The Kingdom of Outremer

Jan walks into Ebelhard's command tent. His armor is dusty and full of dents. He walks upright and with a purpose.

I am very busy right now so I will keep this brief.

1.) The King did announce in public during the 2nd Mongol wave that Count Zirn was to be his heir.

2.) But, with the Kaiser busy and Count Zirn sick, I think it is a good idea for you to take temporary control of Outremer as Sterward. I hereby swear fealty to you for as Steward of Outremer for as long as your appointment lasts.

Jan bows his head to Ebelhard out of respect.

3.) With your's and the Chancellor's permission, I want to be immediately reinforced with units from nearby armies, and then I want another crack at the Mongol general. His army is depleted. While I agree with letting the other three Mongol armies mill around the desert, that particular general needs to die. And he needs to die now.

I will wait for your answer. Now, if you will excuse me, there is much that needs to be done in Edessa.

Matthias speaks, his voice as cold as ice.

King Salier's loss and the destruction of his army is a heavy blow.

I will salvage what I can from this.

Matthias nods to the Prinz and Jan.

Your plan is a good one your Highness, but I am loathe to abandon the ford north of Edessa or the bridge east of Aleppo. I believe we can still hold the Mongols at the river and Edessa. Jan will remain in Edessa to recruit a new bodyguard, and I will reinforce him as best I can.

If you will excuse me Gentlemen, there is something I have to take care of.

Matthias turns to leave, but speaks over his shoulder.

Oh, congratulations on your new wife, Prinz Elberhard.

Matthias walks out.

Elberhard looks stunned at the mention of a wife. He grabs one of the departing Chancellor's entourage, a recently arrived knight from Austria.

“Jesus @#$%^&!!!ing Christ! A marriage arranged behind my back by the Chancellor?! And @#$%^&!!!ing elephant balls knew about it before me?! @#$%^&!!!. I don't know whether to be happy I am beating the old @#$%^&!!!er to the altar or outraged because he knew it before me."

Elberhard pauses and then adds to the Austrian:

"You tell your Duke; it's a sad @#$%^&!!!ing day when our @#$%^&!!!s become instruments of diplomacy!"

He walks over to Jan and mutters:

"Good luck at Edessa, mate. Maybe the Chancellor is right to hold the bridge and the ford, but what if the Horse Lords through everything they have got at one of the those points? Could one army of ours hold against four of theirs?"

Jan replies to Ebelhard,

The one army would have a better chance against three instead of four. I will ask this again. Please, allow me some reinforcements from the Chancellor's army and let me at that depleted army that is right at my city's walls. The general of that army deserves swift justice. The Chancellor is worried about my chances at survival but there are times when you throw caution into the wind. And we have arrived at one of those times. The King, God bless his soul, will rest easier once that general is either captured or dead.

It is sad indeed to see a good friend and leader fall in battle. But for now, we must waste no time with mourning and instead ready our arms if we are to strike swift and true.
In the meantime, I shall accept my brother as steward to Outremer in order to allow actions to continue smoothly.

I am still awaiting the specified regiments of soldiers that I requested with approval from the late King Salier from the chancellor. I hope that this will now be done more expediently seeing how the enemy will be quite bolder in its attacks after their victory.

Adalberth unfolds the scroll with the approved regiments

2 Imperial Knights
2 Mailed Knights
3 Unhorsed Knights
6 Pavise crossbowmen
2 Zweihander / Foot knights
4 Armoured Sergeants

A few days later...

Well, since the Chancellor attacked that Mongol army while I was refitting mine, my earlier request is pretty much moot. I will continue with resting and refitting my army and preparing the city for attack. When my army is ready, I wish to be given leave to strike targets of opportunity when they appear around the city.

Fellow Crusaders,

I am happy to see that Chancellor Matthias is running for re-election. I hope that any of you give careful thought before potentially splitting the Crusader vote. I would like to see us unite behind the current Chancellor as he has shown that he has our interests truly at heart. I think if there are any disagreements with this, they should be hashed out in here or in private so as to show a united front. These are just my thoughts on the matter.

I agree that the Chancellor has done very well in his term and I will almost certainly be voting for him this time but before I make my final decision I would like to see who else runs for Chancellorship.

Dieter, the Prince has just announced that you will be taking over my father's lands in Aleppo. Congratulations on your promotion Crusader Count! You are now officially Franconia's representative in Outremer. This deserves a beer at the Tavern.

Indeed it does my fellow count, I'll pay for yours as well

Alright people, time to start talking about legislation. We got six Outremer edicts so lets hear some ideas. The way I am reading the law, Ebelhard should not try to use Swabian house edicts this Diet but the rest of us can if our Dukes allow it. But, Ebelhard gets 3 personal edicts with 2 of those needing to deal with Outremer. That one non-dealing-with-Outremer edict is his one personal edict that everyone gets. He doesn't get one in addition to all of this as far as I know. In addition, he gets 3 edicts that are house edicts which need two Crusader Counts to pre-second.

The Prince and I came up with this one

Charter Amendment 12.x:
Clause 3.10 is amended to read as follows (changes in bold):

Quote:

---

3.10 Influential players get bonus votes (max +6 bonus)

Appointed Influence (Max 4 points):
Duke/King: +3
Count: +1
Chancellor, ex-Chancellor, or Prince: +1

Stat Influence (Max 2 points):
15 or more total stat points: +1 (I thought about a lower number, but all avatars are given a base 3 piety and base 5 loyalty, which means those points are freebies. So, 15 is only 7 from actual traits, plus the 8 piety and loyalty freebies)
6 or more ranks in one stat: +1 (In the unlikely scenario where a character gets 6 or more in 2 stats without having 15 total, they get this +1 twice)

The player who is Emperor gets bonus votes differently, being equal to his authority.

---

Its simple. We give the King the same influence as Dukes. I think its fair. Its small enough in scale that few people should have a problem with it. Most people can agree that the position of King of Outremer is underpowered in comparison to the Dukes yet holds roughly the same responsibility. We already let the man vote in succession disputes so, to me, this is a no-brainer.

This next one is my idea to stave off a potential problem.

Charter Amendment 12.x:
Charter Amendment 9.1 is amended to read as follows (changes in bold):

Quote:

---

8. All four Houses of the Reich have a stake in the Kingdom. Damascus is assigned to Austria; Adana is assigned to Bavaria; Acre is assigned to Swabia; and Aleppo is assigned to Franconia. Antioch will be the capital of Outremer and an Imperial province governed by the King of Outremer. Edessa will also be an Imperial province, governed by a Count chosen by the King of Outremer. The Crusading Count for a settlement can come from any House. They will gain +1 influence, but only if they are not already a Count in their Duchy, and only for the Diet session that marks their appointment. The cap of 6 influence for all but the Emperor remains.

---

Another simple piece of legislation. This prevents a problem I see coming. If Count Zirn becomes King, we will need an Austrian for Damascus. But, Duke Arnold has few Austrians to spare. So, Damascus will be without a count and nobles from other houses, like Jens, will be without a county. This CA will allow the King to have greater flexibility in assigning crusader counties.

Good ideas both, perhaps the second should include that a member of a specific house should receive "first consideration" for their traditional county. For example, as a Bavarian in Outremer, I would be considered for appointment to Adana first, then it could pass on to other Crusaders.

Without a bridge to the past like this, some Electors might worry that Outremer is becoming too "independent".

Seeing how Outremer has 6 possible edicts, I would suggest that legislation be put forward to ensure the Mongol threat is dealed with.

Thats a good point Matthias. How about this,

Charter Amendment 12.x:
Charter Amendment 9.1 is amended to read as follows (changes in bold):

Quote:

---

8. All four Houses of the Reich have a stake in the Kingdom. Damascus is assigned to Austria; Adana is assigned to Bavaria; Acre is assigned to Swabia; and Aleppo is assigned to Franconia. Antioch will be the capital of Outremer and an Imperial province governed by the King of Outremer. Edessa will also be an Imperial province, governed by a Count chosen by the King of Outremer. The Crusading Count for a settlement should first be assigned according to house, but in the event where that is not possible, the Crusader Count can come from any House. They will gain +1 influence, but only if they are not already a Count in their Duchy, and only for the Diet session that marks their appointment. The cap of 6 influence for all but the Emperor remains.

---

Any recommendations on the exact wording? I want to find a balance where we can get Crusading Counts in Counties when we need to, yet still maintain that vital link to our Houses.

*edit*

Hans, since the Mongols are in our territory, the King already has full power to "expel" them. No edict is required.

Alright, I want to get this out of the way.

The Kaiser has appointed me as King until the next Diet session and due to the power vested in me by our Kaiser, I am hereby King Jan. He has dissolved CA 11.6 and a part of CA 11.4. The part of CA 11.4 that is gone is the part that gave me 3 personal edicts. I now have 3 "house" edicts that will need 2 pre-seconds from Crusader Counts.

No disrespect to Prince Ebelhard, but I am hereby dissolving all of his standing orders. I do not mean to keep people hanging as to the allotment of Crusader Counties but I wish for a little bit of time to catch up on reports before making an announcement. (OOC: I am going to sleep on this in real life and make decisions in 8 or so hours)

As matters of book keeping, the Crown of Thorns will remain in my possession until the next King is named. And I hereby renounce my association with House Franconia for the duration of my term.

Thank you and if anyone has any questions, please let me know in here or by letter.

Alright, the Prince has pointed out that the Kaiser can not disregard CA 11.6 just because it conflicts with past legislation. So, CA 11.6 is active, which means that it looks like I will probably be around here in my current capacity a bit longer than expected. I have also announced my choices for Crusader Counts in the Diet. Now we should discuss legislation. We each have one personal edict. And I have three "house" ones that would need to be pre-seconded in here. I'd like to hear ideas on what to use those three for. We have two good ideas out there already but I am open to others.

We are beset by enemies on three sides. We have three Mongol armies around Edessa. We need to protect Jerusalem to the south. And defend against Turkish aggression to the north. As of now, I am taking command of the Army of Outremer and am going to order it placed onto the bridge to Aleppo. I know all of us have experienced a lot of change lately, but I am confident that we can see through this. Jens latest outburst in the Diet highlights that the Kaiser went against King Salier's wishes when he picked me to be King. While I have no problem with Karl Zirn, it was the Kaiser's decision to make. I will consider the subject of my legitimacy to hold the position to be closed. I have much more important matters to worry about.

I agree with the above ammendments and am most pleased with your promotion to King, I believe you will handle the position very well.

I thank you for your kind words Dieter. You are now the sole Franconian in Outremer and will take over my father's lands in Aleppo. Serve those people well and keep them safe. My position forces me to leave my house so I will no longer be able to join you for beer in the Franconian hall. But, it seems that many of us are frequenting the new place in Rome so I will see you there.

I believe the amendment concerning the origin of crusader counts will have a near 100% chance of passing.
The other amendment however, may not be easily passed without concessions to other houses I believe. Afterall, the charter of Outremer reads that Outremer is not a house but an integral part of the empire itself. Putting King equal to Duke will offend many men in Europe I believe and many will point at the Outremer charter.

Count Hans,

You have a good point about the influence. But, they wish that the King take on the responsibilities of a Duke. Even Lothar grudgingly admitted at the last Diet that he could understand legislation that strengthened the King. We already let the King sit in on succession disputes. Giving the King more influence does nothing to weaken the House's ties to Outremer. It only gives acknowledgment to the responsibility that the King holds. Dukes pointed out last session that they should hold more influence than their counts. Shouldn't the same be said regarding the King and his Crusader Counts? Now that we got the whole 6 edicts thing cleared up, this idea should be more palatable. Any other thoughts on this?

Alright people. Its time to put out some edicts. Since Dieter is new, I am going to go very basic in my explanation. I have these two CA's for which I will use two of my "house" edicts given to me by CA 11.3. By law, I will need two Crusader Counts to second them in here. Say that you second that specific CA or both CA's as the case may be. When I have two seconds, I will present the CA's out on the Diet floor pre-seconded so they will need no further seconding on the Diet floor. I hate to do this, but because of all the lawyers we all are using, we need to be careful. Therefore, only Hans, Dieter, Matthias, and Karl can second edicts in here. The language of the law is very clear on this. This makes sense because even Ducal Houses can't get nobles to second their house edicts all because they happen to be passing through their lands. This means that neither Ebelhard, nor Jens, will be able to second these as neither of them have Crusader Counties since they have both asked to leave.

Charter Amendment 12.x:
Clause 3.10 is amended to read as follows (changes in bold):

Quote:

---

3.10 Influential players get bonus votes (max +6 bonus)

Appointed Influence (Max 4 points):
Duke: +3
King: +2
Count: +1
Chancellor, ex-Chancellor, or Prince: +1

Stat Influence (Max 2 points):
15 or more total stat points: +1 (I thought about a lower number, but all avatars are given a base 3 piety and base 5 loyalty, which means those points are freebies. So, 15 is only 7 from actual traits, plus the 8 piety and loyalty freebies)
6 or more ranks in one stat: +1 (In the unlikely scenario where a character gets 6 or more in 2 stats without having 15 total, they get this +1 twice)

The player who is Emperor gets bonus votes differently, being equal to his authority.

---

I have thought a lot about this CA. I am not a Duke. I do not intend to try to pretend that I am one. But, I am King. While I have less responsibilities than a Duke, I do have more responsibilities than a Count. Therefore, I ask for influence that makes sure that Kings will at least have equal influence to their own Crusader Counts. I currently have less influence than two of them. And, with all due respect, that does not sit well with me. On to the next CA,

Charter Amendment 12.x:
Charter Amendment 9.1 is amended to read as follows (changes in bold):

Quote:

---

8. All four Houses of the Reich have a stake in the Kingdom. Damascus is assigned to Austria; Adana is assigned to Bavaria; Acre is assigned to Swabia; and Aleppo is assigned to Franconia. Antioch will be the capital of Outremer and an Imperial province governed by the King of Outremer. Edessa will also be an Imperial province, governed by a Count chosen by the King of Outremer. The Crusading Count for a settlement should first be assigned according to house, but in the event where that is not possible, the Crusader Count can come from any House. They will gain +1 influence, but only if they are not already a Count in their Duchy, and only for the Diet session that marks their appointment. The cap of 6 influence for all but the Emperor remains.

---

Quite simply, the King needs more flexibility with Crusader Count assignments. I would love it if every house had the manpower to send two nobles each. But, that is not realistic. Duke Arnold has eloquently stated his lack of nobles and how it is endangering his house. Therefore, while I would love to always assign Crusader Counts from a house to the corresponding Crusader County from that same house, this will not always be possible. What if we have no counts from one house but three from another? Which has happened.

Alright. Please give your seconds. If you have problems with these, I want to hear it. If you have more ideas for legislation, I want to hear that too. I still have 1 more "house" edict as well as my 1 personal edict.

I second both edicts.

I will second both edicts.

Alright, I thank you both for that. They are both out there in the Diet now. I have tried to present legislation strong enough to be effective yet sensible enough to get voted on. Now, I again invite you to present any ideas you may have on here regarding anything else you'd like to see passed.

Count Dieter!

I would very much appreciate it if you read your letters and get back to me.

OOC: Hey BTG, check your PM's! :D

Alright, Count Dieter is not replying to my letters so I will lay out a basic announcement here and hope he reads it.

I have decided that we can not afford to change our Chancellor at this time. Therefor, I am fully endorsing Count Matthias for re-election as Chancellor and I urge all of you to do the same. While I believe Hans will be a great army commander out here, we are at war. The situation is too dire to risk change.

