Agioi Apostoloi- City Constable's Headquarters

**Hengest** · August 09, 2013, 10:38 AM

Site History:

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Agioi Apostoloi, also known as the Imperial Polyándreion (imperial cemetery), was an Eastern Orthodox church in Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. The first structure dates to the 4th century, though future emperors would add to and improve on the space. It was second in size and importance only to the Hagia Sophia among the great churches of the capital. The original church of the Holy Apostles was dedicated in about 330 by Constantine the Great, the founder of Constantinople, the new capital of the Roman Empire. Emperior Justinian expanded the church in 550, the relics of Constantine as well as Saint Andrew, Saint Luke and Saint Timothy were installed and a mausoleum for Justinian and his family was built at the end of its northern arm.

For more than 700 years the church of the Holy Apostles was the second-most important church in Constantinople, after that of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia). But whereas the church of the Holy Wisdom was in the oldest part of the city, that of the Holy Apostles stood in the centre of the newer part of the much expanded imperial capital, on the great thoroughfare called Mese Odós (English: Central Street), and was the busiest church in the city. Most emperors and many patriarchs and bishops were buried in the church, and their relics were venerated by the faithful for centuries.

The most treasured possessions of the church were the skulls of Saints Andrew, Luke and Timothy, but the church also held relics of Saint John Chrysostom and other Church Fathers, saints and martyrs. The church also held what was believed to be part of the "Column of Flagellation", to which Jesus had been bound and flogged. Over the years the church acquired huge amounts of gold, silver and gems donated by the faithful. The church was renovated and enlarged again in the 9th century by the Emperor Basil I. In the 10th century Constantine of Rhodes composed a Description of the building of the Apostles in verse, which he dedicated to Constantine VII.

The basilica was looted during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. The historian Nicetas Choniates records that the Crusaders plundered the imperial tombs and robbed them of gold and gems. Not even Justinian's tomb was spared. The tomb of Emperor Heraclius was opened and his golden crown was stolen along with the late Emperor's hairs still attached on it.

Residents:
Athelstan 'Desdechardo' Wreak, Imperial Constable
Willyame, Thegn of Eskedale, Captain of the Guard
The English Company, or "Last Lions" -331 English veterans (see retainers)
The Twelve Virgins of the Templon

Athelstan's English Regiment:
400 Armoured Sergeants
400 Feudal Archers

Current Imperial forces in barracks
English Host: 3,300 men
150 Mounted 'German' Knights
150 Dismounted 'German' Knights
250 Feudal Crossbowmen
300 Feudal Archers
400 Armoured Spearmen
400 'German' Men-at-Arms
500 Light 'German' Cavalry
350 Levy Archers
800 Sergeant Spearmen

Levant Host: 900 men
50 Mounted 'Levant' Knights
50 Dismounted 'Levant' Knights
100 Feudal Crossbowmen
100 Feudal Archers
150 Armoured Spearmen
150 'Levant' Men-at-Arms
100 Levy Archers
200 Sergeant Spearmen

Naval Reinforcements
Warships: 16
Transports: 60
Marines: 1,600 (Part of the Warship crews)

Constable's Guard:

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Athelstan 'Desdechardo' Wreak

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Household and retainers

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**Lucius Malfoy** · August 09, 2013, 10:43 AM

OOC: Need a roll for the last bit? To see if anyone was still left in there?

Also, nice choice.

**Hengest** · August 09, 2013, 12:12 PM

Yes please

**Lucius Malfoy** · August 09, 2013, 12:20 PM

Result: 12

There are some noises heard, but nothing is for certain. If anything, they may be hiding from the threat of the Latins. One thing is for certain, there are no guards present. Any sort of security saved its own skin perhaps.

**Hengest** · August 09, 2013, 03:26 PM

Athelstan and the very last of the men, a few sorry hundred archers rushed through the greenery of Deuteron after the great battle near the Lycus. The men were no strangers to the city, having been visitors under the Lionheart in the last crusade. They knew with great instinct that the Church was a fastness, fortress and one of the richest places in the entire city. They reached the great cruciform structure at dawn. Athelstan himself was the first to enter the cool shade of its echoing inwards. The men called out, asking if there was any soul alive in the place.

The morning light made the fair air blush between soft shadows of towering pillars, alcoves and arches beneath the coloured glass domes that signified the presence of God within the artistry of man. The space within these walls was scented with roses and jasmine, specks of dust glimmering in the rising sunlight. The Englishmen stood beneath the vault of the huge doors, silent.

Athelstan's footfalls resounded as he moved closer to the iconostastis, the great golden wall of precious icons. If ever he wanted to buy back his earldom, his lands and to return the estates to his churls, he need only pluck the fruit from this tree.

The archers rushed in amongst the pews, grabbing golden candelabra, damascened silk draperies, silver-thread patterned tapestries, marble statues and fonts alone could be sold for good ship back to England. But Athelstan sensed something, as his hand reached out towards the door of the iconostasis, a shadow emerged at the corner of his eye. Hiding in the shadows, cloaked and cowled in black a figure stirred breathlessly, and Athelstan could tell that the figure was guarding the iconostasis and all the treasures that lay behind. Weary with battle he did not need think but whipped out his hand and leaning into the attack struck the black shape with the full force of his falchion.

The heavy single edge hacked the old woman in two, across her pelvis. A slight thing made of skin and bones, she immediately fell tangled in the black robes of her office. "Mother Superior!" Came the screaming voices in Greek. A dozen more black figures, all nuns in the robes of service bolted from the silver and golden decorated doors of the iconostasis. Athelstan dropped his blade and sank by the old woman's side. Her intestines were dangling like wet bloody snakes around her bared knees and across the cold marble floor.

The nuns wailed, tearing at their face and hair, their shawls cast aside as they wept. Athelstan hung over the nun and held her head in his hands. Years of murder and death, in the service of Christ or an earthly king, it was a long long line of ghosts he had sent to Hades. The crone was pale and her eyes so dark, but a slow strange smile spread across her wrinkled face. She whispered, still gargling with the blood rising through her gullet a word he did not recognise. "Charizomai".

The woman closest to the Mother, snatched a glazed look at Athelstan, his hands black with old gore and filth. This woman was fairhaired and her eyes a sapphire blue, her cheeks were the pigment of white rose petals. He choked. Her expression was a clash of anger, grief and grace. She spasmed into heavy weeping and curled in pain around the mother's head. The other nuns wailed and beat themselves, but none of them laid a hand of reproach upon him.

Now that the iconostasis doors were opened the glowing radiance of gems and gold and silver and sunlight setting the whole scene to bloom like a halo, the archers all staggered towards the end of the basilica with wide eyes and open mouths. Shuffling up the aisle to where the black robed figures and Athelstan gathered around the cut woman, the soldiers saw the gloria of the sanctuary. With the nun's blood streaming slowly out before them like a river of warning at their feet, between them and the altar they looked at one another- their hands full of artefacts and relics and one by one went to their knees. As the women cried, the men themselves were overwhelmed with the pain of years of war. So far from home, so many foes and friends slain in horror and deception. Lies upon lies upon lies, suffocating and darkening their days and nights. The salvation of this solitude, an asylum from the thunderous sounds of slaughter and desecration in the greatest city on earth outside... and three hundred warriors bowed their faces to the immaculate stone floor and wept.

The basilica shivered with a choir of stifled tears, augmented by the prolific chorus of the women. The fair-haired nun stood, wiping her tears, regarding the soldiers. Athelstan looked up at her in awe, she returned his gaze and slowly backed away from him towards the Holy Doors. She whispered to her sisters to retreat, though their woeful chants were deafening beneath the echoing dome, they were the guardians of the Templon and with all duty and reverence heard her quiet voice and recoiled from the men. What to the Crusaders was earthly riches and treasure, were to the twelve sisters the worldly presence of the Pantokratoros. Her golden hair flared like flax across the black of her robes, with a feint smile like the memory of first autumn snow from his childhood she softly closed the golden Holy Doors and Athelstan was alone with the Mother superior he had killed. His men dared not look up but were overwhelmed beneath the Horos by the terrible presence of God and the essence of salvation.

**Hengest** · August 11, 2013, 05:10 AM

Deep in the blackness of the first night, fogged by acrid smoke that choked the streets with the smell of cooked human flesh and burning thatch, Athelstan stood face to face with Willyame; Thegn of Eskedale. The red of the men's torches lit up their faces and sent shivering shadows across dirty features, bruised bloody and battle-fatigued.

"Have some priests brought here at the palace to all write the same declaration in Greek and Latin again and again: the city is taken and under Bohemund's rule: all rapists, murderers and thieves will be taken into custody and tried by the law of the new Emperor." He didn't have repeat himself, he knew Willyame understood what needed to be done. He continued: "I will patrol the city with our Company of Archers, you will be responsible for all garrisons and stationary security." Athelstan laid a heavy hand on the Scotsman's shoulder.

"Athelstan, how do you intend to stop these mad lords from looting and pillaging? Try to stop these men from claiming their share of the spoils and you'll start a new war." Willyame reasoned.

"Aye, but if we don't at least make a show of order the pillaging will spiral into lords fighting each other like dogs on the same chunk of meat. Wherever the lords have made camp and claimed women or booty let that remain so, but anyone caught in the act of roaming the streets tàking whatever they want... It must be stopped. Remember Sicily, Cyprus and the Levantine harbours? It was mayhèm, not a soul was safe."

"No one was safe" Willyame nodded "we must have raped every woman and child from Ceuta to Syria. We can't live through that nightmare again."

"God wills it, comrade. We must save these men from themselves, or what kingdom will it become? When it starts with hell?"

"I'll use Bohemund's men to secure the city, no one gets in or out. Ten men at every gate, fifty at each breach. A hundred in the harbours, and the palace districts must be guarded." Willyame looked around, beginning to pick the Emperor's captains by hand.

"Don't forget Blacharnae then."

"Aye," answered Eskedale "and where will you go?"

"Where the fires rise highest." Athelstan shook his head, "The Venetians are anarchists -they have no liege lord only a politician to lead them, no wonder they rip and tear through the streets like wolves."

"And these documents the priests will be writing?"

"Me and the Company will take them and nail them to every church door, announce them in every forum and hand them personally to every camp and every crusader lord in this godforsaken purgatory."

Willyame sighed, "You realise we are -making- him Emperor, endorsing his claim to power? Is that what you want?"

"Of course he is no more a rightful sovereign than you or I but someone needs to rule this havoc, someone needs to stop these evils this very night. Who else is there to do it? The men with the greatest arms! All we can do is to try and lend some Christian morality to his governance."

The Scotsman laughed bitterly, "Athelstan, we stopped being Christians long ago, our sins in the last crusade have damned us to eternity thrice over."

Athelstan nodded, holding his friend's hand. "But we can still save these wretched dogs, this crusade might have the chance of absolution that we never had."

"Inshallah, brother, inshallah." Said Willyame in a low voice.

With that, Eskedale laid out a map of the city stolen from the palace and; setting up a command post in the gardens of the palace using a common cart as his strategy table; he began to point and mark out where Bohemund's captains would take and man the gates. Meanwhile, Athelstan and the 331 bowmen marched through the worst of the smoke and screams that seemed like hell itself bringing the word of the Emperor and the experience of Lionhearted veterans into the fires of sin and inequity.

**Hengest** · August 11, 2013, 07:33 PM

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**Hengest** · August 11, 2013, 08:43 PM

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**joriandrake** · August 23, 2013, 05:39 AM

Hundreds of feet and hoofs can be heard marching through the streets as Lord Attila of House Arpad, Count of Vas and Duke of Savaria lead his almost two thousand men to the "Imperial Cemetery", Agioi Apostoloi. He jumps off his white horse, and with Father Akos and his two banner holding guards walks through the main gate.

"I am here to see constable Athelstan, Commander of the City Guard and of the Imperial Forces. Tell him that Attila, the Lion of House Arpad of the Twin Lions, Count of Vas and Duke of Savaria has come to meet the leader of the Last Lions of Albion and right hand of the Emperor." Attila declared so that nearby guards and servants could hear him.

**Hengest** · August 23, 2013, 07:26 AM

The 331 bowmen guards were placed around the building, at its windows and eleven on the 'parapets' of the roof as if this place of God was a place of war; which after all- the whole city had now become. The bowmen observed the huge array if Hungarian troops amassed at the headquarters along the Mese Olos allowed the Lord and his chaplain inside the huge fortified basilica. With a pair of Last Lions on each side the visitors were escorted into the vast golden vault of the church, footsteps echoing from pillar to dome.
At the far end of the nave knelt twelve young nuns praying; muttering and swaying and chanting in Greek before the screen of painted icons that shielded the tabernacle.
Far up on one of the upper levels in a gallery overlooking the length and breadth of the church below was the constable and a handful of the emperor's own French captains drawing over maps laid out over old clerics' and scribes' desks. Athelstan looked up slightly to see below, "Ah...so the Magyar is finally here." He said to those close by. "Come up!" He called out in a loud voice that recalled the now forgotten preachings of the vanished bishop.

**joriandrake** · August 23, 2013, 08:11 AM

As he followed his escort Duke Attila evaluated the worth and quality of the archers. While he left his own bow on his horse Attila felt home among the archers despite that the ones practicing seem to have used strange methods to draw the bows. Then again he thought to himself the methods of Hungarian archery also seem strange to most others.

"So my arrival is already known. Not that surprising considering the small army I came with, even though it is less than half in size of what it was supposed to be." Attila spoke and stepped closer to the desks and Athlestan. "You have me at a disadvantage, you know I am Hungarian, but I am unsure of your origin. If I assume right you are a Saxon based on your name, Constable?" He took a glance at the maps on the desks, and took a moment to try memorize the locations shown on them representing various locations now acting like homes to the crusader nobles, and the reinforced defense locations of the garrisons. Considering that the amount of troops seemed very low, they were well positioned into key points of the city and surroundings, although a few places seemed empty.

"Greetings Constable." Father Akos stayed in the background and just softly greeted the man with a smile.

**Hengest** · August 23, 2013, 11:37 AM

Athelstan rolled up the maps cautiously as Attila neared, hoping he had not gained too much information from the charts. "Welcome" he extended his sword hand in the tradition of his countrymen. "Englishman...Saxon is what the Normans call us so that we seem as foreign as they to our land." The constable stopped himself, he was surrounded by Franks and Normans of the Emperors own men. "It seems that both our names precede us. I must say you've created quite a stir." Athelstan pointed wryly to the noble's fine unique dress. He himself no longer looked like a noble at all, exiled from his lands in his libertine years and nigh on two decades on the last crusade and he was swarthy but fair haired and clothed like a desert nomad with northern weapons. "But we are all Latins now it seems."

**joriandrake** · August 23, 2013, 12:17 PM

"Well, in one meaning of the word, yes. I am actually a Katholikos, Greek Catholic of faith. my half-brother Akos is a priest of the same religion." Saying this he also introduced Father Akos quickly, who reacted with a nod towards the constable. "As for the equipment of mine, unlike the fashion at court and military to mimic everything Western, or so to speak "Frankish", I am still one of the few who follows the traditional horse archery of old. I ordered this armor done in a way that it is easy to move in it even as archer or on horseback, and used some old armors from an old roman outpost in Savaria we accidentally excavated about five years ago to make the new armor still look proper enough for knights and court."

After a few moments as he also looked better at what the man from Albion wore he remarked : "You seem like a somewhat traditional westerner, and a veteran to me, your equipment is well used and also kept well maintained. I also have to approve of those archers I have seen on my way here practicing. Good stance, steady aiml, even if the way they grab at the bow looks alien to me."

Akos cleared his throat and Attila was reminded why he is here to begin with. "Ah right, let's cut the pleasantries minimal then. We are here because I heard of your announcement soon after I ended my visit to the Emperor, and it is a bit of a problem to have more than two-thirds of my troops leave the city because that absurd restriction. I have no way to find an above for them all if we have to leave the city, nor is it plausible to do so when in any day a vengeful Byzantine or Bulgarian army could arrive at the walls and poke at the defenses to see if a sudden assault is worth or not." The Duke changed his tone to a more factual, straight-to-the-point one which was more of something a military commander would use, and while not aggressive or threatening, it shown that Attila is capable of more than idle chatter among nobles.

Akos gave a remark in addition then. "Lord Arpad and the troops are tired from the long march, and sad news from home didn't help the mood and morale either. A temporary place to rest at would be valuable, and while a building was located in Constantinopolis that will become the palace for House Arpad, it urgently needs repairs before it can be used."

**Hengest** · August 23, 2013, 05:04 PM

Athelstan smiled, "Aye I'm sure both of our lots of lads would enjoy some sport some day on the ranges." He listened to the Ducate speak of the ways of his fathers and it reminded him of his own lands. "We have little more than our bows left to us, and our memories of home alas they are as notched and dented as our old swords. The Third Crusade carried us far although we fought only a few years under the Lionheart, once he left we were all leaderless and abandoned, by Frank, German and Norman. We sad few are the lucky ones, and yet so many of us fell taking these bloody walls on a cat's hope in hell of gaining funds in order to sail home. And yet here I stand before you. Such is fate and god's will."
At Akos' interruption, Athelstand nodded. "I don't care for your tone priest, you should have come straight to me when you entered the city in the first place but it seems you were far more keen to flash your heraldry and parade around a broken city and then ask me for bread. There is no room in this city for more troops. I have nigh on 5000 men to feed as it is and the Emperor has his own Lusignan troops... all in all I'm afraid you would have been best to camp outside the city." Athelstan placed his hand on the duke's shoulder- "Look, I sympathise. But the best I can for you is to allow your cavalry to graze here in the west of the city along the Lycus valley. But your men will all have to billet in one of the garrisons, and frankly we need them there both for order inside the city and to keep the outer boundaries safe. Take your pick of towns and castles- there are five that stand empty and each one would be happy to receive troops once more. Their entire economies were built around the old Greek garrisons...now what do they have. If you can keep your boys from raping and burning I'm sure they will find a good home there for the short term. I'd be grateful for the aid in building up a garrison in good military government also, to pass over to the next commander that will be posted there. I will help you as much as I can, but you may not gallivant around this city like you own the place, there are too many proud lords here and too much pride is never a good thing, nor too many banners--- believe me I have seen this happen in a dozen cities before. You seem like a wise lord, I'm sure you don't want to go down the damned path of so many so-called crusaders before you."

**joriandrake** · August 23, 2013, 06:45 PM

((I think you mixed up some events and who said what... either that or I wrote it badly.
The priest once greeted you, then with throat clearing reminded the Duke of why he is even here, then politely remarked about the tired troops needing a place to rest. Akos didn't really flash around any heraldry either and was only at the Latin Archbishop before coming here, while Duke Attila came to the Constable right after meeting the Emperor... so yea he is a bit still flashy with the retinue due to that.
The Bread Breaking will happen after this event as well. I do believe that coming here after the royal and religious visits is more than proper, no?))

**Hengest** · August 24, 2013, 05:59 AM

Ooc: Ok I understand although he might not be right or proper he is just focused on his duties. What I meant about the heraldry is that the masses of men marching through the city would be 'flaunting' their colours which Athelstan believes would make some lords jealous and the breaking of bread certainly will! (In his experience of rival lords on the last crusade)

**joriandrake** · August 27, 2013, 06:24 AM

(( Okay, that about the troops is understandable, but the Breaking of Bread didn't even begin yet))

Attila raised an eyebrow. "There there Constable, Father Akos did nothing wrong. It is true that he is my second in command, but it was I who commanded the tired troops to come inside the walls of the city, rather than stand around in whatever weather comes, whatever enemy may appear over night." Duke Attila suspected the Constable may had a bad encounter with a clergymen not long ago, or perhaps has a dislike for all of them to react like this towards Akos.

The Lion of Pannonia then smiled. "I believe we can come to an agreement about the garrison of those five castles, until my forces are to move somewhere else that is. They will be given 300 soldiers to be garrisoned in them, which leave me with 200 that will join the defenses of the city itself here under the command of Akos and my own."

He laid a hand on the desk before him. "Of course, I await that my forces will be treated like equals then with all others here, be supplied and fed properly so they regain strength and will soon. I just recently heard of the event that good King Emeric I died back at home in Hungary, and the troop more has not recovered yet." After a moment of consideration he finished his reply. "I do think our forces might indeed have a chance at training and fighting together, and if possible I would like to ask you for the support of some of your man in capturing some lands soon. I understand the defenses of the capital is important, but if the lands around us are not conquered soon, we may end up with a single city among enemies when the Byzantines reorganize themselves, other claimants and Bulgars arrive to take slices and crumbs around us. If we conquer territories surrounding us soon, the need for a bigger garrison here will also diminish."

After a moment of thought Attila also added an extra remark. "Of course, a swift conquest of lands enough for a Duchy would mean enough landed titles to hand out to friends of the Crown and me. I can see you or a member of your family gaining a few Baron or Count titles as result of such conquest." Duke Attila had no idea how the man before him works, and an innocent remark of possible personal gain can't really hurt to persuade him.

**Hengest** · August 28, 2013, 11:38 AM

Athelstan nodded, "Garrisoning your men will certainly mean that they can recuperate all the more quickly, and I imagine the locals will be more than willing to keep them fed and watered. 200 men as your bodyguard in the city is more than acceptable." He looked down for a moment remembering the maps he was just pouring over. "You clearly have some military acumen, I agree that expansion is the best defence for the city. I have 900 men from the Levant that I can offer you freely, but my English forces are tied to the city. It is possible I can provide more but they would have to march under my command or that of my captain, the Thegn of Eskedale." Athelstan sized up the nobleman, "I'm sorry to hear about your family loss, will you be returning for the funeral?"

**joriandrake** · August 28, 2013, 01:46 PM

Attila looked him in the eyes as he replied. "Sadly no, while I wish I could I swore an oath to King Emeric and now also to the Emperor of Constantinople. The King was not my closest of kin, actually my side of House Arpad is somewhat surprising to have been accepted back after what my Grandfather tried to do, thankfully my father and I managed to redeem ourselves. With the rumors we hear from Hungary, I might have been lucky to have my wife and children safe here and not be too closely related with the ruling branch of the House. Ironic that they may be in less danger here than in my homeland. Thankfully my wife Leonora is strong, and this is her own place of origin, so she manages the situation quite well, I just hope I can quickly repair the building chosen as our home in the city, it has potential but is quite in ruins." He allowed himself the sight of a tired sigh and smile. "It may be good for my children to grow up in a Cosmopolitaine city anyway. I liked to travel Europa a few years earlier myself ,and helped me broaden my horizon of thought."

**Hengest** · August 29, 2013, 10:40 AM

"A Greek wife," Athelstan titled his head "how lucky you must be. I myself have never married." His thoughts drew him to the iconostatis and in particular one of the Twelve Virgins that knelt in prayer before it, the few that kept this military palace alive with at least some semblance of a church. "We never stopped anywhere long enough, alas." He looked around at his men with a sour face. "Yes, I understand, it is difficult to return home when a man changes so much. It seems we are all Latins now, even Constaninople herself."