Other Rulers

Louis I (lived 1593-1665; ruled 1602-1665)

Jaslandia's longest-serving monarch, Louis I ascended to the throne at the age of 9. Until Louis was 22, the country was ruled by his mother, Mary of Partrica, and Cardinal Malomo as Co-Regents. When Malomo died in 1615, Louis assumed personal control of the Kingdom. Louis's first act as king was to construct a palace for his favorite mistress, Madame du Pontour. That palace would later become the Jaslandian Parliament building.

Louis was a cunning strategist, and was able to capture several cites from the Holy Granian Empire. Louis's other main accomplishment was to greatly expand Jaslandia's colonial empire. Louis was also a shrewd diplomat, concluding a alliance with Jaslandia's longtime rival the Holy Granian Empire after the cessation of hostilities (the alliance was short lived, lasting from 1661-1665).

By the time Louis died in 1665, he was tremendously popular. To this day, he is seen as "The Perfect King."

Louis II (lived 1642-1694; ruled 1665-1671)

Grandson of Louis I, Louis II assumed the throne in 1665, and quickly gained a tyrannical reputation. He went to war against the Holy Granian Empire, and when the war effort failed and resulted in Jaslandia losing cities, Louis enacted various measures to reduce civil liberties. When Parliament tried to end Louis II's crack-down on rights, the King dissolved Parliament indefinitely. The furious Members of Parliament then declared war on the King.

After a 6-years long war, Louis II fled to the Republic of Vancia, and Parliament declared Louis's uncle King Charles II. The former King Louis II lived in obscurity in Vancia until dying of pneumonia in 1694.

Franklin IV (lived 1709-1754; ruled 1750-1754)

Known as "Franklin the Mad," he enacted several ridiculous and pointless decrees, but his insanity not only prevented him from realizing the laws' silliness, but made him think the laws improved the country tremendously. While most of the decrees were poorly enforced and had no effect, a few were enforced and crippled the nation's economy.

Franklin IV was assassinated by a disgruntled shopkeeper in 1754, and his brother Lawrence was declared King. The first thing Lawrence I did as King was to repeal most of Franklin's laws.

Isabella I (lived 1380-1461; ruled 1433-1461)

Queen Isabella, Jaslandia's second female ruler, is best known for three things: For being the last Catholic monarch, for being a social reformer ahead of her time, and for founding Jaslandia's colonial empire. Isabella was the only child of King Peter II. Isabella assumed the throne at age 28, and immediately declared her husband George co-ruler.

In 1443, merchant Charles Colombo offered to sail west and claim any land he discovered for Jaslandia, on the condition that Isabella and George finance the journey. Isabella reluctantly agreed. There were three goals: convert the natives, exploit natural resources, and gain Jaslandia respect in the scientific community by discovering new lands and measuring the Earth's size. Colombo discovered many new lands, and claimed them all for Jaslandia. In 1445, Isabella started colonizing the new lands.

1445 was also the year Isabella launched her ambitious social reform program. Among the reforms were legalization of divorce, allowing women to own property, and mandating that all children living in orphanages must be safe and fed.

Isabella was a pious person. Ironically, the Protestant Reformation, which started in the Holy Granian Empire in 1446, quickly took hold in Jaslandia. Some of her own children were among the first converts. When Isabella died in 1461, her son Peter declared Lutheranism the new state religion, replacing Catholicism.

Robert III (lived 1796-1859; ruled 1833-1859)

Robert III was the last ruler of a unified Jaslandia until Michael II in 2013. Robert III had no real opinions, and it was often said his mistresses were the real rulers of the country.

During Robert's reign, the Kingdom slowly collapsed. First, the colonies were lost. By 1834, the Independence movements in the colonies were strong and popular enough to conduct war against Jaslandia. Due to Robert III's indecisiveness, and his mistresses squabbling over a course of action, the Military was unable respond in time, and the Independence movement succeeded with minimal bloodshed.

Robert III had no children by his wife, Queen Maria, but fathered several children through his many mistresses. Aware his lack of heirs would result in a succession crisis, Robert gave his illegitimate children land and money in exchange for a promise not to claim the throne. Surprisingly, all of them kept the promise.

When Robert III died in 1859. each of the seven provinces proposed a different candidate for the throne. After a meeting in Franklin City failed to chose a candidate, outright civil war erupted. The war would continue on-and-off for over 150 years, until the Kingdom was reunified under King Michael II of Falu in 2013.

Alexander III (lived 30 BC-45 AD; ruled 1 BC-45 AD)

Alexander III was one of the most important monarchs in Jaslandian history. Coming to the throne in 1 BC, he immediately started work on projects meant to transition his people to a sedentary, farming-based lifestyle.

In 2 AD, Delios, capital of the Deban Empire, fell to barbarians from the north. The other Deban provinces were suddenly leaderless, and many nearby rulers rushed to fill the void. Alexander III was among them, occupying the southern portion of Deba and receiving a hero's welcome.

In 3 AD, Alexander III issued a formal diplomatic statement declaring his people were now a sedentary and "civilized" folk. Alexander III spent the rest of his life setting up the necessary components of a "civilized" society: a currency, new roads, new bridges, new farms, embassies, and advanced structures like aqueducts.

Alexander III died in 45 AD, and was deeply mourned by his people.

Edward I (lived 1562-1602; ruled 1577-1602)

Known as "Edward the Bold," King Edward presided over a Golden Age in Jaslandian history that would last until 1665. Taking the throne at the age of 15, Edward convinced Parliament to let him rule without a regent.

Edward was one of Jaslandia's greatest patron of the arts. He commissioned numerous paintings, sculptures, buildings, and music. Creative minds flocked to the capital of Michaelopolis and often found great success.

Despite Edward's love of the arts, he was also a great warrior. Edward's dream to expand deep into the desert, combined with his fierce rivalry with Sultan Ahmad Ishmael al-Rashid of Kasbahan, made that country the target of several Jaslandian invasions. While the Sultan managed to repel every invasion in the long run, the many pitched battles turned Edward into a war hero. His death would bring him even greater fame.

In 1602, Edward yet again declared war on Kasbahan. The King's old rival, Sultan Ahmad al-Rashid, had died, and civil war broke out in Kabahan between the two rival claimants to the throne: Mustafa al-Malik, who was pro-Jaslandian; and the anti-Jaslandian Muhammad al-Aziz, who had the support of the army and nobility of Kasbahan. At the Battle of Marafech, Edward's Jaslandian army, together with an army of al-Malik supporters, fought against the Kasbahanian army led by al-Aziz. In the end, both King Edward and Mustafa al-Malik lay dead, and Muhammad al-Aziz marched into Marafech triumphant, declaring himself Sultan.

Edward's death turned him into a national hero, and this image was enhanced due to the political corruption and cronyism during the minority of Edward's son, Louis I. When Louis I came of age, he declared his father a martyr. To this day, some Fundamentalist Christian sects believe that Edward was actually prophet, who will return someday to save Jaslandia from danger, restore "moral purity," and prepare for the second coming of Jesus.

Sophia I (lived 1753-1833; ruled 1783-1833)

Known as "Sophia the Glorious," Queen Sophia presided over Jaslandia's last Golden Age until after the Civil War. Under Sophia, the nation grew fabulously wealthy from trade, the colonies were exceptionally profitable, and prosperity was widespread.

Sophia was the only child of King Lawrence I. When he died in 1783, Sophia assumed the throne at age 30. She quickly chose competent ministers that aided her greatly. Under Sophia, reforms were enacted that greatly enhanced international trade, particularly with the colonies, and wealth poured in. Other reforms increased productivity and immigration to the colonies. However, the centralization of power and the loss of the colonies' autonomy is credited as being one of the reasons the Independence movement were able to get strong support during the latter part of Sophia's reign. Sophia's reform in the colonies also caused another problem: the reforms allowed factory and plantation owners, most of whom were born in Jaslandia itself, to pay very low wages, which fueled resentment against both the central government in Michaelopolis, and the colonial citizens born in Jaslandia.

Sophia used the profits from trade and colonies to buy back the cities lost during the reign of Louis II. Not surprisingly, there was popular resistance in the cities at first due to a few generations living under the Holy Granian Empire; however, Sophia crushed the rebellions with brutal efficiency.

Sophia died in 1833, and her inept son Robert succeeded to the throne. In light of Robert's dismal failures, especially the loss of the colonies and the outbreak of Civil War due to his lack of legitimate heirs, Sophia was viewed as one of Jaslandia's greatest monarchs. However, modern historians have pointed out that Sophia killed many civilians in suppressing rebellions, and some of her actions directly caused the colonies' eventual independence. Still, Sophia is highly regarded among present-day Jaslandians.

Lawrence I (lived 1717-1783; ruled 1754-1783)

The fifth son of King Peter VI, the future Lawrence I was originally unlikely to be King. However, several unexpected events led to Lawrence's ascension.

Lawrence was a bookish, intellectual child. Unlike his older brothers, Lawrence never had to worry about training for the throne, but read several treatises on governing anyway. It was expected that Prince Lawrence, while never being able to rule, would be an able advisor to the real future king, Crown Prince Franklin. Since the future Franklin IV had a severe mental illness, it was thought Lawrence could possibly serve as regent during Franklin's rule.

In 1747, King Peter's second son, Charles, died after being accidentally shot during a hunting trip with friends. The next year, fourth son Alexander died of typhus. Finally, in October of 1750, Prince Peter, third son of the King, died at the Battle of Gramato against the Holy Granian Empire. The loss devastated the King, who died two months later and was succeeded by Crown Prince Franklin.

Franklin's short 4 years of rule were miserable. Franklin's supporters convinced Parliament to let Franklin rule without a regent, and the results were disastrous. The economy plunged, and citizens begged for new leadership. They got their wish after King Franklin IV was assassinated in April, 1754.

Lawrence I came to the throne, and immediately got to work. First, he strengthened the economy by repealing almost all of his brother's laws. He also eliminated the serfdom system that tied peasants to their land, ensured Education got a large amount of funding, and weakened the church's role in matters of state.

Under Lawrence, a period called the Jaslandian Enlightenment began. Philosophers and scientists disproved many superstitions, and created new theories and inventions. Lawrence himself was among those Enlightenment figures. He wrote a treatise on how to rule justly, and he read all the major writers of the era. Like many thinkers of the period, Lawrence was skeptical of religion, saying man was being worshipped instead of God. Lawrence's view was that if a God did exist, He only wanted you to live a happy and generous life. Worship was unnecessary, and prevented you from doing productive things. The Enlightenment would last until the turn of the 19th Century.

