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Thread: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

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    King Philippe of France Senior Member _Tristan_'s Avatar
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    Default History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    This thread will be dedicated to recreating the events and the battles that took place in the new campaign.
    Obviously, not all information will be divulged in this thread and it will necessarily lag a little behind the real events in game (to allow medium-term strategies to develop)...

    So here it starts...
    The Kingdom of Jerusalem

    It is now almost a century since Jerusalem was taken from Muslim hands...
    King Baldwin is our new king, being only 16, and I, his best friend since childhood, can see the weight that has fallen on his shoulders... We have shared the same games, endured the same teachings, taken the same blows from our swordmasters, received the same education, knowing all the time that he would lead and I would follow...
    This is what I'm doing at the moment as we walk on the mighty walls of the first city of Christendom, he the King and I, the leader of his bodyguard, his friend, counsel and confident...
    The task facing him already takes its toll as he knows the sacrifices that will have to be made for Jerusalem to remain in Christian hands...

    This is the story I will try to tell as exactly as possible...

    (OOC : Text hereabove is from the former write-up thread...)
    Last edited by _Tristan_; 11-25-2007 at 11:10.
    King Baldwin the Tyrant, King of Jerusalem, Warden of the Holy Sepulchre, Slayer of Sultans in the Crusades Hotseat (new write-up here and previous write-up here)
    Methodios Tagaris, Caesar and Rebelin LotR
    Mexica Sunrise : An Aztec AAR



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    King Philippe of France Senior Member _Tristan_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    TURN 1

    The main threats to our Kingdom lie in the Seldjuk Turks to the East and the Egyptians to the South... The faith of Islam is strong in those regions and it is still strong in our own lands, it needs only a spark so it can be rekindled...
    That spark may already have fallen as rumor spreads that imams are calling the Infidels to oust us Christians from those Holy Lands…

    My king is well aware of that and has ordered two of his best generals to join him in the council chamber of the palace : one ,Gerard, a tough Crusader, taught us all there is to know about war, having fought all his life to keep Jerusalem a Christian City, the second, Balain, is a great mind and a great leader of men.

    Our King assigns them missions of importance :
    Gerard is to conquer the rebellious cities to the north of Jerusalem to act as a buffer should the Turks ever try to invade our lands, doing so with the help of Raymond, Count of Tripoli, our Lord’s vassal.
    Raymond is to head directly for the castle of Baalbek in a deep valley east of Tripoli, a rebel-infested region, to try and subdue them.

    Balain is to take a large force of men and lead them due south of Jerusalem in the desert to establish a system of watchtowers, to give us a warning in case the Egyptians should gather their forces and invade.
    Heeding his orders, Gerard heads north to Banyas and leaving the footmen to lay siege to the city with orders to prepare siege engines for his return, he drives his cavalry northwards to Damascus, himself setting siege to the city.

    In the meantime, Balain heads south in the inhospitable desert and sets up our network of watchtowers... However, the sands of the desert are no friends to the Knights of Christendom and Balain cannot regain the safety of our walls and sets up camp with his men in a mountain range.

    On the diplomatic side, contact has be made with our brethren and allies of Antioch to the extent that trade rights and military access have been granted on both sides, to our mutual profit. Prince Bohemond of Antioch, from what I heard, will be a great leader to match my own king.


    TURN 2

    The rumor was true…

    Our worst fear has come true... A Jihad has been called on Antioch...
    We must prepare to deal with the incoming Muslim hordes...

    My Lord Baldwin has confided in me that he fears that answering that call will only be a means for Saladin to invade our Lands and wreak havoc…

    The men manning our watchtowers have witnessed the uprising of the desert-dwelling people south of Jerusalem. Their self-appointed leaders are not even nobility and have self-styled themselves Captains and raised the Egyptian flag with the crescent of Islam : they go by the names of Youssef and Chahine…


    At the same time, large Egyptian armies have massed behind their borders, ready to flood our lands.


    Fortunately, Balain is still in the vicinity and quickly leaves his mountain lair to swoop down on those Infidel fanatics…
    Under cover of night, he engages the army led by the man Chahine…




    … and gains a quick victory, executing the prisoners to enable him to charge on the other Egyptian force.



    Still under the clear night skies of the desert, Balain’s men pounce on the unsuspecting Egyptians…



    … and scores another victory for our cause.


    Once again, the prisoners are put to the sword…


    Our Lord God walked with Balain that night. He is now considered a saint in battle.


    Sensing the need for every able-bodied man to take up arms, Baldwin has adopted Godwine Stringer, a man that showed his devotion to the greatness of the Christian cause. He has put him in charge of the Ascalon castle, the first line of defense facing the Egyptians.


    The Council of Crusaders has asked of our Lord to capture from the Arab rebels the castle of Baalbek, north of Banyas. They have promised to fund the recruiting of troops to defend our Kingdom, should our Lord’s forces succeed in that endeavour. Our Lord has asked Raymond of Tripoli to deal with those rebels as he sees fit…


    First of all, a spy is sent into the castle to inquire of its defenses. His report does not worry Raymond, for he has a strong force under his orders…


    So, gathering the men under his command and enlisting the help of a mercenary captain and his men, Raymond now lays siege to the town.


    Gerard, leaving only a token force in command of the Damascus siege, heads back to Banyas at the head of his cavalry to command the assault on the town.





    It is swiftly vanquished and looted.



    Then, leaving an occupying force, Gerard gathers most of his men and moves back to Damascus, leading the assault once more on the Infidels.



    The losses are small as Gerard cleans the town of its fighting force…


    … before letting his men gather the large riches of the Damascus populace.


    The north is almost pacified, but now we are left to ponder where the next Egyptian onslaught will take place…




    (OOC : Doug and I already know that, of course… )
    King Baldwin the Tyrant, King of Jerusalem, Warden of the Holy Sepulchre, Slayer of Sultans in the Crusades Hotseat (new write-up here and previous write-up here)
    Methodios Tagaris, Caesar and Rebelin LotR
    Mexica Sunrise : An Aztec AAR



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    Makedonios Ksanthopoulos Member Privateerkev's Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    The Byzantium Empire: Turn 1

    Emperor Manuel sat at his desk in the great city of Constantinople. It was storming outside. The weather fit his mood. The great Roman Empire was but a shadow of what it once was. Manuel only had Constantinople, a couple of islands in the sea, and territories along the coast of the Anatolia Peninsula. The Turks sat right in the middle of land that historically been his peoples'. Hell, all of the Levant had been Roman in ancient times. The whole Mediterranean had been a Roman lake. Things had changed. And not for the better.

    Egypt, once a great Roman province, was under someone's rule that would not take kindly to being ruled by another. Turks had invaded his lands and set up settlements. And Catholic Crusaders, who had once come at the request of the Eastern Roman Empire, had set up their own Kingdoms. Who knew who else would eventually come to the Holy Land to take advantage of it's riches.

    Something drastic would have to be done. The Empire needed to be rebuilt. Infrastructure was lagging. Except for Constantinople, all other settlements were little more than villages. Armies were flung across the empire, and except for the ability to throw fire from sticks, were technologically inferior to everyone else. The navy was but a shadow of it's former self. Cyprus was under "independent control". Yes, something drastic would have to be done indeed. But what?

    As the Emperor pondered this question, an aid brought in a letter. Manuel saw who the author was and opened it. His eyes shot wide open. The contents were just absolutely amazing. Did he dare answer it? Did he dare even contemplate it? He shook his head. He knew he would be killed if anyone ever found out what was in this letter. Did he dare to gamble the whole empire away on such a risky deal? If he didn't move soon, he would have no Empire left to gamble.

    The Emperor barked for an aid. One came scurrying in. He gave the aid orders to summon one of his daughters to the Imperial Court at once. He could only trust this deal to family. She would not like having her marriage to a young and upcoming noble postponed but this was more important. The Princess walked in and sat in front of her father. The picture of poise and beauty, she gave her father a loving smile and asked what it was that he needed.

    Manuel told his daughter about the letter and the task he needed her to do. Her years of training in the Imperial Court stopped her from being stricken with shock. She simply nodded. He gave her further details and she sat patiently. When he was done, she got up, kissed her father on the forehead and left the room.

    The Emperor was left alone contemplating the course he just set the Empire on. As the lightening flashed and the thunder crashed, he allowed himself a moment of doubt. But then, resigned to his decision, he got back to work.


    Knight of the Order of St. John
    Duke of Nicosia

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    Makedonios Ksanthopoulos Member Privateerkev's Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    The Byzantium Empire: Turn 5

    Emperor Manuel was going over reports. Things were going well. The Anatolian Peninsula was being consolidated and brought back into the Empire. But the Emperor paused when he read the report detailing the defeat of the Principality of Antioch. He did not expect the Crusader state to fall so fast.

    This was not good. The Kingdom of Jerusalem would not last much longer without their ally. While the Emperor had no love for the Crusaders, he had hoped to play both Muslims and Catholics off of each other in order to achieve balance. A balance he could then exploit.

    But things went too far. If the Pope should ever learn of Manuel's part in the destruction of Antioch...


    The Emperor barked for an aid. "Yes my Emperor?"

    "Send word to army group 1. Tell them to head back west to meet up with me here at Constantinople. I have a feeling some Catholics are going to be none too happy with me soon. Best to be cautious..."


    Knight of the Order of St. John
    Duke of Nicosia

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    King Philippe of France Senior Member _Tristan_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    TURN 3

    Baldwin has taken under his protection one more nobleman, by the name of Morris Awood.

    The trend that my Lord has begun with these adoptions has many talking behind his back. Some are beginning to think that this men are his minions, with Baldwin being still unmarried.

    But I, alone, know the truth of the matter. I’ve seen the telltale blotches on Baldwin’s skin. My Lord is afflicted with leprosy but he knows that the least sign of weakness he might show could be the doom of our Kingdom. He tried to hide it from me, but we are like brothers and he couldn’t achieve it. I now know that he won’t take a wife, out of fear that she gets ill. And soon, I think that no woman will come knocking at his door, with the disfigurement that is sure to come. He won’t ever be a father either, but his heritage is now assured.

    Having built the necessary siege equipment, Raymond, Count of Tripoli assault the castle at Baalbek and submits it with few losses. The castle is renamed Heaven’s Gate, as it is the gate to our lands, the Kingdom of Heaven…

    The Crusader Council funds our recruitment of multiple units of Templar Sergeants, true to their promise and appreciative of our victory.

    Dire news have reached us… The Turks are winning victory after victory against our Antioch brethren… Nothing our Christian brothers do seems to stem the tide of Infidels converging on their lands… It seems that the Byzantines have turned their eyes from us lured by the gift of lands from the Turks… Let’s hope the Christian nations of Europe will not let that crime go unpunished…

    So, in order to face the Turkish threat, the Hospitallers were forced to lift the siege of Homs.
    On hearing the news of our brethren’s hardships, my Lord has ordered Raymond to take up the siege of Homs and conquer the town. This town will be given to Antioch to help them fight the Turks.

    Acting on those orders, Raymond immediately gathers his men, leaving only a token garrison in Heaven’s Gate.

    But all is not well in our Kingdom either…

    One of our spies has been taken out but his assassin has been dealt with.

    It was intended to prevent us from discovering that Saladin, Sultan of Egypt is marching against us… So I ride with Baldwin to meet Saladin and we are met on the way by Balain and his men. We strike under the cover of night.

    Saladin puts up a brave fight but the power of our men is unmatched.

    We have marched too far in the desert so Baldwin orders the building of a fort to shelter our men. An oasis is found and our men quickly erect a mighty fort.

    The remaining Egyptian forces are busy establishing a network of watchtowers in the desert. My Lord has confided in me that he wonders of the relative inactivity of the Egyptians… It seems they are simply toying with us… Let’s hope our northern brethren of Antioch will not falter.

    Our Lord has ordered the name of our two southern castles changed, to give heart to our population in the face of the coming hard times. Ascalon is now known as Hell’s Gate, for out of its gate is Egyptian territory and that is surely Hell’s domain… Arsuf is renamed True Cross.
    King Baldwin the Tyrant, King of Jerusalem, Warden of the Holy Sepulchre, Slayer of Sultans in the Crusades Hotseat (new write-up here and previous write-up here)
    Methodios Tagaris, Caesar and Rebelin LotR
    Mexica Sunrise : An Aztec AAR



    Philippe 1er de France
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    King Philippe of France Senior Member _Tristan_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    Turn 4

    Raymond, Count of Tripoli and Warden of the Northern Marches, has taken Homs and renamed it King’s Gift for that is what it is destined to be : our King’s gift to Antioch…

    Some 3500 florins have even been gained from the looting of the town…

    One more young noble man has been adopted by our Lord and sent north to help in the defence of our northern territories against the advancing Turks, should they defeat our Antioch brethren… He goes by the name of Symond Montfort.

    Our assassins have gone on to bring some more Egyptians agents to their ultimate resting place… One of them has even succeeded in infiltrating the camp of the Egyptian General Nasir ad Din Kaikawus, guarding the bridge north of As Suways, one of the two gates into the Egyptian heartland… A knife to his throat has rid that army of its leader, our man leaving not a trace in the sands…

    The Crusader Council has asked of us to make contact with the Turks, which has been immediately done, though no agreement could be reached with those Infidels. A reward of 1000 florins has been added to the Kingdom treasury for our efforts nonetheless.


    Turn 5

    As I suspected, the my Lord’s illness is making progress… It is not only an illness of the body but an illness of the mind… While my Lord and friend’s body slowly decays, his spirit turns more and more dark and somber… His moods have changed so much that I sometimes can’t see where the old Baldwin has gone… He meets up more and more often with disreputable members of our society, scheming and plotting… All that is done for the good of our Kingdom, but surely not for the good of Baldwin… I’ve come to wonder if his disease isn’t a curse from God for the way he has chosen to follow, forsaking his ideals for the sake of attaining his goals… It seems Baldwin has struck some kind of devilish pact over the safekeeping of Jerusalem

    My Lord was once a paragon of chivalry, dreaming of reviving the old chivalric ideals and prove to the Infidels the error of their ways through his shining example… But, these days, the aura of light has turned dim…

    The threat of Egypt on our doorstep and the success encountered by the Turks in the North has begun to take its toll on Baldwin… It is rumoured that he even accepted that the guild of Assassins sets up shop in Jerusalem of all places…

    Some are even beginning to question my Lord piety and devotion and are trying to create dissension among Christians… One such blasphemer has been discovered near Antioch, preaching to the populace the return of the Ante-Christ in the person of Baldwin. He was quickly arrested, tried before an ecclesiastical tribunal, found guilty and burnt at the stake.

    While we are playing cloak and dagger games with the Egyptians, notably killing one general Zein that was inspecting the building of watchtowers north of Alia, we are preparing also for the possible breaking of Antioch, a most unfortunate event that will give the Turks free rein for invading our lands. Men have been sent north to prepare for such an eventuality and bring relief to our Christian brethren.

    Gerard has maintained the siege of Limassol on the island of Cyprus, intent on taking it next year, thus giving us a way to have warning of any naval movement off our coast.


    Turn 6

    Antioch has fallen…

    Not only the proud city but the whole kingdom… Its Prince, the Regent and most of their generals have been caught up in a awesome fight they could not hope to win and have been killed to the last one… Their armies in the field and their towns not yet taken by the Turks have rebelled, their Arab population free from the crusader’s yoke are ready to greet new masters, masters of their own choosing…

    This does not bode well for our own future… We are now caught between the Egyptian anvil and the Turkish hammer…

    The town of King’s Gift that we had left un-garrisoned to be given to Antioch has been taken by the Turks… The mighty fortress of the Krak has turned rebel… Our northern border is at the mercy of the Turkish hordes of formerly crazed Jihad fanatics…

    After taking Limassol, thus gaining us 1700 florins and a foothold on Cyprus, Gerard has been ordered back from the island to assist in the upcoming defence of Tripoli. It makes too tempting a target for the Turks to ignore it. Only a token garrison was left on the island. A spy has been sent to Nicosia on the other side of the island and has reported that it is manned by a large garrison with no declared allegiance, although from Greek descent. They seem unmoved by our presence on the island and we can do nothing at this point but tolerate their presence.

    Another spy reports of having reached Qarisyia at the brink of the Turkish heartland. The town has not been claimed by the Turks but it is defended by a very large and skilled garrison and too much out of the way to be of any use to us…

    Those last events have proven to us how useful our network of spies can be and Baldwin has ordered that a training centre placed under Guild authority be created at Acre.

    One more young man has been adopted in the family, this time by Prince Godwine… We’ll need every general we can gather to fight the many threats. Harry of Ashbourne has been given the responsibility of governing Jerusalem…

    …because our Lord and the Prince are headed for Alia, Egypt-held, where an army has been gathering under the general Hazem Ibrahim to strike at us… Even with their leader removed by poison, the men remain a threat we’ll have to deal with…

    Balain and Anselm of Axbridge have taken another large army west to the Egyptian border, intent on freeing the bridges and allow us to strike into Egypt’s heartland.

    One more blasphemer has been tried and burnt at the stake near Banyas… This one was preaching Armageddon, the End of the World… I am almost ready to believe him such are the times that are facing us…


    Turn 7

    War is upon us !!!

    The Turks have attacked our lands… We knew it was coming but it is still a shock…

    Adding insult over insult they have even offered us to become their vassals… My Lord was tempted to accept in order to lull them but he finally answered with the same insulting offer, the Turkish diplomat barely escaping with his life… No true Christian will ever bend the knee before the Muslim Infidels… Death before dishonour…

    The reports from the north are disheartening…

    Tripoli is besieged by almost 3000 men… One large army has surrounded the town, led by the Holy Warrior Qilich Arslan, the Lion of Turkey, while the Sultan is encamped nearby, ready to bring help to any attempt of freeing the town…

    More disheartening still are the reports of our spies that the Egyptian Prince Al Adil has made camp in some woods north of Tripoli, with a large army under his orders… The Egyptian plan finally makes sense… They were toying with us southwards, thus gaining time to try and take us from behind our lines…

    The Krak is also under siege, a major asset to the Turks should it fall into their hands…

    Morris Awood, governor of Damascus, rides north to take back King’s Gift from Turkish hands… This is almost a suicide mission… If he succeeds, he’ll be surrounded by the Turkish hordes, with no way of getting out…

    To gain access to the town, he engages with his bodyguard alone a small force of Turks guarding the border and sends them packing north.

    Our spies have infiltrated the settlement and Awood faces the Turkish Prince As Salih… The desperation of our Kingdom led our men to fight like madmen and gain us an unexpected victory… The Turkish Prince died fighting… We found the town to be a ruin, every major building torn down… Knowing that we surely won’t be able to keep it, Awood orders his men to gather what few riches the Turks have brought with them and send them south for our war effort… The body of the Prince is sent to the Sultan…

    I hope that the respect shown to his son will gain us some time, if not a ceasefire…

    Raymond, Count of Tripoli, prepares to defend his town and receives help from Gerard and the Tyre garrison… Raymond sallies out and gains a victory against Qilich Arslan, taking the Turks by surprise and leaving no time to the Sultan to come to the help of the besiegers…

    Knowing that another siege will surely come, Raymond leaves the town into the hands of one of his subordinates and rides south to retrain some of his knights… Gerard also rides south for the same reasons…

    Our trained killers have dealt death to both Egyptian and Turkish agents… But for all their successes, Baldwin is not yet ready to accept their proposal for enlarging their Guild premises in Jerusalem…

    In the south, our spies have found a new general to have replaced the late Zein… Rumours have it that this man Aly of Noubarya may one day become the new Sultan of Egypt…
    Our men have also crippled the recruitment capabilities of the town of Alia, destroying the bowyer there…

    The castle at Heaven’s Gate has been renamed Purgatory because that is what that region will soon become : a true purgatory…

    It is time to bring the fight on the Egyptian home ground…
    King Baldwin the Tyrant, King of Jerusalem, Warden of the Holy Sepulchre, Slayer of Sultans in the Crusades Hotseat (new write-up here and previous write-up here)
    Methodios Tagaris, Caesar and Rebelin LotR
    Mexica Sunrise : An Aztec AAR



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  7. #7
    Illuminated Moderator Pogo Panic Champion, Graveyard Champion, Missle Attack Champion, Ninja Kid Champion, Pop-Up Killer Champion, Ratman Ralph Champion GeneralHankerchief's Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    The Byzantine Empire: Turn 10
    Act II: Taking Charge


    Constantinople

    INTERIOR: The Emperor's study, late at night. EMPEROR MANUEL and his trusted advisor STEFANOS are poring over reports of the financial situation and of the war to the east. Neither expects to be disturbed.

    EMPEROR MANUEL: Report in from Sinope.

    STEFANOS: What is it, My Lord?

    EMPEROR MANUEL: They project record profits for the year. We can expect the fruitful bearings of their treasury sometime within the next season.

    STEFANOS: That is excellent news, sire. It looks as if Sinope is not our only territory with that forecast.

    EMPEROR MANUEL: (skimming over several papers quickly) Indeed.

    STEFANOS: It is a credit to your leadership and excellence that we have achieved this position after many years. Clearly we have the resources that our neighbors to the East can only dream of.

    EMPEROR MANUEL: Yes...

    STEFANOS: My Lord?

    EMPEROR MANUEL: I feel faint.

    STEFANOS: Perhaps you should retire for the night. The war won't change much in a day.

    EMPEROR MANUEL: No, I don't want to fall behind. Pretty soon the war will involve us, whether we want it or not. We managed to unite Asia Minor and buy it back from the Turks, that was to our favor.

    STEFANOS: And...?

    EMPEROR MANUEL: That's as much as we'll get. Antioch is gone, destroyed with the Seljuks. Jerusalem is locked in a death struggle with the Muslims. Both of them will probably want our help. Most likely the Crusaders will get reinforcements from the West; we should be on our guard should they decide to make Constantinople their base.

    STEFANOS: After all, we may be Christian, but not Catholic.

    EMPEROR MANUEL: Exactly. But Stefanos, you still disagree with me over whom to ultimately side with?

    STEFANOS: I do, My Lord. I wish that you would see the merits of my argument.

    EMPEROR MANUEL: I have heard your argument many times, and I tell you that it will not change my mind. It is disappointing that you have so little faith in your Emperor's decisions.

    STEFANOS: Yes, it is disappointing.

    Seconds pass. STEFANOS appears to be waiting for something. EMPEROR MANUEL stares at him quizically, but then pales. He crumbles to the floor, alternating between screaming in agony and muttering in tongues. Eventually the screaming subsides, but the EMPEROR still mutters, staring directly up at the ceiling, not blinking. Two GUARDS rush in.

    GUARD 1: What happened? What happened to the Emperor?!

    STEFANOS: I know not. One moment he was going over the war in the east, next thing I know he's out on the floor screaming and muttering.

    GUARD 2: He doesn't look too good.

    GUARD 1: Well, he doesn't seem to be screaming anymore...

    GUARD 2: Someone should alert the Prince. He needs to take over.

    STEFANOS: No, he doesn't need to know.

    GUARD 1: What are you talking about? Of course he needs to know!

    STEFANOS: If he knows, everyone knows. And I mean everyone. Even our rivals in the East.

    GUARD 2: What does that matter?

    STEFANOS: If everyone realizes that our Emperor who managed to put us in this glorious situation has turned into a gibbering idiot, they won't respect our power anymore. They could easily try to take back Asia Minor.

    GUARD 1: Well then... who runs things?

    STEFANOS: I do.

    GUARD 2: You?

    STEFANOS: Yes. I have been the Emperor's advisor for many years. I know what I'm doing. He consults with me on all policy decisions and for the most part, agrees with me.

    GUARD 1: Well...

    STEFANOS: If you don't say anything, the Empire will continue to run smoothly and nobody will be the wiser. And I'm sure Manuel will be back in no time.

    Temporary silence.

    STEFANOS: Come on, help me move his body. You, keep a lookout. Your task is now to look after the Emperor. Make sure nobody comes near him.

    STEFANOS and the GUARDS move the body. All parties exit stage left. STEFANOS re-enters.

    STEFANOS:
    My ruler a sin did commit
    By failing to his will remit
    Not one iota in the least
    He would change his view of the East
    Now he is half-alive at most
    And all now bow to Stefanos!

    STEFANOS exits.
    Last edited by GeneralHankerchief; 01-05-2008 at 03:22.
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  8. #8
    King Philippe of France Senior Member _Tristan_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    Turn 8

    The onslaught has begun…

    Having heard of our men’s advance towards his lands, the Egyptian Sultan Saladin has set up camp on the northern bridge leading to his homeland… Saladin is a fearsome opponent but Balain, having fought so long in these parts, could be a Saracen… He engages Saladin and scores a first victory… But this is not enough for him, on the wake of his first success, Balain pursues Saladin east of the castle at Dumyat, catching him before he had time to regain the safety of the walls. With his retreat cut off, Saladin retreats further west towards Alexandria… While Balain takes his whole infantry to lay siege to Dumyat, Anselm of Axbridge is ordered to lead the whole cavalry in bringing down Saladin, whose men must now be exhausted from running…

    Anselm catches up with Saladin just west of Dumyat and brings him to battle… This proves to be too much for the Egyptians and Saladin dies in a last stand with his few remaining bodyguards… Anselm then joins Balain in sieging Dumyat…

    They are both now at the mercy of a counter-attack but it is well worth it…

    The Egyptian Prince has reached far into our lands by sea, landing from his fleet at Tyre and setting siege to the castle. While setting up for the siege, the news reached him of his father’s death… He now knows that people are stirring in his country… That event if he succeeds here, help is not sure to come as some might prefer that he dies to ahgin access to the Sultan’s throne…

    The new Sultan’s move is a daring one that could cost him dearly should he fail.

    Raymond and Gerard, our commanders in the region, have devised a cunning plan to deal with the Egyptian invaders… It requires both luck and mastery but if it can be pulled out we will be much better off…

    This plan requires first that our navy deals with the Egyptian fleet of the Prince… Their boats are much stronger than ours but our strength may reside in numbers… Gathering our three ships in the area, Admiral Barnaby attacks the Egyptians who, stuck between the shore and our fleet, lose their manoeuvrability and means of escape… Admiral Barnaby is considered a hero for that victory, having sent the whole Egyptian fleet to the bottom of the sea…

    With his retreat to the sea cut off, Sultan Al Adil is now at the mercy of Raymond and Gerard… They have sent men far and wide to cover any possible avenues of retreat for the Egyptians then engage the Sultan with all their might… The outcome can be only one thing… The young Sultan did not keep his crown long on his head and neither did his head remain attached to his body for long…

    As predicted, Aly of Noubarya is the new Sultan… He has set up camp at the southern bridge…

    Baldwin marches his men west towards the southern bridge held by Sultan Aly, willing to force the Egyptian to make hard choices : defending Dumyat at the risk of losing the other bridge or losing Dumyat to the besiegers and preventing more Christians to put their feet on Egyptian soil…

    But we do not have to deal only with the Egyptians… The Turks are a bigger threat right now…

    The northern most part of our Kingdom is under siege… Tripoli, King’s Gift and Purgatory are besieged…

    Sultan Nur has lain siege to Tripoli with a mighty force… We could bring men to lift that siege but we could not withstand another onslaught afterwards… The defenders of the town will have to fend for themselves… They will be martyr to our cause, their places in heaven are assured…

    In the same way, King’s Gift is also besieged… Morris Awood knew that his taking of the town was close to sacrifice… Know only prayer remains for him for help will not be able to reach him in time…

    More frightening, the Turkish general Lachin Kavur has lain siege to Purgatory… Having defeated the Egyptian Sultan, Raymond takes his force east to Purgatory… Prior to his attack on the besiegers, a single man is dispatched to the Turkish camp and deals a killing blow to Kavur, before slipping away unseen… Raymond then leads the assault, freeing the town and organizing the defence for the onslaught that is sure to come.

    At least we were able to save one of our settlements… It was the most that we could do without exposing ourselves to further retribution…

    Northeast of Damascus, a small Turkish scouting party has been sighted. Symond Montfort sends some men from his garrison to meet them. Captain John Dangerfyeld engages the Turks and sends them back. Baldwin orders that he is ennobled for this victory. Perhaps he’ll be able to reach King’s Gift in time to save Awood…

    But our most important success in the area is that several of our spies have succeeded in infiltrating the fortress of the Krak… It should enable us to take it without a long siege, something that we cannot afford at this time…

    More heartening are the messengers arriving from Europe with the news of the Crusade called by the Pope… The French King has refused to join, his parent kingdom of Antioch having fallen but Richard of England is on his way towards our lands…

    Let’s hope he arrives soon…


    Turn 9

    Wonderful news !!! Sad news !!!

    Our minds are coming apart such are the news that have reached us…

    Richard the Lionheart has landed near Acre with a mighty force of men…
    I truly hope it will turn the tide of battle in our favour…

    In the same time, Raymond, Count of Tripoli, has died in the siege of Purgatory… Some traitors have opened the gates for the Turks and numbers have defeated valour…

    We have no time to mourn him but we will honour his memory on the field of battle…

    The disease is making progress both in my Lord body and in his mind… He seems to have forsaken all his chivalric ideals and is now obsessed with only one thing : to save the Kingdom of Jerusalem at whatever cost, be it the cost of his own mortal soul…

    Baldwin’s retinue has changed from a entourage of knights to one of darker figures, men in cowls and knives in their sleeves… One is even rumoured to be the leader of those men…

    As I predicted Balain and Anselm have been attacked from behind while besieging Dumyat by the Sultan-led army of Egypt. Anselm’s cavalry force has been entirely destroyed and he himself barely escaped death… He has gone back to Hell’s Gate to gather some more men…

    Balain also was defeated and was forced to go back over the bridge… He made camp into the desert and gathered some of our men hiding in the desert before breaking camp and setting to guard the northern bridge. His army is lacking in cavalry at this time but holding a bridge does not need horses…

    Baldwin and I ride towards the southern bridge guarded by one general Al Muazzam Umar… Having consulted with his dark-soul adviser, Baldwin has ordered that general taken out. It is done immediately and we ride on to the bridge, defeating a small force of rebels on our way then taking on the men formerly-led by Al Muazzam… At the end of the day, the bridge is ours with very few losses, killing more than four times our number of Infidels…

    Another of the dark figures is sent after an Egyptian spy and returns with his head for a trophy…

    A large fleet of Egyptian ships is sighted near Acre… Admiral Morcar, newly arrived from Europe with Richard the Lionheart, takes command of our fleet and deals a severe blow to the much larger Egyptian fleet…

    From Alia, a captain has taken a large army north towards Kerak, allowing our men to destroy the stables in that same town… The recruitment capabilities of that town are slowly dwindling…

    Now is time to turn our looks to the north…

    Richard is a born leader and a staunch supporter of our faith so he cannot and will not stand our lands and those of Antioch to be in Muslim hands… Taking his own men and those of Gerard, he goes straight to Tripoli and lays siege to the town, intent on reclaiming it in memory of Raymond, great crusader…

