Lands of Sand and Magi (First Crusade Fantasy CK2 Quest)
Chronobreak
Chara Appreciator
- Location
- Chicago
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] A monk
-[X] Don't care
We will be the Heretic Saint!
-[X] Don't care
We will be the Heretic Saint!
Cybandeath
Lord Darkness, and Representative of Mad Science
- Location
- The United States of America
[X] A peasant:
-[X] Male
WAAAAY to many female magical girl hero things going on to choose female sorry, otherwise id go for it purely for the possibility of tsundere Joan the arc
-[X] Male
WAAAAY to many female magical girl hero things going on to choose female sorry, otherwise id go for it purely for the possibility of tsundere Joan the arc
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- Location
- .
[X] A peasant:
-[X] Male
-[X] Male
- Location
- New York
Voting is officially closed. I will tally up the votes shortly.
- Location
- Pilipinas
[X] A peasant: You are one of the masses, and your name is just as irrelevant as you are. Seeking glory and favor from the lord for fighting in his holy war. You have nothing, and your family has nothing. This is your chance to no longer be bound to the chains of the bottom of society. You can change your life, if you want to fight for it. You have no skills of worth, and your life has been nothing but shit, but someone up there favors you, you just don't know it yet.(Gain Trait, "Blessed by God?": ???)
-[X] Male
-[X] Male
- Location
- Pilipinas
wait, i was reading sorry, please include my vote
- Location
- New York
That's ok, I will include it. Male Peasant won anyways.
The votes are as follows.
Female peasant: 8
Male peasant:11
Monk: 6
- Location
- New York
To be fair the Male Peasant had won by a fairly large margin. Out of curiosity, what would you have chosen?
- Location
- France
Cybandeath
Lord Darkness, and Representative of Mad Science
- Location
- The United States of America
Chapter 1.5
- Location
- New York
[So Male Peasant won. I've written up a Character Sheet for your viewing pleasure. I hope no one has any qualms with the name. I picked something common for the time and religious, with the surname being that of the town he is from. Que Crusading Tunes.]
You are Anselme, from the small town of Gaillac. Your father died when you were young, leaving your mother to struggle as a servant of the local mayor to earn enough to keep you and your younger siblings fed. This pilgrimage is your chance to make something of yourself, and potentially help your family if you are successful. Word has spread that Peter the Hermit is gathering the numbers of all the poor and destitute at Cologne to march together to Constantinople. Everyone has heard of the miracles he performs, and know that with his blessing, anything is possible, even dodging death itself in the service of our Lord. You must also consider that you have literally nothing. No money, no food, no weapons. There is another option, however. The Princes of the France are gathering their own forces, and will make their own pilgrimage separately in a few months. You could wait and prepare, maybe make some money for yourself and delay, but your position as a peasant among such noble knights would be much much poorer than on the Peasant's Crusade.
Your first choice will radically change the direction you take, and perhaps the direction of the Crusade itself.
[X] Join the Peasant's Crusade under Peter the Hermit. You must leave now, to meet with the other Pilgrims in Cologne before April.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings. Or you can just leave without doing this, you'll save time, and that may or may not be a boon...
[X] Wait and Join the Prince's Crusade. The local Prince joining the Crusade is Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse. He has a somewhat mixed reputation. Incredibly pious, but a harsh ruler. He is so pious, it is claimed he has said he wishes to die in the Holy Land. There may be benefits to joining the Princes, especially under the command of one so pious, and you would have time to prepare. However, this means the Peasant's Crusade would leave without you.
[X] Write-in. I greatly encourage creative write-ins, as long as they don't break the game. I greatly respect historical knowledge used to meta game, and even encourage it to get the best result possible, especially later on during the actual fighting. However, this initial choice is quite limited, and I don't really see how much could be changed. You obviously cannot go off on your own. You will die. Be creative if you wish. Surprise me.
Map of the Crusade Options and their Routes. Green is the People's Crusade, and Yellow is Raymond IV of the Prince's Crusade.
Chapter 1.5: Paupers and Princes
Map of Southern France, where this story begins. You are in the town of Gaillac, just west of Albi, the seat of the Vicomté.
Map of Southern France, where this story begins. You are in the town of Gaillac, just west of Albi, the seat of the Vicomté.
Anselme de Gaillac
Age: 20
Diplomacy: 4 (You've been known to sweet talk your way out of trouble and into the arms of a woman a few times. You're not that good at it though.)
Martial: 3 (You can defend yourself. No one ever said you were any good at it, though.)
Stewardship: 3 (You don't do well with money. It's why you're poor.)
Intrigue: 10 (Living the life of a pauper, you have become very crafty, and thus know how to get yourself into and out of trouble very well, much to your own benefit.)
Learning: 1 (You are Illiterate.)
Piety: 25 [You rolled a critical success here, and that will be noted] (You are one of the most pious of the Pilgrims. Surely this will be noticed by those higher up the echelon.)
Money: 0 fl
Traits:
Blessed by God: ???.
Pious: Your piety and strength of faith is noticed by others who share the same inclination, +5 Relations to Same Trait.
Items and Statuses:
Entourage:
Age: 20
Diplomacy: 4 (You've been known to sweet talk your way out of trouble and into the arms of a woman a few times. You're not that good at it though.)
Martial: 3 (You can defend yourself. No one ever said you were any good at it, though.)
Stewardship: 3 (You don't do well with money. It's why you're poor.)
Intrigue: 10 (Living the life of a pauper, you have become very crafty, and thus know how to get yourself into and out of trouble very well, much to your own benefit.)
Learning: 1 (You are Illiterate.)
Piety: 25 [You rolled a critical success here, and that will be noted] (You are one of the most pious of the Pilgrims. Surely this will be noticed by those higher up the echelon.)
Money: 0 fl
Traits:
Blessed by God: ???.
Pious: Your piety and strength of faith is noticed by others who share the same inclination, +5 Relations to Same Trait.
Items and Statuses:
Entourage:
You are Anselme, from the small town of Gaillac. Your father died when you were young, leaving your mother to struggle as a servant of the local mayor to earn enough to keep you and your younger siblings fed. This pilgrimage is your chance to make something of yourself, and potentially help your family if you are successful. Word has spread that Peter the Hermit is gathering the numbers of all the poor and destitute at Cologne to march together to Constantinople. Everyone has heard of the miracles he performs, and know that with his blessing, anything is possible, even dodging death itself in the service of our Lord. You must also consider that you have literally nothing. No money, no food, no weapons. There is another option, however. The Princes of the France are gathering their own forces, and will make their own pilgrimage separately in a few months. You could wait and prepare, maybe make some money for yourself and delay, but your position as a peasant among such noble knights would be much much poorer than on the Peasant's Crusade.
Your first choice will radically change the direction you take, and perhaps the direction of the Crusade itself.
[X] Join the Peasant's Crusade under Peter the Hermit. You must leave now, to meet with the other Pilgrims in Cologne before April.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings. Or you can just leave without doing this, you'll save time, and that may or may not be a boon...
[X] Wait and Join the Prince's Crusade. The local Prince joining the Crusade is Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse. He has a somewhat mixed reputation. Incredibly pious, but a harsh ruler. He is so pious, it is claimed he has said he wishes to die in the Holy Land. There may be benefits to joining the Princes, especially under the command of one so pious, and you would have time to prepare. However, this means the Peasant's Crusade would leave without you.
[X] Write-in. I greatly encourage creative write-ins, as long as they don't break the game. I greatly respect historical knowledge used to meta game, and even encourage it to get the best result possible, especially later on during the actual fighting. However, this initial choice is quite limited, and I don't really see how much could be changed. You obviously cannot go off on your own. You will die. Be creative if you wish. Surprise me.
Map of the Crusade Options and their Routes. Green is the People's Crusade, and Yellow is Raymond IV of the Prince's Crusade.
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- Location
- Illinois
[X] Join the Peasant's Crusade under Peter the Hermit. You must leave now, to meet with the other Pilgrims in Cologne before August.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings. Or you can just leave without doing this, you'll save time, and that may or may not be a boon...
--[X] While you wait for your mother to return home, make your intentions known to the people of Gaillac. Perhaps your strong faith can persuade a few townspeople to throw their lot in with you. A group would also be safer to travel to Cologne...
---[X] You have a 'high' intrigue and piety score, maybe we can use that to gather more supplies from priests, monks (learning teacher please), merchants and smiths, finding men who knows how to fight (either through our piety or intrigue), and maybe persuade the local bandits to change their ways and to join the crusade with us.
Dat piety though.
We are more likely to be able to have an influence among devout peasants, as compared to nobles. We might also be able to keep the Jewish massacres down.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings. Or you can just leave without doing this, you'll save time, and that may or may not be a boon...
--[X] While you wait for your mother to return home, make your intentions known to the people of Gaillac. Perhaps your strong faith can persuade a few townspeople to throw their lot in with you. A group would also be safer to travel to Cologne...
---[X] You have a 'high' intrigue and piety score, maybe we can use that to gather more supplies from priests, monks (learning teacher please), merchants and smiths, finding men who knows how to fight (either through our piety or intrigue), and maybe persuade the local bandits to change their ways and to join the crusade with us.
Dat piety though.
We are more likely to be able to have an influence among devout peasants, as compared to nobles. We might also be able to keep the Jewish massacres down.
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- Location
- .
[X] Join the Peasant's Crusade under Peter the Hermit. You must leave now, to meet with the other Pilgrims in Cologne before August.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings. Or you can just leave without doing this, you'll save time, and that may or may not be a boon...
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings. Or you can just leave without doing this, you'll save time, and that may or may not be a boon...
- Location
- New York
Someone's done their homework. Keep that in mind down the road if this choice wins out.
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
[X] Join the Peasant's Crusade under Peter the Hermit. You must leave now, to meet with the other Pilgrims in Cologne before August.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings.
Seems legit.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings.
Seems legit.
- Location
- USA
[X] Wait and Join the Prince's Crusade. The local Prince joining the Crusade isRaymond IV, Count of Toulouse. He has a somewhat mixed reputation. Incredibly pious, but a harsh ruler. He is so pious, it is claimed he has said he wishes to die in the Holy Land. There may be benefits to joining the Princes, especially under the command of one so pious, and you would have time to prepare. However, this means the Peasant's Crusade would leave without you.
According to the peasant choice, we are trying to claw our way up the social ladder, I don't see anything in the peasant crusade that will help us there.
It provides us with no connections, it has nobody to teach us anything useful, it will not provide us with any armaments, and as far as opportunities go, i don't really see any.
Meanwhile the other guy? I bet he would arm us, we might impress someone in his retinue with our max rolled piety combined with our blessed by god trait (would likely make us a good battle priest since priestly magic based on piety is a thing!), we might get proper training on how to fight, and whether he dies or conquers we would have opportunities galore (he can die if that is what he wants, so long as we survive).
According to the peasant choice, we are trying to claw our way up the social ladder, I don't see anything in the peasant crusade that will help us there.
It provides us with no connections, it has nobody to teach us anything useful, it will not provide us with any armaments, and as far as opportunities go, i don't really see any.
Meanwhile the other guy? I bet he would arm us, we might impress someone in his retinue with our max rolled piety combined with our blessed by god trait (would likely make us a good battle priest since priestly magic based on piety is a thing!), we might get proper training on how to fight, and whether he dies or conquers we would have opportunities galore (he can die if that is what he wants, so long as we survive).
IC we have no reason to think that this is going to be an issue. And I don't see how this is really our concern anyways
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- Location
- Illinois
How much time would we save if we didn't say goodbye? I can't imagine it would take more than 2-3 days. I guess if we get there super early, we might find it easier to get a leadership position, but I don't think its worth not saying goodbye to our loved ones, not when we will probably never see them again, even if this is a wild success.
