[KGCM AAR] Kaiser's Crusade (UPDATED October 22nd)

[Exarch]

wow havent been in this thread for a while, why havent i subscribed yet?
goddam subscribed!!

great pics btw, i liked the one with the crusaders' march

[ChivalrousKiller]

Amazing so far. I love the idea of hotseat to tell a story.

Thank you! And great to see some new commenters in here

[ChivalrousKiller]

wow havent been in this thread for a while, why havent i subscribed yet?
goddam subscribed!!

great pics btw, i liked the one with the crusaders' march

Thank you, Exarch!
Which one do you mean? The one on the bridge?

[Exarch]

Thank you, Exarch!
Which one do you mean? The one on the bridge?

the one where the Emperor is entering Hungary and the other one with the ballista taking down Florence's doors

[ChivalrousKiller]

Oh yeah, the sunset screenshot
I'm very pleased to be able to write an AAR without using Photoshop a single time! But I should probably install it soon, then the pictures would get even better

[Exarch]

Oh yeah, the sunset screenshot
I'm very pleased to be able to write an AAR without using Photoshop a single time! But I should probably install it soon, then the pictures would get even better

u didnt use photoshop? i'm surprised, they're really good

how do u play as a different faction, in the same game? is it this 'hotseat' which ppl are talking about?

[Radzeer]

I really like how you use the pictures for story illustrations. Very creative!

[Sweger]

how do u play as a different faction, in the same game? is it this 'hotseat' which ppl are talking about?

Yes that's hotseat.

[ChivalrousKiller]

u didnt use photoshop? i'm surprised, they're really good

how do u play as a different faction, in the same game? is it this 'hotseat' which ppl are talking about?

I'll take that as a compliment! Thank you very much

And yes, as Sweger also said, this is Hotseat. You can access it in the Multiplayer part of all campaigns and mods made from the Kingdoms Expansion

I really like how you use the pictures for story illustrations. Very creative!

Thank you, Radzeer! The pictures are improving now

[Grymloq]

Hey, what an update! short but excellent

[ChivalrousKiller]

Thank you, Grymloq

[ChivalrousKiller]

Chapter 7: Legacy of Rome

"It is the custom of the Roman Church which I unworthily serve with the help of God, to tolerate some things, to turn a blind eye to some, following the spirit of discretion rather than the rigid letter of the law.”
- Pope Gregory VII

Constantinople, 1189






The Patriarchal basilica of Hagia Sophia was glittering in the sun. The famous landmark was now closed, for an important meeting was to take place. Leo Theotokites was sitting on a wooden chair in the far end of the huge church. The grey-bearded man had recently been elected Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church. He waited in silence… Finally, a man walked in through the front gate. His name was Isaac Angelos, son of the great general Andronikos Dukas Angelos and Basileios of the Eastern Roman Empire.






He was a young man, the emperor. And even younger back when he appealed to the people of Constantinople for help to revolt against Basileios Andronikos. And so, by acts of cunning and false promises, he had destroyed the greatest Roman dynasty since the days of Justinian. Thus began a time of oppression and blasphemy. His most recent act, that shamed the Greek generals, was to seek an alliance with Saladin.


“You know why I have come.”
“The crusaders are approaching,” the Patriarch answered.
“Indeed they are. They’re getting closer and closer with each passing day.”
“But what is your concern?”
“I fear he will try and take the capital. The tension between east and west has risen over the years.”
“Why should he? He is a king on crusade. He got his position by the Grace of God. Should he attack us, his fellow Christians, the Bishop of Rome would surely interact! He would be excommunicated from his own church!”
“The Pope would probably have shown that courtesy to the Komnenoi, but no more. The Church in Rome does not trust us any more than they trust the Sultan of Egypt.”
“Speaking of him, why have you…”
“Who else was there?” The young emperor was angered by the Patriarch’s doubt. “No Western Christians will trust us, the Seljuks are our greatest enemy and the Russian states are too weak! We need someone to fight by our side.”
“And then you chose infidels, Muslims.”
“The religious war is soon at an end anyway. The crusader states will die soon enough.”
“Not with the new crusade coming! Even if Frederick should be occupied here, the western kings will arrive in the Holy Land. The Kingdom of Jerusalem will survive, and Saladin will be fighting it, not helping you!”
“Maybe you’re right. Either way, it doesn’t matter. The Germans are coming, and we will have to deal with them on our own.”
“And what do you intend to do?”
“I will wait. Frederick has sent a request for passage across the Bosporus. Until he gets there, Nikeforos and his men in Macedonia will follow his movements closely. For the moment, he is set to arrive at the port city of Phillipoupolis.”




