The Sword and the Cross
Eurasia in 1455
The study of magic has led to disastrous consequences in lands east of Europe. Islam has largely been driven underground by pagan revivalists armed with magic. The old Islamic kingdoms have been replaced by pagan states centered around ancient sacred cities. The most powerful pagan kingdoms are Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt, famous for their wealth and wickedness.
In some places, worship of false gods has lead to kingdoms being overrun by supernatural horrors, as Grenada in the south of Spain has been. Palestine has been almost depopulated for a century, a land stalked by desert demons. In 1453, the great Christian city of Constantinople, at the height of its resurgent power after defeating the Turks and securing all of Anatolia, destroyed itself through sin. On the night of the feast of St. Nicholas, a mob held an illegal rite to Hecate, Greek goddess of magic, in his great church, the Nea Ekklesia. The whole of Anatolia now swarms with monsters. Far to the east lie the great civilizations of India and China, about which almost nothing is known.
Europe in 1455
The greatest European states are Aragon, Burgundy, Castile, England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, Poland-Lithuania, Portugal, the State of the Teutonic Order, and Venice. The Holy Roman Empire is dominant in the east, while in the west, the great powers fight for supremacy. Military power depends heavily on support from religious orders of knights. It is these orders who directly determine who sits on a throne, and every nation accepts the protection of some order as that nation’s official guardian. Political power depends heavily on support from religious orders of all sorts, knightly or otherwise.
The study of magic, and the development of magical abilities, is dominated by the church. Knights often develop “holy powers”. These are magical powers and are holy only in the sense that they have (theoretically, at least) been devoted to the service of God. Knights have little control over what holy powers they develop, though desire and effort can make a difference. Powers of healing and protection are common, as are powers that enhance the knight’s natural martial abilities. Different powers tend to appear in different orders of knight.