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Created page with "{{Info history |image = noimg.png |name = Purple Bleeding |eventname = Purple Bleeding |datesandtimes = 216 AC |location = Regalian Empire |peopleinvolved = *Emperor Handorien II *Arch-Chancellor Cedmir Kade *Regalian Military |}} The Purple Bleeding was the first notable growing pain of the Regalian Empire and the first true downturn of its economy. After an unprecedented two hundred years of growth and prosperity..."
 
 
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|name            = Purple Bleeding
|name            = Purple Bleeding
|eventname      = Purple Bleeding
|eventname      = Purple Bleeding
|datesandtimes  = 216 AC
|datesandtimes  = 214 AC
|location        = [[Regalian Empire]]
|location        = [[Regalian Empire]]
|peopleinvolved  =
|peopleinvolved  =
*Emperor [[Handorien II]]
*Emperor [[Handorien II]]
*Arch-Chancellor [[Cedmir Kade]]
*Arch Chancellor [[List_of_Regalian_Arch_Chancellors#Cedmir_I_&_Alexander_I_(205-216_AC)|Cedmir and Alexander Kade]]
*[[Regalian Military]]
*[[Regalian Military]]
|}}
|}}
The Purple Bleeding was the first notable growing pain of the [[Regalian Empire]] and the first true downturn of its economy. After an unprecedented two hundred years of growth and prosperity through several conquests under strong leadership, the costs of these imperial conquests began to show themselves. Following the end of the disastrous First Nordskagger War, the Empire’s debt holders began to call for loan repayments now that the fighting was done. But the Empire couldn’t repay what was due without risks of bankruptcy and risking empirical dissolution, so Arch-Chancellor [[Cedmir Kade]] and Emperor [[Handorien I]] declared all the Empire’s debts null and void, and instead engaged in a military suppression of the ensuing riots. Today, the Purple Bleeding is remembered as a foreshadowing of the [[Regalian Pessimism]]that teaches the Empire a valuable lesson in funding their many wars in the future.
The Purple Bleeding was the first notable growing pain of the [[Regalian Empire]] and the first true downturn of its economy. After an unprecedented two hundred years of growth, there should have been a time to pause and ensure new territories and conquests, both through diplomacy and warfare, were securely added to the Empire. However, the leaders who emerged in the early 200s AC were men of conflict, and they sought to push the Empire through warfare alone. While this succeeded, the constant war footing strained the Empire’s finances, and when they neared breaking, Emperor [[Handorien II]] made the foolish mistake of declaring all the Empire’s debts null and void under the auspices of the Everwatcher. The outrage from this act was intense, but the [[Regalian Military]] brutally crushed the riots and rebellions, extinguishing old house lineages across the Empire while also killing thousands. Today, the Purple Bleeding is remembered as a foreshadowing of the [[Regalian Pessimism]] and as one of the darkest moments of Regalian history for the chaos it unleashed at the whims of just a few men and poor decisions.


==Background Information==
==Background Information==
Since the formation of the Regalian Empire after the [[Five Family Rebellion]], growth and conquest had been a point of life for many citizens. As smaller [[Ailor]] states in the [[Regalian Archipelago]] were absorbed into the Empire’s numbers, so too did their economies and citizens, creating more wealth to fund future wars. The most notable of these conquests was under the tenure of Arch-Chancellor [[Vlaas]], whose incorporation of the [[Ithanian Sovereignty]] not only expanded the economic power of the Regalians through new territories and citizens, but also led to the [[Ithanian Gem Boom]] and the newfound sources of wealth that came with the mining of precious gemstones.
Since the formation of the Regalian Empire after the [[Five Family Rebellion]], growth and conquest were natural patterns in the lives of the Empire’s citizens. As smaller [[Ailor]] states and tribes in the [[Regalian Archipelago]] (also called [[Corontium]]) were absorbed into the Empire’s numbers, so too were their economies and their people, creating more wealth and resources to support future wars. The most notable of these conquests was under the tenure of Arch Chancellor [[Nicholas Kade]], whose incorporation of lands both near and far allowed the economic power of the Regalian Empire to expand in service to its citizens. Among these conquests was Ithania, with its riches and banking systems, which soon helped finance the mining efforts that became the [[Ithanian Gem Boom]] in the Archipelago. These great economic boons directly fueled the growth of the Regalian Military, able to train more officers, sustain more levies in the constant march of conquest the Empire was undergoing to unite all of Corontium, and most crucially, supply the Regalian Navy with new warships for the Regalian conquest of the waves. It was a time of providence. But, when Nicolas Kade died, followed by [[Handorien I]], those who stepped into positions of leadership had only one thing on their minds: War.
 
These economic boons directly led to the growth of the [[Regalian Military]], which was able to train even more officers at their academies, construct even greater warships, and provide logistical supplies to the armies in the field further away than ever before. This military growth through economic success came to a peak during the reign of Emperor [[Allestrain I]], who engaged in a campaign of endless conquest against unaffiliated Ailor states during his reign and forced many to sign the Navigation Acts. Through these actions, wealth from newly subjugated client states continued to flow to the [[Crown Isle]], which proceeded to re-invest its gains back into the military, creating a cycle of conquest, resource collection, and reinvestment.


==History==
==History==
===The Breaking of a Cycle===
===The Breaking of a Cycle===
With the Regalian Empire having conquered neighboring states to its west, south, and east, the focussoon directed to the north. Following the defeat of the Hedrylli Kingdom, Emperor Allestrain turned his attention towards [[The Skags]]. These northern nations were founded by the [[Skagger Horde]], who vacated the Regalian Archipelago following their defeat in the [[Skagger Wars]]. In truth, it was only a matter of time before the Regalians turned their attention towards them.
Emperor [[Allestrain I]] was an unconventional leader. One of the rare Emperors to lead from the frontline, his godly blessings in life rendered him immune to damage from normal weapons, and so he took to combat with zeal. He worked alongside his wife, Empress Eolaria Cadar, to shift the Empire to a war footing, but alongside him was also his longtime lover Alexander the Giant. Following the death of Nicholas Kade, the title of Arch Chancellor was soon passed to the twin brothers Alexander and Cedmir Kade. However, they could not have been more different from each other. Where Alexander was a mountain of a man, a born warrior, Cedmir was timid, a competent bureaucrat but lacking sophisticated political acumen. For his whole life, he and his brother had been a pair, the larger Kade the physical and political protector to his cherished brother, while Cedmir learned the affairs of state, and how to manage what their grandfather Nicholas was building. When Allestrain ascended to the throne however, matters of diplomacy fell away, as Alexander, Allestrain, Eolaria, and Alexander’s wife, Leona, all men and women of combat, turned to the art of war to expand the Empire.


In what would become the First Nordskagger War, Emperor Allestrain led the Regalian Military into battle against the Skaggers and their [[Velheim]] allies in Cain. Victory was presumed to be quick and inevitable. This opponent, however, was stronger and hardier than the backwater states the Empire had previously fought–which shattered all assumptions of an early victory.. This ultimately led to the catastrophic defeat of the [[Regalian Army]] at Hessa, which saw the Emperor killed in battle as the remnants of his army retreated to the coast.
The blistering pace for starting wars the group set would not be met by the Regalian Empire until decades later when the Kades themselves rose to the Imperial Throne. They would march on many smaller Ailor nations, arriving in force, and insisting on local rulers allowing [[Unionist]] religious officials to establish themselves in the area, as well as openly preach their faith. While most accepted these deals, a number of regions following pagan practices (largely [[Fornoss]]) refused, and for this, they faced the Empire’s wrath. Thousands of soldiers were disgorged from the fleets of the Imperial Navy, and the Imperials alongside their Kade companions would lead a campaign of brutal effectiveness against their foe. In the end, they would crush a region’s ability to resist the Empire, but then bestow them with the Navigation Acts for security and protection at the hands of the Regalians in the peace treaty. A policy of Allestrain working in concert with Cedmir, the Navigation Acts would be spread across [[Aloria]], through [[Southwynd]], into [[Westwynd]], and at last, seek purchase in [[Northbelt]]. But there, the Empire found a worthy rival. The remnants of the Skagger Horde, long fled from Corontium, had come and sought refuge across the northern lands of Aloria. The greatest of the nations their exodus founded was the [[Northbelt|Kingdom of Nordskag]], and it rejected the Regalian “offers” of Unionist priests. The First Nordskagger War began, but within just a few months, a horrible result came to pass. Fighting at the front line, Allestrain I was struck down by an arrow, a baffling outcome for a man invincible to damage by the divinity entrusted in him by the Everwatcher. The Regalian war effort paused as shock rippled across the Empire.


===The Rage of the Giant===
===The Rage of the Giant===
One of the first individuals who heard the news of Allestrain’s death was Arch-Chancellor [[Alexander the Giant]] who had been fighting another battle against the Skaggers nearby. Known to have had an extremely close bond with the Emperor, the Arch-Chancellor resorted to avenge his fallen friend and ordered his brother and Co-Chancellor Cedmir to divert more funds from the Empire’s coffers into the military. Cedmir was not willing to disagree with his brother and infuriate him, so he conceded and directed more funds to the military.
Fighting close at hand to Allestrain I was Alexander the Giant. Sources written by Regalian levies decades later claim they, for the first time they could recall, saw Alexander weep. But his crying soon turned to cries of madness and rage. Despite the withdrawal of the Nordskagger army, he hunted them across the snow-covered land, screaming for answers and to learn who had loosed the shot. But, he got none, and some degree of reason eventually awoke in him, seeing his return to the Regalian front line. The First Nordskagger War came to a bitter end, and the Empire retreated. Back in Regalia, Cedmir was present for the crowning of the new Emperor, Handorien II, Allestrain’s nephew. When Alexander returned home, he was filled with a dark rage. Where before he had been full of life and gusto, though still stern and forceful when needed, he now brooded and stalked the halls, restless. He is rumored to have killed at least three sparring partners in sudden bursts of rage, though others insist he simply destroyed three dozen sparring dummies. Regardless, Handorien II and Cedmir Kade soon came to realize a problem with the policies of Allestrain, and now, his still-rabid militarist supporters, including Alexander.


Despite greater funding dedicated to the Nordskagger campaign, they did not lead to greater successes on the front lines. For the next several years, Alexander fought against the various Velheim states in the region, with many conflicts resulting in stalemates with only a few uninhabited passes conquered, only to be taken back in the next battle. This all culminated in a final decisive battle which once again saw the defeat of the Regalian Military, and the death of Alexander the Giant.
The four years of conflict Allestrain had unleashed had been a significant drain on the Empire’s finances. The debt burden for the State and the Imperial household had risen significantly with each passing campaign as the grand nation had to pump funds into the devastated regions, as well as keep paying for their security as part of the Navigation Acts. For Alexander, the answer was simple: Void the debts, and resume the conflicts, especially against [[Velheim]] nations. Handorien II dithered for a time, but unable to stop Alexander’s war lust, allowed him to resume conflict or at least, “warship diplomacy” with a handful of different states elsewhere in Aloria. This action was also supported by the Eronidas legions, who ravaged all lands that stood against them, so great was their rage at the death of the Eronidas Emperor. However, with each passing year, Alexander’s patience seemed to wear thinner and thinner. It is rumored that he drew razor-close to threatening Handorien II directly, so convinced was he that voiding the debts and resuming the warfare was the correct course of action. In the end, Handorien II signed the edict, voiding all debts of the Regalian State and Imperial Household under the power of the Everwatcher. As the Everwatcher’s principal actor in Aloria, the Emperor could not allow his great nation to slip into chaos and prevent the expansion of the Unionist faith. Thus, he had taken this action to protect the Empire.


