Republic of Vesper
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The Republic of Vesper is a nation based in the north-eastern part of the main continent of Britannia. Despite its name, the Republic includes more than just the city of Vesper itself. Its domain extends to almost the entire land north and north-east of Vesper City, and towards (but not including) Cove to the west. Controversially it also lays claim to the town of Minoc, which it regards as "West Vesper" due in large part to the populaces significant support for the Republic, but equally as much due to its economic and military importance. A fact which has repeatedly seen the Republic and the Kingdom of Britannia at odds. It currently stands as the only independent nation capable of directly challenging the Kingdom of Britannia, which its founders first fought for independence against. The Republic has since fought numerous wars against other independent nations, with the Kingdom as a whole or with particular factions within it - whether to defend its independence, expand its territory or in some cases in support of other free states and rebellions.
- "If our forebears taught us anything, it is this: Inaction is slavery, Freedom is a choice. We must always be prepared to choose."
- — Chancellor Hanse Davion
Although the Republic is a democracy, this has not always delivered the personal freedoms it implies. Due to its position as an independant state on the mainland (otherwise dominated by the Kingdom) and heavy reliance on maritime trade the Republic is forced to maintain a significant standing army, navy, and substantial mercenary forces to supplement both. While its people are free to elect their rulers on both a regional and national level, Vesparian society revolves heavily around the wellbeing of its military and the businesses or noble families that support it - a reflection of the nation's struggle to maintain independence. During times of crisis in war, particularly when facing the united armies of the Kingdom as a whole, it is not uncommon for the Republic to temporarily suspend its democratic system, or even contradict it with policies such as conscription, in order to protect it. Even when this is not the case, it is often the people who are seen as superior generals or people with an agenda to improve or capitalise on the Republic's current military or political position that are favoured in elections.
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History of the Republic
For a more precise chronological history of major events in Vesper's history see the Vesper History Thread.
1998-2000 - The City's War for Independance
Although the city of Vesper was never officially part of the Kingdom (its people never having signed the Treaty of Unification which created the Kingdom), it did in its early years exist under the protection of Lord British's Kingdom and even entertained a garrison of royal guards to ward off bandits. Ruled by a small group of so called Justicar's - traders who together were able to monopolise much of the city's affairs - the city held scant regard for the King's authority, but respected its agreements of protection in exchange for trade. Vesper's ambiguous nature as an autonomous city under the kingdom's protection without directly serving it would eventually come to an end however. Lord British had disappeared, leaving the throne empty and the Kingdom in the hands of its nobles. Before long the Lord British Loyalists (under the direction of the noble Xel'Naga) sought to affirm Vesper's status as a part of the Kingdom - deciding it was their duty to reclaim it in the name of their absent King. Royal forces soon occupied Vesper, deposing its former rulers and enforcing a series of harsh laws to crush potential opposition to the sudden occupation. Vesper was a city of artisans and merchants who relied on the kingdom for protection, and thus the royalist entry into and rule of the city went unchallenged.
The Justicars were not pleased with their sudden removal from power, and began plotting against the occupying royal forces. Together, they appointed the (reluctant) Justicar Sagonari to begin rallying an army with which to retake the city. While initially motivated by a desire to return to ruling the city, Sagonari and his supporters early efforts, confrontations with the Lord British Loyalists and tales thereof soon transformed both their personages and their reputations into those of genuine revolutionaries. Their charismatic nature, close relations with their former subjects, reputations as sound rulers compared to the increasingly harsh royal guards, promises of personal freedom and a return to independence were a powerful mix, almost immediately building significant support amongst the city's populace. With their significant financial backing, the Justicars soon began smuggling weapons and hiring mercenaries to arm and train their growing army. As the rebels grew in number, the Justicars declared that they would adopt the name the 'Free Vesper Militia' and formed the FVM guild.
Initially a disorganised mob waylaying loyalist night patrols the Militia grew rapidly, soon becoming more bold and challenging their occupiers in broad daylight. Seeing their grip on the city loosening, the Lord British Loyalists made the fatal mistake of trying to cow the rebellion through fear; publicly executing the captured Justicar Sagonari and his family. The move was akin to dropping a match into a box of tinder - the city was almost immediately wracked by civilian riots, the Free Vesper Militia began dispensing weapons en masse to civilians and soon the Vesparians were fighting pitched battles in the streets against the Loyalists. With Sagonari's death, command of the Free Vesper Militia fell to Justicar Sylis Larpet. Under Larpet's direction, the Militia transformed from a mob of rebels into a standing army based in the south of Vesper (Headquartered at the location of today's Vesper Town Hall), even adopting a uniform, and launched what would soon become a full fledged war to retake the city - the Crown of Thorns. A war which over the next two years would see the Vesparians win significant victories, pushing the Royalists out of Vesper, Minoc, beyond the Avarice mountains and even signing a treaty with the Kingdom officially recognising Vesper as an independant city state.
The city soon elected a council of prominent citizens to serve as its rulers - marking the beginning of a democracy in Vesper, the first of its type in Britannia. The council renamed the Free Vesper Militia to simply the Vesper Militia in honour of its achievement in liberating the city, and declaring its new purpose to protect the city from further subjugation attempts. The city's jubilation was short-lived however, as they soon came under attack from various enemies such as the Decadanti and Kha who saw the city as an easy target now without the Kingdoms protection and weakened by the war for independence. These minor wars, along with a significant attempt at retaking the city by the Kingdom (who had restructured the Lord British Loyalists into the Britannia Guard for the next invasion) were all repelled, but the constant threats, invasions and counter-attacks continued to sap Vesper's strength and cohesion. The Council was beginning to fracture, throwing the wheels of government into disarray to such a degree that the Militia was becoming weaker by the day.
2000-2001 - The City-State of Vesper
Olof Twothumb replaced Slow as Captain of the Militia, and immediately begun rebuilding the tattered armies of Vesper. Around this time, the Justice City Judges made themselves known to the world, and finally proved to be a force the declining Vesparian army could not withstand - forcing the city to pay weekly heavy taxes in order to spare them. Olof had made significant progress improving the Vesparian army, but it was his more charismatic cousin, Kain Twothumb, who was able to end the Judges' taxation of Vesper. Using their looming threat and the Council reputation of being ineffective to springboard himself to power, declaring himself Baron of Vesper with virtually no opposition from a populace desperate for salvation or from the armies loyal to his cousin Olof.
The new Baron began rallying allies to Vesper, most notably their northern brethren the Vesper Woodfolk who were lead by similarly self styled Baron Tancred. Together, the twin barons were able to muster enough forces to repel the Judge threat. Not long after, it soon became apparent that the two men were not prepared to rule together; ultimately seeing the end of Tancred and the Vesper Woodfolk retreating further north leaving the city and surrounding woodlands in Twothumb's hands. Soon after, Vesper displayed its new found power to the Kingdom by assisting other, Royalist cities in halting the Judges, a gesture indicating both Vesper's martial might and apparent desire for peace. This proved prudent, as despite much controversy, Vesper was able to avoid direct confrontation with the Kingdom for some time.
2002-2008 - The Barony of Vesper
In order to better administer his now sizeable fiefdom, Baron Twothumb divided his territories into several provinces, and appointed a governor to each. Governors included at the time popular individuals such as the Knight-Commander Kaelith, the Elf Olk Samsca and renowned Champion of the Militia, the Minocan Hanse Davion. While these provincial governors at times fought amongst themselves, it proved to be a shrewd move in improving his support amongst the people - it being for a time seemingly impossible for the Vesparians to imagine ever wanting to live under another ruler.