In March of 1783, Lawrence's horse unexpectedly fell over as the King was riding it, crushing his left leg. Doctors were forced to amputate the leg. An infection subsequently developed where Lawrence's left leg formerly was, and he died 2 weeks later.

The King known as "Lawrence the Reformer" left behind a lasting legacy. His generous contributions to Education turned the University of Michaelopolis into an intellectual center. Lawrence's death also left a mystery. Investigators found a bullet hole in the King's horse, which caused the beast to fall, but nobody is sure who pulled the trigger. Nobody was arrested over the incident due to a lack of evidence, but there are many theories about who did it. Popular suspects are: Holy Granian agents; the Jaslandian Crime Syndicate; banking institutions; religious groups; and even Lawrence's daughter and successor, Sophia. To this day, nobody knows for sure who did it and why.

Peter VI (lived 1689-1750; ruled 1717-1750)

Known as "the Benevolent" or "the Republican," Peter was a radical and revolutionary ruler. The first child of King Mark III, Peter had a lifelong interest in democracy, and genuinely cared for his subjects.

When Peter became King in 1717, he immediately announced a program of "democratization." Prior to this, Parliament was merely a populist tool to appease the public's desire for representation. Parliament mostly passed minor economic regulations and restrictions of monarchs' powers that were intentionally vague and full of loopholes. Peter changed all this. Peter, wanting his people to decide their own affairs, voluntarily transferred his powers to the Parliament. The most important power Peter retained was his right to veto Parliament's legislation, which Peter rarely used anyway.

Under Peter, the Kingdom's citizens were happy and content. People had renewed faith in their leaders, and the King was massively popular. Meanwhile, the powerless King Peter turned to arts patronage to keep himself busy. Peter VI hired a large team of sculptors, painters, and architects to redecorate Michael Palace, and hired writers and poets to craft works praising the King and Jaslandia's democracy.

By October of 1750, the loss of all but two of Peter's five sons led to the King's complete withdrawal from ruling. Peter spent most of his last two months at his retreat of Petrovium Palace near Theoknossos, Deba. Peter finally died in December of 1750, just days before he planned to announced his abdication. Peter was succeed by his mentally-ill first son, Franklin. While royal power would be reasserted under Franklin and his successor, Lawrence I, Peter VI's governing style would serve as inspiration for King Michael II and Prince Regent Jason, who have worked to strengthen Parliament.

John I (lived 1537-1577; ruled 1555-1577)

Known as "the German" because of his Faluian mother, and his pride in his Germanic heritage, John is remembered in Jaslandia as both a diplomat and a soldier, using both of these skills to put pressure on the Kingdom's rival, the Holy Granian Empire. Assuming the throne at 18, John was ready to take charge, and bring about a golden age for Jaslandia.

King John's first test came in 1556, when the Holy Granian Navy launched a blockade of Jaslandia's major ports, and vowed not to lift the blockade until Jaslandia apologized for the 2-month detainment of a Holy Granian diplomat that had occurred 5 years ago. John refused to capitulate, instead sending diplomats to the Kingdom of Podalia, and the Ruscavan Empire. An alliance between Jaslandia, Podalia, and Ruscava was created, with Podalia and Ruscava launching a blockade of Holy Granian ports. After a tense 4 months, the Holy Granian Emperor agreed to lift the blockade, with Ruscava and Podalia lifting their blockade soon after. Throughout the rest of his reign, John would frequently cooperate with Podalia and Ruscava, in what became known as "the Triple Alliance."

In 1562, the Holy Granian Empire invaded Podalia. Enraged, Jaslandia and Ruscava declared war on the Holy Granian Empire. John took command of the army, and rushed to Podalia. The King quickly formed a strong working relationship with the Ruscavan tsar, Nicholas IV. The two launched several joint campaigns against the Holy Granian Empire, and Podalia was slowly liberated.

In 1577, after 15 years of war, a peace treaty was signed in the Ruscavan capital of Muscovia. The Holy Granian forces withdrew, and Podalia was free once again. However, while on the way home to Jaslandia, King John was shot be a Holy Granian sniper. John died of his injuries two days later, in the Podalian village of Lempatow. The alliance John formed gradually faded over time, but it existed on paper until 1617. However, King John's legacy lives on. John I was a military genius, and pioneered many new tactics. King John I is known throughout the region as "the Father of Modern Warfare."

Mark III (lived 1656-1717; ruled 1679-1717)

Mark III was born in 1656, the third grandson of King Louis I. As a child, Mark was rumored to enjoy wearing dresses, and his effeminacy was well known. Upon Louis I's death in 1665, Louis I's oldest grandson took the throne as Louis II. However, Louis II's reign was disastrous, and Parliamentarian opposition rallied around Louis II's uncle, Charles of Brubort, who was declared King in 1671. Mark was ignored due to his homosexuality, which was now an open secret that Mark never denied. However, King Charles was old and feeble, and he died in 1679. Since Louis I's second grandson, Prince Michael, had died in battle against Parliamentarian forces in 1670, Prince Mark ascended to the throne of Jaslandia.