===The Purple Bleeding===
===The Purple Bleeding===
When news of the Arch-Chancellor’s death reached the capital, Emperor [[Handorien II]] ordered an immediate withdrawal of the Regalian Military from the frontlines, declaring the First Nordskagger War concluded. Many parties began to ask Arch-Chancellor Cedmir about repaying the debts brought on during the second stage of the campaign, along with other debts which were coming up on their payment deadlines from past conquests of Allestrain. While in the past the Empire was able to extract resources from conquered nations to pay off its debts, the regions that did sign the Navigation Acts during the Nordskagger War were not as developed as more prosperous regions. This meant that even if the Regalian Empire was able to pay off some of its debt holders, it could not do this with all of them without risking bankruptcy.
It was as if someone had set off an explosive in a crowded market. The outrage that poured out from the financial quarter of the Empire was blistering, as several banks promptly collapsed, while many dozens of notable nobles rapidly declared rebellion against both the State and the Emperor, believing the entire event to be a corrupt plot driven by overreaching militarist elements. The outrage was so fervent that, for several days, the Emperor and other members of the government barricaded themselves in estates and facilities across the [[Crown Isle]] to avoid the riots running through even the capital city. But then, Alexander the Giant stepped into the spotlight, accompanied by his political allies in the Regalian Military. In a vast operation, thousands of levies from House Kade and other loyal military families were raised or recalled from across the Empire, and brought down onto the very heart of the nation. Thousands of rioters and rebels were put to the sword, and those dozens of noble families who had revolted against the Emperor found themselves executed entirely, to a scant few members, or exiled from the borders of the Empire. The reprisal for the outrage was brutal, and the formerly lauded Alexander the Giant was now deemed a butcher. However, he had succeeded in quelling the revolts and revolutions, and the Purple Bleeding came to a swift end.
 
This reality forced Cedmir into a difficult situation and one which would define his entire Chancellorship. After an audience with Emperor Handorien II, the Chancellor made a public statement related to the looming debt crisis. In what became the most controversial decision in Regalian history, the Arch-Chancellor declared all debts held by the Regalian State to be null and void, professing that those who remained loyal to the Emperor Vessel would be rewarded for this sacrifice. Upon hearing the declaration, many debt holders declared open revolts against the Regalian State for breaking its contractual obligations and began mustering troops for rebellion. Left with no other option, the Emperor ordered the Regalian Military to put down the civil unrest, offering the estates of those in rebellion as a reward for this service, while also permitting the looting of businesses in defiance to the Crown.
 
Thus began a military crackdown across the Regalian Archipelago. Rebel armies were immediately put down by up-and-coming generals, who declared martial law as they took over the estates of the debt holders. During this time, the Regalian economy came to a standstill. Merchants either closed down their shops out of fear of looting by rioters, or were executed for being part of the rebel forces. Confidence in the Regal also plummeted, which saw the rise of black markets and banditry in areas which were hit the worst, most notable in Dragenthal, which was one of the most economically-savvy realms of the Empire.


As time passed, the suppression of the riots began to dwindle, which saw public attention turn towards the head of government and the Imperial Seat. Arch-Chancellor Cedmir was seen as the source of the Purple Bleeding–both for preventing the crisis to begin with–and also for nullifying the debts of the Empire which led to the revolts. Meanwhile, the foundation of Unionism was shaken to its core, as people were not sure what to make of the Emperor’s decision to back the Chancellor’s debt cancellation, itself an illegal action taken by the State. With both men knowing that their legacies would forever be stained by the Purple Bleeding, they decided to let a new generation of leadership handle the aftermath of the crisis, which would be concluded by Cedmir’s son and successor, Arch-Chancellor Morgan.
In the immediate aftermath of the Bleeding, Alexander the Giant left the Empire with the Regalian Military and resumed the same war-time posture as he had in Allestrain’s time. However, the Empire was not nearly as successful this second time around. Whether it was the death of Allestrain, or Alexander’s growing rage seeing him ignore tactics and strategy in favor of blind charges, the conquests were minimal. A war in Eastwynd failed, followed by a conflict in Ellador which gained the Empire some alliances, followed by a second war with Nordskag. This second conflict saw the death of Alexander the Giant, hunted and killed by Nordskagger soldiers after he apparently went on a one-man mission to recover [[Sangria]], Allestrain’s unique sword. He succeeded but was tracked down before he could return to Regalian lines, the blade once again removed and kept by the region’s Velheim. Unlike Allestrain, whose body was lost in the cold lands of Nordskag, Alexander’s corpse was recovered and returned to the Empire. Cedmir, already in a precarious position at home and now fearful for his very life at the death of his protector, resigned the Chancellorship in favor of his son: [[Morgan Kade]].


==Effects==
==Effects==
The Purple Bleeding has many direct effects on the Regalian Empire in all areas of society. At the Imperial Palace, Emperor Handorien II abdicated the throne to his son [[Justinian I]], who would be known as the worst Emperor in history for being too weak and sickly to check the government. The Chancellery would pass to [[Morgan Kade]], who despite turning the Empire’s economy back to a period of growth would be seen as a tyrant and architect of the [[Seasonal Emperors]] period.
The Purple Bleeding had many immediate and dramatic effects on the Regalian Empire. The first was the significant loss in the Empire’s learned, urban population, financiers, as well as many competent political nobles who knew the Edict of Voidance was a terrible act. While many of these were killed as they rebelled or rioted, unable to conceive of the brutal response from the Empire’s leaders, others simply lost their power or prestige due to being unable to collect on the debts the Empire and Imperials owed them. In the place of at least the nobles who had been removed were new, militaristic families, soon called the Brass Bloods, who were rewarded with the former lands and titles of those they helped Alexander the Giant crush. One of the most notable of these Brass Blood nobles was the [[NPC_Houses#House_von_Treppewitz|House von Treppewtiz]]. They are well-known today, though their role in the Bleeding is far less so. In addition to these changes, Morgan Kade was soon able to push Emperor Handorien II to abdicate the throne over the shame of signing the Edict of Voidance. In his place was crowned his sickly son, [[Justinian I]], whom Morgan Kade then bullied into signing over his religious authority, vesting the Kade Arch Chancellor with full political and religious power.  
 
For the Military, the Purple Bleeding was the start of a new generation of military leadership. While Mellisandre Cadar was still Grand Marshal during this time, she would not live to see the end of it, killed in battle shortly after the crackdowns began. This coincided with the extinctions of multiple other noble houses who had risen up against the Regalian State, only to have their estates taken over by military generals. These military commanders would be known as the Brass Blood Nobility, or those houses which grew in prominence from their military service rather than any ancestral claims. One of the most notable of these Brass Blood nobles was the [[House von Treppewtiz]], who took over the position of Grand Marshal following the extinction of the Cadar mainline.


The Purple Bleeding also sewed the first seeds of pessimism within the Regalian Empire. While the most outspoken critics of the Regalian State were executed during the crackdowns, others chose to support the government in order to buy time for their own revolts. Many of these groups would form the backbone of the Barons Coalition during the [[Drachenwald Crisis]], using the future tyranny of the Morgannt and the Purple Bleeding as a rallying cry that an organized rebellion was the only way to safeguard the people from the government.
The Purple Bleeding also sowed the first seeds of pessimism within the Regalian Empire. While the most outspoken critics of the Regalian State were executed during the crackdowns, the silent majority of the Empire watched on as the Imperials abused their power, the Kades enforced them, and thousands died, while the Empire strained. They came to fear for the future, and believe the Empire was doomed, especially as many of them came to see the corruption of Morgan Kade. While the average citizen was won over by Morgan’s great charisma, and the Empire’s prosperity slowly returning, many nobles saw the horror and the terror he enacted, and began to see the Empire itself was unsavable, not without great change. Thus, when the Regalian Pessimism came, some of those who survived the Bleeding and their descendants made up the backbone of the Barons Coalition during the [[Drachenwald Crisis]], justifying their position with the tyranny of the past, and desiring a more egalitarian system of distributing power to protect the people. In the end, these grand ideas also failed, and the Purple Bleeding remains a black mark on Regalian history.


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*As [[Emended Unionists]] believe that Emperor Allestrain I and Alexander the Giant were secretly lovers, they see the Purple Bleeding as an unfortunate result of one doing anything possible to ensure the death of their lover was not in vain, as it ultimately was Alexander’s siphoning of funds to the frontlines that led to the quick economic downturn.
*As Emperor Allestrain I and Alexander the Giant were secretly lovers, some sympathetic scholars see the Purple Bleeding as an unfortunate result of one doing anything possible to ensure the death of their lover was not in vain, as Alexander’s quest for revenge drove him to ensure the Empire would carry on its war footing against all foes.
*Some Emendeds also believe that Arch-Chancellor Cedmir should be celebrated rather than criticized, as his decision to cancel the Empire’s debts is seen as the least worst decision he could’ve made at the time. While they do not deny that it led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, they argue that accepting bankruptcy could’ve led to the breaking up of the Regalian Empire at its weakest point.
*The near-total disappearance of Empress Eolaria Cadar and Leona Kade following the death of Emperor Allestrain I has prompted much modern speculation. While both of them did die by the time Morgan Kade rose to power, how and where they died remain great mysteries. As they were lovers, most believe they died together.
 
*Sangria, Allestrain’s powerful sword, was later returned to Corontium by a Unionist shortly after the peace that finally brought Nordskag into the Regalian sphere. Initially secured in [[Vultaro & Montania]], it would go on a pilgrimage back to the Crown Isle, reaching the capital in 288 AC.
{{History}}
{{History}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Artists =  
|Artists =  
|Writers = FireFan96
|Writers = FireFan96, HydraLana
|Processors = HydraLana, MantaRey,
|Processors = MantaRey
}}
}}
[[category:History]] [[category:Post-Cataclysm History]]
[[category:History]] [[category:Post-Cataclysm History]]

Latest revision as of 20:12, 29 September 2024

Purple Bleeding
Historical Event
Event NamePurple Bleeding
Dates and Times214 AC
LocationRegalian Empire
People Involved

The Purple Bleeding was the first notable growing pain of the Regalian Empire and the first true downturn of its economy. After an unprecedented two hundred years of growth, there should have been a time to pause and ensure new territories and conquests, both through diplomacy and warfare, were securely added to the Empire. However, the leaders who emerged in the early 200s AC were men of conflict, and they sought to push the Empire through warfare alone. While this succeeded, the constant war footing strained the Empire’s finances, and when they neared breaking, Emperor Handorien II made the foolish mistake of declaring all the Empire’s debts null and void under the auspices of the Everwatcher. The outrage from this act was intense, but the Regalian Military brutally crushed the riots and rebellions, extinguishing old house lineages across the Empire while also killing thousands. Today, the Purple Bleeding is remembered as a foreshadowing of the Regalian Pessimism and as one of the darkest moments of Regalian history for the chaos it unleashed at the whims of just a few men and poor decisions.

Background Information

Since the formation of the Regalian Empire after the Five Family Rebellion, growth and conquest were natural patterns in the lives of the Empire’s citizens. As smaller Ailor states and tribes in the Regalian Archipelago (also called Corontium) were absorbed into the Empire’s numbers, so too were their economies and their people, creating more wealth and resources to support future wars. The most notable of these conquests was under the tenure of Arch Chancellor Nicholas Kade, whose incorporation of lands both near and far allowed the economic power of the Regalian Empire to expand in service to its citizens. Among these conquests was Ithania, with its riches and banking systems, which soon helped finance the mining efforts that became the Ithanian Gem Boom in the Archipelago. These great economic boons directly fueled the growth of the Regalian Military, able to train more officers, sustain more levies in the constant march of conquest the Empire was undergoing to unite all of Corontium, and most crucially, supply the Regalian Navy with new warships for the Regalian conquest of the waves. It was a time of providence. But, when Nicolas Kade died, followed by Handorien I, those who stepped into positions of leadership had only one thing on their minds: War.

History

The Breaking of a Cycle

Emperor Allestrain I was an unconventional leader. One of the rare Emperors to lead from the frontline, his godly blessings in life rendered him immune to damage from normal weapons, and so he took to combat with zeal. He worked alongside his wife, Empress Eolaria Cadar, to shift the Empire to a war footing, but alongside him was also his longtime lover Alexander the Giant. Following the death of Nicholas Kade, the title of Arch Chancellor was soon passed to the twin brothers Alexander and Cedmir Kade. However, they could not have been more different from each other. Where Alexander was a mountain of a man, a born warrior, Cedmir was timid, a competent bureaucrat but lacking sophisticated political acumen. For his whole life, he and his brother had been a pair, the larger Kade the physical and political protector to his cherished brother, while Cedmir learned the affairs of state, and how to manage what their grandfather Nicholas was building. When Allestrain ascended to the throne however, matters of diplomacy fell away, as Alexander, Allestrain, Eolaria, and Alexander’s wife, Leona, all men and women of combat, turned to the art of war to expand the Empire.

The blistering pace for starting wars the group set would not be met by the Regalian Empire until decades later when the Kades themselves rose to the Imperial Throne. They would march on many smaller Ailor nations, arriving in force, and insisting on local rulers allowing Unionist religious officials to establish themselves in the area, as well as openly preach their faith. While most accepted these deals, a number of regions following pagan practices (largely Fornoss) refused, and for this, they faced the Empire’s wrath. Thousands of soldiers were disgorged from the fleets of the Imperial Navy, and the Imperials alongside their Kade companions would lead a campaign of brutal effectiveness against their foe. In the end, they would crush a region’s ability to resist the Empire, but then bestow them with the Navigation Acts for security and protection at the hands of the Regalians in the peace treaty. A policy of Allestrain working in concert with Cedmir, the Navigation Acts would be spread across Aloria, through Southwynd, into Westwynd, and at last, seek purchase in Northbelt. But there, the Empire found a worthy rival. The remnants of the Skagger Horde, long fled from Corontium, had come and sought refuge across the northern lands of Aloria. The greatest of the nations their exodus founded was the Kingdom of Nordskag, and it rejected the Regalian “offers” of Unionist priests. The First Nordskagger War began, but within just a few months, a horrible result came to pass. Fighting at the front line, Allestrain I was struck down by an arrow, a baffling outcome for a man invincible to damage by the divinity entrusted in him by the Everwatcher. The Regalian war effort paused as shock rippled across the Empire.

The Rage of the Giant

Fighting close at hand to Allestrain I was Alexander the Giant. Sources written by Regalian levies decades later claim they, for the first time they could recall, saw Alexander weep. But his crying soon turned to cries of madness and rage. Despite the withdrawal of the Nordskagger army, he hunted them across the snow-covered land, screaming for answers and to learn who had loosed the shot. But, he got none, and some degree of reason eventually awoke in him, seeing his return to the Regalian front line. The First Nordskagger War came to a bitter end, and the Empire retreated. Back in Regalia, Cedmir was present for the crowning of the new Emperor, Handorien II, Allestrain’s nephew. When Alexander returned home, he was filled with a dark rage. Where before he had been full of life and gusto, though still stern and forceful when needed, he now brooded and stalked the halls, restless. He is rumored to have killed at least three sparring partners in sudden bursts of rage, though others insist he simply destroyed three dozen sparring dummies. Regardless, Handorien II and Cedmir Kade soon came to realize a problem with the policies of Allestrain, and now, his still-rabid militarist supporters, including Alexander.

The four years of conflict Allestrain had unleashed had been a significant drain on the Empire’s finances. The debt burden for the State and the Imperial household had risen significantly with each passing campaign as the grand nation had to pump funds into the devastated regions, as well as keep paying for their security as part of the Navigation Acts. For Alexander, the answer was simple: Void the debts, and resume the conflicts, especially against Velheim nations. Handorien II dithered for a time, but unable to stop Alexander’s war lust, allowed him to resume conflict or at least, “warship diplomacy” with a handful of different states elsewhere in Aloria. This action was also supported by the Eronidas legions, who ravaged all lands that stood against them, so great was their rage at the death of the Eronidas Emperor. However, with each passing year, Alexander’s patience seemed to wear thinner and thinner. It is rumored that he drew razor-close to threatening Handorien II directly, so convinced was he that voiding the debts and resuming the warfare was the correct course of action. In the end, Handorien II signed the edict, voiding all debts of the Regalian State and Imperial Household under the power of the Everwatcher. As the Everwatcher’s principal actor in Aloria, the Emperor could not allow his great nation to slip into chaos and prevent the expansion of the Unionist faith. Thus, he had taken this action to protect the Empire.

The Purple Bleeding

It was as if someone had set off an explosive in a crowded market. The outrage that poured out from the financial quarter of the Empire was blistering, as several banks promptly collapsed, while many dozens of notable nobles rapidly declared rebellion against both the State and the Emperor, believing the entire event to be a corrupt plot driven by overreaching militarist elements. The outrage was so fervent that, for several days, the Emperor and other members of the government barricaded themselves in estates and facilities across the Crown Isle to avoid the riots running through even the capital city. But then, Alexander the Giant stepped into the spotlight, accompanied by his political allies in the Regalian Military. In a vast operation, thousands of levies from House Kade and other loyal military families were raised or recalled from across the Empire, and brought down onto the very heart of the nation. Thousands of rioters and rebels were put to the sword, and those dozens of noble families who had revolted against the Emperor found themselves executed entirely, to a scant few members, or exiled from the borders of the Empire. The reprisal for the outrage was brutal, and the formerly lauded Alexander the Giant was now deemed a butcher. However, he had succeeded in quelling the revolts and revolutions, and the Purple Bleeding came to a swift end.

