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  Introduction
  This eBook details two important locations in the Crescent
  Empire that were founded during the Crusades, that
  turbulent period when the forces of the Vatacine west were
  thrown against the different cultures of the peninsula.
  Scholars have argued for centuries about the true
  motivations of the Crusades, whether they were just a
  response to the death of the Second Prophet or a political
  gambit by the Imperator to secure his position by distracting
  the Church on their
  holy war.
  While the west was
  eventually driven out of
  the entire peninsula and
  the Church Embargo
  established, there is a
  lasting legacy in these
  lands from these times
  that will continue to
  have influence on the development of the entire continent.
  The two sites here are also important locations for two of the
  most powerful groups in Theah - the dark knights of die
  Kreuzritter and the secretive Rose and Cross.
  Hospital of the First Witness
  The Crescent city of Zafara is home to the oldest operating
  hospital in Théah.  The Hospital of the First Witness was
  founded in 308 by an Eisen crusader named Erik
  Schumacher and his wife Francesca.  Erik was serving as an
  officer in the armies of Imperator Corantine at the beginning
  of the 3rd century AV.  When Malak, the second Prophet,
  began his march of separation toward the Crescent Empire,
  Schumacher was the General of one of the three armies that
  pursued the 40,000 followers to Rahajeel.  He commanded
  the first wave of troops to reach the Prophet’s camp early on
  a Tertius morning that was unusually cold for the Crescent
  regions.  There was no sign of life around the encampment.
  Birds were silent, no insects flew in the air and the horses in
  his cavalry refused to advance.  Schumacher’s scouts
  returned with sobering news: the entire congregation lay
  dead.
  As Schumacher entered the camp, he saw no sign of a
  struggle nor any evidence of illness amongst the victims.  He
  ordered his men to gather what papers they could find and
  search the food stores for signs of poisoning.  Schumacher
  found himself in possession of Malak’s final sermon,
  apparently written in
  Crescent, before the
  other forces arrived.
  The rest of the
  Imperator’s army
  arrived at the head of a
  great storm that forced
  them to abandon the
  scene of the massacre
  without any answers.
  When dawn broke,
  there was no evidence that the 40,000 followers had ever
  been there save for the 10 pages of parchment tucked in
  Schumacher’s tunic.  The remaining generals joined
  Schumacher to discuss how to best deal with such
  mysterious circumstances and eventually agreed to simply
  return to the Imperator and let his wisdom make sense of the
  events.
   Returning to Numa, Schumacher volunteered to present the
  story to the Imperator privately, as he had been the only man
  among them to witness the scene personally.  The others
  refused to allow him to shoulder the responsibility alone so
  they went together to seek an audience with the Imperator.
  Erik presented a full accounting of his actions and what he
  had witnessed outside of Rahajeel that day.  As he reached
  into his tunic to retrieve the papers that had been recovered,
  the Imperator stopped him.  Corantine rose to his feet and
  walked down from his throne to look the soldiers in the eye
  before he spoke.
  A Legacy of Faith
  Locations within the Crescent Empire
  
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  In a soft voice, the Imperator made his decree about the
  incident, “Generals, your men discovered Malak and his
  missionaries murdered in a horrible assault by Crescent
  soldiers.  Their wounds were grievous and savage beyond
  description.  Any man in your forces who whispers otherwise
  calls the Imperator a liar and shall be dealt with as a traitor.”
  Schumacher began to protest and again reached inside his
  tunic for the parchments when Corantine laid his hand upon
  the general’s shoulder.
  “Erik,” he began, “I will not have false rumours about the
  final words of the Holy Second Prophet urging more
  Imperial citizens to follow his path to their deaths.  Do you
  understand me?”
  The loyal General nodded and withdrew his hand to
  acknowledge the unspoken order to destroy the document
  but he was unclear about his Imperator’s reasons behind the
  official explanation. A good soldier does not disobey his
  leader; however, these were the words of the Prophet.
  Erik Schumacher did not destroy Malak’s final sermon. One
  year later, the Imperator declared a Crusade to the Crescent
  Empire to avenge the death of the Prophet who had preached
  a pacifist life.  Before his army was dispatched to the
  Empire, General Schumacher married a young healer from
  Numa named Francesca Ghiloni.  Francesca had been a
  follower of the Second Prophet but had been ill when he left
  for the Empire.  She married Erik when he promised to take
  her with the army as a healer when they marched on the
  Crescent Empire. Unbeknownst to all including his wife,
  Schumacher embarked for the Crusade carrying the last
  sermon of Malak safely in his tunic.
  Schumacher quickly found his troops divided into two
  camps.  The first found a righteous zeal in their hearts that
  carried them through the battles in miraculous ways.  The
  soldiers lived an existence that some called “blessed.”  Fate
  turned for them in every encounter as they escaped countless
  impossible situations to prevail in battle.  The other portion
  of the troops found themselves lacking the will to engage the
  Crescents.  The knowledge that the Crescents had not truly
  been the cause for the death of the Prophet sapped their
  desire for conflict.  General Schumacher found himself
  amongst this second group and reluctantly realised it would
  be best for him to resign his position and concentrate his
  efforts on tending to the wounded and aiding with the supply
  lines.  He was joined by a sizeable contingent of his former
  soldiers who shared his feelings about the conflict.
  Schumacher and his followers began setting up medical
  stations to tend to the wounded along the supply lines.  To
  survive the oppressive mid-day sun, the soldiers abandoned
  their old garb for lighter weight white tunics emblazoned
  with a Golden Prophet’s cross.  Although no longer an active
  force in the Crusader army, Schumacher and his followers
  often found themselves amidst conflict.  Frequently they
  could be seen leading charges as a means of escape to
  surrounded forces of Crusaders.  When the advance stalled
  during the battle for Zafara, Erik and Francesca found
  themselves working harder than ever before.
  The initial field hospital was set up next to a well on the
  western side of the city.  A Captain named Marcus Relifori,
  who had served under Schumacher for years, built tents out
  of ship sails to shelter the wounded from the sun.  Captain
  Relifori had initially packed the sail expecting to use them as
  spare bandages.  Erik, Francesca, and the remaining loyal
  soldiers worked under the sailcloth tents with virtually no
  rest during the first three weeks.  As the stories of their
  efforts spread, aid poured in from grateful units the couple
  had aided.  Another source of aid arrived from an
  unexpected source.
  A Crescent answering only to the name of Khalil appeared at
  dawn at the beginning of the fourth week.  He claimed to be
  a healer operating a similar clinic treating wounded in
  Zafara.  Schumacher had heard rumours of this man and was
  intrigued to meet him.  Khalil brought with him an
  interesting offer.  His clinic had been overrun by the
  Crusader forces and destroyed.  He asked Erik to allow him
  to bring several injured children for treatment.  Erik agreed
  to the request after a brief “discussion” about the situation
  with his wife.  Khalil led them back to the remains of his
  clinic where Schumacher’s men encountered a large group of
  Crusaders looting the area and threatening the Crescent
  residents.  Outraged at the savage behaviour of the
  Imperator’s army, Erik Schumacher ordered his own men to
  
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  draw their swords and engage the soldiers in the defence of
  the citizenry.
  Since the day Erik Schumacher had left his audience with
  Imperator Corantine he had been looking for a way to atone
  for hiding the Prophet’s words.  He had thought that serving
  in the Crusade would bring him peace of mind but it had not.
  His work tending the wounded had helped ease his
  conscience somewhat but did not grant him the absolution he
  desired.  When Schumacher drew his blade in the defence of
  the citizens of Zafara, he finally felt a cleansing of his spirit.
  His followers voiced similar opinions in the days to follow.
  Soon, Schumacher found himself leading a cadre of former
  Knights self-appointed with protecting the Crescent people
  from angry Crusaders that had forgotten their codes of
  chivalry.
  While Erik protected the streets, Francesca went to work
  establishing permanent grounds for the hospital.  Khalil
  proved instrumental in these efforts by finding a suitable
  building to inhabit as well as aiding with his surgical skills
  and “connections” throughout the city.  By the end of the
  year, the Hospital was handling the care for the majority of
  wounded Crusaders who survived to return to their homes.
  Francesca and Khalil discussed a litany of
  names for their hospital.  The two sought
  a name that would inspire all to the
  sanctity of faith in Theus and the
  power of humanity to care for one
  another.  It also held a second
  meaning to the men who followed Erik
  Schumacher.  Those who had stood in
  service to General Schumacher had
  been the first witnesses to the atrocity
  that had inspired this conflict.  Every
  member of the unit held to the notion
  that the success of the Hospital would
  help them move along the path of
  salvation from their sin of silence.
  In Nonus 310 AV, Francesca and
  Erik celebrated the birth of their son, Marcus.  The child was
  sickly and complications with the birth left Francesca bed-
  ridden for months.  Khalil and Erik spent every effort to care
  for the infant and many hours discussing life and their beliefs
  in the Creator.  It was during these worried nights that Erik
  revealed the details of Malak’s final sermon to his foreign
  partner and asked him to translate the words in hopes of
  some comfort during his troubles.  Khalil managed to
  decipher the strange dialect with effort and late one night
  began read the sermon to the General.
  The Last Sermon of the Prophet
  Erik Schumacher and Khalil spent the night re-reading the
  sermon and trying to decipher the prophecies it contained.
  The speech held the expected promises of special places in
  Elaethorum for the loyal followers and spiritual glory
  through mortal restraint that Malak had preached during his
  lifetime.  Malak’s sermon was also laced with something
  else, several mysterious and sometimes rambling sections of
  text.  The handwriting in these sections was different from
  the rest of the material.  The penmanship of the main text
  was simple and clear but neither precise nor elegant.  It
  spoke of a man who was compelled to record his deepest
  thoughts but was more concerned with their sound than
  appearance.  Other sections of the text were very elegant and
  detailed with many flourishes that reminded Schumacher of
  the details he had seen in formal
  declarations of the Imperator.  In
  other places, the writing
  degenerated into the feverish scrawl
  of a madman before reverting mid-
  sentence to the simple penmanship.
  In places the words became
  phonetic spellings of the Teodoran
  language written in the Crescent
  alphabet.  Over the span of three
  nights, the two men translated and
  puzzled over the text to seek the
  meaning of the second Prophet’s
  final words.
  Much of what the men read
  sounded like any other sermon of
  the era: the admonishment to avoid sin, threats of damnation,
  offers of salvation, life in the hereafter, and the like.  Several
  passages, however, made no sense at all.  Reading these,
  
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  Schumacher was willing to accept that he was not the
  worldliest man and perhaps he just was not familiar with the
  references.  Others resonated clearly in his head and heart.
  The phrases spoke of things that Erik Schumacher felt were
  directly related to him personally. The final two pages were
  more than either man ever expected. These revelations
  guided Schumacher for the rest of his life.
  The last two pages of the sermon were written entirely in
  alternating strokes of mad scribbles and the elegant flow of a
  master calligrapher.  Key words, while written in the
  Crescent alphabet, were phonetically spelled in random
  languages such as Acragan.  The translation was difficult
  and Schumacher found himself caught up in deciphering its
  meaning.  As he worked on the text, his infant son and wife
  both began developing further complications in their health.
  On the third night, Erik abandoned the text to sit with his
  wife during her final hours while Khalil completed the work
  on the scripture.  The Crescent finished the task in time to
  whisper the beautiful words of Malak to ease her passing at
  daybreak.  After she was gone, Khalil and Erik sat in a small
  room and discussed what had really been translated from the
  pages.
  The Vaticine faith has always presented Theus and
  mankind’s existence as part of a puzzle.  A puzzle man was
  meant to solve to find the true reason for his existence.  At
  the end of his final sermon, it appeared that Malak had
  revealed part of the solution to his followers as a gift.  As
  Schumacher and Khalil read the words they realised they
  had stumbled upon perhaps the greatest secret in Théah.
  Malak had left them with the secret of why mankind was
  created and the purpose they were intended to serve.
  Between the loss of his wife and the stunning revelations of
  the translated text, Schumacher was shattered.  He barred the
  door to his room and wept, alone, for the next two days.  He
  emerged with the calm and serious demeanour that had
  carried him across so many battlefields and summoned
  Khalil to determine how to best deal with this secret.  They
  agreed that simply revealing this secret would shatter the
  beliefs of the world and plunge many regions into further
  wars far worse than they currently faced.  Erik was resolved
  finally to destroy the document.  Khalil, being more
  practical, suggested that it was not their decision to make for
  the world and that in time, mankind might become ready to
  learn the secrets Malak had left behind.
  Schumacher, eventually, agreed to preserve the document in
  a secret location of Khalil’s choosing.  The final sermon of
  the Second Prophet was buried in a tomb with the body of
  Francesca Schumacher.  The two men swore an oath to tell
  no other man, woman, or child of the location or what the
  sermon contained in its final pages.  It would only be
  rediscovered when Theus wished it to be revealed.  Erik
  placed an honour guard at the door to his wife’s tomb.
  Officially they stood to protect her remains from looters.
  Only his most trusted men were asked to serve at the door,
  unaware of just exactly what they were protecting.
  The Black Cross
  Schumacher appeared the morning after Francesca’s formal
  funeral with his Knightly vestments folded in his hands. He
  calmly told his men that he intended to leave the hospital
  and wander the desert until Theus re-united him with
  Francesca.  The men were aghast that their General would
  abandon them and his wife’s legacy so quickly and begged
  him to stay.  Three times that day he refused their request.
  Having entrusted Khalil with the care of his infant son, he
  was resolved to leave in the morning.
  As the sunset, various members of the unit sat talking about
  how to stop their leader from what was obviously a suicidal
  journey.  A young sergeant named Rolf Legler suddenly
  sprang from the group and climbed to the rooftop where he
  began to tear down the sails that had come to serve as their
  symbol in Zafara.  The others called for him to stop and
  show respect for their defacto flag but Rolf was insistent
  upon slicing the sails into wide strips.  He claimed that his
  idea would save their leader and asked the others to find him
  some diluted pitch he could use as paint.  The others thought
  him mad but without a better solution assisted him as best
  they could.
  When Erik Schumacher emerged to depart the next morning
  he was met by the entire force of his soldiers.  Each man
  wore a rough new tabard made of the sails adorned with a
  black Prophet’s cross.  The sight of his loyal troops took
  
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  Erik aback for a moment and Rolf stepped forward to speak.
  The young soldier saluted his General and said, “General,
  these sails protected us from the first moment we set foot in
  Zafara.  From this day forward they shall guard our spirit
  from all dangers.  For the rest of our days we shall honour
  the efforts of your beloved wife by changing our badge to
  the colour of mourning.”  Schumacher stood in awe at such a
  gesture before Rolf continued. “Sir, we will do our best in
  your absence but we are truly not prepared to handle this
  duty without your guidance.  Please stay and teach us to
  carry on her mission.”
  Erik could not refuse this request and agreed to stay.  Over
  the next ten years, the Knights faced a series of challenges
  that would have broken them had Schumacher not been there
  to lead them past their troubles.  The Crusaders accused
  them of harbouring and consorting with the Crescent
  “heathens.”  The Crescent locals often treated them as hated
  “infidels.”  Local warlords looking to control Zafara
  attacked them as rivals.  Through it all, the Knights stood
  their ground and protected everyone they could.  Returning
  soldiers had begun sending money in gratitude for treating
  their injuries.  As the Hospital began to accumulate funds,
  Khalil suggested that it was time they built an actual
  physical building to meet the growing needs of the staff and
  soldiers.  He suggested to Erik that they build the hospital
  around the tomb erected for Francesca so that she would
  always be close to inspire their service.
