No! Not a nother Byzantium aar!

[unmerged(26028)]

But yes it is! My very first aar! The game will be played with 1,07 + eep. Hopefully I will be able to update dayly, but with homeworks n' stuff that might prove to be hard

And so it begins

January 1419
The newly crowned emperor Manuel II had taken up recidence in his predecors office in the most royal palace in the most royal capital Constantinople. From there he would rule his empire with an iron fist.

*an old man with wearing clothes that seam to have seen better days, some scrolls and glasses enters*

old Advisor: You called for me sire?
His most Emperous Emperor Manuel II: Yes, I have been looking at some maps of my empire and I must say I'm most unpleased by what I see.
old Advisor: Well sire, I am aware of the fact that our maps are a bit inaccurate, and I understand if his majesty finds it disturbing that the painter has taken the liberty of drawing naked women on the backside. But shurely one could take care of those problems...
His most Emperous Emperor Manuel II: He has? *eagerly looks at backside of maps*
old Advisor: ahem
His not nearly enough Emperous Emperor Manuel II: Oh right, No that is not what bothers me. The problems is with the Empires size, its not nearly as Empireous at it should be, infact, the only real "empire to speak of around here is the Ottoman one.

The not nearly enought empireous empire

old Advisor: Um yes sire, I am aware of this problem. But we can't realy do much now can we, we are sorounded by the turks on all sides. They are much larger, much richer and have larger armies, and even if we would be able to beat their armies they would simply continue comming untill we are anihalated. Not to mention they are allied to the western orthodox minors...
His most clever Emperor Manuel II: But we do have a able fleet, and *points triumphantly at map* The greek citystates are not in any alliance!
Old advisor: But sir, what about our income, our treashury contains a mere 100 ducats. And the stability of the realm, and the domestic issues, and...
His most gloomy Emperor Manuel II: Oh well, I guess you can cut down on the military maintainance, and promote some taxcolectors in the capital...
old Advisor: Very well sire.



March 1419

Advisor: sire, an Ottoman diplomat has arrived!
His most Emperous Emperor Manuel II: send him in

*A turkish man in dressed in the latest fassion enters*

Ottoman diplomat: the sultan sends his greatings and wishes to anounce that the military acces given to us by the emperor is no longer valid, He also wishes to...
His most Emperous Emperor Manuel II:: But how is he then suposed to transport his troops from the easters teretorries to the west, and vice versa?
Ottoman diplomat: Ah yes, we have hired an Italian engineer to fix that for us...
His most Emperous Emperor Manuel II: But how is an Italian engineer suposed to help you...
advisor: *wispers to the emperor*
His most pale Emperor Manuel II: oh, I see.
Ottoman diplomat: Well that concludes my mission, and by the way the colour of your clothes dont match
His most diplomaticly insulted Emperor Manuel II: What? How dare you?
Ottoman diplomat: farwell dear romans, see you in a month...

*later*
His most screwed Emperor Manuel II: I'm so screwed
Advisor: calm down sire they can at most take the quite poor province of morea, that isn't an all that big loss, now is it
His most decisive Emperor Manuel II: We must take decisive action, Advisor, I promote you fieldmarshall of the army. You shall at once set sail for morea. and from there invade the Duchy of Athens!
Advisor: Me!?! But I don't know anything about warfare
His most decisive Emperor Manuel II: That cannot be helped, here take this.
*gives Advisor an ex of the roman tacticus* Now go, and may god be with you! *slams door behind advisor*
Advisor: o, dear, dear, dear


Will the ottomans attak?will Hellas fall? Does advisor even know how to besiege a city? Find out in the next exiting episode of "NO, Not a nother Byzantium aar!"

 

[unmerged(9046)]

Nice start. You have picked a fun country for your first AAR and I hope it goes well. One request, could you change the color of Manuel.

 

[unmerged(26028)]

This better?

 

[unmerged(15337)]

I actually liked the purple color for the Emperor. Very appropriate. But the light blue is easier to read. Anyway, it's a nice start to the story. Let's see how the Byzantines bear up under the Turks' onslaught. And if you have to restart, don't be ashamed. I've done it many times.

 

[unmerged(26028)]

And if you have to restart, don't be ashamed. I've done it many times.

And you think I havent? But this time I think it'll go better... se why in the uppcoming episode of "NO, Not a nother Byzantium aar!"

btw, Advisor is accualy a fieldmarchall, with the same stats as your average colonel... So its ot just in the story he leads the army....

 

[unmerged(9046)]

This better?

100% better! On my computer, all of the royal blue parts were invisible unless you select over them.

 

[unmerged(26028)]

100% better! On my computer, all of the royal blue parts were invisible unless you select over them.

goody, also figured out how to get the stupid link to my map to work

 

[coz1]

Great start - and fear not - we can never get enough Byzantium AARs.

 

[unmerged(9046)]

Great start - and fear not - we can never get enough Byzantium AARs.

Very true. the first EU2 AAR I ever read was a beta on Byzantium. ANd I still love them!....

 

[Montemurro]

Good start indeed.

 

[unmerged(10397)]

Great start, SweFrost. I'll be reading on with interest. And your signature's hilarious.

 

[unmerged(15557)]

POLY KALH ARXH...

(This is a byzantium aar, is it not?)

... it means that this is a nice start. Keep going.

 

[unmerged(26028)]

March 1419
Aboard the transport "Atlantis", bound for Morea

Fieldmarchall Advisor: Are you aware of the fact that the city of Atlantis sunk into the sea, never to be seen again?
Captain: Um, no, just thought the name was cool...
Fieldmarchall Advisor: and not to mention the food, and the rats, and the state of the ships!
Captain: Well it would have been much better if we had our mantainance properly paid. Those incompetent idiots at the council seam to think we can do battle without amunition or proper sails... By the way, you arn't one of those ministers with youre nose burried in statistics are you? *looks menacingly at Advisor*
Fieldmarchall advisor: Nope, just your everyday fieldmarchall.
Captain: good, cuz if you where I'd throw you of the ship...
Fieldmarchall Advisor: Heh, ok, well, um, I, should better go read my strategybooks, now, bye then *hastily makes for his cabin*

Border between Morea and Hellas

Fieldmarchall Advisor: Has the decleration of war been deliverd?
Colonel: Yes sir! Our army is ready to march at your command.
Fieldmarchall Advisor: Good, to war! *makes dramtic pose*
Colonel: *pokes advisor* psst, sir, Hellas is the other way...
Fieldmarchall advisor: *makes a 180 degree turn of pose* To war!

*After a couple of days of marching*

Messenger: sir! sir! The Athenian army has rallied and is marching towards our position!
Fieldmarchall advisor: argh! what am I suposed to do? I don't know anything about these kind of things, my book only talk about grand strategy
Colonel: calm down sir, our troop count 9000 infantry and 5000 cavalry against their 5000 infantry and 1000 cavalry, they don't stand a chanse
Fieldmarchall advisor: you shure?
Colonel: positive, as a matter of fact I'm so shure you'll succed I'll let you handle it all by yourself, bye now.
Fieldmarchall advisor: hey! you can't just, hey!

*on the battlefield*

Fieldmarchall advisor: Ok everybody, line up. Cavalry behind infantry, no, wait. Cavalry in front, no, the center. No wait the flanks, cavalry form on the flanks!

*arrows start raining over the army*

Fieldmarchall advisor: Um, um, return fire

*a hailstorm of arrows hit the athenian center*

Fieldmarchall advisor: Um, I probably should charge with something. *flips coin* Charge cavalry!

*two large formations of cavalry advance on the enemy, light cavalry brake lose from the formation, fireing arrow uppon heavy infantry*

Fieldmarchall advisor: Um, um what do I do now, perhaps charge the infantry, or continue to harras their heavy infantry with the cavalry... Or should I withdraw and see if they are will ing to surrender, or..

*Advisor is run over by cavalry riding at high speed towards Morea*

Fieldmarchall advisor: what happend?

Colonel: the heavy cavalry crushed their center devastating their morale and sending them into retreat

Fieldmarchall advisor: oh, how good, but wait! Where have you been?

Colonel: Well certanly not informing the Ottomans that the Byzantine army is tied up in combat down in greece and that their economy is to weak to bribe any country of importance into an alliance to save their butt...

Fieldmarchall advisor: oh, ok then.

*In Constantinople, the most Emperious Emperor Emanuel II of Byzantium's chabers*

His most worried Emperor Emanuel II: *looking at two 14000 men ottoman armies massing on each side of constantinople* Dark hours for the empire indeed, and where is advisor when I need him?

*messenger enters*

messenger: sire the most fassionable ottoman diplomate is here to see you

His most evasive Emperor Emanuel II: But if I dont let him in he cant deliver a declaration of war, and if I dont recieve a declaration of war they cant declare war on me. And if they can't declare war on me, they cant occupy my territory, and if they cant occupy my territory they cant force me to cede it!

ottoman diplomat: *making his way through a bunch of ministers* that wont be nessesary, I am here to hand over and decleration of..

messenger: sir, a nother delegation is here to see you...



Will the ottoman armies penetrate the walls of Constantinople, will advisor be able to muster the forces to fight of such an attempt, is it friend or foe who seeks Manuel? Find out in the next exiting addition of "No! Not a nother Byzantium aar!" (uless I find a nother way to prolong the suspence )

 

[unmerged(15337)]

I've got it! The Ottoman diplomat is there to hand over a declaration of...

...his high regard for the Byzantines!

No? That's not it? Rats.

 

[Van Engel]

nah its a declaration of everlasting peace im sure of it

 

[Montemurro]

Colonel: Well certanly not informing the Ottomans that the Byzantine army is tied up in combat down in greece and that their economy is to weak to bribe any country of importance into an alliance to save their butt...

ROFL

 

[unmerged(26028)]

April-October

roman army, Hellas

Fieldmarshall Advisor: Well, now that we have routed the athenian army all we have to do is siege the province capital, right?
Colonel: That'd be about it sir
Fieldmarshall Advisor: Good, um, how exactly is a city sieged? Colonel? *looks around* Aw nuts, now I have do figure it out all by myself. Where is that book the emperor gave me? Aha! *picks up book and starts flipping pages*

Chapter 21; how to siege a city.

One should allways start with routing or destroying any nearby army, thus reducing the risk of getting routed yourself after a failded assult.
Fieldmarshall Advisor: And we havent even figured out how to assult a city
It is also good to, if possible, lay all the enemys provinces under siege. Or at least leave a detachment to guard the city. This way the enemy will not be able to recruit any troops or navys, making your warefort much less circumstantial* Also see to it that any port is blocked off by your navy, or else the inhabitants have a nasty habbit of buying foodsuplies from ofshore.
Also, if sieging in a province often struck by harsh weather ** allways have reinforcements ready to take the place of your fallen statistics. Allways remember to bring artilery, or a siege will take lots and lots of time...

*nicer word for living hell
**snowstorms, sandstorms, halistorms, lightningstorms or fire falling from heaven (note; if the last mentioned example is interfearing with your siege you might have to wait for your enemy to release gods people from slavery)


Fieldmarshall Advisor: ok, I guess I should have my army suround the city and wait

*surrounds athens*

*waits*

*waits*

*waits*

*waits some more*

*waits*

*waits*

*waits*

*still waiting*

*rolling tumbs whilst waiting*

*waits*

*waits*

*draws up plans for worldconquest*

*waits*

*waits*

*waits*


Fieldmarshall Advisor: I've had it! *marches of to city gates* Hey you, I demand your surrender!
athenian: No
Fieldmarshall Advisor: I shall slaughter you all if you dont open!
athenian: whatever
Fieldmarshall Advisor: You will have to give up sooner or later!
athenian: no we wont
Fieldmarshall Advisor: Then you'll starve to death!
athenian: nah, well just keep buying food from the Venetian merchants
Fieldmarshall Advisor: What! Venetian merchants!
athenian: yup
Fieldmarshall Advisor: Arrrgh! *storms of*

morean harbours, after much sneaking past athenians sieging Pafplion


Fieldmarshall Advisor: Didn't I tell you to go blockade the athenian harbour!?!
Captain: yea, but this Colonel guy said that I shouldn't do that. I was supose to stay in the harbour n' eat and have fun...
Fieldmarshall Advisor: Nevermind what he said, get going and blockade that harbour now, or I'll dissband the whole navy!
Captain: So it was you who, why you little!
Fieldmarshall Advisor: *Points at Imperial bodyguards a bit away*
Captain: just you wait....

Back in hellas

Fieldmarshall Advisor: Just what have you been telling the navy to do?
Colonel: to resuply in the morean harbours every now and then, y'know, so not to get to much attrition, the captain-guy mush have missunderstood. Definitely wasn't trying to prolong the siege so that the athenians would take morea before you could finish taking hellas, thereby prolonging the time the army would be tied up down here and possibly depriving you of a province and the athenian troops you would get by annexing athens...
Fieldmarshall Advisor: thats ok, everyone can be missunderstood.


Will captain be able to speed up the siege, will advisor take hellas before the athenians take morea, will we find up what Colonel is up to, and how long will this aar last if it takes me 4+ posts to get through one friggin year? :wacko:

 

[unmerged(15337)]

Good luck with Athens. And how long until the Turks pay you a visit?

 

[unmerged(26028)]

Good luck with Athens. And how long until the Turks pay you a visit?

Depends on how long I can drag out on the year 1419

 

[Van Engel]

don't we find out what kind of declaration it was