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Chryse

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Free City of Chryse
Chryste or Chryste photomontage
clockwise from top: view of the Bay of Chryse from Verion Square, Statue of Arkadius des Vinandy, Plaza Volare, Hotel Astoria in downtown Chryste
Flag of Chryste or Chryste
Flag
Coat of Arms of Chryste or Chryste
Coat of Arms
Motto: "By the Blessing of the Upright the City is Exalted"
Anthem: March of the Guardians of the Star
Location of Chryste or Chryste
Map versions 14.2.3. - present
Official language(s) Istvanistani, minority Praeta
Demonym Chrysean
 - Adjective Chrysean
Government Verionist City State, Plutocracy
  Viceroy Isor Verion
Legislature Chryse Assembly
  Scepturar of the Assembly Huw Oswaldo Vargas
Establishment 512 AN City foundation
1679 AN As free city
Area 2,748 km2
Population 5,227,350 (1685)
Currency Credit (CYC)
Abbreviation CHR
Time zone(s) CMT-7
Patron Santa Finanzia
Animal Dolphin
Drink Treesian Red

Chryse, or Chryste, officially the Free City of Chryse is a city-state and territory of the United Benacian Republic on the Benacia continent. Chryse rose to prominence when the Iron Company established its headquarters in the early 17th century. As a free city in Shireroth, the city became one of the wealthiest urban areas of Benacia. Following the Kalirion Fracture, Chryse became the capital of the Verionist Republic. The city was transferred to Batavia in 1676 AN, and after two years was established as an autonomous city in the Frankish Empire. The transfer of sovereignty upset the Raspur-dominated order on the Benacian continent, and was one of the triggers of the Second Amokolian War. Following the war, the city gained its independence as the Free City of Chryste, renamed back to Chryse in 1685. Following the Union of 1682, it is a territory of the Confederated States of Gran Verionia. The border with Ransenar was opened in 1683, largely increasing tourism and cross-border trade.

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, and the town of Oakburgh, as well as the the 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 is famous for its spas.

History

Early History

Chryse was founded in 512 AN, and remained a small fishing town until the early 16th century when it was chartered as a city within Goldshire as the City of Chryse. It received attention when one of the citizens of the town, the alchemist Nicolo Struph, allegedly discovered a method to transfer pure iron ore into gold.

Iron Company

The Royal Iron Company of Goldshire made Chryse their largest port and headquarters for the daily operations of the Company in Shireroth It has been one of the three cities governed by the Company under the previous charter, along with New Harbor and Erudition. This move also saw a major extension of the Chryse harbour and the industrial facilities to the North of the city. 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. In 1669, upon the signing of the Peace of Fieldburg, the Iron Company again was granted governance of 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, 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.

In Chryse, the Iron Company is, for traditional reasons, incorporated and traded as the Royal Iron Company of Goldshire.

Bombing and rebuilding

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 carried out by the Imperial Shirerithian Air Forces on the personal order of the Minister of Military Affairs, Thorgils Tarjeisson[1]. His motivations for doing so remain obscure [2] but were believed to be related to the ongoing Civil War in Goldshire.

Rebuilding of the damaged city centre of Chryse started immediately after the airstrike. 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)

Kalirion Fracture

After the death of Kaiser Ayreon IV, the Iron Company sided with the self-declared kaiser Verion (in opposition to the child Kaiseress Salome who succeeded in accordance with the law). Its territories, including Chryse, were run as during its time in the Imperial Republic with the only change of a Verionist kaiser. However, the isolation of the Verionists and the decreasing profits for the Iron Company made the Verionist kaisership untenable. So in 1673, 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.

Verionist Rule

The Verionist Republic in Benacia was established following the Kalirion Fracture in the year 1672 AN. After initially claiming to be the only lawful successor of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, the Verionist Republic entered an agreement with the Imperial Regency following which the independence of the Republic was recognised internationally. The official ideology of the state is Verionism. The Government of the Republic is Plutocratic, handing power to a small group of people alligned with the House of Verion, the Iron Company and the Verionist political movement.

Following the downfall of the Shirithian nation, and the power vacuüm that was left after the death of Kaiser Ayreon IV, the city of Shirekeep remained under the tight control of its Prefect, Titus Morvayne, deeming the time ripe for increasing his power, Morvayne had himself elected Kaiser by the Landsraad. Although the 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 Imperial Forces located in the Keep containing the Verionists who controlled the largest part of the city. Within the year that followed, Kaiser Verion's supporters left the city. Verion himself moved to the Skyla Islands together with the largest group of his supporters, where he continued his claim on the Imperial Mango Throne.

Regina I, First Viceroy of Chryste

The Verionist Republic claimed to be the official successor state of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, but holding effective territorial control only over the Skyla Islands. The nation was established following the Kalirion Fracture which lead to the break up of the Shirithian state. In the chaotic period that followed, the former Prefect of Shirekeep, Titus Morvayne, ascended to the Imperial Throne as Kaiser Verion II, in a contested Landsraad election. Verion II left Shirekeep after a stand-off with Shirekeep Garrison loyal to the designated Kaiseress Salome. The Verionist supporters left for the Skyla Islands, former summer residence of the Kaisers, where they established the Imperial Verionist Republic. Although initially met with opposition from the Regency, the Verionists showed their pragmatic side and brokered a deal that saw their sovereignty over Greater Elsenar, Skyla and later Crisco recognised. 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 Imperial Summer Residence hosted a duplicate of the Golden Mango Throne, which Verion II assumed. Today, the relic is converted to the Imperial Throne of the Kaiseress of the Republic, and as such remains empty. A smaller chair, placed in front of the Throne was used by the Viceroy in the stead of the Kaiser.

The major change that saw the establishment of Verionist Benacia is known as the Great Disaster. On the eve of 15.XII.1675, several incidents occured in the Verionist Republic that would become the prelude to the Great Disaster. 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 simultaneaously. Although government officals were quick to respond, they could not prevent a massive and unfortunate loss of life. The total immediate death toll of the disaster is estimated at 200,000, with up to a million people expected to succumb from biological side effects of the release of 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, the Conclave voted to return back to Shireroth by a margin of 405 in favour versus 89 against, with 81 abstentions.

Although ideologican Verionists 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. The Verionists joined forces with local South Keltian tribes and warlord to establish a Verionian Empire.

Batavian and Frankish Rule

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, neighboring Ransenar was already building a fortified border and prepared for a naval blockade. Batavia handed the city over to West Amokolia to prevent it 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 defense of the city. The city was subsequently bombed for the second time in its history during that conflict.

Gran Verionia

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.

United Benacian Republic

In 1685, 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 Chrytse, restoring the city to its original name.

Government

Executive

The Governor of Chryse holds the executive power in the Free City. The Governor is directly appointed by the Surpreme Director of Gran Verionia. Incumbent Governor since 1683 is Isor Verion.

The title of the executive power of the city of Chryse used to be the Viceroy. Regina Verion served as first Viceroy, having previously served as Chancellor of the Iron Company dominion of Elsenar. Aside from having the Viceroy, the Verion family has significant power in the nation, all members of the direct Verion line hold the dignitary title of "Prince(ss) of the Republic". Due to the relation between the family, the Iron Company merchants and the state, the Free State of Chryse is often classified as a Plutocracy. Following the Great Disaster, Jana Al-Basani took over as Viceroy, and remained Governor after 1682.

National Identity

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.

Safety and Security

Number 13, Great Elm Square houses the Headquarters of the Watchmen of Chryse, the oldest and largest Corps of Watchmen in the country.

The Corps of Watchmen is the police force of the Chryse, they are responsible for mainaining public order. Aside from this, Chryse has two main military forces: the Verionist Benacian Army, and the Iron Militia. The VBA has a standing army of 215.000; and a reserve unit of over 7 million. Military conscription is compulsory. The VBA is almost entirely commanded by former Iron Militia officers, and it operates according a strict chain of command. The Verionist Benacian Army is under command of the Viceroy in her role as Commander-in-Chief. Daily operations and decision-making are delegated to the Lady Commander of the Armed Forces, Lyanna Verion.

The Iron Militia remains seperate from the state, but maintains a sizable force in the Verionist Republic, which is the heartland of the Iron Company. The main role of the militia remains to safeguard the interests of the Company first.

Economy

The port of Chryse is one of the largest trading hubs on Micras

Chryse is known for its openness and entrepreneurial spirit and is home to many businesses and enterprises. The Iron Company is by far the most important financial factor in the City State, it possesses many assets and controls trade and economic development to a large extent. As such, the city is deeply connected into the international trading network of the Company, which gives it access to a wide array of markets. Chryse imports most of its goods from outside Benacia through the Iron Company shipping routes, partly because the land routes would cross hostile Vulture States, and partly because the post-Shirithian economies are characterised by financial recession and dismanteled manufacturing works.

The main export products of the are gold, timber; stone; Vehicles from the Wendor Motors and arms from the GoldenGun conglomerate 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.

Places of Interest

Aside from the renowned architecture of the Royal University, Chryse is home to several other notable sites. The Residency, once home of the Governor-Representative of the Royal Iron Company, is one of the most luxurious and eye-catching buildings of the city, made out of bright white marble and precious stones. The city is also home to one of the largest ports on Benacia, the Iron Ports.

For the fans of history among us, the Iron Pit was the second largest fighting pit in Goldshire, after the Kingsgate Pit, before both were converted in to penitentiaries in late 1662. The city also houses the football club Chryste Miners FC.

Royal University of Chryse

Royal University of Chryste main building

The Royal University of Chryse is considered one of the most prominent institutes of higher education in Goldshire in the fields of economics and philosophy. Their engineering department, however, has consistently received criticism from other academic institutions. Albeit being damaged in an airstrike, the University compound is still one of the most beautiful buildings of the city. Notable University graduates include:

  • Jeremy Archer
  • Valkner Lewis
  • Ludovic Verion

Trivia

The city is nowadays listed as "Chryste" on the MCS map. But previously the city was listed as "Chryse".