// THE PREMISE
What this world is
This historical-fiction Levant draws on the conflicts of the early twelfth century, without magic. The Principality of Antioch is run by Norman lords who are nobody's vassals. The County of Edessa is too far east and too thin to be properly defended. The Fatimid garrison at al-Quds holds the holiest road. The Byzantines watch from Cilicia and pretend they are not waiting. The Genoese sail under flags that mean different things in different harbours.
You start as anyone. A Catholic pilgrim who has just stepped off the boat. A Genoese merchant who knows three languages and which one to use. A Byzantine mercenary whose pay is months late. An Ascalonite trader whose family runs the cousins who run the docks. You arrive into a Levant that is not waiting for you.
The empire controls the main hubs. The mountains are full of old Crusader remnants and hidden sanctuaries. The Pilgrim's Road carries travelers between places where faith, trade, and power meet. The Princes' Council holds court in Antioch and the court is divided. The Legatine Council answers to Rome and not always quickly.
This is a historical sandbox. There is no magic. There are only roads, ledgers, faiths, oaths, and the people who keep them.
// PLAY PROFILE
What this world plays like
Begin with the reason your character is on the road. A newly arrived pilgrim needs guidance; a merchant needs a route and trustworthy partners; a mercenary needs to decide whose promises are worth taking as pay.
You could seek work in Antakya, approach the Genoese factors, or travel toward Edessa. Letters of credit, customs, and competing courts give ordinary journeys room for negotiation and difficult loyalties.
Possible longer stories include a cargo route, a hostage exchange, or a place in the Princes' Council's divided world. Pick a destination and a reason to reach it, then decide which obligations you are prepared to carry along the way.
// FACTIONS IN MOTION
Principal factions
The high command of the First Crusade, a fractious council of the most powerful Frankish and Norman nobles. Publicly united by their vow to free the Holy Sepulchre, they are privately driven by deep-seated rivalries for prestige, land, and ultimate leadership of the expedition.
The hardened warriors and loyal retainers of Bohemond of Taranto. Having captured the great city of Antioch through cunning and bloodshed, they now prioritize consolidating their new principality over continuing the march to Jerusalem, defying their oaths to the Byzantine Emperor and the authority of the other Crusader princes.
The spiritual heart of the Crusade, representing the authority of Pope Urban II. Led by the Papal Legate, their purpose is to maintain the army's piety, mediate the princes' endless disputes, and ensure the expedition remains a holy pilgrimage, not a war of conquest. They hold immense moral authority, especially over the common soldiers.
A powerful fleet of warships and transports from the Republic of Genoa, driven by commerce rather than faith. They provide essential siege engineers, supplies, and naval blockades for the Crusaders in exchange for lucrative trade monopolies in any captured ports. Their captains are known to trade with anyone, even the Fatimids, if the price is right.
The professional army of the Fatimid Caliphate tasked with defending the holy city of Jerusalem, known to them as al-Quds. A well-equipped and diverse force of Arab and Sudanese soldiers under a determined governor, they command the city's formidable walls and are prepared to fight to the death to repel the Frankish invaders.
A clandestine network of Isma'ili devotees, known to their enemies as the Assassins. Operating in secret cells within the cities of Syria, they use infiltration and targeted murder to eliminate political figures, both Crusader and rival Muslim, who threaten their secretive agenda. Their existence is a whisper, their motives a mystery to outsiders.
// SITES OF RECORD
Places that matter
The first Crusader State, centered on the ancient city of Edessa east of the Euphrates. It is a dry, rolling landscape dotted with castles and Armenian monasteries. The Frankish ruling class is a tiny minority, relying on alliances with local Armenian nobles to survive.
The name given to the hazardous stretch of land between Antioch and the Fatimid-controlled coast, encompassing the Ghab valley and the northern Lebanese mountains. It is not a state, but a contested corridor of ruined villages, ambush-ready canyons, and desperate travelers.
The rich, fertile coastline from the port of Acre south to the fortress of Ascalon, the gateway to Egypt. This is the heart of Fatimid power in the Levant, dotted with wealthy cities, olive groves, and sugar cane fields, all heavily garrisoned by the professional Egyptian army.
The southern coast of Anatolia, a rugged land of mountains and small ports. It is technically Byzantine territory, governed by their Armenian vassals. It serves as the primary entry point and staging area for the Crusader armies arriving from Constantinople.
The ancient city of Antioch, a titanic fortress ringed by mountains and the Orontes river, has just fallen to the Crusaders after a grueling siege. The new Principality is an island of Latin rule in a sea of Seljuk territory, its streets filled with starving Frankish soldiers and a deeply resentful Greek and Syrian populace.
// STORY PASSAGE
A passage from the published profile
The customs man at the Antioch gate sets the seal down without breaking it.
"You came in last week," he says. "On the Genoese boat. With the wool."
You did. You hoped he had not noticed. He noticed.
He does not break the seal. He does not ask for a coin. He folds the paper and hands it back. He moves on to the next person in line.
Selected story passage. Your choices can lead elsewhere.
BEFORE YOU ENTER
Choose a first decision
Start with a person you want to meet, a place you want to see, or a problem you want to understand. You make choices through written actions and read the Narrator's response. The people and places above introduce this world; they do not promise a fixed sequence of scenes.
Completed turns save to your account. Review the latest scene and the relevant in-game information when returning. Check current access and Spark allowances before a longer session, and use the player guide for help with saves, artwork, possessions, and other supported features.
Profile updated .
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