History of Fortuna

This page consists of the history of Fortuna, also currently known as the Second Fortunan Empire.

Prehistory

The earliest found evidence of sapient life on the islands dates back over 20,000 years ago. Based on the evidence of habitation in Toscani, it is believed to have belonged to early humans who had arrived from mainland Yasteria. Around the same time period, nomadic Loopia Nekomimi tribes arrived to the Crencello Arc and was one of the first examples of complex society to form around the Codex Pontus. For around 15,000 years, the two different species would slowly develop with little to no interaction until around 4,000 BCE which is believed to the beginning of the first major conflicts between surrounding human tribes and the Masakomi, a union between the many nekomimi tribes. The Masakomi would slowly lose their dominance over the region after a millennia long conflict with the rising human societies. This led to many nekomimi migrating around 3,000 BCE from the Crencello Arc and sailing south where most would end up in present-day Korok, Peregrinia. With little competition from the nekomimi, the Ancient Auroyastic-speaking human groups quickly grow into more complex societies, mostly centered around the Pontuarya Peninsula.

Ancient History

Growth of Codex Influence (2500 BCE to 200 CE)

Beginning around 2,500 BCE, the thalassocratic civilization of Kodekesia, an ancient Orior-ethnolinguistic group originating on the island of Codex, began to dominate the region, now considered one of Urth's cradles of civilization. Kodekesian influence would first arrive to the Aspirian Isles around 2,000 BCE after settling in the Crencello Arc and integrating the remaining nekomimi tribes. This would lead to the introduction of important developments to the islands, such as a writing system, irrigation, and improved shipbuilding, along with innovations in naval navigation and government. Early urbanization arose on the Fortunan Archipelago with the development of city-states that grew from Kodekesian settlements along Emili's southern coasts. Kodekesian influence would slowly drop, allowing for a separate ethnolinguistic group to arise around the Codex Pontus. Referred to as the Marenians, they were able to begin dominating the islands around the Codex Pontus as Kodekesian civilization began to decline around 750 BCE. Kodekesian dominance of the Codex Pontus ended around 500 BCE, although their presence would continue to exist on the island of Codex before slowly evolving into the civilizations of Ancient Codex.

Between 500 BCE and 200 BCE, the Marenian people filled the power gap left behind Kodekesia, becoming the dominant force around the Codex Pontus and the top parts Southeast Yasteria. Unlike the Kodekesians, however, the Marenians were less united with major centers of government forming on the island of Kaoghon, the Fortunan Archipelago, and Lyon. The Marenians are known to be more active maritime power, often sailing into the Packilvanian Ocean where they came into contact with early civilizations along the coasts of South Yasteria, East Yasteria Minor, and possibly Arcturia.

Norvian Conquests (200 CE to 500 CE)

The most influential Marenian group were the Norvians, the most northern Marenian groups that originated on the Fortunan Archipelago. Their aggressive and hyper-seafaring culture allowed for the Norvians to become the most dominant force in the region between 150 BCE and 500 CE, and whose influence reached across both the Pacific and Packilvanian Oceans. The first evidence of Early Norvian raids are found to occurred along the Crencello Arc as early as 200 BCE before the Norvians began focusing northward. An important aspect of Norvian culture were large expeditions and migrations with the first major expedition travelling along Yasteria's east coast before arriving in Novaris, landing and settling in Dallacqua around 150 BCE. For the next century, the Norvians would set out smaller expeditions between Yasteria and their holdings in Novaris, beginning an early cultural exchange between the two continents. The last expedition saw a large amount of the Norvian raiders returning back to the Aspirian Isles at the beginning of the Common Era, leaving behind a small portion of Norvians who continued to rule over the Dallacquan territory. It is unknown why the Norvians never returned to Novaris, although historians and experts have proposed a handful of theories.

The Common Era would mark a turning point for the Norvians in the Aspirian Isles as they turned their focus southward. Around this time period, Norvian culture dominated over the remaining Marenian groups in Kaoghon and Lyon. This opened up the Packilvanian Ocean to the Norvians, allowing for them to explore and raid along the ocean's coastlines. The furthest record expedition of the Norvians as far as West Aurora. Although their holdings in Aurora were short-lived, their introduction of the Norvic language had some influence on the development of Axdelian language. Throughout the Norvic Age, the Norvians remained a decentralized civilization of loosely unified chiefdoms. The only time the Norvians were considered fully unified was under the Vaerlan Empire, also known as the Codex Pontus Empire. The empire existed between 452 to 504, consisting of the island chains that surrounded the Codex Pontus. Upon the collapse of the shortlived empire, it immediately broke apart into dozens of small kingdoms. Again ununified and disorganized, the Norvians hold over the region crumbled due to infighting and growing foreign influences such as from Codex.

Norvian Kingdoms (504-1017)

Following the collapse of the Vaerlan Empire, the Aspirian Isles are divided into dozens of Norvian kingdoms and remained so for the next few centuries. The kingdoms over time would continue to conquer and unite amongst each other or attempt conquests of the mainland, setting up small settlements along the Yasterian coast. In 925, the Kingdom of Larunda under Antonio II attempted to conquer the neighboring state of the Kingdom of Fortuna under Renato. The conquest was tremendously unsuccessful following the Battle of Venmar Strait, with most of Antonio’s forces defeated. Renato, now with the upper hand, conquered the Kingdom of Larunda and its ally Flora in return. In the process, Renato saw further victories against the rest of the kingdoms on Ancona, successfully conquering the entire island by 929. This more than quadrupled the size of Renato’s kingdom, turning the attention of the other Norvian kingdoms towards Fortuna. In order to further solidify his control, Renato would begin further campaigns to conquer the other kingdoms diplomatically or militarily. By the time of his death in 945, he had almost united the entire island of Emili under his rule.

Upon coming into power, Renato’s son, Valence III, made it clear he would continue what his father had started. In 954, Valence announced that he was a follower of Guiliano Bardi’s teachings and writings from “The Book of Clarity.” This would set into place the later formation of Clarityism following the Council of Destino, solidifying the base of this new religion in 968. Around this time, Valence led a successful naval invasion of the island of Toscani through the Kingdom of Antevorta. During his campaign to conquer Toscani, Valence would fall in battle in 987, passing the throne to his son Valence IV.

With over half of Toscani under the rule of the Kingdom of Fortuna, Valence IV made one final push to unite the southern islands. In 1016, the final Norvian kingdoms in the southern islands were conquered, marking the first time that part of the Aspirian Isles was entirely united under a single banner. To proclaim the success of the campaigns, Valence established the Fortunan Empire, officially naming the circular island cluster as the Fortunan Archipelago and establishing Clarityism as the official religion. Valence would later die in 1017, but having no heirs, he passed the throne to his military commander Faro who quickly solidified his control of the new empire and established the Xenian dynasty.

First Fortunan Empire (1017-1644)

Xenian Dynasty (1017-1091)

Sometimes considered the first emperor of the Fortunan Empire, Faro I took a firm, and at time ruthless, stance during his reign to secure the loyalty of the Fortunan nobility to the emperor. His main focus was centering the Empire on the island of Rosa, centralizing the imperial court and forming the Imperial Fortunan City within the original lands of the Kingdom of Fortuna. A set of doctrines and reforms, known as Faro's Code, were created and enforced which implemented a system of taxation and distributed land to noblemen who swore an oath of loyalty to the emperor, requiring to appear before the imperial court twice a year. To further prove the legitimacy of the imperial court, Faro swiftly defeated stubborn and unloyal noblemen, immediately confiscated their land and possessions to be redistributed. By the time of his death in 1038, the Fortunan Archipelago was more stabilized and the authority of the imperial court legitimized.

