Dues Vult Ad Infinitum - A Jerusalem AAR

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Prelude Part 1: The World at a Standstill

The year is 1162. The crusade, the first and only thus far, was a complete success. The holy land lies firmly in Christian hands, and the Pope has recognized the Macaulay dynasty as one of the most graced of God in Christian history. Though starting off auspiciously with the reviled yet skilled King Christopher I of Jerusalem, his son, King Humphrey I, has been beatified and is soon to be sainted by the church for his service to His Holiness in Rome (which will be visited later).

And yet all is not well in Europe.

The Byzantine empire collapsed in 1104, marking the slow decline of the Orthodox church in Europe. Already, nearly all of Anatolia is dominated by Turkish invaders, and the southern Balkans have already begun converting to Islam under the yoke of their new masters. The Christian world has been slow to respond, but as Muslims advance on nearly all fronts, help may not be forthcoming.

In Russia, the wretched Pagans of the Kingdom of Cuman have seized nearly the entirety of the Rus, and there is little sign of stopping. The orthodox resistance has banded together under Grand Prince Rurik of Kiev, who singularly leads all the former Russian principalities against the pagan threat, but even his piety is waning. At only 23, he is beset by depression, and rumors abound of attempts at his own life. The only hope is that his son, Trifon, has already showed immense skill with the sword and nearly all other facets of future governance, and some harken him as the eventual savior of the Russian people, and the Orthodox faith.

And yet, there is some good news to be heard in Spain. Christ's soldiers, funded and dispatched by the Kingdom of France, have liberated significant portions of Castille from the invaders. The Kingdom of Bohemia, too, liberated Barcelona shortly after a Muslim advance, and keep safe most of the Kingdom of Aragon. Still, most of Iberia remains in heathen hands, and the progress of conversion has been slow.

Still, despite these deficiencies, none can question God's favor manifest in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. A powerful, established, and effectively led Kingdom based out of the holy city of Jerusalem has, since its founding in 1113, been the beacon of hope for all Christian people everywhere. Expanding into Egypt and Arabia in 1125 and 1140 respectively, the Muslim world has been split in two, and the once dominant Fatamid dynasty sent into Exile in Spain.

This is how the world stands in 1162. Up next, the history of the Macaulay dynasty, the founding of the Holy Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the point of this AAR.

 

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Prelude Part 2: A Little Family History

The Macaulay dynasty is new by medieval standards. Christopher Macaulay, originally a nobleman in Northern England, was granted the title of Duke of Northumberland on a whim (*cough*), becoming the first royally titled Macaulay. Little is known of the family before that, what is known is that they are of combined Norman and Anglo-Saxon origin, forming one of the first truly "English" dynasties.

Little occurred in Northern England for quite some time, as England and the Christian world remained in a state of peace and internal improvement. It was not until 1090, when the first crusade was called, that history would take its course, and Duke Christopher would be propelled to greatness.

The Pope called for Jerusalem to be liberated from the heathen scum of the Kingdom of the Fatamids, and as the King of England saw fit to send his armies, so did Duke Christopher of York. Little did the King know that by granting Christopher considerable autonomy in directing his forces to the holy land, he would be setting his vassal free to claim the holy land for himself. And claim he did.

As Fatamid forces were distracted, facing the main armies of the Kingdom further north, Christopher seized the city of Alexandria from under their noses, and expanded in the surrounding area. After fostering the growth of local levies and securing their loyalty (for a considerable sum of gold) Christopher marched his new armies on to the Holy Land itself, placing Jerusalem under the banner of Christ, eventually expanding through the surrounding area enough to be crowned the King of the newly formed Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1113.

Considerably in debt and weary from his travels, Christopher ruled as King no more than three years before passing away in his new capital, at the age of 66. Despite his brilliant victories and selfless service to Christ, the Pope saw fit to excommunicate him in his final days due to his association with and toleration of the moneylenders in the Holy land, a necessity brought about by the expenses associated with his conquest. Though his reputation had been sullied abroad, at home his flaws were mostly overlooked for his considerable skill and service to the faith. He was succeeded by the sixth of his 21 (yes, twenty one, he got around ) children, Humphrey, soon to be crowned King Humphrey I.

The original, the first of the Macaulay Dynasty

King Humphrey I was more like his father than any of his other siblings, and many attribute his choice as heir to this. Though he possessed five older brothers, one died in battle against the heathen scum as marshal of the Kingdom, two died of disease in their infancy, and, mysteriously, the other two died of unfortunate "accidents" before the death of Christopher. Though some eyebrows were raised due to these circumstances, Humphrey had been favored for future King since the first born Alan died in battle, and there was much celebration upon his ascension to the throne.

Humphrey's initial years would be one of consolidation, and profound change for the city of Jerusalem. As heathens would not be tolerated under the new regime, Humphrey enacted a series of inquisitions aimed at removing them from the Kingdom, with considerable focus on the capital before all else. Importing English Christians from Northumberland, combined with converts and pilgrims who had flocked to the city since its liberation, Jerusalem was the first city to be officially declared Christian, and above all else, English. (I modded the file, of course, but purely for gameplay purposes) This influence would spread throughout the holy land, as the people converted to Christianity rather rapidly, and to English as a slower rate.

His reign also marked the expansion of the Kingdom into Nubia and Arabia, securing the crowns of Egypt and Arabia in Christian hands. Mecca, the holy land of Islam, was captured and pillaged by the crusaders, an act that would weigh heavily in the Pope's eventual case for beatification. Conversion was a trickier case, and, despite considerable investment and the construction of a large church in the city, it remains Muslim to this day.

Humphrey's reign lasted 15 years (he was already 34 when Christopher died) when, at the age of 49, he passed away, and his son, Henry, was crowned King of Jerusalem in in 1131. The catholic church officially beatified him after his death, and his legacy as both a crusader and a Christian are held high even 30 years after his death.

He has his father's... hair

Henry, Humphrey's fourth son of 17 children, was an unlikely candidate for heir. However, as fate would dispose of his three older brothers in convenient "accidents" and disease, the master theologian, like his father, would succeed to the throne.

Despite being 31 years since his ascension, little has occurred during his reign. A self described "crusader", Henry has seen little real action beyond gobbling up rogue Muslim states, and his reign has been marked more by internal growth and conversion than anything else. Still, as the Seljuk turks advance further into Europe, and the Pagans look set to unite Russia under their banner, Henry's Crusaders itch grows ever greater. Adding insult to injury, Muslim forces fighting the Kingdom of England (which had since reabsorbed the lands of Northumberland and York) seized the ancestral Macaulay lands in 1160, which has enraged the ruler and strengthened his desire to spread the faith. Perhaps a reverse crusade is in order.

He doesn't look a damned thing like his father, but he's just as busy in the sack

Humiliating...

-So that brings me to the point of this AAR. It is my personal desire to, for the first time ever, lead a game from Crusader Kings to EU2, and from there to Victoria (and maybe even HoI2). I own all these games, but have no experience with the converters, and am somewhat worried that my games may be of the wrong version and get lost in the conversion process. If anyone has any advice here, now is the time to tell me, before I waste even more time.

I have never had the patience to go this far, but I feel it would be interesting to see a Christian Kingdom totally supplant Islam, and, for the most part, marginalize it. My dream is to eliminate the other religions entirely by spreading Christianity as far as Crusader Kings allows you, and further once EU2 comes around. The English culture too, to a lesser extent, mostly in Jerusalem proper. We shall see where the Holy Kingdom brings us in time. Glory, or ruin, awaits. I plan on making the Pope proud.

It took until 1162 for me to realize I should do an AAR, which explains the summary of the past. From here on out, the events will be covered in much more detail.

The Religious situation in 1162

-On a side note, can anyone tell me how to remove the interface in order to take full screen screen shots? And also, if there is any way to show the entire world without having to paste together multiple different screens.

 

[Christian V]

I'll keep an eye on this one!

 

[Specialist290]

Looks like an interesting setup you have there. I'll certainly be watching this one.

 

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Update coming later today sometime.

Still, can anyone tell me what version of CK is best for conversion into EU2 (and what version of EU2 is best... and so on)? And does anyone know if there's a way to remove the interface for screenshots?

 

[General_BT]

Looks interesting - good luck... I'm trying to do something similar with the Byzantine Empire (leading it from CK to EU to beyond)

 

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Neat

 

[Specialist290]

Still, can anyone tell me what version of CK is best for conversion into EU2 (and what version of EU2 is best... and so on)? And does anyone know if there's a way to remove the interface for screenshots?

As far as I know, there's no specific "version" that's really necessary for converting a game, although 1.05 (latest patch) seems to be the community standard (plus or minus a few mods; might not want to mess w/ mods that change country tags, though). However, it's best played after conversion w/ vanilla EU2 1.09, since AGCEEP changes some of the country tags (which causes some odd results).

As far as converters go, I'd advise King of Men's converter over the one provided w/ the game, based on what I've heard. I've never used it, though (since I've never converted a game), and I don't have the link handy. Maybe someone else does...

 

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Chapter 1: From glory to gimp

1162 began with a bang. Or a clatter, seeing as gunpowder has yet to be invented. The Kingdom of Bohemia, an irritatingly proactive state, long and ineffectively occupied the Northern Half of the island of Cyprus after the fall of the Byzantine Empire, and despite nearly half a century of rule, failed to convert the Orthodox residents back into full communion with the Pope. Citing this as reason enough for intervention, King Henry I launched an assault on the poorly defended island, claiming the land in the name of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The island fell quickly, and a small detachment of Bohemian infantry were beaten back. Now, only time was necessary for the lands to be ceded to their proper owner.

But alas, tragedy struck. In 1162, Peter Macaulay, Henry's eldest son, died in a hunting accident. The entire Kingdom mourned, especially his pregnant wife, fat with his child and, if male, the future heir of the empire. Some noted that King Henry was less morose than expected for a mourning father, and was quick to begin fawning over the next son in line, the much more promising and skilled Richard. It is reported that upon learning of Peter's pregnant wife (only after he was already dead), Henry became noticeably irritated, mumbling to himself as he walked away.

At least it wasn't a horrible smelting accident.

In better news, the Pope's will was fulfilled, as Antioch fell to the forces of France in 1162! King Henry declared a day of feasting in order to celebrate, and there was much rejoicing.

Yet very quickly, the King realized just what was happening. The Seljuk turks, in a surprising show of weakness, were yielding land adjacent to Jerusalem to other Christian Kingdoms. Though Henry praised them for their piety, his advisers agreed wholeheartedly that now was the time to strike at the Seljuk turks, to liberate Mesopatamia and Anatolia from their heathen grip; before anyone else did it first.

And so, despite still being technically at war with the stubborn Bohemians, the Kingdom of Jerusalem declared war on the Sultanate of Seljuk turks.

It's a defensive war! They declared war on me!

The Seljuks were slow to respond, and before a single Seljuk force was even seen, the soldiers of Christ were penetrating the outskirts of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Baghdad was within reach of the Christian forces, when scouts in the North brought very grave news.

Antioch had been retaken by the Turkish scum, and already a Turkish army of 10,000 was marching southward toward our lands. With the King off capturing Baghdad in the East, the northern defenses were left to an up until then unknown courtier by the name of "Oluf". Quickly outnumbering and outmaneuvering the Muslim forces, the armies of Jerusalem destroyed those of Islam, and soon Antioch was brought under Christian control.

News of Antioch's capture came shortly before news of the fall of the historic Islamic metropolis of Baghdad, dealing a decisive blow to the forces of Islam. King Henry himself paraded the streets and broke the ground of the new church of Baghdad, constructed from the materials of demolished mosques and minarets.

But alas, it would be in Baghdad that the seeds of Henry's undoing would be sown. After two more years of fighting (and conquest) the tide began to turn against the Crusaders, who increasingly found themselves on the defensive from the Islamic onslaught, and a battle raged outside of Baghdad. Kirkuk had just been retaken by the Turkish forces, and as the Crusader armies marched against them to halt their advance, King Henry I of Jerusalem was struck down in battle. Though he would survive his wounds, they would permanently mangle him, and seriously impair his ability to rule his Kingdom in the future.

