Chancellor's Report, 1376
1374 saw success against the French, as the siege of Anger was thrown off and the city of Rennes captured by Count Ruppel. The city was then used to win military access rights from the English, though they still refuse to come back into the war with the French. Welf von Luxemburg rode east to attempt to link up with a fresh army which is gathering for him west of Staufen to reclaim Dijon. Hugo de Cervole retrained his guardsmen and is now ready to assault the French citadel at Bordeaux. Ludwig von Bohmen has assembled two mighty armies at the walls of Bruges, though both are mainly comprised of militia soldiers, and is hopefully prepared to assault that city as our agents have lost contact with the large French army north of Paris. They may be in range to reinforce Bruges next season if the assault there does not proceed.
Prague and Madgeburg both threw back Polish assaults. Prinz Dieter is now under siege at Hamburg, while the Russians are advancing on Madgeburg and the Danes are making another attempt at Arhus. Vienna is surrounded by Hungarian armies, but not yet under siege.
Max Zirn and Duke Arnold are both in range to relieve the city, but there are greater concerns now, as the Venetians have marched north to threaten Ragusa once again. Count von Hapsburg is marching south to attempt to hold the citadel.
In Bavaria the situation is nearly unchanged. The Sicilians are wandering the countryside harassing our peasants and disrupting our trade, but they clearly fear to lay siege to German cities. Duke Steffen and Count Steffen are in position to attack two of the Sicilian invading armies.
Outremer sees the advance of the Byzantines and the retreat of the Turks, though neither has laid siege to any of our holdings. Viceroy Matthias and Count von Salzgitter are in position to trap and eliminate two armies of Byzantines if they can coordinate their actions.
Diplomatic Report
Achieving mutual military access with the English should make future offensives in Outremer easier. Also in Outremer a diplomat has taken up position near Jerusalem and negotiated trade rights with Pope Pierus. Unfortunately the Papacy declined to consider an alliance or an exchange of maps, and further negotiations appear difficult.
The Pope also reports, unfortunately, that the Hungarians are reconciled. It was unclear if their King had passed away or if they simply bought a return to favor.
I do not know how such things are measured, but the Reich's scholars report, as one might expect, that we are the mightiest nation in the known world.
Our spy in Turkish lands has reported that there are two more Timurid armies seeking to link up with the rest of their armies.
In Swabia our excellent spy team reports that they are certain to be able to open the gates of Bordeaux, and Sir de Cervole will be able to make his assault against the weak garrison at any time.
Southwest of Dijon a French noble has suffered a hunting accident, leaving his powerful army leaderless.
The Office of the Exchequer
Army upkeep is up once again as all fronts are consolidating and gearing up for offensives. If the battles progress as I expect them to these numbers will be reduced next season. As a result, however, there are only twenty thousand florins available for spending this season. The Assassin's Guild had the termerity to approach me about building a guild house in Antwerp. Their offer was declined with prejudice.
The Physician's Office
This department remains closed, praise God!
The War Office
The Hungarians somehow snuck one of their nobles across our lands to reinforce the small army they have been marching through Bavaria. The garrison of Milan nonetheless struck out and drove the Hungarians back into France again.
In Outremer the Byzantines have advanced to the walls of Adana, but declined to lay siege. A second Byzantine army is marching through the passes south of Caesarea, and a third is to the west. Viceroy Matthias faces a difficult battle, but reinforcements are available in the form of cavalry from near Antioch and two additional companies of crossbowmen aboard the ships south of Adana. Count von Salzgitter also faces a difficult potential battle, should he choose to strike out from Caesarea, but if he can coordinate his action with the Viceory they can take the Byzantines on both sides and utterly annihilate them, presuming the Viceroy wishes to attack the army near Adana first.
The Sicilians in Bavaria are truly the terror of the peasants. They appear to be ransacking some of the poor villages and interdicting trade, but for all their awesome military power in the region they have no desire to confront a true army of the Reich. I expect Duke Steffen, Count Steffen, and Kaiser Peter will crush them in short order. The rebels at Marsellies remain, but do nothing to threaten the city.
The Swabians who gathered to participate in the crusade together have once again gone their seperate ways. Sir von Luxemburg is riding east with just his guardsmen, and may have difficulty reaching his new army northwest of Bern. Sir de Cervole stands ready to assault Bordeaux. Count Ruppel has many forces at his disposal in the Caen and Anger regions, he has only to coordinate them into the army he desires and march east to seek the French force that vanished north of Paris. The militia garrison of that city is available to him as scouts to locate the French and determine if he wishes to attempt to engage them this season. Count von Bohmen should make his assault on Bruges and return his city to the Reich.
In Franconia I am nearing Stockholm to exterminate the Danish rats once and for all. I suspect once I cut their supply lines their armies in the field will collapse. Prinz Dieter is trapped inside Hamburg, while Duke Dieter now has free movement, but is facing a powerful Russian army north of Madgeburg.
Austria's long border is once again working against her, as there are threats on every front and insufficient nobles to meet them. Duke Arnold and Max Zirn are in the center, facing the Hungarians, while Lord Becker is at Prague, but without sufficient forces to strike out against the Poles. To the south Count von Hapsburg is marching south in some haste to attempt a defense of Ragusa, where stalling tactics may be necessary to delay the Venetian advance.
The offensive season is now open:
http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/KOTR1376.zip
Fritz von Kastilien
Re: Orders and reports thread
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Originally Posted by Duke Arnold
) j/k.
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