List of Courts

Below you will find descriptions of the courts which make up the world of Crowns. Visit the individual pages for more information.

## CHINESE EMPIRE

*RULED BY:* **MING DYNASTY**

the chinese empire finds itself in a tumultuous and formative era, one that has seen the longest stretch of political fragmentation in china’s history – resulting in the rise of powerful clans and a pervasive divide between the north and south. nonetheless, the ming dynasty is among the most resplendent in the east, and at the head of this enduring family sits emperor xizong. the emperor’s opening of the port city of quanzhou has provided an essential connection between the voyages of the west and east, and has brought riches in abundance unto his now outward-looking nation.

## EMIRATE OF CÓRDOBA

*RULED BY:* **HOUSE OF ALBARRACÍN**

iberia's former kingdoms were too busy squabbling amongst themselves to see the threat across the narrow sea; hisham al-barracín arrived on the peninsula to expand the songhai empire and proselytize. a fierce warrior and intellectual, he formed the emirate ten years after his first invasion. the capital is now a place of culture – travelers the world over behold its impressive institutions. having styled himself the first emir, hisham is a peaceful, benevolent ruler. still, he is vigilant should the peace be threatened. along with his ottoman ally, the emir seeks harmony with the christian kings and acceptance as the true ruler of cordoba.

## HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

*RULED BY:* **HOUSE OF HABSBURG-BABENBERG**

the title ‘holy roman emperor’ connotes ascendancy and evokes envy; it has been a hereditary claim within the austrian royal family for generations. the honour of defending the faith has been passed down from father to son and, yet, a woman now sits upon the throne. the empress apollonia dominated her marriage to the late-emperor. after his death, she refused to relinquish the crown. through her astuteness and alliance with the powerful von bargau family - as well as her late uncle's papal advocacy - apollonia has ruled for twenty years, advancing her relatives to various thrones throughout europe, including that of castile and croatia.

## ITALIAN LEAGUE

*RULED BY:* **VARIOUS HOUSES**

the italian league is a new and fragile development, born from overtures from the papal states as well as a confluence of financial and political incentives. naples seeks to stabilize itself as tensions rise with the king’s cousins; the sforzas, having acquired milan only years earlier, find themselves saddled with a unstable regency following the duke’s untimely demise; caught between the ravenous ottoman and holy roman empires, venice struggles to maintain its commercial dominance; meanwhile, the ever-ambitious medicis believe lasting peace will save the peninsula—and, more importantly, their influence over it—from succumbing to the great powers.

## KINGDOM OF CROATIA

*RULED BY:* **HOUSE OF COLONNA**

croatia was never meant to be autonomous, but when the late holy roman emperor yielded to plague, whispers of self - rule gained traction. a spark kindled into a flame over the years, and empress apollonia acted quickly to squash it. her machinations have proven partially successful: the prince of croatia is her italian-born brother, his dalmatian wife lends legitimacy and stability to his governorship, and even ottoman meddling is held at bay for the time being. croatia is no longer a powder keg ready to explode — though, a taste of autonomy combined with this particular leadership might yet ignite an inferno even the empress cannot control.

## KINGDOM OF ENGLAND

*RULED BY:* **HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET**

the plantagenets boasts two hundred tumultuous years upon england's throne. they have been at state of near constant war with the french over normandy and brittany, ever since the first plantagenet took the duke of normandy’s only child as his queen. with the current king’s reputation for ruthlessness, his pursuit of a peace treaty following the death of his first wife, and subsequently the loss of portugese support, surprised europe. his wife had not long been cold within westminster when king edward took his mistress, isabel of york, to be his wife and queen. this unpopular decision sparked rumours of witchcraft and murder. some say the most fervored distributor is the prince of wales himself.

## KINGDOM OF FRANCE

*RULED BY:* **HOUSE OF ANJOU**

famed for their sumptuous court, few escape paris as incorrupt. the house of anjou challenges this notion whilst stoking the flames of their notoriety. embodying their history of ancient papal ties, france's late king spent much of his tenure instituting monasteries alongside his wife; the plague took them within a week of each other. two figures emerged after the king’s death, diametrically opposed: the queen mother, long sequestered in a nunnery, and the king’s brother - the machiavellian prince of france, elected as regent over his adolescent nephew. the queen mother breathes life into religious fervor while the regent empties the pockets of europe's kings, expanding his own power.

## KINGDOM OF PORTUGAL

*RULED BY:* **HOUSE OF BRAGANZA**

splendor beyond compare, the portuguese court is a glittering epicenter of culture and religious fervor. the braganzas command their people's respect and adoration, an unwavering stream of reverence and patriotism. unlike their neighbors, portugal evolved with clemency, accepting the expanding rule of the moors. their king and consort are rumoured to be the century's great love, but their six daughters stand centre stage. each is unmarried, fervently coveted, and shackled with an extensive dowries. without a son to name crown prince, the eldest will inherit the kingdom. yet, king sebastião is circumspect in selecting worthy suitors, furthering the speculation surrounding their eligibility.

## OTTOMAN EMPIRE

*RULED BY:* **HOUSE OF OSMAN**

the ottoman empire's unfurling took europe by storm. after the plague, the sultanate emerged with alacrity and purpose, its unrivaled wealth stemming from a near monopoly on trade. the world witnessed sultan iskender’s expansion of his empire's size, power, and influence. numerous europeans accepted the sultan, seeking to profit whilst others attempted to impede his efforts. the sultan arrived in florence in a show of good faith, having been invited by the peacemaker pope. it is evident to the sultan that his true intention is expanding christendom with ottoman gold. his is nonetheless open to negotiating.

## PERSIAN EMPIRE

*RULED BY:* **SAFAVID DYNASTY**

shah mehdi mirza’s late father pieced together a united empire, exerting vast influence; his ambitions stretched in all directions, as evinced by his ill-fated but visionary portugeuse marriage. now, many fear mehdi’s aversion to governance will shatter his father's legacy. recently, he has taken a controversial step: sheltering the delhi sultanate’s deposed sultana and marrying her. with her imported advisors, the shabanu may rule where the shah has failed to. those long allegiant to the safavids, like the shah’s first wife and her illustrious family, fear that the shah means to squander what prosperity his father earned. recent events, however, may retire old hostilities and forge new alliances.

## SPANISH KINGDOMS

*RULED BY:* **TRASTÁMARA & ANSCARIDS**

the spanish kingdoms once spearheaded the renaissance movement, a glinting token of royal authority and catholic piety, yet only one remains: castile. the others, including aragon, were deposed at the end of the cordoban emirate's sword following triumphant conquests in 1444. the once king and queen were reduced to hereditary titles, the powerful and ambitious monarchs' likenesses all but erased from memory. observing as the dominos fell, the king of castile negotiated to keep his throne. thus, the castilian royal house of anscarids' resilience and wartime cunning is a marvel; however, the true nature of the king of castile's relationship with the emirate continues to unfold, leaving questions as to the motives behind their remarkable partnership.

## TSARDOM OF RUSSIA

*RULED BY:* **HOUSE OF RURIK**

the ruriks are the first nobles to preside over vast russia as tsars, and they do so with an iron fist and one clear aspiration: control theough wealth . by making advantageous movements across europe, they funnel their interests through their daughters and sons who have wed western rulers. yet, the rurik dynasty is said to live and die by the sword -- they seized the crown by force and, as a result, the tsarina is said to be as infertile as the lands of russia's distant borders. to boot, the tsar's people violently dissented to the tsarina's role in russia. they believe the french woman has allowed european ideals to flow through the tsar.