Orders and reports thread

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: That would've been my decision too Cecil. Better to have the Teutons with you. The season will progress after I eat dinner.

Count Ruppel, if build orders were issued for those locations they were issued with the prior Chancellor, and so were deeper in my pile of papers than the build orders which were issued at the start of my own term. If funds had been sufficient to allow for construction at all sites, they would have filtered their way down to Bern and Staufen.

Fritz von Kastilien

[FactionHeir]

I'm afraid that due to the lack of ability to survey the various locations while being besieged, I had only been able to pass a message to the office that orders would resume where they had left off previously.

[Ramses II CP]

Chancellor's Report, 1364.

In summary, the previous year was a one of smashing success. Florence was recaptured, at long last, despite the loss of Duke Steffen's favorite Pleasure Palace. Dijon was relieved. Metz was taken, and Paris was raided and sacked. Adana crushed a Turkish attack, and the Byzantines feared to tread where so many of them had died before.

Diplomatic Report

Venice has been excommunicated, removing the need for us to refrain from attacking them.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In darker news the Russians were not satisfied with being sold Oslo, and have declared war after a long peace. Hamburg is under siege by a small force of cavalry under a Russian noble. Our diplomatic corp spoke to them about the possibility of a ceasefire, and was firmly rebuffed. I wish to offer my personal assurances that the Russians will pay a blood debt for this treachery. (%&$^! How does that work? Beware Russians accepting gifts. Now I desperately wish we'd had a diplomat that could contact England last season.)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Relations with the Papacy improved to very good as two more German priests ascended to the College of Cardinals. Jan the Missionary and Edmund von Austria have been sworn in to the penultimate Catholic office.

The Office of the Exchequer

The financial situation reflects the quantity of soldiers we have in the field, but nonetheless I am pleased to report that sixteen thousand florins are available for spending.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

An offer from the Teuton's Guild to build a Chapter House at Nuremburg could not be refused, at the cost of one thousand florins.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Physician's Office

My own army and the smallest militia army in the field in the north have been declared free of the plague, but this is the sole, slight good news on this front.

Captain Ruprecht, near Arhus, remains infected along with the majority of the men I led into the field previously.

In Swabia Captain Gunther's large army remains infected, and Captain Michel, who leads only the ribault company, is also reportedly infected. Both should be kept isolated from clean troops and cities.

In Bavaria Fredericus Erlach still has not shaken the plague either.

Our spy in Krakow reports the loss of his experimental rats, so much the better in my opinion.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The War Office

Outremer sees Adana once again under siege, this time by the Byzantine Captain Ermanes, who retreated from the Iron Bridge. No other developments of consequence, although a substantial engagement is shaping up between the Turks and Byzantines northeast of Adana.

Bavaria sees a fresh French army which appears to be marching towards Florence or points south. This is a large professional force of high quality. The plague at Genoa appears to have come to an end as well, though the French army there has not moved. Near Venice Prinz Dieter is in position to confront some rebels who have dared take up arms, and is welcome to draw on the garrison of Venice to aid him as necessary.

In Swabia the French have besieged Paris and moved an army to threaten Dijon, but not taken it under siege. As seems typical for the French all the armies which they sent north last year they have sent south this year. Hugo de Cervole is in position to reinforce Ludwig von Bohmen at the bridge southwest of Antwerp, and Welf von Luxemburg is in position to threaten Rheims. I'll have a more specific recommendation in the regional report later.

In Franconia the vile Russians betrayed our ceasefire and beiseged Hamburg with a small force of cavalry. Madgeburg still lies under Polish siege, by a relatively small and weak Polish army. Also the remnants of a Polish army sieged Frankfurt, but the garrison there was clearly superior and immediate sallied (Auto-calc'd it as the odds were 3-2 in our favor and no avatars in range).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Austria sees the Hungarians shifting their armies about aimlessly, with the captain stack which went west last season coming back east, and the Noble who went east last season now marching west. Durazzo is sieged by the Venetians.

Recruiting and Construction Report

As per previous with the addition of the Teuton's Guild at Nuremburg. Recruits have, except in a few rare circumstances, been left at the facility where the trained until it is determined what actions will be taken for the offensive season.

edit: Forgot to say, The offensive season is open!

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1364.zip

Fritz von Kastilien

[Ramses II CP]

Regional recommendations:

Outremer:

Viceroy Matthias I am certain you will wish to sally. If you desire them for the battle, your cavalry reinforcements are aboard the ship just south of your Citadel.

Count von Salzgitter your army is unlikely to get larger. My recommendation is that you move to the port region and make ready to sail to Cyprus. After the siege of Adana is lifted I will ask Viceroy Matthias to load the basilisk aboard a ship and point it in the direction of the island so that next season you can ferry over as many of your men as possible and make ready for an assault.

Bavaria:

Duke Steffen my recommendation is that you allow Kaiser Peter or Count Erlach deal with the remaining Byzantines while you gather forces to prepare for the French. Your son has a few reinforcement just north of Bologna, and more heavy cavalry are ready to march south from Innsbruck. You are welcome to send either the spy near Genoa, or the spy at Florence into the city of Genoa.

The situation is complex if only in terms of combining armies and coordinating movements. Prinz Dieter, west of Venice, should draw on the garrison of that city as much as necessary to deal with the rebels facing him.

Austria:

You have drawn the attention of the Poles with your victories Lord Becker. You have a number of options. You could move around the Polish armies in front of you and, using your cannon, assault Breslau immediately. You could attack the Polish army due east of you, and then move to assault Breslau, but be aware that any men from that army might retreat into the city after you defeat them. You could also strike the northernmost Polish army, but I believe you would then be unable to proceed with the assault on Breslau. My advice is to smash the Poles in front of you first, without the use of your cannon but with the Teutons, and then march on Breslau, whcih would give you walls to defend against any further attack of the Poles.

Further south Vienna remains unthreatened. I will continue to train forces there to get that army back in the field Count Zirn.

Duke Arnold you have a decision to make. I trained heavy cavalry at Ragusa with the idea being that they could march north to meet you at about the same pace as the catapults. If you do not wish to delay another season you are welcome to proceed without either set of reinforcements, otherwise you should bring your reinforcements north to meet your men and march only a short distance north. You will then be in possession of a very powerful force, including the catapults, and ready to assault Zagreb the next year.

Swabia:

Count Ruppel you are in the position of once again warding Dijon, though this time you are in the field. The recruits at Staufen are also at your disposal, as those men would impede Count von Luxemburg's manuever too much for me to send them to him. Smash the French at Dijon and, barring you seeing a better option, wait patiently for Captain Gunther's camp to become free of plague.

Welf von Luxemburg my suggestion is that you or Hugo de Cervole infiltrate Rheims with the spy (In Hugo's stack) used at Paris and see if he can make a contact at the gates. If he cannot leave a small force there to lay siege (Don't forget the DFKs at Metz can reach Rheims!) and move to attack Captain Foucher if you believe you can find victory. If Count Ruppel acts first some of his men may be available to assist you with Captain Foucher.

Hugo de Cervole I would be deeply appreciative if you moved north to reinforce Ludwig von Bohmen at Antwerp. Submit training requests for the men you feel you will need to hold the city or the bridge and I will meet them.

I believe Bavaria is well in hand, thanks to Prinz Dieter and Duke Steffen, so I am shifting my focus to Swabia, which has already seen a impressive measure of success. This means priority will be given to recruitment requests from Swabians, for your information.

Franconia:

Duke Dieter I strongly advise you to sally as soon as possible. I believe the Polish army you face can be defeated, and with the Russians returning to the war we may need your forces in the field rather than behind the walls. If Count von Tyrolia is unable to field his own forces leave him at Madgeburg and we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Fritz von Kastilien intends to march south to relieve Hamburg, and then return to Arhus to stand off the Danes who are moving very, very slowly towards the city.

Fritz von Kastilien

[Zim]

I will prepare to sail to for Cyprus then, Chancellor von Kastilien. The Viceroy is quite confident in his ability to take care of the Greeks in the area, and it is about time that Outremer begin to advance again.

[_Tristan_]

Hughes de Cervole

Chancellier,

I have confidence that I can make another sneak attack on Reims with the Merowinger fellow...

Once done with that city, I will turn north and attend to the situation in Flanders...

[AussieGiant]

Lord Chancellor,

I'll wait for the reinforcements and catapults.

Then, instead of building the siege engines I'll simply storm the god damn city after smashing down the walls in the first week.

Zagreb will be Austrian again and the skulls of Hungarian's will line the roads all the way to Budapest after I've finished with them!!

Duke Arnold