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 the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon have been granted new lands and founded a new temple in far London, so distant from the temple they claim to protect that some call them to task for the failings that many perceive. And Tamar of Georgia, the Virgin Queen, has blessed the Cave City of Vardzia, showing still that the bright light of our faith burns not only in the west but also in the east.

Soon shall Prester John lead his army from the south and drive the heathens from the borders of God's Land and the Kingdom of Heaven shall be made real upon our own world at last.”


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 informal meeting of so many of the most notable of our time, shall this year be on the rock of Jerusalem, inside the temple's grounds itself. We all know how honoured we are that such a meeting be allowed, in that most sacred of places, although I am sure it will attract all manner of creature with many a varied interest. Let us hope they may all keep a civil tongue in their heads, this time.

The Setting


Crusade! is set in an alternative version of the year 1185, like our history in many ways, but also deriving much of it's flavour from the legends that are still told to this day, as well as some of those we drive to the darkest corners of our modern minds rather than remember in the fearful night.

Crusade! aims to deliver an intoxicating blend of history, heroics, politics, crime, magic and legend that should satisfy any roleplayer who enjoys depth and challenge in their game. The layers of society and the friction between factions should derive much excitement and contest as each individual seeks his own goals, however personal or public they may be.

so_what_is_crusade_about.txt · Last modified: 2009/02/16 21:22 (external edit)
Except where otherwise noted, content on this wiki is licensed under the following license:CC Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported