THE SKY WENT BLACK,

[agogemod]

WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? Agoge's inaugural TDM.
WHEN? The Battle of Hattin, 1187.
ANYTHING ELSE? Violence, as always. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence, and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.

FROM JERUSALEM WITH LOVE;

the horns of hattin, 1187: the holy land

read the jerusalem setting infopage

Your eyes open, and above you is the roof of a tent, a heavy woven material that blocks you from what must be an otherwise glaring heat that is beating down. Near you stands a man - you understand him, but you aren’t sure you are supposed to. Aware as you are that he is speaking Arabic, a trickle of words as he dabs water on your brow, that as you go to reply, you realise, you are speaking Arabic too. Urging you to sit up slowly, and now that you are awake -

“Good, slowly does it. You are meant to have heat stroke. Nothing sudden now. The Commander will explain it to you soon - in here it’s safe, no outsiders can come in. Check your BCE, it will tell you what has happened - ”

As he indicates to the small pack that seems to hold your belongings, he explains: you are in the encampment of Saladin, the greatest commander in all of Islam. He has been fighting the crusading invaders since the death of the Crusader King Baldwin VII. But one of the most important was about to start: you are here, at Hattin, though the enemy hasn’t arrived yet. Not that it means it’s time to rest: this is a war camp. There is much to do. Saladin runs a impressive army, and it wins by its discipline, no idle hands here, and for you, newly awakened to it, there is just as much to do. So enjoy the first few moments of reprieve, there won’t be much of it in the coming days.

MISSION OBJECTIVE

The forces of COST-- allied, today, with the armies of Saladin, though they will never know-- aim to win the day.

This is imperative, because Saladin's victory at Hattin makes his next victory possible: he intends to march on Jerusalem, long held by invading Crusaders, and take his city back. Historically, he wins a Hattin and at Jerusalem. But, the Regency supposes, if they could weaken Saladin in Hattin, perhaps even completely defeat him, he would not be so able to take the city.

Preserve the flow of history. Aid Saladin's army. Defeat the Crusader army at Hattin.

A MESSAGE FROM GROTHIA

>>@CMDR

@ALL I don't have time to explain right now, but the transporters have played havoc on the way in and we think that the - nevermind, the techdacts don't make any sense at the best of times. Your memory has been tampered with, one of the Regency's tricks, no doubt. Price for late intelligence, we didn't know until we made the transfer.

Short of it is, I put you all down as having a bout of heat stroke that knocked you out and that’s the story you need to stick to. Even if you don't want to trust me, you're going to have to follow my instructions if you want to live through the next week. We can do our reintroductions later.

Follow our instructions and we’ll all make it through this with minimal casualties.

Welcome back, soldiers. Good to have you with us again.

WIN THE DAY

MEDICAL

Help build up the army after the Siege of Tiberias.

After this battle, Saladin's forces turn toward Jerusalem, and eventually take it from Crusader control. It's imperative, then, that Saladin's forces are strong, healthy, and most importantly, alive. This is war: there are a larger number of soldiers who are wounded and require medical care to maintain the numbers. Saladin's forces are lucky: their medics are some of the best in the medieval world. But there is constant need for more hands on deck to assist. Whether that’s holding down a soldier to cut off his leg - or dress a wound. Maybe it’s just as simple as a soldier that wakes up from his fever wanting water, there is always something that needs doing.

STEALTH

Sabotage the water supply of the crusaders.

All armies march on their stomach, and in the desert, access to water means life or death. Saladin knows this, and the Crusaders are heading for the largest oasis between Jerusalem and Hattin to replenish their stores. Saladin has placed a line of defense at the oasis to stop the Crusaders. Some truly desperate Crusaders are risking death, attempting to break through the defenses in an attempt to get some water. Your orders are simple: no Crusader should be getting to that water.

STEALTH

You know what else armies need? Sleep. For those brave enough, its been encouraged to try and exhaust those Crusaders. Your orders are vague, leaving plenty of room for creativity: psychologically mess with them, mimic loud animals to wake them up, forcibly introduce these 12th century men to Cyndi Lauper at the top of your lungs. Whatever takes your fancy, just try not wake Saladin’s forces, they still need their beauty sleep. And most importantly: don't get caught.

COMBAT

The Crusaders are here: fight them. Crusaders will in heavy chain mail into battle, often with a padded gambeson underneath them. Aim your weapons for the chinks in the points that quickly immobilize: the throat, armpit, inner elbow, inner thigh, inner knee. You will always want to aim for the veins and joints. This isn't about clean, this is about hard and fast. Battles in the desert are made worse for every hour spent in the gruelly heat.

They fight with heavy sword and shield, and the metal they wear makes them more strongly defended, but also slower; they cannot mount their horses without some help, so if you manage to unhorse a Crusader, they must survive the remainder of the battle on foot. Often if you wounded a horse, it can kill the man riding it.

Medieval warhorses are huge animals that can do serious damage with a single kick; however, by Crusader tradition, many are stallions, which are famously willful difficult to control. Being thrown from one of these horses, especially in armor, is no small thing. This is where by contrast Saladin's army comes into its own. They ride a lighter horse more suited to this kind of warfare, and the cavalry works by spiking in quickly, reigning down an attack, then retreating. The Turks are famous for riding by, and shooting down arrows into foot soldiers before retreating out of range again.

Aside from the knights on their horses, keep an eye on hired mercenaries and others of all classes storming into battle. Watch out for crossbows: a single bolt can punch through thick metal, much less whatever you might be wearing. However, the shots take a great deal of time and strength to load, requiring the user to pull the bolt back while standing on the bow. The weapons are not stealthy, and striking an opponent while they load them is the surest route to victory. More traditional archers are far more difficult to defeat; though their arrows can't cut through metal, they can shoot from much farther away and draw another arrow ten times as fast. Other fighters charge in with cudgels, maces, spears, axes, polearms, and the fervent determination fanaticism brings. Do your fellow soldier on the battlefield a favor: try and take out an archer whenever you can. But for those fielding the arrows, don't stay put, they'll always try and take you out first.

The battle of Hattin is one of the most bloody in the history of the Crusades; famously, it is said that its outcome left the sky black for all the birds hungrily circling the carnage. Your job in this battle is twofold: fight to win, and survive.

COMBAT / STEALTH

Capture Guy D'Lusignan.

History dictates Guy D'Lusignan, current King of Frankish-ruled Jerusalem, is captured by Saracen forces, which later leads to Muslims recapturing Jersusalem from Frankish hands. Help the Saracen war parties ride out, make sure they aren't sabotaged, and attack King Guy's war party. Along with them, you'll find Reynard de Chatillion, another nobleman whose capture will herald a collapse of the Crusader forces. Medieval battle isn't like modern warfare, where soldiers fight on in spite of their leader's capture or death.

A medieval battle ends when one side gives up, or when a leader has been killed or captured. Capturing the heads of an army leads to the immediate death of the battle's morale and will to fight. To win the Battle of Hattin, it is imperative that Guy D'Lusignan and Raynard de Chatillion are captured, as they were in history.

read the jerusalem setting infopage

NAV. NETWORK LOGS OOC PLURK DISCORD

Comments

I

[riviation]

[ It's arguable that Noctis might be of more assistance elsewhere, but what has come to pass once-- especially tragedy --doesn't leave you feeling very free in wanting to test the will of fate when given a second chance.

Namely, the last conflict the young prince was not by his father's side was also his father's last. Another battle, and especially one that doesn't even involve the fate of their own people, is not one that Noctis is going to allow Regis to wander through alone... outside of Saladin's camp or in it.

He is mostly quiet, hood pulled up on his outer robes (looking at a little bit less like he's an alien in his street clothes), but he is alert and he is aware.

And he is perturbed by the overwhelming amount of slaughter that has occurred on both sides. So, when Regis asks for assistance, Noctis is quick to take on the task to distract his wandering senses.

It's only once he returns and has offered the clean water—complete with an additional unused cloth neatly folded over the edge of the bowl—that he says anything since they have approached this particular soldier.]

Is he going to die? [ Noctis's tone is rather callous considering someone's life is being discussed, but it's actually debatable if that is merely still a spoiled prince's attitude that lacks empathy towards others or he is putting up a wall to contain his shell-shock.

(after all, he is no stranger to almost dying—). ]

[113th]

[Where his son lacks in empathy, Regis makes up for it tenfold.]

Perhaps. [The old king answers quietly as he soaks the fresh cloth within the basin again.] Only time will tell.

[He remains quiet for a time as he tries to clean the wound further. The combined scent of medicinal herbs and blood making him feel rather ill. Eventually, Regis starts to dress the wound with fresh bandages in hopes of stopping the bleeding for now. His patient, a young man not too far from Noctis' age; was gouged in the thigh by a spear.

It's the most terrible wound he's ever seen. Regis cannot help but feel somewhat sympathetic here, especially since his injuries still haunt him now.]

...All wars seem so senseless when faced with such horrors.

[riviation]

[ He watches the soldier's face, how it's twisted in pain even while in some state of uneasy half-consciousness. The suffering seems senseless, especially amongst the many more sounds around them of the wounded and the dying. They are in no condition to talk, obviously, but Noctis can't help but wonder if they started this battle with far more confidence that they would see another sunrise than reality has come to allow them hope for.

Creasing his brow, the young prince draws his gaze up and away to follow off to the next unfortunate soul. Then to the first corpse and further still onto a few minorly injured soldiers in distress from the news of a lost comrade.

( for a second, Noctis sees his friends rather than the nameless soldiers and he hisses slowly through his teeth at being reminded he has no idea how they are holding up without him. Not that he would want them here , either, though, this is a living hell—)

He snaps his attention down to his father when he speaks on war.]

...It's not here, though, right? Their suffering... [ He trails off before forcing words to come forth, a little more aggravated by the idea this soldier will not even have the comfort of fighting for something worth his sacrifice. ] —obviously this war has to be over something important...?!

[ Like their lives.

He's clearly more bothered than he wants to let on it might not be.]

[113th]

[Regis gives his son a worried glance. The two of them had scarce time to talk nevertheless comprehend the brutality they're witnessing now. He feels somewhat guilty now, almost as if all this has been his fault. As a father, he often grieved over the fate of his son in private. Regis knew there was nothing that could be done to spare Noctis from the suffering that would come. He knew that but still chose to shelter the boy however he could. Regis may not have been the best father but he was a dotting one with endless love for the young man beside him.

This is why he seems somewhat uncomfortable allowing Noctis to witness such horrors now. His son tries to keep such a frigid mask on but the boy's eyes betray him. He can see the worry and fear that lingers within those familiar blue pools. It's enough to remind Regis that Noctis didn't grow up surrounded by death and destruction as he did in his youth.

Regis is a bonafide war hero. King Mors sent him to defend their homeland when he was just seventeen. Regis was just a child then, the same for Clarus. He's accustom to war and the horrors that come with it but even so, Regis dislikes it greatly.]

The men we see before us have chosen to fight for the sake of their faith in order to expunge the invaders who've come for this sacred land.

[That's just about all Regis knows personally about this conflict. Information is scarce.]

They're fighting for what they believe is just and sacred.