But we took up -30 constitutionalist rep to support the levelers above all instead of going with a more moderate plan that would give us rep with all republicans and not destroy our influence income.
Now suddenly turning around and trying to get the republican broad support results in the worst of both worlds, the constitutionalists still absolutely despise us but we do not have the position as champion of the Levelers we gave up so much to get
I don't regard it as "badly fixing" anything, because we didn't break anything with regards to the Consulars? We probably aren't going to be able to become some Champion of the Consulars but it really isn't that hard to imagine acts that could get a reputation as being willing to work with the Consulars, or at least respect that they're part of whatever Republican government shakes out after all of this.
If it foreclosed all reasonable options of ever improving Consular opinion it'd kinda say that, lol.
I'm not saying we should try to get to +20, +20, +20 and then increase them all equally, that'd be a waste of time, but getting a +10 favor with the Consulars doesn't seem all that unlikely, to be honest?
My opinion is that if we wanted to be friendly to the consulars, we should have gone with their option and used the significantly better political position to support the levelers.
Now that we went all in into the levelers it's a waste to back of and act like we are a moderate when our reputation as a left radical is not going to leave us
I think we closed off the Napoleon style Revolutionary monarch path with the Revolutionary General plan if not when we picked a character who was not a male elf. It would be difficult enough to get the Elven Golden Realms to tolerate a female hobgoblin as a monarch considering how racialized the concept of nobility in this world is. It would be even more difficult to get the Elven Golden Realms to accept a regicide as a fellow monarch.
Sure, Napoleon Bonaparte and Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte were once radical republicans who later became monarchs, but they weren't involved in the death of Louis XVI. I feel that Durand's destiny will be as a republican, whether that leads us to a career as a mere general or as an elected leader or as a republican dictator or an early death.
I don't regard it as "badly fixing" anything, because we didn't break anything with regards to the Consulars? We probably aren't going to be able to become some Champion of the Consulars but it really isn't that hard to imagine acts that could get a reputation as being willing to work with the Consulars, or at least respect that they're part of whatever Republican government shakes out after all of this.
If it foreclosed all reasonable options of ever improving Consular opinion it'd kinda say that, lol.
I'm not saying we should try to get to +20, +20, +20 and then increase them all equally, that'd be a waste of time, but getting a +10 favor with the Consulars doesn't seem all that unlikely, to be honest?
What Schwerte is saying is that being wishy-washy is probably suboptimal. We've thrown our chips behind two factions rather than three, so boosting those two factions' power is probably a better use of our choices in the future, vs. trying to recoup a broad base after going full Saint Just here.
That said I don't 100% agree yet, I want to see the fallout from the capital and the delegate shakeup first.
I think we closed off the Napoleon style Revolutionary monarch path with the Revolutionary General plan if not when we picked a character who was not a male elf. It would be difficult enough to get the Elven Golden Realms to tolerate a female hobgoblin as a monarch considering how racialized the concept of nobility in this world is. It would be even more difficult to get the Elven Golden Realms to accept a regicide as a fellow monarch.
Sure, Napoleon Bonaparte and Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte were once radical republicans who later became monarchs, but they weren't involved in the death of Louis XVI. I feel that Durand's destiny will be as a republican, whether that leads us to a career as a mere general or as an elected leader or as a republican dictator or an early death.
[X] Plan: The RevolutionaryGeneral
-[X] Make the letters public. Not only is it your duty, it is your great pleasure to reveal this treachery. Yet how to go about it? --[X] "...But I say, thus always to tyrants. It is the King's law which tells us that only death may answer for Treason. All are equal before the law - even Citizen Clotaire. Let the courts of the People see Justice done, and let the Traitor pay the same price as he has demanded of so many before this day..." A hostile declaration calling for the king to be put on trial for treason and the destruction of the monarchy will enflame the streets and sway many to the side of the Levelers. Relation with the Leveler faction improves by +10. Relation with the Constitutionalists falls by -40. The republican factions win support in the Convention. The Constitutionalists lose significant support in the Convention.
-[X] Remain in La Durance with the Fifth Army. Politics is secondary. The defense of the Nation comes first. There are Nornish forces far too close to the border for comfort and the royalist dregs may still attempt to do something unexpected. You'll remain with the Fifth in La Durance, preparing it for a resumption of the campaign. Gain additional March Actions. Events in the capital will occur without you, for better or worse.
You are conflicted, a touch nervous. In a way, the thousands you command pale in comparison to the might inherent in your pen as you begin to write your report on the King's conduct. It begins as a report, but in truth it has soon become an accusation - or perhaps a manifesto. You see no reason to soften the blow. The King has committed treason. If the foremost principle of the Revolution is that of Equality, why should you not put it to the test with the Nation's highest citizen?
The words you pen echo with Leveler sentiment. You find yourself quoting writings you have read and reiterating demands you have heard shouted before baying crowds. You do not dignify the King with the titles and honors of his position. Your pen, at least, treats Citizen Clotaire de Parvain like any other citizen. When a beggar steals bread, the courts do not hesitate to condemn him to any number of cruelties. And the beggar's theft hurts only the baker; treason hurts the entire Nation, and thus the punishment must be equal to the injury.
You name Clotaire as he is - a Tyrant, the poisonous head of a monarchy that is nothing more than a cancer in the body politic. When you finalize the letter, you find your hands shaking. It is like gunpowder in an envelope. It will shake the foundations of the Nation. And you shall toss this grenade into Loutharc, sitting distant and blind in La Durance while it goes off in the heart of Arné.
***
Several days pass, as your couriers make their way towards Loutharc. You hardly breathe in anticipation on the days before the first news arrive.
Events in the capital unfold at their own pace. It is a strange thing, to provide the spark for a fire, but only observe the flames from a great distance. You learn of events days or weeks after they occur. And there is a great deal to learn of. The incoming newspapers, letters and changing topics of conversation around the Army's campfires provide a steady stream of information, though it takes time to sift fact from rumor.
Your "manifesto" arrives in the city on the 21st of Garandiale. It is made public two days after, alongside copies of the King's letters. His Majesty (or rather Citizen Clotaire de Parvain) arrives in the city on the very same day. You suspect that this is not coincidence, but a calculated decision by the Leveler press who you have delivered your writings to. The pamphlets and copies have circulated for hours by the time the King enters. When the King's royal convoy passes through the Porte du Roi, the ceremonial bridge-gate traditionally used for a royal entrance, it is not met by eager crowds or grand ceremonies. Pensive National Guards of the city wall off an entirely silent mass of people, who as if by common accord refuse to grant the King any of the usual courtesies and cheers. It is said that one could hear a pin drop a kilometre away in the quiet of the convoy's passing.
That is how the reports in the papers go, at the least. It sounds a touch too neat to be entirely accurate to reality.
Regardless, the King is then conveyed to the apartments of the Palais-Royal, a set of buildings adjacent to the Convention hall in the Maison du Parlement. This in itself is unusual. The King's favored residence is known to be the ostentatious castle-complex of La Couronne. For him to establish himself in the Palais-Royal instead suggests extraordinary circumstances. The day's session of the Convention is closed and the doors guarded by the Régiment-Palatial of the National Guard, known for its staunchly Constitutionalist leadership.
The proceedings last long into the evening. The secrecy is not appreciated on the streets. With the contents of your manifesto and the letters themselves spreading, some even begin claiming that the non-Constitutionalist delegates are being held prisoner inside the Convention hall. Organized by activists of all three republican factions (or occuring entirely spontaneously - the accounts vary), a crowd of some 4,000 forms and advances upon the Palais-Royal. Simultaneous demonstrations take place outside La Couronne and the town hall. In places they are joined by soldiers of the city's National Guard.
Your words are read repeatedly before these thousands, alongside speeches by republican notables and leaders of the city's districts. It is said your name is cheered at times. The crowds remain in place overnight, calling for the opening of the Convention doors, then directly for the King to be put on trial.
And this is the first day. You receive most of this information on the night of the 25th-26th and barely sleep a wink. The whole camp seems up and about with you, reading the papers and speaking in hushed voices about what is happening. The tension is palpable - and so is the discomfort evident in some of your officers.
The pace picks up. In the morning, an effigy of the King is burned on the street before the Palais-Royal. In response, the Régiment-Palatial marches out and orders the crowd to disperse. When this is not obeyed, it is joined by the Duc de Haute-Plaisset - Jean-Paul Georges de Chavaniac, de facto leader of the Constitutionalist cause. Reportedly, he attempts to address the crowd and persuade it to disperse, only to be drowned out by demands for the Convention doors to be opened and the proceedings to be made public. As he departs, his efforts in vain, the crowd begins to push after him and climb the wall around the grounds.
The National Guard opens fire. While Consular and Constitutionalist papers say that this volley is fired into the air, solely as a warning, there are other reports claiming it is directed at the crowd. Panic erupts; dozens to hundreds (the truth is impossible to parse from the reports) die either trampled by the crowd or from the Constitutionalist Guard's fire.
"What a mess," says Thibault-Clovis de Solle of the 55th comments during the officers' lunch, as the papers get passed around. "And we see where careless talk gets us."
"Careless talk, and those who indulge the madness of the mob," replies Philippe-Grimoald de Guerchy, and it does not escape you that he shoots you a look after that the kind few commanders would tolerate from their subordinates.
But even if you'd like to stop things now, events are proceeding on their own course. Soon after royal gendarmes arrest several Leveler activists said to have been involved in the burning of the king's effigy. They are charged with lèse-majesté, which does nothing to improve the mood of the people. Rocks and bricks are thrown at the officers of the law as they shepherd their charges towards captivity.
