Crusade of Light
A brief examination of key passages from the Illuminated Texts
relating to the Crusade of Light, by Acolyte Lars Gufftison, 637 AL
relating to the Crusade of Light, by Acolyte Lars Gufftison, 637 AL
Alverion's Grace
The world was in shadow. Its people withered under the grim weight of dread. Beings of darkness had come to consume the world, and the people had no defense. When all but the last slivers of hope were lost, and it seemed dusk was setting on the time of humanity, the people cried out for a savior. Their pleas fell on the ears of the Divine One: Alverion. Hearing their plight, the Illuminated Archon descended from the heavens to lead the people against their sinister enemy. The first gift Alverion granted the people was clarity, for they did not know their foe. He told them, "Your enemy is the Shix . They are darkness incarnate." His second gift was direction. He said to the people, "Hate the Shix, for they are not mindless beasts acting on instinct. They are keen and cunning. They know full well the terror they inflict, and it drives them to greater ferocity." His third and final gift on that momentous day was purpose. He looked out over the people, toward the encroaching black, and said, "To war." So began, The Crusade of Light.Alverion's first act shows His immense love for the people. A being of light looked upon our dark, broken world and chose to abandon the glory of the heavens. He chose to join us in the dirt as we scrabbled for survival. This must certainly be seen as an act of love for the people. He continues to display his grace by speaking to the people to teach them. He need not have done so. Such is His might and glory, He could have demanded the people follow him, but instead He showed us the way. Showing that there are no bounds to His benevolence, verse 2 ends with the first instance of His greatest gift, that continues on in Bastion to this day. He could have wielded His celestial might and struck down the Shix alone. In doing so, He would have stolen from the people their chance at vengeance; their chance to better themselves in service to His glory. How lost we would be today without the Divine One's willingness to let us serve.
Called to Glory
The Illuminated Texts themselves are very brief regarding the formation of Alverion's army. Most of what we know of the time between His arrival and the actual start of the war comes from the very few surviving written accounts of the time. The primary thing we learn from those texts is that He opened His arms to all who wished to hope. None were turned away from the light if they sought solace from the dark. We also learn that the people of the time were not united as we are today under His magnificent rule. While not explicitly stated in any documents I have found, it is implied in multiple sources that some factions of the army were bitter enemies prior to accepting His light. In discovering this I am struck by two thoughts. One, it is well that we stand together in service to Him. Perhaps the Shix would not have so easily broken the people had they been unified. The second thought is, of course, to reflect on the Divine One's immaculate leadership. In the light of His glory, the people put aside their differences so that they might be allied in service to Him.
More arrived today to answer the call. The last to arrive even brought word that the sky tribes will join us. I tremble to think what it will be like to battle along side them. Their savagery is the stuff of legend. That they would deign to join our cause speaks to Alverion's magnificent leadership. Standing in his presence is still exhilarating even now. He commands the attention of all; whether in the small war council meetings or the training yards full of hundreds of men. Our enemy may be insidious, but I have no doubt Alverion will lead us to glorious victory.
Alverion's Wisdom
When the holy march began, the enemy's first weapon was deceit. Time and again, as the righteous advanced on the Shix strongholds, the enemy showed no defense; gave no sign of threat. Were it not for Alverion's great wisdom the people would have been deceived and consumed in darkness. He commanded His legions, "Believe not your eyes. Trust in me. Obey my commands and you shall have the light you need to see through the enemy's lies."It is in this verse we see what Alverion meant in Verse 2 when he told the people the Shix were cunning. Again, we can look to writings of the time to gain a clearer picture of these events. Perhaps the most relevant texts are from the journal of an unknown soldier. Much of the journal was destroyed at some point during the crusade, including the soldier's name, but there are some legible pages that discuss the devious ploys of the enemy . He references illusions of quaint villages in place of Shix strongholds. Clear attempts to lure the righteous into ambushes. He recounts Alverion's command to volley the positions with burning arrows to illuminate the truth and root out the Shix . Perhaps the most disturbing entry in the journal recounts an event late in the evening as the army was making camp. The soldier describes his journey to a small thicket to gather firewood. As he approached the tree line he encountered what he describes as "an enchanting woman with ivory skin...streaks like a starlit sky...beautiful luminous eyes." Through Alverion's grace the soldier was able to avoid being enthralled by the deception. Unsure what to do, he called back to his commander in camp. The commander, knowledgeable of Shix illusory deceptions, ordered the soldier away and quickly shot the vile creature where it stood. This again goes back to verse 2, showing the value of Alverion teaching the people to serve, rather than stealing their chance for glory in His name.
The Exarchs
While not directly referenced in The Illuminated Texts, I feel I must briefly cover the Exarchs. They are perhaps the aspect of the Crusade we have the most knowledge on, so I will provide only a summary introduction to them. There are ample writings available elsewhere on the topic. Among the vast multitudes of Alverion's army there were those who rose above the throng because of their devotion, skill, or courage. Some of these were expected; such as Krathag Stormeye, a sky tribe chieftain. That he was a devastating force in battle surprised no one. Others, like Grimnor Deepdelver, rose from obscurity to stand aside Alverion. During the crusade they would become Alverion's inner circle, and were each given the title of Exarch. It was they who carried out His will and led His people in battle. For their service they would become legends and be granted great rewards.Alverion's Might
The enemy saw that the people could no longer be deceived and so they took up their second weapon, unholy dark magic. The righteous were thrown back as shadow rose up to consume them. The bodies of the slain were left blackened, falling to dust. Those who survived through faith in His light were left blind, their eyes blackened with unending shadow. Fret not for the fallen, for they achieved glory in service to Him. Their courage to face the darkness proved the people worthy of His aid in battle. Alverion was distraught at the torment of His people, and his deep sadness drove Him to anger. He wanted His people to avenge themselves and grow in his service, but against such evil He knew they could not prevail. Yet, seeing their faith was strong enough to face the darkness He knew He could achieve this victory for them. For they had proven they would serve. The Illuminated Archon strode to the battlefront, the shadow receding from His presence. As He came to stand before the terrible horde, He raised up a single hand and the shadow fell away. Without the darkness to serve them, the Shix abandoned the fight and fled from the righteous advance.Excepting verses 1 and 2, these three verses are likely the most well known among the largely illiterate masses of Bastion. The reason being, of course, that they are a favorite for His priests when delivering their sermons. I certainly do not fault them for this, as these verses are a grand example of both the Divine One's grace, and His power. He shows great restraint and charity in holding back his might, so that the people might achieve glory in His name. Only when they have proven their worth and achieved salvation in his light, does He step forth and display the tiniest fraction of His awesome power. These verses also serve as a potent reminder of the horrors awaiting the people if we allow heresy to take root in our midst. Much of The Illuminated Texts discuss the dark magic of the Shix , but verse 57 is perhaps the most direct example of the evil the people faced. Knowing such terrible forces exist, there is all the more reason for us to give thanks to Him, and to be ever vigilant for those among us who have been seduced by those dark forces.
Alverion's Mercy
Knowing the righteous possessed the light to see through their deceptions; knowing the Illuminated Archon could quell their dark magic; the Shix drew upon their third weapon: brutal savagery. A great cacophonous horde descended upon the people; slashing, clawing, and tearing. The enemy's bloodlust was unbounded, but without the foul shadow to aid them they could not drive back the righteous. A cataclysmic battle ensued. The people had suffered long in the . They had fallen to despair and seen the light of the world nearly extinguished. Now, through faith in Alverion, they had gained the opportunity to face the darkness. They met brutal savagery with righteous fury. Every faithful soldier who fell was another to achieve glory in his service, and became another brick in the wall holding back darkness. Every Shix slain fell to nothing, for without Alverion's grace, death is the end. Alverion was gladdened to see his people flourish. Their service to him, displayed in blood and death, proved each soldier worthy of His grace. For all the joy this brought Him, he still had cause for dismay. He saw the Shix, loathsome and evil as they were, as pitiable. His people gained eternity in serving Him, but the Shix simply died. He decided in that moment to put and end to the . The Illuminated Archon rose up his hands and with but a word, cast out the Shix and all the terrors of the dark.Here we see the end of Chapter 2, and the end of the Crusade of Light. We can see in verse 78 the desperation of the Shix. Recall that in verse 1 Alverion taught the people about the nature of the Shix: they feed on fear. Having been defeated by His wisdom and His might, they grew frantic and tried to instill fear with blood. In chapter 79 we can see they were yet again defeated by Him. By allowing the people to serve and gain glory through faith in Him, Alverion had countered this weapon of the enemy before it was ever drawn. I believe many of my colleagues in the church pass over some of the more important notes of the final verse of Chapter 2. For most readers, they see only the end of the Crusade and are quick to move on to Chapter 3, so they might study Alverion's great work in creating Bastion and his grand gifts to the Exarchs. I will quickly mention a minor point: Nowhere else in the entirety The Illuminated Texts are any darkness other than the Shix mentioned, but the final line of verse 80 mentions "all the terrors of the dark." I am loathe to consider what else Alverion has saved us from. Certainly, if he shielded the people from it so completely it must be worse than the Shix, and that is a chilling thought. Finally, I will come to the most important portion of these verses, perhaps in all of The Illuminated Texts. All in Bastion know our greatest purpose is to serve Him, but it is in the final line of verse 79 and in verse 80 we are shown why. It is only through service to Him that we can overcome death and gain eternity in His light. I remain, as ever, perplexed why some among us turn away from such a gift and fall to heresy.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments