Sufys

v14.2 - 8 February 2021

Chapter II: Deceit and Distrust
It was three whole days after the murder of Mr. Osborne. The National Senate hastily convened in a hotel ballroom a few city blocks away from its original meeting place, now tainted with the permeating stench of bloody murder. The National Senate Palace was cordoned off by police, the residents of Friberne now in an uproar. The murder had shocked the Santo-Dominian capital, once a peaceful and tranquil city built on hillsides. Now, there were four suspects, and they belonged to the highest and lowest echelons of society at the same time: politicians.
President Paul Goldberg arrived for his interrogation session on a sunny Thursday. The weather was good, his emotions were not. A bloody murder, he thought, and a poor, innocent victim. Mr. Osborne did not deserve such a terrible fate. I would've taken a bullet for him. Regardless, a dapper man dressed in a neatly pressed black suit came into the interrogation office. The man closed the door, sat down opposite the President, and said, "Good morning, Mr. President. My name is Andy Albanese, and I'm a crime scene investigator here at the Police of the Federal City of Friberne. As the chief of the investigation into this terrible murder, I will be asking you questions. Your duty as a citizen is to answer them truthfully without reservation or deceit."
"I understand, Mr. Albanese." Goldberg replied. "Your job isn't easy."
"Thank you, Mr. President. Now, as an officer of the law, I must declare to you your rights. If you want access to a lawyer, you shall be granted that access. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the Government will provide one for you. You have the right to remain silent, but your silence may be used against you in a trial. Any testimony you offer can be used against you in a trial. Your testimony will be videotaped by this camera on the table here, but anything you say that is related to this case can be used and may be used against you."
"Thank you, Mr. Albanese. Now, we shan't waste time. What questions do you have for me?"
Albanese said, in a calm and collected manner, "Mr. President. Did you commit the crime? Did you murder Mr. Osborne that night?"
"No, I did not. I was alerted by a cry of shock that I presume to be uttered by Mr. Osborne as he was fatally attacked by the culprit."
Albanese continued, "Were there any other people in the National Senate Palace at the time of the crime?"
"Yes, Mr. Albanese. Vice President Donald Verbloem and Senators Jan Davis Lovings and Dennis Ford. All three were in the building, I presume. One of them alerted me to Mr. Osborne's death, but I am not sure who that was." Goldberg replied.
"Mr. President, did you come in contact with Mr. Osborne on the day of the crime?"
"No. I did not see or talk or contact Mr. Osborne in any way, shape or form. I was occupied with meetings and commitments throughout the day." This was evidently a lie, but the President collected himself. By now, he had become accustomed to the art of subtly lying to the most investigative of journalists and reporters. It was a necessary lie, Goldberg told himself.
Seeming to have sensed Goldberg's uneasiness, Albanese sat up and stared at him for a few moments. Goldberg did not respond, and Albanese backed down from whatever plan he hatched. Taking out a notepad and a pencil, he flipped to the first page and asked: "Mr. President, do you have any predictions on who may have committed the crime? Would Senators Ford, Lovings or the Vice President have committed the crime? Do they have any motive you were aware of that would make them murder Mr. Osborne?"
Goldberg replied: "I am not aware that any of my fellow colleagues had any motive to murder Mr. Osborne. I don't know if the Senators or the Vice President have any vendetta against Mr. Osborne, and I am not aware of such vendettas even if they do exist."
Albanese skeptically looked into the President's eyes. This guy is claiming innocence......perhaps too obviously, Albanese told himself. He edged his seat closer to the table and said: "And what about you, Mr. President? Do you have any motive or vendetta against Mr. Osborne? Did you have any friendship, relationship, feud or similar things with Mr. Osborne?"
Goldberg knew that he had to lie again. He was friends with Mr. Osborne, and had been so since they were in middle school. However, to save himself from looking guilty, he had to lie again. "No, Mr. Albanese. I was not friends with Mr. Osborne, and I did not have any relationships with him. I did not feud with him either. He was a man I did not know well."
Albanese looked even more skeptical. With frustration and harsh skepticism written all over the CSI's face, the President did not flinch. Both men were accustomed to people like the other, and neither side would back down, give up or tell the truth. For now, it was a stalemate, and Albanese said: "Mr. President, I believe that's all for now. You can leave."
"Thank you, Mr. Albanese. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact my office to schedule more appointments and meetings. Now please excuse me, as I have an appointment to attend. Have a good day, Mr. Albanese."
Andy Albanese did not respond.

A CAPITAL CRIME

Chapter I: The Beginning of the End
 
The clocks struck eleven, in the darkest of nights. As shopkeepers and residents of Friberne retreated to their study wooden chalets, the capital of Santos-Dominius seemed to go to sleep. But, as the saying goes: "The city never sleeps......"
The National Senate Palace shut its doors, with the last of legislators walking out into the wide, paved boulevards beyond its premises. The building's halls, old, storied and with a subtle hint of medieval flair, darkened as the last lights and electronic candles were switched off. The groundskeeper, Mr. Osborne, was to be the only person in the building under normal conditions. This was to be untrue on this fateful night.
Meeting Room No. 132 was like any other, but also different in that on this night, it was bustling with noise while its adjacent counterparts were empty and collecting the few scraps of dust Mr. Osborne had not cleaned. Inside the room, President Paul Goldberg, Vice President Donald Verbloem and Senators Dennis Ford and Jan Lovings were in a heated discussion. Just by looking, any observer would come to the conclusion that was a dignified affair, but in reality the words these men uttered hid sharp knifes and strong blades. Politics was a game of reputation, and the four of them knew that insulting one another was neither the best way to reach agreement nor the best way to give someone else a good impression. Instead, their words, though polished and reserved, were heavy and with subtle deceit. Neither side was willing to back down or strong arm the other.
As the night went on, the conversation finally deteriorated. What began as a simple insult lodged by Senator Ford and aimed at President Goldberg circled the drain, and soon the room erupted into strong(but still dignified and somehow polite) rhetoric. President Goldberg, who did not care for these arguments and insults, attempted several times to de-escalate the situation, all to no avail. Vice President Verbloem and Senator Ford kept hurling words of contempt at each other, while Senator Lovings, visibly annoyed by this petty argument, joined it constantly to rebuke both men, only to be yelled at and shut out from the conversation.
"Gentlemen, please, for the love of God, sit down and take a deep breath," Goldberg said.
"NOT A CHANCE!" Ford exclaimed. "You already have the Presidency. I won't yield any further concessions to you!"
"Do you SEE this repugnant man, Paul? How dare HE, a LOWLY SENATOR, insult ME, the VICE PRESIDENT!?" Verbloem shouted.
Lovings yelled: "BOTH OF YOU, SIT DOWN and STOP this MADNESS!"
Goldberg had had enough. He knew, out of years of experience in politics, that this conversation was not going to produce any useful results. Hence, he strongly exclaimed, in the most dignified and presidential way possible: "GENTLEMEN. This. Meeting. Is. Adjourned."
Verbloem, Ford and Lovings all looked at the bearded President, first with contempt, then with shock, and then finally with apologetic looks. No one wanted to infiuriate the highest government official of the country they serve. The four men shook hands with each other, whispered a few words of apology and disappointment, and exited the room into the few dimly-lit hallways of the National Senate Palace.
Goldberg, already burdened with the complications and work of the Presidency, strolled slowly down the halls, walking steadily towards the exit. Halfway down the third corridor he passed through, he met a jubilant Mr. Osborne.
"You look positively happy, Osborne. What made you so?" Goldberg asked.
"I successfully cleaned the portrait frame of our founding President, Bill Mulberry, without damaging the painting itself. It was a hard job, but I pulled it off!" Mr. Osborne replied in an excited manner.
Goldberg smiled, pat the satisfied groundskeeper on the back, and continued to walk towards the exit he used whenever he came to the National Senate. Mr. Osborne walked in the other direction, past Meeting Room No. 132 and down a dark, almost pitch-black corridor. Goldberg did not give this action of his much thought. The presidential exit door of the National Senate Palace was in sight when a muffled but blood-curdling cry of shock rang through the halls, followed by someone screaming: "MURDER! Mr. President, where are you? Poor Mr. Osborne has been murdered!"
Without even a second thought, Goldberg rushed out the building and out into the National Senate gardens. There, he rushed over to the safety of his limousine, and was swiftly escorted back to the Presidential Residence. This is going to be a long night, the President thought. This would prove true.

Section III: The Judicial Branch
The judicial branch shall be the branch of government that interprets the law. It shall be comprised of judges, the appointment systems of which shall be mentioned in Article II, Section IV.
 
3a. The judicial branch shall be divided into the national level, the provincial level, the regional level and the district levels.
3b. The district level of the judiciary shall be comprised of District Courts, which will serve all districts in cantons. The number of district courts in different cantons shall be directly proportional to the population of the canton it serves. The District Courts shall be the lowest of all courts, and shall accept all sorts of cases. District Court cases shall be tried by a jury consisting of 7 highly educated members, or by a judge. In the Federal City of Friberne, there shall also be District Courts, 22 exactly, with each District Court serving two neighbourhoods in the Federal City.
3c. The regional level of the judiciary shall be comprised of Cantonal Courts. There shall be 1 Cantonal Court in each canton. The Cantonal Courts shall be higher than the District Courts, and shall accept appeals of decisions made by District Courts. In the Federal City of Friberne, there shall be no Cantonal Court, instead, the Federal City Court shall fill the role. The Federal City Court shall function as the same as Cantonal Courts, that is, it shall accept appeals of decisions made by District Courts serving the Federal City.
3d. The national level of the judiciary shall be comprised of the National Court, which shall serve the entire country. The National Court shall be the highest of all courts, and shall only accept appeals of decisions made by Cantonal Courts. The National Court shall be headed by 5 National Justices, the electoral and removal systems of which shall be detailed in Article II, Section IV. The National Court shall hold the right to dismiss an appealed decision.

Dramatis Personae (important people)
Prime Minister Queenie A. Astier: Born and raised in the capital metropolis of Aidnaro, Queenie (not to be confused with the Queen) is the youngest prime minister to date at thirty-two years of age. 
Queen Aurélie Enfeld: The current head of the Orandian royal family, situated in Nordiaa. Forty-two years old. Stern and serious, but cares deeply for her people.
King Félix Enfeld: Forty-four years old. Originally from Idonara, Félix married into the Orandian royal family twenty-two years ago. A once-lively man known for his grace and dancing skill, the death of his youngest daughter still saddens him greatly.
Crown Prince Alexander Enfeld: At twenty, carries the future of the Orandian royal family on his shoulders. Only serious because he has to be. Soon to be wed to a woman from Naiador (Ophelia). 
Princess Adora Enfeld: Sixteen years old, and cares little for the responsibilities of a princess. She puts up with the less fun parts of royal life grudgingly, but dreams of one day traveling the world and leaving her previous commitments behind.
Princess Andrea Enfeld: Would be thirteen currently, had she not died at age eleven from a heart condition. Despite her illness, which had troubled her since birth, she is remembered as an optimistic and resilient young girl.
Ophelia Kihime (soon Enfeld): Nineteen years old; a young woman from Naiador's upper crust. It is unknown whether her engagement to Alexander is for political or personal reasons, or a mix of the two, but the union will surely be beneficial in strengthening cross-cultural relations in Orandia.

April 31, 1420
1:00 AM Over Time
Unknown location
Atsil could not sleep, her mind was racing with concern over the innocent lives at risk from the conflict. She thought of her siblings and her nieces and nephews, worried about how they are handling the situation. CGZ did end up getting her a phone as promised and indeed it was better than her previous one and thankfully none of the things she had saved on her previous phone was lost. In the time since CGZ took her here, her siblings have been asking if she’s safe or if she is actually in league with the monarchists. She has been afraid to respond fearing that she would be putting their lives at risk.
She decided to go and get something to drink from the kitchen and left the room. As she descended down the stairs she heard what sounded like surprised movement in the direction of the living room. As she reached the bottom, she saw CGZ wearing a ski mask and sunglasses, jeans, and a white long sleeve shirt.
“What are you doing up so early in the morning?” he asked,
“What are *yawn* you doing up so early in the morning?” she asked back. He let out a slight chuckle before saying,
“Keeping my eye on the movements of the different factions. For the past hour something terrible has been happening in Zoradia.” These words made Atsil worry,
“What do you mean? What happened?” CGZ sighed before asking,
“Do you really want to know?” As simple as those words were it made Atsil’s hair stand up on the back of her neck. She found herself hesitating before answering,
“Yes, what happened?” CGZ tapped the right side of his sunglasses and said,
“Jeeves, turn on family room TV.” The flat screen TV behind him came to life and showed a horrific scene. Zoranian multirole fighter jets bombing the capital city of Zoradia. Missiles collided into the skyscrapers and the jets fired HEI-T-SD rounds into buildings to slowly bring them crumbling down. Soldiers from different factions were scrambling to get out of the city and she saw some get crushed under a piece of concrete. Atsil stood there silently watching it all unfold with shock. Her skin turned pale and her eyes began to water as her body began to tremble.
How could a government do this! Innocent lives are at risk! This act is unnecessary and a waste of resources! All the people who must be living in fear at what is occurring...it fills my heart with sorrow.
Her legs soon gave out and she began to cry, lamenting the suffering of the people. She didn’t hear CGZ tell Jeeves to turn off the TV or his approaching footsteps. CGZ knelt down and helped Atsil to her feet and walked her over to the couch. He offered her comfort while she lamented over the suffering of the people.
CGZ felt bad for Atsil, she did not ask to be part of any of this. All factions are looking for her all because she is the new head of the Ani’-Wah’ family. Atsil was young and while CGZ wasn’t much older than her, she has been experiencing so much change in such a short amount of time.
I do not envy her, no one should have to deal with all of this. There is so little that I can do to help her, but by providing her refuge she will at le-
“I need to go out there.” she finally said after a few minutes of crying.
“What? Are you insane!?”
“People are suffering, I need to do something to help them!”
“Atsil, you have a large target on your back! The corporates want you dead, the theocrats want you dead, even the GDC wants you dead! By going out there you are going to get killed!”
“Hiding away while people are suffering is dishonorable! I need to go out there and do something to help! Even if it is by leading the monarchist faction, I have to do something for them!”
“You don’t even know if the monarchist leadership is only riding on the popularity of your father! They could seek to use you as a puppet for their goals!”
“Well to me they are the lesser of four evils! If they want to use me as a puppet then it will be their fault for underestimating me! I may not want to be queen but I have to do something to help the country and its people.” CGZ got up from the couch and stormed away into one of the many mysterious rooms in this place. After a few minutes CGZ came back with a thick file in his hand and handed it to Atsil. The folder had the logo of the SIC on it and below it said “Training Manual”.
“Read up on this. You aren’t going to be able to master it today but you may need some skills from this if you want to do what you plan on doing.” Atsil took the file and looked at it with surprise,
“How did you even? Nevermind, I shouldn’t be surprised. But if you are so against me going out there then why give me this?”
“Because if you want to go out there I can’t stop you. If you are going to do this then I don’t want to see you get killed out there. So, to me, the best way to help you is to give you access to the skills created by your family so you have a chance of surviving.” He began walking away when he said, “Let me know when you are ready to leave so I can take you to the monarchist headquarters.” CGZ then left the family room and Atsil was left on the couch with the training manual in her hand.
What an odd man. He went from being frustrated to helpful and reluctantly supportive. Well I don’t intend on looking a gift horse in the mouth so I better get to reading this immediately.
Atsil went to her guest room with the file to begin reading the SIC manual.
Meanwhile, CGZ took the sunglasses and the ski mask off and sat at his desk and looked at the monitors of his computer. He pulled up the information he had on the different factions and their allies.
So let’s see here. Seems the GDC has recognition from Giovanniland and support from the Fujansk, Artzotskia, and Marble Mallorca. For the monarchists it seems that they might have support from Saint Mark and Larxia. It appears that the theocrats might have support from Varanius and the corporates have made it clear that they are doing business with Dalimbar. This is going to be an interesting war.
He then turned his attention to the pile of calling cards on his desk and as he looked at the symbol on it Atsil’s words echoed in his head,
Hiding away while people are suffering is dishonorable!
He recalled his family history, how his ancestors performed daring heists and escapes in the past just for the thrill of the steal. But what always stood out to him was how they gave half of what they stole to the people in need. If it was an item like a crown or a valuable piece of art they would take half the value of that item from their own funds and give it to the people without selling the item. His ancestors never turned away from the people and CGZ began to feel the weight of that legacy because of Atsil’s words. He put his head in his hands and pulled at his hair,
Those were different times! I can’t afford to be as bold as my ancestors! Security has evolved and so has criminal investigation! Hiding in the shadows and remaining in the shadows is the way forward!
He let out a growl in frustration and quickly turned to his computer and pulled up some funny cat videos to distract him from his family’s legacy that weighed down on him.

President Goldberg announces waiver of Act Of Peace, allows possible Auran League accession
Today, President Paul Goldberg announced that he signed a waiver of the Act Of Peace yesterday. The Act Of Peace, though not officially included in the Santo-Dominian Constitution, wields the same power as the Constitution, and officially codifies strict, unconditional Santo-Dominian pacifist neutrality. However, this has grown increasingly unpopular as Santo-Dominians demand participation in international events and friendly diplomacy with neighbouring nations. The 2nd TWP Rugby World Cup, held a few weeks ago, made this sentiment skyrocket in popularity, and Santo-Dominians are more eager than ever to interact with the world on a greater scale never seen before.
The Federal Republic has historically remained neutral in Auran and Andolian conflicts and events, choosing to stay out and observe on the sidelines. This desire for peace and pacifism famously led to founding President Bill Mulberry's "All In Us" tourism and culture programme, which encouraged Santo-Dominians to visit their own country's attractions instead of foreign ones and experience Santo-Dominian culture instead of their neighbouring counterparts. Though the country's stance slowly softened over the years, the resurgence of the lobbying firm Santo-Dominian Neutrality Association(SDNA) led to President Goldberg's signing of the Act Of Peace, formally codifying Santo-Dominian pacifist neutrality.
However, the SDNA has since enjoyed a dramatic decline in support, with scandals and infighting plaguing its ranks and the national neutrality movement. The President, weary of public outcry against neutrality and bent on SDNA, appears to have granted the public their wish. The waiver allows the Federal Republic to bypass Sections 15B and 17A of the Act Of Peace, greatly expanding the Government's powers to conduct diplomacy and make the country participate in world events, including but not limited to sports tournaments and cultural exchanges.
But the waiver has a crucial section, one that would include permission for the Federal Republic to officially join the Auran League. Santos-Dominius has always viewed the Auran League with mistrust, and when it was first founded, Santos-Dominius refused to follow other Auran countries and join it. Instead, it watched the League with suspicion and observation for years, preferring to look at its proceedings and see if it was safe to join. However, it now looks like the Federal Republic may finally consider joining the Auran League for its benefits.
President Goldberg gave a speech about the waiver outside the National Senate Building in Friberne, saying: "This waiver is a historic moment for our Federal Republic. With this waiver, we will finally be able to interact with our neighbours, other countries and participate in international affairs, including but not limited to sports events, diplomatic talks and more. This waiver will also allow our Federal Republic to apply for membership of the Auran League and similar organisations. It is time for Santos-Dominius to learn about the world, and it is time for the world to learn about Santos-Dominius."
The move has wide political support. President Goldberg's own party, the centre-right Democratic Coalition Party(DCB), supported the bill after intense debate within its ranks. The centre-left Country Liberal Party(CLP), the main opposition party, also supported the President's decision in a rare moment of praise. Vice President Donald Verbloem expressed his personal support. The CLP's presidential ticket, Sens. Jeremy Maxson and Art Bernstein, also supported the decision. The waiver is expected to come into effect in a few days, and the President's administration is reportedly making preparations for the passage of the waiver.

1st Presidential-Vice Presidential Joint Debate ends in CLP ticket victory
Today, the 1st presidential-vice presidential joint debate was held in Friberne, Santos-Dominius. The contenders included President Paul Goldberg and Vice President Donald Verbloem, from the ticket of the Democratic Coalition Party(DCB). Facing off against the incumbents were popular Senators Jeremy Maxson and Art Bernstein, from the Country Liberal Party(CLP). Riding a wave of anti-DCB popularity, Maxson and Bernstein were well-positioned compared to Goldberg and Verbloem, who were pummelled in the polls due to their tumultuous term and unpopular policies, including the controversial SD-Works employment programme. As the night went on, it became clear that the burden of their sheer unpopularity was simply too great for the President and Vice President to handle.
The major issues raised during the debate were neutrality, employment and urban development. President Goldberg talked about his recent partial waiver of the Act of Peace a few weeks ago, stating that "Santos-Dominius must and continue treading the fine line between excessive involvement in international diplomacy and complete isolation". However, this was rebuked by Sen. Maxson, who called for "more participation in international affairs" and "strong, sustained efforts to make Santos-Dominius a valuable player in international diplomacy". Maxson argued that "inaction and isolation will not help", and that "a fresh approach to diplomacy should be adopted".
Employment was the hottest issue of the debate. Vice President Verbloem attempted to defend his superior and distract from the DCB administration's poor record, but Sen. Bernstein seized on the moment and blasted him, stating that "the Goldberg administration is the worker's nightmare, the big bosses' puppet". Maxson followed up with further criticism, saying that "the Goldberg administration has shown nothing but sheer contempt and disrespect for the Santo-Dominian labour movement, its unions and its workers". Sen. Bernstein also mentioned the Louisann General Strike back in late November, a major incident which almost threatened to topple Goldberg's presidency and severely plunged the incumbents' popularity to immeasurable lows. The President could not defend himself as time was up and the topic was changed by the debate moderators.
The incumbents fared slightly better in the topic of urban development. "My administration's major investments in inter-island ferries, as well as the rebuilding of dilapidated and heavily used arterial roads, has drastically improved the lives of Santo-Dominians," President Goldberg stated. Sen. Maxson attempted to strike at the President, saying: "The President and Vice President have yet to lay out a sustainable, environmentally friendly infrastructure plan. Santos-Dominius needs a plan now, or you do not deserve another term." President Goldberg brushed off Sen. Maxson's attack, saying that "a plan is in the works" and that "the gentlemen on the other side of the aisle should acquire some patience in politics". Sen. Bernstein fought back, replying: "Santo-Dominians cannot wait, and will not wait for the President. The future is at stake."
Overall, the debate was heated and uncharacteristically fierce. President Goldberg, battered and bruised by Maxson and Bernstein, emerged from the debate more unpopular than ever. Vice President Verbloem also suffered, with DCB supporters criticising him for not defending the President more often. Both Maxson and Bernstein reaped the rewards of their good performance, winning the political commentators' straw poll. The CLP benefitted from an upward trend in the polls immediately after, while the DCB continued its downward dip.
With the presidential election weeks away, the 2nd presidential debate is scheduled on the 15th. If the CLP ticket continues to sustain its momentum and popularity, it will most likely win by a landslide. However, the race is still not over, and the President and Vice President may earn just enough time to fight back and clinch another term in the Fribernese Fortress. This presidential race is expected to be the most heated one ever in Santo-Dominian history, and the DCB's increasingly fragile political hegemony may finally come to an end soon.

April 30, 1420
2:30 PM Overtime
From the perspective of a Zoradian resident
An emergency announcement popped up on my phone and on the television. It was an official announcement from the GDC that was straight and to the point,
“Attention all residents of Zoradia! The GDC is ordering an immediate evacuation of all people from the city. Take only what you need and flee the city. Soldiers will try their best to ensure a safe evacuation of all people. This order also goes for those who remain in embassies in the capital. No one is permitted to prevent people from evacuating the city. People can evacuate via roadways or by sea. Everyone must be out of the city by 23:00 Overtime tonight!”
When the television reverted back to its normal channel and I looked up from my phone, I heard honking and pandemonium from outside my window. The gunshots still exist but they are now drowned out by the sound of honking and panic.
Soldiers were guiding cars and people to the evacuation routes while keeping a lookout for rebels. Who knows if the evacuation will be pulled off in time.
 
April 31, 1420
00:00 Overtime
The once bustling streets of Zoradia are now practically empty. The streets were devoid of life and those that remained were rebels that thought the GDC had abandoned the city. But those that remained did not get the memo of the evacuation. The roaring sound of jets could be heard in the distance when the first explosion occurred, one of the skyscrapers has been hit with a missile. The rebels in the city dove for cover as debris began to rain down from above. But the explosions didn’t stop there. There was soon another explosion and another and then another. Buildings began to crumble and burn.
The fighter jets roared over the city executing the order they have been given—destroy the city and make sure nothing remains except for the Temple and the Mausoleum if possible. While the government may lack bombers the missiles from the jets will complete the job after numerous runs. At the same time, off in the distance, members of the military were firing shells of artillery in hopes of speeding along the process.
It was clear that the bombing was not going to stop for quite some time. But the biggest tragedy of this act is that some people still have yet to evacuate. While the evacuation order was initiated, many elderly people were unable or unwilling to leave their homes. On top of this, those who were in the hospital and other medical facilities were unable to leave because of their condition and this led to many employees in the medical facilities unable to leave the building to care for the patients. This led to the death of innocent civilians when the homes of the elderly and the medical facilities were bombed as well.
Outside the city, people fled to other cities and others set up refugee camps. Those that fled by sea were either taken in by ships sent by the fujansk for humanitarian aid, military vessels, or private ships of the wealthy who were forced to provide aid to their fellow Zoranians by military officers on the scene.
The desolation of Zoradia has begun and with it begun the true suffering of the Zoranian people.

April 30, 1420
12:00 PM Over Time
In an undisclosed location that is definitely not in an ancient fortress from the height of the rule of Saint Mark over Zoran

“What do you mean you lost her?! How can you lose the daughter of Ani’-Wah’!?” exclaimed Wohali Lanusila, leader of the Monarchist Forces,
“We’re sorry sir, but this guy in a really cool black armor just took out the GSC forces that were in the apartment, took Auraelia to his vehicle, and drove off at fast speeds with her in tow. Since then we lost track of her.” said the soldier on the encrypted phone. Wohali took a deep breath and pinched the ridge of his nose before asking,
“Did you even attempt to follow the vehicle this mystery man was in?” there was a moment of silence before the soldier answered,
“No sir.” Wohali was about to throw the phone at the wall but instead he just poured himself a glass of Mist Over the Lake Badgerian whiskey with a shaking hand and downed it in one go. He let out a sigh before asking,
“What did this armored man look like?”
“Well we didn’t see anything that could make his identity stand out but he wore black armor and had a helmet mask.” The soldier stopped and the sound of discussion distant explosions could be heard on the other end of the line, “The scouting party just got back from the apartment and they found something which gave us the identity of the suspect. Sending you a photo now.” Waholi then looked at his messages and saw a photo of a purple card with black crown and a cookie on it.
By the Spirit CGZ has gotten into this, what is going on in this country anymore.
“Tell all forces to be on the lookout for any sign of CGZ, we need to find the future queen to be safe in our hands!”
“Sir yes sir.” Wohali ended the call and poured himself another cup of Mist Over the Lake whiskey to calm his nerves.
Without that girl our faction will be divided among who should succeed. I was able to unite the factions into supporting Adsila as the Queen but if she dies or goes missing then our forces will lose their purpose and we will lose this war.
He let out a sigh as he looked at his watch to see that it was time for him to meet with the delegation from Saint Mark. As a monarchy itself he hopes that their similar alignments may allow for some support to be arranged for the monarchist cause.
This country has been left ungoverned for far too long. While the ideals of the founder were noble it was flawed and chaotic. People have been stuck in poor conditions while the Council tells the world that there are no problems. President Ani’-Wah’ was the closest unifying force this country has seen since the days of Austenaco. Only a strong unifying figure with the power to enforce regulations and to create laws to protect Zoranians from unfair and unjust conditions can save this country. All this can be done through a monarch and the Ani’-Wah’ family are trusted by the people because of the late president. The GSC has practically already lost after a large number of their troops defected to our cause or to the theocratic cause. While the theocrats have a fire and a passion, they are few in number and lack support from the Divine Shaman himself. The only real threat is the Corporate faction because they have money, resources, connections, and influence.
Waholi thought about all this and more as he marched down the ancient halls of the Saint Markian fortress to meet a potential ally in his fight for a truly united and better Zoran.

April 30, 1420
11:00 AM Over Time
“Adsila Ani’-Wah’ under orders of the Grand Defense Council you are under arrest for treason!” yelled a soldier from the other side of the door. Adsila looked at the door in fear as the thought of being put in a prison cell crossed her mind.
I didn’t ask for this! I don’t want to be queen! I wasn’t part of any of this!
She thought to herself. The soldier banged on the door again,
“Adsila Ani’-Wah’ if you do not open the door this instant we will be forced to use force.” yelled the soldier. Adsila could hear the soldiers planting charges on her door. She just stood there, paralyzed with fear.
Great Spirit please help me!
“Hey what’s the deal here? Don’t you guys think that ballistic breaching is a bit much for a normal apartment door?” said a muffled and unrecognizable voice. The sound of gunfire followed along with the sound of bodies hitting the floor, people being grappled, and a...wilhelm scream? Adsila leaned against her wall and slid down to the ground out of fear. Then there was silence and no sound was outside...until there was a slight click heard from the door followed by another click and a third click. After the third click the door unlocked and the door opened to reveal a man in a black reflective helmet mask in some strange black armor. Behind him were the unconscious bodies of six Zoranian soldiers and the man looked completely unharmed. He walked into her apartment casually as if nothing happened and looked at Adsila.
“Sorry about that, hope they didn’t cause you too much trouble.” said the man. Adsila could tell that the man’s voice was modulated as it sounded too deep for it to be natural.
“Who are you?” asked Adsila. The man’s body language shifted to give the idea that he was insulted,
“How can you not know who I am?! I am the one and only CGZ and I am here to save your hide from the idiots in the GSC, the fat cats in their towers of false power, the fanatics that use the Great Spirit’s name for their own desires, and from the monarchists that are the closest thing you have to a fan club. Look I am not on any side of this war but seeing as you are an enemy to three of the four sides and a potential pawn for the fourth and that just makes you a target. Now I am offering you the chance to come with me and hide until the war ends. Just going to say it now, I am probably your only hope kid.” CGZ offered his hand to Adsila. Adsila thought about her situation for a minute, what he said was realistic as without her one side in the war effort would fall into divisions over who to make into a monarch and so she would become a target by the two other sides. Also she already is considered a traitor by the GSC so it looks like she has no other choice. She takes the legendary thief’s hand and is pulled to her feet.
“Now before I take you with me I am going to have to blindfold you.” He says, taking out a black blindfold, “While I want to help you I can’t trust you with the location of my secret hideout. So if you could put that on it would make my job ten times easier.” Adsila sighs and begrudgingly puts it on. The thief then grabbed her hand and began to lead her out of the apartment building, through the conflict filled streets and into what she can assume to be a car. She was buckled into her seat with help from CGZ before he accelerated causing her to be pushed back into her seat.
“When did my life get so complicated?” she said out loud without even realizing it,
“Probably when your father died. Just stating the obvious here.” answered CGZ.
As they sped down the streets they could hear the sounds of gunfire and explosions. While she could not see, Adsila already imagined what must be going on. A few bullets even hit the car but they didn’t do any damage to the vehicle due to how armored it must be.
“Jeeves play My Mix!” said CGZ and a posh sounding voice answered,
“Right away sir.” A drum solo began to play from the speakers of the car and classic rock filled Adsila’s ears.
“How are you so calm during all of this?! People are literally dying around us!” Adsila says trying to yell over the classic rock music,
“Look it isn’t that I don’t care but it's the fact that I have to worry about getting you to safety without drawing too much attention to myself by using secret tunnels that I have all around the country. The thing is that the closest entrance to one of these tunnels is in the middle of one of the conflict zones. It is going to keep a level head when driving anyways.” says CGZ as he manages to swerve around a very obviously placed landmine that was set in the middle of the road.
“Damn that was a famous Dalimbari mine! How much funding do these private militaries have!? Anyways, as you can-oh wait you can’t see, well if you could see you would understand why I am having to be so calm while driving. If I wasn’t calm then we wouldn’t survive so if you would be so kind try not to interrupt the music.” Adsila didn’t know what to say about this.
By the Spirit I don’t know whether I am with a bold genius or an adrenaline junky madman!

@Kitanalia @Sufys Accepted.

Section IV: The Electoral and Appointment System
The officials of the Federal Republic shall be duly elected by the people they honorably serve or appointed by the government.
 
4a. The President of the Federal Republic shall be elected/re-elected every 5 years. An incumbent President shall be able to serve, at most, fifteen 5-year terms, consecutively or non-consecutively. The President shall be removed by two ways.
4aa. The first way to remove the President from office is to hold a vote of conviction in the National Senate. The President shall be able to be convicted of three crimes: treason and/or obstruction of justice and/or high crimes. In the vote of conviction, a simple majority is needed to convict the President of any of the three crimes. If the vote of conviction is passed, the National Senate shall hold a vote of removal. If the vote of conviction is not passed, the current case shall be thrown out, but the National Senate shall be able to immediately hold another vote of conviction. In the vote of removal, a two-thirds majority is required to pass. If the vote of removal is passed, the sitting President is convicted, removed from office, and forever barred from running for elected office. A barring can only be invalidated by a popular referendum. If the vote of removal is not passed, the National Senate shall be able to hold two more votes of removal. If all three votes fail, the case would be passed to the National Court and tried. The President may be removed by the National Court, if the National Justices decide against the President. However, if they do not, the President shall be kept in office, and the National Senate shall be barred from holding votes of conviction and votes of removal for six months.
4ab. The second way to remove the President from office is to hold a vote of no confidence in the National Senate. When either the party/parties in government or the biggest opposition party formal call for the government's removal, the Speaker of the Senate shall allot time for an official vote-of-no-confidence. In the vote, all Senators shall vote whether to remove or keep the government from/in power. Abstain votes are counted as in favor of the government when neither Aye or Nay reaches a two-thirds majority, which is required to pass the vote. If the vote passes, the President and the Cabinet shall be removed, and the largest opposition party shall take office and establish a caretaker government until the next general election.
4ac. If the President resigns from office, the Vice President becomes Acting President automatically, and appoints an Acting Vice President. Both shall serve till the next general election.
4b. The President shall be elected by popular vote. The voting shall be divided into two rounds, provided that there are more than two candidates running for President. In the first round, all candidates shall receive votes, and the top two candidates shall advance to the second round. All other candidates shall automatically be struck out of the race. The candidate with the most votes in the second round shall be elected President. If there is two candidates only, the first round shall be skipped and the second round shall be held directly. If there is only one candidate running for President, the National Senate shall vote whether to appoint him as President or not. A simple majority is needed in this case. If the candidate is not appointed, the largest opposition party shall take office and form a caretaker government until the next general election.
4c. The President shall formally appoint the Vice President after the President has taken office. The Vice President shall be barred from being asked to resign by the President, instead the National Senate shall vote by two-thirds majority to remove the Vice President. If the Vice President is removed, the President shall appoint another Vice President. If the President does not appoint another Vice President in one week within the removal of the incumbent Vice President, the Speaker of the Senate shall be appointed Acting Vice President. However, the Speaker shall be relieved of vice presidential duties once the President appoints a new Vice President.
4d. The Speaker of the Senate shall be elected by fellow Senators of the National Senate. All Senators shall be eligible to run for Speaker. Provided that there are more than two candidates, the electoral process shall be divided into two rounds, held on the opening day of a new senatorial session. In the first round, all candidates shall compete for votes. The two senators with the most votes will advance to the second round, whereas the other senators shall be struck out of the race. In the second round, the senator with the most votes shall be elected Speaker, and shall withdraw his/her right to vote in the National Senate. The Speaker of the Senate shall serve an unlimited number of 5-year terms. The Speaker shall be removed during his/her term if five Senators jointly petition for his/her removal. The petition will be tabled the next day, where a simple majority is needed to remove the Speaker. If the Speaker is removed, the largest party in government shall be eligible to nominate a Senator of their party to become Acting Speaker. The nominee shall then face a vote in the Senate, where a simple majority is needed to appoint that nominee as the Acting Speaker. If the largest government party fails to get their nominee appointed or fails to nominate a Senator within a week, the largest opposition party shall receive the same chance to get their own nominee appointed. If the largest opposition party also fails, the Minister of Order shall be appointed as Acting Speaker immediately. The Acting Speaker shall not be eligible for removal of any kind, and will automatically be removed at the next general election. If a Speaker resigns, the same process is followed.
4e. The Senators of the National Senate shall be elected via a geographical constituency system, where Senators will come from one of ten counties. In each county, all citizens over 18, without a criminal record, shall be eligible to contest a senatorial seat. The candidate that comes in first shall be elected to a seat, and then so on according to the candidates' votes received until all seats are occupied. Senators shall not be eligible for removal until the next general election. If a Senator resigns, a snap election shall be triggered for their specific seat, where the winning candidate shall be elected as Acting Senator, who will be removed automatically at the next general election.
4f. The Cantonal Councillors of each Cantonal Council shall be elected via a geographical constituency system. Each canton shall be divided into constituencies, with each constituency having roughly the same population as other constituencies. The difference in population between constituencies shall not exceed 100 citizens. New constituencies shall be drawn if this limited is breached by a constituency, whereby that constituency shall be divided into several constituencies until no constituency breaches the limit. Each Cantonal Councillor shall be elected from one constituency. Provided that there are more than two candidates contesting for a constituency, the election shall be divided into two rounds. In the first round, all candidates shall compete for votes. If one candidate reaches a two-thirds majority, that candidate is instantly elected, skipping the second round. If no candidate reaches a simple majority, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the second round, and all other candidates are struck out of the race. In the second round, the candidate with the most votes is elected Cantonal Councillor. Cantonal Councillors shall not be eligible for removal during their terms, instead they must be voted out of office. Cantonal Councillors shall serve an unlimited number of five-year terms. If a Cantonal Councillor resigns, a snap election shall be triggered for their specific seat, where the winning candidate shall be elected as Acting Cantonal Councillor, who will be removed automatically at the next general election.
4g. The Head Councillor of each Cantonal Council shall be elected by fellow Cantonal Councillors. All Cantonal Councillors shall be eligible to run for Head Councillor. Provided that there are more than two candidates, the election shall be divided into two rounds. In the first round, all candidates shall compete for votes. If a candidates reaches a two-thirds majority in the first round, he/she is elected Head Councillor. If no candidate reaches a two-thirds majority in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes shall advance to the second round. In the second round, the candidate with the most votes shall be elected Head Councillor. The Head Councillor shall serve an unlimited number of five-year terms. If the Head Councillor resigns, a snap election is triggered, where the winning candidate is elected Acting Head Councillor. If half of the Cantonal Council petitions to remove the Head Councillor, the Head Councillor is removed and the same process is followed.
4h. The Presidential Commissioners shall be nominated by the President of the Federal Republic. Senators or former Senators that have served a minimum of 20 years shall be eligible for nomination by the President. Once a nominee has been nominated, they will face the National Senate. A simple majority is then needed to confirm and thus appoint the Presidential Commissioner. IF the motion to confirm the Presidential Commissioner fails to reach the majority and is struck down, the President shall be able to put forward another confirmation motion two weeks after the defeat or success of a previous confirmation motion. If the same nominee fails more than two times to be confirmed and appointed, the President shall be able to directly bypass the senatorial confirmation process and directly appoint the nominee to the Presidential Commission. Once this is achieved, the National Senate will have to garner a two-thirds majority if it desires to remove the Presidential Commissioner. If this motion of removal succeeds, the President shall be able to veto the motion, striking it down. The National Senate then can attempt to pass an overriding motion of removal with a four-fifths majority to override the veto and remove the Presidential Commissioner. If the overriding motion succeeds, the Presidential Commissioner is removed from office. If the motion fails, the National Senate must wait for one month until Senators can put forward another motion.
4i. The removal of a Presidential Commissioner follows the same process written above, i.e. that a Senator must table a motion of removal. The National Senate must then pass the motion of removal with a two-thirds majority to remove the Presidential Commissioner. Then, the same process listed on Article II, Section IV, Law 4H is followed for any following consequences.
4j. The Lord Mayor of the Federal City shall be directly elected by the citizens of the Federal City. Utilizing a first-past-the-post, two-tiered electoral system, provided that there are more than two candidates, the election shall be divided into two rounds. In the first round, all candidates shall compete for votes. The two candidates with the most votes shall advance to the second round, while all other candidates shall be struck out of the race. In the second round, the remaining two candidates shall compete for votes, and the candidates with the most votes is elected. The Lord Mayor of the Federal City shall be eligible to removal during a term via the process of a recall election. In the recall process, if more than 10000 people in over half of the 22 neighborhoods of the Federal City table a recall petition, the recall process shall advance to the next step. In the next step, all 22 neighborhoods will hold recall referendums, which require a simple majority to be passed. If over half of the 22 neighborhoods pass their respective referendums, the recall process shall advance to the next step. In the next step, a motion of removal shall be tabled in the Municipal Commission, which requires a simple majority to pass. If the motion passes the Commission, the Lord Mayor is removed and barred from running for the office again. If the recall process fails to meet the conditions required to advance to the stage where the motion of removal is tabled in the Commission, citizens shall be unable to initiate the recall process until after two months since the failure of the last recall process. In the third step, if the motion fails to pass the Municipal Commission, the public shall be able to overturn the Commission's decision and directly remove the Lord Mayor by passing a referendum where a simple majority in required. If the referendum fails, citizens shall be unable to initiate the recall process again until after two months since the failure of the last recall process. If the referendum succeeds, the Lord Mayor is removed and permanently barred from running for mayoral office.
4k. The Municipal Commissioners of the Municipal Commission of the Federal City shall be elected by a first-past-the-post, two-round system. Provide that there are more than two candidates running for the same seat, the election shall be divided into two rounds. In the first round, all candidates shall compete for votes. The two candidates with the most votes in the first round shall advance to the second round, whole all other candidates shall be struck out of the race. The remaining two candidates shall compete for votes in the second round, where the candidate with the most votes is elected to the seat. There shall be no legitimate way to remove a Municipal Commissioner from office other than failing to re-elect the Commissioner in a general election.
4la. All ministers of the Grand Council, except for the Secretary of the Impartial Corruption Investigation Agency, shall be nominated by the President of the Federal Republic and confirmed and appointed by the National Senate. All citizens without a crime record and over the age of 23 shall be eligible for nomination. In the National Senate, a simple majority is required to confirm the nominee and appoint the nominee to the office. If the confirmation vote fails, there shall be a minimum period of two months until another confirmation vote can be put forward. Ministers of the Grand Council shall be eligible to removal from office at the President's request or if a motion of removal passes the National Senate with a simple majority, except for the Secretary of the Impartial Corruption Investigation Agency.
4lb. The Secretary of the Impartial Corruption Investigation Agency shall be directly nominated, confirmed and appointed by the Senate. A minimum of 10 Senators are required to jointly nominate a nominee. Then, a two-thirds majority is required for the confirmation vote to pass. The Secretary shall not be eligible for removal from office at the President's request. The Secretary shall be removed if a minimum of 10 Senators jointly table a motion of removal and the motion passes with at least a two-thirds majority.
4m. The five National Justices of the National Court shall be appointed by the National Senate. The Interior Director, representing the President and the executive government, shall nominate a candidate to fill a vacant seat on the court. The nominee will then face the National Senate, where a two-thirds majority shall be required for the nominee to appointed. There shall be no way to electorally remove a National Justice from office, as they shall serve life terms. Only Cantonal Judges who have served at least 10 years can be eligible for nomination to the National Court. Nominees with criminal records shall be automatically struck out.
4n. Judges from the District Courts, Cantonal Courts and the Federal City Court shall be appointed by the courts they are inferior to. Judges from the Cantonal Courts and the Federal City Court shall be appointed by the National Justices of the National Court. Judges from District Courts shall be appointed by judges from the Cantonal Courts and the Capital Metropolitan Court. There shall be no way to remove these judges.
4o. In all electoral systems, provided that there is only one unopposed candidate, that candidate shall be elected to the office that they are competing for immediately on the day of the election they are taking part in. If there is no candidate contesting for a specific office, the previous occupant shall take the office in an acting capacity. If the previous occupant is currently ineligible for that office, the President, Vice President or the Director of the Interior shall reserve the right to appoint an adult (without a criminal record or a bar from occupying public office) to the office in an acting capacity. Once there is at least one candidate seeking that same office in the next election, the acting officer shall be removed, though they have the right to seek re-election.

Section II: The Legislative Branch
The legislative branch shall be the branch of government that debates, enacts and repeals piece of legislation, and shall represent the general populace. It shall be comprised of many legislators, the electoral system of which should be mentioned in Article II, Section IV.
 
2a. The legislative branch shall be divided into regional, urban and national levels, the highest of which shall be the national legislature, and then, under it, the provincial, regional and urban legislatures.
2b. The national legislature is the National Senate, which shall be comprised of 400 legislators, addressed/named as 'Senators'. Each Senator shall represent a geographical proportionally-populated constituency, with 400 constituencies in total in the entire country. It shall debate, enact or repeal laws of national importance, and shall hold the power to make several important decisions, as mentioned in the Articles above and below. It shall be headed by the Speaker of the Senate, the electoral system of which shall be mentioned in Article II, Section IV. The Speaker shall be automatically removed from office after losing re-election, and other ways of removal shall also be mentioned in Article II, Section IV. The Speaker does not vote in any votes held in the National Senate, and only carries out moderation duties.
2c. The cantons of the nation shall each hold a county legislature, named the 'Cantonal Council', with 9 Cantonal Councils in total. They shall function as roughly the same as the national legislature, that is, they shall debate, enact or repeal laws of regional importance. They shall be comprised of many legislators, the number of which shall be directly proportional to the population of its respective canton. The legislators shall be addressed/named as 'Cantonal Councillors'. A Cantonal Council shall be headed by the Head Councillor, the electoral system of which shall be mentioned in Article II, Section IV. The Head Councillor shall be automatically removed from office upon reaching his/her term limits, and other ways of removal shall also be mentioned in Article II, Section IV. All Cantonal Councillors, including the Head Councillor, shall be eligible to serve multiple terms of five years, with no term limits.
2d. In the Federal City of Friberne, the region shall be represented by the Municipal Commission. It shall be comprised of 44 legislators, and they shall be addressed as 'Municipal Commissioners'. They shall debate, enact or repeal laws of importance in the Capital. The Municipal Commission shall be head by the Lord Mayor of the Federal City, who shall act as a moderator in debates. The Lord Mayor shall not vote in the Commission. The electoral and removal systems of the Lord Mayor of the Federal City shall be mentioned in Article II, Section IV.
2e. Superior to the National Senate shall be the Presidential Commission. It shall be an advisory body answering directly to the President. The Presidential Commission's members shall be addressed as "The Right Honorable Presidential Commissioners", or, in short, "The Rt. Hon. Pres. Commissioners". The Presidential Commission shall give advice to the President regarding legislation delivered to the President from the National Senate. It shall propose corrections(if some are needed) to the legislation. The Presidential Commission shall always have 20 Presidential Commissioners. The Presidential Commission shall not be able to reject or veto a piece of legislation, but only propose corrections on the legislation. The system through which Presidential Commissioners are appointed shall be described in Article II, Section IV.

Article II: The Branches of the State and the Government
Section I: The Executive Branch
The executive branch shall be the branch of government that enforces laws and leads the country during times of exceptional crisis and emergency. It shall be comprised of many officials, the electoral system of which should be mentioned in Article II, Section IV.
 
1a. The President of the Federal Republic shall be the leader of the executive branch, the government and the nation. He shall be in possession of presidential powers, which shall be listed below:
1aa. The Power to Veto Legislation
1ab. The Power to Enact Presidential Decrees, which are legislation that do not require approval of the legislature to be enacted into law. Presidential Decrees can be overturned once the President who enacted that Decree leaves office.
1ac. The Power to declare High Emergencies, declarations recognising existential threats the Federal Republic faces. High Emergencies cannot be overturned by Presidents, they must be overturned by a 2/3 majority vote in the legislature.
1b. The Vice President of the Federal Republic shall be the primary advisor to the President, and shall be the first-in-line to succeed as President, if and whenever the President is physically or mentally incapable of remaining in office. The Vice President also takes on daily presidential duties in the country if and when the President is not in the country. The Vice President also has the power to issue tiebreaker votes in the legislature if and when a vote in the legislature ends in a tie.
1c. The Cabinet shall be the highest advisory body towards the President and the Vice President. It shall be comprised of 13 Ministers, which would be the highest leaders of their 13 respective ministries. A complete list of ministries and their functions shall be listed below. All ministries, except for one, shall be headed by their respective Ministers. All Cabinet members, except for one, may be removed by the President directly, without the approval of the legislature.
1ca. The Ministry of Order(MO) shall be the most important of all ministries. It shall attend to domestic security matters, and ensure the upholding of law and order in the country.
1cb. The Ministry of Information(MI) shall attend to matters of education, public information and publications.
1cc. The Ministry of Science and Development(MSD) shall attend to matters of general development, construction, science, technology and cyber development.
1cd. The Ministry of Biological, Ecological and Zoological Affairs(MBEZA) shall attend to matters concerning the environment and wildlife.
1ce. The Ministry of Social Services(MSS) shall attend to matters of social welfare, healthcare and other sorts of welfare services.
1cf. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MFA) shall attend to matters of foreign/international diplomacy.
1cg. The Santo-Dominian Intelligence and Investigation Bureau(SDIIB) shall attend to matters of intelligence, investigation of heinous crimes and the planning and execution of domestic and/or international covert operations.
1ch. The Treasury of the State shall attend to matters of governmental finances, economical management, collection of taxes and other fines, control of government spending and revenue management. It shall be headed by the Treasurer of the State.
1ci. The Impartial Corruption Investigation Agency(ICIA) shall investigate all government agencies and rid them of any and all corruption. It shall be headed by the ICIA Secretary, which shall be appointed directly by the legislature by a 2/3 majority, and not by the government. The Secretary may not be removed from office by the President/Vice President, and may only be removed from office by the legislature by a simple majority.
1cj. The Ministry of Defence(MDF) shall attend to matters of home defence.
1ck. The Directory of the Interior(DI) shall attend to domestic matters and supervise and organise electoral affairs.
1cl. The Ministry of Commerce(MC) shall attend to economic affairs.
1cm. The Chancellery for International Development(CID) shall attend to humanitarian aid, relations with developing nations and represent the Federal Republic in foreign affairs concerning development and aid.

Section II:  The Suspension of Freedoms and Rights in Certain Situations
These freedoms and rights as listed in Article I, Section I, shall be entitled to every citizen and/or holder of a Santo-Dominian passport, except for during certain situations worthy of a suspension of one/multiple freedoms and rights, so as to prevent any harm to society and to the nation in general. For a complete listing of these situations, refer to the Santo-Dominian Codes of Law.

Article I: The Rights of the Citizen and the Puppy
Section I: The Bill of Rights and Freedoms
 
The incumbent government, or highest ruling body of the nation, recognises the universal basic rights every single Santo-Dominian citizen and puppy are entitled to, including:
1. The Freedom of Speech
2. The Freedom of Demonstration, Striking and Protesting
3. The Right to Vote
4. The Right to Life and Happiness
5. The Freedom of Movement
6. The Right to Organise
7. The Right to Exemption from Slavery, Servitude, Slave Trade, Torture and Human/Puppy Trafficking
8. The Right to Equality under the Law
9. The Right to Exemption from Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, Imprisonment, Persecution and Exile
10. The Right to Nationality and the Right to Exemption from the Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality
11. The Right of All Genders (and Persons and Puppies that identify as Genderless) to Marry and Establish Families
12. The Right of Persons/Puppies in Marriage to Divorce and Separate
13. The Right to Ownership of Property and the Right to Exemption from the Arbitrary Deprivation of Property
14. The Right to Social Security and Welfare
15. The Right to Believe in Religions and Faiths
16. The Right to Practice Religious and Faithful Practices
And many other human and puppy rights as listed in international treaties and agreements of which the Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius is a signatory of.

Min-Su
ミンスの聖なる帝国 (Minsunese)
Minsu no seinaru teikoku

Flag

Imperial Seal
Anthem: “Heika no Chisei” (彼の神聖な陛下の治世)
"His Majesty's reign"

Government Seal

Min-Su within Lavender
Capital    Eriya City Largest city    Eribi City Populous city    Nanbu City National Language    Minsunese Demonym(s)    Minsunese Government Type    Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy Head of State    Sacred Emperor Min-Su Ren IX Head of Gov't    Prime Minister Minori Sheng Legislature    State Congress Upper House    Senate Lower House    House of Representatives  Area Total     N?A km² Land    23,178 km² Water    N?A km² Population 1420 census    6,662,340 Density    79.2/km² GDP (PPP) 1420 estimate Total    $283,375,971,133 Per capita    $42,534 Currency    Minsunese yen (MU¥) Time zone    IAT+0 Driving side    right Calling code    +2 17 Internet TLD    .mu  
Min-Su (Minsunese:ミンスの聖なる帝国) is a small sovereign state in Aura, covering the eastern-half of Lavender Island. Eriya is the sacred capital of the country. Eribi is the largest city, and Nanbu is the most populous city; other notable cities are Wuzhen, Erifi, and Dafeng.
Min-Su is one of the least-populated-countries in the world. About one-third of the country's terrain is mountainous, with its population of 6.6 million concentrated on the coastal plains. Min-Su covers 84,132 km² is divided into eight traditional provinces. The Greater Eriya Metro is the most populous metropolitan area in Min-Su, with more than 2.82 million residents. 
After centuries of absolute monarchical rule, Sacred Emperor Kang, the People's emperor, drafted the 1330 Imperial State Constitution allowing democracy to flourish under imperial rule. In the 1330 constitution, Min-Su maintains a unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the Noble State Congress.
Min-Su is a developing country with a national GDP MU¥ 430 billion, led by Agriculture, Tourism, Electronics, and Shipbuilding. It has a GDP per capita of MU¥ 66,153.85.
The country’s namesake is the ancient Gaoist and present ruling-clan, the Min-Su (ミンス). The country is the only predominant Gaoist country in the world.
 

