Kingdom of Lesovia

## Kingdom of LesoviaReino de Lesovio

Flag of the Kingdom, adopted in 1851

Coat of arms of the Kingdom

The **Kingdom of Lesovia** *(Reino de Lesovio)* was a Lesovian monarchy in southern Eredan that existed from 865 until its replacement by the First Republic of Lesovia in the 1915 Lesovian Revolution

## History

### House of Pavelo-Elzen

Lesovia was under the House of Pavelos until 1107, when Pedracus, Duke of Elzen, a military general of elven descent distantly related to the Pavelos dynasty deposed the child monarch Thomas II *(Tomás)* and usurped the throne, starting the 800 year long reign of the House of Pavelo-Elzen

### Beginnings (1107-1425)

* **Pedro I** ruled over Lesovia with an iron fist, purging those who refused to recognize his kingship as legitimate. He put down numerous rebellions and replaced purged nobles and clergy with his own followers, straining his relation with the Church. Many modern scholars refer to him as "Pedracus, Duke of Elzen" instead of "King Pedro I" to not recognize him as a legitimate King of Lesovia
* **Martin I** *(Martinho)* rehabilitated the victims of his father's purges, including Thomas II, and restored their titles. His reign ended when one of the nobles he rehabilitated was still loyal to the Pavelos dynasty and revolted. Martin was injured by an arrow in a battle and died of wound infection
* **Edward the Ruthless** *(Eduardo)* initiated another purge of the nobility and clergy after putting down the rebellion. He was paranoid and known as "the Ruthless". His advisors and generals feared for their own lives, and eventually rallied under his brother, Louis, who deposed Edward and usurped the throne
* **Louis I** *(Luís)* took the throne from his brother Edward in a bloody coup. He ended the purges and rehabilitated the victims, but did not restore their titles or fiefs, instead "generously granting" undeveloped frontier land to them and sent them far away from Lostana, essentially exiling them
* **Constantine II the Sainted** *(Constantino)* improved relations with the Church, restoring Church land that had been seized by Pedracus and Edward back to the Church. He was a patron of religion and the arts, beginning a "Golden Age" of Lespian culture
* **Henry III** *(Henrique)* negotiated with the Church for autonomy and the power to appoint his own bishops. The negotiations failed, but he did so anyway and was excommunicated by the Pope. Henry was deposed and usurped by his brother Pedro, Marquis of Alvencio, a loyal supporter of the Church
* **Pedro of Alvencio** restored relations with the Church and was a patron of religion and the arts. Lesovia would become a deeply devout country ever since, and to this day has yet to change
* **John of Alvencio** *(João)* was on the throne for 2 weeks before being killed by his cousin Louis in a coup
* **Louis II the Conquerer** *(Luís)* was the son of Henry III. He reclaimed his throne from his cousin John and illegitimatized his uncle and cousin as usurpers. After seizing the throne, he went on a campaign to conquer modern day Kastelona, capturing Madrisk and beginning the centuries-long Lespian rule over Kastelons. Lespian Supremacism in its earliest form is believed to have originated from this time. Louis planned for another campaign further east, but the Plague of 1403 broke out in the last years of his reign, and Louis himself caught the plague and died
* **Manuel I** launched numerous campaigns into modern day Kastelona Minor and southern Montel. The conquests nearly bankrupted the kingdom, and the country was plagued with numerous rebellions fighting against high taxes and conscription
* **Martin II** *(Martinho)* ended the wars of conquest and lowered taxes, offering amnesty to those who laid down arms and brutally crushing those who didn't. After crushing the rebellions, Lesovia entered an era of stability and peace, allowing the economy and agriculture to develop.

