The Golam Crusades
In the Imperial year 572 of the Greater Kingdom era, the emperor ordered and the Holy Church endorsed a crusade to eliminate the pagan and evil worship of the Golam Elder Gods.
In IMP. 494 The Great Kingdom of Kuan had established trading colonies along the coastal lands of the Golam. The traders sailed the Inner Sea and traded with the kingdoms of the Teeth, the Olia in the north, Eseret of the east, the Octnon of the south, the Dwarf lords of the south east and small kingdoms between the dwarves and Lizard Kings. Golam timber, Beastmen slaves, metal and fabrics built Torga wealth and influence. By 522 Torga were supporting Golam Fins seeking to conquer the Lizard Kings, though the Torga were much repulsed by the Undead raised by the Elder God, which made up a significant portion of the Golam noble's armies. The Torga also leveraged the southern petty kingdoms against each other and the Lizard Kings to the west of their lands. The Lizard Kings turned away the Golam and petty kingdom assaults in the east and west, and carved out new territories from the attackers.
The Golam fins of Udu (the southern provinces) were outraged by the barbarian Octnon's conquest of their ancestral lands, and convinced the Ruip and Ucip clans to help take back their lands. The Torga made deals for exclusive trade with some northern clans to betray central Ucip clans, and central clans to betray the southern Udu. By 526 Udu were exhausted and many clans were decimated and left in the hands of children or distant cousins of the ruling families. The Torga came in with Ucip and Ruip Fins who had some claim to Udu ancestry and lands and brought a significant naval force against the monster lizard people in the west. By 530 the south was a protectorate of the Torga. The Conquest of the rest of the Golam lands was accomplished with naval blockade, imperial legions in the south bolstered by angry Udu who heard rumors of Ucip and Ruip betrayals and land theft. Southern Elder Gods had been destroyed by Octnon, Torga and occupying new northern and central Fins, and replaced with more northern or new growths. The Great Kingdom of Kuan rewarded those who were loyal or capitulated while punishing resistors with high taxes and restricted opportunities. The Golam provinces became provinces of the Great Kingdom in 539. Torga forces helped against Beastmen and Skinchangers, and encouraged western expansion by supporting lesser noble sons in colonization and conquest. The new houses would establish new Elder God mounds. The worship of the Elder Gods with blood and animal sacrifices as well as offering the mounds the dead horrified the Torga and public worship was banned. It still continued at night and in secret.
In 571, a group of Golam Fins rebelled in the southern Udu provinces. It had been rumored for years that there was an evil cult of necromancers abducting and killing in the Golam provinces. In 571 it was revealed that the rebel lords had been feeding their Elder Gods and building undead armies. Many of the worshippers were Corrupted from Arcane Crystal (See Crystal and Corruption ). The initial assaults lead by Boanji Ihjya in the southwest, drove out or killed Olia, Esereti and Torga and burned their settlements. This inspired others throughout the Golam provinces, even if Ihjya and his followers suffered various degrees of Corruption. The first waves swept east until the Great Kingdom brought in legions with full trained mage support along the coasts. The Torga widely spread the tales of Golam necromancers working for their evil Elder Gods. These tales were bolstered by survivors of the rebel attacks and veteran soldiers reports and letters home. The Torga counter offensive brought in holy warriors from other lands to fight the evil forces. Villages were wiped out for participating in necromancy and unholy demonic pacts with inhuman monsters. Those who turned against their lords were spared and rewarded for testimony against the lords for practicing black magic, blood magic and necromancy. The rebellion was put down within seven months, but the rumors and stories continued and worshiping the old Elder Gods openly became uncommon. Because the Elder Gods had always been kept by the Fins and Bladesworn nobles, the common Costars and Landsmen had easily been parted from the old way over the past 30 years, in favor of the Kingdom's Holy Church, The Order of Heaven, which also gave citizenship in the Great Kingdom. Empress Itzoda, the Second Yellow Jade Emperor declared the Crusade against the evil of the Elder Gods, their undead and necromancer minions, and the unholy pagan worship in 572.
The first Crusade was characterized as freeing the people from enslavement. and terrorization by the unholy pagans. Weak new Elder God mounds were destroyed by fire and many known older ones as well. Families and their Elder Gods moved to hidden family crypts and tunnels under keeps. Some lords admitted the common folk into the worship- granting them the eternal life of the Elder Gods in their underground kingdoms. The first crusade lasted 4 years.
The Second Crusade was brought by the Third Yellow Jade Emperor, Emperor Igihi in 608. The worshippers of the Elder Gods were burnt at stakes on and around the God Mounds. This crusade extended to the west against Beastmen and Skinchangers. This Crusade lasted 43 years and was carried forward on the ascension of the 4th Yellow Jade Emperor, emperor Guso in 625. The Emperor attempted to revive the glory of his youth with a third Crusade in 710. Emperor Edo ascended in 712 and was focused more on the conquest of the Esereti lands and the end of the Dwarven Rebellion, allowing the Church and Witch hunters to do as they saw fit for the next decade. By this point the practices of Elder God worship had become ancestor worship with the Elder Gods rarely spoken outside of family or secret cults.
Imperial resentment remains in the northern and far western frontiers where the clans are newer, but are very traditional and conservative in outlook. The tartans of these clans incorporate purple (typically a color reserved for Imperial nobility), or more pointedly with black ( a color of mourning) or yellow (in mocking the imperial family which incorporates gold thread in their purple sashes). Few however, are open in Elder God worship. They will pay lip service and minimal observance of the Holy Church and take a dim view of Torga people in general. Torga travelers are well-advised to report to Imperial officials any travel plans in these districts so that disappearances will be investigated.