His reign will certainly be cut short... and he was doing so well on the record length.

And yet he fought on, and defended Baghdad even as he lay bedridden from his wounds. His son Andrew, recently matured and married, was summoned to his side. Though not technically the heir by traditional law(as the dead Peter had ultimately produced a son) it was understood that Richard was the favored to take the throne. For as he had now grown into an increasingly detached, fanatical priest, he increasingly saw himself as God's messenger on earth. And no infant would stand in his way.

The Kingdom in 1165. Note the Bohemian menace removed from Cyprus. Also the Seljuk hordes.

 

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will you proclaim Syria and restore the Byzantine Empire? That were original, having English as a leader. Howewer, Abbasids are strong enemies. You'd better watch it!

 

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Chapter 2: The Fertile… Cross?

And so the war raged on. The Crusaders continued to make gains against the Seljuks, but the strain of war seriously drained the reserves of their forces. Estimates of available manpower before the war were well above 120,000 men of age willing to fight, but after four years of conflict the number had dropped below 80,000. Still, Henry was content with his advisor’s estimates of under 60,000 for the Turks, and so long as his manpower was greater, he slept easy.

Religious tensions in Medina, one of the holy cities of Islam, became inflamed during this conflict. The absence of its levies, combined with the war against Islam, made it readily apparent that the populace must be dealt with. And so, a detachment of forces was sent, and Islamic revolters were massacred for their treasonous acts. Seeing this, the majority of the remaining populace bowed down and converted to the religion of Christ, making Islam’s second holiest city now firmly in Christian hands.

Shortly thereafter, tragedy occurred at the court. Queen Isabelle, citing that the now bedridden and weak King can no longer “satisfy” her, was caught committing adultery with the Duke of Alexandria. Needless to say, she was dealt with appropriately, and a new Queen, Gyda of Shrewsbury, secured.

Fighting both infidels and infidelity since 1113

In fact, it was with the marriage duties (the fourth yet collected, as Gyda would be wife number four. Hey, his name is Henry) Henry was officially crowned the King of Mesopatamia, and quickly turned his sights toward the nearly conquered lands of Syria. However, the travel and warfare had taken its toll on Henry, who’s health soon deteriorated. Everyone feared the worst; and Richard knew it was time to deal with his rival to the throne, Hugh, once and for all. Three days later, the infant Hugh “died in his sleep.” Richard was now first in line for the throne.

This is hurting the war effort…

And despite these setbacks, Henry won the race against time, and was shortly crowned King of Syria. As of 1165, he held five royal titles; Jerusalem, Egypt, Arabia, Mesopatamia, and Syria. Any lingering doubts about his skill as a crusader had by then been completely dispelled. And yet, not three days later, what they had all feared finally came.

So it goes…

And his son Richard, came to power as the new King of Jerusalem. Pledging to finish the crusade and his father’s dream of ruling the entire Islamic world, Richard immediately took charge and lead the Christian forces to battle against the Turkish menace.

Say that 10 times fast. Oh, he has his father's hair too!

 

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Chapter 3: The Pen is Mightier

The war raged on, as Turk after Turk was slain by the Crusaders. Soon their available manpower would fall below 40,000 men; but their utilization of their forces ever increased. No easing on the Crusaders would come, and the Muslims even gained the momentum in their last desperate bid for survival. It was in one repulse that tragedy struck.

IMG]http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5226/woundedws5.png[/IMG]
And their King has fought the entire war without a scratch

Before even producing any potential heirs, Richard was already wounded. This spurred many in the court to action, as intrigue abounded as to who would inherit the throne. These concerns were, for the moment, overshadowed by the war, but will be visited later.

As the war dragged on, the Crusaders moment continued to falter. Nearly all resources were poured into defensive operations, and battles began escalating from minor engagements of a few thousand men to epic battles reaching the tens of thousands. Manpower continued to wane for the Crusaders, and the Seljuks only seemed to be more and more capable of replacing their own men. Though the crusaders occupied some of its richest lands, the Seljuk Sultanate was beginning to match them on manpower.

