The Viking Migration

[Ramses II CP]

(This is my first attempt at an AAR, any feedback is welcome. For my first run through as the Norse I wanted to make the game a challenge, as much as possible at least, so I set myself a new type of migration game: overland migration. My basic rules are:

1. I can't hold any province for more than ten years until I conquer Jerusalem.
2. I can only conquer provinces that are contiguous with provinces I already own.
3. I must own at least one province at all times.
4. I must accomplish all possible Papal missions excepting crusades (Which force a blitz and break the fun of the game).
5. I can attack any faction, Catholic or not, to accomplish my mission, but I must seek peace with them when I move on beyond their borders.
6. I will recruit no ships or mercenaries.
7. I will only break an alliance under extreme necessity.
8. I can cross only at Constantinople or Gibraltar, and at the start of the game I'm only considering the (Formerly) Catholic crossing at Gibraltar, though diplomatic contact with the Byzantines may reverse that.

At the end of ten years holding a territory I must gift or sell it to a nearby ally or the Papacy, though I can liquidate all buildings first. Once I reach Jerusalem my purpose will be reclaiming the Holy Lands from Muslims and defending them from the Mongols and Timurids, after which I plan to expand to nearest Catholic borders, gift everything to the Pope and retake Arhus. The story bit doesn't really make sense, it's just the best rough justification I could concoct for the rules I thought I needed to make the game harder. Difficulty is m/vh with battle timers on. Enjoy!)

Arhus, 1080 AD, Day 0.

Eleven days since the royal family's second son was stillborn. Eleven days since the the witchy woman who prophesied that King Knud would never know another son was put to death. For these past eleven days the King has been taken with a great terror, unspoken but contagious, and now the very walls of the city hum with fear. The men are jumpy, sensing change in the air, and even the peasantry can smell an ill wind about. Christianity has officially held sway here for generations, but even the nobles visit a weirding woman when they take sick. Now the whispers have it that the All Father is awake, and angry. Riders out of the north report storms and sky-lights the color of blood. Today a messenger out of the west brought news that our entire fleet had been sunk by fiery rocks falling from the stars. I fear the King's reponse. Even now he holds council with a creature of the deep forest.

Arhus, 1080 AD, Day 1.

King Knud sat in chambers, with commands that no one disturb him, all through the night. When he emerged there was no sign of the filthy being he'd taken into his counsel, but the King was a changed man. He called the nobles together, commanded me to gather his bodyguard troops, and gave an impassioned speech about the debt of blood and honor today's men owe to history and the gods of our forefathers. Then, his voice rising louder and louder, he swore his blood, his line, and all his kingdom to proper payment of that debt. There was a chorus of 'Ayes!' from the nobility, much aided by the King's mead no doubt, but as the men stood to adjourn the King went on in a quieter voice.

'Odin spoke to me in the night.'

The King's guard, The Black Worms, had long been recruited according to the ancient rites, even when the kingdom officially forsook the old gods. At King Knud's words, my troop stirred. The reaction among the nobles was that of a sheep stunned for the kill. They simply stared as the King spoke on, about the necessity of repaying the debt we owed Odin, who had warded our land since the start of time. If we were to set the old gods aside once and for all, we would have to undertake one last quest in their names. The road will be hard, for the debt is great, but those of the people who survive the winnowing will be stronger for it, and free to follow the one God.

I saw my fervency for this quest reflected in the eyes of the King's guard, and in the eyes of King Knud. For the nobles, I saw a quivering recollection of the fear that had ruled our city for nigh on two weeks, and could readily fortell the failures of courage that would leave them scattered on the battlefields to come. I called a messenger to call up the troops for orders. Even those not familiar with the old ways would welcome any change from the snivelling terrors of these past days.

South of Arhus, turn 1, 1080-2 AD.

Our initial course is set, our Cardinal, Princess, Merchant, Spy and two primary armies head south. The Spy checks Hamburg out, discovering two peasant archers and two spear militia units. The southernmost army, composed of two spear militia units, a veteran peasant unit, a veteran Norse archer unit, and a unit of peasant archers lay seige to Hamburg immediately. They are commanded to prepare a ram and some ladders for the arrival of the King and his son. Diplomats and spearmen are to be trained at Arhus behind us before the structures are razed and the town is surrendered.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocDZaW3uCI/AAAAAAAAB24/f1MMrAUv-wM/s800/0071.jpg

Hamburg region, turn 2, 1083-4 AD.

The King assess the troops holding seige of Hamburg, and determines to send the majority of them on westward, holding two units of spearmen, his Black Worms, and the Prince's guard, the Gray Wolves, for the battle. We are outnumbered, but the enemy is far outmatched.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocDcKW3uFI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/Bpvqa4YNr5w/s800/0074.jpg

To draw fire away from the ram and the approach of my cavalry one unit of spearmen assaults with walls with only ladders against two units of peasant archers. They fought valiantly, and the gates broke before their courage did.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocDhKW3uMI/AAAAAAAAB4I/VxzjfU9XvkA/s800/0081.jpg

Once the gates fell the King and his son charge forward with their guards, smashing all resistance and sacking the town.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocDn6W3uTI/AAAAAAAAB5A/8Tn1RQVbCdc/s800/0088.jpg

2000 florins are gained, swelling our coffers. The money will be well spent in the coming years as a project to improve the recruitment abilities of Hamburg is launched. A small army of Germans is discovered by our spy near Hamburg. We do not wish trouble with the Holy Roman Empire so soon, so Princess Ingrid is sent to sue for an alliance.

Hamburg province, turn 3 1085-6 AD.

Princess Ingrid discovers that the HRE's Prince Henry is unwed, and is commanded to offer her hand in exchange for a small sum of florins. A firm alliance is thus concluded, and maps are shared. The Pope instructs us to build a small church at Hamburg, and King Knud determines to delay construction of other buildings to accomplish this holy mission. The King takes command of the western army, leaving Prince Charles to hold Hamburg.

Near Antwerp, turn 4, 1087-8 AD.

The church is completed, pleasing His Holiness. Prince Charles takes a bride. Most men of worth have abandoned Arhus and struck for Hamburg already, taxes are altered accordingly. Our Diplomats begin to scatter in every direction, seeking trade agreements and peaceful relations.

Near Antwerp, turn 5, 1089-90 AD.

The Council of Nobles asks that we make diplomatic overtures to the French.

Our spy discovers a powerful rebel garrison at Antwerp.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocD2aW3ulI/AAAAAAAAB7Q/B5tZLQoK6fg/s800/0106.jpg

Even so, the King marches up to the walls, but lacks the time to prepare the siege. In a fit of foolishness our diplomat, meant to give away Arhus to our HRE ally takes a detour and runs out of movement points before reaching the city to negotiate. Arhus will not be abandoned on schedule because it cannot be allowed to fall into chaos and rebellion. Someday soon there will be a penalty for this foolishness, no doubt.

Besieging Antwerp, turn 6, 1091-1092 AD.

Surrendering Arhus to the Germans improves our relations to Outstanding, though they refused to pay so much as a wooden florin for the city. Our men sold all that they could before striking out for Hamburg with the last of the useful peasants in their train. Prince Charles departs Hamburg with a large force of troops, including newly trained Scouts, Raiders, and Huscarls. Antwerp is besieged and our spy discovers an even more powerful garrison at Bruges.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocD_KW3uwI/AAAAAAAAB8o/k2_b1jG13SE/s800/0117.jpg

Soon after the siege is set in place, our enemy sallies out to meet us, suspecting that his force is superior. Little does he count the valor of our Black Worms!

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocEBqW3uzI/AAAAAAAAB9A/DUwVssQRcGE/s800/0120.jpg

Abandoning the useless rams, we position our two spear units behind four units of archers, while our Worm guards move off to flank the enemy and take advantage of his speed.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocEDKW3u1I/AAAAAAAAB9Q/Nm4wkRQIL9Q/s800/0122.jpg

The enemy commander's own unit of mailed knights rush forward, but our archers withdraw in time, and our spearmen make short work of the cavalry, breaking them and sending 15 of them fleeing for their walls. Meanwhile the enemy has dispatched two units of pikes to threaten our King, and a third unit of pikes and a unit of spearmen along behind the mailed knights to threaten our archers and spears. The Black Worms deftly move between the units of pikes sent after them to catch the pikes from behind as they engage our spears, shattering their formation instantly. (This shot is poor, but you can see the two units of pikes marching slowly, far from the battle)

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocEDqW3u2I/AAAAAAAAB9Y/8uZHPFZshJE/s800/0123.jpg

With the aid of Norse archers entering the melee, the spearmen are sent fleeing just as quickly. The enemy commander has rallied his knights by this time, and attempts to charge them through his crossbowmen to attack our King, who quickly wheels the Black Worms to meet the enemy charge, all but destroying the unit and killing the rebel commander. The remaining enemy pikes are lured into a hopeless chase, and picked apart by our archers. When their commander is killed, the first of the two remaining pike units breaks as well. Facing the charge of the King's guard, the city's peasants shut the gates when the last of their commander's guard attempts to re-enter the city.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocEFqW3u5I/AAAAAAAAB9w/xwKYXDJ9EYA/s800/0126.jpg

Denied at the gates, our King orders us back to the field to aid in breaking the last whole unit of enemy pikes. This allows enough time for the pathetic remnants of the enemy who had fled into the city to rally and return to battle.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocEHqW3u8I/AAAAAAAAB-I/1jwZwPZ33C0/s800/0129.jpg

At the sight of the King preparing his men to charge once more, they broke and fled for the gates again, but this time the Worms would not be denied!

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocEJKW3u-I/AAAAAAAAB-Y/TqyHKcxbc68/s800/0131.jpg

Hot on their heels we enter the city, charging not for their backs but for the square.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocEJ6W3u_I/AAAAAAAAB-g/vm05IkAZB6o/s800/0132.jpg

As the Guard roared up the city streets, the enemy surrendered at last, and Antwerp was ours!

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocEL6W3vCI/AAAAAAAAB-4/fq6GSW_jTZo/s800/0135.jpg

2,000 florins were sacked from the city again, and with our finances in decline while recruitment continued at Hamburg they were desperately needed. Prince Charles delays near Hamburg to collect a ballista crew from Arhus. If the ballistae can be brought to the front in time they will greatly speed our conquest by allowing us to attack cities soon after we siege them.

Though we neatly outmanuevered the three units of pike and our spy reported only two in Bruges, our next conquest, I worried what they might accomplish if their discipline proved stiffer in the battle to come.

[Dutch_guy]

Must say you're not giving yourself a break at all, with those house-rules.

Good luck and keep us updated !:2thumbsup:

:balloon2:

[Ramses II CP]

Antwerp, turn 7, 1093-4 AD.

Prince Charles has determined to delay further west of Hamburg to collect freshly trained Huscarles and Raiders. He sends word that he will strike out for Antwerp as soon as possible. Rumor has it that the Prince's zeal is substantially lacking.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocEOaW3vFI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/FNnv4ugVDWs/s800/0138.jpg

Meanwhile King Knud sets to training militiamen to hold Antwerp, and eyes the mighty garrison at Bruges. His reputation as a risky attacker may prove to be well deserved.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocEPaW3vGI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/nL8ZA1_uFcA/s800/0139.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocEQKW3vHI/AAAAAAAAB_g/eazev7fZFYU/s800/0140.jpg

Near Hamburg, turn 8, 1095-6 AD.

The Prince continues to be slowed by the ballistae he picked up from Arhus, and he dithers on, clearly now dragging his feet. The King keeps himself busy with preparations for the coming assault.

Antwerp, turn 9, 1097-8 AD.

At the risk of angering the King, I continue to prevail upon him to wait for Prince Charles' forces to arrive before we come against Bruges. Our spy has scouted an English castle and rebel held city beyond that will be more easily taken, and the King is in no mood for counsel of waiting. Word is sent for the Prince to abandon the ballista to make it's own way and speed to the city.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocEVaW3vNI/AAAAAAAACAQ/kaJcD-BZZrM/s800/0146.jpg

Meanwhile diplomatic contact is established with the French, per the Council's orders, and the Polish. Neither nation is particularly receptive to our offers, but the nobles offer the King a paltry reward of 500 florins.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocER6W3vJI/AAAAAAAAB_w/4WljyhtHbTQ/s800/0142.jpg

In private the King tells me he finds their lack of faith disturbing.

Antwerp, turn 10, 1099-1100 AD.

Prince Charles left mainly the crudest militia troops behind to handle the dismantling of Hamburg, unfortunately these men misunderstood his orders and, in their haste, also destroyed and sold off the local church.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocEV6W3vOI/AAAAAAAACAY/G0slG8ruGYM/s800/0147.jpg

The Pope is outraged, the King is enraged, and Prince Charles once again slows his march to Antwerp a few miles outside of town. In private, however, many of the Black Worms express relief that our failure to obey Odin has had such mild consequences. Hamburg is gifted to the French, our new allies, leaving us with only a single city under our control. King Knud vows to capture Bruges in all haste, and in an ironic twist, trains a ballista at Antwerp, making a mockery of all Prince Charles' wasteful dithering.

Besieging Bruges, turn 11, 1101-1102 AD.

Prince Charles' soldiers reached the east gate of Antwerp just behind King Knud's assault force departing by the west gate. Whispers abound that this was no mistake on the Prince's part. In any event, battle will soon be joined! I can smell in the air around Bruges that the men inside are well led, confident, and will sally out against us posthaste.

This happily prove to be the case! At last the Black Worms ride to battle again!

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocEaaW3vTI/AAAAAAAACBA/TiKVqvc52Co/s800/0152.jpg

This Captain Lancelot is clever, he charges forward with his cavalry to press our ballista unit immediately, knowing that they are our slowest men and that we won't have had time to set our spears.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocEcqW3vVI/AAAAAAAACBQ/Ud6KCbX45BE/s800/0154.jpg

The battle breaks up into chaos at this point, as the King leads a charge against the enemy crossbowmen when their pikes and spears abandon them. Unfortunately none of the enemy's pikes or spears turn back, and our spearmen are badly out manned and outclassed. Only heroic efforts by our Norse Archers save them all from breaking, and they spend all their blood before the enemy pikes even arrive. Meanwhile Captain Lancelot has been all over the field, charging our valiant archers, breaking our smallest unit of spearmen, and chasing our ballista men far afield from their engines. He has done much harm to our forces, but his horsemen have also been whittled away. At last a unit of peasant archers traps him and cuts him down.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocEd6W3vXI/AAAAAAAACBg/TllvXVJz1Ks/s800/0156.jpg

Meanwhile, however, the enemy pikemen reach our much depleted spear line. The Black Worms have broken the enemy's rear ranks, and have a chance to chase them through to the town square. The King, surveying our remaining troops, makes the determination that it is more important to capture the town than to ensure their survival. At worst, they are faster than the pikemen, and will make it safely off the field. Those of us in his guard who remain ahorse turn and charge for the gates.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocEdKW3vWI/AAAAAAAACBY/Cgei6RpDmCY/s800/0155.jpg

One unit of pike is enaged by both our spears, one unit of peasant archers, and the few remaining Norse archers. They break, but the cost is high, as the other unit of pike has flanked our spears and engages them even as their brothers flee. Now it is our turn to be broken, and our spearmen run for the hills while the archers lead the nearly whole pike unit on a merry chase, with the second archer unit shooting into their ranks from behind. Eventually they will break. Surely the King can secure the square to take victory in this siege.

The Black Worms, however, have had to clean up the broken enemy units before they could stream back to the square, and so, tired, much reduced, and yet triumphant we finally move into place at the square. Minutes pass as the peasants try to muster up their mayor for the official surrender. As stout men struggle to drag him from under his bed, however, the formerly broken unit of pikemen, still numerically superior to the Worms, begins their slow, orderly march up the streets.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocEfKW3vZI/AAAAAAAACBw/wvhndgVZsfw/s800/0158.jpg

The fool mayor, upon spotting them, turns tail to run, but our men are near enough to snag him and bring him before the King. In his most bloodcurdling voice our mighty lord leans down and demands the surrender of the town. Quivering from end to end, the Mayor looks over his shoulder at the advancing pikes, and, perhaps realizing his posterior is perfectly positioned between those poles and our brave knights, bellows out his acquiescence at full volume.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocEgaW3vbI/AAAAAAAACCA/TRgNSyf1yiA/s800/0160.jpg

The pikemen, twice broken and now betrayed, with nothing left to fight for, kneel and lay down their pikes. The battle was hard fought.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocEhqW3vdI/AAAAAAAACCQ/exY69NCcw0s/s800/0162.jpg

At the end of the day, Bruges was ours!

[Ramses II CP]

(Slight rules alteration in that, rather than give up a town ten years after I take it, instead I'm giving up a town every ten years starting with the town I've held the longest. Simply easier to keep up with. I'm abandoning the dates too, because they don't make much sense.)

Bruges, turn 12.

The King, hoping to train units other than militia for the conquest of Caen, has determined to convert Bruges into a castle. Some question the utility of this move, but in private the King also relates that he is concerned that the large native populace will be disorderly if their hands are not turned to some great work.

Near Angers, turn 13.

The King's financial advisor strikes the first blow against our next enemy, taking over the export of wine from a fool Englishman in this area. Superior troops are moved from Antwerp to Bruges to ready for the assault on the English at Caen. The Pope asks that we build a church at Antwerp, and the King commands that it be done ahead of all other projects.

Bruges, turn 14.

The Pope is pleased that the church is completed, and Prince Charles' reputation for noble acts is also thus enhanced.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocEraW3vpI/AAAAAAAACDw/sVOYY8QZWF8/s800/0174.jpg

In darker news, the Scottish have landed a large force from the fleet near Bruges, and the English have moved in a smaller force from the west just as the King sets out for Caen with his invasion troops. Bruges is held by green milita troops deemed too likely to break for the King to bring them on the road to Caen. Word is sent for the Prince to reinforce Bruges in all haste.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocEsKW3vqI/AAAAAAAACD4/PW2WdFgLruw/s800/0175.jpg

Road east of Caen, turn 15.

Diplomatic contact is established with the Spanish and the Papacy, at long last. The gift of Antwerp to the Papacy allows an alliance to be reached and relations to be improved to outstanding, but relations with Spain are cooler. They're between us and our God given mission. The Prince's slowest troops halt outside the gates of Bruges while he assumes control of the city.

Caen, turn 16.

Because we were forced to detour around the small English army in the countryside the siege cannot begin on time. The King is livid, camped mere miles from the castle he meant to be preparing to assault. Also our finances reach dire straits, and we fall into debt. The King's merchant assured us this was inevitable, but the King was certain one god or another would provide. Just one more test along the road.

Diplomatic contact is established with Russia, who refuse our offer of alliance, and (Per council orders) Venice, earning us too small a reward to bring our nation out of debt.

Besieging Caen, turn 17.

War!

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocE0qW3v1I/AAAAAAAACFQ/rlZECvrjCEg/s800/0186.jpg

The English are but the fools of fate, set in our path by no ill will of their own, but destined for death all the same. An Englishman named Robert commands the garrison, and he sent a messenger begging to know what our intentions were. Word has it that King Knud sent back a fiery diabtribe on the Dane's place in history and the will of God. Rams and ladders are being prepared for the butcher's work ahead.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocE1qW3v2I/AAAAAAAACFY/c5PsGqV_T-M/s800/0187.jpg

Our diplomat has been recalled from Spain to negotiate a settlement with the English after Caen is taken, and hopefully to keep the large Scottish army restrained, though they've shown no sign of open war yet.

Caen, turn 18.

The English fool Robert has only a bare troops on his ramparts. Our ram destroys his gate as our Raiders butcher the defenders. Our losses are light until we engage their cavalry, but the Englishman Robert aquits himself well against the scouts that raced ahead of the Black Worms before falling in battle.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocE46W3v6I/AAAAAAAACF4/NAsyFVyHSI0/s800/0191.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocE6qW3v8I/AAAAAAAACGI/pXCZeWATSHE/s800/0193.jpg

The scouts who still live will hopefully have learned a valuable lesson.

King Knud's offer to ransom the men taken in the assault is callously refused. The King's reputation in battle is growing fearsome, and increasingly at odds with the Prince's public persona.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocE86W3v_I/AAAAAAAACGg/aMWBa-mg7bA/s800/0196.jpg

Something in the siege has set the King in a terrible mood, and so he strikes out for the rebel held Rennes immediately, with no pause for rest, taking only a ballista, a few peasant archers, and a unit of Raiders with the Black Worms.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocE-aW3wBI/AAAAAAAACGw/VxnGUACNiHw/s800/0198.jpg

Besieging Rennes, turn 19.

The craven Council, sensing which way the wind blows, has promised a princely sum to the King for the sack of Rennes. With our mounting debt, who could refuse?

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RocE_KW3wCI/AAAAAAAACG4/CxJqOkrNHdU/s800/0199.jpg

My personal suspiscion is that the Council urged him on in the hopes that he would throw his life away against the rebel held walls, but those cowards have underestimated the valor of the Black Worms, and the fear our King inspires in his enemies. Rennes will present no difficulty. We begin the siege and set the peasants to building rams.

The enemy has some reliable troops, including a few knights, but they are rabble even so, and I suspect we will scatter them to the winds with one good charge.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RocFA6W3wEI/AAAAAAAACHI/wr4DjqN6DRI/s800/0201.jpg

Meanwhile the Scottish leave our lands to have a look at the Papacy's lightly defended Antwerp, and our diplomat prepares documents for seeking peace with the English.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RocFBqW3wFI/AAAAAAAACHQ/ix5nYKikQMI/s800/0202.jpg

Our spy discovers from afar that the Spanish garrison at Bordeux, next on the King's list, is quite weak, but that reinforcements are near.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RocFDaW3wHI/AAAAAAAACHg/Y2TpYhuQkGw/s800/0204.jpg

[Ramses II CP]

Turn 20, Northern France.

My son has come of age, and I pray that someday he will follow me into the ranks of the Black Worms. Indeed, King Knud set him on that path by sending him with a smoldering, furious letter to the recalcitrant Prince Charles and putting him under orders to join the Gray Wolves. I am proud, but also worried. The Prince has shown little enthusiasm for this battle, and I cannot help but wonder if the gods will not take umbrage at his footdragging.

When the letter reached the Prince at Caen our King's dreadful nature stretched across the lands to whip him into action. Setting out for Bordeaux with a substantial force, the Prince rode on ahead alone to secure the bridge and was ambushed by some 220 rebel spearmen.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RppgpnHQ7mI/AAAAAAAACP0/XAAWGXih-R0/s800/0004.jpg

According to later accounts, the Prince whipped his men into a state of near madness with a rousing speech, and then personally led charge after charge into the teeth of the rebel spears.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rppgq3HQ7oI/AAAAAAAACQE/UTB1rbSqXq8/s800/0010.jpg

These rebels were a doughty lot, and no mistake, because they continued to pursue the Gray Wolves even as they were cut down and broken, unit by unit.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RppgsXHQ7qI/AAAAAAAACQU/rzKQBZgqrsI/s800/0015.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RppgtHHQ7rI/AAAAAAAACQc/WgB-G1Jqw_I/s800/0016.jpg

Finally their captain, who had spent the lives of three other units of spearmen before risking his own in combat, was cut down under the charge of the Wolves.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RppgtnHQ7sI/AAAAAAAACQk/9Hb0zyecMCg/s800/0017.jpg

Even so, the last unit of spearmen rallied and tried to come against the Prince once again, uphill no less. They too would be broken and swept aside, as none could withstand the frozen steel lance heads of the Gray Wolves on this cold and snowy day.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rppgu3HQ7uI/AAAAAAAACQ0/_ruoJ8J1WU4/s800/0025.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RppgvnHQ7vI/AAAAAAAACQ8/knt9C5uszOg/s800/0027.jpg

Ten of the Wolves were buried on that field, with a mighty pile of their slain enemy's weapons mounded up nearby to mark the place. Prince Charles would be known as a better commander for what he did that day, as well.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RppgxHHQ7xI/AAAAAAAACRM/mAOU3l----E/s800/0029.jpg

Negotiations with the English produced a satisfactory peace, including handing over Bruges to them in exchange for some 2700 florins, a tribute of 500 florins for the next five turns, and an alliance. We also learned that Bordeaux had been reinforced, but the Prince's will, and the King's letter, drove him onward.

At Rennes the King determined to move forward with a night assault, despite our inferior numbers.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rppg3nHQ73I/AAAAAAAACR8/ne7zC7uJYHo/s800/0040.jpg

Our Ballista troops had bragged about their skill, and they proved it, firing at full range through a small hole they'd made in the enemy gates more than once.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rppg5HHQ75I/AAAAAAAACSM/GzVp4aewXhQ/s800/0047.jpg

King Knud was impressed, but he knew it would come down to steel meeting flesh once the gates were broken, and so it did. The enemy neatly arrayed himself in a bunched formation on a tight street, and our Raiders held them in place while the King moved in behind them and the archers and ballista rained fire on their heads. When the King charged their rear and butchered their captain, the rest of the enemy surrendered and begged for their lives.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rppg63HQ78I/AAAAAAAACSk/9rhAQDewKpE/s800/0053.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rppg7nHQ79I/AAAAAAAACSs/fFidS5T6hpc/s800/0054.jpg

The Council's 2500 florin reward was enough to buy our way out of debt, temporarily at least, with 1000 florins to spare, which were quickly spent on fresh troops.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rppg-HHQ8AI/AAAAAAAACTE/nd9lJFJHgA0/s800/0058.jpg

Besieging Bordeaux, turn 21.

Despite the presence of a Spanish Cardinal and possibly inferior troops, the Prince went ahead with the declaration of war and the siege of Bordeaux, aided by our spy, who had slipped in the day before.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rppg_HHQ8BI/AAAAAAAACTM/HBeZcpGUqF4/s800/0059.jpg

Caen was left in the hands of a few militiamen and peasants, Rennes was reinforced by the quality troops from Caen, and King Knud took the veteran units and the Black Worms and moved down the road to reinforce Bordeaux, fearing that the Prince would be driven back or unable to conquer the place on his own.

Siege of Bordeaux, turn 22.

The fool Council, showing their incomprehension of our quest, asked that we blockade the port of Leon, despite Odin's prohibition of the building of ships before the accomplishment of our task. The King laughed contemptuously, and order them to board wagons and make for Bordeaux.

Prince Charles, having word of the King approaching the last bridge before Bordeaux, determined to prove himself and sack the castle before being reinforced. My son sent word that the Prince again delivered an excellent speech, and inspired the men to brave high walls and hard steel with fire in their hearts.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RpphE3HQ8HI/AAAAAAAACT8/K0zK3j_BKKU/s800/0065.jpg

The battle was uneventful, and though our fearless scouts raced ahead once again, there were few casualties and a generally dispirited defensive effort from the Spanish.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RpphF3HQ8II/AAAAAAAACUE/tT7Zxbjk62g/s800/0066.jpg

I know the King will be much encouraged to hear of the spineless Spanish troops and their weak efforts. I can further hope that matters between the King and his son will be smoothed over with the rapid capture of this fresh fortress by Prince Charles.

[Ramses II CP]

Southern France, turn 23.

A member of our diplomatic corp brings most excellent news, we've made contact with the empire that holds the crossing at Constantinople, the Byzantines. For a small sum of coin and copies of our own maps the Byzantines were willing to send us maps of the area around the crossing. For the first time since our quest began we have a choice to make.

News also reached us that Prince Charles has adopted a young noble from his retinue into the royal family. The King is enraged, and he can hardly be blamed. Rumors have swirled around the Prince for some time, centering on the lack of children, and now bringing this man into the fold smacks of something best left unspoken. Worse, the King's wife is clearly past the age of bearing more children, and the King's daughters will give him no comfort when he thinks on where the crown will pass.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDGiHHQ8PI/AAAAAAAACVE/s0dmbKxa_VM/s800/0010.jpg

Even more maddening for the King, a small Spanish force has taken the bridge north of Bordeaux and will have to be cleared away before he can meet with his son to discuss the matter. They quickly fall back from the bridge when we ride forth, and I urge the King to turn aside and make for Bordeaux, but he will have none of it. The Spanish are to be put to the sword.

Late a night, on the rain swept coast of France, we take the high ground and prepare to assault. King Knud commands the rest of the force to hold their ground as the Black Worms ride out to clear away the enemy archers.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDGinHQ8QI/AAAAAAAACVM/y7E5xssDhOI/s800/0016.jpg

They break quickly, and the guard pulls back to suck in the enemy cavalry. When we reach a good spot we turn to attack as our Huscarls ride in from the side under a shower of burning arrows. The enemy general is struck down, and his cavalry flees.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDGkHHQ8TI/AAAAAAAACVk/cGkhpRemyoE/s800/0026.jpg

Our horses trample a few more burning spearmen under their hooves, and the battle is won.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDGlHHQ8VI/AAAAAAAACV0/sg7j-lcK45w/s800/0035.jpg

We lost only nine men, and after the battle the Spaniards who surrendered are put to the sword.

Prince Charles, having word of the King's coming and his mood, departs Bordeaux via the south gate (Bumping into a small Portugeuse force) in considerable haste as we arrived at the west gate. I am sorry to have to record that King Knud's temper got the better of him, and he killed two gate guards on hearing the news. The peasants were suitably impressed with the need to be orderly.

Our spy scouted the fortress at Pamplona and a Spanish city called Zaragosa, and reported them both lightly held by small armies.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDGrHHQ8cI/AAAAAAAACWs/UIJ87m7au2o/s800/0044.jpg

Southern France, turn 24.

Diplomatic contact is established with the Venetians, and maps are traded with a small sum of florins thrown in. We now have a fully mapped route to Muslim lands in the east, with our allies holding our north border much of the way. To the south, a hard slog through Spain followed by the trackless deserts of Africa. Additionally the Venetians and Byzantines are at war and will no doubt weaken each other before we arrive. The choice seems obvious to all, and the Prince heads east towards Toulouse with the spy preceeding him discovering that it is very lightly garrisoned.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqDGw3HQ8iI/AAAAAAAACXc/F4z-9ZLpp0M/s800/0059.jpg

Additionally a large army of Spaniards is spotted near Zaragosa. The Council tries to prevail upon the King to turn aside from Spain, even going so far as to point out that he must head east to bring his son to heel. In a towering rage King Knud attacks a nobleman, and a brawl develops in the council chambers. We drag the councilmen out, resisting the urge to add to their bruises and broken bones. The next day the council, two units in need of retraining, and most of the peasants strike out east, to join Prince Charles, as the King takes his army south.

Southern France, turn 25.

Prince Charles is joined by some units from Bordeaux, and remains on the Danish border near Toulouse. The council has met with the Prince, and with their support he has commanded that a diplomat enter negotiations with the French for the peaceable transfer of Toulouse into our holdings. After much wrangling the French are given the castle at Caen, the city of Rennes, copies of our maps, military access to our lands, and a promise of an attack against some rebels on their borders. It is enough, and Toulouse is ours. Relations with the French are outstanding on the news.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDGxnHQ8jI/AAAAAAAACXk/wuHnrmNVzVo/s800/0060.jpg

I personally bring word of this to King Knud, expecting the worst, but the King simply sits at his desk muttering when I give him the news. Finally he glances up and with darkness gathering in his eyes he dismisses me.

The next morning the King delivers a glorious speech, proclaiming that Odin has promised him a great victory at Zaragosa, but the darkness in his eyes was still there. I don't expect it will ever recede again.

More orders out of the Prince see our weakest troops disbanded in an attempt to gain control of our financial situation. All the town militia and peasants, some of whom were raised in Toulouse for the handover, are dismissed. Still, a debt is forcast to mount quickly. Some of these men were under the King's command when word arrived that they surrender their weapons and join the peasantry. Still there was no fire in him, and the order was passed down as though it had come from his own lips. He was left with a few units of spear militia, some archer militia, a weakend group of Huscarls, and, of course, the Black Worms.

In the Pyrenees, turn 26

We camp in northern Portugal. Messengers from the east are few, but we gather that the Prince has ordered Bordeaux all but abandoned and our northernmost armies are moving to join him as he heads for the rebel city of Dijon, to make good our word with the French. Toulouse too is very lightly held, but seemingly unthreatened. Of late the King drinks and makes merry with the guard often, spinning great yarns of Danish history and his personal exploits from his youth, but the blackness in his gaze is growing. I'm no witch, but I can sense what is coming.

Near Zaragosa, turn 27.

We've moved to the outskirts of the Spanish province and learned that the garrison has been substantially reinforced. The enemy clearly outnumbers us, and has a superiority in cavalry and infantry troops, some armed with deadly javelins. King Knud wanders through the camp, slapping backs and shoring up courage among the militia.

Word out of the France is that debt has crippled production at Toulouse, preventing the retraining of battered units. Prince Charles has moved into rebel territory.

Soon the siege begins.

Besieging Zaragosa, turn 28.

We've reached the walls. The Spanish commander, a man named Vaasco, sent a messenger to demand our surrender, proclaiming both the superiority of the troops he had in the city and the nearness of his reinforcements. He was sent back with a warning, that any of the men of Zaragosa who did not surrender would be slaughtered.

The last word from Prince Charles was that the rebel garrison was small and weak, two militia archer units backed by some bloodied spears and mailed knights. Debt was mounting, but expectations were high of another successful negotiation with the French regarding Marseilles.

Siege of Zaragosa, end of turn 28.

On the eve of battle the King is joyful. The weather has been still and dry, and the men are well rested and ready. When the Spaniard Vaasco gathers his banners by the gate, we form up to await his sally. The King, with no time for a speech, simply delivers an old joke about not chasing the enemy too closely for fear of their loosened bowels.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDG8nHQ8uI/AAAAAAAACY8/ikJWAXMqWuk/s800/0071.jpg

The King has detailed instructions for the spearmen, they're to form two lines with room between for the archers to fire in a tight line into the enemy. They are not to simply charge into melee, but instead to form up first, close enough that the opponent's cavalry cannot charge but not so close that his infantry are drawn into a fight. Meanwhile the archers will light their arrows to drive fear into the Spanish, and the Black Worms will ride to the walls in support of our weakend spear flank, while our Huscarls ride to the walls on the other side.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHCHHQ8zI/AAAAAAAACZk/8200ARmhaHQ/s800/0076.jpg

The pocket develops perfectly, with the enemy cavalry engaged by our spears, his infantry desperately trying to form up under our fire arrows, and our cavalry charging on both sides of them. Fighting so near the walls, we have shelter from enemy javelins, arrows, and tower bolts. The King kills Spaniard after Spaniard, working his way toward the gate. I watched him decapitate one man against the wall, swinging so hard he had to dislodge his sword from the timbers before he could continue the massacre.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHDHHQ80I/AAAAAAAACZs/gnEfew_0Z3I/s800/0077.jpg

When our Huscarls charge in behind where the enemy general has engaged our spearmen, his will falters, and in that moment our spears cut him down.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHEXHQ81I/AAAAAAAACZ0/equQAPWwcvY/s800/0078.jpg

King Knud drives the enemy back through their gate, butchering them, and they are saved from a total disaster only by those of their men who had fled already and reformed at the town square. The King, with a froth of blood in his beard, roars order for his guard to pursue. The miltia spearmen struggle to make their way through the gate with good order, blocking the Huscarls from following the King's guard. The Black Worms, surrounded by enemies, tear up the city streets and enemy soldiers throw down their weapons in despair as we pass. Some are trampled under, some wail and cover their faces, and the rest flee in any direction, even back to the rest of our army. It is a glorious charge, with me right by the King's side.

At the square we meet a stubborn unit of enemy spears, recently reformed, and smash them aside. Another reformed spear unit, just a dozen men strong, moves up to pin us in place and suddenly enemy javelins come flying in thick and fast. There is a moment of unutterable clarity for me as I look desperately about. Where are the Worms? Where is the King's Guard? Behind us is a trail of death and destruction, hundreds of dead, but atop those piles, here and there, is the body of a Worm or his horse visible. It's enough. It's too many. There are no bodies left between King Knud and the storm of javelins.

Pierced a dozen times over, the mighty stallion of the King falls. Lord Knud, feared, dreaded, and much beloved servant of two gods, struggles to find his feet as the last of the Spanish spears swarm over him and run him through.

Screaming our rage, the last remnants of the Black Worms lay about us. I try to keep my head, bellowing that we must get clear of the square. Too proud to break, five of us charge through the encircling javelin throwers and press out the north end of the square, far from the rest of the army to the south. Damnable Spanish Jinetes follow us, and before we can reach the north gate we must turn to fight them back. They are killed, but again javelins have reached us and fall in a cloud amidst the remnant of a remnant. My horse falls from under me, and I am spilled into the street just as the enemy's last few scattered bits of cavalry roar down the street. Blackness takes me.

I wake sometime later, with the sounds of battle still near. I am able to drag myself to the wall of a cottage, though my legs are crushed, to watch the rest of the fight at the square. The enemy sits there, gradually cut down by our militia archers. Huscarls give their lives to cut down the last enemy archers, and by the time the last exhausted Spaniard falls the square is awash in blood.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHGHHQ83I/AAAAAAAACaE/o-7D-wGTcjU/s800/0081.jpg

(Note the one 'healed' bodyguard member)

The King is dead, long live the King. In truth King Charles' time came long ago, and in the end Knud knew this. I can only hope the new king carries out the mandate of Odin and restores the Danes to their place in history.

My body is broken, and I, the last of King Knud's Black Worms, have spoken all the words I have left.

[Ramses II CP]

Southern France, turn 29.

"Look down at your feet men. Go on, look! Some among us would have me cast aside the work of these past decades under the ruse that it was my father, and not I, who set our feet on this difficult path. Some would have us lay down our arms and seek peace in these foreign lands. So who is the master of your feet? Who set your feet on the path you now bestride? You are, every one, the masters of your own feet.

I do not command feet! I command men, as did my father before me!

And for me, it will be god's will above all. If your feet take you along another path, slink down it you coward, dragging your belly in the dirt! For us men, us sons of Vikings, we will walk the path that God and King have set for us until we find it's end!"

The men roared as King Charles dismissed them from the gathering, in the middle of the road to Dijon. Word of the death of King Knud arrived only a few hours ago, along with my father's journal and a sack of Spanish coin. The most striking thing about the book was how many empty pages wait for me in it. I mourn my father, but I also hope someday to find so valiant an end.

King Charles had already assumed the mantle of leadership at the encouragement of the noble council some years ago, but now it was firmly in his hands. He dismissed a claimant for his sister's hand immediately, and heard a Papal messenger soon after. The Pope had orderd a cessation of hostilities with Spain.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHIHHQ85I/AAAAAAAACaU/M1eQ0UqHt2E/s800/0083.jpg

I am not often privy to the King's thoughts, but it was clear that this message pleased him, I suppose because it offered him an overwhelming reason, supported by the old King's own words, to not take revenge for King Knud's death. We broke camp and reached the walls of Dijon later that day, setting a siege immediately.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHNnHQ8-I/AAAAAAAACa8/ld5IvOWxTqE/s800/0088.jpg

A small force of Spaniards was reported near the flighty garrison of Zaragosa, but the King send word they were to hold there.

Siege of Dijon, turn 30.

Another suitor for the Princess, also turned away. King Charles, ever mindful of the Code of Chivalry, evaluated his force in siege of Dijon and determined to take most of it towards Milanese lands, which we would need to capture next. He left the new crown Prince, Sweyn, in command of a mixed scout cavalry and militia archer force with orders to sack the town.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHPXHQ9AI/AAAAAAAACbM/yUOOp5Txshc/s800/0090.jpg

Word came to us on the road south of Dijon that the new Prince performed admirably, though his voice failed him in his pre-battle speech. Rather than attack the enemy's heavily defended gate where towers could fire at them from every side, Sweyn ordered that holes be knocked in the walls along the closest axis and the scouts be sent in quickly to clear away enemy archers.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHQHHQ9BI/AAAAAAAACbU/3OBAMNvP0Qs/s800/0091.jpg

It was done, just so, and losses in the sack of the town were few. Prince Sweyn has decided to name his guard the Red Hawks, they were fleet afoot this day and earned their name.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHXnHQ9II/AAAAAAAACcM/LswE4QcVjkQ/s800/0098.jpg

Added to the florins from Zaragosa the treasury was, at last, solvent. The money would likely be needed, for we faced another negotiation with the French over Marseilles. Recognizing his victory, King Charles sent a veteran warrior to watch over Prince Sweyn and keep the line of succession safe.

As it turned out the French were quite anxious to have Bordeaux, and putting Zaragosa into the deal earned us a few florins beside. Marseilles was ours!

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHanHQ9LI/AAAAAAAACck/oAtCqrQ-D9w/s800/0104.jpg

The King's sister then negotiated a ceasefire and a wife for Prince Sweyn out of the shocked Spanish as they watched the French investiture of Zaragosa. So hungry were they for peace, that they paid us some 2,000 florins for it and a husband for their daughter. Relations were poor, but we left an ally and a trading partner behind us all the same. Sycophants at the court were quick to crow over King Charles' clever coup.

On the road to Northern Italy, turn 31.

Prince Sweyn met his new wife for the first time. Reports have it that he is quite taken with her. Fresh troops are sent from Toulouse to Marseilles, passing the old French garrison on the road. Confused Spanish forces gather outside French Zaragosa as our garrison departs, and a diplomat is dispatched to speak to the Milanese about the surrender of Genoa.

Northern Italy, turn 32.

The Council has asked that we make entreaties to the Turks, they are anxious to know what lies on the road ahead of us. For myself, I am more concerned about the Milanese. We have few florins to offer them, and they are notoriously tight fisted about giving up any possible advantage. We offer them everything we have to avoid a war, and they send us away empty handed.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHh3HQ9TI/AAAAAAAACdk/ti7K5A0I7Z8/s800/0113.jpg

Our spy slips into Genoa, and discovers their Duke commands it with a light garrison. It will soon be ours.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHinHQ9UI/AAAAAAAACds/IRNjO0D5W6k/s800/0115.jpg

Northern Italy, turn 33.

A daughter is born to crown Prince Sweyn. King Charles is heard to wonder aloud if Odin's plague of daughters on his line hadn't yet passed. The King and his spy determine that, after Genoa, Milan will be our next target, and a tough nut to crack. A ballista is ordered to the front to aid it that coming siege.

Besieging Genoa, turn 34.

Genoa was seemingly taken by surprise at our attack, as only their Duke was within the walls when we arrived. An army heavy on infantry sets to work building ladders and rams, while the Milanese dispatch reinforcements from their capital to aid the city. Our own reinforcements, including the ballista, stop just short of the city as well.

Word reaches us that Emperor Henry of the Holy Roman Empire, husband of King Charles' own sister, has discarded our alliance to maintain his friendship with Milan. Dark tidings indeed!

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHo3HQ9aI/AAAAAAAACec/E_E1Fw2hHTI/s800/0122.jpg

Trade rights and maps are exchanged with the Hungarians, filling out our view of eastern Europe.

Near Genoa, end of turn 34.

Milan has sent a force of crossbowmen backed by spears to block our reinforcement of the siege of Genoa. The King watches the battle from a hill west of Genoa, but determines not to lift the siege to intervene.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHs3HQ9eI/AAAAAAAACe8/Vylz2hNF7y0/s800/0126.jpg

Our ballista crew cracks jokes about everything being much smaller in Milan as they catch sight of the Milanese crossbows for the first time.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHunHQ9gI/AAAAAAAACfM/kJhcbX9fKmc/s800/0128.jpg

Our cavalry ride out to either side as our spearmen rush forward. They all meet in the middle, on the hill chosen by the Milanese captain.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHv3HQ9iI/AAAAAAAACfc/dfePRKZbKiE/s800/0131.jpg

That same captain flees for his life afterward, the last man of Milan left standing on the field.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHxXHQ9kI/AAAAAAAACfs/260N1N9i6hs/s800/0136.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDHynHQ9mI/AAAAAAAACf8/Ua-sDMbGK1o/s800/0140.jpg

Milan paid their ransom, so the captives were released and crept across the border towards their capital. After the battle word reached us of a horrific act of treachery by the French. They've sieged us with a vastly superior force at Dijon under a captain named Godfrey.

Sieges of Genoa and Dijon, turn 35.

King Charles debates a night attack, but decides that it is unecessary as the Duke will hardly dismount his men and set them on the walls.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDH2nHQ9qI/AAAAAAAACgc/vG9V0f0Z9dA/s800/0144.jpg

The King has high hopes of capturing the Duke of Milan alive, so he brings his whole force to the battle. In this case chivalry seems to dictate both showing respect to the enemy and striving to keep him in good health to be ransomed.

In the field outside the city we once again ride down those same crossbowmen and spearmen we had just ransomed. Their masters will not be pleased to buy them back a second time. King Charles' Gray Wolves sound the charge of the new King's guard for the first time against them.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqDH3XHQ9rI/AAAAAAAACgk/I-x0Wlaxr1g/s800/0145.jpg

In the city a taste of fire tipped arrows drives the Duke from the square, where our men surround him and dismember his personal guard. When he is finally pulled from his horse he begs for his life, and swears that his nation will pay a King's ransom for his head to stay on his shoulders.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqDH63HQ9vI/AAAAAAAAChE/XuxfjHoj1nU/s800/0154.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDH7nHQ9wI/AAAAAAAAChM/ef1S6atbk4Q/s800/0155.jpg

He is correct, they pay. King Charles is delighted to accept!

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDH8nHQ9xI/AAAAAAAAChU/hJRcPnqcwJM/s800/0156.jpg

King Charles, after suffering a nasty scrape on his knuckles in the battle for Genoa, recruits a shieldbearer to stay by his side. Fortunately it is not I who is tasked such work.

In accordance with our mandate, negotiations are entered with Venice to secure Bologna in exchange for our western cities. After much wrangling, and quite a bit of our new coins thrown in for good measure, a deal is reached.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDH_nHQ90I/AAAAAAAAChs/X1miHg7_9RM/s800/0160.jpg

We have agreed to attack the single unit of rebel peasants parked outside the city, and (In due course) the Byzantines, Venice's current enemy. The peasants are not expected to cause any trouble, so we send the newly mustered town militia after them. The town milita broke, and reported a loss with light casualties. A unit of spear militia is sent to 'mop up' the remaining peasants. The peasants slaughter them almost to a man, on a featureless plain with the spearmen fighting downhill no less.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIeHHQ-UI/AAAAAAAACls/8EzMN6EtIfU/s800/0201.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIfXHQ-WI/AAAAAAAACl8/RrrflfqjeTs/s800/0203.jpg

No more attacks are sent for now, for fear of disorder in Bologna.

Meanwhile, Prince Sweyn determines to sally out against the traitorous French. He vows to leave none alive.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDICnHQ93I/AAAAAAAACiE/qvqDXIFmTuI/s800/0163.jpg

Our two full units of Scouts and the Red Hawks ride out quickly, with the Scouts looping in behind the enemy to catch routing units and stragglers while the Prince's guard charges straight for the enemy's archers. By the time the French have carfully arrayed their men in neat formations, well back from the walls, the Red Hawks' charge is already upon the hapless militia bowmen.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIEnHQ95I/AAAAAAAACiU/OB-5U78Cta0/s800/0165.jpg

They break, and are scooped up by the scouts to the French rear. Another unit of archers, shrunken from some previous campaign, gets the same treatment when they venture away from the French lines.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIInHQ99I/AAAAAAAACi0/rFJwtizYne0/s800/0169.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIKnHQ9_I/AAAAAAAACjE/EMI7PkK5l1A/s800/0171.jpg

Prince Sweyn was now able to bring his own archers forward to fire at the enemy infantry with impunity. This brought a quick response from the Mercenary Frankish Knights the French had brought. One unit of them chased after our much faster scouts in futile anger, while the other attempted to charge our archers. The Red Hawks met them with a charge of their own, and sent them reeling. A few quick moments of combat, and 30 dead knights littered the field while the rest fled. One unit of scouts interecepted the fleeing mercenaries, but in a stroke of bad luck they rallied just as the scouts arrived. Those 10 knights held long enough for the other unit of mercenary knights to join the battle, but our second group of scouts rode in behind them to save their fellows.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqDINXHQ-CI/AAAAAAAACjc/GUb01pDnhWo/s800/0175.jpg

With the enemy's archers and knights routed and captured, the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt. Leaderless French infantry marched across the field, drawn hither and thither, often looking over their shoulders just in time to catch the glint of a steel lance head descending on them from behind.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIQnHQ-FI/AAAAAAAACj0/F88YG6I2Bvo/s800/0182.jpg

The Red Hawks were everywhere on the field, with scouts not far behind. Despite some innovative French tactics (Note the spearman jumping over the lance), there would be nothing for them today but death.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDITnHQ-II/AAAAAAAACkM/XGE59wTDzwA/s800/0185.jpg

In the end, the French managed to salvage twenty men from that bloody day, men to carry word of what happens when you betray Danish trust.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIWnHQ-LI/AAAAAAAACkk/D6Ymq4e-QFk/s800/0192.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIXnHQ-MI/AAAAAAAACks/lavZJg6Q2vE/s800/0193.jpg

Some 200 prisoners were executed after the battle, and their corpses dotted the trees for miles as a warning to any other Frenchmen who might think to take up arms in this countryside. Prince Sweyn does decide to abandon Dijon, leaving only a token garrison in place, so that such heroic efforts will not be needed again soon.

One last matter of battle to deal with, as a few more Milanese reinforcements meant for Genoa are on the north border, and the King means to deal with them once and for all. He strikes out from freshly conquered Genoa and meets them on a wide plain near the river. The King brings a force roughly even in numbers to the battle, but far superior in valor.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIhnHQ-ZI/AAAAAAAACmU/QknqCDJiLnw/s800/0206.jpg

The battle is unremarkable on a tree dotted plain, and the enemy are driven back.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIi3HQ-bI/AAAAAAAACmk/bAU1wKSRi9s/s800/0210.jpg

What is notable is that Milan refuses to pay ransom on these troops. Have they reached the bottom of their coffers, or were they simply not convinced these men were worth paying for? In any event King Charles camps not far from the walls of Milan with a substantial force and reinforcements arriving soon.

Besieging Milan, turn 36.

The Holy Roman Empire sends a demand for a small sum of florins, and threatens to attack if it is not granted. The King instructs that they be offered Dijon to sate their hunger for land in exchange for a few florins and a promise not to attack. The Emperor Henry will have quite a task holding that battered town if the French come again. Diplomatic contact is established with Turkey, including an exchange of maps. The Council's reward? They have longboats built behind King Charles' back. The King is not amused, and orders them sunk.

The Pope is pleased that we have observed his commands with regard to Spain, and our diplomatic relations are generally excellent. Two units of spearmen are sent from Bologna to finish off those troublesome rebel peasants, no wonder the Venetians needed help with them! They cannily avoid major conflict, and slip away into the populace.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqDIzHHQ-sI/AAAAAAAACos/REQYVAfdwR4/s800/0227.jpg

(To be continued)

[Ramses II CP]

The escape of a few Venetian peasants was but a minor inconvenience. The decision to be made now was whether to hold the siege against Milan and let our men build ladders and rams, or to go forward with only the single ballista team to smash the walls. The King determines to capture Milan immediately, and offer the enemy no chance to bring in reinforcements. Except for their Duke and his son the only troops within the walls are spearmen and crossbowmen. We attack under cover of darkness.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpTZzW91I/AAAAAAAACwQ/KQYa6vY7pkI/s800/0002.jpg

Leaving only a few peasant archers at the west gate, the King arrays his forces at the north gate hoping to surprise the enemy again. Indeed, the mass of the Milanese and their standard are at the west gate. The peasants are ordered to shoot arrows over the walls to try to hold that force there, and the enemy withdraws all his spearmen to the town square, sending down crossbowmen to engage our peasant archers.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpUZzW92I/AAAAAAAACwY/LK1vfx-3rNQ/s800/0004.jpg

Meanwhile the ballista fires a few shots at the gates, but they are inset within the walls and a difficult target. Though it will take more time, they insist the walls themselves make a better target.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpVJzW93I/AAAAAAAACwg/X5FFDuCz-Zo/s800/0014.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpV5zW94I/AAAAAAAACwo/tFbgbG7baXQ/s800/0016.jpg

By the time the walls are cracked the enemy has no crossbowmen in place (They are all at the west gate, firing down on our peasant archers) to support their spears, and our swordsmen pour into the gap and begin the slaughter.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpW5zW95I/AAAAAAAACww/LIdRbFQR2hg/s800/0018.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpYJzW96I/AAAAAAAACw4/jVwGGt-XtBU/s800/0022.jpg

The enemy Duke and his son charge forward, swinging the momentum back to the Milanese...

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpZpzW97I/AAAAAAAACxA/xA75QeD3EI0/s800/0029.jpg

...but this is precisely what King Charles was holding back the rest of his forces for. Under a barrage of burning arrows, with a freshly dropped section of wall to open a new front, the Gray Wolves lead the attack and drive the enemy back, shattered, to their sqaure. The fool Milanese crossbowmen are cut off and cut down as they flee for the square, leaving their fellows vulnerable to our arrows. Surrounded by Viking Raiders, their Duke is cut down, and the town is ours!

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpapzW98I/AAAAAAAACxI/2B8ZSPZ4bwU/s800/0033.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpbpzW99I/AAAAAAAACxQ/k6e-SsE__6c/s800/0039.jpg

With the Milanese cleared from our path and the coffers overflowing King Charles graciously releases the troops captured in the sack of Milan, and hopes for a restoration of peace with that nation. Prince Selwyn gathers all of our captain led forces in the field to prevent rebellion, and between turns the French offer us a ceasefire. For their treachery they are made to pay dearly before another alliance is inked.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpcpzW9-I/AAAAAAAACxY/xtVtvWOfHJY/s800/0049.jpg

Diplomatic contact is also established with the Sicilians, and maps are purchased. Finally an envoy from Milan reaches our shores and offers a ceasefire. In light of their much reduced stature in the world, they too are taxed heavily for peace and an alliance.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpdZzW9_I/AAAAAAAACxg/j9_wnx_Wr_c/s800/0056.jpg

Northern Italy, turn 37.

The Pope demands a cessation of hostilities with Milan. A messenger is sent immediately with documents demonstrating our already concluded ceasefire and alliance. The Council asks that we make contact with the Egyptians. Rumor has it that ours is the wealthiest faction in the known world. With the siege of Venice an inevitable battle on the horizon the construction of ballista is commissioned at the formerly Venetian city of Bologna and our spy is sent to scout their defenses.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpepzW-AI/AAAAAAAACxo/lP_OotRTOGQ/s800/0065.jpg

Maps are purchased from the Moors to enhance our knowledge of the world.

Near Venice, turn 38.

Somehow the Venetians were informed of our intent to attack, that or they are better informed about our plans than our prior enemies have been, because they've launched a pre-emptive attack against Bologna. Even so, the diplomatic situation is overwhelmingly favorable.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqdpf5zW-BI/AAAAAAAACxw/H-b0rp8ved0/s800/0069.jpg

With our Cardinal aging, and the need for influence with the Pope so recently made obvious, new priests are being recruited in Genoa. They'll be essential for teaching the Muslims about their new lord once we reach the Holy Lands. The Venetian attack was obviously a hasty and ill prepared one. Our garrison of miltia troops at Bologna immediately sallies out with superior numbers and the only long range weapon on the field.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqdpg5zW-CI/AAAAAAAACx4/B0SBWvaumCY/s800/0073.jpg

Determined to prove that their courage was in inverse proportion to their intelligence, the enemy's command bodygaurd stands their ground and is cut down by our ballista. Our own men watching the bolts fell horseman after horseman began to turn their faces aside and weep, but when the time came to clear the remaining Venetian spearmen off the field they matched the steel in their hands with the iron of their resolve. Brave fools, these men of Venice, but fools all the same.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqdph5zW-DI/AAAAAAAACyA/T_UvtT6Xvs4/s800/0075.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpjJzW-EI/AAAAAAAACyI/5H2LoIAQaVE/s800/0077.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqdpj5zW-FI/AAAAAAAACyQ/6O02-IiPqLU/s800/0078.jpg

The captives from this battle were released, both out of respect for their courage and an hope that they spread the story, driving other Venetians to emulate that mad display of bravery. The war with Milan ended, a German princess is contacted about the resumption of an alliance in exchange for a sum of florins. Agnes the Man Hater proves a poor negotiator for Germany, but the alliance is concluded. In addition she is pressed into signing an agreement to attack the Venetians in exchange for her getting her own, just spent, florins back and our own inevitable attack against Venice. A large Venetian army is spotted heading north, and it is hoped the Germans can intercept them.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqdplJzW-GI/AAAAAAAACyY/onyAdxzDjt0/s800/0087.jpg

Some tough looking rebels pop to trouble Venice near Zagreb. Prince Selwyn take command of Milan, and notices that the Milanese built an excellent armourer in the town. Outfitting troops with the new armor is begun immediately. Contact with Egypt results in trade rights and the collection of map information. We now have at least spoken to every notable people in the known world.

Near Venice, turn 39.

