Adrestia
| The Holy Ralgon Principality of Adrestia | |||
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| Motto: Strength and Honor | |||
| Anthem: WIP | |||
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| Map versions | ??? | ||
| Capital | Gondolin | ||
| Largest city | Gondolin | ||
| Official language(s) | Draconian (official) Standard (most common) | ||
| Official religion(s) | Draconic (revolves around a pantheon consisting of eleven gods) | ||
| Demonym | Ralgon | ||
| - Adjective | Ralgon | ||
| Government | Constitutional Elective Monarchy | ||
| - Prince of Adrestia | Masamune Ral I | ||
| - Duke of Gondolin | Kazuma Hawkins | ||
| - Legislature | Parliament | ||
| Establishment | Wolf Moon, 1674 AN | ||
| Area | NA | ||
| Population | 12,540,054 (1675 AN) | ||
| Active population | NA | ||
| Currency | Guilder (£) | ||
| Calendar | |||
| Time zone(s) | |||
| Mains electricity | |||
| Driving side | |||
| Track gauge | |||
| National website | |||
| National forum | |||
| National animal | Adrestian Eagle | ||
| National food | |||
| National drink | Green Tea | ||
| National tree | Lemon tree | ||
| Abbreviation | HRE | ||
Adrestia, formally known as The Holy Ralgon Principality of Adrestia, is a dependent constituent country of the Holy Ralgon Empire. It is currently the Ralgon Empire's largest overseas possession, and the largest one which was never used as a penal colony. It is also the Holy Ralgon Empire's only fully autonomous possession, all others either being directly ruled from one of the nation's capitals on the island of Dragos, or else by the Imperial Senate in Drag'nor. Adrestia was originally founded on the back of the Great White Fleet's Imperial-sponsored effort to share Ralgon goods, ideas, and culture with the rest of the world. To the east of the Keltia continent, the Great White Fleet set up headquarters on a smaller island off the coast of what is now mainland Adrestia at some point in 1670 AN. They officially claimed the area in the name of the Holy Ralgon Empire to coincide with the 400th anniversary of their nation's unification, initially ignorant of the paradise that lay on the mainland.
Initially the domain of the rich, honorable, and otherwise esteemed citizens of the then-burgeoning Ralgon state, it also wasn't long before a functional city was on the rise, featuring spacious real estate for its citizens, with residency within Gondolin and its environs restricted to combat veterans, wealthy merchants, nobility, and other meritorious individuals. It wasn't for several years that Adrestia began to take a life of its own. Beginning on the outermost fringes of Feanoria, the rapidly growing colony found itself with such an abundance of natural and mineral resources that the population exploded from its earliest days, fueling an already-large industrial complex initially led by the Great White Fleet,
From its colonization to its seizure of imperial power following the beginning of the 1700's AN, Adrestia has been the subject of unprecedented development for a Ralgon possession. By the time Ralgon emerged from another of a series of endless crises beginning in 1685 AN, Adrestia itself was quickly emerging as a power in its own right, eventually usurping the infrastructure in the USSO's massive port in Gondolin (now easily the among world's largest freshwater ports) and its environs. Since the beginning of 1705 AN, the current Adrestia is known both for its original heartland and for the massive empire that has slowly emerged within the Holy Ralgon Empire's own umbrella, waiting for the latter to fall.
In anticipation of this, the search for proper penal colonies was reinstituted by the Adrestian government, and it picked up speed closer to the Ralgon Succession Crisis in 1705. This was a move not seriously undertaken since the 1685 Crisis that the Ralgon government survived some 20 years prior. It was in response to these same events that temporary posts in the Micrasian Antarctic were set up in secret, and in 1706 land was secured to harbor political prisoners in far-removed places, depending on the status of the prisoners sent off to either work in the mines, or otherwise live out the rest of their days under a combination of some form of house arrest and exile from the mainland.
Government
The Prince (and the Imperial Crown)
Nominally, Adrestia is ruled through the Crown at Drag'os. Originally, the Principality's title was vested in the senior-most Prince of the Empire, and then passed down through his resulting line in a manner the locals deem fit (albeit with approval from the Emperor). Thus, any actions passed and approved by the Prince of Adrestia must also have the consent of the Ralgon Emperor to pass. In recent years, weakening central government authority over the islands has caused the Emperor to grant passive consent to any and all acts passed locally, while retaining veto power.
