Part 6.4 - Mauretania
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Hiryuu: Yeah you can live a long time with the Infirm trait. But something even better is going to happen to Samir....
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DennisRoos: It is looking rather bad, and it would be great if Samir's son will be a better leader.
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Part 6.4 - Mauretania
So once again RL has gotten in the way of me updating Samir's life post-tumbling accident. But anyways, he's still leading the war effort against Mali, which being infirm and in the middle of a war has got to be a very bad idea.
But anyway the war begins to swing in our favor. I guess I exaggerated a little about it taking two years to make it down there, as I apparently had two stacks already laying siege to holdings. So it probably took a year to year and a half.
Pretty much the rest of the year is taken up by watching our forces occupy Mali's lands.
By November of 1096, the war-score is already up to 68% so this war is drawing to a close.
After the occupation of Oulata Samir takes his men and engages the enemy at the Battle of Kiffa. The Sultan's men were slightly outnumbered by about 400 men, but the forces of Mauretania were better equipped and better warriors.
The battle was swinging in Samir's favor, when out of nowhere our illustrious Sultan of the Shaiban Sultanate, received a blow to his head. Upon seeing him fall, his men quickly retreated from the Center which caused the flanks to rout as well.
At the end of the day the grievous wound delivered to Sultan Samir was winning blow that saved the day for the Pagans.
Meanwhile the second Army of Mauretania continued to occupy settlements and burn pagans at the stake. After seizing a few more villages, they turned to deliver vengeance to the Africans for putting their Sultan into a Coma.
The Second Battle of Kiffa was a sure thing. The Shaiban Sultanate outnumbered the Pagans nearly five to one. And the victory carried the day ending the war and forcing the Malian King to the peace table to cede more of his lands to the Shaibans.
With that war over the Andalusian's would call us into war to help protect the Rahhalid Sultanate. Samir's son Shaiban (the current Regent) agreed.
However, no war would be waged, our forces were too bloodied and I decided it to be more important to relax and recover from the losses before involving myself in Iberian affairs.
On October 1097, Sultan Samir Shaiban would die, passing the crown onto his son Samir, and the Emirate of Fez would pass to his second son Emir Husam IV Shaiban.
I was a bit saddened to see Sultan Samir leave us, we were with him for a good 27 years that saw his influence expand, going from a mere Sheikh to Emir to Sultan rather quickly. In fact I could have formed usurped the Sultanate of Mali at that time as well but due to gavelkind decided against it.
Now it will be time to see what Samir's young son the Sultan Shaiban ibn Samir can do with what his father had left him.
Apparently as Regent the new Sultan was conducting a Grand Hunt when his father passed away, because I get a notification that the Hunt has ended. I then take some time to look around the world. No reason to really do much of anything. It's time to lay low for a little while and consolidate.
1098 passes by quickly and with nothing remarkable happening. Andalusia's war comes to an end in a white peace which is good for everyone.
1099 begins with the notification that King Indy has finally died leaving the world at the ripe old age of 72. He is succeeded by a son that he named after his old drinking buddy, Mayor Iacob. So Ireland and Alba are now ruled over by King Iacob de Wexford.
I look over at East Africa saddened that the Ethiopians have disappeared but I notice something bizarre over on the Horn.
Apparently the Greeks got lost, and a Makedon has taken over the County of Berbera, and to top that off Krete is really lost! What the heck is it doing down there?
I would say a ship wreck or something but no that can't be. Wish I knew how they ended up over there as that is pretty interesting. I'd actually enjoy playing as one of those characters, reforge Abyssinia as the lost Makedons.
It's then in February of 1099 I get another notification that King Stanislav "the Ill-Ruler" Mihaljevic of Hungary-Bulgaria has died. His death splits the united realm in two.
Towards the end of the year, Shaiban's betrothed comes of age and they get married.
She is a princess of Castille, so hopefully that will prove to be a better alliance then the annoying Rahhalid (Andalusia) alliance.
As a new century begins, Sheikh Shaiban Shaiban of Tamdoult dies without an heir giving Sultan Shaiban all of his money and lands.
I for some reason forgot to take a screen shot of Sultan Shaiban after his father's death, so this is his character screen as of 1100.
Shaiban is full of money, and also one of the best generals in the land, so he'll definitely be leading the troops much like his father had.
The rest of the year passes by with little else to report, the merchants from some far away land came to town and gave us some eunuch who proves to be rather useless to the Shaiban war machine.
Castille then calls us into war pressing some random guy's claim on the throne of Aragon.
I sit and watch Castille fight and realize they don't need any help as it looks like they outnumber the Aragonese by quite a bit.
Two months later the West African Pagans become upset and a local Shaman convinces the pagan villagers to unite to liberate their lands from their Christian conquerors.
I begin raising the troops again prepared for another long march down into the jungles of Mali. But at least this time I do have some troops already down there. However, their numbers are to small to engage the Shaman.
While I am waiting for my men to merge into a large enough stack I get notified that Pope Gregory VI has died and has been replaced by an old man taking the regnal name of Gregory VII.
The Holy Roman Emperor I guess was not fond of the idea of yet another Pope named Gregory, so in response the Emperor hand selected the stupidest, most wicked priest he could find and named him Pope Celestine II "the Wicked".
I think this Anti-Pope could very well be the undoing of the Christian world. I mean look at those stats! And that grayed out cross icon can't remember what that means, but isn't it something like "wicked Priest" or something of that nature? Regardless it'd be hilarious to see Celestine placed upon St. Peter's Throne in Rome.
By February of 1102, things are beginning to look horrible regarding this West African Shaman. He's already occupied some of our land. Luckily I finally have a stack of 6300 men which should be able to slaughter his stack of 4900. Seeing an opportunity I march this first stack over to engage. I watch in horror as the Pagans slaughter my almost 4000 of my men!
They retreat, and the Pagans give chase, attacking them again in the battle of Gurma. We lose this battle as well.
Luckily, Sultan Shaiban is on the march and entering the jungle at the head of an army of 11,500 men. With the Pagans chasing our men that are fleeing Shaiban can quickly assault the holding the holding the Africans occupied and liberate it.
With the siege of Macina won, I march Shaiban to get revenge against this evil Shaman.
Once again a battle is waged at Gurma, I know Shaiban will prove victorious as our numbers this time are far far far greater.
Easy win right?
Of course but not without a heavy cost.
Sultan Shaiban was hit in the head as well just as his father Sultan Samir. Shaiban then goes into a coma and his days are numbered as well.
At least we won the battle, though. With the Pagans fleeing Shaiban's men give chase and annihilate the Shaman's army. But, it appears the West Africans have placed a curse upon the Shaiban family. For it is starting to seem that all of them are bound to die in a coma after getting hit in the head.
On August of 1102, the Shaman surrenders finally. And Shaiban's men make the same trek home as they had with his father's comatose body five years ago.
On October 4, Sultan Shaiban would die, childless, passing the Sultanate of Mauretania onto his little brother Emir Husam IV, who would now be known as Sultan Husam II ibn Samir Shaiban.
At least he is a boy and we won't have to worry about him getting hit in the head by a pagan club anytime soon.
So here's to hoping Husam II's reign will last longer and go a bit more smoothly then Shaiban's.
