Frankonia
The Golden Republic
Frankonia is an island mercantile republic in the Twisted Realms. Its citizens are fiercely defensive of their traditional freedom and liberty.
Structure
The Grand Republic maintains an elective system of government, wherein affluent merchant families vie for power. On its highest level, the office of the Prince-Mayor is most sought after, though lower instances are also highly competitive. There are mainly seven powerful dynasties who interchangeably control the Republic, and whose influence have divided Frankonia into seven spheres of influence; consequently, the dynasts of each House have been formally inscribed as titular Septemvirs .
In total, there are six central bodies in the Republic of Frankonia:
- the Azure Conventus,
- the Serene Conclave,
- the Court of Cassation,
- the Grand Council of the State,
- the Primus Bank, and
- the Golden State Inquisition.
The Azure Conventus is a parliamentarian citizens’ assembly, directly elected by the citizens of Frankonia. It always consists of four consuls, one elected from each town on the island, excluding Ponvarus itself, and 155 tribunes, 31 elected as representatives from each town. The consuls are chief magistrates and wield limited executive power within the walls of the Dome of the Five Lilies, the building where the Azure Conventus holds its meetings, whilst the tribunes are explicitly the citizens’ spokespeople. This Conventus drafts laws and sets the agenda for the Republic on a regular basis and is a famed place of lively debate between Frankonian politicians. Furthermore, the Court of Cassation, le cour de cassation, acts as the highest civilian court in the Republic, though it is not a constitutional court. Constitutional matters are instead handled by the Grand Council of the State, le grand conseil d’État.
Ruling from Ponvarus itself, the Prince- or Princess-Mayor of the Republic represents the republican government of Frankonia. They preside over a grand council called the Serene Conclave, which entails seven different positions, numbering twelve seats in total:
- the Leonine Pontiff, Angelique Delecour;
- the Steward-General, Lothaire LaFlamme;
- the Marshal-Governor, Edwige de la Fleur de Lys;
- the High Consul, Éminence Garderique;
- the Corrector-Lieutenant, Odile Lachance;
- the Ponvarian Quaestor, Tharrir Silverborn, and;
- the Gray Monitors.
Every term lasts five years in Frankonia.
Military
There are no salaried armies in Frankonia; instead, mercenary bands known as condottieri companies are hired by the state, rich families, and independent actors in order to protect their assets and interests. The Septemviri families each maintain one personal condottieri company: the so-called Golden House Armies. Likewise, the Republic itself contracts the Golden Legion, though they are sparsely utilised, and are mostly relegated to limited guard duties on the Eternal Island. However, one of the Golden Legions is stationed on a rotationary basis in the Yelanid Alliance, and these do frequently intervene on the behalf of either the Princely Leagues or other powerful agents, often to resolve internal conflicts.
There is also a small personal retinue of 1320 soldiers serving under incumbent Prince-Mayors: the Republican Guard.
Trade & Transport
The lifeblood of Frankonia's republican way of life is sustained by its prosperity, which in turn comes from its extensive trade network. As the Republic lacks a self-sustaining economy, mainly producing specialised goods such as glasswork and silverware, it is entirely dependent on trade with other kingdoms; the Septemvir families are responsible for most of the in- and outgoing trade routes on the island. Its merchant fleet is believed to be the largest in existence, though most of these vessels are owned by mercantile families and are normally competing with one another for profits. The formal government of Frankonia, the Serene Conclave led by the Prince-Mayor, maintains one commercial hub in each realm it has trade agreements with, leaving the rest to the Septemvirate, though in practice it possesses the assets of one of these powerful families at any given time, as the mandate of Prince-Mayor rotates between these merchant dynasties.
In particular, the Yelanid Alliance is a hotly contested zone amongst the illustrious houses of the Republic, as these federated states supply many rare or sought-after luxury goods, though its surplus of grain, fish, and other base goods are essential for import-dependent economies, such as the city-state of Nova Aera. Frankonia highly values bilateral diplomacy as a result of its role in international trade, and whilst some realms may regard the Republic as a haven of corruption and greed, none can deny the positive economic impact it brings.
Frankonia has trade agreements and permanent diplomatic missions with most nations in the known world, with some exceptions, such as Valakia.
Treaty Overview
Peace, Prosperity, and Perseverance.
The full Golden Banner of Frankonia.
Founding Date
1396 AM
Type
Geopolitical, Republic
Capital
Alternative Names
The Eternal Island
Demonym
Frankien
Head of State
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Thalassocracy
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Copper, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Ducats
Legislative Body
The Azure Conventus
Judicial Body
High Court of the Golden Republic
Subsidiary Organizations
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
