Caputia

The Kingdom of the Union of Caputia
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Fier Et Combattant
Anthem:
Map versions
Capital	Zalae
Largest city	Zalae
Official language(s)
Official religion(s)	Melusinian Faith
Demonym	Caputian
- Adjective	Caputian
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Queen	Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I
- Prime Minister	Christophe Landry
- Legislature	Parliament of Caputia
Establishment	25 October 2017
Area	Unmeasured
Population	15,817,299 (2017)
Active population	3 active citizens
Currency	Caputian Solar ($)
Calendar
Time zone(s)
Mains electricity
Driving side
Track gauge
National website	Caputian Website
National forum	Caputian Forums
National animal	Unicorn
National food
National drink
National tree
Abbreviation	CAP

Caputia, officially the Kingdom of the Union of Caputia, is a sovereign country in the continent of Keltia, with overseas possessions in Apollonia, Eura and Cibola. On Keltia, Caputia shares a border with the High Realm of Stormark and with the Greater Pallisican Trade Association. On Apollonia, Caputia shares a border with Jingdao. On Cibola, it shares a border with Treisenberg and Natopia. Caputia is the official successor state of the now defunct Commonwealth of Hamland.

Caputia is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth I, who has reigned since the founding of the nation after the end of the Hammish Civil War. The capital of the Caputia is Zalae, now the largest and most populous city in the country. Other major urban areas include San Luis, Petrynsk, Keybir-Aviv, Gotfriedplatz, and Monoviaville. Caputia is composed of ten states - Hamland, Bridgemoor (formerly Skjargorod), Wakefield (formerly Scottania and Petrynsk), Northpass (formerly Schoenland), Anglia and Israat, the Isles of Caputia (formerly the Lordship of the Isles), Haifa, San Luis, Monovia, and Neo Patrova. It also has a Royal District for its capital city, the Royal District of Zalae. The largely uninhabited Elizabeth Isle in Eura is a Crown dependency with the Caputian Government directly responsible for its defense and international representation. Santa Melusina is also a Crown dependency, located in the island of Anterra. Elizabeth Isle and Santa Melusina were ceded to Hamland, Caputia's previous incarnation, by Passio-Corum in the Treaty of Bel-Air.

Before the Hammish Civil War, the country experienced a period of relative calm and renowned prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, commerce, and banking, with a population of 76,817,299. At the end of the war, Hamland was dissolved and Caputia was created to succeed it, with the new Queen beginning to work on reviving the economy and rebuilding the extensively damaged national infrastructure. In all, it is estimated that over 28 million people people were killed during the war, and another 1,746,000 permanently handicapped by injuries. Approximately 29,190,573 people, representing 38% of the pre-war population, were displaced from their homes, with at least 50% of the displaced resettling permanently elsewhere. The civil war left Monovia and Elizabeth Isle largely unaffected as none of the fighting was conducted in those areas, but it did see some deaths due to disease and famine.

Etymology

The name of Caputia originates from its distant past, as the land it occupies was once part of an ancient nation called Caput Popularis. Use of the term "Caputia" rose from the many rebel groups during the Hammish Civil War, in an effort to differentiate themselves from the National Provisional Authority and the Council of State for the Salvation of Hamland which governed the country during the war.

Occurrences of the name have been found in different ancient texts prior to the founding of Hamland but after the collapse of Caput Popularis, when tribes of the Green continued referring to the area as "Caputia" in general.

History

For the history of Caputia prior to the Hammish Civil War, please see Hamland.

Hamland had entered a period of chaos and instability with the disappearance of the Seneschal Juan Teaodir and Prime Minister Lewis. The disappearance of key national and regional leaders around the country led to a immense power vacuum, with several factions beginning to form around the country in the absence of a staffed central government. At the behest of all the political parties in Hamland, the military, and regional governments, the sole surviving member of the Hammish Government, the Minister of the Homeland Donat Ravaillac, issued a state of emergency across Hamland and suspended the Constitution. While there was some armed opposition over what some groups believed to be a coup d’état, Ravaillac’s state of emergency was generally welcomed.

A new Government was established under the name of the Council of State for the Salvation of Hamland, but later on, changes to the new government structure led to the Council being folded into the National Provisional Authority, which became Hamland's new government with Ravaillac as its Interim Prime Minister.