Also, I urge all of you to vote for CA 12.9. This position was not meant to be for life. I serve at the pleasure of the Kaiser and it is his will that this position be re-appointed every Diet session.

Furthermore, I am very much opposed to CA 12.7. The King of Outremer has always had the right to choose what to build in unoccupied crusader counties. The King is the one who is present out here and I should retain my right to build what I deem is necessary for our mission out here. Any Crusader Count who tells me that I can not build in Outremer will earn my displeasure.

Furthermore,

I wish for Austrian Legislation (CA 12.1 and CA 12.3) and Bavarian Legislation (Edict 12.1 and CA 12.8) to be carefully considered by each and every one of you.

CA 12.6 would also help the whole Reich have enough forces to protect our borders and should be voted on.

King Jan,
I am sorry for not replying to your letters, I have been extremely busy as of late in Aleppo, It will not happen again.

OOC: sorry I always forget to check PMs

Your abscence started to worry me. But, no matter. You are here now when it matters.

Jan calls for a meeting in his command tent just outside of Edessa.

Alright, listen up. The Diet session is over and we can get back to doing what we came here to do and leave the politics to the politicians. There are three Mongol armies around this city. And we need to convince them very strongly to leave. And we need to do it quick because we have other things to worry about. We have Turks testing our northern borders. And of course the Saracens are to our south by the Holy City. We have to keep Jerusalem safe.

We're going to be shorthanded soon so everyone will be kept busy. And if you feel that your not being given a bigger piece of the action, let me or the Chancellor know. Count Hans has graciously agreed to stick around and lead an army into battle against the Mongols. He'll take young Hummel with him and try to get him knighted. Hopefully, a good hearty battle will knock some of the snot out of the young lad. It would do him some good. We'll need the Prince to swing his group back around and relieve the small force besieging Damascus. When the Mongol threat has ended, Hans, Jens, and Ebelhard will be parting our company and returning to the Reich. The sight of so many Swabian nobles charging the battlefield at once will probably scare the French right out of their pantyhose.

Alright, on to administrative matters. If there is anything you want or need, you are welcome to come to the Chancellor or myself. And of course, your encouraged to speak up in here and make your wishes and opinions known.

All right, happy hunting and God be with you. The Chancellor will have his orders for us shortly.

Dismissed!

Elberhard wanders over to King Jan, with a look of surprise on his face.

"@#$%^&!!! me - Jens is leaving as well as Hans? Doesn't that mean there will no Swabians left in Outremer? It's starting to look like the rats leaving a sinking ship. Maybe I should reconsider my departure? I will consult you and the Chancellor on this.

But if I stay, how the @#$%^&!!! am I going to tell the missus?

Jan turns and looks at Ebelhard.

You mean you didn't know? Jens expressed his wish to me at the beginning of the Diet. And Hans has made it clear that he wishes to leave once his work here is done. We need to send you all at once to guarantee a large fleet that will get you through to the Reich safely. So you and Jens would have to wait for Hans.

I would of course love to have you stay Ebelhard but the choice is up to you. Unfortunately, this has left Acre without a count and it will be up to Hans, as Steward of Swabia, to direct the building. Since Hans is going to help us with some of the battles, you have some time to think about it.

Please let me know your decision and you can contact me personally about the matter if you have questions.

Elberhard emerges from conversation with the Chancellor and King Jan.

All right, that does it - I am staying. Now I have just got to tell her in doors. Better get a @#$%^&!!!ing drink first.

Matthias comes in looking a bit worse for wear.

That is excellent news mein Prinz. I did not wish to overly influence your decision, but I am glad you are staying.

Forces for your army will be recruited at Acre, or we may soon have experienced men from the Mongol campaign to add.

The Chancellor looks a bit sheepish.

As Karl Zirn has recovered, he will be dealing with that foolhardy Egyptian noble outside his wall. I apologize for dragging you and your men across the desert for nothing.

Still, give some thought as to what you want the orders to be for your army. I get the feeling the Egyptians will strike with a larger force.

Jan arrives from his command tent with his armor all dented up.

Thats Excellent news Ebelhard! Your one Lewd bastard but I would love to have you around! The King says this with a grin.

By the way, you think you could teach me some of that colorful language? I like how it sounds in speeches. It will get the men all pumped up. That and it will give me an increased vocabulary to use against certain people in the Diet. *laughs*

By the way, one Mongol army down, one to go. Good job Chancellor! I had the easy part. You engaged the whole front of the army and made them turn their flank to me.

Jan then turns to the Chancellor and whispers

The next time there are so few, would you consider just letting them go? It would give others something to practice on.

My fellow Crusaders,

We have an interesting situation with the Mongols.

https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/...lshemmedin.jpg

We have them contained, but the remaining two armies now support each other. We have the forces to match them, but my strategy with them so far has been to isolate each army, engage with superior force and destroy them. That will not be possible in the current situation.

I ask each of you, how we should proceed?

My advice would be to keep Hans on the bridge, move your army onto the river crossing to your north, and keep me in Edessa. Let them make the next move. But, I caution that we should only do this for this next year. If they do not move apart by that time, we should probably attack anyways. We have other threats to deal with and can not spend too much time with the Mongols.

I wish to attack both. This is what I came here for and I believe I can defeat them this year still.

Jens Hummel:

Yes, and I need to be knighted. Bring 'em on.

If Count Hans is confident that he can take on both armies, then I say we let him proceed. If the Chancellor's army is going to move in to support, I would like to be in it. I wish to participate in the battle and maybe Hans will have left some alive by the time we get there.

Seeing how we have several forces in this region as well, may I suggest that I quickly survey the available troops nearby, and attack the Mongols, with Hümmel as a reinforcement army so he may be knighted?

//[edit - was typing while you posted]

Of course you may join the reinforcement army under Jan's lead instead Jens, although all I would need for reinforcements are more missile units in case my own run out of ammunition and need to be retreated.

Seeing as the Chancellor and myself would already be in the army, I think it would be more appropriate if Jens stays with you. But I leave it up to the Chancellor to figure out what works best for him. Plus, I do not intend to take command of the supporting army as I believe Chancellor Matthias is doing splendid. I just want to be in on it.

(OOC: we have the 2 general per stack rule to worry about)

Jens Hummel:

Just put me in the spot that allows me to kill the most people.

While I am confident that I can lead us to victory, I am rather wary of having all of you to watch out for on the field, which limits my use of cavalry to guard and flank the enemy.

As you may understand, I would not wish to see more nobles die in Outremer.

Count Hans, I am fully confident in your skills as a general. I have no doubt that you will see us through. The Mongols have taken much from us and I do not wish to be left out. Again, this is all up to the Chancellor's discretion but these are my thoughts.

(OOC: If Jan dies, he dies. Its part of the game and I don't mind. Wanting to fight in this battle makes IC sense. Plus, Jan has a couple of "courage" traits and he would not like to be sitting in Edessa while the fighting is going on. :D )

If you then so wish, I will be honored to have you at my side during battle. In the meantime, I will review the troops nearby and make some suggestions on troop composition, if Matthias does not mind.

Speaking of whom, does he wish to ride into battle with us as well?

From my thinking, you would take the main army with Jens at your side. Matthias would take the supporting army with me at his. Again, these are just my thoughts on the matter and it will be up to the Chancellor to decide what we do.

I have had a look at maps and reports on mercenaries now and would propose the following:

Have Dieter hire 2 regiments of Unhorsed knights to join me while I give him two green footknights with rusty weapons.
Then I will move closer to the chancellor's position, where I will exchange most my green missiles for his experienced ones, and exchange my regiment of Gothic knights for his full strength regiment of Teutons, as well as exchange several footknight regiments.

This means that most units you will lead in the reinforcement unit are inexperienced, but that will be fine as by that time the Mongols will not have many soldiers left, and the mere sight of fresh regiments may strike fear into their hearts.

This allows more experienced troops to hold a strategic location in case reinforcements are delayed as well.
According to my calculations, this should just about allow us to assault them this year still, although the troops will need to be force marched that way.

As reinforcement unit, I would suggest Jan leading 5 regiments of pavisers and 2 regiments of sergeants. I won't need more I believe, and this allows the chancellor to strike again with a full army in case my attack fails. That said, I do not expect the chancellor to join your reinforcements, as at least one crusader should be alive by the end of the year.

OOC: OK Currently has given me 1 more knight unit than I am allowed and this exchange would still keep it that way. If that is a problem, I can exchange a regiment of footknights for a sergeant regiment.

I am fine with a plan of this type. I admire your attention to detail. I do assume though that the Chancellor would like to be in on the battle.

And, we are only to give suggestions. He is the one that will make the final decision regarding this matter.

I definately need to see battle again soon, the Mongols are nearly all gone and I have only fought them once!

You may have to sit this one out Dieter. Hans and Jens are leaving soon so I have given preference to them to be in the frontal assault. Plus, Jens needs to get knighted and you already are. When they leave, there will be more opportunities for you. With Turks probing our lines to the north, and Saracens around Jerusalem to the south, there will be plenty to do. We have a standing rule where we do not allow too many nobles in an army. It prevents us from taking too big of a hit if something catastrophic happens. (OOC: Its more of an OOC rule to balance out the armies and make them more "historic".) I myself had to sit out the whole second Mongol wave because my father didn't want to lose too much of the family line at once. I know its frustrating because I've been there.

But again, this is more up to the Chancellor as he makes the final decision.

Fellow Crusaders,

The Mongols have been defeated once again. But not without a price. Count Jens fell in battle to a Mongol arrow. He fought valiently but he was struck down by a simple arrow. The young lad had many fine years ahead of him and I do believe that he was on to bigger and better things in his life. It is a tradgedy that such things occur but this is war and Count Jens did ask to be included in the battle. Now, we have a chance to breath a little and rebuild out here.

I ask that a moment of silence be observed out of respect for Count Jens.

*A battleweary and guilt-stricken Hans observes a moment of silence with Jan*

Time passes...

Elberhard: @#$%^&!!! it, Hans, you took a bold chance and it bit us on the @#$%^&!!!er. Poor Count Jens' death is a warning. Outremer is fast losing generals and bleeding support back home. We cannot afford many more such victories.

I say this from a not wholly disinterested point of view, having barely escaped disaster in Jerusalem. Although on paper, the Papal army and ours outnumbered the Egyptians 3:1, this reckoning did not make sufficient allowance for the quality of the Egyptian army, which included eight regiments of Tabardariyya and two of Mameluks. My army lacked any heavy infantry, beyond armoured sergeants. The Egyptians cut their way through our Papal allies and utterly routed them. Only by the grace of God were we able to turn the tables on them.

https://img130.imageshack.us/img130/1097/12841mg0.jpg

I would ask the King and the Chancellor to read the reports of the Egyptian forces mustering in Acre. They appear to have learnt from the Mongols and are marshalling a significant force of high quality horse archers, along with other forces. My army needs significant reinforcements if I am to be able to stand against them in the next couple of years. Unfortunately, we cannot rely on our Papal allies to pull their weight.

Specifically, my mercenary captain reports two regiments of unhorsed crusader knights offering their services in Jerusalem. I request that the Chancellor recruit them. They are arguably the finest heavy infantry available to us and cost little upfront, although their upkeep is commensurate with their exceptional prowess.

Good job my Prince. We can not expect the Papacy to protect itself against so many enemies. It is up to us to be active guardians of Jerusalem. With the Mongols gone, there is no excuse to not have one of the two AoO's in the area at all times. Protecting Jerusalem is one of the main reasons were even over here so we can not be caught distracted somewhere else ever again. My thinking is to have one AoO up north patrolling Adana, Aleppo, and Edessa. And the other down south patrolling Acre, Damascus, and even sometimes camped out around Jerusalem. The Prince's army can be where ever he deems fit because it is his army.

I congratulate you on your victory Prinz Elberhard. It is unfortunate the Papal States took such losses, but it is far better than losing the city and the entire garrison.

As I have said before, the forces commited to the effort against the Mongols will be redispersed to the two armies of Outremer and the Prinz's army.

It will take a few years for these forces to fully reach you mein Prinz. If the Saracens assault Jerusalem again in the interim, I will consider your proposal concerning the unhorsed knights.

As for the disposition of the armies. I envisioned an army near Adana, to counter the Turks, one near Aleppo to respond to threats to Edessa and Damascus, and the Prinz's army based around Acre, to protect Jerusalem and our southern border. This disposition allows each army to support it's neighbor if needed, particularly if we rebuild the fleet based out of Antioch once Hans leaves.

I believe the two regiments of unhorsed knights that I recruited before the earlier battle are still relatively unscathed and could be used to reinforce the southern part of Outremer. We could use the available regiments to fill their ranks.

As for Jens' death you can ask any of the men that were with me at the time how hard it struck me to suddenly see him fall and not being able to do anything about it. It is most unfortunate, and I have expressed my condolences to his family and our house, but he did die to bring safety to Outremer, and I believe all of us here would do the same if it made the empire any safer.

The unhorsed knights were disbanded shortly after the last battle with the Mongols. They are fine troops but expensive to keep in the field. If needed, we can recruit them again, as the Prinz has proposed.

The death of Jens Hummel was highly regrettable, particularly since it occurred after Count Hans had already attained victory, but such are the fortunes of battle.

Oh, regarding the forces you will be taking with you on your voyage home Count Hans. You may keep the Gothic Knights with you, but the Chivalric Knights are needed in Outremer. They will be staying.

You are not the only one capable of unique interpretations of orders, or as in this case, requests.

I do not believe I have any chivalric knights with me as far as I am aware. The only forces I took with me after the battle were my loyal guard feudal knights and a regiment of gothic knights I had recruited at Sofia.

If you need to retain one, I would prefer it be the gothic knights.

I'd rather see one AoO up north. And one down south. I know I didn't issue official orders at the beginning of the term but these are my preferences. I envision the Prince's army as his own personal army, to be used as he sees fit. I do not believe it is fair to tie him down with a whole front to guard. He is doing us a favor, not the other way around. Therefore, I wish for him to have maximum flexibility while he is in Outremer. But of course, if he himself wished the honor of guarding Jerusalem, that is up to him and I would support it wholeheartedly. I just want these to be his own decisions, not ours. We'll tell him what we need, and he can figure out how best to help.

I was merely thinking out loud earlier, King Jan. Prinz Elberhard's domain in Outremer is Acre, or at least it should be as the Swabian possesion, and it would serve as a natrual base for him and his army.

If this is not the case, I would suggest basing one Outremer army at Aleppo, where it could shift between Adana and Edessa, and one at Acre, which could shift between Jerusalem and Damascus.

I would still prefer my first proposal, but we shall see.

Acre, and the defence of Jerusalem, would be a fine posting for the Prinz's army.

Then that works for me. Since the Prince wishes to protect Jerusalem, I approve of the Chancellor's plan for the distribution of the AoO's. And Chancellor, I know you were just airing your thoughts. Thats what this hall is for. And I was airing my own. I do not wish to see us considering the Prince's army as a "third AoO" because that is not what it is. While I fully welcome the Prince's prescence in Outremer, I do not wish for us to ever take his prescence for granted. While he may be a Crusader Count, his army falls under his command, not mine. If any Chancellor wishes to control the Prince's movements, that is between the Prince and the Chancellor. But I will never interefere with the Prince's movements and I would urge every Chancellor to follow suit.

Like I said earlier, the procedure I envision is to make clear the strategic situation to the Prince, and let him decide what he wants to do about it like he did in this situation.

King Jan, the reorganization of the Outremer forces into the three main Armies should be complete within 2-4 years.

Prinz Elberhard, three units of DFKs and a unit of pavise crossbowmen will arive in Acre in 1286, joining the crossbowmen and Teutonic Knights already there. I am also recruiting another unit of spearmen. I will also add, if you wish, one or two units of mounted crossbowmen. For now, you and your small army are camped west of Jerusalem under the shadow of the walls.

You should soon have all the men you need to repulse another Saracen attack on Jerusalem if it comes.

Excellent...excellent.

How are the Turks behaving up to our north?

OOC: I'm at work and have school afterwards. Will not be able to look at the save until late tonight.

Chancellor - sorry, boss, but I @#$%^&!!!ed up:

https://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9697/12861sw7.jpg

I attacked at night, but they got they drop on me - wrecked one of my regiments of armoured sergeants.

Al Muazzam fought so bravely, I let the man go. To be honest, his men are so spooked by his defeats, I don't think he will be an asset to his side. The @#$%^&!!!er was not grateful though.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Before:
https://img252.imageshack.us/img252/2986/12862vi7.jpg


After:
https://img210.imageshack.us/img210/368/12863qi8.jpg

About the army, some mounted crossbowmen would be handy. I don't place much store by their shooting, but their speed would be useful in hunting down routers.

Karl Zirn:

I would agree with Prince Elberhard he is a difficult foe. He caused me great grief with his small force besieging Damascus. The Egyptian knows nothing of the chilvary code and to quote the Prince "he is an ungrateful SOB".
I will not be so honourable the next time our forces we meet.

You survived Prinz Elberhard, after our losses of recent years, that is enough to celebrate.

I agree with the Chancellor. Its better that you lived to fight him another day.

I'd like to remind everyone here that the chivalry code is what sets us apart from the others that we fight. It should be upheld despite the actions of our enemies. I know I relaxed certain standards during the war with the Mongols, because our very survival was at stake, but I am tightening them back up. Full out execution will be severely frowned upon. Ransoming is preferable to execution. But, releasing men captured after battle is preferred above all, in order that they learn the error of their ways and convert to the one true God. While it has been brought to my attention privately that these decisions are up to each army commander, I will remind all of you, with the exception of the Prince, that whether you get an army command is up to me. There are no strict guidelines because I respect that there needs to be some "flexibility" to allow for strategic reality. But, if I see a trend in one way instead of the other, you will find yourself sitting in your settlement for quite some time.

Am I clear?

Karl Zirn:

With all do respect King Jan your remarks need not be directed to me about chivalry and honour. My reputation is above reproach. I will dictate the need to what means necessary to defend my honour on the battlefield.
General al Muazzam has no honour and should I meet with him again his own actions will dictate his end. I do not care for the common enemy soldier after the battle they are of their own freewill. I am not in the slave trade and will not barter them for money.

With all due respect Count Zirn, I am telling you how I am running things out here. While you retain the choice of what happens on the battlefield, I am informing you that certain choices will have certain consequences. Would you rather that I not have stated this clearly? Your the one that started this conversation about how to treat others. While your reputation is certainly beyond reproach, your latest words have caused me concern. How we treat people has nothing to do with their honor and everything to do with our own.

Feel free to write to me personally if any of this remains unclear or if you still have concerns.

King Jan sat at his desk sipping coffee and reading reports. Gunther came in and handed Jan a piece of paper. "My King, you said you wanted word of Count Zirn's battle against that Saracen?"

Jan put his coffee down and looked up. "Ah yes, I would like to know what happened." Jan read the after-action report. His brow scrunched as he read the ending. "It was a pity that the general couldn't be saved and converted. But, if anyone deserved to be executed, it was him."

Gunther asked, "My King, would you like me to write up those disciplinary papers for Count Zirn that you have been contemplating? He did flaunt your orders to not execute."

Jan sat and thought for a moment. "Well, luckily for him, my orders did allow for some flexibility. If he slaughtered thousands out of hand, then he would have flaunted my orders. Executing one heinous criminal...well I don't like it but if anyone deserved it, that general did. Its trends I want to see. I don't have time to prosecute every single act. Count Zirn has spared thousands of lives when it would have been more convenient to kill them. Send word to Count Zirn giving him my congratulations and how I am glad to see him fully functional again. Dismissed."

Gunther left the room to carry out the King's orders as Jan picked his coffee back up and resumed his reading.

Dieter enters the room and sits down heavily

I am tired of sitting in Aleppo doing nothing. I propose that we go on the offensive on these heathen Muslims. why cannot we take their cities and burn them to the ground, their very existence is an insult to the Pope and we should honour his holiness by conquering these lands in his name. I request to be sent North at once to fight against the Turkish infidels and wipe them off the map!

He slams the table with his fist to emphasise his point but it is obvious that he has had a little to drink and looks as if he has been fantasising about beating the Turks alone

The Charter of Outremer specifically defines our mission as defensive. There will be no new territories conquered. The only possibility would be to take one and gift it but we would need an edict for that.

You have been sitting in Aleppo because your army is being formed there. But, if you want your AoO to see action, I'm sure the Chancellor would be open to letting you take your army north around where he is. There seems to be plenty of action up north to go around and the east border seems pretty secure for once.

To the dogs with the charter! Where is the sense of sitting here losing more and more men to the heathens when we could just march right over there and wipe them out! How about we conquer an empire here and gradually gift all the holy cities to the Pope? At least then it would stop their relentless attempts on his holiness' life and all of ours. If we had attacked the Turks and Egyptians as soon as we arrived then there would not have been so many lives lost here in outremer, the extra income from more cities would mean we would be able to raise enough armies to dwarf the mongols and no Kings would have been killed!

Count Dieter,

The Charter is what I am bound by law to obey. It is a sacred document that makes clear that our mission here is Holy and not about personal conquest. I believe it was a brilliant piece of work by men far smarter than I and it has served us well. If need be, we will amend the Charter, as we have, but by and large it is a nearly perfect document.

There is no need for Outremer to be bigger. We are here to protect the Holy Lands, not conquer all of Asia. I am not sure how having a larger territory to protect would have made us any safer. Also, it is the Reich that pays for our armies out here. And they already sacrifice their men and treasure enough to make sure we can continue the Holy Mission. I will not ask them to sacrifice more just so things can be a little easier on us. While you can get away with just concerning yourself with the situation around your crusader county, I need to keep the whole needs of the Reich in mind when I make my decisions.

Now, since I did not leave official orders for the AoO's at the beginning of the term, I can't order the Chancellor on their placement. I can only suggest, which is what I will do. I will "suggest" that the Chancellor either (a.) allow you to move your army up north to help him around Adana, or (b.) move you personally to command his army up in Adana if he thinks two armies are not needed up there. Maybe a tour of duty around Adana will help you work out your aggression.

Him and I have seen plenty of action and I do not mind seeing us both sit back as you and Count Zirn be given opportunities to get in the saddle and see action. We only have 2 AoO's and we have 4 generals so I want us to rotate army commands so no one gets too bored. And before anyone corrects me, yes I know we have a 5th person but the Prince's army belongs to him and him alone.

The King is seen working on the big bulletin board in the Outremer Hall when Gunther hands him a note.

Aww, isn't that sweet...

The King addresses the assembled Crusaders.

First off, Gunther just informed me that Count Zirn has been blessed with another son. Congratulation Count Zirn. I see you have seen fit to give the boy a strong name and I hope it serves him well.

Now, on to why I brought you here. I have updated the big bulletin board. It was quite old and outdated. I will try to keep it better updated from now on. Feel free to check it after every Diet session to see what rules have changed and who is assigned where. Please let me know in here or in a letter if you have any questions about anything you see on this bulletin board.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

OOC: Econ has very nicely updated the first post of this thread. I will try to keep it up to date for as long as Jan is King. Please let me know if there are any typos or anything missing. ^_^

Matthias lurches into the Crusader's area. Oddly for him, he smells of beer.

"To the dogs with the Charter?!"

What kind of horse@#$! is that? God, I've seen this pattern in the last thirty years and even before that! We need to take this land for our security, to teach 'em a lesson! To show 'em who's boss. Then they'll learn! Learn it good! Oh wait, they're still sending hordes of men at us, to secure the land we just took, we need more land! That'll show 'em! Then they'll learn! Before you know it, we're in Cathay shoving a sword up a Dragon's arse!

Look around! Giants used to walk in Outremer, great men. Now look at us, the sweepings of the Empire. Younger sons and ambitious fools looking to make a name for themselves!

What of the mission? What brought us here in the first place? No, the words might be spoken, but they're hollow.

You want to fight Dieter? Go home! Kill an army of Poles! There's plenty of them.

I used to think Outremer was different, better. But it's just the same, the same scavenging of glory and battles. Make a name and leave for greener pastures. It's become common. . .

The Chancellor vomits in a corner of the room. A concerned servant escorts him out.

The King watches Matthias carefully. When Matthias leaves bent over the shoulders of one of his men, the King walks out after him.

Matthias strides back into the chamber some time later stone sober.

I apologize for my last remarks. They were rash.

I do not share Count Dieter's disdain for the Charter. It has served us well over our time here. However, perhaps it is time for a more aggressive approach to the threats we face, particularly with the Mongol threat eliminated.

I have begun this new approach by securing our northern border. The Prinz and Dieter will follow by destroying Egyptian armies poised on our borders to the south and those of our ally, the Papal States.

By bleeding them on the frontier, I hope this will prevent the Saracens from striking at Jerusalem again. The Church's soldiers are able, but do not posses our skill or experience.

As long as we do not take any territories, I do not believe we will be in violation of the Charter.

Your thoughts gentlemen?

Chancellor,

We have all said things in that we wish we could have taken back. Heck, I have a couple decades worth of Diet transcripts I wish I could burn and forget about. But, whats done is done and its time to get to business.

I'm all for aggressive patrolling as long as our borders remain secure. I've looked at the maps and I have nothing to add. Good work Chancellor.

Oh yes, I want to take this chance to congratulate Count Dieter on becoming a new father. Looks like he found something more constructive to do with his time. I get to be an Uncle again. Dieter, let me know when you and my sister are ready, and I'll perform the baptism personally if you wish.