The Duchy of Thornbury

Nation Information
The Duchy of Thornbury is a small, developing, and young nation at 27 days old with citizens primarily of British ethnicity whose religion is Norse. It is a backwards nation when it comes to technology and many refer to it unkindly as a 'Third World Nation'. Its citizens pay extremely high taxes and many despise their government as a result. The citizens of the Duchy of Thornbury work diligently to produce Silver and Rubber as tradeable resources for their nation. It is a very passive country when it comes to foreign affairs and has no interests in war. The Duchy of Thornbury is currently researching nuclear technology for the use of nuclear power plants but believes nuclear weapons should be banned. Plans are on the way within the Duchy of Thornbury to open new rehabilitation centers across the nation and educate its citizens of the dangers of drug use. Duchy of Thornbury allows its citizens to protest their government but uses a strong police force to monitor things and arrest lawbreakers. It welcomes all new immigrants with open borders. The Duchy of Thornbury believes in the freedom of speech and feels that it is every citizen's right to speak freely about their government. The government gives foreign aid when it can, but looks to take care of its own people first. The Duchy of Thornbury will not make deals with another country that has a poor history of inhuman treatment of its citizens.

The Former County of Norfolk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast, including the Wash. The county town is Norwich. Norfolk is the fifth largest ceremonial county in England, with an area of 5,371 km² (2,074 sq. mi.).

Norfolk was settled in pre-Roman times, with neolithic camps along the higher land in the west where flints could be quarried. A Brythonic tribe, the Iceni, inhabited the county from the first century BCE, to the end of the first century (CE). The Iceni revolted against the Roman Invasion in 47 CE, and again in 60 CE led by Boudica. The crushing of the second rebellion opened the county to the Romans. During the Roman era roads and ports were constructed throughout the county and farming took place.

Situated on the east coast, Norfolk was vulnerable to invasions from Scandinavia and northern Europe, and forts were built to defend against the Angles and Saxons. By the 5th century the Angles, for whom East Anglia and England itself are named, had established control of the region and later became the "north folk" and the "south folk", hence, "Norfolk" and "Suffolk". Norfolk, and several adjacent areas, became the kingdom of East Anglia, later merging with Mercia and then Wessex. The influence of the Early English settlers can be seen in the many "thorpes", "tons" and "hams" of placenames. In the 9th century the region again came under attack, this time from Vikings who killed the king, Edmund the Martyr. In the centuries before the Norman Conquest the wetlands of the east of the county began to be converted to farmland, and settlements grew in these areas. Migration into East Anglia must have been high, as by the time of the Conquest and Domesday Book survey, it was one of the most densely populated parts of the British Isles.

During the high and late Middle Ages the county developed arable agriculture and woolen industries. The economy was in decline by the time of the Black Death, which dramatically reduced the population in 1349, suffice to say that the current population has yet to equal the population from this time. By the 16th century Norwich had grown to become the second largest city in England, but in 1665 the Great Plague of London again killed around one third of the population. During the English Civil War Norfolk was largely Parliamentarian. The economy and agriculture of the region declined somewhat, and during the industrial revlolution Norfolk developed little industry except in Norwich and was a late addition to the railway network.

A Preliminary History (IC)
The Duchy of Thornbury, the former County of Norfolk, has had a long and distinguished history. It was once the feudal holding of the Boleyn family and the Earls of Buckinghamshire, respectively. In its last form it was broken into dozens of fractured holdings belonging to a lengthy list of both Noble and Bourgeois houses. In recent history, the native rubber and silver based economy had grown stagnant due to a lack of uniform trade code and investment interest from the failing global economy.

Among the myriad "First Families" of Norfolk was the noble house of the Hundleys of Blickling Hall, Marquesses of Essex. The late Sir Franklin Young Hundley, 4th Marquess of Essex, Earl of Northampton, was a decorated war hero, business entrepreneur, and much beloved benefactor of the people. As a young man, after the war, he married Lady Anne, oldest of only two daughters of Charles and Anna, Earl & Countess of Northampton. Sir Frank and Lady Anne had two daughters: Ann, Lady Essex and Charlotte, Lady Northampton. Ann, Lady Essex, a celebrated beauty of her time, married Lee Allen I, the 1st Doge of Venezia, Comte de Colmar. They begot Lee Allen II, 2nd Doge of Venezia.

At the age of 82, Lord Hundley died; his wife Lady Anne followed four years later, at the age of 83. The County of Essex was left to his grandson Doge Lee Allen II and the County of Northampton to his younger daughter, Lady Charlotte, who never married and retained residence at Blickling Hall, the Hundleys' ancestral home. The bulk of Lord Hundley's estate, however, was left to "the People of Blickling" to be used "...in a case judged to be dangerous and threatening by a council to be determined by the free persons of the county." Many have speculated that he feared another war and the impending chaos it might mean to the peoples of his beloved county. He could have had no way of knowing, however, that dark times would soon arrive in Norfolk.

The First Council of Blickling & The Tour of Thornbury (IC)
In late April 2009, The Karma War rendered thousands of once peaceful nations across Planet Bob, gripped by turmoil and bloodshed. To the south, the once powerful and wealthy Ducal State of Venezia was thrown into Anarchy. Doge Lee Allen II, amidst the destruction and despite the best efforts of occupying forces, escaped to Blickling under the protection of his aunt, Charlotte, Lady Northampton.

While the Doge remained exile-in-residence, on May 2nd, 2009, the First Council of Blickling met at Blickling Hall, to discuss their place in the changing world order. Due to the war, all infrastructure had been either confiscated to fund the war effort, or had been destroyed by invading armies. All of Britain was thrown into a world bathed in blood and gun smoke. Due to the strain of the war and increasing threat of total economic collapse, the council met per the late Earl's will. The Council had taken upon themselves the difficult task of appointing a leader who could decisively deliver them from the threat of total annihilation. The favored choice for the position was Lord Henry of Holkham Hall, 5th Earl of Cauthorne (second cousin, once removed to the deposed Doge). Lord Henry, being the descendant of a native British family of the realm and county, appealed to the native population of Norfolk as a leader of the people. However, Lord Henry, himself, being a demonstrative socialite and a member of the Ton, was often kept away from Norfolk, and his responsibilities far extended beyond that of a rural county lord. In his stead, not wishing to take command of a failing war-torn fief, he nominated his exiled cousin, Doge Lee Allen II. Despite his familial ties to the region, his foreign birth and perceived record of failure in Venezia fueled his opposition's fervor. After five consecutive days of heated deliberation, on March 7th, 2009, Lee Allen II was named 1st Duke of the [Independent] Duchy of Thornbury.

In what has come to be called "The Venetian Cede," the empowered Houses of Norfolk, were obliged, by decree of the 1st Council of Blickling, to give homage to the newly entitled Duke of Thornbury. Literally, these Noble and Bourgeois houses were forced to swear elegance to Lee Allen II. While a few families, due to their ties to the late Marquess & Marchioness of Essex, did cede control of their lands, most were utterly apposed to any such treasonous behavior that would flout the integrity of the United Kingdom which had made them wealthy and powerful. These families formed the Loyalists League of Norfolk. The League was determined to overthrow the endeavors of the Council of Blickling by refusing to uphold their feudal ties to the Marquesses of Essex and the newly formed Duchy of Thornbury.

Lee Allen's response was swift and decisive. Knowing that such idle snobbery smacked of treason against his own power, the Duke responded with a short edict:

"Let it be known to all free persons of the most excellent Duchy of Thornbury that, by decree of His Grace, the 1st Duke of Thornbury, Lord Lee Allen II, 5th Marquess of Essex, Comte du Colmar, there shall be a ducal tour of the duchy, its lands, and persons. All said lands and persons visited must be pledged to his Excellency upon arrival or face penalties to include, but not limited to, seizure of land and assets, imprisonment, and death."

The League's members, faced with ruin at the hands of Lee Allen II, whose power only seemed to grow daily with the strength of The Democratic Order to support his claim, fell one by one, save a few unrelenting families, chief amongst them, Viscount Oxburgh. Emilius, 6th Viscount Oxburgh, was renowned for both his wealth and crudity. Being born to one of the oldest houses of Norfolk, he responded to the edict by publicly denouncing Lee Allen II and locking himself in Oxburgh Hall, where he remained for two weeks. His Grace, Lee Allen II arrived on the 14th day of Lord Oxburgh's confinement. The Hall was seiged and seized. Lord Oxburgh was, consequently, put to death the next day in front of Norwich Cathedral. Afterwords, the tattered remnants of the League dissolved and pledged unmitigated allegiance to the Duke. Thus ended the Venetian Cede and the Tour of Thornbury.

