Victory! The Hungarians have been beaten back out of Sicilian land, and hopefully they will never return!

With the Hungarians temporarily a non-threat, I've ordered one of my family members, Viaro Salutari, to take Castlee Ragusa. With this key strategic stronghold, he would not only be able to refill the ranks of his worn out units, but train new units.

Meanwhile Aldero is almost into the Egyptian lands, but with the Turks hot on his tail, sending an small scouting force to tail him. I do understand the Turks, I would certainly want an large force of fantatics to march across my lands. However, it doesn't matter, soon Aldero will be on Egyptian sand.

I've been ordered to cease my "hostilies" against the Hungarians. I'm sure the Hungarians got the same message, and it does not matter if I cannot invade Hungary, but it infuriates me to be treated like this... perhaps if Alberto succeeds in the Crusades we will become much closer to the Pope.

And on the side, the Alliances and close circles begin to form and close.

Alberto is now only a year away from the Holy Land. If there are no other Crusaders then he shall be able to claim the city for Venice!

The Holy Roman Empire has secured its own alliance with Milan, evening the balance of power slightly to our side. There can not be a single betrayal, or else the entire alliance will fall apart, with factions having to choose between either of the two infighters.

It is good news indeed, that the Pope is so pleased. Hopefully he will not die yet until I at least take the city of Venice.

I am not a man who likes to fight an unprofitable war. I offer the Hungarians an ceasefire.

And of course, the belligerent fools refuse me.

Terrible news from Alberto. Only a season's march away from the Holy Land and our enemies, the Hungarians, are already upon the Holy City.

Because we are, of course, not allied, we will not be able to besiege the city with them. Alberto would have come so far and with nothing to gain after all these years...

I must prepare Alberto to mobolize his men to the closest Egyptian settlement, preferably down south, in order to not be left stranded.

Elsewhere, another war is brewing as well. Soldiers from the island of Sicily is on its way to Florence, where I am planning to launch my attack on the city of Venice.

The Hungarians have already besieged the city before Alberto reached there. Things are looking bleak for Alberto.

Fortunately for me I had good news to cheer me up. The Doge of Venice was left isolated by his soldiers in the castle.

The new and foolish Doge of Venice is dead! And I have a valuable position that isolates the city of Venice from the rest of its provinces and allows me to levy troops to fight against Venice.

i dont get it. What is the point of this thread

@ Avalach21

To read an AAR, and later on (soon) to directly interact with the campaign and story and make a decision when I come at a crossroads. If you're not interested in the AAR, please simply ignore it.

And please read the rules of the therad >.< If you don't like the AAR and want to criticize it (please do) then read what I posted in the OP and post it in the other thread.

Edit: I'm so fucking tired =/ I'm just trying to get this second chapter done as quick as possible now (it's 2 A.M now O.o).

i was just curious, can we be friends

Unfortunately the pacifist Pope puts another dent to my plan. He has reconciled with the nation of Venice after their leader was killed, resoning that the reason why the nation was excomunicated was due to the Doge's belligerent and un-Christian actions, and now, with the leader dead, there was no reason for the rest of the country to be excomunicated.

This now makes my plan to take Venice's capital more complicated.

However, my mood turned when I heard an almost miraculous news. Somehow Hungary and Egypt has entered into a ceasefire. The beaucracies, the leadership, and the military of that country must have been out of sync, as now the Hungarian crusader had no choice but to life the siege.

Alberto took the opportunity swiftly and laid siege to the Holy City itself, preventign Hungary from any future attempt to re-engage the Egyptians again.

With the preparations complete, Alberto finally begins the end.

News of Alberto's victory over the Egyptian's Sultan and his death spread to me and the rest of Europe quickly.

Jerusalem has now been reclaimed to the followers of Jesus!

The Pope has rewarded me and Alberto is now in command of an Veteran army, ready to wreak havock upon the Egyptians.

News of Denmark's and France's alliance worries me, as I know that England is in a war against France. Denmark is now in the positions to either expand to the British isles, or to invade the lands of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Hungarians have re-engaged the Egyptians again, but it is too late. The Holy City is mine.

If I were you I would take a step back from all this warfare. Decentralize your government completely, and don't keep your armies grouped together. Instead, divided them into a ton of 1-unit armies, and set them to AI control so they can do what they want. Also, lower taxes in all your provinces. In the long term this will lead to greater growth, and the tax revenue will in fact be higher.

In the Italian homefront, I am mobilizing my troops to strike at the foundation of Venice's empire.

While afar, Alberto is raining terror and destruction upon the Egyptians. Capturing a nearby castle to allow the training of professional soldiers.

Alberto has truly become a fiersome warrior. If my son were to die suddenly, I would love to give him the heirship.