God's Kingdom
- Thread starter BigDork
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Once you've got your lands and vassals in order, you might think about raising crown authority. It'll end the infighting that's leeching your infidel-slaying potential, as well as allowing you to institute succession by primogeniture.
After that, with your swelled levy potential you could try seizing the Sinai. It's a logical direction to expand into as it's contiguous with your land, looks super nice, weakens one of your main rivals, and does so without adding any new neighbors. It's also a step toward another kingdom title...
After that, with your swelled levy potential you could try seizing the Sinai. It's a logical direction to expand into as it's contiguous with your land, looks super nice, weakens one of your main rivals, and does so without adding any new neighbors. It's also a step toward another kingdom title...
A great AAR here, I like the feeling that the continued existence of Jerusalem still remains very precarious. Just one defeat in a defensive war and things could rapidly snowball into the eventual collapse of the Kingdom - this with serveral more powerful Muslim leaders surrounding you.
Glad you're enjoying it. I've walked on thin ice a time or two and the threat that the ice will break always seems to be there. Part of why I'm loving Jerusalem.
Once you've got your lands and vassals in order, you might think about raising crown authority. It'll end the infighting that's leeching your infidel-slaying potential, as well as allowing you to institute succession by primogeniture.
After that, with your swelled levy potential you could try seizing the Sinai. It's a logical direction to expand into as it's contiguous with your land, looks super nice, weakens one of your main rivals, and does so without adding any new neighbors. It's also a step toward another kingdom title...
I do believe CA was at least medium at this point (I'll go back and check). Expansion is definitely in the plans for the future. For now it was mostly survival.
Amaury looks to be a good one as long as you can overlook his occasional The Exorcist moments.
Definitely. I don't want to just sit here and be a whipping boy of the Muslims. I need to take the fight to them more.
God's Kingdom Part 11 - The Holy Impaler
Things started off pretty well for me. Before Beylerbey Ironside knew what was happening Famagusta was under siege. I was feeling pretty good about this being a quick war. But the infidels weren't known to fight fair. Knowing they were outmatched by my Catholic super-soldiers Edessa called on Jerusalem's arch-nemesis Syria to come to their aid. I wasn't thrilled with the additional enemies but the Grand-marshal of the Hospitallers was more than thrilled that there were more infidels to slaughter.
The Catholic super-soldiers were unstoppable. No matter where they went Muslims died. In Edessa a small army of my men were able to defeat a Muslim army nearly three times their size.
When I marched to war I brought Amaury with me. Most of his education was complete and as a 15 year old boy who was about to become a man, learning what goes on in war was vital. As he came of age I did my best to show off the future king to the realm. I wanted everyone to see the man that would one day rule them. All were impressed with his skill as a warrior and tactician as well as his cunning nature. He was recognized as one of the best in the kingdom even at his young age. However others quickly saw a bad side to Amaury and the whispers began. People began to recognize that there was something wrong with Amaury and some even said that he had a devil inside him.
The Muslims proved to be tenacious opponents. Time and again they would land armies on Cyprus in an attempt to reclaim Famagusta. No matter how hard they tried though they were unable to win the island back. The Jerusalemite Navy was on call and spent a great deal of time ferrying soldiers back and forth between Cyprus and the main land.
The war kept dragging on. At some point Edessa ran out of troops but Syria had no such problem. The war for Cyprus turned into nothing more than a convenient excuse for the Syrian Caliph to continue to wage war against me. He couldn't declare war on me because of the truce but he could use Beylerbey Ironside's as an excuse to try and kill more Christian soldiers. Unfortunately for him he continued to prove inadequate in the task and continued to lose battle after battle.
Finally in the beginning of 1184 things were drawing to a close. What few troops the Muslims had left were quietly shipped to Cyprus in a last ditch effort to change the tides. The plan failed miserably and their army was slaughtered to a man. Finally admitting what had been apparent for a long time now the infidels are forced to admit I had yet again defeated them.
The joys of victory only lasted a short time before the realities of the world came crashing down on me. Another of my sons passed on. He had barely become a man and had so much potential. When my spymaster told me he suspected foul play was involved I was outraged. I demanded justice.
