The War of the Roads

*'In that battle between the Imperishable Legions and the Leashed Flame,
the Legions will perish and the Flame will be unleashed'*
 *'*How the End will Begin*'*

**The War of the Roads** was a long and costly war between armies, forces, and dynasties of the occult world that lasted from 1450 to 1580. Involved were the Sovereigns of the Leashed Flame, the Sisterhood of the Knot, and the Church of the Unconquered Sun. The Sovereigns, as explicitly stated, are of England. The Sisterhood of the Knot was born in Phrygia, which was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire by the time of the War of the Roads. The geographical origin of the Church of the Unconquered Sun is unclear (but its apparent real-world inspiration - cult of Sol Invictus - suggests the Roman Empire).

Curiously, the War of the Roads was foreseen by adepts in India in antiquity, long before the Hooded Princes had ever conquered the subcontinent.

Known facts:

* The War was of such scale that it extended into the Mansus.
* Other Hours appear to have been involved - or at least affected by - the War of the Roads. Records of the war in the Mansus document a feud between the Red Grail and the Forge of Days as a significant part of the war.
* At some point, one of the three involved parties made an alliance with the Vagabond for assistance in the war, though it is unclear whether it was the Sisterhood, the Church, or the Sovereigns who struck this accord.
* The notable battles of the war include "the Burning of the Martyrs", in which the Sovereigns of England burned the Sisterhood’s army of “martyr-soldiers”.

In most Histories the war seems to have concluded when the Sovereigns of the Leashed Flame lost control of the Forge of Days and were consumed. This appears to have been precipitated by King Henry VIII attempting to cheat the Forge in an incident referred to as the "Great Debasement"  The Church of the Unconquered Sun was severely weakened by the time the war ended, and was effectively destroyed when the Intercalate occurred two years later. The fate of the Sisterhood after the war is unknown, but it is likely that they faded into obscurity as the Church did, if at a slower pace. It is revealed in *the Lady Afterwards* that in the Fourth History specifically, the war was won by the Sovereigns of Leashed Flame, who went on to conquer Europe, though they may have still been destroyed in the end.

While not explicitly stated, the War of the Roads likely has some connection to the Division of the Sun soon after. While the Forge of Days loved the Sun-in-Splendour and was prophesied to unite with it, The Church of the Unconquered Sun was among those who opposed the conquests of the Leashed Flame, suggesting tensions between the Forge and the Sun. It is possible that the war occurred at least partially in anticipation of the Intercalate, or perhaps represented a shift in allegiances and motivations among the Hours prior to the Intercalate.

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Study a censored edition of 'The War of the Roads, 1450-1580'
2. ↑ Read 'How the End will Begin'
3. ↑ Written in Phrygian
4. ↑ How the End will Begin
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Spider Door deck, fragmentsecrethistoriesd section
6. ↑ In the Painted Chamber
7. ↑  The War of the Roads, 1451-1551
8. ↑ Old Coppernose and the Softer Metal
9. ↑ Sunset Passages