Crown of Alvallar

The Crown of Alvallar, also known as the Empire of Alvallar or just Alvallar, is a country in South-Western Moureve, located almost entirely within the Alvallar Peninsula. It is a rising power in geo-politics, on track to develop into a great power. It has placed most of the peninsula under it's control, along with sections of the adjacent Lagrafin Peninsula north of Alvallar. The country is a feudalistic empire currently ruled by Emperor Santxo Ximeno, Fifth of his name.   Post-Platinum Vallarsian history begins with the migration in the 2nd Era of the human tribe called the Vaigut, who originated from somewhere in Central Chotas. It is likely that there was an former Odaran colony that ruled the peninsula at this time, which was destroyed by the Vaigut and their 'Queen', Filima. The Vaigut rose to be the dominant tribe in the area, mingling with the remenants of the Odaran colony as well as the tribes native to Alvallar at the time who's names have been lost to history. The Vaigut created a country that is known as "The Vaigutic Kingdom" to scholars. The Vaigutic Kingdom developed many of the codes and laws used by the Crown of Alvallar to this day. However, the kingdom would not survive to the 3rd Era, as it would fragment under internal pressure as well as the arrival of a new player to the peninsula- Bardiyans.   In PP 660, under the military expertise of the great general Tarak Al-Jabal (Tarak the Mountain), an expeditionary force of Bardiyan soldiers and nobles sailed the treacherous ocean route from the deserts of Bardiya to "intervene" in a civil war that was occuring in the Vaigutic Kingdom at the time. However, the "intervention" was mere pretext for a conquest of a large swathe of Vaigutic territory. Unintentionally making the conquest easier, Theudemir, the Vaigutic Duke of Balansi, surrendered to Al-Jabal's forces almost immediately in order to try and preserve the lives of his people. Over the course of five years, Al-Jabal conquered the west, south and central regions of the peninsula, with the remaining Vaigutic nobles fleeing to the east and north. Al-Jabal divided the lands he had conquered among his noble allies, and gave his troops the right to settle within these lands. He decreed that the lands were to be distributed as "الحيازات الصغيرة" ("Alhiazat alsaghira"), or 'Small Holdings', better known by the portmanteau "Zathira", to ensure that no one noble would start off their peninsular ventures with a significant advantage. Al-Jabal declared himself to be Hajib of the newly-formed Al-Valyar Amirate (which would encompass the new holdings), Hajib being a title roughly equating to 'Steward' or 'Chamberlain'. Al-Jabal chose this title rather than just declaring himself Amir outright so he did not seem to be challenging the authority of the Bardiyan Sultans and Amirs back home who would object to such a power-grab. The name Al-Valyar was chosen as it was the Bardiyan word for the peninsula; likely originating from what the Vaigut called the peninsula, which was "Walar". Gradually, this morphed into the word Alvallar that we know today.   For generations, this new way of things continued in Alvallar. The Zathiras gradually acquired more autonomy as the Amirate and its authority over the Zathiras waned in power, a path begun by Al-Jabal's assassination in PP 693. Petty kingdoms sprung up in the North and East, led by descendants of the last Vaiguts along with the indigenous people of the region known as the Euskaln. The rulers of these eastern and northernly nations all shared the goal of bringing the peninsula back under their control, but for many years in-fighting between the rulers of the east and north ensured that this goal was an impossibility. This was also due to the traditional succession law employed the nations, which mandated partitioning a ruler's land among all of their children equally as an inheritance, making it difficult for any one noble family to hold power together within a nation due to their domains becoming fractured over time. Feudalism came to the North and East during the brief but influencial reign of the Kalamanian Empire for a spell in the early 4th Era, with the first ever true unification of the petty kingdoms coming at this time, under the Kingdom of 'South Calia'. This regime fell quickly after the Kalaman Dynasty splintered though, with the last Kalamanian king being overthrown by nobles of Alvallar and Vascone in PP 1040. However, the fate of the peninsula would be forever changed by the efforts of the noble House Ximeno.   By PP 1295, after a hard life of conquest, Ferdinand the Great, founder of House Ximeno (Hee-Men-O) united Northern and Eastern Alvallar under his personal rule, but died before he could win enough support to officially change the law of the land and designate a single heir. Thus, Fernando's conquests were spilt among his six children, with each getting one of Fernando's kingdoms. One of these children, Santxo II "The Robust" of Mena, (San-Ch-Oh) launched several aggressive military campaigns against his siblings almost the moment they all were bestowed their new monarchal titles, and was able to successfully unify the northern Alvallar kingdoms under his personal rule like his father by PP 1303. He began drafting up plans along with his loyalists to formally unite his territory into an Empire where one child would inherit everything upon succession to finally stop the instability, but before he could do this he was assassinated. However, as Santxo was still young, only around his early 30s when he was killed, he had only one heir that could inherit. As such, in a stroke of luck or perhaps divine intervention, there was no partition as his son, Santxo III, legally inherited everything at the age of 4, in PP 1304. Santxo III is better known by the title he established for himself- Emperor of Alvallar.   Emperor Santxo I- known by many nicknames like "The Father of Alvallar" and "The Magnificient"- and his reign of over 60 years (he spent around 30 years exculsively as king of "United Alvallar" before formally establishing the imperial Crown of Alvallar aka just the Empire of Alvallar) was a golden age approaching that of the Platinum People's greatness. Santxo's exceptional charisma, diplomatic skills, intelligence, tolerance, wisdom, sense of justice and kindness made him a world-wide legend, held up by humans, dwarves, elves and more as the best humanity had to offer. He was respected by both the lords of his own realm and the Zathira, showing exceptional tolerance and refusing to not deal with the Bardiyans the same way he would with any one else. He was such an accomplished intellectual and scholar that he could speak every language within his kingdom fluenty, and educated each one of his children personally. He attempted to bestow upon them the same ways of thinking that held Alvallar together under his watch. He also expanded his empire substantially, taking over many Zathira and relegating them to the west of Alvallar (though he granted certain protections for the Bardiyan and Bardiyan-desended populace of the Zathira, being praised by them for his evenhandedness). He also expanded his realms holdings outwith the Alvallar peninsula, moving the border up close to Calieux. His greatest feat was staving off the revolutionary wave of the time that affected dozens of other countries in Moureve alone.   However, getting a heir to follow up the masterful Emperor Santxo I proved to be no small feat. Keeping them alive was no small feat either, as proven when Santxo's first son, Fernandito, was killed in battle with forces from the Zathira of Safah. This lead to Santxo JR, the Emperor's second son, taking priority in the succession, as the law instituted by Emperor Santxo was that the oldest member of House Ximeno would inherit all. When Emperor Santxo I died in PP 1369, Santxo JR was crowned Emperor Santxo II. "The Successor" Santxo II ruled only for 6 years until PP 1375 when he was assassinated just like his grandfather King Ferdinand. According to the law, that meant that Wiegrich, Emperor Santxo's third son, would take over everything, much to the chagrin of many nobles who instead wanted Santxo II's son (Santxo I's Grandson), Paro, to become Emperor.   After almost 7 shaky years of rule by Wiegrich I, the anti-Wiegrich noble faction, called "The Dons", had enough. Duke Rodrigo Cavia III, leader of the Dons, presented a document containing all of the faction's demands of the Emperor. The document was known as "Las Demandes de Los Dons", and included a wide-reaching series of reforms and consessions that the individual faction members wanted to see, but that mainly consisted of lower taxes and increased autonomy. Wiegrich rejected the demands and thus a brief but deadly civil war broke out. The Alvallar Lord's Revolt, known by the common folk as "Los Dons Guerra", lasted between the Month of Forests, PP 1381, to the Month of Seas, PP 1383. Although the conflict was a short one, it was an important turning point in Vallarsian contemporary history which changed the face of the political landscape and affirmed the Emperor's supremacy over his subjects. The Dons lost, and any noble family which sided with them was either wiped out or banished in the remaining 20 years of Wiegrich's reign, known as the Tirania. Emperor Wiegrich I "Regladur" (Hard Ruler) ruled as an unfettered autocrat until his death in PP 1403.   Currently, Emperor "The Wrong" Santxo V rules the empire. The successor to Wiegrich in PP 1403 and grandson to Santxo I, Emperor Santxo III, was known as "The Kind" and loved by both peasant and noble alike; albeit after a decade or so of shaky rule as the Emperor contended with the issues that had gone unsolved during Wiegrich's rule. Santxo IV, grandson to Santxo III, became Emperor next in PP 1443, and was known somewhat affectionately for most of his 50+ year long reign as "The Strange" for his eclectic hobbies and tastes. He is most remembered for what happened right at the end of his reign, the so-called "Great Vallarsian Death March". Similar to Santxo I's succession, Santxo IV's firstborn and favoured son died, but in a much more dramatic fashion than the former Santxo. Santxo IV's son (also called Santxo) was murdered as the result of a long-standing feud between him and King Andres-Santxo of Sardis, a kinsman from another branch of House Ximeno. Upon hearing of his son's death, Santxo IV is said to have been driven to madness. On campaign overseas in Bardiya at the time, he ordered his increasingly tired army on a forced march around the settlements in the Bardiyan Deep Desert, far away from the coastal regions which had been long since secured for Alvallar. The few survivors of that mad, suicidal march always recount how the once stoic, brave yet reserved Emperor devolved into a savage killer who ordered so many Bardiyan settlements to be put to the sword. Santxo IV died on that campaign in PP 1498, and he was succeeded by his son's firstborn child, also named Santxo. Hence, the young one became Emperor Santxo V, and gained the nickname "The Wrong Santxo" due to it being his father that was supposed to be the fifth Santxo on the Vallarsian throne. True to that nickname, Santxo V has had issues all throughout his reign with legitimacy, as well as keeping his vassals under control. He is not much of a skilled diplomat like his ancestor Santxo I, nor a stern tyrannical warrior like Wiegrich I, nor a master of courtly intrigue like Santxos III and IV, as he was never really trained for ruling the Empire and was only taught how to be an effective administrator and steward. His succession is also questionable, as while his capable son Ordoño is the current Crown Prince, schemes abound among members of the Ximeno Dynasty to snatch the throne from under him. Arraca "the Sly" Ximeno, Queen of Safah, is a notable contender, believing that solving the problem's of the beleagured Crown require a noblewoman's touch.   Succession of the Imperial Crown of Alvallar, and its predecessor state the Kingdom of United Alvallar

1. King of Mena, Galbia, Suevor, Astura, Pampon and Zaragoz Ferdinand I Ximeno, called "The Great". United the kingdoms of northern and eastern Alvallar under personal rule for the first time since Vaigutic rule. Died of Illness PP 1296 before he could formally unite his kingdoms into one nation. Ruled his home kingdom of Galbia 1262-1296 PP (34 years). Ruled his personal union 1295-1296 PP (8 Months).
2. King of Mena Santxo II Ximeno, called "The Robust". Reunited his father Ferdinand's kingdoms under personal rule after his father's death forced the titles to be split amongst the Ximeno children. Santxo II also came very close to enacting his father's plan to unite the kingdoms, but was assassinated (potentially by his brother, King Alfonse VI of Galbia) in PP 1304. Ruled Mena 1296-1304 PP (8 Years). Ruled his personal union 1303-1304 PP (1 year).
3. Emperor of Alvallar, King of United Alvallar (Formerly Mena, Galbia, Suevor, Astura, Pampon and Zaragoz) Santxo I Ximeno, called "The Father of Alvallar" or "The Magnificent". Assumed his father's titles at age 4, United the kingdoms as per his father and grandfather's plans, and established the imperial Crown of Alvallar. Fostered a golden age of cultural acceptance, justice, intellectualism, and military expansion in Alvallar via his near-divine levels of negotiation skill and charisma. Died of old age in PP 1369. Ruled his personal union 1404-1419 PP (15 years). Ruled as King of United Alvallar 1319-1334 (15 years). Ruled as Emperor of Alvallar 1334-1369 PP (35 Years) (Overall, ruled 65 years).
4. Emperor of Alvallar Santxo II Ximeno, called "The Successor". Secondborn son of Santxo I, became Crown Prince after firstborn son Fernandito was killed in battle against the Zathira of Safah. Notable for the victories he won against Lagraaver rebels, and keeping the peace until PP 1374 when he began preperations for an invasion of Calieux. Was assassinated in PP 1375 before these plans could be seen through. Ruled as Emperor of Alvallar 1369-1375 PP (6 years).
5. Emperor of Alvallar Wiegrich I Ximeno, called "Regladur" (Hard Ruler). Brother of Santxo II and Santxo I's third son, his accession to the throne was disputed by supporters of Paro Ximeno (Santxo II's son) claim. For his first 7 years as Emperor, he was in conflict with The Dons faction who were opposed to his rule, the tension finally erupting into The Alvallar Lord's Revolt of PP 1381-1383. Though the revolt only lasted around 18 months, it would reshape the political landscape of Alvallar as every noble who supported the Dons was banished or executed following Wiegrich's victory in the conflict. The remaining years of rule are known as The Tirania (Tyranny), where Wiegrich ruled as an unchallengable autocrat. Noted for his arbitary, capricious nature, along with his martial prowess, famously wielding a large warhammer in battle and always commanding his armies himself. Died of old age in PP 1403. Ruled as Emperor of Alvallar 1375-1403 PP (28 years).
6. Emperor of Alvallar Santxo III Ximeno, called "The Kind" or "The Beloved". Grandson to Santxo I from another branch of the House, ascended to the throne already somewhat old (45). After the first decade of his rule was as Wiegrich's first years, successfully helped the nation to heal after the traumatic reign of Wiegrich and facilitated a decade of peace, being regarded by the general public lovingly as "The Nation's Grandfather". Died of old age in PP 1443 at the venerable age of 85. Ruled as Emperor of Alvallar 1403-1443 PP (40 years).
7. Emperor of Alvallar Santxo IV Ximeno, called "The Strange". Grandson to Santxo III, ascended to the throne without complaint. Second longest ruler in Vallarsian history, leading the nation for over 50 years through thick and thin. Known to have various eclectic hobbies, so was known as 'strange' in a affectionate manner. Mostly remembered in the modern mind for the so-called "Great Vallarsian Death March" right at the end of his reign. Recieving tidings of the murder of his son and heir Santxo while on campaign in Bardiya was said to have broken his mind, and the once stoic Emperor devolved into a savage killer out of grief by putting many Bardiyan settlements to the sword in rage and anger. Died of a heart attack on that campaign in PP 1498. Ruled as Emperor of Alvallar 1443-1498 PP.
8. Emperor of Alvallar Santxo V Ximeno, called "The Wrong"/"The Wrong Santxo". Grandson of Santxo IV, son of Santxo IV's deceased heir Santxo. Has struggled with legitimacy for his entire reign, as his nickname reflects. He is called The Wrong Santxo as it was supposed to be his father who ruled Alvallar as the fifth Emperor Santxo Ximeno. Reign has so far been chaotic, alternating between periods of peace and civil unrest. Heir-Apparent is his son, Infante Ordoño Ximeno. Rules as Emperor of Alvallar 1498-Present year (1531) PP.