Sovereign Confederation

The Sovereign Confederation of Governorates
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Fortune Guides Us
Anthem: Ode to Gold
Map versions	n/a
Capital	Underwall
Largest city	Cortallia-Rathwood
Official language(s)	Praeta, Istvanistani, Wintergleamish, Suthric
Official religion(s)	Reversionism, Cortallian Cedrism, Gnostic Cedrism
Demonym	Sovereign (official), Sovo (informal)
- Adjective	Sovereign (official), Sovi (informal)
Government	One-Party Humanist Confederation
- Szodan of the Realm	The Miþuï
- President of the Realm’s General Staff	Brugen Aldef
- Legislature	The Miþuï
Establishment	Independence 1671 AN Admission into Elwynn 1681 AN Reorganized within the Benacian Union 1703 AN
Area	NA
Population	22,124,367
Active population	1
Currency	Benacian Sovereign
Calendar
Time zone(s)	CMT -7
Mains electricity
Driving side
Track gauge
National website
National forum
National animal	Barn Owl
National food	Ration Porridge
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. Founded in its current form under the direction of Ryker 001 (a compu-mechanical copy of Ryker Everstone's mortal consciousness), as an independent state in 1671, the "Sovereign Confederation of Suthergold, Norestria, and Holwinn" was counted among the so-called vulture states of Benacia during the Kalirion Fracture. Following a decade of financial troubles and growing concerns for national security, the Sovereign Confederation forfeited its independence to Elwynn and was annexed as an Autonomous Republic in 1681, losing Holwinn. The error-ridden reign brought about by the Ryker OS lineage broke down the cult which Everstone had brutally cultivated for himself, leading to even greater hardship as his old fiefdom's idea of being Goldshirean eventually burned on the world stage. In the years following the Scouring, which leveled the Confederation's original capital in Kingsgate and the port city of Tephal, the anarchy that fell over Elwynn and what remained of her Autonomous Republics left those Sovereigns who had weathered that time of death and uncertainty with a deep sense of bitterness toward what was by-then the defunct Elwynnese Republican government. This build-up of national resentment culminated in the mysterious rise of one Xander Jen Johannes, a deserter from the Republican forces who, through what remained of the Miþuï (the Confederation's legislative chamber) maneuvered to be elected as their first Representative to the Congress of Chryse with a mandate to secure its independence from the still-moribund collaboration government placed in charge of the Greater Elwynnese State. In 1703, during the second session of the Congress, The Sovereign Confederation was recognized as a co-equal member realm within the Benacian Union, which formally united into a single union-state during the same session.

Government

From its inception, the government was a thinly veiled paternal-autocracy through it's decade of independence and years as an Autonomous Republic, modeled off an old Natopian programming system of robocracy. In the radioactive aftermath of the Scouring, the already fragile state of the region's electrical grid and communications systems rendered such novel governmental foundations unreliable at best and nonexistent at worst. The Sovereign Confederation of Governorates aligned itself with the more traditional practices of fellow Nationalist & Humanist governments of the Benacian Union following its cession from Elwynn.

The government of the Sovereign Confederation was formed with aspirations to allow a federal system without falling into the same quagmires as the Federal Era of Shireroth. This began as a partnership between the governments of Wintergleam, western Suthergold and a loosely defined coastal government which briefly existed as "Norestria" before being reabsorbed into Suthergold. The axis of Wintergleam-Suthergold remained in place during the years of independence and Elwynnese rule up to the initiation of nuclear strikes which wiped out Kingsgate, Tephal, and seriously impacted the confluence of the Kingsweep tributary. This unprecedented logistical disruption and the chaotic years of regional martial law in the name of national order and security laid the groundwork for key N&H principles of government to fill the voids left by the legacy of the Second Elwynnese Civil War. As a realm within the Benacian Union, federal elements remain core to the inner machinations of Sovereign government, though a balance of powers vested in executive offices has largely supplanted the originally conceived balance of regional power between confederated territories.

In 1709, the Miþui, as a legislative body, was granted the Commissionership for the Panopticon of the Benacian Union. Speaker ( and later Representative-Comissioner) Brugen Aldef lead a movement to reform the chamber to serve in a more judicial capacity in this new role. As the largely ceremonial body granted itself mounting powers with a still-vacant Szodanship, Aldef declared during a session that "The Miþui is the Everstone"; which would effectively grant the Miþui the powers of the Sovereign Szodan. His increasing popularity as a uniting figure and actions to uphold the Council of Negrixnaht came to a head when, in 1710, he lead a vast infiltration campaign against the wealthiest landowners in the Confederation. The findings that emerged was damning to a large swath of Sovereign elite who had yet to adopt the new ways. Their punishment, as decided by the Miþui, was confiscation of either lands or citizenship. The proceeds from the development and occasional sale of these acquisitions have allowed for a basic income to be allotted annually among the Speakers of the Miþui.

Reasons for Independence

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.

Subdivisions

Following it's 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; the borders of which remained unchanged during the state's time as an Elwynnese Autonomous Republic. Later, during the process of it's ascension to the Benacian Union, depopulated or otherwise devastated bailiwicks were either folded into larger neighbors or designated as unfit for civilian residence, as those remaining 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, and slowly led to the rise of the Mithui as a legitimate tool of government. Following the Panopticon reforms of 1711, Governors are filled in Mithui elections among those Speakers representing the bailiwicks of the governorate in question.

Economy

The first four decades of the Confederation's economic history is marred by stagnation and a litany of political corruption scandals which culminated in the dismantling of the Ryker OS system. In it's place, the Miþui de facto declared itself to wield the powers of Szodan and managed the assets confiscated from guilty parties in the many trails brought before the chamber.

Military

Screen-grab from a propaganda video expounding upon the doctrine and methodology of the SLDD (circa 1671 AN). The actual level of attainment on the part of the organization may at present fall some way short of this ideal.

Poster from a recruitment campaign to bolster the SLDD following the incorporation of Holwinn and occupation of Stonetree (circa 1674 AN).

Founded as the Sovereign League of Defense and Deterrence, a successor to the Defender's League of Suthergold, the Sovereign Defence Force (SDF) envisaged as itself relying heavily upon personal jet propulsion devices and a growing number of autonomous converted armour divisions coordinated remotely by the OS. For the present it remains a self-defence force operating with surplus equipment inherited from the local and imperial garrisons in the area now under its control. By pledging its continued allegiance to the Raspur Pact the Sovereign Confederation benefits from being able to draw upon the resources and personnel of allied forces on the continent.

After being somewhat nonplussed by the SLDD's predilection for short range tactical jet packs and distinctly iffy about the idea of a sentient algorithm constructed from the disintegrating consciousness of a dead sovereign, Benacia Command at last felt that it had discovered a niche into which SLDD fighters could be safely incorporated without occasioning too much mayhem on the allied-side of the lines. In 1677 a cohort of jet-packed equipped volunteers, rechristened as "Shock-Troopers" for the occasion, were dispatched by the Speaker as a gift to her daughter. These, after a demonstration and flypast staged before Selardi and the Ransenari court at Goldfield, were attached to the Uihmanz Lunaris tasked with enforcing the quarantine against the Guttuli Protectorate.

Based on the experiences of this detachment, the SLDD was reorganized into the SDF in 1678, leveraging the the knowledge thus acquired to develop a force-wide specialisation in air-land warfare. As such the SDF's primary contribution to the allied forces of the Pact is the First Airborne Army.

The First Airborne Army comprised of the 1st Airborne Corps (6th Air-Landing Division & 7th Parachute Division) and the 6th Airmobile Corps (11th Airborne Division & the Special Service Commando Group), supported by the Troop Carrier Command - a collection of air transport assets specialising in the support of air-landing and air resupply missions.

The divisions of the First Airborne Army comprise of regiments trained for light infantry operations, the differentiation between them being the mode by which they are conveyed into battle - the 6th Air-Landing Division consisting of glider-borne troops, the 7th Parachute Division being as the name suggests formed of parachutists, whilst the 11th Airborne Division specialised in helicopter-borne air assault operations. The Special Service Commando Group meanwhile inherited the "shocktrooper" traditions of the SLDD by continuing with the use of jet-packs for individual battlefield manoeuvrability and specialist missions.

In addition to the units contributed to the allied forces in theatre, the SDF also maintains a combined arms corps formed of three territorial defence divisions, an area defence division (specialising in ground based air defence), and an armoured brigade consisting of eight tank regiments, for the purpose of home defence.

For the purposes of force sustainment the SDF also maintains the Logistics Command Establishment at Cortallia-Rathwood and Training Command Establishment at Underwall under the auspices of the General Inspectorate of Benacia Command.

The traditions of the SLDD were further carried over into the Benacian Union Defence Force with the 41st and 42nd Arméfördelningen (Army Divisions) which recruit amongst the native population of Wintergleam.

Culture & History

The leadership of the young Sovereign Confederation originally tried to portray the state as the true successor to the Kingdom of Goldhire and protector of its former dominion and citizens. The legacy of Ryker's time as Count, Duke, and King over the region gave Speaker Jen Mera a worthy claim and base of support among the people. The restoration and legitimization of the Assayers in Norestria began as a controversial move, though was eventually considered a formality by those living in the new Confederation. The population of the region of Wintergleam surrounding Ketsire gave a mixed reception to the southern-based government but it has maintained a largely popular image in Ketsire itself, where companies such as Ketek were once again employing large portions of the working class. This in addition to public initiatives to incorporate ethnically Wintergleamish parts of Suthergold led to a substantial uptick in support for Kingsgate. Holwinn, long a region ruled over from a distance, was briefly given a more traditional autocratic and feudal structure of governance before its cession to Ransenar.

It might be said, with some degree of justification, that the "decanting" of an electronic facsimile of the the dead King's cognitive function into a simulated recreation of the late sovereign's synapses, neural pathways, along with the electrochemical activity that animated the same, is a concept that has proven difficult for the authorities to explain and far harder for the average folk of the former-Goldshire to readily comprehend. With reactions, outside of the cognitive elite who fancy themselves as understanding the nuances of the situation far better than they actually do, reactions to the digitized sovereign amongst lay folk has ranged from mocking derision to outraged violence, sometimes running the full gamut in the course of a single conversation. It was fortunate that the Elwynnese aggression occurred when it did or else the Goldshirian and Suthergolder population of the territories claimed by the Sovereign Confederation might have been united against the government rather than in support of it. As it was, hatred and revulsion felt at the perfidy of the Elw trumped the hatred and revulsion felt at the desecration of the late King's memory by his "cyberisation".

As the conflict with Elwynn reached its awkward, Raspur Pact brokered, conclusion, it became apparent to the government of the Sovereign Confederation that the people, to say nothing of the business community and thoroughly befuddled diplomatic corps, required the reassurance of a human interlocutor with sufficient authority to speak on behalf of the Sovereign Confederation. These considerations, combined with a period of planned maintenance for the primary Ryker Operating System, brought Speaker Jen Mera to the fore as if not a de facto leader then at least certainly a spokeswoman who enjoyed licence to give answers that were authoritatively binding off her own initiative.

As for the Ryker OS itself, it proved necessary to introduce an element of obfuscating mysticism to console and sooth the jarred, credulous, nerves of a rural populace who had hitherto been prone to ascribing anything outside of their - admittedly limited - experience to heresy and daemonic possession. Administrative and technical jargon regarding operating systems and decanting were quietly dropped in favour of a more elevating emphasis on the late King's "ascension". Whilst no-one would go so far as to claim that the "Ever-Watching King" had attained apotheosis beyond the Path of Transcendence, the fact that his name would henceforth only be mentioned in conjunction with "the higher planes of thought" and "elevated consciousness", across all forms of government communication and propaganda, meant that the "Heaven Sent Sovereign" would increasingly be associated with Mors, Viviantia, and the Celestial Temple in the realm of the hereafter.

The beginning of the 1680s saw the Confederation's initial sense of national hope for a new beginning begin to wane. This, coupled with a near collapse of the Avak after Kalgachia and Ransenar looked to greener pastures for national financial agreements left the Confederation itself on the brink of dissolution. Only by ceding itself to Elwynn, in return for the remaining bailiwicks claimed by Wintergleam, was the newly minted Sovereign Confederation's Autonomous Republic able to maintain cohesion and begin to focus almost entirely on internal matters. This arrangement gave Sovereigns the time and security to regain trust in national institutions and began a process of reintegration with the surviving Vulture States.

In the Aftermath of the Second Elwynnese Civil War, following the nuclear attacks on the Confederation's two largest port cities (one of which being the then-Capital) and the deaths of key leadership including Doir Jen Mera, Johen Rinsley Brines, and Selardi Jen Daniyal, local bailiwick governments were left with no authority on the will of the Szodan, its Miþui, or if either still existed at all. This, coupled with the supply shortages caused by the war and a major loss in trading capacity both on the Elwynn and the eastern coast led many of these local governments to collectively reinterpret their laws and references to the Ryker OS through lenses of faith and mysticism rather than navigating a mechanical bureaucracy which showed no signs of functioning. This has led to an increase in political activity from religious organizations and is the primary catalyst for a small Cedrist revival which has served to unite the masses of hitherto nebulous and secularized Sovereign Cedrists.

In early 1702, the Miþui's radio broadcast began to air sporadically after nearly eight years of ungoverned silence. The broadcasts told of a coming "Great Reversion" in which all of the Sovereign Confederation would be made whole by the old ways. It was announced at the beginning of 1703 that a the Miþui had been fully restored and a new Ænst Szonst had been chosen, Xander Jen Iohannes.

A taskforce, drawn from the Guild of Magisters-Carnifex, supported by four regiments of demobilised veterans of the UDF and Elwynnese Landstorm, was assembled in the third month of 1703 AN to track down the source of the broadcast and to bring the newly declared Ænst Szonst (later dubbed “President of the Realm’s General Staff) to Chryse, so as to confer with the High Presidium of the Benacian Union with regards to the status of the Sovereign Confederation within the Benacian Union.