Previous thread here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/21626407/

Tell the heathens to remain behind. They might be helpful in the short term, but in the long term they re a massively liability.

It is as important -how- you win a war as to -what- you win it with. A Christian force must be the one to march on Damascus. Consorting with heretic powers would embolden the Islamic heathens to more extreme efforts against you, and sour your name back home. Can we fight both the Muslims and our fellow Christians that will turn against us? No.

>>21637691
> March on Damascus
> march out of

Sorry, misread your op.

>>21637596
Yes, is double feature
>Do you allow the pagan deities to march with you now?
We are already somewhat hosed and allying with some pagans to smash the Muslims is making good use of resources.

File: 1353262153670.jpg-(42 KB, 550x438, Battle.jpg)

>>21637596

Deeply conflicted, you struggle internally for a moment before finally reaching your decision. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, and one you don't wish to make, but in a problem with no clear solution, you take the best out of sucky problems.

"Asherah, Aine... You're staying here momentarily. I'll ride back with the escort to pick up Sergio. I need to speak with my father." Before they can protest your decision, you spur your horse into a gallop and leave the city.


Dawn's light finds you driving a spear yanked from a dead horse into a Saracen soldier below you as your horse bites at a different one. Cursing, you yell for a wounded man to take word back to your vassal, Robert de Manferd, and order his reserves into the fray.

You've been fighting for three hours or so, now, and although the battle went your way at first, it hangs in the balance now. Hopefully, the fresh troops under Robert's command will be able to smash the remaining Saracens. Despite this, you continue to fight on. You were in the first charge that hit their shield wall. You've had three horses killed from under you, and you've taken several wounds, one of which you think is serious. The adrenaline and rage pumping through your body keep you from feeling them, and killing Saracens is helping keep you going, in an oddly hateful way. Finally, there's a break in the melee around you. A group of dismounted Templars shattered the Saracens around you, and now you're resting, a dead horse your seat. Your current one is cropping at the scrubby grass, trying to avoid the blood. A Templar is sitting next to you with a wineskin, and passes it over. You take a drink, then hand it back.

>Do you thank him?
>Do you ask his name?
>Do you troll him? (Damn Templars.)

>>21638885
>>Do you thank him?>Do you ask his name?
>Do you thank him?
>Do you ask his name?
Such is only polite

>>21638885
ask his name. might be wise to have a friend in another order

>>21638885
Thank him and ask his name. Then use pincer tactics against the enemy, because what the fuck, OP, hell of a way to let us plan the battle.

>>21638885
We need to start using Damascus like an actual fucking demesne here after we get out of this retarded shit.

It is a terminux of the Silk Road, for crying out loud. It's one of several places that both traffics and creates a sought-after form of silk; the city has some silk production at this point in history.

There's also the cypress forests around here. The doors of the Bascilica of St. Peter itself are made of the stuff, they could be quite the export.

Add to that the production of Damascus steel and we have a viable set of things to sell to the rest of the world, though we'll have to consolidate that.

>>21638885
>>21637596
>two posts in three hours

A bit underwhelming there, OP.

>>21639423
I'm waiting for people to actually say something. I'm sorry?

Oh and we're not running back to Daddy like some whelp when faced with a potential heresy. You know what we're going to do? We're going to ask possibly the only remaining decent Christian scholar around about the whole goddesses thing.

We're writing to the Benedictine abbess known as Sybil of the Rhine, who has recently been praised by the Pope himself (not to mention bishop Bernard of Clairvaux, the man who did the most to resolve the great schism in the Catholic church ten years ago about which papal candidate to follow and then basically organized the Second Crusade). The abbess is more commonly known as Hildegard of Bingen, and has just completed a ten-year effort to write a book of her holy visions that the church itself has acknowledged as christian prophecy, she is said to be a woman of massive talent, and were she invited to open a cloister in the Holy Land she would both form an extremely useful component of our community and be able to tell us about this pagan shit.

