Duchy of Franconia

[TinCow]

The other side of the coin is putting a stack behind them and letting Dieter sally, but if you haven't done that yet I'm guessing there's some reason like TC won't let you? That's the safest way for the avatars, but it risks the loss of Madgeburg and the complete destruction of that army and those two avatars if there's a total defeat (Rout before anything rallies inside the citadel).

IIRC, due to the position of the Danish armies, a HRE army on the other side of the bridge cannot come in as reinforcements during a sally. A sally battle is centered on the citadel square, thus you have to be right next to the citadel to join in, which is not possible for Fritz or Peter.

They WILL assault eventually. It may just take a while. Magdeburg can hold for another 8 turns before falling due to starvation.

[gibsonsg91921]

ooc: i would sally before your forces are stretched too thin.

[gibsonsg91921]

My brother and my friends, we must remain reconciled.

Fritz, you must realize that if Magdeburg fell and Dieter and Tancred died, regardless of your feud, it would be a grave loss for Franconia and to the entire Reich.

Thus, I will recruit three regiments of Teutonic Knights, the brethren that have served me and Ansehelm before me so well, and attack the Danes. Fritz, I would ask you to join me, but ensure that any cities in Franconia are properly garrisoned against riot prior to departing.

[Ramses II CP]

Let me do this brother, you are too important to risk in this battle and my men are experienced. If I can draw on the forces you have at Frankfurt I can assemble an army that the Danes will feel obligated to attack from across the bridge. So long as Dieter and Tancred remain in the citadel they will be safe (I'll do my best to keep them out of the way. If they enter from the far edges they should be safe, as long as the Danes do cross).

And if I should fall, you will still be available to destroy these Danes and save Franconia. It is not quite the same thing if you die and I then relieve the siege as Franconia would lose her Duke and most powerful noble, and the Reich would lose their Prinz and the Voice of the Lutherans. This is my duty, no matter what Dieter has spoken of me.

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: Ahh, TC is almost certainly right. I'd forgotten the position of the bridge. Okay, seriously, Fritz should go first. I'll damage them enough that Peter can clean up, worst case scenario. I don't like fighting with reinforcements (i.e. I hate have my army enter the field all scattered out) and I really, really don't want to lose someone else's avatar, so it's okay if I retreat Dieter and Tancred and most of their men, right? I don't believe negative attributes accrue from that.

I was just looking at their stacks and I'm confident I can hold them at the bridge, and I'd give 90% odds that I can make at least the first one cross (The second may or may not get passive AI bugged. No way to tell). The only question mark will be whether or not Fritz survives the cannons, and I'm willing to take that risk. Far better for Franconia if Fritz risks it than Peter.

[gibsonsg91921]

Haha! Dear brother, I would not grudge you the first strike, but you cannot think I am too important to avoid battle! I must ride to save my friends and for glory! A death in battle is a death well earned, and I shall not sit around in the halls of Frankfurt waiting for a long, bitter end.

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: Okay, I'll bring ten companies down from Hamburg and recruit 2 Merc spearmen and 2 Pavise Crossbowmen if you can send me your 3 militia crossbowmen, your merc spearmen, and 2 companies of Teutonics. The bombard will make them attack, the three spearmen will cap the bridge while our massive barrages of bolts make them fight in the shade and then the ribault and a Forlorn Hope charge will break them. Teutons and my Albanians to chase the remnants. If I have a whole company die out, and those cannons may make it happen, I'll retreat Dieter and Tancred but use their non-general cavalry to help clean up and knock out those cannons. I'll send in my orders and recruitment request.

IC: My Prinz, your place at the head of the Reich simply means that you must have a little more care with your life. It isn't that you must avoid battle, but with these cursed cannons on the field and experienced crews to man them... Well, the Danes would not be above seeking to behead the Reich and the Lutherans at a single stroke. If I can at least cripple them, if not drive them from the field, then you shall certainly have your day. If not this day, then there remain many enemies to face! Those Poles to the east will not sit in the woods forever, and my own forces will, no doubt, be mauled even in victory.

