http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/ 2021-06-03T18:54:57+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/ http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/lib/images/favicon.ico text/html 2009-05-11T18:07:59+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/accounts?rev=1242065279&do=diff How do I get a user account? Email the GM team at <gm@crusade.chaosdeathfish.com> with your character concept. Once we have accepted your character concept, we'll create you a user account and email you with your username and password. If you create your character in-session, we will ask you to email a copy to the GM team - if we haven't created you an account in time to submit your downtime actions, you can email them to the GM team instead. text/html 2009-04-29T16:47:04+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/alchemy?rev=1241023624&do=diff The Perfection and Purity of Alchemical "I saw Salman ibn Arammay within the worshops again. He has not ceased his toil over the perfection of his methods, this that he calls the 'cleansing' of metals. He has about him all manner of grotesque and strange materials he tells me is some kind of bronze or iron. Some ooze on the floor and others crunch underfoot as glass from the blowers' shops in Alexandria. I must hope that this passion of his pays off, for he is a good man." text/html 2009-02-20T11:42:21+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/arabs?rev=1235130141&do=diff Quick Start Themes Survive, Retrieve, Rebuild, Ascend. The Arabi are a unique nation in that, unlike the other nations vying for control of the Holy Land, the Desert People are all Survivors hoping simply to come off better than when they started. Whether you are a Baghdadian vying for power to rebuild your city, or a Bedouin noble looking to act as a Guide to the treasure-rich wastes of the Desert, there is plenty of option for roleplay based on the simplicity of “refusing-to-die-in-the-des… text/html 2009-04-04T11:25:45+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/byzantium?rev=1238844345&do=diff Quick Start Themes Byzantium is old, Byzantium is civilised, Byzantium is a nest of vipers. The Roman Empire of Byzantium considers itself to be the same state as that in which Julius Caesar and Scipio Africanus lived and loved and fought and died. It has been ruled by kings and consuls and emperors for almost two thousand years. Of course there have been some changes in that time: the capital has moved from Rome to Constantinople, the people and their rulers have abandoned their pagan ways a… text/html 2009-07-11T12:31:25+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/characters?rev=1247315485&do=diff Notes: * The Eternities of each character can be found in these bios. Latin States The Crusader Kingdoms The Western Kingdoms The Military and Monastic Orders The Orthodox States Byzantium Georgia Rus The Islamic States Ayyubid Seljuk The Seljuk Empire has been conquered by the Roman Empire of Byzantium. text/html 2009-03-22T11:03:31+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/chargen?rev=1237719811&do=diff Your character is the person you play in session and whose plans you layout in your turnsheet. Each character in Crusade! begins with 40 character points and these are used to buy the quirks and skills that define the mechanics part of the character. text/html 2009-03-23T02:22:37+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/cities?rev=1237774957&do=diff A description of the major cities in Crusade! These are designed to give a grand overview of the monumental focus points around the Levant Region that are in some way very important to the period. Summary A three concept summary of the city for those in a hurry! text/html 2009-05-14T22:54:12+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/costume?rev=1242341652&do=diff Welcome to the Costume Swap Shop for Crusade!. Now, whilst costumes are by no means required to play your character (and please don't feel that you have to turn up in costume at all), we find that dressing up is a lot of fun and can really help you get into the spirit of things. To that end, we have created this page to help both newbies and more experienced roleplayers find what they need to put the finishing touches to their character. text/html 2009-03-29T14:06:05+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/covenant?rev=1238335565&do=diff The Peace of the Covenant and the Yearly Gatherings "It is true that the year is 1185, and that midwinter beckons but it seems that we begin to gather again, the good and the mighty, the poor and the depraved. We know that the year shall soon turn again and that 1186 shall bring new horrors and joys to us all. And it seems now that the great conference this year, the meeting of so many of the most notable of our time, shall be on the rock of Jerusalem, inside the temple's grounds itself. We al… text/html 2009-05-11T18:06:33+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/downtime?rev=1242065193&do=diff Downtime The majority of your PC's actions will be described in the weekly 'Turnsheet' which is written and submitted in 'Downtime' to represent your characters actions during the year between Covenant meetings. In real life the Turnsheet deadline is FRIDAY 6AM. If you submit the turnsheet late, the GM team will not have time to consider it. text/html 2009-04-03T14:52:16+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/eastern_orthodox_christianity?rev=1238770336&do=diff It is not easy to summarise a religion or major division of Christianity, however this page attempts to give a short guide of origins and ideas which may help you play characters of this religion in the world of Crusade! Quick Start The main thing to remember about Orthodox Christianity is both its similarities to and differences from Catholic Christianity. Both are noticeably and obviously different from Islam, as both spring from the same roots and even a century previous the major differenc… text/html 2009-02-20T11:41:40+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/egypt?rev=1235130100&do=diff Quick Start Themes Scholars, soldier-strategists, but separated from the history of their land. The Ayyubid value culture and learning greatly, but they are the fiercest of warriors and apply their understanding of the world as readily to the way of the sword as to that of the scholar. Perhaps most subtly the Ayyubid dynasty and the people they rule are set apart from their lands, not truly heirs but a new beginning. text/html 2009-04-30T00:18:43+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/email?rev=1241050723&do=diff Introduction The Crusade! email system is designed to facilitate in-character communication and allowing in-character email addresses to be published without letting spammers email you. The main features are: * Email can only be sent to a Crusade! email account from a registered email address (except when emailing the GM list) * All in-character emails are copied to the GM team * Any emails sent through the email system have any (recognised) external email addresses rewritten into Cru… text/html 2009-05-03T17:27:37+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/faction_briefings?rev=1241371657&do=diff Western Kingdoms Crusader Kingdoms Military and Monastic Orders Byzantium Rus Georgia Ayyubids Turks Arabia text/html 2009-02-20T00:54:20+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/factions?rev=1235091260&do=diff The world of Crusade is made of factions. These are the three focus points for the game and are broken down in terms of faith for ease of reference. Faction Relations It should be noted that though there are different factions within the three major faith factions, they are generally considered to have a cordial relationship. That is not to say that there are not certain tensions between them, and even serious disagreements. It would still take a good deal of effort however, to provoke those i… text/html 2009-04-03T13:44:13+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/faith?rev=1238766253&do=diff Religions of Crusade! The world of Crusade! hosts three main religions, which account for the vast majority of believers in the focus of the setting. There are other, minor, religions and various corruptions of the main faiths, but these are minor and very specific and require the study of scholars and dangerous investigations into their practices. text/html 2009-03-16T12:21:55+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/georgia?rev=1237206115&do=diff Quick Start Themes A Golden Age, The Young Queen, The Riches of the Four Corners The Georgian nation is newly powerful in every area. Their military are strong and their gains large. Their culture is flourishing, with learning highly respected. Their economy is booming, and their trade never better. text/html 2009-03-23T00:51:40+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/glossary?rev=1237769500&do=diff A page for unfamiliar terms. Remember that many players will never have even seen the word “Outremer” before, let alone know what it means. Similarly don't forget that non-British players may not know that King Richard the Lionheart has any connection with England. text/html 2009-03-25T20:55:11+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/hedge?rev=1238014511&do=diff Hedge Magic "And I saw the most fantastic of displays unravel before my eyes, the mythic beasts alive within the courtyard for all to see, before truly the illusion unravelled itself as some slave walked idly. The slave was punished and I never saw Marcus choose such an inattentive magus again." text/html 2009-03-22T17:08:56+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/hermetic?rev=1237741736&do=diff "And I saw Old Man Wilibrand lift himself off the ground and call forth the clouds of the heavens afore him. There he called the rain onto the fields and lightning most terrible raced across the skies. Those all around cried out at the quick approach of all this and stood struck. The rats all drowned and once the waters dried, our miseries were gone and the land was bountiful." text/html 2009-05-17T15:14:25+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/historical_maps?rev=1242573265&do=diff A map of the factions in the Crusade! world. Note that the Military and Monastic Orders do not have land like the other factions, instead owning a number of holdings across the Western and Crusader Kingdoms. text/html 2009-03-23T00:44:49+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/history?rev=1237769089&do=diff A Brief History We have presented some of the major dates and events of the period, leading up to and following the First and Second Crusade. * 1054 - The Great Schism between the Western (Catholic) Church and the Eastern (Orthodox) Church. * 1055 - Tughril Beg, the leader of the Seljuks, takes over Baghdad, expelling the previous rulers. More than a century later, Baghdad has not recovered. * 1074 - Pope Gregoria V calls for 'soldiers of Christ' to repel the Seljuk invaders of Asia Min… text/html 2008-12-04T11:12:42+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/important_notes?rev=1228389162&do=diff On this page you will a list of important details we would otherwise forget to tell you and also some important information that should help guide you round this website. If text is in italics then it should be considered to be IC comment. How accurate it is or is not should be judged by the individual who reads it. If text is not italics it may considered to be OC comment. This means it is a presentation of the factual world as it is witnessed by those who live in it, aggregated if you li… text/html 2009-05-03T17:27:12+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/index_sidebar?rev=1241371632&do=diff Crusade! Index * Introduction - Read First! * The Historical Truth? Where and When? * Costume Swap Shop Characters * NPCs News * Faction Briefings Setting * The World of Crusade! * Historical Maps * Timeline of Recent History * The Peace of the Covenant * Principal Cities * On Travel * On War * Glossary of Terms text/html 2009-04-30T22:15:05+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/introduction?rev=1241129705&do=diff Hello, and welcome to the website for Crusade, the Trinity term '09 Roleplaying Games Society freeform game. If you've never played any sort of roleplaying game before, never fear! Here's a quick introduction. If you're a seasoned roleplayer, feel free to skip to the sections below! text/html 2009-02-22T12:38:58+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/invocation?rev=1235306338&do=diff The Courts " “He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the clay of pottery. And the jinns did He create from a smokeless flame of fire.” The Noble Qur'an - Ar-Rahmaan 55:15, 15" When Allah made Man he also made the Djinn. Since that time the Djinn have established a set of courts that each relates to. Now each is a member of one of seven courts and all except one of those is the combination of the two elements from which Allah made the universe. text/html 2009-04-03T13:36:37+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/islam?rev=1238765797&do=diff Quick Start Islam, while still an Abrahamic religion, is distinct from any of the Christian religions. Muslims consider Islam to be the original and true monotheistic faith of the prophets; Abraham, Moses, Jesus and finally Muhammed. It was to Muhammad, God's final prophet, that the angel Gabriel revealed the full truth in the form of the Holy Qur’an. Muslims believe that the Qur'an and the words and deeds of Muhammad are the fundamental sources of God’s divine will. Muslims are generally requ… text/html 2009-05-21T12:47:25+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/logistics?rev=1242910045&do=diff Logistics and other important information - Where, When and How? Remember to sign yourself up for the Society Game mailing list - rpgsocs to receive e-mails regarding sessions, weekly News and other important messages. When The Society Game runs each week on Tuesdays during Oxford University term-time from 7.30pm to approximately 10.15pm. text/html 2009-04-27T19:17:27+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/magic?rev=1240859847&do=diff The Magic of Crusade! In the world of Crusade! although they each follow a similar template, the magics are varied in a number of ways. There are three levels of power, each distinct in its ability to affect the world. There are also faction-limitations, giving each faction something unique in the magic sphere. text/html 2009-05-16T11:42:05+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/magicascend?rev=1242474125&do=diff Ascending from one Tier of Spells to another is different depending on the Tier. Note that regardless of Tier, it is impossible to learn magic off another PC. Please note that you may not learn more than one spell per turn. You can, however, spend AP towards beginning learning a new one after you've attained a spell. text/html 2009-06-28T13:16:54+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/news?rev=1246195014&do=diff Global News * Turn 0 * Turn 1 * Turn 2 * Turn 3 * Turn 4 * Turn 5 * Turn 6 * Turn 7 * Eternity News text/html 2009-03-20T19:23:21+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/notes_on_theme_and_historical_truth?rev=1237577001&do=diff The Historical Truth There is none. Just because someone believes something to historically have been the case it does not mean it was. This is not a hard history game and relevant timelines, snapshots or details shall be contained in the player's briefing material. It may be that broad brushstrokes may be correct, ie the list of english kings previous to the current, but the view point that the crusades history is written from in the 21st century is with an eye that has had 800 years to judge… text/html 2009-05-31T07:19:05+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/nottherealnews?rev=1243754345&do=diff Sons Her Holiness Pope Urbana III stands in the shattered remains of the Vatican. She surveys the broken landscape around her while a small group of Cardinals huddles behind her. One eventually steps forward, dressed from head to foot in red with an ornate face mask and speaks in a low rumbling voice, “A small heretics force has penetrated the defences and landed on the banks of the Tiber.” “Yes, I know.” “My son, Henry of Gloucester, is with them.” “Are you sure?” “I have felt him, m… text/html 2009-06-18T14:28:18+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/npcs?rev=1245335298&do=diff