Difference between revisions of "Long Key"

Revision as of 00:41, 17 January 2005

Long Key

Flag of Long Key
Motto: It is in changing that we find purpose.
[ ]
Region	Paradise Cove
Capital	Alliance
Official Language(s)	English
Leader	Emperor Jason
Population
Currency	Cuda
NS Sunset XML

Geography

The Empire of Long Key consists of five main islands--Alexander Key, Barracuda Key, Misty Key, Shark Key, and Long Key and is located in Paradise Cove. Long Key is the largest and is home to the capital. Four of the islands form a rough-looking, slanted diamond shape with channels between them. The Forgotten Keys lie to the far north of Long Key and Shark Key and form a half ring, enclosing Paradise Bay. To the west of Long Key is the Misty Key Reef which runs from the end of the Forgotten Keys down to the middle part of Barracuda Key. The reef is about 15 miles from the westernmost point on Long Key, Misty Point.

To the east of Long Key is Alexander Key which is home to the oldest town in the Empire, Alexander. The island is about 28,590 square miles and is circular in shape. It lies 20 miles from the eastern shore of Long Key. The Southern Woods occupy the southern portion of the island, Alexander is on the eastern shore, Maitland is on the west coast at the InterIsland Highway, the old city of Alamo is on the northeast coast, and the rest of the island is covered in farmland. There are many creeks on this island which provide excellent irrigation for the farms.

Barracuda Key is known for its Great Barracuda population and fishing for them is prohibited. It holds many scientific research laboratories as well as Central University, the second largest in the nation. The island is also the fourth largest in the Empire at 56,278 square miles and is 35 miles southwest of Long Key. Spotfin Atoll lies 10 miles from the northwest shore of Barracuda Key and is located near the InterIsland Highway on the way to Long Key. The entire diamond-shaped island is the Barracuda National Park except the western shore which is comprised of the city of Salem--the third largest city, and Herot, which is a medium-sized seaport on the north shore of the island. The Long River begins in the Elle Mountains on the northeastern shore, near Mt. Savannah, and opens into the sea at Salem. The Salem River connects to the Long River just before the Salem city limits and also runs from the mountains in the northern part of the island. There are many small rivers branching off from these two rivers creating an excellent habitat for wildlife, thus the national park.

Misty Key lies 10 miles west of the Misty Key Reef and is 111,277 square miles. It's oblong in shape with several important rivers for shipping, including the Highland, Misty, and Berata Rivers. Its major town is West Branch which lies in the junction of three rivers in the central part of the bottom of the key. The Misty comes from the north, the Tarpin from the southwest and the Berata from the west. The Berata River prevails at West Branch and flows into the Cudan Sea to the east through the Berata Seaway. The town of Shadow straddles the mouth of the seaway and benefits significantly from trade. In the northern parts of the island are the Rolling Hills where the Highland River begins. The Highland flows southward from the hills through the town of Rolling Hills into the Misty Sound to the west.

Shark Key has a very important industry--trout farming. Its ideal location with 7 naturally-sheltered bays provide perfect places for trout to be raised and harvested. Five of the seven bays are located in the Kidron Gulf. The other two are on the Winding River in the southern part of the island. The Kidron Gulf cuts into the western side of the island between Layton and Hammerhead and continues to Kidron. Shark Key has abundant resources, including fertile farm land, large forests, gold and stone mines, and offshore oil derricks. The second largest in the Empire, at 149,995 square miles, also has the second and fourth largest cities, Layton and Hammerhead, respectively. It is located northeast of Long Key by 26 miles, making it almost directly north of Alexander Key by about 16.6 miles. Layton is in the southwest corner while Hammerhead is in the northwest corner. The Keyan Mountain Range runs the length of the island on the eastern side, with the forest in between the mountains and the cities. Another small town, Kidron, is toward the middle of this rectangular-shaped island, and borders the Kidron Gulf. There are several minor rivers which run from the mountains in the east to the gulf in the west. The major river though, is the Killbuck River which begins in the town of Killbuck on the northern fringes of the Keyan Mountains, continues through the town of Kidron, and dumps into the Kidron Gulf.

Long Key is an island of about 183,451 square miles and resembles a rough-looking triangle, with the 'tip' pointing north. The northern part of the island is known as Lower Long Key, and the southern part is known as Greater Long Key. This is because colonists settled on the southern part of the island first, near the mouth of the Keyan River and founded Alliance there. The Keyan River begins in the town of Hilltop, which, aptly named, is located on top of the Great Misty Hills in the northern part of the island in the tip of the 'triangle', and meanders its way through the heart of Long Key until it runs into the Keyan Sea at Alliance. Alliance, the capital and the biggest city, is located on the southeast corner with superb natural harbors and an excellent infrastructure. The University of Greater Long Key is the largest and the most prestigious in the nation. It has received numerous accolades for new technologies such as improved Trout Farming, improvements on Oil Derrick architecture, and the developement of the InterIsland Highway, among others. Long Key's beaches are among the world's best with breathtaking sunsets, and with the tropical water, it makes for a very refreshing swim. Short Key is a small island just off the western shore of the island and is home to some of the best beaches. North Shore is a tourist town located on the northeastern shore of Long Key and offers the best beaches in the Empire. There are many attractions in this town and it is the fifth largest city overall in the nation. Another midsized town is Long Fork, located at the end of the Long Fork River, notable for its outstanding high school athletic programs. The Long Fork River branches off from the Keyan River a few miles above the Falcon Reservoir, which lies in the low central part of the island.

The Forgotten Keys have no towns but they do provide an excellent place for summer houses and private getaways, as well as scientific research stations. There are no roads connecting the hundreds of keys that make up the Forgotten Keys, as they are only accessible by boat. They are all small coral keys, with the largest ones measuring about 5 miles across.

The InterIsland Highway connects the Long, Shark, Barracuda, and Alexander Keys together with a four lane highway. The bridges are tall and the arches are far apart so that the shipping lanes may remain open. Misty Key is on the far side of the Misty Key Reef preventing a bridge to that island. Architecture and physics students at the University of Greater Long Key came up with the idea and submitted it to Parliament, which approved the plans 10 days later. This massive project was started in 1970 and finished in 1976.

Regions

• Forgotten Keys
• Alexander Key
• Barracuda Key
• Rolling Hills (northern Misty Key)
• Three Rivers (southern Misty Key)
• Bayside (northern Shark Key)
• Kidron Gulf (middle and south Shark Key)
• Keyan Mountain Range (eastern Shark Key)
• Lower Long Key (northern Long Key)
• Short Key
• Keyan River (middle Long Key)
• Greater Long Key (southern Long Key)

Major Cities

• Alliance
• Layton
• Salem
• Hammerhead
• North Shore
• West Branch
• Marine City
• Long Fork
• Tiburon
• Highland
• Windward
• Rolling Hills
• Shadow
• Elau
• Playa Ciudad
• Herot
• Maitland
• Kidron
• Tanner
• Bayside
• Hilltop
• Misty Point
• Killbuck
• Alamo
• Alexander

Major Universities

• The University of Greater Long Key (UGLK)
• Central University (CU)
• West Branch University (WBU)
• Salem Art Institute (SAI)
• Spotfin University (SU)
• Highland Medical Academy (HMA)
• Misty Point Military Base (MPMB)
• Savannah University (SU)
• University of Hammerhead (UH)
• Marine State University (MSU)
• Alliance Technical Institute (ATI)
• Layton Law University (LLU)
• Empire Agricultural Research and Development Center (EARDC)

History

The year was 1698, and Michael Alexander was leaving England, with about 100 companions, for Long Key colony in order to find religious freedom. He was 28 at the time and when he arrived, he found a colony in total disarray. There was widespread crime and moral sins were everywhere. The English colony was falling apart and Michael decided to act. With his excellent leadership skills, he effectively took control of the colony with the help of his 100 companions. The population of about 10,000 people recognized their crimes and reforms began to take place soon after Michael had taken control of the colony as governor.

England began to notice a change in leadership from their colony of Long Key and sent a diplomat ordering the new leader to step down or face punishment. Michael, with the entire population's backing, refused and so the fight for independence began in 1700. The initial fighting was glorious for the colonists who had built defensive fortifications around the four islands in key spots. The arrogant English army lost many men before even reaching the shore, thanks to the new artillery the colonists had developed. The English were more experienced, and the inevitable happened within a week: the defenses were breached. The resulting fight could better be described as a massacre, as 1,000 colonists lost their lives, compared to just 20 English deaths.

The English then secured what would later be known as Alexander Key as the colonists fled to the other three islands. The place that would later be called Shark Key received the majority of the fleeing people, where they would regather their strength. The English, still arrogant about how they easily took control of the colony, were unprepared for what happened next. Led by Aaron Johnson and Michael Alexander, 2,500 colonists snuck ashore during the middle of the night when all the soldiers were asleep and took all of their weapons and ammunition for themselves. They woke up the soldiers by firing bullets in the night sky and then proceded to demand the 5,000 English soldiers to leave or die. All agreed except a few who tried to steal weapons from the colonists. They failed and were shot. England granted them independence the following week.

The colonists were overjoyed about their independence, but Michael knew it would be a difficult task to build a strong country. Over the next 30 years, the new nation was called Long Key because of the larger population on that island and because of its size. The population boomed from about 8,000 people after the Revolution to 100,000 by 1735. The newly formed country began to cultivate the land and also started a fishing business. By 1760, Long Key had taken control of all four of the islands and was renamed The Empire of Long Key. On through the end of the 19th century, Long Key saw its population increase ten-fold, to over 1 million. This was because of the rich, spacious land of the beautiful islands, that attracted businesses and immigrants to settle there.

The nation was on Great Britain's side for both of the World Wars, but remained neutral in the Cold War; although it has been rumored the United States helped fund the Keyan research of new technologies, and Barracuda Key was used for a secret underwater base for U.S. submarines. No evidence has been found to support this.

Emperors

Dating back to the beginnings of the the Empire in 1700, there have been 11 emperors. Seven of whom are descendants of Michael Alexander.

Emperors of Long Key:

• 1700-1745 Michael Alexander (45 years)
• 1745-1766 Aaron Alexander (21 years)
• 1766-1785 Caleb Alexander (19 years)
• 1785-1837 Michael Alexander II (52 years)
• 1837-1853 Michael Alexander III (16 years)
• change in government from a monarchy to a democracy
• 1853-1879 Kyle Johnson (26 years)
• 1879-1908 Tyler Smith (29 years)
• 1908-1942 Rob Smith (34 years)
• 1942-1981 Edward Alexander (39 years)
• 1981-2002 William Alexander (21 years)
• 2002-present Jason Alexander

Government

The Empire of Long Key is an moralistic democracy. The government is separated into three branches: Palace, Parliament, and the Courts. The Palace is headed by the emperor, who has the assistance of Royal Advisors, and the protection of the Royal Guards. After the death of an emperor, there is an election for a new one. The emperor is elected for life or until his health prohibits him from carrying out his normal duties. The emperor is Supreme Commander of the military, is in charge of enforcing the law, signs bills into law, appoints Royal Advisors, regional governors, and judges of the Courts--upon State Senate approval, and represents the Empire abroad.

The Royal Advisors Panel consists of the following positions:

• Administrator of the Empire (second in command)
• Administrator of Defense
• Administrator of the Military
• Administrator of Justice
• Administrator of Treasury
• Administrator of the Interior
• Administrator of Commerce
• Administrator of Agriculture
• Administrator of Labor
• Administrator of Transportation
• Administrator of Education

The Royal Guards are composed of 10,000 elite soldiers trained for protecting the emperor, the royal family, and government officials.

Parliament is the law-making body of the government. It consists of one house, the State Senate, which is made up of 5 elected officials from each region, and are elected for 4 year terms. Regional Senates are also part of Parliament. The head of the State Senate is the Prefect (third in command), who is elected for a 10 year term.

The Courts are the judicial system and decide cases of dispute. They also determine if a new law supports the Constitution. There are 7 justices, including the Praetor--head justice, who preside over the Empire Court. There are many courts in the Empire. The lowest courts are the Local Courts for the cities, they decide trivial matters such as misdemeanors and small crimes. The next highest are the Regional Courts where appeals may be heard from the lower courts, larger crimes are decided, as well as felonies. The next highest are the Key Courts, they hear appeals from lower courts and decide treason, felonies, and other significant matters in the Empire. The highest court is the Empire Court, which hears appeals from lower courts, decides if a law is within the Constitution, and hears the most important matters inside and outside of the Empire.