### Age of Exploration (1425-1701)

* **Afonso I** chartered an expedition into modern-day Krasnastan, Volastan and southern Carosthania. He prepared for a campaign to conquer the west, but a Toscanan invasion in the east forced him to return to Lesovia. He died on route back to Lostana
* **Manuel II** invested in shipyards and began the creation of a navy, which he used to colonize Gebril Island. The discovery of Merelaux by Airolians began the Age of Exploration. An expedition into Merelaux was chartered, but a Kastelon revolt in Kastelona Minor along with another Toscanan invasion forced the King to give up on plans for colonial expansion. Manuel crushed the Toscanan invaders just in time for an invasion by the Romai Empire of modern-day Montel. The Romai expedition was defeated, but no peace treaty would be signed until the reign of Pedro II
* **Louis III** *(Luís)* was king during the rise of the Lemetiate of Krenats. The Krenadites fought numerous wars against Lesovia, even pushing the border up to the walls of Madrisk with the support of Kastelon peasants. Louis personally led his army to Kastelona to fight against the Krenadites, but was defeated and captured by the Krenadites. He was imprisoned in Laansa and never returned to Lesovia
* **Henry IV** *(Henrique)* was the son of Louis III. He took the throne for himself after Louis was captured and imprisoned by the Krenadites, and refused to pay for Louis' ransom. He launched several campaigns against Krenats and pushed the border to the borders of the modern-day province of Kastelona, at the expense of the treasury. The Plague of 1490 broke out in the last years of Henry's reign, which he blamed on the Lashken for "poisoning the water". Henry himself died of the plague soon after
* **Pedro II the Diplomat** negotiated for a truce and diplomatic relations with the Krenadite lemetiate, as both states were weakened by constant warfare and the plague. He improved diplomatic relations with the Church and signed the Treaty of Fantano with Prithania in 1494. Pedro also signed the Treaty of Basilsk with the Romai Empire, establishing the modern eastern borders of Lesovia. Pedro's reign saw a period of peace and stability, but also increasing discrimination and persecution of the Lashken, whom Pedro and his predecessor blamed for the Plague of 1490
* **Manuel III the Explorer** had personally led expeditions to Merelaux before he was king. After he took the throne, he chartered numerous expeditions to Merelaux and Kalshei, leasing the island of Aogang in Cathei and beginning trade relations with Kanikawa. A small colony was established in western Merelaux, but it was abandoned by 1580
* **Afonso II** chartered an expedition to Helinska. The explorer sailed off the coast of modern-day Kokinos, but returned stating that Helinska was barren, useless and not worth the effort of colonizing. Afonso was a patron of religion and the arts as well, and built the Afonsine Cathedral in Lostana which stands to this day.
* **Constantine III the Conqueror** *(Constantino)* was king when the Lemetiate of Krenats had entered a period of decline and civil conflict. He took advantage of it and launched several successful campaigns into the lemetiate, pushing the border up to the outskirts of Laansa. The 1591 Siege of Laansa, Constantine's final campaign, failed and he was disgraced. Constantine did not get over the defeat, and died a few months later.
* **Louis IV** *(Luís)* conquered Laansa and annexed the Lemetiate in 1607. He established several ports on the coast of Volastan for an eventually conquest of the region, and set his sights to the distant ocean. Louis commissioned Admiral Hugo Enrico Marintas to launch an expedition into western Merelaux, establishing several colonies that would eventually become Marinta
* **Philip I** *(Filipe)* further expanded Marinta. After crushing the last remnants of the Krenadite lemetiate, along with several Krenadite and Kastelon revolts, he deported thousands of non-Lespians to Marinta. Marinta would serve as a prison colony and "disposal ground" for non-Lespians until the Marinta War almost 300 years later
* **Alexander I the Reinean** *(Alexandre)* was the grandson of Afonso II and lived most of his life in Reine prior to taking the throne. Philip I had died without any sons or brothers, and after months of discussions and negotiations, the House of Pavelo-Elzen chose Alexandre, Count of Rineto to be the King of Lesovia. Upon taking the throne, Alexander authorized the colonial garrison in Marinta to colonize Slobia. Though the invasion failed, it began the rivalry between Slobia and Marinta that would last to this day. After the failed invasion, Alexander set his sights back to Eredan and began the campaign to conquer the deep forests of Volastan.

