[TMW] The Lion's roar - a Venetian AAR

[Grymloq]

Hi all, this is my first AAR so I would like you to tell me if it is good or bad and suggestions on how to improve it (and rep if you like ). This first part has only one picture because I had problems with Fraps and I thought to have taken some screenshots, but I didn't


The Lion's Roar - A Venetian AAR



Chapter I: Rise and Expansion



Anno Domini 1081. Venice is still a little city with dreams of glory. After centuries of dominion, the Byzantine Empire has finally conceded independance to the city. Now the doge, Domenico Selvo, has decided to make Venice expand.





But first, the doge has to solve one important problem: his succession. His son, named Domenico too, has been killed by the Normans a few years before. So he is forced to look at the most powerful nobles and finds a valid candidate in Riccardo de Clue foni, who is soon appointed councillor.

Surrounded by the mighty Holy Roman Empire and the powerful Italian city-states, the Venetians start to look at East. There lie the Slavic settlements, lairs of pirates, that periodically sack the coastal Italian towns.
An army is soon gathered and sails under the leadership of the new councillor. It soon reaches the important city of Jadera and besieges it.
In the meantime Pope Gregory VII, great opponent to the Venetian expansion in the Adriatic Sea, dies and is replaced by Pope Matthew I, of Danish origins. A Venetian ambassador is immediately sent to Rome, in order to establish an alliance and have the Papal approval on the submission of the Pagan Slavs. The Pope, being isolated and having troubles with the Roman aristocracy, accepts the generous offer.


In Dalmatia, after a three-year siege, the garrison in Jadera sallies outside to meet his enemy but is heavily defeated and forced to surrender. The Venetians take their revenge on the piracy sacking the city. Councillor Riccardo is later appointed governor of the new-born domain of Dalmatia, renaming the city into Zara.
At the same time news come about a new war between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Seljuk Sultanate.


Galvanized by the new acquisition, doge Domenico soon prepares a new host, this time heading to the little independant Republic of Raugia, on the lower Adriatic. The city proudly resists the invaders, hoping to receive troops from the Norman Kingdom of Sicily.
However, the cunning Venetians are determined to isolate the besieged town and sign an alliance with the Normans, although this means forgetting the recent fighting where the doge's son himself died.
After two years of siege, with all the supplies drained and no possiblity of external support, Raugia surrender without fighting, being occupied by the Venetians and thus ending its little republic. The doge immediately realizes that Ragusa now is surrounded by Byzantine territories and could be hard to defend.


On the other hand, there is a source of joy for Domenico: after the death of his only son he was worried about dying childless, but now he has got three children – Allegrezza (1084), Zaneta (1087) and Penina (1089).
The councillor is now married and has an offspring too: Mora (1086), Frangibus (1088) and Rigi (1090).

[Darkan]

Nice start, will be following. Hope you will solve your Fraps problem.
Keep it coming , people will surely follow it. + rep and Cheers.

PS: What mod is this, SS?

[Grymloq]

Thanks

It is The Medieval World http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=460764

[ChivalrousKiller]

Interesting, my friend Your writing style is enjoyable, and you mention all things needed to understand the purpose of your faction
Of course, we need far more pictures, but Fraps can be deceiving, as you say

[Grymloq]

Thank you, my chivalrous friend

[knin]

This looks nice, very good start Grymloq!

I do apologize for the odd family situation at the beginning of the game, I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to structure the Republic system so I just left the Doge childless, but you did an excellent job of explaining away my shortsightedness. I look forward to seeing the expansion of your burgeoning Venetian empire!

[Grymloq]

Thanks Knin, I'm partially following real history, Domenico Selvo really had a son called Domenico killed in a naval battle against the 1080s. Pope Gregory VII (start date) was a bit hostile to Venice. Now I'm correcting personal names that don't sound so much Venetian or Italian and when a city is conquered I will call it with the Venetian or Italian corresponing name.

