Sivastead

The settlement of Sivastead is a small, trans-dimensional Passasian city-state which exists on both Micras and on Earth.

History

Earth History

While Sivastead itself was not established until 2006, the history of settlement in the region can be traced back to as early as the 1880s, when the ancestors of the Make Passas Real Again Campaign Chairman settled here after moving to Texas from Tennessee, as so many did during the mid 19th century. The lands claimed by Sivastead were permanently occupied from the 1880s until the mid-1990s, when they were virtually abandoned as a result of a family tragedy. In 2020, more than 20 years after its virtual abandonment, the lands were re-claimed, and Sivastead formally established.

Government

Earth Government

On Earth, Sivastead is governed by the Chairman of the Make Passas Real Again Campaign, which seeks to revitalize the settlement after 20+ years of abandonment.

Micras Government

On Micras, Sivastead is governed by the Lord Duke of Sivastead, who oversees a cabinet of elected officials known as the Council of Sivastead.

Geography

On earth, the settlement of Sivastead is a 150 acre property located in central Texas, in the convergent zone between the state's coastal plains and hill country. The region consists primarily of grasslands which in recent years have been extensively colonized by invasive juniper, and mesquite. Groves of live oak are not uncommon in low-lying areas such as the two major waterways which flow through Sivastead, though most groves have been subsumed by juniper. In terms of landscape, the region's terrain varies between wooded lowlands, rich in fertile soil, and sandy, rocky, hills. At the peak of Summer - which on an average year can last for up to three months - the average temperature is 95.1 degrees fahrenheit, while at the peak of winter the average temperature is 35.6 degrees. Sivastead therefore enjoys a moderately warm to very hot and dry climate. Rainfall totals vary based on seasonal patterns, with some years being considerably drier than others. The region, with this said, receives an average of 32 inches of rain/year. In 2011, the region received a record-breaking 100+ days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, with no rainfall whatsoever for over 9 months. Such weather trends have reversed in recent years, such that the region has received more rainfall per year than on average.

Sivastead is divided into four distinct political zones which are marked by natural and man made boundaries included waterways and stone and barbed-wire fences. These political zones include the Homestead Zone, the Northern Zone, the Western Zone, and the Southern Zone. The Homestead Zone is Sivastead's permanently inhabited region - the entirety of Sivastead's population resides here. The Northern zone is the largest of all zones, though it is also the least explored and most under-utilized, owing to its rough, rocky terrain, and the extreme proliferation of juniper. The waterway known as Cactus River originates in the Northern zone and flows across Sivastead, emptying out directly to the south of the Southern Zone, which for its part is defined by its abundance of oak forests and its rich soil. The Western Zone - once a wide-open grassland now covered in juniper - is the only zone which does not directly border the Homestead Zone.

On Micras, the climate, terrain, and political division of Sivastead is similar to that of the settlement's earth counterpart. Micrasian Sivastead is, however, located in the Passasian Unincorporated Territory, to the south of the ancient city of Kingsland.

Transportation=

All of Sivastead's various zones are connected by a network of reasonably maintained major roads which can be traversed by car or truck, or on horseback. The zones are also connected by an expansive network of walking trails which were cleared as part of the Make Passas Real Again campaign.

Protected Areas

Notable protected areas in Sivastead include the Banshee Field, a vast portion of the western territory which is said to be haunted by a ruthless spirit which once terrorized travelers through the region, particularly those traveling to and from the school house which can be found just beyond the northern border. Other protected areas include Cactus River, the shallow, ephemeral waterway which runs directly north to south through the heart of Sivastead, and Hestia's Lot, Sivastead's spiritual epicenter.