Chalion

The Royacy of Chalion is an old and well-respected nation, as well as both a member of the Green Protection Agency and the Green Trading Sphere. Its capital is the city of Cardegoss. While nominally under the rule of the Royina Iselle I, 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 highly 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 internal improvements and social programs 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 supports the construction of nuclear weapons, and is currently building a nuclear arsenal for defensive purposes. 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 Europe and eventually settled by the River Mendenal. Guillyme reclaimed an abandoned fort at a fork in the river, and founded his new capital there around 1150 AD. 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.

Medieval Chalion
After the death of Guillyme in 1183 (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 in 1189 and re-named Cardegius as Cardegoss. He established himself as the first Roya, and founded the dynastic line known as the Bonneret Monarchy. 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. His accomplishments earned him the name "The Conqueror" (Ce Conquéstiar).

Teidez's son Fonsa came to power following his father's death in 1215 AD. 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. Dy Marez steered Chalion towards its now-traditional policy of isolation from international affairs. Under dy Marez's influence, Fonsa had a ring of large castles and fortifications built all around what was then the border of the Royacy. He also increased the size of Chalion's standing army, which had been reduced following his father's campaigns. In 1227, he established the Holy Orders of the Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, and Bastard to take care of many of the government's basic functions.

Fonsa I died in 1242 AD. He was succeeded by his son Orico, who ruled until 1263 and maintained most of his father's policies. The Bonneret Monarchy continued in much the same way for the next few centuries.

The Renaissance
In 1521, Roya Fonsa IV died with no living children, bringing about the end of the Bonnerets. The Royacy passed to his cousin Ferda dy Rinal. Roya Ferda I had a keen interest in the concepts of the Renaissance that were sweeping Europe at the time, and had hundreds of Chalionese architects and artists travel abroad to study it. During his reign, Chalion experienced sweeping changes in its culture as it embraced the new artistic styles. Many of the buildings in the Zangre date to this era.

Ferda I died in 1540, and the continuation of the Rinal line left his slovenly son Ferda II as Roya. Ferda II was grossly overweight, and spent most of his time in bed. His shrewd Chancellor Illius dy Peroz was in league with a group of power-hungry Chalionese nobles and church clergy. Together, they convinced Roya Ferda to establish the Grand Council of Chalion in 1542, a legislative body consisting of Chalionese noblemen. The Council was made to be self-perpetuating, with Councilors serving for life, and with new Councilors being appointed by the Council itself.

The Council continued to be an effective part of the the government for about a century. After that, the vice-like grip of the Quintarian church on the Councilors became apparent. Chalion began to slip back into its old policies of reactionary aversion to change, and the Council ceased to put out any sort of progressive legislation.

The Blessed Revolution
The Rinal line died out in 1702, with the death of Roya Ferda VII. He had become enstranged from his daughter Tessa (his only child) after she married a nobleman named Bergon dy Gudarin, a radical philosopher who was a devotee of the Enlightenment that had been occurring in the rest of Europe. However, Tessa was crowned Royesse by bloodright, and her husband subsequently became Roya.

It soon became apparent that Roya Bergon was determined to drag Chalion kicking and screaming into the modern era. His first attempted move was to abolish the Holy Orders that had been a part of the Chalionese government since 1227. Encouraged by the Grand Council and the Quintarian clergy, the Orders rose in revolt against the Roya. Chalion was split by a bloody civil war, between the mainly-commoner Royalérs (supporters of the Roya) and the Ouridests (supporters of the Holy Orders). However, the war only lasted for 7 months. The forces in support of the Roya were outnumbered and outclassed, and Roya Bergon and his wife were publicly beheaded in Cardegoss. The struggle was named the "Blessed Revolution", and a pro-church nobleman called Arvol dy Arityn was appointed to the Royacy.

Modern Chalion
Despite the best attempts of the Quintarian clergy, Chalion was not able to completely ignore the sweeping changes occurring in the modern world. In 1852, Chalion officially became a Constitutional Monarchy after much effort by the Roya of the time, Teidez III. Much of the old appointment system was abolished under the Constitution, and both Councilor and Provinicial Senator became representative elected positions. This led to the establishment of a nominal party system, though the church-sponsored Divine Providence Party of Chalion immediately rose to unilateral power.

The Industrial Revolution also arrived in Chalion, though a few years later than it did elsewhere in Europe. Until just recently, Chalion had remained fairly consistently 10-15 years behind the rest of Europe technologically. It also maintained its traditional policy of nearly-complete isolationism and attempted to maintain a self-sufficient and non-globalized economy.

The Arvolian Crisis
On April 20, 2009, reigning monarch Roya Arvol III 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 separatists took advantage of the confusion to make another (unsuccessful) secession bid to the Grand Council.

Arvol's widow, the Royina Iselle, 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 most successful liberal reformer 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 I is currently acting as regent for her son, Royse Arvol IV, following the assassination of her late husband, Roya Arvol III. 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.

Economy
The economy of Chalion is mainly based off of mining and small-scale agriculture, and its main exports are gold and lead. The mining industry is based in the provinces of Guarida, Ildar, and Labran, and Chalion's large reserves of heavy metals have been instrumental in funding Chalion's recent economic boom under the Cazaril Administration. Chalion has high protective tariffs on food, though not on most other materials and products. The Cazaril Administration encourages citizens to buy locally-grown food whenever possible, and to buy foreign food only if necessary.

Most Chalionese farmers grow wheat or barley as their primary crops. Sheep and goat herding is also a large and traditional Chalionese industry, especially in the nation's many hilly areas. Interprovinicial trade has increased drastically since Ias dy Cazaril became Chancellor, with the completion of the Interprovincial Highway System, the expansion of the Chalionese merchant marine, and an increase in air traffic between cities.

While the economy has not become fully globalized, the citizenry of Chalion has started importing electronics and other luxury items from foreign nations. Whereas the possession of electronic communications devices was rare under Divine Providence control, most Chalionese now own a cellphones and a computer.

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 9-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 of Chalion in Cardegoss 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.

Discouraged by the conservative Quintarian church, modern music was (publically) unpopular in Chalion until mid-2009. Rock, pop, and hip hop music are now openly distributed in the nation, though the wild-fire spread of these musical styles in the past year indicates that most Chalionese were probably listening to them in private anyway. The most popular band in Chalion is Occult, a punk rock band with overtones of traditional Chalionese folk music.

In May 2009, 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 2010 song "Pera Nyncé Deyvuelti" landed Chalion in the top ten countries.

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