Eriador
| The Dominion of Eriador | |||
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| Motto: For God and Country | |||
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| Map versions | ??? | ||
| Capital | Arkadi'os | ||
| Largest city | Arkadi'os
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| Official language(s) | Draconian (official) Standard (most common) Arboric | ||
| Official religion(s) | Draconic Umraism | ||
| Demonym | Eriadoran | ||
| - Adjective | Eriadoran | ||
| Government | Council-Style | ||
| - Princess | Yumika Hoshigawa | ||
| - Legislature | National Council | ||
| Establishment | Spring, 1695 AN (as Al Hamra) Summer, 1707 AN (as Eriador) | ||
| Area | NA | ||
| Population | 11,095,846 (1757 AN (1,311,149 on Dromosker Island) (2,054,786 on Fei-Jun Island) | ||
| Active population | NA | ||
| Currency | Guilder (£)
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| National animal | cobra | ||
| National food | Keltian cod | ||
| National drink | black wine | ||
| National tree | palm tree | ||
| Abbreviation | ERD | ||
The Isles of Eriador is a set of territories in the Imperial Federation. Formerly named after the former city of the same name that was located in the center of this territory, the region consolidated with the chain of islands formerly under the rule of Scarterra to form the unified region of Eriador. The southern portion of the islands was originally a gift to Adrestia from the Emirate of Arbor to the nation of Adrestia, the territory still having a significant remnant of the former country's population living there. The majority religion is Umraism on the territory's central island of Al-Hamra, although the population on the other islands in the Eriadoran region mostly practice Draconic along with other native religions. Notably, there is a small population practicing Catalogism living on the fringes of the territory.
The territory's economy is mostly derived from trade between the other territories in Adrestia. Trade flowing from the north normally flows through the islands before arriving at either the regions of Nixtorm or Adrestia proper. The northern islands consist of mostly-independent baronies that answer to the southern government. Mostly agrarian societies, the islanders keep mostly to themselves and their fortified palaces, with the exception of the many naval bases the Imperial Federation (formerly Adrestia maintains on these islands to keep the Sunfire Sea secure from pirates and other ne'er-do-wells.
The islands have had an extremely quiet history since their annexation in 1695 AN. The islands' history took an abrupt course shortly after the Imperial Federation formed and repatriated the northern half of Scarterra's islands away from the region. In the Federation's act of trading the northern two islands to Calbion in a bid to restore them to their original heartland, the five barons of the southern half of the islands chose instead to remain. (Incidentally, it was later re-founded on mainland Drag'os, leading to two Scarterras to this day.) A conference was held to decide the islands' fate, after which the barons and Al Hamra government chose to consolidate in a bid to retain their quiet independence and status as a prime domestic trading region within the greater empire. The consolidation went into effect at the end of 1707 AN.
Among many small islands and islets, the Isles of Eriador consist of three main islands: The largest and central Al-Hamra island territory, the Barony of Fei-Jun to the east, and [[Dromosker Island to the west, formerly an uninhabited volcano known simply as West Eriador.
This large deserted island to the west had, until 1757 AN been an uninhabited island dominated by a recently extinct volcano. However, it was completely and catastrophically transformed by the Spatial Displacement Disaster in 1757 AN. This event saw Dromosker Island warped through space by its ruling prince in an act of desperation, using forbidden technology otherwise lost to time. Dromosker Island displaced itself onto the island's northern half. The volcano subsequently erupted, devastating the rest of the island and worsening the ensuing disaster, although eventually stabilizing itself, creating new fertile land and river systems that made the combined island far more habitable than either of its predecessors.