At the beginning of his reign, all observers believed Mark could be controlled, and that his homosexuality made him weak and easily influenced. However, he quickly proved them wrong. Soon after Charles's death, a pro-peace faction took power in Parliament. While Parliament was much less powerful than it is today, the Members of Parliament believed Mark could be influenced to act in the interests of whatever faction was in power in Parliament. Mark had his own ideas, and began a reform program for Jaslandia's military. In 1681, Mark III declared war on the Holy Granian Empire.

While it was thought King Mark's effeminancy would make him a poor military leader, once again, the observers were proven wrong. While Mark was not a tactician, he appointed skilled generals based on merit. This ensured the war was successful, with Jaslandian troops even capturing the Holy Granian capital of Verlin for the first and only time in Jaslandian history. The subsequent Peace of Korgen secured for Jaslandia several key border cities. However, Holy Grania refused to abandon the cities. Rather than go to war again, King Mark decided to let the Holy Granian Empire hold on to the cites, which wouldn't come under Jaslandian control until the reign of Sophia I.

Mark next turned to the colonies. King Mark sponsored several missions of exploration, both on land and at sea. The journeys increased knowledge about the New World, and Mark was widely admired in scientific circles. However, Mark's main reason for sponsoring these missions was to determine if the new lands were good places to colonize, and to open trade relations with the Natives in the region. While most of these areas weren't colonized by Jaslandia, Mark did succeed in establishing trade.

Also, Mark pioneered concepts like Divine Right to Rule and Benevolent Despotism. Mark, instead of being easily influenced, sought to solidify his own power, emphasizing the King's power over Parliament, the nobles, and his advisors. While Mark still asked for advice frequently, all agreed King Mark was an independent ruler that made his own decisions.

King Mark, after 38 years of ruling, died in 1717, at the age of 61. While his son, Peter VI, believed firmly in constitutional monarchy and gave Parliament more power than it ever held before, Mark's ideas about absolute monarchy remained alive, serving as inspiration for Lawrence I. However, Mark III's most famous legacy is that he showed that homosexuals were not inferior, and were quite capable of leading and making wise choices. Because of this, he became a hero to the Jaslandian LGBT rights movement, with King Mark's legacy contributing to LGBT rights being accepted relatively early in Jaslandian history.

Julius I (lived 20 AD-48 AD; ruled 45 AD-48 AD)

A nephew of King Alexander III, Julius's father was Prince Peter Debanicus, a popular Jaslandian general who was renowned for having triumphantly led Jaslandian troops in the relatively peaceful annexation of southern Deba. As Alexander's only child was a daughter, it was expected the youthful and acclaimed Debanicus would become the next King. However, Debanicus died under mysterious circumstances in 23 AD, and young Julius was raised by his mother Emily until she also died in 34 AD (some claim Emily was poisoned by King Alexander's wife Olivia, who was fearful of Emily due to the latter's claim that agents of Alexander were responsible for Debanicus's death). The now orphaned Julius was then adopted by Alexander, who named the boy, then only 14, as his heir. As a youth, Julius was described by those who knew him as arrogant, pompous, and disrespectful, but he was able to hide such qualities from Alexander and the Jaslandian people.

In 45 AD, Alexander III died, and Julius become King. The first six months of Julius's reign were peaceful, and since Julius's father Debanicus was loved among the people, Julius was similarly well-received. However, after Julius nearly died from a fever, his rule took a turn for the worse. Julius became paranoid, and began seizing the property of noblemen on unsubstantiated or exaggerated charges. Julius raised taxes to pay for the lavish expansion of his palace, and some, more scandalous historians claim Julius engaged in incest with his sisters Laura, Margaret, and Ariel. In addition, Julius declared himself to be a god, and asked to be called by titles such as Maximus Regis ('greatest king' in Latin) and Divini Princeps ('divine ruler'). As Julius's reigns continued, his eccentricities became even more extreme, and with rising discontent among both the army and the nobility, Julius was killed by his bodyguards in 48 AD.

After Julius's death, the royal bodyguards proclaimed Julius's cousin Henry as King. Henry, with the support of the nobility, promptly issued decrees to erase Julius's legacy and memory, tearing down Julius's statues and issuing condemnatory statements about Julius. Today, Julius I has a reputation of being an insane and dissolute king who caused terror throughout Jaslandia.

Henry II (lived 3 BC-61 AD; ruled 48 AD-61 AD)

A son of Prince Michael of Jaslandia, Henry was a nephew of both Prince Peter Debanicus and King Alexander III. Prince Michael was an accomplished general, leading Jaslandian troops in the conquest of the Tagris and Eupharites River Valley north of Jaslandia. Henry was reported to be an intelligent and studious child, but he was also sickly and had a stuttering problem, although he overcame it as time went on. As a young man, Henry wrote multiple historical works, although few paid attention to these works at the time.

Due to Henry's stuttering habit and his other health problems, most saw him as an incompetent fool who was not a serious contender for the throne. However, with King Alexander having only a daughter, he did not have any heirs of his own. Prince Michael died in 20 AD, with Prince Peter following three years later. With Henry still seen as an unsuitable heir, King Alexander adopted Prince Peter's son Julius as heir. Upon Alexander's death in 45 AD, Julius assumed the title of King. Julius allowed his cousin Henry to move into the royal palace, but Henry was treated as a laughingstock, with Julius and his sisters frequently playing (sometimes cruel) practical jokes on Henry. However, Henry decided his best hope was to continue to maintain the facade of an idiot so none would see Henry as a threat, and Henry could survive the power struggles of his family.

