https://micras.org/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Thorgils+tarjeisson&feedformat=atomMicrasWiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T14:27:19ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.39.2https://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Allied_Production_Matrix&diff=98687Allied Production Matrix2019-02-12T12:27:49Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
<br />
The '''{{PAGENAME}}''', established in 1655 [[shire:AN|AN]] as the '''Sxiro-Natopian Production Matrix''', was a joint production programme intended to streamline manufacturing output and to focus effort on to a standardised range of vessels, vehicles and weapons platforms, which could then be produced in greater numbers and with more potential for interoperability amongst the allied powers.<br />
<br />
Between 1655 and the end of the [[War of Lost Brothers]] in 1657 the production matrix achieved the output of 16,384,100 grenades, 721,614 rifles, carbines & sub-machine guns, 100,000 pistols, 59,192 machine guns, 2,767 anti-tank weapons, 1,251 mortars, 515 combat aircraft and 186 warships. <br />
<br />
After 1660 Constancian output was integrated into the production matrix. The Allied Production Matrix ceased operations in 1666 as the economies of the Raspur Pact transitioned back to peacetime priorities.<br />
<br />
==Naval production==<br />
<br />
After the shocking losses endured by both sides during the [[Battle of Carama Bay]], naval production received the highest priority as this was the sector in which the Shirerithians had fallen furthest behind the Jing and the allies were subsequently least well placed to face a war of attrition as resources accumulated by the [[USSO Joint Command]] through the [[USSO Common Market]] were made operational. <br />
<br />
===[[shire:Kern Industries|Kern Industries]], Musica Dockyards===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:Elwynn Class Corvette|Elwynn Class Corvette]]||[[Image:Elwynn Class Corvette.png|200px]]||-||40||31<br />
|-<br />
|[[Coastal Patrol Craft]]||.||-||500||210<br />
|-<br />
|[[Logistic Support Vessel]]||[[Image:Gravcarrier.png|200px]]||-||50||1<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Amity Shipyards, [[shire:Erudition|Erudition Harbour]], [[shire:Jadid Khaz Modan|Amity Isle]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|Logistic Support Vessel||[[Image:Gravcarrier.png|200px]]||-||100||10<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:Duchy Class Destroyer|Duchy-class Destroyer]]||[[image:Duchy Class Destroyer.png|200px]]||-||4||1<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[SATCo]], [[SATCo#Port Saint Andre Dockyards|Port Saint Andre Dockyards]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|Swift Yacht Offshore Patrol Vessel||[[Image:SATCo Swift Yacht.png|200px]]||-||92||43<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[Akeraiótita Dockyards]], [[Aqaba]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|Coastal Patrol Craft||.||-||165||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|[[Klimatariá-class Missile Corvette]]||[[image:Klimatariá-class Missile Corvette.png|200px]]||-||8||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Aviation & gravimetric production==<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Red Bear LLC|Red Bear LLC]], [[shire:Mishalan|Mishalan]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:ESB Pundarikam|A-6 Pundarikam]]||[[Image:A-6 Pundarikam.png|200px]]||-||429||138<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:ESB Kambera|A-10 Kambera]]||[[Image:A-10 Kambera.png|200px]]||-||420||40<br />
|-<br />
|[[GAV(P)-6 Zephyr Mark 1a]]||[[IMAGE:GAV-6 Zephyr.png|200px]]||25||0||0<br />
|-<br />
|[[R-1 Whirdlebird]]||[[image:R-1 Whirdlebird.png|200px]]||-||818||0<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:OAH T2 Saeqeh|T-2 Saeqeh]]||[[image:OAH Saeqeh.png|200px]]||-||1,227||0<br />
|-<br />
|[[T-3 Akóntio]]||[[image:Vey Akintos.png|200px]]||-||628||0<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sårensby Industrial Area, Elijah's Rest===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:OAH T2 Saeqeh|T-2 Saeqeh]]||[[image:OAH Saeqeh.png|200px]]||-||100||172<br />
|-<br />
|[[T-3 Akóntio]]||[[image:Vey Akintos.png|200px]]||-||20||59<br />
|-<br />
|[[R-1 Whirdlebird]]||[[image:R-1 Whirdlebird.png|200px]]||-||100||166<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Ryker Airships|Ryker Airships]], [[shire:The Hub| Hub]] ([[shire:Goldshire|Goldshire]])===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[GAV(P)-5 Nereid]]||[[image:GAV-5 Nereid.png|200px]]||100||478||15<br />
|-<br />
|[[GAV(P)-6 Zephyr Mark 1a]]||[[IMAGE:GAV-6 Zephyr.png|200px]]||25||0||0<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
===Ergostásio Aeroskafón, Vey===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[T-3 Akóntio]]||[[image:Vey Akintos.png|200px]]||100||60||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Land equipment production==<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Red Bear LLC|Red Bear LLC]], Mishalan===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1663)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[Horjin Combat Vehicle 56|Horjin CV56(S)]]||[[image:CV56.png|200px]]||2,000||10,000||2,893<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Ryker Airships|Ryker Airships]], [[shire:The Hub| Hub]] ([[shire:Goldshire|Goldshire]])===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan|GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan]]||[[image:GV-7 Leviathan.png|200px]]||20||44||1<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sårensby Industrial Area, Elijah's Rest===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[Horjin Combat Vehicle 56|Horjin CV56(N)]]||[[image:CV56.png|200px]]||100||450||112<br />
|-<br />
|[[Paixhans Mark 4 Land Cruiser]]||[[image:Paixhans Mark 4 Land Cruiser.png|200px]]||-||20||44<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Weaponry & munitions production==<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Royal Ordnance Factory Lichkeep|Royal Ordnance Factory Lichkeep]] (ROFL), [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1667)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|M14 Fragmentation Hand Grenade||[[image:M14 Grenade.png|200px]]||- ||3,500,000||1,900,000<br />
|-<br />
|M15 White Phosphorus Anti-Lich Grenade||[[image:M15 Grenade White.png|200px]]||-|| 2,500,000|| 900,000<br />
|-<br />
|M16 Mustard Gas Anti-Singer Grenade||[[image:M16 Grenade Mustard.png|200px]]||- ||2,500,000|| 900,000<br />
|-<br />
|M18 Red Smoke Hand Grenade||[[image:M18 Grenade Red.png|200px]]||- ||3,500,000||1,900,000<br />
|-<br />
|M1525 9mm Pistol||[[image:M1523 9mm Pistol.png|200px]]||100,000||618,750||75,000<br />
|-<br />
|M1610 7.9mm Rifle (Semi-Automatic)||[[image:M1610 7.9mm Rifle.png|200px]]||62,500|| 390,000||50,000<br />
|-<br />
|Wren 7.62mm LMG||[[image:Wren 7.62mm LMG.png|200px]]||38,750|| 241,500||31,000<br />
|-<br />
|[[Polybolos 12.7mm HMG]]||[[image:Polybolos .50 HMG.png|200px]]||15,125|| 65,000||12,100<br />
|-<br />
|[[Tankgewehr 13.2 mm Rifle (Anti-Materiel)]]||[[image:M1642 Tankgewehr.png|200px]]||525|| 3,150||1,806<br />
|-<br />
|Hornet Recoilless Rifle (Anti-Tank)||.||2,257 ||7,296||1,011<br />
|-<br />
|Waspsting Man-portable Air Defence System||.|| 525||2,730||420<br />
|-<br />
|82mm Mortar||.||2,220 ||11,845||1,776<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sårensby Industrial Area, Elijah's Rest===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|Clinger Bomb, Adhesive Anti-Tank Grenade||.||-||967,000||860,000<br />
|-<br />
|Florian Cocktail (Tar, sulphur, petrol, sand, & wick)||.||-||27,000,000||18,139,100<br />
|-<br />
|M1525 9 mm Pistol||[[image:M1523 9mm Pistol.png|200px]]||20,000||199,800||75,000<br />
|-<br />
|M1581 7.62 mm Machine Carbine||[[image:M1581 7.62mm Machine Carbine.png|200px]]||30,000||269,750||277,460 <br />
|-<br />
|M1591 7.62 mm Rifle||[[image:M1591 7.62 mm Rifle.png|200px]]||30,000||485,000||181,542<br />
|-<br />
|M1656 9 mm SMG||[[image:M1656 SMG.png|200px]]||100,000||1,240,636||519,248<br />
|-<br />
|[[Polybolos 12.7 mm HMG]]||[[image:Polybolos .50 HMG.png|200px]]||10,000||96,000||37,092<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Assayers|Assayer Armaments]], Avakir, [[shire:Goldshire|Goldshire]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[wikipedia:FB PM-63|LTM 60 "Trouble Maker" 9 mm submachine gun]]||.||200,000||425,000||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|[[wikipedia:Dragunov sniper rifle|CP 60 "Cherry Picker" 7.62 mm sniper rifle]]||.||75,000||155,000||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
===Royal Constancian Arsenal, Aqaba ===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|9mm ammunition||.||50,000||-||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|7.62mm ammunition||.||75,000||-||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Finance==<br />
<br />
Although initially, and still predominantly, financed via direct taxation on the part of the Shirerithian and Natopian government, in mid 1656 the decision was made to expand the range of financial mechanisms used to fund the war effort by raising dedicated bonds issued via regional Boards of Trade, the [[Trade Board of Normark|first]] of which was set up in [[Elijah's Rest]], under the auspices of [[ESB Group (Keltia)]], on 13.VIII.1656.<br />
<br />
==Strategic materials==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Category<br />
! scope="col" | Output<br/>(1656)<br />
|-<br />
|Chromium|| 11,520,000 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|Crude oil|| 183,960,000 bbl/d<br />
|-<br />
|Iron ore||385,125,000 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|Steel|| 122,167,772 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|Aluminium|| 850,782 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|Asbestos|| 655,673 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
==Allocations==<br />
See ''[[Allied Production Matrix/Theatre Command Allocations|Raspur Pact Theatre Command Allocations]]''</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:C_R_annex.png&diff=97875File:C R annex.png2019-01-23T15:37:48Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Shireroth&diff=96869Shireroth2019-01-02T18:24:43Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* White Plague */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
{{Infobox Nation Comprehensive<br />
|fullname = Imperial Republic of Shireroth<br>''Sxiroþ''<br />
|commonname = Shireroth<br />
|flag = File:Shire flag.png<br />
|coa = File:COA Shireroth.png<br />
|motto = ''[[Shireroth sumus. Tempus in parte nostrum est.]]''<br />
|anthem = [[shire:The Benacian Beast|The Benacian Beast]]<br />
|map = File:Shireroth Current 6337.png<br />
|mapversions = All<br />
|capital = [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]]<br />
|largecity = <small>Shirekeep, [[shire:Ardashirshahr|Ardashirshahr]] Allswell, Araxion, Citadel, Cortallia, Demonsfall, Echo, Glenfiddich, Mesior, Nee</small><br />
|lang = [[shire:Præta|Præta]] (official), [[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani]] (administrative), [[shire:Elw|Elw]], Yardistani<br />
|demnoun = Shirerithian, Shirithian<br />
|demadj = Shirerithian, Shirithian<br />
|govtype = [[shire:Shirocracy|Federative Constitutional Monarchy]]<br />
|headofstatetitle = [[shire:The Kaiser|Kaiser of Shireroth]]<br />
|headofstate = [[shire:Kaiser Ayreon IV|Kaiser Ayreon IV]]<br />
|religion = [[shire:Cedrism|Cedrism]]<br />
|headofgovernmenttitle = [[shire:Steward|Steward]]<br />
|headofgovernment = [[shire:Hartmut Aldric|Duke of Calezi]]<br />
|legislature = Landsraad<br />
|estdate = 1443 [[shire:AN|AN]] (24 April 2000)<br />
|agerank = NA<br />
|area = NA<br />
|arearank = NA<br />
|pop = 556,421,729<br />
|activepop = n/a<br />
|poprank = NA<br />
|currency = Erb (€)<br />
|abbrev = IRS<br />
|site = [[shire:Main Page|ShireWiki]]<br />
|forum = [http://bastionunion.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=14 Shirithian Forum]<br />
|animal = ''[[wikipedia:Irish elk|Benacian Megaloceros]] <small>(the Benacian Beast)</small>''<br />
|food = Mango<br />
|drink = [[Treesian Red]]<br />
|tree = [[Malarbor]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''The Imperial Republic of Shireroth''', or simply '''Shireroth''' ([[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani]]: ['ʃaɪɻ.ɻɑθ]; [[Yardistani]]: ''Širo'' ['ʃi.rɔ]; [[shire:Præta|Praeta]]: ''Sxiro'') is a [[shire:Shirerithian Neofeudalism|neo-feudal]] empire that has dominated the Benacian continent, as well as vast swathes of the globe at various intervals, for more than two hundred and fourteen years under the [[shire:Norton Calendar|Norton calendar]]. It is, not withstanding its largely mythical history, by any reasonable standard the most ancient of the surviving states on Micras. <br />
<br />
==Government==<br />
<br />
===Kaiser===<br />
<br />
The Kaiser is the monarch of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth. Historically this position was autocratic, if not despotic in scope, but with successive constitutional reforms it became more akin to the traditional role of a constitutional monarch.<br />
<br />
Originally, the Kaisers of Shireroth simply served as nothing more than warrior kings and politically leaders of the Realm. Their presence in folklore, myths and in religion only grew over time. The tale of Rrakanychan who was defeated by one of the early Kaisers (some sources mention Raynor I, but others depict one of his successors as the hero) is a primary example of the central role of the Kaisership in Cedrism. With the need to strengthen central authority, Kaisers often used religious customs and myths to unite the several ethnic groups under one banner.<br />
<br />
While not holding any official religious position, the Kaiser was depicted as highest representative of the Gods (above the High Priests) and on some rare occasions dead Kaisers have even been considered to have achieved a strange kind of apotheosis. Kaiser Mog I became infamous for granting land to another nation and became God of Political Blunders while Raynor II made an attempt to - literally - catapult himself into godhood by constructing a huge catapult; an idiotic fable. Kaiser Gaelen IV made an attempt to expand the position of the Kaiser by establishing the Imperial Cult, which received little popularity outside of the Imperial Household.<br />
<br />
Historically, the powers granted the Kaiser were limitless. The Kaiser was the ''fons honorum'', granting all titles and holding all lands, granting them in fief. In practice however the Kaisers were heavily circumscribed in their ability to enjoy the vast powers nominally within their gift. With monotonous regularity, Kaisers were assassinated, deposed, or felt obliged to resign to avoid unspecified consequences. So deeply ingrained did this practice of deposition become that the average duration of a Kaiser's reign - about three years - became culturally ingrained. On the occasions where a Kaiser survived past the three year mark, awkward questions might be asked in the Landsraad and the first ominous rumblings of discontent could be heard out in the provinces.<br />
<br />
The effect of this was to make many Kaisers into transient non-entities who spent their reigns balancing a myriad of threats, appeasing their overmighty subjects and trying to ward off the inevitable knife in the back. This brought constant change to the government, and was justified as ensuring that the Imperial Bloodlines continued to receive a fair opportunity to obtain the highest office in the land. The high turn over also paid lip service to the republican and meritocratic ideals of Shireroth's peculiar brand of governance. Over time the quality of the nobles who attained the Kaisership began to decline markedly - with each successive candidate becoming, seemingly, progressively more self-serving and or imbecilic. The reasons for this decline has been debated continually over the course of decades. For the most part the prevailing consensus is that as the powers of the Kaiser became increasingly curtailed by the stringency of the reformed Charter and the particularist tendencies of the Imperial States so the candidates who continued to be attracted to the role began to value the form over the substance of high office, beginning an inevitable march towards mediocrity.<br />
<br />
In the year 1648 during the reign of Kaiseress Noor that tradition was done away with because it was no longer deemed suited to the modern age and ran contrary to the sacred interests of strong and stable leadership in a properly ordered, coordinated and harmonious Imperial Republic. In consequence thereof any Kaiser nowadays reigns for an indefinite term. The succession, furthermore, has become dynastic, with the grandson of Noor, Ayreon IV attaining the Golden Mango Throne during his minority. Thus, almost unprecedentedly, the reigning stewards of the early 1650s are also regents.<br />
<br />
Following the promulgation of the Imperial Charter of 1654 the Kaiser ceded most his remaining executive powers to the Steward, who was henceforth to be elected by the Landsraad, and to the Imperial Advisory Council, which would handle the arrangements pertaining to any regency period during a Kaiser's minority. The Kaiser does however remain the font of honour and can dismiss the Steward at his pleasure, albeit at the risk that the Landsraad may vote the same Steward straight back into office.<br />
<br />
===Imperial Advisory Council & Ministries===<br />
<br />
===Landsraad===<br />
<br />
===Imperial Judex===<br />
<br />
==Foreign relations==<br />
<br />
Shireroth, with its long established empire and sphere of influence, is an active participant in the geopolitical and strategic affairs of [[Micras]]. It's level of engagement is demonstrated by its membership of the [[Micras Treaty Organisation]] and the [[Raspur Pact]], as well as in the global reach of the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]]. At various times in its history an isolationist power, Shireroth has also been noted for its intense rivalries with [[Babkha]], [[Jingdao]], and [[Kalgachia]]. In the case of Jingdao the causes of the [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation|enduring conflict]] can be traced back to the [[Revolution of 1617|loss]] of [[Kildare]], to which Shireroth remained largely unreconciled until it had fully grown into its role as [[Benacia]]n hegemon, which in turned served as the primary driver for tensions between the Imperial Republic and the ''Garden of Kalgachia''.<br />
<br />
It has not been entirely unheard of for diplomats whose letters of credential have been rejected or rescinded, for whatever reason, to be sacrificed to the [[shire:Malarbor|daemonic tree]] firmly rooted in the grounds of [[shire:Raynor's Keep|Raynor's Keep]].[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3(1)] This is surprisingly less controversial than might otherwise be expected.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
''For a more in depth treatment of the various (mutually contradictory) histories of Shireroth, please peruse the [[shire:Main Page|Shirewiki]].''<br />
<br />
The general tradition is that Shireroth was founded as a successor state to the enlightened and technologically advanced Empire of Khaz Modan (-1211bN to -0bN) which was brought to an end by a sudden and violent cataclysm brought on by dabbling in inter-dimensional research, which seldom ends well. In this instance the experimentation of the so-called mages established a connection between Micras and a [[shire:Balgurd|pocket hell-dimension]] which allowed [[shire:Daemons|hostile entities]] to enter this plane of existence, whilst concurrently releasing a pulse of energy which destroyed the Empire's home island and plunged the western hemisphere into a dark age that was, not coincidentally, the '''First Era''' (circa 0 AN to circa 880 AN).<br />
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Shireroth rose from the ashes of the Khaz Modani Empire in the form of the Duchy of Brookshire that rose in Southern Benacia under the House of Raynor. After a successful conquest of Goldshire by Brookshire's proficient armies, the newly-gained territory was incorporated in union with Brookshire under the name Shireroth. The capital, Shirekeep, was established as a fortified position on the confluence of the Rivers Elwynn.<br />
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This unity proved to be extremely transient and the '''Second Era''' (878 – 1442) was dominated by warring states, who somewhat tenuously laid claim upon the bloodlines of the Kaisers of the preceding era, which vied for dominion over the course of the Red Elwynn between Shirekeep and Musica. An increasing reliance upon necromancy and daemons on the part of the houses as they struggled for paramountcy saw the society of the duchies of Brookshire and Goldshire progressively undermined until, after the diabolical pact of Kaiser John, those who remained were unable to maintain the sovereignty of eastern Benacia in the face of foreign colonists.<br />
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===Third Era===<br />
[[File:Imperial Charter of Shireroth.png|thumb|left|The ''[[shire:Charter of the Imperial Republic|The Imperial Charter of Shireroth]]'' was written down during the Third Era.]]<br />
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Shireroth's modern founding was in 1442 (the beginning of the Third Era). Foreign recognition of the Kaisership occurred later, in approximately 1462, with Erik Mortis becoming Kaiser Metzler I. The accurate record keeping in the Imperial Household began with Gaelen II in 1465, and all [[shire:List of Kaisrs|accession dates]] after that are taken to be authentic.<br />
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Having established dominance of the Benacian continent, the Kaisers of the House of Raynor eventually expanded their reach to Yardistan and Kildare. Despite further acquisitions, these initial territories constituted the core "Ancient Duchies" of Shireroth for many ages.<br />
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Although the Duchies frequently rebelled against the Kaiser and fought each other, their unity within Shireroth was maintained by an informal system of quality control wherein the succession of the Kaisership was passed through individuals with proven ability to rule (with occasional notorious exceptions) ensuring that their attitude toward Shireroth's restive fiefdoms, while often less than amiable, was neither harsh enough nor feeble enough to precipitate those territories' complete break from the government in Shirekeep.<br />
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Legitimacy rested upon descent from Kaiser Raynor I. After seventeen centuries, much of Western and Central Benacia, as well as a fair smattering of Babkhi and Kildari can claim this boon. Nonetheless the frequently rotating succession remained within the clutches of a dozen or so noble houses who jealously guarded their notoriously intermarried bloodlines. In spite of the the vigilance of the Imperial Republic's noble oligarchs there have been several "sanglorian" Kaisers in the modern era, alongside a half dozen inhuman Kaisers (whether revenants or aliens). As the Third Era wore on, things became progressively stranger, until a measure of sanity was restored by the confirmation of the dynastic succession in the hands of the House of Ayreon-Kalirion, itself being however troubled by some of its dynastic associations.<br />
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====Feudal Shireroth====<br />
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Shireroth in its present form began inauspiciously. The last Kaiser of the second era, John II, a greedy and unscrupulous ruler who had consorted with daemons to further his rule, had been overthrown by Kaiser Erik II and torn apart by the Shirekeep mob. Erik however proved to be a weak ruler who failed to control the populist forces he had unleashed. The so-called Direct Democracy Riots destabilised eastern Benacia, which was at that time under vassalage to [[Audentior]]. Erik's provisional government ended abruptly in the seventh month of 1444 when Audentior, tired of the anarchy, formally annexed Shireroth. Erik was allowed to keep his title and history records that his reign continued for another year.<br />
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He was succeeded by his son, the eccentric and irascible Kaiser Brrapa V, who in 1446 staged a successful attempt to break away from Audentior's crumbling colonial empire. The effort was perhaps not so successful however as the act of secession was followed immediately by annexation by the [[Flying Islands of Jasonia]] in the same year. <br />
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The chaos resumed with renewed vigour during the reign of Brrapa's grandson, Gaelen I, during which time Shireroth broke away from Jasonia (1451), found itself ensnared in the Amity Crisis (1451–1452) with its former colonial master, witnessed the final submission of Elwynn (1452), was ruled by Commonwealth of Benacia (1455–1458), embroiled in the Paramount War (1456), became a partner in the Hegemony of Alexandros (1458–1466) and part of the [[United Republic of Tymaria]] after 1461. It was a period during which many unstable and declining states sought to ward off collapse by voluntarily merging into ever larger, ever more diffuse, and ever more unwieldy, federations. The last and largest of these, Tymaria, spanned the globe like a colossus. It's federal structure and competing [[Attera]]n and [[Apollo Sector|Apollonian]] centres of power however meant that it was a giant with feet of clay.<br />
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Whilst the overarching empire spiralled into ever more doomed complexity, the office of Kaiser began to gain the attributes of an absolute monarchy under Kaiser Gaelen II, and recreated a small feudal system with two Duchies, [[Brookshire]] and [[Goldshire]]. The feudal system was expanded vastly to include a new level, Baron, and the [[Landsraad]] became a major organ of government. Shireroth soon became much more important than its subordinate status would indicate as [[Patrick Foley]] chose to bequeath the remnants of the UAS to it as the [[Duchy of Kildare]]. With a number of military-oriented types like [[Daniel K]] and [[Greg Russell]]. Shireroth would go on to gain De facto independence from Tymaria (1466) during the reign of Kaiser Mors I (1466–1468). In the year 1467 however Philip Locke set a fire amongst the papers of the government record office. Infamy and a significant lacuna ensued.<br />
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Formal secession from Tymaria was deferred until the reign of Kaiseress Viviantia I (1469–1470) and not long afterwards the states of Hyperborea, Yardistan, Jaris, and Akerbjorn fell under Shirerithian rule. It was perhaps unease at this rapid expansion which prompted Kaiser Mog (1472–1473) into his foolish attempt to cede Amity and Mirioth. His reward was deposition and death in the wake of Letifer's Revolt.<br />
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The Battle of Cimmeria (1477) is the conventional name given to a partially successful attempt to defend Shireroth against the depredations of a slightly unlikely group going by the name of Anarchy 21. Kaiser Raynor X, who had arrived late to the battle, then declared the day a national holiday, and rewarded its heroes. Robert Belci, a Crandishman, and Harvey Steffke, a Menelmacari, were given honorary citizenship and military awards. Stjepan Aracic, already an honorary citizen, was given double honorary citizenship. More substantially Jadie Mathematician was made the Duchess of Goldshire.<br />
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====Federal Shireroth====<br />
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This system began to break down from the approximate time of Kaiser Letifer III (1512-1514 AN), wherein the old reliable noble houses faded from prominence and the Kaisership was passed to increasingly less competent and more self-interested individuals. The ensuing bitterness caused those elements of the old guard remaining to become cantankerous and lose the knack of wise rule themselves, culminating in the notorious House System; an enormous feudal reform which attempted to codify the chaotic situation by making the retention of one's land holdings essentially dependent on one's skill in political skullduggery. Naturally the ensuing mess produced victims, the foremost of whom being the disenfranchised population of Elwynn who responded by seizing control over the greater part of that territory and effecting a secession from Shireroth in 1567. Although this secession was temporary, it forever shattered the myth of Kaiserial infallibility and permanently damaged the unspoken belief in Shirerithian nationhood which had long bonded its many peoples in ways that government could not.<br />
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Shaken by the impotence of the Kaisership in maintaining Shirerithian harmony, the political current in Shireroth moved gently in favour of democratisation with the Shirerithian legislature, the Landsraad, ending its ancient nobles-only rule and opening membership to the entire citizenry in 1588. Opinion also moved toward insulating the provinces from the worst failures of Imperial policy by granting them substantial autonomy, in order to restore a sense of trust and wellbeing that would, in turn, keep Shireroth together. This culminated in the Lich Charter of 1595, promulgated by Kaiseress Mira Raynora Major, wherein Shireroth's territories were transformed into a series of autonomous Imperial States with profuse powers to determine their own affairs. This partial restoration of sanity contributed, among other things, to the reunification of Elwynn with Shireroth in 1600.<br />
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Unfortunately the Imperial State system depended on a certain level of good faith on the part of the Imperial States toward the Kaiser's government in Shirekeep, as those bonds which were no longer maintained by the Kaiser's power came to depend on the voluntary co-operation of the Imperial States with each other and with the Kaiser. The inability of the Kaiser to deal with the excessive self-interest of Imperial States was explosively demonstrated with the surprise secession of Kildare in 1617. What Elwynn began in demoting the vaunted myth of the Shirerithian Kaisership, Kildare all but finished.<br />
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In the aftermath of the loss of Kildare to Jingdao, and the failure of the [[Neridia]] colony on [[Istvanistan]], large swathes of the population in Lichbrook and southern Goldshire had resolved that suffering what they perceived as constant disruption by other Imperial States, only to be collectively punished for those states' purported excesses by what they saw as reductions of their own political autonomy, was proof of their systematic expulsion from the Shirerithian political process. Through this contorted reasoning the dissidents had come to the conclusion that the Kaisers of Shireroth could no longer make any demand upon their fealty. Rather than risk battle on the field of honour or in the Landsraad for possession of their ancestral lands, these traitors instead preferred the stratagem of stealth, stealing away in the night and following the smugglers routes and Lach trails leading towards lawless Ashkenatzim lands of the west, wherein they would found [[Minarboria]].<br />
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====The years of blood====<br />
[[File:Shirerithian ethnicities.png|thumb|right|In the latter centuries of the Third Era the Imperial Republic had become a continental empire, into which a vast number of diverse ethnic populations had been swept and only partially assimilated.]]<br />
The Imperial Republic, long dissatisfied by the federal system became ensnared in a series of interconnected conflicts beginning in 1635 AN and finally coming to a conclusion in the year 1644 with the entry of Kaiseress Noor into Shirekeep. The prime cause of the conflict was the unbalanced relationship between a weakened Imperial Government and the over-mighty [[shire:Imperial States|imperial states]], of which [[Elwynn]] was the prime offender.<br />
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The wars began with the so-called [[shire:The River War|River War]] (1635), an unsuccessful attempt by hard-line Cedrists and Elwynnese ultra-nationalists to mount a quick decapitation strike on the Monarchy of Elwynn which was led by Princess Margana, the daughter of Kaiser Brrapa VII and sponsored by the patricians of Shirekeep and the Court within Raynor's Keep.<br />
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In spite of being well resourced and brutally executed, the attempted takeover of Elwynn by a combination of a coup and 'hybrid warfare' failed spectacularly and rebounded upon the heads of the plotters. Not only were they unsuccessful in their efforts to exterminate the Royal Family of Elwynn but the war ended with the King's father entering Shirekeep as a conqueror.<br />
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It was said by some that Brrapa VII was conveniently ill at the start of the war and conveniently dead at its end.<br />
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One of the notable aspects of the war, which effectively lasted for two months at most, was the rate at which stockpiles of modern hi-tech guided munitions and missiles were rapidly depleted. The Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces (ISAF) had expended its reserves of cruise missiles within the first week of the conflict and was still trying to acquire and adapt ship launched missiles from the Imperial Shirerithian Navy (which had remained neutral in the conflict) by the time the war ended. Similarly the UDF had been caught short and taken by surprise by the war and was still trying to reactivate the Southron Barrage programme by the war's end. The UDF had also run its stockpiles of medium-range anti-aircraft missiles down to the point of exhaustion during the Battle of Echo. The decision of the Imperialists to hold back their remaining air assets, particularly the UCAVs, after the shocking losses of that engagement proved to be the hinge point that turned what might have been a mere setback into the decisive victory that ensured the survival of the Elwynnese Union and its eventual victory.<br />
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By the final weeks of the war even the supplies of unguided 'dumb' bombs were being run down to the point that the Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia was obliged to establish workshops to produce crude unguided rockets in order to keep up the rate of fire on the defenders of Shirekeep and the ISAF was giving serious consideration to adapting its remaining UCAV force to drop re-purposed canisters packed with high-explosives.<br />
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This experience subsequently informed the strategic and operational doctrines of both the UDF and the reformed (i.e. purged) Imperial Forces in that the technologically sophisticated weapons systems began to be viewed as an exquisitely crafted and expensive blade of tremendous penetrating power that nonetheless blunted quickly through frequent use. For this reason it began to be felt that what was required was a second line of sufficient mass and firepower that would be less sophisticated, and for therefore more affordable, that could get the job done - through blunt object trauma if need be - once the enemy's own, exquisitely wrought, first line of defences had been sufficiently burnt through to provide an opening.<br />
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The desire to test this new theory against a representation of an avowedly unconventional opposing force gave rise to the series of military exercises known as Operation Long Haul and all the attendant controversies that ensued when neighbouring Minarboria became thoroughly alarmed.<br />
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[[shire:The Anarchy of Angularis|The Anarchy of Angularis]] (1635-1640) was a five year period of disorder in which Elw ultra-nationalists and other separatist, anti-monarchist and anti-imperialist groups waged a low level insurgency, gradually extending their influence throughout the Vale of Angularis. These forces were violently suppressed by Elwynnese and Imperial Forces under the overall direction of the Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia in the Campaign of 1639, considered by some to be amongst one of the bloodiest episodes in modern Benacian history, second only to the Green Mortality of 1605 in the reign of Kaiser Aiomide, although this record was subsequently overtaken the calamities of the 1650s.<br />
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[[shire:Martial Law in Goldshire|Martial Law in Goldshire]] (1639) was declared after the assassination of the Goldshirean and Elwynnese Princes Arn and Rostam Ayreon-Kalirion by parties unknown in the year 1639. This being the third such attempt on a member of the Ayreon-Kalirion bloodline in which poison was administered in a secure environment, suspicion quickly turned to the Leonid Guard whose duty was to protect the family of the Emira of Sathrati. This latest failing proved to be final straw and the Royal Government of Goldshire, administered by the ESB-Jörmungandr Group, declared martial law and instigated a purge of suspect individuals and organisations within the Kingdom. That this poisoning was part of a wider conspiracy was proved when the secretive Assayers successfully, albeit temporarily, countermanded the martial law decree.<br />
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After two days of confusion, Queen Noor was able to reassert her authority and reinstated the martial law decree - adding to it the proscription of the now openly treacherous Assayers. The Assayers, more formally the Chamber of Assay of the Avakair Mint and Bullion Depository, had a fearsome reputation for being able to instil psychological terror and also a capacity for actual acts of terror, including abduction, torture and assassination, in pursuit of its relentless drive to try and maintain standards of purity in the 'gold standard' Erb and a ruthless determination to destroy any threats to that self same purity. This put them on an inevitable collision course with the ESB-Jörmungandr Group which has, no less ruthlessly, sought to promote its fiat currency - the Teldrin Thaler - throughout the river ports of the the Red Elwynn and beyond.<br />
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Faced by such a dangerous and unpredictable foe, and concerned about wavering morale amongst the Goldshire Regulars, the Royal Government, on the 11th of Araroqpinu 1639, invoked its right under the Martial Code of Shireroth to seek the assistance of Imperial Forces. The Imperial Government had already taken steps to order Leonid Guards based overseas to return to ESB run rendition facilities in Goldshire and Zy-Rodun. Now, with an official invitation, it could act with full force. The situation led inevitably to full blown [[shire:Civil War in Goldshire|civil war]] (1639-1643).<br />
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The civil war ended with the Armistice of Airle (Reire the 15th of Nomeziooqu, 1643), the terms of which surprisingly generous, by Shirerithian standards. Rebel leaders were castrated and sent to monasteries. Golems, alchemical artefacts and Gnostic grimoires meanwhile were be destroyed. Beyond this there was a prohibition on reprisals. Imperial Constabulary assumed responsibility for peacekeeping in Goldshire while the crimes of the rebels, as well as of pro-government militias were to be investigated equally by judicially appointed inquisitors.<br />
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The civil war saw a revival in the ancient Cedrist religion as well as the reintroduction of various practices such as gladiatorial combat, human sacrifice and the mass enslavement of displaced persons. The various factions on both sides sought to make the war pay for itself by resorting to the plunder of the opposing sides territory. Criminality also dramatically increased with the Mercaja side especially resorting to drugs smuggling, extortion, racketeering and the fraudulent transmutation of base metals into gold and silver in order to fund its operations.<br />
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Officially the Royal Government of Goldshire acknowledged 43,770 fatalities as a consequence of the civil war. It has however been suggested that these figures were deliberately underplayed to avoid causing embarrassment to the Alexandrian government during the negotiations leading up to the formation of the Sxiro-Alexandrian-Natopian Entente.<br />
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An estimate contained in a report by the ESB Group suggested a death-toll of 8,431,770, several orders of magnitude greater than the official tally. The reason for the disparity laid in the omission from official statistics of the victims of chemical weapons attacks carried out by the Imperial Forces and the death-toll from clean-up operations in Lunaris after the collapse of the organised rebellion. The report and its authors were suppressed and pulped by the Jaysh al-Sathrati on the orders of Queen Noor.<br />
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Holwinn and Lunaris felt the effects of the war disproportionately, with advance and retreat of first the Jaysh al-Sathrati and then the Army of the Golden Dawn which caught the civilian populations of those two counties in a desperate maelstrom of violent reprisal, where civilians were targeted as much as, if not more often than, the opposing combatants. 25% of the Lunatic population was killed or died of communicable diseases during the conflict whilst a staggering 41% of the population of the County of Holwinn perished as collateral damage after the Technomaezji unleashed its full arsenal of chemical and biological munitions in an attempt to halt the rebel advance towards Cabbagefall.<br />
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It was the scale of this slaughter which convinced Kaiser Dominus to initiate war-crimes trials against the guilty parties of both sides in the civil war. A matter of some embarrassment considering the support that the Imperial Government and the ESB Group had lavished on Queen Noor's private army. By the end of the war however the Jaysh was a broken force, discredited both morally and militarily.<br />
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[[File:Shireroth Current States 6337.png|thumb|right|The Imperial States and Imperial Dominions of Shireroth during the reign of Kaiser Dominus.]]<br />
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1644, the Year of the Four Kaisers, was a tumultuous moment in Shirerithian History which saw the deposition and murder of Kaiser Dominus, and the emergence of three claimants to the Golden Mango Throne.<br />
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The next cycle of wars that began with the Struggle for the South (1649–1651), a series of inter-related disputes and conflicts following the Elwynnese confiscation of Mishalan and the collapse, demotion and or dissolution of the Lich Realms of Lichbrook and Minarboria, ending the dominion of the dead over the lands of southern Benacia. The disputes saw an increase in anti-Elwynnese sentiment and the first semblance of opposition to the Ayreon-Kalirion dynastic succession to the Mango Throne.<br />
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The Struggle ended with the restoration of Mishalan, the establishment of the Domain of Malarboria and finally the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion of 1651]]. This decree marked the beginning of a systemic purge of [[Stormark|Storrish]] influence in the Imperial Republic. More specifically the expulsion of the House of Ettlingar Freyu and the Church of the Froyalanish Ancient Ways from the Elwynnese Union resulted from a double coup in Shirekeep and Eliria which brought to an abrupt end the Froyalanish hegemony over the Imperial Republic that had begun with the abdication of Prince Jonathan Ayreon-Kalirion in 1623 and the River War of 1635.<br />
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King Noah disputed the legality of his expulsion but failed to gain any measure of popular support at home or abroad, with the sole exception of the then Emperor of Natopia, Zakyyr. A complete rupture in the [[SANE|Sxiro-Natopian alliance]] was averted but Noah remained Natopian foreign minister for a time longer, prompting some awkwardness.<br />
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The speed of the collapse of Elwynnese resistance, combined with the success of the Imperial Government in delivering a fait accompli had brought the Auspicious Occasion to a swift and decisive conclusion, greatly limiting the destruction and loss of life endured by the Elwynnese. This contrasted strikingly with previous Imperial interventions in Dietsland, Goldshire, Lichbrook, Minarboria, Puritania and Voltrue over the course of the previous sixteen years.<br />
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On the Elwynnese side, the centralising of decision making powers into the hands of the King and his court had meant that once Noah was isolated and unable to maintain open communications the once formidable array of forces at his disposal gave a poor account of themselves, in marked contrast to their performance during the Year of the Four Kaisers seven years previously. The selection and advancement of officers noted for their loyalty to the Crown and love of pomp and pageantry over their professional ability had degraded the quality of command and control and led to a loss of the capacity for displays of individual initiative.<br />
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The Imperial Forces meanwhile had continued to expand, rearm and professionalise following the defeats endured in the River War and the Year of the Four Kaisers. The Imperial Army was performing at near the peak of operational readiness it had achieved during an abortive war scare with Jingdao in 1647, and its officers were highly motivated to gain revenge for the slights they had endured from the Elwynnese over the years.<br />
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The Imperial Forces were, to be sure, still bedevilled by the perennial problems of a creaking and sclerotic logistics chain as well as a command structure of bewildering complexity. Nonetheless the matter was resolved before these issues could make a decisive negative impact.<br />
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The Imperial Marshals had finally proved themselves with their involvement in the capture of Krull Palace. Unfettered by the constraints of the Martial Code they had been free to move assets into the city under the guise of rotating personnel out of the Imperial Legations, without the level of domestic surveillance that Imperial Forces transiting Elwynnese territory routinely had to endure.<br />
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Debate continues as to whether the establishment of a new period of dynastic rule constitutes a fourth era. In the past, using a discredited historiography and calendar, as many as seven eras were postulated. However, following the Auspicious Occasion, a more rational approach to historical research has taken hold and the process of investigating and verifying the reigns of the Kaisers of the early era, and indeed the nature of their rule, is ongoing.<br />
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One of the most notable attributes of the aftermath of the Auspicious Occasion was the systematic repudiation and destruction of much of what had previously been considered integral to Vanic and Froyalanish iconography. In many regards the Royal Government was obliged to legislate to keep up with the popular anger and the tearing down of Vanic monuments.<br />
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The smashing and destruction of the "viking helmet crowns" prominently displayed on all royal crests, proved to be an especially popular pastime amongst the masses.<br />
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The sudden fall of the House of Ettlingar Freyu threw into sharp reverse the expansionist policy pursued by Elwynn hitherto. Instead, under the terms of an agreement brokered in Eliria, Elwynnese territory was ceded to the Kingdom of Goldshire, the Dominion of Malarboria and the Imperial Republic itself - so as to form new Imperial Dominions.<br />
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The much reduced Elwynn would subsequently go on to cast off the last vestiges of monarchical rule and refound itself as a constitutional republic.<br />
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Between 1636 and 1655, between the [[shire:Wars of the Dark Orchid|Wars of the Dark Orchid]], the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]], the [[Alexandrian Flu]], famine, emigration, and the [[War of Lost Brothers]] the population of Shireroth fell by 21% to 556 million.<br />
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====Global war====<br />
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The [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation]], reinvigorated by the War of Lost Brothers, had become an all consuming international phenomenon, whose reverberations were felt upon every continent. Particularly badly affected was the nascent [[Florian Republic]], whose dreams of great power status were cruelly dashed by an alternating succession of Shirerithian, Jingdaoese, and Natopian occupations of all or part of the country.<br />
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More seriously for Shireroth was the challenge posed by the comparatively young yet economically powerful realm of [[Passio-Corum]] which, via the influence it enjoyed on the [[USSO]], seemed poised to rewrite the world economic order in its own favour. Although autarchic Shireroth was insulated from the worst of these economic shocks by its Benacian energy and mineral reserves and the free trade arrangements with allied and neutral states such as [[Natopia]], [[Constancia]], [[Caputia]], and [[Raspur Khanate|Raspur]], the long term challenge posed by Passio-Corum was long-term and structural. In the words of the then Steward, Waldemar Zinkgraven, ''"where [[Jingbuism]] is a disease of the skin, the [["A Sustainable Economy"|Cult of Superabundance]] is a disease of the heart"''.<br />
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This gave the War of Lost Brothers an ideological edge that went some way towards explaining its duration and its bitterness.<br />
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Up until 1654 Imperial propaganda had portrayed recent Benacian history as a procession of victories against ''federalists'', ''monarchists'', ''separatists'', ''particularists'', and ''schismatics'', extending the sway of the Golden Mango Throne over two thirds of the Benacian continent.<br />
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By the end of this period however the Imperial Republic was increasingly butting up against the hard limits of its ability to project power beyond the bounds of its recently grasped borders. The former Minarborian Empire proved to be a graveyard for Imperial armies and expeditions, the cost of containing its rogue flora and fauna bordering upon the prohibitive, constraining Shirekeep to recognise, tolerate, and even occasionally cooperate with the recalcitrant and schismatic [[Kalgachia|Kalgachi]], who successfully clung to their mountain fastness and the rumoured chthonic realms beneath.<br />
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Similarly the strained relationship with Jingdao, having snapped and unleashed the global war of unprecedented scale, ferocity, and duration, settled once more into stalemate with little yielded in the way of a decision for all the cost endured in terms of the blood and treasure squandered during four years of conflict.<br />
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Most egregiously the so-called "Enterprise of Keltia", a cynical attempt to plunder an entire continent, had degenerated into a wretched debacle or piracy, libertinage, and fratricidal infighting that saw the invasion fleet fall apart before it had even finished assembling in the [[Warring Isles]]. The much anticipated [[War of the Casks|clash of arms]] with Nova England was in the end an exchange of missiles and a cycle of reciprocal raiding, scarcely distinguished from the [[Keltian Cod War]] which had preceded it.<br />
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The debacle sealed the fate of Steward [[shire:Waldemar Zinkgraven|Burgrave Zinkgraven]], the architect of the aggressive policy in the west, and precluded his even contemplating standing for re-election. Zinkgraven's misfortune was to have been born into the provincial - Batavian - gentry. Without the protection of a distinguished bloodline or a connection to the [[shire:Tables of Ranks and Nobility|great houses]] there was no shelter to be had when the [[shire:Imperial Forces|military]] and [[shire:ESB Group|corporate]] patrons of his regime withdrew their favour. Ultimately he was reduced to a peripheral figure, sheltering with the [[Sea-Reavers]] who were his creatures, feuding with unpaid [[shire:Jaysh al-Sathrati|Babkhi mercenaries]], and skulking in the Warring Isles, contriving every means short of open defiance to avoid heeding the summons to return to [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] and account for his actions.<br />
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Yet for all this Shireroth emerged from the ordeal with its sovereignty enhanced, its alliances in-tact, and its trading networks expanded. This being in contrast to a [[Jingdao]] wracked by internal dissent and dependent upon the economic muscle of the [[Haifo-Pallisican Imperial Trade Union|Pallisican]] [[Bassarid Federation|states]] to keep it on its feet.<br />
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====Benacia's "graveyard of empires"====<br />
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The aftermath of the war proved to be a difficult time for all the great powers, and this was as true in Shireroth as it was elsewhere in the world. With Zinkgraven cut lose to the wind, the appetite for overseas adventures amongst the Imperial Republic's ruling elites rapidly drained away. Yet they found that the war had left its mark upon Benacia also. The great battles of annihilation fought in the Shirerithian and Jingdaoese portions of the old [[Batavia]] had upended the status quo which had existed in that part of the world since the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]]. Batavians, joined by deserters from both armies, had formed into columns of unhappy myriads in flight eastwards away from the senseless destruction which tore through the heartland of that former kingdom. Blundering in their desperation to escape the horrors of war, these refugees rushed headlong into the no less diverting terrors that awaited in the treacherous landscape where nature itself had been warped by a [[Minarboria|perverted science]] into new and hideous forms of lethality. <br />
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Shireroth and Kalgachia, the long time hegemons of the Inner Benacian ungoverned spaces, found that they were no-longer alone in the exercise of dominion. [[Kasterburg]] was the first to arise - its character, determined by its Montford founder, was conservative and militaristic. Whilst jealous of its sovereignty, there was kinship enough for a treaty of friendship and cooperation to be agreed upon. The Batavians who followed [[August Baerdemans|Vryheer Baerdemans]] were another matter. The suspected taint of the [[Jingdao|Jing]] laid heavy upon him and his, but while they skirmished ineffectually with the Yehudi of [[Nackholm]], no-one paid them much mind. <br />
<br />
This changed as a steadily strengthening [[Kasterburg]] reached out to [[Kalgachia]] and together coordinated the advance of their forces to establish a land corridor with mutually agreed upon frontiers. Kasterburg gained access to a new inland market whilst Kalgachia ended, for the moment, its waking nightmare of encirclement by Shireroth. <br />
<br />
It would have been pleasant to record that Shireroth reacted to this modest initiative on the part of its junior neighbours with equanimity. [[Fall Schwartz-Tilman|It did not]]. Instead the legions mustered, the gravimetric tanks wobbled improbably skywards, and the relentless bomber formations made sortie after sortie to level any and every structure that gave even the least hint of being man-made. For the free peoples of Inner Benacia, the wretched survivors of Minarboria's fall, this was the end - extermination or slavery beckoned. Yet even as the armoured fists of an Imperial Republic gripped by one of its periodic fits of hubris pounded down upon Highbloom, Nackholm, and Stonetree, the free peoples - Yehudi, Laqi, Tellian, and Mishalanski - found with what might have been their dying breath, the will to fight on. At Stonetree they made their stand. Stood before a ruined mausoleum, known to posterity simply as the Dolmen, they swore their pact to restore peace to their lands or perish in the attempt. It was perhaps their fortune to be facing Lywallers, reluctant conscripts to a cause not of their own chosing, rather than the blood-inured Imperials of the regular army, but it was a closest run thing, and the siege lasted into the fifth day when the first contingents of Yehudi fighters arrived on the heights overlooking the ruined and beleaguered city. Their arrival had been completely unexpected, the concurrent assault upon Nackholm was meant to have transfixed them to await their deaths besides their own hearths whilst the cordon of Kalgachi and Kasterburger garrisons ought to have arrest their progress eastwards. Yet here they were, and their arrival threw the exhausted Lywallers into confusion and rout. The fight went out of the besiegers and their flight southwards was a massacre that ended only when the vengeful pursuing Laqi ran up against the blocking detachments of [[shire:Imperial Marshals|marshals]] thoughtfully put in place to deal with deserters.<br />
<br />
For Shireroth the defeat was a humiliation, coming at the same time as fresh [[MCS|international condemnation]] of their reckless aggression, it seemed as though the perennial project of [[shire:Benacian Reconquest|subjugating all of Benacia]] was set for yet another of its periodic pauses.<br />
<br />
The surviving members of the so-called Free Communes, scarcely believing their luck, found that, after the storm had broken about their heads, they held field. It was now for them to decide upon what to do with their unexpected gain. To allow the land to revert to its native anarchy would put at risk all that they had, by such momentous sacrifice, sought to gain. Instead, recalling their pact before the dolmen, they swore solemn oaths to govern wisely and collectively. As improbable as it might have seemed a [[Republic of Inner Benacia|new polity]] was born. It was not alone.<br />
<br />
Espying the main chance, Vryheer Baerdemans gathered the paltry forces available to him - a scant militia backed by farmsteaders and cattle drovers - and set out on a brisk night march for Nackholm. With the Yehudi self-defence groups either exterminated by the Shirerithian onslaught or drawn eastwards to the famous battle at Stonetree, Nackholm had been denuded of defenders. Threading his way between legionary pickets, Baerdemans and his followers, stole into the bombed out ruins of northern Nackholm virtually unopposed and therein raised their banner and proclaimed in the ruins the founding of a new capital and the establishment of a [[Transbataafsche Vrystaat|new nation]]. When Shirekeep belatedly realised what was afoot their fury was unbounded - but it was almost too late. In spite of seven days and seven nights of aerial bombardment the blue and orange banner remained firmly nailed to the shattered casemate of the Yabotinsky Fortress.<br />
<br />
====The Octavian Interlude====<br />
<br />
From the reign of Kaiser Dominus to the fall of Waldemar Zinkgraven, the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] had enjoyed an almost unlimited independence and freedom of action, becoming almost a state within a state. Following the carnage of the [[War of Lost Brothers|1654-1657 War]] and the ebbing of territorial expansion the latitude afforded to the militarist factions and their [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|ideological fellow travellers]] by the Imperial Court began to become more circumscribed. In spite of dominating the Folksraad, the N&H Party and its Imperial Republican Party allies were unable to prevent the noble houses in the [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] from aligning to install the [[shire:Mira Octavius-Aryani|Count-Palatine of Kezan]] as [[shire:Steward|Steward]] for a second term.<br />
<br />
====Collapse of the Reformist movement====<br />
<br />
With the death of the Steward in a terrorist outrage, followed not long afterwards by the unexplained disappearance of the [[shire:Liv Dravot#Death|Imperial Mother]] from public life, the Humanist and Reformist camps in the Landsraad appeared to be poised once more for a renewal of civil war as the year 1663 drew towards its close.<br />
<br />
The election of the Duke of Calezi, a pragmatic reformer with a power base in the comparatively liberal state of Brookshire, as Steward helped to stabilise this affair before matters degenerated further. The Prince of Modan and the Simrani-Kalirion faction, preoccupied with establishing their rule over the former domain of Malarboria, were not interested in a destabilising conflict with Kezan - which in turn had silently made its point to its opponents. An atmosphere of relative calm was restored in the Landsraad and the measures proposed by the moderate [[shire:Jalal Jahanbani|Minister Jahanbani]] to improve and regularise the conditions of various categories of unfree persons enjoyed a measure of cross-party and cross-faction support.<br />
<br />
For the reformist diehards however, it appeared that a pattern had been established whereby the deep state, which leftists increasing came to refer to as a stratocracy, continued to exercise an effective veto over any attempt to change the fundamentally illiberal and inegalitarian character of the Imperial Republic, as such continuing to participate in the political processes of a regressive and repressive regime would only serve to burnish it with a patina of legitimacy that it ill deserved.<br />
<br />
Manifestations of dissent began to multiply, including the [[shire:Safirian Exodus|emigration]] of the last vestiges of the [[safir]] community in Shireroth.<br />
<br />
====White Plague====<br />
<br />
Beginning in {{Tooltip|1667|December 2018}} [[AN]] the [[White Plague]],, a fungal blight fuelled by the aggressive consumption of human flesh, spread from [[Natopia]]n [[Two Martyrs|colonies]] in southern Cibola along the [[SATCo|trade routes]] of the western hemisphere to ports in [[Benacia]] and [[Tapfer]]. The populations of Brookshire, Goldshire, and Modan were particularly severely affected, putting the long term survival of the Imperial Republic into doubt for the first time in a century. The outbreak of the plague, following close on the heels of the death or disappearance of the majority of the leadership cadre of the Imperial Republic left Shireroth with a drifting government unable or unwilling to respond to the increasingly undeniable portents of doom. Whilst the Kaiser attempted to maintain normal court functions, the Kezanite Steward was elected to office unopposed by a [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] that had rapidly emptied as the stench of death wafted over Shirekeep, adding its sickly sweet scent to the cacophony of pungent aromas which habitually swirled around that ancient city.<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
<br />
Shireroth has been a multi-ethnic state for its entire existence and, since the decline of Cedrism in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, has also become multi-confessional.<br />
<br />
===Religion===<br />
{{quote<br />
|text=''Heaven laughs at us with contempt, whilst we labour in the dust and suffer through life in the name of their glory.'' |sign=Anon.|source="Common Shirerithian Sayings"}}<br />
====Cedrism====<br />
<br />
====Holodomatic School====<br />
<br />
====Zurvanism====<br />
<br />
====Bovinism====<br />
<br />
===Neofeudalism===<br />
<br />
'''Neofeudalism''' is a term used to describe the phenomena of collectivist-oligarchic rule that emerged in the Imperial Republic following the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]] of 1651, effectively replacing the fractious federative system of governance, where constitutional checks and balances were maintained by the entrenchment of the rights of [[shire:Imperial States|states]], with a new synthesis of familial, corporate and military power directed by numerous diffuse boards of control centrally coordinated by the [[shire:Imperial Advisory Council|Imperial Advisory Council]], whose powers were further entrenched at the expense of those formerly held by the Kaiser, following the revision and reissue of the [[shire:Charter|Charter]] in 1653.<br />
<br />
As neofeudalism became more entrenched during the administration of Burgrave [[shire:Waldemar Zinkgraven|Zinkgraven]] the key ministries of state were handed to corporations to hold "in-commission". These corporations were in turn primarily owned by the surviving members of the ancient noble houses and the more recently ennobled minor gentry, the so-called untitled lords, to whom the privileges of citizenship, the prospect of a seat on the [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] for instance, accrued. This process made citizens stakeholders in the state but also held out to denizens the prospect of advancement through service as technocrats in the institutions of state and the corporate bodies.<br />
<br />
The fate of the denizen is also instructive of the nature of the neofeudal society. Although elevation through service was an avenue of advancement for the able, those who, for whatever reason, were unable to sustain themselves through their own endeavour could voluntarily subordinate themselves by a declaration of submission whereby the denizen would become '''His Majesty's Loyal Subject''' and receive guaranteed protection and employment, whether from the state directly or through a noble house or corporation at the cost of surrendering theoretical liberty. Such a submission was by no means dishonourable, indeed all recruits to the ranks of the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] by their nature became His Majesty's Loyal Subjects and gain status subsequently through promotion through the ranks.<br />
<br />
By contrast [[Community Service Workers]] did indeed endure the conditions commonly associated with [[shire:Old Feudalism|Old Feudalism]]. Originally the condemned survivors of the [[shire:Froyalanish|Storish]] community in Shireroth, the male population was viciously and systematically castrated (testing certain theories about the regenerative potential of so-called [[shire:Vanafolk|Vanakarls]]) and assigned to expropriate their guilt through labour in the mines, factories, farms and lumber yards of Benacia whilst the females of breeding age were distributed as comfort women throughout the [[shire:Imperial Forces|armed forces]]. By these means, and through emigration and natural wastage, the storish population was systematically reduced over time, with active measures targeted against them scheduled to endure until the year 1752 AN. The perforce ethnically mixed off-spring of Community Service Workers were typically removed from the mother at birth, aside from their dubious ancestral culture, the vanafolk were assessed as possessing many genetically desirable traits, and made wards of the Kaiser. Male offspring in the first two generations would be castrated and returned to the Community Service Programme, females of desirable qualities would be adopted into noble households, and the remainder would be raised and educated at the expense of the state with the expectation that they would redeem the cost of their upkeep through work in various [[shire:Baths of Fjǫrleif|public institutions]].<br />
<br />
===Militarism===<br />
<br />
The origins of Shirerithian militarism can be traced as far back as the [[Jaris War]] (1503&ndash;1508 AN) but that conflict was most notable for the failure of the Shirerithian feudal host to effectively mobilise and exercise efficient command and control over the disparate yet quantitatively superior force which mustered to the banners to oppose the [[Babkha]]n-led [[Grand Commonwealth]] forces.<br />
<br />
For the greater part of its history the Imperial Republic was noted for the fractiousness and rebelliousness of its nobility, and this even extended to the forces which the Imperial Government mustered in its own defence - to the extent that the Kaiser's [[shire:Apollonian Guard|own bodyguard]] became famous for its indiscipline and laxity occasioning the assassination of at least one Kaiser. For the greater part of the 16th Century, with the sole exception of the Imperial Navy, the quality and quantity of the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] diminished appreciably over time as the old feudal structure gave way to a federal system where the emergent states had primary responsibility under the martial code for their own defence and security. Working in the Ministry of Military Affairs was consequently seen as a thankless and unrewarding task, frequently left to the most debased and inadequate functionaries available - including a [[shire:Barend Barentsz|blatant Jing double-agent]] and a [[shire:Laqi Hyrrion|dysfunctional revenant]]. Even the more than usually competent [[shire:Balarak Alaion|Balârak Âlaion]] would eventually succumb to insanity (and [[shire:Cabbage Crisis|''brassicosis'']]) and perish miserably in an attempt to seize the Imperial throne.<br />
<br />
What changed this situation was, after the [[Revolution of 1617|loss]] of [[shire:Kildare|Kildare]] in 1617 and the humiliation of [[shire:The River War|defeat at the hands of an over-mighty vassal]] in 1635, a growing movement to recover the diminished primacy of [[shire:Shirekeep|the metropolis]] over the provinces and to restore the Imperial Republic's position as a great power. <br />
<br />
Beginning with the ministry of [[shire:Thorgils Tarjeisson|Thorgils Tarjeisson]] in 1636, a succession of MoMAs oversaw a period of massive expansion and rearmament in the Imperial Forces, the [[shire:Martial Code|Martial Code]] was amended to establish an Imperial Army - ending the Kaiser's dependence upon state militias - and from 1646 onward the annual defence budget accounted for 40% of government expenditure. With this colossal expansion, defence contractors such as the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]], [[shire:Red Bear LLC|Red Bear LLC]], and [[shire:Ryker Airships|RAS]], achieved incomes that would have been unimaginable a decade earlier. Suitably engorged, these companies had no incentive to relinquish the teat of government expenditure and quickly came to an understanding with the [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|political movements]] most sympathetic to their world view. In this manner a [[wikipedia:Military–industrial complex|military-industrial complex]] was born that has sometimes been observed to be acting almost independently of the governing structures to which it was nominally subordinate. Between the [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation]] and the [[Benacian Reconquest]] there continues to be no end to the justifications which can be found for continuing military expenditure at eye-watering levels, for the frontier will never be so secure that the occasion will never call for a punitive expedition. Taxation and Imperial highhandedness continues also to generate resentments amongst the populace, particularly amongst denizens (the limited franchise free populace who make up almost three quarters of the Shirerithian population), driving in turn a seemingly never ending cycle of provincial rebellion and societal unrest which the Imperial Forces seem to gamely regard as training opportunities during the lulls in the external cycle of great power warfare.<br />
<br />
==Economy==<br />
''Main Article: [[Economy of Shireroth]]''<br />
<br />
===Infrastructure===<br />
<br />
====Electronic Communications====<br />
<br />
