Sergony
Kingdom of Sergony Κϙνιγρειχ Σεργονιεν Königreich Sergonien | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
 Location of Sergony in Messenia. | |
| Capital | Humberstadt |
| Largest city | Orhaven |
| Official languages | Sergonish (Zepnish dialect) |
| Demonym | Sergonish |
| Government | Unitary respublican monarchy |
• King | Helwig II |
• Chancellor | Günther von Platzdam |
| Establishment | |
• Treaty of Spatzberg and independence from the Palthic Empire | 1708 |
| Area | |
• Total | 48,496 km2 (18,724 sq mi) (91st) |
| Population | |
• 2019 estimate | 19,990,540 |
• Density | 412.21/km2 (1,067.6/sq mi) |
| Currency | Sergonish krone (SEK) |
| Calling code | IAT-M -1 |
The Kingdom of Sergony (Sergonish/Zepnish Königreich Sergonien) is a country in southern Messenia located along the northern coast of the Medius Sea. Its only land border is with Zeppengeran, although it has a maritime border with Tisceron through its presence in the Abuch Islands.
Sergony is an urbanized, densely populated, and highly developed country by Messenian standards. Due to its close economic and political ties to its larger neighbor, Sergony is regarded as one of Zeppengeran’s client states. As such, Sergony is a member of the Zweibeck League and other Zepnish-led organizations. Despite close economic and cultural integration between the two states, Sergony successfully staved off multiple Zepnish attempts to annex the country outright.
History
Pre-Common Era
Ancient Sergony was dominated by the Antissan culture. The kingdom of Dammuri, probably the most significant polity in the region during the middle second millennium BCE, is thought to have originated in the north of modern Sergony, and the region developed a strong maritime culture under the Dammurites and the later Larhine Empire, despite being a battleground for factional strife within the imperial period, notably during the Agatrine War of the tenth century BCE, and again as the empire broke apart into competing statelets in the middle ninth century BCE.
During the early fifth century BCE, as the emerging religion of Siriash began to forcibly displace its predecessor Palthachism in the so-called Sundering period, Sergony became the site of extensive Sundering violence probably until around 550 BCE as Siriash assumed its present dominance. The Protosirian Antissan warlords of the region then submitted to the Neokos Empire. As the new Sirian orthodoxy began to organise itself, the first lamneary to be founded in present-day Sergony was that of Birkenfeld, north of Orhaven, in approximately 400 BCE.
By the late first millennium BCE, the region saw the development of strong trading links with the Carcharian city-states of north-eastern Lestria.
Common Era to 1600
In the early Common Era, relations with the Carcharians would sour dramatically as the Lestrians turned increasingly to outright piracy. More serious invasion by land was to come during the fifth century, as the runaway expansion of the Third Sabāmani Empire brought Sergony under the rule of the northerners’ empire from around 460.
As with the rest of Palthia, Sergony came under rule by the Secote Dominion in the eighth century and then the Secote Empire in the eleventh. Direct Secote rule over Sergony was brief compared to other parts of southern Messenia, as Nailene raider-adventurers contested control of the region during the eighth-century Godgerney and the Ispartery of the tenth century. The Nailene conquerers managed to establish their own dominion encompassing parts of the present-day Sergony and the Zepnish province of Laugland. Nailene Sergony was a beach-head for the Lestrianision movement during the tenth and eleventh centuries.
During the Fourteen Years' Anarchy as the Lestekevid Commandery transitioned into the early Palthic Empire, Sergony's Nailicised elite backed Edzard Rabansky's claim for the imperial title. During this period, Orhaven emerged as one of the most important ports in the empire and home to the famed Orhaven Shipyards. The Sergonish cities opposed the Diet of Ostrov of 1226 and confederated in the Krabe League, recognising Odo von Krabe as their immediate sovereign instead, who established his own imperial court more sympathetic towards Sergonish economic and religious interests. Despite the Eastern Court's ultimate victory in the War of the Two Courts, stubborn Sergonish resistance – including an eclectic and spectacular range of mercenaries from as far as Tarsh or Sabhia, the Companies from Afar – allowed Krabe and the League to preserve autonomy after finally submitting in 1332. The League and its Companies rushed to action again to support Wolfhard von Tasser during the War of the Golden Standard (1399–1407), this time securing even more favourable concessions for themselves.
Starting in the 15th century, the rise of Combinations around the Great Golden Arc shifted the centre of Palthian commerce to Prasinia, and the expansion of Siur commonholds in the Medius undermined the Sergonish cities' influence as well. By the 16th century it became trivial to abolish the League and put the cities under bureaucratic imperial administration, although localist resentment against this change remained strong.
17th and 18th centuries
The steady collapse of the Palthic Empire in the later 17th century allowed for the reflowering of a spirit of independence within Sergony, with internal pressures on the imperial centre forcing its final break-up. The duchy of Sergony, although closer to the heart of the empire, was nonetheless swept up in the pattern of breakaways; during the chaotic period of the War of the Regents it seized the opportunity to declare its independence. This was a functional reality by the middle of 1705, and was formally recognised in the 1708 Treaty of Spatzberg, with duke Nikephoros I elevating his lands to the status of kingdom in the process.
Although it emerged as a secondary naval power in the next few decades, Sergony was largely overshadowed by nearby Siurskeyti, Madaria, and other larger powers for Median and Messenic naval supremacy. As other Messenian states pushed for the acquisition of territory and influence outside the continent, Sergony sought not to be left behind; but its only such capture – the territory of Sergonish Lestria – was relatively short-lived, lasting only to 1801, although the remains of its foothold are still held in the Abuch Islands off the coast of Neyet.
19th century
As the remodelled Zepnish Empire recovered its full strength and influence in its surrounding region, it naturally sought to enforce its will, however amiably, on its neighbours – especially states like Sergony which had been part of the old Palthic polity. This was rarely welcome; Sergonish relations with Zeppengeran deteriorated further over the later 1860s and early 1870s, and matters came to a head in 1871 with the agreement between the Zepnish government and the Tepharion to admit Holy Coseptra as Zepnish territory. Although the Tepharion acted in the face of genuine fears of invasion from Alcasia, the Humberstadt government was furious – as, indeed, were those of many other Sirian countries – and it expressed its displeasure by rescinding a tariff agreement entered into in 1852 which had given Sergonish traders some preferential status in Zepnish markets. As Zeppengeran was, almost of necessity, a major export market for Sergony, the decision caused severe repercussions in the smaller country, and probably contributed significantly to the economic depression which afflicted Sergony over the period 1872-75.
Sergony also became a centre of new intellectual developments such as deictism, producing among others the famous economist and sociologist Armas von Giesseling, while some of the first deigmations would be founded in Humberstadt and Orhaven as well.
20th century
In 1923 substantial oil deposits were found in central and northern Sergony; while the beginnings of industrialisation had already been seen in the country, the new finds spurred further and rapid economic development. Sergony attempted to remain neutral throughout the Long War; however, disputes over control of and access to its oilfields resulted in the country becoming a hotly contested target for the warring powers, culminating in the Siursk-backed White Rose coup attempt in 1951 and a pre-emptive invasion and occupation by Zeppengeran under the pretext of protecting the Sergonish state. The Zepnish intended to annex Sergony and incorporate it into the realm; however, the 1959 Kethpor Accords mandated the withdrawal of all Zepnish troops and a full restoration of Sergonish sovereignty.
Politics
Sergony is a unitary monarchy with respublican elements.
The King of Sergony, presently Helwig II, is the Cardinal and symbolic center of Sergonish civil society. The incumbent King nominates his successor, who ascends the throne upon the death or abdication of his predecessor. In practice, Sergonish succession has been hereditary since the title's recognition in 1708.
The King devolves his legislative powers to the Stimmenkammer, a unicameral deliberative body comprised of 163 representatives from Sergony's corporate Ordinals and lamnearies. Unlike similar representative bodies in Messenia – including among other Sirian states – the Sergonish Stimmenkammer lacks any purely territorial electoral districts, with constituencies exclusively tied to Ordinal participation. Another distinct feature of Sergonish politics is its franchise, regarded as more complex and restrictive than other Messenian states. The franchise is restricted to men in good standing with his constituent order bearing letters of recommendation from other enfranchised men within the same order and approved by the Stimmenkammer. As men may belong to multiple orders simultaneously, an enfranchised voter may elect multiple representatives in the same election.
Administratively, Sergony is divided into 293 Taparates which act akin to a municipal government headed by an appointed commissioner. For Sergony's larger cities, multiple taparates are grouped together, sharing municipal powers.