Reino de España // Kingdom of Spain

Nation:
Reino de España [Kingdom of Spain]

Name:
Antonio Hernández Carriedo

Gender:
Male

Appearance Age:
25

Actual Age:
Pretty old, you can't tell by my looks though! I'd have to guess...around 1000? Maybe more? Not counting my younger years. Then I'd be REALLY old.




Hair Color:
Brown

Eye Color:
Green.

Height:
5'8"

Weight:
137 LBS

Appearance:

One could describe Antonio's appearance to be that of a typical Spaniard on first glance.

You would notice his average height and average build. He is neither tall, nor particularly short as he stands at 5'8". He is lean with barely noticeable muscle, and finely toned arms and legs. He is definitely not the strongest nation- though he does pack an unbelievable punch when necessary, Antonio relies on his unbreakable endurance and motivation to get through the tougher times. In recent years he has gained a slight weight to his abdomen, no one but Antonio himself seems to notice. Antonio has a smooth, tanned complexion with a light dusting of sun freckles. He is frequently asked what products he uses to maintain such healthy looking skin- he likes to tell people that tomato and living in the sun will do it.

Drifting closer you would see that Spain's personification is in fact not as typical as first thought. He sports thick, deep brown hair, a staple of his people and gorgeous green eyes. His hair tends to curl and spring about at awkward angles. Antonio is not one to take care of his hair in any particular way beyond shampoo, conditioner and the occasional cut- leaving it slightly grown out and in casual disarray. Antonio's eyes are quiet possibly the most beautiful thing about him, when he is not smiling- they hold the history of his people, the passion, and the spirit of Spain itself. Every festival light shines there and Antonio loves to let it show. The eyes are a gate way to the soul, right? Hints of power and mischief, caring- he is an open book.

It was stated by quite a few that in his younger more reckless years, that Spaniard's eyes were everything but kind and struck fear into many an enemy. On his off days Spain can be found in loose clothing- tank tops, t-shirts, shorts, jeans, and sandals, anything that is good to relax and get a bit of gardening done in. Antonio is not very selective in what he wears, anything that suits him and looks good. His military garb consists of a khaki uniform with rolled sleeves, a Sam Browne belt- his legs are wrapped in thick bandages and he sports a red ribbon at his neck.

Defining Features:

Antonio is known for his rather good looks- but his most defining features would definitely have to be his eyes, and his smile. As described before, the Spaniards eyes show all the passion of his people as well as him. He is easy to read and his general good vibe catches many in its grasp. His smile is infectious and genuine- wide and bright. Spain is nearly always smiling, managing to be the optimist and find light even in the darkest of places. It would be a lie though, to say that his smile does not act as a mask at times though.

Scars are unavoidable as a nation- your land will always be fought over and war will always tear pieces away. Spain is no different. Over the years Spain has gained his fair share of markings and reminders. He sport's small scars across his body, faded and barely noticeable at first glance. If you are able to stand close to him you will probably notice the thin notch in his right eyebrow, the slightly raised pink line across his left forearm. The most notable and recent of all these marks- the largest and most devastation to the nation, is the haggard gash that marks from under his right arm to a little above his left hip. That line marks the Spanish Civil War, one of the toughest and most terrifying times for the Spaniard.




Personality:

Antonio has a very rich personality- having been passed through various rules and exposed to different cultures and themes over the course of his life. He was raised by Rome- not as a son but as a slave, and his passion for his own freedom and beliefs has always been in place. Despite realizing his need for his own freedom's, Antonio was never truly able to understand or see why his 'children' did not want to stay with him, after all he cared so deeply for his charges. However, his “boss/big brother” mentality proved to be an awkward way of showing his care and often isolated those he tried to bond with. He is oblivious, but VERY intelligent and fairly polite in most respects, understanding how to act and what words to say in certain situations. His Catholicism is deeply rooted, spanning his entire life, it was after all, the first thing he was taught. Spain would definitely be described as adventurous, discovering his own lands as well as others.

It would be a brutal lie to say that Antonio was not competitive- much of his history is based off his envy or power hungry nature. The side of him that manipulates and hungers for power is well hidden behind his smile and in the ideals of his government. During his younger years it was much more evident as he rose to world power during the Inquisition and the Italian Wars- blood lust and a one sided fight for his ideology and his view of justice. The days of conquering appear long gone though as he has settled back into his softer personality. Antonio is naturally extremely loyal, he would lay down his life for quite a few people- but he can get fairly nasty if you double cross him. In general, Antonio is a very passionate person, willing to fight hard for what he desires and believes in, even when it is apparent that he is on the losing end.

