Difference between revisions of "Blackstone"

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*Scribe: Elu Twain
 
*Scribe: Elu Twain
 
*Representative of the Iron Company: Cedric Rivers
 
*Representative of the Iron Company: Cedric Rivers
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===Wardens of Blackstone===
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'''Warden of Medici''': ''the Abano''
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The Abano family is one of the oldest residing families of the Island. The family became prominent under Batavian rule where they held the position of Mayor of Medici for almost a century. The Abano's arrived on Blackstone as merchants and soon became a wealthy family. Their political influence did however not extent beyond the island and they became impoverished when the economy of the Kingdom of Batavia stagnated. The return of the mercantile trade in the past years has lead to a re-emergence of the Abano family. Current head Nicolas Abano serves as Warden of Medici.
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'''Warden of the City of Blackstone''': ''the Casterly''
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House Casterly was one of the first houses to declare allegiance to the Verion family, and were rewarded for their loyalty by receiving the Wardenship of the City of Blackstone. Progenitor William Casterly was a Brettish immigrant, from the county of Norfolk. He grew up in a poor family as the son of a farmer. When moved to Blackstone, Casterly became an architect and designed the ingenious canals and irrigation system. Casterly was rewarded for his work by being made a member of the Council of Ten. Williams grandson, Henry Casterly is the current Warden of the City of Blackstone.
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'''Warden of the Isle of the Dead''': ''the Drogion''
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The Drogion's are one of the more peculiar families of Blackstone. They originate from Southern Elwynn, where their ancestors served as soldiers under the Duke Ardashir II. After moving to Blackstone, they built a rather grim fortress on the Isle of the Dead, given this name because of the brutal way in which the Drogions disposed with rebelling Batavian forces. The Drogion family have made their fortune by using the island as a cemetery for the residents of Blackstone. Ludovic Verion named patriarch Melchior Drogion Warden of the Isle of the Dead, because he didn't really have a choice.
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'''Warden of Port Verion''': ''the Lewis''
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Probably the most infamous noble house in Blackstone is House Lewis. The family was brought to the island by Aullaris Lewis, the son of the famous Icebearian rebel and kamikaze pilot, Jack Lewis. Like his father, Lewis was a devout member of the Holy Church of the Divine Icebear and one of his first actions was to set up an Icebearian temple in central Blackstone. Historically, there have always been strong ties between the Verion and the Lewis families, so it wasn't much of a suprise when Aullaris, now 101 years old, was awarded the title of Warden of Port Verion.
  
 
==Districts==
 
==Districts==

Revision as of 18:19, 14 October 2016

Lordship of Blackstone
Flag of Blackstone
Flag
Coat of Arms of Blackstone
Coat of Arms

Motto: Patientia Omni Vincit


Anthem: Verion March
Location of Blackstone
Map versions n/a
Capital Blackstone
Largest city Port Verion
Official language(s) Common Tongue
Government Corporatocracy
 - Lord of Blackstone Ludovic Verion
 - Grand-Governor of the Iron Company Ludovic Verion
 - Legislature Council of Ten
Establishment 1638 AN
6232 ASC
Currency Erb, Blackstone Florint
National forum [1]

The Lordship of Blackstone is an island nation in the Great Western Sea, off the coast of Benacia. It gained its independence in 1638 AN (6232 ASC) after the Verion family was exiled from Shireroth.

History

In the olden days, the island of Blackstone was part of the mythical kingdom of Luthièn. All that is known from this particular era are myths or lore of questionable validity. It is believed that Luthièn was home to Elfinshi settlers, who, following the genocide by the Babkhi, fled to western Benacia. Still, this is not confirmed by actual historians.

The Batavian fleet beseiging Blackstone

In early modern times, the island was incorporated under the Kingdom of Batavia, but not without a fight. According to the Batavian cronicler Frederik Hendrix, the Lords of the Blackstone tried to steer off the Batavian occupation and declared independence. The Batavian king Arkadius I sent a naval force to invade Blackstone. The island under Batavian rule was subsequently renamed "Medici".

In the last days of Batavia, the government of the Brettish Isles brokered a deal with Batavia that included the transfer of Medici to the Brettish Isles sovereignty. Although this was originally intended to be only a lease, the collapse of Batavia occured and the Brettish got control over the island. After the Brettish breakup, the island was brought under the rule of Calbion, where it was renamed "Holmes Island" after the Brettish explorer Rudyard Holmes.

Following the exile of the Verion family from Shireroth, the Calbain government granted the island to Ludovic Verion and gave it independence as the Lordship of Blackstone. The Verion family have been rulers of Blackstone ever since.

Governance

The Council of Ten meeting in the Palace Courtyard

The Head of State of Blackstone is the Lord of Blackstone, ever since independence, the Lord of Blackstone has been a member of the Verion family. The position of Lord of Blackstone is hereditary, although there exist custom law that provides for the removal of the Lord by unanimous vote of the Council of Ten. The official residence of the Lord of Blackstone is Blackstone Castle in the north of the island.

The daily governance of the island lies with the Council of Ten, who are appointed by the Lord of Blackstone. The Council comes together in the Palace, the central hall of governance of Blackstone. The councilmembers have the right to legislate on all matters, except for the position of the Lord of Blackstone, who also holds a veto over Council decisions. The current Council of Ten stands as follows, as per appointment by the Lord of Blackstone in the year 1638 AN:

  • Chancellor: Aeneas Lucius
  • Treasurer: Waldemar Tarjeisson
  • Master Diplomat: Baelor Zyrion
  • Shipmaster: Mace Lewis
  • Inquisitor: Lady Regina Verion
  • Chamberlain: Lorenzo Contarini
  • Commander-at-Arms: Rachid Al-Basani
  • High Fisherman: Hugh Mandeville
    Districts of Blackstone
  • Scribe: Elu Twain
  • Representative of the Iron Company: Cedric Rivers

Wardens of Blackstone

Warden of Medici: the Abano

The Abano family is one of the oldest residing families of the Island. The family became prominent under Batavian rule where they held the position of Mayor of Medici for almost a century. The Abano's arrived on Blackstone as merchants and soon became a wealthy family. Their political influence did however not extent beyond the island and they became impoverished when the economy of the Kingdom of Batavia stagnated. The return of the mercantile trade in the past years has lead to a re-emergence of the Abano family. Current head Nicolas Abano serves as Warden of Medici.

Warden of the City of Blackstone: the Casterly

House Casterly was one of the first houses to declare allegiance to the Verion family, and were rewarded for their loyalty by receiving the Wardenship of the City of Blackstone. Progenitor William Casterly was a Brettish immigrant, from the county of Norfolk. He grew up in a poor family as the son of a farmer. When moved to Blackstone, Casterly became an architect and designed the ingenious canals and irrigation system. Casterly was rewarded for his work by being made a member of the Council of Ten. Williams grandson, Henry Casterly is the current Warden of the City of Blackstone.

Warden of the Isle of the Dead: the Drogion

The Drogion's are one of the more peculiar families of Blackstone. They originate from Southern Elwynn, where their ancestors served as soldiers under the Duke Ardashir II. After moving to Blackstone, they built a rather grim fortress on the Isle of the Dead, given this name because of the brutal way in which the Drogions disposed with rebelling Batavian forces. The Drogion family have made their fortune by using the island as a cemetery for the residents of Blackstone. Ludovic Verion named patriarch Melchior Drogion Warden of the Isle of the Dead, because he didn't really have a choice.

Warden of Port Verion: the Lewis

Probably the most infamous noble house in Blackstone is House Lewis. The family was brought to the island by Aullaris Lewis, the son of the famous Icebearian rebel and kamikaze pilot, Jack Lewis. Like his father, Lewis was a devout member of the Holy Church of the Divine Icebear and one of his first actions was to set up an Icebearian temple in central Blackstone. Historically, there have always been strong ties between the Verion and the Lewis families, so it wasn't much of a suprise when Aullaris, now 101 years old, was awarded the title of Warden of Port Verion.

Districts

The largest part of the island is urban. The city of Blackstone covers about 60% of the surface of Blackstone island and is considered to be the Lordship's capital and houses most important political and financial institutions and public buildings, as well as the western docks. On the eastern side of the island lies the town of Port Verion, which is home to the Eastern Fleet. In the western bay lies the Isle of the Dead, a barren rock that is home to the cemetery of Blackstone as well as a small fortress. The fourth district is the district of Medici, which is largely comprised of gardens, farms and a small forest in the North. The district seperates Blackstone city from Port Verion. Each of the districts is governed by a seperate governor, the Warden. The Wardens answer to the Council of Ten.

Iron Company

The Iron Company is the only chartered company of the Lordship of Blackstone and has numerous privileges. A delegate from the Iron Company has a seat on the Council of Ten, and the Company has the exclusive right to banking and the minting of coinage on the island. Because of the double role of Ludovic Verion as both Grand-Governor of the Iron Company and Lord of Blackstone, the political system of the Lordship is often referred to as "corporatocracy".

The Iron Company's headquarters are found on the Western side of the island, where the Company's shipyards are also located.

Sights

Canals

A typical Blackstone canal, with the granite dome of the Temple visible in the centre

- Blackstone Castle - Stock Exchange and Iron Company HQ - Temple - Palace - Verion Hall - Layla's Gardens - Iron Mines - Barracks - Port Verion and Shipyard

Military

Black Guard

The Black Guard is the household guard of the House of Verion. It was founded when Elu Verion was the head of the family, to protect the Elfinshi family against militant Elw and Babkhi groups

Uniforms of the Iron Militia

who sought to diminish the still existing Elfinshi tribes and their land. The Black Guard protected the Verion lands around Azshara. After the rise to prominence of the Verion family, the Black Guard expanded, forming a band of bodyguards to protect the family members of importance. Following the move to Blackstone, he Black Guard became one of the official armies of the island, guarding the government buildings and the personal property of the Verions.

Iron Militia

The Iron Militia is a private army which is under the command of the Grand-Governor of the Iron Company. The Militia was originally established to protect the warehouses and shipyards of the Iron Company, but has expanded since. Currently, the Iron Militia is the largest army on Blackstone, and the Militia is hired by the Council of Ten to provide the City Guards for the city of Blackstone. The main interest of the Iron Miliia however still is to safeguard the interests of the Iron Company and they do this in several different ways. In the oversees territories controlled by the Iron Company, such as trade posts, the Militia serves as a defense army. At sea, the Militia provides

Governing structure of the Iron Militia

protection for the vulnerable ships that sail all over the globe. Aside from this, the Militia has a secret branch, known as the Office of Shadows, that serves as an intelligence gathering service for the Company. The existence of this office is neither confirmed nor denied by the Grand-Governor.

Inquisition

The Inquisition is the police force of Blackstone, as well as the security agency of the island. It is responsible for safeguarding the streets of Blackstone and investigating potential dangers to the Lordship. The Inquisition also serves as a customs agency, regularly checking the goods that are brought into the Blackstone harbours. As such, the Inquisition and the Iron Militia have a longstanding feud over the control of the main ports of Blackstone.

Religion

The predominant religious organisation in Blackstone is the Realist Temple Church, a Deistic church that originated as a blend of Batavian Catologists, Brettish Jovism and members of the Holy Church of the Divine Icebear. The establishment of the Realist Temple Church was the source of a schism amongst Icebearian believers, some of which who saw the Icebear as a metaphoric concept, while others literally believed the Book of Ice. This lead to the establishment of a seperate branch of the Holy Church of the Divine Icebear in Blackstone. The Temple, from which the Realist Temple Church takes its name used to be the Icebearian temple, but became the main building of the Church after the schism.

Aside from the Realist Temple Church and the Holy Church of the Divine Icebear, there are several other religious practiced by a minority of Blackstonians, such as Cedrism and Zurvanism.