In 48 AD, King Julius was assassinated by his royal bodyguards. Not long after, one of the bodyguards found Prince Henry hiding behind a curtain, and Henry was proclaimed King. While Henry was a reluctant ruler, he quickly set out to repair the damage done by Julius. Taxes were lowered, golden statues of Julius were melted down and turned into coins, and many of Julius's more ridiculous decrees were rescinded. Henry also took a personal interest in law, and enacted many administrative and legal reforms. Despite his reputation as an idiot, Henry proved to be a wise an independent ruler. Still, Henry's wife Valerie was influential, and she assisted Henry in many administrative functions.

In 53 AD, Henry launched an invasion of Parsia. Under Henry and his able generals, the campaign was a success, and Jaslandia would hold onto much of Parsia for another four centuries. Two years later, shortly after returning from the Parsian campaign, Henry narrowly avoided a revolt in southern Deba after the would-be leader of the revolt Elijah Herordius, the governor of Judeatina and a childhood friend of Henry, died due to a sudden illness.

However, back in the capital of Alexandria, trouble was brewing. In 55 AD, Henry's wife Valerie was found to be plotting with her lover Paul Junius to overthrow Henry. Henry swiftly had his wife and her lover executed, and two years later, Henry married Princess Margaret, his cousin and the sister of former King Julius. The marriage was done solely for political purposes, and was an unhappy one. Still, Margaret was able to exercise strong control over her husband, and some were even executed due to being seen as a threat to Queen Margaret. Margaret also arranged for James Arenius, her son from a previous marriage, to be adopted as Henry's heir.

Henry died in 61 AD, most likely poisoned by his wife Margaret, and James took the throne as James III. Henry's will also named his biological son Parsianicus as co-heir and as James's equal partner in ruling, but James quickly seized control by having the teenaged Parsianicus poisoned upon James's ascension. Henry is remembered as a generally wise ruler, and his life has been dramatized in multiple books, plays, TV shows, and movies.

James III (lived 43 AD-75 AD; ruled 61 AD-75 AD)

James was born in 43 AD, the son of Princess Margaret and her husband Nicholas Arenius. James's early years were mostly uneventful, though he was occasionally described as a spoiled and bratty child. In 51 AD, James's father died. Upon coming of age, James entered a career in politics, serving in various administrative posts. While James seemed to have a promising political career, there were few expectations that James would become a prominent part of the royal family.

In 57 AD, James's cousin King Henry II married James's mother Margaret. Margaret, eager to expand the power of herself and her family, advocated for James to become Henry's heir. As Henry's only other son Parsianicus was still young, James seemed like a natural choice. Still, Henry demurred, and it was only in 60 AD, a year before his death, that Henry officially adopted James and named him heir. James's future as ruler seemed assured, but when Henry died in 61 AD and the deceased king's will was read, it was found that the 18-year old James and the 14-year old Parsianicus were named co-heirs and co-kings, with the expectation that the two would rule together.

While some proposed dividing Jaslandia to allow both brothers to have power, James desired sole control. James and his supporters quickly pushed Parsianicus aside, and Parsianicus was mostly ignored until he died a few months after James's ascension; most believe James had poisoned Parsianicus.

With James now undisputed ruler of Jaslandia, his first acts were to put on lavish festivals and give generous gifts to the people. While this proved popular with the masses, the nobility became concerned about an economic crisis. To deal with the negative economic effects of his free spending, James devalued the Jaslandian Jasa. Under James, a brief war was fought with the Republic of Farinima, and revolts were crushed in Parsia and southern Deba. On the domestic front, James engaged in widespread persecution of the Christian minority, while promoting traditional paganism. James also began to assert his independence, exiling or executing many of Henry's supporters on baseless charges, and even had his own mother Margaret killed in 66 AD.

The greatest catastrophe of James's reign came in 71 AD, when a large fire broke out in the capital city of Alexandria. James took a leading role in the relief effort, even inspecting the damage personally and temporarily housing some of the displaced in the royal palace. Still, some used James as a scapegoat for the fire, claiming that James had caused the fire in order to clear land for a new royal palace. James, in turn, pinned the blame on the Christians, and used the fire as an excuse to increase persecution against the Christians.

In 74 AD, a group of James's generals led by Samuel Morana led a revolt against James. As the rebels gained victories and approached Alexandria, James made preparations to flee to the south. However, before he could depart the capital, James received word that an assembly of nobleman had declared James an enemy of the state, and sent a battalion of soldiers to execute the King. While this news turned out to be false, it was too late; James committed suicide before the truth was able to reach the royal palace.

With the death of James without an heir, the Michaelian dynasty that had ruled Jaslandia since its founding came to an end. Morana marched on Alexandria and was declared King, but he only lasted 3 months before he was overthrown and killed by another general. Two more similarly short-lived kings followed, in an event known as the Year of the Four Kings, until the general William Ferranus declared himself king as William IV, and ushered in the Ferranian dynasty of Jaslandia. Today, James III is a despised historical figure, and while some have reevaluated James's legacy, he is mostly depicted in popular culture as the epitome of a tyrannical despot.

