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CrackdToothGrin

Mercenary Face Builder
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Mar 18, 2007
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Okay, here's another attempt at an AAR, even though the pain of losing my notes for my previous Polish AAR are still fresh in my heart... :(

Anyways, I have made a bunch of new maps for this, and hopefully they turn out okay. (Well, they better, since I spent forever on them in Photoshop!)

This is an attempt at a Nubian AAR, grand campaign style from 1066 to however modern I can get it. Hopefully, I can avoid being crushed and remember to keep my employees away from my stacks of paper and notes and actually finish this thing... Enjoy! :D

base.jpg

What Began as a Dream...
A NubiAAR by Crackdtoothgrin


Prologue:


Bordered on the west by the mighty sands of the Sahara Desert, and situated in an arid, cliff-ridden plateau forming the middle-headwaters of the serpentine Nile River, the people of Nubia had no choice but to remain tough to survive. Originating from the ancient peoples migrating north from the “Horn of Africa,” proto-Nubian civilization appeared some four thousand years before the birth of Christ. These peoples, known in antiquity as “A-Group” Nubians, had similarity with pre-dynastic Naqadan Upper Egypt. Gradually, over the next one thousand years, they were gradually replaced by “B-Group” peoples, as the former migrated back to the south, where the land was more fertile, or to the west, as the Sahara had not yet completed its desertification. Sometime around 2100 B.C.E., these “B-Group” peoples were supplanted by yet another alphabetically nomenclatural culture group, the “C-Group” peoples. While historians debate over the exact sequence of events that caused this cultural supplanting, it is widely believed that returning “A-Group” Nubians from the increasingly arid Sahara region caused this change to occur, as Type-A and Type-C Pottery from both cultures maintain unique similarities in the usage of geometric incisions and imitation basketry.

The temple at Philae
PhilaeTemple.jpg

The Nubians were not an isolated people, however, as archaeological evidence shows that Nubia served as a trade corridor for Egypt, where ivory and ebony wood was traded northward from tropical Africa to Old Kingdom Egypt. Circa 2040 B.C.E., the Egyptian Middle Kingdom began peacefully expanding its control southward, trading with the Nubians for gold, incense, ebony, ivory, and exotic animals. While the Egyptian control expanded, it was not violent, and, save for mercantile interaction, little diplomatic action was taken by either side.

As trade through Nubia from tropical Africa increased, so too did the wealth of the Nubian kingdoms. Eventually, the first legitimate kingdom in Nubia, the Kingdom of Kerma (So named for its presumed capital at the ancient city of Kerma.), was established around 1700 B.C.E. The Kings of Kerma were apparently powerful enough to organize labor for mass-construction projects, like massive walls and mud-brick tombs for the kings. The Nubians were also known for their skills in metalworking and pottery, which far surpassed their Egyptian counterparts to the north.


Ruins at Kerma
300px-Kerma-Deffufa.jpg

Eventually, the revival of Egyptian power under the New Kingdom from around 1500 forced the cessation of peaceful diplomatic actions between the Egyptians and the Nubians. By 1520 B.C.E., Thutmose I, the Egyptian Pharoah, had destroyed and annexed the Kingdom of Kerma down to the Fourth Cataphract on the Nile River, adding all of Northern Nubia to New Kingdom Egypt. They based themselves at the newly created administrative center of Napata, making the acquisition of Northern Nubia valuable economically, as it was the center of most Near- and Mid-East gold.

Later, the fragmenting Egyptain Kingdom was forced to pull out of Nubia, and the region gave rise to the Kingdom of Kush. The Kushites adopted many of their former master’s practices, such as the building of pyramids, as well as the adoption of the Egyptian religion. The Kushites survived longer than Egypt, even invading Egypt and controlling it (The Kushite Dynasty) in the eighth century B.C.E. for a short time. Shortly after, the kingdom fell prey to ambition, as various entities attempted to control it, fragmenting the region and making it vulnerable to attack. Despite this internal state of weakness, the Kushites were never annexed by the Roman Empire, instead remaining in their homeland in various chiefdoms and city-states until around the third century C.E.

Sometime around 350 C.E., the Ethiopian Kingdom of Aksum invaded Nubia, causing the weak Kushite government to fall apart. In time, three separate kingdoms would form in its place; Nobatia in the north, Makuria in the middle, and Alodia in the south. Church records show that Christianity penetrated the region in the fourth century, when bishop Athansius of Alexandria consecrated a man named Marcus as bishop of Philae in 373 C.E. Later records, written by John of Ephesus, show that a Monophysite Christian priest named Julian converted the nobles of Nobatia in 545 C.E., and those in Alodia in 569 C.E. However, differing records show that Makuria was converted to Roman Catholicism during the same period, and Greek records state that Nubia changed church allegiance from the Greek Orthodox faith to that of the Coptic church around 719 C.E. Casting doubt on the exact nature of Christianity in the region, although it is clear that it was the dominant religion in the area. Eventually, the middle kingdom of Nubia, Makuria, became the dominant power in the region, holding off repeated Arab invasions after the Arabic conquest of Egypt, finally signing peace in the capital of Old Dongola, allowing for relatively peaceful coexistence and trade.

Things continued peacefully, and the world progressed. The wealth and power of the Kingdom of Nubia increased in time, although the loose federation status of the three separate parts of the Kingdom kept the Nubians from uniting into a regional superpower as Arab dominance increased in the former Egyptian Kingdom. Eventually, the stage would be set, as al-Fatimiyyun, or the Fatimid Caliphate, and the Kingdom of Nubia stood precipitously on the edge, cultural and religious tensions rising across their hotly contested borders…
 
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Chapter One: “Opportunity”

GeorgiosofDongola.jpg

Georgios of Dongola, King of Nubia, stood on the battlements of the fortress at Qusr Ibrim, looking to the west, scanning the desert across the Nile for roaming bands of Bedouins intent on raiding the constant influx of Christian pilgrims. A stiff wind whipped across the cliff-top stronghold, and Georgios pulled his cloak tighter to his body to shield himself from it’s chilling effects. Looking down below, he saw the shallow river boats of his people fishing in the river as laborers, content with their toil, farmed the fertile alluvial wash along the banks of the serpentine river. It would be spring soon, and the flood waters would return, bringing with them the promise of a new harvest and increased prosperity for his people.

Turning around, Georgios walked into the fortress to his personal room, his wife, Syragia, sitting on the edge of the bed with a bundle of fabrics and garments. She seemd lost in her introspection, as she examined the rich cloths sent south by one of the many Arab merchants passing through to the Kingdom of Aksum to the south to collect exotics for eventual trade to the Europeans up north. He paused for a few moments, watching her, and then slowly rested his hand upon her shoulder.

SyragiaofNubia.jpg

“Dear, may I inquire as to what you are doing?”

She started, turning quickly to look him in the eyes before continuing, “I didn’t know you were there dear!” She paused, “I was just taking a look at some of these clothes. I can’t help but admire the skill.”

Georgios smiled inside his head, he knew what was coming next. Over the course of a few hours, during which he intentionally postponed his decision for sport, Georgios had made arrangements for the purchase of the new fabrics and textiles for his wife and court. While slightly expensive, it was not too much to bankrupt his kingdom, and the influx of new merchants would most certainly help to aid his struggling economy. Georgios could only hope that this would not become constant, as the gathering storm on his northern border with the Arab world seemed to be gaining in ferocity…

And so the flood waters came in time, bringing the new harvest and with them a son, as Syragia gave birth to Adnan in in the spring of 1068. Perhaps distracted by his fortune, and dealing with an increasingly expensive wife, Georgios had neglected to pay heed to the intense military buildup in the north, instead focusing on the raising of his child. Adnan was a handful, and Georgios seemed unable to handle the task of parenthood at first. However, this would have to wait, as the birth of a new year brought upon their winds terrible news.

Georgios stood once again atop the fortress, looking out, when he noticed a cloud rising on the trail from the north. Signaling for the captain of the guard, he placed the fortress on alert until one of the sentries signaled to Georgios that it was one of his messengers. As the man reached the gate, Georgios had him brought to his chambers. Bedraggled and tired, the man could barely speak.


“The Emir… of Cyrenaica… has declared war upon us! He has declared a Jihad to rid us off the face of the earth!”

Now, faced with his possible doom, Georgios sent the messenger on to the east, instructing him to raise the armies in the eastern territories as he himself raised eight hundred of his most loyal warriors and began the march north to Aswan. Sending word ahead, he received news that the scouts sent by his marshal, Badr Faras, had spotted an Arab force of 500 traveling south along the western bank of the Nile south of Aswan. With territorial difficulties, the Arabs would be hampered, being forced to cross at one of a handful of fordable rivers north of Qusr Ibrim.

Sending his instructions to Badr to hold his position, Georgios maneuvered his forces on a shallow flood plain near the approaching army and waited for their arrival. Several scouts later reported that the baggage trains and camp of the enemy had been spotted in neighboring Fatimid Gizeh. Keeping security tight and making sure to follow his opponent’s progress, Georgios waited for the army to arrive. On April the 18th, 1069, the Arab force was in plain sight.

Dawn broke over the cliffs in the east, casting long shadows on the western horizon as the host of 500 Arabs marched into view. Well drilled, they marched in perfect precision as a trio of horses, presumably led by a Sheik, marched ahead of their host. Georgios and his courtiers rode out to meet them. After a few minutes, they met an began to parley.

The Arab spoke first, keeping his distance, “I am Ishaq Banu Suleim ibn Falad, the Emir of Cyrene! I come to offer you something, if you’ll have me.”

Georgios squinted into the sun, pausing before answering, “Speak, Mohammedan, and we will see if your offer has merit.”

Ishaq smiled, a wry crack appearing in his bronze, sun-worn face as he spoke, hissing like a snake, “Turn these men around, pledge your life to Allah, and your kingdom to me, and you shall live. It should be easy to see my right to rule these lands. It is the only way. Allahu akbar!”

Georgios answered him only with silence as he turned around and rode back to his men. As he rode away, Ishaq could be heard yelling in the background, but Georgios paid no heed and ignored the Emir’s warnings. Heading back to his men, he had them prepare, calling the archers to come forward. In the distance, the enemy began his approach.

Shortly afterwards, the skirmish began as archers exchanged volleys of arrows and light infantry met in infrequent clashes. With the Nile to their back, the Arabs had little room to use their excellent horsemanship to any advantage, as the heavily armed forces of Georgios moved in, cutting down many of their opponents. Eventually, a gap in the fighting appeared, leading straight to the personal guards of Ishaq himself. Seeing the opportunity, Georgios led his personal guard into the fray, causing the enemy to break. He ordered none to be left alive.

Scouts reported that the Emir had headed back north and Georgrios hoped that the calm would have been the end. Then, a few weeks later, his second son Khalil was born. However, peace had not been signed, the war was still on. Word reached Georgios a few days later that the Cyrene general She’ban Yaseen had been seen traveling east towards Aswan with 600 men. Knowing that Badr was outnumbered by over two to one, Georgios had his host assembled and traveled north to meet She’ban. Within a month, Georgios reached Aswan, and the sight of the reinforcements kept a pitched battle from ensuing, as peace was signed with the shamed Emir of Cyrenaica in July.

The War against Cyrenaica
WaragainstCyrenaica.jpg

The next few years would be relatively peaceful, as Georgios worked to raise his children. His daughters, Khalida, Zara, and Tarifa were born in 1070, 1071, and 1076. His third son, Abdul-Rahman, was born in 1073, but died a few years later of an illness at the age of five. Raising them by himself was not easy, as Adnan had trouble making friends, and Khalida occasionally spoke to herself, but he decided to give them proper education, something his own father had not done to him when he was a child. In time, Adnan was given a military education, for his future as the firstborn son of King, and Khalil was raised by the best courtiers and nobles in and around Qusr Ibrim, and the capital of Old Dongola further down the river.

