HRE NES

[appleciders]

Sure thing. You know, I have all that silver I could be trading to Berengar, and have been trading to Berengar, but the Venetians have offered me a better price on. Maybe another bargaining chip for you.

Honestly, Regensburg seems to be mostly under control, barring any outside help for the rebels. The troops I need most are archers; von Nordgau's got lots of those and I need the ability to at least make his men keep their heads down. So taking Micha's troops to help with this siege is probably the best thing, possibly along with a few of your archers. If the Duke of Swabia still lives, I might ask for some mercenary help, but I don't think that's forthcoming at the moment.

My forces (or the allied forces, more properly) have surrounded Regensburg. The majority of civilians have been driven out of Regensburg to make room and save supplies for the rebels. My siege expert has several plans of attack ready, including several "turtles" to allow our troops access to the walls without exposing themselves to arrows, which should be helpful in any assault approach or attempt to destablize the walls. I also plan to delay the actual assault until my trebuchet is completed, so as to maximize the fear instilled in the defenders.

[foolish_icarus]

to Arnulf:

I want to have my army participate in fighting the rebels. What kind of time frame are we looking at here?

[appleciders]

Well, I think your army is already at Regensburg, so we could probably stage the assault as soon as weather permits and "der Strafer" is finished. I hope by March?

[foolish_icarus]

Well lads, looks like intermittent internet access at best for a while, maybe as long as a month.

Basic orders:

Smash the rebellion on ciders' time frame. Then proceed to Vienna (with my army, against the threat of Magyars of course) to meet with Berengar. Find out what the old bastard wants.

Call up the rest of my vassals in Franconia. Have the replacement troops for the levies I sent home (are they done training yet? I hope so) proceed to a suitable border town to be on the lookout for Magyars, under the command of that first general fellow.

Ask Swabia to send some military help.

Call up another 200 levy men.

Build, hmm, 100 shields, 200 axes, 150 suits light armor, 50 suits heavy armor, 50 bows, 50 spears.

With luck I'll be able to drop by now and then to give more orders, if not, do as you will.

Godspeed, Germania!

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by appleciders
Well, I think your army is already at Regensburg, so we could probably stage the assault as soon as weather permits and "der Strafer" is finished. I hope by March?

Hopefully orders will also be in before March.

P.S. Does anyone moderate this forum? That is, will I find this this thread closed at 500?

[appleciders]

I've seen Ming in here exactly once, and I strongly suspect that he was called in here by a poster. You might be able to appeal to a mod to allow this thread to continue; it would be helpful to be able to keep a sense of continuity here.

[Cyclotron]

We seem to be waiting on Micha, who did say he would be gone for a while. I will update soon, perhaps in a week, whether he shows up or not.

[Micha]

Oh dear, I am the sand in the gears, again! *blushes*

Expect some orders tomorrow, because the day after I´ll be gone for Sweden for 10 days... Paradox HQs, here I come!

[Cyclotron]

This next update will be the last one possible for awhile, as I am departing for college in a week. This update, however, will be very eventful - stay tuned!

[Cyclotron]

I am beginning the next update. Any orders not in should be turned in posthaste.

[Cyclotron]

I have decided that the update will be posted on Wednesday. Thus is your deadline! Big News in the works!

[Cyclotron]

Anno Domini CMXVIII

This year’s Pope: John X
This year’s Emperor: Berengar I
This year’s King: None

Successions

Woe, woe, ye people of Germany! The first King of East Francia (Germania), Conrad I, is dead. He died early last year from typhoid, a result of a dreadful epidemic that killed many more in and around Regensburg. He is succeeded in his Duchy by his brother Erchanger of Franconia, but a Reichstag will have to be convened to determine his successor to the throne of Germany. Aides report he was drifting in and out of consciousness towards the end, and the Ducal Herald has reported the following:

He was too busy coughing up his own lungs to give a coherent deathbed statement, but those who were there give differing stories about rants (or perhaps prayers) directed at some combination of the Magyars, the Italians, the rebels, and cows. He also spoke of his wife all four of his children (both natural and adopted), his brother, and the odd mix of generals and relatives, apparently with love and pride for all.

He will surely be missed by his loyal subjects throughout the Kingdom.

The Duke of Swabia, Erchanger, was abducted from his manor by unknown assailants, brought to the island of Reichenau in the Bodensee (Lake Constance), and forced into the Benedictine monastery there. His removal was certainly the work of his relative and determined political rival, Burchard of Rhaetia, who has assumed power as Duke Burchard II of Swabia. It appears that most of Swabia’s nobles, without any alternative, have sworn their fealty anew to Duke Burchard II.

The Queen of France, Frederonne, has died of an illness. The kingdom mourns her loss, and the royal court is already searching for a new Queen to add to the prestige of the increasingly unstable Kingdom.

Family Business

The Duke of Bavaria, Arnulf, as well as Vizegraf Gunnulf von Villach, have recovered from the typhoid that has ravaged the armies at Regensburg. Not all were so lucky, however. The nobles of Franconia mourn the loss of Landgraf Abelard von Bernfeld, respected and beloved general and friend of the King, whom God has seen fit to lay low with the dreaded typhoid. Abelard commanded that he be suited with his armor and given his sword as he lay dying.

Lord Geffrey d'Evreux, Norman Count of Vienna, perhaps wishing to style himself as a “German” (despite his poor grasp of the language), has declared that he is to be henceforth known as Donaugraf Gottfried von Wien. It has been noted by the Duke’s heralds that “Donaugraf,” which means “Count of the Danube,” is not an actual title (and is a bit presumptuous), though “Rheingraf” is used in a similar context in Franconia for nobles along the Rhine.

Land und Leute

A drought this summer has plagued the peasants, who have found their yields less than adequate. Though mass starvation has not occurred, the income of all territories decreases by 10% this year.

The epidemic of typhoid in the army camps at Regensburg has ravaged the peasant population for leagues in every direction, killing many young children and elderly people. The combination of drought, plague, and the chaos of rebellion has caused a peasant uprising in Nordgau. The peasants have lynched several members of von Nordgau’s household, and only a last minute appeal to calm by a certain Fastredus, a priest in Nuremberg, saved that city from the general turmoil.

Krieg und Frieden

Travelers from the south bring news of a colossal and terrible battle. The Bulgarian army, under Simeon I, has utterly crushed the enormous Byzantine army outside the fortress of Anchialus. It is said that a seventy thousand Byzantines were killed, along with the general Leo Phocas; the other Roman general John Bogas retreated with the remnants of the army, only to be again humiliated by the Bulgarians beneath the very walls of Constantinople. With no other choice, the Empress-Regent Zoe Karvounopsina has (again) crowned Simeon “Caesar of all Bulgarians and Greeks,” but she has stubbornly refused Simeon’s proposal to have his daughter wed to the underage Emperor Constantine VII.

The Exercitus Imperii Romani Sancti, army of Emperor Berengar I, has been forced back to Italy after the complete destruction of their rearguard and baggage train by the Magyar horde. It may take as many as several years before the Emperor’s expedition is again able to make good on Berengar’s promise to bring Carinthia under his control.

Other News of Christendom

A possible alliance between the Byzantines and Pechenegs has failed, due to the refusal of the ambitious admiral Romanus Lecapenus to ferry the Pecheneg warriors into Bulgaria. The Empress-Regent, it is rumored, has secured a new alliance with the Magyars, and has incited the Serbians under Bulgarian rule into full rebellion.

Radboud, Bishop of Utrecht (presiding from nearby Deventer, since Utrecht has been in the hands of the Danes for decades), has passed away. He was a noted theologian and poet, as well as a dabbler in history who wrote on the lives of several saints. Radboud was also known for his political activism; he served at the court of Charles the Bald, Holy Roman Emperor, and was believed to have played a role in the assassination of Godfried the Sea-King in 885, the last powerful Danish ruler of Friesland.

An Italian fisherman in Trieste may have unearthed a relic of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Legend says that the holy relics, among them the True Cross and the four nails on which Jesus was crucified, were discovered by Saint Helena (the mother of Constantine the Great), and two of the nails were cast into the Adriatic Sea to calm a great whirlpool. The fisherman claims he saw a vision of the Virgin Mary, and the next day found a nail in his nets, which glowed like gold with no trace of rust, and cured his lame foot as soon as he laid his hand upon it. The relic was given to Emperor Berengar I, but has lamentably fallen into heathen hands (see battle reports).

[Cyclotron]

Ok, ok, I couldn't wait. The deadline is still Wednesday, and I will change the above update if orders arrive by then. In the meantime, here is a refresher on elections. Note that this has been changed since I first wrote the HRE NES manual.

Elections for King

1) A Reichstag must first be called by a Duke. Any Duke may call a Reichstag; they must specify the place and time where it will be held. The other Dukes must agree to this choice, or propose their own.

2) Any Duke may call for an election at the Reichstag.

3) The Dukes must vote if an election is called. Currently, the Duchies of Bavaria, Saxony, Franconia, and Swabia receive one vote each, as well as the clergy represented by the Archbishop of Mainz. A majority (3 votes in this case) is needed for election. Dukes have the option of abstaining.

4) The rules for voting may be changed at any time by a majority decision of the Dukes; for example, the Dukes can grant a vote to other Duchies (Bohemia, for example) or strip a voting party of their vote. They can rule that only certain people are eligible for Kingship, that the decision to elect a King must be unanimous, that voting should henceforth be by secret ballot, or anything else they can agree on.

5) Currently, only Dukes of Franconia, Swabia, Saxony, and Bavaria are eligible for Kingship.

6) A Duke may choose not to attend a Reichstag. A Duke that does not attend effectively abstains from all votes. Currently, representatives are not permitted, though this may be changed like all other rules.

7) The Reichstag can vote on other issues besides Kingship, issuing proclimations, announcing nobles to be illegitimate or traitorous, or anything else they see fit to do.

8) Votes on any issue must be posted publically. Secret ballots are not currently permitted.

9) A vote of Kingship is effective immediately.

10) The Reichstag is a great place for covert shenanigans (hint hint).

[Cyclotron]

The Battle of Porezen

Exercitus Imperii Romani Sancti (Emperor Berengar I) – 17,100 men

Magyar Horde (Gyula Levente) – around 15,000 men

In early June, the Exercitus Imperii Romani Sancti (Army of the Holy Roman Empire) crossed into Carinthia. Not long afterwards, Emperor Berengar received reports of a large Magyar force heading into the same area of Carinthia. After camping indecisively at Saint Lucia for a week, Berengar ordered the army north through the pass of Porezen. This choice may have saved the army.

The Magyar host, nearly as large as the Imperial Army, was waiting in ambush behind Porezen Mountain. The Italians had underestimated the speed of the Magyar force, estimating that they were still two or three days away. In fact, assuming that the Imperial Army would pass south of Porezen, the Magyars under Gyula Levente were perfectly placed to sweep down and into the flank of the Italians. To reach the pass, however, the army swung north of Porezen, denying the Magyars their perfect setup. By the time the Magyars had realized the new marching direction and swung their force around, Berengar and his army were already advancing near the pass.

Levente struck immediately, and the fury of the Magyar assault quickly smashed the Imperial rear-guard, which was filled primarily with light troops and mercenaries. Emperor Berengar led a determined counterattack with his Italian mercenaries and chivalry, which failed to break the Magyar attack but succeeded in buying the bulk of the army enough time to reach the pass. Choosing not to pursue the Imperials into mountainous and constrained terrain, the Magyars instead turned on the Imperial baggage train, now hopelessly cut off from the army. Thousands of civilians and auxiliaries, including cooks, farriers, blacksmiths, porters, and women traveling with the army were slain or enslaved by the Magyars, and the Horde rode away from Porezen with a sizeable haul of loot. It is said that the Gyula now makes good use of Berengar’s prized steeds, also in the baggage train.

The whole affair, while it has not crippled the Imperial Army, has proven to be a colossal embarrassment to the Emperor. Cut off from supplies, the army has been forced back to Italy, the campaign delayed for a year. The morale of the army has been damaged not only from the defeat, but from the loss of many wives and comfort women with the baggage train. As a final insult, the rumored Holy Nail found by an Italian fisherman and given to Berengar was also seized, taken from the baggage of the army. It is presumably now in the hands of that barbarous Hun, Levente.

Following the battle, Gyula Levente turned the army into Carinthia, and the Horde did its best to lay waste to the countryside. A swath of destruction miles wide was carved through the March, and the Magyars did not even encounter token resistance. With the Horde outnumbering his army around 20 to 1, Markgraf Eberhard von Kärnten and Donaugraf Gottfried von Wien decided that meeting the Magyars in the field would be a foolish idea. They have instead opted to make their defense at Vienna, and have begun furiously stockpiling supplies and strengthening Vienna’s defenses. The Magyars approached the environs of the city, but then turned east towards Pressburg, meeting up with further reinforcements, and wintering there afterwards. It seems the Gyula is in no particular hurry, but his great horde is still dangerously close to Germany.

[foolish_icarus]

The siege of Regensburg?

Conrad surely looks down upon us all from heaven with hope in his heart.