The Defense of Outremer [SS 6.4, BGRIV, Crusader States]: Chapter 4: September 24th

[TheBard]

Prologue: The Kingdom of Jerusalem


After more than one hundred years of semi-successful wars in the Holy Lands, the Fifth Crusade in 1218 managed to regain nominal control of Jerusalem for the first time since Saladin had recaptured the city in 1187.

The Muslim inhabitants had fled the city and destroyed its walls, certain that the Crusaders would not be able to hold the city for long. As Pelagio Galvani left on his ill-fated assault on Ayyubid-controlled Egypt, King Jean de Brienne entered the city in 1220, proclaiming the restoration of the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.


The Kingdom had slowly and steadily dwindled from its height in the 1100s; before the recapture of Jerusalem, the Kingdom had dwindled to include only the coastal cities of Acre and Tortosa. Galvani’s Crusaders had also momentarily recaptured the castle at Kerak, which King Jean claimed for his Kingdom.

As Galvani’s attack in Egypt fell apart, King Jean forced the Principality of Antioch and the Kingdom of Cyprus to unite into under his banner. Still, each region was semi-autonomous, and the city of Antioch itself was still in Muslim hands under the Ayyubids. The region south of Antioch, including the port city of Tortosa, became part of the Kingdom.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

King Jean was of French descent, having lived the first 40+ years of his life in France before arriving in the Holy Lands as a Crusader. Married to Marie de Montferrat, rightful Queen of Jerusalem, Jean’s position as ruler over Jerusalem and Acre is unchallenged. Tortosa, Kerak, and the island of Cyprus fall in line only out of a desperate need for self-defense against the Muslims who surround them.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The King is one of the most pious and chivalrous Christian rulers in all the world. A firm believer in both Christ’s and the Pope’s teachings, he seeks to inspire all those who follow him. To that end, King Jean has decreed that all prisoners are to be released without ransom, and that any captured cities are to be occupied, not sacked. Hardly a rich man, Jean will need to be quite careful with his finances if he, and his kingdom, are to survive. The decision not to ransom prisoners will not help.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

With an adult daughter and son, King Jean’s succession is becoming secure, so long as the kingdom can outlast him.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Prince Alfonso has, in most respects, followed in his father’s footsteps. One of his father’s trusted War Councilors, Alfonso is tasked with recruitment and governing in the key city of Acre, the old capital before Jerusalem was retaken.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The king’s daughter, Princess Yolande, is a well-respected and attractive woman, though she comes from a small and threatened kingdom.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bertrand de Boulogne, son of one of King Jean’s most trusted warriors, serves as governor in the city of Nicosia on Cyprus. The Kingdom of Cyprus is still somewhat unruly, having been taken from Isaac Comnenus by Richard the Lionheart on the Third Crusade in 1191. Still mostly Orthodox, the local population has long resented the Catholic preachings of first the Knights Templar and now the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Baudouin de Lorraine fought in Pelagio Galvani’s Crusading army and led the heroic assault on Kerak. As a reward for convincing the region to join under the Kingdom of Jerusalem, King Jean grants Baudouin governorship of Tortosa. Baudouin is a strong knight and a clever treasurer, but he knows that Kerak (even with its impressive castle) will be nearly impossible to hold against the Muslim hordes.

[TheBard]

This AAR is a follow-up to my Portugal AAR that ran from 1100 to 1405. I don't know that this one will last nearly as long, as I've worked to make things much harder for myself this time.

Stainless Steel 6.4
Hard Campaign Difficulty, Very Hard Battle Difficulty
BGR IV-E (see this page for more info)
Permanent Watchtowers
Longer Assimilation
Meneth's Submod Compilation: Next Heir Ancillary, One Settlement Type (no three-ringed castles), 2 Turns Per Year, Character Development, Son of "X"


Byg's Grim Reality makes things substantially harder, as recruitment, finances, Crusades, and supplies become very complicated. In addition, I have many house rules intended to make things harder for myself. Most of the house rules are the same as from my Portugal AAR, but I've also added a new one: no pausing during battles to give orders (though I may pause to take screenshots).

I hope you enjoy this campaign!

[Inconsistent]

Interesting start, I'll be interested to see how you do.

[SavageFeat]

Wow good start TheBard I didn't realize it was yours till I saw the second post +rep

[Scottish King]

Wow good start TheBard I didn't realize it was yours till I saw the second post +rep

Same here. Great start! +rep

[Radzeer]

Very nice start, and I'm glad you decided to launch another one! It looks... well... quite difficult. Good luck!

