The Black Crusade

The Conflict

Prelude

At first The Black Crusade was nothing more than a coalition of rebel rousers and disinters who were disillusioned with Torland, and cited The Age of Unrest as a reason for the crowns ineptitude. Little did anyone know, these rebel rousers were led by The Bastard King himself, Stanley Golfiel.

Deployment

Things came to a head when these rebels infiltrated The Judicial Order of Aldwin, and after months of preparation they seized the city, stormed the castle--this was easy due to the fact that The Order also served as the kings personal guard--and tried to take control of Citadel Wilks. Fortunately the rebels were pushed from the Citadel, but this was a small victory compared to the bloodshed after.

Battlefield

All of Torland served as the battlefield, with Golfiel loyalists fighting Wardens with nothing but their fists, and farmers stringing up rebels by their feet.

Conditions

The battle was fought amidst damp country side, ruined buildings, and burning fields that couldn't even be quenched in the evening rain.

The Engagement

Unfortunately both sides were ill prepared for fighting. Most of the rebels were self taught peasants and retired soldiers who were bitter over the way Roger Von Alterbury was running Torland, and when Stan Golfiel took the throne, those loyal to the crown were just as poor and ill trained as the rebels. Both sides were supported by loyal military members, and The Judicial Order--the ones supporting Golfiel were known as "The Black Guard." But in the end it didn't matter, for Stan Golfiel had slayed Roger and his children, and proved he was a true heir to the throne by wielding The Hammer of Kings.

Outcome

With Stan as king, he instituted new laws and measures to get Torland's economy back on its feet, but given the scars the coupe left, the economy continued to stagnate under a people that had no reason to rebuild.

Aftermath

With an usurper king on the throne--and a bastard at that--the unrest that Golfiel hoped to vanquish didn't go away. Some would argue it only got worse. With the military weakened, and The Judicial Order now seen as nothing more than a band of traitors, the citizenry felt the crown had finally fallen from grace, and many once again took to the streets. The fighting wasn't as bad as during the coupe, but it was another chapter in the bloody reign of Stanley Golfiel.

Historical Significance

It is unclear how many bastards Roger Von Alterbury sired, or how many knew their true origin, but Stanley Golfiel somehow found out about his past. Seeing the corruption in parliament, and how his father was doing nothing to fix Torland's dying economy, he spent a year gathering allies, and planning his coupe. Unfortunately his reign caused more problems than it solved--The Third Campaign being a notable example of his ineptitude--and many of this problems wouldn't be solved till his son Trevor took the throne.

Legacy

Despite the bloodshed, this part of Torland's history has mixed opinions. Those loyal to Golfiel tell their children of the tyranny they lived under when Roger was king, while loyalists, or those who never had a side, remember the bloodshed, the cries of their brother as they took his life, and the fires. But Stanley won the war, and thus the victors side of things is taught in schools, while the ones who lost, the ones who should be in the right, argue in the streets about the day the streets were colored in blood.

Conflict Type

Military Campaign

Battlefield Type

Urban

Start Date

5th of Sierppa, 1785

Ending Date

8th of Gornaudeir, 1785

Conflict Result

Golfiel became king of Torland, but his reign was just as full of unrest as his father's.

Location

Torland