Chapter 24 - The Storm Breaks in Iberia (1559 A.D.)
The past year saw some victories for our men in Iberia. They made some progress on the coastal areas in both the east and west and have met scant resistance now that the main armies of the Spanish must face both our invasion and that of the Portuguese. Still, this was nothing but the calm before the storm of this year. That storm has now broken and we are running rampant across northern Iberia.
Lord Zinonas and General Isidoros seem to have an almost unhindered hand at the moment and have taken advantage to begin an exceptional series of conquest against our Spanish foes.
Assault on Pamplona - May, 1559 A.D.
Spoiler for Assault on Pamplona:
From Battle Report Filed by Lord Zinonas Laskaris to Emperor Vasileios and the Imperial Archives -1559 A.D.
Northern Iberia seems to be virtually deserted. The towns we pass are deserted and we have met no opposition during our march. The Spanish cowards seem to have run away. This change in heart of the Spanish is strange. I now know that Isidoros has landed in the west and the Portuguese are pressing in the south. Perhaps the Spanish simply do not know where to turn now that their homeland in under attack from all sides.
I am not disappointed as much as I am relieved. It made our journey much easier and cleared the path to the next target in the invasion, Pamplona. This mighty fortress has produced some of the finest Spanish soldiers in their army. I faced many men trained here during the long march through Africa and in the earlier battles on the coast.
It is now time to remove this holding and return it to its proper masters - the Roman Empire.
For such a strong position, the Spanish left it woefully undermanned.
The entire garrison consisted of naught but the governor's bodyguard and two companies of freshly recruited infantry - one company of Sword and Bucklermen and one of armored pikemen.
The governor was an extremely elderly man named Celestino.
Like all "famous" generals of the Spanish, he went by only one name. His past victories had been against the Moors back when they still held sway in some parts of Iberia. He fought many battles against them and was one of the chief generals of the Reconquista. It seemed a shame to fight a man who had killed so many Muslims in the past. However, I could not let sentimentality sway me from my appointed task.
My army had been joined by troops coming down from France as well as the men I brought over from Africa.
We were still quite a mixed lot with a combination of Romans, Africans, and mercenaries from across Europe. My cavalry consisted of two companies of Mercenary Knights, one of Roman Stratiotae, and one of Cavalarii horse archers. The core of my heavy infantry came from two companies of swordsmen (Castrophilakae) and two of heavy Roman spearmen (Menaulatoi). To bolster their numbers, I hired on two companies of mercenary Catalans and one of Macemen. I had more archers than usual with two reduced companies of Roman Mourtatoi, one of Arbalests, one of Longbowmen, and one of formerly Muslim Archers. The real firepower for the assault would be the three units of bombards so laboriously dragged from France and Zaragoza.
The battle was a rather standard affair. The small garrison meant that they did not dare challenge us at the outer walls but rather retreated to the supposed safety of the inner walls. My cannon cleared a path through the locked gates but the walls of the inner keep were a greater challenge.
The towers would have caused some unnecessary casualties in the assault so I ordered them destroyed. The cannons did an admirable job of it and then the garrison was rendered impotent to stop our advance.
Once the cannons had destroyed the final gate, my infantry charged through and there they were met by the Spanish.
The Spanish fought well against my spearmen and heavy infantry. Even though outnumbered by more than two-to-one, they gave ground only grudgingly and caused more than a few casualties amongst my men in the process.
General Celestino may have been a mighty warrior twenty or thirty years ago but it was obvious that the rigors of combat held no appeal to him. He and his bodyguard held back from the fighting even as my infantry started to carve a path towards him. Once the stairways to the ramparts were open, I sent the Catalans up on top where they could rain javelins down on the enemy. Celestino proved to be a perfect target.
The bodyguard fell in droves under the assault. They had no one to fight as their own infantry prevented them from reaching my troops.
There was nothing preventing the Catalans from their attack, however, and soon a lucky strike brought down the ancient Spanish general.
Spoiler for Celestino Killed:
With the threat of the Spanish heavy cavalry removed, I was able to push my own horsemen through the infantry scrum. Once we were clear, my cavalry wheeled about and drove hard into the backs of the remaining Spanish infantry.
My infantry pressed from one side while my bodyguard pressed from the other. We cut our way through the ranks of the remaining Spanish and then met in the center.
The attack was a bit bloodier than I had intended but the victory was ours.
For this great old fortress, one hundred lives seems like a reasonable cost. We will never again have to fight an enemy trained here and, for that, I am comforted.
I have decided to sack this fortress and drive out the Catholics and all the other men of note. The booty was very considerable and the men are most pleased. While this is nice, I really intended it to ensure there was no unrest here as I can afford to leave but a small garrison as I continue to push west while I still have the initiative.
I hear the large city of Burgos is even more lightly held than this one. I shall strike out soon and find out for myself.
- Zinonas Laskaris.
The initial stage of this year's campaign goes well for our boys in Iberia. The Spanish are obviously frantically trying to mount some kind of defense for their chief cities but so far their response is scattered and seemingly quite weak.
While Lord Zinonas was sacking Pamplona, General Isidoros has moved on from his own position in the west to strike another primary city in the northern heartland of Spain - Salamanca.
Assault on Salamanca - April, 1559 A.D.
Spoiler for Assault on Salamanca:
From Battle Report Filed by General Isidoros Petraliphas to Emperor Vasileios and the Imperial Archives - 1559 A.D.
After I seized Oporto last fall, I expected the Spanish to throw everything they had at me and push me and my army back into the sea. We made frantic preparations for just such an attack - but it never came. Instead, the Spanish response was, well, nothing. I cautiously sent out scouts during the winter and they all came back with the same report. The towns were empty and there were no forces of any kind between me and the very heart of Spain. Even more amazing, they told me that they had overtaken some deserters from the great fortress city of Salamanca and said that King Fernando had taken refuge there behind its great walls.
Such an opportunity was not to be missed and I led the men out immediately. I sent one detachment to the north to prevent the garrison of Leon from interfering while I took the main body against the Spanish king. We pushed hard until the walls of Salamanca loomed before us.
The reports from my spies were true indeed. Not only was Fernando here but the fortress had been shorn of most of its defenders!
What troops he had were the best of his army. In addition to his strong bodyguard, he also had one company of Demi-Lancers and one of Pistoliers. These Pistoliers are a menace. They have very strong armor which makes them nearly impervious to the arrows of my archers while their own guns (which they reload even at full gallop) can punch through our strongest armor. I fear they are the new face of modern warfare.
Despite their obvious quality, the Spanish were few while my army was many.
My veterans of Africa were battle tested and ready for this fight. We had one company of Archontopoulae, one of Scholarii, three of Stratiotae, two of Cavalarii, one of Granadine Jinettes, one of mounted Crossbowmen, and two companies of newly hired Mercenary Knights. I was very poor in infantry, however, with just one company of mercenary spears, one of arquebusiers, and one of macemen. I would have dearly loved a couple companies of pikes or halberds but wishing doesn't win battles and I had to go with what I had.
I attacked at dusk to hopefully surprise the Spanish. Just as the sun set, my cannons opened fire. We were able to successfully get through the first ring of walls before we met any opposition. At the second line of walls, the enemy was able to get some men up in the towers and there they rained down pitch-soaked ballistae bolts down on the men. One even succeeded in setting alight one of my cannons.
Even with the flaming bolts raining down on the men, they did not waver but kept up a continuous attack on the gates until they were nothing but splintered wood.
I sent the spearmen in first and there they were met by a furious charge of the Demi-Lancers.
The spears and light armor of the mercenaries were of only limited use against this fine cavalry and the men started to go down by the dozen.
