Trench Crusade

28/02/2024

++Mechanized Infantry++

"My faith is unbreakable, my resolve unshakable. Let the forces of darkness come, for they shall find no quarter here!"

The mechanized infantrymen and women of New Antioch embody the relentless might of modern warfare, clad in formidable armour and wielding heavy machine guns or massive close combat weapons with which to shatter their unholy foes. Towering over their counterparts, they form the vanguard of New Antioch's defence, an indomitable bulwark against the tide of darkness that seeks to engulf us all.

+++

Today we wanted to share the latest sculpts from New Antioch’s production lines: the Mechanized Infantry.

These heavy troops were sculpted by . Wilph specialises in hard surface modelling and we are very happy with how he has translated Mike’s original concept art to 3D. Feel free to give him a follow on Instagram!

[Original concept art by Mike Franchina in comments]

24/02/2024

It's time for the weekend community feature! This stunning Trench Pilgrim Castigator kit bash is by Kasper Lyneborg, AKA Kitbash Kasper! The Trench Crusade team especially appreciate the flail hand that can be used to scourge those who lack faith or need encouragement to charge enemy machine guns.

You can check out even more of his work here: https://www.instagram.com/kitbash_kasper/

21/02/2024

+++ BRAZEN BULL +++

“It is with artillery that the Sultan makes his arguments known.”

Due to the protection afforded by the Iron Wall, the Sultanate has always maintained excellence in artillery. However, the siege guns and heavy mortars that defend Those Who Believe on the ramparts of the Wall are far too cumbersome for small expeditionary forces. Thus in the year of the Hijrah 821, Sultan Bayezid III commissioned a new creature of war to act as living field artillery.

To fulfil this decree the Jabirean scientists of the Royal Artillery House have laboured for centuries to perfect the divine art of takwin. In their secret laboratories they performed countless experiments, learning many precious and costly lessons in the process. They have devised many things, but none more clever or ingenious than the Brazen Bull, called Boğa by the soldiery of the Sultanate.

The Brazen Bull is a monstrous being of immense power and vitality, capable of tearing even the bastard child of a devil clean in half. The Sultan’s armourers equip the Bulls with heavy artillery that even the superhuman Janissaries cannot lift, let alone use in battle: flame cannons, volley guns and holy blades blessed by the Word of the Great Protector.

Encasing its mighty frame is exquisitely decorated bronze armour of thrice hardened scales, covered in talismans of protection and the Grace of the Creator. On the battlefields beyond the Iron Wall, the Brazen Bull is an awesome and terrifying sight. It is a single-minded, fearless walking bulwark, a tower and shield which the war parties of the Sultanate rally behind. Such is the power of their weapons that the very earth shakes with their pounding, disrupting the enemy advance even when they fail to slay their target.

-Art by Mike Franchina

14/02/2024

+++PLAGUE KNIGHT+++

When the tide of Black Grail comes, many mortals cry out to Beelzebub in their despair, hoping that the Lord of the Flies would spare them in exchange for worship and servitude. But their cries fall on deaf ears, for the Prince of Gehenna hates all Creation and only wishes to warp it into a form pleasing to him and hateful to God.

But there are few mortals, exceedingly rare, who truly share the vision of Beelzebub and wish the world to end in a putrid, parasite-infested mass, eternally writhing in the throes of the endless plagues bestowed upon them by the Black Grail. Many of them are secret and highly skilled killers, men and women whose pleasure is to murder repeatedly, plying their craft in secret, wishing one day to do it openly. From amongst such twisted individuals are inducted into the ranks of the unholy Order of the Fly, known as Plague Knights.

When the Black Grail comes, they come out calmly and welcome the wave of corruption, and are not consumed by it but rather warped into a cadaver-like creature half-way between life and death. They retain sentience, intelligence and a dim memory of their past lives, making them extremely useful at leading the Black Grail into the isolated farmsteads and remote settlements that might otherwise escape the clutches of Beelzebub.

The more living creatures a Plague Knight can find and warp beyond recognition, the higher they will climb in the ranks of the Order of the Fly, and the greater the favour they will find in the eyes of Beelzebub.

Amongst their rank there are twelve Plague Knights of great renown, made in mockery of Paladins of the Church, great champions of the Fly. They dwell within Ekron, the city of Beelzebub, a place of such wilting horror that none dare to approach it, not even the mightiest of Heretic lords. But sometimes the orders of their lord come to their ears, and then the mightiest of Plague Knights strike forth, following orders carried out by the deafening buzz of trillions of beating wings of hell-flies.

-Art by Mike Franchina

11/02/2024

FREE DOWNLOAD: TRENCH CRUSADE PLAYTEST RULES V 1.2

Here is a little something we’ve been working on for the past year or so!

Trench Crusade is a new skirmish-scale tabletop miniature game that will plunge players deep into a horrifying alternate timeline. During the Crusades a heretical band of Templars dared defy the Almighty and, casting aside their sacred vows, unleashed the forces of Hell upon the Earth. Over 800 years later, in the Year of Our Lord 1914, this brutal, merciless war between the forces of Heaven and Hell rages on. This is not just a fight for survival, but a cataclysmic struggle that will decide the very fate of humanity's soul. Welcome to the Trench Crusade!

The link below will provide you with the full playtest rules (along with 2 Warbands and 3 scenarios). To state the obvious, these are not the final rules. They are still missing explanatory diagrams and gameplay examples, campaign and exploration rules, supernatural powers, most of the warband lists and scenarios, terrain and miniature painting sections and much, much more. However, they should allow you to sample the game and learn its basics as we await the full release. They have already gone through multiple cycles of playtesting and feedback from our growing community of enthusiastic players.

Neither layout nor the art represents the final quality, and due to the constant cycle of playtesting and revisions, there are bound to be mistakes as well as plenty of rules that are going to change in the course of development. Please bear this in mind as you familiarise yourself with these rules. Feedback is welcome, and the best way is to join the Trench Crusade Discord channel, page or Instagram, and post your questions and comments there. We will strive to answer them to the best of our ability.

We plan to release more playtest rules in the near future, as well as more scenarios, warbands and rules for campaigns. We will also revise the core rules when they change during development and share these with the community as well. In the coming months we will release information on the upcoming Kicstarter campaign.

I hope you’ll enjoy your time with Trench Crusade. I firmly believe it is the best ruleset I’ve written in my 27-year career as a professional game designer.

If you think anyone you know would enjoy these rules, please spread the word!

Tuomas Pirinen, Game Designer

https://www.trenchcrusade.com/playtest-rules?fbclid=IwAR2xCD6deJosOJOYB7eyzFkSRzekmb-1_tQGFeM353BrA4oXTatVJxX7G5k

Trench Crusade is a skirmish-scale tabletop miniatures game that will plunge players deep into a horrifying alternate timeline. During the Crusades a heretical band of Templars dared defy the Almighty and, casting aside their sacred vows, unleashed the forces of Hell upon the Earth. Over 800 years l...

07/02/2024

+++LARVAL BEAST LORD+++

Sometimes the unluckiest warbands encounter creatures that one cannot hope to defeat with a trench club or a bolt action rifle. Greatest of the unholy creatures that Hell has unleashed to trouble the unhappy world have the power to lay waste to entire cities, and must be confronted by entire armies with heavy artillery, aerial bombardment and armoured divisions.

One example of these behemoths are the Beast Lords that emerge from the Hellmouth, heralded by dire portents and visions of the devout brothers and sisters of the Synod of Strategic Prophecy. The reason or the purpose why Inferno disgorges these gargantuan monsters is unknown, save for their tendency to extremely destructive rampages. If not hunted down, they eventually disappear into deserts or high mountains, never to be seen again, save in dark tales of travellers witnessing foul mountains or hills that sometimes stir from their dark sleep.

Specimen depicted here is in the moments before the destruction of Nessebar. The Larval Beast Lord seen here is still in its infancy, only one has ever been glimpsed when fully grown, and the recon element that sighted it did not survive the encounter. Some warbands have engaged their enemies over an unmarked hill, only to realise to their horror they are fighting on a back of a slumbering colossal abomination, bent on devouring anything in its path once it awakens.

