Ransenar
| Kingdom of Ransenar | |||
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| Motto: Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine. Under the shelter of each other, people survive. | |||
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| Map versions | Update 16.5.5, and later updates. | ||
| Capital | Goldfield | ||
| Largest city | Goldshire Hamlet, Teldrin | ||
| Official language(s) |
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| Official religion(s) | |||
| Demonym | Ransenari | ||
| - Adjective | Ransenari | ||
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | ||
| - King of Ransenar | Cosgrach I | ||
| - Lord Chief Steward | Eamon Brannigan | ||
| - Legislature | Ransenari Congress | ||
| Establishment | 1673 AN | ||
| Area | |||
| Population | ~130,000,000 (1752 AN est.) | ||
| Active population | List of active participants | ||
| Currency | Benacian sovereign | ||
| Calendar | |||
| Time zone(s) | |||
| Mains electricity | |||
| Driving side | right | ||
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| National animal | |||
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| National drink | |||
| National tree | |||
| Abbreviation | RAN | ||
The Kingdom of Ransenar is a constituent realm of the Benacian Union, located in eastern Benacia. It joined the Union in 1711 AN following the Treaty of Goldfield. The realm consists of seven counties bordering Shireroth to the west and south, the Sovereign Confederation to the northwest, and the Halberd Strait to the north and east. Since the Treaty of Lorsdam ended the Shiro-Benacian War in 1741 AN, Ransenar has served as the territorial link connecting the geographically separated portions of the Benacian Union, with the All-Union Benacian Railway Company routing continental rail traffic through Ransenari territory.
Ransenar functions as the Union's primary agricultural producer. Its farming and manufacturing sectors supply food and goods to Nouvelle Alexandrie, Natopia, Oportia, and other Raspur Pact nations. During the Shiro-Benacian War (1733 AN-1741 AN), Ransenari agricultural output sustained the Union's war effort while its industrial capacity contributed to military production.
The five largest cities are Goldshire Hamlet, Teldrin, Syrelwynn, Goldfield, and Airle. Goldfield serves as the capital. The judiciary, several government agencies, and the Bank of Ransenar are based in Goldshire Hamlet. The official languages are Istvanistani and Praeta. Alexandrian and Martino have local official status in Belmuliet, where a significant Alexandrian and Caputian population resides.
Modern Ransenar emerged in 1673 AN when it declared independence from Shireroth during the Kalirion Fracture. Before independence, Ransenar's counties formed the core of the Duchy of Goldshire, one of the two original Duchies of Shireroth alongside Brookshire. The Imperial Democratic Party, guided by the ideology of Aldricism, assumed governance during the Shirerithian state's collapse and proclaimed the Kingdom of Ransenar at Goldshire Hamlet.
The realm underwent constitutional transformation in 1706 AN when the Ransenari Congress severed the Crown from Queen Salome I and appointed Ruadh Aldric as King. The referendum of 1711 saw 57.8% of voters support integration with the Benacian Union, leading to the Treaty of Goldfield. King Ruadh I died in III.1752 AN after a 41-year reign. His son Cosgrach I succeeded him and now oversees constitutional revisions to align Ransenari law with the reformed Charter of the Benacian Union.
Etymology
The name "Ransenar" derives from the Rannish and Elsenari peoples, the region's inhabitants at the time of Treesian settlement on Benacia. These settlers established the counties of Ran and Elsenar, which became the territorial core of the state of Goldshire in Shireroth.
History
Pre-independence history
The counties of Ran and Elsenar were merged in 1606 AN by order of Duke of Goldshire Ryabin Merkayastreb. James M Brunswick II became the first Count of Ransenar in 1614 AN but was soon replaced by Janus Eadric Sr. Following the Neridian exodus in 1622 AN, Jonathan Ayreon-Kalirion was named Count by Duchess Kizzy in 1624 AN. The county became vacant upon Jonathan's death in 1629 AN.
Independence and the Kalirion Fracture (1673)
As Shirekeep's authority deteriorated throughout Shireroth, the Imperial Democratic Party's political network assumed control of the county of Ran and parts of Ynnraile and Lunaris. The IDP controlled areas where it maintained strong electoral support and local party organization. Sean O'Callaghan led the political machine alongside a group of Goldshirians that included Ruadh Aldric, brother of the late Steward Hartmut Aldric. The IDP commanded support from political interest groups, corps of supporters, and businesses. During the collapse of central authority, IDP-dominated institutions became the primary means of organization outside the criminal bands ravaging Goldshire.
The IDP maintained order while collecting Imperial taxes and emphasizing loyalty to the rightful Kaiseress Salome. As Shireroth unraveled and the Guttuli Protectorate and Iron Company expanded, the IDP called a series of Ransenari Congresses to organize a new Goldshirian state. The first Congress met in Goldfield, where delegates drafted and debated a Constitution for several months. Gridlock ensued as competing visions could not be reconciled. The second and third Congresses met in Goldshire Hamlet without conclusive results, though delegates agreed they wished to remain part of Shireroth.
The third session of the Ransenari Congress voted to proclaim the Kingdom of Ransenar in response to threats from the Guttuli Protectorate, the Iron Company, and the Revolutionary Army of Crisco. To reassure those favoring continued union with Shireroth, the infant Kaiseress Salome was proclaimed Queen but established as a powerless figurehead. A Lord High Steward would serve as head of government, selected by the popularly elected Ransenari Congress from the party commanding the most seats. In 1673 AN, the third Congress ratified the Constitution, inaugurated a Provisional Government, and established the Ransenari Armed Forces along with local militias and defense committees. The Congress also resolved that Ransenar would join the Raspur Pact, securing financial, military, and material support from the then-independent Sovereign Confederation, the Elwynnese Realm, and the Black Legions. Ransenar entered an agreement with the Black Legions guaranteeing security and garrison support in return for 20% of the harvest for twelve years and rights to establish anchorages and aerodromes within Ransenari territory.
Early independence (1673-1688)
The O'Callaghan Plan
Verionist Disaster in Elsenar
Chryse and the Amokolian War
After the Verionist evacuation of Chryse, the Verionists ceded the city to Batavia. When Batavian king Arkadius assumed all powers of the Batavian state under a clause in the Batavian constitution, he immediately ceded Chryse to West Amokolia, which then became the Frankish Empire. The Franks simultaneously threatened war with the Raspur Pact. The Ransenari government called this cession provocative.
Political instability and reform (1688-1711)
Economic difficulties
Severance of the Crown from Salome (1706)
Political instability and rising republican sentiment marked the early 1700s. The general election of 1706 saw the IDP win a slim majority. With support from the N&H and Buffalo Party, the IDP put forward constitutional reforms to address attacks from the Ransenari Liberation Party and the Coalition for Ransenari Progress.
The Ransenari Congress passed several acts transforming the monarchy. The Throne and Crown of Ransenar Act defined the Throne and Crown, established the Crown Jeweler's Office, and affirmed Congress's constitutional power to grant or remove the Throne. The act created the Throne Trust for crown property and the Royal Household. The Severance of the Throne Act formally severed the Throne and Crown from Queen Salome I and her descendants, dissolving the office of Lord Protector and merging its functions with the vacant throne.
Debate continued as Congress considered offering the Crown to Vadoma I of Western Natopia (who indicated acceptance pending confirmation), Francis Joseph IV of Alexandria (who declined), and Manco Capac I of Nouvelle Alexandrie (who also declined). No consensus candidate emerged, but widespread support coalesced around Ruadh Aldric, including from sections of the republican opposition. Aldric's candidacy received financial support from both the Benacian Union and Nouvelle Alexandrie. The Succession to the Throne Act granted the Throne and Crown to Ruadh Aldric, his heirs, and successors.
Accession to the Benacian Union (1711)
Continued political instability eroded public faith in democratic institutions while the republican tide waned. Support for joining the Benacian Union with autonomous powers grew steadily. The Ransenari Congress passed the Accession to the Benacian Union Resolution, declaring that "the official sense of the Congress is to initiate a process for Ransenar to join the Benacian Union no later than 1715 AN."
