Orders and reports thread

[econ21]

End of year Chancellor’s report, 1208 AD

My Lords,

I am weary - I feel drained, as if the burden of office or the stiffling climate are dragging me down. The sky is filled with dark omens. Word has come from merchants of the east of a great horse lord by the name of Ghengis Khan. He is sweeping all before him with an unstoppable mass of cavalry. These men - called Mongols - are traversing Transoxania at an alarming rate and look set to continue on westward, arriving either north or south of the Caspian sea.

My Lords, to a man in Frankfurt or Vienna, these names of provinces and seas may sound faraway and strange. But to the people of the Levant, they are familiar, neighbouring places. Dusan My advisors tell me that Outremer itself is in peril and we must secure its great cities quickly before all hell breaks loose.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

We are in for it now.

My son Hans has broken the siege of Adana by the Turks and is about to embark for Constantinople. I have now cleared away the Egyptian armies menacing Acre and Jerusalem, laying siege to the Holy City again. It will soon belong to the Reich once more. Then all that will remain to complete Outremer will be the capture of Damascus.

Back in Europe, my staff inform me that there has been yet more reorganisation of the Franconian Household Army. Now it is under the command of its Duke, with Count von Hamburg beginning a long trek to the Levant. A Polish army stumbled upon the Duke's army but unfortunately our Papal injunction prevents us from crushing them. All this delay has allowed me to recruit three catapults for the planned siege of Krakow, however, and Thorn has produced its first regiment of pavise crossbowmen.

The Swabian army remains on the bridge south of Metz, ready to be unleashed on Rheims when its own Papal restraint order expires.

Gerhard Steffen continues to besiege the Milanese fortress. He now has one regiment of dismounted feudal knights with two more marching through north Italy to join him. I await his instruction to launch an assault, but am content for him to starve out his enemies.

Duke Leopold has reached the border of Venetian territory. Jonas von Mahren has disembarked in north Greece seeking to join my brother. I pray for his safe passage through enemy lands.

Finally, the Moors have attacked our new allies the Portuguese. This has allowed us to end our strange alliance with the Mohammadans in accordance with a Diet edict but hopefully without lowering our general diplomatic reputation. Good riddance to bad rubbish, say I.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Henry had waited to implement the Edict mandating an end to the alliance with the Moors. Good things come to those who wait.

Now, I must return to matters at Jerusalem. My head aches and I will find no rest until this business is resolved.

Kaiser Henry

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/1210-1.zip