  In Quartus 322, the Hospital moved into the structure that
  still stands today.  The event was marked by a pair of deaths
  that again challenged and reinforced Erik Schumacher’s will
  to continue.  Erik’s son, Franz, and Khalil were attacked
  during a trip to the local market and murdered by men,
  allegedly loyal to the Sultán who had been trying to force the
  Crusaders to abandon their cause in Zafara.  The loss marked
  a sudden change in the activity of the Knights of the First
  Witness.  Mad with grief, Erik took his troops on a binge of
  grim vengeance.  The Black Crosses assaulted every corrupt
  official and troublesome cadre of thugs.  Within fifteen days,
  Zafara was swept clean of corruption.  The government was
  turned over to more honest individuals and from that day on,
  order was strictly enforced by the Hospital guard.
  During this series of skirmishes, Erik was wounded in his
  left leg, which forced him to retire from active duty and
  concentrate on administrating the duties of the hospital.  He
  sent word back home, asking for doctors to travel to the
  Crescent Empire to serve the order.  The response, while not
  overwhelming, was encouraging.  Physicians from western
  Théah travelled to Zafara to minister to the injured and learn
  from the local doctors.  Rolf Legler took command of the
  military forces charged with protecting the hospital and
  began training the new soldiers who arrived to serve with the
  fabled General Schumacher.  This situation continued for a
  few years until the anniversary of Francesca’s death in 325.
  On that morning, Erik gathered the last of his original
  soldiers together told him he had one last request of their
  service, he wanted to travel home.
  General Schumacher asked his men to consider continuing
  to aid him by either volunteering to stay and serve the
  Hospital or to accompany him for a final visit to their
  homelands.  The men discussed the merits of both options
  and formed a complement of willing volunteers to both stay
  and travel.  Rolf Legler opted to stay and took command of
  the soldiers and Knights.  The Hospital itself was left to the
  care of a recently arrived doctor who hailed from Numa.
  Erik Schumacher set sail for his homeland with sixteen of
  his original Knights all bearing the black cross on their
  chest.
  The Hospital continued to flourish and the actions of the
  Knights soon gathered attention in the Imperator’s court.  In
  Tertius, 331, the Hospital of the First Witness greeted two
  very important visitors.  The first was the return of a pair of
  the original Knights bearing the body of Erik Schumacher to
  rest in the tomb with his wife.  The General had died in his
  homeland and requested he be returned to the far away land
  to rest with his wife.  The two knights who accompanied his
  remains were the only survivors of the sixteen that had left
  with him a handful of years before.
  The second guest was an official representing the Heirophant
  who wished to inquire about the activities of the Hospital
  and their Knights.  Rolf Legler was detained for eleven days
  in a barren chamber with the Vaticine official and his guard.
  Questions were raised about the Knight’s loyalty to the
  
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  Church and the Imperator in light of their actions protecting
  the heathen locals of Zafara.  The presence of Crescent born
  doctors treating Crusaders in the hospital was met with
  withering disdain at first.  The closed minded Vaticine
  officials were seriously considering excommunication for the
  entire group.  Legler responded to the charges by declaring,
  “We were asked to march to this land by the Imperator but
  we left our homes for our General.  We stayed to serve the
  duties his wife set before us.  She was the embodiment of
  peace and fellowship in these lands and honour demands we
  finish her tasks even if you deem it shall cost our souls.”
  The confounded Vaticine official returned to Numa with an
  incomplete report and no explanation beyond a lack of
  materials for the change in the Knights’ insignia from gold
  to black.  Over the next fifteen years, representatives of the
  Church would appear annually with more questions and new
  tabards bearing the original gold emblem of the Knighthood.
  Every year, Rolf Legler sent them home with no evidence of
  heresy, disloyalty, or insubordination save for an insistence
  on tearing apart the new wardrobe for bandages.  By 345,
  Imperator Corantine declared he had no further interest in
  the Order and it was for the Church to decide what to do
  with those who would protect Crescents outside the Numan
  lands.
  The Heirophant debated for the next few years and
  thoroughly reviewed all the information that had been
  gathered along with letters of support from a legion of
  Knights who were alive today because of the efforts of the
  Hospital of the First Witness.  It is said that the Heirophant
  confided to a trusted advisor that it was quite possible for a
  man to deal regularly with heretics and still maintain one’s
  faith.  In 347, the Heirophant granted the Knights of the
  Hospital of Zafara with title as an official Order of the
  Vaticine Church for their services of compassion and
  healing along with their duty to protect their injured charges.
  As years of effort to replace the Knight’s shabby black
  tabards had failed, the Heirophant also elected to grant the
  order permission to use the Black Cross as their insignia.
  Rolf Legler opted to use the Eisen dialect pronunciation for
  the edict and thus came the founding of Die Kreuzritter (The
  Knights of the Cross).
