Sovereign Confederation

	The Sovereign Confederation of Governorates
; Flag	; Coat of Arms
	Motto: Wield Power Without Abuse
	Anthem: Ode to Gold
Map versions	n/a
Capital	Underwall
Largest city	Avakair
Official language(s)	Praeta, Istvanistani, Wintergleamish, Suthric
Official religion(s)	Cortallian Cedrism, Suthra, and Boomism
Demonym	Sovereign (official), Sovo (informal)
- Adjective	Sovereign (official), Soveï (informal)
Government	Confederated Open-Anocracy
- Szodan of the Realm	Miþuï Custodianship
- Uvngætz	Tenia Zuderson
- Legislature	The Miþuï
Establishment	1671 AN Independence 1681 AN Admission into Elwynn 1703 AN Reorganized within the Benacian Union 1734 AN Document of Governance is amended through the Omnibus Reforms
Area	NA
Population	44,454,691 (1723 AN)
Active population	1
Currency	Benacian Sovereign
Calendar
Time zone(s)	CMT -7
Mains electricity
Driving side
Track gauge
National website
National forum
National animal	12-Pointed Buck
National food	Remembrance Borscht
National drink	Charred Wine
National tree	Ironwood
Abbreviation	SC or SCG (most common) ; CSN (FMF abbreviation)

The Sovereign Confederation of Governorates is a Realm of the Benacian Union, established in its current form in 1703 AN following its accession from the defunct Elwynnese state. Originally founded as an independent nation in 1671 AN under the direction of Ryker 001—a compu-mechanical copy of Ryker Everstone's consciousness—the Confederation was counted among the so-called vulture states of Benacia during the Kalirion Fracture.

The young nation struggled with financial instability and security concerns throughout the 1670s, leading to its annexation by Elwynn as an Autonomous Republic in 1681 AN. The catastrophic Scouring of 1698-1703 AN, which destroyed the capital at Kingsgate and the port city of Tephal through nuclear strikes, shattered what remained of Elwynnese authority. In 1703 AN, during the second session of the Congress of Chryse, the Sovereign Confederation secured recognition as a co-equal member realm within the newly formed Benacian Union.

Since accession, the Confederation has become deeply integrated with the Union's surveillance-industrial complex. By 1709 AN, the Miþuï—the Confederation's legislative chamber—acquired control of the Commission for the Panopticon, subjecting the realm's population to comprehensive surveillance in exchange for enhanced security and social benefits. Under the leadership of President Brugen Aldef (1703-1729 AN), the government pursued aggressive centralization while the Miþuï transformed from a purely legislative body into an increasingly powerful judicial institution. The entire governance structure was fundamentally reformed through the Omnibus amendments of 1734 AN, which codified the Miþuï's supremacy and established the Confederation's unique system of open anocracy.

History

Foundation and the Ryker OS Era (1671-1681)

The Sovereign Confederation emerged from the chaos of the Kalirion Fracture in 1671 AN, proclaimed by Ryker 001, a digital reconstruction of the late King Ryker Everstone's consciousness. Following Everstone's biological death, his most ambitious and financially extravagant projects collapsed, triggering a rapid economic implosion across the territories of old Goldshire. The financial house of cards that had precariously sustained the kingdom's mega-ventures toppled with impressive speed, leaving much of the populace disillusioned with the exceptionalism their late king had promised.

The early Confederation, officially titled the "Sovereign Confederation of Suthergold, Norestria, and Holwinn," controlled a truncated territory compared to the former Kingdom of Goldshire. Two territorial partitions foisted upon the national consciousness during this period further eroded public confidence. As government functions fell victim to mismanagement and corruption, a culture of apathy and stagnation spread across the populace.

The concept of governance by an artificial intelligence—the "decanting" of Everstone's cognitive functions into a simulated recreation of his neural pathways—proved difficult for authorities to explain and impossible for most citizens to comprehend. Public reaction ranged from mocking derision to outraged violence. The breakdown of the Ryker OS lineage dismantled the cult of personality that Everstone had brutally cultivated, leading to a crisis of legitimacy as the regime's claim to be the successor of Goldshire burned on the world stage.

As the years wore on, however, a wave of nostalgia for the rigid security under Everstonian law and order took hold, particularly in urban centers. This sentiment first manifested in Elsenar under the Iron Company, then suddenly erupted in Suthergold and the region surrounding Ketsire in Wintergleam under Doir Jen Mera, who proclaimed herself the daughter and voice of Ryker Everstone.

By 1681 AN, facing near-total financial collapse and growing security threats, the Sovereign Confederation forfeited its independence to Elwynn, becoming an Autonomous Republic. The Confederation ceded most of Holwinn to Ransenar as part of the arrangement, but gaining all it's northern claims on joinniig Elwynn.

The Elwynnese Period (1681-1698)

The arrangement with Elwynn gave the Confederation time and security to begin rebuilding trust in national institutions. Speaker Doir Jen Mera emerged as the de facto leader during this period, serving as spokeswoman and interlocutor between the bewildered populace and the Ryker OS. To soothe rural populations prone to viewing anything outside their limited experience as heretical, administrative authorities quietly shifted their rhetoric. Technical jargon regarding "operating systems" and "decanting" gave way to mystical language about the late King's "ascension" and "elevated consciousness." While never claiming full apotheosis, the regime increasingly associated the "Ever-Watching King" with Mors, Viviantia, and the Celestial Temple.

This period also saw the restoration and legitimization of the Assayers in 1675 AN under Speaker Doir's initiative. Though controversial given their role in the Goldshirean Civil War, the Assayers provided access to comprehensive banking systems that would prove crucial to the Confederation's future economic development.

The relative stability of the Elwynnese period allowed for modest economic recovery, though the Confederation remained financially troubled and dependent on the larger Elwynnese state.

The Scouring (1698-1703)

The Second Elwynnese Civil War brought catastrophe to the Sovereign Confederation. In what became known as the Scouring, antimatter weapon strikes obliterated Kingsgate and Tephal, two of the Confederation's oldest and largest cities. Millions of Sovereigns perished in the attacks and subsequent fallout. The capital at Kingsgate—which had served not only as the seat of government but as the cultural and educational center of the Sutherathasian people—was completely destroyed, leaving a devastated Exclusion Zone.

The nuclear attacks claimed the lives of key leadership including Speaker Doir Jen Mera, Johen Rinsley Brines, and Selardi Jen Daniyal. With no clear chain of command and the Ryker OS apparently non-functional, local bailiwick governments were left to fend for themselves. The breakdown in central authority, coupled with supply shortages from destroyed infrastructure and the loss of trading capacity on both the Elwynn River and eastern coast, pushed many communities to the brink of anarchy.

In the absence of functioning government, local officials collectively reinterpreted laws and references to the Ryker OS through mystical and religious lenses rather than attempting to navigate a mechanical bureaucracy that showed no signs of functioning. Religious organizations filled the power vacuum, catalyzing a modest Cedrist revival. The Cult of the Sacred Detonation in particular became stewards and de facto administrators of the most severely affected areas.

Though the Sovereign Confederation Autonomous Republic emerged as Pyrrhic victors from the war, the complete loss of Kingsgate and Tephal, the deaths of millions, and the collapse of government authority set the Confederation on an inevitable path away from the Elwynnese rump state.

Accession to the Benacian Union

In early 1702 AN, after nearly eight years of silent martial law, the Miþuï (previously a ceremonial representative council) had radio broadcasts resumed. The broadcasts sporadically announced a coming "Great Reversion" in which the Sovereign Confederation would be made whole through return to "the old ways". By the beginning of 1703 AN, it was announced that the Miþuï had been fully restored and had chosen a new Ænst Szonst to preside: Xander Jen Johannes, a politician who leaned into his history as a "conscientious-deserter" from republican forces.

A taskforce drawn from the Guild of Magisters-Carnifex, supported by four regiments of demobilized UDF and Elwynnese Landstorm veterans, was assembled in the third month of 1703 AN to locate the source of the broadcasts and bring Johannes to Chryse. There, he would confer with the High Presidium of the Benacian Union regarding the Sovereign Confederation's status.

During the second session of the Congress of Chryse in 1703 AN, Johannes successfully argued for the Confederation's admission as a co-equal member realm within the Benacian Union. The accession formalized the Confederation's separation from the moribund Elwynnese government and granted it full realm status within the emerging Union-State.

The Panopticon Reforms (1703-1729)

The first decade following accession was marked by aggressive institutional development under the leadership of Brugen Aldef, Speaker from Ketsire and leader of the dominant faction within the Miþuï. As the sole functioning institution of government, the Miþuï expanded its role far beyond its original legislative mandate.

In 1709 AN, the Miþuï acquired the office of Representative-Commissioner for the Panopticon, with Aldef assuming the position. This proved the pivotal moment in the Confederation's development. Aldef leveraged his dual role as Miþuï leader and Panopticon Commissioner to implement comprehensive surveillance across the realm, arguing that total transparency was necessary for effective governance and security.

By 1711 AN, work had begun on restoring the "Compufactory" that had created and maintained the Ryker OS, with the goal of resuming Sovereign chip-manufacturing capabilities. That same year, the Miþuï convened in special session to formally claim the powers of the vacant Szodan office for itself. This declaration of legislative supremacy, though controversial, faced little organized resistance given the absence of any alternative authority structure.

Aldef's administration pursued a campaign against remnants of Imperial-era nobility, confiscating assets from those who resisted integration into the new order. The proceeds from these confiscations were used to establish an annual basic income for Miþuï Speakers, further cementing the chamber's institutional independence.

Throughout the 1710s and 1720s, centralization accelerated. The Miþuï's relationship with the Panopticon deepened, creating what critics called a "surveillance-industrial complex" at the heart of Sovereign governance. The population accepted comprehensive monitoring in exchange for enhanced social benefits, personal freedoms for law-abiding subjects, and improved security.

Aldef's presidency became increasingly entrenched as the decade wore on, raising questions about the Confederation's adherence to Nationalist & Humanist principles. The Miþuï itself transformed during this period, evolving from a purely legislative chamber into an increasingly judicial body with growing influence over Union-level policy through its transparency agreements with the Congress of Chryse. In 1729 , however, Aldef resigned from the presidency, creating a succession crisis that would lead directly to the drafting of the Omnibus.

The Omnibus Reforms (1729-1734)

Following Aldef's resignation, the Confederation's governance structure underwent fundamental examination. The question of governmental obligations and their alignment with Nationalist & Humanist dogma dominated political discourse. The Miþuï, having wielded executive power for over two decades, needed formal constitutional grounding for its expanded role.

This period of reflection culminated in the comprehensive Omnibus reforms promulgated through Congressional Edict during the eighth session of the Congress of Chryse in 1734 AN. The Omnibus of the Documents of Governance codified the Confederation's unique system of "open anocracy"—a term describing the peculiar balance between total surveillance transparency and localized sovereign autonomy.

The reforms established four foundational documents defining territorial integrity, the four branches of state power (Miþuï, Staggusgæta, Gæta uis Korïaneï, and Szodanadtz), trial procedures under common law, and strict amendment protocols. The Omnibus enshrined the principle that the Confederation exists as a "partnership of sovereigns dedicated to Human Supremacy and Prosperity," rather than a traditional nation-state.

Crucially, the reforms formalized the Miþuï's supremacy, granting it the right to collectively wield any power of the Szodanadtz by majority vote. The office of Szodan itself was redefined as an emergency executive position, largely dormant except in crisis, with its powers held in trust by the Miþuï.

The Omnibus also established the rigid system of "Immutable Law" versus dynamic Congressional Edicts, allowing the constitutional framework to remain stable while permitting administrative adaptation through super-majority legislation.

Modern Period (1734-Present)

Since the Omnibus reforms, the Sovereign Confederation has operated under a stable, if unconventional, governmental system. The Miþuï continues to function as the supreme institution, conducting decennial "Class" elections under the Reformed Electoral Edict. These elections are managed through the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations, with individual Speakers sorted into the Ras Ufrus and Fænn party blocks through a ritualized "Draft" process to ensure legislative stability.

The Confederation's economy has diversified and grown, with the textile industry booming and major urban development in Doir, Underwall, and Avakair. The completion of the Sovereign Bureau building in 1729 AN and the Miþuï Building renovation that same year symbolized the institutional confidence of the modern state.

