Brettish Isles
| Grand Duchy of the Brettish Isles | |||
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| Motto: "Steel True, Blade Straight" | |||
| Anthem: Libera Me | |||
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| Map versions | 15.3.1-Present | ||
| Capital | Baskerville | ||
| Largest city | Montfort, Forrest Row, Porth Watson | ||
| Official language(s) | Istvanistani, Calbic | ||
| Official religion(s) | |||
| Demonym | Brettish | ||
| - Adjective | Brettish | ||
| Government | Autonomous Grand Duchy | ||
| - Grand Duke | Jack II | ||
| - Governor-Lieutenant | Owain Rivers | ||
| - Legislature | Court of Parliament | ||
| Establishment | 5190 ASC (October 21, 2013) | ||
| Area | ... km² | ||
| Population | 6,394,722 (1710) | ||
| Currency | Calbain Arian | ||
| Calendar | |||
| Time zone(s) | |||
| Mains electricity | |||
| Driving side | |||
| Track gauge | |||
| National website | [1] | ||
| National forum | [2] | ||
| National animal | Lurcher | ||
| National food | Mincemeat | ||
| National drink | Tea | ||
| National tree | Willow | ||
| Abbreviation | BRE | ||
The Brettish Isles, officially Grand Duchy of the Brettish Isles and informally known as Brettania, is an autonomous part of Calbion that is located on an island group in the North of the Great Western Sea. Founded in the early 16th century, the Brettish Isles have their cultural roots in the New Britannian and Menelmacari civilisations. Located in the northeast corner of Micras, the country seceded from Batavia following a difficult political struggle for Brettish self-determination. The Brettish Isles are a highly legalised constitutional democracy, and their parliamentary system has had significant influence on the development of democracy in Calbion. An island nation, the Brettish Isles only directly borders Shireroth on the island of Kilda, but is proximate to the Benacian Union, Batavia and Mercury.
Government
The Brettish Isles are ruled as a Commonwealth under a Constitution ratified by Parliament. The head of state and government is the Lord Protector. Founder and first Lord Protector Jack de Montfort served of head of state for the largest part of its existence.
History
Delvenus
The very fist nation to inhabit the Brettish Isles was a country known as the Republic of Delvenus, founded by a man named Fax Celestis. The country had a strong relationship with the Apollo Sector, which at the time was still fractured and not the coherent Shireroth we know today. Delvenus also had a good relationship with Elvish stronghold Menelmacar, which was not far off to the south. The Delvenii were an elemental people who strongly believed in the natural forces - earth, water, fire, wood, metal. They had a patriarchal society ruled by a Solomirathius, a benevolent god-like leader. There entire society was modeled on the basis of elements, and each element had acolytes who specialized in there particular area. This elemental division was so strong that the country was divided into regions based on elements. Each of these divisions were tied together by the Elemental Lords who sat in council at the city of Urbia Delvenus. Among the earliest efforts of the Delvenii was map making, and they are indeed credited with this discovery and in being the first Micran cartographers. Although their maps were often skewed and disproportionate, they set a precedent for future cartographers.
Pax Brittania
The Kingdom of New Brittania succeeded in uniting the islands and forging a strong naval empire that spanned the oceans and centuries. Wherever wood could swim, there you could be sure to see the flag of New Brittania. New Brittanians were an offshoot of the Lovely Diaspora but stood out as an exceptional micronation thanks to the enigmatic leadership of King Jeremy, who founded the empire, initially as the fledgling Kingdom of Willow.
Batavia
After the fall of New Brittania, the Kingdom of Batavia, based nearby on Benacia, absorbed and colonized the islands, renaming them Nova Batavia. The remaining New Brittanic population dwindled under the Dutch influence of Batavia, being supplanted throughout the isles. Those few New Brittanians that remained flocked to places such as Wilgenburg (Willow City) built on the ruins of the former capital, although a great majority fled north to what would become Willowshire. During this time Jack Montfort became Governor of Nova Batavia and began the slow process of reasserting Brettish dominance over the isles.
Brettania Rises
In 5190 ASC (October 21, 2013), the Brettish Isles seceded from the Kingdom of Batavia and formed an independent government under the leadership of Jack Montfort. This was not recognized by what remained of the Batavian government, and subsequently led to a tense relationship as the Brettish struggled to assert their freedom while Batavia, also struggling to re-establish itself, adamantly refused to recognize their independence. The two eventually reached an accord of grudging recognition, which after several years warmed into a understanding of mutual trust; especially after the rise of Jingdao.
Civil War
In 5848 ASC the Brettish government was seized by the Avalonian Nationalist Party, which touched off a civil war resulting in the Partition Act, dividing the country into Avalon and Calbion. While Calbion flourished as an independent state, the Avalonians led a stagnant government that ultimately became far out of touch with its people. As a result the Avalonians were overthrown by their own subjects, led in part by expatriates based on Benacia and by Benjamin Rivers, descendant of the prominent Arthur Rivers and family. The expatriate population established itself as Mountbrettan, acting as mercenaries from the highlands of central Benacia and striking at the Avalonians. Their leader, Ira Altain, eventually formed an alliance with Willowshire and Rivers, invading Westminster and laying siege to the isles.
The United Kingdom
The Avalonians were eventually defeated by combined forces from Mountbrettan, Willowshire, Jingdao and Calbion. As a result of the victory the Avalonians emigrated from the isles and the population of Mountbrettan relocated from Benacia to Brettania. A further development was the consolidation of power over Brettania through the formation of two kingdoms. Brettania Proper would be ruled by the Kingdom of Great Willow, while the outlying islands would become the Kingdom of Eiland.
Culture
Culturally, the Brettish Isles embrace strong elements of Victorianism while many elements of government borrow from Cromwell's Republic. The country also incorporates elements of Victorian Steampunk.
Geography
The Brettish Isles are composed of seven islands: Brettania, Sussax, Essax, Holmes, Watson, Cornwallis, and Doyle. The island is further divided into six administrative counties that are then divided into fifteen shires. The islands are located in the northern hemisphere close to the Arctic on the planet Micras. They have a cool, temperate climate bordering on tundra, with wet, rainy summers and dry, cold winters.
