Event Three: The Egyptian Crusade

Please read the story and the Patriarchal Proclamation first. The Patriarch of Constantinople has called for a Holy Orthodox Crusade against the Egyptian Infidels. The target is the Egyptian capital city of Cairo, with Alexandria as a secondary objective.

Rules:

1) Any Senator may join the Crusade, though Senators who already own land are highly encouraged to remain behind to see to the welfare of their people. All Senators must declare their intention to join the Crusade by the end of the 1110 AD Senate Session by sending a PM to TinCow. All Senators who join the Crusade will be known as Crusaders for the duration of the Event. Whoever is elected Megas in the 1110 AD election cannot go on the Crusade.

2) Every Crusader will be instantly transported to Constantinople after the 1110 AD Senate Session has ended. They will arrive with only their personal bodyguard; all other armies and military units under their command will be left behind.

3) Once assembled in Constantinople, every Crusader will have a small army generated for their personal use during the Crusade. The army, including the avatar's bodyguard, will be no more than six units in size, and no less than three units in size. The number, type, and quality of units will depend on the traits of the avatar himself. The exact distribution will be determined by TinCow, but with the following general guidelines: Pious avatars will receive more ‘Crusader' type units (Grand Crosses, Religious Fanatics, perhaps even Crusader Sergeants, etc.); high Command avatars will receive higher quality units, either in the form of more advanced units, or normal units with extra experience and/or upgrades; high Chivalry avatars may receive trained knights, or their Orthodox equivalent; high Dread avatars may receive high-quality mercenaries; avatars that already own a settlement may receive some extra militia units.

4) Only the units received in #3 can be taken on the Crusade. The Megas is barred from providing the Crusaders with any additional units in any way until Cairo is captured. Crusaders are free to join forces with their armies prior to setting sail or after landing in Egypt. Crusaders may abandon any other Crusader they have joined with at any point after landing in Egypt. Anyone who splits away in this manner will take all of their surviving units with them. All rank limitations on command are abolished for Crusaders for the duration of the Crusade. No Crusader may move his own army or fleet for the duration of the Event. All movement of Crusaders and their armies/fleets will be done by TinCow.

5) Once all Crusaders have determined whether to join their army with others or remain separate, every separate army will be placed on a generated fleet of the proper size to hold them. The fleets will all set sail for Egypt at the start of the second turn of the Megas’ term. Every turn TinCow will roll a die for each fleet. This will simulate random factors effecting movement, such as weather, provisioning, delays, etc. Good rolls will result in full movement, perhaps even bonus movement. Bad rolls will result in reduced movement, or perhaps none at all. Armies of 6 units or fewer will receive a +1 to their movement rolls. Armies of 13 units or more will receive a -1 to their movement rolls.

6) Every turn, any Crusader may attempt to sabotage the movement of another Crusading army, whether at sea or on land, or even while besieging Cairo or Alexandria. A die will be rolled to determine if this is successful. Successful sabotage while at sea or on land will slow down the movement of the target army. Successful sabotage while besieging a city will prevent the army from assaulting until the next turn. There will be a small chance that the Crusader who attempted the sabotage will have his identity revealed, regardless of whether the sabotage succeeds or not.

7) When each army lands in Egypt, their entire fleet will be disbanded, with the IC justification of the wood being cannibalized to build siege engines. At this point, if the garrisons of Alexandria and Cairo are below 10 units, they will be increased to 10 units. After it lands, each Crusade army must send a PM to TinCow indicating whether they are marching directly on Cairo or going to Alexandria first. No city may be attacked other than Cairo or Alexandria. If there are AI controlled armies along the marching path, TinCow may require them to be destroyed before the city can be besieged. For the duration of the Crusade, an official declaration of war by the Senate or the Basileus is not required prior to attacking Egypt, however only the Crusaders may initiate the war.

8) The Crusader army that conquers Alexandria will gain ownership of that city. This city ownership will completely bypass the usual rule requiring vassals to give provinces to their Lords. Whoever conquers Alexandria will obtain control over it directly. If there are multiple Crusaders in the conquering army, they must all agree on who will command the attack and who will receive the city prior to assaulting the city. If they cannot agree before the Megas declares the turn over, they must wait until the next turn to assault it. The Crusader who gains possession of Alexandria will be given two to four additional units by TinCow. This entire paragraph only applies if Alexandria is conquered before Cairo.

9) The Crusader army that conquers Cairo will gain ownership of that city and will gain two religious relics. This city ownership will completely bypass the usual rule requiring vassals to give provinces to their Lords. Whoever conquers Cairo will obtain control over it and the relics directly. If there are multiple Crusaders in the conquering army, they must all agree on who will command the attack and how the spoils will be split prior to assaulting the city. If they cannot agree before the Megas declares the turn over, they must wait until the next turn to assault it. The Crusade (and the Event) ends when Cairo is captured.

10) There is another aspect to this event which will remain secret until it occurs.

Reply