A Report Of The Facts

[Aetosion 2062]

A missive is sent to the good people of the realm at each settlement, describing recent events in a relatively objective manner, in an attempt to cut through the recent outpouring of propaganda that lacks reference to the true nature of the events which unfolded over the past few Saint's Days.

 

A Report of the Facts

 

A fortnight ago in the cycle of the Sun’s Smile of 1480, the Grand Knight, Noble Ser Maric II of the House Varodyr was called to speak with diplomats of the imperial crown. In these discussions, the Noble Ser was urged to support the Carrion candidate in the next election. N. Ser Varodyr stated his interest in voting for a different candidate and discontinuing the Carrion regime, on grounds that the imperial crown was misrepresenting the interest of the Heartlander peoples, the common people, and abusing its crown authority. He then returned to his keep.

 

Shortly thereafter, Noble Ser Maric was called to audience with the Emperor and sought to reason with the crown, although he did not break any laws of the state and wished only to continue to democratic process of imperial election. Instead of accepting the nature of the electoral system, the Emperor attempted to remove any threats to the continued Carrion control of the “elected monarchy” of imperial Oren, reflecting their response to political opponents in the past. Emperor Tuvya formally stripped N. Ser Maric of his title, declared his privy seat vacant, his men to be killed on sight, and his family’s land claim to be forfeit. He was then sent off, and returned to his keep.

 

Without warning, the men of the crown marched on the keep of Angren to wrest it from the control of the knights of the Red Dragon and Noble Ser Maric himself. They hastened to break down the gate, but did not possess siege weaponry. The sky darkened, and the combatants heard the Creator’s voice coming from all around them, declaring the crown’s men unjust in their attempts to break their way into the Order’s keep. Thunder roared and lightning crashed down around the assaulting force, and the bridge leading up to Kaer Angren’s entrance collapsed into the road below. The men of the Raev then made a hasty exit.

 

Over the following days, missives were sent out from the embattled men of Angren to the lords and common folk who had pledged themselves to the cause of the Heartlander people. These folk rallied in Angren and surrounding feudatories, but lacked a definite leader in the face of the Carrions.

 

The Lord Briarwood turned to Noble Ser Maric, who had the blood of the Chivays and an unborn child with the granddaughter of Godfrey, and he offered him the crown of Renatus. N. Ser Varodyr refused the crown. It was then that the common folk of the heartland offered Noble Ser Varodyr the crown of Renatus, asking him to be their leader in the face of an Emperor who had revoked their rights to representation and trial. Again he refused the crown. It was then that the common folk, the knights of the Order, and the nobles of the heartland together crowned Maric II Varodyr as King of Renatus. The newly crowned king’s claim is cemented by blood, marriage, and most of all the popular support of the people, which was first recognized as a legitimate right to crown in the 1440s.

 

The Kingdom of Aesterwald had withheld allegiance up until last Saint’s Eve, but recently aligned themselves with the new-Renatian state, which offered them freedom from the empire they were forced into at the threat of war. The Renato-Waldenian alliance now composes the majority of the human populace and territorial claims. Several nobles of the empire have yet to declare their allegiance to either the imperial crown or the secessionist states, while the territories under direct Carrion control (Petrus, Karovia, etc.) have affirmed their militant support of the continued Carrion Vochna despite the offenses to the principles of constitutional governance and the violation of the Emperor’s obligation to lord fairly over the citizenry.

 

-Ser Edward of Ayr, order unaffiliated

 

[Cracker 4570]

Daniel sighs, shaking his head as the missive makes its way throughout the settlements. He speaks with a fellow priest regarding the document, whom delivers Daniel's tirade on the matter throughout the clergy and thus to many settlements.

 

"Horribly false information...this reeks of typical Winter falsehoods and fabrications. I highly doubt there are any objective facts in this document, for Edward Winter is known for his anti-Carrion sentiments and positions in Aesterwald among its ministries.

 

To begin the long list of fraudulent claims in this missive...

 

The Imperial Prince had wished to open a dialogue with the Heartlander League in hopes of figuring out their primary objectives and to see if they would support his potential rule after his father; however, he did not need to appease them, only seeking to due so out of virtue and stability, because none of the Heartlander League, Varodyr included, had any votes in the Diet. To believe that Maric Varodyr, a fellow who was not even of noble birth proper, let alone someone who held a ducal title and an electorate title making him eligible to vote, had any vote in the naming of an Emperor reveals the author's great lack of understanding regarding the politics of the realm.

 

Furthermore, the issue was not that the Varodyr had no support for the Prince Alexander, but rather that Varodyr and his deputy Martial Briarwood had spoke to Alexander and told him they had desired to see the Empire destroyed and dismantled, along with modifying the electorate to put upon the Varodyr. I would imagine a plot to dismantle the Empire would be considered seditious and treasonous, especially if supported by the Grand Knight, a man vowed to his liege and the law.

 

The Imperial Prince, aghast with this plot, spoke with his father. The Emperor detained the Noble Ser and dismissed him from his privy position as Grand Knight, his only title in the Empire. Even if Varodyr had not been actively plotting sedition, the Emperor has full right to appoint and dismiss his privy councilors at whim, and the dismissal of his post was by far a mild punishment for such a heinous plot. This further shows a lapse in logic in the writer's argument; if Varodyr's men and himself were to be killed on sight, why did Tuvya not do the deed when he had them all detained in his capital? He let them go on his own whim, extending the font of mercy to his soldiery.