I sent the Macemen to assist but it was of little use. They had even less success than the spearmen. Just as the battle was at its height, I saw Fernando himself come down from the inner keep and throw the weight of his bodyguard into the fight.
Say what you will about Fernando but he was no coward. He fought at the front and brought down no small number of my dwindling infantry.
I knew that the key moment had arrived and spurred my own bodyguard on to meet Fernando and his armored horsemen.
Whereas my mercenaries were at a severe disadvantage, this fight was decidedly more even. My men have fought many battles and knew how to bring down even the most heavily armored horsemen.
In the end, Fernando's bravery was his undoing. Too preoccupied with cutting down my bodyguard and what remained of the spearmen, he never saw me coming and I drove my blade clean through his upper armor where it wedged there - impaled on Fernando's heart.
It may not have been my most honorable strike but it did the job. The Spanish king was dead.
Spoiler for Fernando Slain:
With their king dead, the rest of the garrison tried to make it back to the safety of the inner walls. My own horsemen pursued and caught them just as the gates were being lowered.
We pressed through and killed all who remained.
It was a terribly bloody victory but we killed their king and are masters of his castle.
My mercenaries suffered greatly in the attack. Virtually the entire companies of spearmen and macemen were wiped out in the attack. The mercenaries' life is a hard one and this day they earned their pay. Still, their sacrifice managed to save many of my more valuable troops so it was not in vain.
King Fernando's death is a great setback for his kingdom matched only by the loss of this critical fortress. I should note that this is the second enemy monarch I have had the pleasure of killing. I find I quite like it and hope I will have more chances in the future.
Spoiler for King is Dead:
I have ordered only a two-day sack of the castle. I have pressing business to the north as the small force of soldiers I sent to Leon have sent word back that there is a large army approaching to lift their siege.
There is no time to waste, I shall depart at once with all that I can spare.
- General Isidoros.
I don't think anyone in the Empire will shed any tears over the death of King Fernando. He was a brutal, spiteful man and the one who proudly boasted of breaking the "Peace of Skantarios." In fact, had he not ordered his men to attack us in Africa, this whole bloody business might never have happened. It took nearly twenty years but he has finally paid the ultimate price for that grave miscalculation.
General Isidoros was not lying about making haste to Leon. Within only a few weeks after receiving his last report, two more arrived in rapid succession. He has made his way north and, beating the relief army by only a few days, immediately attacked Leon.
Assault on Leon - June, 1559 A.D.
Spoiler for Assault on Leon:
From Battle Report Filed by General Isidoros Petraliphas to Emperor Vasileios and the Imperial Archives - 1559 A.D.
The quick march north was blessedly without incident. We spotted no soldiers along the way. I only regret I did not have more time as I spied many small villages and towns along the route that would have yielded excellent plunder had we the time to take it.
While the lost opportunities were regrettable, we did succeed in beating the slow moving Spanish relief force to the punch and get in position to attack before they could interfere.
The garrison was as my men reported it, small and woefully inadequate to the task of defending the city.
The city was held by nothing more than the old governor and two companies of sword militia.
The city defense was led by another of the "Old Guard" of Spanish generals. This one was named Cristobal Espinosa.
He had earned a great deal of fame and fortune battling the Moors. However, he had yet to face Roman arms in battle (obviously, since he was still alive).
I added the cavalry from my assault on Salamanca to the force I had split off to besiege the city.
In addition to the cavalry, I had two companies of Catalans, two companies of Andalusian Infantry, and another company of mercenary spearmen. I now see that my split of the army could have been better as I could have used these spearmen against the cavalry back at Salamanca.
I had two units of cannons for the attack including one of the huge Grand Bombards. I used these new weapons to make short work of the city gates and walls.
Their huge mouths spit fire and death at the enemy fortifications and signaled the end of Spanish rule and the beginning of the Roman.
The Spanish garrison made a quick retreat from the walls as soon as they could see that their old stone walls were no match for modern Roman firepower. Instead, they huddled together in the city square to make a last stand.
They waited placidly for our advance and seemed to accept their fate.
My men made a slow and deliberate march to the city square. There was no hurry and victory was assured as long as we didn't do anything rash.
Old Cristobal did not wait to be cut down by my guns. No, he was very proud and launched himself and his bodyguard at my rows of Andalusian spearmen. Perhaps in his senility, he mistook them for his old Moorish foes?
My men expertly parted ways to draw Cristobal in and then we enveloped him to prevent any of his men from escaping.
The old general fought like a man possessed and kept hacking away at our men even as all of his bodyguard fell dead around him.
I have to say, I was impressed. For one so old, he fought like a man half his age. I even attempted to save him and reward him for his bravery. I pushed my mount through the mass of men surrounding him to try and save his life.
I called out his name and offered him mercy. His reply was a wild look of hate and he swung his sword at me. I stared into his dark eyes as I parried his blows and realized that this man had no desire to live and see the defeat of his city. So, I gave him the mercy he required and cut him down with my own blade. Whereas I took great joy in killing King Fernando, I had only regret killing Cristobal.
I give him the best praise I can: he was a worthy opponent and a brave man.
Spoiler for Cristobal Killed:
The rest of the garrison put up a decidedly less valiant struggle. They fell to the charge of my heavy horse and were cut down in moments.
Once we had finished cleaning out the square, there was no more opposition. The city was ours.
We lost nearly thirty men in the assault. Fully ten of those fell at the hands of Cristobal. I am just glad I didn't have to face him twenty years ago. I think the result might have been much different.
There is simply no time to savor this victory. The Spanish relief army has marched to the gates and now my exhausted men must give battle one more time lest we be the ones trapped in the city.
- General Isidoros.
I shall record Isidoros' second report from Leon without further comment as they were fought within days of each other.
Second Battle of Leon - June, 1559 A.D.
Spoiler for Second Battle of Leon:
From Battle Report Filed by General Isidoros Petraliphas to Emperor Vasileios and the Imperial Archives - 1559 A.D.
After the easy battles taking Leon and Salamanca, we were now faced with a huge army intent on our destruction. All things being equal, I would have preferred to fight them with my entire army but I had to leave precious soldiers behind in Salamanca lest I be forced to assault the fortress a second time. Also, I could not wait for further reinforcements - there weren't any. I was isolated and about to be trapped inside the city by a larger force.
I had to take the fight to the Spanish while I still could.
The Spanish army was indeed large and a real challenge.
They had fully five companies of Sword and Bucklermen, two of dismounted Feudal Knights, two of dismounted Men-At-Arms, two of armored crossbowmen, and one of professional Halberds Men-At-Arms. They were understrength in cavalry with but two companies of Feudal Knights.
They were led by a young, but experienced, general named Bartolome Pimentel.
Although certainly not the caliber of Cristobal in his prime, he was no fool and had made his name (and position) fighting in the Spanish wars.
My army had been weakened by the two assaults in the past months and we were outnumbered.
My one advantage was that I had the stronger force of cavalry and the Spanish had not the horse or the spears to counter us.
My quick sally from the city caught the Spanish somewhat by surprise. They were still in marching order when we came into sight.
Their long lines of infantry and horse were spread out all across the horizon. A splendid sight but assuredly not in a proper battle formation.
In contrast, my men formed up quickly and we occupied a strong position on a hill overlooking the field.
I sent my cavalry far out to the wings to take advantage of our superior maneuverability and to lure them into a killing sack.
My first concern was to get the Spanish moving against me. This turned out to be easier than I thought. A couple of rounds from my cannons spooked them into sending their crossbows forward while the rest of their infantry were still forming up.
It was only far too late when those missile troops realized their mistake. By that time, my mercenary knights were plunging lance and sword into their massed ranks.
Bartolome tried to rescue his crossbowmen but wound up making the same mistake. He ventured too far forward and was easy prey for a massed cavalry charge.
He just wasn't used to such a fluid battle and he paid for that inexperience with his life.
Spoiler for Bartolome Killed:
The massed infantry were too far behind their general and my cavalry were forced to pull back. The Spanish foot soldiers kept moving forward and were quickly smashing against my own, much weaker, infantry ranks.
Despite being vastly outnumbered, my Andalusians and mercenaries took the initial charge and held formation.
The mercenaries did their job well but suffered for it. The Spanish infantry could sense our lines about to break but, in their lust for victory, did not take proper care to guard their backs.
My heavy cavalry which had moved to the flanks now returned and unleashed a furious assault into the unprotected flanks and rear of the Spanish.
Their general dead, their rear ranks being butchered, and their front ranks unable to break our lines, the Spanish despaired and soon broke as a group.
My cavalry had their ire up and chased the Spanish all over the field. Very few managed to make good their escape.
The battle was an example of keeping a balanced army in any attack. The Spanish lacked proper cavalry support and paid for it with their lives. While we lost almost two hundred men, the Spanish lost almost seven times that many.
We took over four hundred prisoners.
Spoiler for Prisoners:
I would have dearly loved the 4000+ florins these men would have fetched but I also had no interest in fighting them a second time. So, I had them executed and thrown into the river.
It seemed like a good idea at the time but the number of bodies has now served as an artificial dam and the banks are flooding. Well, I suppose it will solve itself given time. Besides, my business is in the south and so I shall return to Salamanca.
This has been an exhausting summer of battles. I shall rest the men and then press south. I shall leave the conquest of Burgos to Lord Zinonas while I guard our new provinces from Spanish counter-attack.
- General Isidoros.
Northwest Iberia conquered in less than a year. We never thought it would go so quickly. Isidoros' lightening strike out of Oporto has really caught the Spanish by surprise and now the entire center of the country lies open to him. I can see that Isidoros has lost none of his skill or daring in his advanced age. I just hope it has taught him some caution. He is still isolated until Zinonas can join with him. Also, the Spanish are still very strong and will fight even harder now that their very existence is threatened.
Speaking of Zinonas, he has continued his advance to the west but has met a strong force of cavalry while marching to Burgos.
Battle of Northern Iberia - July, 1559 A.D.
Spoiler for Battle of Northern Iberia:
From Battle Report Filed by Lord Zinonas Laskaris to Emperor Vasileios and the Imperial Archives - 1559 A.D.
My scouts had reported the approaches to Burgos to be entirely clear but as we moved to that large city, we encountered a strong force of Spanish cavalry accompanied by some footsoldiers.
The strength of this Spanish force lay in their three companies of Demi-Lancers and one of Pistoliers. They also had two companies of the Sword and Bucklermen.
I probably could have passed them by without fighting but that would only have served to cut my supply lines and that could not be allowed.
My army was not really suited to a cavalry battle as I had left many behind in Pamplona and only prepared the rest for a siege, not a stand up fight.
Still, I had two companies of Mercenary Knights, one reduced company of Stratiotae, and one of Cavalarii. The rest of my army was the same mixed lot of infantry and archers I had for the earlier assault. For infantry, I had but two companies of Castrophilakae and one of macemen. I was strong in archers with two companies of Mourtatoi, one of Muslim archers, one of longbowmen, and one of mercenary arbalests. I would have liked to have my heavy spearmen or some pikes but it was too late for that now.
I had the archers set up a row of stakes to at least give us some protection and then sent out the one company Cavalarii to do what they could to break up the Spanish formation. This wound up costing me dearly as the normally elusive Cavalarii were caught by a company of Demi-Lancers and nearly wiped out.
The rest of the brave, but foolish, Spanish horse charged straight at us! My archers brought down a few but the rest continued on toward our lines. When the Spanish horse saw the line of stakes, they tried to maneuver around but a few of them still ran afoul of the buried traps.
My mercenary knights quickly counter-charged and were able to rout one company.
The rest of the Spanish cavalry tried to regroup but my men were on them quickly. The most elusive were the armored Pistoliers but even they wound up getting pinned between my Mercenary Knights and the fast moving Stratiotae.
The Spanish infantry put up scant resistance after their cavalry were defeated. My army took a great number of losses but still killed two of theirs for each one we lost.
The men managed to round up about one hundred prisoners.
Spoiler for Prisoners:
I had the lot executed except for a couple of the Pistoliers. These men proved rather pliable when the proper pressure was exerted and gave up everything that they knew about the defenses of Burgos and ways into the city. As a reward, I have decided to spare their lives but have sent them in shackles to Constantinople. Perhaps some of our military engineers can study them and their equipment so that we, too, can field units of this type.
I believe these mounted, pistol-armed troops are the future of warfare and we would be well served to field some companies of our own.
Armed with the knowledge the prisoners have provided, I shall make haste to Burgos before word of this defeat (and our advance) can reach them.
- Zinonas.
Zinonas' comments about the Pistoliers are very interesting. These men do seem to serve a purpose but I doubt they will ever replace a good sword and a strong man in combat. Still, it would do us well to stay up with the times and try to produce some of our own. The backward ways of our ancestors nearly cost the Empire its very existence and it is a mistake we should not repeat. Fortunately, the advice has come from Vasileios' own son. If it had come from someone else, I think he would have dismissed it out of hand.
Zinonas has, indeed, made his approach to Burgos and has sent a report of his actions there.
Assault on Burgos - August, 1559 A.D.
Spoiler for Assault on Burgos:
From Battle Report Filed by Lord Zinonas Laskaris to Emperor Vasileios and the Imperial Archives - 1559 A.D.
The rest of the march to Burgos proceeded without incident. We met no more Spanish patrols and our movements went unnoticed. I did not have the time or resources to drag cannon along with us for the assault. Also, I did not want to waste the time or the effort constructing siege equipment.
However, one thing I learned from my uncle was that there is more than one way to gain access through a city's fortifications. The information provided by the prisoners proved accurate. The told us of a secret sally port on the eastern side of the city that was only lightly guarded. Some of my men approached at night in the guise of wandering slave merchants. When the guards came out to inspect our wares, the "slaves" burst out of their unlocked shackles and killed the lot of them.
The next morning, my army formed up on the opposite side of the city and arrayed for battle.
The garrison quickly rallied to the defense of the gates but it was a poor showing when I saw their numbers.
They had but three companies of infantry. One was simple sword militia and the other two were greatly depleted from some unknown battle.
The city was under the command of the new heir to the Spanish throne, Prince Munio.
The Spanish must act quickly when it comes to the succession. It was barely two months ago I heard of Isidoros slaying their king and already they had named a new heir. I hope the Spanish get a lot more practice in the succession in the coming years as we work our way through their noble blood lines.
My army was still suffering from the earlier battles but we were more than a match for the garrison.
We made up for our reduced numbers by burning desire to sack the city and salve our wounds over our losses.
When the signal from my infiltration detachment was raised, I gave the command for my cavalry to break off and attack through the compromised gate. At first, I don't think the Spanish knew what was happening. That all changed when they saw my fast cavalry pouring through the side gate.
They knew they were betrayed and fled from the walls facing us.
My cavalry already in the city were waiting for them by the time they reached their rallying point in the city square.
The Cavalarii had suffered particularly badly in the last battle and so were eager to kill as many as they could.
Once a contingent of the cavalry swept around and unlocked the now-abandoned gates facing us, we streamed into the city and made straight for the square. The first target of our attack was the newly minted Crown Prince Munio.
My cavalry and infantry swamped Munio and his bodyguard in the square. He had nowhere to run and no hope of victory. He was killed swiftly by one of the mercenary knights.
Spoiler for Munio Killed:
The rest of the garrison was quickly overwhelmed and we had victory.
Our surprise was total and our losses few. I have lost over half my men in this season's campaigns and the energetic way the sack of this city was carried out showed our frustration.
Still, in the course of one season, I have matched old General Isidoros by winning three victories and taking two towns. I think it is fair to say that I am now a match for that old warhorse. Soon, I will surpass him.
- Zinonas.
So, now it is a competition between our two generals in Spain. That explains their frenetic and reckless pace of conquest this past year. In just one summer, virtually half of what remains to Spain has fallen to our forces and the entire northern part of that peninsula is ours. It is a startling accomplishment but one I hope we can hold. This is new territory and deeply Catholic. I don't think they will just roll over for us and convert to the proper form of Christianity without enough armed men to make it so. In fact, I hear that the fortress of Oporto has already fallen into deadly riots.
Spoiler for Oporto Riots:
I just hope our generals haven't spread themselves too thin in their "competition" to surpass each other.
Further south, the Portuguese are now officially at war with Spain (to the surprise of no one).
Spoiler for War with Portugal and Spain:
The Portuguese king has already won some victories around Cordoba and is now marching on Seville.
Well, this was quite a summer in Iberia and one full of victory. However, all has not gone so well in the rest of the Empire. In fact, back in France, the English have landed a small army in a desperate attempt to take back Bruges!
If I thought that Isidoros and Zinonas were reckless, this attack by the English seems on the verge of madness. We made peace with them in the wake of our alliance with Portugal but they have rejected that in the hope of an easy victory in a land they cannot hope to conquer.
These treacherous actions have caused us to once more be at war with England and for Portugal to renounce their alliance with them.
Spoiler for Diplomacy 1559:
I simply do not understand the English. They cannot hope to win a long war with us but are inciting our retribution anyway with an attack in Gaul. They didn't even bring a proper army for the attack!
General Kalamodios is in no position to help as I hear he has now assaulted the Gallic city of Groningen!
Assault on Groningen - November, 1559 A.D.
Spoiler for Assault on Groningen:
From Battle Report Filed by General Kalamodios to Emperor Vasileios and the Imperial Archives - 1559 A.D.
With Diadohos Efthymios away to celebrate his nuptials and secure our alliance with the Portuguese, it now falls to me to stamp out the rest of the Gallic infestation in Europe. Once I learned that they had crowned a new king in Groningen, I knew that this city would have to be my next target.
The Gauls had managed to scrape together a respectable army to hold the city and preserve their new king.
They had a mixed and depleted force of cavalry and infantry including: two companies of Feudal Knights, one of Men-At-Arms, two of Voulgiers, one of Halberd Men-At-Arms, one of Voulge militia, one of dismounted Men-At-Arms, and one of the Scots Guard archers.
Their new king went by the name Robert.
Barely thirty years old and filled with delusions of reviving the fortunes of his fallen people. He was a former loyal retainer of the dead monarch and has risen to his position by merit rather than birth. Still, he was a sad excuse for a monarch for a people who had once almost been great.
My army was at the top of its form and included the best of the troops from the campaign that took back Gaul.
I had two companies of Scholarii, two of Stratiotae, two of Magyars, and three of Cavalarii. My infantry was entirely made up of mercenaries but they were the finest you could buy. I had three companies of Swiss Pikemen, two of Swiss Halberds, one of Swiss Armored Pikemen, one of German Pikemen, and one of the Free Companies of heavy infantry. I also had two units of bombards to be the key to Groningen's locks.
My men had spent the summer building siege equipment while we waited for the guns.
I decided to use this equipment to force the garrison to defend the entire length of the walls on the west, south, and east sides. By making them divide their forces, they were weak at the point of attack along the southern walls.
I hoped I would not need any of this equipment but could rather use the guns to gain entrance. When the guns were ready, I ordered them to start the bombardment. In only a few minutes time, the walls of the city were crumbling.
While the garrison was scrambling to block this new breach, I sent the pikes and halberds in at a run.
The Gallic horse were there to meet us but now it was pike and halberd against horse and we had the advantage.
This advantage did not last long as the Gallic heavy infantry slammed into us and stopped our momentum.
It was a brutal fight. The Gauls knew we would show no mercy and they fought like beasts to protect their new king.
After many minutes of slaughter, one of my companies of Swiss halberds was able to slip around the scrum and attack King Robert directly.
These Swiss are the best at this type of warfare and cut through Robert's men like a hot knife would through warm butter.
Once they had finished slicing up Robert's bodyguards, they then sliced through Robert.
His "reign" must have been one of the shortest in history.
Spoiler for Robert Dead:
With Robert dead, the fight ran out of the rest of his men. Those still alive at the main gates attempted to flee back into the city. My cavalry pressed close behind and cut down many of them from behind.
The only ones who now remained were the scattered groups who had been defending walls that we never attacked. They tried to make their way back to the city square and rally but my cavalry cut them off.
It was a tough, brutal fight but we were victorious.
I lost about two hundred and fifty but the Gauls lost more than twice that. Also, they lost this city and their king. It seems like a fair trade.
I have not sacked this city as per your orders and even now I am waiting for word so that I can depart for the south along the Rhine to finish this final stage in our long campaign.
- Kalamodios.
The last statement from Kalamodios seemed puzzling. It implies that Vasileios had prevented a sack of an enemy city. This seemed so out of character for both our ruler and our general that I knew some larger plan had to be afoot. I found out quickly when news from our diplomats was read out in the Council Chambers.
We now have a new ally, the Kingdom of Denmark!
Spoiler for Alliance with Denmark:
The price for this new alliance was the city of Groningen.
Spoiler for Negotiations:
That explains all the whispered negotiations between Vasileios and the Northmen. It also explains the greater amount of Varangians in the capitol. Vasileios was playing Denmark and Norway off of each other in order to get them to bid against each other. The fact he was bartering with a city we did not even own at the time shows how far Vasileios' arrogance has reached.
The practical realities are obvious. By trading away Groningen, we now have a secure border on the northern Rhine and a new ally in the mix. That will give Kalamodios a free hand against the French Gauls and, I should hope, put some real stability in our new conquests.
Kalamodios has now left Groningen and it has been turned over to the Danes. Even now, Kalamodios is laying siege to one of the last two holdings the Gauls have in Europe.
Still, I find some humor in our dealings with the Danes. After so many years on our own, we now seem to be collecting allies as a rich woman would collect shoes. At this rate, the rest of the world will either be our conquest or our subordinate allies. Vasileios truly does have a global mindset.
An alliance with Denmark does not solve the problem of the English at Bruges. That task has fallen to one of the most unlikely "generals" to ever lay claim to that position in Roman history - Administrator Ioasaph.
Our fleet has scattered the ships that brought the English.
Spoiler for Naval Battle:
So, the English are now stranded and at the mercy of Ioasaph.
Relief of Bruges - December, 1559 A.D.
Spoiler for Relief of Bruges:
From Battle Report Filed by Administrator Ioasaph Stratigopoulos to Emperor Vasileios and the Imperial Archives - 1559 A.D.
Sire, I was certainly not expecting the order for the attack on the English. In fact, it came at a most inopportune time as I was in the middle of negotiations with a very polite German merchant for the prices on next year's wool harvest. I'm afraid that negotiation was not concluded and we may be forced to pay an unnecessarily high price for sheep's wool in the new year. I won't even mention how I never got to start the allocation of cow dung for the farmers near Staufen. The poor souls will have to figure it out for themselves, I'm afraid.
Still, I am ever your servant and collected the soldiers as ordered. I will report that the men were most appreciative as I had stocks of grain and meat laid in for the entire route and there was no need for foraging or other unpleasantness.
The march north was through some of the worst winter weather I have ever seen. Snow and ice and a biting wind made the trip very hard. The wind was so strong that it often blew right through the heavy shudders of my carriage. I have suffered terribly and I believe that I am now sick with some sort of sore throat and perhaps even a slight fever.
I was a brave soul and put my suffering to the side. The people of our fair city needed me. They had bandits at their very gates.
The English ruffians were certainly a frightful lot.
They were chock full of some of the dirtiest men I had ever seen. One of the captains told me that the English army consisted of one company of King's Men cavalry, one of Halberd Men-At-Arms, one of swordsmen, and one of some fanciful bowmen from Sherwood. I would note that the costumes of these men from Sherwood were quite jolly. They must be a fun group to share a tankard of ale with.
The men I had gathered from our garrisons were a hardy band. They sang good songs and seemed to know their business. I didn't get a chance to know most of them as there was important paperwork requiring my attention and I was often confined to my carriage to conduct the business of the Empire.
We had lots of infantry, some noble cavalry, archers, and other such strong men. We also had some of those dreadful Siphonatores but I don't know much about them as they kept mostly to themselves. I will note that they were especially useful in starting the camp fires every night - in record time!
When we finally came up to the English, they were huddled as a group with their backs to the sea. While I was staring at the English formation, the rest of our men kept marching forward and soon we had quite a crowd milling behind me. One of the captains told me that we should "form ranks." I wasn't sure what he meant but when I gave the order, the rest of the men fell into neat and orderly rows that were most pleasing to the eye and seemed to be the proper way to do things.
I had seen a painting once that looked nearly exactly like this. Obviously, things had started well.
The English had nowhere to run. I kind of felt sorry for them being stranded so far from home - and in this weather!
In any event, the English started marching against our lines and then I head the loudest series of "cracks" coming from the front ranks. I had thought it some type of thunder but it turns out it was the gunners shooting!
It was a terrible racket and the smoke obscured my view of the battle. I don't know if they hit anything but it certainly frightened my horse.
Just as the smoke was beginning to clear, I saw the English horse soldiers riding straight into our lines!
Some of our men were thrown into the air and others made a terrible scream. It was all very frightening and I think some of our men were killed! The rest of our soldiers held fast and the English horsemen did not reach me (thank God!).
I turned to one of my bodyguards to ask what we should do now but he seemed too intent on the battle to offer any advice. When I asked again, he gave me a bit of a grunt and turned away while pointing towards the fighting. I suppose this is some type of military code that I have not yet learned.
I did see some of our own noble horsemen give a great shout and ride straight into the English.
The clanging of metal and the screams of the dying were something terrible to behold. I had never seen anything like it and I hope I won't ever again. There seemed to be a lot of killing going on including the death of the English captain.
After a time, I braved a look up from behind the guards and I noticed all our men giving a great cheer. It seemed we had won!!
A great many of the English have died and the rest were taken prisoner. The captain of the guard asked me if we should ransom the prisoners and I told him that I didn't know who we could ask about that as I am unaware that there are anymore English around these parts.
He seemed to not like that answer very much but he promised me that he would "take care of it." I don't know what that means but it didn't sound good.
After we had entered Bruges, I asked one of the guards what had happened to the English as I didn't see any of them in the city or in the prison. He just laughed and said that I shouldn't worry about it; the problem had been solved. I guess it is for the best that others can take care of the prisoner problem. Still, I hope to track down those Englishmen at some point so I can talk to one of those men from Sherwood as they seemed most interesting fellows.
I fear I won't have time for that soon as there are a great number of problems to be solved in the city. The taxes are not being collected properly, the market hasn't been cleaned in ages, and there is barely enough food in the city to feed the army much less the people. For Heaven's sake, the governor's mansion is filthy!
These are problems I know I can deal with for the greater glory of the Empire. Problems for a wise man such as myself.
Now, if I may be so bold, I must really protest about the assignments I have been given these past few years. Leading men in battle and fighting off sieges is something best left to men qualified to do so. I am an administrator and not some hard bitten, low intelligence warrior. I would respectfully ask that I be allowed to continue in my duties seeing to trade negotiations, tax collection, and public services. I am wasted marching through the provinces at the head of an army.
Really sire, there must be someone else. Besides, I have a wretched cold and it doesn't seem to be getting better in this terribly cold climate.
- Ioasaph.
The report is almost too pathetic to believe. If these kinds of whiny sycophants are who Vasileios is choosing to lead our armies, our Empire is doomed. Thank goodness he had more than four times the numbers of the English or I fear we would have lost a great deal more than Bruges.
Vasileios is obviously choosing men more for their loyalty and their administrative talents than acumen in war. How many more such men are now in charge of our garrisons and armies not on the front lines. If Kalamodios does not finish off the Gauls soon and return to face the English, we may be in some real trouble.
Of course, none of this would have happened had Diadohos Efthymios simply stayed in Gaul and dealt with the English properly. That he is called back to the capitol puts all of our gains at risk.
Efthymios is due to arrive any day now. Princess Brigida is already here in the city accompanied by her mother and a whole menagerie of servants. She is under the protection of her uncle, Lord Ferao, who is charged with protecting her person (and her chastity) until such time as our young heir can claim her. She has become something of a novelty at Court. Her intelligence is obvious but the way she watches everyone around her as though sizing them up indicates that she is also cunning. I think she will prove to be a formidable woman for our young heir. She has also waited a long time for her betrothed to arrive.
The delay in our heir's return can mean only one of two things. He is either on a different errand that delays him - or he is not coming alone. I fear that his return is tied to the coming of Vitos and Genessios. If so, our cause could be in some real trouble. Vasileios is respected as a ruler but reviled as a commander. It has been decades since our Emperor last led men in combat. However, Efthymios, although still young, is at the height of his confidence and power. Further, the Army never really took to Vasileios but Efthymios is loved by the men of the Western Armies; almost as much as Genessios and Vitos are loved by the armies from the East.
If Efthymios and Vasileios combine their forces and influence, our cause could be lost.
There must be some way to turn this to our advantage. If we could flip Efthymios to our side - or at least make him neutral - then our victory is nearly assured.
But how do you get a man to betray his own father?
- Likenia Laskaris Vasilidis.
The world as we know it - 1559 A.D.
The world as it really is - 1559 A.D.
Last edited by Skantarios; January 19, 2011 at 12:53 PM.
Read the review of I am Skantarios! in the Critic's Quill here.
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 2 January)
Wow Skantarios, I've just spent most of the past two days reading your two AAR's, and they're great! Thanks for finding the time for doing them .
A question, I'm starting another AAR soon and really like your idea of 'battle reports'. Would I be able to use the idea in mine? It's similar to your first, focusing on one character by using his diary, but has a completely different plot. Thanks again for doing these
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 2 January)
Perhaps you could make some discussion with the "Holy Roman Empire" and their pet attack dogs better known as the Teutonic orders and make them accept Vassalage, at the cost of the Kaiser renouncing his title of "Heiligen Römischen Kaiser" (Holy Roman Emperor) and forever remaining "Kaiser der Deutschen" (Emperor of the Germans) and nothing more. Or you could take the homelands of the people who destroyed the western Roman emperor and have the real Roman Emperor throttle the "Holy Roman Emperor" personally. Also, for the soon to be rebels to take Emperor ship, wouldn't they have to wipe out the entire Laskaris line to be considered eligible? Including Vasileos's sons?
Lastly, I think I can answer why the A.I can almost never pay ransoms, from what I have seen, the A.I typically spends virtually every spare florin it has, always keeping it's treasury at a very low level without something odd happening (I.E someone giving them a larger sum of money than they could spend the overwhelming majority of in one turn during diplomatic negotiations or a massive economic boom.)
Last edited by Czin; January 03, 2011 at 07:50 PM.
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 2 January)
I just caught up with the latest updates, and man things are starting to ramp up. I hope the Spanish give a better fight than the French did, but its growing clearer every day that Roman arms will be victorious there as well. The real tension seems to be back home. With Efthymios rushing home to join his father in Constantinople, it'll be interesting to see how things fare when Genessios and Vitos get there! Looking forward to what's next!
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 2 January)
[QUOTE=Czin;8718998]Perhaps you could make some discussion with the "Holy Roman Empire" and their pet attack dogs better known as the Teutonic orders and make them accept Vassalage, at the cost of the Kaiser renouncing his title of "Heiligen Römischen Kaiser" (Holy Roman Emperor) and forever remaining "Kaiser der Deutschen" (Emperor of the Germans) and nothing more. Or you could take the homelands of the people who destroyed the western Roman emperor and have the real Roman Emperor throttle the "Holy Roman Emperor" personally. Also, for the soon to be rebels to take Emperor ship, wouldn't they have to wipe out the entire Laskaris line to be considered eligible? Including Vasileos's sons? QUOTE]
I second this idea, especially since it would be a delicious denouement to the historical Ottonian-Byzantine wrangling in the 9/10th centuries over the title "Emperor of the Romans" and the imperial dignity...now you can reclaim the title at swordpoint!
"Ever think you're stupid/and then know you really are?"-Flipper, "Ever"
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 2 January)
Also, reading about the Portuguese match, it struck me how Vasilios has become rather similar to Justinian I-orchestrating large-scale reconquests from his palace while leaving the actual fighting to subordinates, whom he goes out of his way to cheat of honors, titles, etc.
"Ever think you're stupid/and then know you really are?"-Flipper, "Ever"
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 2 January)
[QUOTE=bertram boso;8726142]
Originally Posted by Czin
Perhaps you could make some discussion with the "Holy Roman Empire" and their pet attack dogs better known as the Teutonic orders and make them accept Vassalage, at the cost of the Kaiser renouncing his title of "Heiligen Römischen Kaiser" (Holy Roman Emperor) and forever remaining "Kaiser der Deutschen" (Emperor of the Germans) and nothing more. Or you could take the homelands of the people who destroyed the western Roman emperor and have the real Roman Emperor throttle the "Holy Roman Emperor" personally. Also, for the soon to be rebels to take Emperor ship, wouldn't they have to wipe out the entire Laskaris line to be considered eligible? Including Vasileos's sons? QUOTE]
I second this idea, especially since it would be a delicious denouement to the historical Ottonian-Byzantine wrangling in the 9/10th centuries over the title "Emperor of the Romans" and the imperial dignity...now you can reclaim the title at swordpoint!
Wasnt it already stated that this would end when Skantarios reached the former heights of the roman empire? germany was barely a part of that land controlled....
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 2 January)
[QUOTE=Arkocento Prinos;8726638]
Originally Posted by bertram boso
Wasnt it already stated that this would end when Skantarios reached the former heights of the roman empire? germany was barely a part of that land controlled....
This Empire is significantly larger than the Roman empire of old, it extends much further south into africa and arabia, quite a bit further north generally speaking in europe, and much, much farther east into Iran and Mesopotamia, which were historically never controlled by Rome (they never did defeat the Parthians/Sassanids.) Right now, the empire has all the territories Alexander the great ever controlled and 90% of all former Roman possessions with the addition of quite a few territories neither ever controlled (Ukraine, Arabia, the Sahara desert and so forth.)
As of the year this AAR takes place, the only nations left on earth that would be more than a speedbump to this empire would be Ming China (which was in decline at the time and would be conquered by the Manchu in a few decades) and the last remaining great Muslim nation (not counting the piddling little princedoms in Indonesia and Malaysia) on Earth (in the Skantariosverse any way) Mughal India (still growing in power but would historically enter it's period of decline quite early in the 1600s).
Last edited by Czin; January 05, 2011 at 03:53 AM.
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 5 January)
Post #301 has now been edited to a full update.
A couple of things. First, it is a long one. The year of 1559 has a lot of action and this took a while to pull together. Second, because of how long it was, I didn't spend a lot of time talking about the upcoming civil war except for the end. There will be a lot more on that very soon as the armies are still traveling back to Constantinople. Third, I had some strange internet problems and I had to post this earlier than I thought or I might have lost the whole thing. So, there may be a few errors (more than usual) in there but I plan on cleaning it up tomorrow. Finally, I ran out of time to respond to comments today but will do so tomorrow.
I hope you enjoy the update. I tried something a little new with one of the generals. You can probably figure out who if you go through the whole thing.
As always, thanks for reading!
Read the review of I am Skantarios! in the Critic's Quill here.
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 5 January)
Skant....I loved Ioasaph. It really kind of delved deep into the pathetic personality of a pampered noble of a successful empire....like the Byzantine Empire...AND I LOVED IT!!! I loved how the Captain of the Guard mocked Ioasaph in his face when he asked about the prisoners. Great update Skant and I super pumped for the next update. If you could get that update for Friday afternoon so I can avoid grading during my Planning Period that would be awesome =)
Re: [SS AAR] The Legacy of Skantarios - Restoration of the Roman Empire (Updated 5 January)
Excellent update! I love how you develop the characters of the AAR. I like how this AAR is a bit of 'bipolar'. We've got an extremely arrogant and overconfident general like Ioannis and the ones like Ioasaph
After much delay, I have finally gotten the time to respond to all of the feedback I have received over the last two updates.
Originally Posted by Dan the Man
Kinda fell off the bandwagon again for a little while, but finally managed to get back into this. Excellent job as usual, Skantarios! Looking forward to seeing how this "Civil War" will turn out, and happy anniversary!
Dan, great to have you back! I still remember you when you came in as "baseballguy". I think you are getting close to an anniversary of sorts, as well. The Civil War is coming. Oh, yes, it is coming.
Originally Posted by Arkocento Prinos
I dont think it was english failure that saved you....i think it wasjust how you already knowhow to play the game isall....anyway i edited my earlier post ^^
And I edited my earlier response to feedback to give feedback to your feedback. Thanks for the compliment on my games skills but the English really did fold faster than I thought.
Originally Posted by Chyeaaaa111
I have read all of your two AARs to date now, and they are easily the best I have ever read! Thank you for entertaining me for hours on end with your work! It is truly a masterpiece!
It was my pleasure. Thanks for joining in the discussion. We are getting toward the end but new readers are absolutely welcome and appreciated.
Originally Posted by Exarch
happy anniversary for the skantarios chronicles! plus good trick by the emperor vasileios; i've done similar things in my campaigns to break up enemy coalitions
Thanks. Its hard to believe it has already been more than a year since I decided to exercise my creative energy by way of a video game AAR. I have to say I didn't think it would take on a life of its own like it has. As for Portugal/Spain, it is a good "trick"to do that and one fitting for our scheming Emperor. He may no longer be much on the battlefield but he still fights the political battles. Now, what do about the Portuguese and their ownership of a Mediterranean port..?
Originally Posted by Vasterion
Happy Anniversary, Skantarios - a little belated maybe. I wonder what would happen should you take on that Portuguese Horde? Seems to be a good 5-7000 there - I think even Ioannis - might think they're a bit too much to take on. Very clever as well with the trick with the alliance, saving Bordeaux from certain recapture. Although taking on that larger (infantry based?) army inside the city would have been something lovely to see. One thing I'd like to ask - all the battles you report seem to be large-ish - is this a conscious decision, to not report boredom on the lines of 50 Horse Archers encounter 100 Spearmen, as they move from a backline to a frontline blah, or is that the actual way the AI play out?
