Alcanzari Slave Rebellion

The Alcanzari Slave Rebellion was a large scale revolt in most of Alcanzar, Kythira, during the Fourth Era. It was ultimately defeated, though its influence would be continued to be felt until the present day.

Beginnings

During the early Fourth Era, a slave rebellion erupted in the Kythiran colony of Aqumis, then a part of the Province of Alcanzar, whose primary industry was and still is slavery. This Aqumian War of Independence was ultimately won by the rebels, who gained their freedom and independence.

This more than likely was the inspiration for a man only known as Edinbryt, a slave in the Malatesta-plantation, to kill his owner, Count Cesare Malatesta. Malatesta's wife, children and small guard fled the estate when several slaves joined Edinbryt in a standoff at the stables. The group then stormed a Alcanzari military outpost for weapons and supplies, which they used over the next few weeks to violently free several other plantations. Alcanzar's military was and still is predominantly made up of slaves, and most of the forces High-Lord Vinkhuys send to squish the rebels either joined them or simply refused to fight.

Within months around 200,000 slaves had been freed across Alcanzar. High-Lord Fernando Vinkhuys, having lost control over most of his province except the major cities, requested aid from the White-Gold Tower. Recently crowned Emperor Charles II saw it as a great opportunity for military glory like his ancestors, and marched into the province with several battalions of the Imperial Legion. The rebels were no match for this professional force, and were quickly pushed away from besieging several important cities including Solleria, though they still controlled much of the countryside and their guerrilla attacks were a constant danger.

To celebrate his recent victories, and to prepare before the great campaign to fully end the rebellion, Emperor Charles II decided to hold a great feast at the Palace of Summerhal, together with his Grand Chancellor and the Alcanzari High-Lord. This feast ended in tragedy however, as a group of rebels managed to overwhelm the palace's defences, kill the Emperor and the Grand Chancellor and almost getting High-Lord Vinkhuys, who managed to swim back to Solleria. The palace was burned down, and the rebels besieged Solleria.

Sieges and Chaos

The First Speaker of the Imperial Senate, at the time the Marquis of Fontenot, took over the government as temporary head of state. He also called for the Council of Provinces to convene in Helmira to discuss who should inherit the throne, crown-princess Melissa, the infant daughter of Charles II, or his 14 year old brother, also named Charles. The dowager-empress Anastasia tried to get access to the Council in the name of her daughter to plead her case, but was denied by Marquis Fontenot, who sat on the imperial throne for the entire proceedings. When she tried to board a ship with her daughter to sail to Imperius to plead her case with the kaiser, she was caught and put under house arrest in the imperial palace.

The Senate of Aqumis saw a chance to help the rebels. Seeing a bond between them, the small but wealthy Aqumis Free State send much of their navy into Alcanzar, laying siege to Solleria and sending any freed women and children that so desired to the safety of the Aqumis islands. The ruins of Summerhal Palace they used as target practice, and they, together with the rebel forces, successfully managed to isolate Solleria and starve the city.

High-Lord Vinkhuys managed to escape to Camuria disguised as a monk of the Church of the Holy Cee. He then moved into a mansion in Helmira together with several nobles. This was widely seen as a betrayal by the rest of the Alcanzari leadership. General Cocombre, the highest ranking member of the Alcanzari army resigned and fled to Imperius, settling in Chesterfield. Admiral Griznaro hung himself in the great wooden watch tower of Solleria. The city of Libereco decided to open its gates for the rebels, but rumours that several noble Alcanzari families were hiding in the city resulted in a massive massacre and series of lootings that all but destroyed the harbour town. The city then became the unofficial headquarters of the rebels.

The Council of Provinces ultimately agreed that the princess Melissa could not be the heir. She was still a baby, and she was a woman. Instead, the former Emperor's 14 year old brother was crowned Emperor Charles III Viromaro. The new Emperor first fired the head of the Imperial Guard, Colonel Malgeri, and then had Charles II's wife, the dowager-Empress Anastasia, and princess Melissa locked up in a tower of Winterhal Palace. Two weeks later the former empress was dead, from alleged natural causes. Anastasia was buried without ceremony at the Great Pyramid of Kythira. Princess Melissa has never been seen again.

Charles III installed Edward Von Roterstein, a member of the Roterstein dynasty that rules Ardoragh, as his new Grand Chancellor, and began to plot for the invasion of Alcanzar.

Around this time, the rebels had captured almost all of Alcanzar, with the exception of a handful of islands and Solleria itself. They had declared the Alcanzar Republic, which was only recognised by Aqumis. Edinbryt, who had declared himself President, ruled the state as head of a revolutionary government.

Emperor Charles III ultimately decided to invade the rebel lands from three sides. From the north with his Imperial Legions, from the east with the Roterstein armies, and from the west with the armies of Imperius, which were bound to aid the Kythirans due to the Treaty of the King's Keep.

The End

Over the course of six long, gruelling years of guerrilla warfare the rebellion was slowly squashed. Solleria was freed early, the navy of Aqumis was no match for the combined forces of the coalition, and they escaped back to Aqumis. The coalition used a scorched earth policy, burning down many plantations, towns and cities to break the rebels. Libereco was besieged and utterly destroyed, only a few ruins remain to this day.

The leadership of the rebellion slowly began to break apart over how to fight the coalition. Many tried to flee to Aqumis, most were captured. Those captured leaders of the rebellion were sent to Helmira, where they were publicly burned alive in front of the White-Gold Tower. Those who fought for the rebellion were sold back into slavery, or where possible returned to their masters. After a year of evading capture Edinbryt, the first and only 'president' of the Alcanzar Republic and instigator of the rebellion, was captured. He was thrown into a dungeon of the White-Gold Tower, and died during the Night of Lightening.

Results

In the end the Rebellion did not succeed, though it did begin the non-violent anti-slavery groups of which Emperor Alexander and Empress Theodosia were large proponents. Ardoragh got a large island in the Dødehavet Sea, which they bestowed upon Duke Ulv.