Story


Crusaders and Kings

Crusader knights – they might be penniless mercenaries or proud princes, ruthless warriors or visionaries, but our heroes have one thing in common: their resolution and pledge to reach Jerusalem. The game offers five notable personalities as possible viewpoint characters, from the great nations of medieval Europe, each of them with a different background, level of wealth, fighting skills, goals and dreams.

At the beginning of the game players choose one of these crusader knights, sending him into the bloody battles and the mazes of political intrigue, while watching over the fate of their chosen hero as he gains fame and faith, important ranks and fiefdoms, influence and power.

Godfrey of Toulouse

Godfrey is a young aristocrat from the royal family that rules over the Kingdom of France. He represents the French nobility, thus he benefits from his royal background, leading strong and well-equipped soldiers into battles. His real asset is his army. He is a proud, valiant but somewhat overconfident knight who has perfect relations with the various warring fractions of the crusader army.

Lothar of Aachen

Lothar was born into of a wealthy family of Lotharingia, but as a second son he had no real future at home. Neither the possibility to join a monastery nor servitude in his drunkard brother's household appealed to him. Now, as there is no official faction for the Holy Roman Empire in the army, he sets out on his own with a large fortune acquired from his bother to gain new lands for himself in the Holy Land. He is a crusader with a keen eye on politics and also a man of cautious tactics who commands well-trained and faithful soldiers.

Pedro Luis Cativiela

When King Alfonso of Castille slowly reclaimed the north of Spain, Pedro Luis was still a child, so he grew up in a peaceful Toledo. But hearing the tales of the long reconquista in the south, the constant clashes and battles between the Muslim Almoravids and the Christian armies who were trying to take back the Iberian peninsula, he became an idealistic young man – who has just decided to join the armies of Provence. He truly believes in the pious idea of liberating the Holy Land, he is a fervent admirer of the Church and his Faith is legendary among his fellow crusaders.

Roger of Hastings

When William the Conqueror defeated the Saxons at Hastings, the ancestors of Roger were there, fighting for their king. He, on the other hand, became a ruthless, truly medieval mercenary, who had left his family in England trying to carve out fiefdoms for themselves. Although he is fighting under the banners of Normandy, he is more like a mercenary knight with a tattered band of crusaders who all hope to find fame and fortune in the Holy Land. He has a bad reputation in the crusader army.

Roberto of Naples

When the Normans moved into Southern Italy, they founded their own kingdom there. Roberto's name was a gift from his Lombard mother, his ferocity is inherited from his Norman father and his only purpose here is something that those priests were not preaching so openly.... And when Roberto joins the crusades, he was only doing what his Viking ancestors of Sicily did so well: trying to conquer new lands with the steel of his sword and the Relics from his family.

Factions

The crusader army is divided. The rivalry between the different nationalities is going to be a key factor throughout the whole campaign. The various power groups of the army are called Factions, each with a strong nation in charge. Players should be careful which faction they prefer, as they forge ties with one nation they slowly exclude; however, a faithful ally will get precious rewards like money, units or other benefits.