However, the delicate balance of evangelical Christianity and extremist Islam was constantly tested. The populace around Aswan, angered by their liege’s victory over their “rightful” Arabic rulers, continuously revolted against Georgios’s increasingly tighter rule. Taxes were levied and serfs were put to work on massive engineering projects. The relatively safe existence of the Nubian Christian kingdom gave rise to an increase of Christian immigrant and pilgrims, bringing much wealth to the king.

All seemed well, but ambition would later rise in Georgios as the oppressive Fatimid Caliphate splintered apart into separate entities. Constantly weakened by their continuous questing to reclaim Al Quds (Jerusalem) from their rebellious former vassals, the ripe territories north of the Nubian Kingdom looked all too easily conquered…
 
Very nice visuals and writing. Keep both up. :)
 
Awesome maps and everything. I like the writing style as well, easy to read.

The Fatimids are usually your doom if you're Nubia, but maybe, if you are careful...hmm.

Good luck in any case.
 
RGB said:
The Fatimids are usually your doom if you're Nubia, but maybe, if you are careful...hmm.

Odd, the AI and I seem to get into the most problems with Cyrenacia in my games; but maybe you mean DOWing the Fatimids is usually your doom if you're Nubia, which is very true. . . :D
 
Chapter Two: “Easy Pickings”

The stroke of the hammer fell hard on the Arabic world when the powerful Fatimid Caliphate splintered apart into eight different factions. Constant fighting, Arab-on-Arab Jihads for the right to rule Al-Quds, and the threat of European intervention emptied the coffers of the al-Fatimiyyun Caliphs, prompting many eyes to fall jealously on the rich flood plains…

Georgios, once again, stood looking out over the Nile from his fortress at Qusr Ibrim, when the sound of heavy footsteps drew his attention away from the serene river. As he turned, he saw his marshal, and good friend Badr of Faras approach with the captain of the guard, and the noble Walid of Dau, recent arrival from Alodia, the southern Nubian Kingdom. After exchanging the customary greetings, they walked deeper into the fortress, to a dimly lit room deep within its recesses. There, they gathered around a long low table.

“Your highness, our scouts have just returned from across al-Fatimiyyun’s borders with some, interesting information,” said Badr with a low smile.

To this Georgios responded, “And what, pray tell, have you learned?”

“The Fatimids have exhausted their own war effort. Attempts to take the Holy City have been successful so far, but they have neglected their southern border. Our scouts report forts left entirely ungarrisoned. It seems they have forgotten their ‘religious’ enemies to the south. It would be a shame to let such ripe lands stay under the sway of such heathens…” said Badr, before being interrupted by Walid.

“A shame also to rise against a people with such a strong faith, especially considering their representation amongst our people in the borderlands. The last thing we need is to have our own people split in twain between two different beliefs,” Walid added.

The Georgios spoke, “A shame as well, Badr, to let ambition masked by false piety lead our two cultures to war with one another. We both have tasted war, seen it left its mark on the faces of the fallen. Must we really risk the Arab world uniting against our kingdom? Do you believe that our sister kingdoms to the south will come to our aid? They’re too busy keeping the border safe against Aksum, and the Arab dependencies springing up along the southeast coast of Ifriqiya. I’ll need time to decide. Badr, Walid, come with me to dinner. We shall talk of this more after we eat.”


With that, the three men left to a grand feast. Later, after much talk, they would decide to set themselves on the course for war. In late July, Georgios had provisions stockpiled for a possibly lengthy campaign against the Fatimids. Later scouting would show that the contention between the Shi’a Fatimids, and the vast Sunni population in their Holy Land territories along the Levant and the Hamad Desert had provided, by themselves, a safe means for war without the unification of the Islamic world in the face of the Fatimid’s aggressive Christian neighbor.

In late November, diplomats were sent north to peacefully acquire the lands, but failed to return. Instead, they were returned south without their heads. Taking this as his cue, Georgios called upon his men to mobilize. Sending Badr to the northeast with only three hundred men, and himself taking 1,200, Georgios declared war on al-Mustali Skeik of Asyut and Muhammad Sjeik of Quena in November of 1080. There was no combat, despite the declaration of war by al-Fatimiyyun and the Sheikdom of Tripolitania for at least a year. In December of 1081, on Christmas Eve, the Arab Sa’id Salim attempted to fight the Nubian forces, but was unsuccessful. Consumed by civil war, the Fatimids had no choice but to formally declare peace in February of 1082.


