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I'm tempted to try a mod, how easy is it to do? Do I just go on a website and click download? Or do I need a GCSE in I.T.? :dizzy2: I've had medieval total war for a year and i'm getting bored of the same factions over and over again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Galagros
Simple r johnson.
Download the mod you want.
The file will be an easy install, so simply click and set the target path.
Boom you have a mod ready to play.
That makes my life easier, no more Printscreen and alt-tabbing!!!Quote:
Also, to take the pictures while playing simply hit F2. They are stored in the TGAs file in the Medieval - Total War folder. Host them on a site like imageshack, which will then give you a screen bombarded with URLs. The bottom one is the one you want to copy and paste. When you make your post his the clip-art looking mountain button and paste the URL in there. You may need to change to format of the photos in order to host them. If so, just open them and save them as .pngs or something. If you need a program to open them I reccommend InfranView, which can be downloaded for free.
For the record, what does this BKS mod add compared to say, what XL adds?
BKB's Super Mod adds way more units, each era specific. Plus the faction choices are different etc. Basically it adds a different perspective.
Well here is the next installment of Bulgaria Rythmic style!
Hungary attempts to lift the siege. :furious3:
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/7951/bulgars51ca4.jpg
Merchantry emerges.
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/1186/bulgars52ru1.jpg
The kings of Castile ask for alliance, we accept.
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/7646/bulgars53ci7.jpg
The extent of Bulgarian influence by 1282.
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/166/bulgars54fa0.jpg
Hah! That's what I have been doing...it is such a pain in the rear, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rythmic
I think I am going to try BKB's mod...and PMTW.
Just a remark on the colours in my mod - I know some like Valencia and Norway are a bit bright but I had some many factions in the end I literally ran out of different colours to give them all!
Western Europe has utterly shattered.
https://img230.imageshack.us/img230/...mia1207ox9.jpg
By 1207, the English Empire has crumbled and is in chaos. In the space of four or five years, the English have suffered three separate Civil Wars only to have the provinces bounce back on loyalist rebellions twice. Meanwhile, Almoravids and France have re-emerged, Genoa has crushed the Papacy again, and Denmark and Novogord, each having taken their fill of England, turn on each other. Rebels are everywhere, and now the Byzantines are getting involved.
By comparison, observe the solid, logically contiguous, and emminently stable empires to the east. We'll see how long that lasts when the Horde arrive. :laugh4:
As of now, the goal is to solidify borders and improve the horrendous lines that the empire has been surviving on until now. Bohemia has already largely replaced the erstwhile Holy Roman Empire in the role of Central European power, although it's still not as strong as Byzantium. Future success will depend on the ability to capitalize on turning English fortunes now, and the inevitable disruption the Horde will cause without actually becoming more powerful than the Byzantines until then. At this rate though, we should be winning before Late arrives.
Almost all of the mods are self-installing and you just tell them where your Medieval - Total War folder is. Be sure to remember that most mods will not allow you to play the normal MTW after they have been installed.Quote:
Originally Posted by r johnson
The map seems to have been heavily edited as well. And it is different for each era.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maloncanth
It's okay BKB, we still love you! (But Valencia really does bring a tear to the eye) :oops:Quote:
Originally Posted by The Blind King of Bohemia
Oh and nice campaign Rythmic. I tried playing as that faction once and after initially expanding successfully (probably 5 provinces) I got destroyed in a very short time.
Thanks for the update, Rhythmic! Am I seeing things, or has the Polish gotten pretty huge in your game?
Nice work, Maloncanth! :thumbsup: I'm guessing you'll continue to expand west, then? If you do, just remember the English will continue to be a threat as long as they still hold Britain. (Sorry, I'm a compulsive "back-seat" driver!) A pity the Danes diverted their attention from the English to Novgorod (as they could've helped keep up the pressure on the Normans), but oh well. Guess you'll just have to deal with the Brits yourself--a task for which the Bohemians seem more than able to handle, thanks to you. ~:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Maloncanth
1124: At the age of 65, Prince Sviatopolk I succumbs to age and dies peacefully in his sleep. His son Andrei takes the throne as the empire mourns.
1125: Prince Andrei's first act as ruler is to declare war on the Khazar Khaganate. Though they have been longtime allies, Andrei must prove to the world that he can live up to his father's legacy. The Khaganate retreats, but Prince Andrei is shocked to hear that all but three of his allies have abandoned him.
1126: Prince Andrei ends the siege in Muscovy, only to hear immediately afterwards that the French have mercilessly attacked the trading vessels in the English Channel!
1127: Furious, Andrei orders even more ships sent into the English Channel to teach the French a lesson. A garrison is sent to Muscovy from Novgorod to keep the peace as Andrei leads his men into Smolensk. The untrained, but numerous, enemy retreats.
1128: Prince Andrei quickly leads his men into Chernigov, leaving the Khaganate no time to organize a defense. However, the enemy makes a totally unexpected move and invades Lithuania, home to the royal family's most able general, Prince Yaroslav. It seemed a futile as the forces in Lithuania outnumbered them by over 400 soldiers.
https://img520.imageshack.us/img520/1125/16en7.png
Before the battle begins Prince Yaroslav organizes the battle line near the edge of a forest. The enemy attacks the right flank, routing a unit of spearmen and horse archers. The only reserves nearby are a unit of viking thralls, who sacrifice themselves to give their comrades time to counter. The victory was costly....
https://img437.imageshack.us/img437/4308/17tg5.png
At the same time the Khazar Khaganate retreats from Chernigov and the French sink the longboats sent against them, though losing many of their own ships in the process.
1129: Prince Andrei presses the attack into Pereyaslavl after learning from his spies and mathmeticians that Novgorod possesses the largest army of any nation.
https://img437.imageshack.us/img437/2563/18pn2.png
The battle was well fought and ended in victory!
https://img394.imageshack.us/img394/4763/19is6.png
The Empire - January 1130
https://img394.imageshack.us/img394/9484/20ga4.png
1130: Prince Andrei attacks the Kievans, an old enemy, in Kazar, who retreat.
