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Benacian Union

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{{{1}}} This article or section is a work in progress. The information below may be incomplete, outdated, or subject to change.
Benacian Union
Flag of
Flag 		Emblem of
Emblem
Hymn: The Benacian Beast
Location of
Headquarters Chryse
Official language(s) Istvanistani
See also: 1699 Edict Concerning Permissible Languages in the Benacian Union
Type Union-state
Leaders
 - Szodan of Benacia Shireroth Daniyal ibn Daniyal
 - Vice-President of the High Presidium Benacian Union Zacharias Avon-El
 - Main assembly
Establishment Founded 1698 AN

United under Charter 1703 AN

Membership
Organisation website
Organisation forum

The Benacian Union is an economic, military, and political union between four sovereign nations, Elluenuueq, the Realm of Ransenar, the Sovereign Confederation of Governorates, and the Unified Governorates of Benacia. The Free City of Chryse, where the organisation maintains its headquarters, was a free Elwynnese bailiwick and governorate before becoming a realm in its own right, serves as the capital of the union-state. Established in the chaotic aftermath of the Second Elwynnese Civil War, the union is controlled by the victors of that conflict, these being Benacia Command of the Raspur Pact, the ESB Group, and the Nationalist and Humanist Party.

The Benacian Union was a somewhat unusual entity in that it consciously rejected "constitutionalism" from its inception in 1698 AN, instead holding that the law is "whatever the circumstances of a particular given moment require". Whilst a system for the rule of law would eventually solidify around the Charter of the Benacian Union and the Union Covenant, the powers of the Congress of Chryse remain ultimately untrammelled.

History

The territories formed into the modern Benacian Union were vast, amounting to almost two thirds of the territories of old Shireroth. This assemblage of nations, governorates, provinces, cities, and bailiwicks, always required a firm hand; in the form of rigid control, defence, and expansion. The Benacian Union Defence Force, formed from the Black Legions and the loyalist cadres of the Elwynnese Union Defence Force, represented a state-of-the-art killing machine that deployed extremes of brutality and horror when lessons needed to be taught, or offences punished. The Guild of Magisters-Carnifex, embedded into every bailiwick, made windows into the souls of men, and poured out torments undreamt of onto the heads of any who faltered in their adherence to the Union Covenant. Their unabashed accounts of campaigns and expeditions reveled in the ecstacies of relentless slaughter. The records of enemies killed, wealth appropriated, and populations placed under the yoke, was the delight of the lords of Benacia now that they had come into their own. Yet their desire was not sated with conquest, indeed the great work of government, as it was termed, revolved around the slow grinding down of the subject nations, and their steady digestion in such a manner that the value of their labour was extracted, and that the generations that would be born after them would be readily indoctrinated into the Archonic precepts of Humanism and the worship of the Highest Divinity.


Origins

Formation

Coordination

Governance

The constitutional order

The twin pillars of the constitutional order are the Charter of the Benacian Union, which mandates the institutions of the Union-State and their mutually interdependent relationships in the Coordinated State, and the Union Covenant which binds all subjects together in a community of the realm which constitutes the Harmonious Society, without which the coordinated state cannot function. Both components are manifestations of the ideology of Humanism.

The powers of the Benacian Union are exercised by three hybrid executive-legislative bodies:

Of these the Congress of Chryse enjoys paramountcy, having unlimited powers of purgation over the High Presidium and the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations.


The purpose of the Union-State

The Benacian Union is run for the benefit of the victors of the Second Elwynnese Civil War, namely the Honourable Company, the Nationalist & Humanist Party, and the Raspur Pact. The concept of citizenship in the Benacian Union therefore does not exist, as all are subjects are bound into service of the victors and grouped for this purpose into three broad categories:

  1. Meritorious Subjects;
  2. Subjects Without Merit;
  3. Protected Persons.

Universal subjecthood

To be considered meritorious a subject would have to be employed in the service of the Honourable Company, to have attained rank in the Benacian Union Defence Force, be enrolled in the cadres of the N&H, or else, at the minimum, to have been accepted as an apprentice into a civic, religious, or guild institution that has been legitimated by authority. Amongst the benefits of being a meritorious subject are the rights to travel between bailiwicks, to seek employment outside of the bailiwick of residence, to apply for exit visas for international travel, and to receive enhanced rations beyond the basic levels of universal provision. The privileges accorded vary from institution to institution and increase in increments as the meritorious subject advances up the Table of Grades and Ranks of the Benacian Union.

In theory every subject, in order to participate in the economic and political life of the Benacian Union, must be enrolled with a guild or one of the corporations represented in the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations. However a significant part of the present population falls outside of the present system of advancement - these being the subjects without merit who fall into two distinct subcategories, children and bondsmen. Children, particularly who lack the benefits of a patron, receive the benefits of a public education up to the age of sixteen (thirteen in Elluenuueq), whereupon they are brought forward for auction in their bailiwicks of residence to the representatives of the guilds and corporations. In most instances the BUDF takes the first cut of manpower for apprentice-soldiers leaving the liveried companies of the guilds to compete with the churches and the civil executive for the remainder. The Honourable Company, its requirements for Honoured Sons being already oversubscribed, tends not to participate in the competitive auction process. Those who are passed over at the auction stage, or who for political, linguistic, or cultural reasons were refused enrolment into the guilds at the instantiation of the Harmonious Society after the war, would default to being the bondsmen of the municipal corporations of the bailiwicks in which they reside, and which they are not permitted to depart from except by the expressed permission of the local authorities. Bondsmen are in effect municipal serfs, available for whatever work task the bailiwick deems appropriate or necessary. The services of a bondsman may be hired out by the municipal corporation of a bailiwick but the remuneration of the bondsman's labour is paid directly to the bailiwick by the hiring party rather than to the individual, who instead only receives his basic ration allocation. In theory no obstacle exists to a bondsman acquiring merit by being accepted into service by a lawful entity, however in practice a bondsman is doubly disadvantaged by whatever factor caused him to be overlooked in the first instance and by being in competition with the annual intake of children competing for apprenticeship places. Additionally bondsmen run a heightened risk of coming to the attention of the Cull Commission active in their bailiwick.

The final category - of protected person - is reserved for those who have fallen afoul of the law or have failed to abide by the manifest obligations of the Union Covenant. These people are protected in the sense that the sentences of imprisonment or death which otherwise might hang over them have been commuted in favour of equivalent or whole-life periods of service in the Benacian Labour Reserve. For those whom service in the Benacian Labour Reserve is a reprieve from a custodial or capital sentence toil forever under the threat of being recalled to complete their original sentence in its given form. A protected person who completes his term in the labour reserve is theoretically rehabilitated to society - returning to the bailiwick from whence he originally hailed. However one who returns does so without any of their former standing, for they have forfeited whatever grade and rank of merit they might have acquired hitherto - they face living the remainder of their life as bondsmen, with the record of their past misdemeanours effectively ending whatever chance they might have had of recovering lost merit through service.

Within the realm of Ransenar however, the condition of merit was bestowed upon all subjects at its accession into the Benacian Union, under the favourable terms negotiated which ensured that the realm would continue to operate a democratic system of self-governance whilst adhering to the terms of the Charter of the Benacian Union and the Union Covenant.

Administration

The Benacian Union has a complex administrative structure, with several layers of government and various institutions that exercise different powers and responsibilities. At the top of the hierarchy is the Congress of Chryse, which serves as the supreme legislative and executive body of the Union. The Congress is divided into two branches: the High Presidium of the Benacian Union, which handles defense, economic affairs, foreign policy, and security, and the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations, which is responsible for public administration.

The High Presidium is headed by the Szodan of Benacia, who serves as the Head of State and presides over the Benacian Security Council. The Vice-President of the High Presidium leads the General Staff Council. The High Presidium is divided into four commissions: the Commission for Foreign Affairs, the Commission for the Panopticon, the Commission for the Sacred Treasury, and the Commission for War.

The Commission for Foreign Affairs oversees the Legatine College for Foreign Affairs, the Legatine College for Foreign Commerce, and the Legatine College for Information Dissemination. The Commission for the Panopticon is in charge of the Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels, the Legatine College for Domestic Investigation, and the Legatine College for the Inspection of Guilds. The Commission for the Sacred Treasury manages the Legatine College for Appropriations and Allocations, and the Legatine College for Industry, Resources, and Public Works. Finally, the Commission for War oversees the Benacian Union Defense Force, the Legatine College for Data Services, and the Women's Auxiliary Service.

The Benacian Union is divided into several realms, each of which has its own government and institutions. The Realm of Chryse, for example, is headed by the High Commissioner of the Free City of Chryse, who is responsible for overseeing the Vice President of the Realm of Chryse, the General Staff Council, and the Civil Executive of the Realm. The Realm of Chryse also has a Council of Chryse, which serves as its legislature.

The other realms in the Benacian Union have similar structures, with each realm having its own Head of Realm, Vice President, General Staff Council, Civil Executive, and legislature. For example, the Realm of Ransenar is headed by the Szodan of Ransenar, while the Realm of the Sovereign Confederation is headed by the Szodan of the Sovereign Confederation. The Realm of the Unified Governorates of Benacia is headed by the Szodan of Benacia.

Overall, the Benacian Union has a highly centralized and authoritarian government, with a complex administrative structure and multiple layers of bureaucracy.

