The League of the Black Knives

The League of the Black Knives
With the coronation of William II, many had hoped that the much beloved son of Emperor Alexander VI would bring new social and civil reforms to the aging empire. To the east, the first republic in a thousand years was formed, which emphasized social justice and civil equality. Instead of civil reforms, William II took his father's philosophy of absolute control, and asserting a legacy through military conquest. After many failed attempts to conquer The Kingdom of Pacifica, William II who later proved to have been suffering from pre-senile dementia, enacted what many felt were bizarre and outlandish policies of extreme taxation, military dictatorship, and isolationism.

The Vindicated Seven
After the 108th Imperial Congress of 1699 which saw the the Imperial Constitution suspended in favor of "Emergency Measures", seven delegates from the Northern Territories; Thomas Von Hessen, Morris Thayer, Nelson Cray, Joseph Brand, John Bedford, John Williams, and lead by former Vice Chancellor Fredrick Mastin would attempt to prevent further removal of constitutional provisions, only to have their protests overruled by the Emperor himself. On December 2nd, the seven stood in front of the Imperial Congress, and stated their resistance to what they called "Tyranny of the highest and most grievous nature". After being shouted from the center pier by William and his loyalists, they openly declared their remission from the Imperial Congress, which days later was dissolved completely. These men would later be known as the "Vindicated Seven"



The Bloody Pamphlet


Written by Fredrick Mastin on October 12th 1699, the pamphlet titled "The Undercrown of the Mad Emperor" listed the League of the Black Knives 10 grievences against William II.




 * We, honoured members of the Imperial Congress have seen the most revered doucment of our constitution ripped asunder for reasons of irresponsibility and aggression.
 * 1) Our people have thus suffered from the failure of His Majesty William II's violent policy towards our neighbours, seeking only to concrete his own legacy.
 * 2) Our beloved freedoms have been bled, leaving the rotten corpse of tyranny which has fetted our great nation. No man may now speak, or act, without fear of punishment. The 7th, 8th, 12th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 31st Admissions to the Imperial Constitution offering essential freedoms has been revoked, for no reason presented by His Majesty William II.
 * 3) The grand armies of our Empire have marched on it's own home soil, and commited aggresions against it's own people, at the behest of His Majesty William II. The deaths of innocents as result have been given no ear by the Imperial Crown.
 * 4) The Imperial Congress has been illegally dissolved, at the behest of His Majesty William II giving no man in this nation representation unto the crown.
 * 5) Relations to our allies have been unjustifiably severed. Our trade has been halted, for no reason presented. The people, as a result, this very day starve. Our navies have resorted to piracy instead of fair trade, at the behest of His Majesty William II.
 * 6) His Majesty William II has instituted civil slavery for any man, woman, or child he sees fit, in order to promote our dying economy.
 * 7) Our crops have been stolen to feed the soldiers of the Imperial Army. Any man who resists is killed, at the behest of His Majesty William II.
 * 8) Our homes have been burned for His Majesty William II's whim. For his palaces and private villas, we have been forced to relinquish our earned property.
 * 9) Our nation, this very day, is being actively disgraced by a mad emperor. No reason or logic befalls his mind. We therefore have no option but to offer our blades in rebellion against him

Upon publishing, the Emperor William II declared any man, woman, or child in posession of this pamphlet to be executed on the spot. Thus, giving the document the nickname "The Bloody Pamphlet"



The Black Knives Revolution




On December 21st 1699, During a meeting held in secret, the small group of revolutionaries sent out private letters to the people of Jamestown, stating if they supported the movement, to paint a black stripe on their door. The next morning, more than 3 quarters of the people of the city had the defining mark. Three days later, Mastin went door to door, organizing the people to march on the Palace to Diamond Candles. After 2 days of bloody street fighting, the League of Black Knives officially marched into parlament, and deposed William II, sending him into exile with his son, Alexander VII, and his wife, Elizabeth.