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Crosswire

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Hello everyone out there in AAR land. This is my first AAR here, though not my first attempt at one - I did one about three years back elsewhere.

For this AAR I'm heading down to Africa, to a tricky starting position - Makuria, part of Nubia, sometimes called the Land of the Bow by the Egyptians.

Why Makuria?

Well, when I first started playing the game, I was looking for somewhere a bit different and interesting and I settled on Makuria, down in Nubia, a place that became one of my favourites to play in.

It starts in something of a tricky spot - right next door to the great green blob and completely undeveloped. In Jade Dragon they made it a tributary of the Abassids, which is completely unhistorical as to the relationship between the Makurians and the Muslims, but without some form of treaty being able to be made in game, it is the only way they could make it that Makuria wasn't pretty much instantly run over by the blob. Even with it, it is still a tricky location, as you can't expand far without running into the blob. So not easy, which makes if fun.

Plus it has one of the best Coat of Arms in the game.

Before CK2 I had never heard of Makuria, which was a shame. Makuria is a fascinating place, one little known. This is due to most of what we know coming from Muslim sources, who weren't exactly always friendly towards their Christian neighbours, and as a result didn't always paint them in a fair light. And the building of the Aswan Dam means large parts of northern Makuria are now lost beneath the waters of the dam, with all the archaeology gone forever.

A brief history of Makuria for those interest.

Makuria was a Nubian kingdom that formed in around 500. Sometime in the next century they converted to Christianity, only for the rise of the Muslims to occur. When the Muslims invaded and conquered Egypt in 641, it cut Makuria off from its big brother Constantinople and also saw the seat of the Coptic Patriarchy occupied.

Immediately the Muslims turned south and headed for Makuria, aiming to conquer it, like they had everywhere else they had invaded. Except it didn't happen. In 642 they were defeated at the First Battle of Dongola. They tried again in 652 but once more met defeat at the Second Battle of Dongola after they were unable to overcome the walls there. Makuria became one of the first nations to effectively hold off the Muslim conquests that swept over large parts of the world in its early stages of expansion.

Following two defeats, a pact was made between Makuria and the Muslims - the baqt. It saw Makuria send slaves north each year while the Muslims sent trade goods south.

Muslims sources say that it was done because it wasn't worth the effort (read that as far too difficult), and that the slaves were sent as a symbol of subservience, even though Egpyt was obligated to send manufactured goods south in exchange for the slaves.

Following the baqt, Makuria grew stable and prosperous, entering a golden age from around 750 to 1150, but problems were brewing following the overthrow of the Fatamids. The Muslims became more aggressive in their dealings, including driving nomadic Bedouin Muslims out of their territory into Makuria, destabilising their southern neighbour, which sounds like a case of obeying the letter of the treaty but not the spirit of it (ie not to attack each other). This was accompanied by the gradual arabisation and islamisation of northern Makuria by Arab merchants. When the Mameluks took power, they involved themselves with the internal politics of Makuria, as well as invading and occupying it on occasions, eventually taking control in around 1312 and marking the end of a remarkable culture and nation.


I have meant to return to play there again after playing in a few other places, and with all the DLC released since I last played, it felt time to give it another try.

My aim for he game is for a narrative driven game. Events as depicted won't necessarily reflect the exact happenings in the game, or the exact order or time that they happened. I'll use them to structure the story.

Rules of the game;

769 start.

Normal difficulty (though in hindsight maybe I should have bumped it up a little).

All DLC but Sunset Invasion.

Demon Worshipers and Secret Socities off.

AI Seduction and Intrigue off.

Supernatural events off

Shattered Retreat and Defensive Pacts off.

Custom Ruler

Added walls to Dongola. Makuria starts completely undeveloped, despite the historically verified fact that there walls at Dongola, and they played a part of the defeat of the Muslim armies in the Second Battle of Dongola in 652.


I am not sure how often posts will be made due to work and family commitments, and of course a slow old computer, but I will keep plugging away at it for as long as it takes, even if it means I'm still going after CK3 is out.
 
This sounds very interesting indeed.
 
Color me intrigued. It's always nice seeing someone make an attempt with one of the lesser-used regions in the game. In my games the AI tends to do pretty well with Makuria, so I take that as a good omen for you, I hope.
 
Part 1: Gabriel Matthaios
Gabriel Matthaios: A re-examination

By Zerebekka Azim, University of New Dongola.


Gabriel Matthaios: It is a name that rings down through history. Saint Gabriel. The Warrior-Priest. The Scholar-King. The myths of him are many and to this day persist. That he was not a man but an angel sent by God to save the nation. That he did not truly die but instead sleeps until he is needed again. Separating the myths from the reality is no easy task.

So who was he?

To understand the man and his place in history, we have to go back to study the records of the time he lived. He himself left behind numerous written works that we can read; books and treatises and more besides. From them we can glean some insight into his mind, his intellect. There are also other reports, written by those that knew him, but we have to be careful when we examine them, as even from the earliest days of his reign the myths were beginning to emerge, only to grow over the long years of his rule.

Then there is also the Annals of the Legendary Matthaios, the epic tale reportedly start by Gabriel himself, and recounting the rule of the Matthaios over Makuria.

It is there that we shall commence our study.


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Image reportedly of Gabriel Matthaios


The Annals of the Legendary Matthaios

Being an account of House Matthaios and the lands of Makuria.


It is told that in the earliest days that peace lay upon the lands of Makuria and Nubia, and all who live within lived in blissful ignorance of the troubles ahead. Yet peace could not last and the days of Makuria were numbered if they continued on in the manner they were headed.

There lived in the deserts one who could see the shape of days to come. He was man blessed by God Most High, a man with few equals in body or mind. And there was he put through trials, and assayed and refined and purified until he was at last made ready for the task set for him. Yet a heavy charge was set upon him so that he would remain true to the path, for he was not allowed to take a woman to bed.

His trials had left him hurt in body mind and soul, but that swayed him not from his appointed task.

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And lo, he emerged from the deserts, carrying a girl child in his arms, with the fires of heaven burning in his eyes. All could see that the child, Zerebekka, was fair beyond the measure of all the children of Nubia, and she he named the Rose of the Desert. When pressed as to who her mother was, even to his dying days Gabriel never spoke.

Across Nubia he travelled, preaching his message, of a grim warning to any who would listen, yet those lands proved not fertile and so at last he came to Makuria, closest to the danger, for few others had heeded his words.

"O Makuria, O Nubia," he cried, "You who contended with the ancient Egyptians, and for a time ruled over them. You who contended with the might of Rome, and defied them, you who drove off the Muslims hordes alone of all the lands, do not rest of past glories. We are safe, I hear you say, We are blessed. We have signed the baqt with Egypt and it protects us.

Put not your faith in the promises of man for I say unto you already the forces of the Mohammadeans are rousing and cast their covetous eyes upon your lands, for they are a people who do not forget and do not forgive, and the memory of those defeats we inflicted upon them still burns in their hearts."

Long he spoke to them, and many were the warnings given and in time all were swayed to his side, for none in the land were his equal in wisdom, and his knowledge surpassed that of even the wisest and most learned in the kingdom, even despite his youth and his wild appearance, of one who has emerged from the deserts.

And word came to Khael Azim, the King of Makuria, of all that was said. Now Khael possessed wisdom and learning almost unto that of Gabriel, and was a well liked king, for he had an open and friendly manner. He consulted the notables of his kingdom and studied the scriptures and the signs and undertook long bouts of prayer as to the course of action he should take.

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And it came to be that the King, Khael Azim, came to Gabriel and bowed down before him. "Truly, you were sent by God in the hour of our need and I am content that you shall rule."

But Gabriel raised Khael up and embraced him as a brother. "I tell you this truly, that you shall see great things in your lifetime due to your faith, and that you and yours shall be blessed and shall have the friendship of the Matthaios for as long as both shall last. But come, we have much work ahead of us to do and little time to do it in."

Author Notes
Yes, Gabriel is a little on the more OP side of ruler design, but it was done with the narrative in mind
 
A suitably heroic introduction to King Gabriel I think.
 
Boy, what an entrance! Makuria's in for some interesting times, I'd wager.
 
Thanks for the welcome.

I've never actually seen the AI Makuria do well - at least pre-Jade Dragon it always got steamrolled by the great green blob to the north. Abyssinia on the other hand I've seen do well initially, including once taking all of Yemen up to Oman and then pushing north across the Hormuz Strait into Persia. Of course that just annoyed the Caliphate and it was all downhill after that.
 
Part 2: The Ordering of a Nation
Now Gabriel took stock of all that lay before him, of Makuria and the lands about, and deep were his thoughts, for he knew that should the might of the Muslims turn upon them, they were not yet ready to stand against it, not alone. With such thoughts in mind, he began to devise plans and stratagems to improve the fate of Makuria.

Yet it would take time for his all of his plans to come to fruition, to raise Makuria up, though also he knew that strength at arms was not enough to defend them for quite some time, but that knowledge was the key to their survival, and thus it was that he sought to make Makuria a centre of learning and wisdom, of innovation and technology, renown in all the world.

He himself led the way, as he began to focus on scholarship, to channel his intellect to the benefit of the nation, and towards this aim he ordered the construction of an Observatory in Dongola, so that he could begin his research.

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Yet that was not the end of his involvement, as also he sought out the society of the Hermetics and joined to their number, for it was said that they knew many secrets, secrets that would be of great benefit to the nation. These he would learn, though it not be easy and its members secretive and loathe to share them.

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And he took with him Khael Azim into their number, appointing him both Hermetic Apprentice and Court Physician, forging closer bounds between the two great men.

Despite all of this, Gabriel found time to begin composing a great book as well, to leave behind his thoughts on God and religion for those that followed in his steps. And in addition to that work also he started work on a detailed theorem paper for the Hermetic order, to impress them with his knowledge and learning and advance his status with them, one in which he tackled translation of the ancient hieroglyphics of Egypt.

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Not alone could Gabriel rule though, despite his proficiency in many things, and so he took to considering a council in which to aid him in the running of the Kingdom.

Looking across those available to him, he found that not all would be up to the task to the level that he would desire.

Of those he found, Eliezer, Mayor of Marawi, was devious and cunning and well capable of serving as spymaster. In those days, Constantinople of the Eastern Romans was the seat of learning and knowledge, and to Eliezer was assigned the task of journeying, to see what he could learn that would aid Makuria in their struggles.

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And there was one, a man called Dionisios, who was most learned in theology, almost to the level of the King, and to him was given the place of Court Chaplain.

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But of the others, none could be found to fulfil stations as Gabriel would hope, and so he began to look beyond the borders of Makuria. Through his contact with the Hermetics, he sought out men of foreign lands who would be willing to join him, and these he soon found. From the lands of Armenia came Vesd, a fellow believer, to serve as Steward, while the Georgian Mukhran was persuaded to serve as Chancellor.

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The Eastern Roman Empire provided Niketas, strong and brave, to serve as a commander at war, while, Soizuros, his equal in body and bravery, was found in the neighbouring Nubian lands, and he Gabriel made Marshal of the lands.

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And he looked across his new council and saw that it was good, and that the kingdom would prosper under their competent administration.

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"This marks a new dawn for Makuria, and indeed for all Nubians," Gabriel said unto them, "Yet until such time as all Nubians are brought together under one rule then they shall not be safe."

To them he unveiled his vision of a Kingdom that encompassed all of Nubia, and he ordered that they seek out means of seeing it come about. And when each was assigned his task, they were set forth to do so.

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Then Khael came to Gabriel and spoke to him thus; "It is not good that you rule alone, brother. You need to take unto you a wife to support you in the tasks ahead."

"The one that would take up that role would have to be a women of exceptional sacrifice, for she must know I am wed to the land and that she could expect no child from me."

"Fear not, for I foresee that in all the lands we shall find such a women."

Then Khael set out to search through the lands, and lo, he found a young women of standing, Prisisilla of the minor house of Atbarid, a women of formidable talents, quick of mind yet with great ambition, and she agreed to be the wife of Gabriel, and once they were wed, Gabriel made her regent in the case he was ever unable to rule, and tutor of all children of the court, for if she could have no children of her own then she would be a mother to many.

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All but his daughter, Zerebekka, that was, for he alone was to undertake her education, instructing her in her duties and responsibilities towards the land. "Remember that a ruler's life is not their own," he would say unto her, "But it belongs to the nation and the people."

Then did Gabriel ponder how best to repay Khael, and he he sought throughout the lands and found a young women, Rahmah Semn, a gifted young women, and to Khael he gave her in marriage, so that his line would not die out.

And to all these things Gabriel threw himself with vigour, even to the sake of his own health, to make preparations for the trials to come.

Yet little was he, or any other, to know just how soon those troubles would be, for north of the borders, among the Egyptians, were storm clouds brewing.
 
Ooh, ominous. Let's hope nothing happens to Zerebekka, or Gabriel might have some complications regarding his succession...
 
The is definitely being written in a hagiographical style. It is quite entrancing.
 
The is definitely being written in a hagiographical style. It is quite entrancing.

Thanks. In part it is inspired by my favourite book, the Silmarillion, but of course nowhere near at the same level as that.

Ooh, ominous. Let's hope nothing happens to Zerebekka, or Gabriel might have some complications regarding his succession...

Yup, that is a concern, but there are contingencies in place if that happens.
 
Part 3: Holy War
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Makurian warriors preparing for war

The rule of Gabriel was barely a month old when the threat that he had feared and preached of came about, for Emir Abdullah of the Tujibid Emirate in Southern Egypt proved himself a treacherous dog and declared a holy war upon Makuria, attempting to wrest the northern counties of Nobatia from the Makurians.

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The people were in shock at the suddenness of the assault, and yet they gained a newfound respect for the prophetic abilities of Gabriel, and were all the more willing to believe him and follow his lead.

And so Gabriel called up the warriors of Makuria to face the Egyptians, even though the enemy outnumbered them, and he sent out word for the other Nubian rulers for aid.

"Tell them this," he said to the messengers, "That should we fall here, then we shall not be last, for the covetous eyes of the Muslims will be cast upon them next."

Yet of them, only proud Maththias of Nubia and brave Soizuros of Hayya answered the call, and though their warriors were few, Gabriel felt that they were sufficient to the task along with his own men and the commanders that he had sought out and brought to Makuria for just such a purpose.

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Even as they marched to war, Gabriel put the finishing touches to the treatise he had been working on, for validation by the fellow members of his order. And all who read it praised it but for Sultan Yazid of the Muhallabid Sultanate, the liege lord of the Emir of Tujibid.

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"The master shows his true colours," pronounced Gabriel, "For the servant would not attack us so were it not for his master's blessings. And I perceive that it shall not be long before he too shall move against us."

Now fear had gripped the heart of Abdullah at the alliance of the Nubian nations, and he was loath to engage in combat, and so Gabriel proposed to take the war to the enemy. Therefore the armies of the alliance marched north, into Buhairya, and there they laid siege to the strongholds of the foe.

Not until the castle there fell, in the ninth month of the war, did the foe bestir himself, but deigning to engage in combat, he instead marched into Dotawo.


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When word of this reached Gabriel, he took the army south to deal with them, as now they numbered three for every two of the foe. And at Pakhoras on the banks of the Nile, Nubian warriors first went into combat under the eye of Gabriel.

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A the armies drew up before each other, Gabriel stood before the men of Nubia and he spoke unto them.

"This day, this battle decided the fate of Nubia, for should we fail this day then the last hope for our people shall fall. The Egyptians shall sweep across our lands, enslaving our women and children, burning down our temples and forcing you to slave for them until you die. But we shall not fail! These followers of a false god fear you as they see the numbers arrayed against them and perceive the nobility and strength of your hearts and wills. Let them cling to the hope of superiority of arms. It will avail them little. We shall drive them from our lands and slay them until such time as the thought of facing a Nubian warrior again puts fear into their hearts!"

Then the men took up their arms and shields and with a great cry advanced upon the foe.

The battle was long and hard, and grievous wounds were struck on both sides and though the right flank of the Nubian army wavered and threatened to collapse, the centre and left held strong and pushed forward, routing the foe and inflicting terrible losses upon them.

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When the sun set upon the field of battle, more than half the Muslim horde lay dead, while one out of ten Nubian warriors were lost. The loss was felt heavily by Gabriel, but a great victory had been won and the threat of the Emir had been broken.

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It was only then, when the threat was no more, that Kuriakos, Count of Aydhab, slothful, deceitful and arbitrary, a man who had bowed before the might of the Abbasid and offered them tribute, bestirred himself and offered to join in the war.

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Little need did Gabriel have for the warriors of Kuriakos, but he was a gracious man and accepted them none the less, and they took part in mopping up the last of the enemy and occupying his lands until at last, almost two years after the war began, the Emir was forced to come grovelling to the feet of Gabriel, and offer restitution for his unjust war and sue for peace.

And then did Gabriel return home, to his wife and studies, but there he found Queen Prisisilla involved in the frivolities of new fashions and Gabriel was most vexed.

"Do you not know that men have fought and died for God, and yet this is what occupies your time?"

Then did the faith of Gabriel and his wife burn strong and zealous.

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The wealth brought in as spoils of war was soon put to good use as Gabriel began the construction and outfitting of a laboratory to aid in his research, assisted by the ever reliable Khael Azim, who had grown close in friendship with Gabriel.

As they worked upon it, Gabriel perceived that his friend was distracted and enquired as to the reason.

"My wife has announced that she is with child," Khael told him.

Gabriel was most pleased for his friend and in due course Rahmiah bore Khael a son whom they named Krisanthos.

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Long and hard was the work put into the laboratory, and great the expense but in time it was completed, a work of wonder and marvel with no equal in the land or those beyond.

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Gabriel was most pleased by it, but his pleasure was short lived for word soon came to him that the Sultan Yazid had bestirred himself had raised an army to attack Nobatia as his minion had down before, for if the servant could not accomplish it then the master desired to do so.
 
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So much for the baqt, eh? I wonder if Gabriel intends to take the fight back to them in revenge...of course, that doesn't quite seem like his style, exactly.
 
So much for the baqt, eh? I wonder if Gabriel intends to take the fight back to them in revenge...of course, that doesn't quite seem like his style, exactly.

Its a shame the baqt can't be represented in game. Maybe in CK3. The latest DLC does make Makuria pay tribute to the Abassids to try and prevent such early attacks, but making a custom ruler breaks that. Hence the attack.

As for Gabriel, well, all will be revealed soon :)
 
A good war, but clearly with a another to come. Gabriel begins to make his mark
 
I very much like the style of this, haven't ever seen another AAR on the same lines. Looking forward to more.
 
A good war, but clearly with a another to come. Gabriel begins to make his mark

It was a bit tricky to arrange the battle. Despite having the numerical edge, they had the tech edge. Makuria (in fact all of Nubia and Abyssinia) start with no tech. The Egyptians have 1 level in light infantry, heavy infantry and military organisation and 2 levels in cavalry. A small boost, but still it gives them an edge.

The other problem is the Nile, which weaves its way through the region and can make it difficult to arrange a battle that doesn't involve a river crossing. The penalties for that would have led to a defeat.

It didn't help that only one of my good commanders took part in the battle - the allied armies took over the other two places, including replacing the strong & brave 22 martial commander with a 5 martial one.

Still, a win is a win.
 
Part 4: Holy War, Redux
And so again did Gabriel raise a force to meet a heathen foe, and he put forth a call to arms but only Count Maththias of Nubia answered.

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Thus did Gabriel say unto Maththias; "Oh faithful Son of Nubia, once more in the hour of need have your ridden forth to aid our righteous cause, and this will not be forgotten. And it may be that if we fight alone we may fall, but if that be so, then we shall make such a stand as to remind the Egyptians of what a true man looks like, and perhaps our sacrifice shall inspire timid hearts to rise up."

"Nay Lord," Count Maththias responded, "It shall not be so, for even alone we shall more than match the foe, if not in numbers, then in courage and valour, and yay, even eclipse them."

And gathering the forces available to him, Gabriel once more led them into Egypt.

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Then came news unexpected, for messengers from the south came unto him, from Aydhab, Kassala and Alodia, stating that they were ready to march to war alongside the Makurians, and while the men of King Zaharias of Alodia and Chief Thoma of Kassala were light tribal warriors, they were welcome still.

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And even as the allied forces marched, Gabriel besieged the places of strength of the enemy, and dared them to attack before his full number was assembled, but terror once more had stricken the hearts of the foe and they declined to engage.

The strain of the wars and of the great effort that Gabriel had undertaken began to wear on even his noble body, and in the camps of the besiegers he, as with many others, was stricken down with dysentery. It was not his destiny to die then, though, for his good friend and physician Khael worked a most successful treatment upon him, that restored his vigour, yet not even that could cure it, and in silence Gabriel suffered, for the sake of the nation.

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Yet he would not allow such a concern to impede the course of the war, and soon all the holdings of Buhairya had been reduced and taken.

That was not enough to deter the heathen Sultan, for his lands were still yet vast, and rich. Even as Gabriel prepared to march his army once more, missives arrived to him from the Coptic Pope, admonishing him to turn aside from his studies of the stars and the heavens. Perhaps it was the sickness that he still suffered from, or the stresses he was under that made Gabriel respond as he did, but he was sharp and forthright with the head of the Faith.

"Has not God Most High set the course of the stars in the skies? How then can I turn aside from the study of them, to uncover what He would reveal to us? No, I say, no! You may sit in your gilded cage beneath the heels of the heathen, but I shall not! I shall fight them for as long as breath remains in my body, for the Glory of God Most High, and I shall seek out knowledge where ever it may be to aid that cause. I say to you that if I am wrong, then God shall strike me down, but if I am correct then upon your head be it."

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All were amazed at the speech of the King, sick and pale as he was, for it has sparked a bravery in him that was to burn bright and fierce.

Then taking to his mount, Gabriel rode forth at the fore of the combined army, and they prepared to cross the Nile to assault the forces of the Sultan waiting upon the far bank, in Aswan.

And there Gabriel, still wan from his sickness, did address the gathered warriors of Nubia.

"See there, gathered across the waters, are the heathen dogs, trusting in it to protect them. But is not the Lord Most High, the Lord of Hosts, master of the Nile just as he was of the Red Sea and the Jordan? It shall avail them not. Press on, my brave brothers, and send them to the fires of eternal damnation that they so richly deserve. By days end the Lord will give us victory!"

The two armies were near equal in numbers, but for the light infantry of the tribal chiefs, of which Gabriel had twice the number, and these led the way across the Nile. The Sultan's army was well dug in on the far bank, and the losses among the troops first across were heavy. Fierce anger burned in Gabriel as he watched his men cut down and he drew his sword and plunged into the fray, little caring for his own safety. A renewed vigour gripped the Nubian warriors at the sight of the sickly Makurian King in action, and they pushed back against the foe. First to collapse was the left flank of the Egyptians, allowing the Makurian right to press on against the centre, sending it into flight as well. For a while the Egyptian right fought on before it too at last was routed. And it was from this battle that King Gabriel learnt much on how to lead the heavy infantry that were the core of his army.

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A thousand Egyptians lay strewn across the field of battle, slain, and almost seven hundred Nubians were among them, of which two thirds were from the light infantry, and once more did the waters of the Nile run red.

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Yet the Sultan in his vanity would not yet surrender, and his men retreated into the mountains of Quena, in the hope that it would strengthen his cause, but his men were tired and weary and they would not stand. A religious fervour gripped Gabriel as he pursued them, hounding at their heels, even to capturing one of the Sultan's vassals, Sheikh Abu-Bakr of Sinai. Though many pressed the great king to put the heathen to death, Gabriel stayed his hand.

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Despite the end being nigh and obvious to all, the Sultan tried to rally his army, to raise new troops to his cause, to fend off the coming disaster, and in between the sieges to reduce the strongholds of the enemy, Gabriel's men fought in a number of small skirmishers, and while they held the advantage, it was not without loss, for in one of them, one of his foreign warriors, the Frank Faroin, was slain.

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Yet the end was inevitable, and the cancerous, stubborn Sultan Yazid was at last forced to prostrate himself before the victorious Nubians, to sue for peace, even as he offered up the wealth of his Sultanate with which to buy peace.

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And Gabriel returned home, well pleased, though a darkness still lingered over him.

To the gathered chiefs of the Nubians he spoke once more. "Can you not see the strength that we have together? Once more I beseech you to cast aside your pride, your vanity, and to join together."

Some there were that wavered, chief among them being Count Maththias of Nubia, but the others retained their stubborn pride and answered nay.

Then did Gabriel say to them, "If you shall not bow, you shall kneel."

And as they left to head to their lands, the Nubian chiefs were worried by his words and their meaning.
 
If he cannot unify them by a common enemy, then perhaps he will unify them by force...Gabriel's turning into a real scary dude.
 
A man of destiny is rarely comfortable to be around.