
Queen Ashki, Marchioness of Persephone
--------------------------------------   

   Data and an interview on Queen Ashki Medish Saakekuu, Queen of
   Mudemzalushush (Persephone Royalty), Marchioness of Persephone
   (Imperial Royalty), Master of the Ushama, Champion of the Widows,
   Judge of the Balance
   
   UPP 544759-4-D born: 1158 age: 42
   
  SKILLS

   Act/Bluff 2 (11)
   Admin/Legal 6 (11)
   Enviro Suit 1 (5)
   Galanglic 2 (10)
   Grav Pilot 2 (6)
   History: General 1 (6)
   History: Persephone/Ushama 2(7)
   Interrogation 3 (10)
   Leader 4 (13)
   Marketing 1 (6)
   Observation 2 (9)
   Liaison 6 (15)
   Persuasion 5 (14)
   Psychology 4 (11)
   Theology: Naminolus 1 (8)
   Unarmed M.A. 1 (6)
   Vilani 3 (11)
   
  PSIONIC SKILLS

   Project Emotion 2
   Project Thought, Willpower Drain, etc... 0
   Telempathy 4
   
  FAMILY
   
   Prince Consort Ikigmis (born 1154) ... a pleasant, harmless fellow.
   Her husband whom she dearly loves.
   
   Princess Khukude (born 1179) ........ a religious daughter, currently
   in religious training.
   
   Prince Inuksi (born 1181) ........... a happy-go-lucky son, just
   returned from a trade mission to the Sword Worlds.
   
   Princess Aargir (born 1184) ......... at home being tutored. The
   Queen's favorite.
   
   Prinesss Ashki (born 1190) .......... at home being tutored.
   
     NOTE TO REFEREE: the Queen will NOT openly discuss her psionic
     powers, or the psionic powers of the ruling Digamu aristocracy. The
     Digamu has had connections with the Zhodani Consulate for a long
     time, stretching back to 502. This psionic order arrived at
     Persephone at 603 as Naminolus pilgrims, and stayed. By 720 they
     were the ruling elite, but when the Psionic Suppression hit in 800,
     they offically gave up their psionics.
     
     Well, they kept it, but "under wraps", and mainly in connection with
     their religion. Much of the nobility eventually 'semi-legimitized'
     their psionics by secretly promoting, and later patronizing, the
     secret Imperial Psionic Institute on Mora (Mora: Spinward Marches
     3124 A99AB7-F). They never fully revealed their family connections
     to the Consulate, though. They 'kept in touch' with Zhodani family
     members back in the Far Frontiers sector (the zhodane "Afachiabr
     Sector"), though always discreetly and never seriously
     treasonous...except in 'flexing' a few laws here and there.
     
     Even after the Psionic Suppressions were repealed in the 1140's,
     they did not "come out of the closet". They remain quite secretive
     about their psionic powers; although the Regency Govt. knows about
     it, they'd rather aviod the general public knowing. And their family
     connections to the Zhodani Consulate are deep deep secret.
     
  DETAILS
   
   Born at 1158 to King Shi (at age 62) and Concubine Agiigugig. Raised
   as the Heiress to the Crown, under a regent (King Shi died in 1167)
   Crowned Queen at 1179; married that same year
   
  APPEARANCE
   
   A slim, attractive elegant woman of 42. Typically Vilani features
   (large oval head, bronzed skin, large grey eyes, sharp facial
   features). Long, greying brunette hair, always swept back. Clothing in
   typical Vilani style, of asymmetrical form and thick, bulky material.
   An affection for tasteful hair jewelry
   
  DESCRIPTION
   
   Queen Ashki is a good example of how a minor noble can dominate a
   subsector, if the political enviroment permits it.
   
   At 1179, Ashki inherited a bankrupt government from her father, King
   Shi (1194 - 1179). For centuries Gekashiishaa, a ancient form of
   Vilani communism (it originated at Diaspora, at -7200 Imperial),
   worked well on Persephone.
   
   The unexpected loss of Glisten in [1125? help, anyone?] slashed
   revenue to Persephone, and the enormous bureaucracy failed to react
   quickly or creatively enough to avoid the long-term consequences.
   
   At 1179, Ashki became Queen of Persephone. Two months later,
   Persephone's four main creditors arrived at her palace for discussions
   on debt servicing. But, Persephone could give no more without
   threatening the very stability of her society, and the Crown itself.
   So she received an ultimatum...
   
   "Turn over the administration of your government to us" [Give us your
   crown]
   
   or
   
   "Slash social spending." [And face the planetary equivelant of the
   Rebellion and Collapse]
   
   or
   
   "Declare bankrupcy" [And have your crown stripped from you by the
   Archduke, for dereliction of Duty.]
   
   Queen Ashki choose to end social spending, but in a way that kept her
   crown on her head.
   
   Basically, she maneouvered the political situation so that not only
   did her political and ideological enemies, the leaders of the Old
   Order, receive the blame for the financial crunch, they also had to
   publicly sign the documents that ended the old system of Gekashiishaa.
   Moreover, in a stunning move, the Queen held them personally liable
   for the debt, and confiscated all their property and wealth to pay for
   it. All this at the tender age of 21.
   
   After destroying the Old Order - by implication, but never by openly
   challenging it - Queen Ashki began to establish her New Order - again
   by her actions, rather than proclamation.
   
   She surrounded herself with wealthy, aggressive young men whose
   destiny she controlled with steel smiles and velvet words. The priests
   who she favoured did not wish to perfect their inner faith, like the
   old establishment wanted. The "New Balance" required the conversion of
   offworlders, rather than "keeping your own life clean next to the
   spiritually dying, crying out for help and Balance in their lives".
   
   Those who suffered the most in the nameless New Order were mocked and
   attacked ruthlessly if they dared complain. Very few even understood
   what was going on, as the situation was so novel in their 770 year
   history that their wasn't even a name for it, or a word to describe
   it. Those that did understood could do nothing: their leadership was
   disgraced, their ideology in ruins.
   
   By 1190 the economy was finally recovering. With the death of
   Gekashiishaa a new, vigourous society was being born. In this society
   freedom reined, with one limit: never challenge the elite, the Digamu.
   The drive of this society was for raw, unlimited wealth and power,
   cloaked/limited by an extreme piety to the High God and His Balance.
   Anyone could rise as high as they can, but if you fall, not a hand
   will be given in aid. A lot better than the old 100% income taxes. A
   lot crueler than the excellent old health care system, free to all.
   
   At 1193, Queen Ashki again sent a political earthquake throughout
   Persephone, when she sent out most of Persephone's 70 million-man army
   to fight on Florine (District 268: Spinward Marches/1533, D312975-A),
   a balkanized world on the edge of the Aslan New Lord territories.
   
   Currently, Florine is involved in a bitter civil war with pro-Aslan,
   pro-Regency, and pro-Independent fractions (among others). The
   decision to send Persephone troops under the Imperial Banner to war
   electrified the planet at the time, providing a potent kick of
   patriotism. The troops are still there, but now mainly as garrison
   troops.
   
   [This is the first time that Persephone's army has fought (in anything
   tougher than police actions) in 360 years. AND the first time that the
   Army has left the subsector]
   
   From 1195, the Queen, now sure of herself in the interstellar sphere,
   began to promote Persephone interests throughout the subsector.
   Diplomats and missionaries have been sent as far as the Consulate and
   the coreward Vargr states. Several major deals with large subsector
   corporations are turning Persephone into a hub of industry and
   activity. Her Royal Majesty is promoting large families, to increase
   population and become a major contender for the title of subsector
   capital.
   
   The Queen feels that the greatest limitations to future Persephone
   greatness are tech level limitations and the fact that Glisten
   (Glisten: Spinward Marches/2036 A000986-F) remains in Aslan hands,
   limiting commerce through Persephone. To remedy this, she is openly
   courting TL B and C companies to shift their operations to Persephone,
   via tax breaks, stressing the lack of trade laws and regulations of
   any kind, and the low, low wages that Persephonians are willing to
   accept. Slowly but surely, interest is picking up. She is certain that
   a "critical point" is nearing that will change Persephone forever as a
   flood of 'high-tech' companies move in.
   
   As for Glisten, she is pulling strings in both Naval circles and at
   the Archduke's palace to create a naval base at Persephone. She is
   also stressing the critical political and geopolicial importance of
   reconquering Glisten. As for Virus, we all know that Virus has died
   out back in the wilds, now don't we? This ain't 1130, after all.
   
   This year (1200), she has just bought 4 TL B, 350 Tdisp traders to
   handle increasing traffic. The new starport will be ready within the
   year. And the Naminolus religion is spreading throughout Strouden. The
   only fly in the bottle remains the new subsector governor, Subsector
   Governor Anthony E. Prentice-Hall, who attempts to stymie her every
   move. He endlessly proclaims, in his nasal whine, that Persephone is
   upsetting the entire subsector economy, with the possibility of a
   major economic shift in power and economic consequences which no one
   can foresee or control.
   
   In subsector affairs, she has increasingly sided with Strouden
   (Lunion: Spinward Marches/2327 A745988-D) against Adabicci (Lunion:
   Spinward Marches/1824 A571896B-B) and the subsector capital of Lunion
   (Lunion: Spinward Marches 2124 A995984-D). This increasing acrimony is
   dividing the subsector into two competing blocks, and causing massive
   gridlock in the subsector government houses. The subsector Duke is
   attempting to calm the subsector with ineffectual meetings and
   soothing words, but "it ain't working".
   
   Among her other drives, she is attempting to persuade the sector
   nobility to help her convince the Archduke to declare himself Emperor.
   She feels that this would give a strong boost to the fortunes of the
   Nobility, and promote the drive to reunify the Empire. Both "Good
   Things" from her perspective.
   
   She is angling for a promotion, eventually as Duchess of Persephone
   Subsector, but right now as Countess of Ushama. As Countess, she would
   have authority over nearby Penkwar (Lunian: Spinward Marches/2128
   X978000-0) and Harvosette (Lunian: Spinward Marches/2129 C330737-9).
   Harvosette are of the same culture as Persephone - Ushama - and have
   the same system of rule; Harvosette was a colony of Persephone from
   the 870's to the 960's. Of course, only the Emperor can grand new
   noble patents... but maybe Regents can do so, too. Queen Ashki is
   trying out both avenues.
   
   Finally, as Champion of the Widows, she is involved in several major
   charities throughout the subsector. She also promotes several events,
   both throughout the subsector and on Persephone, to bring the plight
   of widows (and widowers) to public attention.