 

Yet the first thing Maric did with the mercy bestowed upon was claim the fort of Angren. Angren, as the author should know if he was literate regarding the peerage, is not a Varodyr holding, but an Imperial holding held by the Emperor. It is a military complex that has traditionally been lent to the Grand Knight for his orders and that was Maric's sole function in the keep. Being that he was stripped for Grand Knight, his act of garrisoning himself in the fort and barring the Emperor from entering his own fortification was an act of grievous trespassing. The Emperor arrived at Angren and warned Maric to leave the Imperial holding at once, with a retinue of his soldiers; Maric refused, in fear of his life, despite the fact that Tuvya had just spared the former grand knight. For the theft and trespassing of Imperial property after swearing a solemn oath of knighthood and fealty, Tuvya named him a traitor, typical for someone who was just spared for his treason in a plot to dismantle the Empire and allow Oren to splinter and divide into countless realms.

 

Furthermore, this Edward Winter has the audacity to claim that a shaman's lightening spell was equivocal to the Creator's power; it is well-documented that a certain Lucas Black had cast the incantation in hopes slaying the Imperial host.The Emperor decided that attacking the citadel then would not be in good taste and bid his retreat, hoping that Maric would reconsider.

 

Instead he was met with Maric's declaration of war. Considering the vast swath of "Renatus's" population is knighthoods and petty nobility with a minuscule civilian populace, I believe the decision was in hopes of delivering annexed territories to those who contributed to Maric's illegitimate war-effort. The basis that Maric has a claim is highly fraudulent; he descends from no royalty who held the title "King of Renatus" and his wife's claim is hardly considerable when it is to be noted that Renatus and the Empire have always held to an Agnatic succession. Furthermore even populism is not particularly a valid sign of legitimacy in the Empire; if you cite the Carrion's rise to power as a sign of populism I do believe you are mistaken, considering the Carrion's did not war for their titles, all willingly forfeited peacefully in recognition of the household's right to rule.

 

Considering the most dominant Heartlander household in the Empire, the de Savoies, stand with the Empire, I do not believe this is an actual attempt in establishing a proper Heartlander state, but rather a revolt of petty nobility who do not wish to be diligent and attain titles in an honorable and just way, instead throwing their lot with seditious anarchy. 

 

I'll not waste Church resources in these matters for what their worth but let it be known that it is certainly in my power to denounce this pointless revolt which spills the blood of Canonists needlessly. Let us hope the Creator guides the soldiery to a quick, if not peaceful, solution."

[AGP 3169]

After receiving this missive, William sits down at his desk and writes out a quick reply, having his several scribes copy it many times over and his messengers sending it out to all the villages in the realms.

 

A Correction of the Facts

 

The recent missive sent out by an apparently unaffiliated Ser Edward of Ayr is full of lies, deceit, and slander. Despite being a man who supports King Maric's claim to his throne, I am also one who considers accuracy of facts an important and necessary thing. The Creator did not speak to the men at the battle, no titles were stripped from King Maric, and in fact, Maric was never to have a vote in the election. There is no way that this rebellion started over such a silly reason. And, this is important, it does not matter. Whatever actual events occurred, which we will never know as they occurred behind closed doors, what every man, woman, and child should ask themselves now is, "Who will rule best?" The answer is King Maric II Varodyr. The Emperor, his family, and his culture have dominated the fair realm of Oren for far too long. Brief respite from their form of cruelty and prejudice was seen under Chivay rule, only to be replaced with their own more drastic form of abuse. In this time of strife, we need someone who can lead us against the Betrayer, not someone so obsessed with money he resorted to banditry earlier in his life. I do ask this of you, however. Do not hate your fellow men, do not forgo your honor to slander  those who have done no wrong to you, do not take advantage of those who simply wish to live their lives, do not lie for your own personal gain in this conflict. The Creator is watching over us in this time of strife, and he will make sure the most righteous, dutiful, ideal leader is the victor when the dust has settled.

 

~William Harcourt, Baron of Estermeadow

[Galendar 631]

"I don't believe the Prince Aleksander has ever denied the claims of what happened that evening at the meeting." says Alexander.

[Narthok 10416]

"I think this man is excluding many of the factions that retained their loyalty to the rightfully elected emperor, regardless the rebel's will continue to spread their propaganda and slander. This war seems to be fought more with pen than with sword, pitiful". - Says Thor

[mylimo7 409]

"These rebels look absolutely stupid."

Throdo says while in disguise.

[Z3r05t4r 855]

"Hm, it should probably be noted that the last one to hold the Kingdom title of Renatus independently was Silus Iullius Horen, who relinquished the title to Ostromir Carrion when he was disposed of, who then again either declared the title for void or granted it over to the Emperor, Siegmund Carrion, himself upon his demise." notes Novtorn.

 

"I have been a young lad back then, but I know that for fact. I can not imagine how this supposed Horen woman got even a grasp on the title, Silus only had one daughter and two sons. Considering that the title is agnatic, the only person with true claim to it at the moment from its previous holder would be Illaustius Rollicus Horen, since Crius Sellurus has already met an early end. As for inheritance, Silus inherited the title as heir of William II. Horen, who had no children back then when he resigned under church and Carrion pressure, Silus being his natural heir." Novtorn takes a deep breath.

 

"It should also be noted that the kingdom title was called Kingdom of Oren back then, which was the false naming for it, thus Silus turned it back into its supposed name, Kingdom of Renatus. That was part of the Era of the five kings."

 

Scratching his chin he concludes. "Some people should check where a title wanders about and who has a true claim and who does not. In my opinion Maric Varodyr does not, and you can not transfer claims to titles, just because you have someone's blood from somewhere distant. That is not how feudalism work. You should probably play more of the famous board game Crusader Kings II in the fictional realm of Europe, Asia and North Africa."

[Lark 2227]

Avgust rubs his chin at Novtorn's words and grunts, "So Maric is make yak shitting of claims when Ilaustius holds claim..?" He takes a cigar out and light it. "Am thinking this is odd game of thrones."

[Glyc 234]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.