When it is times of peace, Antonio is very carefree and optimistic, which probably helped him get through the last century, though he does come off as an airhead. He is an over all nice guy, a careful and winning businessman. Antonio loves people and feels very much at home striking up random conversations with random strangers and showering his affections on people. Having a very transparent personality, he is known to say what is often on his mind. He rolls with the punches and awkward situations never really appear awkward to him. Though he appears to be a pushover, it is generally because he is willing to let others have the last say for the sake of avoiding conflict. This easygoing personality makes it easy for him to get along with others in recent years, though he seems prone to laziness. However, when his passion is ignited, he will continue to shoot for the goal until he has achieved it.

Likes:

• Tomatoes and Churros
  
• Turtles
  
• Dancing
  
• Futball
  
• Music [Playing and listening]
  
• Travelling / Adventures
  
• Sunshine / Spanish weather in general
  
• Children [Namely two Italian brothers]
  
• Seeing his people happy and sharing in their passions
  
• Jokes / Pranking
  
• Siestas
  
• Affection
  
• Petering Italy
  
• Catholicism
  
  

Dislikes:

• Overly complicated things, or conversations that drag on.
  
• Pirates
  
• Being punched or hit for no reason
  
• Napoleon Bonaparte
  
• Rebellions and revolts
  
• Animal cruelty
  
• The destruction of the Spanish Armada. Thanks a lot England.
  

Fears:

• Another civil war, unlikely, but a rational fear
  
• To be occupied, permanantly or otherwise
  
• Being forced from his carefree lifestyle
  
• Loosing ties with friends
  
• Falling under a ruler who will change the very foundations of Spain
  
• Loosing catholicsm
  
• Loosing Italy
  

Fun Facts:

• For old times sake, Spain keeps his axe nice and sharp
  
• He hung up his matador cape long ago, though he enjoys wearing the outfit. He never enjoyed the cruel aspects of bull-fighting.
  
• A heavy guilt hangs over his head concerning the Inquisition
  
• 70% of Spains population remains Catholic, he himself has not swayed much in his ideals. He keeps a bible in his bedside drawer and a rosery onhand at all times.
  
• He will rub FIFA in your face if you mention it. He is that proud.
  
• He frequently gets together with France and Prussia to do some pranking on the other nations- dispite all that has happened between the trio, they are all extremely close still.
  

Strengths:

• Extremely strong sense of self and passion for life in general
  
• He is good with his words and formidable with buisness
  
• Spain has, and always will be, a fantastic dancer.
  
• He takes pride in his skills with a guitar
  
• Futball. He's fantastic.
  
• He is a fairly good cook!
  
• The Spanish Armada. Before England destoryed it. Jerk.
  
• The pride in his people
  

Weaknesses:

• He can loose face at times, everyone has dark days, right?
  
• Though his smiles are almost always genuine- they act as a mask and prevent many from knowing and understand how he really feels about a subject.
  
• His economy hasn't been doing well at the moment
  
• Spain himself isn't the strongest of nations
  
• Reminders of certain points in his history can deal harsh blows to him
  
• Depending on his mood before drinking, Spain can become a little angry. More like a lot angry.
  

Childhood : The Foundations[/i]

- 210 BC: Was just an infant when found by the Roman Empire. He ended up being captured and forced into farming and exporting his goods to the rest of the empire.

- 181-133 BC: The Celtiberian Wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Celtiberian tribes. The war ended in 134 BC when many of the Numantines committed suicide rather than surrender to Rome, placing the area under Roman control.

- 415 AD: With Rome's decline, Germanic tribes poured into his country. Spain fell under the control of the Visigoth Kingdom, and eventually converted to Roman Catholicism. Many of his traditions and beliefs were developed around this time!

- 711-1238 AD: He was captured by the Moors. During this time, the Umayyad Caliphate casually called him "al-Ándalus" in hopes that he would recognize himself as part of the Moorish province and forget his Christian ties. Due to his young age, he was highly impressionable, which resulted in him being exposed to a lot of ancient text that had been lost during the fall of Rome. He learned a lot about people and different cultures.

- 722-1492 AD: Having begun to realize himself, missing his independence he decided that it was time to send the Moors away. He developed some physical strength and military power as he fought off the Muslims, who kept trying to re-establish rule over him.

