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Makedonios gathers his Sergeants at his command tent outside of the wall of Antioch.
Gentlemen, welcome to Antioch.
As you can see, we are keeping the city under siege. And we have our main force camped right outside their gate in case they sally. Get settled in because we will be here for awhile. I am shipping a regiment of peasants over to help reinforce us. Once the church in Nicosia is built, I will see about getting a priest sent here to start preaching the good Word to the locals.
Armatos eyes look a little dull, though it doesn't slow his reation.
Excellent, Grandmaster. *cough* *cough* I'm glad to be off of that ship, and I look forward to our first territorial acquisition.
Makedonios eyes his second in command,
Are you ok? You seem a little under the weather.
It is just some minor fatigue from the trip, my lord. I've been worse before, and I'll get through this without difficulty.
M'lord if I may ask why are there no siege engines being prepared? Is the possibility of an assault to be so lightly dismissed? I fear for the citizens of Antioch, many of them our Orthodox brethern, suffering through an extensive siege on limited supplies. Not to mention those of our brothers here who are not completely well.
(Err, assume this was said long ago eh? I've had a lot come up lately.)
Congratulations on being named second, by the by, Armatos ek Naksou! It is quite encouraging to see the Order's structure coming together!
(Back to the current moment)
It seems somehow... ignoble to merely starve out the rabble guarding the walls at the cost of so much suffering. Might it not be better to move forward and bring the enemy to a more decisive battle?
Your pardon if I'm speaking out of turn m'lord.
Vissarionas' eyes are full of questions as the true length of the siege begins to dawn on him.
:egypt:
You ask a good question.
I have 3 good reasons for not assaulting the city.
1.) We simply do not have the strength to do it without terrible losses. With 7 regiments, the city's garrison can hold the walls for some time against our assault. We have exactly 3 regiments of foot soldiers right now. 1 would have to go for the gates. So that leaves 2 to take the walls. The city has 5 regiments of foot soldiers and 2 of archers. The walls would be a bloodbath. If we ignore the walls, we'll get peppered with arrows. Either way, the city wouldn't fall easy.
2.) We need as many soldiers as possible to keep the peace in the city afterwards. The city will not take kindly to being ruled by those of a different faith and we will need men patrolling the streets to keep the peace.
3.) We need to preserve this army for the long-term. We are not likely to be reinforced for some time. And Nicosia only has the facilities to train peasants. So what we have is probably all we will get in terms of professional soldiers for decades.
I'm afraid that if we attack now, we will gut our army and will watch the city revolt out from under us.
Waiting allows us to bring peasants over from Nicosia to help patrol the streets. And we can bring a priest over to start preaching the Word.
There is also the possibility that if we wait, the city will simply fall without a fight. I've checked the logistics and we can keep the army supplied long enough to wait the city out.
May I ask what your battle plan is in case the foe where to sally M'lord, for I have a plan of my own. I think it can be won with less then 10 casualties from some of my simulations if we were to use the fact that the enemy completely lack cavalry. I propose pulling our infantry back and allow the archers to rain death upon the foe unguarded. If we position ourselves correctly, when they give chase to the archers, we can have a concerted charge from our bodyguard and the infantry, surrounding them and causing a mass rout with few casualties.
(OOC: Tested in game :yes:)
That was the plan I had as well. But I hope not to use it. If we get enough peasants in the reinforcement force, the garrison may very well give up without a fight instead of sallying.
OOC: If we make the odds too uneven, the AI will just let us take the city without a fight when the siege is over. For many reasons, I believe this is the optimal result.
OOC: I believe it's customary not to 'scout' battles ahead of time; since this game is cooperative and competitive at the same time it's best choose your moment and take your chances on a single decisive engagement. FYI for the future. :2thumbsup:
I'll have an IC reply tomorrow when my brain isn't dead. :laugh4:
:egypt:
OOC: It is actually perfectly acceptable. The only thing we do is put certain results in "spoilers" so people can avoid them. We did this all the time in KotR. :yes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramses II CP
Next time I'll be more selective with what I put out of spoilers. :bow:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
OOC: I allow normal OOC conversations to be out of spoilers in this thread. It's just that some people want to be surprised by things that happen in the game. If you ever want to play ahead to learn who the new heir will be, that is ok, but then some people will not want to know. So, we put it in spoilers. Same with battle results.
