One Man's Fall - a verbal account of 1099, the year of the Ultimate Heresy (Trench Crusade Fiction)

[@karllosikarlstadt5214]

Immagine if the demon made him immortal, thus denying him his hell and ''salvation''. Thats what I call evil.

[@SeabassSmith]

Just like stingy Jack

[@GuardDog42]

Punish me said the masochist, no said the sadist

[@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump]

I like the interpretation of what the Heretics (at least some of them) value about their service. A narcissistic "I'm the soecial one" love of themselves and their masters is both a neat inverted version of the Abrahamic faiths, and an explanation of why the Heretics are so loyal to such openly cruel masters. They believe that they may be the unique individual chosen and blessed by their own inner value and strength, and so they alone won't be preyed on and betrayed. It's the most malign expression of faith.

[@tamlandipper29]

Spot on, in my view. A suicidal egotism. This is also expressed in the (out of print) Slaves to Darkness Warhammer books. Even the nominally successful are little more than a grotesque parody of themselves. A mere franchise holder for their Patron Power.

[@pootisengage6672]

So... your average american

[@ascarcelle1]

@@pootisengage6672😂 shut up

[@starsiegeRoks]

​@@pootisengage6672pretty much. We are a selfish nation.

[@DrOwn-hq9ot]

Thank you for articulating that in such a clear way, I had trouble putting it to words myself

[@charlieboone1298]

Absolutely phenomenal work, man. Delivering it in that epistolic style that you find in Dracula or an SCP entry was the right move. Incredibly well-written and performed.

[@scannerbarkly]

Thanks so much, I was kinda nervous about this one. lol

[@nix-cipher]

👏 👏 👏 Bravo

[@metalk1tt3n]

@@scannerbarkly been binge watching your videos for a few days now, this was legitimately one of your best works in my opinion

[@dekuvisuals9847]

‘That year most foul’ is such a badass name for a horrible year

[@joakker8820]

2020 the prequel

[@konwentolak]

Awesome band name.

[@ProfessionalScofflaw]

Whenever someone says the words "their truth" that is the time to get the heck out because nothing further can be trusted.

[@bartomiejboguski9676]

I love how all of the fall the squad leader gives up to is due to his own lack of faith and perseverance mimicking templars from the story that might also be a knot of lies. Well played demon.

[@fuzzytransmissionman]

"Forget your thoughts of valor, friend: have you EVER heard the voice of your Lord?" FUCKING. CHILLS.

[@Jamhael1]

From what I've see, the problem was that it was the sheer cynicism of war is what eroded the faith of the templars, and while the cynicism is true, the lies of the devil led them astray. If the templars used this cynicism to also see that the devil is not a better master than god, then all of this could be avoided...

[@fluxtheory3136]

The problem is that would require abandoning hope of there being love and salvation at all, after all if not even the devil can provide it, who else is there? What's scarier, the lies of the devil, or the knowledge that there is no ultimate reward? That your past deeds do not have any intrinsic value and there is no authority to grant you what you truly desire.

[@Jamhael1]

@@fluxtheory3136 and that is the problem: you believe that your existence "grants" you "purpose". What is the other option beyond "existence"? Besides, tools have "purpose" - and Humans are NOT TOOLS.

[@fluxtheory3136]

@@Jamhael1 I'm simply writing from the perspective of someone in-universe. Whether we like it or not, people who we would call prophets, zealots or crusaders are what they are because have no doubts in their sense of purpose. Their purpose is provides the fuel for their inner fire which the vast majority lack, and to survive in the universe of trench crusade a sense of purpose is simply not optional, but a pre-requisite to survival. Modern atheists or humanists like us are internally very hollow. There is no spiritual "fat" to buttress against extreme levels of hardship and suffering. Think about how quickly you yourself will break after having nails driven into your shins during an interrogation. In such a world, whether you stand with the Creator or with the forces of Hell, when your survival is determined by your devotion or fanaticism, those with weak faith are weeded out with extreme prejudice. The person you described who is capable of doubting both heaven and hell does not exist, because he would wind up dead extremely quickly.

[@blazergamer6425]

​@@Jamhael1Humans are in fact tools to a system or to a tribe etc

[@Jamhael1]

​@@fluxtheory3136 no, not "doubting", simply REJECTING THEIR ALLEGIANCE. When you are litteraly offered two bad endings, you reject both out of SPITE.

