(SSHIP-Pisa) Dreadbolt: Going East, XI-4

[NorseThing]

Thanks for the explanation. So these javelins are pretty much armored tanks as well. Sigh. I know it was the era of the supremacy of the armor so that is to be expected.

I am always in awe when a guild headquarters is earned. I admit that the Merchant Guild HQ is my favorite, but that is just my preference.

[Alavaria]

Thanks for the explanation. So these javelins are pretty much armored tanks as well. Sigh. I know it was the era of the supremacy of the armor so that is to be expected.

The jinetes are the more faction-specific mounted light javelin cavalry unit, the caballeros are more like a european knight but with a bit of that javelin flavor (probably quite flexible in real life, something elites tend to pull off better).

The AI is bad at handling the light javelin horse, sadly the issue is range and the way units work, if you just have a large unit of spearmen in loose formation run at them, you can usually "catch" them, which is to say, one guy will get poked and the whole unit will suicide into the spears. Alternatively just tank the javelins, as they don't have many... due to being on a horse they have less ammo, and less soldiers, so a lot less ammo. Also the attack rating of the javelins is lower. As a mounted unit they die really fast in melee, compared to even infantry - mix of larger model size, less soldiers and really really bad melee defense stats.

I am always in awe when a guild headquarters is earned. I admit that the Merchant Guild HQ is my favorite, but that is just my preference.

Basically I think in SSHIP the AIs tend to grab:
Thieves Guild HQ: Donno, not sure if it even was on the map, honestly
Merchant: Moors has a distinct advantage here I think
Theologian: The seljuks had it in my game
Assassin & Explorer: The AI never really gets these.

[Alavaria]

Dreadbolt: Filling The Land
Ch IX-3: Look East



Leaving the Polish for now (thanks to the Pope's latest ceasefire), Oberto instead skipped ahead, directing his blitz into Novgorod's lands.

Here, against the Orthodox faction, the Pope would have no reason to complain about his conquests.






A lot of people were conquered.






As usual, the Pisan heavy crossbows took down another dangerous enemy from a safe range. By this point, "most Catholics" agree with the pope's non-banning of crossbows.

This is because "most Catholics" are Pisan.






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Confused by finding their friendly lands suddenly hostile, a group of Novgorodians were trying to find which settlements were still flying a friendly blue flag.

Unfortunately, they found a marching group of Pisan reinforcements. Both sides rushed to battle from a march.






The Novgorodian cavalry rushed into battle, taking our spearmen by surprise with very dangerous results. However, the particular battlefield tactic known as "shooting their heads off" managed to save the day.

After all, while shooting into a melee is somewhat risky, in a cavalry vs infantry matchup that has degenerated into a melee, the height of the cavalry make them potential targets for deadly close-range shots.






That said though, the issue remains that the infantry are in a brawl with well trained and heavily equipped enemy elites. Losses were severe, though since it was a reinforcement group, it did not cause problems as Oberto did not need more soldiers than were available.

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After all, even if he was suffering some attrition, thanks to Our Lady's assistance, his Fourth Army was healthy and enthusiastically assaulted Large Town Kernave after the artillery had opened a way through its wooden walls.










Oberto's vanguard officer, Soderino, was indeed named after the famous Podesta Soderino.

Captain Soderino's father had taken part in the early North Africa campaign and retired in the area just north of the Alps.

[NorseThing]

Another great post! When will you be meeting up with the teeth of the Russians? This is all pretty much straightening the lines in preparation of something I suppose. Preparation for what though?

[Alavaria]

Dreadbolt: Filling The Land
Ch IX-4: Unbalance of Power



Marco sighed while looking over the defenses of the English's last bastion, Castle Kaerenarvon. He was out in the field missing his first son's first birthday, instead of back in London celebrating it.

Well, one of the reasons it was so important was because children died very young in this age...





The small bit of informational help from Our Lady notwithstanding (and indeed, the improved "hospitals" helped Pisan society greatly in more ways than just childbirths), was the fact that she was quite delighted to meet little Andreas.




And in this case "delighted" meant that when she heard that the baby seemed rather frail (she visited when Andreas was a month old), she all but guaranteed that he would survive into adulthood and rule a peaceful Pisan Empire.







Which, while great to hear, seemed odd as it meant that the Empire would achieve peace in Adelmo's own lifetime. But then again, who knew, Soderino lived to be 85.