The Turkish attacks, and the Crusader reinforcements and Defenses. Notice the quiet nature of Baghdad, with the Bluish buffer state keeping the main Turkish armies there at bay.

The Turks seemed obsessed with taking the city of Palmyra, and had already sent tens of thousands of soldiers to their deaths to defend it. The soldiers of Christ continued to hang on, but increasingly only doing so barely, spending all available time reinforcing and reorganizing. The King realized that peace was necessary to rebuild the Kingdom, but he lacked the piety to do so without seriously endangering his reputation. War would need to continue.

Stalemate prevailed for months, until finally the armies of the two Kingdoms met at the city of Palmyra. Just after King Richard fell further ill from his wounds (clicked through it on accident) his newly reinforced armies rushed to Palmyra to defend the back door to Jerusalem.

25,000 fanatics ready to die for their version of God. So beautiful

The battle was won, and soon the Crusaders took the initiative and marched north to inflict further defeats upon the Turkish infidels. Still, their successes came at heavy costs, the heaviest of all would be born by the King himself.

Maybe God really is on their side...

Out of nowhere, the emirate of Arabs declared war on the Kingdom, and soon Baghdad became vulnerable. The King became further worried… when word reached him of the completion of multiple great churches across his nation. Suddenly, having proved his piety to the world, peace could be made. Within days, emissaries from all across the Islamic world came to Jerusalem, and peace was made with nearly all the minor players in the Turkish-Arab war. Only the Turks remained at war, but the situation looked far more favorable. Jerusalem had been enriched by the tribute sent by the emissaries, and the Sheikdom of Arabs accepted the peace treaty recognizing their gains, meaning Baghdad was now safe. More churches were ordered for construction, so enough piety would be gained to make peace in the future with the Turks. Until then, the war would continue. It was about this time, that William was born to Richard, a light among the darkness that is Richard’s troubled life. It is said the birth of his son, a viable heir to the throne, brought a new vigor to Richard, in a time when his forces were stretched so thin it seemed unlikely victory would ever come.

It was about that time that an interesting thing happened, and, somehow, the Muslims infiltrated the Knights Hospilatiers

I love that his name is Usama...

Then, finally, after 6 years of bloody conflict, the news Richard had been praying for, finally came.

It's about bloody time!

The Kingdom had been completely devastated by war. The vast majority of its provinces were terrorized by thieves, rebels, and revolts. The economy was in a shambles, and the number of available men for defense had dropped to just over 40,000. Serious reconstruction would be necessary, and many doubted Richard could (or would be able to) do so in his weakened state. Still, his reign had seen the preservation of the Kingdom in some of its gravest years, and all looked to his son William to rule in the peace that followed.

Modest gains, but worth the bloodshed?

OOC: So, now I can finally speed up the game and get working on conversion. I really didn't expect that to take so bloody long. Until the next Crusade, I'll be able to skip forward much more quickly.

@M4 I shoulda listened to you! XD I had quite the situation on my hands, I'm honestly surprised I survived. There was a point where it looked like the Turks would overrun the Kingdom.

And as for Byzantium, I'm not sure. Will proclaiming myself Emperor of Byzantium supercede my King of Jerusalem title? If so, I'll have to think about it, as it will completely alter the AAR

 

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Will proclaiming myself Emperor of Byzantium supercede my King of Jerusalem?

No. You are still the King of Jerusalem. In some games the Emperor title will fire as first of these (KoJ will be 2nd), in both not. But i optioned, this is analogic to anyone. Also, you have a one title of kingdom, par example Poland. When you get another title, they'll be placed 2nd, then 3rd, ... etc.

An emperor title is the same as king both.

See page 50 - 70 of Knud Knytling AAR by phargle.

 

[Corbett]

Congratulations on the conclusion of your righteous crusade against the infidel. I'm certain that the Kingdom of Jerusalem's name will soon instill fear in the heart of its enemies once more!

 

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Chapter 4: The Cycle Begins Anew

King Richard’s rule continued into 1169, but increasingly took its toll upon his health. Working harder and harder to maintain control over his unwieldy demense, his mental faculties deteriorated, and he was driven mad. Declaring himself a crusader anew, and commanding imaginary armies to imaginary lands, Richard’s new madness worried those in the court that they would be forced to dispose of him to maintain order. Fortunately for them, before having to remove Richard by force, he passed away of his illness in his sleep, and, in 1169, his two year old son William was crowned William I, King of Jerusalem.

Any man who can impregnate a woman while he has pneumonia and is severely wounded is manly by any standard

William, being two years old, was overseen by a regency comprised of close male relatives and his mother, Regna. Very shortly into his rule, a crisis overtook Baghdad as it was gripped by revolt, and the city was forced to be put to the sword. However, as an end result, the city and surrounding area was shown the word of God, and soon the people were openly announcing their allegiance to Christ and the Pope.

There's considerably more white now amongst that filthy sea of green...

Despite this success, revolts continued into 1171 when, finally, the skilled yet merciless steward Valdemar was removed from his post. Though his ability had allowed the Regency to tolerate his continued presence, his heavy handed tactics produced revolt in more than half the Kingdom's provinces, and he was replaced with a new merciful, generous steward, even if she was less skilled in the ways of the purse. Valdemar was forced to sulk away, and almost almost immediately after his removal, reconciliation with the peasants in many of the provinces was forthcoming, and aid dispersed amongst them. Peace finally befell the Kingdom for the first time since 1165. Valdemar’s story was not done though; shortly after his removal, the inquisition brought charges against him for heresy, and the regency ordered him put to the stake. There was much rejoicing, as the hated steward would now rot in hell.

William’s regency would continue with a surprising degree of unity and prosperity. Under the new steward Katarina, many provinces would be invested in and improved to the point where the economy well surpassed pre-war levels, and the treasury burgeoned with replenished gold. Many crusaders protested the extended period of peace, but William’s regent council insisted they wait until William comes of age before launching any new assaults against the Muslim hordes.

Beloved Stewardess credited with the post-Turkish war prosperity, and a prominent member of William’s regency council

OOC: A quick update for the night

 

[Corbett]

The King must be very proud to see Baghdad, and many other places, converted to Christianity. Nice work. On to Mecca, I suppose!

 

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The King must be very proud to see Baghdad, and many other places, converted to Christianity. Nice work. On to Mecca, I suppose!

I've been desperately trying to get Mecca to convert, but even though the events with chances of conversion have come up something like three times, the stubborn Muslims refuse to convert!

More frustrating is the incompetence of my vassals to convert their provinces. Ah well, all in due time... Catholicism will prevail.

On a side note, I am thinking of turning down the English conversion events. Nearly all of egypt, huge chunks of the Levant, and (somehow) the entire island of Cyprus have converted to English culture, and I think that's too fast. It's strange, because it's set on 1300 months as the mean time to happen, which is something like 100 years . Oh well, increased to 1500 for gameplay purposes.

 

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Chapter 5: Mana From Heaven

Things continued as usual as William slowly matured into what looked to be an able ruler. A wonderful birthday present came on his 12th birthday, as the Pope in Rome passed away, passing control of the curia to an Englishman from Jerusalem, in recognition of Jerusalem’s service to the faith.

If the servant of God had delivered a gift on William’s twelfth birthday, God himself came on his thirteenth. The very thing that the dynasty, nay, the entire Christian world had been waiting for finally came. After nearly 40 years of Christian rule, the holy city of Islam, Mecca, converted peacefully to the catholic faith.

With Baghdad, Mecca, and Alexandria now firmly under Christian control, the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s mission of conversion changed. Now, not only would the focus be on the conversion of some of the more rural and spread out areas, but also the elimination of those who would threaten the now favorable status quo. The Kingdom could only wait with bated breath, for once William came of age and the crusade launched, Islam as a whole would be thrust into its final days. Only the Seljuk Turks, and a handful of weaker shieks, stood in their way.