The Kingdom of Jerusalem

[Carl von Döbeln]

The Kingdom of Jerusalem



The Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Heaven. The shining pearl of christendom. The vast and mighty kingdom encompasses the territory of Israel, Lebanon and Palestine. From the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, from Lebanon in the north to the Sinai Desert in the south, into Jordan and Syria in the east, and towards Fatimid Egypt in the west. To the north lie two other crusader states, the Principality of Antioch and the County of Tripoli, both independent but closely tied to Jerusalem. To the east are the muslim emirates, all allied with the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad. Further north and east are Armenian Cilicia and the Byzantine Empire, both of which are on friendly terms with Jerusalem.

The ethnically, religiously, and linguistically diverse Kingdom is ruled by the catholic elite minority, headed by the young King Baldwin III. A powerful and ambitious ruler, Baldwin recently defeated his power hungry mother Melisende in a brutal civil war.

Jerusalem truly is a strange but magnificent place. It is seemingly a mixture of the west and the east, for here customs of the west and intertwined with the traditions of the orient...

"For we who were Occidentals now have been made Orientals. He who was a Roman or Frank has in this land been made into a Galilean or a Palestinian. He who was of Rheims or Chartres has now become a citizen of Tyre or Antioch. We have already forgotten the places of our birth; already these are unknown to many of us or not mentioned any more."

- Fulcher of Chartres, french chronicler.

[Gandalfus]

Ælfred arrives after a long, arduous pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He gapes at the magnificent stonework and at the Templars patrolling the area. He heads towards the church of st. James.

[Carl von Döbeln]

Jerusalem was hot, incredibly hot. Sir Godfrey of Ascalon was used to the heat though, for he had lived in the outremer all his life. He was the third son of a noble of some renown, and so had at the age of twelve been sent off to join the order of St. John to bring some sort of glory and respect to his family while serving the good Lord as half a monk, half a warrior. Now, almost thirty years later, Godfrey was a veteran, a grizzled and battle scarred master. He was the order's head representative at the court of Baldwin, the king of Jerusalem, a position he disliked but accepted out of respect for his fellow brethren.

The sun shone down like a pillar of divine light as Godfrey rode past David's tower, and up the street towards the Church of St. James. First a meeting with the Teutonic brothers, and then the weekly meeting with the king and his court...

[Mors Vigilia]

A route that took him right through a section of busy market stalls.



Beslan leant against a wall, resting in the shade as he watched the activity of the market. He had picked up an orange from somewhere and began to peel it as he surveyed the passers by.

[Carl von Döbeln]

Iago.

Godfrey nodded respectfully at Beslan and smiled a little as he approached him...

[Mors Vigilia]

Godfrey.

Iago surveyed the Hospitaller's attire, he himself was wearing a light cotton shirt tied at the waist by his leather sword belt, the cotton already dampening where it touched his skin.

Off to bend the knee?

[Gandalfus]

Alfred doesn't notice the man and carries on towards the church.

[Carl von Döbeln]

Godfrey.

Iago surveyed the Hospitaller's attire, he himself was wearing a light cotton shirt tied at the waist by his leather sword belt, the cotton already dampening where it touched his skin.

Off to bend the knee?

Godfrey did not wear such a casual attire. He wore a thin black cloak, underneath which he wore a heavy chainmail. Upon his chest was the famous white cross.

You're busy as usual I see.

[Mors Vigilia]

Beslan took a bite of the orange, spraying juice.

Staggeringly so.

[Carl von Döbeln]

Do something useful for once, perhaps?

Godfrey suggested, wrapping the reins of his horse around his right hand.

[Mors Vigilia]

Do something useful for once, perhaps?

Godfrey suggested, wrapping the reins of his horse around his right hand.

I've told you before, I'm not joining your Order.

Iago wiped at his brow with the back of his hand.

Some Captain'll take his chances and march us into hell, never to return. You know the stories.

[Gandalfus]

Alfred enters the large church and quickly walks towards the Altar. He kneels before it, leaves a modest donation, and begins praying for forgiveness of his sins and aid in some sort of task.

[Carl von Döbeln]

It isn't that bad.

Godfrey knew what hell was like. Like all men who'd ventured out into the desert without water.

[Mors Vigilia]

Iago shrugged, dropping the remnants of his finished orange.

One word, Godfrey, Damascus. Someone'll get an idea in their head that it's a good idea to do such and such and off we march into the meat grinder.

[Carl von Döbeln]

We must all answer the call of duty.

Godfrey replied and put his horse in motion again.

[KoS]

Gilbert de Vere, a Hospitaller acquaintance of Godfrey, had just purchased a few oranges at the market and, after eating one, now stepped toward the two men.

Godfrey.

[Carl von Döbeln]

Brother Gilbert.

Godfrey nodded respectfully at his comrade.

[Mors Vigilia]

We must all answer the call of duty.

Godfrey replied and put his horse in motion again.

Iago scratched at an insect bite on his chest and merely mumbled in reply.

Brother Gilbert.

Godfrey nodded respectfully at his comrade.

A snort of amusement came from Iago. "Brother", if these two were brothers then he'd eat his leg. These Orders were strange.

[Gandalfus]

Alfred sends Louis to speak with the king of Jerusalem

[Trot]

He is disarmed and admitted to the throne room.