Vesperian Civil War
From MoongatesWiki
The Vesperian Civil War is a combat-centric campaign, beginning in early January of 2009. Like certain earlier scenarios – including the recent Border Wars – it will take place in the form of weekly battles (Tuesdays & Thursdays), with each side attempting to out do the other in a series of goal-driven and strategic battles for control of Vesper's many isles. The Civil War pits two competing factions against one another; the "Vesper Militia" under Captain Escaflowne, and the "Vesper Union" under Chancellor Van Cocidius.
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Background
The Militia of Vesper has been a driving force in the free city's politics ever since the days of Sylis Larpet and its revolutionary predecessor, the Free Vesper Militia. Following Vesper's recognition as a sovereign state many of the FVM's leadership became members of a newly established Council, whilst the band of guerrillas would itself warp into the modern Militia. From this point onwards the two organisations would be seperate from the other, though rarely at odds. The position of Baron meanwhile can largely be attributed to Kain Twothumb, who succeeded Lord Elliot – thought by many to be the Republic's founder – as premier upon the latter's retirement and departure from public life. Though feuds would break out from time-to-time between Militia and Council, revolts against Twothumb and his elected successors were, quite simply, unthinkable.
The Civil War is not the first instance of political fracture within the City of Bridges, nor the first time Vesperian has fought Vesperian within its streets. Years previously the Republic had fallen into anarchy following the rumoured death of Kain Twothumb, with multiple factions vieing for control. Earlier still three of the Republic's great men, Volchak, Borborad, and Kaelith fought one another for command of the Militia. This latest round of Republican infighting is, however, unique by its very nature; for never before has the Militia in its entirety sought to remove their employer by force.
The Council's Division
Like so many power-struggles that preceeded it, the Republic's descent into Civil War began with a private conflict between rivals. On the one hand, Militia Captain Escaflowne; the sole figure of constant authority since Kain Twothumb's retirement. On the other, "Chancellor" Van Cocidius, serving his second term as Vesper's elected ruler. Ever since the assassination of Elliot Heath the two men had been on less than friendly terms, with both suspected of a hand in the grim affair. The Captain briefly launched an investigation into the involvement of Cocidius' and his associates, the Brotherhood. Whilst attempting to sabotage a meeting of the shady group using the highly volatile substance Blackrock Escaflowne became infected, falling into a state similar to daemonic possession. During this time the corrupted Captain dropped the case of Heath's murder, accusing renegade Drow instead. Though Escaflowne went on to recieve treatment for his possession within the halls of Moonglow's Lycaeum, he would level no more charges against Van and his allies. Their relationship had been well and truly poisoned, and it could not have come at a worse time. After a short period of stratocracy Baronial elections were once again called. Of the three candidates standing two claimed membership of the secretive Brotherhood; the nefarious Jasin Natael one, and Van the other. Cocidius triumphed at the polls, becoming Baron for a second time, beating Natael and the highly popular gorilla, Momo. From the very day of his election to the outbreak of Civil War the two men were locked in ceaseless disputes; seldom seeing eye-to-eye on either the trivial or the grand.
After several days of particularly heated exchanges Captain Escaflowne called into assembly the Council of the Republic. Once the Councillors were gathered the Captain moved abruptly, demanding his rival's retirement. The Chancellor, he announced, had been draining money from the Republic's coffers to fund his personal luxuries and line his pockets ever since coming into power. Cocidius did his best to counter the charges, levelling his own accusation of treason. The two argued at length, with the rest of the Council doing their best to be heard in the increasingly chaotic debate. When told that he had no right to remove an elected official, the Captain announced that a vote would instead be held. Unwilling to be seen to take sides the Council demanded that the poll be silent. Sergeant Grayner of Cove, a spectator throughout, was called upon to tally the votes in private. After each Councillor had risen to whisper in the Sergeant's ear the results were announced; four in favour of the Chancellor's removal, and three in his support. With a majority backing his demands, Escaflowne asked Van to step down without a struggle. The Chancellor pointedly refused, stating that he would not leave his seat in Escaflowne's "filthy hands". In response the Captain made his way to the long table's head and attempted to physically arrest his superior. Before the squabble turned to blows, a valid point was quietly raised; the owner of the Swaggers Inn was legally permitted a voice in the Council. That claim went to Van himself, though as Chancellor he could not place a second vote. And so the establishment's manager, Rebecca, was brought in to vote on his behalf. She voted quite publically that the Chancellor be permitted to stay, thereby creating a tie in the votes, and making the poll invalid.
Enraged by the Chancellor's aparrent cheating of the system, Captain Escaflowne strode from the Town Hall, roaring at the top of his voice; "Ye have a revolt on your hands, Chancellor! The Militia shall remove you by force!".
The Civil War
After the Council's indecisive meeting both Captain and Chancellor could be seen gathering allies, preaching to the citizenry, and rallying fighters to their respective causes. In a tense climate the two leaders carried the Council's division out onto the streets, though their chief supporters would be drawn from established sources. Chancellor Cocidius gathered the Republic's three chief trading companies in his defence. This gathering of mercantiles and private soldiery would become known as the "Trade Union"; named for its very nature as a composite of certain groups previously considered peripheral within the Republic. The Union would be completed by the late arrival of Cove's "Company". As a disceplined band of sellswords primarily filled with veterans of the Baronial Army, their contribution to either side could easily have tipped the balance. Despite voting in favour of Van's deposition during the Council's assembly, Commander Morana announced that he and his men would fight for the Union, in return for a hefty payment. In the words of Cove's own Gazette; "The Covian Mercenary Company - Allies For Hire".
Though they lacked the Union's wealth and allies, the Vesper Militia remained wholely loyal to their Captain and comrade, Escaflowne. Despite launching multiple recruitment drives both in Luna and New Haven, it seemed obvious from the beginning that the Militia would lack their foes numbers. Perhaps in recognition of this disadvantage Captain Escaflowne decided to focus his efforts on the city's southern isles. Militia troops promptly began the laborious process of establishing a cordon around their sphere of control. After felling trees from the nearby forests a series of barricades were constructed along the five major bridges leading to the northern isles and the docks; a no-mans-land claimed by both but controlled by neither. As the day progressed the Union, lead by Chancellor Cocidius, repeatedly approached the barricades to demand passage. On each occasion they were denied, and though the blows exhanged were solely verbal, bloodshed was only narrowly avoided on several occasions. By the evening's end weapons were drawn and tempers frayed. After trading insults one final time the Chancellor's men departed.
Outbreak of Violence
The factions' next encounter would be even less civil, as either side marched out from their bases and down to the city's disputed harbour. After a brief and bloodless encounter with the Guardsmen of Yew – claiming to be there to help displaced victims of the war, though doubtless harbouring some ulterior motive – Union troops were first to arrive, hastily establishing a makeshift barrier of crates in the middle of the pier; a strategic location that either side must take and hold should they hope to claim the victory. The Militia were not far behind, steadily approaching the flimsy stockade amidst a hail of fireballs and explosions. After a brutal skirmish the Captain's men triumphed, capturing the so-called fort and ejecting their enemies. There could be no time for celebrations, however, for just moments after moving in their Union foes rallied about the Chancellor for a counter-attack. Again and again the small barrier changed hands, with the fight regularly spilling out into the island's streets, watched by bands of nervous citizens. Hours are thought to have passed before the dust finally settled. Corpses littered the streets, blood soaked the pier's planks, and the Chancellor's bright green colours flew from the tiny stockade in triumph. In his own words it had been "[a] bloody 'ard fight!", but a Union victory never the less.
Just days later the Union would take the fight beyond the Militia's barricades, and into the second largest of Vesper's isles. The accidental slaughter of civilians had been avoided in the previous fight, though innocent deaths are a certainty in any urban war. Hoping to delay such a catastrophe, the Captain and his men hurriedly marched from building-to-building upon hearing of the Chancellor's advance, ordering the evacuation of all unarmed citizens to the neutral Healers of Vesper. When all but the most stubborn of locals were moved the Militia began fortifying their position on the isle; building a palisade of wood and hide across the entrance of their chosen stronghold. For several minutes silence reigned in the island's streets as either side prepared for combat. Then, without warning, Cocidius's men came roaring over the bridge, and loosed a deadly barrage of countless bolts and arrows over the wall. Despite responding with a hail of offensive spells, the battle was blatantly one-sided as Union troops seized the building with minimal losses. Escaflowne's men would twice rally to retake the isle, and would twice be forced to flee. It had been a devastating defeat for the city's russet-kilted defenders. Whilst their Captain sought to salvage what little morale remained to them, their victorious foes celebrated. Following the battle Cove's mercenaries were paid a thousand gold per head for their constant and impressive show of force.
That following Tuesday – after a short and unexpected meeting with the soon-to-be Captain of the Royal Guard, Nathan Hawke, during which Vesper was warned against corruption and approaching peril – the Trade Union recieved word that the Marsh Hall tavern would be willing to change sides in return for a shipment of three kegs of Vesperian vodka. They had supposedly been unable to obtain it from within the Militia's tightly held cordon. Union – or more aptly Covian, as the Company's black uniforms now far outnumbered any other; a point the increasingly desperate Militia would soon play upon in their propaganda – strength continued to show, with the Militia's flimsy barriers easily smashed and their defenders swiftly cut down. After Escaflowne's wounded followers were expelled Union troops entered the tavern, only to be assaulted by a great throng of civilians. Throughout the back-and-forth fighting that would follow both factions would come under similar assault, with the tavern's patrons driven temporarily mad by the presence of a Crimson Dragon elsewhere in the city. Despite the mass of fallen commoners, the Union had tallied their third victory, with a total of five vodka barrels delivered. The tavern's owners duly turned-coats, accepting the Chancellor's cause as legitimate in return for a healthy stock of booze. With the Swaggers' own vodka to spare, the victorious party proceeded to get blindingly drunk on the highly flamable, and near-poisonous brew.
Militia forces would have little time to pick themselves up from defeat, as just two days later they would find themselves again besieged; this time at the Vesper Youth Hostel. Though the building itself held little strategic worth, the isle upon which it sat now occupied the Militia's sole route to the docks. Bearing superior numbers for the first time in the conflict, Captain Escaflowne ordered the construction of no defences, set instead on using magic to hold his rival's men at bay. Upon securing the Hostel they had only minutes to wait before the Union made their move. Though fewer than their foes the allied soldiery charged headlong into the building seemingly without plan or purpose, putting the words of General Stirling; "... valour is greater than numbers" into practice. When roughly half of the Chancellor's men had made their entrance the Militia's mage-heavy roster proved beneficial at last, blocking the entrance with energy fields; thereby cutting Union troops in two. Though this tactic proved an initial success, the defenders' warriors were slowly whittled down, until only its sorcerous element remained. Slowly but surely the attackers pushed into the Hostel, and with gritty determination moved from room to room, beating their spell-slinging opponents to the floor until only the Captain remained. After making a hurried and near fatal escape, Escaflowne gathered his men for another – almost traditional – failed counterattack. And so, despite starting in a clearly stronger position, the Militia were forced to abandon yet another isle to the Chancellor's hirelings.
St. Greenie's Day Ceasefire
The green flag of the Union had only recently been hoisted above the Hostel when the seditious Captain Escaflowne came, unarmed, to speak with Cocidius. The parlay that followed was brief, with the Captain quickly requesting a ceasefire for the coming week. His reasoning was simple; a short end to the conflict would allow combatants on either side to return to their loved ones, and take a much needed respite from the fight. A much more believable reason for the request, however, was the string of defeats that had haunted the Militia since the Civil War had begun. With a ceasefire in effect they might finally find time to rethink their strategies and lick their wounds. Whether through naivety or sympathy, the Chancellor agreed. St. Greenie's Day lay just around the corner, afterall, and there existed no place for war amongst those celebrations. The ceasefire had just one term; that the Militia be permitted entry into the Swaggers Inn for the first time since the Council's ill fated assembly. A frosty welcome awaited them, though the truce would not be broken. On the day itself both leaders gathered in the Church of St. Greenie, to mark the beginning of the celebrations. During a brief sermon Father Martin announced that the Church backed the Militia's cause, provoking a certain degree of outrage on the Chancellor's part, as reflected in the Swaggerland Journals; "According to the lunatic Father Martin, Greenie is on the side of Escaflowne. Pah, if that's the case then Greenie and all beleifs of him are to be banned from Vesper!" Despite this, Cocidius would maintain a level of civility throughout the games and events that followed. The week would end without incident.
A Return to Battle
Conclusion
Participating Guilds
The Vesper Militia
- The Vesper Militia [-V-]
The Vesper Union
- The Vesper Trading Company [VTC]
- The Stirling & Kendall Trading Company [S&K]
- The Company [BoC]
