By the late 14th century, the once-unified Kingdom of Steinau fell into crisis. What would later be called the War of Sceptre and Cross began not over matters of faith, but of power.

Tensions had long simmered between the increasingly absolutist Crown and a growing faction of powerful resenting nobles and churchmen, later to be known respectively as the Lapdogs and the Bucketheads. Chief among the latter was Bishop Anselm, a cunning cleric whose influence stretched from pulpit to court. In an effort to curb their authority, King Heinrich issued sweeping reforms, seizing lands not held directly by the Crown and stripping ancient privileges from both nobles and clergy. These reforms, though aimed at centralization, alienated nearly every pillar of royal support.

The backlash was swift and bloody. After surviving an assassination attempt, Heinrich unleashed a purge upon his court. Dozens were executed, banished, or disappeared. The realm descended into fear and fragmentation.

In the midst of the chaos, Heinrich was found dead, rumours of a second poisoning abounded. His heir, a young child, was unfit to rule. Anselm moved quickly, claiming the regency not as bishop, but as a statesman, backed by disillusioned nobles and opportunists. His ascension fractured the realm. Loyalists condemned him as a usurper, the Church split over his actions, and civil war erupted.

For over a decade, Steinau was torn apart by feuding lords, renegade cities, and rival factions. The war reached its end with the Siege of Anghem, where The Lord Cancellor’s loyalists made a doomed final stand. Heinrich’s young heir was captured, and the monarchy collapsed. While large portions of the east where still held by loyalists, they couldn’t defy Anselm as long as he had the last heir of Steinau as his hostage.

In the aftermath, Anselm ruled through a council of nobles, but unity proved fleeting. Many wartime allies refused to relinquish their new powers. New houses rose from the ashes, carving fiefs into personal dominions. Though the war had ended, true peace never came.

The Kingdom of Steinau lay broken. The crown was lost. The sceptre cracked. And in every corner of the realm, lords dreamt of thrones.