Arise, a Knight of Ibelin - House of Ibelin AAR

Tapscott said:

This looks like a good AAR, I will be following!

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Welcome aboard, glad you think so!

Bballman23 said:

at France. They won because they captured the Caliph, it seems? Could definitely be good allies in the years to come.

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I honestly have no idea how that came about. The capture of the Caliph would be the most logical awnser, as the last time I looked the warscore was at - %50 or so. Good to have you reading!

Ticket Cookie said:

Great AAR!

But the King of France doesn't give the throne of Egypt to a third son or something?
In one of my game the (AI) of Godwin King of England do this.

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Welcome! As it stands, the French King is holding the title himself, and there are four or five duchys in Egypt. The powerhouse seems to be Cairo, which is held by a close relative of the King (either brother or cousin). Egypt seems able to pump out alot of manpower,so if the Capets can hold on until the conquest modifiers wear off, I can see the end of the Caliphate!

Shaytana said:

It will be interesting to see how long French Egypt lasts. :ninja: I don't think the AI can hold on to it given the distance issues no?

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Welcome! Indeed, it will be interesting. It is a double-edged sword, as the French will keep the normaly very strong Caliphate at bay, and I think that without Egypt, the Caliphate will struggle to match France in terms of manpower. The real fight will be the next twenty or so years, until all those horrible recent conquest penalites wear off and the French start feilding troops out of Egypt. After that point I'd say it's game over for the Shia Caliph.

However, the French dukes in Egypt do seem overly inclined to rebel. Even if they can't actually feild any troops at present. Normaly the hawk-like d'Ibelins would be ready to swoop down on a rebel duke with no levy, but they're chaffing under the heel of absolute crown authority. But that can change, however...

Best Scottish weather for a few years takes priority over AAR'ing I fear! I'll have an update some point this week though!

Ambition and Death

20th of August, 1215 AD
The City of Ascalon


Othon d'Ibelin stood outside the sickroom, the look of discomfort evident on his face. It was to be expected. His uncle, Duke Balian d'Ibelin had fallen ill, a old battle wound that struck and confined him to his bed, and with the Duke over fifty, the chances of living were not good. It was fitting that his Chancellor attended him as his life ebbed away.

Othon had fought long and hard for the title of Chancellor to the Duke of Ascalon. The d'Ibelin family adopted the rule of "the best man for the job", and so birth or wealth counted for nothing in the Duke's court. Othon himself was testament to that; his father had been a younger brother of the Duke, and had done little with his life other than marry the daughter of a Russian Prince. While Aubry d'Ibelin had been a average administrator and a poorer commander, Irina Rurikovich had been the opposite. Smart, cunning and ambitious, she had raised her son to be far more adept at diplomacy than his father, or anyone else in the Duke's court, for that matter.

That and a simple matter of politics. Othon's own marriage had been political. He was the second husband of the King's oldest sister and heir. The marriage was a strange affair, Cecile was ten years older and had two children, the eldest Geffory was already Duke of Tripoli, and both would inherit before Othon's daughter Cecile. The entire marriage had been a well thought-out idea for to keep the d'Ibelin family loyal to the ruling de Bures dynasty. It worked. Duke Balian had a kinsman married to the heir to the throne and regent of the Kingdom, and Othon had the political clout to be something more than a meer hanger-on around the family.

It was all empty though. No d'Ibelin would inherit the throne because of this marriage. The King's three sisters, and then their children. Unless....

No, there would be time later. This can wait.

The sickroom door opened. The healer walked out, looked at Othon and shook his turbaned head. Othon gave a grim nod. There was a general sigh of misery from the dozen or so gathered outside the room, mostly relatives and retainers of the Duke.

Othon turned to one of the household guard in d'Ibelin heraldry. "Bring the Duke's son here. It is time he made his peace with his father."

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Balian d'Ibelin, Duke of Ascalon, Second of his name looked on his son and heir.

"My son, I have failed you."

"No father..."

"Yes. Myself and your cousin Othon would have had you married to the Princess Sarrazine. The King..."

Sarrazine was the youngest sister of the King of Jerusalem, third in line for the throne. A marriage between her and the young Balian would stand a very good chance of putting a d'Ibelin close to the throne. Words failed Balian. Othon stepped in for the dying Duke.

"The King threw the offer in his face. I suspect my own wife, acting as regent convinced him to refuse. She is a law unto herself, and the realm suffers for it."



The Duke coughed harshly. He wiped the blood away from his face before speaking again.

"My son, I have failed. I thought I could pave the way for you...." Another fit of coughing struck.

"Pave the way to what, father?"

This time the Duke did not even bother to wipe the blood away. "The throne."

"But, father..."

Othon stepped in again as the Duke was shook by another coughing fit. "The King is a soft-hearted craven. His heir is a deceitfull wench, and worse, my wife. If the Kingdom is to endure against all that it is faced with we need a strong leader."

"You, my son. You..." said Duke Balian, with his dying breath.

Anyone seeing the similarity here between this and the Song of Ice and Fire plotlines? That said, might only because of all the great GoT AAR's going around now. Still, I think the Queen Regent seems a fair target for the somewhat...questionable decisions the AI makes.

19th of April, 1219 AD
The City of Ascalon

Balian d'Ibelin, Duke of Ascalon, third of his name, sat on the balcony sipping wine from a expensive gold cup. He was eighteen years of age, and one of the most powerful men in the Holy Land already. Beside him sat Othon d'Ibelin, who had became the young dukes foremost tutor and mentor. From the balcony, they could see a small part of the d'Ibelin powerbase.

The entire city spread out before their eyes. The Duke's Palace had a good view of the entire city, and from their perch, the pair could see the entire harbour. Ships docking and departing. Customs officals collecting the Duke's due. Merchants in expensive clothing. Farmers from the inland holdings coming to sell their goods. And bored guardsmen in d'Ibelin heraldry. Lots of guardsmen; at the docks, at the city gates, on the walls, in the towers. Power; both financial and military. And lots of it.

Balian turned to Othon, "We have too many troops in this city. It seems every third man in this town serves me."

"Then perhaps my lord should dispose of some of the guardsmen." Othon paused, sensing the thoughts going on inside his cousins mind. "Your fathers plan for you worries you, I think?"

Balian laughed. "Damn that Russian witch you had for a mother, Othon, you know me too well. My father has been on my mind a great deal as of recent."

Othon framed his next sentence carefully. "Do you still intend to carry out the...scheme he had in mind for you?"

Balian paused a moment, deep in thought. "Yes. My position is better than before, thanks to your work arranging my marriage to Melusine"


Othon smiled warmly, "It was the least I could do, my lord. Do you know that your father and hers once fought bitterly for Ascalon?"

"And now she acts as my key to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. She will make a most excellent queen. And my dearest wife has already seen fit to give me a son and heir to be king." The affection in Balian's voice was obvious.


Othon frowned. "My lord, you understand that your wife will exercise her rule in her own right, as other women of noble birth have done. Forgive me if this is...indescrete. You will be King, but your wife will rule."

Balian laughed, a deep sincere laugh. "Just as your wife rules Jerusalem for the boy King, Othon? While you sit here with me and plot treason?"

That set the two of them laughing. Othon's marriage to the Princess Regent Cecile was now a sham. The couple had a daughter together, but the Princess was firmly planted in Jerusalem overseeing the Kingdom while the young King Payen II battled the Muslims in the east in a effort to strengthen his rule by a show of force.

"And to think your father thought it better to depose the young King and use me to rule through Cecile! What folly!" That set the pair laughing once again. It was well known in high circles that Othon d'Ibelin and Cecile de Bures could not agree on anything. At length the laughter between the two died down.

"Laughter aside. I mean to do it. I have the strength. My father and grandfather were prudent men; the land is well looked after. I have a son and heir, and loyal vassals at my back. I can have five thousand men armed and ready within a month, and gold enough to hire the same again. With the young King attempting to disprove the rumours of his cowardice for war, I will have the Holy City in under a year. If the King has the Holy Orders with his army, they will not fight fellow Christian."

"The plan is a sound one, my lord. It should work."

"Yes", mused Balian "It should work." He turned to Othon. "If it should not, I will no doubt die. In that case, do for my son what you did for me when my father died. I ask for your word on this."

"But..but...Yes, my lord."

"You do our family honour. Now, cousin Othon, it is time for war. Send riders, call out the levy. Send word to the mercenary companies you were in contact with. It is time."

With that the pair stood. Balian drained the last of his wine, tossing the golden cup to the floor when it was empty.

