History of Fortuna: Difference between revisions

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 cyclone 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.