In 1652 AN, the totality of all viable communications technologies operated within the Imperial Republic were consolidated into a single intranet based electronic system, the [[shire:Benacian Data Network|Benacian Data Network]], a successor to the earlier Elwnet operated by the Elwynnese state dating back to the independence era. As such there are no domestic television services in the regularly understood sense of the term, no interface permitting connection to any wider global communications network, and the only radio stations in operation exist primarily for the purpose of broadcasting propaganda and electromagnetic interference into [[Kalgachia|neighbouring states]]. In consequence the radio and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum in the Benacian continent remain overwhelmingly the preserve of the Shirerithian Imperial Government and its favoured corporate partners, reserved for their use accordingly.<br />
<br />
Both electronic and physical communication systems are under the control of the [[shire:Imperial Postal Service|Imperial Postal Service]]. Residents and visitors to Shireroth must apply for a licence to send and receive correspondence.<br />
<br />
====Imperial Highways and Roads====<br />
<br />
It has often been said in jest that the condition of the roads in the Imperial Republic were what gave the greatest impetus to the discovery and commercialisation of [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric levitation]].<br />
<br />
The roads of Shireroth are generally considered to be poor in quality and maintenance, particularly the further away from the Eastern Benacian Core (Eliria-Ardashirshahr-Shirekeep-Musica) one goes. Such inter-state routes as do exist are however maintained to a reasonable standard by the Imperial Highways Commission (IHC). For the most part the roads that fall below the purview of the IHC tend to become the responsibility of whichever tier of local government is least unwilling to pick up the cost. This has resulted in a patchwork of non-standard metalled and unmetalled roads, punctuated at irregular yet frequent intervals by tollposts operated by a myriad of authorities with ever shakier legal remits. Along the backwoods roads, maintenance - which consists often of a chain-gang of community servants heaping and pounding earth before laying a crude layer of gravel - is paid for by extortionate tolls levelled by almost literal robber barons.<br />
<br />
====Railways====<br />
The concept of an integrated railway network collapsed altogether following the disintegration of the Imperial Republic into quasi-independent states during the early 1600s. <br />
<br />
There have been periodic talks concerning the revival of the eastern Benacian inter-city services, whilst [[shire:Liv Dravot|Steward Dravot]] championed the construction of a Trans-Benacian Railway to link Shireroth's conquests in the far west to the Imperial Metropolis. These projects ultimately failed owing to a lack of investment. <br />
<br />
In the early 1660s the Trans-Benacian Railway, or Transben as it is sometimes affectionately known, has become a project championed by the [[shire:Ryker Everstone|King of Goldshire]]. The project however became mired in a myriad of disputes about costs, destinations, the routes to be taken or avoided, and the technologies to be utilised. As if this was not a sufficient impediment to progress, the Imperial Government subsequently became bogged down in factional fighting between [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|Humanist]] and [[shire:Ayreonist Independence Party|Ayreonists]] that blossomed into a civil war in [[shire:Elwynn]].<br />
<br />
<br />
Localised rail networks may still exist where a local authority, government agency, or corporation acted of their own initiative. Standardising the gauges of these local railways will be a major headache when integration and expansion does finally occur. The art of the railway timetable has been largely lost on Benacia, and trains tend to operate as almost as convoys departing on a given day rather than a regularly scheduled service. The services, siege trains as they are some times known, comprised of passenger carriages and cargo wagons lashed together to an armoured train sporting some antique [[80mm field gun|artillery piece]], provided with an armed escort of Imperial Marshals and Cudgellers. The reasons for these armed escorts vary - in Western Benacia they serve to ward off Batavian guerrillas, whilst in [[shire:Mishalan|Central Benacia]] the armoured trains are meant to afford some measure of scant protection against the unwanted advances of the invariably ravenous or lust-maddened [[Tyrannocricetus aliger|Tee-als]], Southern Benacia has experienced a revival in [[Laqi]] brigandry, whilst trains travelling into southern Elwynn frequently run afoul of the [[shire:Babkhi|Babkhi]] proclivity for home-brewing nitroglycerine. <br />
<br />
The most recent new railway construction occurred in Goldshire during the late 1650s as the King of Goldshire, famously paranoid, emptied the treasuries of his realm to build a vast anti-invasion defensive wall along the entirety of his coastline. This major engineering feet, requiring the services of millions of his subjects, necessitated the construction of a series of railway lines running parallel to the course of the defensive barriers for the purposes of shipping construction materials, personnel, and stores, along its entire length.<br />
<br />
====Air travel====<br />
<br />
Airports (aerodromes) are few, mostly reserved for citizens and visiting foreigners, the main example of which being [[Shirekeep-Foley Aerodrome]], the main air hub for Shirekeep and the primary ''international'' airport in the Imperial Republic. Rather more common are the airship and gravship terminals (Lufthavens) which form the primary inter-city connection service in Eastern Benacia, based around the Goldshire-centric network maintained by [[shire:Ryker Airships|Ryker Airships]]. Gravship services connect neutral [[Senya]] with the Imperial States of [[Eliria Aerodrome|Elwynn]] and [[Mesior Lufthaven|Goldshire]]. Following the end of the latest [[War of Lost Brothers|global conflict]] there is at last potential scope to contemplate reviving regular scheduled air services to destinations in [[Natopia]], [[Constancia]], [[Caputia]], & [[Hoenn]].<br />
<br />
There has been some debate as to whether Shireroth's infamous gravtanks, approaching nearly 25 years in service in some instances, might be disarmed and retired into the business of hauling cargo. Such proposals run up against the famed reluctance of the Imperial Forces to relinquish any even vaguely serviceable equipment until the very moment that it literally falls apart. <br />
<br />
====Travel restrictions====<br />
<br />
The traditional port of disembarkation for foreigners is the free-port of Musica in Brookshire. Chartered river services, either to the airship terminal at Meisor or alternatively along the full length of the Red Elwynn, are the most efficient method of reaching the capital from there. In general, riverine and coastal shipping services are a cost efficient method of moving between the major cities.<br />
<br />
The land borders of the Imperial Republic remain closed and under quarantine. The only exceptions are the international borders with Tellia (including the Tellian Mandate) and the Sxiro-Kalgachi Designated Exchanges Point on the common frontier. Unpleasant consequences attend upon those attempting to enter Shireroth overland from the ungoverned spaces of inner Benacia.<br />
<br />
After smugglers, the most persistent violators of the Imperial Republic's strict border regime are the [[Transbatavia|Voortrekkers]], Batavians moving out of Imperial territory into the ungoverned spaces. Although generally tolerated, politely but firmly turned around by the [[shire:Imperial Marshals|Imperial Marshals]] if caught in the act of staging an illegal crossing, since relations or at the very least dialogue was established with [[Kasterburg]] and the Batavian national movement, the foolhardly Voortrekkers who had passed through the territory of the Military Government of Westpoint in an effort to reach the [[Northbloom|Fort Ermingander pocket]] were made a severe example of after their presence was discovered.<br />
<br />
===Education and academia===<br />
<br />
No formal universal education system exists in the Imperial Republic, leaving education to be the responsibility of the Imperial States, Imperial Dominions, local governments, guilds, private institutions and charitable enterprises. The level of provision, and the adequacy of education provided, can vary dramatically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, depending on the capacity and initiative of the myriad of governing entities in the Imperial Republic's sprawling neo-feudal edifice.<br />
<br />
In the year 1663 it was been estimated that there were 215.5 million Shirerithians between the ages of 5 and 15 (approximately 38% of the population) undergoing or expected to undergo an education. <br />
<br />
*Apprenticeships: 109.2 million<br />
*Not in Education, Employment or Training: 50 million<br />
*Charitable/Religious Schools: 26.9 million<br />
*Local Authority Schools: 15.7 million<br />
*Guild Schools: 9.2 million<br />
*Military & Community Service Schools: 4.50 million<br />
<br />
The various apprenticeship schemes operated in Shireroth vary in scale from employment with the local village baker or cobbler all the way up to the National Service scheme in Goldshire, reputedly the largest apprenticeship programme in Benacia if not in all of Micras, which combines five years of military service[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=20337(1)] (ages 17&ndash;22) and rigorous schooling in [[shire:Praeta|Praeta]][https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=21923(1)], the revived language of empire and [[shire:Cedrism|faith]] without which societal and career advancement in the modern Imperial Republic is increasingly impossible.<br />
<br />
Although packs of feral urchins had been one of the great plagues of Benacia for centuries, the realisation that up to fifty million children were avoiding schooling, apprenticeships, or labour altogether, constituted a great scandal, shocking to [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|National-Humanists]] and Reformists alike. Proposals for the establishment of a continent wide network of ''Foundation Schools'', paid for by a poll tax levied upon denizens, were swiftly advanced to the Imperial Advisory Council in the 11th month of 1663.<br />
<br />
Paradoxically, Shireroth was well served with an abundant, perhaps almost excessive, number of universities, including a [[shire:Higher education in Elwynn|great number]] established in Elwynn. Alongside the Elwynnese institutions the [[shire:Metzler University|Metzler University]] in [[shire:Shirekeep]] and the [[shire:University of Goldshire|University of Goldshire]] in Wendor are the foremost, although the [[shire:Imperial Academy|Imperial Academy]] and the [[shire:Chryste#Royal University of Chryste|Royal University of Chryste]] are also considered to be rising institutions. It has been said by some that the comparative vibrancy of Shirerithian higher education owed more to the vanity of its rulers, and their desire for honorary degrees, than to their farsightedness or philanthropic spirit.<br />
<br />
In spite of once being home to reputable academic institutions, the cities of [[Nackholm]], [[Sansabury]] and [[&zeter]], are presently without universities on account of the disasters which befell Inner Benacia during its recent history. In spite of this, the ruins continue to attract teams of academics in their scores, and it is likely that these congregations of enquiring minds, combined with a dollop of state and corporate patronage, may yet lead to a revival of academia in what is now the [[shire:State of Modan|State of Modan]].<br />
<br />
Literacy rates vary dramatically according to class, race, and gender, but by the barest universal measurement - being able to write their own name and recite from text a verse in praise of the Kaiser - 77% of male denizens, along with 69% of their female counterparts, are defined as "literate" by the Ministry of the Interior.<br />
<br />
==Demographics==<br />
<br />
The Shirerithian population is distributed unevenly into the following categories: 1% citizens, 82% denizens, 9% in loyal subjecthood, and 11% in community servitude.<br />
<br />
By subdivision these are distributed as follows:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
! Subdivision !! Jurisdiction !! Citizens !! Denizens !! Loyal Subjects !! Community Servitors !! TOTAL<br />
|-<br />
! Agnesia<br />
| ELW || 182,712 || 18,513,458 || 0 || 0 || 18,696,170<br />
|-<br />
! Alalehzamin<br />
| ELW || 482,247 || 40,111,222 || 0 || 0 || 40,593,469<br />
|-<br />
! Amarr<br />
| MAL || 57,044 || 5,932,854 || 601,046 || 710,023 || 7,300,967<br />
|-<br />
! Amity<br />
| JKM || 125,013 || 13,500,000 || 2,105,661 || 3,017,236 || 18,747,910<br />
|-<br />
! Angularis<br />
| MAL || 16,050 || 2,210,113 || 221,012 || 902,175 || 3,349,350<br />
|-<br />
! Araxion<br />
| ELW || 97,153 || 10,192,888 || 0 || 0 || 10,290,041<br />
|-<br />
! Automatica<br />
| ELW || 83,290 || 8,199,991 || 0 || 0 || 8,283,281<br />
|-<br />
! Batavia<br />
| BAT || 8,017 || 582,972 || 443,917 || 5,108,063 || 6,142,969<br />
|-<br />
! Benacia–Iridia<br />
| MAL || 3,107 || 503,134 || 32,046 || 41,428 || 579,715<br />
|-<br />
! Cape Farewell<br />
| ELW || 105,808 || 9,846,340 || 0 || 0 || 9,952,148<br />
|-<br />
! Caverden<br />
| BRK || 162,066 || 15,871,071 || 816,186 || 708,363 || 17,557,686<br />
|-<br />
! Cimmeria with Illumination<br />
| ELW || 76,863 || 9,877,991 || 0 || 0 || 9,954,854<br />
|-<br />
! Crowsilver<br />
| GLD || 20,027 || 2,770,000 || 180,073 || 210,032 || 3,180,132<br />
|-<br />
! Dietsland<br />
| CPS || 5,024 || 600,199 || 60,774 || 85,752 || 751,749<br />
|-<br />
! Eliria<br />
| ELW || 304,104 || 9,188,991 || 0 || 0 || 9,493,095<br />
|-<br />
! Elsyran<br />
| GLD || 203,886 || 20,346,856 || 2,019,007 || 719,771 || 23,289,520<br />
|-<br />
! Fiorecittà<br />
| TEL || 5,049 || 512,000 || 0 || 0 || 517,049<br />
|-<br />
! Florencia<br />
| MAL || 102,992 || 1,477,911 || 138,141 || 111,192 || 1,830,236<br />
|-<br />
! Froyalan NR<br />
| FNR || 2,138 || 198,186 || 115,607 || 6,101,880 || 6,417,811<br />
|-<br />
! Hawshire–Dura<br />
| HSD || 43,761 || 3,220,240 || 0 || 0 || 3,264,001<br />
|-<br />
! Highpass<br />
| MAL || 3,977 || 148,530 || 320,142 || 103,573 || 576,222<br />
|-<br />
! Holwinn<br />
| GLD || 67,663 || 8,936,977 || 618,575 || 210,057 || 9,833,272<br />
|-<br />
! Iserdia<br />
| ELW || 270,057 || 25,888,199 || 0 || 0 || 26,158,256<br />
|-<br />
! Kezan<br />
| KZN || 264,407 || 1,762,714 || 0 || 0 || 2,027,121<br />
|-<br />
! Kralizec<br />
| BRK || 110,018 || 11,056,432 || 654,991 || 430,124 || 12,251,565<br />
|-<br />
! Lachmeren<br />
| MAL || 80,631 || 7,932,854 || 486,062 || 7,001,662 || 15,501,209<br />
|-<br />
! Lachmodan<br />
| MAL || 150,013 || 15,451,711 || 1,981,162 || 651,555 || 18,234,441<br />
|-<br />
! Lunaris<br />
| GLD || 70,084 || 7,220,283 || 4,531,019 || 2,162,614 || 13,984,000<br />
|-<br />
! Lywall<br />
| LYP || 3,483 || 354,211 || 914,610 || 813,103 || 2,085,407<br />
|-<br />
! Lywind<br />
| MAL || 94,103 || 9,715,777 || 971,016 || 204,356 || 10,985,252<br />
|-<br />
! Mar-Sara<br />
| MSR || 220,701 || 2,305,263 || 110,076 || 942 || 2,636,982<br />
|-<br />
! Mil Gov Oleslaad<br />
| MGO || 2,167 || 336,137 || 17,280 || 5,291,074 || 5,646,658<br />
|-<br />
! Mil Gov Westpoint<br />
| MGW || 9,037 || 981,238 || 51,842 || 4,718,037 || 5,760,154<br />
|-<br />
! Mirioth<br />
| JKM || 78,535 || 7,440,305 || 817,353 || 510,916 || 8,847,109<br />
|-<br />
! Mishalan<br />
| MSH || 173,524 || 17,000,111 || 2,018,571 || 3,052,055 || 22,244,261<br />
|-<br />
! Monty Crisco<br />
| BRK || 148,826 || 13,816,992 || 1,001,874 || 651,047 || 15,618,739<br />
|-<br />
! Musica with Delta<br />
| BRK || 88,242 || 8,019,187 || 817,010 || 1,402,026 || 10,326,465<br />
|-<br />
! New Blackstone<br />
| NBL || 810 || 75,865 || 46,807 || 15,682 || 139,164<br />
|-<br />
! Puritania<br />
| CPS || 4,237 || 430,039 || 102,025 || 100,017 || 636,318<br />
|-<br />
! Raikoth<br />
| ELW || 30,176 || 2,001,002 || 0 || 0 || 2,031,178<br />
|-<br />
! Romero<br />
| TEL || 8,534 || 700,100 || 0 || 0 || 708,634<br />
|-<br />
! Rossavro<br />
| TEL || 5,199 || 510,100 || 0 || 0 || 515,299<br />
|-<br />
! Savona<br />
| TEL || 4,412 || 400,300 || 0 || 0 || 404,712<br />
|-<br />
! Scoglitto<br />
| TEL || 2,103 || 234,500 || 0 || 0 || 236,603<br />
|-<br />
! Shimmerspring<br />
| MAL || 2,981 || 105,045 || 201,050 || 623,991 || 933,067<br />
|-<br />
! Shirekeep<br />
| SHK || 427,166 || 21,791,866 || 6,018,917 || 1,819,582 || 30,057,531<br />
|-<br />
! Skyla<br />
| BRK || 7,816 || 420,991 || 433,173 || 318,917 || 1,180,897<br />
|-<br />
! So-Sara<br />
| JKM || 102,881 || 12,170,024 || 8,001,766 || 3,916,532 || 24,191,203<br />
|-<br />
! Suthergold<br />
| GLD || 208,882 || 19,728,215 || 1,187,913 || 210,491 || 21,335,501<br />
|-<br />
! Talenore<br />
| TNR || 5,131 || 3,524,094 || 0 || 0 || 3,529,225<br />
|-<br />
! Transamarr<br />
| TEL || 9,117 || 819,199 || 0 || 0 || 828,316<br />
|-<br />
! Utasia<br />
| ELW || 189,155 || 18,991,001 || 0 || 0 || 1,918,156<br />
|-<br />
! Vattnaland<br />
| ELW || 60,328 || 6,406,145 || 0 || 0 || 7,506,665<br />
|-<br />
! Voltrue<br />
| CPS || 8,175 || 1,065,332 || 435,750 || 67,186 || 1,576,443<br />
|-<br />
! Wintergleam<br />
| GLD || 29,129 || 3,050,702 || 2,100,201 || 2,018,881 || 7,198,913<br />
|-<br />
! Yardistan<br />
| JKM || 298,186 || 38,560,730 || 6,791,771 || 4,306,660 || 49,975,347<br />
|-<br />
! Z and Azarea<br />
| BRK || 4,017 || 340,999 || 610,100 || 410,175 || 1,365,291<br />
|-<br />
! Zy-Rodun<br />
| ZYR || 1,607 || 140,468 || 415,100 || 483,017 || 1,040,192<br />
|-<br />
! TOTAL<br />
| IRS || 5,331,861 || 443,490,055 || 48,389,626 || 59210187 || 556,421,729<br />
|}<br />
<br />
It should be noted that Shireroth, unusually for an industrialised empire, manages to combine the advantages of a high birth rate with a high mortality rate, particularly amongst the lower orders. Its system of governance, which limits the democratic rights of the majority of the population to participation in the lower tiers of local government and voting for the largely powerless Folksraad, avoids the welfare trap which liberal democratic societies are so often prone to falling into. There are those who would maintain that this situation, which in many other societies might be regarded as calamitous, is setting the scene for an outbreak of revolutionary violence. Sages however note that ''"where people toil from sunrise to sunset for a bare living, they nurse no grievances and dream no dreams"''. In spite of there being almost always an uprising or rebellion ongoing somewhere in Shireroth, the conditions for a revolutionary upheaval remains unfulfilled so long as the [[shire:Imperial Forces|military]], backed by the nobility and corporations united in self-interest, remains overwhelmingly powerful.<br />
<br />
The Shirerithian societal model is driven by a low marriage age - the age of majority is 15 years, and a high rate of fertility within marriage. The burden of caring for the elderly, particularly those who lack the means to pay for their own upkeep, falls primarily on families, religious communities, and those local governments which feel inclined or obliged to make provision. Provision for the elderly can vary from dedicated care homes to workhouses where the decrepit earn their daily bread and tea through picking strands of hemp and other menial tasks. A study of a cohort of denizens taken in 1662 on the island of [[shire:Amity|Amity]] showed that out of 100 boys born in 1600 AN, 85 survived to 22, 74 to 32, 58 to 42, 47 to 52 and 36 to 62. For girls the corresponding percentages were 73, 54, 47, 39 and 28.<br />
<br />
Aside from the notorious situation in [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] during the decades following the "Green Mortality" of 1602, most urban population centres have benefited from the introduction of modern or at least quasi-modern sanitation systems over the course of the 17th Century. For this reason, cholera and typhoid fever, the curses of Benacia during the 15th and 16th Centuries, have largely abated.<br />
<br />
==Links==<br />
*[http://shireroth.org/forum/index.php Discussion Boards]<br />
*[http://www.shireroth.org/ Website]<br />
<br />
[[category:Nations]]<br />
[[category:Shireroth]]<br />
[[category:Small Commonwealth]]<br />
[[Category:SANE]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Shireroth&diff=96868Shireroth2019-01-02T18:23:21Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* White Plague */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
{{Infobox Nation Comprehensive<br />
|fullname = Imperial Republic of Shireroth<br>''Sxiroþ''<br />
|commonname = Shireroth<br />
|flag = File:Shire flag.png<br />
|coa = File:COA Shireroth.png<br />
|motto = ''[[Shireroth sumus. Tempus in parte nostrum est.]]''<br />
|anthem = [[shire:The Benacian Beast|The Benacian Beast]]<br />
|map = File:Shireroth Current 6337.png<br />
|mapversions = All<br />
|capital = [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]]<br />
|largecity = <small>Shirekeep, [[shire:Ardashirshahr|Ardashirshahr]] Allswell, Araxion, Citadel, Cortallia, Demonsfall, Echo, Glenfiddich, Mesior, Nee</small><br />
|lang = [[shire:Præta|Præta]] (official), [[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani]] (administrative), [[shire:Elw|Elw]], Yardistani<br />
|demnoun = Shirerithian, Shirithian<br />
|demadj = Shirerithian, Shirithian<br />
|govtype = [[shire:Shirocracy|Federative Constitutional Monarchy]]<br />
|headofstatetitle = [[shire:The Kaiser|Kaiser of Shireroth]]<br />
|headofstate = [[shire:Kaiser Ayreon IV|Kaiser Ayreon IV]]<br />
|religion = [[shire:Cedrism|Cedrism]]<br />
|headofgovernmenttitle = [[shire:Steward|Steward]]<br />
|headofgovernment = [[shire:Hartmut Aldric|Duke of Calezi]]<br />
|legislature = Landsraad<br />
|estdate = 1443 [[shire:AN|AN]] (24 April 2000)<br />
|agerank = NA<br />
|area = NA<br />
|arearank = NA<br />
|pop = 556,421,729<br />
|activepop = n/a<br />
|poprank = NA<br />
|currency = Erb (€)<br />
|abbrev = IRS<br />
|site = [[shire:Main Page|ShireWiki]]<br />
|forum = [http://bastionunion.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=14 Shirithian Forum]<br />
|animal = ''[[wikipedia:Irish elk|Benacian Megaloceros]] <small>(the Benacian Beast)</small>''<br />
|food = Mango<br />
|drink = [[Treesian Red]]<br />
|tree = [[Malarbor]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''The Imperial Republic of Shireroth''', or simply '''Shireroth''' ([[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani]]: ['ʃaɪɻ.ɻɑθ]; [[Yardistani]]: ''Širo'' ['ʃi.rɔ]; [[shire:Præta|Praeta]]: ''Sxiro'') is a [[shire:Shirerithian Neofeudalism|neo-feudal]] empire that has dominated the Benacian continent, as well as vast swathes of the globe at various intervals, for more than two hundred and fourteen years under the [[shire:Norton Calendar|Norton calendar]]. It is, not withstanding its largely mythical history, by any reasonable standard the most ancient of the surviving states on Micras. <br />
<br />
==Government==<br />
<br />
===Kaiser===<br />
<br />
The Kaiser is the monarch of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth. Historically this position was autocratic, if not despotic in scope, but with successive constitutional reforms it became more akin to the traditional role of a constitutional monarch.<br />
<br />
Originally, the Kaisers of Shireroth simply served as nothing more than warrior kings and politically leaders of the Realm. Their presence in folklore, myths and in religion only grew over time. The tale of Rrakanychan who was defeated by one of the early Kaisers (some sources mention Raynor I, but others depict one of his successors as the hero) is a primary example of the central role of the Kaisership in Cedrism. With the need to strengthen central authority, Kaisers often used religious customs and myths to unite the several ethnic groups under one banner.<br />
<br />
While not holding any official religious position, the Kaiser was depicted as highest representative of the Gods (above the High Priests) and on some rare occasions dead Kaisers have even been considered to have achieved a strange kind of apotheosis. Kaiser Mog I became infamous for granting land to another nation and became God of Political Blunders while Raynor II made an attempt to - literally - catapult himself into godhood by constructing a huge catapult; an idiotic fable. Kaiser Gaelen IV made an attempt to expand the position of the Kaiser by establishing the Imperial Cult, which received little popularity outside of the Imperial Household.<br />
<br />
Historically, the powers granted the Kaiser were limitless. The Kaiser was the ''fons honorum'', granting all titles and holding all lands, granting them in fief. In practice however the Kaisers were heavily circumscribed in their ability to enjoy the vast powers nominally within their gift. With monotonous regularity, Kaisers were assassinated, deposed, or felt obliged to resign to avoid unspecified consequences. So deeply ingrained did this practice of deposition become that the average duration of a Kaiser's reign - about three years - became culturally ingrained. On the occasions where a Kaiser survived past the three year mark, awkward questions might be asked in the Landsraad and the first ominous rumblings of discontent could be heard out in the provinces.<br />
<br />
The effect of this was to make many Kaisers into transient non-entities who spent their reigns balancing a myriad of threats, appeasing their overmighty subjects and trying to ward off the inevitable knife in the back. This brought constant change to the government, and was justified as ensuring that the Imperial Bloodlines continued to receive a fair opportunity to obtain the highest office in the land. The high turn over also paid lip service to the republican and meritocratic ideals of Shireroth's peculiar brand of governance. Over time the quality of the nobles who attained the Kaisership began to decline markedly - with each successive candidate becoming, seemingly, progressively more self-serving and or imbecilic. The reasons for this decline has been debated continually over the course of decades. For the most part the prevailing consensus is that as the powers of the Kaiser became increasingly curtailed by the stringency of the reformed Charter and the particularist tendencies of the Imperial States so the candidates who continued to be attracted to the role began to value the form over the substance of high office, beginning an inevitable march towards mediocrity.<br />
<br />
In the year 1648 during the reign of Kaiseress Noor that tradition was done away with because it was no longer deemed suited to the modern age and ran contrary to the sacred interests of strong and stable leadership in a properly ordered, coordinated and harmonious Imperial Republic. In consequence thereof any Kaiser nowadays reigns for an indefinite term. The succession, furthermore, has become dynastic, with the grandson of Noor, Ayreon IV attaining the Golden Mango Throne during his minority. Thus, almost unprecedentedly, the reigning stewards of the early 1650s are also regents.<br />
<br />
Following the promulgation of the Imperial Charter of 1654 the Kaiser ceded most his remaining executive powers to the Steward, who was henceforth to be elected by the Landsraad, and to the Imperial Advisory Council, which would handle the arrangements pertaining to any regency period during a Kaiser's minority. The Kaiser does however remain the font of honour and can dismiss the Steward at his pleasure, albeit at the risk that the Landsraad may vote the same Steward straight back into office.<br />
<br />
===Imperial Advisory Council & Ministries===<br />
<br />
===Landsraad===<br />
<br />
===Imperial Judex===<br />
<br />
==Foreign relations==<br />
<br />
Shireroth, with its long established empire and sphere of influence, is an active participant in the geopolitical and strategic affairs of [[Micras]]. It's level of engagement is demonstrated by its membership of the [[Micras Treaty Organisation]] and the [[Raspur Pact]], as well as in the global reach of the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]]. At various times in its history an isolationist power, Shireroth has also been noted for its intense rivalries with [[Babkha]], [[Jingdao]], and [[Kalgachia]]. In the case of Jingdao the causes of the [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation|enduring conflict]] can be traced back to the [[Revolution of 1617|loss]] of [[Kildare]], to which Shireroth remained largely unreconciled until it had fully grown into its role as [[Benacia]]n hegemon, which in turned served as the primary driver for tensions between the Imperial Republic and the ''Garden of Kalgachia''.<br />
<br />
It has not been entirely unheard of for diplomats whose letters of credential have been rejected or rescinded, for whatever reason, to be sacrificed to the [[shire:Malarbor|daemonic tree]] firmly rooted in the grounds of [[shire:Raynor's Keep|Raynor's Keep]].[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3(1)] This is surprisingly less controversial than might otherwise be expected.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
''For a more in depth treatment of the various (mutually contradictory) histories of Shireroth, please peruse the [[shire:Main Page|Shirewiki]].''<br />
<br />
The general tradition is that Shireroth was founded as a successor state to the enlightened and technologically advanced Empire of Khaz Modan (-1211bN to -0bN) which was brought to an end by a sudden and violent cataclysm brought on by dabbling in inter-dimensional research, which seldom ends well. In this instance the experimentation of the so-called mages established a connection between Micras and a [[shire:Balgurd|pocket hell-dimension]] which allowed [[shire:Daemons|hostile entities]] to enter this plane of existence, whilst concurrently releasing a pulse of energy which destroyed the Empire's home island and plunged the western hemisphere into a dark age that was, not coincidentally, the '''First Era''' (circa 0 AN to circa 880 AN).<br />
<br />
Shireroth rose from the ashes of the Khaz Modani Empire in the form of the Duchy of Brookshire that rose in Southern Benacia under the House of Raynor. After a successful conquest of Goldshire by Brookshire's proficient armies, the newly-gained territory was incorporated in union with Brookshire under the name Shireroth. The capital, Shirekeep, was established as a fortified position on the confluence of the Rivers Elwynn.<br />
<br />
This unity proved to be extremely transient and the '''Second Era''' (878 – 1442) was dominated by warring states, who somewhat tenuously laid claim upon the bloodlines of the Kaisers of the preceding era, which vied for dominion over the course of the Red Elwynn between Shirekeep and Musica. An increasing reliance upon necromancy and daemons on the part of the houses as they struggled for paramountcy saw the society of the duchies of Brookshire and Goldshire progressively undermined until, after the diabolical pact of Kaiser John, those who remained were unable to maintain the sovereignty of eastern Benacia in the face of foreign colonists.<br />
<br />
===Third Era===<br />
[[File:Imperial Charter of Shireroth.png|thumb|left|The ''[[shire:Charter of the Imperial Republic|The Imperial Charter of Shireroth]]'' was written down during the Third Era.]]<br />
<br />
Shireroth's modern founding was in 1442 (the beginning of the Third Era). Foreign recognition of the Kaisership occurred later, in approximately 1462, with Erik Mortis becoming Kaiser Metzler I. The accurate record keeping in the Imperial Household began with Gaelen II in 1465, and all [[shire:List of Kaisrs|accession dates]] after that are taken to be authentic.<br />
<br />
Having established dominance of the Benacian continent, the Kaisers of the House of Raynor eventually expanded their reach to Yardistan and Kildare. Despite further acquisitions, these initial territories constituted the core "Ancient Duchies" of Shireroth for many ages.<br />
<br />
Although the Duchies frequently rebelled against the Kaiser and fought each other, their unity within Shireroth was maintained by an informal system of quality control wherein the succession of the Kaisership was passed through individuals with proven ability to rule (with occasional notorious exceptions) ensuring that their attitude toward Shireroth's restive fiefdoms, while often less than amiable, was neither harsh enough nor feeble enough to precipitate those territories' complete break from the government in Shirekeep.<br />
<br />
Legitimacy rested upon descent from Kaiser Raynor I. After seventeen centuries, much of Western and Central Benacia, as well as a fair smattering of Babkhi and Kildari can claim this boon. Nonetheless the frequently rotating succession remained within the clutches of a dozen or so noble houses who jealously guarded their notoriously intermarried bloodlines. In spite of the the vigilance of the Imperial Republic's noble oligarchs there have been several "sanglorian" Kaisers in the modern era, alongside a half dozen inhuman Kaisers (whether revenants or aliens). As the Third Era wore on, things became progressively stranger, until a measure of sanity was restored by the confirmation of the dynastic succession in the hands of the House of Ayreon-Kalirion, itself being however troubled by some of its dynastic associations.<br />
<br />
====Feudal Shireroth====<br />
<br />
Shireroth in its present form began inauspiciously. The last Kaiser of the second era, John II, a greedy and unscrupulous ruler who had consorted with daemons to further his rule, had been overthrown by Kaiser Erik II and torn apart by the Shirekeep mob. Erik however proved to be a weak ruler who failed to control the populist forces he had unleashed. The so-called Direct Democracy Riots destabilised eastern Benacia, which was at that time under vassalage to [[Audentior]]. Erik's provisional government ended abruptly in the seventh month of 1444 when Audentior, tired of the anarchy, formally annexed Shireroth. Erik was allowed to keep his title and history records that his reign continued for another year.<br />
<br />
He was succeeded by his son, the eccentric and irascible Kaiser Brrapa V, who in 1446 staged a successful attempt to break away from Audentior's crumbling colonial empire. The effort was perhaps not so successful however as the act of secession was followed immediately by annexation by the [[Flying Islands of Jasonia]] in the same year. <br />
<br />
The chaos resumed with renewed vigour during the reign of Brrapa's grandson, Gaelen I, during which time Shireroth broke away from Jasonia (1451), found itself ensnared in the Amity Crisis (1451–1452) with its former colonial master, witnessed the final submission of Elwynn (1452), was ruled by Commonwealth of Benacia (1455–1458), embroiled in the Paramount War (1456), became a partner in the Hegemony of Alexandros (1458–1466) and part of the [[United Republic of Tymaria]] after 1461. It was a period during which many unstable and declining states sought to ward off collapse by voluntarily merging into ever larger, ever more diffuse, and ever more unwieldy, federations. The last and largest of these, Tymaria, spanned the globe like a colossus. It's federal structure and competing [[Attera]]n and [[Apollo Sector|Apollonian]] centres of power however meant that it was a giant with feet of clay.<br />
<br />
Whilst the overarching empire spiralled into ever more doomed complexity, the office of Kaiser began to gain the attributes of an absolute monarchy under Kaiser Gaelen II, and recreated a small feudal system with two Duchies, [[Brookshire]] and [[Goldshire]]. The feudal system was expanded vastly to include a new level, Baron, and the [[Landsraad]] became a major organ of government. Shireroth soon became much more important than its subordinate status would indicate as [[Patrick Foley]] chose to bequeath the remnants of the UAS to it as the [[Duchy of Kildare]]. With a number of military-oriented types like [[Daniel K]] and [[Greg Russell]]. Shireroth would go on to gain De facto independence from Tymaria (1466) during the reign of Kaiser Mors I (1466–1468). In the year 1467 however Philip Locke set a fire amongst the papers of the government record office. Infamy and a significant lacuna ensued.<br />
<br />
Formal secession from Tymaria was deferred until the reign of Kaiseress Viviantia I (1469–1470) and not long afterwards the states of Hyperborea, Yardistan, Jaris, and Akerbjorn fell under Shirerithian rule. It was perhaps unease at this rapid expansion which prompted Kaiser Mog (1472–1473) into his foolish attempt to cede Amity and Mirioth. His reward was deposition and death in the wake of Letifer's Revolt.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Cimmeria (1477) is the conventional name given to a partially successful attempt to defend Shireroth against the depredations of a slightly unlikely group going by the name of Anarchy 21. Kaiser Raynor X, who had arrived late to the battle, then declared the day a national holiday, and rewarded its heroes. Robert Belci, a Crandishman, and Harvey Steffke, a Menelmacari, were given honorary citizenship and military awards. Stjepan Aracic, already an honorary citizen, was given double honorary citizenship. More substantially Jadie Mathematician was made the Duchess of Goldshire.<br />
<br />
====Federal Shireroth====<br />
<br />
This system began to break down from the approximate time of Kaiser Letifer III (1512-1514 AN), wherein the old reliable noble houses faded from prominence and the Kaisership was passed to increasingly less competent and more self-interested individuals. The ensuing bitterness caused those elements of the old guard remaining to become cantankerous and lose the knack of wise rule themselves, culminating in the notorious House System; an enormous feudal reform which attempted to codify the chaotic situation by making the retention of one's land holdings essentially dependent on one's skill in political skullduggery. Naturally the ensuing mess produced victims, the foremost of whom being the disenfranchised population of Elwynn who responded by seizing control over the greater part of that territory and effecting a secession from Shireroth in 1567. Although this secession was temporary, it forever shattered the myth of Kaiserial infallibility and permanently damaged the unspoken belief in Shirerithian nationhood which had long bonded its many peoples in ways that government could not.<br />
<br />
Shaken by the impotence of the Kaisership in maintaining Shirerithian harmony, the political current in Shireroth moved gently in favour of democratisation with the Shirerithian legislature, the Landsraad, ending its ancient nobles-only rule and opening membership to the entire citizenry in 1588. Opinion also moved toward insulating the provinces from the worst failures of Imperial policy by granting them substantial autonomy, in order to restore a sense of trust and wellbeing that would, in turn, keep Shireroth together. This culminated in the Lich Charter of 1595, promulgated by Kaiseress Mira Raynora Major, wherein Shireroth's territories were transformed into a series of autonomous Imperial States with profuse powers to determine their own affairs. This partial restoration of sanity contributed, among other things, to the reunification of Elwynn with Shireroth in 1600.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the Imperial State system depended on a certain level of good faith on the part of the Imperial States toward the Kaiser's government in Shirekeep, as those bonds which were no longer maintained by the Kaiser's power came to depend on the voluntary co-operation of the Imperial States with each other and with the Kaiser. The inability of the Kaiser to deal with the excessive self-interest of Imperial States was explosively demonstrated with the surprise secession of Kildare in 1617. What Elwynn began in demoting the vaunted myth of the Shirerithian Kaisership, Kildare all but finished.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath of the loss of Kildare to Jingdao, and the failure of the [[Neridia]] colony on [[Istvanistan]], large swathes of the population in Lichbrook and southern Goldshire had resolved that suffering what they perceived as constant disruption by other Imperial States, only to be collectively punished for those states' purported excesses by what they saw as reductions of their own political autonomy, was proof of their systematic expulsion from the Shirerithian political process. Through this contorted reasoning the dissidents had come to the conclusion that the Kaisers of Shireroth could no longer make any demand upon their fealty. Rather than risk battle on the field of honour or in the Landsraad for possession of their ancestral lands, these traitors instead preferred the stratagem of stealth, stealing away in the night and following the smugglers routes and Lach trails leading towards lawless Ashkenatzim lands of the west, wherein they would found [[Minarboria]].<br />
<br />
====The years of blood====<br />
[[File:Shirerithian ethnicities.png|thumb|right|In the latter centuries of the Third Era the Imperial Republic had become a continental empire, into which a vast number of diverse ethnic populations had been swept and only partially assimilated.]]<br />
The Imperial Republic, long dissatisfied by the federal system became ensnared in a series of interconnected conflicts beginning in 1635 AN and finally coming to a conclusion in the year 1644 with the entry of Kaiseress Noor into Shirekeep. The prime cause of the conflict was the unbalanced relationship between a weakened Imperial Government and the over-mighty [[shire:Imperial States|imperial states]], of which [[Elwynn]] was the prime offender.<br />
<br />
The wars began with the so-called [[shire:The River War|River War]] (1635), an unsuccessful attempt by hard-line Cedrists and Elwynnese ultra-nationalists to mount a quick decapitation strike on the Monarchy of Elwynn which was led by Princess Margana, the daughter of Kaiser Brrapa VII and sponsored by the patricians of Shirekeep and the Court within Raynor's Keep.<br />
<br />
In spite of being well resourced and brutally executed, the attempted takeover of Elwynn by a combination of a coup and 'hybrid warfare' failed spectacularly and rebounded upon the heads of the plotters. Not only were they unsuccessful in their efforts to exterminate the Royal Family of Elwynn but the war ended with the King's father entering Shirekeep as a conqueror.<br />
<br />
It was said by some that Brrapa VII was conveniently ill at the start of the war and conveniently dead at its end.<br />
<br />
One of the notable aspects of the war, which effectively lasted for two months at most, was the rate at which stockpiles of modern hi-tech guided munitions and missiles were rapidly depleted. The Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces (ISAF) had expended its reserves of cruise missiles within the first week of the conflict and was still trying to acquire and adapt ship launched missiles from the Imperial Shirerithian Navy (which had remained neutral in the conflict) by the time the war ended. Similarly the UDF had been caught short and taken by surprise by the war and was still trying to reactivate the Southron Barrage programme by the war's end. The UDF had also run its stockpiles of medium-range anti-aircraft missiles down to the point of exhaustion during the Battle of Echo. The decision of the Imperialists to hold back their remaining air assets, particularly the UCAVs, after the shocking losses of that engagement proved to be the hinge point that turned what might have been a mere setback into the decisive victory that ensured the survival of the Elwynnese Union and its eventual victory.<br />
<br />
By the final weeks of the war even the supplies of unguided 'dumb' bombs were being run down to the point that the Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia was obliged to establish workshops to produce crude unguided rockets in order to keep up the rate of fire on the defenders of Shirekeep and the ISAF was giving serious consideration to adapting its remaining UCAV force to drop re-purposed canisters packed with high-explosives.<br />
<br />
This experience subsequently informed the strategic and operational doctrines of both the UDF and the reformed (i.e. purged) Imperial Forces in that the technologically sophisticated weapons systems began to be viewed as an exquisitely crafted and expensive blade of tremendous penetrating power that nonetheless blunted quickly through frequent use. For this reason it began to be felt that what was required was a second line of sufficient mass and firepower that would be less sophisticated, and for therefore more affordable, that could get the job done - through blunt object trauma if need be - once the enemy's own, exquisitely wrought, first line of defences had been sufficiently burnt through to provide an opening.<br />
<br />
The desire to test this new theory against a representation of an avowedly unconventional opposing force gave rise to the series of military exercises known as Operation Long Haul and all the attendant controversies that ensued when neighbouring Minarboria became thoroughly alarmed.<br />
<br />
[[shire:The Anarchy of Angularis|The Anarchy of Angularis]] (1635-1640) was a five year period of disorder in which Elw ultra-nationalists and other separatist, anti-monarchist and anti-imperialist groups waged a low level insurgency, gradually extending their influence throughout the Vale of Angularis. These forces were violently suppressed by Elwynnese and Imperial Forces under the overall direction of the Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia in the Campaign of 1639, considered by some to be amongst one of the bloodiest episodes in modern Benacian history, second only to the Green Mortality of 1605 in the reign of Kaiser Aiomide, although this record was subsequently overtaken the calamities of the 1650s.<br />
<br />
[[shire:Martial Law in Goldshire|Martial Law in Goldshire]] (1639) was declared after the assassination of the Goldshirean and Elwynnese Princes Arn and Rostam Ayreon-Kalirion by parties unknown in the year 1639. This being the third such attempt on a member of the Ayreon-Kalirion bloodline in which poison was administered in a secure environment, suspicion quickly turned to the Leonid Guard whose duty was to protect the family of the Emira of Sathrati. This latest failing proved to be final straw and the Royal Government of Goldshire, administered by the ESB-Jörmungandr Group, declared martial law and instigated a purge of suspect individuals and organisations within the Kingdom. That this poisoning was part of a wider conspiracy was proved when the secretive Assayers successfully, albeit temporarily, countermanded the martial law decree.<br />
<br />
After two days of confusion, Queen Noor was able to reassert her authority and reinstated the martial law decree - adding to it the proscription of the now openly treacherous Assayers. The Assayers, more formally the Chamber of Assay of the Avakair Mint and Bullion Depository, had a fearsome reputation for being able to instil psychological terror and also a capacity for actual acts of terror, including abduction, torture and assassination, in pursuit of its relentless drive to try and maintain standards of purity in the 'gold standard' Erb and a ruthless determination to destroy any threats to that self same purity. This put them on an inevitable collision course with the ESB-Jörmungandr Group which has, no less ruthlessly, sought to promote its fiat currency - the Teldrin Thaler - throughout the river ports of the the Red Elwynn and beyond.<br />
<br />
Faced by such a dangerous and unpredictable foe, and concerned about wavering morale amongst the Goldshire Regulars, the Royal Government, on the 11th of Araroqpinu 1639, invoked its right under the Martial Code of Shireroth to seek the assistance of Imperial Forces. The Imperial Government had already taken steps to order Leonid Guards based overseas to return to ESB run rendition facilities in Goldshire and Zy-Rodun. Now, with an official invitation, it could act with full force. The situation led inevitably to full blown [[shire:Civil War in Goldshire|civil war]] (1639-1643).<br />
<br />
The civil war ended with the Armistice of Airle (Reire the 15th of Nomeziooqu, 1643), the terms of which surprisingly generous, by Shirerithian standards. Rebel leaders were castrated and sent to monasteries. Golems, alchemical artefacts and Gnostic grimoires meanwhile were be destroyed. Beyond this there was a prohibition on reprisals. Imperial Constabulary assumed responsibility for peacekeeping in Goldshire while the crimes of the rebels, as well as of pro-government militias were to be investigated equally by judicially appointed inquisitors.<br />
<br />
The civil war saw a revival in the ancient Cedrist religion as well as the reintroduction of various practices such as gladiatorial combat, human sacrifice and the mass enslavement of displaced persons. The various factions on both sides sought to make the war pay for itself by resorting to the plunder of the opposing sides territory. Criminality also dramatically increased with the Mercaja side especially resorting to drugs smuggling, extortion, racketeering and the fraudulent transmutation of base metals into gold and silver in order to fund its operations.<br />
<br />
Officially the Royal Government of Goldshire acknowledged 43,770 fatalities as a consequence of the civil war. It has however been suggested that these figures were deliberately underplayed to avoid causing embarrassment to the Alexandrian government during the negotiations leading up to the formation of the Sxiro-Alexandrian-Natopian Entente.<br />
<br />
An estimate contained in a report by the ESB Group suggested a death-toll of 8,431,770, several orders of magnitude greater than the official tally. The reason for the disparity laid in the omission from official statistics of the victims of chemical weapons attacks carried out by the Imperial Forces and the death-toll from clean-up operations in Lunaris after the collapse of the organised rebellion. The report and its authors were suppressed and pulped by the Jaysh al-Sathrati on the orders of Queen Noor.<br />
<br />
Holwinn and Lunaris felt the effects of the war disproportionately, with advance and retreat of first the Jaysh al-Sathrati and then the Army of the Golden Dawn which caught the civilian populations of those two counties in a desperate maelstrom of violent reprisal, where civilians were targeted as much as, if not more often than, the opposing combatants. 25% of the Lunatic population was killed or died of communicable diseases during the conflict whilst a staggering 41% of the population of the County of Holwinn perished as collateral damage after the Technomaezji unleashed its full arsenal of chemical and biological munitions in an attempt to halt the rebel advance towards Cabbagefall.<br />
<br />
It was the scale of this slaughter which convinced Kaiser Dominus to initiate war-crimes trials against the guilty parties of both sides in the civil war. A matter of some embarrassment considering the support that the Imperial Government and the ESB Group had lavished on Queen Noor's private army. By the end of the war however the Jaysh was a broken force, discredited both morally and militarily.<br />
<br />
[[File:Shireroth Current States 6337.png|thumb|right|The Imperial States and Imperial Dominions of Shireroth during the reign of Kaiser Dominus.]]<br />
<br />
1644, the Year of the Four Kaisers, was a tumultuous moment in Shirerithian History which saw the deposition and murder of Kaiser Dominus, and the emergence of three claimants to the Golden Mango Throne.<br />
<br />
The next cycle of wars that began with the Struggle for the South (1649–1651), a series of inter-related disputes and conflicts following the Elwynnese confiscation of Mishalan and the collapse, demotion and or dissolution of the Lich Realms of Lichbrook and Minarboria, ending the dominion of the dead over the lands of southern Benacia. The disputes saw an increase in anti-Elwynnese sentiment and the first semblance of opposition to the Ayreon-Kalirion dynastic succession to the Mango Throne.<br />
<br />
The Struggle ended with the restoration of Mishalan, the establishment of the Domain of Malarboria and finally the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion of 1651]]. This decree marked the beginning of a systemic purge of [[Stormark|Storrish]] influence in the Imperial Republic. More specifically the expulsion of the House of Ettlingar Freyu and the Church of the Froyalanish Ancient Ways from the Elwynnese Union resulted from a double coup in Shirekeep and Eliria which brought to an abrupt end the Froyalanish hegemony over the Imperial Republic that had begun with the abdication of Prince Jonathan Ayreon-Kalirion in 1623 and the River War of 1635.<br />
<br />
King Noah disputed the legality of his expulsion but failed to gain any measure of popular support at home or abroad, with the sole exception of the then Emperor of Natopia, Zakyyr. A complete rupture in the [[SANE|Sxiro-Natopian alliance]] was averted but Noah remained Natopian foreign minister for a time longer, prompting some awkwardness.<br />
<br />
The speed of the collapse of Elwynnese resistance, combined with the success of the Imperial Government in delivering a fait accompli had brought the Auspicious Occasion to a swift and decisive conclusion, greatly limiting the destruction and loss of life endured by the Elwynnese. This contrasted strikingly with previous Imperial interventions in Dietsland, Goldshire, Lichbrook, Minarboria, Puritania and Voltrue over the course of the previous sixteen years.<br />
<br />
On the Elwynnese side, the centralising of decision making powers into the hands of the King and his court had meant that once Noah was isolated and unable to maintain open communications the once formidable array of forces at his disposal gave a poor account of themselves, in marked contrast to their performance during the Year of the Four Kaisers seven years previously. The selection and advancement of officers noted for their loyalty to the Crown and love of pomp and pageantry over their professional ability had degraded the quality of command and control and led to a loss of the capacity for displays of individual initiative.<br />
<br />
The Imperial Forces meanwhile had continued to expand, rearm and professionalise following the defeats endured in the River War and the Year of the Four Kaisers. The Imperial Army was performing at near the peak of operational readiness it had achieved during an abortive war scare with Jingdao in 1647, and its officers were highly motivated to gain revenge for the slights they had endured from the Elwynnese over the years.<br />
<br />
The Imperial Forces were, to be sure, still bedevilled by the perennial problems of a creaking and sclerotic logistics chain as well as a command structure of bewildering complexity. Nonetheless the matter was resolved before these issues could make a decisive negative impact.<br />
<br />
The Imperial Marshals had finally proved themselves with their involvement in the capture of Krull Palace. Unfettered by the constraints of the Martial Code they had been free to move assets into the city under the guise of rotating personnel out of the Imperial Legations, without the level of domestic surveillance that Imperial Forces transiting Elwynnese territory routinely had to endure.<br />
<br />
Debate continues as to whether the establishment of a new period of dynastic rule constitutes a fourth era. In the past, using a discredited historiography and calendar, as many as seven eras were postulated. However, following the Auspicious Occasion, a more rational approach to historical research has taken hold and the process of investigating and verifying the reigns of the Kaisers of the early era, and indeed the nature of their rule, is ongoing.<br />
<br />
One of the most notable attributes of the aftermath of the Auspicious Occasion was the systematic repudiation and destruction of much of what had previously been considered integral to Vanic and Froyalanish iconography. In many regards the Royal Government was obliged to legislate to keep up with the popular anger and the tearing down of Vanic monuments.<br />
<br />
The smashing and destruction of the "viking helmet crowns" prominently displayed on all royal crests, proved to be an especially popular pastime amongst the masses.<br />
<br />
The sudden fall of the House of Ettlingar Freyu threw into sharp reverse the expansionist policy pursued by Elwynn hitherto. Instead, under the terms of an agreement brokered in Eliria, Elwynnese territory was ceded to the Kingdom of Goldshire, the Dominion of Malarboria and the Imperial Republic itself - so as to form new Imperial Dominions.<br />
<br />
The much reduced Elwynn would subsequently go on to cast off the last vestiges of monarchical rule and refound itself as a constitutional republic.<br />
<br />
Between 1636 and 1655, between the [[shire:Wars of the Dark Orchid|Wars of the Dark Orchid]], the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]], the [[Alexandrian Flu]], famine, emigration, and the [[War of Lost Brothers]] the population of Shireroth fell by 21% to 556 million.<br />
<br />
====Global war====<br />
<br />
The [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation]], reinvigorated by the War of Lost Brothers, had become an all consuming international phenomenon, whose reverberations were felt upon every continent. Particularly badly affected was the nascent [[Florian Republic]], whose dreams of great power status were cruelly dashed by an alternating succession of Shirerithian, Jingdaoese, and Natopian occupations of all or part of the country.<br />
<br />
More seriously for Shireroth was the challenge posed by the comparatively young yet economically powerful realm of [[Passio-Corum]] which, via the influence it enjoyed on the [[USSO]], seemed poised to rewrite the world economic order in its own favour. Although autarchic Shireroth was insulated from the worst of these economic shocks by its Benacian energy and mineral reserves and the free trade arrangements with allied and neutral states such as [[Natopia]], [[Constancia]], [[Caputia]], and [[Raspur Khanate|Raspur]], the long term challenge posed by Passio-Corum was long-term and structural. In the words of the then Steward, Waldemar Zinkgraven, ''"where [[Jingbuism]] is a disease of the skin, the [["A Sustainable Economy"|Cult of Superabundance]] is a disease of the heart"''.<br />
<br />
This gave the War of Lost Brothers an ideological edge that went some way towards explaining its duration and its bitterness.<br />
<br />
Up until 1654 Imperial propaganda had portrayed recent Benacian history as a procession of victories against ''federalists'', ''monarchists'', ''separatists'', ''particularists'', and ''schismatics'', extending the sway of the Golden Mango Throne over two thirds of the Benacian continent.<br />
<br />
By the end of this period however the Imperial Republic was increasingly butting up against the hard limits of its ability to project power beyond the bounds of its recently grasped borders. The former Minarborian Empire proved to be a graveyard for Imperial armies and expeditions, the cost of containing its rogue flora and fauna bordering upon the prohibitive, constraining Shirekeep to recognise, tolerate, and even occasionally cooperate with the recalcitrant and schismatic [[Kalgachia|Kalgachi]], who successfully clung to their mountain fastness and the rumoured chthonic realms beneath.<br />
<br />
Similarly the strained relationship with Jingdao, having snapped and unleashed the global war of unprecedented scale, ferocity, and duration, settled once more into stalemate with little yielded in the way of a decision for all the cost endured in terms of the blood and treasure squandered during four years of conflict.<br />
<br />
Most egregiously the so-called "Enterprise of Keltia", a cynical attempt to plunder an entire continent, had degenerated into a wretched debacle or piracy, libertinage, and fratricidal infighting that saw the invasion fleet fall apart before it had even finished assembling in the [[Warring Isles]]. The much anticipated [[War of the Casks|clash of arms]] with Nova England was in the end an exchange of missiles and a cycle of reciprocal raiding, scarcely distinguished from the [[Keltian Cod War]] which had preceded it.<br />
<br />
The debacle sealed the fate of Steward [[shire:Waldemar Zinkgraven|Burgrave Zinkgraven]], the architect of the aggressive policy in the west, and precluded his even contemplating standing for re-election. Zinkgraven's misfortune was to have been born into the provincial - Batavian - gentry. Without the protection of a distinguished bloodline or a connection to the [[shire:Tables of Ranks and Nobility|great houses]] there was no shelter to be had when the [[shire:Imperial Forces|military]] and [[shire:ESB Group|corporate]] patrons of his regime withdrew their favour. Ultimately he was reduced to a peripheral figure, sheltering with the [[Sea-Reavers]] who were his creatures, feuding with unpaid [[shire:Jaysh al-Sathrati|Babkhi mercenaries]], and skulking in the Warring Isles, contriving every means short of open defiance to avoid heeding the summons to return to [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] and account for his actions.<br />
<br />
Yet for all this Shireroth emerged from the ordeal with its sovereignty enhanced, its alliances in-tact, and its trading networks expanded. This being in contrast to a [[Jingdao]] wracked by internal dissent and dependent upon the economic muscle of the [[Haifo-Pallisican Imperial Trade Union|Pallisican]] [[Bassarid Federation|states]] to keep it on its feet.<br />
<br />
====Benacia's "graveyard of empires"====<br />
<br />
The aftermath of the war proved to be a difficult time for all the great powers, and this was as true in Shireroth as it was elsewhere in the world. With Zinkgraven cut lose to the wind, the appetite for overseas adventures amongst the Imperial Republic's ruling elites rapidly drained away. Yet they found that the war had left its mark upon Benacia also. The great battles of annihilation fought in the Shirerithian and Jingdaoese portions of the old [[Batavia]] had upended the status quo which had existed in that part of the world since the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]]. Batavians, joined by deserters from both armies, had formed into columns of unhappy myriads in flight eastwards away from the senseless destruction which tore through the heartland of that former kingdom. Blundering in their desperation to escape the horrors of war, these refugees rushed headlong into the no less diverting terrors that awaited in the treacherous landscape where nature itself had been warped by a [[Minarboria|perverted science]] into new and hideous forms of lethality. <br />
<br />
Shireroth and Kalgachia, the long time hegemons of the Inner Benacian ungoverned spaces, found that they were no-longer alone in the exercise of dominion. [[Kasterburg]] was the first to arise - its character, determined by its Montford founder, was conservative and militaristic. Whilst jealous of its sovereignty, there was kinship enough for a treaty of friendship and cooperation to be agreed upon. The Batavians who followed [[August Baerdemans|Vryheer Baerdemans]] were another matter. The suspected taint of the [[Jingdao|Jing]] laid heavy upon him and his, but while they skirmished ineffectually with the Yehudi of [[Nackholm]], no-one paid them much mind. <br />
<br />
This changed as a steadily strengthening [[Kasterburg]] reached out to [[Kalgachia]] and together coordinated the advance of their forces to establish a land corridor with mutually agreed upon frontiers. Kasterburg gained access to a new inland market whilst Kalgachia ended, for the moment, its waking nightmare of encirclement by Shireroth. <br />
<br />
It would have been pleasant to record that Shireroth reacted to this modest initiative on the part of its junior neighbours with equanimity. [[Fall Schwartz-Tilman|It did not]]. Instead the legions mustered, the gravimetric tanks wobbled improbably skywards, and the relentless bomber formations made sortie after sortie to level any and every structure that gave even the least hint of being man-made. For the free peoples of Inner Benacia, the wretched survivors of Minarboria's fall, this was the end - extermination or slavery beckoned. Yet even as the armoured fists of an Imperial Republic gripped by one of its periodic fits of hubris pounded down upon Highbloom, Nackholm, and Stonetree, the free peoples - Yehudi, Laqi, Tellian, and Mishalanski - found with what might have been their dying breath, the will to fight on. At Stonetree they made their stand. Stood before a ruined mausoleum, known to posterity simply as the Dolmen, they swore their pact to restore peace to their lands or perish in the attempt. It was perhaps their fortune to be facing Lywallers, reluctant conscripts to a cause not of their own chosing, rather than the blood-inured Imperials of the regular army, but it was a closest run thing, and the siege lasted into the fifth day when the first contingents of Yehudi fighters arrived on the heights overlooking the ruined and beleaguered city. Their arrival had been completely unexpected, the concurrent assault upon Nackholm was meant to have transfixed them to await their deaths besides their own hearths whilst the cordon of Kalgachi and Kasterburger garrisons ought to have arrest their progress eastwards. Yet here they were, and their arrival threw the exhausted Lywallers into confusion and rout. The fight went out of the besiegers and their flight southwards was a massacre that ended only when the vengeful pursuing Laqi ran up against the blocking detachments of [[shire:Imperial Marshals|marshals]] thoughtfully put in place to deal with deserters.<br />
<br />
For Shireroth the defeat was a humiliation, coming at the same time as fresh [[MCS|international condemnation]] of their reckless aggression, it seemed as though the perennial project of [[shire:Benacian Reconquest|subjugating all of Benacia]] was set for yet another of its periodic pauses.<br />
<br />
The surviving members of the so-called Free Communes, scarcely believing their luck, found that, after the storm had broken about their heads, they held field. It was now for them to decide upon what to do with their unexpected gain. To allow the land to revert to its native anarchy would put at risk all that they had, by such momentous sacrifice, sought to gain. Instead, recalling their pact before the dolmen, they swore solemn oaths to govern wisely and collectively. As improbable as it might have seemed a [[Republic of Inner Benacia|new polity]] was born. It was not alone.<br />
<br />
Espying the main chance, Vryheer Baerdemans gathered the paltry forces available to him - a scant militia backed by farmsteaders and cattle drovers - and set out on a brisk night march for Nackholm. With the Yehudi self-defence groups either exterminated by the Shirerithian onslaught or drawn eastwards to the famous battle at Stonetree, Nackholm had been denuded of defenders. Threading his way between legionary pickets, Baerdemans and his followers, stole into the bombed out ruins of northern Nackholm virtually unopposed and therein raised their banner and proclaimed in the ruins the founding of a new capital and the establishment of a [[Transbataafsche Vrystaat|new nation]]. When Shirekeep belatedly realised what was afoot their fury was unbounded - but it was almost too late. In spite of seven days and seven nights of aerial bombardment the blue and orange banner remained firmly nailed to the shattered casemate of the Yabotinsky Fortress.<br />
<br />
====The Octavian Interlude====<br />
<br />
From the reign of Kaiser Dominus to the fall of Waldemar Zinkgraven, the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] had enjoyed an almost unlimited independence and freedom of action, becoming almost a state within a state. Following the carnage of the [[War of Lost Brothers|1654-1657 War]] and the ebbing of territorial expansion the latitude afforded to the militarist factions and their [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|ideological fellow travellers]] by the Imperial Court began to become more circumscribed. In spite of dominating the Folksraad, the N&H Party and its Imperial Republican Party allies were unable to prevent the noble houses in the [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] from aligning to install the [[shire:Mira Octavius-Aryani|Count-Palatine of Kezan]] as [[shire:Steward|Steward]] for a second term.<br />
<br />
====Collapse of the Reformist movement====<br />
<br />
With the death of the Steward in a terrorist outrage, followed not long afterwards by the unexplained disappearance of the [[shire:Liv Dravot#Death|Imperial Mother]] from public life, the Humanist and Reformist camps in the Landsraad appeared to be poised once more for a renewal of civil war as the year 1663 drew towards its close.<br />
<br />
The election of the Duke of Calezi, a pragmatic reformer with a power base in the comparatively liberal state of Brookshire, as Steward helped to stabilise this affair before matters degenerated further. The Prince of Modan and the Simrani-Kalirion faction, preoccupied with establishing their rule over the former domain of Malarboria, were not interested in a destabilising conflict with Kezan - which in turn had silently made its point to its opponents. An atmosphere of relative calm was restored in the Landsraad and the measures proposed by the moderate [[shire:Jalal Jahanbani|Minister Jahanbani]] to improve and regularise the conditions of various categories of unfree persons enjoyed a measure of cross-party and cross-faction support.<br />
<br />
For the reformist diehards however, it appeared that a pattern had been established whereby the deep state, which leftists increasing came to refer to as a stratocracy, continued to exercise an effective veto over any attempt to change the fundamentally illiberal and inegalitarian character of the Imperial Republic, as such continuing to participate in the political processes of a regressive and repressive regime would only serve to burnish it with a patina of legitimacy that it ill deserved.<br />
<br />
Manifestations of dissent began to multiply, including the [[shire:Safirian Exodus|emigration]] of the last vestiges of the [[safir]] community in Shireroth.<br />
<br />
====White Plague====<br />
<br />
Beginning in {{Tooltip|1667|December 2018}} [[AN]] the [[White Plague]] spread from [[Natopia]]n [[Two Martyrs|colonies]] in southern Cibola along the [[SATCo|trade routes]] of the western hemisphere, spreading a fungal blight fuelled by the aggressive consumption of human flesh to [[Benacia]] and [[Natopia]]. The populations of Brookshire, Goldshire, and Modan were particularly severely affected, putting the long term survival of the Imperial Republic into doubt for the first time in a century. The outbreak of the plague, following close on the heels of the death or disappearance of the majority of the leadership cadre of the Imperial Republic left Shireroth with a drifting government unable or unwilling to respond to the increasingly undeniable portents of doom. Whilst the Kaiser attempted to maintain normal court functions, the Kezanite Steward was elected to office unopposed by a [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] that had rapidly emptied as the stench of death wafted over Shirekeep, adding its sickly sweet scent to the cacophony of pungent aromas which habitually swirled around that ancient city.<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
<br />
Shireroth has been a multi-ethnic state for its entire existence and, since the decline of Cedrism in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, has also become multi-confessional.<br />
<br />
===Religion===<br />
{{quote<br />
|text=''Heaven laughs at us with contempt, whilst we labour in the dust and suffer through life in the name of their glory.'' |sign=Anon.|source="Common Shirerithian Sayings"}}<br />
====Cedrism====<br />
<br />
====Holodomatic School====<br />
<br />
====Zurvanism====<br />
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====Bovinism====<br />
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===Neofeudalism===<br />
<br />
'''Neofeudalism''' is a term used to describe the phenomena of collectivist-oligarchic rule that emerged in the Imperial Republic following the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]] of 1651, effectively replacing the fractious federative system of governance, where constitutional checks and balances were maintained by the entrenchment of the rights of [[shire:Imperial States|states]], with a new synthesis of familial, corporate and military power directed by numerous diffuse boards of control centrally coordinated by the [[shire:Imperial Advisory Council|Imperial Advisory Council]], whose powers were further entrenched at the expense of those formerly held by the Kaiser, following the revision and reissue of the [[shire:Charter|Charter]] in 1653.<br />
<br />
As neofeudalism became more entrenched during the administration of Burgrave [[shire:Waldemar Zinkgraven|Zinkgraven]] the key ministries of state were handed to corporations to hold "in-commission". These corporations were in turn primarily owned by the surviving members of the ancient noble houses and the more recently ennobled minor gentry, the so-called untitled lords, to whom the privileges of citizenship, the prospect of a seat on the [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] for instance, accrued. This process made citizens stakeholders in the state but also held out to denizens the prospect of advancement through service as technocrats in the institutions of state and the corporate bodies.<br />
<br />
The fate of the denizen is also instructive of the nature of the neofeudal society. Although elevation through service was an avenue of advancement for the able, those who, for whatever reason, were unable to sustain themselves through their own endeavour could voluntarily subordinate themselves by a declaration of submission whereby the denizen would become '''His Majesty's Loyal Subject''' and receive guaranteed protection and employment, whether from the state directly or through a noble house or corporation at the cost of surrendering theoretical liberty. Such a submission was by no means dishonourable, indeed all recruits to the ranks of the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] by their nature became His Majesty's Loyal Subjects and gain status subsequently through promotion through the ranks.<br />
<br />
By contrast [[Community Service Workers]] did indeed endure the conditions commonly associated with [[shire:Old Feudalism|Old Feudalism]]. Originally the condemned survivors of the [[shire:Froyalanish|Storish]] community in Shireroth, the male population was viciously and systematically castrated (testing certain theories about the regenerative potential of so-called [[shire:Vanafolk|Vanakarls]]) and assigned to expropriate their guilt through labour in the mines, factories, farms and lumber yards of Benacia whilst the females of breeding age were distributed as comfort women throughout the [[shire:Imperial Forces|armed forces]]. By these means, and through emigration and natural wastage, the storish population was systematically reduced over time, with active measures targeted against them scheduled to endure until the year 1752 AN. The perforce ethnically mixed off-spring of Community Service Workers were typically removed from the mother at birth, aside from their dubious ancestral culture, the vanafolk were assessed as possessing many genetically desirable traits, and made wards of the Kaiser. Male offspring in the first two generations would be castrated and returned to the Community Service Programme, females of desirable qualities would be adopted into noble households, and the remainder would be raised and educated at the expense of the state with the expectation that they would redeem the cost of their upkeep through work in various [[shire:Baths of Fjǫrleif|public institutions]].<br />
<br />
===Militarism===<br />
<br />
The origins of Shirerithian militarism can be traced as far back as the [[Jaris War]] (1503&ndash;1508 AN) but that conflict was most notable for the failure of the Shirerithian feudal host to effectively mobilise and exercise efficient command and control over the disparate yet quantitatively superior force which mustered to the banners to oppose the [[Babkha]]n-led [[Grand Commonwealth]] forces.<br />
<br />
For the greater part of its history the Imperial Republic was noted for the fractiousness and rebelliousness of its nobility, and this even extended to the forces which the Imperial Government mustered in its own defence - to the extent that the Kaiser's [[shire:Apollonian Guard|own bodyguard]] became famous for its indiscipline and laxity occasioning the assassination of at least one Kaiser. For the greater part of the 16th Century, with the sole exception of the Imperial Navy, the quality and quantity of the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] diminished appreciably over time as the old feudal structure gave way to a federal system where the emergent states had primary responsibility under the martial code for their own defence and security. Working in the Ministry of Military Affairs was consequently seen as a thankless and unrewarding task, frequently left to the most debased and inadequate functionaries available - including a [[shire:Barend Barentsz|blatant Jing double-agent]] and a [[shire:Laqi Hyrrion|dysfunctional revenant]]. Even the more than usually competent [[shire:Balarak Alaion|Balârak Âlaion]] would eventually succumb to insanity (and [[shire:Cabbage Crisis|''brassicosis'']]) and perish miserably in an attempt to seize the Imperial throne.<br />
<br />
What changed this situation was, after the [[Revolution of 1617|loss]] of [[shire:Kildare|Kildare]] in 1617 and the humiliation of [[shire:The River War|defeat at the hands of an over-mighty vassal]] in 1635, a growing movement to recover the diminished primacy of [[shire:Shirekeep|the metropolis]] over the provinces and to restore the Imperial Republic's position as a great power. <br />
<br />
Beginning with the ministry of [[shire:Thorgils Tarjeisson|Thorgils Tarjeisson]] in 1636, a succession of MoMAs oversaw a period of massive expansion and rearmament in the Imperial Forces, the [[shire:Martial Code|Martial Code]] was amended to establish an Imperial Army - ending the Kaiser's dependence upon state militias - and from 1646 onward the annual defence budget accounted for 40% of government expenditure. With this colossal expansion, defence contractors such as the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]], [[shire:Red Bear LLC|Red Bear LLC]], and [[shire:Ryker Airships|RAS]], achieved incomes that would have been unimaginable a decade earlier. Suitably engorged, these companies had no incentive to relinquish the teat of government expenditure and quickly came to an understanding with the [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|political movements]] most sympathetic to their world view. In this manner a [[wikipedia:Military–industrial complex|military-industrial complex]] was born that has sometimes been observed to be acting almost independently of the governing structures to which it was nominally subordinate. Between the [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation]] and the [[Benacian Reconquest]] there continues to be no end to the justifications which can be found for continuing military expenditure at eye-watering levels, for the frontier will never be so secure that the occasion will never call for a punitive expedition. Taxation and Imperial highhandedness continues also to generate resentments amongst the populace, particularly amongst denizens (the limited franchise free populace who make up almost three quarters of the Shirerithian population), driving in turn a seemingly never ending cycle of provincial rebellion and societal unrest which the Imperial Forces seem to gamely regard as training opportunities during the lulls in the external cycle of great power warfare.<br />
<br />
==Economy==<br />
''Main Article: [[Economy of Shireroth]]''<br />
<br />
===Infrastructure===<br />
<br />
====Electronic Communications====<br />
<br />
In 1652 AN, the totality of all viable communications technologies operated within the Imperial Republic were consolidated into a single intranet based electronic system, the [[shire:Benacian Data Network|Benacian Data Network]], a successor to the earlier Elwnet operated by the Elwynnese state dating back to the independence era. As such there are no domestic television services in the regularly understood sense of the term, no interface permitting connection to any wider global communications network, and the only radio stations in operation exist primarily for the purpose of broadcasting propaganda and electromagnetic interference into [[Kalgachia|neighbouring states]]. In consequence the radio and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum in the Benacian continent remain overwhelmingly the preserve of the Shirerithian Imperial Government and its favoured corporate partners, reserved for their use accordingly.<br />
<br />
Both electronic and physical communication systems are under the control of the [[shire:Imperial Postal Service|Imperial Postal Service]]. Residents and visitors to Shireroth must apply for a licence to send and receive correspondence.<br />
<br />
====Imperial Highways and Roads====<br />
<br />
It has often been said in jest that the condition of the roads in the Imperial Republic were what gave the greatest impetus to the discovery and commercialisation of [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric levitation]].<br />
<br />
The roads of Shireroth are generally considered to be poor in quality and maintenance, particularly the further away from the Eastern Benacian Core (Eliria-Ardashirshahr-Shirekeep-Musica) one goes. Such inter-state routes as do exist are however maintained to a reasonable standard by the Imperial Highways Commission (IHC). For the most part the roads that fall below the purview of the IHC tend to become the responsibility of whichever tier of local government is least unwilling to pick up the cost. This has resulted in a patchwork of non-standard metalled and unmetalled roads, punctuated at irregular yet frequent intervals by tollposts operated by a myriad of authorities with ever shakier legal remits. Along the backwoods roads, maintenance - which consists often of a chain-gang of community servants heaping and pounding earth before laying a crude layer of gravel - is paid for by extortionate tolls levelled by almost literal robber barons.<br />
<br />
====Railways====<br />
The concept of an integrated railway network collapsed altogether following the disintegration of the Imperial Republic into quasi-independent states during the early 1600s. <br />
<br />
There have been periodic talks concerning the revival of the eastern Benacian inter-city services, whilst [[shire:Liv Dravot|Steward Dravot]] championed the construction of a Trans-Benacian Railway to link Shireroth's conquests in the far west to the Imperial Metropolis. These projects ultimately failed owing to a lack of investment. <br />
<br />
In the early 1660s the Trans-Benacian Railway, or Transben as it is sometimes affectionately known, has become a project championed by the [[shire:Ryker Everstone|King of Goldshire]]. The project however became mired in a myriad of disputes about costs, destinations, the routes to be taken or avoided, and the technologies to be utilised. As if this was not a sufficient impediment to progress, the Imperial Government subsequently became bogged down in factional fighting between [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|Humanist]] and [[shire:Ayreonist Independence Party|Ayreonists]] that blossomed into a civil war in [[shire:Elwynn]].<br />
<br />
<br />
Localised rail networks may still exist where a local authority, government agency, or corporation acted of their own initiative. Standardising the gauges of these local railways will be a major headache when integration and expansion does finally occur. The art of the railway timetable has been largely lost on Benacia, and trains tend to operate as almost as convoys departing on a given day rather than a regularly scheduled service. The services, siege trains as they are some times known, comprised of passenger carriages and cargo wagons lashed together to an armoured train sporting some antique [[80mm field gun|artillery piece]], provided with an armed escort of Imperial Marshals and Cudgellers. The reasons for these armed escorts vary - in Western Benacia they serve to ward off Batavian guerrillas, whilst in [[shire:Mishalan|Central Benacia]] the armoured trains are meant to afford some measure of scant protection against the unwanted advances of the invariably ravenous or lust-maddened [[Tyrannocricetus aliger|Tee-als]], Southern Benacia has experienced a revival in [[Laqi]] brigandry, whilst trains travelling into southern Elwynn frequently run afoul of the [[shire:Babkhi|Babkhi]] proclivity for home-brewing nitroglycerine. <br />
<br />
The most recent new railway construction occurred in Goldshire during the late 1650s as the King of Goldshire, famously paranoid, emptied the treasuries of his realm to build a vast anti-invasion defensive wall along the entirety of his coastline. This major engineering feet, requiring the services of millions of his subjects, necessitated the construction of a series of railway lines running parallel to the course of the defensive barriers for the purposes of shipping construction materials, personnel, and stores, along its entire length.<br />
<br />
====Air travel====<br />
<br />
Airports (aerodromes) are few, mostly reserved for citizens and visiting foreigners, the main example of which being [[Shirekeep-Foley Aerodrome]], the main air hub for Shirekeep and the primary ''international'' airport in the Imperial Republic. Rather more common are the airship and gravship terminals (Lufthavens) which form the primary inter-city connection service in Eastern Benacia, based around the Goldshire-centric network maintained by [[shire:Ryker Airships|Ryker Airships]]. Gravship services connect neutral [[Senya]] with the Imperial States of [[Eliria Aerodrome|Elwynn]] and [[Mesior Lufthaven|Goldshire]]. Following the end of the latest [[War of Lost Brothers|global conflict]] there is at last potential scope to contemplate reviving regular scheduled air services to destinations in [[Natopia]], [[Constancia]], [[Caputia]], & [[Hoenn]].<br />
<br />
There has been some debate as to whether Shireroth's infamous gravtanks, approaching nearly 25 years in service in some instances, might be disarmed and retired into the business of hauling cargo. Such proposals run up against the famed reluctance of the Imperial Forces to relinquish any even vaguely serviceable equipment until the very moment that it literally falls apart. <br />
<br />
====Travel restrictions====<br />
<br />
The traditional port of disembarkation for foreigners is the free-port of Musica in Brookshire. Chartered river services, either to the airship terminal at Meisor or alternatively along the full length of the Red Elwynn, are the most efficient method of reaching the capital from there. In general, riverine and coastal shipping services are a cost efficient method of moving between the major cities.<br />
<br />
The land borders of the Imperial Republic remain closed and under quarantine. The only exceptions are the international borders with Tellia (including the Tellian Mandate) and the Sxiro-Kalgachi Designated Exchanges Point on the common frontier. Unpleasant consequences attend upon those attempting to enter Shireroth overland from the ungoverned spaces of inner Benacia.<br />
<br />
After smugglers, the most persistent violators of the Imperial Republic's strict border regime are the [[Transbatavia|Voortrekkers]], Batavians moving out of Imperial territory into the ungoverned spaces. Although generally tolerated, politely but firmly turned around by the [[shire:Imperial Marshals|Imperial Marshals]] if caught in the act of staging an illegal crossing, since relations or at the very least dialogue was established with [[Kasterburg]] and the Batavian national movement, the foolhardly Voortrekkers who had passed through the territory of the Military Government of Westpoint in an effort to reach the [[Northbloom|Fort Ermingander pocket]] were made a severe example of after their presence was discovered.<br />
<br />
===Education and academia===<br />
<br />
No formal universal education system exists in the Imperial Republic, leaving education to be the responsibility of the Imperial States, Imperial Dominions, local governments, guilds, private institutions and charitable enterprises. The level of provision, and the adequacy of education provided, can vary dramatically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, depending on the capacity and initiative of the myriad of governing entities in the Imperial Republic's sprawling neo-feudal edifice.<br />
<br />
In the year 1663 it was been estimated that there were 215.5 million Shirerithians between the ages of 5 and 15 (approximately 38% of the population) undergoing or expected to undergo an education. <br />
<br />
*Apprenticeships: 109.2 million<br />
*Not in Education, Employment or Training: 50 million<br />
*Charitable/Religious Schools: 26.9 million<br />
*Local Authority Schools: 15.7 million<br />
*Guild Schools: 9.2 million<br />
*Military & Community Service Schools: 4.50 million<br />
<br />
The various apprenticeship schemes operated in Shireroth vary in scale from employment with the local village baker or cobbler all the way up to the National Service scheme in Goldshire, reputedly the largest apprenticeship programme in Benacia if not in all of Micras, which combines five years of military service[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=20337(1)] (ages 17&ndash;22) and rigorous schooling in [[shire:Praeta|Praeta]][https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=21923(1)], the revived language of empire and [[shire:Cedrism|faith]] without which societal and career advancement in the modern Imperial Republic is increasingly impossible.<br />
<br />
Although packs of feral urchins had been one of the great plagues of Benacia for centuries, the realisation that up to fifty million children were avoiding schooling, apprenticeships, or labour altogether, constituted a great scandal, shocking to [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|National-Humanists]] and Reformists alike. Proposals for the establishment of a continent wide network of ''Foundation Schools'', paid for by a poll tax levied upon denizens, were swiftly advanced to the Imperial Advisory Council in the 11th month of 1663.<br />
<br />
Paradoxically, Shireroth was well served with an abundant, perhaps almost excessive, number of universities, including a [[shire:Higher education in Elwynn|great number]] established in Elwynn. Alongside the Elwynnese institutions the [[shire:Metzler University|Metzler University]] in [[shire:Shirekeep]] and the [[shire:University of Goldshire|University of Goldshire]] in Wendor are the foremost, although the [[shire:Imperial Academy|Imperial Academy]] and the [[shire:Chryste#Royal University of Chryste|Royal University of Chryste]] are also considered to be rising institutions. It has been said by some that the comparative vibrancy of Shirerithian higher education owed more to the vanity of its rulers, and their desire for honorary degrees, than to their farsightedness or philanthropic spirit.<br />
<br />
In spite of once being home to reputable academic institutions, the cities of [[Nackholm]], [[Sansabury]] and [[&zeter]], are presently without universities on account of the disasters which befell Inner Benacia during its recent history. In spite of this, the ruins continue to attract teams of academics in their scores, and it is likely that these congregations of enquiring minds, combined with a dollop of state and corporate patronage, may yet lead to a revival of academia in what is now the [[shire:State of Modan|State of Modan]].<br />
<br />
Literacy rates vary dramatically according to class, race, and gender, but by the barest universal measurement - being able to write their own name and recite from text a verse in praise of the Kaiser - 77% of male denizens, along with 69% of their female counterparts, are defined as "literate" by the Ministry of the Interior.<br />
<br />
==Demographics==<br />
<br />
The Shirerithian population is distributed unevenly into the following categories: 1% citizens, 82% denizens, 9% in loyal subjecthood, and 11% in community servitude.<br />
<br />
By subdivision these are distributed as follows:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
! Subdivision !! Jurisdiction !! Citizens !! Denizens !! Loyal Subjects !! Community Servitors !! TOTAL<br />
|-<br />
! Agnesia<br />
| ELW || 182,712 || 18,513,458 || 0 || 0 || 18,696,170<br />
|-<br />
! Alalehzamin<br />
| ELW || 482,247 || 40,111,222 || 0 || 0 || 40,593,469<br />
|-<br />
! Amarr<br />
| MAL || 57,044 || 5,932,854 || 601,046 || 710,023 || 7,300,967<br />
|-<br />
! Amity<br />
| JKM || 125,013 || 13,500,000 || 2,105,661 || 3,017,236 || 18,747,910<br />
|-<br />
! Angularis<br />
| MAL || 16,050 || 2,210,113 || 221,012 || 902,175 || 3,349,350<br />
|-<br />
! Araxion<br />
| ELW || 97,153 || 10,192,888 || 0 || 0 || 10,290,041<br />
|-<br />
! Automatica<br />
| ELW || 83,290 || 8,199,991 || 0 || 0 || 8,283,281<br />
|-<br />
! Batavia<br />
| BAT || 8,017 || 582,972 || 443,917 || 5,108,063 || 6,142,969<br />
|-<br />
! Benacia–Iridia<br />
| MAL || 3,107 || 503,134 || 32,046 || 41,428 || 579,715<br />
|-<br />
! Cape Farewell<br />
| ELW || 105,808 || 9,846,340 || 0 || 0 || 9,952,148<br />
|-<br />
! Caverden<br />
| BRK || 162,066 || 15,871,071 || 816,186 || 708,363 || 17,557,686<br />
|-<br />
! Cimmeria with Illumination<br />
| ELW || 76,863 || 9,877,991 || 0 || 0 || 9,954,854<br />
|-<br />
! Crowsilver<br />
| GLD || 20,027 || 2,770,000 || 180,073 || 210,032 || 3,180,132<br />
|-<br />
! Dietsland<br />
| CPS || 5,024 || 600,199 || 60,774 || 85,752 || 751,749<br />
|-<br />
! Eliria<br />
| ELW || 304,104 || 9,188,991 || 0 || 0 || 9,493,095<br />
|-<br />
! Elsyran<br />
| GLD || 203,886 || 20,346,856 || 2,019,007 || 719,771 || 23,289,520<br />
|-<br />
! Fiorecittà<br />
| TEL || 5,049 || 512,000 || 0 || 0 || 517,049<br />
|-<br />
! Florencia<br />
| MAL || 102,992 || 1,477,911 || 138,141 || 111,192 || 1,830,236<br />
|-<br />
! Froyalan NR<br />
| FNR || 2,138 || 198,186 || 115,607 || 6,101,880 || 6,417,811<br />
|-<br />
! Hawshire–Dura<br />
| HSD || 43,761 || 3,220,240 || 0 || 0 || 3,264,001<br />
|-<br />
! Highpass<br />
| MAL || 3,977 || 148,530 || 320,142 || 103,573 || 576,222<br />
|-<br />
! Holwinn<br />
| GLD || 67,663 || 8,936,977 || 618,575 || 210,057 || 9,833,272<br />
|-<br />
! Iserdia<br />
| ELW || 270,057 || 25,888,199 || 0 || 0 || 26,158,256<br />
|-<br />
! Kezan<br />
| KZN || 264,407 || 1,762,714 || 0 || 0 || 2,027,121<br />
|-<br />
! Kralizec<br />
| BRK || 110,018 || 11,056,432 || 654,991 || 430,124 || 12,251,565<br />
|-<br />
! Lachmeren<br />
| MAL || 80,631 || 7,932,854 || 486,062 || 7,001,662 || 15,501,209<br />
|-<br />
! Lachmodan<br />
| MAL || 150,013 || 15,451,711 || 1,981,162 || 651,555 || 18,234,441<br />
|-<br />
! Lunaris<br />
| GLD || 70,084 || 7,220,283 || 4,531,019 || 2,162,614 || 13,984,000<br />
|-<br />
! Lywall<br />
| LYP || 3,483 || 354,211 || 914,610 || 813,103 || 2,085,407<br />
|-<br />
! Lywind<br />
| MAL || 94,103 || 9,715,777 || 971,016 || 204,356 || 10,985,252<br />
|-<br />
! Mar-Sara<br />
| MSR || 220,701 || 2,305,263 || 110,076 || 942 || 2,636,982<br />
|-<br />
! Mil Gov Oleslaad<br />
| MGO || 2,167 || 336,137 || 17,280 || 5,291,074 || 5,646,658<br />
|-<br />
! Mil Gov Westpoint<br />
| MGW || 9,037 || 981,238 || 51,842 || 4,718,037 || 5,760,154<br />
|-<br />
! Mirioth<br />
| JKM || 78,535 || 7,440,305 || 817,353 || 510,916 || 8,847,109<br />
|-<br />
! Mishalan<br />
| MSH || 173,524 || 17,000,111 || 2,018,571 || 3,052,055 || 22,244,261<br />
|-<br />
! Monty Crisco<br />
| BRK || 148,826 || 13,816,992 || 1,001,874 || 651,047 || 15,618,739<br />
|-<br />
! Musica with Delta<br />
| BRK || 88,242 || 8,019,187 || 817,010 || 1,402,026 || 10,326,465<br />
|-<br />
! New Blackstone<br />
| NBL || 810 || 75,865 || 46,807 || 15,682 || 139,164<br />
|-<br />
! Puritania<br />
| CPS || 4,237 || 430,039 || 102,025 || 100,017 || 636,318<br />
|-<br />
! Raikoth<br />
| ELW || 30,176 || 2,001,002 || 0 || 0 || 2,031,178<br />
|-<br />
! Romero<br />
| TEL || 8,534 || 700,100 || 0 || 0 || 708,634<br />
|-<br />
! Rossavro<br />
| TEL || 5,199 || 510,100 || 0 || 0 || 515,299<br />
|-<br />
! Savona<br />
| TEL || 4,412 || 400,300 || 0 || 0 || 404,712<br />
|-<br />
! Scoglitto<br />
| TEL || 2,103 || 234,500 || 0 || 0 || 236,603<br />
|-<br />
! Shimmerspring<br />
| MAL || 2,981 || 105,045 || 201,050 || 623,991 || 933,067<br />
|-<br />
! Shirekeep<br />
| SHK || 427,166 || 21,791,866 || 6,018,917 || 1,819,582 || 30,057,531<br />
|-<br />
! Skyla<br />
| BRK || 7,816 || 420,991 || 433,173 || 318,917 || 1,180,897<br />
|-<br />
! So-Sara<br />
| JKM || 102,881 || 12,170,024 || 8,001,766 || 3,916,532 || 24,191,203<br />
|-<br />
! Suthergold<br />
| GLD || 208,882 || 19,728,215 || 1,187,913 || 210,491 || 21,335,501<br />
|-<br />
! Talenore<br />
| TNR || 5,131 || 3,524,094 || 0 || 0 || 3,529,225<br />
|-<br />
! Transamarr<br />
| TEL || 9,117 || 819,199 || 0 || 0 || 828,316<br />
|-<br />
! Utasia<br />
| ELW || 189,155 || 18,991,001 || 0 || 0 || 1,918,156<br />
|-<br />
! Vattnaland<br />
| ELW || 60,328 || 6,406,145 || 0 || 0 || 7,506,665<br />
|-<br />
! Voltrue<br />
| CPS || 8,175 || 1,065,332 || 435,750 || 67,186 || 1,576,443<br />
|-<br />
! Wintergleam<br />
| GLD || 29,129 || 3,050,702 || 2,100,201 || 2,018,881 || 7,198,913<br />
|-<br />
! Yardistan<br />
| JKM || 298,186 || 38,560,730 || 6,791,771 || 4,306,660 || 49,975,347<br />
|-<br />
! Z and Azarea<br />
| BRK || 4,017 || 340,999 || 610,100 || 410,175 || 1,365,291<br />
|-<br />
! Zy-Rodun<br />
| ZYR || 1,607 || 140,468 || 415,100 || 483,017 || 1,040,192<br />
|-<br />
! TOTAL<br />
| IRS || 5,331,861 || 443,490,055 || 48,389,626 || 59210187 || 556,421,729<br />
|}<br />
<br />
It should be noted that Shireroth, unusually for an industrialised empire, manages to combine the advantages of a high birth rate with a high mortality rate, particularly amongst the lower orders. Its system of governance, which limits the democratic rights of the majority of the population to participation in the lower tiers of local government and voting for the largely powerless Folksraad, avoids the welfare trap which liberal democratic societies are so often prone to falling into. There are those who would maintain that this situation, which in many other societies might be regarded as calamitous, is setting the scene for an outbreak of revolutionary violence. Sages however note that ''"where people toil from sunrise to sunset for a bare living, they nurse no grievances and dream no dreams"''. In spite of there being almost always an uprising or rebellion ongoing somewhere in Shireroth, the conditions for a revolutionary upheaval remains unfulfilled so long as the [[shire:Imperial Forces|military]], backed by the nobility and corporations united in self-interest, remains overwhelmingly powerful.<br />
<br />
The Shirerithian societal model is driven by a low marriage age - the age of majority is 15 years, and a high rate of fertility within marriage. The burden of caring for the elderly, particularly those who lack the means to pay for their own upkeep, falls primarily on families, religious communities, and those local governments which feel inclined or obliged to make provision. Provision for the elderly can vary from dedicated care homes to workhouses where the decrepit earn their daily bread and tea through picking strands of hemp and other menial tasks. A study of a cohort of denizens taken in 1662 on the island of [[shire:Amity|Amity]] showed that out of 100 boys born in 1600 AN, 85 survived to 22, 74 to 32, 58 to 42, 47 to 52 and 36 to 62. For girls the corresponding percentages were 73, 54, 47, 39 and 28.<br />
<br />
Aside from the notorious situation in [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] during the decades following the "Green Mortality" of 1602, most urban population centres have benefited from the introduction of modern or at least quasi-modern sanitation systems over the course of the 17th Century. For this reason, cholera and typhoid fever, the curses of Benacia during the 15th and 16th Centuries, have largely abated.<br />
<br />
==Links==<br />
*[http://shireroth.org/forum/index.php Discussion Boards]<br />
*[http://www.shireroth.org/ Website]<br />
<br />
[[category:Nations]]<br />
[[category:Shireroth]]<br />
[[category:Small Commonwealth]]<br />
[[Category:SANE]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Shireroth&diff=96867Shireroth2019-01-02T18:14:13Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* White Plague */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
{{Infobox Nation Comprehensive<br />
|fullname = Imperial Republic of Shireroth<br>''Sxiroþ''<br />
|commonname = Shireroth<br />
|flag = File:Shire flag.png<br />
|coa = File:COA Shireroth.png<br />
|motto = ''[[Shireroth sumus. Tempus in parte nostrum est.]]''<br />
|anthem = [[shire:The Benacian Beast|The Benacian Beast]]<br />
|map = File:Shireroth Current 6337.png<br />
|mapversions = All<br />
|capital = [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]]<br />
|largecity = <small>Shirekeep, [[shire:Ardashirshahr|Ardashirshahr]] Allswell, Araxion, Citadel, Cortallia, Demonsfall, Echo, Glenfiddich, Mesior, Nee</small><br />
|lang = [[shire:Præta|Præta]] (official), [[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani]] (administrative), [[shire:Elw|Elw]], Yardistani<br />
|demnoun = Shirerithian, Shirithian<br />
|demadj = Shirerithian, Shirithian<br />
|govtype = [[shire:Shirocracy|Federative Constitutional Monarchy]]<br />
|headofstatetitle = [[shire:The Kaiser|Kaiser of Shireroth]]<br />
|headofstate = [[shire:Kaiser Ayreon IV|Kaiser Ayreon IV]]<br />
|religion = [[shire:Cedrism|Cedrism]]<br />
|headofgovernmenttitle = [[shire:Steward|Steward]]<br />
|headofgovernment = [[shire:Hartmut Aldric|Duke of Calezi]]<br />
|legislature = Landsraad<br />
|estdate = 1443 [[shire:AN|AN]] (24 April 2000)<br />
|agerank = NA<br />
|area = NA<br />
|arearank = NA<br />
|pop = 556,421,729<br />
|activepop = n/a<br />
|poprank = NA<br />
|currency = Erb (€)<br />
|abbrev = IRS<br />
|site = [[shire:Main Page|ShireWiki]]<br />
|forum = [http://bastionunion.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=14 Shirithian Forum]<br />
|animal = ''[[wikipedia:Irish elk|Benacian Megaloceros]] <small>(the Benacian Beast)</small>''<br />
|food = Mango<br />
|drink = [[Treesian Red]]<br />
|tree = [[Malarbor]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''The Imperial Republic of Shireroth''', or simply '''Shireroth''' ([[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani]]: ['ʃaɪɻ.ɻɑθ]; [[Yardistani]]: ''Širo'' ['ʃi.rɔ]; [[shire:Præta|Praeta]]: ''Sxiro'') is a [[shire:Shirerithian Neofeudalism|neo-feudal]] empire that has dominated the Benacian continent, as well as vast swathes of the globe at various intervals, for more than two hundred and fourteen years under the [[shire:Norton Calendar|Norton calendar]]. It is, not withstanding its largely mythical history, by any reasonable standard the most ancient of the surviving states on Micras. <br />
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==Government==<br />
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===Kaiser===<br />
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The Kaiser is the monarch of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth. Historically this position was autocratic, if not despotic in scope, but with successive constitutional reforms it became more akin to the traditional role of a constitutional monarch.<br />
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Originally, the Kaisers of Shireroth simply served as nothing more than warrior kings and politically leaders of the Realm. Their presence in folklore, myths and in religion only grew over time. The tale of Rrakanychan who was defeated by one of the early Kaisers (some sources mention Raynor I, but others depict one of his successors as the hero) is a primary example of the central role of the Kaisership in Cedrism. With the need to strengthen central authority, Kaisers often used religious customs and myths to unite the several ethnic groups under one banner.<br />
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While not holding any official religious position, the Kaiser was depicted as highest representative of the Gods (above the High Priests) and on some rare occasions dead Kaisers have even been considered to have achieved a strange kind of apotheosis. Kaiser Mog I became infamous for granting land to another nation and became God of Political Blunders while Raynor II made an attempt to - literally - catapult himself into godhood by constructing a huge catapult; an idiotic fable. Kaiser Gaelen IV made an attempt to expand the position of the Kaiser by establishing the Imperial Cult, which received little popularity outside of the Imperial Household.<br />
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Historically, the powers granted the Kaiser were limitless. The Kaiser was the ''fons honorum'', granting all titles and holding all lands, granting them in fief. In practice however the Kaisers were heavily circumscribed in their ability to enjoy the vast powers nominally within their gift. With monotonous regularity, Kaisers were assassinated, deposed, or felt obliged to resign to avoid unspecified consequences. So deeply ingrained did this practice of deposition become that the average duration of a Kaiser's reign - about three years - became culturally ingrained. On the occasions where a Kaiser survived past the three year mark, awkward questions might be asked in the Landsraad and the first ominous rumblings of discontent could be heard out in the provinces.<br />
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The effect of this was to make many Kaisers into transient non-entities who spent their reigns balancing a myriad of threats, appeasing their overmighty subjects and trying to ward off the inevitable knife in the back. This brought constant change to the government, and was justified as ensuring that the Imperial Bloodlines continued to receive a fair opportunity to obtain the highest office in the land. The high turn over also paid lip service to the republican and meritocratic ideals of Shireroth's peculiar brand of governance. Over time the quality of the nobles who attained the Kaisership began to decline markedly - with each successive candidate becoming, seemingly, progressively more self-serving and or imbecilic. The reasons for this decline has been debated continually over the course of decades. For the most part the prevailing consensus is that as the powers of the Kaiser became increasingly curtailed by the stringency of the reformed Charter and the particularist tendencies of the Imperial States so the candidates who continued to be attracted to the role began to value the form over the substance of high office, beginning an inevitable march towards mediocrity.<br />
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In the year 1648 during the reign of Kaiseress Noor that tradition was done away with because it was no longer deemed suited to the modern age and ran contrary to the sacred interests of strong and stable leadership in a properly ordered, coordinated and harmonious Imperial Republic. In consequence thereof any Kaiser nowadays reigns for an indefinite term. The succession, furthermore, has become dynastic, with the grandson of Noor, Ayreon IV attaining the Golden Mango Throne during his minority. Thus, almost unprecedentedly, the reigning stewards of the early 1650s are also regents.<br />
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Following the promulgation of the Imperial Charter of 1654 the Kaiser ceded most his remaining executive powers to the Steward, who was henceforth to be elected by the Landsraad, and to the Imperial Advisory Council, which would handle the arrangements pertaining to any regency period during a Kaiser's minority. The Kaiser does however remain the font of honour and can dismiss the Steward at his pleasure, albeit at the risk that the Landsraad may vote the same Steward straight back into office.<br />
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===Imperial Advisory Council & Ministries===<br />
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===Landsraad===<br />
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===Imperial Judex===<br />
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==Foreign relations==<br />
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Shireroth, with its long established empire and sphere of influence, is an active participant in the geopolitical and strategic affairs of [[Micras]]. It's level of engagement is demonstrated by its membership of the [[Micras Treaty Organisation]] and the [[Raspur Pact]], as well as in the global reach of the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]]. At various times in its history an isolationist power, Shireroth has also been noted for its intense rivalries with [[Babkha]], [[Jingdao]], and [[Kalgachia]]. In the case of Jingdao the causes of the [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation|enduring conflict]] can be traced back to the [[Revolution of 1617|loss]] of [[Kildare]], to which Shireroth remained largely unreconciled until it had fully grown into its role as [[Benacia]]n hegemon, which in turned served as the primary driver for tensions between the Imperial Republic and the ''Garden of Kalgachia''.<br />
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It has not been entirely unheard of for diplomats whose letters of credential have been rejected or rescinded, for whatever reason, to be sacrificed to the [[shire:Malarbor|daemonic tree]] firmly rooted in the grounds of [[shire:Raynor's Keep|Raynor's Keep]].[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3(1)] This is surprisingly less controversial than might otherwise be expected.<br />
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== History ==<br />
''For a more in depth treatment of the various (mutually contradictory) histories of Shireroth, please peruse the [[shire:Main Page|Shirewiki]].''<br />
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The general tradition is that Shireroth was founded as a successor state to the enlightened and technologically advanced Empire of Khaz Modan (-1211bN to -0bN) which was brought to an end by a sudden and violent cataclysm brought on by dabbling in inter-dimensional research, which seldom ends well. In this instance the experimentation of the so-called mages established a connection between Micras and a [[shire:Balgurd|pocket hell-dimension]] which allowed [[shire:Daemons|hostile entities]] to enter this plane of existence, whilst concurrently releasing a pulse of energy which destroyed the Empire's home island and plunged the western hemisphere into a dark age that was, not coincidentally, the '''First Era''' (circa 0 AN to circa 880 AN).<br />
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Shireroth rose from the ashes of the Khaz Modani Empire in the form of the Duchy of Brookshire that rose in Southern Benacia under the House of Raynor. After a successful conquest of Goldshire by Brookshire's proficient armies, the newly-gained territory was incorporated in union with Brookshire under the name Shireroth. The capital, Shirekeep, was established as a fortified position on the confluence of the Rivers Elwynn.<br />
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This unity proved to be extremely transient and the '''Second Era''' (878 – 1442) was dominated by warring states, who somewhat tenuously laid claim upon the bloodlines of the Kaisers of the preceding era, which vied for dominion over the course of the Red Elwynn between Shirekeep and Musica. An increasing reliance upon necromancy and daemons on the part of the houses as they struggled for paramountcy saw the society of the duchies of Brookshire and Goldshire progressively undermined until, after the diabolical pact of Kaiser John, those who remained were unable to maintain the sovereignty of eastern Benacia in the face of foreign colonists.<br />
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===Third Era===<br />
[[File:Imperial Charter of Shireroth.png|thumb|left|The ''[[shire:Charter of the Imperial Republic|The Imperial Charter of Shireroth]]'' was written down during the Third Era.]]<br />
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Shireroth's modern founding was in 1442 (the beginning of the Third Era). Foreign recognition of the Kaisership occurred later, in approximately 1462, with Erik Mortis becoming Kaiser Metzler I. The accurate record keeping in the Imperial Household began with Gaelen II in 1465, and all [[shire:List of Kaisrs|accession dates]] after that are taken to be authentic.<br />
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Having established dominance of the Benacian continent, the Kaisers of the House of Raynor eventually expanded their reach to Yardistan and Kildare. Despite further acquisitions, these initial territories constituted the core "Ancient Duchies" of Shireroth for many ages.<br />
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Although the Duchies frequently rebelled against the Kaiser and fought each other, their unity within Shireroth was maintained by an informal system of quality control wherein the succession of the Kaisership was passed through individuals with proven ability to rule (with occasional notorious exceptions) ensuring that their attitude toward Shireroth's restive fiefdoms, while often less than amiable, was neither harsh enough nor feeble enough to precipitate those territories' complete break from the government in Shirekeep.<br />
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Legitimacy rested upon descent from Kaiser Raynor I. After seventeen centuries, much of Western and Central Benacia, as well as a fair smattering of Babkhi and Kildari can claim this boon. Nonetheless the frequently rotating succession remained within the clutches of a dozen or so noble houses who jealously guarded their notoriously intermarried bloodlines. In spite of the the vigilance of the Imperial Republic's noble oligarchs there have been several "sanglorian" Kaisers in the modern era, alongside a half dozen inhuman Kaisers (whether revenants or aliens). As the Third Era wore on, things became progressively stranger, until a measure of sanity was restored by the confirmation of the dynastic succession in the hands of the House of Ayreon-Kalirion, itself being however troubled by some of its dynastic associations.<br />
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====Feudal Shireroth====<br />
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Shireroth in its present form began inauspiciously. The last Kaiser of the second era, John II, a greedy and unscrupulous ruler who had consorted with daemons to further his rule, had been overthrown by Kaiser Erik II and torn apart by the Shirekeep mob. Erik however proved to be a weak ruler who failed to control the populist forces he had unleashed. The so-called Direct Democracy Riots destabilised eastern Benacia, which was at that time under vassalage to [[Audentior]]. Erik's provisional government ended abruptly in the seventh month of 1444 when Audentior, tired of the anarchy, formally annexed Shireroth. Erik was allowed to keep his title and history records that his reign continued for another year.<br />
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He was succeeded by his son, the eccentric and irascible Kaiser Brrapa V, who in 1446 staged a successful attempt to break away from Audentior's crumbling colonial empire. The effort was perhaps not so successful however as the act of secession was followed immediately by annexation by the [[Flying Islands of Jasonia]] in the same year. <br />
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The chaos resumed with renewed vigour during the reign of Brrapa's grandson, Gaelen I, during which time Shireroth broke away from Jasonia (1451), found itself ensnared in the Amity Crisis (1451–1452) with its former colonial master, witnessed the final submission of Elwynn (1452), was ruled by Commonwealth of Benacia (1455–1458), embroiled in the Paramount War (1456), became a partner in the Hegemony of Alexandros (1458–1466) and part of the [[United Republic of Tymaria]] after 1461. It was a period during which many unstable and declining states sought to ward off collapse by voluntarily merging into ever larger, ever more diffuse, and ever more unwieldy, federations. The last and largest of these, Tymaria, spanned the globe like a colossus. It's federal structure and competing [[Attera]]n and [[Apollo Sector|Apollonian]] centres of power however meant that it was a giant with feet of clay.<br />
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Whilst the overarching empire spiralled into ever more doomed complexity, the office of Kaiser began to gain the attributes of an absolute monarchy under Kaiser Gaelen II, and recreated a small feudal system with two Duchies, [[Brookshire]] and [[Goldshire]]. The feudal system was expanded vastly to include a new level, Baron, and the [[Landsraad]] became a major organ of government. Shireroth soon became much more important than its subordinate status would indicate as [[Patrick Foley]] chose to bequeath the remnants of the UAS to it as the [[Duchy of Kildare]]. With a number of military-oriented types like [[Daniel K]] and [[Greg Russell]]. Shireroth would go on to gain De facto independence from Tymaria (1466) during the reign of Kaiser Mors I (1466–1468). In the year 1467 however Philip Locke set a fire amongst the papers of the government record office. Infamy and a significant lacuna ensued.<br />
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Formal secession from Tymaria was deferred until the reign of Kaiseress Viviantia I (1469–1470) and not long afterwards the states of Hyperborea, Yardistan, Jaris, and Akerbjorn fell under Shirerithian rule. It was perhaps unease at this rapid expansion which prompted Kaiser Mog (1472–1473) into his foolish attempt to cede Amity and Mirioth. His reward was deposition and death in the wake of Letifer's Revolt.<br />
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The Battle of Cimmeria (1477) is the conventional name given to a partially successful attempt to defend Shireroth against the depredations of a slightly unlikely group going by the name of Anarchy 21. Kaiser Raynor X, who had arrived late to the battle, then declared the day a national holiday, and rewarded its heroes. Robert Belci, a Crandishman, and Harvey Steffke, a Menelmacari, were given honorary citizenship and military awards. Stjepan Aracic, already an honorary citizen, was given double honorary citizenship. More substantially Jadie Mathematician was made the Duchess of Goldshire.<br />
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====Federal Shireroth====<br />
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This system began to break down from the approximate time of Kaiser Letifer III (1512-1514 AN), wherein the old reliable noble houses faded from prominence and the Kaisership was passed to increasingly less competent and more self-interested individuals. The ensuing bitterness caused those elements of the old guard remaining to become cantankerous and lose the knack of wise rule themselves, culminating in the notorious House System; an enormous feudal reform which attempted to codify the chaotic situation by making the retention of one's land holdings essentially dependent on one's skill in political skullduggery. Naturally the ensuing mess produced victims, the foremost of whom being the disenfranchised population of Elwynn who responded by seizing control over the greater part of that territory and effecting a secession from Shireroth in 1567. Although this secession was temporary, it forever shattered the myth of Kaiserial infallibility and permanently damaged the unspoken belief in Shirerithian nationhood which had long bonded its many peoples in ways that government could not.<br />
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Shaken by the impotence of the Kaisership in maintaining Shirerithian harmony, the political current in Shireroth moved gently in favour of democratisation with the Shirerithian legislature, the Landsraad, ending its ancient nobles-only rule and opening membership to the entire citizenry in 1588. Opinion also moved toward insulating the provinces from the worst failures of Imperial policy by granting them substantial autonomy, in order to restore a sense of trust and wellbeing that would, in turn, keep Shireroth together. This culminated in the Lich Charter of 1595, promulgated by Kaiseress Mira Raynora Major, wherein Shireroth's territories were transformed into a series of autonomous Imperial States with profuse powers to determine their own affairs. This partial restoration of sanity contributed, among other things, to the reunification of Elwynn with Shireroth in 1600.<br />
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Unfortunately the Imperial State system depended on a certain level of good faith on the part of the Imperial States toward the Kaiser's government in Shirekeep, as those bonds which were no longer maintained by the Kaiser's power came to depend on the voluntary co-operation of the Imperial States with each other and with the Kaiser. The inability of the Kaiser to deal with the excessive self-interest of Imperial States was explosively demonstrated with the surprise secession of Kildare in 1617. What Elwynn began in demoting the vaunted myth of the Shirerithian Kaisership, Kildare all but finished.<br />
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In the aftermath of the loss of Kildare to Jingdao, and the failure of the [[Neridia]] colony on [[Istvanistan]], large swathes of the population in Lichbrook and southern Goldshire had resolved that suffering what they perceived as constant disruption by other Imperial States, only to be collectively punished for those states' purported excesses by what they saw as reductions of their own political autonomy, was proof of their systematic expulsion from the Shirerithian political process. Through this contorted reasoning the dissidents had come to the conclusion that the Kaisers of Shireroth could no longer make any demand upon their fealty. Rather than risk battle on the field of honour or in the Landsraad for possession of their ancestral lands, these traitors instead preferred the stratagem of stealth, stealing away in the night and following the smugglers routes and Lach trails leading towards lawless Ashkenatzim lands of the west, wherein they would found [[Minarboria]].<br />
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====The years of blood====<br />
[[File:Shirerithian ethnicities.png|thumb|right|In the latter centuries of the Third Era the Imperial Republic had become a continental empire, into which a vast number of diverse ethnic populations had been swept and only partially assimilated.]]<br />
The Imperial Republic, long dissatisfied by the federal system became ensnared in a series of interconnected conflicts beginning in 1635 AN and finally coming to a conclusion in the year 1644 with the entry of Kaiseress Noor into Shirekeep. The prime cause of the conflict was the unbalanced relationship between a weakened Imperial Government and the over-mighty [[shire:Imperial States|imperial states]], of which [[Elwynn]] was the prime offender.<br />
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The wars began with the so-called [[shire:The River War|River War]] (1635), an unsuccessful attempt by hard-line Cedrists and Elwynnese ultra-nationalists to mount a quick decapitation strike on the Monarchy of Elwynn which was led by Princess Margana, the daughter of Kaiser Brrapa VII and sponsored by the patricians of Shirekeep and the Court within Raynor's Keep.<br />
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In spite of being well resourced and brutally executed, the attempted takeover of Elwynn by a combination of a coup and 'hybrid warfare' failed spectacularly and rebounded upon the heads of the plotters. Not only were they unsuccessful in their efforts to exterminate the Royal Family of Elwynn but the war ended with the King's father entering Shirekeep as a conqueror.<br />
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It was said by some that Brrapa VII was conveniently ill at the start of the war and conveniently dead at its end.<br />
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One of the notable aspects of the war, which effectively lasted for two months at most, was the rate at which stockpiles of modern hi-tech guided munitions and missiles were rapidly depleted. The Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces (ISAF) had expended its reserves of cruise missiles within the first week of the conflict and was still trying to acquire and adapt ship launched missiles from the Imperial Shirerithian Navy (which had remained neutral in the conflict) by the time the war ended. Similarly the UDF had been caught short and taken by surprise by the war and was still trying to reactivate the Southron Barrage programme by the war's end. The UDF had also run its stockpiles of medium-range anti-aircraft missiles down to the point of exhaustion during the Battle of Echo. The decision of the Imperialists to hold back their remaining air assets, particularly the UCAVs, after the shocking losses of that engagement proved to be the hinge point that turned what might have been a mere setback into the decisive victory that ensured the survival of the Elwynnese Union and its eventual victory.<br />
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By the final weeks of the war even the supplies of unguided 'dumb' bombs were being run down to the point that the Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia was obliged to establish workshops to produce crude unguided rockets in order to keep up the rate of fire on the defenders of Shirekeep and the ISAF was giving serious consideration to adapting its remaining UCAV force to drop re-purposed canisters packed with high-explosives.<br />
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This experience subsequently informed the strategic and operational doctrines of both the UDF and the reformed (i.e. purged) Imperial Forces in that the technologically sophisticated weapons systems began to be viewed as an exquisitely crafted and expensive blade of tremendous penetrating power that nonetheless blunted quickly through frequent use. For this reason it began to be felt that what was required was a second line of sufficient mass and firepower that would be less sophisticated, and for therefore more affordable, that could get the job done - through blunt object trauma if need be - once the enemy's own, exquisitely wrought, first line of defences had been sufficiently burnt through to provide an opening.<br />
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The desire to test this new theory against a representation of an avowedly unconventional opposing force gave rise to the series of military exercises known as Operation Long Haul and all the attendant controversies that ensued when neighbouring Minarboria became thoroughly alarmed.<br />
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[[shire:The Anarchy of Angularis|The Anarchy of Angularis]] (1635-1640) was a five year period of disorder in which Elw ultra-nationalists and other separatist, anti-monarchist and anti-imperialist groups waged a low level insurgency, gradually extending their influence throughout the Vale of Angularis. These forces were violently suppressed by Elwynnese and Imperial Forces under the overall direction of the Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia in the Campaign of 1639, considered by some to be amongst one of the bloodiest episodes in modern Benacian history, second only to the Green Mortality of 1605 in the reign of Kaiser Aiomide, although this record was subsequently overtaken the calamities of the 1650s.<br />
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[[shire:Martial Law in Goldshire|Martial Law in Goldshire]] (1639) was declared after the assassination of the Goldshirean and Elwynnese Princes Arn and Rostam Ayreon-Kalirion by parties unknown in the year 1639. This being the third such attempt on a member of the Ayreon-Kalirion bloodline in which poison was administered in a secure environment, suspicion quickly turned to the Leonid Guard whose duty was to protect the family of the Emira of Sathrati. This latest failing proved to be final straw and the Royal Government of Goldshire, administered by the ESB-Jörmungandr Group, declared martial law and instigated a purge of suspect individuals and organisations within the Kingdom. That this poisoning was part of a wider conspiracy was proved when the secretive Assayers successfully, albeit temporarily, countermanded the martial law decree.<br />
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After two days of confusion, Queen Noor was able to reassert her authority and reinstated the martial law decree - adding to it the proscription of the now openly treacherous Assayers. The Assayers, more formally the Chamber of Assay of the Avakair Mint and Bullion Depository, had a fearsome reputation for being able to instil psychological terror and also a capacity for actual acts of terror, including abduction, torture and assassination, in pursuit of its relentless drive to try and maintain standards of purity in the 'gold standard' Erb and a ruthless determination to destroy any threats to that self same purity. This put them on an inevitable collision course with the ESB-Jörmungandr Group which has, no less ruthlessly, sought to promote its fiat currency - the Teldrin Thaler - throughout the river ports of the the Red Elwynn and beyond.<br />
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Faced by such a dangerous and unpredictable foe, and concerned about wavering morale amongst the Goldshire Regulars, the Royal Government, on the 11th of Araroqpinu 1639, invoked its right under the Martial Code of Shireroth to seek the assistance of Imperial Forces. The Imperial Government had already taken steps to order Leonid Guards based overseas to return to ESB run rendition facilities in Goldshire and Zy-Rodun. Now, with an official invitation, it could act with full force. The situation led inevitably to full blown [[shire:Civil War in Goldshire|civil war]] (1639-1643).<br />
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The civil war ended with the Armistice of Airle (Reire the 15th of Nomeziooqu, 1643), the terms of which surprisingly generous, by Shirerithian standards. Rebel leaders were castrated and sent to monasteries. Golems, alchemical artefacts and Gnostic grimoires meanwhile were be destroyed. Beyond this there was a prohibition on reprisals. Imperial Constabulary assumed responsibility for peacekeeping in Goldshire while the crimes of the rebels, as well as of pro-government militias were to be investigated equally by judicially appointed inquisitors.<br />
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The civil war saw a revival in the ancient Cedrist religion as well as the reintroduction of various practices such as gladiatorial combat, human sacrifice and the mass enslavement of displaced persons. The various factions on both sides sought to make the war pay for itself by resorting to the plunder of the opposing sides territory. Criminality also dramatically increased with the Mercaja side especially resorting to drugs smuggling, extortion, racketeering and the fraudulent transmutation of base metals into gold and silver in order to fund its operations.<br />
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Officially the Royal Government of Goldshire acknowledged 43,770 fatalities as a consequence of the civil war. It has however been suggested that these figures were deliberately underplayed to avoid causing embarrassment to the Alexandrian government during the negotiations leading up to the formation of the Sxiro-Alexandrian-Natopian Entente.<br />
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An estimate contained in a report by the ESB Group suggested a death-toll of 8,431,770, several orders of magnitude greater than the official tally. The reason for the disparity laid in the omission from official statistics of the victims of chemical weapons attacks carried out by the Imperial Forces and the death-toll from clean-up operations in Lunaris after the collapse of the organised rebellion. The report and its authors were suppressed and pulped by the Jaysh al-Sathrati on the orders of Queen Noor.<br />
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Holwinn and Lunaris felt the effects of the war disproportionately, with advance and retreat of first the Jaysh al-Sathrati and then the Army of the Golden Dawn which caught the civilian populations of those two counties in a desperate maelstrom of violent reprisal, where civilians were targeted as much as, if not more often than, the opposing combatants. 25% of the Lunatic population was killed or died of communicable diseases during the conflict whilst a staggering 41% of the population of the County of Holwinn perished as collateral damage after the Technomaezji unleashed its full arsenal of chemical and biological munitions in an attempt to halt the rebel advance towards Cabbagefall.<br />
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It was the scale of this slaughter which convinced Kaiser Dominus to initiate war-crimes trials against the guilty parties of both sides in the civil war. A matter of some embarrassment considering the support that the Imperial Government and the ESB Group had lavished on Queen Noor's private army. By the end of the war however the Jaysh was a broken force, discredited both morally and militarily.<br />
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[[File:Shireroth Current States 6337.png|thumb|right|The Imperial States and Imperial Dominions of Shireroth during the reign of Kaiser Dominus.]]<br />
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1644, the Year of the Four Kaisers, was a tumultuous moment in Shirerithian History which saw the deposition and murder of Kaiser Dominus, and the emergence of three claimants to the Golden Mango Throne.<br />
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The next cycle of wars that began with the Struggle for the South (1649–1651), a series of inter-related disputes and conflicts following the Elwynnese confiscation of Mishalan and the collapse, demotion and or dissolution of the Lich Realms of Lichbrook and Minarboria, ending the dominion of the dead over the lands of southern Benacia. The disputes saw an increase in anti-Elwynnese sentiment and the first semblance of opposition to the Ayreon-Kalirion dynastic succession to the Mango Throne.<br />
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The Struggle ended with the restoration of Mishalan, the establishment of the Domain of Malarboria and finally the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion of 1651]]. This decree marked the beginning of a systemic purge of [[Stormark|Storrish]] influence in the Imperial Republic. More specifically the expulsion of the House of Ettlingar Freyu and the Church of the Froyalanish Ancient Ways from the Elwynnese Union resulted from a double coup in Shirekeep and Eliria which brought to an abrupt end the Froyalanish hegemony over the Imperial Republic that had begun with the abdication of Prince Jonathan Ayreon-Kalirion in 1623 and the River War of 1635.<br />
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King Noah disputed the legality of his expulsion but failed to gain any measure of popular support at home or abroad, with the sole exception of the then Emperor of Natopia, Zakyyr. A complete rupture in the [[SANE|Sxiro-Natopian alliance]] was averted but Noah remained Natopian foreign minister for a time longer, prompting some awkwardness.<br />
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The speed of the collapse of Elwynnese resistance, combined with the success of the Imperial Government in delivering a fait accompli had brought the Auspicious Occasion to a swift and decisive conclusion, greatly limiting the destruction and loss of life endured by the Elwynnese. This contrasted strikingly with previous Imperial interventions in Dietsland, Goldshire, Lichbrook, Minarboria, Puritania and Voltrue over the course of the previous sixteen years.<br />
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On the Elwynnese side, the centralising of decision making powers into the hands of the King and his court had meant that once Noah was isolated and unable to maintain open communications the once formidable array of forces at his disposal gave a poor account of themselves, in marked contrast to their performance during the Year of the Four Kaisers seven years previously. The selection and advancement of officers noted for their loyalty to the Crown and love of pomp and pageantry over their professional ability had degraded the quality of command and control and led to a loss of the capacity for displays of individual initiative.<br />
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The Imperial Forces meanwhile had continued to expand, rearm and professionalise following the defeats endured in the River War and the Year of the Four Kaisers. The Imperial Army was performing at near the peak of operational readiness it had achieved during an abortive war scare with Jingdao in 1647, and its officers were highly motivated to gain revenge for the slights they had endured from the Elwynnese over the years.<br />
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The Imperial Forces were, to be sure, still bedevilled by the perennial problems of a creaking and sclerotic logistics chain as well as a command structure of bewildering complexity. Nonetheless the matter was resolved before these issues could make a decisive negative impact.<br />
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The Imperial Marshals had finally proved themselves with their involvement in the capture of Krull Palace. Unfettered by the constraints of the Martial Code they had been free to move assets into the city under the guise of rotating personnel out of the Imperial Legations, without the level of domestic surveillance that Imperial Forces transiting Elwynnese territory routinely had to endure.<br />
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Debate continues as to whether the establishment of a new period of dynastic rule constitutes a fourth era. In the past, using a discredited historiography and calendar, as many as seven eras were postulated. However, following the Auspicious Occasion, a more rational approach to historical research has taken hold and the process of investigating and verifying the reigns of the Kaisers of the early era, and indeed the nature of their rule, is ongoing.<br />
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One of the most notable attributes of the aftermath of the Auspicious Occasion was the systematic repudiation and destruction of much of what had previously been considered integral to Vanic and Froyalanish iconography. In many regards the Royal Government was obliged to legislate to keep up with the popular anger and the tearing down of Vanic monuments.<br />
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The smashing and destruction of the "viking helmet crowns" prominently displayed on all royal crests, proved to be an especially popular pastime amongst the masses.<br />
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The sudden fall of the House of Ettlingar Freyu threw into sharp reverse the expansionist policy pursued by Elwynn hitherto. Instead, under the terms of an agreement brokered in Eliria, Elwynnese territory was ceded to the Kingdom of Goldshire, the Dominion of Malarboria and the Imperial Republic itself - so as to form new Imperial Dominions.<br />
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The much reduced Elwynn would subsequently go on to cast off the last vestiges of monarchical rule and refound itself as a constitutional republic.<br />
<br />
Between 1636 and 1655, between the [[shire:Wars of the Dark Orchid|Wars of the Dark Orchid]], the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]], the [[Alexandrian Flu]], famine, emigration, and the [[War of Lost Brothers]] the population of Shireroth fell by 21% to 556 million.<br />
<br />
====Global war====<br />
<br />
The [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation]], reinvigorated by the War of Lost Brothers, had become an all consuming international phenomenon, whose reverberations were felt upon every continent. Particularly badly affected was the nascent [[Florian Republic]], whose dreams of great power status were cruelly dashed by an alternating succession of Shirerithian, Jingdaoese, and Natopian occupations of all or part of the country.<br />
<br />
More seriously for Shireroth was the challenge posed by the comparatively young yet economically powerful realm of [[Passio-Corum]] which, via the influence it enjoyed on the [[USSO]], seemed poised to rewrite the world economic order in its own favour. Although autarchic Shireroth was insulated from the worst of these economic shocks by its Benacian energy and mineral reserves and the free trade arrangements with allied and neutral states such as [[Natopia]], [[Constancia]], [[Caputia]], and [[Raspur Khanate|Raspur]], the long term challenge posed by Passio-Corum was long-term and structural. In the words of the then Steward, Waldemar Zinkgraven, ''"where [[Jingbuism]] is a disease of the skin, the [["A Sustainable Economy"|Cult of Superabundance]] is a disease of the heart"''.<br />
<br />
This gave the War of Lost Brothers an ideological edge that went some way towards explaining its duration and its bitterness.<br />
<br />
Up until 1654 Imperial propaganda had portrayed recent Benacian history as a procession of victories against ''federalists'', ''monarchists'', ''separatists'', ''particularists'', and ''schismatics'', extending the sway of the Golden Mango Throne over two thirds of the Benacian continent.<br />
<br />
By the end of this period however the Imperial Republic was increasingly butting up against the hard limits of its ability to project power beyond the bounds of its recently grasped borders. The former Minarborian Empire proved to be a graveyard for Imperial armies and expeditions, the cost of containing its rogue flora and fauna bordering upon the prohibitive, constraining Shirekeep to recognise, tolerate, and even occasionally cooperate with the recalcitrant and schismatic [[Kalgachia|Kalgachi]], who successfully clung to their mountain fastness and the rumoured chthonic realms beneath.<br />
<br />
Similarly the strained relationship with Jingdao, having snapped and unleashed the global war of unprecedented scale, ferocity, and duration, settled once more into stalemate with little yielded in the way of a decision for all the cost endured in terms of the blood and treasure squandered during four years of conflict.<br />
<br />
Most egregiously the so-called "Enterprise of Keltia", a cynical attempt to plunder an entire continent, had degenerated into a wretched debacle or piracy, libertinage, and fratricidal infighting that saw the invasion fleet fall apart before it had even finished assembling in the [[Warring Isles]]. The much anticipated [[War of the Casks|clash of arms]] with Nova England was in the end an exchange of missiles and a cycle of reciprocal raiding, scarcely distinguished from the [[Keltian Cod War]] which had preceded it.<br />
<br />
The debacle sealed the fate of Steward [[shire:Waldemar Zinkgraven|Burgrave Zinkgraven]], the architect of the aggressive policy in the west, and precluded his even contemplating standing for re-election. Zinkgraven's misfortune was to have been born into the provincial - Batavian - gentry. Without the protection of a distinguished bloodline or a connection to the [[shire:Tables of Ranks and Nobility|great houses]] there was no shelter to be had when the [[shire:Imperial Forces|military]] and [[shire:ESB Group|corporate]] patrons of his regime withdrew their favour. Ultimately he was reduced to a peripheral figure, sheltering with the [[Sea-Reavers]] who were his creatures, feuding with unpaid [[shire:Jaysh al-Sathrati|Babkhi mercenaries]], and skulking in the Warring Isles, contriving every means short of open defiance to avoid heeding the summons to return to [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] and account for his actions.<br />
<br />
Yet for all this Shireroth emerged from the ordeal with its sovereignty enhanced, its alliances in-tact, and its trading networks expanded. This being in contrast to a [[Jingdao]] wracked by internal dissent and dependent upon the economic muscle of the [[Haifo-Pallisican Imperial Trade Union|Pallisican]] [[Bassarid Federation|states]] to keep it on its feet.<br />
<br />
====Benacia's "graveyard of empires"====<br />
<br />
The aftermath of the war proved to be a difficult time for all the great powers, and this was as true in Shireroth as it was elsewhere in the world. With Zinkgraven cut lose to the wind, the appetite for overseas adventures amongst the Imperial Republic's ruling elites rapidly drained away. Yet they found that the war had left its mark upon Benacia also. The great battles of annihilation fought in the Shirerithian and Jingdaoese portions of the old [[Batavia]] had upended the status quo which had existed in that part of the world since the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]]. Batavians, joined by deserters from both armies, had formed into columns of unhappy myriads in flight eastwards away from the senseless destruction which tore through the heartland of that former kingdom. Blundering in their desperation to escape the horrors of war, these refugees rushed headlong into the no less diverting terrors that awaited in the treacherous landscape where nature itself had been warped by a [[Minarboria|perverted science]] into new and hideous forms of lethality. <br />
<br />
Shireroth and Kalgachia, the long time hegemons of the Inner Benacian ungoverned spaces, found that they were no-longer alone in the exercise of dominion. [[Kasterburg]] was the first to arise - its character, determined by its Montford founder, was conservative and militaristic. Whilst jealous of its sovereignty, there was kinship enough for a treaty of friendship and cooperation to be agreed upon. The Batavians who followed [[August Baerdemans|Vryheer Baerdemans]] were another matter. The suspected taint of the [[Jingdao|Jing]] laid heavy upon him and his, but while they skirmished ineffectually with the Yehudi of [[Nackholm]], no-one paid them much mind. <br />
<br />
This changed as a steadily strengthening [[Kasterburg]] reached out to [[Kalgachia]] and together coordinated the advance of their forces to establish a land corridor with mutually agreed upon frontiers. Kasterburg gained access to a new inland market whilst Kalgachia ended, for the moment, its waking nightmare of encirclement by Shireroth. <br />
<br />
It would have been pleasant to record that Shireroth reacted to this modest initiative on the part of its junior neighbours with equanimity. [[Fall Schwartz-Tilman|It did not]]. Instead the legions mustered, the gravimetric tanks wobbled improbably skywards, and the relentless bomber formations made sortie after sortie to level any and every structure that gave even the least hint of being man-made. For the free peoples of Inner Benacia, the wretched survivors of Minarboria's fall, this was the end - extermination or slavery beckoned. Yet even as the armoured fists of an Imperial Republic gripped by one of its periodic fits of hubris pounded down upon Highbloom, Nackholm, and Stonetree, the free peoples - Yehudi, Laqi, Tellian, and Mishalanski - found with what might have been their dying breath, the will to fight on. At Stonetree they made their stand. Stood before a ruined mausoleum, known to posterity simply as the Dolmen, they swore their pact to restore peace to their lands or perish in the attempt. It was perhaps their fortune to be facing Lywallers, reluctant conscripts to a cause not of their own chosing, rather than the blood-inured Imperials of the regular army, but it was a closest run thing, and the siege lasted into the fifth day when the first contingents of Yehudi fighters arrived on the heights overlooking the ruined and beleaguered city. Their arrival had been completely unexpected, the concurrent assault upon Nackholm was meant to have transfixed them to await their deaths besides their own hearths whilst the cordon of Kalgachi and Kasterburger garrisons ought to have arrest their progress eastwards. Yet here they were, and their arrival threw the exhausted Lywallers into confusion and rout. The fight went out of the besiegers and their flight southwards was a massacre that ended only when the vengeful pursuing Laqi ran up against the blocking detachments of [[shire:Imperial Marshals|marshals]] thoughtfully put in place to deal with deserters.<br />
<br />
For Shireroth the defeat was a humiliation, coming at the same time as fresh [[MCS|international condemnation]] of their reckless aggression, it seemed as though the perennial project of [[shire:Benacian Reconquest|subjugating all of Benacia]] was set for yet another of its periodic pauses.<br />
<br />
The surviving members of the so-called Free Communes, scarcely believing their luck, found that, after the storm had broken about their heads, they held field. It was now for them to decide upon what to do with their unexpected gain. To allow the land to revert to its native anarchy would put at risk all that they had, by such momentous sacrifice, sought to gain. Instead, recalling their pact before the dolmen, they swore solemn oaths to govern wisely and collectively. As improbable as it might have seemed a [[Republic of Inner Benacia|new polity]] was born. It was not alone.<br />
<br />
Espying the main chance, Vryheer Baerdemans gathered the paltry forces available to him - a scant militia backed by farmsteaders and cattle drovers - and set out on a brisk night march for Nackholm. With the Yehudi self-defence groups either exterminated by the Shirerithian onslaught or drawn eastwards to the famous battle at Stonetree, Nackholm had been denuded of defenders. Threading his way between legionary pickets, Baerdemans and his followers, stole into the bombed out ruins of northern Nackholm virtually unopposed and therein raised their banner and proclaimed in the ruins the founding of a new capital and the establishment of a [[Transbataafsche Vrystaat|new nation]]. When Shirekeep belatedly realised what was afoot their fury was unbounded - but it was almost too late. In spite of seven days and seven nights of aerial bombardment the blue and orange banner remained firmly nailed to the shattered casemate of the Yabotinsky Fortress.<br />
<br />
====The Octavian Interlude====<br />
<br />
From the reign of Kaiser Dominus to the fall of Waldemar Zinkgraven, the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] had enjoyed an almost unlimited independence and freedom of action, becoming almost a state within a state. Following the carnage of the [[War of Lost Brothers|1654-1657 War]] and the ebbing of territorial expansion the latitude afforded to the militarist factions and their [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|ideological fellow travellers]] by the Imperial Court began to become more circumscribed. In spite of dominating the Folksraad, the N&H Party and its Imperial Republican Party allies were unable to prevent the noble houses in the [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] from aligning to install the [[shire:Mira Octavius-Aryani|Count-Palatine of Kezan]] as [[shire:Steward|Steward]] for a second term.<br />
<br />
====Collapse of the Reformist movement====<br />
<br />
With the death of the Steward in a terrorist outrage, followed not long afterwards by the unexplained disappearance of the [[shire:Liv Dravot#Death|Imperial Mother]] from public life, the Humanist and Reformist camps in the Landsraad appeared to be poised once more for a renewal of civil war as the year 1663 drew towards its close.<br />
<br />
The election of the Duke of Calezi, a pragmatic reformer with a power base in the comparatively liberal state of Brookshire, as Steward helped to stabilise this affair before matters degenerated further. The Prince of Modan and the Simrani-Kalirion faction, preoccupied with establishing their rule over the former domain of Malarboria, were not interested in a destabilising conflict with Kezan - which in turn had silently made its point to its opponents. An atmosphere of relative calm was restored in the Landsraad and the measures proposed by the moderate [[shire:Jalal Jahanbani|Minister Jahanbani]] to improve and regularise the conditions of various categories of unfree persons enjoyed a measure of cross-party and cross-faction support.<br />
<br />
For the reformist diehards however, it appeared that a pattern had been established whereby the deep state, which leftists increasing came to refer to as a stratocracy, continued to exercise an effective veto over any attempt to change the fundamentally illiberal and inegalitarian character of the Imperial Republic, as such continuing to participate in the political processes of a regressive and repressive regime would only serve to burnish it with a patina of legitimacy that it ill deserved.<br />
<br />
Manifestations of dissent began to multiply, including the [[shire:Safirian Exodus|emigration]] of the last vestiges of the [[safir]] community in Shireroth.<br />
<br />
====White Plague====<br />
<br />
Beginning in {{Tooltip|1667|December 2018}} [[AN]] the [[White Plague]] spread from [[Natopia]]n [[Two Martyrs|colonies]] in southern Cibola along the [[SATCo|trade routes]] of the western hemisphere, spreading a fungal blight fuelled by the aggressive consumption of human flesh to [[Benacia]] and [[Natopia]]. The populations of Brookshire, Goldshire, and Modan were particularly severely affected, putting the long term survival of the Imperial Republic into doubt for the first time in a century.<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
<br />
Shireroth has been a multi-ethnic state for its entire existence and, since the decline of Cedrism in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, has also become multi-confessional.<br />
<br />
===Religion===<br />
{{quote<br />
|text=''Heaven laughs at us with contempt, whilst we labour in the dust and suffer through life in the name of their glory.'' |sign=Anon.|source="Common Shirerithian Sayings"}}<br />
====Cedrism====<br />
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====Holodomatic School====<br />
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====Zurvanism====<br />
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====Bovinism====<br />
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===Neofeudalism===<br />
<br />
'''Neofeudalism''' is a term used to describe the phenomena of collectivist-oligarchic rule that emerged in the Imperial Republic following the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]] of 1651, effectively replacing the fractious federative system of governance, where constitutional checks and balances were maintained by the entrenchment of the rights of [[shire:Imperial States|states]], with a new synthesis of familial, corporate and military power directed by numerous diffuse boards of control centrally coordinated by the [[shire:Imperial Advisory Council|Imperial Advisory Council]], whose powers were further entrenched at the expense of those formerly held by the Kaiser, following the revision and reissue of the [[shire:Charter|Charter]] in 1653.<br />
<br />
As neofeudalism became more entrenched during the administration of Burgrave [[shire:Waldemar Zinkgraven|Zinkgraven]] the key ministries of state were handed to corporations to hold "in-commission". These corporations were in turn primarily owned by the surviving members of the ancient noble houses and the more recently ennobled minor gentry, the so-called untitled lords, to whom the privileges of citizenship, the prospect of a seat on the [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] for instance, accrued. This process made citizens stakeholders in the state but also held out to denizens the prospect of advancement through service as technocrats in the institutions of state and the corporate bodies.<br />
<br />
The fate of the denizen is also instructive of the nature of the neofeudal society. Although elevation through service was an avenue of advancement for the able, those who, for whatever reason, were unable to sustain themselves through their own endeavour could voluntarily subordinate themselves by a declaration of submission whereby the denizen would become '''His Majesty's Loyal Subject''' and receive guaranteed protection and employment, whether from the state directly or through a noble house or corporation at the cost of surrendering theoretical liberty. Such a submission was by no means dishonourable, indeed all recruits to the ranks of the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] by their nature became His Majesty's Loyal Subjects and gain status subsequently through promotion through the ranks.<br />
<br />
By contrast [[Community Service Workers]] did indeed endure the conditions commonly associated with [[shire:Old Feudalism|Old Feudalism]]. Originally the condemned survivors of the [[shire:Froyalanish|Storish]] community in Shireroth, the male population was viciously and systematically castrated (testing certain theories about the regenerative potential of so-called [[shire:Vanafolk|Vanakarls]]) and assigned to expropriate their guilt through labour in the mines, factories, farms and lumber yards of Benacia whilst the females of breeding age were distributed as comfort women throughout the [[shire:Imperial Forces|armed forces]]. By these means, and through emigration and natural wastage, the storish population was systematically reduced over time, with active measures targeted against them scheduled to endure until the year 1752 AN. The perforce ethnically mixed off-spring of Community Service Workers were typically removed from the mother at birth, aside from their dubious ancestral culture, the vanafolk were assessed as possessing many genetically desirable traits, and made wards of the Kaiser. Male offspring in the first two generations would be castrated and returned to the Community Service Programme, females of desirable qualities would be adopted into noble households, and the remainder would be raised and educated at the expense of the state with the expectation that they would redeem the cost of their upkeep through work in various [[shire:Baths of Fjǫrleif|public institutions]].<br />
<br />
===Militarism===<br />
<br />
The origins of Shirerithian militarism can be traced as far back as the [[Jaris War]] (1503&ndash;1508 AN) but that conflict was most notable for the failure of the Shirerithian feudal host to effectively mobilise and exercise efficient command and control over the disparate yet quantitatively superior force which mustered to the banners to oppose the [[Babkha]]n-led [[Grand Commonwealth]] forces.<br />
<br />
For the greater part of its history the Imperial Republic was noted for the fractiousness and rebelliousness of its nobility, and this even extended to the forces which the Imperial Government mustered in its own defence - to the extent that the Kaiser's [[shire:Apollonian Guard|own bodyguard]] became famous for its indiscipline and laxity occasioning the assassination of at least one Kaiser. For the greater part of the 16th Century, with the sole exception of the Imperial Navy, the quality and quantity of the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] diminished appreciably over time as the old feudal structure gave way to a federal system where the emergent states had primary responsibility under the martial code for their own defence and security. Working in the Ministry of Military Affairs was consequently seen as a thankless and unrewarding task, frequently left to the most debased and inadequate functionaries available - including a [[shire:Barend Barentsz|blatant Jing double-agent]] and a [[shire:Laqi Hyrrion|dysfunctional revenant]]. Even the more than usually competent [[shire:Balarak Alaion|Balârak Âlaion]] would eventually succumb to insanity (and [[shire:Cabbage Crisis|''brassicosis'']]) and perish miserably in an attempt to seize the Imperial throne.<br />
<br />
What changed this situation was, after the [[Revolution of 1617|loss]] of [[shire:Kildare|Kildare]] in 1617 and the humiliation of [[shire:The River War|defeat at the hands of an over-mighty vassal]] in 1635, a growing movement to recover the diminished primacy of [[shire:Shirekeep|the metropolis]] over the provinces and to restore the Imperial Republic's position as a great power. <br />
<br />
Beginning with the ministry of [[shire:Thorgils Tarjeisson|Thorgils Tarjeisson]] in 1636, a succession of MoMAs oversaw a period of massive expansion and rearmament in the Imperial Forces, the [[shire:Martial Code|Martial Code]] was amended to establish an Imperial Army - ending the Kaiser's dependence upon state militias - and from 1646 onward the annual defence budget accounted for 40% of government expenditure. With this colossal expansion, defence contractors such as the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]], [[shire:Red Bear LLC|Red Bear LLC]], and [[shire:Ryker Airships|RAS]], achieved incomes that would have been unimaginable a decade earlier. Suitably engorged, these companies had no incentive to relinquish the teat of government expenditure and quickly came to an understanding with the [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|political movements]] most sympathetic to their world view. In this manner a [[wikipedia:Military–industrial complex|military-industrial complex]] was born that has sometimes been observed to be acting almost independently of the governing structures to which it was nominally subordinate. Between the [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation]] and the [[Benacian Reconquest]] there continues to be no end to the justifications which can be found for continuing military expenditure at eye-watering levels, for the frontier will never be so secure that the occasion will never call for a punitive expedition. Taxation and Imperial highhandedness continues also to generate resentments amongst the populace, particularly amongst denizens (the limited franchise free populace who make up almost three quarters of the Shirerithian population), driving in turn a seemingly never ending cycle of provincial rebellion and societal unrest which the Imperial Forces seem to gamely regard as training opportunities during the lulls in the external cycle of great power warfare.<br />
<br />
==Economy==<br />
''Main Article: [[Economy of Shireroth]]''<br />
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===Infrastructure===<br />
<br />
====Electronic Communications====<br />
<br />
In 1652 AN, the totality of all viable communications technologies operated within the Imperial Republic were consolidated into a single intranet based electronic system, the [[shire:Benacian Data Network|Benacian Data Network]], a successor to the earlier Elwnet operated by the Elwynnese state dating back to the independence era. As such there are no domestic television services in the regularly understood sense of the term, no interface permitting connection to any wider global communications network, and the only radio stations in operation exist primarily for the purpose of broadcasting propaganda and electromagnetic interference into [[Kalgachia|neighbouring states]]. In consequence the radio and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum in the Benacian continent remain overwhelmingly the preserve of the Shirerithian Imperial Government and its favoured corporate partners, reserved for their use accordingly.<br />
<br />
Both electronic and physical communication systems are under the control of the [[shire:Imperial Postal Service|Imperial Postal Service]]. Residents and visitors to Shireroth must apply for a licence to send and receive correspondence.<br />
<br />
====Imperial Highways and Roads====<br />
<br />
It has often been said in jest that the condition of the roads in the Imperial Republic were what gave the greatest impetus to the discovery and commercialisation of [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric levitation]].<br />
<br />
The roads of Shireroth are generally considered to be poor in quality and maintenance, particularly the further away from the Eastern Benacian Core (Eliria-Ardashirshahr-Shirekeep-Musica) one goes. Such inter-state routes as do exist are however maintained to a reasonable standard by the Imperial Highways Commission (IHC). For the most part the roads that fall below the purview of the IHC tend to become the responsibility of whichever tier of local government is least unwilling to pick up the cost. This has resulted in a patchwork of non-standard metalled and unmetalled roads, punctuated at irregular yet frequent intervals by tollposts operated by a myriad of authorities with ever shakier legal remits. Along the backwoods roads, maintenance - which consists often of a chain-gang of community servants heaping and pounding earth before laying a crude layer of gravel - is paid for by extortionate tolls levelled by almost literal robber barons.<br />
<br />
====Railways====<br />
The concept of an integrated railway network collapsed altogether following the disintegration of the Imperial Republic into quasi-independent states during the early 1600s. <br />
<br />
There have been periodic talks concerning the revival of the eastern Benacian inter-city services, whilst [[shire:Liv Dravot|Steward Dravot]] championed the construction of a Trans-Benacian Railway to link Shireroth's conquests in the far west to the Imperial Metropolis. These projects ultimately failed owing to a lack of investment. <br />
<br />
In the early 1660s the Trans-Benacian Railway, or Transben as it is sometimes affectionately known, has become a project championed by the [[shire:Ryker Everstone|King of Goldshire]]. The project however became mired in a myriad of disputes about costs, destinations, the routes to be taken or avoided, and the technologies to be utilised. As if this was not a sufficient impediment to progress, the Imperial Government subsequently became bogged down in factional fighting between [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|Humanist]] and [[shire:Ayreonist Independence Party|Ayreonists]] that blossomed into a civil war in [[shire:Elwynn]].<br />
<br />
<br />
Localised rail networks may still exist where a local authority, government agency, or corporation acted of their own initiative. Standardising the gauges of these local railways will be a major headache when integration and expansion does finally occur. The art of the railway timetable has been largely lost on Benacia, and trains tend to operate as almost as convoys departing on a given day rather than a regularly scheduled service. The services, siege trains as they are some times known, comprised of passenger carriages and cargo wagons lashed together to an armoured train sporting some antique [[80mm field gun|artillery piece]], provided with an armed escort of Imperial Marshals and Cudgellers. The reasons for these armed escorts vary - in Western Benacia they serve to ward off Batavian guerrillas, whilst in [[shire:Mishalan|Central Benacia]] the armoured trains are meant to afford some measure of scant protection against the unwanted advances of the invariably ravenous or lust-maddened [[Tyrannocricetus aliger|Tee-als]], Southern Benacia has experienced a revival in [[Laqi]] brigandry, whilst trains travelling into southern Elwynn frequently run afoul of the [[shire:Babkhi|Babkhi]] proclivity for home-brewing nitroglycerine. <br />
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The most recent new railway construction occurred in Goldshire during the late 1650s as the King of Goldshire, famously paranoid, emptied the treasuries of his realm to build a vast anti-invasion defensive wall along the entirety of his coastline. This major engineering feet, requiring the services of millions of his subjects, necessitated the construction of a series of railway lines running parallel to the course of the defensive barriers for the purposes of shipping construction materials, personnel, and stores, along its entire length.<br />
<br />
====Air travel====<br />
<br />
Airports (aerodromes) are few, mostly reserved for citizens and visiting foreigners, the main example of which being [[Shirekeep-Foley Aerodrome]], the main air hub for Shirekeep and the primary ''international'' airport in the Imperial Republic. Rather more common are the airship and gravship terminals (Lufthavens) which form the primary inter-city connection service in Eastern Benacia, based around the Goldshire-centric network maintained by [[shire:Ryker Airships|Ryker Airships]]. Gravship services connect neutral [[Senya]] with the Imperial States of [[Eliria Aerodrome|Elwynn]] and [[Mesior Lufthaven|Goldshire]]. Following the end of the latest [[War of Lost Brothers|global conflict]] there is at last potential scope to contemplate reviving regular scheduled air services to destinations in [[Natopia]], [[Constancia]], [[Caputia]], & [[Hoenn]].<br />
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There has been some debate as to whether Shireroth's infamous gravtanks, approaching nearly 25 years in service in some instances, might be disarmed and retired into the business of hauling cargo. Such proposals run up against the famed reluctance of the Imperial Forces to relinquish any even vaguely serviceable equipment until the very moment that it literally falls apart. <br />
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====Travel restrictions====<br />
<br />
The traditional port of disembarkation for foreigners is the free-port of Musica in Brookshire. Chartered river services, either to the airship terminal at Meisor or alternatively along the full length of the Red Elwynn, are the most efficient method of reaching the capital from there. In general, riverine and coastal shipping services are a cost efficient method of moving between the major cities.<br />
<br />
The land borders of the Imperial Republic remain closed and under quarantine. The only exceptions are the international borders with Tellia (including the Tellian Mandate) and the Sxiro-Kalgachi Designated Exchanges Point on the common frontier. Unpleasant consequences attend upon those attempting to enter Shireroth overland from the ungoverned spaces of inner Benacia.<br />
<br />
After smugglers, the most persistent violators of the Imperial Republic's strict border regime are the [[Transbatavia|Voortrekkers]], Batavians moving out of Imperial territory into the ungoverned spaces. Although generally tolerated, politely but firmly turned around by the [[shire:Imperial Marshals|Imperial Marshals]] if caught in the act of staging an illegal crossing, since relations or at the very least dialogue was established with [[Kasterburg]] and the Batavian national movement, the foolhardly Voortrekkers who had passed through the territory of the Military Government of Westpoint in an effort to reach the [[Northbloom|Fort Ermingander pocket]] were made a severe example of after their presence was discovered.<br />
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===Education and academia===<br />
<br />
No formal universal education system exists in the Imperial Republic, leaving education to be the responsibility of the Imperial States, Imperial Dominions, local governments, guilds, private institutions and charitable enterprises. The level of provision, and the adequacy of education provided, can vary dramatically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, depending on the capacity and initiative of the myriad of governing entities in the Imperial Republic's sprawling neo-feudal edifice.<br />
<br />
In the year 1663 it was been estimated that there were 215.5 million Shirerithians between the ages of 5 and 15 (approximately 38% of the population) undergoing or expected to undergo an education. <br />
<br />
*Apprenticeships: 109.2 million<br />
*Not in Education, Employment or Training: 50 million<br />
*Charitable/Religious Schools: 26.9 million<br />
*Local Authority Schools: 15.7 million<br />
*Guild Schools: 9.2 million<br />
*Military & Community Service Schools: 4.50 million<br />
<br />
The various apprenticeship schemes operated in Shireroth vary in scale from employment with the local village baker or cobbler all the way up to the National Service scheme in Goldshire, reputedly the largest apprenticeship programme in Benacia if not in all of Micras, which combines five years of military service[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=20337(1)] (ages 17&ndash;22) and rigorous schooling in [[shire:Praeta|Praeta]][https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=21923(1)], the revived language of empire and [[shire:Cedrism|faith]] without which societal and career advancement in the modern Imperial Republic is increasingly impossible.<br />
<br />
Although packs of feral urchins had been one of the great plagues of Benacia for centuries, the realisation that up to fifty million children were avoiding schooling, apprenticeships, or labour altogether, constituted a great scandal, shocking to [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|National-Humanists]] and Reformists alike. Proposals for the establishment of a continent wide network of ''Foundation Schools'', paid for by a poll tax levied upon denizens, were swiftly advanced to the Imperial Advisory Council in the 11th month of 1663.<br />
<br />
Paradoxically, Shireroth was well served with an abundant, perhaps almost excessive, number of universities, including a [[shire:Higher education in Elwynn|great number]] established in Elwynn. Alongside the Elwynnese institutions the [[shire:Metzler University|Metzler University]] in [[shire:Shirekeep]] and the [[shire:University of Goldshire|University of Goldshire]] in Wendor are the foremost, although the [[shire:Imperial Academy|Imperial Academy]] and the [[shire:Chryste#Royal University of Chryste|Royal University of Chryste]] are also considered to be rising institutions. It has been said by some that the comparative vibrancy of Shirerithian higher education owed more to the vanity of its rulers, and their desire for honorary degrees, than to their farsightedness or philanthropic spirit.<br />
<br />
In spite of once being home to reputable academic institutions, the cities of [[Nackholm]], [[Sansabury]] and [[&zeter]], are presently without universities on account of the disasters which befell Inner Benacia during its recent history. In spite of this, the ruins continue to attract teams of academics in their scores, and it is likely that these congregations of enquiring minds, combined with a dollop of state and corporate patronage, may yet lead to a revival of academia in what is now the [[shire:State of Modan|State of Modan]].<br />
<br />
Literacy rates vary dramatically according to class, race, and gender, but by the barest universal measurement - being able to write their own name and recite from text a verse in praise of the Kaiser - 77% of male denizens, along with 69% of their female counterparts, are defined as "literate" by the Ministry of the Interior.<br />
<br />
==Demographics==<br />
<br />
The Shirerithian population is distributed unevenly into the following categories: 1% citizens, 82% denizens, 9% in loyal subjecthood, and 11% in community servitude.<br />
<br />
By subdivision these are distributed as follows:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
! Subdivision !! Jurisdiction !! Citizens !! Denizens !! Loyal Subjects !! Community Servitors !! TOTAL<br />
|-<br />
! Agnesia<br />
| ELW || 182,712 || 18,513,458 || 0 || 0 || 18,696,170<br />
|-<br />
! Alalehzamin<br />
| ELW || 482,247 || 40,111,222 || 0 || 0 || 40,593,469<br />
|-<br />
! Amarr<br />
| MAL || 57,044 || 5,932,854 || 601,046 || 710,023 || 7,300,967<br />
|-<br />
! Amity<br />
| JKM || 125,013 || 13,500,000 || 2,105,661 || 3,017,236 || 18,747,910<br />
|-<br />
! Angularis<br />
| MAL || 16,050 || 2,210,113 || 221,012 || 902,175 || 3,349,350<br />
|-<br />
! Araxion<br />
| ELW || 97,153 || 10,192,888 || 0 || 0 || 10,290,041<br />
|-<br />
! Automatica<br />
| ELW || 83,290 || 8,199,991 || 0 || 0 || 8,283,281<br />
|-<br />
! Batavia<br />
| BAT || 8,017 || 582,972 || 443,917 || 5,108,063 || 6,142,969<br />
|-<br />
! Benacia–Iridia<br />
| MAL || 3,107 || 503,134 || 32,046 || 41,428 || 579,715<br />
|-<br />
! Cape Farewell<br />
| ELW || 105,808 || 9,846,340 || 0 || 0 || 9,952,148<br />
|-<br />
! Caverden<br />
| BRK || 162,066 || 15,871,071 || 816,186 || 708,363 || 17,557,686<br />
|-<br />
! Cimmeria with Illumination<br />
| ELW || 76,863 || 9,877,991 || 0 || 0 || 9,954,854<br />
|-<br />
! Crowsilver<br />
| GLD || 20,027 || 2,770,000 || 180,073 || 210,032 || 3,180,132<br />
|-<br />
! Dietsland<br />
| CPS || 5,024 || 600,199 || 60,774 || 85,752 || 751,749<br />
|-<br />
! Eliria<br />
| ELW || 304,104 || 9,188,991 || 0 || 0 || 9,493,095<br />
|-<br />
! Elsyran<br />
| GLD || 203,886 || 20,346,856 || 2,019,007 || 719,771 || 23,289,520<br />
|-<br />
! Fiorecittà<br />
| TEL || 5,049 || 512,000 || 0 || 0 || 517,049<br />
|-<br />
! Florencia<br />
| MAL || 102,992 || 1,477,911 || 138,141 || 111,192 || 1,830,236<br />
|-<br />
! Froyalan NR<br />
| FNR || 2,138 || 198,186 || 115,607 || 6,101,880 || 6,417,811<br />
|-<br />
! Hawshire–Dura<br />
| HSD || 43,761 || 3,220,240 || 0 || 0 || 3,264,001<br />
|-<br />
! Highpass<br />
| MAL || 3,977 || 148,530 || 320,142 || 103,573 || 576,222<br />
|-<br />
! Holwinn<br />
| GLD || 67,663 || 8,936,977 || 618,575 || 210,057 || 9,833,272<br />
|-<br />
! Iserdia<br />
| ELW || 270,057 || 25,888,199 || 0 || 0 || 26,158,256<br />
|-<br />
! Kezan<br />
| KZN || 264,407 || 1,762,714 || 0 || 0 || 2,027,121<br />
|-<br />
! Kralizec<br />
| BRK || 110,018 || 11,056,432 || 654,991 || 430,124 || 12,251,565<br />
|-<br />
! Lachmeren<br />
| MAL || 80,631 || 7,932,854 || 486,062 || 7,001,662 || 15,501,209<br />
|-<br />
! Lachmodan<br />
| MAL || 150,013 || 15,451,711 || 1,981,162 || 651,555 || 18,234,441<br />
|-<br />
! Lunaris<br />
| GLD || 70,084 || 7,220,283 || 4,531,019 || 2,162,614 || 13,984,000<br />
|-<br />
! Lywall<br />
| LYP || 3,483 || 354,211 || 914,610 || 813,103 || 2,085,407<br />
|-<br />
! Lywind<br />
| MAL || 94,103 || 9,715,777 || 971,016 || 204,356 || 10,985,252<br />
|-<br />
! Mar-Sara<br />
| MSR || 220,701 || 2,305,263 || 110,076 || 942 || 2,636,982<br />
|-<br />
! Mil Gov Oleslaad<br />
| MGO || 2,167 || 336,137 || 17,280 || 5,291,074 || 5,646,658<br />
|-<br />
! Mil Gov Westpoint<br />
| MGW || 9,037 || 981,238 || 51,842 || 4,718,037 || 5,760,154<br />
|-<br />
! Mirioth<br />
| JKM || 78,535 || 7,440,305 || 817,353 || 510,916 || 8,847,109<br />
|-<br />
! Mishalan<br />
| MSH || 173,524 || 17,000,111 || 2,018,571 || 3,052,055 || 22,244,261<br />
|-<br />
! Monty Crisco<br />
| BRK || 148,826 || 13,816,992 || 1,001,874 || 651,047 || 15,618,739<br />
|-<br />
! Musica with Delta<br />
| BRK || 88,242 || 8,019,187 || 817,010 || 1,402,026 || 10,326,465<br />
|-<br />
! New Blackstone<br />
| NBL || 810 || 75,865 || 46,807 || 15,682 || 139,164<br />
|-<br />
! Puritania<br />
| CPS || 4,237 || 430,039 || 102,025 || 100,017 || 636,318<br />
|-<br />
! Raikoth<br />
| ELW || 30,176 || 2,001,002 || 0 || 0 || 2,031,178<br />
|-<br />
! Romero<br />
| TEL || 8,534 || 700,100 || 0 || 0 || 708,634<br />
|-<br />
! Rossavro<br />
| TEL || 5,199 || 510,100 || 0 || 0 || 515,299<br />
|-<br />
! Savona<br />
| TEL || 4,412 || 400,300 || 0 || 0 || 404,712<br />
|-<br />
! Scoglitto<br />
| TEL || 2,103 || 234,500 || 0 || 0 || 236,603<br />
|-<br />
! Shimmerspring<br />
| MAL || 2,981 || 105,045 || 201,050 || 623,991 || 933,067<br />
|-<br />
! Shirekeep<br />
| SHK || 427,166 || 21,791,866 || 6,018,917 || 1,819,582 || 30,057,531<br />
|-<br />
! Skyla<br />
| BRK || 7,816 || 420,991 || 433,173 || 318,917 || 1,180,897<br />
|-<br />
! So-Sara<br />
| JKM || 102,881 || 12,170,024 || 8,001,766 || 3,916,532 || 24,191,203<br />
|-<br />
! Suthergold<br />
| GLD || 208,882 || 19,728,215 || 1,187,913 || 210,491 || 21,335,501<br />
|-<br />
! Talenore<br />
| TNR || 5,131 || 3,524,094 || 0 || 0 || 3,529,225<br />
|-<br />
! Transamarr<br />
| TEL || 9,117 || 819,199 || 0 || 0 || 828,316<br />
|-<br />
! Utasia<br />
| ELW || 189,155 || 18,991,001 || 0 || 0 || 1,918,156<br />
|-<br />
! Vattnaland<br />
| ELW || 60,328 || 6,406,145 || 0 || 0 || 7,506,665<br />
|-<br />
! Voltrue<br />
| CPS || 8,175 || 1,065,332 || 435,750 || 67,186 || 1,576,443<br />
|-<br />
! Wintergleam<br />
| GLD || 29,129 || 3,050,702 || 2,100,201 || 2,018,881 || 7,198,913<br />
|-<br />
! Yardistan<br />
| JKM || 298,186 || 38,560,730 || 6,791,771 || 4,306,660 || 49,975,347<br />
|-<br />
! Z and Azarea<br />
| BRK || 4,017 || 340,999 || 610,100 || 410,175 || 1,365,291<br />
|-<br />
! Zy-Rodun<br />
| ZYR || 1,607 || 140,468 || 415,100 || 483,017 || 1,040,192<br />
|-<br />
! TOTAL<br />
| IRS || 5,331,861 || 443,490,055 || 48,389,626 || 59210187 || 556,421,729<br />
|}<br />
<br />
It should be noted that Shireroth, unusually for an industrialised empire, manages to combine the advantages of a high birth rate with a high mortality rate, particularly amongst the lower orders. Its system of governance, which limits the democratic rights of the majority of the population to participation in the lower tiers of local government and voting for the largely powerless Folksraad, avoids the welfare trap which liberal democratic societies are so often prone to falling into. There are those who would maintain that this situation, which in many other societies might be regarded as calamitous, is setting the scene for an outbreak of revolutionary violence. Sages however note that ''"where people toil from sunrise to sunset for a bare living, they nurse no grievances and dream no dreams"''. In spite of there being almost always an uprising or rebellion ongoing somewhere in Shireroth, the conditions for a revolutionary upheaval remains unfulfilled so long as the [[shire:Imperial Forces|military]], backed by the nobility and corporations united in self-interest, remains overwhelmingly powerful.<br />
<br />
The Shirerithian societal model is driven by a low marriage age - the age of majority is 15 years, and a high rate of fertility within marriage. The burden of caring for the elderly, particularly those who lack the means to pay for their own upkeep, falls primarily on families, religious communities, and those local governments which feel inclined or obliged to make provision. Provision for the elderly can vary from dedicated care homes to workhouses where the decrepit earn their daily bread and tea through picking strands of hemp and other menial tasks. A study of a cohort of denizens taken in 1662 on the island of [[shire:Amity|Amity]] showed that out of 100 boys born in 1600 AN, 85 survived to 22, 74 to 32, 58 to 42, 47 to 52 and 36 to 62. For girls the corresponding percentages were 73, 54, 47, 39 and 28.<br />
<br />
Aside from the notorious situation in [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] during the decades following the "Green Mortality" of 1602, most urban population centres have benefited from the introduction of modern or at least quasi-modern sanitation systems over the course of the 17th Century. For this reason, cholera and typhoid fever, the curses of Benacia during the 15th and 16th Centuries, have largely abated.<br />
<br />
==Links==<br />
*[http://shireroth.org/forum/index.php Discussion Boards]<br />
*[http://www.shireroth.org/ Website]<br />
<br />
[[category:Nations]]<br />
[[category:Shireroth]]<br />
[[category:Small Commonwealth]]<br />
[[Category:SANE]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Shireroth&diff=96866Shireroth2019-01-02T18:13:14Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Collapse of the Reformist movement */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
{{Infobox Nation Comprehensive<br />
|fullname = Imperial Republic of Shireroth<br>''Sxiroþ''<br />
|commonname = Shireroth<br />
|flag = File:Shire flag.png<br />
|coa = File:COA Shireroth.png<br />
|motto = ''[[Shireroth sumus. Tempus in parte nostrum est.]]''<br />
|anthem = [[shire:The Benacian Beast|The Benacian Beast]]<br />
|map = File:Shireroth Current 6337.png<br />
|mapversions = All<br />
|capital = [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]]<br />
|largecity = <small>Shirekeep, [[shire:Ardashirshahr|Ardashirshahr]] Allswell, Araxion, Citadel, Cortallia, Demonsfall, Echo, Glenfiddich, Mesior, Nee</small><br />
|lang = [[shire:Præta|Præta]] (official), [[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani]] (administrative), [[shire:Elw|Elw]], Yardistani<br />
|demnoun = Shirerithian, Shirithian<br />
|demadj = Shirerithian, Shirithian<br />
|govtype = [[shire:Shirocracy|Federative Constitutional Monarchy]]<br />
|headofstatetitle = [[shire:The Kaiser|Kaiser of Shireroth]]<br />
|headofstate = [[shire:Kaiser Ayreon IV|Kaiser Ayreon IV]]<br />
|religion = [[shire:Cedrism|Cedrism]]<br />
|headofgovernmenttitle = [[shire:Steward|Steward]]<br />
|headofgovernment = [[shire:Hartmut Aldric|Duke of Calezi]]<br />
|legislature = Landsraad<br />
|estdate = 1443 [[shire:AN|AN]] (24 April 2000)<br />
|agerank = NA<br />
|area = NA<br />
|arearank = NA<br />
|pop = 556,421,729<br />
|activepop = n/a<br />
|poprank = NA<br />
|currency = Erb (€)<br />
|abbrev = IRS<br />
|site = [[shire:Main Page|ShireWiki]]<br />
|forum = [http://bastionunion.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=14 Shirithian Forum]<br />
|animal = ''[[wikipedia:Irish elk|Benacian Megaloceros]] <small>(the Benacian Beast)</small>''<br />
|food = Mango<br />
|drink = [[Treesian Red]]<br />
|tree = [[Malarbor]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''The Imperial Republic of Shireroth''', or simply '''Shireroth''' ([[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani]]: ['ʃaɪɻ.ɻɑθ]; [[Yardistani]]: ''Širo'' ['ʃi.rɔ]; [[shire:Præta|Praeta]]: ''Sxiro'') is a [[shire:Shirerithian Neofeudalism|neo-feudal]] empire that has dominated the Benacian continent, as well as vast swathes of the globe at various intervals, for more than two hundred and fourteen years under the [[shire:Norton Calendar|Norton calendar]]. It is, not withstanding its largely mythical history, by any reasonable standard the most ancient of the surviving states on Micras. <br />
<br />
==Government==<br />
<br />
===Kaiser===<br />
<br />
The Kaiser is the monarch of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth. Historically this position was autocratic, if not despotic in scope, but with successive constitutional reforms it became more akin to the traditional role of a constitutional monarch.<br />
<br />
Originally, the Kaisers of Shireroth simply served as nothing more than warrior kings and politically leaders of the Realm. Their presence in folklore, myths and in religion only grew over time. The tale of Rrakanychan who was defeated by one of the early Kaisers (some sources mention Raynor I, but others depict one of his successors as the hero) is a primary example of the central role of the Kaisership in Cedrism. With the need to strengthen central authority, Kaisers often used religious customs and myths to unite the several ethnic groups under one banner.<br />
<br />
While not holding any official religious position, the Kaiser was depicted as highest representative of the Gods (above the High Priests) and on some rare occasions dead Kaisers have even been considered to have achieved a strange kind of apotheosis. Kaiser Mog I became infamous for granting land to another nation and became God of Political Blunders while Raynor II made an attempt to - literally - catapult himself into godhood by constructing a huge catapult; an idiotic fable. Kaiser Gaelen IV made an attempt to expand the position of the Kaiser by establishing the Imperial Cult, which received little popularity outside of the Imperial Household.<br />
<br />
Historically, the powers granted the Kaiser were limitless. The Kaiser was the ''fons honorum'', granting all titles and holding all lands, granting them in fief. In practice however the Kaisers were heavily circumscribed in their ability to enjoy the vast powers nominally within their gift. With monotonous regularity, Kaisers were assassinated, deposed, or felt obliged to resign to avoid unspecified consequences. So deeply ingrained did this practice of deposition become that the average duration of a Kaiser's reign - about three years - became culturally ingrained. On the occasions where a Kaiser survived past the three year mark, awkward questions might be asked in the Landsraad and the first ominous rumblings of discontent could be heard out in the provinces.<br />
<br />
The effect of this was to make many Kaisers into transient non-entities who spent their reigns balancing a myriad of threats, appeasing their overmighty subjects and trying to ward off the inevitable knife in the back. This brought constant change to the government, and was justified as ensuring that the Imperial Bloodlines continued to receive a fair opportunity to obtain the highest office in the land. The high turn over also paid lip service to the republican and meritocratic ideals of Shireroth's peculiar brand of governance. Over time the quality of the nobles who attained the Kaisership began to decline markedly - with each successive candidate becoming, seemingly, progressively more self-serving and or imbecilic. The reasons for this decline has been debated continually over the course of decades. For the most part the prevailing consensus is that as the powers of the Kaiser became increasingly curtailed by the stringency of the reformed Charter and the particularist tendencies of the Imperial States so the candidates who continued to be attracted to the role began to value the form over the substance of high office, beginning an inevitable march towards mediocrity.<br />
<br />
In the year 1648 during the reign of Kaiseress Noor that tradition was done away with because it was no longer deemed suited to the modern age and ran contrary to the sacred interests of strong and stable leadership in a properly ordered, coordinated and harmonious Imperial Republic. In consequence thereof any Kaiser nowadays reigns for an indefinite term. The succession, furthermore, has become dynastic, with the grandson of Noor, Ayreon IV attaining the Golden Mango Throne during his minority. Thus, almost unprecedentedly, the reigning stewards of the early 1650s are also regents.<br />
<br />
Following the promulgation of the Imperial Charter of 1654 the Kaiser ceded most his remaining executive powers to the Steward, who was henceforth to be elected by the Landsraad, and to the Imperial Advisory Council, which would handle the arrangements pertaining to any regency period during a Kaiser's minority. The Kaiser does however remain the font of honour and can dismiss the Steward at his pleasure, albeit at the risk that the Landsraad may vote the same Steward straight back into office.<br />
<br />
===Imperial Advisory Council & Ministries===<br />
<br />
===Landsraad===<br />
<br />
===Imperial Judex===<br />
<br />
==Foreign relations==<br />
<br />
Shireroth, with its long established empire and sphere of influence, is an active participant in the geopolitical and strategic affairs of [[Micras]]. It's level of engagement is demonstrated by its membership of the [[Micras Treaty Organisation]] and the [[Raspur Pact]], as well as in the global reach of the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]]. At various times in its history an isolationist power, Shireroth has also been noted for its intense rivalries with [[Babkha]], [[Jingdao]], and [[Kalgachia]]. In the case of Jingdao the causes of the [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation|enduring conflict]] can be traced back to the [[Revolution of 1617|loss]] of [[Kildare]], to which Shireroth remained largely unreconciled until it had fully grown into its role as [[Benacia]]n hegemon, which in turned served as the primary driver for tensions between the Imperial Republic and the ''Garden of Kalgachia''.<br />
<br />
It has not been entirely unheard of for diplomats whose letters of credential have been rejected or rescinded, for whatever reason, to be sacrificed to the [[shire:Malarbor|daemonic tree]] firmly rooted in the grounds of [[shire:Raynor's Keep|Raynor's Keep]].[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3(1)] This is surprisingly less controversial than might otherwise be expected.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
''For a more in depth treatment of the various (mutually contradictory) histories of Shireroth, please peruse the [[shire:Main Page|Shirewiki]].''<br />
<br />
The general tradition is that Shireroth was founded as a successor state to the enlightened and technologically advanced Empire of Khaz Modan (-1211bN to -0bN) which was brought to an end by a sudden and violent cataclysm brought on by dabbling in inter-dimensional research, which seldom ends well. In this instance the experimentation of the so-called mages established a connection between Micras and a [[shire:Balgurd|pocket hell-dimension]] which allowed [[shire:Daemons|hostile entities]] to enter this plane of existence, whilst concurrently releasing a pulse of energy which destroyed the Empire's home island and plunged the western hemisphere into a dark age that was, not coincidentally, the '''First Era''' (circa 0 AN to circa 880 AN).<br />
<br />
Shireroth rose from the ashes of the Khaz Modani Empire in the form of the Duchy of Brookshire that rose in Southern Benacia under the House of Raynor. After a successful conquest of Goldshire by Brookshire's proficient armies, the newly-gained territory was incorporated in union with Brookshire under the name Shireroth. The capital, Shirekeep, was established as a fortified position on the confluence of the Rivers Elwynn.<br />
<br />
This unity proved to be extremely transient and the '''Second Era''' (878 – 1442) was dominated by warring states, who somewhat tenuously laid claim upon the bloodlines of the Kaisers of the preceding era, which vied for dominion over the course of the Red Elwynn between Shirekeep and Musica. An increasing reliance upon necromancy and daemons on the part of the houses as they struggled for paramountcy saw the society of the duchies of Brookshire and Goldshire progressively undermined until, after the diabolical pact of Kaiser John, those who remained were unable to maintain the sovereignty of eastern Benacia in the face of foreign colonists.<br />
<br />
===Third Era===<br />
[[File:Imperial Charter of Shireroth.png|thumb|left|The ''[[shire:Charter of the Imperial Republic|The Imperial Charter of Shireroth]]'' was written down during the Third Era.]]<br />
<br />
Shireroth's modern founding was in 1442 (the beginning of the Third Era). Foreign recognition of the Kaisership occurred later, in approximately 1462, with Erik Mortis becoming Kaiser Metzler I. The accurate record keeping in the Imperial Household began with Gaelen II in 1465, and all [[shire:List of Kaisrs|accession dates]] after that are taken to be authentic.<br />
<br />
Having established dominance of the Benacian continent, the Kaisers of the House of Raynor eventually expanded their reach to Yardistan and Kildare. Despite further acquisitions, these initial territories constituted the core "Ancient Duchies" of Shireroth for many ages.<br />
<br />
Although the Duchies frequently rebelled against the Kaiser and fought each other, their unity within Shireroth was maintained by an informal system of quality control wherein the succession of the Kaisership was passed through individuals with proven ability to rule (with occasional notorious exceptions) ensuring that their attitude toward Shireroth's restive fiefdoms, while often less than amiable, was neither harsh enough nor feeble enough to precipitate those territories' complete break from the government in Shirekeep.<br />
<br />
Legitimacy rested upon descent from Kaiser Raynor I. After seventeen centuries, much of Western and Central Benacia, as well as a fair smattering of Babkhi and Kildari can claim this boon. Nonetheless the frequently rotating succession remained within the clutches of a dozen or so noble houses who jealously guarded their notoriously intermarried bloodlines. In spite of the the vigilance of the Imperial Republic's noble oligarchs there have been several "sanglorian" Kaisers in the modern era, alongside a half dozen inhuman Kaisers (whether revenants or aliens). As the Third Era wore on, things became progressively stranger, until a measure of sanity was restored by the confirmation of the dynastic succession in the hands of the House of Ayreon-Kalirion, itself being however troubled by some of its dynastic associations.<br />
<br />
====Feudal Shireroth====<br />
<br />
Shireroth in its present form began inauspiciously. The last Kaiser of the second era, John II, a greedy and unscrupulous ruler who had consorted with daemons to further his rule, had been overthrown by Kaiser Erik II and torn apart by the Shirekeep mob. Erik however proved to be a weak ruler who failed to control the populist forces he had unleashed. The so-called Direct Democracy Riots destabilised eastern Benacia, which was at that time under vassalage to [[Audentior]]. Erik's provisional government ended abruptly in the seventh month of 1444 when Audentior, tired of the anarchy, formally annexed Shireroth. Erik was allowed to keep his title and history records that his reign continued for another year.<br />
<br />
He was succeeded by his son, the eccentric and irascible Kaiser Brrapa V, who in 1446 staged a successful attempt to break away from Audentior's crumbling colonial empire. The effort was perhaps not so successful however as the act of secession was followed immediately by annexation by the [[Flying Islands of Jasonia]] in the same year. <br />
<br />
The chaos resumed with renewed vigour during the reign of Brrapa's grandson, Gaelen I, during which time Shireroth broke away from Jasonia (1451), found itself ensnared in the Amity Crisis (1451–1452) with its former colonial master, witnessed the final submission of Elwynn (1452), was ruled by Commonwealth of Benacia (1455–1458), embroiled in the Paramount War (1456), became a partner in the Hegemony of Alexandros (1458–1466) and part of the [[United Republic of Tymaria]] after 1461. It was a period during which many unstable and declining states sought to ward off collapse by voluntarily merging into ever larger, ever more diffuse, and ever more unwieldy, federations. The last and largest of these, Tymaria, spanned the globe like a colossus. It's federal structure and competing [[Attera]]n and [[Apollo Sector|Apollonian]] centres of power however meant that it was a giant with feet of clay.<br />
<br />
Whilst the overarching empire spiralled into ever more doomed complexity, the office of Kaiser began to gain the attributes of an absolute monarchy under Kaiser Gaelen II, and recreated a small feudal system with two Duchies, [[Brookshire]] and [[Goldshire]]. The feudal system was expanded vastly to include a new level, Baron, and the [[Landsraad]] became a major organ of government. Shireroth soon became much more important than its subordinate status would indicate as [[Patrick Foley]] chose to bequeath the remnants of the UAS to it as the [[Duchy of Kildare]]. With a number of military-oriented types like [[Daniel K]] and [[Greg Russell]]. Shireroth would go on to gain De facto independence from Tymaria (1466) during the reign of Kaiser Mors I (1466–1468). In the year 1467 however Philip Locke set a fire amongst the papers of the government record office. Infamy and a significant lacuna ensued.<br />
<br />
Formal secession from Tymaria was deferred until the reign of Kaiseress Viviantia I (1469–1470) and not long afterwards the states of Hyperborea, Yardistan, Jaris, and Akerbjorn fell under Shirerithian rule. It was perhaps unease at this rapid expansion which prompted Kaiser Mog (1472–1473) into his foolish attempt to cede Amity and Mirioth. His reward was deposition and death in the wake of Letifer's Revolt.<br />
<br />
The Battle of Cimmeria (1477) is the conventional name given to a partially successful attempt to defend Shireroth against the depredations of a slightly unlikely group going by the name of Anarchy 21. Kaiser Raynor X, who had arrived late to the battle, then declared the day a national holiday, and rewarded its heroes. Robert Belci, a Crandishman, and Harvey Steffke, a Menelmacari, were given honorary citizenship and military awards. Stjepan Aracic, already an honorary citizen, was given double honorary citizenship. More substantially Jadie Mathematician was made the Duchess of Goldshire.<br />
<br />
====Federal Shireroth====<br />
<br />
This system began to break down from the approximate time of Kaiser Letifer III (1512-1514 AN), wherein the old reliable noble houses faded from prominence and the Kaisership was passed to increasingly less competent and more self-interested individuals. The ensuing bitterness caused those elements of the old guard remaining to become cantankerous and lose the knack of wise rule themselves, culminating in the notorious House System; an enormous feudal reform which attempted to codify the chaotic situation by making the retention of one's land holdings essentially dependent on one's skill in political skullduggery. Naturally the ensuing mess produced victims, the foremost of whom being the disenfranchised population of Elwynn who responded by seizing control over the greater part of that territory and effecting a secession from Shireroth in 1567. Although this secession was temporary, it forever shattered the myth of Kaiserial infallibility and permanently damaged the unspoken belief in Shirerithian nationhood which had long bonded its many peoples in ways that government could not.<br />
<br />
Shaken by the impotence of the Kaisership in maintaining Shirerithian harmony, the political current in Shireroth moved gently in favour of democratisation with the Shirerithian legislature, the Landsraad, ending its ancient nobles-only rule and opening membership to the entire citizenry in 1588. Opinion also moved toward insulating the provinces from the worst failures of Imperial policy by granting them substantial autonomy, in order to restore a sense of trust and wellbeing that would, in turn, keep Shireroth together. This culminated in the Lich Charter of 1595, promulgated by Kaiseress Mira Raynora Major, wherein Shireroth's territories were transformed into a series of autonomous Imperial States with profuse powers to determine their own affairs. This partial restoration of sanity contributed, among other things, to the reunification of Elwynn with Shireroth in 1600.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the Imperial State system depended on a certain level of good faith on the part of the Imperial States toward the Kaiser's government in Shirekeep, as those bonds which were no longer maintained by the Kaiser's power came to depend on the voluntary co-operation of the Imperial States with each other and with the Kaiser. The inability of the Kaiser to deal with the excessive self-interest of Imperial States was explosively demonstrated with the surprise secession of Kildare in 1617. What Elwynn began in demoting the vaunted myth of the Shirerithian Kaisership, Kildare all but finished.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath of the loss of Kildare to Jingdao, and the failure of the [[Neridia]] colony on [[Istvanistan]], large swathes of the population in Lichbrook and southern Goldshire had resolved that suffering what they perceived as constant disruption by other Imperial States, only to be collectively punished for those states' purported excesses by what they saw as reductions of their own political autonomy, was proof of their systematic expulsion from the Shirerithian political process. Through this contorted reasoning the dissidents had come to the conclusion that the Kaisers of Shireroth could no longer make any demand upon their fealty. Rather than risk battle on the field of honour or in the Landsraad for possession of their ancestral lands, these traitors instead preferred the stratagem of stealth, stealing away in the night and following the smugglers routes and Lach trails leading towards lawless Ashkenatzim lands of the west, wherein they would found [[Minarboria]].<br />
<br />
====The years of blood====<br />
[[File:Shirerithian ethnicities.png|thumb|right|In the latter centuries of the Third Era the Imperial Republic had become a continental empire, into which a vast number of diverse ethnic populations had been swept and only partially assimilated.]]<br />
The Imperial Republic, long dissatisfied by the federal system became ensnared in a series of interconnected conflicts beginning in 1635 AN and finally coming to a conclusion in the year 1644 with the entry of Kaiseress Noor into Shirekeep. The prime cause of the conflict was the unbalanced relationship between a weakened Imperial Government and the over-mighty [[shire:Imperial States|imperial states]], of which [[Elwynn]] was the prime offender.<br />
<br />
The wars began with the so-called [[shire:The River War|River War]] (1635), an unsuccessful attempt by hard-line Cedrists and Elwynnese ultra-nationalists to mount a quick decapitation strike on the Monarchy of Elwynn which was led by Princess Margana, the daughter of Kaiser Brrapa VII and sponsored by the patricians of Shirekeep and the Court within Raynor's Keep.<br />
<br />
In spite of being well resourced and brutally executed, the attempted takeover of Elwynn by a combination of a coup and 'hybrid warfare' failed spectacularly and rebounded upon the heads of the plotters. Not only were they unsuccessful in their efforts to exterminate the Royal Family of Elwynn but the war ended with the King's father entering Shirekeep as a conqueror.<br />
<br />
It was said by some that Brrapa VII was conveniently ill at the start of the war and conveniently dead at its end.<br />
<br />
One of the notable aspects of the war, which effectively lasted for two months at most, was the rate at which stockpiles of modern hi-tech guided munitions and missiles were rapidly depleted. The Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces (ISAF) had expended its reserves of cruise missiles within the first week of the conflict and was still trying to acquire and adapt ship launched missiles from the Imperial Shirerithian Navy (which had remained neutral in the conflict) by the time the war ended. Similarly the UDF had been caught short and taken by surprise by the war and was still trying to reactivate the Southron Barrage programme by the war's end. The UDF had also run its stockpiles of medium-range anti-aircraft missiles down to the point of exhaustion during the Battle of Echo. The decision of the Imperialists to hold back their remaining air assets, particularly the UCAVs, after the shocking losses of that engagement proved to be the hinge point that turned what might have been a mere setback into the decisive victory that ensured the survival of the Elwynnese Union and its eventual victory.<br />
<br />
By the final weeks of the war even the supplies of unguided 'dumb' bombs were being run down to the point that the Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia was obliged to establish workshops to produce crude unguided rockets in order to keep up the rate of fire on the defenders of Shirekeep and the ISAF was giving serious consideration to adapting its remaining UCAV force to drop re-purposed canisters packed with high-explosives.<br />
<br />
This experience subsequently informed the strategic and operational doctrines of both the UDF and the reformed (i.e. purged) Imperial Forces in that the technologically sophisticated weapons systems began to be viewed as an exquisitely crafted and expensive blade of tremendous penetrating power that nonetheless blunted quickly through frequent use. For this reason it began to be felt that what was required was a second line of sufficient mass and firepower that would be less sophisticated, and for therefore more affordable, that could get the job done - through blunt object trauma if need be - once the enemy's own, exquisitely wrought, first line of defences had been sufficiently burnt through to provide an opening.<br />
<br />
The desire to test this new theory against a representation of an avowedly unconventional opposing force gave rise to the series of military exercises known as Operation Long Haul and all the attendant controversies that ensued when neighbouring Minarboria became thoroughly alarmed.<br />
<br />
[[shire:The Anarchy of Angularis|The Anarchy of Angularis]] (1635-1640) was a five year period of disorder in which Elw ultra-nationalists and other separatist, anti-monarchist and anti-imperialist groups waged a low level insurgency, gradually extending their influence throughout the Vale of Angularis. These forces were violently suppressed by Elwynnese and Imperial Forces under the overall direction of the Arandur of Alalehzamin and Utasia in the Campaign of 1639, considered by some to be amongst one of the bloodiest episodes in modern Benacian history, second only to the Green Mortality of 1605 in the reign of Kaiser Aiomide, although this record was subsequently overtaken the calamities of the 1650s.<br />
<br />
[[shire:Martial Law in Goldshire|Martial Law in Goldshire]] (1639) was declared after the assassination of the Goldshirean and Elwynnese Princes Arn and Rostam Ayreon-Kalirion by parties unknown in the year 1639. This being the third such attempt on a member of the Ayreon-Kalirion bloodline in which poison was administered in a secure environment, suspicion quickly turned to the Leonid Guard whose duty was to protect the family of the Emira of Sathrati. This latest failing proved to be final straw and the Royal Government of Goldshire, administered by the ESB-Jörmungandr Group, declared martial law and instigated a purge of suspect individuals and organisations within the Kingdom. That this poisoning was part of a wider conspiracy was proved when the secretive Assayers successfully, albeit temporarily, countermanded the martial law decree.<br />
<br />
After two days of confusion, Queen Noor was able to reassert her authority and reinstated the martial law decree - adding to it the proscription of the now openly treacherous Assayers. The Assayers, more formally the Chamber of Assay of the Avakair Mint and Bullion Depository, had a fearsome reputation for being able to instil psychological terror and also a capacity for actual acts of terror, including abduction, torture and assassination, in pursuit of its relentless drive to try and maintain standards of purity in the 'gold standard' Erb and a ruthless determination to destroy any threats to that self same purity. This put them on an inevitable collision course with the ESB-Jörmungandr Group which has, no less ruthlessly, sought to promote its fiat currency - the Teldrin Thaler - throughout the river ports of the the Red Elwynn and beyond.<br />
<br />
Faced by such a dangerous and unpredictable foe, and concerned about wavering morale amongst the Goldshire Regulars, the Royal Government, on the 11th of Araroqpinu 1639, invoked its right under the Martial Code of Shireroth to seek the assistance of Imperial Forces. The Imperial Government had already taken steps to order Leonid Guards based overseas to return to ESB run rendition facilities in Goldshire and Zy-Rodun. Now, with an official invitation, it could act with full force. The situation led inevitably to full blown [[shire:Civil War in Goldshire|civil war]] (1639-1643).<br />
<br />
The civil war ended with the Armistice of Airle (Reire the 15th of Nomeziooqu, 1643), the terms of which surprisingly generous, by Shirerithian standards. Rebel leaders were castrated and sent to monasteries. Golems, alchemical artefacts and Gnostic grimoires meanwhile were be destroyed. Beyond this there was a prohibition on reprisals. Imperial Constabulary assumed responsibility for peacekeeping in Goldshire while the crimes of the rebels, as well as of pro-government militias were to be investigated equally by judicially appointed inquisitors.<br />
<br />
The civil war saw a revival in the ancient Cedrist religion as well as the reintroduction of various practices such as gladiatorial combat, human sacrifice and the mass enslavement of displaced persons. The various factions on both sides sought to make the war pay for itself by resorting to the plunder of the opposing sides territory. Criminality also dramatically increased with the Mercaja side especially resorting to drugs smuggling, extortion, racketeering and the fraudulent transmutation of base metals into gold and silver in order to fund its operations.<br />
<br />
Officially the Royal Government of Goldshire acknowledged 43,770 fatalities as a consequence of the civil war. It has however been suggested that these figures were deliberately underplayed to avoid causing embarrassment to the Alexandrian government during the negotiations leading up to the formation of the Sxiro-Alexandrian-Natopian Entente.<br />
<br />
An estimate contained in a report by the ESB Group suggested a death-toll of 8,431,770, several orders of magnitude greater than the official tally. The reason for the disparity laid in the omission from official statistics of the victims of chemical weapons attacks carried out by the Imperial Forces and the death-toll from clean-up operations in Lunaris after the collapse of the organised rebellion. The report and its authors were suppressed and pulped by the Jaysh al-Sathrati on the orders of Queen Noor.<br />
<br />
Holwinn and Lunaris felt the effects of the war disproportionately, with advance and retreat of first the Jaysh al-Sathrati and then the Army of the Golden Dawn which caught the civilian populations of those two counties in a desperate maelstrom of violent reprisal, where civilians were targeted as much as, if not more often than, the opposing combatants. 25% of the Lunatic population was killed or died of communicable diseases during the conflict whilst a staggering 41% of the population of the County of Holwinn perished as collateral damage after the Technomaezji unleashed its full arsenal of chemical and biological munitions in an attempt to halt the rebel advance towards Cabbagefall.<br />
<br />
It was the scale of this slaughter which convinced Kaiser Dominus to initiate war-crimes trials against the guilty parties of both sides in the civil war. A matter of some embarrassment considering the support that the Imperial Government and the ESB Group had lavished on Queen Noor's private army. By the end of the war however the Jaysh was a broken force, discredited both morally and militarily.<br />
<br />
[[File:Shireroth Current States 6337.png|thumb|right|The Imperial States and Imperial Dominions of Shireroth during the reign of Kaiser Dominus.]]<br />
<br />
1644, the Year of the Four Kaisers, was a tumultuous moment in Shirerithian History which saw the deposition and murder of Kaiser Dominus, and the emergence of three claimants to the Golden Mango Throne.<br />
<br />
The next cycle of wars that began with the Struggle for the South (1649–1651), a series of inter-related disputes and conflicts following the Elwynnese confiscation of Mishalan and the collapse, demotion and or dissolution of the Lich Realms of Lichbrook and Minarboria, ending the dominion of the dead over the lands of southern Benacia. The disputes saw an increase in anti-Elwynnese sentiment and the first semblance of opposition to the Ayreon-Kalirion dynastic succession to the Mango Throne.<br />
<br />
The Struggle ended with the restoration of Mishalan, the establishment of the Domain of Malarboria and finally the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion of 1651]]. This decree marked the beginning of a systemic purge of [[Stormark|Storrish]] influence in the Imperial Republic. More specifically the expulsion of the House of Ettlingar Freyu and the Church of the Froyalanish Ancient Ways from the Elwynnese Union resulted from a double coup in Shirekeep and Eliria which brought to an abrupt end the Froyalanish hegemony over the Imperial Republic that had begun with the abdication of Prince Jonathan Ayreon-Kalirion in 1623 and the River War of 1635.<br />
<br />
King Noah disputed the legality of his expulsion but failed to gain any measure of popular support at home or abroad, with the sole exception of the then Emperor of Natopia, Zakyyr. A complete rupture in the [[SANE|Sxiro-Natopian alliance]] was averted but Noah remained Natopian foreign minister for a time longer, prompting some awkwardness.<br />
<br />
The speed of the collapse of Elwynnese resistance, combined with the success of the Imperial Government in delivering a fait accompli had brought the Auspicious Occasion to a swift and decisive conclusion, greatly limiting the destruction and loss of life endured by the Elwynnese. This contrasted strikingly with previous Imperial interventions in Dietsland, Goldshire, Lichbrook, Minarboria, Puritania and Voltrue over the course of the previous sixteen years.<br />
<br />
On the Elwynnese side, the centralising of decision making powers into the hands of the King and his court had meant that once Noah was isolated and unable to maintain open communications the once formidable array of forces at his disposal gave a poor account of themselves, in marked contrast to their performance during the Year of the Four Kaisers seven years previously. The selection and advancement of officers noted for their loyalty to the Crown and love of pomp and pageantry over their professional ability had degraded the quality of command and control and led to a loss of the capacity for displays of individual initiative.<br />
<br />
The Imperial Forces meanwhile had continued to expand, rearm and professionalise following the defeats endured in the River War and the Year of the Four Kaisers. The Imperial Army was performing at near the peak of operational readiness it had achieved during an abortive war scare with Jingdao in 1647, and its officers were highly motivated to gain revenge for the slights they had endured from the Elwynnese over the years.<br />
<br />
The Imperial Forces were, to be sure, still bedevilled by the perennial problems of a creaking and sclerotic logistics chain as well as a command structure of bewildering complexity. Nonetheless the matter was resolved before these issues could make a decisive negative impact.<br />
<br />
The Imperial Marshals had finally proved themselves with their involvement in the capture of Krull Palace. Unfettered by the constraints of the Martial Code they had been free to move assets into the city under the guise of rotating personnel out of the Imperial Legations, without the level of domestic surveillance that Imperial Forces transiting Elwynnese territory routinely had to endure.<br />
<br />
Debate continues as to whether the establishment of a new period of dynastic rule constitutes a fourth era. In the past, using a discredited historiography and calendar, as many as seven eras were postulated. However, following the Auspicious Occasion, a more rational approach to historical research has taken hold and the process of investigating and verifying the reigns of the Kaisers of the early era, and indeed the nature of their rule, is ongoing.<br />
<br />
One of the most notable attributes of the aftermath of the Auspicious Occasion was the systematic repudiation and destruction of much of what had previously been considered integral to Vanic and Froyalanish iconography. In many regards the Royal Government was obliged to legislate to keep up with the popular anger and the tearing down of Vanic monuments.<br />
<br />
The smashing and destruction of the "viking helmet crowns" prominently displayed on all royal crests, proved to be an especially popular pastime amongst the masses.<br />
<br />
The sudden fall of the House of Ettlingar Freyu threw into sharp reverse the expansionist policy pursued by Elwynn hitherto. Instead, under the terms of an agreement brokered in Eliria, Elwynnese territory was ceded to the Kingdom of Goldshire, the Dominion of Malarboria and the Imperial Republic itself - so as to form new Imperial Dominions.<br />
<br />
The much reduced Elwynn would subsequently go on to cast off the last vestiges of monarchical rule and refound itself as a constitutional republic.<br />
<br />
Between 1636 and 1655, between the [[shire:Wars of the Dark Orchid|Wars of the Dark Orchid]], the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]], the [[Alexandrian Flu]], famine, emigration, and the [[War of Lost Brothers]] the population of Shireroth fell by 21% to 556 million.<br />
<br />
====Global war====<br />
<br />
The [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation]], reinvigorated by the War of Lost Brothers, had become an all consuming international phenomenon, whose reverberations were felt upon every continent. Particularly badly affected was the nascent [[Florian Republic]], whose dreams of great power status were cruelly dashed by an alternating succession of Shirerithian, Jingdaoese, and Natopian occupations of all or part of the country.<br />
<br />
More seriously for Shireroth was the challenge posed by the comparatively young yet economically powerful realm of [[Passio-Corum]] which, via the influence it enjoyed on the [[USSO]], seemed poised to rewrite the world economic order in its own favour. Although autarchic Shireroth was insulated from the worst of these economic shocks by its Benacian energy and mineral reserves and the free trade arrangements with allied and neutral states such as [[Natopia]], [[Constancia]], [[Caputia]], and [[Raspur Khanate|Raspur]], the long term challenge posed by Passio-Corum was long-term and structural. In the words of the then Steward, Waldemar Zinkgraven, ''"where [[Jingbuism]] is a disease of the skin, the [["A Sustainable Economy"|Cult of Superabundance]] is a disease of the heart"''.<br />
<br />
This gave the War of Lost Brothers an ideological edge that went some way towards explaining its duration and its bitterness.<br />
<br />
Up until 1654 Imperial propaganda had portrayed recent Benacian history as a procession of victories against ''federalists'', ''monarchists'', ''separatists'', ''particularists'', and ''schismatics'', extending the sway of the Golden Mango Throne over two thirds of the Benacian continent.<br />
<br />
By the end of this period however the Imperial Republic was increasingly butting up against the hard limits of its ability to project power beyond the bounds of its recently grasped borders. The former Minarborian Empire proved to be a graveyard for Imperial armies and expeditions, the cost of containing its rogue flora and fauna bordering upon the prohibitive, constraining Shirekeep to recognise, tolerate, and even occasionally cooperate with the recalcitrant and schismatic [[Kalgachia|Kalgachi]], who successfully clung to their mountain fastness and the rumoured chthonic realms beneath.<br />
<br />
Similarly the strained relationship with Jingdao, having snapped and unleashed the global war of unprecedented scale, ferocity, and duration, settled once more into stalemate with little yielded in the way of a decision for all the cost endured in terms of the blood and treasure squandered during four years of conflict.<br />
<br />
Most egregiously the so-called "Enterprise of Keltia", a cynical attempt to plunder an entire continent, had degenerated into a wretched debacle or piracy, libertinage, and fratricidal infighting that saw the invasion fleet fall apart before it had even finished assembling in the [[Warring Isles]]. The much anticipated [[War of the Casks|clash of arms]] with Nova England was in the end an exchange of missiles and a cycle of reciprocal raiding, scarcely distinguished from the [[Keltian Cod War]] which had preceded it.<br />
<br />
The debacle sealed the fate of Steward [[shire:Waldemar Zinkgraven|Burgrave Zinkgraven]], the architect of the aggressive policy in the west, and precluded his even contemplating standing for re-election. Zinkgraven's misfortune was to have been born into the provincial - Batavian - gentry. Without the protection of a distinguished bloodline or a connection to the [[shire:Tables of Ranks and Nobility|great houses]] there was no shelter to be had when the [[shire:Imperial Forces|military]] and [[shire:ESB Group|corporate]] patrons of his regime withdrew their favour. Ultimately he was reduced to a peripheral figure, sheltering with the [[Sea-Reavers]] who were his creatures, feuding with unpaid [[shire:Jaysh al-Sathrati|Babkhi mercenaries]], and skulking in the Warring Isles, contriving every means short of open defiance to avoid heeding the summons to return to [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] and account for his actions.<br />
<br />
Yet for all this Shireroth emerged from the ordeal with its sovereignty enhanced, its alliances in-tact, and its trading networks expanded. This being in contrast to a [[Jingdao]] wracked by internal dissent and dependent upon the economic muscle of the [[Haifo-Pallisican Imperial Trade Union|Pallisican]] [[Bassarid Federation|states]] to keep it on its feet.<br />
<br />
====Benacia's "graveyard of empires"====<br />
<br />
The aftermath of the war proved to be a difficult time for all the great powers, and this was as true in Shireroth as it was elsewhere in the world. With Zinkgraven cut lose to the wind, the appetite for overseas adventures amongst the Imperial Republic's ruling elites rapidly drained away. Yet they found that the war had left its mark upon Benacia also. The great battles of annihilation fought in the Shirerithian and Jingdaoese portions of the old [[Batavia]] had upended the status quo which had existed in that part of the world since the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]]. Batavians, joined by deserters from both armies, had formed into columns of unhappy myriads in flight eastwards away from the senseless destruction which tore through the heartland of that former kingdom. Blundering in their desperation to escape the horrors of war, these refugees rushed headlong into the no less diverting terrors that awaited in the treacherous landscape where nature itself had been warped by a [[Minarboria|perverted science]] into new and hideous forms of lethality. <br />
<br />
Shireroth and Kalgachia, the long time hegemons of the Inner Benacian ungoverned spaces, found that they were no-longer alone in the exercise of dominion. [[Kasterburg]] was the first to arise - its character, determined by its Montford founder, was conservative and militaristic. Whilst jealous of its sovereignty, there was kinship enough for a treaty of friendship and cooperation to be agreed upon. The Batavians who followed [[August Baerdemans|Vryheer Baerdemans]] were another matter. The suspected taint of the [[Jingdao|Jing]] laid heavy upon him and his, but while they skirmished ineffectually with the Yehudi of [[Nackholm]], no-one paid them much mind. <br />
<br />
This changed as a steadily strengthening [[Kasterburg]] reached out to [[Kalgachia]] and together coordinated the advance of their forces to establish a land corridor with mutually agreed upon frontiers. Kasterburg gained access to a new inland market whilst Kalgachia ended, for the moment, its waking nightmare of encirclement by Shireroth. <br />
<br />
It would have been pleasant to record that Shireroth reacted to this modest initiative on the part of its junior neighbours with equanimity. [[Fall Schwartz-Tilman|It did not]]. Instead the legions mustered, the gravimetric tanks wobbled improbably skywards, and the relentless bomber formations made sortie after sortie to level any and every structure that gave even the least hint of being man-made. For the free peoples of Inner Benacia, the wretched survivors of Minarboria's fall, this was the end - extermination or slavery beckoned. Yet even as the armoured fists of an Imperial Republic gripped by one of its periodic fits of hubris pounded down upon Highbloom, Nackholm, and Stonetree, the free peoples - Yehudi, Laqi, Tellian, and Mishalanski - found with what might have been their dying breath, the will to fight on. At Stonetree they made their stand. Stood before a ruined mausoleum, known to posterity simply as the Dolmen, they swore their pact to restore peace to their lands or perish in the attempt. It was perhaps their fortune to be facing Lywallers, reluctant conscripts to a cause not of their own chosing, rather than the blood-inured Imperials of the regular army, but it was a closest run thing, and the siege lasted into the fifth day when the first contingents of Yehudi fighters arrived on the heights overlooking the ruined and beleaguered city. Their arrival had been completely unexpected, the concurrent assault upon Nackholm was meant to have transfixed them to await their deaths besides their own hearths whilst the cordon of Kalgachi and Kasterburger garrisons ought to have arrest their progress eastwards. Yet here they were, and their arrival threw the exhausted Lywallers into confusion and rout. The fight went out of the besiegers and their flight southwards was a massacre that ended only when the vengeful pursuing Laqi ran up against the blocking detachments of [[shire:Imperial Marshals|marshals]] thoughtfully put in place to deal with deserters.<br />
<br />
For Shireroth the defeat was a humiliation, coming at the same time as fresh [[MCS|international condemnation]] of their reckless aggression, it seemed as though the perennial project of [[shire:Benacian Reconquest|subjugating all of Benacia]] was set for yet another of its periodic pauses.<br />
<br />
The surviving members of the so-called Free Communes, scarcely believing their luck, found that, after the storm had broken about their heads, they held field. It was now for them to decide upon what to do with their unexpected gain. To allow the land to revert to its native anarchy would put at risk all that they had, by such momentous sacrifice, sought to gain. Instead, recalling their pact before the dolmen, they swore solemn oaths to govern wisely and collectively. As improbable as it might have seemed a [[Republic of Inner Benacia|new polity]] was born. It was not alone.<br />
<br />
Espying the main chance, Vryheer Baerdemans gathered the paltry forces available to him - a scant militia backed by farmsteaders and cattle drovers - and set out on a brisk night march for Nackholm. With the Yehudi self-defence groups either exterminated by the Shirerithian onslaught or drawn eastwards to the famous battle at Stonetree, Nackholm had been denuded of defenders. Threading his way between legionary pickets, Baerdemans and his followers, stole into the bombed out ruins of northern Nackholm virtually unopposed and therein raised their banner and proclaimed in the ruins the founding of a new capital and the establishment of a [[Transbataafsche Vrystaat|new nation]]. When Shirekeep belatedly realised what was afoot their fury was unbounded - but it was almost too late. In spite of seven days and seven nights of aerial bombardment the blue and orange banner remained firmly nailed to the shattered casemate of the Yabotinsky Fortress.<br />
<br />
====The Octavian Interlude====<br />
<br />
From the reign of Kaiser Dominus to the fall of Waldemar Zinkgraven, the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] had enjoyed an almost unlimited independence and freedom of action, becoming almost a state within a state. Following the carnage of the [[War of Lost Brothers|1654-1657 War]] and the ebbing of territorial expansion the latitude afforded to the militarist factions and their [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|ideological fellow travellers]] by the Imperial Court began to become more circumscribed. In spite of dominating the Folksraad, the N&H Party and its Imperial Republican Party allies were unable to prevent the noble houses in the [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] from aligning to install the [[shire:Mira Octavius-Aryani|Count-Palatine of Kezan]] as [[shire:Steward|Steward]] for a second term.<br />
<br />
====Collapse of the Reformist movement====<br />
<br />
With the death of the Steward in a terrorist outrage, followed not long afterwards by the unexplained disappearance of the [[shire:Liv Dravot#Death|Imperial Mother]] from public life, the Humanist and Reformist camps in the Landsraad appeared to be poised once more for a renewal of civil war as the year 1663 drew towards its close.<br />
<br />
The election of the Duke of Calezi, a pragmatic reformer with a power base in the comparatively liberal state of Brookshire, as Steward helped to stabilise this affair before matters degenerated further. The Prince of Modan and the Simrani-Kalirion faction, preoccupied with establishing their rule over the former domain of Malarboria, were not interested in a destabilising conflict with Kezan - which in turn had silently made its point to its opponents. An atmosphere of relative calm was restored in the Landsraad and the measures proposed by the moderate [[shire:Jalal Jahanbani|Minister Jahanbani]] to improve and regularise the conditions of various categories of unfree persons enjoyed a measure of cross-party and cross-faction support.<br />
<br />
For the reformist diehards however, it appeared that a pattern had been established whereby the deep state, which leftists increasing came to refer to as a stratocracy, continued to exercise an effective veto over any attempt to change the fundamentally illiberal and inegalitarian character of the Imperial Republic, as such continuing to participate in the political processes of a regressive and repressive regime would only serve to burnish it with a patina of legitimacy that it ill deserved.<br />
<br />
Manifestations of dissent began to multiply, including the [[shire:Safirian Exodus|emigration]] of the last vestiges of the [[safir]] community in Shireroth.<br />
<br />
====White Plague====<br />
<br />
Beginning in 1667 the [[White Plague]] spread from [[Natopia]]n [[Two Martyrs|colonies]] in southern Cibola along the [[SATCo|trade routes]] of the western hemisphere, spreading a fungal blight fuelled by the aggressive consumption of human flesh to [[Benacia]] and [[Natopia]]. The populations of Brookshire, Goldshire, and Modan were particularly severely affected, putting the long term survival of the Imperial Republic into doubt for the first time in a century.<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
<br />
Shireroth has been a multi-ethnic state for its entire existence and, since the decline of Cedrism in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, has also become multi-confessional.<br />
<br />
===Religion===<br />
{{quote<br />
|text=''Heaven laughs at us with contempt, whilst we labour in the dust and suffer through life in the name of their glory.'' |sign=Anon.|source="Common Shirerithian Sayings"}}<br />
====Cedrism====<br />
<br />
====Holodomatic School====<br />
<br />
====Zurvanism====<br />
<br />
====Bovinism====<br />
<br />
===Neofeudalism===<br />
<br />
'''Neofeudalism''' is a term used to describe the phenomena of collectivist-oligarchic rule that emerged in the Imperial Republic following the [[shire:Auspicious Occasion|Auspicious Occasion]] of 1651, effectively replacing the fractious federative system of governance, where constitutional checks and balances were maintained by the entrenchment of the rights of [[shire:Imperial States|states]], with a new synthesis of familial, corporate and military power directed by numerous diffuse boards of control centrally coordinated by the [[shire:Imperial Advisory Council|Imperial Advisory Council]], whose powers were further entrenched at the expense of those formerly held by the Kaiser, following the revision and reissue of the [[shire:Charter|Charter]] in 1653.<br />
<br />
As neofeudalism became more entrenched during the administration of Burgrave [[shire:Waldemar Zinkgraven|Zinkgraven]] the key ministries of state were handed to corporations to hold "in-commission". These corporations were in turn primarily owned by the surviving members of the ancient noble houses and the more recently ennobled minor gentry, the so-called untitled lords, to whom the privileges of citizenship, the prospect of a seat on the [[shire:Landsraad|Landsraad]] for instance, accrued. This process made citizens stakeholders in the state but also held out to denizens the prospect of advancement through service as technocrats in the institutions of state and the corporate bodies.<br />
<br />
The fate of the denizen is also instructive of the nature of the neofeudal society. Although elevation through service was an avenue of advancement for the able, those who, for whatever reason, were unable to sustain themselves through their own endeavour could voluntarily subordinate themselves by a declaration of submission whereby the denizen would become '''His Majesty's Loyal Subject''' and receive guaranteed protection and employment, whether from the state directly or through a noble house or corporation at the cost of surrendering theoretical liberty. Such a submission was by no means dishonourable, indeed all recruits to the ranks of the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] by their nature became His Majesty's Loyal Subjects and gain status subsequently through promotion through the ranks.<br />
<br />
By contrast [[Community Service Workers]] did indeed endure the conditions commonly associated with [[shire:Old Feudalism|Old Feudalism]]. Originally the condemned survivors of the [[shire:Froyalanish|Storish]] community in Shireroth, the male population was viciously and systematically castrated (testing certain theories about the regenerative potential of so-called [[shire:Vanafolk|Vanakarls]]) and assigned to expropriate their guilt through labour in the mines, factories, farms and lumber yards of Benacia whilst the females of breeding age were distributed as comfort women throughout the [[shire:Imperial Forces|armed forces]]. By these means, and through emigration and natural wastage, the storish population was systematically reduced over time, with active measures targeted against them scheduled to endure until the year 1752 AN. The perforce ethnically mixed off-spring of Community Service Workers were typically removed from the mother at birth, aside from their dubious ancestral culture, the vanafolk were assessed as possessing many genetically desirable traits, and made wards of the Kaiser. Male offspring in the first two generations would be castrated and returned to the Community Service Programme, females of desirable qualities would be adopted into noble households, and the remainder would be raised and educated at the expense of the state with the expectation that they would redeem the cost of their upkeep through work in various [[shire:Baths of Fjǫrleif|public institutions]].<br />
<br />
===Militarism===<br />
<br />
The origins of Shirerithian militarism can be traced as far back as the [[Jaris War]] (1503&ndash;1508 AN) but that conflict was most notable for the failure of the Shirerithian feudal host to effectively mobilise and exercise efficient command and control over the disparate yet quantitatively superior force which mustered to the banners to oppose the [[Babkha]]n-led [[Grand Commonwealth]] forces.<br />
<br />
For the greater part of its history the Imperial Republic was noted for the fractiousness and rebelliousness of its nobility, and this even extended to the forces which the Imperial Government mustered in its own defence - to the extent that the Kaiser's [[shire:Apollonian Guard|own bodyguard]] became famous for its indiscipline and laxity occasioning the assassination of at least one Kaiser. For the greater part of the 16th Century, with the sole exception of the Imperial Navy, the quality and quantity of the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] diminished appreciably over time as the old feudal structure gave way to a federal system where the emergent states had primary responsibility under the martial code for their own defence and security. Working in the Ministry of Military Affairs was consequently seen as a thankless and unrewarding task, frequently left to the most debased and inadequate functionaries available - including a [[shire:Barend Barentsz|blatant Jing double-agent]] and a [[shire:Laqi Hyrrion|dysfunctional revenant]]. Even the more than usually competent [[shire:Balarak Alaion|Balârak Âlaion]] would eventually succumb to insanity (and [[shire:Cabbage Crisis|''brassicosis'']]) and perish miserably in an attempt to seize the Imperial throne.<br />
<br />
What changed this situation was, after the [[Revolution of 1617|loss]] of [[shire:Kildare|Kildare]] in 1617 and the humiliation of [[shire:The River War|defeat at the hands of an over-mighty vassal]] in 1635, a growing movement to recover the diminished primacy of [[shire:Shirekeep|the metropolis]] over the provinces and to restore the Imperial Republic's position as a great power. <br />
<br />
Beginning with the ministry of [[shire:Thorgils Tarjeisson|Thorgils Tarjeisson]] in 1636, a succession of MoMAs oversaw a period of massive expansion and rearmament in the Imperial Forces, the [[shire:Martial Code|Martial Code]] was amended to establish an Imperial Army - ending the Kaiser's dependence upon state militias - and from 1646 onward the annual defence budget accounted for 40% of government expenditure. With this colossal expansion, defence contractors such as the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]], [[shire:Red Bear LLC|Red Bear LLC]], and [[shire:Ryker Airships|RAS]], achieved incomes that would have been unimaginable a decade earlier. Suitably engorged, these companies had no incentive to relinquish the teat of government expenditure and quickly came to an understanding with the [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|political movements]] most sympathetic to their world view. In this manner a [[wikipedia:Military–industrial complex|military-industrial complex]] was born that has sometimes been observed to be acting almost independently of the governing structures to which it was nominally subordinate. Between the [[Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation]] and the [[Benacian Reconquest]] there continues to be no end to the justifications which can be found for continuing military expenditure at eye-watering levels, for the frontier will never be so secure that the occasion will never call for a punitive expedition. Taxation and Imperial highhandedness continues also to generate resentments amongst the populace, particularly amongst denizens (the limited franchise free populace who make up almost three quarters of the Shirerithian population), driving in turn a seemingly never ending cycle of provincial rebellion and societal unrest which the Imperial Forces seem to gamely regard as training opportunities during the lulls in the external cycle of great power warfare.<br />
<br />
==Economy==<br />
''Main Article: [[Economy of Shireroth]]''<br />
<br />
===Infrastructure===<br />
<br />
====Electronic Communications====<br />
<br />
In 1652 AN, the totality of all viable communications technologies operated within the Imperial Republic were consolidated into a single intranet based electronic system, the [[shire:Benacian Data Network|Benacian Data Network]], a successor to the earlier Elwnet operated by the Elwynnese state dating back to the independence era. As such there are no domestic television services in the regularly understood sense of the term, no interface permitting connection to any wider global communications network, and the only radio stations in operation exist primarily for the purpose of broadcasting propaganda and electromagnetic interference into [[Kalgachia|neighbouring states]]. In consequence the radio and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum in the Benacian continent remain overwhelmingly the preserve of the Shirerithian Imperial Government and its favoured corporate partners, reserved for their use accordingly.<br />
<br />
Both electronic and physical communication systems are under the control of the [[shire:Imperial Postal Service|Imperial Postal Service]]. Residents and visitors to Shireroth must apply for a licence to send and receive correspondence.<br />
<br />
====Imperial Highways and Roads====<br />
<br />
It has often been said in jest that the condition of the roads in the Imperial Republic were what gave the greatest impetus to the discovery and commercialisation of [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric levitation]].<br />
<br />
The roads of Shireroth are generally considered to be poor in quality and maintenance, particularly the further away from the Eastern Benacian Core (Eliria-Ardashirshahr-Shirekeep-Musica) one goes. Such inter-state routes as do exist are however maintained to a reasonable standard by the Imperial Highways Commission (IHC). For the most part the roads that fall below the purview of the IHC tend to become the responsibility of whichever tier of local government is least unwilling to pick up the cost. This has resulted in a patchwork of non-standard metalled and unmetalled roads, punctuated at irregular yet frequent intervals by tollposts operated by a myriad of authorities with ever shakier legal remits. Along the backwoods roads, maintenance - which consists often of a chain-gang of community servants heaping and pounding earth before laying a crude layer of gravel - is paid for by extortionate tolls levelled by almost literal robber barons.<br />
<br />
====Railways====<br />
The concept of an integrated railway network collapsed altogether following the disintegration of the Imperial Republic into quasi-independent states during the early 1600s. <br />
<br />
There have been periodic talks concerning the revival of the eastern Benacian inter-city services, whilst [[shire:Liv Dravot|Steward Dravot]] championed the construction of a Trans-Benacian Railway to link Shireroth's conquests in the far west to the Imperial Metropolis. These projects ultimately failed owing to a lack of investment. <br />
<br />
In the early 1660s the Trans-Benacian Railway, or Transben as it is sometimes affectionately known, has become a project championed by the [[shire:Ryker Everstone|King of Goldshire]]. The project however became mired in a myriad of disputes about costs, destinations, the routes to be taken or avoided, and the technologies to be utilised. As if this was not a sufficient impediment to progress, the Imperial Government subsequently became bogged down in factional fighting between [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|Humanist]] and [[shire:Ayreonist Independence Party|Ayreonists]] that blossomed into a civil war in [[shire:Elwynn]].<br />
<br />
<br />
Localised rail networks may still exist where a local authority, government agency, or corporation acted of their own initiative. Standardising the gauges of these local railways will be a major headache when integration and expansion does finally occur. The art of the railway timetable has been largely lost on Benacia, and trains tend to operate as almost as convoys departing on a given day rather than a regularly scheduled service. The services, siege trains as they are some times known, comprised of passenger carriages and cargo wagons lashed together to an armoured train sporting some antique [[80mm field gun|artillery piece]], provided with an armed escort of Imperial Marshals and Cudgellers. The reasons for these armed escorts vary - in Western Benacia they serve to ward off Batavian guerrillas, whilst in [[shire:Mishalan|Central Benacia]] the armoured trains are meant to afford some measure of scant protection against the unwanted advances of the invariably ravenous or lust-maddened [[Tyrannocricetus aliger|Tee-als]], Southern Benacia has experienced a revival in [[Laqi]] brigandry, whilst trains travelling into southern Elwynn frequently run afoul of the [[shire:Babkhi|Babkhi]] proclivity for home-brewing nitroglycerine. <br />
<br />
The most recent new railway construction occurred in Goldshire during the late 1650s as the King of Goldshire, famously paranoid, emptied the treasuries of his realm to build a vast anti-invasion defensive wall along the entirety of his coastline. This major engineering feet, requiring the services of millions of his subjects, necessitated the construction of a series of railway lines running parallel to the course of the defensive barriers for the purposes of shipping construction materials, personnel, and stores, along its entire length.<br />
<br />
====Air travel====<br />
<br />
Airports (aerodromes) are few, mostly reserved for citizens and visiting foreigners, the main example of which being [[Shirekeep-Foley Aerodrome]], the main air hub for Shirekeep and the primary ''international'' airport in the Imperial Republic. Rather more common are the airship and gravship terminals (Lufthavens) which form the primary inter-city connection service in Eastern Benacia, based around the Goldshire-centric network maintained by [[shire:Ryker Airships|Ryker Airships]]. Gravship services connect neutral [[Senya]] with the Imperial States of [[Eliria Aerodrome|Elwynn]] and [[Mesior Lufthaven|Goldshire]]. Following the end of the latest [[War of Lost Brothers|global conflict]] there is at last potential scope to contemplate reviving regular scheduled air services to destinations in [[Natopia]], [[Constancia]], [[Caputia]], & [[Hoenn]].<br />
<br />
There has been some debate as to whether Shireroth's infamous gravtanks, approaching nearly 25 years in service in some instances, might be disarmed and retired into the business of hauling cargo. Such proposals run up against the famed reluctance of the Imperial Forces to relinquish any even vaguely serviceable equipment until the very moment that it literally falls apart. <br />
<br />
====Travel restrictions====<br />
<br />
The traditional port of disembarkation for foreigners is the free-port of Musica in Brookshire. Chartered river services, either to the airship terminal at Meisor or alternatively along the full length of the Red Elwynn, are the most efficient method of reaching the capital from there. In general, riverine and coastal shipping services are a cost efficient method of moving between the major cities.<br />
<br />
The land borders of the Imperial Republic remain closed and under quarantine. The only exceptions are the international borders with Tellia (including the Tellian Mandate) and the Sxiro-Kalgachi Designated Exchanges Point on the common frontier. Unpleasant consequences attend upon those attempting to enter Shireroth overland from the ungoverned spaces of inner Benacia.<br />
<br />
After smugglers, the most persistent violators of the Imperial Republic's strict border regime are the [[Transbatavia|Voortrekkers]], Batavians moving out of Imperial territory into the ungoverned spaces. Although generally tolerated, politely but firmly turned around by the [[shire:Imperial Marshals|Imperial Marshals]] if caught in the act of staging an illegal crossing, since relations or at the very least dialogue was established with [[Kasterburg]] and the Batavian national movement, the foolhardly Voortrekkers who had passed through the territory of the Military Government of Westpoint in an effort to reach the [[Northbloom|Fort Ermingander pocket]] were made a severe example of after their presence was discovered.<br />
<br />
===Education and academia===<br />
<br />
No formal universal education system exists in the Imperial Republic, leaving education to be the responsibility of the Imperial States, Imperial Dominions, local governments, guilds, private institutions and charitable enterprises. The level of provision, and the adequacy of education provided, can vary dramatically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, depending on the capacity and initiative of the myriad of governing entities in the Imperial Republic's sprawling neo-feudal edifice.<br />
<br />
In the year 1663 it was been estimated that there were 215.5 million Shirerithians between the ages of 5 and 15 (approximately 38% of the population) undergoing or expected to undergo an education. <br />
<br />
*Apprenticeships: 109.2 million<br />
*Not in Education, Employment or Training: 50 million<br />
*Charitable/Religious Schools: 26.9 million<br />
*Local Authority Schools: 15.7 million<br />
*Guild Schools: 9.2 million<br />
*Military & Community Service Schools: 4.50 million<br />
<br />
The various apprenticeship schemes operated in Shireroth vary in scale from employment with the local village baker or cobbler all the way up to the National Service scheme in Goldshire, reputedly the largest apprenticeship programme in Benacia if not in all of Micras, which combines five years of military service[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=20337(1)] (ages 17&ndash;22) and rigorous schooling in [[shire:Praeta|Praeta]][https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=21923(1)], the revived language of empire and [[shire:Cedrism|faith]] without which societal and career advancement in the modern Imperial Republic is increasingly impossible.<br />
<br />
Although packs of feral urchins had been one of the great plagues of Benacia for centuries, the realisation that up to fifty million children were avoiding schooling, apprenticeships, or labour altogether, constituted a great scandal, shocking to [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|National-Humanists]] and Reformists alike. Proposals for the establishment of a continent wide network of ''Foundation Schools'', paid for by a poll tax levied upon denizens, were swiftly advanced to the Imperial Advisory Council in the 11th month of 1663.<br />
<br />
Paradoxically, Shireroth was well served with an abundant, perhaps almost excessive, number of universities, including a [[shire:Higher education in Elwynn|great number]] established in Elwynn. Alongside the Elwynnese institutions the [[shire:Metzler University|Metzler University]] in [[shire:Shirekeep]] and the [[shire:University of Goldshire|University of Goldshire]] in Wendor are the foremost, although the [[shire:Imperial Academy|Imperial Academy]] and the [[shire:Chryste#Royal University of Chryste|Royal University of Chryste]] are also considered to be rising institutions. It has been said by some that the comparative vibrancy of Shirerithian higher education owed more to the vanity of its rulers, and their desire for honorary degrees, than to their farsightedness or philanthropic spirit.<br />
<br />
In spite of once being home to reputable academic institutions, the cities of [[Nackholm]], [[Sansabury]] and [[&zeter]], are presently without universities on account of the disasters which befell Inner Benacia during its recent history. In spite of this, the ruins continue to attract teams of academics in their scores, and it is likely that these congregations of enquiring minds, combined with a dollop of state and corporate patronage, may yet lead to a revival of academia in what is now the [[shire:State of Modan|State of Modan]].<br />
<br />
Literacy rates vary dramatically according to class, race, and gender, but by the barest universal measurement - being able to write their own name and recite from text a verse in praise of the Kaiser - 77% of male denizens, along with 69% of their female counterparts, are defined as "literate" by the Ministry of the Interior.<br />
<br />
==Demographics==<br />
<br />
The Shirerithian population is distributed unevenly into the following categories: 1% citizens, 82% denizens, 9% in loyal subjecthood, and 11% in community servitude.<br />
<br />
By subdivision these are distributed as follows:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
! Subdivision !! Jurisdiction !! Citizens !! Denizens !! Loyal Subjects !! Community Servitors !! TOTAL<br />
|-<br />
! Agnesia<br />
| ELW || 182,712 || 18,513,458 || 0 || 0 || 18,696,170<br />
|-<br />
! Alalehzamin<br />
| ELW || 482,247 || 40,111,222 || 0 || 0 || 40,593,469<br />
|-<br />
! Amarr<br />
| MAL || 57,044 || 5,932,854 || 601,046 || 710,023 || 7,300,967<br />
|-<br />
! Amity<br />
| JKM || 125,013 || 13,500,000 || 2,105,661 || 3,017,236 || 18,747,910<br />
|-<br />
! Angularis<br />
| MAL || 16,050 || 2,210,113 || 221,012 || 902,175 || 3,349,350<br />
|-<br />
! Araxion<br />
| ELW || 97,153 || 10,192,888 || 0 || 0 || 10,290,041<br />
|-<br />
! Automatica<br />
| ELW || 83,290 || 8,199,991 || 0 || 0 || 8,283,281<br />
|-<br />
! Batavia<br />
| BAT || 8,017 || 582,972 || 443,917 || 5,108,063 || 6,142,969<br />
|-<br />
! Benacia–Iridia<br />
| MAL || 3,107 || 503,134 || 32,046 || 41,428 || 579,715<br />
|-<br />
! Cape Farewell<br />
| ELW || 105,808 || 9,846,340 || 0 || 0 || 9,952,148<br />
|-<br />
! Caverden<br />
| BRK || 162,066 || 15,871,071 || 816,186 || 708,363 || 17,557,686<br />
|-<br />
! Cimmeria with Illumination<br />
| ELW || 76,863 || 9,877,991 || 0 || 0 || 9,954,854<br />
|-<br />
! Crowsilver<br />
| GLD || 20,027 || 2,770,000 || 180,073 || 210,032 || 3,180,132<br />
|-<br />
! Dietsland<br />
| CPS || 5,024 || 600,199 || 60,774 || 85,752 || 751,749<br />
|-<br />
! Eliria<br />
| ELW || 304,104 || 9,188,991 || 0 || 0 || 9,493,095<br />
|-<br />
! Elsyran<br />
| GLD || 203,886 || 20,346,856 || 2,019,007 || 719,771 || 23,289,520<br />
|-<br />
! Fiorecittà<br />
| TEL || 5,049 || 512,000 || 0 || 0 || 517,049<br />
|-<br />
! Florencia<br />
| MAL || 102,992 || 1,477,911 || 138,141 || 111,192 || 1,830,236<br />
|-<br />
! Froyalan NR<br />
| FNR || 2,138 || 198,186 || 115,607 || 6,101,880 || 6,417,811<br />
|-<br />
! Hawshire–Dura<br />
| HSD || 43,761 || 3,220,240 || 0 || 0 || 3,264,001<br />
|-<br />
! Highpass<br />
| MAL || 3,977 || 148,530 || 320,142 || 103,573 || 576,222<br />
|-<br />
! Holwinn<br />
| GLD || 67,663 || 8,936,977 || 618,575 || 210,057 || 9,833,272<br />
|-<br />
! Iserdia<br />
| ELW || 270,057 || 25,888,199 || 0 || 0 || 26,158,256<br />
|-<br />
! Kezan<br />
| KZN || 264,407 || 1,762,714 || 0 || 0 || 2,027,121<br />
|-<br />
! Kralizec<br />
| BRK || 110,018 || 11,056,432 || 654,991 || 430,124 || 12,251,565<br />
|-<br />
! Lachmeren<br />
| MAL || 80,631 || 7,932,854 || 486,062 || 7,001,662 || 15,501,209<br />
|-<br />
! Lachmodan<br />
| MAL || 150,013 || 15,451,711 || 1,981,162 || 651,555 || 18,234,441<br />
|-<br />
! Lunaris<br />
| GLD || 70,084 || 7,220,283 || 4,531,019 || 2,162,614 || 13,984,000<br />
|-<br />
! Lywall<br />
| LYP || 3,483 || 354,211 || 914,610 || 813,103 || 2,085,407<br />
|-<br />
! Lywind<br />
| MAL || 94,103 || 9,715,777 || 971,016 || 204,356 || 10,985,252<br />
|-<br />
! Mar-Sara<br />
| MSR || 220,701 || 2,305,263 || 110,076 || 942 || 2,636,982<br />
|-<br />
! Mil Gov Oleslaad<br />
| MGO || 2,167 || 336,137 || 17,280 || 5,291,074 || 5,646,658<br />
|-<br />
! Mil Gov Westpoint<br />
| MGW || 9,037 || 981,238 || 51,842 || 4,718,037 || 5,760,154<br />
|-<br />
! Mirioth<br />
| JKM || 78,535 || 7,440,305 || 817,353 || 510,916 || 8,847,109<br />
|-<br />
! Mishalan<br />
| MSH || 173,524 || 17,000,111 || 2,018,571 || 3,052,055 || 22,244,261<br />
|-<br />
! Monty Crisco<br />
| BRK || 148,826 || 13,816,992 || 1,001,874 || 651,047 || 15,618,739<br />
|-<br />
! Musica with Delta<br />
| BRK || 88,242 || 8,019,187 || 817,010 || 1,402,026 || 10,326,465<br />
|-<br />
! New Blackstone<br />
| NBL || 810 || 75,865 || 46,807 || 15,682 || 139,164<br />
|-<br />
! Puritania<br />
| CPS || 4,237 || 430,039 || 102,025 || 100,017 || 636,318<br />
|-<br />
! Raikoth<br />
| ELW || 30,176 || 2,001,002 || 0 || 0 || 2,031,178<br />
|-<br />
! Romero<br />
| TEL || 8,534 || 700,100 || 0 || 0 || 708,634<br />
|-<br />
! Rossavro<br />
| TEL || 5,199 || 510,100 || 0 || 0 || 515,299<br />
|-<br />
! Savona<br />
| TEL || 4,412 || 400,300 || 0 || 0 || 404,712<br />
|-<br />
! Scoglitto<br />
| TEL || 2,103 || 234,500 || 0 || 0 || 236,603<br />
|-<br />
! Shimmerspring<br />
| MAL || 2,981 || 105,045 || 201,050 || 623,991 || 933,067<br />
|-<br />
! Shirekeep<br />
| SHK || 427,166 || 21,791,866 || 6,018,917 || 1,819,582 || 30,057,531<br />
|-<br />
! Skyla<br />
| BRK || 7,816 || 420,991 || 433,173 || 318,917 || 1,180,897<br />
|-<br />
! So-Sara<br />
| JKM || 102,881 || 12,170,024 || 8,001,766 || 3,916,532 || 24,191,203<br />
|-<br />
! Suthergold<br />
| GLD || 208,882 || 19,728,215 || 1,187,913 || 210,491 || 21,335,501<br />
|-<br />
! Talenore<br />
| TNR || 5,131 || 3,524,094 || 0 || 0 || 3,529,225<br />
|-<br />
! Transamarr<br />
| TEL || 9,117 || 819,199 || 0 || 0 || 828,316<br />
|-<br />
! Utasia<br />
| ELW || 189,155 || 18,991,001 || 0 || 0 || 1,918,156<br />
|-<br />
! Vattnaland<br />
| ELW || 60,328 || 6,406,145 || 0 || 0 || 7,506,665<br />
|-<br />
! Voltrue<br />
| CPS || 8,175 || 1,065,332 || 435,750 || 67,186 || 1,576,443<br />
|-<br />
! Wintergleam<br />
| GLD || 29,129 || 3,050,702 || 2,100,201 || 2,018,881 || 7,198,913<br />
|-<br />
! Yardistan<br />
| JKM || 298,186 || 38,560,730 || 6,791,771 || 4,306,660 || 49,975,347<br />
|-<br />
! Z and Azarea<br />
| BRK || 4,017 || 340,999 || 610,100 || 410,175 || 1,365,291<br />
|-<br />
! Zy-Rodun<br />
| ZYR || 1,607 || 140,468 || 415,100 || 483,017 || 1,040,192<br />
|-<br />
! TOTAL<br />
| IRS || 5,331,861 || 443,490,055 || 48,389,626 || 59210187 || 556,421,729<br />
|}<br />
<br />
It should be noted that Shireroth, unusually for an industrialised empire, manages to combine the advantages of a high birth rate with a high mortality rate, particularly amongst the lower orders. Its system of governance, which limits the democratic rights of the majority of the population to participation in the lower tiers of local government and voting for the largely powerless Folksraad, avoids the welfare trap which liberal democratic societies are so often prone to falling into. There are those who would maintain that this situation, which in many other societies might be regarded as calamitous, is setting the scene for an outbreak of revolutionary violence. Sages however note that ''"where people toil from sunrise to sunset for a bare living, they nurse no grievances and dream no dreams"''. In spite of there being almost always an uprising or rebellion ongoing somewhere in Shireroth, the conditions for a revolutionary upheaval remains unfulfilled so long as the [[shire:Imperial Forces|military]], backed by the nobility and corporations united in self-interest, remains overwhelmingly powerful.<br />
<br />
The Shirerithian societal model is driven by a low marriage age - the age of majority is 15 years, and a high rate of fertility within marriage. The burden of caring for the elderly, particularly those who lack the means to pay for their own upkeep, falls primarily on families, religious communities, and those local governments which feel inclined or obliged to make provision. Provision for the elderly can vary from dedicated care homes to workhouses where the decrepit earn their daily bread and tea through picking strands of hemp and other menial tasks. A study of a cohort of denizens taken in 1662 on the island of [[shire:Amity|Amity]] showed that out of 100 boys born in 1600 AN, 85 survived to 22, 74 to 32, 58 to 42, 47 to 52 and 36 to 62. For girls the corresponding percentages were 73, 54, 47, 39 and 28.<br />
<br />
Aside from the notorious situation in [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] during the decades following the "Green Mortality" of 1602, most urban population centres have benefited from the introduction of modern or at least quasi-modern sanitation systems over the course of the 17th Century. For this reason, cholera and typhoid fever, the curses of Benacia during the 15th and 16th Centuries, have largely abated.<br />
<br />
==Links==<br />
*[http://shireroth.org/forum/index.php Discussion Boards]<br />
*[http://www.shireroth.org/ Website]<br />
<br />
[[category:Nations]]<br />
[[category:Shireroth]]<br />
[[category:Small Commonwealth]]<br />
[[Category:SANE]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=White_Plague&diff=96865White Plague2019-01-02T18:07:52Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>The '''White Plague''', also known by its scientific name ''Podosphaera dermatrophis'', is a type of fungus that attacks human flesh. The fungus originated as a type of powdery mildew that commonly attacks most cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, etc) but mutated and spread to the human population of [[Cibola]]. It is non-discriminatory in attacking both living and dead/decaying human flesh, and is also known to attack other living or dead organisms. In the natural cycle of ecology, it is not uncommon for fungi to attack flesh, especially in helping to break down dead organisms into simpler forms. In addition, fungal diseases on living flesh are not uncommon (e.g. athlete's foot). The White Plague however was very different in that it was an extremely aggressive form of fungal infection. It also reproduced prolifically, thus spreading the infection at a rapid rate.<br />
<br />
The undead Liches of [[Treisenberg]] were affected to such an extent that their entire population was halved, with the remainder fleeing to underground vaults and depths unknown. The surviving population of living humans of Treisenberg and, subsequently, [[Helderbourgh]], were able to successfully develop a sulphur-based inoculant to wipe out the fungus. Unfortunately the cure came too late, as Treisenberg descended into a civil war spurred on by the mass deaths, resulting in the eventual formation of [[Helderbourgh]]. The fungus, for its part, has since spread to [[Shireroth]] and [[Natopia]], ravaging the populations of those two increasingly decrepit empires.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Species]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Raspur_Khanate&diff=95413Raspur Khanate2018-12-08T19:48:23Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Foreign relations */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
<br />
{{Infobox Nation Comprehensive<br />
|fullname = Khānāt-e Raspur<br />
|commonname = Raspur<br />
|flag = File:Raspur.png<br />
|coa= File:House of Osman.png<br />
|motto = Blood Calls Out for Blood <br />
|anthem = ''Ey Eura''<br />
|map = File:Euran Satrapies.png<br />
|mapversions = N/A<br />
|capital = [[Raspur]]<br />
|largecity = [[Raspur]]<br />
|lang = [[wikipedia:Persian language|Babkhi]] (official)<br> [[Khalypsine]] and [[Constancia|Vey Greek]] most commonly spoken<br />
|demnoun = Raspuri<br />
|demadj = Raspurid<br />
|religion = [[Zurvanism]]<br />
|govtype = Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy <br />
|headofstatetitle = [[Khan of Raspur|Khan]]<br />
|headofstate = [[Tahmaseb II Osman]]<br />
|headofgovernmenttitle = [[Grand Vizier of Raspur|Grand Vizier]]<br />
|headofgovernment = [[shire:Azardokht al-Osman|Azardokht al-Osman]]<br />
|legislature = [[Durbar of Raspur|Durbar]]<br />
|estdate = 10 Bahman (IV) 1637<br />
|agerank = N/A<br />
|area = N/A<br />
|arearank = N/A<br />
|pop = 1,314,662 citizens<BR/><br />
3,043,862 subjects<br />
|activepop = <br />
|poprank = N/A<br />
|currency = [[Dinar]]<br />
|abbrev = RUR<br />
|site = <br />
|forum = [http://caputia.mncommunities.org/community/forumdisplay.php?fid=210 The Raspur Khanate]<br />
|animal = [[wikipedia:Manticore|Mardyakhor]]<br />
|food = Ghormeh Sabzi<br />
|drink = Narcotic Wine<br />
|tree = Cedar<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Khanate of Raspur''' is a wiki-based simulated state set on the continent of [[Eura]] in the wake of the destruction of the [[Babkha|Kingdom of Babkha]]. It considers itself to be a successor to the cultural identity (theme) and fictional history of Babkha as well as the short-lived [http://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1176&t=15602http://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1176&t=15602 Theocracy of Khalypsil], but in neither case to the polities themselves. <br />
<br />
''A persistent remnant and holdover from the time before Eura's atomic immolation. Xenophobic and treacherous, tempered by the pragmatic requirements of survival, the Raspurids follow their own code with a single-minded determination that is as harsh as the irradiated steppe wilderness they call home.''<br />
<br />
==Government and politics==<br />
===Government===<br />
<br />
Raspur is governed by a military aristocracy - the Satraps - who answer only to the Khan who is elected by the Satraps and yet who can deprive the Satraps of their lands, titles, liberty, and even their lives, on a word. The state, such as it is, formerly financed itself through extortion, plunder, and smuggling. Following treaties with [[shire:Shireroth|Shireroth]] and [[Constancia]] a movement has begun to develop a more responsible and sustainable system of government.<br />
<br />
A delegation of ten citizens, headed by the Satrap of Farzan, was sent abroad in 1657 to study the ways of foreigners and to develop recommendations for a new constitution.<br />
<br />
====Central Government====<br />
<br />
Supreme power in Raspur is nominally invested in the person of the Khan who sits upon the ''Takht-e-Ardashir'' (Throne of Ardashir)<ref>Formerly the Flayed-Skin Throne until 1658.</ref> of the Upper Ziggurat in Raspur. In practice however the Khan has become a creature of idleness, sensuality and increasing senility. Responsibility for the day to day affairs of state instead falls under the purview of the Grand Vizier, formerly a hereditary position belonging to one of the Raspurid noble families but subsequent to a Shirerithian intervention during the [[War of Lost Brothers]], now held by a [[shire:Azaradokht al-Osman|distant Benacian cousin]].<br />
<br />
The Grand Vizier holds the great seal of the Khan and countersigns [[Raspurid Firmans|firmans]] (executive, legislative, and judicial decrees of the Khan) bringing them into lawful effect.<br />
<br />
Firmans cover all aspects of political and civil society, reflective of the theoretically unlimited sovereignty of the Khan and his government. In practice however the seven Satraps, Arslan, Farzan, Mihran, Mitra, Suren, Varaz & Zjandar, enjoy substantial autonomy, up to and including the capacity to wage private wars on their own initiative and even against each other. The central government, with its corps of Zhāyēdān (Immortals), acts as the balancing force, maintaining order in the midst of potential chaos by bringing its forces to bear against any over-mighty Satrap and breaking up coalitions amongst the lords before they can give rise to conspiracies against the throne.<br />
<br />
=====Raspur=====<br />
<br />
The city of Raspur itself, as a single unitary ''šahrestân'' (urban county/"borough"), falls under the dominion of the House of Osman itself. It can presently lay claim to a population of 365,311 citizens and 531,106 subjects, divided amongst seven ''baxš'' (urban prefectures), under the administration of the ''anjoman-e šahr-e Raspur'' or Raspur City Council.<br />
<br />
====Taxation====<br />
<br />
Aside from direct profit sharing agreements concerning the production and export of hydrocarbons and refined opiates, the Khanate's principal source of revenue is in the form of direct punitive taxation in two varieties. The first, called ''"ushr"'' is a tithe on the produce of the land, whilst the second - called ''"Zakat"'' after the [[wikipedia:Islam|Umraist]] obligation - is a levy of a fortieth of the value of saleable commodities and camels. Within Raspur itself, as well as the protectorate cities and the new townships established in Mitra and Varaz, there is also a hearth tax laid upon property owners. With the [[Second Euran War|conflict]] against [[Iteru]], the [[House of Suren|rebellious Suren]], and now a wider [[Azad Eura|alignment]] of rebel forces, a poll tax has been introduced taking a fixed sum from citizens and subjects alike, to the chagrin of many, in order to fund a protracted campaign in defence of the city. Mining operations within the Raspurid sphere of influence are only permitted by the leave of the Khan, and in return for the grant of ''"Firmans of Licence"'' the Khan's government extracts a goodly amount in fees which are generally devoted to upkeep of the ziggurats and [[Military Road (Raspur)|roads]] necessary for the maintenance of the state.In addition to revenues extracted from the settled populace, the Khanate also collects tribute money from the various nomad clans of the interior, whose flocks and herds were numbered and taxed at a low rate, in return for which they accepted the protection of Raspur over that offered by rival factions operating on the continent.<br />
<br />
====Provincial Government====<br />
<br />
As noted the territory beyond the bounds of Raspur proper is dominated by seven satraps. These, with the assistance of their Dihqān legions, serve, theoretically at least, as viceroys of the Khan, their power extending far out into the green beyond Raspur's formal borders. <br />
<br />
The satrap has charge of the land that he possesses as an administrator, and accordingly he is typically surrounded by a court that is itself almost regal in stature; he collects the taxes, controls the local officials and the subject tribes and cities, and is the supreme judge of the province before whom every civil and criminal case arising therein may be brought. He is responsible for the safety of the roads, excepting the Royal Roads determined by the treaty with Constancia, and has the responsibility for hunting down and exterminating any and all brigands and rebels.<br />
<br />
The satrap is supported by a council of Zamindars, feudal land owners, a secretary and emissaries of the Khan, especially the "Eye of the Khan", an appointee of the Grand Vizier, who makes an annual inspection and who can nominate unruly and unsatisfactory satraps for ritual slaughter by the Zhāyēdān.<br />
<br />
There were further checks on the power of each satrap: besides his secretarial scribe, his chief financial official (ganzabara) and the general in charge of the regular army of his province and of the fortresses are answerable directly to the Khan, in person. The satraps however are allowed to have Dihqān troops in his own service and could call upon the muster of local armed levies.<br />
<br />
The seven satrapies are divided into smaller districts ruled by their foremost Zamindars. Typically hereditary, the zamindars hold enormous tracts of land and control over their peasants, as well as the itinerant nomadic tribes of the interior, from whom they reserved the right to collect taxes on behalf of the Khanate and Satrapan courts or for military purposes.<br />
<br />
Zamindars in turn appointed jagirdars, tax-farmers, to collect the taxes owed by the land-renting Dihqān classes of the lesser nobility, who comprise the majority of the citizens, as well as the various fines, penalties, and exactions owed by the larger servile population.<br />
<br />
In addition to being tasked with collecting taxes on behalf of the central government, satraps are also entitled to make their own lesser impositions, such as a fee on the sale of fuel, and another levy on milk bearing animals, as well as any number of petty penalties and fines imposed upon traders and consumers alike in the bazaar districts on market day.<br />
<br />
The rapaciousness of the satraps, the zamidars, and the jagirdars, is considered one of the main forms of everyday oppression in the Khanate and one of the greatest drivers of discontent. In spite of this however, the order and security that these provincial officers provide, being intensely preferable to the alternatives of anarchy and or foreign occupation, balances out their excesses in the eyes of the populace and the acceptance of the necessity of bowing towards the ziggurats is firmly entrenched in the psyche of the governed.<br />
<br />
<br />
{| "wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center"<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="5" | '''Satrapies (Ostan)'''<br />
|-<br />
!width=60 abbr="Position" | Derafs<br/><small>(''Banner'')</small><br />
!width=150 |Name<br />
!width=150 |Governor<br />
!width=120 |Population<br />
!width=150 |Date of Establishment<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|[[Arslan]]<br />
|Ostāndār Ismail<br />
|Citizens: 115,251<br/>Subjects: 269,020<br />
|1637<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|[[Farzan]]<br />
|Ostāndār Tahmasp<br />
|Citizens: 115,024<br/>Subjects: 251,056<br />
|1637<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|[[Mihran]]<br />
|Ostāndār Abbas<br />
|Citizens: 112,210<br/>Subjects: 281,091<br />
<br />
|1637<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|[[Mitra]]<br />
|Ostāndār Safi<br />
|Citizens: 113,017<br/>Subjects: 256,371<br />
<br />
|1637<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
|[[image:Suren Sigil.png|150px]]<br />
|[[Suren]]<br />
|<s>Ostāndār Shahrukh</s><br/><small>(In revolt as of 1666 [[AN]])<small><br />
|Citizens: 113,835<br/>Subjects: 270,069<br />
<br />
|1637<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|[[Varaz]]<br />
|Ostāndār Farrokh <br />
|Citizens: 105,214<br/>Subjects: 255,794<br />
<br />
|1637<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|[[Zjandar]]<br />
|Ostāndār Piruz Khosrow<br />
|Citizens: 100,642<br/>Subjects: 264,265<br />
<br />
|1637<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="5" | '''Tributary Cities and Protectorates'''<br />
|-<br />
!width=60 abbr="Position" | Derafs<br/><small>(''Banner'')</small><br />
!width=150 |Name<br />
!width=150 |Governor<br />
!width=120 |Population<br />
!width=150 |Date of Establishment<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|[[Mehrshahr]]<br />
|<s>Shahrbān Mirza Shahrbaraz Khavari</s><br/><small>(In revolt as of 1666 [[AN]])<small> <br />
|Citizens: 126,521<br/>Subjects: 452,869<br />
|1658<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Pâkishahr]]<br />
|Shahrbān Hormizd Mihrak<br />
|Citizens: 21,343<br/>Subjects: 101,131<br />
|1661<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[Shâhibâgh]]<br />
|<s>Shahrbān Jamal ud-Din al-Shâhibâghtari</s><br/><small>(In revolt as of 1666 [[AN]])<small><br />
|Citizens: 26,294<br/>Subjects: 111,090<br />
|1661<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Foreign relations===<br />
[[File:Aqaba-Raspur.png|200px|thumb|right|In the aftermath of the [[Second Euran War]] Raspur reorientated itself towards a deepening economic and social union with the reformed [[Constancia]]n state]]<br />
<br />
Formerly an unrecognised state, the Raspur Khanate had no formal relations with foreign powers, and indeed in its values and conduct is considered to be actively antagonistic towards the wider international community. Contacts were however established with the [[shire:Babkhi|Neo-Babkhan]] communities of Benacia, especially the [[shire:Shireroth|Shirerithian]] branch of the [[shire:House of Osman|House of Osman]].<br />
<br />
A limited trade treaty was negotiated with Shireroth whilst, in the longer term, the Khanate hoped to establish friendly ties with its Euran neighbours, particularly [[Constancia]] and [[Eklesia]].<br />
<br />
Subsequent to formal introductions facilitated through the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in [[Caputia]] the Grand Vizier of Raspur and the [[Autokrator of Constancia]] were able to negotiate a comprehensive trade and strategic cooperation agreement which guaranteed Raspur an export market for its petroleum and opiate output as well as the right to export to the wider world via the Constancian ports of [[Nivardom]] and [[Aqabah]]. Additionally Raspurids abroad would be permitted to access the support services of Constancia's more expansive network of embassies and consulates. In return Raspur would provide garrisons for a network of ribats and caravansaries along the trade routes between the two realms, offer Constancia preferential access to its petroleum reserves, and host a Constancian military mission to reform and reorganise the Khan's personal guard.<br />
<br />
In 1662, building on the rapidly improving relations with Constancia, Raspur formally declared itself to be in alignment with the Sxiro-Natiopian Alliance, in consequence of which it was invited to join the Entente which subsequently rebranded itself as the [[Raspur Pact]] following a special session of the Permanent Committee hosted in the Upper Ziggurat of Raspur.<br />
<br />
===Military===<br />
<br />
'''Main Article:''' ''[[Raspur Khanate/Military|Military of Raspur]]''<br />
<br />
The Khanate relied, until its accession to the [[Raspur Pact]], entirely on repaired and reconditioned Babkhan military equipment recovered from the myriad of bunkers and arms depots lost under the desert fastness of the irradiated wastelands. This influence is still heavily apparent and the military organisation of the Khanate similarly reflects the legacy of that vanished Euran empire.<br />
<br />
==Demographics==<br />
===Ethnic groups===<br />
===Language===<br />
===Religion===<br />
===Education===<br />
<br />
In 1663 726,420 children aged 5 to 15 were in full time education at temple seminaries and of these 123,491 received bursaries from the Khan.<br />
<br />
==Geography==<br />
==[[{{PAGENAME}}/History|History]]==<br />
*Early 1658: Under pressure from international sponsors and financiers, Grand Vizier begins to prepare ground for representative government, legislative assembly, implementation of a consistent administration based upon the rule of law. <br />
*20.III.1658: Elections called, emancipation and manumission decreed.<br />
*1658: <br />
**Slave owners revolt, delaying elections.<br />
**Opposition to the Grand Vizier, modernisers, and foreign influence, coalesces around the House of Suren.<br />
*1658&ndash;1659: Election campaign takes on the aspect of a civil war.<br />
*01.XIV.1659: Grand Vizier's List, a coalition of parties supported by modernisers, the enfranchised, and the merchant classes, narrowly beats the Suren List. Election is considered to be generally free and fair although the high body count on polling day is criticised by observers.<br />
*Early 1660s: The arrival of Froyalaners and community servants in appreciable numbers, imported from Shireroth in return for raw opium, reduces demand for unskilled and semi-skilled labour amongst the Raspurid populace.<br />
*07.XI.1662: A guaranteed basic income, derived from a portion of the proceeds in the trade in oil and opium, is introduced.<br />
*01.I.1664: <br />
**A Farman against unsanitary practices in the city of Raspur was issued by its disgusted Khan after he caught a whiff of the streets below from atop his ziggurat.<br />
**Displeased by the lacklustre response to his command to clean the city, the Khan dismissed the Durbar and called for fresh elections.<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
<br />
===Religion===<br />
<br />
The state religion of the Khanate is the [[wikipedia:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] derived faith of [[shire:Zurvanism|Zurvanism]], a belief in a supreme deity, the begetter and embodiment of the cosmos and a figure transcending the eternal cycle of good/order and evil/chaos and the rise and fall of empires in which the duality manifests as conflict which first gives life, then drives development, and finally ends in cataclysm before the cycle begins anew. It is a somewhat fatalistic creed which holds that the will of Zurvan is immutable, its ways beyond understanding, and the fate of all humans, bound to the wheel of suffering, already preordained.<br />
<br />
===Calendar===<br />
<br />
Raspur uses the [[shire:Norton calendar|Norton calendar]] learnt by the Babkhans from their Treesian slaves in antiquity. The length of the calendar year varies on a twelve-year cycle. The rotation of the planet fluctuates, through regularly. The only fixed celestial event on the calendar, that is to say, the same date for the same event every year, is the Summer solstice (for the northern hemisphere, winter solstice for the southern). The first day of Rokhpin (Elroqpin, a month long bacchanal festivity learned by the Babkhans from their Elw slaves in the early modern period) is that solstice.<br />
<br />
The years are reckoned from the date of the supposed death of the Benacian Emperor [[shire:Norton|Nor'Ton the Undying]]. A strain of ultranationalist sentiment agitates for the reckoning of the years from the date of the founding of the Kingdom of Babkha or the birth of Babak the Great.<br />
<br />
{| {{table}}<br />
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Ordinal'''<br />
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Name'''<br />
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''No. of Days'''<br />
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Notable Festivals'''<br />
|-<br />
| I||Nawruz||24||1.I: Naw-Rúz (calendar new year)<br />
|-<br />
| II||Azar||24||.<br />
|-<br />
| III||Dey||24||<br />
|-<br />
| IV||Bahman||24||.<br />
|-<br />
| V||Esfand||24||.<br />
|-<br />
| VI||Farvardin||24||21.IV: Nowruz (solar new year) <br />
|-<br />
| VII||Ordibehesht||24||. <br />
|-<br />
| VIII||Khordad ||24||. <br />
|-<br />
| IX||Tir||24||.<br />
|-<br />
| X||Rokhpin||24||.<br />
|-<br />
| XI||Mordad ||24||1.XI: Nowruz-khorshid (1658, 1670, 1682...)<br />
|-<br />
| XII||Shahrivar||24||.<br />
|-<br />
| XIII||Mehr ||24||. <br />
|-<br />
| XIV||Aban||24||.<br />
|-<br />
| XV||Kanam||36||<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Cuisine===<br />
===Music===<br />
===Sport===<br />
==References==<br />
[[Category:Nations]][[Category:Raspur]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:Aqaba-Raspur.png&diff=95411File:Aqaba-Raspur.png2018-12-08T19:45:02Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:RaspurCategory:Constancia</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur]][[Category:Constancia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:System_2_Missile_Complex.png&diff=95244File:System 2 Missile Complex.png2018-12-07T06:00:01Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:Shireroth</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Shireroth]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=SA-1_Red_Mist&diff=95243SA-1 Red Mist2018-12-07T05:01:52Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>{| class="infobox vcard geography" style="width:300px; font-size:83%;"<br />
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <center><big>'''{{PAGENAME}}'''</big><br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
[[Image:SA-1.png|250px]]</center><br />
|-<br />
|'''Type:'''|| Surface-to-Air Missile<br />
|-<br />
|'''Designer:'''||ESB Design Bureau<br />
|-<br />
|'''Manufacturer:'''|| [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]]<br />
|-<br />
|'''In service:''' || 1640 &ndash; 1667<br />
|-<br />
|'''Used by:''' || {{flagicon image|Shire flag.png}} [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]]<br />
|-<br />
|'''Length:'''|| <br />
|-<br />
|'''Maximum speed:'''|| <br />
|-<br />
|'''Range:'''|| <br />
|-<br />
|'''Propulsion:'''|| <br />
|-<br />
|'''Warhead:'''||<br />
|-<br />
|'''Guidance system:''' || <br />
|-<br />
|'''Status:''' || Retired<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''{{PAGENAME}}''', Shirerithian surface-to-air missile reverse engineered from the [[Minarboria]]n Burdock surface to air missile<ref>Itself a scaled down copy of the Shirerithian [[Ikol family of missiles|Ikol]] Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) of the mid 1500s.</ref> during the 1640s. Deployed on ''[[shire:GV(LU)-3 Boojum|Boojum]]'' mobile-launchers as part of the ''{{Tooltip|Sart Shuck|Black Dog}}'' missile complex. <br />
<br />
The missile itself consisted of two stages, the first comprised of two solid fuel boosters and two ramjets, and the second, with its own separate short range solid fuel rocket motor, which housed the continuous-wave radar receptors and electro-optical infrared homing seeker and a continuous-rod warhead.<br />
<br />
By the mid-1660's the stockpile of SA-1 missiles had heavily depleted, with many being expended during various conflicts with [[Jingdao]] or else removed from operational stockpiles as critical internal components reached their life-expiry point. From 1667 onward remaining examples of the missile type were withdrawn from service and replaced by the ''[[S-2 Standard Missile|System 2 Standard Missile]]'' concurrent with the beginning of the phased disassembly of the Boojum launchers in order to salvage [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric]] components for the [[GAV(P)-5 Nereid|Nereid programme]].<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
<br />
[[Category:Weaponry]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=SA-1_Red_Mist&diff=95242SA-1 Red Mist2018-12-07T05:01:18Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>{| class="infobox vcard geography" style="width:300px; font-size:83%;"<br />
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <center><big>'''{{PAGENAME}}'''</big><br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
[[Image:SA-1.png|250px]]</center><br />
|-<br />
|'''Type:'''|| Surface-to-Air Missile<br />
|-<br />
|'''Designer:'''||ESB Design Bureau<br />
|-<br />
|'''Manufacturer:'''|| [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]]<br />
|-<br />
|'''In service:''' || 1640 &ndash; 1667<br />
|-<br />
|'''Used by:''' || {{flagicon image|Shire flag.png}} [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]]<br />
|-<br />
|'''Length:'''|| <br />
|-<br />
|'''Maximum speed:'''|| <br />
|-<br />
|'''Range:'''|| <br />
|-<br />
|'''Propulsion:'''|| <br />
|-<br />
|'''Warhead:'''||<br />
|-<br />
|'''Guidance:''' || <br />
|-<br />
|'''Status:''' || Retired<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''{{PAGENAME}}''', Shirerithian surface-to-air missile reverse engineered from the [[Minarboria]]n Burdock surface to air missile<ref>Itself a scaled down copy of the Shirerithian [[Ikol family of missiles|Ikol]] Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) of the mid 1500s.</ref> during the 1640s. Deployed on ''[[shire:GV(LU)-3 Boojum|Boojum]]'' mobile-launchers as part of the ''{{Tooltip|Sart Shuck|Black Dog}}'' missile complex. <br />
<br />
The missile itself consisted of two stages, the first comprised of two solid fuel boosters and two ramjets, and the second, with its own separate short range solid fuel rocket motor, which housed the continuous-wave radar receptors and electro-optical infrared homing seeker and a continuous-rod warhead.<br />
<br />
By the mid-1660's the stockpile of SA-1 missiles had heavily depleted, with many being expended during various conflicts with [[Jingdao]] or else removed from operational stockpiles as critical internal components reached their life-expiry point. From 1667 onward remaining examples of the missile type were withdrawn from service and replaced by the ''[[S-2 Standard Missile|System 2 Standard Missile]]'' concurrent with the beginning of the phased disassembly of the Boojum launchers in order to salvage [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric]] components for the [[GAV(P)-5 Nereid|Nereid programme]].<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
<br />
[[Category:Weaponry]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:SA-1.png&diff=95241File:SA-1.png2018-12-07T04:58:15Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=SA-1_Red_Mist&diff=95240SA-1 Red Mist2018-12-07T04:56:51Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''{{PAGENAME}}''', Shirerithian surface-to-air missile reverse engineered from the [[Minarboria]]n Burdock surface to air missile<ref>Itself a scaled down copy of the Shirerithian [[Ikol family of missiles|Ikol]] Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) of the mid 1500s.</ref> during the 1640s. Deployed on ''[[shire:GV(LU)-3 Boojum|Boojum]]'' mobile-launchers as part of the ''{{Tooltip|Sart Shuck|Black Dog}}'' missile complex. <br />
<br />
The missile itself consisted of two stages, the first comprised of two solid fuel boosters and two ramjets, and the second, with its own separate short range solid fuel rocket motor, which housed the continuous-wave radar receptors and electro-optical infrared homing seeker and a continuous-rod warhead.<br />
<br />
By the mid-1660's the stockpile of SA-1 missiles had heavily depleted, with many being expended during various conflicts with [[Jingdao]] or else removed from operational stockpiles as critical internal components reached their life-expiry point. From 1667 onward remaining examples of the missile type were withdrawn from service and replaced by the ''[[S-2 Standard Missile|System 2 Standard Missile]]'' concurrent with the beginning of the phased disassembly of the Boojum launchers in order to salvage [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric]] components for the [[GAV(P)-5 Nereid|Nereid programme]].<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
<br />
[[Category:Weaponry]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=SA-1_Red_Mist&diff=95239SA-1 Red Mist2018-12-07T04:34:58Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''{{PAGENAME}}''', Shirerithian surface-to-air missile reverse engineered from the [[Minarboria]]n Burdock surface to air missile<ref>Itself a scaled down copy of the Shirerithian [[Ikol family of missiles|Ikol]] Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) of the mid 1500s.</ref> during the 1640s. Deployed on ''[[shire:GV(LU)-3 Boojum|Boojum]]'' mobile-launchers as part of the ''{{Tooltip|Sart Shuck|Black Dog}}'' missile complex.<br />
<br />
By the mid-1660's the stockpile of SA-1 missiles had heavily depleted, with many being expended during various conflicts with [[Jingdao]] or else removed from operational stockpiles as critical internal components reached their life-expiry point. From 1667 onward remaining examples of the missile type were withdrawn from service and replaced by the ''[[S-2 Standard Missile|System 2 Standard Missile]]'' concurrent with the beginning of the phased disassembly of the Boojum launchers in order to salvage [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric]] components for the [[GAV(P)-5 Nereid|Nereid programme]].<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
<br />
[[Category:Weaponry]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=SA-1_Red_Mist&diff=95238SA-1 Red Mist2018-12-07T04:34:15Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''{{PAGENAME}}''', Shirerithian surface-to-air missile reverse engineered from the [[Minarboria]]n Burdock surface to air missile<ref>Itself a scaled down copy of the Shirerithian [[Ikol family of missiles|Ikol]] Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) of the mid 1500s.</ref> during the 1640s. Deployed on ''[[shire:GV(LU)-3 Boojum|Boojum]]'' mobile-launchers as part of the ''{{Tooltip|Sart Shuck|Black Dog}}'' missile complex.<br />
<br />
By the mid-1660's the stockpile of SA-1 missiles had been mostly run down, depleted during various conflicts with [[Jingdao]], or else removed from operational stockpiles as critical internal components reached their life-expiry point. From 1667 onward remaining examples of the missile type were withdrawn from service and replaced by the ''[[S-2 Standard Missile|System 2 Standard Missile]]'' concurrent with the beginning of the phased disassembly of the Boojum launchers in order to salvage [[shire:Gravimetrics|gravimetric]] components for the [[GAV(P)-5 Nereid|Nereid programme]].<br />
<br />
==Reference==<br />
<br />
[[Category:Weaponry]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Bastion_Union&diff=95175Bastion Union2018-12-04T15:50:22Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Member nations */</p>
<hr />
<div>The '''Bastion Union''' is an intermicronational organisation that hosts forums for its member states and provides a platform for contact and discourse. It is not a political alliance.<br />
<br />
==Member nations==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"<br />
<br />
|-<br />
!width=50 abbr="Position" | Flag<br />
!width=150 |Member State<br />
!width=150 |Capital<br />
!width=120 |Head of State<br />
!width=150 |Date of Membership<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Oilrig.png|50px|border|Alrig]]<br />
| [[Alrig]]<br />
| Driftwood<br />
| President Hieronim Erazm<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Batavieflag.gif|50px|border|Batavia]]<br />
| [[Batavia]]<br />
| [['s Koningenwaarde]]<br />
| Stadhouder [[August Baerdemans]]<br />
| 2011-2014, 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Constancia flag big.png|50px|border|Constancia]]<br />
| [[Constancia]]<br />
| [[Vey]]<br />
| [[Petros III]]<br />
| 2016<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Flag of Craitland.png|50px|border|Craitland]]<br />
| [[Craitland]]<br />
| [[Cherry Trees]]<br />
| [[Craitman]]<br />
| 2014<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Florian Republic Flag.png|50px|border|Florian Republic]]<br />
| [[Florian Republic]]<br />
| [[Northcliff]]<br />
| President [[Adam Cooke]]<br />
| 2017<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Goetia flag.png|50px|border|Goëtia]]<br />
| [[Goëtia]]<br />
| [[Gathering Place]]<br />
| Queen [[Kizzy Drakland]]<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:RIB Flag.png|50px|border|Inner Benacia]]<br />
| [[Inner Benacia]]<br />
| Bagegeniśort (Stonetree)<br />
| Pśymyde Tyiim Teźśecaq°yhemće<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Iteru Flag.png|50px|border|Iteru]]<br />
| [[Iteru]]<br />
| [[Men-Nefer]]<br />
| Pharaoh Amenhotep IX<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Flag Jingdao 2.png|50px|border|Jingdao]]<br />
| [[Jingdaoese Empire]]<br />
| [[Daocheng]]<br />
| [[Kattei Emperor]]<br />
| 2012<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Imperial flag standard6.png|50px|border|Natopia]]<br />
| [[Natopia]]<br />
| [[Lindström]]<br />
| [[Nathan II]]<br />
| 2011<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Saint-Antoine Flag.png|50px|border|Saint-Antoine]]<br />
| [[Saint-Antoine]]<br />
| [[Marbonne]]<br />
| [[Frédéric III]]<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Shire flag.png|50px|border|Shireroth]]<br />
| [[Shireroth]]<br />
| [[Shirekeep]]<br />
| [[shire:Ayreon IV|Ayreon IV]]<br />
| 2010<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:TreisenbergFlag120911.png|50px|border|Treisenberg]]<br />
| [[Treisenberg]]<br />
| [[Neutriesen]]<br />
| [[Sadamara Aptrgangr]]<br />
| 2012<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Cergulflag.png|50px|border|Çeridgul]]<br />
| [[Çeridgul]]<br />
| [[Gultaj]]<br />
| ''none''<br />
| 2018<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Member dependencies==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"<br />
<br />
|-<br />
!width=50 abbr="Position" | Flag<br />
!width=150 |Member State<br />
!width=150 |Capital<br />
!width=120 |Head of State<br />
!width=150 |Date of Membership<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Northbloompflag.png|50px|border|Northbloom]]<br />
| [[Northbloom|Northbloom Protectorate]]<br />
| Fort Ermingander<br />
| [[Mondo Etzeterra]]<br />
| 2018<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Former members==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"<br />
<br />
|-<br />
!width=50 abbr="Position" | Flag<br />
!width=150 |Member State<br />
!width=150 |Capital<br />
!width=120 |Head of State<br />
!width=150 |Date of Membership<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Astoria flag.png|50px|border|Astoria]]<br />
| [[Astoria]]<br />
| Walsingham<br />
| President Gaius<br />
| 2016<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:FlagBabkha.png|50px|border|Babkha]]<br />
| [[Babkha]]<br />
| [[Kamalshahr]] (de jure) / [[Raspur]] (de facto)<br />
| Farzan Shahanshah and others<br />
| 2011&ndash;2013<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Blackstoneflag.png|50px|border|Blackstone]]<br />
| [[shire:Blackstone|Blackstone]]<br />
| Blackstone<br />
| [[Ludovic Verion]]<br />
| 2016<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:CalbionFlag.png|50px|border|Calbion]]<br />
| [[Calbion]]<br />
| [[Pentyre]]<br />
| [[King Jack II]]<br />
| 2013<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Gerenia flag 2015.png|50px|border|Gerenia]]<br />
| [[Gerenia]]<br />
| [[Nevaya (city)|Nevaya]]<br />
| [[Gerald Ruze]]<br />
| 2016<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Great Willow flag.png|50px|border|Great Willow]]<br />
| [[Great Willow]]<br />
| [[Westminster]]<br />
| [[Ira Altain]]<br />
| 2016<br />
|}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Organisations]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Bastion_Union&diff=95174Bastion Union2018-12-04T15:47:57Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Former members */</p>
<hr />
<div>The '''Bastion Union''' is an intermicronational organisation that hosts forums for its member states and provides a platform for contact and discourse. It is not a political alliance.<br />
<br />
==Member nations==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"<br />
<br />
|-<br />
!width=50 abbr="Position" | Flag<br />
!width=150 |Member State<br />
!width=150 |Capital<br />
!width=120 |Head of State<br />
!width=150 |Date of Membership<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Oilrig.png|50px|border|Alrig]]<br />
| [[Alrig]]<br />
| Driftwood<br />
| President Hieronim Erazm<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Batavieflag.gif|50px|border|Batavia]]<br />
| [[Batavia]]<br />
| [['s Koningenwaarde]]<br />
| Stadhouder [[August Baerdemans]]<br />
| 2011-2014, 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Constancia flag big.png|50px|border|Constancia]]<br />
| [[Constancia]]<br />
| [[Vey]]<br />
| [[Petros III]]<br />
| 2016<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Flag of Craitland.png|50px|border|Craitland]]<br />
| [[Craitland]]<br />
| [[Cherry Trees]]<br />
| [[Craitman]]<br />
| 2014<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Florian Republic Flag.png|50px|border|Florian Republic]]<br />
| [[Florian Republic]]<br />
| [[Northcliff]]<br />
| President [[Adam Cooke]]<br />
| 2017<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Goetia flag.png|50px|border|Goëtia]]<br />
| [[Goëtia]]<br />
| [[Gathering Place]]<br />
| Queen [[Kizzy Drakland]]<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:RIB Flag.png|50px|border|Inner Benacia]]<br />
| [[Inner Benacia]]<br />
| Bagegeniśort (Stonetree)<br />
| Pśymyde Tyiim Teźśecaq°yhemće<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Iteru Flag.png|50px|border|Iteru]]<br />
| [[Iteru]]<br />
| [[Men-Nefer]]<br />
| Pharaoh Amenhotep IX<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Flag Jingdao 2.png|50px|border|Jingdao]]<br />
| [[Jingdaoese Empire]]<br />
| [[Daocheng]]<br />
| [[Kattei Emperor]]<br />
| 2012<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Imperial flag standard6.png|50px|border|Natopia]]<br />
| [[Natopia]]<br />
| [[Lindström]]<br />
| [[Nathan Waffel-Paine]]<br />
| 2011<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Saint-Antoine Flag.png|50px|border|Saint-Antoine]]<br />
| [[Saint-Antoine]]<br />
| [[Marbonne]]<br />
| [[Frédéric III]]<br />
| 2018<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Shire flag.png|50px|border|Shireroth]]<br />
| [[Shireroth]]<br />
| [[Shirekeep]]<br />
| [[Kaiser]]<br />
| 2010<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:TreisenbergFlag120911.png|50px|border|Treisenberg]]<br />
| [[Treisenberg]]<br />
| [[Neutriesen]]<br />
| [[Sadamara Aptrgangr]]<br />
| 2012<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Cergulflag.png|50px|border|Çeridgul]]<br />
| [[Çeridgul]]<br />
| [[Gultaj]]<br />
| ''none''<br />
| 2018<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Member dependencies==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"<br />
<br />
|-<br />
!width=50 abbr="Position" | Flag<br />
!width=150 |Member State<br />
!width=150 |Capital<br />
!width=120 |Head of State<br />
!width=150 |Date of Membership<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Northbloompflag.png|50px|border|Northbloom]]<br />
| [[Northbloom|Northbloom Protectorate]]<br />
| Fort Ermingander<br />
| [[Mondo Etzeterra]]<br />
| 2018<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Former members==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"<br />
<br />
|-<br />
!width=50 abbr="Position" | Flag<br />
!width=150 |Member State<br />
!width=150 |Capital<br />
!width=120 |Head of State<br />
!width=150 |Date of Membership<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Astoria flag.png|50px|border|Astoria]]<br />
| [[Astoria]]<br />
| Walsingham<br />
| President Gaius<br />
| 2016<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:FlagBabkha.png|50px|border|Babkha]]<br />
| [[Babkha]]<br />
| [[Kamalshahr]] (de jure) / [[Raspur]] (de facto)<br />
| Farzan Shahanshah and others<br />
| 2011&ndash;2013<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Blackstoneflag.png|50px|border|Blackstone]]<br />
| [[shire:Blackstone|Blackstone]]<br />
| Blackstone<br />
| [[Ludovic Verion]]<br />
| 2016<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:CalbionFlag.png|50px|border|Calbion]]<br />
| [[Calbion]]<br />
| [[Pentyre]]<br />
| [[King Jack II]]<br />
| 2013<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Gerenia flag 2015.png|50px|border|Gerenia]]<br />
| [[Gerenia]]<br />
| [[Nevaya (city)|Nevaya]]<br />
| [[Gerald Ruze]]<br />
| 2016<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Great Willow flag.png|50px|border|Great Willow]]<br />
| [[Great Willow]]<br />
| [[Westminster]]<br />
| [[Ira Altain]]<br />
| 2016<br />
|}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Organisations]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier8.png&diff=95172File:1666pRPTier8.png2018-12-04T15:32:52Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:Raspur Pact</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier7.png&diff=95171File:1666pRPTier7.png2018-12-04T15:32:19Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:Raspur Pact</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier6.png&diff=95170File:1666pRPTier6.png2018-12-04T15:31:54Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:Raspur Pact</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier5.png&diff=95169File:1666pRPTier5.png2018-12-04T15:31:38Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:Raspur Pact</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier4.png&diff=95168File:1666pRPTier4.png2018-12-04T15:31:10Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:Raspur Pact</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier3.png&diff=95167File:1666pRPTier3.png2018-12-04T15:30:46Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:Raspur Pact</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier2.png&diff=95166File:1666pRPTier2.png2018-12-04T15:30:21Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier2.png&diff=95165File:1666pRPTier2.png2018-12-04T15:29:55Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1666pRPTier1.png&diff=95164File:1666pRPTier1.png2018-12-04T15:29:30Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Category:Raspur Pact</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Katabasis_of_the_Loyalists&diff=95152Katabasis of the Loyalists2018-12-04T10:17:44Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' (1666&ndash;1667), also known as the '''Long March to the Sea''' or the '''Great Retreat''', was the withdrawal of surviving forces loyal to [[Primo de Aguilar]] and the [[Raspur Pact]] in the aftermath of a popular uprising in the Euranikon [[wikipedia:Theme (province)|''theme'']] and immediately prior to the [[Second Euran War#Destruction of Vey|destruction]] of [[Vey]]. As the Loyalists sought to fight their way clear of their Constitutionalist and socialist pursuers the anarchy was compounded by the irruption of [[New Zimian War League|Bassarids]] and [[Anti-Bassarid Resistance Movements#River Erik Separatist Movement|Zarathustrian rebels]] into Constancian territories, precipitating the collapse of Hellenistic civilisation along the eastern banks of the Potami Androphagi (River Erik / Sandy River).<br />
<br />
The retreating forces comprised mostly of those loyalists left behind in Vey after the evacuation of the Autokrator, the Royal Family, and the defenders of the Megálo Paláti. As far as units which had managed to maintain their cohesion, these included the Exkoubitoi, Optimatoi, and Hikanatoi regiments of the [[Constancian Armed Forces|Tagmata]], they were joined along the course of their retreat by the Basileusoi Army in the Prosgeiosi Basileus (Crownlands), and in due course by defecting elements of the Basileusian Private Guard who abandoned the Constitutionalist cause as its hopelessness became apparent. Around this small kernel a far larger contingent of stragglers, deserters, and panicked refugees, all seeking a means of escape towards the Gulf of Aqabah, soon came to adhere.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Second Euran War]][[Category:Constancia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Katabasis_of_the_Loyalists&diff=95151Katabasis of the Loyalists2018-12-04T10:15:49Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Created page with "The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' (1666&ndash;1667), also known as the '''Long March to the Sea''' or the '''Great Retreat''', was the withdrawal of surviving forces loyal to Primo de..."</p>
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<div>The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' (1666&ndash;1667), also known as the '''Long March to the Sea''' or the '''Great Retreat''', was the withdrawal of surviving forces loyal to [[Primo de Aguilar]] and the [[Raspur Pact]] in the aftermath of a popular uprising in the Euranikon [[wikipedia:Theme (province)|''theme'']] and immediately prior to the [[Second Euran War#Destruction of Vey|destruction]] of [[Vey]]. As the Loyalists sought to fight their way clear of their Constitutionalist and socialist pursuers the anarchy was compounded by the irruption of [[New Zimian War League|Bassarids]] and [[Anti-Bassarid Resistance Movements#River Erik Separatist Movement|Zarathustrian rebels]] into Constancian territories, precipitating the collapse of Hellenistic civilisation along the eastern banks of the Potami Androphagi (River Erik / Sandy River).<br />
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The retreating forces comprised mostly of those loyalists left behind in Vey after the evacuation of the Autokrator, the Royal Family, and the defenders of the Megálo Paláti. As far as units which had managed to maintain their cohesion, these included the Exkoubitoi, Optimatoi, and Hikanatoi regiments, they were joined along the course of their retreat by the Basileusoi Army in the Prosgeiosi Basileus (Crownlands), and in due course by defecting elements of the Basileusian Private Guard who abandoned the Constitutionalist cause as its hopelessness became apparent. Around this small kernel a far larger contingent of stragglers, deserters, and panicked refugees, all seeking a means of escape towards the Gulf of Aqabah, soon came to adhere.<br />
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[[Category:Second Euran War]][[Category:Constancia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Second_Euran_War&diff=95150Category:Second Euran War2018-12-04T09:50:23Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Created page with "Category:Conflicts"</p>
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<div>[[Category:Conflicts]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=History_of_the_%C3%87erid&diff=95149History of the Çerid2018-12-04T09:44:37Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Continental Conflict */</p>
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<div>{{WIP}}<br />
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''Note: As with many primitive cultures on Micras, the [[Temporal Secessionism|flow of time]] appears to have defaulted to the same rate used by the [[ASC|ASC calendar]]. It remains to be seen whether this will continue into the future, or will change as local timekeeping becomes more sophisticated; however, for the present the Çerid have no calendrical system of their own, and therefore dates are represented in ASC.''<br />
<br />
== Before the Beginning ==<br />
Prior to the arrival of the Çerid, the islands in the Gulf of Aqabâ had been - like much of the Euran continent - uninhabited since the fall of [[Babkha]], the major [[Eura]]n power. The ancient kingdom's [https://bastionunion.org/archive/viewtopic.php?f=298&p=70728 self-immolation by nuclear fire] in {{Tooltip|4973 ASC|18 Mar 2013}} resulted in large portions of the landscape being turned to radioactive glass, subjected to fallout, or both. Eura fell into a dark age from which, arguably, it still has not completely recovered, though nations such as [[Constancia]], [[Eklesia]], and the culturally Babkhan [[Raspur]] have steadily reclaimed portions of the mainland for civilization, while the thalassocratic [[Haifo-Pallisican Imperial Trade Union|Bassarids]] have colonized the continental margins.<br />
<br />
The largest island of the Gulf, called ''Malachítis Nísos'' by the Constancians and ''Jazireh-ye Ažis'' in Raspurid Babkhan - both meaning "Malachite Isle" - had, in its Babkhan days, been part of North Molivadia province in the Emirate of Razjania. Its ancient name, cities, and population are no longer recorded in existing archives, but it appears to have been of extremely minor importance next to the nearby port cities of Aqabâ and Aden. The few ruins found there are those of villages and hamlets, and presumably the fall of civilization resulted in the emigration or extinction of whatever meager population once resided there.<br />
<br />
The island, and some of its neighboring areas, were not directly impacted by nuclear weapons, and appear to have been relatively insulated from the secondary effects of radiation; the nearest concentration of emissions, consisting of the sites of Aden, Khosravi, and several other nearby cities, was well upwind of the island. This may have been due to the area's relative lack of population and importance, which may also account for the fact that, for many local centuries afterward, the area remained unclaimed save for the Constancian repopulation of Aqabâ.<br />
<br />
== The Origins of the Çerid ==<br />
The ultimate origins of the Çerid are murky. Though most of their accounts and legends were recorded on the [[Vorinemtah#Walls_of_Memory|Walls of Memory]] at Vorinemtaj, the further back they claim to go, the more mythological their content appears to be.<br />
<br />
It is clear, both from the suddenness of their appearance upon [[Micras]] and their own accounts, that they originated on some other world. The name of it is not known, for indeed the Çerid had none for it; the idea that there are multiple worlds has only taken root in the Çer worldview since extensive contact with humans, and since the Translocation it has been traditionally remembered simply as the Place That Was. It was clearly a habitable world - that part of it with which the Çerid ancestors were familiar is described as a desert of immense size, dotted with oases and crisscrossed by rivers bordered by narrow widths of productive land, and bordered by mountains and seas. Yet it was just as clearly one rather different from Micras. It appears to have had lighter gravity, as the first Çerid to arrive on Micras found themselves heavier than they had been and unable to fly; it appears to have had a very lengthy day-night cycle, with the night dominated by some kind of moon or other celestial body to which it was tidally locked, which remained in place in the night sky; and most of its animals had six limbs and none of them had feathers, judging from tales of utter confusion at the appearance of many Micrasian species.<br />
<br />
The Çer creation myth relates that the creator goddess [[Taghlishen#Taghli|Taghli]], after laying many eggs that were the origins of the celestial bodies, plants, and animals, produced from her last egg the Çerid, who had Her shape. They spread across the desert, which they dominated for eons, and were divided into many tribes and languages. But eventually, from over the mountains, came beings who are remembered as the Tall Ones, who, from their depiction on the Walls of Memory, were of a fairly similar appearance to the Çerid and in scientific terms may well have been a related species. While they died easily away from water, they were more numerous and organized than the Çerid were (Çer accounts describe them scornfully as "seeking to be ruled and regimented" and "swarming in hives"), and steadily evicted them from the land bordering the rivers, pushing them out into the desert.<br />
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The more immediate ancestors of the Çerid led a somewhat [[wikipedia:Transhumance|transhumant]] existence, clustering around oases during the long, burning day, and venturing out into the wastes during the equally long but more hospitable night to gather resources, hunt, trade, and raid settlements of the Tall Ones, with whom relations remained hostile. It was in an apparent attempt to retaliate for, or put and end to, the raids that the Tall Ones were moved to mount military expeditions to the oases in the middle of the day, when most of the tribe would be present. While this was presumably an [[wikipedia: Battle of Tondibi#Desert crossing|extremely difficult and expensive feat]], the Tall Ones succeeded in killing many members of the tribe, including the troublesome and those unsuitable for labor, and enslaving most of the rest.<br />
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Many of them were assigned to a particular farming estate outside a major riverside town. Among the younger members of the group were Kadri, a female smith, and Tibed, a male employed as a courier and go-between; the latter was taught to read and write the language of the Tall Ones for this purpose. The group remained enslaved for what equated to several Micrasian years before they escaped during the Translocation.<br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
''Hearing-stalks be held high! I am Shorhad! I speak!''<br />
<br />
''In the time of our mothers' mothers' mothers, we were in thrall to the Tall Ones. Cruel mockeries of the People were they: clumsy, lumbering, with misshapen stalks. They huddled together in great and miserable masses, each a servant of some higher and haughty one. And, so that they could appease those lowest among them, they enslaved the People to be lower still.''<br />
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''(Woe for the People, thus to be bound!)''<br />
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''But there were those among the Tall Ones who, greedy and fat, gathered many things; and among these were atimes books of travel, which, when a paw was placed upon a page, could send one away to another place. Cunning and careful was brother Tibed, who took the book of his haughty ruler, and generous was he when he brought it to his brothers and sisters in their cages. One by one, they departed the Place That Was; and last of all was Tibed himself, who held the book above the flame as he passed through, that none might follow.''<br />
<br />
''(Joy for the People, thus to claim their courage back!)''<br />
<br />
''For his deeds did many seek him as a mate, but his heart was claimed by sister Kadri, to whom he and he alone gave many children. Even here among you are those who came forth from them. And like them, the People have become numerous in this new place where the sky is strange. There is no life without courage, and without sufficiency, and without being unbowed before anyone.''<br />
<br />
''(Learning for the People, thus to guard them from tyranny!)''<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
It remains unclear by exactly what process the "books of travel" operated, how they were made, how common they were, or even whether the Çerid completely misunderstood the cause of their journey. Despite, too, the stated importance of the [[Vorinemtaj#The Doorstone|Doorstone]] to the process, there is no indication of what its connection, if any, might have been to the book or, if the Çerid did not create the Doorstone, how it arrived on Micras. Above all, it is not clear, even assuming all else was as the Çerid describe, why the book evidently led to Micras at all.<br />
<br />
Still, the basic facts remain: the Çerid, who had not existed upon Micras before and had no conventional means to reach it, nonetheless arrived.<br />
<br />
== Early Years ==<br />
In 6881 ASC, approximately eight hundred Çerid appeared in the inland highlands of Malachítis Nísos, on a shelf of rock partway up the side of a cliff; they dubbed the place [[Vorinemtaj]], the Place of Arrival, shortly afterward. Tibed had burned the book that was reportedly used to send them there, but, to make doubly sure, he convinced the exhausted Çerid to destroy the Doorstone as well, picking it up and dropping it to break it against the ground and then twisting up its metal inlays.<br />
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The Çerid were astonished to find themselves in a rich land, well-provisioned with water and food, but a strange one. Both sun and moon looked different, and chased each other around the sky at a dizzying pace. The air was thick and humid. The earth squeezed them against it, making it all but impossible to fly, more difficult to breathe, easier to injure oneself. The plants and animals were utterly alien, and they little knew which ones were safe to eat or how to harvest them. Regardless, their spirits were high; they felt they could endure any difficulty, so long as they remained free.<br />
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Feeling unnaturally confined in such numerous close company, the strongest and healthiest Çerid began spreading out, the males to start exploring, the females to claim plots of land and see what use could be made of what was on them. Tibed, who for his central role in the escape had acquired an unusual amount of praise and regard, received a number of very direct offers, but he had evidently been courting Kadri well before the Translocation and felt it impolitic, not to say potentially life-threatening, to take up with another female. He therefore moved in with Kadri, who had gained a certain amount of status herself and who used it to claim the area immediately surrounding Vorinemtaj as her own land. Remaining with them as their tenants were a selection of the Çerid who were unable to journey long distances, whether due to age, infirmity, illness, or a simple inability to adapt fully to their new home.<br />
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Kadri and Tibed divided their time between the organization of their small settlement and the expansion of their family; they began having children without any significant delay after marriage and continued to do so until near the end of Tibed's life. Out of their tenants, those who retained some amount of mobility helped gather food and resources to maintain those who could not. To help keep this latter group busy, Tibed urged them to take on a cultural role for their people, depicting in art the history and knowledge of the Çerid so that it might be preserved.<br />
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Two years after the Translocation, the Great Plague broke out. Çerid are, to their great fortune, apparently immune or resistant to most human diseases and vice versa, primarily due to differences in body temperature making them mutually inhospitable for the other's microorganisms. But some Micrasian microbe apparently found a safe refuge in Çer lungs, spreading through coughing and reducing oxygen absorption and ultimately causing the lungs to fill with fluid. Out of the eight hundred Çerid who had arrived on Micras, nearly three hundred died of the Plague, including most of the species' male bands and nearly all its children, including the entirely of Kadri and Tibed's first clutch. Aside from those who were able to fight off the symptoms of the disease, those who survived largely did so due to the Çer aversion for high population densities; with few males to spread the Plague while roaming, individual families were able to maintain a form of quarantine by simply attacking any trespassers, preferably from as far a distance as their technology allowed.<br />
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The species survived, but the effects left their mark. Territorial as females were, the rather extreme level of Çer insistence on property rights and measures against trespassing did not appear until the quarantines made them necessary. The cultural preservation efforts at Vorinemtaj, which began as busy work, took on a new sense of urgency as many of Kadri's tenants perished and it seemed a very real possibility that the Walls of Memory might become the only legacy of the Çerid left to the future. Even after the Plague receded and died out, a process that was mostly complete within three years (though sporadic outbreaks occurred for decades afterward), terrified Çerid families remained isolated from each other, not daring to cross their boundaries.<br />
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Over the next fifteen years, families steadily increased in size as surviving parents bore children, but geographic mobility remained negligible while they remained fortified on their own lands. As the children began reaching maturity, however, it became impossible to maintain the situation; they were unable to pursue their own lives or families while remaining where they were, and felt it increasingly urgent to leave. Beginning around 6900, the quarantines began to end out of sheer refusal by the new generation to abide by them: cautiously at first, but with increasing confidence.<br />
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As his children began leaving home and the survival of his people seemed assured, Tibed began occupying himself by expanding on what had already been done to preserve Çer culture. In the Place That Was, the Çerid had never written their own language, [[Çervelik]], and Tibed was one of only three Çerid that had both been taught to read and write the language of the Tall Ones and survived the Plague. He had spent time during the quarantine years adapting the letters he had learned to Çervelik, and taught them to his children; now he went back to the Walls of Memory, until now covered only in art and drawings, and annotated and explained each one in writing. This task occupied him until his death in 6907, by which time he and Kadri had seven living children - three daughters and four sons - out of a total of twenty-two. Kadri neither married nor had relations with any other male, and passed away three years later.<br />
<br />
== Initial Growth ==<br />
Although birth rates were very high in the post-quarantine years, particularly among the new generation, so too were infant and adult mortality, resulting in only modest population growth. The sudden expansion of the Çerid throughout their new home was therefore less a matter of a physical need for new land and resources than a psychological need to escape to unseen lands. The new bands of young males roaming the landscape were accompanied, at least temporarily, by females who were sick of staring at the same vistas and faces. The population spread widely but thinly across the humid highlands, and into the area around the head of the Bay of Winds.<br />
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Vorinemtaj retained a certain cultural primacy in the Çer mindset, but remained an estate unto itself, kept apart from others by topography.<br />
<br />
* 6913 ASC: An unusually rich site, already home to several homesteads in close proximity and centrally located, becomes Gultaj after having attracted a number of new families to it. It becomes the largest of a number of villages founded around the same time as the population increases.<br />
* 6917 ASC: The thirty-sixth year since the translocation, there is a celebration of what, in [[wikipedia:Senary|base-6]], is an important anniversary. This marks the beginning of an annual commemoration of the event, known as the Feast of Unbinding.<br />
* 6921 ASC: [[wikipedia:malachite|Malachite]] and [[wikipedia:azurite|azurite]], copper ores, are found near the southern end of the island. Combined with tin deposits in the streams flowing into the Bay of Winds, this gives the Çerid a far more reliable supply of bronze and spurs further migration into the arid lowlands.<br />
* c. 6925 ASC: Gultaj's central location, both between the major copper and tin deposits and with respect to the distribution of the population, results in it becoming a booming market town. Gultaj acquires a number of new shrines to the local ''[[Taghlishen#Zerenid|zeren]]'' as a result.<br />
* 6927 ASC: The Verdigris Wars break out. Increasing competition between landowners for copper-bearing ores results in the breakout of hostilities. The resulting coalitions, though consisting broadly of owners of small estates versus those of large ones, are nonetheless extremely fluid, as anyone who gains too much more territory than others often finds themselves a target of their former allies. Matters are complicated even further by the [[Culture of Çeridgul#Family and Social Structure|bands of males]] hired as mercenaries by various factions, since - though they provide much-needed manpower - they often prove spectacularly unreliable, either plundering the lands they are supposed to be delivering to their employers, or extorting higher fees immediately before important actions.<br />
* 6931 ASC: After dragging on for several years, the Verdigris Wars sputter out. None of the coalitions prove stable enough to be said to have won anything; instead, there are many individual winners and losers, with the net effect broadly being that the winners carved out territories among themselves in a more or less equitable fashion, with the losers either becoming tenants on those territories or being pushed out of the region entirely - mostly toward the coasts, where they subsist on fishing. The most immediate damage done is economic, with mining operations and homes repeatedly destroyed and stockpiles of goods stolen; fairly few people died in combat, though about 55 died from exposure, starvation, illnesses, or injuries related to the conflict.<br />
* 6935 ASC: What is held to be the first Vocal Assembly occurs in Gultaj, originating as the 54-year celebration of the Feast of Unbinding. The close proximity of such a high proportion of the population is seen as an opportunity to discuss the news, accomplishments, and issues of the day. Being an utterly unofficial consequence of the gathering and dominated by shameless gossipers, it is soon recognized that the Assembly has produced a number of tall tales and conflicting accounts but spectacularly little hard information - but, just the same, entertaining and worth doing again. One particular benefit recognized is the reduction of tensions left over from the Verdigris Wars, with representatives of the wars' losers getting into a drunken fight with those of the winners and prevailing, to the cheers of onlookers. After sobering up, the copper miners offer to start buying fish from their former adversaries, and the demands of honor are considered satisfied on all fronts.<br />
* 6939 ASC: After several annual repeats of the Assembly, which have become popular as an excuse to socialize and make money, it is felt that the collective information store needs to be more rigorously distributed. As many scribes as can be gathered are set to recording tales and accounts brought to the Assembly from across Çeridgul in writing. To minimize the risk of undue exaggeration, it is decided that a prominent member of the the community should announce the most interesting or relevant information publicly, so that, if found to be untrue over the following year, it can be debunked equally publicly at the following Assembly. The first election of the Grand Speaker eventually results, after a spirited contest, in the victory of the copper baroness Sabiri, who duly announces the year's news and then sits back satisfied with a job well done.<br />
* 6940 ASC: The year's Assembly begins, rather than ends, with the election of the next Grand Speaker, so that this contentious part of the proceedings can be disposed of first. A huge percentage of the previous year's findings are determined to be either outright falsehoods or so exaggerated as to be useless, but one previously unclear point is reasonably well-confirmed: the land of Çeridgul is an island, albeit a big one. This fact had not previously been apparent, partly due to the harsher climate in the lowlands, and partly due to a superstition of the sea. The result is almost immediately challenged by those who feel that other, wider lands are waiting to be found, though there are partisans in favor of almost every conceivable direction in which it might be found.<br />
* 6942 ASC: The most fanatical partisans of the peninsular theory, after endless marching along desolate shores, are either forced to concede defeat or are dead (in one notable case, by marching directly into the waves, certain that the sea was merely a shallow veneer). The exercise does, however, have a somewhat more useful result, in that a party exploring the southernmost tip of the island spotted objects in the distance, traveling on the surface of the sea - human cargo vessels, although the explorers thought them to be particularly large and odd fish.<br />
<br />
known to the Cerid as ''Nuranselevraj'', Blue-Green Island<br />
<br />
* 6953 ASC: The 72-year Feast of Unbinding, and the associated Vocal Assembly, is not only a numerical milestone but a cultural one; it was announced by the Great Speaker that the last known individual to be born in the Place That Was, Ebelad husband of Hali, had passed away. Sobering as this news was, there was a sense of euphoria at the thought that they were now entirely creatures of their new home.<br />
* {{Tooltip|6966 ASC|1 Sep 2018}}: [[Constancia]], the major presence in the Euran interor, [https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1345&t=22052 decides to survey the area around the Gulf of Aqabâ]; this includes the island of Çeridgul, which they call, among less flattering names, ''Malachítis Nísos'' (Malachite Isle).<br />
* 6971 ASC: The 90-year Feast of Unbinding is held.<br />
<br />
== First Contact ==<br />
The Constancian survey mission arrived in 6975. First contact was made on the east side of the Bay of Winds, somewhat to the astonishment of the crew - who had heard of the "scaled-demons" but thought them the literary creation of some functionary of the Autokrator back in Vey - and very much to the astonishment of the Çer fishing families they first encountered, who, up until they saw the ship heading in to shore, were partisans of the "fish" theory on the identification of human vessels.<br />
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The meeting was peaceful, less due to any natural inclination on either side than to simple mutual incomprehension. Not sharing even the same body plan, much less bodily or verbal language, they managed to misinterpret, or miss entirely, many potentially hair-raising cues (the surreptitious pointing of a rifle in the general direction of one Çer was regarded with little more than a polite glance; it was a damn strange-looking blowgun, but after all the unscaled one hadn't had it anywhere near its mouth, so obviously it wasn't ''dangerous''). While each side learned a few of each others' words, any kind of in-depth communication proved elusive.<br />
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After landing at several points along the coast and having similar encounters - the only meaningful insight being gained was that the creatures [[Culture of Çeridgul#Property|became agitated if they tried to cross any lines of poles or crude cairns]] to head inland - the survey crew decided to move on to Aden, leaving the problem of dealing with the Çerid to those with a higher pay grade. They paused only long enough to produce some pamphlets, done entirely in pictograms, on the benefits of switching to the [[Norton calendar]] as their [[Temporal Secessionism|national timeframe]] and hand them out to the confused Çerid.<br />
<br />
The annual Vocal Assembly was dominated by news of the ''ovareshid'' and the perusal of their pamphlets, many of which had by this time been repurposed as nesting material but enough of which had been preserved and passed along that some study could be made. The scribes, conferring among themselves, agreed that while they appeared to show the Burning Eye moving at different speeds in different places, this in itself was not a particular revelation - they had known about this since the translocation, when they had been confused by the unseemly speed of the sun whizzing around the sky. The use of different numbers of tally marks in association with each place was no more revealing. Somewhat more interesting were the accounts of the aliens' abilities. Clearly they were rich and powerful people; they had carried many objects made of metal, like their strange blowguns, and been clothed in strange fabrics. Their ship had not been a raft made of logs or driftwood, but a sleek and shiny thing.<br />
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It was, perhaps, a testament to the Çer worldview that when they contemplated these things, their overwhelming thought was not ''how do we know their intentions?'' or ''what might they do to us?'', but ''how can we get a piece of that?''<br />
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There was no clear ultimate answer to that question, but the first step, at least, seemed clear: though the Çerid lived on an island, they were not trapped on it. The ''ovareshid'' had vessels sturdy enough to travel the sea in defiance of the Abyssal; therefore, the courageous Çerid, despite the danger, could do the same (it being inconceivable that the Çerid were ''inherently'' inferior to anyone). Perhaps they could build vessels; perhaps they could buy them from the ''ovareshid''; perhaps (though the thought rankled) they could even hitch rides. One way or another, it would be done. New lands beckoned.<br />
<br />
== The Age of Exploration ==<br />
* 6979 ASC: Several years of experimenting fail to result in a ship nearly as big or impressive as those of the ''ovareshid'', but some success is found in the development of an outrigger canoe. These are able to cross the Bay of Winds much more efficiently than a raft, but are too small to carry much cargo, and those that attempt to leave the island entirely fail to return.<br />
* {{Tooltip|6981 ASC|16 Sep 2018}}: Several merchant ships develop a habit of stopping by the island to barter for local resources, usually in exchange for suitably shiny or useful objects. Some linguistic understanding develops, and from a reasonably friendly merchant who reads them selections from newspapers, the Çerid are introduced to the concept of diplomatic communications. Trying out the concept, they send a [https://www.caputia.net/showthread.php?tid=1506&pid=10002#pid10002 missive] to the Queen of [[Caputia]] congratulating her on her pregnancy.<br />
* 6987 ASC: Keledi of Ezintash combines the concept of raft and outrigger canoe by attaching a canoe to each side of a raftlike platform. The resulting [[wikipedia:Catamaran#Polynesian_and_Asian_catamarans|watercraft]] is both surprisingly fast for its size and surprisingly difficult to capsize, and successfully completes several voyages to the mainland. In the same year, a zone for foreign diplomacy and commerce is opened at [[Gejlak Beach]].<br />
* 6989 ASC: Keledi's family, along with several nascent competitors, begin ferry services to hitherto unclaimed areas of coast on the mainland. For land-hungry young females eager to establish themselves, it proves a popular service.<br />
* 6992 ASC: One young couple reach the ruined Babkhan city of Aden, and - somewhat ambitiously - claim the entire city as their territory, naming it Ajinkeliç. Other would-be settlers take note of the name, but promptly ignore the territorial claim, which is moderated to something more reasonable shortly thereafter.<br />
<br />
== Continental Conflict ==<br />
As the Çerid braved their dread of the sea to settle and expand on the shores of the mainland, conflict began brewing beyond their borders. To the north of Çeridgul, the pharaonic nation of [[Iteru]] had been falling gently into decadence and corruption, state institutions held together increasingly by the divine prestige of the Pharaoh himself, and that only barely. Its weakened state was seen by their [[Raspur]]id enemies as an opportunity, and shortly after the turn of the millennium, the latter sent armies to destroy the kingdom. As these would inevitably pass near Çer territory, the Raspurids requested permission to build bakeries in Ajinkeliç to feed their soldiers while in the region, and invited interested male bands to join the vanguard of the expedition.<br />
<br />
While the [[Household of the Great Speaker]] hesitated, the prospect of free baked goods for the newly settled territories - which, after all, were still in the process of developing local food supplies - proved too good to pass up. So too did the invitation of join the expedition, which the Household ensured was circulated among its populace; the rowdier male bands saw an unparalleled opportunity for loot and glory, and while the Household had no power to stop them in any case, it saw the situation as an opportunity to usefully occupy an otherwise troublesome segment of the Çer population somewhere else.<br />
<br />
Once beyond Çeridgul's borders, the timeframe of the raiders became synchronized with the [[Norton calendar]], and, combined with the time taken to trek across the desert, it was therefore not until the mid-7030s that they began to arrive in the region immediately bordering Iteru, where they harried the river kingdom's patrols, looted outlying settlements, and funneled information on their findings to the Raspurids. During their journey, however, they discovered silver ores in the region north of Ajinkeliç, news of which they sent back home.<br />
<br />
As the Iteru war continued, another wave of explorers filtered through what had become known as the Glittering Canyons, in search of water and fuel for smelting. The former proved to be available from occasional wells, while the latter was found in the form of a [[wikipedia:Petroleum|curious liquid]] found while prospecting for water. While few settlements progressed beyond the level of mining camps and turnover was high - the Canyons were far more barren and radioactive than Çeridgul proper - they remained popular with those seeking to make a quick fortune. Over the following decade, the silver extracted from the region, although lacking a certain practical value to the species, became desirable as a status symbol, and more importantly as a trade good. The population of Ajinkeliç began to balloon as the town became a trade port second only to [[Gejlak Beach]].<br />
<br />
This period also saw the first widespread introduction of firearms to Çeridgul. These had originally been acquired from the Raspurids by some of the more reliable bands who had been tasked with guarding downed planes, supply depots, and other objectives that the Raspurids themselves were unable to immediately reach. It did not take these bands long to recognize that the new weapons represented both a source of power in their own right and a valuable trade good, and firearms began making their way back toward Çer settlements.<br />
<br />
This new prosperity, however, was cut short by developing hostilities on the Euran continent. Raspur and its ally Constancia, both moving against Iteru, were both members of the [[Raspur Pact]], but the [[Haifo-Pallisican Imperial Trade Union|Bassarid Empire]], a member of the rival [[USSO]], had extensive interests in the continental interior due to its railway system. With the Iteran war ongoing and coinciding with an uprising in Constancia, the Bassarids had strengthened their military forces on the Duranian Plateau, leading to a furious response from the Raspurid delegate at the [[Micras Treaty Organization]]. The upheaval continued as the Constancian military [[Katabasis of the Loyalists|moved north]] to establish a new stronghold adjoining their allies in Raspur and Eklesia.<br />
<br />
While none of the conflicts, aside from the Iteran war, directly involved Çeridgul, they had an effect on the economy. Many basic goods that might have otherwise been traded to the Çerid by Constancia were instead diverted to establishing population centers and civil order in central Eura. The mainland coastal regions between Ajinkeliç and Aqabâ, for their part, remained inclined to good relations with the Raspur Pact because of this history and because of their trade links, despite the increasingly wary attitude of the Household of the Great Speaker toward the impact of foreign conflicts.<br />
<br />
==War of Ingots ==<br />
This difference in opinion fed into other divisions developing within Çer society. Çeridgul's system of governance, which was extremely loose, relied on mass numbers of individuals traveling to Gultaj on a yearly basis for the Vocal Assembly. While the majority of the Çerid resided within easy travel of Gultaj, this had worked well enough; but as more of them migrated away from Blue-Green Island to the mainland peripheries, an increasingly large percentage of the population was too distant to conveniently travel to each Assembly, and found its interests consistently underrepresented there. The peripheries had been increasingly adopting the idea of coinage from the human nations, and advocated it to supplement or replace barter with a certain amount of success, but in most other matters, particularly foreign affairs, were overruled by voices on the Island who desired a distancing from the developing clash between the great alliances - or, beyond that, joining forces with the new [[Azad Eura]] alignment.<br />
<br />
The situation came to a head in 7044 ASC, when the silver miners' constituency, whose economic power had been growing for years and whose stronghold lay north of Ajinkeliç, angrily repudiated the Assembly following a successful attempt by the copper miners of the Island to block the consideration of the use of silver in coinage. The following year they refused to attend at all, partnering with Ajinkeliç to set up a rival Assembly, and the year after were joined by most of the east coast of the Gulf of Aqabâ. The flow of silver to the Island, as well as other goods, was constricted, as inhabitants of the coast boycotted the Island and redirected their trade to human buyers. Angry Islanders (the "Coppers") accused their coastal brethren of betrayal and corruption by foreign influence; the coastal communities (the "Silvers"), in turn, claimed the right to exchange goods and ideas with whomever they pleased, and accused the Islanders of arrogance and tyranny; and the Speakers, despite their best efforts, were ultimately unable to prevent the conflict from escalating to the level of violence.<br />
<br />
The first attacks began in 7045, but the peak of the conflict came in late 7046 into 7047. What became known as the War of Ingots was not an organized conflict in the human sense; there were no generals, no armies, no orders of battle, no strategic planning. The only organization with the potential authority to produce these things, the Household of the Great Speaker, spent the war trying desperately to wage peace. Instead, it was more a period of disorganized violence, raiding, and piracy by each side upon the settlements of the other. Most of the cost was in property and the economy rather than lives. Regardless, it was notable for hosting the first Çer ship-to-ship actions, and their first battles with firearms.<br />
<br />
The latter proved to be a decisive factor in the war's outcome. The Silvers had acquired the bulk of the firearms available to the Çerid, and they were therefore well-placed both to put early ends to the raids upon their own shores, and to raid in force on the Island. The war was effectively brought to a conclusion when Ezintash, the Island's foremost port and shipyard, suffering from the disruption to the Çer trade network, fearing Silver attack, and chafing under the demands of Copper forces for assistance, associated itself with the Silvers. A number of constituencies, particularly in the east of the Island, had economic stakes in Ezintash and the maritime trade and feared the Island becoming dependent on foreign imports rather than internal trade, and these either followed suit or proclaimed themselves neutral. The shift gave the Silvers deep inroads into the Island and handed them effective control of the waves, and Copper raiders, already severely disadvantaged due to the disparity in firepower, found themselves unable to continue to take the fight to the Silvers. With both sides tiring of the conflict, the Silvers were nonetheless in a position to declare the price of peace to be a discussion - and solution - of their concerns.<br />
<br />
The Assembly of 7048 ASC - remembered humorously as the Rather Loudly Vocal Assembly - was the first since the before the war in which both Coppers and Silvers participated. The celebrations were unusually subdued, and shortly gave way to what was, for the Çerid, the equivalent of a constitutional convention. The discussions were lengthy and heated, and ranged from the practical to the philosophical, dealing as they did with such points as the scope of government and the division of power, the method and degree of decentralization - the latter being seen as a vital step in ensuring responsiveness to local concerns. The eventual result was the [[Covenant of the Çerid]], the first codified constitutional document in Çer history. The adoption of the Covenant inaugurated the Confederation period.<br />
<br />
As part of the settlement, it was agreed regarding foreign affairs that, while a certain commonality of interests with Raspur and Constancia was to be expected - they remained, after all, the largest trading partners of the Çerid - no closer alignment with them, or with the other Raspur Pact members, would be pursued. However, neither would the Çerid seek to join the USSO or [[Azad Eura]], since this both risked offending the major alliances and ran counter to Çer ambitions in the direction of Iteru.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Çeridgul]][[Category:History]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Allied_Production_Matrix/Theatre_Command_Allocations&diff=95107Allied Production Matrix/Theatre Command Allocations2018-12-03T20:28:13Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* 1665 Apportionments */</p>
<hr />
<div>__TOC__ <br />
<br />
==Allocations==<br />
*<small>Including articles recovered from arsenals and depots after the [[War of Lost Brothers]] and assigned to the Allied Allocation Pool</small><br />
<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Item<br />
! scope="col" | Type<br />
! scope="col" | JMC Allocation Pool<br />
! scope="col" | [[Apollonia Command]]<br />
! scope="col" | [[Benacia Command]]<br />
! scope="col" | [[Cibola Command]]<br />
! scope="col" | [[Keltia Command]]<br />
! scope="col" | [[Tapfer Command]]<br/><small>(Inc. [[Space Command]])</small><br />
! scope="col" | [[Trans-Euran Command]]<br />
|-<br />
| Alvis Stormer HVM||AFV||32||0||0||0||0||32||0<br />
|-<br />
| FV1620 Humber Hornet||AFV||42||0||0||0||0||42||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(CV)-4 Red Queen||AFV||5,161||1,200||3,600||0||0||361||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(MBT)-1 Bandersnatch||AFV||8,982||4,000||4,176||0||0||806||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan||AFV||55||1||50||1||1||1||1<br />
|-<br />
| GV(SPG)-2 Jabberwocky||AFV||5,496||3,000||2,304||0||0||192||0<br />
|-<br />
| Horjin CV35||AFV||12,227||0||250||39||4,188||3,750||4,000<br />
|-<br />
| Horjin CV56(S/N/E)||AFV||15,555||4,703||10,190||0||662||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| IMW-2 Spidertank||AFV||4,393||2,000||2,088||1||304||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| IMW-3 Snark||AFV||264||180||72||2||5||2||3<br />
|-<br />
| OAH Ingilisi APC FV102 (Anti-Tank)||AFV||160||0||0||0||0||0||160<br />
|-<br />
| OAH Matador Hovercraft||AFV||1,457||57||0||0||0||1,400||0<br />
|-<br />
| OAH Panssarsepâh Mk III||AFV||32||0||0||0||0||0||32<br />
|-<br />
| Otokar Cobra||AFV||140||0||0||0||0||140||0<br />
|-<br />
| Paixhans Mark 4 Land Cruiser||AFV||64||0||0||0||58||0||6<br />
|-<br />
| A-6 Pundarikam||Air||587||300||100||0||7||0||180<br />
|-<br />
| A-10 Kambera||Air||674||100||130||1||190||8||245<br />
|-<br />
| AH-1Z Viper||Air||54||18||36||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| AV-8B Harrier II||Air||60||30||30||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| AW101 Merlin Helicopter||Air||126||54||0||0||0||0||72<br />
|-<br />
| B-49 Delta||Air||2,305||0||2,305||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| B-66 Vulcan||Air||218||0||218||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| BN-2T-4S Defender 4000||Air||1||0||0||0||0||0||1<br />
|-<br />
| Buccaneer S.2D||Air||24||0||0||0||0||0||24<br />
|-<br />
| CN-235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft||Air||1||0||0||0||0||0||1<br />
|-<br />
| EA-6B Prowler||Air||24||0||24||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| EC135 Utility Helicopter||Air||2||0||0||0||0||0||2<br />
|-<br />
| F-8 Shrike||Air||1,788||49||1,722||4||10||0||3<br />
|-<br />
| F-9 Ashavan||Air||40||40||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(AS)-1 Snaggletooth||Air||40||0||40||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(P)-5 Nereid||Air||593||0||393||0||0||0||200<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(U)-4 Jackalope||Air||1,720||600||1,000||1||10||100||9<br />
|-<br />
| Gravrig Cruisers||Air||2||0||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| HB-3 Heavy Bombers||Air||28||0||0||0||0||28||0<br />
|-<br />
| LB-2 Light Bombers||Air||20||0||0||0||0||20||0<br />
|-<br />
| Learjet 45||Air||1||0||0||0||0||0||1<br />
|-<br />
| MiG-29K Fulcrum||Air||40||10||0||0||0||0||30<br />
|-<br />
| MH-60G Pave Hawk Helicopter||Air||12||12||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Nimrod MRA4||Air||3||0||3||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| PC-9 Trainer / Light Attack Aircraft||Air||3||0||0||0||0||0||3<br />
|-<br />
| R-1 Whirdlebird||Air||1,151||200||400||4||267||60||220<br />
|-<br />
| RAS Kestrel Mk.II Gravship||Air||21||15||6||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Spiegelflügel-Taube Amphibious Aircraft||Air||92||66||26||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| T-2 Saeqeh||Air||2,265||500||500||5||810||110||340<br />
|-<br />
| T-3 Akintos||Air||876||110||228||10||208||20||300<br />
|-<br />
| Transport Airships (various)||Air||51||0||51||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| UH-1Y Venom||Air||120||48||72||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Wildcat ASW helicopters||Air||6||0||6||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| A-100 Kamæleon||Air/Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Black Angel Fighters||Air/Space||5||0||0||0||5||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Dingo-class Shuttle||Air/Space||58||0||0||0||0||58||0<br />
|-<br />
| Dingo-class Shuttle - Variant||Air/Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| F-10 Carnifex||Air/Space||206||0||19||0||0||187||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(P)-6 Zephyr Mark 1a||Air/Space||11||0||0||0||0||0||11<br />
|-<br />
| Goede Hoop-class Shuttle||Air/Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Melitta-class Shuttle||Air/Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| N-2 Advanced Fighter||Air/Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Nebula-class Scout||Air/Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Raven-class Shuttle||Air/Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Troy-class Scout||Air/Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Virgo-class Scout||Air/Space||13||0||0||0||0||13||0<br />
|-<br />
| Zion-class Scout||Air/Space||8||0||0||0||0||8||0<br />
|-<br />
| 9K37 Buk mobile SAM batteries||Anti-Air||25||5||5||0||5||5||5<br />
|-<br />
| FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS||Anti-Air||800||0||0||0||0||0||800<br />
|-<br />
| GV(LU)-3 Boojum||Anti-Air||3,988||2,800||1,152||0||0||36||0<br />
|-<br />
| Trump Radar Tracking Autocannon||Anti-Air||4,176||1,696||469||150||696||469||696<br />
|-<br />
| Waspsting Man-portable Air Defence System||Anti-Air||2,625||430||420||0||525||0||1,250<br />
|-<br />
| 9K115-2 Metis-M||Anti-Tank||8,784||0||0||0||6,954||0||1,830<br />
|-<br />
| BGM-71 TOW||Anti-Tank||1,552||0||0||0||0||776||776<br />
|-<br />
| FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile||Anti-Tank||2,720||0||0||0||0||776||1,944<br />
|-<br />
| Hornet 84 mm Recoilless Rifle (Anti-Tank)||Anti-Tank||6,050||1,500||1,500||113||1,640||550||747<br />
|-<br />
| 105 mm Light Gun||Artillery||2,210||500||1,110||25||500||75||0<br />
|-<br />
| 80 mm Field Gun||Artillery||3,574||500||500||40||1,634||400||500<br />
|-<br />
| 81mm Mortar||Artillery||1,856||0||0||0||304||776||776<br />
|-<br />
| 82 mm Mortar||Artillery||13,465||2,220||4,360||10||3,480||435||2,960<br />
|-<br />
| BM-27 Uragan||Artillery||2,060||0||0||0||0||1,964||96<br />
|-<br />
| Ordnance QF 13 pounder||Artillery||6||0||0||6||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| RSM-52 SLBM Bad Neighbour||ICBM||1||1||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| FN MINIMI||Inf Spt Wpn||2,208||0||0||0||0||0||2,208<br />
|-<br />
| RPG-29||Inf Spt Wpn||1,900||0||0||0||0||0||1,900<br />
|-<br />
| Tankgewehr 13.2 mm Rifle (Anti-Materiel)||Inf Spt Wpn||4,956||1,000||1,000||101||1,000||250||1,605<br />
|-<br />
| Type 87 (automatic) grenade launcher||Inf Spt Wpn||1,794||0||0||0||0||0||1,794<br />
|-<br />
| Ariadne-class Escort Vessel||Maritime||6||0||0||0||0||6||0<br />
|-<br />
| Armed Trawlers||Maritime||1,163||0||0||0||1,163||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Armed yacht||Maritime||1||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Aurangzeb-class Missile Defence Battleship||Maritime||1||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Ayreon-Kalirion Dreadnought||Maritime||2||2||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Bijeko-class Missile Cruiser||Maritime||4||0||0||0||4||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Cargo Submarine||Maritime||55||4||4||10||25||10||2<br />
|-<br />
| City-class Diesel Submarine||Maritime||8||4||4||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Coastal Patrol Craft||Maritime||1,978||500||500||30||368||140||440<br />
|-<br />
| County-class Frigate||Maritime||21||21||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Duchy-class Destroyer||Maritime||18||8||8||0||0||0||2<br />
|-<br />
| Eisboyle-class assault ship||Maritime||5||1||0||2||0||2||0<br />
|-<br />
| Elwynn-class Corvette||Maritime||106||40||40||0||6||0||20<br />
|-<br />
| Grifos Class Battleship||Maritime||1||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Gustav Lindstrom-class aircraft carrier||Maritime||2||0||0||0||0||2||0<br />
|-<br />
| Hegchelus-class ballistic missile submarine||Maritime||3||0||0||0||0||3||0<br />
|-<br />
| Icebreaker||Maritime||3||0||1||1||1||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Ill de France-class battleship||Maritime||2||0||0||0||0||2||0<br />
|-<br />
| Indigo-class Gunboat||Maritime||13||0||0||0||13||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Kalir-class Carrier-Cruiser||Maritime||1||1||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Kesh-class Attack Submarine||Maritime||3||0||0||0||3||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Klimatariá-class Missile Corvette||Maritime||15||0||0||0||0||0||15<br />
|-<br />
| Landing Ship, Tank||Maritime||157||0||0||0||157||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Logistic Support Vessel||Maritime||191||50||50||0||20||1||70<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo & Passenger, Ice)||Maritime||2||0||1||0||1||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo & Passenger)||Maritime||647||100||100||27||295||100||25<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo)||Maritime||827||200||200||75||75||200||77<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Livestock)||Maritime||75||10||30||0||20||10||5<br />
|-<br />
| Minute-class patrol boat||Maritime||11||0||0||0||0||11||0<br />
|-<br />
| Mortis-class Aircraft Carrier||Maritime||3||1||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Natopia-class destroyer||Maritime||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Northman-class Corvette||Maritime||14||0||0||0||0||0||14<br />
|-<br />
| Oil Tanker||Maritime||327||75||75||40||50||52||35<br />
|-<br />
| Poltroon-class Nuclear Submarine||Maritime||103||103||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Private Boats||Maritime||836||0||0||0||836||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Project 941 Nuclear Submarine||Maritime||2||0||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Project 942 Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine||Maritime||1||1||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Protector-class OPV||Maritime||20||0||20||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Raynor-class Cruiser||Maritime||1||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Skyfire-class guided-missile destroyer||Maritime||11||1||0||3||0||7||0<br />
|-<br />
| Swift-class Offshore Patrol Vessel||Maritime||155||20||30||2||20||20||63<br />
|-<br />
| Trident-class minelayer||Maritime||3||0||0||0||0||3||0<br />
|-<br />
| Type 2400 U-Boat||Maritime||6||0||6||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Unterdu-class attack submarine||Maritime||11||0||0||0||0||11||0<br />
|-<br />
| Urga Class Submarine Tender||Maritime||1||0||0||0||0||0||1<br />
|-<br />
| Vista de Nada-class frigate||Maritime||5||1||0||2||0||2||0<br />
|-<br />
| Viviantia-class LSV||Maritime||49||0||49||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Zibertian-class Cruiser||Maritime||1||0||0||0||1||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Ziegeland-class tactical carrier||Maritime||5||1||0||2||0||2||0<br />
|-<br />
| Polybolos 12.7 mm HMG||MG||241,448||26,000||92,000||6,942||65,927||10,000||40,579<br />
|-<br />
| Vickers 7.7 mm HMG||MG||561||0||0||0||0||0||561<br />
|-<br />
| Wren 7.62mm LMG||MG||233,750||35,000||40,000||2,750||50,000||9,500||96,500<br />
|-<br />
| AKM 7.62mm assault rifle||Small Arms||5,960||0||0||0||0||0||5,960<br />
|-<br />
| Bolo Knife||Small Arms||3,600||0||0||0||0||0||3,600<br />
|-<br />
| Cattle-prod||Small Arms||195,168||32,500||32,500||32,500||32,668||32,500||32,500<br />
|-<br />
| Clinger Bomb, Adhesive Anti-Tank Grenade||Small Arms||1,827,000||200,000||300,000||80,000||1,015,000||100,000||132,000<br />
|-<br />
| CP 60 "Cherry Picker" 7.62 mm sniper rifle||Small Arms||150,000||0||150,000||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Cudgel||Small Arms||707,200||100,000||400,000||6,000||131,200||70,000||0<br />
|-<br />
| Florian Cocktail (Tar, sulphur, petrol, sand, & wick)||Small Arms||34,639,100||4,600,000||4,600,000||4,600,000||11,639,100||4,600,000||4,600,000<br />
|-<br />
| Gladius / Acinaces||Small Arms||112,431||0||0||0||112,431||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Glock 9x19mm Pistol||Small Arms||3,600||0||0||0||0||0||3,600<br />
|-<br />
| Hatchet||Small Arms||311,908||100,000||35,168||20,000||116,740||20,000||20,000<br />
|-<br />
| LTM 60 "Trouble Maker" 9 mm submachine gun||Small Arms||400,000||0||400,000||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M14 Fragmentation Hand Grenade||Small Arms||5,400,000||2,000,000||2,000,000||25,000||1,000,000||25,000||350,000<br />
|-<br />
| M1486 Webb-Lee 11.6 mm Revolver||Small Arms||28,800||0||28,800||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M15 White Phosphorus Grenade||Small Arms||3,400,000||1,000,000||1,000,000||150,000||1,000,000||100,000||150,000<br />
|-<br />
| M1508 Martini-Rossi 11.56 mm Rifle||Small Arms||576,000||200,000||300,000||0||0||76,000||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1525 9 mm Pistol||Small Arms||887,130||100,000||187,400||50,730||200,000||59,000||290,000<br />
|-<br />
| M1581 7.62 mm Machine Carbine||Small Arms||651,988||197,000||62,250||0||205,648||340||186,750<br />
|-<br />
| M1591 7.62 mm Rifle||Small Arms||956,422||60,000||200,000||10,000||350,000||6,422||330,000<br />
|-<br />
| M16 Mustard Gas Grenade||Small Arms||3,400,000||1,000,000||1,000,000||150,000||1,000,000||100,000||150,000<br />
|-<br />
| M1610 7.9 mm Rifle (Semi-Automatic)||Small Arms||377,380||1,000||159,000||380||60,000||30,000||127,000<br />
|-<br />
| M1656 9 mm SMG||Small Arms||1,488,514||280,000||327,000||50,000||455,000||105,000||271,514<br />
|-<br />
| M1656 Demolition Kit (9.1 kg C4)||Small Arms||1,200||0||0||0||1,200||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M18 Red Smoke Grenade||Small Arms||5,400,000||2,000,000||2,000,000||25,000||1,000,000||75,000||300,000<br />
|-<br />
| P29 Sniper Rifle||Small Arms||5,625||0||0||0||0||0||5,625<br />
|-<br />
| P62 Commando||Small Arms||9,783||0||0||0||0||0||9,783<br />
|-<br />
| P62 Covert||Small Arms||9,000||0||0||0||0||0||9,000<br />
|-<br />
| P62 Rifle||Small Arms||15,000||0||0||0||0||0||15,000<br />
|-<br />
| P62 Rifle W/ Grenade Launcher||Small Arms||11,250||0||0||0||0||0||11,250<br />
|-<br />
| Pattern 1496 Sabre||Small Arms||81,320||0||81,320||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Shirley 9mm Pistol||Small Arms||22,500||0||0||0||0||0||22,500<br />
|-<br />
| Bismarck-class Space-faring Cruiser||Space||2||0||0||0||0||2||0<br />
|-<br />
| Damocles-class Orbital Bombardment Platform||Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Drydock facility||Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Imperial-class Space Carrier||Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Io-class Exploration Vessel||Space||2||0||0||0||0||2||0<br />
|-<br />
| Natopian International Space Station||Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| New Lindstrom Tarsica Colony modular assembly||Space||1||0||0||0||0||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| Bedford QLD||Spt Vehicle||436||0||0||0||0||404||32<br />
|-<br />
| GV(CT)-6 Walrus||Spt Vehicle||7,332||4,000||2,880||2||25||400||25<br />
|-<br />
| Jingóchima||Spt Vehicle||8,614||0||0||0||0||0||8,614<br />
|-<br />
| OAH Ingilisi APC FV105 Combat Bulldozer||Spt Vehicle||24||0||0||0||0||0||24<br />
|-<br />
| OAH Ingilisi APC FV106 Rough Terrain Forklift||Spt Vehicle||16||0||0||0||0||0||16<br />
|-<br />
| Pod Personnel Carrier||Spt Vehicle||79,295||19,500||19,500||800||19,495||10,000||10,000<br />
|-<br />
| SMC S70 18R-4WD utility vehicle||Spt Vehicle||721||0||0||0||0||0||721<br />
|-<br />
| Snatch Land Rover||Spt Vehicle||3,640||700||700||120||720||700||700<br />
|-<br />
| Thornycroft Tank Transporter||Spt Vehicle||440||0||0||0||0||440||0<br />
|-<br />
| Truck, Light||Spt Vehicle||74,840||14,800||14,800||840||14,800||14,800||14,800<br />
|-<br />
| Truck, Medium||Spt Vehicle||12,170||2,400||2,400||170||2,400||2,400||2,400<br />
|-<br />
| TX51-19M Rough Terrain Forklift||Spt Vehicle||50||0||0||0||0||50||0<br />
|-<br />
| Ural-4320 Truck||Spt Vehicle||400||0||0||0||0||0||400<br />
|-<br />
| AGM-84 Harpoon||SSM||800||400||400||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Banshee Cruise Missiles||SSM||316||200||116||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Moraquine SRBM||SSM||159||0||139||0||20||0||0<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
===1666 Apportionments===<br />
<br />
*Notified Operational Losses<br />
**From [[Benacia Command]] ([https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1583&t=22341&p=166925#p166925 Unauthorised launch incident])<br />
***[[Benacia Command/Central Banner Group|Central Banner Group]]<br />
****Moraquine SRBM - 1<br />
<br />
===1665 Apportionments===<br />
<br />
*Notified Operational Losses<br />
**From [[Keltia Command]] (1663)<br />
**From [[Trans-Euran Command]] <br />
***[[Constancian Armed Forces]]([[Action of 24.XV.1665]])<br />
****320 naval ratings<br />
****M1656 9 mm SMG - 270,986<br />
****RPG-29 - 3,100<br />
****81 mm Mortar - 24<br />
****Modernised Ironclad - 1<br />
****Armed Merchantman - 1<br />
***[[Raspur Khanate/Military|Raspurid Armed Forces]] ([[Mitra-Varaz Campaign]])<br />
****ALVIS Stormer HVM - 32/32<br />
****Horjin CV35 - 750/2,750<br />
****SMC S70 18R-4WD utility vehicle - 79/800<br />
****Polybolos 12.7 mm HMG - 4,671/15,000<br />
*Consigned to Theatre Commands<br />
**To [[Benacia Command]] <br />
***[[Benacia Command/Central Banner Group|Central Banner Group]]<br />
****GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan - 20<br />
****Horjin CV56(S) - 4,000<br />
****CP 60 "Cherry Picker" 7.62 mm sniper rifle - 150,000<br />
****LTM 60 "Trouble Maker" 9 mm submachine gun - 400,000<br />
****M1525 9mm Pistol - 87,400<br />
****Polybolos 12.7mm HMG - 42,000<br />
****82mm Mortar - 1,480<br />
**To [[Keltia Command]] <br />
***[[Keltia Command/Army Group Normark|Army Group Normark]]<br />
****Horjin CV56(N) - 200<br />
****82mm Mortar - 1,480<br />
**To [[Trans-Euran Command]] <br />
***[[Trans-Euran Command/Euran Armada|Euran Armada]]<br />
****Elwynn Class Corvette - 20<br />
****Coastal Patrol Craft - 200<br />
****Logistic Support Vessel - 60<br />
****Duchy Class Destroyer - 2<br />
****GAV(P)-5 Nereid - 200<br />
****Swift Yacht Offshore Patrol Vessel - 40<br />
***[[Constancian Armed Forces]]<br />
****Klimatariá-class Missile Corvette - 8<br />
****T-3 Akóntio - 200<br />
****T-2 Saeqeh - 200<br />
***[[Trans-Euran Command/General Service Corps|General Service Corps]]<br />
****M1525 9mm Pistol - 200,000<br />
****M1581 7.62 mm Machine Carbine - 124,500<br />
****M1591 7.62 mm Rifle - 290,000<br />
****M1610 7.9mm Rifle (Semi-Automatic) - 125,000<br />
****M1656 9 mm SMG - 542,500<br />
****Wren 7.62mm LMG - 77,500<br />
****Polybolos 12.7mm HMG - 30,250<br />
****Tankgewehr 13.2 mm Rifle (Anti-Materiel) - 1,050<br />
****Waspsting Man-portable Air Defence System - 1,050<br />
****82mm Mortar - 1,480<br />
****A-6 Pundarikam - 180<br />
****A-10 Kambera - 200<br />
****R-1 Whirdlebird - 100<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
===1666 Apportionments===<br />
<br />
*Operational Losses<br />
**''Constancian Armed Forces report of small arms and land platforms 75% lost due to insurrection, enemy action, and orbital urban pacification operations. Of quantities reported as lost 45% destroyed outright, 52% lost to [[Azad Eura]], 3% unaccounted for. Considerable discrepancies will persist while records are updated.'' <br />
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[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Allied_Production_Matrix&diff=95105Allied Production Matrix2018-12-03T20:18:10Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Weaponry & munitions production */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
<br />
The '''{{PAGENAME}}''', established in 1655 [[shire:AN|AN]] as the '''Sxiro-Natopian Production Matrix''', was a joint production programme intended to streamline manufacturing output and to focus effort on to a standardised range of vessels, vehicles and weapons platforms, which could then be produced in greater numbers and with more potential for interoperability amongst the allied powers.<br />
<br />
Between 1655 and the end of the [[War of Lost Brothers]] in 1657 the production matrix achieved the output of 16,384,100 grenades, 721,614 rifles, carbines & sub-machine guns, 100,000 pistols, 59,192 machine guns, 2,767 anti-tank weapons, 1,251 mortars, 515 combat aircraft and 186 warships. <br />
<br />
After 1660 Constancian output was integrated into the production matrix. <br />
<br />
==Naval production==<br />
<br />
After the shocking losses endured by both sides during the [[Battle of Carama Bay]], naval production received the highest priority as this was the sector in which the Shirerithians had fallen furthest behind the Jing and the allies were subsequently least well placed to face a war of attrition as resources accumulated by the [[USSO Joint Command]] through the [[USSO Common Market]] were made operational. <br />
<br />
===[[shire:Kern Industries|Kern Industries]], Musica Dockyards===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:Elwynn Class Corvette|Elwynn Class Corvette]]||[[Image:Elwynn Class Corvette.png|200px]]||-||40||31<br />
|-<br />
|[[Coastal Patrol Craft]]||.||-||500||210<br />
|-<br />
|[[Logistic Support Vessel]]||[[Image:Gravcarrier.png|200px]]||-||50||1<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Amity Shipyards, [[shire:Erudition|Erudition Harbour]], [[shire:Jadid Khaz Modan|Amity Isle]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|Logistic Support Vessel||[[Image:Gravcarrier.png|200px]]||-||100||10<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:Duchy Class Destroyer|Duchy-class Destroyer]]||[[image:Duchy Class Destroyer.png|200px]]||-||4||1<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[SATCo]], [[SATCo#Port Saint Andre Dockyards|Port Saint Andre Dockyards]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|Swift Yacht Offshore Patrol Vessel||[[Image:SATCo Swift Yacht.png|200px]]||-||92||43<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[Akeraiótita Dockyards]], [[Aqaba]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|Coastal Patrol Craft||.||-||165||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|[[Klimatariá-class Missile Corvette]]||[[image:Klimatariá-class Missile Corvette.png|200px]]||-||8||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Aviation & gravimetric production==<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Red Bear LLC|Red Bear LLC]], [[shire:Mishalan|Mishalan]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:ESB Pundarikam|A-6 Pundarikam]]||[[Image:A-6 Pundarikam.png|200px]]||-||429||138<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:ESB Kambera|A-10 Kambera]]||[[Image:A-10 Kambera.png|200px]]||-||420||40<br />
|-<br />
|[[GAV(P)-6 Zephyr Mark 1a]]||[[IMAGE:GAV-6 Zephyr.png|200px]]||25||0||0<br />
|-<br />
|[[R-1 Whirdlebird]]||[[image:R-1 Whirdlebird.png|200px]]||-||818||0<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:OAH T2 Saeqeh|T-2 Saeqeh]]||[[image:OAH Saeqeh.png|200px]]||-||1,227||0<br />
|-<br />
|[[T-3 Akóntio]]||[[image:Vey Akintos.png|200px]]||-||628||0<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sårensby Industrial Area, Elijah's Rest===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:OAH T2 Saeqeh|T-2 Saeqeh]]||[[image:OAH Saeqeh.png|200px]]||-||100||172<br />
|-<br />
|[[T-3 Akóntio]]||[[image:Vey Akintos.png|200px]]||-||20||59<br />
|-<br />
|[[R-1 Whirdlebird]]||[[image:R-1 Whirdlebird.png|200px]]||-||100||166<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Ryker Airships|Ryker Airships]], [[shire:The Hub| Hub]] ([[shire:Goldshire|Goldshire]])===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[GAV(P)-5 Nereid]]||[[image:GAV-5 Nereid.png|200px]]||100||478||15<br />
|-<br />
|[[GAV(P)-6 Zephyr Mark 1a]]||[[IMAGE:GAV-6 Zephyr.png|200px]]||25||0||0<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
===Ergostásio Aeroskafón, Vey===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[T-3 Akóntio]]||[[image:Vey Akintos.png|200px]]||100||60||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Land equipment production==<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Red Bear LLC|Red Bear LLC]], Mishalan===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1663)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[Horjin Combat Vehicle 56|Horjin CV56(S)]]||[[image:CV56.png|200px]]||2,000||10,000||2,893<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Ryker Airships|Ryker Airships]], [[shire:The Hub| Hub]] ([[shire:Goldshire|Goldshire]])===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[shire:GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan|GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan]]||[[image:GV-7 Leviathan.png|200px]]||20||44||1<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sårensby Industrial Area, Elijah's Rest===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[Horjin Combat Vehicle 56|Horjin CV56(N)]]||[[image:CV56.png|200px]]||100||450||112<br />
|-<br />
|[[Paixhans Mark 4 Land Cruiser]]||[[image:Paixhans Mark 4 Land Cruiser.png|200px]]||-||20||44<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Weaponry & munitions production==<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Royal Ordnance Factory Lichkeep|Royal Ordnance Factory Lichkeep]] (ROFL), [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1667)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|M14 Fragmentation Hand Grenade||[[image:M14 Grenade.png|200px]]||- ||3,500,000||1,900,000<br />
|-<br />
|M15 White Phosphorus Anti-Lich Grenade||[[image:M15 Grenade White.png|200px]]||-|| 2,500,000|| 900,000<br />
|-<br />
|M16 Mustard Gas Anti-Singer Grenade||[[image:M16 Grenade Mustard.png|200px]]||- ||2,500,000|| 900,000<br />
|-<br />
|M18 Red Smoke Hand Grenade||[[image:M18 Grenade Red.png|200px]]||- ||3,500,000||1,900,000<br />
|-<br />
|M1525 9mm Pistol||[[image:M1523 9mm Pistol.png|200px]]||100,000||618,750||75,000<br />
|-<br />
|M1610 7.9mm Rifle (Semi-Automatic)||[[image:M1610 7.9mm Rifle.png|200px]]||62,500|| 390,000||50,000<br />
|-<br />
|Wren 7.62mm LMG||[[image:Wren 7.62mm LMG.png|200px]]||38,750|| 241,500||31,000<br />
|-<br />
|[[Polybolos 12.7mm HMG]]||[[image:Polybolos .50 HMG.png|200px]]||15,125|| 65,000||12,100<br />
|-<br />
|[[Tankgewehr 13.2 mm Rifle (Anti-Materiel)]]||[[image:M1642 Tankgewehr.png|200px]]||525|| 3,150||1,806<br />
|-<br />
|Hornet Recoilless Rifle (Anti-Tank)||.||2,257 ||7,296||1,011<br />
|-<br />
|Waspsting Man-portable Air Defence System||.|| 525||2,730||420<br />
|-<br />
|82mm Mortar||.||2,220 ||11,845||1,776<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Sårensby Industrial Area, Elijah's Rest===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|Clinger Bomb, Adhesive Anti-Tank Grenade||.||-||967,000||860,000<br />
|-<br />
|Florian Cocktail (Tar, sulphur, petrol, sand, & wick)||.||-||27,000,000||18,139,100<br />
|-<br />
|M1525 9 mm Pistol||[[image:M1523 9mm Pistol.png|200px]]||20,000||199,800||75,000<br />
|-<br />
|M1581 7.62 mm Machine Carbine||[[image:M1581 7.62mm Machine Carbine.png|200px]]||30,000||269,750||277,460 <br />
|-<br />
|M1591 7.62 mm Rifle||[[image:M1591 7.62 mm Rifle.png|200px]]||30,000||485,000||181,542<br />
|-<br />
|M1656 9 mm SMG||[[image:M1656 SMG.png|200px]]||100,000||1,240,636||519,248<br />
|-<br />
|[[Polybolos 12.7 mm HMG]]||[[image:Polybolos .50 HMG.png|200px]]||10,000||96,000||37,092<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===[[shire:Assayers|Assayer Armaments]], Avakir, [[shire:Goldshire|Goldshire]]===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|[[wikipedia:FB PM-63|LTM 60 "Trouble Maker" 9 mm submachine gun]]||.||200,000||425,000||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|[[wikipedia:Dragunov sniper rifle|CP 60 "Cherry Picker" 7.62 mm sniper rifle]]||.||75,000||155,000||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
===Royal Constancian Arsenal, Aqaba ===<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Unit Type<br />
! scope="col" | Image<br />
! scope="col" | # in Production (1665)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1660&ndash;)<br />
! scope="col" | # output (1655&ndash;1659)<br />
|-<br />
|9mm ammunition||.||50,000||-||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|7.62mm ammunition||.||75,000||-||n/a<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Finance==<br />
<br />
Although initially, and still predominantly, financed via direct taxation on the part of the Shirerithian and Natopian government, in mid 1656 the decision was made to expand the range of financial mechanisms used to fund the war effort by raising dedicated bonds issued via regional Boards of Trade, the [[Trade Board of Normark|first]] of which was set up in [[Elijah's Rest]], under the auspices of [[ESB Group (Keltia)]], on 13.VIII.1656.<br />
<br />
==Strategic materials==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col" | Category<br />
! scope="col" | Output<br/>(1656)<br />
|-<br />
|Chromium|| 11,520,000 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|Crude oil|| 183,960,000 bbl/d<br />
|-<br />
|Iron ore||385,125,000 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|Steel|| 122,167,772 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|Aluminium|| 850,782 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|Asbestos|| 655,673 tonnes<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
==Allocations==<br />
See ''[[Allied Production Matrix/Theatre Command Allocations|Raspur Pact Theatre Command Allocations]]''</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Black_Legions&diff=95102Black Legions2018-12-03T19:52:31Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Order of Battle */</p>
<hr />
<div>{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 85%; width: 30em;background-color:#C0C0C0;border:1px solid #000080;"<br />
<br />
|align=center colspan=2 | <center>'''Central Banner Group'''<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
[[file:1666pCBG.png|200px]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Active:'''|| 1646 AN &ndash; present<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Allegiance:'''|| [[Shireroth]] / [[Raspur Pact]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Personnel:'''||<small>Special Forces: 3,960<br/> 1st Line Imperial Forces: 28,800<br><br />
2nd Line State Forces: 126,967<br/><br />
Auxiliaries: 316,967<br/><br />
Combat Support Personnel: 65,075</small><br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Type:''' || [[Banner Group]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Nickname:''' || ''Red-Hand Survivors''<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Current Commander:'''|| '' Frumst Frainan'' The [[shire:Daniyal ibn Daniyal|Prince of Modan]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
|'''Conflicts & Deployments'''||[[Fall Raþ Bivarhin]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
==Order of Battle==<br />
<br />
*Central Banner Group (Stagguskrupp)<br />
**Hvaszunig Stagguskrupp (HSk) <br />
***No. 246 Squadron (Air Logistics Support)<br />
***No. 190 Area Defence Squadron (Air Defence Command)<br />
***Control Vexillation (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
**IV Corps (Imperial Army) <small> - Lachmeren</small><br />
***Hvaszunig Uihmanz<br />
***Streïkrupp Woyrsch (I Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Vithimiris (II Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Barsamian (III Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Salza (XIII Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Rorkfesten (XIX Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Kelb (XX Salb)<br />
***Supply Column (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
**Combined Arms Corps - Amokolia<br />
***Konkordskaya Bratva (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
***Supply Column (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
**[[IBFOR|Inner Benacian Force]]<br />
***Hvaszunig Uihmanz [[Aodh bi Uaneill|bi Uaneill]]<br />
****Streïkrupp [[Rofolo Nur Pinito Kasha|Kasha]]<br />
*****{{Tooltip|Vexillation II|Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition}} ([[shire:S.W.O.R.D.|Force Security Bureau]])<br />
*****{{Tooltip|Vexillation XI|Long Range Surveillance}} ([[shire:S.W.O.R.D.|Operations Bureau]])<br />
*****{{Tooltip|Vexillation XII "Vouruskasha"|Special Operations}} ([[shire:S.W.O.R.D.|Operations Bureau]])<br />
*****{{Tooltip|Cohort XV|Temporal Adjustments Bureau}} ([[shire:Vigiles Arcani|Metrological Service]])<br />
***1st Mechanised Division (State Guard of Modan)<br />
***Lywall Defence Force (State Guard of Modan)<br />
***Šlomxala Flotilla / Task Force 110 (Western Armada & Coastal Command)<br />
***Supply Column (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
**Combined Arms Corps - Hither & Thither Tellia<br />
**Combined Arms Corps - Mishalan<br />
***''Mishalan Afzælt'' (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
***II Aviation Division (Bomber Command)<br />
***No. 10 Group (Fighter Command)<br />
**MoMA Station Sabatini<br />
**Commissariat <small> - Distributed in depot detachments established in urban municipal (MCS) level Bailiwicks throughout regional theatre</small><br />
<br />
==Establishment==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col"|'''Unit Type'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''№ in Service'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''HSk'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''IV Corps'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''CAC-Amokolia'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''[[IBFOR]]'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''CAC-Angularis'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''CAC-Mishalan'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''MoMA Station Sabatini'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''Commissariat'''<br />
|-<br />
| Special Forces||3,960||0||0||0||3,960||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Imperial Army||28,800||1,200||27,600||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Western Armada||14,400||1,200||0||0||12,000||0||0||1,200||0<br />
|-<br />
| Coastal Command||11,190||1,200||0||0||9,990||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces||39,485||1,200||240||120||120||7,200||30,485||120||0<br />
|-<br />
| Corps of Auxiliaries||142,000||7,200||7,200||28,800||3,600||3,600||7,200||42,000||42,400<br />
|-<br />
| Goldshire Regulars||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Public Order Force of Modan||150,967||120||0||0||51,127||50,500||49,220||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| State Guard of Modan||126,967||120||0||0||60,400||65,247||1,200||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Konkordskaya Bratva||24,000||120||0||23,880||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Clinger Bomb, Adhesive Anti-Tank Grenade||30,420||420||5,000||5,000||10,000||5,000||5,000||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| CP 60 "Cherry Picker" 7.62 mm sniper rifle||15,210||0||0||0||7,605||7,605||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Cudgel||40,560||560||0||0||0||0||0||20,000||20,000<br />
|-<br />
| Florian Cocktail (Tar, sulphur, petrol, sand, & wick)||466,440||40||0||100,000||100,000||100,000||100,000||30,000||36,400<br />
|-<br />
| Hatchet||3,566||6||800||300||800||800||800||30||30<br />
|-<br />
| LTM 60 "Trouble Maker" 9 mm submachine gun||40,560||560||0||0||20,000||20,000||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M14 Fragmentation Hand Grenade||202,800||800||202,000||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1486 Webb-Lee 11.6 mm Revolver||2,920||120||0||0||0||0||0||0||2,800<br />
|-<br />
| M15 White Phosphorus Grenade||101,400||400||101,000||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1508 Martini-Rossi 11.56 mm Rifle||30,420||0||0||10,000||5,000||5,000||10,420||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1525 9 mm Pistol||40,000||1,200||2,500||10,000||6,000||8,000||8,000||2,500||1,800<br />
|-<br />
| M1581 7.62 mm Machine Carbine||6,312||0||0||0||0||0||0||6,312||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1591 7.62 mm Rifle||20,280||0||20,280||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M16 Mustard Gas Grenade||101,400||400||101,000||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1610 7.9 mm Rifle (Semi-Automatic)||16,123||1,200||14,923||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1656 9 mm SMG||33,158||158||0||10,000||5,000||5,000||5,000||5,000||3,000<br />
|-<br />
| M18 Red Smoke Grenade||202,800||800||202,000||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Pattern 1496 Sabre||8,246||100||1,080||7,066||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Tankgewehr 13.2 mm Rifle (Anti-Materiel)||101||1||100||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Polybolos 12.7 mm HMG||42,000||||3,600||8,000||8,000||8,000||8,000||6,000||400<br />
|-<br />
| Wren 7.62mm LMG||4,056||56||3,600||0||0||0||0||0||400<br />
|-<br />
| 9K37 Buk mobile SAM batteries||1||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(LU)-3 Boojum||117||0||110||0||0||0||0||7||0<br />
|-<br />
| Trump Radar Tracking Autocannon||46||6||0||10||10||10||10||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Waspsting Man-portable Air Defence System||42||2||40||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Hornet 84 mm Recoilless Rifle (Anti-Tank)||152||2||150||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| 105 mm Light Gun||50||0||0||0||25||25||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| 80 mm Field Gun||50||0||0||25||0||0||25||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| 82 mm Mortar||1,255||120||1,080||10||10||10||10||15||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(CV)-4 Red Queen||365||0||365||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(MBT)-1 Bandersnatch||423||0||423||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan||3||1||1||0||0||0||1||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(SPG)-2 Jabberwocky||234||0||234||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Horjin CV35||25||0||0||0||0||0||0||25||0<br />
|-<br />
| Horjin CV56(S/N/E)||4,000||49||2,760||20||570||300||300||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| IMW-2 Spidertank||212||0||212||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| IMW-3 Snark||7||0||4||1||1||1||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(CT)-6 Walrus||292||0||292||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Pod Personnel Carrier||1,977||77||500||200||400||200||200||200||200<br />
|-<br />
| Snatch Land Rover||71||71||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Truck, Light||1,501||1||500||200||200||200||200||200||0<br />
|-<br />
| Truck, Medium||243||3||0||0||0||0||0||40||200<br />
|-<br />
| A-10 Kambera||13||0||0||0||13||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| A-6 Pundarikam||10||0||0||0||10||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| AH-1Z Viper||4||0||0||0||4||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| AV-8B Harrier II||3||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| B-49 Delta||238||0||0||0||0||0||238||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| B-66 Vulcan||23||0||0||0||0||0||23||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| EA-6B Prowler||2||0||0||0||0||0||2||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| F-8 Shrike||175||0||0||0||0||0||175||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(AS)-1 Snaggletooth||4||0||0||0||4||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(P)-5 Nereid||40||0||40||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(U)-4 Jackalope||101||0||101||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Gravrig Cruisers||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Nimrod MRA4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| R-1 Whirdlebird||40||0||0||20||0||10||0||10||0<br />
|-<br />
| RAS Kestrel Mk.II Gravship||1||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Spiegelflügel-Taube Amphibious Aircraft||2||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| T-2 Saeqeh||51||1||0||0||25||25||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| T-3 Akintos||23||1||0||0||11||11||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Transport Airships (various)||5||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| UH-1Y Venom||7||0||0||0||7||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Wildcat ASW helicopters||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| F-10 Carnifex||2||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| AGM-84 Harpoon||41||0||0||0||41||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Armed yacht||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Aurangzeb-class Missile Defence Battleship||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Cargo Submarine||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| City-class Diesel Submarine||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Coastal Patrol Craft||51||0||0||0||51||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Duchy-class Destroyer||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Elwynn-class Corvette||4||0||0||0||4||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Grifos Class Battleship||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Icebreaker||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Logistic Support Vessel||5||0||0||0||5||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo & Passenger, Ice)||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo & Passenger)||10||0||0||0||10||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo)||20||0||0||0||20||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Livestock)||3||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Mortis-class Aircraft Carrier||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Oil Tanker||8||0||0||0||8||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Project 941 Nuclear Submarine||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Protector-class OPV||2||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Raynor-class Cruiser||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Swift-class Offshore Patrol Vessel||3||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Type 2400 U-Boat||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Viviantia-class LSV||5||0||0||0||5||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Training==<br />
<br />
Under the Prince of Modan discipline became a core trait instilled amongst troops assigned to the Central Banner Group. They swore absolute obedience to their commanders, who in turn sore unquestioning obedience to their commanders and so forth all the way up the chain of command. Legionaries, auxiliaries, and state troops were forbidden to pillage, steal or molest civilians, accept gifts, have relations with women, eat meat or drink alcohol. An Inspectorate of Training and Discipline was established with inspectors for Imperial, Auxiliary, and State forces under the authority of an Inspector General reporting directly to the Prince. Officers were forced to undergo examinations to assess their familiarity with New Zimian Manoeuvreist principles and Nova English Fire Team tactics, largely with the intention of weeding out those still wedded to set piece actions and frontal assaults.<br />
<br />
All non-commissioned personnel assigned to the Banner Group, whether Imperial, auxiliary, or Modanese, were cycled through three week courses of so-called "spiritual hardening", inspired apparently by the methods and insights of the [[Urchagin]]. Those who flunked the course would be cashiered and their records stamped, in green ink, with the initials LMF ("lacking moral fibre") effectively rendering them unemployable upon their return to civilian life and denizenship. The motto of the training regime henceforth was that 'Faith and Endurance surpasses Might'. The hardening process began on the first day with trainees forced to line up in files of ten and, at a charge, bayonet a row of live pigs suspended from the rafters before them. Each file would train together, be rewarded together, and be punished together, they were solemnly warned, for the remainder of the three weeks. As an illustration of this the files where any member had baulked at bayoneting a live squealing animal would be denied food and sleep but would be instead assigned to punishment details for the entirety of the rest period while everyone else enjoyed pork stew and a good night's sleep. As first two weeks progressed the trainees were subjected to a barrage of assault courses, long forced marches along wilderness tracks, and competitions where the files were set against one-another to obtain dispensation vouchers for meat and alcohol or else merely to avoid bringing up the rear and being assigned to yet another punishment detail. The final week consisted of tutorials on living off the land, vehicle dismount drills, counter ambush drills, and close quarter combat practice against S.W.O.R.D. operatives dressed up as Laqi bandits. The concluding action of the week was a bunker clearance drill focusing on oblique angles of approach with use of stealth and concealment, forced entry with demolition charges, room to room clearance with gas grenades and thermite sticks followed by the gunning down of those still standing and the bayoneting of those prostrate on the ground. To add an extra dimension of realism each of the practice bunkers was held and defended by a detachment of community servants equipped with riot guns and cudgels, who had been promised their freedom if they successfully survived the drill. None did.<br />
<br />
At the conclusion of the three weeks each participant was given a weeks leave, a pint of grog from the academy canteen and an enamelled lapel badge featuring a blood-red hand held palm upwards.<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1667_Proposal_XI.png&diff=95088File:1667 Proposal XI.png2018-12-03T13:23:25Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:Stonetree_incident.jpg&diff=95086File:Stonetree incident.jpg2018-12-03T12:58:32Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>''Benacia Bound By The Archons Upon the Wheels Within Wheels'' by [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer|Orek bi Łestkin]] (1667 [[AN]])<br />
<br />
[[Category:Republic of Inner Benacia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Field_Notes_of_Orek_bi_%C5%81estkin,_Amateur_Ethnographer&diff=95085Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer2018-12-03T12:45:59Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>These Field Notes on the life, events, and habits of the people of the western Benacian Green were compiled through the diligent work of one '''Orek bi Łestkin''', a [[shire:Monty Crisco|Montycriscan]] untitled noble and self-styled amateur ethnographer.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
[[File:Orek bi Łestkin.png|150px|thumb|right|Traveller and Ethnographer, scholar, and a gentleman of a particular nature.]]<br />
Orek bi Łestkin was introduced to the western Benacian Green while serving as a Draconary in the Imperial Army during [[Operation Way of Force]], and the way in which the scattered peoples successfully clung to life in the wasteland.<br />
<br />
Following the completion of his required military service in 1659 AN, Orek immediately set to work planning for an expedition into the Green. After demonstrating his combat skill with both sabre and pistol, Lach clansmen in the Mandate of Tellia decided he was sportly enough not to bother enslaving, and agreed to escort him across the frontier, which they did on 3.II.1660 AN.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
==[[{{PAGENAME}}/Cache 1|First Cache]]==<br />
<br />
Received at the border by 4th Coh, Leg XXIX, Imperial Army, on 16.III.1660.<br />
<br />
Notes are dated between 5.II.1660 and 24.II.1660.<br />
<br />
==[[{{PAGENAME}}/Cache 2|Second Cache]]==<br />
<br />
==[[{{PAGENAME}}/Cache 3|Third Cache]]==<br />
<br />
<br />
==Later career and works==<br />
[[File:Stonetree incident.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Orek's work in later years lost its naturalistic precision and became more impressionistic, distorted under the influence of all he had witnessed during the destruction of [[Stonetree]] (1666).]]<br />
<br />
After a number of years where Orek's whereabouts were unknown he re-emerged in the Inner Benacian capital of [[Stonetree]] in the last month of 1665 AN in the somewhat surprising position of Editor-in-Chief to the ''[[Bagegeniśort|Nəbẑəṣ̂ă Łăpqăr]]'' (Laqi: "Young Nation") newspaper. Orek's survival and subsequent elevation in Inner Benacian society was ultimately revealed to have been down to his pragmatic decision to "suck the nipple" (i.e. become a bondsman) of [[Jarfejs Heximmatov|Dzarfeis Serverem Labeśx°emć'e]], the ''Sasos'' and de-facto dictator of Inner Benacia for much of the 1660s. The Sasos had, it transpired, uses for a literate illustrator, especially one familiar with the ways of the lower tiers of the Shirerithian nobility and government. How Orek felt about working for a man who was actively backing the cause of Laqi and Tellian separatists in [[shire:State of Modan|Shirerithian territory]] was unrecorded but he appears to have performed his work diligently and in a manner satisfactory to his master.<br />
<br />
[[category:Republic of Inner Benacia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:Stonetree_incident.jpg&diff=95084File:Stonetree incident.jpg2018-12-03T12:40:28Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Republic_of_Inner_Benacia&diff=95083Republic of Inner Benacia2018-12-03T12:38:05Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Dolmen */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
<br />
{{Infobox Nation Comprehensive<br />
|fullname = Refublik fun Iner Benasia<br />Benašhek° G°yzeg°ym Ẑ°yġehek°<br /><small>(''{{PAGENAME}}'')</small> <br />
|commonname =RIB<br />
|flag = file:RIB Flag.png<br />
|coa = FILE:RIBseal.png<br />
|motto = ''Eyner far Ale, Ale far Eyn''<br />
|anthem = ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiXgOQ9_-RI A Saduc amongst the Dolmens]<br />
|map = File:RIB 1660AN.png<br />
|mapversions =-<br />
|capital = Bagegeniśort (Stonetree)<br />
|largecity = –<br />
|lang =Yehudi, Mishalanski, Tellian, Laqi<br />
|religion = Siyachism, [[shire:Cedrism|Church of the Patriarchs]], Qara'ut<br />
|demnoun =Inner Benacians, RIBs<br />
|demadj = RIB, Inner Benacian<br />
|govtype =confederal<br />
|headofstatetitle = [[Dolmensaduc of the Republic of Inner Benacia|Dolmensaduc]]<br />
|headofstate = Pśymyde Tyiim Teźśecaq°yhemće<br />
|headofgovernmenttitle = <br />
|headofgovernment = <br />
|legislature = Dolmen<br />
|estdate = 1659<br />
|agerank = ?<br />
|area =–<br />
|arearank = ?<br />
|pop = 336,185<br />
|activepop = 148,821 Yehudi<br/>120,000 Laqi<br/>48,239 Tellians<br/>19,125 Mishalanski<br />
|poprank = –<br />
|currency = Dram<br />
|abbrev = RIB<br />
|site = –<br />
|forum = TBE<br />
|animal = Black Eagle (Yehudi & Tellian)<br/>White Eagle (Laqi)<br/>Brown Bear (Mishalanski)<br />
|food = Boiled sheep's head with dumplings<br />
|drink = Pomace brandy<br />
|tree = –<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Republic of Inner Benacia''' (also known as '''RIB''') is a recently established country in the previously Green area between [[Kalgachia]], [[:shire:Mishalan|Mishalan]] and [[:shire:Lywall|Lywall]]. Established as a peace agreement by various ethnoreligious fractions in 1659, the new government hopes to establish a peace between the different ethnic groups of the troubled area, so as to allow them to better resist the repeated incursions of their [[Shireroth|rapacious neighbour]].<br />
<br />
<br />
== Geography ==<br />
<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
*Ashkenatza<br />
*Collapse<br />
*Minarboria<br />
*Collapse<br />
*Kalgachi razzias to secure heavy machinery and capital assets followed by brief occupation of Sansabury to secure international recognition.<br />
*Three Shirerithian invasions, Lywall occupied.<br />
*Defence of the last commune (Stonetree) by all the free peoples of Inner Benacia<br />
*Confederal treaty<br />
<br />
Late 1659:<br />
*Ruins of north Nackholm occupied by Batavian skirmishers. More Shirerithian air-raids in the western enclave. Yehudi resistance scattered and demoralised. <br />
*Ceremonial spear thrower ignominiously shot by snipers at the Kalgachi border (his body was entombed in the Dolmen as a hero). Envoy charged with delineating the frontier returned after a misunderstanding at a border checkpoint resulted in temporary incarceration.<br />
*A Shirerithian convoy of mixing lorries carrying wet cement was ambushed by persons unknown in [[Lywall Protectorate|Lywall]] on the road from [[Sansabury]] to Stonetree.<br />
*[[Military of Kalgachia|Kalgachi agents]] dressed to pass as natives exchanged fire with hunting party of Red Laqs. Some horses and saddle bags taken. No casualties reported. Incursion unlikely to be an isolated incident.<br />
*Kalgachi rotorcraft making sorties over RIB claimed air space. A great profusion of leaflets scattered to the four winds. Dolmen prohibits the literate from reading the contents to their brethren and to gather up all of this windfall to dispatch to Stonetree for pulping. Paper is too valuable to be wasted. The Defence League of Benacia sends word to the clans that bullets are not to be wasted on shooting at the ''whirdlebirdies'' as it only draws the ire of those flying the contraptions at a time when the means to knock them down effectively are not at hand.<br />
<br />
1660<br />
* An exchange of corpses restores the semblance of peace between the Kalgachi and the Republic.<br />
* Nackholm reoccupied by Imperials after the expulsion of the Batavii.<br />
* Hightree reoccupied by Imperials.<br />
* ''Repudiation of the Kitezhniks'': Fighters from Kitezh break their oaths to the Dolmen and fled west to join forces with unaffiliated Kossars led by the Hanokh Clan. <br />
* Laqi raids into Lywall.<br />
* 'Nclavesci infiltration into the shadow economy of the Mandate of Tellia; leads to a series of armed conflicts with local organizations<br />
* Active combat between ''Łe 'em Yśehe'' and unaffiliated Kossars in and around the ruins of Selz<br />
* With [[MCS|increasing international recognition]] came an invitation for the Inner Benacians to [[Inner Benacia national football team|participate]] in a form of great power coordination duelling known as ''[[FMF|foot-ball]]''. Perplexed, delegates assembled at the Dolmen for an extraordinary meeting to discuss what it all meant.<br />
<br />
1661<br />
*Disorder spreads through [[Lywall Protectorate|Lywall]], [[shire:Malarboria|Malarboria]], and the [[shire:Tellian Mandate|Tellian Mandate]] as Coalition 1660, the [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|N&H]], and the [[shire:Army of the Southern League|Elwynnese Southern League]] increase pressure on crumbling regimes of southern Benacia.<br />
<br />
1662<br />
*Increasing evidence that the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]] and the N&H are sponsoring the activities of the Mildura clan in return for support against the Daemon-Queen of Malarboria and in order to counter the growing influence of the RIB-aligned 'Nclavesci clan. <br />
*Goldshire [[shire:Ketek Ketshire Automotive Technologies|businessmen]] touring the western provinces are strongly encouraged by provincial governors with N&H sympathies to avoid selling their wares to clans and factions who have pledged themselves to the Dolmen. This advice goes largely unheeded.<br />
**The severed and eyeless head of one such business traveller was recovered from a gore-splattered tradesman's bag delivered to Ketek's Inner Benacian showroom, a fortified settlement and bazaar set inside the ruins of an unknown Ashkenatzim town, optimistically renamed as Ketekgorod.<br />
***Not entirely without coincidence, on the following day a fourscore band of ''Black Laqi'' arrived at Ketekgorod offering their services as guides and protectors against the ''"nameless and myriad misfortunes of the road"''. They were promptly hired and given a squadron of Scrags, renaming themselves Zyk°'eterem Fel'ek°e or "Lovers of the self-driving wagon".<br />
<br />
1663<br />
*The Defence League of Benacia acquires a Shirerithian [[Whirdlebirb|Whirdlebird]] after an emergency landing and evacuation in Inner Benacian territory. Research begins immediately on how to refuel and activate the craft while the crew are ransomed back to Shireroth through Black Laqi and Kalgachi intermediaries.<br />
<br />
1665<br />
*Stung by humiliating cross border raids, and angered by the support and sympathy offered by the RIB to Karalakhi rebels in eastern Modan, anywhere up to four thousand [[Horjin Combat Vehicle 56|Horjin armoured vehicles]] reportedly began to mass in Lywall. Concurrently, the Joint Military Council of the [[Raspur Pact]] formally endorsed a proposal to "invite" the RIB to join the Pact and to accept allied troops onto its territories to assist in the suppression of brigandry and lawlessness.[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1560&p=166536#p166536(1)]<br />
<br />
1666<br />
*{{Tooltip|10.I.16661|01 November 2018, 18.31}}:An unidentified rocket detonated at low altitude over Stonetree, spreading a mysterious red powder over a large area and resulting in mass casualties on the ground. Victims appeared to suffer from symptoms - such as blood crystallisation and violent haemorrhaging - that appeared consistent with ''dreadnettle poisoning''. The site of the Dolmen, as well as the nascent commercial district were amongst the areas contaminated. Survivors flee into the wilderness, disrupting the function of what little governance and military command and control existed.[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1583&p=166925#p166925(1)]<br />
<br />
1667<br />
*The Republic is formally welcomed into the [[Raspur Pact]]. Fresh elections were scheduled for the Spring Equinox. An exclusion zone remained in effect around Stonetree but the position of internally displaced persons were regularised and disputed clan territorial ranges were brought firmly under the control of the Republic by [[IBFOR]] punitive expeditions.<br />
<br />
== Politics and Government ==<br />
[[File:Dolmen.png|250px|thumb|right|<small>A sketch by [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer|Orek bi Łestkin]], dated 05.VI.1660.<br />
<br />
Original caption read:<br />
''The Dolmen, situated before Stonetree. A melancholy and foreboding place. The pact betwixt the clans was cemented by blood sacrifices officiated in the catacombs beneath the deliberation chambers where the Saduc and delegates now stand.''</small>]]<br />
<br />
The Republic was originally based upon the confederal unity of the three so-called ''free communes'' of Highbloom, Nackholm, and Stonetree, which had each endured the wretched circumstances of the years after the fall of the Minarborian Empire and the ever present threat of Shirerithian invasion. The tides of war strained that unity, with Nackholm - isolated in the western enclave - proving especially vulnerable to Shirerithian and Batavian attacks and well-nigh impossible to reinforce on account of the Kalgachi-Kasterburg land corridor.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless the institutions that arose spoke to the fundamental pragmatism of these clannish peoples, bound together in their struggle for survival against the odds in a hostile environment and faced by overwhelmingly powerful neighbours.<br />
<br />
===Dolmen===<br />
The '''Dolmen''', a ruling council composed of delegates from each of the major ethnic groups in the RIB, acts as a combined executive and legislative body. The number of delegates per group roughly corresponds with the proportional size of each faction.<br />
<br />
The leader of the Dolmen, and thus the head of state for the Republic of Inner Benecia, is the '''Saduc'''. Each year, after the spring equinox, the Dolmen chooses one of their number to serve as a peacekeeper and arbitrator, called the '''Sasos'''.<br />
<br />
The Dolmen received its name from the ruined mausoleum where the various factions first met and swore their oaths. The mausoleum has since been crudely rebuilt and used as a burial site for clan elders of the different ruling groups.<br />
<br />
The names of the various institutions and offices of the Republic tend to reflect which ethnicity managed to stake their claim first during the carve up of the government.<br />
<br />
The [[Minutes of the Dolmen]] meetings are published on a semi-regular basis and provides an indication of the Republic's policy as well as a source of droll commentary for those Inner Benacians blessed with the singular gift of literacy. <br />
<br />
{| <br />
| style="text-align:center; vertical-align: top;" | <br />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align: middle"<br />
|-<br />
! Faction<br />
! colspan="2" | Component Clans<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4" | Łe 'em Yśehe<br /><small>''Brothers of the Blood Hand''</small><br />[[File:La_'am_Iśaha.png|50px]]<br />
| Ł'aġećyg°q°yhe<br />
| style="background: #111" | <br />
|-<br />
| K°ešḥeble<br />
| style="background: #b24" |<br />
|-<br />
| Ḥek°yryne<br />
| style="background: #b24" | <br />
|-<br />
| צורים<br /><small>Tsorim</small><br />
| style="background: #33f" | <br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3" | Bandiere Onorate<br /><small>''Honoured Banners''</small><br />[[File:BandiereOnorate.png|50px]]<br />
| Sorvolesi<br />
| style="background: #080" |<br />
|-<br />
| Luinali<br />
| style="background: #080" | <br />
|-<br />
| Palmati<br />
| style="background: #080" | <br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2" | <br />
| Labeśx°e<br />
| style="background: #b24" | <br />
|-<br />
| Teuycože<br />
| style="background: #b24" |<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3" | קוסט וואַך<br /><small>Kust Vakh</small><br /><small>''Shrub Watch''</small><br />[[File:KustVakh.png|50px]]<br />
| נאמנים<br /><small>Neemonim</small><br /><small>''The Faithful''</small><br />
| style="background: #33f" | <br />
|-<br />
| יםמורד<br /><small>Moir'dim</small><br /><small>''The Rebellious''</small><br />
| style="background: #33f" |<br />
|-<br />
| &nbsp;<br />
| style="background: #111" | <br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2" | קראים לאמת<small><br />Qara'im l'Emet<br />''Readers of Truth''</small><br />[[File:Qaraim_l'Emet.png|80px]]<br />
| '' לייענערס פון היימלאַנד''<br /><small>Leyeners fun Heymland</small><br />
| style="background: #33f" | <br />
|-<br />
| Iedźak°'ehe Łaqehe<br />
| style="background: #b24" |<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="2" | Teźśecaq°yhe<br />
| style="background: #b24" | <br />
|-<br />
| colspan="2" | Товарищество Mолота<br />[[File:Bear.png|50px]]<br />
| style="background: #d00" | <br />
|-<br />
| colspan="2" | Ś°ecehe Yśehe<br /><small>''Black Brothers''</small><br />[[File:Star of the Black Laq.png|50px]]<br />
| style="background: #111" | <br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2" | Eastern Brothers<br />
| Il Mietitori<small><br />''The Reapers''</small><br />
| style="background: #080" | <br />
|-<br />
| Karalakh Host<br />
| style="background: #111" |<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
| style="text-align:center; vertical-align: top;" | <br />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; vertical-align: middle; border: none"<br />
! colspan=4 | Saduc of the Dolmen<br />
|-<br />
! 06.IV.1659 - 03.VI.1667<br />
| Pśymyde Tyiym<br />
| Teźśecaq°yhe<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| colspan=4 style="border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; background: white" | &nbsp;<br />
|-<br />
! colspan=4 | Sasos of the Dolmen<br />
|-<br />
! IV.1659 - III.1660<br />
| Elior ben Oni<br />
| Tzorim <br />
| [[File:La_'am_Iśaha.png|20px]]<br />
|-<br />
! IV.1660 - III.1661<br />
| Heid ben M'rori<br />
| Neemonim<br />
| [[File:KustVakh.png|20px]]<br />
|-<br />
!IV.1661 - 10.I.1666<br />
| [[Jarfejs Heximmatov|Dzarfeis Serverem Labeśx°emć'e]]<br />
| Labeśx°e<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
!10.I.1666 - 03.VI.1667<br />
|''Position vacant''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align: middle;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | <small>Ethnicity</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #b24" |<br />
| <small>Red Laqi</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #111" | <br />
| <small>Black Laqi</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #33f" |<br />
| <small>Yehudi</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #080" |<br />
| <small>[['Nclavesci]]</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #d00" | <br />
| <small>Mishalanski</small><br />
|}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
[[File:Lach Maiden.png|250px|thumb|right|<small>A sketch by [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer|Orek bi Łestkin]], dated 23.XII.1660.<br />
<br />
Original caption reads:<br />
''A Lach maiden of the <s>Red</s> Blood Hand. Holding a long barrel M1591 rifle - clearly of Imperial, ergo illicit, provenance.''</small>]]<br />
[[File:Laqi in Lywall.png|250px|thumb|right|An engraving depicting two Black Laqs engaged in the act of looting the body of a slain [[shire:Imperial Marshal|Imperial Marshal]].]]<br />
''See: [[Red Laqi Language]]''<br />
[[image:4th Rifle Corps.png|250px|thumb|right|Many Mishalanski settled in the Green who were unreconciled to the end of communism in Imperial ruled [[shire:Mishalan|Mishalan]].]]<br />
The confederal movement, born under the pressure of unrelenting Shirerithian aggression, brought together the four principal ethnic groups of Inner Benacia, hitherto rather antagonistic of one-another, and forced them into the rough semblance of an alliance in order to defend hearth and home against the ''gravimetric hordes'' of the Imperial Republic. Lacking the sophistication and capacity of their Kalgachia neighbours, the unity of the Inner-Benacians is of a rather more trucial nature. Quite a few suspect that if the Shirerithians ever eased off the pressure, these disparate groupings would quite happily forswear the oaths given by their leaders before the Dolmen and revert back to slaughtering each other with gleeful abandon.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that Lywallers and Froyalaners tend not to feature very much in the society of Inner Benacia, mostly on account of the Laqi and Mishalanski propensity for slicing open the stomachs of strangers and rifling around in the spilled entrails whilst searching for swallowed coins and jewels.<br />
<br />
===Yehudim===<br />
<br />
{{quote|''"Of these Yehudi Kossars, their siches and their shtetlekh, pray do not tell me. I have seen for myself the mud and the lice. The filthy beggar children. The filthier beards of the men. The thought of their squalor alone is enough to make me bid the servants to run a fresh bath."''<br />
|sign=Lady [[shire:Clarissa Moor|Clarissa Moor]]|source=Imperial High Commissioner in the [[Lywall Protectorate|State of Lywall]].}}<br />
<br />
At the time of the swearing of the Dolmen Pact the Yehudim, particularly the Kossars formerly associated with the late Pachad ben Mavet, were the predominant force in Inner Benacia. This changed swiftly afterwards as [[Kalgachia]] and [[Kasterburg]] established their connective land corridor whilst what remained of [[Nackholm]] was devastated by the descent of [[Fall Schwartz-Tilman|Imperials]] and [[Transbataafsche Vrystaat]] in bewildering succession. Shorn of their homeland, now a miserable [[Siyacha Free State|Imperial protectorate]], and turned against themselves by vicious recriminations over the decision to ride to the defence of Stonetree which had left Nackholm virtually undefended, the Yehudim were shocked and demoralised by their own powerlessness and the sudden rise of the Laq to dominance within the newly founded Republic. Only the persistent disunity between Red and Black Laq allowed the Yehudi clans to continue to raise their voices on the Dolmen without sinking to the level of prestige of the Tellians or worse the Mishalanski.<br />
<br />
===Laqi===<br />
<br />
In the ninety-three years since the collapse of the ephemeral [[Laqi Free Republic]] in southern Shireroth, the Laqi somehow went from being an obscure tribal grouping within [[shire:Modan-Lach|Modan-Lach]] to the ubiquitous scourge of the steppes, forests, and foothills of central Benacia. The most succinct explanation is that, with the collapse of [[Ashkenatza]], followed at an interval by the rise and fall of [[Minarboria]], a vacuum opened up in the heart of the continent, and nature - abhorring a vacuum - had the Laqi ready at hand to step into the void. Laqi brigands, in the profit-motivated service of the so-called Perfecti, were instrumental in the foundation of Kalgachia whose mountain fastness was secured with armaments and workers snatched from the collapsing edifice of Minarboria by their roving bands. Other Laqi hosts, arriving late for the party, settled for despoiling columns of refugees, raiding into the tenuous Shirerithian occupation of Lywall, and living well on the mangled carcasses of [[Tyrannocricetus aliger|Tee-als]] felled by Shirerithian airstrikes into the ''graveyard of empires''.<br />
<br />
Laqi clans are divided between the Red Laqs, who had made incursions into the Ashkenatzi frontier first, and the Black Laqs, who migrated into the area at the behest of their lich masters. Red Laqs see the Black Laqs as corrupted by influence from the undead, while they themselves continue an unadulterated form of the Laqi Tradition; some Red Laq clans have, however, adopted worship of The Name from their neighbors.<br />
<br />
{{quote|''"An honourable man ignores the whispers that one makes to express their heart. Whisper your thoughts, shout your words."''<br />
|sign=Red Laq proverb|source=meaning unknown.}}<br />
<br />
===Tellian===<br />
<br />
''See: [['Nclavesci]]''<br />
<br />
When Shireroth established [[shire:Imperial Decree 934|unilateral control]] over the [[shire:Mandate of Tellia|Mandate of Tellia]] following the fall of Minarboria, some Tellians instead fled west into the Green. During this chaotic period, a number of syndicates formed and established areas of control, each clustered around a core group of former officers of the disbanded Minarborian ''Doppicomando'' and what weapons that they could secure. These syndicates, referred to collectively as the [['Nclavesci]], then proceeded to wage war on one another and upon the other ethnic groups within the Green.<br />
<br />
An alliance between three 'Nclavesci clans, the Sorvolesi, the Luinali, and the Palmati, was successful in wiping out their rivals between the ruins of Stonetree and Noudolorsa and taking possession of their weapons and subjects. Other 'Nclavesci clans can be found in near the ruins of Vein.<br />
<br />
A similar phenomenon to the 'Nclavesci is also seen within the Mandate of Tellia and the still-independent [[Tellian Confederation]]. These more urban syndicates have focused on constructing parallel power structures underneath the legitimate government to amass prestige and wealth for their members.<br />
<br />
As part of the ''Memblini Venture'', the 'Nclavesci clans aligned with the '''Dolmen''' have established footholds in and around Mamehblinij, both within city limits and in the Mandate around it. In both cases, this is being done using forged papers. The purpose of this venture is to secure funds and supplies for the Republic of Inner Benacia (and their own coffers). As a result, the Tellians of Inner Benacia have the most direct—and probably healthiest—connection to the outside world.<br />
<br />
===Mishalanski===<br />
<br />
<br />
{{quote|''"Если кто-то дает медведю молоток, он вдруг обнаруживает, что все надо растерзать."''<br />
|sign=Mishalanski proverb|source=}}<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
<br />
Due to the broad variety of ethnic groups within the region, the formation of the Republic of Inner Benacia has stimulated positive cross-cultural interaction and the development of traditions independent of any one ethnicity.<br />
<br />
===Demaqen Benenyġ===<br />
<br />
{{quote|''"If they were half as good at governing as they are with their feet, the Shirertits would be trampled under the rhythmically expressive boots of the Laqi within a generation."''<br />
|sign=Dr. Zakhar Slapagai|source=Emissary of the [[Kalgachia|Garden of Kalgachia]] to the Republic of Inner Benacia .}}<br />
<br />
The ''Demaqen Benenyġ'' ([[Red Laqi Language|RL.]] "coordination duel") originated within Laqi Culture as a form of non-lethal dispute resolution for Laqs sworn to the same leader. The alternative, ''Łə Benenyġ'' ([[Red Laqi Language|RL.]] "blood duel"), involved daggers and the shedding of an adequate quantity of blood, and thus would be limited to those outside of one's sworn retinue.<br />
<br />
The prevalence of this art form necessitates that skill in a multitude of musical instruments is equally widespread. Among the most popular are jaw harps, harmonicas, tin pipes, lyres, and drums to name but a few. The instruments available on hand during a duel directly affects the style and pace of the dance, allowing the duelists yet another avenue through which to demonstrate their adaptability and mastery of the Demaqen Benenyġ.<br />
<br />
A blood duel within a retinue would leave it weakened from injury and divided against itself, especially since Laqs are known to be jealous of their honour. Through the application of the coordination duel, retinues no longer tore apart from internal strife, but instead developed a new kind of camaraderie, since these duels typically elicited mutual admiration and a desire to achieve excellence to impress others.<br />
<br />
The spread of the coordination duel beyond Laq culture and beyond membership to an individual retinue took place almost immediately after the swearing of the Dolmen Oath. During the festivities, a fight broke out between a Red Laq and a Black Laq, and each in turn from different factions. The encampment became quiet, because even non-Laqs were aware of the dangers of an enraged and dishonored Laq. The insulted Laq, duelling knife already unsheathed, instead laughed and threw the blade to the ground, declaring "with our oath, all of us sit under the leadership of the Dolmen", and instead made the sign for a coordination duel.<br />
<br />
As the duel intensified, the rest of the camp encircled the two parties, watching as they did battle in dance and in song.<br />
<br />
Since then, personal disputes between clans that have submitted to the Dolmen have been resolved through the coordination duel. The non-Laq clans in turn developed variations on their own culture's dances and songs that would be compatible with the coordination duel so that they could compete with excellence.<br />
<br />
The custom appears to be spreading along trading and smuggling routes into the territories of [[Lywall Protectorate|Lywall]] and the [[shire:Mandate of Tellia|Tellian Mandate]], leading to increasing concern, amongst those junior Imperial administrators vaguely aware of the practice, that its increasing popularity either presaged growing allegiance to the Dolmen amongst the Laq or that what was ostensibly just a form of dance designed to resolve disputes and increase group solidarity was becoming a covert form of martial arts practised in anticipation of some future day.<br />
<br />
===Football===<br />
<br />
The first that the Republic knew of its [[Inner Benacia national football team|football team]] was on 08.XII.1660 when a delegation of WMFA representatives arrived to offer their congratulations to the [[Republic of Inner Benacia#Dolmen|Dolmen]]. Unfortunately this delegation encountered a paramount spear-chief of the ''K°ešḥeble'' clan. The Laqi pride themselves on speaking a particularly [[Red Laqi language|impenetrable language]] and misunderstandings inevitably arose, as was often the case when a group of Laqs set their minds to despoiling confused outsiders. Only the serendipitous arrival of [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer|Orek bi Łestkin]], a traveller well versed in the ways of the Red Laq, prevented several notables of the Benacian footballing world from being sold into perpetual servitude. As it was, these luminaries of professional sport were dispatched under an armed guard unto the Dolmen in Bagegeniśort (Stonetree). There they were obliged to explain to a mildly incredulous Saduc the rules and purpose of association football.<br />
<br />
The WMFA representatives were thereafter treated as the personal guests of the Saduc whilst the Dolmen [[Minutes of the Dolmen|assembled]] to discuss whether football was merely a different form of [[Republic of Inner Benacia#Demaqen Benenyġ|Demaqen Benenyġ]] (coordination duel) or something else entirely.<br />
<br />
==Economy==<br />
<br />
One of the unexpected mainstays of the Inner Benacian economy, in addition to subsistence agriculture, pastoralism, and good old fashioned banditry, is the butchering and harvesting of [[Tyrannocricetus aliger|Tee-al]] carcasses left strewn in the Green whensoever the [[Military of Kalgachia|KDF]] and the [[Imperial Forces (Shireroth)|Imperials]] feel sufficiently motivated to attempt a cull with various varieties of high-power ordnance. <br />
<br />
The whiskers, spines, and subcutaneous armour plating of the Tee-als are especially prized - the sight of land cruisers covered in painted tee-al scales is an increasingly commonplace occurrence. The livers, spleens, and scent glands, of the harvested megacritters find their way into the dubious folk medicines of the region whilst the carcasses themselves, once stripped of any meat that the natives might be interested in slicing off and salting for the winter, tend to be sold to the enterprising representatives of [https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1193&t=21115 large industrial ventures] back east.<br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
<br />
* [[Minutes of the Dolmen]]<br />
* [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Nations]] [[Category:Republic of Inner Benacia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Eklesia&diff=95081Eklesia2018-12-03T12:24:51Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
<br />
{{Infobox Nation Comprehensive<br />
|fullname =Our Holy Mountain Dominion of Eklesia (''[[wikipedia:English language|en]]'')<br>ჩვენი წმინდა სამთო სამღვდელო ეკლესია (''[[wikipedia:Georgian language|ge]]'')<br />
|commonname =Eklesia<br />
|flag =File:Flag of Eklesia.png<br />
|coa =File:Coat of arms of Eklesia.png<br />
|motto = ''By God's Will''<br />
|anthem = ''[[wikipedia:Tavisupleba|Tavisupleba]]''<br />
|map = File:Location of Eklesia.png<br />
|mapversions = <br />
|capital =[[Zugashvili]]<br />
|largecity =Zugashvili<br />
|lang =[[wikipedia:Georgian language|Georgian]]<br />
|religion =Eklesian Orthodox Church<br />
|demnoun =Eklesian<br />
|demadj = Eklesian<br />
|govtype = [[wikipedia:Theocracy|Theocracy]]<br />
|headofstatetitle = Priest<br />
|headofstate = Konstantine Balanchivadze<br />
|headofgovernmenttitle = <br />
|headofgovernment = <br />
|legislature = <br />
|estdate = <br />
|agerank = <br />
|area = <br />
|arearank = <br />
|pop = 87,500<br />
|activepop = <br />
|poprank = <br />
|currency = Eklesian shilling<br />
|abbrev = EKL<br />
|site = <br />
|forum = <br />
|animal = <br />
|food = <br />
|drink = <br />
|tree = <br />
}}<br />
'''Our Holy Mountain Dominion of Eklesia''' also known as '''Eklesia''' is a micronation in central [[Eura]]. Originally built from an ancient religious sect in Central Eura that spoke the ancient Georgian language, the local church established a state in the mountains that was accepted as a member of the MCS in 2017. The nation borders only the green, but is within the [[Raspur Khanate|Raspurid]] sphere of influence.<br />
<br />
Eklesia is a largely mountainous country in the central area of Eura lying north of [[Constancia]] and west of [[Raspur Khanate|Raspur]]. The locals are a very religious bunch, and are virtually all adherents of the national church.<br />
<br />
The country countains the summit of the super volcano, Mt Duranian, which is the largest mountain on Eura.<br />
<br />
==Foreign relations==<br />
Eklesia has limited foreign relations, mainly due to its geographic isolation from much of the rest of the world. It had mainly relied on aid from [[Senya]] to exist, before obtaining a treaty with [[Raspur Khanate|Raspur]] to grow economic links with its Euran neighbour. Following a [[Second Euran War|deterioration]] in the security situation on the [[Eura]]n continent Eklesia sought the safety of closer association with the [[Raspur Pact]], a process which culminated in formal accession to the pact in late 1666 with ratification of the treaty following early on in the following year.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Eklesia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Republic_of_Inner_Benacia&diff=95080Republic of Inner Benacia2018-12-03T12:22:35Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* History */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
<br />
{{Infobox Nation Comprehensive<br />
|fullname = Refublik fun Iner Benasia<br />Benašhek° G°yzeg°ym Ẑ°yġehek°<br /><small>(''{{PAGENAME}}'')</small> <br />
|commonname =RIB<br />
|flag = file:RIB Flag.png<br />
|coa = FILE:RIBseal.png<br />
|motto = ''Eyner far Ale, Ale far Eyn''<br />
|anthem = ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiXgOQ9_-RI A Saduc amongst the Dolmens]<br />
|map = File:RIB 1660AN.png<br />
|mapversions =-<br />
|capital = Bagegeniśort (Stonetree)<br />
|largecity = –<br />
|lang =Yehudi, Mishalanski, Tellian, Laqi<br />
|religion = Siyachism, [[shire:Cedrism|Church of the Patriarchs]], Qara'ut<br />
|demnoun =Inner Benacians, RIBs<br />
|demadj = RIB, Inner Benacian<br />
|govtype =confederal<br />
|headofstatetitle = [[Dolmensaduc of the Republic of Inner Benacia|Dolmensaduc]]<br />
|headofstate = Pśymyde Tyiim Teźśecaq°yhemće<br />
|headofgovernmenttitle = <br />
|headofgovernment = <br />
|legislature = Dolmen<br />
|estdate = 1659<br />
|agerank = ?<br />
|area =–<br />
|arearank = ?<br />
|pop = 336,185<br />
|activepop = 148,821 Yehudi<br/>120,000 Laqi<br/>48,239 Tellians<br/>19,125 Mishalanski<br />
|poprank = –<br />
|currency = Dram<br />
|abbrev = RIB<br />
|site = –<br />
|forum = TBE<br />
|animal = Black Eagle (Yehudi & Tellian)<br/>White Eagle (Laqi)<br/>Brown Bear (Mishalanski)<br />
|food = Boiled sheep's head with dumplings<br />
|drink = Pomace brandy<br />
|tree = –<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Republic of Inner Benacia''' (also known as '''RIB''') is a recently established country in the previously Green area between [[Kalgachia]], [[:shire:Mishalan|Mishalan]] and [[:shire:Lywall|Lywall]]. Established as a peace agreement by various ethnoreligious fractions in 1659, the new government hopes to establish a peace between the different ethnic groups of the troubled area, so as to allow them to better resist the repeated incursions of their [[Shireroth|rapacious neighbour]].<br />
<br />
<br />
== Geography ==<br />
<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
*Ashkenatza<br />
*Collapse<br />
*Minarboria<br />
*Collapse<br />
*Kalgachi razzias to secure heavy machinery and capital assets followed by brief occupation of Sansabury to secure international recognition.<br />
*Three Shirerithian invasions, Lywall occupied.<br />
*Defence of the last commune (Stonetree) by all the free peoples of Inner Benacia<br />
*Confederal treaty<br />
<br />
Late 1659:<br />
*Ruins of north Nackholm occupied by Batavian skirmishers. More Shirerithian air-raids in the western enclave. Yehudi resistance scattered and demoralised. <br />
*Ceremonial spear thrower ignominiously shot by snipers at the Kalgachi border (his body was entombed in the Dolmen as a hero). Envoy charged with delineating the frontier returned after a misunderstanding at a border checkpoint resulted in temporary incarceration.<br />
*A Shirerithian convoy of mixing lorries carrying wet cement was ambushed by persons unknown in [[Lywall Protectorate|Lywall]] on the road from [[Sansabury]] to Stonetree.<br />
*[[Military of Kalgachia|Kalgachi agents]] dressed to pass as natives exchanged fire with hunting party of Red Laqs. Some horses and saddle bags taken. No casualties reported. Incursion unlikely to be an isolated incident.<br />
*Kalgachi rotorcraft making sorties over RIB claimed air space. A great profusion of leaflets scattered to the four winds. Dolmen prohibits the literate from reading the contents to their brethren and to gather up all of this windfall to dispatch to Stonetree for pulping. Paper is too valuable to be wasted. The Defence League of Benacia sends word to the clans that bullets are not to be wasted on shooting at the ''whirdlebirdies'' as it only draws the ire of those flying the contraptions at a time when the means to knock them down effectively are not at hand.<br />
<br />
1660<br />
* An exchange of corpses restores the semblance of peace between the Kalgachi and the Republic.<br />
* Nackholm reoccupied by Imperials after the expulsion of the Batavii.<br />
* Hightree reoccupied by Imperials.<br />
* ''Repudiation of the Kitezhniks'': Fighters from Kitezh break their oaths to the Dolmen and fled west to join forces with unaffiliated Kossars led by the Hanokh Clan. <br />
* Laqi raids into Lywall.<br />
* 'Nclavesci infiltration into the shadow economy of the Mandate of Tellia; leads to a series of armed conflicts with local organizations<br />
* Active combat between ''Łe 'em Yśehe'' and unaffiliated Kossars in and around the ruins of Selz<br />
* With [[MCS|increasing international recognition]] came an invitation for the Inner Benacians to [[Inner Benacia national football team|participate]] in a form of great power coordination duelling known as ''[[FMF|foot-ball]]''. Perplexed, delegates assembled at the Dolmen for an extraordinary meeting to discuss what it all meant.<br />
<br />
1661<br />
*Disorder spreads through [[Lywall Protectorate|Lywall]], [[shire:Malarboria|Malarboria]], and the [[shire:Tellian Mandate|Tellian Mandate]] as Coalition 1660, the [[Nationalist & Humanist Party|N&H]], and the [[shire:Army of the Southern League|Elwynnese Southern League]] increase pressure on crumbling regimes of southern Benacia.<br />
<br />
1662<br />
*Increasing evidence that the [[shire:ESB Group|ESB Group]] and the N&H are sponsoring the activities of the Mildura clan in return for support against the Daemon-Queen of Malarboria and in order to counter the growing influence of the RIB-aligned 'Nclavesci clan. <br />
*Goldshire [[shire:Ketek Ketshire Automotive Technologies|businessmen]] touring the western provinces are strongly encouraged by provincial governors with N&H sympathies to avoid selling their wares to clans and factions who have pledged themselves to the Dolmen. This advice goes largely unheeded.<br />
**The severed and eyeless head of one such business traveller was recovered from a gore-splattered tradesman's bag delivered to Ketek's Inner Benacian showroom, a fortified settlement and bazaar set inside the ruins of an unknown Ashkenatzim town, optimistically renamed as Ketekgorod.<br />
***Not entirely without coincidence, on the following day a fourscore band of ''Black Laqi'' arrived at Ketekgorod offering their services as guides and protectors against the ''"nameless and myriad misfortunes of the road"''. They were promptly hired and given a squadron of Scrags, renaming themselves Zyk°'eterem Fel'ek°e or "Lovers of the self-driving wagon".<br />
<br />
1663<br />
*The Defence League of Benacia acquires a Shirerithian [[Whirdlebirb|Whirdlebird]] after an emergency landing and evacuation in Inner Benacian territory. Research begins immediately on how to refuel and activate the craft while the crew are ransomed back to Shireroth through Black Laqi and Kalgachi intermediaries.<br />
<br />
1665<br />
*Stung by humiliating cross border raids, and angered by the support and sympathy offered by the RIB to Karalakhi rebels in eastern Modan, anywhere up to four thousand [[Horjin Combat Vehicle 56|Horjin armoured vehicles]] reportedly began to mass in Lywall. Concurrently, the Joint Military Council of the [[Raspur Pact]] formally endorsed a proposal to "invite" the RIB to join the Pact and to accept allied troops onto its territories to assist in the suppression of brigandry and lawlessness.[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1560&p=166536#p166536(1)]<br />
<br />
1666<br />
*{{Tooltip|10.I.16661|01 November 2018, 18.31}}:An unidentified rocket detonated at low altitude over Stonetree, spreading a mysterious red powder over a large area and resulting in mass casualties on the ground. Victims appeared to suffer from symptoms - such as blood crystallisation and violent haemorrhaging - that appeared consistent with ''dreadnettle poisoning''. The site of the Dolmen, as well as the nascent commercial district were amongst the areas contaminated. Survivors flee into the wilderness, disrupting the function of what little governance and military command and control existed.[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1583&p=166925#p166925(1)]<br />
<br />
1667<br />
*The Republic is formally welcomed into the [[Raspur Pact]]. Fresh elections were scheduled for the Spring Equinox. An exclusion zone remained in effect around Stonetree but the position of internally displaced persons were regularised and disputed clan territorial ranges were brought firmly under the control of the Republic by [[IBFOR]] punitive expeditions.<br />
<br />
== Politics and Government ==<br />
[[File:Dolmen.png|250px|thumb|right|<small>A sketch by [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer|Orek bi Łestkin]], dated 05.VI.1660.<br />
<br />
Original caption read:<br />
''The Dolmen, situated before Stonetree. A melancholy and foreboding place. The pact betwixt the clans was cemented by blood sacrifices officiated in the catacombs beneath the deliberation chambers where the Saduc and delegates now stand.''</small>]]<br />
<br />
The Republic was originally based upon the confederal unity of the three so-called ''free communes'' of Highbloom, Nackholm, and Stonetree, which had each endured the wretched circumstances of the years after the fall of the Minarborian Empire and the ever present threat of Shirerithian invasion. The tides of war strained that unity, with Nackholm - isolated in the western enclave - proving especially vulnerable to Shirerithian and Batavian attacks and well-nigh impossible to reinforce on account of the Kalgachi-Kasterburg land corridor.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless the institutions that arose spoke to the fundamental pragmatism of these clannish peoples, bound together in their struggle for survival against the odds in a hostile environment and faced by overwhelmingly powerful neighbours.<br />
<br />
===Dolmen===<br />
The '''Dolmen''', a ruling council composed of delegates from each of the major ethnic groups in the RIB, acts as a combined executive and legislative body. The number of delegates per group roughly corresponds with the proportional size of each faction.<br />
<br />
The leader of the Dolmen, and thus the head of state for the Republic of Inner Benecia, is the '''Saduc'''. Each year, after the spring equinox, the Dolmen chooses one of their number to serve as a peacekeeper and arbitrator, called the '''Sasos'''.<br />
<br />
The Dolmen received its name from the ruined mausoleum where the various factions first met and swore their oaths. The mausoleum has since been crudely rebuilt and used as a burial site for clan elders of the different ruling groups.<br />
<br />
The names of the various institutions and offices of the Republic tend to reflect which ethnicity managed to stake their claim first during the carve up of the government.<br />
<br />
The [[Minutes of the Dolmen]] meetings are published on a semi-regular basis and provides an indication of the Republic's policy as well as a source of droll commentary for those Inner Benacians blessed with the singular gift of literacy. <br />
<br />
{| <br />
| style="text-align:center; vertical-align: top;" | <br />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align: middle"<br />
|-<br />
! Faction<br />
! colspan="2" | Component Clans<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="4" | Łe 'em Yśehe<br /><small>''Brothers of the Blood Hand''</small><br />[[File:La_'am_Iśaha.png|50px]]<br />
| Ł'aġećyg°q°yhe<br />
| style="background: #111" | <br />
|-<br />
| K°ešḥeble<br />
| style="background: #b24" |<br />
|-<br />
| Ḥek°yryne<br />
| style="background: #b24" | <br />
|-<br />
| צורים<br /><small>Tsorim</small><br />
| style="background: #33f" | <br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3" | Bandiere Onorate<br /><small>''Honoured Banners''</small><br />[[File:BandiereOnorate.png|50px]]<br />
| Sorvolesi<br />
| style="background: #080" |<br />
|-<br />
| Luinali<br />
| style="background: #080" | <br />
|-<br />
| Palmati<br />
| style="background: #080" | <br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2" | <br />
| Labeśx°e<br />
| style="background: #b24" | <br />
|-<br />
| Teuycože<br />
| style="background: #b24" |<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="3" | קוסט וואַך<br /><small>Kust Vakh</small><br /><small>''Shrub Watch''</small><br />[[File:KustVakh.png|50px]]<br />
| נאמנים<br /><small>Neemonim</small><br /><small>''The Faithful''</small><br />
| style="background: #33f" | <br />
|-<br />
| יםמורד<br /><small>Moir'dim</small><br /><small>''The Rebellious''</small><br />
| style="background: #33f" |<br />
|-<br />
| &nbsp;<br />
| style="background: #111" | <br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2" | קראים לאמת<small><br />Qara'im l'Emet<br />''Readers of Truth''</small><br />[[File:Qaraim_l'Emet.png|80px]]<br />
| '' לייענערס פון היימלאַנד''<br /><small>Leyeners fun Heymland</small><br />
| style="background: #33f" | <br />
|-<br />
| Iedźak°'ehe Łaqehe<br />
| style="background: #b24" |<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="2" | Teźśecaq°yhe<br />
| style="background: #b24" | <br />
|-<br />
| colspan="2" | Товарищество Mолота<br />[[File:Bear.png|50px]]<br />
| style="background: #d00" | <br />
|-<br />
| colspan="2" | Ś°ecehe Yśehe<br /><small>''Black Brothers''</small><br />[[File:Star of the Black Laq.png|50px]]<br />
| style="background: #111" | <br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2" | Eastern Brothers<br />
| Il Mietitori<small><br />''The Reapers''</small><br />
| style="background: #080" | <br />
|-<br />
| Karalakh Host<br />
| style="background: #111" |<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
| style="text-align:center; vertical-align: top;" | <br />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; vertical-align: middle; border: none"<br />
! colspan=4 | Saduc of the Dolmen<br />
|-<br />
! IV.1659 - ''Present''<br />
| Pśymyde Tyiym<br />
| Teźśecaq°yhe<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| colspan=4 style="border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; background: white" | &nbsp;<br />
|-<br />
! colspan=4 | Sasos of the Dolmen<br />
|-<br />
! IV.1659 - III.1660<br />
| Elior ben Oni<br />
| Tzorim <br />
| [[File:La_'am_Iśaha.png|20px]]<br />
|-<br />
! IV.1660 - III.1661<br />
| Heid ben M'rori<br />
| Neemonim<br />
| [[File:KustVakh.png|20px]]<br />
|-<br />
!IV.1661 - 10.I.1666<br />
| [[Jarfejs Heximmatov|Dzarfeis Serverem Labeśx°emć'e]]<br />
| Labeśx°e<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
!10.I.1666 -<br />
|''Position vacant''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align: middle;"<br />
|-<br />
! colspan="6" | <small>Ethnicity</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #b24" |<br />
| <small>Red Laqi</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #111" | <br />
| <small>Black Laqi</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #33f" |<br />
| <small>Yehudi</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #080" |<br />
| <small>[['Nclavesci]]</small><br />
|-<br />
| style="background: #d00" | <br />
| <small>Mishalanski</small><br />
|}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
[[File:Lach Maiden.png|250px|thumb|right|<small>A sketch by [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer|Orek bi Łestkin]], dated 23.XII.1660.<br />
<br />
Original caption reads:<br />
''A Lach maiden of the <s>Red</s> Blood Hand. Holding a long barrel M1591 rifle - clearly of Imperial, ergo illicit, provenance.''</small>]]<br />
[[File:Laqi in Lywall.png|250px|thumb|right|An engraving depicting two Black Laqs engaged in the act of looting the body of a slain [[shire:Imperial Marshal|Imperial Marshal]].]]<br />
''See: [[Red Laqi Language]]''<br />
[[image:4th Rifle Corps.png|250px|thumb|right|Many Mishalanski settled in the Green who were unreconciled to the end of communism in Imperial ruled [[shire:Mishalan|Mishalan]].]]<br />
The confederal movement, born under the pressure of unrelenting Shirerithian aggression, brought together the four principal ethnic groups of Inner Benacia, hitherto rather antagonistic of one-another, and forced them into the rough semblance of an alliance in order to defend hearth and home against the ''gravimetric hordes'' of the Imperial Republic. Lacking the sophistication and capacity of their Kalgachia neighbours, the unity of the Inner-Benacians is of a rather more trucial nature. Quite a few suspect that if the Shirerithians ever eased off the pressure, these disparate groupings would quite happily forswear the oaths given by their leaders before the Dolmen and revert back to slaughtering each other with gleeful abandon.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that Lywallers and Froyalaners tend not to feature very much in the society of Inner Benacia, mostly on account of the Laqi and Mishalanski propensity for slicing open the stomachs of strangers and rifling around in the spilled entrails whilst searching for swallowed coins and jewels.<br />
<br />
===Yehudim===<br />
<br />
{{quote|''"Of these Yehudi Kossars, their siches and their shtetlekh, pray do not tell me. I have seen for myself the mud and the lice. The filthy beggar children. The filthier beards of the men. The thought of their squalor alone is enough to make me bid the servants to run a fresh bath."''<br />
|sign=Lady [[shire:Clarissa Moor|Clarissa Moor]]|source=Imperial High Commissioner in the [[Lywall Protectorate|State of Lywall]].}}<br />
<br />
At the time of the swearing of the Dolmen Pact the Yehudim, particularly the Kossars formerly associated with the late Pachad ben Mavet, were the predominant force in Inner Benacia. This changed swiftly afterwards as [[Kalgachia]] and [[Kasterburg]] established their connective land corridor whilst what remained of [[Nackholm]] was devastated by the descent of [[Fall Schwartz-Tilman|Imperials]] and [[Transbataafsche Vrystaat]] in bewildering succession. Shorn of their homeland, now a miserable [[Siyacha Free State|Imperial protectorate]], and turned against themselves by vicious recriminations over the decision to ride to the defence of Stonetree which had left Nackholm virtually undefended, the Yehudim were shocked and demoralised by their own powerlessness and the sudden rise of the Laq to dominance within the newly founded Republic. Only the persistent disunity between Red and Black Laq allowed the Yehudi clans to continue to raise their voices on the Dolmen without sinking to the level of prestige of the Tellians or worse the Mishalanski.<br />
<br />
===Laqi===<br />
<br />
In the ninety-three years since the collapse of the ephemeral [[Laqi Free Republic]] in southern Shireroth, the Laqi somehow went from being an obscure tribal grouping within [[shire:Modan-Lach|Modan-Lach]] to the ubiquitous scourge of the steppes, forests, and foothills of central Benacia. The most succinct explanation is that, with the collapse of [[Ashkenatza]], followed at an interval by the rise and fall of [[Minarboria]], a vacuum opened up in the heart of the continent, and nature - abhorring a vacuum - had the Laqi ready at hand to step into the void. Laqi brigands, in the profit-motivated service of the so-called Perfecti, were instrumental in the foundation of Kalgachia whose mountain fastness was secured with armaments and workers snatched from the collapsing edifice of Minarboria by their roving bands. Other Laqi hosts, arriving late for the party, settled for despoiling columns of refugees, raiding into the tenuous Shirerithian occupation of Lywall, and living well on the mangled carcasses of [[Tyrannocricetus aliger|Tee-als]] felled by Shirerithian airstrikes into the ''graveyard of empires''.<br />
<br />
Laqi clans are divided between the Red Laqs, who had made incursions into the Ashkenatzi frontier first, and the Black Laqs, who migrated into the area at the behest of their lich masters. Red Laqs see the Black Laqs as corrupted by influence from the undead, while they themselves continue an unadulterated form of the Laqi Tradition; some Red Laq clans have, however, adopted worship of The Name from their neighbors.<br />
<br />
{{quote|''"An honourable man ignores the whispers that one makes to express their heart. Whisper your thoughts, shout your words."''<br />
|sign=Red Laq proverb|source=meaning unknown.}}<br />
<br />
===Tellian===<br />
<br />
''See: [['Nclavesci]]''<br />
<br />
When Shireroth established [[shire:Imperial Decree 934|unilateral control]] over the [[shire:Mandate of Tellia|Mandate of Tellia]] following the fall of Minarboria, some Tellians instead fled west into the Green. During this chaotic period, a number of syndicates formed and established areas of control, each clustered around a core group of former officers of the disbanded Minarborian ''Doppicomando'' and what weapons that they could secure. These syndicates, referred to collectively as the [['Nclavesci]], then proceeded to wage war on one another and upon the other ethnic groups within the Green.<br />
<br />
An alliance between three 'Nclavesci clans, the Sorvolesi, the Luinali, and the Palmati, was successful in wiping out their rivals between the ruins of Stonetree and Noudolorsa and taking possession of their weapons and subjects. Other 'Nclavesci clans can be found in near the ruins of Vein.<br />
<br />
A similar phenomenon to the 'Nclavesci is also seen within the Mandate of Tellia and the still-independent [[Tellian Confederation]]. These more urban syndicates have focused on constructing parallel power structures underneath the legitimate government to amass prestige and wealth for their members.<br />
<br />
As part of the ''Memblini Venture'', the 'Nclavesci clans aligned with the '''Dolmen''' have established footholds in and around Mamehblinij, both within city limits and in the Mandate around it. In both cases, this is being done using forged papers. The purpose of this venture is to secure funds and supplies for the Republic of Inner Benacia (and their own coffers). As a result, the Tellians of Inner Benacia have the most direct—and probably healthiest—connection to the outside world.<br />
<br />
===Mishalanski===<br />
<br />
<br />
{{quote|''"Если кто-то дает медведю молоток, он вдруг обнаруживает, что все надо растерзать."''<br />
|sign=Mishalanski proverb|source=}}<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
<br />
Due to the broad variety of ethnic groups within the region, the formation of the Republic of Inner Benacia has stimulated positive cross-cultural interaction and the development of traditions independent of any one ethnicity.<br />
<br />
===Demaqen Benenyġ===<br />
<br />
{{quote|''"If they were half as good at governing as they are with their feet, the Shirertits would be trampled under the rhythmically expressive boots of the Laqi within a generation."''<br />
|sign=Dr. Zakhar Slapagai|source=Emissary of the [[Kalgachia|Garden of Kalgachia]] to the Republic of Inner Benacia .}}<br />
<br />
The ''Demaqen Benenyġ'' ([[Red Laqi Language|RL.]] "coordination duel") originated within Laqi Culture as a form of non-lethal dispute resolution for Laqs sworn to the same leader. The alternative, ''Łə Benenyġ'' ([[Red Laqi Language|RL.]] "blood duel"), involved daggers and the shedding of an adequate quantity of blood, and thus would be limited to those outside of one's sworn retinue.<br />
<br />
The prevalence of this art form necessitates that skill in a multitude of musical instruments is equally widespread. Among the most popular are jaw harps, harmonicas, tin pipes, lyres, and drums to name but a few. The instruments available on hand during a duel directly affects the style and pace of the dance, allowing the duelists yet another avenue through which to demonstrate their adaptability and mastery of the Demaqen Benenyġ.<br />
<br />
A blood duel within a retinue would leave it weakened from injury and divided against itself, especially since Laqs are known to be jealous of their honour. Through the application of the coordination duel, retinues no longer tore apart from internal strife, but instead developed a new kind of camaraderie, since these duels typically elicited mutual admiration and a desire to achieve excellence to impress others.<br />
<br />
The spread of the coordination duel beyond Laq culture and beyond membership to an individual retinue took place almost immediately after the swearing of the Dolmen Oath. During the festivities, a fight broke out between a Red Laq and a Black Laq, and each in turn from different factions. The encampment became quiet, because even non-Laqs were aware of the dangers of an enraged and dishonored Laq. The insulted Laq, duelling knife already unsheathed, instead laughed and threw the blade to the ground, declaring "with our oath, all of us sit under the leadership of the Dolmen", and instead made the sign for a coordination duel.<br />
<br />
As the duel intensified, the rest of the camp encircled the two parties, watching as they did battle in dance and in song.<br />
<br />
Since then, personal disputes between clans that have submitted to the Dolmen have been resolved through the coordination duel. The non-Laq clans in turn developed variations on their own culture's dances and songs that would be compatible with the coordination duel so that they could compete with excellence.<br />
<br />
The custom appears to be spreading along trading and smuggling routes into the territories of [[Lywall Protectorate|Lywall]] and the [[shire:Mandate of Tellia|Tellian Mandate]], leading to increasing concern, amongst those junior Imperial administrators vaguely aware of the practice, that its increasing popularity either presaged growing allegiance to the Dolmen amongst the Laq or that what was ostensibly just a form of dance designed to resolve disputes and increase group solidarity was becoming a covert form of martial arts practised in anticipation of some future day.<br />
<br />
===Football===<br />
<br />
The first that the Republic knew of its [[Inner Benacia national football team|football team]] was on 08.XII.1660 when a delegation of WMFA representatives arrived to offer their congratulations to the [[Republic of Inner Benacia#Dolmen|Dolmen]]. Unfortunately this delegation encountered a paramount spear-chief of the ''K°ešḥeble'' clan. The Laqi pride themselves on speaking a particularly [[Red Laqi language|impenetrable language]] and misunderstandings inevitably arose, as was often the case when a group of Laqs set their minds to despoiling confused outsiders. Only the serendipitous arrival of [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer|Orek bi Łestkin]], a traveller well versed in the ways of the Red Laq, prevented several notables of the Benacian footballing world from being sold into perpetual servitude. As it was, these luminaries of professional sport were dispatched under an armed guard unto the Dolmen in Bagegeniśort (Stonetree). There they were obliged to explain to a mildly incredulous Saduc the rules and purpose of association football.<br />
<br />
The WMFA representatives were thereafter treated as the personal guests of the Saduc whilst the Dolmen [[Minutes of the Dolmen|assembled]] to discuss whether football was merely a different form of [[Republic of Inner Benacia#Demaqen Benenyġ|Demaqen Benenyġ]] (coordination duel) or something else entirely.<br />
<br />
==Economy==<br />
<br />
One of the unexpected mainstays of the Inner Benacian economy, in addition to subsistence agriculture, pastoralism, and good old fashioned banditry, is the butchering and harvesting of [[Tyrannocricetus aliger|Tee-al]] carcasses left strewn in the Green whensoever the [[Military of Kalgachia|KDF]] and the [[Imperial Forces (Shireroth)|Imperials]] feel sufficiently motivated to attempt a cull with various varieties of high-power ordnance. <br />
<br />
The whiskers, spines, and subcutaneous armour plating of the Tee-als are especially prized - the sight of land cruisers covered in painted tee-al scales is an increasingly commonplace occurrence. The livers, spleens, and scent glands, of the harvested megacritters find their way into the dubious folk medicines of the region whilst the carcasses themselves, once stripped of any meat that the natives might be interested in slicing off and salting for the winter, tend to be sold to the enterprising representatives of [https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1193&t=21115 large industrial ventures] back east.<br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
<br />
* [[Minutes of the Dolmen]]<br />
* [[Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Nations]] [[Category:Republic of Inner Benacia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Shiro-Lach_Conflict&diff=95077Shiro-Lach Conflict2018-12-03T12:10:40Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' ({{Tooltip|1665&ndash;1667|September&ndash;November 2018}} [[AN]]) had its origins in the [[Laqi Free Republic|unsuccessful secession]] of [[shire:Modan-lach|Lachmodan]] from the [[Shireroth|Imperial Republic]] and the travails of the [[shire:Karalakh|Karalakh]] (Black Laq) in the service of [[Minarboria|Lichdom]]. This legacy of separatism would be amplified by the successes of the Inner Benacians in establishing their own polity and would result in the Shirerithians making a determined effort to bring their wayward small neighbour to heel.<br />
<br />
__TOC__<br />
<br />
==Fresh discontent==<br />
<br />
Northern Lachmodan, the heartland of the old [[shire:Karalakh|Khanate of Karalakh]] was rife with rumours that the [[shire:Liv Dravot|Imperial Mother]] was conspiring with the [[shire:Bifrons|Sibyl of Bifrons]] to snatch the sacred Helm of Nela Khan Karalakhli from the Kurpla Fortress where it had been guarded by diligent monks since the crumbling of [[Minarboria|Lichdom]] to form a part of the coronation regalia for her son the [[shire:Ayreon IV|Kaiser]] as he finally transitioned into adulthood and assumed the mantle of sovereign lord over the Benacian empire. It was rumoured this was all part of a plot to regain favour at court after a rash attempt to preempt the emancipation of the unfree by ordering a genocidal assault on the Froyalanish population had earned a stern rebuke from the Steward. <br />
<br />
What would go on to contribute greatly to the headache that the Lach question would become for the Imperial Republic was the measure of support that dissidents within the Imperial Republic would be able to receive from Shireroth's near aboard.<br />
<br />
The Republic of Inner Benacia had been a problem for Shireroth for some time. Unlike the technologically and militarily formidable Kalgachi nation, the tribal confederacy which had gathered around the Dolmen in Stonetree had excited Shirerithian contempt from the very moment of its inception. In spite of this the success of the Inner Benacians in forming a multi-ethnic coalition to survive repeated Shirerithian incursions into the green, as well as holding their own in minor stand-offs with Kalgachia and Kasterburg, had excited nationalist sentiment amongst the Lach, Yehudi, and Tellian communities of Southern Benacia. The disparate ethnic groups, finding themselves under Imperial rule in Modan, Siyacha, and the Tellian Mandate, had already some experience of collective political action in the form of Coalition 1660, which had helped shake off Malarborian rule. However, by the time of the fractious Folksraad Election of 1665, support for the constitutional democratic route for securing autonomy was starting to ebb away in favour of a militant campaign to achieve full independence.<br />
<br />
==Dawn Over Karamakhi==<br />
[[File:Dawn Over Karamakhi.png|200px|thumb|right|Shireroth's worst fear was that a coordinated campaign by its enemies, both foreign and domestic, would exploit the internal stresses of its hegemonic system.]]<br />
One of the inciting factors contributing to the atmosphere of greater militancy came in 1664, on account of the activities of separatists operating in Inner Benacian territory with a measure of collusion from the authorities there. "[[Dawn Over Karamakhi]]" was the opening line of a verse of Laqi poetry made famous by the poet Medi Hadjimehmetov (nephew of the infamous secessionist Count of Lywind). The line was recited as an opening in a broadcast by a pirate radio station located in [[Republic of Inner Benacia|Inner Benacia]] on the 1st hour, of the first day, of the first month, of 1664. The effect of the broadcast was incendiary as it alluded to the final line of the same poem, which ended with "Our Liberty, Our Joy" (''Enxu Estәkla, Enxu radsta''), a historic [[Laqi Free Republic#Culture|call to arms]] amongst the Laqi.<br />
<br />
With the active support of Red and Black Laqi volunteers from Inner Benacia, partisans in Lywall were able to establish, during the course of 1664 and 1665 three "liberated zones" along the border between the RIB and Shireroth. Two of these were in Lywall, with the third in Lachmeren. Concurrently another rebellion had broken out in Karalakh, although this was too far away for the RIB to do anything other than express sympathy.<br />
<br />
The hope of the rebels was that, with the Shirerithian establishment distracted by the traditional occasion for fratricide that was their domestic electoral cycle, and the added complications of an attempted mutiny in the capital itself, the insurgencies in eastern and western Modan would be able to link up, isolating the various imperial and state garrisons, and force the Prince of Modan and the rulers in Shirekeep into serious negotiations for meaningful autonomy.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for them, instead the Prince of Modan opted to secure the support of the [[Raspur Pact]] for an effort to pressure the RIB into acceding to the Pact and accepting a garrison of Imperial troops to guarantee its future good behaviour, whilst simultaneously trying out the strategy of divide and conquer on the two insurgencies - sending twelve commissioners to negotiate in good faith with the Karalakh rebels whilst sending thirteen commissioners to Lywall with orders to mercilessly harry the Lach out of the country.<br />
<br />
==A war over a song==<br />
<br />
The final cause of open war between Shireroth and the RIB was so trivial as to be absurd. The periodical [[Microvision]] competition, an international musical contest open to the nations of Micras was held in [[Microvision Song Contest 2018|late 1665]] and it proved to be one of the more successful and competitive iterations of the contest. Shireroth had, unusually, taken the competition seriously and submitted a credible entry which in the rounds of international voting that followed was going toe to toe with [[Senya]] until at the last, with Inner Benacia being the last country to vote, Shireroth's entry had a five point lead and appeared all but guaranteed to be the host of the next competition with all the international prestige that would accrue accordingly. It was then taken as a calculated slap in the face that Inner Benacia awarded Shireroth's entrant nil points and gave five points exactly to Senya, depriving Shireroth of a victory that moments earlier had been all but assured. The response in [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] and all across eastern Benacia, was unbridled outrage, resulting in a wave of protests and rioting. Unfortunately for Inner Benacia however amongst those Shirerithians having a fit of apoplexy over their viewscreens were the Kaiser and a psychologically unstable junior commander with access to the keys for controlling the launch of a short-range ballistic missile. <br />
<br />
The official line from the Imperial Republic was that the launch of a Moraquine SRBM with a biological warhead as its payload towards Stonetree, the Inner Benacian capital, was the consequence of a psychotic episode on the part of a relatively junior officer who had previously been the subject of an investigation and disciplinary proceedings and ought not, accordingly, to have been left in sole charge of a strategic weapons system.[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1583&p=166925#p166925(1)] Set against this was the suspicion that the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] had knowingly set a traumatised and unstable veteran of the [[War of Lost Brothers|Batavian Front]] at the controls of a missile launcher, with targeting coordinates preset and locked in, in the full and certain knowledge that sooner or later that such an individual would act upon the destructive impulses building up inside him.<br />
<br />
Officially the officer in question was relieved of command pending a full investigation. In reality however the First Decurion was flown from [[shire:Vale of Angularis|Angularis]] to Shirekeep in secret and there received a hero's welcome from the Kaiser at [[shire:Raynor's Keep|Raynor's Keep]].<br />
<br />
The character of the Kaiser, [[shire:Ayreon IV|Ayreon IV Kalirion]], had an important bearing on how a controversy in popular culture managed to become a full-blown conflict. On this occasion, rather than being driven by ambitious or ideologically motivated officers on the ground as was often the case, the impetus for war in this instance came from the very top. The Kaiser had long considered the RIB a disgusting and backwards aberration that blemished the tidy perfection of his maps of Benacia.<br />
<br />
The Kaiser, who had also become quite invested in the Microvision competition, especially as Shireroth appeared to be heading towards victory - leading him to prematurely begin making plans for hosting the competition - was enraged when Inner Benacia's blatantly political voting pattern brought his celebratory, some might say inebriated, mood to a crashing halt. For the Kaiser then this "insult" became something of a last straw and in that moment he discovered depths of rage that he never knew that he possessed. Had he been in the company of calmer minds, his concubine for instance, his anger might soon have dissipated. But, with only his favoured catamite, van Pijpervale, and a few servile courtiers for company around the viewscreen, fuelling his indignation by echoing his words back to him in encouragement, he resolved that the Inner Benacians would be made to comply with his will or suffer the consequences. The news of the Kaiser's desire soon reached the ears of the Steward and the [[shire:Danyial ibn Daniyal Simrani-Kalirion|Prince of Modan]], and between them they agreed that the moment had come to make good on the long desired 'coordination' of the RIB's problematic foreign policy with Shireroth's interests.<br />
<br />
==Fall Raþ Bivarhin==<br />
<br />
Began 21.I.1666 (WiP)<br/><br />
06.VII.1666: Selected "eminent persons" from amongst the surviving clan leadership, gathered together by [[shire:S.W.O.R.D.|Imperial operatives]] at [[Ketekgorod]] received the Imperial Proclamation issued by Kaiser Ayreon IV Kalirion confirming their sovereignty and independence in conjunction with the Republic's accession to the [[Raspur Pact]] and the formalisation of the presence of the allied peacekeeping mission in the country.[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&p=167070#p167070(1)]<br />
<br />
==Modan: an emerging solution==<br />
<br />
(WiP)<br />
*Commissioners dispatched into rebellious regions of Lywall and Lachmodan. Modan grants toleration and autonomy to the "Black Lach" (Karalakh) whilst carrying out a vigorous judicial purge against the "Red Lach".<br />
*Pending enactment of a final settlement in Modan the peace has taken shape along the following lines:<br />
**Full pardon for those who make submission.<br />
**Lach who sign the Covenant (a document affirming loyalty to the Kaiser and "Holodomatic Cedrozurvanism") will be listed as "Covenanted Lach", to be resettled in lowland Lachmodan (Lower Lach).<br />
**Lach who agree to pledge themselves to a chief who has made peace will be listed as "Registered Lach", to be settled in the autonomous regions of the Karalakhi (Upper Lach).<br />
**Unreconciled Lach to be granted safe-passage and exit permits to resettle in Inner Benacia.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Shireroth]][[Category:Republic of Inner Benacia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Shiro-Lach_Conflict&diff=95076Shiro-Lach Conflict2018-12-03T12:09:06Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' (1665&ndash;1667) had its origins in the [[Laqi Free Republic|unsuccessful secession]] of [[shire:Modan-lach|Lachmodan]] from the [[Shireroth|Imperial Republic]] and the travails of the [[shire:Karalakh|Karalakh]] (Black Laq) in the service of [[Minarboria|Lichdom]]. This legacy of separatism would be amplified by the successes of the Inner Benacians in establishing their own polity and would result in the Shirerithians making a determined effort to bring their wayward small neighbour to heel.<br />
<br />
__TOC__<br />
<br />
==Fresh discontent==<br />
<br />
Northern Lachmodan, the heartland of the old [[shire:Karalakh|Khanate of Karalakh]] was rife with rumours that the [[shire:Liv Dravot|Imperial Mother]] was conspiring with the [[shire:Bifrons|Sibyl of Bifrons]] to snatch the sacred Helm of Nela Khan Karalakhli from the Kurpla Fortress where it had been guarded by diligent monks since the crumbling of [[Minarboria|Lichdom]] to form a part of the coronation regalia for her son the [[shire:Ayreon IV|Kaiser]] as he finally transitioned into adulthood and assumed the mantle of sovereign lord over the Benacian empire. It was rumoured this was all part of a plot to regain favour at court after a rash attempt to preempt the emancipation of the unfree by ordering a genocidal assault on the Froyalanish population had earned a stern rebuke from the Steward. <br />
<br />
What would go on to contribute greatly to the headache that the Lach question would become for the Imperial Republic was the measure of support that dissidents within the Imperial Republic would be able to receive from Shireroth's near aboard.<br />
<br />
The Republic of Inner Benacia had been a problem for Shireroth for some time. Unlike the technologically and militarily formidable Kalgachi nation, the tribal confederacy which had gathered around the Dolmen in Stonetree had excited Shirerithian contempt from the very moment of its inception. In spite of this the success of the Inner Benacians in forming a multi-ethnic coalition to survive repeated Shirerithian incursions into the green, as well as holding their own in minor stand-offs with Kalgachia and Kasterburg, had excited nationalist sentiment amongst the Lach, Yehudi, and Tellian communities of Southern Benacia. The disparate ethnic groups, finding themselves under Imperial rule in Modan, Siyacha, and the Tellian Mandate, had already some experience of collective political action in the form of Coalition 1660, which had helped shake off Malarborian rule. However, by the time of the fractious Folksraad Election of 1665, support for the constitutional democratic route for securing autonomy was starting to ebb away in favour of a militant campaign to achieve full independence.<br />
<br />
==Dawn Over Karamakhi==<br />
[[File:Dawn Over Karamakhi.png|200px|thumb|right|Shireroth's worst fear was that a coordinated campaign by its enemies, both foreign and domestic, would exploit the internal stresses of its hegemonic system.]]<br />
One of the inciting factors contributing to the atmosphere of greater militancy came in 1664, on account of the activities of separatists operating in Inner Benacian territory with a measure of collusion from the authorities there. "[[Dawn Over Karamakhi]]" was the opening line of a verse of Laqi poetry made famous by the poet Medi Hadjimehmetov (nephew of the infamous secessionist Count of Lywind). The line was recited as an opening in a broadcast by a pirate radio station located in [[Republic of Inner Benacia|Inner Benacia]] on the 1st hour, of the first day, of the first month, of 1664. The effect of the broadcast was incendiary as it alluded to the final line of the same poem, which ended with "Our Liberty, Our Joy" (''Enxu Estәkla, Enxu radsta''), a historic [[Laqi Free Republic#Culture|call to arms]] amongst the Laqi.<br />
<br />
With the active support of Red and Black Laqi volunteers from Inner Benacia, partisans in Lywall were able to establish, during the course of 1664 and 1665 three "liberated zones" along the border between the RIB and Shireroth. Two of these were in Lywall, with the third in Lachmeren. Concurrently another rebellion had broken out in Karalakh, although this was too far away for the RIB to do anything other than express sympathy.<br />
<br />
The hope of the rebels was that, with the Shirerithian establishment distracted by the traditional occasion for fratricide that was their domestic electoral cycle, and the added complications of an attempted mutiny in the capital itself, the insurgencies in eastern and western Modan would be able to link up, isolating the various imperial and state garrisons, and force the Prince of Modan and the rulers in Shirekeep into serious negotiations for meaningful autonomy.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for them, instead the Prince of Modan opted to secure the support of the [[Raspur Pact]] for an effort to pressure the RIB into acceding to the Pact and accepting a garrison of Imperial troops to guarantee its future good behaviour, whilst simultaneously trying out the strategy of divide and conquer on the two insurgencies - sending twelve commissioners to negotiate in good faith with the Karalakh rebels whilst sending thirteen commissioners to Lywall with orders to mercilessly harry the Lach out of the country.<br />
<br />
==A war over a song==<br />
<br />
The final cause of open war between Shireroth and the RIB was so trivial as to be absurd. The periodical [[Microvision]] competition, an international musical contest open to the nations of Micras was held in [[Microvision Song Contest 2018|late 1665]] and it proved to be one of the more successful and competitive iterations of the contest. Shireroth had, unusually, taken the competition seriously and submitted a credible entry which in the rounds of international voting that followed was going toe to toe with [[Senya]] until at the last, with Inner Benacia being the last country to vote, Shireroth's entry had a five point lead and appeared all but guaranteed to be the host of the next competition with all the international prestige that would accrue accordingly. It was then taken as a calculated slap in the face that Inner Benacia awarded Shireroth's entrant nil points and gave five points exactly to Senya, depriving Shireroth of a victory that moments earlier had been all but assured. The response in [[shire:Shirekeep|Shirekeep]] and all across eastern Benacia, was unbridled outrage, resulting in a wave of protests and rioting. Unfortunately for Inner Benacia however amongst those Shirerithians having a fit of apoplexy over their viewscreens were the Kaiser and a psychologically unstable junior commander with access to the keys for controlling the launch of a short-range ballistic missile. <br />
<br />
The official line from the Imperial Republic was that the launch of a Moraquine SRBM with a biological warhead as its payload towards Stonetree, the Inner Benacian capital, was the consequence of a psychotic episode on the part of a relatively junior officer who had previously been the subject of an investigation and disciplinary proceedings and ought not, accordingly, to have been left in sole charge of a strategic weapons system.[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1583&p=166925#p166925(1)] Set against this was the suspicion that the [[shire:Imperial Forces|Imperial Forces]] had knowingly set a traumatised and unstable veteran of the [[War of Lost Brothers|Batavian Front]] at the controls of a missile launcher, with targeting coordinates preset and locked in, in the full and certain knowledge that sooner or later that such an individual would act upon the destructive impulses building up inside him.<br />
<br />
Officially the officer in question was relieved of command pending a full investigation. In reality however the First Decurion was flown from [[shire:Vale of Angularis|Angularis]] to Shirekeep in secret and there received a hero's welcome from the Kaiser at [[shire:Raynor's Keep|Raynor's Keep]].<br />
<br />
The character of the Kaiser, [[shire:Ayreon IV|Ayreon IV Kalirion]], had an important bearing on how a controversy in popular culture managed to become a full-blown conflict. On this occasion, rather than being driven by ambitious or ideologically motivated officers on the ground as was often the case, the impetus for war in this instance came from the very top. The Kaiser had long considered the RIB a disgusting and backwards aberration that blemished the tidy perfection of his maps of Benacia.<br />
<br />
The Kaiser, who had also become quite invested in the Microvision competition, especially as Shireroth appeared to be heading towards victory - leading him to prematurely begin making plans for hosting the competition - was enraged when Inner Benacia's blatantly political voting pattern brought his celebratory, some might say inebriated, mood to a crashing halt. For the Kaiser then this "insult" became something of a last straw and in that moment he discovered depths of rage that he never knew that he possessed. Had he been in the company of calmer minds, his concubine for instance, his anger might soon have dissipated. But, with only his favoured catamite, van Pijpervale, and a few servile courtiers for company around the viewscreen, fuelling his indignation by echoing his words back to him in encouragement, he resolved that the Inner Benacians would be made to comply with his will or suffer the consequences. The news of the Kaiser's desire soon reached the ears of the Steward and the [[shire:Danyial ibn Daniyal Simrani-Kalirion|Prince of Modan]], and between them they agreed that the moment had come to make good on the long desired 'coordination' of the RIB's problematic foreign policy with Shireroth's interests.<br />
<br />
==Fall Raþ Bivarhin==<br />
<br />
Began 21.I.1666 (WiP)<br/><br />
06.VII.1666: Selected "eminent persons" from amongst the surviving clan leadership, gathered together by [[shire:S.W.O.R.D.|Imperial operatives]] at [[Ketekgorod]] received the Imperial Proclamation issued by Kaiser Ayreon IV Kalirion confirming their sovereignty and independence in conjunction with the Republic's accession to the [[Raspur Pact]] and the formalisation of the presence of the allied peacekeeping mission in the country.[https://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&p=167070#p167070(1)]<br />
<br />
==Modan: an emerging solution==<br />
<br />
(WiP)<br />
*Commissioners dispatched into rebellious regions of Lywall and Lachmodan. Modan grants toleration and autonomy to the "Black Lach" (Karalakh) whilst carrying out a vigorous judicial purge against the "Red Lach".<br />
*Pending enactment of a final settlement in Modan the peace has taken shape along the following lines:<br />
**Full pardon for those who make submission.<br />
**Lach who sign the Covenant (a document affirming loyalty to the Kaiser and "Holodomatic Cedrozurvanism") will be listed as "Covenanted Lach", to be resettled in lowland Lachmodan (Lower Lach).<br />
**Lach who agree to pledge themselves to a chief who has made peace will be listed as "Registered Lach", to be settled in the autonomous regions of the Karalakhi (Upper Lach).<br />
**Unreconciled Lach to be granted safe-passage and exit permits to resettle in Inner Benacia.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Shireroth]][[Category:Republic of Inner Benacia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Field_Notes_of_Orek_bi_%C5%81estkin,_Amateur_Ethnographer&diff=95075Field Notes of Orek bi Łestkin, Amateur Ethnographer2018-12-03T12:06:48Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Third Cache */</p>
<hr />
<div>These Field Notes on the life, events, and habits of the people of the western Benacian Green were compiled through the diligent work of one '''Orek bi Łestkin''', a [[shire:Monty Crisco|Montycriscan]] untitled noble and self-styled amateur ethnographer.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
[[File:Orek bi Łestkin.png|150px|thumb|right|Traveller and Ethnographer, scholar, and a gentleman of a particular nature.]]<br />
Orek bi Łestkin was introduced to the western Benacian Green while serving as a Draconary in the Imperial Army during [[Operation Way of Force]], and the way in which the scattered peoples successfully clung to life in the wasteland.<br />
<br />
Following the completion of his required military service in 1659 AN, Orek immediately set to work planning for an expedition into the Green. After demonstrating his combat skill with both sabre and pistol, Lach clansmen in the Mandate of Tellia decided he was sportly enough not to bother enslaving, and agreed to escort him across the frontier, which they did on 3.II.1660 AN.<br />
<br />
After a number of years where Orek's whereabouts were unknown he re-emerged in the Inner Benacian capital of [[Stonetree]] in the last month of 1665 AN in the somewhat surprising position of Editor-in-Chief to the ''[[Bagegeniśort|Nəbẑəṣ̂ă Łăpqăr]]'' (Laqi: "Young Nation") newspaper. Orek's survival and subsequent elevation in Inner Benacian society was ultimately revealed to have been down to his pragmatic decision to "suck the nipple" (i.e. become a bondsman) of [[Jarfejs Heximmatov|Dzarfeis Serverem Labeśx°emć'e]], the ''Sasos'' and de-facto dictator of Inner Benacia for much of the 1660s. The Sasos had, it transpired, uses for a literate illustrator, especially one familiar with the ways of the lower tiers of the Shirerithian nobility and government. How Orek felt about working for a man who was actively backing the cause of Laqi and Tellian separatists in [[shire:State of Modan|Shirerithian territory]] was unrecorded but he appears to have performed his work diligently and in a manner satisfactory to his master.<br />
<br />
==[[{{PAGENAME}}/Cache 1|First Cache]]==<br />
<br />
Received at the border by 4th Coh, Leg XXIX, Imperial Army, on 16.III.1660.<br />
<br />
Notes are dated between 5.II.1660 and 24.II.1660.<br />
<br />
==[[{{PAGENAME}}/Cache 2|Second Cache]]==<br />
<br />
==[[{{PAGENAME}}/Cache 3|Third Cache]]==<br />
<br />
<br />
==Later career and works==<br />
<br />
<br />
[[category:Republic of Inner Benacia]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Raspur_Pact&diff=95074Raspur Pact2018-12-03T11:48:04Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Membership */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{SANE article}}<br />
<br />
{{Infobox Organisation<br />
|fullname = {{PAGENAME}}<br />
|commonname = Allied Powers<br />
|flag = File:SANE Flag.png<br />
|emblem = File:1653 AC.png<br />
|hymn = Why would we need a hymn?<br />
|map = File:SANE Theatre Commands.png<br />
|HQ= [[Raspur]], [[Lindström]], [[Shirekeep]], [[Vey]] (formerly)<br />
|lang = [[shire:Istvanistani|Istvanistani / Common Tongue]]<br />
|type = Military alliance and free trade area<br />
|headoforganisationtitle = High Commissioner<br />
|deputyheadtitle = Deputy High Commissioner<br />
|headoforganisation = [[Isabella Kalirion]] (Natopia)<br />
|deputyhead = [[Primo de Aguilar]] (Constancia)<br />
|legislature = Permanent Commission<br />
|establishment = 7.V.1643 AN<br />
|members = 6 member states, 1 candidate state<br />
|site = n/a<br />
|forum = n/a<br />
}}<br />
The '''Raspur Pact''', formerly known by the acronym '''SANE''' (standing for the ''Shirerithian-Alexandrian-Natopian Entente'') is an multilateral alliance founded around mutual defence, collective security and free trade. <br />
<br />
The Pact allows its members free movement of workers, goods, and services across borders, extradition of arrested persons, and full faith and credit to all legal documents in all of the Pact's member states.<br />
<br />
=Membership=<br />
Founding members of the organisation were [[Shireroth]], [[Alexandria]] and [[Natopia]], with [[Constancia]] joining later on. Following the devastating [[Alexandrian Flu]] and the consequent collapse of the Alexandrian Empire. The [[Raspur Khanate|Khanate of Raspur]] acceded to the alliance in 1662, followed by the [[Wechua Nation]] in 1663 and [[Eklesia]] in 1667. The organisation now comprises of:<br />
<br />
*[[Constancia]];<br />
*[[Eklesia]];<br />
*[[Natopia]];<br />
*[[Raspur]];<br />
*[[Shireroth]];<br />
* the [[Wechua Nation]].<br />
<br />
As of 1667 the [[Raspur Pact]] has one additional candidate member:<br />
*[[Republic of Inner Benacia]]<br />
<br />
Although not a formal member of the Raspur Pact, [[Tellia]] enjoys many of the economic and security benefits associated with membership on account of its treaty with Shireroth which established a condominium over so-called "Mandatory Tellia", affording the Tellian city states privileged access to Benacian and international markets controlled by Raspur Pact member states.<br />
<br />
=Structure=<br />
<br />
==Permanent Commission==<br />
<br />
The first High Commissioner of the Raspur Pact is [[Isabella Kalirion]], supported by [[Primo de Aguilar]] as Deputy High Commissioner.<br />
<br />
==Joint Military Council==<br />
[[File:Raspur Pact Scale.png|200px|thumb|right|Idealised conception of each tier of organisation in the forces of the Raspur Pact from the tactical to the strategic level.]]<br />
<br />
==Commands==<br />
<br />
=History=<br />
<br />
==Negotiation and ratification==<br />
<br />
==Hammish Civil War==<br />
<br />
==War of Jingdaoese Immolation==<br />
<br />
==Alexandrian Flu==<br />
<br />
==War of Lost Brothers==<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Organisations]][[Category:SANE]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=IBFOR&diff=95063IBFOR2018-12-03T11:26:27Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 85%; width: 30em;background-color:#C0C0C0;border:1px solid #000080;"<br />
<br />
|align=center colspan=2 | <center>'''Inner Benacian Force (IBFOR)'''<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
[[file:TBC.png|200px]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Active:'''|| 1666 AN &ndash; present<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Allegiance:'''|| [[Shireroth]] / [[Raspur Pact]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Type:''' || [[Combined Arms Corps]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Establishment:'''||<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Command Staff:'''|| Commander: ''Frainan Uihmanz'' [[Aodh bi Uaneill]]<br/><br />
Chief of Staff: ''Bivarhins Salbnan'' [[Rofolo Nur Pinito Kasha]]<br/><br />
Political Commissioner: [[Clarissa Moor]]<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
|'''Conflicts & Deployments'''||[[Fall Raþ Bivarhin]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Raspur Pact]][[Category:Shireroth]][[Category:Republic of Inner Benacia]][[Category:Military]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=IBFOR&diff=95061IBFOR2018-12-03T11:25:25Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
<hr />
<div>{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 85%; width: 30em;background-color:#C0C0C0;border:1px solid #000080;"<br />
<br />
|align=center colspan=2 | <center>'''Inner Benacian Force (IBFOR)'''<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
[[file:TBC.png|200px]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Active:'''|| 1666 AN &ndash; present<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Allegiance:'''|| [[Shireroth]] / [[Raspur Pact]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Type:''' || [[Combined Arms Corps]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Establishment:'''||<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Command Staff:'''|| Commander: ''Frainan Uihmanz'' [[Aodh bi Uaneill]]<br/><br />
Chief of Staff: ''Bivarhins Salbnan'' [[Rofolo Nur Pinito Kasha]]<br/><br />
Political Commissioner: [[Clarissa Moor]]<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
|'''Conflicts & Deployments'''||[[Fall Raþ Bivarhin]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
|}</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=IBFOR&diff=95059IBFOR2018-12-03T11:25:05Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: Created page with "{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 85%; width: 30em;background-color:#C0C0C0;border:1px solid #000080;" |align=center colspan=2 | <cent..."</p>
<hr />
<div>{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 85%; width: 30em;background-color:#C0C0C0;border:1px solid #000080;"<br />
<br />
|align=center colspan=2 | <center>'''Central Banner Group'''<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
[[file:TBC.png|200px]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Active:'''|| 1666 AN &ndash; present<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Allegiance:'''|| [[Shireroth]] / [[Raspur Pact]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Type:''' || [[Combined Arms Corps]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Establishment:'''||<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Command Staff:'''|| Commander: ''Frainan Uihmanz'' [[Aodh bi Uaneill]]<br/><br />
Chief of Staff: ''Bivarhins Salbnan'' [[Rofolo Nur Pinito Kasha]]<br/><br />
Political Commissioner: [[Clarissa Moor]]<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
|'''Conflicts & Deployments'''||[[Fall Raþ Bivarhin]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
|}</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Black_Legions&diff=95054Black Legions2018-12-03T10:36:33Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: /* Establishment */</p>
<hr />
<div>{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 85%; width: 30em;background-color:#C0C0C0;border:1px solid #000080;"<br />
<br />
|align=center colspan=2 | <center>'''Central Banner Group'''<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
[[file:1666pCBG.png|200px]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Active:'''|| 1646 AN &ndash; present<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Allegiance:'''|| [[Shireroth]] / [[Raspur Pact]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Personnel:'''||<small>Special Forces: 3,960<br/> 1st Line Imperial Forces: 28,800<br><br />
2nd Line State Forces: 126,967<br/><br />
Auxiliaries: 316,967<br/><br />
Combat Support Personnel: 65,075</small><br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Type:''' || [[Banner Group]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Nickname:''' || ''Red-Hand Survivors''<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|'''Current Commander:'''|| '' Frumst Frainan'' The [[shire:Daniyal ibn Daniyal|Prince of Modan]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
----<br />
|-<br />
|-<br />
|'''Conflicts & Deployments'''||[[Fall Raþ Bivarhin]]<br />
|-<br />
| align=center colspan=2 |<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
==Order of Battle==<br />
<br />
*Central Banner Group (Stagguskrupp)<br />
**Hvaszunig Stagguskrupp (HSk) <br />
***No. 246 Squadron (Air Logistics Support)<br />
***No. 190 Area Defence Squadron (Air Defence Command)<br />
***Control Vexillation (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
**IV Corps (Imperial Army) <small> - Lachmeren</small><br />
***Hvaszunig Uihmanz<br />
***Streïkrupp Woyrsch (I Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Vithimiris (II Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Barsamian (III Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Salza (XIII Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Rorkfesten (XIX Salb)<br />
***Streïkrupp Kelb (XX Salb)<br />
***Supply Column (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
**Combined Arms Corps - Amokolia<br />
***Konkordskaya Bratva (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
***Supply Column (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
**[[IBFOR|Inner Benacian Force]]<br />
***Hvaszunig Uihmanz [[Aodh bi Uaneill|bi Uaneill]]<br />
****Streïkrupp [[Rofolo Nur Pinito Kasha|Kasha]]<br />
*****{{Tooltip|Vexillation II|Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition}} ([[shire:S.W.O.R.D.|Force Security Bureau]])<br />
*****{{Tooltip|Vexillation XI|Long Range Surveillance}} ([[shire:S.W.O.R.D.|Operations Bureau]])<br />
*****{{Tooltip|Vexillation XII "Vouruskasha"|Special Operations}} ([[shire:S.W.O.R.D.|Operations Bureau]])<br />
*****{{Tooltip|Cohort XV|Temporal Adjustments Bureau}} ([[shire:Vigiles Arcani|Metrological Service]])<br />
***''Cedrocomando'' (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
***Lywall Defence Force (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
***Šlomxala Flotilla / Task Force 110 (Western Armada & Coastal Command)<br />
***Supply Column (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
**Combined Arms Corps - Angularis <br />
**Combined Arms Corps - Mishalan<br />
***''Mishalan Afzælt'' (Corps of Auxiliaries)<br />
***II Aviation Division (Bomber Command)<br />
***No. 10 Group (Fighter Command)<br />
**MoMA Station Sabatini<br />
**Commissariat <small> - Distributed in depot detachments established in urban municipal (MCS) level Bailiwicks throughout regional theatre</small><br />
<br />
==Establishment==<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
! scope="col"|'''Unit Type'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''№ in Service'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''HSk'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''IV Corps'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''CAC-Amokolia'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''[[IBFOR]]'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''CAC-Angularis'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''CAC-Mishalan'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''MoMA Station Sabatini'''<br />
! scope="col"|'''Commissariat'''<br />
|-<br />
| Special Forces||3,960||0||0||0||3,960||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Imperial Army||28,800||1,200||27,600||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Western Armada||14,400||1,200||0||0||12,000||0||0||1,200||0<br />
|-<br />
| Coastal Command||11,190||1,200||0||0||9,990||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces||39,485||1,200||240||120||120||7,200||30,485||120||0<br />
|-<br />
| Corps of Auxiliaries||142,000||7,200||7,200||28,800||3,600||3,600||7,200||42,000||42,400<br />
|-<br />
| Goldshire Regulars||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Public Order Force of Modan||150,967||120||0||0||51,127||50,500||49,220||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| State Guard of Modan||126,967||120||0||0||60,400||65,247||1,200||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Konkordskaya Bratva||24,000||120||0||23,880||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Clinger Bomb, Adhesive Anti-Tank Grenade||30,420||420||5,000||5,000||10,000||5,000||5,000||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| CP 60 "Cherry Picker" 7.62 mm sniper rifle||15,210||0||0||0||7,605||7,605||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Cudgel||40,560||560||0||0||0||0||0||20,000||20,000<br />
|-<br />
| Florian Cocktail (Tar, sulphur, petrol, sand, & wick)||466,440||40||0||100,000||100,000||100,000||100,000||30,000||36,400<br />
|-<br />
| Hatchet||3,566||6||800||300||800||800||800||30||30<br />
|-<br />
| LTM 60 "Trouble Maker" 9 mm submachine gun||40,560||560||0||0||20,000||20,000||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M14 Fragmentation Hand Grenade||202,800||800||202,000||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1486 Webb-Lee 11.6 mm Revolver||2,920||120||0||0||0||0||0||0||2,800<br />
|-<br />
| M15 White Phosphorus Grenade||101,400||400||101,000||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1508 Martini-Rossi 11.56 mm Rifle||30,420||0||0||10,000||5,000||5,000||10,420||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1525 9 mm Pistol||40,000||1,200||2,500||10,000||6,000||8,000||8,000||2,500||1,800<br />
|-<br />
| M1581 7.62 mm Machine Carbine||6,312||0||0||0||0||0||0||6,312||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1591 7.62 mm Rifle||20,280||0||20,280||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M16 Mustard Gas Grenade||101,400||400||101,000||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1610 7.9 mm Rifle (Semi-Automatic)||16,123||1,200||14,923||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| M1656 9 mm SMG||33,158||158||0||10,000||5,000||5,000||5,000||5,000||3,000<br />
|-<br />
| M18 Red Smoke Grenade||202,800||800||202,000||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Pattern 1496 Sabre||8,246||100||1,080||7,066||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Tankgewehr 13.2 mm Rifle (Anti-Materiel)||101||1||100||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Polybolos 12.7 mm HMG||42,000||||3,600||8,000||8,000||8,000||8,000||6,000||400<br />
|-<br />
| Wren 7.62mm LMG||4,056||56||3,600||0||0||0||0||0||400<br />
|-<br />
| 9K37 Buk mobile SAM batteries||1||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(LU)-3 Boojum||117||0||110||0||0||0||0||7||0<br />
|-<br />
| Trump Radar Tracking Autocannon||46||6||0||10||10||10||10||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Waspsting Man-portable Air Defence System||42||2||40||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Hornet 84 mm Recoilless Rifle (Anti-Tank)||152||2||150||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| 105 mm Light Gun||50||0||0||0||25||25||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| 80 mm Field Gun||50||0||0||25||0||0||25||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| 82 mm Mortar||1,255||120||1,080||10||10||10||10||15||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(CV)-4 Red Queen||365||0||365||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(MBT)-1 Bandersnatch||423||0||423||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan||3||1||1||0||0||0||1||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(SPG)-2 Jabberwocky||234||0||234||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Horjin CV35||25||0||0||0||0||0||0||25||0<br />
|-<br />
| Horjin CV56(S/N/E)||4,000||49||2,760||20||570||300||300||1||0<br />
|-<br />
| IMW-2 Spidertank||212||0||212||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| IMW-3 Snark||7||0||4||1||1||1||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GV(CT)-6 Walrus||292||0||292||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Pod Personnel Carrier||1,977||77||500||200||400||200||200||200||200<br />
|-<br />
| Snatch Land Rover||71||71||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Truck, Light||1,501||1||500||200||200||200||200||200||0<br />
|-<br />
| Truck, Medium||243||3||0||0||0||0||0||40||200<br />
|-<br />
| A-10 Kambera||13||0||0||0||13||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| A-6 Pundarikam||10||0||0||0||10||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| AH-1Z Viper||4||0||0||0||4||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| AV-8B Harrier II||3||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| B-49 Delta||238||0||0||0||0||0||238||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| B-66 Vulcan||23||0||0||0||0||0||23||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| EA-6B Prowler||2||0||0||0||0||0||2||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| F-8 Shrike||175||0||0||0||0||0||175||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(AS)-1 Snaggletooth||4||0||0||0||4||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(P)-5 Nereid||40||0||40||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| GAV(U)-4 Jackalope||101||0||101||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Gravrig Cruisers||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Nimrod MRA4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| R-1 Whirdlebird||40||0||0||20||0||10||0||10||0<br />
|-<br />
| RAS Kestrel Mk.II Gravship||1||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Spiegelflügel-Taube Amphibious Aircraft||2||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| T-2 Saeqeh||51||1||0||0||25||25||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| T-3 Akintos||23||1||0||0||11||11||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Transport Airships (various)||5||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| UH-1Y Venom||7||0||0||0||7||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Wildcat ASW helicopters||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| F-10 Carnifex||2||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| AGM-84 Harpoon||41||0||0||0||41||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Armed yacht||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Aurangzeb-class Missile Defence Battleship||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Cargo Submarine||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| City-class Diesel Submarine||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Coastal Patrol Craft||51||0||0||0||51||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Duchy-class Destroyer||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Elwynn-class Corvette||4||0||0||0||4||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Grifos Class Battleship||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Icebreaker||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Logistic Support Vessel||5||0||0||0||5||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo & Passenger, Ice)||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo & Passenger)||10||0||0||0||10||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Cargo)||20||0||0||0||20||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Merchant Vessel (Livestock)||3||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Mortis-class Aircraft Carrier||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Oil Tanker||8||0||0||0||8||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Project 941 Nuclear Submarine||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Protector-class OPV||2||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Raynor-class Cruiser||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Swift-class Offshore Patrol Vessel||3||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Type 2400 U-Boat||1||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
| Viviantia-class LSV||5||0||0||0||5||0||0||0||0<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Training==<br />
<br />
Under the Prince of Modan discipline became a core trait instilled amongst troops assigned to the Central Banner Group. They swore absolute obedience to their commanders, who in turn sore unquestioning obedience to their commanders and so forth all the way up the chain of command. Legionaries, auxiliaries, and state troops were forbidden to pillage, steal or molest civilians, accept gifts, have relations with women, eat meat or drink alcohol. An Inspectorate of Training and Discipline was established with inspectors for Imperial, Auxiliary, and State forces under the authority of an Inspector General reporting directly to the Prince. Officers were forced to undergo examinations to assess their familiarity with New Zimian Manoeuvreist principles and Nova English Fire Team tactics, largely with the intention of weeding out those still wedded to set piece actions and frontal assaults.<br />
<br />
All non-commissioned personnel assigned to the Banner Group, whether Imperial, auxiliary, or Modanese, were cycled through three week courses of so-called "spiritual hardening", inspired apparently by the methods and insights of the [[Urchagin]]. Those who flunked the course would be cashiered and their records stamped, in green ink, with the initials LMF ("lacking moral fibre") effectively rendering them unemployable upon their return to civilian life and denizenship. The motto of the training regime henceforth was that 'Faith and Endurance surpasses Might'. The hardening process began on the first day with trainees forced to line up in files of ten and, at a charge, bayonet a row of live pigs suspended from the rafters before them. Each file would train together, be rewarded together, and be punished together, they were solemnly warned, for the remainder of the three weeks. As an illustration of this the files where any member had baulked at bayoneting a live squealing animal would be denied food and sleep but would be instead assigned to punishment details for the entirety of the rest period while everyone else enjoyed pork stew and a good night's sleep. As first two weeks progressed the trainees were subjected to a barrage of assault courses, long forced marches along wilderness tracks, and competitions where the files were set against one-another to obtain dispensation vouchers for meat and alcohol or else merely to avoid bringing up the rear and being assigned to yet another punishment detail. The final week consisted of tutorials on living off the land, vehicle dismount drills, counter ambush drills, and close quarter combat practice against S.W.O.R.D. operatives dressed up as Laqi bandits. The concluding action of the week was a bunker clearance drill focusing on oblique angles of approach with use of stealth and concealment, forced entry with demolition charges, room to room clearance with gas grenades and thermite sticks followed by the gunning down of those still standing and the bayoneting of those prostrate on the ground. To add an extra dimension of realism each of the practice bunkers was held and defended by a detachment of community servants equipped with riot guns and cudgels, who had been promised their freedom if they successfully survived the drill. None did.<br />
<br />
At the conclusion of the three weeks each participant was given a weeks leave, a pint of grog from the academy canteen and an enamelled lapel badge featuring a blood-red hand held palm upwards.<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Raspur Pact]]</div>Thorgils tarjeissonhttps://micras.org/wiki/index.php?title=Naya_Island&diff=95018Naya Island2018-12-02T20:13:41Z<p>Thorgils tarjeisson: </p>
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<div>{{demesne |<br />
image_flag = |<br />
demesne = {{PAGENAME}} |<br />
status = Autonomous Territory|<br />
capital = Ely|<br />
largecity = |<br />
title = Prince |<br />
government = Theocracy|<br />
leader = Sergius Hergones|<br />
language = [[shire:Istvanistani|Common Demotic]]|<br />
religion = [[Bovinism]]|<br />
animal = Goat|<br />
motto = |<br />
}}<br />
<br />
<br />
(WiP)<br />
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[[Category:Natopia]][[Category:Corum]]</div>Thorgils tarjeisson