AAR: Me, Floris | Chapter 55 posted

[Bratislav]

maybe you could go for harcore char, save and quit, and when you fall in battle it is over
It is probably too hard for you if u are new to m and b

[Slayton]

I am reading your AAR on the other forum that you have and now i can comment! YAAAAAY! now i know what happens hehehe

[monnikje]

Bratislav: Floris is already a hardcore character (see my first post of this AAR). It's indeed not easy!

Slayton: Yay . Just don't spoil the fun for the people who are just reading over here. If all goes well, both should be synchronised during the coming week.

[COGlory]

Reworked nomad armor texture: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,109236.0.html

[Bratislav]

Bratislav: Floris is already a hardcore character (see my first post of this AAR). It's indeed not easy!

Slayton: Yay . Just don't spoil the fun for the people who are just reading over here. If all goes well, both should be synchronised during the coming week.

i meant hardcore as in, when u die on battlefield, and get captured it is over(altho it is qustionable whetier u can live or survive that). Like in diablo 2 harcore

[monnikje]

COGlory: Thanks! The armors look really much better with that mod. I'll certainly use it in the future, and once I use it, I'll link to it from the first post.

Bratislav: Ah, that way! No, that would be too hardcore for me, and I want this AAR to continue for a little while longer.

[monnikje]

Chapter 5: The feast
20 May 1257

Dear Diary,

I went to the feast in Praven. Even though it was a lot more sober than I was used to in The Hague or any other European court (there wasn't even a minstrel playing a lute!), it was still fun, in a way. There was a lot of ale, which helped with that part. For the rest it was, just like home, mainly a political gathering of counts and their daughters. Since I hadn't penetrated the inner circle of the nobles yet, all I could do was enjoy that ale. But after quite a lot of beers I became more daring, and approached the counts. I spoke to three of them: Clais, Mirchaud and Stamar. Seeing my elevated state, they were of course glad to let me promise to take up some errands. I got stuck with the following missions:

- Count Clais asked me to deliver a message to count Delinard. The moment I woke up, I thought: 'Not again!'
- Count Stamar wanted me to hunt down the notorious Euscarl the Black, who is currently residing in Nomar.
- Count Mirchaud wants me to bring three Nord trained footman as prisoners of war.

But that's not all: I had met count Delinard earlier, and I had promised him to take out some bandits hiding in the forests. Also, I still had to deliver the taxes to count Klergus. A busy month lies ahead of me!

At the feast not only noblemen were present: also young and lustfull women strolled around in the hope to find a future husband. They were all 19 or 21 years old, quite old to still be a maiden. In Holland I married when I was 14, a proper age to get your responsibilities. But I was too drunk to be surprised by this fact. I must admit: I made a fool out of myself. Being drunk, I tried to say to five different girls that I admired them most of all. The first four waved me irritated away, but to my surprise the fifth, lady Gaeta, was actually quite pleased by my manners, drunk or not. This can be interesting for the future: a political marriage will ensure my holdings in this kingdom. But that's for later.


The feast in Praven is joy and fun, as you can see.

Seeing the tasks that lied ahead of me, I decided to go to Nomar first, and look on the road for tracks that could lead me to the bandit's hideout. I did spot some bandits, but unfortunately my food supply ran out, and I was forced to leave them and go to Uxkhal to replenish. So I quickly went to Nomar, where I easily found that criminal and eliminated him. I reported back to count Stamar in Praven. One mission down.

While I was in Praven, I paid a visit to lady Gaeta. She had even sent a messenger after me to call me to her: she longed to see me. I don't know what her problem is, falling in love with the most drunken man at the court, but I profit gladly from it. Sooth her with a poem, visit her once in a while: in a few months she will be totally nuts for me. I'll see what this will bring me. Before I left the city again, I quickly fought in the tournament held there, but was defeated in the first round. Again.


I pay a visit to lady Gaeta in Praven.

I still hadn't found a trace of those bandits, so I decided to bring the letter to count Delinard. He was a lot more easy to find than count Haringoth: I knew that he was residing in the city of Uxkhal, and when I got there, he was still there. I think I like therefor Delinard better than Haringoth: at leas I can find Delinard easier.

The bandits were still nowhere to be seen, so I rode on and on, until I came to the village of Ibaran. There I heard the peasants complaining about regular raider attacks. They asked my help: if I could only train a few of them to withstand the attacks, they would be able to defend their village in case of a raid. I decided to help them. During the training, I heard about a Swadian lord fighting a Nord noble. When I sent some scouts ahead, I learned that both jarl Marayirr and count Rafard were fighting each other, so I decided to jump in and help the count. Together we had three times the amount of troops as the enemy. I used my horse to charge around his army, and ride-by attack many of his archers with my axe while the rest of our troops engaged them on the front. This tactic worked splendid. Even though jarl Marayirr escaped, I managed to capture one Nord footman. I intended to hunt down the other two I needed, but that soon proved unnecessary: right after my victory, the kingdoms of Nord and Swadia made peace.


As I approach the enemy, I circle around them and attack them from behind.

The same moment I received news about the peace, I also heard that lady Gaeta wanted to see me again. Another feast was held in Praven, with another tournament attached. Of course I didn't win it, but this time I advanced to the second round. I hope to one day get to the third, and maybe climb further until I get to the end. Anyway, I rode of course back to Praven, to not only see the lady and fight in the tournament, but also enjoy another big Praven party. This time king Harlaus was present. As I walked through the party, I recounted the mission status for the past time:

- I have successfully delivered the message from count Clais to count Delinard.
- I have successfully killed the murderer Euscarl the Black.
- While I was working on capturing Nord footmen, the war was over and the mission was cancelled.
- I should destroy the bandit's lair, but haven't found it yet. With just a few days to spare, I don't think I will.
- I still need to bring the taxes to count Klergus.

While thinking about this, the king took me apart and told me he had a delicate matter: in Khudan, a Vaegir city deep in their territory, he has a spy. He needs to get the report, and wants me to ride hence and forth to get it for him. This is a great opportunity: maybe he will grant me with land after this. I'll prepare immediately for my departure.



*****
Gameplay notes
At this moment the game has been updated to version 1.113.
Here is a picture of Floris' current stats:

[mobotium]

YES, MAIL FTW!!!!!!

[Finzi]

Nice, to see a great AAR like this. I always used to read the EU3 AARs on ParadoxPlaza, but AFAIK this is the first I've seen on TaleWorlds.
Keep up the good work.

[Bratislav]

Much better now with mail

[Nedews]

I love AARs, nice too see one for Warband. I'm following.

I think your char look pretty badass now with your new armor.

[monnikje]

mobotium & Bratislav: I won't keep this one for long, because I'll upgrade next chapter to something even better (no, not yet any plate).

Finzi: Thanks! I couldn't find an AAR-section, but this might explain that. Hopefully others will follow, because M&B is pretty good material for an AAR.

Nedews: Great to have you on board .

[monnikje]

Chapter 6: The spy
26 June 1257

Dear Diary,

On 20 May I got on a feast in Praven the mission from king Harlaus to go to his spy in the city of Khudan and bring back whatever information he has. This would be difficult, since the city's laying deep in Vaegir territory. I had got a month, so it was feasible to go there and contact that spy. Since there has been a recent peace treaty between Swadia and Nord, I decided to travel to this kingdom. But not after I finished the training of the villagers of Iridan. This was more difficult than I had anticipated: I wanted to learn them how to loose, but they just kept on winning! Why did they need me to train them if they are so good already, I wondered. But still I managed to finish their training in time, since on 23 May Iridan was under attack by bandits. Thanks to the help from those villagers, I was able to drive them off. Unfortunately my horse was killed: the second horse I lost these past two months.

After making the villagers happy, I moved to the Nord city of Tihr on foot: There I bought a new horse, and rode to the other Nord cities of Sargoth and Wercheg. Then I rode along the coast to the last Nord village, Ruvar, to try to sneak behind enemy lines. I first rode towards the training field, to avoid being spot from Bulugha castle. When I was halfway between Mazen and Unidiad, I was attacked by some sea raiders, but despite their aggressiveness, their small bands were no match for my army. I rode on, passing the origin of the river, and rode through the forests towards Khudan. I camped in the woods for a few days, to allow everyone's wounds to be healed. Then I waited till it was night, not to alarm the boyars present in the city. It was time to sneak in.


I took a long detour through Vaegir territory to avoid detection by hostile armies.

No-one knew me over here, so it wasn't that hard to sneak in unseen. Disguised I walked around town, only to realise that at night everyone was sound asleep. So I went to the market, and kept an eye on all business until it was dawn. Unfortunately I didn't see any profitable deals, maybe because I also didn't see any people around this night. But the next morning I walked around town, and asked the code phrase king Harlaus taught me to every person I encountered, until I met the spy. He gave me the secret reports, which I now only had to hand over to the king. But before I left, I heard about a tournament being held in Khudan, so I stayed a little longer and joined the fight. Of course I was knocked out the first round, but well, I had to try anyway, hadn't I?


The third person I asked was the spy. I guess I was lucky.

When I tried to leave the city, I was seen. Many men followed me, but luckily Rolf came up with a plan. I had to leave eight men, but would be able to flee. Unfortunately they caught up with me, and leaving eight more men behind didn't help: I had to engage in a fight with overwhelming odds against me. In the meantime Rolf complained that he didn't like leaving those men behind, with the plan he had devised. Well, no-one can be happy. I wasn't glad with the outcome of the battle, since I obviously lost: I was knocked unconscious, and even though my men continued to fight a little after, I was taken prisoner by boyar Taisa.

He dragged me along towards the village of Tismirr, where he was attacked by a Khergit force. In the heat of battle I managed to escape, but not without loss of money, my nice helmet, my horse, my sword and some velvet I was still carrying. And I also had lost track of my companions and my entire army. I was alone, on foot, and had to run to the Khergit border while the Vaegirs were distracted.


During the Vaegir-Khergit battle, I managed to escape.

In the Khergit khanate, I ran towards the city of Ichamur, the closest one. There I bought some steppe horses. I might have had some misfortune, but that wouldn't stop me from trading again, now I'm in this northern land. I was already close to Tulga, which sold spice and salt pretty cheap: I knew I could sell that very well in the Sarranid city of Ahmerrad, which sold both iron and tools for a good price. Without men and with those extra horses, I rode really fast. I rode seven times back and forth between those two cities in twenty days, which made a profit of 26,786 denars for me. When Ahmerrad ran out of money, I sold more in Durquba. My loss of men was maybe a terrible thing to happen to me, but it forced me to trade in foreign countries and become rich. In the meantime Swadia made peace with the Vaegirs, and war with the Rhodoks. I also met Jeremius, a very good surgeon, who wanted to help me in the field. I'm glad I let him join my side, since he was even better than Ymira.

After I concluded my business in the north, I went back to Praven to visit lady Gaeta once again. But unfortunately king Harlaus wasn't home: he was fighting in the kingdom of Rhodoks. With my current army (me and Jeremius), I didn't dare to go there, so I just rode between Praven, where I bought ale, and Suno, where I bought wine: transporting liquid is a lucrative business too. But I soon heard that he was heading back to Praven, so I waited there a few days until he arrived. He was really pleased with the reports I brought back, even though the war was over. It was this moment I swore loyalty to his crown, and became a vassal of the kingdom of Swadia. As a reward I became lord of the village Emerin.



*****
Gameplay notes
It was irritating to not know how many peasants I had already trained: I lost many of the fights and at a certain moment I had no idea anymore if I was almost there or would have to train a lot more.
Here is a picture of Floris' current stats:

[Diavolo]

This is really great reading! I love it. Have played incredibly much native and mount and blade in general, but here you really bring so much more immersion and roleplay than I have ever imagined was possible. Keep up the awesome work 

[monnikje]

Thanks! I'll certainly shall keep this up.