The Second Crusade 527 AE – 591 AE
Following the tragic collapse of the First Crusade and the death of Rethius Serivar during the Black March, the Free Crusader States entered a period of mourning and regrouping. The land was scarred—physically, politically, and spiritually. Cities lay in ruin, vast stretches of territory were irreparably corrupted by abyssal influence, and the surviving crusaders were scattered, disillusioned, and exhausted.
For the next three years (524–527 AE), the remaining forces attempted to hold the line. It was a desperate struggle. Makeshift forts, entrenched lines, and outposts were manned by dwindling garrisons of soldiers, clerics, and adventurers still loyal to Rethius’s vision. These warriors became known as the Ashen Guard, not for any formal order, but for the soot, blood, and ash that stained their armor—reminders of the cities and comrades they had lost.
The Call for Reinforcements During this time, the Crusader States issued constant pleas for aid to any nation, tribe, or wandering hero willing to take up arms. The memory of Rethius Serivar—now a martyr to many—became a rallying cry. Songs, poems, and tales of his sacrifice spread throughout the fractured remains of the Empire of Sol, the Elven Tribes, and even to the distant mountains of Krunbar and the icy reaches of the Hinterlands.
It was in this moment of exhaustion and spiritual hunger that the Second Crusade was born. In 527 AE, the remnants of the First Crusade declared a renewed holy war—not to strike at the World Wound, but to slow the tide. This time, the crusade would be defensive: to build walls, fortresses, and safe zones from which the world could fight back.
A New Generation of Crusaders The Second Crusade attracted a new wave of champions—adventurers, warriors, and idealists inspired by the legacy of Rethius but tempered by the bitter lessons of his fall. They came from all corners of the continent:
Younger knights raised on stories of the First Crusade, eager to earn their place in history.
Disgraced nobles seeking redemption through valor.
Clerics and paladins who believed the World Wound was not just a military threat, but a divine test of faith.
Mercenaries and blood-mages, some seeking power, others revenge for what the demons had taken.
These crusaders were more pragmatic than their predecessors. Fortifications were prioritized over open-field battles. Abyssal corruption was studied, and tactics were adapted. Alchemists developed holy firebombs. Demon-hunting orders like the Black Templars rose in prominence, offering vital expertise and controversial techniques.
The Long Struggle For nearly four decades, the Second Crusade fought a brutal, unrelenting campaign. Entire generations of soldiers lived and died behind fortress walls. Victories were counted in miles, and defeats were often measured in lives lost rather than territory taken. Despite their defensive posture, the crusaders waged dozens of key engagements:
The Burning of Vallior's Gap (533 AE): A narrow mountain pass was collapsed with magical fire to halt a glabrezu-led incursion.
The Night of Howling Flame (548 AE): A failed demonic infiltration nearly took the fortress of Avencliff; only the intervention of the Black Templars turned the tide.
The Cleansing of the Pale Gardens (552 AE): Once a sacred grove, now a festering corruption pit. Crusaders purified the land in a month-long ritual siege.
The Siege of Ávila (590 AE The Second Crusade reached its crescendo with the Siege of Ávila, a mighty fortress city positioned on the edge of the Abyssal frontier. Ávila had long served as a final bastion, a shield between the Crusader States and total ruin. In 565 AE, a massive demonic host, led by a vrock warlord known as Skrez'aleth the Windflayer, descended upon it.
For seventy-two days, the defenders of Ávila—bolstered by crusaders, mages, and veterans—held the walls. Siege weapons shattered the demonic flesh constructs. Pyromancers lit the night sky with holy fire. Paladins fought for every inch of the battlements, while the wounded were ferried below into crypts turned into triage stations.
In the end, the crusaders prevailed. Skrez'aleth was slain atop the northern watchtower by a crusader commander wielding the reforged blade of one of Rethius’s fallen captains. The demons, routed and in disarray, retreated back into the blighted wastelands. The siege’s end was marked by the lighting of the Beacon of Ávila, visible for miles—a symbol that the line had held.
Legacy of the Second Crusade The Second Crusade did not close the World Wound. But it stopped the bleeding. It drew a hard boundary against the Abyss, built with blood, sacrifice, and unbreakable will. Ávila became a symbol of hope, and the crusaders who fought there were revered as living legends.
The crusade's success allowed the Free Crusader States to stabilize, and small enclaves of civilization to begin growing in the shadows of fortified walls.
