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Description

1230: With the success of the Fifth Crusade in establishing a Crusader foothold in the Nile River Valley, the Latin Kingdom of Egypt is on the warpath. While some at court wish to make for the Red Sea and threaten the Muslim holy cities, Christendom's primary objective is, of course, Jerusalem. With trade initiated by Genoese shipping, Egypt looks poised to resume its status as the breadbasket of the former Roman Empire.

The Duchy of Goshen, in Biblical times, was the land given to the Hebrews during their sojourn in Egypt, and from which they set out to conquer the Promised Land, justifying its secondary importance in Latin Egypt. Fittingly, it is from Goshen that the final march on Jerusalem is planned to begin.

The County of Faiyum, centered on Lake Moeris, bears the brunt of Ayyubid attacks on the Crusader states of Egypt, being the southernmost among them. Its close proximity to the heathen has made the County's territorial aspirations of paramount importance. The other Latin statelets are certainly free to pine for Jerusalem if they wish; without control of Upper Egypt, Crusader rule in the Nile River Valley will be fleeting.

The Legation of Damietta was forged by the will of the Papal Legate, Pelagio Galvani. With his (surprisingly) adept military leadership during the Fifth Crusade, public opinion of the Papacy soared, and so it seemed natural that the Holy See should guide future crusades directly, via a permanent presence in the East. Selected by the Pope in Rome, the Legate of Damietta controls the port city of the same name; which, located on the mouth of the Nile, controls access to the River itself.

The Coptic Republic of Alexandria is a curious case. Having freely offered the city to the Crusaders, the new rulers of Lower Egypt granted them a great deal of autonomy (in exchange for the installation of a Latin Patriarch). Still, the locals are under no illusions: the massacre of the Copts in Bilbeis in 1168 serves as a stark reminder of the Franks' capriciousness. Other non-Chalcedonians - the Armenians in Cilicia and the Nubians in Makuria - present better alternatives, but are more disparate. Ruled by a council of elected officials, power is de facto wielded by the Three Patriarchs: Latin, Greek, and Oriental.

EDIT: TiltschMaster has done a fantastic set of heraldry for this TL; take a look-see: tiltschmaster.deviantart.com/a…

Description

1230: With the success of the Fifth Crusade in establishing a Crusader foothold in the Nile River Valley, the Latin Kingdom of Egypt is on the warpath. While some at court wish to make for the Red Sea and threaten the Muslim holy cities, Christendom's primary objective is, of course, Jerusalem. With trade initiated by Genoese shipping, Egypt looks poised to resume its status as the breadbasket of the former Roman Empire.

The Duchy of Goshen, in Biblical times, was the land given to the Hebrews during their sojourn in Egypt, and from which they set out to conquer the Promised Land, justifying its secondary importance in Latin Egypt. Fittingly, it is from Goshen that the final march on Jerusalem is planned to begin.

The County of Faiyum, centered on Lake Moeris, bears the brunt of Ayyubid attacks on the Crusader states of Egypt, being the southernmost among them. Its close proximity to the heathen has made the County's territorial aspirations of paramount importance. The other Latin statelets are certainly free to pine for Jerusalem if they wish; without control of Upper Egypt, Crusader rule in the Nile River Valley will be fleeting.

The Legation of Damietta was forged by the will of the Papal Legate, Pelagio Galvani. With his (surprisingly) adept military leadership during the Fifth Crusade, public opinion of the Papacy soared, and so it seemed natural that the Holy See should guide future crusades directly, via a permanent presence in the East. Selected by the Pope in Rome, the Legate of Damietta controls the port city of the same name; which, located on the mouth of the Nile, controls access to the River itself.

The Coptic Republic of Alexandria is a curious case. Having freely offered the city to the Crusaders, the new rulers of Lower Egypt granted them a great deal of autonomy (in exchange for the installation of a Latin Patriarch). Still, the locals are under no illusions: the massacre of the Copts in Bilbeis in 1168 serves as a stark reminder of the Franks' capriciousness. Other non-Chalcedonians - the Armenians in Cilicia and the Nubians in Makuria - present better alternatives, but are more disparate. Ruled by a council of elected officials, power is de facto wielded by the Three Patriarchs: Latin, Greek, and Oriental.

EDIT: TiltschMaster has done a fantastic set of heraldry for this TL; take a look-see: tiltschmaster.deviantart.com/a…