After a series of assassinations of key aides and civilian leaders of the National Provisional Authority, Ravaillac was left as the unwilling face of what had become a military dictatorship as clashes between government forces and opposition groups began to escalate, in particular in Haifa and Anglia and Israat. Ravaillac was later assassinated by a sniper at a military review held in New Kirrie to commemorate the pacification of Haifa.

With Ravaillac's assassination, a savage behind-the-scenes purge of the National Provisional Authority saw Ravaillac's loyalists and aides removed from all of their posts and arrested. They were replaced by military officials and other civilian politicians who were loyal to Ravaillac's military-installed successor, General Augustus Eliphas. The ensuing crackdown to cement power by Eliphas sparked defections and revolts through out the country that sparked a new and more vicious civil conflict that pitted opposition groups (some receiving support from abroad) against the National Provisional Authority.

Use of chemical and biological weapons during the war was rampant and documented by the Hammish Humanitarian Council during the civil war. However, the real culprit was the crushing collapse of Hammish agriculture. The national ability to recover from national crop failures and extreme weather alerts was deeply hurt as key infrastructure in many parts of the country was heavily damaged during the civil war. Weather trends that are directly attributable to global climate change and effects of the fallout from the many detonations of atomic bombs in the last two decades on Micras.

End of the Hammish Civil War

For more information, see Hammish Civil War.

With the National Provisional Authority beginning to collapse amidst purges and defections, a temporary ceasefire was negotiated at the Maison Verneuil outside of Geneva, Alexandria between all of the opposition groups, united under the National League, and the National Provisional Authority. Brokered by the Council of Free Nations, the talks were slow, but during the process it was slowly becoming obvious that the National Provisional Authority had lost the war and that they were cornered into negotiations to end the slaughter and begin the transition to a new Government and a "refounding" of the nation.

After the ceasefire, the National League called a Constitutional Convention. The Convention gathered in the city of Zalae, at the City Hall building. Composed of 250 Deputies, they met to begin drafting a Constitution and set up the future Government. The Convention Deputies were chosen by the different factions involved in the civil war, representing territories they held. Representatives from NPA-held territories also attended. Most of them were defectors and people that escaped the oppressive Eliphas regime.

Regina Ravaillac was unanimously elected President of the Convention. It was agreed that discussions and votes would be kept secret until the conclusion of the Convention. Despite having elected Clerks and Secretaries, the Convention's proceedings left little records. Soon after the first few days of the Convention, Ravaillac left to Geneva for the conference at the behest of the National League representatives. The Convention elected Carrie Fitzwater as its President Pro Tempore.

Crown of Caputia

While Ravaillac was away, Fitzwater began sketching out her initial draft for a Constitution. It was clear that the Convention wanted to "refound" the country, a term that came from the many pamphlets circulating the city about what the Convention should do. Convention delegates discussed for days the name of the new nation, and after much debating, the Convention settled on the name of Caputia.

The Convention agreed on several principles. Most importantly, they agreed that the Convention should not go beyond its mandate of drafting a Constitution. It explicitly decided that as soon as a Constitution was approved, that it would dissolve itself and put the Constitution to voters for their approval.

Another principle they agreed on, despite some opposition from Delegates from the Hammish Republican Army, was that Caputia needed separate the head of state from the head of government, and preserve the monarchy. Few raised serious objections when Delegates George Blakeslee and Jean Overstreet put forth their ideal candidate for monarch: Regina Ravaillac.

The Constitutional Convention elected to put together an official delegation of various Deputies and officials representing the National League, headed by Theodulus Bertrand Michel. The delegation arrived at Maison Verneuil and offered the Crown to Regina Ravaillac, who had no previous notification of the matter and initially considered declining the offer.

Instead of declining the offer, she opted to accept with conditions:

"The wishes of the Constitutional Convention of Hamland in Zalae have touched me deeply. It cannot but be exceedingly flattering for me that they have turned their eyes to the Ravaillac family. Although the mission of maintaining the independence and welfare of Hamland on a solid foundation, and with free institutions, is a most noble one, I must, nevertheless, declare that the monarchy cannot be reestablished on a legitimate and firm basis without a spontaneous expression of the wishes of the whole nation. I must make my acceptance of the throne dependent upon a plebiscite of the whole country. On the other hand, it would be my duty to ask for guarantees, which are indispensable to secure Hamland against the dangers which threaten her integrity and independence. Should these guarantees be obtained, and the universal vote of the nation be given in my favor, I am ready to accept the crown. In case Providence should call me to this high mission, I must at once declare that it is my firm intention to open the path of progress by a Constitution, as my father wished, that will refound the country and renew its people, and after the complete pacification of the country to seal the fundamental law with an oath. By such means only can a new and really national policy be called into existence by which all parties, forgetting all disputes, would cooperate with me in raising Hamland to a prominent rank among nations. Carry back with you these frank declarations to your fellow citizens, and act in such a manner that it may become possible for the nation to declare what form of government it desires to have." - Governor-General of United Monovia, Regina Ravaillac

The Alexandrian Flu

Despite being called the Alexandrian Flu, an extremely deadly viral disease was released by the National Provisional Authority from a biological and chemical weapons facility in Porapa for use against the National Salvation Front, the Hammish Republican Army, and anyone else who was being targeted by the Eliphas regime.

During transport to the Eastern Front against the National Salvation Front, a massive accident unleashed the dreaded disease through out Caputia, infecting locals and foreigners alike throughout the land. Many of the Alexandrian peacekeepers infected with the disease were brought to Cibola and other Alexandrian lands for treatment. This was to be a huge mistake - the disease spread quickly and viciously, bringing down Alexandria in a matter of months.

The Alexandrian flu ravaged the country, but where it hit hardest was the east of the country, held by the National Salvation Front. Travelling all the way up to Haifa, the disease's death toll is still too high to count, with some estimates sitting between 30–60% of the eastern regions of Hamland. In desperation, local authorities were known to have dug many mass graves to house the remains of those who died in the deadly rampage of the disease.

There are no exact figures for the death toll nationally; the rate varied widely by locality. In urban centers, the greater the population before the outbreak, the longer the duration of the period of abnormal mortality.

As the disease degraded the ability of all sides to fight, the Council of Free Nations ended its peacekeeping mission and withdrew all troops. The withdrawal then ended up spreading the disease more in Alexandria, culminating in the collapse of that country.

The spread of the disease throughout Caputia and then Alexandria brought the Geneva Peace Conference to a close, and it was moved to Monoviaville for a second round of ongoing negotiations between all sides. The spread of the disease degraded severely the National Provisional Authority, the National Salvation Front, and entirely eliminated the nascent Haifan Nationalist Army. It later made its way into areas held by the Hammish Republican Army and the Ravaillac Loyalists in the mainland.

With the withdrawal of the Council of Free Nations peacekeeping mission, the situation in Hamland began to degrade quickly. Sensing that the National Provisional Authority was near defeat, a combined offensive of the Hammish Republican Army and the Ravaillac Loyalists, supported by Natopia and Shireroth, pushed further and further into NPA-held territory until it reached the outskirts of the capital, New Kirrie, leading to a terrible siege that lasted for months.

The siege's stalemate, combined by the collective degradation of all sides to continue the fighting due to the famine and the Alexandrian flu, met once more in Monoviaville to continue the negotiations to end the civil war. A second ceasefire was instituted, more fragile than the first, since there was no formal peacekeeping force to enforce and supervise its implementation. Ravaillac left Monoviaville and deputized George Blakeslee to serve as the leader of the National League's negotiating team.

The Vision of Zalae and the Church of Caputia

The Prophetess Melusine.

Having landed in the city of Judah, Regina Ravaillac made her way with a group of aides and protective detail to Zalae, following a road that runs along the shore.

On the road to Zalae, a large wave stuck Ravaillac and her companions, pulling everyone out to the mercy of the sea's currents. Submerged in the seas, Ravaillac believed she would drown and that all of her aides would also die. She closed her eyes and suddenly a voice said to her, "Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Regina, Regina, open your eyes and let me grant you a vision."

Suddenly the whole party was tossed back onto the shore unharmed with Ravaillac. Those accompanying Ravaillac heard the voice and called out to the sea when they saw what they believed to be a mermaid emerge from the sea and come to them.

