[SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (COMPLETED 7/24: EPILOGUE)

[Lord Lancelot]

Good AAR you have here. Keep it up +Rep

[dezikeizer]

Great update. I look forward to the war between you and Norway.

[TheBard]

Thanks for the comments and continued interest. I've gone back and put all the pics from previous chapters in spoiler tags. That should make things easier for any new readers who want to catch up, and it should also reduce the awkward jumping around of the page for any continuing readers that want to check old things. I'll be working on more updates soon.

[TheBard]

Chapter 39: Stalemate

The Portuguese family tree expands again in 1305, as Rui and Violante have a son named Geraldo, Gustavo and Margarida da Cunha have a son named Manuel, and King Duarte and Queen Filipa have a daughter named Eva. However, Duarte has had bouts of pneumonia on and off for several years, and is still trying to recuperate in Toledo. He has mostly recovered from his wounds, but the pneumonia has lingered for far too long.

Before Pamplona was besieged, Rui had left to get reinforcements from Burgos. In 1305, he returns to help the beleaguered citadel. Almost immediately, Prince Karl assaults the castle, only lightly defended by a small garrison under the command of Pero de Matos.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Pero is an inexperienced and ineffective military commander, and he is outnumbered. He needs to do whatever he can to hold the castle long enough for Rui’s army to come up and help attack the Norwegian prince.

Norwegian troops quickly gain the walls and smash into the Portuguese archers attempting to hold the walls.

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The Norwegian attackers soon knock in the castle gate and enter the castle. Pero desperately charges them, hoping to give Rui time to arrive.

Pero is nearly surrounded, but Rui’s army arrives and draws Karl’s army away from the gate. Rui and Pero meet, crushing Karl’s army between them. Eventually, the Norwegians are forced to withdraw. Prince Karl’s fate is unknown, but Rui believes he may have survived.

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Pamplona is secured, for now. But the Norwegians continue to threaten the entire northern Portuguese border.

Word soon arrives that the Crusade against Frankfurt was successful, with the Norwegian city taken by the Papal States themselves. With the Crusade over, Sancho and his crusaders are now free to concentrate on the border with Norway. Shortly thereafter, scouts report that the Norwegians have just destroyed a large Aragonese army that had been on Crusade. While Sancho is always pleased to see Aragon defeated, the event is ominous.

By then, Portuguese scouts also reveal that Norway has taken Bordeaux and Toulouse, pushing the English far back to the north of former French territory.

Messengers from Portugal’s ally Sicily reach Rui, asking for his assistance as one of their armies is attacked by two large Norwegian armies. Rui agrees, but the Sicilians are routed before Rui can offer much help.

The victorious Norwegians soon turn on Rui, sending more than 2500 men against his much smaller force.

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Outnumbered nearly 4 to 1, Rui chooses to retreat and hope for better odds. He is soon attacked by a smaller Norwegian force that still outnumbers him by more than 200 soldiers.

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Rui and his troops set up on a small rise, with several trebuchets prepared to fire into the Norwegian ranks.

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As the Norwegians advance, Rui’s trebuchets fling burning barrels of pitch again and again.

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Then, the trebuchet crews switch to firing rotting cow carcasses down the slope, splattering the enemy with blood and pestilence. Still, the Norwegians come forward.

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With cow corpses littering the field, both armies become a bit skittish. The Norwegians waver, and the Norwegian general, Niels Skovgaard is compelled to charge forward. Just as he slams into the Portuguese lines, a crossbow bolt hits him fully in his chest. He is dead before he hits the ground.

Shocked, the Norwegian army loses its momentum and is soon pushed down the slope. Stunned and leaderless, they are nearly destroyed before a few hundred manage to retreat.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Rui’s heroic victory buys him, and the rest of the kingdom, some time, but it may not be enough. The Norwegians continue their onslaught. The next year, Norway manages to utterly destroy the Kingdom of Venice, taking their last remaining city.

The King and Queen have a third son, Bento, lending some hope to the idea that the crown may pass peacefully to one of them. It would be a welcome change from the chaotic successions of the past century.

Almost a full year later, Gustavo and the 49-year-old Margarida have another daughter, Violante.

Emboldened by their victory over Prince Karl, Pero de Matos is emboldened to strike out from Pamplona against two small Norwegian armies remaining in Portuguese territory.

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Though he outnumbers the two enemy armies combined, these Norwegians are seasoned veterans. Still, without experienced leaders, they should be easy prey.

Pero and his army charge directly at the first, larger, Norwegian army, seeking to break them before turning to face the enemy reinforcements. However, Pero did not count on the Norwegians having heavy cavalry support.

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Plus, many of the Norwegians carry devastating two-handed swords and axes that cleave through the Portuguese infantry. Even the well armored Portuguese knights have a difficult time defending against these devastating enemies. Through much greater numbers and sheer force of will, Pero and his men do eventually dispatch the first enemy army.

However, it has taken them so long, that they are wholly unprepared for the second army that has suddenly arrived. The Portuguese archers, standing on the hill overlooking the first enemy army, are soon beset upon by this second enemy army.


Lightly armored and unused to close fighting, the Portuguese and Basque archers are soon routed. The few remaining Portuguese infantry attempt to support them, but they are too late and too few. Pero is forced to retreat to Pamplona after a humiliating defeat.

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For now, the war with Norway is a stalemate, with neither side gaining any real ground. Without English assistance, the Portuguese are on their own. With Pero’s disastrous defeat, Pamplona is at real risk of a Norwegian assault.

[Thokran]

Just wanted to let you know that I spent a good part of yesterday reading your AAR, and that it's been an absolute delight so far!

I really like how your chronicling the successive generations of Portuguese Kings, and how the story as a result spans over centuries rather than just decades. Keep up the great work! +rep

[TheBard]

Wow, thanks Thokran. I really appreciate the fact that anyone reads this and finds it interesting. It's a lot of work, but the AAR makes playing the campaign so much more fun. I'm hoping to get a new chapter up here in just a few minutes.