Chapter II: Political Balance

Now that it has a steady colonial domain on the Adriatic Eastern coast, Venice is looking at other directions of expansion.
The city of Bologna has been torn apart by civil war between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines for years, but now the Guelph faction, that currently controls the city, decides to offer Bologna to the Republic of Venice, in order to stop this bloody conflict. A little army soon leaves the lagoon to become the garrison of Bologna.
However, in the meantime, the Ghibelline faction has returned to power in the problematic town, and it immediately closes the city gates to the Venetians. After an useless diplomatic effort, the siege begins.

Time passes but the defenders refuse to surrender. In the Venetian territories trade is the main source of income, the population is wealthy, the cities are embellished with monuments and the external borders are quite peaceful, though the army is always on the alert.
The strangest event in this period is the spotting of a considerable Byzantine force in Friuli.


A valiant young noble, Almoro' de Pola, city now under Venetian rule, is adopted by the councillor and joins his warlike family.
In the same year, in the Iberian Peninsula, the Almoravid Muslim dynasty declares war to the Kingdom of Léon, in an effort to regain the territories lost to the Christians many centuries before.
While this happens, the Bolognese garrison desperately sallies.

The battle is short; the untrained conscript militia is decimated by the Venetian crossbowmen, before being routed by the enemy infantry.

Several alliances are later formed: the Holy Roman Empire allies itself with Hungary in an anti-Poland agreement. The Byzantines seek help in Egypt to stop the Seljuk Sultanate.
The Venetians envoys meet the representatives of another Italian republic: Genoa, a potential powerful city, now ruled by a bunch of cowards.
The Byzantine army enters the Venetian territory, with unknown target. Consequently Almoro' de Pola is appointed governor of Ragusa to command the army in a probable war.
Seeing the growing power of Venice, the two Empires, the Greek and the German, establish a dreadful alliance. In the republic, new generals are needed.

Upset about the large amount of brigands in the Croatian hinterland, the Senate orders to destroy the numerous liars, the most important of which is the town of Knin, hidden in the mountains.
Meanwhile, in Iberia, the Moors, not being able to defeat the Christians, have launched a jihad on Léon, expecting several warriors to join in. Immediately the Fatimid Caliphate sends an army to join the holy war. In Italy, the Byzantine Empire conquers Spoleto, in an effort to re-establish its dominion in the peninsula.
Knin is besieged. The arrogant brigands open the gates to fight Vitaliano Martinengo.


The infantries clash in a fierce melee. The two armies are in stalemate, when a sudden charge of the Venetian bodyguard routes the outlaws. The town is burnt to the ground. Some settler from Italy are sent to build the new village of Tenin.
The new victory attracts the Kingdom of Poland, who becomes allied of Venice.
As expected, in the Middle East Egypt attacks the Turks in order to push them back to the mountains.
In winter of the same year, Pope Matthew dies. He is succeeded by Pope Cambius from Sicily.

[knin]

What happened? After you conquered me, things were looking pretty good!

[Grymloq]

Don't worry, I am just a bit lazy! I will soon post another chapter

[Grymloq]

Chapter III: Holy Wars

Due to the last tensions with the Byzantine Empire and their crossing of Venetian territories without permission, fearing a huge scale attack by the Greeks, the Senate decides to declare war and to march into the enemy domains. An army is soon gathered from the Dalmatian levy and lays siege to the town of Skadar. At the same time, Egypt, having seen the Byzantine Empire torn between Venice and the Seljuks, betrays the alliance and sends fleets to sink every ship directed to Cyprus.
While these events take place, Doge Domenico dies at 62, having ruled for 33 years, his last period of reign having been characterized by economic decline.
A solemn funeral is announced and the cardinal is called to celebrate the mass. Unfortunately he is taking part in a religious process, where the priests Prousenos and Mafeo are declared heretic and burnt.

