The Viking Migration Page 2

Meanwhile, Prince Sweyn determines to sally out against the traitorous French. He vows to leave none alive.

Our two full units of Scouts and the Red Hawks ride out quickly, with the Scouts looping in behind the enemy to catch routing units and stragglers while the Prince's guard charges straight for the enemy's archers. By the time the French have carefully arrayed their men in neat formations, well back from the walls, the Red Hawks' charge is already upon the hapless militia bowmen.

They break, and are scooped up by the scouts to the French rear. Another unit of archers, shrunken from some previous campaign, gets the same treatment when they venture away from the French lines.


Prince Sweyn was now able to bring his own archers forward to fire at the enemy infantry with impunity. This brought a quick response from the Mercenary Frankish Knights the French had brought. One unit of them chased after our much faster scouts in futile anger, while the other attempted to charge our archers. The Red Hawks met them with a charge of their own, and sent them reeling. A few quick moments of combat, and 30 dead knights littered the field while the rest fled. One unit of scouts intercepted the fleeing mercenaries, but in a stroke of bad luck they rallied just as the scouts arrived. Those 10 knights held long enough for the other unit of mercenary knights to join the battle, but our second group of scouts rode in behind them to save their fellows.

With the enemy's archers and knights routed and captured, the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt. Leaderless French infantry marched across the field, drawn hither and thither, often looking over their shoulders just in time to catch the glint of a steel lance head descending on them from behind.

The Red Hawks were everywhere on the field, with scouts not far behind. Despite some innovative French tactics (Note the spearman jumping over the lance), there would be nothing for them today but death.

In the end, the French managed to salvage twenty men from that bloody day, men to carry word of what happens when you betray Danish trust.


Some 200 prisoners were executed after the battle, and their corpses dotted the trees for miles as a warning to any other Frenchmen who might think to take up arms in this countryside. Prince Sweyn does decide to abandon Dijon, leaving only a token garrison in place, so that such heroic efforts will not be needed again soon.

One last matter of battle to deal with, as a few more Milanese reinforcements meant for Genoa are on the north border, and the King means to deal with them once and for all. He strikes out from freshly conquered Genoa and meets them on a wide plain near the river. The King brings a force roughly even in numbers to the battle, but far superior in valor.

The battle is unremarkable on a tree dotted plain, and the enemy are driven back.

What is notable is that Milan refuses to pay ransom on these troops. Have they reached the bottom of their coffers, or were they simply not convinced these men were worth paying for? In any event King Charles camps not far from the walls of Milan with a substantial force and reinforcements arriving soon.

Besieging Milan, turn 36.

The Holy Roman Empire sends a demand for a small sum of florins, and threatens to attack if it is not granted. The King instructs that they be offered Dijon to sate their hunger for land in exchange for a few florins and a promise not to attack. The Emperor Henry will have quite a task holding that battered town if the French come again. Diplomatic contact is established with Turkey, including an exchange of maps. The Council's reward? They have longboats built behind King Charles' back. The King is not amused, and orders them sunk.

The Pope is pleased that we have observed his commands with regard to Spain, and our diplomatic relations are generally excellent. Two units of spearmen are sent from Bologna to finish off those troublesome rebel peasants, no wonder the Venetians needed help with them! They cannily avoid major conflict, and slip away into the populace.

 
The escape of a few Venetian peasants was but a minor inconvenience. The decision to be made now was whether to hold the siege against Milan and let our men build ladders and rams, or to go forward with only the single ballista team to smash the walls. The King determines to capture Milan immediately, and offer the enemy no chance to bring in reinforcements. Except for their Duke and his son the only troops within the walls are spearmen and crossbowmen. We attack under cover of darkness.

Leaving only a few peasant archers at the west gate, the King arrays his forces at the north gate hoping to surprise the enemy again. Indeed, the mass of the Milanese and their standard are at the west gate. The peasants are ordered to shoot arrows over the walls to try to hold that force there, and the enemy withdraws all his spearmen to the town square, sending down crossbowmen to engage our peasant archers.

Meanwhile the ballista fires a few shots at the gates, but they are inset within the walls and a difficult target. Though it will take more time, they insist the walls themselves make a better target.


By the time the walls are cracked the enemy has no crossbowmen in place (They are all at the west gate, firing down on our peasant archers) to support their spears, and our swordsmen pour into the gap and begin the slaughter.


The enemy Duke and his son charge forward, swinging the momentum back to the Milanese...

...but this is precisely what King Charles was holding back the rest of his forces for. Under a barrage of burning arrows, with a freshly dropped section of wall to open a new front, the Gray Wolves lead the attack and drive the enemy back, shattered, to their square. The fool Milanese crossbowmen are cut off and cut down as they flee for the square, leaving their fellows vulnerable to our arrows. Surrounded by Viking Raiders, their Duke is cut down, and the town is ours!


With the Milanese cleared from our path and the coffers overflowing King Charles graciously releases the troops captured in the sack of Milan, and hopes for a restoration of peace with that nation. Prince Selwyn gathers all of our captain led forces in the field to prevent rebellion, and between turns the French offer us a ceasefire. For their treachery they are made to pay dearly before another alliance is inked.

Diplomatic contact is also established with the Sicilians, and maps are purchased. Finally an envoy from Milan reaches our shores and offers a ceasefire. In light of their much reduced stature in the world, they too are taxed heavily for peace and an alliance.

Northern Italy, turn 37.

The Pope demands a cessation of hostilities with Milan. A messenger is sent immediately with documents demonstrating our already concluded ceasefire and alliance. The Council asks that we make contact with the Egyptians. Rumor has it that ours is the wealthiest faction in the known world. With the siege of Venice an inevitable battle on the horizon the construction of ballista is commissioned at the formerly Venetian city of Bologna and our spy is sent to scout their defenses.

Maps are purchased from the Moors to enhance our knowledge of the world.
Near Venice, turn 38.

Somehow the Venetians were informed of our intent to attack, that or they are better informed about our plans than our prior enemies have been, because they've launched a pre-emptive attack against Bologna. Even so, the diplomatic situation is overwhelmingly favorable.

With our Cardinal aging, and the need for influence with the Pope so recently made obvious, new priests are being recruited in Genoa. They'll be essential for teaching the Muslims about their new lord once we reach the Holy Lands. The Venetian attack was obviously a hasty and ill prepared one. Our garrison of miltia troops at Bologna immediately sallies out with superior numbers and the only long range weapon on the field.

Determined to prove that their courage was in inverse proportion to their intelligence, the enemy's command bodygaurd stands their ground and is cut down by our ballista. Our own men watching the bolts fell horseman after horseman began to turn their faces aside and weep, but when the time came to clear the remaining Venetian spearmen off the field they matched the steel in their hands with the iron of their resolve. Brave fools, these men of Venice, but fools all the same.



The captives from this battle were released, both out of respect for their courage and an hope that they spread the story, driving other Venetians to emulate that mad display of bravery. The war with Milan ended, a German princess is contacted about the resumption of an alliance in exchange for a sum of florins. Agnes the Man Hater proves a poor negotiator for Germany, but the alliance is concluded. In addition she is pressed into signing an agreement to attack the Venetians in exchange for her getting her own, just spent, florins back and our own inevitable attack against Venice. A large Venetian army is spotted heading north, and it is hoped the Germans can intercept them.

Some tough looking rebels pop to trouble Venice near Zagreb. Prince Selwyn take command of Milan, and notices that the Milanese built an excellent armourer in the town. Outfitting troops with the new armor is begun immediately. Contact with Egypt results in trade rights and the collection of map information. We now have at least spoken to every notable people in the known world.
 
Near Venice, turn 39.

Another Prince asks for the hand of Cecille, but is rejected. The council sent us a small sum of florins as reward for contacting Egypt, and immediately made a wildly unreasonable demand that we turn back and blockade the Venetian port of Marseilles. King Charles is heard to curse and ask why he didn't think to put the nobles on the longboats they'd gifted him and let them handle the blockade personally. A small force of Venetians is engaged near Venice by King Charles and a few hardly archers.

As we open our attack under cover of darkness the enemy valiantly charges uphill against the peasant archers while the Gray Wolves ride behind them.

Scattered, demoralized, and lost in the darkness and woods the enemy is surrounded and broken by arrows and lances seemingly from every side.




Again King Charles sends the enemy's men home to carry word of our power and valor. They bolster the garrison at Venice, but the word they carry of our coming will far outweigh any aid in arms they can provide. Enough soldiers for the siege are brought up, but the siege cannot yet begin.

Besieging Venice, turn 40.

The Papcy is gifted Genoa in the hopes that this will win a blind eye to our capture of Venice. Additionally this provides us a buffer between our current position and the towns we traded Venice for Bologna. The enemy also reinforces the garrison at Zagreb. Pleased with his success at Milan, the King determines to press the attack against Venice in all haste.

An assault from the north and south with a distraction to hold their crossbowmen at the west gate is planned. The King takes his Gray Wolves north with some spearmen, Norse archers and a ballista, while our Huscarles and swordsmen make a quiet approach from the south, until the ballista can crush a hole in the walls.

The enemy again gathers in the square as our cavalry run down his crossbowmen.

While the swordsmen make their way up the southern streets archers are gathering to the west of the square and their arrows are set aflame. The men would later recount the beauty of the fire arrows arcing across the night sky, no doubt enhanced by the knowledge that each arrow might lighten their later work.

In the end the enemy is beset on all sides and wiped out to a man. The smell of scorched horseflesh would take weeks to fade.


Hoping to maintain relatively cordial relations, the King releases the Venetian captives again. Word has it that he plans to attempt to negotiate for Zagreb rather than to take it by force. The King's reputation for chivalry is thus enhanced as well. Princess Cecille is commanded to begin negotiations for the eventual handover. Perhaps Milan will make a tempting prize.
Venice, turn 41.

Negotiations with the Venetians over Zagreb go poorly, as their demands are outrageous and unreasonable. Princess Cecille is ordered to move for Byzantine lands while Prince Sweyn begins gathering an army north of Venice for the capture of Zagreb. The garrison there is near full strength. Retraining proceeds apace at Milan and now Venice, where an accomplished blacksmith has been commissioned. Our furthest afield diplomat reaches Jerusalem at last, and discovers that for the nonce the garrison is light.

North of Venice, turn 42.

Cecille attracts another suitor, also turned away. King Charles may not confess it in public, but I know he still hopes for a son. Perhaps God will favor him, certainly Odin has turned his face from this matter. A second Danish spy infiltrates Zagreb, and sees a powerful force holding it.

Prince Sweyn has gathered a suitable Danish response.

West of Zagreb, turn 43.

Scouting further down the coast it is discovered that the Venetian fortress at Ragusa is poorly held, and their village at Durazzo is little more than a wide place in the road. If Zagreb can be captured the remaining Venetian holdings will certainly fall. With most of our forces down to retrain, there is little astir. My wife has borne twin boys for me, I brought them captured banners from Milan and France for their blankets. I greatly regret that it won't be the Gray Wolves riding to battle at Zagreb, but Prince Sweyn has proven his worth in the field.
Siege of Zagreb, turn 44.

Sitting in Venice with little to do but oversee the effort to outfit our old troops with fresh armor, the King has been presented with a fine new suit for himself. It is truly a marvel of protection, but wasting away here within the walls it will never see use! I can feel our armies growing frail here as the years pass, and I cannot help but worry that the King's will to complete our quest may be waning as his worry for producing a true heir waxes. The Pope is pleased that we have kept the peace with Milan. As if the people of Zagreb needed more warning, our attempt to introduce a third spy to their city was uncovered and the man was killed. Prince Sweyn determines to attack in some haste so as to preserve the two spies already in place.



