The Vanguard Revolution

The Vanguard Revolution is perhaps the most significant event in recent Elvaran history.
Led by General Augustas Malvarro, the conflict enforced momentous change in Western Elvara with the deposition of Emanual Tarryn VII and the rise of the Empire of Malvarron.
This historical event created the conditions for conflict across the whole continent, leading to the Second Great Elvaran War

Historical Context

The Age of Unbearable Sorrow was a tumultuous time for the Duchy of Tarryn and its people. Drought, conflict and food shortages all brought the shadow of death to Revaelor, in an era of seemingly never-ending misery.
By the 1320s, support for the Duchy was at a historical low. Duke Emanuel Tarryn VII faced relentless criticism, particularly in the Southend of the city, where the people had been most affected by recurring crises and mismanagement by those in positions of authority.
Revaelor had become a powder keg. Crime and political unrest were rife, and the City Watch were struggling to maintain control.
The people wanted change, and for many, there was only one man who could get it for them.

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Augustas Malvarro

Born into the poverty of the The Wallows in 1306 A.E., Augustas Malvarro had a tough start to life.
His father, Aurelius, was an ex-Embari slave who had bought both his freedom and passage to Elvara at the turn of the century. After joining Augustas' mother, Zera, the pair worked as common labourers on the Ersatz Dockyards, toiling to put food on the table for their four young children and Zera's dependent mother.
As the family grew twice more, the financial situation of the Malvarro household became dire and Aurelius made the tough decision to hand six-year-old Augustas over to serve as an apprentice in the Tarryn Land Army.
Permitted to visit his family home only once a year on Hearth Day, little Augustas was fed, clothed and educated on military strategy at the Ironwater Fortress, before he was old enough to wield a sword and begin combat training.
Augustas made the most of his opportunities, growing into a fierce and well-respected fighter in his division. As his military status continued to rise, and he soon had command over his peers.
At just 17 years of age, he was promoted to the rank of general, the youngest recorded individual to hold the rank in the history of Tarryn rule.

He was given oversight of a new fortress named Stronghold, in northeastern Elvara, just east of the Jagged Mountains.
Whilst his men held the frontline, repelling orcish raiding parties attacking from the The Barren Wastes, Augustas proved himself extremely capable of command. Known for his brute strength, no-nonsense attitude, and common sense approach, he attracted many allies and followers.
Augustas couldn't get enough of the adoration and reverence his men showed him, which only intensified his hunger for power. As he dreamed of what could be, his ambition grew insatiable.

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The General's Plot

Augustas turned his attention to Revaelor and decided he alone was the answer to Revaelor's many problems. Only he knew what it was like to grow from obscurity into a well-respected member of the officer's class. He knew what it meant to risk his own life and the life of his men, in servitude to a "useless" duke and his nobles.
When the Plague of 1325 A.E. hit the Duchy, it was like the answer to Augustas' prayers. He had the perfect scapegoat at his disposal, and a solid basis for his resistance.
The Guild of Magi held a powerful position in the Duchy's hierarchy and many individuals of its stock were valued members of the Court of Tarryn. The prosperity and privilege this afforded produced more resentment from the lower classes, feeding prejudices entrenched since the time of Mathidon.
Augustas used this to his advantage. He labelled all magi "Damakur" and spread word of a "magi threat" in order to incite rebellion amongst the people of Revaelor.
He posited the Duke was just a puppet, and it was actually a secretive faction of Magi, who exploited "ordinary" people for power and wealth, who controlled the Duchy. He circulated the rumour that the plague was just the next step in their plans to enslave the general population by reducing it to a more controllable level.
This propaganda spread like wildfire, and many people in the lower parts of the city were incensed.
Magic users soon became "enemies of the people," and Augustas utilised this to rally support for both himself and his militaristic movement.

The Great Walkout

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On the 1st Ogar 1325, four months after the first case of the plague known as the Magi's Curse was diagnosed, Augustas resigned from his position on the Duke's advisory council in "protest" of the Duke's failure to introduce new laws to counter the "Magi" threat.
Augustas had been schmoozing certain members of the nobility for years, a tactic that proved successful when other members of the council followed his lead and simply walked out of the Duke's council chamber.
Augustas now had the support of five noble houses: Cantrell, Daggorah, Halshan, Fryth and Wilwood (and their fat coffers, to boot).
This alliance of political dissenters called themselves the Vanguard. They swore to protect the people of Revaelor from interior and exterior threats, including the Magi, and from their base of Stronghold in the north, they plotted their revolution.

The General's Deception

On the evening of 19th Arawyn 1325, all fighting men present at the Stronghold Fortress were ordered to the courtyard to hear General Malvarro give a speech from the ramparts.
The general emphasised the importance of loyalty and change, urging all soldiers to pledge a new oath to him to symbolise the start of a brighter future.
He declared that anyone who refused to kneel to him would be instructed to gather their things and leave the fortress immediately, never to come back. He added that his hope was their "unwavering dedication to the Tarryn Land Army would be rewarded fairly, and in accordance with their worth".
One-by-one, most of the men stationed at Stronghold renounced all obligation to the Duke and recited the new oath—however, it is important to note that in his speech, Malvarro made a commitment to increase the wage of the humble foot soldier from two to five silver revels per week.
300-or-so men refused to be bought that evening. Electing to remain loyal to Duke Tarryn, they dutifully gathered their belongings and were subsequently released from their service under General Malvarro.

As the group descended the steep hill in the encroaching darkness of dusk, they were ambushed by arrows and fire.
Unassuming and defenceless, very few made it out alive.
It was after this incident that Duke Tarryn signed Augustas Malvarro's death warrant with a bounty of 500 gold revels offered for his head.

The Propaganda War

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Having eradicated some of the Duke's unwaveringly loyal servants, General Malvarro was in a strong position.
He had a large, capable army nestled in a well-stocked fortress designed by the best military scientists of the age.
Stronghold's expansive training grounds provided ample space for drills and simulations, allowing his troops to hone their skills, and among the vast arsenal of weapons and armour, his military advisors would gather to discuss tactics, analyse intelligence, and devise plans to outmanoeuvre the Duke at every turn.
But Malvarro needed more than just an army. He needed ordinary Revaelorians onside if he was to succeed in his long-term plans to become supreme leader.
So from Stronghold, he continued with his flagrant propaganda offensive.

He ran smear campaigns about the Duke, individual members of the Revaelorian political class, and anyone in a position of power who was unsympathetic to the Vanguard cause.
He wrote speeches to be performed on his behalf, commissioned leaflets, posters, and other paraphernalia to spread around the city and employed a network of undercover operatives to sow chaos and dissent within the city. It worked too. Many Revaelorians joined the Vanguard cause. Some made it to Stronghold, others formed pockets of underground resistance, spreading Malvarro's ideas to anyone with a half-sympathetic ear.
Soon attacks against magi owned homes and businesses in the Mage Quarter became a common occurrence. Many magi fled during this time, arriving at the city state of D'aethron as refugees. For those who stayed behind, though, it was a volatile time to be a magic user.
Meanwhile, Malvarro made deals with orcish clan leaders in the North, exchanging maps and ensuring safe passage through Stronghold in return for the orcish perpetrating raids on the Duchy's outposts, weakening Revaelor's defences.
By 1330, it had been almost five years since the Great Walkout and Duke Tarryn, ignorant of the revolutionary tide flooding the lower districts of the city, had lulled himself into complacency.
To the disbelief, and downright horror, of his advisors, the Duke had simply decided that Malvarro wasn't a credible threat to his position as leader. He'd convinced himself that if he ceded Stronghold to the General, then Malvarro would remain there indefinitely, held by his veritably cushy lifestyle and contentment to sow chaos from afar.

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by Gilly-May Hartill

News of Malvarro's joining ceremony and the subsequent birth of his first son, Aurelius, only reinforced the Duke's obstinance.
But the General was busy, forming political allegiances with various cliques and factions, including disillusioned landowners and mercenary organisations such as the Crimson Blades.

The Last Vanguard Rally

On the 21st Bela 1330 A.E, General Malvarro was smuggled into Revaelor, disguised as a merchant in a trading caravan from Greyspire.
Avoiding the watchful eyes of the City Guard, he held a rally in the Southend (on the site that would later become the Augustine Arena).

"Today, I bring you a vision, my brothers. Today, I bring you hope.
Imagine a future where we no longer bow to their tyranny. Where the working man gets the revels he deserves for serving his kingdom. Where mothers can watch their children grow up, well-fed, educated and happy. A future where bards tell stories of our strength and unity in adversity, and musicians sing songs of our great kingdom and the courageous hearts of its people.
Now it's not just a fallacy—a fanciful notion; we can have that future. We need only take it. Take it from those who seek to torment us—hurt us."

General Malvarro, 1330 A.E.

*You can read the rest of General Malvarros Speech here

Shortly after the speech, pockets of violence broke out between revellers and the City Watch. In the ensuing chaos, the General evaded capture.
It would be a year and 5 months before General Malvarro entered the gates of Revaelor again.
The Duke's advisors were appalled that Malvarro entered the city without being noticed and was able to garner support unabated. As a result, greater measures were introduced as a precaution, and the Duke decreed that all citizens of Revaelor and its surrounding farmsteads must have work or trade papers to travel in and out of the city.

The Battle on the Moor

With the arrival of the 27th Brig 1331, General Malvarro's meticulously planned revolution was set into motion.
A quarter of the Vanguard army, including ranged units, were deployed to lay siege to the halfling settlement of Littleton on-the-Moor, north-east of the city of Revaelor.
Even though it was not officially part of the Tarryn territory, Littleton had enjoyed a long-standing economic and political alliance with the Duchy, which began with a defensive treaty signed by Duke Pavlov I in 737 A.E.
Duke Tarryn had no choice but to deploy most of his remaining forces to try and retake the town on behalf of Littleton's mayor—Rolo Cotterill.
Tarryn's army, led by General Jovan Downdall, marched up the Eastern Road, in what the Duke hoped would be a suitable show of force to counter the Vanguard threat. It took them three days to mobilise and reach the Moor Farmsteads.

Meanwhile, Vanguard mounted units advanced through the The Dreadmoors on horseback in order to maintain the element of surprise. Using the persistent mists as cover, they ambushed Tarryn's men on the approach to Littleton, effectively trapping them between the cavalry progressing east and the ranged units which had been stationed near the town.
With Tarryn's forces outmanoeuvred and vastly outnumbered, a bloody battle ensued on the Littleton Moors, which saw the majority of Tarryn's men wiped out, including General Downdall. They were given no quarter.

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The Revolution

With news of Tarryn's defeat at the Moor, Malvarro's underground network in Revaelor caused chaos. Hundreds of people from the southern districts were encouraged to march on High Town to take revenge on the Duke's 'corrupt' allies.
With the City Watch ordered to abandon their posts in the outer city to protect the noble houses of Hightown and Hightown Hill, law and order broke down in other districts. In Low Town, bloody battles ensued between the mob and the magic wielders of the Watch. In the Quadrant shops were looted, homes and businesses torched and the Temple of Mathonir in the Mage Quarter was completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, Vanguard forces, with General Malvarro now at the forefront, began their brazen march to Revaelor.

By 3rd Mara 1331, they had reached its gates, surrounding the city on all sides.
The Duke's council gathered for the last time.
With no other options on the table, Duke Emanual Tarry VII drafted his immediate surrender on the condition that his advisors and their families would not be put to death for their loyalty to him.
General Malvarro agreed, though later he would renege on the terms.

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The Vanguard Revolution had been an unmitigated success, and Revaelor had a new leader—General Augustas Malvarro.

Contents

Historical Context

Augustas Malvarro

the General's Plot

the Great Walkout

the General's Deception

the Propaganda War

the Last Vanguard Rally

the Battle on the Moor

the Revolution

3rd Mara 1331 A.E...

