THE CONCLAVE OF SUNPIKE
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NAME
The Conclave of Sunpike takes its name from an Adfiran religious site known as the Sunpike Grove. It was at this grove on Jet 10th, 2486 AT, that senior religious, political and military leaders from across Neusattar met to discuss their response to the events of the previous month and the future path of the planet of Neusattar and its peoples. Members of the organisation are often referred to as 'Sunpikers' or 'Pikemen', both by themselves and by media and intelligence agencies.
PURPOSE AND STRATEGY
The Conclave is a republican group with roots in Adfiran religious values and Neusattran ethno-nationalism. Its membership is spread across the planet and constitutes a number of sub-cultures such as the Suedians, Sattrans and Mediolanii. Its overall stated aim is to secure the political, military and economic independence of the planet of Neusattar from the Jade Empire of Ingen.
Neusattar has been a territory of the Jade Empire since the Great Council of 2430 AT following the Vong War, at which the surviving leadership of the various nations of Neusattar agreed to join the Jade Empire of Ingen. The Conclave seeks to reverse the decision of the Great Council of 2430 and restore Neusattran sovereignty, including the restoration of the various Sattran republics, the Kingdom of Suedia, and the Calcarian Empire, as free and independent states. It is their hope that this will also undo the Curse for all those freed from Imperial rule.
To achieve this it relies on a variety of means. As it is a proscribed organisation and membership is treated as a treasonable offense, for which the maximum penalty is death, its members operate in secret and as informal cells. The Conclave publishes propaganda and anti-establishment material both in physical and digital forms, running clandestine social media channels and disseminating literature and merchandise advocating for an independent Neusattar. Some elements of the Conclave also engage in direct action such as sabotage and theft against government facilities and sympathisers. Assassinations, blackmail and intimidation are also employed by some Conclave cells against samurai nobility, collaborators and government officials.
Neusattar has been a territory of the Jade Empire since the Great Council of 2430 AT following the Vong War, at which the surviving leadership of the various nations of Neusattar agreed to join the Jade Empire of Ingen. The Conclave seeks to reverse the decision of the Great Council of 2430 and restore Neusattran sovereignty, including the restoration of the various Sattran republics, the Kingdom of Suedia, and the Calcarian Empire, as free and independent states. It is their hope that this will also undo the Curse for all those freed from Imperial rule.
To achieve this it relies on a variety of means. As it is a proscribed organisation and membership is treated as a treasonable offense, for which the maximum penalty is death, its members operate in secret and as informal cells. The Conclave publishes propaganda and anti-establishment material both in physical and digital forms, running clandestine social media channels and disseminating literature and merchandise advocating for an independent Neusattar. Some elements of the Conclave also engage in direct action such as sabotage and theft against government facilities and sympathisers. Assassinations, blackmail and intimidation are also employed by some Conclave cells against samurai nobility, collaborators and government officials.
ORGANISATION
The Conclave is only loosely organised. Local cells or individual agents take action on their own initiative, typically without the involvement or knowledge of other cells. An unknown number of members are positioned in local government and are able to obfuscate, misdirect and hinder investigation into the Conclave, as well as provide funding and materiel.
HISTORY
In Ruby 2486 AT, ongoing events in the Jade Empire of Ingen led to the laying of the Curse of Light on all subjects of the Jade Empire. Utilising the Far Anomaly, the collective belief of the population was used to channel energies from the Far and forcibly transform the population into the non-human Yokari. Amongst Ingenious subjects this caused a net groundswell of belief in the power of the Jade Empress and support for the Jade Throne, as it seemingly validated the teachings of Jade Shinto. The Neusattran population of the Jade Empire had a more confused response to these rapid and drastic changes, however. Whilst many viewed the Curse as a terror attack by the Merger, others believed that the Curse was an Ingenious affair and that Neusattrans had been unfairly involved to their detriment.
On Jet 10th 2486 AT, various religious, political and military leaders met at the Sunpike Grove on the southern range of the Alphos Mountains to discuss the events of the previous month. They spoke for two days, over the course of which the conversation increasingly turned towards the idea of separation from the Jade Empire. Many chose to leave rather than be party to treason, but those who remained eventually agreed that independence was the only way to protect the people of Neusattar.
The assembled swore an oath to free Neusattar of Imperial rule by any means necessary, marking the occasion with the sacrifice of livestock and humans, criminals transported to the site for this purpose. As the ceremony drew to a close, Sunpike Grove was approached by a force of sixty household retainers and militia under the leadership of Gavin Malham, Hatamoto of Granby. The conspirators attempted to flee, whilst several opened fire on the militia, and a gunfight ensued. The surprised and poorly-armed members were nearly |
overwhelmed, suffering a half-dozen casualties before the Knight in Jet and Gold emerged and assaulted the loyalist infantry from the cover of the forest, cutting down several militia before plunging his sword through the rear armour of the militia's Taitan Main Battle Tank, detonating the shell rack and creating an explosion which enabled the surviving Conclave members to escape.