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Nax24

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Greetings to all! Welcome to El Imperio Muerto, The Dead Empire. This is another game in a long list of Interactive After Action Reports that include the likes of Federation of Equals, Shadows of the Andes, Edge of Europe, Power to the People, Sonder Oder Anderweg?, The Presidents, Blood and Iron, Albion and Empire, and Under the Rising Sun. I welcome both new and returning players to this game.

El Imperio Muerto (EIM), shall examine a nation that was once the strongest nation to ever exist, but now is but a shell of its former self, Spain. Spain once held the largest empire the world had ever seen, rivaling that of the empires of old, but now revolution and rebellion have caused the nation to collapse in, reducing it to nothing more then its homeland in Iberia, and some islands scattered across the world. This story shall utilize the Population Demand Mod, developed by Naselus. This game shall go back to the roots of IAARs in an attempt to have the game be pushed by player interaction and GM arbitration rather then overly complex mechanics (some mechanics shall be utilized to prevent abuse of GM given power).

While not required, it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that you come on Coldfront. Coldfront is a message-based chat-room utilized by IAARs and forum games across these forums. You can join EIM's channel by going to http://www.coldfront.net/tiramisu/ and joining the #EIM_Main channel by typing "/join #EIM_Main" (without quotations).

Rules must be read, understood, and followed to the letter.

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO JOIN!

(Full Interactivity Approved by Qorten on February 16, 2016)
 
A Guide to the Kingdom of Spain, Rules and Mechanics:

Rules:
  1. OOC=/=IC, so if something happens OOC, do not take it out in IC. If it is said OOC but not IC, the characters will have no idea about it.
  2. No voting outside of thread. If you wish to have a group vote on something, do it in thread, not in a PM.
  3. Secondary Characters shall not be used, but if you wish to IC as someone who has a connection to your main character, go ahead. This is not to be used as an excuse for voting, I will not allow farmers having connections to an aristocrat the right to “vote” in a landed-only election.
  4. God-Modding, unless approved by me, is not allowed. Do not make events happen without my consent.
  5. There will be some serious betrayal, realpolitik, and other nefarious dealings done. Rise up above it.
  6. This is a game! Do not get angry that things are not going your way or if you feel something out of your power is screwing you over. The real world keeps spinning even if your party might never win an election. This is a fun game, not one to be taken seriously.
  7. I as GM have the power to:
    1. Kill your character
    2. Remove you and your allies from power at any time for any reason RP or not
    3. Veto Bills, Parties, Revolutions, and other things that are absurd
    4. Bar you from voting or dismissing your vote.
    5. Decide final seat allocation in the Cortes
  8. Bold your votes
  9. If you try to enforce 21st Century beliefs in a game set in the 1800s, or try to enforce socialist/communist/fascist/radical beliefs before they are fired in-game, or try to enforce beliefs that would never EVER get passed in this timeframe I will make sure you get nowhere as long as you hold to those beliefs secretly or not. If you are unsure if your belief is realistic for the time, ask yourself “would people at this time support such a belief?” If the answer is no, dont do it. RESEARCH! Historical Reality can change as the game progresses, so keep that in mind.
  10. Adhere to the forum rules at all times
Mechanics:

Characters:
Unlike in games like UtRS and PttP, the characters in this IAAR are not going to be restricted by classes or specialties. They are simply characters born from the creative mind of the player. They can be whoever the player wants them to be. They can be politicians, bankers, soldiers, landowners, clergymen, artisans, etc.These will be the political influences that determine the course of the nation. Whether they are actually politicians sitting in the legislature, or they exert influence on politicians sitting in the legislature, they will help sail the ship of state.

In order to create a character, simply fill out their name, their date of birth, and some background information, in the following format:

Name: Jose Gonzalez
Date of Birth: March 14, 1804
Background: [Insert here]

Note: Historical characters shall be allowed. However members of the House of Bourbon, Carlist or not, must be approved by me upon advice of the monarch. Please PM me if you wish to play a Bourbon.


Note: Be mindful of the social hierarchy of the time, and create your background/roleplay accordingly. You could end up barred from voting based on simply making your character the wrong social standing, the wrong gender, and/or the wrong religion. If you want to add IC flavor by being these kinds of people or if you wish to hide your religious practicing, be my guest, but you won't be doing much or possibly living long if you are those things or get caught being those things.

Examples:


-Don't expect to have any rights as a non-Catholic, a non-White, or a female (at least before women’s suffrage is fired) in this country. In fact, being non-Catholic is reason enough to get you killed at this time. I know it sounds depressing and sad, but this is how the 19th century, and even parts of the 20th century, worked. Even if laws are made to protect you, there is no way in this time that a non-White, a female or a non-Christian could have any political clout. So while you may not have your life threatened, you will still be powerless. This does not mean you cannot play as these people, just understand you won't have any power ever.

-Lower class citizens (Poor Strata citizens) will most likely not be allowed to vote in elections until we reform to Universal Suffrage. In fact, Middle and possibly Rich citizens can be barred from voting in elections should the voting reform be rolled back. Do not just make yourself a higher rank out of the blue to make up for this should you start off as a lower class citizen. Higher status in the social hierarchy is EARNED, not given or taken. Again, like with religion and gender, you can still play a lower class citizen, it's just you won't be able to vote.

-People without property will most likely not be allowed to hold office at the start and thus only landed men can be government ministers and vote in the legislature at the start.

-For those wanting to be men with land, Landed does not mean you have to be rich or even a noble. Clergy and poor aristocrats are still “landed” per-say. Also, just because you are a rich capitalist does not mean you are landed.


Parliament:
The Parliament, or the Cortes Generale, is the legislative body of Spain. As long as the country allows voting, the Cortes Generale shall exist. They have one main function, passing laws. Most laws, reforms, and other forms of legislature shall be debated and discussed in the Cortes Generale. The Parliament shall work as follows:

Voting: There are two forms of voting, election voting and legislative voting.

Election Voting: Elections shall work as followed. If allowed and able to vote, you vote on parties, party with the most votes wins a majority in the Parliament. This will be up to me to decide the seat allocation, for if the vote is close between the parties, then coalitions may have to form. I have the power to decide final seat allocation.

RP and IC shall be a HUGE part in deciding who wins. If your party just shows up, votes, and nothing else, you will lose!

Ballot:
Party: [Choice]

Legislative Voting: Legislative voting occurs for voting on bills and acts proposed to the legislature. The players if allowed to be seated on the Parliament shall cast their vote for if they want the bill to pass or not. Based on who they voted for in the election, I shall determine the vote in the legislature.

Example: Two parties have 50% of the legislature. All players who voted for Party 1 vote one option, and that option shall get 50% of the legislature backing it. Half of players who voted for Party 2 vote the same option as Party 1, the other half votes a different option. The one option gets 75% of the legislature, the other 25% goes to the other option.

Ballot:
[Bill]: [Choice]

Dictatorships and Absolute Monarchies: In no voting governments, factions shall just simply exist for players to group together to get the HoS to do things.
Head of State:
President, Monarch, Supreme Leader, Generalissimo, whatever he is called, the Head of State is the main honcho in charge of the nation. Governments will be formed by him, he shall have great prestige, and can influence many actions of the nation. Each government handles their head of state differently.

Note: The Head of State must abide by the laws of the land, and has only the powers granted to him via some document or decree or manifesto. If you do not have the power to do it, you cannot do it.

Head of State Mechanics in various Governments:

-Monarchies: In Monarchies, the royal family shall consist of various players hand picked by me. The Monarch shall rule out till his/her death. The player playing the ruling Monarch has the option of allowing another player to play the heir. When the ruling Monarch dies, the player playing the heir shall assume the duties of Monarch, and shall pick his heir. Rinse and Repeat.
---------Pretenders: Some royal family members have strong claims to the throne, such as brothers, sisters, uncles, cousins, etc. Should the ruling monarch prove to be...inept...at his/her duties, the players can cause a pretender revolution to try to get another royal family member on the throne instead of just changing the government entirely. These shall follow the Revolutions/Coup mechanics below.


-Republics: In a Republic, the Head of State shall be elected from the player base. How he is elected is up to the players.

