[Full] 1619: Imperial Crisis RTD

[Inkie Pie]

What the dog said.

[Ace_General]

What the dog said.

How long until the next update

And whats the progress on the abdication

[Inkie Pie]

Well, you've been receiving the Hungary updates so you have a better idea of that than the others

The abdication and investiture etc. will take some time. It'll be publicly announced, however.

[Inkie Pie]

Public Update – October 1623

The War in Germany - July to October 1623


The month of July started well for the Imperialists: In a massed assault the walls of Frankenthal were taken and the city soon fell. John Christian remained largely holed up in Oppenheim – he had sent out a few raiding parties to gather supplies for the army but these were strongly checked by Halberstadter cavalry operating from Bad Durkheim. The Imperialist command now set its eyes on Mannheim, lying at the confluence between the Neckar and Rhine rivers. Still, there were issues with the re-structuring of command and a paucity of ideas regarding how to approach the formidable fortress. Thus the force remained inactive for over a week, yet when it set out again Klitzing was leading. Five regiments (three Saxon, one Imperial and one Silesian) were prudently left in Allied territory to act as garrisons. Seeing as Mannheim lies at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar rivers, Klitzing recognized that it was essential to seize the city's bridges across these rivers, and for that, he would have to reduce the walled suburbs lying on the opposing bank of each river. He and John Christian headed straight for the city crossing over the Rhine, while Wallenstein and Pechmann moved to cross the river at occupied Worms in order to attack from the north-eastern Neckar River. The distance for the Protestants was shorter, and they arrived outside the city after less than a days march, on the evening of the 22nd. Scouts reported that the suburb facing them – on the western bank of the Rhine from whence they were approaching – was defended, and the Saxon brought up the guns.


After an hour of bombardment more for the encouragement of his own troops and discouragement of the enemy than anything else, Klitzing sent Plauen and Starschedel infantry regiments to the assault. Five infantry companies and about the same in cavalry defended, but after a bloody fight they abandoned the walls and retreated back across the Rhine. Their cavalry rearguard lost order, and many men died in the frantic scramble across the bridge, or were captured. The victorious Saxons were given free reign to plunder the captured portion of town, with a good amount of supplies and valuables having been left behind in the hurried evacuation of the citizens earlier during the day.

Having overseen the crossing of the Rhine with commendable organization, Wallenstein conducted a forced march to Mannheim, suddenly appearing outside of its north-eastern outskirts the next day. A desperate Palatine redeployment only barely managed to prevent the loss of the suburb and repulse two furious assaults as the day drew to a close. Wallenstein rested his troops during the night and regrouped with Pechmann in preparation for a third attempt the next day. On the morning of the 24th the Saxons made a leisurely stroll across the Rhine from the south, directly threatening the main walls. Critically understrength, the defenders were forced to abandon the Neckar suburb to the Catholics, who met no subsequent opposition.


The walls and location of the city rendered large attacks difficult to organize, and thus despite their predicament, the defenders heroically resisted for over a month, finally being overrun on September 4th following debilitating food shortages. Klitzing and Wallenstein had deliberately refused to discuss conditional surrender, knowing that the city's possessions would be needed, and the place was emptied of anything worth taking. None the less they recognized that the Palatine commander had led a most honourable defence of the city with the limited resources at his disposition, and some form of discipline was kept by the officers: Surrendering soldiers were mostly spared, as were civilians and infrastructure.

Siege of Mannheim:
Allied losses: 600 Saxons, 550 Wallensteiners.
Palatine losses: Estimated 700 killed, 1200 taken prisoner.



During most of summer the siege of Heidelberg went nowhere. League Major General Lindelo opted for a cautious policy of minimizing attacks and starving the garrison, however discipline and morale gradually declined and in August the League command started to grow impatient. Lindelo resolved to organize an assault from three sides – on the northern bank of the Neckar, on the western face of the wall south of the river, and from the southern hills near Heidelberg castle. The assaults were repulsed with grievous losses, and when renewed several days later they met with no greater results. Although morale was very low among the men, they were prevented from deserting by the constant screen of hussars and cavalry patrolling the countryside, a wise precautionary measure of the League command. Following this setback, Lindelo intensified his artillery bombardment, and in mid-September a breach was made in the walls, with the morale gap between both sides becoming evident when the Imperialists arrived under Wallenstein and Pechmann, bearing news that Mannheim had been conquered. Several attacks were made through the breach with heavy loss of life on both sides. As Protestant reserves rushed from within the city to plug the gap, the Leaguers on the north bank overran the walls before them and were soon within the city. The Palatine troops led several forlorn hopes forward in chaotic door-to-door mêlées and street firefights but were overrun and forced over the bridge and into the southern town. With Catholic attacks intensifying on both sides, quickly all hope of maintaining a defence of the city was lost.


Lindelo sent in the hussars to complete the victory, and within a few days the town was under Catholic-Imperialist control. Colonel Kovacs kept a surprising amount of discipline in the ranks of his Hungarian mercenaries, although the wealthy city was nonetheless sacked. The castle, however, had rebuked assaults made against it and - perched atop its impressive hill - remained defiant. Over the next few days, victoriously undisciplined Catholic soldiers led repeatedly ill-fated assaults against its walls, each being driven back in disorder. On the 28th of September, however, Lindelo's troops finally entered the palace grounds and fought their way into the castle. Holed up in the court room with his own advisors and bodyguard along with the Palatine leadership, Christian soon decided to lay down his arms.


Conclusion

After a few hours of waiting the prisoners were given a chance to make their final vows and prayers. Shocked by the implications, there was an eruption of grief and shock among them. The Electress Regent, Elizabeth Stuart, is said to have fainted. She, Baron Knyphausen and Ludwig Camerarius along with most of the minor courtiers present asked for mercy again. One Achaz von Dohna questioned his captors about the legality of such an action, and demanded to speak with the League commander. Where was the writ of the Kaiser in this? None present would believe that even such a cruel man as Ferdinand II would back such a slaughter. The retort of the Catholic officer present is said to have been “Law be damned. Your heads will roll!” Word spread in the streets that the Catholic leadership was going to have all of the ruling family killed, and heated protests broke out, pleading clemency for the Wittelsbachs and ferociously condemning Christian of Brunswick. The troops struggled to keep order, or more aptly the officers attempted to maintain the discipline of their subordinates. Soon afterwards Lindelo was seen on horseback forcing his way through the throng with a burly mounted escort, and within the following hour 'clemency' was accorded to all save Christian. A company of Catholic cuirassiers emerged from the citadel gardens, bearing a dozen standards and with Lindelo at their head, still in full armour. Christian of Brunswick, stripped to a shirt and hands tied behind his back, walked in their midst. The people he had been defending only a week ago were now jeering him like a pack of rabid animals. Without so much as the dignity of a final speech, he was roughly shoved onto the scaffold, where a hastily recruited executioner awaited. A herald promptly declared that Christian was guilty of the irreparable crimes of rebellion, lèse-majesté and of breaking the imperial peace, for which the sole punishment was death. Following an ominous drum roll, the sword fell, and Christian was killed.


So ended September.




The War in Hungary - July to October 1623




The Christian army remained immobile for most of July. At first, they had to deal with the aftermath of the mutinies of the previous month. Following this there was the impeachment of Thurn – this affair dragged on due to Thurn being arrested for a second time along with his son and staff almost immediately after leaving Zagreb, as the King of Hungary wished to ensure that the Bohemian gave an oath to not take up arms against him. Thurn remained obstinate and would not sign any documents. He was still imprisoned as Gabriel called for a council of war with the other major commanders. Of them, Baden was alone in displaying enthusiasm for the Christian situation and planned campaign, the rest making only signs of consent or dissent in the ensuing discussion. Gabriel took the reins, and it was determined that an attack would be led to reclaim Sisak immediately, following which the Turkish threats to the north would be dealt with. The 'Thurn Affair' was shelved by his being sent to Vienna, allowing military action against the Turk to finally resume in earnest.


After a few days march, the combined army arrived outside Sisak. Preceding this, Baden purchased the service of a few hussars hoping to capture the place by ruse, however this came to nothing: The garrison refused them entrance and threatened to fire if they approached. Anholt left several of his regiments near Zagreb as a reserve in case of difficulties and to act as a check against any Turkish forays into Croatia, seen as wise orthodoxy by some and lack of faith in the plan by others. In any case the real logistical issues of the army certainly favoured decentralization of command, as was standard in Flanders and Germany: Most of the troops had received only very scarce and inconsistent wages for the past few months, while hunger swept the ranks due to the ravaging and poverty of the local terrain. Colonel Horvath took his hussar regiment northeast across the Sava, engaging with the Akinci raiders occupying the north bank. After several running fights in which losses were sustained and inflicted while valuable supplies were sent south from raided farmsteads, Horvath determined that these Ottoman cavalrymen and light infantry accompanying them were operating from Szigetvar, due to their increasing numbers. Following a successful lure, two companies of hussars were destroyed by the Akinci near Szentkereszt, and following this all Hungarian forays beyond Sisak were ended.


With the supply-situation deteriorating thus, Gabor resolved on an assault. The meek response of the other lords left him unfazed, however: He would lead the attack himself, using his own troops. Therefore, on the 9th August, the attack was made. The guns had blown asunder the wooden fortifications erected to plug the gaping breach in the walls made during the previous siege, and the weather was clear. Gabriel dispatched Rakoczi and a few thousand hussars to the surrounding plains as a screen, while several forlorn hopes of Hungarian skirmishers would advance steadily ahead of the main force. He himself was with the 1st and 2nd German infantry regiments, while the Bohemians – deemed untrustworthy – were kept in reserve. The skirmishers were met by a serious deluge of fire, and their response was met with little result against the cover of the fortifications, however they provided an admirable screen for the heavier German infantry as it approached from its trenches. From horseback, Gabriel urged them forward, marching with them into the daunting plain leading up the walls. As they approached, the king quickly became a target for Turkish sharpshooters on the walls and inside them, but their accuracy was hindered by the sheer volume of musket-fire being sent their way, and the king was not harmed. Hundreds were killed during the approach, but these were the most experienced infantry in Gabriel's composite army, despite having changed hands a fair amount since their formation in 1619. The attack was made with professional vigour, but the passing of the breach proved difficult, with the men stumbling over debris as they climbed and making easy targets for the enemy. They broke through, however, and were almost within the courtyard of the outer walls when a counter-attack led by enemy reserves drove them back in disorder across the breach. They rallied around Gabriel and formed up again, but a subordinate noted that they were battered and would do no good in a second assault, therefore with the king's consent a general withdrawal was signalled by one of Gabriel's staff, and the Hungarian forces retreated to the relative safety of the trench lines.


An hour later it was the Bohemians' turn. There were grumblings in the ranks but the officers silenced such dissent. The larger Bohemian regiments advanced slowly across the plain, shielded once again by the mobile bands of skirmishers as they went. Their tight formations were raked by jezzail and canister shot, but they were not routed, so great was the presence of the 'warrior king' in their midst. Once again the Christian troops clambered up into the breach, and met the enemy troops – a mixture of regional Sekbans and experienced Janissaries – head on, breaking them after a close-quarter engagement and slaughtering them in droves as they retreated down the opposing slope. They retreated inside the inner fortress and sealed the doors, and for a long time the Christian troops were at the mercy of enemy shooters whilst occupying the open outer courtyard. Eventually, however, more assault companies managed to scale the walls and force their way inside the interior corridors, clearing them out in violent hallway clashes. A single heavy gun was eventually brought into the courtyard, and three of its 24lb shots smashed the inner gates open. The enraged Christian troops thundered in, met immediately by the corpses of the dozens of Turkish defenders who had thronged to man the gate. Enemy wounded were mercilessly executed and those that continued to resist were given no better quarter. By the end of the day, the fortress was virtually in Christian possession.


First attempt to relieve Vacs


Familiar problems, however, soon reared their heads: The army was starting to go hungry. The main Turkish army still appeared to lurk not far to the north-east, towards Szigetvar, while their outriders and light troops controlled all of the territory between it and Sisak, occupying the countryside in the thousands.Also came a new issue: News arrived that the enemy was besieging Vacs, captured only the preceding winter by General Kaplir. It was left by sufficiently garrisoned by Thurn, considering its relatively small size, however the enemy was rumoured to be over 20 000 strong. The walls of Sisak were still terribly damaged, and repairing them would likely take several weeks at the least and be costly if services and materials were to be acquired conventionally.It was, however, decided that Vacs would be relieved at once. A small force of some 600 skirmishers was left in Sisak to defend the area and repair the walls. The rest of the army headed north, making a peaceful march without any interference by the enemy. Despite this, the commanders moved methodically in order to better forage the region. They arrived in Veszprem on the 30th of August, and received a report on the progress of the siege of Vacs:The garrison was holding out. It had few guns with it, however, and the Turks had entrenched themselves around it, with a presence among the northern hills facing out against Hungarian-held Neograd, and trenches running along the plains in a crescent reaching to the edge of the Danube. They also had a contingent on the western bank.


Approaches to the town were limited: Either the Christian command took the safer crossing in friendly territory at Komorn and attacked from the north, or took a risk and marched through enemy territory in order to attack the Turks from the south, which could catch them by surprise and cut their supply-line. At a council of war in Veszprem, Marradas and Baden favoured dividing the army into two corps and taking both routes. Gabriel adopted the radical stance of moving the whole army through enemy territory, an approach Anholt backed with uncharacteristic elan. Dampierre asked about considerations of garrisoning, yet it was decided that a minimalist reserve would be kept in Hungarian territory so as to avoid diluting the invading force: An all-or-nothing strategy in essence. After sending cavalry companies in all directions to requisition supplies from the populace, the army departed on 4th September. The nearby Ottoman fortress of Fehervar would have to be bypassed and the Danube crossed at Ercsi if over 30 000 men were to make it to Vacs.


Keeping tight control over their contingents, the Christian generals arrived at Ercsi on the 7th, and immediately attacked.Unfortunately for them, the Ottoman defenders had been forewarned, and had ensured that the fort would not be taken swiftly by gathering supplies and local reinforcements. The Christian assaults were frustrated over several days, before arelief force of some 6000 cavalry and 10 000 infantry arrived on the eastern bank. Without the ability to entrench themselves or fortify their position in hostile territory, the attackers were forced to withdraw to Czesnek, 20 miles north of Veszprem.


There had been a good amount of plunder on the march to Ercsi as a caravan containing the pay of the Fehervar garrison had been caught by the Croats, so discontent at this failure was fortunately minimized. The Ottoman army made no attempt to pursue, and was content to remain at Ercsi.


Second attempt


On the 16th, Gabriel put forward another daring plan to relieve Vacs. This time the whole army would be crossing the old bridge at Tolna. The troops grumbled as sure discomfort, hunger and insecurity were guaranteed, but Baden backed the plan and the rest of the commanders did not voice any objections. The movement of the army – divided into several corps and spread over a wide territory – was slow, punctuated by delays due to wagons being stuck in muddy terrain or lost in the numerous marches of the area.An abortive night attack was launched against the outlying castle of Simontornya, but it failed.


Tolna itself was an old town with a small population. It was found to be undefended and was subsequently invested on the 23rd. The population hailed the Christian troops as liberators, although everything that could be eaten or used as currency was swiftly taken from them. The bridge was five miles east, yet the approach was laced with riverways and swamps. Rakoczi sent forward some of his hussars on Gabriel's orders to reconnoiter the bridge. On the approach they ran into several hundred Akinci, who were as surprised as they were at the encounter.


After a confused skirmish, a Turkish raiding party that had been marching parallel to the one being engaged intervened in support of their confederates, and the Hungarians were dispersed.The Akinci followed as far as the outskirts of the town, but fortunately the Hussars rallied inside the place with the support of arkebusiers of the League. Sending out mixed detachments of musket-armed infantry and light cavalry the Christians led a rolling counter-attack.


After an hour or two of such fighting, the Turks retreated across the bridge, on the other side of which they had reinforcements already waiting. It would appear that there were several thousand troops in all, with a handful of guns. Pursuant to the strategic plan, the Christian commanders agreed to lead an attack. The Spanish army, which had taken a largely auxiliary role in the campaign thus far, would organize it. The result was an inconclusive artillery duel across the river – Ottoman entrenchment was minimal but their gunners outperformed the Italians opposing them and nearly compensated for the fact that they only possessed four guns. The Christians inflicted greater casualties but the enemy showed little sign of softening. Nightfall reduced the battle gradually until it fizzled out completely. The next morning, Marradas tried again, having loaned additional guns from his allies.Having dug-in during the previous day's engagement, the Spanish results were greatly superior on the 24th. One enemy gun was neutralized by a stray shot, and Marradas marshalled the Galasso Infantry Tercio for an attack across the bridge.The attack faltered at first, suffering heavy losses to enemy guns and accurate small-arm fire as it crossed, but Lt. Colonel Galasso managed to galvanize his soldiers and seize the enemy trench on the other side.

The Janissaries launched an immediate counter-attack from their reserve position. Over a thousand fearsome Anatolian soldiers, the plumes on their long white bonnets giving them the appearance of a moving forest, charged the captured trench-line before them, but intense musket-fire from both within and above the trench caused them great loss and disrupted their ranks. They could not break the Spanish pike-screen and were routed. Seeing their elite fail crushed the spirits of the rest of the Turkish host and they retreated towards the north-east. As Galasso secured the bank and the abandoned enemy guns, Serbelloni's arkebusiers were sent forward to complete the rout.


Hundreds more enemies were captured during the retreat. The enemy base, Kalocsa, was left open to the approaching armies and the locals opened the gates. The Turks had seized what they could but much powder and provision was left behind, and as the Christian cavalry – arkebusiers, Croats and hussars – continued northwards, they captured more abandoned wagons in ditches or on the roadside. The material gain was minimal considering the small size of the enemy force in the field, but the morale boost would be valuable for the long march north to Vacs. The three enemy guns still intact were added to the Spanish battery.


Action of Tolna bridge:
Christian losses: 300 infantry (Galasso regiment), negligible cavalry. Additional losses in the hundreds to enemy artillery.
Ottoman losses: 4 guns, 200 Janissaries killed, negligible light cavalry and light infantry dead, 600 overall captured. Additional losses in the hundreds to enemy artillery.


While at first Christian spirits were high following the Turkish defeat, they withered during the northward march, across arid, unpopulated and boggy terrain in which such a host had difficulty sustaining itself. Several hundred Hungarian skirmishers deserted as well as many groups of other Christian soldiers from all contingents, and discipline declined sharply as the army became a hungry (and still unpaid) rabble. On the 1st October the Hungarian and Badener vanguard troops encountered enemy resistance whilst foraging a few miles south of Pest.


The Badener-Ottoman encounter was messy: In the morning fog, both sides believed that they were fighting vastly superior forces and promptly disengaged. The Croats and skirmishers of the Hungarian van were successful in driving back the heavier but mêlée-bound Timariots opposing them, and after further probing it became clear that the enemy was strongly positioned in two key forts on the eastern bank of the Danube – Pest and Rakos. While besieging either of them was out of the question given the situation in the Christian army, bypassing them would pose a serious risk, leaving potentially thousands of enemy troops able to strike at the rear of the force. Several Christian officers backed a retreat across the river at Ercsi, although this fort was still in enemy hands. Others also in favour of retreat would have preferred Tolna, although only a few hundred skirmishers and hussars had been left to garrison it and its situation was uncertain. September was over, and sustained operations in the impending winter were at the very least ill-advised. Thus the Christian command faced a dilemma as the campaigning season drew to a close, with Vacs still under siege and their own position vulnerable.




International News

• Following the successful election of Leopold V, Archduke of Austria as King of the Romans, Ferdinand II has abdicated as Holy Roman Emperor, under pressure from his own Estates. The former was crowned as Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, a few days ago, although he had been managing a large share of policy beforehand.
• Pope Gregory XV has died of natural causes. Maffeo Barbarini has been elected pope, as Urban VIII.
• Henry Frederick of the Palatinate has recognized the Palatine annexation of the Upper Palatinate and the transferral of his Electoral status to Bavaria. The event, however, remains informal and unconstitutional until ratified by the Diet.
• Following the death of Christian of Brunswick, the Cathedral Chapter of Halberstadt will now elect a new bishop.
• Baghdad has been placed under siege by the Safavids. An Ottoman relief army has been crushed outside of the city.
• The Ottoman Sultan Mustafa I has been deposed. A regency is now in place, with Murad IV as sultan under the guidance of Kösem, Queen Mother.

Gandalf. is no more!

[Inkie Pie]

William V of Hesse-Kassel: “Recent events have vindicated all of the claims I have thus far made against the Catholic League and the Emperor Ferdinand. They do not understand fairness, liberty and the constitutional rights of the Imperial princes. My father was dishonourably assassinated at the hands of the cowardly Duke of Bavaria whilst in his guardianship. The prince of Anhalt-Bernburg was not given any chance for mercy, nor were the hundreds of loyal Dutch troops all put to the sword alongside him. And now this: A war waged between princes and with the rights of the princes at stake, has been ended with the brutal execution of the Bishop of Halberstadt. There was no trial, no respite. This leaves two possibilities: Firstly, that it was murder, made without any form of recourse to the (still insufficient) word of the Emperor. Secondly, that the Emperor was complicit. I have seen no diet, no summoning of the Electors, no attempt by our overlord to justify this act. Could it be that he would sacrifice the honour of his name by deliberately allowing, in a private meeting, his subordinate to act in such a way? It would be foolish to not perceive the parallel between Ferdinand's illegal 'granting' of Electoral status to Maximilian, and the latter's ham-fisted wresting of such recognition from the poor Palatine Wittelsbach's, who were most likely forced to at sword point given by what we know of the Catholics and their cruelty.”


“The point remains standing, my fellow princes: Those who act against the friends of the Kaiser are killed. The Kaiser is more than ready to interfere personally in conflicts between princes. By removing threats to his supremacy in such a way, as if we were in the land of the Turks without law or dignity, the Emperor makes clear that he has no intention of respecting the rights of the princes, and that instead he is dead-set on creating his own empire by continuously handing away lands that are not his to give, and resorting to force and murder more often than anything else. His Saxon lackey completes the task of dividing Protestants by insisting on confessional disparity and creating a union only of Lutherans, while he and other Catholics have their cruel, murderous way with their victims. The Empire, and all of its values, are dead. I pray to God that we will be delivered from such foul tyranny and murderous actions.”


Louis V of Hesse-Darmstadt: “The Kaiser withholds the right to impose his justice upon his lands, and denying him this is tantamount to treason. The renegade actions of several princes over the past years are where the blame should lie, and their persistent militancy and irreconcilability have brought both misery and death to Germany. This is why the Emperor is forced to crush their rebellions in such a way, and why so many princes, such as the selfless and honourable Electors Saxon and Bavarian, have undertaken the costs of raising their own armies and waging war in his name. Your father showed that he was no better than these rogues, by invading Lutheran Marburg with force, and joining the mad Elector Palatine and prince of Anhalt in their rebellion, which, as God saw fit, led to their deaths and restoration of a peace interrupted only by the late Christian of Brunswick and his allies.”

[Diamat]

Victory!

[The Kybrothilian]

To the dearest landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

May God make your mouth melt and seal off, your genitals to rot and your children to go insane.

Regards

Von Thurn

[Ace_General]

To the dearest landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

May God make your mouth melt and seal off, your genitals to rot and your children to go insane.

Regards

Von Thurn

The Imperial guards laugh at von Thurn's pronouncement

Shortly, the Emperor will distribute a statement on his assention to Kaisar and the statements of the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

[PiemasterXL]

Well my first battle could have gone butter...

[Inkie Pie]

News Bulletin – November (End of early phase Turn 23):

• The Saxon Elector's army has invaded and occupied Saxe-Weimar.
• The Catholic League army in the Palatinate remains in occupation of the County.
• Wallenstein's corps has been disbanded.
• In Northern Hungary, the second and third attempts to relieve Vacs have failed, resulting in the recapture of that fortress by the Ottomans.
• In Slavonia, Savoyard and Croatian troops have inconclusively engaged an Ottoman invasion force.

Survival rolls have been removed for minor NPC's and made more difficult for all characters.

[PiemasterXL]

Gosh darn you guys hurry up and finish your turns i want to kill me some Ottymans and mount their funky hats on my mantlepiece.

[Inkie Pie]

I've been thinking over the past week or so, and have come to the conclusion that I can't hold onto binding and time-consuming projects like this one considering that over the next few months my studies are going to be at their most serious. This was my favourite project on TWC and I'm glad it worked for so long, there are some cool moments to look back on. It was an excellent experience playing with all of you, and thanks for the efforts you put into your roles.

[The Kybrothilian]

I've been thinking over the past week or so, and have come to the conclusion that I can't hold onto binding and time-consuming projects like this one considering that over the next few months my studies are going to be at their most serious. This was my favourite project on TWC and I'm glad it worked for so long, there are some cool moments to look back on. It was an excellent experience playing with all of you, and thanks for the efforts you put into your roles.

Sleep well, sweet prince.

[Diamat]

It was a great RTD, and I truly appreciate all the effort you put into it, Inkie.

And I hereby announce Diamat to be the winner!

[Braeburn]

R.I.P Imperial Crisis RTD.

[Ace_General]

Damn, things were going to get good, this was my favorite forum game after GSTK, and when I go to Russia this may, I got a two day layover in Vienna and this game made me book a hotel in the old Hapsburg palace

[the mysterious F]

thank you very much for all the effort you put into a great, and very enjoyable rtd