Ilya V Shiroko

Emperor Ilya V Shiroko

Ilya V ruled for only six years, but in that time accomplished a great deal. He reinstated capital punishment, continuing the work of his father in tamping down on dissent within the empire. Along with this, he reformed the overcrowded prison system, putting inmates to work. Lastly, he created the first system of public transportation in the empire, a system that is still in use four hundred years after his death. 

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Ilya V was the second child of Ilya IV Shiroko and his sister, Kariin. Born in 621, his elder sibling was still born and thus Ilya V became the first of the imperial children to survive infancy. He was raised in the Gandenye with his father overseeing most of his education. One year after his birth, his twin younger siblings, Svante II Shiroko and Inna, were brought into the world and he was also taught to act as guides for them. Inna in particular was to be his future wife and the two spent a great deal of time together as children.
His Attunement Test revealed he was a lu-esh like his father, and he was taught to make the Ilyannoi, but Inna was barely able to do magic and thus she was declared unfit to be the tsudaeba (royal consort). Instead, Ilya IV declared that his niece would instead marry Ilya V. He took the news very hard, but both he and Inna remained close throughout his life and he valued her opinions and friendship highly. However, he and Svante had a contentions relationship that was based more on rivalry than being friends, something that pushed both of them to excel.
Throughout his teen years, he began having strange symptoms. For days, he would have boundless energy, able to complete record numbers of tasks in very little time and bouncing from idea to idea. Then, it was a though everything crashed down and he would be unable to even leave his bed. His mother found him once with a rope in his hand as he contemplated hanging himself. The cycles would continue throughout his life with both his father and mother attempting to find a cure. Their notes were left in the book generated by the dynasty to treat the inherited instability of the family.
From Ilya IV, Ilya V learned of the tight control over the populace, particularly the strict rules against speaking out against the empire. His father explained the logic for it and taught his son how to turn potential dissidents into spies against their neighbors. While he was not quite as proficient as his father, he did well and in 649, Ilya IV retired. Ilya V took the throne and married his cousin.
In his first year as baejan (emperor), he took his father's punishments further an reinstated executions, a practice that had been banned in the empire since the reign of Zora I Shiroko. He thought that such a thing was necessary to the continued stability of the empire and showed that the dynasty was strong enough to execute its enemies rather than stupidly keep them alive to continue scheming. He also saw the issue of overcrowding in the prison systems and dealt with a resurgence of the Micah's rebellion, which further pushed him to control through fear. 
Due to his father's new laws, there were many who had been sent to prison for various infractions and this was causing a strain on the empire's resources without providing anything. Ilya V began issuing work to inmates, from making textiles to mining to cleaning the empire. In this way, he decided, those who disagreed with the government would be made to assist in the development of the country rather than sitting idle. He also did not like that they could speak to one another. Those convicted of sedition were gagged the entire time they were imprisoned and forbidden from communicating with others until they were deemed sufficiently loyal or broken.
One of his greatest projects while in the throes of mania was the improvement of the empire's roadways. He knew that goods needed to be able to move efficiently and the filled treasury could be put to use for this. Citizens would see the good works and know it was the dynasty that had caused it to happen. Ilya V's updated road system allowed both merchants and soldiers to much more easily traverse the empire, leading to better communication and a surge in economic growth. He also began the idea of public transportation.
Through carriages owned by the state, he worked with local merchants and the military to set up drivers whose job it was to ferry the local population between towns or around their own town. Profit margins were, initially, very small to test the system and see if it could be used on a wide scale, beginning in Niuus. The transport was a success and the carriages became known as Ilya's Horses (Ilyai weavuma).
During a tour of the empire in 649, Ilya V became ill and was rushed back to the Gandenye. However, the sickness had already spread through his body and liquid filled his lungs. For two weeks, he was kept in bed while the doctors attempted to heal him. Unfortunately, he was unable to recover and died three weeks after returning home. His body was buried in the family mausoleum and his younger brother, Svante II, succeeded him in ruling the empire as Ilya V had never fathered any children.

Life

621 649 28 years old

Parents

Ilya IV Shiroko

Gender

male

Eyes

wide, pale purple

Hair

waist length, symmetrical braids

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

pale

Height

6'0"