Deus Vult: The First Crusade [IC]

[Austria and Bavaria]

Deus Vult: The First Crusade



"This land which you inhabit, shut in on all sides by the seas and surrounded by the mountain peaks, is too narrow for your large population; nor does it abound in wealth; and it furnishes scarcely food enough for its cultivators. Hence it is that you murder one another, that you wage war, and that frequently you perish by mutual wounds. Let therefore hatred depart from among you, let your quarrels end, let wars cease, and let all dissensions and controversies slumber. Enter upon the road to the Holy Sepulchre; wrest that land from the wicked race, and subject it to yourselves ... God has conferred upon you above all nations great glory in arms. Accordingly undertake this journey for the remission of your sins, with the assurance of the imperishable glory of the Kingdom of Heaven." - Pope Urban II

It is the year of our lord 1096. His Holiness Pope Urban II has, at the request of the Byzantine Emperor, called for a Crusade to reclaim the Holy Land from the Infidel. The lords of Europe must now put asides their petty quarrels, take up the cross and reclaim the Holy Land for Christendom! God wills it!

Hello, and welcome to my latest RP. Here, you shall be roleplaying as a Crusading Lord, who has pledged himself to liberate the Holy Land from the Infidel. You have just arrived in Constantinople, capitol of the Byzantine Empire, to meet with Alexios Komemnos, the Byzantine Emperor, at whose request you have been sent to the Holy Land.

~Dramatis Personae~

Player Characters:

Cardinal Mario di Ravenna, Papal Legate - Chan Island

Manluas Hendrikilopos, Duke of Thessaloniki - Military Lands of the Scottish People

Louis, Count of Flanders - Austria and Bavaria

Pol Albrecht - Wessexx

Ylva Eriksdotter - Kinky Bastards

Nicola Alesi - Camelone

Robert Jeffrey Cole - Arlye Austros

Faust Jaques - Wessexx

NPC Characters:
Alexios Komemnos - Byzantine Emperor

Anna Komemna - Daughter of the Byzantine Emperor, future author of the Alexiad

Urban II - Pope

Kilij Arslan I - Sultan of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum

Abūl-Qāsim ’Ahmad al-Mustā‘lī bil-Lāh - Fatimid Caliph

Kostandin I - Lord of Armenian Cilicia

Yaghi-Siyan - Seljuk Governor of Antioch

Duqaq - Emir of Damascus

Kerbogha - Seljuk Atabeg of Mosul

Fakhr al-Mulk Radwan - Sultan of Aleppo

Danishmend Gazi - Melik of the Danishmends

Al-Afdal Shahanshah - Vizier to the Fatimid Calpihate

Iftikhar al-Dawla - Fatimid General

Theme Song: https://youtu.be/GvrOlKUUSlI

OOC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=366261

[Austria and Bavaria]

Louis, Count of Flanders
The Palace of Blachernae, Constantinople, The Byzantine Empire

The Palace of Blachernae was beautiful. Louis gazed in wonder at it's magnificence as he walked down it's halls on his way to meet with the Byzantine Emperor Alexio Komemnos. It was at the emperor's request that Pope Urban had called a crusade. Louis had already met briefly with the Emperor at his arrival. Alexios had been... wary of the crusaders. This seemed to be because the previous group of Crusaders passing through, led by Peter the Hermit, mostly an undisciplined peasant rabble, had caused a good deal of trouble in Constantinople. Fortunately, the Flemish troops, particularly the Knights, were well disciplined. Louis and the other Crusading lords then turned a corner in the hall, and stood before a great door, the door the the Emperor's court. After brief moment, the door opened, and before them stood Alexios Komemnos, Byzantine Emperor.

[Kinky Bastards]

Miklagård. The great city. It was just as magnificent as in the stories her grandfather, who had served in the Varangian guard in his youth, had told her. Ylva was amazed by the size of the city, and its architecture. There was nothing like this in her northern homeland.

The norsewoman was the only female crusader leader here, and likely anywhere else too. She waited for emperor Alexios, just as the rest of them, the men. Warriors and priests. She wondered how the emperor (and the other lords) would react to her gender, given that he probably had no knowledge of her husband Orm's demise, recent as it still was. But if he wanted her men, he had no choice but to accept her. Simple as that.

The door finally opened, slowly. Too slow, she thought, but it was likely done on purpose to build up the suspense. It worked. Even Ylva was quite nervous.

