Halian Civil War

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The Halian Civil War, known simply as in The Civil War in Halicourt provides the basic backdrop for the story Halian Civil War. Initially termed by the monarchy as The Midlands Uprising, however, this is a misnomer as the Midlands was not the only area where nobles rose against the royalty.

Peasantry
Largely, the peasants are simply tired of living under the boot of the nobility. Sick of watching those that do manage to claw their way up th social ladder crumble into nothing due to the arrogance of the high born. Peasant revolts are quite common in Halicourt, however, they are mainly isolated incidents.

Many peasants have organized into radical revolutionary mobs. Although relatively unskilled and poorly led, they are numerous. A large portion of these mobs state their goal as the dissolution of all nobility in Halicourt.

However, this does not mean that all peasants feel this way. Some have resigned themselves to the fact that this is their lot in life. If their lord calls for the king, it is his place to follow. Others feel that despite their mistrust of the nobility, they have a better chance of success if they join the reformer lords who have risen up.

The Reformer Lords
Some of the highest among the nobility have risen up against the king of Halicourt, chief among them being Arl Simon of Mountford, Baron Harlan Griffith, and Baroness Roselyn of Durham. Despite them joining forces, their reasons for opposing the king are varied. Some are genuinely sick of the way the current regime treats peasants and the way it deals with the aftermath of the peasant revolts. Others have been slighted by the king in one way or another. Many see it as a way to grab more power for their house.

King Geoffrey of Aylesbury
King Geoffrey is a hard and ruthless ruler. If a peasant revolt takes place, it must be put down violently. For if one should give in to their demands, the low born will just use it when they feel they are entitled to something. For the most part, the nobility agrees with him. It is what the man does afterwards that tends to make the high born uneasy.

For every peasant that rises up has a family, and despite their claims they were involved in the uprising. They aided it. Provided supplies. Intel. Anything the traitors needed, their family gave. For this, they must be crushed. Mass hangings of practically entire villages have followed in the wake of a violent revolt. Many nobles who signed on for the length of the expedition quickly saw what type of man their king is.

Royalists
Those who have come out in support of the king outnumber the lords who would proudly declare their desire to see him deposed. For the most part, they are loyal to him and House Aylesbury. Whether through promises of land or wealth, they would stand with him. Halicourt has been the way it is for centuries, why should one change a system that has lasted so long?

Although their morale is low, the peasants in the service of the king and the royalist lords are as well trained as those in the reformer carrants. These men and women know that their place is below the nobles they serve, and fighting against it would just end in the death of those they hold dear.

Reformers
The only other power player in the Halian Civil War are the reformer lords. Whether they have joined for greed or social justice, they are united in the fact that they wish to see King Geoffrey deposed. Some of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom have risen up to threaten the stability of the kingdom.

Many among the peasantry have flocked to their banners, bringing their families and their various skills to the cause.

Local Nobility
Not a faction in their own right, however, the local nobility make up a large number of the high born preparing for the looming conflict. From baronet and below, the carrants of these men and women provide the levies for the armies of the royalists and the reformers.

The local nobility, unlike the high lords they swear fealty to, do not owe any true loyalty to the king. They are loyal to the one that is lord over their lands. For the most part, the lower nobles are ambivalent towards the entire situation. Many do not see it as their place to judge their king, nor should they fight a war for the peasants they hold as tenants. However, if they are called by their lord, be it for the rebels or the royalty, they will answer.