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Thread: [Custom Mod] Age of Crusades - 1105AD (Roleplay Hotseat)

  1. #101
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD



    "The Dragon is wise, a sage among the ignorant. He knows not all that glitters is gold."

  2. #102

    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD


    The french state was becalmed as the soldiery returned to there barracks, or there cities to rest and recover after a years campaigning. Armour had to be repaired, swords mended , shields bend back into shape , as the French armies regrouped and refreshed themselves for the struggles to come. The French spymaster had inserted a few capable people inside the city ,of Orleans[last fort-calling it a city for Rp purposes] and was comfortable that he had the resources to open the gates, but the army was not ready to operate as yet.

    The resulting campaigns of the last few years had left the treasury depleted and the grain stores were much reduced, as many of the peasantry had been recruited for the many wars , and therefore many of the fields had been left unattended. Thus the kingdom of France , had to spend a period of rest , and reflection to make the kingdom stable , and to repair the French crowns strength for the conflicts to come.

    Apart from the noble which had his claim to the city of Orleans, the king wished to know more about this important place and so he had scholars brought from the now running university of Paris , to give him some insight to this objective of his , to see if it was worth the trouble.


    Three scholars from the university arrived later in the day and began to give a rough appraisee of what was known about the city..





    {City of Orleans coat of arms- for this purposes..i am using "Orleans" as the last rebel fort position between Paris and Angers ,as it was a important city and deserves mention}

    The city of Orleans , was located on the northern bend of the Loire river , which was perhaps one of the most important rivers in France, which gave trade and helped the local agriculture and wine production , [and the wine production to be taxed ] The city was founded in ancient times , like so many of the french cities had started being called "Cenabum" in the ancient lore of the land.

    Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the tribe of the Carnutes where the Druids held their annual assembly. The Carnutes were massacred and the city was destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then a new city was built on its ruins under the Roman Empire. The emperor Aurelian possibly built urbs Aurelianorum, or civitas Aurelianorum, "city of the Aurelii" (cité des Auréliens), which evolved into Orléans.

    In 442 Flavius Aetius, the Roman commander in Gaul, requested Goar, head of the Iranian tribe of Alans in the region to come to Orleans and control the rebellious natives and the Visigoths. Accompanying the Vandals, the Alans crossed the Loire in 408. One of their groups, under Goar, joined the Roman forces of Flavius Aetius to fight Attila when he invaded Gaul in 451, taking part in the Battle of Châlons under their king Sangiban. Goar established his capital in Orléans. His successors later took possession of the estates in the region between Orléans and Paris. Installed in Orléans and along the Loire, they were unruly (killing the town's senators when they felt they had been paid too slowly or too little) and resented by the local inhabitants. Many inhabitants around the present city have names bearing witness to the Alan presence – Allaines. Also many places in the region bear names of Alan origin.



    The Loire , an exceedingly well-known river in France , flows directly past the city and is very beneficial for trade. The fields surrounding the city are very fertile , and for this reason the city , is also called "the granary" throughout France, just as in earlier times , Silicy was the granary of Rome. A famous wine also grows in this soil , which is exported from here not only throughout France , but to all the countries in Europe.

    The city had two major things of interest or importance to the French king , one was the strategic crossing point across the large Loire river. There were few enough bridges over the dangerous river Loire, but Orléans had one of them, and so became – with Rouen and Paris – one of medieval France's three richest cities. To protect the said bridge a castle had been constructed to safe guard the south bank, securing one of the things that provided the city wealth , and it was named the "châtelet des Tourelles" .



    The other main factor was the Cathedral which was would be one of major influence as the city , as perhaps it would be even worthy of french kings being crowned there [ Louis VI of France]


    [ a later map of the city of Orleans but it shows the important bridge and its proximity to the river]

    {There was of course further interest , as the city would play a prominent part in the hundred years war and Joan of arc ..but that is again a different story }

    The scholars finished there tales of the great city as the fires in the great hall had been lit, they departed leaving the monarch to mull over the details , as the cooks provided the king with some fresh bread which had been dipped in wine to soften his dinner , as most of his teeth had departed in his elderly age. Oh what hath the Lord hath planned for us next , asked the king to himself , as he began to eat , his meagre fare , as he awaited news of his son returning from the south.

    Turn to the Holy Roman Empire
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ixfo3cyy8a...anE_5.sav?dl=0
    Last edited by paladinbob123; March 10, 2018 at 10:10 AM.

  3. #103
    Captainnorway's Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD


  4. #104
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    extension please

  5. #105
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD


  6. #106

    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    Big turn, extension pls

  7. #107

    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HZ...V7sp8CGqrRlEpY - Fatimids

    Turkish settlement taken overwhelmingly, will edit this post with RP/pics

  8. #108
    Mergor's Avatar T H E | G O R
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    https://www.sendspace.com/file/7ururh

    Kiev's siege was lifted, Moscow, Caffa, and Centemanni is besieged by the Cumans. Small elite force defeated by a hiding cuman army: https://postimg.org/gallery/2lnclezng/

    Magdeburg retaken with OW, Marseille and Vienna besieged.

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    Hannibal2001's Avatar Simply Barbaric
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD


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  12. #112
    LordPureLegacy's Avatar Decanus
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    Study Strategy Over The Years And Achieve The Spirit Of A Warrior. Today Is Victory Over Yourself Of Yesterday; Tomorrow Is Victory Over Lesser Men.- Miyamoto Musashi

  13. #113
    REDBOOSTY's Avatar Ducenarius
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    Been busy with IR2, FFH and family today, so Ill play this tomorrow if that is ok
    "I never asked for this, no more than I asked to be king. Yet dare I disregard her? We do not choose our destinies. Yet we must ... we must do our duty, no? Great or small, we must do our duty"

    -Stannis Baratheon

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    REDBOOSTY's Avatar Ducenarius
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    "I never asked for this, no more than I asked to be king. Yet dare I disregard her? We do not choose our destinies. Yet we must ... we must do our duty, no? Great or small, we must do our duty"

    -Stannis Baratheon

  15. #115
    Mergor's Avatar T H E | G O R
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    Poland subbed, Hungary 06
    https://www.sendspace.com/file/oopz97

  16. #116
    BerryKnight's Avatar Kings Guard Commander
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD



    The proud conquest of Vienna was but a memory now. Thick fog suffocated the town, closing off any hope, and leaving nothing but dread. Azzony Oimeracz could see it in all of the townspeople, even his own men. Had the mercenaries not received their coin, they may have thrown in with the besiegers outside long ago. For four months they were held to siege. Azzony had patiently waited for the grand army, led by Prince Almos to relieve them, but things took a turn for the worst. To ensure their victory, and safe return of their city, two massive armies were forged, numbering well over seven thousand strong. Azzony knew, that even with the Prince’s aid, there would be no chance of victory.



    For the safety of his own men, and the people of Vienna, Azzony sent an envoy to request a meeting with the commanders of the rebel army. Curse there ‘Holy’ Romans for out foxing me!
    The prince was invited to the meeting as well, for his words were tantamount to that of the king, in this situation. The two men rode out from the city to a pavilion tent in between the rebel’s army, and that of the city. Both men bade their retainers to stay outside, whilst they spoke to who was in command. Upon entering, they were greeted by Borivoj Premyslid, famous for his rise as a young and successful military mind. And to his left stood a lesser known man, by the name of Berthold von Innsbruck. No doubt these men were in league with Leopold the Good, previous master of the city. The four of them sat down, trading pleasantries, and even hoping the others were in good health. The moment that Azzony dreaded had finally come. He politely asked that he be allowed to remove his garrison peacefully. Berthold nodded, but Borivoj shook his head, and spoke up.

    “Nien. We cannot allow you to simply slink away. If you wish to go peacefully, then we would have peace. Our cause is just, and though the current emperor deems us rebels, we are nothing of the sort. Be that as it may, our war would be much easier won, if the Hungarians would keep their dirty paws off of our lands!”

    Berthold cleared his throat, and spoke, “What my brother in arms is trying to say, is that we would both benefit from peace. Lord Azzony, you and your men would have permission to leave the city, and the Hungarians wouldn’t have to worry about our potential invasion forces. On the other hand, we would reclaim Vienna, and wouldn’t have to worry about the Hungarians backstabbing us in this most crucial time. Again.”

    Prince Almos spoke up, “So, you would offer us a pact of non-aggression, is that it?” Berthold nodded, with a small smiling gracing his lips. Azzony was content with the idea, and affirmed his agreement. Borivoj glared at Berthold, and then at Azzoy and Almos in kind before agreeing. The prince spoke again. “Then with all parties in agreement, I speak for the king when I say, that the Kingdom of Hungary would be grateful to have pact of non-aggression with the… True Holy Roman Empire.”

    After that, the four of them signed a treaty, binding their words with honor. Following the signing, both Azzoy, and prince Almos spirited back towards Vienna with their retainers close behind. Despite the loss of Vienna, Hungary would carry on. Or so Azzony hoped. It has to carry on. Through our actions, our Kingdom will live on!



    Whilst the prince and Lord Azzony celebrated a diplomatic victory, Lord Marton of Vas and Gyula of Temes readied themselves, and their men for a blitz attack against Boniak the Faithless. His men had been found hiding in the trees by their scout’s weeks before. With the help of many local mercenaries, both Marton, and Gyula were able to form up modest armies. They would attack the day break.
    The sun had nearly crested the horizon, as it began ascending into the sky. Boniak’s camp had begun stirring, and it would be the perfect time to strike. Marton led his token band of two hundred cavalrymen to do cycle charges, whilst Gyula bid his archers shoot from behind. Marton’s hammer and anvil technique worked out flawlessly. Within three hours of fighting, Boniak’s army had been scattered to the winds, and Boniak himself had been discovered dead. Three arrows protruded from his back, and a broken lance tip stuck out from his left shoulder. Suffice to say, the lance injury would have killed him, but the arrows brought a swift death to the man. Marton had no pity for the man, but bade Gyula to join him in prayer after the slaughter. Should they not pray, guilt would assault them for eternity.


    England up ~ http://www.mediafire.com/file/kdbk82..._England_6.sav

    Battles ~ https://imgur.com/a/NhWWM
    Last edited by BerryKnight; March 30, 2018 at 08:36 AM.

  17. #117
    ArBo's Avatar Senator
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD


  18. #118
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    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD

    Little to note from the cold Danish north. Forts that could be reclaimed have not been taken thus far, and the ships of Denmark move to the Baltic Sea.

    Onto the Sicilians,
    https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...C_Sicily_6.sav
    With great power, comes great chonky dragons to feed enemies of the state. --Targaryens?
    Spoiler for wait what dragons?



  19. #119
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    Last edited by General Dragon.; April 02, 2018 at 08:23 AM.


    "The Dragon is wise, a sage among the ignorant. He knows not all that glitters is gold."

  20. #120

    Default Re: [RPHS] Age of Crusades - 1105AD


    [Coat of arms of Kingdom of Jerusalem]

    Baldwin I of Jerusalem [or sometimes otherwise known as Baldwin of Boulogne], scratched his beard , which began to itch in the days heat , in the ancient city of Jerusalem. Always a man of action he , hated the fact , that he was reduced to sitting around , doing nothing as the turks started to dominate the region. He had tried diplomacy to perhaps tie the new state with the Egyptian Fatimid's kingdom to the south , and had tried to conduct business with the emperor of the Byzantines . But the turks had continued to dominate Asia minor , and the emperor was fighting hard to keep his estates from falling to the new power from the east , as they fought in the humid plains to the north. Baldwin had been distracted in recent days as Hugh , Count of Champagne with his friend,Hugues de Payens ,had arrived on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land .There were both entertained by Baldwin , and the court, but it was not long, before they had moved on to see the sights of the city and the surrounding historical lands.

    With the non aggression treaty with the turks coming to a end , Baldwin tried to raise a alliance of the relevant interested parties in this part of the world , to encourage a show of unity to show the turks that the Christians , could indeed mount a decisive strike at the city of Damascus, which would be a important buffer against the growing power of the turks. Although communication between the Christians had always been slow for these times , it took many months to send a message, and receive one from the fastest ships available , it was a half year until the results of his endeavours bore fruit as he was swamped with many replies.

    The scribe of the court , began to organise the letters in order , of importance , as Baldwin had written to Pope Paschal II , who had taken the papacy after urban II , had died . As the king had hoped to mobilise all of the European powers which remained in the holyland , he contacted Doge Ordelafo Faliero de Doni [34th Doge of Venice] of Venice , The republican leader of Genoa [who was a stanch ally since the taking of Jerusalem- [Genoa later forged an alliance with King Baldwin I of Jerusalem (reigned 1100-1118). In order to secure the alliance Baldwin gave Genoa one-third of the Lordship of Arsuf, one-third of Caesarea, and one-third of Acre and its port's income. Additionally the Republic of Genoa would receive 300 bezants every year, and one-third of Baldwin's conquest every time 50 or more Genoese soldiers joined his troops], and the sicians who currently held antioch , via there King RogerII of silicy.

    The scribe began to read the response from the Pope himself , who complained that he and his lands , where under attack from the venetian Doge , and that he would like to help the valiant crusader king , but unfortunately until the situation was resolved , he could provide no aid.


    [Baldin I at Edessa]

    Baldwin began to pull at his beard , annoyed at the responce , as it would probably complicate things further , as this was probably the reason there was no reply from the venetian Doge , as he involved himself in petty wars within the italian states, as they began to feud with each other. So he asked the scribe to stop reading and asked for the genoan responce , as being close allies , he hoped for better news.

    The scribe shuffled the papers until he found the Genoan reply , blinked a few times , and began to read. The Genoans agreed that it seemed a worthy cause indeed ,but they would not accept being a party to a christain attack as long as it involved the Silcian state ,as there relations were strained at this period of time. They promised aid if there was no silican involvement and that the land captured, perhaps should go to the jerusalem faction, rather than to there silcian neighbours which was proposed.

    Baldwin listened to the words , of the scribe , as he recounted the words of his ernstwhile ally, and the longer the scribe gave the words of the genoan people , a slight twitching of Baldwin's right eye began . The longer the words of the genoans went on , the more pronounced the twitching became , until he could stand it no longer , so he called the scribe to halt and to give the responce of Roger II of silicy , who was perhaps his most important neighbour and ally , as he had perhaps the closest field armies at hand.

    The scribe again shuffled the many messages until he found the one , he required and studied it carefully, the lengthy 3 pages of latin text which had been sent by the silcian royalty.Baldwin groaned as he saw the number of pages and asked the scribe to proceed with the message with a wave of his hand..

    The words of Roger II , basically said that he was in two minds of what to do , he proposed a wait and see policy at this time with no commitment. The words continued to spill from the scribes page , as the flowery text rambled on for sometime, in the same vein with its flim-flam'g and no commitment stance , when the words began to take a different tone. Roger relayed that the Genoan state had taken Florence , which was a silican city state , which was under the control[or claim] of Sicily , and Roger could not promise the forces in any case due this conflict he now faced.

    Baldwin stood blankfaced, his face started to change to a glowing red , resembling a beetroot , not believing the words , as the scribe continued the letter. The letter continued in such view , exclaiming the despicable nature of the genoan people , and asking perhaps the french king could perhaps intercede , to help the return of his said province. If such a thing , came to pass , then Sicily would be sure to help the war effort against Damascus. The scribe looked up , as he finished the prose , and looked at the Jerusalem lord , who had collapsed onto a chair with his face covered with both hands , in the effort to hide his face , at his effort , to show the strength of Christian unity , in the face of his Islamic neighbours.

    The scribe feeling sorry for his lord , began to comfort him .

    "Milord , there is some good news , in one of your messages.........do you wish me to read it?", replied the scribe hoping to change his lords foul demeanor.

    "Read ..it" , said Baldwin between clenched teeth , as he removed his hands and looked at the scribe in sudden hope.

    "There is here several messages of improving trade links from several powers around the known world", replied the scribe , who shuffled the last few messages , "that surely is good news, that will bring more financial security to your state"

    Baldin stood , and nodded his acceptance of the new deals , and sudden hope began to flood into his face ,as he began to see a slight resurgence of Christian unity of the horizon.

    "Ah actually , it is my mistake " , said the scribe, after he squinted at the one of the pages , "actually this one is from the turks , and as well as a trade offer , he says he is readying mercenaries and perparing to march on Damascus!"

    With a roar , the Frankish king , hurled the scribe into the nearest wall , his anger unleashed , one hand grabbed the scribes tunic ,with his other hand about to delivering the blow , but as his fury left him , he whispered to scribe to accept the deal , as sighing to himself he knew the Christian kingdoms where not ready for unified action, and so he must deal with the turks as the lone power in the east.

    But his anger still needed to be vented , so he dismissed the injured scribe and readied himself for some combat practice in the courtyard , where he could relinquish his anger fully against one of his men-at-arms, in the fury of combat.

    Brief historical note :-
    First battle of Ramla[1101AD]

    Baldwin was a man of much courage, and skill at arms , and attacked the the Fatimids of Egypt in 1101 . Ascalon which was the largest Fatimid fortress in Palestine, commanded by the Fatimid vizier, Al-Afdal Shahanshah had repeatedly launched attacks at Jerusalem , and so Baldwin moved to resolve the situation. On the road , to ascalon , at the town of Ramla (or Ramleh) , both forces met in battle [the Fatimid having sent a intercepting force] in 7 September 1101 .

    The Egyptians were led by Saad el-Dawleh, former governor of Beirut, while the Crusaders were under the command of King Baldwin I. Baldwin had only 260 cavalry and 900 foot soldiers under his command, leaving him severely outnumbered by the Egyptian army, why was estimated at 32,000 men by Fulcher of Chartres and downgraded to 3,000–5,000 by modern historians. Upon sighting the Fatimid army Baldwin arrayed his forced in six divisions, commanding the reserve force himself. In the initial attack the first two Crusader divisions were wiped out while the vanguard took heavy casualties too, with Geldemar Carpinel among the slain. The battle seemed to be lost but when the third division was pursued after being routed by the Egyptians, Baldwin ordered a counter-attack and committed his reserve. In vicious close-quarter combat, the Crusaders repulsed the Egyptian forces, who retreated in panic as rank after rank buckled under the force of Baldwin's attack.

    After pursuing the fleeing Fatimids to Ascalon, Baldwin returned to Ramla to plunder the Egyptian camp. This success secured the Kingdom of Jerusalem against the Fatimid Caliphate's advances for the campaigning season. According to Fulcher of Chartres, who was present at the battle, The Fatimids lost around 5,000 men in the battle including their general Saad al-Daulah. However, Crusader losses were heavy too, losing 80 knights and a large amount of infantry.

    The battle had so nearly been a defeat for the Crusaders, and while the Fatimid survivors fled to Ascalon, the remnants of the vanguard that was crushed earlier in the battle themselves fled to Jaffa. So great was the confusion after the battle that around 500 Fatimid troops advanced to the walls of Jaffa, where survivors of the Latin vanguard informed Baldwin's wife Arda, that the king and all his men were dead. A letter was immediately sent north to Antioch to ask Tancred, regent of Antioch in the place of Bohemond of Antioch, for assistance. Fortunately for the Crusaders Jaffa did not immediately capitulate, and when Baldwin returned victorious the following day the remaining Egyptian forces quickly scattered. Ascalon remained in Fatimid hands, however .

    Second battle of Ramla[1102AD]


    Raids had continued from the Fatimids of Egypt, and in early may 1102AD , despite there defeat to the crusaders at the first Battle of Ramla the previous year, al-Afdal was soon ready to strike at the crusaders once again and dispatched around 20,000 troops under the command of his son Sharaf al-Ma'ali. Baldwin I of Jerusalem was in Jaffa when news reached him of the Fatimid invasion force, seeing off survivors of the defeated Crusade of 1101. William of Aquitaine had already departed but many others such as Stephen of Blois [I always enjoyed the tales of Stephen and his wife-but more on that later ] and Count Stephen of Burgundy had been forced back due to unfavorable winds and consequently joined Baldwin's force in order to help in the battle.

