Early History Of The Empire Of Great Mountains

In the year 46 E.D., Khosrov Arscan returned from his mission trip into Aurelia. However, he did not return to his hometown and the faith he knew so well. Instead, he and his companions traveled to a small village called Alavir, located in the foothills of the Chambad Mountains, close to the Gnomic border. He regaled the villagers of his travels, entertaining them with tales of foreign cultures, but most of all, Primus the Prophet. The villagers were shocked to find that there was a man in the East who was blessed by the Gods and could wield the power of light.   While many doubted the validity of Arscan's stories, they warmed up to the strange Dwarf in time. By 68 E.D., the Southern foothills of the High Kingdom of Chambadzor had divorced themselves from the Elemental Faith and had fully embraced the Cult. This, of course, attracted the ire of the High King, Gurgen III. Luckily for the Trinitists, the High King was a devoted scholar and did not wish to crush the Cult without first knowing what they were. In the same year, Arscan was invited into the mountain hold of Chambadzor for an audience with the King.   When he arrived, Arscan knelt to the ground, but Gurgen III would have none of it. He demanded the Dwarf not grovel in front of him, and instead discuss the ways of the universe. Honored, Arscan obliged and spoke at length with his King. His theology, and especially the tale of Primus' magical prowess, intrigued the High King who declared months later that he had converted to the Cult of the Trinity. Arscan was elated at this and was even more so when he was invited to the Court to advise the High King in all matters of the faith. In the following years, Arscan, with the permission of the High King, would found a Knightly Order known as the "Order Of The Acolytes Of The Holy Martyr" (as they were formed after the death of Primus), commonly known as the Acolyte Order. They would roam the countryside of not only the High Kingdom, but also the Gnomic Clans and other Dwarven states, spreading the word of the Trinitist faith to all who would listen and setting fire to those who would not.   The Acolytes, and their reputation for brutality, would spread throughout Western Sahul rapidly, converting almost the entire Dwarven race by the year 90 E.D., the process being exponentially sped up in the later years due to the Order prioritizing the conversion of the nobility and receiving assistance from the Augus in Histria. However, the Gnomes proved a harder nut to crack. They showed no interest in the one true faith, and when the Acolytes tried their usual Plan B of bringing out the torches and burning their villages, they began to organize militia groups that would actively seek about marauding bands of Acolytes. The dead began to pile up, and Khosrov Arscan (who now served the son of Gurgen III, High King Smbat I) would once more travel to the East, but not on a mission. He, as a loyal tool of the Cult, was honorably received in Histria, and when he asked the Augus and his Apostles for their permission to begin a Crusade, his request was met with enthusiastic permission.   And so it came to pass that, in 94 E.D., the High Kingdom of Chambadzor would assemble its army. Dwarven soldiers, wielding spears and swords stood in lines behind men of the Order Of The Acolytes Of The Holy Martyr and side by side with foreign volunteers devoted to the spread of the faith. The disorganized Gnomic Clans were not at all ready for the horde that came down the mountains, and the little folk and their villages fell one by one to the Crusaders. In open combat, the Gnomes stood no chance against the highly trained Dwarves, although ambush teams would frequently cause the Crusaders trouble, just as they did the Acolytes.   Despite the best efforts of the Gnomes (and, if the rumor is true, Dracons who attempted to train them so that the High Kingdom would not grow to challenge the Immortal Kingdom) the lands between the Chambad and Hayas Mountains (known as Cynan) would all fall to the swords of Crusaders by 99. While the Gnomic lands closer to the Great Steppe were spared from this event, now known as the Valley Crusade, the Gnomes of Cynan were ravaged. Entire villages were slaughtered, churches burnt and artifacts of both religious and cultural importance were destroyed and lost to history. For their excellent work in subjugating the heretics, the Cult declared that the region of Cynan would be put under the stewardship of the High Kingdom so that they may oversee the Gnome's transition into a Trinitist society. This, of course, did not go over well, and while the Gnomes would be converted slowly but surely, Dwarven soldiers (and especially the Acolyte Order) would become targets of guerilla attacks by bandits looking for quick money, as well as Anti-Dwarven groups.   After bringing the fertile land of Cynan (known to the Dwarves as Cynabakh) into the fold, the young High King Smbat would invite the foreign Dwarven lords of the Hayas and Sakar Mountains into Chambadzor. In this meeting, known as the "Conclave of 113", the High King proposed that all the Dwarves of Sahul band together into a new Empire of the Trinitist faith. Their lands were threatened by both Centaur Tribes and the empire of heresy that was the Immortal Kingdom. While some were outraged at the idea, it was no secret that the Dwarves were not in the best position, and an Empire of the Trinitist Faith intrigued many. The debate was held over the course of months, but by the end of it, it was decided. Providing the autonomy of the various Dwarven states within the regions of Hayaszor and Sakarzor were guaranteed, they would join this Empire of faith, pledging their vassalage to Smbat I, Emperor of the Great Mountains.