Regarding Asheviere's Reign

[Laucian]

According to the timeline, Asheviere ruled from 501YW to 518YW, seventeen years. According to Heir to the Throne, Elves Besieged takes place twenty years into Asheviere's rule. Regardless, that is a very long time. Before the actions of Heir to the Throne there was no indication that her reign would end any time soon either.

It started turbulently, with considerable initial resistance to her rule in the west, resulting in Elensefar declaring independence and the army being pushed back of some western regions. It was shown in Liberty that the Wesnothian army during this period was rather brutal in gathering support for her rule, though that can be argued that they acted like that because Dalben had a rebellious history and is close to Elensefar, whose independence was already written on the wall. Or they could have been survivors from Eldred's army, loyal to the Queen.

Ashievere's official story is likely along the lines that the army suffered a defeat at the Ford of Abez and then paid the Northerners off with tribute. Delfador took advantage of this reverse to raise an army and stage a coup d'etat, which was successfuly defeated. He even went so far as to personally kill Eldred. The fate of Garard's nephews could be blamed on him, but Li'sar seemed surprised at their deaths, so perhaps it was just pushed into obscurity. The princess would still be the rightful heir, even with them alive.

Because otherwise I can't just see how she would remain in control over most of the kingdom for so long. I don't think the population nor the army would support some evil kinslaying queen. I figure that beyond her confidants only some of the nobility, higher officers and the like are aware of the truth. Those from Eldred's side from the battle at the ford could represent the greatest leak, but they likely received the greatest rewards and are in command of most of the kingdom as well.

During Asheviere's reign, the regular footsoldier of Wesnoth and most of the commanders believe that they are fighting against the rebels rallied by Delfador. These traitors would push the lie that the martyred prince Eldred was the one to kill his father at the lost battle at the ford. The truth would sound outrageous, even offensive to someone that believes the official story.

I am going through the planning stages for a UMC centered around loyalists to the Queen during this period and I want to know if I got things right.

[gnombat]

Spoiler:

I think it is hinted that dark magic is somehow involved too. For example, see Liberty - "Unlawful Orders" and the scenarios involving Asheviere in Delfador's Memoirs.

[Laucian]

Spoiler:

I last played Delfador's Memoirs ages ago back when it was still an UMC, I had no idea it had been expanded so much. I checked the translation files and while she certainly did study from the Book of Crelanu, it seems she convinced the military leaders conventionally.

The necromancy in Unlawful Orders doesn't really strike me as intentional necromancy, more something that happened spontaneously, akin to Lionel in the Lost General mission of Heir to the Throne. But that's just my interpretation of the events.

[holypaladin]

According to the timeline, Asheviere ruled from 501YW to 518YW, seventeen years. According to Heir to the Throne, Elves Besieged takes place twenty years into Asheviere's rule. Regardless, that is a very long time. Before the actions of Heir to the Throne there was no indication that her reign would end any time soon either.

It started turbulently, with considerable initial resistance to her rule in the west, resulting in Elensefar declaring independence and the army being pushed back of some western regions. It was shown in Liberty that the Wesnothian army during this period was rather brutal in gathering support for her rule, though that can be argued that they acted like that because Dalben had a rebellious history and is close to Elensefar, whose independence was already written on the wall. Or they could have been survivors from Eldred's army, loyal to the Queen.

Ashievere's official story is likely along the lines that the army suffered a defeat at the Ford of Abez and then paid the Northerners off with tribute. Delfador took advantage of this reverse to raise an army and stage a coup d'etat, which was successfuly defeated. He even went so far as to personally kill Eldred. The fate of Garard's nephews could be blamed on him, but Li'sar seemed surprised at their deaths, so perhaps it was just pushed into obscurity. The princess would still be the rightful heir, even with them alive.

Because otherwise I can't just see how she would remain in control over most of the kingdom for so long. I don't think the population nor the army would support some evil kinslaying queen. I figure that beyond her confidants only some of the nobility, higher officers and the like are aware of the truth. Those from Eldred's side from the battle at the ford could represent the greatest leak, but they likely received the greatest rewards and are in command of most of the kingdom as well.

During Asheviere's reign, the regular footsoldier of Wesnoth and most of the commanders believe that they are fighting against the rebels rallied by Delfador. These traitors would push the lie that the martyred prince Eldred was the one to kill his father at the lost battle at the ford. The truth would sound outrageous, even offensive to someone that believes the official story.

I am going through the planning stages for a UMC centered around loyalists to the Queen during this period and I want to know if I got things right.

Basing on Heir to the Throne and Liberty we see that Asheviere grounded her rule on terrorizing people using orcs. At the beginning (Liberty) not all Asheviere's commanders were willing to cooperate with them (Tarven, Dommel) but in time her rule seem to be more and more depend on their suport, after all most enemy armies we fight in Heir to the Throne was orcs and not humans like in Liberty. But there's coming some logical problems. Seeing orcs politics in Battle for Wesnoth they would most propably just overthrow Asheviere after so many years and made their rules there. And as for human army their absence in Heir to the Throne still shocks me. Were the demographics of Wesnoth so weak that there weren't enough soldiers? Why so many cities were controled only by orkish mercenaries? And how about orcs? There's both orcs allied with Asheviere and those who fight against her forces and attacks her armies (Li'sar and great marschal were attacked on the north after all what suggest that orcs were also divided that time).

[holypaladin]

Spoiler:

I think it is hinted that dark magic is somehow involved too. For example, see Liberty - "Unlawful Orders" and the scenarios involving Asheviere in Delfador's Memoirs.

Asheviere is often mentioned in Delfador's Memoirs but don't take much actions in scenarios herself. Sagus, former king's advisor and her father became a lich (I suppose he did it after seeing how powerful was Iliah-Malal) but Asheviere herself didn't used much help of undead if you mean so (what don't change a fact she was still a mage, propably teached by father). Some examples of cooperations with dark magic was, in Heir to the Throne orcs in Elensefar allied necromancer but looks like it was just local cooperation than official politics.