A Guest posted this: My only complaint so far is that there are some nations that would probably know Vatican aside from the Italies. Switzerland, for one... The Swiss guard that protects the Pope. Prussia, the Teutonic Order would not have existed at all without papal approval. France, Austria, if he was a crusader, Egypt and Turkey as well might remember him.
You bring up a good point, which I have no qualms in answering. Since the full story is way too long, there's a Short Summary, and a Super Short Summary. The Short Summary is a bit of a rant, so be careful when reading. It explains way more than it should, but in all honest truth, I don't think I'll ever get to the full back story, so I might as well explain the major parts first.
Short Summary:
WARNING- CONTAINS HISTORY.
In the past, Vatican, as Papal States himself, had little contact with other countries and political affairs. The Pope handled things on his own accord, whereas Papal was typically in battle or keeping himself occupied in things that kept him from dealing with kingdoms and countries. He was just as sociable as he is now, although he was a bit more temperamental then.
During the Crusades, Papal did meet with several countries, including France, Britain, and Germany/HRE during the Third Crusade (the leaders were, King Philip II, Richard the Lion-Hearted, and Frederick Barbarossa, respectively). In battle, however, Papal disliked being treated as superior to the other combatants, and kept his personified country self from being noted. It wasn't uncommon for him to disguise himself as a common foot soldier just so he could get some action without having to worry about direction troops.
A few nations did recognize him over time, mainly being, a young Ottoman Empire and Egypt. Teutonic Order also grew suspicious of him. Yet Papal seemed to dodge the bullet of complete recognition, for all of them only knew what he looked like with a helmet on his head and sword in hand, his clothes splattered in dust and blood. None of them knew what he looked like outside of the battlefield.
Papal soon began to fall apart, the constant fighting taking both political and economical strain and the death of Byzantine Empire ripping a hole in his heart. Then the Black Death pandemic smacked down shortly after the Ninth and last official Crusade. Still suffering from the emotional and physical strain from the Crusades, the Black Death hit Papal hard. What made it worse was that also during this time; the Papacy had left Rome entirely and begun to reside in France for about a 60 year period.
Papal was at the breaking point.
In hopes to retain what little sanity he had left, Papal left the safety of his home and went to France to try to persuade the Pope to return to Rome. It was there when he came face to face with France, who was avid in keeping the Papacy there. To his luck or his misfortune, France never realized who Papal really was; only thinking it was just another person trying to get the Pope out of his country. This lack of knowledge made discussions harder and harder as time progressed, and with Papal already at his wits end, turned to the aid of others who also vied for the Pope to return to Rome.
Eventually the Pope did return to Rome, but then he died shortly afterward. The new Pope caused strain on the French clergy that remained in France and soon France and these men voted on a different Pope, resorting in two Popes at the same time.
Papal lost it. He was infuriated that someone would ever do such a thing as to vote for two Popes at once. The corruption in the Church was only fueling the fire, and as the darkness grew, so did his anger. Many occasions he had stormed in on the Pope to rage at him, and many times he had attacked the guards that protected the Pope, trying to push the crazed man out. Constant warfare from other countries caused him to lose land bit by bit, and the growth of the Protestant Reformation only fed the flames.
Throughout the exchange between Popes, the corruption within the Church only grew worse. Constant warfare between other countries and kingdoms soon chewed at the land that Papal owned, his domain quickly shrinking. In his despair and anger, he continued to verbally attack the Popes, all whom seem to simply ignore him. It was aggravating that no one was listening to him, and he had no one to turn to. Soon he had lost all of his land, but kept his title for several years, forced into the small enclave in Rome. Italy came to the area once, wanting to talk to the Pope about completely joining lands under one name. Papal became violent at the word that even Italy was trying to take the last thing he had left- his identity. In his rage he almost stabbed Italy with a weapon he'd gotten from a struggle with a guard a few seconds earlier, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, and eventually collapsed in a weeping heap in a corner.
A few days after Italy left, an army swept in and demolished the Papal States entirely. A little later, Italy became one country.
The 50 year or so time stretching between the riddance of Papal States and Vatican was known as the Prisoner in the Vatican, where the Pope never went outside in fear of being shot. Very few Church members residing in the enclave left, as nationalists were literally camping out at the exit.
During this time, a wrecked and tired Papal was kept locked up in a small room in the Vatican, as they feared he was far from being helped. He spent his days mulling over his past, asking God why He let him fall so far. His guilt and sadness dampened whatever fighting spirit was left in him, and he remained mostly in one spot, staring at the floor, far from reality. He spoke nothing, the turmoil remaining in his head. Several times he was forced fed, as he refused to eat. Most of the inhabitants didn't even know who he was, all apart from the Pope and a few close advisors of his, so he was, for the most part, ignored.
He wondered why he wasn't dead yet. His lands had been lost, his name was no more. Everything close to him had died or was taken from him. He didn't understand, and for fifty years he remained locked up, lamenting over this fact.
Yet, one day, he lifted his head up when someone came through the door with his food, opened his mouth, and asked to see Italy.
He himself didn't even know why he did it. It seemed to him that, if he wasn't dead yet, something must be keeping him from dying. His only chance to either keep himself alive or die off completely, was to ask Italy for something. He wasn't sure what.
Italy did come, yet he was much taller and older than he knew of him before. In truth, Italy didn't recognize the previously Papal either, the neglect to his body making him almost like a completely different person. Yet, both of them were nervous of each other, and the conversation began off rocky. It took a little bit, but Papal broke down after a bit, only wanting forgiveness from the Italian.
Not only did he get forgiveness, Italy offered to give him his house back, allowing him to keep the enclave that his house and the Vatican rested in. Italy himself felt guilty that the man had everything taken from him, and had secretly asked for his house to remain intact.
Eventually the two striked up an agreement, forming and signing the Lateran Treaty, which gave Papal his home and the enclave to his care. However, Italy's only concern, as was his own, was his name. He needed to change it.
With a little advice, he eventually settled on Vatican City, and soon he had left the small room he had known for over fifty years and begun to live in his old house once more.
Super Short Summary:
Papal was a sexy man who spent more time killing Turks than dealing with countries. He may/may not had a thing for Byzantine, but then she died so he began to break down. Crusades and Black Death and Protestant Reformation happened, and so did Church corruption, and he started to trip. Everything was taken from him and his country was stripped from him due to Italian nationalists, and so his tripping the fuck out self was locked up in a room for over fifty years.
Fifty years is a long time being locked up.
Fifty years to grow to skin and bones and in dire need of a haircut.
Fifty years for people to forget a person they barely knew.
So then he became Vatican, got a hair cut, and laid off the muscle growth and now he's a skinny pale white boy with short hair and looks nothing like he did before.
And, to his defense, no one else looks the same as they did back in the 13th century.
Huzzah. Hope that clears some stuff up. A new chapter will come out shortly, as well as a special for Monday. Why? Well, you'll see!
ALSO! Reviews are cool guys. I do read them. I like to know what people think of the story and the questions they present. Perhaps there should be a Q&A session or a 'send to letter' thing for poor Vatican so he doesn't get swamped with crap. What'd you guys think?