Chalion

The Royacy of Chalion is an old and well-respected nation, as well as a member of the Green Protection Agency. Its capital is the city of Cardegoss. While nominally under the rule of the Royina Iselle IV, political power in Chalion currently resides in the able hands of Chanceller Ias dy Cazaril. His policy of maintaining international neutrality and promoting internal improvements and economic growth have served the nation well in recent times.

General Information
Chalion is a medium sized and well developed nation. Its citizens are primarily of Chalionese ethnicity, and follow a mix of Quintarian and Quadrene religions. Chalion is an advanced nation with first-rate technology. The citizens of Chalion pay high taxes, but universal healthcare and other social advancements keep them happy with the government. Its primary exports are raw gold and lead ore. Chalion's internal policies are generally moderate. Narcotics are banned in the nation, and the military of Chalion arrests all drug traffickers. Chalion allows government protests and encourages freedom of speech, though a strong police force monitors protests and arrests lawbreakers. Chalion's borders are open to all, but immigrants must become citizens in order to remain in the country.

As far as its foreign affairs, Chalion maintains a policy of strict neutrality in compliance with the GPA Declaration of Neutrality, and will go to war only in defense of itself or other GPA nations. Chalion does not support the construction of nuclear weapons, but is currently researching technology for nuclear power plants. The government gives foreign aid when it can, though the needs are Chalionese citizens are generally considered first and foremost. The Chalionese government discourages commerce with nations that mistreat their citizens.

History of Chalion
A brief history of the nation.

Before Chalion
The earliest known ancestors of the Chalionese were the people of the ancient city-state of Tharsus. The civilization of the Tharsians was small and unadvanced, and their city was regularly beset by raiders from neighboring areas. The Warlords of Tharsus were as a rule paranoid and mistrustful, never entering into any sort of military agreement. Their last great leader, Guillyme ce Graunde, was eventually driven from his capital by the invaders. The refugees migrated across the continent and eventually settled by the River Mendenal. Guillyme reclaimed an abandoned fort at a fork in the river, and founded his new capital there. He named his citadel the Zangre (literally "the Blood", referring to the lives lost in the retreat from his old homeland), and the city that sprang up around it was named Cardegius.

Guillyme was content to build Cardegius as a small city-state, much like the abandoned Tharsus. He ordered the building of a city wall to repel barbarian attacks, and established trade relations with nearby cities and nations. Cardegius flourished under Guillyme's rule, but expanded outward very little.

However, the rule of Guillyme also saw the codification of ancient Tharsian tribal religion in the The Fivefold Pathway of the Soul written by Saint Ordol. The taking up of spirit animals was eliminated from religious practices, and the Bastard was officially recognized as a fifth god. The subsequently established Quintarian church became the focal point of much of Tharsian culture.

Early Chalion
After the death of Guillyme (rumored to be the result of chronic syphilis), rule passed to his warlike son Teidez. The newly crowned Warlord Teidez immediately took a more active approach to foreign affairs, building up the army of Cardegius and forcing territory and tribute from neighboring countries. Teidez named the newly-formed nation Chalion, re-named Cardegius as Cardegoss, and established himself as the first Roya. He was a very religious man, and heavily incorporated the Quintarian church into Chalion's new government. As the nation expanded, Teidez divided it into several provinces, appointing Provinciars from the nobility to oversee the running of the separate areas.

Teidez's son Fonsa came to power following his father's death. More concerned with wine and women than in running a small country, Roya Fonsa I appointed a Chancellor, Bergon dy Marez, to take executive control of Chalion. With a few exceptions, Fonsa's subsequent dynastic line has been fairly weak, content to allow their Chancellors to rule. Fonsa's son Orico also made provisions for a "democratically" elected Grand Council. From the beginning, though, the Council has been not-so-secretly controlled by the Quintarian church.

After the rule of Teidez, Chalion's status as a major power in the region declined steadily, mainly due to an incestuous line of increasingly weak and foolish Royas. Little of particular interest happened in Chalion until more recent times.

The Arvolian Crisis
On April 20, 2009, reigning monarch Roya Arvol I was killed in a mysterious motorcade bombing. Reports from the scene indicate that the Roya's driver may have detonated charges placed on the underside of the car. Chancellor Arman dy Lutez was also killed in the resulting explosion. The remainder of government was thrown into disarray by the removal of their leaders, and Quadrene Roknari separatists took advantage of the confusion to make another (unsuccessful) secession bid to the Grand Council.

Arvol's widow, the Royina Iselle IV, promptly appointed the provinciar of Baocia, Ias dy Cazaril, as Chancellor on April 21st. At his royal patron's behest, dy Cazaril invoked several Emergency Powers clauses from the Constitution of Chalion, allowing him to sidestep the Grand Council and force several pieces of progressive legislation past its church-controlled membership.