Still, to imagine that within perhaps 55 years peace would arrive... though Alexander took down the mighty Persians in much less time than that.






At about this moment his wife would either be taking care of Andreas, or more likely herding all the new girls, which is to say seers who arrived in London just a while before Adelmo's Second Army marched out.






While they still had a good amount of training needed to become proper Landed Quartermasters, there was time as the cities they would be leading either did not exist yet, or were recently-taken previously-English towns.






In fact, the girls already had the critical part of becoming one of the Pisan Empire's Quartermasters down, namely being a seer - due to the fact that it was essentially a gift rather than a skill one can gain or train (well, as far as Adelmo or anyone else knew).






Adelmo only sighed as his men rather gratuitously ran some last English archers through with their heavy lances to clinch the victory.

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The growing problem of England's future administration was...



The newcomers were basically split into two "factions". On "Team Visconti" (as the other side called them) were the majority of the girls, who were from relatively minor families.

Though their families hoped to establish themselves in England, it would be definitely under the Visconti family's (and Adelmo's personal) patronage, not least because Our Lady said so. Despite that, the girls either didn't know to, or were simply too young to be overly ambitious.




Also, many of them were the daughters of the Pisan army's officers, or the sisters of the newer rank and file. Indeed, their fathers or brothers might even be part of Adelmo's current army.

Our Lady liked them quite a lot for all these reasons. These girls were not the headache awaiting Adelmo's wife.




The other group, "Team Everyone-Else-In-Pisa" as named by Our Lady consisted of the few girls who came from some of the more powerful families in Pisa. Which is to say, the ones who saw the Viscontis abruptly expand the city-state into an empire, adding most of the new power into its own grasp. And completely overshadowing them. Yes, their families definitely wanted to carve out something for themselves in England, and though they historically provided the Pisan army's heavier troops, it was no longer true.

Many of Adelmo's officers were the children of the last generation's soldiers (they had been promoted under Marco in the Northern Campaign). Indeed, by his adulthood, most of the other families' levers of power had been lost.




(A piece of art depicting a Pisan garrison force in training. As the defenders depicted here are men - see the mustaches - and relatively heavily armored, but their crossbows are somewhat outdated, the force is probably made of retired military.)

The garrisons of many "inner" cities such as Pisa itself usually feature less of the armor, due to the cover inherent in a city, as well as the latest crossbows purchased to show wealth and status. Garrisons also frequently feature women, in part because many of the men are out in the regular army and so would not be behind the walls if a surprise attack occured.

Being a capable shot with a crossbow is considered a positive skill, not least because Our Lady likes to watch marksmanship tournaments. Also, a number of seers are known to be very accurate with their chosen crossbows, for whatever reasons...)

These garrisons tend to have some of the most advanced crossbows which the military do not use mostly because they are not well-suited to the rough field use - good designs may come from here, but need more work before being military-ready.

[Alwyn]

Good update! Marco's reflections about his young son provide a nice contrast with the images of the battle. Now that Andreas has met Our Lady as a child, I wonder if he will achieve great things when he grows up. The artwork showing a Pisan garrison training with crossbows is well done, as are your other screenshots.

[♔atthias♔]

good job alvaria in chapter IX-3 I like the remark of the non banning of crossbows especially

as for the last chapter I agree with alwyn

really keep it up you are doing really well+rep

[Alavaria]

Dreadbolt: Filling The Land
Ch IX-5: Scottish Brave Hearts



Adelmo was back in London, having made it back in time to celebrate his son's second birthday. And then his second son arrived. Truly a great moment in his life!

However, news reached him of the Scots' advance, so he immediately roused himself and began marching north to the tense border region between the Pisans and Scotland.


_

The Scots had made a move towards Bristol and London, bypassing a great deal of the Pisan not-actually-completed defenses by simply marching at a brisk pace.




As such, when the Scots declared war, setting up their siege camps outside of London and Bristol, it completely caught Marco's men by surprise.

The army began marching back as quickly as possible.

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What a number of the Pisans didn't quite understand (being generally out of the loop as they were) was that even the Visconti family was basically hollowed out as far as decision-making power. All the powerful Visconti generals and quartermasters were essentially being controlled by Our Lady. In fact, the quartermasters who are pretty much always on-duty are chosen first because of being seers because that allows her to communicate with them more easily.

(Seer doesn't mean "sees visions" but literally "can see Our Lady" unlike most people for whom she must expend energy in order to be perceived by them - for generals this is of course on the battlefield.

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To make things worse, when he had been back in London, Marco was pretty sure that some of those girls had tried to make a pass at him. Two of them had rather stupidly done so while his wife was nearby. After that "incident", any other potential underestimations of Glykeria were rather swiftly dealt with, seeing that she was the most powerful seer in all of England at the moment.

The fact that Our Lady had gone to the trouble to bring her all the way from the court of the Byzantines** meant she was in a stronger, not weaker, position.






To shorten a long story, Our Lady had Adelmo's aunt go to the Byzantines and specifically find this one (then) girl, then drag her into the halls of power (since Byzantine diplomats were all men). And only after insisting, she then was transferred to the Byzantine embassy in Pisa. After that, she easily became part of the "scene" as the Pisans have most women diplomats (seers, of course).

She met her future husband (Adelmo) when he was visiting family in Pisa before the battle for Orleans. Soderino left Paris to join him at that point, suspecting (correctly) that he would not live much longer past the fall of Orleans.

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As they were freezing in their camps outside the well-repaired walls of London (bristling with many crossbows kept at the ready), news reached the Scots of the sudden death of the general leading the much smaller force that had been "securing" Bristol.

Not long after that, news of Adelmo's army marching straight south back towards London.




This was enough to cause a sudden, if orderly retreat.

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Glykeria and Lagia (Adelmo's sister) would have gotten along rather well, that is if Lagia was not currently in Pisa. For some reason, rumors had it that she was being considered for some sort of political marriage like Glykeria.

However, this was a foolish idea, because Lagia was a decent, well average, seer - which meant that Our Lady would never let her leave to another kingdom.




Speaking of seers, some people outside of the army were beginning to worry about Adelmo's sanity, with rather disturbing rumors being heard in areas like Paris (London and England in general are filled with Pisan Army soldiers who know better).

Of course, every seer in the Pisan Empire knew what was actually going on, though obviously it was hard for them to explain it to anyone else besides one another.






Paris and Rouen had other things to distract them, though. Like a deadly plague. Adelmo's support from the area was reduced for obvious reasons, but supplies still reached him from the northern areas. The shops sailed west along the coast before landing near the port to deliver their supplies.

[NorseThing]

Seers -- your new use of the word or did this come from somewhere in some literature. I like it!

A great update to the tread!

[Alavaria]

Seers -- your new use of the word or did this come from somewhere in some literature. I like it!

It has some precedent historically. In cases, "prophets" were called seers because they might receive their revelations in the form of visions or dreams (ie: visually).

[Darkan]

Your last update strangely reminds me of Glen Cook's The Black Company books. Hmmm...

Will the plague cause the death of (m)any important characters? Did the Lady send it?

[Alwyn]

I enjoyed the surprise attack and the introduction of the seers and their relationship with Our Lady. Nicely done!

[Alavaria]

Dreadbolt: Filling The Land
Ch IX-6: We Want Moor Land



The Pisan Empire has long been bullying the smaller powers on its borders. They in turn banded together and made attempts to strike back.

Various difficulties in working together greatly reduce their effectiveness, both on and off the battlefield.




The Moors, for example, cannot work with the various small Catholic kingdoms around them, though all are threatened by the wave of Pisan expansion. After too long fighting one another, they cannot unify against a greater threat.

Though perhaps it wouldn't have made a difference...






The population of Fas were adapting well to the laws of Our Lady. Too well, for their "fellow" Moors, who labelled them collaborators and traitors. However, it's really a statement about just how capable our priests are.

Also, half of the College of Cardinals decided to take a seaside vacation, and look northwards to even more Moorish land.






Sensing an "opportunity" the Portugese decided to lay claim to the port city of al-Ushbuna.

With or without the "slightly scary" general Nusyr ibn Atiq, the city would not stand for long.




Elsewhere, ruptures in Moorish society, driven by the loss and subsequent death of their leader in the south, meant another Moorish city broke away into independence.






Spirits are high, and also flow in the Empire. We are ready for the grand multi-pronged invasion campaign Our Lady planned. As the northern kingdoms of Iberia seek protecting from the Pope, it means they will be standing aside, until we have taken apart much of the Moorish strength.

And then it will be their turn.

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The critical border Fortress Tulaytula fell into chaos, and communication with the rest of Moorish forces there was lost just as the Pisans in Iberia proper began their march westwards.

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A daring naval insertion and surprise attack secured Citadel Garnata, as well as a strategically useful port near the southern end where Iberia met the seas.

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Evio marched south and Metropolis Murrakus immediately surrendered, passing into Pisan control.

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As the Moors scrambled to protect al-Usbuna, the independent city of Silves changed its tune, calling for Portugese protection.

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The Moors are not in a good position.

[NorseThing]

I have recently reread some of your AAR. My memory is not as good as it once was. Your 'art work' -- A piece of art depicting a Pisan garrison force in training is great stuff. better than depictions of battles and settlements under siege. I do not recall this in any of the screen shot graphics competitions and it should be entered. This bits add a great deal to your efforts.

[Alavaria]

That's one of the loading screens in SSHIP.

[♔atthias♔]

I like your colour full way of describing things like cities changing tune and half of the cardinal colege taking a sea side vacantion etc etc
good job again+rep

[Alwyn]

It sounds like Pisa's priests and spies are capable of throwing Pisa's enemies into confusion before Pisa's armies arrive. Good update!

[Alavaria]

Dreadbolt: Filling The Land
Ch IX-7: An Aspirational Speech

(This speech was given by Our Lady simultaneously to Landed Quartermaster groups in centers of Pisa (Italy), Tunis (Africa), Paris (West Empire) and London (England) as well as the commander's camps in the various frontline and supporting Grand Banner Armies.)



This is only one day, among many other days of judgement. Upon a corrupted and diseased, broken and emaciated world.
The blasphemers and scoffers, criminals and lawless, will not be able to right the human condition.
Indeed, they are a root cause.





Fear not for those who stand against you, who raise up arms against you.
For you are greater and more numerous than they.
Understand the truth of the true Flower Kingdom.



Who are those who hear me? Let them come close.
Who are those who draw near? Let them listen.
Who are those who have heard? Them them now do.






They who trust in others, will they come to them?
Their ranks lack courage, their spears lack sharpness.
The bolt from afar pierces their armors.







See now, you arrogant, you proud. These who have come for your thrones.
If it is in your power to stand against their press, then stand well.





The assault was pressed home with a deadly combination of discipline and fervor. The Pisan armies "boast" a fairly high proportion of officers and especially NCOs, despite the virtual gutting of most of the earlier "warrior classes".

From the veteran soldier, which newer recruits naturally follow, on upwards, the new professional officers possess both competence and loyalty. It definitely helps that officers in particular seem to get tremendously -lucky- in terms of surviving close calls.






It is said that when they finished with the Empire's excuse for a crusade (the Crusade of the Long Lance of Agesipolis, that is), the crusading infantry which joined the regular army became if anything more fanatical.

Many a knight that returned home found themselves later at the point of a spear held by a former peasant who had once labored under them, but was now about to receive their lands from the hands of Our Lady.






Not much better could be said of the peasants who had been called up to resist the Pisans, unfortunately for them. However, many did heed the warnings of Pisan generals and disobeyed their lords, departing the fiefs they were bound to - only to return as the new owners.

Obviously fortified places like Castles and Cities were not parceled out, though in general Pisan citizenship was not hard to obtain for the peasant who had nothing.








The various fortifications they encountered honed Pisan siegecraft. Unfortunately for their enemies, it was not possible to learn to counter them as there were few survivors who could provide the needed knowledge of the Pisan technique and methodology.








Carefully planned assaults also served to minimize casualties to a strategically important degree. Additionally, many casualties were not irreparably wounded, and eventually might even return to service within their lifetime, though an honorable retirement was always an option.

To make blood flow like water requires many enemies.
This is easily accomplished, simply march yourself forwards.
-Alessandro Spreafico

[Darkan]

I would say that's a healthy balance of Chivalry and Dread in your generals, but considering your FL and FH both have maxed dread, I begin wondering about this Lady. It seems Pisa is not quite forgiving.

[NorseThing]

I agree with Darkan but I also liked the smaller scale of the pictures on the stone walls towards the end. It gives a bit of contrast to the larger scale of things.