While the Imperial Government claims to rule Adrestia, the island nation is instead all but independent from the Ralgon imperial government at Drag'os. Due to the distance of the islands from the mainland and the existence of its own independent Self-Defense Force, the islands are capable of running themselves as they see fit. Since as early as 1680, Adrestia's government has fallen into paying lip service to the imperial government and paying requisite taxes, but no longer sends representatives to the central government. The rapidly growing nation has matured at the fast pace of its growth, and the Principality has taken measures to retain more autonomy and independence from the central government.
Currently, it is the only one of Ralgon's possessions (mainland or otherwise) not subject to rule by the Imperial Senate.
The Parliament of Adrestia
Adrestia is currently ruled by a Parliament split into two houses. The oldest of these houses is the House of Lords, which consists of the new nobility of the island, as well as a set number of representatives from the island's richest families. Both the lower limits of noble title and the minimum wealth threshold required for membership in the Parliament are determined by the Prince a minimum of one cycle (five years) in advance. The number of members of the House of Lords cannot exceed 150 members, but the general membership along with Prince Masamune of Adrestia have committed to keeping that number as low as possible. The current House of Lords has 87 members, including exactly 11 members of the island's clergy (in those only 6 being from the Holy Draconic Church). The House of Lords is always headed by the Principality's senior-most lord after the reigning Prince. This happens to be the Duke of Gondolin, which is headed by Lord Kazuma Hawkins, 1st Duke of Gondolin.
Formed in 1680 upon Adrestia's receipt of total autonomy from Ralgon is the House of Commons. With the rapidly growing affluent population of the country, a need arose to represent the nation's educated working, middle, and lower upper classes. As such, the Commons was formed to consist of elected representatives of the colony's major districts, which includes the city of Gondolin itself. Both a lengthy tour of civil or military service is required to sit in the Commons, as well as a completed post-secondary education. Usually, representatives come from one of Adrestia's elite universities (either the Imperial University of Gondolin or the University of Adrestia, also located in the capital city) or from abroad at an equally prestigious institution. Because of this and extremely strict campaign finance rules within the country, elected representatives are often much more affluent than their constituents, with those few people of lesser wealth usually crowdfunding their campaigns through professional, civil service and/or military connections.
Relations with Ralgon
Adrestia is easily the most loosely governed major territory in the Holy Ralgon Empire for a good reason: Adrestia has everything that the mainland does, if not more. Adrestia, uniquely among Ralgon's principal territories, has its own self-defense force (which is rumored to be capable of standing toe-to-toe with the mainland's military). Adrestia's own economy (which generates more income per capita than any other of the Empire's territories, and boasts the empire's second-highest regional GDP, coming in just behind Glacier City, SAR. Helping things along is the fact that the islands have a near-monopoly on any and all direct traffic between the USSO bloc and Ralgon, and the country has also looked into conducting trade with the nearby Gran Verionia, a move normally considered abhorrent in the eyes of the mainlanders, who had a nasty fallout with the Iron Company in 1675 after trade relations between the two soured quickly after Ralgon joined the USSO.
Recent moves by Adrestia to support the openly breakaway nation of the Realm of Pyrax have caused intense friction with the central government, most of which continues to refuse to recognize its sovereignty (not to mention its mere existence.) Furthermore, the Prince of Adrestia personally ordered a massive and ultimately successful operation meant to secretly smuggle natives and their dragons, along with large numbers of refugees and sympathizers from Western Drag'os to a fitting refuge in faraway Keltia's interior. Although this was done to avoid escalation in the mainland's current civil war (and on the Emperor's secret blessing), Adrestia's move to allow rebellious colonists on the Eventide Islands to collaborate with the natives and declare independence produced a nigh-irreparable rift with the central government.
Adrestia has proven the least expansionist of Ralgon's territories, also much to the ire of the central government. Deteriorating relations between Prince Masamune Ral and the Imperial Family back home have also led to him declaring the House of Adrestia to be separate from the Imperial line, cutting off both himself and future descendants from eligibility to be Emperor. On the other hand, neither can the Imperial Family lay claim to Adrestia's throne anymore. Finally, the official stance of apathy present in the Adrestian court regarding Ralgon's internal troubles would have had the country occupied, were it not for the strong economy and Navy already employed by the colonists present. It was from these events that the Holy Ralgon Empire met its end.
History
Foundation (1660-1675)
Adrestia was originally founded on the back of the Great White Fleet's Imperial-sponsored effort to share Ralgon goods, ideas, and culture with the rest of the world. To the east of the Keltia continent, the Great White Fleet set up headquarters on a smaller island off the coast of what is now mainland Adrestia at some point in 1670 AN. After ten years of settlement in the region, they secured the surrounding islands not belonging to their Bassarid neighbors in short order. After moving to the mainland and setting up a civilian headquarters in 1670, the merchant and military classes jointly claimed the area in the name of the Holy Ralgon Empire to coincide with the 400th anniversary of their nation's unification, initially ignorant of the paradise that lay on the mainland.
As the island rapidly grew overpopulated with incoming merchants and naval vessels seeking to protect the Ralgon Empire's first major colony, major exploratory expeditions were launched to explore the much larger main island. To everyone's joy, they discovered a paradise entirely devoid of the monsters encountered back home. Civilization was non-existent, no hostile peoples or creatures inhabited the land, and the soil was exceptionally fertile, even more so than the dangerous fringes of the Great Swamp. The news traveled home of an untouched paradise, and before long throngs of privileged citizens were lining up to build what they considered to be a heaven for the best Ralgon society had to offer.
By another twist of fate, another expedition followed one of the island's many rivers to a small mountain deep in the interior. Here, the land was covered in citrus forests the likes of which the expedition's members had never seen. A city was rapidly founded on that mountain. Residences for both the island's rulers and even one for the Emperor were constructed, and the region was entirely annexed by the Ralgons by 1675. It also wasn't long before a functional city was on the rise, featuring spacious real estate for its citizens, with residency within Gondolin and its environs restricted to combat veterans, wealthy merchants, nobility, and other meritorious individuals.
Colonial Era (1675-1683)
Soon after its settlement, Adrestia quickly became the subject of unprecedented development for a Ralgon possession. Mainland Adrestia as well as its surrounding islands rapidly saw the influx of major trade coming between Ralgon proper and the rest of the world, and a trade partnership with the Bassarid island colony to the south ensured that territorial disputes would not arise due to increased trade in the region. Having rapidly enriched itself, the Adrestian colonists successfully lobbied to have the colony declared a Principality, placing it out of reach of most of Ralgon's central government. Prince Masamune Ral, the Emperor's brother, was selected to hold the colony for himself and his descendants.
Thanks to the many rivers that flow in and out of Gondolin, it rapidly became an important port city, receiving primarily construction supplies and luxury goods, while most other wares stopped instead at Tranquility Base or Storm's End on the way to and from Ralgon proper. In 1676, a major intercontinental airport was built and commissioned outside of Gondolin, and it serves nonstop flights between Gondolin and Glacier City S.A.R., as well as other major USSO destinations as allowed to the Ralgons (and consequently Adrestia) by treaty. With Adrestia's rise to international prominence in its own right, the former colony was granted full autonomy by the central government in 1683. Since that moment, Adrestia has been acting akin to an independent nation beholden to Ralgon's government by economic ties more than political ones. With the latter's recurring (and worsening) problems, as well as the recent effort by Adrestia to join the CSSO even those ties are threatened.
Ralgonese Crisis Era (1683-1695)
The Prince of Adrestia ordered expeditions to explore the island chains' "mainland" beginning in 1680. These expeditions to the northern areas of the country revealed the source of the area's many navigable river waters. A military base was established in the region until the government could delineate parklands and strict nature preserves designed to protect the pristine environment enjoyed by Adrestia's citizens and visitors alike. This opened more land for wealthy and powerful refugees coming from Ralgon to escape either the mainland (the large island of Drag'os). These high-class refugees coming to Adrestia either arrived to escape Drag'os's overpopulation crisis, the endless wars fought by the central government with the natives and megafauna to the west of the island, or for the superior economy that Adrestia offers for the vast majority of those lucky enough to be granted the right of abode on either the islands or, more rarely, the paradise-like mainland.
Strict immigration controls from Ralgon have become the single most notable thing separating Adrestia's problems from its mother country. Despite a massive population boom since its Principality status was granted in 1683, population density on the mainland has been strictly controlled by the central government outside the capital city of Gondolin. This has extended as far as draconian immigrant restrictions. Of note is a hefty tax on having children, which restricts the ability to pass inheritance and citizenship onto fewer people. As a result, only about 15% of families may have multiple children who are citizens. (Once non-citizen children come of age, they are forcibly deported to either the barrier or mountain islands outside Adrestia, to Drag'os, or sent on one of Adrestia's now-constant colonial or trading expeditions.)
Despite these population controls, the region still has comparatively lax laws on visitation from other countries and regions. The islands surrounding the country have seen increased traffic due to population increases, which have directly led to expeditions west from or through Adrestia to establish colonies on western Keltia, beginning with the securing of the Eventide Isles not far from Bassarid territory. This secured the straits the rocky islands serve to protect, as well as open up further colonization northwards -- mostly by individuals priced out of Adrestia's luxury real estate market, or by the massive influx of citizens coming from the Ralgon homeland in the wake of recent crises as of 1685.
Imperial Power (1695-1705)
Thanks to the many rivers that flow in and out of Gondolin, the regional capital rapidly became an important port city, receiving primarily construction supplies and luxury goods, while most other wares stopped instead at Tranquility Base or Storm's End on the way to and from Ralgon proper. In 1676, a major intercontinental airport was built and commissioned outside of Gondolin, and it serves nonstop flights between Gondolin and Glacier City S.A.R., as well as other major USSO destinations as allowed to the Ralgons (and consequently Adrestia) by treaty.
By the early 1690's, the city had, thanks to a central location and exponentially increased industry and population, seen a series of economic miracles that saw it slowly supplanting Glacier City as the wealthiest city per capita by far, within the domains of the greater Holy Ralgon Empire. By 1699, Adrestia was a full-fledged equal of Ralgon, with a far larger naval force, stronger economy, stable government, constantly expanding frontiers, and a lack of rivals in its intended areas of control following the decline and/or fall of fellow USSO states in the region. It was by this time that imperial power itself began an unprecedented shift outside the Ralgon homeland to another location.
Mainland Adrestia as well as its surrounding islands rapidly saw the continued influx of major trade coming between Ralgon proper and the rest of the world, and a trade partnership with the Bassarid island colony to the south ensured that territorial disputes would not arise due to increased trade in the region. Having rapidly enriched itself, the Adrestian colonists successfully lobbied to have the colony declared a Principality, placing it out of reach of most of Ralgon's central government. Prince Masamune Ral I, the Emperor's brother, was selected to hold the colony for himself and his descendants. He was succeed by his own eldest son, Imperial Prince Masamune II, in 1685 AN. After a prolonged illness, he in turn abdicated the throne, then died in the same year of an unknown illness (likely the White Plague) in late 1698 AN. Until a worthy candidate came of age, a Regency formed that consisted of the newly formed Princely Council of Adrestia (consisting of the senior-most lords or representatives in the country).
In the wake of Emperor Shiro I of Ralgon's decline in prestige at home, he was pressed to focus remaining native Ralgon assets at home following Adrestian abandonment of Cibola. His serious injury in battle during the heat of the late stages of the Ralgon Reconquista, it was clear that Adrestia had become the most important region of the Ralgon Empire. Finally, a deal was struck in secret on the beginning hours of 1697 AN: The Empire would shift its central authority to Gondolin following Emperor Shiro's death or abdication, in return for Adrestian help securing the western frontiers of Drag'os once again so that it could operate on its own from then on. Although this shift began immediately (with the Draconic religion's senior clergy beginning a move to Gondolin), it nonetheless proved slow going.
End of Empire (1706-)
It wasn't until the Ralgon Succession Crisis that Adrestia began to take a strong interest in its mother country's internal affairs again, although this time the Adrestians were far more concerned with empire building than merely aiding their cousins in some altruistic display of kinship. When the imperial government finally fractured in 1705 AN after the death of Emperor Shiro I from a rare form of cancer, the Adrestian government acted quickly, seizing centers of power on mainland Drag'os, including the black sites at Zamma, the government centers of Glacier City (whose population supported their stronger cousins), and the industrial centers at Mashiro.
