The Scholar's Revolution

**The Scholar's Revolution** was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the Azan Empire which began during the Last Elf Crusade. This period saw the empire transition from the defacto confederate monarchy of the late 5th Dynasty and adopt the centralized form of government of the 6th following two civil wars interrupted by a revolution. The Scholar's Revolution can also be seen as the precursor for the Age of Awakening that climaxed with the Alaran Reformation.

## The Akropol Incident

The Scholar's Revolution began in the wake of The **Akropol incident**. The Maniakes Army was preparing to launch a raid against the Elf Gliders in the north. The Charito army was tasked with delivering supplies for the invasion. Seeing an opportunity, the Datu of Charito refused to give the shipment causing starvation to spread across the Maniakes Fortress.

In desperation, the Maniakes Army began to raid the Prodroma province for food and supplies. Livestock were slaughtered, grain stores were stolen and rumors of cannibalism swept through the hills. Most of the Prodroman army was away at the Elf Crusade so the Prodroman Knights, under orders from Archon Alexander III engaged in mass conscription to defend his holdings. Children as young as 10 were forced to fight to the death in the name of land they didn't own.

## The Revolution Begins

All these events were recorded by the Azan Church. By the end of the 5th Dynasty imperial authority decayed to the point where the emperor was a meaningless figurehead, so the Church was the only entity still active across multiple provinces. Because of this, plans for roads, coordination of armies, records of taxes (often unpaid), and the overall bureaucracy of the empire was run by the Church and its growing ranks of lay scholars. The Church paid decently so many serfs and sharecroppers gained employment as scholars to avoid the brutalities of feudalism. The Church at the time was also an early adopter of the Printing Press, which was used to distribute holy texts among the people alongside primers to increase literacy.

When the Akropol Incident plunged the Empire into chaos, this Griot Class began sharing information between themselves. Areas once separated by miles were bridged with ink and paper and political thought grew amongst the Churches. The scholar Anton Antonia published many pamphlets under the pen name Madame X. They shamed the corrupt nobility and implored Church leaders to intervene to protect the people.

Asin was a low-ranking Griot in the court of Emperor Yana V. Inspired by Madam X, he assembled the Griots of the Court to implore the Emperor to regain control of his wayward provinces. The Zamindar of Essakor, seeing a threat to his power, had the Griots arrested and tortured to death.

The act of brutality spread through the Churches and one by one the Griots went on strike. Some Lords saw their wealth cut in half as trade was cut off by the collapse of inter-imperial communication.

Pamphlets and leaflets by Madame X and other anonymous writers such as The Black Hood and Free Word inspired civil disobedience across the empire. Lords cracked down violently but that inspired further defiance.

## The Twinborn Returns

While this was going on, Captain Sam Twinborn landed in Bloten. Pious to a fault, they returned from the Elvish Crusades to pray at the Grote Kerk as they always did when their ship refueled. While there, Archdeacon Daan told Sam of the atrocities against the scholars and churches.

Sam was charismatic and skilled in naval warfare. In the absence of higher Imperial authority, Sam's command of the various ships of the Elven Crusade became one of the few forms of loyalty to break down provincial rivalries. Sam said that their holy war wasn't against the Elves specifically, but against all who would seek injustice against the mores of the Faith. In the name of Aza, their fleet set sail not for the North, but on Aetia itself.

## The Siege of Aetia Marae

While Sam's fleet sailed South past the Heartlands, the Rangatira of Aetia moved on the Marae once again. He knew they had few supplies and just gained many more mouths to feed so he surrounded the holy site with the few troops he had left and demanded they surrender Hēnare on the pain of starvation. He expected them to fold in a week but in a story held as either miraculous or fictional, they lived off the meager rations of the Marae for a full month. Various explanations have been given. Divine intervention from Aza was the most popular at the time. Enemies of the revolution would say they resorted to cannibalism, later secular scholars would give credit to the religious order’s strict discipline and social control. Whatever the reason, The Marae and its defenders managed to hold until Sam arrived to relieve them.

## The Twin Crowns

When Sam’s fleet was spotted off the coast of the Sea of Merchants, the sieging forces of Aetia prepared to welcome what they thought was their relief. Instead, the fleet, who had been stocking on provisions from coastal towns, quickly routed the tired besieging army and shared their supplies with the Marare.

On that day, the captain changed history. As Samuel the White, they crowned Hēnare the Defender of the Faith and as Samantha the Black, they crowned Hēnare Lord of the Seas. At the time, the office now known as “The Azan Emperor” was a collection of several titles duties and powers that had been consolidated in one person since the middle of the first dynasty.

Giving these titles to Hēnare gave her the mandate to protect the besieged churches and the nominal authority to command ships to do so but also formally established a rival to the Emporer’s (on paper) supremacy.

## The Last Crusade

Traveling North from Aetia, The Fleet traveled from province to province, taking pledges of loyalty from the local nobility. The Empire was made by annexing many formerly independent states, and by this time, local titles and monarchies were still in use. With the Emperor's power so weak, the various Erregeas, Mpanjakas, and Konungis of the empire had de facto independence so when The Fleet arrived and demanded loyalty, many bent the knee. They assumed one figurehead monarch was no different than another and sided with the claimant with the navy at their doors.

By the summer of that year, the whole Ardennes Coast saw Hēnare as their Empress and the Zamindar of Essakor was preparing a counterattack.

## The Battle of Essakor

At the end of Starfall Week, Captain Sam led their army inland to march on the city of Essakor. Inspired by Chivalric legends of old, Sam had their army anoint their armor in gleaming oil and wave their banners high while music trumpeted. The intent was to march on the city and accept the surrender of the nobles within on the basis of honor alone. And if they didn't surrender Sam truly believed the faith would defend them in battle. This did not happen.

To reach the city proper the army marched through the Fields of Yaakoob, the breadbasket that fed the capital. The pollen covered the air, blocking vision and causing allergies in the unadjusted soldiers. They also had not seen combat in several months by this time making them rusty against the ambush that followed. The conscripted troops rose from the thick weeds of the fields, using hit-and-run tactics to devastate Sam’s army. In response the Crusaders gave brutality, soaking the field in enough blood the city could spell it miles away.

The planned victory parade turned into a brutal and bloody march ending with the breaking of the defenders only after the fields themselves were burned. To this day the Fields of Yakkoob have been nicknamed the Fields of Fallow.

When the battle was won amongst the ash, the corpse of Captain Sam was found. They insisted on leading the charge from the front and had fallen to one of many anonymous arrows. Sam’s procession became a funeral march as Hēnare and her forces entered the undefended city.