9th chapter: The end of Empires, and of Sultan Al-Adil
1301: After deciding to take on the Germans, I rearrange fleets and armies to prepare for C-day (camel-day). The first mercenary camels appear in Georgia. Where were you 75 years ago? 
Well, better late than never. In Iberia the Aragonese decides to attack Castille and make war with the camel. This they shall regret. 
I retreat to the castle, and make ready for war.
1302: In Castille, ‘the uncle’ tries to come to the garrisons aid, but there are precious few camels at his disposal, and the Aragonese field well equipped troops. With only 935 camels vs. 1.400 Aragonese, he manages to rout the enemy. This was one of the closest battles I have ever fought, and for quite some time I was certain it was lost. But a personal engagement from ‘the uncle’ and the general fear of camels won the day.
In France, the invasion has begun:
In Valencia the Almos reappear! Iberia is now a patchwork of factions, but some hold far too many numbers to my liking! More work for ‘the uncle’
1303: French invasion rolls on according to plan. The Germans flee before the sight of the camel. In Iberia, the Aragonese once again attack Castille. ‘The uncle’ has retreated to Leon to refill his personal bodyguard, but his replacement wins the day none the less. It doesn’t seem like the Aragonese will be holding a place in history at this rate. The Spanish are defeated and their navy dissolved.
1304: I actually have spare camels in France, and I attack not only Ile-de-France, but also Genoa, in order to create maximum confusion. This year the Almos attack Castille, and the region has now been invaded four times in four years. The locals would be quite desperate, but there properly aren’t anyone left. I abandon the province and start rebuilding in Iberia. I consider falling back all the way to Cordoba to minimize the number of provinces to defend.
1305: The HRE dissolves into civil war with the loss of so many provinces in such a short time. The French also has a civil war. And to add to the fun, the Swiss appear! I’m sure their pointy sticks will prove no problem for the camel… The Genoa attack force shifts to Milan to further harass the Germans. Anjou is taken, according to plan.
In Iberia the Almos try to attack ‘the uncle’ in Leon, where he’s trying to muster as many camels as possible. It’s a close call, as 1.433 camels gather to meet 1.500 Almos under the relentless midday sun. Again it is a victory, and ‘the uncle’ shows his genius by killing almost a thousand Almos while only loosing 250 camels. This stabilizes the situation somewhat.
1306: As many provinces are battling rebels, further attacks are held off until they are resolved. The newly conquered provinces are battling with loyalty-problems and bolstered with extra camels.
1307: Brittany & Aquitane, the last two western german provinces are attacked, ‘the scorpion’ leading the attack on the latter province. Once again, the Germans retreat from Brittany, but have no option but to fight in Aquitane. ‘The scorpion’ fields 1.500 camels, vastly outnumbering the enemy of 900. It’s a sound victory, and the Emperor along with a number of nobles are captured and subsequently executed as the ransom fail to arrive. Buildup in Iberia, as the victories and forthcoming camel production in France assures the western front.
1308: Besides a rebel stack in Touluse, no one has the strength to attack my positions. I consolidate and prepare for a final re-re-conquista of Iberia
1309: Beefing up Cordoba, and bringing ‘the uncle’ in the south and ‘the scorpion’ in the north into attacking positions. The French king and two princes decides to attack Portugal on a whim. They are duly captured and ransomed back for 10.000 florins. That was an expensive holiday!
1310: The grand attack commences with ‘the uncle’ at the fore. Such a mighty wave of camels, that the Almos have no choice but to abandon the province. Castille is once again in the hands of Al-Adil, while ‘the scorpion’ gathers camels in the north.
1311: The French war proves to be a bother, as the French navy in the Mediterranean actually manages to cut off Europe from the camel breeding grounds in Africa and the Middle East. For the moment I’ll have to do with the local production. Valencia is attacked to provide the end of the Almos. The Camel Horde numbers 3.800 camels, the largest army to give battle to this date. The 3.000 Almos could not stop the onslaught, and are pushed back to the castle, with no hope of survival. Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish.
The Aragonese give Aquitane a try, but retreat without a fight facing numerous camel warriors massing at the chant of prey and bounty. As an unpleasant surprise the Golden Horde attacks Georgia in the far east! But as the garrison outnumbers the backstabbing horse-lovers, the attack is repelled. A futile attack providing nothing but a declaration of war. They will be dealt with in due time.
1312: Setup for the final battle of Iberia… Georgia reinforced. As the population of France has somewhat gotten used to their new rulers, Normandy is invaded to teach the French a lesson. They are alone, in their last province. Outnumbered, abandoned. A relic of a former massive empire. And they chose to: Abandon the province?!? 
I was a little surprised, as I didn’t knew it was possible. The entire army is captured, the King is executed and the faction fallen. Farewell furious French.
1313: It’s the year of massive battles in the mountains of Iberia. ‘The uncle’ leads his host from Castille into the Aragonese stronghold, receiving reinforcements from the north raising the number of camels to 3.000. The Aragonese can only field half that number. And they are crushed in a major victory. A victory that ensured ‘the uncle’ his ninth star!
‘The scorpion’ takes on Aragon, presently rebel-held. They number 770 catalans, against 1.200 camels, but the numerous chivalric sergeants with ‘no retreat’ bonus once again rout my army.
The fronts have now joined, and only a small province holds off the massive horde of camels at its doorsteps. But new threats are constantly facing the camel lords. In Syria, the Turks reappear! 18 years after they were last wiped out. But this time, their timing is better. The last couple of years before their reappearance, I was struggling with rebels, and actually have garrisons in the neighbouring provinces. To further support my case, they arrive in the desert, and only with 2.700 men. Most importantly, they have no camels! I expect a swift return to the steppes from where they came.
Al-Adil died this year, marking the end of an unimpressive personal career, but a remarkable growth of the Empire. My plan to use him in battles failed as the chiv.serg. held him off in the African desert, and I needed ‘the uncle’ to do battle instead. The new sultan is Nasir II. A completely unremarkable Sultan, except that he is inbred to the core. But a young prince of 16, Mohammed, came of age just before Al-Adil died. Unlike the rest of his family, he actually shows signs of talent. Maybe this will be the cause of intrigue in Egyptian court…
The Golden Horde is now the closest competitor, and has recently declared war. The western front seems somewhat secure.
I sense a camel vs. horse showdown in the near future…
/KotR
Re: The Camel Campaign
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks