I did so, for the Byzantines attempted to retake those lands this year. The fight in Antioch was particularly bloody; nearly 1,000 English gave their lives to defend our lands but we were the victor. Only 31 out of 1,144 were lost in our victory in Tripoli.

After I sent in hundreds of soldiers from Saxony, Friesland and Burgundy to repel the Germans, they wisely decide to withdraw from Lorraine.

Our naval war with the Byzantines continues. Our revenues sink with our ships. As the treasury shrinks and our access to islands is cutoff, would-be rebels are emboldened in Sardinia and Ireland. Both uprisings are mercilessly crushed.

The Church has trained a great number of inquisitors in Castile. There 14,000 have burned at the stake. A terrible earthquake struck Genoa this year; I have taken this as a sign of God's displeasure and will send the inquisitors elsewhere.

The Swiss have declared themselves independent of German rule, with several thousand soldiers under the leadership of their King Conrad. I will keep a careful eye on this new regime.

1308: I have decided to marry Eleanor de Quincy, daughter of the Duke of Suffolk. She is a young, healthy, attractive girl who should be able to produce several heirs. My advisors have researched her ancestry extensively and have found no recent connections to the royal family. Perhaps, then, our children will be spared the whispers that have followed me and my brothers for years.

Our Crusade has reached Lesser Armenia. With more than 2,000 Crusaders on their shores, the Egyptians retreat.

Turkish forces make an incursion into Syria but retreat upon seeing our garrison.

1309: Our Crusade reaches its destination - Edessa. The Turks immediately retreat to their castle.

My brother Henry is now ready to command an army for me. His bloodthirst has always distrubed me but perhaps will be an asset on the battlefield.

1310: My brother Edward has come of age, ready to take the field. He is a bit too accustomed to life's finer pleasures, however, so a military career may not be the best route for him.

1311: The castle at Edessa falls. With our Crusade a success, none shall doubt that the power of the English realm continues under me just as it did my father.

God has blessed Eleanor and me with a son this year. We named him John.

1312: Sadly, the success of our Crusade was short-lived. The Egyptian Sultan took 2,700 high-quality infidel soldiers into our new lands, and our Crusaders were forced to withdraw.

1313: Redemption in Edessa, as Lord Despenser rallies forces from the surrounding areas in large enough numbers to force the Sultan to take his infidels home. However, the Sultan sends his troops to attack Syria. With about 1,900 men on both sides, Lord Langton proved the better commander that day, defeating the Egyptian Amir Muzaffar. More than a thousand infidels met their doom that day, as 600 brave Englishmen lost their lives for the glory of God. Two Egyptian princes were captured in that battle; their father refused their ransom, proving his vileness, and they were hanged.

English inquisitors ordered 1,750 Hungarians to burn at the stake this year.

This year I approved the marriage of my sister Mary to Lord Courtenay.

My brother Richard is ready to command an army now, having reached the age of 16. He is ruthless and difficult to get along with, so I do not envy the men under his command.

1314-1319: These were years of peace and prosperity for England. My daughter Elizabeth was born in 1314, and my son William in 1316.

1320: The Swiss invaded Burgundy this year. Their forces were massive, 1,800 men, so we had to retreat to our castle at Strasbourg.

The royal navy has made steady progress against the Byzantines; as a result, trade routes have reopened and the royal revenue has reached 14,000 florins this year.

1321: Lord Hastings takes 2,200 of England's finest to repel the Swiss invasion of Burgundy. England loses 477 men but wins the battle, killing 1,100 Swiss.

God has blessed Eleanor and me with yet a third son, Prince Alfred.

With our Outremer holdings stabilized, it is time to take the fight to our enemies in Asia Minor and eliminate them once and for all. I send Lord Despenser, one of our realm's finest generals, to invade the Turkish province of Rum. His 2,600 men are victorious, killing 1,354 Turks and losing but 288 English.

A band of rebels has thrown off the yoke of Egyptian rule in Lesser Armenia. I have sent an emissary to offer them incentives to do homage to England.

1322: Some of the Lesser Armenia rebels accept our offer, but not all. I send Lord Stanley in with over 2,000 men and defeat the holdouts.

My advisors tell me that 60 percent of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa is under English control.

1323: The Swiss try to reprise their invasion of Burgundy but cross back over the mountains to return home after seeing the size and quality of our garrisons there.

Lord Stanley presses onward in Asia Minor, taking Anatolia from Prince al Adil with his sword dripping from the blood of 1,200 Egyptian dead.

The Cathedral of St. George in Barcelona is complete - my offering to the Lord as thanks for our success.

1324: Lord Despenser this year took Armenia from the pagan Horde.

I am on the verge of my 40th year, and have taken account of my realm and what I intend to do with my remaining time on Earth. The infidel Egyptians and Turks are reeling from our advances in the Holy Lands and Asia Minor. The Byzantines no longer present a significant naval threat. I would be most gratified to secure the rest of Europe for the Holy Catholic Church before God calls me home. So, this year, I organized another Crusade. I first proposed to eject the heretic Byzantines from Constantinople, but the Pope shockingly denies this objective, calling the Byzantines allies of the Church I offer instead to take Greece back from the Turks; this he approves.

1326: The Egyptian garrison at Anatolia collapsed this year, adding that land to the ever expanding English realm.

My son John has matured and may now command army. He excelled in his military training and should bring great glory to England.

1327: Lord Despenser presses onward into the Mongol holdings in the Caucuses Mountains, taking Georgia this year.

Lord Stanley, meanwhile, challenges the Egyptains in Nicaea, their only remaining province. Sultan Abdullah is defeated soundly.

1329: Most terrible, devastating news this year My dear daughter Elizabeth was most brutally and foully murdered She was just about to leave London for Poland to seek a match in the Polish royal family. My incompetent guards and advisors are at a loss as to the identity of the culprit. I have imposed a strict curfew on London until the murderer is found. There can be no doubt that it was the work of one of my rivals; thwarted on the battlefield, the cowards decide to take out their anger at me upon my innocent daughter. I vow to eliminate the hellspawn Turks and Egyptians and I pray God gives me the opportunity to do likewise to my remaining enemies, the Byzantines and the Hungarians. I pray our armies advance quickly enough through Asia Minor to reach the Byzantine and Hungarian realms and destroy them.

Our Crusade to Greece was successful, overwhelming the Turks in their final holding. The victory was bittersweet.

I sent emissaries to Trebizond and Rhodes to offer the armies there the opportunity to pledge allegiance to England.

1330: My dear queen Eleanor has passed this year. She withdrew into a state of shock following our daughter's murder last year and never recovered. The identity of the killer, who has now cost me a daughter and a wife, remains a mystery.

Trebizond accepts my offer. The garrisons at Georgia and Nicaea fall. The Egyptian regime has been eliminated.

1332: With the fall of the garrison at Athens, the wicked Turks have been banished.

My son William has reached maturity; not only is he a great warrior, but also an astute student of government and administration. He will make a fine advisor and general when his brother John is king. John has been reviewing our garrisons in Lorraine and Burgundy. No doubt sowing his royal oats, but soon I shall have to find him a respectable wife. I will send him to Asia Minor for now, to help lead our campaigns against the Byzantines; I would not want him to grow lazy in the serenity of the countryside, nor to catch the pox from some Burgundian whore. I hear he has already fathered three bastard children with a peasant girl in Dijon.

1335: This year my son John accompanied my cousin Lord Plantagenet in an invasion of Constantinople, part of our effort to eliminate the Orthodox heresy and bring the old Eastern Empire lands under the authority of the Roman Church (and the English Crown). The Byzantines had but a few hundred men in their garrison, who were soundly defeated by England's force. But the Byzantines built a massive fortress at Constantinople; it will take many years for it to fall. Our men prepare for a long siege.

1338: I have waited for three years, and Constantinople Castle still defies England. This year I sent trebuchets, catapults and devilish instruments using this new substance from the orient called gunpowder. (I saw one demonstrated in London; it made the most horrifying sound I'd ever heard, and the man operating it was killed.) The castle fell but at the cost of 722 English lives.

1339: This year I called Prince John home; I feel I have little time left, and much to teach him. I sent his brother William to continue the offensive against the Byzantines. They do not even put up a fight against him in Bulgaria.

1340: But then this year the Byzantines call in nearly all their forces from their only remaining province, Moldavia, to rally in Bulgaria. Facing a Byzantine force of 3,000 men, Prince William wisely decides to fight another day.

1341: Perhaps emboldened, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI presses further, to Constantinople. Our men pull back and garrison the castle to await reinforcements.

1342: The Byzantine Emperor takes 1,900 men into Greece, where he is met by a similar number of Englishmen under the command of my cousin Lord Plantagenet. My cousin defeats him, killing 1,300 Byzantine heretics but losing nearly 700 English. A successful but bloody defense of Greece.

Meanwhile I have called reinforcements into Constantinople from Naples, Rome and Castile. Our forces there total 4,400, forcing the Byzantines to withdraw without a fight.

1343: A surprise to the north: The Mongols, quiescent for years, attack our forces in Novgorod. Lord Greystoke successfully defends his province but loses over 1,000 men to the pagans onslaught.

Prince William leads the 4,400-man army from Constantinople into Bulgaria. There, too, the Byzantines retreat, perhaps now realizing the foolishness of their resistance.

1344: Lord Hawkwood leads my massive army from Bulgaria to the final holdout of the rump Byzantine Empire - Moldavia. He won but it was a truly bloody victory over the 2,500 remaining men under Constantine's command. 1,700 Byzantines died in Moldavia, as did 844 English. We captured three of Constantine's sons; he refused to ransom them, so they have been executed. I await the fall of the last Byzantine castle ...

**************************************

King Stephen II died in 1344 at the age of 59. Due to an irrational fear of water he never left London. But England was blessed with a large number of highly skilled generals throughout his reign, so his presence on the battlefield was never required anyway. His son succeeded his as John II at age 34. Stephen left England's finances in good shape for his son, with 276,000 florins in the royal treasury and an annual income of 7,570. The English realm was at peace internally, with no risk of rebellion in any provinces. John II would start his reign with England at war with the nearly collapsed Byzantines, the Holy Roman Empire (reduced to one province), the Swiss, the Mongols (controlling several provinces to the east) and the Hungarians (controlling Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Wallachia and Carpathia). The wars with the Germans, Hungarians and Swiss had been cold for many years. With the fall of Moldavia, John II will hold provinces bordering all of the Hungarian lands, so he will be well positioned to attack them and defeat them within two years should he decide they need to be eliminated. Stephen II kept the peace with the Poles and the Papacy throughout his reign. The provinces added during Stephen II's reign were: Tripoli, Antioch, Edessa, Armenia, Georgia, Rum, Lesser Armenia, Trebizond, Anatolia, Nicaea, Constantinople, Rhodes, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Moldavia (under siege). Stephen II eliminated the Turks and Egyptians. At the time of his death the Byzantines had one other province - Cyprus - besides the besieged Moldavia. If John II does not want to eliminate the Byzantines and thus avoid a re-emergence, he may want to withdraw from Moldavia in his first year. The Mongols are the only remaining non-Christian faction. England also has unchallenged control of the seas. Chivalric units are now available in several provinces, and some buildings for Gothic units are underway.

In 1302 the GA points were as follows: England 149, Poland 108, Hungary 94, Sicily 80, Byzantines 79, HRE 8, Egyptians 2.
In 1345: England 178, Poland 122, Hungary 106, Byzantines 82, HRE 9.

[Chimpyang]

Very good continuance of the kingdom Rufus..well done

[The_Emperor]

How is this campaign doing?

[Tricky Lady]

Errrmm, I think it is pretty :skull:

This should be the updated (and probably last) overview list:

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)

ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)

alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)

Tricky Lady - John I (1188-1193)

Tricky Lady - William III (1193-1194)

Tricky Lady - Alfred III (1194-1205)

mercian billman - Edmund IV (1205-1242)

YAKOBU - Henry I (1242-1270)

Chimpyang - Alfred IV (1270-1302)

Rufus - Stephen II (1302-1344)

Octavian

Obadiah

I guess that if Octavian or Obadiah still want to pick up the game, they can go ahead, but (with the RTW demo out and full RTW's release date coming closer) I very much doubt so.

If no-one has posted or claimed the game within a week, I'll consider this PBEM as finished, and will post a general ruler's overview (saw that in the HRE PBEM thread IIRC, and thought this was a good idea).

[Tricky Lady]

Okay, this PBEM is as dead as Monty Python's parrott.
:cry:

I will take a few screenies and post 'em here as soon as I've edited them (probably this weekend).

[Chimpyang]

Is the file still available for Dl?...I ma find some time to get another reign done.

[Tricky Lady]

Yes, it's called The_English_1345.rar. You can find it in the downloads section.

Thanks! :thumbsup:

[Amon_Zeth]

If it's possible, could I continue this campaign? Or is it closed permanently?

[Tricky Lady]

Hi Amon_Zeth I think Chimpyang is playing a reign now, so perhaps you can keep an eye on this thread to check when he's finished.

[Tricky Lady]

This is a final overview of all Kings who ruled England from 1087 to 1344 (+ a map of the realm they left to their heirs):

Chimpyang - William II (1087-1118)

(no savegame found)
http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1118.jpg


ThijsP - Edmund III (1118-1136)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Edmund3_stat.jpg http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Edmund3_vv.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1136.jpg


alman9898 - Stephen I (1136-1157)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Stephen1_stat.jpg http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Stephen1_vv.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1157.jpg


Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Edward III (1157-1188)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Edward3_stat.jpg http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Edward3_vv.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1189.jpg


Tricky Lady - John I (1188-1193)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/John1_stat.jpg http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/John1_vv.jpg


Tricky Lady - William III (1193-1194)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/William3_stat.jpg http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/William3_vv.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1194.jpg


Tricky Lady - Alfred III (1194-1205)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Alfred3_stat.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1205.jpg


mercian billman - Edmund IV (1205-1242)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Edmund4_stats.jpg http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Edmund4_vv.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1243.jpg


YAKOBU - Henry I (1242-1270)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Henry1_stat.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1271.jpg


Chimpyang - Alfred IV (1270-1302)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Alfred4_stats.jpg http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Alfred4_vv.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/England_1302.jpg


Rufus - Stephen II (1302-1344)

http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Stephen2_stats.jpg http://home.scarlet.be/~cpel/MTW/PBEM_England_wrapup/Stephen2_vv.jpg