Another Prince asks for the hand of Cecille, but is rejected. The council sent us a small sum of florins as reward for contacting Egypt, and immediately made a wildly unreasonable demand that we turn back and blockade the Venetian port of Marseilles. King Charles is heard to curse and ask why he didn't think to put the nobles on the longboats they'd gifted him and let them handle the blockade personally. A small force of Venetians is engaged near Venice by King Charles and a few hardly archers.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpmZzW-HI/AAAAAAAACyg/08QOb3EDLVQ/s800/0098.jpg

As we open our attack under cover of darkness the enemy valiantly charges uphill against the peasant archers while the Gray Wolves ride behind them.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqdpm5zW-II/AAAAAAAACyo/Ag5cJ7SPpW4/s800/0099.jpg

Scattered, demoralized, and lost in the darkness and woods the enemy is surrounded and broken by arrows and lances seemingly from every side.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpnpzW-JI/AAAAAAAACyw/qIzzI7EHahc/s800/0111.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpoZzW-KI/AAAAAAAACy4/gglPPf6YUUk/s800/0112.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqdpp5zW-LI/AAAAAAAACzA/jM3NI4aMHVQ/s800/0114.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpqZzW-MI/AAAAAAAACzI/uE1OEmTHL8g/s800/0116.jpg

Again King Charles sends the enemy's men home to carry word of our power and valor. They bolster the garrison at Venice, but the word they carry of our coming will far outweigh any aid in arms they can provide. Enough soldiers for the siege are brought up, but the siege cannot yet begin.

Besieging Venice, turn 40.

The Papcy is gifted Genoa in the hopes that this will win a blind eye to our capture of Venice. Additionally this provides us a buffer between our current position and the towns we traded Venice for Bologna. The enemy also reinforces the garrison at Zagreb. Pleased with his success at Milan, the King determines to press the attack against Venice in all haste.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqdps5zW-OI/AAAAAAAACzY/4KG93r70bD4/s800/0131.jpg

An assault from the north and south with a distraction to hold their crossbowmen at the west gate is planned. The King takes his Gray Wolves north with some spearmen, Norse archers and a ballista, while our Huscarles and swordsmen make a quiet approach from the south, until the ballista can crush a hole in the walls.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RqdptZzW-PI/AAAAAAAACzg/72LjBOHN2tg/s800/0132.jpg

The enemy again gathers in the square as our cavalry run down his crossbowmen.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpuJzW-QI/AAAAAAAACzo/nlx0pdgLl70/s800/0133.jpg

While the swordsmen make their way up the southern streets archers are gathering to the west of the square and their arrows are set aflame. The men would later recount the beauty of the fire arrows arcing across the night sky, no doubt enhanced by the knowledge that each arrow might lighten their later work.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqdpu5zW-RI/AAAAAAAACzw/fEn81IKHJiQ/s800/0136.jpg

In the end the enemy is beset on all sides and wiped out to a man. The smell of scorched horseflesh would take weeks to fade.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpvpzW-SI/AAAAAAAACz4/bRatSyUhQXM/s800/0140.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RqdpwpzW-TI/AAAAAAAAC0A/_tDQfwN3084/s800/0145.jpg

Hoping to maintain relatively cordial relations, the King releases the Venetian captives again. Word has it that he plans to attempt to negotiate for Zagreb rather than to take it by force. The King's reputation for chivalry is thus enhanced as well. Princess Cecille is commanded to begin negotiations for the eventual handover. Perhaps Milan will make a tempting prize.

[Ramses II CP]

Venice, turn 41.

Negotiations with the Venetians over Zagreb go poorly, as their demands are outrageous and unreasonable. Princess Cecille is ordered to move for Byzantine lands while Prince Sweyn begins gathering an army north of Venice for the capture of Zagreb. The garrison there is near full strength. Retraining proceeds apace at Milan and now Venice, where an accomplished blacksmith has been commissioned. Our furthest afield diplomat reaches Jerusalem at last, and discovers that for the nonce the garrison is light.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1K5zW-WI/AAAAAAAAC0o/_vsSI-fMWow/s800/00004.jpg

North of Venice, turn 42.

Cecille attracts another suitor, also turned away. King Charles may not confess it in public, but I know he still hopes for a son. Perhaps God will favor him, certainly Odin has turned his face from this matter. A second Danish spy infiltrates Zagreb, and sees a powerful force holding it.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1L5zW-XI/AAAAAAAAC0w/XjBRus4MexU/s800/0006.jpg

Prince Sweyn has gathered a suitable Danish response.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1NZzW-YI/AAAAAAAAC04/taZ5sLtd29I/s800/0008.jpg

West of Zagreb, turn 43.

Scouting further down the coast it is discovered that the Venetian fortress at Ragusa is poorly held, and their village at Durazzo is little more than a wide place in the road. If Zagreb can be captured the remaining Venetian holdings will certainly fall. With most of our forces down to retrain, there is little astir. My wife has borne twin boys for me, I brought them captured banners from Milan and France for their blankets. I greatly regret that it won't be the Gray Wolves riding to battle at Zagreb, but Prince Sweyn has proven his worth in the field.

Siege of Zagreb, turn 44.

Sitting in Venice with little to do but oversee the effort to outfit our old troops with fresh armor, the King has been presented with a fine new suit for himself. It is truly a marvel of protection, but wasting away here within the walls it will never see use! I can feel our armies growing frail here as the years pass, and I cannot help but worry that the King's will to complete our quest may be waning as his worry for producing a true heir waxes. The Pope is pleased that we have kept the peace with Milan. As if the people of Zagreb needed more warning, our attempt to introduce a third spy to their city was uncovered and the man was killed. Prince Sweyn determines to attack in some haste so as to preserve the two spies already in place.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1OZzW-ZI/AAAAAAAAC1A/kiHNqcNPqA8/s800/0022.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1PZzW-aI/AAAAAAAAC1I/T47xWIQl3z0/s800/0023.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1QpzW-bI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/WjjwkQ344Zo/s800/0027.jpg

For the assault the Prince copied King Charles' now classic strategy from Milan and Venice, attacking at dawn with archers at the main gates, a small attack force with ballista to the south, and the Prince's own men and two catapults to the north. The enemy was ill prepared for our catapults, and had spearmen on the walls as though we'd brought ladders to this fight. Their error was soon revealed to them.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1RZzW-cI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/x1l9KScI-nk/s800/0031.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1SJzW-dI/AAAAAAAAC1g/LB8JX2OjMyA/s800/0036.jpg

At the west gate our Norse Archers got word that spies had opened the gates, and the walls were held only by a single spear unit. The archers charged into the first bright glints of sunlight, drawing swords for the bloody battle to come.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1S5zW-eI/AAAAAAAAC1o/NG5i4U5V2Ec/s800/0039.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1TpzW-fI/AAAAAAAAC1w/oZa-OUaYlh8/s800/0042.jpg

While they fought the catapults finally dropped a section of Zagreb's walls northern walls, and the ballista accomplished the same to the south.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1UJzW-gI/AAAAAAAAC14/_XAm1lneCNk/s800/0040.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1U5zW-hI/AAAAAAAAC2A/15KcjLEQOBg/s800/0043.jpg

Venetian cavalry rode to assist their spearmen by the west gate, putting a bit of doubt into the Norse Archers there. As he charged to the aid of our archers by the west gate, Prince Sweyn orderd the catapults into the walls, under cover of a Huscarl cavalry screen to either side of the breach. The Venetian response was quick, almost catching our catapult crews unaware.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1V5zW-iI/AAAAAAAAC2I/PZcqiv-i9UQ/s800/0044.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1WpzW-jI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/BynFLhxGFxU/s800/0047.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1XZzW-kI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/kIrr51ti--4/s800/0048.jpg

Just as they began their charge against the fleeing catapults, with the massive engines blocking the gate, our Huscarl cavalry crashed into them from both sides, breaking them instantly. The Venetian spearmen were ridden down to a man, and the catapults began their slow roll back inside the walls.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1YJzW-lI/AAAAAAAAC2g/P2sRw5lZn2c/s800/0050.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1Y5zW-mI/AAAAAAAAC2o/sg3PWm9heZs/s800/0053.jpg

A fierce battle developed on the western streets between the Red Hawks and the enemy cavalry, with arrows and bolts whizzing overhead in a constant stream. Just as the enemy cavalry broke, a gap opened in their ranks, exposing Prince Sweyn to a devestating volley of crossbow bolts. He tumbled from his saddle, and a wail went up from the Prince's guard.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1Z5zW-nI/AAAAAAAAC2w/9VLPwCiIouA/s800/0055.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1apzW-oI/AAAAAAAAC24/a5NIotH1AuU/s800/0057.jpg

They chased the fleeing cavalry, smashed the crossbowmen who had slain their lord, and mad with battle lust charged alone into the enemy's town square.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1bpzW-pI/AAAAAAAAC3A/lyms63Zw2hg/s800/0059.jpg

Calls to charge in support of the Red Hawks echoed down the streets of Zagreb as careful positioning of the ballistae and catapults was forgotten in the rush to spill Venetian blood. Our spearmen, who had safeguarded the south gate all this time, were the first to arrive in aid of the Red Hawks. As they charged down the street they saw a doughty Hawk cut down the enemy commander, though surrounded by spears on all sides. Their charge proved hasty, however, as reinforcements did not arrive in time. As their blood rage ran down and the true situation began to penetrate their heads the Red Hawks' courage faltered, and the few remaining men in the Prince's guard fled for the hills, never to be seen again. The spearmen too turned their backs to the fight and fled.

As the battle hung in the balance our Huscarls completed their run to the enemy's rear and charged, just in time with the arrival of the swordsmen and archers at the melee. The enemy was surrounded and butchered to a man before the sun crested the hills west of Zagreb. No surrender was accepted.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1cZzW-qI/AAAAAAAAC3I/qQeCyiDvdew/s800/0066.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1dJzW-rI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/c--HQqPKI1U/s800/0067.jpg

With no general to reign them in, the soldiers of Prince Sweyn's command took revenge on the locals and burned much of the city, putting some thousands of it's citizens to the sword. A Venetian army to the north watched as Zagreb went up in flames.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1eZzW-sI/AAAAAAAAC3Y/JxTkHKbGYDc/s800/0071.jpg

The King, on hearing the news, is terribly distraught. Rumors resurface among the troops of Sweyn's odd rise to adoption, and the King's childless wife. He immediately departs Venice and begins gathering a force along the road to Zagreb to relieve the grieving troops there.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1f5zW-tI/AAAAAAAAC3g/BhoPExPESE0/s800/0025.jpg

King Charles considers the civilian massacre at Zagreb a disgrace, and the loss of his adopted heir intolerable. In this light Princess Cecille is recalled to reopen negotiations with the Venetians. After much wrangling and the exchange of a large sum of coin a deal is reached which brings peace, and hopefully a final seperation of our two peoples. Bologna is returned to Venice in exchange for Ragusa and Durazzo. Our road to Jerusalem got a little easier, and a fortress for further retraining our elite troops has been secured.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1gpzW-uI/AAAAAAAAC3o/8iN-Zm6MEiU/s800/0078.jpg

The Venetians entrust Durazzo to mercenaries in our name. They are sent packing, with taxes set to near nothing to appease the few peasants in this crude village, and reinforcements begin making their way south from Ragusa and Zagreb to hold the town.

On the road to Zagreb, turn 45.

Once again documents must be sent to the Pope reassuring his Holiness that our hostilities with Venice are at an end. Additionally it is learned that our allies, the English, have been excommunicated. Another daughter of old King Knud, Vemy, has come of age. She is set to work seeking an improved relationship with the Papacy. Zagreb is little more than a burned out husk of a town, a waystation on the road to Ragusa, our new center of operations. The two Venetian forces encamped nearby worry the King a bit, since the fortress is held only by the conscripts Venice herself left there for us, but there is little to do but speed along the road.

On the road to Zagreb, turn 46.

A Venetian army momentarily blocks the route to Zagreb, but their men that abandoned Ragusa still head north, away from our weakly held new lands, so peaceful intent is presumed. The King waits for them to clear the road before proceeding. Retraining of spearmen in Milan and Venice is nearly complete, and crossbowmen begin training there.

Near Zagreb, turn 47.

King Charles has brought almost all of our troops of quality over the pass out of Itlay, only militia troops hold Milan and Venice now. Milan declares war on the Papacy, and so our alliance with the former is dissolved. Milan and Sicily are both excommunicated. Our Cardinal, our sole voice in Papal elections, passes away peacefully. Cardinal Halstan was dutiful in service to King and God, his passing is much lamented. Many of the men who perpetrated the massacre at Zagreb are now being retrained at Ragusa. A spy scouts the Hungarian fortress at Sofia, and the King is much impressed. Princess Cecille is sent north with the idea of wooing the commander there, Istvan.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1j5zW-xI/AAAAAAAAC4A/P6fI8BjK6pg/s800/0102.jpg

Zagreb, turn 48.

A son! A son for King Charles! The boy was born in a tent northwest of Zagreb, to much rejoicing and not a little disbelief. At Zagreb a parade was organized, the locals were dispirited but the soldiers made up for their lack as they trooped past the King holding his newborn son in his own arms.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1k5zW-yI/AAAAAAAAC4I/DvtKmZz_zYs/s800/0107.jpg

He is given the name Emund. My sons, though still unable to even hold a real sword, are sworn to his service by my hand in a secret ceremony. In private the King is heard to wonder if Prince Sweyn was the sacrifice necessary to appease Odin's wrath and lift the curse on his line.

The Pope has commanded that the numbers of the faithful be increased around Durazzo, and our priests are sent south to accomplish this. Reducing the garrison at Zagreb to a few spearmen, the King sets out for Ragusa with his new son in tow. The cursed peasants that the Venetians begged our help with so many years ago have returned, blocking the very bridge to Venice herself. As a test of their mettle, a unit of Crossbowmen are sent to engage the peasants.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1l5zW-zI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/XXPL9dCOJXg/s800/0108.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1m5zW-0I/AAAAAAAAC4Y/1LfjAwrR-0g/s800/0110.jpg

These peasants are fearless, and charge directly into a hail of bolts.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1npzW-1I/AAAAAAAAC4g/MjtaOMi-EBs/s800/0117.jpg

Though their losses are stiff, they prove resilient. A single man from our crossbow unit returns to Venice to tell the tale, compulsively muttering 'the pitchforks, the pitchforks, the rising and falling of the pitchforks...'

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1oJzW-2I/AAAAAAAAC4o/cpVzFSq0iYY/s800/0125.jpg

He is discharged from service and sent to retirement in the hills. A freshly armored unit of militia spearmen is sent to handle the peasants, but as before they avoid pitched battle when weakened and the core melts away into the local peasantry.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1pJzW-3I/AAAAAAAAC4w/s9bHLPApfAw/s800/0126.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1qJzW-4I/AAAAAAAAC44/u9bo5TCDDvE/s800/0127.jpg
Near Ragusa, turn 49.

Sensing a change in the power dynamic with the birth of Emund the council of nobles puts forward a candidate for adoption. The King dismisses him with a snort. Pope Gregory calls a Crusade for Tunis. Though relieved the target is not Jerusalem, the King still cannot bring us to participate, and an explanation is sent for the Pope. On the road to Rome our messenger gets word that the Pope died the very same day he called the crusade, and matters are somewhat in flux there. A new Pope, named Gaitanus is elected, without Danish input, and our allies the English are reconciled. One of our spies is scouting Thessalonica, the next town on our route. The Hungarians contact us to sue for an alliance, and the King asks that the fortress at Sofia be turned over to Danish control in exchange. To his surprise, the Hungarians agree.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1q5zW-5I/AAAAAAAAC5A/95zIG8oUedw/s800/0137.jpg

Ragusa, turn 50.

Sofia is a wonderous fortress, and mighty troops can be trained there. An agent of the King orders that training proceed at full speed in preparation for the battles to come. Another noble suitor is rejected for Cecille, who is recalled from the road to Sofia to negotiate with the Byzantines. We offer them two towns and a King's ransom for Thessalonica, but they reject the offer. In exchange, we reduce the offer greatly and trade for the castle at Corinth. This secures our flank for the inevitable capture of Thessalonica and Constantinople.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1rpzW-6I/AAAAAAAAC5I/kIGNq_dl3Ks/s800/0144.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1sZzW-7I/AAAAAAAAC5Q/7z6LeIyPCPo/s800/0147.jpg

Leaving the castle the best the Byzantines can raise to hold it for us is five pairs of ballista. On news of the trade our relations with Byzantium are very good. Two large crusading armies encamp near Venice, which is loosely held by militia spearmen and the richest land in our current holdings. The King prays that their crusade goes as planned, south.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1tpzW-8I/AAAAAAAAC5Y/D128G9UzROY/s800/0151.jpg

East of Ragusa, turn 51.

The King decides to take his best troops and head for Thessalonica, hoping to draw some cavalry from Sofia when the time is right. The council presses their case again, asking that the King adopt one of their number to be his heir. King Charles is furious when they present him with Gustav Jarl, who has demonstrated little loyalty to the throne in a career primarily noted for the size of his graft collected to date. The man is sent packing. Back near Venice little princess Vemy, out of the King's sight, determines to marry into the German nobility like her sister before her. She selects the commander of the brave crusaders at the gates of Venice. To everyone's surprise her new husband, Leopold insists that he be adopted into her family instead, and so a new heir is introduced after all.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rqj1upzW-9I/AAAAAAAAC5g/UYseaeO1mD4/s800/0154.jpg

King Charles moves beyond mere fury at the news. Leopold is reputed to be a brute of a man, with little care for loyalty or chivalry and an ill reputation. In addition he has sent his new wife to live on his estates in Germany, seemingly as a public hostage against King Charles' ill will. Armies cannot be turned back to regain the Princess, no can anyone here in the south be quite certain how this Leopold effected his bold power grab. The King determines to test Leopold's loyalty as soon as possible, while only a crude militia army and a soon to be surrendered city are within his grasp.

[Ramses II CP]

Continuing turn 51.

Gradually a story is coming together that seems to explain the curious events surrounding Venice. The Germans moved their army of 'crusaders' onto the bridge at Venice, and there has been no word out of the city since. With Odin's prohibition on ships so firmly ingrained in the men of our armies, and the bridge held by an immense German force, there is no way for a messenger to reach us. Rumor has it that this Leopold scooped up a few noblemen and the Princess Vemy from the surrounding area, and took them to private chambers. These councilmen, already deeply concerned by the birth of Prince Emund, bowed to Leopold wishes and consented to witness his marriage to Vemy as valid. The remaining nobles will no doubt fall in line behind any scheme to hold their grip on power. Vemy is wed and carried away to Germany within a week. This Leopold is a disreputable sort, cruel, ignorant, drunken, unjust, and with a different woman in every town. Meanwhile the 'crusaders' remain camped on the bridge, under the command of one of his German cronies.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JJpzW_DI/AAAAAAAAC7k/0uBCaN6MoFw/s800/0001.jpg

This is a great indignity, a crime against our King and our country, but the mandate of Odin forces our hand. The matter must be borne for now, but letters are sent to the Emporer Henry and the Empress, the King's sister. Though the messengers must ride by way of roads through southern Germany, where Leopold holds sway, eventually one will get through. Meanwhile we turn our attention to Thessalonica, and then the great city of Constantinople. Ballistae are sent east from Durazzo to make for the walls of Thessalonica, and Feudal Knights, mounted and dismounted, are trained at Sofia.

Road east of Ragusa, turn 52.

Despite having effected this power play with Leopold, the council continues to put forward their sons for adoption into the royal family. A Jens of Sikrum, though a fine man in his own right, is sent packing because of who pulls his strings. The Pope is please that we have kept the peace with the Venetians. Leopold is spotted north of Zagreb, riding hard to the east. King Charles sends a trusted administrator to Sofia, hoping to keep it at least as a bulwark against any darker act of rebellion. The artillery from the capture of Zagreb, two catapults and two ballistae are also on the same road, but though the King ordered them brought to the front it isn't clear whose command they are actually under. Our spies report that Thessalonica is held by a single Byzantine general.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JM5zW_FI/AAAAAAAAC70/QzNqaanxvrI/s800/0010.jpg

Between Durazzo and Thessalonica, turn 53.

Again the council sends a young noble to the King, hat in hand, to ask promotion into the royal family. Again he is faultless in his own right, but King Charles sends him away without even a viewing. The King's mother passes away peacefully in a carriage by the road south of Zagreb. They had been estranged since the old King passed from power and went into Spain, but King Charles is still grief stricken. The army moves east, into Byzantine territory. Reinforcements from Corinth are moving towards Thessalonica, but the King is unconcerned. He sends Princess Cecille to Constantinople to negotiate for the surrender of Thessalonica into our hands.

Siege of Thessalonica, turn 54.

Negotiations fail, Thessalonica is either too rich a town, or the Byzantines think they can hold it against us with only a single unit of cavalry. It is madness. Additionally one of the eldest of the nobles has the effrontery to offer himself as a husband for Princess Cecille. He is sent away without an audience, and word is passed back to slow the carraiges bringing the nobility to the front with 'accidents.' I suspect King Charles would speak with Leopold, who now styles himself 'Prince' Leopold under the authority of the council, when the man's supporters are far back along the road. Still no word out of Venice. After all these years, I myself count the men we left there among the dead. Some finely trained archers, sons of true Danes who fought by King Knud's side at Hamburg will never fight under a Danish banner again. Hundreds of spearmen, and some freshly trained crossbowmen too are gone. We may never know the full truth of what happened there in Italy, but I hope some day I or my sons see that city again.

Thessalonica is not reinforced by the Byzantines, the men we though were tasked to that purpose move into the hills south of our encampment. Whether they mean to rebel, attack our camp, or head for Durazzo they will have to wait until Thessalonica is captured.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JP5zW_HI/AAAAAAAAC8E/CuBBnbqZCHM/s800/0050.jpg

King Charles, ever chivalrous, sends a small force against the city.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JRJzW_II/AAAAAAAAC8M/wtulieG2Vxk/s800/0022.jpg

The ballista rolls right up to the unmanned gates, and blasts them aside.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JYJzW_JI/AAAAAAAAC8U/A0_YqLCvlN0/s800/0025.jpg

Our spearmen draw the enemy's bodyguard out of the town square to the west, while our archers occupy the square from the east and fire arrows into the enemy's backs.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JepzW_KI/AAAAAAAAC8c/iGDmRotTJuw/s800/0028.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JgZzW_LI/AAAAAAAAC8k/eAcX_C5uxSE/s800/0031.jpg

The spearmen sell their lives dearly to drag down the heavy cavalry, and eventually General Olaskos is run through, last of the defending Byzantines.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JjJzW_NI/AAAAAAAAC80/VYi6UrG34QA/s800/0038.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JkZzW_OI/AAAAAAAAC88/HVXyjNGDK-8/s800/0041.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JlZzW_PI/AAAAAAAAC9E/Rm4ZffYVEIM/s800/0042.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JmZzW_QI/AAAAAAAAC9M/UuBc6jNFxZs/s800/0045.jpg

Near ten thousand florins are taken from the capture of the city. There are no prisoners. A Danish spy spots a small army west of Constantinople, and our fresh mounted Feudal knights are eager to bring them to battle.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JpJzW_SI/AAAAAAAAC9c/dL_vYM8xCeM/s800/0052.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JqpzW_TI/AAAAAAAAC9k/fbxoGZ7ZoU0/s800/0055.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JrpzW_UI/AAAAAAAAC9s/3zLXDgjLBhU/s800/0060.jpg

The enemy refuses to pay their ransom. Our fortress at Sofia begins training Norse Axemen. No doubt they will be needed at Constantinpole. In the hills, King Charles declines to take the Gray Wolves against so weak and badly led a force, so he send his most trusted captain, a man named Sighvat, to manage the battle. The King and I rode out to observe the battle from a hillside north of the field, ready to call in reinforcements should Captain Sighvat be forced to withdraw.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JspzW_VI/AAAAAAAAC90/6OSUmMLW7ys/s800/0066.jpg

Our men arrayed themselve on a snow strewn hilltop, with sporadic tree cover on our left flank concealing our swordsmen.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JtZzW_WI/AAAAAAAAC98/N4z00MRyaq8/s800/0067.jpg

The enemy horse archers speed ahead of their main line to give battle uphill, and they take the worst of it despite the unusual tactic of riding in a circle to throw off our men's aim.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JuZzW_XI/AAAAAAAAC-E/-J5Pyk4oLXY/s800/0071.jpg

Our hardy Norse Archers adapt quickly and sow slaughter among the enemy horse with precise massed fire.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JvJzW_YI/AAAAAAAAC-M/elWQm2J7QnA/s800/0076.jpg

The Byzantine response is deadly, as their ballista opens fire from under the trees with flame tipped spears the length of a wagon axle to cover the charge of their infantry.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JwZzW_ZI/AAAAAAAAC-U/VP0uMhe8Vgc/s800/0081.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JxJzW_aI/AAAAAAAAC-c/tR31pg_CyeI/s800/0077.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JyJzW_bI/AAAAAAAAC-k/qfU2D-PI_dg/s800/0078.jpg

Captain Sighvat wisely gives the order to counter charge, hoping the enemy ballista will hold it's fire for fear of impaling their own men in the melee. Simultaneously he signals the swordsmen concealed in the trees to deal with the enemy ballista.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0JzJzW_cI/AAAAAAAAC-s/xGnzxisSMeU/s800/0080.jpg

Those ballista men proved their courage, firing a last brace of bolts directly over the heads of the swordsmen who then destroyed them. Fortunately those bolts shot high, likely because the enemy feared hitting his own men.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J1ZzW_eI/AAAAAAAAC-8/iJLtvQ0PlP0/s800/0083.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J2pzW_fI/AAAAAAAAC_E/3LLUxvQtQ9A/s800/0084.jpg

The Byzantines rout quickly without the ballista to cover their uphill attack.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J3pzW_gI/AAAAAAAAC_M/nYHiWjYAUJ4/s800/0089.jpg

Afterward Captain Sigvhat orders the prisoners released. The King seeing this, turned to me and said, "I will need men like him as allies against the council and that German beast. This battle proved his courage, his wit, and his chivalry. In the past he has taken money from the nobles, though for what reason I do not know. Still, I have no better candidate that I can afford to send from my side."

As King Charles pauses to contemplate, I nod my understanding of what is to come.

"Bring him to me," the King commands.

A patent of nobility is drawn up while I fetch Captain Sighvat from the field. In front of the gathered might of nearly our nation's entire army Sir Sighvat is knighted and adopted into the royal family. In his speech the King implies that with courage, strength, and victory any other man in his service might see the same. I cannot speak for our garrisons elsewhere, but for these men, these great sons of Vikings, they are true to King Charles and woe be to 'Prince' Leopold if he should seek to test their loyalty.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J4pzW_hI/AAAAAAAAC_U/Ho3_cW50qqE/s800/0092.jpg

Later that evening a messenger arrived out of the north, dust covered and weary he immediately presented the King with a letter bearing the Imperial crest of the Holy Roman Empire.

(split post for image limit)

[Ramses II CP]

Near Thessalonica, turn 55.

Another noble son comes to call on the King, begging the hand of his sister. Again the young nobleman rides away in a huff, not having been granted a chance to press his case in person. The Feudal Knights rampaging west of Constantinople catch another small force in the mist covered hills, and press the attack.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J5pzW_iI/AAAAAAAAC_c/FM1_Xch_xbQ/s800/0100.jpg

The enemy arrays his ballista behind his spearmen, making it near certain they will see no work but dying today. When the front spearmen spot our banners emerging from the mist, they charge, while their commander sits back to watch with his own unit of spears around him.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J6JzW_jI/AAAAAAAAC_k/qxDUhct7T1o/s800/0103.jpg

They are run down and trampled under, a brief impediment to the momentum of our the Knight's downhill charge.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J65zW_kI/AAAAAAAAC_s/GHn5ko1jPhA/s800/0104.jpg

Our captain rides around the inital engagement, seeking their captain.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J7ZzW_lI/AAAAAAAAC_0/KFEHEPDA2Y0/s800/0105.jpg

The enemy are braced and ready, but captain Grim leads the charge personally.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J8JzW_mI/AAAAAAAAC_8/Vv6_FyYr2Rk/s800/0106.jpg

Behind them, their ballista crews are lanced.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J85zW_nI/AAAAAAAADAE/Nt9vD4Am8sc/s800/0108.jpg

When the last man from the initial spear unit falls, those men who led the charge move around behind the enemy captain. His courage fails him, and his men break to flee.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J9pzW_oI/AAAAAAAADAM/XSpLoH-aFiE/s800/0111.jpg

They don't get far.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J-ZzW_pI/AAAAAAAADAU/LfslYkH4L-A/s800/0115.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0J-5zW_qI/AAAAAAAADAc/6cI94vgCPM0/s800/0117.jpg

Captain Grim has hopes of following in Captain Sighvat's footsteps, no doubt, but the Feudal Knights are new to King Charles' service, and without the King himself present the matter will not be handled today. Instead Captain Grim boldly leads his men across the straits and is the first of the Danes to pass into eastern lands.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KAJzW_rI/AAAAAAAADAk/2BhDOygPNSI/s800/0119.jpg

Sir Sighvat and King Charles ride for Constantinople, catching up to a few small enemy forces along the way.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KA5zW_sI/AAAAAAAADAs/pRzXZBcRvuQ/s800/0121.jpg

The disorganized enemy reinforcements are set to flight before they can reach the main Byzantine force. One good charge from the Gray Wolves destroys them!

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KB5zW_tI/AAAAAAAADA0/CnnEDC-YOPo/s800/0131.jpg

Unfortunately in the melee an errant swing from King Charles kills my horse as I ride in my accustomed spot to his right. (The King's sword runs right through the eyes of the horse next to him.)

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KDJzW_uI/AAAAAAAADA8/VlonMpjox5I/s800/0132.jpg

Leudaan was a good steed and had a clean death, falling to the earth without throwing or trapping me, but before he rides off for the rest of the enemy force the King swears to replace her from his personal stock. I sit, unhorsed but uninjured, on a hillside to watch main engagement. The enemy commands a slight hill of their own, and has a few fast horse archers on the flanks, but their spearmen look affrighted from watching their reinforcements fall so hard, so fast.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KD5zW_vI/AAAAAAAADBE/lsP_x5i5yio/s800/0133.jpg

The Gray wolves charge the enemy right, while the Huscarls sweep their left. A small spear unit is obliterated instantly.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KE5zW_wI/AAAAAAAADBM/AF47WJv2cKI/s800/0134.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KGJzW_xI/AAAAAAAADBU/4QyTqDJ9SWc/s800/0135.jpg

This draws the enemy captain's own unit of horse archers to charge the Gray Wolves, in a mad display of confidence.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KHJzW_yI/AAAAAAAADBc/BxEA9t0FP9s/s800/0136.jpg

Wheeling quickly, the Gray Wolves carve them up. The King himself smashes their captain to the ground as he rides by.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KI5zW_0I/AAAAAAAADBs/lZwfMo768sU/s800/0140.jpg

Hoping to save their captain, the enemy's last spears charge the Gray Wolves' rear. Again the Wolves whirl around to engage in a melee with no room for a charge.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KJ5zW_1I/AAAAAAAADB0/JOs1ON2GaOE/s800/0142.jpg

Our Huscarls, having completed their sweep and driven off another small group of horse archers, find the enemy spearmen's rear exposed and hammer them against the anvil of the Gray Wolves.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KLJzW_2I/AAAAAAAADB8/fay0zEUcmJk/s800/0143.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KL5zW_3I/AAAAAAAADCE/PHBQYKFGVAk/s800/0149.jpg

The battle is hardly worthy of note, had it not been for the King's accidental swing. Much ale will pass over that story in the nights to come. The prisoners are released, and we ride out again immediately. I borrow a steed from the replacement pool with the baggage train, and ride hard to make it back for our second battle of the day.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KM5zW_4I/AAAAAAAADCM/pMeOkPt0bqA/s800/0152.jpg

Here we discover why the Byzantines have attempted to defend these valleys at all, a large, abandoned cathedral. It was not marked on our maps, and it may be a shrine of some sort. Though we ride up to examine the building, the King commands that no man enter it on the eve of battle, and we ride away to find the enemy.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KOJzW_5I/AAAAAAAADCU/zCQdrang_0c/s800/0157.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KPZzW_6I/AAAAAAAADCc/bSXaCcjeB9I/s800/0158.jpg

Nearby the main enemy force is perched high on a hillside. We make for them, and the Huscarls are sent against the very light reinforcements making their way onto the field.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KQpzW_7I/AAAAAAAADCk/t_MyKn5C2Hw/s800/0164.jpg

The enemy is well positioned and braced, awaiting our charge, but we are the Gray Wolves! We shatter their formation riding hard up the hill and ride over them.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KVZzW_8I/AAAAAAAADCs/xt6e2kBp45E/s800/0166.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KXZzW_9I/AAAAAAAADC0/M55-67Ea8po/s800/0168.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KYJzW_-I/AAAAAAAADC8/CVpzHqRF5JU/s800/0169.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KY5zW__I/AAAAAAAADDE/Zr_w0lglZ7w/s800/0170.jpg

Enemy ballistae struggle to pivot around and target the King, but the crews are terrified by what they've just witnessed, and we ride them down as well before they fire a single shot.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KZpzXAAI/AAAAAAAADDM/ogyCyF8Lxxw/s800/0171.jpg

Then we chase the enemy horse archers up the hill and break them with one charge.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0Ka5zXACI/AAAAAAAADDc/RNxPB6otlYQ/s800/0176.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KbpzXADI/AAAAAAAADDk/tYyW6sZi_ng/s800/0179.jpg

Another battle of little note, but for the fact that the prisoners we release spread word that King Charles is a cruel, unrelenting warrior. Not the reputation the King expected to gain from coming to the field with minimal forces, but a reputation is a tricky thing.

Hoping still for peaceful relations after we've taken what we need from the Byzantines, Princess Cecille is orderd to offer them the city of Venice as a gift. They accept, and we're sent word from our diplomat that they invest the city from the sea despite the Germans loitering on the bridge. Of the men we left behind there, no word ever reaches us. They vanish into the annals of intrigue between nations.

West of Constantinople, turn 56.

New noble son presented, same result. If nothing else, the council is succeeding in alienating the younger generation of nobles from their King. A diplomat near Zagreb reports seeing the mercenary garrison the Byzantines had hired for Venice all the way over at the border of our two nations. King Charles curses and wonders aloud if the Germans and Byzantines are somehow in league together against us. How else could that garrison have passed the crusader held bridge? And what are they doing camped on the border?

To date our travels have been through Catholic lands almost exclusively, and so churches and places of worship have been plentiful in the cities we capture. Now though, as we move from Orthodox lands into Muslim lands we will increasingly have to put up our own churches. With that in mind, King Charles commissions the construction of churches in all Danish lands that do not contain one. Corinth, isolated as it is, is ordered to dismantle training facilities for florins to build churches.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0Kd5zXAFI/AAAAAAAADD0/lGAYp-l3BMc/s800/0189.jpg

Our spies glimpse the garrison at Constantinople, and are impressed by the quantity of Byzantine heavy infantry.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0Ke5zXAGI/AAAAAAAADD8/4BZoi0S9H1Q/s800/0195.jpg

Princess Cecille, after many hard years on the road, has seen some decline in her charms. Even so, she will make a fine wife, and King Charles decides that Sir Sighvat will serve best if he is cemented firmly to the royal line. The marriage is arranged, but purposeful, and both parties involved can see the reasoning. Despite being a wedding in the field, the King manages to concoct fine surroundings under an immense silk tent. All the troops enjoy three days of feasting and drinking in celebration.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0Kj5zXAHI/AAAAAAAADEE/XfjtXU7PTFY/s800/0196.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0Kk5zXAII/AAAAAAAADEM/EOI6mXNAkoI/s800/0199.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0Kl5zXAJI/AAAAAAAADEU/lTRslyRg46o/s800/0200.jpg

More small Byzantine forces are swept from the area in battles too small to recount. Captains Grim and Magnus each press their case for adoption, but are refused graciously. The King's guard rides out to smash the last significant resistance before the walls of Constantinople.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0Km5zXAKI/AAAAAAAADEc/KPk2fWxAsCM/s800/0206.jpg

The enemy claimed the very edge of a vast cliff, while we had to race our way up a near verticle facing covered in slick grass.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KnpzXALI/AAAAAAAADEk/OgOwJJBibVo/s800/0208.jpg

Victory was never in doubt, however, and the enemy turned tail in terror at the first sight of our banner, abandoning the high ground.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KpZzXANI/AAAAAAAADE0/3cxkPV1CgEY/s800/0211.jpg

We rode over them, and took no losses. (Forgot the ss for the first time!)

Leopold is spotted in the area, and we watch as he catches a force of rebels on a hillside west of our camp.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KqZzXAOI/AAAAAAAADE8/iXlLLZostJ4/s800/0216.jpg

The rebel archers are the first to taste steel and flee.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KrJzXAPI/AAAAAAAADFE/hwF5zW8HDQ4/s800/0219.jpg

Rebel spearmen, badly led, follow them to an unmarked grave.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KsZzXAQI/AAAAAAAADFM/hpCcE-UyQcY/s800/0222.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq0KtZzXARI/AAAAAAAADFU/WPwJuqdhQX8/s800/0225.jpg

Following the battle King Charles sends for 'Prince' Leopold to enter his camp alone for a discussion. Leopold comes into camp alone with his head held high and an arrogant swagger. I offer to escort him before the King. He asks me "Have they told him yet," but I have nothing to say to the man. He curses the door sentry and kicks the cloak boy out of his way before entering the King's tent, still armed. Sneering, he comes into King Charles' presence and sprawls out in a chair looking around as though he expected someone else to be here.

Before he can speak the King stands at his desk, leans forward, and quietly says, "Looking for your noble allies? I know what they have promised you. I also know that your army of crusaders controlling the bridge to Venice have been recalled." Voice rising, King Charles continued, "Furthermore, I know that none of my men at arms have come to your call." Here the King tosses a packet of stained letters onto the table. Leopold's slouch increasingly takes on the feel of a slump. "And more than that, I know that your Emporer has repudiated you, your own father has cursed your name, and your holdings Bavaria have been siezed in the name of the Empire!"

King Charles throws one more letter onto the table, with the Imperial seal of the Holy Roman Empire at it's foot. Gray faced, Leopold begins to stutter out something, but once again the King speaks, "I do not know what lies you told the Council to convince them that this mad scheme could pay out for them, but that doesn't matter now. In a matter of hours I expect your wife to arrive here. Before she does I will have your oath to serve the crown, or I will have your head. There is no council here, nowhere left to run, and nothing for you but service to King and country."

Sitting back, King Charles graciously allows Leopold a moment to compose himself. "My, my, my wi... and, my... my head?" Silently Leopold slips from his chair to his knees. He looks old, old beyond his fifty years. Placing his hands on the ground the 'Prince' bows his head and swears fealty to King Charles to his last breath.

After Leopold departs, King Charles hangs his head and is heard to mutter, "So am I repaid in turn for my usurpation of my father's crown and kingdom. Only good fortune saved our people from utter disaster and servitude to a foreign brute."

Some months later, assured of his grip on Leopold, if not the man's genuine loyalty, King Charles assigns him a command and orders him to move to hold the crossing west of Constantinople.

[Ramses II CP]

Closing on Constantinople, turn 57.

Again the Council sends their man before the King seeking adoption, and again he is sent off. A daughter, Hallotta, is born to Sighvat and Cecille. With Leopold holding one crossing and the great city herself sitting astride the other the King feels confident of our approach. A spy is sent to infiltrate the immense, sprawling city of Constantinople while our army camps on the road just outside the walls. King Charles is cautious; Constantinople is reputed to be the greatest city in the whole of Europe, if not the world. We have not yet laid siege, but all traffic out of the west passes through our hands before it reaches the city.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49WZzXATI/AAAAAAAADGQ/aF_LxU0QFic/s800/0232.jpg

Besieging Constantinople, turn 58.

The noble council is assembling once again at Thessalonica after a very effective campaign to disorganize their efforts. They send a young cousin of the King to beg adoption, but King Charles is unmoved and sends the boy away. Guildsmen from the Swordsmith's guild approach us about putting a guildhouse at Sofia, and the offer is sorely tempting but turned down. The Pope sends word of his disappointment that we failed to crusade for Tunis. A delicately worded letter is sent in apology. We trade maps with the Portuguese, and while checking the garrison at Nicaea spot a strong army of potential reinforcements for Constantinople. It is hoped that our artillery will arrive before that Byzantine army.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49XpzXAUI/AAAAAAAADGY/vzgAkR9_c6k/s800/0238.jpg

To discourage any potential reinforcement of Constantinople, Leopold crosses the straits and makes for Nicaea. As usual, his arrogant letters leave the impression that he could charge forward and capture the city unaided. To further dissuade the enemy from attempting reinforcement, the King orders a siege set around Constantinople from the south, where we can control the crossing as well as contain the city. There will not, however, be an assault without better engines than the men can cobble together from trees. Engineers estimate that if the soldiers inside don't sally they can hold for 20 years or more. In a bit of good news our spy sends word that the commander of the city's defense is a sickly man, subject to visions and introversion.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49YpzXAVI/AAAAAAAADGg/3W1G3BfqkYw/s800/0242.jpg

Besieging Constantinople, turn 59.

A handsome young man, scarred by some quarrel with highwaymen, is the next attempt of the council. He bears a resemblance to the long passed Prince Sweyn that cannot be a coincidence, and my estimation of the nobility's collective cunning rises. It would seem the nobles have gathered at Thessalonica to plot and scheme; it can only be hoped that they soon fall to squabbling amongst themselves over the rich taxes levied from Thessalonica's trade.

One of the King's men watching Leopold reports that the fool has taken a pagan who claims to be a warlock into his inner circle. Our English allies are excommunicated again, and sign an alliance with the Pope's other foe, Sicily. It may be necessary to cut ties there. Fresh Russian maps are aquired. Rear garrisons at Zagreb, Ragusa, Durazzo, and Corinth are reduced to a bare minimum as men are called forward. A spy creeps into Nicaea, and discovers it is held by the eastern Roman's Emperor himself.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49ZpzXAWI/AAAAAAAADGo/rHpujIu5S4o/s800/0252.jpg

Leopold's crossing has worked perfectly, the men we suspected would reinforce Constantinople move to block him instead, and he brings them to battle west of Nicaea.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49apzXAXI/AAAAAAAADGw/Dp065Hmo7ow/s800/0253.jpg

Leopold comes on them at dusk as they command a sloping hillside, flanked by horse archers on the nearby farmland. With a snarl Leopold orders his Huscarls to isolate the horse from the main force, and sends infantry marching for a direct assault on the hill.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49bJzXAYI/AAAAAAAADG4/KB91YVoygZs/s800/0255.jpg

When enemy arrows begin to fall amidst his personal guard, the Lions of Bavaria, Leopold is enraged and screams 'Charge!' His guard outpaces the infantry in his lust to reach the hilltop.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49b5zXAZI/AAAAAAAADHA/f58y5k8EBN8/s800/0257.jpg

With no heavy infantry to oppose the charge, and Leopold's Lions scattering his archers, the Byzantine captain first orders his men to abandon the hilltop and regain the advantage of range.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49cpzXAaI/AAAAAAAADHI/gIi0yJRByVY/s800/0258.jpg

Realzing his error, the man attempts to turn his force to retake their position, and discovers that the Lions have taken it, and are upon him!

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49dZzXAbI/AAAAAAAADHQ/MOZ_FLIW7O0/s800/0260.jpg

Leopold hung the Huscarls out too far, and they face arrows from both sides, but they also keep the enemy's only other cavalry at bay while our infantry close for bloody work. Having done their work of distraction, the huscarls abandon the fruitless chase and speed to the main engagement.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49d5zXAcI/AAAAAAAADHY/WANuG-jTW_w/s800/0261.jpg

As the Byzantine archers fall back from our charge, their spearmen quickly lose heart and rout, doing as much to break the heart of their captain's horsemen as the Lions butchering them from above.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49e5zXAdI/AAAAAAAADHg/k86ZqvHsfT8/s800/0263.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49fpzXAeI/AAAAAAAADHo/7JjO2PLOH84/s800/0266.jpg

The fresh Huscarls chase enemy archers down a series of terraced hills, in an exhilarating ride that ends in utter defeat for Byzantium.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49gJzXAfI/AAAAAAAADHw/JlFD6DinFK0/s800/0267.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49hZzXAhI/AAAAAAAADIA/ld5XrjTFIXU/s800/0272.jpg

Leopold, with an eye to discovering the financial situation of his enemy before sieging their Emperor, offers the prisoners for ransom and is refused. Rather than kill them cleanly, he makes a sport of slicing their hamstrings and throwing them into the sea west of Nicaea, swearing that any who swim out will win their freedom. When this source of entertainment is exhausted, Nicaea is besieged.

The sieges of Constantinople and Nicaea, turn 60.

Another, less handsome chap with much the features of Prince Sweyn arrives in our camp, and departs the same day. If nothing else, the nobility has been fruitful in producing sons during their years on the road. Our diplomat in western Europe taxes the French for a resumption of the alliance they once betrayed. General Sighvat arrives with our artillery under escort, and King Charles takes them into his own forces and begins the assault on the mighty city of Constantinople. Sighvat is excused from the battle and little Emund is given into his care to watch the attack from a safe distance. He's old enough now to comprehend basic strategy, and it's knowledge he'll need in the life to come.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49ipzXAiI/AAAAAAAADII/tW1U8f9iX4o/s800/0284.jpg

King Charles delivers a glorious speech in the dim, chill air before daybreak; full of pride, listing the cities we have taken and the armies we have sent into darkness, intoning our accomplishments without embellishing them or dismissing them as easy. "Our thirst has been slaked by the finest wines, the darkest grogs, and the most golden ales of all of western Europe!" When he lifts his sword to point over their heads, down the plain to what may be the greatest living city on earth rays of light burst over the distant mountains. "Tonight," he roars, "I will toast the fall of Constantinople! Who will drink with me?!" In one voice that must surely have echoed in down the dark streets of Rome's mightiest eastern city, the army bellow "I" This lust passes quickly, though, and discarding their ladders and rams, the men mutter amongst themselves in awe as we near the immense walls. They are like nothing we have seen before, beautiful, still, and deadly.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49jJzXAjI/AAAAAAAADIQ/mzndy-_pvlE/s800/0291.jpg

We suspect the Byzatine general will array his stiffest defensive troops by the south gate, and we will meet them head on with our main body of dismounted feudal knights and axemen under the banner of the Gray Wolves. To the east a pair of knight units are supported by dismounted huscarls, raiders, and Norse archers with a ballista. To the west three sets of Norse swordsmen support another ballista. We open with a barrage from the catapults.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49kJzXAkI/AAAAAAAADIY/dU0hxjKCiLw/s800/0293.jpg

Seeing those indomitable walls crack and heave apart brings a cheer from the men. When the first gap is opened, it's all King Charles can do to reign them in from a foolish charge.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49k5zXAlI/AAAAAAAADIg/xkpUoCwXXZY/s800/0295.jpg

On the east side the ballista works to dismantle the gate, to the west a wall is the target. The engines need only time to do their destructive work.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49lZzXAmI/AAAAAAAADIo/8jBVPYzuqmE/s800/0297.jpg

As time passes the King rides up and down the line, urging the men to hold their discipline. Finally when the catapults have broken three holes in the walls, and destroyed the only manned tower along this stretch, they are turned on the enemy infantry for a few shots while we wait for the engines on the other sides to do their jobs. The catapult men are new, and casualties among the enemy are few. The enemy general rides forward to encourage his men at the gap during the barrage.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49mJzXAnI/AAAAAAAADIw/vRDrsSNKQG8/s800/0301.jpg

At last the order is given, and our men make for the gaps. On the other sides the assaults are still to come, in hopes that the enemy will pull troops to try to reinforce against our main push. The enemy right, in the direction they would retreat to the square, is badly positioned and our men outflank them.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49m5zXAoI/AAAAAAAADI4/WXFsYIxKGE8/s800/0302.jpg

Then the assault begins. The knights are instructed to hold enemy's heavy infantry and spearmen in place while the axemen break their ranks. The enemy general seems surprised to be under attack, and his men sit back from the fighting in orderly rows.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49opzXApI/AAAAAAAADJA/Y-mb9PoE1bk/s800/0306.jpg

Byzatine horse archers race down from the square. Fearing they may come against the breech we hold to the enemy right from behind, King Charles leads the Gray Wolves inside the walls to beat them back. Seeing the King speed by, the enemy general at last sends his bodyguard into battle.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49ppzXAqI/AAAAAAAADJI/wF7HofhlWw0/s800/0310.jpg

King Charles and I are the tip of the spear thrust against a four times our numbers in Byzatine horse. Meanwhile, though his guard fights, our opponent's commander still sits back on his horse and waits.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49q5zXArI/AAAAAAAADJQ/4Cj9xx7UNmU/s800/0312.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49r5zXAsI/AAAAAAAADJY/Gc0dpftsv6w/s800/0314.jpg

Watching our axemen carving apart heavily armoured men ahorse, the few fools left on the right flank of the enemy's hold point break and surrender.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49spzXAtI/AAAAAAAADJg/uKhlNsRZE6w/s800/0317.jpg

Enemy foot archers take to the walls by the gate, behind the battle. Knights are sent racing to deal with them before they can drop a shower of fire arrows onto our King.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49t5zXAuI/AAAAAAAADJo/YQuu2N12AZU/s800/0318.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49u5zXAvI/AAAAAAAADJw/mjkhAoIeloA/s800/0328.jpg

With his right flank shattered, the pocket begins to close against the enemy commander. Axemen and knights surround him, and he panics, causing his horse to rear and cast the poor fool out of the saddle. He is butchered without having swung his sword once.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49v5zXAwI/AAAAAAAADJ4/Zn90DZ973CY/s800/0320.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49wpzXAxI/AAAAAAAADKA/fIHw8WCTqZI/s800/0321.jpg

With his fall, the men at the gap realize they have no escape, and fight a grim struggle to the death until our axemen pull back and convince them a surrender will be respected.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49xpzXAyI/AAAAAAAADKI/L6Hac8_YBqg/s800/0323.jpg

To the east and west the Byzantines start to withdraw from the walls in an orderly fashion, and our soldiers rush forward to trap them away from the square.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49yZzXAzI/AAAAAAAADKQ/VtGcgGzYqvE/s800/0325.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq49zpzXA0I/AAAAAAAADKY/isx0v0z-zbE/s800/0326.jpg

By the south gate the Gray Wolves have cut their way through all the cavalry the enemy will send against us. We pursue the remnant up the street, towards the square and more enemy troops.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq490ZzXA1I/AAAAAAAADKg/426bo-NgXBs/s800/0331.jpg

Unfortunately, we are trapped there when their cavalry rallies and is aided by an ambush from spearmen and archers. Pinned against the building by spears, Wolves are felled like leaves. (I was watching the fight to the east with no HUD info and somehow a few scraggly spears, HA, and just one full unit of archers tore apart my King's bodyguard unit. Strange.)

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq491ZzXA2I/AAAAAAAADKo/cQsNASiOezs/s800/0335.jpg

I look around, and suddenly King Charles and I are fighting alone! I bellow for the King to fly back to our dismounted knights, but he gives a laugh full of battle lust and carries on killing. I am suddenly glad Sir Sighvat did not join us here, as I lay about myself furiously.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq492JzXA3I/AAAAAAAADKw/vI48hYouJhw/s800/0338.jpg

At just that moment the sunrise catches the King's gleaming red spattered armor. Still laughing nastily, King Charles snaps his sword back, throwing an arc of blood off the blade into the faces of the archers that have drawn back from him in terror. The men of Byzantium's spirit breaks, and half of them throw down their weapons and clutch desperately at my horse while they plead for their lives. The rest break for the town square, and the King rides among them, smashing in heads like a hero out of legend.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq4925zXA4I/AAAAAAAADK4/WkI3aWzdaS8/s800/0341.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq493pzXA5I/AAAAAAAADLA/BiRLKnCBkIM/s800/0342.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq494ZzXA6I/AAAAAAAADLI/r-ToLNKWT3Y/s800/0343.jpg

Reaching the square, they discover that there is nowhere left to flee, and, already marked for death, they turn to resume battle with our commander. Fortunately hardy Knights and Norse axemen have charged to King Charles' aid.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq495JzXA7I/AAAAAAAADLQ/71B2wbMDTtI/s800/0346.jpg

When a shower of fire arrows lands amid the red tide around him, King Charles recovers his wits enough to note that he was saved from immolation only because the man he'd been fighting was struck in the back instead.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq496JzXA8I/AAAAAAAADLY/q3oxUA31oQU/s800/0347.jpg

I ride in, and draw the King back down the road to check him for injuries he wouldn't have noticed taking during his berserk run. Meanwhile our men arrive at the square on all sides. The beleagured remains of the enemy army put up some resistance, but our numbers are vastly superior and carry the day. Constantinople, the ancient capital of the eastern Roman Empire, was ours!

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq4965zXA9I/AAAAAAAADLg/eS88JFDTfDw/s800/0352.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq497pzXA-I/AAAAAAAADLo/L2GiUwNJw6M/s800/0360.jpg

King Charles, gracious in victory and awestruck by the beauty and majesty of the city, releases the prisoners and commands the citizens be spared during the occupation. He swears an oath to see the walls repaired as though new before we leave. I wonder if we can manage so large a city without fear, but if what we seek is a place in history best if that place was not as the greatest despoilers of the final legacy of mighty Rome.

(Siege of Nicaea soon to come)

[grudzio]

Excellent work! Your gameplay idea is great, and the story is very well written. I really enjoy reading it. Can't wait for the next part.

Just one question. Could You from time to time post a map of the world or at least map of the surroundings of Your Mobile Danish Empire? I keep loosing track of provinces you hold :embarassed: . It would be also interesting to see how your territory exchanges affect the balance of power in Europe.

Anyway keep on good work.

Btw. It is nice to see that in M2TW a lot of things can be done by using diplomacy.

[Ramses II CP]

(World map added at the end per excellent suggestion :2thumbsup: )

Siege of Nicaea, continuing turn 60.

Though he cannot see it himself, in the eyes of the world Leopold comes against a superior commander in Emperor John. The quality of the soldiers in his army, though, swings the balance of power in a distinctly Danish direction.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88LpzXBQI/AAAAAAAADOc/R1dK1OT-sTM/s800/0365.jpg

Leopold reports that he manned a ram at the west gates with peasant archers and sent them against the most heavily defended stretch of the enemy's walls, while to the south veteran Norse Archers comprised four ladder teams to quickly exploit any undefended walls there, and to the north militia spearmen pushed the ram against Nicaea's seaside gate.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88MZzXBRI/AAAAAAAADOk/ne_70tpqODo/s800/0368.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88NZzXBSI/AAAAAAAADOs/ES9AnDdRctU/s800/0370.jpg

The peasants reached the west gate first, and the enemy sends reinforcements from the square to hold there. Lucky for our men the Emperor has not chosen to put archers on the wall enfilading the approach to the gate, and surprisingly few of them are lost before the gate breaks. Rather than charge through, the peasants line up along the wall to trade high angle fire with the garrison within.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88OJzXBTI/AAAAAAAADO0/PLdZUtH2E8M/s800/0373.jpg

Meanwhile, to the north our spearmen break the gates and drive a wedge between the Byzantine spears within, holding them while Norse swordsmen are brought up to grind them against the walls.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88PZzXBUI/AAAAAAAADO8/43pgiyaEwfw/s800/0375.jpg

A runner makes haste for the square as our men gain control of the gate and prepare to bring more forces within the walls.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88QZzXBVI/AAAAAAAADPE/LxcHST-6N8Q/s800/0378.jpg

At the west gate, a confused mass of Byzantine spearmen exit the broken gate, seeking to drive off the peasant archers hugging the walls. Leopold cannot resist charging them, and half their force is spitted and pinned to our abandoned ram.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88RZzXBWI/AAAAAAAADPM/pfOrSc-ePVg/s800/0382.jpg

To the north our swords and spears are threatened by archers on horseback, and call for their own cavalry to drive back the threat. The Huscarls stream into the city and split up, with one group engaging directly while the other rides hard around the enemy pack, to hammer them from behind.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88SZzXBXI/AAAAAAAADPU/zeNDvuUN-IU/s800/0384.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88TZzXBYI/AAAAAAAADPc/amSSBv1TA0Q/s800/0385.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88UZzXBZI/AAAAAAAADPk/fKEvknogV6Q/s800/0386.jpg

Only our men ride out of that melee, and the whole northern army moves up towards the square.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88VZzXBaI/AAAAAAAADPs/BS9A0CVsC9Q/s800/0391.jpg

This causes Emperor John to withdraw all but one of the units holding the southern walls, and our Norse archers launch their part of the assault. They easily scale the ladders to trap and capture the remaining spearmen on the walls.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88WZzXBbI/AAAAAAAADP0/pQdk2rrSp8E/s800/0394.jpg

A feint from the square causes our northern army to withdraw to a safer distance and regroup. When Leopold's group breaks into the city he immediately sends word for the northern Huscarls to ride to the east gate and approach the enemy's rear. Dead Byzantine spearmen have to be drug clear of the gates and piled on a street corner to make way for Leopold's men to move into the city.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88YZzXBdI/AAAAAAAADQE/oKUKLraGjas/s800/0400.jpg

The Emperor John's remaining troops huddle in the square in a tight formation, but they do retain control of a ballista and John's powerful personal guard is fresh.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88ZZzXBeI/AAAAAAAADQM/iah_6Lm-x1E/s800/0402.jpg

The spearmen from the north square up their formation and attempt to bait the Emperor's heavy cavalry into an engagement. Ever predictable, the enemy charges, at which time our swordsmen reveal themselves and press through the ranks of spears to reach the Emperor.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88aJzXBfI/AAAAAAAADQU/H8uX-A1qZKk/s800/0403.jpg

Arrow-bit enemy spearmen too are baited out of the square and broken by dismounted huscarls and raiders.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88bZzXBgI/AAAAAAAADQc/XrLTBYLajLY/s800/0406.jpg

Cowering under a tree by the east gate a unit of town militia is discovered and dispatched by our cavalry.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88cZzXBhI/AAAAAAAADQk/OtvTSmh5iGE/s800/0413.jpg

Our northern wedge spits Emperor John's horse, and swordsmen hack off his sword arm as he lies, broken in the street. Men who were there that day swear that his screaming was louder than any sound that could come from a mere man, and it destroys the morale of his guard. All of them surrender then and there, begging to be allowed to aid their leader as he lies on the blood stained cobbles, crying out to God for succor.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88dJzXBiI/AAAAAAAADQs/Z7x3CWnaqn4/s800/0416.jpg

As the much reduced enemy army is pressed back into their square and surrounded the Emperor's mighty voice breaks at last and his screams cease to echo off the buildings. In short order, his once powerful army comes to an end as well.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88eJzXBjI/AAAAAAAADQ0/T26Hf1_getw/s800/0418.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88fJzXBkI/AAAAAAAADQ8/efMTTbDLDKU/s800/0423.jpg

Nicaea is sacked for ten thousand florins as Leopold releases his men to vent their frustrations on the citizenry. The spy who was unable to open the gates of Nicaea proves his worth even so, and spots the entire remaining royal family of Byzantium near the crossing west of Nicaea. Leopold begs to be allowed to ride out and destroy their lineage, but King Charles denies him.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88gJzXBlI/AAAAAAAADRE/tphWMnwY08E/s800/0427.jpg

Instead we negotiate with the Byzantines for the surrender of Smyrna, their sole remaining castle in the east. In exchange we offer them enough land to form very nearly a new empire, if badly developed, and their new Emperor wisely insists that an alliance be part and parcel of the deal, secure in the knowledge that we have never attacked an ally.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88hpzXBnI/AAAAAAAADRU/sh5SFuGmiQQ/s800/0460.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88iZzXBoI/AAAAAAAADRc/y4vydF1443E/s800/0462.jpg

Exchanging ill held and poor lands for a fresh castle and a cowed ally to cover our rear flank seems a wise choice on King Charles' part.

