Earthquake Conspiracy Theories

While respected scholars have concluded that the earthquake that destroyed much of the city of Caelester was entirely natural, many people in the city believe otherwise.

Prelude to Invasion

The most oft-repeated narrative, largely thanks to the Steward's propaganda, is that the earthquake was a magical attack by the mages of a rival city in Asuria, or possibly one of the larger kingdoms in the north, as a prelude to invasion. On this pretext, the Steward has focused his efforts on the military, maintaining his forces in the Iron Guard in order to secure the city. He has also used this pretext to impose strict laws, limiting traffic in and out of the city in an attempt to root out spies.
This interpretation was most popular in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake; eight long years later, no enemy invader has emerged to take the blame. While the Steward claims this is due to the strong defenses he has established and maintains, the populace are growing increasingly dubious of his claims.
Some even whisper that perhaps that invader has already arrived and conquered the city. The Iron Guard does include a small but potent corps specializing in offensive magic, and while nobody has ever seen them wield such potent magics, some suggest they might be hiding their true capabilities. However, even the Guildmaster's Council tries to downplay these suggestions - after all, if the Iron Guard can truly bring down an entire city with magic, few would ever be brave enough to stand up to them.

Divine Punishment

A strong but vocal minority of religious zealots claim that the earthquake was brought not by nature or by mortal magics, but as a form of divine retribution against the city and its inhabitants. Most of these seek repentance, denouncing any of a number of possible sins that might have brought about the disaster. Others claim that the punishment was meant for the noble class, citing the fact that very few of Caelester's nobles survived the disaster. They claim the city was cleansed of its evil, and that the people should take the warning to heart, avoiding the excesses that characterized the life of a Caelestran noble.