BC-AAR: Rise of the Desert - An Ayyubid AAR

[Nevada]

hi there,

I just downloaded and played BC a bit and it is really great. but be aware that i also have to work on my mod, so I won't be able to post something new every day.

I'm also German, so excuse my english.

I tested a few factions and then i decided to play as the Ayyubids under Salahuddin.

and this is the history of the Ayyubids.
A story of Rise and Fall, of glory and death, heroic victories and average defeats, this is:

[

U]Rise of the Desert![/U]

a BC AAR by Nevada




Chapter 1:
Red Sands

Qahira, 1174.

Saladin took a huge breath on one of the numberless balconies of his great palace.
"My Sultan."
"What's up, Khadir?", he said to the huge, blackhaired man that just entered the balcony and weared a silvern chest.
"My Sultan, are you sure we should do this? If we get defeated, we will all be killed, they'll even search for every homeless we gave money to kill him!"
"Khadir, is it your task to make this to a success or mine?"
"It is your task, great Salahuddin. I was just worrying for all the lives we bring in danger. Yours, mine, the lives of our soldiers." and the live of Senna, he added in his brain.
"Khadir. If I would think this couldn't be a huge success, I wouldn't even think on doing this! And no discussion. Everything must be done exactly how it is planned, or all I, we, fought for will be lost."
"Yes, my Sultan."
Khadir left the balcony and went to his horse.
The 20 Mamluks that were waiting for him weared black clothes on their chests and they had the swords in their hands, which were trembling like young trees in the wind.
Khadir got on his black horse and the small group moved out of the palace directly in the darkness of Qahira. They moved quickly through the empty roads and some prostitutes screamed scared and jumped on the side to avoid getting killed through the hooves.

After 20 minutes, the small group arrived at a palace on the other side of the city. The palace was on an island in the middle of the Nile and only one bridge went over the river.
On the other side, in front of the hugest palace of Qahira, 2 huge men with spears and shields and the uniforms of the bodyguard of the Fatimid Sultanate were waiting for them.
Khadirs group stopped and they greeted each other. Those were the only words anyone would say on this evening.
The group went silently and carefully through the marmor corridors of the Palace and as they arrived at the etage with the bedrooms, every single one of the group entered another door.
The further Khadir came to the door of the Sultan, the more men left the group and went in the doors.
They killed everybody. The Harem, the daughters, the sons, the heirs, the dogs.
Then Khadir and the 2 men of the bodyguard entered the room of the Sultan.
There they saw him, in his testerbed with one of his wifes, both were sleeping and sweating.
During the assassins went through the room, towards the bed, the only thing that broke the silence was the deep breath of the 2 persons in the bed.

Khadir took his sword and with one, huge stroke, he separated the body and the head of the Sultan and the girl woke up, after she felt the warm blood of the death ruler. Before she could even get the air to scream, the 2 spears of the bodyguards got into her body and she died immediately.

The same things happened everywhere in the Sultanate, if in Damascus or Alexandria, the Fatimids got killed and the cityguards and garrisons, that knew Salahuddin from some wars before, made sure that Salahuddins sons and friends could rule the cities now.

The revolution went so silently, that nobody would have recognised it, when the banner of Salahuddin's dynasty, the Ayyubids, wouldn't be on the palace of the Sultan.

One day later, Salahuddin moved into the South to conquer Nubia, like the Pharaos in the ancient ages did.
Khadir and a huge army were following him and soon they reached Luxor, an indepandent city at the Nile, that would increase the taxes very much.

The city was sacked after 6 long months of siege and Salahuddin left only a small garrison there, he wanted to move southward to a small fortress called Aswan.

This small fortress was on a river crossing over the Nile and they were sacking every Ayyubid ship that moeved southward to trade. The garrison of this fortress was huger than Salahuddin's army (7:10) and very motivated.

But Salahuddin sieged it and attacked it.

And this will be known as

The Battle of Aswan

It was a cold night as Salahuddin started the attack.
The Ayyubid ramm, siege tower and leathers were moving out of the darkness towards the walls.
They got covered by many horse archers and a few bowmen and so it didn't take long unitil they reached the walls. The infantry climbed up the leathers and the tower and the battle began. Salahuddins trained and disciplined men fought against brave, wild Nubian Rebels that were much more than themselves.
Salahuddin's men had heavy losses, like the enemy, but then the ramm broke the gate.

