Official Cataclysm Thread

**TinCow** · 11-08-2007, 03:45

Choices due by 10pm EST, Friday, November 9th.

Save Game File

1328 AD: The Reich continues to be pressed on all sides, but significant victories in every Duchy and Outremer have turned back many invading armies.

Outremer was the sight of some of the most heroic struggles of the recent years. Kaiser Elberhard led his army to victory over three consecutive Byzantine forces and, against all odds, succeeded in relieving Aleppo. His army suffered heavy casualties, though, and he determined that Aleppo could not be held any longer. It was given as a gift to the English, whose alliance with the Reich is still strong through royal marriage to the Kaiser. Matthias Steffen also achieved a great victory, though of a more personal nature. He defeated and killed Nikeforos Argyrus, the man who had abducted and tortured him, along with a powerful army. This was then followed up with a raid on a smaller nearby Byzantine force. The youngest Crusader, Dieter von Kassel, was single-handedly responsible for the most politically significant action of year. He attacked Jerusalem, defeated the mighty Papal army, and ensured that a sympathetic Pope was placed on the Holy Throne. This has ended the Reich’s excommunication and will undoubtedly increase security and stability in the long-run. These many great victories have depleted the armies of the enemies of Outremer. They will certainly return again in great numbers, but for this year, the Eastern frontier remains (relatively) quiet.

Franconia fended off deep probing attacks by both the Poles and the Danes in 1326. Edmund Becker led his army from Prague to the aid of his northern neighbors and defeated the Poles menacing Breslau, though at great cost. Peter von Kastilien made his first act as Duke of Franconia the relief of Frankfurt. The battle was a success, though casualties were not light. The only other surviving Kastilien brother, Fritz, marched north with his band of hungry mercenaries and took the Danish city of Stockholm. He has accumulated fabulous wealth through an incredibly brutal sacking of the city, but the element of surprise has been lost and the Danes are sending powerful armies to seek revenge against him. However, the previous year was just the beginning. 1328 sees a formidable challenge being thrown against Franconia. Both Breslau and Magdeburg have been besieged by powerful Polish armies.

In Bavaria, the battle for Northern Italy has finally begun. Duke Lothar Steffen lifted the siege of Venice with aid from the city’s Austrian garrison. He then moved south to hold one of the crossings over the River Po. No sooner did he arrive than a large Byzantine army under the command of Georgios Ducas attempted to force the bridge. Duke Steffen defeated him, but his army is battered and lacking in professional soldiers and he will need reinforcements soon. Fortunately, he is no longer alone in the defense of Italy. Count Fredericus Erlach has abandoned Ajaccio in the face of the massive new Sicilian invasion and crossed the water to Genoa. He has brought his entire army with him, many of them experienced professional soldiers. Despite the loss of Ajaccio, this second army will finally give the Bavarians a real chance at stopping the Byzantine advance. This year’s main surprise is the sudden appearance of Jan von Hamburg on the coast near the port of Venice. No one in the Duchies even knew that Jan had left Outremer, as the boat he arrived on was the fastest transportation possible from Outremer. He has brought with him a moderate amount of wealth, both his own and Kaiser Elberhard’s, and dispatched it to aid Duke Hans. Jan von Hamburg’s intentions remain unknown.

The balance of power in Swabia is teetering. Both Wolfgang Hummel and Athalwolf von Salza moved on Bruges, though for different reasons. Their meeting engagement at the Flemish Crossroads resulted in a major victory for the rebel, but the loyalist escaped capture with a small portion of his army. It will take Athalwolf von Salza a good deal of time to rebuild his shattered forces, leaving all of northern Swabia under Wolfgang’s thumb… assuming the French do no beat him to it. In the south, Duke Hans and the rebel Dietrich von Dassel appear to be destined for a massive battle to determine control of the Duchy. The rebel Dietrich was expecting a siege and has prepared the city and his army well for the event. Duke Hans acted as Dietrich expected, and besieged the city. With the aid of some Grand Bombards sent to him by Athalwolf von Salza before the Flemish Crossroads, he appears to be prepared for a full-scale assault on the city. This may well be the battle that determines the fate of Swabia.

Austria has weathered another year of assaults, but it is far from secure. Duke Arnold smashed the Venetian forces around Ajaccio, but he suffered major losses in the process. The Venetians have been heavily depleted, but they are not totally defeated by any means. Another massive push can be expected soon. At Budapest, Karl Zirn took some of the sting out of the fresh Hungarian attack by destroying one of the three assembled armies in a night attack. The other two banded together and were able to prevent a similar surprise. They now lay siege to Budapest, trapping Friedrich Karolinger and the garrison inside. Fresh Hungarian forces also continue to pour in from their citadel at Bran. The Franconian Tancred von Tyrolia remains in the area with his own moderate-sized armies. Combined, the forces of Karl Zirn, Friedrich Karolinger, and Tancred von Tyrolia could likely defeat the Hungarians, but at great cost. In addition, scouts report worrying news. The Hungarians appear to be trying a new avenue of approach. While Austria’s defenders are pinned down at Ragusa and Budapest, an expeditionary force is marching from Sofia through the undefended Austrian lands. If they are not stopped, they will eventually drive right through Zagreb and into the heart of Austria.

Elberhard: