In the meantime, Balain heads south in the inhospitable desert and sets up our network of watchtowers... However, the sands of the desert are no friends to the Knights of Christendom and Balain cannot regain the safety of the walls of Ascalon.
On the diplomatic side, contact has be made with our brethren and allies of Antioch and trade rights have been granted on both sides. Prince Bohemond, from what I heard, will be a great leader to match my own king.
Turn 2
Dire news have reached us : Balain has been defeated by a large force of Egyptians crossing our southern border. He has been forced to retreat to Ascalon, with a great loss of fighting men. The army that defeated him is led by a general named Zein, a name that will not be forgotten nor will he ever be forgiven...
A young man by the name of Philipp Grey has foiled an assassination attempt on Balain's life and our king has taken him into his family as a reward for saving the life of one he considers as his uncle...
The would-be assassin was followed and it was discovered that he was working for the Egyptians... He was then quickly killed and what was left of him was sent back to his master...
The struggle to bring the light of the Church to the Infidels has seen some success however as Gerard has laid siege on Damascus and proceeding as he did at Banyas has taken the town with the help of the Christian community who mastered the gatekeepers and allowed our men to enter the city by its gates, to the surprise of the defenders...
Once again, all muslim-held riches have been confiscated and the Infidels who refused to receive the word of Christ have been sent to meet their Creator...
Our navy outnumbered at one versus four has also taken on some Egyptian ships at sea between Acre and Ascalon and have won a close victory, thanks to the seamanship of one admiral Jacob, leading the fleet...
What we have feared for so many years since the taking of Jerusalem seems to be happening... The Egyptians have awakened and are launching their assault on our lands... The Egyptian army under general Zein is on the Ascalon road heading north and our spies have spotted two more armies heading for Jerusalem in the desert to the South...
I've accompanied my King in setting up a network of watchtowers in the desert to watch the movement of those troops...
A message has been sent to prince Guy, my King's own uncle, to lay an ambush in an oasis south of Jerusalem to delay those Egyptians soldiers... To enable him to do that, more than 1000 men have been sent with him... Let's hope it will be enough...
Turn 3
Our worst fear has come true... A Jihad has been called on Jerusalem...
We must prepare to deal with the incoming muslim hordes...
An offer of mariage has been presented by one of the oldest families of Crusaders to our King, but my friend and liege has rejected the offer without even setting eyes on the bride... Later, he told me that these times are times of war and the affairs of love will have to wait...
The onslaught we fear has started... Sultan Saladin himself, leader of the Egyptians is leading the Jihad, the Holy War, though I cannot see how war can ever be holy...
The first casualties have fallen... Prince Guy's ambush turned against him when the army under general Zein and both southern Egyptian armies engaged him... The losses were dire... Only a handful of the men we sent Guy got back to Ascalon with him... Not nearly enough to enable Balain and Guy to try and intercept Saladin when he passed Ascalon en route to Jerusalem...
Those muslims must really be driven by rage and hate against us to have covered so much ground in so few time...
One evening, for one of the first time in our lives, my king asked me to stay away while he met with a shadowy figure, lurking in shadows...
Later, he told me that Zein had committed one crime too many against our Lord and some measures had to be taken...
I was there some days later when a Palace guard was allowed in the throne room carrying a basket he said was found in front of the gates at first light : inside was the head of late general Zein...
Now almost leaderless, the armies that defeated Prince Guy were ripe for the plucking... My King gathered all the fighting men of Jerusalem, gave them a stirring and heartening speech and himself led them to combat...
Under the cover of night, we assaulted the two smaller forces, giving no quarters and taking no prisoners... Then, during the same night, with the taste of blood on our tongue and the smell of death in our nose, we fell on the unsuspecting larger force led by Zein replacement, one Hazem Ibrahim and routed him back to Egypt...
We got back to Jerusalem having lost 300 men but having defeated almost 2500 Infidels and prepared to repel Saladin's onslaught which will certainly not be long to come...
On reaching Jerusalem, our King was celebrated by the crowds and reveled in the joy of its people... The pleasure was short as upon reaching the Palace, the Council representatives presented my liege with a demand to take another rebellious town, their appetites growing with the successes of Gerard... My Lord, generally well-mannered, sent them away under all sorts of expletives and refused to hear anything about it...
Later, he asked me to send a messenger to Gerard to ask him to investigate that town...
Our Lord must want to test our faith to have us suffer so much... And it might still be the beginning of it... I cannot but think that our fight with the Egyptians will be a fight to the death...
Turn 4
Surprisingly, Saladin did not reach for Jerusalem but instead sieged Ascalon, perhaps intent on capturing Balain and Guy, two of my King favorite friends... The Crown Prince Al Adil has joined Saladin with his cavalry only army under the walls of Ascalon, seconded by one Medhat Hossman...
Once again, I've seen my King meet with the shadowy figure and later, we received news of the deaths of the General Hossman and an assassin that tried to enter our lands...
My King gathered his men and with help from the men of Acre led an assault on Saladin's army... Once again, we struck under the cover of night... The days here are much too hot to fight in full plate... Saladin was defeated and went back to Egypt... 17 of his own bodyguard were captured in his flight and killed along with any routers, having refused to convert, being fanatically crazed by the Jihad...
Balain and Guy then led a sally from Ascalon and with our King's help defeated the Crown Prince who went back to lick his wounds in Egypt. Once again, the prisoners were offered conversion, refused and were then put to death...
An another bride has been turned down as my King is too much haunted by the war to be able to see the beauty of any girl... Lastly, he's been telling me he's afraid he has fallen in love with his sword... I'm not sure he was joking...
Recent events have strenghtened my faltering faith in our Lord as he finally seems to have turn his benevolent gaze upon our once God-forsaken lands...
To be continued...
Kingdoms-Crusades Hotseat : History of the Holy Land
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