-Art by Mike Franchina

31/01/2024

+++ YÜZBAŞI CAPTAIN +++

“I am the son of many chiefs. My sword is sharp and terrible. It is the mightiest of things when the cauldron of war boils fiercely.”

Military expeditions over the Great Iron Wall into No Man’s Land carry many risks, and their commanders are field officers known as Yüzbaşı. They are expected to lead from the front and their selection is solely on merit, with no consideration given to family pedigree or wealth. Many are promoted from the ranks of the Janissary corps.

Their bodies are enhanced by the Jabirean alchemical arts and their minds conditioned by the mystics, allowing them to face any foe unflinchingly. The downside of the mystic mental hardening is their utter disregard for pain and their cold ruthlessness on the battlefield. Casualties, both their own and those of the enemy, as well as those non-combatants who believe, are purely utilitarian to Yüzbaşı. For is it not just to send heretics to Jahannam, while the warriors who fall in battle will wake in Paradise, as has been promised?

Under the orders of a powerful pasha or emir, or even the Sultan himself, the Yüzbaşı assumes the command of an elite squad of warriors to fulfil their task, such as to reclaim holy artefacts lost during the catastrophic period when Heretics took the Levant by storm. Other times, they are told to find and eliminate powerful foes, such as Heretic nobles who were once subjects of the Sultan but have turned their backs to Allah.

Yüzbaşı are equipped with superb armour of meteoric iron, the finest carbines gilded with silver and loaded with alchemical shot, and carry kilij swords of the past heroes of Sultanate, where great deeds of old are inscribed with golden calligraphy. If they serve the Sublime Gate well, their name and glory will be etched on the blade as well to inspire future generations.

The strongest carry the dreaded hand cannons which double as deadly halberds. If they are hunters of distinction, they wear pelts of their greatest kills, such as chimeras, as cloaks, which offer protection from the powers of Shaitan.

Success brings Yüzbaşı the favour of the Sultan and along with it honour, splendid weaponry of damascus steel, gold dinars aplenty and access to the wondrous devices and creatures created by the Jabirean alchemists in the House of Wisdom. Hunting is a noble pursuit within the ranks of the officer corps, and artificial birds of prey and automaton hounds double as potent weapons of war and are brought along to the front to aid their masters at war.

-Art by Mike Franchina

24/01/2024

+++ THE SIN EATER +++

Good day, pilgrims! Something large and abhorrent lurks within this announcement…

There are many paths to becoming the monstrous abomination known as a Sin Eater. Some were starving wretches who would eat anything to stay alive, others hedonistic gourmands searching for the rarest delicacies. But the most famous is the Devourer of Wurmloch.

A priest in the small Bavarian town of Wurmloch had a terrible secret. He didn't just take people’s confessions – he delighted in them, savoured them. The greater the sin the more he enjoyed it. Eventually he began extolling his flock to commit more grievous sins as a twisted means to expunge them, whilst secretly revelling in their guilty confessions.

The priest’s perverse obsession kept him in the confessional booth night and day, and over the following months he grew unnaturally, horrendously fat, demanding the townsfolk keep him sated with near constant confessions of their sins. The townsfolk grew frightened, refusing to go into the church to face the disgusting priest and his litany of curses and demands.

No one knows exactly what happened next, but a terrified county sheriff discovered the priest in the church, swollen to near bursting and slick with gore, bellowing hideous blasphemies even as the sheriff and his deputies burned the church and the empty town.

Sculpt: Jonathan Llinares from Vae Victis Miniatures
Art: Mike Franchina

17/01/2024

+++HERALDS OF BEELZEBUB+++

The polluting effect of the Black Grail is the gift of Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies. Spread by the insects bred by his own hand in the Seventh layer of Hell, it is a tidal wave of his foulness in the form of demonic vermin, septicaemia, tainted insects, plague and impurities that pollute both body and soul.

Entire villages and towns are turned into half-living slush that bubbles on the ground, an agony of melted flesh quivering and crying at the multitudinous diseases granted by the Lord of the Flies. Those caught by the Black Grail are still aware of the horrible fate that has befallen them. Specialized units of New Antioch and the Free State of Prussia are dedicated to responding to these outbreaks with specially-constructed flamethrower tanks using holy anointing oil as their fuel.

