Rubis Character Overview (WIP, MORE CHARACTERS TO BE ADDED LATER)

Not many second sons inherit the empires their fathers build, but the reigning König might be the exception. Born the second son of Tyrus I, he wasn't expected for much outside of making an alliance for the country, but his path towards the throne was marred by tragedy. His mother unexpectedly passed away when he was young. His position as heir to the throne also came about with another death. In 2005, his older brother and heir to the Ruban throne, Ronald, was killed in a drunk driving accident in the streets of Warschau. His father was broken by the tragedy of these losses and became a recluse, grieving away from the public eye and not involving himself in domestic and foreign politics. Without anyone for him to learn the business of ruling from, the young prince drifted to the influence of the Prime Ministers cabinet, mainly Minister of War, Ukrainian-born Alexandr Agorander. Although, in 2010, the prince had the opportunity to reconcile with his father after Tyrus left his seclusion to resume his duties as Head of State when the Ruban government went to war with the Golden Throne in what would be known as the 2nd Throne War. He never took the chance, which he would later regret. By 2016, he was de facto König, as his father was sick and bedridden after being diagnosed with lung cancer a few years earlier. After his father's death in 2020, Valek became König at the age of 26. He attended the peace conference in Constantinople where he met Kyavani princess Tatianna. They married a few years later and had two children, twins Aristotle and Erissa. In recent times, the König has taken a step back from domestic issues, focusing more on foreign policy, as at his advice, the Sejm joined the Althior Accords led by Droiden. Public appearances have become scarcer for Valek, as he has taken more and more retreats to his cottage in the countryside outside of Warschau.

Aristotle von Helstein-Shau
August 21st, 2024 - present (age 21)

Aristotle was the heir for 18 years, trained and taught in subjects he had no interest in, and it took its toll on him. Born from two royal families, he and his twin sister Erissa had enormous expectations and shoes to fill. Despite being born a few minutes after his sister, him being male denoted him as heir to the throne. His father took it upon himself to teach the young prince, believing that him learning from the active ruler of the country would turn him into the best king possible. Anxiety and ADHD, undiagnosed until his mid-teen years, caused Aristotle to suffer from stress from his father's strict teaching. While his sister was being taught by experts and his mother, with a gentler regiment, Valek believed that his son needed to be tough to face the world, which the König believed was ruthless and uncompromising. When Aristotle turned 18, he suffered an emotional breakdown and demanded that his father remove his right to the throne. Despite objections, Valek reluctantly disinherited his son, making his sister heir to the throne. Aristotle soon left for Germany to seek an education. Despite enjoying himself at university, he felt his life was going nowhere and that he didn't know what he was going to do after he graduated. He resorted to drinking and drugs to cope. When he came back before his last year, director of Ruban intelligence Jean-Pierre Hilfer offered the former crown prince a job in intelligence, attempting to get him off the substances. During his first year of work for Hilfer, he got clean, enjoying the work he does, and seeing Hilfer as more of a father figure than his own.

Erissa von Helstein-Shau
August 21st, 2024 - present (age 21)

Heir to the throne and a proud politician, whose moral compass might have changed the democracy of her home forever. Born a few minutes before her twin Aristotle, Erissa always felt immense jealousy for her brother because of the attention her father gave him. Taught politics by her mother and other Ruban political experts, she was a prodigy at political science, wishing to become Prime Minister one day. While her brother continued to be groomed to rule the country, Erissa visited Kyavan and Constantinople on multiple occasions, feeling connected to her mother's home unlike her brother, who felt more Ruban than Kyavani. Before her brother was disinherited, she became the youngest deputy in Sejm history. Although she became part of the government she idolized for her entire life, she felt disheartened at the fact that she was only elected because she was a part of the royal family and not because of her own political merits. The shock of her life came when she was publicly announced as heir to the throne. Although she was sad that her brother had left the country behind for university, she was elated for being recognized by her father after years of dismissal. In 2045, feeling disillusioned with the current government, she endorsed a radical candidate for the 2046 elections who she believes shares her beliefs on how the government should be run, but this could have drastic changes for Ruban democracy.

Jean-Pierre Hilfer
April 17th, 1988 - present (age 57)

A powerful man with unorthodox power, trying to turn his home into the home for his people by any means necessary. Born to French immigrants, his family had decent wealth thanks to his father's transportation company. Behind the scenes however, the patriarch of the Hilfer family was Grandmaster of the European Order of Austoream, a sect of the original Order that broke off in protest of the Orders isolationism and lack of interactivity with Europe. Hilfer was trained to be the next Grandmaster, as his father remained patient with his teachings. But the young man didn't believe that he deserved to be Grandmaster, as he ran away from his perceived responsibilities by enlisting in the Ruban army as the 2nd Throne War begun. In 2015, the Ruban army marched into the Romanian capital of Bucharest and began one of the bloodiest battles of the war. After months in what he perceived as hell, reinforcements from Droiden and Rubis won the battle. Becoming disillusioned with the system, he fell into the rabbit hole of ultranationalism, attempting to reconcile that he fought for something. After his father heard him peddling these ideas at dinner, he forced Jean-Pierre to seek mental health. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and attended therapy for a few years. Acknowledging his trauma would follow him the rest of his life, he embraced his future as Grandmaster and after his father's passing, became the new Grandmaster. Thanks to his veterans' benefits, he managed to achieve higher education in criminal justice, joining Ruban intelligence and slowly rising the ranks until he became head of intelligence. Knowing he needs to continue his legacy, he took Prince Aristotle under his wing in an attempt to continue his magic and the Order itself.

Matthias Gaspar
October 31st, 1990 - present (age 55)

A scarred man who believes that his country could have done more, and the only way to make the country strong again is through force and nationalism. Born to a modest family in northern Poland, he was the 3rd of 12 children. The many mouths the family had to feed made them struggle to get by. Believing the burden was on him, as the oldest boy in the family, he attempted to make money to support them, with most of his schemes failing. When the 2nd Throne War began, Gaspar believed that if he joined the army and became a war hero, he could finally support his family. At the age of 20, he enlisted in the army. Like Jean-Pierre Hilfer, Gaspar was present at the Battle of Bucharest. During the battle an artillery shell exploded into his face, taking him out of the battle. The right side of his face was scarred, and he lost his eye, having to wear an eyepatch. He was awarded a medal of bravery and was discharged from the army honorably. He started speaking at veterans' reunions, preaching that Rubis should have fought harder, and that the country was shafted during the peace conference. Slowly, he began to build a nationalist base, but due to the small size of the party, he merged with the Conservative Alliance, as his paramilitary force was integrated into the CA's force. Paranoid that he would be purged from the party, he got an endorsement from the Crown Princess in a bid to increase his seats in the Sejm.