War with Venice - Ragusa and Zagreb, and on Allies

Envoys from the enemy must not be treated disrespectfully, even when our forces are much stronger
Strategikon
Emperor Maurice

Given that we are about to take Adana, I send our Emissary Ermanes to treat with the Egyptians. Our reputation has preceded us; not only to they agree to an alliance, but they do not baulk when we ask for the fortress at Acre and a tribute.



Our other valued Emissary, Maleses has reached Rome, and despite their ill-feeling about us, they enter into alliance with us also.



Soon afterwards we make alliance with King Roger of Sciliy as well, but this alliance falls apart soon afterwards as the Milanese make war on them. We retain our alliance with Milan and our trading rights with Sicily.

Our general Kaisar begins to storm Ragusa, but it's walls are strong, and the fortress well protected by natural obstacles.



We decide that the siege towers arrayed against the western walls have no hope of reaching them due to the slope, and abandon them to follow the ladders to the walls.



After fighting and gaining the walls with some losses and battering down the main gate the Venetians fall back and following a lenghty barrage of their position by our cavalry, they charge out!



Their plight is hopeless though, and with the capture of the Venetian Councillor resistance collapses and Ragusa is ours.

At the other end of the Empire, Prince John begins his siege of Adana, but his spies notice that the Egyptian assault on Antioch has failed. Perhaps we will have the opportunity to add this ancient city to the Empire also?



After replenishing our supplies at Ragusa and levying some fresh troops, we advance towards Zagreb, aware that the Hungarians have just joined our war with Venice. Perhaps we can aid them? But we find no army outside Zagred except a Venetian force, and with the garrison will prove a match for us, we feel. Nonetheless, Kaisar attacks.



Arrayed with significant strength along a ridge, we concentrate our efforts on the main Venetian army.



We have divided our cavalry to attack each flank of the advancing column, in the hopes that by the time they reach our battle line, they will be disordered.



Meanwhile our unit of Byzantine cavalry has been sent to harry the advancing garrison, to prevent it from affecting the main action.



Within minutes of charging our line the entire Venetian force is destroyed, and a quick redeployment of our right-most units to face the oncoming garrison proves equally effective. They are routed off the field, to leave Zagreb open!



The infantry are too tired from their march up from Ragusa to make it, and Kaisar rides ahead with his picked men to take control of the city, mindful that riots from loyalists may strike without adequate garrisoning.

Soon afterwards though, an alliance between Venice and Egypt is proclaimed, and a peace deal brokered by the Egptians, we feel compelled to agree, though we are glad that we were aggressive in pursuing the storming of Ragusa and the break-neck ride into Zagreb.