The previous storyline has more or less been abandoned. However, there is a new Turkish dynasty on the rise:
Approximately 1178 AD
The Fall of Constantinople to Turkish forces has finally happened.
The year before, Jerusalem and Baghdad also fell to Turkish forces, and Sultan Kilij Arslan was named Caliph of Islam, sacker of Constantinople, and ruler of the Holy Land. He was immediately declared the reincarnation of Muhammed, descended from heaven to bring the wrath of Allah down upon the infidel. Many infidels were beheaded this day.
Soon, the legend of the ultimate blitzkreig across the map will be told by the one in the golden mask. I implore you to keep an eye on this story, because the shocking events are unfolding as we speak.
Last edited by Askthepizzaguy; 05-03-2008 at 14:20.
The AAR will begin shortly... I have to upload all sorts of screenshots. But this one puts my previous blitz campaign to SHAME. I am sure you will find it quite entertaining.
Marhaba! Ahlan wa sahlan! These scrolls contain the legend of Kilij Arslan the Indestructible, whose deeds have been a part of Islamic lore since the time of the Abassid Caliphate, and continue to be spoken of this day.
ذو الحجة 569 Dhu al-Hijjah التقويم الهجري In the year 1174 AD of the Christian calendar, 569th year of the Hijri
Sultan Kilij Arslan was encamped outside the rebel fort of Karaman, when the voice of Allah spoke to him. Allah saw what a pious man Kilij Arslan was, and smiled upon him. None had spoken directly to Allah since the time of Muhammad the Holy Prophet, and Arslan fell to his knees. Allah frowned upon the Roman and Latin invaders of Arabia and Anatolia, and commanded Arslan to destroy all the infidels.
Allah also commanded Arslan to destroy Caliph an-Nasir, who had forsaken his duty as Allah's representative and had done nothing to put down these infidel invaders. Allah had cast an-Nasir out of his sight and declared him to be a traitor to all Islam. Though an-Nasir was Arslan's brother of the faith and the ruler of the Caliphate, his rule was to be put to a swift and timely end in the name of Allah. The Armenian infidels were also to be destroyed or converted to Islam.
Arslan knew that he must do as Allah commanded, for there was no higher duty or greater honour. Arslan was willing to die for Allah, and he was prepared to kill the infidel invaders as well.
Arslan was not alone, his top general and eldest son Malik the Untrustworthy was with him. Malik was the most disloyal and unruly being that Arslan had ever seen. He was also faithless, openly defiant, and resentful that his younger brother Kaikosru had been named the heir. But Malik had brought that upon himself; he had been a liar and a pagan his entire life, and never once embraced the teachings of Mohammad or his father the Sultan.
However, the Sultan never once forsake his son, and loved him very much. So he took him on his great jihad against the infidel, to teach the man what it means to be a warrior for Islam. Malik was greatly displeased, but he had a begrudging respect for his father whom he disliked personally, so he agreed to join Arslan.
In the north, Kaikosru the Magnificent, heir to the Sultan, encircled the rebels at Amasia. Toghrul the Defiant advanced east into greater Armenia which was under the control of many criminal shieks and minor emirs who have openly defied Allah's will.
Some faithful have decided to join our cause as mercenaries. They will die well and be compensated in the afterlife. Our spy has infiltrated Armenian soil and they are quite unprepared for our assault. May they die like worms.
End of turn one.
Last edited by Askthepizzaguy; 05-04-2008 at 07:48.
The fall of Karaman opened the gateway into Armenia, and the Turkish jihadis came flooding through. Immediately the heartlands of these infidels were surrounded by good honest Muslim warriors. To prove his loyalty, Malik was commanded to take Tarsus with hundreds of gazhis under his direct command. Arslan rode ahead to take Adana with his elite cavalry in a bold maneuver, inviting the Armenians to defend what they have and die a quick and painless death, one reserved only for the brave and honourable.
To prepare for our great forward advance, spies were being trained to pose as the infidel and infiltrate their cities and castles, and during the night, they were to sabotage the gatehouses from within using a strange powder obtained by trading with eastern mercenaries. When set ablaze, this powder would explode. If set right against the enemy gates, they would be rendered useless just as our armies assaulted the castle in the darkness of the night, and the enemy would not even be assembled to fight! We trained assassins to scale the enemy walls on the far side of our diversionary forces, open the empty gatehouses, and allow our main forces access into the settlement. We would use seige equipment to take any stronghold which we could not sabotage or sneak into.
Kaikosru had simultaneously taken Amasia, and was tasked with moving east to put down the rebellious dogs en route to Baghdad. Toghrul the Defiant ignored orders completely and marched almost all the way to Baghdad by himself. Was he a traitor? Was he trying to warn an-Nasir of the coming attack?
There still is no word from our messengers that we dispatched as to his whereabouts. When last seen, he was encamped in the middle of several rebel settlements he left undisturbed. Worse, he was seen recruiting these rebels to form an army... was he planning on turning on his own people? Why was he arming the rebels and training them to fight?
End of turn two.
Last edited by Askthepizzaguy; 05-04-2008 at 07:48.
In the year 1175 AD of the Christian calendar, 570th year of the Hijri
An honourable and faithful captain has proved himself by slaying the Armenian Prince by his own hand. This man, Fadullah of Hillah, and his noteworthy second, Quilich al Su-ud, have both been granted land and title as adopted sons of the rising Turkish Sultanate. Malik, having proven his worth to Arslan, has decided to remain behind in case the Romans should attack our western holdings. These dishonourable men are not to be trusted.
Kilij Arslan assaults Syrian forces north of Jerusalem, rebels who have declined to join either the Abassid Caliphate or the forces of Salahuddin the Ayyubid, Sultan of Arabia. So now they will be forced to join the Jihad against these traitors of Islam... some Christian mercenaries who have seen the infidel's atrocities while on a "holy" Crusade have decided to join our cause. Apparently for the Christians, a full stomach is more important than loyalty to one's God. I despise them so...
If they can hold a sword, their deaths may have more meaning than their pathetic infidel lives ever could. Perhaps Allah will forgive them. I certainly could not.
Kaikosru assaults the rebels in Malatya, who are Turkish by ethnicity but have declined to join the Jihad. Perhaps Kaikosru will convince them that they have no choice in the matter. They will serve Allah, or our righteous swords will send them to the afterlife to be punished by Him.
Finally, Toghrul the Defiant... perhaps he should be renamed Toghrul the Traitor! He is now at the border of Abassid territory and has no doubt informed the Caliph of our plans. He should be captured upon sight and executed for treason against Arslan and for disgracing himself before his brothers and insulting Allah.
End of turn three.
Last edited by Askthepizzaguy; 05-04-2008 at 07:49.
Kilij Arslan has heard Allah command him to attack the Ayyubid Sultanate. Arslan was most puzzled by the move, as he was on his way to destroy the infidels in Jerusalem... and the Ayyubids were not exactly infidels! Additionally, their forces were massive and well-defended by the Castle of Homs.
Not one to question Allah's divine judgment, he immediately declared war and besieged their main fortress. The Sultan was bolder and fiercer than a lion, and that is why he is called Arslan.
Malik the Untrustworthy took command of the garrison at Konya and instructed the people there in the ways of espionage. He also sent orders north to the castle of Ankara, the Turkish stronghold.
Malik was acting under orders of Kilij Arslan himself... but even Malik had no idea what purpose this retreat would serve. Why waste time moving west when there were infidels to fight in the east?
Kaikosru the Magnificent beseiged the Emir of Edessa, a famous outlaw who had been the cause of the cessation of trade between the Turks and the Abassids. Their plundering would end this very year, with the death of their leader.
Toghrul the Traitor was spotted inside an Abassid fort, defending the border of their territory and raising an army of rebel mercenaries! His treachery is most apparent now. It will bring me great pleasure to deal with this scum and his Abassid allies.
End of turn four
Last edited by Askthepizzaguy; 05-04-2008 at 07:49.
In the year 1176 AD of the Christian calendar, 571st year of the Hijri
Note: Screenshots of battles will be posted later... don't worry. I'm not going to auto-resolve my way to victory! The critical battles will all be fought.
Midnight.
After the epic victory at Homs, where many Turks valliantly gave their lives to put down the mightiest army in the Ayyubid Sultanate, they pressed onwards to their goal... Damascus.
Even with 4 noble agents inside the city, the gates are too well guarded to be breached with guile. It seems brute force is necessary to bring about the fall of Damascus... with Arslan's depleted forces, only gall and bravery count as strength in the seige. Over a third of his men were destroyed by the Ayyubids whom Allah has cursed. It appears we were given a challenge by Allah to test our will. But none question our devotion now, least of all the Ayyubid scum.
The Latin King Baldwin sits on his throne in Jerusalem rubbing his weasel-hands together and cackling with glee. A civil war between Muslims? HAH! This is just the opening he needed to beseige his own rebellious traitors in Antioch. Word is dispatched to Baldwin that the Turks will NOT be interfering with the conquest of Antioch, as men without states are the most dangerous sorts of criminals. A proposal of alliance is sent to Baldwin himself, signed by Arslan's own hand.
One of Arslan's faithful jihadis questioned this move, and was promptly gutted.
Malik sends one of his apprentice warriors into Roman territory with a scouting team. Should they be captured by Roman forces, our alliance with Rome will fail. Did the Sultan neglect to mention he signed a secret treaty with the Romans?
He does not tell you everything that happens. Praise Allah he tells you this much, for you are unworthy of his wisdom.
The Magnificent Prince quells yet another rebellion in Harran after the slaying of the evil Emir of Edessa. Spies from the west have finally arrived, and they are combing the desert sands to find the traitor Toghrul. When combing the desert does not work, they attempt to curl it and then style it. Still no sign of Toghrul.
Perhaps the rat bastard is still inside his little fort? Spies infiltrate the settlement... but find nothing except a sleeping battalion of javelinmen. They are arrested and questioned.
The javelinmen reveal nothing... except their loyalty to Toghrul. Finally, the traitor is spotted...
...beseiging the Abassid Caliphate's forces in Samarra!
Toghrul's loyalty to the Sultan Arslan is confirmed beyond our wildest dreams! Apparently the man could not wait for orders to attack the Caliph himself. The bounty on Toghrul's head has been rescinded, and Toghrul is granted all of Syria as his personal shiekdom for his boldness and loyalty.
Even the Abassids were fooled by his trickery. They allowed him to build a fort on their lands and allowed him to recruit the Abassid's own mercenaries!
This is a great day to be a Turk!
End of turn five.
Last edited by Askthepizzaguy; 05-04-2008 at 07:50.
Re: The Bloody Crescent: Rise of the Turks
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks