Treesia

Sovereign Order of Treesia

Official language	English
Capital	Failte, later Halberd Lighthouse
Largest cities	New Bruges, New Tallandur
Website	Treesia Website Archive
Forum	Treesia Forum Archive
Number of citizens	10
Number of active citizens	0 (Nation Inactive)
Date founded	October 11, 2000
Government	Knightly Order
Current leader	Chairman Iain de Vembria
Currency	unknown
National animal	Talking dog
National fruit/food	unknown
National drink	unknown
Map versions	1.5.0 (as the Barony of Treesia) 3.5.0 - 4.5.7 (as Treesia & Fabon) 4.7.2 - 6.6.9 (as United Baronies of Treesia) 6.7.8 - 6.8.5 (as United Baronies of Treesia and Fabon) 6.8.6 - 8.0.0 (as part of the Grand Commonwealth)

Treesia was an important micronation located on the Fifth Isle off the coast of Apollonia and one of the last nations to be founded in the Apollo Sector. It went through various incarnations and forms of government and was at times parts of other nations such as the Virtual Commonwealth of Cyberia and the Grand Commonwealth.

History

Barony of Treesia, 2003 map, from Microscope

The Sovereign Order of Treesia was the successor to the United Baronies of Treesia, itself the successor to the Barony of Treesia and Fabon, one of the last countries to be founded in the old Apollo Sector. Treesia had originally been created by Thomas Hubert as a principality, but was almost immediately occupied by the Republic of Blackrock. When stodlum dissolved Blackrock, he gave Treesia to Eoin, formerly a mid-level Blackrock diplomat. Almost immediately, Eoin arranged for Treesia to re-merge with Fabon, a former Treesian province that had seceded during Hubert's unenlightened rule. Eoin set about turning Treesia and Fabon into a fantasy nation.

The country was organized in a feudal structure, with Eoin, as Baron, at the top and six Knightships led by six Knights below. Under the Knights were supposedly Squires, but the Squire system never became very active. Despite the feudal trappings, the system retained significant democracy, with a Council of Knightships making most of the decisions. Also important in the Treesian government was the Chancellor, an official appointed by the Baron to handle much of the day-to-day business of the Barony and who later became excessively powerful.

For its first year, the Barony's culture was rich but fragmented. A few posts hinted at a deeper history, and it was made clear that someone named Halberd the Grey had saved Treesia from a great catastrophe long ago. However, most cultural development consisted of each Knight-Councillor leading various role-playing games in his Knightship. Eventually, these combined into the War of the Orchids, a recwar invasion of Treesia by Babkha. Common themes included the Talking Dogs and Inferno Mage of Llacheu, Gardexitsbitl, God of Telephones, and the Mages of Hundland. After the War of the Orchids, especially during the era of Tymaria Treesian culture was nationalized and developed a "canon", which became the foundation of the Treesian Unorthodox Church. The various gods were united into the pantheons of the Irdia and Faldia, and Halberd the Grey was placed within the context of the mythical Five Island Kingdom and the Order of the March Breeze. Although this was a golden age of Treesia, several people who had differing visions, especially the Soloralists, became upset and left. Around this time, Treesia annexed its first external territory, or Palatinate, the Palatinate of Elpidos.

During the post-Tymarian era, Treesian cultural development continued at a less frantic pace, but was surpassed by Treesian geographical expansionism, led primarily by Treesian Chancellor Iain de Vembria. In a series of cunning political manuevers, he took over the Free Republic, the Skerry Isles, the islands of Augustus and Terra Firma, and the formerly independent kingdoms of New Bruges, Barbaria, and Tallandor, giving Treesia a far-flung empire equal to Shireroth's. As the largest of these lands became Baronies of their own, the Barony of Treesia and Fabon was renamed the United Baronies, and Eoin was made Ard-Baron. There were plans to merge Shireroth and Treesia with relatively wide popular support in 2004. However, the proposal got shot down by the traditionalists, most significantly Erik Mortis who was Kaiser at the time.

expansionism ceased in a more stable era, and as the Treesian Church ceased to be new and exciting, activity slumped, and Treesia became famous for its moribundity. Chancellor Iain tried to solve the problem by throwing a staged coup, and Eoin briefly garnered international attention with a countercoup (at which time he famously took the mythological title Zirandorthel), but posts soon faded down to their previous level. On May 23, 2004, the Treesian government decided to close the country permanently.

Concerned that the MCS would respond by taking away their land, Iain, with Eoin's uninterested approval, decided to continue the Treesian legacy with the Sovereign Order of Treesia, a group that would promote Treesian culture. However, the Sovereign Order quickly became as much of a micronation as ever, with the main difference being that it was led by Iain rather than Eoin. The Order was infilitrated by Babkhans, and ended up joining the Grand Commonwealth as a founding member, over Eoin's strong objections. It would later unite with the Republic of Aerlig to form the United Baronies of Aerlig and Treesia in 2006, which died with many of its fellow Grand Commonwealth members after the MCS-GSO split.

In early 2009 former citizens of the United Baronies began to emigrate to the Imperium Incognita, which can essentially be seen as a Treesian successor state.