Lucan Usurpation
(1116 to 1145): Lucan Usurpation
- It occurred within Charted Space.
Description (Specifications)[edit]
Modern conspiracy theory that purports to explain the beginning of the Imperial Civil War in more sinister tones. The theory has existed, unattributed to any academic origin, since about 1145. Largely regarded as a fringe paranoid theory, it has come under greater scrutiny by academics in the last twenty years. The theory purports that the events that occured on Capitol in the aftermath of Dulinor's attack upon the royal family were neither spontaneous nor accidental. The theory notes three major discrepancies in the official record of events. First of all palace security was compromised in a major way. That Dulinor and several co-conspirators were able to penetrate into the throne room with weapons cannot be explained except by complete incompetence upon the part of the Imperial Bodyguard. Second of all, Lucan's ascension to the throne was not only swift, it was orchestrated in a manner that defies the supposed chaos on Capitol in the aftermath. Lucan's defenestration of the Moot, the quickness with which the royal family was buried, the quashing of any investigation into Varian's death, and his ability to sway the Imperial Household Bureaucracy and the Central Military Command could not have been accomplished by the new emperor on the basis of his own dubious merits and accomplishments. And finally there is the spectacle of the real Strephon, en route from Dynam Depot in Lishun Sector, being diverted from Capitol upon recieving the news of "his" assassination, instead of seizing control of the situation as he was so obligated to do by his office.
The Usurpation Theory explains these discrepancies as being a counterrevolution.
Image Repository[edit]
No information yet available.
History & Background[edit]
Strephon was a reformist, and Dulinor's "reform movement" was actually of his own devising, since the Black Archduke's appointment would never have otherwise occured. Strephon wanted to save the Imperium, but as with all reform movements that are enacted when an empire is at an advanced age, they had a paradoxical effect. The empire had grown too old and too fragmented for his modest reforms to be enacted, as they did not satisfy aggrieved parties, and they threatened old elites too ossified to sacrifice their personal power and wealth. Several factions among the latter reacted negatively, first to Dulinor, and finally to Strephon, hamstringing reform. A cabal of reactionary nobles within the upper reaches of the Imperial government finally decided to remove Strephon, while at the same time creating the conditions for a rejuvenation of the Imperium that would preserve their priveleges and power intact. And Dulinor became their scapegoat.
But as with most reactionary conspiracies, their clarity of foresight and thoroughness of planning did not extend beyond their plot. Their assumption was that once Strephon was dead, and Dulinor was implicated, the rest of the Imperium and the outside universe would accept this fait accompli, and everything would be magically restored. But of course the plotters did not know about Longbow, or of Strephon's providential absence. Because Dulinor was to be the villian, and the designated means for imperial renewal, their planning did not account for any other actors to spoil the play. Nor did they sufficiently account for the ambitions of the Solomani or the opportunism of the Vargr. The main complaint against this theory is not only the lack of corroborating evidence, but the absurdity that reduces the greatest human tragedy in all recorded history, and reduces to a farce perpetrated by pathetic human hubris.
Event Timeline[edit]
No information yet available.
Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)[edit]
This event primarily took place in the following areas:
Charted Space:
World Listing[edit]
This event occurred at the following worlds and systems:
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
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