Valradia mod for Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms

Partiton of Geralia

Year 710 marks a tragic death of king Geralis 16th. Young ruler waged series of wars aganist clans of Soredon that raided Geralian Riverlands.
City of Etil was besieged by Soredonians and proud king had no other choice but gather his army and march to rescue his people.

Soredonian siege camp, was ill prepared to repel coming Geralians. Battle, or rather carnage that ensued was short and soon Geralis 16th marched in tiumph on the streets of cheering city. Celebrations didnt lasted for long, because messenger came from nearby town, bringing news about another horde of Soredonias marching trough forests deeper into Geralia.

Kings forces catched Soredonias when they were crossing the river. Despite warnings of his men Geralis decided to lead the charge of heavy knights.

Soredonians in the river were massacred and the water turned red, but those wo crossed the river started to rain arrows on geralian knights.
Few arrows hit horse of Geralis and king fell to the river, losing his shield. Knight charged desperatly and protected the king, but single arrow hit Geralis in the shoulder.

After battle, knights took king to city of Etil where best healers tried to save him. All in vain, wound became infected and nothing could stop the fever. After three days Geralis 16th died leaving no direct heir. King however had three daughters, that could save his kingdom.

Each daughter married powerfull lords. None of them wanted to surrender his soveregnity to other, to they gathered to decide the fate of Geralia.
Days of Negotiations and Promises bringed nothing but further arguments. Civil war was almost began but three daughters of Geralis persuaded their husbands to another way.

Cortona, Etil and Sysa become city states with lands of Geralia distributed equally amongst them. City states were tied with alliance, supporting each other in the case of war.

***
Caberan Crusade

In the year 851, faithfull of the Light from Laugaria sent messengers to Ofengen, claiming great danger is rising in the east.

Caberan tribes, were being subjugated by one powerfull warlord. Numerous Caberan armies would threaten Laugaria and exile or murder Light's whorshippers.
Church of Light began preparations. In 853 army of crusaders marched to Laugaria. Way through mountains of Soredon was protected by clans that accepted path of Light, shortening greatly time needed to travel trough mountainous land.

When Crusader forces arrived in 859, they discovered that situation in Laugraia become worse than anyone could predict. Most of Laugarian forces were occupied by skirmishes with Caberans leaving local militias to deal with bands of Northmen who were raiding coasts and western reaches of Laugaria.

Crusader commanders decided to split army. Main purpose of the crusade was to be protecting the Laugarian people from pagan raids, and bring back order in the region.

After months of smaller skirmishes, crusaders dicovered in terror that from the east, great horde of pagans marches at Laugaria from Belandia while on the west, Northmen formed army to deal with crusaders who are supporting western provinces of Laugaria.

Solution was needed and it came from least predicted place. Warlord of Caberan, sent messenger who informed Laugarians that he seized full control of Caberan tribes and now he is in position to offer peace. Not for free of course.

Negotiations were hard for both sides, however an accord was reached. Caberan warlord was to become King of Caberan thus reforming his domain in the image of southern Kingdoms.

As king, leader of Caberan would accept Light's whorship and renounce old faith.
With his leader, whole Caberan would follow into Light's teachings.

With Caberan backed off Laugarian borders, crusaders and Laugarians clashed with invaders from Belandia and hastly moved to save western provinces from Northmen army.

Before rescue arrived, some of smaller towns and villages were destroyed. When crusaders arrived, northmen were besieging Laugarian city of Nogentel. Assault was in progress already so Northen failed to detect new threat in time.

Heavy cavalry crushed main Northmen formations before the walls and heavy infantry stormed to the city itself, searching and slaying any Northmen they found.

Resting crusader army had no time to celebrate. Small group of Ofengen knights reached crusaders camp with terrible news. Kingdom of Ofengen has found itself in the state of civil war.

***

While Ofengen crusaders were fighting in Laugaria, in year 860 beloved son and heir of powerfull lord in Bornheim fell ill.

Prayers to the Lights's grace, medics, monks and best care that son of powerful Ofengens noble house could get provided no results. Illnes was slowly consuming young man.

Desperate father send his men to search for someone who could heal his son, offering fortune in return for his life.

One by one, his men returned empty handed. When his hope was almost gone, last of his men returned, followed by mysterious man in black robe with red chalice emblem.
This man was a member of new growing cult. He was claiming that he knows a way to not only heal but also make his son stronger than he was before.

Not many knew at this time what Crimson Covenant was, and Church of Light was more concerned about bringing Light on the swords to the every corner of Valradia.

Lord of Bornheim agreed to anything that man demanded.

Chronicler of Bornheim wirites:
"My Lord arrived at the courtyard bringing his new companion with him. Lord gave order to his knight retinue, stating that will of man in black robe must be obeyed as life of Lords son depends on it.

Man, his name revealed to be Gerung, ordered few Lords knights to search the hills, north of castle Bornheim and bring fresh grapes of Sigismund, strongly poisonous fruits that eaten, turn veins black and cause quick death.

After few hours, knight returned with deadly fruits. Gerung asked them to bring two prisoners sentenced to death.

We all followed Gerung to chamber where dying prince was. Gerung bringed his travel bag, and took from it his "tools of work" as he called them. A long dagger and copper chalice.

When my Lord entered the chamber, some of the knights stated that Gerung preparations reek of dark magic, that is insult to Light's grace. Lord asked them where Light was when he begged on his knees for life of his son. Knights remaind silent after that.

Gerund crushed some of the grapes and filled copper chalice. He approched one of prisoners and ordered him to drink, but terrified man refused at first saying that Sigismunds grapes are terrible poison. Gerund asked a man if he prefers to be skinned alive and impaled outside or find quick death embrace in his chalice. Prisoner, white as snow drank from the chalice. Prisoners mouth became black, then all veins started turning dark and life dissapeared from his eyes before he fell on the floor.

Not even looking at the dead man, Gerund ordered knigts to remove him as he approached second prisoner. He draw his dagger and he cut a mans arm, he gathered blood to copper chalice and added juice of Sigismunds grapes. While mixing blood and poison, Gerund prayed in speech unknown to me or anyone else in the chamber.

Call me a liar but by the Lighs grace, i saw on my own eyes as copper chalice slowly turned color to dark scarlet and its metal started to look like frozen blood.
Air started to become cold and soon we could see our breaths. We were terrified.

Gerund approched my Lords son and asked him to drink from it. Lord moved towards them asking angrily if Gerund lost his mid and wants to poison his son, but Gerund raised his hand and told my Lord to be calm and let his save the boy.

My Lords son noded weakly, agreeing to drink from the chalice.
When he started to drink, his mouth became purple. Veins on his face and neck turned blue and his pupils turned red.

In horror we looked to what happend to second prisoner, his skin became pale and then almost grey. His face become sunken and he fell on the floor not making any sounds.

Son of my lord emptied the chalice and stood from his bed. Pale, with veins still blue and eyes red, he stood, for the first time from many months. I will never forget this night.

By my Lords order, Scarlet Covenant became openly accepted cult in the lands under his command."

In year 862, whole villages and towns were taking part in rituals of Crimson Covenant.
At first unaware of human sacrifice, they rejoiced, free of diseases, sharing scarlet chalices. There was no more dying children and sick adults.

Priests of the Light, came to witness the rituals and terrified, found out about sacrified criminals. When priests confronted the townsfolk and called out heretic rituals, they were seized and sacrified aswell.

Few managed to escape and report about horrors they saw in Bornheim.

***

Church of Light was shook by dark revelations.

Crimson Covenant has become greater danger than northern barbarians.
Situation was dire, army of crusaders, all best warriors church could assemble were waging war in Laugaria. Panic ensued, incoming reports of growing heretical armies only made Light's faithful more terrified.

Black army of heretics, with scarlet chalices painted over their shields marched west, where Light's cult was born.

Western coast tried to send messengers but most of them was intercepted by heretic patrols. those who reached Ofengens heartland, encountered towns and cities engulfed in civil war.
Armies of fanatics marched aganist heretics and each other. Villages were burned and abandoned, in the forests demonic cults were making bloody sacrifices while chanting terryfing songs. Hell was unleased and settlements of western coast were on its own.

Osaril Alliance was born. No sane man from western coast would accept heretical ways.
United and full of faith, knights and lowborn of Osaril alliance formed army that marched to meet heretics.

East of Somie, in the grasslands both armies clashed. Heretics didnt meet such ferocity before.
Light's warriors stormed aganist lines of black army, breaking shields cutting down and piercing rows of enemies. Brutal carnage painted battlefield red, warriors were drowning in red mud, arrows were falling like dark clouds at men and horses.

Group of Osaril knights charged directly at heretic commander, trampling heretics on their way, knights fell upon leader of black army. Death of leader sent remaining heretics retreating in chaos.

Army of Osaril alliance was unable to pursue heretics, too many fell from wounds that were ignored under influence of battle madness.

***

In end of year 863, crusader army returned from Laugaria.
"Ruin and despair, by the Light, has world gone mad while we fought in the north?" - Unknown Crusader

Every cultist, every heretic that fell into crusaders hands was either cut down on the spot burned or hanged on nearest tree.

Crusaders marched on Lengefeld.
More than half of Ofengens capital was engulfed in riots, bringing order with swords in hand crusaders rescued royal court and many important noblemen. King however was gone.
According to local comander, king left the city with part of his retiune and rode west.

Army left Lengefeld and marched west, where crusaders encountered renegade forces under command of mad bishop Arcturus, who declared himself "Prophet of Apocalypse". His cultists were nothing more than gathering of fanatics rabble and local militias.

Madmen had no chance aganist veteran crusaders and to make thigs worse, second force under royal banner of Ofengen came from city of Vordorf. Renegades were slaughtered and order in the region was restored.

Most of old Ofengen was gone, northern regions joined heretics from Bornheim or declared independence, whole western coast became Osaril Alliance and refused to return under Ofengen control.

Old Ofenges was no more and its remnants will struggle for years to regain former power.