The long awaited 5th episode of King Kurt's Almo adventure!!

JIHAD - THE RECKONING

The Caliph stretched his old bones as he stood in the window surveying the view to the sea. A dhow was pulling into the harbour, its white sail shone in the early morning sunshine. No doubt it would bring more news from the north - he trusted that the news would remain good.
The war against the infidel French went well. Even now a mighty Jihad was travelling through Spain and France to return Normandy to the cause of Islam. In Britany, his eldest son, fresh from surpressing a local revolt, would join the serried ranks of the Jihad for it's final push into Normandy. The arsenals of the Caliph's Iberian domains had added handsomely to the Jihad and it boasted many well armoured and armed Urban Militia in its ranks as well as magnificant Faris and fine Saharan cavalry. He also was keen to hear how the new terrible weapons of fire and destruction, the seige mortars, had fared.
Later that morning the Caliph and his advisers heard the report from the military attache. He brought a mixture of good and bad news. His army in Flanders continued to repulse the French Crusade from Wessex. The jihad with his son at the head had routed the French army in Normandy and now stood poised to storm the remnants who cowered in the fort outside Caen.
Furthur east, his forces pushed the French ever eastwards and his forces had occupied the Tyrol with their eyes on the prize of Venice. His armies in Italy had routed the Doge and had captured Genoa. Sadly the Doge had avoided all attempts to capture him
However, the French King and the Doge had gathered a joint army and invaded Valencia. The standing army of Iberia had rushed to the province, but, although outnumbered, the skillful French King had defeated the poorly led army and now stood victorious on the plains of Valencia. Moreover that Catholic cur, the Pope had invaded Naples and had stormed the castle, splitting the Caliph's Italian kingdom in two.
The Caliph knew this was not the time to hesitate. He ordered his Iberian generals to gather all their forces to invade Valencia. He specifically called for them to be led by one of his more skillful generals. To his Italian generals he told them to stabilise the north and to create the naval bridge to move troops from North Africa to Sicily to reinforce Sicily to eventually retake Naples. He instructed his son to swiftly end the seige of Caen then push on to Flanders to continue the expansion into England and North West Europe. The messengers bowed and sped into the night to carry their instructions to the 4 corners of the empire.
The sun was setting blood red, painting the Normandy countryside with a crimson hue. Prince Jusef caught the acrid smell of burnt gunpowder in the air as he watched the assault troops pour through the wreckage of the fort gates. The new weapons had worked well and his army faced little resistance as they swept into the town of Caen. Behind him the Alims were calling the remaining troops to prayer to celibrate the sucess of the Jihad. Suddenly the royal bodyguard parted as a messenger, clad in the purple of the royal household, spurred his horse up the hill to where Prince Jusef stood. The messenger's horse was flecked with sweat and a trickle of blood ran down its flank, testement to a zealous use of the whip. The courier, looking as dishevelled as his horse, threw himself at the feet of the prince - "Sire, I bring sad news. Your father, the Caliph is dead." The furore drowned out the end of the message. The courier reached inside his tunic and removed a small pouch. Inside was the Ring of the Desert, the ring which all Caliphs had worn for many centuries. Jusef slipped it on to his finger and turned to face his retinue. "Continue our work in the north, I have business in Algeria. God is great."
On his return to Tangers, Jusef took over the reins of power without a hitch.
Soon word came of the liberation of Valencia. In Italy, Venice had fallen and his troops were firmly in command of Northen Italy. In Central Europe his armies pressed the French back on all fronts. Friesland had fallen to his troops, but an upstart claimant to the long defunct Danish throne had suddenly appeared causing his troops to withdraw to Flanders. His troops, including many of his comrades from the Jihad to Normandy, had invaded Wessex and had the remnants of the shattered French crusade cooped up in the castle in London. Jusef smiled, all was well in his kingdom, soon the Pope would feel the force of his armies. His moment of thought was broken by the entrance of a courier into his room. He turned and smiled as he recognised the courier who had brought him the news of his father's death. Already the story of his journey from North Africa to Normandy had passed into legend and was the talk of the Souk.
"Welcome, good sir. Do you bring me more bitter sweet news?"
"No sire, only good this time. Your French foes are rent asunder. The whole rotten, corrupt ediface has collasped. Even now, rebels gather across their provinces as civil war rips through the land"
Jusef laughed as he called for his military attaches. "Good news indeed. Allah be praised. The time has come to finish this matter once and for all. Soon my kingdom will stretch from Scotland to Egypt, from Portugal to Franconia. Then all of Christendom will cower at my feet."

Reflection

Another roller coaster ride, care of the Almos. Things looked a bit dicey for a while - I even went into deficeit despite having the largest income - I have been working towards the French Civil War for some time and had the defeat of the crusade targeted as the likely straw to break the camel's back. The French King had died not that long ago and a new King is always fair game to drive into civil war - take a few provinces, defeat a crusade etc. the Danes coming back was a pain as Freisland had been lightly held by the French and had been an easy picking. Two years later, up pops the Danes with a 4 stack army, so time for a tactical retreat.
The Valencia episode was interesting. Once again the AI had done a good move dropping a reasonable army - French and Italian - into Spain with most of my troops in the north. This time I was prepared, having kept an army based in Castile to defend the Iberian peninsula. I dutifully attacked, casually pressing the auto resolve button as I outnumbered them quite comfortably. However, I had overlooked that my best general was a 1 star guy, while the French Kingwas a 5 star leader - result, a resounding defeat. However the French/Italian army had taken heavy losses as well, so I was able to round up enough troops under a 3 star man from Aragon to get rid of them. Must be a little more careful in the future!!
Next on the agenda - press home the advantage that the French civil war gives me, duff up the Pope and rebuild my navy.