Chryse
| Free City of Chryse | |||
| |||
| Motto: None | |||
| Anthem: TBC | |||
| [[|250px|Location of Chryse|frameless]] | |||
| Map versions | |||
| Capital | Chryse | ||
| Official language(s) | Istvanistani, Praeta | ||
| Official religion(s) | Covenanted Holodomatic Cedrozurvanism | ||
| Demonym | Chrysean(s) | ||
| - Adjective | Chrysean | ||
| Government | Unitary realm of the Benacian Union | ||
| - High Commissioner | Ayesha al-Osman | ||
| - Sardar | Ryabin Chryseoï | ||
| - Legislature | Council of Chryse | ||
| Establishment |
| ||
| Area | 5,472 km2 | ||
| Population | 5,149,480 (1731 AN) | ||
| Currency | |||
| Calendar | |||
| Time zone(s) | CMT-7 (Chryse mainland) | ||
| Mains electricity | |||
| Driving side | right | ||
| Track gauge | |||
| National website | |||
| National forum | |||
| National animal | Dolphin | ||
| National food | |||
| National drink | |||
| National tree | |||
| Abbreviation | CRY (FMF abbreviation), CHR (traditional three-letter abbreviation) | ||
Chryse, officially the Free City of Chryse, is a city-state on the Benacia continent that is governed as a Free City of the Benacian Union. It shares a 200 km border with fellow union-realm Ransenar, interupted only by the southern coast along the Lunatic Gulf. Notable for serving as both the capital of the Benacian Union and also as a major entrepôt to the union-state. In many respects Chryse serves as the window the Benacian Union opens onto the world, and for this reason it is markedly less industrialised, with strict controls on air quality, and policed in such a way as to ensure that the civil society of the city is presented to the international community in a way that is cultured, harmonious, orderly, and prosperous.
Geography
The city-state of Chryse lies in the Bay of Chryse. The bay itself is largely under Ransenari control, but Chryse has sovereignty over its own city, the Lighthouse Peninsula, the town of Oakburgh, and a hinterland of agricultural and forest land north of these places. Botha, an island immediately south of the city of Chryse, is also attached to the city-state.
The coastline of the city-state is lined with fine beaches from west to east, with the only exception being the dug-out harbour in Chryse city. Botha too is lined with beaches, meaning that large ships cannot dock there. Rather, shallow-hull ferries frequent the Strait of Gamboia, as the water separating the island from the city itself is called.
Botha itself is a quiet island with forests in the east and west. Sparsely populated, it is considered an idyll and a retreat. It became so famous for its spas and relaxing airs that ultimately the High Commissioner, Ayesha al-Osman, requisitioned the island in its entirety for her own use upon the occasion of attaining rulership over the city state in 1690 AN.
History
Chryse was founded in 512 AN, and remained a small fishing town until the early 16th century after Norton when it was chartered as a city within Goldshire as the City of Chryse. It received a degree of notoriety when one of the citizens of the town, the alchemist Nicolo Struph, allegedly discovered a method to transfer pure iron ore into gold. The city was subsequently never quite able to divest itself of the taint of association with the alchemical arts.
The Iron Company in Goldshire
The Royal Iron Company of Goldshire[1] made Chryse their primary port and headquarters for the daily operations of the Company in Shireroth It was been one of the three cities governed by the Company under a previous charter, along with New Harbor and Erudition. This move also saw a major extension of the Chryse harbour and the development of industrial facilities, emerging in part out of the earlier alchemical practices, to the north of the city. Differences of interpretation between the Iron Company and the issuing authority as to the liberties and powers conferred by said charters would be a longstanding cause of tension between the parties for the duration of the period in which the various charters held effect.
The metal-working districts of the city were struck by a heavy air-raid on the night of the 11th of Nomeziooqu in the year 1641 AN carried out by the Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces on the personal order of the Minister of Military Affairs, Thorgils Tarjeisson[2]. His motivations for authorising a large scale attack on a civilian and industrial target were obscure at the time[3], but were evidently related to the Civil War in Goldshire that was ongoing during that period.
Rebuilding of the damaged city centre of Chryse started immediately after the air raid. However, the rebuilding of the damaged industrial areas of the city went on more slowly because of the fact that the Institution for Alchemy, a crucial factory for the industry as a whole, was struck by a bomb and was almost entirely destroyed. About 60% of the Gold and Silver transport was relocated to the port of New Harbor.
By 1651, the population of the city had reached 1,483,037 inhabitants (source: Shirerithian Census, 1651).
The city was returned to local rule after the Iron Company failed to maintain its royal contract and the warrant was officially withdrawn in 1662 AN. In 1669 AN, upon the signing of the Peace of Fieldburg, the Iron Company again was granted rights in the city.
The Iron Company also added a t in Chryse, making it Chryste, reflecting the local dialectal pronunciation of the city. This move, although now uncontroversial, caused an uproar among the traditionalist nobility in the city. In 1685 AN, upon the independence of the United Benacian Republic, Isor Verion restored the original t-less name to the delight of the traditionalist nobility but to the chagrin of the working and middle classes of the city.
Chryse after the Kalirion Fracture
After the death of Kaiser Ayreon IV, the event that triggered the Kalirion Fracture in Shireroth, the Iron Company sided with the attempted usurpation by Titus Morvayne, the Prefect of Shirekeep. Titus attempted a putsch by entering the Landsraad and having himself read into the record as Kaiser. Although the Shirekeep City Guard, as well as the Apollonian Guard, supported his claim, he was unable to convince the leadership of the Palatini Corps. This saw Shirekeep being thrown into disarray, with the loyalist garrison of the city and Raynor's Keep containing the Verionists who controlled the largest part of the city. Within the year that followed, so-called Kaiser Verion II's supporters left the city. Verion himself moved to the Skyla Islands, former summer residence of the Kaisers, together with the largest group of his supporters, where he continued his claim on the Imperial Mango Throne..
The influence and measure of de-facto control that the Iron Company enjoyed in Chryse meant that the administration of the city would follow the lead given, and endorse the Verionist pretender in opposition to the child Kaiseress Salome who was otherwise the successor recognised under existing Imperial law. Based in Chryse, the Verionists were able to establish an expanded zone of control in southern Goldshire which it administered ostensibly under the banner of the Imperial Republic, albeit in the name of the pretender. However, the isolation of the Verionists and the decreasing profits for the Iron Company made the Verionist kaisership untenable. So in 1673 AN, the Iron Company territories in Goldshire, centred in Chryse, attempted to join Elwynn as an autonomous republic. Although the prince, Ander Avon-El, was initially positive to the prospects of adding more territory to Elwynn, the idea was quickly vetoed by the Nationalist Humanists. The Humanists had foreseen in the proposal the potential for Elwynn becoming embroiled in a conflict with the emerging movements that would subsequently yield the Sovereign Confederation and Ransenar as fellow vulture states, and wished to avoid any disruption to the broad alignment of the successor states with the Raspur Pact. It was a decision that would have consequences for the city across the subsequent two decades.
Rebuffed by Elwynn, and with the failure of the Pretender's gambit in Shirekeep, the Verionist faction entered an agreement with the Imperial Regency following which the independence of the Verionist Republic received formal recognition. The official ideology of the state was, unsurprisingly, Verionism in its essentials. Accordingly the Government of the Republic was plutocratic, handing power to a small group of people aligned with the House of Verion, the Iron Company and the Verionist political movement.
The Verionist Republic had claimed to be the official successor state of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, and effectively leveraged this continued pretence, where the Imperial Summer Residence hosted a duplicate of the Golden Mango Throne, which Verion II assumed, during negotiations with the Imperial Regency. Ultimately securing recognition of their sovereignty over Greater Elsenar, Skyla and later Monty Crisco in return for dropping the last vestiges of the Imperial claim. Following the return of Titus Morvayne to Shirekeep, and his renunciation of the Mango throne, the Verionist Republic threw its support behind Kaiseress Salome.
The termination of what became known as Verionist Benacia was a consequence of the event that became known as the Great Disaster. On the eve of 15.XII.1675 AN, several incidents occuRred in the Verionist Republic. At 10 PM, the Verionist authorities issued an immediate warning to all residents in the North and West of the Republic. People were told to stay indoors, and close all windows and doors. Approximately one hour later, two large explosions were heard in the city of Zolt, followed by clouds of smoke. The Verionist Benacian Army closed down all access to Zolt and quarantined the city immediately. In the day that followed, multiple similar explosions occured in the cities of Wendor and Aurum.
As it turned out, the explosions were linked to a secret government programme known as "Sword of Revenge", which was the Verionist Republican implementation of the similarly named Kasterburger research programme. "Sword of Revenge" did not only include the development of nuclear weapons, building on the previous Shirerithian arsenal in Wendor, but also several types of biological weapons. After the first explosion in Zolt, which was caused by a malfunction in the cooling system of Reactor IV, the Titus Morvayne Research Centre was largely destroyed. This explosion caused several strains of a highly lethal airborne virus, Virus Y, to be released. The subsequent explosions in Wendor and Aurum were triggered by the Automatic Destruction System, that was instigated by a computer algorythm that had mistakenly regarded the incident in Zolt as a foreign attack. This resulted in the automatic implementation of the Chryste Redoubt Plan, which would destroy all military bases in the Country simultaneously. Although government officials were quick to respond, they could not prevent a massive and unfortunate loss of life. The immediate death toll of the disaster is estimated at 200,000, with up to a million people subsequently dying from complications arising out of their exposure to "Virus Y".
The Great Disaster saw the end of the Verionist Republic on Benacia. Viceroy Regina Verion stepped down immediately, and was succeeded by Jana Al-Basani, who immediately declared a national emergency. Only two days after the disaster, Monty Crisco changed its allegiance to Shireroth. Following several emergency meetings, Viceroy Jana Al-Basani declared that the government could no longer justify its rule over Elsenar and allowed the Conclave of the People to have a deciding vote on the future of the Republic. On 17.I.1676 AN, the Conclave voted to return back to Shireroth by a margin of 405 in favour versus 89 against, with 81 abstentions.
Although Verionist ideologues had supported giving the Conclave this vote, they could not agree with reunification with Shireroth. After less than one month of service, Jana Al-Basani resigned as Viceroy and declared that the Chryse redoubt area would remain an independent Verionist state, and that the principles of Verionism were still relevant and should be guiding the nation. She assumed the position of Viceroy of Verionist Benacia immediately after.
Meanwhile, Regina Verion, and a group of around 200 loyalists had sailed for Eastern Keltia where her uncle Michael Verion had been residing since 1664 AN. The Verionists joined forces with local South Keltian tribes and warlord to establish a Verionian Empire.
It had become, all in all, a chaotic state of affairs.
