Tarbin's Crusade

Tarbin's Crusade is an ongoing conflict in the Southern Fringes of the Kingdom of Roes as a result of an uprising by theocratic elements of the Titan arm.

Prelude:

Tarbin's Crusade began as a simple pilgrimage. Tarbin Eisendal, the recently-elected head of the Church of Orion, a religious sect popular in the Titan Arm (a region of Galaxy Dracona that extends outside the main galactic disk and is somewhat isolated from the rest of the kingdom) declared his intention to travel to the throneworld of Indus to speak directly to Queen Roren concerning the war with the Lichdom of Elerna. Apparently his plan was to convert her, and by extension, the rest of the kingdom, to the tenants of Orion as a method of defeating the Soulbound menace.
Tarbin's mission proved popular within the Titan arm, and a vast fleet of transports gathered to take him and tens of thousands of devoted followers to Indus. This fleet, heavily exceeding initial estimates of Tarbin's retinue, required far more supplies than could be reasonably brought with them, so Tarbin elected to stop along the route to beg the aid of several local lords until his pilgrimage arrived at Indus. Trouble arose immediately after exiting the Titan Arm, when Tarbin's fleet arrived above the world of Niebes. The Duke of Niebes, one Lord Tristan Blue, rejected Tarbin's demand for supplies, and rebuked him for daring to "just show up on [the duke's] doorstep unannounced with an army and demand to speak with [him] of heathen gods". This incensed Tarbin, who transmitted an order to his fleet and to the planet below to attack. Like many settled worlds in the vicinity of the Titan Arm.

The Battle of Niebes:

The invasion began when Orionist sympathizers on the planet rose up against the Ducal Guard of Niebes as they attempted to ready ground-to-space weapons to bring down the lightly-armed pilgrim fleet overhead (Niebes largely lacking a naval presence). With the ground-to-space weaponry dismantled and half the Ducal Guard declaring support for Tarbin, the "pilgrims" were able to land vast quantities of troops within the next few hours and march on the major population centers. Despite the majority being poorly armed and trained, the sheer number of Orionist attackers overwhelmed the loyalist defenders, who concentrated in the planetary capital and the industrial center, Eglen.
Tarbin's main body of professional soldiers, the Church of Orion's "Peacemakers", would join the battle for the capital, driving loyalist resistance before them and ultimately forcing Lord Blue to flee in his personal warship, the Procella, along with his remaining military strength. Eglen would surrender a week later, upon which Tarbin would order the entire populace of both cities above the age of five exterminated, with the orphaned children brought into the fold.

The Quiet War:

This began a period of low-intensity warfare. Realizing more resistance would come and with his forces sorely unprepared, Tarbin's main army would withdraw into the Titan Arm, leaving a token garrison on Niebes. Returned to his center of power, Tarbin would dismiss the majority of the pilgrims, instead declaring his intentions to march on Indus as a conqueror. Many former pilgrims joined the new Crusade, and began proper training. Tarbin would also begin constructing a proper war fleet, of ships drawn from Titan Arm defense fleets and a few new models constructed for him. The elite Peacemakers, the core of the crusade, have been replenished and expanded. Resistance in the Titan Arm was swiftly quelled, with the Orionists officially seizing control over the entire region of space.
Lord Blue would face heavy criticism for fleeing the battle, especially as his was the only true warship in the system. Nevertheless, with so few soldiers available due to the ongoing conflict with Elerna, Lord Blue was given the authority to raise a new army to retake his planet and crush the rebellion before it reaches Indus.
With the Crusade entering its second year, Tarbin has returned to Niebes with his expanded crusade fleet. The Crusaders have left token forces to siege other nearby worlds as the main bulk of the fleet advances into Roes proper; with their lords unable or unwilling to do anything but defend themselves, it is unlikely the Crusade will face any serious resistance until the arrival of Lord Blue's fleet, which is still gathering its strength.

Conflict Type

Military Campaign

Start Date

5184

Ending Date

Ongoing