Lenara

HIH Lenara II, Katóteri Aftokráteira of Hybretia, Empress of Gorathica & of Makriaudia, Queen of Taris, and Princess of the Isles, wass the monarch of the Imperial Union, and the last reigning Monarch of Hybretia from the House of Caestor, ending almost a millennium of rule. She was the daughter of Daelin I, founder of the Hybro-Gorathic Empire, and Éimí De Róiste, the deceased Queen Consort, the aunt of King Caoifhlinn De Róiste. She took power after deposing her brother, Basilean, in late 262. She abdicated in 318, aged 74 in favor of her grandson, Basilean IV & II, following a tradition inspired by her Father's role as Anóteros Aftokatoras. 
Lenara's reign was considered tumultuous but stable. She modernized the country and demilitarized heavily, as well as began large scale settlement of permanent continental cities on Galatia and in Taris, which was widely cleared and burned down in favor of new cities as New Hybris became overcrowded. In 300 the capital of the Union moved to Ephesus. Lenara was credited with expanding democracy in the Union. The eight years of economic depression in 270-278, and the Union's switching sides in the Great War damaged her popularity in her early reign, but a rebounding economy and more consistent foreign policy recouped her image. The Great Scuffle eventually led to her decision to abdicate. 
Lenara's retirement saw her take on a role similar to her father and Aunt Mila. 
== Early Life ==
Lenara was born at sea during the Gorathic Sweating Sickness outbreak in late 244. Less then a week old, she was involved with a diplomatic crisis on the HWS Arthurous.
Lenara took a great interest in science and technology as a child and frequented Electra Voltanicus's Royal Science academy. When her brother was betrothed to Charlotte, Princess Imperial of Kordowyn, she became second in line for the throne after her brother Basilean. Basilean often tormented his brother and their younger sister, Arisinia, but stopped trying to torment Lenara after she attacked him with a spoon for destroying Arisinia's dolls.
When her eldest brother seized the throne in 260, the 16 year old Princess grabbed her sister and evacuated to Kordowyn with her father's Royal Guardsmen and close family 'friend' Drakon Kalkhas. Shortly after she headed to Sidonia, where she was betrothed to marry Alerax Hamerian, Prince of Barstol, younger brother of Alder Hamerian. At the age of 17, over a year and half after her brother overthrew her father at the Battle of Taris, she declared herself Empress with backing from her fiance's brother and his wife, and her cousin Caoifhlinn De Róiste.
== War of the Hybretian Succession ==
Lenara declared herself Aftokrateria of the Imperial Union in mid June, 262, shortly after the beginning of the Gorathic Revolt. She was quickly declared Empress of Gorathica by the government in Ephesus, morphing the rebellion into the War of the Hybretian Succession.
Lenara landed in Trans-Arassia in early July with a massive Sidonian army at her back, and quickly marched into northern Gorathica where her numbers grew significantly. As back and forth fighting between the Royalists and the Rebels continued around New Viserothis, Ephesus, and in the north, Lenara focused on expelling her brother's forces from strategic points in the midlands and securing most of the Clan territories. 
Lenara captured New Viserothis by mid July, where a large number of Hybretian soldiers were slaughtered by angry Gorathic soldiers and civilians. The slaughter caused panic in the Royalist held capital of Ephesus, and skirmishes between several vessels of the Union Navy caused additional stress. On July 28th, 262, a protest morphed into a riot and a massacre, known as the Slaughter of the Steps.
In early August the Novacians attempted to assassinate Emperor Basilean. They were caught, sparking the brief Hybro-Novacian War. Setacolina withdraw their support for Basilean and began supplying Lenara with surplus weapons. Riots and rebellions swept Ephesus for nearly a week before Lenara triumphantly marched into the city, hailed as a liberator.
== Early Reign: Consolidating Power ==
Her fiance demanded she abdicate and come live with him in Sidonia in late 262, to which she told him to move to New Hybris or the engagement would be broken. To the annoyance of the Sidonian government, he refused, and she broke off the betrothal.
Lenara quickly wrestled control of the government away from her father and reinstated the Koinovoulio, as well as aiding the Kolanski in defeating the Dalovsk Rebellion. She began decentralizing the Royal Telegraph Network and slashed the military budget in favor of infrastructure and technology. Lenara's reforms of the Government and military were met with massive backlash, and protests against her reign were rampant through mid 263. Kordynian soldiers lined the streets of New Hybris until January 264, when anti-Lenara sentiments settled. 
In 263, Lenara suggested her sister, Arisinia, take the throne of the Second Kingdom of Varsais after the Assembly there voted to invite a foreign ruling family to take the throne. This decision greatly helped her regain popularity domestically, though she continued to be very popular in the other parts of the Empire. 
Lenara oversaw Hybretian involvement in the Abadaran Rebellions, and as a result of the excellent perfomance of the Gretian army, entered into the Quintuple Alliance. Hybretian vessels and soldiers aided in the Fung Trade War, and gained the islands of Nan'ao and Dongshan from the war. This new acquisition of territory was very popular.
She began courting Bhekifa Mnqobi of the Mazuzi in 265, and they married in 266 to the shock of conservatives in the government. When she became pregnant, she suffered a miscarriage after being pushed down the stairs by conservative elements of the Government. The Eurylochos Affair shocked the nation, and the Empress became extremely popular following the tragedy. 
== Empire at War & Economic Boom ==
In February 266, the assassination of Emperor Alder Hamerian lead to the outbreak of the Second Great War, much to the dismay of the Hybretian government. Hybretian vessels served in the invasion of County Fethard, and the blockade of the Confederation of Garman. Hybro-Kolanski involvement was mostly limited to fighting the Rigdenship of Pandora. Following a scandal in which Kolanski Prime Minister Vlasily II Mrediysav and Basilean, who had been assigned rudimentary state tasks, shot the Pandrosi Ambassador and forged a treaty, Hybretia rapidly sought to end their involvement in the war. Despite a treaty being reached with Pandora, Hybretia honored their treaty with Gretia-Sidonia and supported the Invasion of Garman, before withdrawing after the Gretians declared the Kingdom of Naomh Dubhí.
Economic decentralization and the beginnings of a free market created the Hybretian Royal Stock Exchange, which lead to the Hybretian economy booming. Continued advances in electronic and consumer good production, and disruptions in the markets of major competitors such as the Lirrachans, Novacians, and Gretian economies also bolstered the Union economy. Shortly after exiting the war, Hybretian engineers at the Aftokínito Motors Corporation created the Aeropláno Éna, leading to the formation of the Aeronaftikí Kataskevastikí Etaireía.
As the war progressed, Lenara found her father increasingly frustrated with his sidelined duties, and he lead a group of mercenary volunteers to aide the war against the Gretians. In 270, the elections lead to her cousin, Veltran of Caestor-Volinas, being elected Prime Minister, and Hybretia entered the war. Shortly after, the Hybretian economy collapsed.
== Imperial Depression and Middle Reign ==
The depression devastated the decades of industrial progress within the Imperial Union. Diplomatically poisoned by the flip-flopping in the war, Lenara struggled to find willing or able partners to salvage the economy. Lenara was also faced by an inflexible and hostile military high-command. In 273 the Union launched its first dreadnought, the HWS Ενωση. The mass expense of constructing and maintaining the vessel, as well as the overwhelmingly negative reaction from the people allowed Lenara to dismantle to the Union's cultural obsession with the military. Wide spread reforms modernized the nation and put a new emphasis not on service to the military, but in service as a citizen of the Union.
The demilitarization was not complete, and the Union maintains a uselessly large army and navy. The economy began to recover by 278, and 283 was the first year since 270 to see the Hybretian economy increase in productivity. The Imperial Union also improved relations with foreign powers significantly by this time, solidifying good relations with Kolangrad and Kygon.
== Young Hybretians and Calls for further reform ==
The early 280s saw widespread protests begin as the new government began to repeal some depression era legislation, attempting to re-invigorate the military state. In 286, soldiers fired into a crowd of student protesters at Emperor Daelin I University. Lenara issued a horrified condemnation of the attack over radio, and many foreign countries threatened sanctions against the Union. In the aftermath, student protestors organized into the Young Hybretia movement, leading to several years of deep political strife.
In 290 there was a crop failure in Gorathica. The military was slow to and reluctant to supply the region, delaying and halting shipments. A food riot broke out in Ephesus and another slightly after in New Viserothis. The Government responded with a heavy hand, enflaming the Young Hybretians and their Young Goraths counterparts. Lenara attempted to force the government to act but in response was officially censured. 
294 saw a massive defeat for the government at the hands of the Union Social Alliance, the political arm of the Young movements. The movement began to succesfully gain public support, and reduce the influence of the military once again. The movement began to fall apart by 300 however, as the nationalist wings of the Alliance began to chafe, and the fractured party fell apart, allowing the Conservative Moderates to regain majority.
== Crisis of the 300s ==