Konigerdammerung, The Beginnings

[Khryses]

I think I have a few bits of Wintery Goodness to line up too - once we know where the Crusade is leaving us

This battle could either be very bad, or very very good for me...

[Dashy]

Don't worry folks, I'm doing the update tonight, as in in a few hours. Needless to say things got nasty.

[Dashy]

Luther Koing- Koingerdammerung

... and a body of crusaders, filled with god own intnent, did move out to the Viking Stronghold, to chastise them most violently for their crimes. They kept up a hard march, but to their dismay, they found fortifications awating them.

the foul Vikings had, over the night, built up earthworks to prevent the men of God from engaging them in close combat. It is said that the Duke did swear a terrible oath, and did ask the one lord for guidance. A flaming cross did then appear above the southern defenses, what the Vikings Called "Reeves Stand".

The Duke dismounted some half of his men, and his archers, and charged his forces against these troops. The Vikings shot at them with crossbows, but few fell, some say god willed that they not die, but others contest the raised shields may have helped! however many of the Duke's bowmen fell before the onslaught of the bolts.


Weaving their way through the pits, the dismounted men clashed with the Viking militia. Both groups of men were tired, the Militia from digging and the soldiers from riding. the battle seemed even for a time, however the Duke did decapitate Reeve and display his head, spurring on his men and demoralising the defending militia. soon they dropped their spears in droves and ran for the village beyond, to the rapidly approaching reserve. the Duke wasted no time in getting his horsemen across the holes, losing some score horses to the holes ....

now you folks get a second round of orders, the southern defences have routed, but it's nowhere close to over yet.

[TacCovert4]

Battle of Faroy Part Two:

And it came to pass as the knights of the crusade formed upon the field for the charge, a thundering of hooves was heard, and the cavalry of the North charged with a shout. The cries of dying men were heard over the shrieks of the horses as the Crusaders dispatched this menace, but few men lived to flee, and the Knights were only slowed, not stopped, in their forming for the charge.

The Danish cavalry thus routed, Duke Seydlitz formed the cavalry of the Crusade, Knights and Squires of the nations, Norman Knights under the Lord D'Avranches, and the Holy Order under Sir Guigio the Pious. In a glittering charge did they advance on the formed infantry of the Danes and Norsemen, their steeds steadily picking up the pace as the lances tilt and the resounding crash of steel on wood is heard across the land. The heavy infantry of Denmark held for a moment, but were then shattered by the force of the charge, lances able to pierce two men in a single unstoppable blow. Once broken the rear ranks of the Crusaders used sword and axe and mace to slay the unformed infantry where they stood. But at what cost, for once stopped a lancer may be taken down, and the fierceness of the heavy infantry caused them to countercharge even after losing their solid shield wall, and a whirling melee took hold upon the field until the last knot of axemen had been driven off by an impertinent Sir Guigio and the Riders of Gott.

Mounted, Duke Seydlitz had only a quarter of the men that he had begun his charge with, but saw no reason to stay his hand. Forming the knights up once more in the very face of over fifty score northmen, the Duke himself, and the Lord D'Avranches did lead the charge of sword and axe, plowing into the reformed infantry with a shout of "God Wills It!"

The battle there was just as fierce, men on both sides refusing to yield. Lord D'Avranches was dragged from his horse, his head split with an axe. Dozens of knights fell all across the field as the infantry worked into the gaps between horses and attacked incessantly with spears and axes to their riders. Sir Guigio the Pious was dismounted, but found salvation in the Duke Himself, who spurred his mount between the valiant knight and a half-dozen spearmen, holding them at bay with flashes of his sword and shod hooves of his war-horse. But as the Knight made it back to the safety of friends a powerful hewing spear did connect with the Duke's thigh, tearing a gaping hole in armor and flesh, and Claus staggered, nearly toppling from his saddle. The Vikings surged, seeing a chance at final victory, and as they reached for him the leader of his guard came into the fray, leading the remnants of those veteran soldiers, and gave the Vikings a moment's pause. Two of the men supported the Duke and rode him out of the battle as he looked over his shoulder in time to see his valiant guardsmen disappear in a wave of Danish spearmen, fighting to the last for their lord.

Victory hung in the balance, and without room to build speed, nor lances to use in the charge, the knights were beginning to have the worst of it. But even as the remaining Danish and Viking leaders pressed their men on, a cry was heard to the rear of the horsemen, for the dismounted Crusaders had arrived, swordsmen, and axemen, and archers armed with the spears of the fallen. And the sight of a fresh assault was too much for the will of the Northmen, and they did break and flee across the bridge to the castle, many falling as they rushed to get across or either stood at the bank and tried to defend themselves.

Seeing the enemy in full flight spurred the Crusaders on, but their numbers were not enough to contest the bridge, and the remaining archers too few to clear it of the enemy. And so the Crusaders, leading strings of horses and the bodies of many of their fallen, stood on the field, Victorious on the bodies of thousands of foes.

But listener, see how the cost was, for the Duke himself was wounded and all could see that of the army that took the field in the morning, not tenscore remained as the sunlight ebbed.

[craven]

Sounds painful

[broderickwells]

Tune in next week for the next exciting installment of Blood on the Ice. Same Bat time, same Bat channel.

[TacCovert4]

While a few things are still being completed, I'm going to put a hard stop on changes to current strategic stuff, and say with confidence that we should have moved on to turn 1, 1082, with all information being sent out, by late in this week.....putting one of our longest turns at last to rest.....

[The Exorcist]

Wow.

If I had known there were that many, I might not have attacked.
But Rommel said the same thing after Gazala, so...

And yes, we are done for now, burn their ships and let us commence with turn One, always a quiet time.

When can we expect our summaries and income statements?
I'll have orders for you ASAP once I have that stuff.

[TacCovert4]

Before anyone asks, Turn updates will occur in approx 2-4 days. This gives time for Ex and Brodders to catch up with their purchasing.

[Khryses]

Could I get my income as well?

I understand I have some rebuilding to do...

Great work Exo - I did not expect that out of cavalry being hit from two sides on a wooded slope. Whatever you're paying those men, it simply isn't enough!

[The Exorcist]

Originally Posted by Khryses

Great work Exo - I did not expect that out of cavalry being hit from two sides on a wooded slope. Whatever you're paying those men, it simply isn't enough!

Thanks, somehow I managed to build exactly the right sort of Army for this bit of madness.

Time for Diplomacy to begin yet?

[Khryses]

Originally Posted by Exorcist

Thanks, somehow I managed to build exactly the right sort of Army for this bit of madness.

Time for Diplomacy to begin yet?

Did you want to surrender already?

I'm reminded of King Tigranes; "Too big for an embassy, too small for an army."

...of course, we all know how that went down...

[The Exorcist]

Originally Posted by Khryses

Did you want to surrender already?

Not a chance, but I know that the Generals of the day loved to ride out and meet the other leader face to face before a big battle, and even had enemies over for Dinner when they got bored pushing the peasants around... was wondering if there was a similar mechanism in this game.

And all wars come to an end, eventually.
This isn't the Middle East, after all...

[Anacreon]

Originally Posted by Exorcist

Not a chance, but I know that the Generals of the day loved to ride out and meet the other leader face to face before a big battle, and even had enemies over for Dinner when they got bored pushing the peasants around... was wondering if there was a similar mechanism in this game.

And all wars come to an end, eventually.
This isn't the Middle East, after all...

So, having started a major regional conflict in order to get revenge upon him, you want to invite him for dinner?

[The Exorcist]

Originally Posted by Anacreon

So, having started a major regional conflict in order to get revenge upon him, you want to invite him for dinner?

Read up on some of the weird crap that was going on back then. Maybe I interpreted it wrong, but they seem to have done stuff like that all the time.

But on second thought, this is a crusade, not a Tournament expanded to the size of a war... so, nevermind.