Within hours, the city has gone into a frenzy. Of Loutharc's ninety-two districts, a full sixty declare themselves to be in a state of active insurrection against the Crown. Those who do not join this revolt overwhelmingly represent wealthier neighborhoods and traditional Church bastions. The insurrectionists unite under the banner of the "Revolutionary Commune of Loutharc" and name Leveler delegates André Leroux and Jean Parent as their elected leaders. Both remain within the Convention hall at this point, from what you parse together. It is thus unclear who actually leads these communards, if anyone.
The communards march on the town hall and storm the mayoral offices. Mayor Chaumette and the royal administration of the city are declared to have been dismissed. Chaumette refuses to leave the premises. In unclear circumstances, he is then killed by the crowd. The next few hours are pure chaos, described in fragmented and contradictory accounts only. The Constitutionalist and Consular papers describe "an orgy of looting and murder"; the Leveler papers skip right ahead to what happens in the late afternoon, at the Palais-Royal.
It appears that the communards, backed up by sympathetic units of the National Guard, march once more on the royal apartments. This time, they are not content to merely demonstrate. The mob storms the Palais-Royal and brings down the outermost fence. There is great confusion among the National Guard in the palace. Reportedly many soldiers simply defect or throw away their weapons rather than oppose the advance of the communards. This allows the mob to breach the outer buildings of the palace, where they find several members of the royal household, including the King's brother, the Duc de Veyard; his wife and children; their governess; Juventius, the bishop of Loutharc; and a number of other scions of the House of Grimoald and their hanger-ons. The crowd seizes the lot of them and cuts down several loyal retainers in the process. The Duc is then paraded around before the crowds and forced to sing La Parvainnaise with a revolutionary cockade pinned to his chest.
There is a lot of sensationalistic hyperbole in the reports, but you hope that part is true. It sounds like a charming procession.
This is as far as the insurrectionists get, however. The King's personal guard, the Garde des Loups, marches out from the palace barracks backed by loyal artillery of the National Guard. The Guard is composed entirely of loup-garou from the Atres - foreigners to a man, with a savage reputation and no sympathy for the People's cause.
There is, reportedly, a long stand-off after that. The communard National Guard and the Wolf Guard stare each other down while more and more Loutharcian citizens gather on the streets before the palace. Eventually, fighting breaks out. Again, it's impossible to say who fires the first shot. You do wish you could have been present to witness these developments with your own eyes, perhaps steer them in a direction of your choosing.
The loup-garou rout the insurrectionists in short order and retake the outer grounds with cannonfire. They fail to liberate the royal captives, however, who are later found bruised but alive and well in a public house halfway across the city. Satirical pamphlets on this fact appear already during the same day, produced with startling speed.
The communard Guard reforms on the streets outside the palace, intent on besieging the grounds. The Garde des Loups begins fortifying the defenses. Yet there is no resumption of hostilities, no renewed fighting. At long last, at around ten in the evening, the doors of the Convention fly open and the delegates spill out onto the streets.
The Convention has deliberated at length on the documents brought before them from La Durance, they announce to the crowds. The Convention has voted on matters critical to the Nation and the Revolution, they say. The Convention has decided, in a 381-156 vote, that His Majesty Clotaire VIII will be temporarily suspended from his duties and be placed under investigation by a special Justice of the Peace. The Convention desires all citizens to return to their homes and desist from further acts of civil unrest. The truth of the matter will be found out, and justice will be carried out.
At this, the crowds disperse at last. But something has changed for good. The Revolutionary Commune refuses to admit a replacement mayor to the town hall, declaring an end to its state of insurrection yet still claiming authority over the city. The Convention, it seems, is unwilling to challenge this; indeed many of its representatives state their support for this popular change in power. No punishments are levied on the communards. The royal administration is well and truly banished from the city. The King himself is not seen anywhere in public at all.
You receive letters from various Levelers in the following days, as well as some from representatives of other factions - which are far less friendly than the former. It appears that the balance of power in the Convention has now shifted. While it will almost certainly take a new election to fully shake up the assembly, already several old Constitutionalists have turned coat for the Consulars, while a great many radical-minded Consulars and indecisive moderates have declared for the Liberationists and the Levelers. Much of this has to be simple opportunism. They see the way the wind is blowing, especially on the streets.
The remaining Constitutionalists are not best pleased with you. For now, they still retain significant power in the Convention. That will make your life more difficult in the coming months, to be sure. Autumn brings with it new elections and new faces into the Convention - friendly faces, if you are fortunate. Backlash to the... excesses of the mob may hurt the Levelers' chances as well, of course. It remains to be seen. Until then, well; victories on the battlefield are worth ten representatives on the Convention, you'd say.
***
The balance of power has shifted!
