Adapted From: The Relentless Philosophy of Mardu
The Starfall Galaxy's devotion pie is an inherently complex thing. Sure, each of its five devotions are rigid and easy to define, but the magic happens when you begin to combine these devotions to create something new. This wonderful setting of ours has leveraged this complexity to craft many unique factions and characters, but when it comes to three-devotion combinations known as shards and wedges, the definitions become less apparent and the examples less available.
White-Blue-Red Devotion
I aim to clear up what drives each of them at a fundamental level, starting with The Crimson Crusade, the combination of White, Black, and Red. With this information in hand, you'll have a better appreciation for the world-building of this game and, who knows, you might even learn a bit about yourself along the way.
Observations of Conviction
In order to best understand a combination of devotions in the Starfall Galaxy, we should first look to how it's represented in the game. Think of it as the building blocks for a deeper discussion. To this end, I like to pull up three main examples: the core faction that gives this combination its name, a character who best represents these devotions, and finally, the most common class or creature type within this combination. With these, we have three vectors to gain a base understanding of the Crimson Crusade.
For the faction, with our return to the Starfall Nebula, we get to see this combination in action with a fresh approach from the last. The old Crusaders of the Blazing Sun lived by three core tenets: to conquer is to endure, victory or oblivion, and to lead is to sacrifice. While the new Crusaders live by three similar, yet more nuanced, ideas: loyalty is earned, community is strength, and victory is survival. By merging these concepts and finding the common ground, we understand that the Crimson Crusade is a clan where strength is a way of life, that devotion and heroism are the greatest traits, and that we're only as strong as our weakest link.
From here, I would like to point to the character Vexia. Vexia is a fractured soul whose righteous fury has set her on a path of vengeance. Tormented for her unique gifts as a child, she always felt like an outsider. When she used her powers for good, she ended up failing to stop a great evil, one that killed her family and destroyed her home. Her hate and desire for revenge is what keeps her going. Vexia is an interesting figure, a physical manifestation of each of the devotions represented within her. But I do think it shows the side of White that looks for retribution, the side of Red that is emotionally charged, and the side of Black that is unflinching in its resolve.
Our final example comes to us by the way of a tie between Star-Knights and Cosmic Warriors, which I think is fitting. You see, Star-Knights are people of devotion who value a code and live rigidly by it, while the Cosmic Warrior values strength and lives life by the way of exerting its prowess to achieve what it wants. These two types coming together solidify this concept of devotion and strength.
All right, now with these examples, something concrete is beginning to form, a base if you will, but you know me, I like to dig even deeper still to truly understand what sort of way of thinking can come when you combine White, Black, and Red. To this end, I will discuss three versions of the Crimson Crusade, each leaning more into one of its three devotions than the other.
The Core Philosophies
1. The Individual's Rite
Like a quilt made with many hands, individual contribution and expression lead to a vibrant community. In a similar way, someone who follows the Crimson Crusade's way values what the individual can bring to the whole, rather than ask them to be absorbed as a faceless entity of the whole itself. You see, the Infernal Hegemony (Red-Black) is a combination of the true expression of self, unflinching in who it is. In some cases, this can lead to a bout of selfish action, but when White is there to rein it in and push it towards the values of community, it finds a home with others like it. This is not some restriction made to shackle the individual's right to be themselves, but rather to show them that there is strength when we can come together towards a common ground instead of going it alone.
And that is the heart of the Crimson Crusade—not just wild abandon, not just rigid structure, but the dance between the two. You see, the Crimson Crusade sees where these forces collide and finds a rhythm. It’s not a compromise of self for the sake of unity, nor a sacrifice of unity for the sake of self. It is a celebration of both. It's the warband, the ride-or-die, the place where you’re seen for exactly who you are and still welcomed into the charge. Not because you fit some predetermined mold, but because you bring something to the table that no one else can. It's a storm of personalities, a riot of voices, but when the call to ride comes, they move as one—not as a faceless legion, but as a thunderous force of individuals bound by something deeper than mere obligation.
2. The Crucible of Will
You will never be the person you wish to be without an absolute devotion to your ideals. It takes discipline, drive, and desire to reach for the very height of who you can be, and that is where this version of the Crimson Crusade resides. It's not a way of being for the weak; it is a demand of oneself that pushes you to the limits of your potential. You see, the Celestial Sentinel (White-Red) as a combination is one of true dedication, a combination of zeal who stands by its idealistic way of being, while Black sets their sights on what it can get from this life. It’s a pairing that is both the unflinching hand of self-actualization and of total resolve.
But to walk this path is to accept struggle as a constant companion. Discipline alone is not enough; discipline must be tested, reforged in the fires of hardship. Drive means nothing if it falters when faced with pain. Desire can wither in the face of failure. That is why this version of the Crimson Crusade does not merely endure hardship—it thrives in it. Every obstacle, every setback, is fuel, a challenge to be conquered, proof that you are still standing when others would have fallen. There's no room for doubt, no space for hesitation. The weak look for excuses; the strong carve their own way. To embrace this philosophy is to acknowledge that nothing is given, everything must be taken, forged through struggle, and claimed with unwavering certainty. If you're willing to fight for what you believe, to give everything in pursuit of your ideals, then nothing is beyond your grasp.
3. The Oath of Flame
Loyalty is not born from a demand made by birth or law. It is based on trust and is a reciprocal act of devotion, a transaction made that states an expectation to one another. As such, this version of the Crimson Crusade, with its Red focus, states that my tie to another person is based on an understanding that they will give all for you as I for them, and no less.
Because, you see, Red is a devotion that goes all-in, and the Subtlety Collective (White-Black) is a pragmatic pairing who focuses on equal exchange. Some people consider Red a flimsy devotion, always following the winds of change, but the truth is, Red knows what it wants and what it expects—not just of itself but of others. When we introduce the Subtlety Collective, this then shifts to ensure that Red is not taken advantage of, that loyalty is earned and that trust, if broken, is returned in kind. If a person of the Crimson Crusade has your back, they have it fully, but they demand the same of you. Loyalty, in this sense, is not blind obligation. It's a pact, a fire stoked by mutual understanding. The Crimson Crusade’s Red heart does not give freely to just anyone; it gives fiercely to those who have proven themselves worthy. It does not claim loyalty as an unearned right; instead, it insists that loyalty is a contract written in fire and steel, in blood and promise. If you stand beside a soul of the Crimson Crusade, you do so knowing that your bond is absolute, but also that it is not given lightly nor cheaply.
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