Eternity RPC Board
09-27-2016, 06:47 PM
Alsace, New Galasia | Alvan, 1579
For twenty years, the Kingdom of New Galasia had been only one of the Near East region economies with the growth, even if structural problems remained - specially the increasing economic inequality between the western Drazen and eastern Eastmarch. However, the situation changed drastically at the beginning of the decade, when a financial crisis hit hard the New Galasian economy, bringing down most national banks and plunging the national economy into depression.
New Galasia economic crisis brought down Agravan Morgasius, the popular Prime Minister, who had been head of government for 18 years. Morgasius attempted to solve the economic crisis through reducing spending and introducting tax and finance economy, trying to stabilize the economy with the help of foreign, particular Angirisian, loans. But his attempts finally failed, and King Arcturus decided to dismiss the veteran Prime Minister. Several Prime Ministers and government followed, but they situation only worsened. High unemployment, hyperinflation, impoverished households, social unrest and violence seemed to bring the Kingdom to chaos. The introduction of austerity policies into the agriculture sector by the coalition government in 1576, only brought more problems, as the reduction of agriculture subsidies sent to poverty thousands of farmers, specially in the Eastern region, causing bad harvests and social unrest, and inciting ethnic and religious tensions.
The economic and political crisis threaten to turn into a royal one, as King Arcturus was in bad health. The King resisted to start a crown transition into the middle of political turmoil, but everything was prepared for Viceroy Arcturus Neretus to become monarch as soon the situation was calmer or his father's health deteriorated quickly. That day seemed to become quickly, as King Arcturus had developed emphysema and suffered another heart failure in late 1578, which worsened his health condition, still recovering from the bronchitis, pleurisy and pneumonia which sent him permanently to bed for several months. The Viceroy was informed that his father had lost the mobility of both legs, and he had developed in recent weeks both chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Preparations for the succession were hastened.
Viceroy Arcturus Neretus was only 38 years old but, despite the problems the Kingdom was facing, there was confidance in the country about his future as King of New Galasia. Arcturus Neretus had studied in Angiris and Mestra, he was said to speak fluenty six languages, and he was expected to be a prepared and modern-minded monarch unlike his father, who brought stability and order to the country, but often afraid of deep changes. Arcturus Neretus had been Viceroy for thirteen years, and although his record was not exactly excellent, he proved to be an efficient and reasonable ruler, respected by everyone who worked at his orders.
Being a ruler in Eastmarch, everyone admitted, it wasn't easy. The Western Drazen and the Easter Eastmarch were like two different worlds. Drazen was rich and developed, it had an advanced and modern economy -at least before the country was hit by severe financial severe turmoil-, while Eastmarch was poor and undeveloped, mostly an agrarian region outside the main cities Eastmarch and Nova Tarial. And although most of the population were ethnic Galasians, while 80% of the population in Drazen were Messanic, nearby 70% of the population in the Eastmarch were Akhadic followers. To the despair of the Galasian elite and the Ostrid Church, Akhadism was expanding in the country. While at early 1500s barely 20% of the population was Akhadic, that number reached 35% the previous year. Even in some provinces of Drazen the Akhadic faith was growing, mostly as consequence of the one million refugees from Wadiyah who established in New Galasia during and after the civil war in that country. Even in ethnic Galasian were converting to Akhadism in Eastmarch recently, attracted by charity programs funded by the Akhadic Society from abroad. Viceroy Arcturus Neretus enforced a new policy of secularization, banning private religious schools, but it had a limited effect and even put him at odds with the local leadership of the Ostrid Church.
Eastmarch, New Galasia | Zechyr, 1579
A month ago, King Arcturus suffered total renal failure. On Zechyr 2, he entered the Royal Clinical Hospital in Alsace on a permanent basis, without much hope but a recovery. His health deteriorated sharply in the coming days, however, and due to growing toxicity in his blood, he had periods of failing consciousness. Then it was decided that the plans should be hastened and on Zechy 12, through a four-month old recorded message, King Arcturus announced he was abdicating and Viceroy Arcturus Neretus was to be crowned as new King of New Galasia. The day of the crowning was announced to be on Septem 2.
On Zechyr 19, the Viceroy was informed that his father's health situation had stabilized, but that it was doubtful that we could live for another month. He told the doctors that it was not necessary to extend unnecessary his life, and prepared his sisters for the worse, even before the coronation death. Four days later, he was going to visit Eastmarch for his last official act as Viceroy for a military parade to commemorate the Peace of Candlemas.
On Zechyr 24, Viceroy Arcturus Neretus came to Eastmarch, and he was received by the Prime Minister of Eastmarch, Ectorius Garlotus. The moved by car to the places where the authorities were expected to preside over the military parade, in front of the building where Angirisian military officers surrender to New Galasian troops three centuries ago. Arcturus Neretus tried to smile and look calm, as for the public opinion his father's health wasn't supposed to be as dire as actually was. The military parade, more austere than in previous years, started without incidents.
Suddenly, one of the military trucks participating in the parade stopped in front the tribune. Arcturus Neretus, who was then talking with his sister Princess Lucana, didn't pay much attention. After all, they were protected by four layers of security and a dozen of bodyguards, and army parades are supposed to be safe due to ammunition-seizure rules, as he knew well as he served in the Legion, the elite force of the New Galasian military forces. Then, a soldier dismounted the truck and approached the tribune. He had clearly the rank of Lieutenant, Arcturus Neretus could recognize, and he was wearing the Legion's typical dark helmet on his left hand. The Viceroy stood to receive his salute, as he thought it was part of the parade. But suddenly the helmet fell to the floor, and it could be seen that the soldier had another two objects in his hand, which he manipulated quickly before throwing then to the tribune.
When Arcturus Neretus realized they were grenades, it was already too late. One of them hit him on his shoulder, diverting to the right. Before he could protect himself from the noise of the first explosion, he could see how a second grenade felt to his feet. The grenade exploded mutilating his feet and killing Princess Lucana. Another two men dismounted from the truck. They were armed and threw another three or four grenades, although only one of them really exploded. They started to open fire with their gun rifles, shooting toward the tribune and nearby crowd. Before the guards and nearby Legion soldiers could react, the terrorists had killed outright or hit fatally about a dozen of people, including Princess Lucana, the Deputy First Minister of Eastmarch, the Goldecian ambassador to New Galasia, a Mestran general, the Strathaen consul in Eastmarch, and the head of the Ostrid Church in New Galasia. Two of the attackers were killed, while a third one was wounded and immediately arrested.
Viceroy Arcturus Neretus, who received another wound in his neck, was immediately airlifted to the Eastmarch Military Hospital, where a team of doctors operated on him. He entered to the operating room almost clinically dead after losing so much blood, dying only a hour after he was taken to the hospital.
When the news came to Alsace, Prime Minister Pelleas Oberus couldn't believe. He called an urgent meeting with the leading members of his cabinet and the Chief Staff of the New Galasian Armed Forces. They informed Oberus that at the same time of the attack, an insurrection had been organized in the province of Kevir, along the Southern border with Ustyara. The terrorists had taken control of two small towns. The state of emergency was declared in all the Principality of Eastmarch and paratroopers from Alsace and Nova Tarial were mobilized to crush the rebellion.
When the death of Arcturus Neretus was announced by the government, the nation seemed to enter in shock. A day of mourning was declared by the government of New Galasia.
For twenty years, the Kingdom of New Galasia had been only one of the Near East region economies with the growth, even if structural problems remained - specially the increasing economic inequality between the western Drazen and eastern Eastmarch. However, the situation changed drastically at the beginning of the decade, when a financial crisis hit hard the New Galasian economy, bringing down most national banks and plunging the national economy into depression.
New Galasia economic crisis brought down Agravan Morgasius, the popular Prime Minister, who had been head of government for 18 years. Morgasius attempted to solve the economic crisis through reducing spending and introducting tax and finance economy, trying to stabilize the economy with the help of foreign, particular Angirisian, loans. But his attempts finally failed, and King Arcturus decided to dismiss the veteran Prime Minister. Several Prime Ministers and government followed, but they situation only worsened. High unemployment, hyperinflation, impoverished households, social unrest and violence seemed to bring the Kingdom to chaos. The introduction of austerity policies into the agriculture sector by the coalition government in 1576, only brought more problems, as the reduction of agriculture subsidies sent to poverty thousands of farmers, specially in the Eastern region, causing bad harvests and social unrest, and inciting ethnic and religious tensions.
The economic and political crisis threaten to turn into a royal one, as King Arcturus was in bad health. The King resisted to start a crown transition into the middle of political turmoil, but everything was prepared for Viceroy Arcturus Neretus to become monarch as soon the situation was calmer or his father's health deteriorated quickly. That day seemed to become quickly, as King Arcturus had developed emphysema and suffered another heart failure in late 1578, which worsened his health condition, still recovering from the bronchitis, pleurisy and pneumonia which sent him permanently to bed for several months. The Viceroy was informed that his father had lost the mobility of both legs, and he had developed in recent weeks both chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Preparations for the succession were hastened.
Viceroy Arcturus Neretus was only 38 years old but, despite the problems the Kingdom was facing, there was confidance in the country about his future as King of New Galasia. Arcturus Neretus had studied in Angiris and Mestra, he was said to speak fluenty six languages, and he was expected to be a prepared and modern-minded monarch unlike his father, who brought stability and order to the country, but often afraid of deep changes. Arcturus Neretus had been Viceroy for thirteen years, and although his record was not exactly excellent, he proved to be an efficient and reasonable ruler, respected by everyone who worked at his orders.
Being a ruler in Eastmarch, everyone admitted, it wasn't easy. The Western Drazen and the Easter Eastmarch were like two different worlds. Drazen was rich and developed, it had an advanced and modern economy -at least before the country was hit by severe financial severe turmoil-, while Eastmarch was poor and undeveloped, mostly an agrarian region outside the main cities Eastmarch and Nova Tarial. And although most of the population were ethnic Galasians, while 80% of the population in Drazen were Messanic, nearby 70% of the population in the Eastmarch were Akhadic followers. To the despair of the Galasian elite and the Ostrid Church, Akhadism was expanding in the country. While at early 1500s barely 20% of the population was Akhadic, that number reached 35% the previous year. Even in some provinces of Drazen the Akhadic faith was growing, mostly as consequence of the one million refugees from Wadiyah who established in New Galasia during and after the civil war in that country. Even in ethnic Galasian were converting to Akhadism in Eastmarch recently, attracted by charity programs funded by the Akhadic Society from abroad. Viceroy Arcturus Neretus enforced a new policy of secularization, banning private religious schools, but it had a limited effect and even put him at odds with the local leadership of the Ostrid Church.
Eastmarch, New Galasia | Zechyr, 1579
A month ago, King Arcturus suffered total renal failure. On Zechyr 2, he entered the Royal Clinical Hospital in Alsace on a permanent basis, without much hope but a recovery. His health deteriorated sharply in the coming days, however, and due to growing toxicity in his blood, he had periods of failing consciousness. Then it was decided that the plans should be hastened and on Zechy 12, through a four-month old recorded message, King Arcturus announced he was abdicating and Viceroy Arcturus Neretus was to be crowned as new King of New Galasia. The day of the crowning was announced to be on Septem 2.
On Zechyr 19, the Viceroy was informed that his father's health situation had stabilized, but that it was doubtful that we could live for another month. He told the doctors that it was not necessary to extend unnecessary his life, and prepared his sisters for the worse, even before the coronation death. Four days later, he was going to visit Eastmarch for his last official act as Viceroy for a military parade to commemorate the Peace of Candlemas.
On Zechyr 24, Viceroy Arcturus Neretus came to Eastmarch, and he was received by the Prime Minister of Eastmarch, Ectorius Garlotus. The moved by car to the places where the authorities were expected to preside over the military parade, in front of the building where Angirisian military officers surrender to New Galasian troops three centuries ago. Arcturus Neretus tried to smile and look calm, as for the public opinion his father's health wasn't supposed to be as dire as actually was. The military parade, more austere than in previous years, started without incidents.
Suddenly, one of the military trucks participating in the parade stopped in front the tribune. Arcturus Neretus, who was then talking with his sister Princess Lucana, didn't pay much attention. After all, they were protected by four layers of security and a dozen of bodyguards, and army parades are supposed to be safe due to ammunition-seizure rules, as he knew well as he served in the Legion, the elite force of the New Galasian military forces. Then, a soldier dismounted the truck and approached the tribune. He had clearly the rank of Lieutenant, Arcturus Neretus could recognize, and he was wearing the Legion's typical dark helmet on his left hand. The Viceroy stood to receive his salute, as he thought it was part of the parade. But suddenly the helmet fell to the floor, and it could be seen that the soldier had another two objects in his hand, which he manipulated quickly before throwing then to the tribune.
When Arcturus Neretus realized they were grenades, it was already too late. One of them hit him on his shoulder, diverting to the right. Before he could protect himself from the noise of the first explosion, he could see how a second grenade felt to his feet. The grenade exploded mutilating his feet and killing Princess Lucana. Another two men dismounted from the truck. They were armed and threw another three or four grenades, although only one of them really exploded. They started to open fire with their gun rifles, shooting toward the tribune and nearby crowd. Before the guards and nearby Legion soldiers could react, the terrorists had killed outright or hit fatally about a dozen of people, including Princess Lucana, the Deputy First Minister of Eastmarch, the Goldecian ambassador to New Galasia, a Mestran general, the Strathaen consul in Eastmarch, and the head of the Ostrid Church in New Galasia. Two of the attackers were killed, while a third one was wounded and immediately arrested.
Viceroy Arcturus Neretus, who received another wound in his neck, was immediately airlifted to the Eastmarch Military Hospital, where a team of doctors operated on him. He entered to the operating room almost clinically dead after losing so much blood, dying only a hour after he was taken to the hospital.
When the news came to Alsace, Prime Minister Pelleas Oberus couldn't believe. He called an urgent meeting with the leading members of his cabinet and the Chief Staff of the New Galasian Armed Forces. They informed Oberus that at the same time of the attack, an insurrection had been organized in the province of Kevir, along the Southern border with Ustyara. The terrorists had taken control of two small towns. The state of emergency was declared in all the Principality of Eastmarch and paratroopers from Alsace and Nova Tarial were mobilized to crush the rebellion.
When the death of Arcturus Neretus was announced by the government, the nation seemed to enter in shock. A day of mourning was declared by the government of New Galasia.