Unaligned: -42 seats
Constitutionalists: -30 seats
Consulars: +34 seats
Liberationists: +10 seats
Levelers: +28 seats
Relation with the Constitutionalist faction has fallen by -40. Relation with the Leveler faction has grown by +10. The Constitutionalists are expected to lose far more seats in the autumn elections.
A week after all of this, you are met one morning by a delegation of your officers. It is a nervous and motley bunch, but is mostly composed of lieutenants and captains from your elven, human and halfling units. No hobgoblins join them, to your secret pleasure. They are led by Colonel Thibault-Clovis de Solle of the 55th Elven Hussars, Philippe-Grimoald de Guerchy of the 108th and Padrid Gagne of the 16th Halfling.
"Sir," Philippe-Grimoald, evidently the face of the group, says stiffly, "it is with immense regret that we must express our desire to be released from service and removed from under your command. With all due respect to your leadership and your accomplishments on the field of battle, we feel that considering recent events, it is no longer agreeable for us to be associated with an officer who is content to feed the worst appetites of the mob and thus endanger the legal order and stability of this Nation."
"We're proud to have served under you on the Plain, sir," Gagne cuts in, sounding a little embarassed, "but there's no excuse for what you've done. There is blood on your hands, sir. I hope you'll see that, and make amends."
"We offer our resignation, General," de Solle says, "and we hope that you will accept it forthwith. And thank you, sir, for your valor and service to the Nation."
Damn. Not ideal. These are good officers. If only de Lamartine was there instead. There is nothing you can do but accept their resignation, given that the alternative is retaining actively hostile officers in charge of key regiments. You'll feel their loss; hopefully whoever you'll promote from among their subordinates will be competent.
Philippe-Grimoald de Guerchy (Brilliant) has left your service.
Thibault-Clovis de Solle (Lucky) has left your service.
Padrid Gagne (Rapid) has left your service.
Army Morale has fallen by -2 due to political infighting.
Army Drill has fallen by -1 due to officer resignations.
***
You expect that there will be more fallout to come. Yet should you regret your choice? A little pain now is well worth the advancement of the Revolution, surely. The King will almost certainly be put on trial, the people have awakened to their power in Loutharc, and you stand ready here in La Durance to weather whatever comes next.
The Kings of the Golden Realms will respond to this. Of that you are certain. The Fifth Army shall be ready if Norn intends to test the border... or if the Convention chooses to declare war against Citizen Clotaire's foreign backers, which you do not think an impossible prospect either.
That's "fun," in the sense that it was expected and extremely typical. Honestly we were probably going to lose the Brilliant guy to him being promoted anyway.
This is actually good, in that we've become instantly well-known, and a hero of the Revolution, while keeping our hands clean of the worst of the rioting and subsequent political mess. It would have been MUCH different if we were down in the trenches, leading the crowd to storm the palace.
Also @Photomajig no option for a passionate patriotic speech for cooperation in the face of an imminent invasion? For us all biting our tongues and coming together for the sake of not!France? Or at the very least to send them off with good recommendations to avoid bad blood.
Also @Photomajig no option for a passionate patriotic speech for cooperation in the face of an imminent invasion? For us all biting our tongues and coming together for the sake of not!France? Or at the very least to send them off with good recommendations to avoid bad blood.
Not for these people, since they're likely to, uh, blame you for provoking any imminent invasion. Recommendations is something you can certainly give if it becomes relevant.
There are COs who like you much more than before too, of course. That may also prove useful.
Ah, my favorite part of the quest, the part where actions have consequences.
I don't want to hear any more hand-wringing about some dead monks, now (honestly I don't think anyone in-universe will notice at this point, at least not until we're long dead and historians are relitigating our legacy).
Nothing has happened in Antreville that you have heard of. It is a royalist stronghold, but it's only got a small garrison vs the Fifth Army.
Von Wachenheim's army is largely a mystery to you, but it is almost certainly on the smaller side and made up of second-rate units for the most part. The elites of the Nornish Army are tied up occupying Vechian territories (there are peace talks ongoing and active fighting has ended). The same should apply to von Trotha's force.
We made our decision, and we'll have to deal with the consequences. Silver lining, we don't have a net Influence loss, and we have 380 Influence in total to bulk up our army in advance of the storm.
Nothing has happened in Antreville that you have heard of. It is a royalist stronghold, but it's only got a small garrison vs the Fifth Army.
Von Wachenheim's army is largely a mystery to you, but it is almost certainly on the smaller side and made up of second-rate units for the most part. The elites of the Nornish Army are tied up occupying Vechian territories (there are peace talks ongoing and active fighting has ended). The same should apply to von Trotha's force.
Smaller as in about comparrative to our force or smaller relative to something like Guizot's force at Angilmont? So lower 10s or upper 10s heading into lower 20s?