And on top of everything else, on top of the genius methods of curative healing with herbs, on top of the productive management of her monastery and the curing of the blind with Rhine water (recorded on multiple occasions), she is a reformer. Basically everyone else in the Church right now is a money-grubbing, political asshole that peruses advantage to the hilt compared to the woman.

(She'd also be a pretty cool NPC at this point, OP. She's like fiftyish by now, incidentally, and the secret language she invented could be a pretty useful cryptographic system too.)

>>21639455
See
>>21639372
>>21639118

>>21639537
See the only two things for about an hour and now of all sudden activity. Working on current post right now.

>>21639524
what are we going to say to her? come help me figure out if this crazy woman claiming to be the bride of the holy spirit is heresy?

>>21638885
"I'm Brother William of the Hospitallers. Thanks, friend. What's your name?"

"I'm Brother Edward. If I may, lord? Robert's reserves haven't entered the battle. Have them avoid the battle, and go around. Once they're behind the Saracen scum, Robert should crush them between us."

"A good plan, Brother Edward." You call for a messenger and give him your adjusted orders for Robert. He gallops off, and leaves you with Edward once more. You take turns sipping from the wineskin, waiting for the noise around you to increase drastically.

"Hey, Edward. Have you heard of Hildegard of Bingen? She's the Benedictine abbess called Sybil of the Rhine. I'm thinking about inviting her to Damascus to set up a cloister there."

"Hildegard? Yeah, that's a good idea, sir. As well, you may want to start handing out land and holdings around Damascus to men who performed well during the battle." And instead of asking your father about the pagan deities walking around your city, you'll ask Hildegard if she'll come. You're about to pursue that road of thought further, when the sound of men meeting their deaths greets your ears. Robert's flank march has been successful, then. The Saracens are being slaughtered. You and Edward the Templar stand and start walking to the lines, where your infantry are performing their task with a grim determination. You gird yourself, and then step back into the battle once more.

>>21639673
It's quickly apparent that your men's morale is unbelievably high, and the only reason the Saracens continue to fight is they have no where to run, and they're surrounded. One of the Hospitallers next to you keeps calling for them to surrender. Finally, a halt is called and both sides warily watch the other. Using the same Hospitaller before as translator, a surrender is finally negotiated.

Out of twenty thousand Saracens, four thousand remain. Out of fifteen thousand Crusaders, ten thousand remain, thanks in large part to your usage of crossbowmen. Three ranks deep, the two men behind the first reloaded for the man in front, keeping up a continuous barrage of bolts. It effectively countered the Saracen horse archers, and allowed you to slaughter them. But that doesn't address what to do with the prisoners?

>Do you order them put to the sword?
>Do you order their release?
>Do you march them back to Damascus, to be ransomed?
>Other, write-in.

>>21639653
No we can write to her saying we found a potential holy relic that describes the wife of the our Lord God in a hidden shrine beneath that palace we took in the holy land where the God-child was killed. That should get her running to at least confirm or deny whether or not we're coasting on the edge of heresy or about to be declared a damn saint!

>>21639653
Hildegard has just finished writing a book about her visions of the divine, so if we tell her that we're in need of assistance determining the nature of a vision we're having of a Christian presence that uses Jehova's name she may well be interested in coming and seeing it for herself. She received a series of visions that she tried to deny to herself, but this coincided with the onset of illness for sometime. Eventually she decided to write about it and in doing so found her illness got better, so she felt that she received instructions from god to "write down that which you see and hear."

I expect of we phrased a letter along the lines of 'O great sage, I have by the grace of our Lord taken a city in the Holy Land and the balmy oasis of Damascus on the delta of the Barada river as it splits into seven streams in Ghouta has many wonders, strange plants, and sites no Christian should have to die without seeing, but I have had need for a scholar to aid in understanding of the relics and sites discovered here 'neath the temples of the infidel. Were the Street called Straight not enough, were the places that the apostle Paul touched not enough, there are visions I hope someone can aid me in understanding; no other in all the church is said as skilled there as are you, even the Pope himself has said it. I have funds enough to begin a cloister here 'neath the balmy cypress trees, if you would seek a great work to accompany your last - and certainly the holy land could use more healers and reformists.'

>>21639723
Ransom them. We need cash.

>>21639723
we can make money off these shmucks? cool.

ransom them, but hold the general. we should talk to him.

>>21639741
that sounds pretty alright then

>>21639735
i think that may be a bit more direct than necessary

>>21639768
We should definitely speak to the generals and leaders soon. If we don't manage to learn anything, we will at least be able to take off their heads and send them back to their caliph.

You guys realize we're living in fucking Saladin's fort some years before he came to inhabit it? I mean, he's not even a ruler yet, but there it is.

>>21639723
Ransom the Saracens if the other side doesn't pay then we have a cheap labor force to refortify the walls and to work the land around it.

>>21639723
Ransom them. Those that can be convinced to follow Christianity, though, can convert.

>>21639768
Eh, I like the direct approach, but I agree that >>21639741
had the better grasp of diplomacy and finesse with words to get what we wanted.

>>21639723
>>Do you march them back to Damascus, to be ransomed?
>Do you march them back to Damascus, to be ransomed?
Saladin would be proud

>>21639881
Well, he's ten years old right now so I think we'd mostly scare the shit out of him.

>>21639901
HI SALADIN, WE HAVE GODDESS TITTIES AND RANSOMS.
" D: "

>>21639723
OP, you said that the daughter of the Count of Flanders was still hanging around the Holy Land, right? This is obviously his eldest daughter. Am I right in guessing that marrying her would grant us his estate and title?

>>21639983
We'd get part of it. Thierry had a son that's going to inherit most of Thierry's shit. (Unless we conveniently accident him.)

>>21639723
>Do you march them back to Damascus, to be ransomed?

Grimacing painfully at your wounds, you accept the Saracen surrender. Robert has found you, and after embracing each other, you order him to take three thousand men and march the Saracens back to Damascus, where they'll be imprisoned and ransomed. The leader, Nur ad-Din Zangi requests to stay with you, in order to get to know the man that defeated him.

Telling him you need to think on it, you get the prisoner's march to Damascus organized, with the sick, wounded, and dying going back as well. You organize a party of men to loot the Saracen corpses and find as much coinage as they can, before turning to the problem of Nur ad-Din Zangi. An avowed Crusader hater, he's the man responsible for the fall of Edessa, this Crusade's original goal, and now your goal. A clever man, he and his brother divided their father's kingdom after his death, and then promptly turned to attacking Crusaders.

All other business taken care of, you finally take tea with Nur ad-Din in his tent. Your wounds, a spear stabbing in the shoulder and a sword cut across the leg are bound, though you're hoping one of the Moslem physicians can help you out.

>Do you allow Nur ad-Din to travel with you?
>Do you send him back to Damascus?
>Try to ransom him to his brother?

>>21639993
His son is like...five, we're definitely older. Does male inheritance not transfer to the husband of the oldest daughter if he's older than the firstborn?

I can certainly understand the matter from a 'curbing player power' point of view and am okay with it, just curious here.

>>21640007
We're not ransoming him to his brother. This guy is either going to prove useful to us or have his head sent home in a box.

We should see what happens when the goddesses encounter him, that'll be an interesting litmus test.

As it is, we can probably play him some games of chess.

>>21640007
Let us convert this heathen.

>>21640007
>Do you allow Nur ad-Din to travel with you?

We must be the better man. Treat him with respect, but do not let him from our sight.

>>21640025
Son is definitely five. Philip of France may appoint us his regent protector if we do marry Laurette.