    Some of our men had stayed behind, hiding from the Turkish invaders, when the city was taken… These men have taken care of the Turks manning the gates of the city and Richard rides in… He confronts Sultan Nur in the streets of the city and emerges victorious, the Turkish leader dead at his horse’s feet… The city’s population celebrates that victory and some priests come out of hiding and present King Richard with a reliquary containing a shard of the True Cross, that they took into hiding when the Infidels took Tripoli…

    These news have gained our men much fervour all across the Kingdom… It is a sign that God has not abandoned us and forsaken us… Celebrations take place all over the Kingdom…

    For Richard, the celebrations are marred by the knowledge that large forces of Turks are still within striking distance of Tripoli with a powerful training centre just over the border… His men are not yet used to the heat of the sun in those lands and have to recover before another assault… Nevertheless, he quickly gathers some men and sends them in a mission to subdue the fortress of the Krak…

    Before that, the Turkish general Tutush Ad Din had to be snuffed out, as he was keeping the road north out of Tripoli…

    The men arrive to find the place almost undefended and with the help of a few faithful Antioch men left behind gain access to the fortress, defeating the small garrison…

    This campaign is a turning point for our Kingdom… If we can keep the pressure on both front, we might yet survive this ordeal… If not, we will leave the Kingdom of Jerusalem for the true Kingdom of Heaven… But for now, Heaven can wait…
    King Baldwin the Tyrant, King of Jerusalem, Warden of the Holy Sepulchre, Slayer of Sultans in the Crusades Hotseat (new write-up here and previous write-up here)
    Methodios Tagaris, Caesar and Rebelin LotR
    Mexica Sunrise : An Aztec AAR



    Philippe 1er de France
    in King of the Franks

  9. #9

    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    wow, an awesome AAR! cant believe ive never come across this until now, keep it up!
    Brothers in Arms- A Legionaries AAR
    https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showth...86#post1853386

  10. #10
    Wandering Metsuke Senior Member Zim's Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    Turns 12-15:

    Sultan Kujuk looked carefully over the message he had just received. It was from the Kingdom of Jerusalem, who had in a way made him Sultan, although he bore them no lvoe for it. You see, they had done so by defeating the previous Sultan, Nur ad Din, and his son. Both fell honorably in battle. At least they did not fall by the assassin's blade, as did so many other members of the royal family.

    King Baldwin of Jerusalem sought peace. His Kingdom had been the site of msot of the fighting, and although it was now much expanded, his ally the Prince of Antioch had lost his Kingdom to the Turks. It seemed as if the Turks would control an Empire from Baghdad to the Levant, but that was not to be. This Latins fought like the devil himself.

    Kujuk sighed. Whatever his predecessors dreams of Empire, it would likely be wise to accept this offer. His foothold in the Levant is unlikely to last, and King Baldwin was correct in asserting that to the North the Romans grew threateningly rich and powerful. If war continued between Turk and Latin, someday the Emperor might swoop down like a vulture and pick apart the corpses of their Kingdoms. The time for war was over, and a time for rebuilding and trade had begun.

    Perhaps with the Kingdoms of the region down to four things might stabilize, with each power holding their respective sphere of influence. Now might be the best chance the region had had for peace in many centuries. It was certainly worth a try.

    Kujuk summoned a messenger.

    "Tell his Highness King Baldwin that we accept his proposal, and would like to discuss terms".

    The Messenger nodded, and immediately left for Jerusalem.
    V&V RIP Helmut Becker, Duke of Bavaria.



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  11. #11
    King Philippe of France Senior Member _Tristan_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    Turn 10

    To win this war, we must keep the pressure on… Everything we lose, we’ll have to regain as soon as possible…

    In that spirit, John Dangerfyeld has laid siege to King’s Gift… Seeing how troubled these times are, with towns changing allegiance almost every year, it is rather easy to find people ready to betray their new masters. Dangerfyeld thus enters unhindered in King’s Gift and quickly deals with the token garrison…

    A Turkish assassin has been sighted near Banyas and taken out… However he had time to cut short the life of our Bishop in the area.

    Some more Turkish agents are located near the Krak and quickly dealt with…

    Richard gathers up his men and rides to Purgatory to deny another recruitment centre to the Turks. The castle is held by one of the fiercest Turkish generals, one Qilich Arslan , the famed Lion of Turkey, dubbed the Holy Warrior for his victories against Antioch… The two Lions meet in battle… Trapped between the walls of the castle, Qilich fights like a lion in cage but cannot avoid the end… Purgatory once again flies the flag of the Cross…

    Gerard himself has been sent north to the Turkish border to take the fort established there by our enemies and conquer it… Playing the same trick that granted us access in King’s Gift and Purgatory, Gerard quickly takes the fort, and leaves only a small garrison to man the fort, coming south to deal with the numerous Turks besieging Damascus…

    Montfort, commander of the Damascus garrison had better recommend his soul to God for help will surely be too late to save him… One more good man to go...

    On the Egyptian front, Balain has once again been forced to retreat from his position on the bridge when the Prince of Egypt rode against him… When the messenger bringing these news arrived at our own camp on the other bridge, Baldwin entered in a fearsome rage and ordered all mounted men to get on their horses and ride with us north to bring help to Balain… We left our footmen manning the bridge and rode hard to reach the battlefield… Attacking jointly with Balain own forces, Baldwin’s cavalry forced Prince Naguib to retreat into the barren desert…

    A small force of Balain’s cavalry, still fresh, was sent after him with orders for Captain Laurence of Dunwich, commander of the southern bridge garrison to go after the fleeing Prince… They meet up with the remnants of the Prince’s army and force him to retreat even further into the desert… Only the presence of the sea prevents him from running even further… Laurence of Dunwich is soon made a noble for this victory… He then proceeds to occupy the bridge once more…

    Farther east, the captain-led Egyptian army from Alia has turned from Kerak to go straight at Jerusalem, intent on breaking the morale of our men by taking the symbol of our fight away from our hands… This army is met by Harry of Ashbourne, governor of Jerusalem and Harold Curthose, captain of the Kerak garrison. Curthose engages the fight and wins himself a victory and a title, the first commoner of the realm to gain recognition. The remnant of the Egyptian force retire back behind their borders…

    The path into Egypt is open and our men begin pouring in, wreaking havoc in As Suways, fomenting riots and using arson to destroy the militia garrison quarters.
    King Baldwin the Tyrant, King of Jerusalem, Warden of the Holy Sepulchre, Slayer of Sultans in the Crusades Hotseat (new write-up here and previous write-up here)
    Methodios Tagaris, Caesar and Rebelin LotR
    Mexica Sunrise : An Aztec AAR



    Philippe 1er de France
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  12. #12
    Wandering Metsuke Senior Member Zim's Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    OOC: I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess this is an aar of sorts, probably one of the first with multiple players all going at once.

    I hadn't made my first entry until after you posted, but I'm sure the others who already had contributed appreciate it.

    This should last as long as the game it comes from.

    Quote Originally Posted by Long lost Caesar
    wow, an awesome AAR! cant believe ive never come across this until now, keep it up!
    V&V RIP Helmut Becker, Duke of Bavaria.



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  13. #13
    King Philippe of France Senior Member _Tristan_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    Turn 11


    My Lord has finally been conquered…

    Hopefully it is not on the field of battle...The lady Adelt Gryffin recently arrived from Europe with Richard of England has seen past the disfigurement of my Lord and friend… I know that the illness consuming his body will not rest but I dearly hope that Adelt’s presence by his side will do much to lift the burden on his shoulders…

    The Guild of Swordsmith representative, also arrived with Richard, has requested the authorization to open a chapter house in the Krak, offer which was immediately accepted by our Lord… It will greatly help in dealing with the Turks.

    Our diplomat has gone to meet with the Byzantine princess Maria Comnenus intent on getting some help from the Orthodox fiends that have helped in the destruction of our comrades of Antioch… Their coffers are full to the brim with the gold acquired in the taking of the lands given up by the Turks. Moreover, they are still expanding while we are fighting for our very lives…

    As foretold, the Turks have taken Damascus, killing all of our men… They have then separated and have gone one to lay siege at Banyas, the second at Tyre…

    The port of Acre where Richard landed has been blockaded by a Turkish fleet but Admiral Morcar, old sailor that he is, was able to force them to lift it…

    A three-pronged counter attack has been devised by Richard the Lion-Heart against the Turks…

    Anselm of Axbridge will lead our southern forces all the way up to Tyre, while Richard will take on the Turks besieging Banyas and finally Gerard will siege Damascus.

    Each of our generals scores a victory leaving none of the Turks alive… They vanish as if swallowed by quicksand…

    While Damascus was not long in Turkish hands, they have destroyed everything of value, leaving only the walls of the city and the outlying farms standing...

    On our eastern border, Captain Humphrey of Old Sarum, son of an old Crusader, has engaged a small contingent of Turks and defeated them. He is knighted for his success and is set on a mission to see to the building of some watchtowers at the Turkish border.

    To the south, Baldwin and I ride to take the southern bridge, allowing us to pour into Egypt. However, our forces are much depleted and I am not sure that a foray deep into Egyptian lands is not doomed. In a daring action, our men have arsoned the Sultan's own racing track in Cairo.

    We are faced with a difficult decision : Proceed onwards into Egypt and face oblivion or turn around and go abck to Jerusalem, allowing Egypt to rearm...

    Seeing how the Egyptians are sending an army North from Alia towards Jerusalem.



    Turn 12

    Our decision has ben made... We will leave Egypt... Nevertheless, we will not leave it without a parting gift.

    So one of our men is sent North to take the head of the general commanding the army that holds the northern bridge while at the southenr one, a spy found in our camp is duly executed. We then ride south to finish the Prince of Egypt's army, killing Prince Naguib in the process. Now we can ride to Jerusalem to replenish our forces...

    Baldwin has vowed that he'll be back someday and Egypt will bow to our Lord...

    Some of our men will remain behind to prepare for our return and hinder the rearmament of Egypt. In Cairo, our men have succeeded in desecrating the Masjid where the heathens assemble to pray and in arsoning the militia barracks, preventing the training of new recruits.

    In the north, a small of Turks has been spotted marching on King's Gift... We are at a loss as to the reason for this expedition. Baldwin has asked Humphrey of Old Sarum to deal with the pests. Abandoning his watchtower building site, Humphrey rides south and arrives just in time to join the battlefield, where Captain Alfred from the King's Gift garrison has already engaged the Turks. Victory is achieved and Humphrey sends a messenger to our Lord asking that Captain Alfred Godwinsson be knighted. My Lord accepts and another Knight joins the defense of our realm.

    Some of the Turkish agents are much more discreet and do not show their colours... One such agent has been spotted and taken care of on the road between Purgatory and King's Gift. Even when put to the question, he would not reveal if any other agents were in the vicinity...

    We will remain watchful...

    Richard has started to retrain his men in the Krak, taking profit of the Swordsmithes' quality weapons. Once he feels his army is rested, he will lead the assault northward with help from Gerard to reclaim the last of Antioch lands.


    Turn 13

    We have been approached by the Byzantines. They offered to exchange our maps with them and added 1000 florins in the bargain. We would be fool to refuse. Their coffers are full to bursting while our own are emptying in ouor war effort.

    With the war calming a little on our southern front, Prince Godwine has found time to court and marry the young Cecilai Dawe, daughter of a minor English Noble serving in Richard's retinue.

    On the diplomatic front, we have made careful approches to Sultan Kujuk of the Turks and Sultan Aly of Egypt towards a ceasefire. Both Muslim realms are only shadow of their former selves while the Romans have gained much power through their unhindered conquering of Anatolia. Baldwin has confided in me that the Romans might seek to prolong our war with the Muslims in order to weaken all of us, making us easy pickings in years to come.

    Baldwin is no friend of Muhammad's faith but for the survival of this Kingdom of Heaven, he is ready to make concessions. I hope that our efforts towards a peace that we all know will be precarious will be answered in kind by the Sultans.

    The real threat lies north...

    It seems the Turks are amanable to a ceasefire... Their taking part in the war is solely on the ground of their alliance with Egypt. Should Egypt accept to lay down its weapons, a ceasfire could be obtained. To prove that they have no interests in the Levant, the Turks have made a deal with the Romans : giving them Antioch and preparing to give them the castle at Aleppo to boot...

    This is unacceptable : it only adds to Constantinople riches...

    In the aftermath of the Turkish-Roman deal, the city of Antioch is left undefended, the Turks having walked out and the Byznatines having not yet sent men to garrison it. Thus , Richard sends some of his men to occupy the town to the great joy of its mostly Christian population. The Turks had renamed it Antakya and its name is restored to New Antioch.

    Richard himself marches on Aleppo where the Christians captured and enslaved by the Turks manage to open the gates, allowing him to score a swift victory.
    Aleppo is renamed Bohemond's Revenge for it is while marching to bring relief to this cstle that Prince Bohemond of Antioch was surrounded and killed by the Turks.

    Meanwhile, Ansehelm if Axbridge has been given orders to claim Nicosia on the island of Cyprus for our King.

    In the south, Baldwin and I have abandoned Egypt and are marching towards Jerusalem , all the while setting up a network of watchtowers to prevent any Egyptian treachery.

    Rumour has it that the imams are preaching a new Jihad : their calls are not answered yet but the tension is growing... Let us hope that their religious zeal will not turn against us...

    We are at a new turning point in the history of our Kingdom... A precarious peace with our Muslim nieghbours is on the horizon but a new war is in its starting stages...
    King Baldwin the Tyrant, King of Jerusalem, Warden of the Holy Sepulchre, Slayer of Sultans in the Crusades Hotseat (new write-up here and previous write-up here)
    Methodios Tagaris, Caesar and Rebelin LotR
    Mexica Sunrise : An Aztec AAR



    Philippe 1er de France
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  14. #14
    King Philippe of France Senior Member _Tristan_'s Avatar
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    Turn 14

    Our taking of Antioch has been seen as a declaration of war by the Byzantines. However, they have come forward with an offer of , offer that we have accepted so that we could our position before make our next leap onward. With this settled, we asked for trade rights and an exchange of maps. Their maps should prove very useful for planning our path of invasion should it come to this.

    Although we’ve killed some of their men to prevent the gift of Aleppo to the Romans, the Turks seem to bear us no grudge. We duly accept their offer of a ceasefire and accept to open our trade lanes anew.

    The Egyptians are still in a state of war with us but true to their word, they have abandoned the fort in the Sinai and have reduced the garrison in Alia, thus leaving our southern border more secure.

    John Dangerfyeld marries before setting out in the desert to make contact with the desert tribes.

    The Council of Crusaders has asked Baldwin to consider taking Nicosia for our Kingdom.
    The have come to see that Baldwin is a great ruler and that all his deeds have been for the greater good of the Kingdom.

    Thus, sensing where he seems to lead, they see that Nicosia should be denied to the Romans. They are clearly interested in claiming it for themselves seeing how they wished to trade Antioch for it. A large sum of gold has been promised by the nobles should Nicosia be taken.

    Anselm of Axbridge is given the mission of taking Nicosia, joining with some of our men already on the island and laying siege to the town.

    All the while, Richard is pushing his men north intent on reclaiming Malatya, once held by Antioch, and deny it to the Byzantines.

    In the desert east of Damascus, rumour has it that a band of Turkish bandits has set up camp in anticipation of the return of trade between Muslims and Christians.