Blood, battles and crowns

The d'Ibelin revolt was a time of great change in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. No longer were wars decided in one battle. During its thirteen years, the war raged all across the Holy Land, with great loss of life on both sides. The d'Ibelin family and the de Bures dynasty had considerable resources, and both sides threw everything they could muster into the total war for the throne of Jerusalem.


The first few years of the war were characterized by marches, countermarches and evasion. Both sides avoided direct battle while Balian d'Ibelin seiged Jerusalem. In a attempt to force Balian to leave the Holy City and the King's main powerbase, King Payen marched on Ascalon. Only he never reached the city. While his vanguard reached the city, Balian fell on the King's main host, killing many. But the King and his army escaped, linked with his vanguard and marched north to recover their strength.



The first victory after nearly two years of fruitless evasion by both sides was what was needed to win the d'Ibelins extra support. The Count of Eilat pledged himself to Balian's cause, and sent his levy to assist in the seige of Jerusalem. The King was content to let Balian wait outside the great walls of the city; the loyalist hosts withdrew north to regroup. The Count of Eilat was a excellent bolster to the d'Ibelin cause, not only would the Count's troops be welcomed, but it meant that there was no southern flank that needed to be watched.



The next six years were marked by nothing special. There were few huge battles, meerly smaller skirmishes and engagements. The d'Ibelin troops invested castles and cities, the King would march south, there would be a small battle. The King would return north to recover, the bloody cycle would resume.

Both sides understood that this cycle could not continue forever; neither side possessed the manpower to sustain it. The solutions were simple. King Payen depended on levies from Flanders - a part of his realm. Balian d'Ibelin established a small industry in mercenary troops. The companies were paid for in the loot of castles and cities, as well from gold earned from ransoming nobles they captured in battle.

For six years the Holy Land suffered war. It was a bloody stalemate. The King could not break the d'Ibelin strength, the d'Ibelins could not defeat the King. King Payen and Balian d'Ibelin were of the same age, both young men fighting for a throne, and both displayed exceptional determination to win.

For six long years the stalemate lasted, until Balian rejected the advice of a council of war.Jerusalem had fallen, but the war was no closer to ending. He would risk everything on a pitched battle. Word reached the camp that the King's host was camped outside the town of Yarmouk, a backwater place. Balian marched north.

The end of the years of blood and sand.

Balian d'Ibelin's army and the King's host clashed outside the walls of Yarmouk. By this time, most of the southern half of the Kingdom of Jerusalem had fallen into d'Ibelin hands, with only the strong desert outposts such as Kerak remaining intact. As a result, both sides brought all the strength they could muster to the battle.


It turned into a bloody affair for both sides. Balian led the more numerous host, but the loyalty of mercenary captains from afar could not be depended on, and the King's Flemish replacements were led by able commanders. For days the two sides skirmished before joining battle. The battle would make Kings.


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Outside the town of Yarmouk
18th of December 1226 AD

The battle raged around Balian and he was sitting in the middle of it. The mercenary troops had forced back the King's attempt to turn his flank, but the imported soldiers seemed reluctant to press the advantage, and were suffering it as arrows began to rain down on them again. Sitting atop his horse in the center, Balian could see most of the battle. The flanks were strong, his center was bearing the brunt of the battle.

An arrow struck a footman in the neck hardly a foot from Balian's horse, blood spraying everywhere. It unsettled his horse, and Balian spent a few seconds getting the beast reigned in again, as soldiers around him scurried back from the big warhorse, fearing broken limbs.

Scare had Balian regained control when a shout carried itself over the din of battle. "Lord Balian! Lord Balian!" Balian glanced around before noticing one of his captains, a distant cousin pointing at the King's host. The King's crack Flemish troops were advancing, meaning to break Balian's center.

The battle lasted another three hours. Balian's horse died from under him, and he lost another two remounts in the fighting. He gathered a core of his knights and retainers around him, as blood flowed beneath their boots. At one point, Balian glimpsed the King's banner fluttering between a dozen other banners, and he cut himself a path towards it. Behind him, knights, family members and common men-at-arms followed his example. At length, the Flemish began to edge back.

And then they were running. The King's banner disappeared, leaving only the dead and dying to give the d'Ibelin host company.



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The battle of Yarmouk decided the war, but it did not end it. King Payen was as inteligent and resourceful as the d'Ibelins, and for another six years bitterly contested the throne. The King returned to Europe to raise new hosts no less than four times, returning each time with a army to reclaim his throne. The d'Ibelin's enjoyed supremacy in the feild, but no matter where their armies marched, a loyalist army would be landing behind them to undo thier work.


The war dragged on for another six years after Yarmouk. Slowly, however, the nobility of the Kingdom began to see the King's cause as hopeless. Balian began to get more and more support, while King Payen's powerbase crumbled.

The end came in August of 1232. The King landed with another army, a small shadow of the vast hosts he had led at the start of the war. He was met with a delegation of lords of the Kingdom of Jerusalem led by Balian. Behind the delegation was a army. It was time to discuss an end to the war.

Payen II was understandably bitter. He would abdicate from the throne, and it would pass to Melusine d'Ibelin, and then to her sons. As compensation, Payen would retain his lands and titles, already considerable, including the Holy City of Jerusalem.

It was peace, but would it last?

Tapscott said:

Go! Claim the throne! (for your wife )

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Anything to get a d'Ibelin on the throne!

Family Disloyalty

After years of bloodshed and war, peace seemed at last to develop in the Holy Land. The new Queen was able to salve the wounds cause between the d'Ibelin and de Bures families, which threatened to flare into outright war at any time, and the Muslim Emirates to the east were content to fight each other, mostly over the Sultanate of Syria, which was a new entity in the Holy Land. At last, a period of recovery and peace was forecast by all.


Then the Queen died. The illness was swift and without mercy. Scarcely had the Queen taken to her bed before she passed away. The swiftness led many to suspect poison, and the d'Ibelin's blamed the de Bures, and the de Bures blamed the siblings. Duke Balian himself was stricken by grief, for he had loved the Queen dearly, and he remained in his chambers for days.



It fell to his son Balian to act. With the typical swiftness that characterised his military training, Balian the Younger gathered the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the great lords of the realm and had himself crowned King of Jerusalem. His father was absent for the ceremony, a fact that few people failed to notice.



At length, Duke Balian recovered from his grief. Instead of disapproving his son's haste to crown himself, he instead supported it. The Duke was old, and no longer as able as he had been in his youth. He diverted his energy, money and troops to supporting the throne. The power of the de Bures family had been broken in the war to instal Queen Melusine, and with his father's support, King Balian was able to quash the rebellions.


With peace at last in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, King Balian called for a great feast for all the lords of the realm, to show that bygones were bygones, and that the King could be generous to his loyal vassals. Duke Balian, despite his growing years, took it upon himself to attend, more to display a d'Ibelin solidarity to the realm than any other reason.


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7th of February, 1248 AD
The Tower of David Royal Complex, Jerusalem

The feast was in full swing. The high table and the lower tables were all enjoying themselves, the din of conversation and merriment filling the room. It was hard to imagine that few months previously the same collection of people in the same room would have resulted in a bloodbath. At last, dynastic rivalry seemed to be put aside in preference to feasting.

All was not well, however, at the High Table. The majority of those sitting at it were d'Ibelin's. King Balian, his father Duke Balian and his two eldest sisters. Cousin Othon was sitting at the far end, now well advanced in years with his body failing his otherwise sharp mind. The King was evidently enjoying the feast. The King had evidently developed a taste for the local wine.

"So, father" asked the King, "I am to be married. No idea to who yet, but a King needs wed, no?"

"I am glad to hear it." The disapproval was clear in the older man's voice, but this was his King, as well as his son.

"Really? For true?"

"Yes." The Duke wanted to avoid making a fuss infront of the assembled nobles. If the d'Ibelin's appeared united, then they were.

"Good. I want the castle of Ibelin for my dowry." The wine was slurring the King's words.

The castle at Ibelin was one of the Dukes main holdings, and was valuable not only for the taxes and levies, but had a special sentimental value to the Duke; he had been born there, and it had been the site of his father's victory in the battle for Jaffa. "No..."

The Duke was about to explain how it was important to defending Jaffa from landward attack when the King smashed down his goblet. His voice was low, but conversation in the room dimmed as faces turned towards the high table. "You dare say not to your King?" The King's voice was cold.

"I dare say no to my son." The Duke's voice was equally frosty, with a stare to match. "You have castles aplenty. I need Ibelin. If you think you can take castles away from your vassals as you took toys when you were a boy, you have much to learn about kingship."

"Do not speak to me like that. Need I remind you, I am King here!"

Duke Balian knew it too well, but he had a temper when provoked. His voice contained enough menace to kill. "And need I remind you that it is me that keeps you King!" Too far, thought Balian. He is my son, and he has my temper.

Rage boiled up. "Treason." The single word was spoken low, but the entire hall was silent, focused on the argument between father and son. "Treason!" The King stood. "You dare threaten the King?" It was clear the d'Ibelin temper was in full force. "Guards, seize him and lock him up!"

The tension mounted. The dozen or so of the Duke's personal guard started forward, but Balian's hand gesture stopped them before they reached the table. As the King's guards advanced towards the Duke, he noticed that most of them had at one point, been his own men. Understanding that refusal would lead to bloodshed and feud, the old Duke allowed himself to be led away, with the realization that it was all he could do to preserve the illusion of unity within the d'Ibelin family, and most importantly, he could not make his son look weak.



OOC: A few things. I've changed my style to try to draw out some events by splitting them into more posts. Feedback would be nice, because pacing is a concern with me; I don't want to neglect the story, nor end up bogged down with no advancement. Finding the middle ground is a priority at present.

The other things are that I love the AI's logic. Imprison the dad that installed you and is your strongest, loyalist vassal for a claim and then abuse his well built demesne. Also, I'm regretting calling every kid Balian now, so many Balian's! Something like four or five Balian d'Ibelins floating around in the family tree!

Feedback welcome as always, and I hope everyone's enjoying the read.

Martellus. said:

French Egypt happens a lot in my games, and they keep it FOREVER unless there's a jihad ordered against them.

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Welcome aboard Martellus! French Egypt is here to stay - the Caliph fighting guerilla war from the mountains of Ethiopia, and that doesn;t seem set to change...

The Broken Man

23rd of February, 1248 AD
Somewhere under the Tower of David, Jerusalem


The old man was not faring well; his cough was getting worse in the oppressive damp of the cell, and he had lost count of the days. For a man who had spent so much of his life outdoors, in the saddle or in combat, it was a sorry state to be in. His eyes were sunken and his skin hung off him. A younger man would not have fallen into such poor condition so quickly, but his youth had deserted him. From Duke of Ascalon to this.


The sound of the turnkey patroling through awoke the old man. No, the turnkey was not alone; two, perhaps three sets of footsteps. The light of the torch one of the men was carrying cast long shadows on the walls, as Balian d'Ibelin roused himself from his cramped uncomfortable slumber. The group stopped in front of Balian's cells, keys rattled and the door swung open.

Balian d'Ibelin did not react. It was his son, so he should be filled with hope. It was also his King, and so he should also be filled with dread. Evidently the taint of Kinslayer was not one that his son and King wanted to acquire, so there was some small hope that the Duke of Ascalon would not rot to death in this cell.

The King sighed, a heavy, long sigh that spoke untold problems and hardships. He knelt by his father, and helped the old man to stand.

"Father, you have caused me untold problems. Half the realm wants the old dynasty back, and now half my family do also. If you were not so subborn..." The King smiled a sad smile. "...then you would not be my father."

Balian remained silent at his son's words. When emotions were so conflicted, silence was the best option.

"So father, I must release you, or else have my cousins and uncles and the troops and coin they bring driven into the hands of those who wish me dead. It was a mistake to imprison you, I admit, but I cannot be seen as weak or unjust, or have my family hate me should any harm come to you."

Balian nodded absently. His son, if nothing else, was talking sense.

"And so I bring you this offer. I will release you from this dank cell. Return to Ascalon, live out your last days in peace. In return, the troops and gold you have will pass to me, and you will ensure the family loyalty to me. You are as able a man as I know father, but you made the mistake of rebuffing me in front of the realm. Father or not, I cannot allow that to be unpunsihed." Another sad smile. "That does not mean I cannot show mercy."

The King turned to the two attendants, saying "Get his washed and dressed, he returns to Ascalon on the morrow." He turned back to his father. "I hope we can both find it in ourselves to forgive each other for this." And then he was gone.



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The reconciliation of the d'Ibelin family was a turning point in the history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Without the support of Ascalon and its hinterlands controled by his father, King Balian d'Ibelin would not have been able to hold together his realm from the huge array of threats against it. Internal feuds, bids by minor nobles for independance and the omnipresent threat from the Muslim armies of the east.


Duke Balian was as good as his word. His imprisonment, however breif, had a lasting affect on him. It brought home the realization that he was no longer the young man he had once been. It also caused his health to deteriorate rapidly. The numerous doctors, both European and Arab that flocked to the Palace in Ascalon could not help him. The European doctors blamed it on bad blood and wanted to leech him; the Arabs said that his lungs were being eaten away. Regardless, the Duke continued to rule as best he could to marshal soldiers and direct money towards sustaining his son's crown.


The Duke never fully recovered. Within a short space of time, the Duke's mind collapsed as well. The doctors, both Arab and European, meerly shrugged; they could do nothing. The Duke became bed-ridden, only awake for a few hours a day, and even then he was insensible, delerious with illness and insensible with old age.

With the Duke unable to rule, the rule of the Duchy was taken over by a council of family and vassals. Nothing changed outright, nobody had the will or the desire to go against the Duke's wishes, but they could not match the efficency with which the old Duke ruled. There were fewer soldiers, lower revenues, more mismanagement.


King Balian did not fail to notice the decrease in support. He rode to Ascalon, intending to confront his father about his disturbing lack of faith. When the King witnessed the state of his father, he supposedly wept at the sight, and refused to see anyone for two days. The King sent for more doctors, but the conclusions were the same. After nearly two months, more pressing matters prised the King away from his deathbed, leaving his brothers, sisters, cousins and uncles to attend to the dying head of the family.

The Duke fought on for another five years against a enemy that had neither army nor castles to seige. At the end, however, the Duke was suprisingly aware. He gathered his family around him and wished them farewell. He also wished for his son, the King, that he was sorry for his failings as a vassal, but more importantly, as a father. With that done, the Duke died.

Talk about neglect! Update on the way, then I'll boot CK2 and pray my savegame's compatable with the new patch...:wacko:

The Iron Side of the Kingdom

As is often the case with history, the right man in the right position can make all the difference in the world. The situation in the Holy Land in the mid-thirteenth century, with enemies mounting inside and outside the Kingdom, would require a man of fantastic ability to make any difference at all.

It was a small wonder the Kingdom of Jerusalem had been able to sustain itself at all were it not for the efforts of King Balian, first of his name, of the d'Ibelin family. The death of his father affected the King greatly, the clash of wills between the two men had been unproductive and served as another crack in the already crumbling wall of the crusader state, but beyond politics there was a son who was saddened by the loss of his father.

If the death of his father was a loss for the d'Ibelins, the return of the Duchy of Ascalon to the crown was a huge coup for the crown. King Balian could draw upon the gold and manpower of the Duchy that his family had forged into the great cornerstone of the crusader state. For King Balian would need every gold coin and man-at-arms to preserve his Kingdom.

The first d'Ibelin King of Jerusalem quickly won himself great fame across Europe through his military prowess. Granted the classic d'Ibelin skill at war, the King won victory after victory against the Muslims. Following the example of their great Caliph, even small Muslim states sent hosts to take the Holy City, overwhelming the Jerusalemite levys by at least for men to one.

Sheer numbers did not phase Balian "the Ironside". The name stuck, due to both his iron will, and as time and time again, he would plunge into battle and emerge with his armour tattered and scarred by the Muslim swords it had deflected.

After nearly five years of war, King Balian halted the Muslim armies. Antioch was lost, and much of the northern lands of the Kingdom with it. But the Muslims paid for it dearly in blood, and eventualy a peace emerged. The Muslims would pay tribute but Antioch would be Muslim, for the present, at least. Balian had bought time.


The peace treaty with the greater part of Muslim states was a prime advantage for King Balian. With the north lost but depleted Muslim armies bound by a treaty signed by the Caliph, the time was ripe for a counter-attack by the crusader state. Gathering what troops his battered realm possessed, Balian marched south, into the sands south of Damascus.

The decision was a sound one. If Balian could control the scattered castles between the dunes, and further Muslim attacks would need to march for longer over land hostile due to the climate, as well as the castles Balian hoped to gain control of. The campaign was swift, and bloodless compared to the mass slaughter in the north, and few levies opposed the Christian army. The castles quickly fell, and the Emir in Damascus capitulated before Balian marched to beseige his city. Balian had bought space.


King Balian had brought back the fortune of his Kingdom, but while the realm might be on the rise, fate must have its due, and so there must be decline to balance the Scales of Fate.