It was in this cyclone of events that the Adrestians led directly to the dissolution of the Holy Ralgon Empire as it was before. With the historical capital region of Valeria and Stormhold contested and cut off from its remaining power base in Cibola, the Royal Adrestian Navy still had vast swathes of frontier territory to control, which their present form of government could no longer contain.
Economy
The islands of Adrestia play host to the headquarters of the famed Great White Fleet, which is the Holy Ralgon Empire's primary state-sponsored international trading entity. Effectively a confederation of merchant companies owned by the government (having been bought out individually over the years), they moved their respective headquarters from Glacier City and Drag'nor on the mainland and moved to an island east of the central Adrestian territory on what is known to the rest of Micras as South Island. The organization was taken over by the Adrestian government, after the Prince of Adrestia bought a controlling stake in most of the Great White Fleet's member organizations (using a mix of his own and his government's money). The southern half of the island holds an unusually high proliferation of slow-moving, major rivers that stem from a large series of springs in the island's center, in unexplored territory. This allows the City of Gondolin to act as a trade hub with the rest of the colony, while each of the satellite islands serve as major hubs for the Ralgon Imperial Navy, or as cargo hubs for use as a stopover port between the extreme eastern end of Bassarid territory and the ports that lie beyond.
A unique, special relationship exists specifically between the colony of Adrestia and the Bassarid colony on the chain's southeastern satellite island, known to the locals as the Ranalama del Alphavandíe. On a local level, cooperation and understanding exists between the Ralgon Navy and merchant fleets (as well as Merchant Marines) and the Bassarid colony (and by extension the privateers based there). Therefore, trade passes through the region unhindered between Ralgon, its colonies abroad, and its allies in the USSO.
Primary imports that stay within Adrestia are construction materials, luxury goods, and primarily armaments from the Navy in the colonists' unrelenting drive north to discover the source of the hot springs, as well as efforts to uncover any pre-existing civilizations (and consequent technologies) in this unusually hospitable region. Exports include gold from the hills to the north as well as precious stones found in the same area. Pearls are common exports that ship to both the Island of Drag'os in the east, and either the Bassarids or various small nations to the west. Other exports from the colony include precious gems from Ralgon, as well as precious metals obtained from the far western portions of the Great Divide, located on the outskirts of the Duro Province on home Ralgon territory. The colony absorbs around 10% of the total exports generated from Ralgon territory, but makes up for its local trade deficits several times over through profits in trade that pass through the territory both ways.
Adrestia also serves as the primary direct port of trade between Ralgon and Jingdao. Since all land territory between the Island of Dragos and Jingdao's mainland is controlled by Raspur Pact nations, the Ralgons are wary of sending anything that way due to the Iron Company's presence (which they regard as a terrorist organization since their bombing of a Glacier City dockyard in 1675 AN. Therefore, the colony has rapidly grown rich from heavy trade coming to and from the region.
Adrestia has recently integrated its economy quite thoroughly with the USSO, with heavy trade especially coming through the nearby Bassarid colony, which has existed since before the Adrestians settled the island in the 1660's AN. Its efforts to integrate itself into the proposed CSSO has caused tensions with the rest of the Ralgon nation, which has further contributed to the quietly widening rift in economics, politics, and culture between the two parties.
Culture
Major Sports Teams
The Adrestian Eagles are considered to be the national football team, but the nation has not officially sanctioned their presence in any international games thus far, to avoid further conflict with the mainland.
Military Culture
The armed forces are considered much a part of the national religion, which is a variant of the Draconic religion practiced in Ralgon. As such, there are a great number of additional rules imposed upon the military. Most notable to outsiders is the restriction that no soldier in uniform, nor any person whatsoever, must step into the capital city of Gondolin bearing arms. The entire city is, as a whole, considered sacrosanct by the various common, military, and noble classes alike, and so the now-massive metropolis is defended in such a specific fashion so that no weapon is ever seen nor heard within the walls that now encircle the city.