The Cazaril Administration
Since the Arvolian Crisis, Ias dy Cazaril has earned his place in the history books as being the greatest ruler Chalion has ever seen. Using his Emergency Powers, dy Cazaril has raised Chalion from abject poverty to a position as a first-world nation. Part of this is due to his ability to bypass the reactionary Grand Council, but it is mostly because of the entrance of Chalion into the Green Protection Agency. In a climate of peace and neutrality, Chalion's infrastructure and technology levels have both burgeoned, and the country's Gross Domestic Income has risen sharply. Chancellor dy Cazaril stimulated Chalion's economy by allowing other GPA nations to outsource their technological development cheaply in Chalion, and has since been able to turn this around and pay smaller GPA nations to research Chalion's stunning advances. Factories, banks, schools, stadiums, hospitals, and other necessities were built with the profits of such ventures. His ambitious projects have also included the formation of a Stock Market, a system for Social Security, a National Research Laboratory, and an agency for Disaster Relief. His administration has also finished construction of an Interprovincial Highway System. Aggressive mining efforts have allowed Chalion to export surplus gold and lead in return for coal, iron, oil, wheat, and other essential resources.

Arguably dy Cazaril's most important initiative has been to sever the age-old tie between the Quintarian church and the government, breaking much of the church's power and allowing religious freedom throughout Chalion. Quadrenes and other sects may now worship freely without government persecution. The policy also includes a clause officially outlawing demonic possession, which was previously permitted to licensed Quintarian clergy of the Bastard's Order. Since the approval of the Religion Act, Quadrene churches have been established in many of Chalion's major cities, and a cathedral is currently under construction in Cardegoss.

Political System
Chalion's government has been formed through centuries of political evolution. It is nominally party-based, though the church-dominated Divine Providence party has been in unilateral control for over a century. However, the start of the Cazaril Administration has threatened to break this tradition. By fusing several smaller Populist and Radical parties, dy Cazaril has formed a powerful coalition known as the Secular Progressives.

The Roya
The Roya of Chalion (f. Royina) is the monarchical Head of State. Their children are the Royse (m.) or Royesse (f.). The Roya presides over State Ceremonies, and is theoretically Commander-in-Chief of the Chalionese Armed Forces. The Roya is also in charge of appointing Chancellors, and this is where much of the monarchy's actual power lies. The Royacy is hereditary, and is generally passed down through the male heir. Some precedent exists for a Royesse to be designated as heir to the throne, but historically such successions have been challenged and overturned by the Grand Council.

The young and recently widowed Royina Iselle IV is currently acting as regent for her son, Royse Arvol II, following the assassination of her late husband, Roya Arvol I. She favors dy Cazaril's Secular Progressive party, in contrast to Arvol's declared support of Divine Providence.

The Grand Council
Originally a parliament of noblemen hand-picked by the Roya, the Grand Council of Chalion now consists mainly of wealthy landowners and business tycoons who have bought their way into popular election. Corrupted by the power-hungry Quintarian church, the Council rarely accomplishes much at all. Their carefully engineered ineffectualness was largely responsible for the state of Chalion's declining economy preceding the Cazaril Administration. They are the legislative branch of government, and also control the national budget.

The Chalionese Grand Council is a unicameral body, consisting of Councilors that are directly elected every five years by the citizens of the province they represent. The membership of the Council is fixed at 87, and seats are alloted to provinces proportionally based on the most recent census counts. It is presided over by the Council Elder, who is selected by the current Chancellor directly following elections.

The Council (and Chalion itself) has a long history of being controlled by the reactionary Divine Providence party, which currently holds 53 Council seats. However, the 2011 elections promise turnover as Ias dy Cazaril's Secular Progressive party gains momentum.

The Chancellor
The Chancellor of Chalion is in charge of the Executive branch of government, and is appointed by the reigning Roya. They serve a five-year term, though historically most Chancellors serve several terms back-to-back. They wield much of the power of the government.

The current Chancellor, Ias dy Cazaril, was appointed by the Royina Iselle directly following the assassination of the Roya Arvol and his Chancellor. Urged by the Royina, Ias used this as a pretense to activate several Emergency Power clauses in the Constitution, giving him the power to effectively ignore the Chalionese Grand Council. Ruling as a benevolent dictator, Ias has been able to bring about sweeping social and economic changes that seemed impossible under the control of the Divine Providence party. The death of the Roya Arvol is yet unsolved, so dy Cazaril has yet to relinquish his political power.

The High Court
The Order of The Father was until recently the judicial branch of government. However, when the Cazaril Administration secularized government, the Order was overhauled and renamed the Department of Justice. The High Court of Chalion is the supreme judicial authority in Chalion, capable of overturning lesser rulings, as well as conducting various government-related trials.

The High Court consists of a panel of five High Judges, who are appointed by majority vote of the current Grand Council, and who serve for life. The current judiciary consists of five elderly, stolidly reactionary Divine Providence supporters, none of whom appears likely to die anytime soon. The High Court is currently perceived to be the Church's "last stand" as far as political control, since the Cazaril Administration doesn't have the power to oust the current panel.

Provincial Government
The provincial governments of Chalion are very similar to their Federal counterpart, with a few exceptions. Each province has its own 43-member unicameral legislative body, known as a Provincial Senate. Senators are elected directly by the people of the province. Each province also has an executive figure called the Provinciar, who fills the role of Chancellor at a smaller scale. However, Provinciars are elected indirectly, by a majority vote of the Senate. Senators and Provinciars both serve four-year terms, in contrast to the five years served by most Federal officials.

Most current Provinciars are still appointed from the old Chalionese nobility (as is Chancellor dy Cazaril), but a few of the more progressive provinces (Labran, Thistan, and Yarrin) have commoner Provinciars.

The Provinces of Chalion

 * Baocia


 * Guarida


 * Ildar


 * Labran


 * Palliar


 * Thistan


 * Yarrin

Culture
Chalionese is, of course, the dominate and official language of Chalion. There are dozens of regional dialects which differ very little. Several other languages are spoken in Chalion by minority populations from surrounding regions, including Ibran, Roknari, Darthacan, and Wealding.

The main national holiday is the Roya's Birthday, which is is currently celebrated on June 16th, the birthday of 8-year-old heir to the throne Arvol II. The seasonal religious holidays are also observed by most Chalionese.

Religion
See main article: Quintarianism

Religion is extremely important to the day-to-day life of most Chalionese. The primary religion of Chalion is Quintarianism, and most other religions are some Quintarian heresy or other. The Quintarian religion turns on the worship of the Five Gods: Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, and Bastard. The main Quintarian religious text is The Fivefold Pathway of the Soul, though the Church accepts many other texts as canon.

Chalion's second most common religion is Quadrenism, a widely-accepted Quintarian heresy that denies the divinity of the Bastard, thus excluding him from the pantheon. Most Quadrenes are from the minority Roknari ethnic group, and until very recently suffered widespread government-sponsored persecution.

Education
All Chalionese citizens are required to attend school through the 12th grade, and most also go on to a university or trade school. Under the Cazaril Administration, provincial governments are required to fund students who cannot afford higher education on their own. Chalion has traditionally had a good educational system, even while under the control of the Divine Providence Party; the University dy Chalion is widely reputed to be one of the best schools in Europe.

The public school system is divided into two levels, primary and secondary. Most Chalionese children enter school in Pre-Un at the age of 5. They remain in primary school through 6th grade, at which point they graduate to secondary school, where they remain through the 12th grade. Most are 17 or 18 when they enter University.

Sports
Ball-based team sports are uncommon in Chalion, and the most popular sports are those involving individual competitors. Gymnastics, fencing, archery, equestrianism, and figure skating are all extremely popular, along with other winter sports such as skiing. Figure skating is often regarded as the national sport, and Chalion has produced many top-level international athletes. The Chalionese public follows figure skating with the same voracity generally reserved for football in most European countries. Chalion currently hosts the Arvol Trophy in Cardegoss, one of the competitions in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

Chancellor Ias dy Cazaril recently commissioned the construction of five large Multi-Plex stadiums in major Chalionese cities. Among other things, these facilities house ice rinks, archery ranges, and sprinting tracks. Chalion is currently planning a bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in the picturesque mountain village of Casilchas, in the northern province of Guarida. Their 2014 bid was rejected mainly because the International Olympic Committee saw that under the Divine Providence Party, Chalion did not have the funds necessary to build the facilities.

Cuisine
Chalionese cuisine consists of a great variety of dishes from different areas. It is somewhat influenced by seafood available on the southern coast, but is mostly derived from inland culinary traditions. Two main gastronomic divisions are easily identified:
 * Coastal Chalion – In the coastal provinces (Baocia and Yarrin), and somewhat in Thistan, there is heavy use of seafood in traditional dishes such as pescayto fryto. Cold soups like gapachyo are popular, as are rice-based dishes like paella and arroz netya.
 * Inland Chalion – Other provinces, including Guarida, Palliar, and the city of Cardegoss prefer hot, thick soups such as the bread and garlic-based Rojeran soup, along with stews such as cocido madrilyno. Food is traditionally conserved by salting, like Chalionese ham, or immersed in olive oil. The hilly inland provinces also have a strong sheep- and goat-herding tradition, resulting in the popularity of dishes based on mutton, lamb, and goat cheese.

Music and Dance
Much like everywhere else, folk music and dances are popular in Chalion, the predominant form being jyta. The jyta tends to have a 3/4 rhythm, although some composers maintain that the 6/8 is better adapted to the poetic and choreographic structure. Guitars, bandurryas, lutes, dulzyoona, and drums are traditional instruments. The accompanying dance is much like a waltz, though it involves a fair amount of jumping around. Other traditional dances include the marratya and the cantrapàt. Cardegoss has a Chamber Orchestra directed by the violinist Armus dy Jocon.

Last year, Chalion attracted media attention by participating in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. The song, "Mi Coéyr ci Ouve a Tuy" was eliminated in the semi-finals, and was the first Eurovision song to be sung in Chalionese.

The National Anthem of Chalion is "Puyada, Chalion" (Rise, Chalion).