Orders and reports thread

[OverKnight]

1266

We are now the most Advanced Faction.

Denmark and Scotland have made peace.

Our diplomat arrived in Durazzo. Jerusalem has been formally handed over to the Pope.

Our priests have done their work well, 74% percent of the population is Catholic. They will stay put until any heresy is stamped out.

One of our holy men, Lukas der Bar, has been promoted into the College of Cardinals.

With the transfer in place, I have taken ship for Adana, Count Zirn has returned to Damascus and Count Jan remains with an army near the city. We will not let the Egyptians catch us sleeping again.

Edit: Speaking of the Egyptians, I have sent King Salier and Count Hans (FactionHeir: I didn't get your message until after the move) in pursuit of Sultan Moussa.

By using a pincer movement, I hope one of the armies will bring him to battle in the new year.

The Milanese have driven the Sicilians off Sardinia. Only the Spaniards remain east of Cagliari.

A Merchant Guild has been accepted for Rheims.

Florence is ready to upgrade.

Oddly enough, the English ex-Crusade Army, led by King Davy, has moved further into our territory, they are now between Nuremburg and Prague. I will follow this situation closely.

The Swabian and Austrian Household Armies are fully reinforced. They will begin offensive operations soon. The Bavarian Household Army will take ship from Ajaccio in the next year once the Pavise Crossbowmen arrive.

The two Polish Armies trapped north of the river have moved. One marched to the bridge east of Thorn but was blocked by Peter von Kastilien. The other foolishly besieged Thorn.

Peter has run off the army facing him and is now ready to lift the siege and destroy both Polish armies. I await word of this battle. . .

The Poles around Thorn have been dispersed. Peter will rest and rearm in Thorn while Fritz von Kastilien assumes command of the Franconian Household Army for now.

The Teutonic Crusade, led by Ansehelm von Kastilien, faces its first battle against the Russians on the border with Riga. I await word of this battle. . .

The Crusade is triumphant and will move further into Russian territory.

Duke Gerhard Steffen has cornered the traitor Jens von Kassel at Florence's port. I await word of this battle. . .

The traitor is dead and Athalwolf von Salza has been knighted by the Duke. The young Knight will travel to his Duchy, and my father will continue north to face a large rebel army in the Alps west of Innsbruck.

1266 Continued

Grim News, two of our merchants travelling to Baghdad to trade silk have made an unfortunate discovery.

I hope this new Khan shows more sense than his predecessors and stays in the East. If this new Mongol wave enters our lands, they will meet the same fate as the first two. Their bones will lie sun bleached and unburied in the desert just like their fallen brethren.

[OverKnight]

1268

I have moved a spy closer to Baghdad to gain a clearer picture of the new Mongol threat.

It appears that they have exterminated and abandoned the city, only around 4000 residents remain. Our agent will continue to monitor the horde's progress.

The Master Theologians Guild in Budapest has become the headquarters of all their guilds in the known world. This will ensure our continued domination of the College of Cardinals, we have 10 of the 12 seats, with one vacant.

Walls upgrades are complete in Vienna, Prague and Stettin. A few other walls remain to be completed and then I will be able to diversify our construction program.

The Teutonic Crusade is now south of Riga.

The Empire has recruited as many merchants as it can for the moment. Income from merchant trade has increased from 3182 florins in 1260 to 5448 florins now. Total revenue has increased to 98,579 florins from 87,443 florins in 1260. Several merchants are on the way to contest the lucrative silk trade around Constantinople.

Count Hans attacked Sultan Moussa of Egypt in the deserts of Jedda. The Sultan's men were crushed, but he escaped again.

Not for long however, as Conrad Salier swept in with the cavalry of his army and slew the Sultan.

The French have besieged Paris, but Duke Scherer has moved in with the Swabian HA to relieve the siege. The French have been driven from their former capital with heavy losses.

The Franconian HA, commanded by Fritz von Kastilien, has moved south to attack a large Polish Army that is threatening Breslau. He did well with his first command as the Poles were crushed.


1268 Continued

Our lone assassin has sent a Polish Noble near Thorn to hell.