Constantinople, turn 61.

Princess Vemy gives birth to a daughter, Randve. Sighvat gathers the men from Constantinople that the King would have retrained and escorts them to Sofia. Churches are commissioned in all our new lands.

Constantinople, turn 62.

The Pope is pleased that we have finally converted most of the people of Durazzo to the Catholic faith. Our priests are sent east immediately. King Charles discovers that a network of Theives Guilds was worked into the fabric of every city and castle in the region, and orders their buildings burned to the ground immediately. A small fort is constructed east of Constantinople to guard the eastern approach to the city and as a staging point for moving soldiers from there to Nicaea.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88jpzXBpI/AAAAAAAADRk/k8SA3Ihljhs/s800/0475.jpg

The Venetian Pope counts us as a favored people, even above his own nation. King Charles wisely left diplomats stationed in Papal lands to assure that this continues to be the case.

Constantinople, turn 63.

The Pope commands the the people of Smyrna be brought into the light of God's church, and our priests move to obey. New priests are ordered trained as well for the task. Sighvat brings a much mightier force south than he took with him north, word of this pleases the King. Leopold sits quietly in Nicaea, and even the Council's incessant pestering of the King has taken a backseat to their determination to steal as much wealth as possible from rich Thessalonica. Though the royalty of Byzantium has fled our countryside, an armed contingent remains camped near Nicaea with protestations of insufficient ships and funds to move them west. Time will tell how true our ally can remain. One of our spies slips ahead and finds a good look at the capital of Turkey, Iconium.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88kZzXBqI/AAAAAAAADRs/U0ZzFVd5ZjU/s800/0481.jpg

Included here is a crude reproduction of our map of Europe with lines to show the path of our migration, and our current holdings colored blood red in the near east.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq88kpzXBrI/AAAAAAAADR0/a_exNEG47lk/s800/Map2.jpg

[Ramses II CP]

Interlude, Prince Leopold's dream. (I couldn't resist fighting the battle against all that was left of Byzantium's family after the siege of Nicaea, though it is completely inappropriate for the AAR. I have to credit the jerk, he killed the new Emperor personally and survived being charged by both enemy bodyguard units.)

After the siege of Nicaea Leopold rests uneasily in the Emperor's former chambers, dreaming of the bloody victory he should have had on the plains west of the city. He imagines himself in a duel with the man who, at best, mere hours before got word of the death of his father and of his assumption of the throne of what was left of Byzantium.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9QYJzXBtI/AAAAAAAADSQ/LJuI0efbQDY/s800/0437.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9QZJzXBuI/AAAAAAAADSY/vgukhWvH2wk/s800/0438.jpg

Leopold imagines himself honorably pausing for a moment to salute the dead horsemen from both armies piled high around him.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9QZ5zXBvI/AAAAAAAADSg/xj4k47WvYiQ/s800/0441.jpg

Then riding on alone as Byzantine cavalry flee his face in terror. None can stand against him this day!

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9Qa5zXBwI/AAAAAAAADSo/WIrMAv0CHfk/s800/0442.jpg

He rechristens his army Leopold's Legion after this terrible slaughter, and his name is writ in history as the mail-fisted destroyer of Rome's final legacy when his spearmen encircle and butcher the fresh faced Byzantine prince.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9QbpzXBxI/AAAAAAAADSw/oH4SlIPQXL8/s800/0447.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9QcpzXByI/AAAAAAAADS4/6qzRshWJGzQ/s800/0448.jpg

Leopold the Fierce, Lion of Bavaria, Champion of the Danes, Destroyer of Rome they will call him!

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9QdZzXBzI/AAAAAAAADTA/xtGa9xNu-J4/s800/0449.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9Qe5zXB1I/AAAAAAAADTQ/htd5xatJHr4/s800/0453.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rq9Qf5zXB2I/AAAAAAAADTY/PCDYG9iDDFA/s800/0454.jpg

As the dream fades Leopold imagines that even King Charles will bend knee and acknowledge him as the true ruler of the mighty Danish nation. At long last his run of ill luck will end, and his destiny will be fulfilled!

In the morning his wife slaps him awake from his drunken stupor and screams that his mad rages have driven off the servants again, he'll have to empty the chamber pots himself.

[grudzio]

A dangerous man this Leopold is, with his dreams becoming reality. I hope he does not dream about removing King Charles. I am curious how you going to explain the sudden collapse of Byzantine Empire.

[Ramses II CP]

Alas for Leopold, t'was only a dream, and when he awoke King Charles' orders to stay in the city under pain of death held him at Nicaea. Byzantium still exists, and events carry on as before no matter what Germans may dream. :juggle2:

In other words, I just loaded an old save to play the battle out because it was irresistable, but I'll follow the thread from turn 63 as before.

[grudzio]

In other words, I just loaded an old save to play the battle out because it was irresistable, but I'll follow the thread from turn 63 as before.

Yes, I should have guessed that. Maybe this "Leopold's dream" interlude is inappropriate for an AAR but it gives some depth to the story. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

[Magraev]

Great AAR! Keep the story rolling - interesting to see what happens when you get to Jerusalem.:2thumbsup:

[Ramses II CP]

Constantinople, turn 64.

The King's wife has brought forth a second son for him! Despite her advanced age, the boy is deemed healthy enough to survive and given the name Toraren.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKh5JzXB6I/AAAAAAAADUI/v9UkQbwUgDo/s800/0485.jpg

With the building of so many churches Leopold has discovered a seemingly genuine interest in God. Age can cool the fire of any man's heart and set him to contemplating what lies beyond, I know it has done so for me. Watching Prince Emund and my boys playing at war makes me wonder if their fathers will ever have the chance to put down the burden of Odin's quest. These days the hardships of going on campaign weigh heavily on me, and I can feel the same in King Charles. He has declared that we will rest and refit the armies here in Byzantium's old lands, lulling the Turks with our idle hands, until the time is ripe to pluck their capital on our border.

Constantinople, turn 65.

In his ongoing quest to leave Constantinople an even mightier and more beautiful city than when we first arrived, the King accepts a bid from the Merchant's guild to build a guildhouse. News has reached us of a powerful new force out of the east, the Mongols. I confess, it stirs my heart to contemplate battle with an enemy so feared that his name reaches across the world to raise fear over countless miles. Undeservedly King Charles has become known as a merciless mauler, and strangely also as quite merciful. Thessalonica is given to our allies, the Hungarians, in exchange for a paltry thousand florins.

Leopold departs Nicaea and makes camp on the Turkish border, stretching the intent of the King's orders to be watchful of the Turk. To give weight to his command for restraint, the King departs Constantinople in response, and will ride for the border.

Constantinople, turn 66.

So much traffic passes through Constantinople that the merchants there are already demanding a larger guild house, for which permission is granted. The Pope, having clearly seen that no other Catholic nation was willing to take up the crusade effectively, conquers Tunis personally at the head of an army. From there he commends us on our efforts to convert the people of Smyrna, and sends a thousand florin prize. Danish merchants around Constantinople engage in unceasing financial war. The Turkish fortress at Caesarea is warded solely by a general and his bodyguard, according to our spy network. Those spies also report rampant heresey in those Muslim lands, with several heretics wandering openly through the hills unopposed. Norse War Clerics become available for training at Constantinople, and seem only too appropriate to bring the light of God to the heathen Turks.

East of Nicaea, turn 67.

Word reaches us that the Mongols have made for Sarkel, and likely points north. A Papal edict arrives commanding that the people of Nicaea be converted more rapidly. A Turkish Imam calls a jihad against Baghdad. At Constantinople construction of a cathedral is undertaken for the glory of God and the improvement of the city. With Turkish armies heading east on jihad, King Charles relents and sends siege engines to the army Leopold is gathering west of Iconium with orders that the attack proceed at his discretion.

Turkish border, turn 68.

The council of nobles, having abandoned Thessalonica en masse to prevent a repeat of our old delaying trick arrives in Constantinople and are suitably impressed. They instantly begin meddling again, sending a man to beg the hand of former Prince Sweyn's daughter. Though the King has maintained her place in his household, it will likely be her fate to enter a convent after a spinster's life as her husband would have a dangerous claim to press against the throne. This is all the more painful as the noble they send is a brave, loyal, and chivalrous man, with no fault of his own.

One of our merchants loses his shirt, and a replacement merchant is asked for from the guild. Leopold cannot be made to wait for the catapults and ballistae to reach him, he rides on to the outskirts of Iconium and camps in sight of the walls. Our priests execute a Turkish heretic in the borderlands.

Near Iconium, turn 69.

Spain attacks the French, and we dissolve our alliance with them. The Pope rewards us for our efforts to convert the people of Nicaea. Leopold encircles Iconium and begins preparing rams and ladders for the siege, offering an official declaration of war. In a shocking move, Hungary dismisses their alliance with us and sides with the Turk. With Constantinople and Nicaea both held mainly by militia forces it is hoped that this is not a prelude to a war on both fronts. Concerned against an attack on Constantinople King Charles sends Sighvat on to Iconium, but holds his force by the border ready to reinforce the militia.

Siege of Iconium, turn 70.

The ever meddlesome Council has asked that we blockade a Turkish port at Trebizond, far from the line of our advance. They are ignored. The jihad against Baghdad is, unfortunately, cancelled; our diplomats later discover that the Egyptians have captured it ahead of the Turks with conventional forces. In darker news, the Hungarians declare war, and blockade the port east of Sofia.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrKh9ZzXB-I/AAAAAAAADUo/HR4BIY9ozL0/s800/0048.jpg

Our diplomats are commanded to seek peace, and to put the fortress we gained when Hungary sought an alliance up as a bargaining chip. Perhaps they only just now realized how uneven that exchange was, and now seek to recover the fortress?

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKh-JzXB_I/AAAAAAAADUw/eNcybXYYL5w/s800/0055.jpg

This happily proves to be the case. Sofia was sold intact, to be a Catholic held bulwark at our backs. If you ask me, this was far too trusting of King Charles, but perhaps someday we will need the place again ourselves. Turkish fleets, obviously acting in concert, blockade the ports of Nicaea and Smyrna, but leave Constantinople open. That choice they will surely come to regret. Another heretic is executed east of Iconium, and we remain the most favored nation of the Papacy. The Turkish garrisons at Adana and Caesarea are evaluated again before Iconium is attacked.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiAZzXCBI/AAAAAAAADVA/xQS_SAt49M4/s800/0063.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiBZzXCCI/AAAAAAAADVI/mRQ1VTcAV60/s800/0064.jpg

The siege of Iconium is put in Leopold's hands, with Sighvat ready to reinforce him or assume command if he should fall.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiCZzXCDI/AAAAAAAADVQ/aFc9vgWAeKM/s800/0065.jpg

This is one of the largest cities we have yet attacked. Fortunately our spies are able to open the gates, and the rams and ladders prove needless. Scouts from the north are the first into the walls, riding down pairs of ballista the enemy had stationed nearby.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiEJzXCFI/AAAAAAAADVg/h68W2vlhvXU/s800/0070.jpg

To the south swordsmen charge the gates and catch Turkish spearmen abandoning them, and at the main gate in the west Leopold rides through in stately grandeur unopposed.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiFJzXCGI/AAAAAAAADVo/Q3faNFyQfr8/s800/0074.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiGJzXCHI/AAAAAAAADVw/skXOk-EjCUY/s800/0072.jpg

Spearmen are being butchered at the south gate. So far only the enemy commander and his bodyguard have been allowed to retreat to the square. To keep it that way, a unit of mounted knights is sent through the square to cut off some spearmen that Leopold is intent on riding down. Loathe to leave his rally point, the enemy general watches it happen and does nothing.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiIpzXCKI/AAAAAAAADWI/lUirlrgkPB0/s800/0078.jpg

Attempting the same trick again, however, forces the Turk general to realize he may have no men left to rally if he doesn't act, and he takes the knights from behind as they beset a ballista unit.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiJ5zXCLI/AAAAAAAADWQ/tKqJT9ZczJY/s800/0082.jpg

Leopold urges on his Lions as they carve a path through Turkish spearmen, anxious to get to the square.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiKpzXCMI/AAAAAAAADWY/BOZY5wrm74E/s800/0086.jpg

More mounted knights ride to rescue the men from the second ride by, capturing the square momentarily, but the enemy's bodyguard is hardy and well trained. They have already all but massacred the initial squad of knights, and turning about they lay into the reinforcements viciously. To make matters worse the last enemy spear group from the walls runs up to reinforce them.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiL5zXCNI/AAAAAAAADWg/-rX7L29tu6w/s800/0089.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiMpzXCOI/AAAAAAAADWo/ZqDx3ti0UXE/s800/0090.jpg

Those spearmen are, in turn, taken from behind by the last of our scouts. No doubt exhausted from the long run, they shatter and flee.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiN5zXCPI/AAAAAAAADWw/GT5TfZSGSsM/s800/0094.jpg

Leopold, in a rage at the delay the spearmen caused, rides up and seeks out the enemy commander, who has killed dozens of his men. Before the two can come to grips, a blade guts the Ottoman, and he falls, beheading the knight who spilled out his life on the way down. So passes a mighty champion of the Turkish nation. After the battle Leopold wanted to hang his corpse from the mosque's minaret, but Sighvat has his body wrapped and sent to the Turkish Leader in honor.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiQJzXCRI/AAAAAAAADXA/LQCDwJ7Ka0w/s800/0100.jpg

One enemy spearman now remains to contest the square, screaming and shaking his spear to show his defiance. Our men run him through, and the Turk's capital is ours!

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiRJzXCSI/AAAAAAAADXI/-hEEG-JFCdA/s800/0102.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiR5zXCTI/AAAAAAAADXQ/Ue0wn6m-ZqU/s800/0107.jpg

Losses were unusually heavy due to the exceptional fight put up by the men of the enemy's bodyguard. Over eleven thousand florins are taken in Leopold's sack of Iconium.

Sighvat rides ahead to drive off a small enemy force that was marching up the pass towards Iconium.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiTJzXCUI/AAAAAAAADXY/bkaO1HICIHs/s800/0113.jpg

The enemy commands the high ground, but Danish horses scale it quickly even under fire.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiT5zXCVI/AAAAAAAADXg/coaYbWv_bxE/s800/0115.jpg

Taking advantage of the light scout's speed, each enemy cavalry group is surrounded and squeezed in turn. When their commander falls in just such an ambush, the whole force routs, and Sighvat lets them and the prisoners go, though they reinforce Caesarea.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiUpzXCWI/AAAAAAAADXo/UieFPQbxEMo/s800/0118.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiVpzXCXI/AAAAAAAADXw/IkXGwt9Js_4/s800/0122.jpg

Reassured about the Hungarians at our backs, King Charles takes his army up to Iconium. The Turkish Crown Prince and their faction leader are discovered by a spy skulking about in the hills south of Trebizond, far from the battles.

Besieging Adana, turn 71.

Sighvat rides on down to the castle at Adana, and lays siege despite having an all cavalry force. He can pin the enemy there while Leopold or King Charles rides up to take Caesarea.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiX5zXCZI/AAAAAAAADYA/8E407y-HNbc/s800/0131.jpg

Leopold builds a watch tower north of Iconium to aid in ferreting out heretics.

Besieging Adana, turn 72.

The English declare a truce with Portugal, and are reconciled. Constantinople requires an upgrade and expansion of her walls, but the treasury cannot sustain it. Our financial situation has been in constant decline since Thessalonica was given up, and it though it pains King Charles to leave such great work for other hands, we must also realize that Constantinople will not long be under our control. Contact is finally established with Scotland, and trade rights are secured. The King's army moves down by Adana, and Leopold gathers a force to siege the new Turkish capital at Caesarea including our catapults and ballistae.

Besieging Adana and Caesarea, turn 73.

In an demonstration of intelligence I would've deemed quite beyond them, the council has hit upon the strategy of sending young nobility of demonstrable quality as suitors for Prince Sweyn's daughter. The King finds that poor girl's fate lamentable, and I'm certain he still feels something for her long gone, but dashing and heroic father. Still, what's best for the kingdom is a clear line of succession, and so the King condemns Hrefna to her fate and dashes the hopes of brave young men year after year. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. In better news, at last a bishop of Denmark is acknowledged for his pious work among the heathens, and wins a place in the college of Cardinals. One of our new priests fails to denounce a heretic near Iconium, and the Cardinal is asked to oversee his next testimony personally. The Egyptian castle at Aleppo is garrisoned by a single unit of spearmen, as our spy discovers. Prince Leopold, upon reaching Caesarea, launches his assault in all haste.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiaJzXCbI/AAAAAAAADYQ/pfjp10ePLO0/s800/0147.jpg

The enemy is found to be holding none of the walls. With Leopold leading a ballista attack on the south gates, our main force of dismounted knights and catapults begin to work on the wall by the east gate. When the enemy finally commits his archer corps to the south walls, Leopold rides like mad for the east, eager to be the first to race into the breach.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKibpzXCdI/AAAAAAAADYg/T8LInzJIQ-U/s800/0151.jpg

He commands his men to ride under the catapult fire, right up the walls. Showing incredible discipline they hold there with immense stones hurling through the air overhead. Enemy banners reveal that they are sending their forces along the walls to oppose our thrust here.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKic5zXCeI/AAAAAAAADYo/n3vBbMsY2Sw/s800/0154.jpg

In a race between catapult thrown stones and pounding feet on walls, the stones eke out a victory. Before the dust can settle Leopold commands his Lion guards forward!

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKid5zXCfI/AAAAAAAADYw/1Ym2GQ1ClH0/s800/0155.jpg

The Lions of Bavaria ride over a brash bunch of peasant archers. Leopold urges them on, bellowing that they must take the gates to the inner keep quickly.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKie5zXCgI/AAAAAAAADY4/gP6uMymD6CM/s800/0156.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKifpzXChI/AAAAAAAADZA/nXT_2zDrsz8/s800/0158.jpg

Even riding their hardest, Leopold's heavy cavalry cannot beat the enemy's light horse archers to the inner gate, but perhaps he can still catch their general's own bodyguard!

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKih5zXCjI/AAAAAAAADZQ/Xr15lptassY/s800/0161.jpg

The Turkish general is aghast, but he masters his shock and calls back the horse archers to pull the odds sharply in his favor. Leopold rides back to where his dismounted knights are slaughtering Ottoman infantry and exhorts them to race for the inner gate!

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKij5zXClI/AAAAAAAADZg/HeP4AdzBdIc/s800/0164.jpg

When the first routers from the engagement behind them reach the Lions of Bavaria a doubt enters their heart as the Guard are beset on all sides and losing ground, but they hold.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKik5zXCmI/AAAAAAAADZo/D2WIribeSkA/s800/0166.jpg

Leopold returns to the battle at the gate, determined to hold open the gates until his knights can arrive, and gods take the cost.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKimJzXCnI/AAAAAAAADZw/MS4edz8bzSE/s800/0168.jpg

At last Viking Raiders reinforce the gate, encircling the enemy general and his bodyguard as they attempted to encircle Leopold.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKinJzXCoI/AAAAAAAADZ4/Mc1PHW4byV4/s800/0170.jpg

Leopold opens the throat of a hapless Turk defender, and quite suddenly the whole enemy force but for the heavy cavalry breaks and flees for the square. Caught up in a fury of bloodlust Leopold screams for his Lions to charge the square and crush the frightened enemy.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKin5zXCpI/AAAAAAAADaA/7cLJov-Eioo/s800/0171.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKio5zXCqI/AAAAAAAADaI/0JEQPnpHlDY/s800/0175.jpg

Behind him knights drag down the enemy commander and he surrenders his sword to them. Unfortunately some of his men have rallied at the square, and carry on the fight. The dismounted knights, worn down by having run all the way from the field, across the castle, and straight into battle nonetheless find the strength and courage to charge into an arrow barrage.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiqpzXCsI/AAAAAAAADaY/UwZqKWBSlp0/s800/0181.jpg

Leopold, bloody but unbowed, with only a handful of men from his Lions still ahorse, completes the encirclement of the remaining enemy forces, and they are soon swept away.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKirpzXCtI/AAAAAAAADag/kvUHyNQapDw/s800/0187.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrKisZzXCuI/AAAAAAAADao/Jx6HhLbBsMc/s800/0188.jpg

The fortress is sacked and another seven thousand florins go into our coffers. Caesarea is a fortress every bit the equal of old Sofia, and we are pleased to have it holding our current northern border. King Charles takes his army forward, to control the pass between Egypt and Adana, though the Egyptians are technically our allies.

Besieging Adana, turn 74

A son is born to Leopold and Vemy, the boy is given the name Ulrik Nevjolvson. The news gets a cool reception from the King. Doubtless the nobility will bend their every effort to wooing this young man to their cause. Even with matters so complicated King Charles sends Vemy and Leopold his official congratulations, and officially recognizes the boy as a member of his household.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrKitZzXCvI/AAAAAAAADaw/Cpg3T86eyCU/s800/0193.jpg

We suffer reversals in the ongoing economic warfare around Constantinople, but more merchants are in training. The heretic Abascantus is found guilty and executed outside Iconium. A formerly Byzantine army is discovered to have rebelled, and is blocking the road east of Smyrna. A force of Huscarls is commissioned to deal with them. Leopold departs Caesarea and carries his siege train towards Adana. The Egyptian Sultan, a chivalrous man, is spotted south of Antioch.

King Charles chases some rebels off the bridge north east of Antioch, and asks that the Egyptian Crown Prince Nasir ad Din ride out with him to battle.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrKivZzXCxI/AAAAAAAADbA/QNh7Qhd9Iec/s800/0204.jpg

Under a gathering storm and intermittant flashes of lightning and rain the two men meet. The Crown Prince is curious why the King has ridden down into his lands, backed by a significant army no less. King Charles says that God has sent him forth, and swears that he will soon have a full explanation for the Egyptians. Nasir ad Din looks thoughtful, and returns "What Allah sends a man to do, he must do, though all the world oppose it."

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiwJzXCyI/AAAAAAAADbI/H2vUUTE0maA/s800/0207.jpg

Smiling his understanding, the King spurs his horse around, and charges the nearest rebel group.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiw5zXCzI/AAAAAAAADbQ/A4x6DbaOq_M/s800/0211.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKixpzXC0I/AAAAAAAADbY/WWMD-5qcVl4/s800/0218.jpg

Prince Nasir watches the King's effort, and then rides out to match it.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiyJzXC1I/AAAAAAAADbg/r_Ht07TTPfQ/s800/0215.jpg

Under a hail of arrows the Egyptians catch up to the enemy captain, and wipe out his horsemen.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKiy5zXC2I/AAAAAAAADbo/CG3X8c-joHI/s800/0223.jpg

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrKizpzXC3I/AAAAAAAADbw/GE4fvB0peFA/s800/0226.jpg

After the battle the two men salute one another, and ride off their seperate ways. Jerusalem is scouted, and found to contain only a general's men as guard. A look at our maps:

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RrKxW5zXC5I/AAAAAAAADdI/kxjdFmIxBXA/s800/Map74.JPG

[Ramses II CP]

Siege of Adana, turn 75.

Sadly this is the appointed year for us to leave Constantinople. Orders are sent to pull all troops into the fort east of the city, but to sell nothing, leave every structure just as it is. Though we are far along the road, and perhaps our final destination is even in sight, King Charles is greatly vexed to be giving up control of this great city. Meanwhile Leopold leads his army down from the high plain at Caesarea to the pass near Adana where he and Sighvat exchange troops to better prepare Sighvat's army for the coming assault. Sighvat sends away most of his cavalry with Leopold, and takes spearmen and siege engines into his force in return. So reinforced, he begins the attack.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RruqxpzXC7I/AAAAAAAADdg/FeF25d0sMa8/s800/0000.jpg

This is Sighvat's first major command, but King Charles is determined to prove his trust in the man by allowing him to conduct it without oversight. Sir Sighvat has been present for a number of sieges now, and with Leopold and the King both growing old it is time for him to prove himself. Before the battle he christens his bodyguard the Hart Guard. The men approach the castle walls from two directions, north and west, to discover that the west side where the ballista, Norse War Clerics, and axemen are waiting is covered by archers on the walls, whereas the north gate is not held. Sir Sighvat offers the catapult crews their pick of spoils if they can smash the enemy gate quickly, and they are up to the task, allowing him to ride in unopposed.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RruqypzXC8I/AAAAAAAADdo/YUKNBnxmLzo/s800/0013.jpg

To allow his War Clerics and axemen to enter the city, he must first capture the west gates. Rushing past enemy held walls and streets Sighvat's Harts find the west gate undefended, and throw it open before launching into battle against enemy cavalry.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RruqzpzXC9I/AAAAAAAADdw/y9ziRWkZABY/s800/0016.jpg

War Clerics and Axemen charge in there to cut off the retreat of the Turks fleeing the walls. Back at the north gate, our spearmen easily rout some enemy peasants, but then meet stiffer resistance as the castle's commander rides out to assail them.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq0ZzXC-I/AAAAAAAADd4/L88EdQZB7JI/s800/0019.jpg

Some of the men from the walls rout and are smashed down by Cleric's maces. The Axemen will have to go up and drag the rest down under heavy arrow fire.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq1ZzXC_I/AAAAAAAADeA/XCgRAhU3dsk/s800/0020.jpg

Most of the enemy's men are in retreat, and Sighvat's force is well positioned to issue orders down both streets and to hold the enemy's line of retreat. While two spear units pin the enemy general, a third is sent to relieve the Hart Guard, causing the remaining Turkish cavalry to turn their backs to battle.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq2JzXDAI/AAAAAAAADeI/6l60YnWXYoo/s800/0021.jpg

The spears do their bloody work, and Adana's commander is trapped under his dying horse before being pierced by a dozen spears. What remains of his guard flee.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq25zXDBI/AAAAAAAADeQ/kxl2HSYVHCs/s800/0023.jpg

As our forces assemble to take the square and end all resistance, the Norse Axemen file into the walls to do butcher's work. After the action Sighvat would come to regret sending them there, on the staircase they were ambushed and took heavy losses before making it into the fight (A pathing bug had them standing at a corner getting shot by the archers until I noticed it).

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq35zXDCI/AAAAAAAADeY/gpsGqGUAsWg/s800/0025.jpg

At the square the Harts and Clerics rapidly destroy the remaining Turkish forces, and then look to the walls to watch the last bit of battle for Adana.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq4pzXDDI/AAAAAAAADeg/RO6hNojPl3E/s800/0027.jpg

The axes are slower, but more sure than enemy swords. Many is the Turk who finds himself hurtling through the air after an axe blow knocks him from the wall. In the end, the archers break and the castle is ours.

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Three thousand florins are taken in the sack of Adana. With Adana taken, we enter a complex negotiation with Egypt for the surrender of Antioch into our hands. King Charles sits outside the walls with an army, while inside the Crown Prince rests alone with his bodyguard, sure that the King will keep the faith of our alliance with them. Finally, after many frustrating days, the King comes to the table himself and asks to speak with the Crown Prince personally. After the pleasantries are exchanged, the men begin a legendary dicker.

'Prince Nasir, I must have Antioch. It is my people's destiny.'

'I recall clearly you saying on the eve of battle that your coming was the will of Allah. I have no wish to stand between a man and his God-given destiny, but my father the Sultan has sheltered the people of Antioch under his care for many years, as his father before him. If God wishes you to have Antioch, surely God has given you the means to purchase it from us.'

'Our coffers are not piled high with plunder, if that is the question you do not wish to speak plainly, but there are many lands in Danish hands.'

'One would expect that conquering your way across the whole of Europe would leave a larger impact on your purse.' The Prince smiled brightly to lessen the offense his statement might give.

King Charles gave a grim look before answering, 'We have not conquered our way across Europe, we have merely followed the road that fate set before us. Where possible, I have left the lands behind us in better shape and trustworthy hands. It will forever be a joy in my heart to recall how many great works were undertaken by the hands of Danes at Constantinople.'

'Constantinople you say? A mighty city, with men of all faiths living within her walls. I have often wished to travel to Constantinople.'

'As I have now a wish to bring my people into Antioch. I am amenable to a land trade, though the city we give up is mightier by far.'

'Would that matters were so simple, great King. If Constantinople were given into our hands, how would we hold it? How would our Imams reach it, so far across your lands. Who would administer the city, and who defend it?'

For a few breaths King Charles merely gazed at the ceiling, before saying, 'I appreciate these concerns, and I am prepared to give my word that no Egyptian priests will be molested crossing my realm. Additionally mercenaries are widely available in the city herself, and could control Constantinople until your people arrived.'

'I am afraid I must have a guarantee for the safety of all men spreading the word of the Prophet in your lands. An end to your war against the Turks would be a sufficient gesture to this effect, in the Sultan's eyes.'

'This will be done, we have no further need of Turkish lands. If the Turks wish a ceasefire, they shall have it.' The King's eyes gleamed as went on, 'Though I suspect that you desire their lands yourself, now that we have weakened them.'

The Prince inclined his head and appeared thoughtful for a moment, 'Perhaps, but there is a further problem with this deal, and it is simply that no facilities are available for training professional soldiers in the city. We will need such men, if Constantinople is truly to be ours.'

At this the King grinned, sensing the end of the haggling, 'Smyrna. We hold a castle at Smyrna that could also be surrendered to your trust. The lands of Egypt will then be mighty indeed, and well held.'

Rising to his feet, the Crown Prince of Egypt smiled widely, openly, and exclaimed, 'So it shall be! Leave the signing of documents to the functionaries, for now let us share sweet dates and dark tea while we watch the sun set from my palace. At sunrise tomorrow, the palace will be yours!'

Turning to me, the King whispered grimly, 'The Pope may well send a letter asking for my head, but his forgiveness will be easier to seek than Odin's. Tell the men to make ready to secure the city, unrest will be high for a time while the priests do their work. Tomorrow I will ride south, to the border, to put up a watch tower. The Prince is an honest man, but this alliance will not long survive such hard bargains as we gave up today.'

Quickly a deal was reached with a Turkish emissary. They were enthusiastic, desperate, but also destitute, and so we asked only a pittance as recompense. If we weren't in need of money, we wouldn't have gouged them for anything, but times being what they are every florin counts.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq7JzXDGI/AAAAAAAADe4/b6gcjMnxoJw/s800/0044.jpg

Just as quickly we invite the Hungarians to resume their alliance with us for a price, making certain of a two front war should the Egyptians prove unfaithful.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq8JzXDHI/AAAAAAAADfA/tVUw5EpOlxg/s800/0046.jpg

At the end of the year a deputation arrives from the Papacy with a private rebuke for King Charles, and a demand that he repudiate his deal with the Egyptians that gave mighty Constantinople into their hands. Mindful of the Code, and of keeping his nation's reputation intact, King Charles was then offered a path that all involved would understand. A Crusade. In the end our people's faith and destiny must trump the King's and even the country's honor. The Egyptians would know that we had manipulated them, perhaps they may even see a vast Christian conspiracy in it, but the Catholic nations of Europe would hear a different tale from Papal messengers; one of Muslim treachery and cunning that must be repaid with Muslim blood. Constantinople would be the target of the second Crusade.

Antioch, turn 76.

We are asked to answer the call to crusade, but as before it is forbidden for us. Still, three nations come to the Pope's war banners; Venice, The Holy Roman Empire, and Hungary. This puts us in the position of choosing between our alliance with Hungary and our alliance with Egypt. Looking south to Jerusalem, there is only one possible choice. Egypt sends their Sultan and a small force to block the pass out of the mountains around Adana, but the rest of their armies draw back from our borders rather than cross them. Perhaps they still hope for peace since we did not declare for the Crusade. Leopold sends men to hold the path down out of the pass, while Sighvat sits atop it. The Sultan is trapped, but has also cleverly trapped a large part of our forces including our siege engines.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rruq-JzXDJI/AAAAAAAADfQ/oTGEoSsnWFQ/s800/0059.jpg

An aging member of the noble council puts himself forth as a suitor for Hrefna. One of Leopold's original conspirators, this Sigurd of Dragor is one of the men King Charles has had watched since Thessalonica, and he is known to be actively disloyal. Though his claim on her hand is rejected, the King invites him to dinner before he departs back to Iconium. Afterward, when I voice my concern at this change in tacks, the King says 'Better to have such men here, in my camp with my soldiers when they get bad news, than away behind my back surrounded by their own petty suck-ups.'

Vemy bears Leopold another son, who is given the name Lars Eigod by his mother.

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Across our lands heretics are being burned, which encourages the locals to convert to Christianity. Our priests report excellent results from their efforts in the hinterlands around Ceasarea and Adana, though Iconium is still home to a number of Turkish and Egyptian Imams. Spies report Edessa and Acre are weakly held.

Near Antioch, turn 77.

A spy from Nicaea discovers Constantinople is still held solely by mercenaries. It looks as though the city will suffer another siege soon, as a Hungarian crusader army is spotted not too far to the north by one of our diplomats.

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More heretics go to the stake, inside Egypt and our borders. We've almost cleared the whole area of them at last. While King Charles is pinning the former garrison of Antioch by the sea to the south, Sighvat is trapped on the far side of the mountains by the Egyptian Sultan. Leopold was ordered to find a peaceful solution to this matter as messeges couldn't get through to Sir Sighvat and there was no one else. Unfortunately after months of snide remarks and sly insults from Sultan Moussa at the negotiating table, Leopold hears the translator snicker through saying '...the flighty kittens of beer-area,' one time too many. He snaps, and nearly assaults the Sultan across the table before regaining control of himself. Snatching up a butter knife from the remains of breakfast, he slams it into the table and says simply 'We're coming.' Hearing Leopold's trumpets, Sighvat marches down into the pass as well.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RrurAZzXDLI/AAAAAAAADfg/B6qRdGj-LaQ/s800/0069.jpg

Sultan Moussa arrays his men on a high hill nearby, but they are vastly outnumbered. Leopold screams at his cavalrymen to ride faster, seeking battle with all his heart. As they ride in, immense catapult stones hurtle overhead and slam into the ground behind them. Blind with rage, Leopold turns his Lions to end that threat once and for all while the rest of his cavalry go to meet the enemy horse archers. The Sultan's guard first moves indecisively to save the archers, then moves back towards the catapult just as the last of it's crew are killed. Finally a squad of Feudal Knights ride down to engage them as they ride somewhat aimlessly.

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More and more forces pour in to surround the Sultan, and Sighvat rides up with his Hart Guard exhorting the men to capture him alive.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RrurD5zXDPI/AAAAAAAADgA/dk931M0OTwM/s800/0077.jpg

Alas for Egypt, it is too late. Leopold rides down to Moussa still in a frothing rage, and his well trained horse dances back to dodge the Sultan's first strike. Leopold's counter insures there will be no second, and the Sultan of all Egypt pitches forward, face first into the blood stained dirt. His personal guard fights to the death, taking many Danes with them.

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Sighvat and Leopold ride down onto the plain east of Antioch, sending two seperate letters to King Charles about the battle in the pass. Dismayed, the King is nonetheless confronted by a now enemy army just southwest of his newest, least Christian city. He resolves to bring them to battle that very evening, before they hear of their Sultan's heroic last stand.

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Under storm swept skies we few, proud Gray Wolves rode forth once more to battle. Once before, in France, in the first battle after I came under his command, we were ambushed by a similar number of men. What then we could accomplish by mere strength and hardiness, now we must get done with cleverness and hard earned battle wisdom.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrurGJzXDSI/AAAAAAAADgY/WG8uKTX8jsw/s800/0090.jpg

First we scatter the enemy archers, who set their arrows alight in the vain hope that it would aid their aim. Taking advantage of the darkness and confusion, King Charles routs their second unit of archers singlehandedly.

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Riding quietly out of the darkness, we surprise a small cluster of spearmen as they chat casually.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RrurIJzXDVI/AAAAAAAADgw/gjVRPCM4H54/s800/0099.jpg

When we charge the main body of spearmen, we find them also milling about purposelessly. I line up the enemy captain with my lance, but he ducks the blow (He is bent over behind the second nearest horse in the 2nd shot). Despite this, his line is smashed, and his force flees in terror.

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Clearly King Charles is an expert at night fighting. The further south we go, the better fighting in the cool of the evening seems to me. After the battle we march south, to the plain east of Acre. We can see the walls of Jerusalem from here. Our spies still report that fabled city to be lightly held. In our camp the mood is high, and by striking so deep into enemy territory it would even appear that we've outrun the reach of the Council. Were it not for the brewing conflict between Sighvat and Leopold all would seem well with the world. King Charles, though wroth with Leopold, can nearly smell the city of his dreams on the horizon. Leopold's second reckoning will have to wait.

[Ramses II CP]

Besieging Jerusalem, turn 78.

Our spy in the city continues to report that Jerusalem is held by a small force, and so the King approaches with only a few Huscarls to make ready the siege. Our fate is here, in our hands, waiting only to be seized, but a note of caution must slow us. The fortress of Acre behind us must be taken first, to maintain our borders with the rest of our lands and in accordance with the mandate of Odin. For now, we sit 'round the city and prevent it from being reinforced.

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On the diplomatic front, the Turks have called a truce with the Egyptians. Though we sit at the gates of our goal, still King Charles prudently orders priests and scouts to be sent out around Caesarea to watch for Turkish forces. Most of our armies are on the march south and the Turk has an opportunity to split our nation in half if he strikes boldly. I suspect their people are still cowed by our rapid advance, however, and any declaration of war would meet fear and riots in the enemy streets. Hours ahead of the Hungarian Crusaders, Egypt reinforces Constantinople with mercenary horse archers and light cavalry. Seeing this, the Hungarians lose heart, and do not lay siege.

A small force of Feudal Knights is sent out of Antioch to pin the new Sultan, Nasir ad Din, at Aleppo, and the new Crown Prince is spotted near Damascus. The young man's name is Camona the Ugly. Leopold moves south with his siege train, making for Acre at best speed.

Sieges of Aleppo and Acre, turn 79.

King Charles' son, Prince Emund, has come of age! My first born, Aethelwulf, heads his bodyguard while his slightly younger twin Magnus awaits Toraren's maturity. The boys have ridden against bandits, and watched major engagements all their lives, but for the first time Emund will have a command of his own. Having been raised on the road, with no set home and only Odin's all consuming quest as a guide, the boy has grown up with some silly beliefs, and a skewed view of the world. Only to be expected, I suppose, but I hope it does not interfere with his ability to command. Diplomats in Europe are given orders to find him a suitable princess from among our allies.

King Charles does not wish our armies to intercede in matters at Constantinople, feeling that his deal with the Egyptians has already stained his honor. A priest discovers a small force of Turkish rebels on the high plain north east of Adana, and cavalry are dispatched to deal with them.

Emund is given charge of the siege of Aleppo, and he sends a messenger with a demand that Sultan Nasir ad Din surrender the town and depart. My son reports that the Sultan's reponse was straightforward, 'Not your ears alone hear the voice of Allah. I am called to defend these lands to my last breath. Allah willing, the victor's hand will be a merciful one.'

Emund's pre-battle speech is odd, but effective, 'Today we turn another page in the book of time! I have read ahead, and on the last page are the names of our honored dead inscribed! If you fall today, know that all mankind will revere your sacrifice in the times to come!'

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King Charles is not known as The Watcher for nothing, and his spy network proves itself again by opening the gates of Aleppo for us. The men drop their ladders and make for the gates as Prince Emund rides in unopposed. The Egyptians have only a unit of militia spearmen and the Sultan's bodyguard in the town, so the walls are unguarded.

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Our men begin to surround the square where Sultan Nasir has massed his defenders. The militia look terrified at the prospect of a hopeless battle.

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As our knights move to complete the encirclement, Sultan Nasir orders his men to attack. Instantly Prince Emund orders a charge into their flank, lancing some of their hardiest fighters from behind.

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As our foot knights charge, the spearmen run to the Sultan's side as though he can protect them.

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Prince Emund's years of training show as he clears a space around himself in the melee. No enemy can stand before the Prince when a joyous bloodlust comes over him.

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The Egyptian spearmen are quickly taken by our Knights, and the Sultan's guard is pressed in around him on all sides. When a pause occurs in the battle, Emund calls out a challenge to Sultan Nasir to end this pointless slaughter with a personal duel. The Sultan nods his head, and quickly Prince Emund spurs his mount forward. Two swords flash as the horses pass, Emund's armor resists the Sultan's swing while Emund's punching motion takes Sultan Nasir in the leg. To hear my son tell it, the matter was already decided at that point, as the Egyptian leader could no longer guide his horse properly. Emund made five more passes, cutting Nasir ad Din again each time, before the Sultan fell from his horse. Emund came down from his saddle as well, and began to approach his enemy when the few remaining members of the Sultan's guard lost their discipline and attacked.

Knights surrounded Emund and held him safe while the dishonored bodyguard was killed, but in the melee the body of Sultan Nasir ad Din was crushed beyond recognition. In the end Aleppo was ours, and Emund's first command was a success. (Forgot the post battle screenshot)

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Having word of Emund's victory, King Charles met Leopold east of Acre as Leopold's army was setting up to siege the castle there.

Setting aside any ceremony, King Charles says, 'A mighty Egyptian warrior commands that castle, the new Crown Prince Saladin. He is all that stands between my people and the end of Odin's burden.'

Leopold snorted, 'My army is far superior. This man will die like every other if he stands in my way.'

'Like the old Sultan did, in the pass east of Adana? You recall that attack, do you not Leopold?'

Shifting uneasily, Leopold merely nods.

'Of course Saladin is not negotiating with us across a peace table, is he Leopold? Very much unlike the old Sultan Moussa. I'm sure you recall those negotiations as well, do you not Leopold?'

Grimly, Leopold nods again.

Appearing to change tacks, the King says, 'Do you still imagine the Council can put you upon my throne if I fall?'

White faced, but forced to speak, Leopold sputters, 'Of course not my liege! I am sworn to you, loyalty unto death. I have no other place in the world but by your side.'

Nodding, the King continues, 'Even so sworn, even so outcast from your homeland, and even if you have abandoned all hope of ruling the Danes, even given all that you still see fit to defy my orders and launch what may have been a needless war with a mighty people who have in their grasp the lands we desperately need? You have dishonored me Leopold! You have forced my hand, the hand of your King, on a terrible choice! Here I have word that my own son fought a death duel with a man who not so long ago rode at my side into battle!'

Dropping his voice, King Charles went on, 'I am a fair king Leopold, even handed and just, but it seems to me that I am twice betrayed by you, and my whole people bear a certain stain on their honor because of your actions.'

Ashen, hands balled into bloodless fists, Leopold cannot look away from the King, though he must be worried that he will leave this tent in irons.

Pausing thoughtfully, King Charles appears to be struck by an idea, 'But you have proven yourself in battle, time and again. You have done much to advance our cause, and led our ever victorious armies forward for many years. I do not wish to break that spirit which is so useful to our cause. Perhaps I should give you another chance to prove yourself in battle. Perhaps I should overlook your faults and send you out to redeem yourself. Would you like that Leopold? Do you think you could scrub away the stain?'

Surging to his feet, Leopold shouts, 'With my own blood if you need it my Lord!'

'Then go Leopold, go to Acre and bring me the head of Saladin. Go quickly, for I would have Jerusalem in my grasp before Odin's heavy hand takes another of our cities from us.'

Leaping up, Leopold races for his horse and rides for Acre as though the King had fired him at it like a bolt from a crossbow. Turning away I hear King Charles mutter, '...and if he comes back, the real trouble begins.'

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Our spy network shows it's worth again, and as Leopold rushes his men to the walls Egypt's archers abandon them.

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The two meet, and archers flee for the inner keep while horsemen cut them down. Leopold's fury is boundless.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rr8puZzXDmI/AAAAAAAADjU/aqVWn-ofhBI/s800/0149.jpg

That mad battle lust is infectious, even veteran Huscarls ride along the lines of cowering peasant archers splitting open their heads with mighty hews of their axes.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rr8pvJzXDnI/AAAAAAAADjc/guNUm1jb-po/s800/0153.jpg

With the enemy walls taken, and their foot soldiers all cut down, the battle roars into place at the castle's square. Leopold drives his Lions against Saladin's bodyguard.

<http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rr8pwJzXDoI/AAAAAAAADjk/yDpjAMTM5t0/s800/0156.jpg

Inevitably as Leopold cuts his way through one side of the battle line, and Saladin slaughters his way along the other, the two men move towards a meeting.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rr8pxZzXDpI/AAAAAAAADjs/nn2ZFN1Pv6Y/s800/0159.jpg

Exchanging blows, with neither proving superior, they are quickly forced apart by Saladin's guard driving themselves between their lord and the madman Leopold appears to have become.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rr8px5zXDqI/AAAAAAAADj0/fI9vOjKUpL0/s800/0163.jpg

Isolated, outnumbered, and surrounded Leopold nonetheless cuts down man after man, relentlessly making his way back to Saladin one gut spilling blow after another. None can stand against him.

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At last the fight between the two commanders resumes, and Saladin gets the worst of it. Leaning far out of his saddle, with no caution or care for his own defense, Leopold strikes Saladin down.

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With the fight surging around him, Leopold slides down out of his saddle and approaches the corpse of the mighty Egyptian general with his sword held ready. Beyond any thought of risk, he grabs the plume on Saladin's helm and draws it off so that he can thrust a hand into the man's hair and lift his head to one side. Raising his sword, Leopold begins to hack his way through Saladin's neck, not noticing as the last of his now leaderless Lions of Bavaria is run through by one of the seven remaining Egyptian bodyguards.

Turning back to look on the spot where their leader fell, the Egyptians see Leopold hewing demonically at Saladin's neck. As one they charge, and mighty Leopold is pierced many times by their swords. Staggering back to his horse to attempt to remount he is heard to roar 'Avenge me!' before he falls into the final darkness.

Grim spearmen catch the enemy's last cavalry, and Huscarls ride behind them. The Danes have not lost heart, for Leopold died well exhorting them to carry on the battle.

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At the last two great men from two fate crossed lands lie dead in the mud, filth, and blood. Acre is taken, and Leopold leaves a powerful legacy for his young sons.

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Seven thousand florins are gained from the sack of Acre. The Council of Nobles is forced to acknowledge Prince Emund as the true heir following the fall of Leopold. In honor of his long service, King Charles orders the construction of a tall tomb at Acre. Princess Vemy is invited to bring her children to live in the King's household, if for no other reason to try to keep them clear of the council's machinations. A spy is sent from Acre to scout Gaza, and finds it loosely held.

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Before the siege of Jerusalem can begin a small force north of the city must be cleared away. Men from Leopold's command are ordered to march south and make ready for battle.

[Ramses II CP]

Siege of Jerusalem, turn 80.

At last, the city of our hopes and dreams, the end goal of Odin's quest. If King Knud's visions were true, capturing this city will lift the debt of the old gods from the Danes for good. Perhaps we could even put to sea again, here on these strange shores with their warm, blue waters. All my war wounds ache with the tension I feel as we move inevitably towards our destiny. At least this much I know to be true, the Gray Wolves will ride into battle once more.

First, however, more practical matters. The King accepts an offer from the Merchant's guild to put a guild house in Nicaea, on the presumption that the city won't be lost this year though it's turn is up. The Council demands that we capture Damascus, which is on the trade roads between Jerusalem and all points north. No doubt they seek a comfortable city closer to the King, so as to improve their ability to meddle. Spain joins the Crusade against Constantinople. Antioch is becoming a huge city. Sultan Camona the Ugly holds the bridge east of Aleppo with only his bodyguard to protect him. Baghdad is found to have a single unit of spearmen holding it, and Turkish Mosul is held only by a general and some dismounted lancers. The whole area is ripe for plucking by our mighty armies.

For the siege of Jerusalem King Charles sends away all of his men but one veteran unit of Norse Swordsmen to push a ram to the gates, should our spies fail to open them. He vows to send those men away, and capture the city with the Wolves alone, as it is protected by only an Egyptian general named al Mutawakkil and his retinue.

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Word reaches us that our spies have thrown open the gates, and with the sun rising beautifully over the city we ride for the undefended entrance. The Norse Swordsmen are sent away from the battle, and withdraw quickly.

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The King leads us in a near perfect parade formation into the quiet city. The air itself feels pensive. There are no peasants on the roads, and the markets are shut. Even the morning call to prayer seems have been suspended until the matter of control of the city is decided. King Charles rides ahead of us, before turning back to shout, 'Here! Here, by all the gods new and old, here is our destiny! Reach out with me and take it!'

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Leading us up the silent streets, the King is ebullient. He launches into an ancient sailing song which hails Odin as the source of all favorable winds.

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Reaching the town square, we find our enemy neatly arrayed in the center, awaiting us. We make our line too, slightly longer than theirs at both ends.

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There is no negotiation now. Reaching up King Charles slashes at an Egyptian flag and commands us to charge!

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Heedless of his own safety, the King attacks with short, precise strokes, and fells every enemy that comes before him.

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When I spot the enemy commander riding down the line, intent on attacking King Charles despite the fact that the King is already engaged with two other Egyptians, I goad my horse to slam it's shoulder into his mount's side, trapping the general's leg so that I can reach back and run him through from behind. His dead, slumping weight carries his horse to the ground with him as I move on to relieve the King.

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The King fights coldly, slaying his opponents quickly with powerful strokes so that he can move on to the next. No mere man will slow him today.

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We surrounded the last few Egyptians, and cut them down. When the last enemy falls, the Gray Wolves stand in their stirrups to shout and raise bloodied swords heavenward! Jerusalem is ours!

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Veteran swordsmen, huscarls, and raiders, sons and the sons of sons of the mighty men who first enlisted on this quest with King Knud are brought forward to take spoils from our sack of the city. This will go far to guarantee loyalty in the locals and the suddenly unburdened Norsemen who may wonder what is left to fight for. Eleven thousand florins go into the coffers.

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King Charles' first act as governor of Jerusalem, of course, is to commission the construction of a church in the city, and to order the destruction of the resident theives' guild. A week of feasting is declared, though troops in the field keep a close watch on the countryside. That night King Charles delivers a brilliant speech, one long in the coming, about a destiny and a duty fulfilled. Odin's burden can now be laid down, and cities taken by Danes are free to remain in the hands of Danes. No longer are we a wandering, homeless people. Now we are a people of one God, and one purpose, undivided and no longer indebted to the old ways. Heralds are sent with copies of the speech to every land and army we control. Back in Jerusalem, we celebrate! Many days later, when the last barrel of drink we brought with us is tapped, business resumes nearly as usual. A spy sends a report that a handsome Egyptian has a small force protecting Edessa.

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Some knights and axemen out of Acre catch an Egyptian general and his reinforcements north of Jerusalem, and rapidly put him to flight.

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Prince Emund departs Aleppo to see if Sultan Camona will give him battle across the bridge east of there. He brings a group of peasant archers to goad the Sultan into crossing the bridge.

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Riding out onto the bridge, Emund screams insults and strange prophecies at the Sultan, but to no avail. He commands the archers to set their arrows alight before firing.

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The Sultan and his guard are either foolishly brave, or insanely determined that no Dane will cross, as they sit under a hail of flaming arrows despite some of their fellows wailing as they burn.

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Once he is certain the enemy cannot be lured onto the bridge, Emund sends the archers away. With a final shouted challenge, his men surge forward. Like all the men of his line, Emund is a fine swordsmen; he carves a path into the Sultan's guard.

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When the Sultan is felled by a combined attack, his guard breaks and flee the bridge at last. Prince Emund has won his second battle, and for their valor on this day has given his guard the name Emund's Eagles.

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Riding south from the bridge, Emund confronts another Egyptian army, but word of the Sultan's death has come ahead of him and the enemy retreats. They will have to wait. In his camp Emund gives a series of curious speechs before the men, speaking of old debts forgiven and new debts incurred. My son is uneasy with the direction they take, but for no reason he can specify in his letters. In sadder new, King Charles' sister, the Empress Ingrid, sends word from Germany of Emperor Henry's peaceful death. His passing may put some strain on our relationship with the Holy Roman Empire and their fractious nobility.

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Jerusalem, turn 81.

Realizing now where the future lies, and with King Charles difficult to reach in Jerusalem, the Council has switched it's efforts to wooing the Prince. They send a marginally loyal older man to Prince Emund with an offer to tutor and guide him, in exchange for adoption into the family. The Prince, with years of experience with the noble's games, sends the man away. The offer of an Explorer's guild is declined in Jerusalem. Our English allies are excommunicated, again, while Milan goes to war with the Papacy.

Our spy in Damascus reports that it is held by a ragtag collection of partial units, though some are of veteran status. A spy in Constantinople reports the city to be suffering riots that the mercenaries cannot seem to quell.

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Captain Ingeborg leads his Huscarls out of Acre to engage a small Egyptian army in the pass to the north east.

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The enemy sits very high on one side of the valley's walls, trying to hurl stones down at the fast riding Captain and his men.

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Under a hail of arrows, the men ride up and assail the enemy archers, who have nowhere left to flee.

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Riding back down on the Egyptian spearmen and their captain, the battle is quickly decided, though losses are heavy.

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Captain Ingeborg puts his name forward as a candidate for adoption, but even with King Charles in a most excellent mood and gathering veterans in Jerusalem the man's efforts were not sufficient to this honor, and he is turned down. To the north Captain Magnus brings some rebel scum to battle in a small forest east of Caesarea.

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Fast scouts cause disruptions in the enemy formation, which heavy knights are quick to exploit.

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The enemy's commander, riding with some horse archers, moves away from his spearmen to avoid our scouts, and our knights are quick to exploit the spearmen's disarray.

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Riding back by the site of the rest of his command's destruction, the enemy captain is caught between our knights and our scouts, and routs quickly.

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Captain Magnus, a man with many good qualities, also puts his name forward in the hope of gaining a place in the royal family, but with no member of the family present he too must be turned down. Back to the south, just below Aleppo, Prince Emund brings the enemy army that previously avoided him to battle this time.

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They set their lines on a small hill, and send forward archers to harass our advance. Prince Emund teaches them the error of their ways.

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Having penetrated their line on the left, the Prince takes this chance to lance a few of their catapult crew.

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Having scattered their line, Emund's Eagles ride around their rear to the right and put to flight a second group of isolated archers.

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In stages our main line reaches the enemy and engages. We are superior in number and quality.

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While his army dies behind him, another Egyptian captain rides with his cavalry archers to duel our well entrenched and veteran Norse archers. It is a mistake almost as glaringly obvious as abandoning his militia troops in the face of our advance.

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The Prince and his men encourage a third unit of archers to flee. These men have more fight in them, but they don't last long.

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With his whole force running for the hills behind him, the enemy captain is killed in an arrow barrage, and his horsemen break at the sight. Emund lets them go.

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Prince Emund's Eagle guard showed exceptional skill on the field today, and gained valuable experience accounting for over a hundred of our foes themselves. The prisoners are offered for a fair ransom, and for the first time the Egyptians accept and pay some five hundred florins for their release. Concerned about the wild chances Prince Emund is taking on the field, King Charles dispatches a veteran warrior to his side.

Here is the world as we know it, with our path through it marked in white:

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[grudzio]

So, Jerusalem is taken, now it is time to prepare for Mongols. They should be coming soon, won't they?

[Ramses II CP]

The Mongols went north from Sarkel, the jerks. They came in about turn 64-65. I've got something cooked up with Emund though, we'll end up getting to them, probably right around the time the Timurids show up. Should be fun!

[Ramses II CP]

King Charles decides that the castle at Adana is unecessary with Caesarea in our control and few enemies likely to make an attack on those high plains from the sea, so Adana is taken off a military footing and converted to a town. We command so many greater fortresses in the area, and so many powerful armies, that this may be but a test case for the dismantling of other castles in our zone of control. Additionally some money is gained from the sale of the military structures that would be inappropriate to a township.

Besieging Damascus and Edessa, turn 82.

The Council sends a brave young nobleman to the Prince, surely hoping to reproduce the success they had with Sweyn so long ago, but the man is sent on his way. Almost all the men they send are disloyal in one way or another, and what's more the King knows it. Perhaps they only continue with this gambit to show contempt. In any event, King Charles has decided that the best counter to maintain his son's loyalty is to actually provide him with some of the power the councillors whisper into his ear about. The title of King of the Goths was resurrected for the Prince, and as a practical matter is taken to mean he holds lordship of the northern lands of the Danes, from Nicaea to Aleppo. Sir Sighvat, who has proved an invaluable administrator in rich but fractious Antioch, is also placed under his command. Privately the King let slip that this is but the first step in a comprehensive plan for the peaceful passage of power from his hands to those of his son.

The merchant's guild in Nicaea is improved, and all our merchants are to be trained there. France is reconciled with the Papacy on the death of their King. King Charles' army lays siege to Damascus, and awaits only the arrival of our siege engines to begin the assault. We have spies within the walls, but they cannot guarantee the gates can be opened.

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The battle against heresey continues north of Nicaea, and more heretics are seen in Turkish lands to the north and east of Aleppo. Rioting continues in Constantinople. One of our diplomats in Europe, Snorri, chances upon a lovely Sicilian Princess returning from negotiations with the Russians. Discussing Sicily's conflict with the Pope and our recently matured Prince Emund, they discover a common interest, and negotiate an alliance by wedding of our two great nations. Princess Chola of Sicily and a small sum of florins arrive for Prince Emund later in the year, in exchange we prevail upon the Pope to declare a ceasefire with the Sicilians. Emund's new wife is both fair and admirable, and it is hoped she will be a calming influence on the young man.

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Emund's odd speeches increasingly target Muslims as a scourge of the Holy Lands. His view of them is quite simplistic, and he makes no distinction between our Egyptian enemies and our Moorish allies in his invective laden diatribes. The men under his command are fiercely devoted to him though. He sends a small detatchment of cavalry riding ahead of him to begin the siege of Edessa.

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A rebel army sits by the Turkish fortress at Mosul, but they do not lay siege. Shortly after reporting this, our spy at Mosul is killed attempting to inflitrate the fortress.

Besieging Damascus and Edessa, turn 83.

Another noble suitor for Hrefna is sent away. Another popular Danish priest, Jens Bluetooth, is called to duty as a Cardinal. He immediately goes to work trying a heretic. We lose some merchants around Constantinople, but Nicaea trains fresh ones while our more experienced traders reap the benefits of putting merchants from other nations out of business. Adana now functions fully as a town. Our spies watching over Gaza report that the Egyptians have emptied the citadel of it's garrison and sent those men to slow a Venetian Crusader army. The veteran captain Frederik at Jerusalem decides to exceed his orders to take advantage of this mistake, and marches out with a force to make a quick assault with the spies' aid.

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The mighty final redoubt, a vast slab of stone, sits high on a hill behind three gates, and soldiers under any other captain would be intimidated at the thought of this attack, but our man knows his business after years on the road south. The men march right through the gates leading to the final square, where the enemy commander, Amir, and his bodyguard await.

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After noting their numbers and position, he sends his Norse Archers onto the walls flanking the gate, and holds his swordsmen outside the gates. When the enemy comes under fire, they'll rush us and won't be able to make a good charge through the relatively narrow gate. The enemy is aware of this predicament as well, and even as our archers draw their bows he spurs his men forward to the gate.

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They are tough men, and mounted. Their general is hardy, and leads the attack personally on the right. The fight looks to be a difficult one, but our captain calls out a single word, 'NOW!'

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The archers descend from the walls and draw swords, taking the enemy in the rear and cutting down several horsemen before the Egyptians realize what is happening.

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When the enemy general looks back to see what is going wrong for his force, Frederik rushes forward and opens the Egyptian stallion's belly. Thrown harshly into the street, Amir finds he has fought his way so far forwards that his men cannot protect him. He dies with a surprised look on his face. (Yep, that's a partial horse's head intruding in the shot and Captain Frederik appears to be looking at the camera with mild curiousity, but I don't have control for the 'general death' videos and this one wasn't as bad as some.)

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With their commander dead, the men of his guard turn to try to fight their way back to the square for a last stand. When the Norse Archers hold firm, they break and lay down their swords.

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8500 florins are taken from Gaza, and rejuvenate our coffers so that we can undertake the work of expanding the city of Antioch with huge walls. A spy we sent north long ago to seek the Mongols at last discovers at least one of their powerful generals near Russia's eastern border.

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Besieging Damascus and Edessa, turn 84.

Trying to take advantage of Emund's increasingly dire pronouncements about a clash of civilizations with Islam, the nobles send a third son who was in training to be a priest to beg adoption. Like all the others, he is sent away. Another Danish priest is called to Cardinalhood, increasing our voice with the Pope. The clearing out of heretics goes on apace in his hands, and around Constantinople. Meanwhile a member of Egypt's royal family has crept down into our lands north of Jerusalem. Huscarls are sent out to try to capture him.

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Though surrounded, he will not surrender, and a battle ensues. In the melee Samy is killed.

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Captain Niels is one of the new generation of young captains in our armies and puts his name forward, but this small scuffle was hardly a proving ground for adoption into the family. The full extent of the Mongol's gathered might is revealed by our spy, who further sends word that they are Muslims. Emund works this information into his dark predictions of total war between the faiths.

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Concerned with more immediate matters, King Charles proceeds with the assault on Damascus. The Gray Wolves ride to battle again!

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Predictably our spy network throws open the gates for us, and we Wolves ride for them with the rising sun behind us to blind our enemies on the walls.

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Egyptian spearmen and archers flee outer streets in terror all around the city as our cavalry rides in among them, causing much death and panic.

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Norse Axemen, cleaning up a fleeing unit of archers on the main street, are stunned to find that the enemy has a catapult in his square. A pair of huge flaming stones crashes into the unit, incinerating many men.

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Shaken but defiant, the axemen surround the remaining enemy archers and give them no quarter. When the butchery is finished, hacked off limbs and heads are hurled towards the enemy catapults before the axemen pull back to safer streets. An errant parting shot from the catapults demolishes a building outside the enemy square.

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The Gray Wolves have chased some Egyptians all the way to the square, and into the teeth of an ambush by Mamluks and spearmen. I urge the King to pull back, but he exhorts us to fight it out and finish off the dangerous Mamluks.

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The last archers from Damascus' guard are killed by Huscarls in full view of the enemy general. Sitting in the square, they will have no means of striking at us.

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At the square the Gray Wolves have finished off the Mamluks, and nearly destroyed the spearmen that aided them. Rather than ride up to face us himself, Crown Prince az Zafir sends his toughest remaining spears to charge us. The catapults in the square are slowly being turned in our direction as well. This time King Charles listens when I urge him to pull us back, and we rest two streets back towards the gate, leaving a mighty pile of enemy dead behind us.

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There is a lull in the battle, and word reaches us of the casualties our men took from that enemy catapult. Never one to leave a good idea untested, the King orders his catapults and ballistae brought into the city. Our most skilled ballista team, with buildings all around them being struck and burned by flaming rocks, nonetheless targets and destroys both enemy catapults.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rsb6SqgcpXI/AAAAAAAADyU/q_VkTFMwLII/s800/0120.jpg

With little left to fear at range from the Egyptians massed in the square, we bracket them with catapult and ballista fire to begin dismantling their few remaining troops.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rsb6TqgcpYI/AAAAAAAADyc/dkCxq5JRtkw/s800/0122.jpg

Now az Zafir must act, or his men will turn on him themselves! He charges the position of the ballista that destroyed his catapults. Axemen and mounted knights respond quickly, while foot knights are commanded to rush through the enemy's town center to cut off any retreat for az Zafir and his men. The last two Egyptian archers are casually cut down along the way.

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Realizing his situation quickly, az Zafir attempts to retreat to the square where his men, still under heavy fire from other streets, are cowering. They will attempt no rescue. The foot knights hold, and mounted knights take az Zafir's guard from behind. Beset on all sides, the general falls and his guard's will breaks.

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The bombardment continues. When a unit of spearmen gather their courage and decide to die attacking, the Gray Wolves ride to cut them off from the square, and they shatter like glass.

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Taking heart, the enemy's toughest spearmen rush to relieve their fellows; we kill a few but as we are tiring the King orders us to fall back rather than risk a drawn out engagement with fresh, tough spears. The catapult behind us rapidly teaches them toughness is useless in the face of a half ton burning projectile, and they go scuttling back to the square sucking scorched fingers.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rsb6ZKgcpfI/AAAAAAAADzU/pGNT1yh6iLQ/s800/0141.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rsb6Z6gcpgI/AAAAAAAADzc/WZ_5T4mzPec/s800/0143.jpg

When they turn their backs King Charles leads the Gray Wolves' charge! They cannot turn again in time to bring their spears to bear. Seeing our charge, the rest of the Danes attack to bring an end to this siege.

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Though the King's guard gave twenty five lives to take Damascus, we sent ten times their number in dead Egyptians ahead of them. The valour of the Wolves is undiminished by now deserving the moniker 'gray,' but I confess to wondering sometimes if King Charles doesn't feel a desire to die in glorious battle as his father did before him. His enemies dub him King Charles the Mauler, and field tyrant after this siege. Ransom on the prisoners is refused and thirteen thousand florins are taken from the sack of Damascus in addition to the twenty five hundred florin prize the Council pays.

[Ferret]

Cool idea Ramses and a good read too, looking forward to the fight with the mongols.

[Ramses II CP]

Siege of Edessa, turn 84.

The pattern holds with the parade of nobles begging adoption. With the Prince gaining power and prestige year by year as the King sets it aside, the nobles increasingly see him as a threat to their position in our kingdom. King Knud battled the council, King Charles owed his assumption of power in part to their support, but Prince Emund simply ignores them. The man follows his own council. My son Aethelwulf, captain of Emund's Eagles, shares this concern and tries to ward the Prince from any desperate move by the council. Word from our spies is that the riots at Constantinople have ceased as the mercenaries made a demonstration of power, putting a crowd of protestors to the sword and crucifying the ring leaders. The news enrages Emund, who takes control of the men at the walls of Edessa and launches his assault.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rsej_KgcpkI/AAAAAAAAD0U/7pRdIY5zhOg/s800/0158.jpg

Our spies fail us for once, but the Prince is prepared. He rushes two ladder teams over the walls to throw open the gates. The small enemy garrison cannot respond quickly enough to prevent it.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RsekAagcplI/AAAAAAAAD0c/Dh_XB5GTBbQ/s800/0159.jpg

The Eagles fly forth, rushing through Edessa's square to cut off the Egyptian spearmen who were so slow at the walls earlier.

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Emund orders a charge before the spearmen can set their formation, and the Eagles crash into them.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RsekD6gcpnI/AAAAAAAAD0s/-VdxzQUDtGI/s800/0163.jpg

The Prince's battle madness overtakes him, and he rides across the foremost rank of spearmen raining down death strokes until they throw down their weapons in terror and beg for mercy.

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Norse Archers harass the Egyptian cavalry in the square, and obligingly they charge. Huscarls meet them, and Eagles sweep in to cut off their retreat.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RsekIqgcpqI/AAAAAAAAD1E/s6J6ohaYH-M/s800/0168.jpg

Emund, his unblemished plate mail gleaming in contrast to the enemy's mud colored mail jerkins, disembowels one of the lightly armored horsemen, and the courage of the remainder fails. The day, and the town, are ours!

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A few thousand florins are secured and Emund begins work on a church before departing on the east road for Mosul. To the north he orders diplomats to demand the surrender of the fortress from the Turks, who are reported by spies to have only Crown Prince Tutush and some spearmen holding it.

Besieging Mosul, turn 85.

One of Prince Emund's drinking buddies is the next noble to step forward, and the next to depart in disgrace. The Nobles also put it to Emund that the castle at Smyrna should be retaken, and no matter that it was given to Egypt. Clearly Emund mulls the idea, as he works into his speeches the failure of the Danes to answer the Pope's calls to crusade as a far greater dishonor than a technical breach of an agreement with Muslims. Emund considers Aleppo pacified and further orders that it be coverted to a town.

Under a weaker Emperor than old Henry, the Holy Roman Empire has fallen so far that they become mere vassals of the Hungarians. In Damascus King Charles recruits new men for his bodyguard and considers his next move. Certain that Emund can pacify the north, we must surely strike south for Egypt's heartland, but the King and I aren't getting any younger. It was once our hope that with the burden of Odin aquitted we could retire to estates in the Holy Land, and leave the concerns of war and statesmanship to the next generation. The weight of duty, however, bears us on, and we prepare to march south when word reaches us of failed negotiations with the Turks. Over the paltry sum of three thousand florins more than we have to commit, they will risk war.

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Emund declares that they shall have it and lays siege to Mosul with a force of untried Huscarls. Venice and Hungary both dissolve their alliances with us to stand by the Turks, but time will make a mockery of that choice.

We negotiate an alliance with Spain through their army of Crusaders that approaches Constantinople and thus bring about a ceasefire between them and French and Moors. Some small Turkish and Egyptian forces are found in the area around Edessa, but nothing to be feared. The work of building churches and dispatching heretics is pursued with great vigor across our lands. The former garrison of Gaza is spotted on the border, and reinforcements are sent there against an attack.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RsekOKgcpuI/AAAAAAAAD1k/T_gaiuKN8Ow/s800/0209.jpg

An emissary of Egypt brings an offering of peace to us, and our diplomats respond by demanding Constantinople in exchange. Their man departs in a huff.

Siege of Mosul, turn 86.

In their struggle to impress the Prince, the council has sunk to a new low by sending a man named Erik Emundsson to beg for position. Prince Emund has a good laugh before dismissing the fool. Spies report the force on the border at Gaza is led by Sayf ad Din of Damanhur, a dauntless and loyal servent of the Sultan. Acre is given up to Emund's control, and he orders it converted to a town. Perhaps it is only his inexperience talking, but he says we have no need to fear assault from the sea. Riding ahead of his main army, King Charles confronts a force of rebels west of Gaza who flee his wrath, and drafts a letter asking Prince Emund to avoid direct involvement in battle during the period of the succession. At Mosul Emund proceeds with his assault against the small enemy force.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RsekQqgcpwI/AAAAAAAAD10/Ed5P9Zv1wyY/s800/0220.jpg

Our ladder teams draw the lone group of spearmen to the west wall where they stare into the setting sun as our ram makes it's way unmolested to the gates.

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When the gates crack the outer walls falls uncontested as the enemy retreats to the inner keep.

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The ram does it's work again, and the spearmen retreat to the square where our untested Huscarls surround them.

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Emund chafes at the necessity of standing aside from battle, but restrains himself. Negotiations with Crown Prince Tutush are brief, and consist primarily of rude gestures. Prince Emund commands his men to pinch the spearmen first.

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When Tutush turns his bodyguard to relieve the spearmen, Huscarls assail him from all sides before he can bring any aid.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RsekV6gcp1I/AAAAAAAAD2c/491PNOGjswc/s800/0230.jpg

As the spearmen are vanquished, the Huscarls complete the encirclement and drag down Egypt's Crown Prince, bringing Mosul under our control.

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http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RsekYKgcp3I/AAAAAAAAD2s/DWbZrvQkV-c/s800/0235.jpg

Six thousand more florins swell our coffers to their richest state since the siege of Constantinople, and Baghdad lies ahead with only a few hardy spearmen to guard her walls.

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Having found the siege of Mosul little sated his desire for battle, Emund immediately rides out to drive back the rebels nearby. He later claims that he believed his father's letter only applied to battles against real armies, not riding down a few bandits in the desert.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rseka6gcp5I/AAAAAAAAD28/J6rJV6IGcX8/s800/0238.jpg

The rebels are arrayed on the highest hilltop in the area, but a ridge on their left will allow us to equal their height and so avoid charging uphill.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rsekb6gcp6I/AAAAAAAAD3E/4wCsh27LBeI/s800/0239.jpg

As we make for it, the captain leading this scum rides forward to harry us with arrows, and Emund moves to screen his slower, less armored Huscarls. The horsemen retreat behind their infantry at top speed.

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Sliding their line to be perpendicular to the ride, the enemy infantry advances and Danish Huscarls turn to meet them. Prince Emund has manuevered his Eagles in behind the rebel commander, and pins him against his own infantry to neutralize his speed.

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The Huscarls fight fiercely to reach the Prince's banner, and with one squad sweeping down the rear of the enemy line their militia infantry breaks mere moments after the melee is joined.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RsekfKgcp9I/AAAAAAAAD3g/nU_9M3zS8_s/s800/0245.jpg

Seeing his men put to flight, their captain screams in fear and struggles to retreat through the line of Eagles. The fight, once joined, was as brief as any recorded in our whole campaign.

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Spies report Alexandria, as with all the other Egyptian cities we have taken, is lightly garrisoned. Egypt counts too highly the valour of their generals, that or they are a family of fools.

West of Gaza, turn 87.

A drunken, dissolute, and disloyal noble by the name of Milling presents himself to Prince Emund, and is sent packing. Pope Gaitanus dies in Rome, and Papal elections are held immediately. Jens Bluetooth, a venerable Dane, is one of the Preferati and has the King's full support, of course. Given the duration of our alliances with the three other voting nations, Jens' election is very nearly a foregone conclusion.

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And so it goes, with every free vote going for our man. On his assumption of the Papacy, he declares himself to be Pope Simon. Surely having a Danish Pope shows that we have the favor of God in our cause! Certainly the tone of Emund's frequent forays into public speaking alters. Where he once preached desolation and darkness, he now can see the touch of God's mercy on his chosen instrument, the Danes. Still his messages are full of apocalyptic visions and dire predictions, but the King chooses not to attempt to reign him in. Indeed, the King gives more of his responsibilities to Emund every day. It is only at Emund's own insistence that his sycophants do not already call him King of the Danes as well as of the Goths.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RsekjqgcqBI/AAAAAAAAD4A/Vdoj5Lj7M8Y/s800/0255.jpg

Portugal, England, Milan, and Sicily are reconciled. A letter arrives stating that King Charles' sister, the Empress Ingrid, has died peacefully in her sleep. Another Egyptian city scouted, and another found to have an absurdly inadequate garrison.

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King Charles leads a small army of cavalry against the pathetic rebels that fled his previous attack, west of Gaza.

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We surround the peasants and light spearmen before charging home. I personally lanced their fool captain and pinned him to the ground, at which point the lot of them threw up their hands and wailed for forgiveness. None is given, for to show mercy in these hostile lands would be tantamount to encouraging rebellion. We ride them down to a man, and leave their corpses for desert rats to gnaw.

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Word of this act goes ahead of us, and at the border Sayf ad Din falls back before us, but not far enough. His force is little better than hill bandits themselves, and we press home our attack in the moonlight.

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The mere sound of our rapid approach causes the Egyptians to flee the high ground in utter disarray. The Gray Wolves speed to the slaughter, catching an unprotected catapult crew on the enemy right attempting to escape.

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As our swordsmen engage Egypt's spears the King's guard rides down the line behind them, seeking Sayf ad Din, who rides away from us in some haste, clearly hoping to engage anyone but the Wolves. Sayf's reputation as a dauntless warrior will no more survive this battle than the man himself.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RseksqgcqJI/AAAAAAAAD5A/LxkBdKeM9Vk/s800/0276.jpg

A scattered line of foot knights calls off pursuit of some broken spearmen to trap Sayf and hold him for the King.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RsektagcqKI/AAAAAAAAD5I/Pj0aCDZ1FeY/s800/0277.jpg

Our charge smashes most of his bodyguard, but the general himself slips away before the jaws of the trap can close.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RsekuagcqLI/AAAAAAAAD5Q/LIK1V04p-oQ/s800/0283.jpg

Attempting to flee the field Sayf inadvertently rides into the middle of another unit of foot knights chasing spearmen in the night. He and his last two guardsmen are killed, and the battle is brought to an end.

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http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RsekwagcqNI/AAAAAAAAD5g/AoF-KL9gPCI/s800/0285.jpg

Ransom is refused, and, sick of slaughtering men who have surrendered honorably in battle, King Charles swears a vow to release all further prisoners our army takes in it's push through the remains of Egypt. Perhaps my age is getting to me, and one of these men we set free will carry my death on his second try, but I heartily approve of this measure. Veterans of a battle, on either side, owe at least some measure of respect to one another. I am convinced Emund will see things differently, at least against Muslims.

[Ramses II CP]

Siege of Baghdad, turn 88.

Chola has given Prince Emund a son! He is named Stenkil, and he will carry forward the line of Kings. Though both of my sons, Aethelwulf and Magnus, are married to fine, plump young women neither has given me a son yet. I will demand that they redouble their efforts, the young prince will need a guard.

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The Turk's Crown Prince Masud guards Yerevan, their capital, unaided according to our spies. They further report that he has a eunuch in his retinue, and having asked after the meaning of this word I must confess I find it a terrible thing. Perhaps there is something to Prince Emund's claims that Islam is an alien religion full of intolerable practices. Aided by spies, Emund launches the attack on Baghdad. Negotiations at the enemy square go better on this day, and the Egyptians surrender their spears without a battle and go peacefully into the peasant's life. The example Emund made of Tutush at Mosul doubtless weighed heavy in their minds as the Prince's Huscarls surrounded them.

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Nine thousand florins are taken from Baghdad, and in putting some of the more outspoken peasants to death order is restored to the restless city. Emund puts a few more rebels to the sword west of Baghdad, but the battle is not worthy of note except that he again put himself in the line of fire despite King Charles' orders.

East of Cairo, turn 89.

The next pawn the Nobles send before us is a faultless young man named for old King Knud. Prince Emund decides that it's long past time to start building a coalition among the nobles to oppose the old guard, and so takes the loyal young man into his confidence. Adoption into the family is out of the question, but he leaves camp with the understanding that under Emund the wars we're engaged in will take a new tone. The men of the Council must make their decisions individually, come along or fall behind. Sitting around collecting coin and failing to manipulate the throne isn't purposeful, and the Prince won't waste time on it. Knud goes away with much to think on.

The Spanish crusade army arrives at Constantinople, where the Hungarians still dither about, unwilling to lay siege. Time will tell if the sons of Spain will prove more bold. A small force of Egyptian rebels blocks the road to Cairo, and King Charles leads the Gray Wolves out at night to clear them away.

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Our enemies are blind fools, mustered for battle but facing the wrong direction halfway down a steep slope. This will be a bloody rout.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RssHy6gcqUI/AAAAAAAAD7M/BPORDGCXVpI/s800/0303.jpg

Unit by unit we lance them, riding away into the darkness afterward to leave their allies confused. As the night wears on the spearmen increasingly cower and wail, some even throwing down their shields and spears at the mere sound of our hoofbeats approaching.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RssHzqgcqVI/AAAAAAAAD7U/jtOVL7rh04Q/s800/0306.jpg

Desperately peering downslope into the moonlight, the last of our opponents is shocked into flight when we ride over the crest of the hill and into their backs. The Wolves performed admirably, taking no casualties in battle though far outnumbered.

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http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RssH06gcqXI/AAAAAAAAD7k/YuYKb0X1nSY/s800/0309.jpg

Northwest of Baghdad Prince Emund discovers a small army under an Egyptian General named Shaykh al-Su'ud. Unwilling to wait for reinforcements, he attacks with just his veteran Huscarls at his side.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RssH1qgcqYI/AAAAAAAAD7s/enwph1sIpsM/s800/0311.jpg

Riding hard Emund's men catch the enemy struggling to reposition. While the Eagles pin the Egyptian spears, Huscarls scatter and run down his archers before they can loose a single arrow.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RssH2qgcqZI/AAAAAAAAD70/2dXXdpvPs5I/s800/0313.jpg

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Before al-Su'ud can organize a counter charge with his bodyguard, Emund pulls back to wait for the Huscarls. Unwilling to abandon his spearmen, the enemy commander must sit and watch as we surround his spears.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RssH46gcqcI/AAAAAAAAD8M/MRbfPpLfIgU/s800/0320.jpg

We deliver a series of charges against the affrighted militia troops back to back, like the beats of a drum. When the Eagles land the third blow, they are obliterated. Only the Shaykh remains.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RssH5qgcqdI/AAAAAAAAD8U/akTMrfcq3hs/s800/0321.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RssH6agcqeI/AAAAAAAAD8c/0cHagMeBGt4/s800/0324.jpg

Again we array ourselves so as to surround him, and again he does nothing, surely afraid to pursue any one of us lest the other two take him in the rear.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RssH7KgcqfI/AAAAAAAAD8k/VtLJIRaVAcw/s800/0325.jpg

Emund's intent is to capture the man for ransom, so he sets some Huscarls as an anvil and hammers in on all sides.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RssH76gcqgI/AAAAAAAAD8s/c85SJ_NLAs8/s800/0328.jpg

Realizing his peril, al-Su'ud and four of his guardsmen slip between the Eagles and the smaller group of Huscarls to flee the field. The day is ours, but Prince Emund swears a terrible oath to see Shaykh al-Su'ud dead if the man should ever come against him again.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/RssH8qgcqhI/AAAAAAAAD80/PMK_gGmNbLQ/s800/0333.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RssH9agcqiI/AAAAAAAAD88/hiHOnDPlIwk/s800/0334.jpg

Prince Emund releases the forty prisoners of this battle to carry word of his oath to the enemy. Emund's reputation as a commander is enhanced, but the Egyptians also say that he is a merciless mauler and a dreadful enemy. A small garrison is left at Baghdad as Emund takes the rest of his army north towards Turkish lands. King Charles is displeased that Emund places himself in such danger, but his son is now a man and in truth already becoming the ruler of his people. Acknowledging this fact, the King officially gives Jerusalem into Emund's control, keeping only Gaza under Charles' direct control as a base of operations for us. The King's army rides on to Cairo and lays siege.

Siege of Cairo, turn 90.

Another loyal young man comes before Emund, Sten of Aalborg, and again Emund takes him into confidence on his plans for the nations. If Emund can build a coalition among the nobles that favors him over the old guard much will be smoothed in the administration of our empire. The Pope attacks the Moors, causing us to dissolve our long held alliance with the Moorish people. Also our spies in the north report that the Mongol armies have turned south, towards Turkish lands... and ours. Emund uses these opportunities to deliver a black and fiery speech that is quickly published throughout Danish lands.

'Down through the long and hard years since we departed our homelands under the curse of the old gods we have neglected our duties to the one true God! Christianity is no ephemeral shackle, to be taken up or cast aside at a whim. When the Pope speaks, he speaks with the voice of GOD! For too long have we ignored this voice, failing to take up arms and Crusade for our faith. Now we reap the whirlwind! Islamic depredations threaten on every side, from the filthy Moors of the far west warring with the seat of Catholicism itself, to the Mongols of the north who even now make haste for our own borders!

Death and darkness gather, and who will uphold the light to oppose them? A gutting candle our devotion has been, but no longer. I swear it, in my father's name and my own, I will reforge our people into a mighty weapon for God. The armies of the infidels will shatter against us. Islam itself will end! This is our Crusade, to which we will devote ourselves with one mind and one heart.

So says your Prince! Any who do not follow me will fall and become as the dust of my trail.'

Sir Sighvat, longtime administrator of Antioch, is ordered out of the city and onto the road west. He will be the first of us to take ship in many long years, with orders to sail to Moorish lands and annihilate them. The practical part of me can see this clearly for what it is, a clever political move on Emund's part. If the prohibition on sailing holds, Emund has dismissed a potential rival and can claim his lack of faith brought about his own end. If not, Sighvat is still effectively gone from the Danish political scene for many years. Sighvat, no fool himself, sees this as well, and as a statement of loyalty names his newborn son after Emund's own year old babe; Stenkil Chemnitz becomes the newest member of the royal family. A daughter, Geirny, is also born to Princess Chola.

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East of Gaza the Egyptian Sultan is spotted riding out of the desert, and King Charles orders cavalry dispatched under a local captian to capture him.

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Our man attempt to negotiate with Sultan Nasser, but the general must be sun mad from marching in the desert as he ignores all entreaties. His hand forced, captain Gunnar orders an attack.

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Captain Gunnar rides down the line, seeking the Sultan out personally. The man's bodyguards are a hardy lot, and fight desperately to protect their leader, but Gunnar carves a path to the man eventually.

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A blow to Sultan Nasser's head in the exchange with Captain Gunnar seems to clear the man's thoughts, and he screams an order for his men to cover his retreat.

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Captain Gunnar knows he cannot allow the Sultan to escape, and drives his Huscarls hard to cut the enemy off. Gunnar cuts down Sultan Nasser personally.

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Of course for this brave deed, and the desert battle was no doubt a difficult one, Gunnar puts his name forward for promotion. Alas for Gunnar, not only is his loyalty to the King questionable, his task was not to kill the Sultan but capture him. King Charles dismisses his request. Another pair of heretics are discovered and tried in formerly Turkish lands. A Venetian Crusade army arrives at Constantinople, but finds the road blocked by the Spanish.

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At besieged Cairo Egypt crowns her new Sultan, and on the day of the celebration King Charles launches his assault! Inside the city are the Sultan's guard, several trebuchet crews, and a few militia archers.

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Attacking in broad daylight, unusually for the King, he had hoped to take the city by surprise but we find them well prepared. Ballista towers pound foot Knights pushing a ram towards the south gate. The west gate in unheld against our second ram.

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The gates fall quickly, and our troops pour into the city. Knights catch the militiamen from the front as the Gray Wolves ride by behind them, killing a few but moving on to capture the enemy trebuchet teams.

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Struggling to turn their immense war machines in the narrow city streets, engineers at the trebuchets are shocked to be attacked so suddenly by King Charles and his guard.

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The militia archers behind the Wolves realize their plight and break, streaming into the Wolves from behind. We've been in this situation before, and handle them easily. Meanwhile, our primary group of foot knights moves up the main southern street and captures two more trebuchet.

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To the west Huscarls run down the masters of four more trebuchet, leaving none in the enemy square to launch projectiles at us. One man from these crews defiantly refuses to surrender, but bravery does not slow the stroke of a heavy axe.

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At the square we lance a few more crewmen and offer Sultan Mostafa a chance to surrender mere hours after his coronation. He refuses, but the square and the city are ours.

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King Charles releases the few prisoners and in the sack of Cairo we take nearly twenty thousand florins.

Riding down to Jerusalem on his own by relay Prince Emund reaches the place and has three days of prayer and fasting in the holy city. On the third day he emerges before the people and proclaims that he has had a vision from God. Jerusalem today, and eventually all the cities of the Levant, must be surrendered to the Papacy in order to secure the Holy seat against Muslim perfidy, and to make restitution for our failure to answer the call to crusade. To ease the transfer of power we will delay ten years between each city. God has promised a terrible reckoning if his will is not carried out; all the lands between Caesarea in the north and Gaza in the south must prepare themselves.

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A look at the state of the known world:

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(So obviously the game was becoming too easy just wiping out Turkey and Egypt, hence Emund's proclamation. Sundering our empire by giving up Jerusalem also caused a sharp drop in loyalty in many cities, but it couldn't be avoided. I'm going to do nothing to prepare against the Timurids (Especially no cannon towers!) so they can be a shock, we'll see how far they make it and where they come in. Should be nasty. :2thumbsup: )

[Ramses II CP]

Siege of Alexandria, turn 91.

Another of Emund's drinking buddies puts his name forward for adoption, and is refused but inducted into the Prince's rapidly growing cabal of supporters. With so many lands and so much wealth in our hands a policy of conciliation and enrichment is working wonders among the youngest of the loyal nobility. Despite his oddities, Emund will no doubt be a very popular King. The Germans add another crusade army to the pile up around Constantinople, the fourth in the area. Only the Spanish have yet laid siege. Our spies assure us that the gates at Alexandria will pose no problem, so King Charles takes a portion of the army out of Cairo and launches a sneak attack under cover of darkness.

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Crown Prince al Mu'izz leads the Egyptians, and the shock is evident on his face as we pour through the gates, catching him in full flight towards the town square. He dies with that look of suprise still on him when I ride by and cut him down in the first stunning moments of our assault, throwing his defenders into chaos.

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At the east gate War Clerics catch archers fleeing the walls, and on the west side Huscarls smash a few ballista men. A lone madman on a fast pony charges the Gray Wolves, trying to reach the King and avenge the Crown Prince. He dies quickly.

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Our cavalry carve a bloody path up the streets to the square, where al Mu'izz's bodyguards are gathering, trying to drum up an effective defense. Once the foot knights catch up to us, we charge!

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Losses are light. After the battle King Charles orders the hundred prisoners released, but the city is sacked as a demonstration of power, to bring the infidels in line. Eighteen thousand florins are taken. The King's reputation is as tricky as ever, and he becomes known as King Charles the Merciful for his charitable acts after battle.

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At Constantinople the Spanish launch their attack, and due to our alliance the local Danish observers are caught up in the battle. Resolved to honor our treaty obligations, Captain Hardeknud attempts to reach allied lines in time. (Unecessary technical side note, if you are the reinforcements to a battle and your captain or general cannot fight at night, do not select 'attempt a night attack,' to try to exclude your men from the battle. The game will crash.)

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Prince Horacio, for all his reputed prowess as a general, favors a brute force strategy over any tactical niceties. His men throw everything they have at the walls immediately, ignoring the hail of arrows and tower bolts.

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When the gates break, the long suffering Egyptian mercenaries who sat through riots even before the siege began, break also, fleeing for the square. Our men must make haste if they are to take part in the battle at all.

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By the time we ride into the square, fighting is done, and the city belongs to Spain.

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In a terrible act of violence, the Spaniards exterminate Constantinople. When word reaches the King he is first devastated, then wrathful. That mighty Constantinople should be brought so low, and clearly as a result of our own honorless dealings with Egypt, is a stain of shame that will long darken our lineage. Though it may further harm her, the city must be brought back under our control so that we can be redeemed. To this end King Charles withdraws our priests and orders the infiltration of spies as rapidly as they can be trained. It will take time, but the Spain and Prince Horacio will pay the price of their vile act.

Near Alexandria, turn 92.

Another loyal, chivalrous noble is refused adoption but recruited to Emund's cause. The shift in power is becoming clearer with every passing year, as cities, guilds, and peasants rush to obey orders they may once have delayed or slouched through. Emund is a curious choice for a uniter, but however outlandish his words may sound to the educated they rally the people and the next generation of nobles admirably. At Antioch the local Explorer's Guild is upgraded to be their headquarters. The Pope sends a small sum of florins to reward our participation in the crusade for Constantinople. Considering the fate of that once great city, the coin is a slap in the face. Sighvat boards a fleet of Dragon boats at Iconium's port. We were forced to hire experienced locals to man the boats, but they float and even sailing out of port no ill befell them. Odin's curse is demonstrably gone!

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Even with this proof the men no longer take to the boats the way they did in my grandfather's generation. At Dongola, south of Cairo, Sultan Marsal of Egypt sits and stews on the rapid decline of his empire. The Wolves won't leave him to worry for long. East of Alexandria King Charles meets some huscarls and knights out of Gaza, and begins to pursue an Egyptian army amidst the bridges. In the far north the Mongols appear to be turning back east for some reason. Emund has ordered most of the veteran soldiers to march north, towards his predicted apocalyptic confrontation. Yerevan, the Turk's capital, is scouted and found to be suffering riots. It should prove easy to capture, once the long march north is complete. To that end, Emund's army attacks a Turkish force in the pass north of Mosul.

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Captain Abi is clearly unsure of the quality of his men, as he sets their backs to an impossibly steep ridge, leaving them no direct line of retreat. We begin the attack by pinching and picking off the outlying Sipaphis.

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Sliding down the ridge on their flank, Emund's Eagles crash into a frightened unit of archers while the main body of infantry and Huscarls approaches.

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The enemy archer screen in front of their line routs on impact with our huscarls, who harry them off the field. The infantry follow as soon as our swordsmen make contact, and the battle is won with only a handful of the mounted Turks escaping.

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Almost three hundred Turkish soldiers surrendered to us, and Emund commands that they be killed. In groups of ten they are led to a steep cliff, knifed, and thrown off the edge. Bloody work, but once done Emund again sparks the fire of anger in his men with a detailed speech on the depravities of the infidel.

Jihad, turn 93.

A Turkish Imam named Al-Sadat has the termerity to call a jihad against Jerusalem. Prince Emund is incensed, and the news is only slightly offset by the birth of his second son, Sten. It seems very unlikely that any jihad army can be gathered and brought down out of the mountains past Prince Emund's army, especially since Yerevan is besieged. With our spies to incite it, rioting breaks out in Constantinople.

Southeast of Alexandria King Charles again uses the cool covering darkness to attack the Egyptians.

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Egypt's Tulun Yasser aligns his companies of ballista and catapults with a sheltering farmhouse to hold their flank. Keen eyed, he spots us charging out of the darkness and points his sword, screaming orders for the spearmen to set their spears.

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But we are the Gray Wolves! Long lances impale dozens of cowering militia spearmen who, under the faint sliver of a moon, cannot see to strike back.

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As the last struggling spearmen are crushed the King rides on ahead, eager to seek a more worthy foe.

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On the left a depleted group of War Clerics hold some powerful Mamluks while mounted knights charge them from behind. In the center Huscarls join the King in cutting a path through terrified catapult crews.

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Yasser is reluctant to come forward to meet us, but our foot knights are nearing the battle and if he waits to long he will be vastly outnumbered. At last he engages, and instantly Huscarls sweep in behind him. Tulun Yasser falls to the dark sand in a fan of blood; the King's warhorse reared up and struck the indecisive general down with a powerful blow from it's forehoof.

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The Egyptians have had little heart for this battle from the start, and now they flee. Few escape.

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Tulun Yasser and sixty of his men are set free to slink away south and carry word of King Charles' ever improving command ability.

Besieging Yerevan, turn 94.

England is once again excommunicated. Our diplomats arrange an alliance with Portugal, with the goal of having a secure northern border when Sighvat brings the battle to the Moors. No troops can be spared from Alexandria or Cairo, so the Gray Wolves ride south for Dongola alone. If the garrison there is not improved, and if our spies can crack the gates, we should have no trouble capturing the castle. Swordsmen are marching down the slow road to Jedda as well, also aided by spies. The mass of our armies, including all our veteran troops, continue to move north in support of Prince Emund, who is now King in all but name. His influence with the nobles, and the rights and priveleges given to him by his father, allow him to manage all the lands of the Danes effeciently and to one purpose.

The destruction of Islam.

Besiegeing yerevan, turn 95.

The Knights Hospitaller ask to build a chapter house at Iconium in the same year that it suffers a deadly earthquake, though the death toll is light. Perhaps they seek to prove their bravery? The offer is accepted graciously. Prince Toraren comes of age at Alexandria, the the King sends him a mentor to be his guide on the path of chivalry. The young man is ugly, aloof, and prim, but an excellent commander with his father's penchant for night fighting. Milan is excommunicated. The garrison at Dongola is enhanced, but the Wolves ride on alone despite it, with Toraren bringing an army along behind us.

Some rebels are put down south of Gaza, in an insignificant battle. Under Emund's orders Damascus is presented to Pope Simon, and a curious Papal army takes control there. It may be difficult for them to keep order with only siege engine crews. Sighvat's ships are reported to be passing Corinth on their way to Iberia. A Danish diplomat reaches the Mongols, and shrewdly offers them copies of our maps as a gift. They accept. Mixed among the papers is a falsified strategic summary which appears to show our northern border very lightly defended. Prince Emund very much hopes that they will march south against the forces he is even now leading against the Turks. Unfortunately our spy amidst the Mongol camps is caught and killed.

Siege of Yerevan, turn 96.

A suitor comes asking after the hand of Hrefna of Vikhus, but Emund is unsure of him and sends the man away. Chola bears Prince Emund another daughter, but the midwife claims the birth has torn something in her body so that little Ulfhildr will be her last babe. Training facilities at Gaza are upgraded to produce Obudshaer, long poled, armor breaking halberd troops. So far south, in nearly pacified lands it is hard to see what fighting they may find, but it is good to have such mighty men march in our armies again.

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Sultan Marsal rides out of Dongola to challenge King Charles in combat, but the King waits and comes upon him at night. In our element we take the high ground and charge their flank before they can turn.

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I bury my lance in the Sultan's horse on our charge, but the man fights on afoot for a few moments before I can bring him down. The battle is bloody, but brief.

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Striking while momentum favors us, we urge our horses on to the castle and attack under cover of darkness again. Crown Prince Ghandour's reinforcements are unaware of our rapid passage, and can give him no aid in defending the city.

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Fog lies thick over Dongola, making it easy for our spy to capture the gates and throw them open before us. Riding into the inner keep we catch the enemy's spear militia retreating from the walls.

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The retreat becomes a rout, and we take all but one of them before they can reach the square. Falling back the Wolves recover our breath and prepare to duel Ghandour's bodyguard.

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We draw them out of the square into the lee of the massive stone keep for the battle. King Charles aims for the Crown Prince, and cuts a bloody path to his side.

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The mighty generals exchange blows for some moments before the Egyptian is cut on his leg. Gathering himself he calls his guard to reform back at the rally point. We draw back too, and both sides are heavily depleted by the brutal combat.

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Ghandour spurs his horse forward again, noticing too late that I and the King have him bracketed on both sides.

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When he turns to withdraw a second time, three swords find his back. Silently he slumps out of his saddle, dead before he strikes the paving stones.

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We ride in on all sides of the last Egyptian on the field, a scared young man from the Crown Prince's former bodyguard who cannot even control his horse.

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I salute the memory of the Gray Wolves who fell this day in service to their King. Down the long list of battles fought by the Wolves, these two are surely among the greatest.

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The spearmen who surrendered are released and fourteen thousand florins are taken in the sack of Dongola. With only a few Wolves to cow the populace and an angry Egyptian army outside, the people are rebellious but we will hold them here until Toraren arrives.

In the north Prince Emund's siege train arrives with his reinforcements, and he launches the assault on Yerevan. The Turks bring what may well be the best of their troops we've yet faced to the defense of their capital.

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Our men are arrayed on three sides of the city, with a smaller force to the east and our main assault coming from the south and west. Catapults begin knocking out towers along the south-west wall while the rams advance on the gates to the south and west.

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Ballistae and rams do their deadly work on Yerevan's gates, and our men advance into the city. Huscarls corner javelinmen on the west side while raiders confront spears to the east.

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Sipaphis ride eastward through the ranks of the eastern spearmen, thinking to drive back our raiders but their axes will do for horses as well as men.

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On both sides of his city Osman of Anatolia's soldiers are fleeing towards the square, but at the main gate he peers out at our motionless siege towers in amazement. They were constructed merely as a distraction. With the gates cracked dismounted Huscarls begin to advance on him.

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The battle is bloody and Osman is a mighty warrior, but he cannot hold back good Danish axes for long. A Dane runs in under his rearing horse to gut the beast, and the Turk general is crushed between his horse and the stone wall.

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Piles of dead men decorate the roads as our fresh reinforcements enter the city.

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Riding ahead beside the Axemen, Prince Emund shouts encouragement to his army while he kills.

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Losses are significant, but the day and the city are ours! Yerevan is sacked, producing fourteen thousand florins. The few dispirited Turks who surrendered are put to the sword.

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[Ramses II CP]

East of Dongola, turn 97.

Halfway across the Mediterranean Sighvat is becoming increasingly concerned with the disposition of his holdings and his family in Antioch. To ensure that they are well kept, he adopts a smart, handsome bureacrat named Karl Tarnovius. Karl does not hold to the traditions of chivalry as Sighvat does, but he is a loyal and capable administrator. Prince Emund approves of the adoption, and brings Karl into his circle. King Charles' wife Yrsa dies peacefully in Cairo, after a long life on the road. The King is saddened at her loss, and shows clear signs of his age himself. We've all lost a step, and the last ride of the Wolves cannot be too far in our future.

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An egyptian fleet attacks Sighvat, but they are thrown back in a heroic victory for Admiral Frederick.

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Toraren's reinforcements cannot reach Dongola, and rioting continues in the barely held castle. Rioting also continues in Constantinople, fed by our growing network of spies in the city. A witch begins corrupting the people of Aleppo, and a Cardinal is sent from Adana to burn her. Captain Bergthor launches the spy aided assault on Jedda immediately upon arriving at the city.

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Our Norse swordsmen march into town from every side, catching some enemy archers with their captain in a corner and scattering them.

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Captain Tarek slips the trap and flees alone towards the square, where our third swordsmen company cuts him off and captures him just a few feet from the rally point he so desperately sought.

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Downhill from the square the remaining Egyptian archers wait for us, firing weak arrow shots while we pin them and surround them.

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Casualties are light, and the town is occupied.

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In the north Prince Emund moves his fastest troops in a lightning assault on Tbilisi, where Turkey's Crown Prince Atilla leads the defense.

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Huscarls race through the streets, let in by spies at every gate, butchering fleeing archers. At last Atilla sends his precious Sipaphis out of the square to engage, and we shatter them in a vise.

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At the square Atilla clearly has no idea what has happened to the rest of his soldiers, as his men repeatedly sound the rally cry while we bring up our catapults. The stench of burning horseflesh soon boils out of the square.

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Desperate to be anywhere but in the catapult's target line, Atilla's guard streams out to assail our massed Huscarls at the far end of the square. Immediately the rest of our infantry and cavalry charge into battle to cut him off.

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A mighty blow from a Norse Axeman guts the Crown Prince in his saddle and leaves the axe buried deeply in his steed, bringing all resistance to an end.

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The few people living at remote Tiblisi's castle beg for mercy, and, after securing the sworn conversion of the peasant's leaders to Catholicism, Prince Emund merely occupies the place. West of the castle some rebels camp brazenly in the open, and Emund leads a pair of fresh Huscarls out to destroy them.

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A hail of arrows greets the charge of Emund's Eagles, but they are steadfast in their advance.

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Flying down the hill on top of the fleeing cowards not a single rebel is allowed to escape justice. All who are captured die a dog's death, and are left to rot under the sun; food for the vultures.

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The last Turk, turn 98.

At Prince Emund's urging, Sighvat selects another young noble to join his household; the man changes his name to Sighvat in honor of his adoption and so Sighvat Thodberg enters the family. Cairo builds a Theologian's Guild house, for the training of educated priests. Our merchant wars extend from the slave trade of Russia to the gold mines near Zagreb, sustained by the training out of Nicaea. Rioting has at last seen the Spanish forced out of Constantinople, where an immense rebel army now holds power. Our spies there wait for the arrival of our forces. In a pass west of Tiblisi the last leader of the Turks is discovered by a spy. Sultan Masud is riding hard for the well garrisoned castle at Trebizond.

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Prince Emund sends cavalry under Captain Sigurd to ride the man down while he personally instructs the civilians at Yerevan and Tiblisi on the structures he wants built.

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The men take station on every side of the Sultan and demand his surrender, but he is determined to try to fight his way out. The struggle is brief, and a bloodied but unbowed Sultan Masud tries to flee into the hills.

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Five of them outspeed the knights in their flight.

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Now the Scouts play their part in the battle, riding hard to catch the enemy. It only takes one good swing from a heavy axe to end the line of Turks and their nation forever.

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Hearing the battle report, Emund adopts the honorable Captain Sigurd on the spot, placing him in Prince Toraren's line as Sigurd of Aalborg. Such is the power King Charles has invested in Prince Emund, that Toraren will not think to protest.

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The scattered remnants of Egypt's southern army at Dongola retreat north rather than face the fury of the Gray Wolves. After reinforcing the castle, Toraren catches them on the road and attacks them at night, in his father's tradition.

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Moving quickly Toraren's men capture a hill near the enemy position and begin working their crossbows, while desert archers return fire with flaming projectiles.

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With his father's approval Toraren has dubbed his bodyguard the Ravens, with my son Magnus acting as his second. The Ravens earn their name this day, slipping out of the inky blackness to lance a ballista crew before it's deadly weapon can be brought to bear.

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The Ravens ride on through the Egyptian line, casually smashing their archers on the way up the hill.

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In response half the enemy spearmen pause on the slope under heavy crossbow fire while the rest charge uphill at our own spears. As the lines crash together, foot knights flank Egypt's militia.

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Toraren's charge drew forward Captain Najm ad Din, and the Ravens wheel to engage his horse archer guard. Wisely the Prince and his bannerman hang back from the heat of battle, overseeing the men's efforts and shouting effective commands.

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The green militia troops break quickly, and in fleeing rout their fellows who paused downslope. The mood infects Egypt's whole army rapidly, and when the Ravens are reinforced by a company of foot knights the fight is over in heartbeats.

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All the Egyptians are released freely, as Toraren considers himself bound by King Charles' oath to slaughter no more helpless men of honorable Egypt. Toraren's fairness and nobility in battle earn him a most chivalrous reputation, and the King sends him a swordbearer and assigns a tutor from his own retinue to the boy as we ride by to catch Crown Prince Mafouz.

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In the blackest night, under a bare sliver of a silvery moon, the Gray Wolves catch Mafouz's guard entirely unaware. At the last moment before our charge strikes home Egypt's Crown Prince hears something, perhaps muffled hoof beats on the soft sand, and turns in horror.

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The impact of our attack throws down that whole end of his formation, and a lance impales Mafouz and his horse, killing him instantly.

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His men struggle on valiantly in their quest to avenge him, but victory is ours.

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The King is now sixty seven years old, almost ten years my senior, and yet he fights like a bull while I can barely find the strength to grip my horse the morning after yet another night camped on yet another godforsaken road halfway across the world from the lands that bore us. I suspect his legend will long outlive the god that sent him down this path.

[Ramses II CP]

East of Dongola, turn 99.

Egypt's new Sultan is discovered wandering in the desert north of Jedda. It's Shaykh al-Su'ud, now Sultan, whom Emund swore vengeance on during the fighting for Baghdad. Town militia and spies are ordered recruited in Jedda, and the swordsmen who captured the city make ready to march against him. Roads in the desert are poor, and it will be some time before we can bring him to battle, but the day will come. Venice is granted a resumption of our alliance in exchange for a few florins. Dita, the witch of Aleppo, is executed at last. Emund sends diplomats to the Mongols, whom it turns out moved east to enlarge their horde with reinforcements. The diplomats make outrageous demands for coin on the Prince's instruction, insulting the Mongols at every possible turn. Unfortunately Damascus rebels against the Papacy. An army is immediately gathered under Sighvat's adopted son and lays siege. There are few veteran troops left in the south, but even fresh faced young recruits should be able to handle honorless rebels and infidels. Emund sends an apology to the Pope for the actions of the earstwhile Danes, and promises to quell the populace before asking Papal soldiers to control the city again. Efforts are increased to assure public order in the cities that are slated to be turned over.

In the far south King Charles and the Gray Wolves ride into battle for what will surely be the last time, against a force of rebels east of Dongola under a formerly Egyptian captain named Tantawi. We are, as usual, terribly outnumbered, but striking in the dead of night I will count the valor of any one Wolf against any fifty rebel filth.

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No day for subtlety this, we lower lances and charge, so stunning the enemy with our speed that his archer's fire arrows burn their fellows and leave us untouched.

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Chased by fast camel archers the Wolves look back from routing the first sixty men to ride down another group of rebellious peasants.

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We ride over, and through them, leaving only a few behind still standing to trip their camel riding captain, but in so doing turn our backs to the enemy and lose the protection of our shields. One stout guardsman turns about to scream his defiance even as he burns for the decision.

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The King roars, 'That's done it then, no more runnin' tonight. Turn and take them!' Astride their camels the rebels lose heart and attempt to flee before we even reach them.

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The fighting is bloody, close quarters work, and more of the enemy are torched by their own archers.

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Rebels rout, rally, and line up for battle again to be met by a full charge, but now the men are tiring.

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These camels cause us some trouble with our horsemanship, allowing the enemy captain to take the superior uphill position and hold it. Losses begin to mount, and I take an arrow in the gut. Hunched in pain I am unable to manage my faithful steed, who throws me to the ground and runs off into the night.

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Realizing the situation King Charles rallies the men and repositions his force to the uphill side, at some cost in lives, to continue the battle. I watch uselessly from where I've fallen, some distance from the battle.

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The camel riders flee again, and the Wolves take that opportunity to smash half of the remaining enemy archers. There are now only three Gray Wolves remaining ahorse.

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Returning a third time to the fight, the enemy captain leads his men directly against the King. The last of the King's guard is carried away into the desert by a maddened horse, and King Charles fights on alone.

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Surrounded, outnumbered, and under a constant barrage of burning arrows the King of the Danes fights like a god-possessed berserker. For every blow that falls, an enemy or his camel falls with it, until only the rebel captain and his pitiful band of militia archers remain. A consummate rider, King Charles controls his mount perfectly. When the scent of the camel briefly sends it running, he turns the gain in distance to his advantage and turns about to charge. Captain Tantawi is eviscerated as the King rides by.

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Sloughing offal from his blade, the King again turns his mount across the blood soaked sand and makes for the last organized group of enemy soldiers. Throwing down their weapons in terror they flee across the sand, and King Charles rides among them killing and maiming.

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The few fool rebels who escape carry word of the King's fierce and bloody deeds and deem him the Lord of Terror. He must have accounted for at least forty of the enemy by himself that night. The wounds King Charles took in this fight, to say nothing of my own punctured stomach and broken leg which, even if it heals will never let me ride a horse again, deny us any further chance of an honorable death in battle. The Gray Wolves retire to care for the King, who oversees the building of a series of watch towers across the desert. All the trappings of power except the title of King are given into Emund's hands. It's his nation and his people now. I end my part in the writing of this saga now, except to say that when men ask you if King Charles was truly the Lord of Terror or a Merciful Champion of all that is noble, answer them that he was both and anything else his country needed besides.

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I will send this book to Aethelwulf in the north.

Near Yerevan, turn 100.

At Gaza a Swordsmith's guild is erected, and much appreciated. In the eastern deserts King Charles passes away quietly, and the nation mourns. Truly his tale belongs among the ancient Norse sagas of heroism and cunning. Long Live King Emund! Although the reins of nation have come to him gradually and he weilds them well, his dark, angry view of the world gives me great pause for concern. In the south Toraren is in de facto control of everything west of Gaza, though he does nothing to challenge his brother's orders. At Antioch the adopted sons of Sighvat fuel the economy and hold siege over Damascus to regain our honor. In the north King Emund calls his armies to his side, and pursues the mightiest military force the world has ever known onto the steppes where they were born to make war. I pray that the reign of King Emund is not the last chapter in the history book of the Danes.

Aleppo is turned over to Pope Simon on schedule, and a trio of priests work in the countryside there to ensure the loyalty of the masses. At Constantinople a small Danish army begins the siege, expecting reinforcements over the years. Two allied armies, formerly crusader armies, sit outside the walls to come at our call and it is expected that this will deter any rebel sally.

That expectation is dashed, and the huge rebel force under Captain Xenos does in fact sally.

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Captain Eystein, our man at the walls, sends messengers begging aid from the Venetians and the Spanish, but both men say it will take hours to break camp and march to the gates. Our militia spearmen and crossbows don't have hours, they have minutes at best. Eystein's War Clerics may escape, but they cannot simply abandon the men to their fate. Under a red sky full of rain, with the sun peeking over the far hills our militia troops assemble a compact formation shaped like a barbell with a schiltrom to either end and the crossbowmen in the center.

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Under a continual rain of fire arrows our brave, doomed men pile up the enemy dead.

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A hail of our own bolts ends the life of the rebel captain, Xenos, as he struggled in the gap between schiltroms. At the wall War Clerics shatter every one of the enemy's heavy cavalry regiments, but are ground down in so doing. The barbell formation breaks, and Captain Eystein sounds the retreat. The last few War Clerics from the other unit give their lives to buy him the time to escape toward the Spanish lines.

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Regaining their courage on seeing this valiant act of sacrifice, the largest spear militia group rallies and reforms their schiltrom far back from the walls, demanding a response from the rebels who ring the men with light cavalry that might otherwise have ridden down Captain Eystein.

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Those high sitting cavalry men form a neat shield against the constant onpouring of fire arrows.

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Again and again they come, and every time they pull back the schiltrom draws in tighter behind a wall of fresh corpses. When the last wave recedes, only a red mound of the dead can be seen.

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Spain's captain refuses to sound the advance, repeating that he must guard their camp all the way until the first few burning arrows land amongst his tents.

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Leading the counter charge, Captain Eystein watches with satisfaction as the weary rebel army collapses and is put to flight.

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Chasing them into the city, the whole garrison throws down their arms and begs mercy. The men of Spain who have come into the city are invited to leave, and captain Eystein begins to assert control. The peasantry, having suffered through three failed regimes and countless riots, is gratified to find a firm hand in occupation of the city again.

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Siege of Trebizond, turn 101.

Pope Simon calls a crusade against Smyrna, Egypt's last holding. Though we cannot participate, we are encouraged at the support shown by the Papacy. The great work of rebuilding the churches of Constantinople begins. An expensive upgrade is launched at Caesarea to place a third wall outside the current fortress, turning it into a citadel the equal of Gaza. Norse swordsmen out of Gaza catch Sultan Shaykh in the deserts of the east.

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Though surrounded and wounded many times, the man carves a path to escape and flees to his ships sitting in the channel west of Jedda.

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Sigurd of Aalborg, former captain in the northern armies, reaches the walls of Trebizond and attacks immediately.

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The day is heavy with rain and fog, but the King will bear no waiting.

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Huscarls spread slaughter in the streets, as usual.

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After the death of the rebel captain, Mavros, his men lose their discipline and launch wild, foolish assaults.

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Rather than risk more lives in a melee, Sigurd brings up catapults and archers to reduce the last of the enemy's troops. A flight of arrows cuts down the last rebel peasant, and Trebizond is taken.

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Weighing their respective positions, resources, and advancement, King Emund decides that the castle at Trebizond will become a city while Tiblisi functions as our main northern recruitment center. A series of forts are planned, extending north onto the plains to aid the movement of troops, and Sarkel must be captured. Then the Mongols will finally taste Danish steel!

Near Tiblisi, turn 102.

The Swordsmith's guild at Gaza undergoes renovation, and now aids our training of knights. Pope Simon asks that we join the crusade, and another carefully worded letter is sent excusing our absence and swearing support despite it. The Council of Nobles, seeing a chance to regain some power, supports the Pope's request by also demanding we capture Smyrna. France, Venice, Poland, and the Pope all send armies to answer the call to crusade. England is reconciled. Despite a barrage of diplomatic insults the Mongol armies march westward, towards Russia.

At Damascus Sighvat Thodburg has finally gathered an overwhelming force to retake the city from the rebels. From the north, west, and east our armies march on the city, unaided by spies.

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Ladder teams pinch a corner of the walls, and the main assault to the east loses it's ram.

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Fighting on the walls is bloody, but numbers and position favor our swordsmen.

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At the east gate the enemy surge out to battle rather than wait for the ram to do it's work.

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On the walls above Danes leap down from siege towers into the fray.

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Leaving orders to press the attack on all side, Thodburg comes into the city.

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Camel archers attempt to stop the rout his personal guard cause amongst the militia, but they are butchered and brushed aside.

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All their resistance is to no avail, and Thodburg's men reap a terrible vengeance on the traitorous scum.

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Dying, their captain falls to his knees in the street, begging Allah's mercy for his men and his city. Certainly on this day the Danes have none.

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Thodburg's assault is a direct, messy affair. Losses are high given the advantage in training and numbers his men had, but the city is ours once again. Ten thousand florins are taken from the sack of Damascus, and gifted to Pope Simon personally by way of an apology for the termerity of our former subjects. Construction of a Cathedral is begun immediately, and priests move into the land to ensure it's loyalty when it is passed back into Papal control.

Iberia, turn 103.

Caesarea erects a Hospitaller Chapter house. Hungary, a former powerful ally, declares war on the Papacy and is excommunicated. We must consider carefully our response to this vile and outrageous act. In the east and north armies march to King Emund's call, ever northward. Sighvat's troops land east of Granada and make camp.

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Maps of our current empire:

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/RtGklagctiI/AAAAAAAAEaI/0ai_BluPPPQ/s800/0600.JPG

[Ramses II CP]

Besieging Granada, turn 104.

Another of Denmark's holy men is promoted to the College of Cardinals, Ulf of Grindsted. Sighvat besieges Granada, declaring our holy mission of war on all Muslims when a Moorish messenger arrives. We learn that Spain has recently reclaimed Cordoba, and weakened the Moorish armies in Iberia significantly. Unfortunately the French, allies of the Moors, dissolve their alliance with us over the matter. Sighvat's lone spy spots a Moorish assassin in the area; we have no response available to that threat other than to keep a close watch.

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The Venetian crusade army marching on Smyrna loses it leader, and so their crusade charter ends. We fear their forces will melt away into countryside in shame. Relations with the Mongols are very poor as our diplomats continue to try to goad them into marching south. As much as I would prefer to face them in the mountains around Tiblisi instead of the plains west of Sarkel, I have to wonder if this course is truly wise. Spies at Sarkel promise to have the gates opened for our assault.

Besieging Granada, turn 105.

Plague! Death stalks the streets of overcrowded Antioch, as the plague strikes there. Two thousand die of the illness in the city, a few of them soldiers. Karl Tarnovius does what he can to maintain order and prays for god's mercy. Cairo becomes host to headquarters of the Theologian's guild. Minor riots break out in Dongola as the castle becomes a city, but there is little damage. Milan is destroyed. Though we had to fight our way through their lands, it was never our hope that their whole people be swallowed by history, and this is a sad day. Leopold's eldest son, Ulrik Nevjolson, comes of age. Though the boy has a good tactical sense he is disgusted by blood, and would make a poor leader in the field.

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The Papacy are given the cities of Damascus and Acre, the first returned to their control in a more stable setting and the second in accordance with Emund's will for the Levant. In return the Pope asks that we attack the Hungarians, but for the nonce we must decline this request to avoid opening a two front war. Egypt's old Sultan Shaykh appears to have died at sea, and their new Sultan is brought to battle north of Jedda. Militia spears from that town are employed to try to pin the man in place and prevent his escape to the ships.

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Amidst the steep, sandy hills our men bait him into a charge broken up by the terrain, and the surround him to fight.

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Unfortunately the men are weary from marching up the hill, and fight poorly. Sultan Ghandour realizes the hopelessness of his position and flees quickly, escaping to the ships. We will have to train a fleet of our own to catch him now. His heir and a small army are still on the road to Jedda, awaiting our attempt to take them.

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Siege of Granada, turn 106.

A chivalrous young husband for Hrefna of Vikhus must be sent away as he refuses to take part in Emund's cabal of supportive nobles, leaving his loyalty an open question. Gunpowder is discovered, and it's use is immediately turned to weaponry. Our administrators are uncertain of the value of this new method of warfare, and do not automatically take to it. The first naval battle of Jedda is a disaster, as our inexperienced men do little but serve as target practice for the Egyptians.

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More ships, at great expense, are ordered built. King Emund camps south of Sarkel, building a last fort before the wooden castle. He gives a subdued speech, perhaps aware that so far from his people little word of it will make it's way back down the long, dusty trail. He does swear that we will next camp within the walls of Sarkel itself. West of Sarkel, across the river, diplomats bait the Mongols and demand money from them. At Granada Sighvat proceeds with his assault, having built sufficient engines in addition to his catapults.

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Crown Prince Fakir of the Moors has ordered the outer walls held at all costs. To the south a diversionary force with a ram, two ladder teams, and some cavalry support marches against the gate. To the east Sighvat leads the main assault, with a ram, a siege tower, and the catapults, while to the north a single siege tower will bring Norse Axemen to the walls. Crossbowmen push both rams, Sighvat assigned them to that role so that hardier troops could be saved for the hand to hand fighting within.

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Foot Knights scramble up the ladders on the east side, meeting stiff resistance from the archers and urban militia at the top.

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They buy time for the ram to do it's work, however, and the gates are breached. To the north Axemen gather in the siege tower, still under fire from the enemy's stone towers, and prepare to drop the gate.

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When the east gate also falls, Sighvat orders the cavalry forward and flies into the fortress himself. Much of the enemy's own cavalry is cut off and pinned on the field before their keep.

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Surrounded and fighting three enemy companies by themselves, Sighvat's Hart Guards hold their own and wait for reinforcements that are delayed by having to clear away remnants of infantry at the gates.

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Scouts capture the enemy catapults and slaughter their crews. At last mounted knights arrive to relieve the Hart Guard, and the first of the Moor's cavalry routs.

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The Axemen win the north walls, at high cost. The east walls and streets are clear, but to the south fighting continues with the powerful urban militia holding firm by a stone tower.

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Only when the last militia man realizes he is alone does his discipline break, and he flees for the inner gate. His men and deadly fire from the tower have cost horrible casualties among the foot knights. At the gate to the keep the Moorish general has ordered it shut against the approach of even his own men, a pathetic few of which huddle against it. We bring up catapults to crack the gate rather than try to push rams past the pile of dead and cowering Moors.

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With the gates burst and all of Fakir's men dead except his own guard, Sighvat coldly lines up his remaining fresh troops and asks the catapults to make one more good shot.

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Swordstaff troops see their first action in our service, and make short work of the Crown Prince and his men.

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Losses are significant, but this Moorish fastness was well held and Prince Fakir's soldiers fought hard. Sighvat takes five thousand florins from the sack, and makes ready to demolish the majority of the buildings there. We have not come to make a home for ourselves, but rather to deprive the Muslims of one. Our fleet moves on to blockade the port of Marrakesh.

Assault on Sarkel, turn 107.

As Emund's efforts with the nobility increasingly benefit his circle more and more of the old guard come to his side. One of the oldest noble families sends their eldest son to ask for the hand of Hrefna of Vikhus in exchange for a pledge of total coorperation with King Emund. The request is granted, and Thorgils of Svalunes is adopted into the family. Having read back through my father's entries, I know this would please old King Charles. The wedding is held at Antioch, where the threat of plague has passed. Spain declares war on Venice, and we dissolve our alliance with the Spanish. Leopold's second son, Lars Eigod comes of age. Lars and his brother share an abhorrence of drinking, likely the result of being exposed to Leopold's drunken raving in their early years.

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South of Antioch a few rebels have sprung up, and Thorgils begs to be allowed to put them down. In the Danish tradition, as told in the tales of the Gray Wolves, he rides out alone to crush them. Before the battle he promises the men of his newly raised bodyguard land from his own noble estates, dubbing them Thorgil's Thanes. Heartened, they fight bravely and smash the pathetic desert rats without losing a single man.

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Huscarls arrive in the Jedda region at last, and catch up to Egypt's Crown Prince Tamer. His men are surrounded, and he surrenders himself to our care.

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We offer to ransom him to the Egyptians but they refuse. His corpse is thrown into the sea. Captain Ulrik, who led the courageous assault, puts his name forward for adoption. Valiant, loyal, and in the right place to put an end to all the Egyptians remaining in our lands, he is accepted and tasked to oversee the shipboard assault against the Sultan as well.

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A large fleet is still sailing down from Cairo's port, so Ulrik commands the fleet of Jedda to gather their forces, block any escape attempt by the Sultan, and bide their time. At Antioch another small rebel army springs up, and Thorgil's Thanes ride to battle again. Spearmen cost him the lives of a few of his bodyguard, but rout quickly once the rest are among them.

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King Emund's all cavalry army use their spies to launch an attack against Sarkel.

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Emund suspects they are in league with the Mongols, and so he has sworn to spare no armed man in all the wooden castle. A mass assault from his unblooded troops streams in against the rebel horse archers.

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Losses are heavier than expected, and to maintain order and dissuade any further collusion with the Mongol lords, the already small populace is exterminated. Prince Emund orders most of the new members of his family to gather their retinues and march north to his side. Their valor will doubtless be needed at the front.

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West of Sarkel, turn 108.

A Spanish spy is found at Granada, but this is only to be expected in formerly Moorish lands. England and Scotland are both excommunicated. Ulrik orders the fleet to surround and attack the Sultan's ships. The naval engagement is won, but the enemy slips away with many of his ships intact.

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A massive Moorish jihad army is discovered on our border, west of Alexandria, where garrisons are thin and professional troops are slight. Prince Toraren immediately marches north to organize opposition. Granada is gifted to Pope Simon, and Sighvat boards his ships and sails for Marrakesh's west coast. Rebels gather a sizeable army northeast of Trebizond, and Sigurd of Aalborg rides out to meet them.

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Sigurd crosses swords with the enemy captain, and strikes him down, ending the battle.

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West of Sarkel, turn 109.

A Horsebreeder's guild is founded at Adana. It is unclear why the guildsmen wanted to build there as no cavalry can be trained in the city, but with an upgrade to the local church it should be possible to train War Clerics there. The bridges at Alexandria are held against the Moorish jihad forces, and training proceeds apace of soldiers to prevent their passage. Another sea battle at Jedda brings us victory, but again the wiley Sultan slips away with his tattered fleet.

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In some circles King Emund is spoken of as deranged, but the men in his command would ride off a cliff with him if he asked it. The opening round against the Mongols is approaching now, though their whole mass continues to march west.

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The Moors beg for a ceasefire, and are denied.

West of Sarkel, turn 110.

Hrefna of Vikhus bears a son, Jon of Svalunes. Despiter her advanced age the boy is hale, and is said to resemble his long departed grandfather. Danish bloodlines are becoming a complicated affair. It is much to be hoped that when Prince Stenkil comes of age his cousins and adopted elders will respect his position.

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Sighvat's force lands west of Marrakesh and camps near the city. The garrison looks reliable, but they will surely fall before us.

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Again our massive fleet corners Egypt's few remaining ships, and again they slide through our lines with only a handful of losses. Their Sultan evidently makes a fine admiral, at least when it comes to running away repeatedly.

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Prince Toraren blocks the crossing point south of Alexandria, driving the Moor's jihad even further south than before. At Mosul the local captain, Haldor, destroys a rebel army to few losses.

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West of Sarkel, turn 111.

Our failure to join the crusade diminishes our reputation with the Pope somewhat. Our fleets at last bring down the canny Admiral al Qaim and his passenger, Sultan Ghandour near Jedda. The ships are then disbanded as the seas are safe and clear.

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The Mongols have left a short stack at the rear of their formation, though attacking it will bring a full army in as reinforcements afterward. Still, I believe King Emund intends to press ahead.

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http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/RtI6iagcuKI/AAAAAAAAEfk/ZvyMeg8TXTU/s800/0713.jpg

(...to be continued...)

[Ramses II CP]

The Mongol Wars and the siege of Marrakesh, continuing turn 111.

This morning we ride for the Mongol's camp, where our spies report a Captain Khushan is acting as their rear guard with a small, fast force. Camped near enough to reinforce him is a mighty general called Berkei the Wrathful, and it seems likely that we will have to fight his men as well today. Before we depart King Emund calls the men to him for a speech.

'Some men among you whisper that this is a dark day, that we ride to our deaths against the unholy tyrants of the east. God has brought your words to my ears, so I know some among you fear that I am mad, marching here in such haste that I brought only cavalry, outnumbered by the horde we face a dozen times over and more. Their men are faster, stronger, have fought more battles, and carry horse bows to harry us as we approach. All of these things may be true, but now I will tell you one thing which trumps all of those.

God sends us into these lands to oppose the infidels! God sends us to butcher these red handed conquerors, and it is God who will grant us victory today! Out there in battle angels will guide your hands!

This is our holy mission from on high. We are not permitted to stand aside and watch this foulness pass our lands by to destroy all of Christendom. For if we will not raise our swords to this foe, then who among the nations we fought our way through will stop them? After they have swept aside the lesser countries then, swollen and fat with the riches of our former homelands, they will turn and wash away our people, our God, and our nations in a sea of our own blood.

We must fight them here and now. We must draw them to us so that the lettered men of the rest of Europe remain peacefully seated at their desks to inscribe our names in history. On these fields Danes will undoubtedly die, but with their lives we purchase a mighty place in the book of time itself. A thousand years from now the children of your line will sit 'round the fire spinning tales of our deeds, and dreaming that they could stand at your side this day.

God's own quest draws us here. Destiny demands that we enter this struggle. This is the beginning of the end of Islam itself!'

Turning away for a moment, it appears that Emund's speech is done, but he turns back to the men one last time.

'Oh, and, I'm putting a reward out on Mongol thumbs. A gold florin for each.' Eyeing his most veteran Huscarls he goes on, 'And no cutting off your own, you bloodthirsty buggers!'

With that the men are dismissed, some laughing, and we make ready our mounts. Myself, I don't think the King was joking, but neither am I the sort to claim trophies.

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Captain Khushan's force is badly arrayed, on the near slope of a steep ridge line that will break up any retreat. Spotting this as we approach, King Emund orders the unblooded companies forward at a gallop so that they can get a taste of combat before Berkei comes upon them.

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So quickly that their foot archers are caught in the open, our men fall upon them. Instantly they rout, and the heavy lancers behind them cannot charge through their remains.

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When fast scouts loop behind the lancers, they rout just as quickly, and our force pours on ahead. Some of the mounted archers are withdrawing in good order towards Berkei, with scouts in pursuit. Before the rest of our men can follow them into the valley, King Emund commands a halt. The scouts are too far ahead to hear, and plunge on into the teeth of Berkei's advance.

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The Mongol general himself catches them, and what began as a pursuit ends with our advance scouts being themselves pursued. Though unintended, those men's sacrifice benefits our cause, as Berkei pauses his center to reform their ranks while lighter horse archers and light lancers race ahead into the teeth of our main body.

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At this point the engagement starts to break up into a swirling chaos. King Emund orders his right, with two units of scouts and two of huscarls from the initial assault, to ride down around the ridge and come behind Berkei's lines. Then the Eagles go forth to war!

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Scouts from the right catch the Mongol's unguarded siege equipment far to his rear.

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Realizing the threat our flanking force poses to his main thrust, Berkei rides to his left and catches both of our huscarls there. During a pause while the Eagle's first opponent flees, Emund notices the Mongol general's position and waves forward our reserve, the most skilled and veteran huscarls in our force, to ride down against Berkei's rear.

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Then King Emund leads another charge, in support of our struggling War Clerics.

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The arrival of the veterans is timely, as Berkei's guard was fairly easily cutting their way through the two shaken units from the right. With the momentum of a downward charge, the veteran huscarls crash into the Mongol heavy cavalry and five men who were tasked with just that purpose surround Berkei the Wrathful. The struggle is brief but bloody, and the man falls with his helm and his head split open by an axe blow.

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News of his death spreads across the field, shocking his men and breaking their will to fight. They flee, leaving only their dead and wounded to decorate the hillside.

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Half of our men were dead or dying, and the rest were too worn out to withdraw. It had taken most of the morning just to ride to this position, and the afternoon had now been spent in battle. We made camp on a high hill nearby to await the Mongol response. With over ten thousand of them in their own camp just up the road, I stepped aside to privately ask King Emund what his plan was to deal with them.

'Why Aethelwulf, what a good question. I don't have one. Got any ideas?'

At my speechless, flabbergasted look the King continued.

'I wasn't too sure I would survive this little thing today, so I don't quite know what to do now. P'raps God'll send me a vision or something tonight. Anyway, I'm flat worn out. Going to sleep like the dead tonight!'

Waving his hand vaguely in the direction of the prisoners, the Lord of all the Danes drew his finger across his throat and grinned at me. 'See to that lot, will you?'

Deranged. I turned the word over in my mind. De-range-ed. I'd like to believe the King is merely touched by God, but in truth it matters little. My line has been sworn to his for countless generations. Emund has proven himself merciless and mighty in battle. If he rides into the sea, I will lance the waves that they might part before him. The prisoners are executed, and the King collects almost a thousand thumbs from the battle; the men make something of a game of harvesting them. A knight named Niels Ebbesen is taken into the King's service after this victory; his popularity with the men will doubtless be useful if we survive the coming response.

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The Moorish jihad has been driven so far south they may think to threaten Dongola. The garrison there is strong enough to hold for reinforcements though. Word arrives out of the west that at Marrakesh Sighvat has begun the assault on the city.

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First he must deal with their only local general, Driss, who was caught outside the walls when we laid siege. The Moor flogs his horse, riding hard for the gates, but all our men are in the way and he never really had a chance.

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Then the bombardment begins. As their reinforcements come into the city from the east, we pound holes in the western walls. When their men line up to defend the gaps, they suffer casualties from the crashing stones.

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The Moors send none of their crossbowmen to the walls, so our own move in after the catapults knock out the towers on this stretch.

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The catapults spend the last of their ammunition and the crews withdraw as our infantry advance on the gaps. Through the shattered gates Sighvat spots a force of crossbowmen at last making their way down from the square, and he spurs his Hart Guard through the northmost gap and past the urban militia defending it to stop the crossbowmen.

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At the gaps foot knights and axemen crash into lines of hardy Moorish militia.

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Starting on their left, where Sighvat smashed through their line, the militia troops gradually realize that they are outnumbered, cut off, and denied any ranged support. The rout begins.

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Sensing trouble, the crossbowmen facing the Hart Guard also turn to flee for the square. With a mass of broken swordsmen behind him, Sighvat orders his men to pursue the crossbowmen and leaves the scouts and knights to clean up behind him.

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At the square a scattering of shaken men, the Moorish captain's unit, and the crews of a few catapults are all that remain. Their captain is one of the last to die.

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Sighvat's handling of the siege was expert, though his decision to attack along a single avenue in broad daylight was in contrast to the standard Danish plan. I suppose it has something to do with maintaining his chivalrous reputation for facing his foes directly. The Hart Guard accounted for nearly five hundred of the enemy themselves, captured or killed. Ransom on the prisoners, including Driss, is refused. Thirteen thousand florins are taken from the sack of Marrakesh, and as usual the construction of a church is our first act. Sighvat's lone spy, taken at King Charles' insistence, is sent south to check on the cities deep in the desert that reputedly belong to the Moors. The remains of Sighvat's fleet are sent to block the straights of Gibralter against any last Moorish forces in Iberia creeping their way south.

Mongol Wars, a new Pope, turn 112.

Pope Simon has died in Rome, and the College of Cardinals is called together to select a new pope. Once again a pious Dane, Eystein Soerensen, is the top Preferati. Of the free votes, only Scotland goes against us, and so Pope Iohannes comes to power.

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An earthquake in Alexandria kills two thousand citizens and a few soldiers. Toraren sends aid from his position across the bridge east of Cairo, where his men are still trying to tie down the Moorish jihad. In the north the Mongols have ignored our picking off their trailing forces, and continue to march on the Russian city of Kiev. The King claims this is a sign from God, who favors our cause so strongly he turns the Mongols away from us, and appoints a Dane his holy hand on earth. Emund then orders a period of recuperation and the drawing up of fresh forces from the train of forts behind him. Niels Ebbesen, the new man in the King's retinue, comes forward with the excellent suggestion that we turn all idle hands to the erection of a marker for our mighty victory against the Mongols.

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Our spies near Smyrna discover why the French Crusade has not pressed home their attack. King Martin the Malevolent is no true man.

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Muslim rebels have ridden to the walls of Caesarea to challenge our authority, and Captain Eystein leads our response.

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Heavy fire from the crossbowmen pins the enemy in place for the War Clerics and Knights Hospitaller to sweep in to either side of their scattered line and turn their flanks. The fool rebels rout rapidly. The Hospitallers are new to our service, but they perform excellently.

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The hills of Marrakesh, turn 113.

The Mongols besiege Kiev, and King Emund does not have enough men on hand to truly aid that beleaguered city, but still we gather our paltry, weary reinforcements and prepare to ride out once they are rested. East of Marrakesh a veteran Moorish army emerges from the hills with catapults position high above the city. We immediately dispatch an army of our own, with catapults, in response.

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The setting is exquisite, but the work today will be bloody and long. We launch a long range catapult barrage, answered by a less accurate return from their own machines.

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This duel goes on for some time as the respective machine's masters attempt to zero out the windage and find the ideal range for their shots. An errant stone kills the Moorish captain, while an accurate one destroys one of their catapults.

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As the day wears on the engineers suggest lighting their deadly cargo on fire to aid their aim, and they score another hit against the enemy battery.

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Immediately thereafter another shot destroys the final Moorish catapult. Without their captain to give them orders, the Moors cannot decide between an attack and a retreat, and so the onslaught of stones continues.At last our catapult crews run out of quality ammunition and light, and the infantrymen grin wolfishly as the order to attack the depleted and fearful enemy is passed. Losses are slight.

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Toraren and Sighvat Thodberg meet to discuss the Moorish jihad that has eluded them for so long. Their goal thus far has been to incite an attack under circumstances favorable to the Danes, and then to butcher the enemy as they come. The Sultan of the Moors has proven too clever for that, and he has at last crossed the river and is moving on open ground. Thodberg favors a direct assault, pulling men from the Cairo garrison to aid them, but Toraren fears the Moor will escape to the north, and once beyond our lines they will outspeed us to Jerusalem. That cannot be allowed to happen. Thodberg was adopted on King Emund's orders, but the south is Toraren's bailiwick and his commands will take precedence. Toraren sends the militia troops to Cairo, and marches north to block the road at Gaza. Since only a single road runs through the lands around Gaza the Moors will be forced to pass that way, or will be slowed enough by the deserts for us to catch them.

West of Baghdad Captain Grim catches up to some rebels as they prepare their camp at sunset.

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Fighting with the sun in their eyes the battle is difficult and losses are high, but the valor of Captain Grim is great. In the end the rebels break and scatter into the desert.

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[Ramses II CP]

The last Jihad, turn 114.

The Mongol Horde has decided to make Kiev their new homeland. With that decision their massive armies split up as their generals spread out to conquer lands for themselves. King Emund, despite having a depleted and ill trained army, is still determined to ride into Russia and bring the Mongols to battle again. Magnus writes that Toraren has taken his army, with Sighvat Thodberg as his second, into battle west of Gaza to end the Moor's jihad. As is his custom, he comes on the enemy deep in the night, with the sun's first rays peeking over the eastern hills.

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We've brought our new halberd troops to this battle, though the enemy has little in the way of cavalry. Though the attack is ours, the Moors can see our dramatic superiority of crossbows, and so they move quickly to bring the fight to close range. Toraren sends War Clerics hooking around the downslope side of the enemy formation to their rear where the enemy catapults spot them and launch futile shots at the fast moving horsemen.

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Toraren rides around the upslope side of their formation, leaving Thodberg to hold the line. Not one to be restrained, Thodberg charges as soon as the enemy's archers drop a few arrows into our formation. He has little time before the entire Moorish army counter charges, however, and he is forced to pull back.

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On our left, well behind the Moor's lines, Prince Toraren attacks Sultan Salim. Sighvat Thodberg rides around the enemy lines to aid the Prince.

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Moorish light cavalry blocked the War Cleric's advance against the enemy catapults, so stones still rain over our heads and into the rear of the Moorish lines, but none have yet struck Danes.

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Crossbowmen make an orderly retreat through the lines while the men set their halberds against a charge. Wild Moorish zealots crash the line, dying in droves but disrupting the neat formations too.

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At last the War Clerics silence our opponent's catapults. Those madmen would no doubt have happily fired through their own lines trying to kill a few of us.

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Foot knights wrap the lines at both ends of the Moor's struggling mass of men, causing chaos and panic. The line begins to waver.

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At precisely this moment Prince Toraren's sword takes Sultan Salim in the throat, routing his bodyguard and destroying the morale of his men. Fanatics they might be, but fools they are not. The day is lost, now the struggle to survive begins for the previously proud jihad army.

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It was a textbook engagement, executed to near perfection by Prince Toraren. His Obudshaer and their halberds performed below expectations as a line against infantry, but otherwise the battle was excellent. Toraren releases the enemy prisoners to return back to their homelands, only to discover that Sultan Salim was the last of his line. The Moors have no homelands. Asking only that they convert to Christianity, Toraren promises them a place in his lands.

South of Mosul more Muslim rebels arise, and Captain Godafrid goes out to meet them.

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Axes against spearmen and peasants prove an easy battle for us, but Uthman's own horse archer guard are deadly and difficult to run down. In the end, with moderate casualties, the men trap him and rout his soldiers.

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The Mongol Wars, the Mongols Strike Back, post-turn 114.

On the plains east of Kiev, in what used to be Russian soil, We halt our advance within sight of many Mongol armies around the city. King Emund expresses hope that one of them will ride out to meet us, but I am even less confident than I was for our first battle. The King gives another brief speech, mostly for the benefit of the fresh faced young boys whose training was so recent.

'Listen up then you slack jawed, malingering, mud runners. Last time, it was God that gave us victory, but since we slaughtered that first lot I haven't been getting a whole lot from the heavens. Must be all the storms on these plains or something. Anyway, today it'll have to be YOU that goes out and takes this battle from the enemy. You will ride them down, you will surround them, and at the end of the day you will make them beg for their lives while the light goes out in their eyes. Death will be on the field today, but he comes only at my call. Don't make me send him for you.'

Holding up a dark canvas bag the King goes on, 'I'm doubling the ransom on Mongol thumbs too. Don't hold out on me!'

Half our army are untested, lightly armored scouts on fast ponies. In my heart I love the King, but in my gut I fear the path he takes us down. As we wait a Mongol general named Hulegu brings a mighty army, with no siege train to slow or weaken it, against our inferior force.

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Our position is a strong one, at the top of a steep sided hill with few approaches on the sides. Our charge will be brutal, and our enemies will be slowed by climbing. I wish we had a few archers among us, but lances and swords will have to do.

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Hulegu sends his infantry forward to absorb our charge. We oblige him and charge home.

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The engagement is clearly in our favor for the first few moments, but then heavy lancers enter the fighting on our right, routing some scouts.

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Suddenly Hulegu commits his horse archers to the melee, and they roll up our left flank, which is comprised entirely of scouts. Heavy lancers destroy all order on our right, routing everything but the few huscarls still with the King, and the Mongol infantry are reforming to march back up the hill in the center. When a second company of heavy lancers charge the Eagles, I beg King Emund to sound the retreat.

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Madness lights his eyes, but a simple glance is enough to see that even our seasoned veteran huscarls are down to a pittance of men, and ready to break. Striking viciously at the Mongol in front of him, the King gives the order to flee the field. I ride at his side, resolved to carry him out through the whole Mongol Horde if necessary.

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The ever victorious army of the Danes tastes it's first major defeat. Few men return from that bloody day, though we slew a great number of the enemy. The King's bag of thumbs was also lost as we abandoned our camp in haste.

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The Mongol Wars, the long road back to Sarkel, turn 115.

Thiry nine Danes surrendered to the Mongols during the last battle, and Hulegu killed them in cold blood. It's no more than we've done to his people, but it burns knowing that our good friends knelt in a nameless field and spilled their life's blood into the grass. There will be a reckoning for this defeat, the King and I have both sworn it, but for now we flee back east, past the forts we built on our way west, but that are now abandoned. Emund has made it clear in the days since word of the executions reached us that Hulegu was saving us work, because Danes who will surrender to Muslim enemies are to be put to death anyway. The few remaining recruits, the ones for whom their only battle was that ragged defeat, have begun calling him King Emund the Mauler, field tyrant.

The jihad against Jerusalem has officially failed. With our armies surrounding that holy city, this was inevitable. Two more Danish priests are promoted to Cardinalhood. Spies report that two more massive Mongol armies march east behind Hulegu. I do not know where we can stop them, short of Caesarea. Deep in the desert the former Moorish city of Timbuktu has a strong garrison of Muslim rebels. Sighvat will have to march south to take this place and convert it to Catholicism. The Papacy is given Jedda as loyalty problems are suspected with the other cities of the Levant. Aleppo already looks rebellious under the new Pope.

The Mongol Wars, west of Sarkel, turn 116.

Sighvat dismisses a suitor for the hand of his daughter. North of Jedda Ulrik Jacobsen destroys some rebels on Papal lands. West of Sarkel Ulrik Nevjolvson arrives with some more fresh cavalry recruits; the King orders him north to build watch towers along that border. To the west Hulegu's forces are about to cross our border. Jebe the Mauler commands the support army behind Hulegu; the third army has marched away north, which is why we want towers there.

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The Mongol Wars, west of Sarkel, turn 117.

Another earthquake strikes Alexandria, killing three and a half thousand peasants. King Emund suggests that God finds our efforts lacking. Sighvat marches south out of Marrakesh with the catapults and his professional soliders, intending one last campaign to take the majority Muslim lands deep in the desert. We seek a better relationship with the Hungarians, but the excommunicated fools reject all offers.

The Mongol Wars, Return of the Danes, turn 118.

Plague strikes Gaza! Prince Toraren commands the citadel shut to contain the illness. Hundreds are dead, including thirty soldiers. Some among the army we have gathered mutter that God has turned his face from us and that those who do not die on Mongol blades will be consumed in plagues and disasters. Ignoring all this, King Emund decides he will defend the ford south-west of Sarkel with all the men he has been able to gather. There will be no more retreating. Leopold's son, Ulrik Nevjolvson, who hates the sight or smell of blood, has a small force of cavalry, of uncertain quality, in the area, but the King commands that they stand aside. Lars Eigod, Leopold's younger son, joins Emund on the field. Lars offers the King some advice on his speech before this battle. Though all of the men not serving in the Eagles that were present for our previous desperate rout have been sent away for retraining, morale is low.

Speaking from horseback, the King begins by lifting the ruined standard of Berkei the Wrathful, 'Where is the man that once dared bring this banner to battle against the sons of Vikings? Where are his mighty horses, and his fierce warriors?

They burn in hell! If any man here is anxious to join them, let him turn his back now and flee. GOD will surely strike the coward down, if I can't catch him first!

Look there, there at the top of that hill are two more banners, carried by two more mighty men who would like nothing more than to break your lines and tear down into your homelands on this day. Will you let that happen? Will I alone have the courage to refute this beastly foe? Failure this day would be to invite eternal damnation for our people. Do not fail! Bring me those banners, soaked in the blood of the fools that dare carry them against us. No mercy this day, no truce, and no surrender! Kill them all!'

Hulegu and Jebe the Mauler may have the advantage of numbers and perhaps even of quality, but they will have to cross a river and climb to attack us, under fire the whole way.

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We arrange our forces with the peasant archers on the right, supported by raiders and huscarls further up the hill. An attack on that side will invite our heavy infantry to take it in the rear. On the far left crossbowmen backed by Norse archers anchor themselves against the steep banks of the river, while through the center foot knights hold the line and axemen form a second line.

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Insane with arrogance, Hulegu leads his troops from the front, acting as the spearhead of his own army. Arrows and bolts fell most of his bodyguard before they can reach our lines, but his main army is crossing behind him relatively unmolested.

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Eager to prove himself, Lars spurs his men forward to try to cut off Hulegu, but the Mongol guards abort their charge and fall back, screaming defiantly at our lines. Instead of the few remaining men of Hulegu's guard, Lars finds himself meeting the main body of enemy cavalry.

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King Emund bellows 'Blast that fool! Well, what are you waiting for, get in there and save him!' The infantry advance as Lars and his few remaining men retreat.

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Emund rides over and grabs the reins to Lars' horse to halt his rout, 'Take your men and stand with the crossbowmen. They'll need more than just Norse Archers to stiffen their resolve.' Having drawn Leopold's son close, Emund slaps his mailed hand down hard on Lars' shoulder and shouts, 'Run again, and I'll have your head spitted and roasting over my fire tonight!' While that pronouncement echoes across the field I point out that some of the lighter Mongol horse are trying to wrap our right flank. Emund's Eagles fly into the fray to hold the line!

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The struggle is fierce, and Hulegu brings his guardsmen forward once again, shoving his own troops clear so he can reach our men. This time we're ready for them, and a hand picked team of foot knights moves through the lines to attack him. Acting in concert they gut his horse and run him through many times. Hulegu's bannerman screams in terror as his lord falls, and the Mongol Lord's standard drops into the bloody snow.

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At this, the first wave of Mongols begins to break. It is at first an orderly retreat, but gradually chaos overtakes their forces as we press harder and harder forward. The peasant archers on the right burn a man who nearly makes it through their ranks.

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Seeing Jebe the Mauler's bannerman at the crest of the hill across the river, King Emund orders that there be no pursuit by the infantry. They are to dress their lines and make ready to repel a second attack while the Eagles keep Hulegu's men fleeing across the river. Jebe too crosses at the fore of his men, but he brings a company of heavy lancers to support him. The Eagles withdraw in good order ahead of Jebe's advance with King Emund and I bringing up the rear.

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Jebe's personal guard, mostly intact, strikes our weakened center and breaks through our lines at great cost on both sides. With the rest of his army charging our line no men can be spared to turn and face him. King Emund calls to Lars Eigod, but he will not come, and the Eagles are needed at the front. For now, it must be hoped that our hardy archers on the left can hold him.

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There on the left Lars Eigod is aquitting himself honorably, holding back a scattered attack from some heavy lancers who find climbing the river bank difficult. Crossbowmen are being slaughtered, but holding for the moment. When Jebe comes among them from upslope, most of them drop their crossbows and flee. Lars and the Norse archers must hold by themselves until a company of axemen can come to their relief.

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At the river the main engagement is an unmanageable mess. Raiders and Huscarls have closed the gap on our right, where the peasants continue to put fire arrows into the enemy's back ranks. Foot knights and axemen press close to the Mongol's mixed force, denying them any possibility of a charge and eliminating their ability to fire arrows. We are advancing foot by difficult foot, pushing them into the river, but there is no clear way to gain an advantage and break them.

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At last Norse Axemen arrive on the left to aid the few remaining ranged units. As with Hulegu, these men have instructions to seek out Jebe himself and destroy him. Axe blows rain on the man from all sides, shattering armor and pulping the flesh beneath. Jebe the Mauler is no more.

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Emund's Eagles are fighting their way deep into the enemy formation when roaring cheers break out on our left. Mongol horsemen turn aside from Emund to look for what heartens their enemy so, and spot their leader's broken body.

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Panic filters back through the ranks, where Mongol foot archers are the first to flee back across the river.

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King Emund Eagle's and Lars Eigod by himself, whose whole bodyguard gave their lives to protect their lord and redeem their honor, ride aross the river to keep the routers moving, while the infantry reform their lines against any recovery by the Mongol army. The day is ours!

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We have taken more prisoners than we have men remaining in our whole force. To prevent a potentially disastrous rebellion we sequester them in ten groups, roped off far enough from one another around our camp that no one group could hear another's call. Only then can the ungodly work of slaughtering six hundred foul barbarians begin. King Emund is pitiless, but he takes no joy in cruelty either, and sees purpose in every act of bloody vengeance. None of these men will bear arms against Christians again. To get Lars Eigod's spine back the King puts him in charge of the executions. The earth runs black with blood, but as the river we fought over flows south into Danish lands King Emund will not permit Mongol corpses thrown into it, and they are left in great piles for rats to feast on.

Our current maps:

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[Ferret]

a really good read, what are you planning to do when America is discovered?

[Ramses II CP]

Interesting question, you know I've never gotten to the Americas before I won the game. I'm not actually aiming to 'win' this one according to the long campaign victory conditions, so if it holds my attention long enough to discover the far west maybe I'll just board the whole nation onto ships and sail for the new world. If any of Emund's line carries on the deranged mental state of their father, that would be a pretty good end.

It's worth considering that after I retake Arhus, if I get that far, some 'ancient records' might be rediscovered or something. :book:

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

The Mongol Wars, turn 119.

The few peasants scraping along at Sarkel try to throw a party for our men, but it's a rather sad affair. So many are dead, and so few men remain to combat the still massive horde of Mongols. During the celebrations, words arrives that Pope Iohannes has died in Rome. His reign was not a long one, but he will be missed. The College of Cardinals is full of Danes, who almost singlehandedly elect their chosen Preferati to become the new Pope. Ulf of Grindstead will become Pope Vitalis.

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The Byzantines, our allies for many years, declare war on the Papcy in this period of flux, and so we dissolve our alliance with them. Plague continues in Gaza, much to Toraren's dismay. Training is suspended and the citadel is isolated as best it can be. Hundreds more have died, including forty soldiers. After our latest victory over the Mongols the people of the world regard us as the mightiest faction in existence. King Emund's eldest son, Stenkil, comes of age at Sarkel, and Emund sends him south to gather the reserve army northwest of Tblisi. The lad is aloof and unremarkable, with his father's legacy of dread, but he will soon command the last whole army of veterans in the northern empire.

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The Mongol Wars, turn 120.

Sighvat sends away another suitor for his daughter's hand. The plague at Gaza kills hundreds more, many of them soldiers. What can be done but to wait it out and pray? Another Danish Bishop is promoted to Cardinalhood. Niels Ebbesen of the King's retinue completes work on a battle memorial at our last battle site, the ford now known as Hulegu's Folly. Mosul seems pacified sufficiently to be turned over to the Papacy, though there is trouble in other Papal holdings in the Levant. Around Kiev our spies report five whole armies of Mongols, leaving at least three more whose position we are uncertain of. West of Sarkel a small force, perhaps remnants of Jebe the Mauler's army, is caught. The King determines to break Ulrik Nevjolvson's fear of blood, and brings him with his brother to ride down the scum.

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A series of devestating charges strike down the Mongol foot. Lars Eigod breaks his blade on the armor of the heavy archers, but his men carry the battle without him.

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Their mounted men present stiffer resistance, killing two of Ulrik's guard, but once they break the battle is done.

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Though it nearly unmans him, Ulrik is driven to execute the prisoners personally. King Emund will tolerate no weakness in battle from those who serve him. Partly in jest, and partly in reward, Emund sends a swordbearer to ride with Lars Eigod. For all that he despises the weakness of Ulrik, King Emund is increasingly in the grip of superstition himself. If God will not send him a vision soon, I wonder to what lengths he will go seeking divine revelations.

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Heresy is spreading among our priests near Trebizond, and a Cardinal is called to help the locals deal with it. In Egypt, near Smyrna, Captain Toraren ride forth to clear away rebels holding the bridge against the French Crusade. France's cowardly King has camped in the hills for years rather than face these men, but it is hoped that once they fall the French will capture Smyrna and eliminate the Egyptians. The battle is of little note.

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The Mongol Wars, the Wrath of Aradai turn 121.

Sighvat's son has come of age, and he is already known as Stenkil the Handsome, as much to distinguish him from Prince Stenkil as because he is physically flawless. Also coming of age is Emund's daughter Geirny.

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Spies discover that Edessa has rebelled against Pope Vitalis. King Emund and Toraren are aghast at this development, the second city of presumed loyal Danes to deny the Pope's authority over their lands. Men are being trained at Antioch, and a force is sent out of Baghdad to aid in the recovery of this city. King Emund orders that territories be overwhelmingly converted to Catholicism before any thought of asking Papal troops to ward them is given, even if the remaining cities of the Levant cannot be handed over on schedule because of it. East of Alexandria Captain Godafrid attacks more Muslim rebels.

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Swordstaff militia perform well against the light cavalry, but peasants break them up and allow the cavalry to withdraw and flank our men for a charge. Many militiamen die on the field.

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A Mongol army under Aradai the Wrathful is discovered northwest of Sarkel, and King Emund brings his army to a hill nearby to incite him to attack. Lars Eigod rode ahead of us, and will be in good position to sweep behind the enemy, though with only his guardsmen.

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Aradai's men are strong and fresh, and they outnumber us, but the infantry in this command are storied veterans of our long march. With two victories already under our belts, I will wager on Emund's wrath over Aradai's on this day. Cavalry screen our left, with scouts spread far out and Huscarls near. The main body of infantry commands a slight hill. Ulrik stands on the right with his brother Lars while the Eagles wait behind the line on the left. Heavy lancers lead the Mongol assault against our right!

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The line holds, and most of the Mongol horse pull back, hoping to give their horsebows time to work no doubt. Spotting Aradai's guard withdrawing, Emund orders the Eagles to advance and motions a unit of Huscarls to pin the enemy commander against our charge.

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Aradai is no fool, attempting to withdraw to the center of his force he calls on his horse archers to charge and buy him time to escape. Aradai wounds the King as he rides through the Eagle's rush. We are forced to let him go, as withdrawing heavy lancers charge behind us.

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Hoping to shatter our infantry while the King is engaged away from the lines, Aradai rides along the Danish line. It's exactly what our crack team of axemen have been waiting for. With Ulrik Nevjolvson pinning Aradai's guard, the axemen rush out to swarm him. Heavy strikes fell his horse, and as he writhes on the ground Norse Axemen sever his legs. Wailing and roaring another Mongol Lord dies on Danish steel.

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Aradai's guardsmen are stern brutes, and they can see noble Ulrik in his heavy armor hanging back from the battle. When Aradai is unhorsed they think to behead our army by carving a path to Ulrik. White faced and shaking with fear, Ulrik raises his blade to them, trying to fight, but a curved Mongol blade slides under his upraised arm and into his heart. So falls the first of Leopold's sons, Ulrik Nevjolvson, in service to the King.

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Aradai's men are made of stiffer stuff than the last two Mongol forces, and they continue to fight in scattered groups across the field.

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Many more Danes die clearing them away, but long hours later the day is ours.

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Losses are especially heavy among the foot knights who had to absorb the charge of the heavy lancers. Once again the prisoners of battle are executed, and King Emund earns the title the Merciless from his enemies.

The Mongol Wars, turn 122.

At Marrakesh Sighvat's wife dies while he marches south. Letters report that he is disconsolate. Another Dane ascends to the College of Cardinals. Spies report two full Mongol armies to the far north, near Russia's fortress at Ryazan. King Emund wants to march north against them, but cooler heads prevail by pointing out that the King's wounds from the last battle have not yet healed. The men instead go south to gather reinforcements. On the bright side, as Emund puts it, once those Mongol generals learn what we did to Aradai they may well leave Ryazan alone and march south against us.

The Mongol Wars, turn 123.

At last Egypt is destroyed as the French sack Smyrna with their crusade army. Pope Vitalis commends them, but our hope is that he will soon consider a crusade against the Mongol infidels. Riding south Sighvat's army discovers a force of rebels, and to preserve his honor Sighvat rides out against them with only his Hart Guard.

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The matter was never in question, and the only death among the Hart Guard was a man whose horse tripped in the sand and threw it's rider onto an enemy blade. The Mongols catch one of our spies and execute him. More rebels are put down east of Nicaea; these Muslim rebels seem to be increasing in number. Perhaps it is the death throes of their religion that inspires them to take up arms. A Danish army gathers to aid the Papacy at the walls of Edessa.

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The Mongol Wars, Fire in the Desert, turn 124.

With an army of Danes at the walls, the city of Edessa surrenders peacefully to the forces of Pope Vitalis. Priests swarm the area, as our army marches away north. Leaders of the rebellion are assured that if the city should rise up again Danes will put it down harshly no matter who instigated it. Pope Vitalis asks that we blockade the port of Kiev. King Emund wishes to comply, but an immense storm rages over the ports of Nicaea and Constantinople, destroying buildings. The two Mongols near Ryazan are marching south, towards Sarkel. It appears they marched north to bypass both river fords in the area. Prince Toraren has a fine suit of armor built at Gaza, where the plague has definitely passed. Sighvat reaches Timbuktu and assaults the city in some haste in the midst of a sandstorm.

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Our lone spy fails to open the gates, but our catapults do not. Before the enemy can even get his men to the walls, Sighvat's Hart Guard rides in.

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Immediately they come under arrow fire. Behind him the dust is so thick Sighvat cannot see the rest of his army. Roaring a command for them to advance with all speed, Sighvat launches his guard to the attack!

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Trying to cut their way through to the archers, the Hart Guard breaks unit after unit of swordsmen. Assuming his men are mere moments away through the clouds of dirt, Sighvat charges the rebel spearmen and their commander's camels at the square.

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Behind him in the streets a few rebel companies are attempting to retreat to the square, and become entangled with Sighvat's reinforcements, blocking his cavalry and slowing the foot knights and axemen.

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By the time the rest of the army arrives at the town square, Sighvat and the Hart Guard are no more. They stood firm to the death, piling high the bodies of their enemies, but aid did not come in time. So ends the life of Sighvat Chemnitz, steadfast ally of King Charles and dutiful servant of the Danes.

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Grimly our men surround the last of the rebels and destroy them. None are spared. The Hart Guard alone accounted for two hundred and fifty of the enemy today, nearly ten times their own number.

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Mourning their mighty lord, the man who took their Danish blood back to sea for the first time in generations, Sighvat's army exterminates the city of Timbuktu. In the blood and fire of the battle's aftermath fifteen thousand leaderless Muslims die. This dark deed recalls the black slaughter that followed the death of Prince Sweyn at Zagreb, and is a further stain on the reputation of our people, but King Emund will not repudiate it or rebuke the men. 'No truce with the infidels!' Is his only comment.

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Though Sighvat ceremoniously held the position until now in honor of his long service, a Council session quickly establishes Emund's son Stenkil as the official heir to the throne.

[_Tristan_]

A very nice read...

Keep it up...

I'm particularly interested as I'm playing Danes on the TLR mod at the moment

[Ramses II CP]

The Mongol Wars, turn 125.

Peasants are rioting in Edessa, where the Papacy holds the city loosely. We must be ready to intercede if Danes pose difficulties for the Pope again. My son, Grimnil, has reached an age appropriate to assume to captaincy of Prince Stenkil's guard. Magnus' oldest boy, Harold, needs a few years and some hair on his face before he will be ready to take command of the newly of age Prince Sten's men. King Emund commands that his sister be married to Sigurd of Aalborg, who is in charge of the castle at Tblisi. Neither of them is pleased with the arrangement, but they obey the King.

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East of Sarkel King Emund commands a large army of mixed cavalrymen with Sighvat Thodburg and Lars Eigod, while Prince Stenkil commands most of the infantry and siege engines and Prince Sten has a few fast scouts with him. Karl Tarnovius is called to a meeting with King Emund.

'Have a drink Karl, the stewards have brought some decent ale to this ungodly plain at last.'

'Thank you m'Lord.'

'Your aid and leadership with the nobles has long since proven Sighvat's wisdom in adopting you, but now I have a special mission for you. Except for my first ambush and our subsequent,' here King Emund grimaces as he recalls being defeated, 'withdrawal every battle against the filthy infidels has been on soil claimed by Danes. This cannot go on if we're to be ultimately successful in our campaign to wipe them out. Unfortunately my advisors, my sons, and my wife have berated me into agreeing to remain here and defend our stake at Sarkel. Even so, someone must march into their lair to confront them and make desolate their lands. I have chosen you to take the lead in this task.'

'I am honored King Emund, but I must confess I am also worried. The spies report a number of large Mongol armies roaming the countryside near Kiev, even if the city herself is lightly held. What are my assets?'

'God favors your cause Karl! As does your King.'

'God is, ahh, infrequently present to carry a sword on the field of battle.'

The King snorts, and continues, 'Seasoned veterans from the battle against Aradai with select reinforcements including a catapult crew are gathering now on the west road. Not as great in number as any Mongol force, but greater by far in valor. In addition I have ordered militia companies gathered from Constantinople and Nicaea to march north in support of your advance. You should be able to link up with them around Kiev.'

Karl studies the maps for a moment, saying, 'It's a thin line my King. If these position reports are correct three Mongol generals could move to cut me off, and I'll be slowed by the necessity of hauling along the catapult. Even if we reach Kiev there's no guarantee my men can take it.'

'What do you want Karl? Do you want us to lay about the fort at Sarkel, hoping the Muslims all catch the plague? It is our holy mission to destroy them, and I will see it done even if it means your head on a pike!'

Tarnovius takes the King's rage dispassionately, even nodding his head, 'I know this well my King, and I have not come here to defy your will. What I do ask is some room for leeway. Let me negotiate with the infidels, treat them as fair opponents... and ransom any prisoners we capture. We'll march in the dark as much as possible, try to stay beneath their notice, but when they come against us on their new home ground it won't be so easy to be uncompromising as you have been here.'

Sneering King Emund shakes his head, 'It's the gold isn't it? The tale of their unimaginable wealth from pludering the far east is likely enough true, but I want none of it!'

Silently Karl grins and waits.

'Very well, ransom them if that is the price of your enthusiasm, but first you must capture them! No easy task that, Aradai's men only surrendered once we'd butchered him and surrounded their formations. I suppose they've heard that how I deal with cowardly infidels is no different than how I deal with courageous ones.'

Smiling his satisfaction, Karl Tarnovius makes ready to leave, 'Thank you my liege! I will not fail you in this task.'

On the road west of Sarkel Karl Tarnovius takes command of a small but experienced army and strikes out for Kiev. A look at the current deployment of the armies of the north.

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The Mongol Wars, Sarkel Besieged, turn 126.

The Pope dismisses his request to blockade the port at Kiev due to the success of our efforts to convert the people of Kiev to Catholicism. Portugal and France declare war. Edessa is reinforced, and the riots against the Pope's rule die down. Bayan the Wrathful lays siege to Sarkel, though we have two large armies very near the castle to reinforce it. An immense storm bedevils Constantinople and Nicaea again, and catches some soldiers moving between the two in the open, causing much carnage.

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At Sarkel King Emund decides to trap Bayan's army against the walls of Sarkel and grind them into chunks. He leads his cavalrymen forward out of the sunrise against Bayan's flank.

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Scouts sweep out to prevent the retreat of Mongol horse archers as our men advance. Bayan is still withdrawing his men from the walls and cannot react in time to save his left flank. Just as the last horse archers are falling Mongol infantry and foot archers move east to try to put arrows in our massed men. The King sends forward the Eagles!

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Smashing aside the lightly armed foot archers, the Eagles ride on to catch mailed infantry. Bayan is slow to react, but at last he throws out heavy lancers to attack our rear, though we are too close for them to charge. Now is the time! With the mighty Eagles as their spearpoint the massed cavalry of Emund's army charges to roll up Bayan's left flank.

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Lars Eigod leads a large contingent of untested Norse War Clerics across the front of Bayan's formation, scattering his infantry and preventing them from launching fire arrows into the melee. Sighvat Thodburg leads more experienced Huscarls behind the enemy line, hoping to catch Bayan and his guard in a vise. The garrison from Sarkel sallies to distract the horse archers from Bayan's right, giving their lives so that Emund's veterans aren't showered with arrows while fighting.

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Bayan leads his men against a company of War Clerics, killing most of them quickly, but powerful Huscarls trap Bayan's guard there while Sighvat brings his men up.

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Sighvat Thodburg drives his men relentlessly to seek out Bayan himself, and at last, though at great cost, they run him through. Huscarls drop to their feet to make certain of his death. Bayan's army, scattered as it is, does not realize their leader has fallen and fights on desperately through the morning, causing ever more losses among the King's men. The horse archers from the right, having broken the men from Sarkel, now ride across the field launching arrows at our weary soldiers and causing more casualties than even the melee at the main line. At last the day is ours.

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Only those few Mongols who saw Bayan's death surrendered to us, but our army was worn out. Prince Stenkil's men were given the task of executing the prisoners, much to his displeasure.

The Mongol Wars, turn 127.

The Council recommends to King Emund that the rebel town of Caffa be taken, southeast of Kiev. It may make a decent base of operations, but Karl Tarnovius will not turn aside for it. Kiev's port is blockaded despite the Pope's mission no longer requiring it. The ship is built, why not deny the enemy any trade? King Emund's daughter Ulfhildir is now of age, and she is a fetching lass. To reward Sighvat Thodburg for his brave actions against Bayan and ensure his loyalty the King marries him to sixteen year old Ulfhildir. The lass is not best pleased with this arrangement, no more than her sister before her, but the King's will is paramount.

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The Mongol Wars, turn 128.

Kitta of Aalborg is born to Sigurd and Gierny, another daughter in a long line of them. A minor rebellion springs up east of Yerevan, troops will have to be drawn up to deal with it. King Emund sends his armies to hold the river ford northwest of Sarkel, in the hopes of baiting the next Mongol army to attack them there. Karl Tarnovius reaches the ford east of Kiev, but two large Mongol armies are north and west of him. His best hope is to push his men hard to reach the militia reinforcements from Constantinople.

The Mongol Wars, turn 129.

The first Mongol army north of Sarkel has marched right past King Emund's men at the ford, and rather than chase them the King orders us to wait for the second army, under a captain. Prince Stenkil will take his men back south across the new bridge at Hulegu's Folly to counter any siege of Sarkel. Additional men are also moving out of the mountains near Tblisi to aid him. Karl Tarnovius manages to link up with the militiamen south of Kiev, but only by leaving his catapult behind with only a pair of scouts for a guard. Subutai the Wrathful attacks Karl in the low hills there, but Karl successfully retreats and avoids engagement. The militia men are too green, too new to his command to risk an open field battle against so powerful a Mongol army.

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The Mongol Wars, Lances in the Night and The Battle of Grinder's Crossing, turn 130.

Stenkil the Handsome, Sighvat's son, is now head of his household and he approves the first suitor that comes asking for his sister Hallota's hand since her father's death, the chivalrous Gellir of Holmr who is more than a decade her senior. In the east there are rumors that Stenkil the Handsome has turned to drink and debauchery in the famous fleshpots of Marrakesh, and so King Emund sends orders for him to build a network of watchtowers through the unpeopled back routes of his land. The Mongol Captain, Khogadai, camps north of the ford where we have waited and hoped for their attack. Furious at the effrontery, and no longer willing to wait even if the battle is a trap, King Emund orders us to attack them under cover of darkness.

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This is, on a larger scale, the type of battles my father so often wrote of the Gray Wolves engaging in. The Mongols are more alert than the rebels of those old tales though, and spot our advance in plenty of time to light their arrows and arc them through the blackness into our lines.

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On our right Scouts roll up and contain horse archers, while heavy cavalry charge through the center. The Mongol Infantry are hardy troops, launching fire arrows at point blank range when most bowmen would be in full flight.

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Our Scouts, having cleared away the horse archers, ride in behind the enemy captain and crush him against a charging unit of Huscarls. He dies instantly. The rest of his men soon follow, though losses are significant from the uphill charge.

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Almost three hundred Mongol prisoners must be put to death afterward. Overseeing the slaughter takes most of the morning, and I cannot even think of sleep until the day is very late indeed. Night battles may run in the King's blood, but they sap my strength like nothing else. Karl Tarnovius sends a report that he has occupied a ford far south east of Kiev, and intends stand there come what may. We pray for him, though if Mongols can be held back a ford is clearly the best place to do it.

As expected the Mongols attack Tarnovius' position. Kitbuqa the Wrathful marches past Subutai to bring Karl to battle on a foggy, frozen day.

