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Thread: (Chivalry II) Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

  1. #1

    Default (Chivalry II) Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    Never did this before, and not sure this is the place to do it, but here we go.

    Ahem.

    In the year 888 Rex Benergario, a Frankish king in a Latin land undertook to rebuild the glory of his adopted home. He would create a proper Latin roman empire.

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    A census was conducted, taxes were accessed and kept level, ports and roads were constructed, and the king took command of the capital in Milan. There he established an assassin's guild with the aid of certain men from a tavern he ordered built for the happiness of his people. His heir princeps Adalberto was given command of Genoa where a naval base was constructed and a fleet of war gally's built to secure trade, he also founded a merchants guild with the aid of the traders he sent to Sicily. The generals were then directed to govern cities of importance in order of merit, the greatest of these was given the king's daughter to wed, and took command of Florence, which was to become an economic and cultural power.

    In the early years much work was done to establish trade and diplomacy. Rightly fearing the growing threat of the Moors the sly king decided to use his "ally" the pope to launch a crusade against their capital. It failed miserably but set his neighbors to fighting in Iberia, rather than Italia. trade rights were secured among all the nations. Alliances were forged with the kings "cousins" in the west, with the Latin states in the north of Iberia, and with the eastern roman empire, along with their Venetian protectorate, their Russian allies, and even their Armenian and Bulgarian rivals. A truce was also established between the Mayars and the bulgars. All the better to prevent one from defeating the other.

    Soon the time came to expand, a council was assembled and it was decided that Illyria should once again come under Italian rule.

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    General Davide di Portovenere was selected for this task, he was sent with a royal son with some governing experience who was intended to govern the province. The army consisted of Italian troops, Frankish mercenaries, and local Slavic auxiliaries.

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    He reported as follows "my lord I am happy to report success but at a heavy cost. The Croats were a fierce barbarous horde, with overpowering archers and cavalry. I sent our spear-men in to attack the archers however the line became confused and in the chaos your son was killed in an enemy cavalry charge. I, along with my body guard and his surviving companions chased down and killed the Croat king to avenge him, and the miserable slavs broke and fled, we killed as many as could be captured. The city is ours, and they paid for their resistance with blood, he fought bravely M'lord."

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    The king, stoic from years of chaos following the collapse of Charlemagne's empire, accepted the loss of a son, for the conquest of the Adriatic. The general was ordered to govern the province in place of his son, the bulk of the forces where then sent to construct fortifications, garrisons were stocked, and they returned home in triumph.

    Later that year war broke out between the eastern and western franks, and the king of Germania was excommunicated. The western franks feeling bold then attacked the Catalans, and the wise king considered the factions carefully. Wary of the Moorish threat and knowing well the politics in Rome he sided with the Iberian confederacy, in the hope that they would keep his western neighbors busy, and their southern enemy occupied.

    More castles and forts were constructed in the homeland to house the growing military caste, crossbowmen, archers, spearmen, and auxiliaries from the Illyrian coast. The time then came to expand further. The nobles were ambivalent, they had long desired to finish the conquest in the Balkans, fearing that those independent states would first fall to the serbs, or the Venetians, (both of which had launched unsuccessful invasions.) However the Burgundians, and the Moors prized Sardinia, and the king was not about to allow a new Carthage to spring up on his doorstep. A census was taken, and it was determined that two great armies could be sustained without sacrificing the domestic aims of restoring the institutions of the old Romans. Taxes did not even need to be raised. The prince, weary with his civil tasks in Genoa commanded an army of frankish mercenaries and Italian troops and laid siege to Oristano, he then attacked the Saracen pirate king Husayn.

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    The battle of Oristano was bloody. The prince sent in his spearmen to break down the city walls with battering rams while he arrayed his archers and crossbowmen in lines to give them cover. By the great Mosque of the city, the first wall fell, so ill an omen was this that the defenders withdrew to the city square with haste.

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    A contingent of Italians pursued them, while the wily prince sent two other detachments of Italians and franks to form a pincer attack on the square. While the Frankish crossbowmen and Italian center held made steady bloody progress toward the square, his wings fell into place. spearmen went forward to pin the enemy infantry in, and the archers and Genoese crossbowmen rained death on them. The prince had only this to say "They fought bravely, killing a great many of our men, the streets ran red with the blood of the fallen, and by the time I was in the town square, I had a handful of spearmen, covered from head to toe in carnage."

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    "I will need infantry reinforcements to take the next city sire"

    While this was going on the eastern force lead by general Bindello da Bobbio lead an Italian and Bosnian army against the inland city of Zagreba.

    A scribe with the army wrote the following.

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    "our forces marched upon the city and good order, a line of spears and battering rams from one end of the city to the other, behind them three Pavesari waited in reserve, and behind them a line of Bosnian and Balkan archers bombarded the enemy with arrows that darkened the sky above the city, were this not enough, behind them our elite crossbowmen fired bolts at long range.

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    The sight of our men and the sting of our arrows set the slavic horde into disordered panic. Some of them attempted to flee the city, through the breeches we made in the walls while our men were still disengaging their ram. The reserves were called in and killed the cowards. The braver, or possibly more foolish croats concentrated at the gatehouse in front of the main route to their town square. Their king charged into our men hacking them down in a suicidal charge. Outraged by this impudence general Bindello met the Croat king in a duel amidst the clashing shields and spears many of his companions fell, but he killed the king and the Slavic army fled in terror to the town square.

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    We tried to kill them before they made it, but the cowards seemed masters of but one of the arts of war, the art of retreat. The general then sent the spearmen to cut them down man by man while the archers and crossbowmen were ordered forward into the city.

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    By the time our men made it to the town center our balistari had run out of arrows and bolts, They were ordered to charge in with swords, while the dismounted knights flanked the enemy and charged from behind.

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    The city was ours. "

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    It was at that moment, that the perfidious burgundians struck, their vile prince Thevenin besieged prince Adalberto in Oristano before the fleet could arrive with a token garrison. they would be of little help so word was sent to Bindello to return to Italy with his remaining forces, meet up with reinstatement and then aid the prince and conquer Sardinia.

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    Thevenin was a coward, when he received reports of our fleet, he abandoned the siege and fled to the north of the island.

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    A small contingent of ships were dispatched to transport Bindello and his victorious army from the west under admiral frolio.

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    while the main fleet under Admiral Gianandrea met the pathetic "war boats" of Gautier, successors of the vandals, these northerners were not.

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    Their survivors fled as fast as the wind would carry them and the capital of marseille was blockaded. Now Thevenin was trapped, right where the king wanted him.

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    The general arrived just when the prince's son came of age.

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    A complex young man, fond of pleasure, and not terribly concerned about the gender of his many exploits, he takes great comfort in the trappings of eastern potentates, dressing only in the finest flowing silk robes. His cousins might tease him but I see great promise in this man.

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    For his interests, he is to govern the cosmopolitan province of Sardinia, while the prince took command of of the army, Bindello retired to the court at Oristano for rest after his long journey. Now battle looms, there is no escape for the Burgundian prince, Thevenin will pay.
    Not bad for a day's work, let me know what you guys think. I'm planning on finishing off Sardinia, then the Burgundian, then expand to Corfu. I'll probably also launch another mock crusade to keep the moors busy or perhaps I'll launch a real one and invade Sicily. My plan is for slow, consolidated expansion and eventually I will restore the entire roman empire. Changing the capital to Rome once Italy is unified.
    Last edited by Giuliano Taverna; January 20, 2012 at 08:48 PM.
    "Midway upon the journey of our life
    I found myself within a forest dark,
    For the straightforward pathway had been lost." Dante Alighieri

  2. #2
    Ixor_Drakar's Avatar Senator
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    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    Very well done, looking forward to more.
    I survived the Mayan Apocalypse 12/21/12

  3. #3

    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    thank you, I should have more tomorrow.
    "Midway upon the journey of our life
    I found myself within a forest dark,
    For the straightforward pathway had been lost." Dante Alighieri

  4. #4

    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    In the year 903 our emissary to the north, Nicolo di Porta Nuova arranged an alliance with the eastern Frankish empire. All the better to keep their meddling western rivals occupied.

