Independent Gemean state
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From 1498 until 1976, there was an independent Gemean state ruled by people of Cartadanian ancestry located in northeastern Vallos. Initially a plutocratic piratocracy, Portas Gemeas under the leadership of Captain Pedro Aviz was reformed into a merchant republic as part of a long process of legitimisation ranging from escort contracts with major Occidental powers to taking part in legitimate trading enterprises. The final major governmental reform happened in 1820 under the leadership of Captain Miguel de Sousa when the Act of Gemean Regality was passed, turning the merchant republic into an elective monarchy, the form of government that remains in place to this day in Portas Gemeas.
Pirate Republic of Porto Natal (1498-1523) República Pirata do Porto Natal Pirate Republic of Portas Gemeas (1523-1702) República Pirata das Portas Gêmeas Most Serene Republic of Portas Gemeas (1702-1820) Sereníssima República das Portas Gêmeas Sovereign Kingdom of Portas Gemeas (1820-1976) Reino Soberano das Portas Gêmeas | |||||||||||
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| 1498-1976 | |||||||||||
 Coat of arms
(1898-1976) | |||||||||||
| Capital | Various (1498-1702) Porto Natal (1702-1804) Porto Quaresma (1804-1976) | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Cartadanian | ||||||||||
| Religion | Catholic | ||||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Gemean | ||||||||||
| Government | Piratocracy (1498-1702) Merchant republic (1702-1820) Elective monarchy (1820-1976) | ||||||||||
| First Captain | |||||||||||
• 1498-1508 | Antonio Moseisley | ||||||||||
• 1698-1702 | Pedro Aviz | ||||||||||
| Captain of the People | |||||||||||
• 1702-1708 | Pedro Aviz | ||||||||||
• 1818-1820 | Miguel de Sousa | ||||||||||
| King | |||||||||||
• 1820-1828 | Miguel I | ||||||||||
• 1968-1976 | Miguel III | ||||||||||
| Legislature |
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| History | |||||||||||
• Founding of Porto Natal | 25 December 1498 | ||||||||||
• Founding of Porto Quaresma | 20 March 1503 | ||||||||||
| 5 March 1702 | |||||||||||
| 18 August 1820 | |||||||||||
| 21 May 1976 | |||||||||||
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The origins of the Gemean piratocracy is said to have its roots in the establishment of Porta Natal in 1498 by former Cartadanian privateer Captain Antonio Moseisley. He, alongside fellow former privateers Captains Henrique Aviz and Alberto de Sousa, have used their immense fortunes to overthrow the local Tainean rulers and established a plutocratic regime in which the leadership rotated between the three and their descendants every decade, starting with Moseisley himself. In 1523, Porto Natal had merged with the nearby Porto Quaresma, established twenty years prior, thus dubbing the union Portas Gemeas for the first time as well as bringing in an additional four great pirate houses into the regime alongside the houses of Moseisley, Aviz, and de Sousa.
The beginning of the 18th Century saw the decline of piracy in Vallos as the Levanto-Cronan trade declined. In an effort to both legitimise the regime and to prevent domestic turmoil, First Captain Pedro Aviz had set off on a series of reforms to shift the main source of income away from piracy and towards more legitimate pursuits and enterprises, ultimately turning the piractocracy into a merchant republic. Good fortunes soon returned when Aviz had managed to secure a lucrative escort contract with the major Occidental powers, which furthered the decline of Oustec's state revenues as these escorts inevitably became anti-piracy convoys. The success in the escort business allowed for the major Gemean houses to invest into additional trading enterprises, thus further exploding profits.
The rest of the 18th Century saw the newly-legitimised great houses of Portas Gemeas consolidate their rule over the region, soon taking on certain royal trappings and the like. Indeed, when Captain Miguel de Sousa became Captain of the People in 1818, he decided to put an end to the pretense of republicanism and declared Portas Gemeas an elective monarchy in 1820, with the great merchant houses becoming its royal families. This new monarchy remained independent until it became a signatory of the Pact of Eighteen in 1976, making Portas Gemeas and its dependency of Trescolinia a part of Delepasia and eventually Castadilla as two states.
History
Background
Since around 1450, the rise of Occidental oceanic trade presented a number of opportunities for the petty kings of Vallos of both Latinic and Tainean ancestry, most especially after Aster's expedition. The rise in trade between Crona and Sarpedon was seen as a potential boon for local authorities who were low on funds after centuries of warring with their neighbours. It comes to as no surprise that the petty kings would begin to sponsor the privateering of trade ships in St. Brendan's Strait. This brought on a profound impact on local politics, often with the very privateers becoming rogue by using their wealth and overthrowing local rulers.
One such privateer was a Cartadanian man named Captain Antonio Moseisley. At a young age, he was an average sailor who worked long hours for very meagre pay all the while having to take abuse from his captain. At the age of 21, he, alongside his friends Henrique Aviz and Alberto de Sousa, staged a mutiny against the ship's captain and succeeded in commandeering the vessel. Tired of having to slave away for abysmal pay, the three set off for the pirate's life, soon getting a sponsor from one of the local Tainean rulers of northern Vallos. As privateers, these three made a lucrative living plundering trade ships and enriching their sponsor. Inevitably, they made a fortune far more vast than their sponsor could ever imagine, and that was when a deal was struck between the three. They would go rogue and become their own bosses, overthrow their sponsor, and establish a pirates' port close to the nearest coastal settlement.