Additionally, the country strongly believes its military arm is but an additional tool for enforcing peace within its sphere of influence. It was for this reason that the Adrestian Navy intervened during the Ralgon Civil War to force both what is now the Hexarchy and their very own mother country to stop fighting, directly leading to the independence of the former. The general rule to note is that their military is famed for their genteel behavior off the battlefield, but they have but one policy when the country is finally forced into a war: leave nothing standing, lest it rise from the ashes to threaten the world once again. This is also why, despite its end goal of perpetuating peace in the region, the Adrestian armed forces are as strong and well-equipped as they are.
Instead of war, military culture focuses on two things: protection, and discovery. Military expeditions are usually the first forays to the north of the country's sparsely populated regions, and the Old Forest Ruins (now under preservation) are the unofficial headquarters of the Royal Expeditionary Corps, a significant part of the Adrestian Defense Force filled with especially gifted personnel. Diplomacy is frequently conducted off the decks of an exploration or science vessel owned by the Navy, and merchant fleets usually enjoy escorts by Adrestia's powerful, combat-ready Navy.
Law & Order
Adrestian laws and freedoms are, as a whole, very libertarian. Unlike Ralgon, Adrestia committed itself to creating as close to the ideal country for both individuals and their society as possible. As such, the legal framework was constructed to allow for as much personal freedoms as possible while ensuring individual prosperity and protecting otherwise vulnerable persons from harm by the country's few undesirables.
Speech, Media, & Religion
Speech & Expression
Free speech is tolerated almost to a fault within the nation, and publications of most types generally tolerated so long as laws regarding the general peace are followed in both letter and spirit within the country. Notable exceptions include hard bans on advertisements for political, legal, and pharmaceutical purposes over any type of newspaper or digital media. Additionally, any type of insurance is also banned from being advertised over any medium. Criticism of the government is allowed, as are other types of publications regarding current affairs. However, calls to violence or violent revolution of any type are banned, and such publications are censored.
Attempts to force illegal or unrated content around the authorities and into the general public without approval typically result in harsh punishment that, usually, lead to exile, heavy fines, and/or revocation of business license. Repeated attempts typically lead to imprisonment. Importing such unapproved media is among the few victimless crimes (outside of importing contraband) that someone may end up in prison in Adrestia without being fined for their transgressions first.
Movies & Video Games
Cinema and video games are the only means over which violence may be portrayed, and publication is subject to sales only to appropriately aged customers. All publications are first required to be given a rating according to objectionable material before publication, although this is generally a formality before the material is approved for publication within Adrestia's borders. The only exception is media published by foreign-owned companies, some of which may find the process onerous at times. For instance, the Micras Warfare series of games had their release delayed by almost three months in Adrestia due to the time it took for the relatively few staff in the Adrestian Entertainment Bureau to assign an official rating.
Religion
Very few religions are legally recognized by the government in Gondolin, those being Tianchaodao, Draconic, and peaceful sects belonging to the Stripping Path. Other religions are also allowed under their current legal framework, although religious reasons under those belief systems for the use of otherwise discouraged substances (namely addictive and/or harmful substances such as tobacco) do not typically hold up in court. Additionally, religious courts outside of recognized faiths are not sanctioned by the government, and judgments issued by them have no legal force within the country.
Contraband
Substances considered controversial in most countries are, nonetheless generally tolerated in Adrestia. Those few exceptions include addictive drugs known to do grievous long-term harm, and those where violence and violent addiction regularly follow. In those cases, prevention is heavily invested in by the central government, as are programs designed to help willing participants wean themselves off substances that lead to (or contribute to) addiction and/or resulting violence. Alcohol is considered a controversial substance in the country, and sales are strictly regulated. Except in the case of drug dealers (especially foreigners), hard deterrence and (usually violent) crackdowns are typically considered a last resort.
Importing hard, toxic drugs is considered an extremely grave offense in the country. Thanks to a massive public surveillance system, such attempts are almost always discovered. Criminals (especially foreigners) very rarely get sentenced to either prison or exile, but instead tend to find themselves in the afterlife before they know what hit them. As a further deterrent, much safer items with similar effects on the mind or body may even be purchased from the central government for use in designated spaces -- usually as part of treatment programs to slowly get people off those same addictive substances.
