Aivintis

The Federal Kritarchy of Aivintis, commonly known as Aivintis is a unitary sovereign state and territorial empire in southeast Gondwana. Aivintis is the sovereign metropole of Oilean and Banteay. The nation shares land borders with two countries - Joralesia in the southwest and East Cerdani in the northwest.

The Federal Kritarchy of Aivintis
Flag of Aivintis
Motto: Vitam Impendere Vero
Anthem: "Mane Honoratum"
Aivintis, in Southeast Gondwana, beside East Cerdani (yellow) and Joralesia (purple)
Capital and largest city	Greater Aslough
Official languages	Staynish Ethalrian
Ethnic groups (2018)	96% Human 0.8% Elf 0.9% Vulpine 0.8% Lupine 0.6% Dwarf 0.5 Aurian 0.4% other
Demonym(s)	Aivintian
Government	Autocratic Police State / Kritarchy
• Chief Justice	Edward Stoker
• Justice	Oliver Crane
• Justice	Peter McKinnley
• Justice	Nolan Grimm
• Justice	Arthur Frost
Legislature	National Assembly
• Upper house	House of Ernannt
• Lower house	House of Gewahlt
Establishment
• Treaty of Adelslin, War of Aivintian Unification	1764
• Aeternal Coronation, First Aivintian Civil War	1801
• Stuart Rebellion / Second Aivintian Civil War	1812
• Declaration of a Free Enlightened Order	1815
• Execution of Peter Florence, Third Aivintian Civil War	1911
• August Coup / Fourth Aivintian Civil War	2013
Population
• 2020 census	83,890,113
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	3.276T
• Per capita	39k
Gini (2020)	0.54 low
SDI (2020)	0.865 very high
Currency	Crown (ℂ/CRN)
Time zone	UTC-5
Date format	DD/MM/YYYY
Driving side	the left
Calling code	+49
ISO 3166 code	AIV
Internet TLD	.co.aiv

Aivintis is an autocratic Kritarchy, with a two-House parliament system dominated by the appointed House of Ernannt, with the elected House of Gewahlt having little authority. The Supreme Court serves as a collective Chief Executive as well as the national judiciary, and is technically led by Chief Justice Edward Stoker. The capital is Greater Aslough, a Megalopolis and financial centre with an urban area population of 14.4 million as of 2020. Other major urban areas in Aivintis include Maven, Grandys, Westhafen, and Derrim. Other notable cities include Bricaster, Redmondburg, Carlisle, Frosthollow, Thaddea, and Frontierwood.

Aivintis has a large and fast-growing economy, following a system akin to laissez-faire liberalism and mercantilism in some aspects. The average income of an Aivintian citizen is rather low, with significant income inequality, but the average middle class income has been rising steadily in recent years. Under the Order of Enlightenment in the early 19th century, the nation was quick to industrialize, but the Order paid the most attention to coastal regions, which were already developed and urban. As such, the northwest reaches of Aivintis, specifically the province of Thaddea, is fairly undeveloped compared to the rest of the country, with efforts starting only in the 1990s. Aivintis maintains reasonable economic and scientific influence, and strong military power.

Aivintis has been a member state of the Union of Commonwealth Alliances since 2013, and is a founding member of the International Forum. Suffering from intermediate periods of isolation, Aivintian diplomacy is much weaker than befitting a nation of its power.

Geography

Aivintis is located on the coast of Southeast Gondwana, bordered to the northwest by East Cerdani and to the southwest by Joralesia, a territory of Great Morstaybishlia. To the east, Aivintis is bordered by the Concordian Ocean.

The highest points in Aivintis are the Nymphen des Abends Cliffs, translating to “Nymphs of the Evening,” which is a reference to the ancient goddesses of dusk that guarded the gates to Night in Lerasian Mythology. Otherwise, Aivintis is rather flat, with rolling hills. The soil is mostly infertile, with the most notable exception being the Grandys River Valley, a highly fertile geographical region historically under the control of the Kingdom of Grandys.

The weather in Aivintis is quite cold, due to its position close to the South Pole, but the summers can get quite hot. There are no dry seasons in Aivintis, and rain is common occurrence in most of the nation. Storms are not uncommon, especially in the north. There are very rarely any natural disasters in the area, making the country fairly safe in that regard. Fog is a regular phenomenon.

The shores of Aivintis are characterized by unremarkable beaches with the land flattening out to meet the sea. As one moves inland, the land slowly transforms into green fields and hills. In the winter, especially, when the skies are darker, the landscape has an almost sullen feel to it. This has been the subject of art and poetry for centuries. Urbanization and industrialization from the 19th and 20th centuries have marred much of this natural beauty, but some remains today.

Even further inland, away from the highly developed coastal regions, forests dot the countryside. The most common forests are pine, fir, and oak, but there is rare diversity in them. Although not as developed as the costal regions, a few modern cities can be found in this region, namely Thaddea and Frontierwood. Otherwise, most settlements are smaller cities or towns built decades or centuries ago in and between the wooded landscape. Out towards the border, the forests start to get thicker, but in recent times the nation has been encouraging settlement in this frontier.

Geographical tourist attractions in Aivintis include the Nymphs of the Evening, Remington Field, the Grandys River, Frontierwood Crater, and King’s Game Forest.

History

Ascendancy of Aivintis (1780 CE - 1812 CE)

Shortly after his victory, the Aeternus declared the establishment of the Ascendancy of Aivintis, and began working to strengthen his power and reform the government into the new glorious state he promised, one which would “reign Ad Aeternum.” The Aeternus led the nation as a Supreme Leader of sorts, with absolute power over the executive, legislative, and judicial functions of the government. He relied on temporary Ministers and Advisors to administer or assist administration of certain aspects of government, often choosing prominent generals or Aeternist priests to accomplish this task. The nation was built on loyalty and devotion to the Aeternus.

Order of Enlightenment (1815 CE - 1911 CE)

After Theodore Stuart's death, Sascha Stuart ascended to the throne, at the age of 16. Under her rule, her father's advisors assumed a sort of de facto regency of the nation. The most notable of these advisors were Nicholas Reignold and Alfred Hennessey, who soon became Sascha's most trusted advisors and the most powerful people in Aivintis. Both were Ordermasters of the Order of Enlightenment, a rising religious philosophy that took advantage of the power vacuum left behind by the near-destruction of the Aeternist cult. In the first few years of Queen Sascha's rule, therefore, many laws and royal decrees were passed that benefitted the Order's rise to power. By the time Sascha Stuart reached 18, the Order of Enlightenment was the state religion, and she was firmly its puppet queen.

Once Sascha Stuart reached the age of 18, she immediately announced the creation of an Enlightened Order, beginning a series of reforms that would transform the Constitutional Monarchy into a Religious Oligarchy. First, the religious ideals of the Order were imposed on the citizens of Aivintis, with an emphasis on suppressing other religions. No other religion was allowed to publicly preach, practice, or recruit. All churches, and numerous religious assets, were seized by the state and sold to supplement the government's budget. Religious holidays were wiped out from the calendar. Finally, the Parliament was disbanded, with former members either being recruited as advisors into the Magistrate Council - the new lawmaking body - or imprisoned to prevent opposition to the Order's rule.

The government of the Free Enlightened Order of the Kingdom of Aivintis, as it called itself, was ruled by the Magistrate Council. The core of this council were the Magisters. There was an Economic Magister, who managed finances and the government's relationship with its economy, at home and abroad; The Military Magister, who ruled the military and police; the Foreign Affairs Magister, who handled international matters; the Internal Affairs Magister, who would deal with all areas of governance that did not fall under the others; and the Queen-Magister, Sascha Stuart, who remained as a figurehead.

