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<label>Previous</label> <label>Concurrent</label> <label>Next</label> <title source="title1"> <default>326 AC rebellion</default> </title> <image source="image1">
</image> <label>Beginning</label> <label>End</label> <label>Location(s)</label> <label>Result</label> <group collapse="open"> <header>Combatants</header> <label>Offensive Combatants</label> <label>Offensive Leaders</label> <label>Defensive Combatants</label> <label>Defensive Leaders</label> </group> <group collapse="open"> <header>Conflicts</header> <label>Major Battles</label> <label>Minor Battles</label> <label>Skirmishes</label> </group> </infobox>
| “ | I consider it remarkable that a couple of power-hungry men were able to turn a group of uneducated peasants to a vicious mob after my own life.
- {{#switch:king aeganar iv addressing the rebellion in 334 ac
|
game = In-game description | gametip = In-game tip | website = Official website | #default = King Aeganar IV addressing the rebellion in 334 AC }} | ” |
The rebellion that occurred in 326 AC, typically called the Farmers' Revolution or the Farmer's Revolution, was the first of two rebellions stemming from a result of King Aeganar IV Dragomárus's increasingly tyrannic and aggressive policies, and the spark of con-crownism taking place throughout Andoras.
The rebellion's philosophical beginnings were born from the ideas of Veddel Markwell and Michael Avleston (and Victor Damius before them regarding con-crownism), who despised Aeganar IV and seeked to see him (and all other monarchs, if possible) deposed. Although the war began much more for other reasons than simple democracy, it remained the main clause of defense for the Freehold, and indeed, rebel Thyllanor, which was in the conflict as an ally against the Kingdom of Andoras.
The early war effort continued with Dalan I Karthmere directly opposing Aeganar IV on most issues of state, and threatening to attack Dragonspire itself if conditions did not improve for the Great Houses, which sparked an actual war that lasted for 5 years. Through a system of lies and ambushes by the peasantry, the first war of the people against Aeganar IV Dragomárus officially began on January 19, 326 AC.
Events leading up to the rebellion
Even as Aeganar IV was coronated, there were rumors in the royal court of a rebellion or a plot against Aeganar's life. Aeganar IV was never particularly liked until Aeganar's First Five, referring to the first five years of his reign, and even then he acted oddly, which prompted many to theorize what could be causing him to act this way. There were hopes that other, more stable members of the Dragomárus family could inherit the throne, although in 320 AC, very few Dragomárus aside from the royal line and the immediate family still lived.
Early into Aeganar's life, there arose a plot to remove him from power quietly in order to establish a Con-crownist government under a planned union of freeholds. The main perpetrators behind this plot were Veddel Markwell and Michael Avleston, who sought the crown to be turned over to either House Karthmere or House Grimolt if they could not have their way and get rid of it altogether. Veddel was also the brother of Dalan I's (and later Dalan II's) primary advisor, Malric Markwell, who was already well on his way to becoming a vital part of elite Thyllanorian society.
Early in 325 AC, protests against Aeganar's rule began. They were, at first, peaceful, simply asking Aeganar IV to improve the quality of life for all of his subjects, and to return to the good-natured, subject-loving man he was when he was coronated in 320 AC. He disregarded these as little but nuisances, occasionally sending out a troop of guards to deal with particularly large crowds. The disorganization of the crowds was not the issue -- it was expected when you spoke out against a king so publicly, anyways -- it was how Aeganar and his men handled it. Anyone seen actively supporting the public bashing of Aeganar or, even worse, calling for his abdication, were rounded up and tossed into prison cells; some were even executed, based on how extreme their beliefs were. By autumn of 325, the jails of Dragonspire had reached full capacity, most of them being protestors. It was determined something had to be done.
Veddel Markwell and Michael Avleston were close friends that had met as a result of mutual beliefs in 320 AC. They had collaborated for some time until Michael Avleston was arrested in 321 AC, and for a long time they built up the Farrowhalt Freehall (their guild) through just written correspondence.
Veddel was, at the time, an unemployed diplomat, and Michael was a prolific writer. Michael planned at first of even seceding from the Crown and founding their own complex government which frowned on the idea of kings ruling over it, but Veddel dismissed it; peasants were not educated enough to understand the benefit between monarchs and the lack of them. While they wrote to each other, the letters became increasingly sensitive; to the point that if either man was found out to be writing them, they'd be hunted down and hung in the town square without a trial for blaspheme and treason. Veddel suggested that they set up an assassination plot against Aeganar using intelligence he had gathered from close colleagues. After their names were discovered connected to the documents, both men went into hiding until war was officially declared and the Farrowhalt state declared its independence, upon which they became members of an esteemed council formed of men against Aeganar and the Dragomárus.
After the letter and it's containing message was distributed within the village of Farrowhalt, a known hub for those speaking out against the king, plans were made to carry them out. Even better, the king was planning to ride to Farrowhalt to speak out about the recent allegations on him and his character.
First battles and conflicts
The first violent encounters happened in November of 325 AC. Several deserters of the local militia were tipped off that the king was going to be travelling through the village-turned-city of Farrowhalt at the dawn of the next sunrise on the 23rd of November upon reading Veddel Markwell's letter.
| “ | ... it is clear, then, that King Aeganar IV Dragomárus cannot value the lives of others. Perhaps we should teach him a lesson in valuing lives, that it is not so easily guarded as it is given up. He claims he is a paragon; he claims he is a patriarch. Now, the only boast he will have is that he died a king.
- {{#switch:veddel markwell, excerpt from 'letter to the people of farrowhalt'
|
game = In-game description | gametip = In-game tip | website = Official website | #default = Veddel Markwell, excerpt from 'Letter to the People of Farrowhalt' }} | ” |
The Farrowhalt Assassination Attempt
Arming themselves with weapons, particularly crossbows and ranged weapons, they positioned themselves in the trees surrounding the meeting point and waited. Some of the farmers arrived offering their help, meaning that a good thirty crossbowmen would surround the king as they fired upon him and his convoy. The farmers would be responsible for making the scene quiet and clean. The crossbowmen were given their positions, and the peasants spent the night scheming. They came up with a trap; while they were stepping aside to bow for the king as he passed, they would arm a bear trap, which would capture the leg of one of the horses and cause disorder. Then the crossbowmen would take action, hopping out of the trees and firing upon the carriage and the men in the village.
The next day, Aeganar IV followed through as promised. His carriage rolled down the road to Farrowhalt, approaching it at a steady pace. The convoy was decently sized, and there was no way all of the soldiers would be killed, or if there was any guarantee that they were trained at all. The farmers agreed to their cues, and gathered a wagon full of haybales, riding it to the side of the road to allow the royal convoy pass. One particular farmer, one who was scrawny, pock-faced, and nimble, looked up to the sky for a moment and clutched his five-studded star necklace before he ran over to the bear traps and activated them, getting trampled and crushed in the process, but still succeeding.. The guards could not stop him in time before the horses got caught in them and began whinnying in pain. Aeganar IV was opening the door of his carriage to investigate the matter, but the Captain of the Guard was urging him to stay inside.
| “ | Oh, quit your godsdamned buffooning. I will see what the problem is, and by the Paragons' holy grace, I will fix it myself if I must!
- {{#switch:aeganar iv dragomárus, just prior to being shot in the shoulder with a crossbow bolt
|
game = In-game description | gametip = In-game tip | website = Official website | #default = Aeganar IV Dragomárus, just prior to being shot in the shoulder with a crossbow bolt }} | ” |
With little thought, Aeganar slammed the door out and began his way over to the carriage. A few guards stood around the horses, and the others gathered around Aeganar, to prepare for a conflict. They were right in assuming such, but the crossbow bolts rained down so quickly it was hard to tell what had happened. Aeganar witnessed at least eight of his men crumple before him, their eyes dead and lifeless. The assassins jumped down from the canopies, buildings, and trees they had perched themselves in, and charged at Aeganar with knives. He seemed perfectly content on fighting them off on his own; however, his royal guardsmen came into the play, including the imposing Ser Larys Carston, who charged forward at the assassins and took out multiples at a time. Aeganar was bleeding profusely from his arm, and in no condition to fight back against his would-be killers, and was hurried away in his carriage with the one horse left -- the one not pinned by a trap. The carriage had been lit on fire at the spoke while the chaos ensued, and many describe that as being the first thing that set Aeganar IV from an irritable man to a downright dangerous one.
