Daniel of the Home Counties

[Selucius son of Peridocius]

I really dont know where to begin first, so I shall start with my backround. I was born in London, England in the early 13th century, my father was a longbowman who had served with the English during the late 1100's/early 1200's with their wars over the Scottish. England finally subdued Scotland in early 1215 and my father began raising me and my brother and sister. My father was an experienced fighter and many of the things he learned he passed on to me and my brother, most of which included use of a longbow.

However these happy times were not for long, a huge heresy had sprung up, first starting in york and then spreading south to london, priests and heretics were caught up in a massive religious struggle and it wasnt too long before the first inquistion began. My family fled the country, going to flanders who at the time was an ally of the english. We had planned to go to Milan to house with my rich merchant uncle there; and so we headed south through France.

We were almost at the Milan border when a group of french soldiers stopped us though. Looking for conscripts to use against the Germans, they forced my brother to join them, however both my father and him put up a struggle. In the ensuing aftermath, both my father and brother were killed, however me, my mother and sister were able to escape.

A few years had passed since this incident and as a young man who wanted action (just as all young men do) then I decided to join a Free Company Longbowman mercenaries that were passing by, against both my mother's and sister's wishes.

[Selucius son of Peridocius]

The English king, known as King John the Merciless, was passing through Milan on a crusade to the holy land, where the pope had ordered him to go. However as the crusade was cancelled, the English forces were left in a foriegn land and were hiring mercenaries to support them on their way home. Fortunately my company was hired, for I knew that the only way home for the English was one way: through France.

King John was not an authortative man, however he had extensive experience in the field, fifteen years to be exact, and knew how fight well. Our column passed through French lands quickly, albiet still angering the french, however as we passed Paris, John's greediness overtook him, for the French crown was too much to pass by. We sieged Paris unsuccessfully, for we had to retreat for fear of being surrounded by French reinforcements, our path took us to Loire river crossing. There we stayed for our winter quarters.

However the next summer would prove telling, the French army followed us and to avoid being surrounded, King John quickly took the intiative and attacked south against a French force being assembled on a place known only as the 'viande champ' or the Meat Field.

The French were no match for English troops and all were cut down. No survivors were left and all prisoners were executed.


My company of Free Longbowman at Loire River Crossing during the winter


Me (Right of the Company commander) and my comrades loosing arrows amongst the French


Battle Lines Meet


Light Cavalry support the English cheers after cutting down surrendering Frenchmen


King John made it clear for the French. No survivors. No Prisoners. (We used them for arrow practice, commonly reusing shot arrows.)

[repman]

Nice,.. are you playing enhancer_02 and which difficulties ?

repman

[Selucius son of Peridocius]

enhancer 02 VH/VH

[Wolfshart]

How did you get across all that bordering Flemish land without pissing them off royaly?

[Selucius son of Peridocius]

King John's crusade against Antioch, let the English pass unharmed, however by the time he got to milan it was cancelled

[Selucius son of Peridocius]

Chapter II.

King John's ambitions however were to run out of luck before they were to get started. Not long after the slaughtering of French troops, the pope mandated that the English slay no more French, under the threat of excommunication. It would have mattered little anyways, as that winter the King fell deathly ill, due to his age and being harrased by French troops the English, without ability to attack, headed back to the channel that year

We were able to gain access through Flemish lands easily and we spent the next several years training south of London. In 1228 however the English bought back Caen (who had been given the province as a gift earlier) and Prince Richard took command of the army.

The French who realized Richards lack of fighting experience took advantage and pressed the attack not long after Richard's arrival, bringing the English to battle at the Cherrie Forest, Southeast of Caen


French troops harrass the retreating English army trying to bring it to fight to no avail


Me (right of the captain) once again, during Cherrie Forest


Swiss pikeman fending off the foolish French charge


Prince Richard counter charges


Hobilars cut down retreating French infantry, however some of the units take casualties as a few brave Frenchmen stand their ground


The result the same. All prisoners executed. The French foolishly sent their men to their deaths, being outnumbered 3:1. They were grossly overconfident