Fritz von Kastilien

[gibsonsg91921]

OOC: I'll send you the non-Teuton troops, but those Teutons are Peter's personal elites. Like the Teutonic Crusade, they've given in to savagery and are serving me, a non-pious superstitious mauler.

IC: Alas, Fritz, I am no precious cargo. Were I to die, some other would become Prinz, perhaps one more acceptable or more authoritative. I wish for no death except for one in battle in my time. My time is not nigh.

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: Gotcha, no Teutons. Can I have the mailed knights? I'll bring a company of militia spearmen or my merchant cavalry or something instead.

[gibsonsg91921]

umm, i already pm'ed my new orders to TC. if u don't have cavalry i'll be glad to supply u with my mailed knights or merchant cavalry

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: Yeah, I sent him that I was bringing down 11 companies, recruiting 4 more, and (potentially) getting your militia crossbowmen, merc spearmen, and mailed knights. I'm trying to avoid using the merchant cavalry, their morale is so bad I'd hate for them to get hit by one cannon shot and rout through my army.

Thanks mate.

[Ferret]

OOC: feel free to use any of my units, so long as Dieter survives I'm not too bothered.

[Ramses II CP]

OOC: The trouble would be if I didn't bring a whole, 20 company army down that you would personally enter the field right as the Danes are marching onto it as well. You probably won't be too close to them, but making sure Dieter and Tancred are safe from cannon fire before they can retreat is my #1 priority. They're triple gold cannons too. Never fought anything like them.

[gibsonsg91921]

Friends, the Diet session is upon us. Does anyone have any legislation I should put forth as a House Edict?

[Ramses II CP]

I confess, I had wondered if the Diet would ever reconvene. I am now unaccustomed to securing victory via politics. What do our goals need to be?

Personally I would prefer to secure our northern flank before we turn eastward again. The Danes are the weakest of our enemies, but they can still tie down large numbers of our men by launching sieges against Hamburg or Madgeburg if we try to march east. Additionally Stockholm and Arhus are wealthy cities, and close to us, with great potential to be sacked or occupied and turned profitable immediately. If I could secure one or two more cannon, especially of the type the Danes used, I believe Arhus could be taken after only a brief siege.

That being said, I acknowledge that there is a large Polish army east of Madgeburg. I am certain any one of us could handle it, so all that remains is to bring them to battle and what remains of Franconia will be free of enemies.

I am reliably informed that Matthias Steffen intends to propose a revision to the charter of Outremer, and I will support him in it. Outremer will be a key second front against the Byzantines and must not be abandoned or left underfunded.

Other than these strategic matters I have no particular goals, and will support or propose anything you wish my Prinz.

Fritz von Kastilien

[gibsonsg91921]

I would wait to hammer upon the Danes until our old borders are secure. If we can raise sufficient armies to fight them as well as defend and reclaim the old Franconia, I would support such an edict. Perhaps in 1360 it would be more appropriate. Religious warfare is dying down and I forsee the next twenty years will be a prime time for reclaiming lost ground.

As for Outremer and Matthias Steffen, I am in accord as well.

[Ramses II CP]

My Prinz, consider at least Arhus as a first target. It is within a short march of Hamburg and is a rich city, perhaps rich enough to fund the reclamation of our old lands to the east. If we leave Arhus in enemy hands then Hamburg will certainly be attacked again, a fate the city does not deserve. If we capture Arhus, the capital of the Danes, they will have a long, hard march to retaliate or they will face the wrath of our English allies on the seas.

Arhus can be used to secure our flank and allow an unthreatened push eastward back to our old borders.

[gibsonsg91921]

Perhaps, your words have wisdom. We may assault Arhus only if I deem we have sufficient armies at home. A possible edict could be:

Edict ?.xx: A Franconian Household Army is allowed to conquer Arhus from the Danes at any time until the next Diet session if Péter von Kastilien decides there is sufficient strength for defense.

