The Dance of Death - Gameplay Thread (1215)

[Kingpoleon]

The Treaty of Damascus

I. Whereby the Sultan of Rum, Kaykaus, does swear his eternal loyalty and friendship to the Sultan of Egypt, Al-Adil.
II. And the Sultan of Egypt does pledge his eternal friendship to the same.
III. All taxes, tariffs, and other barriers on trade are removed at once, in order to strengthen the economic ties and relations between these two countries.
IV. An alliance is hereby formed, uniting the forces of Rum and Egypt in defense and times of war.

x Al-Adil, Sultan of Egypt

[Kingpoleon]

I. Whereas the Shah of Khwarezm and Sultan of Egypt recognize the mutual and natural friendship between their nations,
II. Therefore it shall be established that neither tariff nor tax of any sort shall apply to trade between our two nations,
III. And furthermore guarantee the mutual defense against all powers which shall attack either friendly nation.

x Shah Mohammed II

x Sultan Al-Adil

[Kingpoleon]

[c]To my neighbors, and to the Powers of Europe/c

I, Al-Adil, the Sultan of Egypt, Emir of Damascus, Protector of Mecca, the Sword of Islam, have been attacked before in these Crusades before as I am now. I am now attacked by a lord, hired by the favor of the so-called Pope Innocent. My crime? I possess land he wishes for himself.

I have not attacked, threatened, mistreated, or abused the Unholy Father. Despite this, he has unjustly decreed that I must be attacked. Yet what he lacks in justice and competence, he makes up for in pride and aggression. He declares a “holy war” against one who has not attacked his faith nor done anything but defend his own land.

To the Christians, I say this man dishonors your faith. Disavow this unholy man of unprovoked violence. We share not the same faith, but all men know it is wrong to follow a man of god who attacks without provocation, who desires the land of others for himself, and who does so under the thin disguise of a holy war. I call on you to withdraw and turn away from this Unholy Father.

To my Muslim allies, in Arabia, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Persia, I ask for your support. This man will want your land and your lives, as he will not stop at Jerusalem or at anywhere else. I call on you to send all the men you can. We are all threatened by this, and we must stand together to defend our lands and our religion and the holy city of Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, those who live in the holy city, Copt and Muslim, Jew and Arab, all are guaranteed that their city - the city we all recognize as holy - will be defended. Every mosque, synagogue, and church in my lands that will allow it will be safe havens for our citizens, and our soldiers shall not enter without permission for any reason, excluding religious observance and injury. We defy even the Unholy Father to attack the houses of prayer.

Against the Unholy Father, the Bishop of Wrath, the Supreme Pontiff of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Vicar of Pride, Successor of the Prince of Darkness

[Kingpoleon]

Proclamation from the Sultan Al-Adil, Sword of the Faith, of Knightly Renown and Good Faith

“The events in Rome against the pagan Pope are not of my doing. These ships, when they return, will be seized with the remaining few dozen of these assassins. I intend to lead a full investigation into what powers have caused such a dastardly, dishonorable act and respond accordingly. Now, I understand the truth will be hard to accept when I have been so thoroughly framed, so I will outline a few things.

“Firstly, the Pope has publicly recognized me for what I am - a ruler of knightly renown and good faith. He does not threaten me. Why would I march against Rome? Secondly, it seems strange to my ears and that of the world that a handful of men would kill the Pope. Instead, they killed many others in Rome - the enemies in the Church of many Christian powers have been slain, benefitting many supposed followers of the Pope, not Egypt.

“Thirdly, recognizing the senselessness, incompetence, and obviousness of this attack, it is nothing more nor less than foolish if any man alive believes the Ayyubids, the public, newest friends of Rome, was behind this attack. There are forces in Europe that wish the eyes of the world turn upon Egypt, not them, who shall remain nameless.

“As Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Protector of Jerusalem, the Sword of the Faith, and, in the Pope’s words, the Renowned Knight of Egypt, I firmly and fully deny these attacks are my doing. Furthermore, an investigation shall commence at once to find the cowardly culprit country.”

[Kingpoleon]

Now Beats The Drums of War

Let every nation know, from London to Rome, from Toledo to Jerusalem, from Arabia to China and Japan: any nation that dares ally with the attackers of the Great Sultan shall face destruction and death. We have sought peace, but the False High Priest sought not only our cooperation. He sought to have Egypt coerce its own allies, as though he has some claim upon Sultan Al-Adil and the allies of the Great Sultan.

In the same vein, as there shall be no peace for those who attack Egypt, there shall be peace for the Arab and the Copt and all my people. I decree sacred sanctuary - should Egyptian soil be touched, let every civilian and badly wounded soldier retreat to mosques, churches, synagogues, madrasas, temples, and any such religious building. I defy the Pope himself to burn such places.

As for this new Crusade? The Pope’s own words of hesitance testify concerning its legitimacy. Woe to those People of the Book led astray by blatant falsehoods, but their foolhardiness shall be repaid in full, in blood.

[Kingpoleon]

THE LIES OF THE POPE, AND A CALL TO ARMS

Speech by Sultan Al-Adil in Alexandria

”Today, a vile demon threatens us with lies and deceit. Less than a hundred Egyptians, mercenaries, hired behind a hidden power, attacked the Unholy See. For this, many Kings, Princes, and men of God, Christian and Muslim, have written me me, assuring me they know that truly Egypt would not benefit from an attack on Pope Innocent.

“Pope Innocent befriended me with kindness. Understanding the great slights of Cyprus against my nation and myself, he agreed that it was hardly against God’s will to take it - an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. He told me privately and proclaimed publicly the worth of my name! A king of knightly renown, he called me; an example indeed to his own followers, the princes of Europe. For this kindness, I assured him of the eternal friendship of Egypt.

“Now, he has betrayed me. His own words, he knows the truth: he has not lied before God and boldly accused me of the Lie, that I attacked my greatest friend in Europe. I benefitted not from his death or his weakness, as under the terms of our friendship and agreements were cleverly so organized, that neither of us gains ever from the other losing.

“Indeed! In this attack, I benefited not one drop. Every other enemy has benefited from this, but me, for I was not an enemy. Indeed! Many would say that, even in the tragedy, every single one of the Pope’s enemies at home perished, and now all his followers back him. Strangely, he now attacks the only King alive who did not benefit from this raid, and in the number of beneficiaries, I exempt not one European prince, not even the Pope himself. Despite this, he betrayed my trust and proffered friendship, solely because Cyprus is by rights mine, as he himself said.

“Now then! I call on all Egyptians to unite against this attack against me and against us. He cares not if you are a Jew, a Copt, or a Muslim; a Kurd, an Arab, a Turk, or an Italian. In every other Crusade, and it shall be the same in this, you and I, the people of Egypt, have seen our neighbors butchered, raped, and, indeed, eaten for defending our land and ourselves and one another. Join our forces, our armies, our garrisons, or else we shall surely perish.

“I call upon all of you again! Defend the glory of the hour! Let red flags be lifted up whenever an enemy is seen, that our enemies and all the world may know: we shall never surrender, not until the last drop of blood of the city is shed in its defense. There shall be no surrender; our enemies slaughter those who surrender after pledging not to with pretty words. With my own eyes, I have seen, and my own ears have heard, the horrors they visit upon us. For the sake of all of us, let us never surrender!”

[Kingpoleon]

Regarding Antioch

Whereas Leo, traitorous King of Armenia, has renounced his alliance with myself and my people;
Whereas the same has attacked Antioch, without just cause or reason that will stand when war is done;
Whereas I am the Defender of Jerusalem and Antioch, Protector of Cyprus;

I do hereby proclaim that I and any true Christian or Muslim who joins me in liberating Antioch is heartily welcome. Many of my own people, People of the Book, fear what shall happen if Antioch falls into the hands of a foreign tyrant. May I never leave a small principality that I call myself Defender of alone against this treacherous King. I am in grave danger myself, but I shall liberate the state which the Pope and most of Christendom seems to ignore. Let us free Antioch. Long live the Sultan! Long live Antioch!

[Kingpoleon]

A Proclamation from Egypt

“Let it he known throughout the world that the false Frankish King inhabits a throne not his own, as a bastard descendant several times over. It is the finding of the wisest men in Egypt, including I, the Sultan, that the rightful French King is not Philip, but Raymond, Count of Toulouse and rightful King of the Franks. We recognize King Raymond as such and encourage every friend of Egypt to follow our example.”

[Kingpoleon]

An Egyptian Proclamation

I eagerly await the promised reinforcements of Raymond of Toulouse, the rightful King of the Franks, through his mother. And, furthermore, I recognize his son as the only rightful King of England through his mother, Princess Joan, and the rightful King Consort of Castile and Aragon through his wife Sancha, by blood Princess of Aragon and Castile, and by rights Queen thereof.

Long live Raymond VI, friend of Egypt, Count of Toulouse, King of the Franks! Long live Raymond, heir of Toulouse and France, King of England, King Consort of Aragon and Castile! Once this Crusade is over, I shall restore my greatest friends to their rightful thrones over half of Europe!