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| Her Royal Majesty Sophia der Grosse Publisher: Messenzetz Press Year of release: 779 This book is the third edition of the biography of Serberia's ruler, Sophia der Grosse. In this new issue, with permission from the central government, historical facts previously unknown to the general public will be revealed. The House of von Mainz Sophia's ancestors were loyal allies of the royal house even before the founding of Serberia, when the founder of this dynasty fought side by side with Artorius der Grosse first against the fierce northerners, and then against the opponents of his rule. Over time, the House of von Mainz split in two: one branch remained to rule the County of Scharnhorst, while the other received land holdings in Arthoria and has since maintained close relations with the royal house. Members of this family often took on roles as secretaries, squires, and sometimes brides or grooms for members of the ruling dynasty. Sophia von Mainz belonged precisely to the second branch and prepared herself from childhood to be useful to the royal family. Raised in the finest traditions of Serberian nobility, she possessed a vast wealth of diverse knowledge, excelled at fencing as one of the most talented swordswomen of her time, and displayed respectable skills in dance, playing musical instruments, etc., yet rarely showed genuine interest in art, preferring tactics, strategy, and governance instead. Her sincere devotion and diligence earned her recognition from King Heinrich der Grosse, who announced the betrothal of Sophia and Prince Albert, toward whom the girl had harbored very tender feelings since childhood. Unfortunately, turbulent times separated the bridegroom and bride, postponing their wedding to a later date. The Merciless Captain In the army of Serberia, Sophia von Mainz was known for her mercilessness both toward her own soldiers — for whom she set impossible tasks and demanded absolute discipline — and toward enemies: she did not disdain any methods to destroy them and only took prisoners if doing so held strategic value or if capturing them did not endanger the lives of her own soldiers. Despite this, Sophia's soldiers felt nothing but respect for their commander, not least because of her inherent sense of fairness. She placed little importance on the social status of her subordinates and never risked their lives needlessly; moreover, she supported morale and unity among the troops in every way possible. For example, she and her subordinates shared the same rations, and there were no differences between the living conditions of officers and common soldiers. Reunion Searching for the vanished Albert der Grosse required considerable effort and persistence from Sophia and her detachment, but the civil war brewing in Serberia demanded the presence of the worthiest of Heinrich's children. On the day of their reunion, Sophia dispelled the prince's doubts about his role in the coming conflict with these words: — From that very day when His Majesty Heinrich der Grosse announced our betrothal... No, even earlier than that — ever since your noble countenance appeared before my eyes, your joy and happiness have been the sole reason for my existence, but never before have I been certain how I might be of use to you, my source of light and hope, for which I thank Arteria every day... — Sophia raised her head, and Albert's eyes met a gaze full of warmth. — My life and fate have long been bound to yours... My beloved prince, from now on I swear to you with all my heart and for all eternity: my sword, my body, and my soul belong to you. The triumphant return of Albert der Grosse to Serberia was followed by victory in the civil war, achieved through a combination of his charisma and Sophia's strategic genius. Shortly after Albert's coronation, he and Sophia joined their hearts in marriage. Rule After the end of the civil war, Albert and Sophia directed their efforts toward transitioning from the old feudal system of warrior-class rule to a civil society; thanks to their endeavors, slavery was abolished and the privileges of noble families were eliminated. And although many of them retained their former influence to this day (especially within Illia and Reichheim), despotic aristocratic rule came to an end, and now even the poorest citizen of the country could file a complaint against someone like a duke if they had proper cause. These changes allowed commoners to achieve what nobles could, as evidenced by the numerous successful entrepreneurs of our time. Education In the field of education, the king and queen carried out a series of radical reforms. For instance, higher education — formerly a privilege of the aristocracy and commoners of exceptional talent — became accessible to all citizens of the kingdom through free state-funded schooling. The key theme of school education, in turn, became Serberia's work ethic, which over time grew into an integral part of the nation's culture. Accessible education combined with an adjusted national mentality served as the foundation for the kingdom achieving a strong and stable economy, as well as a high standard of living relative to other countries of the continent. Development of Industry and Science Despite King Albert's poor health, Queen Sophia, notwithstanding her inner anguish, continues to labor for the good of Serberia day after day. The queen's policies led to industrial growth and the emergence of new technologies in the country, which over the years made Serberia the most technologically advanced nation on the continent. Serberia's science today is undoubtedly the best in the entire world, clear proof of which may serve Serberia's railway transport. The invention of trains and the construction of railways eased the lives of all citizens of the kingdom, allowing them to travel from one city to another in mere hours — something unthinkable in darker ages. Valkyrie When asked how she manages to resist the relentless passage of time and preserve youthful beauty, Her Majesty replied "the secret lies in my love for Albert and my devotion to the people of the kingdom". At a recent address to the people of the kingdom, Sophia der Grosse also added that "the time has passed when higher forces determined humanity's destiny... Now we, the people of Serberia, shall conquer nature, transcend the limitations of the human body, and determine our own fate in this world", thus hinting at the technological origin of her ability to defy the laws of nature. Effect of reading the book: +2 to speed; a character who reads this book may change their conviction to "Libeszeichen" without losing attributes, provided they have not changed it before; if this conviction was already active, it improves it. Libeszeichen: actual damage dealt to characters of other convictions increases by 50%, +3 to speed, +5 to initiative per defeated opponent. Libeszeichen+: actual damage dealt to characters of other convictions increases by 50%, effects of characters of other convictions that reduce (but do not ignore) damage are ignored, +3 to speed, +5 to initiative per defeated opponent, +2 to movement speed. |