For the assault the Prince copied King Charles' now classic strategy from Milan and Venice, attacking at dawn with archers at the main gates, a small attack force with ballista to the south, and the Prince's own men and two catapults to the north. The enemy was ill prepared for our catapults, and had spearmen on the walls as though we'd brought ladders to this fight. Their error was soon revealed to them.


At the west gate our Norse Archers got word that spies had opened the gates, and the walls were held only by a single spear unit. The archers charged into the first bright glints of sunlight, drawing swords for the bloody battle to come.


While they fought the catapults finally dropped a section of Zagreb's walls northern walls, and the ballista accomplished the same to the south.


Venetian cavalry rode to assist their spearmen by the west gate, putting a bit of doubt into the Norse Archers there. As he charged to the aid of our archers by the west gate, Prince Sweyn ordered the catapults into the walls, under cover of a Huscarl cavalry screen to either side of the breach. The Venetian response was quick, almost catching our catapult crews unaware.



Just as they began their charge against the fleeing catapults, with the massive engines blocking the gate, our Huscarl cavalry crashed into them from both sides, breaking them instantly. The Venetian spearmen were ridden down to a man, and the catapults began their slow roll back inside the walls.


A fierce battle developed on the western streets between the Red Hawks and the enemy cavalry, with arrows and bolts whizzing overhead in a constant stream. Just as the enemy cavalry broke, a gap opened in their ranks, exposing Prince Sweyn to a devestating volley of crossbow bolts. He tumbled from his saddle, and a wail went up from the Prince's guard.


They chased the fleeing cavalry, smashed the crossbowmen who had slain their lord, and mad with battle lust charged alone into the enemy's town square.

Calls to charge in support of the Red Hawks echoed down the streets of Zagreb as careful positioning of the ballistae and catapults was forgotten in the rush to spill Venetian blood. Our spearmen, who had safeguarded the south gate all this time, were the first to arrive in aid of the Red Hawks. As they charged down the street they saw a doughty Hawk cut down the enemy commander, though surrounded by spears on all sides. Their charge proved hasty, however, as reinforcements did not arrive in time. As their blood rage ran down and the true situation began to penetrate their heads the Red Hawks' courage faltered, and the few remaining men in the Prince's guard fled for the hills, never to be seen again. The spearmen too turned their backs to the fight and fled.

As the battle hung in the balance our Huscarls completed their run to the enemy's rear and charged, just in time with the arrival of the swordsmen and archers at the melee. The enemy was surrounded and butchered to a man before the sun crested the hills west of Zagreb. No surrender was accepted.


 
With no general to reign them in, the soldiers of Prince Sweyn's command took revenge on the locals and burned much of the city, putting some thousands of it's citizens to the sword. A Venetian army to the north watched as Zagreb went up in flames.

The King, on hearing the news, is terribly distraught. Rumors resurface among the troops of Sweyn's odd rise to adoption, and the King's childless wife. He immediately departs Venice and begins gathering a force along the road to Zagreb to relieve the grieving troops there.

King Charles considers the civilian massacre at Zagreb a disgrace, and the loss of his adopted heir intolerable. In this light Princess Cecille is recalled to reopen negotiations with the Venetians. After much wrangling and the exchange of a large sum of coin a deal is reached which brings peace, and hopefully a final separation of our two peoples. Bologna is returned to Venice in exchange for Ragusa and Durazzo. Our road to Jerusalem got a little easier, and a fortress for further retraining our elite troops has been secured.

The Venetians entrust Durazzo to mercenaries in our name. They are sent packing, with taxes set to near nothing to appease the few peasants in this crude village, and reinforcements begin making their way south from Ragusa and Zagreb to hold the town.
On the road to Zagreb, turn 45.

Once again documents must be sent to the Pope reassuring his Holiness that our hostilities with Venice are at an end. Additionally it is learned that our allies, the English, have been excommunicated. Another daughter of old King Knud, Vemy, has come of age. She is set to work seeking an improved relationship with the Papacy. Zagreb is little more than a burned out husk of a town, a waystation on the road to Ragusa, our new center of operations. The two Venetian forces encamped nearby worry the King a bit, since the fortress is held only by the conscripts Venice herself left there for us, but there is little to do but speed along the road.

On the road to Zagreb, turn 46.

A Venetian army momentarily blocks the route to Zagreb, but their men that abandoned Ragusa still head north, away from our weakly held new lands, so peaceful intent is presumed. The King waits for them to clear the road before proceeding. Retraining of spearmen in Milan and Venice is nearly complete, and crossbowmen begin training there.

Near Zagreb, turn 47.

King Charles has brought almost all of our troops of quality over the pass out of Itlay, only militia troops hold Milan and Venice now. Milan declares war on the Papacy, and so our alliance with the former is dissolved. Milan and Sicily are both excommunicated. Our Cardinal, our sole voice in Papal elections, passes away peacefully. Cardinal Halstan was dutiful in service to King and God, his passing is much lamented. Many of the men who perpetrated the massacre at Zagreb are now being retrained at Ragusa. A spy scouts the Hungarian fortress at Sofia, and the King is much impressed. Princess Cecille is sent north with the idea of wooing the commander there, Istvan.

Zagreb, turn 48.

A son! A son for King Charles! The boy was born in a tent northwest of Zagreb, to much rejoicing and not a little disbelief. At Zagreb a parade was organized, the locals were dispirited but the soldiers made up for their lack as they trooped past the King holding his newborn son in his own arms.

He is given the name Emund. My sons, though still unable to even hold a real sword, are sworn to his service by my hand in a secret ceremony. In private the King is heard to wonder if Prince Sweyn was the sacrifice necessary to appease Odin's wrath and lift the curse on his line.

The Pope has commanded that the numbers of the faithful be increased around Durazzo, and our priests are sent south to accomplish this. Reducing the garrison at Zagreb to a few spearmen, the King sets out for Ragusa with his new son in tow. The cursed peasants that the Venetians begged our help with so many years ago have returned, blocking the very bridge to Venice herself. As a test of their mettle, a unit of Crossbowmen are sent to engage the peasants.


These peasants are fearless, and charge directly into a hail of bolts.

Though their losses are stiff, they prove resilient. A single man from our crossbow unit returns to Venice to tell the tale, compulsively muttering 'the pitchforks, the pitchforks, the rising and falling of the pitchforks...'

He is discharged from service and sent to retirement in the hills. A freshly armored unit of militia spearmen is sent to handle the peasants, but as before they avoid pitched battle when weakened and the core melts away into the local peasantry.


Near Ragusa, turn 49.

Sensing a change in the power dynamic with the birth of Emund the council of nobles puts forward a candidate for adoption. The King dismisses him with a snort. Pope Gregory calls a Crusade for Tunis. Though relieved the target is not Jerusalem, the King still cannot bring us to participate, and an explanation is sent for the Pope. On the road to Rome our messenger gets word that the Pope died the very same day he called the crusade, and matters are somewhat in flux there. A new Pope, named Gaitanus is elected, without Danish input, and our allies the English are reconciled. One of our spies is scouting Thessalonica, the next town on our route. The Hungarians contact us to sue for an alliance, and the King asks that the fortress at Sofia be turned over to Danish control in exchange. To his surprise, the Hungarians agree.

Ragusa, turn 50.

Sofia is a wondrous fortress, and mighty troops can be trained there. An agent of the King orders that training proceed at full speed in preparation for the battles to come. Another noble suitor is rejected for Cecille, who is recalled from the road to Sofia to negotiate with the Byzantines. We offer them two towns and a King's ransom for Thessalonica, but they reject the offer. In exchange, we reduce the offer greatly and trade for the castle at Corinth. This secures our flank for the inevitable capture of Thessalonica and Constantinople.


Leaving the castle the best the Byzantines can raise to hold it for us is five pairs of ballista. On news of the trade our relations with Byzantium are very good. Two large crusading armies encamp near Venice, which is loosely held by militia spearmen and the richest land in our current holdings. The King prays that their crusade goes as planned, south.

East of Ragusa, turn 51.

The King decides to take his best troops and head for Thessalonica, hoping to draw some cavalry from Sofia when the time is right. The council presses their case again, asking that the King adopt one of their number to be his heir. King Charles is furious when they present him with Gustav Jarl, who has demonstrated little loyalty to the throne in a career primarily noted for the size of his graft collected to date. The man is sent packing. Back near Venice little princess Vemy, out of the King's sight, determines to marry into the German nobility like her sister before her. She selects the commander of the brave crusaders at the gates of Venice. To everyone's surprise her new husband, Leopold insists that he be adopted into her family instead, and so a new heir is introduced after all.

King Charles moves beyond mere fury at the news. Leopold is reputed to be a brute of a man, with little care for loyalty or chivalry and an ill reputation. In addition he has sent his new wife to live on his estates in Germany, seemingly as a public hostage against King Charles' ill will. Armies cannot be turned back to regain the Princess, no can anyone here in the south be quite certain how this Leopold effected his bold power grab. The King determines to test Leopold's loyalty as soon as possible, while only a crude militia army and a soon to be surrendered city are within his grasp.
Gradually a story is coming together that seems to explain the curious events surrounding Venice. The Germans moved their army of 'crusaders' onto the bridge at Venice, and there has been no word out of the city since. With Odin's prohibition on ships so firmly ingrained in the men of our armies, and the bridge held by an immense German force, there is no way for a messenger to reach us. Rumor has it that this Leopold scooped up a few noblemen and the Princess Vemy from the surrounding area, and took them to private chambers. These councilmen, already deeply concerned by the birth of Prince Emund, bowed to Leopold wishes and consented to witness his marriage to Vemy as valid. The remaining nobles will no doubt fall in line behind any scheme to hold their grip on power. Vemy is wed and carried away to Germany within a week. This Leopold is a disreputable sort, cruel, ignorant, drunken, unjust, and with a different woman in every town. Meanwhile the 'crusaders' remain camped on the bridge, under the command of one of his German cronies.

This is a great indignity, a crime against our King and our country, but the mandate of Odin forces our hand. The matter must be borne for now, but letters are sent to the Emporer Henry and the Empress, the King's sister. Though the messengers must ride by way of roads through southern Germany, where Leopold holds sway, eventually one will get through. Meanwhile we turn our attention to Thessalonica, and then the great city of Constantinople. Ballistae are sent east from Durazzo to make for the walls of Thessalonica, and Feudal Knights, mounted and dismounted, are trained at Sofia.

Road east of Ragusa, turn 52.

Despite having effected this power play with Leopold, the council continues to put forward their sons for adoption into the royal family. A Jens of Sikrum, though a fine man in his own right, is sent packing because of who pulls his strings. The Pope is please that we have kept the peace with the Venetians. Leopold is spotted north of Zagreb, riding hard to the east. King Charles sends a trusted administrator to Sofia, hoping to keep it at least as a bulwark against any darker act of rebellion. The artillery from the capture of Zagreb, two catapults and two ballistae are also on the same road, but though the King ordered them brought to the front it isn't clear whose command they are actually under. Our spies report that Thessalonica is held by a single Byzantine general.

Between Durazzo and Thessalonica, turn 53.