That would be interesting to take on the combined might of the Portuguese. They have been spamming out armies for dozens of turns and have built up quite a force. If they decide to turn on us, it could really be something for a few turns. I will think about it and see if it fits into the story. Clearly, something has to be done about Granada. Whether it be inciting a revolt, a fair trade, or something, it must come back into the fold. As for the battles, that is a combination of a few things. First, I am playing with "Large" unit sizes, so the numbers of soldiers reflect that. Second, Stainless Steel does a good job with the AI to have the computer opponents group armies into large stacks so you get a more realistic opposing force. Finally, I pretty much show all the battles of any consequence (as evidenced by how many I have shown). The only ones I entirely exclude are the ones against Rebels. I show just about 95% of all the others and only exclude those that are against a unit or two or have absolutely no bearing on the story. I usually still mention them but I don't go into detail like the others.
Originally Posted by dezikeizer
First off happy anniversary to the Skantarios series. Second, great updates and progress as always. The French are finished, the English may leave you alone for a while, and the big showdown with the spanish continues. Very clever trick you pulled there with the Portuguese, though how long that alliance will last is debatable. Either way, I'm very curious as to what will happen in the civil war, as with the heir at his side Vasileios may have a chance, but if he goes up against the eastern generals alone he will lose. +rep By the way, I have an idea for the Hadrian's wall problem: completely conquer the English, and then sell their Irish provinces to the Scottish in return for Northern England. Just a few things:
Thanks for the compliment and welcome back! The French may put up a last fight or two but things are definitely in the final stages. The Spanish are putting up less resistance than I thought but part of that is because of the war with Portugal and they have a couple of armies still slowly making their way back home after the Crusade fell apart. As for the English, I like the idea of trading Ireland to Scotland in order to establish a southern boundary along the lines of the old Hadrian Wall. I had thought of something similiar as I don't want to fight out the Scottish wars unless I have to.
Originally Posted by Dan the Man
Bahaha, the defenders in Zaragoza and Oporto were pathetic. Cannon fodder for the Roman legions! Shame their standing armies are bigger, but I suppose the challenge is what makes it entertaining.
The standing armies will present some challenge but I like my odds. The good thing about an amphibious landing behind their lines is you are hitting them in their "safe" areas and the garrisons are smaller. Works great for a raid but we are there to conquer.
Originally Posted by ByzantineCaesar
Civil War is coming! It's good to see the Varangians back, but will they prevail after Genessios has finished Vasileios (or maybe not. I think it will be a siege and Vasileios is undoubtly the greatest siege defender of the entire Empire. Of course he had some help of Vitos and Skantarios in the Jihaads, but he still did his job greatly.)? If I were Likenia I would leave Constantinople now and head to Theodosia/Caffa with her daughter. We don't need another Efsevia .
The Civil War should have some good moments. We will see if it comes down to a siege of Constantinople. Vasileios did some good work there against the Jihad but I think the city's defenders were much more enthusiastic fighting the Muslims than they will be fighting their generals from the East. Also, it has been a long time since Vasileios commanded soldiers in battle. I think he will need some help on this one. As for Likenia, she is more or less a hostage in the city. Still, maybe she can figure out a way to rejoin her husband...
Originally Posted by Maltacus
How good is Vasileos these days? Has he maintained his siege skills or degenerated completely into a scheming administrator? IIRC this is the first time the varangian guard is much mentioned in your AAR. Not excactly the traditional kind of unit for your Roman armies . Maybe they can be represented as Kievan Scandinavian Guard or something in battle screenshots if you command Vitos's side? Likenia seems to be in a bad mood. She normally writes much more neutral. I find it a bit strange that such a smart woman hasn't thought more about why the diadihos must return home for a seemingly unimportant marriage ceremony...
The Varangians played a small role in the fight in Africa but are not a significant character up to this point. Part of it is the game as in this mod you can only recruit one unit every 10 turns - and they are expensive. Still, a great unit both in game and historically. For Vasileios , it has been a long time since he fought off a siege or commanded troops in battle. I should think that a long layoff like that would degrade his skills and desire for combat. The last part about Likenia is correct. She did find something amiss.
Originally Posted by english crusader
Wow Skantarios, I've just spent most of the past two days reading your two AAR's, and they're great! Thanks for finding the time for doing them . A question, I'm starting another AAR soon and really like your idea of 'battle reports'. Would I be able to use the idea in mine? It's similar to your first, focusing on one character by using his diary, but has a completely different plot. Thanks again for doing these
Welcome to the forums and this thread! Very happy your were able and willing to take the time to get caught up on the AAR. It has been a long journey. Always love it when someone new finds this thread and gets caught up in the story. As for the use of battle reports, of course you can use it. It's not copyrighted or anything but I do appreciate you asking my permission. I wish you good luck with your story. Writing about an individual character is great. You can really take the time to develop that one person and give them emotion and depth. The trick is to keep it interesting.
Originally Posted by Czin
Perhaps you could make some discussion with the "Holy Roman Empire" and their pet attack dogs better known as the Teutonic orders and make them accept Vassalage, at the cost of the Kaiser renouncing his title of "Heiligen Römischen Kaiser" (Holy Roman Emperor) and forever remaining "Kaiser der Deutschen" (Emperor of the Germans) and nothing more. Or you could take the homelands of the people who destroyed the western Roman emperor and have the real Roman Emperor throttle the "Holy Roman Emperor" personally. Also, for the soon to be rebels to take Emperor ship, wouldn't they have to wipe out the entire Laskaris line to be considered eligible? Including Vasileos's sons? Lastly, I think I can answer why the A.I can almost never pay ransoms, from what I have seen, the A.I typically spends virtually every spare florin it has, always keeping it's treasury at a very low level without something odd happening (I.E someone giving them a larger sum of money than they could spend the overwhelming majority of in one turn during diplomatic negotiations or a massive economic boom.)
Good thought regarding the Germans. In the first AAR, I commented a few times about how offensive it was for the Byzantine Romans to be compared to the "Holy Roman Empire." We haven't fought them at all in this AAR but did beat them up pretty good in the first. Though, they were never broken and seem to keep plugging along here (despite being wracked by rebellion). Unfortunately, I don't think we will get to the point of destroying them in this AAR or forcing them to be vassals. Vassalage is very hard to do on VH and you usually have to knock them back to one or two settlements. However, I might be able to work in a reference or two in the story. Regaring the destruction of the Laskaris line. If Vitos and Genessios were able to take over, they would be obliged to have quite a bloodletting unless they could get the other half of the Laskaris family to renounce their claims or accept some power sharing deal. Their "blood ties" case for the throne is strong but probably not as strong as Vasileios/Efthymios. Genessios is the adopted son of Skantarios and Vitos is Skantarios' son-in-law. So, neither has Laskaris blood but still has a strong family case for the throne. - especially with Genessios as the only son of Skantarios (even if not by blood).
The ransom problem is a bit of a game-ism. I agree with you that the AI spends practically everything it makes. Often it goes into debt supporting large armies with a small economy. On VH, they seem to be able to keep recruiting more soldiers even when they are deeply in debt. I have on occasion received a ransom but not often. I usually will offer them for ransom knowing the AI can't pay. I take less of a reputation hit that way.
Originally Posted by Thokran
I just caught up with the latest updates, and man things are starting to ramp up. I hope the Spanish give a better fight than the French did, but its growing clearer every day that Roman arms will be victorious there as well. The real tension seems to be back home. With Efthymios rushing home to join his father in Constantinople, it'll be interesting to see how things fare when Genessios and Vitos get there! Looking forward to what's next!
