The Arcadian Schism

Political event

"The king went down to the wishing well, the wishing well
He wished for a balm to end his hurts
The king came back from the wishing well, the wishing well
And all he could feel was thirst."
- Arcadian children's rhyme

The ruling family of Arcadia were corrupted by some unknown, otherworldly influence. They began issuing strange edicts: rationing so tight it was starving people while grainhouses literally rotted full, mandatory attendance of bizarre midnight rituals, the likes of which no existing religion could explain, making the singing of a popular children’s song punishable by muting, and finally-- most drastically-- closing the borders to the neighbouring areas-- The Underkingdom to the north and the Great Plains to the south-- and revoking the rights of free travel, effectively ending all trade and travel except by air or sea.   The noble lords of Arcadia, led by the Duchess Eleanor Ashton and Count Morgan Sterling objected. First by not enforcing the strange laws, then by official objections in the royal court. After one particularly specific decree forbidding the riding of horses during the waning moon, Duchess Eleanor, lady of Arden (the largest duchy), publicly and powerfully stated that she would be withdrawing her family’s fealty from the Crown. The Crown promptly had her executed on the spot, sparking a new wave of fear and resentment. As word of the King’s disregard for feudal rights spread, various Lords throughout the lands rose up and (more-or-less) unified under Count Sterling. The self-styled Free Lords eventually declared open rebellion against the king and his feverishly loyal royal forces.   The original rebellion only lasted about 3 months, as the royal forces were vastly outnumbered and the royal family had not taken appropriate precautions for an extended siege in winter. Notably, the royal guard fought to the death, to a man, even trying to kill clerics and chirurgeons attempting to heal them after they were captured. The Siege of Arcadia Keep was the largest battle in the war, where the king, his wife, and heirs (two sons) were all put to the sword, ending the “mad line.”   However, almost immediately following the regicide, the coalition of lords crumbled. Count Sterling’s leadership was immediately terminated by a fatal duel, and the victor of the duel, Countess Lyra Davenport, tried to declare herself Queen of Arcadia. She was summarily arrested and stripped of her land and titles by one Baron Thomas Cochran, and from there, once barons began capturing countesses (or queens, depending upon whom you're asking), collapse was inevitable.   Modern-day Arcadia is a fractured land of many small, mostly feudal, territories. The various lords -- knights, baronets, barons, viscounts, counts, margraves, and the two surviving dukes (Duchess Eleanor’s duchy, Arden, has established itself as a free state, ruled by a council of nine elected guildlords)-- all vie for power, territory, and the throne. In the last 20 years, 6 people have declared themself King or Queen of Arcadia, and all have failed to unite or conquer the warring lands. The people survive by paying tributes when required, and most villages have gotten used to their sons being taken from them and returned, if they’re lucky, as wounded men with scars and dark stories.