The general election of 1711 was fought over Ransenar's future, held as a snap election to coincide with the referendum. The N&H won an outright majority for the first time as the IDP stumbled and the Ransenari Liberation Party surged. The Agrarian Party and Buffalo Party lost ground.
The referendum offered ranked-choice voting with a 51% threshold for binding results. Support for joining the Benacian Union reached 57.8%. Becoming a republic received 20.6%, joining Western Natopia received 18.6%, and "none of the above" received 3%.
The Treaty of Goldfield was signed on 12.IX.1711 AN and ratified by the High Presidium of the Benacian Union on 24.IX.1711 AN. The Ransenari Congress ratified the treaty on 11.XI.1711 AN. The treaty entered into force on 24.XV.1711 AN, establishing Ransenar as a Realm of the Benacian Union. Under its terms, all Ransenari residents with citizenship rights were granted status as subjects possessed of merit. The treaty preserved the democratic characteristics of the Ransenari Congress for internal domestic arrangements and guaranteed the right of the Realm to withdraw from the Union following a majority vote of Congress.
The accession ceremony was held at the Goldfield Grand Crystal Hall at Calezi Central Park on 7-8.XII.1711 AN. Representatives included Daniyal ibn Daniyal, Szodan of Benacia; Zacharias Avon-El, President of the General Staff Council; and guests from Nouvelle Alexandrie, Western Natopia, Constancia, and the Raspur Pact.
Integration and consolidation (1711-1733)
Following accession, Ransenar integrated into the Benacian Union while preserving many of its democratic institutions. In 1714 AN, the government reorganized into a Civil Executive comprising a presidency and four commissions (Internal Affairs, Logistics, Treasury, and Public Instruction and Safety) to better align with the Charter of the Benacian Union. Most ministerial portfolios remained substantively unchanged despite the structural reform.
The realm developed its infrastructure during this period. The Goldfield Accord established negotiations with Elluenuueq for transportation corridors connecting the metropolitan regions of Eliria, Goldfield, and Chryse. Ransenar's agricultural sector expanded to supply both domestic Union needs and export markets in Raspur Pact nations.
The Shiro-Benacian War (1733-1741)
The Shiro-Benacian War began on 22.XI.1733 AN with the Ankh incident and ended with the Treaty of Lorsdam on 8.III.1741 AN. The conflict killed over 21 million people across both nations.
Nuclear exchange
On 23.XI.1733 AN, Kaiseress Salome ordered the detonation of a 350kt nuclear warhead over the Bailiwick of Babran in the Ardashirshahr metropolitan area. The strike killed approximately 599,300 subjects and injured 224,940 more. Ransenar participated in the Benacian response. From the Selmuliet Bastion in Ransenar and the Slomxala Arsenal in the Unified Governorates, dozens of missiles were launched against Shirerithian targets. The Benacian riposte struck Musica, devastating the city's dockyards and seaport. Additional missile launches from sites throughout the Governorate of Austland targeted Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces bases.
News of the nuclear attacks prompted panic among some Ransenari citizens. Reports indicated that tens of thousands attempted to obtain asylum in Nouvelle Alexandrie, fearing a repeat of The Scouring from forty years earlier. Local Benacian Union authorities blocked these emigration attempts.
Agricultural and industrial contributions
Throughout the war, Ransenar served as the Union's agricultural base. The realm's farming sector provided the agricultural surplus that sustained the Benacian Union Defence Force and civilian population while the Shirerithian naval blockade limited external trade. Ransenari industrial output contributed to military production, though the realm's primary contribution remained food supply.
Strategic importance
Shireroth's inability to extend military operations into Ransenar and the Sovereign Confederation influenced the decision to negotiate peace. The Treaty of Lorsdam noted that "the prospect of a military campaign into territories like Ransenar and the Sovereign Confederation where people would defend their homes to the death ultimately necessitated negotiations."
Post-war period (1741-present)
The Treaty of Lorsdam ended the war through territorial exchange. Elluenuueq was ceded to Shireroth, while the Guttuli and Sagittarius were ceded to the Benacian Union. This territorial adjustment split the Union geographically, with Ransenar now serving as the land corridor connecting the separated Union territories. The border between Ransenar and the former Elluenuueq (now Shirerithian Elwynn) remains guarded under the treaty terms. Restricted access is permitted, but tensions from the war persist. The border with the Sovereign Confederation, as an internal Union boundary, is unrestricted.
Ransenar's strategic importance increased after 1741 AN. The All-Union Benacian Railway Company routes continental rail traffic through Ransenari territory to link the separated Union territories. Economic reconstruction proceeded alongside infrastructure development.
Death of King Ruadh I
King Ruadh I died in III.1752 AN at approximately 98 years of age, ending a 41-year reign that encompassed accession to the Benacian Union, the Shiro-Benacian War, and post-war reconstruction. Cosgrach I succeeded his father. The new King appointed Eamon Brannigan as Lord Chief Steward.
The death of Zacharias Avon-El in V.1752 AN triggered the Eleventh Congress of Chryse, which passed the reformed Charter of the Benacian Union. The Ransenari government is revising its constitution to ensure compliance with the new Charter's requirements. The transitional provisions require Ransenar to establish executive selection processes within one year and submit its constitution to the Conservatory Senate within two years for conformity review. Passage is expected to proceed smoothly, as the compliance effort has provided an opportunity to implement efficiency and state capacity reforms.
Geography
Borders
Ransenar's borders have changed since the Treaty of Lorsdam in 1741 AN. To the northwest, Ransenar borders the Sovereign Confederation. As both are Realms of the Benacian Union, this is an internal boundary with unrestricted movement. To the west and southwest, Ransenar borders Shirerithian Elwynn (the former Elluenuueq, ceded to Shireroth under the Treaty of Lorsdam). This border is guarded, with restricted access permitted under the treaty terms. Tensions from the war persist, and the border represents the division between the Benacian Union and Shireroth. To the south, Ransenar borders Shireroth proper. To the north and east, Ransenar faces the Halberd Strait. Following the Treaty of Lorsdam, the Benacian Union gained the Guttuli with Far Guttuli given to Ransenar, leading to the Reunification of Lunaris.
Islands
Mountains and rivers
Climate
Fauna and flora
Along the White Elwynn, Ransenar is home to the fishing cat and the kalitoskolon. The hovercat, the traditional animal of Goldshire, formerly lived in the region but is now extinct.
Administrative divisions
Government and politics
Ransenar is a unitary state under a constitutional monarchy, operating as a Realm of the Benacian Union. The realm maintains a system of self-governance while adhering to the Charter of the Benacian Union and the Union Covenant. The Treaty of Goldfield granted all Ransenari residents meritorious subject status upon accession in 1711 AN and guaranteed preservation of the realm's democratic characteristics for internal domestic arrangements.
The realm functions as a managed democracy. Multiparty elections occur regularly, but the Imperial Democratic Party has won every general election since independence in 1673 AN. Political competition takes place primarily within the IDP, where internal factions compete for control of the party. Opposition parties exist and contest elections freely, though none has formed a government. The governing coalition of the IDP, Golden Order Party, and Agrarian Party of Ransenar controls approximately 80% of the Ransenari Congress.
Constitutional framework
The Charter of the Benacian Union (1752) establishes Ransenar as one of four constituent Realms and delineates the division of authority between Union and Realm governments. The Union exercises exclusive authority over foreign relations, treaties, war and peace, the armed forces, foreign and inter-Realm commerce, monetary and credit systems, the Commission for the Panopticon, surveillance, merit evaluation, the selectorate system, and federal nationality law. Ransenar may not legislate in these areas.
Ransenar retains exclusive authority over cultural autonomy, educational content for non-civic subjects, local economic development, internal governance, Realm judicial organization, administrative procedures, and Realm symbols and honors. The Union may not abrogate Ransenari acts in these areas except when such acts violate the Union Covenant, impair Union institutions, create inter-Realm conflicts, or threaten constitutional order as determined by two-thirds vote of the Conservatory Senate.
The Charter provides that Ransenar's Szodan is selected according to internal constitutional processes. The First Consul may refuse confirmation only for Union Covenant violation, heresy, criminal conviction, foreign allegiance, or Conservatory Senate determination of constitutional threat. No First Consul has refused confirmation of a Ransenari Szodan.
The Ransenari government began revising its constitution following the Charter's ratification in 1752 AN. The transitional provisions require Ransenar to establish executive selection processes within one year and submit its constitution to the Conservatory Senate within two years for conformity review. The revision process has provided an opportunity to modernize administrative procedures and formalize arrangements governing the relationship between Realm institutions and Union agencies operating within Ransenari territory. The Ransenari Congress expects to ratify the Constitution of Ransenar (1752) before year's end.
The monarchy
The Ransenari monarch serves as head of state domestically and as Szodan of the Realm within the Benacian Union. Cosgrach I of the House of Aldric succeeded his father Ruadh I in III.1752 AN following the latter's death at approximately 98 years of age. The heir apparent is Prince Hartmut, Crown Prince of Ransenar and Prince of Elsenar.
The King holds the title of President of the Civil Executive but takes little direct part in governance. Royal duties are ceremonial and representational, limited to non-partisan functions under the terms of accession to the Benacian Union. The monarch opens sessions of the Ransenari Congress, formally appoints the Lord Chief Steward and ministers, receives ambassadors, and represents the realm's historical connection to the former Imperial Republic of Shireroth. The King may dissolve Congress on the advice of the Lord Chief Steward or following a failed confidence vote but may not refuse dissolution when constitutionally required.
The Civil Executive
The Lord Chief Steward of Ransenar heads the government as Vice President of the Civil Executive. The position is held by the leader of the political party or coalition commanding a majority in the Ransenari Congress. Eamon Brannigan, a member of the Imperial Democratic Party's O'Callaghan school and distant relative of founding Lord High Steward Sean O'Callaghan, was appointed following Cosgrach I's accession in 1752 AN. Brannigan served in the Ransenari Grouping of Forces during the Streïur uis Fairen and rose through party ranks as a popular figure associated with the dominant faction.
The Civil Executive comprises a presidency and four commissions, a structure adopted in 1714 AN to align with the Charter of the Benacian Union. Each commission oversees a portfolio of ministries. The Commissioner heading each body holds a cabinet seat and coordinates the work of subordinate ministers. Coalition partners receive portfolios according to negotiated agreements; the Agrarian Party of Ransenar traditionally holds logistics-related positions while the Golden Order Party holds the Commission for Public Instruction and Safety.
| Office | Office Holder | Political Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presidency of the Civil Executive | |||
| King of Ransenar, Szodan of the Realm & President of the Civil Executive | Cosgrach I | House of Aldric | 1752 AN |
| Lord Chief Steward, President of the Realm's General Staff & Vice President of the Civil Executive | Eamon Brannigan | Imperial Democratic Party (O'Callaghan) | 1752 AN |
| Commission for Internal Affairs | |||
| Commissioner for Internal Affairs & Minister of State | Roderic Teigh | Imperial Democratic Party (Aldric) | 1747 AN |
| Deputy Commissioner for Internal Affairs & Minister of Benacian Affairs | Fionnuala Brennan | Imperial Democratic Party (O'Callaghan) | 1752 AN |
| Commission for Logistics | |||
| Minister of Public Works and Construction | Declan Morrissey | Imperial Democratic Party (Mercantile) | 1752 AN |
| Minister of Transportation and Communications | Thomas O'Neill | Agrarian Party of Ransenar | 1747 AN |
| Minister of Social Solidarity and National Welfare | Jonathan Pride | Agrarian Party of Ransenar | 1747 AN |
| Minister of Health and Sanitation | Susanna Clarke | Imperial Democratic Party (O'Callaghan) | 1747 AN |
| Minister of Breweries and Tourism | Henry Calhoun | Agrarian Party of Ransenar | 1747 AN |
| Commission of the Treasury | |||
| Commissioner of the Treasury & Minister of Finance | Shaun Maguire | Imperial Democratic Party (Mercantile) | 1752 AN |
