The Levantine Struggle: A Crusades Hotseat AAR

[Thanatos Eclipse]

Burning Seas
Admiral Loys stood on the deck of his flag ship, surveying his fleet. Burning husks littered the sea, as men scurried about desperately trying to douse the fires of any ship that still floated. Admiral Loys grabbed his cracked ribs and groaned, ‘Nicosia was safe for now, but at what cost. Those Greek fire ships spat out flames like the dragons of old, tearing through Latin ships like they where made of parchment. It was only through overwhelming numbers that we were even barely able to push them back. What am I going to do when they return, and even more important, what am I going to tell Grandmaster Reynolds? ...Maybe it’d be better if I just throw myself in the fire…could it be much worse then reporting such losses?’ Loys groans as he turns to look at the aft of his own ship, where smoke still curled up from below deck, ‘Maybe I’ll just go warm up by the fire while the men put it out…’

The Forsaken Lands
Pouring sand out of his shoe for the tenth time this day, Guy sighed and sat down. He who had sacked the great city of Baghdad was now set on the run in this God-forsaken desert that the Saracens called home. 'No wonder these people had gone savage, any lesser man would in the Devils own lands,' but Guy was no lesser man and he did not lead lesser men, they would push on. 'At least now we're heading in the direction of the coast, only a few more years…’ Guy frowned at this thought, then forced a smile, ‘Got to hold on to the victories, at least our fort has held and detoured the Sultans forces, he won’t be catching us anytime soon. And word is that the Eastern Crusading Hordes are swarming down to wipe out the Turkish resistance. Now all we have to do is live long enough to reach the coast, and take care of that Turkish force that’s in our way…” Guy frowned again, took a sip of water, then got back to his feet to continue their long arduous march towards the coast, ‘Towards home’ Guy thought, ‘…well, our new home; the new god forsaken hell-hole of a home, that holy-men called the holy lands.’ And they march on…