[img=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/1581_Bunting_clover_leaf_map.jpg]

[quote][center][i]"When the siege had been set up, some of the leaders of the army met a hermit on the Mount of Olives, who said to them, “If you attack the city tomorrow till the ninth hour, the Lord will deliver it into your hands.” They replied, “But we do not have the necessary machinery for storming the walls.”

The hermit said, “God is all powerful. If he wills, we will storm the walls even with one ladder. The Lord aids those who labor for the truth.” So, with whatever machinery they could construct during the night, they attacked the city in the early morning, and it lasted till the third hour. The Saracens were forced to retreat behind the inner walls when our men broke down the outer wall, and some even climbed the inner walls. But when the city was about to be captured, in the confusion of desire and fear the attack was interrupted, and many of our men were killed. The following day no attack was attempted.
[/i][/center][/quote]

The holy city of Jerusalem has come under siege by the crusading [i]Franj[/i] armies; before it have fallen Nicaea, Antioch, and Edessa. Jerusalem herself is damaged, having fallen to the Fatimid Dynasty one year prior; the Egyptian rulers felt that they could defend the city of roughly 20,000 souls better than the Turks. To prove it, they captured the city and installed their own garrison. After securing the holy city, Egypt extended an offer of peace to the invading armies. They were rebuffed; no amount of political maneuvering would deter them from seizing Jerusalem.

Unable or unwilling to install a permanent army at a time when the crusading armies, however, the city only held 3,000 fighting men by the time the the combined armies of Godfrey of Bouillon and Raymond of Toulouse arrived. They had met with relatively little resistance and made good time, as few of the local leaders were loyal to their Fatimid overlords. Many in fact offered their help. So Egypt was left scrambling to mass a relief force to break the siege.

The crusading army was, however, rather deteriorated by the time it reached Jerusalem. Only 13,000 men had survived the war thus far, and they had used up the gross majority of their supplies. They would not be able to outlast Jerusalem; the Fatimids had prepared for their coming by poisoning or destroying each source of water for miles around the city and expelling the christian populace. They had no choice but to attempt to breach the walls. A frontal assault was attempted on June 13th, but it was turned back by the garrison. The final assault would not occur until one month later on July 13th. 
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[b][u]The Rules:[/b][/u]
[*]There is required post length; brevity is after all a key creative skill and I would rather read four lines of poetry than fifteen lines of clinical description! Just be sure your reply adds something to the story and moves it along in some way.[/*] 
[*]Uh, you know, all the standard 'Don't be a d-bag' rules. And all the forum's rules too.[/*]
[*]Try to keep your characters and actions era and region-appropriate! You're going to need a good justification for having a katana, and that glock isn't going to go over very well![/*]
[*]As an addendum to the above: This IS a fantasy world and realism need not always apply. A whole plethora of new elements are being introduced with that and you're more than welcome to create and innovate! What if there were actually sorcerers? What if dragons lived in Jerusalem? How would that affect daily life and tradition? [/*]
[*]We will be starting the game inside Jerusalem. You may play anybody or anything that could conceivably be in the city! Within reason. You know what, last time I said that it came back to bite me, so I reserve the right to request modifications.[/*]
[*]A note on religion: By its very nature, there is likely to be heavy Christian-Moslem tension. Know this going in. There's a whole lot of zealots floating about at this time period! I ask that folks take this with a grain of salt and refrain from being offended when your favorite patrons are insulted. It wouldn't be a holy war without a dash of piety and intolerance.[/*]

[b][u]Creating Your Character[/b][/u]
[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/7841/posts/ooc?page=1#post-144504]A helpful guide by Doctor Belasco[/url]
Give it a read, if you haven't already! Even if you already know how to make a character, which I'm sure most of us do by now, it's good stuff! 
[hider= Character Template]
Name: 
Age:
Sex:
Race: There are a lot of different kinds of human. But this field is here because you don't have to be human. Marduk's a dragon, after all.
Personality:
Appearance: Description required, picture optional.
Skills: Singing? Dancing? Disembowling Infidels in a stylish yet menacing manner?
Equipment: If applicable, you can detail your kit at the start of the RP. 
Background & History:
[/hider]

[b][i]This RP is currently closed to newcomers. Feel free to express interest and I will drop you a line if space opens up. As for those of you who weighed in on the interest check, I'll need your character sheets before we can move ahead.[/b][/i]