Succeeding his father, Sergio became emperor in 1038 just as the still fairly new empire was entering a short period of peace. Having navigated the coastline of Yasteria in his early years and coming into contact with multiple coastal civilizations, Sergio turned his attention to promoting trade and building up the Fortunan navy. By 1050, the Fortunan Empire had one of the largest fleets in the region with the sole purpose to enforce Fortuna's dominion over the archipelago. Between 1050 and 1055, Sergio would travel with his fleet, named the Golden Rose Fleet, and sail up and down the coastline of Yasteria from the end of the Crencello Arc to the coast of present-day Kelssek. Sergio also took this opportunity to interact with the native population and promote trade between the mainland and the Fortunan Archipelago. He also brought on a team of astronomers and cartographers who were given the ability to map out the region. The island of Helena was also brought in during the fleet's voyage back to the archipelago, becoming the first step towards further claims to the Medium Isles. In his final years, he further promoted Clarityism within the empire and oversaw the construction of the Valence Cathedral, the first ever recorded Claritist cathedral.

Clarityism would further be promoted under Sergio's heir, Faro II, who became emperor in 1062. With the Decree of Destino, Clarityism was made the official state religion of the Fortunan Empire. This also saw the moving of the High Priest and his retainers to the Imperial Fortunan City, centralizing Clarityism next to the imperial court. Sergio also banned the practice of pagan rituals and decreed for the conversion of shrines into Claritist shrines. The switch did cause a small amount of dissent in areas that had not begun practicing Clarityism, but this dissent was immediately stomped out.

The final emperor of the Xenian Dynasty was Faro III, taking the throne in 1085. His reign nearly began with immediate conflict with the Juzalths to the east. Rayyan II, king of the Juzalth Empire, threatened invasion of the Fortunan Archipelago the same year Faro III became emperor. Being the great-great grandson of Faro I due to a political marriage under Sergio, Rayyan II believed he was the rightful heir to the Fortunan Empire. In order to keep the peace, Faro III agreed to pay an annual tribute to the Juzalths. This agreement caused an uproar in the Fortunan Empire, leading to nobles in the imperial court to persuade Faro III stop paying tribute. This was based around the belief that the Fortunans had the military capability to fend off against the Rayyan II. In 1088, Faro III announced the end of the annual tributes to the Juzalths and began preparing his fleet and armies. Upon receiving the news, Rayyan II immediately declared war on the Fortunan Empire and set off with his own fleet to invade the archipelago. Landing in Emili, the Juzalths easily pushed back the Fortunans in a set of battles, leading the the capturing of Destino in late 1089. The same year saw a decisive naval victory by the Juzalths and the destruction of the famous Golden Rose Fleet. With his fleet destroyed and much of Emili already conquered, Faro III made one final stand on the island of Rosa within the walls of the Imperial Fortunan City. Rayyan II responded by blockading the island and landing a ground force to place siege to the city. A couple of years into the siege, a handful of factions became discontent and arrested Faro III, surrendering the city and handing over the city to the Juzalths. With the Imperial Fortunan City captured, Rayyan II was made emperor of the Fortunan Empire in 1091, taking on the name Antonello.

Acquarian Dynasty (1091-1123)

Antonello's rise to power marked the establishment of the Acquarian Dynasty in the Fortunan Empire. Most of his reign consisted of conflict, having to deal with disgruntled noblemen and conquer Fortunan states that attempted to break away. Most of it was centered on the island of Ancona where the provinces in Larunda attempted to unite around Leonora, the former empress of Faro III. It wouldn't take until 1098 until Leonora and the provinces of Larunda were defeated as he had to deal with conflicts in Sorentavia. To the north, Antonello pushed Fortunan influence further into the Medium Sea with the conquering of Mira Island. Antonello also introduced further reforms to the current political system, centralizing political power even more around the imperial court. As ruler of both the Fortunan Empire and the Juzalths, this allowed for an easier exchange of cultures and beliefs between the the archipelago and the mainland. However, catastrophe struck when Antonello was lost at sea in Codex Pontus when his fleet was destroyed by a typhoon in 1100.

The disappearance of Antonello I began a period of conflict as his two sons, Verenzio and Ferdinand, fought over the throne. Known as the War of Succession, it began in 1100 when Verenzio declared himself as emperor of the Fortunans and Juzalths. Although the youngest of the two, Ferdinand argued he was the rightful ruler of the archipelago since his mother, Aura of Flora, came from a Fortunan noble family. Due to his lineage, many Fortunan nobles sided with Ferdinand, assisting the prince raising an army and building up a fleet. At the same time, the conflicts in Sorentavia continued to worsen as the Sultanate of Greldonia were slowly becoming the dominant force in the region. By 1104, Ferdinand had gained control of much of the Fortunan Archipelago with the exception of Toscani and the Imperial Fortunan City. Fearing possibly losing both the lands of the Juzalths and the Fortunan Archipelago, Verenzio pulled out of the archipelago and returned to Sorentavia to deal with Greldonia. This gave Ferdinand the opportunity to seize the throne and declared himself emperor of the Fortunan Empire in 1108.

With the ongoing conflicts in Sorentavia, Ferdinand turned his focus northward, discovering and conquering more islands within the Medium Sea. In 1114 after the Sultanate of Greldonia came out as the victor, Ferdinand took this as an opportunity and gained control of former Juzalth islands in the Crencello Arc. This allowed for the Fortunan Empire to still have access to the mainland and control of a large portion of coastal waters. Although he was able to gain the support of the nobility and imperial court, Ferdinand was known to be a weak emperor, allowing for powerful noble families to gain strength in the empire. One such family was the Rocailli, headed by Duke Lydus. As Ferdinand never married or had a direct heir during his reign, the question of succession was continuously brought up within the courts. By gaining enough approval from Ferdinand, Lydus was appointed as Commander of the Imperial Guard in 1120. With enough support from other noble families and in control of the Imperial Guard, he organized his forces to forcefully remove Ferdinand from the position of emperor. In 1123, Ferdinand went fishing off the coast of Rosa with a few members of his court and personal guard. At this time, Lydus gained control of the city, quickly gaining control of the Imperial Palace with no bloodshed. Out at sea, Ferdinand's ship was surrounded by Lydus's ships where he was forced to agree to abdicate the throne and exile himself to the mainland. Lydus was then declared emperor upon the steps of the Imperial Palace upon receiving word of Ferdinand's abdication. Taking on the name of Faro IV, his rise to power marked the start of the Rocaillic Dynasty.

Rocaillic Dynasty (1123-1275)

For the first few years of Faro IV's reign, his main focus was on securing his position and that of the Rocaillic Dynasty. In 1127, he established the Ascension Law which established the order of succession with it being more precisely primogeniture. Faro IV also strived to make peace with the west, and in 1129 he set up a non-aggression pact with Greldonia and promoted trade between the two states. This would lead to an economic boom for the empire, and with the west secured, it allowed for him to turn his focus towards the Medium Sea. Although the first place the Norvians came into contact with in the Aspirian Isles, the Medium Sea and the islands there were forgotten as the Norvians continued southward. From the expeditions under Sergio to Ferdinand I's limited conquers in the sea had grown Fortuna's interest of the region over the century. With the threat of the west neutralized for the time being, Faro IV took this opportunity to expand the Fortunan Empire's influence over the Medium Isles. By 1141, the empire had reached as far as the islands of Opali and Grenato. It was also during this time when the empire became more aware of the political entities in the region, such as the Republic of Telga and the Kingdom of Ambravia. Faro IV would succumb to sickness soon after in 1144, leading to his son, Verenzio II, to succeed him as emperor.