>>21640063
I don't think that's remotely possible, considering he is the master of Syria and the lynchpin of half its defensive strategies.

We might present him to the King in Jerusalem later. In chains, possibly.

>>21640082
Do not be so quick to dismiss the possibility.

>>21640068
Louis of France, correction. My bad. The son's name is Philip.

>>21640068
He can travel with us under guard, yeah. For now we can just tell him that he lost the battle because we were the better general today, but since his faith attempts to respect the People of the Book we're going to not put every one of his soldiers to the sword.

Let's get back to the city soon and do some industrial shit and politics and finance, we have an opportunity to undermine the Templar's greasy hold on banking.

>>21640007
>Do you allow Nur ad-Din to travel with you?
He wants information from us, but we can extract it from him as well. His brother is still out there in need of a butt kicking.

>>21640113
>>21640082
>>21640060
These.

Play him a game of chess, as it is the game of strategists and princes, and known in the Levant. Tell him you're not going to murder his ass yet, and that he may live to see the court of Baldwin III, or possibly Roger II of the Norman kingdom of Sicily.

>>21640204
And put him in the presence of those goddesses. If he calls them demonic, we may at least confirm that they're not on the side of Islam.

>>21640237
They are filing their nails back home. Or seducing Marie or whatever they do. Jenga?

>>21640286
Meant it as an eventuality, but I believe they can manifest themselves at a distance.

>>21640007

You are William MacMahon of the Hospitallers, Lord of Damascus, and you've just defeated a numerically superior army. You have not just rescued one king, but two, in addition to the Holy Roman Emperor. You're taking tea with the man that commanded the army you just beat.

"So, Sir William of the Franks, what made it occur to you to use your crossbows like that? No one else has, and it worries me."

"Your Grace. The crossbow takes time to reload. I simply came up with a way to minimize the time it took to get a volley in the air."

"I see. Well, since you will not discuss tactics with me, will you play a game of chess?" At your nod, he sets it up and after a quick explanation of the rules, you begin the competition of wit and strategy. This being your first time playing, you play conservatively, attempting to present a mobile defense.

"Upon my word, your men will not be harmed, Your Grace. If I may ask, how had you been hoping to use your horse archers against us?" He takes a sip of the tea, then moves one of the little horse pieces.

"I would have had them kill the leadership of the army after destroying your archers, and then let my infantry and cavalry handle yours, but your effective and hitherto unknown use of the crossbow in a manner no one has thought of stalled that. Were we to do it over again, I would have my cavalry risk themselves to completely destroy your crossbowmen, I suppose." Nodding thoughtfully, you move one of your tower pieces and capture his horse, and then you reply. (1/2)

>>21640356

"Well, I am glad I won't be facing you again battle. Unlike some I could name, you learn from your mistakes and don't repeat them. I doubt you will, but... Could you possibly tell me the garrisoning strength of Edessa, Your Grace?" Nur ad-Din shakes his head and laughs, before moving one of his smallest pieces and capturing your king. Surprised, you survey the board and find that there was a hole in your defenses you hadn't noticed. Nur ad-Din exploited it mercilessly. Like you did the range of the crossbows, you conclude.

You're about to comment on your loss, when a messenger interrupts you. "Lord William? Their Majesties King Baldwin, King Louis, and Emperor Conrad request your presence."

>Awh shit. We rescued those guys? Fuck.
>Do you go with the messenger and leave Nur ad-Din?
>Do you go with him and take Nur with you?
>Accept the summons, and then hide with the Templars?

>>21640356
>Muslim horse crossbowmen.
>ow my balls

Shit to do later:

Send the daughter of the Count of Flanders your condolence and consolation on the death of her father, and either pledge to avenge it or (if we just kicked the shit out of whoever killed him) inform her that it is being avenged. That should start the romance off pretty well. In addition, send her fine damask silks and a work of art made of carved and scented Cypress-wood, women love that shit. Maybe a box full of the spices and perfumes of Cathay - I mean, this is the fucking Silk Road here.

Send gifts of jeweled Damascus steel blades to the Kings of France, Germany and Jerusalem, and one to Thierry's young son as a friendly gesture toward whoever's warding him. Probably that one can travel overland. Also send slightly less posh Damascus steel swords to the leaders of the Hospitallier order.

Contact the lesser-known knightly orders in the region and cement alliances. The Templars may be the other big dog, but they certainly aren't the sole choice.

>>21640360
Accept the summons, have the muslimcommander accompany you, and get some fuckawesome Damascus steel blades from the battle ready to hand over as gifts.

>>21640399
Oh, and have the captains that helped you win this shit accompany you for recognition.

>>21640412
>>21640399
If they try to take Damascus from us, all we have to do is inform them that the leader of the Knights Hospitallier answers to the Pope himself and that he has taken responsibility for the city. As such, it is out of your hands unless Eugene III and Bishop Bernard of Clairvaux make a ruling.

>>21640360
>Do you go with him and take Nur with you?
We could do with some swag to wave at the goddesses

>>21640378
Continued:

Crusading orders have recently been founded in Spain to kick off the Reconquista. Due to the newfound security of the Mediterranean because of Roger II of Sicily's recent conquest of huge chunks of North Africa, it is safer to travel and ship things overseas for a few years. This would be the perfect opportunity to trade the superior alloy of steel Toledo is famous for for the craftsmanship of Damascus smiths; with the support of the Knights in Spain, such a program could be begun and result in their better armature as well as our own.

Relevant orders to contact include the Order of Santiago (which is very small and able to be influenced just now), the Order of Aviz in Portugal (founded literally two years ago), and the former Confraternity of Belchite (it fell apart as of some years ago, but might be revived or the former leaders recruited for a Spanish house Hospitallier).

>>21640378
Add ask Marie how she ended up in such circumstances. See if she has any skills of use, like juggling, toaster repair or combat embroidery

>>21640360
You are William MacMahon, and you've just been summoned by Kings and an Emperor. They can wait on you. You just rescued their asses, and you have a to-do list to take care of.

"Your Grace, I'm afraid I must leave you. I have several things I need to do. This man will lead you to a meeting with Baldwin, Louis, and Conrad. Peace be upon you." You both go your separate ways, with you returning to your tent. There, you write a letter to Laurette of Flanders, Thierry's daughter. In it, you offer your condolences and consolation. You also inform her that the army that took his life has been defeated, and you look forward to meeting her. In addition, you send a gift of a roll of Damask silk, a delicate Damascus steel dagger, and an image of the city itself worked in Cypress wood.

From there, you find four of the finest Damascus steel swords in the blacksmith's wagons. You purchase them, and pen letters to the Kings of France and Jerusalem, the Holy Roman Emperor, and Count Thierry's son, Philip. As he's five, you purchase the boy a short sword, almost a dagger. You'll take the other three personally, but enclose the sword with a letter to Philip, informing him of his father's noble death Crusading for God, your condolences, and once more, a desire to meet him.

(1/?)

>>21640516
Military orders in the holy land, or local healing orders open to militarization, include the following:

The Betlemitani, active now, a military order under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Bethlehem. Described as the 'military order of cross-bearers with the red star on a blue field.'

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Under direct Papal protection and jurisdiction, so we can act more freely toward them.

The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. These guys provide care for a lot of Hospitallier and Templar leper knights, and have either recently started to militarize or will do so soon. Closer relations with them wouldn't hurt.

Military orders across Europe we should contact:

The Order of Aubrac, a hospitallier and military order protecting pilgrims on a route stretching through France and across northern Spain. Integrating them with a larger strategy would be pretty useful.

The Order of Saint James of Altopascio (Hospitalliers of St. James, Knights of the Tau) is a Tuscan order we might contact. Setting up some means of cornering the silk market, given that we have production and trade for it in Damascus and there's silk-weaving industry in Italy right now, would be good for both our order and theirs.

>>21640662
>silk production

You know what we could really use? Silk tabards to go over our mail,so wecan be ever so slightly less burning hot under the Levantine sun.

Frankly, setting up a strong cottage industry in Damascus to manufacture crusader mail might help the citizens support themselves.

>>21640656

Having taken care of that, you pen the same letter to the Grandmasters of the Templars, Betlemitani, Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, the Order of Santiago, the Order of Aviz, and the former Grandmaster of the Confraternity of Belchite.

"Dear sir;
The Second Crusade has been so far quite successful.With several victories at my hand, I am contacting you to request a closer alliance with your order, that we might better protect Christ and his Kingdom upon this Earth. To this end, I am requesting you send an envoy charged with full negotiating powers to the city of Damascus. There, my father, Grandmaster of the Hospitallers, will be more than happy to receive them and treat with them. I remain your most faithful friend, William MacMahon of Damascus and the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem." Letter written, copied multiple times and sent, you take a sip of wine, piss in the trenches dug for that purpose, and then head to meet two kings and an emperor.

>>21640762
That's all well and good for the local orders but we'll probably have to send a delegation to Spain with Damascus steel and smiths looking to resettle, trade for a shipment of the Toledo alloy and smiths looking to see the Holy Land (Toledo smiths were likelyvery pious what with making Reconquista weapons; they were also known for using rhythymic prayer-chants to get the timing of their hammer-strokes right at the forge - and we might find an older master or several looking to see the holy land before he retires that can train some apprentices).

>>21640762
Making your way through the once Saracen, now Crusader camp, you greet men, shake hands, find Robert, Pierre, Guy, and Edward the Templar. Once you've collected them, you make your way to the tent the royals have ensconced themselves in. You've got the swords, you've got your captains, feudal vassal, and friend, and it's time to face down some Kings.

The five of you enter the tent standing next to one another, and they kneel. You, however, remain standing. Nur ad-Din is sipping tea on a carpet below the seats of the royals, as though he were a dog. Ignoring the slight of what might be a friend, you try to figure out how to greet the men in front of you.

>How do you want to play this?

>>21640823
Drafting an opening statement, give me like two minutes.

>>21640834
>>21640823
Incidentally, Conrad III styled himself King of the Romans and not Holy Roman Emperor. His successor, Frederick Barbarossa, definitely used the Imperial title though.

You bow deeply. "Your Majesties have summoned me, and I have answered - bringing also my lieutenants, so as not to appear a hound for glory before you. The finest gifts of the forges of Damascus are pledged to the valiant crowns of Christendom - I bring you these, to better mark the occasion of Christ choosing to smile on his meager servants. Might your majesties accept them?"

Have your fellows offer the Kings the Damascene blades in anon-threatening manner.

>>21640886
>anon-threatening
A non-threatening manner. Fucking keyboard.

>>21640886
well, let's try it and see if they try to fuck us over. we can fall back on >>21640442 if we have to

>>21640886
I did not know that. Thank you; I definitely remember that.

>>21640914
will definitely* fml

>>21640925
>>21640914
Typos are everyone's problem today, I guess.

So tell us how the Kings receive our friendly gesture.

File: 1353273935103.jpg-(76 KB, 642x950, Royal.jpg)

>>21640823

You bow deeply. "Your Majesties have summoned me, and I have answered - bringing also my lieutenants, so as not to appear a hound for glory before you. The finest gifts of the forges of Damascus are pledged to the valiant crowns of Christendom - I bring you these, to better mark the occasion of Christ choosing to smile on his meager servants. Might your majesties accept them?" You decide to play it safe. And it works. Baldwin III is grinning like a little boy with a new toy, Conrad is anticipating finally getting his hands on a piece of Damascus steel, and Louis is contemplating you deeply. Surprisingly, Louis is the first one to speak.

