Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-35614398-20200816110753/@comment-35614398-20200905213429

Angevin Empire

- L’estate Noir partisans attack and blow up the residence of the Duke of Chanpagne, killing the Duchess of Champagne and the duke’s children. Champagne himself is in Angleterre and escapes harm. Champagne orders the leaders of L’estate Noir to be arrested and executed in retribution for his family’s death. All but one of the UltraNat faction’s leaders are caught, and despite their protesting that they did not sanction the bombing, Champagne has them executed on national television. This emotionally motivated move outrages France’s numerous UltraNat factions, who rally the unemployed and working class behind them in calling for the deposition of Champagne.

- All the while Aquitaine is desperately trying to get back home as fast as possible from Africa in time to deescalate the situation before Champagne makes it any worse. A hastily-drawn up Treaty of Prétorie totally annexes Lesotho, which will require the continuous presence of Angevin troops to prevent armed rebellion. Duke Aquitaine has much more pressing matters on his mind at the moment, like trying to get in contact with the Emperor who isn’t answering his calls and might as well be dead at this point.

- Out of all this mess, Charles, Duke of Calais, arises as a champion of the people. Charles is not nearly as associated with nobility as his colleagues, gaining his title as a reward for outstanding service in the Great War. Charles is able to rally the centre-left and to an extent the socialists behind him, as well as those who fear an UltraNat uprising but despise Duke Champagne and do not have Aquitaine as a present figurehead. The Duke calls for widespread reform in the Empire, going as far as saying that perhaps a parliamentary system should be set up in France to allow people’s representation. In other years this would have gotten Charles’s titles stripped, but this year is far from normal, and any who would dare to go against the young Duke are otherwise busy.

- English rebel forces capture the cities Lierpul and Manchæester, and push down into the English Midlands. In Wales there are uprisings in the northwest by Welsh partisan groups. Governor LaVerrier and Duke Champagne’s forces are outmatched by the will and strategy of the English and their leader Montgomery.

- In the streets of Angers and in the battlegrounds of Angleterre, it is evident that cataclysmic change is coming to the Sun Empire.