The Faercrest Assassination Attempt
It took a lot of counseling and convincing to urge the young king into action after the attempt on his life. The rumors flew about why he hadn't made any public appearances, especially those pertaining to the peaceful revolts he had forcefully put down, and this irked him. Tossed between his pride and image, versus his safety and possibly keeping his life, he chose his pride. He gathered a new, refurbished carriage, which was resistant (but not immune, his engineers told him) to any sort of traps, and brought with him an impressive cadre of bodyguards on the trip. He decided to go to the capital of Thyllanor itself; the province which was having the highest rates of con-crownism and a penchant for revolts, especially under the Karthmeres, known agitators of the crown as it was. Riding into Faercrest, he experienced immediate turmoil, with rocks being thrown at his carriage as he drove by. While giving the speech, all seemed clear until he was shot at by crossbows once more, and then a peasant bystander rushed the platform on which he spoke, paying with his life -- but not before grazing Aeganar's side with his shiv. He was rushed away by royal guards, and ordered Faercrest to be torched; an order that was quietly ignored in the heat of the moment.
Official declaration of war
After two attempts on his life, King Aeganar was furious. He demanded to raise every man, woman and child to the sword and force them to fight against the deserters. On January 18th, Aeganar met with his council and discussed what should happen. Many suggested to keep this 'revolt' to a peaceful minimum, but Aeganar would not have it. He overrode their authority and on the next day, January 19th, war was declared against the new faction known as the Farrowhalt Freehold; at first, thought to be an easy war, to put down a rebellion as quickly as it started. Little did Aeganar and the Kingdom know, the rebels had already won their first fights as a nation in the north. What had began as a small conflict was slowly growing out of hand, and thus, the five year war began.
Initial Deserter victories; relocation to Faercrest
At the beginning of the war, the Thyllanorian and Freehold-aligned soldiers were in high spirits, but both sides believed that the war would be short; the Dragomárus expected that the Freehold would quickly surrender and Thyllanor would follow suit. The kingdom spread propaganda throughout the entire war, mostly targeted against soldiers and common laymen who were either conscripted or had no better outlook in life, with the promises of their lives being spared and a pardon if they would give in to certain demands, such as giving information on high-ranking officers, the whereabouts of the Triumvirate of the Freehold, and more. After seeing death in such a rampant form, and in so cruel a way, however, many men went into shock and some even died. Living with the horrors was, and still is today among veterans, likely one of the most traumatic moments of the war for any soldier, regardless of rank or social standing where they came from.
Early on, having the upper hand by catching the kingdom off-guard in a position they were not ready to muster armies in, Thyllanor fortified its Southern and Northwestern Fronts while the Freehold began expanding into Ember's End, taking the city of Parrem and a considerable amount of land around it. Several battalions were dispatched in order to solidify the fronts, and many fortifications would be built along them. Despite being allies, Thyllanor and the Freehold had very different outlooks for the war; Thyllanor expected the Dragomárus to hit hard and fast and rushed to build defenses. The Freehold expected that they had at least a year of free expansion before the armies of the kingdom were sufficiently mustered to overthrow both of the two armies. Even before the war officially began, the rebels expanded into the Faltheid Peninsula, belonging to Frostfall, and annexed it into unofficial Thyllanorian territory. The Northern Front, while not particularly guarded or attacked, was formidable for hosting general Yulian Genorde, a Gardorian who fought for the rebels in the war. Being an expert of all things surrounding tundra and frost-ridden terrain, he successfully managed to sit at this front for the rest of the war with little quarrel.
In February, the first true battles began between the two sides. The Freehold, expanding into the Kingsland, was given outburst by several villages, many of which had their own ambitions to secede or form their own nation. Markwell, who chose Dalan as the leader of the armies, sent him to give these villages a simple option; join or be killed. Because of the mounting opposition, many gave in to the pressure and joined the Freehold, a move Markwell and Dalan Karthmere himself would call cowardly.
On February 5th, a small Dragomárus scout force spotted the first Freeholder army over the ridge and across the river leading into the village of Saltden, and they attempted to send runners back to the main force to alert them. Avoiding a potential big loss in the first weeks of the war, the Freeholder regiment, which consisted mostly of Thyllanorian archers -- most likely the greatest of their kind in the whole continent -- sniped them down from afar and moved forward on foot to flank them. Some runners made it through, but by the time it took for an army 50,000 troops strong to return to the spot of the last sighting, the rebel army was at least 10 miles away to the northwest and much too far away for any sort of bombardment at that distance.
