Always good reading about medieval Finland and Eastern Europe, Vaarna. I don't know shit about the region at those times, I think its the Luso-Brazilian focus on the Modern Age, Renaissence, etc. We don't get to learn much about Potato and beyond.
Also, Navarra woudl't lasted a day.
Damn moors they are already getting dangerously close to become a greatest threat than even the Mamluks against Jerusalem.
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Islam regna Europa, Deus regna Jerusalem
Crusader Song
"Kingdoms without God are like castles of sand." the king briefly commented upon hearing the very good news on how the massive threat of the Timurids collapsed after the death of their heathen Khan Tamerlane. One less threat for Jerusalem is always welcome, considering the number of threats the kingdom faces. And thus, with the threats subdued, it was time to make good use of the gold plundered from the infidels.
By funding extensively missionaries to save many souls and purge Islam and HERESY from the Holy Land.
The first fruits of their works appear. The Franciscan Order proved itself excellent to spread the Catholic Faith beyond the borders of Christian civilization through their display of unwavering humility and devotion.
Of course, some of the heathens became restless due to the missionary work, and were trying to breach the fortifications to behead the missionary because he insulted Islam. The studies of many theologians may be right after all: Satan personally came to the impious Muhammad disguised as an angel to spread these lies. It is our duty to correct this iniquity. Meanwhile, in a sign a new enemy may soon raise their arms against Jerusalem, the Eastern Roman Empire starts to display hostility towards the Blessed Kingdom.
The Crusader kingdom of Tripolitania has been all but wiped out as, empowered by their alliance with Iberia, the infidels of Algiers advance from the west. For now, this is not a threat to Jerusalem, but if this continues, soon they will have a new enemy to contend with. With this growth of Algiers, another unfortunate side effect. The pirates among the savages have grown stronger, but this is of no relevance to the Kingdom of Jerusalem as their entire economy is self-sufficient.
The Mamluks are at war with the other infidels of Khorasan. Hopefully they will both weaken each other.
More infidels try to revert the victory of the Holy Kingdom, but they all perish and now march right into Mamluk territory. This will disrupt the Mamluks a little, which serves Jerusalem interests a lot.
The Mamluks never expected so many, and a thousand of them perished. Hopefully the heathens will head deeper into Mamluk lands, although if they don't, then they'll be easily wiped out by the superior forces guarding Iraq.
The conflict drew Egypt as well as the Mamluks, in their pride, think they can defeat all their enemies at once.
The heathens of Khorasan prove themselves more than capable of defying the Mamluk ambitions. But Egypt is in a precarious situation. Adalbert II cannot intervene because their truce with the Mamluks is not over yet. But there was another way to help their allies:
Hopefully rebels have risen against the heathens but it is impossible to know for sure, what matters is that Jerusalem did what they could. It is in God's hands now.
After seizing Basra, the foolish heathens return to Iraq and are completely wiped out. May their fate serve as a lesson to others who'd dare to raise their arms against the only true God.
The king is a very pious man, he'd never defy the last wills of a man willing to donate his lands to the Church.
Fighting in multiple battlefields, the Mamluks are forced to sign a white peace with Egypt, and for now, the only major ally of Jerusalem is safe.
Deep into the lands of the heathens, the Franciscan Order spreads to preach the true faith. Hatred and nationalism however must end first before any conversion not involving killing all Muslims can have chances of success, and although that would be equally acceptable, it would harm the kingdom in the long term.
During one night, Adalbert II began to scream loudly:
"They march on Ile de France! They march on Ile de France! The Holy Roman Empire is crumbling! The fires, the fires! They are killing everyone and enslaving and... my God!"
And during the morning he was at a visible state of catatonia, and thus a regent with a major administrative talent was appointed.
The spread of the word of God continues successfully. The Oriental Orthodox however continue to stubbornly refuse conversion.
The Eastern Roman Empire ambitions are finally revealed! They want to destroy the Catholic Church, depose the Pope and reinstate their throne in Rome and their heretic Patriarchate as well! And while the leaders of Orthodoxy and Catholicism fight each other, more news of wars worry the kingdom of Jerusalem.
The Moors of Iberia begin to advance against Guyenne, and already conquered some territories. Many began to wonder if the king's nightmare was more than mere madness as Europe's finest hour seems to be at hand. Meanwhile, the king finally back to his normalcy realized, by pretending to still be out of his mind, that his regent took advantage of his temporary position to mount a massive scheme of stealing from the kingdom's treasury then minting more coins to disguise it. Angered, the king made a spectacle out of it: all would see the sixty crooks involved burning in a massive pyre. But this kind of practice was long entrenched, and many opposed the ruthless punishment against it.
Advances are made in warfare. Jerusalem needs all it can get. With the bulk of their equipment imported from the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Europe, their forces are not as formidable as those of Western Europe, but nevertheless capable, and on the good side, the Eastern European influences many Polish Crusaders left in the kingdom grant to Jerusalem the capability of fielding far more cavalry effectively, if only they could afford it.
The heathens have conquered near the entirety of Iberia, Guyenne is greatly reduced and their ambitions are far from over. Islam is knocking on Europe's door like child rapist Muhammad knocking the door to an orphanage.
The mass of heathens is a clear sign that for Jerusalem, which meek navy would be crushed by the Iberian navy anyway, a massive army is the only way to secure their future.
The kingdom did their best. Quarantines were established to contain the plague and much gold was invested to support whichever means they had of ensuring it would spread the least possible while many brave missionaries tended to the ill. Perhaps such a display of care would help later with the conversion.
In the year of the Lord 1419, Jerusalem has enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity after their greater victory during the beginning of the century, but the same could not be said about the other two crusader kingdoms. Tripolitania was on its dying throes, and once again Egypt is under siege. Except this time it is much, much worse than before. Outnumbered their own forces try to besiege the capital of the Mamluks fast enough, may God help them, because, upon seeing who was supporting the heathens, the king of Jerusalem was not so sure if his involvement would even make a difference.
After completing their siege first, the heathens advanced to Cairo. The battle was bloody, but it was clear Egypt would lose, when suddenly:
The greater threat of Islam has made religious differences less important. The Papal State supported the independence of Egypt and boldly sent a small force to help them. This small force arrived almost too late but they came just in time to turn the tide of the battle in favor of Egypt. This is truly a sign God has not forsaken us no matter the trials ahead as Islam grows over Europe.
But, ultimately, that was of very little relevance. Egypt was doomed as both Algiers and the Satan spawn of Iberia attacked Egypt together. It is in God's hands now. Yet this would end proving itself a far less devastating defeat for Egypt than it would have been otherwise. Thanks to their victory against the Mamluks in Cairo and their routing of most of those heathens, the Mamluks agreed with a white peace instead of potentially seizing most of Egypt as they had cores on all of Egyptian territory, while after the battle of Cairo, they lost "only" Cirenaica.
A Patriarchate still existed in Iraq despite decades of Islam. Believing fanatically in the ideal of Unam Sanctam, Adalbert II ordered for the dissolution of this institution, hoping that leaderless, the heretics would be more willing to convert. Some HERESY spawned out of this but it was too small to stand any chance against the blessed army of Jerusalem, and like all HERESY, it ended in the same way.
Yet, the menace of the Durka durka is greater than ever. The infidel now stands next to the Gates of Rome itself! The future of Christian civilization is at stake at this very moment, and Jerusalem is sure now they cannot count only any foreign help, they must survive on their own, counting only on the Knights Hospitaller of Gaza, on Egypt which will hopefully not collapse before the "infamy" of Jerusalem is small enough for them to resume their Crusades and on their newest ally of Cyprus, headed by the former ruling dynasty of Jerusalem before their defeat by Saladin, the Lusignans, because Europe itself is under siege, and so far, Islam is winning.
As if all this turmoil was not problem enough, in the year of the Lord 1423 Adalbert II von Hohenzollern passed away. His legacy was a Jerusalem triumphant against the Syrian heathens, but still, their victories have been long overshadowed by the victories of the heathens against Christianity in Europe and close by. Why must in these turbulent and dark times, from all possible successors, a wommyn inherit the Kingdom of Jerusalem? Now decline is not a possibility, but a certainty. [/lyric suite]
The future of a Crusader Kingdom lies in the hands of a very young woman. Time will tell the consequences of it. Trouble already happens as the very chauvinistic ambassador of Armenia makes a very offensive comment on how she should renounce and go back to the kitchen.
The king is dead, Long Live the Queen Sybilla II von Hohenzollern!
*edit:
Also at this rate America will be colonized by towelheads... United Emirates of Kwanzania and all.