Badr of Faras
arab_prince.jpg


Disintegration of the Fatimid Caliphate
1stWaragainsttheFatimids.jpg


During this time, the power structure in Nubia changed under the slight reforms of Georgios. The nobility was gradually given more power as the support for the church was lessened. In time, Georgios tightened his grip on his Muslim subjects, causing much contention. Hangings were commonplace and little quarter was given to Muslim criminals.

However, all of this took a backseat to the maturation of Adnan, the first-born Prince of Nubia. A proud, strong man, Adnan was, in Georgios’ mind, the “Chosen One,” the man who would lead Nubia into a thousand-year reign. He was married to Kata Bagratuni, a Georgian Christian Orthodox from Caspian Armenia Minor in March of 1085. Despite his ponderous size, Adnan was a modest, down-to-earth human, unlike his extravagant brother, Khalil, who matured the same year, marrying Zoe Choniates, the daughter of the Prince of Cyprus the following year.


Adnan of Dongola
AdnanofDongola.jpg


Kata Bagratuni
KataBagratuni.jpg


With his sons’ future set, and the security of his kingdom assured, Georgios retired to his personal chambers. Drifting off into a dream-filled sleep, he was awakened by the sounds of running in the hallways. Rising out of bed and quickly grabbing his sword, he stood at the ready when a loud rapport sounded on his chamber door.

He yelled, “Who dares to awaken me at this ungodly hour!”

“Sire, it’s Michael, Captain of the Guard. I have some terrible news…”

Laying the sword down, Georgios opened the door and looked the young Captain square in the face, “This had better be important.”

He nodded, “The city of Aswan has rebelled. They have declared a Jihad against all Christians! They are angry and declared themselves separate from us. Word is, that Norwegians, Scottish, and the English have set foot on Fatimid soil!…”
 
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Crush Aswan before the Crusaders do....and did you draw the portrait yourself?
 
VILenin- Thanks, I spend a lot of time on them because, owning a restaurant, I'm 'virtually' unemployed. :p

RGB- You'll see wha's going on with the Crusaders... Very, um, interesting. And, as for the portrait, I colorized and touched up some sketch. I can draw that well, but I don't have a stylus or a scanner, which should be rectified sometime this week.

As long as someone reads this I'll keep doing it. ;) I can understand a lack of established support though, kinda being, like, the "new kid on the block."
 
Well, it's definitely difficult if only a few people respond. Hard to keep motivated, but please do, I want to see where this goes.

It's too bad that most people you leave comments for don't return the favour.
 
Crusades timing worked out well for you, along with the disintegration of the Caliphate-in my games the Emir often takes out Nubia as well, not sure why. Hopefully Adnan doesn't let his father down.
 
Chapter Three: “Leftovers”

With the news of the revolt, Georgios quickly summoned his messengers. A few days later, a combined 1,000 men, led by Georgios himself, Walid of Dau, and Georgios’ son Adnan began their march north. They reached Aswan on March the 12th, 1086, and easily crushed the rebel army of three hundred. Quick to demobilize his troops in order to save his treasury, Georgios focused on the continued raising of his children. This was to change however, as news reached Georgios of the mass crusades taking place throughout Egypt and the Holy Land.

Two months after defeating the rebels, and after the arrival of news signifying the other European conquests, Georgios once again gathered his forces to strike the heart of the Muslim world. The Emirate of Cyrenaica was almost entirely overrun by the Duchy of Apulia, the Fatimids were almost entirely wiped out by a joint Norwegian-Scottish-English crusade, and even the Kingdom of Bohemia had lands in Muslim Jerusalem. Georgios quickly raised his forces, intending to claim the lands owned by the Sheikdom of Sarqihya.

