The House of Châtillon: Of Dog, of Wolf, of Man

[Olligarchy]

Through out the time that would eventually become known as the Crusades many heroes and villains arose on both sides. Many brave Christians and Muslims gave their lives in search of the Kingdom of Heaven. Many a noble lord went destitute funding these wars or subsiding those less fortunate until even their alms ran dry and those once great lords and ladies were forced out onto the streets. Yet they still had Faith. They would remove all ornament and don the simple robes of pilgrims and make the long and perilous journey to Jerusalem, to Mecca, to Antioch. There they could gain some measure of absolution for the Sins their forefathers had bestowed upon them. In those holy places they could feel the touch of God. No man, no woman could come through such a journey unchanged. They changed the world. For the better according to some, or the worse if some are to be believed... but they changed it because they could. Because they had Faith that they could. That they must.

And then there was Raynald of Châtillon. A wolf in the shape of a man with the spirit of a dog. Easy to anger, quick to strike as a viper if in a strong position... but also weak of will and likely to tuck tail and run should the odds tilt against him. It is rare for there ever to be such a man that would make all, including his kinsmen loath him and wash their hands upon shaking his, but Raynald had such an effect.

This is his story, and the story of how a man born so low could rise so high and then come crashing down once more.

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I'm baaaack!

...Oh wait, you don't know who I am right? Well that's simple, I am Olligarchy and a few months ago I was taken by the idea of writing an AAR to join the many fantastic pieces of writing on these forums. What followed as a story called the Bourbons and for some reason it was moderately successful. Some people enjoyed it and I enjoyed writing it so all was good. However with a later patch the save broke, stopping my progress cold and killing any inspiration I may have once held. Add to that the change in jobs and life generally taking priority and you've the story of how I disappeared for such a long time.


If you care that is. :unsure:

But what is important is I am back baby! And I've got a whole new story to tell.

As previously I will be using a diary style format, Ironmanning the game and doing my best to role-play each character as their traits dictate. I should also warn you that if you are disturbed by things like the horrors of war, rape and murder you should probably steer clear of this one. I won't be glorifying or giving out any details on any of these things, but they will be mentioned and used to strengthen the image I wish to convey of the crusades in this tale.

Glad to have you on for the ride.

​

 

[mike the knight]

The asshole diary begins Iam wondering how many years he will survive ? xD

 

[Olligarchy]

Year of Our Lord 1153 AD. Reign of Duke Renaud of Antioch.
The text is written in a clearly well educated if nervous hand. There are numerous overwrites and 'quick' fixes on the paper. Clearly this was either a first draft or was never meant to see the light of day.

It has been, but scant hours since I raped and conquered fell in love with and wed the beautiful Duchess Constance of Antioch. She's a bit too old and loose for me, but eh. A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do amirite? At least I got something out of the deal, that something being this fancy coronet on my head and the right to call myself Duke. Would that pa' bless his black heart were to see me now. This is a far shot from his little estate in Reims and with a bit of luck I might even make something of myself. There's plenty of opportunities abound after all. Heathens and heretics a plenty in all directions and the so called 'Kingdom of Heaven' lying to the south... just waiting for someone to embrace her and show everyone who's in charge around here.

To the North-West awaits the rotting remnants of the once great Roman Empire. The cretins surrounding me tell me that it is led by the 'great' Basileus Manuel of the Komnenos dynasty. His chivalry, bravery, nobility and ambition stand as an example to all Christendom on what a knight should truly be.

There's a larger than normal ink blotch after the last sentence and it has been overruled by a far rougher than than the rest used in this manuscript. The following sentence too is written in a far larger and stronger hand, but the letters are more uncertain, as if unsure what to put on paper.

Above: The most powerful and relevant neighbors of his Grace the Duke of Antioch, and his ducal heir Baron Guy.

Poppycock! He's a bloody heathen pretender and not worthy to lick my dirty boots! Put THAT down in your bloody book!

Rest of the cretins and lickspittles that surround my lands are barely worth a mention. 'King' Baudoin of Jerusalem has invited me to parley and negotiate the status of the Duchy of Antioch within the Kingdom. I would wager my wife that he's hoping that Antioch will become a more loyal vassal than before! HA!

Well that's enough, 'bout my neighbours... there's at least one of them worth their salt. This Muhammad of the Assassin Order has control of one of my rightful provinces and I figure he needs sorting out. Pack your things monk and lets hit the road...Don't write that you idget!

There is another larger ink blotch covering the identity of the writer.

 

[mike the knight]

That sounds a lot like the man he must have been xD Damn already warring the Hashashins ?! xD

 

[Olligarchy]

Year of Our Lord 1153 AD. Reign of Duke Renaud of Antioch.
The text written is large and uncouth. Someone was clearly meant to rewrite this at a later date, but never got to it.

Ach, it seems that I will have to write these things meself after all. Tragic accident that... never seen a monk fall off an ass before. Not in quite that manner anyway. Regardless, with the idget dead I suppose at least for now I'll have to record my own adventures in this book. Fine enough.

After my wedding and news of these Assassins camping on my lands, I summoned all the barons, mayors and clerics that are now under my sway to send me a portion of their men. When combined with the lads I had with me before this mess I managed to scrounge up a respectable force of roughly three thousand. Since the assassins refused to answer my demands to vacate my legal property and dared to raise up their own peasant horde of a bit over a thousand, I marched on and had to sort them out. The battle itself... not much to say really. One good charge and the cretins took to the hills and never looked back. Easy enough right? So I did the sensible thing and setup for a siege , getting ready to starve these assassins out of their hidey holes, but little did I know that the measly hundreds that fled my wrath were just getting reinforcements!

By June they had in fact assembled a force of four thousand and were flanking me by the way of Antioch and Homs. I had an ace up my sleeve though.

Just before I left Antioch I'd assembled the Jewish elders for a meeting where they presented me with a gift of gold. Of course I graciously accepted said gift before unceremoniously booting them out and taking the rest of their gold! Hah! With the money I had more than enough to spend on some boys from Italy so the Lombard band had been making steady progress over the past months to Antioch from where they rode to relieve my force at Archa. Battle of Famia... biggest battle I've seen so far. Five and a half thousand of us and four thousand of them. The damned river there got so clogged up by bodies I hear the peasants are still cleaning it up and can't drink from it lest they take ill.

Since then the war was little more than clean up and by august the assassins fled my lands to whatever caves they came from.

Understandably I've been a mite distracted by smiting foes of Christendom so far, so when I got back to Antioch in October there was more than a few news to be delivered. Apparently the King of Jerusalem had requested our vassalage: a request my Chamberlain had laughed in the face of. Then there was a series of Holy wars... one by the Pope who clearly wishes for Andalucia to become Christian and two by these heathen Muslims. The 'Sunni' Caliph called a 'Jihad' on Jerusalem in April and the 'Shia' Caliph called one on Africa in August. Of these conflicts the one on Jerusalem is of sole interest for me. Seems that the King has some fourteen thousand men in addition to seven thousand French supporters and the Holy Orders who are mustering a few hundred knights each. On the opposing side there are the Seljuk dynasty and a few tribals that Baudouin has been smacking around to great effect.

My scouts report that a host of thirty four thousand Turks are assembling in Baghdad though, so it looks like Baudouin is what we in France call,"Shit out of luck."

I've been considering joining him meself, but it seems all I would accomplish is my own death. Might even go loot the carcass of Jerusalem once she's well and buried.

The latest tidbit of interest is that the shit calling himself the Grandmaster of the Knights Hospitaller, Raymond de Pay Du Provence has been speaking ill of me and managed to scrounge up some document where it says that my wife has no right to grant me Antioch! The cretin! Idget! Seeing as I've out of good will let him and his hang their helmets on the Krak in Archa he'd be more gracious, but seems not! Mite be time to do something about these over proud knights.

 

[mike the knight]

Seems liek our hero follows his historical path Prepare for extended pain

 

[metalinvader665]

Careful about raiding those caravans, Renaud!

If you get the chance, make sure you capture Saladin in battle and execute him.