| Deputy Commissioner of the Treasury & Minister of Trade | Niamh Carrick | Imperial Democratic Party (O'Callaghan) | 1752 AN |
| Commission for Public Instruction and Safety | |||
| Commissioner for Public Instruction and Safety & Minister of Security | Waldemar Ulbricht | Golden Order Party | 1747 AN |
| Deputy Commissioner for Public Instruction and Safety & Minister of Justice | Claire Ballymagorry | Agrarian Party of Ransenar | 1747 AN |
| Minister of Education and Technology | Cormac Doyle | Imperial Democratic Party (O'Callaghan) | 1752 AN |
| Minister of Culture and Religion | Ralph Little | Imperial Democratic Party (Aldric) | 1747 AN |
The Ransenari Congress
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Imperial Democratic Party | 184 |
| Agrarian Party of Ransenar | 38 |
| Golden Order Party | 32 |
| Coalition for Ransenari Progress | 13 |
| Ransenari Liberation Party | 10 |
| Independents | 40 |
| Total | 317 |
The Ransenari Congress is a unicameral legislature of 317 representatives elected by plurality in single-member districts. General elections occur at least every five years. The King may dissolve Congress earlier on the advice of the Lord Chief Steward or following a failed confidence vote. An independent Constituency Design Commission draws electoral district boundaries, though commissioners are appointed by the sitting government.
The franchise extends to all meritorious subjects of Ransenar who have reached the age of majority. This arrangement predates accession to the Benacian Union and was preserved as a protected democratic characteristic under the Treaty of Goldfield. The franchise threshold is more permissive than the Union standard, which requires a Civic Trust Score of 450 or higher for political participation. Because the Treaty granted all Ransenari residents meritorious status upon accession, the realm maintains what amounts to universal adult suffrage for Realm elections while participation in Union-level selectorate processes follows Charter requirements.
The current Congress reflects the governing coalition's dominant position. The Imperial Democratic Party holds 184 seats, the Agrarian Party of Ransenar holds 38 seats, and the Golden Order Party holds 32 seats, giving the coalition 254 of 317 seats. The Coalition for Ransenari Progress holds 13 seats, the Ransenari Liberation Party holds 10 seats, and independents hold 40 seats. Most independents vote with the government on confidence matters.
Civic Trust Score system
The Commission for the Panopticon calculates a Civic Trust Score for every subject in the Benacian Union, including all residents of Ransenar. Scores range from 0 to 1000 and reflect the Panopticon's assessment of compliance, productivity, and loyalty based on data collected through the Digital Yoke system.
The Treaty of Goldfield's protection of democratic characteristics means scores do not determine voting eligibility for Ransenari Congress elections. All meritorious subjects may vote regardless of score. The score's influence operates through other channels.
A subject with a score below 400 will struggle to find government employment, obtain business licenses, or enroll children in competitive university programs. Scores below 350 may trigger movement restrictions or disqualification from credit. Conversely, scores above 600 open doors to senior civil service positions, preferential housing allocation, and expedited foreign travel permissions. The Goldfield Bourse requires member firms to maintain average employee scores above 500. Guild membership, government contracts, professional advancement, all of these things directly correlate with the number the Panopticon assigns.
The system does not formally restrict the franchise, it does not need to. A subject who joins an opposition party, criticizes Union institutions, or associates with monitored individuals will see the score decline. The consequences accumulate: a rejected job application, a loan denied, a child's university admission delayed. Most subjects understand these dynamics without explicit instruction. Political activity supporting the governing coalition, participation in approved civic organizations, and visible conformity all contribute positively. Self-censorship follows.
Political parties
Ransenar operates as a managed democracy. Multiparty elections occur, but the Imperial Democratic Party consistently wins majorities or supermajorities. The governing coalition of the IDP, Golden Order Party, and Agrarian Party of Ransenar controls 254 seats, approximately 80% of Congress. Most independents vote with the government on confidence matters.
