The Bright Age (rebel AAR)

[Knight of the Rose]

The Order of the Shining Truth and Reason!

Chapter 1, the Beginning

The ancient abandoned monastery looked even more foreboding this starlit night that usual. Within its cold walls a meeting was about to take place that would change the course of medieval history. Until this date princes and kings and other organised thieves had stolen the crops and livestock from honest peasants under the false pretext of “protecting” them. Allied with the priesthood, who promised eternal joy if the hardships of the life on earth did not lead to uprisings against the ruling order. Furthermore the collapse of general order after the end of the Roman Empire had led to suffering across the continent as military and religious struggle had seen towns burnt to ashes and lives wasted in war. All this was about to change.
A small group of determined men had worked in the shadows for nearly a century, creating a mysterious secret order. This order of Peace and Conciliation strived to end the inhuman struggle and bring together humanity in one common understanding that what is important is not to die for your liege lord, but to live in harmony and prosperity.
Now the time was ripe for a strike against the emerging powers, a combination of forces yet unseen from the vast steppes, the cold north, the rugged mountains and the fertile plains. All in one movement to destroy all factions, and bring all together under the Order of the Shining Truth!

One of the principal agents of change was the upstart Latin Emperor of Constantinople – the most important victory of the Order to date was the successful change of target for the crusade aimed at the Holy Lands. By placing a high ranking member of the order as leader of the expedition to take the richest and most developed town in the region, enough momentum was gained to start spreading the Rule of Reason.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/const1205.jpg

In the Cold of Scotland Comgell Mar answered the call. Recently there had been a “king” of Scotland, but now this office change character and became a beacon for Clansmen to merge themselves into the Cause and The Order. All the clans stood together and marched on York.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/scot1205.jpg

The English faction was utterly stunned at this move and quickly fell back to what they thought was safer lands. But the Scots had not come to plunder and then fall back to their highlands. This time The Order was pushing them further south, trapping an entire English army in the Castle of Nottingham. Soon Lord Neville tried to thwart the Will of Reason, and gave battle outside the Castle. His rabble of unwilling peasants and robber knights proved no match for the arrows of Wales and the swords of Scotland. Soon all of England was united under the Star of Transparency and the Empathy of Humanity.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/mercia1207.jpg

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/lineupmercia1207.jpg

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/endmercia1207.jpg

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/eng1209.jpg

Success had not come as easily on other fronts. On the steppes, however, the faithful Tarkhans had gathered against Rus authority and taken Kiev after a most Glorious battle.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/kiev1208.jpg

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/endkiev1208.jpg

But elsewhere The Order had had little success. Around Constantinople mighty Empires where gathering to crush the most prominent threat against their reason to exist. Most crushingly was the blow against the major British Isle, as Comgell Mar accepted a bribe from the French! Thrown back and cut down a new Hero emerged that The Order hoped could gather the righteous Britons.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/betrayal1213.jpg

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/kingofscots1214.jpg

Just as things looked bleak new opportunities rose. A French Crusade had taken the Almohad province of Toledo, and this had sparked a series of events. Ibn Yacub, a most learned and wise man had since his childhood been an ardent follower of the Shining Truth. Now a chance had come to dedicate himself and his army to the cause entirely. Together with his mentee Prince Muhammad they rose against the Sultan and maybe a crack of light was about to shine on the Iberian Peninsula.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/almocivwar1214.jpg

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels/almocivwar1214b.jpg

Disclaimer: I've not played this campaign to an end, and maybe never will. RL is though on playing time more than ever. But I've wanted to do this for a while. This is where the campaign is at the moment so comments and good advice is welcome

/KotR

[I of the Storm]

This is a very nice idea. I'll be following this, should you have the time to continue. Other factions bribing your forces however is going to be a major problem of yours, I'm afraid.

[caravel]

This should be very interesting. Apart from bribes, loyalist revolts and faction reappearances will also be a major factor. This makes the rebel campaign a continuous fire-fight in trying to keep the factions down.

The trick is to isolate the factions and contain them in single provinces, then once you're in a position of power - go in for the kill.

:bow:

[Vantek]

KoTR,

I love you.

[bondovic]

Cool idea. Do keep it going - I really enjoy your AARs!

[Knight of the Rose]

Chapter Two: Downfall of the Order

Hope is but a fickle thing. At first it can seem like nothing can stop you, the world is at your feet and command. Glorious achievements await just at the other side of the corner. You’ve actually accomplished nothing, but the possibilities are *there*. The self image conjured in your mind resemble of the greatest generals of antiquity. Such was the fate of the Order of Shining Truth. The light that had broken ever so fragile through the thick clouds of religious Iberia had quickly turned to darkest ignorance and fear.
Firstly in Morocco Prince Muhammad fought bravely against the odds of the French Crusade

The setup, a nice army, but outnumbered
https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/Almo1215.jpg
The fighting took place in the woods
https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/Almo1215b.jpg
The Prince fought admirably
https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/Almo1215c.jpg
But...
https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/Almo1215d.jpg


…but in the end was overcome. Secondly Ibn Yacub proved to be a somewhat independent interpreter of the Truths of Reason. Provided the opportunity the good Yacub returned to his masters of Algeria. The good Pedro Gonzales overthrew the Spanish yoke, but in the end he was to become overwhelmed against the odds of organized violence.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/easycome1217.jpg

In Britain Robin of Locksley gathered many to his banner in Mercia. Yet none of any particular merit in facing the enemy openly. Especially his army lacked the ability to counter cavalry. Once King Philippe II the Tyrant showed up at the shores with his mixed army of peasants and knights the men of freedom fled for the hills they called their home. Showing his excellent leadership Locksley managed to inflict huge losses and even escaped from Nottingham Castle by breaking the siege. But soon he was forced to retreat all the way to Scotland, abandoning Britain to the French.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/lordofnorth1216.jpg
https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/battlebrittain1218.jpg
https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/battlebrittain1218a.jpg

But the greatest blow to the Order was the events around its founding City of Constantinople. Under constant barrage from both Hungarians, Germans, Italians, Byzantines and Turks, the brave defenders fought battle after battle, usually inflicting casualties one enemy could not recover from. But as one licked his wounds another would take over. More than once was a king caught and brought to the school bench, but in the end the lack of an economy destroyed the defences. Being more theoretic than pragmatic, somehow the Order kept losing 2000 florins a year, even though the official budget showed a surplus. Quickly debt was piling on the organisation, and when the nobility of several kingdoms refused to pay a King’s ransom, training of badly needed spearmen in Constantinople was put off.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/ransom1220.jpg

In the end the secret archives and learned philosophies had to be stored away in the Orders Fleet and sailed to a new Headquarter. Lord Lacaris and Lord Sgouros was caught and executed by the Turkish sultan, and a great sack of the city along with mercyless persecution of the population followed

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/fallofconst1226.jpg

But a new leadership was gathering under the young Locksley, now Enlightened leader of the Scots.

On the steppes, news had approached of a horde of unseen proportions moving towards the Orders vast yet sparsely populated plains. In view of the dire situation in Constantinople the Star of the East Zhiroslav Miloslavov gathered all the Warriors of the Good and led them west. Under his grey banner, the people of Poland and Germany quickly learnt to pray for the arrival of the Silver Horde to free them from the yoke of their oppressors. Then in 1229 came a breakthrough for Zhiroslav as he invaded Denmark and removed the entire Royal family showing a path to enlightenment through the use of force. The effective henchmen of The Order shipped them to a secret centre of reconfiguration of thinking, so they didn’t need to trouble the thoughts of Zhiroslav.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/silverhorde1222.jpg
https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/hordelord1232.jpg

In Iberia proof of the everlasting durability of thoughts of reason showed itself again in 1231 as Prince Alfonso led a rebellion under the banner of Shining Truth. Perhaps a bit premature though, as the uprising met swift and cruel suppression from the ruling class. Yet they could not rest easily as long as the Order survived in the minds and hearts of the population.

https://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm271/KnightoftheRose_photos/rebels2/spaincivwar1231.jpg

/KotR

[bondovic]

How refreshing to actually lose battles once in a while! You know, I try to constrain my efforts with house rules for my campaigns, but for some reason they always sound better in my head than in the game. I guess I'm just a natural born cheater... :shame:

[gollum]

The best way to fight challenging battles is to let the faction you play be managed by the AI in the campaign map. Just open the drawer of the mini-map and tick all boxes to allow the AI to get in charge of teh financies and builds, so you only move the pieces around and play the battles.

A couple of campaigns in that mode will test your patience, your skills in battle, show you a lot about how the AI plays and so what steps need to be done through moding for him to be more competent and for the player to be in a more equal footing with him.

:bow:

[bondovic]

Yeah, that's a good trick. But it's also not the problem. I have a fair idea of what I need to do - more Role Playing and turtling. Somehow I just can't keep the itch out of my fingers, though...