Crusaders

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Crusaders (十字军)
Affiliation	Christian military forces and pilgrim contingents operating in the Holy Land and surrounding regions
Occupation/Role	Religious expeditionary armies; conquerors, garrison forces, and siege forces
Status	Active
First Appearance	The Pope's call for a new holy war is relayed to Lothar 2

Background

The Crusaders are Christian warriors, pilgrims, nobles, and military orders who travel to the Holy Land to fight the Saracens. Their public cause is the defense or recovery of Christian territory, especially Jerusalem, and the remission of sins through warfare against “infidels.” 2 114

Their motives are not purely religious. Lothar explicitly recognizes that many Crusaders seek land, titles, wealth, and merit through conquest, regarding the campaign as little different from banditry when stripped of its rhetoric. 6 Poorer pilgrims, former mercenaries, highwaymen, and dispossessed knights are especially drawn by both salvation and the chance to seize spoils or establish themselves in the East. 467

Composition & Organization

Major contingents

Contingent	Composition and role
Knightly Orders	The Knights Hospitaller, Knights Templar, Teutonic Knights, and Saint Lazarus Order provide disciplined, well-equipped knights and armored soldiers. 467 702
Noble retinues	European lords bring their own knights, squires, soldiers, and retainers; these groups often retain loyalty to their individual patrons rather than a unified command. 60 556
Pilgrim Crusaders	Includes wandering knights, minor nobles, and armed pilgrims arriving from Europe in search of salvation, glory, or advancement. 467
Poor Crusades	More than 8,000 fighters with varied backgrounds, including former mercenaries and bandits seeking redemption or profit. 467
Local forces	Town militias, converted locals, Coptic troops, and garrison soldiers supplement the Crusader host in occupied territories. 219 702

Command and hierarchy

• Crusader forces can be gathered under kings, princes, powerful nobles, or leaders of military orders rather than a permanent unified command. 60 583
• Lothar introduces ranks including Grand Knight and Knight Commander within the Royal Knightly Order to assign military responsibilities without relying solely on feudal rewards. 109
• During major campaigns, Lothar's central force includes Teutonic and Saint Lazarus infantry, the Varangian Guard, veteran troops, militia, and ranged units positioned between armored formations. 702
• Crusader unity is fragile: Germanic contingents resent Gallic nobles over unequal supplies, mounts, and hazardous assignments. 879 880

Arms, Armor & Tactics

Knightly warfare

Crusader knights are regarded as among the era's strongest heavy cavalry when fighting in equal numbers. Their armor, warhorses, lances, shields, and close-combat weapons make them decisive against poorly organized opponents. 41 430

• Heavy cavalry is primarily used against enemy cavalry rather than frontal assaults on prepared infantry. 114
• Skilled knights may withdraw after a successful kill and charge again; less capable knights often lose their lance or die in their first clash. 430
• Plate armor provides a major survival advantage, while poorer knights commonly rely on inferior mounts, squires, and equipment. 219 272
• Winged Hussars wield long hollow lances and gain exceptional mobility from their swallowtail banners, though their lances tend to break on impact. 114 430

Infantry and defensive warfare

Crusader infantry commonly fights in dense shield-and-spear formations, directed by dismounted armored knights carrying axes or poleaxes. 114

• Shield use reduces losses from enemy missile fire, including among inexperienced pilgrim recruits. 114
• During a prolonged standoff, Crusaders dismantle baggage carts to create arrow guards and adopt a defensive formation against Saracen pressure. 116
• Wagon forts, crossbows, archers, ballistae, giant stones, and siege engines are used to resist cavalry and assault fortified cities. 422 558 565
• Specialized anti-dragon ballistae and dragon-hunting crossbows are deployed when facing draconic enemies. 410 428

Discipline

Lothar's personal forces are notably more disciplined than many independent Crusader contingents. They train, maintain camp security, and preserve combat readiness after victories, while other Crusaders often squander plunder, drink heavily, and resist their lords' attempts at discipline. 556

Faith, Symbols & Morale

Crusader armies display a mixture of personal heraldry, noble banners, and cross-bearing military standards. Monastic orders are comparatively uniform in their use of cross banners. 411

• Clergy of Latin, Orthodox, Coptic, and Armenian traditions conduct prayers within Crusader camps. 700
• The True Cross is carried in procession to inspire soldiers before battle. 411
• Warrior monks use iron crosses and scripture recitation to bolster courage among the ranks. 114
• Crusader morale can rise sharply through religious fervor, prominent leaders, and victories, but it also falters under heat, inadequate equipment, inexperience, prolonged standoffs, and fear of supernatural threats. 114 116 410

Story Role / Major Campaigns

Jerusalem and the defense against Saladin

Lothar joins the Crusader cause as part of his family duty after the Pope calls for a new holy war. 2 Later, Crusader armies marching north from Jerusalem exceed 30,000 members, though the force includes a sharp divide between elite knights and poorly equipped pilgrims. 74

Under Baldwin IV, the Crusaders march to relieve Kalerburg and confront Saladin's army. Lothar commands armored cavalry, uses his force to crush enemy light cavalry, and avoids wasteful charges into prepared infantry. 112 114

Teutonic expansion and regional wars

As Count of the Teutonic Knights, Lothar leads Crusader knights in a charge that devastates Greek infantry during Turiados's failed attack on the Crusader camp. 278

The Crusaders later conduct campaigns across the Levant and Egypt, incorporating military orders, lordly troops, pilgrims, and local auxiliaries into increasingly large expeditionary forces. 467

Egyptian Crusade

Lothar rallies nobles and princes for a new Crusade aimed at Egypt, drawing support through his victories, charisma, promises of wealth, and reputation for miracles. 453

The Crusaders capture Farmai Castle despite heavy casualties, then continue through Egypt, taking Damietta and later besieging Semannud with trebuchets and magically deployed siege weapons. 480 546 565 Lothar's troops breach Semannud's defenses and storm the city, while his main army is described as maintaining stronger discipline than many allied Crusaders. 569

In the decisive conflict against Saladin's forces, Crusader elites overpower the Qasari Guard and Saracen formations despite the enemy's numerical advantage. 709 After Lothar defeats Shemiel and returns from death, the soldiers begin proclaiming him the Crusader King and march toward Alexandria. 716

Kingdom-building and later campaigns

Following the Egyptian victory, Lothar is crowned king and receives training camps for the Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller, and Teutonic Knights, formalizing his ability to raise order-based forces. 718

Crusader factions later become divided after the failed siege of Constantinople, with some nobles advocating resistance to Lothar while others favor submission. 849 Lothar redirects them toward campaigns in Asia Minor or East Africa, restoring their enthusiasm with promises of wealth and glory. 850

The Crusaders subsequently field nearly 40,000 warriors outside Damascus and continue their advance into Sasanian territory, swiftly taking Rahba before marching on Hadiseh under Jeanne's command. 890 945

Relationships

• Lothar — Major commander and political leader; reforms knightly ranks, rallies new Crusades, disciplines his own army, and becomes known as the Crusader King. 109 453 716
• Baldwin IV — King of Jerusalem who leads Crusader forces toward Kalerburg and entrusts major battlefield responsibilities to Lothar. 112 116
• Richard I — European Crusader king and rival commander; his forces later fight beside Lothar's army, though the two clash over prisoners, spoils, and authority. 557 562
• Knights Hospitaller — Major military order with a powerful Holy Land fleet and a 2,000-man contingent in the Egyptian campaign. 30 467
• Knights Templar — Major military order that contributes knights, honorary knights, light cavalry, and soldiers to the Egyptian expedition. 467
• Saracens — Principal military opponents throughout the Holy Land, Egyptian, Syrian, and Sasanian campaigns. 114 709 945

Notable Quotes

“We fight the infidels, and for every one we kill, our sins are absolved, and we ascend the ladder to the heavenly kingdom.” 114

“Brothers, we fight for God, but we also fight for ourselves!” 550

Trivia

• Crusader banners may bear crosses, lions, eagles, wolves, bears, dragons, bulls, or other personal heraldic emblems, in contrast to the more geometric and flame-based Saracen standards. 161 469
• Some European Crusaders arrive without horses due to the expense and difficulty of transporting mounts to the Holy Land, forcing many knights and squires to fight on foot. 557
• A monument erected in Damascus records the Crusaders' individual merits and demerits after their victory. 903