It's the 19th century and ...
just kidding.
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Four centuries of growing Vinlandic emperialism. Four centuries further and further away from Vinborg. Far horizons, strange and exotic people, all united under the banner of the Viking League. Foreign nations either respect of fear Vinland, or both. All, but the nominal leader of the catholic church, Stefanus IX.
A foul creature that cared for little more than it's next meal.
Stafanus refused president Liúlfur Eriksson's plea for a new crusade.
Liúlfur Eriksson was a man that was caught more than once contemplating over past Viking glory. One man in particular caught his attention: Bohemund I of Tarentum, a Norman king of Southern Italy.
Bohemund, born around 1058 a.d., was a brilliant military leader who went on a crusade packed with experience. He fought the Byzantines in the Balkans for years, until he was beaten by Alexius Comnenus (who demanded western help against near the end of the century).
His name became immortal during the siege of Antioch, where his band of men scaled the walls.
Dreaming of such glory, Eriksson requested for the papal demand for a crusade against the Mamluks, who had controlled the Holy Land for centuries.
When Eriksson went to Rome in 1806 in person for his plea, the pope -who had eaten too much- didn't even bother to get off the toilet to receive the president.
Two months later, Stefanus found himself in gaol and Rome under Viking control. Eriksson was on his way to the Eastern Mediterranean.
This was the situation early 1807:
War was declared on The Mamluks, and it didn't take any heroic year-long sieges to subdue Judea. To secure a future for a seperate state, the war was expanded to Syria.
In May, Beirut and Aleppo were handed over by Syria. With this success, Eriksson returned to Vinland for the elections. Unfortunately for him, he died on the journey home. Vice-president Erik Ansgard won the elections in July and followed the path taken by the late president.
As religious fanatics kept flocking the army, Vinland had no trouble putting its military technological lead to practice. The army steamrollered Egypt. Unfortunately, Egypt was as war with Tripoli, who interfered with some sieges, taking cities right in front of the Viking noses. General Wermund Egilsson didn't care much for any distinction between heathens, and invaded Tripoli when he reached the Egyptian-Tripoli border.
Syria, jumping in to defend Tripoli was soon annexed.
Dulkadir shared Tripoli's fate. The Ottoman realm and the Timurid empire both joined in against 'Christian dogs', infidels.
In 1811, Tripoli (and Haasa) surrendered.
In 1813, The Ottoman Empire surrendered the city Bohemund had fought so many times, before he conquered Antioch in its name.
In the same year, the Mamluks surrendered to president Gunnar Rikardson (vice-predent taking over from Ansgard, who died after being hit by a stray bullet).
Once the Timurids gave up the fight, the crusades was a complete success.
With these victories, the future of the Middle East was in the hands of the president...
In 1815, the new 'Holy Country' was donated to a newly installed patriarch, a new patriarch for a new Catholic nation.
To commemorate the birth of the Patriarchate, Vinland donated this painting of Bohemund at Antioch to the Patriarch.
In the next five years, war was fought with the Mamluks (who renounced their claims eventually), Ashanti (handing over the treasury), Mali, Oman (who ceded Al Hasa and Qatar), Granada (who ceded Almeria and Gibraltar; creating an Icelandic empire stretching from the Pyrenees to Guinea).
By 1821, not only the political future of Vinland and the League members had been secured by centuries of warfare and diplomacy, so had their faith.