Ascendant

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

(Collaboration between SonOfALich and Ascendant)

The Toubres Empire, Amzores

King Avandre VII Gustere took a slow, deep breath as he read the final paperwork that would preface the announcement of their marriage, “So, my dear, what say you of this prenuptial agreement? I believe that’s everything that concerned you.” De Gamos was not far away now, peering over at the two and the clerk that was writing the document from time to time before returning his attention back out through a window to the city beyond.

Vicenti Queiros had also joined the newly engaged couple in the modest chamber, and he stood watching the two of them with a wry smile on his face. The Empress glanced at him for a brief moment, before she turned back to the document. Eyes scanning the carefully written words, she nodded slowly.

“I couldn’t agree more. Now we are only left with where to marry, and who to invite. Might I suggest the Palace, here in Toubres as a suitable location?”

She turned back to her fiance, raising an eyebrow slightly as she watched his face.

Leaning back in his seat whilst clasping his chin, Avandre hummed to himself while mentally creating a list of names and nations, “I believe it would be a good idea to invite the leaders of the other Great Powers, and probably our important neighbors such as Marlanos. As for where to marry, well,” the man smiled and motioned all about himself, “Amzores seems the ideal location! Toubres is quite the power, and marrying here might help cement our union in your people’s mind. Afterwards, we could visit Illesia as well, so my poor people do not miss too much.”

“I’m glad we agree. May I then suggest that we invite Empress Susanette de Jaloie of Tara, Emperor Adalar von Wolfram of Tyria, Queen Athena Tyroli of Itherae, Pope Carlo Bocci of Vigentino, and the esteemed ruler of Marlanos to the Imperial Palace of Amzores for our marriage, three months from today.”

King Avandre nodded in agreement as he signed the paper, “I look forward to it!”

“As do I.”

With a flick of her wrist, the Empress of Toubres signed the paper.

Prenuptial Agreement between King Avandre VII Gustere of the Illesian Kingdom and Empress Maia Bastos of the Toubres Empire

Prenuptial Agreement between King Avandre VII Gustere of the Illesian Kingdom and Empress Maia Bastos of the Toubres Empire

Article 1. All wealth and authority of King Avandre VII Gustere, hereafter referred to as 'the King', and Empress Maia Bastos, hereafter referred to as 'the Empress', shall remain wholly divided and under the control of their respective Monarchs, so as to ensure the continued functioning of the Illesian Kingdom and the Toubres Empire as two separate States, even as their Monarchs unite in marriage.

Article 2. Inheritance given to heirs shall be determined at the discretion of the King and Empress if such a time comes necessary through a living will, and if heirs become apparent.

Article 3. Should either Monarch die of causes that are not natural or related to old age, and there is no predetermined heir or predetermined distribution of inheritance among heirs, the wealth and authority of the Monarch that prematurely dies shall be transferred by following the inheritance laws of their respective State, with no inheritance going to the living spouse.

Article 4. The King and Empress, by using their respective wealth and authority, shall support one another militarily and diplomatically.

Article 5. The King and Empress shall maintain regular contact and discussion on matters of State, Military, and Economy.

Article 6. Should either the King or Empress not follow the Articles of this Agreement without first suing for divorce from the other party, it shall be considered a casus belli.

Article 7. This agreement shall remain in effect unless a divorce between the King and Empress occurs.

King Avandre VII Gustere [x]

Empress Maia Bastos [x]

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

Oil Painting of King Avandre VII at the age of 26, circa 1905.

Near the end of April, the King of the Illesian Kingdom sat staring at a map of the known world splayed out in his hands in a carriage crossing a border, one of his advisors, De Gamos, sitting across from him. As the carriage rolled along, occasionally making its way over a rock before clambering back down to the soil, Avandre Gustere peered intensely at the map. Recently, Serranthia had become particularly interesting in the grand scheme of things, resulting in a conference where even the Great Powers had entered to attempt to make their mark, "The Toubrians should've flat out denied the request for this 'Conference', or else use it to maneuver troops there. The Serranthians are savages, especially this 'Mullah' Kahmar Mustafa, and should be dealt with as such."

De Gamos, a deeply tanned man with black eyes adorned in standard Illesian military garb, shrugged as the carriage hit another rock, "Of course, my Lord. But the Serranthians are hardly the major issue at play here. Colonial endeavors have never really been the strong suit of Illesia."

"Nothing military or imperial has ever been the strong suit of Illesia. We were mostly just farmers for centuries, fighting to protect our lands when necessary."

"And the reason for that is simple. Tara. Tyria. To a small extent, there is Cadia as well. Itherae could have always presented a few problems too. Your ancestors simply felt that defending and developing the Kingdom itself and its people took highest priority. And so, they chose to try to remain away from the center stage of the world."

Avandre mentally circled a number of nations on the map, "Yes well, perhaps it is time Illesia began to bloom like a flower. A deadly nightshade."

"Don't be dramatic, my Lord."

"I'm simply brainstorming, De Gamos. All leaders should consider all avenues of attack or defense, as my father once said. The furtherance of Illesia is my highest goal. Glory, second."

De Gamos squinted slightly at the King, murmuring, "Mhm," before returning his attention to the outside of the carriage, "We're almost here, my Lord."

Avandre rolled up the map and then clapped his hands together as the carriage came to a stop, the man opening the doors for the pair of men to pile out of. Around them, a few Illesian guards stood, ensuring the safety of their King, as Avandre focused his eyes on the building in front of him.

"My Lord, may I reinforce that she may not even be here? We should've sent word ahead that you'd be visiting."

"Nonsense, you know I hate royal welcomes. Too much fanfare. If she is not here, then I shall wait for her return. I've heard women like a bit of brashness and initiative anyway," Avandre waved off De Gamos' advice as a number of passing Toubrians looked at the Illesian men, some of them widening their eyes in shock when they recognized the Illesian King. Toubrian palace guards quickly approached, to which Avandre waved with a great smile, "Good evening, gentlemen, I am King Avandre VII, and I have come to see your Empress! We have much to discuss!"

De Gamos sighed in slight frustration. This might not go well.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

It will be a lot easier to have questions answered in the discord. Theo tends to respond faster than and we all talk about stuff. For instance, Theo is basically on a mini-vacation until Sunday night.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

They've probably been around 70 years, I'm sure Tara has them.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

The Illesian Capitol of Regoth, The Presidium, Military High Command

The Illesian architectural designer Bjon Yjnkle sat pouring over a series of schematics in front of the both the Marshall Triumvirate and Naval Triumvirate of Illesia, nestled away within the massive 'Presidium' in Regoth, the primary government building housing nearly all the high-level committees that ran the country, explaining his design, "As you can see here, here, and here, there are enough dorms and instructional buildings available to facilitate the training of a class of up to 1,000 cadets per year, though I do believe that amount is rather unnecessary at this time, but it meets the design requirements."

"It's future proofing, Mr. Yjnkle. Continue."

"Alright. The design harkens back to older styles of architecture, with stone faces on the outside, wood on the inside. The idea is to represent the ever-present Kingdom of Illesia, standing constantly against the sands of time. Most of the buildings are arranged in a wide circle around the field ground for exercises, with ranges for artillery and marksmanship extended outward from the circle of buildings. The circle is also a representation of infinity essentially."

"Yes, yes, it looks fine. All in favor?" There was a chorus of ayes and then the slamming of a stamp upon paper. Construction on North Point, what was to be Illesia's premier military academy, began not long after when the construction company Construcciones Pinnacle won the bid to construct North Point. They were fairly capable, though not the best and most expensive construction company that had offered to take the job on, but accomplish it they would.

Not far away, five men were standing over a map of Illesia, having just been endowed with a fund of 5,000,000 cesars to work feverishly towards expanding the lackluster network of well-built roads within Illesia. After a few days of negotiation and debate with their chairman Allister Fitzgerald having been forced to break a number of ties when the Committee on Infrastructure became deadlocked, they finally generated the following map of Illesia that would be followed with regards to what future roads had priority.

Committee on Infrastructure's Map of Illesia's Cross-Country Highway Project

The legend for the Cross-Country Highway Project is as follows:
-Red lines mark pre-existing well-paved roads.
-Phase One is marked by light green, which seeks to extend the current network to numerous other large cities, stretching the paved road network from Juliad to Levandre.
-Phase Two is marked by dark green.
-Phase Three is marked by light yellow.
-Phase Four is marked by dark yellow, which is notable for finally connecting all major cities of Illesia to the paved road network.
-Phase Five is marked by teal wherein all remaining minor cities are connected to the paved road network.
-Phase Six is marked by purple, and seeks to make some routes shorter and more deeply interconnect the cities of Illesia with paved roads.

Allister was finishing up some paperwork as his old voice carried through the room, "So we are agreed then? This Committee will initiate Phase One and bids to construct those roads will be taken from construction companies?" There was a small chorus of ayes, the sound of yet another stamp hitting paper, as the Cross-Country Highway Project as the Committee on Infrastructure had begun to call it got underway. Within days and weeks, bids started rolling in that the Committee filtered for quality, experience, and price, and soon enough, work would start.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

The Illesian Kingdom, Concise History, Basic Government Structure

The Illesian Kingdom is a fairly old Monarchy that dates back centuries, from a time when it was once composed of three separate Monarchies that fused themselves together under one crown, which is the source of the flag representing the Three Old Crowns. Never one to rush to war, the Illesians tended to focus on their people and maintaining relations with other powers, ensuring their existence with a defensive-focused army and diplomatic alliances. The nobility of Illesia is absolutely still present, though as the Kingdom advances further into the modern era, they have seen their power decline more and more as a growing middle class begins to take hold and wield increasing influence and sway with the government.