In IMP. 494 The Great Kingdom of Kuan had established trading colonies along the coastal lands of the Golam. The traders sailed the Inner Sea and traded with the kingdoms of the Teeth, the Olia in the north, Eseret of the east, the Octnon of the south, the Dwarf lords of the south east and small kingdoms between the dwarves and Lizard Kings. Golam timber, Beastmen slaves, metal and fabrics built Torga wealth and influence. By 522 Torga were supporting Golam Fins seeking to conquer the Lizard Kings, though the Torga were much repulsed by the Undead raised by the Elder God, which made up a significant portion of the Golam noble's armies. The Torga also leveraged the southern petty kingdoms against each other and the Lizard Kings to the west of their lands. The Lizard Kings turned away the Golam and petty kingdom assaults in the east and west, and carved out new territories from the attackers.
The Golam fins of Udu (the southern provinces) were outraged by the barbarian Octnon's conquest of their ancestral lands, and convinced the Ruip and Ucip clans to help take back their lands. The Torga made deals for exclusive trade with some northern clans to betray central Ucip clans, and central clans to betray the southern Udu. By 526 Udu were exhausted and many clans were decimated and left in the hands of children or distant cousins of the ruling families. The Torga came in with Ucip and Ruip Fins who had some claim to Udu ancestry and lands and brought a significant naval force against the monster lizard people in the west. By 530 the south was a protectorate of the Torga. The Conquest of the rest of the Golam lands was accomplished with naval blockade, imperial legions in the south bolstered by angry Udu who heard rumors of Ucip and Ruip betrayals and land theft. Southern Elder Gods had been destroyed by Octnon, Torga and occupying new northern and central Fins, and replaced with more northern or new growths. The Great Kingdom of Kuan rewarded those who were loyal or capitulated while punishing resistors with high taxes and restricted opportunities. The Golam provinces became provinces of the Great Kingdom in 539. Torga forces helped against Beastmen and Skinchangers, and encouraged western expansion by supporting lesser noble sons in colonization and conquest. The new houses would establish new Elder God mounds. The worship of the Elder Gods with blood and animal sacrifices as well as offering the mounds the dead horrified the Torga and public worship was banned. It still continued at night and in secret.
In 571, a group of Golam Fins rebelled in the southern Udu provinces. It had been rumored for years that there was an evil cult of necromancers abducting and killing in the Golam provinces. In 571 it was revealed that the rebel lords had been feeding their Elder Gods and building undead armies. Many of the worshippers were Corrupted from Arcane Crystal (See Crystal and Corruption ). The initial assaults lead by Boanji Ihjya in the southwest, drove out or killed Olia, Esereti and Torga and burned their settlements. This inspired others throughout the Golam provinces, even if Ihjya and his followers suffered various degrees of Corruption. The first waves swept east until the Great Kingdom brought in legions with full trained mage support along the coasts. The Torga widely spread the tales of Golam necromancers working for their evil Elder Gods. These tales were bolstered by survivors of the rebel attacks and veteran soldiers reports and letters home. The Torga counter offensive brought in holy warriors from other lands to fight the evil forces. Villages were wiped out for participating in necromancy and unholy demonic pacts with inhuman monsters. Those who turned against their lords were spared and rewarded for testimony against the lords for practicing black magic, blood magic and necromancy. The rebellion was put down within seven months, but the rumors and stories continued and worshiping the old Elder Gods openly became uncommon. Because the Elder Gods had always been kept by the Fins and Bladesworn nobles, the common Costars and Landsmen had easily been parted from the old way over the past 30 years, in favor of the Kingdom's Holy Church, The Order of Heaven, which also gave citizenship in the Great Kingdom. Empress Itzoda, the Second Yellow Jade Emperor declared the Crusade against the evil of the Elder Gods, their undead and necromancer minions, and the unholy pagan worship in 572.
The first Crusade was characterized as freeing the people from enslavement. and terrorization by the unholy pagans. Weak new Elder God mounds were destroyed by fire and many known older ones as well. Families and their Elder Gods moved to hidden family crypts and tunnels under keeps. Some lords admitted the common folk into the worship- granting them the eternal life of the Elder Gods in their underground kingdoms. The first crusade lasted 4 years.
The Second Crusade was brought by the Third Yellow Jade Emperor, Emperor Igihi in 608. The worshippers of the Elder Gods were burnt at stakes on and around the God Mounds. This crusade extended to the west against Beastmen and Skinchangers. This Crusade lasted 43 years and was carried forward on the ascension of the 4th Yellow Jade Emperor, emperor Guso in 625. The Emperor attempted to revive the glory of his youth with a third Crusade in 710. Emperor Edo ascended in 712 and was focused more on the conquest of the Esereti lands and the end of the Dwarven Rebellion, allowing the Church and Witch hunters to do as they saw fit for the next decade. By this point the practices of Elder God worship had become ancestor worship with the Elder Gods rarely spoken outside of family or secret cults.
Imperial resentment remains in the northern and far western frontiers where the clans are newer, but are very traditional and conservative in outlook. The tartans of these clans incorporate purple (typically a color reserved for Imperial nobility), or more pointedly with black ( a color of mourning) or yellow (in mocking the imperial family which incorporates gold thread in their purple sashes). Few however, are open in Elder God worship. They will pay lip service and minimal observance of the Holy Church and take a dim view of Torga people in general. Torga travelers are well-advised to report to Imperial officials any travel plans in these districts so that disappearances will be investigated.
Interesting conflict. Any time I see the word "crusade" I'm always expecting something to be especially messy and it certainly was this time around. Can't imagine why there's still resentment <<