Difference between revisions of "Weyr"

Revision as of 20:54, 27 January 2005

Weyr

Flag of Weyr
Motto: Leave us alone or else . . .
No Map Available Yet
Region	Ros Na Riogh
Capital	Wye, City of
Official Language(s)	High Weyrik, Common Weyrik, Anglorat, Sindarin, Russian, Japanese
Leader	Alicia li'Wye
Population	1.502 Billion
Currency	The Weyr
NS Sunset XML

Introduction

The Kingdom of Weyr is a massive nation located on the fringe of the galaxy, and on Terra. It consists of six prefectures: Wye, Starhavven, Paradigm, Paradox, Marchese, and Ashkeloh. An anarchistic society, Weyr pays strong attention to self-determination. It also attracts every rogue, pirate, and renegate in the multiverse. Over the past hundred years, the Kingdom has become a significant, if not major player on the international scene.

Foreign Involvements

The Lightning Star

The Kingdom of Weyr deployed into the Empire of the Lightning Star during that nation's first civil war. The Weyrean mission was primarily humanitarian, although both the Skyfleet and the High Guard participated in active combat. Weyr spent most of its time rebuilding the Lightning Star's capital city of Norvington, and ferrying refugees to neighboring nations.

Since large portions of the Weyrean Skyfleet lacked even the most rudimentary armor or weapons, Weyrean success in the area depended on luck and show more than on force.

Akaton

Weyr deployed into Akaton shortly after the Weyrean Civil War, in order to halt the release of demons initiated by Akatani thaumaturgs during an experiment. With assistance from the Resurgent Dream and Weyrean thaumaturgs, the Akatani sealed the realSpace rifts and destroyed or removed the remaining demons.

Sith Wars

The rise of the Sith is thought to have caused a warping in the multiverse' thaumaturgic network. Growing alarm within The Tower pushed the High King Alicia li'Wye to mobilize the Ocean Fleet against the Sith. Weyr was a minor player in the Sith Wars, acting on the side of the Coredians, and later the Rebels, none of whom were apparently interested in Weyrean assistance. Weyrean siding with the Rebellion ended with the destruction of the Weyrean Ocean Fleet at Vortex, and the subsequent appearance of the Death Star at Paradigm. The Kingdom was dissolved after a twelve-hour battle, although the territories of the former Kingdom continued to act as a cohesive geopolitical entity.

Government

The Contract

• Article 0
  • Society is based on trust.
  • Trust depends on a common set of morals.
• Article 1
  • The government may not restrict the self-determination of its people
  • The government agrees to protect the people from external threats except when that violates the above
• Article 2
  • The people guarantee to support the government, and to allow it the rights of taxation, in return for the statements of Article 1.
  • The people agree to follow the laws set by the government, provided that those laws are enacted by the people or representatives of the people.
• Article 3
  • Failure by the government to comply with Article 1 is grounds for nullification of this contract.
  • Failure by the people to comply with Article 2 is grounds for nullification of this contract.

The High King

During peacetime, the High King has very little real power. He, or she, acts as an ambassador to other nations, oversees government departments, and can propose laws to the High Council. The High Council can vote to give the High King emergency powers, but those powers are still less than those wielded by the High Council.

The High King spends most of her time keeping the Kingdom of Weyr from splitting along the seams. She irons out disagreements between local governments, and between various phyles and the central government. In a few cases, she has argued against High Council acts.

The recognition of the High King as a relatively unbiased arbitrator is the source of much of her power. Although many High Kings have been part of clans and phyles, very few have maintained their standing in those organizations once takign up the Staff.

The High Council

The High Council is Weyr's legislative body. Laws and regulations are normally proposed in response to particular issues brought before the High Council. In addition, the High Council decides on the legality of Phyle, Corporate, and Urban Council actions, although this task has been shunted to the High Court in recent times.

Councilors are elected every four years by a popular vote. There are three thousand eight hundred and four seats. Each of the nine hundred Urban Cores receives a number of seats dependent on their population. Representatives from Wye City and Paradigm Urban Cores hold over half of all seats. The High Council meets in Council Hall, a massive spire on the highest tier of Wye City.

Judiciary

The Weyrean judicial system has long ago abandoned moralization and religion as ways of determining sentences. All sentences given are monetary in nature. If the defendant is unable to pay his court sentence, he is forced to work his fine off at a government establishment.

If the crime is committed in a phyle, that phyle's judiciary is permitted to try the defendant, issue the sentence, and carry it out. Phyles are not permitted to issue death penalties, although it is a public secret that such punishments are distributed in some parts of Weyr. The death

Judges are elected into office by popular vote in much of Weyr, but phyles are permitted to alter the requirements for holding office.

The three crimes that exist in all of Weyr are murder, theft, and malicious manipulation. Phyles and Urban Cores may add further crimes. Enforcement of phyle laws across phyle boundaries depends on intra-phyle treaties. Signatories of the International Economic Act (IEA) enforce a common set of laws. The Kingdom of Weyr does not enforce phyle or IEA laws.

Society

Yesterday I saw a fat old man riding through Sakura Boulevard at noon on top of a Mark VI hovertank, naked. There have always been questions of how far free will can be permitted before it comes around full circle and reverts into despotism. I think we have answered that question. --Alicia, to Ash

Weyrean society is not a monolithic structure, just as Weyr itself is not a single organized unit that can be fitted into one neat category. Few nations truly fit a single mold. The following section attempts to give a brief overview of some aspects of Weyrean society, without going into the details.

Social Conventions

Nomenclature

Formal Weyrean names have five parts -- the given name, the patronym, the matronym, the clan/family name, and the origin. In casual conversation only the given name is used. Most official forms require only the given and family names, and a large number of Weyreans cannot produce more than those two portions of their full names.

Phyles

Phyles are small, independent states within the greater Weyrean sphere. They have their own laws, their own agendas, and their own territories. A phyle may cross worlds and nations and contain millions of members, or may be as small as four college students sharing a dorm room. Established phyles control large territories, are signatories to the CEP, and have many assets and members. Synthetic phyles are non-signatories to the CEP, control few recognized

The Weyrean government does not enforce Phyle laws. The established phyles have formed the Common Economic Pact (CEP) to deal with cross-phyle enforcement. Signatories of the CEP are granted limited extraterritoriality, and come tiogether tio set economic protocols and discuss important events. Signatories of the CEP have been the first to place restrictions on corporate actions, and are now replacing corporates as the major players on the Weyrean scene.

Corporations

Corporate Weyr ranges in temperament from Wye City's brutal coups to Paradigm City's negotiated transfers of power. Powerful corporations influence High Council and Urban Council decisions. Corporations are often linked to a single phyle, although large and old corporations such as Integrated Auto and Emulated Magicka can be considered independent pseudo-phyles in their own right.

Corporate militaries have faded away during the recent decades. Corporations do maintain well-armed and highly trained security forces, but have generally removed their offensive capabilities. UNlike the corporate warfare of a century ago, corporations rarely openly fight one another.

The largest corporate association in Weyr is the Group of Twelve (G-12), which contains Weyr's largest corporations and companies. Three members of the G-12 are not incorporated. The G-12 dominates the Weyrean corporate scene due to its giant resource base. Many Weyrean innovations, however, have been produced by smaller companies and later sold or contracted to G-12 members. Despite predictions that the G-12 will stagnate and collapse, the Weyrean corporate scene is still very much alive.

Clans

Clans are a mainstay of Weyrean society. They are associations of people who band together for protection and for profit. Clans often have their own military organizations, emergency services, public shelters, markets, and governments. Powerful, established clans pursue relatively legal enterprises. Smaller clans involve themselves in racketeering and money laundering.

Clans should not be confused with phyles. Phyles are legal, semi-independent governments. Clans are fully under the jurisdiction and control of the Kingdom of Weyr. While (chartered) phyles are fully legal, most clans are not.

People of Note

• High King Alicia li'Wye
• Regent Victoria li'Paradigm
• Consul-General Josiah Willard Gibbs
• Leiutenant-Admiral Hiro Storm
• Fleet Admiral Roy Hawksblood

• Lord Ash
• Rivka Igarashii li'Starhavven