[@tonijustamantejacobs6251]

I will say this type of videos, where creators enrich the Trench Crusade lore with their own contributions, only helps to make the game more narrative and gives a sense of human scale to the lore. Like in Warhammer, the lore is there to be respected and followed, but the histories, like Eisenhorn for example, are what truly gives depth and really immerse the player into that universe. This very same thing is what you are doing here, please keep doing it, we will be listening.

[@MorningLightMtn]

Poor guy, he got played like a fiddle. He's delusional if he thinks that minor act of betrayal and his ineffectual preaching will net him power and prestige in hell. At best, he'll be turned into a hellspawn foot soldier to be sent back to the war he wished to leave. At worst, well, that demon could easily think of worse fates than my mere mortal mind.

[@shobooknight]

They did become quite powerful demons called heresiarchs iirc, you can see artwork of one in the rulebook

[@Auzzymandias]

I'd say he already is in the worst fate imaginable. He willingly walked into New Antioch and started spouting heresy, and with his seemingly undying body, is now at the whims of the incredibly brutal church of Trench Crusade. Who knows what kind of horrific shit they'll do to him to find the extent of his immortality. He already had his tendons cut and they weren't mentioned to have healed. Bro got absolutely hoodwinked.

[@williamvinje1670]

Great job. I enjoyed this a lot. Please keep at it; you have a flair for 'grimdark style.'

[@scannerbarkly]

Thank you, I really appreciate y'all checking it out.

[@fathurshaon123]

I did not expect it to go well either but the tone and atmosphere of the story was immaculate and captivating indeed. No intricate plot, no adrenaline and no over grooming of the evil.... It is simplicity at its finest manifestation, one that leaves its listeners with their own sense judgement and benefit of doubt. Experiment successful in my opinion. Would love to hear more honestly. To my acknowledgment, in the arc of the Divine and Unholy, nothing is true and everything is permitted. To that end, I don't see any reason to be held back or left waiting for official lore.

[@fernandocruz6135]

Thats was darkly and sickeningly good! I’d love to hear more stories!

[@someguycalledCh0wdah]

The word "heresy" gets used a lot in trench crusade incorrectly Heresy is offering a misinterperetation or twisting holy scripture to suit your worldly ideals or wants. What's being discussed in this setting pure BLASPHEMY Opening a portal to hell is a bit more serious than a philosophical misreading of the bible

[@xenoblad]

So heresy is to blasphemy what manslaughter is to first degree murder?

[@scannerbarkly]

I would say that the portal was more a result of the Heresy. A bunch of dudes all out having a merry crusade for God suddenly deciding "you know what, fuck this guy" is the heresy? Religious doctrine would be that God acts through us, and we should have faith in that. Heresy would be them standing around going "You know how kinda kicks ass? We do. Definitely NOT God." Then we get to the Blasphemy.

[@someguycalledCh0wdah]

@@xenoblad yeah pretty much

[@someguycalledCh0wdah]

@xenoblad like "I'm Catholic but I don't think the pope is God's true representative on earth" is heresy "I hate God and stand in clear opposition to Him" is blasphemy

[@ethanduncan1646]

​@@someguycalledCh0wdahNo that is apostasy. Apostasy is the renunciation of your faith for something else. Blasphemy is saying something offensive about that religion. For example. If a Christian insulted Islam by making fun of Mohammad they committed blasphemy even if they never believed in that religion to begin with. Apostasy however would be saying "God is dead I am not worshipping him anymore" and then proceeding to worship a demon or whatever.

[@jakerooke174]

The demon acting like he’s worth the time of a smiting and Satan probably has found plotarmium to keep him save

[@2ndrangerbattalion]

Beautifully done brother. I always find myself chomping at the bit to get more Trench Crusade lore whenever I see it and you never fail to deliver. I will never not crave more from this beautiful new "world" I've found and I'm glad I've found it through you.

[@scannerbarkly]

Thank you, sir. Just glad you are having a good time with it all. :)

[@kitrinayolie]

If Scanner isn't a member or a creator of the game, I most definitely am surprised given the sheer detail of the lore he gives us.

[@scannerbarkly]

Nope, just some dork! lol

[@kitrinayolie]

@@scannerbarkly Well clearly somebody on board with the game should correct that. The pairing of your voice with the slightly unsettling music is perfect.

[@scannerbarkly]

@@kitrinayolie Thank you, that really means a lot to me. :)

[@Fnmag762]

Thought it was game/official lore until I read your note, that was a really good story, ty.

[@kiva_kaze]

I listened to this on my speaker at work (hvac in commercial construction), you sir now have more than a few new fans!!! Amazing work!

[@charlestorok2631]

This was excellent! Great work! You’re like the vaatividya of Trench Crusade!