Skadar surrenders without fighting, ending in an uninterrupted Venetian sovereignty on the Eastern Adriatic coast.
While losing territories in the Balkans, the Byzantine Empire has also to face the Pope’s menace. The Pontiff, reclaiming the Umbrian region as his one, has declared war to the Eastern Roman Empire; Egypt signs a peace treaty with the Emperor in Constantinople.

Worried about the large amount of heretics that infest Europe, Pope Cambius launches a Holy Crusade against Catalunya, where all these priests come from; Barcelona, the largest town in the region, is chosen as target.
Eleven messengers immediately leave Rome directed each in the most powerful kingdoms of Christendom.

As soon as the rulers receive the message, crusading armies depart from the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdoms of France, Poland and Hungary. In Venice, Giuliano Foscari, princess Zaneta’s husband, is chosen to lead the Venetian crusaders.
The army soon leaves the city, while Egyptian Jihadists cross Northern Italy.
Trying both to expand and to strengthen the relations with the Pope, the Kingdom of Léon joins the holy war.
Seeing the religious fervor of the Venetians, the Knights Templar ask and obtain a neighborhood in the city of Ragusa. Their arrival coincides with a period of new economic growth.

Hungary declares war to Poland, due to a disagreement about borders.
Giuliano Foscari besieges Barcelona, while the German crusader Heinrich Plittersdorf approaches to the city. The Hungarian crusading army, instead, is ambushed and slaughtered by the Egyptian warriors of the Faith. The few survivors return to Eastern Europe.

The new doge, Riccardo, is neglecting the Byzantine front in favor of the western crusade, spending less money in recruiting a powerful fleet able to protect the coasts. Hence the Venetians are defeated by a Byzantine fleet in a sea battle near the island of Corfu.
In the Eastern Mediterranean the Fatimid Caliphate allies himself with its previous enemy, the Emperor of Constantinople.

The Venetians under Frangibus lay siege to the important Byzantine city of Dyrrachion.
In the meantime Leonese crusaders led by Cristiàn de Sarrea join the siege of Barcelona.
The ruler of the city, Berenguer Ramon II the Fratricide has died of old age during the siege;
his son, Ramon Berenguer III, elected as new Count, decides to sally.

The Cathar cavalry has no space to charge and it is routed suffering heavy losses. The rest of the army, mostly conscripts and militiamen, soon loses its will to fight and surrenders to the victors.
A messenger is immediately sent to Rome to announce the good outcome of the holy war.
Unfortunately the Pope dies before the news reach him. His successor, Pope Strenna from the Holy Roman Empire assigns Barcelona to Giuliano Foscari, who form in the city a government under Venetian rule.
However the new Pontiff soon proves to be a coward, signing an ignominious peace with the Orthodox Byzantines.
Embittered by the Pope’s decision, the Leonese army returns home, but it is soon called to arms, for the Fatimid holy warriors have crossed the Pyrenees…

[Chirurgeon]

Good job But if you want even more realism you should get rid of those big banners above each unit. It takes so much away from otherwise great screenshots

[knin]

Very nice, glad to see your return

[Grymloq]

Thanks to both of you

How can I get rid of the banners?

[famiglia_ducale]

Thanks to both of you

How can I get rid of the banners?

In the medieval2.preference.cfg file find this line under the title "video"

[video]
...
show_banners = 1

turn the value 1 to 0 like this,

[video]
...
show_banners = 0

Thats it. Wish you the best...

Regards.
f

[Grymloq]

Thanks
I have already taken pictures for the next chapter, but from the fifth on there won't be anymore banners!

[Grymloq]

Chapter IV. Further expansion

Anno Domini 1118. The siege of Dyrrachion is lasting four years and the commander of the city, Nikefòros Bryennios, doesn’t hold out much hope of receiving reinforcements. The day before his capitulation, a Byzantine army approaches the city and does battle with the Venetians led by Frangibus de Clue foni; immediately the garrison in Dyrrachion opens the gate to join the fighting.
The battle begins, but it is clear that the Greek host come from the hills cannot defeat the enemy.

