A History of the Phoenix Revolution

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A History of the Phoenix Revolution was written by Josef and Kernith Timothee in Asulon. Given the subject matter and personal connection to the events the authors have been accused of bias by some readers.

The Phoenix Revolution has proven to be one of the greatest upsets in modern times. A group of Humans, angry with the rule of their legitimate monarch, banded together to overthrow the established political order. In the process, one nation was destroyed, three were created and the world was never to be the same. Had there been no revolution would there have been a Salvus, Renatus or Hanseti? If the Humans had managed to stay strong and united, would the Undead have been able to take over Aegis? Would Seventis have sought the need to exist? Would Godfrey I have appeared and reunited the Human lands into the Holy Oren Empire? Without a united Human nation, would other races have been able to take advantage of the weakened position of the Humans? It is impossible to know what Asulon would look like today if the Phoenix Revolution had not occurred or if at key moments certain scenes had not unfolded exactly the way they did.

The very start of the Phoenix Revolution began in Oren, under the rule of the Sheffield's. Following the death of the King Pampo Perea to the Undead, his Seneschal Edmund Sheffield took the throne. The rule of Sheffield proved to be polarizing. Right from the start of his rule his legitimacy as king was questioned, as following tradition the throne should have gone to the eldest son of Pampo Perea, Rhonin. Sheffield was, however, applauded in his efforts to fight the Undead that advanced on Oren from the north. He was also seen to be very supportive of the Oren military and used them wisely to fight the Undead. Other nations depended on the Humans of Oren to defend against the Undead threat in the north, given that should Oren fall the Undead could easily attack south down the King's Road. It was argued by some that his popularity was bolstered by his wife, Ivrae, and their three children, popular among citizens of Al'Khazar. Sheffield also retained support by those who wished to bolster their own ambitions, or because they viewed the monarchy as irrefutable. The Undead threat grew steadily during the rule of Sheffield, eventually culminating in his own corruption to the Undead and subsequent murder of his wife. As an Undead he was known to have attacked Alras and other places.

Following the fall of Edmund Sheffield there was an internal struggle in Oren regarding who should take over the throne. His son Enor eventually emerged as the clear and legitimate choice. Just like with his father, Enor's rule also drew supporters and detractors. His supporters claimed that being young and new to the throne meant he would make mistakes, but only needed experience. He was also declared to be upholding the throne's legitimacy. His wife Luna Wildewyn likely helped increase his popularity. Over time, opposition increased. He was accused of using tax money meant to fight the Undead to pay the guards to stifle dissent to his rule, creating a vicious circle. Others said he was paranoid in trying to defend his rule. Some of the more frivolous complaints included the housing costs in Al’Khazar. Many grew to consider Enor a weak and spineless leader who relied on his military to protect his own interests.

In 1338 Al’Khazar fell to the Undead, marking the first major Undead victory in many years and the start of the Human diaspora. During the attack Enor was kidnapped by Undead and taken to the Nether for a year. During this time concerns were raised that he may have been tainted like his father and become a pawn of the Undead, perhaps even at the hands of Edmund himself. Upon his return to Aegis Enor claimed the Council that had formed in his absence to be illegitimate and once more declared himself to be the sole ruler of Oren. For those who already saw him as a near dictator, these claims only made him appear less appealing as king. In the chaotic aftermath of the Fall of Al’Khazar, the Phoenix Revolution began.

The Phoenix Revolution was initially formed in response to the rule of the Sheffield's, the losing of the war against the Undead and the threat posed by the Human diaspora. The Revolution quickly attracted many important figures within Oren, including leading military and political men. Out of the ten members of the Council that was established following the disappearance of Enor to rule in his absence at least half were avid supporters of the Revolution. Also notable was that support came from all levels of Human society. Peasants to nobility all had reason as to why Enor should be removed from the throne. Amid other nations, support was strong as well. Many of those who lived on the King's Road thought that the Humans were the best chance to stop the Undead from advancing south, which Enor failed to do. Although very little explicit support was given to the supporters of the Revolution, most nations seemed to indicate that they would not try and stop it.

Enor was widely seen as inefficient, corrupt and unfit as king. As the northern towns of Crimson Vale, New Alstion, Winterfell and Celestine fell to the Undead in 1340 opposition only increased. With more people attracted to the idea of the Revolution, a formal headquarters was established on the White Road. Planning was cautious, and only those who were trusted enough to both take part in the Revolution and not give it away were told about it. It was imperative that anyone who could oppose the Revolution be left in the dark. In the earliest stages, there were numerous leaders suggested to guide the Revolution. The two most prominent choices that emerged were Eze'kiel Tarus and Zibaen Vivyaen. There were concerns about the potential for Tarus to follow in the footsteps of his sister Atriana, who had been the High Constable of Oren before betraying it to Undead and becoming one herself. Others expressed doubt that either man was well known enough among ordinary people of Oren, and other men were suggested as potential leaders, including Throdo Therving. In the end, Tarus emerged as the favourite choice among the revolutionaries and he was chosen to lead the Revolution.

Levels of support for the Revolution were varied, and included gathering items and food for potential conflict, swaying others to join and creating propaganda. The symbol of the Phoenix was chosen to represent the Revolution, as a sign of a new Oren rising from the ashes of Enors rule. At this time, the goal of the revolutionaries was not to cause major change, but to dethrone Enor in what they hoped would be a move to restore and invigorate Oren against the Undead threat. Although they clearly had a leader in mind for the new Oren, many expressed that they would be willing to negotiate with Enor to find a leader suitable to all parties. As the final stages of the Revolution drew closer, it was commonly agreed among Revolutionaries that the goal was peace. Violence would only be used against those who opposed the Revolution with force, and it was hoped Enor would peacefully step off the throne. The Revolutionaries knew that Enor retained considerable popularity, despite the support they themselves had attracted, and they would have to tread carefully in dethroning him. What happened next shocked the revolutionaries.

King Enor somehow became aware of rising opposition to his rule. It is still unknown if he was tipped off by someone who overheard the plans of the Revolution, perhaps when the revolutionaries excitedly discussed their goals on the White Road. There were various times when the Revolutionaries were overheard, once by the Orcish Rex. Perhaps one of the revolutionaries betrayed the others and told the King directly. At any rate, he decided that the best decision for him and for the nation of Oren was to step down as King and pass on the crown. It was his chosen successor that drew a considerable amount of controversy – the leader of the Teutonic Order, Gaius Marius.

Enor claimed that Marius was a strong ruler who would be able to counter the Undead threat and save Oren. The Black Cross would now be used to protect Galahar and the other scattered towns that composed the nation. The Phoenix Revolution was outraged. As the Hochmeister of the Teutonic Order, Marius had been in direct opposition to Oren in the past and had invaded Al’Khazar several times. The revolutionaries declared him an unfit ruler who was an enemy of Oren, which at this point had been reduced almost solely to the feudal town of Galahar. Others welcomed Marius as the King of Oren, who would be able to defeat the Undead and restore Oren to former glory. The Humans were more divided than ever at this point as to who they thought should lead Oren. Enor still retained support, as did Marius, but so did the Revolution and other popular figures. The Phoenix Revolution agreed to listen to Marius, but he was unable to convince them that he would rule in Orens best interests during a series of meetings in Galahar.

The revolutionaries had many reasons why they did not want Marius as their new king. The main argument was that as the Hochmeister of the Teutonic Order Marius had marched on Al’Khazar and the Kingdom of Oren in the past, proving that he was an enemy of the nation. Others declared that for Enor to give up the throne so easily proved there was some sort of agreement between them, and the fact that Enor had lost the support of the people meant that anyone he willingly gave the crown to should be treated with suspicion. Others said that the Black Cross was a military organization, and Marius was nothing more than a military leader who was not fit to be king. At this point, there was not even agreement among the revolutionaries about what to do next. Some wanted to end the Revolution and accept Marius as their new king, while others wanted to overthrow him as well for reasons mentioned, with a long range of opinions in between. There was enough support among the revolutionaries that an agreement was made to resort to drastic action. The revolutionaries hooded themselves and seized the fort in Galahar. With the city effectively in the hands of the revolutionaries, they could easily demand that their voices be heard. At this point, Marius officially held the crown of Oren, but Tarus retained the support of the Revolution. With Galahar effectively under the control of Tarus and the Revolution and Oren under the control of Marius, an agreement had to be reached. Talks were held in the fort between the Phoenix Revolution, the Teutonic Order and Ascended. A few things were decided.

Originally, the decision was for Marius and Tarus to rule Oren as a biumvirate. Features of the decision included that citizens of both halves of the kingdom had to respect each other, both sides would assist each other militarily, neutrality was to be upheld in the event the Dwarves and Orcs went to war and Zibaen Vivyaen was declared the emissary between the two halves of Oren. This decision meant that both those who supported Tarus and those who supported Marius would have their opinions heard, and those who wanted peace would also be appealed to. Tarus would rule from Galahar and have control over the western lands. Marius’ capital would be Konigsberg, and would rule the eastern lands that were held by the Teutonic Order. However, it quickly became apparent that this arrangement would not last, and so the Realm of Hanseti was formed by Marius and the Kingdom of Renatus by Tarus.

The dissolution of Oren and the creation of Renatus and Hanseti is commonly thought to be the end of the Revolution. The revolutionaries had gotten what they wanted, a new form of government. The former king had avoided bloodshed. There were more pressing issues to deal with, such as bolstering the defenses of the cities against potential threats from other nations and the Undead. New systems and institutions had to be created in both new nations. Of course, the effects of the Phoenix Revolution would be felt for years to come. Soon after the creation of the nations, Enor Sheffield and Dawn Perea declared that the peaceful nation of Salvus created. With this, there were three Human nations spread throughout Aegis. With the Human population split, it has been argued that the defenses of Galahar were far less than they could have been. Although Galahar was never officially conquered by the Undead it was abandoned after being tainted, and it can be argued that with no city on the King's Road to stop further aggression it was then only a matter of time before Kal'Urguan fell, the Orcs were attacked and Laurelin burned. In Asulon, the three Human nations conducted relations best described as volatile, with war and distrust common. Renatus was frequently attacked by Hanseti and allies, before deals were arranged to stop the constant violence. Salvus came under assault soon afterwards, eventually succumbing to the constant barrage. When Godfrey I arrived in Arethor, he declared his intentions to be a consolidation of all Human nations. Seventis, a nation initially established as an alternative to the constant in-fighting of the other Human nations, was struck with Plague and annexed by Renatus. Salvus was conquered through war. Facing overwhelming military might Hanseti agreed to submit rather quietly, hoping to avoid the destruction Solace had faced.

What would the world be like, had those revolutionaries never sought to overthrow King Enor? Had Al’Khazar not fallen to the Undead, would the great distrust of Enor have been bolstered when he was in the Nether for so long? What if he had not given the crown to Marius, prompting fighting and the need for two nations? Had Salvus never been created, would Renatus and Hanseti have been locked in war in Asulon with no third nation to help tip the balance? Did Dawn Perea have to die at the hands of a mob screaming for the blood of the witch? Nothing is certain.