[@elliotyourarobot]

The ritual described doesn't sound that strong enough to permanently open the gates of hell. This sounds like a classic fictiobal demon half truth.

[@Psychoangel-d23]

I think the ritual initiated the opening of the gates, but they had to keep the momentum going for it to fully open and stabilize. which resulted in jerusalem being destroyed. Or the ritual was close to completion to begin with and those final sacrifices was all it took to "break the locks" so to speak. Since it had already a pretty strong influence on those who merely looked at the sphere.

[@elliotyourarobot]

@@Psychoangel-d23 if there ever was a sphere to begin with.

[@Sara3346]

Thank you, this made better a very horrendously hard month do not doubt yourself too much, you do good work.

[@scannerbarkly]

Sorry to hear that times are tough. I hope they get better for you soon. :)

[@sohrabroozbahani4700]

Good lore making, so finally the stories are coming out...

[@MorningLightMtn]

I can actually think of an easy practical counter, not a religious one, but a reasonable one for the average person. "And what does Hell offer instead of Heaven? Do you think I'm stupid enough to think that I would instantly become a Prince of Hell for some minor sin of betrayal? After they kill me, I will arrive in Hell, not celebrated, but ridiculed, manipulated and subservient. Just like the mortal world, only far FAR worse. And no, I don't trust your "word" that I will have a place of power in your legion. I'm doubtful, not gullible" "I've seen the horrors your "people" have done on the regular. I know the terrible fates that await those that are in your grasp. Exploitation, dominion, torture, torment, horror, agony, despair. A sea of damned souls all so a few powerful demons can have just that bit more force to backstab each other, despite the constant betrayal being detrimental to the conquest of Earth. You want me to throw away the normal, average, generic but still relatively decent life for one infinitely worse on the small chance it might not be worse? No thanks, demon. God may have made me full of questions and doubt, but thankfully He made me practical enough to see your lies" "Ooooo, I'm just a sheep, a slave" "Better those than being the deluded fool that turned himself into an eternally tortured toy of a prince of Hell"

[@elliotyourarobot]

It's the cult of suffering. They believe they are worthy because they suffered.

[@marcoslopez127]

Is that you, Jaghatai Khan?

[@ethanduncan1646]

When I was playing Wrath of the righteous my Knight Commander literally says to a demon offering boons that demons literally always lie and what they offer is fake. It felt good to defy that trope for once by having some common sense.

[@caad5258]

The preacher was probably consumed by resentment prior to encountering Nabarus. He fell because of his emotions and trauma, not due to the persuasiveness of the demon. You cant really debate with that rationally.

[@MorningLightMtn]

@caad5258 That's certainly true. That long reason isn't really for people overwhelmed by the despair of life. Logic and Heart are both gifts of the Divine, but the Mortal is too imperfect to find the proper balance for both. That is the reasoning I have towards Hell because the Divine saw fit to give me a mind that is focused on reasoning and logic, rather than emotions and faith. It doesn't feel preferable to what is common among humans, frankly it kinda sucks. But I have no choice but to work with the tools the Creator gave to me. I'm just glad they also made it so that I'm not too bitter about it.

[@davidtellez6690]

The story and narration are fantastic. It fits very well with the official lore.

[@YapHous]

an excellent representation of how a gentle nudge can make a man snowball down the opposite side of a slope. you’re an excellent writer, and I hope you are remembered when deciding what is canon in this infant universe.

[@FinanceMan]

Man, that corruption was beautifully depicted. Man snapped and it was over.

[@SirJellyBean]

Fantastic videos dude loving the Trench Crusade lore

[@hoverpantsz262]

This is great stuff most evil and fits well with what we know so far. Also reminds me a bit of Clark ashton smiths works but without the fluffy language. Keep it up it is good.

[@heluphicclovanass8954]

Phenomenally well-written

[@scannerbarkly]

Thanks so much, means a lot to me that folks are enjoying it. :)

[@Arronj30Jss]

Loveing you lore videos. I only just found out about trench crusade but really like it. I genuinely hope it keeps building traction. GW needs some competition. it's about tine, and their strangle hold on the market is challenged.

[@ClandestineChroniclesOfficial]

This is what I like about trench crusade, even hell has its enticing reasons, I and I find that more disturbing than just muh evil. Personally I think the church of metamorphosis is the most scary, as the idea of only being able to experience different realms of reality by transforming your body, especially becoming no longer human is top tier nightmare fuel. Maybe a video? 👀👀💅

[@free_at_last8141]

What's in the box? What's in the box?!