The weak Byzantines start to flee and are chased down by the Venetian cavalry.

While the bodyguard detaches itself, the infantry deploys again to face Nikefòros Bryennios.

The footmen clash in the melee while the horse archers from the Balkans shoot arrows against the Venetian troops. Focusing on the enemy, they don’t see the bodyguard charging them from behind.

A bloody fighting begins. The Greek bodyguard counter-attacks, slaying Frangibus himself. Seeing the enemy bodyguard shatter their archers, the panic struck Byzantine infantry flees from the battlefield. The Venetian spearmen can now help their comrades and surround the enemy cavalry.

The commander of Dyrrachion flees for his life but is taken prisoner by the valiant enemy, thus marking a Byzantine defeat.
The body of the thirty-year-old Frangibus is found and sent to Venice to be buried there.
Full of rage for the death of their general, the victors execute all the prisoners, including Nikefòros Bryennios, and enter Durazzo.


In Italy, while the Venetian priest Romaso Carnazza is made cardinal by the Pope, Teodora, wife to Doge Domenico and daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komenos, dies. This event will unleash all the power of the two nations, having now no bounds.

Another host is mustered in Venice and soon leaves the city, aiming for the city of Nikòpolis, in Epirus. The Venetian navy is still not very large, and the fleet carrying the army is attacked and defeated by the Byzantines near the coast of Epirus. Luckily the admiral, using a stratagem, manages to disembark his armed passenger. While moving away from the coast, the fleet is caught by surprise by the enemy and completely destroyed, leaving the army isolated in Byzantine territory. Nikòpolis is besieged.

After 14 years of reign, Doge Riccardo dies at 62, being succeeded by his son, Mora.
With the Byzantine Empire losing control of its western territories and having no more support from the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt, the Pope declares war trying to drive the Greeks out from Italy.

In Epirus, a numerous army arrives to rescue Nikòpolis, thus forcing the Venetians to attack, in order to not be caught in between.

The siege towers and the ladders approach the walls, pouring footmen against the untrained levy.

While enemy infantry is occupied at the walls, the ram batters down the gates, letting other Venetians come in.

The Byzantine cavalry is immediately sent to force the enemy back, but is soon overcome.

Nikòpolis, fallen into Venetian hands, is renamed Lepanto. Following this victory, Venice allies with the Kingdom of France, while the Pope is now in very good relations with Poland.

The heretic Pontius is burnt by the Venetian church, but before dying reveals the existence of a numerous Cathar community in the town of Arle, in southern France. Part of the garrison in Catalonia leaves, heading for Provence. After a short siege the city surrenders, strengthening the Venetian influence in the western Mediterranean. However the population is openly hostile to the soldiers, causing bloody riots.
England and France, both allied with Venice, declare war at each other. After initial tensions, the Venetian mediation sanctions peace again. For its intervention, the lagoon city receives the fortress of Rouen and the whole Normandy from England.

The Holy Roman Empire blocks the entrances of the lagoon, triggering war. Fearing a German siege at their capital, the Venetians strengthen the garrison and elaborate artillery is prepared to crush the enemy siege machinery.
Muslim Jihadist forces are eventually defeated, thus failing the holy war in Spain.
The Pope elects cardinals the Venetian Geragio Zeno and Aureo Premarin, while excommunicating the Kingdom of Hungary.

Another army, strong of a hundred Knights Templar, leaves Ragusa heading to the Peloponnese…

[solidus_bossnake]

NiCe ARR! But, what mod do u use?

[Grymloq]

Thanks

It is The Medieval World http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=460764

[knin]

Hail! Good to see a new chapter. That was a nice bit of work with Nikopolis, those Byzies can be troublesome. Did I read right that Venice now controls Rouen?

[Grymloq]

I am trying to create a maritime empire, controlling (almost) only coastal regions