Been jotting some ideas down and wrote this and I'm just tossing it out here to get feedback. Currently hosting the Revenant, so I don't know if I will host this soon.
Though I am certainly no historian, after reading Urban's Teutonic Knights book this will closely simulate the Northern Crusades that occurred in the Batlics.
The lands of Eastwick belong to a pagan people, and the Brothers of the Sword have come to convert these unbelievers into Angelists. But the people are not ready to renounce their Old Gods and so the Brothers must use force to accomplish their mission. The Knight-Brothers have come to claim the lands of Eastwick and will rule it with an iron-fist. You will be playing as a commanding officer in the coming conflict.
As a Wickan, only you and your retinue have heavy armor and good horses. The bulk of your army has light or medium armor, and very few horses (and even then they're not warhorses).
Your enemy, the Brothers, have a very powerful, well-trained, well-equipped force, with impressive horsemen and infantry. However, they are small in number and rely on volunteer crusaders from other kingdoms to bolster their forces, so the composition of their forces changes yearly. Toe-to-toe, however, the Brothers outclass you in every way.
Every Spring the Brothers are reinforced with additional crusaders, and they campaign throughout the Summer, and attempt to consolidate their holdings in the Fall. During Winter, the crusaders leave and the Knight-Brothers remain to defend their gains. The Knights focus on taking, or building, forts which dominate the countrysides and allows them to exert control over the surrounding villages, which supplies them with taxes, supplies, food, laborers, and levies. Each fortress eventually becomes surrounded by Vessian settlers, who also pay taxes and serve the Knights.
As most villages are located near rivers and lakes, most of the Knights' forts will be found along the rivers and lakes. They control transportation and trade down these waterways.
In the Spring, you and any allies will need to determine a strategy. How many armies to form, how many soldiers in each army, where these armies go, and what they do, etc. There will be field battles and sieges, which will play out in turns. You may send out scouts to find patrols, potential ambush sites, and gauge the relative strength of a force or fort. You must use strategy and tactics to defeat the Brothers. Weather, terrain, etc will also play a factor in these battles.
In the Spring, Summer, and Fall you can manuever armies and fight battles with them. As Winter approches your soldiers will want to return home to reap the harvest and prepare for the colder months; if you wish to fight in the Winter, you will be restricted to using only local forces, and it will be much harder.
The Brothers will entice you to come to their side. You can join the Brothers and fight with them, but you will be betraying the other players. The Brothers will give you horses and better equipment. You can also turn against the Brothers and try to destroy them from the inside. Players can be captured and held prisoner, but can be rescued. If you capture notable Brothers, then you can trade prisoners.
Finally, diplomacy plays a role. Some times the Brothers may not wish to fight one year, and will be open to a truce. Other kingdoms that surrouned Eastwick do no like the Brothers and it is possible to get their assistance; however, they will only speak to a leader and so during these trips you will not be able to lead an army into battle.
Though I am certainly no historian, after reading Urban's Teutonic Knights book this will closely simulate the Northern Crusades that occurred in the Batlics.