Peter I (lived 51 AD-115 AD; ruled 95 AD-115 AD)

The man later known as ‘Peter the Good’ was the son of an upper middle class family. Peter at first did not seem destined for greatness, as his family was prominent in the local community but was otherwise unremarkable. Still, Peter studied hard, and acquired a fondness for military affairs and history. As a result, at the age of 17, Peter enlisted in the Jaslandian army.

Peter was a brave and courageous soldier from the outset. He became known for acts of heroism, such as running through the middle of a battle to bring a seriously wounded soldier to safety, and Peter quickly rose through the ranks. Peter fought on every frontier, and was involved in numerous campaigns. By the age of 33, he was a military hero, and received high praise by those in government. Peter further elevated his status by marrying noblewoman Sarah Calcina (even though many authors at the time indicated Peter was gay).

In 88 AD, Peter gained further fame as the leader of a victorious campaign against barbarians to the north. Two years later, Peter was commended for successfully defending King George II against a coup attempt. Though Peter was famed for his loyalty, some started to put him forward as a candidate for king, as George II was quickly becoming unpopular for his strict censorship, totalitarian government style, and for fostering a cult of personality around himself. Seeking to increase his own popularity, the childless George adopted Peter as his heir in 94. However, this only strengthened the anti-George faction, who wished to see George dead so Peter would become king, and George was assassinated by court officials in 95 AD. Peter peacefully assumed the throne shortly thereafter.

Under Peter, the Kingdom of Jaslandia reached its greatest heights until the campaigns of Franklin I. In the north, Peter halted barbarian raids, and then proceeded to conquer a sizable portion of the northern region, with many other areas being turned into client or allied kingdoms. In the south, Peter successfully led an expedition to assert Jaslandian control all along the Nali River. In the west, Peter waged war against Farinima, capturing Delios and the capital of Faris, and while Peter withdrew from most of these territories, the treaty which ended the war 4 years later confirmed Jaslandian control over the large island of Scillaria.

However, Peter was not just a skilled commander, but also a great builder. Peter reshaped the capital at Alexandria, with the most famous construction being Peter’s Column; however, Peter was also responsible for a new public square and a new marketplace area. Roads were improved and expanded through the Jaslandian Empire, and in general, Peter greatly improved the kingdom’s infrastructure.

After a long 20-year reign, Peter died in 115 AD, and was succeeded by his adopted son Mark I. While Peter’s accomplishments were great, and for centuries he was revered as one of the greatest Jaslandian kings (for years after Peter's death, the traditional toast used upon the coronation of a new emperor was "Sis felicior Micheal, melior Petrus" - be more fortunate than Michael [and] better than Peter), Peter’s conquests were short lived; Mark felt that much of Peter’s new lands would be difficult to defend, and as a result, Mark withdrew entirely from Scillaria, and abandoned parts of Peter’s new northern and southern conquests. However, Peter’s grand buildings and monuments (some of which were moved or reconstructed in Michaelopolis when the capital was moved there) ensured his legacy would not be forgotten.

James V (lived 97 AD-158 AD; ruled 135 AD-156 AD)

Nicknamed ‘the Philosopher’, James was born to Prince Alexander, a nephew of Samuel IV, the king at the time of James’s birth. James was intelligent and contemplative, if somewhat shy, in his youth. James had a reputation for being full of questions, a trait he never fully lost.

In his early years, James mostly stayed out of politics, as he didn’t feel suited to the pressures and shrewdness involved in Jaslandian politics. However, James was interested in leadership from a scholarly perspective, and when he was 29, he published The Art and Skill of Politics and Leadership, a treatise which outlined his vision of a fair and thoughtful king, who would rule with an even hand and promote justice at home, while also seeking conquests and military expansion abroad. Though the Jaslandian elite took little notice of the work at the time, the intelligentsia loved it, and James would use his treatise as a guideline for his own rule.

In 135, when James was 38 years old, he became King of Jaslandia upon the death of his older brother William. James took swift action, reforming the legal system, codifying the laws, and enacting currency reform to fend off inflation. James also sought increased legal rights for women, making it easier for women to get a divorce, and expanding women’s right to own property which previous kings had curtailed.

In addition, James had philosophic inclinations. James read philosophy extensively, and he often pondered philosophical questions while on military campaigns. Throughout his reign, James recorded his thoughts on philosophy, existence, human nature, and ethics, with the bulk of James’s writing occurring in 142-143, and the last portion being written just two days before James’s death. Though he never intended his writing to be published, his supporters compiled his philosophical journals into a book titled Reflections after his death, and distributed it among themselves. James’s immediate successors attempted to suppress James's works (including Reflections), but eventually, the works reached mass circulation, and today, Reflections is considered one of the most important works of ancient philosophy in history.

While James was not a man of war, he had a large and newly-reorganized army at his disposal under Marshal Peter Vanermov, and James intended to use that army on multiple campaigns against nomadic peoples to the north and south (with varying success).