Count Hans has been attacked by an Egyptian force coming from the west out of the desert. They most likely seek to avenge the death of their Sultan.

Count Sigismund von Mahren and the Austrian Household Army have been attacked by three Hungarian armies between Budapest and Bran.

I await the outcome of both battles and will report on them in the new year.

[OverKnight]

1270

Both Count Hans and Count Sigismund were victorious.

The Danes tried to assassinate our Kaiser! It failed, but such insolence should not be forgotten.

Karl Zirn has a new daughter, Siburg.

Welf von Luxemburg, a newly recruited priest in Milan, was added to the College of Cardinals by Pope Miccele. Imperial Cardinals now hold 11 of the 13 seats.

The Witch Serapia has been hunted down and killed by Imperial troops north of Bologna. Athalwolf von Salza led them and is on his way to Dijon.

Another Polish Noble has met with an accident near Thorn. A pity.

The Mongols have chosen to travel north of the Euphrates.

Now that I know which way they're coming, I will begin to rally our forces in Outremer.

We have four battles this year, I await word on them.


1270 Continued

Kaiser Siegfried is victiorious over Ragnvald of Vestmanna and will move to Magdeburg to link up with reinforcements and disperse rebels in the area.

Fritz von Kastilien has crushed the Poles near Thorn, exchanged some troops with the Castle and taken up position on the bridge to the south.

Sigismund von Mahren has cleared the path to Bran of Hungarians, but will pause for reinforcements. He will continue on next year.

Lothar Steffen has killed the last of the Milanese and seized Cagliari.

I congratulate the Count of finally ridding us of the scum. Unfortunately, Cagliari is not as developed as Ajaccio, as the castle does not even have a mustering hall. I am also leary of the Spanish presence on the isle.

I have sent a diplomat to meet with the Byzantine Princess Theodora. I thought cementing our alliance with them through marriage would appeal to them. I was wrong, they even rejected this offer.

We have given them so much, including Sofia and Iconium, and we have propped up their "Empire" by defending them against the infidel and this is how we are repaid! So be it. I shall remember their high handed treatment of us.

Still, it seems that no power in Europe wishes to treat with us in a constructive fashion. Any peace offers are met with outright refusal, even under generous terms. I did some research, and it seems if we offered Cagliari as a gift to the Sicilians that it would only raise our relations with them to "reasonable". The fools don't seem to realize the dire straits they are in.

I fear the only peace we will have with our enemies is if they share Milan's fate.

Many of our forces in Outremer have begun marching toward Aleppo. The Castle will serve as a rally point for the upcoming conflict with the Mongols. I have sent Count Jan von Hamburg towards Edessa with a contingent of professional soldiers to stiffen the garrison.

[OverKnight]

1272

I am truly sorry to inform the Reich of the loss of one of it's great men.

The liberator of Damascus has gone to his reward. Count Fredericus von Hamburg took leadership of the Reich in its darkest hour and set it back on course. Without his stabilizing rule, I shudder to think where we would be.

Still, even though we grieve we must welcome a new Swabian to the Diet.

I fear I must bring further dark tidings, this time of war.

Prince Lorenzo of Sicily has besieged Bologna. The fool only did it with his retainers and was run off by the garrison, but we are now at war with Sicily. I am amazed by their stupidity.

Our only consolation is that England is finally at war with France as they laid siege to Bruges.

The Sicilians south of Ragusa have taken ship and now lie off the coast. No doubt they fear the wrath of Duke Arnold.

I wish I could send Count Lothar to wreak a terrible vengeance on Sicily from Cagliari, but the Spanish army there concerns me. They have not withdrawn, and a Spanish fleet approaches Ajaccio with troops aboard. I fear we will be at war with them by next year.

With this in mind I have decided to strengthen our ties with an ally left to us. I again approached the Byzantine Princess Theodora.

Kaiser Siegfried has gained a wife, and we have gained a secure ally.

I know the price was high, but our relations with the Byzantines had fallen and they have troops around Adana. Normally, I would brush this off and wait for their feeble strike, however, this is far from a normal situation. It would be difficult to defend Outremer from both a Byzanitine and Mongol incursion and we cannot afford to lose one of the few trading partners left to us.