The following NPCs attended these meetings of the Peace of the Covenant. Turn 8 Fed Dave David Delvy Ivan * Empress Augustina, the younger sister of Isaac II Angelos; blonde wig, blue jerkin * Constantia Ata, the wife of Dukos Exarchos Nizam Ata; blonde wig, white jerkin * Empress-Consort Lida, daughter of Basiloprator Michael and wife of Emperor Alexios; brunette wig, purple shirt text/html 2009-03-23T16:28:31+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/quirks?rev=1237825711&do=diff Quirks help flesh out your characters with little additions and specifics and include a whole host of different quirks, negative traits and interesting things about your character. Positive Quirks do good things for your character or are a useful resource, negative quirks do bad things and will usually somehow work to disadvantage your character. 0-point quirks can either be randomly good or bad, or give us more information about the character without any specific advantages or disadvantages. text/html 2009-04-03T14:57:21+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/roman_catholic_christianity?rev=1238770641&do=diff It is not easy to summarise a religion or major division of Christianity, however this page attempts to give a short guide of origins and ideas which may help you play characters of this religion in the world of Crusade! Quick Start The main thing to remember about Catholic Christianity is both its similarities to and differences from Orthodox Christianity. Both are noticeably and obviously different from Islam, as both spring from the same roots and even a century previous the major differe… text/html 2009-02-20T11:41:15+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/rus?rev=1235130075&do=diff Quick Start Themes Uniting a People, Mercenaries, Love of Foreign Lands The Rus are in the middle of a sort of squabbling ressurgence, where from a single state have arisen several, vaguely inter-connected ones. There is a feeling that the old Kievan Rus must be made whole again, but obviously nobody wants any of the other pretenders to do it, and many are happy with the status quo. text/html 2009-04-26T10:35:24+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/sample_turnsheet?rev=1240742124&do=diff Your turnsheet page will have a turnsheet template in the format described below when you first create it. This is the format for how the GM team would like turnsheets to be laid out, if possible, followed by an example turnsheet for a fictional character. text/html 2009-02-19T23:49:08+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/setting?rev=1235087348&do=diff Since the historical setting and feel of Crusade! is less prevalent in media and games, this guide will hopefully give a few pointers on the world and vocabulary. The Levant, The Holy Land The Holy Land and The Levant are usually interchangeable terms that largely refer to the same area. That is, modern Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Syria, though the 'Levant' usually also encompasses the Nile Delta and Modern Turkey. text/html 2009-05-11T18:06:52+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/skills?rev=1242065212&do=diff Skills represent your character's natural and developed talents. They are rarely used during game sessions, but commonly using during Downtime to establish how well your character succeeds at their chosen tasks. Buying Skills You have 40 points to spend on skills. These points can be modified up or down by various different Quirks, but you may never have more than 50 points in total. text/html 2009-02-16T21:22:56+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/so_what_is_crusade_about?rev=1234819376&do=diff The Premise “The year is 1185 and midwinter approaches with a haste on it. Just a few months ago Issac II called the Angelos was placed on the throne of Byzantium by popular uprising in his name. A scant week or so ago the news rippled through the holiest of lands that a new pope had ascended to that primacy and that this Bishop of Rome, Urban III, 172nd to sit upon the most gracious of thrones did call for those who had faith to act against Frederick I, the Barbarossa. It is said also that … text/html 2009-04-30T22:15:33+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/start?rev=1241129733&do=diff Welcome to Crusade! the Trinity Term '09 Society Game, to be run under the auspices of the Oxford University Roleplaying Games Society. Crusade! is a game set in the historical Levant (or Holy Land) after the Crusades have begun. Though inspired by history, we wish to carry the feel and themes of the time rather than every single historical detail. Thus, as the players, you will decide the fate of the world as great generals, cruel rulers, scheming diplomats and destructive mages. text/html 2009-02-16T21:22:56+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/states?rev=1234819376&do=diff Detail to be added text/html 2009-03-23T01:28:14+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/symbolic?rev=1237771694&do=diff Though they teach the craft to no man, all men know to fear their curses and to respect their prophecies. For the runes they engrave have power, and truly they are mightier than a thousand swords. -Anton Yeleyev, Rus trader Much that is written was not meant for man to know. Much that I write was not meant for Gods to know. -Elisa Gretia, Georgian scribe and Symbolic mage text/html 2009-03-18T19:36:48+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/the_crusader_kingdoms?rev=1237405008&do=diff "On the 15th July, in the year of Our Lord 1099 the world was changed. At last the most Holy of Cities, The Lord's own Jerusalem was rescued from the hands of the infidels of the Fatamid Caliphate and protected again from their unholy and blasphemous ways." text/html 2009-02-11T17:10:30+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/the_islamic_states?rev=1234372230&do=diff “Under the last of the Ommiades, the Arabian empire extended two hundred days’ journey from east to west, from the confines of Tartary and India to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. And if we retrench the sleeve of the robe, as it is styled by their writers, the long and narrow province of march of a caravan. We should vainly seek the indissoluble union and easy obedience that pervaded the government of Augustus and the Antonines; but the progress of Islam diffused over this ample space a genera… text/html 2009-02-16T21:22:56+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/the_latin_states?rev=1234819376&do=diff The Latin States These are those nations, peoples, orders and crowns that hold to the true faith of the Roman Catholic Church, that of the single apostolic succession, of the seven holy sacraments, and of the trinity of our God. * The Crusader Kingdoms * The Western Kingdoms * The Military and Monastic Orders text/html 2009-03-18T14:46:19+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/the_military_and_monastic_orders?rev=1237387579&do=diff Quick Start Themes Crusade, Glory, Contemplation and Redemption. Since the creation of the Crusader Kingdoms during the First Crusade it has become clear that the requirements upon that state are vastly different to any that has existed before, and that the protection of the holy sites, of pilgrims and of the interests of Christendom stand above petty nation based squabbles; that there is a higher calling for many and, whether through arm or through prayer, that calling is to serve the Lord. text/html 2009-02-16T21:22:56+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/the_orthodox_states?rev=1234819376&do=diff The Orthodox States are those that follow the Orthodox church which is considered by its adherents to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Christ and his Apostles over 1000 years ago. * The Roman Empire of Byzantium * The Kingdom of Georgia * The Principalities of Rus text/html 2009-02-20T11:38:37+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/the_western_kingdoms?rev=1235129917&do=diff Quick Start Themes New Kingdoms, Towards Absolute Rule, Piety for God and Gain The Western Kingdoms are in some way successors to the Roman Empire and relatively new foundations. Some, like the Spanish Kingdoms, have not yet emerged as stable and prosperous Kingdoms, and some, like France, are struggling to maintain the heady gains of the previous regimes and dynasties. text/html 2009-02-16T21:22:56+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/the_world_of_crusade?rev=1234819376&do=diff The focus of Crusade is the Holy Land and those lands that ajoin it or are in its environs. These immediate regions fall into three broad factions, the Latin States, the Orthodox states and the Muslim states. Each of these has a very particular flavour and feel and each provides a very different character to the game. text/html 2009-03-23T00:45:57+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/travel?rev=1237769157&do=diff There are many motives for travel in the world of Crusade!, and people of all classes and nationalities travel extensively across the known world despite the difficulties. From the pilgrimages of the faithful to the icons and relics of the saints; to the diplomats and spies moving information; to the merchant who needs to import and export valuable goods; to massive armies transported by Kings and nobles to fight battles in far off lands; transport is key to everyone, and its difficulties are a … text/html 2009-02-20T11:42:00+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/turks?rev=1235130120&do=diff Quick Start Themes Decay and Stagnation, Rebirth and Reforging a Nation. The Seljuk are a decaying power block of competing influences. An individual able to help unite the sultanates and direct the fighting skills of the provincial powers could rebirth the nation entirely and bring it again to it's greatest glories, defeating internal struggle along the way. text/html 2009-03-23T00:47:25+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/war?rev=1237769245&do=diff Gathering Armies (See also, A Note on Armies on the Quirks page) An army can be gathered in a handful of different ways. Home - Bringing an army of your own from your home nation is the simplest method. Perhaps you could convince them to fight for you because you own their city and land, or your connections to the church helped you gather the faithful around you. text/html 2009-03-23T02:34:16+00:00 http://crusade.chaosdeathfish.com/witchcraft?rev=1237775656&do=diff Practiced throughout the world, the “Craft” is the “simple” or “base” art of protection, learnt from the natural world around us. By learning the secrets of herbs, roots, soil, and even the flesh and humours of animals, “Witches” and “Warlocks” commune with nature in order to protect their home, themselves, and their chosen village or city, with the creation of salves and simple potions. Forced to live off the land and use the fruits of nature in their simple magics, many Witches are survivalist…