Difference between revisions of "New Montreal States"

Revision as of 15:03, 9 October 2005

The New Montreal States

New Montreal States

Flag of New Montreal States
Motto: Those who mess with us probably aren't very nice people
none available yet
Region	The Kingdom of the Midlands
Capital	New Montreal
Official Language(s)	french, english
Leader	Chief Paladin Frog
Population	1.829 billion
Currency	the ounce of marijuana, at 1.8 to the dollar
NS Sunset XML

The Silver Paladinate of the New Montreal States is a politically free, civil rights intensive nation. Its one moment of glory was finishing 4th in World Cup 11. It is a member of The Kingdom of the Midlands and tends to align with Euroslavia and Nanakaland when dealing with the outside world.

Component States

The New Montreal States are formed of two major areas, the mainland provinces and the Bigtopian provinces and colonies. The mainland is mainly French, with a very limited Anglo population concentrated in the major cities. Provinces are always named after their capital, with the exception of New Montreal and Laval (which is just two large island cities). Provinces on the mainland are: New Montreal and Laval, Valdemont, Philemon, Sherbrooke, Sorel, Chateauguay, Labelle, Hull, Angiers, Acadie, Drummondville, Sept-Iles and Gaspe.

(More to be added)

History

Ancient Era

The first traces of human habitation in the NMS were found on the mainland portion. These are shards of pottery and a primitive digging tool that dat back to 10000 BC. The first confirmed city, Machaut, dates back to about 5000 BC, and featured a large circular temple/fortress surrounded by smaller private houses and shops. Machaut is located along the Valdemont river just opposite the city of that same name, which has triggered battles between archaologists and developers. Currently the central temple and the closest houses are in a national park area and have proven to be popular with tourists and natives alike.

The Machaut people discovered bronze-working and a primitive system of writing. The writing includes a book called the Chronicles, which gives details as to several battles the Machaut fought against other, more primitive tribes who were driven out of the river valley. The book also suggests the name and location of other Machaut cities, although none have been found yet.

An earthquake and mudslide covered parts of Machaut in about 3900 BC, and the Machault were driven upriver, presumably to their other cities. Opposite the old city of Machault the city of Valdemont was founded by the Saintoit people, whose origins are unknown. The Saintoit founded the modern city of Philemon at the mouth of the Valdemont river, and several other cities, no traces of which have been discovered.

A combination of outcasts from the Machault and other, less developed tribes founded the city of Grandragon along the coast, and quickly conquered a large expanse of territory around that area. Other tribes were also building cities, mostly along the coast. New Montreal was built on an island at the mouth of the St. Lawrence river, and withstood several seiges before becoming a regional power and a center of trade. Wrought iron sculpture and iron-tipped spears indicate that ironworking had been discovered by the coastal inhabitants.

Under the leadership of the emperor Sardassy, the Saintoit had built an impressive civilization with a network of roads and irrigation that would not be matched for some time. The Machaut had disappeared by this point, presumably merged in to the Saintoit civilization. Ironworking arrived in Valdemont shortly after it was discovered on the coast, and it was adapted for everything from weapons to religious art.

After a series of raids from Grandragon and other coastal cities, the Saintoit sent an army to the coast under one Jules Affcol, a nephew of emperor Sardassy. This army burnt Grandragon and several smaller cities to the ground before arriving at Coldenewphai, a city about 100 miles north of Grandragon.

The end of the Ancient Era

In response to the destruction of the coastal cities, the leaders of several of the largest coastal cities gathered for a council at New Montreal. They symbolically "buried" their past differences, and swore an oath of unity. Childturn, the king of New Montreal, was selected as the commander for the coming battles. Then they took their armies and marched to the relief of Coldenewphai.

When they got there they found that Coldenewphai was under assault. Childturn sent a general from Angiers named Udofay to double around and take the Saintoit from the rear while he attacked the Saintoit armies head-on. The plan worked as the Saintoit army, pinned between two outside forces and the defenders of the city, were hacked to bits.

