Baldwin the Leper

""When I was sixteen, I won a great victory. I felt in that moment I would live to be a hundred. Now I know I shall not see thirty. None of us know our end, really, or what hand will guide us there. A king may move a man, a father may claim a son, but that man can also move himself, and only then does that man truly begin his own game. Remember that howsoever you are played or by whom, your soul is in your keeping alone, even though those who presume to play you be kings or men of power. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus," or that virtue was not convenient at the time. This will not suffice.""

- King Baldwin IV in Kingdom of Heaven

Baldwin IV (1161 – 16 March 1185), called the Leper or the Leprous, reigned as King of Jerusalem from 1174 until his death. He was born in 1161 to King Amalric I of Jerusalem and Queen Agnes of Edessa. While playing as a child it was discovered that he had leprosy and thus could not be expected to live a long or happy life. However, even as a boy, he never let his terrible disease get the better of him. When he was only 13 he became King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem with Raymond of Tripoli as his regent. When he became old enough to rule, he ruled well, but even from day one this diseased young boy was a King to admire. In 1174 the barely teenage monarch led his troops in an attack on the Muslim forces threatening Damascus and Andujar. The following year when the great Muslim warrior Sultan Saladin of Egypt attacked Ascalon King Baldwin IV (better known as Baldwin the Leper) took a mere 500 men to march to the defense of the city.

Feeling supremely confident Saladin split his forces to take Ascalon and the supposedly defenseless Holy City of Jerusalem. However, Baldwin summoned the Templars who joined him in defeating the troops at Ascalon and then rushing to overtake Saladin at Ramleh. The Christian knights were vastly outnumbered but were devoted to their young monarch who, despite his disease, led from the front and they were encouraged by their faith with the Bishop of Bethlehem on hand with the relic of the True Cross. With only 500 knights (and a few thousand local infantry) against an army of 26,000 battle-hardened veteran soldiers, Baldwin won a stunning and, to the eyes of many, miraculous battle. The Sultan himself only escaped because his guard sacrificed their lives to give him time to get away. Saladin tried and tried again but the leperous teenage king bested him at every turn; at Belvoir castle in 1181, before Beirut and at Kerak castle in 1183. Eventually, Saladin retreated to Egypt in order to regroup and the Christians were triumphant. King Baldwin IV survived longer than anyone had expected him to but finally died on March 16, 1185 not long after the death of his mother. With the brave warrior-boy-king gone Saladin soon came back and in his next major campaign conquered Jerusalem which prompted the calling of the Third Crusade. (Taken from Mad Monarchist)

Battle vs Timur the Lame (by: Elgb333)
In a small patch of desert in the borders of the Middle East and Central Asia, a lone fort stood guard as a great battle commenced. Outside, Mongolian warriors lead by the brutal Tamerlane surrounded and besieged the castle. The Mognols set up their trebuchets and sheilds, surrounding and entrapping the fort like a cornered prey.

Inside were European knights under the great Baldwin IV readying themselves for an impending siege. They set up their springald and put forth the ammo needed. They ready the saddles of their horses, their steel weapons sharp, their armor tightly fit and every drop of bravery in their hearts. Baldwin knew the odds were against him. Every news that he heard of these Oriental monsters were horrifying beyond human comprehension. They said that this Emir, Tamerlane he was called, made horrible atrocities to every civilization he came across. And if these stories were true, and that Tamerlane person is the Devil himself, then Baldwin knew the fate that awaits them if they lose.

"How many men do we have?" Baldwin calmly asked his correspondent inside his quarters.

His nervous war correspondent replied with tension, "God help us sir. So far this was a wrong place to put an isolated fort. We only have 50 men and 30 horses, and a food ration for only three days. Reinforcements on the other hand are still two days away."

After hearing this, a moment of silence gripped Baldwin which worried his correspondent. Any warrior would have lost their souls upon hearing odds like these against them. But to the surprise of his correspondent, Baldwin suddenly laughed at the challenge he was in. He pats the young men at the shoulders and said, "Have no fear scribe.  I've always been in these disadvantages. Always been the unlucky one. And God always loved to put me in these unwinnable situations.  Now let's see if I can impress God once again."

At the outside of the castle, the Mongolian warriors were getting ready. Tamerlane, who was being carried by his men in a litter, set out a messenger to offer a conversation to the Christian king. The Mongolians seem to have already encircled the camp, all eager to finally pull it down like the walls of Jericho. But Tameralne, though feared for his dark reputation, still employed diplomacy in the hopes of finishing the battle quickly.

The messenger came back with news that King Badlwin was ready to talk. He points to Tamerlane the walls of the castle where the masked leporous king was visibile and overlooking him. Tamerlane orders his men to move his makeshift throne litter forward, and now both he and the Christian king faced each other. Two warriors, separated leagues apart from differend ends of the world, from the east and the west, have now see each other for the first time.

"Greetings too Emir," Baldwin shouted. "May I ask what you are doing uninvited in my domain?"

Tamerlane just laughed at the courage this king had for asking him such a trivial question. "Well my reasons for this incursion is simple. I only want the land of my people back," he said before making his large army salute as a show of force. "As you can see, my forces hae surrounded your tiny castle. There is no way for you to escape or win. Give up now and you and your men will be spared."

"I've heard stories of you Emir. Bad stories. I'm actually suprised you haven't taken our heads yet," Badlwin laughed.

Tamerlane also laughed in return. "Well if you have heard of me then consider yourself lucky. Now give me what I ask. You should know what happens to anyone that would refuse my generous offer. And pray, I'm never usually this generous leper king."

Baldwin shooked his head laughing. "Oh you silly little big-mouthed man. You really want my castle eh? Do you really want it? Well it's yours. All you have to do is walk here and take it. Come on I dare you," Baldwin taunted as he turns his back and returns to his men.

"Leporous... boastful idiot!" Tamerlane cursed at the knights. "I'll show you what Hell you have wrought. I will burn that fort down and have your head!" he continued shouting as his men took him back to the camp.

Upon returning, Timur calls for his war council to prepare an attack. But it seems that things weren't going good for the Mongols as well. They may have the upper hand but several obstacles suddenly popped up.

"Great Emir, my men carried bad news from our reinforcements in the East," one of his commanders said.

'What is it?" Tamerlane said disappointed and annoyed.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"The reinfrocement forces you have called... won't be here for the next few days. They had to deal with several rebel factions on their way here from India to Afghanistan that caused the delay. And so far we only have 50 men to sieze that castle."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Tamerlane, visibly angered by what he heard, still tried to keep his cool. He scoffs at this hindrance, "You have been with me and yet you still don't believe in my brilliance. Tell me, does a little cripple man still not impress you? Do you still lack faith in me after what I've done?!"

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Those words echoed through the tent and sent shivers to the spines of every men inside. The war council, shaken at what Tamerlane said, pleaded that it was just a misunderstanding. They knew how horrible things go when he gets angry. But Tamerlane, though irritated, reassured their lack of faith saying, "I will take that castle the same way I did with others. Use the trebuchets to knock off the walls if it must. And tell my cavalry to encircle around and find a way to get through. If I need to starve them then I will."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">And with that, the Mongol forces started their attack. Heavy objects were hurled by their trebuchet from a distance. Some just bounced harmlessly on the walls, but soon the trebuchet found its mark and hit the vulnerable top parts, killing several of the knights stationed there. The trebuchet kept firing and firing till the momentum started rocking the walls like a storm blowing a small tree. It got worse when the Mongols started tossing incendiary devices on the fort which exploded and burned graneries, towers, houses and knights as it hits. These were enough to scare the kngiths into submission, and they panicked and grabbed cover with their boots shaking with fear. And with the defenders temporarily neutralized, the Mongols started charging the fort with their shields and horses.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The knights started to panic and scramble as Hell rained and came a knocking. But then King Baldwin, with sword in his hand, managed to rally his men back into action. He then orders the knight back into the walls. With their crossbows these knights shot the approaching Mongolians. The latter started firing back with their own recurve bows, and the tiny skirmish only left small casualties between the two. But as the Mongolians were already getting near to scale the walls, the knights suddenly unleash their springalds and chucked incendiaries and greek fire at them. The Mongolian shields, which was enough to stop crossbow bolts, were useless against the springalds. And the knights burned a great deal of Mongols and sent them back to their camps like wusses. The Mongols fled and the knights cheered. But Tamerlane retaliated by sending back projectiles from his trebuchet, and the knights fell back again to take cover.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Is there anyway to take out those damn things?" Baldwin said pointing to the trebcuhets.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Nothin' sire," one of his knights hastily replied. "Our bows and springalds don't have the range to take it from afar."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Well then," Baldwin said confidently. "It seems the only way is to take it out up close." Baldwin then went back to his quarters and gathers some of his knights for a plan.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">On the Mongolian camp, things were not going well as many casualties poured in. Tamerlane himself was getting impatient. While his trebuchet was pounding the castle, none of his men have still breached the damn fort. Calling his war council yet again during the open battle, he said in an irritated voice, "listen. Take as many archers as you can fire on those bastards. But keep the catapults firing. If we can't take them by brute force will just have force them into submission."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">And with that, the Mongols kept their distance for a while as the trebuchet did its works. Rocks, debris and bombs were catapulted into the poor fortress. As the sun was at its highest peak, it felt like Armageddon for the defenceless knights inside. The rocks smashed through every piece of cover they try to hide, many of them crushed, flattened and killed in the process. The bombs blew and burned many of them as well, creating a big inferno of the castle which was visible to Tamerlane's devious and maniacal eyes. For a couple of hours, the Mongols just sit there and watch as the fortress crumbled and burned from a distance. Tamerlane laughed and enjoyed himself watching the show from his tent. He didn't care anymore of taking that castle; he just wants those knights and their plagued king dead.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">And then, a chance appeared in the eyes of the crippled conqueror. The frontal walls have started to crack and crumble, but still standing nonethless. And as Tamerlane can see, the flames were left to burn undisturbed and there were no signs of the defenders anymore. The trebuchet did its work, and the excited Tamerlane finally gives the orders to finally take the castle. "Be careful all of you. If you need to tear that crumbling wall down the do it. If anyone is left standing, which I doubt so, kill them. And bring me the head of their king."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Upon hearing the orders, the Mongols mount their horses and charged. Carrying their hooks and ladders, they were ready to finish this battle once and for all. They rode closer to the walls to check if there are still any signs of resistance left. Then then finally started throwing their hooks and setting up their ladders to take the castle. A final coup degrace to finally end this great but utterly short battle of the desert.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">As they were ready to scale however, the knights suddenly sprang out of nowhere and chucked them all with their crossbows and springald. Though battered, burned and bruised, the knights managed to endure the trebuchet's attacked. The Mongolians were surprised by the sudden resiliency and many of them fell upon the ambush. The battle reignited yet again with the small band of surviving knights against the larger army of invading Mongols.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Tamerlane erupted with fury at what was happening and cursed every insult and deragotory. And so he ragefully orders his men to reset the trebcuhet and fire. The Mongols then hastefully set up the trebuchet but most of their initial shots missed, hitting their fellow Mongols instead who were fighting outside the walls. Tamerlane crused them for their clumsiness, and he told them that he was just an inch from executing them for their stupidity.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"You insolent fools. Keep those things firing! No one will eat, sleep or shit until that fortress is mine!" Tamerlane said.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">But then suddenly, out of nowhere, King Baldwin and their knights crashed into the Mongolian camp. The unprepared Mongols were caught off guard as the knights on their horses invaded. The ambush scared Tamerlane and many of his surprised and defencless soldiers were killed in the initial attack. The knights didn't spare anyone; they stormed the tables, tents and quarters of the shocked Mongols, killing them all, before attacking and burning the trebuchets and putting them out of action.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Tamerlane himself dropped from his litter cowering as his Mongol warriors try to protect him. But King Baldwin, masked and on horseback, points his sword at him and boasted, "Why aren't you one angry little man. I'll tell you Emir, you look a lot smaller now that I see you up close."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Timur can only do nothing as Baldwin and his knights butchered the Mongols. Their weapons such as their longswords and halberds, made mincemeat of the Mongols and their inferior sabers and glaives. Their armor also proved its worth agaisnt the lightly armored Mongols. And King Baldwin himself, even though plagued with leprosy, butchered a great number of them like he was the angel of death. His lepered face and his conviction to win, made him look like "Al Shatan" on horseback in the eyes of the scared Mongols, and many of them fell on his sword.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The remaining Mongols fled and King Baldwin ordered his knights to pursue them all. But the fleeing Mongols left Baldwin a prize, they left their leader Tamerlane wimpering alone. Tamerlane tried to hide beneath a table, cowering with his hands on his head. But Baldwin saw him and he flips the table, revealing the small defenceless man shaking underneath.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Please! King please! Mercy!" Tamerlane begged. But King Baldwin just thrust his sword on his gut and disemboweled him. Tamerlane cried as he grabbed his guts that spewed from his belly. "I'm a sensible man Monseour Lame. But even I have my limits. Why should I give you, a monster who's killed so many, including women and children, be given mercy?" King Baldwin gloated.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"No! God no! I can't end like this!" Tamerlane yelled. "Great Allah please. Heal me and save me from this demon. Smite him with you hands!"

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Baldwin just shook his head at this feeble attempt at cowardice. "No mercy will be given to you Monseour Lame. For you have not given anyone in return. Your conquest ends here. Dead as a coward and a fiend. May God have mercy on your soul." King Baldwin said. And with that he chops Tamerlane's head, who still had his pleading and cowardly face. King Baldwin then takes Timur's head and straps it on his horse for all the remaining Mongols to see.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">He calls upon his knights and said, "Now, let us go back and help our brothers." And with that the knights cheered and rode back to the castle. And the defenders themselves were also having a triumph pushing their enemies away as well.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Winner: King Balwin IV

Expert's Opinion
The votes were very neck-to-neck, with the author having to end the battle in a tie-breaker. While Timur was a great tactician and brutal conqueror, most experts believe that Baldwin just have the better weapons, armor and the actual fighting experience to win.

To see the original battle, weapons and votes, click here.