Geneology of the Holy Wars

(Ethan, if you're reading this, look away. (Dixieland!) This is another of my recent pseudo-fanfictions, based around videogames. Today's special: Seisen no Keifu.)

The Kingdom of Grandbell, the centre of the continent of Jugdral, is where our story begins: in the year 757. In its ancient past, Jugdral had been host to a great holy war against the forces of the Dark Lord Loputousu and his continent-spanning empire. All of the nations of Jugdral can claim at least one of the Twelve Crusaders who toppled Loputousu as a founder, and their God-blessed weapons remain potent artefacts for those of their original wielder's direct bloodline.

In 757, in response to aggression from the kingdom of Isaac (in the north-east of Jugdral), Grandbell declared war, fighting across the desert in Grandbell's north-eastern portion with the superior strength of Grandbell's army. In the meanwhile, however, the southwest of Grandbell - ruled by Chalphy Castle - was vulnerable to attack from the barbarians of Verdane, the forest kingdom in the far southwest of Jugdral.

The lord of Chalphy Castle was away when the attack came; his son, Sir Sigurd, as well as his small retinue, were the only forces available to repel the attack. They reacted swiftly, retaking a castle that Verdane troops had already seized; however, they were too slow to rescue the castle's ruling lady. Pursuing her, they took a castle on the Verdane border, and continued south into the thickly forested lands of Verdane proper, crushing multiple armies and - even after recapturing the kidnapped woman - marching onwards, in the end ruling all of Verdane. Verdane's king, it unfolded, had been persuaded to launch his foolish invasion of Grandbell by a advisor from the 'Lopt Sect', a wielder of dark and foul magic. At the end, as Sigurd's troops approached Verdane's capitol, this advisor murdered the king and attempted to stop Sigurd on his own.

Verdane, now under Grandbellian occupation, did not end Sigurd's conquests. Roughly a year later, Lord Eltshan, an allied lord in the Domain of Agustria (a loosely-unified set of lordships), was attacked by a jealous rival. Eltshan had protected Sigurd from being flanked in his invasion of Verdane - in gratitude for this, Sigurd rushed to defend him, crushing the aggressor with his cavalry, and then moving on to destroy the rest of his army and take the seat of his power. Then, hearing (accurate) rumors of widespread looting and pillaging to the north, Sigurd moved to restore order, in the process toppling yet another lord (who had sent out bandits for his own profit).

Agustria's king was somewhat upset at this turn of affairs; within a short span, a third of his kingdom had come under Grandbellian control. He ordered a large-scale attack on Sigurd's forces. Sigurd crushed his army and took his capitol, now controlling two-thirds of Agustria. For a year more, he held at the capitol, waiting for an order from Grandbell's king to withdraw. The Grandbellian government, however, delayed beyond the Agustrian king's patience - he (rightly) suspected that Grandbell would annex the southern portion of Agustria in all but name. Eltshan was ordered by his king to attack Sigurd's forces, wielding his legendary sword, the Demon Blade Mistholtin. His fall was mourned by friend and foe alike; and Sigurd pressed on, deposing the Agustrian king and seizing a bandit-held isle to the north. (The Agustrian king, too, had been advised by the 'Lopt Sect' in his attacks.)

Sigurd, fresh from his string of triumphs, was accused of treachery, conspiracy, and regicide by the Grandbellian government after their king's death - as Sigurd's father hovered suspiciously nearby. Sigurd's father was imprisoned; Sigurd fled to the northern nation of Silesia. There he was given a warm welcome by the Silesian queen; when two simultaneous rebellions broke out (again, at Loptian instigation), it was only natural for him to crush them utterly, crushing the best of Silesia's troops, though leaving the queen in place. He then moved to seek revenge against Grandbell - deducing that a man known as Lord Alvis had murdered the king and framed his father and he for it, Sigurd marched south into Grandbell itself.

This was the hardest portion of Sigurd's long campaign; five years after he set out into Verdane, he returned to Grandbell, fighting wyvern riders, fire magi, and elite cavalry. As he began the destruction of the last loyalist lord, however, Lord Alvis's personal magi turned on the loyalist troops, assisting in their destruction. Sigurd was informed that he had been exonerated of all crimes, and was to be praised and rewarded by Lord Alvis himself, who had become the power behind the throne.

It was a trap. Lord Alvis revealed Sigurd's wife - kidnapped in the fall of Agustria - brainwashed and wedded to Alvis. As Sigurd recoiled in shock, Alvis's troops slaughtered Sigurd's victorious army. After Sigurd had destroyed the military of every nation capable of resisting, there was no one to stop Alvis as he annexed every other nation of Jugdral and proclaimed himself Emperor Alvis I. At his side sat the Dark Bishop Manfloy, head of the Lopt Sect. The only survivors of Sigurd's army - largely children - fled to the wilds of Silesia to hide for a generation.

Now isn't that a happy ending?