Start of the Egyptian Crusades
Start-of-Egyptian-Crusades.gif

The weakened Fatimid armies were no match for the Nubian infantry, and a force led by Georgios struck Sarqihya in May, routing the enemy forces without combat. Meanwhile, the second army, led by Badr of Faras and Abdul-Qadir of Hagre waited just south of Cairo, hoping to exploit a possible Fatimid victory against the Norwegians. When victory seemed inevitable for Norway, Badr made his move, in order to capitalize on the lessened number of Norwegian troops. He reached Cairo’s siege in late June of 1086.

Fatimid Soldiers
fatimidsoldierbase.jpg


Nubian Infantry
NubianInfantry.jpg

Reinforcements by the Norwegians later in July would force Badr to move east to Sarqihya, to aid in the siege there. He reached Georgios in late August, aiding Georgios in its liberation on October the 20th, 1086. The war was financially draining, and Georgios had to return to Qusr Ibrim to manage finances, leaving Badr of Faras in charge of seven hundred men in Sarqihya. Meanwhile Walid of Dau and some eight hundred men undertook hasty action to claim Jerusalem, still in Fatimid hands, before other, crusading Europeans could reach it. On November the 15th, 1086, while marching north with reinforcements, Georgios received some terrible news as a horse messenger was spotted en route to the Nubian king.

As the messenger approached, he ignored the broken terrain, riding as if a man possessed. Once he was in earshot of the King, he said words which struck the noble to his core, “Your majesty, your son, Adnan, has been captured by the Fatimids! They are demanding a ransom!”

Resisting his impulse to have the young man killed for what he hoped was a cruel joke or even a dream, Georgios made arrangements to pay the ransom in full. A few days later, upon returning to garrison Sarqihya, a wagon containing the headless body of his son was delivered to the king. Upon the maimed body were crudely drawn Arabic words. Dismissing his interpreters, Georgios retired to his tent, never having those words translated. Harboring deep resentment for Walid of Dau, believing it was his idea to march on Al Quds, Georgios had all remaining regiments, including those of Badr of Faras and Abdul-Qadir of Hagre merge and march on Jerusalem. He believed and hoped that it would be a lost cause, the men responsible destined to die somewhere en route to the fabled city.

Throughout the end of the year 1086, Walid of Dau continued north, finally reaching the city (already in siege by the Fatimid’s former vassals) on January the 26th, 1087. Despite an attempt by al-Mustansir, the King of al-Fatimiyyun, to sally against the Nubian forces, Walid of Dau conquered Jerusalem on April the 19th. Upon returning home, and amidst heavy praise for Walid, Georgios publicly stripped the new Count of Jerusalem of his titles, instead giving the title to his second son, Khalil, as well as the title of Count of Sarqihya. Thanking his father, Khalil headed north to his new lands in late May of 1087.

End of the Egyptian Crusades
End-of-Egyptian-Crusades.gif


Badr of Faras died in November of the same year, and the court of Nubia swelled with the Bagratuni family, recent exiles of Caspian Armenia Minor. There, they related the atrocities of the nigh-unstoppable Seljuk Turks, serving only to further the King’s deepening resentment of Islam. Then, in 1088, angered at the loss of Al Quds and the treatment of Muslims inside Nubia, the Emirates of Jerusalem and Medina, and the Sheikdoms of Ar’ar and Hejaz declared war on the Kingdom of Nubia in February. Eager to sack Mecca, the holiest of Muslim cities, Georgios sailed across the Red Sea , landing on foreign soil with two thousand men in early May.

The siege underway, Georgios received word that the Emir of Medina, Zafir had landed on Nubian soil with over 2,500 men. Despite the easy progress of the siege, Georgios had to leave, returning to Nubia to prepare for the reconquest of his own soil. Word reached Georgios of the loss of Jerusalem, and he begrudgingly signed a peace treaty with the Emirate of Jerusalem in late May of 1088. Throughout May and June, Georgios managed to get peace agreements with the minor Sheikdoms, freeing his mind for rebuilding his forces against the sedentary armies of Zafir fortifying themselves in Nubia. A temporary distraction borne from the maturation of his daughter, Zara, gave the king time to calm the turmoil inside his own soul. He made Walid of Dau Diocese Bishop in June, hoping to gain some measure of peace with God, and gathered his forces for the attack.

