Background: Siege of the city was between 6 April – 29 May 1453 as Sultan Mehmed II Ottoman Empire attempted to complete its conquest of the Byzantium Empire and move further on into Europe. Constantinople had a population of 500,000 in 675AD. By the Siege of 1453 this was only 100,000 But was still one of the top 5 largest cities in 1453AD Europe.
The city in 1453 was made up of several village-like neighborhoods surrounded by fields of grass mixed with rumble, grain crops and vegetable plots within the outer city walls.

Mehmed brought 130,000-man army plus 200,00 slaves and retainers to do the job. His army included.

        50,000 Janissaries

        40,000 Archers

        40,000 Infantry

        70 Various Cannons and Bombards

Naval Forces includes.

        31 War Galleys

        95 Merchant ships

Up against this force manning the walls of Constantinople was:

13,000 Regular soldiers

        10,000 Imperial Byzantium Soldiers (The Capital Legion)

        1,000 Genoese mercenaries

        1,000 Venetian mercenaries

        1,000 Georgian Troops

30,000+ Armed volunteers (Local citizenry along with adventurers seeking battle with the Muslim Heretics from across Christian Europe)

Naval Forces includes:

        26 War Galleys (10 Byzantium, 8 Venetian, and 8 Venetian)

        100 Merchant ships awaiting a chance to run the blockade.

The Palace of Emperor Constantine XI on the evening of

May 26th 1453

After working out a bargain for their stay at the "House of Joy" and meeting one of the bouncer's (Manuel) and a eunuch (the Baron), and a number of young ladies Gina calls her Handmaidens: Along with her regular company of entertainers at the house of Joy, Gina has

 an elite group courtesans know as her Handmaidens.

These strangely sensuous women work at Gina’s and are  occasionally at noble party’s

and festivals around Constantinople.

Almost uncannily beautiful,  they have almond eyes, thin lips, and sleek straight black hair

 flowing down to the smalls of  their backs and have pale olive skin.

When the party is bathed and cleaned after their voyage they  make their way to the Palace...

Return to the House of Joy... Late evening of May 26th 1453

After making a good impression on the Emperor, the party returns to the House of Joyto get some sleep and figure out what to do next.

At roughly 9pm they receive visitors:

Bishop Phocas, Norell and 2 Varamgian Guards.

The Bishop tells the party to escape Constantinople and do it soon. He then leaves.

At roughly 11pm they receive more visitors:

Secretary of the State George Sphrantzes , Antikytheran and 2 Varamgian Guards.

George tells the party that the new Empress Mariya is missing. She was an rearrange marriage to gain the alliance of the small but powerful kingdom of Georgia on the east coast of the Black Sea.

She arrived just before the Siege with 1000 Georgian Knights, and the Emperor was quite taken with her. They were married within a week of her arrival. She was an energetic supporter of her new husband both in court and at his visits to the walls to boost morale.

 Then, on the night of a partial lunar eclipse on May 22, she just disappeared from the palace without a trace...

George tells the party he wants them to search for the Empress instead of going to the walls tomorrow. If they can find her, return her to the palace and he hopes to convince the Emperor and his Empress to escape to Chios.

The Players except George's offer.

May 27th 1453

While the city is enshrouded in an unnatural fog, the party goes about the city. They witness several of the Sultan's digging teams try to dig under the great walls only to be discovered and killed with "Greek Fire bombs" closing their tunnels up.

By the evening they regroup at Gina's with a few maps of the City's cisterns and a few rumors of strange goings on around the Church of St. Fiacre...

The City of Constantinople the on the evening of May 26th 1453

Although awed by the beautiful main boulevard leading up from the docks, with its 9 or even 10 story

buildings with their marble facades, the players can note that the city has seen better days, with mainly of those buildings only partly inhabitant or even empty. With the coming of the siege many had fled

to safer parts of what little was left of their Byzantine Empire. The 100,000 left are determined to stay.

Still their appears to be not lodgings for visitors available expect the various barracks the Emperor

has set up along the city walls.

The people themselves the party encounters are friendly enough, and are mostly of an average height of about 5'6" black hair and olive skin. To the surprise of the party most are well feed, even after 8 weeks of siege. People teh party asks about food will tell them that thanks to the corps and vegetable plots within the city walls, there is plenty of food (if one likes beans and vegetables), although there is nearly not meat to be had. Supposedly the last horse in the city is the Emperor's.  

When the party asks about lodgings [ the party wants to set up a base of operations before they see

the last Roman Emperor] they will be directed to both the barracks and possibly Gina's...

The Throne room of Emperor Constantine XI on the evening of

May 26th 1453

After making a good impression on the Varangian guards, the party is brought before the last

Emperor of Rome, and the Byzantium Empires.

The party meets and interacts with (in order of interaction)

The Varangian Guards (tall blonde barbarians & personal guard of the Emperor)

Koprostes ( the Chamberlian, servant & palace eunuch)

George Sphrantzes (The Byzantine Secretary of State)

Cardinal Isidore of Kiev (The Popes appointee to Constantinople)

Bishop Phacos (The head of the Eastern Orthodox church in Constantinople)

General Giovanni Guistiniani Longo (Genoese Leader of the foreign Mercenaries)

The Antikytheran man(Ancient Clock Work Cleric)

Norrell(Newly formed Clock Work WarForged)

and finally

Basileus Constantine XI Dragastes Paleologus

(Last Emperor of the the Byzantiumm & Eastern Roman Empire)

The players interact with the Emperor and his court. He thanks them for arriving to help in

the Empire's hour of need. No sign or mention of his new Georgian wife.

The players note a considerable amount of tension in the throne room, especially between

Cardinal Isidore  and Bishop Phacos.

The party leaves to return to their lodgings to prepare to man the walls tomorrow.