Name: Santos-Dominius
Discord Name: iOctagon of Santos-Dominius(ABCHTNXYZ#1460)
A couple of sentences about your nation:
Sitting in the middle of the Yatasail Sea, between the Aura and Andolia continents, Santos-Dominius is an extremely progressive constitutional federal republic, led by 4th President Paul Goldberg and the unicameral legislative National Senate. The beautiful nation is mainly split into lots of islands, with the biggest one being Santos and the second-largest being Dominius. The Santo-Dominian islands are famous for their perfect weather, lovely and compassionate people and wonderful nature, as well as the unique tropical culture formed as a result of sitting in between two different continents. Santo-Dominians are overwhelmingly pacifist and intelligent, and are viewed as a welcoming people to most foreigners, much like Santo-Dominian nature. The Government of Santos-Dominius is famed for corporate and social welfare, compromises and strict international and inter-regional neutrality, preferring always to stay out of conflicts and hostilities if possible, hence the national motto: "Ensemble Pour La Paix"(Together For Peace).
Map request as an image:
I would like to place Santos-Dominius in this group of islands circled in by the broken lines, right south of Bobki and north of Wyvern. Please do not confuse with the islands not circled in southeast of Bobki.

The Mapplication™ Thread
Apply within to join the world of Esferos, home of TWP Roleplay

Current map version 1.18, updated 1 April 2024
Esferos Topographic Map | Biome Map | Tectonic Map | Wind & Sea Map
Joining and staying on the map
In order to join the map, you must follow these steps:
Join and introduce yourself on the main TWP Discord server and the TWP Roleplay Discord server Read the Guide to TWP Roleplay & Esferos Lore Introduction Apply to become a member of the Hall of Nations Submit your Mapplication™ to this thread once you have applied. See below for Mapplication™ instructions. The map is updated on the 15th of every month—to stay on it you must remain active, which requires you to:
Maintain your Hall of Nations membership—this includes making at least one post (new thread or reply) per month anywhere on the forums Engage in the Roleplay Discord at least once every three months Becoming inactive or leaving the region immediately forfeits your place on the map and in the canon unless you first talk with the Cartography Board. Inactive nations with significant contribution to the canon may become NPCs controlled by the Loremasters instead of being removed entirely.
How to submit your Mapplication™
Mapplications™ must be submitted as a reply to this thread. Below, you will find the Mapplication™ form to paste into a reply and fill out.
Submitting your Mapplication™ will begin a process where statistics and realism will be discussed with the Cartography Board. It is important to note that this process is not a negotiation—the community standards for realism will be met, but we encourage you to meet them creatively. If you have questions about specifics, or do not fit in a particular answer category, read the background material and explain where you may land on each of the Indices. Joining the TWP Roleplay Discord server is heavily encouraged for more involved help in this process.
The name that appears on the map for your nation must be reasonably realistic—if the name you choose does not meet the canon standards, you will be notified by a member of the Cartography Board. Your map nation's name does not need to match your resident nation's name.
You may request a premade area (outlined on the map in grey) or draw an area of your own. For continents that have numbered plots thus far, you may not draw your own plot. Pre-made plots are only combined in extreme circumstances. If you draw your own, please take a screenshot of the map and mark the territory you would like to request, like the example image provided in this section. Major cities and other features are also welcome, though we need exact city populations to place them on the map (this may be done later by submitting populations to the #cities channel on our Discord server). Please review the Esferos Topographic Map and Biome Map (linked above) to inform your nation's placement, as geographic features and environments will not be changed to suit your desires after placement. Bear in mind that if you decide to request an unreasonably large area, it will be pared down.
The map is updated on the 15th of every month, and hotfixes are released to include new applicants at the end of each week.
Mapplication™ format
Copy and paste this form into your reply and fill it out. You can find a completed example below the Mapplication™.
 
Resident nation: 
Discord name:
Map nation name:
A couple sentences about your nation: (original content, not NationStates stats)
 
 
Map request as an image or plot number: (forum embed or Imgur link)
 
3-Letter Code:                                  2-Letter Code:
Capital City:
Government Type:
The population of my nation is:  Below average / Average / Above average
The population density of my nation is:  Below average / Average / Above average
The GDP per capita of my nation is:  Below average / Average / Above average
  Government Spending - Which statement best describes your nation?
  My nation provides moderate social programs, or a small selection of social programs. 
  My nation has an extensive social safety net, or provides multiple programs like universal healthcare, welfare, and free tuition for its citizens 
 
My nation does not provide social programs beyond bare necessities and/or high school educations. 
  My nation does not prioritize social spending, but engages in some large-scale government or public spending projects. 
  My nation’s government spending is a vast majority of our GDP, such as having to coordinate our import-dependent economy.
(this option is subject to Cartography Board approval)
  Military Indicator - Which statement best describes your nation?
  My nation has made a commitment to security, and maintains a moderately sized modern armed forces within our means. 
 
My nation has little incentive or political drive for military spending, but maintains a small-to-moderate modern armed forces. 
  My nation has prioritized military spending at the expense of other key areas and may have been criticized for lack of freedom or human rights issues. 
  My nation does not prioritize military spending due to other priorities, the belief we are safe, or we don’t have enough money left over to fund it. 
  My nation is heavily embattled and we believe we face an existential threat.
(this option is subject to Cartography Board approval) 
  Any other inspirations or concepts you want to share: 
 
 
 
 
Mapplication™ example:
 
 Previous map versions:
 
Join the Regional RP Discord server for additional help. Do not debate the merits of claims here.
 

(OOC: 7.7.2021 Edition)
CONTENTS
1. Overview
2. Etymology
3. History
4. Demographics
5. Politics
6. Culture
7. Economy
8. Infrastructure
9. Education

The Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius
(Dominish: Bundesrepublik Santoreich-Dominien)
(Santosian: République de Santosie-Dominigne)

 
Formal Name: The Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius Motto: "Knees Unbent"
Population: 7,796,755 Capital and Largest City: Friberne Official Languages: Common, Santosian, Dominish Demonym: Santo-Dominian President of the Federal Republic: Donald Verbloem(Acting) Currency: Ophelion(Ω) GDP: 477 trillion Ophelions GDP Per Capita: 143,793 Ophelions National Animal: Rainbow Peacock Time Zone: IAT +0 Driving Side: Left Calling Code: +2 38 Internet TLD: .sd Nicknames: "Pearls of the Yatasail"
"The Junction"
"Big Little Country"
The Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius(commonly called Santos-Dominius) is a federal constitutional presidential republic sitting on an archipelago in the Yatasail Sea, at the southwestern-most tip of the continent of Aura in the West Pacific. Santos-Dominius is divided into 2 islands and 20 cantons, which are semi-autonomous administrative divisions. It is bordered on the west and south by the Yatasail Sea and on the east by the Darkesian Sea. The nearest countries include Bobki to the north and Wyvern and Varanius to the south. Santos-Dominius is a highly progressive democracy with a unique system of governance, which has, combined with business-friendly policies, allowed it to become one of the area’s fastest-rising economic powerhouses. It is a geographical crossroads between the continents of Aura and Andolia and this strategically beneficial position has allowed it to develop at a quick and steady pace.

 
Map of the West Pacific with Santos-Dominius area circled(above)
Location of Santos-Dominius in circled area on map(below)

As its name suggests, Santos-Dominius gets its name from its two regions: the largest island, called Santos, and the archipelago to its south, called Dominius. Santos is decisively more Auran-influenced, while the name Dominius was given by Andolian settlers coming from the south. Santo-Dominian fables, however, claim that the name Santos-Dominius comes from two mythical gods, Santosia and Dominium, but this is heavily disputed by scientists and historians.

EARLY HISTORY
The earliest settlers of the Santo-Dominian archipelago came from southern Aura and northern Andolia, around 4500 BF. Its unique position between the two major continents produced a unique mix of ancient Auran and Andolian culture, resulting in a special cultural development and a special prehistoric language: Santosian, native to the island of Santos. The first settlements on Santos were located in modern-day cantons of Framboise and Lotharburg, which both spoke a unique romantic dialect of the ancient Common language, partly due to distance from the Auran mainland.
 
On the islands of Dominius, ancient Andolian settlers came to look for a comfortable tropical climate and good weather. They built ancient towns and cities that would later become part of the modern-day cantons of Sasslen and Palain, named Saxlonia and Palatinium back then. Both ancient towns would fight several times as the 1st century approached, culminating in the Saxlonian-Palatinian War of 143. After around a year of fighting, neither side could claim victory, and both town-states were annexed by Framboisian invaders in February 144, at a moment when Saxlonia was ill-prepared and Palatinium was near collapse. Both cities folded to Framboise.

