The Morenthall Legacy
Following her death in 161 PR, and the nearly complete destruction of the Morenthall Villa where she lived, only a matter of a few days passed before the first of the Burnt Crown manifestos with the attached stolen journals began to appear. These documents circulated wildly across Armuun and quickly spread throughout the Empire and beyond. The initial releases seemed almost innocuous, but still exposed that the Empire was withholding information from the public, and as a culture of inquisitive and curious people by nature, this was immediately a detriment to the public opinion of the Sovereign, the Order of Objective Representation, and most of all, the Bechtlarite Intelligence Bureau. Barbara Graves, a senior agent in the Bureau with an impeccable track record, was ushered into the position of Nonpareil quickly as news of her predecessor, Gerldine Fulton's death became known. Barbara, wasting no time, set her efforts upon the daunting goal of building an impromptu task force in conjunction with the Culvarkt, League of Steam to staunch these publications and find their source before irreparable social damage could be done.
Purpose
The overall goal of the efforts of both the Becht Intelligence Bureau and the Culvarkt League of Steam was not so much about stopping the flow of information as it was curbing unverified journals issued out from what was a known terrorist organization with a long history of disrupting the efforts and inner workings of the Empire. Public opinion remains one of the cornerstones of the Becht Empire's hold on the power they maintain, and as that opinion began to falter, so too did their tenuous grip on the people over which they ruled.
Document Structure
Publication Status
The records released by the Empire following their attempts at vetting the factual nature of the documents that were recovered and released prior are in the public domain and freely available for the most part with rare exception. Certain subjects of records were deemed either too personal to the life of Airtam Morenthall, or too unbased in truth to be considered real.
Historical Details
Background
By the time it was done, and the dust had settled, the Airtam documents had broadly altered the face of Becht society in many ways. Sovereign Margaret Effron's decision to not only have the contents verified by outsiders, representing and entirely neutral base for their fact checking, and her demands that the papers be released following that effort laid the framework for a much more transparent governmental style of rule, and bolstered the people's faith in their Sovereign when it had begun to falter. She is heralded as one of the greatest rulers to bear the title for this and many other deeds accomplished during her lifetime, and while he tends to be less in the public eye, her son Sovereign Zigmund Effron seems to be following in her footsteps.
History
The life of Airtam Morenthall, if her journals are to be believed, was one of incredible adventure. From her meager beginnings to the expedition that started it all for her in the Gaul Do Shah Wastes, to her rise to Headmaster of the most prestigious university in the Empire. She was a constant part of the goings on within the Empire, and her far reaching exploits touched most of the known world in some way or another. Her rise to fame that reached an impressive zenith at the defense of Hearde escalated her to a Bechtlarite legend, and an iconic figure within that society.
Public Reaction
The public reactions range from entry to entry, but the overall releases following the validation efforts was viewed in a very positive light. While there are a fairly even split concerning the full validity of the releases, and there remain many who view the entire thing as a ploy by the Crows to seed information that they will be able to use to their benefit at a later time, no one can deny the gripping tale's ripple effects on not only Becht culture, but many others as well such as the Seanachaisians who found a great deal of positive public attention following the release, and the Culvarkt who, much the opposite found their efforts slightly hindered and trust in their leadership was tarnished slightly by the implications of their involvement in several nefarious things.
Legacy
For many, Airtam represents the best part of the Becht culture, innovation, invention, fortitude, and a desire to leave the world a better place. Her invention, the Kaelian Repulsor still safeguards the Ongommu Tae trade passes and several gates and important buildings elsewhere as well, and her willingness to accept the other cultures of Cairne remains a testament to human versatility, and an example encouraged to be followed within Becht society into present day. The release of her journals forced the ruling class of the Becht Empire to open up to their people and altered the standards of governance and how they are applied.
The Morenthall Legacy
In the shadows we dwell, the remnants of a once-thriving civilization, the Seanachaisians. Our people, a species all but extinguished by the cruelty of the Bechtlarite Empire, have long suffered in silence, enduring unimaginable horrors at the hands of our oppressors, but we, the Burnt Crows, refuse to be silenced any longer. We emerge from the darkness, the bringers of truth and justice, the harbingers of a revolution. Our struggle is one that has been waged for over a century, a battle for reparations, for recognition of our rights, and for freedom from the tyranny of the Becht Empire. Our cultural heritage has been torn asunder, our homes destroyed, and our loved ones lost to the inhumanity of our oppressors. We have been forced to endure a life of discrimination, persecution, and exploitation, while you, the Bechtlarites, steeped in your luxury and arrogance, have ignored our plight, yet we have not remained idle. We have taken the fight to the enemy, stealing documents that reveal the corruption and wickedness of the Bechtlarite Empire, exposing their treachery and greed to their own people. We wish for you to witness the truth, to break free from the lies and illusions that have kept you enslaved to an illusion for so long. We are not terrorists, as the Bureau would have you believe. We are warriors of freedom and revolution, fighting for the rights of our people and for a brighter future for all. We do not seek to harm innocents, but to expose the truth and to exact justice from those who have wrought such cruelty upon us. We demand restitution for the desolation and misery wrought upon our people by the Bechtlarite Empire. We demand recognition of our rights as a people, the end of oppression, and a reckoning for the crimes of the corrupt leaders of the Becht Empire. They must be held accountable for their atrocities, and from the ashes of their ruin, a new, just society must rise. Our struggle shall not be without peril. The Bureau will stop at nothing to quell our rebellion, to maintain their iron grip on power, but we, the Burnt Crows, are unyielding in our resolve. We shall fight on, no matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice.
The Burnt Crow ManifestoRise up, and let our enemies tremble at the sound of our wings!Ón luaithreach, ardaigh muid!
Type
Record, Public
Medium
Vellum / Skin
Authoring Date
43rd of Vigor, 162 PR
Location
Signatories (Organizations)
Comments