The next century would see multiple conflicts between the Fortunan Empire and the political states of Northern Aspirian Isles, known as the Medium Wars. Most of the conflicts would be between the Fortunan Empire and the Kingdom of Ambravia over the Medium Isles. The wars would start off between the Fortunan Empire and the Republic of Telga in 1151 when the government of Telga denounced Fortuna's claim to the islands of Opali and Grenato, leading to their fleets clashing with each other. Although gaining the upper hand with the total annihilation of the Telganese's ships, Verenzio II agreed to end the war with the Teglanese in 1163 and set up a peace deal between them. This fragile peace would break down soon after as Fortunan and Telganese forces clashed with each other once more in 1170. Verenzio II would not live to see the end of the war with the Telganese, falling to illness in 1175 and leading to his eldest son, Verenzio III, to succeed him. During Verenzio III's reign, he would successfully defeat the Telganese in 1178 and conquering their islands. This would immediately lead to further conflict, this time with the Kingdom of Ambravia who had been financially supporting the Republic of Telga and were outraged with the result of the Fortunan Empire further spreading their influence northward. In 1182, Ambravia launched a naval invasion of the Telga Isles, successfully pushing the Fortunans out. In retaliation, Verenzio III led numerous raiding campaigns against the Ambravians before finally leading an actual invasion campaign of the island in 1197. The campaign would immediately fall apart as Fortunan and Ambravian troops clashed during the Battle of Tanta in 1198 where Verenzio III fell in battle and the Fortunan forces were pushed out.

To succeed Verenzio III was his son, Faro V, who attempted to take a more peaceful approach by pulling out of the war and conceding the Telga Isles to Ambravia. This led to immense outrage within the imperial court as many saw Faro V's action as a sign of weakness and a bad look for the empire. One of the most outspoken opponents of the end of conflict with Ambravia was Princess Ausiliatrice, the second eldest child of Verenzio III and half-brother to Faro V. Concluding the actions of her half-brother would lead to the eventual collapse of the Fortunan Empire, Ausiliatrice plotted to forcefully remove Faro V from the position of emperor. With the assistance of the Commander of the Imperial Guard, the two of them assassinated Faro V in his sleep. The very same night, important members of the imperial court and the clergy were assembled in the throne room where Ausiliatrice was named Empress of the Fortunan Empire on the 16th of April, 1204. To establish her position, she first had the family of Faro V and potential successors either imprisoned or exiled. The next step in Ausiliatrice's reign was to prepare for immediate conflict with Ambravia, rebuilding Fortuna's fleet and army. Once ready, war was declared with the Kingdom of Ambravia once more in 1206 with Fortunan forces defeating the main Ambravian fleet and landing troops on the island of Eridani Theta. By 1214, Fortunan troops were successful in gaining control of over half of the island, specifically the western part, along with the reconquering of the Telga Isles. To the dismay of Ausiliatrice, the offensive had to come to a near halt as the peace treaty with Greldonia was beginning to falter, forcing her to turn her focus to the west. The rest of her reign consisted of holding back the remnant of the Kingdom of Ambravia and dealing with military skirmishes with Greldonia. Ausiliatrice would later pass away in 1232, handing the throne to her son, Antonello II.

In order to finish his mother's wish to conquer the island of Eridani Theta in it's entirety, Antonello II knew he had to deal with Greldonia first. Between 1233 and 1238, the Crencello War took place where the Fortunan Empire went on the offensive against their western neighbor. After a few successful naval battles in the last few years by the Fortunan Empire, a new peace deal was agreed to along with the annexation of the Remnia and Jorali Isles into the Empire. With the west secured once more, Antonello II turned his attention back to Eridani Theta, kicking off another war with the Kingdom of Ambravia. The conflict would last about a decade, ending with the Siege of Yedo in 1246 where the last city of Ambravia was finally conquered by the Fortunan Empire. As repayment for their services against Greldonia and Ambravia, large swathes of land in the newly conquered territories was granted to the many military commanders and existing nobility. Antonello II also established the city of Equilaria in Eridani Theta which would become the center of the island, both politically and economically. In his final years, he continued to bolster the Fortunan navy and fortify the archipelago's port cities. This is assumed to have been in preparation of a new western offensive, but Antonello II would die on 9 December 1268 before any plan was fully realized.

The final years of the Rocaillic Dynasty nearly saw the lost of the many triumphs and conquests by the Fortunan Empire. With the death of Antonello II, his son, Valence V, would succeed him as emperor the same year. Valence V only reigned for less than two years which during this period saw numerous of natural disasters hit the isles. Entering into the summer season of 1269, a high record number of typhoons slammed into the islands, bringing heavy wind and rainstorms. This caused heavy damage and casualties to the Fortunan Archipelago and led to the lost of hundreds of maritime vessels, crippling the Fortunan Empire economically and militarily. Disaster would continue when an extremely strong earthquake shook the isles in the early months of 1270, followed by a tsunami that submerged much of the archipelago's coastline. The abnormal amount of catastrophes in such a short period of time alarmed many Fortunans with a small number fearing that something unknown brought bad luck to the archipelago. One such individual was Fridericus I, Valence's eldest son, who believed that the act of his father reigning as emperor was the cause of the disasters. Based off surviving accounts from the time, it is also assumed that Fridericus was a member of the Cult of Fortuna, a small sect of Clarityism that practiced the worship of the religious being Fortuna above all. Seeing it as his duty to save the empire, Fridericus conspired with high level nobles in the imperial court and assassinated Valence V during a feast. Fridericus would then become the next emperor, coming to power in 1270.

The situation in Fortuna would continue to worsen however as Fridericus simply focused on indulging himself and the imperial court, neglecting the rest of Fortuna and allowing the nobility to run rampant. In Eridani Theta, small uprisings would pop up across the island as the native population attempted to take advantage of the empire's weakened state. This instability would lead to many growing discontent with the emperor, one such individual being Calisto, an officer and commander of the Imperial Guard. Knowing something had to be done before the total collapse of the Fortunan Empire, Calisto collaborated with other military commanders and prominent noble families to usurp Fridericus. On the night of July 29, 1275, Calisto would lead the Imperial Guard to gain control of the palace and assassinate Fridericus along with his family and allies. With the support of the military and rise in popularity from the common people, Calisto took the throne for himself and ending the Rocaillic Dynasty's rule of the Fortunan Empire.

Era of the High Commanders (1275-1430)

The Era of the High Commanders is a unique period in the Fortunan Empire's history where succession was based off appointment instead of primogeniture. When Calisto came to power, he came to believe that the order of succession was what nearly caused the collapse of the Fortunan Empire. Instead, Calisto would appoint his commander of the Imperial Guard, Raffaele, to succeed him as Calisto considered him a capable leader. Calisto would take even further steps to separate himself from previous emperors by dissolving the title of emperor and taking on High Commander instead. To keep the peace with the nobility, he would take on the name Valence VI and marry Anastasia of Terine. During his reign, he immediately cracked down on the uprisings in Eridani Theta and dealing with rebellious nobles.

Early Modern Period (1644-1857)

Further Breakup (1644-1686)

With the signing of the Renato Peace Agreement in 1644, the Fortunan Archipelago was split between the Grand Principality of Novaglie, the Grand Principality of Rosa, and the Grand Principality of Terine. In the northern islands of the Aspirian Isles, surviving aristocracy united under the banner of Duke Baldassare, crowning him king of the Kingdom of Eridani Theta.

Formation of Four States (1791-1857)

Beginning in the late 18th century, the archipelago would enter into a period where the many existing states would begin merging with one another. Known as the Consolidamento, it refers to the time period from 1791 to 1860. Through political marriages, conquest, and mutual agreements, the Fortunan states merged and grew their territory.

The Consolidamento started with the merging of the Grand Duchy of Rosa and the Duchy of Andavega in 1971. For the past century, the two duchies were the largest existing states on Ancona and rivaled each other for dominance over the island. This rivalry cumulated into the War of Claritist Succession of 1971 which began with the controversial appointment of Frovadio IV as High Priest of the Church of Clarity. Following his appointment, Frovadio declared the relocation of the Church from Guirta in Modelbia to the city of Casodua in Andavega. Concluding that it was an attempt by Andavega to gain full control over the Church, Vespero III, the recently appointed Grand Duke of Rosa, invaded Modelbia, imprisoned Frovadio, and put in place Francisco II as High Priest. This action was greatly scrutinized by the Claritist community, eventually leading to Andavega declaring war on Rosa. With the joint forces of Rosa's allies and the strategic leadership of Vespero, the war swiftly came to an end the same year and the entirety of Andavega was annexed into Rosa. With the blessing of the Church, Vespero reformed his territory into the Principality of Ancona.

Nearing the end of his life without an heir, Duke Ferdinand IV of Larunda proclaimed in 1795 for Vespero to succeed him. Upon is death in 1800, the whole island of Larunda and holdings in Ancona were inherited by Vespero which would be merged into the Principality.

On the island of Toscani, Prince Ludovico succeeded the throne of Aragena in 1814. Making his ambitions well known, Ludovico made it his goal to unite the entirety of the island through any means necessary. Not long after coming to power, he voiced his intentions with the reestablishment of Aragena into the Principality of Toscani. Turning towards the north, the vulpine republics of Ercoste and Rirouca became Ludovico's first targets of conquest. Over a decade long period of conflict, referred to as the Toscanan Northern Campaigns, Toscani slowly conquered and annexed its two northern neighbors. The first to fall was Ercoste in 1821 with Rirouca not long after, marking the full annexation of North Toscani in 1828. The region would remain unstable for the next few decades, keeping Ludovico focused on suppressing rebellions instead of continuing his conquest of Toscani.

The beginning of the Consolidamento on Emili started with the eventual merger of Destino and Camanes. A succession conflict was on the horizon in Camanes when Duke Irvo II recognized his nephew, Albern of Portilves, as his heir in 1807, passing over his own daughter, Adelina. Betrayed by this proclamation, Adelina turned to Agapito V, Grand Duke of Destino, for assistance in securing herself as the next successor to the throne. Agapito, seeing an opportunity to further grow his country's influence over Emili, agreed to fully support Adelina when the time came with the condition that if they were successful, she was to marry his son, Augostino, with plans to create a political union between the two duchies. The time arrived quickly with the death of Irvo in 1811, upon which Adelina declared herself the rightful ruler of Camanes. Between 1811 and 1814, Adelina went to war with Albern, sending the entire island into conflict. Adelina in the end became victorious and was officially declared Duchess of Camanes in 1814. Augostino would eventually succeed the throne of Destino in 1818, and as agreed upon, both he and Adelina married in 1820. This also included the union of the two duchies, together forming the Principality of Emili.

With Ancona taking a more aggressive stance against the remaining separated states and growing revolutionary activity, the leadership of Viatejo looked for alternative options to prevent being conquered by their larger neighbor. In 1824, the magistrate agreed to a union with the Mediumese Republic. When word of this decision was made public, revolts broke out across the city of Gologma by supporters and sympathizers to Prince Vespero and Ancona. This gave Vespero the opportunity to move his troops across the Viatejonese border with ease as the Republic's leadership was busy dealing with the revolutionaries. As Vespero and his army marched into Gologma, he was greeted with cheers as the magistrate officially surrendered, allowing for Viatejo to be annexed into Ancona.

The next step towards further unity on the island of Emili was through the union of the Principality and city-state of Baronburg. A union was favorable to both parties as it opened Emili to an important port that was open to the Codex Pontus, while some benefits for Baronburg included protection and removal of trade restrictions. The main issue came in the form of different political systems. Between 1822 and 1826, Emili and Baronburg focused on adopting and merging similar laws and statutes, along with eliminating any contrasting elements. A major decision that was agreed upon would turn Emili into a constitutional monarchy with a more representative government. In 1833, both states would sign and implement the Statuto Emili which would serve as the Principality's new constitution and officially merge Baronburg into Emili.

Once the rebellions were dealt with in the north, Ludovico turned his attention to the last state that Toscani shared a land border with. Ruled by the powerful Terine family, the Duchy of Terine existed as a formidable force since its inception following the collapse of the Fortunan Empire and into the 19th century. Not wishing to deal with another long drawn out conflict, Ludovico turned to the other Fortunan principalities for assistance. In 1837, Toscani formed a coalition with Ancona, referred to as the First Fortunan Alliance, with the sole purpose of conquering Terine. Ludovico began his ground offensive the following year while the allied fleet defeated Terine's naval fleet and blockaded its ports. The Terine War lasted for three years and following the successful siege of the city of Terine in 1940, Duke Antoni agreed to the Alliance's terms of surrender. These conditions included the voiding of institutions and statutes within Terine, the merging of its territory into Toscani, emplacement of Toscanan laws, and the lifting of access to the Port of Terine. In return, the Terine family would be allowed to preserve their prestige and continue to rule just the city itself. With the conclusion of this conflict, Toscani was the first island of the three to be fully united. Ludovico would later pass away in 1942 and succeeded by his daughter, Maria I, by then he had already built up a strong centralized system which would keep Toscani united into the 20th century.

The final piece towards a united island for Emili was the Grand Duchy of Portilves under the rule of Arduino. Augostino and Adelina both knew that a conflict was inevitable if peace on the island was to be achieved. Adelina especially wished to swiftly deal with the Grand Duchy that opposed her rise to power in Camanes. With the recent annexation of Baronburg, it cut off Portilves from the largest port connected to the Codex Pontus and allowed for the Emili rulers to completely surround them. Knowing that a war with Emili would lead to a defeat, dissent began to grow among the nobles of Portilves against Arduino and his recent failures in counteracting the Emilian couple. Revolutionary thought took hold in Portilves and proponents began pushing for unity with Emili. Seeing an opportunity, Augostino and Adelina secretly contacted Portilvian nobles and revolutionaries to further support their efforts in opposing Arduino. In response to growing dissent, Arduino ruthlessly beat down any forms of protest, although this would have the opposite effect and lead further defiance. This would lead to a full on rebellion in 1846 when revolutionary forces overthrew Arduino and welcomed the Emilian couple in his place. For the next year, Augostino and Adelina implemented Emilian law and statutes into the region to fully integrate Portilves into the Principality, and by 1847, the entire island of Emili was united.

The question of Modelbia had always remained an issue for Vespero, and although he was responsible for the appointment of Francisco II as High Priest, he remained unsuccessful in merging the territories of Modelbia into Ancona up to his death in 1852. Prudenzio IV succeeded him the same year and he made it his first goal to fully unite the island and bring Modelbia into the Principality. In 1855, Prudenzio sent an ultimatum to the Church demanding for the recognition of Anconan authority over Modelbia and the city of Guirta. Upon receiving no response, Anconan forces slowly crossed the border without opposition and marched towards the city. Prudenzio hoped to annex Modelbia peacefully as a direct conflict with the Church could lead to backlash from the Claritist community. Upon reaching the walls of Guirta, the Anconan forces sieged the city and for the next week continuously pummeled the walls with cannonade fire. Once the walls were breached, the Guirtan defenders conceded and Anconan troops were allowed to freely march into the city. With the conclusion of the siege and subsequent talks, Modelbia and the city of Guirta were annexed by Ancona. To please the Claritist community, the Church was given autonomy over their holdings.

