Hadricht's Crusade
In 1416, the Lysandrian Church launched a crusade against Elterian converts in southeastern Trelios. Orchestrated by Bishop Hadricht of Stomit, the crusade was largely based on false allegations of atrocities supposedly committed by Elterians. The crusade only ended after the Chemitz massacre which discredited Hadricht and led to the replacement of the Lysandrian prelate.
The Conflict
Prelude
As the Elterian faith spread throughout southeastern Trelios, local Lysandrian bishops united against what they considered a new blasphemous religion. Led by Bishop Hadricht of Stomit, a delegation went to Weix and asked for aid from the remaining Lysandrian princes. Among the princes, three camps formed: the Lysandrian League, the Elterian Revivalists, and the Reconciliationists.
At the biennial meetings between the princes in 1413 and 1415, no laws were passed as the two rival factions opposed anything proposed by the other. The Reconciliationists pushed for mutual understanding and respect to no avail. Following the failed 1415 meeting, Bishop Hadricht went to Calydon to ask the newly elected Prelate Vitalian for assistance.
Declaration to the Faithful
Speaking to a gathering of clerics and nobles in the Cathedral of the Pious, Hadricht accused the Elterians of multiple atrocities, including the sacking of Lysandrian churches and the burning of the Edras. Painting a grim picture, Hadricht stated that Elterian monks were kidnapping young children from Lysandrian parents to indoctrinate them into the faith. Filled with exaggerations and concocted lies, the declaration was written down and disseminated by allies of the bishop throughout Ilyria. Convincing the leadership of the church, Vitalian called for a crusade against the Elterians. Thousands flocked to Hadricht’s banner, while a division of Sunforged paladins pledged themselves to his cause.Stalemate
After organizing a volunteer army in Ilyria, Bishop Hadricht of Stomit traveled to Weix. Joining with the forces of the Lysandrian League, the combined army marched south towards Kerzenlicht. The neutral princes of Trasp and Biesenfeld forbade the army from crossing into their territory, but these warnings were ignored. Reaching Lemmingen in late 1416, a siege began that saw thousands starve within the city’s walls. The siege was only broken when the Elterian Revivalists sent relief forces. A pitched battle took place outside the city in 1417 which forced the League to retreat. Regrouping in Biesenfeld, the League settled in for winter. Ignoring Biesenfeld’s attempt at neutrality, the League’s army destroyed any Elterian temples, writings, or imagery it found. Here, the temple of Edite was burned down, with those excavating it locked inside. Knight-Captain Seraphina Mercer of the Sunforged Order attempted to stop this, but was overruled by the Bishop. In the spring of 1418, the League’s army marched to Raeminsk. While the town was largely Lysandrian, Elterians made up a majority of the rural population. Garrisoning Raeminsk, the League launched punitive raids on surrounding villages and farms, destroying anything that hinted at the Elterian faith. Any forays into the Elterian principalities in the west were pushed back, leaving the crusade in a stalemate for 1418 and early 1419.Chemitz Massacre
In Morning Star of 1419, the League again moved on, marching to Chemitz. Grand Prince Gevehard of Chemitz was a strong Elterian believer, but his lands in northern Trelios were isolated from his fellow revivalists in the southeast. The siege lasted for thirteen months, only ending when a Lysandrian guard on the inside opened the gates in the dead of night. When the city fell, the League’s soldiers killed anyone who could not prove they were Lysandrian. Blood ran through the streets with the massacre lasting three days. The Sunforged Order attempted to stop the killing, but were attacked themselves. The paladins then set up a safe zone within the city, saving a few thousand, however most were not so fortunate. After ordering Hadricht to stand down, Knight-Captain Seraphina was arrested. Both Seraphina and Gevehard were sentenced to death for blasphemy by Hadricht. They were then immediately hanged and buried in an unmarked grave outside the city. The Lysandrian League then appointed Gevehard’s uncle Wotan (a Lysandian) Grand Prince of Chemitz.Aftermath
When the news leaked of Seraphina’s execution, the acting Knight-Captain Merek Slayter ordered the Sunforged Order to march to Dietenburg. Spreading word of the Chemitz massacre, the reconciliationist princes joined with the revivalists against the League. Vitalian was discredited permanently due to her previous support of Hadricht. The prelate was forced to retire to a remote monastery. In 1422, the belligerents met at Vettelbach under the auspices of Grand Prince Karsten of Dietenburg. Prelate Gelasius, looking to put the scandals of the crusade in the past, worked closely with Grand Prince Tederich to bring an end to the conflict. Both sides were weary of war, so a compromise was agreed upon. Known as the Peace of Vettelbach, the agreement preserved the defensive alliance among the princes. Each prince would be allowed to choose his religion, and had broad latitude in determining the religious rights of each faith in his domain. However, individual subjects could practice whatever faith privately without fear of prosecution. Bishop Hadricht was defrocked for his role in the crusade and was turned over to the Elterians for trial. Tederich asked for the same treatment of Vitalian, but Gelasius refused. After the massacre, the Lysandrian League settled Lysandrians into Chemitz. The princes of the Lysandrian League refused any agreement that would cede the principality of Chemitz back to the Revivalists. The most controversial portion of this peace therefore maintained Wotan as Grand Prince, however, Elterians were guaranteed religious protections throughout the principality. Tried in Rateverk, the former Bishop Hadricht was found culpable for the massacre of the people of Chemitz and for the executions of Seraphina and Gevehard. He was paraded through the city following the verdict and then tied to a stake on a hill outside the city. There, he was burned alive for his crimes.Legacy
In the years since the Peace of Vettelbach, an uneasy truce has come to Trelios. The biennial meetings of the princes resumed. Putting aside deep personal animosity, new legislation has been passed. In eastern Trelios, Lysandrianism remains the dominant faith. The core of the Lysandrian League zealously ensures that no Elterian practices are allowed in public. This polarization is also seen in the west, where Elterians are dominant. In western principalities, only a handful of Lysandrian churches exist, closely monitored by local authorities. Many of the central princes rule over a divided population, allowing some measure of religious rights to both groups.
Start Date
1416
Ending Date
1422
Conflict Result
Stalemate
Belligerents
Elterian Revivalists
Strength
25,000 Militia
10,000 Volunteers
2,000 Paladins
10,000 Volunteers
2,000 Paladins
20,000 Militia
Casualties
Military: 8,000
Military: 6,500
Civilian: 30,000
Civilian: 30,000
Objectives
Eradicate the Elterian faith.
Repel crusader forces.
Comments