I like the Romans chances in Spain but then conquest was never really the problem for the Roman Empire. They killed far more of each other than did any enemy. Maybe history will repeat itself? Also, good luck on your AAR. The Teutons are an awesome faction and look great in pictures.
Originally Posted by bertram boso
Also, reading about the Portuguese match, it struck me how Vasilios has become rather similar to Justinian I-orchestrating large-scale reconquests from his palace while leaving the actual fighting to subordinates, whom he goes out of his way to cheat of honors, titles, etc.
Excellent observation! I am trying to model Vasileios as a cross between Justinian and Aleksios. Master manipulators and administrators but just so-so generals. Of course, their clever machinations sometimes worked against them (alienation of Belsarius by Justinian, the Crusades for Aleksios). Maybe Vasileios is falling into the trap of being too clever?
Originally Posted by Arkocento Prinos
Wasnt it already stated that this would end when Skantarios reached the former heights of the roman empire? germany was barely a part of that land controlled....
Yes, it will end when that is achieved if not before. After we establish the old border on the Rhine (maybe the Elba), push into Britain and subjugate the rest of Spain, then this AAR is over. Or maybe at some other good stopping point. This will not be a complete conquest of the world.
Originally Posted by Czin
This Empire is significantly larger than the Roman empire of old, it extends much further south into africa and arabia, quite a bit further north generally speaking in europe, and much, much farther east into Iran and Mesopotamia, which were historically never controlled by Rome (they never did defeat the Parthians/Sassanids.) Right now, the empire has all the territories Alexander the great ever controlled and 90% of all former Roman possessions with the addition of quite a few territories neither ever controlled (Ukraine, Arabia, the Sahara desert and so forth.) As of the year this AAR takes place, the only nations left on earth that would be more than a speedbump to this empire would be Ming China (which was in decline at the time and would be conquered by the Manchu in a few decades) and the last remaining great Muslim nation (not counting the piddling little princedoms in Indonesia and Malaysia) on Earth (in the Skantariosverse any way) Mughal India (still growing in power but would historically enter it's period of decline quite early in the 1600s).
Excellent post! Great overview on the state of the Empire and how it compares to the Imperial Empire circa Trajan! We have indeed pushed way into Asia, far further than the old Romans ever did. This was due to the anti-Muslim war of extermination. Just couldn't give all that land up (who would I give it to without creating a massive new power in the East?). I tried to give a few to Hungary but they are quickly falling from their grasp. Now, an epic battle between the new Roman Empire and the Manchus?! It would be epic. Unfortunately, not only is it not possible in the game, it's not really practical, either. Still, it is fascinating guessing about who/what would topple the Empire now that they have historical examples to tell them what not to do.
Originally Posted by Beer Money
That was quick work of Zaragoza. Congrats on the 1 year by the way! And again, consistently amazing quality the enitre time!
Thank you very much! I think you passed one year writing AARs a little while back. I see you have also branched out into other platforms. I think you must hold some type of record for most diverse set of AARs on the forums; my compliments to that. Me, I am just stuck on M2TW but I'm still having some fun. Hope all is well with you and good luck on your current Dragon Age and Rome AARs.
Originally Posted by Lucius of the Hill
Skant....I loved Ioasaph. It really kind of delved deep into the pathetic personality of a pampered noble of a successful empire....like the Byzantine Empire...AND I LOVED IT!!! I loved how the Captain of the Guard mocked Ioasaph in his face when he asked about the prisoners. Great update Skant and I super pumped for the next update. If you could get that update for Friday afternoon so I can avoid grading during my Planning Period that would be awesome =)
Thank you. Glad you liked Ioasaph. I wasn't sure how he was going to be received. Ioasaph was kind of fun to write. They can't all be hard bitten, competent warriors especially now that the larger empire (and the Emperor) are more concerned with administration rather than conquest. Sorry I couldn't make the Friday deadline but I will try to get something up in the next 24 hours or so. Also, I will try to remember to come back to this and post a screen capture of the income for the Empire. I took one last turn for you but forgot to upload it so I could post to this update. I haven't forgotten.
Originally Posted by Dan the Man
Spain got steamrolled! I trust the dirty Saxons will share the same fate and Britannia will be Roman one again...
The English will get theirs in time. Their turn is coming.
Originally Posted by Vasterion
I also like Iosaph. Perfect candidate for breaking the brits, on their home turf no? Excellent update, I'd rep if I could =).
Oh, Ioasaph in the role of reluctant conqueror... now that would be interesting. Probably right up to and through the time he got destroyed. He'll have a role to play but I don't think I will be putting him in charge of any invasions.
Originally Posted by Radzeer
I'll give him a rep for you - he deserves it. It was indeed a lot of action, nicely written as usual. Now the eyes are on the road leading to Constantinople...
Thank you to both Radzeer and Vasterion. I think that is the first time I've ever had people team up to give me rep. I'll take it. The road to Constantinople will definitely be a prime topic for the rest of the AAR. We'll see more of that in the next update.
Originally Posted by ByzantineCaesar
Excellent update! I love how you develop the characters of the AAR. I like how this AAR is a bit of 'bipolar'. We've got an extremely arrogant and overconfident general like Ioannis and the ones like Ioasaph
Writing the letters and reports from the other characters is the most challenging part (besides normal plot development). I try to give them each their own "voice" and some are decidedly more fun to write than others. I think those two may be my favorites at the moment.
Originally Posted by Lord Lancelot
As Always Wounderfull. + Rep
Thanks! Glad to have you back reading (if you left). Hope you will stick around for the next few updates.
Also, for those who edited their responses about a week ago to add their feedback, I edited my responses in the previous feedback post in response. So, you'll have to go back to read that.
I think that catches me up with all the feedback I've received in the last few days. Apologize again for the delay but I had some work (RL and writing) to catch up on. I am working on the next update now and should have something up in the next day or so. It will either be just for 1560 or for both 1560 and 1561. Probably will depend on how much time I can scrape together to write it.
The next update will continue in the West but will have a significant portion about the impending Civil War (probably including the first action/battle). There is still a lot to get through but I think it will be covered in the next five or six updates.
Thanks again for your continued support. Glad to have you reading the final few posts in the Skantarios AARs!
Last edited by Skantarios; January 09, 2011 at 05:13 AM.
Read the review of I am Skantarios! in the Critic's Quill here.
haha! i loved the comic relief bit with administrator ioseph being made ot lead an army into battle and his subordinates promising to 'take care of' the prisoners
now that's good storytelling/writing.
Originally Posted by Skantarios
Thanks. Its hard to believe it has already been more than a year since I decided to exercise my creative energy by way of a video game AAR. I have to say I didn't think it would take on a life of its own like it has. As for Portugal/Spain, it is a good "trick"to do that and one fitting for our scheming Emperor. He may no longer be much on the battlefield but he still fights the political battles. Now, what do about the Portuguese and their ownership of a Mediterranean port..?
aye, seems your characters have taken on lives of their own which none of us could divine this time last year!
Does Emperor Vasileios really want to deprive the portuguese of their mediterreanean port
perhaps swap them a nice inland province in return?
the portuguese princess makes for a good hostage though i wouldn't put it past our Emperor to threaten the life of a future Empress of Byzantium when he's just itching to put away members of the royal family...
Chapter 24 - The Storm Breaks in Iberia
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Originally Posted by Czin
Thanks for the compliment on my games skills but the English really did fold faster than I thought. 
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if you command Vitos's side? Likenia seems to be in a bad mood. She normally writes much more neutral. I find it a bit strange that such a smart woman hasn't thought more about why the diadihos must return home for a seemingly unimportant marriage ceremony...
