The Last Straw

The Last Straw is an underground revolutionary organisation operating in Anziotte during the lead-up to and the aftermath of the Anziotte Revolt. The Last Straw is tight-lipped about its origins. Most of its members put this down to the reasonable paranoia and compartmentalisation of information practiced by all underground organisations of the Empire, but in truth it is to hide their origins as a Secret Chancellery front.

### History

The Last Straw was founded by Sophia of Anziotte and Aeden Brante, both unwilling agents of the Secret Chancellery acting on the orders of Felipe El Ferre in 1131. Whilst portraying itself as a front for all dissidents against the Empire to organise and coordinate in pursuit of a more fair society it was in truth a trap; intended to bring all the dissidents of the infamously radical city of Anziotte together into one neat group for the Secret Chancellery to monitor and, if needed, neutralise.

The Last Straw was not the first of these organisations created by the Chancellery, but it was unique in that El Ferre intended to use it for a scheme of his own. El Ferre saw the rioting and unrest that had long simmered in Anziotte as a mere symptom of a much deeper-running disease, whose cause could be traced back to the prominent reformists of Anziotte; most notably Father Lennard, Augustin El Borne and Mayer Egmont. However these individuals were too highly placed and too influential for even the Secret Chancellery to 'disappear' without drawing suspicion onto itself. Thus Felipe planned to stoke enough dissent in Magra to force newly appointed Overseer Gaius Tempest to give the Chancellery special powers to 'restore order' within the province.

This license to create not only the *appearance* of dissent, but dissent in truth proved the kindling that would ultimately lead to El Ferre's demise. Sophia and Aeden were not loyal servants of the Empire, but former dissidents themselves pressed into service on pain of death. Given their instructions to spark dissent, they did just as they were ordered to; only they had no intent of allowing El Ferre to roll up their conspiracy when the time was right. They worked to turn their false rebellion into something very real.

The two would spend the ensuring years slowly building their conspiracy. They recruited agents and informers, learned useful secrets, posted fliers, printed pamphlets and made speeches to the discontent masses in underground inn's and clubs. Slowly their influence spread far and wide over the city, earning them both friends and enemies in high places. Magistrate Remy El Verman publically vowed to hunt down and exterminate them, whilst Mayer Egmont made a quiet alliance with them.

After Egmont was imprisoned, tried and executed on charges largely thought to be false, the discontent in Anziotte broke out into open rioting. El Ferre felt that the time had finally come to execute his plan, but was not expecting to find his 'loyal' agents brandishing knives. El Ferre was executed after judgement by the first Peoples Court by Brante.

Free from the Chancellery masters, the Last Straw stoked riots into revolution. Armed with gunpowder muskets capable of killing even the greatest Arknian duellist the hastily-formed militia of the Last Straw proved more than capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Imperial forces in the city, and one-by-one seized the districts of the city. In alliance with their sympathisers in the New Faith and the Anziotte Prefecture the rebellion unified around their banner and took the city, holding the walls against the forces sent by Overseer Tempest to crush them.

The Last Straw, after many years of struggle and planning, triumphed. What they do from there is known only to their leaders.

### Structure

The Last Straw is structured in a cell arrangement. The leadership of the organisation issues orders to cell leaders, who pass these instructions onto their own subordinates. The only individuals that a captured member could identify are the members of their own cell and their cell leader. No cell is told anything about the operations of the other cells.

The organisation is led by an unofficial council of senior rebels and early recruits. This council is made up of:

* Sophia of Anziotte: The widely-respected leader and co-founder of the organisation. A talented speaker and excellent strategic mind, she has lead the Last Straw since their earliest days. When given the chance she was quick to slip the leash of the Secret Chancellery and turn the organisation into genuine rebels.
* Aeden Brante: Co-founder of long-time deputy of Sophia. Can speak publically when needed to, but prefers to work behind the scenes as an enforcer of Sophia's broader strategy. Aeden was quick to follow Sophia after she informed him of her plans to escape Felipe's reach, and was the one who drew the knife across his throat.
* Alida Sirin: An early recruit to the organisation and fierce enemy of the Empire. Noted for her use of gunpowder attacks against officials of the Empire.
* Father Faud: A militant and extremist preacher, who denounced the Church leadership as liars and crooks. He was an early recruit to the organisation and a fierce proponent of the rebellion amongst the dissident junior clergy.

Other prominent members of the organisation include:

* Oliver Moss (Former): A mercenary hired by Felipe to monitor and assist the Last Straw during its earliest years. His mercenary loyalty to El Ferre soured his relations with Sophia and Brante, and he was executed by a Last Straw firing squad during the opening salvos of the Anziotte Revolt.
* Mayer Egmont (Former): A prominent Anziotte industrialist, silver mine owner and head of the Anziotte Lesser Quorum. His agitation for reform in the Empire lead him naturally to the Last Straw, and he became deeply involved in a Last Straw operation to smuggle musket weapons into Anziotte. Executed for treason to the Empire in 1138, which sparked the Anziotte Revolt.
* Friedemond Schmidt: A soldier of the Last Straw that won glory during the battle for Anziotte due to his heroic actions in taking the city gatehouse.