 
FRAMBOISIAN DOMINATION AND FALL
Following the annexation, Framboisian nobility, who were culturally superior, instituted a set of reforms in 159. Dubbed the “Great Step Up” by locals, the reforms standardised the local language, laying the foundation for the Dominish language. Saxlonia and Palatinium were renamed to Sasslen and Palain, and the towns of Theronigen, Waldburg, Schwabenburg and St Arlaine were all founded to divide power and prevent an united Sasslen-Palain uprising against their Framboisian overlords.
 
Meanwhile, on Santos, Lotharburg emerged as the clear roadblock to Framboisian domination of the island. Following over 200 years of uneasy peace, Framboise declared war on the Lotharburgians, starting the Great Ancient War in August 278. Joan IV, Duchess of Lotharburg, knew that she could not win a direct war. As such, she managed to secure an alliance with the nearby city-state of Friberne, promising massive expansion in return for joining the war against Framboise. At the 1st and 2nd Battles of Altburg, the Lotharburg-Fribernese alliance won against overwhelming odds. The Treaty of Altburg was signed in 282, establishing the Old Santosian Confederation and uniting the three city-states into the archipelago’s first national government.
 
After the war, Framboisian influence over Dominius was significantly weakened, and a combined uprising led by the leaders of Sasslen, Palain and St. Arlaine liberated the archipelago. All of the Dominian city-states signed the Treaty of Sasslen in 386, joining the Old Santosian Confederation and establishing the canton of Zentrum-Dominien as a buffer state. The following year, the Treaty of Carindorf was signed at the canton of Pressen in Santos, formally renaming the nation to the Santo-Dominian Confederation and establishing the buffer cantons of Roivivion, Lemandie and re-establishing the city-state of Altburg as the canton of Neuenstadt.
 
THE CONFEDERATION YEARS AND SAINT MARKIAN INVASION
The country thrived under the Confederation, drafting its first constitution, the “Instrument der Regierungsführung”(Dominish for “Instrument of Governance”). Cantons had a direct say in national affairs via the Confederational Diet, which was located in Lotharburg. An unprecedented 500-year peace dawned on the Santo-Dominian islands, with its waters and seas protecting it from invasion and deterring potential attackers. However, this was not to last. Saint Markian invaders from the Auran mainland attacked the Confederation during its annual meeting in 897, taking the nation completely by surprise. Framboise's cantonal capital Romant-sous-Bois fell on 19th March 897, while Lotharburg was besieged and captured on 24th May. In Dominius, Saint Markian sympathisers threw Duke Francis Neusemann to his death in the infamous 897 Defenestration of St. Arlaine. Francis’ death left the strong city without a leader, and St. Arlaine and its Dominian allies surrendered to the invaders on 17th December 898. The Treaty of Solaceil, signed in the canton of Roivivion, ended the Confederation and ditched the Instrument of Governance in favour of the newly-established Santo-Dominian Republic, a puppet state under the Saint Markians' rule.
 
Though the Confederation became history, a shared sentiment of nationalism pervaded society. The Saint Markian republican government in Friberne clamped down hard on dissent and unrest, squashing the Pressen Rebellions of 1048 and 1055. Hotbeds for underground rebellious activity emerged in the cantons of Lemandie and Roivivion, made obvious by the establishment of the Freedom Association, a secret paramilitary organisation determined to resist the invaders’ colonial rule and re-establish a Santo-Dominian nation. In 1189, tensions boiled over, and Lemandie, Roivivion and Pressen hoisted the Santo-Dominian flag. It was an open rebellion.
 
THE PATRIOTIC LIBERATION
The Saint Mark-controlled Republican government in Friberne reacted quickly. Soon, the Republic’s military was marching towards Solaceil, Roivivion's cantonal capital. Arthur Chambers, Governor of Roivivion and de-facto leader of the rebellion, knew that a major battle in his home canton was inevitable. He sent out a call to arms to the nearby allies of Lemandie, Pressen, Framboise and Lotharburg, persuading them to join his own army in battle. All four cantons accepted Chambers’ request, but the united force marched extraordinarily slowly, arriving only halfway on 12th November 1189. With the Republican army quickly approaching, Chambers ordered the construction of defences across his canton and prepared for a brutal defence.
 
In the winter of 1189, the Republican army launched a decisive attack on Solaceil, blasting its walls and sending its citizens into full-blown panic. Chambers’ army resisted bravely, but was unable to slow the advance of the attackers, and was forced to retreat to the cantonal palace. There, the last scraps of his army held out for a painful 2 weeks, constantly repulsing the invaders and scoring victories with heavy losses. Finally, on the night of 24th December 1189, the united rebel army led by Jean Baptiste II, Governor of Framboise, arrived in Solaceil. Morale among the rebels skyrocketed in part to Chambers’ brilliant commanding, and the Republican army was forced out of the canton on 25th December 1189. At the end of the year, the Republican army had been cornered in Friberne and forced to defend against the Santosian army and reinforcements from Dominius. Under attack and severe bombardment, Friberne finally fell to the rebels on 15th January 1190. The Santo-Dominian Republic was gone, and the Saint Markians were ousted. The islands would once again come under rule by its own citizens.
 
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC
After the invaders’ repulsion from the Santo-Dominian archipelago, Chambers and Baptiste quickly moved to form a new government and restore order to the war-torn islands, especially Santos. Under Chambers’ advice, Baptiste declared the establishment of the Federal Republic of Santos-Dominius in 1205, with 15th January set as Federal Day. An election for the highest post of President was called, and both Chambers and Baptiste emerged as frontrunners. But Baptiste, old and frail, died of health complications in April 1205. Chambers, the only alternative, was assassinated by an Auran terrorist who detonated a bomb placed in Chambers’ train carriage.
 
Following Baptiste’s death and Chambers’ assassination, Bill Mulberry, Governor of Pressen, rose to prominence as a key revolutionary figure. Mulberry had led the Pressen army and helped clear the way to Solaceil, Roivivion for Baptiste, earning him a great deal of respect among the rebel army. Now, the clear frontrunner, Mulberry was elected as the founding President of the Federal Republic. He founded the Purified Conservative Party, the first ever political party in the nation, and wrote the Santo-Dominian Constitution, one of the longest documents in the nation’s history. Mulberry would create the National Senate, a spiritual successor to the Confederational Diet, and helped with the official formation of the 20 cantons. Friberne was selected as the national capital(“Federal City”, to be precise), now stronger than the cities of Romant-sous-Bois, Lotharburg and the cantons of Sasslen, Palain and St. Arlaine.
 
After Mulberry retired in 1262, President Jan Davis Lovings founded the Country Liberal Party, a competing party, and won decisively in the following general elections. Lovings would later be forced from office in 1306 by fellow Country Liberal politician Eliot Klein, who would become the 3rd President. Klein instituted many progressive reforms, forming a culture of corporate welfare co-existing along generous universal healthcare and social welfare. Taxation was greatly increased, though this did not stop Santos-Dominius from developing into one of the area’s biggest economic powerhouses. In 1355, Klein was defeated overwhelmingly by Paul Rogers Goldberg, who had reorganised the Purified Conservatives into the Democratic Congress Party(DCB), now the largest in the National Senate. Goldberg was sworn in as the 4th President of the Federal Republic.
 
Per tradition, Mulberry, Lovings, Klein and Goldberg all pursued Santo-Dominian neutrality, and kept the Federal Republic out of the Auran League. Official diplomatic policy was to pursue friendly relations with every government and nation possible, though alliances and pacts were considered highly taboo. Goldberg, however, flip-flopped on neutrality, first signing the Act of Neutrality in 1420 and then partially waiving it in 1421 to allow for Santo-Dominian participation in the 1st World Cup of Football. Also in 1420, after Goldberg announced the deeply unpopular "SD-Works" employment programme, the Louisann General Strike broke out in the left-leaning city of Louisann in the historically socialist Canton of Lemandie.
While "SD-Works" survived a narrow popular referendum intended to strike it down, the damage to the 4th President was done. After his extremely narrow re-election in February 1421, Goldberg served more and more terms as President, albeit with a greatly weakened governing mandate compared to when he was first elected in 1355. Shortly after, the CLP merged with the left-wing Santo-Dominian Communist Phalanx(SDCP) to form the new broad-tent centre-left Coalition of Roses(CoR) so as to enhance leftist unity. Goldberg passed away in 1421, bringing about the end of an era; Vice President Donald Verbloem has been sworn in as Acting President while a snap presidential election is called and organised.

The 1420 Santo-Dominian Census shows that approximately 7,796,755 people live in the Federal Republic. Among that, about 5,435,211 citizens live in the big cities and islands. Most citizens(89%) are Santo-Dominian, with Auran and Andolian minorities also included. The national official languages include Common, Santosian and Dominish, though Santo-Dominians speak a special Santosian dialect of Common called Santosian Common. Dominish is a local language developed in its namesake archipelago, Dominius. Santosian is a Auran-influenced language developed in Santos before Common was spread. Common is the most-spoken language followed by Dominish and Santosian, with 7.45 million, 6.31 million and 5.72 million speakers respectively. The Federal Republic strictly maintains secularism in the government, outlined by the 1st Constitutional Extension, but religious freedom is enshrined in Laws 15-16, Section I, Article I of the Santo-Dominian Constitution. 73% of the population are atheist, while the others believe in a varying mix of religions.