The Castigation of House Hinode

Haruki's Last Moments

“Please,” Haruki gasped, his Adam's apple pressing into the blade at his throat as he tried to breathe. His hands were in the air, shaking even as the gesture pleaded for some kind of clemency.

“Beg,” growled the man holding the hilt of the sword, his grip so tight his knuckles had turned white. “Tell me why I should let you live after everything you have put me through.” Yoruko pressed the brand ever so closer to his adversary. His arms were steady despite the rage burning in his heart.

“I will right my wrongs. I’ll do better. It doesn’t have to be like this.” The king, to his credit, did not try to step back. He faced his fate more bravely than the younger elf had expected. “I know you have been hurting, and so have many others. It’s my fault, but I will fix it.”

“What makes you think you even can?” Yoruko spat. There were so many things that couldn’t be taken back: his torture, the pain of hiding it from Sora, selling his soul…they couldn’t be reversed. Even if there were things Haruki could still fix—even if he were allowed to marry Sora now—those things wouldn’t go away. “If you are capable of it now, why not do it before? Because you don’t care! You only care about your own suffering! Even Hime…” A tendril of cold wrapped around Yoruko’s hand, and his grip tightened. “You’ve hurt her too. I won’t let you get away with that…!”

“I wanted to do right by the people of this country,” the older elf croaked, his regret showing on his face, “I wanted to do right by her too, but—”

“But nothing! Say what you want now, it changes nothing!” The blade drew closer, now drawing blood. There was a slight tremble to it.

“And what will you do to her? Will you kill her, too? How can she escape from this unharmed?”

“That has nothing to do with you now.”

“Perhaps I deserve to die, but my daughter does not deserve the pain this will cause! Surely you can see that!”

“I’ll tell you what I see.” The cold began to ascend up his arm, reminding Yoruko of why he was here. “I see a world where Genos’ citizens don’t suffer for the foolishness of their King.”

“Then kill me,” Haruki choked, resolutely remaining in place. “I’d like to see my wife again.”

“With Corellon’s blessing, that won’t happen,” snarled Yoruko. He thought of all of the friends he’d made and lost in the Assailment, pain etched into their faces as they passed. He thought of all the people relying on him to end their suffering under the rule of an incompetent, bumbling fool. And, finally, of his beloved’s warm embrace, breaking through the cold now engulfing his body.

There was no hesitation left in him as he thrust his moonblade through the neck of the man he once loved and ripped it aside.

The Conflict

Prelude

The Castigation of House Hinode was the response to several failed rulers of that line. The various peoples of Genos had largely suffered under the threats of foreign invasions, famines, plagues, and economic strife for the whole of their 900 some year rule. Despite the taboo against coups that their semi-elective system had instilled, the conditions were right for a bold new leader to take charge.

Though not public knowledge, a significant factor in the formation of the coup was the snubbing of Yoruko by The King for the Princess's hand in marriage, as well as his treatment after the events of the Island Assailment.

Deployment

During the years preceding this event, the usurper, an accomplished military captain named Yoruko, claimed he had become disenchanted by the administration due to their abandonment of those who had suffered wounds during the Davidian Island Assailment. Yoruko managed to find no shortage of powerful people, several nobles included, who had personally suffered or watched their men suffer due to the lack of competency of the current king. Slowly he made alliances and connections among them to overthrow the king.

Battlefield

The main battleground was Paxpike itself, though nearly all of the fighting was limited to the palatial district. Small skirmishes amongst the lords took place near Stophzahn and Giant's Blade, though this swiftly changed into retreat actions when the futility of a open fight was learned.

The Engagement

Disloyal members of the Royal Guard and Lord's Armies stationed in the capital fought the Loyalist forces and attempted to capture the royal family. Days previously, talk of gnoll raids along the borders had distracted the two main loyalist armies, those of Dhanuk the Fierce and Bagran Chirsk into the territories that would come to be owned by Thobek Hefnd and Tumari Sisag.

Dhanuk the Fierce, famed Orc Cheiften, chased what he thought was a warband of gnolls into Karpash before he was set upon by the forces of Tumari Sisag, Lady of Stophzan. Bagran Chirsk and his men were cut off from the capital by the dwarven Clan Lord Thobek Hefnd's positioning and so Bagran surrendered himself, falling upon his own blade, for the promised safety of his men which Thobek honored.

The forces that had fought alongside Yoruko during the Island Assailment, notably aided by parts of the king's former spy ring and high ranking members of his guard, managed to storm the castle quickly before loyalist members of the guard, led by the champion of the Red Arrow Tribe, Umdrac the Immortal, and Strategist General of the Royal Guard, Fumihiko, battled furiously for two days, buying time for their king to escape.

Outcome

The immediate effects were the crowning of King Yoruko, who, with great speed, improved the conditions of all those in the racial districts and made moves to improve the stations of all the remaining Lords, not just those who supported him. Some whispers say on this day the mythil of Paxpike ceased working--though the king attempted to quash these rumors with mass illusions and other trickery, it is true that he was unable to use it in its original state. It was not until Shiori and Vianco modified the mythil that it began to work, though not in the way it was originally intended.

Aftermath

The Genosian people felt renewed faith in their King as raiding became an almost unheard of event, stores of food were prepped for times of famine, Orders of Eva were funded to stave off plague, and taxes were slashed nearly in half. King Yoruko had also made it a point to question the authority of the neighboring crowns of men, notably encouraging elven peoples in his land to make voyages to Koheno and reconnect with their historic roots, much to the chagrin of the Lords of other races.

Historical Significance

Legacy

This is seen as either a lifting of a stain on the history of Genos or a casting aside of all that protected the lands and its people from internal threats. Time still has yet to weigh in on the issue.

In the current day, the Castigation is largely viewed as a political event rather than a moral quandry. It is recognized that King Haruki was a poor leader, but also that King Yoruko was not the proper answer to the issue.

Battlefield Type

Urban

Start Date

May 18th, 6864

Ending Date

June 5th, 6864

Conflict Result

Supposed destruction of House Hinode, creation of the Snow Hares, Crowning of King Yoruko

Location

Paxpike