Launch of the Armenian Empire, 1184.

It was an auspicious year for Armenia. The Crusaders and their Kingdom of Jerusalem had been recently turned back from an attempt to capture Antioch, and the Armenian King saw a great opportunity to expand his power which should not be passed up lightly. With this in mind he ordered his diplomats to sign an alliance treaty with the Catholics and marched with an army to lay siege to Antioch before the rebel commander in that city could draw up more men for his garrison. The siege was not planned, so it would be a long time in reaching it's conclusion.



1185 would see the passage of a substantial Turkish army through Armenian lands, without permission. The Turks took for granted that Takavor Rueben could not stop them, and so they did not bother to inform him of their intentions. With the goal of putting an end to this sort of interference the Takavor commanded forts built in the high passes west of Tarsus.



Funding was a constant problem in Armenia, so a merchant class was founded and three new merchants were trained to attempt to bring economic prosperity to the kingdom. One of them lost his business immediately to an Islamic competitor at Aleppo, but his fellow quickly avenged him. Unfortunately an Armenian agent who was attempting to infiltrate Aleppo was lost, and the mighty rebel army outside that fort no doubt suspected the Takavor, but declined to march south to attack him in siege of Antioch.

Before the close of the year a treaty of alliance was concluded with the distant Orthodox people of Makuria. This pairing did not please the Ayyubids, who were already on poor terms with Armenia, but it was a necessary gathering of power against the inevitable future war in the Levant.

Alas, the Armenian fleet, seeking to discover what forces held Rhodes, was destroyed in battle with some rebels near that castle.



1186 brought the dark news of an alliance between the Ayyubid Sultanate and the Abbasid Caliphate, as well as the launch of a war by the Caliph's armies against the Turks. If the Caliph were looking to extend his power west the Armenian grip on Antioch would be threatened from both sides.

1187 saw the entry of Armenia's close ally, the Eastern Roman Empire, into the war against the Turks and the death of an Armenian spy who was gathering information from a Turkish city north of our border. War loomed, and more spies were ordered trained, along with what few soldiers could be afforded. Fortunately at Antioch the siege was brought to a peaceful conclusion with the surrender of the rebel commander and the occupation of the city by Takavor Rueben. Immediately the Explorer's Guild came to ask permission to establish a Guild House, which was granted.



The slave trade near Aleppo saw incessant combat among the merchants, with our experienced man bringing home many victories, but his less skilled partners frequently falling victim. A far roaming diplomat concluded an alliance deal with the Malikate of Sindh.

In 1188 word arrived out of the east of the Muslim capture of Delhi, accounted by some the heart of fabled India. To the north our other Orthodox brethern, the Kingdom of Georgia, had entered the war against the Turkish Sultanate, which was now beset on all sides except the south, where our Kingdom lies. Mere days after word arrived of the attack of the Georgians a Roman diplomat arrived with word that his Empire would pay a prize for our own entry into the war, and agree to mutual military access. The Takavor agreed, and sent his armies on the march.



The Turkish fort at Seleukeia was first to come under attack by our forces, where, after a brief siege, the Takavor takes personal command of the assault. After butchering half the garrison the rest surrender, and the fort is taken for Armenia without casualties!



Relations with the Great Seljuks, allies of the Turks, fall on the news, but the Takavor considers this irrelevant. He marches north with most of the army to lay siege to Karaman, noting that the Romans hold siege at Konya and Ankara. All of western Turkey is under heavy threat.



After consultation with his maps and economic advisors the Takavor orders Hetum Sasunitsi to hire on a collection of mercenaries and march to the bridge west of Kayseri. The Armenian general will not be able to threaten the city, but he can force any attempt to reinforce western Turkey to make a deadly bridge assault first.

1189 brings the expected war with the Ayyubids, as their fleet blockades our port at Cyprus. Fortunately the noble council had just commissioned the construction of a pair of ships and the enemy fleet was easily sent to the bottom.



The Ayyubids have driven off the large rebel army near Aleppo, and stand ready to lay siege there. With war threatening on every side of Armenia the Takavor orders forts built north of Vakha and east of Adana to secure the Silician homelands.