  Sigrun Masthof, Hero ( 7th Sea™  )
  Brawn 2, Finesse 2, Wits 4, Resolve 4, Panache 2
  Advantages: Faith, Membership ( die Kreuzritter ), Miracle Worker,
  Language: Eisen (R/W), Aldiz-baraji, Tikaret-baraji, Tirala-biraji
  Reputation: 68
  Background: True Identity
  Arcana: Altruistic
  Doctor: Diagnosis 5, Dentist 2, Examiner 4, First Aid 5, Surgery 5,
  Veterinarian 2
  Priest: Diplomacy4, Oratory 4, Philosophy 3, Theology 3, Writing 2
  Streetwise: Shopping 3, Socialising 2, Street Navigation 3
  Commander: Cartography3, Diplomacy4, Leadership 3, Logistics 3,
  Strategy 1, Tactics 2
  Knife: Attack (Knife) 2, Parry (Knife) 3
  Rider: Ride 3
  Sigrun Masthof, Respected Hospital Leader ( d20™  )
  Eisen Wanderer 4  / Field Surgeon 2: CR 6; HD 4d8+2d6+12; hp
  37; Init +0; Spd 30 ft; AC 10; Atk dagger +4 (melee); SQ Evasion,
  Healing Expertise, Improved Healing, Uncanny Dodge, Ward of the
  Albatross; AL LG; SV Fort+5, Ref+4, Will+7; Str 10, Dex 10, Con
  14, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 11; Skills: Appraise+9, Craft (Maps)+9,
  Craft (writing)+12, Diplomacy+9, Gather Information+9, Heal+15,
  Knowledge (Economics)+11, Knowledge (Philosophy)+11,
  Knowledge (Religion)+11, Listen+6, Perform (Oratory)+8,
  Profession (Tactician)+8,  Ride+ 6, Speak Language (Aldiz-baraji,
  Eisen, Tikaret-baraji, Tirala-baraji), Spot +6; Feats: Altruistic, Faith,
  Membership (die Kreuzritter), Miracle Worker, Skill Focus (heal)
  Sigrun Masthof is the loved and respected master of the
  Hospital at Zafara. Although now very elderly, she still
  retans a great vigor and energy that she channels into healing
  the sick. The recent problems of the Hospital and the
  political climate worries her considerably, but she tries not to
  let it show as she tends to her charges.
  
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  Modern Day
  The Hospital continues to serve Zafara to this day with
  unparalleled medical care and training for doctors under the
  ministrations of the kindly Sigrun Masthof.  The Hospital
  Guard continues to watch over the city as a patrolling force,
  enforcing the local law.  A small honour
  guard also stands a duty outside a small
  unmarked mausoleum built in a
  courtyard at the centre of the hospital
  of the first witness.  No person has
  been granted permission to enter the
  tomb and the guard has seen fit to
  uphold this order to the death on more
  than one occasion.  The men are told
  that this tomb holds the founders of die
  Kreuzritter and most are content with that.  Occasionally a
  rumour arises amongst the guard that perhaps there is
  something more to this hallowed ground, possibly the
  remains of an early Heirophant, a Prophet or even the
  embodiment of Theus himself.  Obviously such talk is
  quickly dismissed for the nonsense that it is.
  Plot Hooks
  ◊ 
  A bedraggled man arrives at the Hospital claiming to
  be a Vigilant of the Kreuzritter charged with
  protecting a dangerous Syrneth ruin. He gives a brief
  description of a temple carved into the side of a cliff
  and being attacked by blue clothed warriors before
  dying. Was he a real Vigilant and where is the
  temple, or was he delusional from sunstroke and lack
  of water as some may suggest.
  ◊ 
  The sudden death of one of the guards of the tomb at
  Zafara looks to be natural causes, but some of the
  evidence suggests a very sly killer is at work. A
  number of clues lead to the stronghold at Mount
  Ozayrat and the mysterious Qatihl’i sect of assassins.
  What interest they would have in the contents of the
  tomb is a grave concern to the Knights.
  The Fortress of Tor’Rosa
  The castle of Tor’Rosa is something of an aberration on the
  coast of the Crescent Empire, both in its look and its history.
  A relic of the Crusades, it was one of the last western
  strongholds to fall, but when it did eventually fall it sealed
  the outcome of the conflict. What makes
  Tor’Rosa so important is that it was the last
  bastion of the Poor Knights of the
  Prophets, the order of fighting monks
  who were one of the few groups that
  consistently fought in the Crusades and
  maintained the tenuous grip of Vatacine
  holdings along the coast. With the loss of
  this stronghold, the western nations could
  no longer land troops or supplies in the
  peninsula, but were forced to send caravans along the long
  and treacherous road from Porto Spatia. The rest of the
  Vatacine port cities fell shortly after, leading to the last ditch
  attempt by Mad Queen Marietta which lead to the
  disappearance of the entire Lorenzo island.
  History
  At the height of the Crusades when the Vatacine forces held
  a large swathe of coastal territories that they called
  Outremer, the self-proclaimed King Balfour of Urfa granted
  land and territories to various noble families and other
  factions. Most of the nobles that fought in the Crusades were
  the second sons of rich families, who sought the wealth,
  fame and glory which they had been denied at home by the
  fact of being born later. Various important figures, including
  a number of Thean monarchs and even the Imperator
  himself, lead various campaigns into the Crescent peninsula.
  However, most of the troops from those endeavours then
  went home with their spoils, leaving others to fortify their
  gains against the overwhelming numbers of the local tribes.
  As this pattern of expansion and neglect continued, the
  leaders of Outremer came to rely on the strength and advice
  of groups such as the Poor Knights, who had been founded
  by Hugh Allais du Crieux to protect travellers to the area and
  help the transfer of funds and supplies. The Poor Knights
  although few in number were a permanent presence and their
  wealth allowed them to hire local forces, called turcopoles,
  
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  from the coastal and island areas that had grievances against
  the inland tribes and so were sympathetic to the Vatacine
  forces.
  Following from major battles, the two sides often entered
  into uneasy truces in order to deal with their wounded and
  other problems that arise. During these lapse in fighting, the
  nobles and Orders of the Outremer poured large sums of
  money into building a series of stone fortifications in the
  traditional western style to help defend their acquisitions.
  The Crescent tribes fought mainly from horseback and the
  Vatacine Knights were masters of the cavalry charge, so
  most battles were fast and highly mobile. A Castle with its
  compliment of mounted defenders could control a vast area
  of open desert, preventing forces from striking the less
  protected towns and villages along the coast with the threat
  of having their supply lines cut. With limited resources
  available in the area, fleets of merchant shipping brought
  timber and stone to the port towns, leading to a level of
  large-scale building almost unmatched in any other period of
  history. Major ports such as Basra and Tor’Rosa were
  defended with impressive fortifications, while high points of
  the interior were topped with highly defensible castles such
  as the Bastion des Chevaux. The chain of fortified positions
  gave some stability to Outremer against the constant threat
  from the tribes, but as time went on the western nations lost
  interest in the holy Crusade and the flow of troops and
  resources started to go down. In a battle of attrition the local
  Crescent people had the distinct advantage and a change in
  leadership was the only catalyst needed to change the
  balance. The rise of Salahdar came with the death of the
  leader of the Atlar-vahir, one of the largest Crescent tribes,
  whose lands were then distributed among his four sons. Two
  of the sons threw themselves in the jihad against the
  Vatacine settlements, determined to retake the important city
  of Basra. The eldest died while the younger suffered a series
  of defeats, mainly at the hands of the Poor Knights. The
  youngest son bided his time and watched events, only when
  all his brothers had shown themselves incapable of a
  sustained campaign did he enter the fray. Salahdar knew that
  the key to control of Outremer was the castles and their main
  weakness was that the feudal lords who owned them tended
  to look after their own interests and lands first. He signed a
  number of treaties with some of the Vatacine lords, followed
  by besieging key strongholds of the others. Unable to
  intervene without risking their own lands, many of the lord
  defended their own lands as those of their neighbours fell.
  Salahdar was a patient general, the siege of the Bastion des
  Chevaux taking an entire year and involving his troops
  building a stone pathway all the way up the mountainside to
  the castle ramparts. Salahdar also had a powerful weapon in
  his arsenal, the trebuchet, a form of catapult capable of
  throwing boulders weighing up to 1000 pounds which could
  level stonework in a very short time.
  As the curtain of defensive castles fell, the Vatacine forces
  fell back to the coast where they were helped by the support
  of the Vodacce navy. Control of the seas allowed the
  Vatacine Knights to move to where they were needed and
  prevented the fortified port cities from being successfully
  besieged. However, although the Vodacce Merchant Princes
  were faithful Vatacines they were also very shrewd
  businessmen. With the loss of the hinterland, Outremer had
  lost access to most of the resources that made the endeavour
  worthwhile. While the priests still lead the clarion cry to
  liberate the lands of the Second Prophet, the Merchant
  Princes simply watched the cost of the Crusades spiral
  further and further upwards. The islands off the cost were far
  easier to defend and provided some of the exotic spices and
  foodstuffs that were selling well throughout southern Theah.
  The strength of the Vatacine navy gradually waned and
  could no longer be relied on to resupply all the coastal
  towns. The remaining Vatacines and Order fell back to their
  main strongholds, for the Poor Knights this was their
  stronghold of Tor’Rosa.
  Tor’Rosa stands on a rocky outcropping, presenting only a
  narrow face to the mainland. This was thought to make the
  castle impregnable, since the castle could be easily
  resupplied and there was only a small area to defend so the
  size of the besieging army had no effect on the attack.
  However, the Poor Knights did not count on the tenacity of
  Salahdar who viewed correctly that the Poor Knights were
  the only real threat left in the Crescent peninsula. He is said
  to have had a high level of respect for the warrior-monks,
  particular as their code meant that unlike the Montaigne and
  Vodacce nobles they were not allowed to shave and so
  developed full beards. This was a sign of manhood in the
  
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  Crescent cultures and with their martial skills made them
  among the most fearsome of the Vatacine forces. It was also
  true that Poor Knights would not ransom their officers that
  were captured in battle, again unlike the Montaigne and
  Vodacce leaders, who returned to the safety of their nations
  after the payment of large amounts of gold or land.
  Following a battle in which Salahdar captured the Grand
  Master of the Poor Knights and four of his retainers, the
  five men were beheaded infront of the tent in which Duke
  Raymaund du Lierre-Vallee was bargaining his release.
  In the fall of 1291 AV, Salahdar brought most of his
  considerable force to bear on Tor’Rosa, which included his
  entire compliment of eight trebuchet. For weeks the
  Crescent forces pounded the castle with rocks, but
  succeeded only in breaching the outer wall. The Grand
  Master of the Poor Knights looked upon the situation and
  realised that the castle would eventually fall, with his
  requests for resupply and more forces from Vodacce being
  politely ignored. His last chance was to send a small
  delegation to plead the case with the Hierophant himself, so
  Senior Knight Tibauld de Jardin took a single ship with a
  few retainers and began the long sea-journey to Castille.
  However, Grand Master Severy Étalon du Toille knew that
  this plan was more for morale of his troops than believing
  that the church would rush to their rescue, so he called
  together all of his senior Knights and the Quartermaster of
  the turcopoles. The discussion went on late into the Knight
  as more stones pounded against the walls of the castle. The
  next morning the entire Poor Knight garrison prepared to
  battle. The Grand Master lead his mounted Knights out
  against the Crescent armies that outnumbered his garrison
  at least ten to one. With him rode a few members of die
  Kreuzritter who had been trapped in the castle by the siege.
  The turcopole foot soldiers were left to man the walls of the
  castle. A single ship sailed from the castle dock out to sea
  that morning, with only a handful of elderly or wounded
  Knights. The outcome of the action was as expected, once
  the initial impetus of the cavalry charge was spent, the
  Crescent forces encircled the Poor Knights and horse
  archers slowly whittled down their numbers. The Grand
  Master dismounted and died fighting hand to hand against
  the personal guard of Salahdar himself. With the complete
  slaughter of the Poor Knights on the fields of Tor’Rosa, the
  Aryan al-Kalawun, Hero ( 7th Sea™  )
  Brawn 2, Finesse 2, Wits 4, Resolve 4, Panache 2
  Advantages: Ajedrez Master, Combat Reflexes, Crescent Servant,
  Faith, Warm Climate Conditioni ng, Language: Théan, Aldiz-baraji,
  Tikaret-baraji, Tirala-biraji
  Reputation: 34
  Background: Vow
  Commander: Ambush 3, Cartography 2, Diplomacy 5, Incitation 3,
  Leadership 4, Logistics 4, Strategy 3, Tactics 4
  Servant: Etiquette 2, Menial Tasks 3, Perception 4, Accounting 3,
  Haggling 2, Seneschal 2
  Athlete: Climbing 3, Footwork 3, Sprinting 2, Throwing 2, Side-
  step 3, Swimming 2
  Archer: Attack (Bow) 5, Fletcher 2, Horse Archery 3, Snapshot 3,
  Trick Shooting (Bow) 2
  Knife: Attack (Knife) 4, Parry (Knife) 3, Catch 2
  Rider: Ride 5, Animal Training 2, Mounting 3
  Aryan al-Kalawun, Quartermaster of Tor’Rosa ( d20™  )
  Crescent Fighter 4 / Wanderer 4 / Captain 1: CR 9; HD
  4d10+4d8+d6; hp 43; Init+0; Spd 30 ft; AC 15 (+5 udp); Atk dagger
  +8/+3 (melee) or shortbow +8/+3 (ranged); SQ Cunning Plans,
  Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, Ward of the Albatross; AL LΝ; SV
  Fort+6, Ref+5, Will+7; Str 12, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha
  10; Skills: Bluff+5, Climb+7, Craft (Arrowmaking)+8, Craft
  (Maps)+11, Craft (Strategy)+9, Diplomacy+12, Handle Animal+7,
  Knowledge (Economics)+12, Knowledge (Nobility)+8, Listen+14,
  Perform (Oratory)+6, Ride+10, Profession (Servant)+7, Profession
  (Tactician)+11, Sense Motive+8, Speak Language (Aldiz-baraji,
  Théan, Tikaret-baraji, Tirala-baraji), Spot+14, Survival+8, Swim+7;
  Feats: Faith, Iron Will, Leadership, Mounted Archery, Mounted
  Combat, Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (Tactician), Unarmored
  Defense Proficiency, Weapon Focus (Short Bow)
  Aryan is the middle aged Quartermaster of the fortress of
  Tor’Rosa, a position he takes great pride behind his humble
  exterior. He has served in the position or almost fifty years
  and just recently has decided that he wants to see the sacred
  duty of the garrison fulfilled before he dies. To this end he
  has taken the unprecidented step of sending out the scouting
  groups and also becoming more involved in the political life
  of the Empire.
  
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  10
  10
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  garrison believed that they would be overrun in a matter of
  days, only to be amazed when Salahdar took his entire army
  and left. He had defeated his enemy in an epic and
  honourable battle, freeing the Crescent lands
  from the Vatacine invaders. With the
  disbanding of the Poor Knights back in
  Montaigne sixteen years later, the
  dreams of a Vatacine hold on
  the Crescent peninsula was
  over.