The Batavian interval
In 1676 AN the city was transferred to Batavia. When the Verionist Republic left for the continent of Keltia, a small remainder of the original population remained. Arkadius Frederik Gustavus des Vinandy tried to claim the territory with the city under the flag of West Amokolia. But that attempt failed and the vast territory was handed over to Shireroth. Only the city of Chryse was transferred to Batavia. On 16.VIII.1678 AN the city was transferred to the Kingdom of Amokolia, to protests in both the city and in Batavia. At that time, neighbouring Ransenar was already building a fortified border and prepared for a naval blockade. Batavia handed the city over to West Amokolia to prevent itself from becoming involved in the Second Amokolian War, which had already broken out between Elwynn and West Amokolia, with Elwynn being supported by the Unified Governorates of Benacia and Ransenar.
The Frankish emperor ordered the evacuation of all children from the city, even before the city was completely closed off as a result of the naval blockade by Ransenar. However, Jana Al-Basani immediately refuted the move by the Frankish, calling it foolish and dangerous for the citizens of Chryse, who had lived in a delicate peace with Ransenar. The transfer of formal sovereignty to the Frankish empire triggered the Second Amokolian War. The Chryse armed forces, as well as the Iron Company private merchants were mobilised in the defence of the city. The city was subsequently bombed for the second time in its history during that conflict.
The Verionists return
The Free City of Chryste became part of Gran Verionia following the Union of 1682. The city functions as an important connection between the Verionian states in Keltia and Eastern Benacia. Jana Al-Basani was re-appointed as Governor until 1683, when she became the Governor-General of the Iron Company. Al-Basani was succeeded by Isor Verion, the eldest son of Regina Verion.
The government under Isor Verion opened the borders with Ransenar in accordance with the Treaty of Corcovado. Although the border is guarded, and there are border controls, the opening of the borders signified a more open spirit with Ransenar and the other former Shirerithian states. Continental trade increased, and with Chryse being a major Iron Company port on the Benacian continent, the Iron Company increased its presence too. This caused an influx of more people moving to the already small city-state. Property prices rose quickly (up 35% within just a few months after the treaty's ratification). With this, there was an increase of rent. Isor Verion vowed to deal with the larger rates of homelessness by creating shelters and community work programmes for homeless and unemployed people.
In 1685 AN, upon the collapse of Gran Verionia, Isor Verion declared the independence of the United Benacian Republic, which only weeks earlier had been formed as a merged autonomous republic (consisting of Chryse and Kasterburg, now renamed Lower Batavia) within Gran Verionia. At the same time, Isor Verion removed the "t" in Chryste, restoring the city to its original name.
The Elwynnese & Benacian period
As an independent city state, Chryse began identifying itself as a neutral trade-loving and peaceful port. It became active in the MTO, where Chryse argued for peace, sentient rights, cooperation, compromise and trade. These efforts coincided with the MTO's selection of Chryse as its headquarters.
In 1687, Chryse announced to the world that it was a a free-trade port, putting no restrictions on international trade in the city state. Some restrictions would, however, remain for local consumption and import. These restrictions were directly mainly toward weapons, animal products (organs for transplantation exempted), and human and animal livestock.
Between 1687 and 1690, the head of state of Chryse was the Queen and Exarch, Salome. Her role was largely ceremonial. In theory, she selected, appointed, and removed the Viceroy with the advice and consent of the Council of Chryse. The Viceroy was her representative and head of executive in Chryse. Subordinate to the Viceroy was an appointed Lord Mayor, who oversaw the day-to-day affairs of the city.
There were two legislative assemblies in the city state. One was the Assembly, whose jurisdiction was only the city of Chryse (excluding Laegel or Botha). Its tasks were to oversee the municipal matters, local taxation, and to make laws that were specific only for the city and the city's needs. The Lord Mayor was the executor of the Assembly, and was elected for one-year terms. The Assembly had two chambers, the First Chamber and the Second Chamber. The Second Chamber was elected in single-member constituencies by the adult citizen population. The First Chamber, however, was selected in a complicated manner by several nominating committees. These committees represented trade unions, employer organizations, the Royal Iron Company, the Præta minority, the Shirerithian nobility, and so on. Its standing committee consisted of 20% of the members, or 12 people, elected by proportional representation lists, by the First Chamber itself.
The Council of the Imperial City and Exarchate of Chryse was the highest legislative council in the state. It consisted of 25 people, namely the Queen and Exarch (1), the Viceroy (1), the Standing Committee of First Chamber of the Assembly of the City of Chryse (12), representatives of the House of Laegel (5), representatives from the Second Chamber (5), and one representative for the Tarr people (1). The Queen's seat ("the throne") was usually only symbolic and left empty unless the Queen is visiting the city. In the event of a tie, the Queen, if present, decided on the tie. If she is not in presence, the Viceroy decided. In all other cases, the proposal would fail. The system was not destined to endure for long.
In 1687 AN, in the same year that Chryse was announced as host for the headquarters of the Micras Treaty Organisation, Chryse and Graecia, unlikely interlocutors on account of the differences between their ideological and economic systems, signed signed a treaty of friendship. One aspect of this treaty was involved the exodus of the Tarr, where almost a million people of the Tarr ethnicity, would be transferred from Graecia to Chryse. The House of Laegel, an Elfinshi feudal house of Menelmacari origins, agreed to fund Chryse's part of the exodus, in return for Chrysean protection for its new colony on the South Feanorian eastern coast as a destination point for the exodus. As such, Chryse formally acquired a colony far away, albeit serving as a flag of convenience for the most part.