[Wessexx]

Pol Albrecht
Uncertainty. The eternal nemesis of mankind. Pol was getting well antiquated with humanity's foe while he walked with the other crusading lords to meet with the Byzantine Emperor. The grandest palaces he ever came across in his home country were simply the dingy estates of minor aristocrats, indeed this was the last bastion of the ancient Roman legacy. As they neared a corner Pol reminded himself of what Faust had him memorized in order to bring up at the meeting. He was quite disappointed that again someone else had to think for him, yet he was somewhat grateful he had at least something to talk about.

---

Faust Jaques
Faust patrolled the markets near the Emperor's palace, having been denied access to the meeting since he was not a lord of noble blood. Luckily, the noble assigned by the Count of Luxembourg to supervise his control of the army was easily manipulated. Faust felt somewhat bad exploiting the old man but it had to be done in order for his interests to be represented in the meeting.

The exotic sounds and smells intoxicated him, urging him to wallow in it but he knew better. After a session of meaningless wandering Faust remembered he would get his wife a gift for when he returned. So as he went searching the oddities that filled the marketplace his mind was constantly harassed by ideas of what the next actions of the crusaders would bring.

[Annihilators of Chan Island]

The archbishop walked into the room was all the grace that could afforded such a man. Richly dressed in all the finery, gold and red of a cardinal-archbishop, the man observed the assembled crusaders. Speaking before the Emperor Alexios Komemnos could arrive, he announced in latin" The bishop Adhemar le Puy has been delayed on this journey: in his absence I will have to be the papal legate."

Waiting until the various chaplains and preachers had translated for their lords in the myriad languages of Europe, the legate continued" I am Mario di Ravenna, representative of his most holy papacy Urban II. May our cause be true and may God smile upon our future struggles. I hope the Emperor of the Romans will be here shortly. Then we can prepare our holy war against the barbarous pagans who blasphemously desecrate holy Jerusalem with their mere presence."

Waiting until the chaplains had translated for him, he finished" While we wait for the Emperor, I would like to propose that we will pray for fortune..."

With that, three altar boy arrived into the room. One was carrying a flail of incense, another a bowl of holy water, the last the bowl of communion bread and a glass of wine. The cardinal-archbishop began" Let us pray."

[Austria and Bavaria]

Louis, Count of Flanders
The Palace of Blachernae, Constantinople, The Byzantine Empire

The Emperor rose from his throne and greeted the crusaders, speaking in Latin."Welcome to Constantinople. I hope you have found your accomadations in Constantinople acceptable. I thank you for coming here to drive back the Muslim hordes. However, I have one request, you must all swear an oath to return whatever lands you conquer to the Byzantine Empire." The Emperor than sat back in his throne.

[Kinky Bastards]

Ylva listened with half an ear to what the archbishop said, as it was rather the East Roman emperor that caught her attention. Well, truth to be told, she didn't listen at all to the archbishop, but rather to the Burgundian monk by her side, who were her translator, as well as confessor and Latin teacher. He had been in a Danish monastery first, before coming to serve in Orm's family. And now since Orm had gone to heaven, he was now in her service.

However, if she had not listened much, she still closed her eyes and clutched her hands, partaking in the prayer the archbishop had announced. When it was done, the emperor rose from his throne. The monk translated his words. Ylva allowed them to sink in. Then she waited. No one else seemed to step forward. Very well then.

"I thank you, your majesty, on behalf of Orm Sigurdsson and his men." She paused and allowed for her interpretor to translate her words into Latin. "We are most pleased with our accomodations. Sadly, however, Orm is no longer with us. He fell in battle against the infidels at the Balearic Islands. As such, I, his wife, Ylva Eriksdotter, have taken command over the Swedish force." The woman bowed her head and put her right hand over her heart. "I swear, your majesty, that all land we conquer, shall be given back to the Byzantine empire." Though in her mind she added one sentence. "You may keep the land, but I and my men will keep the gold."

[Camelone]

Nicola looked at the Emperor and said "All lands that were under the temporal rule of the Byzantine Empire will be returned to you but the holy city of Jerusalem is the center of Christianity and I wish to petition your Imperial Highness to contemplate setting up a vassal kingdom ruled jointly by a Orthodox and a Catholic king so there will be no future conflict between East and West." Knowing this might be a long shot Nicola still tried as he did not trust the ruler of the largest Schismatic empire, his duty to protect Christendom triumphed over his distrust though which led him here. "I mean no disrespect by this proposition, I just wish to guarantee the further united front against the hordes."