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    Our allies now include the greater part of the known world, the eastern franks, the iberians states, the venetians, the eastern romans, the rus, the danes, the Armenians, the nomads, the serbs, the pols and the bulgars all send their respect to the great king Rex Benergario the Malevolent. Just out of respect and fear of his Majesty.

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    Later that year the pope sent word that he was distressed to see the devastation we inflicted on the Burgundian savages, for they were "fellow Christians." The king balked at the absurdity of some aging cleric in a nothing city state that he could take at will, telling him who to attack and when. Non the less the proposal only requested a truce for 7 months, and the troops needed time to rest and prepare for a proper invasion. Rome will fall, but not yet.

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    Heralds from the east then sent word that the Magyars declared war on the Pols. A predictable turn of events that turned few heads at court. The king simply noted this for future reference when the time came to expand to the east.

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    In the winter the time to attack finally arrived, the pope had commanded us to cease hostilities, however the prince was still trapped on Sardinia. He was in our territory and he would pay for his transgressions.

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    With a combined imperial army crossbowmen from Genoa, Bosnian and Balkan archers, Italian spearmen, Lombard knights, and sardinian skirmishers. Not since the time of the old roman's had such a force been mustered. Crown Prince Adalberto attacked Theverin, and he would show no mercy.

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    The prince sounded the rally, and lifted the banner of battle.

    the Lombard knights

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    The Sardinian Javelinmen

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    The whole army arrayed in the roman fashion, three lines in perfect order.

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    We lead the force to the crest of a ridge to maximize our balistari, the Burgundian horde advanced in a disordered rabble of spears and archers.

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    the fools allowed a gap to open up in their lines. Thinking they could shoot first the archers advanced far ahead of the army. So the prince sent his lombards into battle, they decimated the enemy archers.

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    The Burgundian prince sent his Seigneurs in a desperate counter measure but they were easily flanked, surrounded, and cut down by our horsemen.

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    All fell before the main battle lines engaged. The prince then ordered his cavalry to retire to the rear of the column and waited for the enemy to advance up hill under a hale of missiles. He casually wagered with his companions as to whether or not the enemy would break before they made it up the hill.

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    They did, to little effect.

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    Before long they were running in terror down the hill, only to be trampled underfoot by the princes lombards.

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    In a suicidal charge Theverin attacked Adalberto directly, and the prince was pursuing routing troops down the hill. For the moment the Adalberto was in peril, but just in time his trusty lombard cavalry charged forth and fell Theverins companions.

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    Then Theverin was captured, though in the confusion word spread that he had been killed. No such noble fate awaited the cowardly barbarian prince.

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    The survivors were captured or killed in droves, others fled back to the fields like animals.

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    The victory was total.

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    We offered ransom for the captive prince and his men.

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    Much to our delight the destitute Burgundian kingdom refused, and we executed them all like common criminals.

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    With the Burgundians pacified, the prince then turned to finish the conquest of the Island, laying siege to the Saracen held city of Calari

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    Later that season a band of brigands appeared just outside the stronghold of Torino. Oberto Obertenghi sallied forth with two detachment of levy spearmen, they met the rebel leader Gerhard Ritter and his two detachments of crossbowmen.

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    Little less about this minor affair is of note, however Oberto was severely wounded by an enemy bolt and required careful nursing back in Torino.

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    The prince's son, now Governor of Calari began constructing fortifications to house his Sardinian auxiliaries.

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    There were also more strange disappearances of prominent persons from other realms.

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    No one in the court can be heard to utter a word of this. When a certain man enters the cort to approach the king, they avert their eyes.

    In the year 907 the "peace of god" ended. The pope was pleased.

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    It was then that the king of the Burgundians died, under mysterious circumstances.

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    Soon after the prince with his combined forces arrived at the now vacant capital. Marseille will fall.

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    The pope, pleased with the length of the truce, then promoted one of our priests, Dego da Borzone to the college of Cardinals.

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    With his influence he urged the pope to call a second Crusade on Cordoba, the pope granted this request.

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    When word reached the king he was delighted, "yes let the fools fight and die in Iberia yet again, all the better for us to have a free hand here in Italia"

    He also recieved a report from Boso Supponidi, who informed him that he had recently dispatched some brigands near bologna, the city he was charged to govern, the king sent his gratitude along with a small bounty.

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    The fool Burgundians abandoned their capital for the "crusade" against the moors.

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    Our spearmen newly armored with the latest advances in metallurgy glistened in the sunlight.

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    Our men advanced in the normal fashion, toward the city walls with ladders and rams.

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    crossbows and bowmen firing behind. The walls quickly fell.

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    Followed soon after by the city gate.

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    Our cavalry routed the archers.

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    Our spearmen skewered the enemy horsemen.

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    Our men from Bosnia rained death from above.

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    Just at the moment when the position of the Burgundians seemed as dark as midnight, our horsemen who had flanked the enemy charged in and finished them.

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    Their captain fell, upon a heap of his fallen comrades.

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    Victory was ours.

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    We spared the city any further death, it was a prosperous city and the prince decided it would be better to leave it intact, under more civilized rule.

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    With their only port city gone the Burgundian navy's time had come. They fell easily.

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    Raffaele Anscarici was appointed to govern the city, with a small garrison of franks and Italians while the prince returned to Italy to replenish his army for future conquest.

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    At the same time the nobles offered a bounty for a rebel Magyar prince who held an Independent city bordering Zagreba. He then met with an untimely death, which caused the nobles to be quite generous with their thanks.

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    A spy was dispatched to the independent Greek Island of Corfu, which seemed to be garnering undue attention by the Byzantine and Moorish Navies

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    In the year 908 word reached the king that the western franks had joined in his diversionary crusade against the Moors. The franks who had declared war in support of their Burgundian allies had done nothing at all but express diplomatic support, this would ensure that their participation in this conflict remains uneventful.

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    later that year war broke out between two allies in the east. The catholic Moravians attacked the orthodox Bulgarians.

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    Petitions were sent to the king for support, and he spent much time to consider the diplomatic repercussions of choosing one side over the other. In the end, the king reasoned that since both sides were alone, and that the Moravians were catholic, and that the Bulgarians were in conflict with their fellow Orthodox Christians in Byzantium, that it would be best for papal and imperial politics to side with the Moravians. The Bulgars were appalled but their protests mean little to the great king. Their turn to feal the bite of our crossbowmen and the sting of our spears will come in time.

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    The Byzantines sent a force to take Corfu

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    the report to the king read as thus, "Sire the Greeks laid siege to Corfu with a meager force of armed peasants and militia. The islanders who in ancient times once fended off the mighty Athenian empire rallied to their capital and repelled the invaders. We do not know if a single byzantine was left alive but we do know the Island remains free... for now"

    At that moment a black-cowled figure approached the king. No words were exchanged, but the king gave a nod and the man was dismissed.

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    He was said to have crack a brief smile, before ordering his wine Stewart to fetch a glass of his finest Tuscan wine. Which he drank in bliss.

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    That winter the Spaniards joined the Crusade, it seems diversion might succeed all the better to keep the moors in Spain.

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    The fortifications on Sardinia were also completed, and fully garrisoned.

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    An emissary from a far away land to the north arrived, a certain Patrick Macdougall was quickly engaged by the wily diplomat Nicolo di Porta Nuova.

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    After much discussion trade rights, territorial information, and a military alliance were secured.

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    It was also reported that several persons of importance disappeared under mysterious circumstances at this time. Nothing was said about this at court.

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    Our fleets then reported a combined Venetian and Byzantine assault on Corfu.
    The king determined that now was the time to act, he would not allow his rivals this strategic naval base.

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    In 909 the mysterious disappearances continued with distressing regularity.