For the Peasants, there is a good chance we can take charge of a low-mid level segment right away if we play our cards right, and get some influence on Peter with our piety. If we can impress Peter, and get people to follow us, we can do a lot more than we could with the nobles. It's riskier to do the peasants, but we can get much greater rewards. Honestly, our piety probably would have a greater effect on the peasants than even a devout noble, because the peasants would see as one of their own, while to a noble, we will always be an upjumped peasant.
On the nature of God, and possible miracles, is God the Abrahamic God, or is he the Christain God?
The nobles won't ever allow us to reach the highest ranks, so we'd at most reach a mid-level commander, unless we get God's direct blessing in a way that makes it indisputable that we should be put in charge.
For the Peasants, there is a good chance we can take charge of a low-mid level segment right away if we play our cards right, and get some influence on Peter with our piety. If we can impress Peter, and get people to follow us, we can do a lot more than we could with the nobles. It's riskier to do the peasants, but we can get much greater rewards. Honestly, our piety probably would have a greater effect on the peasants than even a devout noble, because the peasants would see as one of their own, while to a noble, we will always be an upjumped peasant.
On the nature of God, and possible miracles, is God the Abrahamic God, or is he the Christain God?
The killing of the jews on the way there kind of sets the tone for the crusade, and letting our crusade run around killing people for no reason will not get them to listen to orders. Orders like 'don't attack the turks unarmed.'
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- Location
- France
[X] Join the Peasant's Crusade under Peter the Hermit. You must leave now, to meet with the other Pilgrims in Cologne before August.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings. Or you can just leave without doing this, you'll save time, and that may or may not be a boon...
I wonder if we can get an axe before going, maybe ask around and see if some pious folk would give us a weapon.
-[X] Say goodbye to your family. This wouldn't take much time, and there is nothing material to gain here, only the love from your mother and siblings. Or you can just leave without doing this, you'll save time, and that may or may not be a boon...
I wonder if we can get an axe before going, maybe ask around and see if some pious folk would give us a weapon.
- Location
- New York
You'd save a few hours at best by taking the time to say goodbye, as you'd have to wait for your mother to finish her work for the day. You may or may not miss out on any opportunities.
On the nature of god, if you've ever read American Gods by Neil Gaiman, we're going in the vein that a deity gains its strength from the amount of people who worship him.
-The Abrahamic God has an incredibly small amount of followers, and a great many of those are not pious as they have to live in secrecy in some regions.
-The Christian God has the most ardent and pious followers, and the Crusade will bring a surge to his worshipers and their piety, and thus to his strength. It is from the strength of a deity that your Piety's worth is determined when magic is considered.
-The Mohammedian God has just as many ardent and pious followers but has no magic, as it is completely outlawed, and they persecute all forms of sorcery and those who wield it. However, in Anatolia and the Levant, where Seljuk rule is weakest, no religion is dominant, and Magi hide in plain sight. Mesopotamia, the heart of the Abbasid Caliphate, is completely devoid of Magi, while Persia has some remnants of Turkish Magi, but they are of the old ways and are hidden from the increasingly Islamic polity. Egypt, being Shia, wasn't really as fervent in its persecution. In addition to this, with the recent Civil War in twenty years ago leaving the Fatimid Caliphate weak, some Magi have flocked there to take advantage of the situation and set up a Pro-Magic regime, with one even becoming Grand Vizier.
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- Location
- Illinois
Wow, the Christians have a pretty big advantage in this Crusade then. Well, as long as they can get a Saint to appear, that is. If we can get a hold of some magic, the Peasants Crusade might actually not go that bad, and with our high piety, we might be able to become a Saint ourself. And we have a decent intrigue score too, so even if some of the Magi do appear, we might be able to turn their own people against them.
Last question, for our stats, were they meant to be as low as they are, or was that just bad luck?
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