Gamgel Bannar's Coup

More than a hundred years ago, during the dotard King Holmud’s reign, popular opinion held the King to be too old to rule. Despite many requests for the King to withdraw and let his son, Prince Fencred, take the throne, King Holmud refused. Deep in his senility, the King passed insane, useless edicts and neighboring kingdoms were openly encroaching on the borders. Fearful for his life, the King commanded the army to occupy their own lands and stomp out dissidents without mercy. In sympathy for the people of his country, the Prince himself attempted to appeal to his father’s sensibilities. The King flew into a rage, and before the entire royal court denounced his own son as a traitor to the crown and commanded his beheading at once. Soldiers immediately seized the Prince and the chief executioner stepped from behind the throne and with one swing, the Prince’s head landed at the feet of the King. The King, laughing and out of his right mind started pointing at random court attendees, many of whom were family, screaming out offenses, labeling them a traitor and demanding their execution. One by one the soldiers seized people and the executioner beheaded them. After the seventh beheading, the King stepped down from the throne and pointed an arthritic finger at the executioner. The executioner swung and took off the King’s head where he stood. The doors to the throne room burst open and soldiers in Duke Gamgel Bannar’s livery stormed the chamber. The executioner pulled off his hood to reveal the Duke himself in disguise. His soldiers quickly surrounded the king’s guard. Duke Bannar stooped, picked up the dead king’s crown, shook the blood from it, and put it on his own head. In the ensuing days, the Duke’s men captured all the King’s soldiers, conscripted them, and put them on the front lines defending a border from an invasion. Duke Bannar never accepted the title of King and maintained a militaristic grip on the country. While Gamgel Bannar lived conscriptions into the army were frequent and the country was perpetually in conflict with another.

Conflict Type

Battle