Speaking of the Mongols, they have moved close to Mosul, but have not besieged the city.

Edessa has finished rebuilding its walls, and Jan von Hamburg will supervise the construction of Ballista Towers. We will not face the Mongols unprepared.

Athalwolf Engel has spied on three of the four Mongol leaders. So far, they are all night fighters and fell Generals.

Another of our enemies' Kings lies dead, slain by our lone assassin.

The Polish Prince says he's grateful, but I doubt he will show it.

Count Sigismund has pushed into Hungarian territory, driving the enemy before him. Bran should be within reach in a year.

I await word on four battles.


1272 Continued

Kaiser Siegfried has crushed a band of rebels near Magdeburg.

Fritz von Kastilien was victorious over the Poles. He will move to take command of the Army of the Interior in the absence of the Kaiser. Peter von Kastilien has taken command of the FHA and moved it to the bridge south of Thorn.

Ansehelm von Kastilien has destroyed the Russian army in his path and continues to move east.

Gerhard Steffen has routed a force of Swiss Pikemen near Innsbruck. He is now bringing a force of professional soldiers south to reinforce Rome.

Duke Arnold has left Ragusa with most of the garrison. If the Sicilians land to take advantage of this, he will turn and crush them. If not, he will proceed to meet a small Hungarian army near Zagreb.

I have not had word from Duke Scherer about whether he wishes to assist the English. I have moved the Swabian HA to the north just short of our border so that we are in a position to assist if needed next year.

Our diplomat in Spain has found out that Cordoba has rebelled.

Regarding the Spanish threat, I will not attack them this year. If they wish war, let them strike the first blow and suffer the wrath of the Pope. However, I will not give them Cagliari either. If they are hostile, I will not help them take our conquests.

[OverKnight]

1274

Ajaccio is besieged.

As I expected, the Spaniards landed on Corsica and attacked us. Oddly enough, the forces already on Sardinia have not besieged Cagliari. I do not know what angers me more, the fact that other Kingdoms dare challenge us, or that they do so in such an insipid manner.

Khan Kuo Kan seems intent on avenging his fallen brethren, for the Mongols have bypassed Mosul and seem to be heading for Edessa.

I had hoped they would have bled a bit taking Mosul, but our forces will be in place to meet them when they come.

Contzel von Mahren has married Edmund Becker, the newest Austrian noble.

The French have driven the English from Bruges. Their battered army has retreated to the walls of Paris.

Thorn has been besieged by a small army of mounted Polish Nobles. It is a nuisance and nothing more.

The Council of Nobles has asked us to blockade Toulouse for six years and promised us advanced troops if this task is completed.

The Teutonic Crusade is now north of Novgorod.


1274 Continued

Count Sigismund von Mahren has taken Bran, but lost his life in doing so. Arrows do not care about Chivalry. His death is a blow to the Reich. The AHA is currently leaderless, but remains strong. They will reinforce at the Citadel.

Count Peter von Kastilien has scattered the Poles to his west and taken position on the bridge south of Thorn with the FHA.

Count Wolfgang Hummel has defeated the Spaniards laying siege to Ajaccio. The fleet that had been transporting him drove off the Spanish transports, and Wolfgang is now on his way to Marseille.

Duke Arnold has engaged a force of Hungarians near Zagreb. The garrison of the city came to his assistance.

The prisoners were executed and the fleeing survivors will not trouble the Reich again. Duke Arnold will continue on a long journey to Bran.

Count Lothar Steffen has defeated the Spanish on Sardinia. Without naval transport to retreat to, the survivors will not trouble us again. The Bavarian Household Army is worn down, it will take time to bring it up to strength.

Count Fritz von Kastilien has led the Army of the Interior to victory over the second band of Rebels near Magdeburg. How the Danes move over the new year will determine his next destination.

Prinz Elberhard felt some Egyptian siege equipment was getting to close to Jerusalem. Summoning Karl Zirn from Damascus and taking some Teutonic Knights from Acre, he crushed the Saracen army on the Jerusalem-Jedda border.

Jonas von Mahren has built a fort on the north side of the bridge over the Elbe near Hamburg. I hope this will curtail the small Danish incursions south of the River and disrupt the land link between Antwerp and Arhus.

