(and nickname, if applicable)

(crown prince, crown princess, prince, princess, etc-include if they are heir to throne here)

(16-24)

Male, female, etc

Heterosexual, bisexual, etc

(textual description)

(bullet form or paragraph)

(self-explanatory)

(at least one paragraph)

(Face claim not required; color code REQUIRED if you changed from original)

(optional)
[url=insert here]Name of Song - Artist[/url]
_{A Few Lyrics here}

(TBD if you don't know yet; N/A if not betrothed. can be edited later)

(add anything you want; fun aesthetic-y stuff; please use hiders for any of these, pets, fun facts, etc)

(the most commonly used name and/or variations thereof; ex-China for PRC, USA/America for United States of America, etc)

(include names, at the very least. can also include pics and personality, but it's optional)

(if you have specific color code in mind, include it here)

(what is it famous for? any stereotypes we should be aware of? etc)

(try to keep this concise/include a TL;DR if you end up writing more than a couple paragraphs-this is meant for quick, easy reference)

(add anything you want)

Ayleanna Katherine Lynton (most everyone just calls her Lea, though)

Princess of Aciras

21

Female

Bisexual

With her sparkly nails and winged eyeliner, most people are able to deduce that Lea is very, very extra without hesitation. Indeed, Lea adores anything glittery and anything pink, and shamelessly so-she is practically guaranteed to be wearing something both sparkly and pink at any given moment.

Lea has chocolate-brown eyes that are perpetually sparkling with mirth. Although her lips are rather thin, they are always curved up in a cheerful smile or a cheeky grin. There is usually a dash of playful mischief in her expression, and always a heaping amount of enthusiastic optimism. Lea has a very expressive face. She never makes any attempt to hide her true feelings, and every single emotion that passes through her shows on her features.

Lea has gleaming black hair, which she plays around with all the time. Some days, it's curled, while some days it's straightened. Some days, she wears it up, while on other days, she wears it down. Lea likes to keep her hair relatively short, just so that it doesn't get in the way (she really can't abide by sitting still, and definitely moves around way more than she probably should), though she wishes she had the patience to let it grow long (because long hair is pretty!). Lea is around average height, standing at an unremarkable five feet and six inches, although she is on the slimmer side. Lea is covered with lean, sinewy muscle from doing gymnastics since she was five or six years old, and she moves with a breezy brusqueness, even in seven-inch platform heels. Overall, Lea isn't supermodel gorgeous, but there is something about her infectious grin and good-natured cheer that makes her all the more attractive.

At a first glance, Lea is unnecessarily focused on small, overly specific details and unbearably girly. She is bubbly and outgoing, and her friendly, cheerful disposition is well-liked by her peers, even if they do make fun of her for her propensity of wearing high heels everywhere she goes. Though Lea can be very prissy and a bit shallow or superficial, she doesn't have a single mean bone in her body. She can talk about anything and everything for hours on end. Some tend to find this incessant chatter exceedingly irritating, which Lea is not always the most aware of. She is a kind and sweet person at heart, and she refuses to say anything bad about other people as a general principle. Lea is a friendly chatterbox with too much energy to be healthy. Blessed with an endless reserve of enthusiasm, Lea is quite easy to get along with and can strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone, about anything and everything. Despite her obsession with pretty clothes and make-up, Lea is a very grounded and down-to-earth person, with no patience for sitting around contemplating esoteric philosophical principles all day. She'd rather go out and actually do something, thank you very much.

If Lea is not always aware of how much she talks, she is aware of the feelings and thoughts of others. Lea is naturally people-smart and is good at picking up subtle hints that indicate shifts in emotions in others. She's a very good listener and always willing to offer comfort to other people. Empathetic, understanding, and ceaselessly cheerful, Leah is perpetually impeccably organized and ready for anything. She's a bit of a perfectionist with a stickler for keeping everything neat and color-coded (though, one could argue, color-coding is pretty pointless if everything is just pink). Lea has an infernal inability to keep her mouth shut on things that don't really matter, making her an incorrigible gossip-something that her parents probably hate her for and the Aciran media gobbles up.

Despite her rather silly tendencies, Lea is a natural-born diplomat and compromiser, capable of expertly mediating tense situations. Armed with a firm belief in common courtesy and a natural gift for "reading" people, she is able to get even the most stubborn of people to agree to things through the application of hot drinks and sugary treats and pure politeness. She has a breezy, brisk way of going about her business, and she is remarkably good at keeping track of and managing people, for all her sparkly ways.

Finally, although one wouldn't guess it from Lea's outward appearance and mannerisms, Lea possesses a sharp intelligence and an ability to analyze all sorts of problems and situations in the blink of an eye. She is most certainly not as ditzy as she comes off as, in terms of academics and things like ruling the country or the effects of anthropogenic carbon dioxide on coral reefs. Armed with sparkly pink miniskirts, sparkly pink planners (made of recycled paper!), and a vast collection of sparkly pink heels, Lea is ready to take on being Aciras's future queen and fixing everything that humans have done to ruin the environment, one annoying conservative climate-change denier at a time.

𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼: flowers and floral print (Lea is obsessed with flowers, for some obscure reason that even she is not entirely sure of), PLANTS, veggie sushi, bubble tea, any restaurants that serve vegan dishes, spaghetti, watermelon and watermelon juice, short, ruffled/pleated skirts, crop tops, tank tops/spaghetti strap tank tops, sundresses, the smell of old books, sweets and sugary drinks, up-cycled anything, organization, sparkly gel plans and colorful planners, history, period dresses (she adores Victorian-era gowns), museums, high heels, choker necklaces, make-up, shopping, hoop earrings, cute clothes in general, strawberry milkshakes, tumbling, glitter/sparkles, pop music (especially of the "trashy" variety), pop culture in general, acrylic nails, period dramas (because the outfits are so gorgeous), her hot-pink car, her sisters, social media, environmental science, environmental law, all the great environmental non-profit organizations that are based in Aciras, all the great environmental non-profit organizations from anywhere in the world, sustainable fashion, "vegan" anything, learning about the rad new eco-friendly tech/commodities that people are developing, anything pink, ANIMALS, the earth, artistic gymnastics/dance (her favorite event is definitely floor, for all the fun dance elements she can include), being active, strawberries, Starbucks and other cafes that serve cancer-inducing sugary drinks, vlogging, posting way too much personal information on various forms of social media, using way-too-obscure texting acronyms IRL, pride parades, LGBTQ+ and environmental activists of every variety

𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼: when people admonish her for "literally being on her phone all the goddamn time" (her mother's words, not hers!), annoying ass "climate change is a hoax" conservatives, racist people, sexist people, homophobic people, boats (she gets horribly seasick), hamburgers and just eating meat or animal products in general (why should she derive pleasure from literally eating cooked animal carcass? Or baby cow growth formula?), feeling less than perfect, disappointing other people, feeling like she hasn't met her own expectations, people who think she's stupid because she likes gossiping and make-up, people who are ignorant about the environmental problems faced by society in the contemporary era, the blandness associated with many Western dishes (she loves spicy food), messy notes, drab clothing in subdued colors, ruining her hair/clothes/make-up, black coffee (it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaayy too bitter. So is dark chocolate, to be honest), the smell of cigarette smoke (Lea isn't trying to die of lung cancer from secondhand smoking, thank you very much!), big dogs (but only when they slobber all over her. Big dogs are fine as long as they stay far, far away, ya feel?), disorganization, rainy days, long plane rides, when her younger sister ignores her for her computer games, when fashion labels/make-up brands have questionable environmental ethics (Lea just can't bring herself to support anything that uses real leather, for example, even if it's so pretty)

Ayleanna Katherine Lynton is the second daughter of the king and queen of Aciras, and she has an older sister named Cecilia and a younger one named Reyna. Ayleanna has gone by Lea ever since she was a toddler. Indeed, her mother was the one who first began calling her "Lea", and the name just stuck.

From the moment that she was born, Lea was in the spotlight. The Aciran public found the spunky little princess to be endearingly charming, and with the addition of Lea's younger sister approximately three years later, the royal siblings became the darlings of Aciras. Lea grew up being tutored and taking online classes in various subjects. In her free time, she became fascinated with all things fashion (she did live near one of the fashion capitals of the world, after all), and with cute animals (because who wouldn't be fascinated with cute animals?).

When Lea was around thirteen years old, she was able to take an environmental science class through the online program that she was enrolled in. That was when her interest in all things environmental began-not only did she quickly grasp the underlying science behind ocean acidification, coastal eutrophication, global warming, and the like, she realized that as the princess of one most wasteful nations in the world, she could actually make a significant difference in world-wide environmental degradation.

Lea wrote to a couple environmental non-profits and organizations and got in contact with many other environmental groups around the world. Once word got out that the Aciran princess was extremely supportive of any efforts to help the environment, Lea suddenly found herself swarmed by both the media and various other environmental NGOs. Of course, the more conservative of the Acirans were quite against Lea's outspoken nature regarding environmental problems, and her parents have (on more than one occasion) asked if she could please tone it down a little bit, pretty please with a cherry on top?

Lea lowkey ignored her parents and charged on ahead. At 18, she enrolled in online classes at the nearby Lynston University, renowned for its law school. Lea is currently in her third year there, double majoring in Environmental Thought and Practice and Environmental Science, with the intention of going to Lynston University's law school after she finishes her undergrad coursework (with a focus on environmental law and policy, of course). Lea's social media presence is also very widespread-her Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube channel all have millions of followers, and her vlogs are very popular in Aciras. Lea's vegan YouTube channel (where she films the palace cooks preparing yummy vegan dishes) is her pride and joy, and the blog where she posts the same recipes is also quite popular.

All in all, Lea is definitely Aciras's sweetheart-outgoing and charismatic, Lea is able to make anyone she meets feel liked. Lea is amicable and agreeable, and open and accepting of everybody (save for annoying climate-change deniers and racist, sexist, and/or homophobic people). Lea is somewhat of a controversial figure amongst the older generation; some like her open and outspoken nature, while others find it "unseemly" of a princess. In any case, Lea isn't going to let them stop her; #HatersGonHate, as she would say. Indeed, it was quite a scandal when Lea breezily told some interviewer or the other that she was "totally bi" (to which the interviewer responded, "What?" and Lea replied, "Yeah, girls are pretty! And guys are too!"). Lea is always running around from one place to the other, attending conferences and meetings and sometimes even green fashion shows (she wholeheartedly supports sustainable fashion brands!), and she is never without a pair of suicidally-high stilettos and her (extremely extensive) vegan make-up kit.

Face claim=Letitia Wright, color code=palevioletred

Betrothed to Prince Zhou Mei, the crown prince of Liang

Pinterest board: pinterest.com/ayzrules/plants-make-pe…

Aciras

King Landon and Queen Cecilia "Cece" Lynton. King Landon is a calm, steadfast, and reliable man, while his wife is known for her sharp wit and blunt nature. In Aciras, the throne passes to the oldest child (rather than the oldest male child) and has ever since the mid-1900s. As such, King Landon married into the family. Although Queen Cecilia is rather left-leaning, the two monarchs try to keep the royal platform squarely in the center in order to avoid any long, drawn-out conflicts between the conservative and liberal factions of Aciras's constitutional monarchy.

Queen Cecilia is Lea's older sister, by seven years.

Red and white

Aciras has a very high standard of living (due to being one of the first countries to industrialize) when compared with that of many other nations in the rest of the world. It is also one of the wealthiest nations, as well as one of the most wasteful. As one of the more powerful nations in the world, Aciran "mainstream" culture is well-known in many of the other countries, if only in their large cities. Its cultural influence stretches far and wide across the globe.

Aciras's constitutional monarchy is simultaneously admired and the butt end of many light-hearted jokes. Their political system does grant the common people some say in the government; however, the Aciran legislative branch and Aciran politicians are constantly bickering with each other and can never seem to agree on anything.

The Aciran government is also known for being surprisingly tolerant of dissent, criticism, and demonstrations and protests. In fact, peaceful demonstrations sometimes receive the support of the royal family if they have to do with issues that the king or queen is keen on. Of course, the Acirans do not take national security lightly, and any potential breach of security is shut down very quickly.

Aciras is a hotspot for art and pop culture; indeed, New Lincoln City is one of the fashion capitals of the world, and Los Santos is the home to many famous movie directors and actors/actresses. Aciras is an extremely diverse country, being the home to many immigrants, and as such it is nicknamed the "melting pot". Last but not least, the Aciran military is a force to be reckoned with-there's a reason that Aciras has been able to spread its influence around the world, after all.

» Aciras was established as a constitutional monarchy following a bloody revolution in the 1700s. The most notable feature of the Aciran government is the elected legislative branch.

» Through the years, two distinct "factions" formed within the Aciran political system-conservatives and liberals-though there are multiple parties that fall under each category. Conservatives usually favor greater social control and lesser economic control by the government, while liberals usually favor lesser social control and greater economic control.

» Aciras was one of the earlier countries to industrialize, due to the fact that its economic system (free-market capitalism) favored those who found more efficient ways to earn money. Today, it is one of the wealthiest nations in the world.

» However, the wealth was most definitely not distributed equally, and neither were the effects of industrialization. Around 1900, it was agreed that the state of Texas would become an independent nation (known as the Texas Sovereignty). This was brought about without the violence that characterized the first revolution.

» As Aciras's wealth grew, so did its the might of its military and its influence around the world. Aciras became 'culturally' dominant, and mainstream Aciran celebrities/movies/art/literature is well-known around the globe.

» Not only is Aciras one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but it is also one of the most wasteful. A drawback of the Aciran political system is that there is no way for the monarchs to instate harsh environmental regulations without the approval of the legislature, which has always had enough conservatives to veto any regulation that they deem too constrictive. However, things may just yet change with Queen Cecilia on the throne.

The capital city of Aciras is known as Lynston, and it is where the royal palace is. One of the fashion capitals of the world is located in the Aciran city of New Lincoln City.

Mai Mei; also known as the Rose of Liang, Meimei (妹妹) by her cousin Zhou as an inside joke (it means 'little sister' in Liangii; Zhou calls her that even though she's older just to be a cheeky little shit), a variety of flowery and over-the-top nicknames given to her by Prince Alejandro of the Kingdom of Castilya ("my darlingest ruby", my dearest Mai, etc, etc, etc)

Princess of Liang

24

Female

Asexual

Mai is taller than average, standing at five feet and eight inches. She is on the slimmer side, with thick, wavy, midnight-black hair that goes down to her waist and relatively pale skin. Her eyes are a chocolate brown color, framed with a set of eyelashes that she makes longer using mascara. She has a heart-shaped face and long, thin fingers. Mai has rosebud lips that are usually painted a deep red color, and she has a sort of delicate and dainty look to her, despite the fact that she's practically six feet if you factor in her borderline-impractical high heels. Mai likes dressing up and takes great pride in her appearance.

Mai typically sports some sort of dress (she likes them because there is plenty of space to hide something under the skirts, plus they are just so goddamn pretty) and does almost everything in a pair of heels. Her preferred color scheme is red, black, and gold, although she does like to experiment every now and then. Mai absolutely adores traditional Oriental-themed fans and parasols. In terms of cosmetics, Mai is an avid fan of eyeliner, mascara, and even kohl on the occasion. She also absolutely adores lipsticks, though she wouldn't be caught dead in public wearing something as outrageously garish as neon green lipstick (but shh-she does indeed own a tube of neon green lipstick). Mai tends to go rather heavy on the make-up, just as a general rule.

Most people who see Mai describe her as elegant, alluring, and in some cases, doll-like (thanks to the layers of make-up she wears, most likely). She moves with a practiced and fluid grace, each step and each movement measured and precise. Her features are usually carefully arranged in an expression of polite interest, and pleasant smiles fall easily across her lips, though those who are more keen will notice that they rarely ever reach her eyes-they remain as sharp as ever, even when she laughs.

Mai has always been a people person. There is something about her that seems to draw others to her-whether it's her carefree laugh, her twinkling eyes, or her bright smiles, no one can say. She can be a sultry, intoxicating temptress, capable of charming the secrets right out of others with a coy glance and a flutter of her long eyelashes, or an innocent, demure young lady who has absolutely nothing to hide but plenty of gossip to share. She thinks with her heart when she needs to, but uses her brain at the same time.

Behind brown eyes sparkling with mirth and delicate lips curved up in a half-flirtatious, half-demure smile is a woman made of steel who is keenly aware of her surroundings. Mai processes vast amounts of information all at once, taking in people's actions, words, and emotions at the same time and forming a conclusion based on what she sees and what she knows. She's always been especially good at reading people like an open book. Sharply observant, perceptive, and brutally analytical, Mai is able to detect even the most subtle shifts of emotion, assess entire situations with one inconspicuous sweep of her wide brown eyes, and kill a man in a dozen different ways while dancing the waltz. Mai is constantly listening, though she’ll rarely tell the world what she's thinking.

Enigmatically charismatic and exuding an air of elegant refinement, Mai puts up a playful and coquettish front all while maintaining a certain air of mystery that makes her that much more attractive. Depending on the people around her, Mai is either a charming, polite young lady of considerable wealth and status or a deadly and alluring seductress of equally considerable wealth and status. Mai is not “smart” in the traditional sense of the word-complicated mathematics and the latest developments in quantum physics all go straight over her head, though she is able to hold her own in conversations about a wide variety of “sophisticated” topics. When around others, Mai hides her true nature behind expensive gowns and designer heels, pretending that she is nothing more than another pretty face. She has mastered the right combination of sugary sweetness and sharp wit to detract attention from her real intentions as she shrewdly advances her own agenda.

Mai is ferociously loyal to her family. Mai believes that family is everything, and she is fiercely protective of people that she considers part of her family, and of the Liangii in general. She is scarily manipulative, and she isn’t afraid of resorting to less savory methods to achieve her goals. Mai is calm and collected in times of crisis, and she rarely allows herself to panic. She is truly afraid of very, very few people, and she holds no qualms against playing others like a violin to get what she wants, all while smiling prettily and sipping tea from a dainty porcelain tea cup. Sly, shrewd, and cunning, Mai is a ruthless politician dressed in silk and stilettos.

If one is able to see past the many, many layers and intricacies of Mai Mei, one would come face-to-face with an intensely driven yet extremely insecure woman who has been bottling up her emotions for much too long. Mai may be willing to sacrifice everything for her family, but she doesn’t know what it is that she truly wants. Mai does not know who she actually is, and it makes her wonder-is there anything to her besides the mask that she wears in front of others?

(Though, she realizes, what she wants and who she perceives herself as do not truly matter. Still, she cannot help but wonder)

𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼: Liang, the people of Liang, elegant, expensive gowns (her preferred shade would be a deep crimson red), accessories that are both beautiful and deadly (bladed fans and parasols, dagger-like hairpins, pointy boots and spiky heels, and the like), lipstick, lipstick, lipstick, red wine (on occasion), her family and those loyal to her family, cherries, dark chocolate, cherries with dark chocolate, vengeance against those who have wronged her family and Liang in the past, not being viewed as a threat (or being viewed as a threat, depending on the situation), power, information, classical Liangii poetry, classical Liangii art, classical Liangii anything, really (besides traditional Liangii views on women and society), calligraphy, politeness and propriety, make-up (she's the queen of the smokey-eye look), bokchoy and tofu, ginger (just...added to her food. It tastes good!), the smell of cinnamon and cardamom, tea with no milk added to it, subtlety, roses and all things red, Zhou, her uncle, Prince Alejandro and Castilya, winged eyeliner and mascara, impractically high heels, the crisp mountaintop air, the blue poppies that grew almost everywhere in the village she was raised in

𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼: sloppiness and messiness, drunkards, incompetence, useless, meaningless violence and destruction, cheap, tasteless beer, people who genuinely believe that women should stay out of business, politics, and science, sexist people in general, anybody who would bring harm to her family, her people, or her country, people who can’t for the life of them think something through before they dive head-first into the endeavor, being blunt, crude manners, meat, overly sweet desserts (in true Liangii fashion), direct confrontations (Mai prefers to be as discreet as possible), excessively frilly accessories and gowns, being completely, totally helpless, being reminded of her past and the things that she's seen, a number of the Liangii officials/courtiers/nobles (some dead, most alive), has an instinctive distrust of Western soldiers and military due to some pretty angsty past experiences, not a big fan of seafood (or most meat, in general), the extra-ness that is Western cutlery (she doesn't see the need for 25 different spoons and forks, when one could just use chopsticks. Nevertheless, she still knows the ins and outs of Western meal-time etiquette because, well, that's what she's supposed to know)

When Mai was born, the Liangii royalty was on the brink of disintegration. Several distinct factions of varying beliefs and ideologies had risen to power, but all of them agreed on one thing-it was time for the imperial dynasties to go. Liang was technologically behind most major world powers, and although it was large and had plentiful natural resources, the military was stretched far too thin and its techniques were totally backwards. Liang's dire situation came to light about a decade before Mai was born with the invasion of a neighboring nation that caught everybody by surprise. Within a year, Liang was forced to give major trading concessions to a dozen different countries that all wanted to get their hands on the silk, porcelain, and other luxuries that the country was famous for. In response to foreigners taking over their land, jobs, and positions, the people of Liang began to grow more discontent, and the unrest finally broke out in violence when Mai was just half a year old.

The first wave of revolts came from the countryside, where impoverished peasants were suffering from sky-high taxes with no opportunity to better their station in society. Mai's father was not a particularly effective ruler, and her other family members were too stuck in tradition and the days of the old. All of them refused to do anything about the feudal system that was obviously tearing the country apart. And so the violence escalated and people grew angrier and angrier until they eventually stormed the capital city of Xiajing and killed off the entire royal family-all but Mai, who was sent away to be protected by her father's younger brother.

After the royal family was ousted, Liang erupted into an all-out civil war. Each separate faction refused to tolerate the others, and widespread warfare gripped the nation. To make matters worse, the neighboring island-nation (known as the Empire of Nippon) decided to take advantage of the turmoil and invade Liang. However, Mai lived safely in isolation. Her uncle, Ming Mei, was believed to be dead after he fled from court. Mai's father was the only one to know that Ming had done so because he wanted to pursue a life other than that of a member of the royal family. In his small home near a stretch of imposing mountains known as the Black Mountains, Ming spent his days learning multiple fighting styles and indulging in the arts. He taught Mai everything he knew, and by the time she was fifteen Mai could knock someone out in ten different ways and wield a variety of blades, all while reciting a piece of classical Liangii poetry.

Mai knew from an early age that she was royalty. Ming told her everything as soon as she was old enough to understand it, and Mai has always known, on some level, that she would give up everything for Liang. As she grew up, Ming began to come out of isolation, getting in contact with old friends and allies, most of whom were shocked to find him alive and breathing. The faction in power changed over a dozen times before Mai was ten, and most of the common people were sick and tired of all the fighting. Some even began to wish that the royal family had never been killed, as there were times of prosperity during the reign of Mai's parents despite the fact that they were completely ineffective rulers. Ming used the political instability to his advantage, and formed his own distinct faction-a faction that would support the reinstatement of a monarchical rule.

His efforts finally paid off when Mai was about thirteen years old. With most of the other factions dissolved or falling apart, there was only one more faction to eliminate: the socialists. This group generated widespread support with its ideas of social equality and sharing all property, something which greatly appealed to those that remembered the huge wealth gap present when Mai's parents were in power. However, the socialists were intent on purging Liang on all traditional influences, and they alienated the upper and middle class by actively persecuting them just because they happened to have more money. Ming managed to win the support of the wealthy, and after he secured an alliance with Krieg-Königreich by promising extensive natural resources in exchange for military aid (and using Mai's hand-in-marriage to seal the deal), the rest was history. With more funds than the socialists could ever imagine to accrue, Ming was able to raise a considerable army and buy firepower from foreign nations, while the socialists were stuck using crossbows and outdated artillery. After defeating the socialists in a series of battles that were concentrated on the socialist strongholds, Ming was finally able to take power-albeit reluctantly-and bring about the revival of the monarchy.

Due to the nature of his activities, Ming was usually forced to bring Mai along with him for security reasons. Ming firmly believed that Mai was the safest at his side, no matter what anybody else said. Mai grew up seeing how the poor lived and experiencing it herself, and vowed that she would be a better ruler than any of the faction leaders or her parents. She also encountered many people who would undermine her uncle and everything he stood for if they could, and learned not to judge a book by its cover, so to speak. Mai has seen more than her fair share of violence and destruction in her day, and she has an instinctive mistrust of the military due to the brutal acts carried out by the soldiers of the competing factions and the army of the Empire of Nippon. She remembers it all, though she wishes she didn't-the northern grasslands turned into graveyards, the imperial capital reduced to nothing but ashes, the towns and villages they passed through, all the names and identities she took, how careful they had to be to avoid being recognized...but most of all, she remembers being thirteen or fourteen and being scared, being terrified, and she remembers the hands, the hands in her hair, crawling up her chest, holding her shoulders, on her throat...

When he became emperor, Ming lived frugally, which got the common people on his side. He abolished feudalism, redistributed the wealth, and modernized the country with help from a few foreign allies. Since the socialists had pretty much killed off all of the landed gentry, Ming was able to give the vacated land to the public and encourage industrialization. He began establishing foreign relations with friendly countries to help this industrialization come into fruition. Mai's teenage years were spent living in a beautiful palace with courtiers and officials running every which way. A few years later, Ming began looking to secure an heir when he took power, because although he was a spry old man, he still was old and wouldn't live forever-plus he never married, nor did he ever have children (or so he thought; more on that later). And through it all, Mai knew that she would be married off to the crown prince of a kingdom she'd never visited. Mai didn't like it, but she recognized that she would have to go through with the marriage in order to ensure the survival of her uncle's precarious reign. And if that was all it took, then she would do it in a heartbeat.

A couple years ago, Zhou (who has since been recognized as the crown prince of Liang), kicked down the doors (quite literally) and demanded an audience with Emperor Ming. Mai's uncle obliged, of course, and suddenly, Mai had a cousin. Mai was initially very suspicious of him due to the possibility that he could have been working for one of her uncle's enemies, but she has grown fond of him over time and now does not think that he has any ulterior motives at all. Mai does her best to keep him from messing up too much in front of other royalty, although that is a task that is much easier said than done.

Face claim=Fan Bingbing
Color code=df0808

Prince Leonard "Leon" Ford of Krieg-Königreich

Pinterest Board: pinterest.com/ayzrules/rose-red-wrc

Liang

Emperor Ming Mei (FC: Jackie Chan) is Mai's uncle and the current ruler of Liang. Ming is a pragmatic and rational man, unlike his older brother, who had his head in the clouds. He can be brutally honest, and thinks that he's too old for the petty games that the younger members of court like to play. He would much rather go back to his home in the mountains and live out the rest of his days in peace than rule a country, but he does his duty for Mai and Zhou's sake.

Ming always had a strained relationship with the rest of his family besides his older brother (Mai's father). He has come to love both his niece and son dearly, and he loves his country just as much. Despite his age, Ming has a quick intellect and a sharp tongue. He exudes an aura of authority and dignity, even though Liang isn't exactly the most powerful of nations at the moment. Ming is known to make practical laws and reforms that benefit all.

Red and gold

Liang has always been one of the largest nations in the world. Its vast territory includes deserts and mountain ranges and grasslands and rivers, and along banks of the Yellow River was where one of the first ancient civilizations developed.

Liangii luxury goods have been especially coveted all throughout history. From the earliest traders to the industrialists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, everyone wanted Liangii silk, Liangii porcelain, Liangii scented wood...and although factories and industrialization have made silk and porcelain widely available to all, Liangii still retains its status as the original producer of these valuable goods.

Liangii contributions to science and academia are well noted; from the invention of paper to compasses and gunpowder, Liang’s role in shaping the world as we know it today cannot be underestimated.

Finally, Liang is known for its significant cultural and political contributions. Western forms of government can trace some of its roots back to the Confucius and the civil service exams; and centralized bureaucracies have become all the rage. Culturally, Liang is known for its vibrant and ancient customs and traditions, from elaborate hairpieces to martial arts to stone lions, as well as its cuisine.

In the modern day, Liang is notorious for its runaway population growth and environmental problems, some of which have been present since the days of the first emperors. Liangii culture has begun to permeate pop culture around the world, too; some of its period dramas have begun to gain popularity in Western pop culture, and martial arts films have gained quite a following.

Liang is an ancient kingdom, and one of the first human civilizations in existence sprang up on the banks of one of their major rivers. During the age of the imperial dynasties (circa 1500 BCE-1950 CE), Liangii society developed and flourished, and the Liangii are attributed with some of the most important inventions of the modern day, including paper and gunpowder.

The Liangii emperors pursued a heavily isolationist policy as Europe came out of the Dark Ages, and they were technologically (and, some argue, culturally) backwards when westerners showed up on their doorstep, demanding trading rights and concessions. What followed as a long period of turmoil as the Liangii ridded themselves of the millennia-old dynastic cycle and began to reshape the kingdom socially, culturally, and politically. As Liangii society splintered into several distinct factions, an ambitious self-made man-Li Mei-married into the royal family, and when he died, his son (Mai's father and Emperor Ming's older brother) took power. However, he was an ineffectual ruler, and war broke out throughout Liang as the royal family was executed.

What followed were ten years of internal strife and turmoil, and during this period, Ming Mei came out of hiding and reached out to old friends and allies. Approximately fourteen years after the revolt that sent Liang spiraling into chaos, Ming was able to re-take the throne by defeating the last faction remaining, the socialists. He went on to instate himself as emperor, and his regime, although much more liberal and much more modern than those of the twentieth-century emperors, remains precarious as politicians and courtiers hold onto past grudges and probe at each other for any sign of weakness. To this day, Liangii politics are very cutthroat, both literally and metaphorically.

When he became king, Ming lived frugally, which got the common people on his side. Ming abolished feudalism, redistributed the wealth, and modernized the country with help from a few foreign allies. Since the socialists had pretty much killed off all of the landed gentry, Ming was able to give the vacated land to the public and encourage industrialization. He began establishing foreign relations with friendly countries to help this industrialization into fruition. This industrialization, however, came at a price, one that the Liangii are able to see first-hand in the polluted rivers and hazy air.

The capital city of Liang is known as Xiajing.

Alejandro Álvaro Aguíla de Agustín (yes, he’s aware of how extra his name is. Not that he cares)

Prince of Castilya

23

Male

Homosexual

Alejandro's features and svelte figure are extremely feminine, for the lack of a better word. He has thick, dirty blonde hair that falls well past his shoulders, and he is extremely particular about the upkeep of his hair. Being the annoyingly extra person that he is, Alejandro has a complex routine set up for his luscious locks that he must follow every single day. For official functions, he will usually tie his hair back into a neat little ponytail or put it up in a bun. He has full, pouty lips (again, rather feminine), and he isn't above a little natural-toned lipstick here and there. Alejandro's sparkling blue eyes are framed by enviably long eyelashes. He is very fond of eyeliner, and wears it frequently. He has fine, delicate features and an angular (though not overly angular) face and a slight, slender frame. He is not very tall, but he is not very short, either. Alejandro cannot abide by facial hair and is impeccably clean shaven, no matter what the occasion.

Alejandro moves with a lithe, catlike grace, an effect aided by his lean frame and long limbs. He is covered with a wiry, sinewy muscle and has perfected the intricate art form of 'prancing'. Though Alejandro moves with a quiet elegance, his clothing choices are usually anything but quiet. He wears loud, tight-fitting clothing and is not above wearing jewelry, either. He flaunts pinks and purples with pride, adores pretty little handbags, and so desperately wishes that it was considered socially acceptable for men to wear stilettos, too (as such, he has to settle for high-heeled boots).

Alejandro exudes an aura of airy frivolousness, accentuated by his flamboyant style of dressing and his overly feminine features. He appears dismissively unconcerned about matters that are important to others (such as, you know, national security) and overly concerned with entirely trivial difficulties (how hard it is to coordinate a perfectly matching outfit, for example). Alejandro can be rather flippant and rarely, if ever, loses his composure. He has a penchant for creating entirely unfitting nicknames for others that some may find to be excessively irritating.

Alejandro goes about everything with an air of nonchalance, and people who know him know to never expect him to be entirely serious during the course of a conversation. He has a habit of using extremely flowery language and gesturing airily as he speaks (Alejandro has an unfortunate tendency to call others darling, dears, flower petals, pearls, and the like-it's really quite annoying. Vhalery de Mirabel, his closest friend, considers it to be a grave character flaw). He is extremely adamant on proper manners and etiquette; indeed, you could be holding a knife up to his throat, and he'd greet you properly and offer you a drink before issuing a light reprimand on the entirely uncouth way in which you are behaving. Alejandro insists on dressing in the latest fashions (though his fashion sense tends to be a bit on the outrageous side) and is known as a social butterfly among his circles, which happen to be composed of the rich, the famous, and the fashionable. He puts up the appearances of being flighty and, although he's had a few flings in the past, nothing has come out of them.

Alejandro is hellaciously vain, placing his looks and clothing very high on his list of priorities. He is very shrewd, a fact he hides through his outrageous demeanor, and keenly observant. Alejandro tends to conceal what he's really thinking or feeling with an excess of false, over-exaggerated emotions, especially when dealing with highly personal issues such as his sexuality. He has an acute memory and is able to remember specific, random and seemingly irrelevant facts from years in the past. Alejandro happens to be good at remembering faces and names as well. His attitude of airy disregard, excessive flattery, and impeccable fashion sense have earned him quite a reputation, though it is, in truth, meant to disguise his true nature of gathering all the information he can. Alejandro adores gossip of any kind, although he is very tight-lipped when it comes to his sources. He values independence and the freedom to choose-the freedom to choose who he associates with, the freedom to love and marry who he wants, the freedom to gossip about who and what he wants, and most importantly, the freedom to choose what to wear. Alejandro does everything fashionably-sometimes to the exclusion of everything else, including common sense-and he fervently believes that 'outrageous' is oftentimes one's best disguise.

𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼-gossip, gossip, gossip, dressing to the height of fashion in a very flamboyant manner, haute couture (he's especially fond of Alexander Mcqueen, and Versace, and Gucci, and Louis Vuitton...the list goes on), fashion shows, spicy and "exotic" foods, flashy cars and flashier jewelry, using an excessive amount of eyeliner, kohl, and make-up in general, knowing everything, gold, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, knives/daggers with extremely ornate, jewel-encrusted hilts, satire and books with a dry, ironic, and even dark sense of humor, beautiful people-especially beautiful men, witty comebacks, propriety, manners, and being civilized in general, modern technology, especially that used for espionage, ballet and interpretative dance, as well as most forms of ballroom dance, makeup (he used to watch makeup tutorials made by Aciran YouTubers as a kid, using make-up borrowed from his younger sister. Alejandro would say that he's quite a dab hand at it, now)

𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼-people who can't take a joke, being "out of the loop", people who are homophobic (especially when paired with an insufferable propensity for Bible-thumping), being practical, "boring" people who don't know how to have fun, someone hurting one of his own, ill-mannered people, being forced to wear last year's fashions, people with an absolutely horrendous taste in fashion, backwards views of religions and social norms, being told what to do, losing his invaluable sources of information, committing a fashion faux pas (or a general faux pas), being seen in public less-than-perfectly-attired

Prince Alejandro Álvaro Aguíla de Agustín is the second-oldest child of King Jose and Queen Catalina. His older brother, Enrique, is to inherit the throne, and Alejandro is perfectly fine with that, thank you very much. He also has a younger sister, who is named Josefina, that he likes to dote upon, much to the disapproval of his parents and older brother.

From a very young age, Alejandro was aware of his...preferences, though he never spoke of it to anyone, least of all his parents. The conservatives were growing restless, and besides, his mother was a faithful follower of the Catholic Church. His father was indifferent to the faith, as was his brother, but Alejandro did not like the idea of facing their scorn and ostracism. His brother was an extremely dutiful child with an interest in history and politics and military strategy and diplomacy; the perfect king-in-training. Alejandro, on the other hand, was more concerned with metallic orange tuxedos and tight pants than ruling a kingdom. Enrique spent some time in the military, as was the custom among members of the royal family, but Alejandro scorned the idea and eventually had to be forced to partake in the basic training course. He refused to continue it after two or three years, instead deciding that he wanted to learn ballet, to the immense disapproval of his father.

One thing Alejandro did end up getting out of the military, however, was his strange penchant for knives. His parents are convinced that he took to blades because of the extremely ornate hilts of the decorative pieces, but nevertheless, they allowed him to purse that hobby, at least (they were still against ballet). Alejandro dabbled in a bit of music as well, before finding that sight reading and practicing was much to dull for him-he'd rather listen to somebody play the instrument than actually play it himself (though he does have a few years of violin under his belt). Alejandro scorns the extreme masculinity presented by his father and his brother, what with their bulky frames and bulging muscles (he can appreciate musculature, yes, but he absolutely will not subject himself to that). He thinks that they're too afraid to show their more vulnerable sides to other people, though he understands how they feel-he does it himself all the time, with his frivolous ways and honeyed tongue.

When Alejandro was ten, he finally convinced his parents to allow him to take ballet lessons, though it was done in secret as to avoid an explosion of tabloid articles about his "unusual" hobbies. His instructor, a stern-faced Russian woman, appreciated his enthusiasm but not his flowery language. Josefina eventually joined him in ballet, and Alejandro very much enjoys this time that he gets to spend with his younger sister, who is quiet and sensible but laughs until there are tears in her eyes at his antics. It was around this time that Alejandro realized that his love of ballet dance extended to most other forms of dance as well, and he soon become quite skilled in a variety of ballroom dances, from the waltz to the salsa and the tango.

Alejandro's childhood best friends were Vhalery and Eduardo de Mirabel, whom he referred to as Mirry and Eddy, respectively. The twins were the children of a prominent military family, and it was expected that Eduardo would become a general one day, while Vhalery would be involved in Castilya's expansive espionage network. The three were inseparable, and everyone joked that Alejandro would one day marry Vhalery. However, Alejandro was actually in love with Eduardo, a fact that was discovered by Queen Catalina when Alejandro was fifteen. He and Eduardo were caught kissing in Alejandro's spacious closet one day, and his mother was horrified. She immediately got King Jorge to send Eduardo away to a military academy, and Alejandro has not seen him since. The queen believes that Alejandro was 'just experimenting' and that he has since 'grown out' of it, and Alejandro is not inclined to convince her otherwise. Eduardo's twin sister, Vhalery, however, remains constantly by his side as a means of tapping into all of the pertinent gossip. Alejandro's parents approve of her pragmatic, efficient personality-they want it to rub off on him, though both Vhalery and Alejandro know that is about as likely as Enrique donning a pair of stilettos one day.

Alejandro is to become the Minister of Public and International Relations once the current one retires. He currently has access to a wide variety of international and domestic operatives working under the espionage department of the Castilyan military. As such, he has an uncanny knack for knowing everything-whether it's the identity of a movie star's mistress, what the latest fashions out of Paris will be for the upcoming season, or which military officer in which politically unstable country is planning to plot a coup de'tat.

Face claim=Danila Kovalev, color code=FF8C00

TBD and/or NA (hit me up if you think a betrothal would be fun!)

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Castilya

King Jose Jorge Aguíla de Agustín and Queen Catalina Maria Rosa Aguíla de Agustín. Both are rather conservative.

Scarlet and yellow

The Kingdom of Castilya is known for its widespread colonial influence that persists to this day in Castellano and Spanish-speaking countries throughout the world. Castilya is also remarkably neutral in a wide range of foreign affairs, and its proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar has made it an important kingdom in terms of trade.

Castilya is also known for its heavily Catholic population. Although the kingdom has moved away from religion in the past century or so, Catholicism is still a matter of great importance to the older and more conservative citizens. Castilya's information network is also quite notable, which stems from its long colonial past.

Finally, in terms of culture, Castilya is known for its food, its history/architecture and music, and its fashion. The salsa, tango, and flamenco are three of the various dances that have come out of Castilya. The capital city of Portaya is a hotspot of haute couture and known as one of the "fashion capitals" of the world, with seasonal fashion shows that are all the rage amongst international audiences.

The Kingdom of Castilya was established after a series small Christian kingdoms united under one banner to fight against the Moorish Muslims. In the sixteenth century, they expanded their territorial holdings into South and Central America, creating colonies after invading and conquering the indigenous peoples. These colonies rebelled and declared independence in the nineteenth century, and Castilya lost its last colony in 1898.

During the twentieth century, the royal family was ousted during the Castilyan Civil War as they failed to deal with a worldwide economic crisis. Fernandez, a fascist dictator, ruled for twenty-some years, and his regime was characterized by brutal repression of free speech and harsh poverty. After his death in the 1950s, the Aguíla de Agustíns, a staunchly Catholic branch of the royal family that had survived Fernandez's regime by outwardly supporting the dictator, were instated as the sovereign rulers of the kingdom.

The Kingdom of Castilya remains neutral in many conflicts between world powers these days, preferring to sit back and observe and quietly gather information rather than actively engage in violent confrontation. It is now one of the wealthier countries in the world, attracting millions of tourists each year due to its pristine beaches and rich culture. However, unlike most of its wealthy European counterparts, Castilya is still rather conservative, and the Catholic faith is very widespread, partially because of the influence of the Aguíla de Agustíns.

Although the general stereotype of the Castilyan rulers is that they are stuffy conservative Catholics, the current generation of young people in Castilya are plenty liberal, thanks to the widespread access to TV and Internet.

Isabella Cotilla del Reyes; only her sister is allowed to call her "Ella", her childhood nickname

Princess of Evalusia

24

Female

Heterosexual (though she's never really cared much for "love")

Isabella has brown hair so dark that it's almost black. It is thick and wavy and falls to somewhere around halfway down her back, and she prefers to either arrange her hair in elaborate formations, adorned with jewels and ornate hairpins, or let it hang loose and free. Her eyes are a blue-green color, and most people who have met her say that there's something undeniably alluring yet utterly terrifying about those eyes. There's a sharp, piercing edge to them that hasn't gone away ever since her father deemed her old enough to be essentially married off to the highest bidder, tempered by a haughty aloofness a cold nonchalance.

Isabella has high cheekbones and a delicately curved jawline-her face practically screams "snooty princess". She is rather tall, and she is definitely on the slender side. In fact, there is nothing "womanly" at all about her figure-she is all sharp edges and long, lean lines and angular limbs. There is no softness to her whatsoever, be it in her eyes or her fingers or simply the way that she holds herself.

Isabella favors gowns that are elegant but simple, and although she has a reputation for always wearing pristine shades of white, Isabella definitely doesn't have anything against black or blue, either. Most of the time, she dresses rather severely and/or conservatively (thanks to the dumb expectations of Evalusian society under her father's rule), but for special occasions, she will don a string of diamonds or two. In terms of make-up, Isabella keeps it light and simple-some foundation and concealer for the dark circles under her eyes, some mascara for her eyelashes and lipstick for her lips, and that's about it.

Isabella is very practical and has both feet planted firmly on the ground. She is capable of saying exactly what she means without saying anything at all, as well as flattering and insulting someone in the same breath. Isabella is more than willing to bandy words about all day long, and she is extremely perceptive when it comes to what others are thinking or feeling. She knows that many of the Evalusian nobles fear her-and the ones who are not afraid of her will learn to fear her, or they will die.

Isabella is observant and analytical; calm and collected under even the most trying of circumstances. She is logical and rational and constantly aware of her surroundings (she misses nothing), and her sly, shrewd intelligence allows her to pick up even the slightest of cues. Isabella is more “terrifying” than “charming”, but she is able to be charismatic, albeit in a vaguely terrifying sort of way. She is meticulous and thorough in everything she does (whether it’s plotting an assassination or planning a ball), and she knows the ins and outs of court etiquette like the back of her hand. She tends to think things through before she acts, and rarely lets her temper get the best of her-though when she is well and truly angry, Isabella is completely blinded by her emotions.

If information is the game, then Isabella is a merchant of great renown. Capable of lying, manipulating, seducing, or blackmailing her way to someone's secrets, Isabella will have what she wants out of someone before they even realize she has her sights set on them. She is very haughty and aloof (and can be shortsightedly disparaging), and she has an inability to trust others that could very much cost her her life one day. Isabella holds a rather cynical and bitter view of the world (she doesn't believe in true love, for example), and she has a tendency to be very judgmental of others. At first, she burned with a need for vengeance against her father for what he did to her sister, but now that it's been years since the "incident", years since Elena disappeared off the face of the earth, Isabella finds that she just doesn’t know a life without this rage that lives inside her, this anger that has made her cruel. She believes that people are not inherently good nor evil, but that it is easier to be evil in difficult situations, so people tend to be selfish and greedy-Isabella herself included.

Ruthless and amoral, Isabella can be extremely cold and callously blunt (which has earned her the label of "ice queen" on social media), especially if she does not view somebody as "important". Isabella holds no qualms about lying, cheating, stealing, blackmailing, et cetera to get what she wants, so long as she does indeed achieve her original goal.

But on the inside, past the years of rage and regret, Isabella is a mess of sorrow and fury and ambition that have combined to create the woman that she is now. Isabella is almost obsessively power-hungry, chasing after a foreign throne to get her the hell out of Evalusia, to get her away from the memories that linger in the bedchambers and corridors of the stone castle in the mountains, to get away from her father-all in the hopes that it will help fill the hole left inside her after what her father did to her sister, after Elena went missing; the hole that still persists, despite all the time that has passed, despite all the bloodshed and destruction and glory that was left in its wake.

(She knows that it won't).

𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼: pearls, diamonds, and other precious jewels, gowns of silk and satin, intricate lacework, the colors white and silver (they go wonderfully with her complexion), snow, ice, the cold, elegant, expensive gowns that show off Isabella's impeccable taste, her set of small, thin stiletto daggers with intricately carved hilts studded with freshwater pearls, diamonds, and milky white crystals that can be disguised as ornate hairpins, power, independence, being respected for what she is truly capable of (or being viewed as just another pretty face, depending on the situation), white roses, her family and those loyal to her family (excluding those loyal her father, of course), the smell of the winter air, cloudy days, fresh blueberries, swans, being in charge/in control, when people scurry to obey her orders, being feared (or so she tells herself, anyway), telling people what to do/ordering others around, vengeance against those who have wronged her in the past in any way (Isabella's quite petty), a good poisoning or a perfectly executed murder, subtlety (when it is needed), knowing everyone's secrets

𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼: her father, incompetence, when something/someone unnecessarily ruins her hair or clothing, silly stories about true love and chivalry, relying on others, men who are only powerful because they're men, being sweaty, messy hair, dirty clothing, crude manners, her father, being underestimated because she's a woman by people she actually trusts (who are few and far in between), sloppiness and messiness in general, drunkards, useless and meaningless violence and destruction (could you get any more rude???), physical altercations (they're just so messy), large dogs (they slobber too much), her father, ale, swan meat, sweltering summer days, being a pawn in her father's infernal game of politics, feeling powerless or helpless, being forced to marry people for stupid reasons (like, if she's going to be forced to marry someone in the first place, it better be for a damn good reason), being viewed as "property" just because she's a girl, gender roles and stereotypes, the smell of smoke, the color orange, oh, and did we mention her father?

Isabella Cotilla del Reyes, Instagram's favorite ice queen-

Her father's favorite; his pride and joy.

Polite. Pristine. Perfect.

Charming and beautiful, sweet and soft-spoken. Dainty and demure, graceful and svelte.

Not anymore, though. The only person that she will ever defer to anymore is her father, and even then, only outwardly...and with great reluctance.

Isabella was given the upbringing expected of a royal of her station, and then plus some. Her father turned away from her older sister, Elena-poor, poor Elena, who had been forsaken by the universe and born mute, unable to make any sound beyond soft grunts, which did not reflect well on the del Reyes, at all, because why would God "forsake" them in that way and grant King Gabriel a mute daughter?

So King Gabriel confined Elena to her room, and he made sure that Isabella grew up with everything that she could ever want. Pretty dresses, expensive jewelry, all the love and praise and adoration that every child seeks from their parents; Isabella had it all, so long as she obeyed. And dear God, how she hated it.

She obeyed her father despite it all, of course. He didn't love her, and she didn't love him, but in that day and age, her father's control was complete. Absolute. And if Isabella ever wanted to leave the palace again, she knew that she couldn't be seen openly disrespecting her father. So she did as her power-hungry father said...or pretended to, anyway.

Isabella embroidered, like a proper young lady, and her stitches were so neat and straight and tiny that they're almost invisible. She danced beautifully and had a voice that would break your heart. She could recite every noble family's genealogy by heart, and her paintings of vapid landscapes were nothing if not exquisite. But most of all, she was silent. A pretty decoration to her father's reign, and nothing more.

Some girls could have been content, dancing and sewing all day and then being married off to some noble or the other. Isabella could not. She watched, enviously, as her brother-the crown prince of Evalusia-was taught how to rule a kingdom. She watched as her father continued his tyrannical reign, watched as he ran the Evalusian economy to the ground with his ill-advised policies and insanely restrictive laws.

No matter, though. Isabella's going to be more powerful than anyone in her family someday.

Isabella made sure that everything she did was absolutely perfect, because her father expected no less from her. Perfect manners. Perfect smile. Perfect gown. Perfect everything. And before Elena disappeared, Isabella made sure to maintain her image as a perfect, pristine lady. One day, her father would die. And after that, Isabella would be free to do as she wanted; travel the world, maybe. Go see art exhibits and fashion shows in person. She dreamed of divorcing whichever man she was married to and running off to Britannia or Aciras or Castilya to see everything that the world had to offer, beyond the slopes of her snowy home.

But for all her dreams of grandeur and adventure, Isabella is merely a pawn in her father's plan to stay on the throne. King Gabriel Cotilla del Reyes I seized the throne thirty-some years ago, claiming descent from the Castilyan princes that used to rule Evalusia, back when it was still a colony. And ever since Isabella was officially considered fit to be wedded and bedded by some lord or the other, her father has been looking for a suitable husband. One suitor after another came and went, and Isabella was paraded before them like a horse at an auction, albeit a very valuable horse. Her brother was the heir to the Evalusian throne, while Isabella was to be sold to some stranger like the aforementioned horse, to be ridden whenever her new owner liked, beaten whenever he liked, and cast aside in time for a younger filly. Her brother's future was glory and wealth and power, while Isabella's was childbirth and passive obedience. And she loathed it; despised it, with every fiber of her being.

Lord Gabriel was always finding someone for Isabella to marry. There were so many men, Isabella can't even remember half of them. She always found some obscure fault in them, of course, and explained to her father why they would be bad husbands-this lord is as dumb as a brick. That lord can't even control the commoners living on his land, this lord has a history of legitimizing his bastards, that lord would turn on the royal family in a heartbeat.

For a time, Isabella could tolerate this. For a time, she did not...mind.

But one day, she discovered her father in her sister's bedroom, and something inside her snapped.

Although Princess Elena was frequently confined to her rooms, her condition being a "disgrace" to the royal family, Isabella and her sister grew up together. They took their sewing and dancing and painting lessons together; they took their meals together, when their father did not require Isabella's presence, and they slept in the same bed for the first few years of Isabella's life, with Elena dosing off to the fantastical stories that Isabella would tell her of knights in shining armor and damsels in distress.

As they grew older, Isabella could sense the wistful envy in Elena. Isabella knew that her sister was jealous of all the attention that Isabella got; knew that her sister had once wished to be the favorite daughter, the one that everybody adored. They grew distant, after a while, and Isabella stopped taking her afternoon tea with Elena. She stopped visiting her at night and reading with her until the wee hours of the morning; stopped spending time with poor mute Elena, who was destined to die alone in the tower that their father shut her in.

But one night, some part of Isabella ached, inexplicably, for her sister's calming presence. And so she slipped through the corridors in her nightgown, tried the knob to her sister's door-locked, as usual-and used one of her hairpins to pick the lock, like she had done countless times as a child. But when she went inside, her father was there with Elena behind the curtains of the four-poster bed, and Isabella screamed.

Isabella had to give her father credit-he covered up the incident very well. Isabella remembers how he coolly instructed the servants to go back to bed, how he strode brusquely out the door with not one word to either of his daughters. And she remembers Elena, who had just barely turned twenty at the time-she remembers how her sister refused to look at her, how she refused to answer any of her questions.

And a few days later, Elena disappeared.

It was a suicide, according to the servants. They found the shutters thrown wide open, and when Isabella looked down through the window, she saw nothing but swirling snow. They found no body, no trace of Elena, and Isabella would have been convinced that it was a suicide if not for the note she found tucked into her jewelry box, a week later.

Wait for me, it read, in her sister's elegant handwriting. And so she waited.

But it has been six years since the note. And although Isabella had her suspicions, although she had her theories, they have all been turned to dust. Once, she believed that her sister was still alive, somehow, waiting for the right moment to contact her. Once, she believed that she could be happy in Evalusia, if only because Elena would be with her.

Now, though, she's not so sure. And besides, her father has given her a new set of orders; she is to marry the prince of a foreign kingdom, one that is wealthy and powerful, so that her father can gain legitimacy in the eyes of the international community.

And Isabella decided that she would obey, if only to leave Evalusia behind. If only to leave the stifling gender roles forced upon her by nobles who believed that the Bible had the answer to everything; if only to leave her father behind.

King Gabriel had his eyes on many kingdoms. He ultimately decided to have Isabella marry Prince Quentin Houston, of the Texas Sovereignty. And Isabella agreed.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, however, Isabella has been in touch with the aristocratic revolutionaries that are beginning to gather under her father's oppressive rule. There is talk of a rebellion; a revolt to depose of her father and put someone else on the throne. And soon enough, Isabella will have to make a choice: will she escape to a foreign country and a foreign throne, or will she remain to fight for Evalusia?

Face claim=Zhenya Katava, color code=skyblue

Prince Quentin Houston of the Texas Sovereignty

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Evalusia

King Gabriel Cotilla del Reyes I and Queen Catalina Cotilla del Reyes (deceased; passed away giving birth to Isabella). King Gabriel I is a cruel, ruthless ruler, more concerned about maintaining his position than he is about the well-being of the Evalusian people.

The couple had three children; Gabriel II, the crown-prince of Evalusia, Elena, who allegedly committed suicide six years ago, and Isabella.

Blue and white

Evalusia is known for its rich indigenous history and culture, dating back to prehistoric times, as well as the reserves of precious minerals in the mountains and the sheer diversity of its landscape. The northern territories are dry and arid, while the central region is lush and forested, and the southern region is snowy and mountainous. Evalusia is famous for the glaciers and glacial bays at its southernmost tip; indeed, the entire southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands.

More recently, Evalusia is known for the harsh, quasi-dictatorial rule of King Gabriel I, who established his absolute monarchy thirty-some years ago. Evalusia is also known as one of the least-developed nations in the world, thanks to its history of political uprisings and authoritarian regimes. Rumors of corruption and fraud in Evalusian politics have run rampant ever since Evalusia declared independence from Castilya. The oppression of indigenous peoples in Evalusia in the past is a well-known fact, one that the current royal family is rather touchy about.

Finally, Evalusia is known for being extremely Catholic. The Catholic Church, under King Gabriel's rule, has more power than many people think that it ought to have. Evalusian society under the reign of King Gabriel I is ultra-conservative and very, very religious.

In the 1500s, the territory that is now known as Evalusia was conquered and colonized by the Castilyans, who imposed their rule over the indigenous peoples who had once lived in the mountains and forests of Evalusia. In the 1850s, after a new Castilyan dynasty began tightening their control over the colonies, the Evalusians declared independence and created the independent state of Evalusia. However, after they achieved independence, racial and class divisions splintered the fragile alliance, and Evalusia spiraled into more than one hundred years of internal turmoil as presidents, generals, and dictators came and went.

The latest development came thirty-some years ago, when the current king of Evalusia (Gabriel Cotilla del Reyes I) instated himself as the sovereign monarch following a military coup, claiming descent from both the Castilyan princes that used to rule over Evalusia in colonial times and indigenous chieftains of the old. His oppressive policies have caused foreign media to coin the term 'dictator-king' when describing him, and unbeknownst to the rest of the world, there is revolution in the air.

The capital city of Evalusia is Andalia, which is a medium-sized city in the southern part of the kingdom. The capital has changed countless times in the last hundred years, so most people don't really give the current location of the capital city much merit. The royal palace is a few hours away from Andalia, high up in the mountains.

Talya Jade Burnley

Crown Princess. Heir to the throne.

Nineteen.

Female.

Pansexual.

Talya stands at 5 feet, 5 inches tall. Looking upon her face, you will find a very defined jaw line and a small, slightly pointed nose. Her eyes are almond shaped and are blue-gray in color. Her eyebrows are slightly bushy, and her lashes are long.

A very thin young woman, Talya is said to have a slight hourglass figure. Her hair is light brown in color, and falls to the mid-back point. It is often left to do its own thing when she is not on official business. Talya has a few small scars on her palms, arms, and legs from wrestling outdoors with her brothers when she was small. Her ears are pierced.

The pride and joy of her kingdom, Talya knows how to act both on and off camera. When the screens are turned towards her, she is poised. Back straight, chin ever so slightly up. She smiles, she waves. Talya comes off as a sweet girl - kind, caring and gentle. However, her tongue can be sharp, often telling the truth when others will not. She is a perceptive young woman, and often observes the things around her rather than engaging in the conversation.

Talya is a known prankster around the castle, and a social media princess. She's almost always taking photos of everything wherever she goes. The young woman knows how to have a good time, though hardly has the time to do so.
A prideful young woman, Talya is not typically one to ask for help, often causing her to feel like she is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. After all, always having to set an example for her siblings and people comes with a price.

At first it may seem like Talya is the shy, blushing, innocent idiot. But don't be fooled. She comes from the land of inventors and scholars; the people of tricks and trade. The young woman has a few tricks up her sleeve as well. Cross her, and you'll soon find yourself in a world of trouble.

● The feeling of the sun on her skin.
● The ocean - especially when it storms.
● Science
● The outdoors.
● Cliff diving
● Horseback riding and just about anything to do with horses.
● Sparing
● Reading
● Drawing with charcoal pencils.
● Teaching others.
● Music - Rock, hip pop, and violinists such as Lindsey Sterling.
● Learning new things.
● 'Pretty' words.
● The color blue.
● Surfing.
● Chokers
● Jeans.
○ Always having to be poised.
○ Egotistical people.
○ People always tellinf her to act like a lady.
○ Broccoli
○ Skirts.
○ Having everything she says criticized and dissected.
○ Snakes

Talya is the second oldest child in the family, and has been raised as the thrones successor from day one. At the age of four, she began tutoring. At the age of five, she began horseback riding, as well as attending public school - as is customary in Notia. All of her life, the Notian people have loved her, and her family. Living a pretty easy childhood, wrestling with her brothers in the back yard and climbing trees, Talya would have more of the spotlight turned upon her when she was fifteen. The oldest child of the Burnley family, Desmond, would die in a plane accident on his way home from a buisness trip, making Talya the heir to the throne.

From that moment toward, Talya was expected to act properly on all occasions, even around her friends. The young woman found herself riding her horses bareback to her favorite fields to study, and found a thrill in cliff diving - a activity she loves til this day.

She was betrothed at the age of 14 to 'insert name here,' something she is still not quite yet comfortable with.

Christina Ann Speckhart ~ 6bb8cf ~ Font is Blackbrush

[url=insert here]TBD[/url]
_{A Few Lyrics here}

TBD

~Owns two horses, Blackjack and Aurora.
-Started horseback riding at 5.
-Started sparing lessons at 6.
-Started surfing at 9.
-Has a Twitter with 677k followers.
-Her Instagram has 2.8 million followes.
-She has 900k followers on Snapchat.

Notia (No-sha): The Land of Ice, The Land of Oceans.

King Benjamin Lincoln Burnley and Queen Kora Cicily Burnley.

Blue and white.

-Their gorgeous oceans and high rising cliffs
-Islands and fields full of wild horses
-Fields full of lavender and various other wild flowers.
-Their inventions: the atomic bomb, the cellphone, etc.
- The typical stereotype of a Notian would be a pompous, stuck up, know it all.
-They have the best schools.
-Most of the people from Notia actually have brown eyes.
-Known for their hellish winters. The average snowfall in Notia is three feet. The average temperature during the winter day for Notia is 16 degrees. The averave low is -23.

- The Kingdom of Notia was established in 1200.
-Though a peaceful kingdom, Notia has been in two wars, occurring in the years 1582 and 1894. Both times they were victorious.
- The Burnley family rose to power after the first war, as it was a revolution. The people demanded a new leader, and saw their commander fit to be the new king.
- The beloved Prince Desmond dies in the year, 2014, leaving his siter, Talya, the rightful heir to the throne.

-N/A

Liviana ‘Livi’ Decima Viriatus

N/A – Lusitania does not use inherited titles at all, it is rather a cultural – implication, of sorts, that one’s family name be the indicator of their power. That said, in another kingdom she would be called a princess, though she’s at least twenty-sixth in line to the throne.

Sixteen (Born March 15, 2002)

Female

Asexual

Though little Livi Viriatus isn’t much to look at, standing a tiny four feet and four inches and weighing maybe 80 pounds sopping wet, she’s got a lot of attitude about her. Unruly dark-chocolate curls cascade past her hips, when they’re behaving (which isn’t often) and frame a thin face set with enormous, deep blue eyes that don’t flinch away from any form of stare.

In terms of posture, Liv is painfully proper - her back as straight as a board, every muscle tense in a struggle to gain a few more millimeters of stature. Her hands are usually clasped at her waist, behind her, or else held close to her. When she walks, she is careful to make little sound, though her usual soft-soled sandals make that even easier.

Attire is something that all Lusitanians take pride in, and Livi is no exception. Her piles of hair are often braided and pinned up, tucked with all manner of pins and jewels with only a few strands left free. Her clothing is always in Lusitania’s traditional style - long, flowing gowns of chiffon and thin silk that are layered and draped for modesty. Restrictive, yes, but absolutely gorgeous. Many Lusitanian women can pull these outfits off with ethereal ease; on Liv, however, the garments threaten to drown her, at best obscuring any hint of a figure that she might have. She favors shades of baby blue and pink and white, pastel colors that don’t further overwhelm her fair skin.

Outwardly, Liviana is the perfect Lusitanian girl. Quiet and demure, with little opinion about much of anything. Her musical interests are kept quiet, her social ones never spoken of - the only thing she publicly excels at are weaving, spinning, and looking pretty.

Internally, however, it’s a very different story. Equal parts infuriated by her lack of education and fiercely determined to succeed, she has a fiery wit and a thirst for knowledge - but it is crippled by her upbringing, fear of stepping out of line.

Liviana is absolutely devoted to her musical endeavors - cello and piano are by far her favorite instruments. Hours are spent practicing, arguably a majority of her time, even. Second to that is her social media addiction - don’t laugh. After much consideration, and a thorough introduction by her best friend, the 13-year-old Livi decided that the Internet was by far the best way for a sickly, frail princess to be an activist on a global scale.

Loneliness is Livi’s constant companion, though - her best friend’s health is failing, and Liv’s siblings and father scarcely give her the time of day. Though she tries to be optimistic and determined, it’s very hard to stay as such - especially because her activism doesn’t seem to leave a mark. And with her internet presence, she sees all sorts of other young women speaking out in person - and so wishes she had that level of confidence and poise and grace. She just wishes she could do more for her cause - and dares to hope that her engagement is just that.

Likes: Tea with milk and honey, tiny creatures, orchestral music, libraries, polite conversation, flowing dresses, sunshine, wildflowers.

Dislikes: Coffee, rock music, radical feminists, protest marches, scary old senators, alcohol, spinning lessons.

Liviana is the tenth, and youngest, child of the current emperor (Imperator Julius Titus Viriatus Augustus) of Lusitania. She has seven older brothers and two older sisters. Her mother died of complications upon her birth, and thus Livi was named for her - it was only fitting that Lady Livia’s legacy be continued.

Born a sickly, premature child, it was a fight for Liv to survive from the very first moment. The realm watched the tiny princess with detached fascination - it wasn’t as though she was to inherit, or rule, and there were plenty of other healthy royal children should she expire - and sighed in tentative relief as she managed to make it to her first birthday. But the health issues did not go away. Her father, upon realizing she was never to grow out of her sickness, did his best to shuffle her out of the public eye.

When she was seven, she had her first marriage proposal. A crusty old senator's youngest son, who was nonetheless at least five times her age, dressed in finery and anointed in oils that made her breath whistle in her throat. She watched in terror, and in fascination, as her father politely refused the man, taking to heart his confidence in her - "A Viriatus is suitable for only an heir."

As she grew older, however, she realized how - to put it politely - screwed the entire system was. Proposal after proposal offered for her hand, by men as old as her father, who saw her as nothing more than an object to hang on their arm and a fortune to subsume. She watched her next-eldest sister, Valeria, married off at the age of fourteen to an obscenely-rich Athenian investor - and having borne three children by eighteen. Such was not a life Livi wanted, but any statements of this were fielded away as being naive child's wonderings. All things are done for the Empire, silly Livi; for what else do you even exist?

Thankfully, as her body resolutely refused to turn into a woman's, the marriage proposals dried up.

With them, so did her father's hope in her.

She was taught to spin thread from the time she was six and taught the art of loomwork from the time she was ten. Such was what women did, both married and unmarried ones; a young woman's place was on a cushion in a quiet room listening to older women quietly sing and tell stories between the thumping of the looms and scarce whispering of twirling threads. She hated her spinning lessons, but took part in them.

A marry-able woman was quiet, and adept at her work, and so Livi had to be. For the Empire. Certainly, she had the 'quiet' in spades. Few people, save her maids, ever cared to speak to her, and most even seemed to actively look through her. For the most part she was allowed to just exist, slipping out of the weavers' room and into the halls to wander. If her father ever noticed, he never cared, nor said anything to have her stop.

Time and chance had her, at last, make a friend - Lucian Catilina, a nobleman's son, and a pianist-in-training. He saw her as a person, and didn't seem to care that she was small and weak... Though how could he? He was scarcely bigger than her, and had his own small novel’s worth of medical problems. With much pleading and cajoling, he convinced her to come to an orchestra rehearsal with him - where she was immediately plopped down in a seat and handed a cello with little more explanation than, 'it'll be fun!' (which it certainly was, though perhaps less so for the others in hearing distance.) Thus, a remarkably-intense interest in music (and an intense friendship) were born.

Through Lucian, she was exposed to a great many things. Clumsy Greek and English lessons, musicianship in all facets - though cello and piano became by far her favorites - and most magically... the Internet. Smartphones (or really phones in general) were a rarity in Lusitania, especially for girls, but Lucian pulled a few strings and cajoled a few people and managed to get Liv an older Athenian-made one, and a generous data plan. She lost countless hours to scrolling through social media, hours of arguing with people (The annoying contingents of Aciran ‘Roma’ fangirls, in particular, were often argued with about their willful ignorance) and starting to break the silence on the real social climate in Lusitania.

Today, she has just under 300 thousand followers on Instagram, which is her primary platform - say what you like, but it is an ideal one for comments of political exposition disguised under pretty, pink-filtered ‘aesthetic’ photos of people and landscapes.

Code: F2AED3 | FC: Jodelle Ferland

N/A

Aesthetic board here.
Liv has a pet sparrow named Qvi (pronounced 'kwee'), a gift from Lucian, and she loves That-bird to death. (It's a joke, get it? because qui means 'that' in ancient imperial Latin. Aforementioned bird used to terrorize orchestra rehearsals and was so often called 'that (optional: bloody, or 'fucking', or some other expletive) bird' that the name eventually stuck.

Liv is a proud member of the Lusitanian Women's Forum, a moderate feminist organization that hosts meetings and debates and politely politically protests, by sending petitions and speakers to the senate house and imperial court. They look down on many other feminist groups, seeing their rioting and passionate speech as being overall harmful to the greater good of their mission.

Domitia ‘Dom’ Annia Viriatus

N/A – Lusitania does not use inherited titles at all, it is rather a cultural – implication, of sorts, that one’s family name be the indicator of their power. That said, in another kingdom they would be called a princess – they (were) second in line to inherit after their father.

18 (Born September 15, 1999)

Nonbinary (prefers ‘they’ pronouns)

Aaaaa?!

Dom is a very stern looking young person, somehow intimidating despite their tiny stature. Though they are notably tall for an afab person born into the Viriatus bloodline, and even stand just above the Lusitanian average, they are dwarfed by most from the rest of the world – they stand at five feet and zero point seven five inches, to be precise.

Their body was once that of an athlete or soldier, toned and wiry with muscle and padded with a healthy layer of fat, but in the last three years it has withered away and become emaciated and frail. Collarbones are starkly sharp against their sallow skin, joints comparatively knobby and bulbous. Once-broad shoulders now are loose and pointed and often bruised – the running ‘joke’ in their family is that a sparrow’s landing on their shoulder would leave a mark for weeks.

Despite their form, or perhaps because of it, everything else about them has a razor-like intensity. Dark green eyes peer out from under wisps of precisely jaw-length mousy-brown hair, over painfully-prominent cheekbones further emphasized by a long, thin scar that traces lengthwise across the right one. Dom refuses to conceal it with makeup, even considering the scar a point of pride – the only injury they ever sustained during their years of military school.

Regarding attire, Dom clothes themself as a Lusitanian lady would – only out of the insistence of their father and grandfather. Their attire is always closely fit to their body - at least, as closely as any Lusitanian fashions ever are – and in the dullest colors they can get away with. They wear no jewelry or hair accessories, and minimal makeup, though their fingernails are immaculate and always have clear, glossy gel polish on them.

Dom is a master of self-control. Everything about them must be entirely, exactly in its place. They are obsessive - hands eternally fidgeting, picking at buttons or brooches or loose threads or, without anything else, their own skin; eyes flickering to every face and object in the room and back over them a hundred times. When something manages to capture their focus, however, it is absolutely laser-like. Dom has been taught to be utterly attentive to every last detail of a situation. At one point, their memory was impeccable as well; the ability to recall any face or name would come in immense use should they ever wind up as the kingdom's ruler - but in recent years that ability has faded. Nonetheless, Dom is a very unnerving person to be around- their eyes seem to linger on all of one's secrets.

In all other regards, however, they are the perfect royal of bygone times. Elegant, graceful, and (perhaps overly) formal, they're not the sort to embarrass or cause offense at a dinner party. That said, there's always something off about them - they do not do well at idle small talk, and have a bearing and posture that never fully settle to relaxed.

Internally, Dom is very introspective and honestly quite pessimistic. Their existence has, for the last several years, been a matter of keeping their head down and just surviving - and now these two months here in Aciras are to be their only chance at escaping Lusitania and finding somewhere to except them for who they are. Pressure mounts - but then, they've always been good under pressure. With that being said, they've never tried to make a personal connection with anyone, certainly not on the level required to get them to agree to a wedding. They just pray they can make it happen.

Likes: Pretty, strong girls (!!!!!), gardening, rainstorms, swimming and running, vegetarian cuisine, ’wonder food’ smoothies, indie music and edm, cartography.

Dislikes: Meat, especially fatty Aciran cuisine; fuckboys from their year, idle time, milkshakes (they're lactose intolerant), penmanship lessons.

The kingdom rejoiced when Servius Titus Viriatus’s wife bore him twins. The heir to the throne had his own heirs, and the fate of Lusitania was secure!

To honor the twins’ mother, they were both named for her father – and the female twin was given her name, in place of the ancestral ‘Titus’ that had been traditionally bestowed to the eldest children for generations. Thus Domitia Annia and Domitius Titus Viriatus were welcomed into the world.

Growing up, the twins were utterly inseparable. They were fiercely doted upon, and guarded, and kept from playing with any of the lesser-born children, and so they became figuratively joined at the hip. They also bore an uncanny resemblance to each other, to the point where if their hair was obscured even their regular nurses couldn’t tell them apart.

As they grew older, they were separated – the girl twin shut inside to learn to weave and spin and embroider and do pretty lady things, and the boy set out to explore and scuffle and run with the hounds and do stern soldier things.

Annia wouldn’t have minded such a docile life. But Titus- he aggressively, painfully, did not want to be a solider. And Annia had always looked out for her brother.

In their infinite wisdom, the twins hatched a foolproof plan to switch places. At the tender age of eight years old, Annia cut off her long hair, chopped it up all raggedy with scissors until the nurses had to shave it just like her brother’s.

With that came the sad realization that even their parents could not tell them apart (at least when they were clothed) whatsoever, which made it almost painfully easy for them to trade places. On the fateful day when Titus was to be sent off to Lusitania’s most prestigious military academy, Annia took his place in the car.

So was born the identity with which Annia continues to use today – ‘Dom’ was hungry for knowledge and viciously eager to prove himself better than his classmates, which he did with much perseverance and effort. He soon became a favorite of many of the teachers, who admired his work ethic and discipline despite his lack of physical stature, and found his mental aptitude to be second to none.

As years passed, Dom and Titus were rarely given a chance to interact. But Titus was at least as clever as Dom; he continued his part of the ruse without revealing it, and under much more careful scrutiny than Dom ever was at the Academy.

The twins were approaching their thirteenth birthday. By this time, Dom had become the top of their class. Titus had done so well at convincing everyone that he was Annia that a proposal had been extended. Dom’s heart nearly fell out of their chest.

There was no way they could make the change. The day of the ceremony, Dom tried to get Titus alone, to switch with him once more, but he… either didn’t see, or refused to acknowledge them. Their terror grew as the ceremony progressed, as they were sent back to the school that very same night – feasting was all well and good, but they had to get an education.

In the morning they were awoken to the most horrifying news they could have imagined.

Titus had been found dead in the marriage bed, his throat slit and body mutilated, and the noble he’d been wed to nowhere to be found.

All eyes turned to Dom. Forcibly revealed to be the fairer twin, their father ordered them brought home. It was a riot. Not even figuratively speaking- there were students taking up arms and rocks and standing against the legion with their shields and swords, and the fury was infectious, spilling over into the common people. The riots spread all through Rome, through the surrounding cities, and lasted in force for over two weeks. Dom themself was ordered to lay down their arms and surrender to their father’s guard; they very politely told the guards to fuck off and continued fighting.

The riots eventually settled. Many were wounded, including Dom – they had been glanced across the cheek by the edge of a throwing spear, but refused medical treatment, for fear that they would be returned home – but their father no longer required it. They were allowed to return to school.

Oh, and how things changed.

Teachers who used to dote on and fawn over them were cold, callous, and unfairly harsh in marking their papers. They would consistently ‘lose’ submitted work – Dom began submitting it in hard copy, digitally, and in any other way they could think of, until eventually the teachers got so tired of the eternal spam that they dropped the pretense. The other students, who had previously been in varying shades of awe and envy, suddenly saw them as lesser. Hazing and bullying started at every turn, constantly calling them by their too-feminine name. More than their fair share of scuffles broke out- scuffles which they could not defend within at all, for fear of being expelled.



They grit their teeth and bore it, silently, and graduated with the highest possible honors. To spite them; to spite all of them. To be a stronger person than they would ever dream to be.

What had they learned at school?

Sure, sure. Tactics, history, the legends of the man who dared stand against a tide. How ironic that he who broke the tyrannical Roman’s back is idolized, yet the one who now tries to take more than their due be vilified.

Trying to re-integrate to palace life, having returned home with their medals and uniforms, was… decidedly not easy. There was no rigor, at least not compared to the planned-to-the-minute days they had grown so used to at the academy, and everyone else was altogether too relaxed.

It didn’t help that upon their return they were immediately forced back into the pretty, flowy dresses that they had escaped at the age of eight. Constantly followed by that name – that nameand forced to be someone they were not – until they burst from the halls in a fit of rage and ran, and ran, and did not stop until they twisted their ankle in a pothole and went skidding across ancient concrete.

Seven miles from the palace. How long had they been out there? The agonizing walk back gave them time to think, gave them time to let the pain of the situation ease along with the ache in their lungs.

Not Annia. Annia had died that day she had taken Titus’s place. Annia would have become the quiet wife of that nameless noble four years before. Annia would have worn dresses and curlers and braids and laurels and been content to know that someday she would have children.

Not Titus. Titus was dead. Murdered. Titus would have been an emperor, blessed by gods and revered by men. He would have been noble and just and kind and powerful.

No, Dom was neither the girl they had been born nor the man they tried to become. Rather… stuck in limbo. Incomplete.

The only person they dared reveal this revelation to was their younger aunt – Livi. The sheltered and frail youngest sister of their father. If they expected her to be shocked or confused, they were instead met with a soft laugh and a quiet Internet search on Livi’s ever-present smartphone. Such words as ‘nonbinary’ and neutral pronouns – only ever used in conversation with Livi and a few other trusted friends, of course, the emperor was ill-prepared to deal with a nonconforming child, never mind a nonbinary one! - but gradually Dom became more confident in their personal identity. It was easier for them to don the sparkly gowns knowing that the way they dressed didn’t invalidate who they felt they were.

But with that comfort and confidence came in turn issues with their physical appearance. They were too small and lacking in form and muscle to ever be a masculine enough man, and too few people took them seriously with their increasingly feminine shape. Rome had always prized women with wide hips and generous busts.


Several months have passed. This trip to Aciras is going to be… interesting, for certain. Betrothed to a man they’ve only met on official business, from a kingdom that might be progressive compared to Lusitania, but is still remarkably old-world fussy compared to the rest of the world... they can only hope that Edwin won’t immediately call it off upon getting to know them, or worse, force them into an identity they can’t fill.

They feel awful at the thought of abandoning little Liviana, but – they need to do this, if they want to survive. Britannia might not be much better but as the empress-to-be they would have certain protections that would be unheard of in Lusitania. Everything would be fine.

…right?

Color Code: c2e2a7 | Faceclaim: Alba Galocha

Edwin Drakewine of Britannia

Dia has at times spoken at FF ('Foeda Flammae', or 'the league of the flame' - a radfem organization that advocates for women to take up arms and forcibly take back their rights) rallies, and has accidentally become a bit of a radical feminist icon across the world. They don't agree with all of FF's platforms, and even speak out against how dangerous their 'rekindling the flame of war' would be, and how many women would be subject to horrible violence because of it- but it falls on deaf ears; the organization only ever uses their quotes that appear to support their platforms, and claim to be endorsed by Dom when they're very much not.
They have 10k followers on Tumblr, and about 12k on instagram, but try to keep a low profile and keep those identities un-associated with their name.

Andronikos ‘Anton’ Loukianos Telesphorides

Prince

Twenty-three (born 25 May 1995)

Male

At least bi, if not fully gay.

Though Anton is not especially tall, and is indeed rather short - standing about five feet, five inches tall - he carries himself exceptionally proudly. His eyes are a deep coffee brown, his hair a dark shade of brown that is often mistaken for black. Much to his chagrin, the bridge of his nose and his prominent cheekbones are dusted with a liberal sprinkling of freckles, which really detract from the whole “severe businessman” look… depending on how desperately he wants them gone, he will sometimes raid his sister’s makeup kit and apply a thin coating of foundation before any formal appearance.

His body is well-built, if a bit on the thin side – his muscles are wiry, not bulky. He’s been through some amount of physical training as the city states require all young men to go through basic military training, regardless of if they intend to stay in or not. In attire he tends to forgo cultural norm in favor of something more stylish and business-conscious – his go-to outfit is a fitted navy or black business suit, usually over a white or blue shirt and a black or metallic gold satin tie.

Charismatic and proud, there’s quite a lot of personality packed into Anton’s pint-sized frame. He’s at times quite arrogant, doing his best to hold himself loftily above everyone around. Massively proud of his intellect, and the depth and breadth of his education, he strikes up many a conversation with the sole purpose of proving himself superior to those around him. This brash, somewhat stoic facade is just that - a facade hiding his own fear of his shortcomings, and his massive bitterness that his sister is set to inherit instead of him.

Hidden behind all of this, so deep that not even he recognizes it, is a cruel cunning and a burning lust for power. He is deeply envious of his elder sister’s inheritance, and seeks to prove himself to his parents as the rightful next ruler, doing so through cunning business and shrewd social deals. His personal moral compass, while strong, seems not to apply in matters of trade and influence - he will stop at nothing to exploit others’ personal weaknesses and strengthen his own position. Highly manipulative, he takes the role of the underdog and victim whenever he can, seeding pity and using that to his own advantage. He refuses to admit that it’s his inferiority complex talking.

With this being said, he does have a surprising soft spot for those actually befallen by misfortune, and is fiercely protective of those weaker than he is- those who he judges are genuine and not just seeking pity.

Likes: Black coffee, organized spreadsheets, chrome anything, tailored suit jackets, precise schedules, the ocean, rain, fancy pens, Eione (His cat), playing piano.

Dislikes: Cream or sugar in his coffee, caramel, milk chocolate (too sweet, bleh), 'traditional' Athenian wear, free time, artistic pursuits (other than calligraphy), guitar music (for some reason it's just super grating on his ears.)

Andronikos was the only son, the second of three children, and spent much of his childhood in a peculiar state of being doted on and yet still considered lesser. His elder sister Andromede (“Andi” when she must anglicize it) and younger sister Korinna (“Kory”) were lovely, confident girls, but he was always the treasured one- the only son, after all. Raised in a bizarre fusion of the cutting edge of the modern world - every piece of technology and modern wonder at his fingertips - and the classical one, his worldview definitely is… unique.
Growing up, he was a bit pampered. He had anything his heart desired, except, of course, the title of crown prince. This honor was given to Andi, naturally, and Anton had a front seat view of how his only-two-years-older sister had to grow up into a diplomatic, graceful woman before she even hit her teens. He did his best to be there for her, helping her prepare to take the eventual burden of keeping the citystates in line, and the burden of being the first woman to inherit. (Though the citystates’ inheritance ran solely on primogeniture, the luck of the gods had been such that a woman had not inherited in living memory.)

Kory was born when he was five years old. As they grew, he was always much closer to Andi than their… foolish little sister, and the younger girl resented all of them for it, withdrawing from everything. He did his best to put the girl’s pettiness out of mind, and remains frosty with her to this day.

Their schooling was second to none. By the time they were thirteen, they were fluent in English, as well as their own Greek and Latin and knew at least snippets of a few other languages. Business partners were often more receptive when met halfway with their own language being used for negotiations, after all. He was educated in politics and philosophy, math and finance and the theory of investing. All fairly standard things for Athenian nobility.

His world was turned upside down when he was fourteen. Of course he knew of the revolution in the neighboring Luxieme- they’d been following the news of the bloody revolt quite closely- but he never expected he would be the state delegate sent to the scene, after the Athenian soldiers had forced the insurgents’ surrender.
Amid the crowd of paparazzi and elite soldiers, as he took the symbolic first shovel of earth in the ruins of the capitol building, pledging his people’s support for the reconstruction of the kingdom of Luxieme… he saw her. A little girl, spindly, hungry, disheveled, and peering at him from half behind a pillar with the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. He faltered in his speech, faltered on national television, his diplomat’s smile slipping for one single second.

His mother had been furious, having seen his reaction on the television, his momentary slip of poise as though he’d seen a ghost. He’d tried to defend himself, but no one believed what he said. A few days later, one of their medical units dragged in the same girl he’d seen. Edelessa D’Argent. Valentine. She was sent to their home soon after she was found; they thought raising her in the more… sheltered and structured Federation capital would be good for her, would give her confidence and some semblance of perhaps a normal childhood - and give her a jumpstart on becoming the crown princess her kingdom needed.

He expected Kory to be all over the new girl, but if she was distant to him she was downright frosty to the errant princess. So it fell to him to keep the young princess of Luxieme company. Grudgingly at first, but he slowly won her over with little gifts of books and sweet things, and spending time just close enough that she grew to tolerate his presence.

He taught her to ride horses, and on a whim bought her a polaroid camera- he’d seen the way those pretty eyes would latch on to birds and especially butterflies and insects- and when that was a success made a small investment of personal wealth to acquire a very nice digital camera for the girl. This turned out to be the proper turning point of their friendship. The promise of artistic opportunities seemed to be what was needed to get the young princess out of her shell.

Four years ago, his mother dropped the bomb that they were to be married, and Luxieme finally, officially annexed. He was horrified - at nearly twenty, when Blue herself was only twelve - but Mother’s mind seemed made up.

He took the issue to Andi, who gave her soft, already-matronly grin, and ruffled her baby brother’s hair, and told him not to worry and that she could give him some time to figure something out. She’s undermined the king’s authority and gotten Anton an invitation to attend the festivities in Aciras. The unspoken agreement is clear, though - he needs to strike up a deal when he’s there, or else he’ll be wed to Valentine upon their return.

Color code: F2E9AC | FC: Cameron Boyce

N/A yet!

Aesthetic to be added later!

Julius Titus Viriatus is the reigning Viriathus, currently in the forty-seventh year of his reign at the age of seventy-two; Livia Aelia-Viriatus was his wife of thirty-one years and died in 2002 at the age of forty-five.

Tyrian purple and gold

Lusitania, and famous? In the same sentence? Ha. At any rate, the only reason Lusitania is relevant is because it’s so old. They do some agricultural export, handled by Athenian shipping lines, but for the most part they’re a sleepy (and stagnant) kingdom primarily fueled by a tourist industry – again, they seem to be very much stuck in a prior time that foreigners love to experience (and can’t wait to leave.)

Lusitanian soldiers still fight with swords and shields and armor out of the classical era. In the 1800s there was a brief surge of gothic-plate style knight’s armor, but it was soon abandoned as being too expensive and intricate. (That said, many centurions and those of higher ranks own a suit worn for ceremony, and some prime decani can be seen wearing greaves and gauntlets in that style, in addition to their traditional uniforms.) It should be noted that their military serves in place of a police force; otherwise their role is solely ceremonial.

Overall, they’ve got a mishmash of basically 2000 years of aesthetics happening. Don’t even look at their coin system, where they’ve got several differently-named coins that have the same values.

They’ve become a biiiit of a meme on the Internet, with their quite frankly backwards policies and their blatant lack of such notions as ‘equality’ – they have become ‘the wet-dream of incels’ to quote one scandalous Britannian tabloid, a statement which might have some truth when one considers the proposed changes to Lusitanian immigration law.

A radical feminist symbol has increasingly cropped up in social media even in other kingdoms – a rust- or bronze-colored brazier, shaped as a horseshoe or perhaps a crescent moon, with twisting flames erupting from the top. It’s the icon of Foeda Flammae, the League of the Flare (though with the dual meaning of ‘foeda’ there’s often less-favorable translations. Regardless, it plays well into the Aciran Nasty Women and other such rough-and-tumble feminist cries.)

In northern Italy, extending down to Rome.
Technically they have the whole of Italy but the southerners are being a bit secessionist/ wanting to join with the Athenians.
Most recently in the world news about them have been the Ludiia Riots of 2013 – after the murder of Domitius Titus Viriatus and revelation of his twin sister’s deception, students at the school she had been attending rioted for her right to stay there rather than face discipline at home.
The empress died in 2002 while giving birth to Liviana Decima. The kingdom had the customary two years of mourning at that time.
Became an empire in 1466.
Last external military conflict was finished in 1615, a decisive loss.

To be added as more comes up. Can present a family tree upon request; it is very big and confusing and inbreeding is kinda a thing. Oops.

Alexandra Joi Bonnisseau

Princess (her brother Jack is "Crown Prince", however)

Nineteen

Female

Hetero-ish

Standing at roughly five-foot-six-inches, Alicia is shorter than the average females of their extended family. With a relatively slim frame, fair skin, and beautifully defined facial features, she still found herself falling into self-consciousness and barely enjoyed her own reflection. As of late, she’d moved away from her princess role into more of a “tomboy” appearance, keeping her hair cropped, and proudly wearing a “black rose” tattoo on the right side of her neck as well as more gender neutral clothes.

While she does suffer from mild borderline personality disorder, to say that Alex speaks her mind would be an understatement, because when the girl takes issue with something (which seems to be quite often) her opinions are given whether anyone wants it or not. Other times, however, she can be quite calm and reserved, delving into her artwork or ignoring everyone around her with headphones and music. Really depends on the day or perhaps phases of the moon. Who knows? Even though the relationship with her family is rather strained, she still loves them but doesn't always want to show it in any obvious way. Her brother, Jack, is probably one of the only people in the world that understands her random thought patterns, and angsty attitude toward life, but she still gets on his nerves regardless. Some see her as rather quirky at times, and others are just confused by her appearance, as those who may not know her that well, aren’t sure if she is a girl or boy. Relationships were few and far between, but that’s how she liked it, not allowing others to get too close and keeping herself busy enough not to worry about such things.

Drawing, Painting, Photography, Sushi, the Harry Potter Series, British New Wave music, and Yoga.

Being touched, Crowds, Mean people, Body odor, and Cold weather.

“Why can't you be normal for once?”

Alex was tired of hearing that line quoted by her parents on nearly a daily basis, sometimes indirectly aimed towards her twin brother Jack, but always meant for her specifically. But what the hell was wrong with being “different”? And what is "normal"? Just because you were born into wealth, or your parental units were some kind of royal (read: “pain in the asses”) significance to society, did that mean you had to be just like them and all their disgusting friends? Friends. That word is about as laughable as it’s meaning, whatever that was. When you had money, prestige, and everything that followed, “friends” could easily be bought, which Alex was pretty sure had been the secret to her parents success in life, as was most likely the same for the rest of the adults within the Kingdom.

But it didn’t always seem like this…

Growing up Bonnisseau was far less stressful and demanding as a kid, and both Alex and her brother were inseparable, one could even say, the best of friends if there ever could have been such a thing. There were no secrets between them, and whether running around the castle halls or stuck in school, The Prince and Princess of Castellevé had each other’s back no matter what challenges they faced head on. And the practical jokes and pranks, oh man, legendary if the Bonnisseau kids could boast about anything. Mom and Dad were great parents and rulers, and while they worked their asses off to provide for their family and rule a ginormous kingdom to boot, it seemed their attention slowly but surely fell onto her brother Jack, their “golden child”, as his twin sarcastically referred to him. Aside from their personalities, likes and dislikes, and a myriad of other aspects veering in different directions, Alex just couldn’t figure out why the King and Queen of Castellevé saw her brother in a more positive light.

Of course, it might have had something to do with a natural slide into deviant behavior that drove the Bonnisseau parents bad shit crazy just about every day, or perhaps the slipping of grades, sneaking out of classes to go hang out somewhere else, backing dad’s carriage into a greenhouse, or a laundry list of shenanigans that has essentially railroaded future chances of Alex finding positive favor in her parents eyes. Mid-teen years fast approached, and the bond that once kept both siblings inseparable was quickly deteriorating, and both she and Jack found themselves more isolated from one another. As it usually was, boyfriends and girlfriends came and went, and while Alex wasn’t all that interested in most of the guys that came a long, she made it a point to scare away those doting dames who actually liked her twin brother. But in the end, Alex just wasn’t the “boy crazy” type and quit caring about relationships of the heart. Her love of art consumed most of her time, as she kept to her photography, sketching, and painting, or visited the local art galleries in town from time to time hoping to build up the courage to have her work displayed for people to enjoy. In the kingdom of Castellevé, her friendships with the other kids wavered, as even their lives had changed from when everyone was younger. But she continued to hang with a few of the ones she could tolerate just to appease her family and theirs.

Alexandra loved her parents and sibling, but as time passed, she just felt less like part of the family, and kept to herself or spent time outside of the castle, down in the village markets and squares. She knew she was different from her brother, and each time she looked at him, she became angry because he just happened to be the more “perfect one”. So, out of spite, Alex took the only logical and extreme course of action: she trimmed her once long flowing hair very short and also got a tattoo. Needless to say, this sent her parents over the edge as punishments came and went, each taking away some privilege that otherwise had little effect on the girl.

Yep, the youngest born Bonnisseau twin wanted to be a rebel, and she was certainly treated as such...

No unlucky chump on her radar just yet...

Castellevé

Royal Blue & Scarlet Red

For centuries, Castellevé has prided itself in a rich heritage of Artistic, Scientific, and Technological Innovation, from elaborate wall murals, to great stone statues reaching to the heavens, their artistic influence has spread into other Kingdoms. Among their crowning achievements, Castellevé was the first to introduce “hot air balloons” and the “Photograph” into the known world many centuries prior. The Château de Fantaisie art festival is also held there on an annual basis, bringing talent from all over the world.

Castellevé was first fought for and settled a little over two thousand years ago, and built up to what it is today through the hard work and dedication of each of its residents, whether noble or commoner. It wasn’t until centuries later that during a time of relatieve peace within the land, an artistic renaissance flourished, and with it, new ideas in the way of art, science, and technology was born that would shape not only the Kingdom of Castellevé, but it’s surroundings as well. King Gregory Bonnisseau was the first of his lineage to create the Château de Fantaisie, an annual week-long artisan festival open to the public.

Leonard Jaegar Ford (Leon)

Crown Prince

19

Male

Heterosexual

Leon is 6'1" with dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He is very muscular and his face is always clean shaven and hair trim. He usually looks very stern and serious, but when there is no nobility from his kingdom around he can be seen with the goofiest grin around. The way he moves and looks just screams royalty because his father literally beat it into him leaving a few scars across his legs and back. No bruises or anything on his face or hands. He must be 'presentable'.

Leon would have everyone believe that he cares for nothing other than being a ruler. That is only because it is who his father is. Ever since Leon was a small child his father taught him that they should take survival of the fittest into their own hands. His mother, however, taught him love and compassion. Yet, if Leon exhibited the things taught by his mother in public he'd be beaten by his father. So, the boy decided that he would make himself appear to just be a mirror image of his father when in reality he was kind and caring.

Rarely would anyone be able to see this side of him for his father had the whole kingdom under his control. Yet, through Leon's actions people slowly have begun to look up to him as their true leader. Leon desires to be a king that helps his people. He still knows that his kingdom's way of life cannot be changed though. He puts up with war and participates merely so that one day he can hopefully end it all.

Leon is the oldest of his father's children and therefore the heir. His whole life his father has prepared and bred him to be a warring king. Within the land that Leon calls home there are many smaller kingdoms surrounding the one he resides in as well as numerous amounts of terrorist organizations. I suppose that is what can happen when the current power came to be by military coup. Many years ago within the area that these kingdoms preside there use to only be one. However, a horrible man came to the throne. After years of horror many factions rose up in the kingdom all with one goal. To overthrow the current king.

After many years the faction that had its head in the military won over the rest. They placed the head of the military as the new king and this man was Leon's Great-Great-Grandfather. Things were run differently at that point. Many of the other factions were squashed, but a few escaped the lands and began their own kingdoms nearby. A few chose to stay and decided they wanted to keep trying for the throne. Jumping back to today all kings of Krieg-Königreich have in some way participated in the many battles over the years. They believed keeping the ruler as a military advocate would keep the kingdom in a steady balance and that it would eventually eliminate any opposition. Leon's mother believed differently. She wanted her children to have compassion. Up until this point royalty of Krieg-Königreich only married the nobility in their kingdom. Leon's mother was the first to convince Leon's father to seek an alliance with another kingdom through marriage.

She appealed to his military mind and as a result he agreed to establishing some form of alliance. At first Leon didn't understand his mother's reasoning and still to this day doesn't. Leon, due to having to act a certain way, has never had many friends. The ones he does have are extremely loyal. His actually are only a few who works within the castle he calls home and a few he has fought with. The boy has two younger brothers and three younger sisters. He and his siblings are very close, and they receive similar treatment from their father as Leon does but no where near the same extent.

Leon's life was fairly much always the same. Training in combat and tactics. Studying the way his enemies fought. Sneaking behind his fathers back to spend time with the workers in the castle. Occasionally getting caught and beat for it. Spending time with his mother and siblings. It was a routine thing for him. However, when his father came home from a diplomatic meeting one day his schedule became more rigorous. His father said that he'd finally found the perfect girl to have his son wed. From then on the king was much stricter on Leon. The boy had to be the perfect image that his father wanted him to portray.

Color code is Royalblue and face claim is Richard Madden

TBD

Krieg-Königreich

Now presenting King Herrick and Queen Adelisa of Krieg-Königreich!

Royal Blue and Phoenix Orange

Strong Military Strength, Being fairly powerful while technically being a baby among other kingdoms. Their colleges that specialize in the teaching of military tactics.(Basically they have the Harvard and Yale of military colleges and universities)

Krieg-Königreich is still a baby kingdom when considered alongside the other powers in the world. They first came to be many years ago as a result of a military coup. As of right now there is Krieg-Königreich and many other much smaller kingdoms around the main kingdom. There are also many terrorist organizations fighting within Krieg-Königreich. This all started when the area that all these groups reside had only one large kingdom over it. When the peaceful King Hans died his son Alfred became the king. He was nothing like his father. He was a horrible man and performed many injustices during his reign as king.

After many years of this finally the people had had enough. Various factions sprung up within the land. After several years of war the tyrannical king finally died and the man who sat on the throne next was Corrado. He was one of the generals of the most militaristic faction that had sprung to life. They soon gathered their forces and pushed out the remaining factions as best they could. Many dispersed. Others stole land on the outer edge of the kingdom for their own and started their own kingdoms. A few stayed hidden within the land and became considered terrorist by many.

The new King Corrado gathered with his closest allies and publicly announced them as nobility. These men gathered together and decided they would rename the kingdom to Krieg-Königreich. Which in their native tongue signified that they would not put down their arms until all enemies were fully dealt with agreeing that once this occurred a new name would be taken at that point.

From then on the kingdom heavily focused on the art of war. Erecting colleges and universities for the sole purpose of strengthening the militaristic mind of their youth. They decided that they would take survival of the fittest into their own hands and verbally dictated all royal family members were only to wed those of the kingdoms nobility. However, they neglected to make it an official law.

Skipping many years ahead and past two kings the current rulers are King Herrick and his wife Queen Adelisa. Not much has changed over the years other than the military power has gotten much stronger than before. The kingdom now allows foreign youth to study within their institutions as long as they are not from a rival kingdom or from a kingdom allied with their enemies. The majority of the terrorist organization have forgotten what they are even fighting for and have established themselves as religious sects rather than seeking power. Also two out of the fourteen smaller kingdoms have been overtaken by Krieg-Königreich. Now the royal family is ready to present Leonard Jaeger Ford, the first of his name, to the rest of the world and to his soon to be wife. This is to be a major occasion for Krieg-Königreich and could very well shape the future of this kingdom.

Also known as: Veredun, Báthorian Empire. Empire of Gold. Empire of Blood.

HMR Empress Catherine Maria Erzbert Báthory. Holy Roman Empress. (FC: Meryl Streep)

Red, White, Gold, Black

Culture, Cultural Institutions, High Art, Classical Music (Baroque), Fashion, Culinary Advancements & Trends, Gender Equality, Advanced Health Care, Genetic Medicine, Academics & Research, Technology, Military Strength & Superiority, Human Rights Abuse, Being a "Quasi-Dictatorship," Hostile towards anyone against the Crown, Extreme Censorship, Authoritarianism, Despotism, Police State.

Since the establishment of the Veredunian Empire in 1918, every aspect of culture, medicine and pericardial thought has greatly flourished. This is especially true under the reign of the Holy Roman Empress, Catherine Maria Erzbert Báthory. After the death of her husband, Fryderik XI at the young age of 37. After his death, Empress Catherine became the head of the state and ushered in a period of growth, stability and revival which is commonly refereed to as "the revival" period. She is most notable for the advancement of medicine in Veredun. Under her reign, Veredun became a global leader in genetic medicine. She is also renowned for the period of cultural growth and revival, during which Veredun became the foremost authority on classical music, art, fashion and food. This is also became some of the world's highest ranked universities and educational institutions reside in Veredun, churning out leaders in the fields of music, art, dance, medicine, humanities, linguistics, and culinary fields. As a result of this, Veredun is also home to some of the largest libraries and best museums, both of which contain artifacts dating back to Veredun's ancient history.

However, Empress Catherine Báthory's reign has not been all good either. Her reign is also marked with increased press censorship, propaganda and state-sponsored violence. In 2018 alone, over 5,000 journalists and activists were brutally assassinated, leading many to speculate about the nature of free speech within Veredun. Additional scandals include the increased authority of the police and military- while the military have traditionally played an important role in the political structure of Dacia, the police have not. However, under Empress Catherine's reign, the authority of the police has also increased greatly. In particular, the police have been accused of violating individual privacy on many accounts- surveillance has increased exponentially. Records suggest that cameras and mikes are strategically placed across the Empire, constantly recording the thoughts of citizens. It is speculated that anyone who appears to oppose Empress Catherine is "removed"- their entire life is simply erased, right from their birth records. Children are also increasingly encouraged to spy on their family members, and are especially encouraged to turn any "potential threats" into the nearest police official.

In addition to this, Empress Catherine's reign is also has been heavily criticized for its medical advancements. Recent reports suggest that the genetic medical advancements were only possible due to the fact that researchers and doctors experimented on human subject to test their hypothesis. These subjects are widely believed to be prisoners, political opponents, activist, and really anyone who appears to be opposing the Crown in any manner. As a result of this, it is speculated that the experimentation took place without consent.

Furthermore, Empress Catherine's regime has also alarmed the international community due to their "rehabilitation programs." It is widely believed that prisoners are subject to intense physical and psychological trauma in order to force them into compliance and subjugation.

While there seem to be excessive amounts of negative factors concerning Empress Catherine's reign, she has never been formally reprimanded for them by the international community. This is primarily because often times, the non-governmental organizations making these claims have no real proof to back them up with- governmental records are often sealed off, curtailing all access to them. Furthermore, the empire is under heavy surveillance and censorship- even if the international community were to formally condemn Empress Catherine, it would not be displayed on the Verdunian media, which is closely monitored by the state. Either way, none of this takes away from the fact that Empress Catherine will undoubtedly go down as one of Veredun's greatest monarchs whose progressive vision set the stage for a modern, advanced and prosperous Veredun. Under her reign, Veredun has reached new heights and has become a world leader in several important industries, earning her the title of Empress Catherine, "the Great."

I do have a lot more about Veredun for which, I'll just include a link because it's a lot: https://empireofgoldentears.tumblr.com/ . I'm not done entirely yet, but if you scroll down, the page should include links to a more comprehensive history of Veredun as well as the most notable members of the ruling dynasty.

Elijah Lewis Rothchester (Eli)

Prince

Nineteen

Male

Pansexual

At roughly Five foot Nine, Elijah barely sticks out of a crowd, at least not until he starts shouting. His frame betrays how physically strong he is, many joking he looks like a pencil. His skin is kept pale due to little exposure to the sun, but his hair seems to almost argue with the sun about what should be a brighter color. His sharp blue eyes are often narrowed, but his face is so natural one might just assume it's just how he looks. His clothing often consists oddly casual stuff, though he can be seen wearing rather androgynous things and bracelets fairly often.

Friendly, popular, charismatic, all of these things Eli is not. With a serious case of middle child syndrome and a hatred for anything that wrongs him, or his family if he isn't feeling hatred towards them that day, revenge is something he finds himself pursuing more often then he'd like, but the world keeps doing stupid things that get in his way, so he has to keep blowing things up. (Thankfully not literally. Yet.) Eli has some sort of distaste towards social media, and although he doesn't use it himself, he's blown up all across the internet as the "Angry ginger prince who blew up a restaurant for some reason." He's unaware to this and still has no idea how many of his subjects and people of other kingdoms laugh at his antics. When's he's not being easily angered, he can be surprisingly charming and even come off as a fun person to be around, though he does seem to get distant when ignored or forgotten for to long.

Born to late to be the heir and born to early to be babied, Eli was stuck in the center of two attention hogs for most of his life. Developing a complex over the course of his life that most middle children have, he began to make trouble. Everything began angering him, to the point of where he wouldn't sit by daintily sipping tea from his seat while waiting for somebody else to take care of things, he began doing things himself. His parents had a tendency to forget about him, and he was forced to learn some serious self dependence, not because he was completely forgotten by everyone, but because he got sick of being the middle child and nothing more. He began doing even more ridiculous and sometimes even dangerous things to get vengeance and attention, though of course, this had a negative effect on his relationship with his family, and it's become a possibility that if for whatever reason his older brother cannot take the throne, Eli's younger brother will take it instead.

Eli is known as the prince that people could put up with if he wasn't always doing over the top things in acts of revenge, and can often be seen studying up on the history of the empire in order to understand the tactics once used to take over the expanse of land his family has reign over. Often seen using more tactical methods to exact revenge is common for him, as using full on violence rarely goes well for him due to his parents strict nature and his lack of psychical strength. For over two years he's appeared in hundreds of photos and videos on social media that depict him as a deranged sociopath with a hilarious tendency to mess up on his plans to mess with others, some photos funny enough to reach meme status. However, as nobody wishes to anger him, he has no knowledge of his accidental comedy acts, though if he did, he'd probably be happier, but that's just hopeful thinking.

Purple: 662d91

TBA and/or N/A

The Ivunate Empire (The Fake Empire)

Black, Dark Blue, and Blood Red

Not actually being an empire. The territory controlled by the so called "Empire" is actually far to small to be considered an actual empire, but it is rumored that it is called such because it sounded more official. Lesser known for it's surprisingly effective military usage and fascinating building style.

One of the decently aged kingdoms, being established only several hundred years ago after a surprise attack on the original territories owners by a small force of highly clever tacticians and the local townsfolk and city dwellers, after riling up the local population into rebelling against them. Though not nearly as powerful in terms of brute force and in size but clever strategists known to take advantage of just about any situation and environment. Their odd buildings were established 200 years after the empire was first established by the royal family. The empire wanted to stand out, which was one of the reasons they did it, alongside making the occasional threat to those who opposed them that they would throw them upon the spikes of their castle should they even step foot in their turf. Although the past is somewhat buried now, and the kingdom otherwise barely noticed and quiet, occasional events hosted by the royal family themselves occasionally takes place, such as the "Explosive packed Party Shindig." The kingdom wasn't known for being highly creative with names. Surprisingly, these parties allow just about anyone within the kingdom's limits in, so many inhabitants have a high opinion of the empire.

The current rulers are far friendlier then their predecessors.

Genevieve Marie Anders ("Gen")

Princess—not heir to the throne by birth, but it might just wind up in her hands anyway if her older brother doesn't get his act together.

19

Cis female; she/her pronouns

Bi/demisexual

With long ginger hair, dark blue eyes, and an abundance of freckles, Genevieve looks like she may have wandered out of the very ocean that borders her keep on one side. When left to her own devices, she's often buried in thick sweaters that hide her narrow shoulders and delicate collarbones; she loves nothing more than to give the shapeless projection of a girl. When forced to dress up, she falls somewhere in the intersection between practical, occasion-appropriate, and eclectic, choosing clothes that are comfortable enough to stand around in for hours at a time and accessories that are creative, playful, sometimes hand-crafted. In public, she favors the kinds of hats, scarves, and makeup that make it hard to pick out too many of her actual features at once—her own sort of armor.

Paradoxically, Gen is perhaps best known for her near-total absence from social media. She leaves the endless selfies and attention-grabs to her older brother, Philip, who never met a stranger in his life and has more friends than Gen does polite acquaintances. Genevieve prefers to communicate from behind a Twitter account full of cryptic poetry and wry commentary on current events. She also maintains a Tumblr that is 90% reblogs of aesthetic photos, well-intentioned signal boosts, and yet more poetry. She is self-possessed and curious, and would never admit that part of the mystery she creates around herself is because she would far rather be misunderstood as pretentious than more correctly labeled as shy.

Likes: photography; one-on-one conversations; cats; vintage clothes; collecting sea-glass
Dislikes: media attention; large crowds (though she will happily play wallflower to watch the goings-on, and loves to blend into places she will not be recognized); close scrutiny; any exercise that is not (limited) hiking

Genevieve grew up relatively unsupervised. The kingdom of Maris is a place of contradictions; so small that they don't often stand on ceremony and the noble and upper-middle classes regularly mingle, but holding tight to certain proprieties, largely for the purposes of self-protection. This means that Gen has been well-educated in court etiquette (almost all theory; little practice) and knows her keep from top to bottom, as she's always been able to wander it freely. She grew up in the shadow of an older brother she loved but didn't understand, and still wonders if his outgoing, reckless streak will make him a better ruler than she could ever be—or if it will damn their country if not taken to heel.

Face claim is Anna Tatton. Color=48B8B5

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_{A Few Lyrics here}

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Maris (pronounced "MAH-riss," with a slight roll on the "r"); sometimes known (affectionately or derogatorily) as the "duchy of the sea," as the kingdom is quite small and isolated, relying mostly on the nearby ocean and trade with specific allies for resources.

King Devlin (dark-haired, strong-shouldered, most closely resembling his son) and Queen Shanna (brunette, fair-skinned, known for glass-blue eyes that are rumored to see through any falsehood). Both rulers are known for their shared wisdom and desire to keep their heads down, politically speaking. (Their daughter comes by her shy reserve honestly, though they may come to regret allowing her to be quite so sheltered, especially in light of current events.)

Keeping their location in mind, the royal family has stuck to a palette of blues and grays—sometimes elevated by gold or silver—for generations.

Maris is famous for its reserve and stalwart neutrality. Marisians are generally considered to be an odd people, so isolated and close to their court are they. Stereotypes might range anywhere from stuck-up to cowardly to almost backwards. Some might say they're stuck in the past, even though Maris is technically a "petty kingdom" that broke itself away from a tyrant's rule about four generations back and has fought to maintain their own identity ever since.

As mentioned above, Maris was once part of a larger kingdom—conscripted into scuffles the people did not want to fight and finding their cliffside fortress used for tactical advantage. "Mad Prince Harry," the cause for most of the dissent, is still spoken off only in disgusted whispers, and the name "Harry" has long been out of fashion for this reason. Marisians won their independence largely by simply locking their doors and keeping out of the fray until Harry's reach eventually extended beyond his means, bringing his downfall. The remaining subjects are descendants of that first court to take a stand and the refugees that took in during that time.

More to come as I think of it!

Erik von Rothchild

Erzherzogin of the Empire of Veredun, Lieutenant Colonel of the Veredunian Armed Forces, Captain 1st rank of the Veredunian Naval Forces.

23

Male

Heterosexual

Erik very much exemplifies the ideal Veredunian. Tall, athletic and lean, Erik has golden blonde hair and deep, sapphire-blue eyes. Like his older siblings, Erik inherited a great bone structure and has an exceedingly well-defined features. Having essentially grown up in a strict, military background, Erik is very well-built. And that's pretty much his saving grace because given the amount of beer Erik drinks, it's honestly surprising how he hasn't developed a full on beer-belly yet. Lucky for him, the Veredunian military taught him well and instilled his love for running. That and his naturally high metabolism. As a result of this, Erik does appear to look very "princely"- tall, charismatic and confident, Erik exemplifies the idea of a Veredunian noble. At least until he begins to drink anyway.

Traits:
perceptive, observant, strategic, disorganized, spontaneous, lively, daring, self-assured, ambitious, goal-oriented, resourceful, intelligent, independent, easy-gong, down to earth, humble, energized, optimistic, stubborn, debonair, approachable, fun, cultured, debonair, stubborn, hard-working, free-spirited, charismatic, proud, egalitarian, meritocratic, evasive, deceptive, ethical, low-key rebellious.

To put it simply, Erik is a lot like his father, which only serves to infuriate Empress Catherine even more. Being the youngest of his siblings, Erik was shielded from a lot of the violence and blood-shed that his older siblings were forced to live through. As a result of this, Erik is far less somber and appears to be almost a normal, young adult in many respects- he wants to travel the world and live life on his own terms. But that naturally doesn't go down to well with his grandmother or his older siblings, both of whom consider Erik to be immature and frivolous. He doesn't have the best relationship with either one of them to say the least.

But despite his youth, Erik actually can be very strategic and resourceful when he chooses to be. Having essentially grown up in a strict, military environment, Erik is very routine-oriented and disciplined in many aspects of his life. Additionally, Erik also is very perceptive and observant. Should he choose to, he could easily enter politics like the rest of his family but chooses not to do so- it's just not his speed. What he does enjoy however, is traveling. Traveling allows him to escape his problems and feeds his escapist nature. But also, it lets him experience new things and cultures, and meet people he's never met before. He enjoys living life to the fullest.

But even so, Erik has been scared by his past, even if he doesn't show it too openly. Over the years, Erik has become more and more emotionally distant. He's found it increasingly hard to trust people and build relationships with other individuals. Furthermore, Erik has also has developed a tendency of escapism- whenever things get too difficult or uncomfortable, he leaves. This leads the to the idea of Erik being unreliable in general. But those who do know him very well know that Erik is one of the most reliable people on the planet.

Likes: freedom, his independence, beer, solid colors, tailored clothes, leather jackets, bikes, aviators, clean flavors, cheese, dark chocolate, the Veredunian navy, sailing, swimming, horses, his siblings (that is Ferdinand and Juliet specifically), living life on his own terms, travel, photography, animals, adventure sports, classic rock, cigarettes occasionally, linen suits, dark colors, baroque architecture, neoclassical art, the violin, ballet performances, champagne, red wine, berries, vintage and classic cars, green vegetables, being sustainable and environmentally conscious for the most part, living under the radar, an egalitarian society, Veredunian coffee culture, coffee, Veredunian pastries, macaroons, the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic aspect of Veredun, snow, winter.

Dislikes: seafood, the scent of fish, red meat, white chocolate, white wine, sweet wines, not being in control of himself, condescending attitudes, petty gossip, social media, unwanted attention, bright colors, prints, synthetic materials, illegal poaching and hunting of animals, self-involved people, emotional commitment, commitment in general, theoretical subjects, being told what to do by his oldest siblings (Alexander and Evangeline), his grandmother, cream cheese, bagels, being in one place for too long, overly fried foods, overly sweet foods, black tea, coconut in deserts, gossip tabloids, a superficial lifestyle, empty idealism, overly happy people, modern rap, modern art, stand-up comedy, people who enforce their beliefs on others, toxic masculinity, heat, humidity, summer.

