Setting: The Sword and the Cross

[Greg 1]

I'm hoping to put this up on the GURPS Wiki, though as it stands, there aren't actually any GURPS rules to go with it.

I'm looking for both suggestions and contributions. I guess I'll post what I have in chunks to give people a little time to digest. I have about 10,000 words.

The Sword and the Cross

Eurasia in 1455

The study of magic has led to disastrous consequences in lands east of Europe. Islam has largely been driven underground by pagan revivalists armed with magic. The old Islamic kingdoms have been replaced by pagan states centered around ancient sacred cities. The most powerful pagan kingdoms are Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt, famous for their wealth and wickedness.
In some places, worship of false gods has lead to kingdoms being overrun by supernatural horrors, as Grenada in the south of Spain has been. Palestine has been almost depopulated for a century, a land stalked by desert demons. In 1453, the great Christian city of Constantinople, at the height of its resurgent power after defeating the Turks and securing all of Anatolia, destroyed itself through sin. On the night of the feast of St. Nicholas, a mob held an illegal rite to Hecate, Greek goddess of magic, in his great church, the Nea Ekklesia. The whole of Anatolia now swarms with monsters. Far to the east lie the great civilizations of India and China, about which almost nothing is known.

Europe in 1455

The greatest European states are Aragon, Burgundy, Castile, England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, Poland-Lithuania, Portugal, the State of the Teutonic Order, and Venice. The Holy Roman Empire is dominant in the east, while in the west, the great powers fight for supremacy. Military power depends heavily on support from religious orders of knights. It is these orders who directly determine who sits on a throne, and every nation accepts the protection of some order as that nation’s official guardian. Political power depends heavily on support from religious orders of all sorts, knightly or otherwise.
The study of magic, and the development of magical abilities, is dominated by the church. Knights often develop “holy powers”. These are magical powers and are holy only in the sense that they have (theoretically, at least) been devoted to the service of God. Knights have little control over what holy powers they develop, though desire and effort can make a difference. Powers of healing and protection are common, as are powers that enhance the knight’s natural martial abilities. Different powers tend to appear in different orders of knight.

Aragon
The Crown of Aragon is a rich Spanish monarchy under the warlike Alfonzo V “the Magnanimous”. It controls parts of Italy (including Sicily and Naples) and has influence in the Mediterranean. Argononeze wealth is built on Mediterranean trade, agriculture, and control of key ports. They are trade partners and rivals of Castile and Portugal, with whom they compete for markets. Alfonzo quarrels often with his nobility, who resent his centralization of power. His main priority right now is to clear out the monsters that infest pagan Granada. Aragon is under the protection of the Knights of St. George. As such, it maintains close ties with England, likewise under their protection.

Burgundy
The wealthy Duchy of Burgundy, headed by the expansionistic Philip III “the Good”, is theoretically subject to the Holy Roman Empire, but is an independent power.
Burgundy is under the protection of the Knights of St. Andrew. As such, it maintains close ties with Scotland, likewise under their protection. In rivalry to the order of St. Andrew, Philip established the Order of the Golden Fleece to represent his interests.

Castile
The Kingdom of Castile is Spanish kingdom under the weak king King Henry IV, who is caught up in power struggles with the nobility. The Kingdom has territories in the Iberian Peninsula taken from Muslims and pagans during the Reconquista. Presently, the kingdom is fighting to clear the monsters that infest pagan Granada to the south. Castilian wealth is based on agriculture, livestock (especially sheep), and mining. Their main rivalries are with the nearby powers of Aragon and Portugal. Castile is under the protection of the Knights of St. Aemilian. Castile has also established the Knights of St. Raymond, the Order of Calatrava, devoted to the reconquest.

England
The Kingdom of England, under the weak and mentally unstable Henry VI, holds England, Wales, Calais, Gascony, and parts of Ireland, but in recent wars has lost almost all of its once extensive holdings in France. England’s main rivalries are with Scotland to the North and France across the channel. English wealth is built on agriculture, wool trade, and emerging maritime ventures. England is under the protection of the Knights of St. George. The powerful House of York has been pressuring the Order of St. George to replace Henry VI as monarch with Edward, Duke of York. Henry in turn has been courting the Knights of St. Edmund, who were guardians of England until the Order of St. George took over a century ago.