1131: The Kievans attempt to take back Khazar!
https://img394.imageshack.us/img394/8919/21ql9.png
https://img509.imageshack.us/img509/5470/22ol7.png
A 2 to 1 victory!
1132: Construction begins on a citadel in Novgorod.
1133: Prince Andrei leaves the defense of Khazar in the hands of his brother, Ysevolod, while he attacks the Khaganate in Ryazan. The battle is short and sweet. Afterwards, everyone assures Prince Andrei that his battlefield capabilities have improved (5th star). Andrei's first son, Chort, also comes of age. He seems to be a great warrior and general, with a love for wealth.
1134: Prince Andrei leads the assault against Volga-Bulgaria, the last Khaganate stronghold north of Georgia.
https://img369.imageshack.us/img369/7092/23at7.png
The Khazar royal cavarly put up an impressive fight, but in the end our numbers ensured victory.
https://img397.imageshack.us/img397/7941/24ix6.png
The enemy general is killed and the enemy fianlly flees the field!
https://img397.imageshack.us/img397/6158/25bw1.png
1135: The castle in Sweden is completed! Prince Andrei hears troubling rumors that his brother, Vladimir, has been acting like a madman and is making everyone in Kiev unhappy. While Andrei is distrubed by this news, he has no time to deal with it and can not afford to lose a worthy general at this time. The siege in Volga-Bulgaria is ended.
That's the end of this episode, folks! Hopefully I'll get to play again tonight, but I doubt I'll be able to post the results tonight, too.
Will I have to uninstall my Viking Expansion pack or will that be alright? Plus where do I down load either mods?:dizzy2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Maloncanth
Double post, because I am too fast for all of you. I have discovered that I made a clerical mistake in the last post. Prince Chort is actually Sviatopolk I's son and Andrei's brother, not his son. This is important later on, and as you read, you shall discover.
Note: I am probably wrong. Prince Chort is Andrei's son and was just born before Sviaopolk's son, Mikhail. I don't know, but the more I think about it the more confused I become.
1137: Prince Mikhail, the late Prince Sviatopolk's son and Prince Andrei's brother, comes of age. Mikhail is a good general, but there is nothing memorable about him. Prince Chort leads the attack on Kievan Crimea, the last known Kievan territory.
https://img178.imageshack.us/img178/582/26hl8.png
The battle is a definative victory. (auto-calculated)
1138: Prince Chort ends both the siege of Crimea and the Kievan royal line. In his madness, Prince Vladimir invades our allies, the Cumans. He is captured and executed for killing 48 of the heathens. Prince Mikhail takes over the defense of Kiev as the empire prepares for war with the angered Cumans.
1139: Prince Chort leads the invasion of the only remaining Cuman province, Oleshe.
https://img291.imageshack.us/img291/6816/27xj1.png
The Cuman force was really symbolic of a time before Novgorod created it's vast empire and the battle did not last long. Khan Baghatur I was captured in the heart of the melee and ransomed for an amazing price. (over 11,000 florins) Later that year, in the heart of winter, Prince Andrei catches pneumonia and passws away in his mid 50s. His only son, Chort, takes the throne. The people are uneasy, and the empire without an heir!
1140: Prince Chort orders an invasion of Norway from Sweden; the Norwegians retreat. He tells his advisors that this is the first step in his plan to "fix" the borders and make the empire "more denfensible". As they leave they are left wondering why he hides his predatorial intentions. A few months later the Khazar Khaganate invades Khazar, but decide that they did not bring enough men and retreat before battle.
1141: Prince Chort assaults the keep in Oleshe and destroys the Cuman roal family. Also, word reaches the newly completed citadel in Novgorod that a few hundred unhappy peasants have risen up in revolt in Livonia.
1142: The rebels in Livonia are put down thanks to reinforcements from Novgorod and Lithuania. Chort decides that now is the time to put steps two and three of his plan into action and, after sending a message to a general in Sweden to invade the Danes in Denmark, he leads a force against the Khaganate in Georgia himself.
https://img92.imageshack.us/img92/417/29sg6.png
The battle in George ends swiftly, as 4 of the enemy are killed to every ally lost. The Danes retreat from Denmark and leave a small garrison behind to hold the keep.
1143: The Danes reinforce Denmark with a large force while Prince Chort eliminates the Khazar Khaganate. Afterwards, he marries the daughter of an aristocrat, hoping to soon create a host of heirs.
https://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5893/30ln2.png
https://img105.imageshack.us/img105/6364/31jv4.png
An excellently executed battle ended in victory!
Map of the Current World
https://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5526/33az1.png
1145: The Danes once again reinforce their homeland, Denmark.
https://img226.imageshack.us/img226/3623/34oa0.png
The battle results in an astounding 5 to 1 victory.
1147: The same army that conquered Denmark marches on the Danes once again, in Saxony. The cowardly Danes retreat.
1148: A second citadel is started in Lithuania as the Danes attempt to retake Saxony in desperation.
https://img157.imageshack.us/img157/3922/35ue7.png
The Danish King, Knud III, leads his men to disaster. The death toll speaks for itself.
https://img226.imageshack.us/img226/5741/36uw8.png
1150: Prince Chort is convinced that the army lacks a strong cavalry. Lithuanian Cavalry and Steppe Heavy Cavalry have long since replaced the outdated Mordovian Horsemen, but he decides to begin assembling extra Boyar units (brown sword, silver armor) in the capitol. In addition, Prince Chort chooses to begin a war with the Polish, who have refused to marry a Novgorodian princess, by invading Moldavia. It is one thing to refuse a marriage proposal, but it is another thing entirely to say that you'd rather marry your grandmother's wart! The Polish retreat.
