Anyways, I figure I'll do the thing and we can begin moving towards an IC thread.
Name:
The Family of Albanie, Sheriffs of Albany, Counts of Greene, Saratoga, the Princes of Long Island. The Elector in the Empire State Building
Location:
History:
The house of Albanie was born out of the campaigns of Adam Covanney when he pacified and occupied Albany town and Albany county. Though at this time the family held no particular history, and they have expunged their old name from most of the records. But in the early years the founder of the house, Ross took umbrage with the governor that the house of Covanney had put in control of the area and in a fit of hot blooded anger challenged the governor to a fight. The governor accepted, and the two fought with knives at the grounds of the old State House where he was killed by Ross.
When Adam Covanney heard of the duel he personally left to inquire into what had gone wrong. Arriving in Albany he was greeted by the people of Albany town, who directed him to Ross; fearing he might kill them all in anger. Interrogating Ross as to why he killed the governor, Ross explained the man he had left behind was “a thief and a fucking bastard”, adding that since he took office he was failing to perform any sort of duty and had personally slighted him when he and his men stole much of his property one night, including his dogs. When asked if he would do it again Ross answered honestly: that he would without second thought.
In a display of mercy Adam let Ross live, but he would have to join his host in its military endeavors across southern New York. This was a task that he performed with esteem and notability and was eventually granted title to Albany as its count and sheriff, putting down the roots of a growing force in the region.
At the first Covanney's death, Ross, now styling himself as “Ross from Albany” took advantage of the lack of oversight and took the neighboring counties as his own inadvertently positioning himself as a significant player in the crisis of succession with Adam's sons. Though when the dust settled over New York Ross never remained a power player, he died secure in the knowledge that as things passed to his children that his legacy was secure as he was written down as “Ross of Albany” and his sons likewise. Overtime this would change to either “Of Albanie” or simply “Albanie”.
Imperial election occurred during the life of then fifty year old Micheal Albanie who rose as the favorite after the death of Duncan Bloom. The election was immediately contested by the Zeglar family which had assumed control over much of Long Island and their fated revolt was small and isolated. As punishment, Micheal had much of the family executed and the rest put into exile as he took Long Island for himself. However, this would be the only significant event in Micheal's reign as he would die after ten years of rule and his son Charles would inherit leadership of the clan and by political machinations succeed Micheal as the Elector in the Empire State Building; emperor.
Through his reign he would trade his family's electoral holdings in the New York metropolitan area – Jersey City, Newark, and various stakes to assume control of Queens and with the exception of Kennedy have total control over Long Island. Is internal politics within New York would also be strengthened as he repaid his supporters in war, distributing the spoils of smaller less significant territories to his electoral friends and allies. The distribution of spoils was also accompanied by a network of relationships which promised to elect his heir of choice as replacement. But it would take years of effort for that to start. With thirteen different women he tried to produce a son but was rocked mostly with miscarriages, daughters, or deaths shortly after birth. It wasn't until his early fifties he was finally able to sire a son, but after thirty years of rule he was able to father a son who lived passed the age of five. However after the child turned seven he died, and the machinations established earlier into life clicked into action and defaulted to electing the young boy, the shy Hopkins.
With an emperor too young to be considered a man, and not even fully literate the empire went into a state of internal crisis as a regency council was assembled. Initially by Charles friends, though they'd see themselves removed or removing themselves as intrigue characterized the new court far more so than prior with an emperor too powerless or too unwise to notice.