Imperial Democratic Party
The IDP has governed Ransenar since independence. The party previously served as one of the largest in the Folksraad and Adelsraad of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth and considers itself the heir of Aldricism, the ideology derived from Hartmut Aldric's positions during his service as Steward of Shireroth.
The four schools all compete within the IDP for control of the party and thus, control of the government and key positions. The O'Callaghan school has historically dominated. Named for founding Lord High Steward Sean O'Callaghan, it combines Aldricism with Humanism in a populist, pragmatic, and technocratic program advocating an efficient command economy with communal elements. Lord Chief Steward Eamon Brannigan leads this faction. The Aldric school represents conservative and monarchist tendencies with ties to old Goldshirian nobility, drawing support from rural counties and aristocratic families. The Unionist school takes a harder-line Humanist position, advocating closer integration with Benacian Union institutions. Former members of the Nationalist & Humanist Party joined this school after their party's electoral decline, and its influence remains strongest among security establishment figures. The Mercantile school favors expanded market mechanisms within the command economy framework and draws support from the Goldfield Bourse, the banking sector, and export industries.
Internal party elections determine school influence over candidate selection, policy platforms, and leadership positions. Ambitious politicians compete within the IDP rather than against it. The arrangement provides genuine policy debate and leadership turnover while ensuring continued IDP governance.
Coalition partners
The Golden Order Party and Agrarian Party of Ransenar serve as junior coalition partners, receiving cabinet portfolios in exchange for parliamentary support. The Golden Order Party is Humanist-aligned and provides ideological support on security and religious matters. It has held the Commission for Public Instruction and Safety portfolio in successive governments. Its voters are concentrated in urban areas with strong Humanist traditions.
The Agrarian Party of Ransenar represents rural interests, farmers, and the agricultural sector. The party is not ideologically aligned with the IDP but cooperates pragmatically. It typically receives portfolios related to logistics and rural affairs. Its base lies in agricultural counties where farming families have supported the party across generations.
Opposition
Several minor parties contest elections without realistic prospects of forming a government. The Coalition for Ransenari Progress once placed second in the 1703 AN election but split over the Benacian Union accession question in 1711 AN. Pro-Union members joined the IDP while others drifted to the Agrarians. The party survives as a centrist grouping without a clear ideological program, drawing support from voters dissatisfied with the IDP who reject the alternatives.
The Ransenari Liberation Party is the remnant of the republican movement that peaked during the constitutional debates of 1706 AN-1711 AN. Support collapsed after the referendum endorsed accession to the Benacian Union. The party serves as a protest vote for those opposed to IDP dominance or Union membership. The Ransenari Security Service monitors party activities and membership, and some members have faced Civic Trust Score reductions for their involvement. The party has no realistic path to power.
The Buffalo Party, a regional party representing traditional Goldshirian identity, dissolved around 1725 AN after steady electoral decline. Its membership was absorbed into the Agrarian Party.
Security and surveillance
The Commission for the Panopticon operates throughout Ransenar as it does in all Realms of the Benacian Union. The difference lies in visibility. In the Unified Governorates, Panopticon presence is overt. In Ransenar, the apparatus is woven into the ordinary fabric of life.
The Digital Yoke was introduced gradually after accession. Biometric chips embedded in subjects' spinal columns collect physiological and locational data, synced nightly to Panopticon data vaults. Most Ransenari received implants during mass enrollment in the years following 1711 AN. Children born since receive them at birth. The technology is rarely discussed. It simply exists.
The Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels maintains commanderies in every bailiwick but keeps a low profile. Officers wear civilian dress during routine duties and appear in uniform primarily for ceremonies or emergencies. The Worshipful Guild of the Sacred Carnifices stations magisters throughout the realm, though tribunals occur in designated facilities rather than public squares. The goal is deterrence through uncertainty rather than spectacle.
The Ransenari Security Service predates accession and continues under Realm authority, coordinating with the Panopticon through protocols established in 1712 AN. The Service maintains informant networks in workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and civic organizations. Recruitment occurs through ideology, money, and leverage. Estimates suggest one active informant per 50 to 100 adults in urban areas. Rural density is lower but coverage remains extensive.
Those who attract attention rarely face arrest. Consequences arrive through administrative channels: a Civic Trust Score decline, an employment difficulty, a loan rejection, social isolation as neighbors grow cautious. Overt repression is reserved for organized resistance or direct challenges to Union authority. For most subjects, the knowledge that they are observed is sufficient.
Law and criminal justice
Ransenar maintains its own judicial system under the Realm competency for internal governance. Courts handle civil matters, commercial disputes, and criminal cases not touching Union jurisdiction. The Ransenari Supreme Court sits in Goldshire Hamlet and serves as the court of final appeal for Realm law questions.
Matters involving Union law, the Union Covenant, or security concerns fall under Union jurisdiction. The Worshipful Guild of the Sacred Carnifices exercises authority over heresy, subversion, and corruption cases. The Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels may detain subjects under Union authority without reference to Realm courts. Appeals in such cases proceed through Union channels to the Conservatory Senate rather than Ransenari appellate courts.
Defence and security
The military of Ransenar was incorporated into the Benacian Union Defence Force as the Ransenari Grouping of Forces following accession. The Benacian Union holds exclusive authority over military affairs under the Charter. Ransenari formations serve under Benacia Command and deploy according to Union strategic requirements.
The Public Forces of Ransenar serve as a territorial militia supporting regular forces. The Public Forces are organized at the county level and train periodically for civil defense and emergency response. Command authority rests with the Civil Executive of Ransenar for internal security purposes but transfers to Union command in wartime or declared emergencies.
The Ransenari Security Service handles domestic intelligence and counterintelligence under Realm authority, coordinating with the Commission for the Panopticon as described above.
Law and criminal justice
Economy
Ransenar operates within the Benacian Union's command market economy, with the Union's Commission for the Sacred Treasury exercising oversight while permitting substantial market mechanisms. The realm's economy centers on agriculture, manufacturing, and financial services.
Agriculture
Ransenar serves as the Benacian Union's primary agricultural producer. The realm's farming sector supplies food to Union territories and exports to Raspur Pact nations. During the Shiro-Benacian War, Ransenari agriculture sustained the Union's war effort when the Shirerithian naval blockade limited external supply.
Banking and financial services
Goldfield Bourse
Transportation
Ransenar's strategic position as the territorial link between separated Union territories has increased the importance of its transportation infrastructure since 1741 AN. The All-Union Benacian Railway Company routes continental rail traffic through Ransenari territory. The Lune Road was established in accordance with treaty.
Tourism
Demographics
The population of Ransenar is approximately 130 million as of 1752 AN.
Urbanization
Ransenar is highly urbanized with large rural areas. Core urban areas include the Goldfield-Goldshire Hamlet region, Elwynnopolis (the cities along the Elwynn river including Tyrelwynn and Teldrin), and Demonsfall. Goldfield, a planned capital still under construction, is the fastest-growing city.
Peoples
Minority groups
Immigration
Increased immigration pressure from the Scouring led to establishment of refugee camps in the Syrelwynn and Holwinn border counties. Private individuals, donations, and international humanitarian organizations initially supported these camps. Concern prompted establishment of the Ransenar Refugee Council in 1695 AN, patterned after the Caputian Humanitarian Council.
Languages
Praeta and Istvanistani are the official languages. Alexandrian and Martino have local official status in Belmuliet. Several other local and regional languages are protected under Ransenari law.
Religion
Major religions include Cedrism, Folk Mysticism, Suthra, Zurvanism, and Nazarene traditions.
Culture
Literature
Theater
Cinema
Music and dance
Fashion
Cuisine
Sport
Public holidays and festivals
Education
Primary education
Secondary education
Higher education
Health
National Health Administration
Carrillo National Health System
See also
- Kalirion Fracture
- Timeline of Modern Benacia
- Shireroth
- Vulture States
- Treaty of Goldfield
- Accession of Ransenar to the Benacian Union
- Streïur uis Fairen
- Treaty of Lorsdam
- Charter of the Benacian Union (1752)
- Benacian Union
List of participants
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