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Without his catapult to put fear in the enemy, Tarovius adopts a policy of containment. As long as the militia troops have the enemy in front of them at the length of a spear or swordstave they must surely hold. If the Mongols should turn their flank, they will most certainly break. Three companies of swordstaff militia will be the front and center of his line, with a second line of five militia spearmen in depth, and a third line of heavy infantry axemen, foot knights, and dismounted Huscarls. Karl's own guard and the Viking Raiders will hope the Mongol advance exposes a flank, or will throw their weight where the attack is heaviest. As appears to be Mongol doctrine, Kitbuqa and his guard lead from the front, screaming their defiance as they wade through a river of crossbow bolts and water.

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Reaching the line swordstaves hold them back while crack foot knights creep in low, seeking Kitbuqa himself.

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The Mongol's heavy lancers impact the line around Kitbuqa's reduced guard, and all three companies of swordstaff militia are driven back with their formations disorganized, but they hold even against significant casualties. The spearmen militia and the heavy infantry are ordered in to shore up the line.

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Agonizing minutes pass. Most of the militia men are shaken, and they fight poorly. The best that can be said is that they slow the enemy down from overruning our whole army. In the center a bulge is developing where the sheer weight of the heavy lancers is beginning to tell. Karl marches his guardsmen forward and into the fray. Just as it looks like the most battered swordstaff men are about to break, the team of foot knights drag down Kitbuqa at last.

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He was a mighty warrior, and the spearmen turned their faces from him rather than fight, but his death draws the panic out of Tarnovius' army and drives it into the Mongols. Karl orders his peasant archers to light their arrows and put a few volleys into the back ranks of the Mongols. Soon, though they are winning the battle at the front, they are unable to keep discipline. The rout starts quickly afterward.

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The carnage is very great, most of the Mongol cavalry died fighting at the front, and few of the foot soldiers escaped being forced to surrender to Karl Tarnovius and his guardsmen. The riverbank is buried under great mounds of dead horses. The swordstaff men at the center of Karl's line were almost obliterated, only 6 men survived, but those six stood firm and held the line.

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No longer just crude militia troops, Karl Tarnovius and his men have won an heroic victory. Karl dubs his army the Grinding Ice after the now legendary ice floes that blocked the seas of our ancestors. As mere frozen water could smash the mightiest ship's hull, so lacking all finesse and power the men of Karl's command nonetheless trapped and ground down the superior Mongol army to nothing but leaderless fragments. In their honor the ford will be known as Grinder's Crossing. Karl sends a messenger to Kiev offering to ransom the massive crowd of prisoners back to the Mongols for ten thousand florins, and is genuinely aghast when they refuse. More than six hundred highly trained Mongol soldiers, some of them mighty heavy lancers, die squalling under the knife with their hands bound and their heads down.

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The Mongol Wars, turn 131.

Another Dane goes to the College of Cardinals. Another Mongol, Orda, marches down to besiege Sarkel despite the presence of several Danish armies nearby. He lifts the siege to retreat from their attack. Karl Tarnovius sents his scouts up the west side of the river towards Kiev to find Subutai the Wrathful's current position, and they find him to well. He attacks them, but they are able to withdraw. On the east side of the river Karl is pushing his men to reach the north ford ahead of Subutai. Karl's men are veterans, but they must have a defensive position if they expect to defeat the proud Mongols in a field battle.

The Mongol Wars, Subutai's Sacrifice, turn 132.

Hekja of Aalborg is born to Sigurd and Gierny, their second daughter. Priests swarm the countryside around Baghdad, preparing the populace for a peaceful and successful transfer of power to the Papacy. There will be no more rebellions of Danes against God's chosen leader. East of Yerevan more Muslim rebels are caught, and Norse War Clerics ride out against them.

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At Sarkel Orda appears to be trapped between the river and our overwhelming armies under Prince Sten's command, but he has cleverly spent the time since lifting the siege of Sarkel building rafts. When we advance, we discover his men have retreated to the far bank of the river. If Orda is of a mind to escape, he could make all speed for Mongol lands and evade us now before we can get across the bridges. King Emund takes his men to the bridge at Hulegu's Folly and orders Prince Sten to come and aid him in the pursuit.

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Karl Tarnovius' Grinders reach the northern most ford southeast of Kiev, where Subutai the Wrathful ignores the lessons of Kitbuqa's failed assault and attacks.

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Karl has made a single addition to his forces for this battle, he has brought the catapult and placed it behind his line on the right. The crewmen are confident they can avoid firing into the Danish ranks, and they have some experience in battle to suggest this is not a wild lie. Even so, the crossbowmen and archers go on a hill on the left and the best of the heavy infantry stand to the left as well. With fewer swordstaff militia the spears are forced to take a role on the flanks of the enveloping formation, but the chance to see the Mongols broken and running in the previous battle should have stiffened their resolve.

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As before, Subutai leads his Mongols by leading his Mongols across the river personally. If this is what's required of Mongol generals I give thanks that I am not a Mongol general.

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Most of his bodyguard makes it across the river intact, amazingly, and as they reform just a dozen feet from our line Subutai rears his horse and orders his whole army to charge!

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Subutai himself has ridden into the gap that was foolishly left between the two swordstaff formations, and is wreaking havoc there. A small and well led group of foot knights is struggling to reach him without disrupting the swordstave men. Karl sends his own bodygaurd forward to try to come to grips with Subutai as well, but as the heavy lancers strike home it almost looks as though Subutai will break the center of our formation singlehandedly.

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A superbly placed or perhaps just lucky catapult shot incinerates the mass of the heavy lancer's second line, shattering their charge.

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As the immense, flaming stone hurtles over his head Subutai is momentarily distracted. It is his last moment, as a wiley swordsman slams home his blade under the great general's chain shirt and into his gut. Subutai is disemboweled, but he roars an order for his men to advance as he dies, waving his sword at the gap he has opened in our center.

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Unfortunately for Subutai, his roar merely draws attention to the manner of his death, and under a hail of bolts and boulders the Mongols begin to surrender. They are utterly broken by the brief engagement. Losses among Karl's army of the Grinding Ice are astonishingly light.

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Again Karl sends a messenger to Kiev offering to ransom the Mongol prisoners for ten thousand florins, and again the Mongol Khan refuses. Karl is severely annoyed, and decides to make an example of the men. Lining them up on the river bank tied hand and foot he lets his catapult crew use them for target practice. Afterward some of the worst remains are gathered up in a cart and sent to Kiev to be presented to Khan Batu that he might understand the price of his arrogant refusal to pay a fair price for his men. This place will now be known as Boulders Fall Ford.

[_Tristan_]

What a nice string of Heroic Victories, keep them coming

[Ramses II CP]

I'm finding that Huscarls are extremely useful against the Mongols. I didn't want to just cheese my way through with river defenses, but I wasn't sure if there was enough good cavalry on tap. As it turns out with a bit of a numbers advantage and a good commander Huscarls are easily able to take out heavy lancers and Mongol bodyguards. Scouts, however, are not fast enough to run down the Mongol Horse Archers, and so if I don't get them trapped before my men become tired they cause huge casualties before I can surround and smash them.

By far the Mongols are the best full stack armies I've faced in the campaign, but the very fact of their well mixed units makes them weak to a massed cavalry strategy in the field, and massed infantry at a choke point.

:egypt:

[Ramses II CP]

The Mongol Wars, Mongolian Standoff, turn 133.

Two more Danes are promoted to the College of Cardinals. Danish influence in Rome is substantial, and the Pope grows ever more warlike. Soon, if it still seems necessary, a crusade will be requested against the city of Kiev. On the diplomatic front King Emund's focus on the Mongol war has seen an overall decline in our relationships in general, particularly with the Scots and the Byzantines. Both of these people are reduced to tiny holdings, the Scots in the far north and the Byzatines a pair of islands, so their ill will is accounted of little import. It is common knowledge that Ulfhildir has taken lovers behind Sighvat Thodburg's back, in defiance of King Emund's marriage orders. The King cannot act without embarassing Thodburg, and so his daughter's rebellious foolishness is allowed to continue. More militia men arrive from Constantinople, but Karl sends them on to Kiev. He does not believe he needs reinforcements. West of Sarkel Orda is not fleeing our gathering armies. King Emund wishes to bring him to battle, but does not want to give him a chance to skate away across the river to besiege Sarkel again.

At Boulders Fall ford another Mongol force under Khanzada Abaqha launches an attack against Karl Tarnovius during a mild rainstorm.

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Karl doesn't even see fit to read the spy report on this army, he simply arranges his men in their usual blocking formation across the river bank. With the catapult crew having proven themselves, most of the crossbowmen stand on the hill at their side.

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Unfortunately for the Grinding Ice this is a very different kind of Mongol army, and while the men stand tight together awaiting the charge of the enemy general a barrage of rockets crosses the river first. Tarnovius is no fool, he immediately orders a withdrawal to higher ground, hoping to escape the enemy's range while still holding close enough to be able to block the ford if Khanzada should attempt a crossing.

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During the withdrawal the Mongol trebuchet open up, engulfing ranks of hardy Danes in fire.

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As the infantry pull back out of range the enemy's rockets and trebuchet target the ranged troops on our right, sowing death and chaos among them.

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While Karl's men are still sorting out their ranks and mourning the dead, Khanzada unveils another new trick. His men load rotted cow corpses into their trebuchet and launch them at our men. This last is shattering to morale, especially when one of the filthy masses of flesh lands on a spearman and crushes the life from him. A truly terrible and terrifying death.

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Tarnovius is unmoved, however, and orders his soldiers to hold their line near enough the ford to stop a Mongol advance. With the river high from the storm perhaps the time is ripe for some provocation and a little revenge. Karl sends his catapult crew to attempt to destroy the enemy rocket launchers. The first dozen shots or so go wild, some into the Mongol formation and some into the river. Finally the men get one of the launchers.

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The enemy's crew shake their daggers in defiance, and begin working immediately to repair the thing. Our catapult crews asks to be allowed to target the trebuchet and Karl agrees. As the day wears on our prepared, quality ammunition begins to run thin. The Mongols have been out for some time now. Addressing his men, Karl Tarnovius says, 'If they were going to cross they would have done it under a hail of dead cows. Now we'll both retreat to our camps, count our dead, and carve new rocks for the next round. We'll call it a victory because we held the ford, but only just.'

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The Mongol Wars, the Plague Years, turn 134.

Plague has come to the great cities of Europe. The Black Death ravages the eastern marches of our empire. King Emund is inspired, and after inspecting some of the dead with his physicians has a vision from God. On the next day he calls together the three armies of the north for a speech.

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'Now we see the foulness of Islam brought fully into the light! Out of the east came their ultimate champions, the Mongols, and when God's chosen weapon began striking off their vile heads Islam sent another disgusting weapon, disease. We shall not stay our hands now! Let the weakest be purged from our ranks while the most devout shelter in the hands of God, our crusade continues!

This I swear to you on the authority of your King and your God, who sent me a dream of blood and death in the night; The answer to the plague and the conclusion of God's quest are the same! Dead Mongols will buy us relief from this illness. For every hour that the sickness of Mongolian ownership of Catholic lands continues, more Danes will weaken and despair. For every spitted easterner's corpse God will ward the life of a dozen Danes against the Black Death!

Seek them out where ever they may be found and drag them screaming to the purifying fire! Death to the infidel!'

Tblisi and Sarkel are hard struck at the moment, but the priests assure us that the spread of the plague is all but unstoppable. I pray nightly for God's mercy, and the troops are ready for blood.

The Mongol Wars, Orda's Error, turn 135.

A nephew of Sighvat Chemnitz, the adoptee who gave his life valiantly at Timbuktu, named Gunnar asks for the hand of Randve Hrafnsson, and in his uncle's honor his wish is granted. He is a chivalrous lad, though not known for his command of men. This unites two important families of Danes (Leopold's line with, apparently, Sighvat's), and allays fears that Stenkil the Handsome is a poor heir to Sighvat's legacy. The Black Death kills more than four hundred men in our easternmost settlments, and continues to spread. Sigurd of Aalborg, who holds Tblisi, is feared afflicted with it. The Hungarians blockade the port of Constantinople for no apparent reason, launching a war they can surely ill afford. Ulrik Jacobson, marching north through their lands on the road to Kiev, is now camped with a full, professional army just outside Bucharest and sends word to King Emund that he could easily invest and occupy the city, but King Emund dismisses the idea. It would teach the Hungarians nothing, and Ulrik is too chivalrous to take the actions that are necessary to ensure they learn. Instead we offer them peace, including a sizeable purse of coin, and are refused. Baghdad, with an overwhelmingly stable and Catholic population, is surrendered to the control of the Pope.

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At Timbuktu a significant army of Muslim rebels arises, and Captain Karl must take some crude town militia to battle against them.

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Hoping to take advantage of a range advantage with his ballista, Captain Karl is shocked to discover the immense range of the rebel bowmen. There is no choice but to send in the infantry.

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A frontal assault fails, as the men's will is insufficient, but their sacrifice allows the flanks to race ahead and establish themselves.

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As our main line recovers and reaches engagement range the right flank wraps the rebel's infantry formation.

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Those men surrender just in time to allow the town militia to turn and face the Muslim leader's charge. Many Danes die, but more rush to the battle.

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When self styled 'general' Said Saidi-Sief is speared and dumped from his camel, the remaining rebels throw down their arms and beg forgiveness. Captain Karl finds none.

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West of Hulegu's Folly King Emund finally ties down Orda when he retreats south into the countryside instead of west along the road. All three northern armies surround him under the Princes and their father. Today the Mongols will taste fear as they face the Danish Horde!

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Perhaps Orda hoped that he could evade us in the fog, but our massed cavalry spot him immediately while Princes Sten and Stenkil bring their infantry onto the field.

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Standing high in his stirrups the King screams, 'CHARGE!' The very ground shakes with thunder as we advance, no less so the Mongol scum shake as we come on them!

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In terror the enemy abandons his rocket launchers and trebuchet, the very weapons that might have helped stem the tide. It is a dark day for those who would oppose us.

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Orda is felled by a heavy axe stroke, having milled about uncertainly on the foggy grasslands while his army disintegrated around him. Only fast horse archers remain, and they too have nowhere to run today!

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Peering out into the fog at the line of banners the armies of the Danes truly appear numberless on this great day! No quarter is given to the enemy, and all who surrender are slaughtered on the spot. God be praised, if the King speaks true this day's butchery will save many lives in our homelands. I pray that it is so.

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Closer to Kiev Karl Tarnovius still holds Boulders Fall ford, and Khanzada still camps across the river from him. Once again the Mongols sounds their advance and attack.

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Having taken their range in the previous battle the Ice Grinders now array themselves far enough back from the river to avoid bombardment. As clever as he is cruel, Karl chooses two crossbowmen who are on hard labor for crimes in the camp and sends them down to the riverbank to taunt the enemy and draw his fire.

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The men are eventually killed, but the enemy's rockets are exhausted. Having a good measure of the enemy's lack of accuracy, Karl orders his catapult crew forward to engage them in a duel.

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Some of the catapult men are overcome when a cow's corpse lands among them, but it is believed they will recover. The remainder continue firing, causing significant casualties among the Mongols by the time all ammunition is exhausted. Once again Khanzada withdraws rather than attempt a crossing, and Karl declares it a victory.

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The Mongol Wars, the Second Battle of Boulders Fall Ford, turn 136.

Plague is everywhere. Reports are inconsistent and scattered, but more than ten thousand Danes are feared dead, hundreds of them soldiers. The King's own aunt Veny dies of it. Apocalyptic heretics take advantage of the situation to spread their lies. The Hungarians refuse another ceasefire offer, though they lift the blockade at Constantinople. Orthodox rebels arise northwest of Iconium, but the garrison cannot be spared to fight them. At Boulders Fall ford Khanzada comes against Karl again.

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Lazily Karl Tarnovius arranges his men high on the hillside, sending down a prison detail to the bank to draw enemy fire. Any who survive will be freed. A light fog hangs in the thin, chill morning air.

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From the river Karl hears cries of terror. Looking up from his field table, he sees a terrible sight. Khanzada's horse archers are crossing the river, and only a scattered formation of crossbowmen oppose them. He lurches to his feet in such haste that the table is overturned, and screams 'Forward the Grinders! Hold the bank!'

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Arrows and horsemen pour in against our scattered line, but the infantry reach their positions and manage to contain Khanzada's timid attack. Now it's a matter of attrition and will.

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The enemy trebuchet open up against the crossbowmen to the right rear of our formation, killing many.

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At the line, all is chaos and death. Danes struggle to keep order among the falling rockets and the shower of arrows. Many rockets land amongst the Mongols, but all of them press ahead fearlessly.

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On the left our flank is not secure, and there are no more infantry uncommited to hold there. Karl leads his bodyguard to the flank, and immediately feels the wrath of Khanzada's rockets when the captain of his guard explodes directly in front of him. Panic is near. Karl can feel it, even in his own guardsmen. This wasn't supposed to happen! What made today any different from the last two static attacks where we only traded shots? Struggling to keep the tremor out of his voice, Karl bellows for his own catapults to open fire on Khanzada's guard immediately.

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They miss Khanzada, but they cause great carnage among the tightly packed Mongols.

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Spotting this attempt on his life, Khanzada rides forward to the thin line on our left. Karl's men, engaged with several companies of foot and under constant rocket barrage, cannot move to oppose him. The powerful Mongol bodyguard kill dozens of spearmen, and rout their ranks. Across the line all the spear militia troops are shaken at the sight of it. Norse Axemen are the sole line holding on the left, as Karl's few remaining guards are surrounded and isolated. Just as it seems all will be lost Khanzada makes the error of turning to urge his men forward. An axe slams into his back, throwing him from his horse.

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Seeing this, Tarnovius blows his rally horn and the spearmen return to the fray to relieve Karl's battered men. Khanzada, unhorsed and badly wounded, is crawling back towards his own lines, not yet dead but no longer in command. Around him the Danes take heart, and press back the Mongol lines. At last a spearman spots clever Khanzada Abaqha on hands and knees struggling to stay ahead of the advancing Danes, and impales him horribly, pinning him to the ground. Seeing this, Khanzada's guard loses the will to fight. On the far bank the crews of the rockets and trebuchet can see the end coming, so they launch their final shots as one last, desperate attempt to halt the rout.

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Danes die in the barrage, but they die on the attack!

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On the far bank Tarnovius' men show the artillery crews no mercy.

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Khanzada's army was well prepared for this assault, and very nearly carried the day. If his attack had been slightly more disciplined, or if Karl's rush to block the river had been just a bit slower the Ice Grinders may well have been annihilated on this day.

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As is Karl's policy, the prisoners are offered for ransom, and as appears to be Mongol policy, the ransom is refused. Karl's men secure the enemy soldiers to the tall trebuchet beams, pile the remaining rockets at the base, and light the lot on fire. A fitting revenge for the hundreds of Danes who died under bombardment by those fierce war machines.

A look at our current maps of the world:

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/RuAnqKgcxMI/AAAAAAAAE8s/KwMFspSLKnY/s800/map.JPG

[Ramses II CP]

The Mongol Wars, the Siege of Kiev, and King Emund's Revenge, turn 137.

King Emund's brother Toraren has taken a wife, Hjordis Hunmark. His wedding is held in Cairo to as much celebration as the plague struck town can manage. Unfortunately the treasury is in debt nearly ten thousand florins, and Toraren is forced to borrow against his estates to produce a decent showing. Estimates are that fifteen thousand Danish citizens and hundreds more soldiers have been struck down. Men in all three of King Emund's westward marching armies are dying, though Karl Tarnovius and Ulrik Jacobsen have been spared thus far. The King's men are nearly in range of Kiev now, and he orders Karl to abandon Boulders Fall ford and march south to rest and refit his army, leaving only the crossbowmen from his force near the city. Karl will board the ships and sail for Gaza with his weary but valiant men. A Papal army in Spain asks that we open our blockade at Gibralter so they can cross to their African holdings, and Stenkil the Handsome orders it done immediately. At Iconium Captain Ulfhedin attacks the Orthodox rebels in the hills; the battle is of little import.

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Sigurd of Aalborg, though still weakened by his bout with the plague, finds a rebel army at the gates of Tblisi, where he is in garrison alone. Determined to defend his holding, he rides out to drive them off, and again the battle is meaningless.

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At Kiev Captain Eystein, with Karl Tarnovius no longer in oversight and King Emund not yet arrived, decides this is his chance to make a name for himself. Karl's catapult and crossbowmen have arrived, and some siege engines have been prepared, and so he launches his assault. The Mongols in the city are mainly local conscripts, but their Khan still leads a contingent of valiant horse archers.

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Under leaden gray skies swordstaff men push a ram and a pair of siege towers towards the wall, in an ill advised attempt to take the gates before the arrivial of the famous Ice Grinders to steal Eystein's thunder. Predictably the expert Mongol archers torch the ram and one of the towers quickly.

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The last tower reaches the walls, and the militia soldiers begin to climb the ladders within. Outside more men from the now destroyed ram and tower crews gather under heavy fire.

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On the ramparts swordstaff companies leap down into a melee against archers in which they have superior numbers, but Mongol spearmen are rushing to their aid on both sides.

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The men try to form ranks to begin pushing back the enemy, but horse archers ride up to pour arrows into them from the ground.

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As the first militiamen break and flee it becomes obvious that this assault never had a chance of success, and Captain Eystein has thrown away the men's lives for nothing. Few of the swordstaff soldiers escape the walls.

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Eystein leads his War Clerics south towards the side where the Grinders are advancing on the walls. Quickly a gap is hammered in them, and scouts move in to clear away a pair of ballistae.

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Just as quickly Khan Batu sends spearmen to the breach; they arrive in time to be charged by Eystein and his War Clerics. Some of the men are split off to flank the enemy and close off his retreat.

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Scouts race to open the west gate where Eystein's crossbowmen enter the city and move to block the streets as well. As they enter the gate Khan Batu's personal guard races by them to reinforce his men at the front, and our scouts take this chance to occupy the town square. The battle actually looks to be reasonably well under control at this point.

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When the Khan's guard arrive at the main melee, they immediately mark out Captain Eystein, cut their way to him, and hack him down. From butchering spearmen to being butchered and captainless is too much for even men of God. The War Clerics break and flee the Khan's face. If there were anyone remaining to command a retreat, this would be the time. The crossbowmen from Karl's Grinders have enough idea what's going on in the city to start establishing a strong point on a hill outside the walls to collect routers.

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Crossbowmen are trapped in the city, and they hope to hold the streets against Mongol horse, but as soon as the Khan arrives they turn tail and attempt to flee. None escape. Nor do the scouts who momentarily held the town square.

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Dead and dying Danes decorate every wide place in the southwest quarter of the city. The day is lost, and Captain Yngwie struggles to gather up the remnants of Eystein's command, desperately hoping Khan Batu is not so bold as to sally forth.

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Forty messengers bearing heavy, bloodsoaked sacks bring word to the King of the execution of the captured Danes, and two hundred and eighty five heads as proof of their grisly demise. The King is enraged. Riding ahead of Princes Sten and Stenkil he catches the Mongol's last field army under a general named Khanzada Kuo Kan.

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Hearing the thunder of our rapid advance, Kuo Kan does not hesitate to unleash his rockets and trebuchet against us.

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As we close a storm of fire arrows lance out, but we press on!

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As the Eagles lower lances for a charge against Mongol foot the trebuchet fire their last shot, aimed at the King. Unfortunately for them, the fireball strikes their own men.

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Across the field Danes smash aside all resistance. Sighvat Thodburg, in a grim mood after hearing the latest tales of his wife's infidelity, seeks out Kuo Kan personally and challenges him to combat. Sighvat is a mighty warrior, but on this day he is worsted when Kuo Kan's mace crushes his helm and the head within.

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Kuo Kan's guard can see the destruction and desolation around them, and they try to convince their general to flee the field, but the man is in a blind rage. One by one Sighvat's bodyguard avenge him by killing the guard of Kuo Kan. When a blow to his own head breaks the Mongol out of his berserker trance, he looks about to find himself alone. Not just his guard his dead, his whole army has abandoned him. Trampling under the broken bodies of his once mighty men, he turns tail and flees, the first of the Mongol Lords to break in battle.

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Sighvat's men capture the coward almost immediately, when Kuo Kan's horsemanship fails him and his steed stumbles on a dead Mongol infantryman, bringing an end to the battle.

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I had imagined the King would wish to speak with our prisoner or at least have a special death marked out for him, but Emund simply orders his throat cut like all the rest of the infidels. Khanzada Kuo Kan's corpse is left tumbled in the dust with fifty of his men as we ride on towards Kiev. Kuo Kan was Khan Batu's sole heir, only the city of Kiev and the Mongol Khan await us now.

The Mongol Wars, the End is Nigh, turn 138.

Debt continues to mount. Scholars proclaim that the worst of the Black Death has passed, but through our lands there are more than fifteen thousand dead counted, and a few hundred more soldiers beside them. If slaughtering Mongols spares our people I hate to think what horror might have passed if we stayed our hands. King Emund is widely known as a great commander, with many victories to his name against mighty opponents. France is excommunicated, but it is against Hungary that the Pope decides to call a crusade. Their capital, Budapest, is the target. Karl Tarnovius boards ships at Kiev's docks and sails away south while King Emund's armies surround Kiev. Ulrik Jacobsen will take the lead in the siege, having arrived first after a long, hard march without battle or glory.

In the lands between Sarkel and Kiev Danes have erected four battle markers to commemorate their greatest victories over the Mongols. First in 1300 AD King Emund's first, risky attack on the tail end of the Mongol column. Next, after the King's forced withdrawl from Mongol land, the defense of Hulegu's Folly ford to deny the enemy entry to the Danish heartland. Then Karl Tarnovius' impressive battle at Grinder's Crossing, far southeast of Kiev, followed by his stunning defeat of Subutai the Wrathful at Boulders Fall ford. All the banners of the Mongol Lords that came west have come into our hands but one, the Khan's.

The Mongol Wars, turn 139.

Plague deaths are greatly reduced in number, estimated at five thousands over all of our lands and fewer than a hundred soldiers. The Pope and the Polish join the crusade against Hungary. The French are reconciled. North of Kiev King Emund destroys some rebels and moves to join the siege ringing the city.

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The Mongol Wars, turn 140.

Fewer than a thousand plague deaths are reported, and the economy is slowly recovering as peasants can once more turn their hands to work. At Kiev plague still stalks the streets while the King gathers up the last few reinforcements, and constructs such siege equipment as shall be necessary for the assault on the city.

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The Mongol Wars, a Sudden End, turn 141.

Khan Batu, ungodly leader of the infidel Mongol Horde, dies of the plague in Kiev. The city rejoices by raising an army to butcher the remnants of the Khan's men, and we enter negotiations with the rebel commanders for the peaceful surrender of the city. Ulrik Jacobsen takes over this task. Astonishingly the King's old promise is proved correct, as there are no deaths from the plague reported in all the regions we control. Our Holy Crusade is accomplished, and the Black Death is defeated even as are the Mongols. Seeming a bit stunned himself, King Emund orders celebrations throughout our nation. From Marrakesh in the west to old Cairo and Alexandria in the east, up past Antioch to Constantinople, and all the way around to rocky Yerevan there is a week of feasting and parties.

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Wearily the King orders ships built at Constantinople to aid his travel south, towards Gaza, for retraining. Prince Stenkil with a small command of men is in place to capture Caffa. I have not thought the King an old man, but the destruction of Islam and especially the Mongols has consumed his life. As he nears fifty, which I have passed already, I wonder how history will record these dark but mighty deeds of the Danes. Certainly my King is no bastion of chivalry, but we have done only what we must to safeguard our people, and indeed all of Catholocism. It cannot be evil to utterly destroy an enemy that seeks your own utter destruction, surely, and we have paid a great price in lives and coin to accomplish just that. In any event, for good or ill, our names shall surely echo down the halls of time for as long as men have memories.

Venice joins the crusade against Budapest. Jon of Svalunes comes of age, but is of faltering courage. Rumors have it that the King's chivalrous brother Toraren is disatisfied with his role in the scheme of things, and particularly with the tales of Emund the Merciless and Emund the Mauler.

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Prince Stenkil makes his attack on Caffa.

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When Stenkil's guard charges home the rebel militia is all but destroyed.

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The Prince rides on through their devestated lines alone, carving a path into the center of the enemy archers.

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Soon after the entire rebel force is dead, and the city is ours.

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Prince Stenkil sacks Caffa, and earns a reputation as a fair fighter for the battle there.

(Technical note, what's the mechanism by which he got 'fair fighter' here? We vastly outclassed and outnumbered the enemy and killed every single one of them. Seems like a bug, but maybe it gives me the chance to put Stenkil at odds with his father over chivalry.)

Hearing of the Prince's bravery in destroying an entire company of archers single handed, the King sends him a shieldbearer to ward his life and a veteran warrior to teach him caution. The nobles raise four companies of Chivalric Knights at Antioch to reward us for accomplishing their request. A Hungarian fleet attacks the Ice Grinders west of Smyrna, but they are driven off easily.

A Brief Peace, turn 142.

At Kiev the rebels surrender the city to Ulrik Jacobsen, who nobly occupies it peacefully. Our economy has finally recovered from the plague years. Lars Eigod takes a wife, Hallerna of Horsens. Great storms are reported in the northlands, our former home. At Kiev all of the non-veteran soldiers are disbanded and given settlements in the surrounding lands. Danes will make a place for themselves here. After some five hundred men are mustered out of the armies, the remainder of the men King Emund brought west from Sarkel are ordered south to board ships and sail for retraining at Gaza. King Emund is anxious to speak with his brother who controls the southern stretch of our nation from Gaza, but he feels that he must turn aside to teach the Hungarians a lesson first, and so his men march south for Bucharest. Only Ulrik Jacobsen and his untested professional troops are to remain in the northern reaches of the empire.

A Brief Peace, turn 143.

Sighvat Chemnitz's former army, now much reduced, reaches the far west coast of Africa and prepares to capture a town the locals call Arguin. The men are exhausted from crossing the desert, and led by an aging Captain Inge.

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Most of the work will have to be done at range, by catapult fire. Captain Inge arrays his catapults on two sides of the town, where the sight lines are best, and orders them to open fire. The very first volley kills the enemy captain.

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Standing tall the feudal Knight Inge peers into the town square. 'Looks as though they're sending out some archers. That's enough with the catapults then, let's wrap this thing up. CHARGE!'

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The assault was planned to reach the town from four sides at once, but Inge rides faster from the north, ahead of the others, seeking battle with the archers. Norse Axemen close from the east and south, and foot knights come with scouts down the west streets, all under a hail of fire arrows.The rebel defense is stiff, and the few mounted knights that rode in are in serious danger of being overrun by sheer numbers. The foot knights charge to their relief, but it is too late. Captain Inge is lost, and the rest of his company flees the battle.

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Now the wiley opponent sends his archers into the melee behind the foot knights, who have just watched their captain die. They too break, and rout out past the Norse Axemen from the east causing them too to throw down their weapons and seek to escape. Only the Axemen from the south are still in the fight, and the catapults waiting patiently to the east and west, as yet unaware of the rout at the square.

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Heavily pressed, the Axemen fight on and destroy most of the remaining infantry and all of the rebel camel riders. When they've cut their way through all that, however, and see Nubian archers to either side of the square lighting their arrows for a barrage, it is too much. They flee, leaving only a few enemy swordsmen and two reduced groups of archers behind them.

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The catapult crews make the most of their ammunition, but it is not enough to finish off the enemy completely. Messengers fly between the three scattered groups of catapult men, mainly concerning where they will camp if they fail to take the city. In the end, with only thirty rebels left at the square, the crews decide to make a push to secure comfortable beds for the night.

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They attack from three sides, and though a couple catch flaming arrows for their trouble, the rest make it into knife range and cut down the few remaining Nubians. Celebrations are understandably muted, for many of their good friends have died in the capture of Arguin.

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The desperate, undiscplined men sack the town, killing some five hundred locals. There are plenty of empty beds to choose from, and King Emund would approve even if their old master Sighvat would not.

A Brief Peace, turn 144.

Alexandria takes the Mason's Guild up on their offer to build a house in the city. The Council asks that a ship be dispatched to blockade the Hungarian port of Ragusa. King Emund is considering the request. Finna of Holmr is born. Scotland declared war on our Russian allies. A beautiful princess named Serena, of the Sicilians, is discovered in northern Italy and a marriage is arranged between her at Prince Stenkil for a price.

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If it secures the royal line, it is more than worth it, and the girl is accounted both fair and ripe. Spies enter Bucharest and discover it is held by two companies of crossbowmen. Sigurd of Aalborg smashes some more Muslim rebels west of Yerevan. Most of the Danish priesthood has been ordered north to aid in the conversion of our new lands; it is hoped this will aid in the prevention of further rebellions.

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A Brief Peace, a New Threat, turn 145.

Stenkil the Handsome takes a wife, a girl named Bolla. Word on the trade routes is that some new horde has arisen in the east and may be headed for Europe. Bucharest is beisieged, but the King has brought no infantry with us to man the rams and ladders. King Emund, who has been unusually quiet and withdrawn since the end of the Mongols, stops every caravan on the road to ask for news of them. Most of what we hear is obviously nonsense, as they are supposed to be riding vast war beasts from fabled India, impervious to arrows and faster than a horse. France, England, and Spain all join the crusade against Hungary. Adana is surrendered to the Papacy with an overwhelmingly stable and Catholic populace. Now only our capital, Antioch, remains of the cities of the Levant un-surrendered to the Pope.

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A Brief Peace, Arrival of the Lame, turn 146.

Firm word has finally reached us, a mighty King, descendant of the original Mongols, sends his armies west into our lands at Sarkel. Timur the Lame is the name of our new enemy. These Timurids are Muslims, and they must be taught not to intrude against the Danes, and that the western world is a Catholic fortress. Prince Stenkil is ordered east with a pair of spies to seek out the new intruders. Our ships destroy a rebel fleet north of Alexandria.

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The town militia we ordered north from Constantinople to man our rams is caught by a small army of Hungarian swordsmen and destroyed. Vengeance will soon come at the sharp end of a lance.

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[Ramses II CP]

The Timurid Wars, Opening Moves, turn 147.

One of our Bishops caught sight of the first of Islam's new champions at the far east border of our realm. As with the Mongols before them, their Khan is leading from the front. Further northeast, near the area settled by the Bulgar rebels, are more of the Timurid armies. Immediately King Emund orders Ulrik Jacobsen, who has been building watchtowers around Kiev, to gather his army and march east to intercept the enemy Khan.

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A spy near Bran reports that the citadel is held by only two companies of foot kights and that the Swordsmith's Guild makes their headquarters there. King Emund had initially thought to sack Bucharest, and then recapture Sofia while the Hungarians were off balance, but perhaps Bran will make a better target. Meanwhile the King leads a reprisal attack against the foot knights who slaughtered his militia reinforcements.

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We attack under a thin sliver of a moon, our men walk their horses in around the Hungarians until their whole formation is encircled. Lacking cavalry and archers, the enemy is powerless to prevent us from taking any position we like. The call of a brown tern, though none could be found so far south, is the signal for our charge!

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Just as the War Cleric's impetus is running out and the enemy is stiffening his will to resist, Huscarls strike their exposed backs.

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When the Eagles strike home along the path of their withdrawal, the enemy captain orders his men to fight to the death.

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We are happy to oblige him.

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Though the King was quite angry with these men he has no wish to put good Christian soldiers to the sword, and so they are offered for ransom. The Hungarians accept, and we send them home with a message: 'A new power is rising in the east. Give us peace here, and we will turn our wrath from your lands.' Niels Ebbesen puts up another of those battle markers he is so fond of, erected out of the broken blades of our enemies as a warning against any further Hungarian aggression.

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Two crusade armies are at the walls of Budapest, but it looks like the Venetians will reach the city first. West of Iconium Captain Harald leads a few men from the garrison there to victory against some rebels who thought to block our docks.

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The Timurid Wars, Opening Moves, turn 148.

The Horse Breeder's Guild at Trebizond is improved. The Pope is disappointed we are unable to join the crusade. Thorgils of Svalunes, husband of old Prince Sweyn's only daughter, has died a natural death. A single heir, Jon, survives him. A girl named Fastny Chemnitz is born into the extended royal family. At Alexandria the King's brother is now known as Toraren the Just for his many wise decisions and chivalrous behavior. One of our spies catches a brief sighting of the Timurid's infamous war beasts, and reports them to stand nearly three times the height of a war horse. They are called elephants, and several men can ride on their backs in a sort of carriage, firing guns at men below them. At the walls of Bucharest King Emund's spirit is recharged, and he anxiously awaits the rearming and retraining of his armies at Gaza, where Karl Tarnovius' men are already going through the process.

West of Timbuktu Captain Hardeknud defeats a small army of rebels.

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Hopes are high as a diplomatic mission reaches a Hungarian prince named Zsigmond the Pious to sue for peace. The price of peace for the Hungarians will be the mountain fastness of Bran, headquarters of the Swordsmith Guild. An agreement is reached, and King Emund lifts the siege of Bucharest to begin marching his men to towards Bran for rest and retraining. Only the armourer is found wanting at the citadel, and ordered upgraded.

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The Timurid Wars, Opening Moves, turn 149.

England declares war on Hungary. A Hungarian assassin is spotted near Bran, and our own assassins are sent to kill him. North of Edessa Sigurd of Aalborg, who has been marching south for retraining, attacks an army of mercenaries that rebelled against Papal control. Three hundred and fifty of them are heavy cavalry, but Sigurd has no spearmen with him; this will be a difficult battle.

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Sigurd arrays his men on a hilltop, slightly on the downslope reverse side from the enemy, where some large rocks will help to slow their charge. Immediately they advance through the rain.

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To prevent our small formation from being enveloped cavalry are sent out on the attack to either side, with Sigurd's guard riding down the hill on the right and the Feudal Knights staying close to support on the left.

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Sigurd is surrounded by four times his number, and his men put up a mighty struggle to hold their formation and clear a space around their general. Dead rebels pile high around the Danish guard.

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At the main engagement the enemy is starting to wear down the mounted knights, and the axemen on the left take a full force charge to heavy casualties. Sigurd orders his men to cut a path out of the encircling enemy and back to the mass of his infantry to shore up morale. This is accomplished with significant losses on both sides, and Sigurd is able to take the enemy's general with a small unit of Papal guard spearmen, from behind. His men break to flee, destroying the morale of the much reduced rebel cavalry and bringing an end to the battle.

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After the battle a Swiss war hero named Arnold von Winklereid begs leave to join Sigurd's retinue, having been much impressed by their valor in slaughtering many times their number of the enemy on this day. The rest of Sigurd's army took heavy losses, and the men were weary after the long march, so much of his force was disbanded as he marched again for Gaza, but Arnold was very popular with the remainder.

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The Timurid Wars, Opening Moves, turn 150.

The crusade comes to an end when the Venetians nobly accomplish the Pope's will. Budpest will be an isolated outpost for Venice in the very midst of Hungary, but surely God will help them hold on there. Stenkil the Handsome is sent south from Marrakesh, into the desert to build watch towers and oversee the mining of gold and shipment of ivory to the rest of the world. Diplomatic contact is established with the Timurids, and our man slyly gives them subtly marked copies of our maps. It is hoped they will fall into the same trap of attacking Sarkel as the Mongols. Our diplomat then rudely demands tribute from them, and is rebuked.

The Timurid Wars, A New Son, turn 151.

Prince Stenkil's wife bears him a son, Ulrik, at last. My boy Grimnil's wife bears him a son as well, within days of Ulrik's birth, and he is given the name Knud after the Danish King who launched our fateful quest. In my father's tradition, I swear him to Ulrik's service and wrap him in scraps from the banners of mighty Mongol Khans. A daughter, Adisa, is also born to Sigurd of Aalborg. Karl's Ice Grinders, joined now by Jon of Svalunes, are almost ready to depart for the front again and the other armies of the north have arrived at Gaza to wait to be re-equipped while they train.

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At Sarkel Prince Stenkil has drawn up an army from the local castle, though they are ill equipped and consist of very little cavalry. The Prince has also sent peasants to try to block the bridges and fords around the fort at Bulgar, to delay the Timurid's linking up their two forces. Ulrik Jacobsen sends word that he is still marching east as rapidly as he can push the catapult.

The Timurid Wars, Dancing Delightfully, turn 152.

Loathe to use force to clear the bridge north, the Timurid Khan diverts west, towards another crossing which Prince Stenkil will be in time to block. The Khan will be forced ever closer to Ulrik's army, and the first strike of the war. Two new family members, Jon of Holmr is born to the aged Holmr couple, and a daughter born to Leopold's eldest daughter is named Krafla. Hungary and Spain declare a ceasefire. A witch is spotted spreading her foulness between Bucharest and Bran. An assassin is dispatched to deal with her, but fails, and so the Cardinal near Kiev is called down. A Frenchman near Smyrna is felled from the shadows by a Danish blade, Andry de Paris, leaving Smyrna with no real leadership. West of Sarkel there is a minor engagement with some rebels, handled by a local captain.

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Spies tracking the Timurids take note of a second kind of elephant company, with cannons mounted on their heads. Our engineers can't make sense of it, can't see how it can work, but we have yet to use gunpowder in battle. I'm sure there will be many lessons to come. In response we begin training crews for similar weapons, called Serpentines, at our citadels. They will be slow to make it to battle, but they may come in time.

The Timurids Wars, a Second Son, turn 153.

The Prince's wife gives him a second son, whom he names Charles after his grandfather. More Timurid armies are found infiltrating Europe from the east near Bulgar. Many of the troops being refitted at Gaza are now moving north, some by ship and some by ground. The King's chivalrous brother Toraren has turned to drink to sooth his disgust for the actions of his nation's leader, and becomes known as Toraren the Mean. He is training a cavalry army to take north, with some mounted crossbowmen to test against the Timurid's horse archers. Now that Karl has departed with the first army to return north Lars the Wrathful (True heir of Leopold's legacy), Sigurd of Aalborg, and Prince Sten are having their armor and weapons upgraded at Gaza, to prepare to lead men north as well. King Emund orders Prince Sten to remain in the south, to hold Gaza and continue oversight of troop retraining.

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The Timurid Wars, Stenkil's attack, turn 154.

East of Sarkel Ulrik is almost within striking distance of the Timurid Khan, but Prince Stenkil will strike the first blow in this war. His inexperienced men have caught a small army of Timurids trailing far behind the main group, and they make their assault.

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Prince Stenkil sets his men in formation on a hill, while his reinforcements approach from the left and right rear quadrants. The enemy fearlessly moves up to attack our superior force and position, provoking a deadly charge from Stenkil's guard, whom he has dubbed the Serpents with scouts from our allies in support.

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At the main line of infantry the enemy general charges home with halberd militia behind him for support, killing no few Huscarls but allowing himself to be surrounded.

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While Khanzada struggles to extricate himself the Serpents strike against his flank, scattering his men.

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At last Huscarls knock the Timurid general from his horse and take his sword from him as he lies witless and moaning in the snow, the first of many infidels who will fall to us in the coming years! A single member of his bodyguard is allowed to escape, to carry word of our attack and of his master's fall. If this doesn't incite them to attack, nothing will.

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On the King's orders Stenkil ties the captured Timurids to tall posts and burns them to death, each a distinct black mark against the blindingly white snow. It is a sign and a warning that this will be a battle to the death with no quarter asked or given.

The Timurid Wars, Midgame Moves, turn 155.

Ulrik seeks a suitable battlefield to first engage the enemy's war beasts, these elephants. It may take him some time to find the right spot and tempt the Timurids into coming against it. The Council recommends that we use assassins to kill Timur the Pious, one of the Timurid generals. Ulrik Jacobsen is rumored to be disgruntled that he is not allowed to simply and chivalrously challenge the Timurids to a forthright battle, but the King's instructions are clear. Except for the King's line, most of the rest of our family continues to be plagued with daughters, including two more born this year and named Grima and Vedis.

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Near Bran the witch is tried and put to the torch. There are now eight known Timurid armies, five or six of them confirmed to have elephant troops.

The Timurid Wars, Migame Moves, turn 156.

Ulrik has chosen a position, and the Timurids will reach it soon. He expects to attack sometime in the next year, though he will have to battle two full armies of the enemy it will be from the very topmost reaches of a long, sloping hill. Ulrik is confident he can hold there and when they turn to retreat, he will press them hard. Lars Eigod's wife gives him a son, Leofric, and another Chemnitz daughter is born, Frakkok. Hrefna of Svalunes passes away peacefully at Iconium. Prince Stenkil catches a few remnants of the force he fought previously, and attacks them in a battle of little import.

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Timurid forces are confirmed at nine full armies in the Bulgar area and the eastern marches of Sarkel. Soon Ulrik will make his attack against the first two.

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[Ramses II CP]

The Timurid Wars, Ulrik Encounters Elephants, turn 157.

Pope Vitalis (known as The Malevolent) has died, and with the Danish hammerlock on the College of Cardinals it seems inevitable that another Dane will come to rule the Papacy. Gustav of Keppr becomes Pope Tomascius. The line of Popes from among our people is a sure sign that we are favored by God. Scotland is reconciled, but Hungary is still in a state of war with the Papacy and remains excommunicated. Bergthor Chemnitz is born, a member of Sighvat's extended line.

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East of Sarkel Ulrik has selected his moment to strike, in good weather and from the top of a hill he sends his challenge down to Husayn the Pious, who calls Timur the Pious to reinforce him.

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Our men are outnumbered and of little experience, but they are professionial soldiers with excellent weapons and armor. Both enemy armies are of the same composition, including two companies of cannon elephants and two companies of gun elephants. Ulrik believes that if the enemy will come against him he will be able to hold them back, and test some tactics against their war beasts.

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On a cool, misty day Ulrik's men arrange themselves atop a hill, with a steep cliff to guard their left flank and a cavalry screen on their right. The army is tense, but well prepared. Ulrik has prepared a dense line behind the massive halberds of his Obudshaer, hoping that elephants will fear to charge in amidst so many men. The ground shakes, and unimaginably loud hooting and trumpeting noises echo out of the damp air. When our sharp eyed catapult crew spots the first Timurid banner, the battle begins.

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Unfortunately it begins ill for us, with shattering long range cannon fire through the tight ranks of the men. Casualties from each volley are light, but the volleys are continuous. Ulrik fears that the whole purpose of these blasts is to break his men's formations, and so he orders them to hold and sends the catapult forward to return fire.

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On the right enemy horse archers ride up to harass our Huscarls, who charge over a hilltop to confront them and catch them by surprise.

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The catapult crew is having some difficulty finding the range against the Timurid elephants. In the mist and the shock their size is deceptive, and the veteran crew fires over their heads again and again while our losses mount.

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When they at last score a single hit amdist the Timurid infantry, the enemy response is immediate. They move in for an assault. Ulrik takes the rest of his cavalry to the right to reform his screen while the Huscarls are occupied. As the men catch their first good look at the war beasts charging them, a cry of alarm goes up from the line.

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One of the catapults is broken, and the crew struggles to withdraw behind the lines. On the right Ulrik halts a heavy lancer charge by counter charging with his own men, while on the left the heavy lancers take advantage of the way the cannon fire has shortened our line to charge home behind the Obudshaer, where they are met by foot knights.

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The catapult crew lose their will to push their catapult, and flee through the center of our line at the approach of the elephants.

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Mongol Horse archers charge in support of the wedge they are struggling to open on our left, while on the right all of our own cavalry are committed against an attack by the Timurid general. The battle hangs in the balance. At this moment, Ulrik calls up the Huscarls that originally warded our right to carve their way through some enemy heavy lancers and surround Husayn. Realizing his predicament, Husayn cuts a path through our cavalry to escape, leaving most of his bodyguard behind and still pursued by our men.

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The Huscarls had ridden deep on the right, and coming back encounter a company of elephant artillery. They engage them, but cannot seem to wound them enough to make one fall even with their axes, while the tusks and trunks of the enemy smash rider after rider from their horses. Much reduced, the Huscarls break off their attack and ride on to aid Ulrik.

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At the infantry line our men have held, and the enemy's attack to the left has been repulsed with heavy losses for them. On the right our massed cavalry have eliminated the majority of the Timurid cavalry, and at last they track down and kill Husayn.

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Companies of enemy bowmen and halberds, having made the long march uphill, see their leader fall and begin to lose heart. Ulrik's remaining cavalry charge while he begins to give new orders to the infantry. Obudshaer are to be sent forward to attempt to bring down some elephants.

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The elephants take terrible wounds, but none will die and our halberd men are being slaughtered and trampled. They fall back before their will breaks, and Ulrik orders forward a company of foot knights. The elephants chase the retreating Obudshaer, breaking them and causing a rout, but leaving one of their own behind and vulnerable to the swordsmen. At last an elephant is killed!

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Taking heart at the sight of the Timurid infantry in flight, our catapult crew returns to their lone weapon and opens fire, killing a pair of enemy elephants single handed. Those elephants rout and flee the field.

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The valiant foot knights that slew the first elephant now charge a second group who are in retreat.

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During the battle a flaming catapult stone incinerates one of the elephants, which falls onto a swordsman. The remaining elephants of that group go mad, ignoring their handlers and tearing across the field at random.

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Only one whole company of elephants remains, and as they move to attack the massed cavalry we have chasing down Timurid infantry Ulrik gathers his guard and leads them in an attack. Ulrik's valor is unquestionable, and he rides straight into the tightly packed elephants. Their riders try to bring the beasts closer together, to crush him with their bulk, but his slashing blade ensures enough space around him that he can still attack.

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At last a catapult stone forces the elephants to retreat. Three fell, hardy men return from the company of foot knights that sallied out against the elephants.

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Weary beyond reckoning, Ulrik now takes his cavalry to chase away the last of Husayn's horse archers, ordering the main line to hold the hill. The chase is long and bears little fruit, as the enemy ultimately flees with few losses.

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At the crest of the hill Ulrik's infantry are reforming when a small group of Timurids regain their courage and attack again. Alas, that small group includes a company of elephants. They are driven off, but losses are heavy.

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Ulrik returns to the hill to asses his forces. Astonishingly Timur the Pious did not send any aid up the hill to Husayn. Perhaps there are rivalries amongst our enemies, or perhaps Husayn's assault was a test. In any event, when Husayn's men surrender the field, Timur's men begin to march up the hill. Of Ulrik's fine army only the foot knights and the War Clerics are above half strength, and many of his companies have been destroyed or have left the field.

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Dauntless Ulrik Jacobsen, having paid a steep price of blood for this hill, has no wish to see it fall uncontested, and so he orders his men to shorten their line and make ready to defend against another push. The catapult and crossbowmen are sent down the slope to slow the enemy advance. Timur brings an army every bit as strong as Husayn's, and fresh.

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The catapult and crossbowmen have cost the enemy a few lives, but his advance is about to catch them. Ulrik calls them back, but the approaching elephants and their own exhaustion have broken their will. They rout. On the right our War Clerics are holding back three companies of horse archers, and making a good show of it, but it will only last a little while before the heavy lancers arrive. Seeing the elephants stomp forward, and with fleeing men confusing his lines, Ulrik has no choice but to command an orderly retreat before it becomes a general rout. As the men turn their backs, fire arrows lance out from Timurid bowmen.

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It is fortunate that we marked out good paths down the backside of the hill before the battle, else none of our men would have escaped the charging enemy. A brutal defeat, the first time a Danish general has been so shamed against Muslims. Those few of Ulrik's noble troop who surrendered, some twenty nine men, are executed by the Timurids. Spies assess the relative losses from both sides, and make it all the more obvious that we cannot afford any more battles like this one.

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Ulrik Jacobsen is forced to send a letter to King Emund offering to resign his generalship and go into exile. He makes no excuses, but does describe the immense power of the elephants at long and short range; his recommendation is that every future army carry cannons of some sort with them. The King is in no mood to tolerate archaic notions of honor and the dictates of chivalry; he writes back that Ulrik's resignation is refused, and he is to fall back to Sarkel and await reinforcement. Prince Stenkil will take command of the field armies in the region. Danes cannot afford to lose one of their finest generals in this hour of need, and Ulrik's loss is simply another of God's tests. Announcing the defeat as he prepares to ride east, King Emund closes by saying, 'It matters not how many of us may fall so long as the Beast is dragged down in the end. If I must give a thousand lives for every dead infidel it is a sacrifice I make willingly!' The men are little reassured.

West of Sarkel some men from the garrison of Caffa catch a small army of rebels, and destroy them. King Emund is impressed by reports of the battle, and when fearless Captain Thorgeir puts his name forward for adoption the King is pleased to accept. Prince Stenkil will need a second in the area, and Ulrik Jacobsen's usefulness must be evaluated personally by the King before he can return to command duty and major battles.

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The Timurid Wars, the Enemy Advances, turn 158.

The Timurids have assembled most of their armies into a large horde east of Sarkel. They must still cross a river to assail Sarkel, but Prince Stenkil has no spearmen in his command, which is primarily made up of militia archers with poor armor. It is uncertain that he could hold them back. France is excommunicated. A Hungarian agent is discovered in Constantinople. An army of reinforcements are nearly to Sarkel, though their quality is also suspect. On the west coast of Africa Stenkil the Handome has become a drunken mess. It is to be hoped he can at least maintain order in the area.

The Timurid Wars, the Enemy Advances, turn 159.

The realm is orderly, and there is little to report. South of Kiev King Emund is on the march along the east road, and his men overrun a rebel command along the way.

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The Timurid Wars, the Enemy Advances, turn 160.

The Pope calls a crusade against Paris, capital of France. We send our apologies. A shadowy figure joins the King's retinue. Rumor has it that he is a master of assassins, and will guard the King against the ever growing list of enemies in his deranged mind. More rebels are caught west of Timbuktu and killed.

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Two large Venetian armies are discovered on our border in Africa, near Cairo and Alexandria.

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Our maps:

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[gibsonsg91921]

this is a great AAR: i just dont read it often enough cuz its got so many pics for my internet, stretching the page as i read lol

[Ramses II CP]

Sorry mate, that's why the link in my sig is to GamerTales, even though their version is waaaay behind. Forums aren't the best place for the number of screenshots I find myself using, but I've gotten in the habit of posting here and I'd really, really hate trying to move the lot of it. My backups for the first ten or so posts of screenshots are poorly organized.

This thread grinds my old Dell box something awful if I'm trying to do anything else at the same time. I'd put a warning in the title, but I don't think I can edit the first title. (Can I?) I hope no one clicks the thread and then thinks it's something malicious when their browser stops responding. :no: :oops:

Glad you're enjoying it when you get the chance. :)

[Ramses II CP]

The Timurid Wars, Stenkil Strikes Back, turn 161.

England, Spain, Venice, Poland, and the Papacy have joined the crusade against Paris. Scotland, ally of the French, declares war on the Pope and is excommunicated. Men of science now claim that the world is round, and that there are lands beyond the western sea, perhaps the same lands that the Mongols and Timurids come from out of the east. This will take time to fully comprehend. Stenkil's wife bears him a daughter, Svana, but Gellir of Holmr dies on the road north. Our delaying tactics south of Bulgar have paid dividends as Khan Chagurkhai leads his army, featuring no elephants, ahead of the rest of his men, isolating them. Prince Stenkil moves quickly to attack him with Captain Niels and his scouts taking the enemy from behind.

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The Timurid Khan has no taste for battle in the midst of a rainstorm, and so he parks his men atop high hill fronted by forest and waits. Captain Niels tries to incite an attack, but the enemy's horse archers are faster, stronger, and better equipped than his own men. He is forced to withdraw into the woods and wait for the Prince.

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Prince Stenkil's position is near the Timurids, but his men are all archers and infantry in light armor, unsuitable for a frontal assault. Surveying the terrain while the two armies are still well beyond bowshot, Stenkil sees a line of advance around the enemy whereby we could take a position on the same hill they occupy. The march will be long and the men weary when it's done, but we'll have the advantage of surprise and a slightly higher position than the enemy.

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Captain Niels manages to isolate one unit of Horse Archers and eliminates them, keeping Timurid eyes and thoughts turned aside from the Prince's risky maneuver, but leaving few men in his command hale enough for fighting. After the Captain once again withdraws into the trees, Khan Chargurkhai sees Stenkil's men in the woods, and sends a few companies of horse archers to scout them. Massed arrow fire forces the cavalry to withdraw before they can see the full extent of our forces.

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Marching up the steep slope with the Timurids on his flank the Prince knows that this is the moment of greatest risk. If they should sense that his whole force is here and decide to charge home, his men will not be able to turn or ascend in time. The battle will be lost. With their banners skylit at the top of the hill, Prince Stenkil advances and hopes.

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Fortune has favored the Prince, and his men reach the hilltop. Stenkil orders a brief period of rest, to regain their breath, but a messenger from Captain Niels reports that the Timurids are falling back, marching towards the position Stenkil's own men previously held. Cursing foully, the Prince orders his men forward on the attack, and his Serpents sweep down on the Khan's left to draw their fire and attention.

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Riding right by their formation, causing no little disorder in their ranks, Stenkil pinches a unit of horse archers with what is left of Niel's scouts. Meanwhile our main advance continues, and the archers open fire over the crest of the hill.

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Khan Chagurkhai appears uncertain, calling up the horse archers who are downhill on his right to even the odds in the ranged battle. Having routed the Khan's left screening forces, Prince Stenkil rides back to the center, catching a company of Sabadar militia too far from the protection of their halberd infantry.

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The Khan's response is predictable, he counter charges. Stenkil cuts a path through the archers and leads the Khan's guard away downslope while roaring orders for his own archers to fall back. Timurid heavy lancers form up and charge!

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The lancers spend most of the impetus of their charge against peasant archers, allowing our dismounted Huscarls to close to axe range with few losses. Two companies of peasants rout briefly, but return to the battle once they are clear of the lancers.