[Kinky Bastards]

Nicola looked at the Emperor and said "All lands that were under the temporal rule of the Byzantine Empire will be returned to you but the holy city of Jerusalem is the center of Christianity and I wish to petition your Imperial Highness to contemplate setting up a vassal kingdom ruled jointly by a Orthodox and a Catholic king so there will be no future conflict between East and West." Knowing this might be a long shot Nicola still tried as he did not trust the ruler of the largest Schismatic empire, his duty to protect Christendom triumphed over his distrust though which led him here. "I mean no disrespect by this proposition, I just wish to guarantee the further united front against the hordes."

Ylva nodded, but remained quiet. The Norman's proposal made much sense. They were here to fight for Christendom, not as some sort of mercenaries for the Byzantines. And while the Swedes had no intention of taking land for themselves here, so far from home, and didn't really care much about who ruled it, that didn't necessarily mean that Alexios could have it all. Again, she stepped forward.

"I must humbly say that I agree with sir Nicola. Jerusalem is God's city. It shouldn't belong to any of our nations. It's too holy for that."

[Annihilators of Chan Island]

Nicola looked at the Emperor and said "All lands that were under the temporal rule of the Byzantine Empire will be returned to you but the holy city of Jerusalem is the center of Christianity and I wish to petition your Imperial Highness to contemplate setting up a vassal kingdom ruled jointly by a Orthodox and a Catholic king so there will be no future conflict between East and West." Knowing this might be a long shot Nicola still tried as he did not trust the ruler of the largest Schismatic empire, his duty to protect Christendom triumphed over his distrust though which led him here. "I mean no disrespect by this proposition, I just wish to guarantee the further united front against the hordes."

Ylva nodded, but remained quiet. The Norman's proposal made much sense. They were here to fight for Christendom, not as some sort of mercenaries for the Byzantines. And while the Swedes had no intention of taking land for themselves here, so far from home, and didn't really care much about who ruled it, that didn't necessarily mean that Alexios could have it all. Again, she stepped forward.

"I must humbly say that I agree with sir Nicola. Jerusalem is God's city. It shouldn't belong to any of our nations. It's too holy for that."

The archbishop was eager to jump on this bandwagon. Clearly his fellow crusaders knew how to deal at least with Jerusalem" I agree with my fellows. As the holy city of God, only the Pope is vested with the authority to administer the city."

[Austria and Bavaria]

Louis, Count of Flanders
The Palace of Blachernae, Constantinople, The Byzantine Empire

Count Louis joined in the fray. "Indeed, we can promise to return any part of Anatolia we capture, but nothing more."

Alexios stood, obviously displeased. "Very well then. But expect little aid or love from the Empire." Alexios then waved his hand, signalling for the Crusaders to leave.

[Wessexx]

Pol Albrecht
Pol looked worryingly at the other crusading lords, it seemed that most of them had hidden agendas that were indulged upon in this meeting. He recognized such court intrigue from the dreadful banquets the nobility in his homeland often hosted. The byzantine emperor looked quite annoyed with them so he thought of using one of the plans Faust came up with to get him in a better mood. He turned to his chaplain to translate his response.

"Forgive my insolence, your majesty, for speaking out of turn. Namely, as I am not in complete control of the Luxembourg army I do not have final say but I give my word as a follower of Christ that the Luxembourg army will return all land, valuables, and riches formerly belonging to the Byzantine Empire and its people back to its original owners." Pol hoped that this lavish exposition would make sway the Emperor into slightly favoring his army, nevertheless his nervousness and meekness may hinder that goal.

[Annihilators of Chan Island]

The Archbishop had no more to say about the Emperor then. In his mind, the Emperor was turning his back on God by not allowing the holy city to be administered by the rightful leader of Christendom, the Pope. Never mind. He was still going to cross the Bosporus and take the holy city of Jerusalem, no matter the costs.

He went down to his army and announced to the assembled" The Emperor of the Romans has denied to aid us- this is a shocking fall rom grace, a turning from the light. But nonetheless we shall stand strong, and move on even without the aid of the Emperor. Gather your things, prepare your weapons and polish your armor- we will be crossing as soon as the Emperor permits it."