As the 11th Century neared its end, the future of the Byzantine Empire seems bleak. Alexios I Komnenos, a tested leader and emperor of the remnants of the once great realm has, after years of bloody conflict reached out to the Papacy and Christendom at large for aid. Hoping for a band of mercenaries large enough to help drive out the Seljuq Turks he dispatched ambassadors to Pope Urban II in March of 1095. At the Council of Piacenza the Pope reacted favourably to the plight of the Romans, believing that to support the east in their time of need then the Great Schism of four decades passed could finally be mended.
So it was in November of that same year that Pope Urban spoke before three hundred clerics. At first the Cluniac Reforms were discussed, and the excommunication of Philip I of France was extended. Then, on November 27, Pope Urban spoke of the troubles in the east and called forth for all of the faithful to take up arms against the muslims in defense of the Eastern Roman Empire. In order to promote this cause, the Truce of God was passed, limiting Christian infighting to three days a week.
The call to arms spread like wildfire among the Franks, many thousands taking up the call. So great was the religious fervour that even Pope Urban was taken aback by the support for the campaign. Yet this led itself to some of the more unfortunate events which would taint the holy mission for years to come. Jews along both sides of the Rhine were viciously attacked by apparent crusaders, thousands butchered by roving bands of knights and men-at-arms months before the departure of the official crusaders. Such was the tragedy that mothers murdered their own children to spare them the horror of the pain inflicted on them by the Franks.
Even as the Jews were being targeted in France and Germany, Peter the Hermit led an army of crusaders east ahead of the true host. In Hungary Peter's undisciplined horde fought the natives for food, capturing Belgrade as they sought supplies. Once within the Roman Empire, those same crusaders pillaged the lands as they went, prompting Emperor Alexios to ferry them across the Bosporus into Asia Minor. There, still pillaging the lands, the crusade was struck by the Turks and destroyed before it could achieve anything.
Now, however, the Prince's Crusade has ventured forth from western europe, led by some of the great princes of Christendom. At their command is a warhost far greater than Emperor Alexios has anticipated, who has now grown suspicious of the crusaders thanks to the actions of Peter the Hermit, and the fact that his former Norman enemies now stood with the army.
And yet, deus vult, "God Wills It". The Holy Lands will be reclaimed from the muslim hordes, whether the Roman Emperor helps them or not.
Setting
The date is April 1097. At Constantinople, encamped outside the great walls of the Roman capital, is the crusader army. Brought together in faith only, this army is as divided as it is large. Believing that Alexios I was to take command, the principal leaders of the host have yet to name a true leader among their number, something that will cause great hardship in the future.
The Roman Emperor intends to take the oaths of the crusaders and then gift them with supplies and transport enough to ferry them across into Asia Minor to pursue their conquest. From then, it will be up to the crusaders to see the will of God made true, or let the muslim menace reign supreme.
Gameplay
Players will take control of the principal princes and noblemen among the crusader army, as well as the priests and religious leaders who proved themselves in maintaining the morale of the army at its lowest points. The size of their personal hosts can either be agreed upon or subject to a RNG.
Once the crusade nears its terminus, the powerful noblemen within the army will start to look towards the lands they can claim and the riches that will become theirs. Some came east to save their souls, and so will leave once the war is over. Others, however, left everything in order to make a new life in the Holy Lands. As such, whether through pacts with other lords or via deceit the crusader states will arise. They will not follow their historical counterparts, some cities will rise above others and perhaps Jerusalem will not see it becoming the seat of a new kingdom. The possibilities can be compared to infinity.
For non-battle RP, players post normally, be it describing their character's thoughts and feelings or engaging in conversation and politics with the other players. Unless otherwise specified interacting with minor NPCs is left entirely to the discretion of the players (meeting with men-at-arms, finding spiritual healing with a priest ect). In addition, some decisions or actions by players can have rippling affects across the entire game. For example the actual route of the crusade is left to the crusaders, as is the methods in which they attain enough supplies to reach the next target. Sometimes it will bring a quick benefit and other times the true results will not bee seen until later on.
For battles, the OP will make an introductory post, informing the players of the arrival of the enemy. Players will then go on to make "battleplan" posts alongside their regular RP posts. These will detail the composition and arrangement of the battleline, as well as making mention of the initial tactics to be utilised. Then the OP will make a "result" post which details the initial stages of the battle. If necessary subsequent posts will go between players as they attempt to overcome the enemy. RNG will be used for the effectiveness of certain tactics and general combat, however terrain, tactics and well developed RP will play key roles in deciding events.
In regards to consequent player v player combat, the above can be used - with the amendment that tactics and "surprises" can be withheld and TGed to the OP so that they can post a collective "results" post which details the victor - or can use the below:
Both players, after posting their "battleplan" post, can then send their tactics to the OP, who then publicly posts the first "result" post. This method of TGed tactics and public results (minus secret movements, or others at OP discretion ect) then continues until the battle is finished. The advantages of this is that there is no metagaming as neither player can "see" their opponent's moves until it is over.
Depending on the battle, maps will be used. In others, only descriptions will be available.
Principle Members of the Crusade
- Adhemar - Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States
- Raymond
- Bohemond - Of The Quendi
- Tancred - Austria and Bavaria
- Godfrey - Apostolic Hungary
- Baldwin
- Hugh - Filimons
- Robert - Paketo
- Stephen
- Robert II - Western Pacific Territories
- Peter
Application
Below is the application form. You can either apply as one of the above members of the crusades, or, create a custom nobleman. It should be noted that a custom nobleman should have a real world counterpart - no creating a dukedom where one did not exist until a hundred years later. In addition, depending on the rank of the custom character, it will remove one of the above members, for sake of balance.
The ranks include:
- Princely (prince or princess, be it child of a former king, a reigning king or previous or current emperor). They can muster the greatest number of men.
- Ducal (duke, dukess, margrave, marquis, landgrave, or a child of them)
- Comital (count, countess, sibling or child of a reigning count or countess, earl, viscount, grafs)
- Episcopal (bishops of a dioceses)
- Clerical (priests or deacons). They can muster the lowest number of men.
Court refers to any family or close advisers brought with them. It is noted that in the historical crusades entire families took up the cause and went east on the armed pilgrimage. Many would die before Jerusalem was captured.
- Code: Select all
[box][size=150]App[/size][hr][/hr][b]Name[/b]:
[b]Date of Birth[/b]:
[b]Rank[/b]:
[b]Personality[/b]:
[b]Biography[/b]:
[b]Court[/b]:
#IronAquila - do not remove[/box]
