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I had to reread your entire AAR...and, I'm glad I did...it's even better than the first time I read it.
~Part X~
In which Resignation is rife.
Livland had now been firmly in Rigan control for some time. The army without the city of Dorpat was entirely cavalry, and could do nothing to assault the high walls of the citadel. For month upon month they waited, but the scant 200 inside were set on victory, and would not surrender. It seemed as though they would succeed in their defence, as the army besieging Dorpat was the only one in the entire Order. The Knights, however, need not have feared an enemy assault - the conquest of Novgorod had been so resounding a victory that none now dared challenge them; and so their lack of armies went unnoticed.
In the time of peace that had come since the war the Hochmeister, Albrecht, was patiently waiting. They had accrued an extremely poor reputation throughout Germany and the rest of Europe, and it was losing them respect among other nations, and even with their own people. An example of this was the Wendish uprising of the year before. Though it had been put down with a cruel and thirsty sword, it spoke of things to come if the Order did not move more slowly. The swift conquests of their neighbours had given them wealth, but eventually the growth would become unsustainable, with their paltry armies being too widespread to deal with any assaults. And so they waited, for the memories of the greedy expansionism to fade from the courts of Europe, and for the coffers to slowly fill and finance a new push into the Baltic heartlands.
But now even the Pope was losing his conviction in the Knights. As a Crusading order they had done little - the failed assault on the Golden Horde, 80 years before was the sum total off all they had done since. The conquest of Neva could not be called Holy, nor could the annexation of Denmark, a strongly Catholic kingdom. It came as no surprise, therefore, when Cardinal von Wistinghausen of Samogitia was persuaded to vote for Burgundian interests rather than Teuton ones - though it is suspected a rather large payment of ducats sealed his betrayal.
While this backstabbing continued in the Catholic hierarchy, political strife continued in Novgorod. An army of Muscovite patriots, led by Dorofey Bagration, now swept across the plains of western Russia and entered Ingermland, which had fallen to the Teutons but months before. They had been driven from the borders of the proud Novgorodian republic by the still disorganised armies, and were now besieging the newly German frontier towns. To this day no one knows their motives, though there is belief that they may have mistaken the towns for being still Russian, as it not have been long enough for news of the war to spread everywhere, and Russians are always firm deniers of their defeats. Whatever the reason, three thousand horse left the camp at Dorpat and rode northwards, where a scant thousand peasants and foot-soldiers had encircled Kopore. They fled on seeing the descending cavalry, and were utterly routed. Fully one half of the Russian peasants were slaughtered, with the rest surrendering or fleeing into the unforgiving wastes of Novgorod. The horsemen suffered no losses, so great was their victory.
However, imminent defeat came riding on the wings of success. The ruler of Lithuania, Zygimantas I, having learned of the real size of the Teuton armies, now declared war. Poland was quick to join them, and soon the Teutons and their allies were outnumbered six times over. The Poles swiftly invaded Pommerania, and the Lithuanians ousted the Teuton raiding parties that swept across the frontier. Several thousand infantrymen were raised in various regions of the Order, but when another uprising occurred, in Ösel, it became yet harder to defend the long borders. Any hope of an outside war drawing away Poland-Lithuania's army was dashed when the Golden Horde, seeing a weak target, practically pounced on Novgorod.
As tens of thousands poured into the Teuton's land, the Muslim alliance of the Golden Horde and Ottoman Empire now launched itself against Najd. The Hochmeister was forced to turn down their urgent plea for aid, as masses of troops were now streaming into their land. Barely one thousand horsemen had survived the initial onslaughts, and they now fled from the Order's land into Lithuania, where they routed a small force of peasants. But they met their demise when, pursuing the rabble, they encountered a larger force of Lithuanian knights and were routed. The armies were now in retreat, fleeing to Ösel where a fleet awaited them. The Knights were moving their base to Halland, where they were assembling an army. As long as the Lithuanians had no navy the Teutons would be safe in Denmark, so they took advantage of this safe-haven to prepare for the reconquest of their lands.
However, this last chance was not to be, for, seeing their rival so greatly weakened the Swedes now joined the war. They claimed that a large force had been assembled on their frontier in preparation for an invasion, though they knew that, not only had they outnumbered the Teutonic-Danish army from the outset, but the Teuton armies were fleeing in disarray. With every chance of victory gone, Albrecht could do nothing but sit in the tower at Fyn and pray for his survival.
Soon Mecklenburg and Hamburg joined the war, and the entire army was annihilated. The navy weathered the war in Utrecht, where the Order had military access. With no such possibility, the whole of the Order's land was divided among all the conquerors. Sweden took Neva and all the lands in Skane and Halland; in doing so they returned Gotland to the Order, and with it a bargaining chip in the war. Poland soon realised they would get nothing from the bankrupted Order, and graciously offered a truce. Masovia attempted to expand into the southern Teutonic territories, but in doing so unwittingly played into the hands of the Poles. With a mission to vassalise Mazovia, they now launched a full-scale assault on the impoverished minor and pulverised their armies.
Bremen, too, now excused itself from the war, leaving but three enemies left for the Knights - Lithuania, Mazovia, and Mecklenburg. The Poles, somehow, failed to vassalise the Mazovians; instead taking several hundred ducats in payment instead. Nonetheless, after a lengthy interim Mazovia, too, left the war. The Mecklenburgers so thoroughly conquered the west of the Order that they were able to secure victory, taking only half of Pommerania in spoils. Novgorod and Genoa now sought vengeance on the Teutons, and joined the war. They hastily left, however, as Poland and Sweden re-entered. So mighty an army had now been assembled against the Teutons that I reloaded, ending the madness once and for all.
In which Resignation is rife.
Livland had now been firmly in Rigan control for some time. The army without the city of Dorpat was entirely cavalry, and could do nothing to assault the high walls of the citadel. For month upon month they waited, but the scant 200 inside were set on victory, and would not surrender. It seemed as though they would succeed in their defence, as the army besieging Dorpat was the only one in the entire Order. The Knights, however, need not have feared an enemy assault - the conquest of Novgorod had been so resounding a victory that none now dared challenge them; and so their lack of armies went unnoticed.
In the time of peace that had come since the war the Hochmeister, Albrecht, was patiently waiting. They had accrued an extremely poor reputation throughout Germany and the rest of Europe, and it was losing them respect among other nations, and even with their own people. An example of this was the Wendish uprising of the year before. Though it had been put down with a cruel and thirsty sword, it spoke of things to come if the Order did not move more slowly. The swift conquests of their neighbours had given them wealth, but eventually the growth would become unsustainable, with their paltry armies being too widespread to deal with any assaults. And so they waited, for the memories of the greedy expansionism to fade from the courts of Europe, and for the coffers to slowly fill and finance a new push into the Baltic heartlands.
But now even the Pope was losing his conviction in the Knights. As a Crusading order they had done little - the failed assault on the Golden Horde, 80 years before was the sum total off all they had done since. The conquest of Neva could not be called Holy, nor could the annexation of Denmark, a strongly Catholic kingdom. It came as no surprise, therefore, when Cardinal von Wistinghausen of Samogitia was persuaded to vote for Burgundian interests rather than Teuton ones - though it is suspected a rather large payment of ducats sealed his betrayal.
While this backstabbing continued in the Catholic hierarchy, political strife continued in Novgorod. An army of Muscovite patriots, led by Dorofey Bagration, now swept across the plains of western Russia and entered Ingermland, which had fallen to the Teutons but months before. They had been driven from the borders of the proud Novgorodian republic by the still disorganised armies, and were now besieging the newly German frontier towns. To this day no one knows their motives, though there is belief that they may have mistaken the towns for being still Russian, as it not have been long enough for news of the war to spread everywhere, and Russians are always firm deniers of their defeats. Whatever the reason, three thousand horse left the camp at Dorpat and rode northwards, where a scant thousand peasants and foot-soldiers had encircled Kopore. They fled on seeing the descending cavalry, and were utterly routed. Fully one half of the Russian peasants were slaughtered, with the rest surrendering or fleeing into the unforgiving wastes of Novgorod. The horsemen suffered no losses, so great was their victory.
However, imminent defeat came riding on the wings of success. The ruler of Lithuania, Zygimantas I, having learned of the real size of the Teuton armies, now declared war. Poland was quick to join them, and soon the Teutons and their allies were outnumbered six times over. The Poles swiftly invaded Pommerania, and the Lithuanians ousted the Teuton raiding parties that swept across the frontier. Several thousand infantrymen were raised in various regions of the Order, but when another uprising occurred, in Ösel, it became yet harder to defend the long borders. Any hope of an outside war drawing away Poland-Lithuania's army was dashed when the Golden Horde, seeing a weak target, practically pounced on Novgorod.
As tens of thousands poured into the Teuton's land, the Muslim alliance of the Golden Horde and Ottoman Empire now launched itself against Najd. The Hochmeister was forced to turn down their urgent plea for aid, as masses of troops were now streaming into their land. Barely one thousand horsemen had survived the initial onslaughts, and they now fled from the Order's land into Lithuania, where they routed a small force of peasants. But they met their demise when, pursuing the rabble, they encountered a larger force of Lithuanian knights and were routed. The armies were now in retreat, fleeing to Ösel where a fleet awaited them. The Knights were moving their base to Halland, where they were assembling an army. As long as the Lithuanians had no navy the Teutons would be safe in Denmark, so they took advantage of this safe-haven to prepare for the reconquest of their lands.
However, this last chance was not to be, for, seeing their rival so greatly weakened the Swedes now joined the war. They claimed that a large force had been assembled on their frontier in preparation for an invasion, though they knew that, not only had they outnumbered the Teutonic-Danish army from the outset, but the Teuton armies were fleeing in disarray. With every chance of victory gone, Albrecht could do nothing but sit in the tower at Fyn and pray for his survival.
Soon Mecklenburg and Hamburg joined the war, and the entire army was annihilated. The navy weathered the war in Utrecht, where the Order had military access. With no such possibility, the whole of the Order's land was divided among all the conquerors. Sweden took Neva and all the lands in Skane and Halland; in doing so they returned Gotland to the Order, and with it a bargaining chip in the war. Poland soon realised they would get nothing from the bankrupted Order, and graciously offered a truce. Masovia attempted to expand into the southern Teutonic territories, but in doing so unwittingly played into the hands of the Poles. With a mission to vassalise Mazovia, they now launched a full-scale assault on the impoverished minor and pulverised their armies.
Bremen, too, now excused itself from the war, leaving but three enemies left for the Knights - Lithuania, Mazovia, and Mecklenburg. The Poles, somehow, failed to vassalise the Mazovians; instead taking several hundred ducats in payment instead. Nonetheless, after a lengthy interim Mazovia, too, left the war. The Mecklenburgers so thoroughly conquered the west of the Order that they were able to secure victory, taking only half of Pommerania in spoils. Novgorod and Genoa now sought vengeance on the Teutons, and joined the war. They hastily left, however, as Poland and Sweden re-entered. So mighty an army had now been assembled against the Teutons that I reloaded, ending the madness once and for all.
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This is still alive? Amazing! I'd try separate paragraphs though. Suych a big wall of text isn't very inviting to me...
Indeed.
Believe me, it looked better in Microsoft word. I'll fix it now, and yes, it's amazing how long I can keep something going.
Due to an epic save-game wipe of unusual proportions while downloading HttT today, Any game saved beyond the year 1410 has been obliterated. That unfortunately includes this AAR, but worry not - I shall soon be writing another in HttT. Keep your eyes peeled.
Keep your eyes peeled.
What? Where's your heritage from the Hochmeinster? All spent in hentai, oh...Because that would involve buying it...
Most of it got binged on launching insane invasions of Najd, actually - history failed to repeat itself, I must admit.
I think I may soon put up an epilogue, taking Part X as fact; need to end this on a good note. Glad to see you liked it; hope you enjoy my next AAR when I start it.
~Part X~
In which Justice is done
The Teutonic Order was in ruins. Over the last 90 years they had burned their way across the Baltic Coast, conquering from the borders of Germany to the gates of Novgorod itself. Its ambition had gone uncurbed, and the Order had become so infamous that, in its last few years, a vast alliance of powers, many seeking revenge for previous injustices, had aligned itself against them. With no army to speak of the Knights were forced into retreat; an attempt at the conquest of Lithuania was turned into a rout, and soon the entire Danish army was forced to Denmark, and then to Gotland. It was faced with complete and utter collapse as huge nations invaded again and again.
All this news arrived at the door of former Hochmeister Johann of Riga, who was now renting a room in a Wurzburgian inn with his assistant Hans.
"Hans, is this true?! Are theGREYMEN defeated?? "
"As best I know, my former Hochmeister. Their conquest of Novgorod made them much despised, and..."
"All this because they conquered my Hoch! Well, we shall show them, and take it back!"
"...."
"..."
"..."
"Yes?"
"Nothing sire, I was simply speculating on our lack of an army."
"Armies are nothing! We have the might of justice, 1 lightning bolts, and an arrow!
"One lighting bolts?"
"Two! Blame that Morbid Freemason friend of yours!"
And so it was that former Hochmeister Johann mispronounced my name, and lost himself one of AARland's most lucrative contracts...
"About time too! Forward, to victoglory!"
With a bold plan and a noble heart, former Hochmeister Johann lead his noble and unwilling Hans-ian army behind him to conquer the despicable Hoch of the GREYMEN. Whether or not they succeeded, history does not say - all this history knows is that the longest surviving records are those of Riga, which proclaim a long and glorious hotdog-eating contest throughout Johann's reign.
In which Justice is done
The Teutonic Order was in ruins. Over the last 90 years they had burned their way across the Baltic Coast, conquering from the borders of Germany to the gates of Novgorod itself. Its ambition had gone uncurbed, and the Order had become so infamous that, in its last few years, a vast alliance of powers, many seeking revenge for previous injustices, had aligned itself against them. With no army to speak of the Knights were forced into retreat; an attempt at the conquest of Lithuania was turned into a rout, and soon the entire Danish army was forced to Denmark, and then to Gotland. It was faced with complete and utter collapse as huge nations invaded again and again.
All this news arrived at the door of former Hochmeister Johann of Riga, who was now renting a room in a Wurzburgian inn with his assistant Hans.
"Hans, is this true?! Are theGREYMEN defeated?? "
"As best I know, my former Hochmeister. Their conquest of Novgorod made them much despised, and..."
"All this because they conquered my Hoch! Well, we shall show them, and take it back!"
"...."
"..."
"..."
"Yes?"
"Nothing sire, I was simply speculating on our lack of an army."
"Armies are nothing! We have the might of justice, 1 lightning bolts, and an arrow!
"One lighting bolts?"
"Two! Blame that Morbid Freemason friend of yours!"
And so it was that former Hochmeister Johann mispronounced my name, and lost himself one of AARland's most lucrative contracts...
"About time too! Forward, to victoglory!"
With a bold plan and a noble heart, former Hochmeister Johann lead his noble and unwilling Hans-ian army behind him to conquer the despicable Hoch of the GREYMEN. Whether or not they succeeded, history does not say - all this history knows is that the longest surviving records are those of Riga, which proclaim a long and glorious hotdog-eating contest throughout Johann's reign.