But some victims of the Black Grail suffer a far worse fate. They are bestowed with the black honour by being melded with hell-flies, growing into a grotesque winged insect made of bloated flesh. After this torturous metamorphosis they take to air as Heralds of Beelzebub, the winged squires and scouts of the Order of the Fly. Their vestigial human bodies are still conscious as they are slowly eaten from within to be used as fuel by the Herald, all the while their warped bodies fight for the glory of Hell against their will.

The Heralds are the vanguard in any assault of the Black Grail, and the ear-numbing drone of their wings strikes terror in any defender, breaking their focus and sapping their willpower. Heralds wield discarded weapons, contaminated with horrible worms that churn through them, which in turn infect their victims. Each diseased bullet has sentience of its own, finding even the smallest c***k in any armour, burrowing into the nervous system and liquefying the internal organs from within.

-Art by Mike Franchina

10/01/2024

+++HERETIC ANOINTED MODEL+++

We are very proud to share the model for the mighty Heretic Anointed armed with a lethal Heavy Flamethrower! This model was sculpted for us by the talented folks at Tiny Factory Studio!

The model along with alternate pose and weaponry will be available with the launch of the game.

You can also see here the latest progress on the Heretic Legionnaire multipart kit by the mighty Saint Decent for scale.

03/01/2024

+++SHRINE ANCHORITE+++

Shrine Anchorites are metal behemoths some twelve to fifteen feet tall, a living altar of war almost completely immune to any damage, with a diesel engine belching smoke and trumpets echoing with prayers. The interior of the Anchorite is covered in spikes and barbed hooks so that the monk pilot is in a constant state of torment, rejoicing in their pain so they can suffer as their Lord once did. The exterior is festooned with icons, holy relics and devotional prayer scrolls, each according to the traditions of the Pilgrim sect that the Anchorite serves.

The first Anchorites were built a long time ago in the fortress-monastery of Velehrad in Greater Moravia. Several hundred of these battle machines were built under the guidance of Saint Methodius, though now the craft is lost, as the monastery was destroyed by a Death Commando infiltration force of the demon Marchosias.

Later innovations of the Engineering Foundry of New Antioch created the Machine Armour, a far smaller and more manoeuvrable personal protective suit based on the Anchorite design, but the Pilgrim Processions have neither access to these marvels of modern engineering, nor do they have any desire to give up their Anchorites which act both as fearsome engines of war as well as mobile shrines that form a focal point to the prayers and devotions of the Pilgrims.

The pilot monk or nun, once installed, never leaves the Shrine Anchorite until the day they die. Once they fall in battle (or rarely of old age), their remains are reverently removed and body parts are preserved in reliquaries mounted upon the Anchorite. Thus each of these war machines is a testament to its long history of war against the forces of Hell.

In battle each Anchorite carries a great adamantine Catherine Wheel as well as an immense Bonebreaker Mace to bring the wrath of God upon the sinners, heretics and apostates.

In a show of piety and atonement, it is a common practise for Trench Pilgrims or Stigmatic Nuns volunteer to be be broken on the wheel and serve in their final battle mounted upon this device of ex*****on, as a sign of both their willingness to suffer for their sins, and for the spiritual protection their sacrifice is said to grant to the Anchorite. The Church frowns upon this custom, but Pilgrims flock to their Anchorites on the eve of any battle, hoping to be granted the honour of perishing upon the wheel.

The pictured Shrine Anchorite is a member of the Cavalcade of the Tenth Plague, a Trench Pilgrim Procession who traditionally sacrifices lambs before battle, anointing themselves in its blood to ward off the wrath of God.

-Art by Mike Franchina

25/12/2023

+++FELICEM DOMINI NAVITATIS DIEM!+++

We here are the Trench Crusade team love to feature the creativity of our community! So here are the Trench Ghosts by Harry Kaye, and we were so impressed with these kitbashed conversions that we wrote rules for these war ghosts that will be included in the Rulebook as a variant Warband for the Heretic Legion. Trapped between Heaven and Hell, they are cursed to fight the Great War for all eternity.

In other news, the layout of the Playtest rules are all but done, so the backers can expect to get their hands on them within day or two!

20/12/2023

+++HERETIC CHORISTER+++
From a young age, all Heretics are taught that god-tyrant YHWH demands obedience, but there are always brave souls who chafe at the yoke of divine oppression. In their bitter rage, these dauntless ones commit a form of ritual su***de to spit in the despot’s eye, knowing they have not the strength to injure him, apart from this little rebellion.

Su***de is a Mortal Sin, and sacrificing yourself to the glory of Hell is a yet greater affront to God. Some Heretics born with a gift of sonorous voice but little prospects of rising through the ranks. Those possessing a determination to excel nevertheless may pursue the dark path of becoming a Chorister.

Such supplicants go to one of the black altars of Heretic abodes at the bottom of the deep inverted pyramid temples dedicated to the greatest of Arch-devils. There they are dressed in the robes of dark devotion, lie on the altar and mutilate themselves to death by carving unholy runes into their flesh. The more wounds they can suffer before perishing, the more pleasing it is said their offering is. The most devout slice their own throats, trying to cut as deep as they can before their miserable life leaves them.

Most such wretches go to their doom in the Lake of Fire, but some are reborn as Choristers after nine days. Their corpses lurch back to their feet, and finish their grisly beheading, and lift their severed heads that begin to sing hymns they have learned in the Inferno. From their self-inflicted wounds spurts cold blood that forms diabolic symbols and changes to match the words of their unholy chorale. They head towards the front lines driven by a call no living can hear and join the Heretic warband of their choosing.

As their severed heads sing their agonising hymns, the minds of their enemies are filled with visions from the Pits of Hell, weakening both the resolve and strength of those unfortunate enough to hear the dire song of a Chorister. Their hymns are often the first thing a fresh recruit experiences on the battlefield, as their unholy voice rolls across the trenches, proclaiming a neverending prophecy of the final victory of Hell over Heaven.

The great Military hospice of New Antioch has a separate wing for those who have never recovered from hearing Chorister’s dirge, their minds forever lost in a vision of eternal damnation, tied to their iron-frame beds, screaming of the world to come when all is covered under the darkness lit only by eternal flames.

Model sculpted by the talented Martina Ginevra Albano. Welcome to the team, Martina!

Art by Mike Franchina

15/12/2023

+++TRENCH CRUSADE MINIATURE PAINTING GUIDE+++
We are proud the present the first official First official "Painting Trench Crusade miniatures" video by Dark Ages Workshop!!!

Come learn the esoteric secrets of reductive miniature painting technique!

Howdy folks! Today, we are talking all about the reductive technique, a process that is heavily utilized in the Grimdark Style of Miniature Painting, and bet...

13/12/2023

+++AZEBS +++

The lands of the Sultanate are vast, and many armies can be raised from the multitude of the provinces, where one household in twenty is required to arm and equip a soldier to serve the ruler of those who believe. Most such soldiers are known as Azebs (meaning ‘unmarried’, as those with families cannot become Azebs), who serve as the light infantry on both land and the sea, as well as guarding the Great Iron Wall against the Heretic assaults. When an elite force is sent beyond the Wall to strike at the enemy or look for holy artifacts, the recruiters of the Sultan call for volunteers to join the leaders of such expeditions. Though the missions into No Man’s Land are dangerous, there are always plenty of Azeb who step forward: there is fame to be won, and chance a-plenty to acquire valuable loot.

Weaponry of the Azebs varies a great deal, as they do not have access to the superb arms, armour and alchemical marvels the elite household troops of the Sultan such as janissaries and Cataphracts do. Most carry Jezzails with a distinctive curved stock. These are handmade weapons, and consequently they vary widely in their construction. Jezzails are very personal weapons, well crafted and their distinct curved stocks are intricately decorated.

These long arms can be loaded with all manner of ammunition: fired roughened bullets, long iron nails or even alchemically treated slivers of the Great Iron Wall. This makes jezzails highly adaptable, and less dependent on easily depleted ammo.

Other weapons and equipment include curved daggers and scimitars, pistols and sappers equipment. Armour is rare: Azebs are often used by their superiors as light skirmishers tie harass and tie down the enemies while the heavier troops close in for the kill. Their superiors see little reason to waste expensive armour on troops that fall in great numbers and are easily replaceable -Paradise awaits those who die for their faith, after all.

