Sta.sh
Faction - The Crusaders of Ios
by ~PhiftyThe Crusaders of Ios
A little known sect of the Church of Ios, a holdover from the days of the Antarean Empire (and still practiced on over a hundred worlds), known as the Crusaders of Ios was founded on the planet of Laguna, in Aphis star-system, by religious fanatic Trentis Golsheim in the early of the Antarean Empire. Considered radical even for their time, the Crusaders held the Emperor to be a prophet sent to the Antarean people to lead them to galactic conquest. Over time, the Crusaders exported their views throughout the Antarean Empire.
The Crusaders of Ios is a fundamentalist religious group believing that the Emperor is a profit sent to lead the Antarean people to galactic conquest. Their power has always been variable, for a while, during the end of the Antarean Federation, using secret funding, the Crusaders came to their highest point of power. Claiming millions of followers to their name since the days of the First Antarean Empire the Crusaders are a powerful shadow group. When Antony Roderis came into power in the church, he led a rebellion that was one of the major causes of the reformation of the Antarean Empire. Despite his recent death and the elimination of most of the Crusaders physical power by the [2nd] Antarean Empire, many members of the Crusader sect still hold positions of power within the Empire and a vast majority of the Empire, as well as some of the border worlds of the ULP, claim to follow the Church of Ios.
Political Structure
The current incarnation of the Crusaders of Ios is lead out of Central Church on Planet Nilux. The group that leads the Crusaders is known as The Assembly of Swords and consists of the Cardinals of the Church of Ios. Normal assembly and regular administration is normally done by Lesser Assemblies consisting of the First Sword, Second Swords and a select number of Third Swords, the Cardinal of Nilus, and any other Cardinals who happen to be at the church. The Church’s leadership is organized via rank and seniority. The First Sword is elected by a Full Assembly of Cardinals and is the leader of the Crusaders, below him are the Second Swords, who are appointed by a First Sword and have their posting for life. Beneath them are the Third Swords, these are the various bishops of the different worlds and sectors, they are selected by the Lesser Assembly from a pool of applicants in the area that they are to serve. While the Assembly of Swords seems to be a fair system it is anything but, most of the Swords achieve their position via back-door negotiation, betrayal and sometimes plain murder. In the end it is the First Sword who has control over the Crusaders; the others are, in the end, mere advisors.
Social Climate
The Crusaders in their current form are an exceptional underground organization. Their members are closely knit. Their church promotes the belief in Emperor-Worship, which means that the Emperor is a god and the spirits of past Emperors reside with us advising those who can hear and, in some part, maneuvering events in order for the Antarean Empire to gain Galactic Domination. The Church promotes the idea that its members should do whatever is possible do help accomplish this.
Relevant History
The original Church of Ios was founded by Saint Aromir Ios, the primary retainer and Head Historian for Reif Adromedeus, First Emperor of the Antarean Space Empire. During the Emperor’s reign Adromedeus laid out a series of stories, parables, and laws that were documented by Aromir Ios, combined with a documentation of related history, and then became the Book of Ios. The original church followed the book as a system of behavior and held that to be the primary tenant of their religion. However, after the death of the First Emperor a radical and at that point little known sect of the Church known as the Crusaders of Ios came into power. This sect, founded by a religious fanatic named Trentis Golsheim, held as a belief that the Emperor was a profit sent to the Antarean People to lead them to galactic conquest. Golsheim founded the first Crusader Church on the planet of Laguna, in the Aphis star-system; soon after the Crusaders exported their views throughout the Antarean Empire.
However, despite their popularity, the Imperial leadership took a dim view of the sect, as the Crusaders considered those who would not prescribe to their particular views as heathens, even if they were strongly affiliated with the church Ios. After the assassination of several ranking church elders and foreign dignitaries on a dozen worlds, the Imperial Army moved to crush the Crusaders. Instead of blaming the throne, the Crusaders instead leveled their hatred at the Emperor’s advisors (as well as outside powers, whom the Crusader leadership believed influenced the Emperor’s decisions).
A century of persecution only managed to drive the Crusaders of Ios underground, where it reformed itself as a powerful shadow organization. Over time, it managed to extend its influence deep into the roots of the Imperial Armed-Forces. Though active Crusader membership at the time of its inception hardly accounted for a fraction of a percent of the total Antarean manpower, by the start of the Unification War of 855 AE, the Crusaders could claim a small majority among the officer corps of the navy.
After the fall of the Empire, the Crusaders were driven even further underground, relegated to the hushed whispers of the dominated Antarean people. Over the many decades of ULP dominion, the sect remained largely silent. It was apparent they still enjoyed an unprecedented popularity, but their size and influence remained a definitive unknown. During the reign of the ULP over the Antarean worlds the ILSF discovered the First Church on Laguna and destroyed it, after which the Crusaders were forced to move their headquarters to Nilux.
In 961 AE however, Antarean agents insured the rise to power of one Antony Roderis to position of First Sword within the Assembly of Swords, breeding off the neglect showed by the ULP to the worlds of the 2nd and 6th districts and the exorbitant concessions levied on the ex-Antarean Empire worlds. Their platform of a restoration to glory for the Antarean Empire easily recruited people to their beliefs and their numbers, especially within the military ranks of the then Antarean Federation, increased exponentially. With the sudden upwelling of support, the Crusaders began a series of uprisings that established themselves as a power to be dealt with.
Security/Military Branches
The Fleet/Army of the Faithful
The Crusaders of Ios cover both ground and space forces. While they have members in both and use them well, their most explosive and eye-catching events tend to be performed by mere citizens following the lead of Cardinals or Priests executing orders from the Assembly or merely going on a “Crusade” on their own authority. Oddly enough, when these rallies or uprisings are broken up the Cardinals seem to disappear. The Crusaders also have their own space/ground fleet. It is made up of mostly out-dated models, but that doesn’t stop it from being effective. To bolster its fleet the Crusaders recently “liberated” a number of top of the line ships. Most of which have been destroyed, however a few of the lesser vessels still remain. The Crusaders have also acquired, along with some other antiquated army equipment, a few well used but extremely effective troop transports which make effective shielding during their uprising when deployed above crowds
The Shadow Service
Formed by the now deceased Cardinal Jona, The Shadow Service is the primary underground wing of the Crusaders of Ios. The Special Agents of the Shadow Service are responsible for acts of sabotage, the recruitment and maintenance of high ranking military officers, the security of the Crusaders of Ios, and creating the channels through which Crusaders may funnel secret information to the Church. The Special Agents of the Service are not the most well trained nor effective, their main purpose is simply helping to coordinate with members of the Faithful, as such the thing they are best at is communication tech.