France
France is an emerging power under Charles VII “the Victorious”, who has almost completey expelled England from the continent. French wealth is derived from agriculture, trade, and a growing centralized administration. Charles is primarily focused on consolidating his territories and expanding his influence in Italy. France is under the protection of the Knights of St. Joan. The Knights of St. Martin are particularly strong in France, which they used to protect before guardianship was given to the Knights of Joan 20 years ago.

Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, under Emperor Frederick III, is the dominant power in Central Europe. It controls numerous semi-autonomous regions, some rich in trade and mining. It rules the German states, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Switzerland, Northern Italy, and the Low Countries. Frederick strives to centralize control while his nobility strive to decentralize it. Local nobles are often more concerned with their squabbles with each other than serving their distant emperor. The Holy Roman Empire is under the protection of the Knights of St. Maurice.

Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary, under King Ladislaus V, controls large parts of Central Europe, including modern-day Slovakia, Croatia, and parts of Romania. The realm is unstable and Ladislaus struggles for power with his nobility. Wealth is derived from agriculture, mining (notably gold and silver), and trade. Hungary had several conflicts with the Republic of Venice over control of Dalmatian territories, part of a larger struggle for influence in the Adriatic. Hungary is under the protection of the Knights of St. Stephen.

Poland-Lithuania
The Kingdom of Poland-Lithuania is a large state with territories stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. It is headed by Casimir V, the Duke of Lithuania who became king of Poland and united the two nations. Casimir is largely focused on consolidating his rule. The Kingdom’s wealth comes from agriculture, trade, and control of key trade routes.
Poland-Lithuania is under the protection of the Knights of St. Stanislaus. It also contains a chapter house for the Knights of St. George. As of 1544, it is at war with the State of the Teutonic Order.

Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal, under the ambitious Afonso V, expands it’s influence and territory, in Europe and Africa. Portugal’s wealth is based on maritime trade, making it both a trading partner and a rival of other mediterranean traders such as Aragon, Castile and Venice. Like Aragon and Castile, it fights to clear the monsters that infest pagan Granada, that the land can be returned to Christian rule. Portugal is under the protection of the Knights of St. Anthony. It also contains a chapter house of the Knights of St. George.

State of the Teutonic Order
The State of the Teutonic Order is a theocratic state belonging to the Teutonic Knights. Established in the early 13th century, it includes Prussia, Livonia, parts of Lithuania, and other regions along the southeastern Baltic coast. The state is governed by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, who holds both religious and military authority. The order’s governance is characterized by a strict monastic and military hierarchy. The state has fought frequently with Poland-Lithuania, who resents the appropriation of lands that used to belong to them. As of 1454, Poland and the State of the Teutonic Order have been at war.

Venice
Venice, under Doge Francesco Foscari, is a maritime republic with extensive trade networks and colonies in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea. Venice’s wealth comes from extensive trade networks, banking, and control of strategic maritime routes. This makes them both a trade partner and rival of Aragon, Castile and Portugal in the Mediterranean, and Hungary in the Adriatic. The Republic of Venice is under the protection of the Knights of St. Michael.

[PTTG]

What are the monsters like?

[Greg 1]

Originally Posted by PTTG

What are the monsters like?

Good question! I've added a quick paragraph about it to my setting description.

Monsters will be some combination of dangerous and weird. Many bear at least some resemblance to creatures from myth and folklore. Most creatures from fantasy RPGs should be appropriate, though not all. At their simplest, monsters are animalistic, like a massive boar or snake. At other times, they will be bizarre amalgams. They are often malicious and never safe. Intelligent monsters can act benignly at times, but are always alien never sane from a human perspective.

[The Colonel]

Are you familiar with Lion and Dragon? - it's B/X style OSR but covers a lot of the same ground.

[Varyon]

On the topic of monsters, I note that some pagan nations appear to be thriving (albeit as "dens of sin," at least from the standpoint of the Christian nations), while others have become overrun with monsters on account of worshipping false gods. Are the surviving pagan nations worshipping actual gods, or just false ones who don't cause monsters? Or do they have some means of keeping the monsters in check?

[Greg 1]

Originally Posted by Varyon

On the topic of monsters, I note that some pagan nations appear to be thriving (albeit as "dens of sin," at least from the standpoint of the Christian nations), while others have become overrun with monsters on account of worshipping false gods. Are the surviving pagan nations worshipping actual gods, or just false ones who don't cause monsters? Or do they have some means of keeping the monsters in check?

Good questions. I haven't written about this and am not sure how much I should write.

The line between a true god and a false god is unclear. Christians wield supernatural power but so do pagans, maybe better. Whether the pagan gods are imaginary, real but not gods, or real gods was not something I wanted to take a stand on.

Regarding why only some nations are overrun by monsters, I thought I might just leave that as a mystery. The idea is that magic is unpredictable and dangerous and could easily destroy you. I was hoping that it would be reminiscent of the destruction of Soddom and Gommorah and other sinful places.

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Are you familiar with Lion and Dragon? - it's B/X style OSR but covers a lot of the same ground.

Thanks! It looks really awesome and it would be a useful resource for playing in this setting, or any setting socially similar to medieval Europe.

We certainly head in opposite directions where history and religion are concerned, with my setting leaning in to real history and religion much more. Most obviously, they avoid Christianity and the Christian church, whereas my setting (as will become clearer as I post more) is absolutely rooted in Christianity and the Christian church.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Greg 1

The line between a true god and a false god is unclear. Christians wield supernatural power but so do pagans, maybe better. Whether the pagan gods are imaginary, real but not gods, or real gods was not something I wanted to take a stand on.

That's understandable. We don't know the answer to questions like this in our own reality, but that doesn't stop people from making settings in it, so it's not strictly necessary for the designer of a setting to know for certain what the truth behind its metaphysics are. It's probably best to approach an "answer" from the viewpoint of the people in the setting.

For the Christians, these are all clearly false gods, some of which may be tests from the true God. Perhaps they believe the overrun pagan nations are meant to serve as a warning, while the thriving ones represent both temptation (as part of the above tests) as well as are nations with populations that may be possible to save from their self-imposed damnation. There will undoubtedly be disagreements and nuances, of course.

For the pagans, there may be less unity in opinion. Some may see the gods as simply being fickle - overrunning some nations with monsters while allowing others to thrive. Some may see the gods with stable nations as being true ones, while those nations overrun by monsters followed demons / false gods / evil gods. Or perhaps there's a belief that you need a powerful protector god to be able to dabble in magic without disaster - their own gods (and the one(s) the Christian nations worship - some of the pagans might consider the Saints their Orders are named after to be gods) have that kind of power and inclination toward protection, but those of the fallen nations weren't up to snuff.

The actual truth isn't really necessary to know, unless you intend part of the plot to be unraveling said mystery (and even then, you could certainly leave it open and ultimately go with whatever explanation the players come up with that you also like).

[Greg 1]

The Sword and the Cross: Post 2

Independent Knightly Orders

The twelve “independent” knightly orders are given their authority directly by pope Nicholas V. While individual knights may be subjects of a noble, the order itself is subject only to the church. The legal details are complex and hotly disputed. The independent knightly orders are powerful international organizations who have shaped the face of Europe. They are the orders of St. Adrian, St. Andrew, St. Bernard (the Knights Templar), the Blessed Virgin (the Teutonic Knights), St. George, St. Hubert, St. James, St. John the Baptist (the Hospitallers), St. Martin, St. Maurice, St. Michael and St. Peter.

St. Adrian, Guardians of the Sick
Symbol: Sword and anvil.
The Knights of St. Adrian are mainly found in northern Europe, and maintain houses in France, Flanders, and the Holy Roman Empire. Adrian is a patron of soldiers. This tends to make soldiers side with the knights, which gives them a military importance beyond their numbers, as well as inspiring them to develop protective holy powers. Adrian is a patron of plague victims, and his knights are known for their compassion towards the sick, and for developing healing holy powers. They run several hospitals. Adrian is a patron of arms dealers, and his knights are often recipients of generous donations of equipment. Adrian is patron of butchers, inspiring his knights to develop holy powers that leave their foes in a butchered state.
The Knights of St. Adrian emphasize obedience, and are accordingly loyal to the Vatican. They are on good terms with the knights of St. George and St. Joan, based on a common concern for ordinary soldiers. Politically, they tend to support the states of northern Europe against those of the south. They tend to resent Burgundy and the Knights of St. Andrew for Burgundian occupation of so much of the low countries, and to resent the Holy Roman Empire and the Knights of St. Maurice for similar reasons.

St. Andrew, Guardians of Burgundy and Scotland
Symbol: St. Andrew’s cross.
The Knights of St. Andrew are guardians of Burgundy and Scotland. As widespread as the veneration of Andrew, they also have chapters in Amalfi (Italy), Athens, and Moscow. Andrew is patron of farm workers and fishermen, leading his knights to be sympathetic towards the lower orders, a tendency that puts them at odds with the nobility. Andrew is also patron of singers, and the choirs of the Knights of St. Andrew are famous. Some knights of the order develop holy powers related to song.
The order has grown powerful enough to chafe under the authority of the papacy, whose power they wish to see curtailed. As guardians of Scotland, they are rivals of the Order of St. George, who guard England. The Viking raids against Scotland in centuries past have made them traditional rivals of the knights of Canute and Olaf. As guardians of Burgundy, they are rivals of the Order of St. Joan, who guard France, and the Order of St. Gideon, a native Burgundian order who would like to guard Burgundy themselves. A shared concern for workers inclines the Knights of St. Andrew towards the knights of St. Anthony and St. Martin, and towards the monks of St. Benedict.

St. Bernard, The Knights Templar
Symbol: Red cross pattée on a white mantle.
The Order the Knights Templar, also known as the Knights of St. Bernard, and officially known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, was founded in 1119 to protect Christian pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. They were given quarters on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which inspired their name.
The knights established banks in order to help finance themselves and consequently grew very rich. Today, they have significant holdings in Aragon, Castile, England, and Portugal, and Templar banks are important for the economies of these countries.
The knights have long-standing feuds with the French monarchy and the papacy. In 1307, King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Templars, orchestrated charges of heresy and blasphemy against them. Accusations included that the Templars worshipped the demon Baphomet, a charge inspired by the extensive library the Templars had accumulated on the subject of demonology. The order was officially disbanded by Pope Clement V in 1312, but then almost immediately reinstated when foreign dignitaries and Italian banks and merchants objected to the damage the loss of Templar banks would do to the economies of Western Europe.
Hostility towards the pope makes the Templars rivals of the Order of St. Peter (among other loyal knights), while hostility towards the French crown makes them rivals of the Order of St. Joan. Conversely, they are on good terms with the Knights of St. Michael, who protect banks. St. Bernard was a Cistercian monk, and the Templars and Cistercians have long supported each other. A shared history in the crusades puts the Knights Templar on good terms with the Knights Hospitaller (Knights of St. John the Baptist) and Teutonic Knights (Knights of the Blessed Virgin).

The Blessed Virgin, The Teutonic Knights
Symbol: Black cross on a white mantle.
The Teutonic Order was founded by German knights during the Third Crusade around 1190 to aid Christians in the Holy Land. Subsequently, the order shifted its focus to the Baltic region, participating in the Northern Crusades against the pagan Prussians. Growing as powerful as kings, they today possess their own state in Europe on the eastern border of Poland-Lithuania, the State of the Teutonic Knights. They converted the last of the pagan kingdoms on the Baltic around 50 years ago, effectively completing the Christianization of Europe. The papacy consequently holds them in high esteem and the knights are loyal in return. They are rivals of the knights of St. Stanislaus, guardians of Poland-Lithuania. On the other hand, a shared history in the crusades puts them on good terms with the Knights Hospitaller (Knights of St. John the Baptist) and Templar (Knights of St. Bernard). A shared devotion to the Blessed Virgin has also put them on good terms with the Carmelite monks, and the two orders have often helped or defended one another.
Inspired by the legendary hero Siegfried, they are known for developing holy powers related to strength and resistance to harm. Long association with pagan intelligences in the forest has sometimes led them to develop holy powers inspired by their foes.

St. George, Guardians of Aragon and England
Symbol: Simple red cross on a white mantle.
The Knights of St. George are guardians of England and Aragon. The order is as widespread as veneration of the saint, and there are chapter houses in Athens, Greece; Vilnius, Lithuania; Lisbon, Portugal; and Genoa, Italy. St. George was a Greek living in Turkey and his cult came to Western Europe with returning crusaders. His knights have been guardians of Aragon since 1279, replacing the Knights of St. Ferdinand. They have been guardians of England since 1348, replacing the Knights of St. Edmund. George is patron of both soldiers and horsemen, and his knights are known for developing both martial and horse-related holy powers.
The Knights of St. George have grown powerful enough to weary of the Vatican’s authority, and they seek to curtail it. George’s patronage of farm workers and soldiers leads his knights to sympathize with the peasantry. This has understandably led to conflict with the nobility. On the other hand, shared concern for the peasants has put them on good terms with the knights of St. Anthony and St. Martin, and with the monks of St. Benedict. As guardians of England, the Knights of St. George are rivals of the knights of St. Joan, Andrew, Patrick, and David, guardians of France, Scotland, Ireland and Wales respectively. They are also rivals of the Knights of St. Edmund, who until a century ago, used to be guardians of England. King Henry VI of England has been courting the knights of Edmund as possible replacements for the troublesome knights of George. As guardians of Aragon, the Knights of St. George are rival of the Knights of St. Amelian, guardians of Castile.

St. Hubert, Knights of the Forest
Symbol: Stag with a glowing crucifix between the antlers.
St. Hubert is patron of hunters, archers, dogs, forest workers, mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers. His knights are famous for their skill as hunters and woodsmen, and for the quality of their arms. They are mainly located in Burgundy, France and Germany, but might be found in any forest. Their chapter house is in the city of Liège, though they have many wilderness lodges. They are known for developing holy powers related to nature and to their role as hunters. Some have developed exotic powers related to mathematics or optics.
The Knights of St. Hubert have a complicated relationship with the nobility. On the one hand, as masters of the hunt, knights of Hubert can be a lot of fun. On the other hand, the knights want to see the forests opened up for the peasants to hunt in as well as the aristocracy. The order of St. Hubert has come into conflict with the crowns of England, France and the Holy Roman Empire over the issue of deforestation. They are on good terms with the Knights of St. Edmund, whose woodsmanship they respect.

[Phantasm]

hmm...

In the real world, Portuguese and Spanish exploration around Africa and across the Atlantic was spurred by not wanting to deal with Muslim traders at that end of the Silk and Spice Roads. Are they keeping up their maritime explorations in this alt-world, trying to avoid the monster-infested Middle East by going around Africa to get Indian spices (peppercorn, cinnamon, etc.) or Chinese porcelain?

And what of the Mongols who conquered Kyiv around 1240, and Poland and Hungary not long after, and continued to demand tribute from Slavic principalities until around 1480?

[Greg 1]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

In the real world, Portuguese and Spanish exploration around Africa and across the Atlantic was spurred by not wanting to deal with Muslim traders at that end of the Silk and Spice Roads. Are they keeping up their maritime explorations in this alt-world, trying to avoid the monster-infested Middle East by going around Africa to get Indian spices (peppercorn, cinnamon, etc.) or Chinese porcelain?

I think that would make sense. I don't see them being any more eager to trade with the pagans than the Muslims, given that the pagans behave much worse.

And what of the Mongols who conquered Kyiv around 1240, and Poland and Hungary not long after, and continued to demand tribute from Slavic principalities until around 1480?

I was thinking of leaving them more or less as they were. They don't possess Poland and Hungary in 1455 and paganism isn't as popular as it used to be. They don't seem to be major players anymore and I don't have anything particularly interesting for them to do. I'm always open to ideas from other people, though!

I could make the Mongols more threatening by having them go full crazy-pagan revivalist, but if they get too threatening, they warp what's going on in Hungary and Poland. Also, I'm thinking that the Muslim nations who went pagan sealed their fate through a scholarly openness to dangerous knowledge that the Golden Khanate isn't academic enough to have.