Magnolia

Apostolic Kingdom of Magnolia
1099–1278
Flag of Magnolia Flag
Status	Crusader State
Religion	Catholicism
Demonym(s)	Magnolian
Government	[1]
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Founding of Istroîon	1099
• Disestablished	1278

The Apostolic Kingdom of Magnolia was a crusader kingdom that was located at eastern Ixnay, originally having only the city of Jarfalla under it's military control later expanding under its civil feudal administration unto the cataracts of Aerden to the Pallorian Fields.

History

The First Campaign

Led by the Azikorian Prince Kerlés the Hermit and co-leader Arcélas the the Warrior-Priest sailing with 60 ships on "pilgramige" to the Holy Lands starting from January of 1098 despite the protests of his father that the winter storms might destroy their ships due to the yearly storms. At spring, attacked the Krosoa Isles putting to the swords many people as the islands were infested with pirates and slavers while acquiring supplies mainly food for the trip north.

Less than a month later a storm forced the expidition to stop near Font, where to local lord refused to help as the area had been afflicted by drought, famine, and disease for many years. Nevertheless the men overwhelming the local garrison alongside disgruntled peasants claiming it was their Christian duty to help the pilgrims many envisioned the crusade as an escape from their serf hardships. Arcélas had managed to convince many locals should join them after the conquest of the Holy Lands as it was necessary to repopulate them with "God's Chosen". Following that incident there isn't much chronicled information for the crusaders except a great storm destroying a two dozen ships from the fleet somewhere between Caphivaria and Urcea.

The crusaders arrived at Jarfalla during the first half of 1099, their objective was to capture the "Gateway of the Arabs" from Sheikh Abbas al Hakim ibn Qarzia who recently captured the city from it's previous Shiite ruler Altaïr al-Canaan who had been campaign against Slavic and Bergendii raiders when Abbas decided to make a move against the "dissident traitor". Altaïr was very popular amongst his subjects, a son of a Arabized Jewish merchant who converted to Shia Islam at a young age; renown for his martial prowess and being a just ruler amongst his people asking for the subordination regardless of religion(a very libertarian point-of-view at the time). 3 days before the arrival of the crusaders, Arcélas had seen a vision the leader of the defenders leaving the city 'naked' atop a donkey routing from the fight while the crusaders claiming a difficult victory, after hearing this vision the morale of the warriors was lifted all-time high. After the initial storming of the beaches without any resistance on the outskirts of the city, the crusaders immediately stripped their ships for timber that would be used to make siege engines.

Abbas had underestimated the strength of the crusader invaders calling them "a mere peasant rubble that will soon fall to the sword of Islam; for the Prophet wills it".