Medieval II: Total War Hotseat Succession Campaign

[Incubus]

Re: Medieval II: Total War Hotseat Succession Campaign

At age 57, Jen the Mad assumes the throne and declares it the year of the purple peacock.

The people cheer for their crazy king, who is so poor at commanding respect that he has the utmost respect from his nobles and people simply for trying. (Or the game glitched and he has 10 authority without any traits to boost it save faction leader, and a lot of penalties to it. )

He is placed in a defensible location in northern Germany, where he can be kept occupied, as a coalition of powerful nobles convene to rule in his stead, so that their Kingdom is not lost in his short remaining years. The swift and ruthless power of the Danish nobles is the real reason the people fear to cross their king.

(Also, guys? I thought we already spoke about not turning on the always manage cities option? I consider it cheating to be able to govern a city effectively without a governor, yet I keep finding the cities manageable when I get my turn.)

Battle of Antioch, 1412 AD

When the nobles heard there was a massive army of foreigners bearing down on Antioch, they wrote the holy land off as a lost cause. There was no one of real value down there, just a couple of cities run by no one special. The troops guarding the area were mostly peasant militia anyways, they hadn't a prayer, better to use their resources elsewhere than try to mount an expedition across the world to save their distant lands, no matter how sacred they were.

The militia... held. This is a painting done by a renowned artist of the town depicting the post battle scene. Their demon beasts were certainly big, but they bled and died like any other creature on this earth.

Sadly, the captain who commanded the defence force was cut down in the later stages of the battle, but with two waves of attackers killed or broken, including the death of a seemingly ranking general and their king himself, the invaders will regroup before launching another strike. Their forces are still vast, but perhaps this victory will incite the nobles to send aid, and buy them the time needed for it to arrive.

Battle Stats below

Spoiler

1413 AD

Antioch continues to come under siege. Army after army is turned away, but the men are growing weary, and few in number.

This is an artists rendition of the scene after the third separate assault by the invaders, who have lost 4 generals in total so far. With few spearmen remaining, the troops wonder if they can last against a 4th assault without at least some chance to recover and recruit fresh troops.

The 4th battle of Antioch was a stalemate with the attackers trying to use their small anti-infantry cannons to bombard the defenders. The defenders pulled back off the ramparts and the two sides waited each other out, in the end the attackers having to withdraw.

The 5th battle of Antioch, the Timurids brought up grand bombards, and blew right open the walls. All hope seemed lost, as the defenders frantically regrouped in the town square for one last stand. The remaining spear militia blocked the main road into town, and killed twice their number in enemy cavalry before they were finally cut down to a man. The same could not be said for the crossbowmen, who were attacked by outflanking enemy cav and were cut down swiftly and ruthlessly. Antioch has at last fallen, but not before the deaths of 4 noteworthy enemy generals and thousands of elite troops.

1420

Despite the loss of Antioch, and the impending attack on the castle nearby, Danish armies continue their conquest in the mainland, seizing Paris in a devastating attack.

1438

With the war in the Holy Land calming to a halt as the Timurids regroup and consolidate their position, nearby Aleppo castle prepares for the inevitable attack, upgrading their training facilities and retraining their defenders into better trained and equipped warriors whenever possible. The war with France goes slowly, but well, with His Holiness demanding a ceasefire that France has broken, causing their excommunication. The remaining three provinces of the French king are ripe for the taking.

However, the mad king Jens has finally succumbed to the illness that had plagued him most of his life. The Crown Prince, Haflidhi, who is but a young man of 22, had been staying in the same castle as his father to ensure his wellbeing and be there to help prompt some of his more lucid moments. With him deceased, the Crown Prince swiftly put into motion a plan to ensure he would not be the puppet king his father was and through somewhat dubious means ensured that the council of nobles stepped down and allowed his rule. Due to this, however, his grip on the throne is not the strongest, and his reputation is yet to be developed for noble or dastardly purposes.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Medieval II: Total War Hotseat Succession Campaign

1438-
The King takes the crown from his father, and decides to stay in Hamburg to strengthen the economy of the Kingdom, and secure his kingdom from the scheming of nobles, sending his heir, Prince Bjorn to the south to continue the campaign in the south.

1444-
As Danish armies march south towards the remaining French territories, soldiers in the Holy Lands prepare themselves for the sure to come assault from the Timurids. Their hopes dwindle, as half their number currently besieging Damascus suddenly turn their backs to the crown. There is little hope for those trapped in the deserts.

1456-
The French are pushed back onto the Spanish Peninsula, and Prince Bjorn's forces follow eager for blood. In Antwerp a brand new style of ship is constructed, said to be able to sail across the open oceans. Danish forces board read to sail across the world and find the edge of the Earth. Meanwhile King Haflidhi marshals an army of his own, preparing to push East by longboat to assist his Polish comrades by striking at the Russians.

1466-
In an effort to secure Western Europe, and distrustful of the Portuguese, war is declared on the fading Kingdom to push them off occupied French soil and plant the Danish flag. Meanwhile with the French being pushed further and further back, and running out of places to hide, Bjorn's men close in, eager to wipe their blight from the face of the Earth, and in a way, Bjorn is happy that the French refuse to become Vassals.
King Haflidhi lands his forces on the northern shores of Russia, preparing to pincer the neighboring nation between his troops and Polands. As the Crusader army marches across the lands of the Byzantine empire, knights are starting to get frustrated with the slow process. While over three quarters of the army have Disbanded, the commanders have hopes of more troops awaiting them in the Holy Land, unaware the Aleppe is marching on Damascus and then Jerusalem to secure the holy cities for the Danish crown.
On the Atlantic Ocean, Danish explorers are starting to get nervous, wondering if they will ever see home again, and what the edge of the world looks like. But pushing their fears aside they sail to the ends of the earth.

1468-
The Battle of Damascus. Soldiers approach the battered walls of Damascus, left broken down and in ruins for who knows how many years, and pour in through the openings. Danish swords clash against against Saracen spears, and pierce the hearts of the traitors. As blood spurts into the mid day desert sun, and brother slays brother, the honour of Denmark is restored. With the city captured and the soldiers dead, the commanders let their men go wild, for these are not but the children, wives and old folk of traitors. They are less than human, and so they shall be treated.

1470-
King Haflidhi strikes into Northern Russia, storming one of their great citadels. As his men fought their way along the streets and walls, the King and his war clerics pursued the enemy general galloping under closing gates and fighting cut off from their men in the courtyard. the Brash young king prooves his might once again to the nobles, whom are growing tired of the old ways of combat. Trouble is brewing within the court of Arghus while the king is on campaign.
Prince Bjorn strikes hard against the Portuguese, blasting one of their castles to pieces, while his captains pursue the fleeing French across Spain.
The Moors, seemingly impressed by the skill of the Danish, or perhaps fearful of their expansion and blood lust, have proposed an alliance. The Danes have accepted, forging a new pact fitting, though there is no true love between these two factions.
However, in the Holy Lands, the Timurids, hungry for revenge for fallen settlements and kings at the hand of Danish soldiers have put siege to Aleppo and Damascus.The soldiers grip their weapons tight in fear, hoping the nearby Sicilian Crusading army can bring some relief, or their own Crusader army moving across the Turkish desert can reach them in time. The Fourth Crusade it seems, has exploded into full warfare at last.

1472-
King Haflidhi receives word from the nobles, a request to take the city of Riga from Russian hands. He prepares his forces.
In the Holy Lands, Aleppo stands true, the soldiers bloody but victorious under the onslaught of the Timurids. However under the assault of heavy bombards the walls of Damascus fell, the hordes of Timurid cavalry pouring as dead Norse Archers fell from the walls, the remainder cut down in the streets. Our people crave revenge against these barbaric invaders from the west.
In Europe, the final king of France is slain, and their people's final shelter torn down around their ears. France, who so readily fought for independance, and refused to become a vassal despite offers of florins and land, now bow their knee forced to live under a Danish flag rather than their own. Soon the same will be said of the Portuguese.

1478-
Denmark declares war on Milan, and charges mercenary soldiers and siege weapons towards their solitary city.
In Western Europe Prince Bjorn has fought off a Portuguese attack on the route to one of their final cities, and has continued on, setting up camp and building siege equipment.
In the Holy Lands, Denmark's contribution to the fourth crusade has ended. The army was slaughtered in the dunes before they could reach Aleppo, while the castle itself stood before a teeming army of thousands of Timurids. They attempted to stand their ground but the castle walls were blown out from beneath their feet, making clear a path for stampeding elephants. The battered survivors, dehydrated, wounded, delirious, and shamed now wander lost through the deserts of the Middle East with little hope of ever returning home.
However, on the Atlantic ocean, Danish sailors, away from home for years, see something in the distance, something they had never expected to see again; land. What strange world have they discovered?

1480-
Desperate, with men dying from heat, and others fleeing into the night unpleased with the failure outside Aleppo and lack of progress towards Antioch, the Danish crusading army approaches the walls of Jerusalem, lightly defended by the Mongols. If all goes well, perhaps they can find peace in this sacred city after cleansing the stones with heathen blood.
But this years great import for Denmark, and the world. Russia, tired of the crushing onslaught of both Poland and Denmark from the West, has bent its knee to Haflidhi. Their lands are his by extension, and no longer do Russian peasants worry about Danish swords. Peace settles on Denmark's Eastern borders so that the kingdom may focus on the wars in the west. However, with Portugal pushed beyond the borders of Spain, and Milan fallen, perhaps Denmark will at least see peace in Europe. Prince Bjorn, thirsty for more blood, prepares a ship and forces to take the Holy Lands himself.
However, most noteworthy, is Danish Sailors have discovered an entire new world to explore. Even from a distance they can see strange peoples wandering the cliffs that prevent them from landing. Their hearts pound with excitement, and they howl for the chance to do as their ancestors did, and wage war from the seas.

1484-
Danish soldiers stalk into a village on one of the newly discovered islands. Natives of the land tried to resist but were bluntly put down by the cold steel of Danish spears. The Caribbean now belongs to Denmark.

1510-
With territory spanning across Europe, the New World, and Russia swearing fealty to the Danish crown, the conquering of Jerusalem was all the proud warrior kingdom needed to claim utter victory.
As Prince Bjorn bombarded the holy city's walls into dust his men easily walked over the rubble swords unsheathed and cutting down the Rebels who had kicked their Mongolian warlords out not but a few years before. As Bjorn repairs the damages he wrought, Haflidhi stands tall in Europe, surveying his lands. Denmark would live on forever, and the history books would be written in Danish.
Victory was utterly his.