>>5992878It has been a day and a half since Bohemond gave the triple-time marching order for the infantry of his crusader group, but despite their fervent effort, the footmen were still few hours behind the galloping knights. War horses really do make a difference. The second group, the one purposefully lagging 2 days behind the first, has been informed to hurry up. It's late evening now, the animals' pace is brought to a walk as a small break, they are foaming at the mouth and are covered in sweat, exhausted. The lights on top of the Nicean battlements burn bright in the distance, the crusaders are approaching the capital from the south. The cloud formations make the night almost pitch black. Bohemond orders each horseman to light two torches, making his force to appear bigger than it actually is.
Godfrey of Bouillon will block the northern routes to Nicea, Bohemond's force will face the main gate and will cover the eastern paths, while Hugh, as the most inexperienced and having smallest force, will stay here and take care of the southern routes to the city, receiving the first infantry reinforcements at dawn. The Byzantines will use small ships to block the Ascanian lake from the west. Time passes, maneuvers are made, soon the crusading commanders are on their respective posts. Kily Arslan is successfully trapped inside.
The siege of Nicea begins.
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Commander: Godfrey***
Side: Northern
Force: 799 knights
Effects: -exhausted from galloping
Commander: Bohemond****
Side: Eastern, facing the main gate
Force: 1100 knights
Effects: -exhausted from galloping
Commander: Hugh
Side: Southern
Force: 200 knights
Effects: -exhausted from galloping
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The Turkish city guards are making noise on top of the walls, alerting for enemy presence. Will they call the crusader torch bluff?
>3 anons roll dice+1d2, majority 1 for successful crusader bluff and the knights receive the infantry reinforcements in the morning, majority 2 - the Turks start a night attack against the exhausted knights 