State of the Realm
The Kingdom of Sicily consists of two major settlements.
Naples, a large town on the Italian peninsula, and
Palermo, a castle on the island of Sicily.
The Kingdom of Sicily is ruled by Roger I. Roger is a man occupied with holding on to his Kingdom. Internal strife has decimated the Sicilian economy, and Roger is currently running a deficit. His primary concern is building a stable economy to fuel the Kingdoms further development and expansion. After years of internal battles, political and violent, roger seeks to distance himself from active warfare and has thus left most military matters to his son, Simon.
Aiding the royal family in their quest for glory is His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. Simon serves as Lord Marshal on the Privy Council, effectively granting him complete control of the army. Niccolo, the Bishop of Palermo, serves as His Majesty's religious advisor and as ambassador to the Papacy. Papero serves as Spymaster and is tasked with the protection of the King and his kin, as well as other matters of subterfuge. Lastly Rino serves as Admiral of the Navy, and is primarily tasked with transportation of the army and with combating piracy in the Mediterranean.
Other characters of interest are General Alberto, Simon's right hand man. Alberto has some unfortunate problems with loyalty, and this has been brought to the Kings attention. The plan is to have Roger's daughter, Princess Matilda, betrothed to Alberto and married within five to six years.
1080 - 1100
The army of Sicily is at present nothing much to speak of. Consisting of nothing but a few mounted sergeants, militia spearmen and some Muslim archers, it is in no position to undertake offensive manoeuvres, let alone stand up to any serious invasion force. This has to be changed, and Simon is tasked with building a capable army on the island of Sicily. Exploration is a priority of Admiral Rino's. Piracy is at this point not a serious problem, and the navy can be spared for other tasks. A group of ships is dispatched to the east towards Greece, and one towards the west. At Sardinia the navy finds Cagliari under the rule of a minor power. Simon takes an interest, and seems to have found a target for his coming army.
Roger is keen to foster better relations with the Pope. To this end he sends Matilda to Rome to secure a trade agreement, and Niccolo is sent to Sicily to convert the Muslim population there. Roger also raises the taxes in Naples in order to secure funds for the coming offensive on Sardinia and Corsica.
Prince Simon takes over direct command of the Army, and appoints Alberto as Governor General of Palermo. The Western Fleet continues north along Sardinia and sends delegations to Ajaccio and Genoa. The Eastern Fleet continues along the Greek coastline and makes contact with the rebel settlement of Durazzo, and the Byzantine settlement of Corinth. The Western Fleet is ordered back to Sicily to prepare for the transportation of Simon's army.
Matilda is successful in her task, and a trade agreement with The Papal States is signed. The economy show signs of growth. Matilda continues further north to secure trade rights with Milan. Niccolo continues his work and shows progress. Most commendable.
In 1082 a son is born to Roger. He is to be named Beca.
More spearmen from Palermo are assigned to Simon's command. The Western Fleet nears Sicily, and the Eastern Fleet sails towards Crete. The western fleet soon arrives in Palermo, and prepares for transport. The eastern fleet arrives at Crete to find Iraklion under Venetian control. Simon's army boards the fleet and sets sail for Corsica.
Matilda comes across Bologna on her way to Milan. Bologna is under the control of the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich. Matilda seeks an audience and secures trade rights for Sicily. She continues towards Milanese territory. Matilda shall be married soon, and so a replacement diplomat is commissioned in Naples.
Simon lands in Sardinia and lays siege to Cagliari. He is unsure whether to attack or starve the enemy into submission. The fleet reaches Rhodes to the east, Tunis to the south.
The new diplomat is sent towards Venice. Matilda arrives just outside Genoa, and secures trade with Milan. Palermo is growing, and the castle needs to be expanded. The economy can however not endure expansion at this time, although it is showing profit for the first time in years. Also, Matilda's betrothal to Alberto is formally announced.
Simon attempts to storm Cagliari. It's his 433 men against the enemy's 182.
The Battle of Cagliari
Simon prepares to end the siege, and sends forth the battering ram and siege towers...
The ram reaches the gate without any serious losses.
Disaster strikes as one of the siege towers is set alight. Spearmen move climb another part of the wall and dispose of the responsible archers.
Simon's troops are at the walls.
The archers are beaten back, and the gate is crushed. Simons orders his cavalry to charge through the gate, sending the peasant enemy troops into a retreat.
Simons continues the cavalry drive through the town square, incurring heavy losses among his cavalry.
Following up on the cavalry charge, Simon orders his infantry into the fray.
The fighting is fierce, but ultimately looks like it's in Simon's favor.
As the cavalry turn around to deliver a charge at the back of the enemy, the opposing commander is slain and his forces rout.
Simon has achieved victory, but has lost a significant part of his cavalry. At least 15 noble knights lay dead on the battlefield. If he is to continue on to Ajaccio, he may need reinforcements from Palermo. As it turns out, casualties are not as bad as expected, but looking to set an example Simon orders the slaughter of the local population. Such shall be the fate of all who dare oppose the Kingdom.
The rebuilding of Cagliari soon begins, and it shall from now on serve as a civilian settlement. Roger decides to invest more funds in improving the economy, and recruits a merchant in Naples.
Simon leaves Cagliari to prepare his coming attack on Ajaccio, and leaves a small contingent of spearmen to keep the peace. He orders the governor to start improving the local economy.
The other members of the Privy Council persuades Simon that for now Tunis is a better target than Ajaccio. Taking the region will please the clergy, and the work on converting the mainly Muslim population to Christianity will gain Niccolo much prestige in the eyes of the Pope. The Western Fleet sets sail for Cagliari to pick up Simon's army. The economic benefits of taking Tunis will enable Roger to expand the castle at Palermo, and improve the financial district in Naples. Roger is however worried that the Milanese will decide to take Ajaccio, and reluctantly decides to muster a small army to lay siege to the settlement. The island of Cyprus is reached, and is under Byzantine control. Soon after contact with Antioch, Adana, and Acre is made.
Simon arrives at Tunis and begins the siege. Niccolo sets sail for Tunis as well. Roger recruits more spearmen in Naples. Simon sends word that his scouts have sighted a Moorish army near Tunis. They remain neutral, but Simon prepares for combat. The amber trade in Sicily opens, and trade with Venice beings. This will greatly help to further support a future wartime economy. Niccolo arrives near Tunis and sets up his first mission on, for now, foreign soil.
Alberto and Matilda marries, but the happy occasion is quickly overshadowed by grave events. The Giant of the North, The "Holy" Roman Empire, has declared war, and Roger can only conclude that Emperor Heinrich marches on Naples from Bologna. The port is already under blockade. Alberto must now prepare for war with the greatest military power in Europe. The Sicilian infantry is not good enough to fend off an assault on Naples, and with that in mind Alberto starts recruiting cavalry in Palermo. He must face Heinrich in open battle, or Naples will be lost.
Roger himself has arrived with his small army in Corsica, and lays siege to Ajaccio. A small bright spot in dark times, the settlement is still under the control of a minor power and can be taken with a minimum of fuss. The Eastern Fleet sets sail towards the Italian peninsula to lift the blockade of Naples, and hopefully blockade Bologna.
Tunis surrenders, and Simon sacks the castle, gaining him 843 florins. The Privy Council raises a further 2500 florins as reward for taking Tunis, and the money is quickly allocated to enlarging Alberto's army. The Holy Father is also most pleased by our work in Tunis, and donates 500 florins to our cause. Things are definitely beginning to look brighter. Now Roger hopes for direct action by the Holy Father. Papero the Spymaster is sent to Bologna to report on the enemy's progress.
Alberto sets out from Palermo, hoping to recruit a unit of mercenary infantry along the way. The Privy Council has offered 500 florins in exchange for making contact with the Spanish. A diplomat is sent, and hopefully trade relations can be established. Papero still has not sighted Heinrich's army. Perhaps it has not even left Bologna? Ajaccio falls, and is sacked. Simon will have military control over Palermo and Ajaccio, while the other settlements will focus on the economy.
Papero discovers Heinrich hiding behind the walls in Bologna, his "army" consisting almost solely of militiamen. Alberto is confident that he can take the settlement with a few mercenary troops. Roger agrees, and Alberto lands near Florence and marches on Bologna. The economy is strained to the limit to support the war effort.
Papero can hardly believe it, but Heinrich has been excommunicated. The army in Bologna has left the city and marches north, but Heinrich has stayed behind. Now is the time to strike! The King's representatives in Iberia have established trade with Portugal and Spain, earning the Kingdom a bonus of 1000 florins. Perhaps the war can truly be won! But alas, the Moors have declared war, and a two front war is now a reality. We must move quickly.
Bologna is attacked, and Papero manages to open the city gates. Alberto wins the battle, slaughtering the army of Heinrich, and slaying the heathen Emperor himself. Peace with the new Emperor is now a priority. An alliance with Hungary is sealed by the marriage of Simon to a Hungarian princess. Hopefully this will put further pressure on the Emperor. The sacking of Bologna nets the tidy sum of 10.000 florins, more than enough to sustain the war economy for an extended time.
Roger sails from Ajaccio towards Tunis to meet the Muslim threat...
TO BE CONTINUED 
[M2TW AAR] Forging an Empire - A Sicilian Grand Campaign AAR
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, I've a suggestion, you should put your campaign map, it would really be nice
Originally Posted by Kroz
