Excelsis Deo: A Papal AAR.

[Cecil XIX]

This AAR is about a campaign played with the Deus lo Vult 3.2 mod as the Patrimonium Sancti Petri. The most immediate change is that the Papacy has no family tree. The Papacy can only gain generals through adoption.

House rules are as follows:

1. The Pope will only go to war against adjacent Muslim and Excommunicated factions.
2. The Pope will not assault rebel settlements that are majority catholic.
3. Rome will only accept a Theologian's Guild, or a Crusader Chapter House.
4. The Pope will only lead an army to battle if he has warlike traits.
5. Each ship can only transport two units.
6. The Papal and Swiss guard cannot leave the Pope's stack.
7. Fog of war is turned off, to simulate the Papacy's ability to observe Catholic nations fighting, and to tell when provinces have changed hands.

Since this is designed to be a mostly peaceful campaign, updates may be sporadic. Without further ado, the setup.

The Papacy starts with control of the Patrimony of St. Peter, whose capital is the Holy and Eternal city of Rome.

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The current Pope is Alexander III.

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With the world currently at peace. The Pope decided to concentrate on peaceful matters. His first orders are to recruit additional Priests and contruct roads to ease the travel of Pilgrims. He himself embarks on a tour of the surrounding lands building watchtowers so as to keep a watchful eye on Italy, specifically the neighboring states of the Royaume de Sicile and the Heiliges Romisches Reich.

Paschalis II Arlocti is sent to negotiate a trade agreement with the Royaume de Sicile, who reside to the southeast of the Patrimony of St. Peter in the region of Campagna. From their regional capital, Naples, Rome exports cotton and imports grain, dyes, and silk in return.

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Finally, Bishop Pius II has decided the best way for him to serve Christ is to travel east to the Holy Land.

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[Cecil XIX]

In the winter of 1180, an italian noble by the of Honorius offers his services to the papacy as a secular leader in times of war. Recognizing the need for a capable hand, his holiness accepts him into the flock.

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Also, a new priest enters the service. He will service as a the chief clergy of Rome, representing the Pope in minor relgious ceremonies should duty call him away.

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In addition, the Council of Nobles asks the Holy Father to annex Florence and the Marquisate of Tuscany. The Pope refuses, as war should not be
waged against good Christians.

Finally, Paschalis concludes a trade agreemen with Sicile. As a result, Rome begins importing iron, sugar, sulfur and amber from Palermo.

[Magraev]

Good luck with the campaign! I'll read it with great interest

You're not going after rebel factions then? that could mean a very weak papacy when the time comes to take on one of the italian powers.

[Cecil XIX]

That's true, but fortunately Rome is protect by sea and mountains on opposite sides, making the terrain narrow and easier to defend. Should provide for interesting diplomacy, to be sure.

[Cecil XIX]

The year is 1187, and an army of Brigands has appeared south of Rome. Honorius, now a Knight Banneret, takes the militia and Pavise Crossbowmen to war.



The enemy general, Innocentius II de Orticaio is a skilled, resolute general.


Though Honorius has a powerful advantage, he must still be careful to protect the crossbowmen, and to conduct the battle in a manner consistent with a defender of the Vicar of Christ.

[gibsonsg91921]

cool! go popes!

[Ramses II CP]

You're going to need some watchtowers, so you can see the enemy coming in time to block the choke points. Should be an interesting campaign. I'll bet you wish you could choose who to accept into the College of Cardinals.

[Cecil XIX]

At the start of battle Honorius decides to test the brigands' defenses, ordering the crossbowmen to focus on the shorter range peasent archers, while he himself conducts a daring charge against the enemy crossbowmen.

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The archers flee in the face of the oncoming knights, who hestitate to strike fleeing foes.

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Disappointed but not surprised Honorius quickly disengages as the rebels advance, a wise move on their part considering their inferiority in ranged units.

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The first enemies reach the Papal line, and the battle begins in earnest.

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Meanwhile, Honorius is somewhat surprised to see that he has no pursuers, and is very far away from the actual battle. He quickly turns around, as two enemy regiments have snuck past the line with only one Papal regiment available to give chase.

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Meanwhile, the main engagement continues. The three units of militia in the center fight hard, while one regiment on the right gives chase. The unit on the far left, pictured here, moves at attack the enemie's flank.

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Eventually Honorius catches a unit of spearmen as they are attempting to pursue Papal crossbowmen. In the background you can see Papal militia chasing brigands chasing crossbowmen.

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Whilst Honorius's knights deal with the spearmen, the crossbowmen let out a parting shot before moving to the hill and allowing the skirmish to be fought honorably.

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Meanwhile, the main battleline continues to be a hectic place. While the brigands infantry do most of the fighting, the General has pulled away only to encounter the flanking Papal militia.

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Having routed the spearmen, Honorius moves on to challenge Innocentius.

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But seeing that his soldiers are facing a flank attack from archers, and Innocentius's men have dwindled to almost nothing, he changes targets.

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After a few terse moments, Innocentius decides to flee. His army follows immidiately. Confident that Innocentius has been made to see reason, and full of the Lord's mercy, Honorius allows them to leave. He is soon proven right, as the Brigands disperse.

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This battle has elevated Honorius's status as a seasoned commander, and justified the Popes trust in him.

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In other news, Pius II has been made a full Cardinal. Unfortunately, the change in stature seems to have had a negative effect.

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Such is the state of the Patrimonium Sancti Petri in the summer of 1187.

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[Cecil XIX]

The following few years have been peaceful for the Papacy, though not without intrigue.

It seemed that war was brewing with the Lega Lombarda in 1188, when their leader Signore Giorgio besieged the Reich at Bologna. Fortunately the Signore was attack by a relief force and Bologna's sizable garrison. Though he was victorious, God spoke to him and he abandoned his assault on his fellow Catholics to join the Crusade on Cairo.

The following year started poorly, with Pius II perishing in Cilician Armenia before reaching Jerusalem. His holiness quickly recruited a new priest Gregorious XI de Corso, and has a result the Theologian's guild decided to establish a branch in Rome.


Following this the Papacy's treasury was quite low, and with a nearly full army in Rome income was quite scarce. But miraculously, local nobles were filled with the Holy Spirit and donated 20,000 florins to Papacy. The Holy Father quickly put this money to work on economic improvements, funding the construction of paved roads and later a market.

However, there was more trouble before and after this. The Royaume de Sicile, for whatever reason, deigned to send a large army up Italy through the Patrimony. Unwilling to have his land trespassed on by a force surely attempting violence on fellow Catholics, the Pope dispatched Honorius with all available forces to block their path at the watchtower on the southeastern border. This has happened twice, and each time the Sicilians have backed off. Hopefully they realize the futility in using the Pope's land to further their own ambitions. If they wish to wage war against heathens, they should build a fleet!


Finally, there has been a strong upcurrent of unrest in Papacy. It would seem that the large financial gift given to His Holiness offended some nobles, and in time Pope Alexander himself was seen as inspiring a civil war. Fortunately the only man who could conceivably weild the temporal power to depose the Pope, Honorius II Iacobi, has repaid the Pope's trust in him and is a staunch royalist. Time will tell what effect this discontent will have, if any.

[Cecil XIX]

Over the following years there has been much war in Europe, with little done. The Royaume de France fights England, Castile and Leon, Flanders, and the Lombard League. France's ally, the Holy Reich, wages war against the Lombard league and the Danes. The Lombard League attacks the Reich, the Venetians, and the French. It is a tough struggle, with only a few provinces changing hands. The Spaniards took Narbonne from the French, and then Toulouse. The Lombard League lost the Swiss Cantons to the French, and Venetia was reclaimed by the Venetians.


The Pope has attempted to lessen the impact of these wars be declaring a crusade on Vilnius, the capital of the pagan Lithuanians. The results have so far been uninspiring.

Throughout these wars the Royaume de France and the Heiliges Romisches Reich had been excommunicated by Alexander III, who was quite supportive of the Lombard League in it's efforts. That changed in 1206 when Pope Alexander III died in Rome.


An able ruler, after the standoff with Sicile he ordered the contraction of an armorer to provide light mail for the militia. He is also responsible for the construction of a port, drawing in much trade from Genoa, Palermo and Toulouse. His successor is Pius III the Missionary, of the Kingdom of Flanders.


When Pius III was elected, all states were reconciled. France wasted this opportunity, and the Venetians also brought about the Pope's ultimate disfavor by attacking Germany. The Reich however, managed to maintain a strained, but ultimately more positive relationship. Eventually, His Holiness allowed the Reich to be mentioned in his presence. He also lowered taxes in Rome, as his predessesor's infastructure improvements, combined with decrease in inquisition activities and more gifts from the local nobles, have resulted in the Papacy having the largest treasury in Europe.

We take you now to the Summer of 1212, which has started tragically and ended momentously. Paschalis II Arlocti died in Rome, a loss to be sure. The Royaume de Sicile has declared war against the excommunicated Venetians in support of their allies the Lombard League, and with hopes of securing all of Italy south of the Papacy. But more important then that, the Lombard League has invoked the Pope's wrath with it's siege on Bologna, and has been excommunicated. As a result, his holiness Pope Pius III is training a new diplomat to demand that the Lombard League hand over Florence and the Marquisate of Tuscany as recompense. In the event that they do not comply, Knight Commander Honorius II has been dispatched to the border between Tuscany and St. Peter. The winter of 1212 promises to be an important time in the history of the Papacy.

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[Odin]

Nice AAR Cecil, I have been researching new mods and this deus vault one really caught my eye because of its slower more rp nature. Your AAR is a nice find, and a good read.

[Cecil XIX]

Negotiations failed. The Papal diplomat Coelestinus V Bandini offered term, and the Milanese Grand Duke of Tuscany, Chiaro Rossi, rejected them.


Perhaps his disdain had some merit, but nevertheless Honorius quickly laid siege to Florence, and act which caused a sharp rise in the Reich and Venice's opinion of the Papacy. However the Lombard league has significant military forces, and soon made peace with the Reich. By the winter of 1213 a relief force was getting perilously close to Florence.