The Battle of Coldenewphai marked the end of the ancient era and set the stage for the rivalry between the coastal coalition and the Saintoit empire that would dominate the early medieval period.

The Saintoit and the Coastal Cities

The early medieval era was marked by the death of the Saintoit Empire Sardassy, and was distinguished by a growing rivalry between the Saintoit and the loose coalition of coastal cities that had beaten them at Coldenewphai.

At this point (about 340 A.D. by most records), missionaries from Constantinople arrived in both the Saintoit empire and the coastal cities. The coastal cities converted one by one, with Angiers being the first in 345 A.D. New Montreal followed suit about 50 years later. The fate of the missionaries in the Saintoit empire is unknown, but presumably unpleasant. The only success they experienced was the conversion of the city of Sorel, which rebelled against the pagan Saintoit in roughly 500 A.D.

Constantine II, king of New Montreal, marched to the aid of the rebels in Sorel, summoning troops from all the Christian coastal cities. The Saintoit suffered a defeat at the gates of Sorel by the people of the city (who claimed to have seen a golden cross floating over the gates at dawn of the battle) and were smashed again by Constantine's somewhat tardy forces. King Emmitt of Angiers then attacked the Saintoit seaport of Philemon, chasing them from the city and moving upriver towards the Saintoit capital of Valdemont.

Here, one of the most enigmatic figures in NMS history enters the picture, a Saintoit general name Retve. He turned back King Emmitt's army at Fropier Gap, retook Philemon, and then headed west to punish the coastal cities. Grandragon was burned a second, and more permanent, time, and New Montreal was taken under seige. During this seige, however, Retve simply vanished. No record is mentioned of his death or burial, just that he disappeared completely.

The Coastal Cities rallied to Emmitt's aid, and confronted Retve's army under the leadership of Prince Michel of Angiers. Michel smashed the Saintoit army outside Philemon, forcing a retreat back towards the capital. He was then bribed by the Saintoit Emperor Augrest to attack New Montreal, which he took in 515 A.D. Michel's perfidy had bought the Saintoit time to rebuild, but his United Kingdom of Angiers and New Montreal would form the seeds of the New Montreal States.

Every spring from 516 to 524 saw Michel's armies take to the field to unite the cities by force. Sherbrooke fell in 517, Dorion in 518. The island of Laval, fifty miles offshore from the island of New Montreal, fell after a protracted naval seige in 522. Michel's armies founded several modern cities, including Vaudreuil, Tachereau, Mont St-Anne, and Vallee-des-Moines.

By 525 events had come to a head, with the city of Sorel being burned and looted by a resurgent Saintoit empire. Philemon was sacked and utterly raised in a protracted battle marked by the re-apperance and death of Retve. The Saintoit under Retve's bastard son Cotrev won several major battles from 525 to 530, ending with Michel's surrender in the ruins of Coldenewphai. Michel's other generals seized power, however, and refused to recognize the terms of surrender. Their inability to decide on a leader led to the formation of the Council of Generals, which evolved into the Council of Paladins over the years. This first Council had members from Sherbrooke, Angiers, New Montreal, Laval, Dorion and Tachereau. They solemnly vowed to preserve their union from "all threats internal and external alike, with our blades not resting 'till death," and prepared a defense against Cotrev's forces.

Restless nobles forced Cotrev to spend the better part of 526 and 527 dealing with political crises in his rear. He managed to assemble a fleet in bits and pieces over these two years. The fleet than sailed for New Montreal and Laval in 528.

(more will be added later)

Modern Era

After co-operating with Nanakaland on a series of operations against terrorists, the States were invited to join The Kingdom of the Midlands. It accepted and has remained a part of this region ever since.

The NMS joined the UN, but has left as a result of disagreements over several resolutions they consider to be overly restrictive both to their citizens and their government. They do not object to Euroslavia's goal of turning the region into a power in the UN, they just don't want to be a part of it.

The head of state of the NMS wields extensive power, and it was the excesses of one of their leaders that caused the state to collapse into anarchy and ruin. It has recently been revived by the mysterious general (now Chief Paladin) Frog, who has managed to return the economy to its former riches and is now attempting to build up NMS's influence in the foreign arena.

After the falling out between Nanakaland and Euroslavia, the NMS is trying to strike a balance between its two oldest and best allies. One of Frog's primary goals is to protect his nation and people from any armed conflict between these two nations.

The one great moment in NMS history came in the field of sports, when the NMS football team, composed entirely of high school students, finished fourth in World Cup 11.

Current Events

The southern border has come under attack by a renegade government in Intelligent Neighbors, a fellow member of The Kingdom of the Midlands. An official state of war exists after IN fighters attacked NMS anti-air facilities along the border. Fellow regional power Super American VX Man (SAVX) is also threatened by IN's actions, and there are reports that regional leader Euroslavia will also be entering the fray. IN forces have broken through the front lines of defense, and the metropolis of Sorel along the Savaron river is poised to become a battlefield.

The Paladins football squad has completed qualifiers for World Cup 24, hosted by Druida and Krytenia. The Paladins are in Group 3, a group that has been plagued by fighting between established power Total n Utter Insanity and the newer nation of Shearer Heaven. The Paladins have been eliminated from contention for the World Cup, and will now enter the Cup of Harmony. They have submitted a hosting bid along with fellow Orthodox nation The Archregimancy.

A joint hosting bid with The Archregimancy for the XVI Cup of Harmony has succeeded in bringing the tournament to the States. A successful tournament will do much for NMS's international sporting prestige.

Politics

Legislative

The Legislative Branch of the New Montreal States is divided between the Council of Paladins, a noble and ancient body that has maintained a stable exsistance for centuries, and the Common Council, a recently created morass.

The Council of Paladins

The Council of Paladins consists of one Paladin from each province. They may serve an unlimited number of six-year terms, but must retire at the end of their term if they are older than 80. The method of selecting a Paladin is up to the provinces. Currently there are 37 Paladins on the council. Frog has a tie-breaking vote.

Bills can be passed by a simple majority. Treaties with any foreign power require a 2/3rds majority to pass.

The Common Council

There is also a lower house, The Common Council. It has very little power. Bills passed by the Paladins are not subject to any review or amendment by the Council. The Council can force the Paladins to vote on a bill submitted in the Council simply by passing it, but the Paladins may amend or edit the bill as they desire.

Council seats are appportioned by population. Currently there are 514 council seats, occupied by a variety of political parties (see below). Elections for these seats are held every two years. Seats are awarded on a proportional basis, which guarentees that a large amount of seats and debate time will be held by nutcases. The Paladins seem to like this just fine, and occasionally pass a screwball law one of these parties pushes through so as to encourage them and slow down any actual debate that might take place.

Political Parties

Paladins are forbidden from belonging to or receiving money from formal political parties, but political organizations do exist in the Common Council.

Recent elections have completely shaken up the composition of the Common Council. Knowledgable observes, however, believe that this will have little to no impact on the course charted by the Council of Paladins and Frog.

The States Defense League campaigned on a platform of increased defense spending and greater regional unity in confronting the newly batshit government of Intelligent Neighbors. Its leader, retired Colonel Otto Blumph, is from SAVX and favors stronger ties with that nation. He will ascend to the position of Speaker of the Council when the new council convenes. His party seats 91 MPs out of 500.

The Monastic League, the only intact major party returning from the previous council, saw a slight increase in popularity. It is the focus of the (limited) anti-war sentiment in NMS, and will seat 66 MPs.

The Philemonic Party, created by a band of Philemon University students as a joint senior thesis, was the big surprise of the recent elections, picking up 40 seats from support entirely in college towns and inner-city areas. Their platform combines socially liberal policies with mild fiscal conservatism and fierce support for the national football team.

There were the usual little surprise parties here and there, such as the Drunkard Party, which enjoyed a burst of favorable publicity just before the election with their support of the national hockey team from Casari, the Flying Spaghetti Monster Party which holds that the universe was created by an omnipotent Flying Spaghetti Monster, and the Antisocial Party which celebrated their first ever seat by picketing the houses of random voters.

Executive

Executive power in the New Montreal States is wielded by the Right Honorable Chief Paladin Frog. After reunifying the States, he was appointed to the post by the Council of Paladins and can be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Council of Paladins or a simple majority of the popular vote in a recall election.

Bills passed by the Paladins must be approved by Frog. A 3/4th majority of the Paladins can make a bill law if Frog does not approve of it. Treaties must have Frog's approval before they become law.

Frog's appointed successor is Martin Cloutier, a senior diplomat currently on assignment as ambassador to Euroslavia. He is thirty years older than Frog, however, and is widely viewed as a stop-gap appointee until a better successor can be found.

Religion

The primary religion of the NMS is Orthodox Christianity, with about 80% of the population adhering to the faith. Despite this, the government retains a strong secular streak. Freedom of conscience is guarenteed, and the rights of other religions to prosletize has never been restricted. About 7% of the population is atheist or agnostic. 4% are Protestant, with the great majority of these coming from the traditional denominations. 2% of the population is Catholic, and the remainder follow a great variety of religions, some quite esoteric in nature.

The NMS Orthodox Church

The NMS Orthodox Church is an autocephalous part of the wider Orthodox Christian Church, and is currently in communion with all major parts of the wider Church. The Church represents about 95% of Orthodox Christians in the States (with outside churches catering mainly to immigrants taking up the remaining part). The currently Patriarch is Vlacheslav I, based at St. John's Cathedral in New Montreal.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster

The church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) has recently established itself in the NMS. It is estimated that about 2% of the population now follows the orders of its prophet, Bobby Henderson, but this figure is not official and will not be so until the next census. It draws most of its support from the atheist and agnostic community, with a small amount being drawn from practicioners of the other religions.

Jehovah's Witnesses

The sect has come on hard times after a ban on door-to-door evangelising was imposed by several large cities. Many other cities, glad to be rid of an annoyance, have followed suit. The Witnesses brought out their top-notch legal team to fight the bans, but were undone when a group of Witnesses accidentally came calling at the house of the presiding judge after he had a rough day. The case went down to overwhelming defeat and is currently on appeal.

Sport

The main sport in the States is football (soccer), although ice hockey also has a large following. The States have participated in World Cups 10 and 11, in each Cup earning themselves a bit of glory. In World Cup 10 they defeated then 4th-ranked Bedistan in qualifying, creating a rivalry between the two nations. In World Cup 11 they advanced to the finals before losing twice to finish 4th overall. The States also participated in the Supercup after failing to qualify in WC10, but finished second to last ahead of only Cockbill Street.

The NMS World Cup Team

In World Cup 10, the States appointed a professional team to represent them. The team began by losing seven straight games in the qualifiers. After that, the Ministry of Morale sacked the entire team and replaced them with selected high school squads from across the States. The high school teams responded with seven wins in 10 games, including one over world power Bedistan. The Ministry has kept sending high school teams to football tourneys ever since, with generally positive results.

After the shocking murder of several players during the final leg of qualifying in World Cup 24 by coach Jean-Rene Filon, the high schools elected to withdraw their players from the final qualifiers and the Cup of Harmony. The Ministry of Morale decided to replace the players with a troupe of mimes for all remaining World Cup action until World Cup 25.

The Paladin Dome

A state-of-the-art football stadium located in the city of New Montreal, the Paladin Dome was build for World Cup 10 and has recently been restored. It seats 150,000 people, but usually only sells out for World Cup soccer and good rock concerts. The XVI Cup of Harmony is the first major international event the Dome will host.

The XVI Cup of Harmony

Hosted by NMS and fellow Orthodox nation The Archregimancy, invitations for the 16th Cup of Harmony have been issued. The winning bid had to overcome opposition from a bid launched by Kaze Progressa and Oliverry. A successful cup would do much to bolster NMS's image abroad, and help The Archregimancy's long-shot bid to host WC25 along with The Lowland Clans.