Feeling relatively certain of the security of his homelands, Takavor Rueben then proceeds with his assault against Karaman, which is defended by Sultan Kilij Arslan himself.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


On the west side of the castle archers and crossbowmen with ladders are positioned, ready to launch an attack if the enemy should expose a weakness there. At the main gate to the south javelinmen push up a ram and set to work.



Once the gate had been battered aside the enemy withdrew his men from the gateway and attempted to retreat to the square. Takavor Rueben gave pursuit personally, and rode down the Turkish infantry.



To the west the Armenian archers advanced on the walls and erected their ladders against no resistance. When the Sultan realized he was surrendering the walls overlooking the very square he was defending he sent more of his infantry to try to retake them. The Turkish soldiers never made it to the wall.



The last man from the enemy infantry was pincushioned as he fled desperately for the paltry cover of the square. Only the Sultan's guard remained.



The man was no coward, and he could see the certainty of his death. Rather than wait for it to come for him, he rode out and attacked. The Armenian spearmen, still setting their lines in no real haste, were caught completely unprepared and died by the dozens.



Takavor Rueben, seeing the slaughter of his soldiers taking place, rushed to their aid and began seeking combat with the Sultan. The battle would not be a lengthy one, and the dispirited Sultan was soon dispatched. As soon as their leader fell the Sultan's guardsmen lost heart and surrendered their weapons.





Karaman was occupied, and the Takavor immediately rode out to confront the small Turkish army which had sought, and failed, to reinforce the castle. The battle was of little consequence, and the prisoners were ransomed back to the Turk.



Riding west to see if the Romans required aid at Konya the Takavor was shocked and surprised to see that they had been defeated, and the Turks were free of siege behind the Armenian lines. The Armenian army had no choice but to take what soldiers could be spared and place the city under siege themselves.



Later in the year more bad news arrived, as the Kingdom of Georgia reported that they were under attack by the Kypchaks, and the King of Jerusalem that they were at war with the Ayyubids. Christianity itself appeared threatened in Anatolia and the Levant. There was some good news, however, as the Abbasids paid a substantial force of Turks near the city of Kayseri to give up their loyalty to the new Sultan and serve the Caliph. A second Turkish army had thrown off their vows entirely and declared themselves rebels. The Armenian army holding the bridge on the eastern edge of our new holdings would have an easier job now.



Takavor Rueben commands that an emissary be sent to the Ayyubids to offer them a ceasefire, now that their fleet has been sunk, including the promise of a small prize of coin. The offer is rejected, rudely, and will not be repeated. A fresh Armenian spy makes his way into the castle at Aleppo, and reports that he will likely be able to open the gates in the event of an attack. At Konya King Rueben leads an assault against the freshly crowned Turkish Sultan.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


Armenian soldiers take up positions on three sides of the city, pushing forward rams on two and several ladder teams on the third. Both rams make it to the gates.



Meanwhile the ladder teams isolate a company of Turkish bowmen and climb the walls on both sides of them. Those men are quickly surrounded and routed, leaving the walls in Armenian hands.



The main gate is thrown down in ruin, and axemen rush into the city, pinning a company of enemy spearmen who can do little to resist them. Takavor Rueben then rides into the city past the floundering spearmen, and strikes directly for the nearest company of Turkish heavy infantry.



This draws the Turkish Sultan out of the square, where he had been cowering. A long, uncompromising melee breaks out between the gathered might of Armenia and Turkey, while the square is captured behind the battle. Many of the King's own men are killed fighting their way to the Sultan, but the battle comes to an end with the enemy leader bleeding out his life into the dust.





After the battle Takavor Rueben rides through the streets of the city, inspecting the populace, and the Armenians get many angry, hateful looks from the fierce Turkish peasants. Nearly nine of every ten men are Muslims, and they will not look kindly on Orthodox control of their city. Meanwhile the enemy's armies may advance out of the east, force the bridge, and roll back every advantage we have won. There is no choice but to sack the city to enforce discipline and create a proper understanding of the peasant's place in the new order. (Note the red face. I would've had to keep a large garrison, which I couldn't afford.)



(Busy year, continued soon)