In response to this, Honorius decided to bring the siege to a quick close.


He arrayed most of of his forces to the south,

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while sending a detachment to create a diversion in the east.

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In the south, the eastern most tower fell behind and was abandoned.

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Soon Papal Spear Militia descended from the towers and through the gates, with mailed Knights accompanying them.

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It was soon noticed that a fair portion of the Lombard's forces were stationed in smaller road between two main roads. Honorius quickly dispatched forces to trap these men.

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In the east, Papal forces hold down many times their number.

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As the fight in the alley rages, the bulk of the Papal Force moves on to the city center.

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Soon, Honorius arrives from the west.

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The intense battle draws the rest of the Lombard forces back to square, however the Papal armies are quick and manage to block off the advancing enemies.

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After three minutes of being unable to secure the center of the city, the Milanese surrender.



For his victory, the Pope grants Honorius the title Grand Duke of Lombardy.


Immediately after this the relief force arrives and besieges Florence. Honorius quickly sallies, and the invaders retreat after when they lose an archer duel and fail to gain the courage to bring the battle face to face. They lose nearly half of their armies in the retreat.


After taking half a year to regroup, Honorius heads to Genoa to start the process once again.

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[Cecil XIX]

In response to Honorius's approach the Lombard League dispatched a relief force to attack him alongside the garrison of Genoa. Most of said left the city walls to attack him on the right, leaving just two regiments inside the city to attack him from the left as the relief force attacks him from the front.


Honorius deploys his archers on his right flank, with orders to advance up the hill and pepper the approaching army. The militia are to advance and engage the main army quickly, with Honorius and the Mailed knights in support.

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The militia soon engage the Lombards, while the Knights protect their flanks.

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Honorius notices the two regiments coming from Genoa.

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He decides to quickly put them to flight.

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While he is doing this Captain Brunaccio, leader of the relief force, perishes at the hands of Papal Militia.

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Soon his entire army flees the field, leaving the militia to reform and face the Genoese garrison.

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Meanwhile, Honorius' men capture Captain Giano cowering behind a bush. This leads to much joking about how Milanese colors are green so that "They can hide amongst the foliage when the battle turns against them."

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The Papal Army reforms on the hill, making ready for the next stage of the battle.

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As they advance, they find the crossbowmen are still making trouble for the Lombards.

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The two armies clash near the top of the hill.

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However, Milanese lose heart rather quickly.

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At the battle's end, Honorius decides to let the prisoners return to Genoa.

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[Cecil XIX]

After some deliberation I've decided to make one last report. The AAR is still canceled. Appropriately enough, this is actually a pretty decent place to stop story-wise.

***

In the summer of 1237, Honorius and Pius land just offshore Durazzo. In order to seize the castle, they must defeat Michele Mastropiero and the garrison.


Michele is most likely the older brother of Steffano Mastropiero. An important man in Venice, he is both Lord High Steward and Lord of Milan. It seems the loss of Steffano has affected him personally.


And so now the two armies begin their clash in the balkans.

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With a thundering roar, the two lines collide.

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Fortunately the Papacy boasts a superior number of line infantry, and the Militia are quick to exploit this advantage.

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Meanwhile in the distant left, a regiment of elite skirmishers have caught Honorius's eye.

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Pius has also entered the fray, attacking the Venetians on their left flank.

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But a movement behind Venetian lines worries him that the enemy are sending reenforcements to battle Honorius, and he quickly disengages and pursues. While this is happening, a unit of Venetian archers quickly flanks the Papacy on their right.

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Out of the corner of his eye, Pius notices a lone unit of Papal Militia doing battle. Hoping to free up the men for flanking, he disengages and lends his support.

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Soon afterword there is good news from the Papal right, where the Venetian archers have been driven off.

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But no sooner is Pius successful in coming to the milita's aid then the Durazzo garrison appears. Fortunately a timely warning from a retainer prevents Pius from being hit from behind.

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Leaving the militia to deal with the spearmen, Pius moves to route the crossbowmen quickly.

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With that done, he quickly charges the Venetians.

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Meanwhile, the Papal Militia are finding the lord's favor.

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Pius disengages and charges the spearmen a second time.

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Finally Honorius scatters the skirmishers. But now he finds Michele racing to confront him. The two forces, much depleted, meet head on.

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The clash is furious, but Honorius's veterans soon gain the upper hand.

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At this point in the battle, the Papacy has taken most of the field and killed or routed most of the Venetians.

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Seeing the writing on the wall, Michele beats a hasty retreat alone.

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When Pius charges a last unit of spearmen from the side, the battle ends.

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Honorius stops to observe his victory. It is the first time he has had to face another noble on the field of battle, and he is proud of the result.

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The batte won, Honorius begins the siege of Durazzo while Michele retreats to a Portuguese fleet just offshore.

The following year, in the summer of 1238, Honorius passes away in his sleep. It is the end a long career spanning fifty-seven years and three Popes, which saw the man bring Florence, Genoa, Ajaccio, Cagliari and Malta. He was a supremely skilled and honorable general, and is considered a likely candidate for sainthood in the coming years. he will be missed.