Hopfisch Rebellion

Banner of the Hopfisch family

Hopfisch rebellion was an aristocratic rebellion that was fought in the Kingdom of Workhold in the year 279. The rebellion began after a set of misunderstandings that led to the mobilization of armies and eventually war.

## Background

After the devastation that the lands of Edelmaa suffered in the Edelmaa Great War, the new King of Workhold, King Jiri Baathúr, introduced many new policies that focused on redevelopment. One of these was the new taxation policy, which excluded nobility. It was thought that the nobles would then invest more of their wealth into land development, which most did.

By 250, 70 years after the Great War the lands had already been healed according to many advisers of the King. King Jiri believed them, but yet he decided not to be too radical with the introduction of new taxes. Slowly Jiri introduced a new tax on the nobility which was not well met by the nobles, yet they obliged. Nobles were to give a small percentage of food or wealth which was then moved to less developed provinces.

These new taxes and more 'burdening' policies to the nobles were introduced at a slow pace. In 278 however a big policy came about regarding nobles. Firstly, some nobles were stripped of their estates and handed out to more fitting people. And the big one, the new nobility tax which forces the nobles to fund and maintain a national army in the service of the King and the King's generals. This new policy was abhorred by the nobles, who thought the King was becoming too tyrannical by taking away their levy armies. Two of the Generals of the King, Hamina Beyard and Heuteclere Nilsson were also hated amid the nobility, excluding the chivalrous General Lothbrok Voorst.

Grimas Hopfisch, the Viscount of Sidelia, a rich viscounty near the city of Silverion, was so upset that he and many other nobles signed a referendum to the king. The King ignored the referendum which then caused Grimas to publicly insult the King, during this speech which he held at the populated city of Silverion, Grimas called nobles and warriors to arms. Effectively mobilizing a small band of soldiers. The King received the news and assumed it was an armed insurrection, but when confronted with new representatives of Grimas, they tried to assure the King that the army was not theirs and they were a separate entity. This was a lie. The King did not care for separate entities and mobilized his forces headed by Hamina and Lothbrok. This was in turn taken poorly by Grimas who thought no war was necessary, but Grimas's fellow nobles Marquess Johan Zerier and Baron Walter Fassiefern mobilized their forces and ordered Viscount Arnyld Debassier to besiege the Maakor Castle. All of this led down to the beginning of the Hopfisch Rebellion with the Siege of Maakor.

## War

### Early War

The war began when Viscount of Keriff, Arnyld Debassier began to besiege the great Maakor Castle in 10th June 279. This siege was a long one, and ultimately a great blunder for the rebels as it tied down one of their armies to the siege and the siege itself was a defeat for the rebels.

Some other nobles and people who saw an opportunity to overthrow the monarch they despised for conquering and pillaging their lands joined the rebellion. One of these was the governor of the city of Nostran. Pierre Thelaryand, who raised a small band of militia and commoners. Pierre tried to convince his liege Lionel Victof to join him, however Victof remained indecisive, choosing to be neutral. Pierre was then encircled and his army destroyed in the Battle of Nostran by two Fiannese nobles, Vito Amadeo and Pietro Amadeo who sought to show their loyalty to the king.

The King ordered his forces to consolidate at Lohensloss from where they would then split their army and march to relieve the Maakor Castle and to capture the city of Silverion. Meanwhile the main Banner Army of Grimas marched to Leowell, trying to pressure the rich city to join the revolt. The city was unsure but in the end remained loyal, forcing Grimas to invade. Leowell began to evacuate the city whilst Grimas's army was held back by the heroic defence of San Cyr at the Battle of Sanfort Hill. Though San Cyr's forces were defeated, the city's populace managed to escape.

### Royal Army strikes back

By July 2nd the Royal Army had rallied at Lohensloss and split up. It was decided that the Amadeo brothers would march their army to Maakor Castle and the King would personally lead his force to attack and capture Silverion.

The Amadeo brothers had their army nearly destroyed without even facing battle due to their failure of command, but in the end the managed to save the besieged castle in the Battle of Maakor, in which the entire Army of Keriff was destroyed. Johan Zerier, the leader of the army got away, but Arnyld Debassier was captured and sent to the King.

The King himself was engaged in a battle near the city of Silverion, when he and his generals plotted plan in which they lured the city garrison outside. The city garrison led by Gotthard Lichtenawer took the bait and was utterly decimated in the Battle of Bileon and captured. Silverion was soon taken by the King, which was a decisive moment in the war, as the rebels no longer had a capital nor any stronghold.

### End War

With the capture of Silverion, the end of the war was near. A small army led by Titus Gaul and San Cyr was marching through the Bronze road in south Edelmaa trying to find the main banner army of Grimas, but in the end all they found was a condottieri army of Olav which they had sold to the rebels led by Harren Hopfisch. The loyalists then fought the Battle of Swinton which ended in a clear victory for them. Harren was also captured.

Two days later, the main Royal Army of King Jiri found the Banner Army of Grimas and assaulted them from behind with a cavalry charge. The charge was devastating and began the Battle of Lladen which resulted in a decisive Loyalist victory as Grimas lost his life as did Marquess of Silverion Johan Zerier. The same day the Rebellion was declared over.

## Peace

In Charlington it was decided that Arnyld Debassier and Gotthard Lichtenawer would be punished lightly, whilst Harren Hopfisch, the brother of Grimas was to take the burden of responsibility and die. Harren was executed two days later and the Rebellion officially ended.