Workers Syndicate of Nykea

Spirit	Notes
Nykean Forges [+]	Nykea has a long history of quality worksmanship and an abundance of steel, this worksmanship only being refined by the newfound benefits the Industrial Unions provide.
Reign of Blood [-]	In recent history Nykea has been ravished not only by the Great War and the recent Revolution, but by oppression and enslavement at the hands of the late monarchy. Infrastructure is in dire need of repair and not all regions are on equal footing
Fledgling Democracy [+/-]	Only recently introduced to democratic institutions the Nykean Constitution is the bedrock of the new nation. For better or worse this document puts great emphasis on constant change of its leaders and representatives
Neglected Air Force [-]	Being reduced to static warfare for the better part of five years the Nykean airforce has taken a back seat until recently, with only a modicum of the force a nation of its stature should possess. The Congress of Unions is in heated debated over modernization and expansion.
Open Borders [+/-]	Nykean policy in the aftermath of its reformation has been open borders with its neighbors, accepting workers from all creeds, and allowing its citizens to come and go as they please. More ravaged regions may leave little for those who remain, but the great cities have a wealth of opportunity for those who seek it.
Universal Education [+]	Engrained in both the Constitution and the Guarantee of Human Rights and Dignity is the ideal of freely accessible education. Universities are being encouraged to establish themselves, and the University of Nykea has been established by constitutional ammendment.
The Great Welfare State [+/-]	As laid out in the ideals of the Constitution Nykea provides an excess of ammenities for its people, with sustenance provided to workers and healthcare easily accessible the people, Nykea will prosper under these conditions. However this system extracts a great toll on the Treasury of the Nation

National Languages

The Primary language spoken in Nykea is Nykean, a language similar to Latin and German. The Language has been spoken, in one form or another, by residents of Northern Carinidal as far back as the 900’s. The secondary language is Unilari, a universal language analogous to Esperanto and developed by Nykea’s western neighbor Falkre.

Capital City

While the Capital is its own independent district the land it resides on was taken from the city of Dunstmurus. The Capital District (C.D.) is home to all buildings of the central government, chief amongst them the “Congress of Unions”. Currently most government functions are run out of hotels and office buildings as dedicated buildings are constructed. The C.D. is also home to the Nykean University of Arts and Sciences, which was established by the Constitution of Nykea. The University is viewed as a point of pride by many in the Nykean government, as it embodies the ideals of the constitution and Guarantee of Human Rights and Dignity. Weather in the CD, and by extension Dunstmurus, is often overcast, with fog and rain being commonly associated with the city.

Population

Owing to the vast expanse of land covered by Nykea its population is rather significant. The quality of life in Nykea is currently poor, recovering from a devastating series of conflicts. Current estimates of the population are held to be 76.1 million, though the Census is not set to take place until the start of 1948. It is assumed that in the events of the Great War and ensuing Civil War the Nykean populace has shrunk by upwards of 2%. In Nykea there exist two main cultural groups, separated roughly into the North and South. North Nykeans are more invested in tradition, and prior to the Great War were generally better off economically than their southern counterparts. Southern Nykeans are generally opposed to the older traditions, especially when tied to the monarchy. The split between North and South has not always existed, having been sparked by the Monarchy instituting a Debt Slavery system. This caused an already existing economic rift between North and South to widen into a cultural divide.

Government

The Government of Nykea is a representative Democracy based on workers unions. The government is organized from the bottom up, workers form unions and send representatives to larger regional and Industrial Unions. Industrial Unions then send representatives to a Congress of Unions which makes decisions on policy areas not already under the control of a lower union and policy areas that need to be managed at a national level (foreign affairs, military, etc). Industrial Unions appoint one representative for every 50,000 members (rounding is not specified in the constitution, and may be a point of internal conflict in the future). These representatives then elect three co-chairs who “act as arbitrators, enforcers of procedure, and breakers of any ties”; co-chairs may serve two years in a row and four years total. Co-chairs must be elected when the congress is at quorum (which is defined in the constitution) and be elected by a supermajority of the members present. Co-chairs are elected at the beginning of each congressional term. The Congress of Unions creates councils and committees which draft legislation. The councils then pass their drafts on to the Congress of Unions as a whole to be voted on. Co-chairs have veto power as outlined in Article 9 subsection C, which states two of the three co-chairs must agree in order to veto a bill. The powers and duties of the Congress are defined in Articles 6-11 of the Constitution. The courts, of which there are three lower and one constitutional, have their jurisdiction and election standards outlined in Articles 12-14 of the constitution. In short, there is a Civil Court for interpersonal disputes, a Criminal Court for Breaches of the Peace, and a Labor Court for disputes between Unions/Syndicates. There is also a Constitutional Court, defined in Article 13 as “The duty of this court is to intervene when a lower court or the Congress of Unions has in some way, intentionally or otherwise, diverged from the constitution and the Guarantee of Human Rights and Dignity”. The constitution also outlines the criteria for citizenship and protections for non-citizens, as well as specifications on the Capital and National University. The final Article, Article 19, outlines the process for amending the constitution.

Economy

The nation operates on a “syndicalist economy”, this means private property (ownership of means of production by a single individual or a non-union entity) is forbidden. Individual property (items, housing, artisan workshops etc.) are not forbidden, as the Individual is the most important part of society. Unions collectively own the factories, mills, mines etc. that they operate. Production of goods is directed by the Congress of Unions based on the needs of the nation and its people. Industrial Unions are given ‘targets’ and other metrics or criteria by the Congress, and then work within themselves to achieve those targets. Trade between individuals and organizations within the nation is encouraged, and may be conducted either with exchange of goods/services for money or goods/services for other goods/services. The Congress of Unions collects taxes from individuals once per year, as well as taking a cut of international trade. The Congress then uses these collected funds to make food freely available to all residents of Nykea, as well as subsidize housing. International Trade may only be conducted by the Congress, or with the permission of the Congress.

Centralization

Importance is placed on the lower levels of government, with direct democracy being the rule for municipalities and regions of the nation, as well as in the courts. If something is managed by a lower level of government (such as public transit, municipal water supplies, etc) higher levels of government are forbidden from managing that policy area. There are exceptions for circumstances like natural disaster, mismanagement, or corruption where the Congress is authorized to intervene. The reasoning behind this ‘bottom up’ structure is the previous government, a Monarchy, exerting absolute control over the people and creating many hardships for the working class. The ideal of the revolution was to never allow such injustices to stand again, and place all individuals in society on equal footing.

Government Cohesion

Each Industrial Union has its own interests at heart, but first and foremost has the interests of the people at heart. This does not mean all individuals agree on everything, but does mean they generally have the same end goals in mind. For example, a Railway Union will know that infrastructure is important for the nation, and will generally support delegates who want to improve Railway Infrastructure, but they may clash with other long range transportation unions, like Air Cargo, over where funds and resources should go. Due to the sheer size of the Congress of Unions (1 delegate per 50000 union members) this forces delegates to work together to accomplish goals. While a Railway Union may prefer funds to go to Railways, they likely would not push against other transportation Unions, both out of camaraderie and knowledge that they need support from those same unions to maintain national infrastructure. It is possible that some Industrial Unions will try to claim others should be incorporated into them, for instance Steel Foundry workers may argue that copper or other materials should also fall under their purview. In the case of pushback there is a Court established to settle these disputes, by looking at the facts and conditions of the situation. The Court also settles other disputes between unions. For example if two unions get into a spat and relations between them begin to deteriorate the Court’s duty is to step in and resolve the spat, or direct it to the Congress when necessary. The nature of this system makes it difficult for new disciplines and trades to gain independent recognition. For instance, if there is a new mode of transit (such as planes overtaking rail) maintenance of those different modes of transit may fall under the same Industrial Union, despite differences in their work. In this case it is difficult for the Workers to vouch for their specific interests through the Congress. However, they may still be granted a more specialized union through the Courts, and elect their own delegates to the Congress to vouch for their specific interests.

Major Cities

Dunstmurus is the most important city in the nation, with a population of 2,670,000, the largest port in the nation, and critically important to the revolution. The City has historically had a robust industrial center, filled with factories, foundries, commercial Shipyards and large markets. The City has several high-rise buildings, and locations important to national history. It was in this City that the Constitution was written and the current government was first organized. The population of the city is fairly diverse, as it has been a main port of entry. The city is seen as a melting pot, where the unique qualities of all residents come together to display the ideals of the Nation. Before the revolution the city was full of slums, air was thick with smoke and smog, and working conditions were generally seen as dangerous. These still exist within Dunstmurus, however clear progress has been made since the founding of the current government.

The Capital District (C.D.) is not a large city by any means, and is largely tied to the history of Dunstmurus, only having about 22,000 residents. However, as the seat of government for the Nation it is nonetheless very important. It is here that the Congress gathers and the people come to study at the most advanced University in the Nation. There is plenty of housing for non-permanent residents, such as the delegates to the Congress, the economy of the city is largely dependent on support from Dunstmurus
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The old Capital, Aurumfeld (Golden Field), has a storied past. Founded as a republic in 1096, the city maintained this form of government as it expanded by either conquering or allying with neighboring cities. When in 1143 gold was discovered in the nearby hills and fields the population of the city boomed, with merchant families becoming extremely powerful. In 1168 the merchant Almeric Gaius Rufinus consolidated wealth and power in the city through marriage and a personal retinue. Leveraging this power he hid away grain, leaving the republic to run low on food. Using the stored away grain, Almeric won the popular support of the people, deposed the republic, and installed himself as “King of Nykea”. Over the course of the next 30 years Almeric expanded the Kingdom to contain all land between Rabenbach and Portia. Through the next 849 years the Rufinus Family reigned over Nykea, seeing involvement in minor wars, treaties and expansions. As the world barrelled into the industrial age. Several generations of rulers were increasingly obsessed with wealth, using the industrialization of the nation to extract more value from the people of Nykea. In 1934 the new King was crowned and a celebration was to be held in the Capital. Due to poor planning more people arrived than could reasonably be supported in the city, leading to a stampede that killed hundreds. The King, meanwhile, was celebrating in the Palace. When word got to the city of the deaths and the King's indifference thousands arrived in protest. The Palace Guard, shaken by the events of the earlier day and weary of revolution, opened fire on the crowd, killing hundreds more. The Capital then received the sobriquet of “Blutfeld”, and the name “Rufinus” was no longer associated with the crimson hair of that line, but the blood it shed. At the close of the Great war the King was overthrown by popular revolution, and the old capital is now a logistical and industrial hub. There is a memorial in the Square dedicated to those who died in 1934. Aurumfeld once had a population rivaling that of Dunstmurus, however after the devastation of a drawn out war the City only has 720,000 inhabitants, all in dire need of safe housing.

Cannasylvania Has served many roles through its history, growing from a small village with stalwart pagan beliefs into a bastion to wage war from. While Nykea historically ascribed to a Pantheon, Cannasylvania has always placed Freri at the head. Currently the city has a population of 960,000 and was relatively unaffected by the civil war. Cannasylvania was largely supportive of the Monarchy, but has reluctantly accepted the rule of the new Syndicalist regime, opting to avoid the fates of Aurumfeld and Hohecastrum. A vast network of fortresses surrounds Cannasylvania, historically having served as a staging ground for invasion into the neighboring nation of Sulzen, as well as securing supply for occupying forces in Whinkle.

Major Ports/Harbors

Dunstmurus is the largest port in Nykea, the primary import here is grain, while the primary export is steel and manufactured goods. The port has been a major port for most of Nykean history, with docks and mooring for many ships, as well as drydock facilities for construction and comprehensive repair of civilian vessels. The city is well paved, and linked by road and rail to all other major cities. Early in the revolution the port was secured, ensuring that grain and food could be distributed to everyone. With food freely available the revolution was very stable in this region of Nykea, and it was largely undisturbed.

Volscium, originally the capital of a rival kingdom in the early years (1230 to 1328), is a minor military harbor and minor civilian port. The City has a population of ~345,000, with a handful of coastal forts to defend Volscium and keep watch on the waters leading to and from Dunstmurus. It is host to a modest Coast Guard fleet, numbering 2 Custodes cruisers and 3 ___ destroyers. There are also a handful of smaller vessels akin to PT boats. The garrison at Volscium was fairly loyal to the King, being from a more affluent low-land region of the nation. Volscium remained a major concern for Syndicalist Nykea throughout the war. Too small to warrant diverting forces from the northward push, but too well armed to ignore. The Coast Guard fleet would regularly sortie out to harass shipping and commandeer food and grain shipments. In 1945 General Mansfield led an assault on the city of Volscium, bringing Nykea from the southern border to Orehalla under one nation

Berghafen (hill port), originally Almerichafen, is a major military harbor and minor economic port. Its main import is consumer goods and steel, while its main export is machine parts. The Harbor is home to the ___ fleet, composed of one ___ battleships, 4 ___ cruisers and 9 ___ destroyers, as well as a handful of logistics vessels. The port is connected by rail to Mechaniksdorf and Hohecastrum. Roads are mostly paved, but as little as 10 miles outside the city roads are macadamized. During the revolution there was a large military contingent in the city, and many in the garrison were torn between whether to defend the King or the People. Most officers sided with the King, and the most loyal soldiers did as well. Many soldiers in lower ranks saw this as an opportunity to desert and return home, while a few soldiers and officers rallied behind the cause of the revolution and rushed to seize the local forts. Rebels under Captain Mansfield secured one of the three forts and its arsenal, weathering a siege from remaining loyalist forces for two months before Revolutionary forces arrived and broke the siege. The fort was renamed to “Fort Mansfield'' and is undergoing modernization. Most of the city was destroyed during the fighting, and it has taken its toll on the populace, reconstruction has been slow but the city is being rebuilt with high standards.

National Resources and Economic Produce

Outside the old capital, Aurumfeld, there was a large gold mining operation, though the gold has long run dry the same mines are used for Lead, Zinc and Copper. Outside the city of Dunstmurus is a large coal deposit, and it was a reason the city became such a large industrial center. There are several iron ore deposits throughout the nation, providing for the industrialization of the nation. Nykea lacks natural oil reserves however. Nykean soil is generally poor, and is not able to grow large amounts of crops on its own, save for a few locations that are abnormally fertile. It relies upon imports for grain, but has an abundance of apple orchards, rhubarb and potatoes. Livestock largely consists of Sheep and Goats, as they are more accustomed to the climate of Nykea. The combination of crops and livestock in Nykea leads to a unique cuisine that many find enjoyable, though outsiders are often bewildered by the obsession with Rhubarb. With Dunstmurus and Berghafen being in good positions to utilize goods like iron and coal the nation is able to export high quality steel and machine parts.

Economic Boons

After the revolution, industry has shifted from producing wealth for mainly the King and other Nobility towards domestic consumer goods. This has led to a booming home appliance industry, including Radios, Ovens, and refrigerators. With better working conditions across the nation, industries like canneries, auto plants and textiles have seen improvements in quality and safety, this has reduced the output of canned food and clothing by a small amount, while greatly improving the quality, however has reduced automobile production significantly with only marginal increases in quality. The Auto Industry is shifting away from personal vehicles to public transit as a result. There is a distinct lack of domestic aircraft designers, as well as aircraft infrastructure, throughout the nation.

Economic Struggles

The main struggle in the national economy is re-organization from private industry to public/cooperative industry. The struggle of the Revolution can still be felt throughout the nation, with reconstruction efforts taking place in most of the nation. In Berghafen specifically there is prioritization of military infrastructure over civilian, which has led to the already disgruntled population becoming more so. Many of the larger cities are also undergoing renovations, especially to industry, to try and provide safer and healthier living conditions for the population.

Technology Level

The nation has historically kept pace with its neighbors and peer-nations, but has largely ignored aircraft due to the King disliking them (this is due to many early adopters of aircraft in the nation dying in plane crashes). The King instead favored rail because it could transport more goods more quickly, and was easier for the Nobility to profit off of. In the later years of the Monarchy the king and national scientific institutes became more interested with electricity and electromagnetism. While not a leader in the field of Electromagnetics the nation is on the way to being influential in the field. However, after the Revolution the question remains on what to do regarding this field of technology, as many want nothing to do with the Monarchy or what they were involved with. A faction in the Congress wants to ban research on the subject entirely. A separate faction, of mostly higher education backgrounds, wants to see the technology have more resources devoted to it, seeing that it could be used for a new type of rail infrastructure and is already useful for the refining and smelting of Aluminum. This is likely to be a topic of dispute over the next several years in the Congress. The question of Atomic energy also exists within the nation. Coal is the main energy source for the nation, providing nearly 90% of all electricity. Some delegates see that Coal will, eventually, run dry, and that it is important to create reserves for the future, others also see that the national population will eventually outpace coal mining. The Coal Miners Industrial Union however has a vested interest in keeping coal as the primary source of energy. There is also the significant fact that no known Uranium sources exist within Nykea, and it would therefore need import.

Education and Research

Before the Revolution Elementary school (grades 1-6) was compulsory and state run, but not free. This was a method the Monarchy and Nobility used for wealth extraction. Higher education was not required, and cost more than primary education. This saw mostly wealthy individuals being well educated, while the vast majority of people were educated only enough to be useful in industry. After the Revolution a Guarantee of Human Rights and Dignity was declared, ensuring all would receive education up to 12th grade free, and that education would be compulsory as well. After decades of children suffering in industry, being exploited, maimed and even killed, this was a very welcome improvement for most individuals. University education is not free, but is heavily subsidized and open to all based purely on merit. Many Unions have also begun setting up vocational schools to improve the ability of the working class in their trades. New universities are being established, such as the University of Arts and Sciences in the Capital District. These institutions will improve the quality of research and education in the nation over the coming years by a significant amount. Many delegates to the Congress realize that the military and research are going to be the only ways to keep opportunistic nations at bay, as the Revolution has left Nykea in a weakened state. As such, emphasis on research and education has been a major policy of the Congress in recent years. In Nykean academia emphasis is placed on research that will directly benefit the populace, such as making crops more robust, advancements in transportation, energy production, and medicine. Due to the amnesty policy the Congress issued in late 1952 scientists from the days of the monarchy, despite largely being of noble and merchant birth, remain in Nykea.

Military History

Unlike the Retinue system that existed before 1686, the Royal Army was recruited, armed, trained, and maintained solely by The Crown. The Nykean Royal Military was established in 1686 by King Drussus II after a border war between a Nykean Duke and his rival. Drussus II wished to avoid petty conflicts spiraling out of control and intended to fully replace the retinue system with a Professional Army. However, the Nobility still maintained their own Retinues and the Western Counts and Dukes of Dunstmurus and Volscium grew anxious in particular. In early 1687 the regions of Dunstmurus and Volscium revolted against the crown in a bid to install Count of Dunstmurus, Marcus Rufinius, to the throne. The first test of the Royal Army was in the fall of 1687. 

The Royal Army proved to be better equipped and led than the Retinue of Marcus, winning the first small engagements. However, the Retinue of Marcus was larger than the Royal Army, forcing Drussus II to use novel tactics. Drussus II split the Army into two parts, marching them in parallel to Dunstmurus. When one column would engage Marcus the other would move to flank, forcing Marcus to withdraw to the outskirts of the City of Dunstmurus. Marcus arrived at Dunstmurus two days before the first Column of the Royal Army. Marcus believed the column to be the entirety of the Royal Army, and considered himself at advantage for a field battle. The first Column arrived at nightfall, and set camp outside Dunstmurus, readying for siege, with the second Column due to arrive the following day. just after daybreak Marcus marched his Retinue out from the City, and by 10 in the morning battle was being waged between the two groups. As the battle progressed the second column of the Royal Army arrived, sending its Cavalry to crush the flank of Marcus. Marcus Retinue of peasants shattered in disarray, falling into a full route. Many decided to run for home rather than die on the fields in front of Dunstmurus. The Civil War was over a mere handful of hours later.

As the fighting subsided and the Royal Army proceeded onwards to Dunstmurus, Drussus II discovered Marcus laying upon the field, assuming him to be dead Drussus II dismounted and began to approach. As Drussus II reached Marcus he could hear a raspy voice calling for help, Marcus had shattered his left leg, and was unable to move. Accounts of the immediate events differ, with some accounts such as those of Viscount Waldemar claiming that Drussus II tended to the wounds of Marcus and showed pity. The Viscount's story is difficult to believe as he only ever recalled these events publicly after the passing of Drussus II, to whom he was not a friend but a mere subject. Among the more reputable accounts is that of Duke Hartvig. Hartvig recounted in his diary on the same day as the battle that Drussus II stood over Marcus silent for some time, pushing his leg once to illicit a reaction before removing Marcus' helm. Hartvig describes the event in detail:

        "Drussus is the image of pure wrath and hatred, he showed no mercy or pity to his poor cousin. Marcus strewn on the field, his Breastplate caved in and leg clearly destroyed beyond usefulness, what a sorrowful sight. I recall going on many long hunts with the Count, I would not wish this upon him, and I fail to understand how Drussus could stand there so silent. I cannot hope to know his thoughts during those minutes. Drussus pressed his boot into that pitifully shattered leg, Marcus let out the most dreadful scream, as if a Mother watching her Son hanged. He wailed and cried for only a moment, I feel Drussus did not believe Marcus to truly be alive. Drussus then removed the helm of Marcus and cast it aside, I have never seen a face more pitiful than Marcus' in that instant, I hope I may never see it again. There was a quiet remark between the two, I'm not sure what was said. Waldemar and Kuusisto claim they heard Drussus disparage his cousin. They cannot agree on the words, the Duke claims to have heard Drussus say 'If you were anything like our Ancestor and Your namesake, neither of us would have been here', but the Viscount differs, 'You are a shame to our bloodline, neither of us should have been here'. I cannot say who I believe, for the viscount is young and foolish, but the Duke is as old as I, and from the Saskalan border regions."

During the Great War the 1st Corp would see deployment overseas, as an expeditionary force. Nykea sided with Kassia during the initial months and years of the conflict. This formation was especially loyal to the crown, and often used for internal policing. With this Unit gone and other, less enthusiastic units filling in the role of police the opportunity for revolt presented itself. With units unwilling to attack fellow countrymen, many deserting due to the instability and general distrust of the King, the Army split along factional lines. Cities with large Garrisons like Berghafen saw conflict for several months, and widespread destruction. Militia forces were largely not involved or important in the conflict, and the crown typically saw them as “expendable units to be spent up first”. This led to the Militia generally being unwilling to muster for the King when called up. Under the Congress of Unions the Militia system was entirely done away with, and instead a permanent Professional Army was established. Uniforms are more simplistic and the Army has shifted to focus on mainly defense. 

___Needs rework, army is too large for peacetime, and the revolutionary war just ended in 1947. Everything to do with the timeline of revolution needs rework___The Congress is seeking to restructure the army, and has been taking steps to better arm and organize the military since the end of the revolution in 1952. The new model army, referred to as the “Grand Army of the Revolution” in official documents, is intended to consist of 2 Field Armies. These Armies are intended to be mostly reserve, training for three months out of the year and having only 50% be Regular Army. The two Field Armies are organized into four corps each, further organized into four divisions, five brigades per division and five regiments per brigade. The Ideal Regiment size being 900 soldiers. This brings the Ideal Field Army size to 360,000 individuals and overall Ideal Army size to 720,000 individuals. Of these formations only the first and second division of each Corp is a permanently standing formation. The remaining 3rd and 4th divisions of the various Corps train in months 1-3 and 7-9 respectively. At present the Military is also organizing a dedicated Air Force, seeing they are unbelievably behind the rest of the world in that regard. As it stands in 1957 the Air Force is still being organized, with only 6,000 personnel, there are no modern aircraft and roughly 30 piston engine aircraft, all relegated to trainer roles as the trials for new aircraft begin.

