Lamplighters

Lamplighters
Type	Martial/Rebel
Leader	Multiple
Headquarters	None
Goals	Independence for Argengrast
Scope	Argengrast

The Lamplighters are a loosely-affiliated network of individuals and organizations that seek independence for Argengrast. 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 Tirionite colony of Argengrast.

History

Willful mismanagement and a lack of concern for the population has frayed the once good relations between the governing Tirionite conglomerates and the ordinary people of Argengrast. Unlike in Briathone or Nionegrast, the companies and colonial administration long maintained policies of listening to and addressing the concerns of their workers and citizens. When a drought from Y9958^* to Y9968^* rendered Tirionite farmers completely unable to support the cities of the nation, however, Argengrast was forced into providing almost all the food to ensure the metropole did not starve. Tirione has recovered in the years since, but the actions of the colony remain fresh in the minds of Argenites.

During the Long Ten Years, as it is known to the people of Argengrast, the agricultural output shipped from the colony to Tirione 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 Argengrast suffered greatly nonetheless.

As a result of the Long Ten Years, the social and political situation in Argengrast has deteriorated greatly. Various dissident groups 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 Argengrast. This new period in Argengrast'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 Argengrast, 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 Argenite independence, though most have aligned themselves with the Lamplighters. The largest of the pro-independence groups, the Lamplighters are a motley alliance of Argenite 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. Argenite 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 phoenix cult that calls themselves the Argenite 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.