[@OnyArt]

That darn 1099 !!! :D Great video.

[@a_random_orthodox_Christian]

Always good to see a fellow writer also this is some excellent work

[@blights5468]

Bro got tricked by the Joel Olsteen demon

[@seangrey]

This story is actually pretty good. you should do more, maybe these stories will help trench crusade fill out its lore a bit.

[@custyzone]

“A love that embraces all is a love that embraces nobody” damn that line 😮

[@adams13245]

Yahweh must've been listening. And fallen to wordplay logic.

[@paulelephant9521]

Reaally enjoyed this. Wanted some explenation of the ultimate heresy, and this was inventive and generally bang on in tone, good job!

[@johnnymartinez1126]

You are super cool man i hope this gets the love it deserves from everyone. I'll sure as hell be showing my friend who enjoys 40k!

[@scannerbarkly]

Thanks for taking the time to check it out. Not sure about the super cool thing, however. lol

[@SeabassSmith]

Naberos, the quartermaster of Gehenna.

[@FrederickStack]

If Celtic Frost,Clive Barker snd Crowley created a tabletop jam ... crazy,and vey well composed ... all the infernal elements present in abundance... good work...

[@faelanisawesome]

This is fantastic, love to see more content like this.

[@nicholaswalsh4462]

Honestly, the more I think about it, i get the impression that God isn't speaking to anyone in this setting. Rather, the Devil is just absolutely cackaling with triumph as he plays Man like a fiddle.

[@ethanduncan1646]

I mean, this is the Catholic church triumphant without ever being reformed due to the counter reformation. To half of Christianity that isn't Catholic this basically is their worst nightmare.

[@nicholaswalsh4462]

@@ethanduncan1646 As someone raised in the Catholic Church, the bit of Trench Crusade that interests me the most is the Doctrine of the Meta Christ. The Body and the Blood of Christ already play a central role in the Catholic Mass, with Communion being one of the three major steps in becoming a full member of the Church and being the one which is repeated at every mass, roughly halfway through. The idea that the Church has taken the Body and Blood from being a representative deal using bread and wine that have been blessed to being the actual flesh and blood of a clone of Jesus is a fascinating bit of world building.

[@xzenitramx666]

Well god doesnt care isca common troupe.

[@addoinatrum4339]

Thanks for all the vids you've been doing on Trench Crusade- I never would have heard of it if not for you! :)

[@scannerbarkly]

My pleasure!

[@mdl17576]

Id like to see a faction in this world that seeks to truly erase their own souls. Hells promises are hollow, but they seem to have a point about heaven and God with infinite love that is mostly absent yet will send a soul to be tortured in the worst way imaginable until the end of time for the slightest lapse of faith. Maybe some offshoot of Buddhism. Transcedence through true nothingness.

[@scannerbarkly]

That's actually a really cool idea.

[@MachineMan-mj4gj]

God not intervening in the lives of mortals is kind of his schtick. He sends hardships to make you stronger and better, a harsh parent, but it's harshness borne of love.

[@scannerbarkly]

In our world. In Trench Crusade He performs miracles through Clerics, the Observers hear His voice and He keeps them safe, etc. The character would have seen plenty of incidents that he could interpret as God acting directly through others, but never through him.

[@yamibakura8597]

Trench Crusade was clearly written by people who do not understand Christian theology.

[@housewilma4904]

mostly cause god knows about human game theory. which basically is the idea that if the lord gave humans everything they asked for theyd do what ever he said for the reward and not because they agree or undersand morally gods teachings. like in videos games if you give someone a instant win button they will alwaus use it even if it hurts there experince.

[@joeytodd795]

The kind of parenting that creates tyrants & mass murderers. Have any of you seem that AWESOME short horror film on KZbin "Portrait of God"? Phenomenal. No jump scares, nothing cheap. Just an angle I certainly wouldn't have initially thought of, and one that Trench Crusade seems to be nailing....what, with the Meta-Christ clones and whatnot. If Biblically accurate angels are anything to go by...for these things...even the "good ones" to exist, they'd likely be terrifying beyond all mortal reckoning.

[@joeytodd795]

​@scannerbarkly I heard there are snipers whose buff is that they somehow could hear the voice of God, who in effect acts as their "spotter". Trade off is, they're all half mad, and can never sleep naturally again.

[@Darksky1001able]

I wanna see someone provide the counter to this and explain the man did indeed kill for selfish reasons and strayed too far from the path.

