Crusades: Difference between revisions

= In Sarpedon (1084–1314) =

==First Crusade (1084)==

{{wp|Pope Gregory VII}} first preached the Reconquest of Sarpedon's lost lands in 1084 as a "Christian emergency." One of the first to answer the call of arms was the [[Emperor of the Levantines]], Carles II. His recruiting and campaigning efforts resulted in his canonization and veneration as a Catholic saint in 1297. The initial Crusades included large scale campaigns on Sarpedon's mainland which were largely unsuccessful but victorious in taking the [[Odouneru Ocean]] and [[Sea of Istroya]] islands which connected the Caliphate to its possessions and dependencies in [[Sarpedon]]. Some of the lands taken during the first [[Crusade]] included [[Halfway]], [[Herciana]], and parts of modern [[Thessia]], though Caliphal armies were undefeated in the field and these lands were largely possessions of independent adventurers and were Caliphal tributaries. Several Crusader states were established in these lands, most prominently the [[Principality of Halfway]]. Despite being inherited by [[House de Weluta]] of [[Urcea ]]in 1474, the Principality was mostly left to govern its own affairs until it was folded into the [[Kingdom of Crotona]] in 1660. Existing for nearly half a millennia, the Principality's legacy survives through today; the title of the heir to the Apostolic King of Urcea is ''Prince of Halfway'', indicating the high esteem placed on the long lasting Crusader state.

==Second Crusade (1113)==

The Second Crusade saw the [[Melian Islands]] attacked by the Crusaders, but the offensive bogged down in a long siege that was ultimately unsuccessful. Some minor islands in the [[Sea of Istroya]] were taken by the Crusaders, but its overall mission of cutting the [[Audonia]]-[[Sarpedon]] connection failed. It was the last time the Caliphate was able to launch a major campaign using Audonian resources in [[Sarpedon]].

==Third Crusade (1144)==

The Third Crusade (1144) had significant and long-lasting effects on the balance of power between Sarpedon and Audonia. The Crusaders managed to capture the [[Melian Islands]] and supported an uprising of the [[Qustanti Islam|Qustanti Muslims]] living in the southern islands, and their alliance completely severed the connection between the emirs of Sarpedon and the [[Oduniyyad_Caliphate#Western_Division|western Caliph]] to whom they owed allegiance. The Third Crusade began the era of the independent emirates, a situation which would become ''de jure'' with the destruction of the western Caliphate in 1153. On mainland Sarpedon, Islamic control was pushed back roughly to the modern eastern border of [[Caphiria]].

==Fourth Crusade (1180)==

The Fourth Crusade made significant gains on mainland Sarpedon against the emirs and, critically, conquered all of the remaining islands in the [[Sea of Istroya]], completely removing the Caliphate's influence in [[Sarpedon]].

= In Audonia (1167–1428) - Retcon?=