The Order of the Shining Truth and Reason!
Chapter 1, the Beginning
The ancient abandoned monastery looked even more foreboding this starlit night that usual. Within its cold walls a meeting was about to take place that would change the course of medieval history. Until this date princes and kings and other organised thieves had stolen the crops and livestock from honest peasants under the false pretext of “protecting” them. Allied with the priesthood, who promised eternal joy if the hardships of the life on earth did not lead to uprisings against the ruling order. Furthermore the collapse of general order after the end of the Roman Empire had led to suffering across the continent as military and religious struggle had seen towns burnt to ashes and lives wasted in war. All this was about to change.
A small group of determined men had worked in the shadows for nearly a century, creating a mysterious secret order. This order of Peace and Conciliation strived to end the inhuman struggle and bring together humanity in one common understanding that what is important is not to die for your liege lord, but to live in harmony and prosperity.
Now the time was ripe for a strike against the emerging powers, a combination of forces yet unseen from the vast steppes, the cold north, the rugged mountains and the fertile plains. All in one movement to destroy all factions, and bring all together under the Order of the Shining Truth!
One of the principal agents of change was the upstart Latin Emperor of Constantinople – the most important victory of the Order to date was the successful change of target for the crusade aimed at the Holy Lands. By placing a high ranking member of the order as leader of the expedition to take the richest and most developed town in the region, enough momentum was gained to start spreading the Rule of Reason.
In the Cold of Scotland Comgell Mar answered the call. Recently there had been a “king” of Scotland, but now this office change character and became a beacon for Clansmen to merge themselves into the Cause and The Order. All the clans stood together and marched on York.
The English faction was utterly stunned at this move and quickly fell back to what they thought was safer lands. But the Scots had not come to plunder and then fall back to their highlands. This time The Order was pushing them further south, trapping an entire English army in the Castle of Nottingham. Soon Lord Neville tried to thwart the Will of Reason, and gave battle outside the Castle. His rabble of unwilling peasants and robber knights proved no match for the arrows of Wales and the swords of Scotland. Soon all of England was united under the Star of Transparency and the Empathy of Humanity.
Success had not come as easily on other fronts. On the steppes, however, the faithful Tarkhans had gathered against Rus authority and taken Kiev after a most Glorious battle.
But elsewhere The Order had had little success. Around Constantinople mighty Empires where gathering to crush the most prominent threat against their reason to exist. Most crushingly was the blow against the major British Isle, as Comgell Mar accepted a bribe from the French! Thrown back and cut down a new Hero emerged that The Order hoped could gather the righteous Britons.
Just as things looked bleak new opportunities rose. A French Crusade had taken the Almohad province of Toledo, and this had sparked a series of events. Ibn Yacub, a most learned and wise man had since his childhood been an ardent follower of the Shining Truth. Now a chance had come to dedicate himself and his army to the cause entirely. Together with his mentee Prince Muhammad they rose against the Sultan and maybe a crack of light was about to shine on the Iberian Peninsula.
Disclaimer: I've not played this campaign to an end, and maybe never will. RL is though on playing time more than ever. But I've wanted to do this for a while. This is where the campaign is at the moment so comments and good advice is welcome
/KotR
The Bright Age (rebel AAR)
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