Arcadia Shan-Flavia

"Here, my confidants, is where my ascension is fortold" Arcadia Shan-Flavia was the Minister of Culture for The Imperial Archonal Union, Princess of Fortuna, and Queen of Elys. She was married to Palus "Dampswamp" Shan-Toss, and would found the Arcadian-Palus Royal Branch of the Imperial Andronikon lineage. She would give birth to Nythres Arcadian-Palus. She was most recognized for her participation in the "Second Golden Age" of The Imperial Archonal Union, the a massive royal wedding of Russantia, and the "Revolutionary Revolution" in Montroig. The latter would soon be her downfall as she was slain by Ren Morningstar during the burning of Terroja City.

Born in Haven
On Feburary 24th of 2022, King Vandoro Umbra of Ancient Umbria gave birth to Arcadia in Royal Harbor, a port town of which is now today The Bohemian Grove, to which she was named after Arcadian Sheep Retter, a lifelong friend of Vandoro. Here in Chevkri, Haven, Arcadia was declared the Heir to Umbria and all its lands, and the future head fo House Umbra. She was raised on Canine Island by Aki and Skipius. However, Arcadia would go missing 5 years later, causing Vandoro to claim the Imperial Uldarashis stole her. Vandoro would be slain by Ren Morningstar at Regent Emperor Bourbon/Ward Ganeff's Uldarashi visit to Terroja, leaving two-year old Arcadia an orphan. Arcadia, in fact, was not kiddnapped but snuck onto a junk ship carrying New Baldian potatoes to Viodoxa City.

Adoption Into The Andronikons
At the docks of Viodoxa City, she was taken in by an Aristocrat, Basileus Flavius of Fortuna. Flavius would adopt Arcadia as a full-on Flavian, even without the royal blood, as he believed she possessed talent and ambition. Arcadia would be fostered alongside her adoptive mother, Kaiserin, and her adoptive brother, Kogan. Arcadia would live in the Royal Palace of Fortuna City for the next 10 years, enrolled in the local Academy to study medicine.

Living in Fortuna
Arcadia was characterized by her energy, which was endless in passion. This was compounded with an artistic passion for sculpting and oil painting. She was also a fanatical reader, reading the literary works of authors Heinrich Val Oberstein, Alfred Laurier, Coffeeccubus, Gooblegins, and the Pirate Adventures of Ulifer. She learned how to be an equestrian under the tutoring of her mother, Kaiserin - who managed Kaisara's Hippodrome. It was in these dangerous times that Kaiserin would come under the influence of Demonic Goddess Segra, and thus attack Arcadia and consequently giving her vampire blood on accident. She also had an affection for wine, as Fortunan grapes were the richest and frozen in all of Cymru. She did not see her father or brother often, and so was raised by her older brother, Valerius, until she graduated Fortuna's Academy early. On May 20th, 2023, Flavius used the power of nepotism to convince the Archon, Havi Asagrim, to let her be the Minister of Culture for the Imperial Archonal Union. And so, she left Fortuna City for the Imperial Capital of Viodoxa City.

Viodoxa's Minister of Culture
As the Imperial Archonal Union's Minister of Culture, she took up the postion after Kedian's retirement. She would spend the next four years being the Union's first Minister of Culture, however would be succeeded by a Regonian, and then by Homozu. She would be known for introducing the Union into a short-lived Golden Age, through various creations of artwork, event planning, and the expansion of various literature.

Quarters in Viodoxa City
She was given an apartment within the Wealthy District, near the chateau that was under construction. She was given her own studio to paint murals, and her own office from where she did administrative paperwork. She was too young to have a deputy when she first started out, so much of this adult burden was taken on by her older brother, Kogan, who was the Prime Minister of the I.A.U. Even then, it was often recorded that she would spend days at a time not leaving her studio, as she studiously worked on projects.

Touring The Union
Beginning on May 24th, 2023, for a period of 2 years, Arcadia would tour the entire Union: From Viodoxa City, to Avertico, Regonia, Silvay, Demiarbéz, Dorio, Tsaeloma, Istanboulder, Valron, Aussay, Tovarisha, and Eisenland. She took this action to avoid being called out for lacking the knowledge of the Union to be in such an important position. These tours made her fabulously wealthy, from the gifts that she received from these provinces and nations. She would record the land's resource imports and exports, and aid Feniks of Valentum in composing a massive undertaking of compiling an I.A.U. codex, called "The Hub". This project would never be completed, however, as the I.A.U. would fall less than a decade after she took up the position as Minister of Culture.

The Renaissance Princess
Arcadia would be responsible for various inventions due to her connections with Vanshae Operata, which she visited with her friend, Mel of Valron, and her lover, Xeno Bakura. With such technology, she, alongside her elder brother, Valerian Justinianus (who was a mechanical engineer), was responsible for patoning a large collection of machinery and earning a large portion of the I.A.U.'s income. With such wealth, she was able to import a variety of paints and colors for her portraits. She used her artistic skills to create a variety of pieces for the Imperial Archonal Union, to which Loic told her,"'You are like fucking Leonardo Da Vinci'"She would continue to produce various pieces of artwork to give the Imperial Archonal Union international prestige as Rathnir's most populous nation. Her era was marked with international peace - a time before the storm. It was a brilliant time for schools of philosophy, playwrites, increased standards of living for the rich and upper middle class, and national splendor/prosperity the likes Cymru has not seen since Viodoxa's 1st Golden Age almost a century ago. In that time, Arcadia would make her mark by encouraging community cooperation, battling Segra, hosting feasts and festivities, and advancing medicine. In the middle of her Cultural career, she would acquire Bagel of Istanboulder's position as the new Minister of Amenities. With such power and influence, Arcadia would go on host the twilight of the I.A.U.'s greatest hour by hosting Cymru's first Collosseum games, featuring great warriors such as Kubakura of Kalai Bali and Jericho of Ryojing, and hosting the Hippodrome games in the city of Kaisara.

Echo Radio
Arcadia, wanting to voice the opinions of the Imperial Archonal Union, and seeing that the newspaper industry, The Tribune, under Xeno was failing, she decided to meet with a group of technicians to found "Echo Radio". Mel of Valron's granddaughter, Alvara, was given to Arcadia for her to train Alvara in the ways of culture. Alvara would be the first to join Arcadia in building Echo Radio. Then, Homozu, Jaxmax of Eisenland, and Voodliedood of Istanboulder, would also join in on this endeavor. They would air several successful series of Echo Radio on Cymrite airwaves with dozens of listeners.

Corruption Charges and Various Acts of Treason Against the Imperial Union
Her glorious hours were not to last, however, as Ryou Bakura, the Regent Archon and Celestial Demon, found out she has been embezzling funds taken from the Viodoxan City Treasury for her own luxurious lifestyle. Ryou also discovered she had been having an affair with his son, Xeno, which both the Andronikons and Bakuras were very against due to their family rivalry. Ryou then finally discovered that she had been plotting with the Schwansteins of South Fortuna to return to their old homeland within the Qeshbago Dynasty in Haven. He then discovered Arcadia was sleeping in Loic's bed. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, and Ryou could not take such chicanery much longer. He had Arcadia fired.

Arcadia decided she was out for blood, and began an affair with Elzaress, an ex-member of the Ferrymen and a captain within the Hands. She told the Hands of the defenses around Fjorgyien, and the I.A.U.'s weak spot - Eisenland's city of Maxstadt. She then relayed how weak and decaying the army of the I.A.U. had become, and how insistent one of their Tovarishan council leaders, Assasintim7, was to conquering Paradise. The Tovarishians were threatening the Viodoxans in leaving the Union of they did not go to war with the Hands. Tipping Elzarress off, the Hands were comfortable in knowing where to attack on the day of Paradise. Arcadia then began working with her own family's mercenary company, Viesten, which was run by Kogan. She worked with her nephews, Maximus and Lukassander, in plotting the overthrow of the I.A.U. and replacing it with a Imperial Fortunan Empire.

Returning to Haven
However, Arcadia decided to sail out from Cymru first and secure herself her own royal domain. She would plot a chart to return to her old homeland, Russantia.

Russantia and Mane Umbra
Arcadia would land in Russantia to meet a dying Mane Umbra, her maternal grandfather. Mane would give her the crown to the city, if she helped Mane pass away, and so she gave him a painless death. After succeeding Mane as the Tzarina of Russantia, she would ride to Terroja to bury her father's body.

Montroig and The Anarchists
After taking Vandoro's body out of the Fortuna Tower dumpster, and burying it underneath St. Pinko's Cathedral, alongside Mane's tomb, she would be employed by Montroig as their Minister of Culture. She would help Montroig's propaganda department in their efforts in fighting The Haven War. She met Barbarossa (ABarbedRose), a Montroigian paperpusher, who regarded Arcadia as a "bougie rich girl from Viodoxa". Arcadia would also meet Loyalist Ex-Empress Caterina, who joined ABarbedRose in making fun of Arcadia for being a rich noble. She then met Alfred Laurier, who remarked how she is the daughter of Vandoro, one of Haven's worst war criminals and responsible for the deaths of thousands. She was so peeved by these Montroigian stinky liberals, that she joined the Anarchists, led by Augustine Rette r, an imprisoned anarchist writer responsible for creating the famous best-selling book "The People", Foubrac, a man with a big nose and a horrible accent, and Augustine's father, Arcadian Retter, the man she's named after, against the Montroigian Liberals.

The Kingdom of Nebula
She also found refuge in the Kingdom of Nebula, where she met Mary Belgrave, who was the Empress of the Qeshbagan Dynasty. She and Mary, whilst rivals, were also close as Mary's mentor was Arcadia's father. They often communicated to one another about politics and decision-making on Haven's stage. Arcadia also met Prince Anik and his relative, Bella, who gave her warm hospitality.

Marriage into the Shan Family
Kogan, in order to secure a marriage, wanted to land Arcadia into the royal Ryzani family. Arcadia would originally be wed to Tsarina Geo's grandson, Meir of Tossagrad, but Arcadia was against this for his lack of any prestigious lands. Instead, she went with Meir's step-brother, Palus Shan-Toss Talinthus, who was more charismatic. Palus owned a small track of land, within Haven, called Elys, to which she made do.

The Russantine Wedding
News of the Imperial Archonal Union's coup-detat by her brother, Kogan, was celebrated with a wedding by Arcadia. With over 30 nobles, representatives, and nation leaders attending, the Russantine Wedding between Arcadia and Palus was a relatively large affair in Haven on July 27th, 2023. A gladiatoral game was held, along with the painting of a sheep into a divine being - BIG LARRY, the purple sheep. Although the wedding was large, it would be incompariable to the day Arcadia's legacy would be known for...

Birth of Nythres, His Coronation, and the Haven Summit
But before Arcadia would begin her greatest hour, she would give birth to Palus's son, Nythres Arcadian Palus. On August 5th, 2023, Nythres would be coronated as the Tzar of Russantia, inheriting Arcadia's title. Nythres and Arcadia would then proceed to attend the Haven Summit in Fornost on August 6th, 2023, in which Arcadia would tell King Aurelian of Aurora that "the world does not revolve around [you]". This would not be good P.R. for Elys, long term.

The Death of Arcadia, and The Revolutionary Revolution
On August 6th, 2023, Arcadia and Palus would put their plan into action to free Augustine Retter and rally the people of Montroig to free the Republic from Alfheimi tyranny. She would gather the Anarchists Terroja and ride from Russantia into the city, where Guardian Blue Lapis was conducting government services in the Parliament building. The Revolutionary Revolution would see Terroja under temporary occupation of Montroigian Anarchists, under the leadership of Revolutionary Leaders Palus Shan-Toss Talinthus, and Arcadia Shan-Flavia. They would force Blue Lapis into a mock trial on the Parliament floors, and would convict him of being a liberal. They would proceed to beat the Guardian into a concussion with sticks, and toss him off the steps of Parliament. The Anarchists would proceed to burn the entire city of Terroja until Montroig agreed to release Augustine Retter from jail and separate from Alfheim. Then Alfheim would send in their Loyalist band of Alfheimi war veterans, who would proceed violently crack down on the revolutionaries and put out the fire from the city. The anarchists were no match for the loyalists and the Morningstars, who were coincidentally led by the very same person that murdered Arcadia's father, Ren Morningstar. Him, his wife Shae, GameOnFinn, and many other Loyalists would chase the anarchists out of the Parliament and arrest many of them. A violent mob would be waiting for the Loyalist guard outside the citadel, in which the Loyalists would form a shield wall and throw tridents at the mob, not before making an epic charge through the flames and into the crowd, murdering dozens of Montroigians. Palus would escape, though heavily wounded, back to Russantia, but Arcadia would not.

Ren and Arcadia met by the Baldian Sea, where on the bridge that connects Tiatua and Terroja they would fight. Arcadia, however, would be no match for Ren as he would make a dastardly cut in her arm, and mortally wound her abdomen. Ren, however, chose to spare the poor girl and let her run away on horseback. This scene was all too familiar to him to finish the job. After the fall of Terroja, Arcadia would meet an equally-dying Palus at St. Pinko's Church.

On August 8th, 2023, they would break the glass that led to the void, in which Arcadia and Palus would jump in, ending both of their lives and sending them both to the realm of Elysium. Thus ends the story of Arcadia Shan-Flavia, Queen of Elys, Tzarina of Russantia, Princess of Fortuna, and Minister of Culture for Montroig & The Imperial Archonal Union...

Author's Note
All artwork, besides the one made by Foolscrow/Llyre, was made by me, August.