The Second Ifrinn Revolt

"They will tell stories of you, the angel! You, the nobody rebel, beat the greatest Empire in this age! You rose from ash and oppression, through fire and tribulation, to change your world. You fought, an unending fight, and won. And by Athes' flaming spear, you won!"
--An unknown Elder to Castien Whitehalk

The Insurrection That Ended an Empire

For generations, Eitridea fought wars on every front. Externally, as the refugees warring for a home, as well as internally, under insurrection. Since the Last Fire, seven uprisings had arisen, seven civil wars quashed by Eitridea's indomitable fist.
The Ifrinn Revolt was the eighth such rebellion, but the second from that region. In 271 ALF, the First Ifrinn Revolt was launched over political dispute involving assassination. The rebellion was quickly quelled, and peace was made. Since then, however, the garrison placed over Ifrinn had expanded greatly. This increased military presence expanded to oppression, which led to the Second Ifrinn Revolt.
This insurrection, as compared to the first, would have far deeper ramifications.

History

For years, the state of Ifrinn had been deteriorating. Increased military presence and taxes was bordering on oppression. Then, Yaeza the Tyrant rose to power. This marked to tipping point for Ifrinn.
Not only did Yaeza further increase the oppression of the people in Ifrinn, but she forced many into slave labor. With her attention on punishing a people for the actions of their ancestors, she allowed the rest of her shrinking empire to degrade even more. This allowed the Crowncloak coalition to break off from Eitridea.
In 308 ALF, The Second Ifrinn Revolt was launched. The cause grew quickly, with the endorsement of the newly independent Crowncloaks. Overthrowing the Eitrideans within the heart of Ifrinn took mere months, but the subsequent retaliation was a far stauncher opponent for the outnumbered Ifrinn.
What followed was four long years of war, with little progress made on either side. Yaeza, controlled by her madness, fixated on the small rebel nation, devoting all of her resources to quelling the revolt. The Ifrinn, in the face of certain defeat, refused to surrender and face the punishment Yaeza would inevitably inflict, but instead fought on.
Then, Yaeza the Tyrant, the Last Empress, died.
Less than a week after Yaeza's death, the war was over. The Empire was plunged, nearly overnight, into chaos. Many Eitridean soldiers, suddenly caught in a vacuum between the capital and their southern homes, retreated. Those that fought on were isolated and ousted by the Ifrinn.

Instigators

So many things had to be just right for Ifrinn to have achieved the victory it did. One such factor was the revolt's leadership.
Castien Whitehawk was an insurrectionist long before he started an empire-ending revolt. A devoted follower of Syrrha, a skilled warrior, and a charismatic leader, Castien had been making raids on the Eitridean garrisons in Ifrinn for years before he became renowned.
How he gained enough traction to start a full-scale civil war is unknown. The likeliest theory is that he simply didn't. He instead used the outrage over the oppression inflicted by Yaeza as an anchor to which he could start a legitimate uprising. Castien was the perfect leader: young, strong, and charismatic, he carried the Ifrinn to many victories great and small.
He was killed in one of the last skirmishes in the war, struck in the throat with a stray Eitridean arrow. Leadership of the Ifrinn passed on to his half-brother.

Ramifications

Under normal circumstances, it is possible that Eitridea may have been able to continue on after Yaeza's death.
The Revolt changed that. Solidly in the throes of her insanity, Yaeza simultaneously fixated on the revolt and refused to view it as a threat. She rashly devoted vast amounts of resources, but in her hubris would not follow the instructions of her commanders and military advisors. This created a significant instability in Eitridea, as other areas of the kingdom were left to their own devices.
When Yaeza was killed by he daughter, her only possible heir, it created a power vacuum, that caused Eitridea to collapse in on itself. The soldiers and resources sent to Ifrinn were taken south, to Featherknell, or seized by the Ifrinn themselves.

Ifrinn Today

Despite their victory, Ifrinn remains in turmoil. While they are united together as one nation, they are weak. Their land, their homes, and their resources have been decimated by the war, and they are easy prey for either of the two other nations forming in Ravengrin. While during the war, they had the alliance and support of the Crowncloaks, now that the possibility of a new empire under Southern rule has emerged, little communication is occurring.
In the eyes of the Ifrinn, it is only a matter of time until the Crowncloaks attack. It's up to the Ifrinn to prepare for that inevitable war. And so, they scramble for purchase in the new land. Merchant caravans that once found safety on well-maintained roads through Ifrinn are now waylaid by privateers. Skirmishes and raids with and from New Eitridean soldiers are a commonality. And the Mourning ravages their populous.

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

308 ALF

Ending Date

312 ALF