The end of the year has brought news of another battle. Two Polish Generals are trying to attack Peter von Kastilien across the bridge over the Vistula.

I await the result of this battle, and will report on it in the new year.

[OverKnight]

1276

Peter von Kastilien was successful in his defense of the bridge.

The Danes have laid siege to Frankfurt with a small army. I hope the new Fort on the Elbe will prevent any further incursions like this.

The Pope is pleased that we have refrained from attacking the Danes outside our territory, but he now wishes us to do the same with the Hungarians. Since Bran is now ours, I will comply.

Jonas von Mahren's youngest daughter, Niesenn, has married an Austrian noble named Wilhelm.

The Monogls have entered Outremer.

The Mongol General Kitbuqa has marched his army ahead of the rest. I will not let this opportunity to strike an isolated army pass. I have ordered King Salier to engage them. Jan von Hamburg will lead the garrison of Edessa to assist him.


1276 Continued

Disaster! King Salier is dead and his army destroyed! This is an unexpected blow. Jan von Hamburg fought valiantly in the battle and was able to extract much of his army and retreat back to Edessa.

I will take vengeance for this defeat as Count Hans's army is still assembling near Aleppo. If the worst shall happen, again, he will be responsible for holding the bridge there.

Despite this tragedy, matters of state continue.

I contacted the English near Bruges, and in return for a great deal of Florins, they have agreed to a royal marriage.

Recent events have taught us we must strengthen the alliances we have.

Kaiser Siegfried has broken the siege of Frankfurt. The Danish survivors have fled to Antwerp.

Duke Arnold has broken some rebels on his way to Bran.

Wolfgang Hummel has made landfall in Marseille and is headed north.

The Reich now controls the silk trade around Constantinople.

I have destroyed the army of Kitbuqa and executed him. So will be the fate of all the Mongols.

[OverKnight]

1278

Sad news from Hamburg.

I hope he and his sons are together now.

The Mongols did not attack Edessa or any of our forces. However a large Turkish army has moved near Adana.

Denmark and England are now at war, I hope this will help stabilize our northwestern front.

Thorn has again been besieged by a very small Polish army. I do not know what they wish to accomplish with such futile gestures.


1278 Continued

The garrison of Thorn has thrown off the Polish siege with few losses. Count Peter von Kastilien could have taken care of this, but his army is needed to the west to keep an eye on the small Polish raids into eastern Magdeburg. He is currently on the Krakow-Magdeburg border. I expect him to see battle next year.

Count Fritz von Kastilien has turned back a Danish Invasion northeast of Hamburg. He has now moving to Magdeburg to reinforce and to contain any Polish movement in that direction.

Duke Gerhard Steffen has crushed a Sicilian incursion near Rome and is now making his way to Naples.

Count Hans has decimated a Turk army east of Adana. Having dealt with that threat he will be able to return to the fight against the Mongols in the new year. Sir Dieter Bresch holds the bridge between Aleppo and Edessa with a mid-sized army. I will stay near Edessa to constrict the Mongols movement, block the fords to the north and prevent them from swarming the bridge. This has left me open to attack from two of the three Mongol armies, but it is a risk I'm willing to take.

Duke Arnold is now southeast of Budapest on the road to Bran. As there are several Hungarian armies in the vicinity, I have reinforced his army with militia from Budapest.

Hans the Killer has removed the last Orthodox Priest near Thorn. We have made gains restoring Catholicism to the area, and I hope this will aid our efforts.

On the diplomatic front, I offered Cagliari to the Spanish in return for a ceasefire. Though the offer appeared balanced, it was firmly rejected. I am loathe to offer more, since we have beaten them in two land battles and at sea. Peace offers to France and the Danes were also rejected out of hand.

[OverKnight]

A List of Battles in Chancellor Matthias Steffen's Second Term
This will be kept up to date


FA=field battle (attacker)
FD=field battle (defender)
SA=siege assault (attacker)
SD=siege assault (defender)
YA=sally (attacker)
YD=sally (defender)
AA=ambush (attacker)
AD=ambush (defender)

[OverKnight]

1280 continued

I have eliminated Khan Kuo Kan with the help of King Jan. There are now only two Mongol armies left. The noose tightens.