The relationship with the Panopticon remains central to Sovereign governance, with the realm continuing to subject its population to some of the most comprehensive surveillance regimes in the Benacian Union in exchange for social benefits and enhanced civil liberties for compliant subjects.

Government

The Sovereign Confederation of Governorates operates as a unique political entity within the Benacian Union, blending elements of legislative supremacy, surveillance-based governance, and distributed sovereignty. The political system centers around the Miþuï, the Confederation's legislative chamber, whose Speakers historically holds supreme authority and wields most executive and judicial powers collectively, alongside the Sovereign Szodan, during periods of unified government.

The most significant development in Sovereign governance occurred in 1709 when the Miþuï acquired the Commission for the Panopticon from the Congress of Chryse under the leadership of the Confederation's only president and first Uvngætz: Brugen Aldef. Aldef's reforms enhanced the Miþuï's judicial role and culminated in the 1711 Declaration that effectively granted the chamber the powers of the Sovereign Szodan. His administration's campaign against remnants of Imperial-era nobility led to widespread confiscation of assets from those resistant to reform; property from these confiscations are managed by Zælkrupp to provide base-income for Speakers.

The Confederation's model is distinguished by its integration with a comprehensive mass surveillance system operated through the Commission for the Panopticon and its enforcers in the Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels. This arrangement enables the state to maintain extensive oversight while simultaneously granting enhanced personal freedoms and socio-economic benefits to subjects who demonstrate consistent law-abiding behavior. Within the Confederation, the system represents an attempt to balance authoritarian surveillance capabilities with accountability through publicly transparent democratic processes. The longevity of its Commission is often attributed to its stewardship of the Corps which, as executors of a continent-spanning security/surveillance infrastructure, maintains a light touch in law-enforcement relative to local counterparts.

Historically, the Confederation evolved from the remnants of the autocracy of the last King of Goldshire and was influenced by Nationalist & Humanist principles in its infancy, following separation from Shireroth. An alliance between central-Wintergleam, western Suthergold, and short-lived Norestria (now the Governorate of Asantelian) persisted through various political upheavals, including antimatter weapon strikes and subsequent periods of martial law. Despite these challenges, federal elements remain integral to the Confederation's structure, with discretionary powers at the bailiwick and governorate levels leaving wide gaps between how any two systems would process justice for the same crime or uphold their laws.

The latest reforms, codified in the Omnibus of the Documents of Governance (1734), establish four branches of state power:

The Miþuï - Supreme legislative, executive, and judicial authority comprising Speakers elected from each bailiwick
The Staggusgæta - Executive council headed by the Uvngætz (appointed by the Szodanadtz and confirmed by the Miþuï) responsible for day-to-day administration
The Gæta uis Korïaneï - Advisory and policy council, also headed by the Uvngætz, that prepares directives and legislation
The Szodanadtz - Executive-judiciary under the authority of the Sovereign Szodan, which may be held in custodianship by the Miþuï

Subdivisions

Following its renovation in 1729, the Miþuï Building in Underwall increased its size nearly two times over.

Following independence and finalization of borders with neighboring states during the Fracture, the Sovereign Confederation reorganized itself into 38 bailiwicks along historic and ethno-cultural lines. These borders remained unchanged during the state's time as an Elwynnese Autonomous Republic. During the process of accession to the Benacian Union, depopulated or otherwise devastated bailiwicks were either folded into larger neighbors or designated as unfit for civilian residence. The remaining bailiwicks were organized into 10 Governorates, plus the Kingsgate and Tephal Exclusion Zones.

In its first 40 years, the Confederation's Governorships were often left vacant for fear of secession. This left bailiwicks to deal directly with the realm government, and slowly led to the rise of the Miþuï as the axiom of governance from its reforms of 1711 until the mid 1730s. In that time, most gubernatorial seats were filled through Miþuï elections among those Speakers representing the bailiwicks of the governorate in question. Their appointment is now delegated to the Szodan following a succession of proceedural and structural reforms since the adoption of the Omnibus.

**↑interactive map** Returns of the Benacian Censorate for the Sovereign Confederation, 1712 AN
Governorates	Circuit	Meritorious Subjects	Subjects Without Merit		Total
			Juveniles	Protected Persons
Capital	SG	1,765,356	1,140,074	-	2,905,430
Cortallia-Rathwood	SG	2,419,045	498,472	-	2,917,517
Everstone	SG	12,308	6,678	869,980	876,658
Sutherland	SG	1,002,109	349,709	53,327	1,405,145
South Temple	SG	934,152	339,680	86,348	1,360,180
Asantelian	SG	4,523,738	1,780,302	-	6,304,040
Ketshire	WG	2,139,560	657,479	360,023	3,157,062
Durow	WG	310,126	130,219	-	440,345
Norburg	WG	464,281	202,132	-	666,413
The Wintergleam	WG	1,420,129	781,427	-	2,201,556
Szodansdron	ED	2,237	734	46,551	49,522
Tephal	ED	4,201	26	20,042	24,269
Total		14,997,242	5,874,624	1,436,271	22,308,137

Returns of the Benacian Censorate for the Sovereign Confederation, 1723 AN
Governorates	Circuit	Meritorious Subjects	Subjects Without Merit		Total
			Juveniles	Protected Persons
Capital	S	2,886,127	1,586,649	-	4,472,776
Cortallia-Rathwood	S	2,659,093	668,472	-	3,327,565
Everstone	S	19,720	17,731	940,608	978,059
Sutherland	S	1,460,970	363,602	120,477	1,945,049
South Temple	S	1,194,282	422,349	74,581	1,691,212
Asantelian	S	5,256,991	1,776,226	-	7,033,217
Ketshire	W	4,275,134	1,124,512	59,674	5,399,646
Durow	W	510,421	242,718	-	753,139
Norburg	W	577,275	251,325	-	828,600
The Wintergleam	W	1,664,594	791,612	-	2,456,206
Szodansdron	ED	99,707	892	72,265	172,864
Tephal	ED	20,672	926	34,988	56,586
Total		20,624,986	7,247,014	1,302,593	29,114,919

Circuit Designations:

SG - Suthergold Alïuftrazd
WG - Wintergleam Hringaríki
ED - Exclusion Diocese

The substantial population growth between 1712 and 1723 AN—from approximately 22.3 million to 29.1 million subjects—reflects post-war recovery, immigration from other Benacian territories, and the reintegration of displaced populations following the stabilization of the Exclusion Zones.

The Omnibus and Other Law

The Omnibus of the Documents of Governance functions as the "Immutable Law" of the Confederation. Unlike statutory legislation, the Omnibus establishes the ontological status of the realm as a partnership of sovereigns dedicated to Human Supremacy and Prosperity. It is divided into four documents that define the territorial boundaries, the four branches of state power, the trial procedures of the common law, and the strict protocols for amendment. The Omnibus is designed for extreme durability; its provisions regarding the inviolability of territory and the "omnipresence" of the Panopticon form the moral and legal bedrock of Benacian civilization within the realm.

While the Omnibus defines the structure of the state, Congressional Edicts serve as the dynamic instruments of governance. These acts, passed by a 5:7 majority (65 votes) in the Miþuï, translate constitutional theory into administrative reality. The most significant example is the Reformed Electoral Edict, which manages the decennial "Class" elections. This edict regulates the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations' sponsorship of candidates, sets the market price for additional votes, and governs the "Draft" process—the ritualized assignment of individual Speakers into the Ras Ufrus and Fænn party blocks to ensure legislative stability.

The relationship between the Omnibus and the Edicts is one of hierarchy and delegation. The Omnibus provides the mandate for an institution to exist, while an Edict provides that institution with its specific instructions for a given decade. For example, Document Two of the Omnibus mandates that the Miþuï must hold elections; however, it is a Edict that creates the "Loser's Rebate" and the right to purchase votes. This allows the Staggusgæta to adapt the realm's political economy to shifting social or technological landscapes without needing to undergo the arduous process of amending the Omnibus.

Society

The Confederation's flat geography and location along the borderlands between the old Goldshirean and Elwynnese imperial states defines its modern blend of cultural identities and peculiar political philosophies. The entire region has been subjected to several periods of mass immigration, and yet in spite of these diverse demographics, there are some common threads shared by most Sovereigns which serve as stabilizing forces within the young confederation. Such traits include meritocratic ideals rooted in Elwynnese republican experiments of the 17th century in Wintergleam and Rykerist entrepreneurial populism in Suthergold. Also shared among Sovereigns is a deep-seated reverence for cultural integrity and preservation of fellow subjects' heritage, existing as an unspoken social contract of mutual respect and dignity. The Sovereign Confederation has been able to leverage these traditions of the previous century to forge a path of aggressively balanced cooperation between the realm's various immigrant populations, sponsored by philanthropic contributions from wealthy private and corporate donors.

Since the Commission for the Panopticon was granted to the Miþuï in 1709 AN, the total surrender of Sovereign privacy has been tolerated by the populace, as greater personal freedoms and certain socio-economic benefits are afforded to those observed displaying consistent law-abiding behavior.

Cultural Groups

The Sutherathasians

Making up the largest share of the Sovereign population even after the Scouring, the Sutherathasians are descended from central-Benacian clans first brought to Goldendown, and later Suthergold by Ryker following his ascension to the Countship in the early 1600s, where they settled along its western riverine shores. Owing to their varied origins, and the consistent and guiding patronage in early years from the County Government, the first sponsored settlements managed to spread eastward to the Halberd Coast over the course of just a few years. This rapid expansion and almost militant cultural xenophilia was bolstered by integration with the sparse Treesian-descended populace and directly led to Duke Merkayastreb's approval of the creation of Suthergold. The Praetan tongue was soon after adopted by the entire county's Sutherathasian populace, and continues as a commonly learned second-language across the Confederation. The second generation of settlers saw their numbers further bolstered by an influx of refugees from the political turmoil and violence across Shireroth, particularly Elwynn. Having experienced such a degree of favor from their patron in Kingsgate and grateful for their newfound prosperity, the Sutherathasians were fiercely loyal to the Everstone regime throughout its various iterations until the glaring and sustained failings of the RykerOS experiments. The Kalirion Fracture provided the disproportionately wealthy and more urbanized subjects within the territory of Suthergold the opportunity to go a separate path from the rest of Goldshire as a confederate union between Sutherathasians and Wintergleamers. The violent and total loss of Kingsgate, which had served not only as seat of their county government, but as the center of culture and learning for the Sutherathasian people, crippled their spirit until the end of the turn of the century and fueled the fires in the hearts of their outraged youth, who went on to reforge the confederation on equal footing with the other Sovereign peoples.

Sutherathasians are mostly concentrated around Cortallia-Rathwood, High Harvest, New Harbor, and Underwall.

The Wintergleamers

The Wintergleamers dominate every bailiwick in the territories within their circuit, save Dravotih iker, in which they are merely a plurality among the bailiwick's diverse population from across northern Benacia. They migrated to the western corner of their modern homeland from Storish hunting and trapping colonies in Araxion in the 15th century and then in a second wave to the eastern shores from the Storish mainland in the early 16th century. By the mid-1500s, the viking lords who reigned over these lands were exiled by the Golden Mango Throne for their hostile discrimination against non-Storish subjects, leaving the settlers to diverge on their own path of Nordic Benacian culture. During the tyrannical reign of the Harald Entity in the mid-17th century, an unprecedented deluge of Storo-Vanic migration threatened to supplant the diverse cultures and peoples of all northern Elwynn. Even the cultural similarities between Vanics and Wintergleamers did not shield them from forced indoctrination into the Haraldic Cult, nor their lands from uncompensated reappropriation. The Auspicious Occasion, though successful in halting this process of genocide, also divided Wintergleamers between the Elwynnese rump-state and the Kingdom of Goldshire as a means to oversee the de-colonization of those lands most affected by the generation of Vanic incursion. This division, though briefly rectified, resumed until 1681 AN, when the Sovereign Confederation assumed control over Wintergleam and integrated the Wintergleamers fully as an equal partner in government with the people of Suthergold.

The Asantele

The Asantele inhabit the eastern coast of the Suthergold circuit and form a majority of the population there outside of New Harbor. Tradition dictates that their origins trace back to ancient seamen of Raikoth, the Aphakian tribe in particular, who sought fertile pastures and warmer waters and were later bound to the land under the Khaz Modan. Their County of Asantelian existed within Goldshire until the beginning of the 17th century when it was formed into Suthergold through unification with Goldendown to the west. The hill country located just inland along the coast kept most Asantele on the water in tight-knit communities, though in their larger towns and cities, societies evolved into complicated webs of familial obligations, bonds, and political alliances. Nowhere are the products of this development more evident than Avakair, from where the Assayers originated and were often able to manipulate such entrenched systems of loyalty to gain considerable power and influence in the economic machinations of the Imperial Republic, Goldshire, and Suthergold. In the decades following the formation of the Sovereign Confederation, the Asantele have managed to form a united front and act as a power broker through the offices provided to legislators from within their uniquely structured governorate. The loss of Tephal to the Scouring severely damaged ancient canal infrastructure to the northern pastures of Asantelian, leading to a brief but sizeable migration of Asantele into Dravotih iker and New Harbor.

Smaller Groups

While the textile industry booms across the industrial cores of the Confederation, the ever-volatile fluctuation in prevailing styles usually leads to eclectic fusions of fashion.

The Holwinnese

The people of the Hol Winn are said to be the millennia-removed progeny of Raynor Me'Jiliad's daemon-slaying army and live along the Confederation's lands on the banks of the Elwynn's river basin. In the Everstone Governorate and Szodansdron alike, the Holwinnese population from the southern river shore had developed communities and neighborhoods just beyond the Kingsgate city limits to enjoy lower cost of living while being able to work in the city. After the Scouring leveled the old capital, these suburban communities found themselves a much larger proportion of Everstone's population, terminally lacking its beating metropolitan heart. The ensuing looting ensured most survivors a criminal record by the time local governance resumed. In lieu of the burden of debt from legal fines and other processing costs or imprisonment, most were allowed to offer their labor in rebuilding the agricultural output potential along the rivers serving individually determined "voluntary sentences".

The Feyneblwd

Descended from the indigenous peoples of eastern Benacia, the modern Feyneblwd now live predominantly along a strip of ancient pastoral land reaching from the city of Meath in Ransenar to the bailiwick of Lowchurch in the southern reaches of the Confederation. Within the borders of Lowchurch, they exist as the dominant cultural and political block from their small ancestral villages and parishes. Keen to preserve their humble way of life, they are often loathe to participate in Sovereign politics or economic ventures, with the limited exception of fostering a highly regulated bed and breakfast tourism industry. During the reign of Ryker, the Feyneblwd's lands were peppered with small subterranean bunkers as a means to fortify the open countryside, though their disuse eventually led to local Cedrist clergymen converting several of the larger installations into temples, from which South Temple and Lowchurch derive their Istvanistani names.

The Sutherlanders

The Sutherlanders were, until the early 1600s, a small collection of pastoral tribes who existed outside the purview of the various east-Benacian polities which nominally presided over them throughout the preceding millennium. This insulation was a product of their ancient nomadic traditions which rendered them so transient between Wintergleam and its southern border that neither Goldshire nor Elwynn recognized them as a distinct entity until the census of old Goldendown undertaken by Count Everstone. The County government came to model much of its own initial governing ideals on their novel customs and arranged their permanent settlement in their own city and (later on) governorate of Sutherland. It wasn't until the Sovereign Confederation took on its modern borders that all Sutherlanders were truly united under a single government. They are renowned for their reverence for cosmic fortune and civil justice inspired by the legend of their founding-mother, Cortallia. The oral traditions are passed through their Suthric tongue, which has been adopted by much of Sovereign Academia as a prestige language.

The Meridionales

In the tumultuous years following the Kalirion Fracture, much of the south-Goldshirean county of Lunaris came under hostile occupation by the Guttuli Protectorate. Under their criminal pariah regime, Lunatics and Octoluners were subjected to discriminatory legislation and eventually outright ethnic violence. Those who escaped north settled first in Gran Verionia, before the new Martino-speaking generation saw its lands overcome by Ransenar and the still-independent Sovereign Confederation, as they feared possible Northern Lunaris' invasion. Those who managed as far as the Confederation were given a reserve in the grassy fields and ancient Greenwinter Forests of the Eastwall Bailiwick. Over the next few decades, the novelty of these refugees, these "Meridionales", brought in a steady stream of wealthy Sovereign and Ransenari tourists alike, all too eager to spend their time and money enjoying and enriching the self-aware absurdity of Lunatic customs. In 1716 AN, the eight largest settled families among the Meridionales adopted the Vade Mecum to govern their own bailiwick's affairs. This informal but de facto charter was adopted in localized forms across much of the Confederation soon thereafter, granting this small but captivating people a level of cultural influence akin to that experienced by the Sutherlanders.

