Hyrettian period of Empherias

The Hyrettian period was the era of Empherias history between 1931 and 2044.

History

Rule of Louis III

The period began with the coronation of Rijkse Louis III on 1 February 1931. He set forth an agenda to the Council of the Five the following day which set out long term kingdom stability. Later that year, he drafted and instituted the Bill of Unity with seventeen county nobles where they swore loyalty to both the Rijkse, his heirs and the nation as a whole. Two nobles outside of the council: Lord Eduardine Bykat and Lord Diodiér Hines were to create a written codified constitution to detail the laws of the nation. Once the document was complete, the king was unhappy with their work and so both were executed on Damnation Day, 4 March 1932. He then worked in close partnership with a member of his council, foreign policy expert Lord Gauvin of Wilsby, to formulate a new more conservative and reactionary constitution which was implemented into common law on 1 May 1934. Following the deaths of Lord Bykat and Lord Hines, their successors in the region were unhappy with the tyrannical rule of the new king and were pressed to remove him from power. Lord Ellison Bykat, Lord Mikael Hines and Lord Pritchett-Simone of Kampret formed the Anti-Tyrannical League and raised individuals armies of 2000, 1000 and 450 militia respectively. On 12 November 1932, they marched into the capital, Esthullen, where they confronted 200 expertly trained Royal Guards in the northern district instigating the Battle of Gateshullen-Aude. The result was a victory for the government as they only had 77 casualties, with just 12 dying compared to the rebels who suffered some 1527 casualties and a large 805 deaths. Lord Bykat was captured during the battle and executed the following year on 1 February 1933. Lord Hines and Lord Kampret managed to flee to neighbouring Kingdom of Norsair. The three lord's lands were seized by the government who held it as crown land until 1940 when it was redistributed to neighbouring dukes and lords.

The constitution was initially planned to allow for larger freedoms which some thought would raise the happiness of many in the kingdoms and therefore be less likely to rebel. However, the second constitution written by the king himself aimed to be more conservative and repressive in nature. They also wanted a more aggressive foreign policy and expansion of Empherias culture. First, a key point of the constitution would clear up succession laws to allow for both genders to have equal rights to succession to be followed in birth order and it also allowed for the Rijkse to override the succession if a superior heir is founded. Another law would see the creation of city authorities which would give more powers to local governments for large cities (although the governments would be formed by pro-monarchist and conservative leaders). New taxes were levied while others removed to ensure less tax paid by upper class nobles. This caused some unrest, but there was no major protests.

Palak-Empherias War of 1940

In March 1939, Rijkse Louis III paid a visit to a large area bordering Palakkinen and appeared insulting to the majority Palak audience. He left the area but many protests erupted over the attitude of the regional government and the treatment of Palaks. The royal guards were sent in to quell the protests, but ultimately found links that the Palakkinen government were supplying the rebels with aid. Rijkse Louis III was furious and ordered an immediate invasion into Palakkinen, commencing the Palak-Empherias War of 1940 which lasted until 1943. This war would ultimately seen the king's downfall as he died during the Battle of Grapeshot North on 8 June 1943. His son, Pippin, would be coronated as Rijkse Pippin I at age 22 in a quick turnaround of 31 August 1943. Under the advice of Lord Waldegrave, Pippin signed a white peace with Palakkinen and attended the Waldegrave Accords (1943) to discuss Palakkinen's abstention from Empherias politics and to settle many border disputes. These accords fell through but set the precedent of future diplomatic conventions.

Rule of Pippin I

Pippin was eager not to remain in Esthullen and sit on constant bureaucracy. He feared that the Accords that fell through would ultimately lead to a second war with Palakkinen and so instructed Lord Hasse of Rommes to create a professional country army and appointed him Minister of War in 1945. As the senior most Minister, many consider him to be the first Prime Minister of Empherias. He created a cabinet of war planners and began formulating War Plan PK. Pippin also wanted to reform the system of currency in Empherias and introduced the niket-kalata-foragli system of currency. He also formed the foundations that would eventually become the Bank of Empherias. Pippin was keen to create a larger government than before and so created the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs to represent the nation abroad and appoint diplomats and ambassadors. In 1949, the Rijkse appointed Lord James Mayweather to this post to help improving relations with neighbouring countries. Mayweather secured an alliance with Norsair in 1953, set up the Vreimer Accords (1955) which settled disputes with Ahitereira, and secured that Koresa would not block off river access to the oceans in the Wilsby Accords (1956).

Despite the successes made by Pippin, Mayweather and Rommes, there were numerous conflicts during Pippin's resign. Small border conflicts between the Norsair Army and Empherias Royal Guards take place in 1960 and 1962. This was followed by the War of the Taverns (1963-1965) between Empherias and Norsair. The war ended in no major changes besides war reparations being made to Empherias and a prestige boost following their great victory at the Battle of the Seven Swords. Pippin I died of a heart attack in 1968 at the age of 47 and his successor was his eldest son, Louis who was coronated on 1 March 1969 as Rijkse Louis IV (aged 29).

Rule of Louis IV and James I

Louis IV was more disinterested with politics than his father and so delegated more powers to Lord Mayweather in the High Powers Act 1969. This would effectively see Mayweather become the head of the Council of the Five and would institute some reforms such as higher pay for government officials, an increase in general taxation, and an increase to the number of the council from five to eight. Following a brief argument with Mayweather however in early 1970, Louis IV became sick of the "arrogant fool running the country" and so abdicated in favour of his brother, coronated Rijkse James I.

James was just 28 years old and had great ideas for change. He moved quickly to shut down any of Mayweather's extra powers and took back the previously enacted increases to power. He did however keep the increased membership of the council and personally increased it further to ten members, appointing his sister Elisabeth as the first woman and his best friend Igor Kastova as the last two lords. However, before he could change much about the nation, he died in October 1972 of cholera. Neither Louis or James had any children, leaving the throne to their sister, who was coronated as Rijkdottir Elisabeth I at age 25.

Rule of Elisabeth I

Elisabeth's rule oversaw the evolution of the council into the Council of the Elite. This would be made up of an unspecified amount of powerful lords and nobles and experts in certain fields. The first iteration of which, opened in 1973, would have 226 members from all over the country and included all former members of the old council - excluding Mayweather. Despite opening in 1973, the first full session only took place in 1976 with subsequent sessions in 1980, 1985 and 1991 which saw dwindling membership and attendance.

Louis IV was disinterested with politics and so decided to delegate more powers to Lord Mayweather in the High Powers Act 1969. Following a brief argument with Mayweather in early 1970, he abdicated the throne in favour of his younger brother who became Rijkse James I who was age 28. He had great ideas for change but died of cholera in late 1972. Neither Louis IV or James I had children, leaving the throne to their only sister, Elizabeth I, at age 25. She oversaw the creation of the Council of the Elite. This was made up of powerful lords and nobles and experts in certain fields. Two famous members included the previously mentioned James Mayweather and an expert in finances, Henry Cecil. Their first meeting came in 1976, with just three more meetings following this in 1980, 1985, and 1991. Eghloris Lydekker-Hyrette, a half-brother of Elizabeth, was appointed to the council in 1989. Elizabeth's reign oversaw three major conflicts. The First Weskynn War (1979-1981); the Palak-Empherias War of 1985-1992; and the Second Weskynn War (1991-1992). Elizabeth died of smallpox in 1994 with no children.

The successor to Elizabeth was unclear. Pippin I did have a brother, Edward, who was now dead. He had two children: the elder Eghloris (who was serving in the Council of the Elite) and the younger Charlotte. Eghloris turned down the opportunity, allowing Charlotte to become Rijkdottir at age 24. Charlotte didn't achieve much during her reign but did establish the position of Prime Minister in 1999 to be elected within the Council of the Elite to lead it and directly advise the monarch. Eghloris Lydekker-Hyrette was appointed to the role of PM on 1 January 2000 - a role which he inherited for life. The Council of the Elite had their first proper leadership elections on the person to succeed Lydekker-Hyrette as early as 2038 where Henry Alamekas was selected. He had been a good friend of both Charlotte and Eghloris beforehand. now Sir Henry Alamekas following a knighthood, he succeeded to the role of PM on 19 May 2044. Charlotte continued to reign until her death in 2054, a full ten years following Eghloris' death. Her eldest son, Richard Stewart Hyrette, more commonly known by his pseudonym Prins Ristie, ascended to the throne at age 59. He had achieved much of his life's ambitions and achievements before coming to the throne and passed little to no reform before his sudden death the following year in 2055. Having been a statesman at heart, Ristie had no children and so left the throne to his younger brother Albert - who, like his brother, used the pseudonym Albus Tyrer. This is the origin for the common names today of Albus and Tyrer, but led to him being coronated as Rijkse Louis V. Despite coming to the throne at age 58, Albus Tyrer actually lived until age 98 in a surprising circumstance. His reign saw another two Prime Ministers: Henry Alamekas II and Edward Alamekas; A change to national tax laws, the Third Weskynn War (2058-2068); the Palaras Crisis (2077); the Economic Recession of 2082; and the Palak-Empherias War of 2088-2091.