Military Struggles

The Army is undergoing a major overhaul after the Revolution, and it has taken several years to recover from the events of the Revolution. Vehicles are almost entirely outdated, aircraft are nearly non-existent and the Navy is likewise outdated. Most of the modern Military is fresh, but veteran units are intermingled to improve the quality of troops in the Army. The Expeditionary force from the Great War was provided amnesty after the Revolution, however largely remains in self-imposed exile, distrusting the Syndicalist government. In the event that Nykea is invaded by a peer-nation it would struggle to defend itself as is, especially from Naval Invasion. The Congress of Unions has recently enacted Policy providing funds and resources for military expansion, at the dismay of a significant minority of the country. The Military will be having trials for various land and air vehicles in the coming months and years (we will seek designs from other players to fill our needs). Nykea is taking a restrained role on the world stage, and seeking to join a Defensive Pact. Some in the Congress wish to apply for Solair membership, but most align much more with the Tasharkan Pact.

National Welfare

Welfare and Social Support is enshrined as a basic human right in the Nykean Government, with free education, free healthcare, food which is purchased by the Congress on behalf of the people, unemployment protections like supplementary income, freely available vocational education and a Civilian Works Corp, and Public housing funded by individual unions (from local to Industrial). The Medical profession is organized into an Industrial Union, which receives funding from the Congress of Unions and provides medical care for free to all individuals. This care ranges from basic check ups to major surgeries. The Medical Union has multiple health initiatives, primarily targeted at reducing the spread of STDs, improving the quality of and access to drinking water, and the quality of foodstuffs. Under the Monarchy it was common for canned foods to contain dangerously poor quality meat, occasionally human remains from accidents (people falling into canneries, etc. think pre-FDA America). The new initiatives under the Congress and Medical Union have been well received nationwide, and have drastically improved quality of life within the nation. Social Programs are largely under the purview of lower jurisdictions than the Congress, but the congressional budget has roughly 22% devoted to social programs. Approximately 29% of the GDP is devoted to these programs, with resources coming from various unions, both local and Industrial. The Congress also devotes ~ 2% of its yearly budget to promotion of the arts, supporting traditional art as well as Radio and Film productions. Most amenities are taken care of at lower levels, due to the structure of the government outlined in the Constitution.

Culture and History

For a majority of its history Nykean culture revolved around the Monarchy, with festivals commonly held for the kings, and a holiday centered around the first king, Almeric Gaius Rufinus. The holiday consisted of feasting and festivities, with the monarch expected to host a large festival open to the public on this holiday. Festivities included song, dance and theatrical play. The last king of the line Rufinus, Frederick Gaius Rufinus, refused to host these festivities, and the previous two kings had reduced the splendor of them. Frederick Gaius Rufinus was the culmination of the greed of his bloodline. An event commonly seen as the “first stone cast” by the Monarchy on its decline was the establishment of Debt Slavery in 1816, wherein debtors could be forced into servitude by their creditors. At its peak 38% of the population was under debt slavery in one way or another. The Monarchy used Debt Slavery to consolidate farming and other natural resources directly under them, leading to a decline in the already small middle class. Other nobility took advantage of this system as well, ensuring it was widespread in Nykea. With the introduction of Capitalism in the 1860s and 1870s this saw people being indentured to captains of industry, obligated to work long hours in factories, mines and mills for food and housing. This system continued unimpeded until the 1910’s, when ‘enlightened Nobles’ began to ban the practice in their jurisdictions. It is rumored that king Alexander Gaius Rufinus, the father of Fredrick, was going to abolish the practice due to widespread hatred of the system, however he died before he was supposedly going to do so. King Fredrick saw no issues with the system, and widely viewed others, including many nobility as “too far beneath me to be of consequence”. In the close of the revolution Fredrick, now Citizen Rufinus, was captured by revolutionaries and put on trial. Citizen Rufinus had all personal and private property stripped from him, and was branded with his family crest on the back of his right hand. He was exiled from the nation on penalty of death. Both the Great War and the actions of the monarchy led to the Guarantee of Human Rights and Dignity, which is intended to protect residents of the nation from tyranny in all its forms. Society and culture is now oriented around the individual, especially the worker, and the arts in all its forms are heavily encouraged, and even subsidized by the Congress of Unions.
The Revolution itself lasted from 1946-1952, consisting more of prolonged sieges and trench warfare than any war of movement. The city of Dunstmurus was largely spared during the revolution, but cities like Aurumsfeld, Berghafen, and ___ were devastated. The final year of the Revolution saw the dwindling Monarchist forces (referred to as Purple Nykea) unwilling to fight. After having sustained heavy losses, running low on food and other supplies, and being generally demoralized by their treatment at the hands of the Monarchy, they were ripe for collapse. All it took for the Purple forces to collapse was a guarantee of amnesty from the Congress of Unions. After trials against the Monarchy and other nobles, reconstruction began across the nation. In the aftermath of the conflict nearly 800 thousand, or 3.3% of the population, lay dead or missing, with many more scarred physically and mentally.

Religion

National Religion: God of Wealth – Lucretius
Goddess of War and Honor – Luctana
God of Fear and Hunger – Essurius
Goddess of Wolves and the deep woods – Freri

Civil Struggles

The Generation that fought in the Revolution is devastated, creating a vacuum in politics and industry that newer generations will have to fill. This leaves relatively more conservative and older generations in charge of some unions, but the younger, much more idealistic and revolutionary generation is beginning to enter Union and National leadership positions. The Older generations, especially those who have lived through war, are much more inclined to military isolation, hoping to avoid the horrors of war from ever coming to Nykea again. The younger generation, at least those who did not fight in the war themselves, are generally of the opinion that Nykea must be on the world stage and rouse revolution from other downtrodden nations. Nykea will likely stay diplomatically isolated from nations with different ideologies and nations outside its immediate sphere until the older generation is replaced by the new. The new generation will likely not push for wars, but may fund syndicalist, communist and otherwise left leaning groups in other nations. If given the chance, the newer generation would likely push for more reform, especially around Coal mining and usage. This generation is in awe of the power of the Atom, and as they become university educated may push for adoption of Atomic Energy. This will almost certainly cause a large clash of interests within the Congress of Unions.

Foreign Relations

Nykea has good relations with Tasharkan pact members at the moment, especially due to similar political ideologies being present. Nykea is heavily leaning towards applying for Tasharkan pact membership at the moment. Nykea entirely missed out on the treaties that ended the Great War, as its internal Revolution consumed the nation much longer. Nykea was not expecting any benefits from the war to begin with, though, as it essentially had to be forced into sending an expeditionary force. Nykea and Falkre have always been economically linked to some degree, but the advent of industry made this relation much tighter. Nykea exports large quantities of Steel to Falkre in exchange for Grain and other basic foodstuffs. Without Falkrean grain imports Nykea would struggle to support its population. The constant exchange of goods between Nykea and Falkre led to the language Unilari becoming popular in port cities of Nykea. As of now nearly 7% of the population speaks Unilari as a second language. Nykean stance on human rights is explained exhaustively in the Guarantee of Human Rights and Dignity. Nykean stance on involving itself in warfare outside its direct sphere is extremely negative, and within its own sphere it prefers to have peaceful settlements. Nykea in general looks down on Proxy Warfare, and would be disgusted to see their government be involved.

Additional Lore

Constitution