Governorate of Austland

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Governorate of Austland
Governorate of the Unified Governorates of Benacia
Gubernatorial Banner
Nickname: '
Motto: '
[[File:|250px|Regional location of Governorate of Austland|frameless]]
Demonym
Area
Population	8,662,848
Union-state	Benacian Union
Realm	Unified Governorates of Benacia
Circuit	Circuit of Benacia
Regional Capital	Gloomburg
Official language(s)	Praeta, Istvanistani
Official religion(s)	Holodomatic Cedrozurvanism
Government
- Type	Constituent Entity of the Unified Governorates of Benacia
- Governor	Albrecht Walstadter
- College of Magisters
- College of Civil Tribunes
Garrison

The Governorate of Austland, a constituent entity of the realm of the Unified Governorates of Benacia located in central Benacia, was established in 1703 AN following the merger of the Autonomous Bailiwick of Mishagrad, the Governorate of Gloomburg, Northern Tellia, and the Transelwynn. The consolidated governorate was formed as a consequence of the reorganisation of the Benacian Union initiated by the 1703 session of the Congress of Chryse. The Governorate substantially encompassed the Bailiwick of Angularis, a former territory of Elluenuueq surrendered to the UGB in exchange for Mishalan in 1685 AN. Home to a mixed Babkhi, Mishalanese, and Tellian population, the governorate is governed in a colonial manner with the subordinate bailiwicks offering tribute payments to the governor appointed over Austland by the Civil Executive of the UGB.

Geography

Astopov's Dyke

Named for the former Nohsi (Premier) and Minister of Defence Szhmuel Astopov, the eponymous dyke was the, slightly derogatory, name given to a series of defensive fortifications and earthworks constructed by the Republic of Ashkenatza firstly after its occupation of the Republic of Tellia to deter Shirerithian intervention and latterly augmented to provide defence in depth against a feared invasion by the Elwynnese Union when it joined the pro-Babkhan Raspur Pact.

Allowed to fall into ruin after the collapse of Ashkenatza, the 'dyke' effectively marks the boundary between the Forest of Angularis and the Barrowlands.

Barrowlands

The Barrowlands is a region which has been shrouded in mystery for inumerable generations. An ancient land of wide, grassy hilly plains where half-hidden doors in the sides of hills open onto labyrinthine caves that wend their way through darkness to reveal unimaginable wonders and vast treasures deep beneath the earth. There are also numerous barrows - the ancient graves of the Elwys, from which the name of the area has been derived - to be found. The largest barrow, the Great Barrow which is situated in a hamlet called Kalmyn, is said to contain the grave of the Great King of the Elwys who was also known as the First Barrow King.

Notable features and locales included:

• Amuun Redinzean (Royal Mounds);
• Kealim Ereseoon (Lonely Hills);
• Kealim Qorbebeoon (Sheepheads Hills);
• Voozen Riqion Redinzai (Plateau of the Royal Estate);
• Xevai Redinzean (Kings' Graves).
• Kalem Kaskel (Bow Hill);
• The Great Barrow;
• Posada Ridge - scene of the decisive battle marking the culmination of a failed anti-Vanic insurgency in the Vale.

Forest of Angularis

The Forest of Angularis is a large area of woodland and forest. It is a verdant environment which was noted to contain stone circles, misty dales, eerie ponds, sparkling streams, mysterious ruins and remains of lost civilizations, enigmatic lakes, secluded grottoes, and expansive, marshy lowlands. It stretches from the hinterland of the Shores of Angularis to the Barrowlands from which it is separated by Astopov's Dyke‎. Tree species to be found in the forest are elm, beech, ash, oak, olive trees and cedars. In the most primeval parts of the forest there are trees to be found with trunks as wide as castle gates.

The Fifth Forest was one of the favourite holiday and leisure destinations of the Elwynnese branch of the House of Ettlingar Freyu, prior to its liquidation after the Auspicious Occasion of 1651 AN.

The Shore of Piroz

The Shore of Piroz, was formerly known as the Pale of Angularis - deriving its name from the palisade of the fortified ditch and rampart built around the Metyl Themar area by the SEKEF, a holding company of the Vanic monarchy, as part of early temporary defences. The palisade was later replaced with a stone wall, but the area continued to be referred to as "The Pale".

In contrast with much of the rest of Austland, the Shore is heavily urbanised along the course of the Blue Elwynn.

