Adventuring in the time of the Crusades

[jakdethe]

I suppose my whole point with that post was; if the players are going to be Crusaders, it would be nice to have them feel like heroes, instead of reluctant villains, or like they have to be fighting other Christians in ideals.

EDIT: Furthermore, while many of the political motivations, theories, etc. may be true, they won't be that relevant to the players. Do you really think they'll care about that stuff? They'll be more concerned with surviving in a strange world, and fighting enemies, who regardless or reason, are trying to kill them and other Christians.

[bexley]

Mar 2, 2013 11:29:02 GMT -6 jakdethe said:

I suppose my whole point with that post was; if the players are going to be Crusaders, it would be nice to have them feel like heroes, instead of reluctant villains, or like they have to be fighting other Christians in ideals.

EDIT: Furthermore, while many of the political motivations, theories, etc. may be true, they won't be that relevant to the players. Do you really think they'll care about that stuff? They'll be more concerned with surviving in a strange world, and fighting enemies, who regardless or reason, are trying to kill them and other Christians.

In the context of a game, I can see your point however worrisome I find that.

Players wouldn't be concerned with politics? Really? Maybe it's just a playstyle thing but my players/games always have plenty of intrigue. I think it's also prudent to include such things as to avoid reducing Muslims into a caricature, which given the times we live in, is a not so nice thing to do.

Putting all that aside, I think all these things were front a centre in the crusader mindset. Especially the desire for divine redemption. The church viewed the crusades as a great sacrifice, like jesus's, and thought that god would be please with their own sacrifice. If you have a player who is a noble, the frustration with the bishops would be front and centre. Their drive for land grabs, thus consolidating their own power against that of the bishops would be pretty significant.

You can't just ignore all motivations, I mean that would severely reduce plot hooks.

[jakdethe]

Mar 2, 2013 11:38:59 GMT -6 bexley said:

Mar 2, 2013 11:29:02 GMT -6 jakdethe said:

I suppose my whole point with that post was; if the players are going to be Crusaders, it would be nice to have them feel like heroes, instead of reluctant villains, or like they have to be fighting other Christians in ideals.

EDIT: Furthermore, while many of the political motivations, theories, etc. may be true, they won't be that relevant to the players. Do you really think they'll care about that stuff? They'll be more concerned with surviving in a strange world, and fighting enemies, who regardless or reason, are trying to kill them and other Christians.

In the context of a game, I can see your point however worrisome I find that.

Players wouldn't be concerned with politics? Really? Maybe it's just a playstyle thing but my players/games always have plenty of intrigue. I think it's also prudent to include such things as to avoid reducing Muslims into a caricature, which given the times we live in, is a not so nice thing to do.

Putting all that aside, I think all these things were front a centre in the crusader mindset. Especially the desire for divine redemption. The church viewed the crusades as a great sacrifice, like jesus's, and thought that god would be please with their own sacrifice. If you have a player who is a noble, the frustration with the bishops would be front and centre. Their drive for land grabs, thus consolidating their own power against that of the bishops would be pretty significant.

You can't just ignore all motivations, I mean that would severely reduce plot hooks.

I'm not suggesting they be ignored, just up until now the only thing being discussed is massacres, and political intrigue, with little relevant to what players would be dealing with in the holy land. Sure drop in some hooks, or mention the bishops, sure they'll be pissed off about it, and church wrong doings, but they have bigger fish to fry.

I'm not suggesting downplaying Muslims or their causes either, but up-playing the vows of Crusaders, and their orders, to protect other Christians and defend the holy land. It must be remembered that the Crusaders were soldiers, and if you ask any soldier, while it pisses them of that the government may be ran by greedy people, they are more concerned with helping other people and each other. They are more concerned with staying alive, doing their job, and furthering whatever good comes from it.

[bexley]

Mar 2, 2013 12:02:00 GMT -6 jakdethe said:

Mar 2, 2013 11:38:59 GMT -6 bexley said:

In the context of a game, I can see your point however worrisome I find that.

Players wouldn't be concerned with politics? Really? Maybe it's just a playstyle thing but my players/games always have plenty of intrigue. I think it's also prudent to include such things as to avoid reducing Muslims into a caricature, which given the times we live in, is a not so nice thing to do.

Putting all that aside, I think all these things were front a centre in the crusader mindset. Especially the desire for divine redemption. The church viewed the crusades as a great sacrifice, like jesus's, and thought that god would be please with their own sacrifice. If you have a player who is a noble, the frustration with the bishops would be front and centre. Their drive for land grabs, thus consolidating their own power against that of the bishops would be pretty significant.

You can't just ignore all motivations, I mean that would severely reduce plot hooks.

I'm not suggesting they be ignored, just up until now the only thing being discussed is massacres, and political intrigue, with little relevant to what players would be dealing with in the holy land. Sure drop in some hooks, or mention the bishops, sure they'll be pissed off about it, and church wrong doings, but they have bigger fish to fry.

I'm not suggesting downplaying Muslims or their causes either, but up-playing the vows of Crusaders, and their orders, to protect other Christians and defend the holy land. It must be remembered that the Crusaders were soldiers, and if you ask any soldier, while it pisses them of that the government may be ran by greedy people, they are more concerned with helping other people and each other. They are more concerned with staying alive, doing their job, and furthering whatever good comes from it.

Ah, my bad. It looked like the discussion was heading in the direction of morally justifying the crusades and painting Muslims as the aggressors.

The key to understanding the misconceptions about the conflict is in the worldview of the Muslims. Muslims aggression was sparked by Frankish forces coming out of Constantinople and the Norman conquest of Sicily. Each side claimed the other threw the first stone but the Muslim perspective is often ignored in western academia.

[Finarvyn]

Let's try to keep the conversation gaming related. Looks like this thread is treading close to the realm of politics and/or religion -- two topics destined to cause anger amongst our members.

This thread has already prompted two members to quit and several "report this message" flags in my in-box. Since the original author has quit the boards, I honestly can't think of why I shouldn't lock the thread and be done with it forever.

Guys, I moderate but hate being heavy-handed. Please be nice to each other. If you want to ignore someone, do so quietly. Don't give a snarky insult and assume that they won't fire back. I know that lots of other boards encourage folks to snipe at each other, but this board isn't like that. Be nice or go away.

[sulldawga]

Thanks to everyone (mostly) who posted in this thread. Despite a few posts that went in the wrong direction, I actually got some info on some great sources and a few really good ideas for the campaign.

I'm going to stop posting in this thread now, as I think I've picked the ODD74 group's collective brain clean of ideas, but if anything else pops up, feel free to PM me.

-Sully

[krusader74]

I'm hesitant to post, after all the controversy, but I believe this thread still has potential, if it can elicit some useful materials for OD&D. Here's some practical OD&D advice on how to start a Crusader campaign.

Rules
1) Use Chainmail + 3LBBs only. If you don't own Chainmail, consider using Chainmail 2.0 (discussed on dragonsfoot).

2) Humans only. No demihumans.

3) Clerics are the pious saints of all three Abrahamic religions. Their "spells" are miracles from God.

4) Magic Users are Muslim alchemists; or Christian (or Jewish) cabalists. Their "spells" are just advanced knowledge of chemistry, physics and math.

5) Monsters: Decide whether or not to include monsters. If yes, consider using Djinn, Efreet, and Ghouls--all from Arabic folklore and listed in Monsters and Treasure (Volume 2). Also mummies and mummified animals. Griffons are from Egyptian legend. Dragons are mentioned in the Bible. You could create stats for golems (Jewish legend). All three religions have angels, demons and devils.

6) Make it a game of battle strategy and the exploration of the unknown. No religious/political BS.

Chainmail scenario
Start by re-creating the first battle of Ramla, September 7, 1101. Crusaders won this. Ramla is in the middle of Israel. This basically secured Jerusalem for the Crusaders. Plus Ramla has three great historic places to explore after the battle. See below.

Use the Chainmail rules to recreate the battle. Historically, the Crusaders were vastly outnumbered 10:1. One third of the Crusaders perished before the tides of battle turned in their favor. Try to compensate for their numerical insufficiency by giving them more capable troops.

If you used tried to be 100% historically accurate in your setup, and you used the Chainmail 20:1 combat rules, you'd have about 500 Egyptian figures vs 65 Frankish figures. IMHO, that's too many too figures to manage, and it gives the Egyptians an overwhelming advantage, even if all the Egyptians were light forces and the Franks were heavy/armored. Instead try something like this (more like 66.6:1 scale):

Egyptians
30 Arab and Berber cavalry (Light Horse)
60 Sudanese bowmen (Light Foot/Archers) - These remained stationary during the actual battle
60 Light Foot
1 Hero - Saad el-Dawleh (D&D: Fighting Man/4 - Hero)
--------------------------------------------------
150 figures, 230 points

Franks
15 Heavy Horse
30 Armored Foot
1 Super Hero - King Baldwin I (D&D: Fighting Man/8 - Super Hero)
1 Hero-1 - Fulcher of Chartres (Baldwin's chaplain and chronicler) (D&D: Cleric/5 - Bishop).
PCs are each 1 figure during the Chainmail battle (in terms of Chainmail, these figures could play as Heroes or Wizards).
--------------------------------------------------
47 figures, 220 points without the PCs

The Egyptians total 150 figures. 150 is roughly what Gary Gygax used per side in the Battle of Brown Hills in November 1971. So it should be manageable.

In this design, the Franks are only outnumbered 3:1, understating their disadvantage by a factor of 3 and 1/3 compared to history. But in terms of Point Values, there's balance: Each side is worth a little over 200 points without the PCs. Since I'd add one more figure for each PC, this shifts the balance slightly in favor of the Franks, which is what we want.

Victory conditions
1) The Franks will fight until the entire cavalry and infantry are all killed or routed off the battlefield. At this point, Baldwin will ride his horse, named "Gazala," to Jaffa to rendevouz with the English pirate and saint, Godric of Finchale, and attempt to get fresh troops from him for a rematch.

2) The Egyptians aren't going to sacrifice too much over Ramla. They already lost it in 1099. They'll only fight until 50% of their number are killed or routed off the battlefield, at which point they will attempt to withdraw in good order.

Additional notes
1) Re-match: There were also a second (1102) and third (1105) battle of Ramla. In the second battle, Baldwin rode with 500 knights into 30,000 Egyptians. Outnumbered 60:1, the Franks were massacred. Only Baldwin survived. He hid in the White Tower (see below) until nightfall, and then rode Gazala to Jaffa, to rendevouz with Godric of Finchale.

2) Baldwin I: Fulcher described Baldwin as a new Joshua. William of Tyre said that Baldwin "struggled in vain against the lustful sins of the flesh," and it was suspected that he was homosexual. Baldwin became the King of Jerusalem.

3) Rulers of Ramla: Ramla was part of the County of Jaffa and Ascalon. The Muslim's deserted it in 1099. Thereafter, it was left under the supervision of Robert of the diocese of Rouen, whom the crusaders installed as Bishop of Lydda and Ramla. It remained under control of the Church until 1106, when control passed to a secular ruler, Baldwin I, Castellan (not the same as our Baldwin), until 1134. It remained under the control of a succession of secular lords until it was recaptured by Saladin in 1187.

4) History of Ramla: It was founded in 716 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region. Its name derives from the Arabic word "Raml" meaning sand. The early residents came from nearby Ludd/Lydda/Lod. The White Mosque was completed in 720 AD. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1034 and rebuilt in 1047.

OD&D scenarios
After the battle, your PCs have three important places to explore in Ramla:

1) Ayalon Caves. Contains giant crustaceans/prehistoric monsters. And gems and precious metal deposits.

2) Jewish synagogue/cemetery/catacombs. Contains the bones of the Prophet Samuel. Important holy relic for all three Abrahamic religions. Maybe these relics have miraculous powers? Perhaps the cemetery has ghouls, a staple of Arabic folklore, eager to feed on the dead from the battle as well as hapless PCs exploring the cemetary? The catacombs below the cemetary contain: (a) war refuges, (b) smugglers' hideouts, and (c) a meeting place for a necromantic cult.

3) The White Mosque (a-Masjid al-Abyad). It is made from pure white marble. The minaret, The White Tower, is 89 ft tall. Google for maps and images of this complex. It contains the bones of the Islamic saint, Nabi Salih. There may have been a fountain in the central court. There are three giant underground cisterns that collect rainwater and water carried by an aqueduct from the springs in the hills east of Ramla. They provide storage for fresh drinking water and water for ablutions. Perhaps there's a dungeon underneath this complex to explore? And maybe there's even a Falak (fire-breathing dragon) in that dungeon? One idea is that a dragon is imprisoned in subterranean caverns. Feeding it water from the cisterns extinguishes its fire. It needs to drink oil to regain its power.

Raison d'etre
In the campaign I'm planning, the PCs are acolytes, working for the inquisition. The twelfth century wasn't just the start of the Crusades, it was also a time numerous heresies arose, poisoning faith and morals, spreading like wildfire, and inciting rebellion against all authority, human and divine. The best known heretics of the time were the Petrobrusians, the Arnoldians, the Waldenses, and the Cathari. These heresies posed an existential threat to both the Church and the State. The PCs job is to investigate and shutdown heretics and sources of heresy. I'm a big Warhammer 40K fan, so that influences my ideas.

The real reason the PCs are tagging along with Baldwin is to investigate a rumor that an Arabic manuscript of the Kitab al-Azif, perhaps the original, is somewhere in Ramla. As a reminder: The Latin name for this book is The Necronomicon. The author, Abd al-Azrad, studied black magic under the Wizard Yakthoob in Memphis. He made pilgrimages from Egypt to the cursed city of Chorazin in Galilee. Jesus cursed Chorazin in the Bible: "Woe unto thee, Chorazin!..." (Matthew 11:20-24), Chorazin is thought to be the future birthplace of the Anti-Christ, and so it became a gathering place for black magicians. On one of these pilgrimages, circa 730 AD, al-Azrad went into a hallucinogenic trance for 8 years, and wrote the Kitab al-Azif. The experience reduced al-Azrad to a vegetative state. With help, he returned to his home in Damascus, only to be eaten alive by an invisible demon in the marketplace, while a fellow pilgrim and student of Yakthoob took the Kitab al-Azif back to his master in Memphis. While passing through Ramla, he was robbed by bandits, who killed him. The book was eventually sold to the scholars at the White Mosque. When the Muslims abandoned Ramla in 1099, the Kitab al-Azif may have been (1) stashed in the Ayalon Caves, (2) hidden in the catacombs beneath the Jewish cemetary, or (3) secured in the subterranean caverns under the White Mosque in the protection of the Falak. Roll a d3 to decide where it is.

The PCs mission is to retrieve the Kitab al-Azif, and return it to Vatican where it will be placed in the Archivum Secretum Vaticanum, before it becomes the source of heresy or mischief. The official position of the Church is that Abd al-Azrad wrote the Kitab al-Azif in a drug-fueled frenzy. There's nothing supernatural about it. But if it falls into the hands of the heretics, they will surely misuse it. If you like Cthulhu Mythos, then make the book the real deal--an extremely evil and powerful artifact that must be secured at all costs.

So in this campaign, Law is Church canon law, the Church hierarchy, and the inquisition; Chaos are heretics, rebels, satanists and anarchists opposed to Church rule. Neutrals are outsiders to this conflict, including Jews, Saracens and Pagans.

[sulldawga]

Um, if all of your posts are as full of great ideas as this one, by all means keep posting!

Exalt!

[Deleted]

Interesting post, Krusader. I'm reading your material with a great deal of interest.

[Falconer]

I found this article to be VERY fascinating. It’s an academic paper advancing the position that the Holy Grail legends were inspired by an artifact known as the Holy Mandylion, or the Icon “Not-made-by-hands” of Edessa. I find it fascinating because it combines (and enriches) two great interests of mine — Grail literature and Eastern Christianity — so I’m not sure how much the average reader will get out of it, but maybe it’s self-explanatory. Oh, also, the article SEEMS to presuppose that the Mandylion was the same as the artifact currently known as the Shroud of Turin (though it carefully skirts that theory, since it is a whole ’nother can of worms). Anyway, I thought of posting it here because it might provide some ideas of how to transpose the Grail adventures back to the Holy Land and the time of the Crusades.

[sulldawga]

Interesting stuff, Falconer, especially the part about Joseph of Arimathea going to Edessa and not Britain. Thanks for sharing.

[joseph]

Feb 6, 2013 13:59:19 GMT -6 owlorbs said:

You can probably lift some material from the free "Nights of the Crusades" which is sort of an alternate history crusades/arabian game.

rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/103825/Nights-of-the-Crusades

Took the words right out of my mouth... this is a nicely produced game

[krusader74]

Oct 23, 2013 10:33:36 GMT -6 Falconer said:

I found this article to be VERY fascinating. It’s an academic paper advancing the position that the Holy Grail legends were inspired by an artifact known as the Holy Mandylion, or the Icon “Not-made-by-hands” of Edessa. I find it fascinating because it combines (and enriches) two great interests of mine — Grail literature and Eastern Christianity — so I’m not sure how much the average reader will get out of it, but maybe it’s self-explanatory. Oh, also, the article SEEMS to presuppose that the Mandylion was the same as the artifact currently known as the Shroud of Turin (though it carefully skirts that theory, since it is a whole ’nother can of worms). Anyway, I thought of posting it here because it might provide some ideas of how to transpose the Grail adventures back to the Holy Land and the time of the Crusades.

It's possible to tie Falconer's findings about the Holy Mandylion (AKA the Image of Edessa) to my proposed Chainmail scenario above. As a reminder, that scenario focuses on Baldwin and the First Battle of Ramla in 1101.

Prior to this battle, Baldwin was "Count of Edssa." How this Frank came to rule Edessa is in itself very interesting. Edessa was conquered by the Seljuk emir Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I (brother of the Seljuk sultan Malik Shah I) in 1094. Although ruled by Sunni Turks, Edessa's population consisted mostly of Armenian Orthodox and some Greek Orthodox Christians. Tutush I installed Thoros as governor of Edessa. Thoros was ethnically Armenian but religiously Greek Orthodox. Thoros immediately tried to seize control of the city for himself. He fortified the city and survived a 2 month siege by the Seljuks. The Seljuks withdrew and Thoros was recognized as lord of the city. As a Greek Orthodox ruler, Thoros was not well liked by his Armenian Orthodox subjects. And Edessa was the frequent target of attacks by the Seljuks. In 1098, Thoros sought help from the Crusader armies laying siege to nearby Antioch.

Baldwin answered Thoros's call for help. Baldwin convinced Thoros to adopt him as his son and hier. Thoros complied. No sooner had Thoros named Baldwin his successor than "Baldwin attacked Thoros' officers and besieged Thoros in the citadel... Thoros was assassinated by the Armenian inhabitants of the city, possibly at Baldwin's command, and Baldwin became the first count of Edessa" (quoted from here). Baldwin ruled Edessa until 1100, marrying Arda, the daughter of Thoros, and acting as an ambassador between the crusaders and Armenians.

Getting back to how all this relates to the Holy Mandylion... The Holy Mandylion disappeared after the Sassanians conquered Edessa in 609. In 944 when Edessa was besieged by the Byzantine general John Kourkouas, the Muslims exchanged the Holy Mandylion for a group of Muslim prisoners. That same year, on August 16, 944, it was translated "to Constantinople where it was received amidst great celebration by emperor Romanos I Lekapenos, who deposited it in the Theotokos of the Pharos chapel in the Great Palace of Constantinople" (quoted from here).

BUT...there is an alternative local legend that says the mendil of Jesus was thrown into a well in what is today Edessa's Great Mosque.

So the premise of this proposed prequel scenario is that the Holy Mandylion in Constantinople is a pious fraud. The real one lies hidden at the bottom of a well in Edessa.

The PCs, procurators of the Holy Inquisition and curators of the Archivum Secretum Vaticanum in Rome, have been charged with investigating the rumors that the real shroud is still in Edessa. Their mission is to find the cloth and return it safely to the Secret Vatican Archive.

The PCs are traveling companions of Baldwin. But they must keep their mission secret from him. Should Baldwin discover the shroud, he will seize it for himself, and transport it back to France. (This is similar to what is thought to have happened with the actual shroud 100 years later: In 1204, during the 4th Crusade, after the Franks sacked Constantinople, the Holy Mandylion disappeared. Soon after, the shroud turned up in Lirey France. It was only translated from Chambéry (Southern France) to Turin (Northern Italy) in 1578. Now it is called the "Shroud of Turin.")

Just as important as protecting the shroud from Baldwin, the PCs must not allow it to fall into the hands of the Armenians, the Greeks or the Seljuks.

Beyond that, the PCs may wish to investigate the true origins of this relic: God-made, man-made, demonic or black magic? And what exactly are its miraculous properties?

According to legend, the shroud may be used as a devastating weapon: In time of need, oil will flow from it. If this oil is poured onto an enemy army and lit on fire, it will destroy them. So it may prove invaluable to the Crusaders.

[Falconer]

Great post!

[Deleted]

There is a mini-game called Outremere, I think by the same guys that did Barbarian Kings, that is freely available online.

The maps of that one are pretty cool to use as RPG scenario maps. Too lazy to google for you, but if you like, do the search.

[krusader74]

Continuing the ideas from the proposed Crusader-era OD&D scenarios here and here...

Holy Fire, Pious Fraud

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is run by Greek Orthodox monks. The Holy Fire ceremony takes place every year on Holy Saturday, the day before Eastern Orthodox Easter. It routinely attracts thousands of pilgrims, who spend a lot of money and boost the local economy.

Thirty-three candles are setup under the dome of the church. They spontaneously and spectacularly ignite. Pilgrims and clergy claim that the Holy Fire does not burn them. The Holy Fire is thought to be the miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit.

But this Holy Fire is widely believed to be a pious fraud by the Roman Catholic Church.

The Frankish warlord Baldwin became King of Jerusalem on December 25, 1100. Baldwin replaced the Greek Orthodox monks with his own Frankish clerics. In 1101, on the day before Easter, the Holy Fire failed to appear in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The failure of the fire to ignite led to street riots in Jerusalem (which may be played as a Chainmail scenario if desired). Worse for the local governments: No fire, no pilgrims, no revenue.

So Baldwin acted quickly to reinstate the Orthodox monks. Next year, the Holy Fire returned, along with it the pilgrims, their cash, and the tax revenues.

The PCs, traveling companions of Baldwin, but secretly procurators of the Holy Inquisition and curators of the Archivum Secretum Vaticanum, have been charged with investigating the rumors that the Holy Fire is a pious fraud.

There are several theories:

First, the Orthodox monks soak the 33 candles in white phosphorous and then set them up under the dome in the church. About 20 minutes later, the evaporating gases cause the candles to spontaneously and spectacularly self-combust.

Second, a hidden zinc jar of naphtha is dripped down a chain onto the 33 candles by a monk hiding in the dome.

But, it could also be the result of magic, monsters or a true miracle.

This scenario is a detective mystery. Whatever the PCs find, they are to report their findings back to their handlers in Rome and await further instructions.

Epilogue: In 1238, Pope Gregory IX denounced the Holy Fire as a fraud and forbade Franciscans from participating in the ceremony.

[Falconer]

Hm, it seems strange to me to “solve,” in the context of a game, a real mystery which persists to this day. Unless the point were to do something utterly fantastic with it.

[maxvale76]

As someone who has a great interest in and has put a lot of time studying the Crusades; this is a very interesting thread. I would recommend any of Christopher Tyerman's books on the subject as well as doing a good Google (or Bing; or whatever) search as there's lots of good stuff out there.

At the risk of opening a can of worms; I will say that while running a semi-historical campaign with PCs having 21st Century viewpoints on different cultures is indeed impossible; it IS quite realistic to have PCs that have been in the Levant (whether Roman Christian; Muslin; Jewish; Greek Christian; Aremenian; etc.) to have developed a much greater understanding of and even admiration in some ways of the "opposing" cultures they all shared living space with. From the Christian view alone; the 'Crusader States' population quickly adapted many Eastern ways of life and a pragmatic view of allying with local Muslim states/leaders on occasion as a necessity of life. Some of these 'Frankish' Christians in the years following the 1st Crusade would even come to view their fellow Franks as 'barbarians' when they came to the Holy Land on crusade or pilgrimage. Much the same could be said for when Turks or Arabs from more distant regions were brought to/travelled to the Coastal Levant region and interacted with the 'barbarian Franj' they discovered that not all of them were mindless, metal-clad; blue-eyed killers...some of them built magnificent castles and interacted with locals of all religions in relative peace. Not to say that everything was always rosy and peachy; obviously this is a time of Holy War....but the concept of at least 'somewhat enlightened' PCs of whatever background is not a total stretch. There are historical records written from opposing sides that paint certain figures in positive light; Saladin obviously comes to mind; as does Raymond of Tripoli and Balian of Ibelin.

Anyway; I certainly don't mean to anger or upset anyone; I just thought that pointing out that it wasn't all just massacres and slaughter of whoever the "other guys" were. From a gaming perspective....I've always wanted to run a Crusades era game myself (though I'd probably run one in the 1170s-1190s); and set it in a slightly 'mythical' take on Europe/Levant. I'd have the occasional monster and some magic exist.....King Arthur and his knights were real; Sinbad had his 7 voyages; George killed his Dragon; Roland's sword rally was blessed; the old man of the mountain really DID have magical abilities to secure a legion of hard-core assassins (the real truth behind this order is VERY different from the one that legend and historians have been telling for centuries....I MUCH prefer the old belief that the killers were drugged and woke up in a 'paradise'; it's just so much more cool for games!); etc., etc.

Anyway....if you do have any adventures in "the Land over the sea"; let us know how they go!

[krusader74]

Oct 27, 2013 7:35:57 GMT -6 Falconer said:

Hm, it seems strange to me to “solve,” in the context of a game, a real mystery which persists to this day. Unless the point were to do something utterly fantastic with it.

Yes--fantastic--that's definitely the direction I would go. Here's what I was thinking:

The Holy Fire is ignited by a fire imp. (Imps are described in the AD&D Monster Manual, p. 54. Fire imps are described on page 13 of White Dwarf #13, June/July 1979.)

The fire imp calls himself Pyra (πυρά). He claims that he was a slave of Hades himself. On Holy Saturday, during the Harrowing of Hades, upon seeing the Lord, he had a conversion of the heart and begged the Lord for release from imprisonment, and the Lord mercifully released him ("The Lord sets free the prisoners" Psalm 146:7). He flew up into the Holy Sepulchre, where he has remained ever since. He admits he is evil but not unredeemable and that he must convert daily--renewing his option for the Lord each day. Each year, in recognition of his release from Hades, he ignites the Holy Fire for the monks.

Pyra is the familiar of the Reverend Hieromonk Archemoros, an emaciated, pale man. Pyra has a telepathic link to Archemoros.

Archemoros commanded Pyra not to light the Holy Fire in 1101 after Baldwin expelled the Greeks from the Holy Sepulchre. Archemoros has a deep grudge against the Frankish conquerors and the Roman Catholic clerics who kicked him out of the Holy Sepulchre. His vengeful thoughts are having a negative effect on Pyra.

Like all imps, Pyra is able to polymorph into two animal forms. In this case, he can transform into (1) a black cat and (2) a giant toad.

It is quite possible that Pyra is not altogether telling the truth, and that he and Archemoros have some ulterior motive. For example, Archemoros and Pyra may somehow be related to the "pale man" and "black cat/giant toad" in the Luciferian heresy, to be articulated later in the 1232 papal bull Vox in Rama (noted as the first official church document to condemn the black cat as an incarnation of Satan. That papal bull led to a "cat massacre" in Europe, which may have worsened the Black Death, which was spread by rats). Quoting from Wikipedia,

The bull describes in detail the initiation rites of the sect, claiming that the potential initiate is first approached by a mysterious toad as large as a dog. Shortly after this, an emaciated pale man would appear, whom the initiate would kiss and forget all memory of the Catholic faith. Members of the sect would then meet for a meal. When the meal had ended, the sect would arise and a statue of a black cat would come to life, walking backwards with its tail erect. First the new initiate and then the master of the sect would kiss the cat on the buttocks.

After the ritual was completed, the bull claims that the candles in the room would be extinguished and the sect would engage in wild orgies, which were sometime homosexual in nature. Once the candles were relit, a man from a dark corner of the room "comes forth from the loins upward, shining like the sun. His lower part is shaggy like a cat." After a brief litany-like dialogue between the cat and the cult members, the meeting ends.

Anyway, just brainstorming ideas for a campaign centered around Baldwin during the First Crusade. There's definitely a glut of fertile material in his Bio for numerous OD&D/Chainmail adventures!

Illo of Pyra's "true form":


For more info on the Harrowing of Hades, see

• The Lord's descent into hell (Roman Catholic)
• Paschal Homily (Greek Orthodox)

[sepulchre]

I have been running a campaign set in the Levant for quite a few years now. Occassionally, the adventures have even involved Southeast Asia as well. Most if not all of Aher's background on the Crusades has colored the campaign I have run. Maybe his comments might appear long-winded to some, but there's nothing about the material he has presented that is not part of an honest backdrop for adventuring in the Levant. And to Falconer's examples of literature to draw from, the likes of Cadfael would be quite at home with Aher's vision of the Levant.

Historically speaking, I don't know if Krusader meant to conflate the conspiracy at the heart of Warhammer's Enemy Within Campaign with the heretically deemed movements and even cultures of the Middle Ages, but they trully bear no resemblance to one another. It should be noted that the Cathars composed tens of thousands of people murdered during the crusade in France, and the Waldensians were part of the protestant reformation and are extant in Italy today right near the Vatican. It should also be noted that these groups were excommunicated by the Roman Church, so the idea of casting their alignments as chaotic does not follow. I would cast both the Church and the excommunicated as Lawfuls with a serious disagreement about the nature of God and faith. That said, Krusader's adventure as he has described is rich and well-constructed, though I might leave out the mephits and stick with the white phosphorous/evaporating gases or the hidden zinc jar of naphtha - doesn't have to be any less miraculous, Aquinas in the vein of Aristotle would just call those 'effecient causes'.

It is one thing appropriate an historical backdrop, it is another to just pick and choose what makes everyone feel comfortable. There is enough fantasy and lack of rational observation to go round in our post 9/11 digital age, why add to it? I have found that players enjoy historical detail and enjoy the opportunity to ponder the meaning of that detail both in the game and in relation to their actual lives. Why dumb-down the moment for anyone?

I very much appreciated Derv's and Bexley's comments which I believe kept the conversation about the history of the crusades from turning into Walt Disney affair.

And to Falconer's point about it being 'nice to have them feel like heroes, instead of reluctant villains, or like they have to be fighting other Christians in ideals'... the moral question is always part of playing a 'hero' and certainly the point of playing with alignment. PC's worried about whether or not they have become villains by their actions or that they may bear heretical views that put them at odds with say the pope's military orders is what playing in the Levant is all about.

[sulldawga]

Sepulchre: do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your campaign?

I'm curious to know what ruleset you're using (e.g. 3LBB, retroclone, etc...).

Are you playing it straight with both M-Us and Clerics when it comes to magic or did you adjust at all to reflect the setting?

What sort of limits, if any, did you set on your players as far as classes available?

Are they all Franks, or locals, or Saracens, or a mix?

[sepulchre]

Sulldawga wrote:

'-what ruleset?'

I started with AD&D first edition, but through years of dialogue on K&K and some exchange here (not to mention the wealth of OD&D commentary archived here) I have moved closer to Chainmail MTM in the past year. I run two styles of the game; one is non-heroic (lvls 1-3), the other is a version of Chainmail and the Dungeon Boardgame mechanic that works with 'kills' instead of 'hits'.

I have very strongly house-ruled magic users and clerics to reflect the setting. In short, I have focused on their status as normal men, and the consequences of magic are reflected on morale dice (yes, morale dice and fear are interchangeable in this campaign) with the possibility for insanity as a result of failed casting and failed morale dice.

Classes: fighters usually with racial modifiers e.g. monastic knights are 'fanatical' (see dervishes) and are supplied armor, weapons and horses (the number depending on rank) and begin with very little money (see monks as an example - using a silver standard). Thieves are handled as expert hirelings and are written up like the bandit - having a 'racial ability' which is reflected in the primary mechanics, e.g surprise; most are 0-lvl/normal men what have you.

I encourage players to play PC's from any racial group. I don't limit how many PCs a character may play since the game lends itself mechanically more to a wargame (Chainmail MTM) than an rpg. That said, the game still plays like an rpg. I mention that because often we try have a game that includes like racial types (assassins with assassins, templars with templars and retainers/henchmen, thieves with thieves, cultists and cultists etc. - obviously there are overlaps too, like cultists and assassins etc.) unless there is some work done to craft specific character or adventure backgrounds to allow for overlap

[thorswulf]

Wow, this has been a very interesting subject to be sure. As far as players and politics mixing, it has been my experience that good roleplayers can play just about any mindset if they believe it is just that: acting. Don't get me wrong though, lots of players may have serious issues about moral and spiritual issues with the Crusades. If that is the case let them play native Christians or Moslems. This may actually help others roleplay better as well. One fascinating thing about the Crusades is how much Eastern culture was absorbed by the Crusaders over time. Maybe reflecting this would also help roleplaying.

[krusader74]

PROLOGUE

In 1097, Baldwin departs from his older brother Godfrey. He joins Bohemond's nephew Tancred, to conquer the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. In 1098, Thoros invites Baldwin to Edessa. We know what happens to Baldwin next (see my prior posts in this thread).

Meanwhile, the main Crusader army (led by Adhemar, Raymond, Godfrey, Bohemond and Robert) march on Antioch. They arrive outside the city on October 21, 1097.

THE SIEGE OF ANTIOCH


Here is a timeline for the Siege of Antioch.

DATE        MILESTONE
10/21/1097  Crusaders arrive outside Antioch
12/29/1097  Antioch garrison led by Yaghi-Siyan sorties unsuccessfully
12/31/1097  Crusader foraging party defeats 1st Muslim relief force, but fails to forage enough supplies
02/09/1097  Crusaders defeat 2nd Muslim relief force
05/01/1098  Kerbogha fails to recapture Edessa from Baldwin
06/03/1098  Armenian named Firouz betrays Antioch, lets Crusaders through Towers of the Two Sisters in exchange for money and a title
06/03/1098  Crusaders capture Antioch, fail to capture citadel, slaughter Muslim and Christian inhabitants alike
06/07/1098  Kerbogha's army begins second siege of Antioch
06/10/1098  Peter Bartholomew dreams of the Holy Spear
06/14/1098  Meteor strikes Kerbogha's encampment
06/15/1098  Peter the Hermit finds the Holy Spear buried in cathedral of St. Peter
06/27/1098  Peter the Hermit sent to negotiate with Kerbogha, fails
06/28/1098  Crusaders led by Raymond of Aguilers carrying the Holy Spear successfully sortie against Kerbogha's army, which retreats
06/28/1098  The citadel under command of Ahmed ibn Merwan surrenders to Bohemund
06/28/1098  Yaghi-Siyan flees citadel and is captured and beheaded
08/01/1098  Typhus epidemic breaks out, papal legate Adhemar dies
01/01/1099  Raymond departs Antioch, marching on Jerusalem, leaving Bohemond as Prince of Antioch
04/08/1099  Peter the Hermit accused of pious fraud for his visions, undergoes ordeal by fire
04/20/1099  Peter the Hermit dies of his burns
06/07/1099  Raymond begins Siege of Jerusalem

Here's a quick rundown on the Crusader leaders:

NAME                    DESCRIPTION
Adhemar                 Papal legate and bishop of Le Puy
Raymond D'Aguilers      Eldest, most famous, largest army, expected to be the leader of the entire First Crusade
Godfrey of Bouillon     Older brother of Baldwin, who is the Count of Edessa and eventual King of Jerusalem
Bohemond                Becomes Prince of Antioch
Robert of Flanders      Leader of smallest army

And here's a breakdown of the forces involved:

NAME                  TOTAL SIZE   INFANTRY   CAVALRY   LEADER        NOTES
Crusader Army             20,000     12,000     8,000   (see above)   Some accounts say Crusader army numbered 43,000
                                                                     but that includes noncombatants and untrained peasants
Antioch Garrison           6,000          ?         ?   Yaghi-Siyan
First Muslim relief army  12,000      9,000     3,000   Duqaq
Second Muslim relief army  5,000      4,000     1,000   Ridwan
Kerbogha's army           30,000     25,000     5,000   Kerbogha      Kerbogha's army includes remnants of first and second
                                                                     Muslim relief force led by Ridwan and Duqaq.

There are good summaries of the siege here and here. There are also a number of firsthand accounts. And here's a nice map of the city in 1098:



In Chainmail, I'd probably run these battles in 200:1 scale rather than the usual 20:1 scale, in order to keep things manageable.

SACRED METEORS, PROPHETIC VISIONS

As I write this post (3 Jan 2014), the Quadrantids meteor shower peaks in the northern hemisphere around 7:30p UT in Europe and Asia--that's 2:30p in the eastern US, but should be visible in clear skies there till at least midnight. The Zenithal Hourly Rate is 80-120 (depending on who's counting).

Meteors are powerful objects. Meteors have been found to contain DNA building blocks. And they could snuff out all life on the planet. A recent TV program, Big History Ep. 12, entitled "Deadly Meteors" provides more details.

And meteors play an important role in medieval religion and warfare.

Baetyli are meteorites revered by the ancients. An example occurs in Genesis 28:11-19, where Jacob makes a pillow out of these meteoric rocks. He dreams of a stairway to heaven (aka Jacob's Ladder). Angels ascend and descend the stairway. The LORD God stands above it. When Jacob awakes, he sets up the meteorites as a pillar, anoints them with oil, and names the place Beth-El, meaning "House of God." And that's where the word "Betyl" for a sacred meteoritic rock comes from. (The ancient Greeks had a similar stone artifact called an "omphalos.")

Patrick Moore contends that the Star of Bethlehem was actually two meteors.

On 27 Oct AD 312, Constantine and Maxentius prepared to battle each other at Milvian Bridge for the title of Emperor of Rome. Constantine's forces were outnumbered. He saw a meteor blazing across the sky towards the enemy camp. A very good omen indeed.

This meteor strike created the "Cratere del Sirente," a small shallow seasonal lake in Abruzzo, in central Italy. It struck at a speed of 70,000 mph with the force of a 1KT nuclear bomb. The result looked like a small nuclear blast, complete with a mushroom cloud of dust and violent shock-waves. Perhaps it looked like a giant cross of light:

 or maybe like this 

HOLY SPEAR, INVINCIBLE ARMY

That night Constantine dreamed of a flaming cross consisting of a long vertical spear with a crossbar near the top. A banner hung from the cross with the first two letters of Christ's name: the Chi-Rho. A heavenly voice declared: "In this sign shalt thou conquer!" (IN HOC SIGNO VINCES). Constantine awoke and immediately had the sign emblazoned on his legions' gear and won the battle. This military standard, called a labarum, looks like this:



The vertical spear in Constantine's labarum has been equated with the Lance of Longinus (aka Holy Spear) that pierced Christ's side on the cross. This spear has miraculous powers--

(1) An army led by the Holy Spear, no matter how outnumbered, is ensured victory. Napolean sought it. Trevor Ravenscroft claimed that Hitler became obsessed with the spear, but that it eventually fell into the hands of General Patton.

(2) The Holy Spear has the power to pierce and immobilize any being, no matter how powerful, even a god. If you've seen the anime masterpiece Neon Genesis Evangelion, you're familiar with this power.



(3) A wound caused by the Holy Spear will never heal and may have broader consequences. In Wagner's Parsifal, the evil illusionist Klingsor conjures a beautiful woman to seduce King Amfortas. Klingsor grabs the Holy Spear from Amfortas and pireces his groin; the wound will not heal. The King's impotence and infertility reduce his kingdom to a barren wasteland. In other legends, Amfortas is known as the Wounded King or the Fisher King.



(4) Ravenscroft claims that the Holy Spear has these powers because it contains an evil entity that he calls the Anti-Christ. Anton LaVey claims that the sign of the Spear is actually the inverted pentagram. He equates the Holy Spear with Excalibur, Wotan's Spear, and "the lightning bolt that created the protoplasm of life."

In what way could the spear point contain a powerful entity? We saw that the Betyl stone was the "residence of god." So fashioning a spear point out of it would surely create a powerful weapon with miraculous powers. Indeed the british museum has a lance blade made from meteoric iron. And in D&D 3.5E / Pathfinder, there's an artifact called a Meteor Spear.

DISCOVERY OF THE HOLY SPEAR AT THE SIEGE OF ANTIOCH

What's all this meteor and spear stuff got to do with the Crusades?

On 7 June 1098, Kerbogha's numerically superior army began their siege of Antioch. Inside the city's walls, the outnumbered Crusaders were starving. Starving people are often subject to visions and hallucinations. On 10 June 1098, Peter the Hermit dreams of St. Andrew, who tells him the Holy Spear is inside the city.

On 14 June 1098 a meteor strikes Kerbogha's encampment, a good omen indeed. On 15 June 1098, Peter the Hermit finds the Holy Spear buried in the Cathedral of St. Peter.

These omens--the meteor, the Holy Spear--evoke Constantine's miraculous victory at Milvian Bridge. On 28 June 1098, Raymond of Aguilers, carrying the Holy Spear, leads the Crusaders in battle. The Crusaders have visions of three saints riding along with them in battle: St. George, St. Demetrius, and St. Maurice. Their sortie against Kerbogha's army is short and decisive. Kerbogha's army retreats. This major Crusader victory paves the way for Raymond of Aguilers to capture Jerusalem in 1099.

NOTES ON USING THE HOLY SPEAR WITH OD&D AND CHAINMAIL

It's very clear from the firsthand accounts of the Battle of Antioch that the discovery of the Holy Spear had a profound positive effect on the starving, outnumbered Crusaders.

In Chainmail, the army that possesses the Holy Spear should roll for attacks and morale as if they were one category higher: Light Horse roll as Medium Horse, etc.

In OD&D, the side with the Holy Spear add +1 to their attack and morale dice. Additionally, they may have visions of fighting alongside angels or saints.

PIOUS FRAUD(?)

The papal legate Adhemar of Le Puy had doubts about the authenticity of the spear discovered by Peter the Hermit. It was widely believed that in AD 615 Nicetas took the real Holy Spear from Jerusalem to Constantinople and deposited it in the church of Hagia Sophia. But Adhemar reserved judgment on the matter after seeing the profound positive effect it had rallying the Crusader army.

However, in April 1099, Peter's skeptics openly accused him of fraud. On 8 April 1099, Peter undergoes the biblical ordeal by fire. He walks through a fiery furnace. For the next 12 days he suffers in agony. On 20 April 1099, he succumbs to his severe burns.

In my campaign, the PCs are travelling companions of Baldwin in nearby Edessa. But secretly they are procurators of the Holy Inquisition and curators of the Archivum Secretum Vaticanum. They have been charged with investigating cases of pious fraud. They would likely be ordered to Antioch to test the authenticity of the Holy Spear and judge Peter the Hermit.

FANTASTIC MEDIEVAL WARGAMES

If you've read my previous posts, you know I like to mix copious amounts of fantasy with the history. This is a matter of personal taste. I have no problem messing with history or adding cool stuff I read in books or see in movies.

I recently read Crusade, a graphic novel by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Carlos Ezquerra. Originally published in the pages of 2000AD, Judges from all over the world, including Judge Dredd from Mega-City One and the inquisitor Judge Cesare from Vatican-Cit (pictured below) rush to Antarctica to recover a crashed spaceship piloted by Judge Eckhart who claimed to have gone to the edge of the universe and received a message from Grudd himself. Cosmic radiation has transfigured Judge Eckhart into an invincible monster that believes itself to be Grudd Almighty, but before revealing its new covenant and ushering in the millenial kingdom, Eckhart must first try to satisfy his immense hunger by eating a sacrificial meal, starting with Judge Dredd...



I'm also a big fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion (the manga, the original series, the remakes), which involves world-seeding "Impacts" by meteoric artifacts housing "Angels," and the Lance of Longinus that's capable of penetrating any AT Field, etc.

I'm not 100% sure what I would do with the meteor and the Holy Spear in my campaign, but right now I'm thinking that the meteor that strikes Kerbogha's encampment on 14 June 1098 could be either

(a) a Betyl that contains Ravenscroft's antichrist or some other fallen angel

(b) a spacecraft that contains a monster or giant robot

The authentic Holy Spear may be the key to defeating this foe. The spear Peter found in Antioch might not be authentic. And who knows, the Crusaders and Turks may even need to team up to defeat this new, cataclysmic threat!?

Splundig Vur Thrigg!

[joseph]

Wow, a fantastic post krusader! Your blend of history and fantasy is quite well thought out and demonstrates an excellent understanding of the period. Interesting stuff

[krusader74]

Here's a preview of a (pre-)Crusader-era Chainmail scenario I'm developing:

The Battle of Manzikert 1071AD

Background

Manzikert is a fortified Armenian town and important trading center north of Edessa. In 1054AD, Byzantine general Basil Apokapes repels an attempt to conquer the town by Toghrïl Beg, the founder of the Seljuk Empire.

Now the year is 1071AD, and the Seljuks try again, under the leadership of Alp Arslan, second sultan of the Seljuk Empire.

Initial Setup

Setup the field of battle as shown in the following illustration:



Each block is 10,000 troops. Break each block into 10 figures (1000:1). Initial troop strengths (Point Values, Chainmail, p. 27):

• Byzantine Army: 3*10*4(=MH) + 1*10*2(=HF) = 140
• Seljuk Turks: 1*10*5(=HH) + 2*10*3(=LH Archers) = 110

Optional: Add a figure for each leader. Leaders' names are listed at the top left of each block. Romanos and Alp Arslan are Superheroes, the rest are Heroes.

So initially, it looks like the Byzantine Army has a slight advantage...

Complications

1. At the beginning of the battle, Doukas and his rear reserve of heavy infantry will simply refuse to fight and march off the battlefield. He is trying to sabotage Romanos and become the new Emperor.

2. The rest of the Byzantine army consists of polyglot Mercenaries. There are Saxons, Franks, Turks, etc. There are lots of problems: The Greeks refuse to fight alongside the Armenians, the Franks want more money, etc. We need to use the special rules for Mercenaries from Chainmail.

FOR EACH FIGURE IN THE BYZANTINE ARMY, BEFORE EACH TURN, ROLL 1d6:

If a 1 is rolled they merely stand still that turn, doing absolutely nothing (except defending themselves if attacked). If a 2-5 is rolled they will obey orders. If a 6 is rolled, a second roll must immediately be made:

Die Score - Result
1           More pay! Stand, no attacking or movement
2           March off board (things aren't going well at home, they say)
3           Bribed! March to join the enemy (as soon as they reach the enemy lines they turn and may attack you)
4-6         Carry out orders normally far the next three moves, no die checks required during that time. (You're really a winning personality)

Once engaged in melee it is not necessary to check mercenaries until after the melee is concluded. (Quoted from Chainmail, p. 19, Mercenaries)

The result should be that the Byzantine army fractures: Some figures don't fight, some retreat, some defect! This should weaken the Byzantine Army's odds, and give the advantage to Alp Arslan.

Tactics

The Seljuk Left & Right LH are much faster than the Byzantine's MH, and they're using ranged weapons. The Seljuk Left will break into two units of 5 figures each. These two units will attempt to flank the Byzantine Right (or get in front and behind them) and shower them with missile fire, while staying out of melee range. The Seljuk LH will simply disengage when challenged, the classic hit and run tactics of steppe warriors. The applicable rules for Flank and Rear attacks are in Chainmail, p. 16:

Flank Attack: Units attacking from the flank are at the next higher class, i.e., Heavy Foot equals Armored Foot and Heavy Horse equals +1 on each die.

Rear Attack: Units which attack from the rear deliver casualties without receiving any in return. In addition, such troops receive the bonus stated above for Flank Attack.

The Seljuk Right will attempt the same maneuver on the Byzantine Left.

Alp Arslan's HH will confront Romanos's MH head-on.

Historical Results

The Byzantine Right was almost immediately routed. The Left held out a little longer but was also soon routed. The remnants of the Center, including Romanos, were encircled by the Seljuks.

Romanos was injured and taken prisoner by the Seljuks. Alp Arslan placed his boot on the Emperor Romanos's neck and forced him to kiss the ground. A famous conversation ensued:

Arslan: "What would you do if I were brought before you as a prisoner?"
Romanos: "Perhaps I'd kill you, or exhibit you in the streets of Constantinople."
Arslan: "My punishment is far heavier. I forgive you, and set you free."

Arslan treated Romanos well for a week while they agreed on concessions:

• Byzantium pays the Sultan 1.5 million gp initially, followed by an annual sum of 360,000 gp.
• Arslan's son will marry Romanos' daughter.
• Anatolia (Antioch, Edessa, Hierapolis, and Manzikert) is surrendered to the Seljuks.

Arslan then gave Romanos many parting gifts and an escort of two emirs and one hundred Mamluks on his route to Constantinople.

Meanwhile, Doukas had escaped with no casualties and quickly marched back to Constantinople. There he announced that Romanos had been killed.

At Constantinople, the traitor Doukas deposes, publicly blinds and exiles Romanos on a donkey. Romanos makes his way to the island of Proti and soon dies as a result of an infection caused by an injury during his brutal blinding.

Significance

The Battle of Manzikert is considered a root cause for the Crusades for a couple of reasons:

1. The new Byzantine Emperor calls for military assistance from the West after the loss of Anatolia.

2. The West saw Manzikert as a signal that Byzantium was no longer capable of protecting Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land.

[krusader74]

Here is a simple jsFiddle that rolls on the Mercenary table (Chainmail, p. 19) for use with the Battle of Manzikert scenario presented above, as a convenience, since Byzantium will have to make a large number of such rolls. 2/3s of the time the result will just be "Mercenaries carry out orders normally this turn." The source code is here. And here's a screenshot:



For future reference, is there any way to embed a jsFiddle into BBCode? Are HTML iframe tags supported?

As a reminder, there's also a jsFiddle to do Chainmail post-melee morale over here.

[krusader74]

This weekend, I found a great collection of lectures at my local library: How the Crusades Changed History by Philip Daileader, Ph.D. (The College of William and Mary). There are 24 half-hour lectures. So so far I've listened to the first six:

1 What Were the Crusades?
2 Before the Crusades—Deep Background
3 Before the Crusades—Immediate Circumstances
4 The First Crusade and Conquest of Jerusalem
5 The Rise of the Templars
6 Defending the Crusader States, 1099–1144
I've learned several important things already...

First, I became aware of many anachronisms I've been using:

1. The terms "Crusader" and "Crusades" weren't developed until the Third Crusade. Before that, the terms "Pilgrim" and "Pilgrimage" would have been used.

2. The terms "Byzantium" and "Byzantines" were also developed by historians at a much later point. The terms in use at the time of the First Crusade would have been "Rome" and "Romans," since these people saw themselves as the natural continuation of the Roman Empire.

3. Crusaders who settled in the Holy Land were called "Franks," even when they weren't French.

Second, I learned about the six different accounts of Pope Urban II's speech at the Council of Claremont in November 1095. Fulcher's account seems the most accurate:

While we think of knights as chivalric, in reality they were quite brutal, fighting other knights, raping and killing peasants. The clergy tried to extend the Church's protection to the poor, defenseless peasants. This was called the "Peace of God" (Pax Dei). Urban talked about the lack of adherence to the Pax Dei. He also talked about the problem of simony.

Finally, at the end of Urban's speech, he asks for about 1,000 volunteers, both knights and peasants, to go help the "Romans" (=Byzantines) take back Anatolia from the Seljuk Turks (see the Battle of Manzikert above). Urban never said anything about Holy War (Augustine's "Just War" theory said wars were secular, not religious). Urban never said anything taking Jerusalem, only about re-taking Antioch, Edessa, etc.

Robert the Monk added that Urban promised anyone who went would receive "remission of sins." This just means they wouldn't need to do earthly penance for their sins. It's likely that the clergy (not the Pope) made this up when they were trying to recruit volunteers. This idea would later get developed into the "plenary indulgence," which added that pilgrims wouldn't need to spend time in purgatory either.

After the speech, the excited crowd started shouting "Deus Vult!" (God wills it!). People started cutting sacks into the shape of the cross and threw them over their backs to show their willingness to "take up the cross." They then started walking up to Urban to make the "Crusader's vow," promising to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre, which was in the hands of the Muslims, implying they'd fight their way all the way to Jerusalem.

[librarylass]

I certainly can't complain about any campaign with that many Eva references! Well done, Krusader74!

[Falconer]

Feb 11, 2014 23:39:04 GMT -6 krusader74 said:

2. The terms "Byzantium" and "Byzantines" were also developed by historians at a much later point. The terms in use at the time of the First Crusade would have been "Rome" and "Romans," since these people saw themselves as the natural continuation of the Roman Empire.

Well, the city name Byzantion goes back to the Archaic Period. When Constantine “moved Rome” to that site, he renamed it Nova Roma or Constantinopolis. It was the capital of the Roman Empire (Basileia Rhomaion, or Romania) and its citizens were Romioi. When the Turks conquered it, it became the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and the term Rûm still to this day is the name for Orthodox Christians in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.

I recently came across an early liturgical text which the manuscript designates “Byzantine,” so I am sure the adjective existed in contemporary use as a reference to the city (during the so-called Byzantine Period, which lasted 1124 years and saw 99 emperors), but in general it is true that the terms “Byzantine Empire” or “the Byzantines” were pretty much never used as far as we know. By the way, Hellene, or Greek, was a bad word, as it meant Pagan.