-Dictatorships: Fascist, Communist, Military, or Presidential, a Dictatorship is a HoS that is neither elected nor hereditary.
---------Successor: The Dictator shall decide who inherits the nation upon his death. Either a republic can be created, a monarch reinstated, or another dictator selected. The Dictator can leave this matter to a council or another body as well.


Respect: The Head of State is only as powerful as the people let him be. Respect is a good way to gage this. Respect can be divided into four main levels:

-High
-Medium
-Low
-Critical


Respect shall be dropped/raised based on player reactions to a decision made by the HoS (I shall act as arbitrator in deciding if the reaction warrants a respect rise/drop). A counter shall be used to determine the level of respect between -10 and 10. A 10 will cause the level to increase. A -10 will cause the level to decrease.

Examples:

-If the HoS in an absolute monarchy passes a reform in a conservative court, the court can object to this lowering the respect of the HoS

-If the HoS constantly hampers things passed by a majority of the Cortes, the Cortes can express disent causing respect to be lowered.

-If the HoS in a republic adopts a liberal policy, but the Cortes is conservative, the Cortes can sow discontent against the HoS causing respect to drop

-If the HoS was in charge of a communist dictatorship and allowed capitalistic elements, the other communists could object this, lowering the respect of the HoS.

-If the HoS passes one reform and a liberal faction objects, then I shall consider this meta-gaming (liberals realistically would not oppose a singular reform, and the faction will be assumed to be objecting just to hurt the monarch) and the HoS respect shall not be tampered with. However if the HoS passes multiple reforms and a liberal court faction objects citing that the HoS should take it slow with reforms, the respect of the HoS shall drop.


The Strata System
Is your political group a champion of the poor, do they uphold the beliefs of the middle class, or are they simply a party for the rich and powerful of the nation? This is based upon your organization’s commitment to the stratas of the nation. Via quality IC, your faction, rebel group, or organization can gain popularity among the different wealth levels of the nation. Each strata presents its own benefits for pleasing and penalties for angering. You can write a book about the plight of the poor, promise a certain reform to appease certain stratas, and call for tax cuts and benefits to the nobles. Of course, you will have to keep your promises to these strata, failing to uphold them will be a big problem, as well as watch your fellow group members who may isolate your faction from a certain Strata. Your group’s popularity among strata can help win elections, aide in causing revolutions, and help bring about change should it be needed.

The Strata:

Poor (Farmers, Laborers, Craftsmen, Soldiers): These are the lowest and poorest people in the nation. They make up the bulk of the population. Social reforms will greatly aide in getting them to your side. Due to their vastness, they can hide you from investigations, help you escape the country, and help spread ideas into the country even when you are in exile. However, one thing to note about the poor, they are not really that politically active, at least at this current stage. They don’t care about politics or reforms, all they care about is being able to provide for their families and not getting beat up. Groups that favor the poor can possibly see them join them in revolutions and coups, or see that they help bring in traitors and rebels by having them as informants. It is especially good with universal elections to have the largest voting body on your side...

Middle (Clerks, Artists, Clergy, Bureaucrats, Officers): These are the most diverse group of people, and are often considered the most volatile. Yes, these make up the rabble-rousers, the educated, the enlightened bunch. A group that gains influence with them can cause nuisances for anyone who opposes them. Favoring the middle class can cause you to use them to bring up militancy, sow dissent against the government, and bringing back order should the need arise. Since the middle class are the most politically involved, having your group favor them can also help in revolutions. Penalties for distancing yourself from the middle class will mean a volatile group of men will always be against you, and that is something that will sure put a hamper on your plans. Favoring the middle class is useful for causing chaos and restoring order.

Rich (Aristocrats, Capitalists): These are the wealthiest men in the nation, and the most prestigious. These are the ones with the money, and as the golden rule states, “he who has the gold makes the rules”. Favoring nobles is useful for gaining campaign funds and helping you out in elections, as well as influencing behaviors at court. Using the rich can bring about great respect in a Head of State, but they can also be used to bring down his respect as well. The rich can cut off funds to elections, hurting the campaigns of your rivals, and nobles will spread discontent with the monarch at court, lowering his respect. Disfavoring the rich will cause them not wanting to fund you or help you, hurting your chances at winning elections. Favoring the rich can help either boost your chances of becoming prominent in government, or hurt the efforts of your opponents.

Stratas that can vote will vote for parties that favor them.

Each quality IC directed at one of the strata will add a point of respect to that strata’s respect of your group. If you wish for your group to have Strata influence, please PM me and I will add it to the list of groups. Of course, getting the respect of the strata is one thing, keeping it is another. Should you fail at meeting your promises, whether it be constantly losing elections, failing to implement a promised policy in government, or simply just ignoring their pleas. Also, favoring specifically one strata can distance yourself from the others, bringing penalties to your group. Events will appear often that can earn a bit more respect with a strata for your faction. All of this shall be based off of quality of the IC aimed at the strata. Once you have your respect, you can use it in various forms. Of course, the more respect you earn with a particular faction, the better the result is with making them do something for you. A group with 10 respect in the middle class would have a much easier time raising MIL then a group with only 2 respect in the middle class will have at lowering it.

Those who are independent can either have their IC go towards the respect of a certain faction, or go against that of another faction.


Other Things:
Military: The military shall be led by a combination of NPC and player characters. The military shall be led by the Chief of General Staff, who shall assign generals to lead armies. Player generals shall have free reign over their personalities, and backgrounds, but the most beneficial backgrounds shall be locked. After 20 years of military service, they can pick any background they want. You do not gain years of service while as a minister in a government.
You can pick any background besides the twenty year backgrounds.

After twenty years, you make pick School of Firepower/Offense/Defense/, Artillerist, Natural Born Leader, Brilliant Strategist, Rising Star, Sinner, War College or Cavalry School as your background.

You may also pick any personality befitting your character.

Backgrounds and Personalities can be changed at any time to fit your character. However I may give you traits fitting to what you IC and RP.

Cabinet: The cabinet is made up of specific appointed individuals that determine the policy of their department. The powers each minister has and the number of ministers shall be determined by the players.

Coups and Revolutions: Coups and revolutions may be called upon by anyone at anytime. A vote shall be held to determine its popularity among the political elite. In-game militancy (me to know, you to be given vague incite into), player-base support, and the support of military players shall be used to determine the revolution/coups success.

Political Parties: Parties may be started by anyone at any time. The only things needed are the ideology of the party (conservative, reactionary, liberal, socialist, etc), and its stances on each of the policies (Economic, Trade, Religion, Military, and Citizenship). Parties that form during an election season may not be allowed to compete in that election. If no one votes for a not-new party in the election, that party is declared defunct and removed. Parties in an non-democratic society shall be known as Cliques.

Reforms: Please take it easy on multi-level reforms. If you are a government that supports reforms, you may be allowed to do sweeping reforms. If you are a government that is against reforms, I will restrict this.

IC/RP Requirement: As a member of the government, I expect quality IC while in power. Should you fail to meet my expectations of quality IC, your government shall be replaced with no penalty to the monarch with an opposition party. If the opposition does not meet my expectations for quality IC, I will make sure they stay in opposition until they do meet my expectations.
 
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The Kingdom of Spain
Date: 1893
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Government: De Jure: Parliamentary Monarchy (Prussian Constitutionalism)
De Facto: Oligarchic Monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Monarch: Felipe VI ((@Marschalk))

Respect Level: Medium
Respect Counter: 7

Regent: -
Head of Government: - Luys Blas Ximon Hortun y Llorente Etxeto ((@Dadarian))

Dominant Political Party: Los Amarillos
Population: ~30.7 Million

Eligible Voting Population: ~780,000



States:
Castilla la Nueva
Valencia
Vasconia-Aragon
Leon-Castilla
Catalonia
Granada
Galicia
Andalucia
Extremadura
Canary Islands

Colonies:
Cuba
Philippines
Nigeria
Sulu
Equatorial Guinea

Puppets:
Portugal


House of Trastamara:
Isabel I and Ferdinand V (1479-1504)
Juana I (1504-1516)

House of Habsburg:
Carlos I (1516-1556)
Felipe II (1556-1598)
Felipe III (1598-1621)
Felipe IV (1621-1665)
Carlos II (1665-1700)

House of Bourbon:
Felipe V, First Reign (1700-1724)
Louis I (1724)
Felipe V, Second Reign (1724-1746)
Fernando VI (1746-1759)
Carlos III (1759-1788)
Carlos IV (1788-1808)
Fernando VII (1808)

House of Bonaparte:
Joseph I (1808-1813)

House of Bourbon, Reinstated:
Fernando VII (1813-1833)
Isabel II (1833-1839)

House of Bourbon, Carlist Line

Carlos V (1839-1861)
Carlos VI (1861-1873)
Felipe VI (1873-)

First Secretary of State Don Erasmus Pedro Manuel Falcon (1833-1839)
First Secretary of State Alejo María Sastre y Díaz de Santa Ava (1839-1851)
First Secretary of State Don Esteban Alonso Fitz-James Stuart y Silva (1851-1871)
First Secretary of State Francisco d'Ambrosio (1871-1882)
First Secretary of State Joao Maria Carlos Manuel de Correia e de Medinaceli (1882-1893)
First Secretary of State Luys Blas Ximon Hortun y Llorente Etxeto (1893-)


 
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A History of Spain from Antiquity to 1833

Regum Espana, La Furia Roja, Conquerors of the Americas, Rulers of the Filipinos, Catholicism’s Bastion, Gran Imperia, The Spanish Empire has many nicknames given to it over the years. It deserves them, for Spain was the biggest Empire in the world. It controlled almost half of the Americas, and massed huge fortunes of gold and silver. It holds the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea. It held from the Sierra Nevadas to the Rio Plata. It left a legacy of culture never before seen in the world with Spanish being the most spoken language in the Americas. It was once considered the strongest nation on the planet.

However notice the use of language: WAS the strongest nation, CONTROLLED half of the Americas, HELD from California and Argentina. It's all past tense! That is because the Gran Imperia of the 19th century is a hollow shell of its former self. The Spanish Empire had fallen drastically from grace, losing everything in the process from its gold to its colonies to its prestige. It is true, the years were not kind to the Spanish Empire. What happened to it is seen as a tragedy, a tragedy of a dying Empire. It went from being the noblest of nations to nothing in a matter of years. Like the tragic heroes of Shakespeare and Sophocles, Spain started off grand and was humbled.

((This is an EXTREMELY dumbed down version of Spanish History))

IQbH2yq.jpg
Spain is a country located on the continent of Europe. It is one of two countries on the Iberian peninsula, a peninsula that encompasses the most western portion of Europe. To the west, lies its neighbor Portugal, and to the north lies the nation of France. Spain sits mostly on plateaus, with the region of Navarre and northern Catalonia being very rugged and hilly. The pyrenees make up the northern border of Spain. Spain’s southern border sits on the straights of Gibraltar, the access point from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. It owns the islands of Mallorca, and controls small enclaves in North Africa. The main language is Spanish, with many different dialects. The capital is Madrid.

The history of Spain can be traced back to the times of antiquity. Prior to that, Iberia was inhabited by various tribes of people, including Celts. The Greeks were the first major power to colonize the region, setting up trading posts around 600 BCE. This was some followed by the arrival of Carthage. Carthage made large claims to the region, and beat the Greeks in asserting dominance in Iberia. Carthago Nova was the capital of Carthaginian Iberia, but dominance in Iberia would shift to the hands of the Romans. Following the defeat of Carthage in the Punic Wars, Rome took control of Iberia and her people, the Iberians. For the next 600 years, Roman authority dominated the Iberian peninsular. Latin became the main language of the land, and Roman culture can still be seen across Spain and Portugal to this day. However, Roman rule would not last forever, and as the Roman Empire collapsed, one barbarian tribe decided to stake its claim in Iberia.

MQJkqZ0.png

(A map of the Roman Invasion of Hispania)

In the 5th century, the Visigoths, fresh from their sacking of the ancient city of Rome, moved into Iberia and established an Empire that lasted two-hundred years. The Visigoths were quick to adopt Roman culture, and held on to many different aspects of Roman society. It is seen through their culture and architecture. The Visigoths would be a shining light of Roman society through the Dark Ages, but even then, the darkness and brutality of the time could not be kept out of the Visigothic Kingdom forever.

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(The Visigoth Domain)

By the 8th century, Islam had expanded across the Middle East and North Africa. Taking the opportunity to invade Iberia, Muslims from Morocco invaded in 711. The Moors were quick to conquer much of the Iberian peninsular, and soundly forced the Visigoths into the north. The Moors were kept in Iberia however, with the Franks defeating them before they managed to get into most of Europe at the Battle of Tours. Arabic and Islamic culture would mix with Visigothic and Roman culture during the time Islam reigned supreme in Iberia. For the Visigoths though, they would see a split in their culture. Five major cultures emerged, four of which had connections to the Visigoths. The first was Castilian, the largest sect, which occupied much of northern Iberia. The second group of people were the Leonese, a culture very similar to Castilian, which occupied land right next to Castile. The third culture was Galician, which occupied the North Western corner of Iberia. These people would go on and evolve into the Portuguese. The fourth culture were the Catalans, with their cultural center in the city of Barcelona. Technically Aragonese was the main culture of this area at the time being the rulers of Catalonia, but for all sake and purposes, the Catalans are the main focus of this area of Iberia. The last culture was the indigenous culture of Iberia, the Basque. The Basque are considered older than the Visigoths and the Romans, and are considered the last truly native people of Iberia. They occupy a region of the northern Pyrenees Mountains on the border of France and Spain. These five cultures would establish their own small kingdoms in the North with the much larger Muslim Andalusia in the South.

RkNOsAv.png

(A map of Christian and Muslim holdings in Iberia, circa 1035)

The Muslims though would end up fractioning into political conflict. When the Abbasids took control of the Caliphate in Baghdad, the Umayyads established their own Caliphate in Iberia, based in the city of Seville. This in-fighting fracturized the Iberian Muslim base, allowing the Christian nations to fight back. At first, the Kingdom of Asturias was the main force fighting back the Muslims. The Asturias splintered, forming the Kingdoms of Leon, Galicia, Castile, Aragon, and Navarra. However, they also had to deal with each other, for only one Christian King could rule Iberia. The Kingdoms would fight each other more than the Muslims at first. Leon would conquer Galicia, and would seem to be the dominant Christian power in Iberia. The County of Portugal would rebell from Leon, and form a new Kingdom called Portugal. Leon would then end up being absorbed into the Kingdom of Castile. Castile ended up being the largest of the Christian monarchs in Iberia, alongside the growing Kingdom of Aragon. When the Crusades were called to take back the Holy Land, Castile and Aragon used this to push the Muslims out of Iberia in the name of God. Christian Kingdoms would fight the Muslims between 711 and 1492 in what is now called the Reconquista. Call it either a crusade, holy war, or simply reasserting Visigothic ancestral hegemony, the Christians slowly began to push the Muslims out of Iberia. In 1492, the last Muslim state, the Emirate of Granada, fell to the Castilians, and Spain was free of Muslim rule.


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(A timeline of the Reconquista)
Aragon and Castile were still rivals, and both wanted to rule Iberia. In 1479 a wedding changed all of that. Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand V of Aragon were married, and the two countries joined together in a personal union with one another. Aragon and Castile were still two separate countries. Joanna I would inherit both countries and finally unite Aragon and Castile into a new Kingdom, Reino de Espana, the Kingdom of Spain. Joanna I, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, would marry into the Habsburg family, the strongest family in Europe at the time and Holy Roman Emperors. Her son, Charles, would become Charles I of Spain, and Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, solidifying Hapsburg domination in Spain for the next 150 years.

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(Charles, or Carlos I of Spain, one of the legendary monarchs of the time)

In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella sponsored the travels of one Italian sailor to try and open up a route to India by sailing west. The sailor and Isabella argued about the size of the Earth. Isabella argued the world was much larger, while the sailor argued it was much smaller meaning a quicker time to sail to India going west (This was not an argument over the shape of the world, everyone at this time knew the world was round). With Isabella’s approval and financing, the sailor would set sail with three ships west across the Atlantic. In October of 1492, he would land in what he thought was India. That land was not India though, rather it was a whole new continent, no, TWO new continents. That sailor, Christopher Columbus, had just revealed what the vikings discovered 400 years prior, North and South America. Spain, having funded Columbus, was quick to set up territorial claims in this New World. The Spanish quickly began to not only colonize the land, but exterminating the people of the area. Native Empires like the Aztecs, Inca, and Maya were virtually eradicated by the Spanish. By 1600, the Spanish had colonies from Mexico in the north, to the Rio Plata in the south, and had almost the entire Caribbean under their control. Gold flowed into the Spanish coffers, as Spain became the strongest nation and Empire in the world.

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(Spain's Colonial Empire at its height, circa 1783)

One thing that Spain held dear to its heart was the Catholic faith. Since the days of the Visigoths, Spain was very Catholic in its beliefs, being a bastion of Catholicism. As the Protestant Reformation scourged Germany and England, the Spanish held on to their Catholic beliefs, In-fact, they got a bit too Catholic. Throughout much of the 16th and 17th century, Spain employed anti-non-Christian practices, forcing Jews and Muslims to choose between conversion or exile. If they choose neither, they were put to the torch. The Spanish Inquisition is the embodiment of this. Between 1478 and 1834, the Inquisition went after Jews, Muslims, and Protestants with vigor, persecuting and burning them at the stakes if they did not convert. Jews were forced out of Spain during this time, and Muslims were forced back into Morocco. The Catholic Church would go on to own 20% of the land in Spain. mean. The Protestants struck back. England would soundly defeat the Spanish when their Armada was sunk in the English channel, making England the new superior naval force of Europe.

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(Friar Thomas de Torquemada, the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. Under his watch, thousands of Jews, Muslims, and recently converted Christians were persecuted, burned, or expelled from Spain)

By 1700, Spain had control over half of the Western Hemisphere, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea in Africa, Naples, and Belgium in its grand colonial Empire. In 1700, the last Hapsburg King of Spain, Charles II, would die. In his will, Charles II had a French royal family member of the Bourbon family inherit the Empire, Philippe d'Anjou. This would start the War of Spanish Succession, which resulted in Philippe keeping Spain as Felipe V, but not being allowed to inherit France. Spain lost all her European holdings such as Belgium and Italy. The new Bourbon dynasty would enact new reforms for the nation, and would lead the Spanish through multiple wars against the other European powers. The 18th century was considered the golden age of the Spanish Empire, for it was the largest empire on earth at the time. The main goal of the Spanish was to humble the British due to the British beating them in multiple wars throughout the century. While they failed along with their French dynastic allies in the Seven Years War to do this, Spain recuperate its holdings. In 1763, Spain was at the height of its power having recently been given French Louisiana in the treaty that ended the Seven Years War. Better yet, the Spanish had helped humiliate the British in 1783 by funding the United States of America. Spain though felt that the new colonies would share their mother country’s imperial ambition in trying to take over Spanish holdings and refused to officially ally with them. That was the least of their problems, for in 1789, their neighbors to the north would be rocked by violence, and revolution.

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(Spanish soldiers overpowering British soldiers in the attack on Pensacola in support of American Rebels)

The French Revolution had caused Spain to be backed into a corner. Spain’s King, Carlos IV, was a very weak man mentally and in his apparatus as King. Most of the governing was done by his wife’s lover. When revolution came to France in 1789, Spain at first opposed the French. When the First Republic invaded Spain in 1793, that opposition turned to full out war. Spain and France engaged in a brutal war over the Pyrenees for two years that resulted in a truce and Spain reluctantly allying itself to the French. However, that peace would be short lived. A little corporal named Napoleon Bonaparte would take over France and proclaim himself Emperor. France would still remain allied to Spain. In 1807 though, a popular uprising would force Carlos IV to abdicate the throne. Napoleon would take this and utilize it to his advantage. Refusing to accept either Carlos IV or his sons as Kings of Spain, Napoleon declared his brother Joseph as Joseph I of a new Spanish Kingdom, and thus began the French occupation. Spain would fight back against the French alongside with British help in what became known as the Peninsular War. Spain, Portugal, and the British would fight a long brutal war. The Cortes Generales, Spain’s parliament, ruled Spain in the absence of a monarch, giving a sense of liberalism to the Spanish people. By 1813, the Spanish and British would push the French out of Spain, and the Spanish line of the Bourbon family would be put back on the throne.

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(A scene from the Peninsular Wars)

Carlos IV would not be returned to power. In his place, he left his three sons, Ferdinand, Carlos, and Francisco. Ferdinand would be instated as Ferdinand VII, with his younger brother Carlos as heir apparent. Ferdinand’s rule though marks the beginning of the collapse of the Spanish Empire. While Napoleon was occupying Spain, the Spanish colonies across America began to feel more and more independent. Spain had been messing with the colonial hierarchy, ignoring the wealthy colonials by giving the average colonial more political power. This angered the wealthy colonials who felt that Spain’s liberal approach to power was weakening them. In many colonies, it was the wealthy who rose up against Spanish rule at first. Mexico, Peru, Columbia, Argentina, Bolivia, they all rose up to fight for independence. The average colonial would join these fights when Spain began cracking down brutally on the rebellions. By 1833, all of Spain’s former colonies with the exception of Cuba, the Philippines, and Equatorial Guinea, were independent from Spain. The once proud and mighty Spanish Empire was no more. In a matter of twenty years, what was built on the backs of millions of natives and Spaniards, what took centuries to build, was gone. The Spanish Empire had fallen, and now it was no longer the proud and mighty Empire it use to be.

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(A timeline showing the fall of the Spanish Empire in Latin America)

Ferdinand VII would rule with an ironfist in the name of absolutism. While the Cortes Generale loaded itself with progressives and liberals, Ferdinand suspended the constitution and ruled by decree. The liberals were powerless to stop Ferdinand. Even when they managed to break down the monarch in the 1820s, Ferdinand received French support to restore him to absolute power. As the 1830s rolled around, Ferdinand’s health began to fade. According to the Salic Laws of succession in Spain, Ferdinand’s younger brother, the Infante Carlos, would succeed Ferdinand as Carlos V. Ferdinand had a child, but the child was female, and disqualified from the line of succession. We begin our tale as Ferdinand lays dying on his bed, beside his wife. Liberals and Progressives may have their chance to take power when the absolutist Ferdinand dies, but with Carlos being a reactionary and a conservative, it seemed another absolutist would take power. However, Ferdinand and the liberal Cortes still have one more trick up their sleeve, the succession. Under Salic Law only men were able to inherit the throne. Ferdinand had only daughters, meaning the heir would be the next man in line, Carlos. His father, Carlos IV, had tried to decree this law removed, but failed in the process. While the law was decreed, it was not ratified. Ferdinand VII, with the backing of the Cortes, quickly ratified the Pragmatic Sanction in March of 1830. Carlos was effectively eliminated from inheriting the throne, leaving the young Isabel as heir to the throne. Carlos tried to pressure his brother and the Cortes into reintroducing Salic Law, but to no avail.

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(A portrait of Ferdinand VII)

It is September 1, 1833. This September would be a long one for the Kingdom of Spain...
 
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The Game is now officially open

Prince Carlos shall be played by @Riccardo93
Princess Isabel and Maria Cristina shall be played by @Maxwell500

By creating a character you agree to the rules and mechanics told above, and state that you have read and understand them.

I will give you a few days to get characters set up before plunging into the first big event.
 
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Don Alejo María Sastre y Díaz de Santa Ava, 13th Marquis of Viver, 7th Marquis of Solsona​

Date of Birth: 11th July, 1790
Occupation: Aristocrat, Officer

As a favour to influential Cardinal Manuel de Vivar y Sastre, Carlos I granted the County of Áger to his (illegitimate) son, Armand, and later granted the Marquisate of Viver to the same for services rendered. Subsequent generations of Sastres largely steered clear of court politics, instead choosing to invest their energy in acquiring and expanding their possessions within the colonies or serving in the military.

Born the second son of Manuel Alonso, the 12th Marquis Viver, Alejo María was brought up at court and entered the Royal Guards as a cadet aged 14. Shortly after, he was assigned to the Third Battalion stationed in Barcelona. He fought with distinction alongside his father in the Peninsular War. The war - and the lacklustre state of the Spanish Army - had a profound effect on the young man and has shaped his desire to cut the rot out of Spain.

The loss of the colonies deeply hurt the family's pride and, less importantly, their finances. Alejo saw their revolt as further evidence of a realm in need of a stronger morality, greater discipline and a return to former glory.

The Trienio Liberal was met by Alejo with a great deal of disapproval, not so much due to its aims, but because it originated in a mutiny, indeed a mutiny amongst soldiers poised for an expedition against the rebellious colonies. Such flagrant disregard for the pride of the empire could lead to nothing good. The fact that the liberals proceeded to treat His Majesty with a great deal of disrespect was the final straw and damned both them and their agenda in Alejo’s eyes. He thus viewed the repression that marked the succeeding decade as a disappointing necessity.

His elder brother had always been of a sickly disposition and died childless in 1821, thus when his father passed away in 1826 the family titles fell to Alejo.

The Marquis is:
An austere disciplinarian
A strong supporter of royal power
Averse to creature comforts
Fond of God
A sucker for a pretty face

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Álvar María (1819-1837) Count of Áger. Died in the battle of Bilbao.

Cassandra (b.1820) m. Don Isandro Durante, Duque de la Torre.

Antonio María (b.1824) Count of Áger, succeeded his father as Duke.

Manuel María (b.1829)

Viscount Oliola 1791-55
Count of Áger 1821-26
Marquis of Viver, Marquis of Solsona, Count of Riner, Viscount of Urtx 1826-55
Duke of Valencia 1839-55

HCM's First Secretary of State 1834-1851
HCM's Secretary for the Office of War 1834-55

Commander of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild 1855 (Cross 1843)
Knight of the Order of Santiago 1843
Knight of the Imperial Order of St Alexander Nevsky 1841 (Russia)
Knight of the Order of Saint Michael and the Wing 1845 (Portugal)
Military Valor Medal 1845 (Portugal)
War Cross 1845 (Portugal)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic 1855

Coronel 1823
General de Brigada 1828
General de División 1834
Teniente General 1839
General de Ejército 1843
Capitán-General 1855

Traits:
Background: Old School
Personality: Disciplined
 
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Name: Don Miguel Garcia Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 15th Duke of Alba (Spanish peerage) and 8th Duke of Berwick (Jacobite, Spanish and French peerage), Grandee of Spain 1st Class, etc
Date of birth: February 4, 1802
Background:
Don Miguel Fitz-James Stuart y Silva may have been very well called a person born near the steps of the Throne and being raised at the royal court. By his blood he belonged to high international nobility. By paternal side Miguel descended from the natural son of King James II of England, James FitzJames, who, being granted the Duchy of Berwick by his august father, found a long line of Jacobite aristocrats turned into loyal servants of the Spanish Kings. Through the maternal line he was the descendant of such famous Spanish families as Palafox, Olivares and, which was most important, Alvarez de Toledo, the illustrious house of the Dukes of Alba. After the main line died out, the Duchy of Alba passed to the Fitz-James line, making it even more prominent within the Spanish society.

Don Miguel was born in 1802, in Madrid. Soon after that his father, Don Jacobo, a Knight of the Golden Fleece, died, leaving his titles to the eldest brother of Miguel, Don Carlos. The boy, in meanwhile, was left to the care of tutors and spent most of his early childhood in a Jesuit-run school, where he has come to be known both for his academic successes - as well as a fiery temper and tendency to mischief. When he was only six, a turn in his life happened. Emperor Napoleon took over the country and transferred its two last hapless Monarchs, Charles IV (father) and Ferdinand VII (son) to Bayonne. The brother to Miguel, Duke Carlos of Alba, was among the close confidants of Ferdinand and, therefore, joined his small retinue in France. More than than, fearing to leave his small heir and relative in enemy-occupied Spain, he decided to take him to France with him. There the child has spent the next five years. Miguel acted as a page within the small group of courtiers that the exiled Kings were allowed to keep – and, as the chroniclers of that time said, the antics of the lively lad often entertained the sad potentates, strengthening the bonds between the Alba-Berwick Dukes and their masters. However, since Don Carlos, the elder brother of Miguel, was a worldy and practical man, he believed that the boy should finish his education and procured him a place in the military academy in Brienne, the one that Bonaparte himself has attended many years ago. After this it was planned that that Miguel was to join Ecole Politechnique – but then came 1813 and the restoration of King Ferdinand VII. Returning to Madrid together with his brother and the triumphant Ferdinand, Miguel at the age of sixteen entered the military service, becoming a sublieutenant within the Cuirassier Company of the Guarde Reale.

For a while the life of Don Miguel (known by one of his families subsidiary titles, the Marquess of Carpio) was very enjoyable. Parties, cards, dice, women – and simple values of duty, honor and obedience common for the army. He did not read newspapers, did not participate in debates or study some dusted manuscripts. The young man thought that the good monarchic and Christian order was restored forever, that the spirit of the Jacobins and revolutionary despots has been chased away – so why one should worry about politics?

The year of 1820 shocked the young officer, changing many of his views on life. General Rafael del Riego, a man who gave an oath to the King, raised arms against his Sovereign. Instead of leading the expedition against insurgents in Spanish America, the traitor started a rebellion, imprisoned Ferdinand VII and put a radical government into power. The Marquess of Carpio was, among a number of other loyalist officers, arrested – however, due to some bribes and a dagger he put into the throat of one of his wardens, managed to escape to France. The furious Spanish government demanded his extradition – however, King Louis XVIII of France refused their suggestion. Due to the patronage of the Count of Artois and certain sympathy of Louis XVIII himself, Don Miguel received a commission of a lieutenant within the Garde du Corps squadron of the French Royal Guard.

However, he has now discovered in himself a desire for more intellectual pursuits. He understood that a mind, not a sword, would be the main weapon against forces of radicalism in the coming century. He started to read much – devouring books on political economy, internal administration, law, especially concentrating on the works of rightist classicists such as Joseph de Maistre. He turned out be good with his pen and soon began writing articles for many royalist journals in France, such as Le Conservateur.

In 1823, however, the Stuart descendant has once again changed his pen for a sword, eagerly joining the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis, a French expedition lead by the Duke of Angouleme and sent by King Louis XVIII to restore the rule of Ferdinand XVII in Spain. As a captain of cavalry under Foissac-Latour, he participated in all major operations in Andalusia, especially distinguishing himself in the battle of Trocadero.

King Ferdinand VII was happy to see the youth among the saviors of the Crown – and made Miguel his aide-de-campe. Soon after that the Monarch has formed Voluntarios Realistas, an elite militia answering only to him and aimed at fighting the Spanish radicals and guarding his rule. The Marquess of Carpio for a while commanded a military squadron within this special formation. However, while always an enemy of the far left, Miguel was not a friend to rebellious reactionaries as well. When in 1827 30 000 rightist insurgents have risen against Ferdinand VII, Fitz-James Stuart promptly lead a dragoon regiment against them. While gradually receiving the honorary rank of the Colonel of the Royal Guard, Don Miguel moved to political offices, acting simultaniously as Deputy Minister of Grace and Justice and Deputy Grand Equerry to the King, often performing the duties of the liason between the bureaucracy and the Court. In 1833, after the death of his brother, Miguel inherited all familial titles and had to spend much time in his new manors to deal with certain financial problems. After returning to Madrid after that long absence, the newly minted Duke of Alba and Berwick found himself in the middle of the crisis caused by the installation of Pragmatic Sanction.

What can be said of Miguel as a man? To be brief, to his contemparies, he has been known for his inquisitive mind, firm loyalties and passionate nature. Not a person to take insults lightly, he has a reputation of a fearsome duelist, having killed a former Napoleonic officer in 1819 (pistols) and a radical ex-member of Cortes in 1827 (swords). each time receiving the royal pardon from the King. Starting to believe in the power of the press since his stay in France, Miguel, with the financial help of his brother, established a newspaper called the Cross and Crown which became in many ways the mouthpiece of the Catholic and monarchist establishment and has proved to be a fine writer. Never married, he had many dalliances with various woman of both high and low society. In his political views he is known to be very firmly loyal to the House of Bourbon and the monarchy and valuing order and unity of the country very highly . He also in private conversations identified himself as a moderate - also what does the Duke of Alba see as moderation is a matter of debate.

(Background Au Faut
Personality Uncommonly Young)
 
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Emilio Agustín Huerta, 2nd Count of León
El Segundo Conde de León

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Name: Emilio Agustín Huerta, 2nd Count of León
Date of Birth: 5 August, 1786 (age 52)
Occupation: Aristocrat, soldier
Trivia: Fluent in French and English; can hold conversation in Italian and German

Huerta was born on 5 August, 1786 to his father, Jorge Emilio Huerta, and his beloved wife, Isabel. He attended the University of Seville (Universidad de Sevilla), where he cultivated a love of history, astronomy, and the law. On top of his studies -- and the many books on military science, which he read about as often as he could -- he became a fervent supporter of the monarchy. This was only right, as his father had been granted his title of nobility after his contributions as an officer to the Spanish victory during the Siege of Pensacola in 1781 (again, in the War of the Pyrenees, his father would distinguish himself yet again while commanding a brigade of infantry; he was wounded in the Battle of San Lorenzo de la Muga and thereafter permanently retired from the military).

Fresh out of school in 1808, Huerta bore witness to the French invasion of Iberia. Hoping to put his knowledge of military science to use -- and to impress his aging father -- the young aristocrat joined the royal army and received a commission as a regimental officer. He performed without distinction -- but notably failing to show any cowardice or true ignorance of military maneuver -- and was soon, by the end of the year, rapidly transferred commands between infantry and cavalry units. He served under the command of the skilled Joaquín Blake before being briefly put on his general staff. When the situation began to seriously deteriorate, Huerta fled to Lisbon with many of his allies and colleagues. Attached to the Duke of Wellington's army, he first served as his only Spanish aide before being recognized by Wellesley for his skill at command (the Briton is claimed to have said, "Were it my choice alone I would put under him the whole of the Spanish Army,"). He was then placed in command of an infantry brigade and promoted to Brigadier. From then on until the end of the Peninsular War, Huerta served with far more distinction than he did previously, proving to be both a prudent attacker and an inspiring defender. His troops were regarded as some of the best Spanish troops that were a part of Wellington's Anglo-Iberian army during the entire conflict.

After the war, having distinguished himself thoroughly on the battlefield, Huerta retired from the army in 1817 the day after being promoted to Major General. His memories of the war were not entirely stricken with blind patriotism, however; he had a strong distaste for the liberalism that pervaded the Spanish rebels, and after the war took an even stronger distaste for the ideology. When the French sent the "Hundred Thousand Sons of St. Louis" into the country to put down Rafael del Riego's liberal usurpation, Huerta once again came back to command a small Spanish division, though his men did not see much action. He again retired as soon as the crisis ended. In 1826, his father died at the age of 74, passing his title down to his son.

Now, disgusted even further at the "pervasive erosion of the God-given privileges of the King", he has sided with the Carlists and the heir-presumptive. Now all that remains is for the war to take its course and for Huerta to enter the annals of Spanish history either as the era's Duke of Alba, or as her Benedict Arnold.

Lieutenant Colonel -- 1808
Colonel (skipped) -- 1809
Brigadier -- 1809
Major General -- 1817

Count of León (1826 -- ????)
Commander of Guerrillas (1834 -- 1839)
Duke of Soria (1839 -- ????)
Commander of the Army of Valencia (1839 -- ????)

Following the death of Ferdinand VII, the Conde de León threw in his lot with the pretender-king, Carlos. He immediately received a commission in the Carlist army as a major general in command of guerrilla forces. Huerta was the most experienced Carlist general in terms of field command experience at larger levels, though he was outranked by Tomás de Zumalacárregui, who was promoted by Carlos to the position of commander of all Carlist forces. Though strongly liked by many of his men, Huerta was looked down upon by some other generals -- and even a few of his subordinate officers -- for not having received any proper officer training. During the Carlist War, Huerta performed admirably in his position as comandante guerrilla, primarily harassing the enemy while on the march and seizing their munitions. He emerged from the war as a hero of the Carlist cause, further displaying his military skill. His ability to inspire his men and lead them in times of adversity and difficulty was especially noted. Shortly after the official coronation of Carlos V, Huerta was bestowed with the title of Duque de Soria (Duke of Soria), which became his primary title.

Background: Aristocrat (+5% morale, +5% organization, +10% experience)
Personality: Inspiring (+0.2 attack, +0.2 defense, +10% morale, +10% speed, +10% experience, +5% reliability)
 
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Infante Carlos de Borbón, Conde de Molina, heir-presumptive of Spain
Date of Birth: 29 March 1788, Palacio Real de Aranjuez, Madrid


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Born on 29 March 1788 at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez, Carlos spent the majority of his minority in Madrid. He grew into a firm absolutist, thoroughly convinced of the divine right of kings to rule as such, as well as a man of rigid orthodoxy in all matters religious, as well developing a deep personal piety. Following the battle of Somosierra in 1808, Napoleon compelled both Carlos’ father and elder brother to renounce their rights to the throne (Carlos himself refused his rights and duties as a potential heir to the throne, saying he "would rather die than to live without honour; I will not consent."); for the next six years, he and his brothers were imprisoned by the French invader at Valençay in France.

In 1814, Carlos and the rest of the Spanish royal family returned to Madrid. Some two years later, in September 1816, he married his niece Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal, daughter of King John VI of Portugal and Carlos' sister Carlota Joaquina. Francisca was also sister of the second wife of Carlos' brother, Ferdinand VII. With her, he had three sons:

Infante Carlos de Borbón y Braganza, the Count of Montemolin, born in 1818
Infante Juan de Borbón y Braganza, the Count of Montizón, born in 1822
Infante Fernando de Borbón y Braganza, born in 1824

As his brothers reign began in earnest, Carlos partook little in the government, save for a few formal offices; this was largely due to an antipathy towards his brother’s willingness to cede away the traditional powers of the monarch in lieu of placating liberals – most notably in signing a constitution. His life was threatened several times by extreme radicals during the “liberal triennium” at the dawn of the 1820s, though no attack was ever made on him. By this time, many conservatives were in favour of Carlos succeeding to the throne immediately to stem this tide of liberalism; Carlos himself refused any considerations of rebellion, swearing never to take up arms against his brother, by rights the legitimate king.

This filial fidelity was rewarded with treachery and blasphemy in May of 1830, when Fernando VII published the Pragmatic Sanction, fully challenging the long-held Salic succession of the Bourbons, and allowing daughters to succeed to the throne. It made no difference that the Cortes, a body of liberals and radicals who had aligned themselves to Napoleon and had permitted both the Armada to be quashed by the British, and enabled the Empire to crumble, had approved of the decree in 1789 (moreover, it was merely a ploy, illegal at best, by his royal mother and the pernicious and foolish minister Godoy, who through their iniquities and dark influencings of his father led to Spain's ruin during those fearful days). This betrayal of tradition, of the family law, and of his own brother was most grievous – yet Carlos would not rebel against his brother, even after his niece Isabel was born on the tenth of October, 1830. He merely stated that the succession was his by rights, and did little else; on his behalf, the 'apostólicos,' his wife, and her sister actively campaigned and intrigued.

Despite again and again proving his loyalty to the Crown, and to his brother, never once acting out of concert with the interests of Spain, Fernando de facto exiled Carlos from Spain in March of 1833 to Portugal, which was presently in the midst of a succession war. The following month, Fernando again insulted his brother, demanding he take an oath of allegiance to Isabel as the Princess of Asturias; Carlos respectfully but firmly refused, not out of personal desire, but out of his sense of duty. The throne was his right, and he would not shirk his duty as rightful heir to Fernando, nor his God-given responsibilities. Even in the months before that Fernando sought to hurt and undermine his brother, his lawful heir; he purged the military of good men, quashed the Royal Volunteers (men of deep devotion and loyalty to the Crown), and made many other cruel and heinous actions all out of spite and fear, weakening Spain all the more. Accusations of treason had been bandied about by the Liberals, and even the Bishop of Leon was arrested under spurious charges.

As September dawns on Spain, Fernando VII is in ill health, and many fear his death soon approaches; the roaches and vermin that had perverted him now swirl about his daughter, a child unfit for the throne, and wholly illegitimate for it. Carlos remained in Portugal, wary of the future.

 
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House Etxeto, C. 1400 - ?
Lord Barros Tomas Ximon Hortun y Llorente Etxeto, Conte de Vizcaya (1781 - 1864)
- Lord Tomas Hortun Bartolo Hortun y Llorente Etxeto, Marquis de Riojo (1799 - )
- - Senor
Luys Blas Ximon Hortun y Llorente Etxeto (1821 - )
- - Senor
Sancho Barros Tomas Hortun y Llorente Etxeto (1821 - )
Senor Tomas Luys Chorche Hortun y Llorente Etxeto (1787 - 1863)
- Senor Sancho Luys Bartolo Hortun y Llorente Etxeto (1826)
- Senor Ximon Tomas Arias Hortun y Llorente Etxeto (1830)
___

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Lord Barros T. X. H. y L. Etxeto, 15th Conte de Vizcaya


Date of Birth: 3 August, 1781
Date of Passing: 5 November, 1864
Religion: Catholic
Background: Born of the reclusive Etxeto family in the highland regions of the Pyrenees in 1781, Lord Barros was raised to be a true Etxeto clansman (as they're snidely called within the royal court). Aloof, pious, and reserved, Lord Barros had very little interest in the goings of the nation. However that was a family trait as his father, the 14th Conte, was noted by the court for fighting the French invaders in 1807 by closing the gates to his lands and welcoming the restitution of the Bourbons by reopening said gates some seven years later.

When his father passed in 1819, Lord Barros took control of the family and the lands, where he continued to follow the family legacy of ignoring all that came about. However, now that the Carlist War(s) are breaking out, he is placed in an awkward position. His lands are right on the border between the lands held by King Carlos and those held by the Regent of Queen Isabella. It's even more awkward by Barros' noted conservative beliefs, though he rarely if ever spoke of them.

All in all, it would be an interesting decade, which Barros mostly wishes to live out.

Titles:

  • Marquis de Riojo (1781 - 1819)
  • 15th Conte de Vizcaya (1819 - Present)
  • Caudillo d'Etxeto (1833 - 1839)
  • Undersecretary for Economic Affairs (1841 - 1845)
  • Secretary of State for Development (1845 - 1855)
  • Secretary of State for the Treasury (1855 - 1858)
  • Secretary of State for the Interior (1860 - 1864)

__

ICs of Import:

The Etxeto Family Pre-Carlism (1833)
In Response to the First Carlist War (1833)
Reaction and Response to Isabelline Secretariats (1833)
The Etxetos become Warlords (1833)
The Etxetos; Caudillos (1833)
Long Live Carlos V (1839)
Formation of Los Amarillos (1839)
Etxeto y Trumpo (1841)
Discontent; I (1845)
Discontent; II (1848)
 
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Name: Edwardo Enzo Andrews
Birth date: 1815 5th September.
Religion: Catholic
Upper class, Capitalist.
Political Ideology: Liberal

Background: Edwardo comes from a British family, with his Grandfather Michal moving to Spain as a young child. Ever since then his family have worked hard to help the Spanish crown, his family have a large shipping company that thrived due to the colonies and transported sugar and gold between the two continents. Though due to the rebellions in he Spanish colonies, Edwardo's family lost their business and all of their money.

Edwardo saved the family from destruction. By successfully changing his portion of the company from shipping from the new world, to more in line with the Philippines colony, right before the rebellion. He made no losses and actually made more profit, as Spanish businesses turned to the Philippines as the next opportunity for business.
But Edwardo is not satisfied with only this, he put plans in front of his family that would increase their wealth tenfold. With preparations in order to build a machine parts factory in Catalonia. With the plans under order, will Edwards family business succeed or will it be another countless failure in the hundreds of thousands.

Also Edwardo's views were unlike the majority of his peers. Unlike many of the upper class, he was a liberal. Not because he thought it was right, but because of the opportunity of destruction. Having seen the colonies free them selves from Spain's grasp, Edward was worried would the peasants mobilize and over throw the government, for a more free government, Will the french revolution be repeated. Instead of letting this happen, Edward using political force would try and force through change.
 
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Name: Duke Ezequiel Mauricio of Catalonia
Date of Birth: March 14, 1801
Background: Ezequiel was passed the title of Duke of Catalonia by his father, and his father before him. Ezequiel was born and raised in Barcelona, and was educated at one of the best schools in the country, he has military experience due to leading regiments in attempt to combat the rebellions in the empires overseas provinces, but to no avail.
Ezequiel is well travelled, having been to several uncivilized kingdoms in Asia and Africa, aswell as visting the great european powers, Great Britain and France
Ezequiel has two children, a daughter named Melita, a smart and talented girl, about to come of age, who has a act for speaking up when she should much rather be quiet, and a son named Juliano, heir apparent to his duchy, and aiming to follow in his fathers footsteps of a soldier. Sadly, Ezequiels' wife died as Juliano was born.

Ezequiels' political views are those for the people, and to respect the rights of the people. For this he is a liberal, he wished all citizens of the country to be equal in almost every way, even if it meant for him to lose power.
 
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Periko Urkijo Lazkao | Perico de Urquijo y Lazcano (Spanish)

Date of Birth: August 21st, 1796
Background:

Born at the village of Lazkao in Gipuzkoa, a Basque province, Urkijo's father was a prominent lawyer and aspiring writer, and his mother hailed from a wealthy founding family of the settlement. This allowed Urkijo to pursue his passion in higher learning, attending a Jesuit college. While he did not find the calling he sought in pursuing religious orders, he did however find a passion in writing, like his father before him. Taking up the practice of law, mainly to support his literary pursuits, Urkijo earned himself a reputation as being satisfactory, not a genius but capable, which in turn allowed him a nice income which he could squander away in his goal of becoming a novelist.

During the 1820's, Urkijo opted to leave Spain, himself wary of the liberals and the chaos they wrought. During this time, he visited Paris, Rome, and eventually settled down in Vienna until 1825. The memoirs of his journey are likely the most successful of his works thus far, mainly within the Basque Country itself, as the novelty of a Basque's perspective was welcomed warmly by local critics. Notably, Urkijo wrote in admiration of the conservative nature of the lands he visited, applauding the Austrian Empire for establishing what he considered to be a proper Catholic bulwark against the Moslem heathens and the Orthodox heretics.

Returning in 1826, Urkijo's works have turned decidedly more political, highly favoring the forces of autocracy, of traditional Basque rights, and of the forces of Carlism, in contrast to the liberalism, which he fears will spell the end of the Basque people.
 
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Name: Marcos Fulminante
Date of Birth: December 24, 1800
Background: The Fulminate family has its origins in the ancient city of Crunia, better known as A Coruña. Marcos, like his father, grand father and great grand father before him was a merchant who specialised in selling fine fresh fish.
Marcos is a patriotic liberal who would love to see the Spanish Empire restored.
 
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Name: Dieter Goicochea y Herrera
Date of Birth: 1810 2nd May
Soldier, Rank: Captain.
Background: Dieter was a strange case for a Basque, first his mother was from Madrid which provided him with a less dogmatic vision about the Purity of Basque culture and also maked him more open to new ideas. The other thing was that one of his uncles fought against Simon Bolivar in Nueva Granada, he told him the stories about the terrible fight and told him why the restored king Fernando VII was the only one to blame for the loss of the Colonies and thought him how to fight, providing him with the required martial formation.

He consider himself a liberal, but given all the things that happened the last 30 years, he believed it was necesary to have some kind of benevolent dictatorship that provided order and stability, as Rosseau once said. He believed that was the requirement for a more liberal and enlighted Spain to appear.

So there was he, a liberal living among the conservative basque comunity, that was also a Secret Carlist supporter and finally a spanish soldier who wanted to see his Country restored to his rightfull place among nation.
 
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Tomás de Zumalacárregui e Imaz (In Spanish)| Tomas Zumalakarregi Imatz (In Basque)

Date of Birth: 29 December 1788
Date of Death: 20th of May 1868 (79)
Background:

Zumalacárregui was born at Ormaiztegi in Gipúzkoa, a Basque province in Spain, on 29 December 1788. His father, Francisco Antonio de Zumalacárregui, was a lawyer who possessed some property, and the son was articled to a solicitor. When the Peninsular War began with a French invasion in 1808, he enlisted at Zaragoza and fought at the Battle of Tudela and both sieges of Zaragoza until he was taken prisoner in a sortie. He did however, manage to escape and reach his family in Navarre. He served for a short time under a minor guerilla leader.

As Zumalacárregui had no life for the disorganized guerilla life, he entered the 1st battalion of Gipúzkoa as an officer when the regular forces finally were reorganized in the north. He served in the army for the remainder of the war and he was made a captain. After the war he carefully studied the theory of war.

Tomás had no sympathy with the liberal ideas spreading in Spain he was quickly known as a Servil, a staunch royalist. When the Revolution of 1820 broke out, his brother officers who were liberals denounced him as a supporter of the royalist and he fled to France after he was suspected of recruiting soldiers for the rightful royalist cause. He returned in 1823 as officer of one of the royalist regiments which had been organized by the French government. He quickly raised through the ranks and became the military govenor of Ferrol, Galicia in 1832. He supports Infante Carlos, Count of Molina in the succesion to the Spanish throne.

Coat of Arms:
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Positions:
General de Ejército 1839 -1843
Capitán General de España 1843 - 1868
Titles:
Duque de la Victoria 1839 - 1868
Conde de Bilbao 1839 - 1868
Personal Standard:
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Children:
Antonio Carlos de Zumalacárregui e Imaz, Born 23rd of December 1840
Miquel Tomás de Zumalacárregui e Imaz, Born 11th of April 1847
Tomás Camila de Zumalacárregui e Imaz, Born 6th of Septemper 1852
Esther Maria Camila de Zumalacárregui e Imaz, Born 15th of July 1856
Orders:
Member of the Order of Charles III
Knight of the Order of Calatrava
Commander with Star and Grand Cruz of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild
Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Ferdinand
Medalha de Valor Militar
Medalha da Cruz de Guerra
Knight of Real Ordem Equestre e Militar de São Miguel da Ala
Knight of Order of Isabella the Catholic
Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Awarded posthumously)
 
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Name: Esmeralda, “La Esmeralda de Elche”

Date of Birth: 1 April 1818

Background: Esmeralda never knew her parents, for she was left on the doorstep of a convent as a small babe. The early years of her life were to be dedicated to quiet study, time spent learning to read Latin and in service to God. At least that were the nuns’ intentions. Esmeralda was a spirited child, and the task of reining her in was near impossible. She was frequently disciplined, but such punishment only strengthened her defiance. She snuck out of the convent frequently, exploring the streets and getting to know the locals, perhaps a bit too intimately. At the age of 13, she was caught fooling around with a local boy and cast out of the convent. Such a thing proved a blessing, for a pious life was not something meant for her. Esmeralda spent the next year living with various friends and acquaintances until she encountered the local procurer, a man specialized in arranging liaisons between prostitutes and customers. Esmeralda’s views on sex had not been influenced greatly by her time in the convent and she was not above using her body to make money. Now she serves as a prostitute in the city of Elche near Valencia. She has become renowned for her love-making skills, as well as her youth and beauty. Her reputation has spread outside Elche, and her procurer has gone to great ends to make sure every important man in Spain knows of the infamous Emerald of Elche.
 
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Name: Colonel Isandro Durante, 9th Marquis de Santa Maria de Silvela

Date of Birth: February 3rd 1800

Personality (used for in game general stats): Relentless

Background (used for in game general stats): Nationalist


Background:


The younger brother of the late Marquis de Santa Maria de Silvela, Isandro never expected to inherit the family estates or land. Aware of the likelihood of not inheriting, Isandro choose to start a career in the army during his early 20's, using his families name to acquire a commission as a lieutenant in the army. Upon getting his commission he was quickly deployed overseas to Peru during the height of the war in 1822. during the fighting he marked himself as a competent officer, though one not much liked by his men due to his highly aggressive demeanour and drive to always be on the offensive. These traits though were well liked by his superiors and through a combination of skill and pure luck he managed to climb to the rank of a major by the time Spain signed a treaty with the Peruvians. The defeat of Spain would leave a bitter taste in Isandros mouth, which was further worsened by news of his brothers death in duel back in Spain.


Isandro after inheriting his families estates and title would continue his career in the army, finding solace in keeping himself occupied. during peace however there was little opportunity to prove himself and his rise in the ranks was much slower, reaching the rank of Colonel by 1830. Events started moving very quickly come 1830 though, with Pragmatic Succession passing through the Cortez causing a split between those who Support Don Carlos the 'Carlist' and those who supported Isabella. Isandro however was indifferent to the outcome of who would be Monarch, having never really been a man to put much place into who finally calls the shots. What he was more interested however, was that he might be able to acquire prestige and rise through the ranks faster if he picked the right side. Giving him the needed influence to push for a Reconquista of the Americas. But to which side should he pick...
 
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Name: Don Artai Amaro de Soutomaior y Andrade, heir to the Marquesate of Pontevedra
Date of Birth: February 22nd, 1809

Born in the Soutomaior Castle overlooking the Galician coast, Don Artai is a representative of what is best in the noble stock of Galiza. His father, Don Enrique, had been a valiant defender of the homeland within the Spanish Empire, himself descended from the notorious Soutomaior family, once lords of Pontevedra. After the death of the most famous Soutomaior in history so far, the valiant knight Pedro Madruga, back in the 15th century, the family had fallen out of favour and lost most of its possessions and political power. However, pedigree is not lost. After four centuries of relative unimportance to politics in Galiza and Spain, the heir to the Soutomaior name, Don Enrique, had the glorious luck of attracting the sights of Doña Emanuelina, one of the daughters of Don Juan Martín de Andrade y Castro. Her own family had an even longer history than the Soutomaior one, with lordship over A Coruña and the countryside since around the 11th century. Unlike the Soutomaior, the Andrade family kept most of their power to that day, counting among their lineage numerous lords, military officers and the Galician patriot Pedro Fernández de Castro, Andrade e Portugal, the 7th count of Lemos. Upon revelation of Doña Emanuelina's desire to marry Don Enrique, a small crisis began in the Andrade family, considering the choice not very financially responsible. Due to the status of the Andrade family, however, the Junta de Galicia along with the Spanish Crown restituted to Don Enrique and the Soutomaior family the Soutomaior Castle and the lands adjacent to it, and the Marquesate of Pontevedra. Within a few years, Don Enrique had restored a share of his family's ancient wealth and had two sons with Doña Emanuelina, Artai and Brandán (born 1817), both named in honour of legendary Celtic lords who were among the first to establish a civilization in Galiza, by now famous and respected throughout the region.

Artai grew up in relative comfort, for his father had planned his education in order to continue the good history of the family, and prevent what had happened centuries earlier. He was educated in Latin, Greek and French, and upon reaching the age of 17 the young man decided to travel to Rome and Paris, to see for himself the glories of Christendom and the city which had populated his dreams since he was a child. Two years later, Artai came back to Pontevedra with much more knowledge and a desire to lead public life within Spain, upholding the everlasting ideals of Catholicism, traditionalism and local autonomy. He would find a break into the world of politics a few years later, in 1833, as tensions over the succession of the realm appeared, and Artai was called, along with his father, to attend the Cortes of the Kingdom of Galicia, where the matter of succession would be discussed, with Galiza's autonomy on the balance.