Baron Kain Twothumb ruled uncontested for some two years before his reign was challenged. Unhappy with Kain's decision to instill Baronial powers in his wife - much disliked for being an elf, a rarity in Vesper at the time - the public began to call for an election. Knowing full-well Vesper's penchant for rebellion, not wanting to become a tyrant and knowing the army was unlikely to support him becoming such Kain capitulated, and elections ensue. Kain wins the election narrowly, seemingly changing nothing in Vesparian affairs. It was however the first sign of a return to democracy, setting a trend for regular elections. Further elections follow, which while most saw Kain continue to win also saw the occasional departure from the norm including the election of Baroness Yiveth (the first woman to hold the position) and Baron Samsca for a period each - both of which saw significant advances in Vesper's position on the world's political stage.
The election of Baron Samsca turned out to be the end of the regular Twothumb reign over Vesper, the Twothumb family occasionally contesting but no longer winning Vesparian elections. Baron Samsca's rule too was ended, this time by Baron Van Cocidus. Baron Van Cocidus popular but often unstable and controversial rule proved to be tiring for him, and he became the first Baron to abdicate the position by choice. The elections that followed saw the rise of Baron Elliot Heath, who was ultimately assassinated during a court trial of former Baron Samsca - around which much speculation still exists.
The next round of elections saw the re-election of Baron Van Cocidus, who once again proved to be a popular but extravagant and unstable leadership figure for the Republic. The most notable and by Vesparians well regarded decisions of his second term in office were to rename the position of head of state from Baron (a title which no longer meant actual ownership of Vesparian land as times had changed) to Chancellor, the official declaration of the Vesper as a Republic, and the reformation of the Vesparian Council over which he and future Chancellors would preside.
2008-Present - The Republic of Vesper
Following its transformation into a Republic, Vesper soon finally laid claim to the rest of the lands to its north, lands which it had de facto rule over for some time already and from which many of its populace had migrated. The Vesparians then divided them into administrative provinces, granting them official recognition as part of the Republic and a voice - albeit smaller than the original provinces - in the government of the Republic. Although Chancellor Van Cocidus' decisions had greatly advanced Vesparian democracy and pushed his popularity to new heights, he was proving to be unpopular with the army who were primarily concerned with the long term safety of Vesper, at this point led by Captain Escaflowne. Serious disagreements over the Chancellor's style of governance follow, and soon civil war broke out between the Vesper Militia led by Escaflowne against the Trade Union and Mercenaries led by Van Cocidus. The civil war raged for months, slowly grinding to a stalemate which favoured the Trade Union. Having been unable to prevent the civil war or end it quickly, Van Cocidus steps down as Chancellor and makes way for new elections. Elections which rather ironically saw Escaflowne elected as the new Chancellor of the Republic.
Chancellor Escaflowne proceeded to lead Vesper through many of its toughest times, including the most serious threat to Vesparian Freedom for some time. The Great Combine War as it came to be known was expensive for both sides in its cost of lives and resources, forcing the temporary suspension of elections. The war dominated Chancellor Escaflowne's rule, at one point even seeing the city of Vesper itself fall into royalist hands. The royalists were eventually pushed out of Vesper, but manage to prevent Vesper from retaking Minoc, which had for years been a part of the Republic under the name of West Vesper - a failure which came at great cost to Escaflowne's popularity amongst the people. This was later proven in the next election, which saw former Baron Samsca become the new Chancellor.
Many have debated the legitimacy of the Escaflowne-Samsca election, as the votes were counted under the watch of Hanse Davion, who would come to be appointed as the new Marshal by Chancellor Samsca within minutes of his victory. West Vesper was however a huge issue for the Republic at the time, and the massive flow of Minocan refugees to other parts of the nation strongly supported Samsca's promise to retake their town. Concerns over the fairness of the election were brushed aside quickly, as Chancellor Samsca made good on his word and immediately instructed Marshal Davion to begin preparations for launching an offensive to retake West Vesper. The offensive looked likely to succeed at first, but as Combine reinforcements flooded the region once again the Combine was able to prevent Vesper from liberating Minoc and the war ground to a stalemate after just three days. The failure was a huge disappointment to Chancellor Samsca, who soon after began to lapse in tending to his duties as head of state.