Many Azebs meet a terrible end in the cruel wars in the Trenches, and other return broken in mind and body, but there are always new, hot-blooded recruits willing to risk it all for the Sultan, a chance to kill the hated followers of Shaitan, and return to home as heroes with fabulous stories and glittering gold.

Art by Mike Franchina

JOIN THE CRUSADE!
The best way to ensure that you are kept up-to-date on the release dates is to sign up to the Trench Crusade newsletter here: https://www.trenchcrusade.com/

06/12/2023

+++SULTANATE ASSASSIN+++
They go by many names: Ghost Wolves, the Secret Knives, Subtle Vipers, the Sultan’s Wrath. Whatever they are called, assassins of the sultanate instil terror in the hearts of even the most dauntless.

Assassins are a legendary order of mystic warriors, notorious the world over for their esoteric arts and ruthlessness. Atop a forbidding mountain broods the onyx fortress, Alamut the Unconquerable. Behind its shadowed walls great secrets are hoarded by the ancient magi. Some say that the founder of the Order of Assassins, Rashid ad-Din Sinan, best known as the Old man of the Mountain, still holds his court here. A preposterous rumour, naturally, since that would make him close to eight centuries old.

Though the Isma’ilii Sect of Assassins is seen as heretical by many within the lands of the Iron Wall, a pact forged between Sultan and the Mountain ensures that the warbands of the believers often include one of these supreme killers in their service.

Assassins are able to bend space and time using sacred rituals and powerful hallucinogens discovered by magi of the order. With this esoteric power they prowl behind enemy lines, hunting their targets with merciless efficiency. They can seemingly appear in two places at once, strike an enemy with startling speed and then travel back in time to a moment a few heartbeats before, safe from any retaliation.

They do this in service of their Sultan, whose enemies they are charged to destroy in a form of ritual holy murder. To carry out this task, the assassins are painfully altered by many powerful unguents, chemicals and potions. They stand much taller than a normal man and are many times as fast and strong.

Though adept with all manner of weapons, assassins favour the poisoned blades forged in the unknown depths of Alamut. These weapons are imbued with the Supreme Poison: The Milk of Manat, also known as The Cup of Death. A simple touch of these blades upon unprotected flesh is certain death, as the body of the victim turns black and rots from within over the course of several excruciating seconds.

In Cthonic chambers deep below the surface, generations of young assassins are raised; fed an awful, bitter diet rich with strange toxins. Generation by generation, their tolerance grows, until the blood of these willing vessels is drawn and then smelted into a poisonous iron. The iron is forged into wicked, curving blades and deadly spells of slaying are layered into each fold of the toxic metal. Finally the red-hot blades are quenched in the venom of the pale, unnatural offspring of a basilisk and manticore. Thus the blood of the first generation of Assassins still lives to this day, growing more potent with each generation.

29/11/2023

+++THE BEGINNING OF THE DARK AGES+++
We are extremely proud to present the first official Trench Crusade photographs painted by Alessandro Bonavero of the Dark Ages Workshop!

His unique style, uncompromising vision and skill at creating dramatic photography to match his painting style is the perfect fit for Trench Crusade.

The main rulebook will feature a full section of Alessandro's photographs of the game miniatures he has painted, along with his custom-built terrain.

28/11/2023

Brother Mike here. John Blanche's biography is available now! links in comments below, but i just wanted to say a few words about John's work as an admirer and fellow artist.

When I was a wee lad, and I couldn't afford to buy any armies, I would pore over the Warhammer army books and obsess over the lore and art. John's work always jumped out to me because of the sheer power of the ideas behind them. They weren't always the slickest illustrations, but the visceral grime and filth John filled his designs with resonated with me.

These weren't pure knights preening for the viewer, these were mighty warriors who would win at any cost, covered in the viscera of their enemies. John's characters didn't inhabit some clean, medieval fantasy, they lived in muddy hovels and decrepit castles. All the characters were slathered in iconography and symbology, implying thousands of years of history. to this day I'm amazed at John's designs and creativity.

Without John's incredible imagination and years of inspiration its safe to say there would be no Trench Crusade, and I feel I owe an immense creative debt to Mr. Blanche. I'm excited to read John's biography and hopefully learn a bit about what inspired and formed such a mighty brain.

25/11/2023

Amazing GIANT Communicant by on instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/wyattsav/

22/11/2023

+++TRENCH PILGRIMS+++

As the war rages against the minions of Hell, strange visions torment the faithful across the globe. Men and women touched by Heaven are granted visions, and Revelations are made by the messengers of God. Sisters of the Holy Orders are marked by Stigmata and take up the sword and the cross as instructed by the angels. Those who have transgressed seek to atone for their sins by taking as many followers of the Devil with them to the afterlife.

So they come, the mad and the maimed, the God-touched and the guilt-ridden, all gathering around Prophets and Prophetesses, forming Trench Pilgrim Processions, disorganized groups which arm themselves and follow the prophets of the Lord unto the front lines. They fight with unrivalled zeal, throwing themselves against the Heretics and arming themselves with anything they can get their hands on, from the oldest muskets to scourges and Molotov Cocktails.

Pilgrims are not officially sanctioned by the Holy See, but the Church still blesses the crusades of the faithful. Thus the Pilgrim Processions are a common sight on the battlefields, often charging across No Man’s Land in suicidal assaults against the Heretics, directed by the visions of the Prophets and Prophetesses who lead them, and urged on by the whips of Castigators who are charged with instilling the Fear of God in their troops.

The bulk of the Pilgrims are men and women with little military training, but when they don the Iron Capirote of a Trench Pilgrim, they can face even a demon from the deepest Bolgias of Hell unflinchingly. Nor is death necessarily an end to their mission: sometimes the Seventh Meta-Christ will deem a fallen Pilgrim worthy and bring them back as Martyr-Penitents, warriors half-way between Heaven and Earth, able to fight once more and feel no pain from bullet or bayonet thrust.

Rarer and more dangerous are the Stigmatic Nuns: Holy Sisters who manifest wounds to match those of the Third Meta-Christ whom the nuns venerate. They excel in close quarters combat, for each bleeding wound that they suffer makes them stronger, not weaker, as their devotion to suffering as their Lord once did gives them strength and endurance not found on mere common mortals. Armed with swords and pistols, they cross No Man’s Land heedless of any danger, praying to sustain wounds for the Redeemer which in turn will transform them into the very Vengeance of the Lord.

In front of the Trench Pilgrims are driven the Ecclesiastic Prisoners: either captured enemies of the True Faith forced to make a final act of contrition or volunteer sinners seeking redemption. Each is strapped with high explosives which are detonated once they reach the enemy lines. They dash across the killing grounds, hoping to either miraculously survive the blast and escape, or take as many followers of Lucifer with them as they can, depending on their convictions.

The most puissant of Pilgrim Processions will be accompanied by a Shrine Anchorite: a metal behemoth some twelve feet tall, a living altar of War almost completely immune to any damage. The interior of the Anchorite is covered in spikes and barbed hooks so that the Monk who controls this colossus is in a constant state of torment, rejoicing in the pain so they can suffer as their Lord once did. In combat they wield Adamantine Catherine Wheels of massive proportions which they use to crush the sinners and heretics into a pulp, and then string them upon the wheel as a warning to others.

There is a bewildering number and variety of Trench Pilgrim Processions: The Penitents of Pious Revenge swear in the name of St. Olga and uses flamethrowers, burning grenades and incendiary ammunition to assail the Heretics. The Pilgrims of the Iron Path follow St. Rita of Cascia and go to battle with hammers, mauls, maces and cudgels, and hammer nails into their heads in the memory of the saint they venerate. The Theban Legion of Rome carries the heads of the heretics upon their standards in the memory of their patron, St. Maurice. They fight with swords and other blades, competing with each other for the number of Heretic heads they amass.

Trench Pilgrims of the Procession of the Sacred Affliction are known for their zeal for close quarters combat, their armour decorated with icons and shields adorned with the depictions of the Saints, which despite appearances can withstand machine gun bullets, and the millstones they carry in order to tie them around the necks of sinners before they suffocate them in the mud and blood of No Man’s Land.

-Art by Mike Franchina