Yusuf I

(a.k.a. Phoenix of Quraysh; Yusuf the Wise)

Caliph Yusuf I (22/8/1787-1873) was the founder of the Umayyad Caliphate in New Andalusia, and its first and longest-reigning ruler.
Born after Musa II declared himself caliph, Yusuf I was sent on hajj at the age of 12, officially to protect him from an epidemic at the time. On his return in 1801, hajji Yusuf, having no political connections of his own, was entrusted to the Caliphal Guard as a hostage. In their custody his remarkable gifts first displayed themselves, and as the Muslim factions lost the Moorish Fitna "Hajji Yusuf" became the Caliphal Guard's official ambassador and unofficial statesman. On the death of Musa II, the Caliphal Guard took baya from Yusuf and declared him caliph, leaving him in effective control of Nouvelle-France and by far the strongest figure in the Musawi coalition.
Yusuf I spent nearly a decade consolidating his power, building the Alcazar (and its infamous wall of skulls) before promulgating the Constitution of New Andalusia on 5 April 1825. The new state quickly distinguished itself from other Moorish successor states by its political stability, economic growth, and functional (if turbulent) constitutional monarchy.
Yusuf I's career ended with the Anglo-Moorish War of 1864-8. Early in the war, Yusuf (now in his seventies) repeatedly struggled with the War Palace and was directly responsible for at least one major setback. While he insisted on personally representing the UCNA during the peace talks, the Anglo-Moorish War left him physically and mentally broken.

Spouses and Issue

Yusuf confessed to being a dutiful husband and father, but nobody ever accused him of being an affectionate one. As a rule his marriages were arranged and politically motivated.
Yusuf I's first marriage was a political alliance with the Alzamandis. They had three children, all of whom predeceased Yusuf I:

• Sara b. Yusuf (1809-1867).
• Nora b. Yusuf (1811-1850).
• Yusuf I's second son, Abd.Rahman b. Yusuf (1814-1829), who died tragically young

Yusuf I's second marriage was, again, to secure alliances, this time with Cuba. By Umm Sufyan:

• Sufyan (1812-18xx), Yusuf's first son and the founder of the Sufyanid cadetage; excluded from the succession.

By his third wife, Umm Basil:

• Basil b. Yusuf

Personality Characteristics

Vices & Personality flaws

• Yusuf I was a distant father at best. He spent almost no time with his firstborn son Sufyan, and friction between them ultimately drove him to force Sufyan out of the succession.

RPG Character sheet

Yusuf I (240 pts.)

Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 11 [10].
Secondary Characteristics: TL 5 [0]; CF Islamic [1], Moorish [0], Western [1].
Advantages: Cultural Chameleon 2 [10]; Intuitive Statesman 2 [20]; Language Talent [10]; Longevity [2]; Status 6 [30]; Wealth (Filthy Rich) [50].
Perks: Dabbler [1]; Hafiz [1].
Languages: Alaxian Arabic (Native) [4], Andalusi Arabic (Native) [4], Classical Arabic (Native) [4], Karibi Arabic (Native) [0], Basque (Native) [4], English (Accented/Native) [3], French (Native) [4], Hablar (Native/None) [2], Ladino (Accented) [2], Low German (Native) [4], LSM (Native) [2], Moorish (Native) [4], Portuguese (Accented/Native) [3].
Disadvantages: Bad Vision (Mitigator, -60%) [-10]; Delusion (Buys his own hype) [-5]; Fanaticism (the UCNA and himself, insofar as they're distinct) [-15]; Megalomania [-10]; Odious Personal Habit (Prescriptivist) [-5]; Workaholic [-5].
Quirks: Emotionally distant; Keeps his family out of the limelight; Learns the languages of subordinates, especially generals; Sincerely pious. [-5]
Skills: Administration (IQ/A)-14¹ [1]; Current Affairs/TL5 (Headline News) (IQ/E)-15¹ [1]; Current Affairs/TL5 (People) (IQ/E)-15¹ [1]; Current Affairs/TL5 (Politics) (IQ/E)-15¹ [1]; Current Affairs/TL5 (Science & Tech) (IQ/E)-15 [4]; Diplomacy (IQ/H)-20^1,2 [16]; Economics (IQ/H)-14¹ [2]; Engineer/TL5 (Civil) (IQ/H)-11 [1]; Engineer/TL5 (Locomotive) (IQ/H)-11 [1]; Expert Skill (Military Science) (IQ/H)-13 [4]; Expert Skill (Political Science) (IQ/H)-13¹ [1]; Law (UCNA Constitutional) (IQ/H)-13¹ [1]; Law (Islamic) (IQ/H)-16¹ [4]; Leadership (IQ/A)-14¹ [1]; Linguistics (IQ/H)-14² [2]; Mathematics/TL5 (Applied) (IQ/H)-11 [1]; Philosophy (Moorish Dissent) (IQ/H)-9³ [0]; Politics (IQ/A)-15 [0]; Propaganda (IQ/A)-15¹ [2]; Public Speaking (IQ/A)-14¹ [1]; Ride (Horse) (DX/A)-11 [4]; Savoir-Faire (High Society) (IQ/E)-13 [1]; Savoir-Faire (Military) (IQ/E)-13 [1]; Theology (Islam) (IQ/H)-13 [4].
¹ Includes a +2 bonus from Intuitive Statesman.
² Includes a +2 bonus from Cultural Chameleon.
^[3] Includes a +2 bonus to default from Dabbler.
This represents Yusuf I just prior to the Anglo-Moorish War, as the ruler of a regional power. By the end of the war, his Reputation has a frequency of occurence, and he's probably lost his Longevity.

• Yusuf I's intelligence has much more to do with his frightening learning speed than pure competence; a combination of Cultural Chameleon, Language Talent, and Intuitive Statesman reflects this. (Remember that, in addition to skill bonuses, his talents let him learn those skills 20% faster - 40% faster in the case of Diplomacy.) Even so, his build is extremely skill-heavy - he's been working on that Diplomacy score for a very long time.
• A younger Yusuf I was familiar with a number of other skills, including Architecture, Engineer (Civil), Mathematics (Surveying), and Philosophy (Moorish Dissent) - but Yusuf hasn't practiced any of those skills in decades.
• Yusuf I pays much more for fluency in four registers of Arabic than the GURPS Andalusada rules strictly require him to, because he is familiar with (and literate in) their written vernaculars. (Even as our story begins, this is unusual; at the time it was almost unheard of.)
• Current Affairs (Science & Tech) is the basis for Yusuf I's reputation as a man of science. He's very up-to-date about research, new inventions, and theoretical capabilities, but does none of the experimenting himself.

Till We Have Faces

The most famous portrait of Yusuf I shows him visibly aged, with weathered skin from a well-traveled life. He is wearing a white outfit, and hides his receding hairline with a regulation Army rezza.

First question: is this person still alive?

No. Yusuf I died before you were born.

Ethnicity

Cuban Arab

Honorary & Occupational Titles

His Majesty Yusuf, Caliph of the Prophet of the Master of Judgment Day, Foremost of the House of Umayya, Commander of Believers, Custodian of the Two Andalusias, Emperor of All Spain, Servant of God

Life

1787 CE 1873 CE 86 years old

Birthplace

Cuba

Gender

Less than his son Sufyan

Hair

Brown, later gray, usually under a rezza

Aligned Organization

House of Umayya

Known Languages

Alaxian Arabic, Andalusi Arabic, Classical Arabic, Karibi Arabic (mother tongue), Basque, Catalan, English, French, Hablar, Ladino (not very well), Latin, Low German, LSM, Moorish, Portuguese

Character Prototype

Yusuf I's historic inspiration is split between Abd al-Rahman I and Pedro II of Brazil.