As for Antioch, so much of it required OOC mechanics, that I just talked about it OOC. What's funny is that I talked about this being a 6 turn siege many posts ago and no one said anything. :clown:
A letter arrives from the Order of the Silver Hawks
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Brethern I know I have been quiet, and perhaps even moody, these past few years. I have been unable to stomach attending to the political games of the Senate, despite knowing their necessity. My role has, perhaps, been slight and my contributions as well. That being said, the subsequent events at Antioch have weighed heavily on my soul and the time has at last come for me to speak what I feel must be said on the matter.
I am not a man of letters, as many of my good brothers are, nor am I the mightiest sword arm in the Order, though I've earned my share of scars, nor would I claim to be the most pious of us all. No, for mosts, I fall far short. For leasts, however, I feel I may have a claim or two. I was the least enthusiastic about our plans for the siege of Antioch, though by no means did I expect the disaster which befell our foe and ourselves there. Since Antioch too I have been the least involved, the least attentive to my duties.
Now that must end. The Senate session has left me without a choice. I must and will carry on with my duties, but I cannot do so under the same terms as before. Something must change.
If this were a matter of my private error, I would go to my superior in the order. If it were a matter of a collective error for I and others, I would go before the Grandmaster. This, though, I believe is a matter of the Order's error. The Order's sin.
I am not a priest, so perhaps I am speaking out of place. In any case, I make no claim on any other member's conscience nor recommendation towards their actions. For me, though, there must be penance. Penance which can be set by only one man.
I depart now to go before the Patriarch to beg him to set me a penance that I might expiate the sin I carry from Antioch. It matters not a whit that I slew no one at the city, the men under my command, the men I spent years preparing and training, the men for whom I was responsible carried out a very great and unjust slaughter of innocents. I can no longer bear that knowledge, that stain on my soul. I can only pray the Patriarch will intercede in my name and set me an appropriate penance so I can be redeemed.
Whatever he asks of me, I will do, even unto a breach of my solemn vows to the Order, if such should be necessary to redeem myself. If this causes me to be outcast from you, my brothers, know that I have been honored to be a part of this great Order and I wish you all the greatest success in your aims!
Vissarionas ek Lesvou
:egypt:
Sitting in a bed in the Order's chambers, Makedonios hears his Sergeant.
We are all dealing with the tradgedy in Antioch our own way. You need to do what you think is right. You have my full support. I hope His Eminence helps give you guidance.
As for acts that might breach the Order's charter, let's cross that bridge if we get to it. For now just let me know if there is anything you need.
Nathanial looks at Vissarionas with understanding
Vissarionas, all of us have taken the sack of Antioch quite hard, but it is important not to lose sight of the Orders goals. It is up to each of us to ensure that the happenings of Antioch are never repeated by the Order again. We must be vigilant, and teach those who are fresh to the Order self-control and piety. We must be forgiving, and show our enemies the way of Christ. The good deeds and righteousness of our order must erase its troubled beginnings from the annals of history.
Avenge those two thousand wrongly killed at Antioch by sending ten thousand on the path of righteousness. When I first saw the chaos in the city, I felt my commitment to the Order wane. I recently exchanged letters with the Grandmaster asking to resign, but he has convinced me otherwise. Where else in our empire are righteous men such as we embarked upon as noble a quest? The answer is nowhere. The other Houses clamor for more land and material wealth, while we clamor for the holy land and wealth of spirit.
I hope your faith in the Order is restored as mine has been. This group of men has the potential to be the outlet for such greatness, such beautiful acts in the name of God. Seek your penance from the Patriarch, but I encourage you to stay here to accomplish great things in the name of our Lord.
For me, this is the only penance.
Iakovos coughs into his hand to get the others attention
Just to let the all of you know, with the blessings of our Grandmaster and the patronage of the Princess Anna Komnenus, I have begun work on the construction of a University to teach those who have lost so much in our reclamation of Antioch. One of my men, Levon, and I have begun teaching the orphans of the city in a small school for now, but with time, I hope to make Antioch the intellectual jewel of the Empire, and hopefully repay for some of the tragedy here.
Ah, excellent Iakovos! I am glad that so many of us are trying to find ways to make amends for what has happened, and I pray that my own redemption will be found in leading Antioch into a new golden age. Vissarionas, I am glad that you are taking the situation seriously. I pray that you shall find the redemption you seek.
Armatos suddenly bursts into the room wearing his armor.
My lords! The Order's scouts have reported that an army of brigands and rebels has been raised northwards of Antioch, and have seized the Iron River-crossing! I have just returned from personally scouting out the enemy's disposition, and although most of the foreign natives were unwilling to divulge any information, a few friends of the Empire have informed me that they number some sixteen companies. Though I attempted to get closer and ascertain their exact makeup, I was only able to witness a company of desert archers out foraging before we were chased off by a group of fanatics.
Grandmaster, if the enemy should leave the safety of the river crossing to advance on our position I request permission to take the sergeants and our professional soldiers out into the field so that we may engage and destroy them!
Makedonios looks alarmed at the news.
I heard rumors of unrest in other parts of the Empire but I didn't know it reached here.
You absolutely have permission. I know as a Comes you have limitations as to how many men you can have in an army. You take as many men as you legally can have. I can bring up the reserves.
OOC: Armatos is lord of Antioch. He can command as large a force as he wants within the borders of his territory. Since the rebel army is within the province, a split is not required. This is exactly why the rule was written that way. When you're defending your land, you have no limitations.Quote:
Originally Posted by Privateerkev
OOC:
Your right. Thanks for clearing that up. :bow:
Looks like Mak will have to sit it out then. His command is so high, he'll take command if he is in the stack, but his stats really suck because of pneumonia. :laugh4:
OOC: Vissarionas may very well not be present for this battle.
IC: Vissarionas ek Lesvou returns to the Order HQ just in time to hear Armatos' declaration of intent to put down the rebellion. His face already bore a troubled look, which only deepens as he considers the implications for Antioch and possibly for the entire Empire. Turning to Armatos he says,
'May God grant you victory Marshal, and ward the cities of the Empire!'
Turning then to Makedonios and issuing a salute, Vissarionas continues,
'Grandmaster I must request a private audience to discuss my immediate future and the requirements of my penance.'
OOC: This will be put together as a coop story on the AHEM! board. I'll kick it off a little later. :yes:
:egypt:
Makedonios nods at Vissa.
Of course, you can come into my chambers when ever your ready.
--------------------------------------------------------
OOC:
The first rule of the private board is that you do not talk about the private board.
The second rule of the private board... is that you do not talk about the private board!
:laugh4:
*edit*
The third rule of the private board dictates that adding "ahem" to the word "board" will not be used as a loophole to get around rules one and two.
:clown:
Sergeants of St. John, we ride to war! In anticipation of Antioch's besiegement we shall depart the city and from the hammer to the garrison's anvil! Woe betide the enemy when they face us in battle!
Marshall,
You might as well take the army with as well. Leave me in the city with just enough to keep order. Lower the taxes as well during this time of troubles.
OOC:
Leave Mak, Vissa, and just enough units to keep order.
Take the army and the rest of the Sergeants out.
Ramses will remove Vissa later tonight. (so make sure the public order is high enough to survive Vissa's absence.)
My lord, even the most optimistic scenario will only allow us to take three additional regiments. Rather than split our line of battle in half, or seperate the archers from a protective line of infantry, it is best if we use the cavalry's mobility to give us a better position when the battle commences. Besides which, if something unexpected were to happen, there would be no better place for foot soldiers than inside the city walls.
Your right. Then just take yourself and three Sergeants. Leave me and the army. Vissa is leaving on detached duty and he will get going himself later on.
Makedonios collapsed onto his bed in the command tent at the city center. He was exhausted.
Good job everyone. We saved the city.
I, Aerovindos ek Samou, swear an oath of allegiance to Makedonios Ksanthopoulos.