### Early modern (1701-1848)

* **Philip II** *(Filipe)* was king when Karostain started to become a threat to Lesovia. He began establishing diplomatic relations with the distant Yugolski Empire, another rising star in eastern Eredan. Gebril Island was fully brought under the Lesovian crown under his reign, and Philip began setting his sights on another distant island - Regit.
* **Louis V** *(Luís)* was king when the Karostainian monarchs expanded into modern-day Siberoslavia and took the throne of Reine. However, unlike his predecessor, Louis did not sense the rising threat Karostain imposed, and rejected his advisors' call for a stern response against Karostain. Louis was found dead of unknown causes the day after a heated argument with his advisors over Karostain
* **Manuel IV** suffered from numerous illnesses, allowing his ministers and generals to act on their own. His reign saw diplomatic relations with Karostain and the Yugolski deteriorate over the island of Regit. The foreign minister, Baron Afonso of Vattirio, agreed to cede Gebril Island to Prithania in a secret treaty. The agreement was revealed and the Vattiro Scandal led to Afonso's replacement by António de Sevirife, who repealed the treaty. The Prithanians, who had made peace with Karostain and been granted free passage through the Legarinia Strait by Maria I of Karostain, sent Royal Marines to seize Gebril Island. The majority of the Lesovian navy was in the northern coast and couldn't defend the south. The navy attempted to raid the Isles Centralis, but were defeated by the Prithanian Royal Navy, ending Lesovia's naval ambitions and forcing de Sevirife to sign the Treaty of Pelay in 1764, officially ceding Gebril Island to Prithania. Manuel's cousin, Prince João Carlos launched a coup and purged Manuel's ministers, taking over the government as "Regent". He allegedly prevented doctors from seeing Manuel and sending him medication, and took the throne for himself after Manuel's death
* **John Charles** *(João Carlos)* was offered an alliance against the Yugolski by Konrad of Karostain, which he considered but was urged by his advisors to reject on the grounds that Karostain is a far more dangerous threat to Lesovia than the Yugolski. Konrad launched an invasion of Lesovia, and was defeated by the Lesovian army personally led by John Charles at the Battle of the Kattino Valley. A peace treaty was signed, establishing Lesovia's western border. John Charles' absolutist rule resembled that of a military dictatorship, and he suppressed the Enlightenment, such as thoughts of liberty, constitutionalism and nationalism, which had been allowed to spread freely during the reigns of Louis V and Manuel IV.
* **Pedro III the Benevolent** was an "enlightened despot" that ended the persecution of intellectuals and suppression of the Enlightenment under John Charles. To prevent the Krenadites and Krasna from siding with Karostain, Pedro promoted freedom of religion and speech, much to the dismay of the Church, clergy and conservative nobility. Pedro also attempted to cut the funding of the military, but died mysteriously in a "boat accident" before he could do so.
* **Afonso III** died of a plague that swept through southern Eredan in 1807, after only 3 months on the throne
* **Philip III** *(Philippe)* was officially renounced all claims to the island of Regit, and financed the rebuilding of the Lesovian navy, though it was only 1/10 the size of the Lesovian navy before 1760. Nonetheless, with his new navy, Philip III chartered several expeditions and diplomatic missions in Kalshei and Merelaux. Philip's reign was another period of stability and peace in Lesovia, and like Pedro III, Philip was tolerant of freedom of speech. However, this freedom of speech allowed the rise of Lespian Supremacism, which quickly took hold of the Lespian middle and upper class. The last few years of Philip's reign saw an increase of violence against ethnic and religious minorities, with the Krasna and Lashken being affected the hardest
* **Ferdinand** *(Fernando)* officially endorsed Lespian Supremacism. This state policy would last all the way until the end of the monarchy in 1915. Ferdinand intervened along with Montel against Karostainian interests in Kalshei. Lucian I of Karostain launched the March through Lesovia in retaliation, with his army almost reaching Laansa, but overstretched supply lines and poor weather led to the campaign being a disaster. Lucian was forced to retreat, but he had successfully destabilized Lesovia, with many Krasna, Krenadite and Kastelon peasants having collaborated with his army
* **Louis VI** *(Luís)* was the last absolute monarch of Lesovia. In the early years of his reign, Lucian II of Karostain had supported numerous Kastelon insurgencies that destabilized western Lesovia. In attempt to stabilize his kingdom, Louis empowered Lespian supremacist nobles to crush the Kastelon insurgents, allowing Lespian supremacists to gain more influence in the country. As the country's population continued increasing, many peasants began settling in Toscana et Ritsia where they were frequently attacked and raided by native Toscanans. In retaliation, Louis ordered the Toscanan Genocide which would last even after his death. In 1848, while Louis was on a visit to Alvencio, capital of the province of Lespia Proper, the Alvencio Revolution broke out and Louis accepted the revolutionaries' terms for a constitution and parliamentary elections. Lesovia drafted a constitution in 1849, and the first elections were held in 1850. Lesovia became a semi-constitutional monarchy in 1851.

### Constitution (1851-1915)

* **Louis VI** stayed as King of Lesovia until his death in 1872. Though the country became a parliamentary democracy, life for peasants barely changed. Power went from the Crown to the middle and upper class, the intellectuals and the nobility. They consisted almost entirely of Lespians, and as Lespian supremacism had spread among the middle and upper class of Lesovian society throughout the past century, the country became increasingly Lespian supremacist.
* **Thomas III** *(Tomás)* frequently used his constitutional powers to veto bills, dismiss and appoint ministers, and even threatened to dissolve parliament after the 1880 General Elections. In retaliation, Parliament forced him to abdicate the throne in favor of his son, Prince Constantino
* **Constantine IV the Martyr** was devoutly religious and sponsored the establishment of numerous schools and orphanages under the Church. Constantine was influentially against secularism and separation of Church and State, and helped the clergy gain appointed seats in parliament. He was assassinated by secularist republicans in 1898.
* **Pedro IV** was the last internationally recognized King of Lesovia. He inherited a destabilized and polarized Lesovia, and the Marinta War broke out on the day of his coronation. The 1915 General Elections saw the Republican-Socialist Coalition win the elections. After the results were announced, Pedro refused to appoint a socialist as Prime Minister, sending the country into a political crisis. Pedro died of a heart attack a few days later, starting the 1915 Lesovian Revolution
* **Alexander II** *(Alexandre)* was technically the last King of Lesovia. Under the royal laws of succession, he was technically King for 5 hours until the Republican-Socialists declared the abolition of the monarchy, and even after that, Alexander continued to claim the title of "King of Lesovia" and many counter-revolutionaries and monarchists continued to refer to him as "Alexander II"