The Crusades are nearly to an end. After years and years and years of fighting, the last few remnants of the once proud Christian soldiers begin the long march home. Yet there are some who believe that their cause is not finished… and these few hundred men have decided that they will stay. A number of these Crusaders have holed themselves up in an old French fort. While the agreement between the Christians and the Moslems stated that all Crusader forts would be destroyed, these self-proclaimed “Men of God” ignored the treaty and began fortifying the crumbling outpost. After all, a truce with the heathen is not a legitimate pact!
This direct violation of the treaty will not be ignored. Already, the local emir has begun sending his forces to quell the last few faithful Crusaders and the pope himself has refused to send any aid. To hold off against the oncoming invasion(s), the Men of God have sent pleas for assistance to all nearby Crusader lords. Only one man has answered the summons of the faithful. Roger Fouvre, captain of the Tripoli guard, has taken his small brigade in an attempt to reinforce the fort and save the Men of God. Roger’s mission is to march through the searing desert and ford across the river separating him from the fort. Along the way, he must deal with the local natives as well as any patrolling troops under the service of the emir.
The scenario is set about a week after the Tripoli guard began their march. Already, half of the brigade have either deserted or died of thirst. Roger’s position is desperate; morale is ebbing and the men are growing more and more discouraged…. How fortunate that the natives have come up with an answer… Nearby is a local village, a perfect place to satisfy the men’s cravings for plunder! Already, the undisciplined divisions of the guard begin to charge towards the small community with battle running through their veins. The village is lightly defended (which is strange, since usually most towns have very heavy guards), but the soldiers will be vulnerable while they pillage. Therefore, it is vital that the archers take control of the high ground and watch out for any enemies while the rape of the village is in process. Once the village is no more than a burnt mark on the map, perhaps the men will be willing enough to continue towards the fort…
Updated version: I recieved complaints that the player had to wait way too long before the emir would attack. I have now shortened that waiting period from 20 years to 9 years.
*This scenario is entirely fictional. None of the views shown represent the author.