While I had no solid proof I suspected the Duchess of Galilee was somehow to blame. The nobles of Galilee had long had issues with my rule and I would not put it past them to murder my child.
I wanted vengeance. I wanted the Duchess dead. Only when she was burning in the fires of Hell would I rest. Unfortunately I was the only person who felt the Duchess deserved death.
As satisfying as it would have been to know that the Duchess died in an "accident" I decided it would be even more satisfying to have her suffer a slow death in my dungeon. I had all the justification I needed to imprison her and so I dispatched my guards. My guards were unable to arrest the Duchess and she escaped. Quickly she began rallying her forces.
I wasn't too upset by this turn of events though. If a mighty Muslim nation could not defeat me a rebelling noble didn't stand a chance. And once I captured the Duchess I'd introduce her to my new favorite hobby.
Things started off pretty well for me. Before Beylerbey Ironside knew what was happening Famagusta was under siege. I was feeling pretty good about this being a quick war. But the infidels weren't known to fight fair. Knowing they were outmatched by my Catholic super-soldiers Edessa called on Jerusalem's arch-nemesis Syria to come to their aid. I wasn't thrilled with the additional enemies but the Grand-marshal of the Hospitallers was more than thrilled that there were more infidels to slaughter.
The Catholic super-soldiers were unstoppable. No matter where they went Muslims died. In Edessa a small army of my men were able to defeat a Muslim army nearly three times their size.
When I marched to war I brought Amaury with me. Most of his education was complete and as a 15 year old boy who was about to become a man, learning what goes on in war was vital. As he came of age I did my best to show off the future king to the realm. I wanted everyone to see the man that would one day rule them. All were impressed with his skill as a warrior and tactician as well as his cunning nature. He was recognized as one of the best in the kingdom even at his young age. However others quickly saw a bad side to Amaury and the whispers began. People began to recognize that there was something wrong with Amaury and some even said that he had a devil inside him.
The Muslims proved to be tenacious opponents. Time and again they would land armies on Cyprus in an attempt to reclaim Famagusta. No matter how hard they tried though they were unable to win the island back. The Jerusalemite Navy was on call and spent a great deal of time ferrying soldiers back and forth between Cyprus and the main land.
The war kept dragging on. At some point Edessa ran out of troops but Syria had no such problem. The war for Cyprus turned into nothing more than a convenient excuse for the Syrian Caliph to continue to wage war against me. He couldn't declare war on me because of the truce but he could use Beylerbey Ironside's as an excuse to try and kill more Christian soldiers. Unfortunately for him he continued to prove inadequate in the task and continued to lose battle after battle.
Finally in the beginning of 1184 things were drawing to a close. What few troops the Muslims had left were quietly shipped to Cyprus in a last ditch effort to change the tides. The plan failed miserably and their army was slaughtered to a man. Finally admitting what had been apparent for a long time now the infidels are forced to admit I had yet again defeated them.
The joys of victory only lasted a short time before the realities of the world came crashing down on me. Another of my sons passed on. He had barely become a man and had so much potential. When my spymaster told me he suspected foul play was involved I was outraged. I demanded justice.
While I had no solid proof I suspected the Duchess of Galilee was somehow to blame. The nobles of Galilee had long had issues with my rule and I would not put it past them to murder my child.
I wanted vengeance. I wanted the Duchess dead. Only when she was burning in the fires of Hell would I rest. Unfortunately I was the only person who felt the Duchess deserved death.
As satisfying as it would have been to know that the Duchess died in an "accident" I decided it would be even more satisfying to have her suffer a slow death in my dungeon. I had all the justification I needed to imprison her and so I dispatched my guards. My guards were unable to arrest the Duchess and she escaped. Quickly she began rallying her forces.
I wasn't too upset by this turn of events though. If a mighty Muslim nation could not defeat me a rebelling noble didn't stand a chance. And once I captured the Duchess I'd introduce her to my new favorite hobby.
God's Kingdom Part 12 - Duqaq Don't Quit
The king is dead...