1151: Lithuanian forces attack Polish Prussia, while an army from Kiev with Lithuanian reinforcements attacks Volhynia. The Polish retreat from both fronts in order to send massive reinforcements into Moldavia.
https://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5609/37zo7.png
Prince Chort makes a risky decision and chooses to fight against the odds rather than show weakness by retreating. The gamble does not work and nearly the entire army is defeated, taking down only 1,500 of the enemy. Chort manages to escape the battlefield and make his way back to Oleshe, luckily for the empire, who is still without an heir.
1152: Half of the enormous Polish army that defeated Prince Chort the year before were so inspired by his selfless defense that they choose to rise up in revolt! Also, the sieges in Prussia and Volhynia are put to an end.
1153: Offsenive action is taken against Poland and the weakened Moldavia, both in Polish hands. The enemy retreats from Poland, but offers an uncoordinated defense in Moldavia and are subsequently defeated. The world now knows Prince Chort I, of Novgorod, to be an excellent attacker!
That's all for now folks! I'll play more tonight and I will probably post another update, too. Hope you're enjoying it. (And hopefully I'll get an heir soon :wall: )
No, in fact, most mods require VI to be installed. Go here to downlad. Most of those mods have the download link in the first post. Enjoy!Quote:
Originally Posted by r johnson
Well my last save file was 1281 so it looks like I'll have to do 1282 again. :furious3:
It turned out for the better as Hungary plunged into a mass civil war :2thumbsup:
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/...lgars55mw3.jpg
France comes in for the easy pickings.
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/...lgars56cn6.jpg
Numerous factions re-emerge.
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/...lgars57fe7.jpg
The hated Cumans re-emerge.
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/...lgars58qh7.jpg
We must decline the French offer.
https://img246.imageshack.us/img246/...lgars59rl6.jpg
Wow, the Bulgarians must be a really tough faction Rhythmic. You have been playing for 77 (that right?) years and you have still only gained 1 province. Must have been attacked by a hell of a lot of factions ~;).
Btw, I have made a small patch-ish thing for XL which replaces the Volga-Bulgars with the Latin Empire in the high period in case you are interested. It still needs a few tweaks but should be ready soon. PM me if you are interested in downloading it. (I think it could really make your Bulgarian campaigns more fun)
(Note: I have decided to stop my Novgorod campaign. I consistantly find that after my kingdom reaches a certain size the fun factor decreases dramatically. Large battles frighten me and it takes too much time to go around to every territory and get things done.)
Anyways, I have begun a new campaign! This time around I want to incorporate a lot more story and a few less pictures. I found out that it takes a very long time to play when I write notes and story tidbits at the same time. I wrote almost half a page about one year, which was a bit much, but I didn't like the formoat I tried last time with only a few sentences per picture.
Faction: The Irish
Version: BKB Super Mod
Period: Early
Difficulty: Normal
Starting Ruler:
https://img235.imageshack.us/img235/...idriii1eo7.pnghttps://img98.imageshack.us/img98/38...idriii2te0.png
Experience: I've played as the Irish in VI and in several mods, but have never done that well with them. Of particular importance is that I almost always auto-calculated the battles because I don't know how to use their special units. Hopefully, I'll learn how to in the process of playing this campaign and if any of you have any advice on Irish battles, please share.
Goal: I want to do something other than the standard "conquer Britain" thing.
1087: High King Ruaidri sat upon his throne, inspecting the scene around him. His army --what passed for an army in Ireland, at least -- was gathered around him in celebration. For Ruaidri was the second of his name, son of a King, and on this day King himself. He thought long and hard about just what he had inheritied -- a nation full of hills, farms, and squabbling nobility. His country was nothing compared to any other country in Europe... unless you counted the Scottish, but few did. He also thought that he would be ashamed to pass on to his son what was passed on to him from his father; he knew that he had to do what no one expected and make his country great.
But how was he to do this? Less that one hundred true soldiers were under his command; those that still fought in the old-fashioned Celtic ways were coudl hardly be called soldiers. He had but one decent ocean-going vessel, his nation barely made any profit, and he could find no one talented enough to govern his capital when he was busy.
"First things must come first," Ruaidri said. The country must be secured and a governor must be found. Thus did he order watchtowers built along the borders and a militia unit (Irish Dartmen) to man the garrison.
1088: It was at this time that the King saw his first son, also Ruaidri, for what he really was -- an unloyal, disobedient, good-for-nothing fool that spent his days (and nights) getting into drunken brawls; such a man could not be allowed to inherit Ireland. As King Ruaidri spent his days pondering his position, he ordered border forts to compliment the watchtowers and called up another unit of militia (Kerns). He still needed a governor ... and a new heir.
1089: King Ruadri's second son was now of age. The boy, Donchad, was overweight and disobedient, but he was a finer general than Ruaidri himself. Yes, perhaps Ruaidri could leave his country to this son ... if he improved with time. Afterall, his third son was still just an infant. Ruaidri's next orders were for the countries first real modern swordsmith and for a unit of disciplined spearmen.
1090: This was a sad year for the people of Ireland. A famine swept across the land, starving the old and infant alike. The King had still found no one worthy of being governor and so he settled on a fiery, but loyal, chieftan (2 acumen Celtic Warrior). Ruaidri also ordered another ship to built and thought, not for the first time, that his country was going to need allies if his plans were ever to come to fruition. The problem, he knew, was that he had found no one glib of tongue to send out into the world to represent his nation.
1091: "Great, just great!" King Ruaidri shouted from inside his chamber. He had just been informed that Lord Uaid, the chieftan he had settled on to be governor, was as inbred and useless and inbred and useless could get. But how could he strip the man of his title now without causing a rebellion? He couldn't and once again he found himself in need of a talker, someone who would stay calm in an argument, someone that could change his voice from sympathetic to authoratative in a heartbeat, someone to be a diplomat. Ruadri sighed and went back to his planning.
1092: "What a lucky day!" exclaimed the King. An emissary from the Holy Roman Empire was in his hall, and was asking for their countries to become allies! He quickly and graciously jumped at this chance and accepted. That same year another unit of spearmen was called up for duty.
1093: The High King's daughter, Deirdriu, turned 15 this year and is old enough to be wed. It is decided that she will be offered to the Welsh, in return for an alliance. Around this time the King realizes that, should another emissary come to Ireland, he will need a palace to impress them with and orders construction to begin. He also employs a unit of battle-hardened Galloglaich.
1094: The people in cities and towns celebrate as the Irish and Welsh are joined together in an alliance by marriage! Only one week later Ruaidri's 4th son is born and the people celebrate again! Not only is the royal palace nearing completion, but another unit of Galloglaich offer their services to the crown, for a small fee.
1095: King Ruaidri meets an intelligent and wise man in the capitol one day and hires him on as an official diplomat. Also, he gathers together some of Ireland's best spearmakers to man a workshop that he has ordered built.
1096: The new diplomat, Rochad Diarmaid, is sent to strip the fool-of-a-Celt, Lord Uaid, of his title in a way that will not anger him too greatly. At the same time King Ruaidri forms a plan that will need another ship and the order is sent the shipbuilders within the hour.
1097: In the aftermath of Lord Uaid, Lord Eoghan is named Lord Chamberlain an governor of Ireland; the island has never has never seen such glorious days. Rochad is ordered to go to Scotland and use his charisma to find out the Scottish opinion of the Irish and, if possible, to seek an alliance.
1098: Rochad reports back to King Ruaidri that, unfortunately, the Scottish were kind, but unready for an alliance at this time. "Hmm, a minor setback," mumbled the King as he read the report. Still in high spirits, he sends word back to Rochad to move into England and seek an alliance there. A third unit of Galloglaich is hired and in a surprise move two ships (barques) are ordered to attack an unknown (Rebel) longboat patrolling the North Atlantic. It appears that the King has his sights set on Iceland, an island that would not only provide people to bolster his army and tax income, but also one full of rish trade resources.
1099: Rochad sends a disturbing report that the English King has rejected our offer of alliance and spoke to him as though we were unworthy. It was hard for Ruaidri to read, but he knew that it was basically true.... though it would soon change, the King vowed. The next day Ruaidri's 5th son was born and Rochad was sent to seek the hand of a Welsh princess for one of his sons. Less than a week later the royal princes, Ruaidri and Donchad led the invasion of Iceland with nearly 500 soldiers at their command. Around the same time the King ordered another ship and an armorer to be built in order to prepare for the times ahead.
High King Ruaidri was pleased that he had brought his country so far and maintained three fourths of his treasury, but he knew that he had to somehow generate more income if his people were ever going to be known as civilized. The thought gnawed at him as he awaited news of the battle in far off Iceland....
Episode I, completed. Next time -- the battle for Iceland and much more! Questions? Comments?
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice write up, duuuuude!
:2thumbsup:
Thanks guys! I have more than twice as many notes this time around, but also more pictures. I realize that some of the longer intervals between battles may be boring, but it was the best I could do. Also, the battle for Iceland may be a little incorrect. The played the battle and took the notes, but the game crashed while going back to the campaign map so I had to fight it again. The results were very similar, but didn't make for as good of a story so I kept the notes from the first time around and used those.
Previous Posts: 1
1099 cont: (In Iceland) The day was cold and raining -- a normal thing in Iceland. It had been raining ever since their arrival and morale was waning. Nonetheless, Prince Donchad arranged the battle formation and readied the men for battle. Despite being younger, he had been given command and his older brother given no specific role other than to be present. To all, Prince Ruaidri wasn't really considered part of the royal family, but more like a nuiscense ... and even Prince Ruaidri knew it. He was determined to show that he had worth in this battle, or die trying. Either, way, he figured, Ireland was better off.
Preparations were finally complete and the army began marching. Prince Ruaidri and his guards raced ahead and off to the right, into some woods, readying an ambush for the enemy. Soon, they were joined by some Celtic Warriors, but as the rest of the army closed in, the enemy retreated and were too far away for an ambush to work. Quickly, Ruaidri led his unit far to the north of the enemy, hoping to take them from behind. The enemy right, a group of spearmen, spotted the Prince and moved to attack him. At the same time a unit of Irish Light Cavalry that had tried to slip around the left side of the enemy began to fire their missiles at the enemy left, a unit of Viking Thralls. The thralls moved to attack and as the horsemen retreated, the thralls gave chase.
With his thralls gone and his spearmen out of position, the enemy general and Icelandic Warriors found themselves alone. The Irish infantry slammed into one side of the spearmen and the front of the Icelandic Warriors. Their superior numbers allowed them to wrap around the general's unit and flank it. The royal brothers saw their chance and charged in and massacred the enemy; Ruaidri lanced the enemy general himself.
Afterwards, they raced after the thralls and the battle was won. Prince Ruaidri's valourous actions had redeemed him in the eyes of a few, a very few. Later that day 113 prisoners were executed and the siege began.
https://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9595/2ndan8.png
(1st battle that was not saved.)
https://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3631/1stdf9.png
1100: Directly after the new year, Rochad sent word back to Ireland that the Welsh had refused the marriage proposal -- who could blame them when Prince Ruaidri was to be the groom? The King still had high hopes, however, and sent Rochad to inquire about a German princess visiting Mercia. Back in Iceland, Prince Ruaidri devised a plan and as night fell on the 24 rebels besieged in the fort, he and his 17 guards attempted to sneak in and kill the garrison in their sleep.
Sadly, one of the Prince's guards tripped over a napping guard and soon they were surrounded and outnumbered two to one. Though they fought bravely, most were killed within minutes and Ruaidri was captured. His ransom was beyond what the kingdom's coffers could handle and he was hanged from the walls of the fort, for all to see. The six bodyguards that escaped the failed attack were severly punished for their foolish actions.
1101: Enraged by the events of the last year, Prince Donchad and a unit of Galloglaich stormed the fort and it's last 12 men. In Ireland, the 4th ship of the royal navy was completed and sent into the English Channel. The King also ordered one more unit of Galloglaich to replace the losses of the battle in Iceland. Rochad, who failed to earn Ireland the hand of the German princess, travelled Denmark in an attempt to meet with the Danish King and discuss politics. The assault of the fort in Iceland proved to be an easy task, though many building were burned beyond repair. Every enemy prisoner was tortured and executed, causing men to whisper that the King's swift in delivering his justice.
1102: With the army stuck in Iceland, construction of a port hastily begins. Celtic Warriors are recruited in Ireland to help guard the island while much of the army is away in Iceland. Ruaidri's plan has both succeeded and failed; trade is booming and Iceland is in Irish hands, but it will take many years to be rebuilt. At 54, he may never live to see that day.
1103: King Ruaidri is pleased when his 3rd son, Aedh, turns 16. The boy is a much more obedient version of his older brother, Donchad. Rochad reported that his talks with the Danish King had not gone well and he spent a long time pondered why things had gone bad. King Ruaidri knew that his system of watchtowers, complimented by boderforts, had worked wonders for keeping intruders out of the country, but there was still the problem of keeping the peace inside of the country to worry about. After much thought he mad an edict ordering many townwatches established. A special unit is also established, consisting of well armed and armoured nobles on foot; though small; they should prove a strong force.
1104: Rochad returns to Scotland to find out if the Scottish King is ready to make an alliance yet and secure our borders. Ruaidri's wife also gives birth to his 6th son, which awakens an odd feeling within him. He wants to keep his family and country safe, so he hires on more Galloglaich to do the job.
1105: Rochad succeeds in securing an alliance with the Scottish; however, the circumstances were quite odd.
https://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5251/5ago8.png
Neither the Irish or the Scottish are at war and Rochad leaves the meeting wondering on the Scottish King's sanity. Emboldened by his recent success, Rochad once again attempts to set up a marriage with a Welsh princess staying in Ireland. High King Ruaidri II hires another special unit of Celtic soldiers; these called themselves "Ceatharn Cogadh Connachta" or a Connaght Warband. Then, he hires an exerienced stone mason to make some badly needed repairs on the keep.
1106: "No! How could this have happened!?" The King was furious when he heard the news that his allies, the Germans, had been excommunicated by the Pope, even Lord Eoghan became irritable when he heard the news. In Iceland, the port was finished, re-establishing the travel between the two islands, and construction began on some watchtowers to secure the area. At home in Ireland, the stone mason informs Ruaidri that more repairs are necessary and work begins on a stone mason's workshop. An extra unit of Irish Light Horsemen are hired to patrol the land and eliminate bandits and highwaymen.
1107: King Ruaidri II fears that his "navy" is stretched far too thin and orders a 5th ship to be built. In Iceland the King's defensive policy is continued by the addition of borderforts. That year the people praise their King for his building projects and all are happy.
1108: An emissary from England arrives in Ireland and offers the King an alliacne, on the condition that the country fficially distance itself from the Holy Romand Empire. As they are now excommunicated, the King is forced to accept the English offer and the alliance is made. Months later a pleasant surprise arrives in the from of Princess Naiara, of Navarre. She is wed to Prince Donchad and another alliance is sealed. In Iceland, the King can invision his grand scheme coming to fruition when he orders the construction of a trading post, but the talk of the commoners is that the wiley stone masons have persuaded the King to build a brand new castle to replace the crumbling keep in Ireland. The foundation is layed that year, but many years of work will be needed to complete it.
1109: Rochad attempts to secure a Norwegian princess for the Irish and begins persuing her. A 6th ship for the navy is also ordered by Ruaidri. Many people now fear for the live of their King, as his health continues to decline. Prince Flann, a huge dissappointment to all, comes of age late in the year and is quickly given a list of unimportant jobs to keep him occupied and out of site.
1110: "He will be missed..." is all the people can say when High King Ruaidri II passes away in his sleep, at the age of 62. He will be rememberd for his building projects and his forward thinking. His oldest living son, Donchad, takes the throne and states that he plans to continue in the footsteps of his late father and make the country great.
https://img160.imageshack.us/img160/8821/d1ld5.pnghttps://img82.imageshack.us/img82/6059/d2mo4.png
Immediately following the coronation, an emissary from the Holy Roman Empire arrives, but it turned away at the gates. King Donchad and the isles realize the brilliance of the late King when the trading post in Iceland is completed and profits nearly triple overnight. In June of 1110 a complete rebellion occurs against the Germans in Friesland and the new King leads an army of 500, more than one third of all Irish forces, against Friesland to take advatage of the situation.
That's it for now, everybody. I actually have another page of notes in front of me, but I am running out of time and figured this little cliff hanger was a nice stopping point.
Next episode -- The battle of Friesland!
You evil man :furious3:Quote:
Originally Posted by Galagros
ah was going to put up my irish bkb expert mod game. ah well it can wait.
Nice stories, guys; keep 'em coming! :2thumbsup:
As for myself, here now (finally!) is the latest update on my Norwegian campaign. It covers the establishment of a trade network, preparations for the invasion of Britain, along with events leading up to it.
Sadly, King Magnus would not live to realize his dream of conquering the English. Only a couple years after he began making preparations for yet another war, he unexpectedly died in a hunting accident. In the year of our Lord 1119, his son Magnus II was crowned in the recently-constructed royal palace in Denmark. (Magnus I had established his capital there after conquering the kingdom.)
Perhaps owing to the fact that most foreigners viewed him as more of a pure warrior and less of a statesmen, the new king was accorded less respect than his predecessor. (The English in particular were less than cordial to him at his coronation ceremony.) This was something Magnus II vowed to change. Towards that end, he had wholeheartedly embraced his father's vision of invading England and founding a new Viking kingdom there.
This would not be easy, though, as there were a couple major obstacles that had to be overcome. For one, the Normans were stronger than they had ever been, as their Angevin empire now stretched from the Pyrenees all the way to Orkney. (They had conquered the kingdom of Scotland several years before.) An even bigger problem, however, was that the Norwegians' campaign to unify the people of Scandanavia had severely drained the royal treasury. The economy wasn't exactly in dire straits, but the fact remained that Magnus simply didn't possess the funds needed to raise a new army.
