Minifactions of Thera

[Boyar of Translavia]

The Renegade Legion
In the first decades ST, in the nightmarish world of Thera, in Constantium was created Legio "Areus", named after the God of War of Hesperos, and
was sent east, to Hesperos to cleanse the plague and defeat all those who dare to opose the rule of Constantium, and there were many. City after city, army after army was crushed by the Legion and it's commander who received the cognomen of Areus. Areus was a master tactician and this victories made him the most popular man in Constantium. But popularity brings envy and when seven City-States combined their armies and the Legion of the War God was surrounded, Constantium left them to die. But Areus and his brave warriors held their ground, and retreated, in order, to Constantium. Constantly harassed by the enemy, in two months, the Legion was home but the envy of the rulers of ungratefull Constantium was great, and they have stated that Legio "Areus" unfulfilled it's mission and ordered it's commander to commit suicide for this failure.

The legionari before their Commander were bashful, ashamed. Some were even afraid. Most likely they were all afraid, but some were less capable of hiding it. They had come with commander Areus this whole march, the longest, hardest thing they had done in their entire lives, and he had done it with them. Then they had watched Areus deliver them a miracle, victory, and triumph. They had every reason to love him, the most venerated and esteemed man in Constantium. For Areus, now, was to join the rank of generals who had never lost a battle. But grander than that, grander than all of deeds, Areus had made every battle count, and won the submission of defeated enemies, at the end of each. He was so obviously blessed, and he had blessed them so. Which was why they were so ashamed right now, and most of all afraid, to stand before their commander.

Areus entered his tent, troubled, and then killed himself. There hadn’t been a trial, or a thought of defense. He hadn’t even waited until they reached Constantium. He could’ve lived at least ten more days. They searched for a letter, but there was none. He hadn’t even tried to defend himself. The sword through his gut he counted proof enough. It made them want to cry, because they had always known he was innocent. But they didn’t cry, because they were legionnaires. Instead they decided to leave Constantium for good, to give up their legionari status and to take their commander's children and his dead body to the end of the landmass, though they had to march all the way into Hesperos.

When the renegade Legion was at the end of Hesperos, defeating anyone who tried to held them back or dared to follow them and bring them back to Constantium in chains, they constructed a fortified camp, that later would become a castelum named after Areus's daughter Lacedora, and in it's center, they've burned the body of their Commander turned God.

After two centuries of living isolated, Lacedora became a City-State of Hesperos with a militaristic society that made the Lacedorans among the finest soldiers on Thera. They call themselves Sons of Areus and their Archons are ready to imitate the campaigns of their God of War. Now that the Great Torment has passed, all Hesperos is open to them, and also the corrupt Constantium!

[Boyar of Translavia]

The Valiant Assault

Before His Holliness, the Grand Inquisitor Zappa, the Holy Title was held by the Grand Inquisitor Rodrige. He won the Inquisitorial Elections with only one vote over the votes for the Inquisitor Julio. Julio was a powerful Inquisitor and contested the Elections. He went to the northern Inquisitorial island called Sea Temple, where he gathered support and proclaimed himself Grand Inquisitor. Grand Inquisitor Rodrige became desperate to end this situation that could bring his end as Grand Inquisitor. The solution was to send an armed force to the island and finish the Schism in it's infancy, before it could brake the heart of the Gnostic Creed. But the Order of the Pale Knights was far in Syrianna, The Sword Brethren were fighting against the northern pagans, the Otterbach were fighting against Ibellikan pagans, and the other Orders were in talks with Inquisitor Julio. The hiring of mercenaries was impossible because the coffers of Grand Inquisitor Rodrige were empty, for all the gold was used to rig the Elections. All that His Holiness had to offer was that island and the right to establish a Knightly Order. Those two were enough for a knight called Ruoger, that was also rumored to be Rodrige's lover. Ruoger took his men and he went to the market in Haar where he held an emotional religious speech that added many more men to his banner and he set sail for the Sea Temple.

After the landing, Ruoger and his soldiers began an assault on the island's fortifications, but because of bad weather, the assault forces were driven back when the troops that landed came under heavy crossbow fire in open ground between the fortifications and the shore. The next day, the weather conditions finally favored the attackers as the weather cleared and a second assault on the walls began, but Julio's supporters again won the day. For the next two months the assaults continued, and many lost hope in taking the island's fortification. One day, when the besieged tried to burn down one of Ruoger's siege towers; the wind pushed the fire back against their own walls, causing a large section to collapse. A few knights rushed through the breach but were killed by the larger pro-Julio garrison. In the next morning, their bodies were displayed on the ramparts. By now the attackers were becoming fatigued and it was suggested that they abandon the siege. Ruogier, however, sended a message to the Grand Inquisitor Rodrige, saying that they were on the verge of victory. Three days later another assault was made, and another entrance was forced. This time, Ruoger managed to get all his knights through the breach by charging with two knights on a single horse, because they had a limited number of horses with them. After bitter fighting the supporters of Julio were defeated and the island fell to Ruoger who decapitated Julio and sent his head to the Grand Inquisitor. Julio's head was used for ball game on the streets of Haar and
the Grand Inquisitor Rodrige was verry happy with the gift, calling Ruoger "my Valiant Knight" and granting his recognition of the Order of Valiant Knights raised by Ruoger the Valiant, who also built an impressive fortress on the Sea Temple island, that will serve as the home of the Order.

[Boyar of Translavia]

The war-torn land
Before the Great Torment, when the landmasses were linked, the ancient Varia nomads camed from the southern steppes and devastated the lands that are now included in Ibellika and Europa. The Varia raids made the first gnostic peoples to build castles. And also the Varia brought the horse to the ancient gnostic world. The first gnostic knights were created as an effort to defeat the Varia and banish them, and so the Varia were defeated on a great battle in the plains of Europa and they fled to what is now Translavia. Beeing more powerful than the locals, the Varia conquered large parts of Translavia landmass and eventually settled as Boyars, making the conquered peasants their serfs in a feudal oligharhic society. Later, the Inquisition sent missions to Varia and managed to convert them to the Gnostic Creed, and they have imported many customs from the Gnostic Orders. The Varia would have developed a full Chivalric Gnostic society but the Great Torment came and the seas grew and covered many lands, isolating Translavia from the rest of the landmasses. In those dark times, Varia Boyars managed to survive by exploiting more heavily the Vlohian serfs. Their excesses made the Vlohians to organise a resistance under the leadership of an ancient Vlohian line descended from a mithical hero that killed a great dragon and saved the Vlohian people, the Dracule Dinasty. Vlohian shepherds and peasants led by Dracule the Black, managed to defeat the Varia Boyars by ambushing them in a mountain pass, and the mountain regions in the south of Translavia camed under the control of Dracule. In the eastern parts of Translavia, the sea winds brought the Vikia Raiders and the Vashta Slavers. Now, in this war-torn landmass of Translavia only the most cunning, ruthless and brave will survive.

[Boyar of Translavia]

I, Vlad Dracule!
I, Vlad, descendant of Dracule ancient bloodline, by the grace of the Almighty, Dragonmaster of the Sovereign Order of the Dragon, swear that I will follow in the footsteps of my Forefathers and I will slay any monster that threatens my people, my lands and my house, I will slay the Varia monster that spits arrows and moves as fast as the wind, I will slay the Vikia Dragons that walk on water and bite from my shores, I will slay the Vashta dragon that eats my people and turns them to objects, and, even if my House hasn't received any help from the Inquisition, although we pledged allegiance and founded our Order, I will slay their tormenting monsters too!

[Boyar of Translavia]

Fjolnir's Peace
When Fjolnir ruled over Ysmirr he proclaimed peace on Norselund and so it was, all the Jarls and the Warlords and men were at peace. It was called Fjolnir's Peace. Norselund was so peaceful that no man hurt another, even if he met his father's or his brother's killer, free or tied. No man was a robber and a golden ring could rest on the moor of Koslov for a long time. But the lack of riches, made some jarls to go and raid some far away lands. This sadened Fjolnir, for he could't punish them and break the peace, so he looked for other posibilities. In Jotunheim, there was a pair of magical mill stones; and it was said that the man who ground with them could ask them to produce anything he wished. However, they were so big that no man was strong enough to use them. Fjolnir visited a place on Norselund where a Vulcano erupted and helped the locals save themselves, and rebuilt their villages far from the mountain. In recognition, they gave him two strange giant girls, that were found in the Volcanic Mountain, days before the erruption. The giantesses were named Fenja and Menja and were big and strong. So, Fjolnir visited Jotunheim, where he had Fenja and Menja tied to the mill and asked them to grind gold, peace and happiness. But nothing happend. Then he gave them neither rest nor sleep for weeks, until the magic will work. One day, a great earthquake camed and the seas started to boil and to move, making the peace-breaking Jarls raids imposible and the mountains cracked open to make way for men to their diamants and gold, and from the opened mountains came giantesses like Fenja and Menja to serve Fjolnir's men, and then camed giants to work and build for them, so that all the Men of Ysmirr will be rich and happy. Or so was what Fjolnir thought, believing that the magic worked, and not realising that this was something else (The Great Torment). In revenge for being used, Fenja and Menja started to sing a strange song, and cursed Fjolnir that his sons and their men will never know again peace, and Ysmirr will be forever poor and it's people forever grim. And when the mountain giants heard the song of Fenja and Menja, they started to battle with Fjolnir's men and Fjolnir was killed in battle and his men defeated and forced to run from Jotunheim. Because now foreign raiding was imposible, the Jarls began to raid each others lands in search of food and other vital resources. And so ended the Fjolnir's Peace.

[Boyar of Translavia]

Demiurge with us!
House Vexille was the first noble House that opposed the Inquisition and by this daring act, all our familly members sufered persecution from the
fanatical Inquisition. But we are still here, we still stand, we are still called Vexille an we will sweep aside all of these mad dogs that the Inquisition unleashes upon us. Because the Demiurge is with us, and not with the corrupt Inquisition. The Demiurge is not angered by the people, He is angered by the excesses of the Inquisition. And, finally, after so much suffering of our family, the Demiurge helped us, and we no longer stand alone. The Boravians under the noble house Premysle has joined us in this fight. Now, we need to face our enemies on Europa landmass, and, at the same time, try to link up with the Temperate Ones of Boravia. It will be hard but we will do it because we are Vexille and the Demiurge is really with us!

[Boyar of Translavia]

The Unholy Crusade
For the last century the Golden Bank and the Otterbach have fought for political control of Northern Ibellika and for the favour of the Inquisition.
The Golden Bank financed many men of science (including Karl Faust) to do their work, and many great advances were been made in the fields of both medicine and warfare. These advances were often met by complaints from the the Inquisition, but the Golden Bank made sure that enough gold was paid to Haar to alleviate their concerns. The influence of the Golden Bank over some members of the Inquisition was so great that the corrupt Grand Inquisitor Rodrige was convinced (with gold, of course) to give a decree of confirmation to the Golden Bank as a sovereign entity.

The Inquisition and the Golden Bank made a treaty of participation to a crusade called for the conquest of Ghul Peninsula, in order to ease the pressure of the infidels upon the Pale Knights in Syrianna. The Golden Bank financed the building of a great fleet that was to transport the crusaders to Ghul. Meeting with such expenses, the Keyholders called the Magistrates of Trisena to pay their debts taken for the need to pay mercenaries to fend of marauding Ibellikan pagans that where secretly directed against the rich city state by the agents of the Golden Bank itself. The Golden Collectors suggested to the Magistrates that Trisena can pay, by giving up the rights to it's mineral mines, but the Magistrates refused, stating that they will not give their resources or any privileges and will pay their debt only in gold, but in the course of four years, angering the greedy Keyholders. Once the crusaders gathered, the fleet transported them but not to Ghul. The fleet arrived in a place that was a trap, because the Golden Bank and the Slaver Corsairs have secretly negotiated the sabotage of the crusade in exchange of gold from the Slave Trade, that was to compensate the expenses with fleet building. The crusaders where ambushed on the sea by the corsairs and from the slaughter controlled by the Bank, only the most cowardly of the crusaders were left to escape.
This was done because the Golden Bank had plans with these crusaders. They were brought to eastern Ibellika where mercenary captains in the service of Trisena but paid by the Golden Bank came and started to disarm, rob and humiliate the surviving crusaders, and then the Golden Bank agents approached the Crusaders, complained about their unpaid loans and the “treachery” of the Magistrates and convinced the Crusaders to attack Trisena. When the rearmed crusaders approached the city, the traitor mercenaries began to flee and helpless Trisena was sacked by the crusaders. This action was condemned by the Inquisition because Trisena was a Gnostic city and now the repudiated crusaders had no other option only to become pawns of the Golden Bank.