Aederik's Revoultion

Aederik's Revoultion - also known as False King's War or the Rape War by some historians - was a military conflict within the Kingdom of Etrand that took place during the reign of King Bryant I of Etrand.

Background
In 718, King Calder I of Etrand died while his wife was pregnant - his only daughter, Mythela took the throne, but her succession was contested by Calder's, which led to the Etrandish Succession War of 718, which ultimately ended with Mythela de jure keepign her throne, while de facto political power would go to her new husband Bryant, who was one of the main leaders of the loyalist forces during the aforementioned civil war.

It is generally believed that Calder's wife miscarried, never delivering a living boy - however, that didn't stop random claimants to the throne from popping up, claiming to be Calder's lost son. One such claimant was Aederik, who, in 733, accused King Bryant of being a "usurper", demanding the throne and threatening to organize a peasant rebellion when his demands were met with laughter.

The rebellion was sparked by a variety of factors. Firstly, there had been a drought in many regions of Etrand for the past two years, which had decimated crops and led to food shortages. Many peasants blamed King Bryant for this, as he had been trying to provide the cities with the necessary nourishment. They hoped that if Aederik, who had grown up as a peasant, was to become king, he would enact new laws in their favor.

Secondly, King Bryant had recently enacted the Anti-Rape Laws, which completely banned the cultivation of rapeseed. This had a major impact on the lives of many peasants, who relied on the cultivation of this crop as their main source of income. The king's enforcers were at times overzealous in enforcing these laws, with widespread accusations of burning down rapeseed fields and refusing to compensate the peasants for their financial losses. This led to widespread discontent among the peasantry, which was further exacerbated by the fact that some peasants, such as Ghéri Myrnáld, had been physically abused by royal enforcers for publicly insulting the king for his "anti-rapeseed hysteria".

It was this discontent that Aederik sought to capitalize on when he emerged from obscurity, claiming to be the lost son of King Calder and amassing a peasant army with the intent of overthrowing King Bryant. Ghéri Myrnáld, who had suffered heavily due to the king's policies, used the remainder of his wealth to finance Aederik's rebellion. Aederik was able to rally support from peasants throughout the kingdom, many of whom were disillusioned with the current state of affairs and saw Aederik as a symbol of hope and change.

Conflict
The rebellion began with a series of small skirmishes and attacks on royal outposts and convoys, which quickly escalated into full-scale warfare. Aederik's army was able to score some early victories against the Etrandish military, thanks in part to the element of surprise and the fact that many of the soldiers were poorly trained and poorly equipped. However, as the rebellion dragged on, the military began to gain the upper hand, and Aederik's army began to suffer heavy losses.

One of the key turning points in the rebellion came when Aederik's army was defeated at the Battle of Mitrid Plains. This was a decisive victory for the Etrandish military, and it effectively ended the rebellion. Aederik himself disappeared without a trace, and many of his followers were either killed or captured in the aftermath of the battle. Ghéri Myrnáld, who had played a key role in financing and organizing the rebellion, was captured and executed by the Etrandish military.

Aftermarth
While the king ultimately made several concessions to the peasantry - such as repealing the Anti-Rape Laws, re-legalizing the cultivation of rapeseed - he still punished those who participated in the rebellion: peasants were returned to their villages by force and those who participated were forced to permanently settle there for the next twenty years as a means of punishment - many were forced to to work on the newly established ricefields near the rivers, as part of Bryant's campaign to popularize rice cultivation in Etrand. Aederik's body was never recovered from the battlefield which gave birth to many rumours of his survival and contiuned ambition of taking the throne. It took decades for these stories to die out but Aederik still remained a hero in many peasant's eyes.

The "Rape War" had a lasting impact on the Kingdom of Etrand, and thus was remembered as a dark and violent chapter in the kingdom's history. It served as a reminder of the dangers of discontent and rebellion, and it underscored the importance of maintaining stability and order in the kingdom. It also led to a series of reforms and concessions by the royal government, which sought to placate the disgruntled peasantry and prevent future revolts.