Seeing Chancellor Samsca's absenteeism effecting Vesper's day to day affairs and military security and the lengthy time until the next potential election, then Marshal Hanse Davion plotted to overthrow him. Having learned from the previous mistakes of Escaflowne in attempting to depose a ruler through a drawn out and disastrous civil war, Marshal Hanse Davion launched a successful coup at the start of the year of 2010 to usurp power. During the first Town Hall meeting, under pretense of announcing changes to military structure, Chancellor Samsca was lured to a public appearance which saw him being requested to step down, ultimately ending in Samsca's apparent death at the hands of the Vesparian Army when he attempted to shoot Envoy Escaflowne - who had taken the responsibility of informing the Chancellor of his removal of power.
Immediately after Samsca's death, Hanse Davion declared himself the new Chancellor of the Republic. This marked the first time since Kain Twothumb that one man held power over both the civilian government and military, effectively rendering Chancellor Davion supreme ruler of Vesper. This was almost immediately contested however, as doubts about his rise to power and previous questions about his conducting the election of Olk Samsca threatened to undermine his power. A swift vote of confidence amongst the populace however confirmed his placement as Chancellor, and a promise that he would arrange for new elections in the near future. It was however made clear that this promise would only be fulfilled when Vesper was economically stable and safe from its enemies - a state which Vesper rarely considers itself to be in. Despite the promise of elections in future and Hanse's reputation for being one of the few men in Vesper to have served Vesper's army in fighting for democracy since before the city won its Independance, there was much concern that he would not fulfill his promise and attempt to style himself as a permanent dictator of Vesper. He did however make good on his word, and elections were held a few months later after Vesper had gone to great lengths rebuilding its economic and military strength under his rule.
Vesper Today
The elections following the rule of Chancellor Davion saw two main candidates emerge to succeed him - former Chancellor Van Cocidus and former Marshal of the army Damien Bedford. Heated in both rhetoric and action as always, the events that followed saw the election of former chancellor Deacon Van Cocidus to the top position in Vesparian government - a position he holds to the present day.
Government and Politics
Reflecting the nature of its politics, the fluctuating wellbeing of the nation when a new Chancellor is elected and situations it is facing, the Vesparian Government is ever changing in nature and positions.
Foreign Relations
Vesparian relations with the outside world are often much simpler than their internal wrangling and politicking. Standing as the largest and most powerful nation second only to the full might of the Kingdom - its constant rival on the world stage - the Republic sees other peoples, countries and city states in one of three different lights. All three of which relate to the Republic's struggle against the Kingdom. They are either a Royalist enemy, an Ally against the Kingdom, or a potential trading partner.
Royalist enemies include the other city states which swear fealty to Queen Dawn such as the cities of Yew, Trinsic, Skara Brae and Templewood.
Allies against the Kingdom include peoples such as the Kha, the Collegium and the Kaldorians - as well as many other peoples throughout history who have or are often allied with Vesper by ideology, friendship or simply for mutual benefit and protection. Such mutually beneficial relationships see Vesper gaining more soldiers for the Army of the Republic to defend Vesper itself, while the smaller nations maintain their independence under protection from that same, now larger and more capable united army. While the Vesparians are loathe to intervene in disputes between two allies, they have not once since Independence shied away from sending their full might to the defence of an ally under threat from the Kingdom - a reputation which is crucial to maintaining their alliances and in forming new ones. Were Vesper ever to look too weak to or incapable of defending its allies from the Kingdom, it would make the relationship mostly meaningless for their allies, and no doubt cost Vesper a significant portion of its martial might in losing those allies. In this sense Vesper has always acted as a banner around which smaller independent states rally, the basis of a power bloc against the Kingdom.
(in progress)
Armed Forces
Coming Soon
Law and Criminal Justice
Coming Soon
Demography
Coming Soon
Economy
Coming Soon
Symbols and Iconography
Coming Soon
Notable people of the Republic
Coming Soon
