Lamplighters

Lamplighters
Type	Martial, rebel
Leader	Multiple
Headquarters	None
Goals	Independence for Ashnan
Scope	Ashnan

The Lamplighters are a loosely-affiliated network of individuals and organizations who seek independence for Ashnan. Since the end of the Long Ten Years in Y9968^*, the Lamplighters' influence has grown significantly, though most still operate from the shadows.

Location

The Lamplighters are active almost exclusively in the Tamkaranu colony of Ashnan.

History

Though Ashnan and the food its farmers produced had been greatly beneficial for Tamkaranu for almost four centuries, mismanagement and a lack of concern for local issues frayed the once good relations between the influential trade coalitions and the ordinary people. When a drought from Y9958^* to Y9968^* rendered Tamkaranu farmers completely unable to support the cities of the nation, the trade coalitions saw opportunity in Ashnan, and began to demand increased quotas from farmers in the colony in order to profit from selling their foodstuffs in the markets of the metropole. While this made the merchants of the coalitions immensely wealthy, and ensured Tamkaranu did not starve, it came at a coast in Ashnan as so much food was shipped overseas that local populations were unable to feed themselves. Tamkaranu recovered in the years since, but the actions of the trade coalitions still remain fresh in the minds of the people of Ashnan.

During the Long Ten Years, as it is known to the inhabitants of Ashnan, the agricultural output shipped from the colony to Tamkaranu well outstripped what was actually capable of being provided when considering local needs. The people of the colony were left with little food of their own. Famine was mitigated only through the services of a great number of sympathetic clerics, but Ashnan suffered greatly nonetheless.

As a result of the Long Ten Years, the social and political situation in Ashnan has deteriorated greatly, and various dissident groups have formed in the years since. Many have close ties to the clergy of a number of deities, though the largest and most influential, the Lamplighters, are officially secular. While some of these organizations prefer political solutions, others are not afraid to shy away from violence. All have one shared goal - the dissolution of the colony and independence for Ashnan, away from the influence of Tamkaranu and the trade coalitions. This new period in Ashnan's history is commonly referred to as the Lamplighter Rebellion.

The rebellion has been low in intensity and scale so far. Phoenix Crest has been functionally autonomous since Y9965^*, the first settlement to be loosed from colonial control, and in Y9972^* the town of Soluntum quickly fell to an alliance between the Lamplighters and the local centaurs, almost without a conflict. In most of Ashnan, the rebellion is more of an insurgency, with underground groups sabotaging the forces of the colony. Some of the religiously-affiliated organizations keep a more public profile - temple grounds are de facto neutral territory, something the rebels use well to their advantage.

Interests and activities

There are many factions that are involved in the struggle for Ashnan independence, though most have aligned themselves with the Lamplighters. The largest of the pro-independence groups, the Lamplighters are a motley alliance of Ashnan commoners, independent merchants, religious zealots, and centaurs. Though they have managed to work together thus far, the lack of central leadership and sometimes wildly diverging methods have posed a continual issue in their rebellion.

The Lamplighters acquired their name through their use of lanterns to send coded messages. Despite their best attempts, the ever-changing meaning of the patterns in the light have confounded the colonials' attempts at decryption.

Along with the Lamplighters, a number of religious factions are active in the insurgency. Ashnan clerics of Aduntarri have made clear their support for independence, but refrain from any action further than supporting the rebels with healing, food, and shelter. A subset of the local Cult of the Phoenix that calls themselves the Ashnan Phoenixes are far more active in their role, working closely with the Lamplighters. The faithful of Marya involved themselves relatively late in the conflict, but their influence has steadily grown.