Dementlieu - The Revolution of 770 BC

[Dread]

[The eve of the revolutionaries' victory began with an opera, an adaptation of the Borcan master Cezar Vercezzo's Lotharia. Armand Foquelaine, who just hours before decided to name himself 'emperor' of Dementlieu, was slain, shot from atop his box seat. His body fell to the floor, shocking all. But they only had a few moments to react, for just across the Place de Léon, a host of revolutionaries stormed the Palais Dirigeant, killing the remaining members of the Republican Guard, and seizing it for themselves.

Throughout the city of Port-a-Lucine, looters, thieves, and murderers took advantage of the chaos. Many members of the Gendarmerie were slain by these roaming gangs of criminals. Estates in the Quartier Savant were cleaned out, with common men and women running off with as much as they could carry. A good number of the gentry found themselves either the victims of these criminals, or corralled by revolutionaries for nebulous “crimes against the people”.

Meanwhile, the revolutionaries seem to be equipping many of their supporters with the gendarme's uniform, swelling the Gendarmerie's ranks with radicals. Capitaines Jacques Reynard and Alphonse Dupre, according to the members of the gendarme still living, have gone missing, their last known whereabouts involving them being led off into a meeting with Foquelaine's Republican Guard...

The bank seems to be guarded by members of the Red Vardo Traders, in the wake of an unsuccessful heist. The Sisters of Compassion from the Quartier Ouvrier can be seen giving food and shelter to those who need it. The violence and chaos that consumed much of Port-a-Lucine after Foquelaine's death has passed, at least for now. How long this peace might last, however, no one can say for certain.]

[Dread]

[With the revolutionaries in power and now issuing forth decrees from the Palais Dirigeant, one would think that the chaos that took hold of Port-a-Lucine on the eve of their victory would have died down. It no longer seems as though there is fighting in the streets; however, men and women can still be seen walking out of estates long abandoned by their owners with all manner of swag in tow.

A foul stench seems to carry from Pernault Bay into the whole of the city, as though the city were a sick old man who voided its bowels onto its bedsheets. Sailors refuse to sail, instead choosing to drink in the now aptly-named Mutinied Sailor or join the looters in pilfering estates and businesses. Much of the Quartier Marchand and Quartier Ouvrier has been plunged into chaos as opportunists use the change in government as an excuse to make their pockets heavier, experience luxuries they've never had, or carry out old vendettas.

Most seem pleased with the decrees. However, a growing number of commoners seem to be displeased with the undue amount of influence known aristocrats like Edmond Montte, Adeline Laurent, and Hélène duSuis seem to be having on 'the movement'. As some call for Edmond to bring 'the rabble' under control, others listen and begin to tell the masses on the whole. The disdain their friends and allies seem to show for plebs has become rather well-known, almost as well-known as the involvement of those three in the government of the late Lord-Governor Marcel Guignol. What this might mean, only time may tell...

Despite what the decrees have stated publicly, only the wealthiest of citizens seem to have their accounts examined by those associated with the revolution, alongside the gentry who have fled the country or have been executed for crimes against the people. Petty nobles, merchants, and foreigners who bank with Port-a-Lucine find their accounts untouched, at least for now. Again, some commoners have expressed their displeasure with this state of affairs.]

[Dread]

[Revolutionaries can be seen commandeering and preparing small sloops to sail, trying to power through the stench that still consumes much of Pernault Bay, press-ganging reluctant sailors into helping. The normally strong-stomached seamen can be seen retching violently off the starboard of one, while others preparing the rigging of another quietly soldier through. What could be happening? What do they intend to do?]

[Dread]

[Up until recently, it was believed that the mandate given by the people to the new revolutionary government was starting to slowly slip away. When an attempt was made by the revolutionary firebrand Abel Charade to take over the bank with an angry mob, those associated with the Grand Assembly are said to have used the services of a foreign mercenary, a brutish thug named Ingwulf, to butcher those trying to right this terrible wrong. Word of a 'deal' made between the government and the Red Vardo Traders spreads rather quickly; apparently, the recovery of a few paintings has allowed these wealthy foreign merchants to keep the filthy lucre they've hoarded away.

Even now, harsh whispers can be heard being carried on by a few on the streets of the Quartier Publique, in spite of warnings against counter-revolutionary talk, harsh whispers that suggest that maybe Citizen Goutteux and friends have grown too comfortable in their chairs, and that the revolution isn't going far enough...

However, since the assault on the infamous prison known as the Pierre du Mort on the Isle d'Orlean, and the freeing of those left to rot and be forgottten by regimes past, these harsh whispers have abated somewhat. It is said that those who went there successfully managed to free those who were innocent and friends of the people, without releasing the dregs of society back onto the public at large. With Pierre du Mort no longer in the hands of the wretched aristocrats and their lackeys, the support that Goutteux and others saw slipping away begins to return, albeit slowly.

The common folk continue to cheer outside the Palais Dirigeant as so-called 'counter-revolutionaries' and enemies of the people are rounded up and executed, even if a few continue to think that things are not going far enough. Those from the most prominent noble families have been found by revolutionary tribunal as being complicit somehow in the suffering caused by Lord-Governor Guignol and the pretender that followed his demise, and executed as a result. Others, petty nobles and wealthy merchants, have found themselves executed for their careless talk; one such person was Laura Escher, renowned fashion designer, who was overheard calling the revolutionaries "thugs, brutes, and vagrants", and the government formed by Citizen Goutteux as "the beginnings of a republic of thieves". Her life was taken by Madame Guillotine shortly after these comments were made...

Despite recent decrees having been made by the Grand Assembly, calling for celebrations following the apparent death of Dominic 'Le Chien' D'Honaire, there is not much in the way of celebration taking place and, in fact, one outspoken individual near a crowd tried to suggest that D'Honaire might have actually been a friend to the revolution, in its early stages -- that D'Honaire attempted numerous times to get Lord-Governor Guignol and his fellow members of the Council of Brilliance to see reason, when they saw funding for social programs cut. The man who was overheard making these comments found himself escorted towards Madame Guillotine, shortly after such remarks were made, but perhaps these beliefs are still held by some?

Meanwhile, a wreck that was once a carriage can be seen burning along the side of the Avenue du Progres, the bodies of dead men wearing the livery of D'Honaire's family guard surrounding it alongside a desiccated corpse, unrecognizable by most but wearing a sky blue suit of remarkably fine make...]

[Dread]

[War! The sound of firearms being discharged from within the Palais Dirigeant could be heard throughout the Quartier Publique. Curious individuals rushed in to find three members of the Grand Assembly - revolutionary leader Jean le Goutteux, poetess Modestine Dupont, and intellectual Augustin Pascal - all dead, crossbow bolts stuck deep inside them, reputedly delivered by a "hawk bow", a crossbow with two laths of Falkovnian design. Found with one of the dead was an ominous note, promising one thing - victory for the Kingfuhrer, Vlad Drakov. No doubt this is the brutish and barbarious country of Falkovnia's idea of a 'declaration of war'.

Two members of the Grand Assembly yet live. Leopold Descoteaux, a shifty-looking gentleman believed to have been a close friend of Jean le Goutteux, and Helene duSuis who was apparently elsewhere when the attack took place. Descoteaux hasn't been seen since the deaths of the others (suggesting he may have decided to collude with the Falkovnians), leaving Helene duSuis alone managing the government.

Outside the Palais Dirigeant, an atmosphere of panic and fear can be felt as many wonder what they will do without grain from Falkovnia. Several years ago, there were riots in the streets and there was considerable unrest as people struggled to find food -- indeed, there was one case where a gourmet chef resorted to cooking up 'long pork' for the masses. Will history repeat itself here? Some choose not to think about the future, but instead sign up for the volunteer force organized by gendarmes Edmond Montte and Juste Marceaux, eager to defend the republic and what remains of the new government they led to power against the Hawk's forces.

A few commoners speak on what they saw shortly after the commotion was heard from the Palais Dirigeant - a man in a labcoat, using a small handcart to carry out a bunch of crates, seemingly in a hurry. Whenever the question is raised as to who they may have been, or what they may have been doing there, their friends explain away this man as someone petitioning the new government for funding his research, a man who got denied just moments before the fighting started -- ultimately, he is of little consequence in the grand scheme of things, they say.]

[Dread]

[The recruitment drive for the People's National Army, a volunteer force organized by Juste Marceaux and Edmond Montte for the purposes of fending off the looming threat of Falkovnia, was without a doubt a huge success. Many common folk wishing to fight against the Hawk and its vile predations signed up: men, women, les petit gens, and even celebrities such as renowned pistoleer and former noblewoman Renée Delven. However, the recruitment drive found itself temporarily interrupted by a surprising sight.

Standing beside Helene DuSuis was none other Dominic D'Honaire, standing alongside his fellow deposed councilor Wymmer Drukker and former Capitaine of the Gendarmerie, Jacques Reynard. According to DuSuis, D'Honaire had managed to contact the Mordentish branch of his family and the Weathermays to see fish caught in Arden Bay shipped from Mordent to Dementlieu. Wymmer Drukker, contacting a friend of his named Gerhard Reichenbach, managed to secure fish from Lamordia - rumor spreads that fishing boats belonging to the Ludendorf fishing magnate will arrive soon in Pernault Bay, first to clean up the filth that was spilled into the bay by saboteurs, and then to gather fish from Dementlieu's coast. DuSuis, for her own part, negotiated a deal with Ghastria for their wheat - the bread made from grain grown on Ghastrian soil is tasteless, but it will do in staving off hunger.

Whatever questions may have been asked, should have been asked, by the common people... were not spoken, at least at the time. For many, their fear of not having enough food on their table outweighed their curiosity as to why men like D'Honaire and Drukker were being welcomed back into the city. Others, however, took note, and perhaps they have already made plans, fearing the revolution might be killed in its cradle. It is said that members of the burgeoning People's National Army have taken over from D'Honaire's personal guards the distribution of food, and have commandeered the Governor's Hotel for their use as a barracks, handing out food to the populace from there. So far the Palais Dirigeant has not responded... will they? What will their response be?

At this point, everything remains up in the air.]

[Dread]

[It seems that overnight, Juste Marceaux and those he called his officers met with the Grand Assembly in the Palais Dirigeant. Shortly after that meeting, Marceaux was named the sole commander of the People's National Army, and offered a seat at the large table. Additionally members of D'Honaire's personal retinue can be seen assisting the People's National Army, seeing to it that food is given to all. One cannot help but wonder what deals may have been made with those in the Palais Dirigeant, or what ultimatums may have been given. However, talk among the common folk concerning these recent political development soon moves to a different subject altogether...

Indeed, the news is dwarfed, eclipsed, by rumors of the dreaded Hawk's entry into Dementlieu. Already, scouts and raiders have been sent ahead of the two armies looking to march on Port-a-Lucine, and many Dementlieuse have either taken up refuge inside Port-a-Lucine, leaving their farms and homesteads behind. Others join the volunteer force led by Marceaux and others, contributing all they can to the war effort. An obstinate few remain in Edrigan, believing that with the Hawk having been repelled from the village in the past, he shall be repelled again. However, most in Edrigan and in the farms along the Avenue du Progres have seen the writing on the wall and left.

The question on everyone's minds is, of course, the following: will the republic survive? Will the country survive?]

[Dread]

[Edrigan has fallen! Now under the occupation of Prince Ludwig Drakov, 'the Indestructible', those who have managed to flee the town during its takeover tell horror stories of mass impalements, enslavement, forced prostitution, and much more. The Falkovnian soldiers have taken the beloved tavern, Le Chaudron de Feu, and turned it into a temporary barracks, with a few soldiers choosing to celebrate by drinking themselves stupid.

Many would note that it is almost incredible how quickly much of Dementlieu has fallen before the might of the Hawk. With the defeat of the small garrison formed at Chateaunoir to meet Prince Ludwig's forces, the authorities in Chateaufaux -- allegedly radical revolutionaries -- decided to defect and swear allegiance to Vlad Drakov and his people. Chateaufaux, in the end, was taken without a single sword getting wet.

Edrigan is slowly being converted into a fortress, and the Avenue du Progres, into a no-man's land. Soldiers on both sides can be found patrolling the Avenue du Progres, more often than not attempting to probe the defenses of the enemy.

Vlad Drakov's massive army will soon cross the Musarde River, entering Dementlieu, or so it is said. Fear grips the heart of many in Port-a-Lucine, if most of Dementlieu suffers under the tyrant Vlad Drakov's rule, what hope stands for them?]

[Dread]

[The afternoon was marked by a number of skirmishes, apparently involving kobolds and members of the Falkovnian resistance. It was marked by the poisoning of the food consumed by Indestructible Prince's troops, leading to death and loss of morale in Edrigan. For a brief moment, it seemed as though the Prince's troops would be wiped out before the fighting actually started. However, this would not be so...

What took place that eve was almost unfathomable, unbelievable. A massive army, one allegedly led by Vlad Drakov, met with the army of his son, Prince Ludwig Drakov, and together, they descended upon the untrained and undisciplined volunteer army mustered by Dementlieu. At first, the Prince attempted to parley, but his attempt at parley was short-lived as he was shot several times by the rabble he stared down.

While aided by skilled, talented outlanders, the People's National Army was not enough to stem the tide of the Kingfuhrer's army and they entered the city. Screams and smoke filled the air as men set about rampant butchery, and many buildings were ruined by siege weaponry used by the Hawk's men.

Prisoners-of-war were rounded up, and executions began and then... suddenly, the Falkovnians left the city, apparently ordered to return home by Vlad Drakov, to be used to deal with his rebellious son, Vlad II, and the strange bedfellows he has acquired for himself in Lekar, one of the strangest being local slumlord Vladimir Ludzig. They left behind a city in dire need of fixing, of repair, a jewel that perhaps had lost its luster. So far, nothing has been heard from inside the Palais Dirigeant, no statement has been made, no efforts have been organized outside of those orchestrated by the People's National Army.  A few whisper that the petty nobles who supported DuSuis in her bid for power should have, would have supported those fighting the invasion. But where were they? Where could they have been? They were not with the People's National Army, attempting to hold onto a now-desolate hill...]

[Dread]

[A host of soldiers arrived 'late' to Port-a-Lucine, and quickly established themselves along the Gendarmerie, claiming to bring order to the streets after much time spent in chaos. The People's National Army, hailed as heroes, seemed to be beleagured, broken, a horse beaten to death and then some. Only a select few wear the uniform, though whether it is worn out of defiance or out of memory for the fallen is anyone's guess.

A speech was made by new Lady-Governess, Hélène DuSuis, promising reforms, a list of rights for all citizens of the republic, and the restoration of entitlements for the poor. She spoke of a new era for Dementlieu, declaring that the revolution was 'over', and that the people had won. According to her, there was no long a need for the executions that took place in front of the Palais Dirigeant, and claims were made that people needed to get back to work in order for Dementlieu to be great again. Many petty nobles that supported DuSuis and provided her with men to restore order to the city, and ennobled commoners who found themselves given titles and more, applauded her speech. Even some common folk believes DuSuis' words. Others, however, seemed unsure of the authenticity of her words, yet found themselves too tired, too exhausted, too battered and drained of morale to question any single part of it.

One by one, beggars and vagrants are corralled and ushered out of the Quartier Publique and guided into the Quartier Ouvrier. Crime isn't so much dealt with as it is contained to the poorer districts, once more. Men and women are asked to work 'long hours' to get businesses back on their feet, first as a temporary measure -- then, this temporary measure simply becomes permanent. The new gentry and the 'nouveau riche', elevated by DuSuis and others, work to create for themselves a reputation as charitable philanthropists and put on airs, much as the old gentry did. They wear clothes that are less gaudy, dress in more muted tones, with a woman named Emanuelle picking up where Laura Escher left off. Francois de Penible, a champion of the poor, receives a second wind as his books find themselves suddenly 'en vogue' again. However, this, like most things in Dementlieu, is hollow, a facade, a pretense.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.]

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"Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which." - George Orwell, Animal Farm

FIN