Sorry about the lack of updates. I ahve been away on a trip. A new update will prolly appear sometime tommorrow. Stay tuned...
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Great story, the crusades seems to go very well, a lot of latin kingdoms are forming. Is there any possibility for an screenshot of the map?
The Minor Crusades
Intro
What is usually known as the minor crusades are the several smaller holywars after the last big crusade, the fourth. Though this could be made a list of hundreds of smaller wars, it is usually told as five: the fifth crusade against Mesopotamia and Arabia, the Desert Crusade against Morocco, the northern crusades against the pagans of northern Europe, the Albigensian Crusade against heretics in southern France and the Armenian crusade.
The Fifth Crusade
In 1231 the king of Jerusalem, Baldwin V, called a crusade against the remaining muslim splinter states in Mesopotamia. Though he called for help of the pope, none was given, and Jerusalem had to seek allies in their knights and Egypt.
The crusaders took Baghdad in 1233, and Basrah in 1234, and after that, it was a simple thing to secure the region and put a Christian king in the region. The kingdom of Mesopotamia had large internal problems though, and the first hundred and fifty years of its history was a series of civil wars as three noble families fought for power, during a period of heavy muslim rebellions. The conflict ended in 1355, when Marco Lando, a Venetian, crowned himself king after defeating the opposition. A period of heavy muslim oppression followed.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian crusaders never got to Mesopotamia, instead being talked into attacking Mekkah by a crazed templar, headed south from Jerusalem, into the deserts of Arabia. Many died on the way in the heat, but those that arrived put a siege on Medina, which fell a few months later, and then went into Mekkah, arriving in the middle of a huge pilgrim gathering. The city surrendered, as there was no way that many people could have survived the siege, and the Egyptians declared the Hejaz to be part of the kingdom of Egypt.
In 1301, the kingdom of Egypt collapsed again, this time due to revolts by Christians, uncontent with the present king. During this, the formerly Egyptian lands in the Hejaz declared themselves to be the kingdom of Arabia, and a king was elected. Arabia was protected by Jerusalem and so when Egypt pulled itself together in the 1330s, it wasnt reincluded into it.
The Desert Crusade
A simple military campaign launched by the kingdom of Mauretania with Leónese assistance. The goal was to supress the muslims south of Mauretania and incorporate them into the kingdom, which it succeeded with. In 1345, all the former lands of Morocco were under the crown of Mauretania, and a year later, the kingdom of Sahara, a vassal under Mauretania, was out of the desert lands south of Mauretania. Sahara held no real power in the region, though.
The Northern Crusades
Mostly crusaders of German stock had been converting the pagans of northern Europe since the first crusades basically. The teutonic order was formed with this in mind, for example. In 1419, there are no pagans left in these lands, but on the other hand, the order is collapsing, after being defeated the Polish forces in war.
The Albigensian Crusade
After the second crusade, the pope called for a crusade against the Cathars of southern france, a people who defied Rome and believed themselves to be the real church under God. Not much resistance could be put up to the northern french, and the cathars fell, their faith exterminated and their lands made part of France proper.
The Armenian Crusade
Though the Armenians were at the time christian in one form or another, they had been under muslim dominance for ages, when the king of Cappadocia called a crusade into Armenia and Georgia in 1325. While recieving approval from the pope, no help came from Europe, and the forces of Cappadocia and Cilica had to alone fight it out with the muslims. It looked bleak for the Christians for a while, but eventually, the tide turned, and the kingdom of Armenia was founded and all muslims expelled.
The crusades went on against the Golden Horde, weakened by rebellions from the Russians, and when the crusades were declared over in 1332, three new kingdoms had formed: Armenia, Crimea and Astrakhan out of the golden horde, which had collapsed completely.
What is usually known as the minor crusades are the several smaller holywars after the last big crusade, the fourth. Though this could be made a list of hundreds of smaller wars, it is usually told as five: the fifth crusade against Mesopotamia and Arabia, the Desert Crusade against Morocco, the northern crusades against the pagans of northern Europe, the Albigensian Crusade against heretics in southern France and the Armenian crusade.
The Fifth Crusade
In 1231 the king of Jerusalem, Baldwin V, called a crusade against the remaining muslim splinter states in Mesopotamia. Though he called for help of the pope, none was given, and Jerusalem had to seek allies in their knights and Egypt.
The crusaders took Baghdad in 1233, and Basrah in 1234, and after that, it was a simple thing to secure the region and put a Christian king in the region. The kingdom of Mesopotamia had large internal problems though, and the first hundred and fifty years of its history was a series of civil wars as three noble families fought for power, during a period of heavy muslim rebellions. The conflict ended in 1355, when Marco Lando, a Venetian, crowned himself king after defeating the opposition. A period of heavy muslim oppression followed.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian crusaders never got to Mesopotamia, instead being talked into attacking Mekkah by a crazed templar, headed south from Jerusalem, into the deserts of Arabia. Many died on the way in the heat, but those that arrived put a siege on Medina, which fell a few months later, and then went into Mekkah, arriving in the middle of a huge pilgrim gathering. The city surrendered, as there was no way that many people could have survived the siege, and the Egyptians declared the Hejaz to be part of the kingdom of Egypt.
In 1301, the kingdom of Egypt collapsed again, this time due to revolts by Christians, uncontent with the present king. During this, the formerly Egyptian lands in the Hejaz declared themselves to be the kingdom of Arabia, and a king was elected. Arabia was protected by Jerusalem and so when Egypt pulled itself together in the 1330s, it wasnt reincluded into it.
The Desert Crusade
A simple military campaign launched by the kingdom of Mauretania with Leónese assistance. The goal was to supress the muslims south of Mauretania and incorporate them into the kingdom, which it succeeded with. In 1345, all the former lands of Morocco were under the crown of Mauretania, and a year later, the kingdom of Sahara, a vassal under Mauretania, was out of the desert lands south of Mauretania. Sahara held no real power in the region, though.
The Northern Crusades
Mostly crusaders of German stock had been converting the pagans of northern Europe since the first crusades basically. The teutonic order was formed with this in mind, for example. In 1419, there are no pagans left in these lands, but on the other hand, the order is collapsing, after being defeated the Polish forces in war.
The Albigensian Crusade
After the second crusade, the pope called for a crusade against the Cathars of southern france, a people who defied Rome and believed themselves to be the real church under God. Not much resistance could be put up to the northern french, and the cathars fell, their faith exterminated and their lands made part of France proper.
The Armenian Crusade
Though the Armenians were at the time christian in one form or another, they had been under muslim dominance for ages, when the king of Cappadocia called a crusade into Armenia and Georgia in 1325. While recieving approval from the pope, no help came from Europe, and the forces of Cappadocia and Cilica had to alone fight it out with the muslims. It looked bleak for the Christians for a while, but eventually, the tide turned, and the kingdom of Armenia was founded and all muslims expelled.
The crusades went on against the Golden Horde, weakened by rebellions from the Russians, and when the crusades were declared over in 1332, three new kingdoms had formed: Armenia, Crimea and Astrakhan out of the golden horde, which had collapsed completely.
Now, it is almost time for the aar to start! I will play either Jerusalem or North Africa, I haven't decided which yet. First, though, I need to finish the modding of the game map and adding in a few events to make it all work. Stay tuned.
PS: Yeah, few pictures this time. I know.
Yes, I would imagine that the King of Jerusalem would label every single war he wages as a 'Crusade'. 
Hierosolyma!
Interesting, I wonder if you could manage a more positive story of the crusades if you tried real hard :rofl:
Interesting, I wonder if you could manage a more positive story of the crusades if you tried real hard :rofl:
Unite Europe under the City of Christ!! What am I speaking about, unite the world!!!
Chapter 1 - Words from Egypt
1419
1419
The king of Jerusalem, tall and muscular, with a large beard, was preparing to go to bed for the evening, when his squire had knocked on the door. He had held in his hands a letter, marked with the royal emblem of the king of Egypt. The king had sent away the squire and sat himself on the bedside, opening the letter. It had said:
"Baldwin VII of Jerusalem, protector of the holyland, lord of the levant, holder of the holy sepulcer, chosen of God, I greet you.
I hope you can forgive the unallowed usage of the emblem of our king of Egypt, but this is most pressing matters, for the king has died. He was killed in his bed by assassins, sent by the Muslim rebel leaders in the southern parts of his lands. Now, the court is in argument over who shall be the next king, and the Muslims have taken their opportunity and amassed an army and started marching along the Nile, towards Alexandria and Cairo.
This is a catastrophe for our kingdom! I ask your help to defeat these rebels, and save the throne of Egypt from Muslim hands."
The letter hadnt been signed. Baldwin VII immidietly sent a messenger to Egypt to ask for word if this was indeed true, and two weeks later, the messenger returned with word: It was true...
Thusly begins our tale of the crusader kings, brave warriors of Christianity, chosen by God, in 1419, in the cities of Jerusalem and Alexandria.