Empire Français [Application, Finished]

[Royaume de France]

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★ ROYAUME DE FRANCE/HOUSE OF BOURBON ★


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BASIC INFORMATION★★★

HUMAN NAME: Francis Bonnefoy
ALIAS: Francis, frère aîné , sex god
APPARENT AGE: 23
GENDER: Male
RANKING: Empire

(I was hoping to use this image in place of the two side-by-side. It's perfect for the era.)

Vibrant and bursting with energy, Francis has the bright and eager face of a young lad still transitioning into adulthood. (His body knows the brutality of battle, but the aches and pains have not yet settled into his bones.) Golden tresses flow in waves down past his shoulders--groomed to perfection, wispy bangs arranged almost meticulously to give himself a more ethereal look. He's French, he's beautiful, and his first love is the vanity mirror. When not curled about his cheekbones, he pulls it into a ponytail--putting aside preening for practicality. (That would be: on the battlefield, during formal outings, and while working.)

His emotions reflect openly in his sky-blue irises (imbued with lavender when deep in thought or angered); a genuine smile is easily verified simply by glancing upward past the pointed nose into amused and confident eyes. With such a (deceptively) soft look about his face, one would forget that he is, indeed, a man made by blood, sweat, and tears. Or really, even a man. Feminine--near androgynous--in his younger years, Francis now proudly showcases a masculine stubble, lean and lithesome figure, lightly muscled legs (that are good for more than running, thank you very much) and squared shoulders. (Although lately he's been picking up a certain British empire's habit of slouching, much to his chagrin.) Occasionally, he does gain weight from feasting so often--but due to high metabolism and... the French diet, he burns it off rather quickly--one of the lucky bastards who rarely fattens up. The only thing he whines about (mostly to himself, when no one is around to hear him) to some extent is his height--why are most of his men centimeters shorter than those nasty Anglo-Saxons across the channel? Memories of towering over an irate Albion still linger, obviously.

Inordinately fond of fashion, Francis enjoys styling up and styling down. He generally avoids wigs (he finds them rather stuffy, even with the latest trend of natural hair as opposed to white curls) and, contrary to popular belief, generally avoids full dress at Court--preferring, well, a state of undress. In the 'everyday, daytime clothes' sense, but of course. When not in military uniform, he dons ornamental coats, waist-coasts, and breeches, silk stockings and buckled shoes, and still accessories in with ribbons and a sword-stick, preferring it over the weight of an early firearm. He will follow the magistracy and the higher bourgeoisie on occasion, and dress more simply and modestly, but it is within his nature to display himself like a peacock in mating season. One small secret is his increasing interest in farming (spurred by his wanderlust and frequenting his entirety--the entirety of France as opposed to the luxurious surroundings of Versailles (and Paris), and at those times, he dresses accordingly, attempting to become a man of the soil. (He also senses the unrest among the peasants, and wonders about the future.)

PERSONALITY★★★

As an empire second only to Britannia (which exasperates him; why do the rosbifs always get in his way?), Francis's natural tendencies to dominate, manipulate, control, and exploit have intensified over the years. He's a bit power-hungry and has little qualms over using force to get his way... despite the fact that he's meant to emphasize diplomacy. He's insatiable and territorial, and while all the eyes of Europe flicker his way, his overseas colonial conquests capture his attention and imagination. In addition to mercantilism, he has a taste for the unknown and "the exotic."

He's a fighter.

But... he's also a lover.

Francis says he embodies love and romance, which is true to a certain extent. His defining trait--both a blessing and a curse--is passion. (He does things in extremes and in excess. He knows no moderation.) When he hates, he hates enough to kill. When he loves, he loves enough to... kill. Different roots, similar output. There are in-betweens, but Francis does not always abide by logic.

It's this that makes him a difficult person to read--at least, difficult to predict. There are certain parts of them that will probably never change: his desire for influence and admiration, his nonsensical melodramatic gestures and overreactions, his flirtatious and sensual approach, and his readiness to engage in conflict of all sorts. He is not afraid to speak his mind, even at moments most inopportune. Whatever cowardice he is accused of--Francis will hold to self-preservation (there having been too many close-calls in the past)--, he will bite back at his enemies so long as he continues to exist.

However, as a country and an empire, he is constantly shifting--embracing new ideas, seeing new people, watching the rise and fall of powers. The Age of Enlightenment is upon him (the Age of Romanticism straight ahead, which suited him more in the long run), upon the world, and Francis has delved into the salons, the cafés, the debates and voracious reading of literature and philosophy with nothing sort of enthusiasm... while feeling the instability of such swift reforms, the loss of Voltaire, the building discontent over France's social system, and the bitterness of the Grub Street Hacks toward the men of letters.

Internally, he's aged into millennia: he belongs to times long past--before the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He has seen too many wars, too many epochs to stay in once place, and the uneasiness edges into his most confident of moments, forcing him onto his toes and making him one who is impossible to pin down.

Few people see this side of him--the one that knows, the one that acknowledges, the one that ruminates and calculates and wonders of the future. He feels it most strongly when he cradles his colonies and fusses over those he considers family... for one day, he may have to draw swords against them.

He hates to lose, and it is that fear that drives him.

TIME LINE★★★

Prior to Roman settlements, Gaul stirs with the arrival of Greek navigators, the Phoceans, who settle the modern region of Provence and found the (then colonies) cities of Massalia (Marseille) and Nikaia (Nice) on the shores of the Mediterranean sea. (Approximately 600 BCE.) Celtic and Belgae tribes penetrate from the north between the 5th and 3rd centuries BCE, further developing the concept of Gaul. ("The Celts founded cities such as Lutetia Parisiorum (Paris) and Burdigala (Bordeaux) while the Aquitanians founded Tolosa (Toulouse).") For the centuries thereafter, the hazy image of Gaul would prosper and show hostility even to his beloved grandfather Roman Empire through invasions and rebellions (via the Gallic chieftain Brennus)--long past the treaty of 345 BCE--until the Romans conquer and annex the south of Gaul in 125 BCE, rename the area Provincia Romana ("Roman Province," which would evolve into the modern-day name of "Provence") and slowly, but surely, capture the reminder of Gaul in 52 BCE through Julius Gaesar. Lugdunum (Lyon) and Narbonensis (Narbonne) are founded, and Gaul breathes to life, now a relatively united region, although hard times await him not long after his official birth.

• 52 BCE The idea of Gaul is officially born. (Choosing this date--otherwise, Francis would be over 52,000 years old.) Gaul is soon divided into different provinces, and the Celtic tribes are displaced by the Romans "to prevent local identities from becoming a threat to Roman control." A cultural revolution develops in Gaul, which includes the replacement of Gaulish language by Vulgar Latin. Celtic culture is gradually replaced by Gallo-Roman culture. Over the next few centuries, a Gallic Empire would rise and fall, another migration of Celts would appear in Armorica during the 4th century, battles would break out between the Empire and invading tribes until the Roman Empire itself began to collapse and Gaul was all for the taking by the Visigoths and the Franks.
  
  
• 486 CE Clovis I, leader of the Salian Franks, unites most of northern and central Gaul under his rule. (Gaul is a young lad, but already battle-worn and rather relieved for the centralisation.) Catholicism is soon adopted for greater legitimacy and power of Christian subjects and clerical support against the Arian Visigoths. Paris is established as the capital of Clovis's Merovingian Dynasty (Gaul finally has his heart), but the kingdom does not survive his death. Four kingdoms then emerge: Paris, Orléans, Soissons, and Rheims. Power is shifted to the mayors of the palace, and one family of mayors--the House of Herstal--will eventually become the Carolingian dynasty, a golden age for ancient France. (His victory over the invading Muslims at the Battle of Tours (732) gains Charles Martel respect and power throughout the Frankish kingdoms,and the assumption of the crown in 751 by Pippin/Pepin the Short (son of Charles Martel) establishes the Carolingian dynasty as the Kings of the Franks.) Gaul's name is now "Francia/Francie occidentale (West Frankish Kingdom)"; he also has a human identity: in modern French, "Francis Bonnefoy."
  
  
• 711 CE Pippin/Pepin's son, Charlemagne, reunites the Frankish domains and continues conquering everywhere from northern Italy (where he is more closely acquainted with Feliciano), Bavaria, the Danubian plain (increasing familiarity with Roderich, Elizaveta, the young Holy Roman Empire, among other future countries), Islamic Spain (a tense relationship with Antonio), and Lower Saxony. Gaul experiences a wave of lust for territories beyond his western realm (the eastern realm would become Germany, after the fall of the Carolingian Empire soon after Louis I's death). One significant event includes the granting of Normandy to Viking raiders by King Charles the Simple (first as counts, then as dukes); the resulting progeny with the Gallo-Romans and the Franks become the Normans.
  
  
• 987–1156 CE State building into the Kingdom of France under the early Capetians (Hugh Capet, Duke of France and Ount of Paris, is crowned King of France in 987; his descendants are the Direct Capetians, the House of Valois, and during this RP time period, the House of Bourbon). During the Middle Ages, France is still vastly decentralised (due to continual threats of invasion) Princely power often usurps that of the king, and the Capetian Kings themselves hold a complicated status of both possessing the Crown of Charlemagne and the personal fiefdom of Île-de-France. (Feudalism is established in France.) Francis experiences turmoil as a country and as a personification due to the the weak administrative authority of the Crown. (The rise of power nobles, including William the Conquerer, during the reign of Henry I.) It is only from Louis VI onward that royal authority becomes more accepted through brute force and coercion upon his vassals--vassals that had been so powerful (some of the strongest rulers in western Europe) that they had carved lands outside of France for themselves... most importantly, the Norman Conquest of England following the Battle of Hastings in 1066, making the Normans both vassals of the French kings and their equals as the Kings of England. Francis is once again acquainted with the irritable and vindictive Arthur through this connection. (His official name becomes "Royaume de France"--starting with the coronation in 987 to the apex of revolution in 1791.)
  
  
• 1165–1328 CE The late Capetians, who expanded France's power and influence to an umpeenth degree. "This period also saw the rise of a complex system of international alliances and conflicts opposing, through dynasties, Kings of France and England and Holy Roman Emperor."
  
  AND THIS IS WHERE I REALIZE I'M PUTTING WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL.
  
  I'll do my best to summarize from here on out.
  
  Underneath Phillip the Fair, Francis dismantles the Knights Templar (which strains his relationship with Gilbert), signs the Auld Alliance (bringing him into an interesting relationship with Scotland), and oversees the establishment of the Parlement of Paris. The papacy is moved to Avignon, and Francis experiences conflicting feelings over the kings using the church as their political puppet.
  
  The kingdom is progressively unified through a series of wars and dynastic inheritance. Francis is often out on the battlefield, and even participates in various Crusades (however ineffective they were) between 1095 and 1291. And once more quoting Wikipedia, "Later Kings expanded their territory to cover over half of modern continental France, including most of the North, Centre and West of France. Meanwhile, the royal authority became more and more assertive, centred around a hierarchically conceived society distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners." Phillip of Valois brings the French monarchy to the height of its medieval power, but is contested by Edward III of England. Francis does not quite understand the threat of the Angevin Empire (of which England is a part of)--he has lived through many reigns, and realizes that this is a battle of bloodlines, wherein everyone is related to one another in some manner--but his antagonism toward Arthur intensifies as a result.
  
  
• 1328-1453 CE Tensions between the Houses of Anjou and Capet climaxes in the Hundred Years' War, which unfortunately occurs simultaneously with the first waves of the Black Death (1337) and several civil wars. France and Francis suffer greatly during these periods--losing nearly one-half of its population/his children to the epidemic and suffering humiliating defeats by the Plantagenets at Poitiers and Agincourt that resulted in massive English claims of French lands. Utterly pissed off, a wave of nationalism sweeps the beleaguered French population and Francis, the Compagnies d'ordonnance (the first French standing army) was established by Charles VII, and charismatic leaders such as Jeanne d'Arc and La Hire (Étienne de Vignolles) arise to fight back the English invaders. Francis grows very close to both commanders (especially Jeanne; he had already gained a respect for women at this point, having seen Blanche of Castile, the Empress Matilda, and Isabella of France in action), and is devastated when the Burgundians capture and sell his Maid of Orléans to the English in 1431. He still can't bring himself to forgive Arthur, even if Jeanne's death was partially the fault of his own vassals. He can't quite forgive himself for not acting quickly enough, and rushes to La Hire's aid when he himself is captured and imprisoned at Dourdon. Later on, during the Burgundian Wars, Francis goes all out to attack and size the Duchy of Burgundy, trouncing Charles the Bold at Nancy (1477) and developing an interesting friendship with Vash (as he'd been allied to the Old Swiss Confederacy) in the process. He also attacks and defeats Brittany from 1487-1491, absorbing it in 1532--partly out of irritation toward Arthur--an act of indirect aggression.
  
  
• 1494-1559 CE France becomes an active participant in the Italian Wars--or, the Hapsburg-Valois Wars, pitting him against the Holy Roman Empire (Charles V versus Francis I) and against his own allies--as the wars were defined by multiple alliances, counter-alliances, and regular betrayals. Francis is used to such happenings, but the rate of about-faces becomes overwhelming and he overreaches his power. Throughout the multiple wars, he and the other belligerents gain and lose territories (although Francis regained control of Calais when Arthur entered the last war), but the overall "victory" winds up with Hapsburg Spain. Having been both Antonio's ally and enemy during these wars, Francis finds himself at a loss over the future of his friendship with the Spaniard, but a surprising new alliance with the Sadiq and the Ottoman Empire. He also worries greatly over Feliciano and Lovino, as the Italian city-states are near destroyed in the aftermath. During this time, he (being alongside Francis I) kindles a friendship with Leonardo da Vinci, who influences his interest in the arts and sciences.
  
  Speaking of which, the French Renaissance was a movement from the 15th to the 17th centuries (from the French invasion of Italy in 1494 during the Italian Wars to the death of Henry IV in 1610), which flourished under the reigns of Francis I and Henry II. It's hard for me to select one year, so I'll copypasta from Wikipedia and try to elaborate below:
  
  "Notable developments during the French Renaissance include the beginning of the absolutism in France, the spread of humanism; early exploration of the "New World" (as by Giovanni da Verrazzano and Jacques Cartier); the importing (from Italy, Burgundy and elsewhere) and development of new techniques and artistic forms in the fields of printing, architecture, painting, sculpture, music, the sciences and vernacular literature; and the elaboration of new codes of sociability, etiquette and discourse." The French language emerged in Paris and become the preferred language among Europe's aristocracy--and soon after, a desire to regulate and standardise (and beautify) the French language came into full bloom. During this time, Francis meets Alfred and Matthieu via James Cartier and Samuel de Champlain and becomes excessively fond of both even as his explorers go about settling other areas in advance of the first French colonial empire. He deeply resents England for taking away Mathieu in later years, although he still has control over a vast majority of New France and the modern-day United States.
  
  
• 1562-1598 CE The French Wars of Religion. The French monarchy had been weakened by the Italian Wars, prior, which soon led to extended internal conflict. Francis finds himself at the end of both swords (all the aristocratic houses of France, but especially the House of Bourbon and the House of Guise), unsure of which side he should take (the French Catholics and Huguenots are all his children; it's like trying to pick favourites) while having to battle England, Scotland, the Catholic League, and Spain simultaneously, as a result. The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 horrified him (but he will still be unprepared for the continuous slaughters that will come with the French revolutionary wars), and privately, Francis finds himself weaning away from religiosity.
  
  
• 1618-1648 CE The Thirty Years' war (France engages in and out from the beginning of the war, but officially joins in long-lasting combat in 1636). while hazy in its origins, the war goes quickly from a religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the Holy Roman Empire to a Bourbon-Hapsburg rivalry for European pre-eminence. France finds himself in an odd alliance with England, Brandenburg-Prussia, Sweden, and other protestant states and allies--the odd man out given his nominal Catholicism, but encouraged by Cardinal Richelieu under raison d'état. By the end, Francis has helped to all but annihilate the Holy Roman Empire (a small twinge of guilt afflicts him to today, knowing that he'd vanquished Feliciano's childhood love), challenged and overthrew Hapsburg Spain's power in the Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659), and came out the predominant power on the Continent. Francis's relationships are particularly fragile at this point in time, with a very shaky peace brought about by the destruction resulting from the war. At the same time, Richelieu had reinforced the centralisation of the state, French royal power, and French dominance in Europe. Role reversal.(These two wars were underneath Louis XIV, the "Sun King," who can be remembered for his many wars (that depleted France's treasury) and patronage of the arts. Ballet and French opera emerge, which Francis delights in.)
  
  And too many damn wars. (And plagues. The fact that Francis hasn't yet succumbed to war or disease or stupidity is pretty impressive.)
  
  
• 1701-1714 CE The War of the Spanish Succession. The Kingdoms of Spain and France and nearly unified under one Bourbon monarch, which sends Europe into a panic as this would teeter the European balance of power. War breaks out between the Two Crowns and the Grand Alliance, and carries through Europe into North America. With victories and losses on both sides (which seems to define European wars) leads to interesting developments (including secret peace negotiations between France and Britain after British forces faltered in effectiveness after the recall of the Duke of Malborough and the sudden possibility of a Spanish-German superpower in 1711), but ends up removing Phillip V of Spain from the French line of succession, averting a union of the two kingdoms. Antonio is forced to give most of his territories in Italy and the Netherlands to Roderich (Francis comforted him when he had to give Lovino away), and Francis's own hegemony over continental Europe is stripped in favor of an international balance of power. Phillip is determined to gain the French throne and former claims in Italy, however...
  
  
• 1718-1720 CE The War of the Quadruple Alliance. Francis finds himself once again at arms against his (former?) friend (and really, former fiance, given the desire to unite the French and Spanish crowns before the War of the Spanish Succession decided otherwise), Antonio--teaming up with Arthur (once again, with some reluctance), Roderich (the same), and the Dutch Republic (another tense ally, given the Franco-Dutch war only years prior). The alliance prevails over Spain, who signs the Treaty of the Hague to end the conflict. (This war also set the course in which the unification of Italy would later take.) This war also provided a "unique" example during the eighteenth century where Arthur and Francis were on the same side, from 1714 to 1731, in an Anglo-French alliance. Loathe as he is to admit it, Francis has to admit he enjoys Arthur's presence. (Even though this was evident from the very beginning.) The Bourbon Compact would dissolve the alliance, when Francis teamed up with Antonio once more, against Britannia. Perhaps unwisely, given that Arthur's involvement demonstrated Britain's growing seapower and the prowess of his Royal Navy.
  
  
• 1733-1738 CE The War of the Polish Succession. A Polish civil war over the succession of the King of Poland, Augustus II, sparks international interest. Francis and Antonio team up to check the powers of the Austrian Hapsburgs, and find themselves opposite the Kingdom of Prussia along the way. Without British support (from the Anglo-Austrian alliance), Austria cannot defend himself and soon signs the Treaty of Vienna (1738), securing France's adoption of the Duchy of Lorraine and Spain's reestablished control over Naples and Sicily, effectively giving him back his dear Lovino.
  
  
• November 26, 1741, the current year, CE The second year into the War of the Austrian Succession. Antonio, Gilbert, and Francis are united for the first time, against Roderich, Elizaveta, Arthur, and their allies. As Gilbert and Roderich struggle over possession of Silesia, Francis has stormed Prague, capturing the Bohemian fortress from Maria Theresa's husband, Francis Stephen.
  

"At this time, France possessed the largest population in Europe and had tremendous influence over European politics, economy, and culture. French became the most used language in diplomacy, science, literature and international affairs, until the 20th century. In addition, France obtained many overseas possessions in the Americas, Africa and Asia. (However Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, forcing thousands of Huguenots to exile.)"

*I use Britannia as a means of saying "the British Empire," even if Britannia traditionally refers to ancient Britain and/or the personification of Great Britain...

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OUT OF CHARACTER★★★



ALIAS: rainy
TIME ZONE: GMT -7
CONTACT: Email, [e-mail]
RP SAMPLE: A quickie sample from Sahara Skies, with Vash. I'm tempted to write one just for this forum, but I don't have the time right now |D;

It'd been years--no. Possibly ages since he'd last stepped into a... an armory? Smithy? Such terms rang archaic in an epoch of airships and industrialization, yet fit the environment like a well-tailored glove. A perusal over the displays made Francis aware of his mistake: the interior clearly reflected 'gunsmith' as opposed to 'blacksmith,' with armaments arranged atop shelves and hooks in a manner that bespoke meticulous devotion and a lick of pride--one far from a grandiloquent vanity. A subdued--but open--satisfaction. A man's surroundings, his veritable abode, spoke volumes of he who managed his arena.

(They say that ten minutes spent in another's antechambers revealed the true persona of a person, non? With this man, however, Francis dared not think of the consequences of such an action. Speaking of which.)

Turning his curious gaze upon the attendant behind the counter, Francis allowed himself a brief moment in which to indulge in the man's quiet--in more ways than one--countenance. Sharp grassy eyes that held his, cool but for a brief spark of impatience at Francis's dilly-dallying. Blond tresses nestled against his cheekbones somewhat limply, and the Frenchman could both see and smell the light scattering of sweat--barely beginning to dry--tarrying at the gunsmith's brow and hairline, darkening the hairs about his forehead. Perhaps the man had just been in the sun? Ah, no. The bitter scent of silver and stone--that settled upon his slightly parted lips like a superfine dust, a metallic taste--lingering about the other's person cast forth an image of Zwingli before a whetstone, eyes focused on the sheen of blade against the hone. It wasn't unpleasant, the idea of this lissome man and his--Francis's eyes flashed downward to the other's hands--slim fingers gripping the handle of his knives, firmly... yet delicately.

Perhaps he should state his business before his thoughts went elsewhere. A congenial smile worked its way to his mouth as he strode forward, narrowing the distance between him and this--rather attractive, his mind supplied--silently passionate metalsmith, one hand reaching for the knives at his side so both could place them delicately before the other atop the counter. He let himself indulge in the warm, underlying smell of grass and wind and snow that somehow accompanied the Swiss (and the question of whether the man was a Romand) prior to answering--a languid, melodic drawl he'd perfected over the years whenever he found himself captivated by the presence of another. "A simple sharpening. These are very precious to me, and I figured a professional would be more equipped to the task of preserving their function and beauty."