"You have done well, Lord William. I see now we were wrong to gift Damascus to Thierry. What are you doing next?"

"I'm hoping to receive reinforcements from my father's Hospitallers in the city, and then march upon Edessa, the target of this Crusade. From there, I shall do as I am ordered. May I ask why, Your Majesty?"

"You may, and we shall answer. Thierry left behind a daughter in Jerusalem, and her younger brother Philip, Thierry's heir, is there as well. You shall marry Laudette of Flanders and become Philip's regent and protector. His mother shall keep things in France well for him, but you, William, will teach my future Count of Flanders the arts of war and diplomacy."

>What.

>>21641110

>What do you do?
>What do you say?
>What CAN you say?

>>21641110
Uh...Best to smile and say thanks for the privilege of training the boy. Who knows could have future ally down the years when lil' Philip grows up and we can pull on his heart strings using his 'old uncle Williams' card if things go down the toilet. Anybody else have any thoughts on what to do?

>>21641110
Bow your head.

"It warms my heart that my lapse in responsibility in protecting the Count from his foes should allow this opportunity, though bittersweet, to extend protection and tutelage to his son. I shall endeavor not to fail you, with God's grace ever my goal."

"Will my majesties think it a horrid breach were I to ask a boon of them? It is but this, my lords: the king in Sicily is a great Norman power, and relations between him and the Pope are quite black, as you well know. However, the Knights Hospitallier have among them many Normans also, and despite our alliance with Constantinople - who are ever Roger's foes - we might try to create opportune bonds of brotherhood between his forces and our own. This might eventually aid in an attempt to influence the man to reconcile with the Vatican, or else help to disincline him from further confrontation with the Holy Father."

"I would ask only that if you feel this is a thing that has the merest chance of success, you do not stand in its way overtly."

>>21641238
>overtly
DURR
Overly. 'you do not overly stand in its way'

>>21641238
That'll work.

>>21641238
This...is actually pretty good. Assuming they don't feel you're meddling in the affairs of others (which you're asking permission to do, so if the Kings grant it you are the agent of a royal power and as such not just some jackass bystaner hollering from the sidelines), it might earn their respect for your willingness to put your head in the lion's mouth. Roger of Sicily isn't exactly cuddly.

Might also earn you a commendation to the Pope and Bishop Bernard.

>>21641110

You bow your head sadly.

"It warms my heart that my lapse in responsibility in protecting the Count from his foes should allow this opportunity, though bittersweet, to extend protection and tutelage to his son. I shall endeavor not to fail you, with God's grace ever my goal."

"Will my majesties think it a horrid breach were I to ask a boon of them? It is but this, my lords: the king in Sicily is a great Norman power, and relations between him and the Pope are quite black, as you well know. However, the Knights Hospitallier have among them many Normans also, and despite our alliance with Constantinople - who are ever Roger's foes - we might try to create opportune bonds of brotherhood between his forces and our own. This might eventually aid in an attempt to influence the man to reconcile with the Vatican, or else help to disincline him from further confrontation with the Holy Father."

"I would ask only that if you feel this is a thing that has the merest chance of success, you do not overly stand in its way." This time it's Baldwin that answers you, after conferring with Conrad.

"We shall allow you to do this, William of Damascus. The Knights Templar control most banking in Europe; break their stranglehold and allow some sort of competition." You figure you can do that, so you nod your assent.

All right, guys. Is it okay with you gents if I end here?

>>21641433
Whatever works. When's the next thread, OP?

>>21641433
sure I don't mind was pretty fun to do. Care to let us know when the next thread comes by?

>>21641471
>>21641461
Next thread will probably be Wednesday morning or Tuesday night. Which do you guys prefer?

>>21641494
whichever one will let you come up with some good ideas on where to go on this quest? journey? *shrug*

>>21641494
Tuesday night, I think.