History

The Vale of Angularis, also known as the Southlands, was a Circuit of the Royal Precinct of the Elwynnese Union which was known as the Emirate of Alalehzamin and Utasia. From the year 1632, when the area was acquired by Elwynn, until 1638 the Southlands was part of another Royal Precinct of the Kingdom of Amokolia.

The area is composed of lands which include the southern half of the former Imperial Dominion which was known as the Transelwynn Territory. The lands of the Transelwynn Territory were granted in 1632 to the Elwynnese Union by the Kaiser upon the dissolution of the aforesaid Imperial Dominion pursuant to Article 2.f. of the Treaty of the Two Bears. Later in the year 1632 the First Treaty of Gloomburg, and the Royal Decree issued by the White Orchid Throne called "On the Amokolian Southlands", allowed and caused the territories of the Vale of Angularis to be expanded significantly.

Angularis, existing in the territories of the former Republic of Ashkenatza, had a population including descendants of the survivors of Ashkenatzim, Tellian and Elw settlers in the region. Along the Shores of Angularis and in The Pale there are notable Froyalanish, Wintergleamish, and Babkhi communities to be found, whilst Amokolians, Tellians and the Kossar descendants of the Ashkenatzim could be found throughout the Forest of Angularis and the Barrowlands. Aside from those of its parts which are known as the Pale and the Southron Shores, the Vale of Angularis was sparsely populated.

Following the Auspicious Occasion the Froyalanish population was set upon by their Babkhi neighbours, with fedayeen from Alalehzamin crossing over from the opposite shore to join in with the great festival of slaughter against a hated race enemy. The events of 1651 AN and afterwards substantially altered the demographic characteristics of the region and, after the annexation of the Transelwynn to the UGB in 1685 AN, was renamed to the Shore of Piroz (Shore of Victory), in honour the accomplishment. After the Auspicious Occasion most of the interior of Angularis was passed to Malarboria.

1651-1660: Reconstruction in Angularis hampered by poor relations between the Daemonically influenced “Coven of the Sun” and the Imperial Government. The War of Lost Brothers (1653–1657) saw scarce capital resources diverted to sustaining the increasingly unpopular war effort.

1660: The Loyalist Legion, the mass participation party established to give the Coven of the Sun a vehicle for participation in imperial-level politics, suffered a humiliating defeat in the Folksraad election of that year to a coalition of humanist, separatist, and minority ethnic parties grouped together under the 'Coalition 1660' banner. The election signalled widespread and increasing dissatisfaction with the regime of the Daemon-Queen amongst denizens (free subjects of the state without Imperial citizenship).

1661: The Nationalist and Humanist Party lent its support to an uprising by Coalition 1660 activists by staging two simultaneous invasions; first consisting of Elwynnese rebels from the Army of the Southern League attacking via Angularis and Highpass, and secondly by an amphibious landing of troops from the islands of Jadid Khaz Modan in Amarr. Angularis would subsequently come under the control of the State of Modan.

After the collapse of the State of Modan the subdivisions of Lywall, Lachmeren, and Angularis are merged into a single subdivision, to be called Malarboria with its capital at Merensk in 1668 AN, with the abolition of Imperial States and the imposition of direct Imperial rule following in that same year.

The Kalirion Fracture of 1671 AN saw the region of Malarboria partitioned between Elwynn, Tellia, and the mutinous Imperial Forces in central Benacia which became known as the Black Legions. Between 18.XIV and 06.XV of 1671, Benacia Command, based in Merensk ahead of the attempted coup in Shirekeep which triggered the fracture, deployed four legions in an action intended to open up a land corridor connecting Pact Loyalist forces in Lachmeren-Lywall and the main airfields, depots, and manufacturies of the continent in Mishalan. This entailed the full occupation of the western portion of Malarboria, as far north as Gloomburg, and the dispatch of raiding forces into Inner Benacia to disrupt any insurgent groups or tribes, such as the warring Black and Red Laqi hosts, which might be tempted to intervene. The occasion was also used to cover the withdrawal of the last Pact Loyalist assets from around Stonetree, where they had been effectively marooned ever since the unilateral withdrawal of Inner Benacia from the Pact set the whole process of fracturing into motion.

As the legions were not to be wasted on counter-insurgency operations and policing actions, the Black Legions were withdrawn from around Gloomburg with their exterminating frenzy being then replaced by the more low-tempo and lackadaisical brutality of "Inspectorate-Troops" (auxiliaries and cudgellers drawn from garrisons in Mishalan and Alalehzamin respectively), whose main remit was to keep the towns quiet and the roads open by whatever means necessary. This pause allowed the provisional government of Elwynn to send elements of the Union Defence Force across the Blue Elwynn in strength to secure the Shore of Angularis and annex territory to Alalehzamin. Tellia meanwhile sought to undertake the reunification of former territories, lost to the Green or foreign powers since the retreat into enclaves at the demise of Ashkenatza.

Until the end of the year 1679, both Tellia and Elwynn claimed full sovereignty over the area; Tellia since the Kalirion Fracture of 1671, but it had not exercised any large authority over the area (except for, perhaps, Città di Scoglitto and Fiorecittà), and Elwynn annexed the territory in 1679. Elwynn has had a vested interest in the area since long before that, though, as it was once part of the Elwynnese Union area of Vale of Angularis along with the Trans-Elwynn region. At the end of the year 1679, Elwynn and Tellia agreed to split the area between them, and thereafter the Unified Governorates was invited to the negotiations to adjust the border between Tellia and the UGB. The parties concluded the Northern Tellia Agreement which also regulated access across the "new" Tellian territory for Raspur Pact member states, as well as Tellian crossings between its mainland and its Mamehblinij access.

Tellia had not exercised any control over the area except in Scoglitto, the main city of the region, causing the area to be ruled by various mafias and warlords, notably the 'Nclavesci. This prompted Elwynnese, Sanaman and UGB excursions into the area since the early 1670s. By 1679, the Elwynnese established through its Fälttåget mot 'Nclavesci campaign a Peace and Stability Mission that began overseeing the establishment of a legal order in parts of the region, with the view to extend that legal order to the entirety of the region as soon as possible.

On 05.XIV.1685 the Babkhi community of Transelwynn received a mandate to plunder all non-Babkhi communities and households within the Governorate, excepting the cantonments of the Black Legions and any persons or households furnished with a certificate of exemption granted for a fee by the Governor, to fund the foundation of five great cities along the western shore of the Blue Elwynn. All existing settlements within the Governorate were to be demolished over the course of the next ten years, with full compensation paid by the Governorate only for the Babkhi and those households which had purchased exemption from plundering.

By 07.XIV.1685 it was conceded that those communities which paid a 20% capitulation tax and whose citizenry signed the Covenant would be spared from destruction and plundering. Nonetheless the five bailiwicks facing onto the Blue Elwynn would be significantly reorganised and rebuilt as new foundations.

As a territory transferred to the UGB by an allied government the process of population remediation was undertaken in a holistic and sympathetic manner - best exemplified by the Golden Path Rehabilitation Programme.

Government

Rulers of Austland

Rulers of the Vale of Angularis (Elwynn)

Picture	Name	Ethnicity	Tenure	Notes
	Anousheh Batmanghelidjh	Babkhi	1635–1639	Mayor. Arrested 1639.
	Eliza Ra-Lariat	Elw	1639–1643	Bailiff. Appointed by Arandur Thorgils Tarjeisson.
	Adam Ayreon-Kalirion	Mixed Race (Batavian/Babkhi)	1643–1644	Warden. Appointed by the Kaiser as Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia.
	Daniyal Sikander Dravot	Norse	1644–1657	Upon the dismissal of Adam, the Office of Warden was subsumed into that of Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia until a new Warden is appointed.

Rulers of Angularis (State of Modan)

Picture	Name	Ethnicity	Tenure	Notes
File:.png	Alam Hoveida	Babkhi	1663–1667	Governor. Emigrated to Constancia with Modanese Migration.

Governors of Austland (UGB/BU)

Picture	Name	Ethnicity	Tenure	Notes
	The Serene Albrecht Walstadter	Cibolan Saxon	1703 –	Governor. Archon of the lesser grade in the N&H National Sector Party of the Unified Governorates of Benacia.

Demographics

Returns of the Benacian Censorate for the Governorate of Austland, 1712 AN

Bailiwick	Meritorious Subjects	Subjects Without Merit	Protected Persons	Total
Angularis	1,071,305	857,044	214,261	2,142,610
Gloomburg	416,521	333,216	83,304	833,041
Mishagrad, Autonomous Bailiwick of	1,021,215	816,972	204,243	2,042,430
Peroz-Ardashir	594,987	475,989	118,997	1,189,973
Peroz-Aurangzeb	522,004	417,603	104,400	1,044,007
Peroz-Daniyal	403,514	322,811	80,702	807,027
Peroz-Liv	686,366	549,092	137,273	1,372,731
Peroz-Thorgils	657,336	525,868	131,467	1,314,671
Total	5,373,248	4,298,595	1,074,647	10,746,490