Sadantes Coup

The Sadantes Coup (23-22 BU) resulted in dethronization of the Jasun dynasty of Wyeh in favor of the Sadantes family and was a prelude to the Unification War.

Causes

The main reason for the coup was the Wyeh royal family's passive stance in dealing with increasing Erres presence in the country. Nobility, with lord Ustace Sadantes as their leader, demanded that Wyeh remains an independent entity and stops sefia trade with Erres, advancing their own technology and ultimately turning the tables on their western neighbor. In addition, Wyeh depended on crops and food being imported from Erres, and due to droughts and a long winters, the prices increased significantly over the past several years. Promising lower prices, higher technological advancement and more aggressive foreign policy, Sadantes and their followers quickly gained support in the general population.

The Coup

In 23 BU, Ker Jasun the 5^th announced that the Voice will begin building its fourth cathedral in the Wyeh capital, Wyental. The decision, aiming to enhance the Voice's soothing presence and decrease the unrest was what proved to be the last straw the rebellion needed to explode. Several weeks after work began, the building site was demolished by an angry mob, refusing another monument to the religion based in Erres to be built under their noses. Led by Sadantes agitators, the crowd marched across Wyental, destroying any signs of foreign influence. Half of the mob marched to the local Norwod Company headquarters and burnt it to the ground. The others went straight to the royal palace. What ensued was a bloody siege. The castle was not able to gain any additional supplies, as the nobles behind the coup knew all the secret passageways to the outside very well. The castle guard attempted to breach the surrounding mob several times, leaving casualties on both sides. Ultimately they were ineffective and the stalemate continued. Unfotrunately, the second week of the coup, Sadantes military came in as an official peacekeeping mission. With full support of the crowd, they offered the Jasun famiy a hope: their immediate exile and the crown would be the price for their lives. When the gates were open, however, the Sadantes soldiers immediately proceeded to kill anyone of noble descent on sight. Majority of the extended royal family died on the spot, with few survivors publicly executed in coming weeks. King Ker Jasun the 5^th himself was able to escape, together with his two cousins, by dressing as servants. He suffered a wound to his chest caused by an overzealous soldier, but survived.

Aftermath

After the vocal Jasun supporters were dealt with, the Wyeh situaton, as one would expect, did not magically improve. The Sadantes now had the task of appeasing the public and cementng their rule. They introduced countrywide military draft, promising to take the green Erres pastures lying just beyond the mountains. They restricted the trade to bare essentials and banned sefia export, further straining interneational relations. Finally, they started harassing outposts on the Erres side of the mountain passes, with the Unification war finally fully erupting in 10 BU. The Sadantes hoped, that with technological advantages of sefia and Erres not being able to easily mobilize its nobility, bickering and spread far and wide, Wyeh will be able to annex several provinces before they are forced to take a defensive stance. As the history shows, they were wrong.

Conflict Type

Siege