Rzeczpospolita Polska [Thanks for the patience!]

[POLAND]

~ POLAND ~

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

NAME: Rzeczpospolita Polska ; Poland
ALIAS: Feliks Łukasiewicz
APPARENT AGE: Looks to be about thirteen or fourteen.
GENDER: Male
STATUS: Commonwealth – the size of a small empire


LIKES:

• Ponies
  
• Shoving work off onto someone else ; being lazy
  
• Chess
  
• Living alongside other people
  
• Italy and the Roman Catholic Church
  
• Peace
  

DISLIKES:

• Having to handle new people or situations
  
• People trying to assert their control over himself or Lithuania
  
• Being forced to work or being asked to put effort towards a goal
  
• When somebody else forces a change in his habits or rituals
  
• Backtalk
  

PERSONALITY: Poland is, to say the very least, extremely shy. Meeting new people is like a form of personal torture for him; he prefers to leave all of that networking and introducing to his current partner, Lithuania. Before his union with the other country, Poland was not on very good terms with his neighbours, aside from Hungary (he still isn’t, truth be told). He hasn’t the slightest clue as to how to act around others with whom he is already well acquainted, either. He’s bossy, pushy and self-absorbed; all traits that strain his relationship with the people living in his house – Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania (Estonia and Latvia have recently departed, *sadface*).

There was a day when Poland took great pride in his union with Lithuania and had high ambitions, but over time their mounting wealth and power made him cocky and lazy. His favorite way to spend his days now is laying about in the fields of rye that cover his and Lithuania’s lands, playing chess with anyone who will challenge him and going for outings with his horse. He seems to be completely oblivious to the rising difficulties in his nation, though in actuality he simply prefers not to think about the subject of discontent when he has all he could ever need right in front of him.

Granted, one can always want for more, and this Poland does in spades. He wants to be strong enough that he will be left unperturbed by surrounding nations that often try to interfere with his politics and way of life – his main concern being Russia. Unfortunately his desire to hold his own ground does not outweigh his short-sighted desire to relish all that he has. Poland is also a bit superficial in that he loves beautiful and oftentimes expensive things (ponies, paintings, top-notch chocolates, for example). Poland however, being in semi-decline, must grudgingly make do with what he has despite his taste for the finer things.

He is also fiercely Roman Catholic and refused to team with Lithuania until he converted to Catholicism. In the Commonwealth, however, Poland likes to pursue a policy of moderate religious tolerance in following of one of his many sayings – “peace is the best~” Although he enjoys peace and prefers to avoid conflict, he fails miserably at both. He somehow always manages to get caught between a rock and a hard place, not rarely in part due to his tendency to mouth off (and then promptly hide behind Lithuania). Currently his major problems are between Austria, Prussia and Russia.

*As a side note, I love to make Poland use adages and expressions and the like. If you see any great expressions or anything let me know so I can use ‘em.



HISTORY:

• 966 Duke Mieszko I, Poland's first recorded leader, converts to Christianity. This is formally recognized as the birth of the Polish nation.
  
  
• 1382 Start of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Poland forms an alliance with the pagan Lithuania when young Polish Jadwiga marries Duke Jagiello of Lithuania. The union increases Poland's boundaries dramatically and creates an alliance with Lithuania that lasts for 400 years. During this time there are many wars against various enemies (Teutonic Knights, Tatars, Russia, Ottoman Empire). However, the country prospers economically, culturally, and spiritually. The Black Death does not manage to spread as far as Poland.
  
  
• 1410 Battle of Grunwald/Tannenberg. Polish-Lithuanian army inflicts a decisive defeat on the Teutonic Knights (TAKE THAT, PRUSSIA), both countries' main adversary, allowing Poland's and Lithuania's territorial expansion into the far north region of Livonia.
  
  
• 1500s The Renaissance comes to Poland, and the Golden Age of Poland begins. Polish becomes the language in lieu of Latin. Literature, learning, culture, and architecture flourish. Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikolaj Kopernik) publishes "On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres," proposing that the earth revolves around the sun as opposed to the popular theory of geocentricity.
  
  
• 1683 The Commonwealth, though significantly weaker than it was a century ago due to many small wars with Russia and an invasion by Sweden, deals a crushing defeat to the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Vienna.
  
  
• 1733-1738 War of the Polish Succession, in which two Polish nobles fight for the title of King of Poland. France and Spain ally with previous Polish leader Stanisław while Austria, Prussia and Russia ally with new challenger Augustus III. Augustus becomes King of Poland, Stanisław recieves the Duchy of Lorraine, and Poland ultimately loses Livonia (Latvia and Estonia, roughly).
  

WHAT YOU GO BY: I am Akitoatthedisco, but please, call me Akito.


YEARS RPING: About six years. Unfortunately I’ve never used forum format/Proboards before, so I do hope everyone will try to be patient with me as I figure out how to use it and adjust my roleplaying accordingly.


RP EXAMPLE:
‘It was kind of a stretch,’ he thought with some black-humoured amusement, ‘to think that I could like, appeal to those three.’ He kept a brisk pace as he sauntered down the hall, unperturbed by his own tardiness. Being on time to an event or meeting was not something that particularly mattered to him; what mattered was whether or not he got there at all. He had a good reason for being late anyway.

The Pole had just come from Russia’s prison of a house in an attempt to appeal to his better nature, if such a thing existed. Poland was, at this time of 1733, sadly divided by the lack of one ruler to guide and watch over his people. Now that Poland’s king had died, the kingship was up in the air and people were scrambling to pick up a prize, like some kind of sick piñata of death and politics. His people supported a man who, though foreign, had shown his love for Poland and his children by caring for the nation for many years. Poland sided with his people, as he always did in these sorts of times and likewise Austria, Prussia and Russia sided against him. With optimism that he didn’t really believe, Poland had faintly hoped that Austria and Prussia, at least, could put their opinions of him aside for once and leave him be.

‘Well, the more things change, the more they like, stay the same,’ the blonde snorted at his own wishful thinking. Russia had laughed in his face when he politely demanded that Russia back off of the Polish boy’s politics and play with his own pawns. When he visited Prussia’s home the day before, he received more or less the same response. At least Austria had the decency to offer him a game of chess before chuckling and showing him the door.

So, Poland found himself here, late for a meeting in his own home with France and Spain. Both nations seemed ready to back him up if he needed it, and France had always been a sort of ally to Poland. Of course his partner Lithuania would be there as well; the Pole was terrible at cutting deals, and he wasn’t familiar enough with Spain to be able to look him threateningly in the eye if need be. The boy was still a wreck around strangers, and though Spain was not entirely foreign to him, the thought of being alone in a room with him (France aside) made Poland’s stomach knot and his hands tremble.

But that wasn’t happening. Liet was in there, probably casting nervous glances out the window and wondering what could be keeping the Polish boy this time. Poland grinned at the thought of Liet’s silly-looking worry face as he came at last to the corridor’s end. With a deep breath and a confident toss of his hair, he steeled his resolve and pushed open the heavy door.

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