Orders and reports thread

[gibsonsg91921]

All of you shut up in the military planning room about your pathetic, gutless, problems with each other or I will personally break each and every one of your necks, French, Franconian, Dread Knight, or cute little bunny.

[deguerra]

Our valiant Kaiser speaks so strongly. It must be Christmas.

The fight went better than expected. I am afraid I still lost, and I managed to take a good 2000 of the Reichs soldiers down with me, but I also killed 65% of the French army and their commander.

OOC: In the end, time, and the fact that I was whipping militia spearmen into a fight with triple-gold lancers took the cake away from me. But it was a close run thing. That being said, if the AI had been intelligent enough to charge my army with all of its lancers at once, I would have lost within the first ten minutes. I may post a report, but it was the very definition of "meat-grinder", and not very interesting. Ludwig survived though. That gives me an advantage of Zim. Twice :P

Save:

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/kotr1374-6.zip

[Ramses II CP]

Very well Count von Bohmen, I will attempt to reinforce you as soon as possible so that you may attempt to capture the city once again.

I would still like to hear from Duke Steffen or Count Steffen regarding their plans for the hapless Sicilians.

I am presuming Prinz Dieter will not be sallying.

Andreas von Salzgitter made a noble sacrifice in the fields of Outremer, driving his army to victory in the name of God and the Reich! I ask that all German nobles salute his memory.

Fritz von Kastilien

[Ramses II CP]

The offensive season is closed! You may expect a recruitment report soon.

Fritz von Kastilien

OOC: I've heard from everyone now and I'm going to advance the turn. The Sicilian battle will be auto-calc'd because we have overwhelming numbers in our favor and understandably busy players. This will probably be the final 'active' turn of the game, so if you have last requests or actions I'll try to make them possible.

[Ramses II CP]

1378 Recruitment and Construction Report (End of Season Report)

This offensive season saw the Reich's armies once more on the attack. In Austria Duke Arnold utterly destroyed two Hungarian armies which had the termerity to threaten one of his cities, and ordered the Zirn brothers to hold the bridge against a third. In Swabia Bordeaux was sacked by Count de Cervole, and Count von Bohmen destroyed half of the French army at Bruges but was unable to retake the city. Count von Luxemburg crept into position to retake Dijon, while Count Ruppel gathered his forces to face the French army which is marching to reinforce Bruges.

Franconia was still, though I sail ever nearer the walls of the last Danish enclave to put their people to the sword. In Bavaria Lothar Steffen, Hermann Steffen, and Kaiser Peter crushed two Sicilian armies near Rome, breaking their ineffective invasion force in twain. The remaining two armies have moved to the eastern coastal road, and appear to be in flight.





Ransom on the many captives would be refused, and the men who fled scattered and no longer present a threat.

Outremer saw a brilliant, bloody success in the field under the hands of Count von Salzgitter, who gave his life in God's cause while butchering Byzantines. I pray that I may know so noble a death when my day comes! Viceroy Matthias stood behind the high walls of Adana and laughed at the cowardly, trapped Byzantines outside who declined to lay siege.

The Timurid armies advances slightly through Turkish territory, but are still bringing their armies together. They are several season's march from threatening any of our holdings.

On the home front the trial of Lothar Steffen has come to a conclusion and he has been found guilty, exactly as I said he was from the start, and conveniently only after I took measures to force Lord Becker into action. Lothar surrender yourself to the Kaiser's authority or I will strip you of your soldiers and hunt you down like a beast in the fields! Any person who aids Lothar Steffen in the least detail, any city that gives him sanctuary, and any ship that grants him passage will be subject to my wrath.

Lord Becker I order you to make the Bohemian mercenary ready for travel, on my way south I will take him from you. Resist me in this and you will face the same treatment as the rest of Lothar's allies. Turn him over peacefully and I will leave you and Prague in peace.

Construction was limited to Swabia and the western Imperial holdings, where I acceded to Count de Cervole's requests (All other cities and castles in Swabia were already building):

Bordeaux: Jousting Lists
Metz: Merchant Bank

There were no disbandments. Recruitment was extensive:

Austria
Ragusa: trained 3 Pavise Crossbowmen (In the face of the impending Venetian siege)
Zagreb: trained 1 Town Militia, 1 Merchant
Vienna: trained 1 Forlorn Hope, 2 Cannon
Prague: retrained 1 Teutonic Knights, 1 Mercenary spearmen, trained 1 Tuetonic Knights
Venice: trained 3 Merchant Cavalry militia to send east

Swabia
Bern: trained 3 Spear militia
Staufen: trained 3 Dismounted Feudal Knights
Metz: trained 1 Spy
Rheims: trained 3 Halberd militia
Paris: retrained 3 Spear militia
Antwerp: trained 3 Pike militia
Caen: retrained 1 Free Company Longbowmen, 1 Pavise Crossbowmen, 1 Dismounted Feudal Knights, as requested
Anger: trained 3 Armoured Sergeants
Bordeaux: retrained 1 Mounted Crossbowmen, trained 2 Pavise Crossbowmen

Franconia
Frankfurt: trained 1 Crossbow militia
Madgeburg: retrained 1 Teutonic Knights, 1 Armoured Sergeants, 1 Dismounted Feudal Knights
Hamburg saw no training due to siege
Arhus saw no training

Bavaria
Nuremburg saw no training
Innsbruck: retrained 1 Pavise Crossbowmen, 1 Armoured Sergeants, trained 1 Mounted Crossbowmen
Milan: retrained 1 Crossbow militia, 1 Spear militia
Genoa saw no training
Marsellies saw no training
Bologna: trained 1 Spear militia, 2 Merchant Cavalry militia
Rome: retrained 1 Crossbow militia, 1 Halberd militia, 1 Merchant Cavalry militia
Naples: trained 2 Pike militia, 1 Forlorn Hope
Palermo: trained 3 Armoured Sergeants

Outremer
Adana: trained 2 Armoured Sergeants, 1 Serpentine
Caesarea: retrained Feudal Knights, trained 2 Feudal Knights
Antioch: trained Merchant, Priest
Acre: trained 3 Mounted Crossbowmen
Nicosia saw no training

The only defensive engagement of the season is north of Vienna where Jan Zirn and Max Zirn are holding the bridge against a Hungarian army.

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/KOTR1376-7.zip

Fritz von Kastilien

[Zim]

OOC: I'm guessing I'll be fighting the battle since Max is not yet knighted. Time to change that. I'm taking the save.

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: Heading out now, back in a few hours to take the save and get what might be the last KotR report up.

[Zim]

The bridge to Vienna has been successfully defended. Peasants in the area have termed it a "heroic" victory, but casualties were somewhat higher than I expected, due partly to the cowardly nature of mercenary spearmen compared to sergeants of the Reich, and to malfunctions among the serpentines.

My brother Maximilian acquitted himself well, turning the tide of the abttle at one point. He has been knighted and can now take over the AHA1 as Duke Arnold desires.

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/KOTR1378-1.zip

OOC: Had one bug in the battle. Early on the serpentines were showing as having no ammo. I thought it was odd but continued anyway, then towards the end of the battle they magically regained their ammunition, but by then forces were too mixed for them to have a decent shot.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

Excellent work Jan, it seems after many years in the field there is actually "something" too you at long last.

As the middle brother I thought you were simply content to be a governor.

I've taken note of this victory and will consider further command possibilities in the south for you. Hapsburg has been underwhelming to say the least.

£$££ it!! Lets not beat around the bush in these times...how would you feel about commanding the southern front of Austria?

[Zim]

Duke Arnold,
I would be honored to command the defense of southern Austria. Having a taste of combat has made me eager to find out what I can do with a professional army. I shall head south immediately to see to the defense of Ragusa.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

Excellent Jan. There are merchant cavalry from Venice heading east. Feel free to take as many as you wish south with you.

[TinCow]

*The following message has suddenly appeared in every city and military camp in the Reich.*

Electors and Citizens of the Reich,

The Holy Roman Empire was born from the ashes of the Caesars. We are the heirs of Augustus, Trajan, Hadrian, and Constantine. In the mold of these great Emperors was our society built, yet we strove for more. We looked to the past and saw that we were also the heirs of Caligula, Nero, Domitian, and Commodus. For every beneficent Emperor, there were two cruel and ignorant counterparts. The Caesars created the Old Roman Empire, but they also destroyed it.

So it was that our wise and noble ancestors determined that they would create a New Empire, a Holy Empire, in a manner that would harness the good of the Caesars, while preventing the harm from that same source. They chose to prevent evil and negligent men from becoming King of the Romans, by requiring an election by the prominent nobleman of the various lands of the Empire. Thus were the Electors born.

For many years this system was used, and the Empire was ruled magnanimously. Our peoples prospered, justice was upheld, Christ's word was preached, and governance was fair and reasonable. Yet, as with the Old Empire, the Reich lost its way. No man alive today can remember the last time a Kaiser was elected in the proper manner. This law, designed to protect the people, has been taken from us. Whether by coup or bureaucracy, we have returned to the chaotic days of the ancient Romans.

This is seen in our very history and cannot be disputed. For every good Kaiser, we have seen an evil counterpart. Kaiser Heinrich exploited the law for the sake of a personal vendetta against Pope Gregory. With near unanimous opposition to his actions, Heinrich forced the Reich into excommunication and a period of immense hardship for nobility and commoner alike. The Diet was so outraged by his actions, that they immediately passed new laws to prevent such an act from occurring. Even then, it took a mighty Crusade to remove the stain of Heinrich's actions. The great bulwark of Christian Outremer was created to redeem the Reich for the sins of Heinrich.

Fortunately for us all, Kaiser Henry did not follow in his father's footsteps. He was a good and wise ruler, and the Reich benefited from his leadership. It is possible that Kaiser Jobst would have been such a man as well, but he was cut down on the field of battle before he could prove himself.

From that field of battle, a new Kaiser rose. Siegfried. Even today, that name brings bile into the throats of women and children across the Reich. Many still believe that it was Siegfried himself who killed Kaiser Jobst, and then used bribery and forgery to gain the throne. Still, even if true, that would be the least of Siegfried's crimes. We all know of the horrors that the Unification brought upon us. It was un-asked for and un-wanted. When proposed before the Diet, it was violently protested by nearly every Elector in the Reich. Yet he proceeded anyway, handing away countless territories bought with German blood to the corrupt Byzantines. Most outrageous of all, he attempted to systematically dismantle Christendom itself. His unification of the Church with the Eastern Blasphemers was nothing of the sort. It was a full-scale absorption of Christendom by Orthodox devils. Holy Outremer itself, the beacon of light in a world of darkness, was dismantled and given over to blasphemers without so much as a mourning prayer to mark its passing. Even today, over sixty years after Siegfried's death, we have yet to restore what his actions took from us. We will never be able to restore the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Germans who perished in the resulting Cataclysm. Nero may have fiddled while Rome burned, but Siegfried put a torch to the entire Empire.

Would that Siegfried's successors had compensated for his wickedness. Kaiser Elberhard was not an evil man, but he was a feeble ruler. When the Reich needed strength, he brought weakness. In such a time of need, that was the worst possible result. And so to Kaiser Péter the Hypocrite. Imprisoned for rebellion against his own brother, Péter passes judgment on those of us who also risked all to save the Reich. Péter was content to prevent the Unification with the slaughter of thousands and a war that cost many times that number, and continues to this day. Yet he proclaims as traitors those who sought to stop such tragedies with the death of a single traitor. With the cataclysmic period behind us, the situation in Swabia settled, he once again forces us into Civil War for the sake of a personal vendetta.

So, it is, good citizens of the Reich, that we look back on our history and see rot and decay where there should be glory and prosperity. The cause of this is obvious to all who care to look. Of the last six Kaisers, only two have benefited the Reich, and one of those reigned for only the briefest of moments. The fickle whims of the Emperors brought down the Old Empire. The fickle whims of the Kaisers are bringing down the Holy Empire.

Yet, not all is darkness. In the Reich there stands a beacon of light that shines the way. The Order of the Illuminati has aided the Reich for many years. We have brought stability where there was disorder, help to those in need, and religion to the blasphemers. All of this was done without regard for our own safety. Indeed, we consider it our duty to sacrifice for others. The Order of the Illuminati will fight for what is right and just, no matter the price we must pay.