Modern Ambitions (IC)
On May 17th, 2009, during his tour of the duchy, His Grace, Lee Allen II met with Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted to begin planning the new capitol city. The original village of Blickling was largely built to maintain Blickling Hall. With a native population of 136, the sleepy shire township would not sustain the new government and rapidly growing population of Thornbury. Together, His Grace, Burnham, and Olmsted undertook the arduous task of designing a governmental seat where before only pastures and marshland had resided. They decided to place the new capitol on the eastern shore of the Lake Blickling and design it to the standards of the City Beautiful Movement. The lake was to be more than quadrupled in size and a canal connecting it to the North Sea would be built, as well. What resulted is a symphony of civil architecture. The new city of Blickling will be lined with lush gardens, wide canals, and monumental buildings to house the government of the budding duchy.

Construction of the city is nearing completion and is expected to be finished in late June, 2009. Once completed, Blickling will boast and entirely green power grid, completely generated from Wind and Solar energy, state-of-the-art waste treatment and recycling plants, free public transport, over 200 restaurants, and 500 private businesses, not to mention housing, ranging from posh townhouses to suburban dream homes, to accommodate the city's expected growing population. Part of the city, Lakebridge, was actually reclaimed from Lake Blickling in order to properly align the new city's streets with pre-existing motorways and create proper protection for the man-made canals that intersect the streets and give definition to the different sectors of town.

The northern part of the town, known as, will contain the Ministry of the Treasury, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Technology, the Academy of the Fine Arts, and seated dramatically in the center of the square, the Universalist Temple.

The northwestern part of town, called the "Venetian Harbor" for its grand running through its center, will also contain the Grand Arena, the Ministry of Trade, an expansive harbor directly abuttressing the, a Customs House, and numerous warehouses for storing tradeable goods.

The western side of town, Lakebridge, runs from the Ministry of Transport to Stout Street on the south side of the Ministry of Labor. It also contains, which is overwhelming in its grandeur and scale, the Ministry of Justice, and extensive Italianate gardens.

The center of town is defined by a lush natural lagoon, in the center of which sits the Avalonian inspired, verdant isle of. The park-island will be host to a myriad variety of flora and fauna along with a half dozen Japanese style pavilions ranging in purpose from park stage to wildlife exhibits.

In the south-central part of Blickling stands the, which marks the elegant Council Hill district surrounding the the Hall on its east, south, and west sides. The Council Hill district is home to the Lord Mayor of Blickling, the Minister of Finance, and numerous other persons of power and affluence in the duchy.

Dominating the northern, southern and eastern sides of town is the largest quadrant and suburban dream neighborhood, the. It not only contains over 2,500 hectares of planned suburban estates on quiet chestnut tree lined streets, but it is also home to the, the Hall of Records, the , the Ministry of Scholastics, the Ministry of Health, and the Cauthorne Museum of Natural History. In the center of the is a year-round fun fair, perfect for family outings.

Project Plans (IC)
A) Fair Grounds - Open year-round & Free of admission charges. The Blickling Fair Grounds will host national holiday celebrations, Four-H Competitions, etc.

B) Blickling Village - Suburbs boasting Chestnut tree lined streets. Homes ranging from 3bed/1Bath to 14bed/12.5 +.5bath

C) Ministry of Agriculture - The red brick structure has a monumental golden entry fashioned in the Moorish style.

D) Hall of Records - Is inspired by the Madeleine in Paris with a heavy influence of French Colonial stylings.

E) Ministry of State - The Link-Wise Building, which houses the Ministry of State, is a revolutionary design incorporating both Earth-friendly yurt and monumental Neoclassical architecture.

F) Cauthorne Museum of Natural History - Built in honor of Lord Henry, 5th Earl of Cauthorne, whose generous endowment made its existence possible.

G) Ministry of Health - Headquarters for the nations, state-regulated, socialized health care system.

H) Ministry of Scholastics - The Cavendish Building, named for Lucy Cavendish, features one of two monumental gold domes in Blickling.

I) The Hall of the High Council - This imposing example of Neoclassical architecture dominates the south-central district of town.

J) Ministry of the Treasury - One of the largest civil buildings in the duchy, the Burgwyn Building also houses the ducal mint.

K) Ministry of Defense - Military Headquarters

L) Universalist Temple - A gold-domed Unitarian Universalist Temple will occupy the center of the Temple Square.

M) Ministry of Technology - The Mining Building, named for and headed by Sir Hugh Lawrence Mining, Ph. D. of Nanotechnology, is the center of technological production in the duchy.

N) Academy of the Fine Arts - Center for the Royal Society of the Academy of Fine Arts. The Academy is entrusted with management and dispersal of annual endowments and grants to the native artistic community of Thornbury.