Yet the war is far from over. The World Wound still festers, a cursed scar upon the world. The Second Crusade proved that unity could hold the tide—but the question remained: for how long?
For the next three years (524–527 AE), the remaining forces attempted to hold the line. It was a desperate struggle. Makeshift forts, entrenched lines, and outposts were manned by dwindling garrisons of soldiers, clerics, and adventurers still loyal to Rethius’s vision. These warriors became known as the Ashen Guard, not for any formal order, but for the soot, blood, and ash that stained their armor—reminders of the cities and comrades they had lost.
The Call for Reinforcements During this time, the Crusader States issued constant pleas for aid to any nation, tribe, or wandering hero willing to take up arms. The memory of Rethius Serivar—now a martyr to many—became a rallying cry. Songs, poems, and tales of his sacrifice spread throughout the fractured remains of the Empire of Sol, the Elven Tribes, and even to the distant mountains of Krunbar and the icy reaches of the Hinterlands.
It was in this moment of exhaustion and spiritual hunger that the Second Crusade was born. In 527 AE, the remnants of the First Crusade declared a renewed holy war—not to strike at the World Wound, but to slow the tide. This time, the crusade would be defensive: to build walls, fortresses, and safe zones from which the world could fight back.
A New Generation of Crusaders The Second Crusade attracted a new wave of champions—adventurers, warriors, and idealists inspired by the legacy of Rethius but tempered by the bitter lessons of his fall. They came from all corners of the continent:
Younger knights raised on stories of the First Crusade, eager to earn their place in history.
Disgraced nobles seeking redemption through valor.
Clerics and paladins who believed the World Wound was not just a military threat, but a divine test of faith.
Mercenaries and blood-mages, some seeking power, others revenge for what the demons had taken.
These crusaders were more pragmatic than their predecessors. Fortifications were prioritized over open-field battles. Abyssal corruption was studied, and tactics were adapted. Alchemists developed holy firebombs. Demon-hunting orders like the Black Templars rose in prominence, offering vital expertise and controversial techniques.
The Long Struggle For nearly four decades, the Second Crusade fought a brutal, unrelenting campaign. Entire generations of soldiers lived and died behind fortress walls. Victories were counted in miles, and defeats were often measured in lives lost rather than territory taken. Despite their defensive posture, the crusaders waged dozens of key engagements:
The Burning of Vallior's Gap (533 AE): A narrow mountain pass was collapsed with magical fire to halt a glabrezu-led incursion.
The Night of Howling Flame (548 AE): A failed demonic infiltration nearly took the fortress of Avencliff; only the intervention of the Black Templars turned the tide.
The Cleansing of the Pale Gardens (552 AE): Once a sacred grove, now a festering corruption pit. Crusaders purified the land in a month-long ritual siege.
The Siege of Ávila (590 AE The Second Crusade reached its crescendo with the Siege of Ávila, a mighty fortress city positioned on the edge of the Abyssal frontier. Ávila had long served as a final bastion, a shield between the Crusader States and total ruin. In 565 AE, a massive demonic host, led by a vrock warlord known as Skrez'aleth the Windflayer, descended upon it.
For seventy-two days, the defenders of Ávila—bolstered by crusaders, mages, and veterans—held the walls. Siege weapons shattered the demonic flesh constructs. Pyromancers lit the night sky with holy fire. Paladins fought for every inch of the battlements, while the wounded were ferried below into crypts turned into triage stations.
In the end, the crusaders prevailed. Skrez'aleth was slain atop the northern watchtower by a crusader commander wielding the reforged blade of one of Rethius’s fallen captains. The demons, routed and in disarray, retreated back into the blighted wastelands. The siege’s end was marked by the lighting of the Beacon of Ávila, visible for miles—a symbol that the line had held.
Legacy of the Second Crusade The Second Crusade did not close the World Wound. But it stopped the bleeding. It drew a hard boundary against the Abyss, built with blood, sacrifice, and unbreakable will. Ávila became a symbol of hope, and the crusaders who fought there were revered as living legends.
The crusade's success allowed the Free Crusader States to stabilize, and small enclaves of civilization to begin growing in the shadows of fortified walls.
Yet the war is far from over. The World Wound still festers, a cursed scar upon the world. The Second Crusade proved that unity could hold the tide—but the question remained: for how long?
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