The Miner’s Rebellion was a time of radical political and societal change in Bayt Alma taking place between the years of 697 and 700 AS. The main conflict lines were drawn between the Kanarios League (the local mining guild) allied with the throne and miners, citizens of lower Tronadora, and the Vega Liberi (a nomadic group of people who defined themselves outside of conventional norms).
Causes
The main underlying cause was the throne’s deregulation of the Kanarios League. After the loss of her brother in a mining accident, Roma Genil, a local miner, began to suspect misconduct by those in charge. She contacted Iliya Ines al Cruz (a member of the Vega Liberi who had recently begun bookkeeping for a smaller member of the Kanarios League). Genil and al Cruz uncovered evidence of miners' wage theft, the removal of social services access, and an unfathomable death rate- all while the guild leaders raked in monumental profits. The Vega Liberi and several factions of miners worked in conjunction to use this evidence to force the ruling class to add regulations. Al Cruz penned several treatises and the groups secretly spread them everywhere, culminating in a massive miner’s strike. The King of Bayt Alma, however, sided with the mining guild and sent royal guards to quell the dissenters.
The War
Over the course of three years, the miners wore down the substantial resources of the throne and the Kanarios League. Meanwhile, the Vega Liberi used their knowledge of trade to smuggle weapons and goods in and out of lower Tronadora. Meanwhile, Genil and al Cruz took on leadership roles for the troops. Genil lead many battalions against the royal militia and the mercenaries hired by Kanarios. Al Cruz, using her royal background, wrote persuasive literature and spread it to the nobles of the land, raising sympathy for the cause. Al Cruz also developed a system using flooding in the lower city to sneak goods in & out. Ultimately, it was the use of blockades to prevent the collection of mined goods and guerrilla tactics in the maze of mining tunnels that kept the rebels alive.
During this time of little food, Rajul al Gavriel, a Kuliyan miner in lower Tronadora, is credited with cultivating edible fungi and other shade-tolerant crops to feed hundreds of starving citizens.
El Sangresoleo
“A lesson from a cardinal moment of horror: there is no difference in the blood of miners and royals, nor in their wailings of grief.” – Iliya Ines al Cruz (701 AS)
A portmanteau roughly translated to “the morning blood was spilt,” El Sangresoleo is the final battle of the Miner’s Revolution. In the dead of night, a group of miners and Vega Liberi slipped into the royal castle of Tronadora and engaged an unprepared guard. There were high casualties for both the miners and the guards. However, by sunrise, the miners had taken the throne.
What followed was several months of negotiations between the rebels and the mining guild. Though many called for destroying the mining guild or the new court (depending on their loyalties), both sides were too drained of resources to do anything but compromise. Eventually, the Kanarios League was placed under strict regulations. Al Cruz was named queen- in charge of international relations and overall ruler of Bayt Alma, while Roma Genil became captain of the new military.
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