Government
Al Hamra
As a free territory in the Adrestian Empire, Al Hamra has a very high degree of internal autonomy within its government. It is governed by an appointed National Council that oversees the nation's lawmaking, led by a Prince elected from a ruling clan for a life term. Due to its non-sovereign status, the territory ultimately answers to the Imperial Prince (or King) of Adrestia, and as such may not pass laws in contravention with the Royal or Imperial laws of the rest of the Imperial Federation
The Princess of Al Hamra is appointed by the National Council upon the death or abdication of the previous Princess. Only women are eligible for election to the title per local custom, although the reasoning for this is both unclear and lost to time. Although the position is not hereditary, most appointees have been been relatives of its first elected monarch: Princess Yumika Hoshigawa, elected upon the territory's formation to represent it in late 1694 AN. The Princess largely acts as a figurehead, although she has the power of veto over Council decrees as well as laws drafted by the National Assembly. As an official member of the Royal Court of Adrestia (and the Imperial Federation by consequence), the Princess also represents the country at periodic summits held at Gondolin, where plans are laid down that determine the direction of the larger country's future.
The Princess has no power to pass executive actions, that being a power turned over to the Council shortly after the territory's formation. However, she does have the power to approve or deny Cabinet appointments, but has no power to select candidates for the job. During times of war, command of the territory's security forces shifts to her, with Imperial Self Defense forces falling under the command of Adrestian units on the island. The current Princess is Sanae Hoshigawa, elected in 1752 AN.
The National Council, the country's upper house of the legislature, consists of twenty people, eighteen of which elected to ten year terms in popular elections. The Council represents four districts: East Island, Central Island, and West Island, along with the region's capital city of Arkadi'os, which hosts some 60% of the territory's population. Every five years, two representatives are elected from each district to sit on the Council, and one other is appointed by the Prince or Princess of Al Hamra to replace the outgoing incumbent. According to the region's constitution, each Councilor may only serve one term before stepping down.
The Council has the power to pass one-time executive actions not regarding finances. (Any permanent or lasting rule changes, as well as actions requiring financial expenditures must be passed through the Assembly.) It can also appoint non-members to fill cabinet positions within the territory, direct the territory's security forces during times of emergency, and veto legislation passed by the Assembly. While the Council has no power to propose laws, it can still make amendments to any legislation passed by the Assembly and send it back. On occasion, the Council may strike down a piece of legislation. Or, it may override a veto from the Princess with a 75% majority vote. To date, this has not yet been attempted.
Because of the government's small size and wide range of existing powers, a lower house was also created to assist the Princess and the Council: The National Popular Assembly. This body of the legislature consists of 100 people, all elected once per year by proportional, party-based representation to pass laws proposed by the Council. Unlike the Council, the Assembly may propose laws, rules, and financial budgets. It may, with a majority vote, bar persons from serving in the Cabinet. With a 75% majority vote, it may override a Council rejection of a proposal and send it directly to the Princess for passage. (Usually, though, she acts on the Council's advice more often than the Assembly's.)
Dromosker Island
Dromosker Island is an autonomous territory governed by a Prince, currently Eru IV of the House Tepesh. After the Spatial Displacement Disaster, he was stripped of much of his emergency powers and more subject to the expanded Ruling Council, the legislative arm of that island's government. The Prince is a hereditary office, passing through the House Tepesh. Each Prince has his own name, although all of them take the name "Eru" upon ascension to the throne.
The Ruling Council consists of a semi-representative body of Dromosker settler nobles and Askerr chieftains. They hold legislative authority, with judicial authority vested in the hands of a court jointly appointed by the Prince and the Ruling Council. Since the [[Spatial Displacement Disaster|Disaster of 1757 AN]], both the Ruling Council and the island's high court have representatives from both Al Hamra and the Imperial Federation government, which appoints representatives and barristers from Gondolin.
Fei-Jun Island
Fei-Jun Island, also known as Feijun, is locally governed, but answers to the Princess of Eriador, who has veto power over legislation. The island is notoriously peaceful, and is known as "the one place where absolutely nothing happens." And for the most part, this is true. Long ago, the territory was subject to such a bumbling, inept despot that it stumbled into rule by Al Hamra in days gone by. The islanders, famously, did not care, as their despot was ironically both financially cheap due to his wistful antics and a very tame person... leading to the island's name, which comes from the words for "useless ruler." In a poetic move, the locals eventually renamed the island's principal city as Xiadu, which roughly translates to "great city run by the blind." The strange prosperity that resulted led to affectionate but mixed feelings about their ineffectual former ruler.
These days, the island is a representative democracy, with an upper house representing based on population allotments, and the lower house elected along party-list elections. Elections take place every five years. But since the island is extremely docile in its temperament, very few pressing issues result in hotly contested elections. Thus, the same few parties rule the country and grand-coalition governments are the norm.
History
Formed in the closing days of 1694 AN, the territory was a national gift from the Emirate of Arbor to the Holy Ralgon Empire, or more specifically, to Adrestia. Seeing a significant portion of former Batavians and Arborians remain behind with settlers from mainland Adrestia, a government was quickly formed to ensure the peaceful atmosphere remained intact on the islands. The capital city, Arkadi'os, was named in traditional Draconic naming conventions, after the Emir of Arbor's former name, Arkadius IV, now known as Sultan Mamoud of Arbor.
Free passage from Arbor to the territory, as well as to all practitioners of Umraism and closely related religions was swiftly implemented by the government upon Adrestia's approval. The territory quickly became a trading hub between the newly resurrected territory of Nixtorm (now located just off the Keltian coast) and Scarterra (a collection of isolated baronies situated on various islands to the north). Trade with Adrestia proper grew quickly, although the region was passed over as a strategic navy base in favor of the vast natural harbors provided by the twin cities Port Bael'os and Nobunag'an City directly to the east, at the northern fringe of Adrestia's mainland.
The selection and elections of the national government were completed by the opening days of 1695 AN, and Princess Yumika formally introduced herself to the Adrestian Royal Court that same year. The islands enjoyed an extremely quiet history since their annexation in 1695 AN, even escaping the worst of the division and conflict that characterized the Ralgon War of Succession.
However, the islands' famously quiet history took an abrupt course shortly after the Imperial Federation formed and repatriated the northern half of Scarterra's islands away from the region, and to their old homelands in Drag'os. In the Federation's act of trading the northern two islands to Calbion in a bid to restore them to their original heartland, the five barons of the southern half of the islands were given the choice to also repatriate, but chose instead to remain. Another conference was held to decide the islands' fate, as it was clear that Scarterra in the Sunfire Sea was no more. After several months of deliberation, the barons chose to petition their southern brethren in Al Hamra to consolidate in a bid to retain their quiet independence and status as a prime domestic trading region within the greater empire.
When the petition was approved, it the consolidation went into effect at the end of 1707 AN, after which the Baronial system and the Princely system of the new consolidated territory assimilated into one another, and thereby went into effect. When asked to choose a name for the new territory, the Barons and the Princess's government mutually agreed to pay homage to the ancient peoples of old Menelmacar and name it in their traditions. After some time, the fertile, paradise-like climate of the islands led the committee to choose the name "Eriador" for the islands. The north group is called "Forod Eriador" and continues to fall under the dominion of the Barons, while the south in "Harad Eriador" continues to see more community involvement from the Princess, while each side of the Eriadoran peoples acclimate to their new form of government.
The new Dominion retains the old autonomy Al Hamra formerly enjoyed, and its status in the midst of the Sunfire Sea is highly strategic to the Imperial Federation. Thus, the region continues to see concessions such as devolved powers and discounted tax regimes lent towards the consolidated territory's modest population. In 1707 AN, the confirmation of the Princess Yumika was conducted, and passed unanimously among the new government, giving her a mandate to serve at the helm for another thirteen years, until her scheduled retirement in 1720 AN in favor of the next Prince of Princess of Eriador.
Usually quiet, the Isles of Eriador were rocked by the Spatial Displacement Disaster of 1757 AN, which saw Dromosker Island displaced into the deserted western major island of that territory.
