The Second Crusade (4638 ar–4645 ar)

Second Crusade (4638 ar–4645 ar): When a second wave of demons erupted from the Worldwound in 4636 ar, the crusaders had settled into their new homes in Mendev. They again took up arms against the demons, expecting a short series of f ights and boasting that this time they would drive the host back to the very edges of the Worldwound itself. But their expectations did not come to fruition. This time, the demons pouring from the Worldwound were not only more numerous—they were better prepared. Rather than the haphazard, chaotic, self-indulgent mob the crusaders previously encountered, the marauding demons were now legions driven by powerful commanders. Under
their commanders’ direction, the demons orchestrated strike forces, teleported behind enemy lines, drove their enemies toward their advancing ranks, and then crushed their opponents between them. The armies of the marilith Aponavicius captured the crusader city of Drezen using such tactics, forcing the church of Iomedae to f inally call for the Second Crusade. Even with the inf lux of troops from the Second Crusade, however, it quickly became apparent the demons were going to win. Fortunately for Mendev, the demons aimed the bulk of their devastating attack westward and
southward. The impending loss prompted the leaders of the Mendevian Crusaders to make a fateful decision— they pulled their support from Sarkoris, allowing the demon army to descend on what remained of that land, and instead concentrated their efforts on erecting wardstones along the West Sellen and Moutray rivers. The price of their actions proved steep, but, as the wardstones f lared to life, the menhirs contained the demons within lost Sarkoris and saved tens of thousands from grisly
deaths. Yet despite this success, the near- total loss of Sarkoris is generally regarded as the final capstone on a disastrous crusade.