General Malvarro’s forces, with the support of five noble houses, have surrounded the city of Revaelor.
In the Duke’s residency on Hightown Hill, Emanual Tarryn VII refills his cup from the half-empty carafe in front of him.
His hand trembles as it grips the handle, for he knows what is coming. His advisors have warned him for years of this eventuality, yet he opted to overlook their advice for an easier life.
He avoids the venomous glances being flung at him from across the council table and lifts his cup to his lips, breathing in the plummy aroma. He takes a long gulp, hoping the wine’s sharp flavour will give him clarity as it stings his well-bitten tongue. It doesn’t.
“What are your orders, your grace?”
The Duke snaps his head up, surprised that someone has dared to break the mournful silence.
The young Lord Abolon, newly appointed colonel of the City Watch, stares at him expectantly, bright eyes waiting for an answer the Duke doesn’t have.
Even if he could mount some kind of defence against the General’s blockade, there was no way he could hold the city with the paltry force of loyalist men he had garrisoned in the capital, and Malvarro’s ambush on the Moor had destroyed his remaining Land Army units.
Meeting Malvarro’s sword would only lead to a bloodbath, whilst endeavouring to outlast a siege would simply starve out the commoners of the Southend, the ones who hadn’t already rallied to the General’s side, of course.
With a bitter half-smile, he reflects over his time as Duke. Plague, famine, social disorder—it was no short wonder they were calling it the “Age of Unbearable Sorrow.” If he’d just spent more time in the council chambers being a leader and less time drinking and whoring, maybe, just maybe, he could have prevented Malvarro’s divisive politics from ever gaining a foothold in Revaelor.
Malvarro was bold, though. That’s why he’d chosen the mad dog as his war general. He’d needed someone experienced, someone ruthless, to protect the Duchy’s borders from northern raiders. But appointing someone as narcissistic and overambitious as Malvarro? It was a grave mistake from the start.
Could it be, then, that Malvarro’s soon-to-be-victory was entirely his fault? Will Duke Tarryn VII be forever known as the fool who handed over the reins of power to the tyrant Augustas Malvarro?
He shudders and swallows the last dregs of his wine. There was little point dwelling on his legacy now. Not when the monster and his army of treacherous criminals were already thumping at the gate, yearning to taste Tarryn blood.
With a repressed sigh, he leans forward in his chair, slamming his cup down on the table. ‘Lord Harringden? I need you to seek out the Syndicate.’
‘The Syndicate, your grace?’
‘I need you to negotiate with their leader—Morreau. Offer him a price to smuggle Lydia, Nicholai, and any other of our loyal subjects out of the city.’
Harringden swallows, disgust etched into his well-lined face. ‘Me personally? Go to the Undercity?’
If the Duke had little patience for the blathering old tomfool before today, he had even less now. ‘I care not if your bloated sleeves or your frilly collar get dirty, Harringden. You are my master of coin, are you not? I’m asking you to negotiate a trade, so just get it done.’
‘Yes, of course, your grace. How many revels are we—’
‘I don’t know! He can have all the bleeding gold in my coffers for all I care. Just get my wife and son to safety.’
Harringden’s eyes widen and he nods all too quickly.
Next, he turns to the colonel. The boy was barely a man, promoted before his time, and yet he was the best swordsman left in the city by far. More than that, though, he was solid and dependable. Ethera knows the Duke needs dependable men right now. ‘Lord Abalon, you are to liaise with Lord Harringden. Round up any of our men of fighting age you can. Any allies left who haven’t turned. Then make sure they have ample equipment and supplies. They are to accompany our party of loyalists through the Undercity and north.’
‘But what about the city, your grace?’
‘Forget the city. The city is damned. Just… protect my son at all costs.’ The Duke’s voice cracks, his weary eyes prickling as he holds Abalon’s gaze, the stoic mask slipping for a moment. He draws a deep breath and clears his knotted throat.
It wasn’t the time for sentimentality. It wasn’t the time for anything other than stone-cold, rational thinking. After all, he was about to make the most important decision of the century.
With a heavy sigh, the Duke slowly rises to his feet, his intricately carved chair scraping along the flagstones in a mournful squeak. ‘Culson, I need you to draft my letter of surrender. Once Malvarro accepts it, order the men to open the gates. Revaelor is his.’

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Conflict Type

Rebellion

Start Date

27th Brig 1331 A.E

Ending Date

3rd Mara 1331 A.E

Maps

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  Astaeria 1325 A.E

  Astaeria Pre-Vanguard Revolution