[OOC] I, Arabicus: A story of Rome and the rise of Islam

[Dinh AaronMk]

As a passing note: it's not like I have nothing to write or am lazy. It's simply that I want some other party(ies) to post first before I work on IC. Because as it stands the two beginning story threads I got rely in some-way on those to happen. Particularly, I don't want to set a post (or part of one) at night when there are things going on in the day.

Of course, I could always make the claim that the night-post isn't necessarily in sync with everything and could actually be shortly before everything. But I'm a stickler pitch.

[Kho]

I'll post soon. Been busy with two other RPs which have been extremely busy, and RL is a bit hectic (feeling utterly knackered as I write this)
My post will be up later today if I'm feeling rejuvenated or tomorrow at the latest

[Kho]

Hmm, according to this source the city of Al-Jabiya was only 80 km south of Damascus.

Much further into the Levant than I expected. But it makes sense when I look at the map of current Rashidun holdings. Anyway, currently working on that post :)

Also, looked up the month of Mihr, and apparently that falls during September/October on the Gregorian calendar, meaning RP time, if we follow that date, would be rather late in 634 AD.

I was thinking it would be nearer April 634 AD (was actually going to go for 18th April), as the Muslim conquest of the Levant began around that time

[Kho]

Just wondering, did the Muslim campaign in Iraq, against the Persians, happen in this alt-timeline? That took place from 633-34, before the campaign in Syria started.

[babbysama]

@Kho Hmmm...good point. I wasn't quite sure what timeframe seasonally we were going for, but I'm kind of in an autumnal mood right now since fall is so close, so I shot for then. Though I suppose it could be snowy in the same area in spring, since it's pretty damn cold there apparently, though there would be less comfy descriptions of autumn foliage :( But it's up to the GM's I suppose.

Also, my second IC post is coming soon to a forum near you, it's just going to be rather lengthy and cover to different POVs, the first of which I was getting a bit of writer's block on since it's mostly flavor text about the Sasanian Empire and introducing how they view the whole Muslim uprising. Since Ctesiphon is only a little bit south of Baghdad IRL it probably would've been the talk of the town, so Alanda and his POV is how I'm tying the Karenas into the rest of the story. The POV in Nahavand, which will shortly be connected to Alanda's is kind of its own internal thing that (I hope) will eventually have repercussions once we have the whole thing going.

Be on the lookout for an obscure and very weird ancient Persian torture method being put into use soon ;)

[Vilageidiotx]

I had intended for the timeline to start in June or July originally, so to place it just before the death of Abu Bakr, but it looks like I failed to mention that. So really, it now depends on consensus. If everyone wants the date changed, i'll comply.

Also, I know that a lot of the details about who invaded what and when are sort of smudged here, but I had to leave them smudged so that we could have an RP where all the invasions sort of happen at the same time. I figured we can lampshade it with the butterfly effect for the sake of gameplay.

And Jabiyah... yeh, I realized when I started writing the first post that the map puts the location of Al Jabiyah in Roman territory. The regions drawn onto the map are because I used a blank Crusader Kings II map as the base and just painted in the factions, so it is not necessarily the most accurate, at least in terms of precision. It would take a bit more effort to make a precise map, and I am too lazy for that, so take the exactness of its borders with a grain of salt.

[Kho]

@babbysama northern Iran is pretty cold all year round. Tehran (which was a small village during the Islamic period and was known as Al-Ray, I believe) was well-known for the snow-tipped mountains which surround it. The south would obviously be warmer. But yeah, no autumn for you xp Summer has come and with it the Light!!! #DeepICReference

[Dinh AaronMk]

@Kho

I'm rolling on the assumption that Abu-Bakr is throwing what's available at the bigger enemy before turning about. It's not like Rome in this RP is the size of Byzantium and effectively half the Empire it was after all.

And if you hadn't decided to tag along with Khalid I would have given you the orders to move on Mesopotamia.

[Kho]

@Dinh AaronMk You know, we could actually do that. With Jabalah going off to a fort near the Persian border, Hudhayfa would soon be after him and could manoeuvre into position to attack Mesopotamia. But it would involve him sending for more men, because 3,000 men is nowhere near enough, no matter how many dust clouds he uses xDD

[Dinh AaronMk]

@Kho

Well with what's effectively happening with Khalid is he's marching away from Damascus to open a back door. This is still a considerable point of confusion of my end since having found out that in reality Jabilyah is in the Golan Heights and in spitting distance of Damascus it'd make more sense to just continue north.

But I think I'm working out what Khalid's thinking.

I also honestly expected the mission on the Ghassanids to have been played out over a number of posts, two at least. But now we have what I feel several posts worth of action happening in one swing.

[Kho]

@Dinh AaronMk Hmm, in that case I'll try to slow down my own pace and events-per-post.

As for marching away from Damascus, dunno, but Hudhayfa is basically just scouring the area to ensure that no one attacks Khalid from behind, under the presumption he's continuing north.

Though I know it would be better to back-pedal a bit an go up through Palestine as the Muslims did IRL. So far up and away from the desert, any escape route into the desert is a long way off, putting the Muslims at a great disadvantage.

In any case, once Al-Harith returns to Hudhayfa and informs him of what took place with Jabalah, he'll march on the Ghassanid fort to the east and besiege it and I'm expecting Al-Nu'man (that guard guy) and a good 300-400 of his followers to join Hudhayfa. The siege will probably take a week or so before Jabalah surrenders and accepts Islam or the Jizya (historical record on whether he ever converted to Islam is contested) and with that, Ghassanid Syria should be pretty much in Muslim hands, with any remaining Ghassanids fleeing to Roman lands or accepting Muslim rule.

(Wouldn't spill the beans OOCly, but it seems like things weren't exactly how we thought ICly, so might as well make it clear)

[babbysama]

Decided to split up my 2nd IC post into 2, since it would've been waaaaayyyyy too long to have both POVs. I'll post the 2nd in a day or two.

[Dinh AaronMk]

I'll just work on this one post for PoW and then I'll be back to this.

[The Grey Warden]

Sorry to do this to you all, but I am dropping out. I return to school on the 12th and I am trying to limit my roleplays here, so I don't get caught in so many and cause people to wait on me.

I hope that does well and I wish the best on all of you.

[Vilageidiotx]

Sorry to do this to you all, but I am dropping out. I return to school on the 12th and I am trying to limit my roleplays here, so I don't get caught in so many and cause people to wait on me.

I hope that does well and I wish the best on all of you.

@The Grey Warden

[Dinh AaronMk]

Sorry to do this to you all, but I am dropping out. I return to school on the 12th and I am trying to limit my roleplays here, so I don't get caught in so many and cause people to wait on me.

I hope that does well and I wish the best on all of you.

@The Grey Warden

[RisenDead]

Posted a character sheet

[babbysama]

@RisenDead *gasp* A new player! Welcome!

[RisenDead]

@RisenDead *gasp* A new player! Welcome!

@babbysama

Thank you, thank you very much

[Vilageidiotx]

Heads up, imma be without a computer for a few days. That means I won't be posting soon.