The old that is strong does not wither

I like the idea of Barbarossa saving Richard. Having something where Saladin's forces wind up crushed between Richard and Barbarossa would be pretty epic.

This being epic doesn't mean it has to be some cinematic sort of thing - just something where well, he shows up and does what we expected. Undoing all the 1187 conquests of Saladin and restoring the kingdom of Jerusalem to its pre-Hattin state would be epic. Hell, what Richard did OTL, plus Jerusalem, would be epic. Entering Jerusalem in a barrel? Not epic.

Also: Keep in mind Alexius is paying more than lip service to helping out the Crusaders (whatever that means...)

This may or may not mean we see Alexius II as the first basileus to set foot in Palestine since John I.

Just hinting at other things to think about. :D

Saladin has been beaten by a western-style army before in something pretty epic: http://www.badassoftheweek.com/baldwin.html

It exaggerates. Its still true.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/frederickbarbarossa.html A more serious note - is this kind of guy going to occupy Jerusalem peacefully? The downside of him succeeding like Age of Empires got our hopes up to have is that he's going to do the less nice stuff discussed there to anything resembling a Muslim stronghold.

Yeah, this is kind of rambling. Its my thread, I can ramble.
 
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Chapter 2, Part 1

March 1191.

It had been six months since the crusaders had first entered the Empire, and Alexius would just as soon not see anything like it again. Surprisingly, Frederick had made strenuous efforts to rein in his men, and while incidents had occurred, they remained isolated incidents. Never the less, they were a foreign army on Roman soil, and no basileus could regard that without concern - especially given the still tense relations between the Romans and the West. As fall became winter and the Germans established winter quarters in Thrace, preparing to cross into Anatolia in the spring, it seemed things were actually going to work out. Nevertheless, when March finally came and the Germans were once more ready to be on the move, it was not a day too soon - for either the crusaders or the Romans.

Frederick for his own part had also been surprised at Alexius's efforts to ensure that the passage of the crusading army was as smooth and supported as possible. Compared to what had happened the first time he was here, he felt almost like a guest. Initially he suspected a trick. What were these Greeks up to? As it had turned out, it would be even more surprising than he would have thought possible. Alexius, unlike any previous Greek emperor, was not merely permitting the crusaders to march through his empire, or even supplying them with provisions - but was actually proposing to lead a force of 15,000 men in support of the Crusaders. When Frederick received the letter in the middle of November, he had stared at in disbelief. What were these schismatics doing? Could Alexius be serious? Could he be trusted if he was serious?

Through out the winter envoys had gone back and forth between Constantinople and the encamped army, and in January Frederick had ridden to Constantinople with a picked escort of his finest knights to meet the Greek Emperor face to face, man to man.


And so, as the Germans prepared to cross the Hellespont, the Emperor's spirits were high. If God had moved even the Emperor of the Greeks to see the righteousness of the crusade, what could stand before the armies of the Cross?

They would sweep the Saracens before them like dust before the wind.

Writer's note: Feedback on the more narrative style would be appreciated. As would any suggestions for describing Alexius's and Frederick's meeting/s.
 
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Well, I find this meeting just epic. Is it the first time in History that the Western and the Eastern Emperors meet?

For the next update, I would suggest you to write a narrative, with dialogue and stuff like that.
 
Well, I find this meeting just epic. Is it the first time in History that the Western and the Eastern Emperors meet?

If by Western Emperor you mean the Holy Roman Emperors...

Manuel met Conrad during the 2nd Crusade (technically Conrad was only King of Germany and not Emperor, but to the extent I accept that the mess that is neither holy or Roman is an empire, its leader is an emperor whether the Patriarch of Rome has crowned him or not), so its not the first time.

Still pretty epic, I think.

For the next update, I would suggest you to write a narrative, with dialogue and stuff like that.
This is where the writer begs for the assistance of his readers. I don't have the first idea how to write dialogue that sounds like anything that Barbarossa would actually say, let alone Alexius (though at least with Alexius as a fictional character I have more room to play around with his personality).

Should anyone else (other than Alexius and Frederick) get more than a bit part in this and the next section?

The plan at the moment is for the next part to be events up to mid June, then the third part sees the armies enter Syria and prepare to do what they came to do. Chapter 3 will thus be on the events in the Holy Land.
 
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Chapter 2, Part 2

Despite the promises of the Turkish sultan, continuous attacks bedeviled the advance. Both supplies and tempers quickly began to run short. Quarrels have broken out between the Romans and the Germans. Water has become a precious, carefully hoarded commodity. Many are down to drinking their own urine or even the blood of their horse. Many of the latter have fallen, despite the best efforts of their masters. The faint hearted collapse and even the strong wilt beneath the blazing sun. If this continues much longer there will be no armies arriving in the Holy Land, only a handful of starving and beleaguered men who would be lucky to survive to reach Jerusalem, let alone to take it.

To have any chance at continuing, Iconium had to be secured. The Turks had to be forced to accept that the Christian armies will press on and that further resistance will prove futile. Conveniently for Alexius, the fall of Iconium will also be a great step forward for the Roman reconquest of Anatolia. That having the Germans come this way has, for all the hardships, been used as a means to that end cannot hide its relevance to the Germans. Angry and frustrated men are easily directed at a ready target, and the Turks have become one. If the city is taken, it will not be gently handled. But there is more than merely a ready target for sack and slaughter. Iconium is the capital of the Seljuk sultanate. If it falls, so well might the Seljuk control of the interior of Anatolia. This may prove far more valuable than other possible results of the crusade. The reconquest of Anatolia would immeasurably strengthen the Roman Empire.

But back to the here and now, as the two Emperors meet to plan the tactics for the battle.


(work in progress)

Author's question: I am not sure if the hardships faced in the march across Anatolia would be as severe as portrayed here, but given how devastated the Crusaders were by Barbarossa's death, I am left to conclude that they must have been pretty serious. Especially given that they were in, for all intents and purposes, enemy territory.

Even with Roman assistance, the balance of having more mouths to feed (and more importantly, more to drain those sources of water found) seems unlikely to be in favor of "easier".

So does this sound reasonable? Exaggerated?

This is meant to be written more or less objectively, not in glorification of Barbarossa or Alexius in overcoming Great Obstacles - the actual tasks once the Holy Land is reached are large enough.
 
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