[SoI] Rollin' and Trollin' - The KoJ

[Krug]

THE KoJ. IT DOESN'T DIE.

Spoiler :

With the founding of the city of Nicosia on the Island of Cyprus, a relief of sorts came over Baldwin. As he looked over his empire, he saw how it now stretched from Mecca to the Mediterranean, and through his beard all Baldwin could do was smile. He would have been content with Jerusalem alone, and yet god instead decided to give him a Empire beyond measure. Not even his friend and ally Bohemond of Antioch could say that he owned such vast tracts of land.

Spoiler :

But Baldwin could not sit idly by for long, indeed, at that very moment the Zengid Emirate began to press in from the north. Their forces were poised to take the major city of Damascus, which had been left heavily undefended from Baldwin's exploits in the Arabian peninsula. The king had to think of a plan, and fast before he lost one of the most productive cities under his rule.

Spoiler :

Peace was the order of the day, as Baldwin had no need to useless war, and luckilly the Zengid emissary was willing to negotiate. While Baldwin despised these heathen Muslims with his very soul, he kept a calm and collected tone on the diplomatic scene. While the debate was harsh, eventually an agreement was struck. In exchange for the European concepts of Crop Rotation, the Zengids would back off from making war on the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Spoiler :

But Baldwin was still embroiled in many a useless war, and indeed, he had no will to keep any of these conflicts going. Especially when all that was left of his once proud army was a single Knight stationed in Mecca to keep the peace. Thus deals similar to those made with the Zengids were stuck with the Sejuks and the Sulatanate of Rum. This left Baldwin with only one option left for action. He needed to gain Incense, Spices, and/or Silk in order to keep the Pope happy. After all, Baldwin was at this point a Heathen, having converted to Judaism himself, one could easily understand why the Pope would be angry with a Jew ruling over Catholics.

Spoiler :

So Baldwin visited the Leaders around in the area in a scramble to get the Silk, Spices, or Incense that he needed to keep his boss at bay. However, it seemed only two other Nations had what he required. Basil of the Byzantines had a stockpile of Silk, which he quite greedily refused to give up. Meanwhile, the Yemenites held on to source of Incense that Baldwin desperately needed, only to have them refute trading because of his people's non-muslim ways.

Spoiler :

To make matters worse, Mecca declared independence.

Spoiler :

So, what would Baldwin do, after all the man was a Crusader. He lived and breathed War! If he couldn't get what he wanted in peacetime, then Baldwin would just have to march in and take the resources himself. The question was, as his new army began to congregate in Medina,

Invade the Byzantines or Yemen?

 

[Moshe Dayan]

Invade the Byzantines or Yemen?

You're gonna collapse at this rate. So...

SEIZE CONSTANTINOPLE! MAKE THE STREETS RUN RED WITH BLOOD!

 

[Krug]

You're right, I probably am. Or at the very least I won't get the UHV. (Why do I always choose Civs with Annoying UHVs?)
With that in mind, To everyone else: don't be afraid to vote Byzantines, because I doubt I can get the resources I need to get UHV 2 in the time Limit. The only way out of this one is Domination.

Byzantines: I
Yemen: 0

 

[hoplitejoe]

You're back!!
and lets be honest, theres only one way i could vote, the Byzantines have it coming.

 

[Krug]

Spoiler :

As the Pope's emmisaries continued to move through the land, that once were the site of Muslim Massacres became Catholic. Churches were erected over Mosques and Bishops were stationed under the Pope's watchful gaze. But Baldwin was hasty, the Pope was a known power player in the world, and the Jewish Monarch wasn't too keen on having him run rampant through his lands.

Spoiler :

Meanwhile the city of Aquaba, which had been in Revolt against Baldwin's rule was recaptured into the empire. Somebody was stirring up discord through his lands. Baldwin could sense it, first Mecca broke off, and now Aquaba made an attempt. Likely it was the work of Baldwin's muslim foes, but the king couldn't be sure. Perhaps Basil? Or maybe even the English, France's longtime foes?

Spoiler :

However, Aquaba reassimilated quickly, and Baldwin was delighted to find out a batch of good news had come in from the north. The Sejuks had started an advance on Bohemond, and in doing so Baldwin's rival had lost control of one of his precious resources of Incense. At last, something he could pay the Pope with! Baldwin already possessed a single Spice Stockpile, and some Incense already. Maybe this would keep the Papal states off his back. Yet just as the Monarch began the preparations to ship his resources off, terrible news came in from the south.

Spoiler :

"WHAT!? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?" Baldwin screamed at the advisor who brought the ill tidings. The poor messenger backed off in fear and shock.
"I don't know sir! But we've lost our entire Southern portion of the Kingdom to the Rebels!"
"Those filthy Muslims, I'll bet you that this is the Fatamid's work, those two faced serpents have been wanting to take back the south of my Nation for years. I'll slaughter every last Muslim in those cities!"
"But sir..." The Messenger stated in a wavering tone,
"Yes? What is it."
"The rebel's aren't Muslim...
they're Catholic."

The king's jaw dropped as the Messenger hurried out. He had been wrong this entire time. The Muslims had no part in any of his empire's misfortunes. Had they ever harmed him at all? Baldwin fell silent. All those times he had massacred those Muslims to keep the peace, and yet all this time it was his 'Friends' the Catholics who were against him.

Spoiler :

"Baldwin. This is God talking..."
The Jewish king looked up to the light. "Oh lord Yahweh, help me see the truth in this time of crisis!"
"Very well. The pope was against you from day one, and now his scheme has culminated in the grand finale of his plan, which is happening now. You see Baldwin, it was him sirring up all the dissident in your lands, not the Muslims. But you already know this. There is still time to save the Jews though Baldwin, but you must seize what is rightfully yours."
"Rightfully mine...." Baldwin thought, "Bohemond, he was in league with the Pope all this time wasn't he?"
"Yes. And now he has your Northern Territories. But Bohemond is still a weak man with a facade of a strong nation. There is still time left to reclaim the empire."

Spoiler :

"I'm sending you a second army to assist you from the heavens. Go Baldwin, make me, and the Jewish race proud."
"I won't fail you god..." And with that Baldwin took his Blade, and stabbed it right into Antioch on the map the messenger left.

Spoiler :

To apologize to the Muslims in his land still, Baldwin gave religious freedom to the Sunnis still in the country.

Spoiler :

And in the name of the god of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, declared war on the Catholics.
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THIS IS INCREDIBLY SILLY

 

[hoplitejoe]

well there goes one of your only allies

 

[Yoshiegg737]

THIS IS INCREDIBLY SILLY

Indeed

 

[Krug]

well there goes one of your only allies

Actually you'll see in the next chapter that I'm going to make friends that are much better then Bohemond and his Normans ever were.

Indeed

And you have no idea how angry I am about how this has devolved into another game that I must win by means outside of UHV.

I'm thinking Domination unless I take Constantinople and get some real culture on my hands.

 

[hoplitejoe]

you could just lose. pointing no fingers.
*cough*Russians*cough*

 

[Yoshiegg737]

you could just lose. pointing no fingers.
*cough*Russians*cough*

If that was intended for me, I assure you that I will in in Destruction of History 2

 

[Krug]

Spoiler :

The Armies God gave to Baldwin instantly proved their worth, reclaiming one by one the cities in the south that had broken off. Kerak was reclaimed first, then Aqaba the most dissident of the three was readmitted, and finally Tabuk took its place once more in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Baldwin could have gone farther than that, perhaps even all the way to Mecca. But for now, his armies had to stop and rest. Having been severely damaged in the fighting that led them to this city.

Spoiler :

Meanwhile in the north, the vile Catholics were driven out of the Cities of Damascus and Tyre. Once more these two infamous metropolises were in the hands of the Jewish Nation. Bohemond could only seer from his palace in Antioch, having neither the Army or the wit to fight Baldwin's holy forces.

Spoiler :

Meanwhile the old time enemies of the Kingdom were taking note of the changes Baldwin was making in his government to Muslims, and in place of the old, new relationships began to become fostered. Old enemies such as the Sejuks, Abbasids, and Rum gathered around at Baldwin's palace regularly, to have drinks and talk politics and trade. Indeed, Baldwin enjoyed life much more free from the church, reveling in newfound friends and trade.

Spoiler :

But not all of Baldwin's old enemies had become friends. Shi'ite oddballs of the land, the Fatimids had always been on awkward terms with even the other muslim nations of the land. So it came as no surprise to anyone when they were still willing to war with Baldwin. The Jewish King gritted his teeth, now he had become embroiled in a war on two fronts, and what's worse is that he had remembered God's words from years earlier. Saying that horrible things would spawn should the Fatimids fall. It would seem that he would have to make peace with Bohemond and finish his revenge later...

Spoiler :

But before Baldwin could even call his troops back the word came in, Antioch had collapsed. Bohemond had been disposed and stoned to death by Orthodox revolutionaries. The kingdom was embroiled in viscious civil war, and it was the perfect time for an established power, such as the Kingdom of Jerusalem, to swoop in and sweep up the pieces.

Spoiler :

It only took Jerusalem a year to capture all the lands outside of Antioch itself. Where Baldwin had just a few years ago been weak and with only a trio of cities under command, he now controlled and Empire that was at the largest it has ever been in history.

Spoiler :

Now with Antioch out of the way, Baldwin could at last focus on the Fatimids, who had been creeping ever so slightly to Jerusalem. But, Baldwin's armies were able to move into the city faster. Pumping all his resources in both Jerusalem and Acre into a Draft, a hasty defense was made against a massive Fatimid army. As more crossbowmen arrived at the city, the odds for a victory on the side of Jerusalem exploded. Until finally the Lancers returned from Antioch, and with that, the decisive move was made on the Fatimids.

Spoiler :

Meanwhile, a resistance was building in the once great occupied city of Mecca. With the resurgence of Baldwin's power, and the freedom of the Muslims in the country, many of the people of Mecca wished to return under his rule. Revolt began in the city for Baldwin, and when he got word, the Jewish King was flattered to say the least. Things we're finally looking up once more for the kingdom.

Spoiler :

Then Tabuk got razed to the ground by Barbarians...

And nobody noticed.

Spoiler :

For at the same time, a gain more important than the loss of a desolate desert village was at hand. Antioch, the last Catholic bastion in the Middle East, had finally been captured by some of Baldwin's auxillary forces. Now the two Crusader states were one, and the Pope had no stake left in the Middle East. The revenge had been served, Bohemond was dead, and the Crusader states were united. What's more is that the Fatamids had finally collapsed. Baldwin's enemies were now all dead or driven out.

Spoiler :

But the King could not rest easy, for he still kept with him God's words about a Fatamid collapse. His armies gathered at the border, in a solemn waiting for whatever evil might come forth...
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NEXT CHAPTER: MAMLUKS? IN MY MIDDLE EAST?

 

[Optical]

Ooh. Wonder what it'll be about...
Nice writing Krug, hoping for quick updates (glances at CYOA) :coughYoshicough:

 

[hoplitejoe]

I imagine at this point the pope has had a heart attack

 

[Krug]

Ooh. Wonder what it'll be about...
Nice writing Krug, hoping for quick updates (glances at CYOA) :coughYoshicough:

So long as its a weekend, quick updates are my thing.

I imagine at this point the pope has had a heart attack

Probably, but what's more is, think of what France must be going through right now! KoJ was their vassal after all.
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CHAPTER 7: MAMLUKS? IN MY MIDDLE EAST?

Spoiler :

As Baldwin's army camped out on Mt. Sinai, waiting for fate to run its course, word quickly came to them that some sort of upstart nation had declared war on the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Mamluks they we're called. At first Baldwin was wondering who these people could possibly be, and why would they declare war on him. But then a slow horror dawned on Baldwin as the realization came that these Mamluks were in fact, the new government of Egypt. The Jewish king now knew that this was the unspeakable evil destined to spawn forth.

Spoiler :

The Mamluk army already knew of Baldwin's forces stationed on Mt. Sinai, and without hesitation proceeded to attack the dug in forces. The Battle of Mt. Sinai was a bloddy and brutal one, but Badlwin held the advantage. Having smartly held his position on the higher ground, the Attackers basically went to their deaths trying to drive the Hebrew Lancers off of the mountainside.

Spoiler :

But Baibars, the Mamluk leader wasn't done without a secret weapon up his sleeve. Knowing that Baldwin relied chiefly on Mounted forces for the brunt of his army, Baibars sent in the Toassins. These elite Mamluk warriors were trained specifically to counter Lancers and anything else on a Horse that Baldwin might through his way. Baibars had hoped that this would drive Baldwin back from the border without a fight, but the Mamluks were wrong. Bold Baldwin attacked the Tossasins, a move which may seem rash to some, actually worked due to the sheer numbers Baldwin still had.

Spoiler :

But the victory was a Pyrrhic one, and Baldwin was forced to fall back off of the Sinai, and retreat back into Jerusalem. As the Jewish Monarch fell back into the Holy City, Baibars smartly took the offensive. Sending not one, but two armies to Baldwin's capitol. The Hebrews and Sunnis dug in, knowing that faced with armies this size, it would be a long defense.

Spoiler :

Meanwhile to the north, in the territories once a part of Antioch, attacks were being made by a far flung foe. Baldwin and his people had only heard hush stories about what lie to the east of them, stories about the Mongols. A brutal and bloodthirsty race that apparently been the cause of the once mighty Abbasid caliphate. Apparently they had Baghdad under their control, and were pillaging their way through the Seljuk lands at that very moment. However, these Mongolians apparently had made their way to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. While the miniscule force was easily fought off, Baldwin could not rest. He feared that he would not only have an arch-foe in the form of the Mamluks, but that he would be the Mongolian's next target.

Spoiler :

Baibars however, seemed a bit too hasty. Sending his first army into Jerusalem to try and capture the city, Baldwin had a strong force of Crossbowmen and Lancers ready in the wings. The strength of whom were only amplified as Spearmen and more Lancers came in from the north to keep the Mamluks out of the holy capitol. After a three year siege, Baibars' first army had been wiped out.

Spoiler :

This left Baibars' second army, who had entrenched themselves a hundred miles or so outside of Jerusalem. Baldwin, whom at this point feared a possible capture of Jerusalem above all else, kept most of his army lying in wait inside the city. There they sat, poised to strike should Baibars attempt to mobilize forward. But it became clear that further tactics would be needed to draw Baibars close. As such a lone Spearmen corps, now a suicide unit, left the city to try and coax the Mamluks into advancing.

Spoiler :

But Baibars' was smarter than any foe Baldwin had faced before, and wasn't fooled by the Kingdom of Jerusalem's ploy. Both sides were throughly trying to stall the other out, and one of them would have to take action sooner or later. Baldwin took it upon himself to deal the first blow. Baibars, miscalculating Baldwin's move, was uprepared for the rush of Lancers coming at his army.The second invasionary force was absolutely crushed by Baldwin's attack, leaving only a few straggling and stray armies left within the Kingdom of Jerusalem's borders.

Spoiler :

But even still, few Mamluks dared to retreat. Instead the ones who remained alive began to march to Aqaba. Yet by now it was too late for the capture of any city within the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Baldwin had crushed the Mamluk assault, and had already turned his eyes to a new objective. Baldwin was sick and tired of merely ruling the Kingdom of Jerusalem, no, this Jewish Monarch wanted something more. He wanted to command the Empire of Jerusalem.

Spoiler :

And so, Baldwin's armies began their own push into Mamluk lands. Hoping for an invasion more successful than Baibar's own try. However, the Lancers were stopped dead in their tracks when they say a Third army. This one just as loaded up and prepared to strike at Jerusalem once more. Baldwin hesitated, he didn't want to stop his push into Egypt already, but at the same time, what if the Mamluks routed him? What if they got around and took the Holy City? The king stopped his army's movement, and waited for Baibars to make his move.

Spoiler :

But Baibars oddly enough moved this third army to the south, not the north. What was this? Some kind of trap? At first Baldwin moved into Egypt slowly, weary of an ambush upon his army. However he was quickly distracted by a shining oppritunity unlike any other. Cairo, the Mamluk capitol, was lacking defensive forces that could even be remotely strong enough to stand up to Baldwin. Ignoring the Possible danger, Baldwin struck while the time was right.

Spoiler :

And the city was promptly captured.
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NEXT CHAPTER: ISRAEL BEATS UP EGYPT! (What else is new?)

 

[Optical]

I really enjoy reading every update. This is definitely a top-notch story.

 

[Moshe Dayan]

NEXT CHAPTER: ISRAEL BEATS UP EGYPT! (What else is new?)

You should make the invasion last exactly six days
Bad joke...

 

[hoplitejoe]

are you still going for domination? in the newly started SoI domination thread it was called near impossible to do

 

[SouthernKing]

are you still going for domination? in the newly started SoI domination thread it was called near impossible to do

Krug should send an army to invade India

 

[Krug]

Impossible? Let me just prove them wrong then. Next chapter might be in a bit slow, but right now I'm divided between beating up the Egyptians and grabbing as much land as possible before the Ottomans spawn.

 

[Moshe Dayan]

Impossible? Let me just prove them wrong then. Next chapter might be in a bit slow, but right now I'm divided between beating up the Egyptians and grabbing as much land as possible before the Ottomans spawn.

1. Raze everything in Anatolia except Constantinople
2. Turtle up and make friends with your Muslim bros the Ottomans when they spawn
3. Never collapse again
4. ?????
5. PROFIT