- 844 AD: Seville was sacked by Vikings

- 917 AD: The rulers of al-Ándalus attempt to reclaim territory lost over the years of invasion, though set back when a Christian king was finally able to capture Madrid in 932 AD.

- 985 AD: Barcelona sacked by al-Mansur (Almanzor), which led to a series of sacking of Christian cities and a civil war that split the Calphite into the Taifa Kingdoms; despite the war, arts flourished while the culture experienced an upswing


Teenage Years: I am Spain![/i]


- 1039 AD: Ferdinand III proclaims himself the emperor of Hispania after being crowned king of Léon and Castille, and unifying the Northern Iberian Peninsula. During his conquest of Galicia, he happened to meet Spain en route and take him home despite his Moorish influences. Having maintained his Christian faith and memories of his time with the Visigoths, Spain soon sides with the Christian half of Spain.

- 1066 AD: Massacre at Granada results in the murder of many Jews in the area.

- 1085 AD: Toledo was lost to the Christian realms; the Muslim rulers invited the Almoracides to establish an empire in the area

- 12th century: The Almoravid empire broke up, was run over by the Almohad invasion, which was defeated in 1212.

- 1147: The Almohads had taken control of the Almoravids’ Amghribi and Andalusian territories

- 1348-1349 AD: Grew deathly ill when he was about 10 due to the Black Plague. Though many people died, he was able to recover due to his youthful vigor.

-1469: The "unification" of Spain due to the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castille (officially unified under Charles V). During this time, he begins to exert some influence in the world by conquering some nearby islands and Granada and unifying the Iberian Peninsula. He also became very curious and started to adventure out west to discover new lands. He also brought Sicily under his influence as well and the two have had a great, though turbulent relationship. By the Reconquista, he appears to be an innocent teenager though his deeds suggest otherwise.

- 1475-1479: The War of Castilian Succession erupted between Isabella I and Joanna over who would succeed Henry IV of Castille. France jumps into the conflict to back Joanna in opposition to Isabella I, because she was married to Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose rule in Italy was putting a damper on French attempt to gain control of the Italian states.

-1478: Formal establishment of the Spanish Inquisition when King Ferdinand II met with Pope Sixtus IV and convinced him to turn the inquisition in Spain over to the power of the monarchs. The first auto de fé would take place in 1781 at Seville and its first Grand Inquisitor recognized in 1783. It can be said that this is the beginning of the development of the religious zealot in Spain as he avidly tries to unite the kingdom under one Faith and moves on to take this mission into his colonies as he acquires them.


Adulthood: Kingdom of Spain[/i]


-1492: Treaty of Granada signed, which completes the Reconquista and completely expelled the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula; during this time, King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I finally grant Christopher Columbus funding to find a passage to the Indies by traveling west. During what could be considered his adolescent years, Antonio enjoys his first tastes of traveling far distances.

-1494-1498: First Italian War begins, Spain becomes involved when he joins the war with Holy Roman Empire and a series of Italian powers against France. The victory eventually causes Charles VIII to abandon the campaign and return to France.

-1500-1504: Spain joins the Second Italian War with the intention of helping France conquer the Italian principles and split the spoils with his neighbor. However, disagreement over the division causes him to turn against France and fight him. The end of the second Italian War placed Naples under the control of Spain.

-1506-1700: Spain witnesses the marriage of Joanna of Castile and Philip of Burgundy and begins his ascent onto the world stage. This eventually leads him into becoming part of the Habsburg Household when Charles V inherits the Spanish crown and that of the Holy Roman Empire.

-1519: Charles V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor, giving Spain control of a large part of Europe. France tries to invade Italy in 1521, having felt bitter about not being able to receive the title. France and Spain enter into a never-ending 'war' for the control of Italy.

-1520s: Large silver deposits are extracted in Mexico and sent back to Spain, providing the empire with an abundant amount of funding.

- 1521: The death of Charles V ends up with the division of the Habsburg empire with Spain going to Phillip II and Austria going to Ferdinand.

- 1568-1609: Experienced the Dutch Revolt, which caused Netherlands to leave Spain’s empire. Spain had originally kept the country from leaving, but after almost a decade long struggle, he let the country leave. However, as a result of the war, it had further aggravated the poor relationship with England and agitated his relationship with France. Additionally, since the Ottoman Empire joined the war against Spain, the kingdom felt a bit more annoyed with the Middle Eastern kingdom. That relationship would further deteriorate during the late 16th century when they send more pirates after their ships.

- 1580-1640: The formation of the Iberian Union when the Portuguese empire is incorporated into the empire, though it ends in 1640. Due to the amount of experiences he had serving under the rules of the past few monarchs.

- 1585-1604: Though the war was never declared, Spain experienced a great deal of grievances when Queen Elizabeth I commissioned the pirates to attack his fleets. Since the struggles almost bankrupted him and barred further exploration in America, he developed a dislike for England and his backhand tactics. Additionally, he would try to invade England as a means to stop the privateering as well as put down the Protestant nation which had executed Queen Mary of Scots. The relationship between England and Spain became very sour.

- 1588: The defeat of the Spanish Armada proved to be devastating to the Empire, which was unable to successfully defeat the English at sea and also ended up losing almost the entire fleet. This also prevented the Spanish from successfully cutting off the aid that the English gave to the Protestant rebels in the Netherlands.

- 1618: Philip III form a truce with the Dutch, settling its dispute with the kingdom for now

- 1635: Franco-Spanish War erupts when France joins the Thirty Years War which ends in 1660 with the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees. The French territory bordering the Spanish Netherlands and gives up its support for Portugal in the Portuguese Restoration War.

- 1640: A war with central Europe led the rebellion of Catalonia and Portugal; Italy was also lost, though the Catalonia independence was squandered and French forces expelled from Spain; Spain is left without a leader at the end of the period.

- 1701-1714: The War of Spanish Succession attempted to unite Spain and France together, though it ended up splitting up the Spanish Empire. The war pitted Spain against Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, Prussia, Habsburg Monarchy and Portugal.

- 1715: Philip V, the first Bourbon king, signed Decreto de Nueva Planta, which revoked the power of the kingdoms forming Spain and unified them under the laws of Castille; the French influence caused Spain to become a cultural and political follower of France.

- 1740-1748: War of Austrian Succession caused Spain to end up joining France and Prussia in the war. However, since he was pretty weak at this time, due to the fact that he was still recuperating from the last war, he managed to survive and even gained several parts of the former Holy Roman Empire.

- 1775: Almost as if he was trying to get back at England for all he had done, Spain provided the United States of America with aid in its fight for independence, which then caused England to have to give up Florida and Minorca to Spain at the end of the war.

- 1793-1795: Spain tried to take advantage of France, which looked like it was going through an identity crisis, except ended up getting betrayed by his own people, who accepted Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother as their leader. During this time, the relationship between Spain and France was mended as Spain became a client of the French. However, he realized that his relationship with France was not working as he kicked the French out in 1814 and reinstalled his own monarch. This also ruined Spain, who had lost many of his colonies during this time and found himself experiencing a financial crisis.

- 1801: Spain and France joined together to fight against Portugal in the War of the Oranges after the country refused to join on the French side in a war against Britain. Spain gains the town of Olivenza out of the war.

- 1805: Battle of Trafalgar caused Charles IV to reconsider his alliance with the French and break off the Continental System.

- 1808-1809: Spain went through a series of loss of colonies and experienced a series of rebellions. It was a period of turmoil inside as nationalism developed in the country, which drained Spain's financial resources; Napoleon invades Spain during the Peninsular War, triggering the War of Independence.

- 1812: The first modern Spanish Constitution was created.

- 1813: French defeated at the Battle of Victoria by the Duke of Wellington, Spain and Portugal; King of Spain restored to power the following year.

- 1820-1823: Trienio Liberal broke out after the end of the Napoleonic Wars between the royalists and the liberals. The war ends with royalist victory (with French interference) and restores King Ferdinand VII on the throne.

- 1824: The last Spanish army in America was defeated at the Battle of Ayacucho.

- 1833-1839: First Carlist War breaks out because KingFerdinand VII leaves no male heirs. His brother Carlos takes over as Spain begins to turn back to absolutism. Eventually the Cristinos win and make liberal reforms to the country, but was met with resistance.

- 1846-1849: The Second Carlist War (Matiners’ War) breaks out in Catalonia, but was poorly organized and eventually suppressed in 1849.

- 1870-1871: Franco-Prussian War breaks out over heightened tensions between France and Prussia, one of the reasons which involved the possibility that Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern, would succeed the Spanish throne, a couple years after Isabella II was exiled in 1868; Eventually Amadeus of Savoy is crowned King of Spain the following year (no actual Spanish involvement in the war, but another example of succession issues).

-1872-1876: The Third Carlist War breaks out as rebellions break out in Navarre, Catalonia, Valencia and Aragon. However, the Carlist forces are unable to win, leaving Spain strangely conflicted.