Following in pursuit, the large Dragomárus army attempted to ford the river, to little success. Several men drowned, though not nearly enough to affect the army as a whole. The Dragomárus army attempted to pursue the rebels for at least six days before turning back. They were called elsewhere by Aeganar IV Dragomárus: to the city of Farrowhalt where this had all began. It was Aeganar's idea that if they controlled the capital of the Freehold, the morale would swiftly drop among them all and the war would be mostly over from the start. Facing heavy opposition from siege weaponry and crossbow fire from the battlements, they nearly had to call off the siege. From the start of the war, it was beginning to look, miraculously enough, that the rebels were winning.
The war continued in this fashion for most of 326 AC, but in March of 327 AC a large army led by Aeganar himself stormed the Northwestern Front of Thyllanor. Marching through The Wetlands and forcing any young men he had encountered along the way to come with the army and fight, the Dragomárus built fortifications of their own and between the two was a five and a half-mile strip of a no man's land full of failed siege weaponry attacks, arrows, and bolts. In the beginning of the war, it was safe enough to attempt a crossing, but as siege weaponry progressed, it became more and more hazardous until it eventually was labeled suicide to attempt it.
The front was clearly defined at this point, and the Thyllanorians stationed in the region had to be careful for any disruptions that the Dragomrys could possibly throw their way; be it sending dead cattle over to cause plague in the enemy front lines, or a spontaneous bombardment from trebuchet and catapult fire, with many of these so-called 'disruptions' coming over the course of the next few months. At this point, Aeganar had gone off to fight other battles, but mostly he had returned to Dragonspire City, thinking that his presence was needed at home. He instead sent Daemalor Celtheon, his most trusted general, to man the Northwestern Front for the time being.
Nevertheless, Major-General Jarris Ferelo ordered his platoon and two others stationed on the Front to storm the other side, on April 2nd, 327 AC. This battle would later go on to be known as Jarris's Folly, named after the tragic Callen's Folly that occurred nearly a thousand years earlier to King Callen Karthmere. Although a noble effort on part of the rebels, they were ultimately surrounded and bombarded by the Dragomárus, and despite killing at least a thousand men, the last members of the platoon that stormed the other side were unable to retreat to safety and were captured as prisoners of war by mid-May. The Northwestern Front was collapsing with each passing second, but it was never truly stormed until as late as 329 AC, when Aeganar returned to the Front and led the march into western Thyllanor.
Meanwhile, in other places, war was not as sophisticated and often delved into full-on open field battles. On the Southern Front, Thyllanor was beginning to expand and establish front line posts and fortifications well before the war began, but a fatal error in the design meant that several spies were able to infiltrate the side and a Dragomárus army stormed through what was called the Lost Lion Pass, referring to a gap in the defenses about 300 yards wide that could not be completed in time before the army infiltrated the front. While it didn't last, this is often considered the first time that the Dragomárus entered rebel lands. A full-on charge prompted the Dragomárus army to attack and flank the rebels while they were off-guard, but they were beaten back through sheer numbers. A series of battles began on July 27th, 326 AC and finally ended when the Karthmeres were able to patch up the wall around the same time next year, in August of 327 AC.
Aeganar IV 'Necessary Amends' Speech; Crown victories
Main article: Necessary Amends (Aeganar IV Dragomárus Speech)
Midway into the war, it became obvious that Aeganar needed to rally those still loyal to him, in an effort to bring the war out of the currently-Freehold dominated Midlands. Giving a rousing speech in Dragonspire titled "Necessary Amends", the speech assigned each and every citizen of the Kingdom of Andoras a duty, and that their duty is wholly up to them so long as it contributes to the longevity and prosperity of the kingdom. The speech was a rousing one, and inspired many men to take up their arms in defense of the Kingdom. Thunder's Shore and The Wetlands formally rejoined the war as co-belligerents under the Kingdom itself, and sent the full brunt of their forces to assault the Southern Front. The year of 328 AC was relatively quiet for the war, with both armies opting to occupy land, or at least try; at the Northwestern Front, the Crown was held at bay for some time, but the first real loss of the war for the Deserters took place beyond it -- the Battle of Garanide, in the Wetlands. The battle was called 'regrettable' by several on the Deserter side, as the general in question who led the army, Caleu Emmoro, was known as arrogant and cocky. He felt he could besiege the city of Garanide, but was soundly defeated in February.
The next year, however, was different, and the war started to tilt in favor of one side; the Crown.
A series of decisive Crown victories along all fronts led to panic within the Deserter government, who started to realize that they were soon going to be fighting a losing war if they did not reinforce their troops on the fronts. The Freehold primarily focused on the Southern Front, being the most important and vital front of the war. They fortified the main Freeholder cities that existed along and behind the Front, hoping to avoid any encounters with the Crown that they could not win. This would soon prove to confirm their fears, as the Crown also mustered their forces and began bearing down on the Northwestern Front, with the Wetlands' help in the war. Thyllanor was hard-pressed for soldiers and their levies were spreading very thin, all but guaranteeing that the only ones guarding the Southern Front were Freehold soldiers. For a period of six weeks in 329, from early May to mid-June, the worst fighting of the war occurred. Both sides were depleted on special forces and espionage, and instead relied on sheer manpower. The largest battle of the war, the Battle of Letysha on the border near Thyllanor and the Wetlands, took place on May 27th, 329 AC. This battle was a resounding Pyrrhic victory for the Deserters, who beat back the Crown at the cost of most of their forces; roughly 30,000 men lay dead, and only 5,000 remained.
The battle of Letysha was a practice in futility, as Thyllanor could only muster a few thousand more men in levies, while the Crown had tens of thousands of men still at their disposal. The sole reason that they were able to hold out from thereon was the system of defensive barricades and trenches that the Thyllanorians had established on their entire Western border for hundreds of miles, and that lasted until it was breached in October of 330, a year and four months later.
Loss of Parrem to the Kingdom; original Deserter base lost
Main articles: Assault on Parrem, Occupation of Farrowhalt
In about 329 AC, the fighting had gotten extremely rough, for both sides. Were the Deserter and Dragomárus forces equal in the beginning of the war, it would have likely been called a victory for the Deserters at this point. The forces of Thyllanor and the Freehold, however, only matched approximately 65% of all standing forces for the Kingdom, and as such it was slowly becoming a victory for the Dragomárus and the Kingdom.
The turning point of the war was almost certainly the Assault on Parrem, on July 9th, 329 AC. Early in the morning, 20,000 deserter troops had arrived outside the city walls in preparation to assault the towns to the west. Unbeknownst to them, spies and double agents tracked their every move, and when the force of 20,000 set out on their campaign, a larger force of about 27,000 marched to besiege Parrem. The Crown soldiers were so vicious that not a single messenger could get out to alert the 20,000 who had just departed -- they returned four days later to find a burning city with its walls breached and its defenders killed. The ensuing Battle of Parrem happened the same day and lasted two weeks, until the Deserters were forced to give in when all of their flanks collapsed and two out of the three generals with their army perished. In exchange for their life, all of the remaining men were forced to become part of the Kingdom forces, and unrecognize the Freehold's sovereignty. If they declined, they were brutally tortured and killed in front of their comrades, serving as a warning to the rest. From this point on, the Deserters were forced to fight a defensive war along the front, failing every time. This same offensive push was the same that led to Faercrest and the Six-Day Siege in late 330 AC.
With Parrem fallen and the main Southern Front force beaten and integrated into the Crown's armies, most of the Deserter influence beyond the Thyllanorian border waned. Fighting became light for a few months as both sides regrouped what forces they had, in an attempt to mount a final defense or win a critical battle. The Crown forces were now composed of three armies of 10,000 men each, and slowly marched their way northward, destroying any opposing forces in their way. They crossed the Thyllanorian border before the new year, and reached the city of Farrowhalt by March of 330 AC. What many on both sides considered the Freehold's final stand, the city was assaulted on March 23rd, but the siege lasted two more months, until May. Although a valiant stand, the walls eventually fell and what remained of the Freehold's troops were all killed or captured by the end of the siege on May 2nd. The Occupation of Farrowhalt had begun, and with it, the Freehold had all but lost the war. It was up to Thyllanor to salvage whatever they could and somehow win the war, but such an event would prove nearly impossible with Farrowhalt and Parrem falling into the hands of the Crown. Every day, the Crown armies inched closer and closer to Faercrest, and it looked impossible to beat them back. Dalan Karthmere made an attempt to pull back all forces from all remaining fronts, and they were forced to march to Faercrest at all costs, in an effort to make their final stand. By mid-November, all fronts were abandoned and what remained of all Deserter forces held out in Faercrest, both anxious and eager to somehow beat back the large force that imposingly stood on the horizon. All in all, roughly 25,000 men defended Faercrest, while 32,000 besieged it.
The Six-Day-Siege and final battles
Main article: Six-Day-Siege
The penultimate battle of the Revolution, the Six-Day-Siege began on November 31st of 330 AC. It was not originally called this, of course; projections of both sides indicated the siege would be long, tiring, and bloody. The forces of the Crown were just slightly higher than that of the Deserters, and so the Deserters were content to remain within their city, bunking down for what promised to be a cold winter; several inches snow had already fallen a week before the Crown army arrived, and some still remained on the ground, creating a muddy white surface on which any battle would be fought. These treacherous conditions meant that the Crown held off on directly assaulting the city, but King Aeganar, who had been away from the front for some time, had another strategy in mind.
Making haste to Dragonspire City, Aeganar journeyed down to the ancient caves in which the Dragomárus dragons of old perched and roosted. The lethargic dragon Vhalax met his gaze warily, but the bond he shared with Aeganar meant he knew what he had come to him for. Although he had not fought in a war in more than forty years, Vhalax had not lost his touch, and Aeganar set out with him in the direction of Faercrest, intending to fulfill the promise he had made five years ago to torch the city.
Meanwhile, on December 4th, siege weapons were completed outside of the walls, and the Crown forces attacked Faercrest with catapult and trebuchet fire, with both sides still oblivious of Aeganar's intentions, or the dragon en route to the city. Faercrest was bombarded from dawn until dusk, and it seemed to never cease until a dragon's silhouette blanketed the horizon and eventually came into view over Faercrest the next evening, on the 5th. Many Deserter and Crown soldiers alike panicked, and retreated. Karthmere, however, took this as an invitation to prove his worth one last time, and led his soldiers in a charge outside the city, with the Crown morale shaken sufficiently.
Without warning, Vhalax unleashed a flurry of flames, covering what seemed to be the entire city. The poor district, most notably made out of flammable materials such as hay, straw, and wood, was almost completely destroyed. Dalan Karthmere escaped Vhalax's breath, however, and managed to hold himself up in a secluded alley of the city for a few more hours until he was confronted and slain by Daemalor Celtheon himself. With the dead body of the Lord Karthmere being brought before the survivors of the siege, the war was all but over except in mind. Thyllanor had been annexed, the Freehold was reintegrated into Thyllanor's de jure territory, and the only two people still actively claiming the war was not over was Markwell and Avleston, who had since fled to Meyron to seek asylum and to prepare for the upcoming Dealing of 330 AC. An Andorasi convoy arrived in Meyron and demanded to know the whereabouts of these two, but were turned down, citing their legal rights in the event of being war refugees. The war was declared over by most after the Six-Day-Siege, but Aeganar still had vengeance on his mind, and would stop at nothing to attain it.
Dealing of 330 AC, capture of Markwell and Avleston
Main articles: Execution of Veddel Markwell and Michael Avleston, Dealing of 330 AC
The utter destruction of Faercrest's poor district, the death of Dalan Karthmere, and the occupation of the city meant the war was impossible to win for the Deserters. Any remaining forces in the north still holding out surrendered, and only a few remained directly loyal to Veddel Markwell and Michael Avleston, who had gone into hiding. Using their network of allies and supporters, they were able to charter a private fleet of mercenaries to defend them as they crossed the White Sea in mid-December. They reached Meyron, and with their extensive political background, were able to convince the Premiers of the city that they were refugees of war and that they were seeking asylum to avoid persecution in Andoras.
Upon arriving in Meyron, Avleston and Markwell spent the next few days hastily drafting letters to send to their allies overseas, reminding them of the fight for their cause. They did not give any indication as to their whereabouts out of fear for being discovered and unlawfully captured by the Andorasi. The eve before the Dealing's beginning, Avleston drafted a speech that he would give to the Dealing Council and all those in attendance, not only giving support to his cause, but claiming the Freehold as the victor in this fight and highlighting the tyranny of Aeganar Dragomárus. Under the Dealing laws, they could not be persecuted at any time while attending the event without the offending party facing severe reprimand, so they were safe to advance further.
Upon the day of the Dealing, the Farrowhalt Freehold was announced to arrive, to the Andorasi delegates' irritation. Aeganar Dragomárus himself attended this particular Dealing, keen to refute anything that the two men said, and, if possible, to covertly capture them and try them for their crimes back on Andoras. Michael Avleston and Veddel Markwell made an entrance, and almost immediately were berated with shouts of betrayal and calls for their head. Most of this came from the Andorasi side of delegation, but some other powers, such as the Cerynian delegates, were also among the clamor. A cry to be silent came from Namien Dolor, the 2nd Premier of Meyron and the Overseer of the Dealing, and almost as immediately as they arrived, the Freeholders were allowed to speak. It is here that Avleston gave his speech; a short, brusque speech that initially talked about how little of the Revolution was known in Doras Edrossi, but eventually delved into the effects that feudalism and war had done to the Freehold in its burgeoning state. Finally, a climactic silence came, after which Avleston accused Aeganar of being a tyrant and that he would face justice no matter what under a man's universal sense of morality. It is then widely reported that the Freeholders simply walked out, content to leave on a high note and unneeded to continue any further discussion. After they walked out of the Pryiore Villa, however, they were immediately captured by Andorasi guardsmen, who brought them through the city and placed them in the lower decks of a commandeered frigate, where they were brought back to Dragonspire City to face their trial.
Trial and execution
WIP
Aftermath
| “ | Blood covers the streets of Faercrest; gore litters the roads of Farrowhalt. No amount of Karthmere gold can pay for, or Stenwulf hides cover the crimes you've committed. I hope to see you where I'm going very soon..
- {{#switch:last words of michael avleston before being beheaded, to aeganar iv
|
game = In-game description | gametip = In-game tip | website = Official website | #default = Last words of Michael Avleston before being beheaded, to Aeganar IV }} | ” |
After the rebellion was crushed at the Six-Day-Siege, Markwell and Avleston were finally executed and the war drew to a brief, if not incredibly violent, close. Despite initial estimates of the rebellion lasting less than a month, with a year being most people's maximum estimate, it lasted exactly five years long (the peace treaty was signed on the fifth anniversary of the war's beginning for this reason) and took more Andorasi lives than any other war that the kingdom had been involved in since the Dragomárus invasion of Andoras nearly 300 years prior.
The aftermath of the Farmers' Revolution in Andoras became a breeding ground for two factions to slowly form; those who remained loyal to the Kingdom through vassalage and just right of rule, and those who still harbored beliefs that Aeganar should be deposed from his throne. The Tentative Years, beginning the moment that Markwell and Avleston were executed, only tightened and centralized Aeganar's throne even more, to the point of utter degradation in the monarchy. He slowly took more and more of the power in the kingdom until he ruled all of it, with vassals and the chain of command seemingly ceasing to exist. Taxes increased to abhorrent highs, tariffs almost assured that no nations wanted to trade with Andoras, and the tyranny of Aeganar remained and may have even blossomed under the post-war years. Few contest that the Civil War was not a direct result of loose ties at the end of the 326 AC rebellion, with some even conjecturing that the two civil wars were the same war with a lengthy truce in between. Whatever the case, the general consensus and outlook for Andoras following the war was grim, and although Aeganar did pass some mandates that improved the economy and brought life back to impoverished regions due to the war, with it came his traditional bouts of madness. In addition, his mandates passed during the Tentative Years hurt some regions of the kingdom far more than the revolution ever did; it shattered economies and systems of government that even to this day are trying to recover from.
Reaction to the rebellion and modern day view
Several organizations and Lord Paramounts reacted to the Farmers' Revolution and how it was ultimately handled, but in history it has the reputation of being a 'forgotten' or 'unnecessary' war, mostly overshadowed by the successful 346 AC rebellion, once more targeted against Aeganar's tyranny and treatment of his people. The kingdom, which had mostly been united under one banner for hundreds of years, was now slowly shifting on the Dragomárus. The Farmers' Revolution was used a scapegoat for the independence movement of several lord paramouncies, whose citizens deemed a divided Andoras to be the best course of action after the 326 AC rebellion.