Grandfather's wounds and injuries finally caught up with him. He refused to stay behind and insisted that he was able to lead the army against Galilee. It wasn't meant to be and the task of stopping the Duchess of Galilee was left to me. My reign as King of Jerusalem was starting off wonderfully.
Feeling that I needed to prove myself as the new king I take charge of the left flank of the army, leaving the center to my marshal, the Grandmaster of the Hospitaller. I knew I needed to prove myself as a skilled soldier and a leader if I wanted my reign to start off well.
King Amaury proving he knows how to use his lance.
The Grandmaster and I easily defeated our foes and as I had hoped, I was recognized for my skills on the battlefield. Everyone talked about how patient I was waiting for the right moment to order the final charge that scattered the Galilee levies.
The Grandmaster was not so patient. In his excitement to prove himself to his new liege he rushed into the thick of battle and paid the price for it. While I would miss his skill as marshal I did not want fools on my council.
As the war with Galilee settled down into the boring siege phase the Caliph of Syria decided it was time to discover if I could be easily bullied. Grandfather taught me well and Duqaq was going to find that like my family before me, I had a certain love for killing infidels.
One of the first lessons taught to me was that the infidels don't fight fair so neither should I. Figuring overwhelming odds was a great way to ensure my victory (and Grandfather was nice enough to leave me with plenty of gold) I decided to invite the Company of St. George into the war.
I may have been a patient man but I wanted this to be a quick war. I ordered the Grandmaster of the Hospitaller and Captain Alarico to head to Damascus and burn it to the ground.
The Grandmaster and Captain quickly made their way to Damascus. There they were challenged by the bulk of the Syrian army. Each side had nearly the same number of men but mine had God as their sword and shield. For every one Catholic soldier that fell three infidels were sent to Hell.
Fighting outside the walls of Damascus
God again proved that he was with us and supported Jerusalem. Sultan Duqaq foolishly led a small army into battle and was my soon prisoner. All of Jerusalem cheered as Syria was once again defeated and Duqaq was on his way to being a permanent guest in my dungeon.
A month after Duqaq found himself beneath my castle I introduced him to his new neighbor, the Duchess of Galilee. Any hopes she'd had of me somehow giving up the sieges because of Syrian pressure were dashed when I beat the infidels. Knowing she didn't stand a chance she tried to appeal to my mercy. Oops, her mistake.
The king is dead...
Grandfather's wounds and injuries finally caught up with him. He refused to stay behind and insisted that he was able to lead the army against Galilee. It wasn't meant to be and the task of stopping the Duchess of Galilee was left to me. My reign as King of Jerusalem was starting off wonderfully.
Feeling that I needed to prove myself as the new king I take charge of the left flank of the army, leaving the center to my marshal, the Grandmaster of the Hospitaller. I knew I needed to prove myself as a skilled soldier and a leader if I wanted my reign to start off well.
King Amaury proving he knows how to use his lance.
The Grandmaster and I easily defeated our foes and as I had hoped, I was recognized for my skills on the battlefield. Everyone talked about how patient I was waiting for the right moment to order the final charge that scattered the Galilee levies.
The Grandmaster was not so patient. In his excitement to prove himself to his new liege he rushed into the thick of battle and paid the price for it. While I would miss his skill as marshal I did not want fools on my council.
As the war with Galilee settled down into the boring siege phase the Caliph of Syria decided it was time to discover if I could be easily bullied. Grandfather taught me well and Duqaq was going to find that like my family before me, I had a certain love for killing infidels.
One of the first lessons taught to me was that the infidels don't fight fair so neither should I. Figuring overwhelming odds was a great way to ensure my victory (and Grandfather was nice enough to leave me with plenty of gold) I decided to invite the Company of St. George into the war.
I may have been a patient man but I wanted this to be a quick war. I ordered the Grandmaster of the Hospitaller and Captain Alarico to head to Damascus and burn it to the ground.
The Grandmaster and Captain quickly made their way to Damascus. There they were challenged by the bulk of the Syrian army. Each side had nearly the same number of men but mine had God as their sword and shield. For every one Catholic soldier that fell three infidels were sent to Hell.
Fighting outside the walls of Damascus
God again proved that he was with us and supported Jerusalem. Sultan Duqaq foolishly led a small army into battle and was my soon prisoner. All of Jerusalem cheered as Syria was once again defeated and Duqaq was on his way to being a permanent guest in my dungeon.
A month after Duqaq found himself beneath my castle I introduced him to his new neighbor, the Duchess of Galilee. Any hopes she'd had of me somehow giving up the sieges because of Syrian pressure were dashed when I beat the infidels. Knowing she didn't stand a chance she tried to appeal to my mercy. Oops, her mistake.
God's Kingdom Part 12 - Peace is Boring
After the wars against Galilee and Syria things got terribly boring in Jerusalem. My Muslim neighbors were looking strong, my vassals were all acting loyal, and I didn't have a great hobby like Grandfather had to keep me entertained. Every now and then I did get a chance to ride out and knock around some rebellious peasants. It wasn't particularly exciting but it did give me a chance to get away from the court and my wife for a bit.
King Amaury insisting all rebels take a bath before going to the dungeon
I had sent my chancellor to Edessa to try and gain a claim on the duchy. Several generations back, when the Kingdom of Jerusalem was founded, Edessa was ruled by my family. I had hopes of one day winning the duchy back from the Muslims and bringing it back under my families control. Unfortunately my chancellor got a little careless and wound up dead. I added avenging my chancellor to the reasons to win Edessa.
After several years with only Duqaq II to keep her company the Duchess of Galilee gave up on life. I think Duqaq kind of missed her once she was gone. The boy Gilbert took over the duchy for his mother but unfortunately things didn't go so well for him. His regent claimed the boy fell and hit his head in an accident. I think the accident was that the boy survived. As always Galilee remained the problem region of the kingdom.
One good thing about the peace in the realm is I had plenty of time to spend with my son and heir Philippe. My family has long been known as some of the best knights in the Christian world and I intended on Philippe carrying on the tradition. Bravery was a very important aspect of that training.
I figured another way to cure the boredom was to invite everyone to come drink, laugh, and beat each other with swords for a couple months.
It ended up being a great idea. Everyone had a great time and left impressed with the tournament I had put on. Even better I had proved that even as the years passed I remained one of the best swordsmen in all of Jerusalem.
All the time around the castle meant I spent a lot of time with Isabel. We had plenty of nights together to have four children. Unfortunately my wife had a habit of nagging me and thinking I didn't spend enough time with her. To earn myself a reprieve I distract her with some ruby earrings.
Finally after 10 years of waiting I received a report from my chancellor in Edessa. Unfortunately he was only able to discover that one of the counties belonged to Jerusalem. I responded that I appreciated his work so far but he needed to try better. I wouldn't settle for anything less than a ducal claim.
My marshal complained that we had been at peace far too long and was very unhappy that I turned down a perfectly good reason to go to war. He was right, it had been too long. My soldiers had grown soft and I was worried that my neighbors might think that Jerusalem was getting weak. Wanting to send a message to all that Jerusalem was still able to kick infidel ass I order my marshal to raise the levies... it was time to take the Sinai.
After the wars against Galilee and Syria things got terribly boring in Jerusalem. My Muslim neighbors were looking strong, my vassals were all acting loyal, and I didn't have a great hobby like Grandfather had to keep me entertained. Every now and then I did get a chance to ride out and knock around some rebellious peasants. It wasn't particularly exciting but it did give me a chance to get away from the court and my wife for a bit.
King Amaury insisting all rebels take a bath before going to the dungeon
I had sent my chancellor to Edessa to try and gain a claim on the duchy. Several generations back, when the Kingdom of Jerusalem was founded, Edessa was ruled by my family. I had hopes of one day winning the duchy back from the Muslims and bringing it back under my families control. Unfortunately my chancellor got a little careless and wound up dead. I added avenging my chancellor to the reasons to win Edessa.
After several years with only Duqaq II to keep her company the Duchess of Galilee gave up on life. I think Duqaq kind of missed her once she was gone. The boy Gilbert took over the duchy for his mother but unfortunately things didn't go so well for him. His regent claimed the boy fell and hit his head in an accident. I think the accident was that the boy survived. As always Galilee remained the problem region of the kingdom.
One good thing about the peace in the realm is I had plenty of time to spend with my son and heir Philippe. My family has long been known as some of the best knights in the Christian world and I intended on Philippe carrying on the tradition. Bravery was a very important aspect of that training.
I figured another way to cure the boredom was to invite everyone to come drink, laugh, and beat each other with swords for a couple months.
It ended up being a great idea. Everyone had a great time and left impressed with the tournament I had put on. Even better I had proved that even as the years passed I remained one of the best swordsmen in all of Jerusalem.
All the time around the castle meant I spent a lot of time with Isabel. We had plenty of nights together to have four children. Unfortunately my wife had a habit of nagging me and thinking I didn't spend enough time with her. To earn myself a reprieve I distract her with some ruby earrings.
Finally after 10 years of waiting I received a report from my chancellor in Edessa. Unfortunately he was only able to discover that one of the counties belonged to Jerusalem. I responded that I appreciated his work so far but he needed to try better. I wouldn't settle for anything less than a ducal claim.
My marshal complained that we had been at peace far too long and was very unhappy that I turned down a perfectly good reason to go to war. He was right, it had been too long. My soldiers had grown soft and I was worried that my neighbors might think that Jerusalem was getting weak. Wanting to send a message to all that Jerusalem was still able to kick infidel ass I order my marshal to raise the levies... it was time to take the Sinai.
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If I were you, I'd be careful and wait until Crown Authority is at least High before bringing any more infidels into the Kingdom - don't want to expand and open yourself to attacks only to find that you can't raise the armies you need, late-game.
Great so fAAR!
Great so fAAR!
Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!
Here's a screenshot from 4 years before I declared war for the Sinai. I believe I had Amaury set it to high but it could have been Philippe.
Caught up to where you are now--loving it so far. Can't wait to see the future expansion of precious Jerusalem.
Time for expansion. With those ever enthusiastic Hospitallers and mercenaries, the Sinai will soon be yours. Shame young Gilbert survived, his uncle looks rather talented. Your Chancellor didn't quite grasp the purpose of being sentto Edessa, did he? One died and the other managed to lay claim to a county. Your family ruled Edessa, so who in the family has the claim to it? Somebody must have. Next time the truce with Syria runs out, do claim it for yourself.
Glad you're loving it, thanks for reading. And don't worry, plenty more to come.
Gilbert didn't hang on for too long. At some point during the Sinai war he died and his father took over as duke. Edessa was originally ruled by Godefroy's brother. He managed to hang on for about three or four years before being kicked out by the Muslims.
God's Kingdom Part 13 - Father/Son Bonding
I couldn't go to war against Muslims and not bring the Knights Hospitaller along. No really... I couldn't. It got written into the laws at some point. As far as laws went thought, it was a pretty good one.
Quickly we took over the Sinai and began our sieges. The Shia Caliphate was in the middle of a civil war that kept their army busy. Needing some help to try and expel my men the Caliph turned to his ally the Emir of Saana. Having the Ill-Ruler join the war didn't cause me much worry. There was a good chance he'd die before he even made an appearance.
While I was gone leading my armies Princess Adela began causing some problems back in Jerusalem. She was involved in two murders and a couple plots. I think she might have been acting out in hopes of being sent back to her father's court. I had other plans for her. Adela wasn't the most well loved and when word got out I was plotting her death people were mobbing me to join in. I couldn't feel guilty about what I'd done, she had it coming.
Prince Philippe became a man that any father would be proud of. He wasn't all that big a fan of books but considering I trained him to lead armies and kill infidels that hardly mattered. I matched him up with a wonderful German woman who would help round him out and ensure that after I had passed on Jerusalem would be well taken care of.
Right away it was apparent Philippe was the most skilled soldier in all the kingdom. He knew it too and asked that I put him on my council. While I had appreciated my marshal's service I would have been a fool to turn my son down. Never insult the better swordsman.
It took over a year and a half for the Shia army to make an appearance. They attacked the Knights Hospitaller in Sarqihya hoping to break their siege. Philippe and I were just to the north besieging a castle. Knowing that a decisive victory would go a long way to ending the war I left a token force to continue the siege and Philippe and I marched together at the head of a relief column. The skill and blood-thirst of the Hospitallers coupled with the the my men lead to an easy slaughter
Philippe and Amaury leading the charge
Knowing that the war was coming to an end and he did a lot to bring about the victory Philippe started asking for some lands of his own to govern. He was probably hoping for Tortosa or another rich county by the sea to enjoy. I had other plans for him.
Boy was I surprised when a boy turned up to surrender to me. It turned out that the Caliph of the Shia had died in battle during the civil war. Not only did I have to give thanks to God for granting Jerusalem an easy victory but also for the wonderful luck that now the Shia were lead by a boy. This had some promise.
As promised I gave Philippe some land. I didn't just give him a county, I gave him a duchy! A duchy of dirt and angry Muslims who wouldn't pay taxes or serve as levies for years to come. I figured it'd keep him distracted and not give him too much of a power base to try and claim his birthright early.
Upon arriving back in my court I made arrangements to educate two promising youths. One was the future Duke of Galilee and the other was the current Duke of Ascalon. Not only would this give me a chance to shape these future dukes as I like but they will also look more fondly upon me and make much more loyal, obedient subjects.
I couldn't go to war against Muslims and not bring the Knights Hospitaller along. No really... I couldn't. It got written into the laws at some point. As far as laws went thought, it was a pretty good one.
Quickly we took over the Sinai and began our sieges. The Shia Caliphate was in the middle of a civil war that kept their army busy. Needing some help to try and expel my men the Caliph turned to his ally the Emir of Saana. Having the Ill-Ruler join the war didn't cause me much worry. There was a good chance he'd die before he even made an appearance.
While I was gone leading my armies Princess Adela began causing some problems back in Jerusalem. She was involved in two murders and a couple plots. I think she might have been acting out in hopes of being sent back to her father's court. I had other plans for her. Adela wasn't the most well loved and when word got out I was plotting her death people were mobbing me to join in. I couldn't feel guilty about what I'd done, she had it coming.
Prince Philippe became a man that any father would be proud of. He wasn't all that big a fan of books but considering I trained him to lead armies and kill infidels that hardly mattered. I matched him up with a wonderful German woman who would help round him out and ensure that after I had passed on Jerusalem would be well taken care of.
Right away it was apparent Philippe was the most skilled soldier in all the kingdom. He knew it too and asked that I put him on my council. While I had appreciated my marshal's service I would have been a fool to turn my son down. Never insult the better swordsman.
It took over a year and a half for the Shia army to make an appearance. They attacked the Knights Hospitaller in Sarqihya hoping to break their siege. Philippe and I were just to the north besieging a castle. Knowing that a decisive victory would go a long way to ending the war I left a token force to continue the siege and Philippe and I marched together at the head of a relief column. The skill and blood-thirst of the Hospitallers coupled with the the my men lead to an easy slaughter
Philippe and Amaury leading the charge
Knowing that the war was coming to an end and he did a lot to bring about the victory Philippe started asking for some lands of his own to govern. He was probably hoping for Tortosa or another rich county by the sea to enjoy. I had other plans for him.
Boy was I surprised when a boy turned up to surrender to me. It turned out that the Caliph of the Shia had died in battle during the civil war. Not only did I have to give thanks to God for granting Jerusalem an easy victory but also for the wonderful luck that now the Shia were lead by a boy. This had some promise.
As promised I gave Philippe some land. I didn't just give him a county, I gave him a duchy! A duchy of dirt and angry Muslims who wouldn't pay taxes or serve as levies for years to come. I figured it'd keep him distracted and not give him too much of a power base to try and claim his birthright early.
Upon arriving back in my court I made arrangements to educate two promising youths. One was the future Duke of Galilee and the other was the current Duke of Ascalon. Not only would this give me a chance to shape these future dukes as I like but they will also look more fondly upon me and make much more loyal, obedient subjects.
God's Kingdom Part 13 - Candy From A Baby
The Shia Caliphate being ruled by a boy was too good an opportunity to pass up. Also the Caliphate was still embroiled in a civil war which meant that I'd go down as one of the most foolish kings ever if I didn't declare war. I refused to be a fool.
To my surprise the Shia counter-attacked much quicker than I expected. I had rushed in the levies from Ascalon and before they knew it they were fighting for their lives without much help nearby. Thinking quickly Philippe and I boarded ship and sailed from Jaffa with levies from my duchy. Once again I arrived to save the day.
Battle was a dangerous place to be. Leading men into the fight is even more dangerous. After battle I would always thank God for keeping me safe. He apparently had other things on his mind this day.
Peasants always picked the worst time to cause trouble. Usually that would be when all my levies are far, far removed from Jerusalem. I turned to some rent-a-thugs to scatter the rabble.
As we campaigned in Egypt I noticed that Philippe wasn't quite the go-getter that he once was. Actually that would be putting it gently. The boy was acting lazy. All that time not being able to do much in the Sinai must have caused the change. Maybe I had erred by giving him the duchy to rule. I hoped that getting out and bashing some infidels would help him find his motivation again.
With things not going so well the boy Caliph called on the Emir of Sanaa to come bail him out. Unlike the last war, an army actually arrived from Sanaa. While the 6,700 Muslim strong army would prove a distraction and make me postpone some sieges it was nothing that would stop me from eventually winning Damietta.
The Emir of Sanaa proved to be far more intelligent than I gave him credit for. I always did have a habit of underestimating the infidels. It was apparent that I was going to win the war and when the emir saw almost 15,000 Jerusalemites including the Knights Hospitaller coming their way they turned tail and started running back towards Sanaa.
I debated chasing down the Sanaa soldiers and slaughtering them but decided it wasn't worth the effort. God would forgive me. With Damietta besieged and captured and his armies destroyed the boy Caliph had no choice but to give up his lands to me.
With the war against the Shia completed I was able to turn my attention to matters of state. My daughter Agathe had come of age. She was a beautiful and skilled woman who would make a fine wife. I noticed that the prince and heir of France was coming of age soon and thought that it would be wise to ally our two kingdoms. Yes there were some issues between Jerusalem and France in the past but that was generations ago. Apparently not enough time had passed as the French king rebuffed my offer. "Desires a better alliance." Jerusalem is one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world. What better alliance could he find than that? I vowed on that day that someday a de Boulogne would get their vengeance on the French.
Soon after my second son came of age. Like his brother he was a skilled man who would do great things for the kingdom. I betrothed him to a Byzantine duchess who was not yet a woman and invited him in my council until it came time for him to leave my court.
Philippe had mentioned a time or two that his wife wasn't thrilled with all the dirt and Muslims in the Sinai. I figured the girl just missed the green, Catholic lands of her childhood and assured him that with time she would come to appreciate things. Perhaps I was wrong and instead of missing Germany she was hinting at wanting to move to Jerusalem. Her time would come eventually but I was in no hurry to go anywhere. I kindly informed her that murdering me would not be appreciated. I also told her a story about a certain German Princess who once lived in Jerusalem and "missed Germany" too.
I declared war on the Shia because there was a boy ruler and they were in a civil war. Two years later there was still a boy ruling and they were still in a civil war. If it was a good enough reason to go to war with them once, it was a good enough reason to go to war again.
The Shia Caliphate being ruled by a boy was too good an opportunity to pass up. Also the Caliphate was still embroiled in a civil war which meant that I'd go down as one of the most foolish kings ever if I didn't declare war. I refused to be a fool.
To my surprise the Shia counter-attacked much quicker than I expected. I had rushed in the levies from Ascalon and before they knew it they were fighting for their lives without much help nearby. Thinking quickly Philippe and I boarded ship and sailed from Jaffa with levies from my duchy. Once again I arrived to save the day.
Battle was a dangerous place to be. Leading men into the fight is even more dangerous. After battle I would always thank God for keeping me safe. He apparently had other things on his mind this day.
Peasants always picked the worst time to cause trouble. Usually that would be when all my levies are far, far removed from Jerusalem. I turned to some rent-a-thugs to scatter the rabble.
As we campaigned in Egypt I noticed that Philippe wasn't quite the go-getter that he once was. Actually that would be putting it gently. The boy was acting lazy. All that time not being able to do much in the Sinai must have caused the change. Maybe I had erred by giving him the duchy to rule. I hoped that getting out and bashing some infidels would help him find his motivation again.
With things not going so well the boy Caliph called on the Emir of Sanaa to come bail him out. Unlike the last war, an army actually arrived from Sanaa. While the 6,700 Muslim strong army would prove a distraction and make me postpone some sieges it was nothing that would stop me from eventually winning Damietta.
The Emir of Sanaa proved to be far more intelligent than I gave him credit for. I always did have a habit of underestimating the infidels. It was apparent that I was going to win the war and when the emir saw almost 15,000 Jerusalemites including the Knights Hospitaller coming their way they turned tail and started running back towards Sanaa.
I debated chasing down the Sanaa soldiers and slaughtering them but decided it wasn't worth the effort. God would forgive me. With Damietta besieged and captured and his armies destroyed the boy Caliph had no choice but to give up his lands to me.
With the war against the Shia completed I was able to turn my attention to matters of state. My daughter Agathe had come of age. She was a beautiful and skilled woman who would make a fine wife. I noticed that the prince and heir of France was coming of age soon and thought that it would be wise to ally our two kingdoms. Yes there were some issues between Jerusalem and France in the past but that was generations ago. Apparently not enough time had passed as the French king rebuffed my offer. "Desires a better alliance." Jerusalem is one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world. What better alliance could he find than that? I vowed on that day that someday a de Boulogne would get their vengeance on the French.
Soon after my second son came of age. Like his brother he was a skilled man who would do great things for the kingdom. I betrothed him to a Byzantine duchess who was not yet a woman and invited him in my council until it came time for him to leave my court.
Philippe had mentioned a time or two that his wife wasn't thrilled with all the dirt and Muslims in the Sinai. I figured the girl just missed the green, Catholic lands of her childhood and assured him that with time she would come to appreciate things. Perhaps I was wrong and instead of missing Germany she was hinting at wanting to move to Jerusalem. Her time would come eventually but I was in no hurry to go anywhere. I kindly informed her that murdering me would not be appreciated. I also told her a story about a certain German Princess who once lived in Jerusalem and "missed Germany" too.
I declared war on the Shia because there was a boy ruler and they were in a civil war. Two years later there was still a boy ruling and they were still in a civil war. If it was a good enough reason to go to war with them once, it was a good enough reason to go to war again.
The loss of Sinai must have been huge for the Caliphate. A really good acquisition either way.
Sinai is actually remarkably useless land, very poor and not many holdings
I see you are still in 1.05, did you delay upgrading or did you already play all that out?
I see you are still in 1.05, did you delay upgrading or did you already play all that out?
Never trust a woman with that degree of unstylish hair. She's an ambitious woman who intends to make most of the ruling whilst her slothful husband sleeps his way through his reigning -should Helga's plot succeed. In a muslim dominate Duchy, a local could always take the blame for an assassination.
Amaury shows a certain sure touch when fighting the Shia Caliphate. Wonder wher ethe Templars where and what they were doing thhat left them without troops for so holy a cause.
Amaury shows a certain sure touch when fighting the Shia Caliphate. Wonder wher ethe Templars where and what they were doing thhat left them without troops for so holy a cause.
Like Mods said, it's pretty useless. However it's more land for me and less for them so I'm not going to complain too much.
Sinai is actually remarkably useless land, very poor and not many holdings
I see you are still in 1.05, did you delay upgrading or did you already play all that out?
I had already played this part though I'm quickly approaching my stop point. I have 1.05 for a succession game I'm playing and am leery about playing this in 1.06. Have there been any issues with playing a 1.05 game in 1.06?
I'm just glad I have a good spymaster. Helga has one hell of an ability to be sneaky. That could have been bad for me. The Templars take a lot more piety to invite to war than the Hospitallers so I don't ask them to come along unless I really need them. They do make an appearance soon enough though.
and now the muslim world hates you
seriously, i never find it a good idea to break truces untill im the strongest power in the area.
seriously, i never find it a good idea to break truces untill im the strongest power in the area.