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God Wills It: The First Crusade

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:40 pm
by philfredobob
Hello there, visitor. I deleted this intro a while back, but you're not really missing out on much.


Player Characters:

POMC S117
Hidden:
Name: Baudouin de Foix, Fils de Rogier Deusième de Foix, Comte de Foix (Baldwin of Foix, Son of Roger II of Foix, Count of Foix)
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Physical Description: At 5ft 5in, Baudouin is an average height for his time. His hair is black and he has brown eyes, his family being from Roman nobility with clear Italic features.
Affiliation: Comté de Foix
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Position: Minor noble leading a small contingent of men on behalf of his father.
Background: Baudouin is the second child of Rogier II de Foix, the Count of Foix. He is without prospect of becoming the Count of Foix, unless his older brother should happen to fall dead in the field, but he still enjoyed the life of nobility. At the age of six, he was sent to a Norman court to train as a squire to a knight, receiving much education in all things warfare and ecclesiastical (imbuing in him a fear of God), and returned home at the age of 23. When the Council of Clermont was called in November of 1095, Baudouin and his father were in attendence. Baudouin listened to the Pope speak of the horrors committed against the Christian pilgrims and it provoked a great passion for the Crusades within him. As all assembled did, he cried Deus lo vult upon the Council's end.
Personality: Baudouin is a devout, God-fearing noble, who fears only his father Rogier above God. He is also a patron of the arts and has a great love of architecture. He is collected, but can be driven to a frenzied rage if pushed.
Extra Information: Baudouin can speak Old French (various dialects), Old Occitan, Old Norman, Latin and has a passing knowledge of Old English, which he learned from several prisoners from his studies in Normandie.
Derp53
Hidden:
Name: Hans Bieri
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Physical Description: Tall and lean with more stamina and endurance than brute physical strength. He has brown eyes and similarly colored hair, in addition he has a scar below his right eye from a glancing sword blow.
Affiliation: Bieri family
Religion: Catholic Christian
Position: Mercenary
Background: The Bieri family had a long history in the area, ruling over a fief bordering the German city states the Bieri family has always produced some of the finest pike and spearmen to fend off German raiding parties into their lands. However, the original progeny of the Bieri family was a mercenary who moved into the area and trained the people to resist outside incursions, this original mercenary in turn had italian roots that stretched back to a commander in the late western Roman empire. Because of this military heritage Hans and his entire family, women included learn how to at least a short sword, in addition Hans' fief is one of the many Swiss territories known to lease out companies of mercenary pikemen whomever has the coin.

Structurally the Bieri family is strong and is supported by the general populace for their hand in keeping the economy stable and maintaining security while respecting the common man. Hans' father, Liert is a pious man who has increased the wealth of the lands under Bieri rule tenfold, however pious though Liert has played the church against his enemies wisely and because of it enjoys friendly relations with his allies and the church.

In 1095 Liert officially recognized Hans' as heir over his other three sons and honored his bargain with the Church by sending Hans to represent him in the Crusades. Hans has never really been god fearing, however to honor his loyalty to his family he took up his halberd and obeyed his father's commands.

