[en] The Tavern at the Inn

[Sakim]

Sakim's Journal - 10th of June

A party of men road out this morning headed for an audience with the Bulgarian King. Comrade Dobber was with them. I would like to have rissen along, but Dobber asked that I remain here in case there was any movement from the city on our position. I have sent all of my countrymen to the outer fringes of our perimeter to patrol our position and to be ready to wait in ambush if there was any move from the great Constantinople. I advanced to a position from which I could overlook a portion of the city and watch people come and so from the south gates as well as the north. There were many merchants moving to and fro, normal daily activities/ Many legionaires were positioned about the city and there was it appeared an impressive force within the city. We are definitely outmanned, It will take many preparations before we can even consider an assault on this city. What were we thinking when set out on this campaign? As I watch the streets I see a rider come through the southern gates, there is something familiar about this rider. As she turned her mount the sun caught her face and I knew, this is not good. It was the Enlightened One, Heretic. The Caliph of Alexandria apparently has chosen sides, that is the only reason I can think would bring Heretic to this far city. For only "she", would the Caliph trust to carry his pledge to the Byzantine Emperor. I must return with this urgent news with haste. I hope Sir Kuno has some ideas as to what we should do now, my suggestion is to get the hell as far away as possible.

[Dobber]

Hail, hail the gang's all here! Please, please bring me my beer! :biggrin:

[Sakim]

And I will have mine also! :cheers:

[Angryminer]

Cheers! :cheers:
Let's get this straight...
*moves pitchers of beer around to visualize the journeys*
*at first 5 pitchers all together, with some peanuts around them building the pallisade of a fortified camp*
*moves three of the pitchers (Dobber, Traveller and Angryminer) to a distant place on the table*
*moves one of the two pitchers in the peanut-camp to a position near the peanut-camp (sakim, spying around the place)*
*moves one of the three pitchers from the distance near the camp (Dobber riding back to the camp)*
*places another pitcher near the spying-around-the-place-pitcher near the peanut-camp (Heretic suddenly appearing)*

*looks at it all*
I think I got it!
*drinks them all*
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Angryminer

[Richard]

Yay my fuel enlightened the bards :), only hawk knight stil missing and I'm still trap in this dungeon !!

[Prince Eric of the Lorah Clan]

Bartender! A beer, please. I think I earned it after this torture! And a beer for everyone else, on me!

Xuca buys a round for everyone!*The beer is served*:cheers:

[Richard]

XL beer for every1 and and special XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXL for hawk knight, see if he gets back :wink:

[Dobber]

Cheers! :cheers:
Let's get this straight...
*moves one of the three pitchers from the distance near the camp (Dobber riding back to the camp)*
:

Angryminer

That part wasn't straight, my pitcher should be moving farther away from all the pitchers, like over to another table! I said I was riding northwest(toward the supposedly advancing armies of our allies, The Knightly Sword, Richard, Xuca's old forces, Navatar and Hawk_Knight, to try to light a fire under their asses and get them on down to Bulgaria to help us!

[Prince Eric of the Lorah Clan]

XL beer for every1 and and special XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXL for hawk knight, see if he gets back :wink:

More beer, already? OKaaay... This round is on Richard.:cheers:

[Richard]

That part wasn't straight, my pitcher should be moving farther away from all the pitchers, like over to another table! I said I was riding northwest(toward the supposedly advancing armies of our allies, The Knightly Sword, Richard, Xuca's old forces, Navatar and Hawk_Knight, to try to light a fire under their asses and get them on down to Bulgaria to help us!
Lol I need some one to get me out of the dungeon!! Hmm Maybe I will try to scape my self.. since My friend Hawk and king still haven't come to my rescue :rolleyes:

[Traveller]

Cool! Finally some life in this story! :cheers:


Edit:

Traveller's Log - June 11th, Evening
Tzar: The Burden of the Crown

I was surprised from the meeting with my king today. Unpleasantly surprised, unfortunately. I hoped that he'll send a large army worthy to the might of our tzardom (ed. tzardom=empire), atleast 50 000 men from all that were available. But instead he gave us, to his allies, who travelled through two continents for him, only 35 000 men, of which only 15 000 under their command. If the Romeans launch an attack with their all strength against the camp near the Bosphorus, these men won't be enough. I guess our only choice left would be to escort the Mercian (and Sakim's) forces to a safer place. Maybe we would help with the siege of the only Greek city that still stands in Thrace - Adrianopol. It's already pretty much exhausted, it's expected that it'll surrender soon, but it's walls are strong and when we capture it, we'll be able to withstand a Romean attack. And the city is big, so it can provide for such a force like ours, if we receive the necessary food supllies from Bulgaria, for the first few days till we store enough. My tzar asked me to go to his palace tomorrow morning, for he wished to discuss something with me. I don't know about what, but this is a good time to propose him this plan and ask for eventual extra reinforcements. But I'm most worried about something else - about him! During the meeting today he seemed as a normal old man, tired of all these wars. His power seemed to have faded away. I couldn't believe my eyes! Is this the man, who captured Pelopones, Corint and Larissa in Greece? Is this the man, who defeated the emperor's army 9 years ago at Trayans doors? Emperor Basil II ran away then, in a shameful flight and the Greek scholar Joan Geometer wrote: "Fall down, you, trees, you, sinister mountains!... The Istur (Bulgaria) took the crown of Rome (Byzantium). The Misian (Bulgarian) arrows are stronger than the Avzon (Romean) spears..." Is this the same man, who fought succesfully for the past 30 years with the strongest empire in the world? Another Greek scholar wrote for him: "He's a warlike man, who never has peace..." I can't believe this is the same man! It's like if a curse has been put on him! Later I heard the news from some of the guards: One of the armies that was sent in Greece has been treacherously ambushed and destroyed. The Romeans were later destroyed from another of our armies, but they couldn't help anymore. 14 000 Bulgarian men, all that were captured, were blinded with only one on a hundred men left with one eye to lead them. In this way they came here in Ohrid and when the tzar saw them, his heart broke, said one guard. The sight of 14 000 blinded men would most surely be a horrible hing to see, I believe it. And this has been the main corpus for the assault of Greece. Greece has been conquered even with this big loss, but... Now I see why he's so weak and doesn't want to send a larger force. I hope tomorrow I'll be able to inspire some confidence in him!



*Here were used real events from the reign of the real Tzar Samuil, although it's more likely that the Byzantine scholars have added one zero and it's actually 1 400 instead of 14 000. But for more dramatism I used the bigger number and mixed and changed the time of some of the events (the blinding was in 1014).

:cheers:

[hawk_knight]

Hawk_knight's log june 9

My army was going to formation and will soon attack the norman castle.
My spy came to me and told me about the weak point in the norman gate.
i told the english king that we must concentrate our catapult fire to that spot. to open the gate for our men but we must also attack the wall with siege towers and laddermen. i say to them when the army is in formation in about three hours we will attack the norman castle.


Three hours later

My army was ready to attack the norman castle with 80 thousand men and to free sir Richard. I gave the catapults the signal to open fire on the norman gate and i gave the siegetowers the order to attack and also the ladder men to attack.
the siege towers whe quickly at the wall the battle had begun on the wall also the laddermen where quickly at the wall. the catapults had destroyed the gate the normans had cancentrated there troops on the wall and not behind the gate. I yelld at the horsemen to charge at the gate i was leading the attack on the gate. teh charge was so terrifying that the norman troops begun to flee. I gave the rest of the infrantry the order to attack. We quickly had taken control of the castle. I had given some troops the order to find sir Richard and free him.
i was in the throne room when some troops came back from the dungeon with sir Richard i aid to him welcome back and i said to him that the normans are no threat any more.
I had gave my army the order to make camp after this bloody battle my army had a loss of 5 thousand men and the norman army 10 thousand men. I had send scouts out try to gather information about hte troops that had fled the battle.
I said to sir Richard and the king of engeland that the normans are defeated and that we now must help the Bulgaria forces. but for now we must rest up and i said to sir Richard and the king of england tomorrow we will prepare for the march to bulgaria to help out our friends and i said to sir Richard and the king of england that the plan is to march to bulgaria in four days so that the men have time to rest and to prepare for the long march.

i'm back :go: :biggrin:

Bartender A XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Beer plz :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

[the knightly sword]

:biggrin:

OMG the first time ive seen dobber useing a smiley!!!!!!! :hello: :hello: a beer to everyone !!! :cheers:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
tks logg 11th june

in tavern near the polish borders i heard news from traveling merchants about wars in the balkan region. with knights defeating there enemies one after each other. i knew that there must be the heros of mercia. i order my army to march south .


4 hours later

strangely my big army didnt manage to scare of local bandits. theyve made many attacks against my gold caravans which i use to pay my army monthly.but my soldiers managed to fend of all of there atacks.

[Xuca]

Adventures of Xuca

13th june

I tried to look around the hut, but I was too weak. I fell down after two steps. Then a man came in. I couldn't see his face, but when he said: "Why did you get up?! You should rest in bed until your wounds heal!" I recognize his voice. It was the Wizard. He helped me again.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked him, but he didn't answered. Instead he said: "You probably want know what happened these days."
"Yes, I do"
"Very well. Your army defeted the rebels and is besieging Ras. But the Byzantins changed their plans and are sailing to Zeta in two days. They belive that is the weakest spot and are planing to strike from there in three directions: north-east to the rest of Serbia, east to Bulgaria and south-east to the Greece. You can leave tomorrow. I can't help you getting there, because I spent most of my strenght in healing you. You shouldn't wear any armor for two weaks because of you chest..."
"But how shall I go to battle without an armor?"
"You want to go to battle, and you can't even hold a sword!?" he was right. I think it will past few months before my fingers heal. Then he saw the piece of paper where I wrote when I woke up and said:
"You shouldn't write, but if you must, take this." and he gave me my log book."Here are also your sword, armor which, as I said, you shouldn't wear yet, and your horse is outside. You should leave now. If the pain becomes unbearable, drink some of this." He gave me some strange bottle and then pushed me out and helped me to get on my horse. Before I managed to thank him or say farewell, he retourned to the hut. And then I realised that he said that I can leave tomorrow. He really is weird, but now I must think of ways of defending Serbia, but I don't know will I get there in time, especially with these wounds...

[Richard]

Knight Richard's adventure.
Chap. 14 Free once again

June 9, 1005

Today early in the morning a strong shake in the ground waked me up. It was a sound ofl ike a giangiant walking, and the ground shaked like if there was an earthquake. I heard two norman guards yell, but i couldn't understand. Then all of them exept 5 left the dungeons. Then a hour later exactly has I thought a huge battle began. Catapults lunching their fire balls and rocks and the yelling of men dieing became more and more stong. Some hours later a small group of soldier entered the dungeons and kill the guards. then start yelling my name, And when I saw them there before my eyes was the taste of freedom. They free me and soem other prisoners that where there. They took me to my king and hawk knight. there I spend the rest of the day eating and resting, as I was weak. Hawk knight proposed that we march to aid our friends in the south. My king told me he will stay and defiat the normans once and for all, and since their king is still with the army that fled they most be squach. We will probably begin our march tomorrow, but I intend to use some of the norman's ships sail to poland and then march south. With me I will bring 20,000 men, and hawk knight can take the rest, as he wil probably need them more. I will talk about this with sir Hawk as soon as i got the chance.


Cheers Hawk knight is back WEEEEEEEEE :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

[Dobber]

June 11 - Dobber's Log

I rode all through the night and have put quite some distance between me and Ohrid. I adjusted my travel to a bit more northerly in the direction of Kossovo Polje. I have found a nice secluded outcropping of rock that I can rest under for a while. After a few hours of restful sleep I will move on toward Serbia and hopefully find some familiar faces headed to Bulgaria. I hope that Angryminer will let the Traveller know of my quest. But it is time for sleep.

[hawk_knight]

hawk_knights log
June 10

Sir Richard had told me about his plan that he will use the norman ships to go to poland with 20,000 men and from there he will march south. I agreed he already had 10,000 men so i gave 10,00 men of my army under his command.
I said to sir richard that i will be marching to the south in two days the preparations are going faster then expected. I gave my army the order to make strong supplywagons for the long march. I had sended scouts a head to see if there is a good camping point ahead so when we have marched a while the army can rest.
The morale of the army is good and they are preparing them selfs for a long march. A messenger came to me from the my capital that the 5000 dragons are once again ready for battle and will arrive here tomorrow.

I will send spy's to the bysantine army's to gather more information about them. I had also sended a message to bulgaria to tell them that i will come with 80000 men to aid them in battle against the bysantine empire.
but for now i must prepare myself for the march and i mustt prepare my dragon scarlet for the march.

[Angryminer]

Traveller: I imagined that propably some bulgarian scholar has added some 10% to the actual army size, was left with 45000 and made the king give away most of them to us. :wink:
After all I hate to win battles just by numbers. Let's do some tricky strategy and win that way :go: .
Dare you make the king give us a numerical advantage! You'll be sorry for that in the next battle when I get to write a desasterous defeat over our troops! :rofl: Just joking. :wink:

Also note that we are going to recieve the northern reinforcements. And I bet they won't be smaller than 60 tousand...

Angryminer

[Xuca]

Adventures of Xuca

16th june

I rode like the wind and I am near my forces now. My wounds are starting to get worse, and I almost drank the Wizard's potion. I am very worried about my showing up. If I would show up to my men, they would think that I'm a ghost, because I look like one. Only one man knows I'm alive, and I can't contact him without being discovered. I can reach the camp this night and I can imagine myself approaching the guard from the dark, pale, skinny and speak to him whit shivering voice and him getting freaked out, getting a heart attack or screaming something like:"The ghost of Lord Xuca has come to haunt us!!!" I think I should sneak in the camp and wake up my friend so he can announce me and explain everything. But I don't feal well, and there is only one drop of the potion left...

[Prince Eric of the Lorah Clan]

...a beer to everyone !!! :cheers:

*A round of beer is served*:cheers: