Doreysne
| Native name: Île de Doreysne | |
|---|---|
 Doreysne within the context of the western Medius Sea | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Messenia |
| Archipelago | Adour Islands |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Medius Sea |
| Area | 10,487 km2 |
| Highest elevation | 2,744 m |
| Country | |
Savam | |
| Vice-principality | Vice-principality of Doreysne |
| Capital city | Tonsour |
| Largest city | Tonsour |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | doreysnois |
| Population | 1,877,173 |
| Density | 179 /km2 (464 /sq mi) |
Doreysne is an island within the Adour group in the central Medius Sea to the north of the continent of Lestria, and has been an overseas possession of the Savamese Empire since 1812. As a crossroads of trade and culture for centuries, Doreysne has seen a wide variety of ownership and cultural influence, which has left its mark in a widely variegated native culture today. The capital of the island, Tonsour (Hártal Túnsúra), lies on the central north coast between the sea proper and the Lac des Rosses; Dimaure (Dimmá) in the north-east is the next largest town.
Etymology
The name Doreysne is a savamicisation of Dórrey, which was used during the period of Siur rule over the island. This has been suggested to have been of Antissan origin, probably from tarriyau, “to endeavour”, and some early maps originating in the Larhine Empire show the island as Tarri, by which name it was known in the later antiquity; the Siur naturally adapted this in line with the Hártal word ey, “island”. However, more recent scholarship in the field has pointed to it being a remnant of indigenous languages spoken during the period of the Dranganes culture in the Median islands, into which study is continuing.
Geography
At 10,487 square kilometres in area, Doreysne is the second-largest island located wholly within the Medius Sea behind Yarin, some 200 kilometres to the west, and ahead of Thoape (in Alberdsland); the closest point on the Lestrian mainland, the peninsula of CCCCC in western Tisceron, is about 285 kilometres to the south. Geographers have disputed whether the island should be regarded as part of Lestria or Ascesia, although most opinion now adheres to the former view. Geologically, the island belongs to the Lestrian Plate, with the Hilima Fault running just north of it.
Although some tectonic uplift took place (in particular in the north), the island was largely formed as the result of subduction volcanism, with the whole Median Island chain forming a volcanic arc. Doreysne has one single major volcanic outlet, the stratovolcano Mont de la Fourche (named after the fork-shaped summit that existed after the 1799 eruption), located in the island's central south coast, roughly midway between the towns of Valal and Vouguers. The Mont de la Fourche's summit currently stands at 2,744 metres above sea level. There are several adjacent summits reaching above 1,000 metres, including a former volcanic cone at Montagne Trimant, 21 kilometres west of Mont de la Fourche.
The Mont de la Fourche volcano is fairly active. Large effusive eruptions are relatively common, occurring about three to four times per century on average, with small ones occurring much more regularly. Explosive eruptions are rarer, with phreatic eruptions most common, but large Peléan eruptions have also occurred, usually reshaping the volcano's topography to a major degree. The last major effusive eruption occurred in 2001, while the last recorded major explosive eruption (VEI 6) took place in 1799. A VEI 7 event is believed to have taken place about 12,000 years ago based on the geological record.
Climate
Like the other Median Islands, Doreysne experiences a Prasinian climate with hot summers and mild winters and year-round rainfall, although most of this is concentrated in the summer season. The island's natural biome is subtropical moist forests, as well as a few bands of subtropical rainforests on some mountain slopes. Pockets of elevated terrain in the higher peaks around Mont de la Fourche experience gradually cooler climates, becoming more similar to Arcedian and continental climates the further away from sea level.
History
Antiquity
Doreysne was a peripheral centre of the Dranganes culture which extended across most of the western and central Median Islands in the second and early first millennium BCE; however, its proximity to the island of Hilima meant that it took immense damage from the eruption of the volcano Kalmisana in 855 BCE. Although little trace remains today of the catastrophe, modern scientific projections have suggested that the east coast of the island was struck by tidal waves in excess of 100 metres (330 feet), destroying any habitation in the area; the island’s entire population was almost certainly obliterated either by the tidal waves or as the result of starvation and disease in their immediate aftermath. However, Doreysne's bulk probably spared the islands to its west from the full force of the tidal wave.
The island fell into the orbit of the expanding Carcharian culture during the later first millennium BCE, with a settlement being established close to the present-day town of Dimaure by Khyesite traders in 416 BCE. The original name is now lost to the historical record, and the town which grew up on the site became known as Tarri after the island.
The Siur acquisition
(TBA)
Coup d’audace
Doreysne was annexed by the Savamese Empire in 1812 while Siurskeyti was rent by civil war as five commonholds broke from the union. This came about through an opportunistic move undertaken by a Savamese fleet that strayed from its original orders. An expeditionary force under the command of counter-admiral Lionel de Versroche had been dispatched to West Felicia in Serania Major, with the aim of capturing former Neritsovid territories now left exposed. Such raids had enjoyed success during the Heathen Wars period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, while Outer Joriscian powers struggled to reassert their power in the Seranias.
However, during a layover and provisioning stop in Árakan, Versroche and his commanders learned that war had broken out. Versroche decided – with the certainty of court-martial if he failed – to try instead to seize Siursk holdings in the Medius Sea. Establishing a permanent presence there had been a Savamese goal for decades. The audacious plan succeeded; Versroche’s force held Skógarey briefly before being overrun and captured, but held Dórrey and routed a Siursk naval squadron’s attempt at recovery.
The Savamese government was initially embarrassed and outraged at this flagrant insubordination, but the Viceroy, Count Honoré de Stendalo, eventually yielded to arguments in favour. Threatening a wider conflict, the Savamese government forced a settlement in which Siurskeyti would cede Dórrey in exchange for guarantees that Savam would not interfere in the civil war and would respect the remaining Siursk territories in the region. The island was renamed as the sabamicised Doreysne.
The Savamese government was initially outraged at what they judged to be grave insubordination, but Viceroy Count Honoré de Stendalo eventually yielded to the arguments of personalities such as admiral Gayen Faure-Blanse and arranged a diplomatic settlement with Siurskeyti. Threatening a wider conflict, the Savamese government forced thár Ármann Lindskold to cede Dórrey to Savam in exchange for guarantees that Savam would respect the remaining Siursk territories in the region. The island was renamed Doreysne under Savamese rule, a sabamicisation of its Hártal name. Siurskeyti attempted to retake Doreysne during the War of the Islands (1822-24) but failed to secure its transfer, although it occupied the island again for a part of the war.
Doreysne savamaise
The change of hands prompted a dramatic shift in population; close to 15,000 people – almost 20% of the island’s population at the time – opted to leave Doreysne, the majority of them relocating on nearby Mirrey. This was not entirely voluntary; although the Savamese had promised to stay out of the ongoing war, they nonetheless forcibly expelled a good number of Siursk loyalists, especially known members of the pro-union Siblinghood of the Axe, whom they saw as likely focal points for protest against Savamese rule. Among the refugees was the thosse, Auðgeir Vestroður, and his family; the Vestroðurs – still, pointedly, styled af Túnsúru after their old fief – are now the ruling family on Mirrey.
The humiliation rankled for years; Siurskeyti attempted to retake Doreysne during the War of the Islands (1822-24), occupying parts of the island again for a part of the war before being forced off.
Government
Doreysne is administered as an autonomous vice-principality, a self-governing entity ruled ultimately by the federal government, rather than an individual member kingdom of the Empire. Contrary to other Savamese overseas territories, the island is not considered a colonial possession, but instead has a special legal status halfway between the states and the other vice-principalities (and related smaller territories); this leaves open the possibility of admission as a member state. A local campaign towards statehood has been in evidence since the early 2000s, and this prompted the Council of the Chancellorship to authorise a feasibility study in 2013; however, the study committee’s report in 2015 recommended that no action be taken in that direction at that time.
Doreysne's chief executive is the Vice-prince, who is directly appointed by the government in Quesailles; the other central local government institution is the Council of Doreysne, a 100-member parliament elected directly by the voters. The vice-prince serves at the discretion of the federal government (no term length), but the Council can vote a motion of censure that forces the federal government to review the current office holder; usually the federal government will dismiss the vice-prince to avoid conflict with the local parliament. The Council can also suggest candidates for appointment.
The Doreysnois government has substantial autonomy, administering areas in a similar fashion to full member states. Its exclusive domains are law enforcement, land usage and conservation, primary and secondary education, local public finances and local transport. Healthcare and social security are jointly administered with the federal government, while in other colonies those areas fall entirely within federal authority. The local government receives most of its funding from federal transfers (including large payments from the military), but also collects taxes in the same way as state government.
As a legacy of its Siursk period, the public practice of Arlatur is officially authorised by the local government, contrary to the rest of the Empire where only Cairan public practice is acceptable.
Economy
|
This section contains information that has been retconned by more recent development, and will be updated in future. |
- Agriculture:
- Citrus
- Sugar (old)
- coffee (recent introduction - post 1600s)
- tea (modern introduction - post 1800s)
- nuts like macadamia?
- Fishing, pearl, murex
Traditionally, the economy of Doreysne was centred around subsistence agriculture and fishing. The semi-arid climate of the island can be compensated for by irrigation from underground sources, but it never really allowed any intensive agriculture. In a traditional bocage-style countryside, fields of drought-resistant crops alternate with pastures for animals. In recent decades, irrigation projects have allowed modern intensive agriculture, but the availability of water is a limiting factor; some scientists have expressed concerns about over-exploitation of the island's aquifers (compounded by the recent increase of population due to tourism and retirees moving to the island).
Fishing has always been the traditional venture of the island’s coastal towns, blessed as they are with the ecologically rich waters of the Medius. Pearls and purple pigments are two traditional Doreynois exports that have sustained a significant revenue stream for some of the island's population (nobles or town-based shipowners). The purple pigment industry (extracted from the sea snail Murex) was at its peak in the 14th to 16th centuries before going into some decline, possibly due to over-fishing. It has recovered in later centuries but, with the creation of artificial purple dyes in the 19th century, demand has somewhat decreased; however, natural purple pigments are now considered even more valuable than previously.
In the last two decades the Doreynois economy has received a significant boost from the development of tourism on the island; Doreysne's climate and relaxed way of life have encouraged greater numbers of visitors from the colder northern Messenian conditions of Savam. While many visit the island only for short periods, an increasing number of older Savamese have elected to take up permanent residence; these chatons de neige or "snow kittens" have become a significant proportion of the permanent population since the mid-2000s. These migrants have generated a construction boom in the island's countryside. The change has also served to reduce the role played in Doreysne's economy by the Imperial Navy. The significance of the island in naval planning and as a forward base for monitoring of the Medius and Messenic Seas cannot reasonably be underestimated; it is not for nothing that generations of Savamese mariners have called Doreysne l'incoulable, "the unsinkable". The presence of one of Savam's largest navy bases at L'Île des Jardins, east of Tonsour, has been a mainstay of finances on Doreysne for at least 150 years. Aside from the military personnel, the naval base employs many local contractors; it has been the main driver for industrial development on the island.
Demography
The population of Doreysne stood at 1,877,173 at the end of 2016; the capital city of Tonsour is also the largest city, with a population of about 650,000. The second largest city, Dimaure, has a population of about 200,000. The rest of the population is mostly found in a dense network of smaller towns (in the 20-50,000 range) and spread in rural areas, especially along the coastline. The navy base at L'Île des Jardins is a 30,000-strong town by itself. As the island was conquered about a decade after the formation of the Empire, there was no particular policy to privilege immigrants from a given state or region. Migration from the mainland went through two peaks: in the first half of the 19th century, and then since the end of the 20th century. Today, the island's age pyramid is artificially enlarged in older age groups as a result of the recent immigration of mainlander retirees.
Some Doreysnois can still trace parts of their heritage to the original Siursk inhabitants, who themselves had a Tisceronite substrate from the existing population before its acquisition by Vonskil. In 1812, the island's population was about 75,000; although about 15,000 of those left for other Siursk islands in the region, the majority remained. Although friction with the incoming Savamese migrants was not uncommon, the local authorities allowed the Siursk community a wider degree of freedom, both to continue speaking its language and to practice its religion. Over time, the Siursk community slowly became absorbed into the more numerous Savamese population (especially as the notion of an open Savamese nation became more dominant), to the point that today only a very small percentage (less than 5%) of the Doreysnois speak Hártal as their primary language, even if they still identify as ethnically Savamese. However, the influence of Siursk culture can still readily be found everywhere in the island, and the influence of Arlatur on local Cairan practices, albeit small, has resulted in a somewhat more austere form of the faith as compared to more mainstream Cairony elsewhere.