[TheBard]

Chapter 40: Tragedies Abound


King Duarte, finally recovered from his illness, arrives in time to destroy the few hundred remaining Norwegian survivors of Pero’s failed battle near Pamplona. Meanwhile, to the east, Rui and Alexandre Amaral move into Norwegian territory near Toulouse, where several huge enemy armies are gathering.

In 1309, Aragonese diplomats arrive at Duarte’s camp east of Pamplona. For the first time in decades, the Kingdom of Aragon offers a ceasefire. King Duarte has no interest in peace with Portugal’s most hated rival, but his advisors convince him to reconsider. The war with Aragon has stalled since Duarte and Sancho left Africa to face the Norwegians. Mateus has held the border, but he has no real opportunity to advance against the Aragonese.



Against his better judgement, King Duarte is convinced to accept the ceasefire. The war with Aragon, continually ongoing for 69 years, is over, for now.

Sancho is furious when he hears of the news, desperate to repay Aragon for Lopo’s death. Still, he has more pressing concerns at the moment. Tasked with striking into Norwegian lands and pushing back against the invasion, Sancho reaches the lightly defended castle of Bordeaux.

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Sancho should have no problem taking the castle, even with its 3-ringed walls. However, his plan to easily enter the city is almost immediately dashed, as Bordeaux’s cannon towers quickly destroy all three Portuguese siege towers.

Forced to enter via ladders and the gate, the Portuguese army suffers large losses. Eventually, they enter the city. Portuguese handgunners, using the newest technology in black powder, line up and fire away into the ranks of the defenders.

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After hours, Sancho’s army does eventually corner and destroy the entire defending force. But the cost is high.

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Angry about the truce with Aragon, Sancho immediately sacks the former English castle, putting dozens of prominent citizens to death.

Scouts report shocking news: English troops have been pushed completely out of mainland Europe. In fewer than 20 years, Norway has expelled England, at one time a rising world power, from the French territory they had held for more than a century. In addition, Norway has taken all of northern Italy, sacking the brilliant city of Rome, and forcing the Papal States to one refuge in Frankfurt.

Just as troubling, the Portuguese economy has tanked due to the war with Norway and the need to support so many field armies. A lack of effective governors has not helped matters. The royal coffers are now tens of thousands of florins in the red.

Troops under the Portuguese Captain Tristao land near the nearly defenseless Norwegian city of Marseille, immediately besieging it.

Rui and Alexandre wait for King Duarte near Toulouse, with the intention of the three armies besieging the Norwegian city all at once.

While waiting for the King to arrive, Rui and Alexandre join forces to attack and destroy a large Norwegian army trying to sneak by them to threaten Barcelona.

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Rui’s army takes moderate casualties, but the two generals are still secure in their positions.

Three months later, the two discover another large Norwegian army, this one under the command of Birger the Silver-Tongued, an excellent Norwegian leader.

They are again victorious, but take even heavier losses this time.

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Norwegian huscarls, axemen, and heavy knights take a serious toll on all but the most elite and experience Portuguese infantry. Portuguese light men-at-arms and even feudal knights are no match for them unless in far superior numbers. Any Portuguese field army intent on facing an equal number of Norwegian troops needs to include dozens of heavy cavalry to have a chance of winning.

One positive event that year is Captain Tristao’s relatively easy assault on Marseille. Taking the coastal city should help the Portuguese economy, while simultaneously denying the Norwegians easy access to the western Mediterranean.

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In 1311, the late Pero’s only daughter, Angelina Bandeira, marries Goncalo Nascimento. Her father’s death caused Angelina to fall quite far in social standing; Goncalo is interesting and efficient, but has little wealth or land.

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The family tree continues to grow, as Raquel and Filipe de Paiva have a daughter also named Raquel, and Sancho Santos and his wife Judith have a daughter named Carla.

Alexandre Amaral’s army has been depleted by several fierce battles in a row against Norwegian forces. As Rui and King Duarte each move toward Toulouse, Alexandre and a few hundred troops march south to return to Barcelona. However, on the way, they are suddenly ambushed by a small Norwegian army hiding in the forest.

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Alexandre, an ineffective and disinterested military commander, is taken completely by surprise. His troops, mostly mercenaries hired only to escort the general back to Barcelona, are neither experienced nor committed to the cause.

Though the Norwegians are badly outnumbered, huscarls and axemen charge out of the trees toward Alexandre’s disorganized line of troops. Alexandre’s mercenaries break and flee almost immediately, leaving only a hundred or so archers to stand and fight.

The Norwegians make quick work of the archers, and Alexandre and his small force of cavalry charge into the enemy. With no infantry or missile support remaining, Alexandre and his cavalry are surrounded and utterly destroyed. Alexandre himself is one of the first to fall, his horse killed by a vicious axe blow and his head caved in soon after.

Some of the mercenaries regroup and return. With a great deal of fortune and timing, they are able to engage and disperse the few dozen remaining exhausted Norwegians. It is technically a victory, but Alexandre’s death makes it a crushing defeat.

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A young man named Nicolau rounds the Portuguese survivors up after the battle, urging them to continue onward to Barcelona. A young mercenary himself, it is he who stood his ground and encouraged his fellow hired soldiers to return to the fight, even after Alexandre’s death.

Some of the mercenaries ignore his admonition after the battle, returning to their farms and villages. But many others do continue on to Barcelona before quitting the kingdom’s service. In completing their trek to the coastal city, they are at least able to return Alexandre’s body for a proper burial.

A few days later, King Duarte summons Nicolau (who has remained with the garrison in Barcelona) to his army, currently besieging Toulouse to the north.

There, Duarte hears the story of Alexandre’s uninspiring death and the disastrous battle. Following his own brother’s precedent, King Duarte chooses to knight the young mercenary, even bringing him into the royal family as the adopted son of Pero de Matos.

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The young Nicolau is ordered to return to Barcelona to prepare the troops being recruited in Valencia and Toledo for eventual entrance into the war against Norway.

In the meantime, Rui and Duarte are nearly ready to assault the Norwegian castle of Toulouse. Rui’s intuition was correct; Prince Karl lives and now commands the garrison at Toulouse. Suddenly, another large Norwegian army arrives to attempt to lift the siege. This reinforcing army is commanded by the accomplished Norwegian general, Lars Thornom.

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Duarte and Rui are both effective generals, but this battle would not be a simple one. For one, the two generals find themselves fighting in snow for the first time. For two, the Norwegian infantry are stronger and more powerful than any they have ever faced.

Duarte sets his men up in the snowy woods, his two large trebuchets firing boulders into the Norwegian ranks. The wooden beams of the trebuchets creak and groan as they lift boulders weighing thousands of pounds and fling them hundreds of meters.

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The Norwegians advance in spite of the boulders crashing into their lines. Used to the deep snows and the heavily wooded forests, Norwegian (and French descended) troops charge forward.

The Portuguese lines buckle at the initial force from the axemen and huscarls. Portuguese and Norwegian cavalry face off on both sides of the infantry battles.

Portuguese cavalry eventually outmaneuver and destroy the heavier Norwegian horsemen. The Portuguese feudal knights then throw themselves into the fray, charging into spearmen and axemen alike.

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Slipping in blood, and frightened by the rotting cows that the trebuchets launched early in the battle, men and horses on both sides begin to withdraw, some temporarily and some for good. Sensing the key moment of the battle, King Duarte throws himself and his guards into the midst of the battle, sending men fleeing and flying in all directions.

The Norwegians facing off against Duarte’s troops begin to lose their resolve and flee. Suddenly, a bolt in one of the trebuchet arms snaps in two, flinging its boulder nearly straight down instead of into the Norwegian crossbowmen hundreds of meters away.

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In a cruel twist of fate, Duarte, King of Portugal and Spain, is killed instantly as the boulder from his own trebuchet crashes into him and his cavalry. Backs, necks, arms, and legs break as the huge projectile smashes flesh and bone alike.

Duarte’s soldiers, many of them veterans of Sancho’s attempted Crusade, hold fast against the Norwegian marauders. Word soon arrives that Rui and Karl face off against one another a long distance off. Eventually, Karl is crushed by the press of Portuguese cavalry, but Rui, too, is killed.

Both Portuguese armies, now leaderless, are able to stand up against the Norwegians, and Portugal is eventually victorious.

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Both sides face devastating losses in what comes to be known as The Battle of Princes. While Lars Thornom escapes, defeated, Norway’s Prince Karl is killed. In addition, Norway’s two largest and most powerful armies in the south are utterly destroyed. Even worse, they have lost control of first Bordeaux in the southwest and now Toulouse in the southeast, in addition to losing Marseille on the southeastern shore.

Portugal wins the battle, but loses two of its three most competent military generals in Rui and Duarte (with Sancho still alive in Bordeaux). Plus, the devastating loss of a king on the battlefield can never be overstated.

The ranking officers of the two Portuguese armies walk into the castle of Toulouse with much depleted forces. Angry and bitter at the loss of Rui and King Duarte, the men sack the city and castle mercilessly, killing thousands and ransacking hundreds of homes and shops. Rioting and violence lasts for weeks.

Sancho becomes the leader of the Portuguese forces, and nominal king, though he has neither the time nor opportunity to be crowned in Toledo. There remains consternation among the court observers about what will happen when the late king’s sons come of age.

Sancho orders Filipe de Paiva to set up a fort with a large army blocking the land route to Barcelona, while Toulouse and Bordeaux each rebuild. Norwegian forces besiege both Marseille and Bordeaux, where Sancho is cornered and isolated.

Just as things look bleak, a Norwegian diplomat arrives, offering a ceasefire.

Sancho is suspicious of some kind of trick, and he knows that Norway would only offer a ceasefire if they were being pressed elsewhere. Perhaps the English have counterattacked. The time for an advance deep into Norwegian territory might be now. However, Sancho faces certain defeat in Bordeaux as the castle is besieged by several mighty Norwegian armies and the populace is entirely against the Portuguese.

Faced with no good choices, Sancho signs the ceasefire, hoping it will give Portugal time to stabilize, train more troops, and regroup.



A vicious plague begins spreading throughout Barcelona and Zaragoza. In 1313, the newly knighted Nicolau de Valadares succumbs to it in Barcelona. With no children, the lands he was given by Duarte (which used to belong to Gaspar de Portugal) revert back to the crown.

To make matters worse, Aragon begins rattling its sword in Africa, lining up thousands of troops on the border with the African Portuguese colonies. With only Mateus to hold them off, Aragon will be difficult to defend against.

In 1314, word arrives that the Papal States have been coerced into becoming a vassal of Norway. Pushed out of Rome and all of Italy, the Pope retains nominal control over only one city, Frankfurt, deep in the heart of Norwegian territory. A virtual prisoner of the King of Norway, the Pope’s influence has waned to a point not seen since before Leo IX in the mid-eleventh century. This “Frankfurt Papacy” continues to hold some religious authority, but the political power of the Pope is nearly broken.

In 1315, Fernao Brito comes of age, setting off a succession crisis.

[hull19]

...... OMG....!

I can't wait for the next chapter...

[TheBard]

...... OMG....!

I can't wait for the next chapter...

Thanks Hull, I'm always happy to keep you hanging a bit! I'm working on the next update. I've played ahead quite a bit, so things will change pretty drastically. I am trying to decide when (and how) to do another family tree update. On the one hand, it takes forever to do the full editing, so I am tempted to just paste the pics together and at least show you all the tree without the names. However, I didn't take pictures when Duarte died, and there is yet another new king, so that's two trees that I technically owe you.

Maybe I can just do one and somehow copy and paste from the 1303 tree.

What does everyone think? How much do you like the trees? How important is it to have all the names? Would just one tree in the 1320s be enough? The tree with names takes probably 3-4 hours to do, so that would mean the next update would take longer, but the tree looks pretty cool now that it is so massive.

[Thokran]

I like the expanded family trees. During those interregnum posts, you slow down and allow the reader to catch up and gain a sense of what's happened so far and what's going on ahead. That's why I like the family trees in depth, because they eventually serve as jumpoff points for any part of the story, and they're very informative. I say keep them, but that's just me.

[Scottish King]

One of the best aars I reaad so far. So good in fact it made me register so I could start one of my own. Also love the family tree. It gives the story a added dimension. Keep up the good work.

[TheBard]

Chapter 41: A Dynasty Returned?

In 1315, the 14-year-old Fernao Brito, son of the late King Duarte, is old enough to begin his political and military career. Intelligent, and with some potential for military prowess, Fernao is hampered by a tendency toward unmanliness. Many servants tell tales of a young Fernao shrieking like a girl when encountering a rat or spider in the castle at Toledo. Unfortunately, it is a trait that has not disappeared as he has grown older.

Fernao’s uncle, Sancho, remains official regent and nominal king at first. Sancho’s advisors urge him to retain the crown, as Fernao is not aggressive enough to claim it. However, Portuguese cardinals put enormous pressure on Sancho to follow salic law and return the crown to Fernao when he is old enough. While precedent states that the crown must pass to Fernao, it has been over a century since the Portuguese crown passed to a king’s son. There would simply be no one to stop Sancho from keeping it. The specter of another civil war looms large.

Fernao remains in Toledo studying military tactics for several years, while Sancho focuses on rebuilding and stabilizing the northern defenses against Norway.

In 1317, Fernao’s younger brother Gaspar Brito turns 14 and begins his own career in Burgos. Unlike Fernao, Gaspar is a natural born leader with the potential to be a tremendous general. Many are reminded of a young Marcio when they look at Gaspar.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The following year, a 17-year-old Fernao leaves Toledo with a small force of knights, heading for Sancho’s castle at Bordeaux. Wild rumors begin to fly, that Fernao will challenge Sancho, or that Fernao will willingly concede the crown to his uncle in exchange for being named heir.

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In the meantime, Ricardo Gonçalves, Bras de Matos, Manuel da Cunha, and Geraldo Meira all come of age as well.

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In 1319, Fernao and Sancho meet for the first time, in Bordeaux. The two meet privately for several hours, with no scribes or clerks present. They emerge that afternoon, Sancho with a look of determination, and Fernao with his usual disengaged, aloof look.

The next day, the two men head for Toledo at the head of a large army.

In 1321, Fernao and Gaspar’s youngest brother, Bento, comes of age.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In 1322, Fernao and Sancho arrive in Toledo. Sancho has become a renowned hero among the people throughout the kingdom, both for his wars against Aragon in Africa and for his stalwart defense of the northern borders. In contrast, many of the people look askance at Fernao and his often foppish manners.

The two men enter the castle, and Sancho announces that there will be a royal coronation held for Fernao in one month. Many expect some kind of trick, and more than one citizen expects to hear of Fernao’s “accidental” death. However, the coronation comes and goes without a hitch. The crown was never officially given to Sancho, who remained in Bordeaux after Duarte’s death. Therefore, the Archbishop of Seville must only crown Fernao and offer him the unsheathed Tizona, the Royal Sword. Fernao accepts both and becomes the eighth King of Portugal and second King of Spain. Though never officially crowned, Sancho is the first man in Portuguese history to willingly cede the crown. His decision is no doubt made easier by the fact that he has no sons of his own. For the first time in more than 120 years, the crown passes to the son of a king.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

That same year, Filipe and Raquel de Paiva have a son named Marcos, but Pero de Matos dies of the plague in Bordeaux, at the age of 64.

As Fernao takes over rule of the kingdom, Portugal is in a powerful but precarious position. With the decline of England, Sicily, the Roman Empire, and the Papal States, Portugal is now one of the few true world powers. However, a dominant Norwegian Empire and a recalcitrant Aragonese Kingdom present serious challenges.

Faction Rankings


Overall
1. Norway 1,000,000 (+25% since 1298)
2. Fatimids 625,000
3. Kievan Rus 450,000
4. Portugal 400,000 (+5%)
5. Novgorod 250,000
6. England 200,000 (-29%)
10. Aragon 100,000

Military
1. Norway 875,000 (+29%)
2. Fatimids 600,000 (+33%)
3. Kievan Rus 400,000
4. Portugal 270,000 (+35%)
5. Novgorod 240,000
6. England 185,000 (-23%)
11. Aragon 90,000

Territories
1. Norway 42 (+17%)
2. Fatimids 28 (+40%)
3. Portugal 23 (+15%)
4. Mongols 22 (-21%)
5. Kievan Rus 19
8. England 8 (-20%)
13. Aragon 4

Population
1. Norway 1,150,000 (+31%)
2. Fatimids 750,000 (+39%)
3. Kievan Rus 500,000
4. Portugal 450,000 (+15%)
5. Mongols 375,000 (-26%)
8. England 225,000 (-19%)
11. Aragon 150,000 (+67%)

Norway is, far and away, the western world’s most powerful empire. Stretching from Scandinavia in the north to central Italy in the south, and from the Pyrenees Mountains in the west to the Oder River in the east, Norway holds dominion over more than a million souls. Duarte’s short reign of 13 years, and Sancho’s regency of another 11 years saw little in the way of Portuguese expansion. Still, Portugal holds onto Iberia and the western African colonies despite a major war with Norway and recent threats from Aragon. However, the Pope is now a virtual Norwegian prisoner, creating serious obstacles to any expansion into Norwegian territory. Plus, the war with Norway has bankrupted the kingdom, leaving little money for any new troops.

Finally, England’s rapid decline has left Portugal with few allies and many enemies. With a weak king on the throne, Portugal faces long odds to retain its current lands.

[dezikeizer]

Great update as always. I'm very interested in finding out what happens next. +rep

[hull19]

thanks for the tree mate

I love 'em too! Can't wait for the next part... this is a very long but interesting AAR

[TheBard]

Thanks for the comments and reps. I chose not to do pics and bios of all the generals, mostly because I didn't have saves that went back far enough to 1322. So I can't really get the right pics anyway (and some of the ones alive in 1322 are now dead), so you'll just have to wait a while for new bios. I'm glad you liked the tree, though. I took extra time on really spacing out the portraits to leave lots of room for names and dates. I love looking at the huge tree. It is hard to remember the personalities and accomplishments of some of the men and women from generations ago (Alexandre? Urraca?), so maybe I will have to reread some chapters soon.

I'm working on the next update, but no promises on when it will be done. I am trying to find the correct place to end Chapter 42 and start Chapter 43. Also, for what it is worth, I just passed the halfway point in available turns. I think I've done something like 230 or so, with 220 or so potentially remaining. I honestly can't see myself going another 200+ years! But I'd like to get to 50 chapters if possible.

As long as people are still reading (and commenting, as I hate to double-post), I'll keep going for a while. I might make it to 1400 if I can somehow hold off Norway. We'll see. My biggest problems right now are 1) two-front war, 2) bankruptcy, and 3) lack of children. The first two may be manageable, but the third problem is both crippling and makes the game less fun to play. Hopefully some of that will be remedied soon.

[TheBard]

Chapter 42: Troubled Lands

The late Pero de Matos’ brother-in-law, Ricardo Gonçalves attacks a Norwegian army threatening Marseille. Having taken a large number of troops from Barcelona, Ricardo is charged with maintaining control of Marseille.

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Ricardo’s scouts give him a good description of the core Norwegian troops, the first such report to any of the Portuguese generals. Ricardo is quite dismayed to learn that many of the Norwegian infantry wear full or partial plate mail.

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Those that are not as fully armored carry vicious and devastating axes.

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As the two lines begin to close, Ricardo has his handgunners fire to devastating effect.

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Ricardo uses his cavalry to roll up the sides of the enemy lines, and the Portuguese are eventually able to surround and destroy Norway’s elite knights.

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Despite the heroic victory, Ricardo takes a vicious wound in his thigh and is forced to encamp in Marseille. A short three months later, he is dead. There are rumors that he was poisoned by a Norwegian assassin, while some in the city swear that he died of an infection in his wound. The mysterious nature of his death only further confounds the Portuguese leaders to the west.

Meanwhile, King Fernao and his brother Gaspar both move north from Toledo, gathering troops and supplies from Burgos and Pamplona.

Sancho and the youngest brother, Bento, begin to move from Toledo to the south, heading for the African colonies. Sancho’s vow for revenge for Lopo’s death has been stymied for decades; now, at last, he intends to punish the Aragonese.

Sancho Santos and Bento Brito move into Africa not a second too soon. Several large Aragonese armies have surrounded the city of Oran, where Mateus leads the garrison. Reinforcements sent ahead from Granada are attacked by several Aragonese armies in a night battle that precludes Mateus’ involvement.
Predictably, the 400 Portuguese troops are slaughtered by the coordinated attacks, though at least they take an almost equal number of enemies with them.

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Norway besieges Bordeaux, intending to take both it and Marseille. The loss of both cities would be a devastating setback for Portugal. The Portuguese are now fighting two difficult wars, one against Norway and one against Aragon.

The late Pero Bandeira’s granddaughter Luisa Nascimento is born in 1325, and Sancho’s oldest daughter Carla turns 14. Unlike many of the previous princesses, Carla is plain and unambitious.

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While many blame her plain features on her Sicilian mother, the truth is that she is Sancho’s daughter by way of his Portuguese mistress, Arabeta. Judith took the daughter into her household and raised her as her own, but Carla is fully Portuguese.

In 1325, the northern Portuguese border is on the brink of collapse. Marseille is besieged and surrounded by three huge Norwegian armies. A modest Norwegian army blocks the route from Barcelona to Toulouse. And Bordeaux is besieged, with several large Norwegian armies cutting off any support from the south.

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Luisa Nascimento, the late Pero Bandeira’s granddaughter is born that same year. Unhappy with the current king, some factions in the nobility continue to hope for a male descendant to Pero in the hopes of fomenting another civil war.

The royal treasury continues to bleed money, putting the entire kingdom far into debt. With a war against Norway already underway, and another one just beginning against Aragon, there is too little to support new troops for both fronts.

In 1326, Gaspar Brito encounters an army under the command of the Norwegian Halstan of Vojens. Though Gaspar has the larger army, Halstan has superior troops overall.

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Gaspar has four large trebuchets with him, but his army has comparatively few infantry. Knowing he will need to rely on his cavalry, Gaspar immediately sets the trebuchets to firing, hoping to disrupt the enemy lines, while the Portuguese cavalry moves forward on the wings.

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Despite the bombardment, the Norwegian infantry and cavalry quickly surround and devastate the few Portuguese infantry. Huscarls and axemen cut a huge swath through the Portuguese lines.

Suddenly, the Portuguese cavalry returns, slamming into the Norwegians.

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Both sides become bogged down, with hundreds of men killed on each side. The Portuguese infantry take heavy losses, but the Portuguese cavalry surround and kill Halstan. The tough Norwegians refuse to give ground, however, and fight to the bitter end.

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Gaspar and his men gain a victory at the cost of losing half the army’s strength. After gathering a few hundred more troops from Toulouse, Gaspar and the army head east to attempt to rescue Marseille from the besieging Norwegians.

Meanwhile, far to the south, in Africa, Sancho and Bento attack two huge Aragonese armies (and one small one) threatening the city of Oran.

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Slightly outnumbered, Sancho and Bento possess far superior troops. Aragon’s troop quality has declined greatly since they lost their homelands in Iberia.

Sancho waits for Bento’s army to move up before heading toward the Aragonese lines. With men-at-arms, foot men-at-arms, and Portuguese foot knights, Sancho’s army is comprised of mostly elite infantry. Bento’s army includes lesser infantry, mostly light men-at-arms and feudal foot knights, but he also has nearly a hundred handgunners.

Sancho and Bento move forward toward the two Aragonese armies. The infantry clash viciously, with the Portuguese immediately gaining the upper hand. The Aragonese fight hard, but their lack of plate armor and lesser training makes them a poor match for the highly trained, heavily armored Portuguese knights.

Sancho and Bento send their cavalry forward at the key moment, shattering the already foundering Aragonese lines. Toribio de Burgos is killed, though Alonso Covarubias escapes. The Aragonese armies are utterly destroyed.

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The Norwegian Pope threatens Fernao with excommunication and the Kingdom of Portugal with interdiction for the aggression against Aragon, despite the fact that those Aragonese armies had been gathering in Portuguese territory for several years. King Fernao ignores him.

Gaspar eventually arrives outside Marseille, hoping to raise the Norwegian siege of the beleaguered coastal city. Almost immediately, he is attacked by the Norwegians.

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In a driving rainstorm just before dawn, Gaspar sets up his defense. Trebuchets, archers, and crossbowmen rain down projectiles onto the attacking Norwegians, but still they come. Eventually, the battle devolves into mass chaos, as cavalry and infantry alike become embroiled in vicious close fighting. Crude Portuguese ribaults fire devastating ballista-type arrows at the Norwegians, with one attacker being impaled at point-blank range, blood splattering in all directions.

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The Portuguese advantage in cavalry once again saves the day, though Gaspar’s army again takes heavy casualties.

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However, even with this victory, Marseille is far from safe. Yet another large Norwegian army comes to besiege the city.

In the meantime, Bordeaux is under attack by Norwegian forces hundreds of miles west of Marseille. Filipe de Paiva, commanding the castle’s garrison, is under siege by a huge force under Norway’s general, Inge Tegblbjaerg. Just as Inge is about to assault the beleaguered castle, King Fernao arrives with a force of mostly cavalry. Inge attacks anyway, figuring he can easily dispatch the inexperienced and ineffective Portuguese king before turning on Filipe.

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Hesitant and timid in his first battle, Fernao has his army wait while Filipe’s army slowly moves up from the west. The Norwegians have no intention of waiting for the reinforcements to arrive, and quickly charge Fernao’s army, the Viking Huskarls leading the way.

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Several dozen Portuguese mounted crossbowmen fire their bolts into the Norwegian cavalry, cutting down scores of enemy horsemen. Hundreds of mounted men-at-arms, Portuguese knights, and Knights of Santiago surge forward, quickly overwhelming the beleaguered Norwegian cavalry. The Norwegian infantry fight fiercely and well, despite the loss of their cavalry support. Fernao, always squeamish at the sight of blood, hangs back.


The Portuguese cavalry swarm the Norwegians just as Filipe’s men arrive. The Norwegians are entirely overwhelmed, and the Portuguese are victorious.

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Gaspar quickly moves to protect Marseille from the newest Norwegian attackers. Extremely low on quality infantry, Gaspar calls the city’s garrison out to help him fight the Norwegians besieging it.

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With no strong infantry support, Gaspar’s archers are almost immediately overrun by Norwegian cavalry.

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Hundreds of Gaspar’s soldiers flee, as the young general personally charges into the enemy cavalry. Gaspar’s charge temporarily slows the Norwegian momentum, but they soon regain their balance and counterattack. At that moment, Marseille’s garrison arrives and tips the balance against Norway.

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The Portuguese victory is a pyrrhic one; though Marseille is held, hundreds of Gaspar’s troops are killed, injured, or chased off into the countryside. Gaspar realizes that isolated, with no reinforcements available, Marseille is impossible to defend for now. Gaspar gathers the garrison into his own army and angrily abandons the city, knowing that Norway will almost certainly occupy it within months.


It is the first city lost by Portugal in more than a century and may portend a dark future indeed.

[TheBard]

Chapter 43: Tipping Point

With many of the older and middle-aged generals passing away, there is finally some optimism when Manuel da Cunha’s older sister Lucia marries Fernao Vivaes in 1330.

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The marriage occurs just after Salvador Gonçalves dies, stabbed by a Norwegian assassin. Coupled with the rumors about his son’s death, many Portuguese begin to suspect a vendetta against the entire family.

Toulouse is soon surrounded by several large Norwegian armies. Gaspar, returning from Marseille with the remains of Marseille’s garrison, hurries his men forward.

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That year, King Fernao is excommunicated and the Kingdom of Portugal placed under interdiction.

As unrest begins to spread throughout the Portuguese cities, news arrives that the Pope has died, allowing Portugal to be reconciled. However, yet another Norwegian cardinal is elected to be the new pope. It may only be a matter of time before Fernao is again excommunicated.

Gaspar arrives at Toulouse and immediately attacks a Norwegian army hanging around the outskirts of the castle. Gaspar has become a very good commander, and he does have several dozen elite knights and more than a hundred handgunners. But most of his infantry are feudal knights that do not have the advantage over the Norwegian huskarls and axemen that Portuguese foot knights do.

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The Portuguese infantry line up in densely packed rows, with the handgunners at the forefront.

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Norwegian knights and spearmen lead the attack, attempting to clear the way for their heavily armored cavalry.

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As the Norwegians approach the Portuguese lines, the handgunners let loose a devastating volley, dropping scores of Norwegians.

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By the time the lines close, the Norwegians have lost their momentum and their fighting spirit, and the Portuguese infantry hang on for another important victory. Still, Gaspar’s army suffers several hundred casualties, and Norway’s armies keep on coming.

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Gaspar reinforces his army with troops from Toulouse and heads west to help his brother, the King, who is facing several thousand advancing Norwegian troops who are attempting to take Bordeaux. Other reinforcements head north from Burgos and Barcelona, but it will be up to Gaspar and Fernao to hold Bordeaux.

The inexperienced King Fernao and his 800 soldiers are nearly surrounded by two Norwegian armies, totally nearly 2500 men.

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So totally outnumbered, the Portuguese King gladly retreats, leaving his younger brother to deal with them.

One of those attacking armies immediately becomes Filipe de Paiva’s problem. The Norwegians attack a small, isolated English army outside Bordeaux.

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Filipe, leading the garrison inside the castle, has a difficult choice. If he abandons the English to their fate, it will irreparably damage relations with Portugal’s only steadfast ally. If he comes to their aid, he faces nearly impossible odds.

At Gaspar’s urging, Filipe decides to join the battle.

Norwegian axemen, huskarls, and Norse war clerics all move steadily forward.

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The quality of Filipe’s infantry is much lower, and he must rely on nearly a hundred light men-at-arms to hold the center of the line.

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Filipe’s cavalry engage with the Norwegian cavalry while the Norwegian infantry smash into the Portuguese light men-at-arms and feudal knights.

The Portuguese cavalry are much better trained and equipped than their enemy counterparts, though, and the Norwegian cavalry are eventually destroyed. In the meantime, the Portuguese lines have nearly crumbled. As the Portuguese are about to break, the cavalry returns, slamming into the rear of the attacking Norwegian infantry.

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Filipe’s cavalry save the day, and somehow, against all odds, the Portuguese pull out a victory. Filipe and his bodyguards alone kill nearly 150 Norwegians.

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However, it is yet another pyrrhic victory. Filipe’s army is nearly destroyed. With thousands of Norwegian soldiers still pushing for Bordeaux, Filipe is in dire straits.

Only a week later, Filipe is again drawn into a battle, this time with no choice.

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Outnumbered nearly 4 to 1, Filipe is almost certainly doomed.

Filipe’s infantry are almost immediately crushed. However, a unit of Portuguese mounted crossbowmen fire over and over at the enemy cavalry, and a lucky shot takes down one of the Norwegian generals under Ragnvald’s command, Valdemar Willadsen. Still, that lone bright spot means little at the moment, as Filipe and a few dozen survivors withdraw just in time to avoid complete destruction.

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Filipe and his men retreat to the false safety of Bordeaux, for the castle is nearly empty. It will be up to Gaspar, and perhaps the King, to save it.

The next year, the Holy Roman Emperor succeeds in having a Crusade called against the Lithuanian city of Vilnius. The Pope sends emissaries demanding that Sancho join it to atone for his sins against his fellow Catholics in Africa. The aging Sancho laughs, and sends the messengers away, despite their threats of excommunication and a papal inquisition into the matter.

Just as Sancho, Bento Brito, and Manuel da Cunha are about to assault the Aragonese castle of Algiers, a breathless messenger rides up with news for the former Regent.

“Sancho, my lord. I have dreadful news.”

“What, man?”

“My lord Mateus is dead.”

Fearing yet another assassination or outbreak of plague, Sancho is surprised to learn that Mateus died during a jousting accident, killed when his opponent’s lance splintered and pierced an artery in his neck.

One of Lopo’s former captains, Mateus was one of the most honorable men to ever serve in Portugal’s army. Fair on the battlefield, and generous toward his citizens in Oran, many of them Aragonese and Moors, Mateus’ leadership in Africa will be missed.

After a day of mourning, the three remaining Portuguese generals make their push for Algiers.

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Completely unprepared for the defending castle’s cannon towers, Sancho’s siege towers are almost immediately bombarded and destroyed.

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Forced to enter the city with only a ram and a few ladders, much of Sancho’s army becomes stuck in one of several bottlenecks at the gate and on the walls.

Eventually, the presence of Bento and Manuel’s armies allow Sancho to push forward into the castle. However, the former Regent, and last of the Adamastors, is again caught unawares, shocked when the castle’s cannon towers begin firing into the castle itself. Sancho’s army, rushing forward in an uncontrollable mass, is an easy target.

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Having to fight through three rings of walls, and constantly under fire from the cannons, the Portuguese armies take heavier than expected casualties.

Having fought the defenders back to the inner courtyard, the Portuguese are on the verge of a huge victory when a final cannonball smashes directly into the Portuguese cavalry. In one shocking instant, Sancho the Wise is killed, in a manner reminiscent of the death of his older brother, King Duarte.

Manuel and Bento, both inexperienced, are forced to take over command of the unified armies. Fortunately for them, the battle is already essentially won.

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With the loss of both Mateus and Sancho, Manuel and Bento will be forced into leadership roles in the war against Aragon. With Algiers taken, both men rest for the year, waiting for reinforcements from the western African colonies.

Meanwhile, back in the north, Fernao, Gaspar, and Filipe all come together to attack Ragnvald’s army.

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Wary about personally engaging the enemy, Fernao uses his trebuchets, archers, and handgunners to devastating effect.

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The Norwegians, however, bring up their own handgunners. In what is surely a foreshadowing of the future of European warfare, the two lines fire off at short range.

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The Norwegians charge, but with a huge advantage in numbers, the Portuguese gain a relatively easy victory for a change, killing Ragnvald in the process.

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Despite the key victory over Ragnvald, the three Portuguese armies are forced to fight again almost immediately, as two large Norwegian armies attack Gaspar, Fernao, and Filipe.

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Gaspar takes the lead in defending against the first Norwegian army in an attempt to stall for King Fernao to arrive. More than 100 Portuguese archers (many from the Basque region) let loose with fire arrows.

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Dozens of Norwegian knights march steadily forward, undeterred by the puny wooden arrows.

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However, the Portuguese handgunners do quite a bit more damage with their black powder tubes, cutting down more than a few enemy knights.

The battle quickly devolves into chaos, with the initial Norwegian pushing causing huge devastation to Gaspar’s lines. Fernao and Filipe arrive in time to stave off the initial enemy army’s assault, but are then, in turn, flanked by the Norwegian reinforcements.

Gaspar, Filipe, and even Fernao take a personal lead in the battle, charging down lightly defended infantry and handgunners. Fernao’s nervousness keeps him from engaging any of the Norwegian knights, but Gaspar manages to protect his older brother and king.

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The result is a huge Portuguese victory that temporarily alleviates the Norwegian pressure against the isolated Bordeaux.

The following year, the late Sancho’s younger dauther, Margarida, is offered a marriage proposal by Nuno Sousa, a promising young nobleman. Though Margarida, like her sister, of course thinks she can do better, her mother urges her to accept the match, given that she is (also like her sister) somewhat plain. Margarida relents, and the two are married.

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Nuno takes over the garrison at Algiers. Without Sancho to lead them, Manuel and Bento struggle in Africa. Manuel earns a mediocre victory over an Aragonese army east of Algiers, losing more than half his army in the process.

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Orders from the Pope to cease the war with Aragon causes Manuel and Bento to stop their advances. Sancho was more than willing to ignore the Holy Father in Rome, but neither Manuel nor Bento are as willing to risk their immortal soul to do so. They pull back and attempt to regroup, recruiting and training more troops in Algiers with Nuno.

With Bordeaux surrounded by enemy armies, Goncalo and Gaspar attempt to once again sweep away the Norwegians.

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With an equal number of soldiers, and the accomplished Gaspar joining in, the Portuguese are confident they can win. Still, Goncalo must hold off a huge enemy force while waiting for Gaspar to arrive.

The lines clash, with Goncalo’s troops holding their position. The Norwegian infantry are simply better, though, and Goncalo did not count on so many enemy knights. Goncalo looks out over his lines and can barely see his own men, with hundreds of Norwegian knights charging their horses forward.

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With no other choice, Goncalo and his guards spur their horses forward, joining the fray. Gaspar begins to engage Grim Willadsen, the younger brother of the recently killed Valdemar Willadsen. Forced to use all his army against the accomplished Norwegian general, Gaspar is unable to properly support and reinforce Goncalo.
Goncalo’s infantry begin to break, crushed by Norse war clerics and Viking huskarl cavalry.

His army routing around him, Goncalo is forced to flee. As he and a few dozen survivors withdraw, he sees Gaspar continue charging into the enemy.

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The Portuguese suffer a devastating defeat, made even worse by news that Gaspar fell in battle.

Knocked unconscious as his entire army disintegrated around him, Gaspar somehow survived. Taken prisoner by the Norwegians, he is offered back to Goncalo for more than 5000 florins.

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Goncalo immediately sends news to Fernao, who quickly authorizes the ransom. Battered and bruised, but alive, Gaspar is freed and begins the march south toward Pamplona to rebuild his army.

The only good news, aside from Gaspar’s miraculous survival, is the death of two Norwegian generals: Lars Lehtonen and Grim Willadsen himself.

Unfortunately, the northern Portuguese line has crumbled. With Fernao’s, Gaspar’s, and Goncalo’s armies destroyed, and Filipe’s garrison in Bordeaux down to fewer than 200 men, Bordeaux has become indefensible. With Gaspar’s and Fernao’s urging, Filipe de Paiva and Goncalo Nascimento take the couple hundred remaining troops and all but abandon the castle. About 50 men volunteer to stay behind in Bordeaux, hoping to delay the inevitable Norwegian assault.

Gaspar, Fernao, Goncalo, and Filipe all rush toward Pamplona, hoping to find a few hundred reinforcements from Toledo.

With no reinforcements within hundreds, if not thousands, of miles, Bras de Matos faces the impossible task of holding Toulouse. With Marseille gone and Bordeaux all but taken, Toulouse is increasingly isolated. Bras’ troops are mostly archers, with few if any real infantry. He will almost certainly have to pull back to Barcelona, abandoning a third city to the onrushing Norwegian hordes.

[TheBard]

Hope there are still some readers. It's sort of strange to think that we are 230+ years in and we are just now seeing the first really serious military setback. I'm not sure if I can hold off Norway, to be honest. They are pretty close to completing their victory conditions. They need 50 provinces (they are in the mid-40s), a bunch of regions they already have, eliminate a bunch of already-eliminated factions. The only thing left for them is to eliminate Scotland (who are on the brink against England), take the Scottish Highlands, and get to 50.

I don't see them taking the Scottish Highlands any time soon, but I'd rather not bank on them not doing it while I figure out how to deal with them. They've also shown that they have no problem crushing England.

On the one hand, I am desperate to finally finish off Aragon (which is also one of my victory conditions, though I'm nowhere near 50 provinces, so it doesn't matter right now). That would also put me next to the Fatimids, meaning I could get tons of high-level priests trained up. That would help me elect a Portuguese or English Pope and Crusade the crap out of Norway.

However, I don't think I can fight two wars at once. And I desperately need more children, which usually happen when your generals are in cities, not galavanting around fighting enemies in the field. This is becoming very tricky. Anyone have any thoughts?

I'll play some more over the next few days and make some new chapters when I can.

[hull19]

I seriously don't know what you sohuld do....!

I'm still shocked at you abandonning Marseille in the last chapter. I don't know what you should do. Seems like you will not be able to win this one. You have to crush Norway if you want to have a chance to win before them. Which would be a bit hard right now.

I saw do peace, take Aragon... and then got to war agaisnt Norway again.

[LukeMurgatroyd]

I agree with hull. Make peace if you can, wipe Aragon off the map, train priests and restart the war by Viking raiding the Norwegians. And of course try and crusade the hell out of the Norse blob