My Second English Campaign

**Xtiaan72** · August 12, 2007, 06:31 PM

Stalemate (1183-1185): The wedding war dragged on for a fourth and then a fifth year. Neither side willing to risk a battle in the open field. The barbarians were weary of the prowess King Henry had shown on the battle field. They knew all to well that an attack on the city walls of London would be futile. King Henry knew that to assault the rebels without his most feared weapon, English Heavy Horse would be an equal folly.

So the rebels did not attempt to fight through the weak pickets surrounding their forces and were easily supplied because the men that surrounded them were spread so thin that in some places there were only twenty militia to cover over three miles of the line.

Henry in turn stayed behind his walls in London raising worthy men and training them to replace all the noble knights he had lost. A strange sense of normalcy returned to London because with it's trade routes remaining open by sea, food and supplies could be delivered to the city from their European trading partners. But these supplies came at a cost, with the countryside ravaged The English had nothing to trade in return and English debts quickly mounted.

It was during this time that Henry's third son came of age. He was a strapping youth of unusual height and strength. He had grown up during the the leanest and darkest days the English Kingdom had ever experienced. These conditions had made him a youth of uncommon seriousness. While his brothers had been raised to govern, Prince John was raised to be a warrior. He would be the general that would seek revenge on the Welsh and Scots when his father passed into the afterlife.

With his war debts reaching a critical level and his heavy horse restored to their former glory and even bolstered by valiant Prince John and his retainers, King Henry removed his pickets from around the invaders and gathered his forces around him in London. This would be the decisive battle of 'The Wedding War'.

English forces prepare for the coming battle....

Buckingham Downs : The decisive battle of 'The Wedding War'

**gubbs** · August 12, 2007, 08:26 PM

Hehe. Good writeup! Altho I am amazed you gave away Caen ..

**Xtiaan72** · August 12, 2007, 08:31 PM

Note: The defensive AI bug was present in this battle with predictable results. I will just supply some juicy screen shots and a short narrative to continue the story. I thought that bug was long gone. I suppose it shows up rarely but it's a bummer when it does.

The Battle of Buckingham Downs: When the rebels finally faced King Henry in the field his mere presence shook them with fear. The result was the biggest bloodbath in the history of England with the Royal Family leading from the front.

Target Practice

Ouch...They took it in the rear...Over and over again....

I don't know how heroic it is when someone takes it lying down but
I could be wrong!!

King Henry turns his considerable talents towards South Hampton, the den of the rebellious scoundrels and miscreants that have been the source of his problems.

**Dooz** · August 12, 2007, 11:07 PM

I'm diggin' the pickets of troops. Cool idea.

The people must hate Prince John though.... for them to be starving and struggling, and this guy comes out well fed and gigantic, haha. Oh but I'm sure everything will be fine and dandy once he starts kicking ass and pumping up the kingdom as much as he is!

**Aszrayel** · August 12, 2007, 11:27 PM

So far has been a good AAR keep it up!

**Xtiaan72** · August 12, 2007, 11:33 PM

I will take your lead on that Wonderland and mold him into a cruel and merciless general that the people dread! Hopefully the kingdom won't fall into his hands.......But whoooaaaa upon his enemies for in his path shall follow a vengeful slaughter!!!

**Xtiaan72** · August 13, 2007, 01:59 AM

The Siege of South Hampton (1186): As the victorious army of King Henry approached South Hampton, the huddled rebel survivors of The Wedding War that had retreated behind it's walls could not have expected the English to give any quarter... And the English were in no mood to give it after the ungodly carnage of The Wedding War.

The battle opened with fire arrows raining down on the rebel's best remaining units, Welsh Spearmen.

Prince John's powerful black charger snorted and shook with anticipation as the battering rams approached the walls. Young Prince John
sharpened his blade with a wicked, cruel smile on his face.....

"Father....Let me take the battle to these miscreants. They have yet to see the likes of me."

Crown Prince Richard scoffed, " You survive one battle and you think you are Julius Caesar reborn!"

" Who's to say I am not?" " I have yet to see you lead a charge.... Geoffrey on the other hand....."

" THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" shouted King Henry " There is still a battle to won...... Do not take it lightly.... To do so is NOT OUR WAY!!!!!!!"

The battering ram smashed through the wall!

" I'll show you how it's done...You are the man that would be king!!! Watch me, I am a true English Prince!!!!!"

" HOLD!!!!!!" shouted Crown Prince Richard....But Prince John was already gone!

" Steady Richard....Let's see what the boy can do." Inwardly the king smiled. He saw much of his younger self in Prince John....

Prince John and his impetuous knights charge into the fray!!!!

With militia pinning the Welsh front....Prince John recklessly smashes into their flank......

" The boy will certainly be killed!!!" Remarked Prince Richard.

Prince John routs the Welsh....

But the boy didn't die...... The Welsh line quakes and then it is scattered!

" You spoke too soon Richard!" " THAT BOY!!! Just broke their lines!"

Prince John.....Possessed with a mad blood lust continues his rampage......Wading through helpless Welsh peasants and cutting them down like grass!!!

Now even the king was concerned....." Richard, Geoffrey go fetch that boy....AND PULL HIM FROM HIS HORSE IF YOU MUST...but stop him before he gets himself killed!"

And you will know Prince John by the trail of the dead!!!!

But to stop Prince John, Richard and Geoffrey had to catch up with him and that proved hard to do as there were still a few Welshmen behind John determined to fight to the death!

Prince John raced around the bend and charged full tilt.....into 200 Welsh Bowmen......" Come on boys....HAVE AT THEM!!!".... He charged ahead of his retainers head long into certain death.... His knights followed to protect their head strong prince and six of them were quickly shot down. John reached the bowmen's lines but this time he was stopped dead in his tracks by the tightly packed bunch of soldiers.

Lord Alun, Prince Johns oldest and most trusted childhood friend, grabbed the Prince by his arm....and forcibly turned his horse around...." You have proved what you wanted to prove!!!" Please John.....If you won't think of yourself then at least think of your friends!!!" "They are dying all around you. You must stop this madness!!!"

At that moment, John's blood lust receded....He was not so cold that he wanted to take all his closest friends to their deaths. And for what? A hollow victory over a few starving survivors of a war that had already been won.

"Alright.....BACK, BACK!!!".." Back to our lines..."

Miraculously, Prince John survives his reckless rampage...But half of his childhood friends lay dead for no good reason.

Richard and Geoffrey finish the fight and "The Wedding War" passes into history.

After the battle King Henry himself walked purposely up to his son John and knocked him unconscious with a gauntleted fist.

" Petulant puppy!!!" Still King Henry smiled... " but still do you realize... THAT BOY!!!".... " just killed more men than the rest of our army?"

What would become of this blood-thirsty young prince?

**NONOPUST** · August 13, 2007, 03:18 AM

Good read +rep

Haha I have a feeling John will be quite renowned

and I love the tough love from Henry lol

**Dooz** · August 13, 2007, 05:15 AM

Very nice! John is an instant favorite, even though he's an ass who lead to the deaths of his friends.

Waiting to see where his exploits will lead him, to an early grave or the hearts of millions where he will strike fear for all eternity?

**Xtiaan72** · August 16, 2007, 02:02 AM

Peace in England.....and a Vainglorious Crusade (1186-1190) :

After the sacking of South Hampton, King Henry bade Prince John to accompany him back to London. Henry was feeling his years now and could not travel as quickly as he once could. Prince John, in turn with a bandaged head, was still feeling wobbly from the blow he had received from his father after the battle. Their entourage moved slow indeed.

" That was a reckless thing you did during the siege, John. "

" I was only trying to prove my worth to you and the realm. "

King Henry loses many of the qualities that made him the great warrior he was after 'The Wedding War'.

The old warrior finds he has a heart after all!

" That you did son, that you did...." " When we return to London I am bestowing upon you the title of The Duke of Wessex and The Privy seal itself.... You shall be protector of the people of London and through out the realm." " I fear I have fought my last battle." " I am weary and have seen the realm suffer too much in these last few years." " My only comfort is that I lived long enough to see the realm through these dark years." " and to watch one of my sons grow into a man that can keep the land safe in the future."

" Thank you father....It is quite an honor but why me and not William or Geoffrey, who fought by your side for the entire war?"

" William is a good and gentle man, he will be a good king, a king the people deserve after all these terrible years... But he will never be a leader of men on a battlefield.... He is brave but he has no taste for battle."" Geoffrey will be his right hand and he will help you defend this land!" " But he has no taste for revenge...." " The Scots and the Welsh must pay for their travesties...You will make them pay, won't you my son?"

A cruel smile played across Prince John's face....." I will father....I can promise you that..."

Prince John, at 17, already handsome, battle hardened and talented... but still there is something odd about him...

" As long as I live you will not!!!!" " The realm needs peace! The people to rebuild their homes and farms. We must redouble our efforts to improve our army and defenses!" " I fear I will not live much longer." " Do not attack too soon, my son.. but when the realm is ready....TAKE IT TO THEM!!!!"

" You will not let me FIGHT THEM NOW!!!".." After all they have done!!!"

"SILENCE!!!!" " You have the makings of a general if I have ever seen one. But you are young and you have time. Hone your skills.... Read the books in my library, learn the tactics that will make you truly great. Make your mind as strong as your body!!!!" " Will you do this for your KING???"

"Of course I will father....."

But there was something about the way he said it that made Henry not quite believe him....

* * *

When Henry and John reached London they were greeted by throngs of jubilant citizens and the nobles ( that still lived ) from all the counties surrounding London. So grateful were the people and the landed gentry to Henry for saving the realm that they raised a tremendous gift to bestow on his treasury. It seemed that having a land to raise their children free was more important than most of their families precious heirlooms.

The council raises a tremendous sum to pay off England's war debts...The hard work of rebuilding the kingdom begins.

Prince Geoffrey returns to his role as the Earl of Nottingham, improving England's army and readying it's defenses. Crown Prince William moves his seat to South Hampton...... Smarting that his young brother John has been raised to the Duke of Wessex....Protector of England. He exchanges letters with Geoffrey

Excerpts from the Prince's letters:

William to Geoffrey: ' How could he do this thing? Raising John to protector of England...after all I have done for father!!! I stood by his side for every minute of every battle we fought to secure the realm!'

Geoffrey to William: 'Since when has father been predictable? He sold a castle from beneath my feet in Caen and gave it to The French!!! Still I write this letter from a castle in Nottingham... So not much has changed for me after all this mad fighting... John may be The Protector of England....but he shall never be king!' ' You shall be king William... Keep yourself with the grace of the king you shall be or we all shall be lost.'

Prince Richard was glad he had the steady rock of Geoffrey to lean on... It
was a relationship that would serve them both well for years to come.

The Pope calls a crusade against Cairo......and Prince John suddenly finds god!

King Henry had a minor heart attack when he heard the news and was taken to his bed chambers where he laid undisturbed for many weeks. Prince John, taking up the cross at a public square in London, and droves of Henry's soldiers flocking to his banner! If the king would not let him fight their ancestral enemies.....He would make new ones...... Here was his chance for greatness.... And the icing on the cake was that there was no one in the world that could stop him.... Once he took up the cross, he was beyond even his father's great power.... So 'The Protector of England' headed post haste to the closest port with a great body of men and set forth on a vainglorious endeavor!

Prince John sets out for Cairo and immortality!

Prince John reaches the continent........

Building a mighty host as he moves along.....

The end of the decade finds Prince John hugging the coast line of Corsica in a small flotilla of leaky ships.
One sighting of pirates could be the death of him and all his vainglorious dreams.

As the decade closes word reaches the English Court that The Holy Roman Empire has fallen but word of the wayward
English Prince John is hard to come by.

**Dooz** · August 16, 2007, 05:12 PM

Good one X. I like John going off on that crusade since he's being denied at home, the little rebel.

And the HRE has fallen? Such blasphemy! Heh heh.

**Wolfman25** · August 16, 2007, 06:41 PM

Excellent update Xtiaan72! I still remember your Getai AAR with glee.

**Xtiaan72** · August 16, 2007, 08:09 PM

Thank you Wolffy!!! I'm gonna keep this one going on for a while. I really enjoy playing this way. Prince John is developing some awesome traits... the next update is awesome.... John rampaging through the Holy Lands!!!

**Xtiaan72** · August 28, 2007, 07:57 PM

Now that the kinks are out of Deus 4.0 .... I can wait no longer...

What happened at the end of the campaign...

Prince John was an evil bastard..... Burned Cairo to the ground... then sold it to the French for military access back home..... He married an Irish princess and seized the crown of England..... And conquered Wales, Ireland Scotland....and all of Scandinavia. Then he died and his son built the most powerful fleet in the world..... And no one ever bothered the English again....

THE END