( 2 months later, Terra Nova Online, The Uprising Guild )
A big change that occurred over the past two months in the world of Terra Nova Online was that the Uprising Guild finally made its presence known throughout the Empire by launching a military campaign in the Southern Duchy.
They chose to target the Southern Duchy first, because it was the only peaceful province in the entire Empire, which was not currently undergoing active war or was under the threat of facing a demon invasion.
Had they chosen to attack the Eastern or Western Duchies that were currently facing demon attacks, they would remain at the risk of facing a demon threat over their newly conquered lands and not wanting to risk it, ChaosBringer ordered his men to turn their focus to the Southern Duchy.
The execution of their first attack was simply masterful.
The motivated members of his guild completed his recruitment targets in just under three weeks and from the second that his recruitment targets were met, the guild officially entered war-mode as it began planning and strategizing their first attack.
After a couple weeks of planning their rebellion meticulously, the guild came up with a plan that ensured that their first assault was both swift and devastating.
Their target was the 'Milwaukee' Viscounty which consisted of 2 towns and 7 villages in total, on the coastal-line of the Empire.
It was a Viscounty that was a fair distance away from the other territories within Southern Duchy with the next nearest village being over 100 kilometers away and was a territory that was geographically pretty hard to capture, if the defending viscount's forces were on the lookout for threats, however, easy to capture if the enemy had already permeated inside, making it vulnerable against guerrilla tactics of warfare.
The key to the Uprising's strategy was the infiltration of strategic institutions within the towns and villages, executed by spies of the uprising guild who had blended seamlessly into the local population over the past few days.
On the day of the attack, it was these infiltrators who disabled the communication hubs first— the watchtowers and messengers' posts—severing lines of communication between the Viscount's forces.
This created immediate confusion and delayed any coordinated response from the defending forces.
Next, they attacked the armories and stables, preventing the local militias from arming themselves effectively and mobilizing their cavalry.
These initial strikes were crucial, as they dismantled the local forces' ability to organize a defense, making them vulnerable to the Uprising's main assault.
The Uprising's main forces, consisting of 15,000 NPC mercenaries and over 150,000 members then moved swiftly to capture the two major towns in the Viscounty.
These towns were pivotal because they housed fortified palaces that served as the command centers for the Viscount's forces.
Normally, these forts would be difficult to siege, but the Uprising had already infiltrated these strongholds as by the time the main attack commenced, the infiltrators had neutralized the internal defenses, rendering the imposing walls useless, allowing the main forces to have a free march into the towns, as they were met with little to no overall resistance.
Once the towns were secured, the Uprising's forces turned their attention to the surrounding villages, with each village capitulating in turn, unable to resist after the fall of the central towns as the local militias, disoriented and leaderless, were quickly overpowered.
With the Viscounty firmly in their grasp, Chaosbringer orchestrated a silent yet bold declaration of rebellion.
There were no grand speeches or public appearances. Instead, letters were posted on every lamppost, every street corner, and in every public square, announcing the new order. The letters proclaimed:
"People of the Southern Duchy,
The Uprising Guild has taken control of this territory. We stand against the tyranny of the Emperor and strive to bring justice and freedom to the oppressed. A curfew is now in place from dusk till dawn. Remain calm and cooperate with our forces. Any resistance will be dealt with swiftly.
The Uprising Guild"
The reaction to this announcement among the commoners was one of mixed fear and uncertainty.
The promises of liberation did little to alleviate the anxiety of living under a new and untested regime, as not many NPC were discontent with the current regime in the first place.
Patrols were immediately established, with soldiers enforcing the curfew and maintaining order through sheer force.
Life under the Uprising's control was strict. Resources were rationed, and dissent was crushed with an iron fist. Informants were rewarded for reporting any rebellious activity, and the presence of the Uprising's troops in the streets was a constant reminder to the people of their new rulers.
Propaganda efforts were ramped up, depicting the Empire as the true enemy and painting the Uprising as liberators. Yet, despite these efforts, the commoners remained wary and distrustful of their new rulers.
The greatest challenge for the Uprising Guild was maintaining control over a population that did not support them and to tackle this problem, Chaosbringer's strategy involved using fear as much as incentive.
Public executions were held to deter any thoughts of rebellion, and strict laws were enforced to keep the populace in line.
Despite the oppressive atmosphere, the Uprising continued to solidify their control as they quickly fortified their newly acquired territory, preparing for the inevitable counterattack from the Empire.
Recruitment drives were launched to bolster their numbers, targeting disillusioned youths and those with personal grudges against the Empire.
In the shadows, Chaosbringer continued to plan as the capture of the Milwaukee Viscounty was just the beginning.
With their foothold secure, the Uprising Guild prepared for the next phase of their rebellion, ready to spread their influence further across the Empire.
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The impact of the Uprising Guilds rebellion against the Empire was profound, as when they successfully carved out a piece of land from the Empire into their own control, players throughout the Empire were given a choice to select sides.
[ System Notification :- The 'Uprising' guild has successfully captured a Viscounty and declared rebellion against the Empire.
The Empire is now officially under civil war.
Both the Uprising guild and the Empire are now recruiting additional members to end this civil war, and all players are free to choose a side.
Note - Choosing to side with the rebels will brand you as an enemy of the state. If caught, you will be imprisoned and face heavy gaming penalties ]
A system notification informed all players about the Uprising's stunning victory and gave everyone a chance to join them, however, it also warned that joining them would not be without consequences.
However, despite the warning, The Uprising saw their biggest influx of members in the coming days of this notification, as their members expanded from 4 million to 20 million in just the next 7 days.
This was mostly done because there were many players who wanted to leave a lasting legacy within the world of Terra Nova and felt that joining the rebellion was a promising way to do it.
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/// A/N - Chapter 11 of 15.
Initially this Coup by the uprising was planned to be a 7 chapter event, but I have compressed it into one, so feel free to ask me in the comments below if you need additional clarification on anything. ///