Notes on the
Crusader Military
“Every Quar is his own king.”
The Crusade is an ideological and political movement with the premise that The Long War is the inevitable result of the stratifications of Quar society. Quar culture is strongly clan and class-based, and for most of the history of the Quar ruling clans and their allied families have held the bulk of political power.
Sune Alykinder Rhynn Venk was the father and spiritual heart of the Crusade. Alykinder spent decades of his life envisioning, building and serving as the Crusade’s political head. Alykinder was not only a great political leader but also a visionary when it came to advancing military tactics and doctrine. From the creation of the much vaunted Airmobile to the creation of continuous paved roads linking country to country Alykinder not only modernized the forces of Tok, and therefore the Crusade, but also inspired many young Quar to fight for their freedom and autonomy.
The Crusaders believe that the ruling clans (collectively called the First Families) are only concerned with maintaining their rule over the rest of the Quar through their hold on property and political power. Since total war would result in too much destruction of valuable city-states, wars must, according to the First Families, consist of long and protracted sieges to minimize damage to property despite the cost of lives in the lower clans. Even if a First Family loses a battle or war, they stand a good chance of regaining their losses through alliances and treaties at some point in the future. Therefore, there is no reason to engage in scorched-alwyd wars.
The Crusaders believe that unless the First Families are stripped of their power, they will have no reason to change the current state of affairs and The Long War will continue indefinitely. The Crusaders believe that the only way to end the Long War is to eliminate the political power of the First Families and rebuild Quar political life. At this point, military force is the only thing that will dislodge the First Families from their control. This leads to what Crusaders call the Grim Paradox: They have intensified The Long War to bring it to an end.
The Crusader Army is legendary for its military success, much of which is due to its high degree of standardization. Alykinder’s reformation of the Tokish army in 1750 modernized the Crusader Army in every aspect, from tactics to fundamental strategies to logistical operations and equipment. Though the Crusader Army includes rhyflers of many nations, they all follow the Crusader plan.
Infantry use squad- and section-level tactics under the direction of a skillful and veteran corps of Yawdryls and Milwers. Leadership by the NCO is a hallmark of the Crusader light infantry. These squads use the long-range and powerful Ryshi heavy rifle to fix targets at long distance, and then close to use the semi- automatic Bogen combat rifle in the assault. Portable machine guns are often detached to individual sections, giving commanders a valuable support weapon at the ready. The light infantry also make extensive use of the new anti-tractor torpedoes, and every Crusader NCO is eagerly awaiting their units to adopt these new weapons. A Crusader infantry section is to be aggressive on the attack, bypassing enemy strong points where possible in order to advance the line of battle.
Though the skill and number of its rhyflers are justifiably famous, much of the success of the Crusade Army has come from its tight organization. Tables of Standards, the powerful Commissariat Branch, and a heavy emphasis on logistics—the clock-work-like operation of the Crusader Army is a result of these mundane operations. For every Quar who serves on the line, there are many more Quar who work in supply. But many Quar (including some Crusaders) look at the machine-like operation of the Crusader Army and wonder what it portends for the future of civilization.
In recent years, some of the polish has worn off of the Crusader Army’s reputation. The Crusade has been underway for two decades, and the depleted ranks of the Army have been filled with raw and uncertain recruits, many of them from recently conquered territories. Though the Crusaders were generally victorious in combat, the loss in Fidwog and the failure to capitalize on the initial victory in Coftyr has demoralized the Crusaders and emboldened their enemies. The Crusaders find victories increasingly hard to win, and losses of veteran units to injury or retirement are felt ever more keenly.