The borders of the nation remained mostly closed, with foreign affairs only conducted in the Foreign Affairs Capitol, Maven, as well as Frosthollow and Bricaster. The ports and airports of these cities remained open to few, and served as the Foreign Magister's sphere of influence. Economically, the new state was laissez-faire capitalist, but there were some mercantilist policies, especially later in the century as the nation began to industrialize. Militarily, the nation was powerful, with highly trained soldiers equipped with only the most modern of equipment. Both the military and the police were instrumental in maintaining order and security in the new nation, especially in the area of suppressing Aeternists and other political rivals. The Internal Affairs Magister had the least glamourous sphere of influence, but definitely the most wide-ranged, encompassing many areas of national and local governance.

Politics

Government

The government of Aivintis is an authoritarian autocracy with a highly effective military and police force, both of which are powerful tools of the government. Whilst a Unitary State, Aivintis offers notable levels of autonomy to its counties, allowing for differing local governance throughout Aivintis. The autonomy offered to counties is carried over from the counties of the Aivintian Empire, which had significant autonomy in local affairs. The government is divided into two branches - the Kritarchy and the Legislature. The Kritarchy maintains executive and judicial functions, interpreting and enforcing the laws. The National Assembly makes the laws, to be approved or denied by the Kritarchy, an act which can be overturned in another vote.

The Kritarchy is by far the most powerful branch. It oversees the military, the police, executive bureaucracy, and foreign affairs. The Supreme Court is the highest authority of the branch, made up of four Justices, nominated by standing Justices and confirmed by the legislature, and one Chief Justice, elected amongst the standing Justices. The Chief Justice is in charge of making nominations, serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Aivintian Armed Forces, closing Supreme Court votes, and representing the nation as Head of State. The Justices are in charge of administering the government alongside the Chief Justice, and every member of the Supreme Court has the authority to mobilize the military, declare a state of emergency, open a Supreme Court vote, and modify the Executive structure of the Kritarchy below. In theory, this serves to check and balance the rest of the Supreme Court, but in practice this simply makes the Justices more useful tools of the autocratic Chief Justice. The Supreme Court also administers the justice system, which includes the codification of consequences for breaking the law, sentences, and the power of judicial review, which is simply a court order that can repeal any law at will.

Below the Supreme Court on the Kritarchy totem pole are all the police commissioners, generals, county governors, judges, and ministers that answer directly to the Supreme Court. This level of bureaucracy allows for the upper echelons of Aivintian government to exercise their power over their subordinates and government arm at will, but still allow them to be subject to the authority of the Justices and Chief Justice, who may remove them, imprison them, replace them, or weaken their power without any interference. Below these elites are their deputies, generally considered to be anyone with significant authority that answers to one of the Kritarch officials mentioned before. Then there are more local leaders that possess little power, and the workers that answer to all of the above. Multiple levels of authority form a clear power hierarchy that leads up to the Chief Justice, the ultimate power in Aivintis.

The National Assembly is the only other government "branch" in Aivintis. Supposedly independent of the Kritarchy, the Assembly is bicameral, made up of the House of Ernannt and the House of Gewahlt. The House of Ernannt is the upper house, made of Kritarch-appointed legislators, usually former lawyers, military officers, or other government officials, who serve to check and balance the House of Gewahlt. The House of Gewahlt is the lower house, made of elected legislators, nominated by county governors to represent the people of Aivintis and confirmed by a local plebiscite. This house is usually made up of businessmen, ambitious local politicians, or former police officers. The idea is for the upper house to represent the will of the state and the lower house to represent the will of the people. The lower house is responsible for introducing bills, although the upper house can introduce bills if approved by the Supreme Court. The house then votes on the bill. If it passes, it goes to the other house, where it is either approved and sent to the Supreme Court, or denied and sent back. Once in the Supreme Court, the Justices can then veto the law or sign it into law. If vetoed, the bill may then be signed into law anyway by a majority vote of both houses. If Judicial Review is called and a law is deemed contrary to the benefit of the nation, the law may not be passed regardless. Legislators serve ten year terms, but emergency elections or appointments for certain seats may be called in the event of death or resignation, and emergency legislators serve for the remainder of the original term.