In August, Georgios marched south from Quena, aided by some of his newly adopted family. He reached the Arabs in October, fighting against the 2,500 strong force with only 1,500 men. The gallantry of Gagik Bagratuni, brother to Adnan’s widow Kata, led to his untimely death, but provided the distraction necessary for Georgios to defeat the Emir on October the 4th, 1088. That same day, peace was signed, due to the death of Zafir.

The war exhausted the treasury as numerous businesses and the library were abandoned. All throughout the realm, Muslims fled or converted to Christianity. Increased power given to the nobility led to the “Nubian Inquisition,” as Muslims were converted at sword-point. Increasingly, Georgios began to be known as a racist and a tyrant. However, to his Christian subjects, Georgios was legendary. Defeating the Fatimids and being the first Christians to reclaim Jerusalem, however briefly, staved off attacks by power-hungry Europeans. Through diplomatic channels, Georgios also learned of the disintegration of France, as numerous counties, most notably Poitou, Anjou, and Champagne, as well as the Holy Roman Empire and England fought for control of the Frankish territory. On the Iberian Peninsula, the Reconquista had failed almost entirely, as Islamic hordes pressed themselves to the southern border of Poitou.

The people in Aswan rebelling almost monthly, and the threat of Europeans pushed Georgios deeper into aggression and sadness at the loss of his son. He married Zara to Murman Bagratuni, having much respect for the family that sired his granddaughter (Sajida of Dongola, born to Adnan in the previous year) and showed such bravery against the Emirate of Medina. In 1089, Yassir, the fourth son of Georgios, was born. Harangued by the raising of the Bagratuni children, Georgios instead opted to have Yassir raised by the local nobles. Dynastic confrontation seemed inevitable to Khalida, the schizophrenic daughter of Georgios, and she killed Madar Bagratuni in 1091, for which she was consequently executed by her father.

Upon the news that his son, Yassir, was a prodigy, Georgios began to regret his decision to abandon his son. Unable to alter the course of events, he instead focused on rebuilding his kingdom. In 1092, Tarifa, the third daughter of Georgios, was married to Petros Argyros from Athens. Still brooding over Adnan, Georgios tried one last time to sire a son, resulting in his elderly wife dying in childbirth on March 12th of 1094. Deranged, and convinced of a Muslim conspiracy, Georgios declared war on the Fatimids in August of the next year, seeing their desperate attempt at a Jihad against England. Catching the retreating armies in Farama, Georgios summarily executed all the captives by crucifixion, reminiscent of the Roman’s treatment of the slave captives on the Appian Way in 71 B.C.E. Farama was liberated, ending the Fatimid Caliphate on October the 23rd, 1095. Farama was then given to Khalil, to make up for the loss of Jerusalem.

Still in a mood for murder, Georgios marched his troops to Norwegian Cairo, treating the captives of an eight hundred man rebellion no better than those executed in the former Fatimid Caliphate. The executions concluded on Christmas Day, 1095, even though the lands themselves didn't belong to Georgios at all. With that, Georgios returned home, building up his treasury for one last war, the war which could spell an end to it all...
 
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I sure hope all of you enjoy this... It took me about six hours to make these maps... Ugh... (I still love it though :D )
 
Georgios isn't taking Adnan's death well- Khalil is the heir now? What sort of man is he I wonder. The maps were great stuff, good job. Looking forward to seeing how the Nubians assert themselves in the region now- a shame you couldn't grab Cairo or Alexandria- but I suspect you'll take back Jerusalem.
 
So the juicy parts of Egypt still elude you. And the family situation is tragic.

The maps are beautiful! Is this photoshopped?

EDIT: Where d'you get the pics of the Nubian and Arab soldiers?
 
Yes, they are photoshopped.

I keep testing different formats for the maps, but using a mouse on photoshop is like "painting with a brick" (I can't remember who said that.)...

The soldiers are made by using pictures from historical books as a base, and then painting and messing with filters, brushes, etc. until i get a "painted" effect.

And I never post without being a little ahead of myself, so I can write about the implications of my character's actions. It gets a little crazy...