Enemies at the Gate - An Interactive Role Playing AAR

[unmerged(144412)]

My emperor has called this meeting to aid the Russians, which is in the interest of all of Europe. Still, all you can do is demand and demand.

If it were Russia we wanted, my army could have taken easily any russian city in the middle of so much peasant rabble.

My men and my country have already done a lot of sacrificing for this cause, and still you ask us to prove even further our good intentions? Don't make this even more complicated. The tartar thread is near and all you can do is stall instead of finding a solution.

A joint solution has been almost reached, but somehow you people just complicate the issue more and more.

Russia will get support form us all. The christians armies have controlled routes through Lithuania. Isn't this enough already? Do you want to create more problems where they don't exist? I am certainly no diplomat, yes, but I can see clearly what must be done.

 

[unmerged(358653)]

- Interesting... - said Yuri, - Well, if I accept, what then? We're arguing for hours, but no plans, no doctrines, no...no strategy. What are we talking about? Principality of Moscow is the strongest Russian demesne - and don't look at me so angry, dear posadnik, it is easy to be strong when you're far away from any threat...Muscovite army is ready to fight together with Lithuanians, but we're spending time in trash-talking. Aren't we, noble rulers?
Yuri stood up and raised his hand:
- Can you see this hand well, dear allies? Three fingers, two were cut by a nomad's saber. You can see scars on my face. I spent two hours in my bed suffering from fever, and I came here - for what? To hear how bad or good we are? Let's keep things simple - we're here to crush the Hordes. After that we can solve our problems - yes, even by force. But now? We should create joint army, joint command and joint operations. That's all, noble friends, it's your time to decide.
After these words Yuri put his sword on the table:
- We are not best friends with the Emperor, but I have no other choice. Here's my sword, I agree to be his ally. And all principality of Moscow does so.

 

[Syriana]

"As the honourable King of Circassia has demonstrated," said Ludovicus, "it is because of Russia that Lithuania stands as an empire, and not a wasteland, having been swarmed by the Tartar hordes. Without the shield of Muscovy and Murom, your lands would be overrun, your towns put to the sword and your people taken into slavery. Vilnius would lie in ruins or be forced into servitude, with the Kipchak khan beheading the Emperor's sons and carrying off his daughters to be subjected to the vilest forms of depravity and barbarism. The fields would be plundered and left barren, the rivers would froth over with blood, and everywhere the scent of death and destruction would be thick and nebulous. We would be meeting not in Donetsk, but in Posonium, and the topic of discussion would not be the defence of Russia but the reconquest of Lithuania. It is Our view that the principalities of Russia thus demand very little, considering the depth of gratitude Lithuania owes to them."

"And you are certainly no diplomat, general," he added, "for a diplomat would not seek to dispel concerns over aggression by constantly reminding his neighbours that Lithuania could invade them at any moment."

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

"The mountain King has proved little, for Lithuania too had a border with the Horde and we fought them back and we seized new lands from them. We pushed them back, out of the Ukraine, out of the mountains, out of Ryzan and Tver, out of Murom. We are not as hardened as the Russians are, but do not take us for fools or for cowards. Do not think us inexperienced. If Moscow will continue the alliance we've had, Lithuania will honor it. And Murom too."

"As for a plan, I will leave it to my generals."

 

[Johnconner]

The ambassador from Great Britain, William Jones enters the room in which the meeting is taking place.
Forgive me for being late to this conference, the trip from Suffolk to Doneckas is long, especially in this season. Could one of you please inform me of the current progress of this council?

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

OOC: Welcome to the forums, glad you chose to share your first posts with us.

"And the journey from Vilnius to Doneckas is even longer. Currently we are figuring who shall participate in the wars against the Hordes and to what end. Then we must decide a course of action."

 

[unmerged(144412)]

"Military plans can only be made after we know the number of men each country will offer, obviously. And more importantly, we need to decide who is going to lead this operation. We can't have our armies running in circles uncoordinated. Since the Lithuanian Empire has a better history in defeating the hordes, I would suggest we should have the leadership." Now with a tone of sarcasm in his voice, Paras finalizes his statement "I'm sure you all agree..."

 

[Johnconner]

I am sure that everyone here agrees that this expedition will need one overall leader to prevent chaos. However, while none can doubt the accomplishments of Lithuania, the country most at risk here is Moscow. A large part of the fighting will take place on or near their lands, and they have more experience fighting the hordes than probably any other nation represented here. It seems that they would be the best choice to lead this expedition.

 

[DisgruntledLemming]

"Yes, I agree we need leadership. But it should not be the Lithuanians, they have little to fear save for the loss of life. I would suggest either me, or a fellow Rus lead the attack against the Hordes. Anyone else would fail to earn the respect of the men and may lead our armies to ruin against the Mongols."

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

"Lithuania will likely be providing the most men, and already has an extensive officer corps to support a large military. While I agree that Moscow probably can serve as a good central leadership location, it is my belief that Murom is at the greatest risk. Their border with the devil is much longer than Moscow's and the mongols have often attempted to recapture the old capital of the Blue Horde, which is currently in Murom's territory. Astrakhan is probably where we should amount out defenses, it is near the border and is a prime target for the Hordes."

 

[Johnconner]

So it seems that there will be no problems with accepting Russian leadership for this war?

 

[unmerged(358653)]

Yuri discussed something with his sons and companions, then asked the council:
- So, who will take the central leadership? Or it would be better to separate our armies and attack towards many directions? By the way - we should discuss our military forces - how much men do we have and how much resources are needed to supply them? There are a lot of generals here, and they prefer not to participate in diplomatic dialogs, but now it's their time to talk about the military. Arkady, what can you say about our army? Did it change much while I was ill?

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

"Tactically I think armies would be better commanded by their own generals and countrymen. At a strategic level, it would be best to place them under a centralized leadership, preferably made up of generals from multiple countries."

 

[Johnconner]

While I agree that each individual army should commanded by a leader of their own country, and that there should be overall one centralized leadership, it does not seem like a good idea to have that leadership be made up of a group of different generals. As this meeting illustrates, it is not easy to get many powerful men from different countries and with different agendas to agree on one plan of action. In wartime this indecision may be fatal, which is why it may be a better idea to give just one person complete control.

 

[unmerged(144412)]

((OCC:

"Astrakhan is probably where we should amount out defenses, it is near the border and is a prime target for the Hordes."

I'm sorry, but looking at the map, it seems to me that Astrakhan is controled by the horde and not Murom. Am I wrong? I'm not very familiar with the MEIOU map))

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

((

((OCC:



I'm sorry, but looking at the map, it seems to me that Astrakhan is controled by the horde and not Murom. Am I wrong? I'm not very familiar with the MEIOU map))

You could be right, I'll be back home tomorrow to check.))

 

[YF-23]

((OOC: Yeah, the Hordes still have Astrakhan. Circassia and Murom might border it though.))

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

Looking back down at his map, "Sorry... I mean Astrakhan makes a prime target. Its capture will help secure the steppe and provide Murom with needed wealth."

 

[Johnconner]

That raises an important question. Assuming victory over the hordes, who gets which pieces of land?

 

[YF-23]

"I would think all participants who share a direct border with the barbarians expand their borders eastward. I do not plan on standing idle, however, and I'm unsure if my kingdom's position would allow for any non-symbolic gain that doesn't include Astrakhan. But I also do not plan on stealing the Voivode's just reward and Caspian access. If an arrangement benefiting both Circassia and Murom is impossible, however, I can still offer my services to this collective effort in exchange for aid in subjugating the three Mohammedan Georgian emirates defiling the south of the Caucasus."