Count Karl Zirn has driven the Egyptians from the walls of Damascus.

Duke Friedrich Scherer has completely destroyed the French army that had besieged Rheims.

Duke Arnold has routed a Hungarian army to his north and is on his way to meet with the leaderless AHA in the northern pass between Bran and Budapest.

Count Fritz von Kastilien captured and ransomed a Danish force east of Hamburg and then broke and eliminated the Polish siege of Stettin.

Count Peter von Kastilien has defeated two Polish armies on the border of Magdeburg and Krakow in separate night actions. He then swung east to crush some rebels near Thorn.

Duke Gerhard Steffen has pursued and defeated the Sicilians who had the temerity to march on Rome. The garrison of Naples sallied out to assist and were crushed as well. The Duke then took and sacked the defenseless city. The loot has flooded our coffers, allowing me to build in all settlements this turn.

I have sent out diplomatic feelers concerning Cagliari. I could sell the castle to one of our allies for about 3000 florins. Offered to Spain, it doesn't make a dent in the their resolve to war with us, no doubt because of our alliance with Portugal. For now, I will hold onto it and see if its value as a bargaining chip increases.

Speaking of Cagliari. A Moorish fleet with an embarked army is near the Castle. Count Lothar Steffen's army will remain there to guard the island while catapults and reinforcements are brought from Ajaccio. The Count will not attack Palermo until thorough preparations are made. The Sicilians also have a strong navy which also must be taken into account.

In accordance with Edict 12.4 I have contacted the Scottish King to broker an alliance.

The offer was firmly rejected. These are not the heady days of the early Empire, we cannot pluck alliances off trees like fruit.

Implementation of CA 12.6 will take some time. HAs leaders have to be moved to their new troops, many of the HAs are already neck deep in enemies, and many of the Duchies have their premier Castles far from the front lines. I will continue to work on reorganizing and manning the new armies.

[OverKnight]

1282

The Sicilians have defeated us in a naval battle. Our fleet has retreated to Genoa. This will delay our move on Palermo. But I have recruited four flotillas of Gun Holks to counter their Lanternas.

The Hungarians have attacked Duke Arnold as he moved to meet up with the AHA. The odds looked grim.

But it is a great victory!

The Hungarians, forced to march up a mountain to face the Dread Duke, broke quickly despite their advantage in numbers.

Paris is besieged by the French. Pope Ugolinus has excommunicated King Henry for this. However this was the Pontiff's last act. Another Imperial Cardinal is now Pope.

As you can see, only the Empire and its friends are in good standing with the Church. Though France was reconciled, they teeter on the edge of excommunication along with all our enemies. As before, however, due to the age of the Pope, any excommunication will not last long.

A new Franconian General has been recruited in Vienna.

I wish him to leave the city, as his presence, in part, has caused rioting. It seems that the very high taxes already present combined with his poor administration skills, unexpectedly caused a flare up. The rioters have been put down, but I do apologize to Duke Arnold.

The Mongols seem trapped.

The bad news is, that they have brought their armies closer together. They can now support each other.

Our successful blockade of Toulouse has caused the Council of Nobles to recruit three units of Gothic Knights for us in Rome.

The Teutonic Crusade is just short of Moscow.

The Moors have landed on Cagliari.

[AussieGiant]

Apologies Chancellor.

Bran has only just been allocated.

Build Queue Bran:

Military policy focusing on heavy infantry.

[OverKnight]

1282

Count Hans has eliminated the Mongols, but this victory is made bitter by the news that Jens Hummel was killed in the battle. The loss of one so young is a terrible waste, though he died defending the Reich. For that he should be hailed as a hero.

The forces used against the Mongols will be redeployed around the Levant, forming the armies of Outremer and the Prinz's army.

Duke Arnold has met the AHA coming from Bran on the site of his victory against the Hungarians. Edmund Becker has joined him. Where they will go in the next year will depend on the movement of the Poles and Hungarians.

