The Augustana Revolts
A World Divided
Korinthians are people of competition, and much of this love is poured into the various sports and competitions that take place at the Hippodrome in Midas. There are three, acknowledged, teams at the moment. They are the Purple, the Red, and the Grey. The Purple is mostly backed by the nobility, wealthy merchants, and the upper-crust of society. The Red is known as the team of the people and is supported by the common man of the empire. The Grey is a neutral team, that accepts any and all but, as a result, is not nearly as competitive or followed as the other two teams. Every year these three times vie for invitations to the Grand Championships where the two most successful teams duke it out in a final bout to see who is victor for the year. The winner is given exclusive rights to live on the palace grounds of Midas and are treated to the best food and wine that money can buy for the following year. On top of living in comfort, they are invited as guests of the Basileus and his family to perform and mingle with them as guests of the royal family. As many can probably imagine, this is a great honor and members of both team will fight with all they have to earn this right. This, however, causes quite the divide amongst fans and teams alike, leading to frequent brawls, rude words, and, occasionally, revolts.The Augustana Revolts
The Augustana Revolts happened because of a series of unfortunate events. To start, a competitor named Augustus on the Red team got into a scrap one evening with member of the Purple when he got to drunk and couldn't hold his tongue. Augustus was a respected member of the Red, lead on the chariot race team, and upon insulting the members of the Purple was beaten to death in the streets. This was witnessed by many nearby people. To make matters worse, the leader of the Purple chariot race team, Epolenor, was a member of the group who beat Augustus to death. This event happened only three days prior to the Grand Championship, so the following day, after reports came in about what happened, Epolenor was arrested, along with the other people present at the incident, and tried in the public forum. Epolenor and his crew were found not guilty of murder, as their actions were not done with the intent to kill and Augustus DID start the confrontation. However, the senator who served as acting judge on the case, a man named Sebastianus, was known as an avid supporter of the Purple and was thus called biased and treacherous by members of the Red in attendance. Sebastianus overruled their claims, laying out his arguments as to why he made his decision, and Epolenor was allowed to leave. Two days later, in the Hippodrome, Epolenor lead his team to victory against the Red in the Chariot Race which was the final event of the Championships. His victory gained the Purple just enough points to best the Red. This lead to outrage and the Red began to demand that Epolenor's points should not count as just two days earlier he had murdered his greatest competitor in the race. The Basileus heard and accepted these terms, outraging the Purple. To settle the dispute a final event was added to the championships, a one-on-one battle between a champion from the Purple and a Champion from the Red. The Purple sent out their fighter, a woman named Viviana "The Royal Blade," and the Red sent out their fighter, a man named Constantine "Red Steel." The combatants fought in a bloody melee from which Viviana emerged victorious, but in a final angry act, she beheaded Constantine instead of accepting his submission even though the crowd raised its thumbs in approval. The crowd exploded in fury and an all-out brawl started between fans of the Red and Purple. Competitors quickly followed down in the sands of the Hippodrome. The Basileus tried to call in the Stalwart Legionnaires to breakup the fighting, but once the legionnaires joined the fray one legionnaire, a foolish youth used his weapon to mortally wound a civilian. Suddenly, both the Red and Purple joined together against the Legionnaires and a revolt had begun. The nearby guards tried to usher the Basileus and his family from the arena, but they were beset by fanatics of the two teams and the Basileus was captured. His wife and children managed to escape to the palace. The following day, the Basileus was hung and raised from a pole near the main gate of the palace.Voices of Fury
Rising from the initial revolt came two voices, Thaddeus and Aurelia. Thaddeus, once a wealthy merchant and businessman, was a supporter of the purple and rose as their leader. Aurelia, once an actress, was a supporter of the Red rose as their leader. The two united their voices and formed a single coherent revolt called the Vox Populi, or voice of the people. In the wake of their unification, the city of Midas burned for three whole days before the Basileia responded with her own fury. Basileia Veta Palladius rose in the wake of her dead husband and struck with a fury unmatched by any previous Basileus. She invited the now united Vox Populi to the Hippodrome where everything began to begin peace talks. Little did Thaddeus and Aurelia know, the Basileia had sown seeds of doubt in their midsts during the days of revolt following the championship. No one could have anticipated her move. As talks began, she gave a phrase that signaled her traitors. They murdered the guards at the Hippodrome gates, and rising from the cistern beneath the city, and allowed The Korinthian Guard into the Hippodrome. On the Basileia's signal, the Korinthian Guard rose up and slaughtered everyone in the Hippodrome except for Thaddeus and Aurelia, who she took back to the palace and were never heard from or seen again. This event would be remembered as The Day the Voices Were Silenced. This brutal response crushed the revolution. However, remnants can still be seen in the Vox Populi party who now has a voice in the senate and in the forums. The Basileia does not like them in the slightest and does her best to embarrass and dismiss them at every opportunity. Some say it is because she sees her dead husband in them each time she looks, others say it is because she has a taste for their blood from the day of silencing. It is certain though that she must hold some contempt for this new political party.The Conflict
Aftermath
Thaddeus and Aurelia
Conflict Result
The Augustana Revolts end and a new Basileia emerges
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