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On our left heavy lancers abandon chasing the Prince and charge a unit of Norse Archers who were asked to hold there. They take the lancer's charge with heavy losses, but hold their ground for a moment. The Khan calls on his horse archers to charge them from behind, sparking a rout.

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Calling down more Norse archers to halt the rout Prince Stenkil attacks the Khan's guard head on. All of our peasant archers turn their fire against the Khan. One army is about to be beheaded.

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The Prince's left is completely routed, all of the men there are running for their lives and if they cannot rally our rear will be exposed. On the hill top the dismounted Huscarls are faring better, having cleared away most of the heavy lancers. They are now moving to attack the Timurid halberd militia and the Khan. In a flash of lightning Stenkil spots Chagurkhai nearby, and rides to meet him!

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Foolishly the horse archers on the left have broken off pursuit to try to aid their Khan. Our Norse archers rally, and return to the battle to hold our left flank. With almost all of the heavy lancers down the Khan will now be in danger of losing his own right flank if he doesn't order the horse archers back into the melee. A brief exchange of blows convinces the Khan that Prince Stenkil is a superior swordsman, and he rides away with a cut on his arm. Unfortunately for him, he rides directly into a mass of dismounted Huscarls, who slip in close and bury their axes in his body. Another burst of lightning reveals his fate to his whole army.

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The Prince's entire bodyguard gave their lives against the Khan, and so he cannot pursue the enemy's cavalry, but he can and does destroy their infantry. Huscarls chase the halberd men while Stenkil sows slaughter among the Sabadar archer militia.

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If not for the rain the whole hill would be awash in blood. Except for the death of the Timurid's over bold leader, this battle was, at best, inconclusive. Ninety Timurids are executed on the King's orders.

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The Timurid Wars, a Momentary Pause, turn 162.

France signs a truce with the Papacy, no doubt hoping the crusade can thus be averted. Five full armies of Danes have arrived in the Sarkel region, though two of them are still comprised of untested and ill equipped men, but the Timurids have formed a horde and escaped the river ford trap we held them, having crossed the river too far north for us to block. Best guesses are that they will march south across the plains toward Sarkel.

The Timurid Wars, End of the Crusade, turn 163.

The Pope has died after a brief reign, and the College of Cardinals is called together to elect a new Pope. That he will be a Dane seems beyond question, and Sigifrid Bolverksson becomes Pope Benectus. The French are reconciled, and the crusade is cancelled. A very clever, but suspicious series of events. If it is discovered that the French have assassinated a Danish Pope the reckoning will be terrible. The Spanish and the English are both still at war with the French, and both still have large armies of former crusaders nearby Paris, so the situation is very much in flux. Sigurd of Aalborg and his men reach the coast southwest of Sarkel, and begin marching to meet the King with a veteran army.

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King Emund sets Thorgeir (Who took the noble last name Bolverksson after the Holy Father) at the fore of our armies with the first 'serpentine' cannon the Danes will field. Here he is attacked by an enemy army that has no elephants. If Thorgeir is successful his place in the family will be an honored one.

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Nayaga the Pious's men must approach from around a large church, built in the countryside for the farmers, which gives Thorgeir's serpentine ample time to fire into them. When the weapon lays low a line of heavy lancers, the Timurid general sends horse archers to chase the serpentine back to Thorgeir's lines.

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Initially it appears that Nagaya will be content to exchange long range fire with us. Thorgeir takes heart from this, for he has been given no heavy infantry to back his line. The King felt the Norse Archers would serve nearly as well in a dual role.

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After a few volleys the enemy brings forward his heavy lancers, and they launch themselves into a charge. Swordstaff militia brace themselves as archers struggle to retreat behind the line.

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On the right a unit of archers is caught in no man's land, not having pulled back quickly enough they take the brunt of the lancer's charge. When they panic and start to fight their way through the swordstaff men, the line becomes disorganized. Militia spearmen are the in turned anchor on the far right, and the panic infects them even though they are not engaged.

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At the center our line is stretched but holding, and fire arrows have put at least some small bit of doubt into the enemy.

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On the right, however, the spearmen throw down their weapons immediately when a company of heavy lancers charge home. Now defenseless, they are butchered from behind.

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At last Thorgeir notices the rout and rides quickly to the right to try to shore up morale there. His efforts prove futile when the heavy lancers finish off the spearmen and turn back to penetrate our flank.

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For a few heartbeats it appears that Norse archers will come to Thorgeir's call and hold the right, but the left center of his line is already dangerously thin when Nagaya's personal guard charges it.

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Now the left of Thorgeir's formation breaks and is routed. At the center two companies of swordstaff still hold, and on the right Thorgeir and three companies of Norse archers are winning their fight, but all the rest of his army is in flight.

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Thorgeir's center is flanked and begins to crumble as his left collapses, causing him to sound the retreat. Though several of his companies are near full strength, the Timurids harry them mercilessly as they attempt to withdraw, and it is impossible to keep order. Ultimately most of his men are left dead or captured.

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Two hundred and eighty four Danes are executed, including the crew of the serpentine.

After the battle the King takes Thorgeir to task for his obvious errors in deploying his troops. First, the serpentine could easily fire over the top of the line and still make the range, so it was not necessary that those valuable men be exposed. Second the freshly adopted general's line was far too long, twice the length it needed to be to protect the number of archers he had, and so it was thinner than necessary along it's whole length. Third, Norse archers are a fine second line, but they must be behind the line to function as such. That they were not withdrawn quickly enough and sparked the rout themselves is shameful. Fourth, militia spearmen are not suitable for holding the ends of a line. Best if they are a second line, or at most a dense point in the center of a line with hardier men.

The King calls it a learning experience, and is dismissive of the losses. 'Far more fresh faced young boys will die before this campaign is over.' he proclaims.

(Technical note, this battle was extremely winnable. My first loss of the campaign that came because of my own, fairly obvious, errors. I got carried away with making a neat, long, perfect formation and ignored basic tactical concerns in the process. I probably would've reloaded if it hadn't made so much sense from the standpoint of the story. :shame: )

The Timurid Wars, Retrenchment, turn 164.

Thorgeir is joined by a soothsayer who assures the remaining men of his command that the fateful battle was a strategic victory, shoring up morale. Another daughter, Gynna Chemnitz, is born into the family. Two more Danes are promoted into the College of Cardinals. Northeast of Nicaea a rebel army is caught and attacked by the local captain of the guard.

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King Emund arrives in the area around Sarkel and begins reorganizing the armies of the north for an attack in revenge. The Timurids march into the forest north of Sarkel, no doubt setting ambushes and preparing their attacks.

The Timurid Wars, Battles of the Blood Forest, turn 165.

A son is born to Sigurd of Aalborg, named Hardeknud. King Emund gathers the armies for a speech. Pointing over his shoulder at the deep, dark wood, he begins, 'Look there, in the shadows of the wood! There is cowering a horde declaimed by many as the greatest power in all the world. Do you know why they cower there?

It is because WE are out HERE that they have crawled into the woods like a babe into it's blankets! We are the despoilers of Egypt! We are the conquerors of Turkey! We massacred the Moors, and made an end of the Mongols. From Scotland south to Arguin and east to Jedda and north again to Sarkel how many Muslims now live?

Would you let them rest there, in that forest? Would you turn aside our wrath and hope that they rot there, waiting for us to come, spreading their filthy infidel lies the whole time?

No! We will attack! We will attack and attack and attack! We will smother them under the weight of our weapons, drown them in rivers of our blood! I swear it on my life, no filthy Muslim will ever leave these lands.

Annihilate them! Exterminate them! Crush, smash, bash, destroy, END them! Kill them, KILL THEM ALL!'

By the end of his speech, Emund is very nearly frothing at the mouth. He pauses a moment to compose himself before speaking to his commanders in a more normal tone of voice, 'Karl, take the Ice Grinders and lead the incursion into the wood. Your veterans are our spearhead. If you are ambushed, fight your way through them and keep going. My cavalry will follow soon. Prince Stenkil will hold the ford to the southwest, to keep them from slipping away, and Thorgeir will keep his men by the west road, to watch for any of the filth attempting to escape. Here we can enround them, and here they will die.'

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Cooler heads than the King's put us at a three to one numbers disadvantage even discounting the elephants, though more men are expected from the south soon. Karl Tarnovius is aging but he is still a powerful man and a competent leader. He takes his well equipped and retrained army forward into the trees, and is immediately ambushed by a smaller Timurid force in a wooded vale.

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Marching in column through the mists the Timurids must have mistaken how many men Karl brought, because they are far outnumbered despite having a superior position. Reacting quickly from the head of the men, though he does not yet know how many of the enemy there are, Karl orders his army forward, 'Rush them! Carve through and regroup on the other side! Forward the Grinders'

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Most of the Ice Grinders cannot see the front of the column, and they turn to the column's left to charge uphill, where the enemy horse archers are raining arrows into them. Superiority of numbers rapidly tells, and the enemy surrenders the high ground. Captain Jang then charges in from what was our right, attempting to reclaim the high ground against our overwhelming force. It is a fool's quest, which he increasingly realizes as the true extent of our army becomes clear through the mists.

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Retreating at this point would only expose his back armor to a shower of arrows, so the heavy lancers come forward. With their horses rearing in terror at the wall of halberds, Captain Jang and his guard attack!

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Obudshaer struggle to trap him in place, but he retreats briefly and then rides around their flank to hit the dismounted Huscarls, who butcher him and break his men.

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Karl's losses are light, and he reports to the King that this area of the forest is clear before executing the prisoners and marching deeper.

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Another ambush is triggered almost immediately, and Karl's men once again outnumber their enemy, but this time the Timurids have brought elephants.

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The ambush is primarily from the left rear of the column this time, so Karl turns back and races for the rear. Cannons, guns, and arrows fly into the Ice Grinders, but they gamely return fire while Karl leads his guardsmen in a frontal attack on the elephants to the column's right.

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Lances fell an elephant immediately, when a lucky stroke spits a beast's head, and the enemy archers are all but obliterated. Then the elephants begin to fight back, and though Karl is able to keep his own seat, many of his guardsmen are launched through the air by a stroke from the elephant's tusks or trunk.

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On the left our infantry mass and attack downhill against a smaller group of elephants, all praying for survival and hoping for a lucky strike. The Timurids run rampant through them.

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To the right Karl is at last forced to withdraw after attempting another charge and failing to fell another elephant. He rides clear, and seeks the enemy Captain. Casualties on the left are immense, but the Timurid beasts do bleed, and a thousand small cuts will do the job eventually. One elephant survives to attempt to escape.

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Karl's guard beats a path through a company of horse archers, still seeking the enemy captain. The few enemy halberds are put to flight. At last Karl sorts out which banner belongs to their captain, and it's with a unit of elephants. Directing all his ranged units to fire at that elephant, the enemy captain falls in a hail of bolts, and his ride collapses on top of him immediately afterward.

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The other elephants from that company burst into rage as their riders lose control. Unfortunately they charge into our lines, where fire arrows bring down another of their number before they go roaring off into the mists.

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Karl's losses are significant, and though he earns a reputation as being fierce in battle, he begs the King's leave to pause and rest the Ice Grinders, who are weary and shaken after the double ambush. The King agrees, but only because Karl's advance has exposed the position of the Timurid Khan. King Emund leads his cavalry army in against Khan Miran the Pious immediately.

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(165 Continued soon)

[Ramses II CP]

The Timurid Wars, Battles of the Blood Forest, turn 165 continued.

With the enemy Khan's position now known, but him unaware that we know it, King Emund decides to let his men be 'ambushed' in order to turn the tables on the Timurids. Khan Miran the Pious obliges, with an army that has no elephants but ample heavy cavalry, fire bomb throwers called Naffatun, and rocket launchers.

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Miran's first mistake is to try to take us by moonlight. King Emund is an expert at nocturnal battles, and having drawn out the ambushers proceeds to order his men in a series of well timed charges against the Timurid positions.

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Scouts are sent forward and to the left to push back horse archers and prevent them from firing into the melee. War Clerics and Huscarls split left and right to engage the mass of the enemy heavy lancers and the Khan's guard before they can charge. Emund's Eagles ride to the forward right against some heavy horse archers. The movements are well prepared and clear the killing ground at the center of the field before a hail of crossfire can be brought to bear.

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After his halberds, Naffatun, and rocket crews are all felled around him the Timurid Khan retreats from our men's overwhelming force, trying to ride across the open center line to where the mass of his heavy lancers are putting up a stiff resistance on our former left. Emund's Eagles ride back to intercept him and prevent him from re-establishing control of the battle.

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The swirling, vicious battle on the left is costing the lives of many a War Cleric, as with the inadequate armourer at Bran they have no armor upgrades in place. Huscarls and Scouts are brought up from clearing away horse archers to complete the encirclement of the heavy lancers there and try to finish them quickly. The last whole unit of heavy lancers charges down to intercept those men, and so Danish losses continue to mount.

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Having lost all but three of his guardsmen to the mighty Eagles, Khan Miran struggles to withdraw. Emund sends huscarls to chase him, and turns back to aid our left.

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Before he can reach the engagement on the left side, Khan Miran's death is announced by cheering when a Huscarl's axe takes him in the throat at the top of the hill on the right. The Timurid's remaining infantry all rout immediately.

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The Eagles clear away the last bits of resistance on the left, leaving the work of chasing away routers to the scouts and Huscarls. On a hilltop the King and I pause to catch our breath and discuss the battle.

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'My King, are you well?'

'I am Aethelwulf. God is truly great for on this day he has shielded me from taking even a single blow from our enemies, that and having your fine service ever at my side.'

'Thank you m'lord. If I may say, this was an excellent idea, to spring their ambush and leave them no time to call in reinforcements. It negates any advantage they would have from keeping their armies camped so close together.'

The King slides back his visor and favors me with a brief, lopsided grin, 'Aye, so t'was. Vision from God and all that, eh? I worry sometimes that so many of our battles are fought in darkness. Perhaps even standing against the black evil of Islam draws us too close to it, into it's inky embrace. To strike a pig you have to wade into his filth. Are we wading in filth? Are we now taking impurity into ourselves by conquering and converting these people, then drawing them up into our armies? I asked the rabbit, but the rabbit won't say.'

'The, ahh, rabbit m'lord?'

'The angel that guides my sight now appears as a rabbit most days. I should pick some of these field flowers for him, he'd like that,' mumbling about whether to bring back yellow or white flowers, King Emund drops his sword and helm in the grass and wanders off. I call the guardsmen and have them set a perimeter around him, as much to keep our own men clear as to keep him safe from the enemy. These spells are becoming more frequent, and it is surely only rage and the well engrained habits of fighting that keep our King from slipping off into nonsense in the midst of battle. Still, today we won a solid victory.

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Even though men caught spreaking so are flogged our leader is widely known as King Emund the Mad. Knowing the armies cannot stand waiting, I call for a messenger and compose battle orders for Karl Tarnovius in the King's name. Thorgeir's failure must be redeemed, and if anyone can do it, the Ice Grinders can. Karl will assault Nayaga the Pious while the King's men see to the execution of a hundred and sixty foolish Timurids.

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The Ice Grinders have been modestly reinforced, and yet the King's orders will bring them against three enemy armies. Karl decides to discourage the enemy armies with elephants from coming against him by sheltering his men near a large building in the area. For some reason the Timurids have been reluctant to bring forward elephants against structures like this, perhaps because if the beasts lose control we could retreat within and hold the Timurids outside, exposed to the rampaging elephants. In any case, Karl's formation places our right against the building, while our left is held by swordstaff men and Obudshaer.

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When the enemy horse archers ride up, our scouts slip around the far side of the building, and trap them, killing a fair number.

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Meanwhile our second unit of scouts has ridden past the enemy lines and caught their bombard crews exposed. Nayaga's personal guard rushes back to relieve them, and the scouts flee to avoid fighting him.

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Frustrated horse archers charge into our crossbowmen, who are able to repulse their attack and withdraw behind the line.

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Next come the heavy lancers. Seeking a gap in the line, they test the place where swordstaff men join with militia spearmen, but are turned back.

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Finally riding all the way around the line, but too close for a charge, the heavy lancers engage with our Norse axemen and dismounted Huscarls. They are quickly broken, and rout.

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Now Nayaga himself, through chasing our scouts, rides up to the line and tests the same spot the heavy lancers first chose. The Grinders hold steady, and Nayaga is impaled on a swordstaff blade, breaking the will of his men.

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Now Karl leads his few remaining bodyguards forward to chase away the enemy. None of their infantry will escape, and few of their cavalry. The final bombard crew makes a valiant last stand, firing at point blank range into a charging group of Huscarls.

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Though the battle is won and Nayaga is killed, Karl's men are still exhausted from their previous battles and have neither the will or ability to confront the two remaining Timurid armies. At the end of the day this battle must be called a defeat, as we have not taken the field and our casualties are steep.

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The Timurids execute their few prisoners, and Karl voices his displeasure that he and his men were put in such a situation. The King is still not back to himself, so orders are drawn up to pull out the remnants of the army Karl shattered and test our cannons against them. The King's men will watch the battle from nearby and prevent the Timurids from being reinforced.

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The rain is really pouring in now, and though it seems a poor time to test the accuracy of our bombard and ballista crews, those are the King's orders. Emund's own men are keeping Pir Muhammed busy and off the field. Our first shots are wildly off base.

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After a bit of this, Ulrik grows weary of waiting, and rides out to find the Timurid captain. The poor man never sees Ulrik coming, and is lanced from behind.

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Timurid horse archers cause a few casualties before we drive them off, and overall the battle is inconclusive, but Karl's men are avenged.

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Ulrik releases the four men he took prisoner, and as the King is indisposed further military actions are cancelled. The armies from the south are marching hard to reinforce us, and without King Emund driving us the men feel no urgency.

The Timurid Wars, Further Battles in the Blood Forest, turn 166.

Pope Benectus has died, after another short reign, but Danes still hold a large majority in the College. Another Danish Pope is assured, and our Polish allies vote with us. Pope Niccolus comes to power.

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France is reconciled. Against my advice King Emund marches our army into the woods again, and we are ambushed by Khan Dayir the Pious leading an army twice our size and strength. We are fortunate they have brought no elephants on this day.

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The King is as clear headed as ever during battle, immediately recognizing our situation and organizing a counter attack from our column formation.

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Emund's Eagles launch themselves straight at Khan Dayir without hesitation. Past experience has shown that the enemy will crumble once their leader is downed. Through the center Scouts and Huscarls push back the enemy horse archers, driving them away from the melee engagements. On the left War Clerics and Huscarls tackle heavy lancers directly, denying them any chance of a charge. On the right the last three Hospitaller Knights that marched north with us sell their lives dearly to delay a company of halberd militia.

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Roaring a challenge, the King pushes us straight ahead, right into the teeth of the ambush. We can see Khan Dayir is shocked at our boldness, but at night with an army of cavalry the King is perfectly at home. While the Khan is still turning this way and that to issue orders, King Emund smashes aside all resistance and stabs him through the back. Terrified high pitched bellows pour from the man, something like 'Allahu Akbar!'

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The response is astonishing, his men fight with redoubled fury. Few of them flee, even of the infantry. Repeated charges are needed to break them, while the heavy lancers take a significant toll from our War Clerics. Eventually all of the Timurids are routed from the field, but losses are quite surprising given how quickly Dayir died.

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After the battle King Emund has a prisoner brought before him, and asks the meaning of the phrase Dayir shouted. Upon hearing it translated as 'God is great,' the King responds, 'God is great, just not your God!' All of the captives are executed.

Four Timurid armies remain in the Blood Forest, two of them stand exposed but two more are lying in wait, somewhere within. The King comes upon a plan to draw one out. As their ambushes have been conducted so poorly, we have only to invite an ambush and then surround and ambush the ambushers. Some of the militia crossbowmen who have performed poorly are selected and sent into the forest, with orders to withdraw at the first sign of trouble. Khanzada Umar Shaykh the Pious ambushes them.

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Captain Charles, determined to prove the valor of his men, orders a charge against Umar's bombard crews. Umar calls up his horse archers, but is still looking for the main body of the army he thought to catch. The crossbowmen reach the bombard, and actually kill three of the men there before Umar's counter attack breaks our men's will.

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Captain Charles valiantly remains behind, slowing the pursuit before he is killed, and Umar lets the rest of the men go as he now suspects a trap.

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Umar is right, as Ulrik Jacobsen now leads a massive assault force against Umar's front and right flank. Karl Tarnovius, Thorgeir Bolverksson, and Prince Stenkil all bring their armies to the battle to reinforce Ulrik.

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Still disorganized, Umar's bombards trade a few shots with our own while his horse archers cover him.

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When the Timurids advance at last, Ulrik orders his men to stand no matter the cost, and rides out on the center left to blunt a heavy lancer's charge where the enemy forces are thickest. Ulrik is still shamed by the defeat of his once proud former army, and he is determined to draw payment in blood from the enemy on this day.

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Heavy Lancers, heavy horse archers, and halberd men march against Ulrik, who is also under fire from the Timurid grand bombards. At the main line there are only a couple of scattered charges for the moment. A well placed boulder breaks them up a bit before they even reach the swordstaves.

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With our right and left engaged, but Ulrik slowing the center the battle is so far well in hand. Halberd militia are making their way forward to join the primary attack, and soon Ulrik must break away or be swept under by sheer numbers.

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As soon as Ulrik cuts a path back through them and disengages the main body of the Timurids crashes into our line. The swordstaff men are heavily outnumbered and stretched thin, but holding while a hail of arrows falls among the enemy.

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Ulrik orders the Norse archers and some of the crossbowmen forward to the line, cutting our volume of fire in half, but shoring up the battered swordstaff soldiers. The Norsemen struggle to cut a path to the enemy general.

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The line is in utter chaos, with a few heavy lancers who have pressed through killing militia crossbowmen in our backfield.

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As the battle hangs in the balance, with our allies still too distant to give us aid, disaster strikes. Ulrik Jacobsen, who has slaughtered many a Timurid on this day, dies amidst his quest for vengeance, surrounded on all sides by heavy lancers and halberds.

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The left side of the line, where he was holding back the tide, is broken now. The crossbowmen there rout.

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The Khan's guard ride down among the majority of our fleeing crossbowmen, killing at will. The swordstaff men still hold the line, but they too are shaken, and have few men behind them for support. Fortunately the enemy's ranks too have been thinned by the uncompromising combat at the line.

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Soon after our left routs, the remainder of the battle at the line is won. On the right two companies of Timurid halberds break and flee, while most of the men from the Timurid's center pull back and rush around us to the left where their general has ridden away, looking to cut a hole through Prince Stenkil's reinforcements and so escape this hopeless fight. Seeing this, the fleeing crossbowmen rally, and turn on their erstwhile pursuers. Their revenge is bloody and final.

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Karl's men silence the enemy cannons, while Stenkil's disorderly force struggles to hold back Uman. At last huscarls swarm over Khanzada Umar Shaykh the Pious, capturing him and securing the costly victory.

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Prince Stenkil wishes to interview Umar after the battle, but his wounds will not permit it, and the man must be put to death before the King comes into camp. Lately Emund has taken to raving that the words and blood of the infidels are poison, and must be kept far from fair Danish ears and hands. Ulrik Jacobsen is mourned, but all agree that his death was a noble one, as is befitting the adopted son of Ulrik Nevjolvson, Leopold's eldest son, both of whom also died nobly in battlefield service to their King. Before the King rides to the west road, out of the forest, Niels Ebessen erects a battle marker there to commemorate the great victory over Khan Dayir.

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[Ramses II CP]

The Timurid Wars, Apres Moi..., turn 167.

Gustav Chemnitz is born into the royal line, though far distant from any thought of the throne. A Dane is called to the College of Cardinals. West of the Blood Forest King Emund consolidates his much reduced cavalry army and takes command of Sigurd's best troops. Calling together his generals, he lays out a plan for breaking up the Timurid column.

'It ends here. I'll have the heads of these ill born invaders, or I'll gut every man in our armies. For too long now they've ridden across our lands on their devil spawned beasts, spreading lies and filth on soil that I claim. It's intolerable! It's as though corpse bugs infest my very own body, eating me and spreading disease at the same time! Ahhh, not the bugs, not the buuuuugs!'
Striking himself in the head and chest, gradually the King brings himself back under control. Karl, Sigurd, Stenkil, Jon, and Thorgeir exchange glances, but wisely remain silent.

Clearing his throat, the King continues, 'My proposal is simple. We have not coordinated our joint operations well, so we'll just operate as lone wolves. I'll take most of Sigurd's infantry with the best of my remaining cavalry and invite them to attack me. It does not matter how many men they bring, I will drag down any general who dares lead men against me and scatter his armies to the dust. Immediately afterward Karl will lead the Ice Grinders forward, with what reinforcements can be spared for them, and smash the army at the rear of the column. I suspect their Khan is there Karl, be certain to kill him.'

'Aye my liege,' is Karl's only comment.

'Stenkil, Thorgeir, your men are the least reliable of the bunch, so I'll expect you to perform clean up duty. That third Timurid army may refuse to reinforce the men Karl and I kill, so they'll be left for you. Jon, you command the reserve at the southern bridge. Sigurd, you'll ride west to block the ford and prevent any Muslims from escaping into Europe. A few men can be spared for you, but not many. I don't expect you to need them.'

A chorus of 'Ayes' meet the King's grim finish. 'All done then? Comments?'

Prince Stenkil is coming into his own now as Danish administrators frequently ask his aid in accomplishing tasks the King considers secondary to the war effort. Knowing that he must someday lead these men, he says what they are all thinking, 'Father, if your initial attack should fail, are you quite certain we should go ahead with the other battles?'

'Listen well boy, I'll find victory or you'll be tasked with finding my body. On this day if you run, you'd better run faster than I can ride. Anyone else?'

'No? All right then, let's go give the lads a visions from heaven speech. I suspect most of them will be seeing it firsthand quite soon. I know they think I'm mad, that's why you lot have to stand behind me and look confident. Confident Thorgeir, not constipated!'

Snatching up a rock paperweight from his table, the King mutters, 'I know just how to start.'

Before the assembled masses of the Danish armies of the north, King Emund climbs atop a crude but sturdy stage and begins to speak, 'Today we fight to throw back the last wave of depraved infidels out of the east! Philosophers now think you can sail west, into the endless sea, to reach the east. Win this day, and I will take you that way, and show you such wonders as no man before has laid eyes on before we fall on this terrible foe's homelands from behind!'

'No matter though, this is not a battle we can lose, for God is on our side. God promises a great victory in this war! I have had a vision, a brief glipse from God's eyes of Timurid banners heaped high on a pyre, burning brightly to the sound of the lamentations of their women! Islam will end, and we will be her destroyers!'

Pausing a moment to build tension, the King remembers his paperweight and thrusts it into the sky triumphantly, 'Do you know what I hold here, in my own hand? This is God's gift to the Danes, visible sign of his oath that we will thrown down our terrible foes. This is the very stone that the Ark itself first touched down on, a blessed banner for our advance. It is a sacred stone, by virtue of having first shown Noah proof that God's just and terrible wrath could turn aside and become mercy for mankind. So it will be today, this enemy God has sent against us has coursed his last, and the mandate of heaven now swings toward a glorious final victory for our people! I will carry this stone by my heart, and it will turn away the Timurid's weapons for those who fight by my side!'

'Now go, go and prepare yourselves, for today we wipe out a proud and powerful enemy. No mercy! Kill them all!'

The King's army marched forward under cover of darkness, capturing a large hill near the road where the Timurids camped. They first realized we had arrived when the Serpentine's cannon shot began to fall among them.

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I know nothing of guns, but it would seem to me that hitting a target as large as an elephant with one was easy. Despite that assumption on my part, only a single elephant was felled before the Timurid advance came in range of our infantry line.

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A duel of fire arrows, with gun shots and cannon fire mixed in, breaks out across the top of the hill. We do not wish to draw a charge from the elephants, but the enemy's Sabadar are too accurate to be allowed to harass us endlessly. The King loses patience and orders the Eagles to charge the nearest Timurid archers.

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The enemy's heavy lancer counter charge on our left is predictable enough that our Huscarls can intercept the mass of it, shielding our infantry. Huscarls cannot stop the advance of the elephants, however.

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On the right one company of heavy lancers and one company of elephants are tearing apart a brave unit of Norse swordsmen who ran forward to try to protect the archers there.

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Heavy lancers, having run through the Huscarl screen on the left, launch a much reduced charge aimed at beheading our army. Eagles turn quickly to defend the King, but more enemies press in around them.

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Timurid heavy archers on horseback have charged against our archers on the right, but a counter charge to their rear by more Huscarls scatters them. The battle is being won! On every side the enemy's soldiers are being pressed back, though their elephants are near indestructable and cause terrible casualties where ever they roam. When our line of advance meets the Timurid elephants, it is stalled.

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Seeking to break the stalemate and surround the elephants, King Emund orders the Eagles to flank around the right side of our line and attack the rear of the Timurid line, where the last company of heavy lancers is reforming.

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Seeing a chance to swing the course of the battle, Shahrukh the Pious leads his personal guard in an attack against our infantry through the ranks of his elephants. There are now very few dismounted Huscarls and Norse swordsmen remaining to hold back the elephants, but they are the hardiest and most furious of the bunch. When the Timurid general's horse slips and gets caught against an elephant's flank, a brave Huscarl rushes in and slams his axe into Shahrukhh's stomach, opening a hideous wound. The Khanzada drags his horse down beneath the elephant's stamping feet, and is crushed like a wilted, black flower.

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Discipline among the enemy companies begins to break down as our men force gaps between the elephants and start to fell them.

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Their massed infantry and cavalry are still holding firm, however, and I point out to the King that the second Timurid army's banners are visible on the hill on the far side of the road while the remnants of Shahrukh's army is being pushed back onto the Eagles. Laughing out loud the King says, 'This is the DAY Aethelwulf! On this day I could defeat Odin in his own hall, thrown down Thor, and tear God himself from his throne! Who are these fools and madmen, that they would stand within reach of my sword on this day?' With that, King Emund throws himself forward, into the very center of the remaining Timurid forces during a bright flash of lightning.

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Cursing I try to follow him, but on every side the enemy is thick and fast. It is all I can do to remain ahorse. King Emund rides wildly through them, taking wounds but laughing and killing at will as well. Before I can even figure out where he is trying to go, a clever Timurid militia man sweeps low and strikes the King's horse in the leg. As the horse falls, so falls the King, and militia archers go to work with their axes. I cannot see him die, but I cannot see how any man could survive.

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Rage is boiling up in me, but I cannot give over to it yet. First I issue orders to organize the infantry and have them fall back. A captain is found to try to put together an orderly retreat. There is no victory here today, though we have destroyed an enemy army. Then, gathering the few remaining Eagles, I lead them against the scattered and broken enemy, seeking vengeance. No Timurids we can find on the right wish to stand against us any longer, but we kill them all the same.

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Sometime later I come to, realizing there are no Timurids near me, nor any longer are there Eagles with me. Nearby I can hear the screams of Danes, as the enemy harries our retreat, scattering it. With the blood no longer boiling in my veins I don't know what else to do, so I turn my horse and depart the field. A dark day, but at least some men are saved.

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Most of the men retreat northwest, perhaps hoping to link back up with Sigurd's men. I ride down to where Stenkil is, and give him the news, adding also that forty eight Danes surrendered and were executed. Disdaining all ceremony, Stenkil immediately orders me to ride to stop Karl Tarnovius' attack, 'He won't listen to anyone but King Emund's closest advisor. I am sorry to have to ask it of you Aethelwulf, for I know you grieve terribly, but I will need the Ice Grinders if I am to avenge King Emund.'

As I depart, I hear him musing, 'Uncle Toraren is the sticking point. He cannot be given position, but nor can he be denied it, especially not with the powerful army he heads approaching Sarkel. Perhaps Sigurd will do, until Ulrik comes of age, and hopefully by then the matter will have been decided for me by the passage of time...'

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Arriving at the Ice Grinder's camp I find the mood already grim. Ducking into Karl's tent, I nearly run him over as he makes ready to depart. Karl speaks first, 'He's dead then? You wouldn't be here without him otherwise.'

'He is. The King is dead, long live the King! King Stenkil has new orders for your men Karl.'

'Hah! Not King yet. Quite a few matters to work out before that's a done deal. No difference to me, I march in an hour to bring bloody vengeance to the Timurid Khan. Coming?'

What else could I do, 'If you've a lance, I've an arm to couch it.'

'Welcome to my guard.'

Karl has a bombard in his forces, and though he would like to attack at night to hinder the Timurid's movements, the crew prevails upon him to wait until first light.

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Immediately this pays off, as the bombard's first shot incinerates the Timurid Khan in his saddle in a massive inferno. Inexorably his army marches on forward.

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Following the King's example, when the Timurids start an arrow war over the top of the hill Karl launches his bodyguard, the sole cavalry in his force, forward on the attack. Riding down on those poor Muslims out of the brilliant sunrise I am struck by an odd feeling of pity. They have ridden so far to lose their leader and die this day, just as my own people have crossed Europe and died in nearly every wide place in the road along the way. Then Karl roars, 'FOR THE KING!' and I close my heart against any further pity.

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Our charge provokes a counter charge from a company of heavy lancers, and we pull back to trap them, causing another company of heavy lancers to charge us again in turn.

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On the right heavy horse archers hit lightly armored dismounted Huscarls, but after the initial impact our men regain the momentum. On the left Obudshaer halt a lancer's charge with heavy losses for the enemy. Then the elephants come.

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On the right they obliterate whole companies of dismounted Huscarls, though also crushing a few of their own cavalry men. On the left elephants charge a small group of isolated infantry. Elite foot knights are sent to reinforce that side, on the run, but though they drag down one elephant most of their ranks are smashed as well.

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At the center Obudshaer halt a charge from the Khan's remaining guard, while our counter charge is more successful, though costly. I take an arrow in the gap under my arm during this melee, and lose my sword. At last the sheer numbers of our men begin to tell, and as the elephants gradually collect enough wounds to collapse, so the Timurid army begins to collapse around them.

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Too proud to give in, Karl leads his men in routing the enemy until he can hear the thunderous noise of the Timurid reinforcements approaching. Though none of the Ice Grinders have fled, almost all of the dismounted Huscarls have, including the crew of the bombard. There are, perhaps, two hundred Grinders left on the field. Karl doesn't have to say anything, they know the day is lost, but they also know there is no retreat from this battle. Every drop of blood they spill is one less left for Stenkil to have to deal with. Turning to me, Karl commands me to carry word to the King. Cresting the hill behind me as I ride away swiftly, Timurid heavy horse archers come crashing forward in a charge, and Karl leads the Grinders in a charge to meet them! Karl himself is one of the first to fall under their maces.

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Though elephants, heavy lancers, and finally halberd militia come to kill them in a massive rush, the Ice Grinders give no ground except that it is paid for in blood.

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At the end of the day, though, they are too few.

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A hundred Danes are executed by the Timurids, though only the newly recruited dismounted Huscarls would surrender to them anyway. Eighty nine of those same men who escaped the battle laid down their axes and melted into the peasantry. Good riddance for my part. Weary beyond all thought, wounded beyond all repair, I reach King Stenkil's camp on my last legs. Hearing the news, he is momentarily furious, but quickly begins issuing orders to cancel further military operations and try to gather what soldiers can be saved from these two bloody defeats. I pass this ledger into my son's hands personally, and pass out of it's tale shortly afterward.

The Timurid Wars, Stenkil's Revenge, turn 168.

King Stenkil has a new son, named Dan. The third of his line, this leaves little doubt that Odin's curse is long gone. Sigurd's daughter accepts the proposal of a young man named Ragnvald Storegaard, who takes command at Sarkel despite being only sixteen. Reinforcements are requested, though King Stenkil hopes they will not be needed. Meeting with Prince Sigurd, King Stenkil suggests a cunning course of action.

'You lead the best troops we have left, and you are the most experienced general on the field. I have a difficult task for you. The new Timurid Khan has adopted one of his captains, thus promoting him to generalship, one Onggiran of Ban. The man is inexperienced and of doubtful skill, and so I want you to move south and make obvious your intent to attack him, but then hold off and appear to make camp for the night. This should entice Khan Pir Muhammed to rush forward to reinforce the smaller force. Your real task is not to attack Onggiran's depleted army, but to wipe out Khan Pir Muhammed's army, and capture the Khan if you can.'

Squinting at the maps on the table, Sigurd asks, 'How is this to be accomplished m'lord?'

'Upon getting word that your assault will wait for tomorrow their Khan will not scout his route, but will be rushing forward at full speed. If you lay your men in this small valley and simply wait, he will come running along to meet you. The Timurid's downfall has so far been their arrogance, as they lay ambushes for superior forces and come to us even when our army's position is superior and we must attack. They are fools, and it is time we showed them the error of their ways. Trap the Khan, force him to surrender, and this war may end at a single stroke.'

'And if he will not surrender, my King?'

'Kill him Sigurd, him and all that guard him. By the time Onggiran reaches you, your men will be weary and much reduced, so be prepared to withdraw in an orderly manner. Fortune favor you this day! This will be a difficult operation, but I am certain you can accomplish it.'

'I will not fail you my liege, I swear it on my life and my position as Prince of the realm.'

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Sigurd arrays his men under a steep cliff until they spot the approaching Timurid army. Arrogant to the last, Khan Pir Muhammed will not alter his line of advance, and his men march directly into the encircling arms of our Prince's infantry. Behind them on the left are the militia crossbowmen, where they command a small rise in the terrain and are guarded by some dismounted Huscarls. On the right, to the rear, are the Norse Archers, ready with fire arrows for enemy elephants and guarded by a veteran company of Scouts.

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As the Khan's men enter the field and engage, Prince Sigurd launches a charge designed to break their front ranks and carve a path to the Khan's guard. on the right of the infantry Norse Swordsmen begin battling the elephants, and taking huge losses.

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Mounted Huscarls and Scouts aid our crossbowmen and archers in preventing the Khan's horse archers from charging the rear of Sigurd's infantry formation. On every front the battle is being won, though the enemy elephants are reaping a terrible toll. At last Prince Sigurd has cut a path to Khan Pir Muhammed's side. Their duel is brief, and the Khan dies defiant.

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Every aspect of this battle has been won, except for the elephants. They will not rout, they will not die, and whether they stand at range or stomp through whole companies they are slaughtering Danes. As the Timurids in the pocket begin to rout, Sigurd realizes he does not have enough men left to finish the battle and kill the elephants.

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When a group of the enemy elephants break off from killing Norse Archers and stampede through his massed infantry, Sigurd's doubts are answered. In the whole battle the massed fire of his crossbowmen and archers has managed to down a single elephant. All of his infantry have killed two more. In return he has lost hundreds of men to them. As much as his men slaughtered the other Timurids, the Khan's elephants slaughtered the Danes. The time has come to withdraw.

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Sigurd himself is the last to leave the field, urging his men on to outspeed Onggiran's cautious advance.

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Though this battle will be recorded as a defeat, in truth Sigurd accomplished his task despite horrific losses and the courage of the Prince and his men will never be doubted.

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In a change of policy, the Timurids offer to ransom the men they captured after the battle. Sigurd is pleased to pay the ransom, and pledges a similar policy for any men he might capture in the future to the Timurid's new Khan, Onggiran of Ban. Sixty three men are recovered, and they report that in contrast to his deceased masters, Onggiran is a man of honor and kindly to prisoners taken in battle. Also recovered are the remains of King Emund the Mad. King Stenkil sends them to be interred with Emund's father's at Constantinople.

(to be continued)

[Ramses II CP]

The Timurid Wars, Stenkil's revenge, turn 168 continued.

So it has come to this for the Timurids. A single general, now Khan, recently promoted from the ranks leading less than a thousand total men in three scattered armies. If not for their elephants, they would hardly be worthy of note. With those elephants, however, they are still a force to shake nations. King Stenkil brings Jon of Svalunes and Thorgeir Bolverksson with their whole armies, around 2500 valiant if somewhat green Danes, to battle against 600 Timurids and their elephants. Our forces are weak on heavy infantry, with virtually none present, but an abundant supply of archers and crossbowmen to thin the enemy ranks.

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King Stenkil sets his formation on the highest hill in the area. Almost immediately we come under fire from a pair of elephant artillery companies, breaking the men's ranks. Our ballista teams are sent forward to return fire.

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The Timurids send up heavy archer cavalry, which the King counters with his sole company of Scouts. The Scouts are valiant and well led, but the fight is just even or slightly against them despite their valor.

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The ballista team kills an elephant, sparking a general advance from our enemies. Seeing this, the Scouts withdraw from their inconclusive engagement while Thorgeir's army presses forward hard nearby.

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On our left Thorgeir quickly becomes heavily engaged with the Timurid reinforcements, while to our right and center the initial enemy group is massing. As the immense superiority of our archers and crossbowmen begins to tell, they gather themselves for a charge. Seeing this, King Stenkil leads the Serpents in a charge of our own to forstall their advance and protect the ranks of weak archers against a melee.

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Swordstaff militiamen are struggling to shift their line to the right to cover the affrighted militia crossbowmen, but they must move slowly to keep their ranks orderly. Eventually they make it into position, allowing King Stenkil's guard to withdraw towards the center of our line, where they catch a weakened company of Timurid halberds and rout them. Behind us on the right Jon of Svalunes has at last gotten his men started marching up the hill when they are ambushed by a company of heavy lancers who were loath to charge the swordstaves.

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On the left Thorgeir is pushing his men hard, and taking great losses as a result. Clearly the man still feels the need to prove himself after his early defeat at the hands of the Timurids, but he is getting results. Militia crossbowmen throw down the reinforcement army's captain. He rode an elephant into battle and now he is buried under it.

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Most of the enemy on the left flee, but the remaining elephants there go mad or seek revenge one, storming into Thorgeir's disordered ranks and tearing huge holes in his formation. Losses appear to be horrific and some of Thorgeir's men are fleeing. Seeing the success from the left, the captain facing us from the right also sends his elephants into melee range amidst the more orderly ranks of our swordstaff men and ranged troops.

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Losses among Stenkil's men are also dramatic, and the last of the Timurid infantry moves in to try to take advantage of it. Sensing a possible shift in momentum, King Stenkil draws his Serpents back from harassing enemy archers to charge home and break the halberd company.

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The Timurid's heavy infantry and cavalry are all but obliterated, with a few small groups in retreat and hoping to escape. All that remains is to mop up their archers, mounted and foot, and find some way to clean up the elephants. In that light, King Stenkil leads a charge against Sabadar militia while Thorgeir struggles to rally his men by bravely fighting elephants everywhere he can find them.

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As the Sabadar rout one unit at a time, and the mounted heavy archers are ground down and put to flight, Thorgier continues to tackle the elephants head on, despite having lost his entire bodyguard. Inevitably an elephant's tusk gores him, and when he is thrown to the ground the beasts crush the life from him and his horse. A noble death in service to the King, having faced singlehandedly the most terrible foe in the known world. Thorgeir's deeds on this day will not be forgotten.

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At last across the blood soaked battlefield only a few companies of elephants remain. Our ballista team finally strikes down the last Timurid captain, routing his elephant company and winning the day for us, if so bloody a victory can be called victory at all.

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In honor of Prince Sigurd's unspoken arrangement with the new Timurid Khan, the prisoners from this day's battle are released and flee into Russia, earning the King a reputation as a bastion of chivalry. The path is now clear to the last organized Timurid force, Onggiran's small army, though the price we paid was steep. King Stenkil and Jon of Svalunes lead a weary, cobbled together pair of armies against the last of the elephants and the last Khan of the Timurids.

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The King has taken the high ground near an abandoned farm where an up and down ridge may help ward our massed troops against the long range cannon fire of the enemy elephants.

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While Jon and his sole remaining bodyguard bring their men to bear around our right Onggiran is content to exchange long range fire.

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Losses on both sides are significant, but having the advantage of a crossfire and the high ground begins to tell for our men. Several elephants are killed, and a company of them runs amok back towards the Timurid's main line. Onggiran appears indecisive and the battle is being won at range.

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At last, with a quarter of his elephants dead and half the rest running amok, Onggiran orders his heavy mounted archers to charge Jon's exposed Norse archers, who burn a few as they race forward.

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The struggle is fierce, but Jon's men are already weary and there are still elephants raining fire on them from nearby. Some of them break and flee. Sensing the potential for disaster on our right King Stenkil orders the few hale Serpents to charge to Jon's rescue, and we ride forward at full speed.

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Onggiran counters by charging his heavy lancers at King Stenkil's army, which forces the King to withdraw the Serpents to meet them. Jon appears to have his men back under control, and the cavalry archers are soon in flight.

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This does not save our right, however, as the elephants now advance and smash through them. Half of Jon's army routs immediately and heads for the hills without looking back.

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Seeing that situation well in hand, and seeing the King's guard engaged in a losing struggle against his heavy lancers, Onggiran decides that this is the moment of balance, and the only force he has left to take advantage of it is his own. The Khan's guard charges home against a company of swordstaff men who were only partially in formation due to confused militia crossbowmen retreating through their ranks.

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Even a few set swordstaves will cause cavalry trouble, however, and the lead Timurid is pitched from his horse and catapulted over the heads of the whole militia company while his death scream echoes across the field.

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The battle clearly hangs in the balance. King Stenkil and I, now the sole Serpents ahorse, cut a path through the heavy lancers and free while swordstaff men pin them in place behind us. We are not enough to aid much in the battle, but the mere sight of the King will shore up morale where Onggiran is cutting a path through our center. We ride back up the hill, and order every archer and crossbowman in our command to target the Khan, who has pulled back from the swordstaff company and ridden around them.

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Gradually, with heavy losses, Onggiran's guard is dragged down and butchered by our militia troops and archers. Jon's army has mostly fled, but the remnants finally succeed in driving any thought of battle from his last company of elephants. Jon himself is pursuing them off the field in a rage at failure of his men's will. The Timurid Khan suffers a moment of clarity in the midst of battle, and finds himself suddenly alone with only the last two members of his bodyguard left under his command.

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Those two men die before his eyes, and it is clear that there is nothing left to fight for. Unsure of the fate of the men that fled, Khan Onggiran now flees the field himself, chased by King Stenkil and I with a small, exhausted company of Scouts to aid us.

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The chase is long and hard, but at last he escapes our clutches. We are betrayed by having fought two battles today, and are too weary to pursue him well. Now the difficult task of clearing mad elephants away begins, but in the end the day is unquestionably ours and only the Khan has escaped.

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Khan Onggiran escaped into Russia, near where Prince Sigurd is camped. Jon of Svalunes' army took incredible losses because of their faltering courage, but with only three prisoners taken in the battle the King is comfortable releasing them and leaving the matter of the last Timurid Khan in Sigurd's hands. Fewer than two hundred total Timurid soldiers remain in Europe, though the cost in Danish lives has been immense.

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The Timurid Wars, Victory, turn 169.

Unfortunately for King Stenkil victory over the Timurid threat has brought the reverse of what King Emund's defeat of the Mongols did, and plague strikes our capital at Antioch. The population there has grown very large and the city may be overcrowded, but with the war at an end it is now on the slate to be surrendered to the Papacy as soon as the plague can be brought under control. Three thousand die in the plague, though few are soldiers. Anund of Holmr comes of age at Antioch, and immediately strikes out south for Gaza to be refitted with new armor and weapons. At Gaza orders arrive from King Stenkil for his brother Sten to board his army onto ships and sail west towards Marrakesh, where they will make ready to sail into the western sea to seek the homelands of the Muslims. If we cannot travel east to end the threat, perhaps we can arrive in the east by travelling west.

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Negotiations with Onggiran are brief, and in the end the last Khan feels that he cannot honorably abandon the cause that won him his position. Prince Sigurd declares his intent to attack, and leads his army forward the on very same rain soaked evening when the negotiations are broken off.

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There can be only one outcome to this battle, but still Onggiran brings his freshly recruited Khan's guard forward. Sigurd and his men meet him.

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In respectful single combat Prince Sigurd quickly fells the inexperienced Onggiran with a clean blow, and the remaining Timurids throw down their weapons and beg for mercy.

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The Timurid threat is at an end at last.

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All that is left for us is to secure the formerly Muslim lands and hand them over to the Pope. King Stenkil intends to stand by King Emund's mad promise to take his people into the west, but I cannot know what we will find there. Near Arguin Stenkil the Handsome sends word of a battle against a substantial force of rebels.

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The world as we know it following the Timurid invasion:

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(Technical notes; Fighting the Timurids in open field battles with primarily green militia troops and little to no gunpowder weapons is painful. My cavalry would have been the equal of theirs if I had allowed myself to train a few stacks of them in preparation, but I wanted to see how bad it would be without doing so. Some of these fights were among the most frustrating I've had while playing MTWII. In particular it is agonizing to have to let the AI take command of reinforcement armies comprised of my hard earned soldiers, who proceed to rush under the feet of the nearest elephant and flee the field screaming. I reloaded the battle where King Emund died twice so I could get a satisfactory death for him, one in which he didn't flee and had his dramatic moment, though the outcome was never in doubt. I think bridge defenses would've made for a better story overall than grinding them to death with numbers, but I didn't want to be cheesy. I could end this story here, but I think I have enough momentum left to wrap up the Americas and finish giving away the middle east and recapturing Arhus. Comments are, as always, appreciated.)

[Ramses II CP]

Exploration, turn 170.

The plague continues to ravage Antioch, and young Anund of Holmr is feared infected with it. Three thousand citizens die at our capital. Blasphemy is spreading at far west Arguin, and a Cardinal is called from Timbuktu to try to address the problem. A French assassin is spotted near Nicaea, and our own assassins are dispatched to deal with him. A Venetian delegation arrives at Antioch with unreasonable demands, and our experienced diplomats believe they intend a war with us. Perhaps in Africa, or even at Bran, in either case it would be foolish of them. At the end of the negotiations they announce the dissolution of our alliance.

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Exploration and unrest, turn 171.

The noble council, most of whom were cowed by King Emund or a part of his inner circle, have begun to trouble King Stenkil for an increase in the breadth of their responsibilities in the Holy Lands. The King is far away, leading his weary armies to Bran for retraining, and there are few reliable men available to offset the noble's influence throughout the empire. With that in mind, Stenkil adopts a young nephew of Karl Tarnovius by the name of Niels Tarnovius and tasks him with building a coalition of young nobles who will back the King. At Antioch the plague continues and even spreads, arriving with Anund of Holmr at Gaza. Three thousand and five hundred Danes die of the plague. Portugal and England ink an alliance. The heresy in Arguin province is brought under control. At Venetian Bologna a Danish delegation arrives with a prize for Venice, if she will but be our allies again.

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They are pleased to accept, and an unecessary war with a Catholic power is averted. Near Bran a few rebels serve as target practice for a pair of Serpentine cannons.

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East of Sarkel Lars the Wrathful, one of the last surviving members of King Emund's generation, catches more rebels and destroys them.

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Exploration and unrest, turn 172.

As a part of managing the nobles Prince Sigurd is instructed to marry his daughter, Kitta of Aalborg, to a freshly come of age noble honorably named Sighvat Bolverksson, placing him apparently in line for the throne, but actually far distant from real power.

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Plague continues to ravage Gaza, but it appears to have passed at Antioch. The city is being made ready to be turned over to Papal control, while the citadel at Gaza shuts her gates again with Anund of Holmr deathly ill inside. The Pope asks that we attack Hungary, but we are loathe to train our military might on a fellow Catholic nation. Instead King Stenkil promises to work 'behind the scenes' to weaken them for the Pope. In the far northeast King Emund's bitter brother Toraren has made his way to rebel held Bulgar and layed siege. Once taken Bulgar will be a European bulwark against further eastern invaders. Near Cairo a bloody battle is fought between the local militia garrison and some Muslim rebels.

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It is of little note except that Captain Gustav, head of the garrison at Cairo, dies in the battle. His second, Captain Knud, takes command to rally our men and win the battle, but is not granted adoption despite his valiant acts.

Exploration and unrest, turn 173.

At Gaza Anund of Holmr succumbs to the plague, along with six hundred of his fellow citizens. The Holmr line seems ill fated, with the father dying on the march to battle the Timurids, and now the eldest son struck down of plague. France is excommunicated and Byzantium declares war on our great nation by besieging Antioch. The Byzantines are reportedly bitter over the loss of their empire, as they now hold only two small islands. Stenkil the Handsome has a son, whom he names Gunnar Chemnitz to honor the Chemnitz who married Leopold's daughter and has no sons of his own, nor any chance of them. West of Cairo more Muslim rebels take up arms against us, and Captain Knud dispatches his second, Captain Olaf, to bring them to battle.

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Olaf rather casually sets his men up on the steepest hill in the area, commanding a powerful height advantage over the enemy. Unfortunately his hill is so steep, the crossbowmen cannot fire accurately down it, and the enemy spearmen and cavalry reach our spearmen undiminished while the crossbowmen withdraw in a panic.

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Olaf's company of spearmen on our left break and flee immediately, as do the isolated crossbowmen there. On the right Olaf dresses the ranks of two companies of crossbowmen and orders them to take aim at the Muslim commander.

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Captain al Mhadi notices their downhill position, and redircts some of his men to attack Captain Olaf's position. Mahdi's own cavalry ride behind them, protected from the hail of bolts that fly forth.

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Struggling to keep his men firing, Captain Olaf fights at the front. When he turns to order the crossbowmen to put away their knives and reload a fleeing Nubian spearman stabs him in the back. His death is most undignified as he begs one of the men in his command to save him.

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When al Mahdi returns to charge home and scatter the remaining crossbowmen, the battle is clearly lost. Some Danes are able to escape to face Captain Knud's wrath at Cairo.

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A new second is appointed at Cairo and dispatched to deal with the rebel al Mahdi. The battle is bloody as the heartened rebels fight like demons, but victory is ours and the remaining rebels are executed, though al Mahdi escapes. Captain Ulf limps back to Cairo with a battered remnant of an army, and Captain Knud wisely consults with the city administrators to have the tax burden lightened.

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At Antioch Gunnar Chemnitz sallies out against the Byzantine siege under Prince Foteinos while the Prince's sister watches from north of the city.

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The morning is cool and a haze of mist lies about the city. Cavalry archers ride forward to harry our men as they pour from the gates, and Gunnar leads his guardsmen against them.

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They flee, leaving most of their men dead on the field, but return to charge home out of the fog against some militia crossbowmen, who hold them and slaughter the remains.

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The enemy Prince's spearmen are unsuited to a frontal attack against so many crossbowmen, and we are carving them up. Seeing this, he leads his personal guard forward while our swordstaff companies are still setting their lines, hoping to catch us off guard.

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Gunnar is clearing away the last few scattered spearmen, so the swordstaff companies are ordered to attempt to encircle the Prince and capture him. Though he withdraws twice, both times his men line up and charge home again. At last Gunnar makes it back to the line to pin him in place, and the two meet on the field for the first time.

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The duel is brief, and Prince Foteinos is wounded high on his swordarm. When he realizes the staff militia have surrounded him, he surrenders to Gunnar.

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Gunnar sets a fair ransom for the boy and what is left of his army, but the Byzantines refuse it. Foteinos' execution is witnessed by his sister, who is called to the city to negotiate a peace.

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The lovely Kale Bringas insists that her nation is penniless, and so a truce is signed with no penalty for the losers in this war. Stern warnings go out about the price of further aggression.

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Exploration, turn 174.

Niels Tarnovius takes a wife. The Pope calls a crusade against Scottish held Riga, which we must as always apologize for not joining. Toraren occupies Bulgar, and is instructed to build a system of watch towers in the area to warn of eastern invaders. The empire is at peace.

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Exploration and unrest, turn 175.

Poland and the Papacy answer the call to crusade. Sicily and Spain declare war. At Antioch Gunnar Chemnitz succumbs to old age, and negotiations are concluded to hand the city over to the Papacy in exchange for a token sum of florins.

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Lars the Wrathful has been given a special mission by King Stenkil to discover where the Timurids got their war beasts, but before he can embark on this mission he must annihilate a rebel command in the mountains west of Tblisi. This he accomplishes with few losses.

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Our lonstanding Polish allies ask that we attack the French, but we must decline. To maintain good relations, we offer them some thousands of florins in tribute.

Exploration and unrest, turn 176.

England joins the crusade. A new son is born into the extended family, Sigurd Storegaard. Danes now thoroughly dominate the College of Cardinals. A Spanish army has been camped west of Constantinople since the city was in Egyptian hands and the Pope called a crusade against it. Ten years ago the Spanish sent a general named Gomes Telles to take command of the men, but he also simply sat in camp with them, neither marching away nor making threatening moves towards the city. Now he has taken down Spain's flags and declared himself a rebel, and the once proud crusaders have joined him. No one can imagine what their purpose is, but such a powerful army cannot be allowed to stand in rebellion so near our western border, so the garrison of Constantinople is mustered to attack Gomes Telles' camp.

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Gomes leads a large number of cavalry against our captain Jens, whose men are exclusively green militia troops. With that in mind, captain Jens arranges his army so that they form a complete box into which the crossbowmen can retreat when the cavalry threaten, and also to prevent any one company of his militia from being flanked. Across the front of his formation are hardy companies of swordstaff men, with crossbowmen in front of them to force the enemy forward. To the right rear are two companies of speamen militia, and at the rear of the formation are five companies of poorly armed town militia as a reserve, and to prevent the army from being flanked and enveloped.

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As Gomes' cavalry nears our lines the crossbowmen pull back successfully into the circle of spears and swordstaves. Captain Jens orders them to continue firing at the ranks of heavy cavalry even once they charge. The formerly Spanish cavalry form neat ranks and charge against our swordstaves all along the line. Losses are light on both sides.

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It is hideous to see rebels using shields and armor bedecked in Crusader's crosses fighting our swordstaff companies, as though Constantinople were the target of a crusade. Gomes stands back from the lines, watching for a weak spot as his spearmen reach our formation and engage.

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Despite being outnumbered at the point of attack our lines are holding well. On the left captain Jens calls an unengaged company of swordstaff men from the 'top' of our formation to reinforce the front line, and moves a company of town militia to shore up the top line.

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On the right the edgemost company of swordstaff men are at half strength and weakening, so the spearmen militia are called up to reinforce them. Seeing this, Gomes Telles chooses this spot to launch his crushing charge, killing most of the remaining swordstaff militia, but grinding to a halt amidst the spearmen.

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At the rear of our formation Jinettes have worked their way clear around our lines, and are slaughtering town militia. Fortunately there are hundreds of town militiamen covering the rear, and sheer numbers overwhelm the Jinettes and cause them to rout.

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With his attacks on our right and to our rear halted Gomes realizes the battle is hanging in the balance. If he cannot flank us and break at least one company of Danes his men will soon tire and falter, so he commits his final cavalry reserve on the far left. One whole and one much reduced company of heavy cavalry charge home against the edge of our left flank, where town militia meet swordstaff men.

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Fortunately they are too few to overwhelm the town militia. Seeing how few of Gomes' men are left, captain Jens commits the rest of his town militia reserve to the line. It might be best to send them to flank the enemy, but their morale is too uncertain to risk it.

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Faced with vast numbers of Danes, and under constant harassing fire from our crossbowmen, the will of the rebels fails and most of them flee. Gomes is infuriated, and rides off to spark a brief rally, then charges back with three weary and uncertain companies.

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The rally is short lived, and this time Gomes himself and his men join the flight away from the piled dead at our line.

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Casualties are high, but captain Jens acted wisely to prevent a complete defeat and defend Constantinople from these 'Crusaders.'

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[Ramses II CP]

Exploration and unrest, turn 177.

The Pope commands that we convert more of the populace in the Ryazan region, inside the borders of our Russian allies. We are always pleased to bring more men into the faith, though it may upset our allies. King Stenkil commands his spies and assassins to begin undermining Hungarian rule in the city of Thessalonica. West of Marrakesh the first Danish Caravel sails into the unknown ahead of Prince Sten's arrival to blaze a path for him. Rebels spring up in the borderlands between Tblisi and Sarkel where a captain named Thorgeir attacks them. The battle is never in doubt.

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Exploration, turn 178.

The Polish crusade reaches Riga and lays siege. Otherwise Europe is quiet.

Exploration and unrest, turn 179.

The Poles capture Riga and end the crusade. Part of the former garrison of Antioch, marching on the road to Iconium under captain Ulrik, rebels. Immediately cavalry are ordered trained at Iconium and Caesarea to run them down and annihilate their treachery. South of Bulgar Toraren and his bodygaurd catch some rebels in the countryside on a rain swept evening.

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Sitting in the rain storm with my uncle Magnus the mighty Toraren the Mean vents some of his frustration at the course of his life, always coming just short of greatness and power. Now in the deep hinterlands of our empire where his nephew, the King, has assigned him to build towers and keep a futile watch, he will take some payment from the world in the blood of rebels.

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Burning arrows lance out, but fail to puncture the armor of Toraren's guard and only kill their own. Shortly afterward the lances of the Ravens prove more powerful.

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As captain Zaiats flees, the Ravens charge over the hill and run him down, ending the battle with no losses among the venerable Ravens.

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Exploration and earthquakes, turn 180.

A powerful earthquake strikes the Timbuktu region, killing almost seven thousand Danes including many senior merchants and bishops. The area will take many years to rebuild.

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At Bran Prince Sigurd expires of old age, and Toraren is recognized as Prince to appease him in his last years and prevent disorder. Spain and Portugal go to war. Caesarea is surrendered to the Papacy, and King Stenkil determines that the regions north towards Sarkel will be surrendered before those to the west, approaching Constantinople. West of Marrakesh the King's brother ventures into the unknown with an army of soldiers and a retinue of bishops and spies.

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East of Iconium the newly trained War Clerics ride to bring our former captain Ulrik, now styling himself 'Ulrik of Tvoroyri' to justice. The man proves himself an utter coward, and he is run down quickly and to few losses.

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West of Bran our Venetian allies call us to aid them in battle against some rebels. King Stenkil is pleased to answer the call and eliminate the threat.

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The New World, turn 181.

The French are reconciled with the Papacy, again. In the west our expeditionary force discovers a lush green land. Prince Sten sends ahead orders for the spy aboard the trailblazing boats to find a place to land and scout the area. Europe hails this place as the 'new world.' At Thessalonica the work of our spies at last pays off, and the city rebels against the Hungarians. The spies move on westward, seeking another target town with the Hungarians none the wiser. Eventually Bucharest will be a target so as to allow us to bring Bran within our larger borders, but first Ragusa or Zagreb must rebel to throw the Hungarians off the trail.

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The New World, turn 182.

The southern coast of the new world is somewhat exposed, but the spy has not yet gone aground. There are definitely people here, as their fishing operations have been spotted, but Prince Sten sends back word that they look nothing like Mongols and their boats are small and crude. Europe is primarily at peace, and hangs on Prince Sten's every report. The Byzantines cause a bit of trouble by being caught spying on Iconium and King Stenkil orders a military response prepared.

The New World, turn 183.

The King's eldest son, Prince Ulrik, comes of age at Bran. Also coming of age is the last of the Holmr line, Jon. Ulrik is to be given a command as soon as enough men can be trained and properly equipped for him.

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Spain and Venice go to war. In the west Prince Sten's ships are exploring the north coast of the land they've discovered, but have not yet made ground. Supplies for the trip are good, and more ships are being prepared to head west and reinforce his men. Jon of Svalunes takes an army out of Bran that was meant to sail west down to the Byzantine citadel at Rhodes and lays siege. If they won't have peace then neither will they have a place from which to attack us.

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At Bulgar Prince Toraren's eldest daughter. Krafla, comes of age and is, err, said to have an excellent personality.

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In the passes north of Tblisi more rebels are used for target practice by our guns.

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The New World, turn 184.

Taking on the garb of a native, our spy goes aground at the New World and discovers a crude and primitive people. They have no apparent horses, nor any great system of roads, indeed except for one small city on the north side there is little sign of true civilization at all. Prince Sten prepares his troops to land east of the city. East of Gaza in Papal lands Lars the Wrathful discovers a company of elephant riding mercenaries who will hire on with us for a price. It has always been the policy of our nation not to trust or use mercenaries, but King Stenkil cannot resist this chance to use such mighty beasts of war in his service. Lars purchases their loyalty and begins to march them back to Gaza.

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[Ferret]

ahh at last the new world! keep up the good read

[Ramses II CP]

The New World, the First Battle, turn 185.

A Hungarian spy is discovered at Bran but he escapes before we can capture him. Our mission from the Pope to convert the people of Ryazan is completed, and the Pope sends us a small reward. Toraren, now known as the Mean, passes away quietly at Bulgar where the borders are peaceful. His cavalry army is maintained in the area for the time being as a ward against further possible incursions from eastern infidels. Prince Ulrik is now officially acknowledged as the heir of our nation, and King Stenkil's second son, Charles, comes of age at Bran. A witch is executed near Bucharest. Coming ashore near the sole known city in the new world, Sten consults with his spy and decides to attack immediately.

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The native village is unwalled and unprepared. The natives sit in their square until bolts from our mounted crossbowmen begin to fall among them. Despite some superstitious worries from among our soldiers, these are but men and a bolt in the chest drops them like any other. A few of the enemy charge out, but their charge is broken before it reaches the crossbowmen. Sten's guard pursues them as they flee back to the square.

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Closer to the square there are more infantry men with short spears rushing forward, but Sten rides them down and takes their commander's unit from behind.

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In a space of heartbeats their chieftan is in flight.

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He doesn't make it back to the square, where death awaited in any event. War Clerics have ridden over the enemy archers, and the garrison of this town is destroyed easily.

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In the trees and high grasses a significant number of our losses were due to friendly fire when the lines of crossbowmen became entangled during the advance. The mounted crossbowmen are new to Danish armies and their use will have to be refined to avoid this problem, but despite it this battle is won.

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The town is occupied, and Danish cardinals, bishops, spies, and some peasants and workmen leave the boats to spread our civilization among the primitives. Sten dubs the town, whose name is meaningless in our language, Knudsville in honor of the King who led our people out of their homelands to their destiny. Old King Knud is something of a mythical hero to modern Danes, as King Stenkil promotes the legends of our people's rise to power and the fulfillment of their destiny.

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Back in Europe, at Durazzo our spies and assassins have done their disruptive work and rioting in the city is increasing in frequency. Jon of the ill fated Holmr line leads a small group of War Clerics against some rebels, and wipes them out.

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Yerevan is surrendered to the Papacy in addition to a gift of ten thousand florins to ensure perfect relations with the Holy Father.

(Technical note: The reputation value can wrap around somehow if you push it too high. I went from Perfect to Very Poor by trying to give the Pope Yerevan and Tblisi together as a gift. Yerevan alone took me down to Amiable, which I was able to recover with the 10k florins. Gifting Yerevan, Tblisi and 10k florins together at the same time took me to Abysmal.)

North of Kiev more rebels are caught and put to the sword by the local garrison.

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Jon of Svalunes assaults the fortress at Rhodes.

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None of the gates are defended, so we ride unopposed into their final redoubt where Vardartoi finally ride out to meet Jon's bodyguard.

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They are easily smashed aside, and Rhodes is ours.

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The fortress is sacked, with five thousand florins going into the coffers. A naval engagement results in the sinking of three Byzantine ships.

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The New World, turn 186.

Pope Niccolus dies, but the Danish hammerlock on the College of Cardinals ensures another Danish Pope. Birger the Peaceful becomes Pope Lanfrancus.

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Hungary and Spain ally with one another. A pair of minor battles with rebels make it obvious that continuing to report such battles is purposeless as the rebels no long pose a significant threat in any shape or form. Fifty seven Danes die to kill some two hundred rebels total. A pretty English princess is found to favor our Prince Ulrik, and a marriage is arranged for a suitable sum of coin, thus securing good relations and a stable alliance.

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Durazzo rebels against the Hungarians at our instigation. Time now to make a move against Bucharest, if the Polish haven't captured it yet. Already our priests have converted a fifth of the populace around Knudsville to Catholicism. Sten sends word that the local faiths were all weak, fractured, and abhorrent. A network of watch towers is being established to keep our new subjects in hand.

The New World, turn 187.

Lars Eigod's son, Leofric, comes of age at Iconium and is dispatched towards Bran for outfitting with new weapons and armor. Of Leopold's line he is the sole heir. Forty five Danes die to bring three hundred and fifty rebels to justice around the Empire. Jon of Svalunes sails from Rhodes to Irakalion to lay siege to the rebels there.

The New World, End of the Ancient World, turn 188.

A German named Gutenberg has invented a machine for the reproduction of books. I can't quite grasp how this would work, does the thing have hands and hold a quill? In any case, I will follow this with great curiosity. Perhaps someday we could capture such a machine and ensure the survival of this very document down the ages to accurately recount the history of our people. Over half the people of Knudsville are Catholics now, and the work of conversion proceeds on it's own intertia now. Sten has completed his network of towers, and is regathering the men to sail north where ships have discovered another new land. A naval battle near Arguin clears up a longstanding piracy problem.

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At Nicosia Lars the Wrathful lands near Byzantium's last holding and catches their Emperer's son outside the walls of the citadel. The Emperor will have to ride out to aid him, offering Lars the opportunity his father, Leopold, lusted for but was denied; to be the final destructor of Rome's legacy. In this cause he brings to battle the mercenaries elephants King Stenkil sent him to discover.

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The elephant mounted guns take a terrible toll on the Prince's men, and none of them manage to muster the courage to reach melee range.

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The Prince himself tries to force his men to charge home, but they break and flee. During the rout Prince Vasileios is gunned down.

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The elephant companies ride forward against the last Roman Emperor, whose men will not charge them either. He dies still valiantly trying to get his men to advance.

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Lars ransoms the few captives and is paid. They retreat into the citadel at Nicosia to await his assault, and Lars obliges them with haste.

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Such a battle can have only one outcome, even when so great a place is being defended.

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Nicosia is sacked for ten thousand florins and Byzantium is destroyed. Lars the Wrathful is truly his father's son, and he retires to the Emperor's former palace on the island to live out his days in dreaming of his place in history as the mail fisted destroyer of Rome's last living legacy.

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At Irakalion Jon of Svalunes proceeds with his assault.

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Under a blazing sun Norse axemen push a ram to the east gate while foot knights erect ladders on the north walls.

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The east gate falls and the axemen carve a path through some Byzantine lancers to open the path to the square. Fighting on the north walls is also heavily in our favor, and the army advances on both sides.

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Axemen must carve a hard path uphill through spearmen and cavalry, but they are up for the task and clear the road once again.

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Leading his cavalry into the city Jon catches the rebels retreating from the north walls by surprise, and smashes three companies of spearmen against the anvil of his foot knights.

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A quarter of the rebels make it back to the square and form up with their captain. Hoping to prevent more losses among the infantry, Jon calls forward his Serpentine. The crew's second shot finds the enemy captain.

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The rebels briefly attempt a sally before being driven back into the square and cut down. The city is ours and thirteen thousand florins are taken in the sack of Irakalion.

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The New World, turn 189.

The Pope sends us two thousand florins as a reward for our devotion. Our people and the people of the Papal lands are truly almost as one, so long has the Pope been a Dane. Bergthor Chemnitz, Stenkil's oldest son, comes of age at Marrakesh. The boy is reputed to be striking to behold, just as his father, but also lazy and subject to sicknesses more in his head than his body. The Pope declares a truce with his oldest enemy, Scotland, and excommunicates France. We have raised riots at Hungarian Bucharest, but it isn't judged to be serious yet.

The New World, turn 190.

A Papal army in Italy is discovered to contain mercenary elephants. We are fortunate the Pope is on our side. Tblisi and Trebizond are surrendered to the Papacy in exchange for a token sum of coin.

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At Sarkel forty Danes die to kill two hundred rebels.

The New World, turn 191.

The Noble Council asks that we blockade the rebel port at Durazzo, hungry for the money it may bring. They've been pressuring the King to retake Thessalonica as well, as that rich city was once their base of operations, while King Stenkil has other priorities, namely the reinvestiture of our long lost home at Arhus. The King, departing Bran to march north for Arhus, has tasked his eldest son Ulrik to capture the city with a hodgepodge army of retrained men from the Timurid campaign.

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In the new world four out of every five men, natives and Danish transplants together, are now Catholics and some companies of locals have been drawn up to defend Knudsville. With the situation well in hand and spy boats spreading out ahead of him Sten departs Knudsville for points north. Bulgar and Sarkel are the next regions to be turned over to Papal control, and with this in mind Toraren's old cavalry army at Bulgar is sent on one last patrol around the region to ensure it's pacification and to watch for any hint of an infidel incursion. South of Bran Niels Tarnovius, whom the King left in charge at the citadel, smashes a few hundred poorly led rebels to no losses of his men.

The New World, turn 192.

A new crew is being gathered to reinforce Knudsville and Sten at Marrakesh. Several senior Danish Bishops, a few spies, and a mixed army are preparing to board ships and sail west as our advance ships spy out the much larger land masses there. Sten is aging and will need more than just cavalry to hold all that land. West of Cairo in the usual trouble spot the garrison has a difficult battle with some tough Muslim rebels, losing a hundred and fifty men to drag down three hundred rebels. At Thessalonica Ulrik proceeds with the assault. My son Knud will see his first real action as the head of Ulrik's bodyguard.

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Our main push will be from the east with two siege towers around the ram to cover it's advance. To the south and north rams will also crack the gates, seeking a weak spot for an assault. The southern force is minimal, a crossbow company and some peasant archers, while the northern force is more powerful with some experienced soldiers and cavalry. Despite heavy fire the east gate is cracked first, just as the northern siege tower burns. Luckily the crossbowmen pushing it were instructed not to take shelter inside but to wait for the gates to fall.

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Word reaches us that the gates have fallen all around the city. To the south the peasants and crossbowmen attempted to rush within the walls against a single company of spearmen. The spearmen moved to block the gatehouse only after the peasants had made it in, and so are caught between the advancing crossbowmen and the peasants to their rear. The fight is bloody, but numbers and superior positioning soon tell as the militia spearmen flee and are cut down.

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To the north the sheer quantity of our infantry begins to tell as the gate house is cleared and dismounted Huscarls fight their way into the streets against a small force of rebel cavalry and spearmen. The rebel captain comes forward with three companies of horse archers to personally to direct the fighting, and gets caught behind our advancing horde.

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Watching our men pour into the streets while their captain is cut off drives panic into the hearts of the defenders, and they flee for the square, leaving their commander behind. He is captured quickly, and the pursuit is on to reach the square ahead of the still significant forces holding the eastern walls and gate. As soon as those men are seen withdrawing Ulrik leads his personal guard forward to harry their retreat.

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A company of Viking Raiders cuts off the head of the north street in front of the rebel rally point at the square, pinning hundreds of rebels there with Prince Ulrik leading a charge into their backs. Once the men in this pocket begin to panic and rout the slaughter is immense.

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Meanwhile, at the square the few men who have made it back there face a heavy assault from Norse War Clerics. They do not hold out long, and the city is ours.

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Fifteen thousand florins are taken in the sack of Thessalonica, but most of them will have to be spent repairing the city. The rebels did nothing to repair the damage done in their rebellion or by our saboteurs. The city is in a shambles.

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[Ramses II CP]

The New World, turn 193.

Relations with our allies around Europe are quite good, and the Danes have an unparalleled reputation for reliability, though it took many long years to recover such after the way we were forced to betray Egypt. In the west our ships have discovered the northern edge of the new land mass, including spotting a few islands nearby. Sten's ships are sailing as fast as they can, but the journey is long. Five Danes die to drag down three hundred rebels near Caffa.

The New World, turn 194.

Danish dominance of the College of Cardinals is complete, as every Catholic Cardinal is a Dane, as is the Pope. Though some might question why King Stenkil continues to order our lands surrendered to the Papacy, a wiser question might be where the real line is between our people and the people who follow the Pope. Even the culture of Rome is shifting to a distinctly Danish flavor. Our Polish allies have been urging us to attack the French, but as ever King Stenkil is loathe to wage a war of aggression against a fellow Catholic. Instead the King appeals to the Pope to declare a crusade against a French city, Dijon. In the west our ships discover a landing point... and a new civilization, the Aztecs. Reports are still unclear, but it does not appear that these people bear any relation to the infidels from the east as there are no horses in all these lands. Still, their people will be conquered and their barbarian religion wiped out.

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Arriving at Arhus with his son Charles, King Stenkil opens negotiations with the Poles for an exchange of cities. The Polish emissary asks only for Kiev, which seems a more than fair trade to our King, and so the deal is completed and our former capital comes into our hands once again! Celebrations are declared throughout the empire, and in Papal lands as well.

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Six Danes die putting down two hundred rebels. Rebellion is increasingly a mad proposition in our lands as serpentines virtually ensure the rapid destruction of the enemy to few losses of our own. Rioting in Bucharest proceeds as planned, but still shows no signs of erupting into rebellion.

The Aztec Wars, Opening Moves, turn 195.

The Pope, as is his duty, asks that we join the crusade, and we decline, as is our destiny. Poland, Spain, and the Pope send armies on crusade against Dijon. In the West our spy departs the ship and garbs himself as a local so that he can travel through the Aztec lands and see their defenses. The Council's request to blockade Durazzo is accomplished, and Ulrik begins gathering an army at Thessalonica to march west and capture the city. Niels Tarnovius brings some War Clerics down from Bran to reinforce Ulrik. Continuing his line's ill luck, Jon of Holmr is wed to Krafla the Gorgon, Toraren's only daughter and a princess of the realm, but who is discovered to be barren.

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A heretic is tried south of Arhus, but escapes prosecution for the time being. Bulgar and Sarkel are surrendered to the Papacy leaving only Caffa among our northern holdings.

The Aztec Wars, Opening Moves, turn 196.

The Council, far from King Stenkil and feeling their power wax, insists that the King send a diplomatic mission to ask the Scottish for Stockholm. The King is reluctant to risk a new war, but he sends a spy north to check on the city. Another Hungarian spy is caught at Constantinople, but the Pope declares a truce with the Hungarians. The trial against the heretic of Arhus continues, but his vile message is spreading among the people. Our spy in the west is finding Aztec lands fraught with ambushes and danger, but he continues collecting information for us.

The Aztec Wars, Opening Moves, turn 197.

Hardeknud of Aalborg, the sole heir of Sigurd of Aalborg, comes of age at Iconium and immediately marches west for Bran to be refitted with new armor and weapons. He is sometimes possessed with fits of madness, but is otherwise a fine bearer of Sigurd's chivalrous legacy. Ulrik and Niels Tarnovius lay siege at Durazzo, but are in no rush to capture the city as Hungarian spies infest the area. At last the heretic of Arhus is convicted and punished for his crimes against God. In Aztec lands our spy finds the man who claims to be the Emperor of the Aztecs, and is unimpressed.

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The Aztec Wars, Opening Moves, turn 198.

England joins the crusade against Dijon, but likely too late to contribute as the Spanish already have the city under siege and a Polish crusade army is nearby as well. At Nicosia in the former palace of the Byzantine Emperor Lars the Wrathful passes away peacefully in his sleep, the last of King Emund's generation. The empire is mostly at peace, as our brutality in dealing with rebellion and news of the new enemy over the sea calms the populace. Our spy discovers the capital of the Aztec empire, and finds that it is in disarray with riots in the streets and an army of questionable loyalty nearby. These people are ripe for conquest, and more armies are dispatched aboard ships to sail for the new world.

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The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 199.

Spain captures Dijon and the crusade comes to an end. Prince Ulrik's failure to produce an heir is starting to worry the aging King Stenkil. More Hungarian agents are discovered at Constantinople as they try to work against us the same strategy we used against them at Thessalonica and Durazzo. The King's youngest son, Dan, comes of age as does Stenkil the Handsome's second son, known as Gustav the Handsome. Gustav is as physically flawless as his father, but some fear that Dan carries the seed of madness once found in King Emund.

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Sten comes ashore in Aztec lands and sends his priests into the countryside and his spy into the nearest city. Getting a good report on the strength of Aztec arms in the city, Sten lays siege immediately. Unfortunately his army consists entirely of cavalry and so no assault can be made until infantry arrive from the old world or our spy gains enough influence to open the gates from within.

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A look at our current maps of the world, new and old:

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[Ramses II CP]

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 200.

A storm strikes the fleet crossing to Knudsville and Bergthor Chemnitz is lost at sea along with nineteen soldiers and a pair of experienced spies from Marrakesh.

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England and Scotland sign a peace treaty, which does concern the King somewhat as the Scot's only remaining lands are directly north of Arhus. A spy discovers, however, that Scottish Stockholm is poorly garrisoned and the peasantry is rioting in the city. Cardinals and Bishops are hard at work in the new world, and the locals are receptive. Estimates are that a fifth of the Aztecs near our landing beaches already call themselves Catholics. Caffa is surrendered to the Papacy, the last eastern Danish holding. The empire of the Pope is now vast, likely the largest in all of Christendom. Niels Tarnovius and Prince Ulrik proceed with the assault on the formerly Hungarian city of Durazzo.

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To the east Tarnovius leads the main body of the troops with a ram, three towers, and a serpentine. To the south Prince Ulrik has a smaller group of soldiers with only a pair of sige towers, but expects to be the first into the city as the walls before him are unoccupied. Meanwhile, at the main gate resistance is stiff and the tower on the right burns at the walls. Fortunately no men were within when it went up.

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To the left of the east gate two companies of crossbowmen proceed with a distraction attack against the walls. Success is possible, but unlikely, and their main purpose is to pin the enemy there while Ulrik takes the south gate. The company from the burned tower joins their effort as well.

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The garrison forces pour onto the walls and overwhelm the crossbowmen, but not before Ulrik has siezed the southern stretch of walls and thrown open the gate there. As the crossbowmen flee the walls, Prince Ulrik and his experienced troops enter the city.

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Rebel spearmen and horse archers briefly oppose Ulrik before being smashed aside. At the east gate the ram completes it's work and throwns down the gates as the rebels flee the walls to try to make it back to their rally point at the square. Niels Tarnovius leads a charge with two companies of War Clerics to trap them in near the walls.

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At a crossroads to the southeast of the square the rebel commander is surrounded and captured as our rapid advance sows disarray in his army. Resistance is disorganized and rapidly crushed at the square. Losses are significant, but mostly among the crossbowmen who made the necessary but bloody feint at the eastern walls.

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Five thousand florins are taken in the sack of Durazzo. After the battle my son Knud sends word that he and Ulrik intend to ask that the King allow them to name their bodyguard the Black Worms, in honor of old King Knud's own personal guard. I am sure the King will approve.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 201.

Pope Lanfrancus dies while touring his holdings in the Levant, but the College is staffed solely with Danes and Pope Gerhardus immediately ascends to the Holy Office. Hungary, Scotland, and France are all reconciled; Hungary for the first time in a hundred years. Relations with the Hungarians are still abysmal, and a simmering war of spies and assassins continues despite the official peace. West of Bran a Hungarian army has struck their colors, declared themselves to be rebels, and moved into our lands. Jon of Holmr rides out and puts these four hundred Hungarian 'rebels' to the sword immediately, at a cost of sixty five Danish lives.

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The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 202.

A Hungarian spy is discovered in the citadel at Bran, all but confirming our suspicions about the 'rebel' army near there. A French spy is found at Iconium, and King Stenkil orders troops drawn up to capture Smyrna from the French in response. Troops levels are boosted in anticipation of an assault, and the King is pondering an open move against the Hungarians at Bucharest. Ulrik's sister Svana is married to Leofric Eigod, thus binding Leopold's last heir more tightly to the family. The girl is not best pleased at the King's choice of husband for her, and makes certain Leofric knows of it.

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South of the Aztec city where Sten lays siege a Danish spy discovers the Aztec emperor on the march north with a two full armies at his call. Sten is hopeful that the barbarians will come to him here, near the coast, where retreat is still possible if necessary. His siege goes on. Ragnvald Storegaard, who has turned to drink during his long voyage west, arrives at Knudsville with his wife and young son to take command of the city. Sighvat and the rest of the men from Marrakesh continue north from Knudsville to reinforce Sten.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 203.

With the passage of time King Stenkil's true power in the world has become increasingly evident, and now his envious enemies have dubbed him King Stenkil the Tyrant. A King of unmatched authority, the mere mention of his name strikes fear into the hearts of our nation's enemies. Our 'peaceful' victories against the Hungarians have won the respect of all but the most dense among the European royalty, and though King Stenkil is likely past the age of campainging I dare say he and the Serpents could still strike if we so chose. His reputation, as much as anything else, maintains peace throughout the empire, and his influence stretches even to the lands in the west now. This is the destiny of the Danes, to dominate the world as no people before us, and to write large a legacy that none will seek to match again. Look on our works, ye mighty, and despair!

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slaughter, turn 204.

A definitve tome, the Malleus Maleficarum, has been written at the command of Pope Gerhardus and serves as a guide to the trials of heretics of every stripe. The line of our ally's Kings has failed, and the Portugese people have fallen into rebellion and chaos. Their last holdings, at Dublin and Rennes, now await the arrival of a more permanant authority. A Danish diplomat offers a substantial sum of coin to the rebel commander at Rennes, but is rebuffed. In the New World the Aztec Emperor has outrun his reinforcements and attempts to set an ambush to the south of Sten's siege force, but Sten's spies are too wily for this to work. Instead Sten lifts the siege and marches south to confront the Aztec's leader. Spies confirm that the Aztecs have no cavalry of any kind, though their numbers are much greater than our own.

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The Emperor's men hold a tree covered hilltop with no open approaches. His men will have a numbers and range advantage over our mounted crossbowmen, but his infantry appear to wear no armor at all. Sten is wary of a trap and so he sends forward an experienced company of Chivalric Knights to test the enemy's resolve and defenses. The Aztecs are disciplined and do not break, but their protection and weapons are every bit as inferior as they would appear. The Knights destroy a company of archers before withdrawing, leaving only one of their number fallen on the field.

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Sten passes the word all along his line, the heavy cavalry will flank to both sides of the Aztec line while the crossbow cavalry hold their attention. When both flanks are exposed, the whole army will charge as one. On the Danish right the plan proceeds flawlessly, and the enemy appears all but unaware of the position of the Chivarlic knights to their left rear. On our left the Aztec Emperor has spotted Sten's advance and moved forward with a few hundred fierce looking men to block the War Clerics. Seeing that he will not be able to complete his movement, Sten commands the Chivalric Knights on the other side to charge while the crossbowmen cover his own advance with the War Clerics.

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Smashing aside all resistance, the Knight's charge is incredibly deadly to the natives. Countless men die on their lances, and those who are not impaled are trampled under or smashed to the ground by heavy steel swords. A great wail arises as the Aztec left crumbles. The Emperor of the Aztecs then makes a colossal error and orders the four hundred men he has brought forward on the Aztec right to return to their main line, exposing their backs to the charge of the War Clerics. Emperor Nopaltzin the Profane is ridden down and gutted along with his whole fleeing force.

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At the main Aztec line the Chivalric Knights have begun to bog down in the sheer numbers of the panic striken enemy, so the crossbowmen are ordered to close to melee range and help with the butchery. Resistance at the outflanked and disorderly Aztec center is brief and futile.

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In the thick, hot jungle that day hundreds of colorful but ineffective barbarians surrendered to Sten. Though we had some few translators ready and available, it was not possible to communicate effectively with these men, and rather than simply release them to take up arms again Sten had them executed. Reports of that grim task are few, but it is said the natives showed a curious stoic acceptance of their fate. At the end of the day more than thirty Aztecs had fallen for every Dane that died.

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A second Aztec army was camped nearby in a mist covered valley, no doubt awaiting their Emperor's orders. The day after the defeat of Emperor Nopaltzin Sten takes his army forward to brush aside all further resistance in the area. Once again the enemy has far greater numbers, but Sten's men not only have steel weapons and armor, every man of them comes to battle ahorse.

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The Aztecs are almost worthy of pity, if not for their deadly intent against Sten's still weary men. With the thin mist curling through the tree Sten commands his men to form a long line and charge!

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The Aztec archers were actually running forward, attempting to close the range when Sten's cavalry emerged from the mists and shocked them with a series of deadly charges.

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In short order they were running backwards in full flight as War Clerics and Chivalric Knights slammed home against the heavier Aztec infantry, and swept it away. The enemy captain, identifiable by his bright headdress, died early in the engagement and left his men leaderless. This was not a battle, not even a decent hunt, just a brute slaughter of helpless fools. More Danes died in accidents and of their own foolish incaution than on Aztec weapons this day.

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Once again Sten orders the captives executed and his men spend the rest of the day slitting throats. By night's fall every Dane has been followed into the afterlife by seventy five filthy primitives. It is a dark day for the remains of the Aztec empire as Sten resumes the siege of their northernmost city.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 205.

Gunnar the Handsome comes of age at Marrakesh; he is as physically flawless and lazy as his father.. The Spanish King is excommunicated. One of the priests in the New World has fallen to heresy under the influence of the pagans and a conclave of the remaining bishops and cardinals is brought together to try him. Sten's interruption of the siege to kill the Aztec Emperor allowed the city to resupply itself, and so the long, slow siege begins again. The citadel at Gaza is surrendered to Papal control. A Danish army drawn from the garrison at Iconium reaches French Smyrna and besieges it, causing a declaration of war. Venice dissolves her alliance with France over the matter, but Scotland sends a letter of protest to Arhus in favor of the French.

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A Muslim rebel fleet north of Constantinople is caught and smashed. Though the number of recalcitrant Muslims remaining in the Middle East is small they are a vicious and hardy bunch, constantly fomenting rebellion and taking up arms. Time may be the only solution. Our spies and assassins have driven the citizenry of Bucharest to rioting, but rebellion is still unlikely.

After a brief siege the French Prince in the area leads his small army down against our men and the garrison of Smyrna sallies out in support. Our men are outnumbered, but their quality and valor are substantially greater.

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Captain Gellir arranges his serpentine and gunmen on a steep hill west of the French garrison's position and invites them to attack while his War Clerics flank through a nearby valley. The troops from Smyrna have only a single company of cavalry, so Captain Gellir uses his own company to draw them out and then surrounds them with his other two companies of War Clerics.

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The French captain has made no provision for this and his heavy infantry make no move to reinforce him before he is swarmed under and captured.

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The remainder of the garrison force then hesistates under heavy fire before deciding to flee the field. Most of them are shot in the back or run down by War Clerics before they can escape. Meanwhile Prince Guillaume's small reinforcing army arrives through the heavy tree cover and cannot clearly see what has happened in the main engagement. Before they can ride clear of the forest our serpentine begins launching shot at them, to little effect except to increase the enemy's caution.

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Prince Guillaume cannot seem to keep discipline amongst his men as they wander almost aimlessly through the forest while our gunmen dress their lines and launch volley after volley into the trees. At the last Guillaume and his two remaining retainers attempt to retreat, but a wild serpentine shot smashes into a tree amidst them. Prince Guillaume is knocked from his horse and crushed under the falling fir in the deep forest.

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Five thousand florins are taken in the sack of Smyrna and eighty six prisoners are released with a stern command to make for French soil in Europe. Instead the men assemble near a rebel camp east of Smyrna. Captain Gellir sends his second, Captain Magnus, with most of the army east to clear the area of the French and the rebels.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 206.

Russia and Scotland declare war. The Empire is peaceful as armies continue to flow towards the New World. War is feared to be nearing with the Hungarians as their troop movements through the Bran region increase and pressure from the Venetians mounts on Hungary's western border.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 207.

The Pope asks that we blockade the Spanish port at Leon, but King Stenkil declines to take us to war against the Spanish. Sigurd Storegaard comes of age at Knudsville, the first of the extended royal line to be born in the New World. Near Gibraltar Gustav the Handsome throws himself into the sea after a quarrel with his father, the second of the Chemnitz line to die in the ocean. Stenkil is reported to be quite distraught. A French nobleman has arrived to take command of the remnants of the Smyrna garrison in the hills between there and Iconium. Captain Magnus's expedition to retake those men is nearby, but will have to deal with a large rebel army first.

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The rebels are far more numerous, but they lack any kind of discipline and Captain Magnus quickly puts them to flight. The new Frenchman, though far outnumbered, will not so easily fall.

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Following Captain Gellir's example, Magnus' intent is to isolate and outnumber the French cavalry with his own while leaving the guns to deal with the infantry. The initial attempt to surround Garnot de Plater and his guardsmen is unsuccessful and de Plater rides clear after having dealt some stinging losses to the first company of War Clerics with a well executed charge and withdrawal.

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The second Danish attempt is more successful, however, as the smaller company of War Clerics is used for bait rather than the larger, and de Plater's pride will not let him retreat from this engagement.

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It will be his final folly. A mace smashes his helm and the remaining Frenchmen throw down their weapons to plead for mercy.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw0eEKU2elI/AAAAAAAAGLk/hUfGH66Ks1U/s800/0167.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw0eE6U2emI/AAAAAAAAGLs/E355Gx8etwg/s800/0168.jpg

The four companies of Arquebusiers performed well during this campaign and accounted for almost all of the French and rebel infantry single handedly.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 208.

A truce is immediately concluded with the French and an exchange of coin restores relations to a more reasonable level. The French are a minor power in Europe and likely would have paid us for peace, but as the attack was ours King Stenkil insisted that we pay a sum as reparations.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw0eF6U2enI/AAAAAAAAGL0/RkdPWOqSGOI/s800/0172.jpg

Reinforcements finally arrive in the New World for Sten, and they include the two companies of mercenary elephants. Unfortunately they include no infantry, so the slow siege continues as the natives in the city again begin to starve. A naval operation against some rebels with the aid of the Venetians results in the destruction of a large pirate fleet south of Corinth. A fleet of what appear to be war canoes is spotted off the coast of the northernmost land mass of the New World by a spy. A Carrack is being sent to investigate. King Stenkil the Cunning's authority is unmatched in the history of Europe, and though he is a bastion of chivalry his enemies flee his face rather than face his wrath. This, too, is true to the legacy of the line of Kings.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw0eHKU2eoI/AAAAAAAAGL8/BmY5Y5-x12M/s800/0176.jpg

[Ramses II CP]

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 209.

A Hungarian spy is caught at Thessalonica. Russia and Scotland sign a truce. The Pope declares a crusade against Pamplona, the excommunicated Spanish are now in for significant trouble it would appear.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 210.

England, Poland, and the Papacy answer the call to crusade. As ever in our history the King must send our apologies. It is one of his last acts as King Stenkil the Cunning passes peacefully away at Arhus. The remains of the former Kings have all been transferred here to Arhus now, and King Stenkil is laid among them to rest.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2awqU2eqI/AAAAAAAAGNE/VYQ84mDSCjw/s800/0183.jpg

King Ulrik ascends to the throne, but has no heir to secure the future and so a certain level of turmoil boils under the surface of the empire. Taxes a lowered around the world to help maintain order and celebrate the coronation of the new King. As for me, with my beloved King dead my role in writing this history will come to an end. I will send my son Knud this book in the hope that he keeps it well and in health while I retire to our ancestral estates here at Arhus. Hardeknud of Aalborg is recognized by the Council as the new Prince of the Realm, but the boy is not well pleased at the news as he has no wish to become a pawn in the game of nobles.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2axqU2erI/AAAAAAAAGNM/lIUotd5QHi8/s800/0186.jpg

Upon being approached by a young nobleman with a scheme for power Prince Hardeknud challenges him to a duel and is killed. The political scene is chaotic, but King Ulrik personally challenges the noblemen who slew Hardeknud to a duel and kills him slowly, with many cuts to unman him before his death. Afterward the Council recognizes Sighvat, who is sailing for the New World, as the new Crown Prince on King Ulrik's advice.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2ayqU2esI/AAAAAAAAGNU/0NugzOprQrM/s800/0189.jpg

At Gibraltar Stenkil the Cruel, once known as the Handsome, hurls himself into the sea from the same cliff that his son died on. His sole remaining heir takes command at Marrakesh, and the new King sends him a sternly worded letter to maintain order and stay alive. Dongola is gifted to the Papacy.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 211.

A diplomat learns that the English have captured Rennes and exterminated the rebel populace. A dark deed, but one not uncommon in our own history. Due to the length of his siege Sten becomes known as Sten the Engineer. A French Bishop is recognized for his piety by ascension to the College of Cardinals as a further sign of conciliation between the Danes and the French. The people of Stockholm rebel against their Scottish masters, and King Ulrik orders his brother to gather some men at Arhus and march north to see if the situation can be exploited.

The clever Hungarians have annoited Bucharest their capital due to losses of territory in the west, and our spies estimate that the city will not soon rebel now. King Ulrik is unconcerned, and orders forces drawn up at Bran within the year for the conquest of Bucharest and Sofia. The nation will again march to war in Europe, no matter the cost to our reputation. Niels Tarnovius commands the assault on Bucharest with a pair of serpentines and a heavier cannon to manage the walls if the spies should fail at the gates.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a1KU2euI/AAAAAAAAGNk/Pi2QBQ3UpUM/s800/0205.jpg

Our spies do open the gate, however, and Tarnovius rides into the city with his guardsmen to catch a company of foot knights in the street fleeing for the square. They don't make it.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a2KU2evI/AAAAAAAAGNs/FTCMiAzkPy0/s800/0208.jpg

Riding down to the square Tarnovius taunts the Hungarian captain by riding through it to cut off his company of militia spearmen fleeing the walls. Few of them escape to reach their commander.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a26U2ewI/AAAAAAAAGN0/LaN2_f5MQYQ/s800/0210.jpg

Niels heads back to the gatehouse where the rest of his troops are entering the city, but the furious Hungarian captain sends his pavise crossbowmen to rain bolts amongst Tarnovius' guardsmen. When on of his men is impaled, Niels turns his guard around and charges back to the square to deal with the crossbowmen.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a4KU2exI/AAAAAAAAGN8/DWRhn63wgyA/s800/0213.jpg

With that threat eliminated both sides pause to take stock. Niels orders his cannons brought up and placed at close range to the remaining enemy. They can see what is coming but take no action to prevent it. Perhaps they fear our infantry more than our serpentines. In any case, after only a single brace of shells lands among them their captain orders them to charge.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a46U2eyI/AAAAAAAAGOE/TPp__aUbofw/s800/0218.jpg

Swordsmen kill Captain Fabyan almost immediately and the rest of the battle is just cleaning up scattered and disheartened men.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a56U2ezI/AAAAAAAAGOM/aic1AhNNObE/s800/0220.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a6qU2e0I/AAAAAAAAGOU/liIqZGePYOQ/s800/0225.jpg

Bucharest is ours and almost twelve thousand florins are taken in the sack of the city. Much of that money will be needed to repair the damage done by our spies and saboteurs. Most of the city is in ruins.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a76U2e1I/AAAAAAAAGOc/iWuKPoD-5PE/s800/0229.jpg

Leofric Eigod leads his twenty guardsmen out to deal with two hundred rebels in the hills west of Thessalonica. Eight of his personal bodyguard dies in the hills but the rebellion is put down.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Slow Siege, turn 212.

Off the coast of the New World a carrack under Admiral Jesper attacks a fleet of native war canoes.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a8qU2e2I/AAAAAAAAGOk/LUx8rpUPUb8/s800/0238.jpg

Unused to firing at such small, fast boats the Admiral's men are nearly overwhelmed when the primitives grappel up to the decks and fight hand to hand, but at last the assault is thrown off and the carrack retreats safely to the south. The admiral perishes in the fighting, saving Sten the trouble of ordering him executed for incompetence.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a9qU2e3I/AAAAAAAAGOs/s6qnMoLsatY/s800/0239.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a-aU2e4I/AAAAAAAAGO0/eMvSwlAkeAo/s800/0240.jpg

A minor rebellion is put down near Arhus costing fifty four Danish lives in exchange for over four hundred rebels.

The Aztec Wars, Sten's Victory, turn 213.

The Pope has asked that we cease hostilities against the Hungarians, but King Ulrik sends word of our refusal as Jon of Holmr lays siege at Sofia. A witch near Nicosia is being blamed for an outbreak of the plague that has taken the lives of twelve hundred citizens and soldiers. A Danish Cardinal is making haste south to put her on trial. In the New World the Aztec city surrenders to Sten at last and ten thousand florins worth of plunder are taken in the sack. Sten immediately renames the place Charlestown in honor of old King Charles. Four of every five natives have converted to Christianity in the area so Sten garrisons the place with the mounted crossbowmen and rides south with the rest of his army, including the elephants.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2a_KU2e5I/AAAAAAAAGO8/-xnCk9U0Zs8/s800/0248.jpg

The Aztec Wars, Sighvat's Offensive, turn 214.

A thousand more die of plague at Nicosia, still blaming the witch. Fortunately our Cardinal arrives and burns her for heresy immediately. The French have become a Polish protectorate. A second naval battle against the native war canoes goes our way and results in the sinking of their whole fleet. The key is simply to keep the carrack moving, allowing her mighty hull to smash aside the tiny enemy boats. Anchoring the boats to allow for better shots gives the primitives a chance to close and engage. Prince Sighvat arrives in the New World, and just in time as Sten has taken ill from the bite of some native bug. Sighvat will ride south to assume command of the army unless Sten can recover in time. Jon of Holmr launches the assault on Sofia as soon as the guns that aided Tarnovius at Bucharest arrive.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bAaU2e6I/AAAAAAAAGPE/SyWukfBV3I4/s800/0262.jpg

Prince Gyorgy has no idea how riddled his citadel is with Danish spies, so he has his men scattered through various redoubts with the citadel. Seeing their banners in retreat Jon orders his cavalry to ride in at top speed and make for the square. They are to carve a path through all resistance and smash the Hungarians before they can organize a reasonable defense.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bBaU2e7I/AAAAAAAAGPQ/eDazAlxpVg4/s800/0264.jpg

The initial push meets significant success as several companies of foot knights and peasants are scattered or forced to surrender, but beyond the second gate Jon's men are strung out and thin while the Hungarian resistance stiffens. Rushing through the third gate and into the Keep, Jon finds himself alone with his bodyguard as the rest of his army struggles to clear the streets behind them.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bCqU2e8I/AAAAAAAAGPY/8_nTUgZgkJY/s800/0265.jpg

With no support and too stubborn to retreat, Jon drives his men hard against the foot knights, personally leading a deep wedge into their formation. His courage is his downfall as mere moments before a charge of Huscarls shatters the foot knights Jon is gutted and thrown down to the cobbles.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bDqU2e9I/AAAAAAAAGPg/et_orkUk064/s800/0266.jpg

Fighting at the square is vicious as Prince Gyorgy is surrounded but battles on fiercely. At last a War Cleric is able to smash him from his saddle, one of the last Hungarians to fall in defense of Sofia.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bEqU2e-I/AAAAAAAAGPo/eGHMDL1ZFyA/s800/0269.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bFqU2e_I/AAAAAAAAGPw/YeYAsuJwN50/s800/0270.jpg

Once again the mighty citadel is ours, but the vile Hungarians spread a pernicious tale of our faithlessness citing the fact that we gifted Sofia to them in exchange for peace. Never mind that it was two hundred years ago or that the spineless Hungarians sent countless spies to sow discord in our cities, this story is so pervasive that our reputation falls as far as it did after we betrayed the Egyptians at Constantinople. King Ulrik is now widely titled the Malevolent as the Hungarian lies spread. Wisely the King senses the way the wind blows and offers the Hungarians forty thousand florins to cease their lies and agree to a truce, but he is rebuffed. So be it. The end of Hungary is now not far in the future.

The Aztec Wars, Sighvat's Offensive, turn 215.

Plague kills another thousand at Nicosia despite the witch being put to death. Rumors persist in the city that she cursed Nicosia and all her people. Near Charlestown Sten the Engineer dies a hideous, painful death. The priests claim it is because of a tiny spider bite on his foot, but some of the soldiers whisper of dark, magical vengeance from the natives. Prince Sighvat professes no such belief, but he does loudly declaim any desire to execute the potential prisoners from his next battle. Cairo is surrendered to the Papacy.

The Aztec Wars, Sighvat's Offensive, turn 216.

A clever device that can keep time and still fit in your pocket is invented by a German. The Pope asks that we assassinate a heretic, and the King agrees to send a man to seek the foul beast. The Hungarians have sent a small force down from Ragusa into our territory and King Ulrik rides out personally with a serpentine to see to them. The battle is inconsequential as the enemy retreat as soon as their captain is killed by a serpentine shot.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bGaU2fAI/AAAAAAAAGP4/4R56zCMHWDg/s800/0292.jpg

The King's brother rides out of Arhus for Stockholm despite the fact that the Scots have retaken it. Perhaps it is time for the Scots to discover just what we think of their protest regarding our capture of Smyrna. On the Hungarian front, Leofric Eigod rides south out of Thessalonica towards Corinth to capture the Hungarian castle there. A spy in the New World spots the current Aztec Emperor, Cuitlauac the Profane, and finds him equally as unimpressive as his predecessor. Prince Sighvat makes camp and incites the Aztecs to attack.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bHqU2fBI/AAAAAAAAGQA/QIdFTulgoWI/s800/0297.jpg

The Prince is out numbered more than three to one, but the Aztecs are mere primitives. Sighvat suspects that at the first sight of the terrible war elephants their whole army may try to flee. After a single round of cannon shot from the elephants, Sighvat commands the charge. Seven hundred horse shake the very earth as they roar forth against the charging Aztec line.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bIaU2fCI/AAAAAAAAGQI/Bo35yhSZrxc/s800/0299.jpg

Xolotl the Profane is one of the first to die as War Clerics penetrate his lines and smash aside his men. The Aztecs who so bravely counter charged us just as quickly are broken and fleeing for their lives when their mad, useless general is killed and Huscarls beging to sweep in behind them.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bJaU2fDI/AAAAAAAAGQQ/m-k4ff-Qe28/s800/0300.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bJ6U2fEI/AAAAAAAAGQY/Mq9MmPfASqk/s800/0301.jpg

As Sighvat's cavalrymen clean up the remnants of the first group he sends orders for the elephants to delay the Emperor's reinforcing army. Anxious to prove themselves the mercenaries rather foolishly charge into the center of the enemy formation alone. Dozens of Aztecs die, but the incessant chanting of the Aztec priests drives fear into the hearts of the mercenary war beasts and they flee.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bKqU2fFI/AAAAAAAAGQg/fs8Jm-05Yh4/s800/0303.jpg

Hearing their alarmed cries Sighvat turns his men from the pursuit and moves immediately to rescue the expensive and irreplaceable hirelings. Emperor Cuitlauac has done a somewhat better job forming a line of infantry and our men and horses are weary from butchering and running down more than a thousand of his brothers, so our charge momentarily bogs down.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bLaU2fGI/AAAAAAAAGQo/_clu4xr3hTM/s800/0305.jpg

Again Huscarls are sent to sweep the flanks, and a smart captain spots the Emperor's personal guard and slaughters it to a man. The Emperor himself surrenders when an axe blow cleaves his colorful headdress from his head.

http://lh5.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bMaU2fHI/AAAAAAAAGQw/75mlstRbO2U/s800/0307.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bM6U2fII/AAAAAAAAGQ4/90qRFD48VVc/s800/0310.jpg

So ends a great battle with the usual confusing profusion of Aztec prisoners. Sighvat does not wish to simply release these men to fight another day, but nor can he ask his weary men to spend the rest of the week cutting their throats. Instead he sends word to the nearby Aztec city that he will ransom them, and with their Emperor at risk they happily pay.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bN6U2fJI/AAAAAAAAGRA/zs_Y5lp4-2w/s800/0312.jpg

Danish casualties were slightly higher than expected due to the mistake with the elephants and the rush to rescue them, but still acceptable and the campaign presses on.

The Aztec Wars, A Sudden End, turn 217.

At long last King Ulrik has produced an heir! The boy is named Haldor, and celebrations are held throughout the empire.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bOqU2fKI/AAAAAAAAGRI/rYQzANhMZOA/s800/0317.jpg

In the New World Prince Sighvat presses home his attack against the second Aztec city where a new Emperor has been crowned. No word reaches us of the fate of Emperor Cuitlauac for whom ten thousand florins worth of ransom were paid, but now Emperor Tenoch commands the garrison of this crude city and sallies out in support of two captain led armies comprised of the men Sighvat ransomed from the last battle.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bP6U2fLI/AAAAAAAAGRQ/qbWdJVzWCJc/s800/0325.jpg

Sighvat is outnumbered four to one in this battle, but expects to have no difficulty defeating the Aztecs. As the battle opens the smallest Aztec force is marching against us from our right and is composed primarily of heavy infantry. Sighvat sends his elite Chivalric Knights to crush them and protect our flank. Defending the center of the map is a mixed force of weaker infantry and archers against whom Sighvat leads the War Clerics, Huscarls, and Elephants. Entering the field behind them, under heavy tree cover, is Emperor Tenoch with a fresh, whole army from the nearby Aztec city. The main engagement opens with light bombardment from the elephant cannons and a flat out charge from Sighvat's troops.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bQ6U2fMI/AAAAAAAAGRY/fPcJz42Lt_8/s800/0328.jpg

On the right the enemy is unprepared for the Knight's charge, and scatters on contact. Few of those men will escape the field this day. In the center the first Aztec captain is captured by War Clerics as his army breaks around him.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bSKU2fNI/AAAAAAAAGRg/88BLCG0igFg/s800/0330.jpg

In moments there is nothing left of the first two Aztec armies but broken men fleeing for their lives. The captain of the smaller force on the right is killed and the Chivalric Knights turn to march back for Sighvat's main line.

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bTKU2fOI/AAAAAAAAGRo/TZcNDEgF5mU/s800/0337.jpg

Against the advancing Emperor's troops the mercenary elephants turn their guns. A company of War Clerics has chased some of the first force behind the Emperor's lines and now stands ready to give them a shock when Sighvat's line engages, while the gun weilding elephants stand on the Emperor's right and shatter his men's morale. Huscarls push back an advancing group of Aztec archers on their left, but suffer friendly fire losses from the elephant cannons. Seeing this, Sighvat loses his patience and commands the charge. The Chivalric Knights aren't quite in position yet, but they will come in time to aid the slaughter.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bUqU2fPI/AAAAAAAAGRw/owFnbFCY078/s800/0344.jpg

As the War Clerics emerge from the trees behind the Emperor a company of Huscarls charge through his line and attack his guardsmen. Emperor Tenoch is quickly felled.

http://lh6.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bVqU2fQI/AAAAAAAAGR4/dnygPmjg_v4/s800/0345.jpg

The Aztecs form a surprisingly resilient pocket of resistance at the center of our encircling cavalry. Sighvat calls forward the elephants to break their will and send them running.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bW6U2fRI/AAAAAAAAGSA/dIzmJg5VDLo/s800/0348.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bX6U2fSI/AAAAAAAAGSI/xmA2fDHZyCs/s800/0349.jpg

Few of our enemies escape this bloody day. Even so Sighvat can see that if he wins like this a hundred times in the end his army will be swept away by attrition before it can be replenished, while ransoming the Aztecs gives them the advantage they need to win despite losing sixty men to every one of his. He orders the prisoners executed. Such was likely unecessary, however, as the passage of days reveals that Tenoch was the last Aztec Emperor. Their people are no longer an organized nation, and their lands will fall easily under our sway now.

http://lh3.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bY6U2fTI/AAAAAAAAGSQ/oZq9IyMNF9o/s800/0353.jpg

Our map of the world:

http://lh4.google.com/RosDalton/Rw2bZKU2fUI/AAAAAAAAGSY/qoRuRCtrMQk/s800/Map1500.JPG

[Ramses II CP]

Final note?

I think this is the end. The Aztec battles were extremely uninteresting to play as the Aztec have no answer for cavalry, and yet to get to their lands in an reasonable amount of time you almost have to send an all cavalry army. I thought it would be fun to take elephants to the New World, but they simply aren't necessary. I could crush Hungary and Scotland, or even Spain, without much trouble, but... why? The rules that made the game slightly more difficult have, of necessity, mostly expired and all the interesting content is completed. To sum up the campaign:

1. The overland migration idea made the first 70-80 turns much more difficult and interesting on the diplomatic and battle fronts. I particularly enjoyed starting out as a one province nation and fighting a series of tough opening battles all the way through to Zagreb. After that, except for Constantinople, the battles got increasingly easier until the Mongols showed up. The Turks, Egyptians, and Moors posed no significant challenge.

2. The Mongols were excellent battles where I felt like I had to make the absolute most of my limited cavalry options to win. River defenses are cheesy, but good fun, and I only really fought four of them.

3. The Timurids were frustrating on the battlefield, but I think they butted heads nicely with Emund the Mad in story terms. If I'd allowed myself to build just five or six more serpentines in advance those battles would've looked a lot different. I still think I killed more than I lost, but not by much.

4. The Aztecs are a joke. Gunpowder breaks a number of aspects of the game, including rebellions and in some ways sieges. The late game is, in so many ways, inferior to the start of the game.

I hope a few people read the whole thing through and enjoyed it, I certainly had fun writing it. If anyone has a suggestion for some good epilogue action (Should I conquer the world as fast as possible and give it all to the Pope? Does the Papacy have victory conditions because I still have 9 turns left in the long game?) I can probably work through that in broad strokes.

For my next AAR I'm planning to do a general camera campaign with no pausing (Possibly even replays if I can get any to work), and just follow the career of one general through an interesting period in the history of his nation.

:egypt:

[_Tristan_]

Great AAR !!! Bravo !!!

Too bad it doesn't have as great an end as it deserves... But that's the way M2TW is, once you start steamrolling, you can't be stopped, the Ai is no match...

I really liked the way you wrote about your characters (Kings and Generals...) most particularly around the Byz part (that Leopold bit was a treat...)

I congratulate you on your victory under such hard starting conditions...

You should try playing some mod for your next AAR, some have titles granted on conquest of provinces and could make some interesting RP issues in an AAR

[twigg]

It really was a great read man. I cant even begin to understand how you could come up with back stories to all your generals and family members but it definitely enhanced the story. I really think, if you plan on doing another one of these, that you should pick up the stainless steel mod and play as the tuetonic order. They seem like they have enough of a colorful history to make for a very good AAR. Cheers man =)

[Shahed]

Excellent AAR. Great Work !

I'd rather have the images out of spoilers btw, saves a lot of clicking ! ;)

[Askthepizzaguy]

Legendary and exciting... well played and fantastically written.

Officially dubbed Better Than My England Thread at 8:27 PM EST on Dec 30, 2007 by Askthepizzaguy himself.

Entertained, I am.

Well done!

[gibsonsg91921]

wow, thats some serious bump.

it was a great AAR, tho.

[Ramses II CP]

Thanks guys. :beam: It's good to know people are still reading and enjoying it. :balloon2:

:egypt:

[Askthepizzaguy]

For this thread, I hereby nominate you for an award, the best account of a battle or campaign in 2007. See the awards page.

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=98464

-Master ATPG

[gibsonsg91921]

yeah, this one kicked a

[Ramses II CP]

I'm honored ATPG, thanks! :2thumbsup:

:egypt:

[_Tristan_]

I totally second that nomination...:2thumbsup: