Caught up now! Has been extremely entertaining, and captures all of Ars Magica in ways I find satisfying! History mixed in with Hermetic shenanigans, intrigue all throughout. This write up even includes a reading list, good show.
Eagerly await any further adventures you choose to share.
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Thank you! I'm glad to hear you've enjoyed reading the write up. 
I do include some sources, but if you're curious about which particular books I found the most helpful, I'm happy to share.
Eventually, the rest of the Order will hear about the successful "Holy Pilgrimage." However, this will be through mundane sources, initially. Once the Archmage Mahla returns with her protege and their apprentices, they will be probably control the narrative on how the rest of the Order interprets the hermetic actions for the Holy Pilgrimage for some time. Once the Quaesitors come to the levant with their Hoplite enforcers, things will become very different in the new Levant Tribunal.
Good question. The Great Seljuk sultans (Muhammad Taper by the time of the actual reaction) only responded to the original First Crusade in 1110-1115, after years of calls for help and protests in the mosques in Baghdad. However, one can assume that in your case the magnitude of the crusaders' success would make these cries for help all the louder and come much earlier. That said, the Seljuks would, in my opinion, still be more likely to command that counter-attacks be sent (from Mosul or thereabouts) rather than take part themselves, wanting their own conflicts to be resolved first. Or maybe I just have a poor opinion of the Great Seljuk sultans. 
On the Fatimid side, there is bound to be someone waiting in the wings to take over from al-Afdal. Generally what dictates how long one remains the Fatimid vizier is how far one has the loyalty of the army, and how far one can survive assassination attempts (it wasn't the first attempt that killed al-Afdal in 1121). So someone in the Fatimid court would be likely to step in, though I'm not aware of any obvious candidates at this point; al-Afdal's sons, who were suspected of his eventual assassination, would be too young, and likewise al-Bata'ihi, his eventual successor. So I recommend making someone up!
Rebellions against Fatimid rule are unlikely, though. At this time what was going on at court didn't really affect the daily lives of most Egyptians. The Fatimids weren't even seriously promoting their form of Islam among the general population.
I think you're right about accelerating the Egyptian decline, however. The Egyptians would be likely to make a truce, then look to rebuild gradually. Meanwhile, given their success, some crusaders might see Egypt as ready to be invaded, if they can move fast enough...
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This is very helpful @niallchristie! For the Fatamids, I was actually thinking of the Ambassador from many sessions ago, "Mudrik Al-Hussein" could be the next Vizier, if a bit reluctant. Having seen the Crusaders in the field at Arqa, would be leading the 'Peace' faction. He may not live too long, and his replacement will likely not be interested in maintaining a Truce.
My understanding of the Fatimids is that it was a military dictatorship/occupation, and so were concerned about maintaining large garrisons in case of rebellion. That said, if they weren't doing much to cause one, (i.e. high taxes, religious repression) than perhaps it was more of an issue of paranoia.
Well, yes and no. The general population weren't a major threat to the Fatimids, but other potential claimants to the vizierate were. Thus viziers would maintain large garrisons with this in mind. If Fulan ibn Fulan decides he wants to be vizier, then it's helpful for the current vizier to have an army on hand to help prevent that.
It's worth bearing in mind that a number of the Fatimid viziers weren't even Isma'ili Shi'ites. Even Christians managed to become vizier occasionally.
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Thank you so much for your kind words!
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