Again the council sends a young noble to the King, hat in hand, to ask promotion into the royal family. Again he is faultless in his own right, but King Charles sends him away without even a viewing. The King's mother passes away peacefully in a carriage by the road south of Zagreb. They had been estranged since the old King passed from power and went into Spain, but King Charles is still grief stricken. The army moves east, into Byzantine territory. Reinforcements from Corinth are moving towards Thessalonica, but the King is unconcerned. He sends Princess Cecille to Constantinople to negotiate for the surrender of Thessalonica into our hands.

Siege of Thessalonica, turn 54.

Negotiations fail, Thessalonica is either too rich a town, or the Byzantines think they can hold it against us with only a single unit of cavalry. It is madness. Additionally one of the eldest of the nobles has the effrontery to offer himself as a husband for Princess Cecille. He is sent away without an audience, and word is passed back to slow the carriages bringing the nobility to the front with 'accidents.' I suspect King Charles would speak with Leopold, who now styles himself 'Prince' Leopold under the authority of the council, when the man's supporters are far back along the road. Still no word out of Venice. After all these years, I myself count the men we left there among the dead. Some finely trained archers, sons of true Danes who fought by King Knud's side at Hamburg will never fight under a Danish banner again. Hundreds of spearmen, and some freshly trained crossbowmen too are gone. We may never know the full truth of what happened there in Italy, but I hope some day I or my sons see that city again.

Thessalonica is not reinforced by the Byzantines, the men we though were tasked to that purpose move into the hills south of our encampment. Whether they mean to rebel, attack our camp, or head for Durazzo they will have to wait until Thessalonica is captured.

King Charles, ever chivalrous, sends a small force against the city.

The ballista rolls right up to the unmanned gates, and blasts them aside.

Our spearmen draw the enemy's bodyguard out of the town square to the west, while our archers occupy the square from the east and fire arrows into the enemy's backs.


The spearmen sell their lives dearly to drag down the heavy cavalry, and eventually General Olaskos is run through, last of the defending Byzantines.




Near ten thousand florins are taken from the capture of the city. There are no prisoners. A Danish spy spots a small army west of Constantinople, and our fresh mounted Feudal knights are eager to bring them to battle.



The enemy refuses to pay their ransom. Our fortress at Sofia begins training Norse Axemen. No doubt they will be needed at Constantinople. In the hills, King Charles declines to take the Gray Wolves against so weak and badly led a force, so he send his most trusted captain, a man named Sighvat, to manage the battle. The King and I rode out to observe the battle from a hillside north of the field, ready to call in reinforcements should Captain Sighvat be forced to withdraw.

Our men arrayed themselve on a snow strewn hilltop, with sporadic tree cover on our left flank concealing our swordsmen.

The enemy horse archers speed ahead of their main line to give battle uphill, and they take the worst of it despite the unusual tactic of riding in a circle to throw off our men's aim.

Our hardy Norse Archers adapt quickly and sow slaughter among the enemy horse with precise massed fire.

The Byzantine response is deadly, as their ballista opens fire from under the trees with flame tipped spears the length of a wagon axle to cover the charge of their infantry.



Captain Sighvat wisely gives the order to counter charge, hoping the enemy ballista will hold it's fire for fear of impaling their own men in the melee. Simultaneously he signals the swordsmen concealed in the trees to deal with the enemy ballista.

Those ballista men proved their courage, firing a last brace of bolts directly over the heads of the swordsmen who then destroyed them. Fortunately those bolts shot high, likely because the enemy feared hitting his own men.

The Byzantines rout quickly without the ballista to cover their uphill attack.

The Viking Migration Page 3

Afterward Captain Sigvhat orders the prisoners released. The King seeing this, turned to me and said, "I will need men like him as allies against the council and that German beast. This battle proved his courage, his wit, and his chivalry. In the past he has taken money from the nobles, though for what reason I do not know. Still, I have no better candidate that I can afford to send from my side."

As King Charles pauses to contemplate, I nod my understanding of what is to come.

"Bring him to me," the King commands.

A patent of nobility is drawn up while I fetch Captain Sighvat from the field. In front of the gathered might of nearly our nation's entire army Sir Sighvat is knighted and adopted into the royal family. In his speech the King implies that with courage, strength, and victory any other man in his service might see the same. I cannot speak for our garrisons elsewhere, but for these men, these great sons of Vikings, they are true to King Charles and woe be to 'Prince' Leopold if he should seek to test their loyalty.

Later that evening a messenger arrived out of the north, dust covered and weary he immediately presented the King with a letter bearing the Imperial crest of the Holy Roman Empire.
Near Thessalonica, turn 55.

Another noble son comes to call on the King, begging the hand of his sister. Again the young nobleman rides away in a huff, not having been granted a chance to press his case in person. The Feudal Knights rampaging west of Constantinople catch another small force in the mist covered hills, and press the attack.

The enemy arrays his ballista behind his spearmen, making it near certain they will see no work but dying today. When the front spearmen spot our banners emerging from the mist, they charge, while their commander sits back to watch with his own unit of spears around him.

They are run down and trampled under, a brief impediment to the momentum of our the Knight's downhill charge.

Our captain rides around the inital engagement, seeking their captain.

The enemy are braced and ready, but captain Grim leads the charge personally.

Behind them, their ballista crews are lanced.

When the last man from the initial spear unit falls, those men who led the charge move around behind the enemy captain. His courage fails him, and his men break to flee.

They don't get far.


 
Captain Grim has hopes of following in Captain Sighvat's footsteps, no doubt, but the Feudal Knights are new to King Charles' service, and without the King himself present the matter will not be handled today. Instead Captain Grim boldly leads his men across the straits and is the first of the Danes to pass into eastern lands.

Sir Sighvat and King Charles ride for Constantinople, catching up to a few small enemy forces along the way.

The disorganized enemy reinforcements are set to flight before they can reach the main Byzantine force. One good charge from the Gray Wolves destroys them!

Unfortunately in the melee an errant swing from King Charles kills my horse as I ride in my accustomed spot to his right. (The King's sword runs right through the eyes of the horse next to him.)

Leudaan was a good steed and had a clean death, falling to the earth without throwing or trapping me, but before he rides off for the rest of the enemy force the King swears to replace her from his personal stock. I sit, unhorsed but uninjured, on a hillside to watch main engagement. The enemy commands a slight hill of their own, and has a few fast horse archers on the flanks, but their spearmen look affrighted from watching their reinforcements fall so hard, so fast.

The Gray wolves charge the enemy right, while the Huscarls sweep their left. A small spear unit is obliterated instantly.


This draws the enemy captain's own unit of horse archers to charge the Gray Wolves, in a mad display of confidence.

Wheeling quickly, the Gray Wolves carve them up. The King himself smashes their captain to the ground as he rides by.

Hoping to save their captain, the enemy's last spears charge the Gray Wolves' rear. Again the Wolves whirl around to engage in a melee with no room for a charge.

Our Huscarls, having completed their sweep and driven off another small group of horse archers, find the enemy spearmen's rear exposed and hammer them against the anvil of the Gray Wolves.


The battle is hardly worthy of note, had it not been for the King's accidental swing. Much ale will pass over that story in the nights to come. The prisoners are released, and we ride out again immediately. I borrow a steed from the replacement pool with the baggage train, and ride hard to make it back for our second battle of the day.

Here we discover why the Byzantines have attempted to defend these valleys at all, a large, abandoned cathedral. It was not marked on our maps, and it may be a shrine of some sort. Though we ride up to examine the building, the King commands that no man enter it on the eve of battle, and we ride away to find the enemy.

Nearby the main enemy force is perched high on a hillside. We make for them, and the Huscarls are sent against the very light reinforcements making their way onto the field.

The enemy is well positioned and braced, awaiting our charge, but we are the Gray Wolves! We shatter their formation riding hard up the hill and ride over them.




Enemy ballistae struggle to pivot around and target the King, but the crews are terrified by what they've just witnessed, and we ride them down as well before they fire a single shot.

Then we chase the enemy horse archers up the hill and break them with one charge.


Another battle of little note, but for the fact that the prisoners we release spread word that King Charles is a cruel, unrelenting warrior. Not the reputation the King expected to gain from coming to the field with minimal forces, but a reputation is a tricky thing.

Hoping still for peaceful relations after we've taken what we need from the Byzantines, Princess Cecille is ordered to offer them the city of Venice as a gift. They accept, and we're sent word from our diplomat that they invest the city from the sea despite the Germans loitering on the bridge. Of the men we left behind there, no word ever reaches us. They vanish into the annals of intrigue between nations.

West of Constantinople, turn 56.

New noble son presented, same result. If nothing else, the council is succeeding in alienating the younger generation of nobles from their King. A diplomat near Zagreb reports seeing the mercenary garrison the Byzantines had hired for Venice all the way over at the border of our two nations. King Charles curses and wonders aloud if the Germans and Byzantines are somehow in league together against us. How else could that garrison have passed the crusader held bridge? And what are they doing camped on the border?

To date our travels have been through Catholic lands almost exclusively, and so churches and places of worship have been plentiful in the cities we capture. Now though, as we move from Orthodox lands into Muslim lands we will increasingly have to put up our own churches. With that in mind, King Charles commissions the construction of churches in all Danish lands that do not contain one. Corinth, isolated as it is, is ordered to dismantle training facilities for florins to build churches.

Our spies glimpse the garrison at Constantinople, and are impressed by the quantity of Byzantine heavy infantry.

Princess Cecille, after many hard years on the road, has seen some decline in her charms. Even so, she will make a fine wife, and King Charles decides that Sir Sighvat will serve best if he is cemented firmly to the royal line. The marriage is arranged, but purposeful, and both parties involved can see the reasoning. Despite being a wedding in the field, the King manages to concoct fine surroundings under an immense silk tent. All the troops enjoy three days of feasting and drinking in celebration.



More small Byzantine forces are swept from the area in battles too small to recount. Captains Grim and Magnus each press their case for adoption, but are refused graciously. The King's guard rides out to smash the last significant resistance before the walls of Constantinople.

The enemy claimed the very edge of a vast cliff, while we had to race our way up a near verticle facing covered in slick grass.

Victory was never in doubt, however, and the enemy turned tail in terror at the first sight of our banner, abandoning the high ground.

We rode over them, and took no losses.
Leopold is spotted in the area, and we watch as he catches a force of rebels on a hillside west of our camp.

The rebel archers are the first to taste steel and flee.

Rebel spearmen, badly led, follow them to an unmarked grave.


Following the battle King Charles sends for 'Prince' Leopold to enter his camp alone for a discussion. Leopold comes into camp alone with his head held high and an arrogant swagger. I offer to escort him before the King. He asks me "Have they told him yet," but I have nothing to say to the man. He curses the door sentry and kicks the cloak boy out of his way before entering the King's tent, still armed. Sneering, he comes into King Charles' presence and sprawls out in a chair looking around as though he expected someone else to be here.

Before he can speak the King stands at his desk, leans forward, and quietly says, "Looking for your noble allies? I know what they have promised you. I also know that your army of crusaders controlling the bridge to Venice have been recalled." Voice rising, King Charles continued, "Furthermore, I know that none of my men at arms have come to your call." Here the King tosses a packet of stained letters onto the table. Leopold's slouch increasingly takes on the feel of a slump. "And more than that, I know that your Emperor has repudiated you, your own father has cursed your name, and your holdings Bavaria have been seized in the name of the Empire!"

King Charles throws one more letter onto the table, with the Imperial seal of the Holy Roman Empire at it's foot. Gray faced, Leopold begins to stutter out something, but once again the King speaks, "I do not know what lies you told the Council to convince them that this mad scheme could pay out for them, but that doesn't matter now. In a matter of hours I expect your wife to arrive here. Before she does I will have your oath to serve the crown, or I will have your head. There is no council here, nowhere left to run, and nothing for you but service to King and country."

Sitting back, King Charles graciously allows Leopold a moment to compose himself. "My, my, my wi... and, my... my head?" Silently Leopold slips from his chair to his knees. He looks old, old beyond his fifty years. Placing his hands on the ground the 'Prince' bows his head and swears fealty to King Charles to his last breath.

After Leopold departs, King Charles hangs his head and is heard to mutter, "So am I repaid in turn for my usurpation of my father's crown and kingdom. Only good fortune saved our people from utter disaster and servitude to a foreign brute."

Some months later, assured of his grip on Leopold, if not the man's genuine loyalty, King Charles assigns him a command and orders him to move to hold the crossing west of Constantinople.
Closing on Constantinople, turn 57.

Again the Council sends their man before the King seeking adoption, and again he is sent off. A daughter, Hallotta, is born to Sighvat and Cecille. With Leopold holding one crossing and the great city herself sitting astride the other the King feels confident of our approach. A spy is sent to infiltrate the immense, sprawling city of Constantinople while our army camps on the road just outside the walls. King Charles is cautious; Constantinople is reputed to be the greatest city in the whole of Europe, if not the world. We have not yet laid siege, but all traffic out of the west passes through our hands before it reaches the city.

Besieging Constantinople, turn 58.

The noble council is assembling once again at Thessalonica after a very effective campaign to disorganize their efforts. They send a young cousin of the King to beg adoption, but King Charles is unmoved and sends the boy away. Guildsmen from the Swordsmith's guild approach us about putting a guildhouse at Sofia, and the offer is sorely tempting but turned down. The Pope sends word of his disappointment that we failed to crusade for Tunis. A delicately worded letter is sent in apology. We trade maps with the Portuguese, and while checking the garrison at Nicaea spot a strong army of potential reinforcements for Constantinople. It is hoped that our artillery will arrive before that Byzantine army.

To discourage any potential reinforcement of Constantinople, Leopold crosses the straits and makes for Nicaea. As usual, his arrogant letters leave the impression that he could charge forward and capture the city unaided. To further dissuade the enemy from attempting reinforcement, the King orders a siege set around Constantinople from the south, where we can control the crossing as well as contain the city. There will not, however, be an assault without better engines than the men can cobble together from trees. Engineers estimate that if the soldiers inside don't sally they can hold for 20 years or more. In a bit of good news our spy sends word that the commander of the city's defense is a sickly man, subject to visions and introversion.

Besieging Constantinople, turn 59.

A handsome young man, scarred by some quarrel with highwaymen, is the next attempt of the council. He bears a resemblance to the long passed Prince Sweyn that cannot be a coincidence, and my estimation of the nobility's collective cunning rises. It would seem the nobles have gathered at Thessalonica to plot and scheme; it can only be hoped that they soon fall to squabbling amongst themselves over the rich taxes levied from Thessalonica's trade.

One of the King's men watching Leopold reports that the fool has taken a pagan who claims to be a warlock into his inner circle. Our English allies are excommunicated again, and sign an alliance with the Pope's other foe, Sicily. It may be necessary to cut ties there. Fresh Russian maps are aquired. Rear garrisons at Zagreb, Ragusa, Durazzo, and Corinth are reduced to a bare minimum as men are called forward. A spy creeps into Nicaea, and discovers it is held by the eastern Roman's Emperor himself.

Leopold's crossing has worked perfectly, the men we suspected would reinforce Constantinople move to block him instead, and he brings them to battle west of Nicaea.

Leopold comes on them at dusk as they command a sloping hillside, flanked by horse archers on the nearby farmland. With a snarl Leopold orders his Huscarls to isolate the horse from the main force, and sends infantry marching for a direct assault on the hill.

When enemy arrows begin to fall amidst his personal guard, the Lions of Bavaria, Leopold is enraged and screams 'Charge!' His guard outpaces the infantry in his lust to reach the hilltop.

With no heavy infantry to oppose the charge, and Leopold's Lions scattering his archers, the Byzantine captain first orders his men to abandon the hilltop and regain the advantage of range.

Realizing his error, the man attempts to turn his force to retake their position, and discovers that the Lions have taken it, and are upon him!

Leopold hung the Huscarls out too far, and they face arrows from both sides, but they also keep the enemy's only other cavalry at bay while our infantry close for bloody work. Having done their work of distraction, the huscarls abandon the fruitless chase and speed to the main engagement.

As the Byzantine archers fall back from our charge, their spearmen quickly lose heart and rout, doing as much to break the heart of their captain's horsemen as the Lions butchering them from above.


The fresh Huscarls chase enemy archers down a series of terraced hills, in an exhilarating ride that ends in utter defeat for Byzantium.


Leopold, with an eye to discovering the financial situation of his enemy before sieging their Emperor, offers the prisoners for ransom and is refused. Rather than kill them cleanly, he makes a sport of slicing their hamstrings and throwing them into the sea west of Nicaea, swearing that any who swim out will win their freedom. When this source of entertainment is exhausted, Nicaea is besieged.

The sieges of Constantinople and Nicaea, turn 60.

Another, less handsome chap with much the features of Prince Sweyn arrives in our camp, and departs the same day. If nothing else, the nobility has been fruitful in producing sons during their years on the road. Our diplomat in western Europe taxes the French for a resumption of the alliance they once betrayed. General Sighvat arrives with our artillery under escort, and King Charles takes them into his own forces and begins the assault on the mighty city of Constantinople. Sighvat is excused from the battle and little Emund is given into his care to watch the attack from a safe distance. He's old enough now to comprehend basic strategy, and it's knowledge he'll need in the life to come.

King Charles delivers a glorious speech in the dim, chill air before daybreak; full of pride, listing the cities we have taken and the armies we have sent into darkness, intoning our accomplishments without embellishing them or dismissing them as easy. "Our thirst has been slaked by the finest wines, the darkest grogs, and the most golden ales of all of western Europe!" When he lifts his sword to point over their heads, down the plain to what may be the greatest living city on earth rays of light burst over the distant mountains. "Tonight," he roars, "I will toast the fall of Constantinople! Who will drink with me?!" In one voice that must surely have echoed in down the dark streets of Rome's mightiest eastern city, the army bellow "I" This lust passes quickly, though, and discarding their ladders and rams, the men mutter amongst themselves in awe as we near the immense walls. They are like nothing we have seen before, beautiful, still, and deadly.

We suspect the Byzatine general will array his stiffest defensive troops by the south gate, and we will meet them head on with our main body of dismounted feudal knights and axemen under the banner of the Gray Wolves. To the east a pair of knight units are supported by dismounted huscarls, raiders, and Norse archers with a ballista. To the west three sets of Norse swordsmen support another ballista. We open with a barrage from the catapults.

Seeing those indomitable walls crack and heave apart brings a cheer from the men. When the first gap is opened, it's all King Charles can do to reign them in from a foolish charge.

On the east side the ballista works to dismantle the gate, to the west a wall is the target. The engines need only time to do their destructive work.

As time passes the King rides up and down the line, urging the men to hold their discipline. Finally when the catapults have broken three holes in the walls, and destroyed the only manned tower along this stretch, they are turned on the enemy infantry for a few shots while we wait for the engines on the other sides to do their jobs. The catapult men are new, and casualties among the enemy are few. The enemy general rides forward to encourage his men at the gap during the barrage.

At last the order is given, and our men make for the gaps. On the other sides the assaults are still to come, in hopes that the enemy will pull troops to try to reinforce against our main push. The enemy right, in the direction they would retreat to the square, is badly positioned and our men outflank them.

Then the assault begins. The knights are instructed to hold enemy's heavy infantry and spearmen in place while the axemen break their ranks. The enemy general seems surprised to be under attack, and his men sit back from the fighting in orderly rows.

Byzatine horse archers race down from the square. Fearing they may come against the breech we hold to the enemy right from behind, King Charles leads the Gray Wolves inside the walls to beat them back. Seeing the King speed by, the enemy general at last sends his bodyguard into battle.

King Charles and I are the tip of the spear thrust against a four times our numbers in Byzatine horse. Meanwhile, though his guard fights, our opponent's commander still sits back on his horse and waits.


Watching our axemen carving apart heavily armoured men ahorse, the few fools left on the right flank of the enemy's hold point break and surrender.

Enemy foot archers take to the walls by the gate, behind the battle. Knights are sent racing to deal with them before they can drop a shower of fire arrows onto our King.


With his right flank shattered, the pocket begins to close against the enemy commander. Axemen and knights surround him, and he panics, causing his horse to rear and cast the poor fool out of the saddle. He is butchered without having swung his sword once.


With his fall, the men at the gap realize they have no escape, and fight a grim struggle to the death until our axemen pull back and convince them a surrender will be respected.

To the east and west the Byzantines start to withdraw from the walls in an orderly fashion, and our soldiers rush forward to trap them away from the square.


By the south gate the Gray Wolves have cut their way through all the cavalry the enemy will send against us. We pursue the remnant up the street, towards the square and more enemy troops.

Unfortunately, we are trapped there when their cavalry rallies and is aided by an ambush from spearmen and archers. Pinned against the building by spears, Wolves are felled like leaves. (I was watching the fight to the east with no HUD info and somehow a few scraggly spears, HA, and just one full unit of archers tore apart my King's bodyguard unit. Strange.)

I look around, and suddenly King Charles and I are fighting alone! I bellow for the King to fly back to our dismounted knights, but he gives a laugh full of battle lust and carries on killing. I am suddenly glad Sir Sighvat did not join us here, as I lay about myself furiously.

At just that moment the sunrise catches the King's gleaming red spattered armor. Still laughing nastily, King Charles snaps his sword back, throwing an arc of blood off the blade into the faces of the archers that have drawn back from him in terror. The men of Byzantium's spirit breaks, and half of them throw down their weapons and clutch desperately at my horse while they plead for their lives. The rest break for the town square, and the King rides among them, smashing in heads like a hero out of legend.

Reaching the square, they discover that there is nowhere left to flee, and, already marked for death, they turn to resume battle with our commander. Fortunately hardy Knights and Norse axemen have charged to King Charles' aid.

When a shower of fire arrows lands amid the red tide around him, King Charles recovers his wits enough to note that he was saved from immolation only because the man he'd been fighting was struck in the back instead.

I ride in, and draw the King back down the road to check him for injuries he wouldn't have noticed taking during his berserk run. Meanwhile our men arrive at the square on all sides. The beleagured remains of the enemy army put up some resistance, but our numbers are vastly superior and carry the day. Constantinople, the ancient capital of the eastern Roman Empire, was ours!


King Charles, gracious in victory and awestruck by the beauty and majesty of the city, releases the prisoners and commands the citizens be spared during the occupation. He swears an oath to see the walls repaired as though new before we leave. I wonder if we can manage so large a city without fear, but if what we seek is a place in history best if that place was not as the greatest despoilers of the final legacy of mighty Rome.
Siege of Nicaea, continuing turn 60.

Though he cannot see it himself, in the eyes of the world Leopold comes against a superior commander in Emperor John. The quality of the soldiers in his army, though, swings the balance of power in a distinctly Danish direction.

 
Leopold reports that he manned a ram at the west gates with peasant archers and sent them against the most heavily defended stretch of the enemy's walls, while to the south veteran Norse Archers comprised four ladder teams to quickly exploit any undefended walls there, and to the north militia spearmen pushed the ram against Nicaea's seaside gate.

The peasants reached the west gate first, and the enemy sends reinforcements from the square to hold there. Lucky for our men the Emperor has not chosen to put archers on the wall enfilading the approach to the gate, and surprisingly few of them are lost before the gate breaks. Rather than charge through, the peasants line up along the wall to trade high angle fire with the garrison within.

Meanwhile, to the north our spearmen break the gates and drive a wedge between the Byzantine spears within, holding them while Norse swordsmen are brought up to grind them against the walls.

A runner makes haste for the square as our men gain control of the gate and prepare to bring more forces within the walls.

At the west gate, a confused mass of Byzantine spearmen exit the broken gate, seeking to drive off the peasant archers hugging the walls. Leopold cannot resist charging them, and half their force is spitted and pinned to our abandoned ram.

To the north our swords and spears are threatened by archers on horseback, and call for their own cavalry to drive back the threat. The Huscarls stream into the city and split up, with one group engaging directly while the other rides hard around the enemy pack, to hammer them from behind.



Only our men ride out of that melee, and the whole northern army moves up towards the square.

This causes Emperor John to withdraw all but one of the units holding the southern walls, and our Norse archers launch their part of the assault. They easily scale the ladders to trap and capture the remaining spearmen on the walls.

A feint from the square causes our northern army to withdraw to a safer distance and regroup. When Leopold's group breaks into the city he immediately sends word for the northern Huscarls to ride to the east gate and approach the enemy's rear. Dead Byzantine spearmen have to be drug clear of the gates and piled on a street corner to make way for Leopold's men to move into the city.

The Emperor John's remaining troops huddle in the square in a tight formation, but they do retain control of a ballista and John's powerful personal guard is fresh.

The spearmen from the north square up their formation and attempt to bait the Emperor's heavy cavalry into an engagement. Ever predictable, the enemy charges, at which time our swordsmen reveal themselves and press through the ranks of spears to reach the Emperor.

Arrow-bit enemy spearmen too are baited out of the square and broken by dismounted huscarls and raiders.

Cowering under a tree by the east gate a unit of town militia is discovered and dispatched by our cavalry.

Our northern wedge spits Emperor John's horse, and swordsmen hack off his sword arm as he lies, broken in the street. Men who were there that day swear that his screaming was louder than any sound that could come from a mere man, and it destroys the morale of his guard. All of them surrender then and there, begging to be allowed to aid their leader as he lies on the blood stained cobbles, crying out to God for succor.

As the much reduced enemy army is pressed back into their square and surrounded the Emperor's mighty voice breaks at last and his screams cease to echo off the buildings. In short order, his once powerful army comes to an end as well.


Nicaea is sacked for ten thousand florins as Leopold releases his men to vent their frustrations on the citizenry. The spy who was unable to open the gates of Nicaea proves his worth even so, and spots the entire remaining royal family of Byzantium near the crossing west of Nicaea. Leopold begs to be allowed to ride out and destroy their lineage, but King Charles denies him.

Instead we negotiate with the Byzantines for the surrender of Smyrna, their sole remaining castle in the east. In exchange we offer them enough land to form very nearly a new empire, if badly developed, and their new Emperor wisely insists that an alliance be part and parcel of the deal, secure in the knowledge that we have never attacked an ally.


Exchanging ill held and poor lands for a fresh castle and a cowed ally to cover our rear flank seems a wise choice on King Charles' part.

Constantinople, turn 61.

Princess Vemy gives birth to a daughter, Randve. Sighvat gathers the men from Constantinople that the King would have retrained and escorts them to Sofia. Churches are commissioned in all our new lands.
Constantinople, turn 62.

The Pope is pleased that we have finally converted most of the people of Durazzo to the Catholic faith. Our priests are sent east immediately. King Charles discovers that a network of Thieves Guilds was worked into the fabric of every city and castle in the region, and orders their buildings burned to the ground immediately. A small fort is constructed east of Constantinople to guard the eastern approach to the city and as a staging point for moving soldiers from there to Nicaea.

The Venetian Pope counts us as a favored people, even above his own nation. King Charles wisely left diplomats stationed in Papal lands to assure that this continues to be the case.

Constantinople, turn 63.

The Pope commands the the people of Smyrna be brought into the light of God's church, and our priests move to obey. New priests are ordered trained as well for the task. Sighvat brings a much mightier force south than he took with him north, word of this pleases the King. Leopold sits quietly in Nicaea, and even the Council's incessant pestering of the King has taken a backseat to their determination to steal as much wealth as possible from rich Thessalonica. Though the royalty of Byzantium has fled our countryside, an armed contingent remains camped near Nicaea with protestations of insufficient ships and funds to move them west. Time will tell how true our ally can remain. One of our spies slips ahead and finds a good look at the capital of Turkey, Iconium.

Included here is a crude reproduction of our map of Europe with lines to show the path of our migration, and our current holdings colored blood red in the near east.

 

Interlude, Prince Leopold's dream. (I couldn't resist fighting the battle against all that was left of Byzantium's family after the siege of Nicaea, though it is completely inappropriate for the AAR. I have to credit the jerk, he killed the new Emperor personally and survived being charged by both enemy bodyguard units.)

After the siege of Nicaea Leopold rests uneasily in the Emperor's former chambers, dreaming of the bloody victory he should have had on the plains west of the city. He imagines himself in a duel with the man who, at best, mere hours before got word of the death of his father and of his assumption of the throne of what was left of Byzantium.


Leopold imagines himself honorably pausing for a moment to salute the dead horsemen from both armies piled high around him.

Then riding on alone as Byzantine cavalry flee his face in terror. None can stand against him this day!

He rechristens his army Leopold's Legion after this terrible slaughter, and his name is writ in history as the mail-fisted destroyer of Rome's final legacy when his spearmen encircle and butcher the fresh faced Byzantine prince.

Leopold the Fierce, Lion of Bavaria, Champion of the Danes, Destroyer of Rome they will call him!



As the dream fades Leopold imagines that even King Charles will bend knee and acknowledge him as the true ruler of the mighty Danish nation. At long last his run of ill luck will end, and his destiny will be fulfilled!

In the morning his wife slaps him awake from his drunken stupor and screams that his mad rages have driven off the servants again, he'll have to empty the chamber pots himself.

The Viking Migration Page 4

Constantinople, turn 64.

The King's wife has brought forth a second son for him! Despite her advanced age, the boy is deemed healthy enough to survive and given the name Toraren.

With the building of so many churches Leopold has discovered a seemingly genuine interest in God. Age can cool the fire of any man's heart and set him to contemplating what lies beyond, I know it has done so for me. Watching Prince Emund and my boys playing at war makes me wonder if their fathers will ever have the chance to put down the burden of Odin's quest. These days the hardships of going on campaign weigh heavily on me, and I can feel the same in King Charles. He has declared that we will rest and refit the armies here in Byzantium's old lands, lulling the Turks with our idle hands, until the time is ripe to pluck their capital on our border.

Constantinople, turn 65.

In his ongoing quest to leave Constantinople an even mightier and more beautiful city than when we first arrived, the King accepts a bid from the Merchant's guild to build a guildhouse. News has reached us of a powerful new force out of the east, the Mongols. I confess, it stirs my heart to contemplate battle with an enemy so feared that his name reaches across the world to raise fear over countless miles. Undeservedly King Charles has become known as a merciless mauler, and strangely also as quite merciful. Thessalonica is given to our allies, the Hungarians, in exchange for a paltry thousand florins.

Leopold departs Nicaea and makes camp on the Turkish border, stretching the intent of the King's orders to be watchful of the Turk. To give weight to his command for restraint, the King departs Constantinople in response, and will ride for the border.

Constantinople, turn 66.

So much traffic passes through Constantinople that the merchants there are already demanding a larger guild house, for which permission is granted. The Pope, having clearly seen that no other Catholic nation was willing to take up the crusade effectively, conquers Tunis personally at the head of an army. From there he commends us on our efforts to convert the people of Smyrna, and sends a thousand florin prize. Danish merchants around Constantinople engage in unceasing financial war. The Turkish fortress at Caesarea is warded solely by a general and his bodyguard, according to our spy network. Those spies also report rampant heresy in those Muslim lands, with several heretics wandering openly through the hills unopposed. Norse War Clerics become available for training at Constantinople, and seem only too appropriate to bring the light of God to the heathen Turks.

East of Nicaea, turn 67.

Word reaches us that the Mongols have made for Sarkel, and likely points north. A Papal edict arrives commanding that the people of Nicaea be converted more rapidly. A Turkish Imam calls a jihad against Baghdad. At Constantinople construction of a cathedral is undertaken for the glory of God and the improvement of the city. With Turkish armies heading east on jihad, King Charles relents and sends siege engines to the army Leopold is gathering west of Iconium with orders that the attack proceed at his discretion.

Turkish border, turn 68.

The council of nobles, having abandoned Thessalonica en masse to prevent a repeat of our old delaying trick arrives in Constantinople and are suitably impressed. They instantly begin meddling again, sending a man to beg the hand of former Prince Sweyn's daughter. Though the King has maintained her place in his household, it will likely be her fate to enter a convent after a spinster's life as her husband would have a dangerous claim to press against the throne. This is all the more painful as the noble they send is a brave, loyal, and chivalrous man, with no fault of his own.

One of our merchants loses his shirt, and a replacement merchant is asked for from the guild. Leopold cannot be made to wait for the catapults and ballistae to reach him, he rides on to the outskirts of Iconium and camps in sight of the walls. Our priests execute a Turkish heretic in the borderlands.

Near Iconium, turn 69.

Spain attacks the French, and we dissolve our alliance with them. The Pope rewards us for our efforts to convert the people of Nicaea. Leopold encircles Iconium and begins preparing rams and ladders for the siege, offering an official declaration of war. In a shocking move, Hungary dismisses their alliance with us and sides with the Turk. With Constantinople and Nicaea both held mainly by militia forces it is hoped that this is not a prelude to a war on both fronts. Concerned against an attack on Constantinople King Charles sends Sighvat on to Iconium, but holds his force by the border ready to reinforce the militia.

Siege of Iconium, turn 70.

The ever meddlesome Council has asked that we blockade a Turkish port at Trebizond, far from the line of our advance. They are ignored. The jihad against Baghdad is, unfortunately, cancelled; our diplomats later discover that the Egyptians have captured it ahead of the Turks with conventional forces. In darker news, the Hungarians declare war, and blockade the port east of Sofia.

Our diplomats are commanded to seek peace, and to put the fortress we gained when Hungary sought an alliance up as a bargaining chip. Perhaps they only just now realized how uneven that exchange was, and now seek to recover the fortress?

This happily proves to be the case. Sofia was sold intact, to be a Catholic held bulwark at our backs. If you ask me, this was far too trusting of King Charles, but perhaps someday we will need the place again ourselves. Turkish fleets, obviously acting in concert, blockade the ports of Nicaea and Smyrna, but leave Constantinople open. That choice they will surely come to regret. Another heretic is executed east of Iconium, and we remain the most favored nation of the Papacy. The Turkish garrisons at Adana and Caesarea are evaluated again before Iconium is attacked.


The siege of Iconium is put in Leopold's hands, with Sighvat ready to reinforce him or assume command if he should fall.

This is one of the largest cities we have yet attacked. Fortunately our spies are able to open the gates, and the rams and ladders prove needless. Scouts from the north are the first into the walls, riding down pairs of ballista the enemy had stationed nearby.

To the south swordsmen charge the gates and catch Turkish spearmen abandoning them, and at the main gate in the west Leopold rides through in stately grandeur unopposed.


Spearmen are being butchered at the south gate. So far only the enemy commander and his bodyguard have been allowed to retreat to the square. To keep it that way, a unit of mounted knights is sent through the square to cut off some spearmen that Leopold is intent on riding down. Loathe to leave his rally point, the enemy general watches it happen and does nothing.

Attempting the same trick again, however, forces the Turk general to realize he may have no men left to rally if he doesn't act, and he takes the knights from behind as they beset a ballista unit.

Leopold urges on his Lions as they carve a path through Turkish spearmen, anxious to get to the square.

More mounted knights ride to rescue the men from the second ride by, capturing the square momentarily, but the enemy's bodyguard is hardy and well trained. They have already all but massacred the initial squad of knights, and turning about they lay into the reinforcements viciously. To make matters worse the last enemy spear group from the walls runs up to reinforce them.


Those spearmen are, in turn, taken from behind by the last of our scouts. No doubt exhausted from the long run, they shatter and flee.

Leopold, in a rage at the delay the spearmen caused, rides up and seeks out the enemy commander, who has killed dozens of his men. Before the two can come to grips, a blade guts the Ottoman, and he falls, beheading the knight who spilled out his life on the way down. So passes a mighty champion of the Turkish nation. After the battle Leopold wanted to hang his corpse from the mosque's minaret, but Sighvat has his body wrapped and sent to the Turkish Leader in honor.

One enemy spearman now remains to contest the square, screaming and shaking his spear to show his defiance. Our men run him through, and the Turk's capital is ours!


Losses were unusually heavy due to the exceptional fight put up by the men of the enemy's bodyguard. Over eleven thousand florins are taken in Leopold's sack of Iconium.

Sighvat rides ahead to drive off a small enemy force that was marching up the pass towards Iconium.

The enemy commands the high ground, but Danish horses scale it quickly even under fire.

Taking advantage of the light scout's speed, each enemy cavalry group is surrounded and squeezed in turn. When their commander falls in just such an ambush, the whole force routs, and Sighvat lets them and the prisoners go, though they reinforce Caesarea.


Reassured about the Hungarians at our backs, King Charles takes his army up to Iconium. The Turkish Crown Prince and their faction leader are discovered by a spy skulking about in the hills south of Trebizond, far from the battles.
Besieging Adana, turn 71.

Sighvat rides on down to the castle at Adana, and lays siege despite having an all cavalry force. He can pin the enemy there while Leopold or King Charles rides up to take Caesarea.

Leopold builds a watch tower north of Iconium to aid in ferreting out heretics.

Besieging Adana, turn 72.

The English declare a truce with Portugal, and are reconciled. Constantinople requires an upgrade and expansion of her walls, but the treasury cannot sustain it. Our financial situation has been in constant decline since Thessalonica was given up, and it though it pains King Charles to leave such great work for other hands, we must also realize that Constantinople will not long be under our control. Contact is finally established with Scotland, and trade rights are secured. The King's army moves down by Adana, and Leopold gathers a force to siege the new Turkish capital at Caesarea including our catapults and ballistae.

Besieging Adana and Caesarea, turn 73.

In an demonstration of intelligence I would've deemed quite beyond them, the council has hit upon the strategy of sending young nobility of demonstrable quality as suitors for Prince Sweyn's daughter. The King finds that poor girl's fate lamentable, and I'm certain he still feels something for her long gone, but dashing and heroic father. Still, what's best for the kingdom is a clear line of succession, and so the King condemns Hrefna to her fate and dashes the hopes of brave young men year after year. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. In better news, at last a bishop of Denmark is acknowledged for his pious work among the heathens, and wins a place in the college of Cardinals. One of our new priests fails to denounce a heretic near Iconium, and the Cardinal is asked to oversee his next testimony personally. The Egyptian castle at Aleppo is garrisoned by a single unit of spearmen, as our spy discovers. Prince Leopold, upon reaching Caesarea, launches his assault in all haste.

The enemy is found to be holding none of the walls. With Leopold leading a ballista attack on the south gates, our main force of dismounted knights and catapults begin to work on the wall by the east gate. When the enemy finally commits his archer corps to the south walls, Leopold rides like mad for the east, eager to be the first to race into the breach.

He commands his men to ride under the catapult fire, right up the walls. Showing incredible discipline they hold there with immense stones hurling through the air overhead. Enemy banners reveal that they are sending their forces along the walls to oppose our thrust here.

In a race between catapult thrown stones and pounding feet on walls, the stones eke out a victory. Before the dust can settle Leopold commands his Lion guards forward!

The Lions of Bavaria ride over a brash bunch of peasant archers. Leopold urges them on, bellowing that they must take the gates to the inner keep quickly.


Even riding their hardest, Leopold's heavy cavalry cannot beat the enemy's light horse archers to the inner gate, but perhaps he can still catch their general's own bodyguard!

The Turkish general is aghast, but he masters his shock and calls back the horse archers to pull the odds sharply in his favor. Leopold rides back to where his dismounted knights are slaughtering Ottoman infantry and exhorts them to race for the inner gate!

When the first routers from the engagement behind them reach the Lions of Bavaria a doubt enters their heart as the Guard are beset on all sides and losing ground, but they hold.

Leopold returns to the battle at the gate, determined to hold open the gates until his knights can arrive, and gods take the cost.

At last Viking Raiders reinforce the gate, encircling the enemy general and his bodyguard as they attempted to encircle Leopold.

Leopold opens the throat of a hapless Turk defender, and quite suddenly the whole enemy force but for the heavy cavalry breaks and flees for the square. Caught up in a fury of bloodlust Leopold screams for his Lions to charge the square and crush the frightened enemy.


Behind him knights drag down the enemy commander and he surrenders his sword to them. Unfortunately some of his men have rallied at the square, and carry on the fight. The dismounted knights, worn down by having run all the way from the field, across the castle, and straight into battle nonetheless find the strength and courage to charge into an arrow barrage.

Leopold, bloody but unbowed, with only a handful of men from his Lions still ahorse, completes the encirclement of the remaining enemy forces, and they are soon swept away.


The fortress is sacked and another seven thousand florins go into our coffers. Caesarea is a fortress every bit the equal of old Sofia, and we are pleased to have it holding our current northern border. King Charles takes his army forward, to control the pass between Egypt and Adana, though the Egyptians are technically our allies.
 
Besieging Adana, turn 74

A son is born to Leopold and Vemy, the boy is given the name Ulrik Nevjolvson. The news gets a cool reception from the King. Doubtless the nobility will bend their every effort to wooing this young man to their cause. Even with matters so complicated King Charles sends Vemy and Leopold his official congratulations, and officially recognizes the boy as a member of his household.

We suffer reversals in the ongoing economic warfare around Constantinople, but more merchants are in training. The heretic Abascantus is found guilty and executed outside Iconium. A formerly Byzantine army is discovered to have rebelled, and is blocking the road east of Smyrna. A force of Huscarls is commissioned to deal with them. Leopold departs Caesarea and carries his siege train towards Adana. The Egyptian Sultan, a chivalrous man, is spotted south of Antioch.

King Charles chases some rebels off the bridge north east of Antioch, and asks that the Egyptian Crown Prince Nasir ad Din ride out with him to battle.

Under a gathering storm and intermittent flashes of lightning and rain the two men meet. The Crown Prince is curious why the King has ridden down into his lands, backed by a significant army no less. King Charles says that God has sent him forth, and swears that he will soon have a full explanation for the Egyptians. Nasir ad Din looks thoughtful, and returns "What Allah sends a man to do, he must do, though all the world oppose it."

Smiling his understanding, the King spurs his horse around, and charges the nearest rebel group.


Prince Nasir watches the King's effort, and then rides out to match it.

Under a hail of arrows the Egyptians catch up to the enemy captain, and wipe out his horsemen.


After the battle the two men salute one another, and ride off their seperate ways. Jerusalem is scouted, and found to contain only a general's men as guard. A look at our maps:

Siege of Adana, turn 75.

Sadly this is the appointed year for us to leave Constantinople. Orders are sent to pull all troops into the fort east of the city, but to sell nothing, leave every structure just as it is. Though we are far along the road, and perhaps our final destination is even in sight, King Charles is greatly vexed to be giving up control of this great city. Meanwhile Leopold leads his army down from the high plain at Caesarea to the pass near Adana where he and Sighvat exchange troops to better prepare Sighvat's army for the coming assault. Sighvat sends away most of his cavalry with Leopold, and takes spearmen and siege engines into his force in return. So reinforced, he begins the attack.

This is Sighvat's first major command, but King Charles is determined to prove his trust in the man by allowing him to conduct it without oversight. Sir Sighvat has been present for a number of sieges now, and with Leopold and the King both growing old it is time for him to prove himself. Before the battle he christens his bodyguard the Hart Guard. The men approach the castle walls from two directions, north and west, to discover that the west side where the ballista, Norse War Clerics, and axemen are waiting is covered by archers on the walls, whereas the north gate is not held. Sir Sighvat offers the catapult crews their pick of spoils if they can smash the enemy gate quickly, and they are up to the task, allowing him to ride in unopposed.

To allow his War Clerics and axemen to enter the city, he must first capture the west gates. Rushing past enemy held walls and streets Sighvat's Harts find the west gate undefended, and throw it open before launching into battle against enemy cavalry.

War Clerics and Axemen charge in there to cut off the retreat of the Turks fleeing the walls. Back at the north gate, our spearmen easily rout some enemy peasants, but then meet stiffer resistance as the castle's commander rides out to assail them.

Some of the men from the walls rout and are smashed down by Cleric's maces. The Axemen will have to go up and drag the rest down under heavy arrow fire.

Most of the enemy's men are in retreat, and Sighvat's force is well positioned to issue orders down both streets and to hold the enemy's line of retreat. While two spear units pin the enemy general, a third is sent to relieve the Hart Guard, causing the remaining Turkish cavalry to turn their backs to battle.

The spears do their bloody work, and Adana's commander is trapped under his dying horse before being pierced by a dozen spears. What remains of his guard flee.

As our forces assemble to take the square and end all resistance, the Norse Axemen file into the walls to do butcher's work. After the action Sighvat would come to regret sending them there, on the staircase they were ambushed and took heavy losses before making it into the fight (A pathing bug had them standing at a corner getting shot by the archers until I noticed it).

At the square the Harts and Clerics rapidly destroy the remaining Turkish forces, and then look to the walls to watch the last bit of battle for Adana.

The axes are slower, but more sure than enemy swords. Many is the Turk who finds himself hurtling through the air after an axe blow knocks him from the wall. In the end, the archers break and the castle is ours.


Three thousand florins are taken in the sack of Adana. With Adana taken, we enter a complex negotiation with Egypt for the surrender of Antioch into our hands. King Charles sits outside the walls with an army, while inside the Crown Prince rests alone with his bodyguard, sure that the King will keep the faith of our alliance with them. Finally, after many frustrating days, the King comes to the table himself and asks to speak with the Crown Prince personally. After the pleasantries are exchanged, the men begin a legendary dicker.

'Prince Nasir, I must have Antioch. It is my people's destiny.'

'I recall clearly you saying on the eve of battle that your coming was the will of Allah. I have no wish to stand between a man and his God-given destiny, but my father the Sultan has sheltered the people of Antioch under his care for many years, as his father before him. If God wishes you to have Antioch, surely God has given you the means to purchase it from us.'

'Our coffers are not piled high with plunder, if that is the question you do not wish to speak plainly, but there are many lands in Danish hands.'

'One would expect that conquering your way across the whole of Europe would leave a larger impact on your purse.' The Prince smiled brightly to lessen the offense his statement might give.

King Charles gave a grim look before answering, 'We have not conquered our way across Europe, we have merely followed the road that fate set before us. Where possible, I have left the lands behind us in better shape and trustworthy hands. It will forever be a joy in my heart to recall how many great works were undertaken by the hands of Danes at Constantinople.'

'Constantinople you say? A mighty city, with men of all faiths living within her walls. I have often wished to travel to Constantinople.'

'As I have now a wish to bring my people into Antioch. I am amenable to a land trade, though the city we give up is mightier by far.'

'Would that matters were so simple, great King. If Constantinople were given into our hands, how would we hold it? How would our Imams reach it, so far across your lands. Who would administer the city, and who defend it?'

For a few breaths King Charles merely gazed at the ceiling, before saying, 'I appreciate these concerns, and I am prepared to give my word that no Egyptian priests will be molested crossing my realm. Additionally mercenaries are widely available in the city herself, and could control Constantinople until your people arrived.'

'I am afraid I must have a guarantee for the safety of all men spreading the word of the Prophet in your lands. An end to your war against the Turks would be a sufficient gesture to this effect, in the Sultan's eyes.'

'This will be done, we have no further need of Turkish lands. If the Turks wish a ceasefire, they shall have it.' The King's eyes gleamed as went on, 'Though I suspect that you desire their lands yourself, now that we have weakened them.'

The Prince inclined his head and appeared thoughtful for a moment, 'Perhaps, but there is a further problem with this deal, and it is simply that no facilities are available for training professional soldiers in the city. We will need such men, if Constantinople is truly to be ours.'

At this the King grinned, sensing the end of the haggling, 'Smyrna. We hold a castle at Smyrna that could also be surrendered to your trust. The lands of Egypt will then be mighty indeed, and well held.'

Rising to his feet, the Crown Prince of Egypt smiled widely, openly, and exclaimed, 'So it shall be! Leave the signing of documents to the functionaries, for now let us share sweet dates and dark tea while we watch the sun set from my palace. At sunrise tomorrow, the palace will be yours!'

Turning to me, the King whispered grimly, 'The Pope may well send a letter asking for my head, but his forgiveness will be easier to seek than Odin's. Tell the men to make ready to secure the city, unrest will be high for a time while the priests do their work. Tomorrow I will ride south, to the border, to put up a watch tower. The Prince is an honest man, but this alliance will not long survive such hard bargains as we gave up today.'

Quickly a deal was reached with a Turkish emissary. They were enthusiastic, desperate, but also destitute, and so we asked only a pittance as recompense. If we weren't in need of money, we wouldn't have gouged them for anything, but times being what they are every florin counts.

Just as quickly we invite the Hungarians to resume their alliance with us for a price, making certain of a two front war should the Egyptians prove unfaithful.

At the end of the year a deputation arrives from the Papacy with a private rebuke for King Charles, and a demand that he repudiate his deal with the Egyptians that gave mighty Constantinople into their hands. Mindful of the Code, and of keeping his nation's reputation intact, King Charles was then offered a path that all involved would understand. A Crusade. In the end our people's faith and destiny must trump the King's and even the country's honor. The Egyptians would know that we had manipulated them, perhaps they may even see a vast Christian conspiracy in it, but the Catholic nations of Europe would hear a different tale from Papal messengers; one of Muslim treachery and cunning that must be repaid with Muslim blood. Constantinople would be the target of the second Crusade.
Antioch, turn 76.

We are asked to answer the call to crusade, but as before it is forbidden for us. Still, three nations come to the Pope's war banners; Venice, The Holy Roman Empire, and Hungary. This puts us in the position of choosing between our alliance with Hungary and our alliance with Egypt. Looking south to Jerusalem, there is only one possible choice. Egypt sends their Sultan and a small force to block the pass out of the mountains around Adana, but the rest of their armies draw back from our borders rather than cross them. Perhaps they still hope for peace since we did not declare for the Crusade. Leopold sends men to hold the path down out of the pass, while Sighvat sits atop it. The Sultan is trapped, but has also cleverly trapped a large part of our forces including our siege engines.

An aging member of the noble council puts himself forth as a suitor for Hrefna. One of Leopold's original conspirators, this Sigurd of Dragor is one of the men King Charles has had watched since Thessalonica, and he is known to be actively disloyal. Though his claim on her hand is rejected, the King invites him to dinner before he departs back to Iconium. Afterward, when I voice my concern at this change in tacks, the King says 'Better to have such men here, in my camp with my soldiers when they get bad news, than away behind my back surrounded by their own petty suck-ups.'

Vemy bears Leopold another son, who is given the name Lars Eigod by his mother.

Across our lands heretics are being burned, which encourages the locals to convert to Christianity. Our priests report excellent results from their efforts in the hinterlands around Ceasarea and Adana, though Iconium is still home to a number of Turkish and Egyptian Imams. Spies report Edessa and Acre are weakly held.

Near Antioch, turn 77.

A spy from Nicaea discovers Constantinople is still held solely by mercenaries. It looks as though the city will suffer another siege soon, as a Hungarian crusader army is spotted not too far to the north by one of our diplomats.

More heretics go to the stake, inside Egypt and our borders. We've almost cleared the whole area of them at last. While King Charles is pinning the former garrison of Antioch by the sea to the south, Sighvat is trapped on the far side of the mountains by the Egyptian Sultan. Leopold was ordered to find a peaceful solution to this matter as messeges couldn't get through to Sir Sighvat and there was no one else. Unfortunately after months of snide remarks and sly insults from Sultan Moussa at the negotiating table, Leopold hears the translator snicker through saying '...the flighty kittens of beer-area,' one time too many. He snaps, and nearly assaults the Sultan across the table before regaining control of himself. Snatching up a butter knife from the remains of breakfast, he slams it into the table and says simply 'We're coming.' Hearing Leopold's trumpets, Sighvat marches down into the pass as well.

Sultan Moussa arrays his men on a high hill nearby, but they are vastly outnumbered. Leopold screams at his cavalrymen to ride faster, seeking battle with all his heart. As they ride in, immense catapult stones hurtle overhead and slam into the ground behind them. Blind with rage, Leopold turns his Lions to end that threat once and for all while the rest of his cavalry go to meet the enemy horse archers. The Sultan's guard first moves indecisively to save the archers, then moves back towards the catapult just as the last of it's crew are killed. Finally a squad of Feudal Knights ride down to engage them as they ride somewhat aimlessly.


More and more forces pour in to surround the Sultan, and Sighvat rides up with his Hart Guard exhorting the men to capture him alive.

Alas for Egypt, it is too late. Leopold rides down to Moussa still in a frothing rage, and his well trained horse dances back to dodge the Sultan's first strike. Leopold's counter insures there will be no second, and the Sultan of all Egypt pitches forward, face first into the blood stained dirt. His personal guard fights to the death, taking many Danes with them.

Sighvat and Leopold ride down onto the plain east of Antioch, sending two seperate letters to King Charles about the battle in the pass. Dismayed, the King is nonetheless confronted by a now enemy army just southwest of his newest, least Christian city. He resolves to bring them to battle that very evening, before they hear of their Sultan's heroic last stand.

Under storm swept skies we few, proud Gray Wolves rode forth once more to battle. Once before, in France, in the first battle after I came under his command, we were ambushed by a similar number of men. What then we could accomplish by mere strength and hardiness, now we must get done with cleverness and hard earned battle wisdom.

First we scatter the enemy archers, who set their arrows alight in the vain hope that it would aid their aim. Taking advantage of the darkness and confusion, King Charles routs their second unit of archers singlehandedly.


Riding quietly out of the darkness, we surprise a small cluster of spearmen as they chat casually.

When we charge the main body of spearmen, we find them also milling about purposelessly. I line up the enemy captain with my lance, but he ducks the blow (He is bent over behind the second nearest horse in the 2nd shot). Despite this, his line is smashed, and his force flees in terror.



Clearly King Charles is an expert at night fighting. The further south we go, the better fighting in the cool of the evening seems to me. After the battle we march south, to the plain east of Acre. We can see the walls of Jerusalem from here. Our spies still report that fabled city to be lightly held. In our camp the mood is high, and by striking so deep into enemy territory it would even appear that we've outrun the reach of the Council. Were it not for the brewing conflict between Sighvat and Leopold all would seem well with the world. King Charles, though wroth with Leopold, can nearly smell the city of his dreams on the horizon. Leopold's second reckoning will have to wait.
Besieging Jerusalem, turn 78.

Our spy in the city continues to report that Jerusalem is held by a small force, and so the King approaches with only a few Huscarls to make ready the siege. Our fate is here, in our hands, waiting only to be seized, but a note of caution must slow us. The fortress of Acre behind us must be taken first, to maintain our borders with the rest of our lands and in accordance with the mandate of Odin. For now, we sit 'round the city and prevent it from being reinforced.

On the diplomatic front, the Turks have called a truce with the Egyptians. Though we sit at the gates of our goal, still King Charles prudently orders priests and scouts to be sent out around Caesarea to watch for Turkish forces. Most of our armies are on the march south and the Turk has an opportunity to split our nation in half if he strikes boldly. I suspect their people are still cowed by our rapid advance, however, and any declaration of war would meet fear and riots in the enemy streets. Hours ahead of the Hungarian Crusaders, Egypt reinforces Constantinople with mercenary horse archers and light cavalry. Seeing this, the Hungarians lose heart, and do not lay siege.

A small force of Feudal Knights is sent out of Antioch to pin the new Sultan, Nasir ad Din, at Aleppo, and the new Crown Prince is spotted near Damascus. The young man's name is Camona the Ugly. Leopold moves south with his siege train, making for Acre at best speed.

Sieges of Aleppo and Acre, turn 79.

King Charles' son, Prince Emund, has come of age! My first born, Aethelwulf, heads his bodyguard while his slightly younger twin Magnus awaits Toraren's maturity. The boys have ridden against bandits, and watched major engagements all their lives, but for the first time Emund will have a command of his own. Having been raised on the road, with no set home and only Odin's all consuming quest as a guide, the boy has grown up with some silly beliefs, and a skewed view of the world. Only to be expected, I suppose, but I hope it does not interfere with his ability to command. Diplomats in Europe are given orders to find him a suitable princess from among our allies.

King Charles does not wish our armies to intercede in matters at Constantinople, feeling that his deal with the Egyptians has already stained his honor. A priest discovers a small force of Turkish rebels on the high plain north east of Adana, and cavalry are dispatched to deal with them.

Emund is given charge of the siege of Aleppo, and he sends a messenger with a demand that Sultan Nasir ad Din surrender the town and depart. My son reports that the Sultan's reponse was straightforward, 'Not your ears alone hear the voice of Allah. I am called to defend these lands to my last breath. Allah willing, the victor's hand will be a merciful one.'

Emund's pre-battle speech is odd, but effective, 'Today we turn another page in the book of time! I have read ahead, and on the last page are the names of our honored dead inscribed! If you fall today, know that all mankind will revere your sacrifice in the times to come!'

King Charles is not known as The Watcher for nothing, and his spy network proves itself again by opening the gates of Aleppo for us. The men drop their ladders and make for the gates as Prince Emund rides in unopposed. The Egyptians have only a unit of militia spearmen and the Sultan's bodyguard in the town, so the walls are unguarded.

Our men begin to surround the square where Sultan Nasir has massed his defenders. The militia look terrified at the prospect of a hopeless battle.

As our knights move to complete the encirclement, Sultan Nasir orders his men to attack. Instantly Prince Emund orders a charge into their flank, lancing some of their hardiest fighters from behind.

As our foot knights charge, the spearmen run to the Sultan's side as though he can protect them.

Prince Emund's years of training show as he clears a space around himself in the melee. No enemy can stand before the Prince when a joyous bloodlust comes over him.

The Egyptian spearmen are quickly taken by our Knights, and the Sultan's guard is pressed in around him on all sides. When a pause occurs in the battle, Emund calls out a challenge to Sultan Nasir to end this pointless slaughter with a personal duel. The Sultan nods his head, and quickly Prince Emund spurs his mount forward. Two swords flash as the horses pass, Emund's armor resists the Sultan's swing while Emund's punching motion takes Sultan Nasir in the leg. To hear my son tell it, the matter was already decided at that point, as the Egyptian leader could no longer guide his horse properly. Emund made five more passes, cutting Nasir ad Din again each time, before the Sultan fell from his horse. Emund came down from his saddle as well, and began to approach his enemy when the few remaining members of the Sultan's guard lost their discipline and attacked.

Knights surrounded Emund and held him safe while the dishonored bodyguard was killed, but in the melee the body of Sultan Nasir ad Din was crushed beyond recognition. In the end Aleppo was ours, and Emund's first command was a success.

Having word of Emund's victory, King Charles met Leopold east of Acre as Leopold's army was setting up to siege the castle there.

Setting aside any ceremony, King Charles says, 'A mighty Egyptian warrior commands that castle, the new Crown Prince Saladin. He is all that stands between my people and the end of Odin's burden.'

Leopold snorted, 'My army is far superior. This man will die like every other if he stands in my way.'

'Like the old Sultan did, in the pass east of Adana? You recall that attack, do you not Leopold?'

Shifting uneasily, Leopold merely nods.

'Of course Saladin is not negotiating with us across a peace table, is he Leopold? Very much unlike the old Sultan Moussa. I'm sure you recall those negotiations as well, do you not Leopold?'

Grimly, Leopold nods again.

Appearing to change tacks, the King says, 'Do you still imagine the Council can put you upon my throne if I fall?'

White faced, but forced to speak, Leopold sputters, 'Of course not my liege! I am sworn to you, loyalty unto death. I have no other place in the world but by your side.'

Nodding, the King continues, 'Even so sworn, even so outcast from your homeland, and even if you have abandoned all hope of ruling the Danes, even given all that you still see fit to defy my orders and launch what may have been a needless war with a mighty people who have in their grasp the lands we desperately need? You have dishonored me Leopold! You have forced my hand, the hand of your King, on a terrible choice! Here I have word that my own son fought a death duel with a man who not so long ago rode at my side into battle!'

Dropping his voice, King Charles went on, 'I am a fair king Leopold, even handed and just, but it seems to me that I am twice betrayed by you, and my whole people bear a certain stain on their honor because of your actions.'

Ashen, hands balled into bloodless fists, Leopold cannot look away from the King, though he must be worried that he will leave this tent in irons.

Pausing thoughtfully, King Charles appears to be struck by an idea, 'But you have proven yourself in battle, time and again. You have done much to advance our cause, and led our ever victorious armies forward for many years. I do not wish to break that spirit which is so useful to our cause. Perhaps I should give you another chance to prove yourself in battle. Perhaps I should overlook your faults and send you out to redeem yourself. Would you like that Leopold? Do you think you could scrub away the stain?'

Surging to his feet, Leopold shouts, 'With my own blood if you need it my Lord!'

'Then go Leopold, go to Acre and bring me the head of Saladin. Go quickly, for I would have Jerusalem in my grasp before Odin's heavy hand takes another of our cities from us.'

Leaping up, Leopold races for his horse and rides for Acre as though the King had fired him at it like a bolt from a crossbow. Turning away I hear King Charles mutter, '...and if he comes back, the real trouble begins.'

Our spy network shows it's worth again, and as Leopold rushes his men to the walls Egypt's archers abandon them.

The two meet, and archers flee for the inner keep while horsemen cut them down. Leopold's fury is boundless.

That mad battle lust is infectious, even veteran Huscarls ride along the lines of cowering peasant archers splitting open their heads with mighty hews of their axes.

With the enemy walls taken, and their foot soldiers all cut down, the battle roars into place at the castle's square. Leopold drives his Lions against Saladin's bodyguard.

Inevitably as Leopold cuts his way through one side of the battle line, and Saladin slaughters his way along the other, the two men move towards a meeting.

Exchanging blows, with neither proving superior, they are quickly forced apart by Saladin's guard driving themselves between their lord and the madman Leopold appears to have become.

Isolated, outnumbered, and surrounded Leopold nonetheless cuts down man after man, relentlessly making his way back to Saladin one gut spilling blow after another. None can stand against him.


At last the fight between the two commanders resumes, and Saladin gets the worst of it. Leaning far out of his saddle, with no caution or care for his own defense, Leopold strikes Saladin down.

With the fight surging around him, Leopold slides down out of his saddle and approaches the corpse of the mighty Egyptian general with his sword held ready. Beyond any thought of risk, he grabs the plume on Saladin's helm and draws it off so that he can thrust a hand into the man's hair and lift his head to one side. Raising his sword, Leopold begins to hack his way through Saladin's neck, not noticing as the last of his now leaderless Lions of Bavaria is run through by one of the seven remaining Egyptian bodyguards.

Turning back to look on the spot where their leader fell, the Egyptians see Leopold hewing demonically at Saladin's neck. As one they charge, and mighty Leopold is pierced many times by their swords. Staggering back to his horse to attempt to remount he is heard to roar 'Avenge me!' before he falls into the final darkness.

Grim spearmen catch the enemy's last cavalry, and Huscarls ride behind them. The Danes have not lost heart, for Leopold died well exhorting them to carry on the battle.

At the last two great men from two fate crossed lands lie dead in the mud, filth, and blood. Acre is taken, and Leopold leaves a powerful legacy for his young sons.


Seven thousand florins are gained from the sack of Acre. The Council of Nobles is forced to acknowledge Prince Emund as the true heir following the fall of Leopold. In honor of his long service, King Charles orders the construction of a tall tomb at Acre. Princess Vemy is invited to bring her children to live in the King's household, if for no other reason to try to keep them clear of the council's machinations. A spy is sent from Acre to scout Gaza, and finds it loosely held.

Before the siege of Jerusalem can begin a small force north of the city must be cleared away. Men from Leopold's command are ordered to march south and make ready for battle.
Siege of Jerusalem, turn 80.

At last, the city of our hopes and dreams, the end goal of Odin's quest. If King Knud's visions were true, capturing this city will lift the debt of the old gods from the Danes for good. Perhaps we could even put to sea again, here on these strange shores with their warm, blue waters. All my war wounds ache with the tension I feel as we move inevitably towards our destiny. At least this much I know to be true, the Gray Wolves will ride into battle once more.

First, however, more practical matters. The King accepts an offer from the Merchant's guild to put a guild house in Nicaea, on the presumption that the city won't be lost this year though it's turn is up. The Council demands that we capture Damascus, which is on the trade roads between Jerusalem and all points north. No doubt they seek a comfortable city closer to the King, so as to improve their ability to meddle. Spain joins the Crusade against Constantinople. Antioch is becoming a huge city. Sultan Camona the Ugly holds the bridge east of Aleppo with only his bodyguard to protect him. Baghdad is found to have a single unit of spearmen holding it, and Turkish Mosul is held only by a general and some dismounted lancers. The whole area is ripe for plucking by our mighty armies.

For the siege of Jerusalem King Charles sends away all of his men but one veteran unit of Norse Swordsmen to push a ram to the gates, should our spies fail to open them. He vows to send those men away, and capture the city with the Wolves alone, as it is protected by only an Egyptian general named al Mutawakkil and his retinue.

Word reaches us that our spies have thrown open the gates, and with the sun rising beautifully over the city we ride for the undefended entrance. The Norse Swordsmen are sent away from the battle, and withdraw quickly.


The King leads us in a near perfect parade formation into the quiet city. The air itself feels pensive. There are no peasants on the roads, and the markets are shut. Even the morning call to prayer seems have been suspended until the matter of control of the city is decided. King Charles rides ahead of us, before turning back to shout, 'Here! Here, by all the gods new and old, here is our destiny! Reach out with me and take it!'

Leading us up the silent streets, the King is ebullient. He launches into an ancient sailing song which hails Odin as the source of all favorable winds.

Reaching the town square, we find our enemy neatly arrayed in the center, awaiting us. We make our line too, slightly longer than theirs at both ends.

There is no negotiation now. Reaching up King Charles slashes at an Egyptian flag and commands us to charge!

Heedless of his own safety, the King attacks with short, precise strokes, and fells every enemy that comes before him.

When I spot the enemy commander riding down the line, intent on attacking King Charles despite the fact that the King is already engaged with two other Egyptians, I goad my horse to slam it's shoulder into his mount's side, trapping the general's leg so that I can reach back and run him through from behind. His dead, slumping weight carries his horse to the ground with him as I move on to relieve the King.

The King fights coldly, slaying his opponents quickly with powerful strokes so that he can move on to the next. No mere man will slow him today.


We surrounded the last few Egyptians, and cut them down. When the last enemy falls, the Gray Wolves stand in their stirrups to shout and raise bloodied swords heavenward! Jerusalem is ours!


Veteran swordsmen, huscarls, and raiders, sons and the sons of sons of the mighty men who first enlisted on this quest with King Knud are brought forward to take spoils from our sack of the city. This will go far to guarantee loyalty in the locals and the suddenly unburdened Norsemen who may wonder what is left to fight for. Eleven thousand florins go into the coffers.

King Charles' first act as governor of Jerusalem, of course, is to commission the construction of a church in the city, and to order the destruction of the resident theives' guild. A week of feasting is declared, though troops in the field keep a close watch on the countryside. That night King Charles delivers a brilliant speech, one long in the coming, about a destiny and a duty fulfilled. Odin's burden can now be laid down, and cities taken by Danes are free to remain in the hands of Danes. No longer are we a wandering, homeless people. Now we are a people of one God, and one purpose, undivided and no longer indebted to the old ways. Heralds are sent with copies of the speech to every land and army we control. Back in Jerusalem, we celebrate! Many days later, when the last barrel of drink we brought with us is tapped, business resumes nearly as usual. A spy sends a report that a handsome Egyptian has a small force protecting Edessa.

Some knights and axemen out of Acre catch an Egyptian general and his reinforcements north of Jerusalem, and rapidly put him to flight.