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    That winter reports from the middle east arrived at court. A Jihad was called against the independent city of Madinah. The king was pleased to learn that the Islamic hosts were concentrating their attention to Arabia, and away from the Mediterranean.

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    In the year 910 a trade colony was founded in the city of Genua.

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    More mysterious deaths were reported and a paltry frankish fleet was destroyed off the coast of corsica. Minor events of no consequence to the great king.

    In 911 the crusade ended in success. The Burgundians took Cordoba.

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    Some grumblings were heard at court but the king announced that it was good, for "they are now surrounded by hostile Moors and will be quite preoccupied," (as he intended that they should be.)

    War also broke out between the Bulgars and the Serbs, as well as between the franks and the iberians.

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    A merchants guild was founded in Bologna.

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    In the winter reports to the king were quite good, the Frankish king was excommunicated for some offense and his thrown is now in jeopardy. Future crusades may be directed at Paris, rather than Cordoba.

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    In their weakened position it was expedient that there be a truce and a return to trade, and so it was.

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    Marco Aleramici was then dispatched to snatch the Island of Corfu from the avaricious grasp of the Venetian and Byzantine armies.

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    There is more to tell, but it is late and I have plans later. I shall finish the rest soon.
    Last edited by Giuliano Taverna; January 20, 2012 at 08:47 PM.
    "Midway upon the journey of our life
    I found myself within a forest dark,
    For the straightforward pathway had been lost." Dante Alighieri

  5. #5
    2Shy's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    Please put spoilers !!!

  6. #6

    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    ok I will from now on
    "Midway upon the journey of our life
    I found myself within a forest dark,
    For the straightforward pathway had been lost." Dante Alighieri

  7. #7
    Ixor_Drakar's Avatar Senator
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    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    Things seem to be going well for you. What difficulty are you playing on?
    I survived the Mayan Apocalypse 12/21/12

  8. #8
    2Shy's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    It's good AAR ! +rep mate

  9. #9

    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    Default, medium, medium. I've benefited heavily from the stupidity of the AI... In fact I'm starting to worry that my battles are getting too tedious. I might change the troop types to make things more interesting.

    Also thanks, I'll have more soon but this project may be put on hold when school starts up again.
    "Midway upon the journey of our life
    I found myself within a forest dark,
    For the straightforward pathway had been lost." Dante Alighieri

  10. #10

    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    The battle of Corfu followed the customs of the new roman empire. The army, having mastered the art of siege warfare advanced on the city walls.

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    The Auxilia marching in columns behind the Lanciarii

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    The walls were well defended with levied archers and javelinmen.

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    The battle for the walls was hard, and victory was in doubt until the city gate fell.

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    The reserve spearmen charged forth, with the general close behind rallying them men on the walls as the defenders braced for the impact.

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    The general charged through the front line as the spearmen engaged. He then wheeled around and cut off their escape. They were cut down to a man.

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    The captain of the guard fell in the assault.

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    The crossbowmen fired as the lanciarii closed in on the town square.

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    More to come
    "Midway upon the journey of our life
    I found myself within a forest dark,
    For the straightforward pathway had been lost." Dante Alighieri

  11. #11
    Latin Knight's Avatar Miles
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    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    Regnum Italicum was the very first faction i played on this mod, and it was a great campaign .

    Just one thing, friend, this really seems an AAR to me, why don't you put it in the AAR section? Don't take me bad, i'm liking it, is just that in that forum i believe you'll receive a lot more of attention .

    I myself am writing a SV 3.3 AAR, in the Dark Ages, good to see that people are investing more in this mod, i think it could surpass even SS in popularity, with some tweaks.

    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=268

  12. #12

    Default Re: Italian dark age AAR, a new latin empire

    You raise a good point, I'll consider doing that when I have some time to work on it. I still haven't caught up with my screen shots. and yes this is definitely one of the more interesting factions in the dark age campaign. Decent units, excellent starting position, and good diplomatic relations. Plus the ability to turn history on its head.
    "Midway upon the journey of our life
    I found myself within a forest dark,
    For the straightforward pathway had been lost." Dante Alighieri

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