N. Honeydew, Ph.D., Accepted Ethereal (Independent Modern Pantheon)

The Purity Crusade served to improve both the quality and quantity of artifact manufacture. There are three major reasons for this advance in the field. First, basic research on both sides of the conflict was increased, resulting in the codification (and in Heaven's case, standardization) of artificing techniques. Second, the generally successful campaigns waged by Heaven permitted the Host to acquire a great many formerly unique relics for study: reverse engineering of the principles often proved to have valuable spin-offs. Lastly, the desperate nature of the struggle, from the point of view of the Old Ethereals, encouraged dialogue and cooperation among those ethereals known for enchantment.

When the Purity Crusade is discussed, the negative aspects of the struggle are usually emphasized. This is understandable, as many of the events that occurred during that period are still capable of causing horror among any sane entity. There has never been a proper accounting of the 'deaths' (to use the corporeal term) resulting of the Old Crusade, and it is unlikely that there ever will. Certain pantheons have still not recovered, even in these more enlightened times.

However, it should be noted that there were positive aspects to the conflict, as well - and the most dramatic of these is certainly the advance in enchantment and relic creation. Before the Old Crusade, relic creation was a matter of art and rule-of-thumb: afterwards, it was specialized engineering. While purists may prefer the old aesthetic, it cannot be denied that the systematic understanding of modern artificing has allowed the Host and various Ethereal pantheons to effectively combat the virulent outbreak of Technology in the past few centuries. There, if nowhere else, the Old Crusade proved of benefit to the forces of Good.

To the modern eye, the methodologies of Pre-Crusade artificing are an odd mixture of the overly complex and absurdly primitive. While many relics from this period are admittedly impressive, and are products of an artistic tradition no longer practical in these busier times [Eli, 1834 AD], they show none of the standardization expected of the modern artificer. There was no such thing as two identical artifacts: it was considered sufficient for a replacement for a broken relic generally replicated the original's attributes. There was also no such thing as a user's manual (or indeed any sort of permanent instructions for use, maintenance or repair). In short, artificers from this period were artists, rather than engineers.

This attitude is understandable, due to the beliefs surrounding artifact manufacture at the time. Both the Host and their future Ethereal opponents were still in a mindset that discouraged the creation of generic artifacts. Artificers of this period had specific individuals for whom they would create wonders, and indeed the competition to acquire their services was often vigorous [Esjion, 1834 AD]. It is an indication of the status quo in Heaven that Creation was the only significant producer of relics before the Old Crusade.

This bucolic state of affairs did not survive the first decade of the Old Crusade. It swiftly became clear on both sides that the conflict required improved means of offense, defense, movement, communication - every type of artificing was suddenly in great demand, and those angels and ethereals dedicated to such endeavors were overwhelmed in short order. Requests for more and better equipment were a perennial feature in Purity Crusade situation reports [Seraphim Council, 750 AD], and if anything the shortage was more acute among the affected Ethereal pantheons. It became clear that new methods would need to be developed. Heaven's (specifically, the Archangel of Lightning's) response to this crisis was the development of the organization known today as Revelations and Development.

Before the Old Crusade, Servitors of Lightning were primarily involved in basic research and cataloging of the corporeal plane's physical laws: while some research was performed regarding the nature of artifacts, the brunt of practical knowledge was concentrated among other groups (notably those of Creation, Divine Fire and Knowledge). This changed with the outbreak of hostilities on the ethereal planes. Servitors of Lightning (and to a lesser extent, Knowledge) found that their inherent organizational structure made them ideal for systematic research: in the year 636 AD this fact was institutionalized with the creation of the Mechanical Committee [Esjion, 1834 AD]. While modern usage conflates this group with Revelations and Development, this is not quite accurate: the Mechanical Committee remained an inter-Word organization until the reorganization following the Legion Incident of 1008 AD. The current name stems from popular usage arising in the last three hundred years [Earl, 1989 AD].

However named, the Mechanical Committee proved beneficial to the Host within a few short decades. By the last decade of the Old Crusade, Servitors of Lightning and Knowledge were finally beginning to eliminate the backlog of requested artifacts needed for the war effort, and their techniques were rapidly spreading throughout the other major groups of artificers in the Host. For the most part, these new methods were favorably received. The advantages inherent in the systematic and reproducible development of artifacts were incontrovertible to most artificers: even those that disapproved of such 'modern' methods soon found themselves approving of the changes. With the increased production of artifacts for the War effort came a lessening of restrictions (both explicit and implicit) on production of items normally deemed superfluous towards that end [Seraphim Council, 800 AD]. The First Aesthetic artistic movement (820 - 1006 AD) can thus be directly linked to the Purity Crusade - although few practitioners of said movement would agree! [Eli, 1834 AD]

Moving away from art, and back to engineering, the utility of the Mechanical Committee was unquestionably boosted by the work done by Destiny and Archives in collating, indexing and analysis of those artifacts confiscated by agents of the Old Crusade. The difficulties inherent in such a task will be touched upon by others [Beth, 2001]: it will be sufficient to note here that very few ethereal artifacts would have come to the attention of the Mechanical Committee without the efforts of such tireless cataloguers.

While some might deplore the acquisition of said artifacts, it can not be denied that the Mechanical Committee (and, later, Revelations and Development) showed rare ingenuity and skill in isolating and reproducing the specific techniques used in their artificing. With examples of alternate methods close to hand, plus the aforementioned improvements in design theory, the artificers of Heaven were able to increase their production twenty-fold within three centuries. This may very well have helped minimize the later overall impact of Vapula's ascension to tolerable levels.

However, it should also be noted that the various surviving pantheons were not idle during this period. It is interesting to note that most smith-'gods' were able to weather the Crusade: whether this was coincidental or due to deliberate policy on the part of members of the Host has never been adequately determined, even today [Seraphiel, 1970 AD]. At any rate, their respective experiences encouraged a certain increased cooperation and pooling of resources, even if only informally. Their efforts are described in a sister paper [Beaker, 2001]: it is sufficient to note here that the general lack of resources encouraged artifacts of high efficiency. This later would prove most useful as the ethereal pantheons were drawn into the War: said efficiency is considered even more useful today.

It cannot be denied that the Purity Crusade had horrific consequences upon ethereals (and celestials), but it can also not be denied that not all of the consequences were negative. If nothing else, the Crusade disrupted old methodologies of thinking and artificing, thus allowing better techniques to arise. While this end could have been achieved by better means, it must be acknowledged that without improved methods of artifact creation, both Heaven and the various ethereal pantheons would later have been in much more desperate straits. Vapula's methods, with their utter disregard for safety and/or restraint, required and require the utmost of effort and brilliance to counteract. It is fortunate that the forces of Good had the proper tools to meet his menace - even if those tools were born of pain and suffering.

1. Eli, Archangel of Creation. "The Silver Age: Heaven's Greatest 10,000 Works of Art", Proc TriPl Conf, 1834 AD.

2. Esjion, Cherub Angel of Technological Secrets (Lightning). "The Origins of Revelations and Development", Proc TriPl Conf, 1834 AD.

3. Seraphim Council. "Collected Dispatches of the Purity Crusade," in Proc Seraph Cncl, 750 AD.

4. Earl, Cherub Vassal of Destiny. "Origins of the Nomenclature of Certain Heavenly Institutions", in J Celestial Library Association, 1989 AD.

5. Seraphim Council. "Minutes of the Debate and Resolution to Amend Certain Restrictions in Current Artificing Policy," in Proc Seraph Cncl, 800 AD.

6. Beth, Archangel of Archives. "Stick and Carrot: A Review of Political and Military Techniques Used to Facilitate Proper Transferal of Crusader Acquisitions to the Mechanical Committee." To be published in Proc TriPl Conf, 2001 AD.

7. Seraphiel, Seraph Angel of the Inquisition (Judgement). "Allegation of Creation's Direct Connivance in the Purity Crusade," in Proc Seraph Cncl, 1970 AD (declassified, 2000 AD).

8. Beaker, Accepted Ethereal (M.I.P.) "On the Use of Limited Resources in Artificing, as Exemplified by Post-Crusade Ethereal Groups." To be published in Proc TriPl Conf, 2001 AD.