In the counties of Aivintis, the County Governor, or Stadtholder, remains the highest local executive authority. The Kritarchy remains in direct control of the local courts, but the Stadtholder may organize their local government as they see fit. Local ministers and directors, appointed by the Stadtholder, have a variety of functions, such as local health, welfare, and safety regulations, collecting taxes for the Kritarchy, maintaining local industries, and keeping local cities and landmarks running smoothly. Whilst given notable autonomy, local policy can never contradict national policy and may be subject to immediate changes by the national government. Stadtholders also have the authority to choose their successor when they retire or die, subject to approval by the Supreme Court. The most powerful branch of local government is the police force. The Stadtholders are expected to appoint either one or two police commissioners to serve as the extension of the police force on local levels. Upon appointment, this commissioner answers only to the Supreme Court, which may also remove the commissioner at any point in time, assign more commissioners, or order certain arrests or policies.

Internal Politics

Democracy, ideology, freedoms, etc. WIP.

Military

The Aivintian Armed Forces (AAF) are the military of the Aivintian nation, consisting of the Naval Command, the Army Command, and the Aerospace Command. The Armed Forces are under the de facto leadership of the Commander-in-Chief, a title currently held by Chief Justice Stoker, to whom all soldiers swear allegiance. Under past regimes, this leadership has been delegated to an individual or group of individuals that act as the Head of State’s number two, but under the Federal Kritarchy there is no such position.

The Armed Forces are charged with protecting the Aivintian nation, promoting its general interests, and supporting the efforts of allied nations and organizations. Aivintian garrisons, naval ports, and air bases are found all over the Aivintian homeland and in parts of Oilean. The largest Aivintian garrison is Fort Steel, Oilean, with a population of around 40,000 soldiers stationed in the base and training facilities, over half of them Oilean-born. From the early 20th century, onward, Aivintis has been steadily rising in military power.

Since 1911, the Aivintian Armed Forces have relied on a balance of volunteer service and terms of mandatory service. All able-bodied men and women have to serve a total of three years in the military, whether in active duty, subject to exemption. Volunteers and conscripts both go through regular training exercises and basic training. Junior Officers are promoted from the ranks of the enlisted, but Senior Officers must graduate from special schools before holding leadership positions. In times of national crisis, the government has the authority to institute a military draft to bring more men and women into the military.

The Aivintian Navy is in charge of maintaining coast guard fleets, recruiting from the Army to form the Aivintian Marines, and guarding national interests overseas. The Aivintian Army is in charge of training and deploying soldiers in the defense of national interests on land. The Aivintian Aerospace Command is in charge of conflicts in the air. Additionally, military departments can be created and modified by the Commander-in-Chief for special operations, as seen with the Teronian Sniper Force during the Fourth Aivintian Civil War. The Aivintian Army Command administers nearly one million active soldiers in total. The Aerospace Command has two hundred thousand airmen and women in total. The Navy has nearly five hundred thousand sailors in total. The total budget of the military is about 104.8 billion, 3.2% of the nation’s GDP.

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs on a large scale is under the authority of the Supreme Court, with specific powers assigned to Justice Nolan Grimm in particular, who handles most of the day to day business - assigning ambassadors and the like.

Aivintian foreign policy is dictated by a combination of international influence and ideological similarities and differences. The nation is more likely to ally with large territorial empires, military powers, and authoritarian governments, but is generally open to diplomatic relations with most countries. Regarding world affairs, Aivintis seeks to promote widespread security and order. Thus, despite being an autocratic militaristic power, Aivintis is a vocal member of the International Forum. Once allied with a nation, Aivintis shows remarkable loyalty, committing to the relationship, especially economically and militaristically.

On a regional level, Aivintis seeks to maintain friendly relations with Great Morstaybishlia, which administers the neighboring territory of Joralesia. Continentally, Aivintis supports native supremacy on Gondwana, but above all seeks to maintain the status quo, in terms of territory and sovereignty. Any radical changes are likely to be met with opposition from Aivintis, especially if those changes will undermine the national ideals of order and security.