The Merchants Revolt:
General Description:
2E 712y. - 2E 714y.Factions:
Description.
- Faction 1.
Description.
Prelude:
Faeldir Glacier:
Under the reign of High King Faeldir Glacier, the empire had weakened and been brought to the brink of collapse. Every hold of the empire was acting independently, and some were event fighting skirmishes that threatened to turn into outright war, and most refused to pay taxes to the crown.
Things were made worse by the Winter Incursion. A costly war started by High King Faeldir, where he led a force south into Leralethron, aiming to conquer the entire region. Not only did this fail, but it almost bankrupted the kingdom. As he took more and more loans from the Vanos, who were using the Varatosh trading company to profit off the war, by selling arms to both the Glaciers and the city states they were fighting.
Diplomat to UHF:
High King Sapthan Glacier held very little love for his father; this view was held by his father towards him too. So in an effort to not have his son try to interfere with his rule, Sapthan was sent as a delegate to the continent of Voronda, where he would meet with representatives of the United Human Federation, the UHF. Little did Faeldir realise he was giving his son the chance to see Heleg Parath in the context of Terrene and not just the empire.
High King Sapthan Glacier spent years travelling to each city. He heard how extreme factions were becoming more popular and that a third trade war was likely, and their fear that it was a matter of when it would occur, not if. It was very clear that trade embargos and taxes were causing many problems.
A Hopeful Coronation:
Once High King Sapthan was crowned, he began undoing the damage of his father's reign. He began by removing the Glacier tax from the UHF. He also wanted to remove the Varatosh Trading Company from the order of power. He removed the company from Vanos control completely and then ordered that the Varatosh Trading Company, could not keep its monopoly over trade in either Heleg Parath or Voronda.
However, when this was passed along to the Vanos family, they were furious, and the king refused to hear their objections. They began a revolt to free their kingdom from Glacier tyranny. They summoned ambassadors from the two major trading factions, the Dwarven Varangian Selja and the Leonin Piraeus Emporos. They offered to open the trade routes in Voronda should they support their revolt. The Varangians would summon fourth their legions of mercenaries, while the Emporos would heat the forges of Ammos and bring fourth wagons of weapons to support the rebellion. The Vanos plan was simple, destroy the Glacier economy to earn independence.
Merchants Revolt:
The Vanos, furious when they received word that Sapthan would not allow them an audience to plead their case against, would begin a path they had planned; however, this path would lead to their own destruction. High King Sapthan had already cancelled the large debt the crown owed to them, and now he was taking away their income too. This revolt quickly spiralled out of control.
Back in Maril Osto, Sapthan had wished to keep the peace and welcome the Vanos into his halls; however, he had already told Calneris Carnen and Angardil Culverin of his plan to refuse their requests. In his eyes, the humans had paid enough for the previous war. Angardil, ever the diplomat, wanted to welcome them with a feast to begin negotiations. However, Sapthan was clear: there would be no negotiations. So when Calneris suggested that dragging them to Maril Osto to refuse to negotiate was worse, they sent a messenger saying no meeting would be possible.
The Vanos plan was simple; they intended to use the two largest trading companies, the Varangian Selja and the Piraeus Emporos, to win this war. These factions, however, were sold a lie. They both believed that they were the only ones helping the Vanos and that they would be rewarded with exclusive trading rights. Something the Vanos couldn't do, as Sapthan was already planning on presenting this to the two trading factions. The next problem for the Vanos was that when word reached their trading vessels, a third of their force mutinied, sailed to Maril Osto, and began to trade in the capital instead. Making it almost impossible to break the economy, as after the first few months, the UHF and another smaller trading faction, the Sodagar, would also trade with the Glaciers, allowing the damaged economy to stay afloat.
Winters Run, Year One:
The revolt had begun after the first snows of winter, meaning conflict would be limited to skirmishes at the borders. But while the Vanos drank and partied, Sapthan had sprung into action. He knew one thing from his father, one thing that he respected. A rebellion is like a rash. If untreated, they will spread.
The king himself rode south to spend the winter in Metimar-Tar; this was the kingdom that was the biggest lose cannon. The Reylars had neither a reason to remain loyal nor a reason to rebel. The king rode with his only daughter, Maliren Glacier. After a few months, she had enchanted the High Lord, Ungarion Reylar. So the king allowed his only daughter to marry Ungarion, on the pretence that the marriage was kept secret. Ungarion knew why and would send word to his brother.
