Endyphad Konjrez

Introduction

Undeclared war between Emperor Falther Tawmerik and the Imperial Congress during a period of economic and financial dislocation after the failure of the Imperial Index currency.

Origins

The origins of the Endyphad Konjrez conflict can be traced back to the formation of the Reformed Bank Of The Empire, when the Imperial Congress began to exert its influence by pushing through major changes to the currency systems. This had occured during the reign of Falther’s father, Emperor Denher, a weak ruler who had largely let his advisors and the Congress do as they saw fit.

Whether or not the Imperial Congress truly intended to bring the Emperors down (as some have theorized) or not is an open question, but the flaws in the new currency system caused a substantial collapse after Denher’s death. Falther suddenly saw his own personal holdings plummet in value, and while not a particularly bright man, he understood that, intentionally or not, the generation-old currency’s own failures were bringing him dangerously close to collapse.

Failed Diplomacy

Falther and the majority of the upper houses of the Imperial Congress could come to no agreement on the manner of the reforms. Falther apparently desired to return the currency system to the previous model, inherited from pre-Imperial times, with a number of currencies and various exchange rates. The Imperial Congress insisted that any solution must involve a unified currency.

Weeks ran into months, and months into years as negotiators ran between the Congress and the Palace trying to find some compromise, but it was all to no avail. The Emperor’s advisors sensed a power grab by the Imperial Congress, and the Imperial Congress, tired of the growing incompetency of the later Tawmeriks, wanted some political insurance against their meddling.

Conflict

How precisely this situation evolved into the Endyphad Konjrez is not really known. There are a few accounts, some more reliable than others, claiming that it was the Imperial Congress that initially began employing various mercenary groups to begin harassing (and, if possible, seizing) the Emperor’s private holdings. The Emperor was reportedly furious and in turn looked to various loyalist factions (particularly on the worlds that he held as personal possessions) to strike back.

Quickly these two groups; Congressional mercenaries and Imperial Loyalists took their warfare from skirmishes and odd acts of piracy and escalated it into open conflict. Publicly both the Imperial Congress and Emperor Falther proclaimed their innocence of any involvement, and made some show of sending legates and diplomats to find some peaceful solution.

It was obvious to any closer observer, however, that the military forces of the Imperium, whose loyalties were divided, were noticable by their absense. The Bafiktuy Intelligence Directive, characteristically, had agents working for both the Emperor and the Imperial Congress. The Anthorphs, in large numbers, demonstrated their loyalty to the Imperial Congress (though some did fight on the Emperor’s side of the proxy war).’^1^’

The Endyphad Konjrez became uglier and uglier, with reports of attrocities and even forced recruitment of civilians. The Imperial Congress, however, had the upper hand, and Falther simply did not have the money or the resources to keep up the battle for long.

Peace and Reform

Fearful that he might be forced from the throne, Falther finally agreed to the Imperial Congress’s demands and actively (if grudgingly) supported the creation of a new currency, the Reformed Imperial. While this was a large victory for the Imperial Congress, it came at severe political costs that all but mitigated any advantage it may have gained. Many small factions had sided with the Congressional leaders in the Endyphad Konjrez, but had grown fearful as the conflict became more severe. They now came to dominate the lower houses, and the old leadership soon found itself bereft of power and influence.’^2^’

Aftermath

With Falther’s death a few years later, the Tawmeriks all but failed, and a new, dynamic and more ruthless dynasty took power. The largest effect was with the various mercenary groups, particular the Anthorph units. Close involvement with BID agents had given some of these mercenary units a taste for espionage, and a good deal of training. Many of the later so-called security firms, and in particular the Dinzwar Gefera, can trace the routes to the Endyphad Konjrez.

[-‘^1^’ This fact was not forgotten many centuries later when anti-Anthorph racists used it as a claim that the Anthorphs had worked to destroy the Emperors.-]

[-‘^2^’ This new political configuration was, in fact, to stand for many years, before another wave of incompetent emperors forced the Grand Reforms. -]