Salahuddins complete cavalry and his bodyguard were moving into the fortress and the Nubians on the walls got scared. They tried to leave the walls, to get to the mainpart of their army, that was holding the Citadel.
They ran like headless chickens through the Ayyubid cavalry and the man made many prisoners.



But then the cavalry had to fight the Spearmen in the centre of the fortress and many good man died. This was the first time in this battle that Khadir had to fight, until now, the hooves of his heavy armoured horse had done the work.

His man lost the most of their motivation, as they couldn't defeat the Spearmen and so Salahuddin decided, against the advice of Khadir, to attack the Spearmen with his Bodyguard.

Khadir didn't want to do so, but he followed his Sultan and it came the beginning of the end.

The bodyguard crashed into the Spearman and Khadir killed many men with his sword, but then Salahuddin's horse fell and the Sultan himself fell on the spear of a death Nubian, and this was the end of the first SUltan of the Ayyubis.

Khadir jumped from his horse, killing 2 Nubians in his fall and got the dead body of his dead ruler on his horse.

Them he called to move out of Aswan back to Luxor, and the small rest of the army followed him and they tried to kill as many prisoners on their run.



But it was useless. They made too many prisoners and killed to less, so that the victim of Salahuddin didn't use anything to the trade of the Ayyubids.

During the unorganised move to Luxor, Khadir cried over Salahuddin's body and the future of egypt was unsecure again, even when the Ayyubid warleaders ahd a fe successes in Arabia and the North of Outremer.

Chapter One End

[King Xiao]

Nice job, looks like an epic slaughter

[Nevada]

it was, but an average defeat when you made 500 prisoners doesn't use anything!

[Miraj]

First AAR of the AAR forums and BC in general. Congrats.

[Osskssa]

I will hopefully start one soon (either ERE,Makuria or Rajputs).This one is off to a good start.

[Father Jack]

It looks as though it is off to a good start, keep it up

[Nevada]

First AAR of the AAR forums and BC in general. Congrats.

thanks!
a congrats from the boss! this means much to me^^

It looks as though it is off to a good start, keep it up

thanks, Mackios and nice avatar^^

and to everyone: I added a small banner on my AAR to the entry post (using the Ayyubid faction_unit pic and the symbol_80 banner) and i want to thank everyone who +reped me for this!

[Nevada]

one thing before: this is just Part One, as I have to fight with a CTD issue, but I'm fixing it at the moment, i just want to prepare you for what you'll read the next time^^

And I'm also sorry for any uncorrectness, especially in the religious aspect, as I don't know that much on the Islam
edit: I still got the CTD issue after installing all hotfixes, at the moment I'm reinstalling med2 and kingdoms. do you think the unpacker influences the run of BC on Vista?

Chapter 2 (Part One): The New Sultan

1175, Luxor

Khadir finally arrived after a long journey in Luxor. He had dropped the heavy chest of his horse into the Nile, or the animal wouldn't have been able to reach Luxor alive.

Khadir was out of breath and tired from the long ride. He was sweating and as he arrived at the Palace of the Vesir of Luxor, he jumped off his horse and carried Salahuddin's steaking body through the gate of the Palace directly into the main room where the Vesir had his office. The guardians didn't even think on attacking him, as his chest was the one of the Sultan's bodyguard. Most people said, actually it was a huge myth, that those men, the bodyguards of the Sultan, were the sons of Christians, which was true in Khadir's case, even when he had to convert to Islam, and the hate in them and their brave was huge enough to kill hundreds before they died.
And that was the myth. The faces of the guardians were showing, surrounded by their open helmets, pure fear of this tall men, carrying the dead body of Salahuddin.

The eyes of the vesir were glowing, as he saw the dead body.
It was a glowing that said "Luxor will be mine as soon as you're out of here, so do fast" to Khadir.
He had expected to do something like that, but he had to move to Qahira and to look for Senna, that she didn't get killed after Salahuddin's dead.
Senna.
For this, short breathless moment, during the Vesir stood up, he only thought for her.
Her long, brown hair (she was the doughter of a dead crusader, but that didn't matter as she never left the palace of Salahuddin, where the Bodyguards and their families lived).
Her blue eyes...
And... And her belly.
This was the first time after the battle, that he was asking himself if he got now, during his absence, the father of a beautiful daughter or a strong son.

The greeting of the fat, small Vesir carried him out of his thoughts and he greeted back and said then:
"Vesir, this is Sultan Salahuddin, or at least what's left of him. His body must be carried to Qahira and rest there in peace! And I need a new, fast horse to tell Salahuddin's wifes and his heir of that."
"Of course, of course! Give me the body and you'll get your new horse!"
"Thanks, Vesir."
And with those words, Khadir gave the body directly to the Vesir, who lied on the floor after getting the body.
Khadir couldn't cover his grinning.

It was night. The darkness covered a fast horse and his sweating rider, running down the Nile and leaving Luxor behind.
Khadir had only less to eat and no water, as he would always ride along the river. The only thing he had to beware of were the crocodiles.
The crocodiles.
How many good men did they eat during their run from Aswan to Luxor?
Noone would ever know it and the historians of the Ayyubids would decrease the number ond those of the Nubians would increase them.
Khadir's thoughts moved back to Luxor, where at the moment, if everything runned fine, the Vesir was being killed by an assassin Khadir payed before the beginning of the journey. He didn't trust the Vesir further than his sword was long, but now, this problem would be out of the world.

Khadir arrived In Qahira after another month of riding and he just wanted to go and see Senna.
The new Sultan had been named, as the ships brought the message from Salahuddin's dead much faster to Qahira than Khadir could.
But so he could go directly to Senna and wouldn't have to continue his journey to Alexandria, where the new Sultan was once the Vesir.

He ran through the Palace to the room where he and his wife lifed. He wanted to see her, he wanted to see his child.

He opened the door with a loud sound and she turned around to him, looking like she didn't believe what she was seeing.
"They said you had lost a battle and everyone would be dead.", were her only words, and then she beagn to cry and he was embracing and kissing her, and then his eyes fell on the small child, that lay on an own, small bed. It was nearly 2 years old and was born shortly after Khadir had to leave.
She followed his eyes and said.
"It's a boy, but he has still no name. But he WILL be Christian, like i am and you once were."
"Ok, then Leon would be a good name, like your father's."
"Yes, Leon would be great.", she said and kissed him.

A few days later.
"I have great plans!", said the new Sultan and showed a map to the tribunal of war, to which the leader of the bodyguard, which menas Khadir, also belonged.

"Those are our expansion plans for the next few years.
We need to conquer Makuria in the South, to have a free back and the complete control of the Nile. An army is ready to do so and I'll lead it on my owna and take revenge.
The army that was sent to Arabia under Salahuddin will continue conquering the Paeninsula, as, with Mekka under our control, we'll be ina much better postion against all other Islamic people.
We also need the desert for trading, which means money and we'll need money.
Then the last step of my plan. The Circle around Jerusalem.
We need to take all important cities around Jerusalem, to keep them small and then we need to destroy Armenia, so that Jerusalem has no allies that could help them for the last step, the great Jihad, the regainign of Jeruslaem, which is still being planned."
Th generals, and also Khadir, were applauding on that and they were sure it would work, as it was all worked out so precisely.

Well, with Allah's or God's will it would or wouldn't happen......

Chapter 2, Part One End

[Black_Rider]

Promising AAR. Keep on the good work!

[Nevada]

i want to do so, but, at the moment, i got that ctd problem, so don't expect something new that fast...

edit: I got it working!
stay tuned for the next chapter!

[Nevada]

Chapter 2 (Part 2): Regaining Glory and Honor

Khadir felt great.
He was smelling the smell of death and blood, of fire and fear.
He had blood all over his coat.
But he still felt great.
But why would anyone feel great on such a place in such a situation?

Sultan Azir, the Heir of Salahuddin, moved to him and putted his hand on Khadir's shoulder.
"You fought greatly, today, Khadir! Now the south is being secured and the gate to Makuria and the complete rulership of the Nile is open! This is a great day for the Ayyubids! But we don't have to calm down now! We need to prepare the attack on Makuria and the offensive against the rebel tribes of Arabia must continue. But Jerusalem is what I fear the most. I hope my tactics will work..."
"I'm sure they will, Sultan! They're great and we'll find a reason for war when time has come, I mean they kill so many muslims every day...."
"You're right, but don't tell me on that, or I will make a mistake and start the offense agains Jerusalem now. When i think for all the dead men, women, children. But I don't think all christians are bad. I mean, you and your wife are the perfect example for friendly and great christians!"
"Thanks, Sultan"
Those were the last words of the conversation and Azir left the burning ruins of Aswan.

Yes, they had taken revenge for Salahuddin, and how they had!
No one was living anymore on this place, Azir wanted to rebuild Aswan, but on another position, on a higher hill on the other side of the river to keep the South save.

But Makuria didn't sleep.
One day after the battle, then men saw a Makurian army in the South of Aswan.



The army stayed there for a half year and watched the rebuilding of the fortress, but then it turned around and moved back to Makuria, but not without taking something with them...

The Live of Sultan Azir.

It was a cold night and the army of Makuria had been moving away one day ago, the fortress still was not ready and so the SUltand slept in his huge tent. But he had allowed his guards to sleep, as he saw no real danger any more.
But he was wrong.
A black figure was moving through the darkness directly into the tent of Azir. The figure was completely neked and made no sound, the only thing it weared was a short sword in its right hand.
The figure moved siently into the tent and saw his victim sleeping like an innocent child. A child with a sword under its head.
But he didn't get inscured through that. He moved to him and as he was putting the sword into the heart of the Sultan, he awaked and rammed his sword with a last, bloody scream into the body of the murderer.
They died both, after Khadir and soem others of the bodyguard entered the room more or less drunken.

Khadir ran to the Sultan and putted the body of the assassin away.
He got on his knees in front of the dead face. He looked so much like Salahuddin.
He told his men to burn down the assassin and to send someone to Qahira, to tell them that Azir died and that they had to take revenge on Makuria.
Khadir himself was carrying the body into the middle of the fortress and built up a grave with the left rest of the bodyguard.
Azir would be the only Sultan of the Ayyubids that was graved outside of Damascus or Qahira.

But there was no prblem with the heirs, as everyone thought there'd be a curse on the Sultans, so that they had to die very early.
So the ruler of Damascus got the new Sultan and he coninued Azir's policy as far as he could.
During his rulership, the holy city of Mecca fell in Ayyubid hands, which showed clearly that Allah was willing to support the Ayyubids by getting the most important power in the Middle East.



But the successes of his short rulership weren't only in gaining new territories, the Ayyubids got also allied to the Addassids and the great Seljuks, ehich were perfectly to fight on their territory against invasions out of the east, like the strong Empire of the Khwarezm Shah.

But his armies also managed to close the circle around Jerusalem, but after those Christians conquered Antioch, they had to move to Aleppo to fight the 2nd huge and bloody battle on the way to the ultimate power in mid east,

The Battle of Antiochia

The battle constellation:



The battle started fast, as the rebel armies had many mounted and dismounted bowmen, so the Ayyubids were forced to attack as they didn't have that much bowmen and they didn't want to see their men die.

A short time after the beginning of the battle, reinforcements for both sides arrived on the battlefield and the battle got really huge.

The Sultan was also very offensive and fought in the front of his lines in his nice but weak ornamental chest, so his chances to survive weren't that huge.

But for now, he fought greatly and the rebels were running away everywhere, and nearly onla their general held up the banner of the rebels of Alappo, but his chances to win weren't that huge, as he was completely surrounded (this screen remembers me a bit to kingdom of heaven^^)



and so the rebel general died, but before he did, one of his bodyguards could kill the Sultan with an arrow directls in his heart.
It was a great and a black day for egypt. (for all non-germans: this is an heroic victory)



But after the battle, the rebels were no more and the rest of the both armies could move directly into the fortress of Aleppo without any resistance.

Chapter 2 (Part 2) End

And now a small question on you, my readers!
Shall I start an attack on Armenia to surround Jerusalem completely and to remove any Christian power that could help the crusaders or shall i attack them directly?
Note: I will attack Makuria however you decide!

thanks!

[Manco]

Go for Jerusalem, Muslims must control it once more!

Nice AAR, but being Sultan for the Ayyubids must be one dangerous job...

[Nevada]

yes, if I play it is, as i want to keep it realistic, so mostly my rulers lead the armies^^

[Nevada]

ok, just downloaded the patch and I'll have to restart the campaign again.

but I will coninue posting as soon as i'm as far as I was in the last chapter