Crusades

The **Crusades** are a series of religious wars initiated, supported and sometimes directed by the Core Makerist church, especially the campaign between 1234 and 1236 in the Sarranid lands aimed at conquering Durquba from Sarrian rule. The term "Crusades" can also be applied to other church-sanctioned campaigns fought to combat paganism and heresy, to resolve conflict among rival Makerist groups, or to gain political or territorial advantage. Crusades differed from other religious conflicts in that participants considered them a penitential exercise that brought absolution.

## First Crusade- 1149 - 1151

Belligerents: Corists + Calradic Empire (Aggressors) vs Sarrians (Defenders)

Background: After a period heightened persecution faced by the Makerists of Shariz (Charas), including the murder of pilgrims and the destruction of holy sites, the pope called a crusade to capture Charas.

Result: Decisive Crusader Victory. Crusaders conquer Charas and establish an independent kingdom there. Calradics conquer a small portion of the Holy Land.

## Second Crusade- 1168 - 1169

Belligerents: Corists + Calradic Empire (Aggressors) vs Sarrians (Defenders)

Background: The Makerists sought to recapture Durquba, which has been under the rule of the Calradic Makerists prior to the Sarrian invasions of the 1080s. The Calradics and Cores agreed to split Durquba between themselves; however, whoever could capture Durquba first would be given the city. Internal conflicts and friction plagued the Makerist armies, allowing the Sultan of Durquba to soundly defeat both of them. The crusade took the lives of both the Calradic emperor and the Charisian king, weakening both realms.

Result: Decisive Crusader Defeat. The Sultanate of Durquba becomes the dominant power in Sarrania. The Calradic Empire becomes unstable and much of the army loses faith in the Kallistrates. Charas faces Sarrian invasions. The tensions between Core Makerists and Orthodox Makerists worsen.

## Third Crusade- 1184 - 1186

Belligerents: Corists (Defenders) vs Sarrians

Background: The Sarrians launched a jihad against the Kingdom of Charas, with the goal of recapturing Shariz. All Sarranids united under a Durquban-led coalition to invade Charas. While the Sarrians initially made significant process, they were dragged out into a long siege outside of Charas, never being able to capture the city. The Corists launched a counterattack, gradually defeating the Sarrians.

Result: Crusader Victory. The crusaders and Sarrians sign a truce.

## Fourth Crusade- 1202

WIP

\*At the same time that the Fourth Crusade was going on, some of the crusaders in Charas launched a separate small-scale war against the Durqubans. Although they never got close to Durquba, they made some minor territorial gains in the east.

## Sixth Crusade- 1235 - 1236

In the winter of 1234 - 35, Emir Mishaari of Ahmerrad defected to Sultan Kamaal el Rahim, in exchange for military support and the title of Caliph, with everything going under his control. With the support of Bariyye, Mishaari then decided to push his claim on Durquba, meeting with Mujhaid to deliver his ultimatum. Sultan Mujhaid of Durquba accepted Mishaari's terms, abdicating his throne and relinquishing his sultanate to Mishaari, disappearing afterwards with his household. The Durqubans rejected Mishaari's rule and took up arms against the Ahmerradians, incurring brutalities from the Ahmerradian occupiers which incited further unrest and rebellions against them, Jameyyed openly resisted Mishaari's rule months after he was named Sultan of Ahmerrad and Durquba.

Following the Marcher War, the Swadian kings met in a second summit in Uxkhal to negotiate peace. Once they made peace, Pope Aurele declared a crusade against Durquba. Behind this great undertaking was an unprecedented wave of volunteers and funds, with great strain being put on the Swadian kingdoms who were the main contributors.

After months of preparation, the crusaders set out on the autumn of 1235. The majority of the crusaders took a route through Dhirim, the hinterlands of Zeonica, and through Charas, while others used the sea. There was a second army of crusaders who marched through the Calradic Empire to take Jameyyed, however they were delayed by a shortage of supplies and by inconsistent agreements with the Calradics. The advance of the crusaders into Durquba was met with harassment and infrequent skirmishes, however Mishaari was reluctant to engage in any pitched battles. As Abdullah did before him, Mishaari burned down villages and poisoned oases to halt the crusaders' progress, however the crusader leaders foresaw this and supplied their men accordingly. As the crusaders were days away from Durquba, and as it became evident that Mishaari would not engage the crusaders before then, General Gandarewa al-Balash ordered that Durquba be razed on the behalf of Sultan Kamaal el Rahim. The crusaders arrived in Durquba in December with minimal resistance.

For a few weeks, the crusaders waited in Durquba. Later in December, after being held up outside Almaros, the second crusading army arrived at Jameyyed. As the main crusading force was waiting in Durquba, both Swadian kings were stricken down with dysentery. Absolon's condition improved, yet Woldemar's deteriorated so much that he had to appoint Count Erkanbald to act in his stead. Meanwhile, the Bariyyens deployed in Ahmerrad also grew restless, and finally prompted Mishaari to take action by taking his second son hostage.

At the beginning of the year 1236, the second army of crusaders took Jameyyed. Mishaari's force arrived at the border town of Astazeh days after, and proceeded south towards the Baran river. The crusaders marched north from Durquba, crossing the river days before the battle. At this time Woldemar remained in Durquba, beset by worsening illness, so a subordinate led the Pravenite force. On January 16 the Battle of Cinnabar Valley took place resulting in a decisive crusader victory and in the capture of Mishaari. The Sarranids fled eastward, turning to banditry or following their remaining leaders, with the entire Bariyyen division and most of the Ahmerradians finding refuge in Astazeh. Both sides ruthlessly engaged each other before the Crimson Cross attacked, leaving several more thousand Sarranid dead.

The crusaders returned to Durquba after their victory at Cinnabar, where they waited and prepared, with all Durquban land being captured. Three weeks after the battle, Kamaal and his army arrived at Gamazat, Durquba's southernmost town. Absolon and Kamaal met therein and negotiated a peace on February 9 under the following terms:

> -The Kingdom of Durquba would be formed under Michael. All lands west of Astazeh would be part of Michael's domain.
>
>

> -Mishaari would be given to Kamaal.
>
>

> -All Ahmerradian land would be annexed by Kamaal.
>
>

Woldemar died of dysentery on February 10. Absolon witnessed his death in the basilica.

Kamaal and his army arrived at Ahmerrad a couple months after. Mishaari was banished to a prison in Aserai while his second son was sentenced to twenty years of slavery. Kamaal also passed his judgement on the disobedient generals who stayed while he was campaigning in Aserai, reducing all of them to slaves. The Sultanate of Ahmerrad was dissolved and the land became an imperial province, led by a governor general. The army was awarded with a triumph when they arrived at Bariyye and were then disbanded after a year and a half of campaigning.

## The Conquest of Aserai

The Border Sheikhdoms to the northeast have all been annexed and placed under civil administration. The small and unstable Emirate of Raza south of the sheikhdoms has met the same fate.

The lands east of Bariyye have been expanded some, with corporate divisions having pushed through into the fringes of Alquli Desert. As inhospitable as the Haqhar Desert, there is little to no fortifications there as there is no need for them.

Much of the north of Aserai remains under the light rule of desert tribesmen, as the Haqhar Desert spans through most of it - the most inhospitable desert in the known world.

South of the northeast of Aserai, to the heartlands of it, the Sultanate of Haman has been mostly conquered by the Bariyyens, with its capital of Jubbah being taken with the Sultan's family. There are still vestigial remnants of the sultanate resisting, primarily in the scarcely populated western deserts and hills. Over there, the Bariyyens had their only notable defeat in Aserai against the city of Qarzat.

West of the Sultanate of Haman, the Sultanate of Telzar has willingly submitted to the Bariyyens before any serious campaigns against it. Because of this, the Sultan enjoys autonomy from the Bariyyens and unprecedented riches for his servitude. He is providing allied soldiers to the Caliphate. His submission finally gave Bariyye a port on the southern seas.

The powerful Sultanate of Quyaz, as well as the Emirates of Iyakis and Razih have formed a defensive pact against Bariyyen expansion into their lands, blocking off Bariyyen access to the western seas.

Through decades of exposure through trade, and now a direct southern route through the seas, Bariyye has formed amiable relations with the distant leaders of Gaouraya and Rimba. Only the north of Gaouraya is Sarrian, with its jungles adhering strongly to their traditional ways. The people of Rimba are waging total war on the resilient infidel city-state of Geroia.

   One year after the Caliphate was founded, the Aserai coalition of Quyaz, Iyakis, and Razih faced two Bariyyen armies at the Battle of Banu Azad on Rajawan 345 AP (November 1235). This proved a decisive victory for the Caliphate, as most of the realms of Iyakis and Razih were annexed by the Caliphate afterwards, with some gains being made by the migrating Gaourayans to the southern regions of both realms, taking the city of Razih for themselves.

Ultimately Kamaal's conquest of Aserai came to an end on the last month of 345 (December), as he brokered a peace deal with Sultan Karab II of Quyaz, forcing him to pay a tribute and to cede northern territory. Soon after Karab II abdicated, passing the throne to his son Karab III.