This combination of policies has resulted in an extremely low rate of drug-related crimes in the country, although alcohol tends to be an issue with the lower classes in the country's outlying regions, where wealth is not as concentrated and drug prevention and recovery programs don't reach as far into society's lower strata.
Violent Crimes
The country is extremely strict in law enforcement regarding violent crimes. Its methods of dealing with violent criminals are regularly condemned by human rights observers, as the Adrestian government typically follows an "eye for an eye" type of policy. As such, punishments in the country vary widely, with a painless death penalty being only reserved for those sentenced to life with the option of receiving humane (painless) capital punishment at any time -- a merciful end for such persons, according to current government policy.
In the country, mercy may only be granted by one of two parties, according to the severity of the crime: the Prince himself, or the victim. Should the victim's death be part of the crime, the victim's family may choose to commute the condemned to have the option of a painless end or, at least, hard labor without the possibility of judicial torture during their inevitably life-long sentence of hard labor in service to the state.
Types of mercy vary widely. On the lighter end, this could be the victim and/or their relative(s) forgiving the criminal and commanding that violence-related fines and/or corporal punishment be waived (although the criminal must still pay/work off state court fees if convicted). However, there are limits to the extent of the mercy the victim and families may grant, even if not under duress (for which laws also protect victims of crime from). Only the Prince of Adrestia (in concert with the victim and/or their relatives) may fully commute an especially severe sentence. In such cases, a trial must, as a rule, be extremely thorough before a verdict is passed down, since a "simple" prison sentence can be easily compensated for with money, but permanent corporal punishments cannot in most cases.
In those cases where robberies or other events leading to property (or monetary) loss occur, restitution in the form of that which was stolen or damaged/destroyed in its original (or a new) state occurs, and the criminal is also imposed an additional fine equal to the same losses they inflicted on the victim(s). This is to deter such events, as well as fund imprisonment in those cases that other criminals cannot afford direct restitution and work their debts off. (In those cases, the state compensates the victims and imposes the debt of twice that value on the condemned.)
Thankfully, violent crimes in the country are extremely rare, although this is partly because of a highly comprehensive surveillance system in place in all of the country's public spaces, and the near-universal installation of private surveillance in their owners' residences (due to heavy government campaigning for such systems to be installed for the greater good). Although the massive surveillance system imposed by the government is condemned by the country's human rights groups, abuse of this system is almost unheard of. This is, in turn, mostly because these same human rights groups are given the ability to freely access files on what is done by government officials with data gathered through public surveillance systems. It is these groups that the Prince's court uses to severely punish officials who use public data for unauthorized purposes.
"Victimless" Crimes
In cases of victimless crimes (such as damage done to government systems, or data scraping off private corporations), the condemned is either made to pay or work back the exact value of the damage they did to those organizations. Their labor is judged according to 80 percent of the market rate, or minimum wage value if they are either unemployed or only work for such a wage after the 80 percent rule is factored in. Sometimes, their sentences are commuted to a lesser value if they appeal for clemency or mercy. Pardons, however, are rare, and such persons are often stigmatized by the government in some fashion after release if their labor sentence would otherwise be longer than the condemned person's own lifetime.
Reformed Criminals
Criminal background checks are subjected to strict rules in Adrestia. Fully reformed criminals are protected under the law, and crimes which have been accounted and paid in full for through either corporal, labor, or financial punishment are always sealed and expunged by the courts. Discrimination against persons who have paid their debts to the state and/or their victims in full is highly illegal in Adrestia. Although such discrimination is sometimes common in rural areas, regular offenders are consistently caught in due course and forced to shut down and fully divest (after compensating any victims of discrimination), with business owners barred from doing business or entering a managerial capacity. In urban areas, these persons usually find gainful employment through the State at (or near) market rates before venturing into private enterprises some time later to avoid such situations freshly out of prison.
The only legal ways in which a former criminal may face temporary or permanent stigmatization are as follows: 1) if they permanently lose rights to voting, citizenship, or business, 2) if they have not completed and/or fully paid off their sentence, or 3) the criminal has been deemed permanently as a threat to society and sentenced as such by the State (which is extremely rare). In any and all of these cases, a condemned person may instead appeal to the governors or to the Prince for mercy, upon which that decision becomes final.