Erik is the youngest child of Nicholas and Serafina von Rothschild, making him Empress Catherine's youngest grandson. Because of this, Erik was very young when his parents died and probably has the least memories of them among all his siblings. His memories of his parents are mostly inorganic and stem from either photographs, videos and films about them, or through the stories and memories of other people about his parents. Most of the time, these are his own siblings. As a result of this, Erik really doesn't have the same attachment to his parents as his older siblings do. Furthermore, being the youngest, Erik was really shielded from much of the blood-shed and violence that his siblings were forced to endure in the aftermath of their parents' death. This is why Erik appears to be so different from them- in many respects, he actually appears to be a normal teenager for the most part who just wants to live life on his own terms. Of course, pretty much every adult related to him (with the exceptions of his older siblings: Juliet and Ferdinand) interprets this to be immature, frivolous and unreliable.

As the youngest time, Nicholas and Serafina barely spent any time with Erik when he was a child. Unlike the childhood of his older siblings, Erik was mostly raised by a host of nannies and staff members whom he grew up to becoming exceedingly attached to. At the time of his birth things between his parents were also particularly tense. Preoccupied with the tension of his sister Juliet's rapidly failing heath, Serafina had decided to reconnect with Empress Catherine. Nicholas was opposed to this decision fearing that Empress Catherine would just end up using their children as political pawns for herself. His reservations would turn out to be true.

Nicholas and Serafina died in a plane crash when Erik was 5. Post the death of his parents, Erik was separated from his siblings for the first time. At the time, his oldest siblings, Alexander (19 at the time) and Arabella (16 at the time) had either started or were about to start their mandatory military service. Juliet was taken in by Empress Catherine and raised in the imperial palace in Vienna by their grandmother. Erik and his older brother Ferdinand were taken to be raised in a covert military base on the frontiers of Dacia by a trusted friend of their mother's. As a result of this, Erik really grew up primarily with Ferdinand and thus, was the closest to him out of all his siblings. He would really only see his older siblings on state celebrations and during the holidays.

At the military base in Dacia, there were no other children. With only themselves to play with, both brothers became incredibly close to one another. At the base, Erik and Ferdinand grew up with a strong sense of discipline and order. Prior to all their siblings, both of them were induced to the military life at a very early age. Along with their basic education, both brothers were extensively taught subjects like military ethics, battle strategy, philosophy, and military history. In addition to this, both brothers were exposed to grueling training regimes that tested them both mentally and physically on a daily basis.

While exceptionally close, Erik and Ferdinand were very different children. Unlike Ferdinand, Erik was a mischievous and playful child. He never meant any harm to anyone, but he disliked authority and all too often did exactly what he wanted. But even so, Erik always idolized Ferdinand and lived his life in fear of disappointing him. Ferdinand in comparison was strongly morally rooted, disciplined, rule-oriented and steadfast. As they grew older, these personality traits only became more and more pronounced. In their teenage years, Ferdinand already had started to exhibit traits that pointed towards the fact that he was a prodigy. And at the age of 14, Ferdinand had decided that he wanted to dedicate his life to Veredun, serving in the Veredunian military. Erik, who was approximately 6 years younger than him was still a child and just still preoccupied with having fun. Unlike Ferdinand, Erik found his lessons to be dull and boring, and was far more interested in action- he liked doing things, not reading about figures who had already done them.

There were other differences between the brothers too. Unlike Ferdinand, Erik could never form relationships with people- emotional relationships that is. Inherently suspicious, Erik was very emotionally distant and withdrawn. This was very surprising to most people given that Erik was exceedingly extroverted as a child (and still is). He never had any problems forging friendships and most people were instantly drawn to his charisma and optimistic nature. But even with friendships, it soon became apparent that Erik had a large circle of superficial friendships, primarily because Erik never allowed himself to be vulnerable enough to emotionally bond with anyone. Inherently, Erik associated vulnerability with weakness. In addition to this, Erik also found it incredibly hard to trust people, being inherently suspicious about them. When it came down to it, Erik found that he was unable to trust most people other than his brother (and eventually his sister Juliet) at all.

Much like their older siblings, Ferdinand began his mandatory military service very early, at the age of 16. At this time, Erik was 10 and Ferdinand's departure devastated him. Close to pretty much only Ferdinand, Erik found himself to be exceedingly lonely. Post Ferdinand's departure, Erik really only saw his brother for a few months each year. Despite this, they made sure to maintain constant contact with one another. However, this did not help the fact that Erik was bored and lonely without his brother. And so, the rebellion began. Every now and then, Erik would escape from the military base to explore the areas around him- being pretty much the only child at the base made him exceedingly claustrophobic. Most of the time, Erik would escape in the nights, using the darkness of the night as his cover. Erik loved being outside the base- he met new people, ate different kinds of food and as he got older, began to consume alcohol as well. Soon enough, his absences from the base became more frequent and longer. Alarmed at his absence, Ferdinand was contacted and informed of his brother's recent change in behavior. And when Ferdinand tried to talk to Erik about it, Erik appeared to be deeply embarrassed- Ferdinand was never supposed to find out. But that was not even the worst of it. Soon enough, Erik's oldest siblings learned of his behavior, as did Empress Catherine. Without even realizing it, Erik was far too similar to his father- appearing to be fickle, frivolous, unreliable, and wrongfully indulgent. Naturally, Empress Catherine was not impressed, and neither were Erik's older siblings who simply could not understand how Erik was so unconcerned about the consequences of his behavior and increasingly grew to see him as immature.

Erik's relationship with his oldest siblings began to deteriorate as he grew older. Between Erik and his oldest brother, Alexander, there was more than a 10 year difference. It was almost a generational difference. Alexander had been forced to live through the violence and blood-shed that proceeded his parents' death, having been forced to assume the responsibility for for his younger siblings. While most of Erik's siblings had a pretty good relationship with Alexander, Erik did not. Increasingly, Erik felt that Alexander was attempting to control his life and give him far too much of unsolicited advice regarding his behavior. As the oldest, Alexander had felt the need to present himself as the parental figure of authority to Erik- Erik hated this. Often times, Erik's oldest siblings- Alexander and Evangeline- would forget Erik's age and expect him to be and behave mature beyond his years. Having not really been allowed to experience childhood and adolescence at all, Alexander and Evangeline often imposed the same expectations upon Erik, disregarding his age. Moreover, both of them end up presenting themselves as figures of parental authority to him, which only results in increased resentment from Erik towards his oldest siblings.

When Erik was 15, he was encouraged to take up his mandatory military service on the account that he had absolutely nothing better to do. The military base failed to provide Erik with the same discipline and structure as it provided Ferdinand. And thus, Erik was the earliest of his siblings to begin his military service. The youngest in his group, the military service was the most intense on Erik. And after the 4 long years, Erik's oldest siblings and Empress Catherine had hoped that Erik would be reformed. But this didn't happen. He was a lot less impulsive and rebellious, but he still longed to leave Veredun to travel the world and experience life on his own terms. And so, Erik was encouraged to join the Veredunian navy by Ferdinand who convinced Erik that by joining the navy, Erik would have greater opportunities for travel. Additionally, by joining the navy, Erik would have some much-needed distance from his oldest siblings and his grandmother, resulting in a comparatively increased sense of freedom.

And so, at the age of 19, Erik joined the Veredunian navy. As Ferdinand had suggested, Erik grew to enjoy his time with the navy exponentially. Though just as grueling and strict as the other aspects of the Veredunian military, the navy allowed Erik with a comparatively increased sense of freedom. None of his older siblings had been involved with the navy. Out of all his relatives, it was only his maternal aunt and uncle, Mattias and Theodora who were affiliated with the navy. And even then, they occupied top-tier ranks which meant that Erik could hide behind the hierarchy of the naval ranks and live the first instance of a normal life.

In the course of the next two years, Erik found himself rising through the naval ranks. There was something about the navy which interested Erik for once. Just as smart and strategic as his older siblings, Erik had a bad habit of never fully committing himself to causes that he was not interested in. This is also what usually led people to assume that Erik was just another pretty, rich, entitled noble. But the navy was different for him- he liked working with the navy. He liked sailing. He found naval law incredibly interesting. He enjoyed learning about great naval battles in history and studying naval strategies. But more than anything, he loved the freedom he received with the naval lifestyle. When deployed, Erik would be completely alone, disconnected from all of Veredun. Present only with his fleet, he was absolutely free from the controlling aspects of his life: his oldest siblings, and his grandmother. And Erik loved that. Soon enough, Erik rose through the ranks and was promoted to being a Captain 1st rank of the Veredunian Naval Forces.

And just when his life seemed to be getting better, everything seemed to fall apart. After returning from a deployment, Erik learned that Ferdinand had been killed in action. This devastated him. All his life, Erik had been closest to Ferdinand. Unlike his older siblings, he had no real recollection of his parents and thus, no real attachment to them at all. But he did to Ferdinand. For most his life, Ferdinand was the one family member Erik felt closest too- his brother never judged him or tried to control him the way Alexander and Evangeline did. Ferdinand simply accepted Erik for who he was. No judgement.

And in his grief, Erik began to reconnect with his older sister Juliet. In their childhood, Erik would often play with Ferdinand and Juliet, who were much closer to his age as compared to Alexander and Evangeline. However, after their separation in the wake of their parents' death. Erik and Juliet and grown apart significantly. They still met each other during the holidays and state functions, but their relationship was a lot more formal. But even so, Erik had always felt far more comfortable around her than he did around Alexander and Evangeline. And in the wake of Ferdinand's death, both Juliet and Erik reconnected, bonding over their shared mourning and the trauma of loosing one of the most important aspects of both their lives- their brother Ferdinand.

And just as Erik was starting to cope with the reality of Ferdinand's death, his suspicious were aroused. Almost 3 months after Ferdinand's death, Erik accidentally saw reports of the assassination of a lower noblewoman, Elenora de Medici. While Erik didn't know Elenora personally, he had heard Ferdinand talk about her once or twice (for Ferdinand to show any romantic interest in the opposite sex was rare to say the least), leading him to believe that Ferdinand and Elenora were involved with each other at some level. As he started to look into her assassination more (with the reduction in crime levels across Veredun, Erik knew that her death was not accidental, nor was it a crime), he began to suspect that somehow, the deaths of Ferdinand and Elenora were connected. Naturally, when he tried to talk to his oldest siblings (Evangeline at the time was very closely affiliated with the Veredunian police forces), his suspicions were promptly dismissed as delusions. But in Juliet he found a willing audience- she believed him.

As the year went by, both Juliet and Erik began to investigate the circumstances behind Ferdinand's death and found several inconsistencies. These ranged from the autopsy reports (which had been suspiciously concealed and no signs of struggle, disease, organ failure or poison) to the location of Ferdinand's death- according to the official press release, Ferdinand had died in action. However, reports of his death suggested that he died in a hotel room which had then been ransacked suggesting that Ferdinand's death was not natural and whoever had killed him had been looing for something that was on Ferdinand's person. When Juliet and Erik presented these findings to Empress Catherine, their grandmother promised them that she would personally oversee the investigations of Ferdinand's death to uncover the truth. However, this is not what happened. Despite an investigation being opened to discover the circumstances of Ferdinand's death, a few months later, it was ruled as a death in action once again. This once more aroused suspicions among Erik and Juliet regarding their brother's death. During the time of the official investigation, Juliet had launched her own official investigation during which, she had found that Ferdinand may have discovered the truth of Veredun's genetic research. Though hailed revolutionary, Veredun's genetic research relied on human experimentation. In particular, the human subjects were suspected to be prisoners and those who had been "removed" from society by the Veredunian Intelligence Police. Most of these subjects did not consent to medical experimentation and almost 90% of them died in the lab due to the experimentation. The 10% who did survive usually had no memories of the experimentation at all. If this truth was revealed, it could incriminate the highest ranked members of the Veredunian empire resulting in significant political unrest and resentment. Thus, Juliet suspected that Ferdinand might have been assassinated to prevent him from releasing this information to an external audience. If that was the case, Ferdinand's assassination would have been approved by the highest authorities of the Veredunian government, Empress Catherine herself.

When Erik learned of this from Juliet, his world was shattered once more. Needing to physically leave Veredun to collect himself, Erik chose to go to Aciras, despite having recently been promoted to the position of Lieutenant Colonel of the Veredunian Armed Forces. He sincerely hopes that the time away from Veredun allows him to collect himself. After all, Erik knows exactly what questioning Empress Catherine leads to- death.

Bejamin Ediem

Under Control- Hurts, Alesso and Calvin Harris
https://youtu.be/yZqmarGShxg
<sub>I might be anyone
A lone fool out in the sun
Your heartbeat of solid gold
I love you, you'll never know
When the daylight comes you feel so cold,
You know

I'm too afraid of my heart to let you go
Waiting for the fire to light
Feeling like we could do right
Be the one that makes tonight
'Cause freedom is a lonely road
We're under control</sub>

tbd

Also known as: Veredun, Báthorian Empire. (Pronunciation: V-iri-dan)

1918

Vienna

Báthory

Veredunian. (essentially German)
Veredunian is the language used in all official capacities. It is the language of instruction in all academic institutions. Having said this, spoken vernaculars do exist and are widely encouraged to promote cultural diversity.

Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser
https://youtu.be/3p39ulIfnzc

Red, White, Gold, Black

Imperii Caesosque. Bleed for your empire

Culture, Cultural Diversity, Languages, Cultural Institutions, High Art, Classical Music, High Fashion, Films, Culinary Advancements & Trends, Gender Equality, Advanced Health Care, Genetic Medicine, Academics & Research, Technology, Military Strength & Superiority, Human Rights Abuse,

The empire of Veredun was officially established in 1918 and thus, is a comparatively new one on the world state. The ruling dynasty was established to be the Báthory bloodline. After Dacia became a dual monarchy with Leidsig in 1899, the Rothschild bloodline was forced to forgo their claims to the throne in exchange for Dacian military aid. When the Leisdig-Dacian Empire conquered Cornouaille in 1917, the Valois were forced to forfeit their claims to the throne as well, establishing the Báthory bloodline as the Veredinian empire's ruling dynasty. Thus, Maximilian I became the first Báthory monarch of the Empire of Verdun in 1918. In recent years, the Empire of Veredun has become far more centralized and is renowned for its superior military prowess, advanced technological innovations, superior infrastructure, high quality of living, advanced medical care, genetic research and medicine, cultural diversity, ethnic diversity, classical music, fashion, high art, academics and research. It has also come under a lot of international criticism for its' increasingly authoritarian policies and human right abuse.

I also have links to more information regarding the Empire of Veredun if you're interested:
History: https://empireofgoldentears.tumblr.com/history
Notable Members: https://empireofgoldentears.tumblr.com/members
General Page & Aesthetic: https://empireofgoldentears.tumblr.com/

None

Grand Duke of Rustavya

24

Male

Heterosexual

Anatole is has a tall, lean stature. Well-built, Anatole is far stronger than he looks. He has strong, well-defined features: his face is incredibly photogenic and he's renowned for his chiseled featured. In addition to this, Anatole also has luscious, thick dark blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. Standing tall at 6.1 ft, Anatole commands regality, strength and power. Effortlessly debonair, Anatole is always seen in sharply tailored suits and is renowned for his polished looks.

calm, composed, relaxed, aloof, regal, perceptive, quiet, scheming, secretive, confident, elitist, a tad bit arrogant, debonair, cultured, strategic, charismatic, great public speaker, manipulative, controlled, intelligent, effortless, loyal, efficient

Anatole is the second son of the prominent Rustavyan figure Kazimir Koltovsky and his wife, Elisabeth who is the minister of Public Health in Rustavya. Because of this, Anatole grew up living a life of grand excess, growing up with among the Rustavyan noble families. His older brother, Sergei was especially closed to Vasya Nikolayveich, the illegitimate son of the Rustavyan King Nicholas III. As a result of this, Anatole grew up in close company with the Rustayvan heir to the throne, Tsesarevna Verena. A part of her circle of friends, Anatole was particularly notable for being involved with Yelena Fabergé- a Rustavyan Grand Duchess and one of Tsesarevna Verena's closest friends.

In Rustavya, Anatole is a prominent businessman and entrepreneur. Anatole developed his first software at the age of 16, which he later sold a year later for a considerably (undisclosed ofc, this is Rustavya) sum of money. Using the profits as capital, Anatole was able to start his first company at the age of 18. A technology company, Anatole works closely in the Rustavyan medical sector and works with the ISB, though it's not disclosed in what capacity. At the age of 23, Anatole was inducted into the cabinet as an auxiliary officer.

Vincent lacrocq

TBD

Secretly a Veredunian prince. Son of one of Catherine's daughters (Elisabeth) who was sent to Rustavya at a very young age to spy on Nicholas. Her position became more prominent after Rhiannon's disappearance. While in Rustavya, Elisabeth does not use her royal Veredunian titles, which is why neither one of her children have official Veredunian titles either.

Family Name: Han Given Name: Hye-Ri
Han Hye-Ri (She usually goes by Hyeri)

Crown Princess

Twenty-two

Female

Heterosexual

With a soft round face accentuated by her distinctive facial features, Many would say that Hyeri presents a rather comely and pleasing appearance. She stands among the common height for an average female In Haneul at five foot six inches. Her figure is slim and svelte with small arms and shoulders, a modest bosom and a nicely defined waist. Athletic looking and well known by all for her flattering figure, her figure is often admired by both men and women alike. Her lips are a healthy shade of pink, and they are just one of the many genes inherited from her mother, along with her expressive dark brown almond-shaped eyes which twinkle with delight and excitement whenever she finds interest in something, and the twin brown orbs emote expressively in times of happiness, anger and sadness.

She wears her heart on her sleeve, with her emotions out in the open for all to see, and her eyes are clearly evidence of that. Her complexion is fair and likened to a shade of creamy ivory. Her dark jet black hair is an excellent complement to her pale skin which possess no scars or blemishes upon them. While she usually lets it down, she is not adverse to tying it up into a ponytail should she require more of a free of movement while engaging in any form of strenuous physical activity. While she likes dressing up and looking pretty, she does have this effortless beauty about her along with that girl-next-door feel that has been known to drive most men wild. Unfortunately for them, she was born into a royal family and no easy target for them. Her outfits in Haneul range from the traditional cultural dresses the royal family wears to the modern outfits of today that she is normally seen in, like dresses, blouses, pants and skirts. On certain rare occasions, some might even be able to catch in t-shirts if they are all extra snoopy and paparazzi like.

She is not one to lather herself in layers of makeup, simply opting for the minimum amount needed to stay fresh and maintain a clear and beautiful image in front of others, especially with all the various cameras around. Most citizens of Haneul would describe their crown princess as a dearly-loved national sweetheart who is as graceful as she is beautiful and with a heart-warming smile.

Hyeri has always been more of the introverted sort. She has never been the type to show or express her emotions easily, but when she does, you’ll know that it is absolutely genuine. This also leads into the fact that she is not a talkative chatterbox, but that in turn also makes her a great listener. When she’s quiet, she’s observant. That makes her a great considerate friend to have, as you’ll always know that they’ll be there to listen to your rants and whines without judgement. It’s not exactly that she is always silent, it’s more that she is taking the extra time to acknowledge her thoughts. She recognises what she is thinking and takes the extra time and effort to stop and reflect on it. This can work as a double-edged sword, but it is not something that she can change easily for a matter of fact. Hyeri is friendly and easy going, and is not a difficult person to get along with. She is polite and seldom rude, both to her peers and elders.

Humble and down-to-earth despite being royalty, she is known to mix around and immerse herself in the activities and events of the common people, which has earned her titles such as The Nation's Sweetheart, or Princess-Next-Door. Because of her lovable and incredibly likeable personality, Hyeri is more popular than any other royal family member, even her parents the king and queen. She is recognised as an icon and the face of Haneul, and ads throughout the country feature her if they are lucky enough to get her as an ambassador. Just about everything she promotes ends up as a success, and any piece of clothing she wears in public appearances sells out in minutes. It is safe to say that just about everyone in the country regardless of social and wealth status knows who she is.

She pursues an active lifestyle with plenty of energy to spare and likes to pursue anything that catches her interest and attention, and can often be found doing activities for either gender. She’s in the habit of proving that she’s just as good as men or better, and has proven herself in more than a few occasions in that enough of the men have recognised her for the fact. Hyeri is also known to be incredibly stubborn and prefers doing things her way. Hyeri does have a compassionate side to her though, and likes doing little things to show how she feels about her friends and loved ones where words would fail to describe how she feels for them. The saying actions speak louder than words is very much in tuned with how she behaves as she is not one who is very expressive when it comes to her feelings.

LIKES:
honesty, freedom, bright & pastel colours, kind people, chocolate (especially milk chocolate), swimming, travel, photography, singing, dancing, ballet, vintage aesthetic, potatoes, grilled or barbecued meat, bread and pastries, snow, winter, flute, piano, adventure, movies, tv series, dresses, period dramas, technology, social media, vlogging, posting too much on social media, selfies, tennis, cinnamon, fresh air, hotsprings, open air baths, looking good, jokes, a sense of humour, books, youtube, being liked, yoga, bagels, pretzels, donuts

DISLIKES:
bullies, arrogance, being disrespected, seafood, petty attitudes, scandals, untrue gossips, celery, bland food, superficial lifestyle, heavy metal, stand-up comedy, heat, humidity, summer, toxic masculinity, sexism, racism, inferiority complexes, boats(large ships are fine), disappointment, failures, feeling stupid, black/bitter coffee, cigarette smoke, drugs, politics, snakes, insects, rudeness, judgemental people, liars, cheaters, too much noise, too much quiet, manipulation, heights, the sea, being forced to do things she doesn't like

Hyeri is the only child born to the King and Queen of Haneul. Her parents had been trying for several years to conceive with no good news coming their way. One fine winter when the news finally came that the Queen was pregnant, the whole place erupted into an uproar as all the palace staff became excited about the baby even though she was only in the early stages of her pregnancy. The Queen was given the best treatment possible, from drinking herbal medicine, to getting check-ups from the best doctors in the country. Fast-forward nine months, Hyeri was finally born after a much anticipated delivery that didn't just keep the whole palace on tenterhooks, but the whole country waited on baited breaths as well, as news and media countries found themselves camping outside of the palace grounds waiting for any news of childbirth. When she was delivered safely, a palace spokesman went out to address the media and informed them that a girl has been born. The day would come to be known as a national holiday to celebrate the birth of the crown princess.

As Hyeri grew up, she continued to remain in the spotlight. She'd been in the spotlight since she was born, and it most certainly wasn't going to stop now. The Haneuli public soon found themselves falling in love with the little endearing crown princess who was as charming as she was photogenic. She grew up being tutored by the best teachers in the nation and a huge series of curriculum that was befitting that of a child of a royal family. She found all the studying really boring, and she could often be found escaping her classes which often ended up in a hide-and-seek game with her maidservants and bodyguards. That usually ended up with the same result of them finding her, and the young girl getting lectured and punished by her royal parents. Dealing with a rebellious child was not easy, but fortunately for them, they had the resources of the entire country at their disposal. As she grew up into teenager, the rebellious phase wore off, and a much more subdued one took its place. Hyeri found herself inclined towards the arts, and got into music and dance. She learnt how to play the flute and the piano, and started attending ballet lessons regularly. As she began to edge into the young adult stage of her life, Hyeri found that she loved involving herself in community work and spending time with the common people.

The people loved her, and she loved them back. She also began to take up modelling and involving herself heavily in social media, with a dedicated team at her side. It was considered an honour for any company that was allowed to feature the crown princess as their ambassador in their commercials and advertisements, and the Palace Public Relations Department handles hundreds of requests from various companies each week. It would not be surprising to see her face being plastered on many billboards and posters all over the country and she is loved for it. As soon as she began to approach her twenties, talks of marriage became a hot topic within the country as everyone started discussing about who her future husband would be. Talk shows, radio shows, online forums, practically everyone began talking about who that might be. When no word was released by the Palace Public Relations department for two years, the talks began to die down, but if you thought that meant that the public was no longer interested in the crown princess's marriage, you'll be wrong.

Son Na-Eun fa2600

TBD

N/A

Kingdom of Haneul

King Han Jin-ho(Jinho) and Queen Han So-Ra (Sora)

Red & Yellow

Haneul is a nation with a very high standard of living. The poverty levels in the country are low, and while there are still income and social statuses within the population, the wealth income gaps between the different groups are narrow. Despite the cultural and traditional outer appearances of their palace, the interior paints a totally different picture. Haneul is a technology advanced country and the results of its technological advances can be seen everywhere throughout the country. Large media billboards can be found on buildings and skyscrapers and just about everyone owns a mobile phone or a computer or some form of mobile touch devices. The palace is equally equipped with high technology and security despite its ancient looking appearance. The nation is well-regarded within the globe, as it frequently partners and shares its expertise with its allies and its business partners. The line of succession in the monarchy is decided by the order of birth when it comes to the king and queen's children, and the oldest will always have priority over then youngest.

With their large advances in technology, it is no surprise to anyone that Haneul is known as a hotspot for entertainment, be it music or movies. It is most popular for it's pop scene which has produced numerous amounts of award-winning singers and bestselling groups. Movies coming out of the nation is nothing to scoff at either, with cutting-edge technology coupled with talented directors and producers making hits after hits. Although immigrants were rare in Haneul in the past, the country is slowly opening up, and slowly but gradually more immigrants are calling themselves home in the Kingdom. Its military is strong and self-sufficient, and definitely one to be reckoned with, but it is not a militaristic state, and they do not seek to involve themselves in the military affairs of nations other than its allies.

The Kingdom of Haneul is an old and ancient kingdom. It is not as old as Liang, but still old enough in its own right. In entire nation's history, the monarchy has only been ruled by one family, the Hans. Every single king has been a Han, from the very first king in its founding days to the present day and the current king. They used to be a very backward and weak kingdom that was always lagging behind more powerful nations of its time such as Liang. The technological revolution that happened in the last century or so changed everything. No longer was the Kingdom a backward nation that no one cared about, or one that was always stood in the back. Now it was at the forefront of the world and stood toe-to-toe with the strongest in the world. Now, other nations include Haneul in their plans, hopefully for a share of the pie as well, and well, the Kingdom of Haneul is only too happy to accept. That was how things worked.

Once you hit the big time, everyone wants a piece of you.

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Diederik Korbinian Isidor
_{┗ “Dirk”}

Prince of Argenyonne

20

Male

Pansexual

Standing at exactly 6 feet tall, Dirk cuts a lean, effortlessly graceful figure that has since become the envy of many. His posture, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. More often than not, you’ll find him standing with his shoulders rolled forward, knees bent, and his hands inside his pockets. Dirk has somewhat of a problem keeping still, too. It seems like he always has to be doing something with his hands — be it fiddling with his hair, or pulling at a loose thread on his clothes. It’s something that drives his parents absolutely crazy, but it’s not really something he can help.

When it comes to appearances, it’s an indisputable fact that he takes after his mother’s side of the family. This, of course, has led to speculation in the media regarding his true parentage. With a head of thick, dark hair, and eyes that are even darker still, Dirk looks nothing like his siblings — well, half-siblings, technically. Most of the time, his hair falls in messy, tousled waves around his face, reaching all the way down to his chin. Dirk’s jawline, however, is definitely something he got from his father. Chiseled and angular, it perfectly sets off his equally well-defined nose and cheekbones.

Dirk’s fashion sense can best be described as “eclectic”. Some days, he opts for loose, billowy garments — things that allow ease of movement. While on others, he has no qualms with the tried and true combination of a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He also seems to wear a lot of jewelry for a guy, mostly string and leather bracelets, though his fingers are often adorned with rings. A carved pendant of turquoise – his birthstone – hangs from a string around his neck, though it is usually hidden beneath his clothes.

Anyone who knows Dirk knows that what you see is what you get. He’s never been the type to hide behind shrouds of mystery, of games and manipulation to get what he wants; and while he knows the importance of lying and putting on a facade in business, he has no respect for those who do so in real life. He’s never uncomfortable — in fact, his boldness often verges on brash, and crosses into downright crude, thanks to his lack of a filter. If he likes something, he’ll let you know, and if he doesn't, well, he’s never been particularly shy about voicing his opinion in that matter either. Try as he might, Dirk has never really had the best poker face in the world, and it tends to give him away, more often than not.

When prompted to describe him, it’s hard for most people to find the right response, though they usually end up settling on the word “eccentric”. He often states that no one should take life too seriously because in the end, everyone ends up in the same place. Dirk is, by nature, extremely impulsive, both in the things he does and the things he says. As far as he’s concerned, life’s too short to just sit around and let shit happen. Even so, he can be unpredictable, adamant, and absolutely loathes making commitments, especially those he isn’t sure he can keep. But whatever one might be led to believe, he’s an extremely passionate, and emotional person. When he truly takes interest in something (or someone), he puts all of himself into it, and momentarily forgets about everything else.

Used to getting his way for most of his younger years, Dirk finds it hard to let go of anything once he has a grasp on it. When he truly does take an interest in something (or someone), he puts all of himself into it, and momentarily forgets about almost everything else. While he might not be the wisest, nor the most knowledgeable, he’s a good judge of character, and it takes little time for him to classify a person. He’s very often obsessive about the things he does, and the people he chooses to follow. That being said, however, he’s quite the fickle creature. Dirk thrives off adventure and change, and often finds himself bored when interacting with those who like things to stay in a certain order and live by routine.

✔ Music
✔ Cold weather
✔ Animals; yes, even snakes and insects.
✔ French fries
✔ Cigarettes
✔ Comic books

✘ Flying
✘ Sushi
✘ Bigots
✘ Coffee
✘ People who chew with their mouth open
✘ Cheesecake, because putting cheese in a dessert is just wrong on so many levels.

In the eyes of his family and the public, Dirk is something of a black sheep. He was the result of the King of Argenyonne’s second marriage, a marriage that came to fruition a mere four months after his first wife passed in a fatal car accident. That was when Dirk’s mother, the current Queen, came into the picture. Beautiful, clever, and the scion of one of the most powerful houses on the continent, Lady Sofiya Apraksina was a favorite of the media with suitors aplenty. As the rumours went, however, she wouldn’t settle for anyone less than the king. It’s a popular theory amongst critics that she was the one who engineered her predecessor’s demise, with the intent of taking her place once she was dead. No one has ever managed to prove it, of course, and it’s likely that no one ever will, but it appeared mere rumours were enough to cast a questionable shade over her reputation.

And so, shortly after her marriage to the King, the newly crowned Queen Sofiya did what she could to quell gossip — with a healthy, trueborn son. That was how Dirk came to be: the King’s fifth child and the physical manifestation of a union the people of Argenyonne despised. It certainly didn’t help that he looked so similar to her, either. While his siblings took after their father, Dirk looked a lot more like his mother. From the darkness of his hair, to the sharp, almost feline disposition of his features, his very existence served as a reminder to the public about the events that came to pass.

Perhaps it was a blessing that Dirk was the King’s fifth child. With four others before him, his claim to the throne has never been of much import to anyone. Growing up, there was considerably less pressure on Dirk than there was on his siblings, and it allowed him a freedom most members of royalty never get to experience. It was well-known throughout Argenyonne that the King acknowledged his youngest son’s existence beyond what duty demanded; but Dirk’s mother exercised considerable effort to shield him from the reality of their situation.

For much of his childhood, Dirk remained blissfully unaware of the politics that surrounded him. Life was uncomplicated back then. Even his siblings – who in their adolescence and adulthood would come to treat him as an outsider – were a source of companionship for him. As a child, he always seemed to be flitting from one pursuit to another, never quite settling down on anything. There was a time where he covered every wall in his room with scrawlings of dinosaurs. While the very next week, he grew determined to learn how to ride a unicycle. It wasn’t until a relative from his mother’s side gifted him a cream and gold pianoforte that he finally discovered his true calling.

Dirk proved to be something of a virtuoso when it came to music, though he always held a preference for string instruments. Soon, he picked up the harp, viola, and eventually, the guitar. He taught himself to play by putting on songs by The Strokes, MGMT, and Queens of the Stone Age, then playing along to them in the privacy of his room. Suffice to say, there were far too many occasions when he would wake up an entire wing of the castle with the electrifying chords of good ol’ fashioned rock’n’roll.

Like the rest of his siblings, he was enrolled in the Voight-Canisius Preparatory Academy when he got old enough. It was an exclusive boarding school that catering to the children of the nobility, and whoever was rich enough to pay their way in. There, Dirk had the pleasure of meeting some like-minded individuals who shared his love of music. It was there that he started his first band – Rogue Machine – along with a group of friends. Much to his mother’s chagrin, he spent most of his time at school jamming with his band, though he still managed to scrape by with passing grades.

…Usually, at least.

And now, on the cusp of adulthood, Dirk finds himself a little lost. He doesn’t quite know what to do with his life, nor the sort of direction he should be heading towards. While his father may have considered him another pawn at his disposal, Dirk has since proven to be utterly uninterested in the trappings of aristocratic life. Instead of working to familiarise himself with the ins-and-outs of politics, Dirk would rather spend his time attending concerts, working on his debut album, and frequenting the smaller, seedier dive bars downtown with his friends. This, of course, has led to more than a few articles about him in the papers, some a little less savory than others.

So, in an effort to keep his youngest son out of trouble, the King of Argenyonne eventually decided to ship him off to Aciras, accompanied by far too many bodyguards for any one person. Although Dirk is willing to bet that they were only here to keep an eye on him, not to make sure he stayed free from harm.

FC: Ezra Miller
_{┗ #C1D6C8}

TBD

Together with a few good friends, Dirk started The Mutiny, as lead guitarist. The Mutiny is a prog-rock band that takes influence from Fleetwood Mac, The Who, and Pink Floyd. Most, if not all, of Dirk’s social media presence is centered around his band. He doesn’t have his own social media accounts, and instead, uses the band’s for whatever updates he might wish to share.

Argenyonne

King Andreas (FC: Christoph Waltz) - The people of Argenyonne know King Andreas as a stern, no-nonsense figure. At age seventeen, after his father passed from a heart attack, the then Crown Prince Andreas Hugo Alwin became King. With the whole country depending on him, the young King had to grow up fast, and so, he did. One of the very first feats he accomplished as King was to clean up corruption in the cabinet; and after that, finalised an important trade deal with a formerly hostile territory. Three years after his coronation, King Andreas was married to his betrothed, Lady Juna Hammesfahr. Their marriage was one of convenience, but all the same, Queen Juna bore him four healthy children in the years to follow, and Argenyonne prospered. Shortly after the death of Queen Juna, he remarried Sofiya, who then became the new Queen.

Queen Sofiya (FC: Catherine Zeta-Jones) - The current Queen of Argenyonne hails from House Petrov of Borsa — a coastal country that borders Argenyonne to the East. A shrewd, keenly intelligent woman, Queen Sofiya takes special care in maintaining an immaculate public persona. Following her marriage to the King, she has spent much time on philanthropy, mostly by overseeing the construction of affordable housing, more schools, and better healthcare facilities for the less fortunate. Of course, that does not mean she has forgotten about herself. For the past two decades, she has been accumulating as much personal power as she possibly can, as well as looking out for the best interests of her son.

Argenyonne’s official colors are Charcoal (#36384C) on Ivory (#F4E8C1). The country’s flag depicts a stylised raven, wings and talons outstretched over a field of ivory — the latter symbolising Argenyonne’s traditional crops of barley and wheat.

Argenyonne is known for two things — beer and automobiles. Thanks to its large size and temperate weather, barley grows swiftly and strongly, which has in turn allowed the country’s beer exports to make up a whopping 25% of the global trade. Of course, you can’t talk about Argenyonne without mentioning their annual festivals, the biggest of which takes place in Söltenstedt, the capital. During these celebrations, beer and wine flow freely, while entertainment is provided in the form of live music and amusement rides. Usually held on the last Thursday of July, many tourists find themselves flocking to Argenyonne to partake.

Automobiles make up a smaller, but nonetheless significant part of the country’s exports. Argenyonne-made cars are known to be sleek, stylish, and top-of-the-line in terms of performance. Luxury brands such as Armsbrüster, Falk, and Tanzer all originated from Argenyonne. In recent decades, these names have grown synonymous with automobiles of excellent quality, becoming fast favorites of anyone looking to acquire a status symbol or two.

The people of Argenyonne are… boisterous, to say the least. They work hard, play hard, and as long as you’re not being an insufferable prick, are happy to treat you as one of their own. More conservative folk, however, may find themselves a little put off by their apparent disregard for boundaries. Nevertheless, the citizens of Argenyonne are fiercely loyal to their country. All able-bodied male citizens over the age of eighteen are required to serve in the military for a period of twelve months, be it the navy, airforce, or infantry. In addition to preparing for war, this mandatory service is something that instills a sense of duty and camaraderie in its citizens.

The country now known as Argenyonne was originally an alliance between two countries — Tirol and Völkerbrunn. Centuries ago, the two countries were embroiled in a years-long war. But when a larger, more immediate threat emerged from the South, they decided to put aside their differences, and unite against a common enemy. It was only after a long and bloody conflict that the two warring countries finally drove the invaders from their land. After their foe was defeated, neither state was in any shape to continue their war, and so, made a truce. This truce would last longer than either state anticipated — allowing trade and diplomacy to flourish.

Somewhere in the late 14th century, the two countries merged, after Princess Mathilde of Tirol was wed to Leopold, the Crown Prince of Völkerbrunn. And then, in a mutual show of respect and unity, the two countries abolished their original names, becoming instead the Kingdom of Argenyonne. The name was a tribute to the Argent, a supposedly mythical creature that lived high in the Northern Mountains. The Argent was known to possess the wings of a raven, the body of a snow leopard, and the head of an owl — symbolising cunning, strength, and wisdom, respectively. Those were the virtues that the newly-founded Argenyonne wished to embody.

The male line of the royal family is not descended from the first King of Argenyonne, but his brother. King Leopold never had any children, and after his death, Crown Prince Melchior was next in the line of succession. Leopold and Melchior were thought to be two sides of the same coin. While Leopold excelled in the art of war, Melchior was a shrewd negotiator and diplomat. Even then, he understood the importance of keeping a good relationship with one’s neighbours. This was a belief he passed onto his children, who then passed it onto theirs. Since then, Argenyonne has grown into a thriving, prosperous country.

In recent years, however, there has been some tension between the territories that used to be Tirol and Völkerbrunn, largely owing to differences in ideology. King Andreas and his council have been attempting to remedy the situation, to some success.

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