In the years 1688 AN–1689 AN, Isor Verion, under pressure from the Raspur Pact, ran a "Deverionisation" process intended to remove the Verionist influence from Chrysean political life. He changed his own name from Isor Verion to Isor Isor, naming a house after himself. The Royal Iron Company of Goldshire was also partly privatised. As a consequence of this departure from Verionism Isor Isor began to attempt to rule Chryse in the feudal (Shirerithian) fashion, as a means of providing a measure of legitimacy for what was now his personal rule of the city.
This of course led to close relationships with Shireroth, and Salome, Kaiseress of Shireroth, was named Queen of Chryse, in consequence. In spite, or perhaps because, of these ideological changes, there was a discernible increase in dissatisfaction with the Isor's rule in this period. Isor cut off the Council of Chryse from the process of decision making, moving more and more toward using indiscrete patronage to obtain the consent of the legislature for policies designed for his personal advantage. At the same time, Isor developed a close rapport with Avranel, the Lady Laegel, and began courting Avranel's grand-daughter for a second marriage. Ayesha, Isor's wife, having not been consulted in regards to this proposal, was greatly offended and took her children on an extended trip abroad. Not long later, files relating to intimate aspects of Isor's medical history were released, and a few days later, Elwynnese media reported that Isor's entire private medical team had fled and sought asylum in Elwynn.
The ultimate consequences of this marital rift would be felt with devastating effect during the ensuing Battle for Chryse (19–22.V.1690 AN) that would see the city weather a debilitating surprise attack and the installation of a new government under Ayesha al-Osman following the incapacitation of Isor during the fighting. The attacking force, comprised of personnel drawn from the 5th Division of the Jaysh al-Sathrati, experienced heavier than anticipated casualties in a complex and heavily contested urban environment, in spite of enjoying the element of surprise and local air superiority. The chaotic fighting that ensued did however result in the capture of the airport and harbour, which facilitated the deployment of UDF troops into the city, allowing for the negotiated capitulation of the remaining defenders. Although the Chryse Protection Treaty was signed on 5.XII.1690 AN, formalising the Elwynnese assumption of responsibility for the defence and foreign affairs of Chryse, the last of the Jaysh were not withdrawn from the city until 21.XII.1690 AN - eleven days after control of the Port of Chryse, including the container port, ferry terminals, and harbour authority was ceded to the Honourable Chrysean Trading Company by the city's High Commissioner, Ayesha al-Osman.
Following the signing of the Chryse Protection Treaty, the small agricultural colony, Laegel, in the Red Antilles was surrendered to Elwynn.
The city was spared the worst of the Second Elwynnese Civil War (1692 AN-1696 AN by the prompt deployment of Ransenari forces to quell a brief moment of unrest. Thereafter, as the UDF was obliged to contend with the northern stalemate, Chryse came under the protection of an N&H Vanguard Division mobilised from amongst the supporters and clients of Ayesha.
From 1696 AN the city became host to the Congress of Chryse, a deliberative body drawn from representatives amongst the victors in the ruinous civil war which had affirmed ongoing Humanist dominion over central and northern Benacia. Although working towards a Final Act on the Settlement of Benacia, the Congress became increasingly a body in its own right concerned with the affairs of the continent and interested in persisting so as to further shape events.
The Benacian Confrontation (1702 AN-1703 AN) saw the MTO obliged to depart the city after incurring the disfavour of the city's rulers by hosting a debate on the human rights record of the Benacian Union. The treatment by the city authorities of those diplomats and mission staff separated from their main delegations during the evacuation of personnel departed, somewhat markedly, from the recognised international convention regarding diplomatic immunity and safe-conduct.
In 1703 AN the status of Chryse as the capital of the Benacian Union was cemented by its confirmation as a free city, distinct in jurisdiction from Elluenuueq.
On 8.XV.1707 AN Rustam Malik, a spice merchant of the city, was denounced by the Guild of the Lotus to the city magistrates for maintaining a store of soma in defiance of the guild's newly affirmed monopoly. After the man was taken into custody and duly pressed, a confession was not long in being forthcoming. As a confession had been obtained, and the prohibited articles recovered from the merchant's own store, his appeal to Ayesha al-Osman for clemency was dismissed out of hand. Accordingly he was taken to the Palace of Justice and disembowelled under the supervision of the magister of the Worshipful Guild of the Sacred Carnifices resident in the city. The cadaver was afterwards presented to the School of Medicine at the Benacian Academy for study by the anatomists who were chambered there. The execution marked the first instance of the Benacian persecution of drug-users which had recently begun in Elluenuueq.
In 1712 AN a riotous assembly of Cedrist credants took place in the streets facing onto the designated site of the Shirerithian embassy, with the ire of the multitude having been stirred up by the promotion of a blasphemous portrait of the Kaiser Ari 0 by the authorities in Shirekeep.
The conflict between the Daughters of Liberty, a determined resistance group originating out of the servile workforce indentured to the Guild of the Lotus, and the security forces garrisoned within the city intensified in 1720 AN as opposing ideologies clashed within the city. The Daughters of Liberty, driven by their pursuit of societal change and challenging the established order, found themselves at odds with the authorities and the security apparatus tasked with maintaining the status quo. The result was an unexpected campaign of urban guerilla warfare which taxed the abilities of the Panopticon Nexus to identify the culprits for suppression by garrisoned security forces in the city.
After the Day of Rage
On 12.I.1731 AN, a series of mass rallies and demonstrations known as the Day of Rage took place across the Benacian Union in reaction to the shocking public execution of the head of the Benacian legation in Shirekeep, Abner Shas, by Kaiseress Salome of Shireroth just days earlier. Attendance at the primary rallies in Ardashirshahr, Chryse, and Merensk was mandated for all able-bodied and meritorious subjects of those urban bailiwicks.