The reason they kept the marriage a secret was because a few years earlier, the Vanos had married into the Reylar family. Sincantar Reylar, the brother of Ungarion Reylar, had married Tarwel Vanos, as her father, Arantar Vanos, had hoped to build an alliance should Sapthan prove to be the terrible king that he expected. Their plans, however, would be for naught. Sincantar Reylar would obey his brothers command and would go with his wife into the hands of the Carnens, where they would both be held as hostages. Little did Sincantar realise his actions had saved her life, as by going into captivity with her, Calneris could not execute her as he had planned to try and end the war. Instead, it ensured she was treated well.
Angardil Culverin would head south with the king, but his journey took him past Metimar-Tar to the lands of the Othranar. Sapthan was certain that their loyalty was almost guaranteed. Even during the Maelstrom, the Snow Elven civil war that lasted centuries, they tried to fight for the Snow Elves and the realm, even when it seemed an impossible task with all the factions. The steward, however, did not want to leave this to chance, so he offered the Othranar High Lord something they had wanted for centuries. Ornmasto, their largest port city, would become a royal port. The third in the empire, after Celusindi and Corthor. As a result, this city would pay less tax but would find itself becoming a popular trading stop on the frozen path due to the lower tax on trade within the city. It also meant the area would thrive, as the Dukes could invest more in their region. Both Celusindi and Corthor had sprouted into cities of beauty after they became royal ports.
While the king was in Metimar-Tar and the Steward was in Esterion, Calneris had his son rule Maril Osto as regent while he travelled the cities and towns of Heleg Parath, rallying all elves of fighting age to flock to his banner.
By the end of the winter, their forces were ready. They sent one last letter to the Vanos asking them to stand down and accept exile. When they didn't, Calneris Carnen was let loose, and he marched forward to wipe the rebels off Terrene.
Reaching to Celusindi
It would take Calneris the entirety of the 713th year to reach the capital. He had expected to do it in a matter of weeks. But the trading forces of Leonin and Dwarves were proving remarkably adept at defending their positions. The Dwarves had set up several fortifications just outside of the Reoite, meaning the Carnens could march through the difficult pass, however, they could not exit it without the Dwarves being made aware. His southern forces, led by Lord Reylar, found themselves unable to cross either of the two southern passes, Kulkani or Kyatia, as both were defended by Leonin warriors.
Eventually, realising that there were two trade factions working together. Calneris bet his entire army on the fact, they were not aware of this. He marched his forces south, leaving the Reoite completely undefended. When he arrived, he marched his troops through the valley of tears. Kyatia, punching through the lightly defended Leonin lines. When news reached the Dwarves that Kyatia had fallen to an overwhelming Snow Elven army, they sent a small force into the Reoite and when they realised they weren't there anymore, The Dwarves marched south to try and stop the invasion.
However, when they arrived, they saw Emporos banners burning in the fields. They realised they had been betrayed, and both trade factions would cease fighting. Both factions would leave Heleg Parath, as well as pay a large sum of gold to the Glaciers as reparations for their actions. Leaving the Vanos with barely one army left. Luckily, however, the winter came early, and so by the end of Gothir, all military activity had ended. However, Calneris had managed to reach Celusindi. The next year of conflict would see the war fall apart incredibly fast for the Vanos.
The Vanos Withdrew, Year Two:
The spring of the 714th year was extremely warm, which allowed Calneris to bring his siege of Celusindi to an end. It would take two months. Celusindi would gain a new nickname, Fortress Celusindi. Due to the brutal street-to-street fighting. Calneris had offered the Vanos a chance to surrender when he breached the city walls. However, Arantar Vanos refused. Only surrendering once the Traders Palace was surrounded. Arantar Vanos was executed, but his eldest son and only daughter were exiled to The Windbreaker Isles.
The Varatosh Trading Company was seized by the crown and ran under the king's direct command. Sapthan's plan was to hold it until the cost of the war and rebuilding was covered; he died before this could be completed. His son, Filarion Glacier, would keep the company under royal control due to the revenues he was earning.
Aftermath:
Many of the families had followed their High Lord's commands and rebelled. Calneris had argued in the King's Court that a traitor is a traitor and they should be executed. Angardil, however, convinced the king that many hadn't wished to, and with the right High Lord overseeing them, they would remain loyal. Which Sapthan eventually agreed with.
The next question was who would be the next High Lord of Ceannias. Calneris suggested elevating a local Duke to the title. Angardil suggested taking a Duke from either his or Calneris' realm as a reward for their loyalty. After weeks of discussion, the debate was settled when the king announced the new high lords would be the only nobles from Ceannias not to rebel, the Dagamer family.
Factions
Royalists:
Culverin
Carnen
Reylar
Free Merchants
Vanos
Varangian Selja
Piraeus Emporos
Commanders
Royalists:
Sapthan Glacier
Angardil Culverin
Calneris Carnen
Ungarion Reylar
Free Merchants
- 2E 712y. 09, 12.
- 2E 714y.
