Ejek of Flatstone
King Ejek Von Stone | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of Ejek arriving on the Şotīgābon archipelago in 1275. | |
| Native name | Şotī Ejek |
| Birth name | Ejek Von Stone |
| Nickname(s) | "The Passive" |
| Born | 18th September 1217 Vedotī, Flatstone |
| Died | 4th January 1301 Vedotī, Flatstone |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Northern Ivili Clan Flatstone |
| Rank | King |
| Battles/wars | N/A |
| Spouse(s) | Ejeka Von Stone |
| Children | Andesen I Von Stone |
| Relations | House of Von Stone |
Ejek Von Stone, the second king of Flatstone, succeeded to the throne following the death of his father Andesen Von Stone in 1237. He ruled the nation until 1301, when he passed away after consuming lethal amounts of magnesium with the mindset that it would grant him eternal life. Ejek Von Stone is nicknamed "The Sunadic" for his accomplishments, including the settlement of the Şotīgābon and Mīdlosugā archipelagos. Ejek was a profound supporter of his fathers plan to expel the Ou peoples from southern Şotīko, leading to the mass migration of Ou peoples in the thousands to the Mīdlosugā archipelago, giving the islands the overwhelming Ou majority of 200,000+ that they posses today.
Early Life
Birth and Childhood
Ejek Von Stone was the first Stonish king to be born into either royalty or even just a position of power. All of his predecessors worked tirelessly to earn their place as the ruler of the archipelago. Because of this factor, many saw Ejek as naturally incompetent, destined to fall under into the shadow of his more experienced father. This reputation would go on to haunt the young king, Ejek, for the entirety of his reign, even spilling out into the reputation of some of his successors. Ejek would spend the entirety of his childhood under the guise of his father, contributing a significant amount of his time to pastimes and hobbies such as cartography much to the dislike of his father, who would rather he spend his time trying to learn and understand politics and religion, as well as embrace his cultural identity and prepare for the day that he succeed his father and take his place as king of Flatstone. Ejek was far too young and too oblivious to understand the importance of his lifestyle, and so much of the valuable time that he did have before the start of his reign would inevitably go to waste. Ejek would step into a virtually unexplored world of administration, diplomacy, and military with no experience to spare for the people that had entrusted their faith in him and his father. Despite these setbacks, Ejeks reign would be for the most part without catastrophe or failure. However, with that being said, Ejeks number of accomplishments can not compare to that of his father, who outnumbers him ten to one. Ejeks particularly peaceful rule and undesirable childhood lifestyle would earn him the nickname "The Passive", referring to his reluctancy to follow in the footsteps of anybody but himself.
The House of Von Stone
Ejek is a prominent figurehead and member of the House of Von Stone, being the second member of the dynasty to rule over the nation of Flatstone at some point in time. Within the house of Von Stone, Ejek is seen as a symbol of individuality, and a shining example of what it means to carve your own path. However, these are more modern interpretations of the king. It is believed that at the time of his reign, Ejek was often scoffed at by the people of Flatstone and ridiculed by his advisors for his so-called "incompetency". Regardless, by modern standards Ejek Von Stone is an icon and an important figure in Stonish historical literature.
Life as Royalty
Ejek, as mentioned previously, was the first Stonish ruler to grow into a life of wealth and public seclusion. Because of the dramatic shift in ideology, living standards, and class, the birth of Ejek would bring about a new kind of lifestyle for the Von Stone dynasty. Some might say that Ejek became spoiled by his life spent in luxury, others might say that it opened up a whole new variety of opportunities for him that wouldn't have been there if he wasn't of the ruling class. Ejek would be quick to become accustomed to Stonish military etiquette, even at times participating in military drills and marches in order to learn the military way of life and further his educate on military strategy, which his father had been pushing onto him during and throughout the second war of unification before his death.
Inauguration
Ejek was inaugurated as the second king of Flatstone at the age of twenty, just a few months after his fathers death in 1237. A massive ceremony would be held in the city of Vedotī for the young king for the first time in Stonish history, despite him being the second dynastical ruler of Flatstone, and not the first. It would be in this ceremony that Ejek would receive his decorations and be sworn into the throne, additionally making his promises to guide the nation into a future he best saw fit, as well as maintaining the status quo between the people, the state, and religion. Ejek would also deliver a long, inspirational speech that would include a brief yet detailed description of his plans for the nation for the duration of his reign. Ejek made his intentions of internationalizing the nations trade and sphere of influence clear. He wanted to bring Flatstone to the world instead of waiting for the world to come to him. Ejek announced his intentions to reconstruct the Northern Ivili fleet into a much greater and larger Stonish navy capable of not only protecting the nations vast coast, but also combatting the navies of foreign powers efficiently and effectively. This policy would later be named the "Northern Doctrine", as Ejek was well aware that if he wanted to maintain Stonish naval dominance, he was going to need ports. Ports capable of hosting it's fleets. And even if Ejek didn't publicly say it, Ejek knew that the only effective way to get ports large enough to host a military force was by taking them from other nations.
Ejek and the Army
Army Reforms
Along with Ejeks naval ambition, he also intended to reconstruct the Stonish army to his liking. Ejek intended to take the four nations of the four former clans, reorganize them so that they were all similar at least traditionally, and then combined them all into one fighting force responsible for the entire nation. However, these plans would not actually be implemented for a long time after Ejeks eventual passing. This is because Ejek's reign began shortly after the unification of the archipelago, and many of the newly conquered territories were outraged at the strategic loss of the reunification wars at the hands of the Northern Ivili clan, of whom they utmost despised. Because of this reluctance to willingly integrate into a union, a federal system had to be installed, providing a degree of autonomy to all three of the clans that opposed unification; These clans would later be known as the "rebel clans", a coin termed in the late fourteenth century by the people of the Northern Ivili clan to refer to not only the three opposing clans, but more specifically their politicians and leadership. The Southern Ivili clan would lose it's rebel clan reputation relatively quickly, however, as reforms done by Bjarn Von Stone and Ejek Vedotin in the years prior meant that the Southern Ivili peoples were culturally and traditionally more similar to the Northern Ivili clan, opening up oppurtunities for the Southern Ivili to become more politically tied to the north, thus putting an end to their rebellious reputation. This factor also meant that the Taverkny would become the oddball of the Poşotī island, being sandwiched between both the Northern and Southern Ivili who admired and respected each-other, but both hated and scoffed at the Taverkny. This relationship would mean that the Northern and Southern Ivili would maintain a historical bond over the hatred of the Taverkny, while the Taverkny and the Ou would maintain a historical bond over the hatred of the Southern Ivili.
Ejek understood the importance of a competent naval force as an island nation. He understood that if he wanted to avoid colonialism and prevent the occupation of his nation by any foreign power, all that he needed to do was maintain a naval force numerically and strategically superior to that of his enemy. When it came to the military, Ejek was quick to prioritize the navy. He invested large amounts of money into the development of military strategy and the construction of a capable battlefleet. Ejek Von Stone would make many trips to and from the Neil Strait, where the nations of Hoterallia and San Calia dominated. He would accompany merchants into the region, documenting the size and design of the other ships that he saw while attempting to keep at a distance. However, Ejek did not do this alone. Ejek funded expeditions to ports in nations like Kakland, Hoterallia, and San Calia, paying merchants and experienced sailors to journey to these nations and collect data on the design, functionality, and order of these foreign ports and the ships inside them. Using this knowledge, Ejek would design and construct his own ports and ships in order to maximize efficiency.
The Posukoşoti
The Posukoşoti were a side-project of Ejeks father, Andesen Von Stone. They were intended to be a navally-experienced fighting force capable of conducting amphibious operations along the coasts of Flatstone and/or foreign nations if need be. However, at the time of their creation, they were relatively disorganized, inexperienced, lacking proper equipment, and severely undermanned. Ejek sought to turn this rag-tag group of pirates into a mercenary company that was politically bounded to the Stonish crown and willing to defend the members of the Stonish royal family regardless of the cost. Ejek would first replace the Posukoşoti's leadership with figureheads that were in agreement with Ejeks plans, and capable of carrying them out. This new leadership was politically loyal to Ejek, and trusted his guidance. He would then make the distinction between officers and ordinary soldiers within the Posukoşoti, as well as implement an actual system of ranks and the power that came with them. Ejek would have a uniform designed for the Posukoşoti, a uniform that was unique to the company itself and only partially modeled off of the standard Stonish army uniforms, with the only similarities being color. However, shields, helmets, and uniforms all possessed different markings and insignias then that of the regular Stonish army. This remodeled force would go on to participate in the first foreign conflict of Flatstone, the First Stonish Invasion of Hoterallia.
