The Early Days in Ashton after Independence from Emuria
In hearing this tale, please realize that I am providing a historical opinion and commentary on events which happened within relatively recent history. I do not necessarily share any of the opinions given here, I am trying to provide some record of other sides of a story which was written by the victors. I saw many things said and done in that chaotic era that those who have written most of recorded history did not see, or has not noted in official records. History is written by the victors, but one half is forgotten in the process.
In the year 598 E.R., in the Emurian Empire, the small town of Ashton was a backwater on the edge of the Empire. It had recently relocated several miles down the road from being little more than a hunting encampment and a wayfarer's tavern. The "New Ashton" was a full-fledged town built just a few miles away. However, just a few weeks after construction had ceased on the new City of Ashton the town declared independence from the Emurian Empire under the leadership of Alarain Oakmore.
I do not know who first granted Alarain Oakmore his title of Baron, or if it was first claimed as a spoil of war for throwing the Emurian troops out of Ashton. Ashton first declared itself as an independent Barony, not as a part of Stonegate as is now assumed by many of the young nowadays. It was well over a year after Ashton first repelled the Emurian Army from the borders of the town that it formally affiliated itself with the Kingdom of Stonegate, and it would be almost a year and a half before the Emurian Empire collapsed after the permanent death of the Emperor Cornelius. Stonegate at the time was a small Dwarven kingdom mostly in the mountains. Emuria was ruled by a strict, sometimes tyrannical empire and Dylleria was merely a set of independent City-States spread throughout the countryside. The lands we know as the Kingdom of Stonegate today had a much different political shape.
Baron Oakmore lead the early days of his revolt with a Earth mage named Daleth (she was often called "Lady" Daleth, although I do not know if she actually had a noble title from a recognized kingdom or if it was a self-given appellation), and a Knight from the Duchy of Elysia named Sir Steiner. Sir Steiner's title was thus recognized by the Kingdom of Evendarr, I was always surprised that Emuria and Evendarr did not end up in hostilities for an Evendarrian Knight being a leader of an internal revolt in Emuria.
Several things are often overlooked in recounting the tales of this time.
First, the economy of Ashton was near total collapse. A single gold piece was a remarkable treasure, and most adventurers had only a few silver to their name, and they were far richer than the peasantry. An eccentric Wizard commonly seen in Dragonreach and Elan named Prince Lumsie the Mad had contributed to this mayhem by purchasing almost every copper piece in town, trading it for silver pieces. He had the goal of creating a copper golem, but needed thousands of copper coins to bring it to fruition. An adventurer's armor, sword or spellbook was very likely his most valuable possession. A rich man might own a second set of armor, a silvered weapon, or a small stash of potions or elixirs. A financially successful adventure may have concluded with earning a few silver pieces. There was little standard for the exchange of foreign silver and gold to Emurian or Dyllerian coinage, and attempts by foreign adventurers to provide a cash infusion to the economy often ran headlong into oppressive or incompetent Emurian monetary policies. The oppressively harsh taxes and fees required by the Emurian Magistrate of Ashton meant that even a semi-wealthy adventurer could not afford to legally live in the city. Poor people have little to lose, and poverty and desperation had a significant role in the War for Independence in Ashton.
Second, the Emurian Empire did not put it's best effort into retaking Ashton. The Emurian Imperial Magistrate and officials of Ashton were blatantly corrupt and particularly ruthless and this obviously pushed the native Ashtonites to revolt, this was not the only example of lackluster effort on the part of the Emurian authorities to retake the town. Rarely were there outright military attempts to assault the town, at most the city was poorly besieged for several months. The Emurian Empire was either incompetent, undermanned or unmotivated to reclaim Ashton, or a combination of the above. Many brave warriors did fight and die in that war for Independence, make no doubt, but the Emurian Empire at it's fullest power and with good leadership should have been able to easily wipe Ashton off the maps.
Third, the leaders of the town were most unpopular in many sections, as this bid for independence tore many loyalties asunder. In merely walking around town, whenever Baron Oakmore or his immediate allies were not around, one would hear many things said that would have been scandalous to say in front of them. Baron Oakmore was frequently known in private as "Baron Smokemore" in reference to his heavy use of troll-weed (not that I ever called him that, but I know it was often said). Lady Daleth was very widely rumored to be a necromancer. The leaders of Independent Ashton made it crystal-clear that there was no neutrality allowed, you were either a loyal and obedient citizen of Independent Ashton or you were a traitor and to be executed. Those on the front lines of the war could afford such a black & white view of the Ashton/Emuria issue, but those who traveled often, or were from outside of Emuria found themselves in a most awkward situation. Those of us who had families in the Empire, or were visiting Ashton when the revolution began and were stuck in unfriendly lands had little recourse. Some people in Independent Ashton were actually loyal Emurians, and went along with the official doctrine of Independence merely because they did not wish to be executed for disloyalty or face other harsh punishments. Other people had no love of the Empire, but were alienated by the manner the nobles of Independent Ashton treated townsfolk.
Fifth, the leaders of the town had little clue as to how best to use the city's resources. I at the time was in the employ of Garrett Starlen (later the Lord High Warden of Stonegate), and I often acted as a guard at the local store, the "Happy Hamster". On more than one occasion the Nobles of Ashton entered our store, seized large amounts of merchandise without compensation and told us that we should be "honored to serve the town by equipping it's leaders". In one particular incident I remember well we had obtained a silvered and strengthened two-handed sword from some mercantile contacts earlier in the day, only to have Sir Steiner enter our store later that afternoon and confiscate the weapon because he liked it. We would have happily loaned them the weapons they wanted, or sold them things at discounted rates, but they preferred outright confiscation. They also treated city buildings in the same sense, walking in to town buildings, declaring they were for the official use of the town, and throwing out it's current occupants. None of these things endeared the nobles of independent Ashton to the townsfolk, and lead many to wonder which was really better; Independent Ashton or the Emurian Empire.
Furthermore, they were of the mind that anyone who could wield a weapon in combat was primarily a warrior, regardless of magical skill. A spellcaster who just happened to know how to swing a dagger had the same role in combat as a swordsman in heavy armor to them. They were fond of conscripting townsfolk for mandatory guard practice, where spellcasters, rogues, archers and swordsmen all must stand side by side and practice battle drills of fighting in formation (which were never used in actual fighting). They also often conscripted townsfolk to stand guard at the entrances to the city, or to patrol the wall they built around the city. They were not afraid to pronounce sentences of Desertion against any who disagreed with these calls to arms, and seldom did they give any promised pay for these duties.
Later, of course, the Kingdom of Stonegate would sweep down out of the Mountains and pick up most of the remains of Emuria after Cornelius's death and help unify the Dyllerian City-States into the Principalities of Emuria and Dylleria, and many things changed. It seems like so very long ago when things were like that, but those of us who were there must recall, for if we forget our past we shall never be able to prevent it from returning.
These are many of the forgotten aspects of the Early Days in Ashton after Independence from Emuria.