- 1873: Formation of the first Spanish Republic.

- 1868-1878: Ten Years war begins against Cuba, who was rebelling against Spanish rule after sugar mill owners declared the island's independence; abolition of slavery in colonies.

- 1874: King Alfonso XII was crowned after the Spaniards agree to return to the stability created by a monarchy.

- 1898: Spanish-American War broke out when the United States could not stand the way Spain had treated Cuba for its acts of rebellion. After a few months, Spain had to give up the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the USA and left the Western Hemisphere. This caused his relationship with the United States to be bitter during the time and caused him to not talk to Cuba for a while, Spain’s relationship with these countries gradually improved over time.

- 1931: Second Spanish Republic created; women’s suffrage observed.

- 1936-1939: Spain then went through an identity crisis as he ended up going through a civil war. During this time, Spain found himself attempting to recover politically and economically, so he ended up becoming isolated. During this time, he was fascist, as Franco took over and ruled the country as a dictatorship. However, he did appear sympathetic to the Axis powers despite taking a neutral standing (though he did swear this was the last time he was going to have a civil ear).

- 1939-1945: Though officially declared neutral by Franco but burdened by the $2 million debt it owed, Spain unofficially sent volunteers to help Nazi Germany in fighting its eastern front. Dubbed "Division Azul," the men were sent into the Soviet Union to fight.

- 1955: Spain formed a friendship with the United States, who needed his help to protect southern Europe during the Cold War. During this time, Spain experienced the “Spanish miracle” and industrialized. As a result, he recovered from the long sickness caused by his declining economy. During this time, he became more carefree than he was before.

- 1982: Spain joined NATO and four years later, joined the European Union. During this time, he experienced a period of economic recovery and became a strong performer in the EU.

- 1996: Spain adopts the Euro, dropping its local currency.

- 2004: A bomb goes off during rush hour at a train station in Madrid; the event is presumably linked to al-Quaida, though no direct link was revealed, though a suspect was arrested and sentenced.

- 2005: Spain becomes the first country to give full marriage and adoption rights to same sex couples.

- 2010: Spain wins its first World Cup Championship in South Africa!

-2011: New conservative government headed by Mariano Rajoy takes up office

-2012: Spain slips back into recession as economy contracts




The Church. Antonio was pressed upon the alter, head bowed. The church had always been constant, it had always been there for him. A light in the darkness, if you will. It had lead him through Rome's rule, and he had held true while under Moorish rule. It had always been what drove him, his king, his people- god's word. He hadn't been paying as much attention in the more recent years- the depression hit hard and his people were in need. It was always in the back of his mind though...His king had defected, stepped down and a new government rose to power.

Fascists. He had no choice. He was a nation- the personification of land and the populace. He wasn't a leader...He could not command. The civilians were torn, and Antonio was feeling it. Maybe they were feeling it as well? There was a widespread word 'war' leaking through the cracks of every house. Did they feel his distress? The itch that he couldn't seem to scratch. There was a strangling pressure against his chest- a feeling that bore down on his shoulders. His lips moved in silent prayer, dry, he had been here for a while now.

The decline from his years had been steady and in those years since his reign as one of the most powerful nations on the world- Antonio had settled for peace, or he tried to. He found his years far more relaxed and he tried his best to be diplomatic in harsher times. He wasn't young anymore, he wasn't a world power. Far from it really...He had been hit so hard- knocked down to his hands and knees and the economy was reduced to ash. He strived and toiled and dragged his people behind him, the job of a nation, but recovery was far off and nothing would ever be as good as younger years.

His people fought outside the doors- in the streets. People were dying. He could feel each one. The itch was a burn and his head was sore and pounding with the whispers and cries of his people. Tearing. He was tearing. Who was he now? His ideal's were shambles and still his lips moved- quietly. Thoughts of war and flashes of white hot anger, confusion, played behind his eyes. Was there any hope? What could he do....Be faithful to himself? Oppose this new government? Was that what he wanted? Antonio's breath whizzed past his teeth. It was all he could do. Stay true to himself. With weary eyes the Spaniard rose up from the steps, bowed his head, crossed his heart. He would regain control of his people, of himself, he would stop whatever stirring had started to preserve the peace and his ideals. He was strong enough for that, right? Maybe...



Name: Nana.

Age: 18 (19 in two months)

Fun Fact: I cosplay, and I draw a lot? Not really a fun fact.