It is a Kingdom that exists with King Avandre VII at the very top of the power hierarchy, theoretically wielding absolute power and the ability to overrule any decision made within the Kingdom, though the Kings of Illesia have refrained from the use of such power since the beginning of the Monarchy, instead delegating portions of their power and jurisdiction to underlying Committees formed of men more knowledgeable in areas of governance than the Kings. The Committees send their determinations and suggestions to the King to be checked and either accepted or rejected, allowing for oversight and control over the Committees' powers. Thus, both executive and legislative power are distributed among the Committees but ultimately held fully by the King or Queen themselves.

Judicial power is also derived from the Crown, with a series of High Courts and Lower Courts arranged in a descending hierarchy dealing with increasingly more mundane issues. Appeals can be submitted such that cases can climb the hierarchy and eventually be presented before the King, but it is extremely rare for the King to care to decide a judicial case, usually leaving the decisions to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of Illesia, which derives its power directly from the King or Queen themselves.

The Military, meanwhile, stands also directly beneath the King, with the Monarch able to order them to do exactly what they wish, though again, the Illesian Monarchs usually take a back seat to the running of the military, instead leaving it to two Triumvirates that head either the Army or the Navy. High-level decisions require the majority approval of their respective Triumvirate, with the command structure descending hierarchically from there.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

The Illesian Kingdom

The Chief Engineer of a fairly small machining company, Northman Machining, quietly strode through their small machining shop. The employees were hard at work creating parts necessary mainly for farm equipment maintenance, as agriculture was big business in the Illesian Kingdom and mechanization of it in particular had really taken hold in the past years. As he looked on at the parts of a steam engine being built, a younger engineer stepped next to him and handed the Chief a newspaper, excitedly pointing at the front page, "Look at this Charles, there's a government-sponsored contest that wants contestants to submit prototypes for an automobile in a year."

Charles Amlore, the Chief Engineer, took hold of the newspaper and read it carefully, the slight wrinkles on his face moving ever so subtly before his eyebrows arose in amazement, "Really? And the prize is.... ten million cesars as seed money to make an automobile company? Good Lord. That seems rather excessive."

The younger engineer ignored this critique, his blackened face smiling, "I bet if the engineering team got together and asked Señor Ernan to help fund us, we could definitely submit a working prototype in a year!"

"Robére, relax. There's plenty of time. I'll go ask him about it as well. You tell the others about this contest and get a consensus on who wants in." Patting the younger man's shoulder, Charles chuckled a bit, "Even if we don't win, it'll be a fun exercise."

Twenty minutes later, Charles was standing in the office of Señor Ernan, presenting the news article to the grizzled old man, "I do believe in the capabilities of the Engineering team, sir. This new creation, the automobile, is extremely interesting and we have all the tools we need in the shop to create parts for a prototype. Within a year, we can absolutely pull this off, and if we win, that's a ridiculous sum of money to create our own automobile company."

Señor Ernan considered the article for a few minutes from behind his glasses before looking up above them at Charles, then setting the newspaper down and leaning back in his seat that protested heavily of the heavy man sitting on it, "How much do you want, Charles?"

"Enough funds to purchase two Forino 4HP motors, two Segaso Modello 1's, and two Karqasia Model V's, as well as to get them here to Illesia. We also need the materials and tools to produce our own parts and such, but the engineering team will do this on our own time."

Ernan took a slow, deep, nasally breath as he considered the numbers and risk involved. It wasn't a particularly large amount of money, but it was a fair amount considering Northman Machining wasn't that big. And even if it failed, Ernan could always just resell the purchased automobiles. Finally, he smiled but tapped his desk twice, "You'll have your money, Charles, but I want 51% ownership of the company that results if you win. The remaining ownership can be divided between the engineering team as you all see fit. Also, if you fail, the automobiles are mine to do with as I see fit. Understood?"

Charles took a deep bow, thanking Señor Ernan, "Thank you very much sure. I'm sure the team will greatly enjoy this challenge."

Later that night, Charles and the engineering team of five others sat together in his Charle's parlor at his home, smoking cigars and bandying about names for their little group.

"Illesia United!"

"Farin Express."

"What the fuck does Farin even mean?"

"Piss off, Samuelle."

"I've got it, King's Express."

"To hell with that, we're not owned by the King."

"Well then, you suggest a better name."

"Uhm..."

"How about this: Yorvagr Motor Company."

Everyone seemed quiet for a few seconds, before Charles asked the young man who proposed the name, Harold Yngold, "That name sounds familiar, what does it mean?"

"Yorvagr was the old God of Lightning. Feels right to me," explained Harold, a great burly man with an enormous red beard who more resembled the Dwarves of legend than a human.

There was some small criticism of the name from one member of the group, but they quickly came to accept it. That night, they decided to pool their wealth together along with the funds given by Ernan to form the Yorvagr Motor Company, setting in motion the purchases and logistics necessary to get all six of the cars and engines they needed to Northman Machining. One of each automobile or engine would be left untouched so as to have a reference for how it worked in the first place, while the other automobile or engine would be disassembled and examined closely. With Charles Amlore at the head of the group of six total, together they began their journey towards the emergence of the Yorvagr Motor Company upon the world stage a year later...

OOC: +2 to Order 1

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

The Illesian Kingdom Beginning Stats

1. Official Name of Nation: The Illesian Kingdom
2. Capital: Regoth
3. Head of State: King Avandre VII
4. Nation Breakdown
- Administration
* Stability of the Government: 4
* Integrity of the Government: 4
* Competency of the Bureaucracy: 5

- Economics
* Competitiveness of the Economy: 5
* Development of the Coal Industry: 2
* Development of the Steel Industry: 2
* Development of the Petrol Industry: 2
* Development of the Chromium Industry: 1
* Development of Small Arms Industry: 3
* Development of Munitions Industry: 3
* Development of Automobile Industry: 1
* Development of the Agriculture Industry: 10
* Development of Shipbuilding Industry: 1
* Mechanization: 5
* Number of Specialized Workers: 6
* Urbanization: 6

- Military
* Quality of Standard Rifle: 1
* Quality of Field Gun: 1
* Quality of Machine Gun: 1
* Quality of the Army: 2
* Logistics Capacity of the Army: 2
* Quality of the Officer Corps: 2
* Competency of Army High Command: 2
* Quality of the Navy: 0
* Logistics Capacity of the Navy: 0
* Quality of the Officer Corps: 0
* Competency of Navy High Command: 0

- Culture & Nation
* Colonial Holdings: 0
* Homogeneity of the Nation: 6
* Nationalist Beliefs: 3
* Irredentist Beliefs: 0
* Population: 10
* Metropolitan Infrastructure: 4
* Road Network: 5
* Rail Network: 1

Concise History, Basic Government Structure

The Illesian Kingdom is a fairly old Monarchy that dates back centuries, from a time when it was once composed of three separate Monarchies that fused themselves together under one crown, which is the source of the flag representing the Three Old Crowns. Never one to rush to war, the Illesians tended to focus on their people and maintaining relations with other powers, ensuring their existence with a defensive-focused army and diplomatic alliances. The nobility of Illesia is absolutely still present, though as the Kingdom advances further into the modern era, they have seen their power decline more and more as a growing middle class begins to take hold and wield increasing influence and sway with the government.

It is a Kingdom that exists with King Avandre VII at the very top of the power hierarchy, theoretically wielding absolute power and the ability to overrule any decision made within the Kingdom, though the Kings of Illesia have refrained from the use of such power since the beginning of the Monarchy, instead delegating portions of their power and jurisdiction to underlying Committees formed of men more knowledgeable in areas of governance than the Kings. The Committees send their determinations and suggestions to the King to be checked and either accepted or rejected, allowing for oversight and control over the Committees' powers. Thus, both executive and legislative power are distributed among the Committees but ultimately held fully by the King or Queen themselves.

Judicial power is also derived from the Crown, with a series of High Courts and Lower Courts arranged in a descending hierarchy dealing with increasingly more mundane issues. Appeals can be submitted such that cases can climb the hierarchy and eventually be presented before the King, but it is extremely rare for the King to care to decide a judicial case, usually leaving the decisions to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of Illesia, which derives its power directly from the King or Queen themselves.

The Military, meanwhile, stands also directly beneath the King, with the Monarch able to order them to do exactly what they wish, though again, the Illesian Monarchs usually take a back seat to the running of the military, instead leaving it to two Triumvirates that head either the Army or the Navy. High-level decisions require the majority approval of their respective Triumvirate, with the command structure descending hierarchically from there.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

My orders will wait until I know my map position and dossier. Probably can't send them in until then anyway.

The World Undone: A History of the Modern World [NRP] (1905--)

If I go there, I'd rather reevaluate my country since it's an island.