The Northern Doctrine
Finishing the Vedotī Imperial Palace
Throughout the seven years that it took to construct the imperial palace, a variety of methods were used to compensate for the lack of sufficient human labour. The most notable of these methods was slavery, a practice that has been universally frowned upon within the nation of Flatstone since it's creation in the 1230's. However, this was an exception, as completing the construction of the palace was deemed urgent by Ejek Von Stone, the King of Flatstone at the time of the palace's construction, and at the time there was an abundance of Taverkny and Ou soldiers that had been captured by the Northern Ivili army during the reunification wars. Ejek Von Stone finalized the decision to use slave labour to speed up the process of construction, enlisting upwards of three-hundred prisoners of war to participate in the palace's construction in 1238, two years into the palace's construction. The sacrifice of these men is honored with a memorial that was placed outside of the entrance of the imperial palace for all to see.
Colonizing the Şotīgābon Archipelago
The first recorded discovery of the Şotīgābon archipelago in Stonish history was in 1270, when Stonish merchants accidentally stumbled upon the island during a voyage to the Neil Canal. However, the first official settlement of the island wouldn't occur until 1273, when Ejek Von Stone funded an expedition to the island that he allowed one of his volunteering officers to supervise. Ejek himself would not arrive in Şotīgābon until 1275, when he would remain on the island for two months before returning to Vedotī. After this, Ejek Von Stone would have little to do with the development of the Stonish colony, as he was preoccupied with the economic recovery of the nation from it's two wars of reunification, as well as Ou settlement of the Mīdlosugā. The islands would be placed under the jurisdiction of Stonish admiral Gert Koch, an officer that had served during the second reunification war, who would remain as the governor until his death in 1291.
The Mīdlosugā Islands
Ejek Von Stone was largely responsible for the funding and supervision of the Midlosuga project. He hoped to use the islands to provide habitable land for the large quantity of Ou settlers that were migrating south after having been expelled from lands claimed by the Southern Ivili clan. This idea, of his design, was largely rejected by nobles of the Northern Ivili clan and other members of the Stonish crown, as many hoped for the Midlosuga island chain to become a colony of the Northern Ivili clan, populated by the Northern Ivili. This is partly due to the anti-Ou sentiment that had been spread throughout the nation during the first and second Stonish wars of unification. Ejek would go through with the Midlosuga plan in order to prevent a famine from wiping out the Ou settlers that he had expelled from the south of his nation, as he did not want to be responsible for any form of genocide.
The Strimka Islands
Ejek Von Stone had little to do with the Strimka islands, instead focusing on the Sotigabon and Midlosuga archipelagos elsewhere, where he had already invested large amounts of the Stonish treasury into the settlement and development of. As much as Ejek Von Stone endorsed the Northern Doctrine and his ambitions to create a Stonish naval hegemony over the Southern Sunadic, Ejek understood that the local Strimkan population of the Strimka archipelago would not be quick to submit to Stonish rule. He saw the archipelago as a waste of an investment, believing that any effort to establish a permanent colony on the islands would be thwarted by the Strimkan locals who would likely lay siege to Stonish settlers rather than engaging in trade or diplomatic relations. Unlike Ejek, Andesen Von Stone did intend to conquer the archipelago and incorporate it into Flatstone as the fifth major kingdom under the monarchy, or alternatively a less significant duchy with limited autonomy. However, because of Andesens intrusions into the Hoterallian and Kakish affairs, these ambitions were never realized.
Late Life and Death
Andesen I Von Stone
Andesen I Von Stone, son of Ejek Von Stone, is the fourth Stonish monarch to assume the throne of the First Kingdom of Flatstone. Born on the 14th of February in the year 1285, Andesen I would be the first king to declare war on a nation outside of the Stonish archipelago, participating in two great crusades against Kakland and Hoterallia during the Stonish Invasion of Hoterallia and the Heathen Invasion just a few years after. Andesens imperialistic ambitions died with the king in 1354 when the Duchy of Jagokk's last holdout in Kakland was ousted, devastating the Stonish empire and limiting their influence in the region.
Burial
Ejek Von Stone is buried at the Vedoti Imperial Palace in the Stonish capital of Vedoti along with every other Stonish monarch to date. He was buried there in 1301 shortly after his death.