However, by far the biggest military event of James’s reign was the Marokan invasion of Jaslandia. Although the war was started after a heated exchange between the Jaslandian ambassador and the Marokan foreign minister, tension had been brewing between the two nations for years over a large strip of land between Maroka and the Jaslandian province of Deba. Maroka rapidly mobilized its forces and marched into the contested region, catching the Jaslandian forces by surprise. Vanermov and James gathered their armies as fast they could, and the Jaslandian and Marokan forces clashed at the Battle of Amina, just over the border into Deba. Though the two forces were numerically equal, Vanermov and James were able to rally their forces into a bold encirclement strategy that ultimately won the day, with the Marokan army barely managing to escape under cover of night. Seeking to end the war quickly, the Marokan forces rushed to Michaelopolis, but they used an out-of-the-way route deep into the desert to avoid the main Jaslandian force. However, the heat and dwindling supplies took its toll on the army, and though the Marokan forces were able to rest and re-supply upon reaching Jasland, the army was still exhausted. The army launched an attack on Michaelopolis, but were beaten back just outside the city at the Battle of Michael Field.

After the defeat of the main Marokan force at Michael Field, the two nations fought skirmishes in the contested border region for the next 15 years, although all of them involved only small forces, and almost none resulted in territorial changes; however, James did not live to see war’s conclusion. In addition, Jaslandia now had other problems. Pillaging and theft by the Marokan forces in Jaslandia led to economic decline in Jaslandia, and when combined with other factors like plague (likely spread by Marokan armies) and dissatisfaction among the nobility, led to growing discontent with James V’s rule. James attempted to rally public morale and annex productive lands by launching military campaigns against nomads to the north, but when these campaigns fizzled out and ended in stalemate, James’s popularity fell further.

Finally, in the winter of 156, a small group of influential nobles deposed James V, and installed one of their one as King Samuel V. James lived in comfortable exile in a villa on the island of Kratia, but upon the death of Samuel V, his successor Samuel VI ordered James’s execution, with James being killed on July 7th, 158 AD. Today, James V is remembered as a wise and noble king who wrote an important philosophical text while also finding time to defend Jaslandia from foreign invasion.

Caroline I (lived 1497-1578; ruled 1503-1527, 1537-1550)

The future Queen Caroline was born in 1497, the eldest child of the militaristic King Henry VII. Caroline assumed the throne at age 6, upon her father’s death in battle. Until Caroline turned 18, the country was ruled by her father’s Prime Minister, Charles Hamilton. With the cooperation of Parliament, Hamilton presided over the continuation of the Forty Years’ War (the same war Henry VII died in), and supported exploration of the New World. Hamilton would continue to play a leading role in government even after Caroline assumed personal control in 1515, despite the occasional disagreements between Hamilton and Caroline; Hamilton was executed by Christian I in 1528.

As for Caroline, she was given a broad education during her childhood, being taught not just sewing and child-rearing, but also other areas that were usually only taught to men, like literature, Latin, and philosophy. Caroline was reported to be a very bright and studious girl, and she would often have long discussions with Hamilton over historical or literary topics. However, some thought Caroline’s devotion to her studies were ‘un-ladylike’, a charge that would follow Caroline throughout her life.

At age 18, Caroline’s regency period ended, and she became an independent ruler. Caroline’s first goal was to end the Forty Years’ War. Partially at Jaslandian urging, the warring parties got together to negotiate, eventually signing a series of agreements collectively known as the Treaty of Westerphania, finally ending the war. Not only did the treaty resolve decades of religious tension between Protestants and Catholics, but the treaty is also now considered a turning point in ideas of national sovereignty, giving each ruler the authority to decide the religion of their own state and people.

With Jaslandia at peace, Caroline turned to other affairs. As Queen, Caroline patronized scholars, philosophers, and writers. However, Caroline didn’t always agree with the scholars she supported, but supported them regardless due to an interest in having her court be full of different opinions. On matters of religion, Caroline was interested in Catholicism and Catholic ideas for years, leading her to take a lenient attitude toward non-Lutherans and Lutheran dissenters. However, this policy raised the suspicion of the Lutheran Parliament and nobility.

In her personal life, Caroline attracted criticism for her unusual behavior. She was not concerned with her personal appearance, and her hair was famously messy. She claimed to be disgusted by marriage, and thus refused to marry or have children, instead naming her younger sister Maria and her younger sister’s husband Christian as co-heirs. This attracted even more criticism from the Lutheran elites of Jaslandia.

The stress of ruling for Caroline came to a head in 1526, when she suffered a nervous breakdown. The next year, she abdicated the throne, handing power to her heirs Maria II and Christian I. Caroline left Jaslandia, converted to Catholicism, and began to travel the world. She met with both the Holy Granian Emperor and the Pope, and patronized artists and scholars wherever she went.

However, back in Jaslandia, trouble was brewing. Maria II died a few months after the coronation, and Christian I as sole monarch quickly established himself as a tyrant, persecuting Protestants as he converted the country to Catholicism, ending many political and civil freedoms, and even dissolving Parliament. Caroline met with numerous envoys urging her to return to Jaslandia to retake the throne, but Caroline would have none of it until 1536, when she was finally convinced to return to Jaslandia to defeat Christian. Christian’s tyranny made many of the populace fondly remember the era of Caroline’s rule, Caroline’s openness to constitutional rule won her support from the former Parliamentarians, and Caroline’s Catholicism appealed to moderate Catholics who despised the violence of Christian’s rule. With strong support from the people, Parliament, and moderate Catholics, Caroline defeated Christian within a year, exiling him to the Holy Granian Empire.

While returned to power, Caroline disliked ruling just as much as she did when she abdicated. Seeking to avoid the stress and a second nervous breakdown, Caroline gradually surrendered her powers to Parliament, ushering in a period of constitutional rule and liberty. One of the only policies Caroline herself implemented was the Edict of Non-Preference, granting religious freedom to all Christians in Jaslandia, and naming neither Lutheranism nor Catholicism as the state religion. This ensured there was no conflict between a Catholic monarch and a Lutheran population.

Caroline increasingly became a recluse, obsessively reading over religious texts, discussing religion with prominent theologians, and doing frequent prayers. In 1550, wishing to devote her life to God, she abdicated a second time, naming her nephew Peter her successor as Peter V. Caroline moved to Partrica, patronizing a convent near her residence, in addition to continuing her support of scholars. She died in 1578, and was buried in Royal Cemetery in the Partrican capital of Vilno.

Christian I (lived 1496-1574; ruled 1527-1537)

Born into the royal family of Danmarcia, Christian was the sixth son of the Danmarcian king Frederick III. Christian was frequently teased and mocked by his older brothers, and he was often dismayed that as the sixth son, it was so unlikely for him to become King. At age 20, Christian was married to Princess Maria of Jaslandia, the younger sister of Caroline, the Queen Regnant of Jaslandia. A few years later, Christian and Maria were designated as Caroline’s heirs, as Caroline had no intention of marrying and having children, with the idea being Christian and Maria would be co-rulers. However, Christian saw an opportunity in this, and believed he could finally become a King by seizing power in Jaslandia. In the meantime, Christian and Maria enjoyed married life (while Maria II was genuinely in love with Christian, Christian faked his love for Maria, seeing her as merely a pawn for his own ambitions). The two had one child, the future King Peter V, in 1525.

In 1527, when Christian was 31 years old, Caroline abdicated the throne. A few weeks later, Maria II and Christian I were officially crowned as Queen and King of Jaslandia. Maria II was designated the senior ruler, as she was the one who was related to the previous ruler by blood. Christian took a back seat to ruling during the first few months, quietly plotting and waiting for the right time to strike.

Three months after the coronation, Maria II suddenly died. The official story was that Maria II died after accidentally tripping and falling down a long flight of stairs. However, many believed that Christian had actually killed Maria, pushing the Queen down the stairs himself. Regardless, Christian assumed sole control of Jaslandia, bribing the army with generous bonuses in order to ensure their support. Parliament was appalled by Christian’s seizing of power, and proposed a resolution to reject Christian’s claim to the throne. However, on the day of the vote, Christian sent troops to surround the Parliament building, and at gunpoint, all of the Parliament members voted against the resolution, and voted in favor of a new resolution that accepted Christian as King, and granted him various honors and awards. As a last ditch measure, some nobles rallied around Caroline’s distant cousin Alexander, proclaiming him the true king. However, Alexander’s youth and reckless nature garnered him few supporters, and a year later, the rebellion was crushed, and Alexander was executed.

With his hold on power secure, Christian began executing his vision. He issued the Edict of Restoration, which declared Catholicism the state religion, and placed severe penalties and punishments on Protestants who refused to convert. During his reign, hundreds of Protestants were burned at the stake for refusing to convert. One of the victims of these persecutions was Charles Hamilton, Prime Minister under Henry VII, Caroline I, and Christian I, who was one of the first to speak out against Christian’s repression. In addition to Protestants, Christian had a personal obsession with witches, and several people were burned at the stake on witchcraft charges during Christian’s reign.

Meanwhile, the nobility and Parliament were appalled by Christian’s violence and harsh punishments. However, when it seemed like the Parliament was prepared to condemn Christian, Christian issued an edict that dissolved Parliament, and placed prominent Parliamentarians under house arrest. With Parliament out of the way, Christian cracked down of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, arresting those who spoke out against Christian’s rule. For these acts, he was called ‘Christian the Tyrant’.

As Christian’s repression went on, envoys from Parliament secretly left the country to find the former Queen Caroline and urge her to retake the throne. At last, Caroline returned to Jaslandia in 1536, and declared war on Christian. Caroline soon built up a powerful coalition centered on moderate Catholics, Parliamentarians and their supporters, and the common people. Christian fought on and achieved a few victories, but Caroline’s support steadily increased, and in 1537, Christian was officially deposed and exiled to the Holy Granian Empire. Caroline was once again crowned as Queen.

However, even in exile Christian was active. With Christian’s son Peter remaining in Jaslandia to be Caroline’s heir, Christian pushed for the claims of himself and his nephew (who was later adopted as his son) Eric. His first attempt was in 1545, but his fleet was scattered in a storm, and Christian was imprisoned at Henryton Castle in Jaslandia after surrendering himself to Queen Caroline. A few more attempts were made by Christian’s supporters to restore him to the throne, but they were definitively defeated by 1551. Still, Christian was treated well in captivity, and was gradually given more freedom and allowed to venture outside the castle more often. The former Christian I died in 1574, and was buried in Jaslandia. Christian’s adopted son Eric continued to push his own claim to the throne for several years, but with no success. However, thanks to Eric’s pleading, Parliament agreed to give a monthly stipend to Eric, and Eric’s children and grandchildren, for the rest of their lives.