Introducing herself as the Prophetess Melusine, Ravaillac approached her and she touched her forehead, releasing a blinding flash of light that temporarily blinded them all. She unveiled upon them a vision of the future, a united, prosperous and happy nation, where the war was a distant memory and children played in a beach.

Melusine told them it was a vision of the future, a vision of a new nation called Caputia, that was bestowed grace and affection by Bous and by herself. She instructed them all to return to Zalae at once, where she would build an underwater cavern that would serve as her home and reveal to them a new vision for the country. In the following days, thousands of people flocked to the road to Zalae to greet their new Queen, drawn by the reports of the visions she was receiving. Believing that the visions had made Ravaillac holy, many Caputians flocked to her seeking healing from multiple diseases, including the Alexandrian flu.

When Ravaillac reached the ruined city of Macsen, one hundred thousand people lined up to see her perform what many witnesses confirm is the first miracle of the Melusinian Faith. A pair of twins, Michael and Lucia, were presented to Ravaillac by a family as she went through the city. They were stricken severely by the Alexandrian flu. Her security detail tried to move them out of the way as they did with the many sick people who crossed her path. It is said that a whisper, emanating from the seas, repeating "Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Regina, Regina" blinded Ravaillac. A bright white light began to emanate from Ravaillac's fingers and as she touched the twins, they were instantly healed. Onlookers reported seeing that light was shooting out of Ravaillac's eyes and that her voice was transformed into "harps of beauty and splendor", promising that a miracle would be performed upon her arrival to Zalae.

After newspapers reported that Ravaillac had promised a miracle upon her arrival to Zalae, a huge crowd, possibly between 70,000 to 90,000, including reporters and photographers, gathered in the outskirts of the city. Various claims have been made as to what actually happened during the event. The two children who originally were healed by Regina in Macsen accompanied her, and reported seeing a panorama of visions during the event, including those of Melusine and Bous blessing the people.

According to accounts, after a period of rain, the clouds broke and the sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disc in the sky. It was said to be significantly duller than normal, and to cast multicolored lights across the landscape, the people, and the surrounding clouds. A large tsunami wave appeared suddenly and as it crashed into the city, it dissipated into water vapor and multicolored lights. Witnesses reported that their previously wet clothes became "suddenly and completely dry."

• Vision of Zalae, fast spread of a Bovinist cult centered around the Prophetess Melusine.
• The highly influential and powerful Order of Rochefort converts to the Cult of Melusine and sets out to spread it around Caputia.
• Mass conversions begin to occur throughout the country, as many Caputians search deeply for meaning and salvation amidst the carnage and inhumanity of the civil war.
• A religious massacre targets followers of the Stripping Path as some remote localities (one or two) begin to outlaw the religion because they see it as a tool for Passio-Corum's domination of their own country. Government deploys troops and police to end the bloodshed, creates Lewisburg and Tel-Amin as refuge cities protected by the Caputian Armed Forces and other units. While the incident is isolated, at a time when the populace is looking for a scapegoat for their troubles, the Government does their utmost to protect this religious minority.

Eliphas Dies, Declaration of Zalae

• Death of Gen. Eliphas.
• The Queen's forces put a stop to the widespread massacres of religious minorities, orders that the assets of the Order of Rochefort be seized and the Order disbanded. Arrests members of the Order who were part of organizing the massacres.
• Declaration of Zalae, founding of the Kingdom of the Union of Caputia, the Queen's March.

Caputia Moderna

• Rise of the Caputian technocratic elite, led by Alexandrian emigree Christophe Landry.
• New government begins to form, neutrality policy, awkwardness with Treisenberg in Cibola.

Dependencies

Caputian Crown Dependencies.

Caputia has sovereignty over two unincorporated territories which do not form part of the Caputia itself: Elizabeth Isle, located in Eura; and Santa Melusina, a portion of the island of Anterra in the Corprian Archipelago. Both of these territories were ceded by Passio-Corum to then-Hamland as part of the land exchange that came with the Treaty of Bel Air that settled the Passasian Question.

Both of these dependencies are considered Crown dependencies. They are possessions of the Crown itself, as opposed to overseas territories or states like Monovia and Neo Patrova.