Fortunately, a solution to the former problem came quickly in the form of the French King's emissary. Perhaps seeking to yoke my strength to his cause, he offered us alliance against the English. Magnus accepted the offer gladly, knowing he'd found the perfect way to keep the Normans from reinforcing their lands in Britain.
The solution to the latter problem was credited to Sven Ericsson, the king's royal chamberlin (and jarl of Sweden). Knowing that the lands of the north possessed unique goods & resources found nowhere else in the world, he suggested longships be built to transport these goods to the far-off ports of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. (He pointed out that one did not always need an axe or spear to deprive the wealthy Southerners of their money. ~D) Knowing Ericsson had served his father with loyalty and distinction, Magnus agreed to his plan. He immediately ordered his shipwrights to begin constructing a fleet that would bring the culture of the Norsemen to the western world!
The results began to pay off almost as soon as the first longships slipped their moorings and left the king's harbor. Taxes from the newly-established trade routes began to flow into the royal coffers at a modest but increasing rate. Soon, Magnus was able to begin assembling his men for the expeditionary force to Britain. He had no problem finding volunteers, as many Norsemen engaged in wild talk about the riches awaiting them across the North Sea. The king's plan to conquer England and Scotland was finally starting to come to fruition, and the whole kingdom was looked forward to the coming invasion with excitement!
As events closed in on 1130, however, storm clouds gathered on the horizon. To begin with, ships crewed by Sicilians began roaming the waters around Scandanvia. For reasons that have yet to be discerned, they had the temerity to sink one of our longships in the Skaagerak, just a few miles away from the royal palace! Enraged, Magnus ordered his fleet to sink any Sicilian vessels they came across. With reighteous anger, the Norwegian navy attacked and sunk at least 4 ships that next year. The Pope, hearing of these troubles, sent the king a message that he was overreacting and to halt his attacks. Magnus did not care, however, and gave all nobles and ship captains standing orders to destroy any craft flying the flag of Sicily. The entire incident ended up a moot point, though; as only a few years later the Sicilians were excommunicated, and then conquered by a people known as the "Serbs".
The Sicilians were but a minor irritant, however, when compared to the decline of King Magnus's health. Originally hoping to lead the invasion of Britain himself, he was weakening with such alarming rapidity that he had no choice but to give command of the expeditionary force to his brother Joar. Fortunately, Prince Joar was more than up to the task (he had good stats in all areas, including 5 command stars), but he worried--along with the rest of the kingdom--whether his brother would recover from the mysterious malady that had struck him when he was still in his prime.
The army was nearly assembled and ready to depart in their longships for the shores of Britain, but Joar was reluctant to leave home when Magnus was of only questionable health. The king assured him he'd be fine, however, and told him to win glory for himself and for their people. Prince Joar acquiesced, and ordered his men onto the ships and the fleet to depart. Accompanying him on this great adventure were his other brothers Burislev and Jon. A huge crowd surrounded the harbor, cheering the departure of the king's mighty army.
And so the invasion of Britain had begun! Joar could not help but wonder, however, if it would be the the last time he saw his brother Magnus on this earth....
Ah simply lovely, Martok! I felt as though I had slipped into a good book. More!
I have to write an english paper at the moment, but plan on posting a a huge post tomorrow. I played stopped my last write-up in 1110, but had note up until 1114, and tonight I played until 1135. I had a ton of fun tonight and some great battles. :2thumbsup: I can't wait to share!
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie Galagros
In 1131, Prince Joar stepped out of Thor, his great longship, and onto the sands of Northumbria. He was the first Viking to set foot on the shores of England in over three generations....but he was not the last. Within the next couple hours, over 1000 of his fellow Norsemen disembarked and beached their vessels. Having arrived late afternoon, the army marched only a few miles before setting up camp.
They hadn't marched very far the next morning when they were spotted by the enemy for the first time. Prince Henry (who was serving as his father William's regent in Britain) had received word in London only a week prior of the great fleet sailing from Roskilde, and had ordered sentries along the eastern shore to keep watch. Despite these precautions, he was still unprepared for how soon the Norwegians had arrived--the winds of the North Sea had been unusually favorable for Joar's fleet--and he suddenly found himself scrambling to try and rush reinforcements to the north.
Fortunately for the Norwegians, those reinforcements were too late to save York. They advanced on the city almost unopposed, as the Earl of Northumbria didn't even bother to fight after glimpsing the size of the force arrayed against him. He and his men bolted back to the town, shutting the gates in an ultimately vain attempt to hold out against the invaders. Upon arriving on the outskirts of the town a few days later, Prince Joar immediately began preparations for a direct assault. He was determined not to waste any time in conquering this land.
Just as the Vikings were about to storm York, however, they suddenly heard horns to the north! Inside the town, the English began cheering--help beyond hope had arrived in the form of Prince Edward. Edward had somehow gotten word of the invasion before his brother, and had marched from Edinburgh days ago at the head of an army, mostly made up of fierce Highlanders and stolid Saxon Fyrdmen. The Norwegians, momentarily nonplussed, quickly overcame their startlement and arrayed themselves in battle formation. Joar quickly realized his army would be outnumbered, and settled in for what he knew would be a long battle.
For all that, however, the Prince was more irritated than worried over the battle about to commence. He knew he could defeat the English easily enough, but doing so would significantly slow down his plans for taking over Britain. He determined that after he had secured victory in Mercia, he would would order the fleet to find and destroy all English vessels in the North Sea and the Channel, so as to ensure the Normans couldn't dispatch any more reinforcements from the Continent.
So decided, he went off to lead his men to a tough but decisive victory. The Norsemen took heavy losses, but the bulk of Norman forces in Britain was destroyed that day. Prince Edward was captured and ransomed back to his father, and Prince Henry was still desperately trying to raise an army in Nottingham. Joar decided not to give him the chance to do so, and immediately invaded Mercia. After a short but bitter fight, Prince Henry was killed, and the town was overrun.
