The Crown Prince paced restlessly in the dimly lit war room, the heavy scent of burning candle wax mixing with cold stone air.
His eyes remained fixed on a small, battered flintlock pistol resting atop a velvet cushion—a weapon seized from a recent skirmish near Brenmark.
The Weapon That Changed the Game
"They call it a musket," the captain of the guard explained cautiously. "Light, accurate, faster than any crossbow or longbow. A single shot can fell a knight."
The prince turned the pistol over in his hands, weighing the implications. Muskets and flintlocks had begun to flood the Northern Lands—produced in secret workshops, distributed by the Union's couriers, wielded by peasants who once knew only the plow.
"If these weapons slip from their hands into ours…" the Prince muttered, a plan forming in his mind. "Then the tide may yet turn."
A Campaign for the Arms
The prince's advisors warned of difficulty. The Union's supply routes were well hidden, their workshops guarded by loyal militias and natural terrain.
Yet the Crown Prince was determined.
He dispatched agents—mercenaries skilled in espionage and bribery—to infiltrate the rebel networks. Rumors spread of double agents, corrupt village guards, and violent raids on suspected workshops.
But every strike against the Union's arms factories was met with swift retaliation or clever concealment.
The revolution's fire had found a forge too strong to break.
The Second Revolutionary Congress
Far from the capital's intrigue, Emil prepared for the Second Revolutionary Congress—a gathering larger and more diverse than the first.
This time, delegates arrived not only from the Northern heartlands but from villages and towns on the far east and west.
Many had resisted the Crown for years, watching the Union's successes with cautious hope.
Now, emboldened by the strength of Dünrath and the growing network of muskets, they swore loyalty to the People's Union of the North.
The congress hall, expanded with new chambers and enchanted lighting, thrummed with energy as hundreds of representatives debated policies, defense strategies, and governance.
A Movement Grows
Emil stood before the assembly, his voice calm but firm.
"We are no longer scattered villages.We are a nation in waiting.Our muskets and flintlocks are not mere tools — they are the promise of change.
But change demands sacrifice, patience, and unity."
The congress passed new laws establishing a centralized command for arms production, training regimens for militias, and a code of conduct for soldiers to prevent atrocities that could alienate the people.
The East and West pledged troops and resources, weaving a fabric of resistance that stretched across the land.
The Calm Before the Storm
As the delegates departed, rumors from the capital grew darker.
The Crown Prince's desperation deepened.
The rebellion was no longer just a problem to be contained.
It was a war waiting to break free.