Government

The Sovereign Confederation of Governorates within the Benacian Union is a unique political entity that blends authoritarian governance with corporate democratic oversight. It is distinguished by its integration with a comprehensive mass surveillance system, enhancing both governance and security apparatuses. The Confederation's political structure centers around the powers of the Szodan, an executive position that remains mostly inactive except in dire circumstances, with its powers held by the Miþuï, the Confederation's legislative chamber. This body is crucial to the Confederation's operation, holding significant legislative and executive powers, including oversight of the Commission for the Panopticon's surveillance data. This arrangement bolsters the Confederation's ability to maintain oversight and implement social control measures, positioning it as a key player in the Benacian Union's security and policy framework.

The political system of the Confederation is designed to marry the efficiency of total state-surveillance with the accountability of publicly traded democratic processes. It achieves this through the Miþuï's authority to monitor or potentially dismiss the Szodan and through a structured regional administration that ensures consistent policy implementation across the Confederation. This governance model is notable for its strategic use of AI-powered surveillance to underpin internal security while adhering to a balance between central control and individualist governance ideals.

Historically, the Confederation evolved from a paternal-autocracy influenced by the legacy of the last King of Goldshire and Nationalist & Humanist principles following its separation from Shireroth. It sought to avoid the pitfalls of previous federal systems, forming from a coalition of Wintergleam, western Suthergold, and the briefly existing Norestria (now the Governorate of Asantelian). The alliance persisted through various political upheavals, including antimatter weapon strikes and a subsequent period of martial law, which further facilitated the adoption of N&H governance principles. Despite these challenges, federal elements remain integral to the Confederation's structure, with a focus on centering executive powers at the bailiwick level to ensure effective governance.

Significant developments in the Confederation's governance include the Miþuï's acquisition of the office for the Commissioner for the Panopticon in 1709, led by then-President, Brugen Aldef. Aldef's reforms aimed to enhance the Miþuï's judicial role, culminating in a declaration that effectively granted it the powers of the Sovereign Szodan. This move, along with Aldef's campaign against remnants of the Imperial-era nobility, led to the confiscation of assets from those resistant to reform; the proceeds from which now fund an annual basic income for Miþuï Speakers.

Reasons for Independence

1671: Shortly after the disappearance of King Ryker Everstone from public life and subsequent biological death, most of his financially exorbitant projects were either placed on hold or abandoned. The financial house of cards that had precariously supported itself against these heavily subsidized mega-ventures toppled over with impressive speed. The ensuing decay in order coupled with two territorial partitions foisted upon the national consciousness left much of Goldshire disillusioned with their own supposed exceptionalism touted by their old King and allowed for a culture of apathy and stagnation to spread rapidly though across the entire populace. As the years wore on, however, and still more functions of government fell subject to mismanagement and corruption, a sense of nostalgia for the more rigid days of a heavily armed Goldshire took hold of populations, particularly in urban centers. This wave of sentimentality for the days of security under Everstonian law and order first took hold in Elsenar under the Iron Company and later, very suddenly, in Suthergold and the region surrounding Ketsire in Wintergleam under one Doir Jen Mera, daughter and self-proclaimed voice of Ryker Everstone.

1703: Though the SC Autonomous Republic emerged as Pyrrhic victors of another Elwynnese war, the complete loss of two of its oldest cities and millions of Sovereigns to the Scouring and war at large placed the confederation on a path to exit the Elwynnese rump-state. In the Second Congress if Chryse, an ultimately successful case was made to the young Benacian Union to mandate the Sovereign Confederation's accession as a Realm. The Miþuï began its unique relationship with the Panopticon shortly thereafter, subjecting the Sovereign Confederation's populace to regiments of near total surveillance.