Crisconium

Crisconium is a centralized federation of 6 states and 1 capital region, ruled as an autocracy. Formed in 1443 through an act of unification, it occupies the island of Crisconensis, as well as the Crisco Superior and Crisco Inferior island chains. Crisconium is currently the Secretary-in-Chief of the Eurasia Magnus Council. Its economy is based around fishing, agriculture, and mining, due to the recent uranium deposits found on the eastern coast.

Crisconium's capital is Sierra, home of the Crisco-Augustus and the Governor of Sierra; the Head of State and Heir to the Throne, respectively. Crisconium has no singular official language, though English is most widely used in government buildings.

The government of Crisconium currently has protectorate status over the islands of Sariais and Plunis. Crisconium spends 3% of its GDP on the military.

History

Pre-history and Colonisation

The earliest evidence of nomadic civilization on the island originates in the Crisco Superior island chain. Archaeologists have found evidence of primitive clay pottery and bronze weapons at various sites throughout the chain. They appear to have lived in grass huts, and their main food supply was fish; recently proven by the discovery of miraculously preserved fishing nets. These people were masters in the art of boat-making, and often travelled between the islands, as well as the Eurasia Magnus mainland. Ancient native Crisconian folklore tells of these people receiving a sign from their god to leave the island forever, and no trace of them has been found since. It is suspected their their disappearence coincided with an eruption of Mount Landis.

Dispite the disappearence of these people, the remaining native tribes on Crisconium remained at relative peace. The first recorded landings from the mainland occurred in 732, by the now-destroyed nation of Vesuvius, which existed just north of the Crisco Superior island chain. Before 50 years had passed, Wendellia, Greater Eurasistan, and GWB Land all had colonies on the western coast of the island.

Division

The Vesuvian War, which resulted in the destruction of Vesuvius in 794, broke off colonisation by the mainland. Greater Eurasistan and Wendellia were suffering too greatly from their losses to be concerned with what one Wendellian explorer described as "a small miserable plot of worthless grassland." The colonists were quickly forced to act in order to defend themselves from the ravaging natives. The early governments of the island roughly corresponded to their former nationalities, but their lack of unity resulted in as many wars between themselves as they had with the locals. This state of anarchy lasted for almost 200 years, when the Colonials (with technology learned from the mainland), built walls and castles near their cities, and managed to push the locals away from the coast.

However, internal feuds quickly brought the island back onto the brink of self-destruction. In the Fourteen Years War, Wendellia secretly shipped supplies to the southern colonies (Lafaydin in particular), while the northern colonies and locals were forces to be bought by the highest bidder. Colonials at this point in time has explored very little of the

island, with the first mention of the Dalai Sea occuring by a lost raiding party in 1006. The Fourteen Years War caused deep divisions in the island that would not heal for a very long time.

By 1052 and the beginning of the Second Coastal War, the Colonials on the island were as native to the island as the locals were, from the view of an outsider. Most of their mainland traditions had since been lost. During the invasion of the island by Greater Eurasistan, the northern colonies shared their technology with the locals and southerners, who were also facing attack. The western Colonials and eastern locals agreed to a mutual boundary, which now lies along the border between Pega and Landis, and the other four states. The outsider attacks were repulsed, but civil war began soon after. The southern colonies renewed their war against the locals, who were allied with the northerners. The strength of the southerners proved too great however, and the locals were forced to give up what is now Pega State.

Colonisation by Greater Eurasistan began once again in 1095, with the founding of Providence in the no-mans-land of Veronkia. Their technology was much more advanced than that of the Colonials, and they rapidly defeated the Lafaydins who challenged them. Colonisation continued quickly, and within twenty years, there were 250,000 colonists on the island. Finally, in 1134, the Colonials and the locals launched a massive assault on the colonies, and while achieving a few victories, lost a great number of local forces. Lafaydin promptly took over the remnants of the locals, now controlling two-thirds of the island. Their capacity was too weak to hold onto the locals, and they lost control of the region in the Landis Rebellion of 1138.

Meanwhile, the Greater Eurasistan colonisation of the northeast could not be stopped. The colonists quickly formed the Curia Colonies, and learning from the mistakes of Veronkia, quickly fortified their villages. The northerners, while resenting their presence, could do nothing to stop it, and lost nothing by accepting them.

The structure of the island was once again changed by the Third Coastal War in 1168, where the Wendellian colonists in Veronkia - assisted by the mainland - invaded the interior of the island and claimed it for themselves. The Treaty of Salvonez four years later resulted in the annexation of this land, as well as the cessation of modern-day Pega state to GWB Land.

The Curia Declaration in 1221 resulted in the independence of that state after a few short-lived battles. Veronkia followed soon after with their own declaration in 1228.

The Crisconensis War in 1234 saw the eruption of bloody warfare on the island. Lafaydin forces, inspired by the separation of the colonies from their homeland, took the opportunity to invade Veronkia. Owenour, in the north, followed suit by launching attacks on Curia. Lafaydin forces quickly captured the Wendellian-held islands of Sariais and Plunis, but their attack on the colonies were less than successful, due to the discovery of gunpowder a few years before, which the colonists had easy access to. The war fought itself to a standstill, and was ended by the Treaty of Sierra in 1237, in which Lafaydin retained its conquests in Sariais and Plunis, but gained nor lost anything else. This was the final chapter of open warfare between the various states on the island of Crisconensis. De-Militarized Zones were created along all borders in 1286, and the Crisconensis Regional Alliance Pact, signed in 1300, accomplished more than its acronym suggests.

All states on Crisconensis remained neutral after the outbreak of the First Magnus War in 1321. Wendellia briefly stationed un-authorized troops on Plunis, but these were quickly withdrawn after objections by the ruling Lafaydin state, as well as the other states on the island. After the end of the war in 1336, all six states signed the Charter of the United Criscos, which remained in place until the Unification in 1443.

All six states on Crisconensis remained neutral in the Second Magnus War, beginning in 1358, although Curia, Veronkia, and Lafaydin did allow volunteers to fight in the Greater Eurasistan Army. Wendellian-sponsorred rebellions on Sariais and Plunis were largely successful, and after Wendellia's victory in 1362, Lafaydin was forced to give up its island holdings; Sariais became a sovereign nation, while Plunis became an overseas territory of Wendellia.

From the beginning of the Triparitate War, beginning in 1436, all of Crisconensis was allied with Greater Eurasistan. Quick amphibious landings on the northern coast of Sariais surprised Sariaisian and Wendellian forces, who quickly fell back. Trench warfare raged back and forth along the island for five years, before Crisconensian forces achieved a breakthrough; chasing Wendellian forces from the island and forcing Sariais to surrender. A naval blockade of Plunis after the disasterous Battle of Naval Star (which resulted in the destruction of the Wendellian flagship, for which the battle is named after) resulted in de facto control over Plunis, which was finalized two years later in the Treaty of Rampagia, where both islands were awarded to Lafaydin, and then to the new nation of Crisconium.

Unification

Federation

The Allied States of Crisconium is a federation which extends over the entire island of Crisconensis, located off the eastern coast of Eurasia Magnus. The federation came into existance in 1443 at the end of the Triparitate War, where at the Conference of Rampagia, the Greater Eurasistanian delegate proposed the unification of the 6 nation-states on the island. The resolution was unanimously passed. Each state retained its geographic and cultural identity, but agreed to be governed by a central government at Sierra; the largest city on the island that was not a capital. The first King of Crisconium (appointed by the Conference) was King Robert, nephew of King Wendell VI of Wendellia. Each state sent a Speaker to the King's Palace in Sierra (quickly proclaimed a neutral Capital District) to advise him on the views of the people.

Monarchy

The monarchy was overthrown 45 years later, in 1488, during the War of Wendellian Succession. King Wendell VI had died childless, and King Robert was one of the chief challengers for the throne. Greater Eurasistan recognised Wendell VII, half-son of Wendell VI's non-royal wife, as the true heir to the Wendellian throne, and King Robert hastily drew plans to assault the mainland in unison with his few remaining allies. The Speakers unanimously opposed the action, and King Robert had them driven from the palace. Speaker Linorus of Owenour State fought back and was killed. The remaining 5 Speakers, under the leadership of Augustus of Londis State, recruited a civilian army to overthrow the King, and at the Battle of Sierra Palace, on August 20, 1488, the King's fledgling army was defeated, the palace stormed, and the King murdered. Augustus assumed the throne, and upon the affirmation of the remaining 4 Speakers, was declared "Lord Speaker of the United Criscos".

Crisco-Augustus

Lord Crisco-Augustus, as he came to be known, quickly proclaimed his lordship over Crisconensis, and began to reform the government system. He officially dissolved all ties to the Crown of Wendellia (a minor complaint by Wendell VII about his Lordship of Crisconensis was ignored), and instituted new State governments throughout the nation. Speakers were appointed by Lord Crisco-Augustus, and were ratified by a popular vote. The capital region fell under the direct control of Lord Crisco-Augustus, but de facto authority over the city was quickly passed to the governor. The Governor had no direct say in the government, but often was the second most-powerful man in the nation. He often represented Lord Crisco-Augustus on foreign visits or official functions, to avoid favouritism towards individual Speakers. As a result, upon the death of Lord Crisco-Augustus in 1533, the Speakers unanimously chose the Governor of Sierra, Patrick O'Brien, as the new Lord of Crisconensis. In honour of Lord Crisco-Augustus, the Speakers gave him the same title. In the beginning, he was called Lord Crisco-Augustus O'Brien, but this became too cumbersome, and was shortened to just Crisco-Augustus. While the official title still stood, this became the proper way to address him, even at the most official functions. Only in historical records is the last name kept, along with a number signifying their order. Later, the original Lord Crisco-Augustus became known as Augustus-Primus, or "The First Augustus."

Post-Augustus

Augustus II O'Brien died in 1576, and was replaced by Governor Francois LaPorte. His rule lasted only a few short years, and was replaced by Augustus III Ceryoll in 1579 after being poisoned. The Speakers replaced Ceryoll in 1621 after he began suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease. While Ceryoll officially stepped down of his own will, the authenticity of his actions remains unknown. Augustus IV Jacobs lasted until 1649, when he died in a boating accident. He accomplished little, but is remembered for officialy making the Governor of Sierra the heir to the Lordhsip. Augustus V Sanderson attained the Lordship following Jacob's death, and continues to serve to this day.

Geography

Crisconium occupies the entire island of Crisconensis, as well as the Crisco Superior and Crisco Inferior island chains. It shares maritime borders with Greater Eurasistan and Wendellia, along with the Protectorate of Sariais. It is surrounded by the Hampshin Ocean to the east, the Crisconensis Sea to the northwest, and the Sariais Sea to the southwest.

The eastern coast of Crisconium contains the Crisconium Alps; a rich source of minerals combined with active volcanos. Volcanic activity is caused by the subduction of the Hampshin plate under the Crisconensis plate. This same volcanism is responsible for the existance of the Crisco Superior and Inferior island chains, as well as parts of Sariais and Plunis.

Politics

Status of Sariais and Plunis

Since the Treaty of Rampagia in 1443, Crisconium has had control over of the island of Sariais and Plunis. They were granted independence under one government on Sariais in 1486, but this was overturned by the Crisco-Augustus in 1488. Plunis had already been rebelling against the nominal Sariaisian authority, and quickly announced its return to Crisconium, while rebellion on Sariais continued until March 1489. They were placed under the direct control of the Crisco-Augustus, to which he assigned military commanders. Plunis remained under military control until 1508, while Sariais regained self-rule in 1516. Both were still under the direct control of the Crisco-Augustus, but had no power within the government of Crisconium.

Widespread demonstrations across Sariais forced Crisconium to grant it autonomy in 1545, followed by Plunis in 1549. In 1599, both islands were granted the status of "Protectorate Territories", the exact definition of which remains unclear. Some claim that the two islands are independent nations that are protectorates of Crisconium (a position strengthened by Sariais' membership in the UN and the EMC), while others claim that they are territories of Crisconium that are under its protection. The problem has remained ever since, but was intensified two years ago, in 1664, when Crisconium blocked a Sariais plan to expand its naval capability. The pro-independence Sariais Party received one-third of the popular vote in the election one year later. It immediately sought to bring greater power to the Sariais government, which was blocked by Crisconium. Recently, it has organised rallies calling for independence, and has appealed to the international community for recognition as a soveriegn state. Crisconium has responded by stating that the actions of the Sariais Party is an internal affair of Crisconium, and that under the Constitution of the Eurasia Magnus Council, other nations have no right or power to interfere.

Federal Government

Lord of the Criscos

Officially referred to as Crisco-Augustus, the Lord of the Criscos is the figurehead of the government and is the spokesperson for the nation as a whole. He may (though never has) veto any law passed in any State, or refuse any bill presented to him by the Speakers. Augustus IV Jacobs' Decree of Governorship introduced the "Absolution of the Speakers," which allowed, by unanimous consent from the Speakers, for the Governor of Sierra to overturn any ruling of the Crisco-Augustus. The Crisco-Augustus attains the Lordship by way of the Governorship, upon the death or abdication of his predecessor, and serves for life.

Governor of Sierra

The Governor of Sierra is the successor to the Crisco-Augustus, and has the power to break any voting tie amongst the Speakers. The Governor is chosen by the Crisco-Augustus (and affirmed by the Speakers) when the spot is left vacant, either by death or ascension to the Lordship (a Governor has never abdicated). The Governor has always been picked from one of the Speakers, who must vacate their spot upon appointment.

The Governor of Sierra was originally appointed by Augustus Primus to manage the city of Sierra and the Capital District that surrounded it; a task which officially fell upon himself. Days prior to his first official state visit to Greater Eurasistan in 1490, Augustus Primus fell ill with the flu, and could not travel to the mainland. At this time, the newly-governed nation was unstable, and the Speakers were at each other's throats. Many feared that his choice to represent him could lead to a Civil War. Augustus Primus chose the Governor of Sierra as his representative; a move which shocked the nation and infuriated the Speakers. The Governor was unknown throughout most of the country, and the Speakers wanted the glory for themselves (the fact that their rivals were not picked apparently did not occur to them). The Governor continued to rise in notoriety, and soon became Crisco-Augustus' right hand man. When faced with the prospect of choosing a new Lord after Augustus Primus' death, the Speakers decided to follow his lead and appoint the extraordinarily popular Governor to the fill the role. This began an unofficial tradition for the method of succession; made official by the Decree of Governorship, written by Augustus IV Jacobs in 1630. Included in the Decree was the clause that "no two successive Governors may be a resident, citizens, or be birthed in the same State." This eased fears that the Governorship, and in essence, the Lordship, would be dominated by any one state. The Governor serves for life, until ascension, abdication, or dismissal by the Crisco-Augustus.

Speaker

Speakers are privleged to have a dual function; to represent their State before the Crisco-Augustus, and also to be the Head of Government for their respective states. Speakers are elected by majority run-off vote by the constituents of their state, but once elected, serve for life. Speakers must have served in government for at least five years before they can be elected to the position.

The job of the Speaker is to present bills to the Crisco-Augustus for ratification. All bills must be ratified by a majority of Speakers before being presented. These bills are created by Joint Sessions of Assemblies; a national convention of all State Assemblies. Any bill passed through the State Assembly must be ratified by their Speaker before it can become law, although the Crisco-Augustus may override their decision.

Joint Session of Assemblies

Joint Sessions of Assemblies is a meeting of all Representatives of all states in Crisconium, where national laws are proposed. Each state has a number of Representatives comparible to their population. Any bills passed by two-thirds of the Representatives is forwarded to the Speakers for ratification.

State Government

Speaker

As mentioned previously, the Speakers are the Head of Government for the state they represent. They must ratify any bill passed by the State Assembly before it can become law; although this can be overruled by the Crisco-Augustus. A Speaker's primary duty is to serve their State, rather than the nation. Speakers retain the power to declare a State of Emergency in their State, and circumvent the authority of the Crisco-Augustus. The Speaker is elected by a majority run-off vote in their State. The Speaker can only lose their position if dismissed by the Crisco-Augustus, or if they receive less than one-third of the popular vote in a recall election.

Representative

Each state government has a number of Representatives in the State Assembly, who are elected by the citizens of the various constituencies across the state in a majority run-off vote. Representatives are elected for ten-year terms, and can only be elected once. As with Speakers, Representatives can lose their position if dismissed by the Crisco-Augustus, their Speaker, or if they lose a run-off vote by more than two-thirds of the popular vote. Representatives have the duty to decide legislation for their state, and to propose national legislation at the Joint Sessions of Assemblies.

Protectorate Territories

Governor

Sariais and Plunis both have the distinction of being protectorate territories within Crisconium, and while under its control, have no say in its government. Both Sariais and Plunis are (loosely) controlled by a Governor, which is appointed by, and reports directly to, the Crisco-Augustus. The Governor has the power to veto any legislation passed by the territorial government, provided that this is upheld by the Crisco-Augustus. Similarly, all legislation must be approved by both the Governor and the Crisco-Augustus. Responsibility for the territory is solely the job of the Governor.

Sariais

The government of Sariais, known as the Parliament, is directly elected by the people. The unofficial head of the Parliament is known as the Chairman, who is elected by the Members of Parliament.

Plunis

The government of Plunis is controlled by the ruling DiPassario family, who have total control of the island. Decisions for Plunis is made by the family, who have numerous un-named 'business associates'. The patriatch of the family is known as the Godfather.