With the annexation of Modelbia, the Fortunan Archipelago was now under the rule of three principalities in 1855. Altogether, the Aspirian Isles was made up of five states with the three Fortunan principalities, the Mediumese Republic, and the United Provinces of Eridani Theta, a major difference from the fifteen independent states at the start of the 1790s. After over a half century of conflict, the people of Fortuna were ready for peace. To prevent further conflicts between the Aspirian nations, the leadership of the Fortunan states and Eridani Theta agreed to open talks with each other. Starting in April 1860, representatives from the four states met in IFC where for the next month they discussed recognition of each others territorial claims, trade agreements, and a non-aggression pact. Known as the Four States Agreement of 1860, this agreement included the mutual recognition of each other as the legitimate governments of their respective states along with recognizing their recent annexations. Although the Mediumese Republic was not given representation during these talks, their autonomy over the Medium Isles and Sea were recognized and expected to be respected by the four states.

Although generally celebrated as a solution towards peace and an end to the half century long length of conflicts on the Fortunan Archipelago, some criticisms arose such as by the Mediumese government who had concerns with not having a say in the agreement, although they later accepted the terms unanimously in 1862. Other opponents to the agreement were Fortunan revolutionaries and proto-nationalists who advocated for the unity of the entire Fortunan Archipelago and saw the agreement as a hindrance towards this goal. The Principalities in the 19th century perceived this activity as dangerous to the peace and status quo they had just accomplished with the implementation of the agreement. During the late 1800s, revolutionary activities were actively suppressed by the ruling governments although never entirely wiped out. These proponents of Fortunan unification laid the groundwork for nationalistic and expansionistic ideas that took hold in the 20th century.

Modern Period (1860 to present)

Modernization

Prior to the Four States Agreement in 1860, the archipelago's economy was predominantly agrarian and foreign trade was limited. Now entering an age of relative peace, the four states were able to focus on industrializing, seeing an increase in production and international trade. Reforms which further limited the power of the guilds and aristocracy allowed for entrepreneurship to take hold, leading to the expansion of industries in shipbuilding, iron working, and textile manufacturing. Increased migration to areas of industrialization and trade saw an explosion in population and urban areas, such as in the cities of Terine, Destino, and Baronburg.

Along with industrialization on the archipelago came the development of transportation. Due to geographic limitations, the three states within the Fortunan Archipelago built separate railway systems from each other, further progressing the importance of industrialization and state unity thanks to the increase ease of transportation for raw materials, manufactured products, and public use. The development of steamships also played an important role for the island states. Shipbuilding, both civil and military, became a major part of the archipelago's economy, with Terine and Gologma becoming the main industry centers. With the purchase and production of more effective ships, it allowed for the states' range of trade to increase, and by the 1900s, the archipelago became an important trading hub between Yasteria and the Pacific.

The Great War and Revolutions

Entering into the 20th century saw the start of the global conflict known as The Great War, known as well as the Great Catastrophe in modern day Fortuna. Due to the Aspirian Isles' geographical location being between the fighting powers, the islands inevitably was brought into the war. In order to remain having access to the Pacific Ocean, Packilvania quickly gained control of the islands of Toscani and most of Emili in the first few months. Fearing occupation as well, nobility and state leaders of Ancona and Emili agreed to form the Second Fortunan Alliance and ally themselves with the Pacific Coalition. The Medium Sea would become the center of naval conflict with the first major battle between an Asendavian-Vekaiyun-Valokchian fleet and a Packilvanian fleet of pre-dreadnought battleships. As the war drew on, the native population became discontent with the foreign occupation, leading to numerous factions and rebel groups to form, playing an important role in the early formation of Fortunan nationalism. Occupation of the Aspirian Isles would continue until the end of the war in 1917 following an agreement to end the war by both sides. Preferring to set up a buffer state instead of continuing their occupation, participants of the war agreed to return sovereignty to the Aspirian Isles. A proposal was made to unite the islands under a single government, but the idea was quickly dropped due to disagreements and protests by the native nobility.

Inspired by the communist uprising in Packilvania following the end of the Great War, communist sentiment picked up on the isles, especially on the island of Toscani which gained the most contact with the mainland. The Earthquake of 1923 and the following tsunami made matters worse, causing immeasurable destruction to the Fortunan Archipelago and causing over 100,000 deaths and many more displaced. This period would then see immense suppression attempts by state leaders and the nobility as dissent continued to grow amongst the general population. It all came to a head on 2 April 1924 when during a strike of shipbuilders and port workers in Terine, law enforcement fired upon protesters, killing dozens. Known as the Shipbuilders Massacre, the protest in the city turned into an uprising as citizens of the city overthrew the city leaders after a week of bloody conflict. Inspired by the actions in Terine, uprisings across the island began to spread. Delfino Pane, an officer of the Toscanan Army, denounced his allegiance to the sitting prince and began using his forces to assist revolutionaries and push back loyalist troops. On 17 October 1924, revolutionary troops overran the Royal Palace of Toscani, forcing the royal family to flee to Ancona. Elsewhere on the Fortunan Archipelago, attempts at uprising were made, however state leaders were fully prepared and crushing dissent with an immediate crackdown. By 1925, the People's Republic of Toscani was formed as Delfino Pane serving as Head Secretary. In Eridani Theta, the state immediately collapsed following economic and social failure, beginning a long period of conflict that fueled speciest and nationalist movements.

During Pane's years in office, he made immense changes to the political and social system of Toscani. The most impactful action was the immediate dissolution of the nobility on the island and the distribution of former noble land to peasants. The means of production were nationalized with most of it becoming owned and operated by the government. Between 1925 and 1930 saw a period of trials and persecution of thousands considered "enemies of the revolution" or part of the aristocracy. Another major goal of Pane was the improving of women's rights, such as making Toscani the first Fortunan state to give women the right to vote in 1928, taking until the 1935-36 for Emili and Ancona, and appointing women to high governmental positions. Species rights also saw improvements, especially for nekomimis and vulpines. Fazio Viscardi, a nekomimi himself, became a prominent party leader during this period, later becoming the next Head Secretary following Deflino Pane's death in 1937.

Fearing a larger uprisings in the future, the states of Emili and Ancona made a few concessions and reforms to please the general population. In Emili, Prince Aristeo agreed to limitations of his power as head of state, handing over most administrative duties to the Prime Minister. The Reforms Act and Elections Act 1934 also allowed for better representation by the people and further limitations on the aristocracy, along with making the legislative body bicameral with the formation of the Noble Chamber and the Common Chamber. Meanwhile in Ancona, reforms and changes would occur at a slower pace with the state remaining an absolute monarchy until the adoption of a constitution in 1938, turning the state into something similar to that of a semi-constitutional monarchy. To prevent communist and socialist parties to overtake their governments, the state leaders of Ancona and Emili heavily promoted capitalism and nationalism through extensive propaganda campaigns.

Rising Tensions (1940-1960)

With Fazio Viscardi's rise to power in Toscani in 1937, he made it clear that his goal was for communism to further spread to the rest of the Fortunan states. This caused a scare in Emili and Ancona, fearing this would lead to further dissent within their borders. In 1940, the governments of Emili and Ancona entered into a military alliance with each other along with both increasing embargoes and tariffs on Toscani. Further pressure from the international community against Toscani would lead to an economic downturn and greater shortages on the island. Corruption also became more rampant under Viscardi's administration with many government officials accused of involvement in multiple offenses from the trafficking of illegal goods to foreign cooperation. Large demonstrations and protests were held between 1944 and 1945 regarding the many social and economic issues that the island faced. In response, Viscardi immediately clamped down on the protests, leading to increased imprisonment and the conducting of unfair trials against dissenters and political opponents. The repression of basic rights by the Viscardi regime would only lead to more dissent and calls for the Head Secretary to step down. In a surprising turn, disgruntled high-ranking military officers commenced a coup on 7 March 1946, leading to the overthrowing and mass arrest of Viscardi and his cabinet.

War Against Foreign Aggression (1960-1973)

Main article: Toscanan-Emilian War

The Toscanan-Emilian War (1960-1973) was a turning point that pushed the inhabitants of the archipelago towards isolation and saw the strengthening of national ideals. Although the war consisted of little international interaction, the Fortunan states put the blame on foreign influence, leading to the conflict being known as the War Against Foreign Aggression which is still the accepted narrative in the current regime. Conflict first arose on October 14, 1959, when Toscanan naval ships apprehended an Emilian coast guard vessel for illegally crossing into Toscanan waters. The Emilian government strongly denied this and demanded the ship and its crew to be returned. When Toscani continued to refuse the demands, Emili reacted by seizing all Toscanan vessels within their ports and placed a blockade on the Guiliano Strait. Tensions continued to rise, although peace talks were secretly being prepared to deescalate the situation. However, before talks could even begin tragedy struck on December 4 when angered mobs boarded a handful of Toscanan ships in Destino, vandalizing the vessels and beating the crews, causing up to 11 deaths. Enraged by the murders and the lack of responsibility by the Emilian government, Toscanan naval forces opened fire on the Emilian ship leading to its sinking and 20 more deaths. For the next month, Emilian Navy and Toscanan Navy fought in small skirmishes until war was officially declared on January 1, 1960, by Emilian government. Immediately following the declaration of war, the Anconan government followed suit to stand with their ally Emili, forming the Third Fortunan Alliance.

At first no large conflict began as none of them shared a land border, so the time between January and March saw only further small skirmishes between naval forces. In an unexpected turn however, Toscani made the first major move by invading Emili, immediately taking control of the Guiliano Strait and slowly began to push inland. Although caught off guard and at first outnumbered, the Emilian forces were able to bring the offensive to a complete stop. Fighting along the line became drawn-out, leading to little gains on both sides for nearly five months.

Comparing the two forces, Emili had the upper hand as most of the conflict took place on their territory. Toscani on the other hand had to maintain control of the strait in order to continue shipping men and supplies to the front line, a feat which slowly became dire as the Emilian Navy and Anconan Navy began to outnumber and at times outclass the Toscanan fleet. In late August, Emili was able to gain the upper hand as their naval ships were able to break the Toscanan defense line at the Battle of Guiliano Strait, giving them enough of an advantage to extremely hinder Toscanan supply routes. This also saw a large push back on land at least until late 1960 as advances on both sides came to a halt. The war went into a stalemate for the next couple years as the Emili Navy and Anconan Navy gained control of the Fortunan waters. Then in early 1965, Emilian troops began a series of offensives which ultimately led to the last of the Toscanan forces being pushed off of Emili.

Between 1965 and 1969 saw another stalemate as neither side was willing to stand down. Although Emili and Ancona gained complete naval control, Toscani was able to survive through the little amount of international support it received. Most conflicts consisted of small raids by both sides against coastal villages along with the use of early stage short-range missiles used for daily bombardments by both sides. Keeping up morale was also becoming an issue on the Emili side as little gains were being made in bringing the war to an end. To keep up morale, propaganda lectures and rallies began popping up to promote the importance of the war. The main purpose of these lectures was first specifically for the military, but soon spread out to where public rallies were held to boost public morale and encourage enlistment. These rallies first focused on anti-communist teachings, however over time it evolved to condemning Packilvania for bringing communism to the islands, to blaming the Great War for bringing instability to the islands, to finally blaming the entire war on foreign influence and outside attempts to destroy Fortunan culture. This also led to the growth of nationalism in the states of Emili and Ancona. Clarityism was also heavily supported and was used as a tool to further unite the populaces of the allied states to a common goal of finishing the war.

The war took a sudden turn on August 21, 1969, after a successful Emilian raid on the port of Crest in northern Toscani. Upon realization they were going to be able to hold the port, Emilian and Anconan troops quickly flooded in giving the alliance a foothold on the island. Now on the offensive, the allied troops continued pushing the Toscanan troops south at a moderate pace. Toscani’s fate was sealed when in mid-1972 the citizens of Terine wrestled control of the city from Toscanan troops, allowing for Emilian forces to gain a southern foothold. Nearly a year later, the final pockets of Toscanan forces surrendered, officially ending the war on May 12, 1973. In total, the war took two million lives and left most of Toscani and western Emili in ashes.

Creation of the Fortunan Confederation

Now under full control of Toscani, the alliance in placed a new, more favorable government which in turn made the island into a puppet state. The war placed a heavy toll on the archipelago, especially on Toscani which had the most collateral damage and casualties. The next major step was the creation of the Fortunan Confederation mainly to serve as a defensive and economic alliance. The remaining nobility and state leaders wanted to keep their sovereignty, so the alliance was purposefully created to be weak in nature. The only central institution of the confederation was the Federal Council; however, it had no power to enforce and decision created. The three states, with exception for Toscani in certain extents, remained fully sovereign and even continued upkeeping their own militaries separately. To further solidify the legitimacy of the alliance, the Federal Council set up Roderick Verdi, Duke of Vinizia, as emperor to represent as head of state, but his power was limited and he only merely served as a cultural icon.

Fortunan Archipelago Genocide (1973-1979)

Known as the Purification Period in Fortuna, the Fortunan Archipelago Genocide refers to the time period between 1973 and 1979 where the states of Fortuna systemically targeted, deported, and killed hundreds of thousands of individuals based on species, religion, and political affiliation. In order to create a sense of unity, the Fortunan states pushed to place blame of the war on foreign influence and interference. The idea that the conflict was created to deteriorate Fortunan culture and ideals was quickly accepted by the populace, especially within Emili and Ancona where nationalism continued to grow at an astounding rate.

The first step to strengthen national unity was with the passage of the Nationalist Act of 1964 on July 21, which officially banned socialist and communist parties, leading to the arrests of over 4,000 individuals within Emili and Ancona. Upon the conclusion of the war, the remaining politicians and state leaders of Toscani were detained and imprisoned within labor camps. Former Toscanan soldiers were extremely mistreated years after the end of the war with an estimated 50,000 dying while imprisoned.

Just months after the formation of the Fortunan Confederation on November 2, 1973, the Federal Council signed into law the Fortunan Purification Act which allowed for the arrest and deportation of individuals who were considered non-Fortunan, the demolishing of un-Fortunan buildings and sites, and gave law enforcement the right to arrest and detain anyone they believed was an enemy of the state. The main purpose of the act was to purposely allow for the targeting of non-Fortunan communities in an effort to push foreign influence out of the region. Anyone considered a potential danger to Fortunan nationality were rounded up and forced to leave the islands without their consent. The majority were sent to the mainland, however others found shelter in the Medium Islands. Supported by a growing Claritist community, the Clarity Protections Act was passed in 1975 allowing for the targeting and later banning of non-Claritist religions, leaving Clarityism as the sole national religion. The act also established the Clarity Protections Service which served as its own investigative and judicial system to reveal religious enemies and had them detained.

Speciesism was also on the rise during this time and many minority groups were targeted, specifically Nekomimis and Felines due to being considered non-natives to the isles. Nekomimis and felines for hundreds of years faced discrimination by the human-majority populace as they were oftenly affiliated with the surrounding foreign powers, mainly Packilvania. Entering into the 20th century, many prominent left-wing advocates and politicians were nekomimis, such as Fazio Viscardi who served as a head-of-state in Toscani. The general prejudice against nekomimis and felines was weaponized by the state leaders in Emili and Ancona during the war, weaving a distorted narrative that these species were anti-Fortunan and were spearheading foreign influence in the region. During the war, nekomimi and feline communities in the two states were oftenly violently targeted, marking the beginning of forceful deportation of thousands off the isles. The collapse of the Toscanan state in 1973 is considered the beginning of the genocidal period with mass murder and deportation commonly seen on the island of Toscani. The effect of this genocide is still visible today with no recorded nekomimis or felines residing within the Fortunan Archipelago. Vulpines also faced a level of discrimination, but the majority of the vulpine community were allowed to stay due to their support during the war and their entwined history within Fortuna.

The violent stance against targeted groups would end in 1979 upon the request of Emperor Roderick as the states turned their focus towards fighting off rebel militant groups. By the end of the decade, more than 350,000 individuals were arrested with little than half of them deported off of the archipelago, along with thousands of cultural objects and significant buildings being destroyed. In the early 1960s, around 20% of the population stated they practiced other religions from Clarityism. By the end of the 1970s, that number dropped down to less than 1%. An estimated 250,000 people were killed during this time period, the largest mass murder in Fortunan history which the current regime continues to deny to this day.

Rise of the Unitary Nationalist Party

Following the end of the War of Aggression, Fortuna fell into instability with the states losing control of chunks of the archipelago to crime gangs and rebel militant groups. In the mid 1970s, the Confederation began campaigns, known as the Unification Campaigns, to retake rebel-held territory. However, due to a lack of a central government and the reliance of the states' personal militaries, the campaigns were a slow process that lasted into the late 1980s.

With the war still fresh in many Fortunans' minds and annoyance with the current ruling government, the want of a more unified nation under a strong government increased. The idea was headed by the Unitary Nationalist Party (UNP), a fascist political party whose goal was to unite the islands under one government and bring Fortuna back to its roots. Started in Emili where dissent was at its highest on the archipelago, the party would start connected branches in the other states. The UNP would especially gain popularity in Toscani who had grown fatigued from the war and felt unfairly treated by the rest of the states, especially Ancona. Popularity in Ancona would rise at a much slower pace due to Anconan's higher class strong grip on the state and their fear that the UNP would tear down the state's political system. Overall, approval of the party and their goals continued to grow, peaking in the early 1990s after prominent UNP members in the military were able to defeat infamous militant groups with ease. One of these members was a young officer named Tristano Lyone, a soldier in the Emili military who gained immense popularity for his victories. As the campaigns to retake the islands came to an end in 1989, Lyone moved away from the army and looked towards politics.

Unitary Nationalist Party Takeover (1990-2000)

By 1990, the UNP held almost half of the seats in all three federal bodies: 45% in Emili, 35% in Toscani, and 24% in Ancona. The UNP's main goal was to gain full control of all three governments and then unite under one strong central body. Even with barely half of the seats in the chambers, the UNP began working to set up Fortuna to be easily taken over in the up coming years such as replacing leadership roles of prominent organizations with UNP sympathizers and party members. Still, they needed someone to rally around and that came in the form of Tristano Lyone.

Following his entrance into politics, Lyone took advantage of his military background, popularity, and charisma to lead many UNP rallies where he gained even more notoriety for his inspiring speeches. As he slowly gained more and more followers, he also slowly began to rise up in the ranks of the UNP. Seeing an opportunity with this young, charismatic speaker, UNP leaders convinced Lyone to run for Prime Minister of Emili in the 1996 Grand Elections. With a majority vote of 52.5%, Lyone won the seat of Prime Minister of Emili and was the youngest person in Fortunan history to become a head of state at the age of 27. In Toscani, Bernard Leandro, another prominent UNP member, became Prime Minister of Ancona with a majority vote of 53%. The party also gained a majority of the seats in the legislative branch of the three federal bodies with over half in all: 80% in Emili, 75% in Toscani, and 66% in Ancona.

With control of the executive branches in Emili and Toscani, along with control of a majority of the seats in all three legislative branches, the party's next goal was to bring all three states under one centralized government, but first they needed something for Fortunans to come together for or against. On July 26, 1997, Edward Vicino, a prominent UNP member in Ancona, was assassinated by a radical loyalist. During this time, tensions were high between the centralist faction, those who wished for a strong central government and made up mainly of the UNP, and the loyalist faction, those who supported state sovereignty which mainly consisted of the nobility and upper class. Seeing an advantage with the death of Edward Vicino, the UNP took this as an opportunity to wrestle the remaining amount of power from the loyalist faction. Tristano Lyone publicly announced that the assassination of Vicino was the start of a loyalist takeover and ordered for the targeting and arrest of known loyalists within Emili for treason, later followed suit by the government of Toscani and dissent within Ancona. The main targets were various monarchist and confederalist political parties with over 4,000 known members targeted and detained. Loyalists and sympathizers across the nation were attacked by UNP-led rioters who caused immense damage and casualties. By the end of August, over 15,000 individuals were arrested due to their political support and an estimated 539 deaths were caused. On September 8, the Confederation passed the Political Protections Act which banned any political parties that were deemed "anti-Fortunan" or those who promoted a non-centralized government, removing nearly every rival that the UNP had in one blow. Although this led to the decline of many noble families, a few that remained supporters of the UNP have continued to exist to present day.

During his term as prime minister, Lyone traversed the islands of Fortuna to hold rallies to promote a united country under a central and powerful government, gaining more and more followers as he went on. It was during this time that he began to gain popularity among the Claritist community who began seeing him as the Elescelto, a prophesied leader who was said to be the one who would be successful in uniting Fortuna. This idea slowly grew until it was believed by a majority of Claritists within the region. Seeing another opportunity, prominent UNP leaders in the early months of 1997 made statements declaring Lyone as the Elescelto, setting him up to be the leader of Fortuna once fully united. On September 16, 1997, in one of his rallies Tristano Lyone himself declared he was the chosen leader and that it will be he who will unite the islands once again.

Finally on August 25, 1998, with full control of the government, Tristano Lyone held a referendum within Emili asking citizens if the Fortunan Confederation should be abolished in placed with a more centralized government. By a landslide, a majority of Emilians by a vote of 98% voted for the end of the Confederation. The next day, Lyone declared that Emili will leave the Confederation and abolish the Emili government to form the Second Fortunan Empire (SFE), centralized in the city of Destino. Not wanting to be left behind, the state of Toscani declared that they too will be leaving the Confederation and abolish their government to join under the government of the SFE. As the only state left in the Confederation and pressured by it's fellow states, Ancona did likewise and on March 11, 1999, all three states were finally under one centralized government, officially forming the Second Fortunan Empire.

In this new government, Tristano Lyone had set himself up to be the new head of state and take on the title of High Commander. However, he still had a handful of rivals who too wished to gain a major foothold in this new government. So to solidify his rule, Lyone took control of the Imperial Fortunan City, the city where the emperor resided and the only place who showed no loyalty to the UNP, and personally executed the emperor in public for treason. While this was taking place, Lyone had his rivals and top officials in the party arrested or assassinated. This chaotic period is known as the "Lyone's Purge" and led to the death and imprisonment of hundreds of individuals. With no one left to challenge him (with exception of Bernard Leandro who escaped to the Medium Islands), Tristano Lyone publicly pronounced himself as absolute ruler of Fortuna, taking on the historically significant title of High Commander on May 17, 1999. Thus began the Second Fortunan Empire under the rule of a fascist dictatorship.

Second Fortunan Empire (2000-Present Day)

Economic Revitalization

Following Lyone’s rise to power and the formation of the Second Fortunan Empire, the archipelago was still in an economic depression. Due to surviving distrust of international powers and pressure from a handful of economic groups, the newly formed government first attempted to uphold an economic system of autarky and self-sufficiency. Entering into the 2000s, economic growth in Fortuna continued to plummet with increasing inflation, food scarcity, and a growing black market. After nearly five years of economic stagnation, the regime concluded that full autarky was not achievable just yet and economic improvements must occur for the survival of the empire. With political pressure from certain economic advisors and fear of possible uprisings, Lyone decided to take another economic route and began administrative changes between 2005 and 2006. The first steps taken was with an overhaul of the Elite Departments, the largest change being the creation of the Department of Trade and Economic Affairs, bringing in a number of economists under the newly appointed Secretary Lorenzo Jackson to reboot Fortuna’s economy.

The time period between 2005 to 2012 saw the implementation of multiple reforms and policies, leading to astounding economic growth to the surprise of many. Starting domestically, the regime put into place land reforms, mainly in the form of seizing land from large landowners who were considered unproductive and then repurposing the land for agriculture or industrial use to create new revenues for the state, ultimately ending the final remnants of feudalism in Fortuna. The regime also began a policy of land reclamation, repurposing large swathes of once uninhabitable land to further increase agricultural output and make room for the growing Fortunan population.

Another focus of the regime was reinvigorating industrial areas, investing into private companies such as the shipbuilders Terine Industries and the mining company Fletcher Mining. To further increase development, the regime also heavily invested in a national research and development conglomerate now known as the Fortunan Science and Engineering Department which continues to provide thousands of jobs and helped advance the nation in the ways of science and technology. Another task set by the regime was to modernize Fortuna's military and preparation for conflict, leading to extensive militarization. The purpose was mainly weaved as an important deterrent to foreign aggression, however entering into the 2010s, heavy militarization was deemed necessary in order to support the regime's imperial goals.

By far the most effective, and most controversial, cause in the revitalization of the Fortunan economy with the liberalization of foreign trade, international travel, and allowing for foreign investment. Starting in the late 2000s, the regime began taking steps in ending the archipelago's policies of isolation and began focusing on becoming a participant of the global market. Although heavily monitored, foreign investment and aid was allowed, leading to an expansion in many of Fortuna's industries. The regime also took advantage of Fortuna's geographical location in the middle of Yasteria's eastern coast and the Pacific Ocean, setting the nation up as a potential trading hub. The effects of these policies and reforms including remittances of Fortunan workers abroad, industries such as agriculture, fishing, weapons manufacturing, and shipbuilding growing exponentially, and the encouragement in the tourism industry played a major part in further economic growth. By 2010, Fortuna was out of its economic depression, allowing for Lyone and the UNP to focus on their goals outwards.

Annexation of the Medium Islands

As part of the UNP's objective to reunite ethnic Fortunans and regaining former territory of the First Fortunan Empire, the regime took its first step in 2012 with the annexation of the Medium Islands. During a one year campaign, Fortuna secured the cluster of islands in the Medium Sea between the Fortuna Archipelago and the island of Eridani Theta uncontested. This was the empire's first military campaign outside of its borders and was for the most part a success. Most of the resistance to the Fortunan takeover took place on Linaro Island where the remnants of Lyone's opposition were entrenched. On April 20, Fortunan troops first landed on Linaro Island and quickly gained control of Cannato, the largest town on the island. Fortunan troops however would not take full control of the island until after a six month long engagement when the final pockets of resistance were defeated on October 15. The annexation of the other islands went without much resistance with but a few occurrences. The first major incident occurred in the city of Regara on the Telga Islands. On April 26 during a protest against the annexation, violence broke out, starting when a Fortunan officer firing upon the crowd, leading to the rest of the Fortunan troops following likewise. Known as simply the "Telga Incident" by the Fortunan regime or the "Telga Massacre" by residents and the international community, the incident ended with the death of one Fortunan officer and 25 Telgan residents. This marked a four month period known as the Telgan Uprising which saw heavy conflict between Telganese rebels and Fortunan forces. Although the uprising was unsuccessful, it reminded Fortunan leaders of the difficulty it would take to reunite the Aspirian Isles. The regime continues to defend the actions of their troops in Telga, saying they acted out of self defense. Another attempt of resistance occurred off the shores of Mira Island on May 28 when local residents and fishermen of the island blocked off the landing force. The conflict came to an end after Fortunan naval ships forcing their way past leading to multiple casualties of Mira residents and the sinking of around a dozen fishing vessels. As with Telga, the Fortunan military defended their actions citing the incident first occurred due to aggressive maneuvers by the islanders. It would not be until 2013 when the final attempts at resistance came to an end, allowing for the regime to begin the process of assimilating culturally and economically into the empire. This process at times included "purification" procedures placed back in the 1970s, causing for continued discrimination and forceful emigration from the islands. With the annexation of the Medium Islands, it opened up the Medium Sea to Fortuna, giving them control of the area's shipping lanes, fishing spots, and oil reserves. The assimilation process would continue for a few years until 2016 when Medium Island residents were given full citizenship within the empire.

Bettering Foreign Relations

As the major part of the Medium campaign was coming to an end, Fortuna focused further on involving themselves in the international community. This mainly included opening foreign relations with recognized nations around Urth and set up trade and military agreements with potential allies. Within Yasteria, Fortuna focused on setting up diplomatic relations with the neighbors they were at least neutral to. The largest bilateral connection in Yasteria was with Asendavia with both nations formally agreeing to a non-aggression pact. Another part of the world that Fortuna built up its connections with was in Aurora. Due to similar goals and political systems, Biramura became a close ally of the empire with both nations agreeing to a number of military and economic pacts. As part of the regime's initiative to reboot the nation's economy, certain trade agreements and programs were created with the United Kingdom. The regime also turned their attention at times to Gondwana where they supported similar regimes with military advisors and equipment. The government also supported research and development of the International Sealab, sending multiple envoys to study alongside a range of researchers and scientists from around the world.

Annexation of Eridani Theta

On November 1, 2017, The former nation of Eridani Theta broke apart following the decision of the Eridani Thetan 2017 Referendum. Following years living under a dictatorship and the unending growth of both speciesism and Fortunan nationalism, the southern provinces of Eridani Theta decided to break away and unite into the Fortunan Empire. The remnants joined together and formed the Republic of Ambravia, a small, vulpine majority nation. Fortunan troops quickly moved into the newly claimed territory to secure strategic positions and cities. This received some backlash from the populace that opposed Fortuna, especially from Eridani Thetan loyalists and vulpine extremists. Skirmishes continue to be reported to take place between Fortunan forces, Ambravian forces, and Eridani Thetan loyalists. Much of the conflict is currently focused around the city of Equilara, the former capital of Eridani Theta, which is held by the Eridani Thetan loyalists as both Fortunan and Ambravian troops try to claim the city before the other. On December 6, 2017, representatives from both Fortuna and Ambravia came together to sign the Slens Agreement which solidified Fortuna's claim in Eridani Theta. In order to display their want for peace, the Fortunan Regime agreed to allow PKFU troops temporarily take control of the border and set up a buffer zone.

Although Fortuna and Ambravia agreed to not pursue any military conflict, fighting would continue between Fortunan troops and the Ambravian Freedom Fighters, an independent paramilitary organization who opposed Fortuna's annexation of Eastern Eridani Theta. This would lead up to two years later when on March 15, 2020, the Empire ordered for the departure of the PKFU and the return of border control to Fortunan troops. Tensions finally reached their breaking point upon an attempted ambush of Fortunan general Nicholas Telli on April 21. In retaliation, he ordered for the striking of five supposedly unknown AFF sites, causing Grand Admiral Francesco Guido to make the decision to begin the invasion of Ambravia. The next day, Lyone made a speech in front of an assembled government to officially declare war against Ambravia. The war would conclude on September 1, 2020, leading to the entirety of Ambravia to be annexed into Fortuna.