History of Fortuna

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

Ancient History

Growth of Codex Influence (1500 BCE to 200 CE)

Between 1500 and 1000 BC, the Aspirian Isles saw an influx of trans-cultural diffusion and migration from Southeast Yasteria by more Codex groups, mainly in the southern islands of present-day Emili and Toscani. Along with them, these groups brought new technologies such as the use of iron and advances in agriculture. The Codex culture quickly took over the Aspiriac culture in the southern island cluster and into the Medium Islands, reaching as far as the island of Eridani Theta where it mixed with the culture of existing vulpine natives. By around 100 BC, the isles saw the largest growth of Codex influence, solidifying the formation of a Codex-Aspiriac culture, especially within the southern islands. Codex growth in the Aspirian Isles would continue for another three to four hundred years until their influence began to dwindle in the 2nd and 3rd century AD.

Norvian Conquests (100 CE to 500 CE)

Beginning as early as the 2nd century, invaders known simply as the Norvians began arriving to the islands, the first accounts dating to 114 AD in the Telga Islands. The Norvians that arrived in Yasteria first originated from across the Pacific Ocean in Novaris. Their journey across the ocean became known as the Second Expedition with the First Expedition being their arrival to Novaris around 150 BCE. The arrival of the Norvians to the Aspirian Isles marked a period of conquest as Norvians pushed further south, eventually coming into contact with existing Codexian states. By the 3rd century, the Norvian invaders easily conquered the island of Eridani Theta and much of the Medium Isles. The rest of the century saw further conquest and the establishment of numerous of Norvian kingdoms that were in constant conflict with native Yasterian states. Around this time, multiple Norvian chiefs declared together the Third Expedition, amassing an immense fleet and traversed into the Packilvanian Ocean. The fate of the expedition remained unknown to the Norvians in the Aspirian Isles, although in recent times it was realized that the group eventually landed in Aurora around 300 CE. The beginning of the fifth century marked when the Norvian kingdoms were at their peak, solidifying their footing in Yasteria. This period eventually end with the collapse of the Central Norvic Empire, leading to the fragile state to collapse into multiple kingdoms in 504.

Norvian Kingdoms (504-1028)

Following the collapse of the Central Norvic 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)

Arguably 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, forming the Imperial Fortunan City, centralizing the imperial court within the original lands of the Kingdom of Fortuna. Creating and enforcing a set of doctrines and reforms, known as Faro's Code, 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 noblemen and 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, coming into contact with multiple coastal civilizations, Sergio turned his attention to 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.

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 agreed to allow military access for the anti-Morstopackia alliance which also included the occupation of Eridani Theta. 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. This period saw 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, 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 the first General 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.

War Against Foreign Aggression (1960-1973)

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.

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.

The Purification Period (1973-1979)

Known as the Purification Period in Fortuna, this was a time period between 1973 and 1979 where the states of Fortuna targeted certain species, religious, and political groups.In order to create a sense of unity, the Fortunan states pushed to place blame of the war on foreign 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 1973 on July 21, which officially banned socialist and communist parties, leading to the arrests of over 4,000 individuals. Then on November 2, 1973, inspired by the growing hate of foreign powers and increasing nationalism among the states, 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.

Speciesism was also on the rise during this time and many minority groups were targeted, specifically Nekos due to being considered non-natives to the isles. 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.

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 70,650 people were killed during this time period, many due to mass slaughter of villages which the current regime denies 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 to retake the islands. However, due to a lack of a central government and the reliance of the states' personal military, 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. Their popularity slowly began to rise within the Fortunan population, 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, 47% in Ancona, and 38% in Toscani. 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 Ancona, 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: 75% in Emili, 80% in Ancona, and 66% in Toscani.

With control of the executive branches in Emili and Ancona, and 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, 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 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 saw this as an opportunity to wrestle the last amount of power from the loyalist faction. Tristano Lyone publicly announced that this as the start of a loyalist takeover and ordered for the targeting and arrest of known loyalists within Emili for treason, he was soon followed suit by the governments of Ancona and Toscani. The main target was the State Independence Party with over 4,000 known members were 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 background 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, including all three states' Independence Party, the largest loyalist political parties, 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 Ancona 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, Toscani 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 become head of state. So to solidify his rule, Lyone invaded 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 government 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 as 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, Baykalia 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.