In Chryse, the crowds stretched along Victory over the Elfinshi Avenue and surrounding boulevards despite the chill winter weather. Chants of "Death to the Snake" and "Avenge Shas" shook the air as banners with slogans like "Never Forgive" and "No Mercy for Madness" waved above the multitudes. The focal point was a colossal-scale parade float recreating Shas' murder, with periodic enactments of his decapitation met by howls of outrage. When finally set ablaze and pushed into the sea, the float's fiery ruin was cheered as a harbinger of Shireroth's certain destruction.
Notable speeches on the Day of Rage in Chryse included Daniyal ibn Daniyal at the New Residency and Ayesha al-Osman at Congress Hall.
The unified message delivered by the simultaneous rallies was clear - the Benacian Union would not allow such an unforgivable outrage and threat to its national security to go unanswered. If Shireroth's defiance continued, it risked annihilation at the hands of a grimly-determined Benacian populace.
In the wake of the outrage over the Day of Rage, the prospect of imminent conflict with Shireroth spurred urgent defensive preparations in Chryse throughout 1731 AN. With Salome's threats raising fears of conventional or even nuclear retaliation, the city's government and military made securing the population against air raids and potential missile attacks the top priority.
Drawing on the experience of the defence of Chryse during the Second Amokolian War, a concerted programme of air raid precautions was implemented across Chryse. The city's extensive flaktowers and air defence observation platforms, manned by 1 Air Defence Observation Regiment, were overhauled and reinforced against aerial attacks. Underground shelters were constructed or reinforced across the urban core, while elaborate preparations were made to disperse and evacuate sections of the population in case of need.
The defence of key sites was entrusted to the elite Saznan Bivarhins (Palatine Guards) and the Kavallerifördelningen "Elwmacht" (Sovereign's Cavalry) of the Szodanin Uihmanz, under overall command of Frainan-bi-Mari Streïakeï Ryabin Chryseoï. These first tier BUDF troops were tasked with protecting the centres of government, communication hubs, and other vital targets from sabotage or capture by Shirerithian special forces. Stringent security protocols were enacted around critical infrastructure like power stations, waterworks, and broadcast facilities.
At sea, the 8th In-Shore Division of the Benacian Union's Eastern Fleet took up patrol duties to secure the waters around Chryse from potential amphibious assaults or naval bombardment. Anti-ship batteries were emplaced along the city's coastline and on Botha island, whose garrison of three Women's Auxiliary Service cohorts formed a reinforced area defence regiment ready to deny repel any attempts to establish a foothold on the island.
Beyond the activation of garrison, the crisis with Shireroth also prompted the mobilisation of paramilitary and auxiliary forces to secure the transportation and utilities infrastructure and key locations within the Free City.
The N&H 16th Vanguard Division, a formation raised from the Humanist Vanguard youth movement, was activated to augment security operations. Officered by veterans hardened during the Second Elwynnese Civil War, the Vanguardists provided additional manpower for patrol duties, guarding key infrastructure sites, and manning checkpoints throughout Chryse's districts. Their indoctrinated zeal made them ideal for such responsibilities during the heightened tensions.
A contingent of the dreaded Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels, comprising 3,600 heavily-armed and fanatically-loyal "cudgellers", was also committed to supporting law enforcement across the city. The cudgellers took up positions established a network of checkpoints and strongholds from whence to suppress any civil unrest or subversive activities that might threaten order.
Meanwhile, detachments from other loyalist bodies like the Guild of Academicians and Guild of the Lotus were tasked with securing locations under their institutional control. The "Academy Guard" stood watch over Benacian Academy facilities, while the "Saffron Guard" of armed eunuchs did likewise in the Paradise Districts.
Governance
Executive
The Executive branch of the government of Chryse plays a crucial role in the administration and governance of the city-state. According to the Charter of the Free City of Chryse, promulgated in 1715 AN the city is granted a high degree of autonomy and is vested with executive, legislative, and independent judicial power.
Under the Charter, the city is authorised to conduct its own administrative affairs and to exercise a broad range of powers, including the power to contract with other governmental entities and the power to enact laws and ordinances. The city is also granted the authority to exercise independent judicial power, including the power of final adjudication.
The Executive branch of the government of Chryse is headed by the High Commissioner, who is appointed and confirmed by the Congress of Chryse. The High Commissioner is responsible for the administration of the city-state and for overseeing the implementation of the city's laws and policies.
The Sardar is a key figure in the government of the Free City of Chryse, serving as the second-in-command to the High Commissioner. The Sardar is responsible for overseeing the city's military and security affairs, and he plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and security of the city's citizens.
The Sardar is appointed by the High Commissioner, who has the authority to nominate individuals for the position. The Sardar's appointment must then be confirmed by the Council of Chryse, which has the power to remove the Sardar from office if necessary. The Sardar serves at the pleasure of the High Commissioner and can be removed from office at any time.
Beneath the Executive, Realm Commissions are administrative units that are responsible for carrying out specific functions and duties on behalf of the city. In the government of the Free City of Chryse, departments are administrative units that are responsible for carrying out specific functions and duties on behalf of the city. There are several departments within the city's government, including the General Staff Council, which is responsible for overseeing the city's military and security affairs, and the Civil Executive of the Realm, which is responsible for managing the city's internal affairs.
Legislature
The legislature of the Free City of Chryse plays a crucial role in the administration and governance of the city-state. According to the Charter, all legislative powers of the city are vested in the Council of Chryse, which is responsible for enacting laws and ordinances.
The Council of Chryse is composed of eight members nominated by the city's chapters of bodies represented on the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations, and the High Commissioner. Members of the Council serve as aldermen and are awarded at least the standing, benefits, and entitlements commensurate with the position of Admirable in the Table of Grades and Ranks of the Benacian Union.
The Council of Chryse has the power to remove any of the eight guild and corporation appointees by a resolution. The resolution must be served on the member and the member must be given 14 days to reply. After the reply, the Council of Chryse may adopt a final resolution of removal by a majority vote of its total membership. Only the Congress of Chryse may remove the High Commissioner.
The Council of Chryse is responsible for overseeing the administration of the city and for ensuring that the city's laws and policies are effectively implemented. It serves as an important check on the power of the Executive branch and helps to ensure that the city is governed in a transparent and accountable manner.
The Council legislates laws for the city in the form of ordinances. These ordinances, as defined by the Charter, are laws or regulations that are enacted by the Council to regulate various aspects of life within the city and to address specific issues and challenges that arise. They can cover a wide range of topics, including public safety, health, land use, and the environment, among others.
Once an ordinance is enacted by the Council, it becomes binding on all citizens of the city and must be followed. Violating an ordinance can result in penalties, such as fines or other forms of punishment.
The Council has the authority to enact ordinances in any matter not specifically reserved for the Congress of Chryse or the High Commissioner. This allows the city government to address local issues and challenges in a flexible and responsive manner.
Judiciary
The judiciary of the Free City of Chryse plays a crucial role in the administration of justice within the city-state. According to the Charter, the city is vested with independent judicial power, including the power of final adjudication.
The judiciary of Chryse consists of a hierarchy of courts, with the High Court of Chryse serving as the highest court in the city. The High Court is responsible for hearing appeals from lower courts and for interpreting the city's laws. It is composed of judges who are appointed by the High Commissioner and confirmed by the Council of Chryse.
Below the High Court, there are a number of lower courts with jurisdiction over specific types of cases. These include the Court of First Instance, which handles criminal and civil cases, and the Commercial Court, which deals with cases involving business and commercial disputes.
The judiciary of Chryse is responsible for ensuring that the city's laws are applied fairly and consistently and that justice is served. It is an independent branch of government, and its decisions are binding on all other branches of government and on the city's citizens.
Garrison and security
The garrison of Chryse comprised in 1715 AN of the Saznan Bivarhins (Palatine Guards), assigned to defend the Congress of Chryse, the High Presidium of the Benacian Union, and the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations, 1 Kavallerifördelningen "Elwmacht" of the Land Forces of the Benacian Union, responsible for the territorial defence of the Free City, the 8th In-Shore Division of the Eastern Fleet, and 1 Air Defence Observation Regiment of Air Defence Command.
The Saznan Bivarhins and Kavallerifördelningen "Elwmacht" constitute the Szodanin Uihmanz (Sovereign's Corps) and Bivarhins Hohm (Palatine Army) under the overall command of the Frainan-bi-Mari Streïakeï Ryabin Chryseoï, who also served as the Sardar of the Civil Executive in Chryse as of 1715 AN. Fredrik Michael Tarjeisson, as palatine legate commanding the Saznan Bivarhins, was defacto commander of the Szodanin Uihmanz and deputy commander of the Bivarhins Hohm.
The island of Botha, which controls the entrance to the Bay of Chryse, meanwhile is garrisoned by three cohorts raised from the Women's Auxiliary Service, acting as a reinforced area defence regiment for both the island and the Palace of Botha.
Chryse lies in the air defence zone of the Eastern Banner Air Force of Benacia Command, with quick response flights being conducted by regiments assigned to the 3rd Air Division of Strike Command, based at Lune Villa. Air defence observation platforms (colloquially known as flaktowers) in the city are manned by 1 Air Defence Observation Regiment and, like those of their other counterparts defending other cities in the Eastern Banner air defence zone, are controlled from an area headquarters command centre in Goldfield.
The N&H 16th Vanguard Division, a paramilitary formation raised from the Humanist Vanguard youth movement, is also available to provide support as auxiliary personnel available for garrison and patrol duties. The division was mobilised during the Second Elwynnese Civil War, thereby reducing the manpower burden of the regular forces during that conflict.
A commandery of the Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels, maintained within the city at the strength of a demi-brigade (3,600 cudgellers), serves to support law enforcement in the city whilst also being available as a reserve of public order troops to support security operations. The main headquarters and formal residence of the corps' Bludgeoner-General are also maintained within the city.
The parent body of the Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels, the Commission for the Panopticon maintains a strong presence in the city, which serves as a key node for the surveillance and information awareness infrastructure built up across the continent by the Union-State.
Public order, along with routine law enforcement within the city, is the responsibility of the the Corps of Assurers, a body reporting to the Directorate of the Urban Prefecture within the Commission of Internal Affairs, which considers itself to be the heir of the traditions of the earlier Corps of Watchmen. With its highly trained officers and rigorous recruitment and training process, the Corps of Assurers is committed to serving the people of Chryse with integrity, professionalism, and dedication. By working closely with other law enforcement agencies and the government of Chryse, the Corps of Assurers ensures the safety and security of all meritorious subjects in the city.
As small contingent of the Jaysh al-Sathrati is garrisoned in the city to provide corporate security for the residency of the Honourable Company. Whilst available to the High Commissioner if called upon, this force tends to keep a low profile on account of the ill-feeling occasioned by the Battle of Chryse back in 1690 AN.
Another unlikely contribution to the security of the city is provided by the "Academy Guard", a uniformed militia organised by the Guild of Academicians for the Benacian Academy. In a similar vein, the Paradise Districts and other properties in the city controlled by the Guild of the Lotus are protected by the "Saffron Guard", a locally raised paramilitary enforcement service drawn from the women and eunuchs of those districts.
As the capital of the Benacian Union, and as a unitary realm and bailiwick, Chryse is home to the retinues of a magister, a legate, and a tribune of the Worshipful Guild of the Sacred Carnifices. Although comparatively few in number, the men and women of the Magisters-Carnifex report directly to the Lord High Censor and enjoy the full powers of unlimited purgation over every individual and institution of the city, excepting only the High Presidium and the Congress of Chryse itself.
The General Inspectorate of Benacia Command also maintains a disciplinary troika in the city, with authority over allied service personnel in the city at the behest of Benacia Command. The retinues maintained by these tribunes are negligible and adequate only for their personal security and the dignity of their rank.
Beginning in 1723 AN the gravnought "Dominion", crewed by the 3rd Air Division of the Aviation Forces of the Benacian Union as a "picket ship", combining airborne early warning and an enhanced air defence capability for the garrison. Whilst formally stationed at Lune Villa, the exceptional loitering capabilities of the Dominion allow it to remain within its assigned area of operations over Chryse for extended periods of time, limited only by the requirements of its crew.
Economy and infrastructure
Chryse is known for its openness and entrepreneurial spirit and is home to many businesses and enterprises. The Royal Iron Company, the expropriated branch of the former Iron Company was by far the most important financial factor in the City State, it possessed many assets and controlled trade and economic development to a large extent. Between the Kalirion Fracture and the Battle of Chryse the prosperity of the port was also impeded by periods of embargo, blockade, and siege as a consequence of being held by forces hostile to the Raspur Pact during the Second Amokolian War and the Verionian-Raspur War. The international situation had subsequently improved, facilitating trade on the landwards side and removing the last impediments to maritime commerce. While the Battle of Chryse had resulted in damage to the port facilities and dockyards, the installation of a regime sympathetic to the Honourable Company, SATCo, and the Raspur Pact would allow Chryse to continue its upwards trajectory so as to supplant Musica as the primary continental entrepôt for the inter-continental trade fleets entering or departing Benacia from pact held territories. As such, the city is deeply connected into the international trading network of the Raspur Pact, which gives it access to a wide array of markets. On 10.XII.1690 AN control of the Port of Chryse, including the container port, ferry terminals, and harbour authority was ceded to the Honourable Chrysean Trading Company by the city's High Commissioner, Ayesha al-Osman. As of 1716 AN both the port and the international airport of the city are operated by the HCTC, which is responsible for the management and maintenance of these facilities.
The main physical exports of the city are gold, timber; stone; as well as vehicles and fire-arms of Ransenari provenance just outside Chryse. Aside from exports products, Chryse is a hub of financial and governmental services. The City State was home to the very first stock exchange on Micras, which is still fully functioning.
Bulk goods made up the majority of traffic unloaded in Chryse harbour, accounting for 60% of traffic in 1691. Following years of decline since the Kalirion Fracture, the increase was mainly driven by a rise in liquefied gas and crude oil arriving via Euran trade fleets for the domestic energy market in Ransenar. As noted previously, the Raspur Pact was the predominant import and export market, with 48% percent of goods received from overseas originating in pact member states whilst in return 64% of exports of Eastern Benacian goods were bound for markets within the Raspur Pact's economic area, overwhelmingly to Natopia and also increasingly to Alduria-Wechua. The export trade from Benacia via the port increased exponentially during the 1695 AN to 1708 AN period as Alduria-Wechua developed into the vast and resource hungry empire of Nouvelle Alexandrie.
Beginning in the eleventh month of 1703 AN all holdings in Chrysean credits were converted to the Benacian sovereign at a rate of 1 credit to 4 chits, representing a steep devaluation. The process of transferral was completed by 24.V.1704 AN. Discontent at offered the rate of exchange was quelled by the deployment of a reinforced contingent of the Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels to the city during the transition period.
The numerous casinos, salons, and hotels of amusement operated in the city are in the care of a cartel of proprietress known as the Gilded Company of Chryse who received their livery and charter from the Guild of the Lotus.
As a major entrepot for the intercontinental trade fleets of the Raspur Pact, and the beneficiary of frictionless trading and improved transportation linkages with neighbouring Ransenar, Chryse does not experience many of the supply shortages experienced by bailiwicks of the Benacian interior. Indeed, more so even than Ardashirshahr, Merensk, and Underwall, Chryse is treated as a showcase city where every effort is made to ensure the abundance of consumer products, entertainments of every variety, and food for both the populace at large but also more importantly for senior dignitaries and visiting foreigners.
The accession of Ransenar to the Benacian Union in 1715 AN further facilitated the deepening of cross-border economic ties. Under the terms of the accession, Ransenar had retained much of its former democratic character and thus the growth of trade and traffic with the realm did not undermine Chryse's status as the union-state's "positive advertisement" to the rest of the world.
Utilities
The city of Chryse has developed a complex supporting infrastructure system, that rests upon the provision of major utilities to meet the needs of the burgeoning population of an increasingly imperial capital, namely the provision of electricity, water, and sewerage services.
