Official Cataclysm Thread

**TinCow** · 11-30-2007, 04:43

Choices are due by 11pm EST, Saturday, December 1st.

Save Game File

1336 AD: War and Peace

The actions of the previous year have led to a tentative sense of peace and stability in several areas of the Reich. However, it is not universal and many Electors are still fighting for their lives and lands.

Outremer saw King Matthias Steffen leave the Iron Bridge to confront the Byzantine Cavalry Army which was attempting to flank him. Battle was joined outside Aleppo, where Matthias engaged the Byzantines without the aid of his English allies. This was done to preserve the English territories as a neutral buffer zone between Outremer’s remaining enemies. The battle was part success and part failure. The enemy force was heavily whittled down for little loss to the Crusaders, but Matthias was eventually forced to yield the field and withdrew a short ways south. The Byzantine army continued on its way and as a result Antioch is now encircled in a ring of steel. It will be exceedingly difficult to dislodge the Byzantines from their positions around Antioch.

Franconia shows the first signs of returning to her former glorious self. While Magdeburg remains besieged by powerful Danish armies, Dieter Bresch and Tancred von Tyrolia hold the walls with a large army and they have proven that they can beat back all foes. The Danish assault will surely be vicious, but the prowess and stamina of the Franconians will likely prevail. Duke Peter has seen the first year of peace since he inherited his title. Frankfurt is free of siege and there are no armies threatening it. In the most significant turn of events, Fritz von Kastilien successfully negotiated a ceasefire with the Russians. In return for the entire province of Stettin, one Orthodox enemy has been appeased, at least for a few years. After the handover, Fritz made a daring march west and assaulted the Danish garrison of Hamburg. That ancient and prosperous Franconian city has now been returned to its rightful owners; this will surely help to restore Franconia to prosperity.

Bavaria can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Intimidated by the prospect of attacking the walls of Genoa, the Byzantines broke off their siege and retreated to Florence. They are consolidating a strong defensive line from Florence to Bologna to Venice. These cities will be difficult to recapture, and almost all of Italy remains in their hands, but at least their massive offensive has finally lost steam. At the same time, the provinces of Milan and Nuremburg have finally been pacified. The former by Duke Lothar himself, and the latter by the generous actions of Count Becker. Count Becker was forced to return immediately to Prague, but he attempted to calm the situation in Nuremburg by leaving behind Cardinal Athalwolf Otterbach to preach cooperation and tolerance. A chance of renewed violence exists, but it is low.

As expected, Swabia remains beset by troubles that are exclusively internal. Not a single Swabian city is besieged by a foreign power, but warfare goes on still. Wolfgang Hummel’s capture of Staufen provoked a swift response from many Electors, both inside and outside of the Duchy. Ludwig von Bohmen took 4 wealth from Jan von der Pfalz and rode south at breakneck speed, accompanied only by Count von der Phalz’s Mounted Sergeants, to prevent him from being slowed. However, Duke Athalwolf von Salza was prepared for just such a move, and was personally patrolling the roads with a large contingent of cavalry. While the rebel Mounted Sergeants were fast enough to evade him, Ludwig von Bohmen’s heavy bodyguard were slower. After a chase of nearly 30 minutes, it appeared as though the rebel Count, and his valuable cargo, would be captured. In a heroic gesture, the Mounted Sergeants, who were in the clear, turned and charged into the pursuing loyalist Knights. They were no match for the enemy, and fell quickly, but they forced the pursuers to halt and fight. That made all the difference, and Count von Bohmen was able to extend his lead and escape. He arrived in Staufen battered, exhausted, and without his escort of Sergeants, but he was alive and had delivered the wealth to Wolfgang. At almost the same time, riders from Innsbruck, moving unopposed through safe Alpine roads, brought a full 7 wealth to Wolfgang, a gift of the Bavarian Count Friedrich Karolinger.

Wolfgang had already ordered recruitment to begin with his meager resources before either set of riders even set out. While he did not have enough on-hand to pay the full cost, it was enough to begin outfitting a unit of Peasant Archers. The rest of their payment was then fulfilled from the newly arrive wealth. The loyalist Ehrhart Ruppel was not idle during these events either. He saw to the hasty recruitment of some Spear Militia to fill out his force, then began to march towards Staufen. He planned to approach minor nobles along the way and offer to pay for the services of any professional soldiers in their employment. However, a messenger from Metz found him and informed him that Count von Bohmen had gotten past Duke Athalwolf and was delivering wealth to Wolfgang Hummel. Ehrhart Ruppel knew that with that money, Wolfgang could train additional professional infantry that would have a huge advantage against his men while defending the walls of a citadel. So, Ehrhart Ruppel abandoned his attempts and spurred his army on to Staufen at all haste. He arrived too late to prevent the recruitment of the Peasant Archers, but he was able to prevent any further resources from entering the citadel.

Wolfgang’s army had been preparing for just such a siege, and though they were denied the means by which to recruit more regiments, they were able to scour every farm and village within 5 miles of the citadel. Large amounts of food were brought inside, and disused houses were knocked down; their stones being brought up to the walls to repair any minor damage and weather wear that could prove a weakness. With the resident population of the citadel small and Wolfgang’s army only moderate in size, he has enough food to allow him to resist the siege almost indefinitely. Indeed, with the local farms stripped bare and many more mouths to feed, Ehrhart Ruppel is likely to suffer problems from food shortages first. However, so long as Ehrhart Ruppel blocks all trade into and out of Staufen, no further military recruitment will be possible in the citadel. For his own part, Ehrhart Ruppel has sent his men out into the province of Staufen in small bands to pacify the population. The departing men were never large enough to give Wolfgang Hummel a chance to break out, but they were frequent enough and persistent enough to eventually succeed. Ehrhart Ruppel also made an attempt to infiltrate his personal spy into Staufen, as he had done so successfully at Bern. However, Wolfgang Hummel had personal experience with counterspying and the agent was apprehended. His head currently adorns the northern gate of Staufen.

In more mundane Swabian news, Jan von der Pfalz took his small army and set up camp to block the bridge from Bruges to Antwerp. Should the French move on his city, he will have the chance of stopping them there first. The priest Alexander Luther also appeared in Jan von der Pfalz’s camp, preaching words intended to rally the people against the Danes. This succeeded in creating a small levy from the Flemish citizens, but predictably alienated the Danish majority of Antwerp. As a result, they are once again refusing to aid Jan von der Pfalz. After his skirmish with Count von Bohmen, Duke Athalwolf set about attempting to pacify Metz. Though his own army was too small for the task, the people of the city were pleased to see him at least attempt it. They too were growing very weary of the death and destruction, and a large volunteer force formed up to aid him. Within a few short weeks, a nominal sense of order was imposed on the province. The local volunteers have since returned to their former lives, leaving only Duke Athalwolf’s professionals to police the province, but at least it has been restored to prosperity. Indeed, at the beginning of 1336, the entire Reich has been pacified and religious violence seems to be at an end. If this continues into 1338, the War of Reformation will be considered finally over.

Austria is the only Duchy to face any new offensives against her holdings. In the south, the Venetians have once again laid siege to Ragusa. With their elite regiments smashed, they have only been able to field standard regiments. These will surely pose no serious threat to Duke Arnolds hardened veterans, especially on the walls of fearsome Ragusa, but the Venetians do have a significant advantage in numbers. The citadel blunts this advantage, but it will be difficult to overcome in a sally. In the extreme north, Edmund Becker was barely able to slip back inside Prague before the Poles began their siege. The city’s walls are strong and the Ballista Towers will be difficult for the Poles to overcome, but the defenders themselves are still almost exclusively militia. If a serious melee begins, Count Becker could find himself in danger. The crisis is similarly serious in middle Austria. The final Hungarian offensive has been launched in a desperate bid to take Zagreb and split the Duchy in two. The elite Hungarian army which had encamped at the eastern bridge crossing the year before has laid siege to the city. Karl Zirn holds the walls with an immensely strong force, but he faces a most formidable foe. Of all the Austrian cities, only Vienna remains free of siege this year.

War of Reformation Status in 1336: