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

  1. #101

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/11: Chapter 20)

    Hopefully there are still some readers sticking around here for updates. There will be a big update coming soon, as there is a new king. Fortunately, that means all new Family Tree pics, complete bios for all generals and unmarried princesses, and faction rankings. Unfortunately, it is a lot of work to do all that, so it will take a few days. I'd like to have an update done before the weekend.

    The civil war is (slowly) winding down, but I've now got all sorts of other problems with the Moors, Aragon, the Pope, and others.

    Let me know if there are any specific things you would like to see (such as Fog of War off for a particular region e.g. the Mongols, Fatimids, Europe, etc.).

    Lastly, if anyone has a good idea of how to show the exceptionally wide Family Tree, I'm all ears. I can obviously continue to cut and paste into one very wide picture, but I feel like that may be hard to read. Flipping it 90 degrees seems even worse, as does cutting it in half and putting the left half on top and the right half on bottom. I like the sense of scale you get from seeing it all laid out end to end, but it may have to be pretty small. Any advice on it would be great. Scroll back to the last family tree if you can, and tell me whether that is easy to read. Thanks for anyone still reading!

  2. #102

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/11: Chapter 20)

    On the family tree: what you had in post #63 was still nicely visible (and great by the way!), maybe an extra 15% in width can be added without having really small fonts. What I would consider if I were you is to show it by the main branches (Afonso, Baston, Sebastiao). Alternatively, you can have it all in one picture but not add the dates for everyone, rather highlight the main characters.

    It's a good read and you put a lot of work into this, so keep it up please.

  3. #103

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/11: Chapter 20)

    Ok, thanks for the idea. I think I may have one wide picture of the entire family tree, without names and dates, and then three pictures of the three main branches.

  4. #104

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/11: Chapter 20)

    Chapter 21: Turning the Page

    After the battle, Marcio, Andre Osorio, and their army head to Seville. Miguel remains under constant guard, traveling in one of the supply wagons. Andre, along with half a dozen of Marcio’s most loyal knights, is tasked with personally guarding the traitor.

    After a few weeks of travel, the army arrives at the capital. Notified of the approach days in advance, Seville’s citizens turn out in huge numbers to greet them. Tens of thousands of Portuguese men, women, and children cheer the incoming army.

    They do not, however, cheer because they know it is Marcio. They cheer because they think it is Miguel.

    While Marcio’s branch of the family tree and the people in the north-central cities of Toledo, León, Salamanca, and Oporto view Miguel as a traitor, Seville and the other southern cities view him as a savior. Miguel fought off several Moorish armies at Gibraltar, nearly captured the last Moorish city at Marrakesh, and returned to Portugal a hero. His rule in Seville was fair and just, and his father Estevao was fondly remembered.

    As Marcio and his army enter the castle and head for the inner fortress, the people are struck silent in confusion. Marcio had been gone for decades, and none in the city know his face. Marcio and Andre stop at the gate of the inner fortress and face the trailing army and the local citizens to both sides.

    Marcio addresses the crowd eagerly. “My people! It is I, Marcio, son of Bartolomeu! I have returned from Crusade only to find our kingdom overrun by traitors! My father, killed by the traitor Diogo. My uncle, the King, usurped by your own ‘hero’!”

    As he spits out the last word, Marcio points his finger out at on one side of the army, slowly sweeping it across to encompass the entire crowd of Sevillan citizens. “This is your hero, enemy to our kingdom, traitor to our king!”

    With that, the guards pull Miguel to Marcio’s side. In a show of confidence, Marcio has kept his distant cousin untied. Still, Miguel’s spirit is defeated and his body exhausted. The long ride was clearly not a comfortable one. “As I returned from Crusading for God, our king, and our Holy Father, I was beset by a rebel army and informed that my father had been killed. Never did a son receive such a cruel welcome!”

    “My uncle, the King, has led with a steady hand for more than 40 years. His tears, sweat, and blood have watered the tree of Portugal. It was he who defended us against Leónese attacks. It was he who captured Toledo and destroyed our eastern enemy. It was he who fought off Aragonese attacks from our north and south. And you, his people, throw away his accomplishments, his authority, his blood, his very life, at the poisoned words of a traitor. Shame! You do not deserve our King. Yet still does he love you, still does he fight for you, still does he protect you.”

    Marcio raises his voice and loudly yells to the crowd: “Long live the King! Long live the King!”

    Though the citizens are nervous and hesitant, the presence of Marcio’s large army motivates them to timidly echo Marcio’s chants. Eventually, the crowd is fully shouting back Marcio’s calls of “Long live the King!” Still, they are hardly convinced. Many would rather see Miguel in charge, while some look forward to Marcio’s presumed rule. Despite the chants, the crowd knows that the aged and senile Guilherme will soon be gone. At that point, Marcio is sure to take over.

    Marcio and his army march into the inner fortress with Miguel in tow. As the gates close behind them, the people wonder what this all will mean. Marcio and Andre meet Gil the Younger and his younger brother Pero Bandeira. When Miguel left, Gil Bandeira took command of the city, but the young man is happy to relinquish it to Marcio.

    Later that day, Marcio’s men begin to construct a gallows.

    That night, Marcio walks slowly to Miguel’s makeshift cell, usually a supply room. With no windows and only one locked door, it is damp and dark, the air heavy. The Prince bids the guards to leave as he approaches the door. Opening the door, he looks down on his defeated cousin. In another show of confidence, Marcio closes the door gently behind him.

    “Ah, cousin. The dusk draws near.”

    Miguel’s first words in days surprise Marcio: “As it does for us all. Some days are long, some short. But they all end the same way.”

    Nodding, Marcio runs a hand over his closely trimmed beard. “I cannot let you live, cousin. Though the people will hate me for it.”

    Miguel, sitting on a makeshift bed made from sacks of grain and straw, closes his eyes and lowers his head. “Yes. But I have made my choices willingly and without constraint. Perhaps they were wrong. But they were mine. The same cannot be said for my brother.”

    “Gaspar? By all accounts, he was not only present at the battle against my father, but participated actively, fighting against Portuguese cavalry. His own banners bore the Black Cross. They likely still do. He is far from innocent.”

    Miguel nods slowly, running his hand through his hair. “Far from innocent. But also far from a traitor. It was my father’s schemes that pulled him into this fight. It is not one that Gaspar would have freely chosen. I swear it. Punish me for my choices, but do not punish Gaspar for my choices. Or our father’s.”

    Marcio sighs, leaning back against the door, arms crossed. “If he capitulates and surrenders his city, he will live.”

    Sensing a trick, Miguel looks up quickly. “Only to be imprisoned in a cell like this one for the rest of his life, shut away from the sun and the wind?”

    At that, Marcio’s eyes harden. “We will see.”

    “Then I go to my fate content.”

    “I am truly sorry that it had to come to this, cousin. But alas, the dusk approaches.”

    With that, the Prince opens the door and strides out, calling the guards back to their posts and barring the door behind him.

    The next day, Miguel is led out to the gallows. Given a chance for last words, he says, “To Portugal, I give my death, as I have my life.”

    Thus, on May 11th, 1243, Miguel de Portugal is hanged until dead.

    Marcio will never fully regain the trust of the people of Seville.


    In the midst of the chaos of the battle between Miguel and Marcio and the ensuing aftermath, a Moorish fleet is able to land troops immediately outside Silves. Forced to remain in the capital to maintain order, Marcio sends his only trusted general, Andre Osorio.

    Andre, son-in-law to Guilherme, takes most of Marcio’s veterans with him as he marches quickly toward the besieged city.

    In the meantime, Celestino and his wife Brigida (Marcio’s sister) are still trapped in eastern English territory near Lyon. With Aragonese troops patrolling the region to the south, the two have no way to reach the coast and the waiting Portuguese fleet. They remain relatively safe for the time being, as they are sheltered by Portugal’s strong ally, England. However, it appears that a full invasion on the coast will be necessary to rescue them.

    Guilherme’s other daughter Filipa and her husband Velasco arrive in Oporto, having sailed from Aragonese territory earlier that year. Roughly 7 months later, they have a daughter, Violante Garcia, raising eyebrows amongst the local nobles, based on the timing of their marriage only 8 months earlier.

    Aragonese troops begin crossing the border into the lands near Burgos and Valencia, both under control of the Black Crosses. With English armies fighting the Aragonese near Bordeaux, Aragon will be hard pressed to make a full invasion of the Portugal rebel territories, all of which are strongly fortified and garrisoned.

    In the spring of 1244, Gil and Pero’s sister, Madalena Bandeira, marries a Portuguese nobleman named Joaquim de Azevedo. While not a man of much distinction, there is opportunity to play a key role, as the family tree has become thin.

    In the summer, Andre Osorio reaches Silves and attempts to lift the siege. Gil the Elder sallies with the entire garrison.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Though the combined Portuguese armies have the advantage in numbers and quality, Taj Amir Isa is an excellent commander and is on the defense.

    Andre’s army moves forward steadily as Moorish trebuchets fling huge boulders at them. Not content to wait for Gil’s army to arrive, Andre pushes forward against the enemy. His veteran feudal knights head around the enemy flanks, charging straight into the Moorish archers in the rear. That gives the Portuguese infantry cover to rush forward against their counterparts.

    More heavily armored, the Portuguese troops push the enemy backwards, setting them up for a rear charge by the knights. In less than an hour, the bulk of the Moorish army is fleeing. Andre and the knights mop up a few small pockets of resistance, routing the entire enemy before Gil and his troops can even arrive.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Unwilling to leave enemy troops alive on Portuguese soil, Andre has the Muslim prisoners executed.

    Guilherme’s only remaining unmarried daughter, Raquel, marries a great Aragonese general, Dieogo de Penalosa. With this final daughter’s marriage, and Filipa and Velasco’s own daughter, Guilherme’s branch of the royal family tree will live on. However, with no sons, the crown is unlikely to return to Guilherme’s branch any time soon.

    Only a week later, King Guilherme dies of a sudden illness. While the end comes quickly, it is not at all unexpected. Born in 1157, shortly after the Moors were expelled from Iberia, the King lived to the ripe old age of 87.

    His nephew and Bartolomeu’s son Marcio becomes the fifth King of Portugal, all of whom have been direct male descendants from the first King, Henrique. Though he has no children yet, Marcio is married, and there is time for him to have children and pass his crown on to another de Portugal son.

    But with Miguel dead and Gaspar still nominally in rebellion, Marcio is the last remaining loyal male de Portugal in the entire family. Though his inclination is to choose his close friend and loyal general, Andre Osorio to be his heir presumptive, Marcio knows it is impossible. Andre has no royal blood and has only been a member of the royal family for a few years. Though he has proven himself both worthy and loyal, Andre would not be accepted by the people (who are still reeling from the ongoing civil war).

    Marcio can also not choose Gaspar, for obvious reasons. Besides non-royal Portuguese and Aragonese in-laws, only Gil and Pero are left with royal blood. With that, the choice is easy. Marcio chooses Gil Bandeira the Younger to be heir presumptive and take over in case of Marcio’s death without a male son or grandson. Only 22 years old, Gil is saddled with a huge responsibility, and not one he takes lightly.

    With the civil war still ongoing, Moorish attacks from the south, continued Aragonese aggression in the northeast, and an increasingly hostile Pope, Marcio’s reign will not be a peaceful one.

  5. #105

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/19: Chapter 21)

    This is really very well done. I especially liked your incorporation of the rebellion into the story. Keep it up!

  6. #106

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/19: Chapter 21)

    Thanks, Kirby. I'm currently working on editing pictures for the changeover to the next King, in 1244. I've got the family tree done, but I still have to edit the pictures of all generals (and write a short bio for each one), write up the faction rankings, and write Guilherme's legacy. It may be a few more days, but it will be up soon.

    Comments, advice, requests, and questions from anyone still reading this helps motivate me to keep writing (it's about 3x as much time writing the AAR than actually playing it), so if anyone out there still enjoys reading this, comment and remind me!

    I'm also taking requests on which areas of the world people want to see with the Fog of War off. I'll get the Mongols for sure. England (which includes the now destroyed French territory)? Fatimids? Holy Lands?

  7. #107
    Halbard's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/19: Chapter 21)

    England!!
    What makes a real American? A cowboy hat? Enjoying a fine T-bone
    steak? Going to a baseball game? Shooting a gun? Maybe it’s the freedom to go
    into a poor country and tell them how to do things?! Heh! Those are all great
    qualities! But one thing that makes a true patriot is the ability to choose
    an American car! When you buy an import you take a hot meal off a hard
    working American’s table. There, there! This poor girl is going
    to starve to death, just because you bought a cheaper, more efficient
    Maibazu. Without gross symbols of excess, what will Americans have to look up
    to? Our great industries is a threaten! Cars, pornography, armaments! And
    they need your help! So the next time you buy a car, a piece of adult
    literature or a missile defense system! Make sure you do the American thing!

  8. #108

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    Chapter 22: Long Live the King

    At King Guilherme’s death in 1244, the Kingdom of Portugal is in a state of flux. The likeliest usurper to the throne, Miguel de Portugal, has been defeated and executed by the new king, Marcio. While Miguel’s brother Gaspar remains nominally disloyal and Diogo blatantly so, the rebellion has been contained to the three northern cities of Burgos, Valencia, and Murcia.



    The rebellion has also crippled the Portuguese economy, since the incomes of those northern cities have gone directly to Diogo and Gaspar. So far, it has been a fair trade, because Diogo and Gaspar have had to maintain huge, expensive garrisons that have had the added effect of deterring any Aragonese invasions.


    The growth of the family tree has begun to slow in recent years, as young generals and princesses come of age to help fill the depleted ranks. Still, it is likely that the crown will eventually pass to a new dynasty unless King Marcio has several sons.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Because of the productive lines of his only children, Alexandre and Fernao, King Afonso’s branch of the royal family tree has easily been the largest of King Henrique’s children. With several Aragonese generals newly married into this branch, it is poised to once again expand.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Urraca’s branch of the family tree has been far less productive in terms of quantity, but it has included some of the most important non-royal men in Portuguese history in Gaston, Salvador, Gil the Elder, and Gil the Younger. And with some good fortune, this branch may be the future dynastic line of Portuguese kings.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Sancha’s branch has been a failure in terms of both quantity and quality. Though it has included some of the more important military leaders in Portugal’s history (Sebastiao, Miguel de Castelo, Diogo de Castelo), Diogo’s treachery has thrown the kingdom into chaos. It seems fitting, therefore, that the line is destined to die out in the next few years.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    The late king’s three daughters have all married useful men who are also loyal, a trait somewhat lacking in recent times.

    The eldest daughter, Filipa, and her Aragonese husband Velasco de Benavides have arrived in Oporto.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Velasco is a daring and courageous leader, having fought several major battles for Aragon before marrying into the Portuguese royal line. He is already a great victor, and he is well known for his willingness to fight in the thick of the battle. Though not old, he is going to be more useful in helping placate the western and southern cities (Oporto, Seville, Granada) than fighting.

    Joana’s husband Andre Osorio has already become a major military leader. Under Marcio’s command, Andre helped defeat Miguel, and he helped rescue Silves (and Gil the Elder) from a Moorish attack.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Andre is still quite inexperienced, but he is rapidly coming into his own. He will likely be called upon to fight the Moors or the Aragonese sometime soon.

    Diego de Penalosa is the most recent addition to the family tree, having just married Filipa and Joana’s younger sister, Raquel.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Diego, already the son of an important Portuguese nobleman, has great potential. Exceedingly loyal to Marcio, he will likely be called upon to fight the Moors or the Aragonese or both.

    King Marcio has a difficult task ahead of him, but he is an extremely capable leader.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    The new king is chivalrous and just, both to his people and to his enemies. Brave, smart, and charismatic, Marcio is also a good strategist. The only major concern is his health, which has never fully recovered from his bout of pneumonia in Lithuania. As the only Crusader in Portugal, he is well liked by the religious orders and the Catholic hierarchy in Portugal. The Pope, however, is an entirely different matter.

    Celestino de Villalobos has spent the past 5 years in the wrong place at the wrong time. Trapped in English territory by Aragonese troops, Celestino has little hope of a speedy arrival in Portugal. It will take some luck and daring to finally make it to his new kingdom.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Celestino is bright and courageous, but the challenges facing him have slowly eroded his faith. Marcio would be wise to take care with him, as papal inquisitors have begun to fan out across Europe, eagerly searching for any signs of heresy.

    The late Miguel’s brother Gaspar de Portugal remains holed up in Valencia. Though still officially designated a traitor, Gaspar has avoided any further challenges since Marcio returned.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Gaspar has become somewhat of a hoarder of florins, as he has felt the need to retain and account for every last coin in his city. He is also somewhat uninhibited as a result of his unique and awkward position.

    Joaquim de Azevedo is another newer addition to the family tree, having married Gil and Pero’s sister, Madalena.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Joaquim is a bland and uninspiring man, suitable for governing but little else. He is unlikely to play a key role in the coming years.

    Prince Gil, on the other hand, is very likely to be one of the most important Portuguese generals for decades to come.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Incredibly loyal to his cousin, Marcio, at the age of 22, Gil has a bright future ahead of him. He is intelligent and fearless, and though he is eager for battle, he also understands discretion.

    His younger brother, Pero, however, is in many ways an extreme version of Gil.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Like Gil, Pero has great military potential. Only 17, he is an expert warrior and rider. He has a close cadre of companions who would lay down their life for him. That being said, Pero has a temper and often flies into a rage at any slight.

    Their father, Gil the Elder, is quite literally the elder statesman of Portugal.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Having ruled Silves for nearly his entire adult life, Gil is a renowned hero in the city. His decision not to support Diogo and Miguel helped tip the balance of the war toward Marcio. He continues to abstain from alcohol because of his father’s own troubles with it. In his old age, Gil’s once-sharp mind has definitely begun to dull, but he is still a capable governor of his beloved city.

    Diogo, the most conspicuous traitor in Portugal’s history, continues to control the northern city of Burgos.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    At the age of 86, he is certainly nearing the end of his life. The only question is whether it will be a natural death or a violent one. Responsible for so much strife and disorder in the past decade, Diogo may yet live long enough to get his just desserts. He remains a cunning and deadly adversary, though, and Marcio would be foolish to take him lightly.


    King Guilherme’s legacy is a mixed one. His official reign lasted from 1201 to 1244, spanning two ages: one in which heavier chain mail was a significant advance to one in which gunpowder is going to mitigate the resistance of most armor altogether. Before becoming king, Guilherme devastated the Moorish north African city of Fes, unintentionally setting up Aragonese expansion at the expense of the Moorish enemy. As King, he personally led the initial defense against Leonese attacks in the east, and led the war to destroy the Kingdom of León. He played the central role in sieging and assaulting the last Leonese castle at Toledo, though his cowardice there sowed the seeds of chaos later.

    Guilherme helped cement the alliance with England, which used the backing of its southern ally to destroy the Kingdom of France and annex the Kingdom of Genoa as a vassal. The close alliance between the two regional powers has also placed Aragon in a difficult situation, squeezed between them in and around the Pyrenees Mountains.

    For all his successes, though, King Guilherme will always be remembered as the ruler during the Portuguese War of Crosses. The King’s madness and senility, combined with the lack of a son, created tremendous pressure and tension throughout the kingdom. The former hero, Diogo, used that tension to break away and convince Estevao, Gaspar, and Miguel to break away as well. Only Gil Bandeira’s neutrality and Marcio’s triumphant return kept Portugal from splitting completely in two.

    Because of the war, Portugal has been unable to make the leap from regional power to world power. Overshadowed by England to the north, forced to fight the Moors and Aragonese to the south, and continually stymied by the Pope, Portugal’s borders have not changed in almost 30 years.

    Faction Rankings

    Overall

    1. Byzantine Empire.......525,000 (-12% since 1201)
    2. Khwarezmian Empire...450,000 (-10%)
    3. Kingdom of Norway....395,000 (+84%)
    4. Fatimid Caliphate.......390,000
    5. Golden Horde............360,000
    6. Kingdom of England....310,000
    10. Kingdom of Aragon....210,000 (+29%)
    12. Kingdom of Portugal..195,000 (+50%)
    18. Moorish Caliphate.....25,000

    Military

    1. Golden Horde............540,000
    2. Byzantine Empire.......480,000
    3. Kingdom of Norway....300,000
    4. Kievan Rus...............240,000
    5. Khwarezmian Empire...235,000 (-33%)
    9. Kingdom of England....185,000
    11. Kingdom of Aragon...180,000 (+80%)
    13. Kingdom of Portugal..120,000 (+136%)
    19. Moorish Caliphate.....20,000

    Territorial

    1. Byzantine Empire........23 (-12%)
    2. Khwarezmian Empire....22 (-21%)
    3. Kingdom of Norway.....21 (+62%)
    4. Fatimid Caliphate........17
    5. Kingdom of England.....14
    6. Kingdom of Portugal....12 (33%)
    9. Kingdom of Aragon.......9
    21. Moorish Caliphate.......1

    Population

    1. Byzantine Empire.........485,000
    2. Khwarezmian Empire.....480,000
    3. Kingdom of Norway......455,000 (+102%)
    4. Fatimid Caliphate.........410,000
    5. Kingdom of England......320,000
    9. Kingdom of Portugal......225,000 (+67%)
    11. Kingdom of Aragon.....180,000
    19. Moorish Caliphate........25,000

    The Khwarezmian Empire has suffered substantially at the hands of the Mongols’ Golden Horde. After years of unfettered expansion, the empire has lost huge parts of their eastern lands to the new invaders. The Byzantines, meanwhile, have lost lands to the Fatimids, who have attempted to expand northward to make up for lands they lost to the Sicilians in Africa.

    The Golden Horde continues to expand in the north against Novgorod:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    in the west against the Khwarezmian Empire:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    and in the southwest against the Khwarezmian Empire:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    The area between the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean is increasingly chaotic, fought over by the Byzantines, the Fatimids, the Khwarezmians, and rebels. And the Golden Horde may soon push its way into this region as well.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    In contrast, the Holy Lands are entirely at peace, controlled by the Muslim Fatimids.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    England continues to slowly push back against the Scots and is close to overwhelming Edinburgh, having already taken Aberdeen.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    England is also fighting with Norway over the contested border in the east.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    And, finally, a massive war has erupted between England and Aragon for control of the regions north of the Pyrenees.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    The Khwarezmians are fighting desperately against the Golden Horde, but show no signs of stopping the Mongols’ advance. Novgorod will likely suffer a similar fate. While Kievan Rus, the Byzantines, and the Fatimids control the eastern Mediterranean and Black Seas, they may also eventually face Mongol invasions.

    Norway, England, and Venice control almost all of central Europe, with the Papal States owning most of northern Italy, and Sicily southern Italy. Portuguese expansion has been stunted in recent years as the kingdom is wracked by civil war.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    The next few years will be crucial, as the Mongols continue to push westward. New innovations such as full plate and gunpowder are sure to have an impact on the continual wars in Europe.

  9. #109
    Halbard's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    Why has no one taken Eire? Really, it bugs me that Ireland is always forgotten.
    What makes a real American? A cowboy hat? Enjoying a fine T-bone
    steak? Going to a baseball game? Shooting a gun? Maybe it’s the freedom to go
    into a poor country and tell them how to do things?! Heh! Those are all great
    qualities! But one thing that makes a true patriot is the ability to choose
    an American car! When you buy an import you take a hot meal off a hard
    working American’s table. There, there! This poor girl is going
    to starve to death, just because you bought a cheaper, more efficient
    Maibazu. Without gross symbols of excess, what will Americans have to look up
    to? Our great industries is a threaten! Cars, pornography, armaments! And
    they need your help! So the next time you buy a car, a piece of adult
    literature or a missile defense system! Make sure you do the American thing!

  10. #110
    Concrete's Avatar Semisalis
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    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    Why would anyone want to go there? It's a desolate wasteland filled with Savages.
    But yeah, it's usually unclaimed for quite some time.
    England sometimes goes there if they're not at war with anyone, and I've even seen Leon go there once.


  11. #111
    TeutonicKnight's Avatar Miles
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    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    TheBard,

    I am loving your AAR. Keep up the excellent story. I am reading your updates between turns in my own campaign.

    Thanks for posting all this!

    Oh, and +rep!
    "Artillery lends dignity to what might otherwise be a vulgar brawl."

    ~Frederick the Great

  12. #112

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    Thanks for the comments, guys. I am glad to know that some people find this interesting. I am currently dealing with several major crises under King Marcio's rule, despite the civil war being over. One, not surprisingly, has to do with a lack of children. The other, more surprisingly, has to do with a jihad.

    Stay tuned for more.

  13. #113

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    this is a great AAR i wait for the continue.

  14. #114

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    Thanks, guys. I am ridiculously busy at work, grading student essays. Next week is finals, so it will eventually get easier. I'm trying to find a good stopping point in the campaign to make an update, but even small chapters take 3-5 hours to do, with all the editing. Next week at the latest, but maybe this weekend. There have been a couple setbacks, including plague, a jihad, papal disfavor, and my utter inability to kill the Moors.

  15. #115
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    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    Very good AAR

    I've just spent a few hours of my life reading this 22 chaptered work
    SS 6.4, Eras 2.3, DotS Project
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  16. #116

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 11/25: Chapter 22)

    Chapter 23: The Beating of the Drums

    With his main rival dead, the newly crowned King Marcio heads toward Toledo, leaving Gil the Younger in charge of Seville. The new king is quick to recognize Sevillans’ anger over the execution of Miguel, and Gil is a good choice to lead the city.

    In the meantime, Diego de Penalosa, newly married to Raquel, begins to travel from Barcelona toward Portuguese lands when he is attacked by his former countrymen. With only a few dozen bodyguards and mercenaries, Diego and Raquel are forced to retreat onto the Portuguese fleet nearby. The Aragonese attack on their own kin further damages relations with Portugal.

    In 1245, Marcio arrives in Toledo and gathers the remaining veterans of his late uncle’s army. Rather than immediately moving on the traitor Diogo, Marcio camps in Toledo for the year. Unhappy with the thought of the near-riotous Seville as his capital, the King orders the capital officially moved to Toledo. The move symbolically connects the new king to the previous king, Guilherme, who was revered in Toledo. It also tightens control of the kingdom, as Toledo is the gateway to the northern rebelling cities.

    The next spring, as the powerful force moves toward Diogo’s fortress at Burgos, a messenger arrives. Breathless, the man dismounts from his horse and bows to the new king. “My lord, urgent news! Diogo is dead!” Stunned, King Marcio demands details from the man, who has few to give. “I do not know any more, sire. The news arrived at Valencia just three days ago. It was Gaspar who sent me to find you and convey the tidings.” Wary of the validity of the news, Marcio orders his own messengers to Burgos to confirm it. Marcio and the rest of the army change course and head southeast toward Valencia and Gaspar.

    The King soon meets up with the newly arrived Diego de Penalosa. The two men and the king’s army march on Murcia. The leaderless rebels quickly capitulate, and Diego is made governor. The King moves on toward Gaspar.

    The royal family expands, as Velasco and Filipa have another daughter, Leonor.

    1247 is an inauspicious year. The King’s army is forced to fight several small rebel armies on the way, stalling their advance. But by the time they arrive outside Valencia, the news of Diogo’s death has been confirmed. The traitor died in 1245 of old age, and his wife Angelina (Guilherme’s sister) committed suicide soon after, unwilling to be a prisoner to her nephew.

    Plague hits Murcia, killing 2500 civilians and 80 soldiers in the rebel Black Cross army. Marcio deems it God’s punishment for the rebellion.

    Sadly, Gil the Elder dies in his treasured city of Silves. He was 85. While not the military leader his father Salvador was, Gil the Elder ably governed Silves and kept the southern half of the kingdom in line during the War of Crosses. In addition, his sons Gil and Pero are cornerstones of the new King’s army, with Gil the presumptive heir. His death is not exactly shocking, as old as he was, but Marcio orders three days of mourning across the kingdom.

    Portuguese fleets skirmish with Aragonese ships that have blockaded many eastern Portuguese ports, with the enemy eventually driven off. But the distraction serves its purpose, allowing a large army of Aragon’s close allies, the Moors, to land directly outside Silves.

    Andre Osorio and men from Seville rush westward to help the beleaguered city, already reeling from Gil’s death.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Joaquim de Azevedo and the garrison sally to help Andre, but it is hardly needed. Andre and his army, mostly veterans from King Marcio’s Crusade, make short work of the Moorish invaders, killing all prisoners.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Not content to remain at Silves, Andre and his army push on southward toward Aragonese territory. South of Seville, Andre is attacked by a huge Aragonese army under the command of Berenguel de Siguenza.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Determined to fight back the invaders, Andre’s army digs in and prepares to defend a gently sloping hill. As the Aragonese march uphill, their catapults launch boulders into the Portuguese lines. Badly outnumbered, the Portuguese archers rain down arrows upon the enemy, and the Portuguese infantry charge desperately.

    Andre and his cavalry manage to find Berenguel in the midst of the chaos, charging into him with all of their might. Though Andre’s men become bogged down, Berenguel suffers several serious wounds.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Andre himself takes a glancing blow off his helmet. The huge Aragonese army manages to scatter the Portuguese defending force, and Andre’s men grab him and force him to flee. It is a devastating defeat, and an utter disaster.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Now, all of southern Portugal is open to an attack by Berenguel’s army.


    King Marcio finally arrives at Valencia with his army. As he begins to make preparations to besiege the large fortress, the gates open and the portcullis lifts. Out steps Gaspar de Portugal. No longer the young boy that was unwittingly pulled into rebellion, Gaspar is now a 30-year-old man. Gaspar rides out of the fortress at the head of a huge army.

    King Marcio and his men quickly mount up and prepare to meet the rebels head on. As he is about to give the order to charge, Gaspar’s cavalry come to an abrupt stop. Gaspar dismounts easily and walks toward the King’s men. As he nears Marcio, Gaspar unsheaths his sword. Marcio’s knights tense, prepared to run down the traitor.

    But Gaspar drops to one knee and bows his head, holding his sword lightly on his fingertips, parallel to the ground.

    “My Lord. My King. I am your servant.”

    Knowing full well the fate of his brother, Gaspar has chosen to offer up his life to the king and hope for mercy. Marcio’s army is the most powerful in all of Portugal, and Gaspar knows that even a determined defense at Valencia cannot hold out indefinitely.

    The King dismounts from his horse, walking steadily toward the kneeling Gaspar. When he reaches Gaspar, Marcio gestures, bidding him raise his eyes.

    “You are a rebel against the lawful King of Portugal. The punishment for disloyalty is death.”

    Gaspar’s eyes go wide, but he does not move except to drop his head. His life is forfeit.

    “However….”

    Gaspar cannot help but look up in hope at the King’s words.

    “It seems that the circumstances of your disloyalty are in question. You were a boy when the War began. The day he died, your brother swore to me that you were no rebel. He said it was your father’s will, not yours.”

    Pained at the reference to Miguel, Gaspar fights to conceal his emotions.

    “I am not inclined to trust one rebel’s words about another rebel. But, by all accounts, you have not engaged in any moves against the King’s army since the battle with my father. And the reports are that you have treated my people well here in Valencia while you have been governor.”

    Everyone noticed the subtle reinforcing of the notion that the people in Valencia, indeed in all of Portugal, were Marcio’s. And the use of the word “governor” deliberately avoided any mention of the fact that Gaspar was in independent control of the castle for more than a decade.

    “I told your brother I would consider sparing your life. And indeed, I have decided that your punishment will be worse than death.”

    Gaspar’s heart sank at this, as his mind conjured up images of imprisonment and years of torture. Perhaps the King meant to give him over to the inquisitors.

    “Your familial lands are now forever a part of the royal lands. That will help repay Valencia’s lost income for the past 12 years. Any and all claims to the throne are forever relinquished, and all ties to the royal family are severed. Any future children will never be allowed to reenter the royal rolls. But you will live.

    The remainder of your life will be spent in service to the King of Portugal, doing as the King commands. After today, you will be placed on board a ship in the port here. You will rescue Celestino de Villalobos from Aragonese territory, and then you will carry on attacks against the Moors or Aragon or whatever enemy I choose.

    You may remain in service in our future overseas colonies, but if you set foot in Portugal proper, you will be killed. Gaspar de Portugal, you are hereby exiled from Portugal forever.”

    With that, the War of Crosses ends. Burgos is soon easily pacified as well. Gaspar does indeed board a ship the following day, heading northeast to rescue Celestino. And Gaspar’s life would eventually end without having ever again stepped on Portuguese soil.

    The following year, the Aragonese Pope demands an end to hostilities with his kinsmen. Angered at the scolding for defending Portuguese territory, Andre Osorio heads to Seville to rebuild his army.

    Diego de Penalosa, newly made governor of Murcia, contracts the plague in the festering city. He succumbs in 1249, only 32 years old.

    Fortunately, Gaspar’s mission is successful, and Celestino and Brigida are rescued. In 1150, their son Duarte is born aboard a ship in the fleet, just off the coast of Aragonese territory. Velasco and Filipa have a son that year, Rui. The King’s sister, Branca, marries the aging Portuguese nobleman Mateus de Castelo that year, as well.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Taking advantage of the Pope’s threats to excommunicate Marcio, Aragonese troops simultaneously besiege Valencia and Cordoba in a daring and swift move.

    With Gil the Younger defending Gibraltar against possible Aragonese attacks, Cordoba is defended by only a garrison of about 300 militia under the command of his brother, Pero the Wrathful. Berenguel de Siguenza, who so easily dispatched Andre Osorio, besieges the city. Gil begins a frantic march northward, hoping to save his younger brother, but it seems impossible for him to reach the city before it is assaulted.

    In the north, King Marcio is besieged at Valencia. Gaspar and Celestino and the remnants of Gaspar’s rebel army are far out to sea, heading full speed for the Moorish city of Marrakesh. The King has no way to reach them with a message to demand reinforcements. Outnumbered 950 to 800, the King has no recourse but to dig in against the invaders. Furious at the Pope’s indifference to Aragon’s hostile actions, Marcio fumes in his chambers.

    Every day, the King trains his men and fortifies the walls.

    Every night, the King drifts off to a restless sleep as he hears the boom of the Aragonese war drums. In the daytime, the drums are drowned out by the activity of the King’s defending garrison, but every night, all summer long, the low rumbling is heard throughout the castle. Every man, woman, and child in Valencia understands that those drums mark their doom. It echoes in their chests and vibrates through their bones.

    Then, on a crisp October morning in 1250, the drums stop. But the booming continues. Catapults spring into action, pummeling the fortress walls. The Aragonese have come.


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

  17. #117
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    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 12/6: Chapter 23)

    I'd rep you if you hadn't blocked it

    nice new "twist" in the story
    SS 6.4, Eras 2.3, DotS Project
    The first computer you had always was the best.
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  18. #118

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 12/6: Chapter 23)

    Thanks. I didn't know you could block reps. I think I just had it hidden by mistake, perhaps? It shows me the little green rep button on it now. I know I've gotten rep before, relatively recently. Either way, I don't do the AAR for rep, so it's not a big deal. Glad you are enjoying it so far.

  19. #119

    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 12/6: Chapter 23)

    very well written story old bean




  20. #120
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    Default Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] The Rise of Portugal (Updated 12/6: Chapter 23)

    +rep for you buddy!

    and + rep to everyone on the badge, for the hell of spreading "love"

    concrete now has 3 axe
    teutonicknight now has 2 axe
    prima now has 3 axe
    and TheBard now has a full helm!!

    congrats all
    SS 6.4, Eras 2.3, DotS Project
    The first computer you had always was the best.
    R.I.P. 2001-2011

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