Arkasian Crusades

The Arkasian Crusades were a series of sanctioned by the highest authorities of the Archaelian religion in the medieval period, particularly the campaigns primarily in the Alannean Sea however also Altrefi and (to a significantly lesser extent) Damalias directed at recovering the Holy Land from the rule of practitioners of religions considered to be heretical by Archaelians. While the Arkasian Crusades did go beyond Damalias, Altrefi and the regions surrounding the Alannean Sea, the majority took place in those areas, including the largest ones.

The motivations for the Crusades, and for those joining them, were varied. However, it is well-established in historical records from the time kept at the secular Hall of Records in Valstyr and in the Doomer Family Archives in Arkasia that the first of the Arkasian Crusades was motivated by desire amongst Arkasian leaders and citizens to liberate their holy lands on and near the western Alannean Sea and in western Altrefi which they were finding to be increasingly difficult to freely travel to and from and, to the open dismay of the Arkasian government, those of their faith and eventually their ethnicity and culture in those regions were being treated increasingly badly by those governing those areas. Further, it is recorded that the majority of crusaders at the time were motivated not by personal gain, but by the same desires as their leaders; liberation of their holy lands and the peoples living in them.

First Crusade and aftermath
Main Article: First Arkasian Crusade

The First Arkasian Crusade was waged first against the powers of the time in the western Alannean Sea, Likras, Veshic and Khosalania. Against these three, the Arkasians achieved stunning victories which resulted in the foundation of several new, small states in the region on the coast which were ruled largely by Archaelian Arkasians and protected significantly by groups such as the Vaelan, Kalstyran, Nylaran and Ankhaelian Orders. This first crusade was soon continued in Altrefi, against the Mastuk Empire. These later campaigns were directed primarily at taking the cities of Velkahn, Staeralon and Ansadium and the immediate lands around them from Mastuk rule as they were considered to be Archaelian holy sites. These efforts also succeeded, however they took significantly longer, cost many more lives for both sides and ultimately were undone much faster than the gains in other regions.