In the immediate aftermath of the Bleeding, Alexander the Giant left the Empire with the Regalian Military and resumed the same war-time posture as he had in Allestrain’s time. However, the Empire was not nearly as successful this second time around. Whether it was the death of Allestrain, or Alexander’s growing rage seeing him ignore tactics and strategy in favor of blind charges, the conquests were minimal. A war in Eastwynd failed, followed by a conflict in Ellador which gained the Empire some alliances, followed by a second war with Nordskag. This second conflict saw the death of Alexander the Giant, hunted and killed by Nordskagger soldiers after he apparently went on a one-man mission to recover Sangria, Allestrain’s unique sword. He succeeded but was tracked down before he could return to Regalian lines, the blade once again removed and kept by the region’s Velheim. Unlike Allestrain, whose body was lost in the cold lands of Nordskag, Alexander’s corpse was recovered and returned to the Empire. Cedmir, already in a precarious position at home and now fearful for his very life at the death of his protector, resigned the Chancellorship in favor of his son: Morgan Kade.

Effects

The Purple Bleeding had many immediate and dramatic effects on the Regalian Empire. The first was the significant loss in the Empire’s learned, urban population, financiers, as well as many competent political nobles who knew the Edict of Voidance was a terrible act. While many of these were killed as they rebelled or rioted, unable to conceive of the brutal response from the Empire’s leaders, others simply lost their power or prestige due to being unable to collect on the debts the Empire and Imperials owed them. In the place of at least the nobles who had been removed were new, militaristic families, soon called the Brass Bloods, who were rewarded with the former lands and titles of those they helped Alexander the Giant crush. One of the most notable of these Brass Blood nobles was the House von Treppewtiz. They are well-known today, though their role in the Bleeding is far less so. In addition to these changes, Morgan Kade was soon able to push Emperor Handorien II to abdicate the throne over the shame of signing the Edict of Voidance. In his place was crowned his sickly son, Justinian I, whom Morgan Kade then bullied into signing over his religious authority, vesting the Kade Arch Chancellor with full political and religious power.

The Purple Bleeding also sowed the first seeds of pessimism within the Regalian Empire. While the most outspoken critics of the Regalian State were executed during the crackdowns, the silent majority of the Empire watched on as the Imperials abused their power, the Kades enforced them, and thousands died, while the Empire strained. They came to fear for the future, and believe the Empire was doomed, especially as many of them came to see the corruption of Morgan Kade. While the average citizen was won over by Morgan’s great charisma, and the Empire’s prosperity slowly returning, many nobles saw the horror and the terror he enacted, and began to see the Empire itself was unsavable, not without great change. Thus, when the Regalian Pessimism came, some of those who survived the Bleeding and their descendants made up the backbone of the Barons Coalition during the Drachenwald Crisis, justifying their position with the tyranny of the past, and desiring a more egalitarian system of distributing power to protect the people. In the end, these grand ideas also failed, and the Purple Bleeding remains a black mark on Regalian history.

Trivia

  • As Emperor Allestrain I and Alexander the Giant were secretly lovers, some sympathetic scholars see the Purple Bleeding as an unfortunate result of one doing anything possible to ensure the death of their lover was not in vain, as Alexander’s quest for revenge drove him to ensure the Empire would carry on its war footing against all foes.
  • The near-total disappearance of Empress Eolaria Cadar and Leona Kade following the death of Emperor Allestrain I has prompted much modern speculation. While both of them did die by the time Morgan Kade rose to power, how and where they died remain great mysteries. As they were lovers, most believe they died together.
  • Sangria, Allestrain’s powerful sword, was later returned to Corontium by a Unionist shortly after the peace that finally brought Nordskag into the Regalian sphere. Initially secured in Vultaro & Montania, it would go on a pilgrimage back to the Crown Isle, reaching the capital in 288 AC.

Accreditation
WritersFireFan96, HydraLana
ProcessorsMantaRey
Last EditorHydraLana on 09/29/2024.

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