Personality: Hans is discreetly cynical of almost everything, however when the welfare of his family and loved ones is on the line he will do anything to assure their interests. He is a secular man who prizes tactical brilliance over brute strength and knowledge over faith.
Extra Information: Hans uses a Halberd specialized in killing at a distance with sharp hook on the back of the spearhead for pulling riders off their horses, an axehead on the front of his spear head, and lastly a light iron mace on the end of his halberd. He wears chainmail and strategically placed plate armor to reduce fatigue on the battlefield. He also fights within a line of spears and pikes and rarely breaks rank due to his training. In addition Hans hides a distrust of the Church like his father and likes to get multiple perspectives to an issue. That being said, Hans also knows German, English, enough Latin to read the important bits of a bible, as well as a smattering of Arabic due to curiosity, and enough French to be fluent.
All Hail
Hidden:
Name: Robert Fils de Putain
Gender: Male
Age:30
Physical Description:For his time, Robert is a titan of a man. He stands at 6'2, and is nearly 250 pounds of muscle. He has a round head, and a thick black beard, and his head is balding. Robert has a multitude of scars running across his face and back, and he is missing half an ear.
Affiliation:Himself, crusaders.
Religion: Catholic
Position: Robert leads a small contingent of sellswords.
Background: Robert's name can be roughly translated to Son of a [&@%!], and that's exactly what his mother was. The [&@%!] son of Robert, Earl of Cornwall who was half brother to William the Conqueror, Robert quickly grew to resent his father, and turned to a life of crime. At the age of 13 he killed his first man, and it's only gotten worse from there. Robert headed up a gang of thugs in his home town, and with time it has evolved to become a sellsword company in the service of minor lords and rich merchants. Robert and his men entered the crusades not out of religious zeal, but because of the promise of lands and wealth. His company is known as being amongst the most brutal in the crusades, filled with murderers and rapists and thieves, with Robert himself being a shinning example of all three.
Personality: Robert is a horrifically cruel man, quick to anger and slow to calm down. If he wants something, he'll take it. Robert is a murderer, a rapist, thief, and worse. He has one redeeming quality, however. Robert is not very smart, which prevents him from getting anywhere in life.
Extra Information: Robert keeps his men in line through excessive cruelty.
EpicAbrad
Hidden:
Name: Nadir al-Bekhr
Gender: Male
Age: 36
Physical Description: Built short and thick, with a skin colour light enough that he would not immediately be recognized as Arabic. He has shaggy black hair and a beard that has grown out during his travels and imprisonment, as well as slightly sunken eyes.
Affiliation: In flux. Loyal to his homeland and his religion, but currently helping his captors to secure the safety of himself and his family.
Religion: Islam
Position: Currently the prisoner and guide of Baudouin de Foix.
Background: Born and raised in the city of Beirut, Nadir grew up to work as a trader at the city's relatively minor port. He maintained a stable lifestyle, supporting his wife and two children, and his aging parents, all of whom were faithful Muslims. When he got wind of the incoming Christian crusaders, however, he immediately feared for the safety of his family and his homeland. Taking the initiative, he set off to help stop the invaders before they got too far. He took passage by sea to the port by Tarsus, then travelled by land from there to Nicaea. However, he arrived too late: the city was firmly in the hands of Byzantine and crusader forces. In his attempt to flee, he was caught by crusaders. To salvage his last hope of seeing his family again, he made a deal with his captor, Baudouin de Foix, to assist them in orders of translation, geography, and other information in exchange for the safety of himself and his family. He is kept under guard to prevent escaping.
Personality: Nadir is proud and loyal, but also has a degree of cunning. He has a firm resolve, and is passionate about his family and his home, but he was smart enough to see the futility in throwing his life away once he had missed out on the battle. He is a practicing Muslim, and is no fan of the invading Christians, but he sees the necessity in working with them to spare his own skin... for a time.
Extra Information: He has picked up some isolated words of English and Latin during his time working as a trader, and has learned to speak broken French in order to communicate with his captors, but the only language he can claim to be fluent in is Arabic.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 9:19 pm
by Musicman247
Image

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:27 am
by Dirty Spaceman
I think I'll join this once S&S and/or the MBG are over. I'm thinking of making a Lebanese or Armenian character... so could you hold a spot for me? I just hope that some more people join so this'll actually be up and running by the time I'm ready. I haven't seen many historical RPs, and I'd like to see this one take off.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Fri May 30, 2014 9:34 am
by philfredobob
I had second thoughts and deleted the post, but now I've made up my mind. (sorry, sorry!)

Yeah, ya, I'm still doin' this, accepting players and all that. :P

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Fri May 30, 2014 9:49 pm
by POMC S117
Deus lo vult, indeed.

I'll have a character ready soon.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Fri May 30, 2014 10:55 pm
by All hail!
This looks interesting. I may join.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 4:37 pm
by Derp53
I'll start my character sheet as soon as possible, probably a swiss mercenary halberdier.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 7:18 pm
by Dirty Spaceman
I'm still interested in this, and I'm glad you've decided to move forward. I'm currently formulating an idea for a character... viva Armenia!

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 11:12 am
by POMC S117
I think I may go a French or Holy Roman noble. Would that be allowed?

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 11:28 am
by philfredobob
Most definitely, yes. :wink:

But try not to go too high up, around or below the level of the Crusader princes is acceptable. Perhaps a count or a duke, but not too extremely powerful.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 12:26 pm
by The SheoDovah
Spoiler:
Name: Evrárd (real name:Adéle Leártis)
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Physical Description: Adéle is a 5'8ft woman with red hair and has an average figure. Her eyes are blue and her face is round.
Affiliation: Crusaders
Religion: Christian
Position: Knight
Background: The Leártis family was a noble family who made their wealth through art and providing men to those who needed protection. They originally started a small mercanary company in France called Artis in 1000 AD and were based in the countryside. They struggled to gain interest at first but over the course of 25 years, the Ártis company went from a small band of mercanaries to a major guild in Paris and were known for providing artists in return for coin.

Their guild hall possessed many unclaimed commissioned pieces of arts or pieces of art that had yet to be paid for and paid a fair wage to those who had joined the guild either as an artist or mercenary. The Leártis moved into their Paris mansion in the year 1030 and mingled with the rest of the nobles. They throw parties every few months and trouble makers often found themselves being tossed out of the front gate by Ártis men that they had stationed there at a higher wage.

In 1065, the Leártis family had grown into a very large and wealthy family. Adéle was born during the summer and was a strange woman. She showed little to no interest in become a noble woman and would spend time with the men after she turned 15. The men liked her because she took the time to chat with them, play cards with them and drink with them. Unknownst to everyone, she had been training in secret to become a knight and had called in a favour from a family friend to train her.

In 1095, the Leártis family was attacked at the crack of dawn. Adéle led the men stationed at her family's mansion into battle but they lost the battle. Almost everyone was killed and the mansion had been razed to the ground by the end of the day. She discovered that the guildhall had been attacked but had managed to repell the attack. She didn't try to make contact with them in case her attackers expected her to go there. So instead, she went underground and made plans to join the crusaders to help her stay hidden untill the time was right. She bribed anyone that saw her and purchased some very bulky armour to keep her features hidden. She shortened her hair and called herself Evrárd.

"He" claimed to have lost his voice due to a battle wound and relied on parchment to talk. Evrárd knows that when the time is right, Adéle will return and smite those who destroyed her family.
Personality: (Not going to fill this section in as i know what i'm going for and will most likely end up playing the character a bit differently to what i've written)
Extra Information: Evrárd uses very bulky armour to keep his secret hidden. He never takes off his full face helmet and only commincates by parchment and quill. He uses a tower shield and a broadsword in combat. He is not afraid to resort to using dirty tatics to win a battle.
Here is my character Phil. Is it okay?

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 2:04 pm
by philfredobob
Indeed it is, Accepted!

But, just one thing. Might I ask who's army she/he joined? as in, which crusader leader, It helps with organisation.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 3:49 pm
by POMC S117
Hidden:
Name: Baudouin de Foix, Fils de Rogier Deusième de Foix, Comte de Foix (Baldwin of Foix, Son of Roger II of Foix, Count of Foix)
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Physical Description: At 5ft 5in, Baudouin is an average height for his time. His hair is black and he has brown eyes, his family being from Roman nobility with clear Italic features.
Affiliation: Comté de Foix, Hugh of Vermandois
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Position: (How are you involved/what do you do in the Crusade?) Minor noble leading a small contingent of men on behalf of his father, operating under the command of Hugh of Vermandois.
Background: Baudouin is the second child of Rogier II de Foix, the Count of Foix. He is without prospect of becoming the Count of Foix, unless his older brother should happen to fall dead in the field, but he still enjoyed the life of nobility. At the age of six, he was sent to a Norman court to train as a squire to a knight, receiving much education in all things warfare and ecclesiastical (imbuing in him a fear of God), and returned home at the age of 23. When the Council of Clermont was called in November of 1095, Baudouin and his father were in attendence. Baudouin listened to the Pope speak of the horrors committed against the Christian pilgrims and it provoked a great passion for the Crusades within him. As all assembled did, he cried Deus lo vult upon the Council's end.
Personality: (If you feel you can't or would prefer not to write this, then know that it is optional.) Baudouin is a devout, God-fearing noble, who fears only his father Rogier above God. He is also a patron of the arts and has a great love of architecture. He is collected, but can be driven to a frenzied rage if pushed.
Extra Information: (Do you speak a certain language and fail at another? do you wield a special weapon? etc) Baudouin can speak Old French (various dialects), Old Occitan, Old Norman, Latin and has a passing knowledge of Old English, which he learned from several prisoners from his studies in Normandie.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:00 pm
by Derp53
Spoiler:
Name: Hans Bieri
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Physical Description: Tall and lean with more stamina and endurance than brute physical strength. He has brown eyes and similarly colored hair, in addition he has a scar below his right eye from a glancing sword blow.
Affiliation: Bieri family
Religion: Christian
Position: Mercenary
Background: The Bieri family had a long history in the area, ruling over a fief bordering the German city states the Bieri family has always produced some of the finest pike and spearmen to fend off German raiding parties into their lands. However, the original progeny of the Bieri family was a mercenary who moved into the area and trained the people to resist outside incursions, this original mercenary in turn had italian roots that stretched back to a commander in the late western Roman empire. Because of this military heritage Hans and his entire family, women included learn how to at least a short sword, in addition Hans' fief is one of the many Swiss territories known to lease out companies of mercenary pikemen whomever has the coin.

Structurally the Bieri family is strong and is supported by the general populace for their hand in keeping the economy stable and maintaining security while respecting the common man. Hans' father, Liert is a pious man who has increased the wealth of the lands under Bieri rule tenfold, however pious though Liert has played the church against his enemies wisely and because of it enjoys friendly relations with his allies and the church.

In 1095 Liert officially recognized Hans' as heir over his other three sons and honored his bargain with the Church by sending Hans to represent him in the Crusades. Hans has never really been god fearing, however to honor his loyalty to his family he took up his halberd and obeyed his father's commands.

Personality: Hans is discreetly cynical of almost everything, however when the welfare of his family and loved ones is on the line he will do anything to assure their interests. He is a secular man who prizes tactical brilliance over brute strength and knowledge over faith.
Extra Information: Hans uses a Halberd specialized in killing at a distance with sharp hook on the back of the spearhead for pulling riders off their horses, an axehead on the front of his spear head, and lastly a light iron mace on the end of his halberd. He wears chainmail and strategically placed plate armor to reduce fatigue on the battlefield. He also fights within a line of spears and pikes and rarely breaks rank due to his training. In addition Hans hides a distrust of the Church like his father and likes to get multiple perspectives to an issue. That being said, Hans also knows German, English, enough Latin to read the important bits of a bible, a smattering of arabic due to curiosity, and enough french to be fluent.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:21 pm
by All hail!
Spoiler:
Name: Robert Fils de Putain
Gender: Male
Age:30
Physical Description:For his time, Robert is a titan of a man. He stands at 6'2, and is nearly 250 pounds of muscle. He has a round head, and a thick black beard, and his head is balding. Robert has a multitude of scars running across his face and back, and he is missing half an ear.
Affiliation:Himself, crusaders.
Religion: Catholic
Position: (How are you involved/what do you do in the Crusade?) Robert leads a small contingent of sellswords.
Background: Robert's name can be roughly translated to Son of a [&@%!], and that's exactly what his mother was. The [&@%!] son of Robert, Earl of Cornwall and half brother to William the Conqueror, Robert quickly grew to resent his father, and turned to a life of crime. At the age of 13 he killed his first man, and it's only gotten worse from there. Robert headed up a gang of thugs in his home town, and with time it has evolved to become a sellsword company in the service of minor lords and rich merchants. Robert and his men entered the crusades not out of religious zeal, but because of the promise of lands and wealth. His company is known as being amongst the most brutal in the crusades, filled with murderers and rapists and thieves, with Robert himself being a shinning example of all three.
Personality: (If you feel you can't or would prefer not to write this, then know that it is optional.) Robert is a horrifically cruel man, quick to anger and slow to calm down. If he wants something, he'll take it. Robert is a murderer, a rapist, thief, and worse. He has one redeeming quality, however. Robert is not very smart, which prevents him from getting anywhere in life.
Extra Information: (Do you speak a certain language and fail at another? do you wield a special weapon? etc)Robert keeps his men in line through excessive cruelty.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:56 pm
by philfredobob
I'll accept all three.