I have dispatched Dietrich von Dassel from Bern to Marseille. He will not arrive until next year, but he is the closest noble. I have also sent three units of professional troops to the city to stiffen the garrison against the imminent French siege.

Count Fritz von Kastilien has moved to Magdeburg to begin forming the second Franconian Household Army. This will take a few years as Count Peter will need most of the current troops for a push on Vilnius. He is now on the the bridge south of Thorn. Peter will not be dispatched to Vilnius until the second army is ready. I will not leave Franconia undefended.

Duke Friedrich Scherer broke the siege of Paris and is now on the way to Caen. I have moved Wolfgang Hummel into his army. Besieging the Castle will be dangerous as there are many French armies in the area.

Duke Gerhard Steffen will winter in Naples after receiving the Gothic Knight donated by the Council of Nobles. He is waiting for militia troops from Rome to arrive to garrison the city before he resumes offensive action against Sicily.

Count Lothar Steffen will stay in Cagliari for now. The Sicilian naval victory has forced me to concentrate our fleets off Ajaccio, and there are none in range to move the Count.

Kaiser Siegfried has begun moving south, as requested. It will take some time before he arrives in Rome with his army.

[OverKnight]

1284

A Pope has finally lived long enough to act against our enemies.

Given the age of the Pope I doubt this will last long. Still this does remove his previous injunctions against attacking them. We have also added an Imperial Cardinal to the College

The Pope has a new mission for us.

His Holiness seems to be in a belligerent mood this year.

The Egyptians have defeated a Papal army south of Jerusalem and now besiege the city. This will not stand.

I am pleased to say both the Kaiser and Prinz have been blessed with daughters.

Oh, Wilkerus passed away, a shame.

Spain has besieged Ajaccio with a small force, this was most likely the cause of their excommunication.

The Moors have left Sardinia, but the Sicilians have landed a large force next to Cagliari.

Paris is again besieged by a small French force. The French have also, as expected, besieged Marseille.


1284 continued

Duke Friedrich Scherer has gutted a few French Armies and seized the Citadel of Caen. This fulfills Edict 12.3. Unfortunately, the Duke's army is quite battered and it will take all the resources of Caen a few years to replenish it.

Dietrich von Dassel has broken the siege of Marseille and been knighted for his efforts. The professional troops in the city and units recruited from Staufen will form the second Swabian HA. I was thinking of havng them meet near Dijon.

Duke Ansehelm has taken Moscow, the Teutonic Crusade is completed. I offered the city back to the Russian in exchange for a ceasefire, but they refused. The Crusade has left the city and entered Polish territory to the south. I have increased tax levels to very high to ensure that the city will revolt. I would rather rebels hold the city than have the Russians retake it.

Count Dieter Bresch has destroyed some brigands south of Edessa. The men with Dieter will form the core of one of the Armies of Outremer, and I am taking the other to Adana in response to a large Turkish force that has been spotted to the northeast.

Prinz Elberhard has broken the Saracen siege of Jerusalem. Reinforcements are on the way south to Acre, to fully form the Prinz's army. Count Hans has departed Outremer after taking ship in Antioch.

The siege of Paris has been broken.

The siege of Ajaccio has been broken. The Spanish transport ships had been run off, so their troops had no choice but to disperse. A large fleet is moving south with reinforcements for Count Lothar, including the artillery he requested. I have also ordered the recruitment of two units of peasant archers, and one unit of dismounted Imperial Knights at Cagliari. Duke Gerhard Steffen has left Naples, now fully garrisoned by militia, and is taking the nascent 2nd BHA down the toe of Italy to cross the straits to Sicily. Due to the lack of roads this will take a few years.

Duke Arnold is in pursuit of the Hungarian army that is threatening Bran, he should catch up with them in the new year.

Count Fritz von Kastilien has taken a few units closer to Hamburg, while the rest of the 2nd Franconian HA is being formed at Magdeburg. Count Peter von Kastilien is holding on the bridge south of Thorn. He is wating for reinforcements from the Castle, as the move on Vilnius looks difficult, and for the 2nd FHA to become operational. A middling Russian army is within a year's march of Thorn, another reason to keep him in the area.

Kaiser Siegfried continues to move south.