Policy

Security doctrine

The security doctrine of the Benacian Union rests upon a system of concentric containment, ensuring that there exists no single point within the entire hierarchy of the Union-State where sufficient strength resides to overturn the ruling system installed after the Second Elwynnese Civil War, even the Magisters-Carnifex, with their unlimited powers of purgation, are subordinate to the Congress of Chryse and could be crushed by the Benacian Union Defence Force and the Commission for the Panopticon if they pushed their remit too far, and these countervailing forces are likewise checked by each other. With society partitioned into compartmentalised bailiwicks and guilds, and all subjected to totalising forms of surveillance, the prevailing theory is that no individual or institution will be able to organise sufficiently to pose a threat to the system without first being identified, isolated, and suppressed by local forces.

Headquarters

In 1703 AN the former site of the Micras Treaty Organisation in Chryse was generously donated by the city to the Union-State for its use in perpetuity as the site of its headquarters.

The continental governorates of the BU in 1711

Members

Membership as of 1711 AN
Nation Accession Year Notes
Chryse Chryse 1698 AN Free City of Elluenuueq
Elluenuueq Elluenuueq 1698 AN Founding member
Ransenar Ransenar 1711 AN Joined by Treaty of Goldfield
Sovereign Confederation Sovereign Confederation 1703 AN Resumption of self-government
Unified Governorates Unified Governorates 1698 AN Founding member

Protectorates & special autonomous regions

Observers

Administrative structure

The administrative structure of the Benacian Union is a complex hierarchical behemoth. It consists of three main branches: the Congress of Chryse, the High Presidium of the Benacian Union, and the Chamber of Guilds and Corporations. The Congress of Chryse is the supreme governing body of the Union and has the power to purgation over the other two branches. The High Presidium of the Benacian Union is the executive branch, responsible for defence, economic affairs, foreign policy, and security. The Chamber of Guilds and Corporations is the legislative branch, responsible for public administration.

The Benacian Union is also divided into several realms, each with its own head of realm and governing body. The Realm of Chryse is headed by the High Commissioner of the Free City of Chryse and has a council as its legislature. The Realm of Elluenuueq is headed by the Szodan of Elluenuueq, while the Realm of Ransenar and the Realm of the Sovereign Confederation are headed by the Szodan of Ransenar and the Szodan of the Sovereign Confederation, respectively. The Realm of the Unified Governorates of Benacia is headed by the Szodan of Benacia. Each realm has its own executive and legislative bodies.

The Benacian Union also has several other institutions and bodies, including the Benacian Union Defence Force, the Benacian Academy, the Benacian Censorate, and the Worshipful Guild of the Sacred Carnifices. These institutions play important roles in the governance and administration of the Union.

Economic data

  • Nominal GDP (1705 AN): ₦1,409,369,261,989
  • GDP per capita (1705 AN): ₦6222.28
  • Govt Expenditure as % of GDP (1705 AN): 66.18%


Budget

  • Estimate of Government expenditure for 1705 AN:
    • Allocated Expenditure for the Commission for War — ₦558,110,227,747 (39.6%}
    • Allocated Expenditure for the Commission for Foreign Affairs – ₦52,505,130,450 (3.7%)
    • Allocated Expenditure for the Commission for the Panopticon – ₦35,548,829,000 (2.5%)
    • Allocated Expenditure for the Commission for the Sacred Treasury — ₦20,548,887,336 (1.45%)
    • Allocated Expenditure for the Office of the Lord High Rector – ₦67,951,101,300 (4.8%)
    • Allocated Expenditure for the Office of the Lord High Censor – ₦45,300,734,200 (3.2%)
    • Allocated Expenditure for the Congrass of Chryse & Chamber of Guilds & Corporations – ₦10,872,176,208 (0.77%)
    • Grant to the Civil Executive of the Unified Governorates of Benacia – ₦51,161,064,000 (3.6%)
    • Grant to the Civil Executive of the Riqi Elluenuuerssuarion – ₦56,494,092,400 (4%)
    • Grant to the Civil Executive of the Sovereign Confederation – ₦22,124,367,000 (1.56%)
    • Grant to the Civil Executive of the Free City of Chryse – ₦14,604,038,000 (1%)
  • Estimates of Government revenues for 1705 AN:
    • Tribute payments for the Riqi Elluenuuerssuarion – ₦67,189,965,856
    • Tribute payments for the Unified Governorates of Benacia – ₦53,056,410,884
    • Tribute payments for the Sovereign Confederation – ₦15,896,163,872
    • Tribute payments for the Free City of Chryse – ₦4,543,520,678
    • Tribute payments from Guilds & Corporations – ₦183,218,004,058
    • Reparation payments (fmr. Amokolia & Upper Elwynn) – ₦45,757,882,090
    • Customs Duties & Excise – ₦292,687,643,225
    • Purchase Tax – ₦186,882,364,139
  • Total Projected Revenues (1705 AN): ₦849,231,954,802
  • Total Projected Expenditure (1705 AN): ₦935,220,647,641
  • Projected Deficit/Surplus (1705 AN): -₦85,988,692,839
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