[Ramses II CP]

Of course only if there is a sufficient defense present, I would not risk the territories we have left in exchange for Arhus. I have little recent experience with legal matters, but the edict sounds fine to me. I cannot imagine why anyone might oppose it.

Fritz von Kastilien

[gibsonsg91921]

And if we wanted to expand the authority beyond that of me alone, I would be open to it.

[Mini Econ]

Fellow Franconians,

I thank Prinz Peter for making me Count of the grand city of Hamburg!

I regret that I am unable to attend the Diet in person, given my duty to hold Palermo until relieved.

I hope I will do as well defending the far south as you will do defending Hamburg in the north.

Dieter von Kassel

[Ferret]

it is good to hear that you are back in Europe Dieter, do you have any plans of travelling North soon? We need all the men we can get up here. I'd also like to congratulate you on your success in Outremer and Sicily, you clearly are in the makings of a great man.

[Ramses II CP]

A message is snuck out to Prinz Peter from the besieged Hamburg:

My Brother, the road to Arhus is open and the city is lightly held! Take your cavalry and ride hard to cut them off while I deal with these fools at my walls. Rest assured they will never take Hamburg. If I cannot destroy their army I can bleed it so heavily as to make an assault a fool's gamble, I swear it. Madgeburg and Frankfurt are secure, and Hamburg is safe under my hand.

Word has reached me even here of the victory at Madgeburg. Congratulate Tancred, Dieter, and Sir Godwinson as well, would you?

I hope to join you at Arhus later in the year. Go with God!

Fritz von Kastilien

OOC: Let's not make Lothar's mistake. If you saw his battle report having an army right next to the siege army forced him to march in directly behind the attackers. If Peter is amenable to an attack I'll consolidate the bombard and ribault into the crossbowmen after he heads out and then I'll sally. We all know how the AI behaves during a sally, they won't be any trouble at all unless there's some rule about sallies.

If sallies aren't allowed obviously further discussion will have to take place.

[gibsonsg91921]

I shall relieve your siege and move to Arhus immediately!

[Ramses II CP]

Fellow nobles of Franconia, Arhus has been sacked and the north flank of our Duchy is secure. Now is the time to sally forth against the Poles and strike fear into their hearts! I have secured a large quantity of florins, some of which will be needed for repairs and reinforcement here, but I have great hope that no matter how much our Kaiser may dislike me, he will not deny Franconia her due.

I wish to publically express my deepest thanks to Prinz Peter for finishing off the army that held me besieged at Hamburg. A cursed tough lot they were, and I'd likely still be rotting there if not for his aid.

Let me also wish Dieter von Kassel good fortune in his planned offensive against the southern stretch of Byzantium's Italian holdings.

Fritz von Kastilien

[gibsonsg91921]

Excellent! I would leave no more than the most minor garrison in protection of Arhus and move back south to move against the Poles.

[gibsonsg91921]

My friends, the Kaiser Elberhard is dead. May he rest in peace.

This means I leave the House of Franconia for good. Dieter Bresch, you have my blessing. Bring Franconia back to its former glory and beyond.

[Ferret]

OOC:ooo this is a nice welcome back

[Ferret]

Right I think it is about time to make Counts out of some of you men! Dieter von Kassel shall remain Count of Hamburg for now, despite his lack of presence here. Fritz can have Arhus if Peter gives it to us, as I am sure he will, or any other territory in what used to be Franconia. Tancred you can have Stockholm, Oslo, or any Saxon province bar hamburg and Magdeburg that you wish. Lukas shall take over Magdeburg from me seeing as we are going to be spending a while here, in fact I have not left the place for years.

[Ramses II CP]

Arhus will do very well for me, my Duke. These Danes are a hardy and adaptable people, they have accepted their situation as citizens of Germany and many are coming to realize the glory to be had serving a general of the Reich. I expect as time goes on that some quality soldiers can be raised here.

Congratulations Dieter! My brother chose his successor well.

Fritz von Kastilien