Hello. Seeing that the War Stories have been revived by AAR's and stories. I thought why shouldn't I write a story.
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Prologue
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Spring of 1234
Thessalonica
“Incoming!!!” screamed Captain Drazos, as an incoming cannon shell hit the battlements where the infantry were placed.
Men were flung like mere toys and limbs were strewn across the battlements with the screams of the wounded and the groans of the dying the only things uttering from these men. Drazos ran towards the battlements and looked in disgust as he saw the Papal Army move toward the city, carrying their ladders and moving great siege towers of immense size.
He heard his archers try and fire at the ladders and saw men drop to the ground, clutching where the arrows had pierced their armour, but the tide of Papal men kept moving and seemed almost impossible to move.
As Drazos thought that all seemed lost he then saw to his relief that the garrison artillery was being brought up.
“Fire!” screamed an officer, as the cannons opened up their bombardment at the Papal cannons. The fire was very accurate, as it knocked out an enemy cannon, killing all the crew surrounding it. The murderous hail of artillery fire managed to halt the Papal attack, as they were taking too many casualties from the boiling oil and arrows from previous attacks.
As the Papal retreated an artillery officer came up to address him, amidst the debris and bombardment.
“Sire, Kranos wants to see you,” he said. Drazos was surprised.
“Tell him I’ll come right away,” he replied. The officer nodded and walked back into gatehouse.
The Byzantine Emperor’s son wanting to see him? He didn’t know why he wanted to see him. He looked around and saw the numerous dead of Papal and Byzantine on the battlements and was worried that maybe his command might be taken away due to heavy losses.
As he walked he took time to think about the war. It had been raging on for five years, as the Catholic kingdoms under the control of the Pope declared war on the Byzantines, because of their control of Greece and the land along the Adriatic, which fuelled fears from Pope Henry that the Byzantines wanted to undermine Christianity after they pushed the Venetians and the HRE out of Central Europe.
The war had raged across the Adriatic, but slowly the Papal armies pushed them back towards Northern Greece in Thessalonica, while the naval fleets of both sides clashed, as they tried to gain supremacy of the sea. During 1230-1233 the Papal armies had tried to move toward taking Thessalonica and push deep into Greece, but the city had been holding valiantly, while the Emperor tried to send relief.
This posed problems for the Pope, as they couldn’t go into Poland or Hungary, as although they weren’t at war with either Poland or Hungary they were sympathetic towards the Byzantines. The Pope knew that in the naval arena it was deadlocked and an offensive at the start of 1234 to try and get into Corinth was a disaster.
Now the war showed no sign of ending, as the Pope tried to gain the victory he wanted and the Emperor try and cling onto Central Europe as he fights the Turks in the East.
Drazos knew that neither the Pope nor the Byzantine Emperor would rest till one or the other was destroyed.
---------
Prologue
---------
Spring of 1234
Thessalonica
“Incoming!!!” screamed Captain Drazos, as an incoming cannon shell hit the battlements where the infantry were placed.
Men were flung like mere toys and limbs were strewn across the battlements with the screams of the wounded and the groans of the dying the only things uttering from these men. Drazos ran towards the battlements and looked in disgust as he saw the Papal Army move toward the city, carrying their ladders and moving great siege towers of immense size.
He heard his archers try and fire at the ladders and saw men drop to the ground, clutching where the arrows had pierced their armour, but the tide of Papal men kept moving and seemed almost impossible to move.
As Drazos thought that all seemed lost he then saw to his relief that the garrison artillery was being brought up.
“Fire!” screamed an officer, as the cannons opened up their bombardment at the Papal cannons. The fire was very accurate, as it knocked out an enemy cannon, killing all the crew surrounding it. The murderous hail of artillery fire managed to halt the Papal attack, as they were taking too many casualties from the boiling oil and arrows from previous attacks.
As the Papal retreated an artillery officer came up to address him, amidst the debris and bombardment.
“Sire, Kranos wants to see you,” he said. Drazos was surprised.
“Tell him I’ll come right away,” he replied. The officer nodded and walked back into gatehouse.
The Byzantine Emperor’s son wanting to see him? He didn’t know why he wanted to see him. He looked around and saw the numerous dead of Papal and Byzantine on the battlements and was worried that maybe his command might be taken away due to heavy losses.
As he walked he took time to think about the war. It had been raging on for five years, as the Catholic kingdoms under the control of the Pope declared war on the Byzantines, because of their control of Greece and the land along the Adriatic, which fuelled fears from Pope Henry that the Byzantines wanted to undermine Christianity after they pushed the Venetians and the HRE out of Central Europe.
The war had raged across the Adriatic, but slowly the Papal armies pushed them back towards Northern Greece in Thessalonica, while the naval fleets of both sides clashed, as they tried to gain supremacy of the sea. During 1230-1233 the Papal armies had tried to move toward taking Thessalonica and push deep into Greece, but the city had been holding valiantly, while the Emperor tried to send relief.
This posed problems for the Pope, as they couldn’t go into Poland or Hungary, as although they weren’t at war with either Poland or Hungary they were sympathetic towards the Byzantines. The Pope knew that in the naval arena it was deadlocked and an offensive at the start of 1234 to try and get into Corinth was a disaster.
Now the war showed no sign of ending, as the Pope tried to gain the victory he wanted and the Emperor try and cling onto Central Europe as he fights the Turks in the East.
Drazos knew that neither the Pope nor the Byzantine Emperor would rest till one or the other was destroyed.