Queen Esper I
Regarded as perhaps the greatest of those who have held the office of Crown of Passio-Corum, Queen Esper I ruled Passio-Corum from 853 WG until 905 WG. Her reign is defined by Pallisican support for the Kingdom of Constancia during the Euran War, and by her decades-long work which ultimately resulted in the ratification of the Treaty of Bel-Air.
Queen Esper I was preceded in her office by Queen Evahn I. She was succeeded by Oracle Opyeme Amor
Early Life
In an event which is recognized by most Pallisican scholars as the first major miracle of the modern era, Queen Esper I, then named Oja Esper, was born to a virgin mother in 821 WG, in the monastery of Krey'Aken. Recognized immediately by the leaders of the New Zimian Temple Authority as the first Oracle, or prophet of the Pallisican Host Spirit, Esper I spent much of her early childhood in the company of pirates with whom her mother hid her, in an effort to keep her from the religious authorities who sought to raise her as a future queen. Raised for the first six years of her life as a pirate in the Skerry Isles, the crew with whom Esper sailed was eventually captured, and Esper was placed for a short time under the supervision of nuns in the Mina Monastery. During this time Esper was taught the basic principles of the Pallisican Religion, and was introduced to the basic tenants of her future role at the helm of the nation's government. All of this was done in secrecy; until she turned ten years old the Council of Courts and the Temple Authority denied all reports that the purported Oracle had come under their care. This, they claimed, was done for her safety, and to ensure the future of the nation's government, which for the first time would now be led by a ruler not descended from the lineage of King Lucien I.
At ten years old Queen Esper I was placed under the direct supervision of Queen Evahn I, and was raised by the queen essentially as a daughter. Under the care of Queen Evahn, Esper received the highest quality education in all manner of fields of study, from politics, to religion, to the various sciences. Evahn and Esper, during this time, developed a very close personal relationship, and Esper traveled often with the queen wherever she went, as she established colonies around the Sea of Storms. Following the War of Jingdaoese Aggression, for example Esper traveled to Eastern Eura, to cities such as Shahpur, in order to participate in celebrations of peace and unity with the local pirate communities against whom Passio-Corum had once waged war. Following these travels, in the early 840s, Esper was named to the position of Lieutenant-Governor of the Realm of Alphaville. After serving for several years in this position, Esper I finally ascended to the Crown of Passio-Corum, following the abdication of Queen Evahn I in 853 WG. Queen Esper I was formally coronated on Sai 12, 853 WG, amidst significant fanfare.
Early Rule
Riding on the tremendous momentum of her ascension to the throne of Passio-Corum, Queen Esper I immediately set about implementing radical policies aimed at increasing and solidifying Pallisican influence in Passas. As part of these efforts, which largely served as a continuation of the policies implemented by Queen Evahn I near the end of her reign, Queen Esper immediately upon ascending to the throne established investments in mining operations in Chelkran Kesh, and relocated the headquarters of the New Zimian Temple Authority to the city of Chelkra. By doing so, Queen Esper I established, between the years 854 and 857 WG, what amounted to a Pallisican theocratic government directly on the border of Passas, in a move which tremendously increased New Zimian influence in the Pallisican homeland. These efforts laid the foundation for the eventual annexation of Passas, which resulted from the Treaty of Bel-Air in the late 800s.
Following her efforts to successfully increase Pallisican political, economic, and religious influence in Passas, Queen Esper I then turned to repairing and growing a slowing and faulty economic system, and improving relations with foreign nations against whom Passio-Corum had traditionally engaged in conflict. Regarding the first of these efforts, Queen Esper I, in the late 850's and early 860's WG, forgave all public debts, and abolished slavery as an officially sanctioned practice. These actions immediately resulted in the desired outcomes, economic growth accelerated, and Pallisicans rapidly began enjoying a higher quality of life, thanks to higher wages and improved infrastructure. Between 858 WG and 865, these economic reforms resulted in the creation of three notable companies: Trans-Corum Railway, which for the first time connected the various Pallisican territories on Corum, the Medical College of Cannassas, which established a degree of universal healthcare for citizens of Passio-Corum, and the Cherusken Fishing Company, which extended Pallisican economic interests to the southern shorts of Lake Cherusken, in southern Keltia. The establishment of these companies, and the economic growth which they brought about, resulted in acclaim for the newly coronated Queen Esper I, who many regarded very early for her economic and strategic wisdom.
In addition to her economic reforms, Queen Esper I also sought her early in her rule to improve relations between Passio-Corum and nations such as Jingdao and its various associated nations: Gerenia and the nations of Jack. This work, which began in the late 850's with the repeal of policies allowing for the enslavement of captured Jingdaoese pirates and a monetary gift intended to allow Jingdao to invest in the Pallisican military industry, eventually broke down in a disastrous event in which the Jingdaoese emperor was humiliated and expelled from the island of Voorpost, a territory operated by the New Zimian Outer Realms. The negotiations between Passio-Corum and Jingdao and its allies, later resulted in the creation of the Blackrock Pact, an alliance from which Passio-Corum was excluded. Rather than reduce the popularity and influence of Queen Esper I, this political failure actually increased the queen's political capital. In response to this increase popular support resulting from a breakdown in relations with Jingdao, Queen Esper I, in the late 860's, authorized an increase in production capacities for the companies associated with the Eastern Eura Trade Association, and promoted support for the arming of indigenous peoples opposed to Jingdaoese occupation and aggression. These combined efforts resulted, in turn, in further growth in the Pallisican economy, and further weakened the influence of hostile nations in the regions controlled by Passio-Corum. Thus Queen Esper I concluded the early era of her reign more powerful, and more popular than ever before.
Mid-Rule
The middle era of the rule of Queen Esper I is marked by military intervention. Still fresh from the most recent breakdown in relations between itself and the nations which now constituted the Blackrock Pact, Passio-Corum, under the leadership of Queen Esper I, was quick in 874 WG to offer military support for the Kingdom of Constancia in its campaign against Jingdao in the Euran War. Mere days after issuing an investigation regarding Jingdaoese aggression in southern Eura,the queen authorized the allocation of funds to Constancia, and the subsequent sale of 15 warships which would later be be used extensively by Constancia in operations against Calbion. This support for Constancia during the Euran War marked the establishment of relationships between it and Passio-Corum, which in the 890s WG culminated in the ratification of the Treaty on Cooperation and Euran Trade. Following the conclusion of the Euran War, between the years 878 and 880 WG, Queen Esper would also authorize the establishment of two notable pirate organizations, the Tax Guild of the Sea of Storms, and the Maritime Free Republic of Fishermen, who's purpose is to impose taxes on and plunder ships representing unfriendly and hostile foreign nations, who sail through the seas controlled by Passio-Corum. These moves would strengthen Pallisican influence around the Sea of Storms, and would later allow for the complete territorial expansion of the Dependency of Tanah-Baru.
Notably, it was during the Euran War that Queen Esper I controversially, and covertly, deployed the New Zimian War League into Passas, in an effort to secure the region's borders against Hammish bandits who had begun raiding wealthy Passasian towns and villages. This move, which was intended to further increase New Zimian influence in Passas, went largely unnoticed within the international community as a result of the Euran War, though it was met with widespread criticism in Passio-Corum, where vocal opponents of the queen argued that she had manipulated a foreign crisis in order to gain domestic advantage. Supporters, in return, argued that Queen Esper I had acted in nowise differently than had Queen Evahn I in the War of Jingdaoese Aggression, and that such behavior and policy was not altogether atypical of Pallisican rulers. This argument by supporters was largely ineffective. The middle era of the reign of Queen Esper I, as a result, is largely mired by suspicions of political and spiritual corruption. It was during this time, many believe, that Queen Esper lost her role as Oracle of the Pallisican Host Spirit. These suspicions were seemingly verified when, in 894, Queen Esper I appointed as her heir the holder of the newly established Office of the Oracle, Opyeme Amor.
Late Rule
The appointment of Amor in 894 WG, like the decision to deploy troops into Passas, was met with widespread opposition across Passio-Corum. Although most recognized the need for Queen Esper I to abdicate, having lost her position as Oracle of the Pallisican Host Spirit, many stood vehemently opposed to the appointment of Opyeme Amor as the nation's future King. Those who opposed the decision by Esper to name Amor as her heir, opposed the decision on the basis of two arguments. The first of these arguments was that Amor, who was recognized as Oracle after curing a group of people of blindness, was not the legitimate oracle. There were greater miracles, many argued, which were assuredly performed by individuals more worthy of recognition as Oracle than Opyeme Amor. The second argument expressed by those opposed to the appointment of Amor as heir to the throne of Passio-Corum, was that he expressed fondness for the Haifan Religion, an insidious foreign religion which threatened the most basic of Pallisican religious principles. Despite these arguments, which were widely regarded as entirely valid, Queen Esper I nevertheless stuck by her decision to appoint Amor, even at times refusing outright to address the people's worries. This behavior by the queen, and her perceived stubbornness, again served to alienate her from the people of Passio-Corum. Nevertheless, the queen still continued, even after appointing her controversial heir, to enact certain policies aimed at a range of goals.
The most notable of the policies implemented by Queen Esper I in the last years of her reign, aside from the policies which finally allowed for the annexation of Passas, are those policies which recognized and protected the natural wilderness areas of the Corumian continent. These policies, which allowed for the recognition of areas such as Erlo Sinders Regional Forest and the Afrikaanian Woodlands, were met with widespread support, both within Passio-Corum, where many felt that the recognition of the wilderness areas represented a last testament by Esper of her connection to the host spirit, and within the international community where the move served to further foster respect and admiration for Pallisican advances in science and technology.
Queen Esper I abdicated from the office of Crown of Passio-Corum in 905 WG. She was succeeded in the office by Opyeme Amor.
Legacy
Following her abdication, Queen Esper I retired to a luxurious palace on the edge of Erlo Sinders Regional Forest, the most prominent of the various wilderness areas recognized by the government during the final years of her reign. As of 907 WG, Esper and her staff are the only humans who inhabit the region on a full time basis, though visitors to the region are frequent, whether they dignitaries coming to meet the former queen, or tourists coming to experience a first-hand view of the region's extremely abundant wildlife.
Although too little time has passed to make a definitive statement regarding her true legacy, most scholars agree that the legacy of Queen Esper I is one defined by the return of Passas to the control of an independent Pallisican government. Under the reign of Queen Esper I, Passas was re-absorbed directly into the Pallisican sphere of influence, and for the first time in over 300 years, all Pallisican peoples were unified under a common banner. Although her accomplishments as queen were numerous, the annexation of Passas will be the accomplishment for which her reign is long and fondly remembered. Although many continue to oppose the various means by which Esper I pursued the annexation of Passas, most nevertheless agree that the annexation, and the Pallisican unification which it represents, will long be remembered as one of the most important events in Pallisican history, perhaps even in the history of the east.
