At the close of the 11th century warfare ravaged the lands of Europe and the Middle East. This period fell roughly in the latter half of what we know as the Medieval period or the Middle Ages. The scope of time stretching from the fall of the Western Roman Empire up to the Renaissance. Our journey begins in the Fall of 1095 A.D. with a plea from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos to the Pope, and in turn all of Western Europe, to come and help him stem the tide of the Seljuk Turks advance on Constantinople. The Seljuk Empire, followers of the Islamic faith, had been consolidating their hold across Asia minor and the Middle East for over 400 years and now threatened to expand into Europe. This threat, along with the religious fervor stirred by the Pope's call to arms, was enough to unite the many kingdoms of Europe to gather and throw their combined weight at this mutual enemy. Crusades: Book I focuses on the period from 1096 - 1148 A.D. encompassing the 1st & 2nd Crusades and the period of time in between them. You will command various allied forces in the Crusader cause to include forces of the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Or you can command Seljuk Turks and various other allied Muslim forces in their quest to repel the invaders. The fate of Christendom is in your hands. What are your orders?