Steam Empire Profile
Nation: England/UK
Human Name: Arthur Kirkland
Personality:
Arthur is highly concerned with presenting himself as a gentleman, and maintains that appearance most of the time. However, he manages to undermine his own reputation at times through his drinking habits, along with his uncanny ability to have his sexual exploits caught by others, and his inability to completely leave his past as a pirate behind him.. He can be quite sarcastic, obstinate, and possessive. Arthur is not good at expressing emotions, and often seems irritated or angry even when he's not. That being said, he is very irritable when it comes to certain people considering his high standards for behavior. His difficulties at expressing emotions also make it difficult for people to tell when he genuinely cares about them, and he can be easily flustered by displays of affection. Arthur is normally a very confident individual, but he has certain sensitive points that can make him very depressed if mentioned.
Important Relations with other Nations:
America [North American Union] - Alfred and Arthur are lovers, which is public knowledge to other nations since they are essentially married. Although they have been known to bicker, with Alfred picking on Arthur and Arthur criticizing Alfred, their disagreements are usually not serious, and they do not stay mad at each other for long. Alfred once acted as Arthur's second in command, but now they are equal partners.
Canada [North American Union] - As with Alfred, Matthew and Arthur's relationship is public knowledge. While to some it may seem as though Arthur gives Matthew less attention than Alfred, Arthur views Matthew as the more responsible of the two, thus needing less supervision. He has granted Matthew the same status as Alfred over the years, meaning that Matthew now acts as his partner as well.
France - On the surface, Arthur and Francis are longtime rivals. However, they maintain a secret relationship as lovers, which only the people closest to the two of them know the full extent of. It is fairly common knowledge that they have been lovers in the past, but few realize that their relationship continues to this day. Both nations make a great effort to keep their personal life and diplomatic relations separate, and have difficulty admitting that they love each other.
Spain - There is still tension between Arthur and Antonio, especially when it comes to colonial matters. Despite Antonio's demeanor, Arthur views him as more dangerous than he lets on, and is very untrustworthy of the other nation's seemingly happy-go-lucky, lazy nature.
Russia - Possibly the nation Arthur hates the most, he can barely stand being around Ivan. While Arthur is fairly confident of the strength of his own empire, he is still paranoid of the threat posed by the Russian Empire.
Likes:
Arthur is quite fond of tea, curry, fish and chips, and many forms of alcohol. He loves to cook, even if he's horrible at it. Gentlemanly behavior and appearance are very important to him. His hobbies include embroidery, reading, sailing, and sports such as cricket and football.
Dislikes:
Other than his deep animosity toward the Russian Empire and Holy Alliance, Arthur hates impropriety and anything he views as uncivilized. He is very insecure when reminded about his own inadequacies, such as his inability to cook, grow his hair out, or develop muscle.
History:
In the 1770s, Arthur made a monumental decision: to negotiate with the North American colonies rather than allowing things to escalate to war. These negotiations would eventually lead to the formation of the North American Union, a dominion of the British Empire.
On January 1, 1801, the Act of Union formally joined Ireland with the United Kingdom of Great Britain, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In international settings, Arthur would generally act as the representative for the entirety of the British isles from this point on.
Since the North American Union was increasingly self-sufficient when it came to domestic matters, England was able to focus on expanding the empire throughout Asia, the Pacific, and eventually Africa. And as the NAU matured, Alfred in particular would eventually wish to help Arthur in the expansion of the Empire.
Starting in the late 18th century, the industrial revolution transformed England from an agrarian economy to an industrial one. The cooperation between England and the NAU meant that many developments made in either nation were adopted by the other relatively quickly. The two nations also encouraged cooperation between their scientists and inventors, further accelerating the progress of innovation.
In the late 1700s, England's focus on interaction with India had shifted from trade to seeking conquest of the other nation, which he eventually accomplished. He also adopted Australia around this time. He would come to treat Oz more like he had treated his North American colonies, raising him almost as a son with Alfred and Matthew's help.
In 1807, Arthur abolished the slave trade throughout the entire empire. Although he allowed Alfred and Matthew to handle most of their own domestic matters, he aided them in keeping peace throughout the south of the NAU, preventing war in the region. He also gave them some assistance with expanding West, notably helping to pressure France into selling the Louisiana Territory.
Though there had been much talk of democracy and other political alternatives to monarchies, by the early 1800s the support for those political theories was dying out, partially thanks to pressure on the part of monarchies throughout Europe like Russia, Spain and France. In comparison, the United Kingdom and North American Union were practically bastions of civil rights.
Arthur would aid Greece in becoming independent from the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. However, Arthur also realized that the Ottoman Empire was on a decline. His interest in the region was not just for the sake of gaining territory for himself, but also because he was aware that if the Ottoman Empire collapsed, many European powers would end up fighting for the territory, causing war in the region. Arthur began pressuring Sadiq to join the British Empire as a protectorate for the sake of peace in the region. Eventually, Sadiq would concede to these pressures, gaining military and political support in return to maintain stability in the Balkans and Middle East.
In 1837, Victoria became queen, and would rule until 1901. Under her reign, the British Empire would truly cement itself as the foremost world power. During this time period, a great number of new technologies were introduced, including the steam ship, railroads, photography, the telegraph, and airships. It was during her reign that Arthur concluded that together, Alfred and Matthew had matured a great deal. The NAU was granted full nation status.
From this point on, the United Kingdom and North American Union would not just work together to develop new inventions, including progressively more advanced airships, automobiles and weapons, but they would also work together to expand the empire throughout Africa and Asia. Notably, they would gain control over half of Africa and a large portion of China. New Zealand was also adopted during this period. Like Australia, Arthur would act as more of a parental figure toward the young colony, raising him together with Alfred and Matthew.
The Victorian era marked the beginning of the British Empire's reign as world power, which influenced the continued prevalence of the fashions and aesthetics from this period throughout the 20th century. By the 1920s, a formal union was arranged between the United Kingdom and North American Union, effectively marrying Arthur to Alfred and Matthew.
Pax Britannia would continue throughout the century, meaning a decrease in the overall number of armed conflicts throughout the world due to the power of the British Empire. Still, a sort of cold war persisted between the British, Russians, and Holy Alliance. Ireland and several other British territories would push for independence, but these movements were easily quelled.