  The Aftermath
  Following the departure of the
  Vatacine lords and the Poor Knights from the area, the
  Crescent lands fell back into internecine fighting between
  the various tribes. Many of the mainland tribes viewed the
  islanders as being in league with the invaders, leading to
  years of minor skirmishes although no major wars. The jihad
  was over and with the death of Salahdar, the Crescent tribes
  would not be united in a single cause again for another 70
  years. The inhabitants of Tor’Rosa were left in a strange
  position, they had been left with the infrastructure and
  training by the departing Poor Knights and none of the main
  tribes seemed particular interested in them. Not wanting to
  risk being viewed as a threat, they quietly rebuilt the castle
  as well as the surrounding town and quietly tried to
  disappear from history. Occasionally when a local tribal
  leader took an interest in their lands, they sent their scouts to
  find out his strength and support. If he was a weak leader,
  they gathered their forces for a quick defeat and then hoped
  his successor was more amenable. When a more powerful
  Crescent lord arose, they often sent tribute either in the form
  of crafted goods or the service of their trained warriors.
  Modern Day
  Today the fortification of Tor’Rosa remains a slight
  anachronism in the Empire. The descendants of the
  turcopoles still hold to many of the tenets of the Poor
  Knights and their fighting styles, while effective, remain
  basically unchanged since the Crusades. The Crescent
  leaders tolerate their presence as they are basically the same
  people and their actions over the years have earned an
  amount of respect. Even though they are no longer in danger
  of attack, the castle is maintained in high condition and the
  safety it grants has lead to an extended town developing
  along the coast. The town is quite self-
  sufficient with a large fishing fleet
  providing most of its
  nourishment, with fields of
  dates and other crops
  sustained by basic irrigation
  systems. Flax and papyrus is
  traded with other tribes in the
  area for resources that they need,
  such as metal to maintain their armoury.
  The entire area is governed in military fashion by the
  Quartermaster of the castle, a position that has been passed
  down and who is, by tradition, awaiting the return of the
  Grand Master to retake their leadership. With his key
  advisors, they organise the defence of the area, train new
  soldiers for the garrison and direct the organisation of the
  townfolk. The success of the town has lead to a certain
  influx of people, however the leaders carefully control the
  amount that settles to maintain the balance. People with
  skills, such as carpenters or metalworkers, are usually
  welcomed. While this would be thought to make weapons a
  major export of the town, the craftsmen produce arms for the
  garrison but they will not sell to any of the local tribes.
  Most recently word came to the inhabitants of the castle of
  the destruction of the Poor Knights so many centuries ago.
  Not wanting to believe the stories of foreign merchants, the
  Quartermaster instructed a small group of his most loyal men
  to venture the long road to the border city of Jesalute to find
  out for themselves the truth. Following the coast the three
  men ended up taking a different route than planned and
  arrived in the Vodacce city of Porto Spatia, much to the
  interest of the locals who although used to Crescent
  merchants had not seen anything like these armed soldiers.
  Word of their arrival quickly reached the Merchant Princes
  and also the leaders of the Rose & Cross, who are the secret
  inheritors of the knowledge of the Poor Knights that the men
  really seek. As of 1670, the race is on to see who reaches the
  strangers in a strange land first and all the repercussions that
  their existence and knowledge will cause.
  
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  11111111
  The Fort Itself
  Tor’Rosa may be archaic in the age of cannon and
  gunpowder, but anyone with a knowledge of tactics who
  sees the fort will understand why it was the pride of the Poor
  Knights. The castle is built on a rocky outcropping on a
  curved stretch of low coastline, with three of the four walls
  of the castle protected by the ocean. The one side that faces
  the land is heavily defended, with three separate curtain
  walls and gatehouses on a narrow causeway. Even at low
  tide, the only real approach to the castle against this one
  point. With such as small exposure and the excellent field of
  vision it gives, well trained archers can hold the castle
  against the most persistent attackers. Also being built upon
  solid rock, it is impossible to tunnel under the castle to
  undermine its foundations as done in many sieges
  throughout the history of Theah.
  The settlement of Tor’Rosa is slightly away from the castle
  upon the low hills along the coast and stretches for almost
  two miles. At the southern end on the highest point is a
  single stone tower which acts as both a rudimentary
  lighthouse for the port and a watchtower for the surrounding
  lands. Most of the houses are made from clay bricks in the
  local fashion, with only some of the older buildings that date
  back to the time of the Poor Knights being imported stone
  and in a more western style.
  Plot Hooks
  ◊ 
  Khan Atagun Bahabar seems to have taken an
  interest in the fortress after apparently seeing a small
  party of turcopoles fighting off a bandit raid. The
  Quartermaster is concerned that the ambitious ruler
  of the Atlar-vahir will seek to bring them under his
  control, although he is unwilling to turn to the Sultan
  for help just yet. Instead he seeks a small group to go
  and speak with the Khan.
  ◊ 
  A party that recently returned from the far south
  happened to require healing at the Hospital of the
  First Witness at Zafara. Although they are aware of
  the history of the place, one of the scouts reported
  that the Hospital seems to still have connection with
  an organisation in the West.
  Credits
  Writing
  Dave Reeves
  Mark Stanton Woodward
  System Mechanics
  Nicolas Kyriazopoulos Panagiotopoulos
  Based on material first presented in the Crescent
  Empire sourcebook
  Nancy Berman, Kevin Boerwinkle and Noah Dudley
  Line Development
  Mark Stanton Woodward
  7th Sea System Creation
  John Wick, Jennifer Wick and Kevin Wilson
  7th Sea™ and Swashbuckling Adventures™ are properties of
  Alderac Entertainment © 2004. All rights reserved.
  
  7th Sea™ / Swashbuckling Adventures™ eBook
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