Ruins of Crusader States
The Crusader States were a group of domains under the auspices of the Hyperborean Monarchy of the Foerdewaith that were established to guard and support the holy city of Tircople. Records of the various states certainly still exist in some archive in Courghais, and perhaps even in the capitals of some nations in Libynos. However, the states themselves are now all gone and forgotten by all but a few scholars.
Originally established after the First Crusade, the Crusader States lie along the coast of the Sea of Tyre on several of the islands offshore and, on the continent, in the northern part of the Jungle of Malagro. The mainland states were the County of Rheguim, the Barony of Talbrimmon, and the Barony of Ithamar. On the islands were the Barony of Cyproean and the fortresses of Aretas, Bergama, Tyropean, Nevalla, and Lycania.
The Crusader States provided support to the holy city of Tircople, a place for pilgrims to arrive if traveling by sea, and bases for merchants of Akados optimistically seeking to trade with the nations of Libynos. Before the Fourth Crusade, the island barony of Cyproean became a staging area for the armies of Foere. The coastal States also kept watch on the nearby Jungle of Malagro, whose inhabitants were not friendly to the crusaders but were not overtly hostile either, perhaps being intimidated by their advanced armor and weapons. So long as the Foerdewaith did not venture too far into the interior, the tribes of the jungle left the crusaders alone. As a result, the Crusader States judged the tribes to pose little threat to their people, much less to Tircople itself.
Twice, the Huun attacked the coastal Crusader States. The first time, only 10 years after the First Crusade, the Huun were able to seize the fortresses and towns of Rhegium as they laid siege to Tircople. This led to the Second Crusade, which saw the Foerdewaith eventually retake the Sacred Table and the lands of Rhegium. The Crusader States were substantially strengthened, and for 200 years they prospered. Then in 3169 I.R., the Huun again attacked, overrunning the mainland Crusader Coast and burning to the ground the fortresses and towns of the three onshore Crusader States, before moving on and devastating the proud city of Tircople. Only the island Crusader States survived, and all they could do was watch in horror as their brethren cities ashore were fired to light up the entire coast at night in a ghastly spectacle. It took almost 40 years, including the loss of the Third Crusade at sea, before Foere retook the Sacred Table in the Fourth Great Crusade. By that point, the settlements of the coastal Crusader States had been lost to the jungle. Though some consideration was given to re-establishing them, the subsequent sack of Tircople by the Mguru tribe of the Jungle of Malagro just two years later and the beginning of the Foerdewaith Wars of Succession shortly thereafter meant that all such plans came to naught.
From the sea, however, the ruins of some of the largest of the fortresses of the coastal Crusader States can still be seen. Visible in the north is the fortress of Galbanum, which was part of the County of Rhegium; it stands at the edge of the Wasted Desert, just south of the Zoar River that falls from the heights of the mountains to the west. Next is the massive castle of the Counts of Rhegium itself, followed by the great tower of Mithredath. Farther south, one can make out the extensive remains of Castle Talbrimmon, once headquarters to the barons of that name. Farthest to the south, the substantial castle of the barons of Ithamar can be discerned from the top of a ship’s mast at sea despite the jungle’s attempts to swallow it whole.
All these fortresses are considered unpopulated by the officials of Foere and those western merchants who travel this way. However, such useful fortifications are unlikely to be completely unoccupied, even in their ruined condition.
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