[@scannerbarkly]

I mean, what happened can be entirely your interpretation. The heretics may have been lying. The Lieutenant may have just been weak, and his men were stronger, which is why he turned and they did not.

[@Darksky1001able]

@@scannerbarkly Or he could have entirely imagined it all due to his weakness.

[@MorningLightMtn]

I can think of an easy practical counter, not a religious one, but a reasonable one for the average person. "And what does Hell offer instead of Heaven? Do you think I'm stupid enough to think that I would instantly become a Prince of Hell for some minor sin of betrayal? After they kill me, I will arrive in Hell, not celebrated, but ridiculed, manipulated and subservient. Just like the mortal world, only far FAR worse." "I've seen the horrors your "people" have done on the regular. I know the terrible fates that await those that are in your grasp. Exploitation, dominion, torment, horror, agony, despair. You want me to throw away the normal, average, generic but still relatively decent life for one infinitely worse on the small chance it might not be worse? No thanks, demon. God may have made me doubtful, but thankfully He made me practical enough to see your lies" "Ooooo, I'm just a sheep, a slave" "Better those than being the deluded fool that turned himself into an eternally tortured toy of a prince of Hell"

[@davidk6269]

WOW!!!! I was spell-bound listening to this story. You did an amazing job of both writing and then dramatically reading this incredibly captivating and imaginative story! I am a Warhammer 40k fan because I was drawn to its grim-dark setting, and I have read a vast amount of the Warhammer 40k lore stories. I can say with no hesitation that this story that you have created captures the deep horror and despair of the grim-dark better than any of the Warhammer 40k stories that I have ever read. The subtly disturbing sound track also added to the sense of dread as you artfully unveiled the story. You are extremely talented, and I am very glad to have discovered your channel! Well done!!!

[@scannerbarkly]

Thank you so much for the kind words. :)

[@OneColdtruth]

The world building of this is incredibly good.

[@Cherryknight69]

Guess the magic space daddy didn't see this coming.

[@halosas9854]

I would love more of this, you definetely have a talent for this

[@darkerwinds]

Thank you for being real. I’m so tired of AI lore vids

[@scannerbarkly]

Thank you. Unfortunately, more and more stuff on KZbin is being voiced by AI work and it's so fucking boring.

[@terranbrah]

this was amazing

[@oldskoolfattieg]

I seriously cannot wait till we start to get books set in this world.

[@reddleyTV]

Beautifully done story and I'm so pumped to hear more lore from TC! Thanks for all the work you're doing. I hope you write more like this! On an audio note (I'm a sound engineer), Idk what program you use to record your voiceover in, but if you use Adobe Audition there are lots of easy tools to remove those pesky mouth noises (swallows, dry tongue sounds, etc.). Most DAWs offer Declickers, Noise Reduction, etc. and you can easily find video tutorials on how to get rid of those bits. Doesn't bother me too much, but I know some people get very grossed out hearing those things! I'd be happy to show you the ropes if you're interested. Keep up the good work!

[@scannerbarkly]

Yeah, I use Audition now and run the Noise Red and Declickers, along with some Limiting and a Little Compression, the a Noise Gate to cut every below a certain level which deals with the breathing. People also just gotta accept that I do have issues with my jaw and it means I talk a certain way, it is what is. If I can live with it then I suspect that they will just need to learn to do so as well. lol

[@scannerbarkly]

Actually, if you wanna compare, this is the most recent story with the new procedures - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6a7ZH-PrdONqpI

[@paulgrant4473]

Woof, that was dark...

[@MrJackWorse]

That was awesome, man! Can't wait for more!

[@Kemot300]

I would point at the talking head and ask "So tell me, why is THIS guy, one who obeyed you as one of the first and helped you opened the gate - thus not only proving his absolute loyalty but also granting you the greatest gift of all: Freedom to be on this planet stuck as talking head for more than 800 year's? If HE isn't worthy of commanding the hell legion but instead stuck here then no human under you ever got this "privilege" and it's all a scam!"

[@isaaccharlton3114]

The terrifying part of this is how the author so perfectly captures how demons act. The pervasive whisperings of temptation, pulling man away from a higher purpose and the love of God under the pretense of “freedom”. They then appeal to our passions and our fallen nature, more or less feeding our pride while also causing us to despair of the mercy of God. This also is a great example of how dangerous it is for a man to be deprived of the sacraments, most especially the Holy Eucharist and confession. If they had been apart from the church and a priest to celebrate mass/hear their confessions for months, they surely would have been crushed by the weight of their sin.