O) Hundley Park - Named for Sir Franklin Young Hundley, 4th Marquess of Essex, and chief benefactor of Thornbury.

P) Ministry of Labor - Administrative headquarters for the the laboring forces of the duchy.

Q) Grand Arena - Home of the Thornbury Thestrals, Thornbury's national soccer team.

R) Ministry of Trade - Seat of the Uniform Trade Board

S) St. Freya's Market - The largest, and perhaps, most imposing building in the capitol. The market is home to the trading floor where the duchy's rubber and silver industries meet.

T) Ministry of Justice - The Link Building, named for Michael F. Link, not only houses the highest courts in the land; it also contains the poll of the electorate and the Bar Association.

U) Venetian Memorial Sea Gate - Commemorative Sea Gate, dedicated to all those who died in Venezia upon the advent of the Karma War.

V) Temple of Lady Frigg - Abbey and Temple dedicated to the Norse Goddess of Love, Motherhood, and Fertility.

W) Venetian Memorial Lagoon & Statue of Lee Allen II - The lagoon, dedicated to those Venetians who fell in the Karma War, is also the main water access point to the internal parts of the city. There also stands a twenty foot tall gilt stature of Lee Allen II.

X) Customs House - Extension of the Ministry of Trade. All incoming foreign goods must come through this checkpoint before entering the duchy.

Y) Ministry of Transport - Responsible for issuing of all licenses (drivers, boaters, etc.)

Life in the Duchy of Thornbury (IC)
Thornburian culture is one of mixed extremes; it is, at one time, both conservative and artistic, traditional and still yet, progressive. "Ways of Old" are prized equally beside new ways of thinking. Thornburian subjects are renowned for their industriousness, strong sense of tradition, and their love of learning. Their fine education system is the envy of all Anglia and is in-session year-round. Founded on the principals and teachings of the great Lucy Cavendish, enrollment is open and free of charge to all Thornburian subjects from primary school all the way through undergraduate studies. Likewise, the National Health Innitiative (headed by the Ministry of Health) ensures that every Thornburian has the right and the means to obtain proper medical care. Despite the seven day work week and six day school week, generous holiday packages are offered by the state and most private employers.

Thornburians enjoy an extremely high quality of life due, in no small part, to their entirely green power grid. Blickling has one of the lowest pollution rates in Europe thanks to its first-class recycling and waste management system. The streets are lined with Chestnut Trees and the city is littered with over forty public parks. Public transport serves the city and its surrounding areas at no charge. At this time there is no calculable crime rate.

The arts are among the most highly prized of virtues in the duchy, all of which are over-seen and supported by the Academy of the Fine Arts. Naturally, therefor, the Duchy of Thornbury is an ideal destination for artists and art lovers alike. The Academy supports numerous gallery openings, museum exhibitions, and theatrical productions throughout the year. The East Village Players are currently teaming up with the Academy to build a monumental new playhouse on Cauthorne St., which will contain seating for up to 1,200 patrons.

City life in Blickling is a merging of quiet neighborhoods and busy urban thoroughfares. The common mindset there is one of openness, embracing all races, religions, and identities. Whether one desires a fun night on the town with friends or a relaxing day in the park, drinking and dancing until dawn or pensive afternoons at the Cauthorne Museum, Blickling offers a veritable buffet to suit any interests. There is always something happening in Blickling; there are annual medieval jousting tournaments at Northampton Park and a PRIDE Parade is in the works for Summer '09. Fashionable boutiques, exquisite restaurants, and trendy night spots line the streets of Council Hill. The outlying regions of the duchy are dotted with verdant hills, sweeping seascapes, and quaint pastoral farms. The Aylsham suburbs to the east of Blickling, are a beautiful place to soak up the indigenous history of the area. The City of Norwich and the East-Anglian coast are less than an hour's drive, and both make for a popular day trip or a holiday destination.

Relocating to Thornbury (IC)
There are numerous opportunities for those wishing to immigrate to the Duchy of Thornbury. In addition to safe neighborhoods, beautiful parks, and a high standard of living, the government of the Thornbury will also subsidize real purchases in the city of Blickling, up to 40% for those wishing to help the young city grow. If you are interested in relocating to Blickling, please, contact the Office of His Grace, the Duke of Thornbury, directly.

At this link you will find just a few of the many opportunities for home-ownership in the fast-growing city of Blickling. (Prices have not been pro-rated to reflect potential government subsidies).