Thanks. The pictures are to get both groups of AAR-readers interested, since some people seems to all about the text and others the pictures. The last part, however, is made more about the pictures (got the CinEditor to work) since illustrating the actions would have taken a decade.

The Silence before the Storm
”Forward!” yelled General Giovanni Selvo,
as the united army entered the outskirts of Constantinople. At his side the famous Hungarian Prince Lászlo accompanied him on his horse. The men seemed eager for a real fight. After all, they had only fought measly peasants and patrols for over a year of marching through the Balkans, Macedonia, Northern Greece and Thrace.

“Hungarians! We head northeast!” the Hungarian Prince shouted, “We will clash these orthodox devils from two sides and devastate their morale by our superiority might and bravery!”
“FOR HUNGARY!” a Hungarian soldier shouted impetuously into the air.
“For the Doge!” a calmer Venetian soldier shouted into the air.
Slowly the two armies spread up, while the Venetians stayed west of Constantinople, the Hungarians headed Northeast.
The Hungarians spent most of day with marching to the Northern side of Constantinople and onwards towards the strait of the Bosporus to the East of the city.


At nightfall the two armies had laid camp on each side of the city. The spirit was high, though everything in the camps was quiet due to strict rules about not giving away their positions. Giovanni Selvo walked through the camp a little over midnight to inspect the men. Infantry, Knights and Archers everywhere were making their gear ready for combat. The infantry was sharpening their axes, spears and swords; the knights were readying their horses, while their servants prepared their armour. In the improvised archery the archers eagerly trained with their bows on hitting dead corpses of Byzantine soldiers, whom bodies were wrapped in leather. The leather was wrapped around them in an attempt to reduce the risk of disease spreading caused by rotten carcasses.

In Constantinople the people was preparing themselves as well. No news had come about the exact whereabouts of the enemy army for a long time, but the enemy couldn’t be far away now.


Through blood an Empire is forged!
First blood

The Venetian Trebuchets fired upon the walls of Constantinople


Venetian Knight

Venetian soldiers taunting the Byzantines

East of Constantinople the Hungarians were also preparing for the coming slaugther, while their Trebuchets fired destruction upon the walls.



As wall sections fell the fight drew even closer...



After several sections had been destroyed, Giovanni Selvo felt confident that the time had finally come and ordered his army forward



On the other side of the city Prince Lászlo also felt certain and ordered his army towards the city




Emperor John the Saint responded the threat by ordering the achers to fire upon the foe



Even though the arrows hit hard on the Hungarians, they continued onwards


On the Western side, where the Venetians were about to enter the city, the Byzantines moved back into the city


Arrows striking down on the advancing Venetians



Chaos
Venetians and Byzantines in a deadly struggle

Oh the inhumanity!




The battle viewed by a hiding citizen through a window


Meanwhile the Hungarians advanced even further into the city

And soon after they entered the townsquare, where most of the Byzantine army was located.


In this second luck ran out for General Giovanni Selvo as he was surrounded completely and slain.


Fighting in the townsquare

A Byzantine soldier saw the lines were wavering and yelled as loud as he could, "Let not hope fail you now, my Brothers! Fight! Fight for the survival of your family, the Empire and most of all the Almighty God!"


The Retreat
The Byzantines had finally done it. The Hungarians had lost all hope and were fleeing without order



On the other side the Venetians had abandoned all hope aswell and were fleeing the city.
The Hungarian General Lászlo and his men however found themselves surrounded,

and so did he finally find himself wanting...


It was in these hours that a Empire was forged...on the walls, at the gates and in the streets that Emperor John the Saint fought of these vile Catholics...



Every last pocket of resistance was quelled, while General Andronikus hunted down retreating enemies


The next morning the people of the Byzantine Empire woke up with renewed strength and hope. The struggle had ended in a mighty victory and the Godlike trials had ended. The Empire would recovered the wounds spilt by the Hungarians and the Venetians over time, but the blood spilt between brothers would always lay as a demonic curse upon the Empire and its people.