An Idea on the history of Specularum (aka Mirros)
by Sean MeaneySpecularum began life as a Guild town. It sits on the edge of the Marilinev estate and constituted a monthly rent income of say, fifty Krona (copper piece) per resident. At the point just prior to the arrival of Stephan Karameikos the Third it represented a monthly income for the Estate of Marilinev of around five hundred thousand Krona (5,000gp/month) for the ten thousand living and working there.
When Stephan Karameikos the Third declares himself Duke, He dissolves both the Claim of Marilinev to what was sixty thousand gold a year in rent and he dissolves its status as a Guild town ending the Control of the Guilds over the town. The Guilds which were under the control of the Wealthiest of Traladaran Merchant Families were also squeezing extra rent from the town populace of equal proportions to the Marilinev.
The Marilenev family having gone from sixty thousand gold coin in annual income to Just what was produced by its farming concerns is feeling economically violated. This is why they descend into the first Marilinev Uprising. It wasn't just because Duke Stephan had challenged some historical precedence of Monarchy with the Marilinev "on the throne". It was because he had taken sixty thousand gold coin in annual income from them. He had also done the same to the Guild Houses.
That's why they hate him to the point of wanting him dead. That explains the assassins in the night and the open Marilinev revolt. He had taken a source of income from the Rich.