Wien, 1085

Leopold of Austria, now Prinz of the Reich and heir to the Kaiser's throne, is aghast at the news.

"My brother Henry, gone? But how? He was in fine fettle, never spent a day sick in his life...what dark day is this that brings such mournful tidings! And what? There is more? The Bavarian Duke slain by the accursed Swiss! I can scarcely comprehend the scale of this tragedy. The deaths of the traitorous Saxon and that worm Raspe are but cold comfort."

He lapses into a long silence, which is eventually broken in a tactful manner by Ernst of Melk, clearing his throat.

"Ahem...your Highness, there are certain matters which must be dealt with - the Polish King runs rampant in Silesia this past year since you withdrew your army. It is rumoured he intends to march on Prague, or even on Wien itself. In the meanwhile he taunts the Reich with his presence on German soil and extracts a weighty toll from the good folk of the soil who have been ruined by his troops foraging their lands for supplies and plundering their stores."

A moment's further silence passes before Leopold replies.

"Yes, it is time the Prinz of the Reich began to act as such. Ernst, halt construction on the silver mine and make all funds available to me for the recruitment of mercenaries. There is no time to raise a native force, we shall have to rely on ruffians to do our grim work for us. Rally my company and ready my steed - we march on the morrow."