Megas Logothetes' and Senators' Reports

[Privateerkev]

Report for 1132:

Instead of being read in the Magnaura by Makedonios himself, this report is sent by letter to be read by an aid.

Emperor, Caesar, and Senators,

I am writing this report from inside a besieged city. The Templars have attacked. Fresh from being granted the Omne Datum Optimum from the Pope, they have decided to flex their muscle. Combine this papal bull granting the Templars privileges with the fact that the Turks walked right past Kalameteros and into Adana, the Catholic Crusading Order decided the time was ripe to attack us. The Templars and Byzantium are now at war. If I survive this siege, I will give them a war.

(OOC: During the Templars turn, they took their big army and besieged Antioch. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Oh well, it's part of the game and should make for an interesting turn.)

Armies:

All armies are up to code and either have their units or their units are close by.

Buildings:

I took 12000 from the sacking of Cairo and started upgrading Constantinople's walls. The idea of the Fatimid's financing the defenses of the city they are going after holds some appeal.

The other 6000 was used to upgrade the walls in Thessalonika and Athens.

Sofia started communal farming.

Markianople started a church.

And Cairo started an Ikoner Studio. Spreading our faith to these people is a priority. They deserve something from us besides slaughter. The Swordsmith Guild has been denied because funds were needed elsewhere. But, a Merchant Guild has offered to set up in Cairo.

Events:

Sicily, England, and Russia all lost their leaders.

Isaakios has been married. May God bless their union.

The Turks walked right past Kalameteros and took Adana. Despite what Hypatios has done to them, they occupied the castle. (OOC: I know deguerra was assuming he would get a defensive battle but he was not close enough when the Turks assaulted. Only the garrison showed up on the battle screen so I had to auto-resolve it.)

As mentioned the Templars took advantage of this moment and declared war. I have submitted a plan to my second in command and the Order will strike back this year. I will shatter the Templar army and, God willing, will take Tortosa from them before you read my next report.

The Turks also took nearby Damascus.

Stavros's recon mission to Gaza was repulsed. (OOC: KP took two cav and sieged Gaza in order to build a ladder to use later. The garrison sallied. Because only a 2 unit captain stack was in the battle screen, and they would have lost bad, I retreated them.)

Despite all of this, we are the strongest Kingdom in the known world.

Permissions:

Annios can move his 3 units.

Stavros can move the Order's Crusader units and the spy nearby.

Kalameteros can move the peasant archers in Iconium province.

Methodios is free to give me his thoughts on a Merchant Guild for Cairo. As before, he can not accept but he can deny it.

OOC:

I moved Rowan and NN according to their wishes. Which is funny because where Rowan wanted to be then got sieged. So now Bart is trapped in Antioch with Mak. The Templars have been so peaceful for so long that I never expected them to do this.

LotR-1134

I'll probably take this in 24 hours. As far as I know, I have the only battle coming up and I am a little "anxious" to get it resolved. If people need more time, please let me know.