    Due to faulty reconnaissance Baldwin severely underestimated the size of the Egyptian army, believing it to be no more than a minor expeditionary force, and rode to face an army of several thousand with only two hundred mounted knights and no infantry. Thus started the 2nd battle of Ramla , were they were at what can be called a serious disadvantage facing 20,000 [although some scholars lower this to 3-5000 enemy] with his 200 knights[those saracen stand no chance...because we are franks D:].

    Realizing his error too late {they are but mere 20,000, that means each knight must kill 100 each, no problem..hehehe these franks} and already cut off from escape, Baldwin and his army were charged by the Egyptian forces and many were quickly slaughtered, although Baldwin and a handful of others managed to barricade themselves in Ramla's single tower. Baldwin was left with no other option than to flee and escaped the tower under the cover of night with just his scribe and a single knight, Hugh of Brulis, who is never mentioned in any source afterwards. Baldwin spent the next two days evading Fatimid search parties until he arrived exhausted, starved and parched in the reasonably safe haven of Arsuf on May 19th.

    The situation of the remaining knights in Ramla deteriorated when Fatimid forces stormed the town on the morning after Baldwin's escape, with only the tower remaining under Crusader control. The Fatimids ruthlessly attacked the tower, undermining walls and setting fires to smoke out the desperate defenders. After a day of desperately holding their ground the remaining knights, all but abandoned by their king, decided to launch a suicidal last stand and charged the besiegers. Almost all of the meagre force was immediately slain including Stephen of Blois, who finally restored the honour that he lost when he deserted the Siege of Antioch four years previously. However, Conrad of Germany, the constable of Henry IV who had previously led a contingent at the Crusade of 1101, fought so valiantly that even after everyone around him was dead he still fought on, holding off the Fatimids to the point that his awestruck foe offered to spare his life if he surrendered.

    Having recuperated in Arsuf, Baldwin commandeered an English pirate ship to break through the Egyptian blockade of Jaffa while a force of eighty knights under Hugh of Falchenburg attempted to break in by land. The victorious Sharaf al-Ma'ali had surrounded the city and, with their king missing and the army presumed destroyed, capitulation seemed inevitable.

    In order to coax the city into surrender, the Fatimids made the corpse of Gerbod of Scheldewindeke, a knight who had fallen in battle previously, to look like Baldwin I before mutilating the body and parading it in front of the walls of Jaffa. Gerbod had apparently held a resemblance to Baldwin and the crusaders fell for the ruse, with preparations to flee the city underway when Baldwin arrived just in time. Baldwin's arrival disheartened and Sharaf withdrew, allowing Baldwin time to organize a counterattack. With Baldwin's forces strengthened by the arrival of a fleet of French and German Crusaders, he was able to assemble an army of eight thousand men and surprised the unprepared Egyptians. Discontent was already arising from Sharaf's indecisive leadership and the Fatimids quickly routed back to Ascalon. Although Baldwin succeeded in defending his kingdom, his miscalculation had cost the lives of a number of prominent knights which the nascent Kingdom of Jerusalem could ill afford to lose.


    Third battle of Ramla[1105AD]


    [starting to imagine the people , in ramla , are getting pretty pissed off , and wishing these nobles on both sides would fight somewhere else ]

    The raiding from the Fatimids of Egypt continued until 1105AD where Baldwin assembled another force, to attack his persistent and annoying foe. Again his forces marched out and you never guess what , but the enemy meet them again at Ramla [They will never expect another attack at the same place? heard that one before ] . To some degree this is perhaps the reason why television is a great invention , as the Fatimids have nothing to do in the desert, apart from doing another raid on the Christians , and Christians take their time , to build-up to it , but they are equally happy to respond to another punchup down at Ramla, [but I am sure with a television, both sides would have been distracted and problem would have been solved ]

    Anyways, the Egyptian forces were generally masses of Sudanese bowmen, supported by Arab and Berber cavalry[lightly armed] who attacked with sword and lance [close hand to hand], they provided an excellent target practice[Cough,Cough,ahem!]err..resistance to the heavy armoured frankish knights who excelled in fighting [cough, cough] riding down and over , them . They did however [the Franks] have some respect for the Turkish horse-archers which excelled in harass and surround tactics [or as not playing fair, as some franks saw it ],but in general, they tended to discount the effectiveness of the Egyptian armies.

    Both sides meet again at Ramla in 1105 [same time next year for a fight?] and the Crusaders had both cavalry and infantry, under the leadership of Baldwin I. At the third battle, however, the Egyptians were reinforced by a Seljuk Turkish force from Damascus, including mounted archery, the great menace of the Crusaders. After they withstood the initial Frankish cavalry charge the battle raged for most of the day. Although Baldwin was once again able to drive the Egyptians from the field of battle and loot the enemy camp he was unable to pursue them any further: "the Franks appear to have owed their victory to the activity of Baldwin. He vanquished the Turks when they were becoming a serious threat to his rear, and returned to the main battle to lead the decisive charge which defeated the Egyptians." Despite the victory the Egyptians continued to make annual raids into the Kingdom of Jeruselum with some reaching the walls of Jerusalem itself before being pushed back. There was no other major battle [the odd raid or two- tv deficiency ] until around 1123AD at the Battle of Yibneh where the two sides would meet again.

    -----------------------------------


    King Philip I of France , face grew grave as he read the messenger's that his spymaster passed to him about the recent landing of scottish army into normandy , and the assembly of english troops on the southern coastline of England, with a navy moving nearby indicating a sea movement. His spymaster also passed him a note from the scottish king , who tried to relieve some of the French kings tensions , explaining he was only here to deal with the normandy lands , which was the independant normandy province under the control of the english kings elder brother, Robert of Curtrose.

    The French king , mulled matters in his head , as he leaned back in the uncomfortable chair in the throneroom , trying to find a position to relax in, but after several minutes he gave up on the movement. Considering the sequence of events in his head ,he suspected that the scottish forces would have been "let" through to the northern coastline by the English king, as he couldnt see them accepting a large force on there waters without knowing what the reason was for. Perhaps even with the new allaince between the two powers , the english had requested help of the scottish to help King Henry rid himself of his family member as the turbulent family of William , the bastard was causing all sorts of problems for church and state , and most of the royal families of the region. He rubbed his forehead as it began to ache with all the concentration , as the Constable of France arrived in the throne rooms to receive the kings command on the actions they should take. Moving forward towards the throne , the Constable knelt and looked at kings face , to receive his commands.

    "Shall we march forth, your majesty?" , asked the constable , and the question hung in the air , in the throneroom for sometime , as the king hesitated with his decision. He knew that with one wrong move , he could throw great powers into a war which could last for a hundred years if he made a error.

    "Ready the Armies of France, but make no offensive moves at the current time. Increase recruiting and prepare for defensive action , just incase these norman bastards and northern barbarians wish to advance and grab more than normandy.", replied the king , the constable stood and prepared to move away, when the king spoke again.

    "Remember ....no precipitous action at this time ,unless they make aggressive actions against our Kingdom of france. I do not want a war with two nations if we can avoid such a thing.", reminded the King to the constable , as the Constable saluted and walked away to prepare the armies of france for defensive action.

    The steps of the constable of france echo'd on the throne room floor , as he departed , the king moved to the window where he gazed at the City of Paris from a nearby window , observing the many peoples of his land, as they went about there daily business.

    "If only , my life was as light in heart , as my subjects ,my soul would be lighter in spirit ............but for now , I will have to be content with our wine " , he said , returning his gaze to the dining table, which contained several goblets of the newest vintage to be sent to the king.



    [showing medieval paris with following features:-
    0:30 shows the famous bridge into centre of paris which is mainly on a island..the "Pont Saint-Michel"
    1:23 - Notre-Dame Cathedral [or known as "Our Lady of Paris" not around yet , as constructed begins in 1163AD
    2:32 - showing the royal gardens and the "Palais de la Cité" or the palace of the kings of france.]

    -I shall do more about the Paris and perhaps about the problems of the Investiture Controversy, the problems between state,religion & the H-R-E and the strife caused by the family of William the conqueror [which has some links to perhaps the game of thrones books ] for next time...

    Turn to the Holy Roman Empire...
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/0dmv8il291...anE_6.sav?dl=0
    Last edited by paladinbob123; April 04, 2018 at 03:58 AM.

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