The electricity supply in Chryse is primarily generated by thermal power plants, which burn fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil to produce steam that drives turbines to generate electricity. These power plants are operated by publicly-owned utility corporations that are subordinate to the Directorate of Infrastructure within the Commission of Logistics. The electricity generated by these power plants is distributed throughout the city via an extensive network of power lines and substations.
The water supply in Chryse is sourced from a network of reservoirs and aquifers located in the surrounding uplands of Ransenar. The water is then transported to the city via a network of pipelines and canals. The city also has a desalination plant that utilises reverse osmosis technology to convert seawater into potable water, providing an additional source of water supply during times of drought or high demand. The water supply system is operated and maintained by the publicly-owned utility corporations and is subject to regular testing and monitoring to ensure the water quality meets the standards set by the Directorate of Health.
Sewerage in Chryse is managed by the same publicly-owned utility corporation that is responsible for the distribution of water. The sewerage system is designed to collect and transport wastewater from homes and businesses to treatment plants located on the outskirts of the city. The treatment plants use a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove pollutants and pathogens from the wastewater before it is released back into the environment. The sewerage system is subject to regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure the efficient operation of the system.
One of the key challenges facing the city's infrastructure is the lack of hydroelectric power resources. While the city is bisected by a number of river and situated on the coast, the topography of the area, and the limited availability of sufficient land, does not lend itself to the development of hydroelectric power. This means that the city is heavily reliant on coal-fired power plants for its electricity supply.
The city is also connected to the neighbouring realm of Ransenar, which is a fellow member of the Benacian Union. The two realms share a number of important infrastructure projects, including a joint power grid, a shared water supply system, and a number of interconnected roads and a high-speed railway service towards Goldfield. This connectivity allows for easy movement of goods and people between the two realms, which is vital for the economic growth of both regions.
That the utilities of the city have been kept in the semblance of some good working order has allowed it to be contrasted favourably with the frequently chaotic and squalid urban environment of other prominent Benacian metropolises such as Ardashirshahr, Merensk, and Shirekeep.
Culture
The international character of Chryse makes that the city is an exciting mix of new and old cultures. The Goldshirithian past and the Verionist era shaped much of the cities customs, but the influx from merchants, adventurers and refugees from all over Micras created a vibrant and open city.
The cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city, combined with its status as the destination port for Natopian and allied trade fleets bound for Benacia, gave the capital of the Union-State the feeling of being a place apart, with a notably more relaxed attitude than more westerly and northerly parts of the union-state. Certainly Chryse became a popular garrison posting for personnel of the Benacian Union Defence Force, and the nightlife of the city subsequently catered for the needs of diplomats, soldiers, and merchant navy sailors alike.
Investments by the Benacian Union in the cultural sphere for the city has seen the establishment of the Benacian Philharmonic Orchestra, as of 1705 AN resident in the city but of no fixed abode until the opening of the Chrysean Opera House in 1710 AN. The Chrysean Ballet Company was established in 1715 AN as a companion and accompaniment to the BPO.
A significant portion of the cultural output of the city's burgeoning creative and entertainment industries is geared towards the amusement and recreation of the delegates and staff of the ruling bodies of the union-state, namely the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations, the High Presidium of the Benacian Union, and, above all else, the Congress of Chryse whose sessions at four yearly intervals bring a great influx of notables from around the continent and abroad into the city. As a consequence the city has developed its own distinct social season and one of the most expansive paradise districts of the continent.
Sites of interest
- Benacian Academy;
- Benacian Museum of Antiquities;
- Chrysean Academy of Fine Arts;
- Chrysean Opera House;
- Governor's Residency, example of Verionian architecture;
- Grand Arcade;
- Iron Arena, stadium of Chryste Miners FC;
- Iron Pit Penitentiary, former fighting-pit;
- New Residency, the seat of the Szodan of Benacia and the High Presidium of the Benacian Union. Formerly the site of the MTO General Assembly and Secretariat in Chryse.
- Oakburgh Cathedral, an unfinished project of the Church of Elwynn intended to house the Diocese of Chryse;
- Port of Chryse, an example of major engineering works undertaken by the Iron Company during its period of domination over the city;
- Temple of Victorious Humanity.
Demographics
Between 1723 AN and 1731 AN the Free City experienced strong population growth, going from a total population of 4,517,088 to 5,149,480, the majority of whom were classified as Meritorious Subjects by the Benacian Censorate. Factors driving the increase included inward migration from other realms of the Union-State, reflecting the strong pull of the capital for those with authority to relocate outside of their ancestral bailiwick of residence. The city, as the major trading hub linking the Union-State to the Community of Goldfield and the Raspur Pact, has also fostered a strong migrant community, including notable émigré populations from Constancia, Natopia, and Nouvelle Alexandrie. The once considerable population of Shirerithian subjects resident in the Free City, however, dwindled away to practically nothing after the Day of Rage, when they had been presented with the choice of departure or rendering their submission by signing the Union Covenant.
| Governorates | Meritorious Subjects | Subjects Without Merit | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juveniles | Protected Persons | |||
| Chryse | 4,119,584 | 896,009 | 133,887 | 5,149,480 |
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Goldshirian | 79.6% |
| Babkhi | 5% |
| Gubernatorials | 3.6% |
| Elw | 3% |
| New Alexandrian | 2.01% |
| Natopian | 1.8% |
| Constancian | 1.59% |
| Others | 3.4% |
Notes and references
- ^ In Chryse, the Iron Company was, for traditional reasons, incorporated and traded as the Royal Iron Company of Goldshire
- ^ http://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1375&t=17979&p=145262#p145262
- ^ http://bastionunion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=538&p=145237#p145237
