Twine Project 2017

The Siege of Paris, 845 WB [[Go to Bibliography->Bibliography]] [[Start the Game->Start]]

History Channel. "Paris Sacked by Vikings." History Channel. Last modified 2017. http://www.historychannel.com.au/this-day-in-history/paris-sacked-by-vikings/ Holman, Katherine. Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Scarecrow Press, 2003 Kohn, George Childs. Dictionary of Wars. Routledge, 2013

It is currently 845, your name is Ragnar Lodbrok otherwise known as Ragnar "Shaggy-breeches." There is a rumor going around your army that you got that nickname from the trousers you wore to protect yourself during a battle with two giant serpents. You are an Anglo-Scandinavian king. Your first wife was Laogeroa but you later divorced her and married a Swedish princess, named Pora, whose father wished to reward you for the killing of the giant serpents. You claim to be descended directly from the North Germanic god Odin, and chased after the throne of Denmark for a long time. You are a legendary Viking king and warmonger famed throughout Scandinavia. You are raiding what is called West Frankia. You and your army sailed southwards from Denmark across the sea, and then up the Seine and into France. You are currently in the territories of what is called West Frankia. You raid down its wide rivers at fast speeds, striking wherever you wish. Because your forces are so fast and you are an unpredictable leader, you have been able to avoid the heavy Frankish cavalry which could decimate you in an open battlefield. Your current forces number 120 long-ships and 5,000 fierce Viking warriors. Your current goal is Paris, a renowned city in the center of Frankia. [[Raid cities on the way to Paris->Raid]] [[Don't stop on the way to Paris->Keep going on]]

You have decided to pillage Rouen and Carolivenna.You pillage the cities along with your men. Your men after the raid are divided between continuing to Paris and attacking Paris without resting to continue your victory streak or resting the night before continuing the next day. [[Keep going to Paris after the raid and attack so you don't let survivors warn Paris you are coming and pitch camp in Paris->Pitch Camp in Paris]] [[Get rest after the raid so your men can be ready to continue towards Paris the next morning->Rest after Raid]]

You have decided to restrain your men and not attack the cities of Rouen and Carolivenna. You don't know the foreseeable consequences of this decision. You know it wasn't the bad decision. You have finally arrived at Paris and you are undecided whether to immediately pitch camp and start fortifying your camp or whether to start strategizing with your generals before attacking Paris. You know that either decision is sound, but you need to decide the course of action now so as not to display weakness in front of your men. [[Strategize with generals and coordinate attacks before the siege->Strategize]] [[Star pitching camps and fortifying your camp->Pitch Camp in Paris]]

You decide to start strategizing with your generals. This is a good decision because that way if your camp is attacked, you can immediately retreat to your ships. You just finished strategizing with your generals and a messenger calls your name. You walk out and he tells you that there is a plague starting within your camp. One of your Christian prisoners calls you on your way to the plagued part of camp. He tells you that you need to pray to the Christian God to stop the plague. You also learn that prayers to the Norse gods haven't produced any results whatsoever. [[You listen to the Christian prisoner and pray to the Christian God->Victory comes after praying to the Christian God]] [[Keep praying to the Norse Gods in hopes of a miracle->Death has struck, time to escape]]

You travel down the Seine towards Paris and you stop at the shore and pitch camp at the treeline next to the shore. You order your men to build camp quickly so that you are ready for any eventual attacks and you also order them to fortify camp against cavalry. You haven't yet decided to strategize but you believe in the strength of your men to triumph against Paris. Then, another idea comes to mind. Send in some of your men over the walls of Paris to infiltrate the king's castle and capture him. You know that both ideas are good but you don't know what to choose. You need to take into consideration the casualties each decision would cost but also how it would affect the morale of your men. [[You wait until next morning so your men can get rest after a long journey->You lay siege and breach the walls]] [[Infiltrate at night and capture the king->Capturing the King]]

You have ultimately decided to rest after the raiding of Rouen and Carolivenna. You pitch camp with your army on the banks of the river in case of an attack. You sleep well and get some good deep sleep after a long journey on the water. In the middle of the night, you hear the alarm bell ringing. You wake up and sprint outside to see heavy Frankish cavalry, your deadly enemy. These could wipe you out but your men are currently fighting back. You can either escape on your ships and return in defeat or stand and fight and let the consequences unfold. You must make your decision quickly and rally your men no matter what. [[You escape on your ships and head back to Danish lands->Return in defeat]] [[Stand and fight so the rest of your men can escape and you join them last->Stand and Fight]]

You have finally decided to attack Paris after many previous decisions. You attack Paris using several things. You use siege towers on land, and you use your ships to attack by the waterway into Paris. You lay siege to Paris for several months but you manage to finally breach its walls. You have finally accomplished your goal. It is now up to you decide to do with the city of Paris. There is no clear thing you must do. You have laid waste to the city and have pillaged it. You have total and absolute control of the city. The End

You decide to infiltrate the city and capture the king. You handpick yourself men that have distinguished themselves in combat. You do have some criteria though. You need fast, lean, and agile men to climb the wall and escape as quickly as possible. You personally train your men before their operation for several months while laying siege to the city but without attacking it. Your team infiltrates the city and captures the king. They also open the gates and let your army in. You now hold both leverage and power over the city of Paris. Your goal has been accomplished. You have conquered Paris! The End

You decide to stand and fight. You don't stand your ground. You would be decimated in an open battlefield and you know that. You retreat to the forest and bait the heavy cavalry to enter. You and your army use guerrilla warfare to attack the heavy Frankish cavalry and pick off their numbers. You manage to have minimal losses but still decimate the large power that represents the heavy Frankish cavalry. You haven't obtained Paris but you have decimated their strongest military unit. You have a victory and you have obtained something, just not what was your initial goal. The End

You decide to listen to the Christian prisoner. You don't have a personal reason though. You are just listening to your gut instincts that tell you to investigate all possibilities and not just do the one thing that you believe is right. You follow that option and enter a Christian fast. Your prayers are apparently answered since the plague ceases and you continue to lay waste to the city's walls. You finally capture the city after several weeks of siege. You have conquered Paris, but at the cost of your army's trust and your reputation will have plummeted back in Scandinavia and in Danish lands. The End

You have decided to not listen to the Christian prisoner. You have done the sensible thing. You continue to pray the Norse Gods but the plague doesn't stop. The plague continues to claim casualties within your camp and your army is slowly dying out. This isn't counting the men that are dying in the siege of Paris, just the ones dying of the plague. At some point, you realize you don't have enough men to continue to lay siege on Paris. You are fighting a war on two fronts, one against the plague and one against Paris. You decide to retreat up the Seine back to your lands where you hope to consult your doctors who might have a cure for this plague affecting your camp. You have failed to conquer Paris. The End

You have decided to retreat to your ships. Your men decide to follow you in respect of your leadership. You retreat on your ships up the Seine back into the ocean. When you finally return to Danish lands, the public opinion about you has plummeted down. You have several other men plotting to overthrow you. You ultimately are assassinated for your lack of skill and leadership. Your country falls into civil war and you are the downfall of your whole country. You have failed to obtain the prize you promised to your people, Paris! The End