Back in York, Prince Karl had arrived from Norway with fresh troops. After reinforcing the garrison there, he turned his army north to Edinburgh. The Duke of Scotland was of the bookish type, not a warrior, and was running away almost before Karl's men even reached the Norman lines. The old Scottish capital fell almost immediately, as the survivors went through their food stores too quickly. Now only Wessex and Wales remained unconquered.
In regards to the latter, King Magnus (on the advice of Prince Joar), made an extraordinary offer to the Welsh. So impressed was Joar with their superb archers, that he wished to make them brothers to the Norsemen in all but name. Magnus therefore dispatched an emissary, wishing to purchase their services in perpetuity. Surprised, yet grateful for the offer--they had fully expected to be the Norwegians' next victim--they accepted. Now only Wessex itself remained in English hands.
In the meantime, the captains of the various Norwegian longship squadrons had already done precisely what Joar desired. The Sea Wolves had siezed the initiative, sinking all English shipping down to the Bay of Biscay. In the space of less than a year, most of the Normans' navy ceased to exist. Only a single ship in the English Channel survived--a ship that transported King William III to Wessex. He had crossed over with only his Royal Knights, determined to make a last-ditch attempt to redeem his lands in Britain.
The move, while a noble one on his part, was ultimately futile and led to his downfall. William arrived in a Wessex wholly abandoned by his once-great army; only the servants were there to greet him when he rode to London. The next year, Norwegian longships dispatched by Prince Joar sailed into the Channel and sank the last English vessel patrolling the waters there. King William was now cut off with no chance of retreat back to the mainland.
Upon learning of this, Joar dispatched his brother Burislev along with 2 units of newly-recruited Feudal Seargents to Wessex. William fought bravely, but was eventually brought down by Prince Burislev's own lance; the rest of the English knights quickly fell after that. Britain was now wholly conquered by the Norsemen; King Magnus' dream was at last a reality. All that remained now was for him to come to London for his coronation.
Alas, Magnus would never make it there. Finally succumbing to the illness that had plagued him for so long, he died just as he was getting ready to make the trip across the North Sea. There was great mourning throughout all of Scandanavia, and Princes Joar & Karl both wept when the news reached Britain. Despite their sorrow, however, both brothers knew they still had work to do. Karl returned home with Crown Prince Jon for his coronation, while Joar and their younger brother Burislev stayed behind to order affairs in their newly-conquered territories.
Little did Joar and Karl know that a new enemy would soon threaten their people. Only this time, however, the threat would not come from outside the kingdom's borders--it would be from within.
:2thumbsup:
Nice Martok
Gah!! Good stopping point, Martok. Thanks for the comments guys.
Previous Posts: 1, 2
The Battle of Friesland, 1110:
A heavy downpour soaks the Irish men to the bone as they receive orders to form the battle line. Donchad does what he can in the way of encouraging speeches, but there is little that can be done to cheer up a man who is soaking wet and wearing armor; they just want to get the battle done with. Soon enough the King orders the infantry to advance on the enemy troops, who have positioned themselves between two small forests. King Donchad expected an ambush, but was unworried. He and a unit of Irish Light Horsemen flanked the woods on the left, while Prince Flann and another unit of Irish Light Horsemen flanked the trees on the right, and the infantry marched straight for the plains in the center.
As soon as the infantry engaged the small enemy, hundreds of spearmen emerged from the woods on the right. The Connaght Warband held their ground against the advancing spearmen and the Irish Light Horsemen softened up the spearmen with thier missles just before Prince Flann charged into their backs. It was obvious now that the woods on the left were empty and the King charged across the field and into the battle. The enemy general was killed in the melee and as the entire enemy army routed, many were cut down and captured.
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The King took much pleasure in riding down the cowardous enemy archers, who fled with hardly a fight. After the battles, even seasoned veterans applauded Prince Flann's ability to stay calm in battle while his bodyguards were falling around him. His actions behind the enemy lines had surely helped win the battle so quickly. After the battle, 216 enemy soldiers along with 2 nobles were sentenced to death, and King Donchad felt more confident in his attacks than before (skilled attacker).
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1111: The King sends for another Connaght Warband from Ireland and lays siege to the keep in Friesland while also ordering Rochad to arrange an alliance with the Norse, who have heavy garrisons in two territories bordering Friesland.
1112: The Norwegian King sends Rochad away after rejecting our offer for an alliance. Rochad is hardly disheartened and goes back to his favorite game, and asks for the hand of a Scottish princess. As the siege in Friesland continues, Donchad orders Lord Eoghan to have garrison troops prepared for the fall of the keep. He also has Iceland encourage more forresting to provide the much needed lumber for ships and building projects.
1113: The Scottish refuse our marriage offer, but that seems entirely unimportant when news reaches the King that the Welsh have invaded the English in Wessex! "....this decision may well define our country for generations to come," said Donchad; he knew how important wars were. The Welsh were family; Donchad's own sister was married to a Welsh prince. However, they seem to have no hope of beating the English, and he feels forced to abandon them. Spearmen are conscripted in Ireland and Woodsmen in Iceland, both will be sent to garrison some location. A good stone mason is also sent to Iceland, with hopes of building a keep there.
1114: The siege of Friesland ends in a huge fire and many building are torched, though a select few survive. The King's brother, Prince Niall, comes of age. The boy has a strangely shaped chin, and he often wears a full war helmet in order to help cover up his deformity. Celtic Warriors and Woodsmen, from Ireland and Iceland respectively, are sent to help garrison the new territory while it's watchtowers are being built. Ireland continues to expand it's navy while Iceland finally lays the foundation for a keep.
1115: As soon as the last watchtower is up in Friesland, Donchad orders all of the workmen to to construct a port so that he may have travel back to the Isles, if necessary. He also recruits a unit of archers, to add a little diversity to his army. The year turns out to be quite eneventful.
1116: A diplomat from Poland is received by the King and, eventually, an alliance is worked out. The new castle in Ireland looks impressive and several horse breeders are brought in to fill up the newly expanded stables. More Galloglaich are also hired to help man the longer walls.
1117: Urgent news arrives that the English and the Navarrese have declared war on one another and a battle has been fought. Though the details are hazy, it has been confirmed that the King of Navarre was killed in the fighting and that is heir has ascended to the throne. Donchad's wife is in an uproar over her father's murder and presses her husband to side with her homeland against th English. Donchad knows that it is folly to go to war against a far superior power, but he simply can not reject his wife, and sides with Navarre. The King now worries for his fledgling navy and the impact on trade that would occur if his merchant ships were sunk. He anxiously waits for the port in Friesland to be completed so that he can formulate his next move.
1118: Another great famine spreads across Ireland, killing many. Is this an omen of things to come? As he pondered that very question a courier arrived. Apparently, the man had come from Rochad, who had finally worked out an alliance with the deadly Norse. Unfortunately, it was only weeks later when another courier arrived and reported that the Norse and Scottish had gone to war.
"...what to do," Donchad mumbled while he thought out his situation. The Norse ruled the seas and has thousands of soldiers on the border of Friesland, whereas the Scottish were weak and only controlled Scotland, but had been longtime allies. "Curse that man!" Donchad was speaking of the mad Scottish King, who, no doubt, had started the war. He sighed as he abandoned the Scottish and sent his good intentions to the Norse. Ireland and Friesland both continued to recruit soldiers to participate in, what seemed like, the many battles that were to come.
1119: King Donchad's youngest brother finally came of age, in Friesland. He was much like the rest of his family, save for the fact that he was too easily tempted by monestary gain. The King leaves his bother, Flann, to defend Friesland as he leads a host of 600 into the lightly defended English land of Northumbria. Before he goes, he sends word to Rochad to try and re-establish diplomatic ties with the Welsh, who had successfully taken Wessex from the English years earlier; he now regretted ever abandoning their alliance.
1120: While besieging th English, who had not fought in Northumbria, word reaches the King that that Danish, Polish, and Norse have all sided against him. He is particulary angry at the Norse, who he had spent so much time trying to appease. Mounted Sergeants are recruited in Ireland, thanks to the new horse breeder. An axesmith has been built in Ireland, next to the newly completed keep. Another unit of Galloglaich join their King in Northumbria while he awaits the probable Englsih reinforcements. At home in Ireland, Donchad's first son was born!
1121: A day of mourning occurs when a royal servant finds Rochad, royal friend and diplomat, slumped over his desk with a knife in his back. Though a long search for the assassin is performed, no leads turn up. More bad news is received that the Englsih have broken the siege of Navarre and massacred the Navarrese royal family. The Queen takes to crying and it is said that she often goes about her day as if in a trance.
1122: No Englsih reinforcements ever arrive and Northumbria falls to the Irsh army. Lord Gofraidh is named Earl and construction immediately begins on watchtowers to keep the populous in order. People now say openly that Donchad is just as good of a builder as his father.
1123: Several Irish ships trading in the Bay of Biscay go missing and it is assumed that they have been captured or sunk by the English. In an unexpected, but good turn of events, a Scottish prince weds King Donchad's daughter, and the nations once again have an alliance. Borderforts and archer are ordered in Northumbria to boost defence.
1124: A messenger from the Pope arrived and presents Donchad with 1,000 florins as a reward for his piety. The King find this odd, but admits that his people are very zealous by nature. That year a shipyard is started in Iceland and a port in Northumbria. In mid spring Donchad marches in men south into York, which is still held by the English, who run for their keep without a fight when they spot the Irish army.
1125: The Irish lands continue to improve themselves and the siege of York also continues without objection. The year ends without much happening.
1126: Prince Dermont leaves the siege of York to replace his brother Flann in Friesland, who has repeatedly proven himself unworthy and incapable.
1127: The siege of York finally ends and rebuilding begins. All Irish territories appear to be safe and secure as the King celebrates his 54th birthday. Back in Ireland, Prince Aedh, who has spent many years studying military doctrine, is now regarded by many as highly educated.
1128: The shipyard in Iceland is now complete and it is converted into the kingdom's first naval base. Northumbria is tasked with increasing their trade revenue and in York borderforts are built to deter the English in Mercia. Mercia is a large problem for King Donchad, as an astounding army of 3,000 reside there under the command of a battle-tested general; thus Donchad can neither invade not withdraw his army any men defending York.
1129: The world is stunned when the French, our strongest ally, dissolve into complete civil war when the French King dies without an heir. Donchad fears that this will prove disasterous when the English attempt to assert control over the previous French territories and resloves to calm a few down himself and even out the situation.
1130: High King Donchad I departs for the rebellious Flanders, on the eve of his 57th birthday, with an army of 300. To his great surprise, the rebels retreat from the province entirely.
1131: The King leads 400 men against the rebels in Normandy and has units from far away sent to garrison Flanders in his absense.
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Only once Donchad arrived did he realize how terrible of a battlefield Normandy was. A thin bridge stood directly between the two armies and unfortunately, the enemy had arrayed in a defensive position on their side.
https://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1622/11zp6.png
So ... what will Donchad do? Will he order his men in a fullscale charge at the enemy? Will he retreat and hope to return another day!? Will he just sit there all day long and taunt the enemy!!? Well, you'll have to wait to find out. :juggle2: I am out of time right now, but I assure you, the best is tom come, as 1131-1134 are a lot of fun.
Well done, Galagros! Looks like you're going to end in up in a major confrontation with the English before too long. I wish you luck. :thumbsup:
@Rhythmic and Silver Rusher: When do you think you guys will do the next updates for your Bulgarian and Serb campaigns (respectively)? I've been looking forward to reading them! (Sorry, I know I sound greedy!)
I might have another update on my Norwegian campaign tonight, but I can't guarantee anything just yet. Real life may intrude on my playing (and posting) time this evening. ~:angry:
Nice Galagros,
Looking foward to reading both yours and Martok's.
I'll post now.