    Baldwin has ordered the men from the Damascus garrison with help from King’s Gift to get rid of these rogues. Simon of Glastonbury, a minor noble of Richard’s retinue, left in Damascus to recover from his wounds, takes the lead and, proving himself a true commander, kills the brigands to the last man. Baldwin bestows on him the rank of general and asks him to take over the governance of Damascus.

    Peace finally seems to settle in our Kingdom. Baldwin and I are riding hard through the desert to get back to Jerusalem. Our Kingdom has suffered much from the last years of war and now it is time to heal its wounds, the better to fight tomorrow...


    Turn 15

    The powerful Byzantines have been driven to overconfidence by their successes against the Turks. They do not seem to be aware of our plan to strike against them a blow that will shake and shatter their Kingdom. In their confidence, they have offered us to renew trade. While this may largely be in their favour, we have accepted just to keep them thinking us their friends. We renewed our offer of an exchange of maps.

    But the Romans overconfidence might be a sham. They have sent scouts into our lands but these men act as if conquered territory and are easily revealed for what they are. Their fate is the same as any trespassers on our Kingdom lands, although this time it was arranged to look like ill fortune.

    The Templars are a major asset in securing our Kingdom so their offer of setting up a chapter house in Acre could not be refused and our Lord even paid for its building.

    The spy we succeeded in planting in Nicosia has finally been able some men of Nicosia’s garrison, enabling Anselm of Axbridge to enter the city unopposed and kill the remainder of its garrison. True to their word, the Crusader Council has gathered 5000 florins to prove its appreciation of Baldwin’s policies. This added to the gold looted from the Greeks will help our Kingdom gat back on its feet.

    On our eastern border, Humphrey of Old Sarum finishes setting up the network of watchtowers needed for securing our border with the Turks... We might be at peace now but we cannot trust the Muslims to give up their claims on our lands... John Dangerfyeld has been doing the same a bit further south at our border with the desert tribes’ lands.

    News reach him while in the field of his son’s birth. The boy is named Geoffrey. He is the first natural born son to any of our noble since Baldwin came to power and this is seen by our people as an omen of better times in the making.


    Turn 16

    True to their word, the Egyptians have offered a truce and we have accepted it. They came true on all counts, even letting us partake the riches of the gold deposits to be found near Alia, even if their exploitation has just begun.

    The roads are seeing more and more merchants crossing the border between our two kingdoms now that a trade agreement has also been agreed upon.


    We are now in the Levant the second most powerful power with only the Byzantines besting us... That drives Baldwin mad, knowing that those treacherous and licentious “Romans” are profiting of the death of the Crusader Principality of Antioch sold to the Turks...

    We are the sons of Christ... The Byzantines must be sons of Judas...

    But they will soon be paid their thirty silver...

    The rumours of Jihad had been true... Hopefully, the imams have called to wrestle back from Byzantine hands the castle at Caesarea that was formerly held by the Turks. Seeing now that all they had gained from the destruction of Antioch is mostly lost, the Muslims now want their own lands back...

    Maybe this will play in our hands...

    We have no wish to see the Byzantines destroyed but they need to be brought down from their pedestal otherwise no people will be able to stand against their might...

    Richard has lain siege to Malatya and his assault under cover a night scores an easy victory. Some loot is taken from the town and send south to fund the retraining our men.

    Another spy from Constantinople is caught while trying to cross our lands en route to Adana and he follows his fellow in the grave.

    Adana seems to be a thorn in the Byzantine Emperor’s foot... The siege on the city seems to have lasted forever. Baldwin has asked his men to devise a plan to take the city right under their Roman noses but Gerard has informed him that the siege fortifications completely ring the town making all assault impossible (OOC : it is impossible to lay siege and assault a city already besieged by a neutral faction, though it works if allied... )

    At the Egyptian border, captain Guy Dobes has been sent to meet the Egyptian emissary sent by the Sultan. His mission completed, the men were on their way back to Jerusalem when a rider came riding hard from across the border. The rider belonged to the emissary’s escort and brought word that some former Egyptian soldiers had abducted in the hopes that his disappearance would bring an end to the truce and force the Sultan’s hand in hiring them anew.

    Captain Dobes immediately turned his men around and attacked the oasis where the renegades were encamped. The assault was led masterfully and the emissary was freed and saved from certain death. The man offered many thanks to Dobes for saving his life and assured he would bring word to the Sultan of the man bravery and honor. Dobes thanked the emissary in return and rode back over the border to resume his command of Hell’s Gate garrison with an invitation to the emissary to meet him there to conduct further negotiations.

    The news reached Jerusalem and Captain Dobes was ennobled by Baldwin.

    At Purgatory, works had been commissioned to tear down the fortifications and return the city to civilian use. The castle carried a reputation of bad luck since the death of Raymond of Tripoli within its walls and with the mighty fortress of the Krak looming near, it was not needed anymore.

    The foulness that ate up Baldwin body and soul seems to have abated, making no further progress. I truly believe that the illness was brought as a punishment by our Lord to punish Baldwin for the course of action he was forces to choose... Now that war seems over with all its unpleasant aspects, life returns to normal and so the burden on Baldwin’s soul slowly lifts...

    One example of this is the order that he has given to arrest all members of the assassin’s guild in Jerusalem and to tear down their headquarters, telling me that their presence was an offense to God in that most holy of all places...

    I am glad of this reversal of fortunes... Glad for my friend and glad for our Kingdom... Today, I feel proud to belong to Jerusalem, more than I did in a long while...


    Turn 17

    With the vacuum left by the banishment of the Assassins’ Guild from Jerusalem, discreet approaches have been made by the Thieves’ Guild to create their own guild in the city. However tempting, their offers have all been rebuked.

    In Nicosia, Anselm of Axbridge has celebrated his victory by announcing his wedding to Matilda Jenkines, daughter of one of the most prosperous merchants of the Kingdom.

    Soon after his wedding, he was sent north to the continent from Nicosia to prepare an eventual assault on Adana. Anselm sets up camp with his men in a wooded area right on the other side of the Byzantine border. News soon reach him that a large army is marching to the coast to reinforce Adana’s besiegers.

    Adana seems the focus of all attention as proven by the reward promised by the Crusader Council for the conquest of the town.

    He ponders the matter for some time and finally decides to pounce on the unsuspecting Byzantines, opening the hostilities... (OOC : I am not sure about this but gathered as much from the fact that my army had moved out of hiding and had suffered losses...)

    War has begun...

    The Byzantines are forced to retreat while Anselm maintains his station.

    Near Adana, Gerard had been in hiding for some time, waiting for the opportunity to claim the town for our Kingdom. So he happens to be witness of the besiegers withdrawal and forced march towards our border and Antioch. Summoning help from Anselm, Gerard lays siege to the town. The lack of siege weaponry is deeply felt but it would have delayed Gerard’s advance towards Adana. Some weapons are ready but are now blockaded in New Antioch harbor.

    Following their defeat on the ground, the Byzantines have gathered their numerous fleets had blockaded our harbors at Nicosia, Tripoli and New Antioch in retaliation. They have also sunk the fleet that transported Anselm to the mainland, preventing him from returning to Nicosia and stranding him in enemy lands...

    The Byzantines navy is rumoured to be one of the best and most powerful in the known world but we have an ace up our sleeve : Admiral Morcar, Richard’s own admiral... The man must have mostly Viking blood in his veins...

    Morcar has found himself blockaded in the harbor of Tripoli but it doesn't’t matter... Requesting help from one of our southern fleets, doesn't forces the blockade and sinks the Byzantines boats.

    He then sails north to bring support to our blockaded fleet in New Antioch and enable that fleet to transport the siege weapon necessary to take Adana. Once again the blockade is lifted and the siege weapons are hastily transported to Adana.

    Allowed by the siege weapons to strike without a lengthy siege, Gerard summons Anselm and his cavalry north, leaving the footmen to follow in his wake.

    Reunited, Gerard and Anselm assault Adana and succeed where the Byzantines failed for many years.

    The Council is overjoyed by the news and add a large lump of gold to the Kingdom’ s treasury from their own pockets.

    Anselm takes command of the garrison while the remainder of his men make haste towards the city. Gerard regains his own camp in the woods. Only a token force remains in Adana, with the purpose of luring another large Byzantine force coming down from Caesarea.

    North of New Antioch, Richard has ridden hard with all of his cavalry towards Adana. That enables him to reach the Byzantine army marching towards New Antioch. However, the horses were pushed too hard and were not able to catch up with them. So reserve horses were brought forward and a messenger sent to New Antioch with orders for the garrison to march towards the Byzantine and play the hammer to Richard’s anvil.

    It is a daring plan with the rewarding result of completely crushing the advancing Byzantines, killing every last one of them. Most of the fighting is accomplished by the men from the garrison, under the command of Captain Aelfgar Terret, while Richard and his men simply prevent the Romans from regaining their homeland.

    Aelfgar Terret deservedly receives a generalship for that battle and is given the charge of governing New Antioch.

    The truce with our Muslim neighbors is not to the taste of all our citizens. One of our priests by the name of Samuel has been prophetizing the end of the world, seeing omens in the reconciliation of the faiths. Arrested and brought to trial, he was convicted of blasphemy and burnt for his crime.


    Our respite was short-lived... We had not expected to go back to war so soon...
    Let us hope that the Muslims will not use the zeal of their people to bring down our Kingdom while reaching for the Byzantines... I put my faith in that...

    Last edited by _Tristan_; 02-22-2008 at 19:53.
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    Default Re: History of the Holy Land : Crusades PBM write-up thread

    Turn 23
    Constantinople


    Stefanos, Official Regent to the Emperor and de facto ruler of the Byzantine Empire for some years now, ever since Emperor Manuel had his "accident," shifted over some papers. He now had advisors of his own, although considering what took place when he was an advisor... well, precautions were always necessary.

    "And how is the northern front doing?" he asked cautiously.

    "My Lord, things do not go well. We have hunkered down around Caesaria in anticipation of the jihad, but Richard the Lionheart has struck at Sebastea and disappeared entirely. We have little knowledge of his current wherabouts."

    "And the southern front?"

    Adana remains in the hands of Baldwin. There are two armies massing at his western border that we can detect. One of them is led by Baldwin's favorite Gerard."

    "Very good, Demetrios," Stefanos said to the advisor who had briefed him on the current events. "What plan of action do you consider taking?"

    Demetrios hesitated, taking a deep breath before speaking. It came out high-pitched and choppy anyway. "My Lord, things are not good. Richard may very well be cutting through the heart of Anatolia. I propose that we abandon the southern front; fight a war of attrition against the Kingdom's forces. Richard is our top priority at the moment."

    Stefanos stared at Demetrios for a long while, over a minute. The advisor's eyelid began to slightly twitch. The first, tiniest, beads of sweat began to show.

    "M-My Lord Regent?"

    Stefanos broke off his gaze, rummaging through his desk. "Tell me, Demetrios, how do you think this war between us and Jerusalem started?"

    "It was a simple battle over territory, of course," said Demetrios, still beginning to sweat. "Jerusalem was beating off the Turks. You wanted to check them before they were getting too powerful. That's why you began the blockade."

    "An interesting theory," said Stefanos, pulling out a piece of parchment. Yellowed with age, it was still readable, for Stefanos had taken great care to preserve that particular piece. "Here is the true reason," he said, handing Demetrios the parchment.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tristan de Castelreng
    Emperor Manuel,

    We have gathered knowledge that the Turks have surrendered Antioch into your hands but that you have not been able to bring any forces in the town.

    As the former ally and therefore trustee of late Antiochan Prince Bohemond's assets, I claim this town for ours.
    We will take the town for ourselves. For the once, it is yours by name alone and thus no great loss to you.

    Our previous agreement of an exchange of Antioch for Cyprus is over.

    However, this does not mean that we have any intentions of going at war with the Empire and therefore one of our emissary is headed towards yours to renegociate a peace agreement and alliance.

    Thus, we are ready to discuss some new proposal regarding the handover of Cyprus.

    Furthermore, the taking of Antioch erases all debts we might have counted you accountable for the role you played in the destruction of the Principality.

    King Baldwin
    "I have never been so humiliated in my life," said Stefanos. "This was a perfectly legitimate deal. The Turks wanted to cut their losses in the Levant; hand over their remaining territories in Antioch and Aleppo. I was to then sell them back to Baldwin in exchange for Cyprus. It was to save us all from further bloodshed, and we would all get what we wanted.

    "But then Baldwin got greedy. He marched his men right into Antioch and Aleppo before I had the chance to even survey the buildings, yet alone put in a garrison. Then he had the nerve to tell me that our previous deal was off, even though I had acquired Antioch, as we had agreed. But still he asked me for a ceasefire, monetary assistance against the Turks, and offered no help against the incoming Venetian Crusade."

    "Why are you telling me this, my Lord?" Demetrios was visibly nervous by now.

    "Do you know what I did with this letter?" Stefanos asked. Demetrios shook his head.

    "I made two copies of it and forwarded it to the Egyptian and Turkish ambassadors here in Constantinople. They looked it over and came to the same conclusion I did: That Baldwin was using his false piety as an excuse to build a great empire out of the Eastern Mediterranean in a grab for power. That he was nothing more than a glorified tyrant and needed to be stopped. That we would all chip in together to rid our lands of the Catholic menace."

    "W-why was I not i-informed of this?" Demetrios sputtered. "H-how long have I b-been your a-advisor?"

    "Because, coincedentally, you joined my staff right after Baldwin sent me this letter, Demetrios."

    Demetrios gulped. He looked back to the doorway. Somewhere during the conversation, three large guards, heavily-armed, had shown up and were all staring at him menacingly.

    "To get back to your initial suggestion. That we abandon the southern front to pursue a wild-goose chase of Richard. That would make total sense - if Baldwin wasn't planning amphibious invasions of all my southern cities!"

    In a flash, Stefanos whirled into his robe, pulling out a knife and plunging it into Demetrios's chest.

    "YOU tried to have me abandon the south to see Baldwin's plan through!" Stefanos roared. "YOU have been feeding me false information about Jerusalem's forces for years! YOU are the reason why none of our past incursions into the Kingdom's territory has succeeded!"

    Demetrios tried to speak, but nothing came out. He was in too much pain.

    "Luckily for the entire Byzantine Empire, I have been receiving correct and accurate reports from my Muslim friends that entire time, Demetrios. The only reason I've kept you on my staff is so that Baldwin would not suspect that I knew anything. I kill you now, in front of my guards and loyal advisors, because they know what's really going on, Demetrios. The charade is over. As we speak, Turkish and Egyptian armies are invading Baldwin's lands, striking his cities, and wrecking his economy. Jerusalem will finally feel the repercussions of its aggressive diplomacy. And I tell you now, Baldwin will learn his place in our lands."

    Stefanos ripped the knife out of the spy's chest, plunging it this time into his throat. The blood poured for a short while, the final look on Demetrios's face being a wide-eyed expression of terror.

    "It has begun," Stefanos said to his remaining advisors, none of whom seemed shocked or surprised. "Prepare for the counter-attack."

    (OOC: To my knowledge, there is no spy of any kind in Constantinople, aside from, of course, my own. The character of Demetrios was added for dramatic effect.)
    "I'm going to die anyway, and therefore have nothing more to do except deliberately annoy Lemur." -Orb, in the chat
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    "I'm going to need to collect all of the rants about the guilty lemur, and put them in a pretty box with ponies and pink bows. Then I'm going to sprinkle sparkly magic dust on the box, and kiss it." -Lemur
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    At times I read back my own posts [...]. It's not always clear at first glance.


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