The Brotherhood represents true egalitarianism in our very existence. Members are admitted on the basis of merit alone. Blood and hereditary title mean nothing to us. Every man who is a member of the Order has achieved that position through demonstrations of personal value. Such is the true measure of the worth of a leader. Yet, even with that monumental achievement in governance, we have gone further. The Order has titles and positions, but they are merely roles to help divide duties in an efficient manner. The Illuminati consider all members equal, to a man. The vote of the newest member carries as much weight as the vote of the Grand Master himself. A new member must receive unanimous approval before being admitted. When all members are wise, skilled, and worthy of esteem, there is no need for inequality and Lordship.

And so the Order stands today to make a public Proclamation. A new age is upon us. The ways of the Kaisers have failed. We summon all able-bodied men of the Reich to join us in the fight for a new Reich. We declare that we stand, not only for the toppling of Kaiser Péter von Kastilien, but for the toppling of ALL Kaisers. We unsheathe our swords in the name of equality and justice. We fight for a new Reich. We fight for a new Republic.

We declare that it be the Will of the Diet that the position of Kaiser be abolished for all time. We declare that henceforth, the Reich will be ruled by the Electors alone, free from the encumbrances of hereditary title. We declare that from this day forth, the Holy Roman Empire is no more. We declare that the birth of the Holy Roman Republic has begun.

Long Live Germany!
Long Live Rome!
Long Live the Electors!
Long Live the Holy Roman Republic!

Arnold	Lothar Steffen	Matthias Steffen	Herrmann Steffen
Elector of Austria	Elector of Bavaria	Elector of Bavaria	Elector of Bavaria
Duke of Austria	Duke of Bavaria	Viceroy of Outremer	Count of Bologna
Grand Master of the Illuminati	Voice of the Illuminati	Brother of the Illuminati	Brother of the Illuminati
Son of Rome	Son of Rome	Son of Rome	Son of Rome

[Ramses II CP]

Chancellor's Report, 1378

Offensive action is suspended unless explicitly authorized by the Chancellor or the Kaiser! Armies on the move will be subject to attack without warning, commanders defying this order will have their men stripped from them, their funding cut off, and will find their captains ordered to take them prisoner. I urge the nobles of the Reich to declare their loyalty to the Kaiser in all haste, or to face harsh penalties!

The so called Republicans, Lothar Steffen, Arnold of Austria, Matthias Steffen, and Hermann Steffen are commanded to surrender themselves to the nearest Imperial authority immediately on pain of death! Additionally Edmund Becker, Fritz Becker, Jan Zirn, Maximillian Zirn, Maximillian von Hapsburg, Fredericus Erlach, Wenzel Steffen, Bernard Steffen, and Harold Steffen are ordered to report to the nearest Imperial authority for questioning and to reaffirm their oaths of loyalty to the Kaiser.

A time of great crisis is upon the Reich, but by God I mean to see her through it. Let all who would flout the authority of the Kaiser consider carefully the consequences. In order to leave you unruly nobles no doubt about my exact meaning, learn from the example of Stockholm. The last city of the Danes stood in defiance of the Reich and sent armies against me, Germany's greatest general. It was intolerable, but that problem has now been solved.

Stockholm now lies in ruins, having been exterminated at my command.



Any city which shelters an enemy of the Reich faces the same consequences.



Any noble who sides with these fool Republicans faces the same.



As went the Danes, so too will go advocates of the Republic.



Choose your place with care, it may be the last choice you get.

In more mundane news, I am saddened to have to report the death of Duke Dieter Bresch's wife, Demuth. My sympathies on your loss Duke Dieter.



I am much happier to report the death of the Hungarian noble who snuck across Bavaria to try to lead away that tiny army they have in France.



Poland has been reconciled with the Pope. The Theologin's Guild house in Milan was improved. There are just under twenty thousand florins available to the Reich.

And it doesn't matter. I'm coming for you Lothar. If I can ask one favor in exchange for all the aid I gave Bavaria? Don't surrender. It will be much more satisfying to take your head while your city burns around you.

Any general wishing to take offensive action in the Reich should contact me via letter for permission. (No one has been 'stripped' of command or otherwise negatively impacted by my power as Chancellor because the details of the final battle aren't 100% clear yet. The save is here:)

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/KOTR1378-2.zip

Chancellor Fritz von Kastilien