Joseph Richardson (Joe the Conqueror)

Joseph Richardson (unknown - October 24, 2021) was the first Prime Minister of the Zamotz Union. Serving from July 20, 2021 to August 20, 2021, he was one of the driving forces in uniting the island under one government. He was a resident of Indusia within the country and province of Elatsania and was the leader of the Zamotz Republican Unity Party. He was a follower of Cult of the Deathly Rainbow.

Arrival on Eldham
Joseph arrived in Eldham by ship in the early days of July 2021. He sought out a fledgling town where he could practice his trade of building. He found opportunity in the capital city of Elatsania, Indusia, on the island of Zamotz. Recruited by King Councilor Okomi, Joseph became an architect. Laying out the foundations for Indusia's street plan, Joseph quickly became the top architect of Indusia after the death of Xycle. His work in developing the city did not go unrecognized, and he became one of the most trusted individuals in the country by members of the Elatsanian council.

Political Rise
Following his rise in regional popularity, Joseph became active in local politics and began to join in the efforts to unite Zamotz as one. Joseph gained the trust of the Elatsanian council alongside the Kritarch (eader) of Limuria, Draphonaris, who was seeking to form a union with Elatsania. This came at a time when the Elatsanian government was already considering the deal with Limuria, but were split on which government system to propose for the union.

On the final day of debate, Joseph entered the council floor. Despite holding no formal position within the government, he was nevertheless allowed to speak by the rest of the council. He had written a draft constitution for the union, proposing that the Union be turned into a diarchy led by a unicameral council of ministers, similar to the current Elatsanian government but adjusted to give the Limurian government ample representation.

The council was generally split into two groups, with a clean 5-4 division. The majority, led by SeñorConejo, were advocates for the Valescan model of governance, which would have made the new union be governed by a council of five Senators, and with an elaborate bureaucracy underneath it. Proponents of the model believed that it would allow for both a centralized and representative rule, whilst the bureaucracy would allow for efficient managing of the day-to-day affairs of the union. The minority opposition, led by Adranus Murphy, believed that the system would be too complicated to be efficient, and instead proposed an Elatsanian-like system. Richardson's proposal easily won the support of the opposition vote, and with Conejo not being present in the meeting, there was little advocacy for the Valescan model on the debate floor.

To convince the Valescan advocates of the proposal, Richardson delivered a speech advocating for his system. Beyond echoing the concerns made by the anti-Valescan officials, Richardson made a strong political appeal to his system. Focusing on the proposed role of Prime Minister, Richardson made his intention to run for the title clear. The appeal for having Richardson as the Prime Minister was clear: of all the individuals in Elatsania, he was the most well connected to the Limurian government, and a Richardson premiership would therefore strengthen ties between Limuria and Elatsania. On these grounds, Okomi changed his vote to be in favor of Richardson's proposal, and other advocates of the Valescan model would soon follow. His importance in drafting the constitution was not forgotten, and the founding document became known as the Joseph Constitution by those within the Zamotz Union's government.

Appointing the Council of Ministers
Following the ratification of the proposal and the creation of the Zamotz Union, Richardson ran unopposed in the first premiership elections for Zamotz. Under the new constitution, the Prime Minister had the ability to select candidates with approval from the diarchy, Okomi and Draphonaris. Richardson would select a new council of members across that would adequately represent both sides of the Union whilst attempting to grant it to the most competent members. This would be one of Richardson's most consequential decisions in his entire premiership, as many of these members would go on to serve for the entirety of the Zamotz Union's duration. The decision was also not without controversy; Okomi would dispute some of Richardson's appointments on the grounds that Elatsanians were both underrepresented and being given "secondary roles" such as Minister of Agriculture, whilst the Limurians received more important titles such as Minister of Defense. Although Richardson eventually conceded to some of the terms (including appointing Adranus Murphy to become the Minister of Defense), this would spark a lifelong feud between the two men that lasted for the rest of Richardson's life.

The new council also saw plenty of debates amongst itself. Disagreements on certain domestic and foreign policy proposals would see the same two groups of people fighting, which became the groundwork for the Zamotz Union's first political divide. In these debates, the conservative wing of the Zamotz Union would form under the informal leadership of Roshi Molaac, whilst the more disorganized royalist wing would clash with the conservatives on most controversial votes. Given that these lines were partially formed on the same boundaries as the Elatsanian council (the Valescan advocates became royalists, whilst the anti-Valescan members became conservatives), Richardson would find more support from the conservative wing for his proposals.

Foreign Policy
In spite of the divisions within the council, Richardson's government made several important strides. Under his leadership, Limuria successfully negotiated for the acquisition of Bibshmibbia from Avaria. On July 24, 2021, Richardson's government successfully ratified the Treaty of Shirokaneza, incorporating both Velithangka and Shirokaneza into the Zamotz Union and completing the young country's objective of unifying the island. Joseph began a policy of internal growth and improvement. Important modifications were made to the Zamotz government during this time; notably, the diarchy was turned into a triarchy, with the Shirokanezan leader White_Ren becoming the third executive head of the country. Another constitutional change that followed was a change to the term length of the Prime Minister, shortened to just one month. Backed by Richardson himself, the proposal saw bipartisan support and easily passed the council floor.

Following the unification of Zamotz island, the country found itself undecided on what its future plans would be. Richardson was in favor of a more isolationist Union; one that would develop foreign ties only when needed, and the government would mainly focus on domestic policy and self-improvement. This proposal saw support from Molaac and the conservative wing, but the royalists were vehemently opposed. Both Okomi and Draphonaris were advocates for the territorial expansion of the Zamotz Union beyond the island and garnered the support of many royalist council members. The Shirokanezans, for their part, had a more hawkish stance: beyond just expanding the Zamotz Union territorially, the Shirokanezans had ambitions of using their newfound military prowess to participate in wars across Eldham and create an image of the Zamotz Union as a global superpower.

Ultimately, Richardson's isolationist vision would be undone while he was still in office. Through a legally questionable process, Okomi (with the support of Draphonaris) spearheaded negotiations with the Neubaykonian government to incorporate their country into the Zamotz Union, without the Prime Minister being informed or involved in the negotiations. Winning the support of the Neubaykonian government, the country became a new province of the Zamotz Union, with initially heavy criticism from Richardson and the conservatives. The Shirokanezans, meanwhile, began using their military might on the global stage. With the Treaty of Shirokaneza providing a legal basis for the province to engage in their own wars, the Shirokanezans would escalate a dispute against the pirates of Barbossa into a full-scale war, known as the War of the Black Flag. The convincing Shirokanezan victory against one of Eldham's greater military powers put the Zamotz Union in the international spotlight, and essentially killed any hope for the Union to remain isolationist.

Other Accomplishments
This did not stop Richardson from advancing his domestic policy agenda. Overland and underground highways projects were planned and implemented, commercial businesses were encouraged, and self-sufficiency goals were set. These initiatives did not see any opposition but were set aside in favor of focusing on Zamotz's foreign policy initiatives.

Toward the later part of his turn, campaigns for the August premiership elections began. On August 10, Joseph announced he would not seek a second term as Prime Minister. He would instead create the Zamotz Republican Unity Party (ZRUP), in which he'd endorse any candidate that sought to run under his assistance. With opposition from the increasingly popular royalists, however, no candidate sought to run under the ZRUP. He would formally leave office after the elections concluded on August 21st, being succeeded by the royalist-backed candidate, Balake. In his farewell address, Richardson reflected on the initiatives the Zamotz Union had undertaken during his tenure. He viewed the integration of Neubaykonia and War of the Black Flag in a positive light, reflecting a shift from his isolationist views he held earlier during his tenure. He also made several warnings to the Zamotz Union. He cautioned against individuals who sought to amend the Constitution to centralize power in the hands of a few permanently seated individuals, a direct jab at the royalists who wished to expand the powers of the triarchy. Furthermore, he advocated against the imperialists of Eldham and argued that the Union should pursue a balanced foreign policy, seeking valuable alliances without making too many allies.

{{Quote | quote  = "I have achieved what I set out to achieve and believe it is time for another capable leader to take the helm." He endorsed Balake who successfully won the vote on August 20th. | speaker = - Joseph Richardson, from his resignation speech on August 10th. | source =

Post-Premiership
Richardson continued to live in Indusia for some time after his tenure. Watching the city's population decline and city development projects remain in limbo, Richardson grew disillusioned with the government, believing that the country had become so invested in foreign policy that domestic policy was now neglected. After several successful business ventures in banking and real estate, Richardson amassed considerable wealth and acquired a personal estate in the province of Neubaykonia. His attention turned to constructing the estate.

Religious Epiphany
During this time, Richardson received several visions that would drastically change his own personal vision. He became the first religious convert of what he called the Cult of the Deathly Rainbow, and his attention would soon shift towards fulfilling any rituals or other requests made by his divine superiors. The Deathly Rainbow did not become a prominent religion in Zamotz despite Richardson's advocacy, and ultimately the faith was confined to his own personal estate.

Death
On October 17, 2021, Richardson was climbing through the southern mountains of the Zamotz Union when he found a copy of the Prism, a sign from the Cult of the Deathly Rainbow. He immediately began preparation for the final ritual of the Cult: the ceremony of cosmic enlightenment. This involved the destruction of all his personal belongings with a few exceptions being gifted to his closest nephew. After a weeklong ceremony of chanting and reading from the Prism, on October 24, 2021, Joseph lit the pyre he had constructed in his estate and sacrificed himself as is tradition by his cult's teachings. The ruins of his estate still remain in his family's possession while his holdings in Indusia were completely eliminated. A monument was to be constructed at the estate but was never fully built.

Opinions on his tenure
The premiership of Richardson remains one of the most contentious topics when discussing Zamotian history. During his tenure, Richardson was one of the most polarizing figures in the country, and most of his achievements have been scrutinized. Much of the Zamotz Union's progress during his term saw little to no involvement in his part, especially when it came to Zamotz's foreign policy. Although he'd approve of Shirokaneza's actions leading to and after the War of the Black Flag, opponents of Richardson argue that he was doing this merely to appease the Shirokanezan ministers and receive their support when it came to partisan votes where the royalists were united in opposition. Likewise, when changing his opinion on Zamotian expansion when it came to Neubaykonia, royalists argued that he was simply attempting to appease the new Neubaykonian ministers.

This is not to say that opinions on Richardson were made on party lines. Many royalists, including Prime Minister Balake, spoke positively or had neutral opinions on Richardson. Indeed, Richardson's term was not without its accomplishments, either: the slight domestic initiatives he did, however slight they were, would be some of the most significant in Zamotz's history, especially given that the next two prime ministers after Richardson would largely neglect the domestic policy of Zamotz. As such, virtually all conservatives view Richardson as one of the better Prime Ministers in Zamotian history, believing that the Zamotz Union would have been a better country (and perhaps even avoid the circumstances that led to its collapse) had the Union followed Richardson's vision instead of embarking on a path of aggressive foreign policy and diplomatic integrations of multiple countries in the region.

One of the largest critiques of Richardson's reign was his character whilst in office. Many of his actions were viewed by his detractors as self-serving, starting with the appointment of the Council of Ministers. Many of his appointments, beyond the Elatsanian critiques, were viewed as rewarding allies who ensured his unanimous victory in the July elections. Moreover, he was accused of selectively deciding which issues to pursue based on whether or not it would help his allies. The decline and collapse of the city of Dasana, on the Zamotz isle, was largely ignored by the Richardson administration. Conveniently, the city (which operated as its own province prior to the collapse) was resisting offers from both Shirokaneza and Suuntur to be annexed, and Richardson controversially backed Suuntur's bid to annex the city following its collapse. Some royalists argue that Richardson ignoring Dasana and subsequently "bestowing" it to Suuntur was one of his worst selfish acts whilst in office, whilst Richardson and the Suuntur government countered by stating that the circumstances leading to Dasana's fall had nothing to do with the federal government. Other royalists, including Conejo, felt that Richardson's early tenure and rise to power was done with the intent of giving him a lasting influence on the Zamotian political scene, and was not in the best interest of the country.

Post-Premiership Influence
However, the influence that Richardson had on Zamotian politics ended with his farewell address. The ZRUP failed to garner any significant political backing or a strong candidate for the August elections, and this was largely chalked down to two reasons. Firstly, Richardson and the ZRUP had no regional backing. Richardson's home province of Elatsania, amongst others, joined a growing list of regions that had become very supportive of the royalist-backed candidate, Balake. The other three candidates in the election each had substantial popular support in their home provinces. For instance, MrFlipkin, the second-placed candidate in the elections, had effectively split the vote in Shirokaneza with Balake, and as the most populous province in the Union, this granted him a substantial number of votes. Swenking, the head jarl (de facto leader) of Atlechia, had unanimous support amongst his people, and became the third placed candidate. The fourth candidate had a fate that would've likely been the same as Richardson's had he chosen to run in the August elections. Crispy Bacon, at the time a dark horse candidate with a history of unsuccessful bids for the premiership in Neubaykonia, ran with only the support of a segment of his province. He was dead last in the election, receiving only 3 votes out of 74 total voters.

The second reason for the ZRUP's failure was simply Richardson's own lack of a base. Conservatives did not seem particularly interested in backing the ZRUP in the next elections, and Richardson's own popularity as Prime Minister of the Union was at an all-time low. By the time the September elections had come, the ZRUP had not grown substantially, and instead merged with Alaina Arianrhod's Unity Party. With Arianrhod's defeat in those elections and Richardson's full retirement from politics, any influence the ZRUP would have on the Unity Party was lost.

External Links/Further Reading
https://discord.com/channels/866057503484542996/866705223489159218/878578513186291712 - Joseph Richardson's farewell address. Must be a citizen within the Zamotz discord to read.

https://discord.com/channels/750726239723061338/869839286944559104/901994272591581214 - Announcement of Joseph Richardson's death. Must be a member of the Stoneworks discord to read.