Macedonia, 1189


Frederick Barbarossa rode at the head of his army and carefully watched the shadows moving in the forests beside him. Greek spies, no doubt, sent by the treacherous Angeloi, the rebels who had taken the throne for themselves and ruined what honor remained in the Empire of the Greeks.


“Keep moving!” the Emperor ordered. “Don’t let them see that they’ve been spotted!”
“Why can’t we attack?” Conrad was ready for battle now. “Kill them all! As a message to the Greeks that we won’t tolerate this behavior.”
“Your majesty…”
“Assemble the council!”


Even though Frederick wanted so badly to consolidate his authority, he left the major decisions in the hands of the council of war. Mostly to know what his generals were thinking.
“I say we attack,” Conrad said, repeating himself. “We annihilate this small force, then march the army on Constantinople! They can’t stop us!”
“I must remind you that Hungary has an agreement with the Eastern Emperor.” Béla answered. “I have personally sworn never to attack him!”
“You swore never to attack the empire during the reign of Manuel Komnenos or his son! But now the last Komnenoi emperor has been brutally and horribly executed by the Angeloi. You have no agreement with them, and one cannot uphold agreements with traitors!”
“Enough,” Frederick said. “You don’t help matters.”
“Excuse me, sire.” An older general from northern Saxony came forth. “In my younger years, I served in the Varangian Guard under John Komnenos. I personally saw the beauty and perfect organization of Constantinople. It would be a great shame to destroy such a thing.”
“The Greek emperors have always been oppressors.” László Kóvacs had demanded a position in the council, due to being the leader of his own “army”. “I have lived in the borderlands for many years, and witnessed the tyranny of Constantinople!”


Frederick was bitter by the outcome of the council meeting. It had set the leaders of the army in complete disagreement. To avoid further arguments, he had ordered to continue the march, and only to attack if the Greeks attacked. During the entire rest of the day, he could see the scouts lurking next to them. Then, when they reached a big grassland, he heard what he feared.


"My lord! Your son is leading the charge!"


Frederick looked across the field and noticed the small Greek force standing there. Conrad was engaging them in combat!






The Emperor started to ride to stop the madness, but he was held back by the arm of Leopold of Austria.


"It is too late. The battle has already begun. The Teutonic Knights are charging."






Frederick could only watch as Conrad's charge turned into a full-scale battle. The Greek general lead the counterattack himself, and the opposing forces clashed together on the field.




Despite his brave attack, this Nikeforos stood no chance against hundreds of crusader knights, and after only minutes of fighting, one of them got him.



With their general dead, and their forces scattered, the Greeks started to flee in panic, only to be cut down by the Germans.



It was a brutal struggle, and no Greek soldier escaped. Exactly 149 of them were captured, and immediately put to the sword. The crusader army couldn't risk them reporting to their emperor.



Despite his recklessness, Conrad has effectively dispatched the Greek forces. Now there was noone to watch their movements, and noone to report to Constantinople. But their entry into the Eastern Roman Empire was more bloody then Frederick had hoped. He expected a hostile attitude from their hosts in Constantinople...

[Basileus Antiochus]

WAR, YEAH!! Great update, I really like the disagreements between the leaders, can't wait for the "fight" in the next update

[ByzantineCaesar]

YES! Burn the usurper! Death to Isaac Angelos! Of course not to Constantinople...

[ChivalrousKiller]

Woohoo, I've managed to do something that both of you enjoy!

BC: How about both the 'greek' thing and the current Emperor of the ERE? Better now?

[Sweger]

Cool! Liked how you were able to bed in the battle into the actual story telling!

[ByzantineCaesar]

Woohoo, I've managed to do something that both of you enjoy!

BC: How about both the 'greek' thing and the current Emperor of the ERE? Better now?

Yep. Just don't sack Constantinople. Maybe Galata, but not the Queen of Cities.

[Exarch]

YEAH!!

take that, treacherous angeloi!!

[ChivalrousKiller]

I am honoured by all these fantastically positive responses

Yep. Just don't sack Constantinople. Maybe Galata, but not the Queen of Cities.

You can relax about that. I won't

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Just almost.

[Grymloq]