[TheBard]

Thanks, everyone. I am really enjoying this campaign so far. I'm working on updates as I can. A couple notes:

The people in the initial family tree are correct for 1220, but their birth dates are not. I'm using the ones given in the game (except for Queen Marie, who is 30 with a 20-something year old son in game).

The territories are not really quite correct, as neither the Kingdom of Jerusalem nor any of the other Crusader States held either Jerusalem or Kerak in or around 1220. Jerusalem was retaken in 1228 or so, and the Muslims did temporarily abandon it in 1218, but the Crusaders seem to have decided not to try to take it then.

The Fatimids were long gone by 1220, but I think they remain in the game for continuity with the early era. I'll be calling them the Ayyubids, which is the dynasty founded by Saladin in the 1170s, which displaced the Fatimids.

Byg's Grim Reality is very complex, so I won't bother giving too many details here or in the campaign. It really deepens gameplay, though, so I highly recommend using it (I am using BGR IV-E, which is a togglable option in 6.4 SS, but BGR II is also togglable and a good way to get familiar with supplies). In BGR, every general has their own wealth and estates (which is what the scroll means when it says "Two thousands" and "one hundreds"); depending on the size of the empire and the king's orders, generals may or may not have to pay out of their own money to recruit troops.

BGR requires every army to purchase supplies (very expensive), which are then depleted as an army goes on the attack. Long overland marches are almost impossible with large armies with BGR on, so there will not be too many of them, especially early on.

The biggest difference with BGR is that recruitment is highly restricted. When the kingdom is small, most generals can recruit low (peasants/militia) and average (Templar squires and archers) quality troops from any city. Since I'm using the One Settlement Type, there is no difference between castles and cities, so troops can be recruited from any city, which really helps out the AI. However, in order to recruit knights and other high quality troops, it is not enough to have the correct buildings: you also need religious conversion to be above 70%. In SS 6.4 in the Holy Land, that is no small feat. This means that the RR/RC recruitment pools (where it takes 6-15 turns for the pools to refill) don't even start to tick down until a specific city is more than 70% Christian. And if it dips below 70% for any reason for even one turn (which happens quite a bit), the pools refill all the way back up to 10 or 15. You won't see many Temple Zweihanders or Knights Templar for quite a while.

I've nerfed assassins a bit after all the troubles I had in the Portugal AAR. Now, assassins' chance to kill can range from 0-50%, meaning any assassination (for me and the AI) is a coin-flip at best. I've also tried to make it so that it is much harder to assassinate family members. I don't mind one here or there, but I don't want dozens like I saw in the Portugal AAR. However, SS 6.4 is designed to encourage you to use assassins to kill rival imams/priests, which are very aggressive and very powerful. So we'll see how that goes.

I'm not going to hold nearly as strictly to salic law here, both because it's so difficult and because of the different situation that existed with the Crusaders. If it makes sense, I'll have the crown pass to the King's son. But if there isn't one, or if the game wants the crown to go to someone else, I'm not going to spend much, if any, energy killing off family members and moving around the heir crown just to keep it perfect. I'm also more willing to adopt family members, since any sizable army left under command of a captain is likely to rebel due to BGR.

Lastly, my main objective here is just to survive as long as I can. I will put all my energies into holding Jerusalem if at all possible, but I also will have no qualms about pulling back to Cyprus and relaunching attacks from there. I will use Crusades any time I think it is useful, but my goal is not to erradicate the Ayyubids (Fatimids) or the Seljuks or to take all their territory. If I can hold Jerusalem and the Near East (Acre, Tortosa, maybe Antioch) until 1300, I'll consider that a huge success.

[TheBard]

Chapter 1: Stranded


In 1220, King Jean’s newly united Kingdom of Jerusalem is on the verge of collapse. There is severe unrest among the mostly Muslim inhabitants of Tortosa, Nicosia, Kerak, and Jerusalem, and the people of Acre are on the verge of open rebellion. The city is wracked by violent riots, and the small Christian garrison is having trouble maintaining any semblance of law and order.


With Kerak isolated nearly forty miles to the southeast of Jerusalem, King Jean makes a desperate decision: the castle fortress must be abandoned. Jerusalem’s diplomats make an alliance with the Kingdom of Sicily, and offer to sell them the city. The price of 7000 florins (to be paid over 4 years) is agreed to, and the city is transferred.

For Sicily, it is a relatively small price to pay to establish itself in the midst of the trade-rich Levant. The Sicilians are terrific sailors, and the addition of Kerak to their lands in Italy and the central Mediterranean represent a real chance for lucrative trade expansion.

For Jerusalem, the castle was already a lost cause, as the soldiers are needed to put down the riots in Acre. The money is helpful, though only insomuch as it brings the Royal Treasury slightly closer to solvency.

Granted governorship of Tortosa, Baudouin and his garrison head first to Acre, where most of the troops take up new posts. The city is soon under some control, governed by Prince Alfonso, with Kerak’s former garrison. Baudouin himself heads quickly to Tortosa, where he takes control in the summer of 1221.

King Jean easily convinces Pope Honorius to ally with him, but the Royal Treasury is bankrupt, and the King himself low on funds. Trade rights with the Papal States, Sicily, and the Romans slowly help the Kingdom’s nascent economy, and the King even signs a trade deal with the Muslim Seljuks to the north.

However, when an Ayyubid diplomat arrives to offer trade rights, King Jean refuses. Though he is desperate for money, he does not want his kingdom’s economy to be dependent on the good graces of his enemy. The Ayyubids will surely try to retake Jerusalem, and Jean does not want to see his economy fall apart when they do.

Because of his stubborn refusal to allow legal trade with the Ayyubids, the Royal Treasury is thousands of florins in the red by the end of 1221. The King orders a wealth tax on all nobles’ estates. Bertrand, especially, is not pleased.

Robert de Joinville, son of a Crusader in Jerusalem, requests Princess Yolande’s hand in marriage, and the King accepts. The young Robert is not overly wealthy, but the tax on his manorial estates will help the King’s finances.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The next few years are relatively peaceful. Jean expects the Ayyubid counterattack at any moment, but it does not yet come.


In 1221 and 1222, Robert and Yolande have a daughter named Marguerite, King Jean and Queen Marie have a daughter named Helvis, and Prince Alfonso marries the Sicilian princess Matilda di Autovilla. The marriage further cements the alliance between the two kingdoms.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

With trade rights expanded with most of the Christian kingdoms around the central and eastern Mediterranean, the treasury edges closer to solvency.

In the summer of 1224, King Jean and Queen Marie have another daughter, named Arda, and Prince Alfonso and Matilda have a son named Gormond. Whether the kingdom will last long enough for Gormond (or anyone else) to take the throne remains to be seen.


A few weeks later, the 18-year-old Robert comes upon an army of Muslim rebels east of Jerusalem. Tasked with scouting and setting up watchtowers in the eastern desert, Robert’s army is not a large one. However, even outnumbered by more than 100, Robert’s army is able to destroy the rebels. Canons of the Holy Sepulchre from Jerusalem hold the main line, while mounted sergeants and Templar crossbowmen cut down the enemy’s flanks.


The following June, in 1225, several huge Ayyubid armies arrive simultaneously outside Jerusalem and Acre. One of the armies marched directly from Gaza, while another seems to have arrived by sea.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Robert and his army return to Jerusalem, just as the Prince is besieged at Acre. Desperate for help from the sudden Ayyubid onslaught, King Jean implores Pope Honorius. On November 8th, 1225, the Pope calls for a Crusade against Cairo, remembered in history as the Sixth Crusade.

In the meantime, the King leaves Jerusalem in the young Robert’s hands and marches north with almost all the city’s garrisoning army. They quickly come upon the besieging army, and the King and his son join the battle.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The archers and crossbowmen in the King’s army, veterans of Robert de Joinville’s scouting force, let loose their missiles as the Ayyubids approach. Mamluk cavalry, lightly armored men with javelins, kill dozens of Jean’s men, mostly archers and Templar sergeants. The Crusader missile troops eventually take down more than a hundred of these Mamluks under a hail of arrows and crossbow bolts.

With the enemy cavalry destroyed, the Crusader infantry press forward, and Prince Alfonso’s army arrives to tip the balance.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

About a hundred Crusaders and five hundred Ayyubids are killed. Another five hundred Muslims are taken prisoner. The Prince, whose army took the brunt of the losses, begins drawing up ransom papers to sell the prisoners back to the Ayyubid Sultan. His father, however, commands his presence in a speech in front of both men’s armies.

“Men! We have all come to this land for something. We have come for glory, for penitence, or to follow our Father in Rome.

But we have also come for our Father in Heaven! Our mission is to secure those lands most holy to our faith and to our people. We have done so and will continue to do so!

What we will not do is kill these helpless men needlessly. Our honor and our nobility demands that we let these men return to their homes, to their wives, and to their children. I will not have them slaughtered simply to satisfy our vengeance.”


Some of the men in the crowd begin to shout “Ransom!” and “Sell them back!” but the King shook his head.

“I will not have their lives hang on the mood of their ruler or of his balance sheets. They will live and go quietly home.”

At this, Prince Alfonso’s men begin to shout and yell, infuriated by the decision and the loss of thousands of potential florins. The King’s army, however, remains silent. They know their king well and have seen him release thousands of Muslim prisoners over the past decade. He will not change his mind. With that, the prisoners are released. The King withdraws to Jerusalem with his entire force, leaving Prince Alfonso’s army decreased and angry.


Several months later, another Ayyubid army slips past the defenses at Jerusalem and besieges Acre. This time, the King sends Robert de Joinville with only a few hundred men, choosing to personally remain in Jerusalem with his strongest fighters.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The forces are roughly equal in number, but Robert’s and Alfonso’s men are more experienced and more heavily armored.

Seeking to replicate the success of the first battle of Acre of the year prior, Robert’s missile troops unleash all of their arrows and bolts into the front lines of the Ayyubids. Though led by a proven general, the Ayyubid army has almost no cavalry; the Crusader missiles devastate lightly armored foot javelinmen from afar.

With no cavalry and no support for their infantry, the Ayyubids are boxed in by the two attacking armies. Robert’s infantry hold them tight while Prince Alfonso’s army charges into their flank, the Prince and his mounted guards running down and killing Nasir al Fatimi.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This time, the Crusaders lose almost 250 men. Knowing that their orders are to release all prisoners, the Crusaders waste little time capturing any, choosing to kill most where they stand (or run).

The few dozen Muslim captives are released at the Prince’s orders.


Robert and his army return to Jerusalem to fortify the holy city. Alfonso adopts Roger d’Edesse, the young son of his late captain in Acre.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Roger is intelligent and fiercely loyal to the Prince, and with his father’s death in the recent battle, Roger already owns a large estate along the coast. The Prince knows he must consolidate power in the city and that he cannot rely upon his father to defend the road past Jerusalem.

Only a few weeks later, Prince Alfonso arranges for Roger to marry Constance de Francfort, the beautiful daughter of one of his most trusted advisors. The marriage thus unites two of the Prince’s close allies in Acre, further consolidating his own power outside that of his father’s direct influence.


There is yet no sign of any of the Christian Crusaders from the west, and the Ayyubids are working to heavily fortify the city of Damascus to the east of Tortosa.


After clearing out the invaders near Acre and Jerusalem, King Jean gathers the vast garrison of the Holy City and heads for the border near Gaza. There awaits a huge Ayyubid force under the general Abu Bakr al-Fatimi.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In November of 1227, the Battle of Beersheba begins when King Jean’s forces attack those of Abu Bakr outside the small city.






Though the Crusaders are outnumbered by almost 500 men, they are composed of heavily armored, fervent warriors. With 50 Canons of the Holy Sepulcher and more than 100 Knights of Jerusalem, as well as almost 200 light men-at-arms, the King is resolved to battle. A decisive victory would not make possible an invasion into Gaza, because of several large armies nearby, but it would likely secure Jerusalem again for several more years.


The Crusaders line up in regular order in the hot summer sun, facing off against the Muslims to the west.






The lightly armored Muslims charge forward, nearly engulfing the Crusader infantry as Crusader crossbowmen and archers fire volleys from the back line. Twelve hardened Knights Templar on horseback charge into the rear of the Ayyubids.







With few mounted knights, the Ayyubids’ overwhelming superiority in numbers begins to turn the tide against the Crusaders. King Jean wheels around the enemy lines, personally charging into the rear of his foe over and over again.







While the King and his personal knights strike down dozens of enemies, the Ayyubid infantry soon learn to turn their spears and face the charging knights at the last moment.








King Jean and his men execute more than a dozen flank charges, creating large holes in the enemy lines. However, the Ayyubids continually surge forward to replace the killed men, and Abu Bakr himself emulates his enemy, charging into the Crusader lines from the sides.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bloodied and wounded, the Ayyubid commander steadfastly refuses to retreat. The ranks of the Crusader infantry thin, and King Jean’s knights are soon left alone on the battlefield. Increasingly surrounded, the King and his guards flee.

It is an ignominious and crushing defeat for King Jean. Though 600 Ayyubids are killed, hundreds more recover from superficial wounds to fight on. Worse, the Crusader army is entirely wiped out, except for the King and his guards.

Exhausted and unable to retreat to Jerusalem, the King sends a frantic message to Robert for reinforcement. Robert sends all the troops he can spare from the city, a mere 250 men. With several thousand Muslim enemies nearby, King Jean and his tiny force hastily construct a small fort and wait, desperately hoping that the coming winter will keep their enemies at bay.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Thousands of Ayyubid soldiers also besiege the Sicilian castle at Kerak, leaving the Crusader king all alone to face the coming enemy armies. Their king stranded in a small fort, with Jerusalem defenseless, the Kingdom of Jerusalem is on the verge of collapse.

[Scottish King]

Wow! Talk about bad luck! I hope King Jean is able to survive.

[teccarphi]

Excellent start! Looking to future updates! /subscribing

[Thokran]

Great start! I always wanted to write a Crusader States survival AAR, but I've never been able to bring that idea to fruition. You won me over with your last AAR, so I will definitely be keeping up with this one! Keep up the good work!

[ChivalrousKiller]

This AAR shows potential with a very good start, and nothing is better than the Kingdom of Jerusalem!
I will definately be following this! Good luck in the coming period, I hope this develops into a magnificent AAR!

Jerusalem was retaken in 1228 or so

1229
But it wasn't "taken", basically it was given to Frederick II because the Egyptians were afraid of him

[SavageFeat]

WOW! good first chapter, I now remeber why I loved your first AAR

[Ichon]

I like the story but please at least a few battle descriptions or aftermath pics!

[TheBard]

Thanks, everyone. Sorry for the lack of pics in the first few battles; I had been used to playing around with BGR and not taking pictures for so long that I forgot to. I did a little better afterwards, and things have gotten very difficult. I'll work on updating as soon as I can.

[SavageFeat]

Thats alright but you should probably put this AAR into you sig.

[TheBard]

Chapter 2: By a Thread

As King Jean’s army waits in their fort south of Jerusalem, messengers arrive with news that the first European army has arrived for the Crusade on Cairo.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

One of the Holy Roman Emperor’s cousins has arrived outside Damascus with a large army of Crusading knights. Damascus has become the staging point for the Ayyubids’ defense against the Christian Crusade on Cairo.

In the meantime, the Ayyubids have sent a large army to besiege Kerak, determined to take the castle from the Sicilians. If the city falls, the Kingdom of Jerusalem will be cut off from any nearby allies, especially if the Crusade fails to capture Cairo.

Fortunately for the Kingdom, the Imperial troops and the move on Kerak distract the Ayyubids, and King Jean is able to retreat to Jerusalem in September.


Bertrand sends 100 troops from Nicosia in Cyprus to join up with Prince Alfonso in Acre. In December, the Prince joins the Crusade and heads south with most of Acre’s garrison and half of Jerusalem’s. Coming upon a small Ayyubid army outside Gaza, the Prince attacks just as dusk falls.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Alfonso’s 500-man army easily outnumbers the enemy captain’s, but the Gazan garrison is drawn into the battle. Outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, the Prince must quickly defeat the first Ayyubid army before turning on ‘Abi Tallib’s army.


Alfonso’s army, bogged down with heavier armor, is unable to maneuver quickly enough to stop the two Ayyubid armies from combining. By the time the Crusaders attack, the Ayyubids have merged into one cohesive defensive army.

The Crusader archers and crossbowmen fire dozens of volleys into the Ayyubid ranks, but even the lightly armored skirmishers are mostly able to deflect the missiles with their shields. Alfonso orders his infantry to charge into the enemy ranks, determined to break them.






Led only by a lowly captain, the first Ayyubid army soon breaks and runs, overwhelmed by the armored Crusaders. However, ‘Abi Tallib’s army holds strong. Prince Alfonso and his guards circle around the Ayyubid lines and charge into the rear. They kill dozens of enemy fighters, but ‘Abi Tallib keeps his army together. The enemy general charges into the Crusader archers and crossbowmen, utterly destroying them.

Seeing their supporting units rout, the Crusader infantry begin to waver. Alfonso tries to rally them, but ‘Abi Tallib mimics the Prince’s move and charges into the rear of the Crusaders. Exhausted from fighting in their metal armor, the Crusader infantry tire and are soon overwhelmed.


Alfonso charges ‘Abi Tallib, trying desperately to kill the Ayyubid general, but his own guard evaporates around him, cut down as hundreds of Muslim soldiers surround him. Eventually, he is forced to flee, and he barely escapes with his life.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Alfonso’s army is destroyed, nearly to a man. The defeat leaves Alfonso in the same position as his father a few months earlier: stranded and nearly defenseless, deep in the desert. Acre and Jerusalem completely empty in an attempt to save Alfonso. A few hundred soldiers arrive at the expense of leaving both Crusader cities completely defenseless.

The Ayyubids take advantage, besieging Acre almost immediately. Bypassing Jerusalem, the Ayyubids take a risk that they can strike deep into Crusader territory and split the Kingdom of Jerusalem in half. If they can take both Kerak and Acre, the defenseless city of Jerusalem will fall soon after, and the Kingdom will fall apart. Still, the Ayyubids may rue passing up the Holy City, which could almost certainly be taken before the Crusaders can regroup.


In a lone spot of good news, word arrives in January 1229 that the Hungarians have managed to take Cairo, ending the Crusade. While the capture of a city deep in Ayyubid territory distracts and weakens the Muslim kingdom, the end of the Crusade also means the end of any Christian reinforcements.


In the Spring, Alfonso’s wife Matilda gives birth to a daughter named Hildegarde, in the besieged city of Acre. The Prince heads quickly toward the city, and reinforcements from Tortosa arrive by ship to assist. Robert de Joinville also joins from Jerusalem, and the two attempt to lift the siege.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As Alfonso and Robert attack, Roger d’Edesse sallies forth with the city’s defenders. More than a hundred Ayyubid horse archers and skirmisher cavalry harass the Crusader infantry lines as the Crusader missile troops fire back. Eventually, the Muslim cavalry run out of javelins or are devastated by enemy arrows, and the two infantry lines engage.

Alfonso and Robert charge into the enemy infantry just as Roger’s garrison arrives. The Ayyubid commander leads a desperate charge into the Crusader lines, and both Alfonso and Robert charge at him.






The Muslim general is surrounded and killed, and the Ayyubid army is destroyed.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

With the victory, Acre is freed and Alfonso reunited with his wife and new daughter. Even with Jerusalem almost undefended, the Ayyubids are unable to press the attack against the city. Retreating Christian Crusading armies (including the Imperial army) distract them, forcing them to send thousands of reinforcements to protect Damascus.

The Kingdom of Jerusalem takes this time to regroup and rebuild. Having slowly climbed out of debt, each governor begins building projects of markets or ports, hoping for greater long-term financial growth.

Robert de Joinville and his wife Yolande have a son, Hugues, in May 1230.

The Ayyubids soon besiege Acre again, repeating their decision to bypass Jerusalem. Still, several armies begin to threaten the Crusader capital, as well. King Jean, having taken most of his son’s army, attacks two enemy armies outside of Jerusalem in October of 1230.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The King faces several major obstacles: 1) the Ayyubid armies are closely encamped, allowing them to easily join into one army; 2) the Crusaders have few missile troops; and 3) the Ayyubids set up atop a steep slope, forcing the Crusaders to march uphill to attack them.


King Jeans infantry march steadily up the slope, facing the combined Ayyubid forces. They are fortunate in that the Muslim forces likewise have few missile troops, and the Crusaders move forward relatively safely. The infantry lines clash at the top of the hill, the Crusaders already tiring from their maneuvering.






The King and his guards move toward the left flank to reinforce 30 mounted feudal sergeants. In the meantime, 32 Khwarezmian mercenary cavalry move around the right flank and charge into the side of the Ayyubid line.

The King and the sergeants slowly rout the lightly armored Muslims on their side, as the Khwarezmians sow total chaos. The mercenaries soon break the middle of the enemy infantry line, and the Crusaders squeeze into the breach. Soon, the battle devolves into a complete rout.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It is a heroic victory for the King. While 100 of his men are killed, the two Ayyubid armies are destroyed. Still, almost 700 enemies besiege Acre, leaving the King no time to rest. Only two weeks after the battle, King Jean’s depleted army arrives outside Acre, attempting to lift the siege.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The King’s army heads forward in a driving rain, as the King chooses not to wait for his son’s army to arrive.






The King’s infantry crash into the enemy lines, hacking into the Muslim enemies. After almost an hour of fighting, the Prince’s army arrives, as well, crushing the Ayyubids between the two armies. The result is a huge victory.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Coupled with the King’s victory outside of Jerusalem, this victory stabilizes the Kingdom of Jerusalem. With the Ayyubids ejected from Crusader territory, Jean retreats to Jerusalem as Alfonso returns to the newly freed Acre.

The following year, the Seljuks and the Ayyubids go to war over Damascus and Antioch, leaving some hope that the Crusaders can, indeed, hold Jerusalem.

[TheBard]

Sorry that it took so long for me to update this. I've been having quite a few post-surgery complications, so this is obviously on the back burner. Still, I hope to be able to keep updating this as I have time.

[SavageFeat]

Its alright take as long as you need

[TheBard]

Chapter 3: Holy War


After the twin victories to free Jerusalem and Acre, the Kingdom of Jerusalem is temporarily secure. King Jean works to refill the treasury and rebuild the coastal cities. The Crusaders dig in, trying to shore up their positions for the inevitable Ayyubid assault.


The Ayyubids easily retake Cairo from the Hungarians in 1231, putting more pressure on the Crusaders and the Sicilians, who still retain Kerak.


In August of 1232, Prince Alfonso’s wife Matilda gives birth to a second daughter, this one named Adele. With Alfonso’s son Gormond and adopted son Roger d’Edesse, Adele is unlikely to ever become queen, but she will almost certainly marry well.


Two years later, Roger and Constance have a son named Louis. If Gormond cannot produce an heir, Louis has a chance to someday rise to the position of king.


In the meantime, a large Ayyubid army arrives to threaten Jerusalem. Prince Alfonso leaves Acre with most of the city’s garrison, and Robert de Joinville joins with troops from Jerusalem. Together, the two attack the Ayybudids in August.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Archers and mourtatoi fire their arrows into the enemy, as mercenary Kurdish javelinmen pepper the enemy front lines.






Taj Amir Abu Bakr charges through the Crusader lines to attack the archers. Dozens of archers are killed by the Ayyubid general and his guards, but the archers stand their ground and fire point blank into the enemy cavalry. Eventually, Abu Bakr takes an arrow in the abdomen and dies a slow and painful death.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Alfonso and Robert charge the rear of the Muslim infantry. Leaderless and boxed in, the Ayyubids soon flee.






While hundreds of Crusader infantrymen are killed, most are Kurdish and Bedouin mercenaries. Still, their loss leaves Alfonso and Acre vulnerable to an Ayyubid counterattack.

Alfonso and Robert return to their respective cities, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem again works on rebuilding and recruiting soldiers. In the meantime, Helvis de Brienne, Alfonso’s youngest sister, comes of age in Jerusalem. She quickly gains a reputation for seduction, and King Jean sends her aboard a fleet bound for Venetian territory, hoping to lure away one of Venice’s heroic young generals.


In the summer of 1236, news arrives that the Ayyubids are besieging the Sicilians at Kerak. Dismayed at the possibility of losing a close ally, the King sends Alfonso and Robert to intervene.

In October, the two men and their army arrive and attempt to raise the siege.

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Without even waiting for their Sicilian allies to arrive, Alfonso and Robert push forward aggressively. With a slight terrain advantage (charging downhill), the Crusaders make short work of the Ayyubids, even while relying on mercenaries and lightly armored troops.

Alfonso and Robert spend more than a year seeking out and destroying Ayyubid raiding parties near Kerak, further securing the alliance with the Sicilians.


Several years later, Alfonso’s son Gormond de Brienne comes of age. Beguiled by his aunt, Alfonso’s young sister Arda, Gormond asks the King to marry her.

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Almost the same age, the two grew up together as playmates. King Jean is initially concerned about the consanguinity laws that forbid marriage between closely related nobles. Still, the match would be a good one for both parties, as Gormond is likely to be the future King of Jerusalem and it would ensure there would be no question about his succession, as he would be married to the daughter of the current king. In the end, after consulting with several bishops and the Cardinal of Jerusalem, King Jean assents, and the two are married.


A year later, Robert de Joinville’s daughter Marguerite marries a German Crusader from Swabia, Arnoul Brus.

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That same year, the King’s daughter, Helvis of Brienne, begins an affair with the heroic Venetian nobleman, Bartolo Venezio. Assured that Bartolo will soon join his kingdom, King Jean is ecstatic. A seasoned commander, Bartolo’s presence in the Levant might allow for Jean to push back into Ayyubid territory. However, word soon arrives that Helvis has secretly married Bartolo and joined his army outside Venice.

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At the news, King Jean angrily throws his drinking flagon across the room, denting the side of it. Outraged that Helvis would so betray him, the King has her officially cut off from all inheritance and bans the mere mention of her name in his presence.

Only a month later, her father Robert and his wife have a son named Frederic.



That summer, Alfonso and Arnoul Brus attack a large army of Ayyubids threatening Acre from the north.

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Outnumbered by nearly 300 men, and facing one of the enemy’s best tactical generals, the Kingdom of Jerusalem faces a dire situation. A victory here is essential in order to defend Acre.


Alfonso sets up on the top of a steep rise, allowing his men to charge down onto the lightly armored Ayyubid infantrymen.






With his men forced to fight uphill, ‘Al Hajjaj sends his cousin, Khall ‘Al-Tabar, to charge into the Crusaders’ rear line. Khall does so, causing chaos in the attackers’ infantry lines.

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Templar squires charge toward Khall, and after nearly half an hour of fierce fighting, Khall and his guards are killed. The Ayyubids continue to fight desperately until ‘Al Hajjaj cowardly flees the battle, leaving behind hundreds of his soldiers. Knowing his father’s policy about releasing prisoners, Prince Alfonso orders his men to close in around the enemy, killing hundreds. In the end, fewer than 200 men are taken prisoner in what is a heroic victory for the Prince.

Alfonso and Arnoul return with their troops to Acre and Jerusalem, respectively, with the intention of wintering there. The Ayyubids have other intentions, however, and another huge army arrives, this time east of Jerusalem. Alfonso and Arnoul again join up with their men and attack.

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With many of their best troops killed in the battle against ‘Al Hajjaj, Alfonso and Anroul must rely on Kurdish javelinmen and Christian militia troops to form the bulk of the army. A couple hundred Crusaders and Templars are the only professional soldiers.


The attack begins at dusk in a driving rain. Ayyubid lightly cavalry rush forward in an attempt to quickly swamp the Crusaders’ left flank.






Fortunately for Alfonso, Templar squires manage to hold strong while mounted sergeants arrive to kill or drive off the Arab cavalry.






A strong counterattack by the same Crusader left flank causes the Ayyubid infantry on their side to waver.

In the meantime, Arnoul Brus and his guards charge enemy archers behind their main lines.






The archers flee the strong charge by the armored knights, and Alfonso chooses that moment to commit his own force. The Prince and his guards, along with a dozen mounted sergeants, push through the wavering flank of Ayyubids and roll up the entire enemy line. Alfonso and Arnoul then each push toward the middle, destroying the remaining core of Ayyubid infantry.

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As in the last battle, Alfonso prefers to kill as many of the enemy as possible, taking only 300 men prisoner. Following his father’s orders, Alfonso and Arnoul again release the captured men.

The Prince has now earned a reputation as an excellent strategic and tactical commander. Pious and loyal, Alfonso has faithfully followed his father’s orders to release prisoners for almost two decades.

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The Ayyubids and Seljuks continue to fight a massive war that escalates near Damascus in 1240.

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Undeterred from their objective to expel the Crusaders, the Ayyubids again send a fairly large army toward Jerusalem, and Alfonso and Arnoul again meet up to face them.

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The Prince again faces a larger enemy army. Having recruited more archers, Alfonso sends them and Templar crossbowmen forward to attack the Ayyubid archers and infantry. Almost a third of the enemy force is killed by the Crusader archers before the lines even meet.






The Ayyubid infantry, devastated by the Crusader missile troops, charge forward. The Crusader troops do the same, charging forward to meet the enemy.








The infantry lines clash for more than an hour, with both Arnoul and Alfonso charging the rear of the enemy lines repeatedly.

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After more than 2 hours, the Ayyubid lines crack and rout. In the end, it is a third straight heroic victory for Prince Alfonso and Arnoul, who is fast becoming one of the Prince’s favored commanders.

With Acre and Jerusalem safe for the time being, Robert de Joinville heads to Tortosa.

Then, in August of 1242, the Ayyubids call a jihad on Jerusalem, calling together all Muslims to assault the Holy City and retake it in the name of Allah. It is devastating news for King Jean, who has worked hard to cultivate trading routes with the Seljuks while they fight the Ayyubids from the north. Now, however, the Seljuks heed the call for jihad and begin massing their troops to attack Jerusalem.


Facing a devastating wave of Muslim armies, King Jean frantically sends a letter to the Pope. In October, the Pope answers and calls for a Crusade on Gaza. Hoping to stem the tide of enemy attacks and set up another Christian ally in the Holy Land, King Jean is worried. Unfortunately, worry alone will not keep Jerusalem in the hands of the Christians.

Even worse, a devastating plague spreads throughout Acre, Tortosa, and Nicosia. Thousands of citizens and hundreds of soldiers die in 1242 alone. Facing a terrible plague and an oncoming jihad, the Kingdom of Jerusalem is under its greatest threat in decades.