The Eighth Crusade, "The Deadlands March"
Purge the Lands of the Unclean
The Conflict
Prelude
The Deadlands by this point were not officially controlled by vampires and necromancer lords, but unofficially, it has been known that many existed in the land. While attempts to colonize the land had ended in failure, the relatively recent victory the newly christened order of the Knights Templar of the Black Cross won over a local vampire lord, would inspire some within the church for action. The Deadlands have been known as a haven for pagans and undead cults and warriors, and such a land cannot be allowed to exist nearby such holy places. The Hochmeister of the order at the time, one Friedbert Eichenwald, would seek the blessing of the Church to go upon crusade. The Church granted this proposal, and so the Eighth Crusade was launched.
Deployment
Friedbert Eichenwald would sally fourth from Neundorf, recruiting mercenaries and bringing nearly the full weight of his order to bear. They would march fourth and simply search the land for hostiles to purge and purify.
The local vampire and necromancer lords of the land would move in to fight back, but largely were unorganized save for local village militias.
Battlefield
The Deadlands
Conditions
Horrific, for the Deadlands has always been a treacherous land of dark swamps and terrible bogs. The graveyards invited death and there was no respite at night for that was when the enemy became more active.
The Engagement
For the most part, most of the campaign was focused upon purging the land around Neundorf's border of pagan villages and undead holdouts. Many villages were put to the torch for they were deemed too far corrupted to be able to be saved. The necromancers and vampires who fought them would reap terrible losses, but were ultimately slain by the fire and steel of the men of the Black Cross. The fiercest fighting would happen around the Blood Swamps, where terrible losses were suffered but in the end the men of the Black Cross prevailed. After a full year, a large portion of the Blood Swamps and areas around the border were burned and reduced to an ash wasteland. Seeing that the border was effectively secure, Friedbert Eichenwald would march his forces back victoriously, leaving holy symbols and runes as he went to effectively blockade the land he burned from the undead.
Outcome
Friedbert Eichenwald was celebrated by the Church for his victories, and would be honored as one of the orders greatest champions. Much of the Northern Deadlands was reduced to a wasteland, and would remain that way for many years.
Aftermath
This battle would show the newly formed Knights Templar of the Black Cross to be a highly elite and celebrated order, and show them to be some of the Church's greatest warriors to use to combat those who besmirch the Flame and the Light Pantheon.
While the damage was severe, eventually the Deadlands healed with time, and this crusade would directly lead to many vampires getting together to form an organized kingdom, eventually leading to the Crypt Kingdoms being formed.
Conflict Type
Military Campaign
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
3521EC
Ending Date
3522EC
Conflict Result
Tactical Crusader Victory
Location
Belligerents
The March of the Black Cross
The Shambling Deadland Hordes
Strength
Around 30,000
Countless, comprised of undead, vampires, necromancers, and local isolated village militias.
Casualties
High, around 21,000
Unknown
Objectives
To purge the nearby lands of the Deadlands
To kill the overconfident invaders
