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The Olive Tree

Anatolia, 1223. Border country.

Three times the armies have passed back and forth over these hills; three times the peasants have been burned out of their farms, three times the fields have gone up in smoke.

Yet there is strength in the olive tree; the grape-vine is not easily killed. Scorched and smouldering, black with attempted arson, they cling to their hillsides, waiting for spring.

Wooden houses burnt can be rebuilt in stone. The blank outward walls deny all weakness, presenting only defiance.

Rome was built on the stolid endurance of its peasant soldiers; it fell, in the West, when long peace made decadence possible. Here in the marchlands of Christianity, there has been no peace since Muhammed. Here, in the stoic faces of the Anatolian peasants, are the inheritors of the Eagle's mantle.

The stony hills of Anatolia return only four-fold the grain that is put into them. It is the pride of Rome to return, also, four-fold all injury; and it is in these hills that the army is nourished - not, indeed, on grain, but on the harsh lessons of endurance.

After winter comes the spring. The White Emperor, the Palaiologos, named for the colour of his hair, is dead; and the Deluge has died with him. The Senate and the People have elected in his place a young man, a Strategos of note, a man of strength and energy to restore order and the glory of the past. All hail Thomas Komnenos, thrice-anointed Autokrator! How could it be otherwise?

The Senate decrees, the Strategos calls; the orders come down from on high. Yet they are not cynical, these peasant-soldiers of Anatolia. They have little respect for purple or gold, and none for title or birth; but they know good work when they see it. Is not order restored throughout the Empire? Is not Croatia humbled, the Caliphate driven back? Does not the Autokrator rule once again from his palace in Constaninople, and his writ run over Syria and Crete?

The sophisticated mob of Constantinople, perhaps, might understand the value of propaganda, the subterfuges that rulers maintain in order to keep their thrones; but although they may smile ironically, they also nod in acknowledgement. The hated Croatian mercenaries are gone from the walls and the streets. Roman women are sometimes raped, it is true, by Roman soldiers; that is as God wills it. At any rate there will be no more half-foreign bastards; and the regular army of Rome has sometimes been known to force marriage upon its soldiers, if a woman can prove her words. Who would marry a Croatian, even if he could be found?

But city folks to their own concerns; the peasants care nothing whether the Komnenoi propagandise, so long as they defeat the enemy. It is in Anatolia that the bulk of the Roman soldiery is recruited; it is in Anatolia that the empire has the heart of its strength. The Komnenoi know; that is why, even in the Deluge, they made sure to keep their control of those all-important themes.

All that happens, happens in accordance with the will of God. The olive tree grows slowly, and its fruit is bitter.
 
The Senate decrees and the Grand Admiral calls,
The orders come down on from high,
Then it's on full kits and sound board ships,
We're sending you were you can die.

King of Men, are you a fan of Pournelle's CoDominium books, or is it a reference to some other bit of martial music?
 
Excerpts of the 10 sons of Prince Reko

”Oh My lady Dôn, have you seen Päiviö around?”
“Mmm….”
“My son, the bishop?”
“Ah…you have made your son a Bishop. A Christian Dôn…how interesting”
“Yeas…mm…well, you know how fathers can be proud of their sons…”
“Now don’t be too modest, I believe a Dôn would make an excellent cleric around here.”

1.png


“Psst”
“What?”
“I have a proplem…”
“Then find a doctor…”
“Not that kind of proplem…I need…can you tell Lady Pilvi that…I may need to visit…mm…”
“Somewhere where Lady Juliana most likely will be too?”
“Yeah…NO, I mean…what you know about Juliana anyways?”
“Well it’s not that big of a secret my prince…”
“It isn’t? Well then I guess nothing wrong in having a nice ball at here at the castle.

2.png


“So had a nice ball?”
“Mmm…(die aways!)”
“Juliana enjoyed? everyone was happy? lots of love in the air eh?”
“Just…piss off…”
“And the wifey? She took it well as well?”

3.png


“What now?”
“Its Valta…”
“Mmm…one of your sons?”
“Yeas the one that Gollevainen was very fond of in a peculiar way…”
“Really? Never thougth of that from him…”
“NOT in that Peculiar way! … he was confirmed that a child named Valta [regal or Power] should become my heir to the throne.”
“Oh…how nice of him.”
“Yes. Anyways. So I send out the boy to Lappland to practice governing but there has been some proplems.”
“Oh? That’s unfortunate to hear…”
“Yes…well he had got impression that I gave Lappland to him as his own little realm to rule as he pleases. Its seems that he has given rat ass about his pleges and vassalships to me.”
“Oh…”

4.png


“Ah, another child you said? I can’t hear you that well…”

5.png


“So did You talked with Valta?”
“Yes…Indeed I had a little word with that little…”
“Oh? And how did it go then?”

6.png


“You fool! I’m not after your Pocket money. I GAVE THAT MONEY TO YOU!”
“But father please…!”

8.png


7.png


“Oh why has god given me so many children!”
“Is it becoming to be a problem?”
“Why has god given me such sons?”
“We get what we deserve…”

9.png


“Oh dear”

92.png


*facepalm*

“Oh well hell with it, If the fail, we make some more…”

93.png


94.png


“Oh dear…”​
 
not just once, but four times after that (I only managed to capture two of the popups....one was stillborn tought)
 
The Senate decrees and the Grand Admiral calls,
The orders come down on from high,
Then it's on full kits and sound board ships,
We're sending you were you can die.

King of Men, are you a fan of Pournelle's CoDominium books, or is it a reference to some other bit of martial music?

The lands that we take, the Senate gives back
Rather more often than not,
But the more that are killed, the less share the loot
And we won't be back to this spot.

I'm surprised anyone caught the reference, but yes, I am a fan, or at least a reader.
 
The lands that we take, the Senate gives back
Rather more often than not,
But the more that are killed, the less share the loot
And we won't be back to this spot.

I'm surprised anyone caught the reference, but yes, I am a fan, or at least a reader.

[I silently] thought you would be a fan of at least _some_ sort of Heroic Epic, ynglings and all :)
 
The Fatimid Caliphate: The Emperors Crusade


islamy.jpg


The times after Afzal were marked by upheaval and strife amongst the Fatimids. Calipha Taimur, who had inherited power after Sayyids sudden demise, had been to ill to conceive a heir and left the Fatimids with a great conundrum. That the lords Fatimid each held equal claim by blood to the title of Calipha, and one amongst them had to be elected by the others. Long did they quarrel over what criteria best showed Allah's grace upon a man, and no agreement was reached. In the end it was Adémar, Lord Fatimid of greater Tunisia, who received little over half the support of the council. But many said he had spent to many years amongst the infidels and was more Frank than Moslem. And so many chose not to follow his word when the wars came, but instead led their own campaigns as they saw fit or did not raise their Banners at all.

Crusades, of course, was nothing new to the Caliphate. Since the infidel Pope started calling for the end of the Dar al-Islam some centuries past many expeditions have been sent against it by the lords of every corner of the world. But in the days of Adémar men of ill intent and of every faith from around the known world swore themselves together to finally bring down Allah's voice on earth.
And so the Greeks renewed their aggressions, but the wild Croat tribes attacked them anew. And the Banners of the North turned their assaults back and pushed into
Anatolia.
And so the Persians attacked, but the Banners of the Two Rivers turned them back, and laid siege to Baghdad herself.
And so the Italians and Franks attacked, but across the Pyrenees they dared not go, and the Banners of Sicily and Tunisia boldly landed upon the north Italian plains, where many great battles were fought.

And on all fronts the Banners held and the Guard charged, regardless of numbers, terrain or weather they turned back the enemy again and again. So their numbers dwindled, and their supplies ran dry, and men of every station fell in the fighting, yet they held firm. It was then that the host of Waldemar, High King of all the North, landed upon the shores of Egypt tens of thousands strong, with every manner of barbarian under his command. But there were no more men to oppose him, no last guard to hold them off. So when Waldemar had arrayed his armies before the mighty walls of Alexandria he found only a single rider riding to meet him. Clad in so resplendid gold and emerald it could only be one man, and Waldemar rode to meet him alone.

Not much is know of this encounter, we know that they spoke Frankish and that Waldemar threatened to kill every man woman and child in every city along the Nile and further. Some say Calipha Adémar lost his nerve, others that he cared more for the lives of his people than the might of his realm, still some claim he felt closer to the infidels and conspired with them. In any event he was forced to surrender everything outside the Sultanate of Africa to the enemies of the Faith, and live out the rest of his days as lone nomad somewhere in the deserts.

When the word reached the Banners fighting in Anatolia, Italy and Persia there was much upheaval, but with their lines of supply cut there was not much to do, and many cursed that they had been stabbed in the back by their own rulers. Not all accepted such things however, and many of the more staunch Lords Fatimid fortified themselves wherever they could. Significantly Waldemar had failed to leave sufficient men to hold his new "Kingdom of the Holy Land", believing there was no more fighting spirit in the heart of the Saracens. The Crusaders soon found themselves holed amongst a hostile population, and their word carried not a foot outside the keeps of Alexandria and Jerusalem. And soon Ayesha, Lord Fatimid of Algiers, was elected amongst the remaining lords in Damascus.

This is not the end. The Righteous Caliph of the Isamili Imamate and Ummah will once again assert the will of Allah, we have been underestimated before.

So gather good and faithful men, amongst the Banners once again. There is vengeance to be got, so fall in lads behind the drum. With colours blazing like the sun, along the road to come what may, over the hills and far away.
 
Of course, what really happened, at least on the Persian front, is that Egypt was losing ground from the start and that the arrival of the Danish only hastened their defeat.
 
Of course, what really happened, at least on the Persian front, is that Egypt was losing ground from the start and that the arrival of the Danish only hastened their defeat.

Letting you eat attrittion in Arabia is not the same as loosing ground ;)
 
A moment of silence for the three Croatians princes who lie dead.





And now a party for the new Croatian Prince who had an affair with his older sister when he was 14!!!


Dont lie to your people! You wanted them dead!
 
For some reason the stupid mod decides the Calipha is orthodox, he falls on a knife soon thereafter, the new Calipha moves on Alexandria and Jerusalem.

Persians, Danes and Greeks nibble at collapsing Russia
 
Letting you eat attrittion in Arabia is not the same as loosing ground ;)

And annexing your counts is not the same as eating attrition ;)
 
And annexing your counts is not the same as eating attrition ;)

Annexing poor-ass counts has no bearing on how the war is going ;)

Anywho,
Finns accidentally fall on knives!
Calipha dabbles in herecy! Falls on knife!
Caliphate regain Alexandria and Jerusalem!
West Rome and al-Andalus fake crusade!
Persia, and Byz attack Russia!
Bavaria and Poland nibble!
West Rome, Croatia and Caliphate question far-reaching demands from the attackers!
Denmark threatens intervening against any intervention!
West Rome goes Orthodox! Much of Italy converts!