[@IsaacCoverstone]

This story hits hard for me. For months I used to pray for a god or any being that could hear, to prove that they could in fact hear me. I made a specific request for someone to approach me and speak a phrase, and I would speak the phrase in the prayer but have never told anyone what it was. That way, if someone spoke the phrase, it would HAVE to be a deity or some being that could hear my voice when no one else could. That was several years ago, i have only heard silence.

[@Saint_Vitus]

i love this setting. great story

[@justwannabehappy6735]

Hell yeah

[@DefeatedRoyalist]

My friend your writing is superb! As one of faith and a lover of Cosmic horror I think you nailed the vibe that TC is going for! Please continue to write :) you have a god given talent and clearly are astute in your craft! Peace and love my brother!

[@scannerbarkly]

Thank you kindly!

[@worldlycrow8212]

Where is the hope in this story? And no I don't mean in the setting, Trench Crusade is a battle of the Faithful vs the Heretic and that has it's hope spots in many forms. However, in this specific story what hope can we see? This story paints a world where all fights are futile, after all even if only this single head and it's heretic carrier wandering around eventually everyone would be turned to the side of heresy. Kind of crazy, that, but if even the 'most highly decorated' Lieutenant's of New Antioch are flipped this easily what hope does anyone below the level of a Trench Pilgrim Zealotry have at dealing with this kind of force?

[@Cdot94]

That's the whole point though that it's a hopeless setting. A highly decorated lieutenant falling to heresy isn't too hard to believe. He's spent years fighting starving and slaughtering without a single "good job son". The higher someone's position the more they're exposed to. The demon just had to stoke that ember of doubt in all people to turn it into an inferno. If there is hope in the story it's that the faithful, who do resist are stronger in comparison than the average fallen.

[@worldlycrow8212]

​@@Cdot94 I disagree on the subject of the setting being hopeless. The source material has gone out of it's way to point out that the forces of the Faithful are able to do good works when they work well, that the forces of the Damned are disunitied and backstabbing, and that the setting has hopespots to fight for. As for the Lieutenant, he's fought on the frontlines of a war where miracles are as common as chips in a corner store. How many blatant miracles does one man have to ignore at that point in his carreer to flip like that? How many headshots would you have to ignore from Sniper Priests? How many Trench Clerics would he have to ignore allowing men to perform above and beyond the ability of their very blooded bodies? How many Stigmatic Nuns would he have witnessed among the Trench Pilgrims that the forces of New Antioch use as frontline fodder? How many times would he have been healed by War Prophets in his long service? The Faithful are with God and God is with the Faithful, fairly obviously in every moment of every day. This isn't implied, though it does feel totally ignored by this story.

[@Cdot94]

@worldlycrow8212 the same way in 40k there are miracles of the faithful that occur everyday. Miracles happen but at the end every human will ask why me, why now what have I done? There was no sniper priest to save the Lt then and there. Clearly in hindsight the Lt has gained nothing, that head in a box though hundreds of years old is just a head in a box that needs another person to keep it safe. The story isn't about the bigger picture it's about a single man's weakness in a moment. That Lt is faithfully waiting to die so he can be rewarded in hell, the demon mightve given him immortality or some other way to deny the final 'reward'. Your completely right though, the faithful will continue to trudge on no matter how many men fall to demons.

[@worldlycrow8212]

@@Cdot94 In 40k the Miracles of the Faithful are actually quite few and far between unless you're a Sister of Battle or perhaps some of the more fanatical elements of apocryphal canon like the House Cawdor boys in Necromunda. True faith is a hard commodity to come by in 40k. In Trench Crusade, the Faithful are rewarded for their actions and prayers. It is baked into the very DNA of the setting that the Faithful are fighting this fight because they've gotten a response from the divine. I wasn't asking about the big picture in this instance. I was asking about this Lieutenant and the miracles that he personally is ignoring because of no reason given beyond 'that's how the story goes' which was my issue on the subject. Because the fall makes less sense when taken out of the vacuum of a single conversation and into the full life of a storied and highly decorated man's career. It takes a man who has seen miracles play out in his day to day life and simply says 'nah he falls' with no real effort beyond 'we talked'. The Lieutenant already knew that the Knights Templar fell, that they did something to open the Gates of Hell. He knew that there were few, if any, survivors in Jerusalem that day. Again, my issue is that the fall makes everything seem hopeless when in-setting the situation is bad, but not hopeless. Heck, take a look at this mircocosm of hopelessness. The group wanted to act, but simply couldn't act as they were told about from the talking head. Held in place by some unnamed force that beat an entire squadron of New Antioch's best with no effort, not even a blink. Then, when their leader flipped to the Damned they still couldn't act and were slaughtered with almost no effort. This is a hopeless war if this kind of power can be used. Every normal civilian who ever meets this man and his head is a Heretic Legionary in the space of a short conversation, every soldier met the same. As I said only the Trench Pilgrims would, perhaps, remain and even they are going to be overwhelmed by the simple numbers that this man can produce by walking into towns and doing exactly what he already did to one of the best leaders of footsoldiers in New Antioch. Which is why I commented originally on the story, I noted that I wasn't talking about Trench Crusade, just the story in particular. Something like this is far worse than men and women being driven mad on the battlefield by the songs of the choristers, as that can be fought with faith and action whereas this is an active way to simply turn any foe into your ally and that kind of tool drains the hope out of a story.

[@Cdot94]

@worldlycrow8212 I dont mean to make a reductionist stance about the story but that's not uncommon in any faith based setting. Yes the Lt has witnessed miracles, he's aware of the strength of his side. He's had an outstanding career up to the point of meeting a demon and in the end his internal faith wasn't enough. Take it as a cautionary tale if nothing else. From an outside view the man has thrown away his soul for nothing. He's slaughtered his entire unit and now spends 24hrs a day in a dark cold cell his fate up to the whims of the faithful. His story is one of thousands, if it breaks the logic of the world in the end it's actual impact is miniscule, one unit and one monk.

[@Colonel-WhiteRaven126]

Now this is world building at its finest!

[@91ATLbraves]

Dude fell in 20 seconds

[@scathliath]

Reminds me of a nightmare I once had. Phenomenal.

[@nsort3009]

Well, Mr Demon, is answer is so common across fictional versions of Christianity that it's a bit of a cliche. Most notably the Faith of the Seven in Game of Thrones, and most if not all depictions in Anime. The first is simply as people in real world, we must all grapple with the question of why we suffer despite the supposed existence of a loving god, and that's always going to be the most compelling system. 2nd, is that Christian metaphysics is All or Nothing. God is either the Absolute Ruler of the universe whose name can be invoked to instantly banish any lesser supernatural forces; Or he's a fake, a powerless figurehead who's followers somehow replaced every enpowered religion. Trench Crusade takes a common solution to this by giving New Antioch Catholic Flavored Blood Magic, as usual, arguably worse than either the Heretic Legions or Iron Sultanate

[@scannerbarkly]

Hate to break it to you buddy, but real life Catholicism has blood magic. Transubstantiation is a thing.

[@nsort3009]

@@scannerbarkly Yes, thank you, the inspiration for this is based on real life Catholic tradition

[@justinblodgett8846]

The best lies are always wrapped around a kernel of truth.

[@therencepalino8111]

Awesome as always. Might even make a story of my own in response. On my own channel.

[@catspyjamas8005]

Did you write this? It's really good, very impressive work.

[@egioch]

I am looking forward to books. I hope it will come.

[@Watam8o]

Might be a dumb question but is this fan-made lore or does this have a basis in what is going to be considered "canon". I mean specifically the parts on the first heresy/sin.

[@scannerbarkly]

This is just a story that I made up. The point is that the demon could be telling the truth to the Lieutenant, he could be lying. There is no real way for him or the listener to know.

[@elliotyourarobot]

​@scannerbarkly Also, the lieutenant may be telling the truth or lying as well.

[@yiho7368]

I know the story is meant to mimic the fall of the Templars. But man was I hoping for an answer that goes: “God put me here and intervenes not so I can kill you demon myself!”

[@hippo4214]

this was a captivating story

[@gp-1542]

It seemed that what fell Lucifer, made these templars fall, pride

[@Jdjwjsi4483]

Would love a video on life in New Antioch for the average person and how horrific it is

[@0610-n3z]

What's the background music called?

[@ogulcany.2035]

Awesome writing!

[@retroman355]

Do you think that this guy turned into that giant no name demon with a scythe? That would be pretty awesome.

[@caad5258]

awesome story

[@WokeCrusade]

Where did you get this lore from?

[@scannerbarkly]

I wrote it.

[@conshera]

Will there be tanks and aircraft? I mean it doesn’t need it

[@sampaulson4620]

great

[@TheRavenLord1]

Join the Black Grail

[@Tracer_Krieg]

I have a problem with the lore here and that's due to the date. The Templars are described as having sold their souls to Satan and opening the gates of hell in the year 1099... except they couldn't have. The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Knights Templar) were not founded until 1119, 20 years after the fact, and their order only consisted of 10 total knights. It would not be until 1129 that their order grew beyond this due advocacy by saints within the Church. Now, if this had been Crusaders who fell to heresy, this would work, or if the opening of Hell's Gate occurred at least a century later, but instead Templars are once more chosen to be the villains when it doesn't make historical sense.

[@scannerbarkly]

It's not a historically accurate game, my dude. It's an alternate history. Stuff will happen before or after it happens in real life. Some important historical figures will still exist, and some will not. It's really interesting to me that you can get behind the whole army of hell invading earth thing, but Templars existing and Jerusalem falling a little earlier is apparently not on. lol Woods and trees, my dude.

[@Tracer_Krieg]

@@scannerbarkly Alternate History works when it is historically accurate, as it adds layers of intrigue to the story. As I said, had the gates been opened a century later, it would opened more additional lore due to: a.) The Templars being an established military force who already would have ties to the rest of Europe through their banking systems. b.) 1199 being when the Third Crusade Ended, the Crusader Kingdoms were at their weakest, and Richard the Lionheart campaigning in Europe, dying towards the start of this year. c.) Caliph Muhammad al-Nasir ascended the throne of Almohad Caliphate and further expanding Arabic rule through Hispania. I get why 1099 was chosen, as this was when the fall of Jerusalem occurred, but some historical research would add more to the lore. Instead, it's left as something of a clunky starting point for the setting which bugs me as an historian. Oh, I can get behind Hell invading Earth as that can lead to interesting stories, but when set in an historical time period, careful attention to detail can make or break my enjoyment of a setting.

[@Nonsense010688]

Fair enough but honestly I would assume that some things even before 1099 are different from our timeline, simply because both god and devil seem ti be more outwardly active. After all, the betray does imply that they were different before reaching Jerusalem. So maybe in this timeline the order was founded to "free" the temple instead of that being their first quarter and then adopting the name.

[@johnprice.2727]

@@Tracer_Kriegnah

[@scannerbarkly]

@@Tracer_Krieg We fundamentally disagree on the nature of an alternative timeline. lol The Church in Trench Crusade has a space program, my dude. In 1914. This simply may not be the game for you, and that is fine.

[@TheCorrodedMan]

The weak faith of a few damned the world to a fate worse than death.

[@CoyotesOwn]

Wait i know we're playing loose with history but... The Templar OPrder was established in 1118 specifically to protect pilgrims coming into European-controlled Jerusalem. Having the Templar's conqueror Jerusalem is a bit of a Paradox, since you need Jerusalem to for the Templars to be formed.

[@scannerbarkly]

You first 8 words answer your own issue, homie.

[@miguelmackay4851]

Where can I find all this lore!!!!!

[@scannerbarkly]

This one is just a story that I wrote myself, not official lore. You can also find the first in a new series called "Hand of Fate" here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6a7ZH-PrdONqpI Part 2 coming soon!

[@DPRSashatown]

Fuck, I've become a Trench Crusade nerd. Warhammer 40k wasn't Catholic enough for me and I'm not even Catholic.

[@Carnivore301]

I feel bad for the poor monk who was blinded, deafened, and muted all for documenting what the heretic said. Was it somehow a side effect of hearing the heretics words or did New Antioch officials do that to him as a punishment or to keep him from telling anyone else?

[@Blashmack]

The New Antioch officials needed to contain the spread of heresy and anybody getting any ideas after hearing the reasoning for forsaking God as told by the first fallen Templar.

[@themysteriousgentlemen1763]

Why is this not a computer rts game yet?

[@ShirleyTimple]

Hop to it, they're making a board game.

[@themysteriousgentlemen1763]

​@@ShirleyTimple I'm no game designer but baby steps I suppose.

[@alexadams7998]

is this set in 1099?

[@skyekrichel7621]

Please do faction review 🙏 Like look through the rules and do a breakdown please and thanks God bless

[@scannerbarkly]

That's one the way soon! Just need a little break from the current busy work season, so once the Elden Ring DLC has been out for a week or so, imma dive into them. :)

[@50043211]

I just stumbled upon Trench Crusade so I know nothing, besides that the minis look awesome, god or his agents dont talk to humans nor support them in any shape or form and humanity has not switched side by now? 🤔

[@retroman355]

Maybe i missed it but did that orb open the gates?

[@scannerbarkly]

Yup. The Orb was the key, fill it with enough human suffering and fear and it would open the gate wherever it was located.

[@placeholderchannelname9111]

this is good

[@toi_techno]

Very cool

[@DashiellAnthony]

Average Calvinist apostacy