And once again, could I ask you all to say just who's army you follow? I know that they switch around a reasonable amount, but it helps with determining what's what right at the start.

Oh, and Derp, I'm assuming Hans also speaks french? as it could be rather important.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:18 pm
by Derp53
You know what, I'll edit in that he speaks a passable amount of french, his primary language is german anyway.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:35 pm
by philfredobob
Nevermind, POMC has corrected me. Forgive my misunderstanding.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:54 pm
by POMC S117
He means Robert, 2nd Earl of Cornwall, I believe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert,_Count_of_Mortain

He would have been 31 at the time of All Hail's character's birth, which shouldn't be much of a problem.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:59 pm
by philfredobob
Ah, if that's the case it's more agreeable. The wording of his backstory is a bit confusing. I thought he meant son of the Earl of Cornwall AND half brother, so I was already a bit confused as to how his father could be Earl of Cornwall. Anyways, nevermind.

Right-O, My mistake, I revoke my previous decision, Accepted once more.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 6:03 pm
by Derp53
How many more people would we need to get started exactly?

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:43 am
by philfredobob
Ideally, I'd like to have at least two characters representing on each side of the crusade, as in two each. If I could get 2 more Muslim characters, that would be perfect, but if all else fails, I could do with 5 characters on either side.
POMC S117 wrote:He means Robert, 2nd Earl of Cornwall, I believe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert,_Count_of_Mortain

He would have been 31 at the time of All Hail's character's birth, which shouldn't be much of a problem.
@POMC: See, the confusion was caused by me thinking his character was supposed to be the half brother, which made the Cornwall thing sound strange (As William's parents never had anything to do with Cornwall). It was never about the parent's age but the character's age. :P

EDIT: EpicAbrad, if the Armenian you are planning on playing is a Muslim fighting on the Muslim side, you may have to either wait quite a while (which could be futile), or bring another player in to play alongside you. Otherwise, you'll probably end up chatting with me the entire time - as I'm not expecting any more than 5 players - and I'm sure that's not something you want. Just a warning.

EDIT 2: Hello everyone. I just wanted to say, if/once EpicAbrad posts an acceptable character, that'll probably be about the maximum amount of players I'll be getting, so I'd be willing to begin around that time.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:17 pm
by Dirty Spaceman
Well, the thing is, generally most Armenians at the time would have been Christians. I could play a Lebanese Muslim, but like you said, I wouldn't have much to do for a while. Perhaps I could start with the other players somehow? Such as in disguise, or as a prisoner. That, or just be an Armenian Christian. What do you think would work out better, in relation to how you intend the RP to progress?

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:20 pm
by philfredobob
If you planned an Armenian christian, that could probably work. But like I said, only really if he sides with the crusaders. Basically, siding with the Muslims right now leaves you totally alone with no character interaction, which sort of negates the entire point of the endeavor.

Re: God Wills It: The First Crusade.

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:31 pm
by Dirty Spaceman
Well, I meant that I would be starting with the Crusaders either way. I was just asking if you thought it would be better if I play as an Armenian, who would naturally support them, or a Lebanese Muslim, who could be undercover or a prisoner. (Armenian would be simpler; Lebanese would provide diversity among the PCs.) Considering how you want the RP to progress, what's your opinion?