The “Crusaders” are the holy warriors and their supporters that seek to bring back the Titans and end the Great Silence. To do so, they have engaged in warfare and sabotage against the their mortal enemy, the Sanitorium, as part of the Eternal Crusade. The Crusaders are one of if not the the largest and most important cultural, magical and military forces in Vendrith this age. They are nominally united around the Iron Lotus commanding them with the aid of the secret Home Base, though some see her as but a figurehead.
The Crusaders are famous for their unique access to Godpowder-powered Firearms, which their fashionable commanders and heavily armoured elite troops prominently carry around.
The Crusaders have a shared goal, but consist of many radically different factions. Having formed from a variety of often rivalling Titan churches, the Crusaders are in an uneasy alliance until their goal is achieved. As of the signing of the Truth Concord, the Crusaders have also officially taken in followers of the Daydreaming Truth, though many remain suspicious of worshippers of a non-titanic entity.
Crusader Factions
The most important faction is the Crusader Armies located around Canath and parts of Galae. The different Crusader Armies have different names, coats of arms and leaders. Recently, the armies all at least symbolically pledge allegiance to the Iron Lotus. While these armies don’t directly control territory, they set up camp around the various realms and demand food, supplies and sometimes - conscripts. While few have rejected the armies’ demands outright, this has caused tension and has seen small scale conflict and sabotage occur (see Camp Conflict).
A smaller but equally important side of the Crusaders are the Sects, which take the form of secret societies and secret villages around various parts of the world. These are responsible for work such as theological study of the New Creed, magical experiments, maintaining diplomatic and espionage networks, and formulating plans to advance the war.
Some Crusaders around coastlines and islands partake in decentralised Banditry. While various decrees allow Crusaders free reign to pirate Sanitorium ships, these pirates don’t necessarily discriminate as they are supposed to. The Firearms that this new pirate threat wields has become an infamous symbol of their kind. There are rumours of a few crusader pirates gaining access to the rare Flying Ships of Canath.
Other very infamous Crusaders are the Desecrators of the Horiza. Disorganised and poorly equipped (as they struggle to smuggle goods to the continent), these crusaders often act more like bandits than holy warriors. Some have even accused them of using Necromancer, which is a strict taboo amongst most Crusaders. These Crusaders are said to hunt for the fabled Continental Army.
Also in the new world were the Blackout Crusaders, the invention of General Architrave. They were a small but well-organised faction of crusaders that infiltrated the ranks of Friedport in preparation of a plan to seize the city, but were uncovered, located and destroyed.
Some Crusaders symbolise their humility and gentleness by avoiding covering up their feet, often wearing traditional leather sandals even in suboptimal climates for it.