Saintmagnus: Difference between revisions

The banking industry began in Saintmagnus in the early 1600s, fully taking root by 1630. Although banking was a prominent industry before then, focus truly shifted to Saintmagnus when the Marnacian colony in Ostrow was weakened by a peasant rebellion and then blockaded by the Kingdom of Grandys. Saintmagnus was chosen for its distance from the mainland, military culture, and demographics - there were only loyal Marnacians, no oppressed native groups. With this, the Saintmagnian economy boomed, leading to more tourism and more business. This is when the fashion industry developed, as well as the influx of craftsmen and artisans. Overpopulation was prevented by strict immigration policies and the emigration of many Saintmagnians looking for economic and political opportunities in mainland Marnacia.

 

 

In 1649, taxes from Saintmagnus stopped being shipped to Marnacia. The Saintmagnian leaders were worried about growing piracy and the apparent incompetence of the Marnacian military to deal with the issue. When Marnacia refused to send additional ships and soldiers to protect merchant ships, the taxes were withheld in protest. In 1650, the Marnacian crown demanded the delivery of these taxes, and the Saintmagnian leadership gave them an ultimatum - grant the Guard more ships and soldiers to deal with piracy and protect merchant ships along the established trade routes to Saintmagnus, or deal with an uprising in Saintmagnus. The Marnacian King Harrison Florens chose the former. Despite receiving the taxes in the end, this ordeal proved that Marnacia held no more control over Saintmagnus. This would allow their independence six years later.

After the devastating Aivintian defeat at the Battle of Norwich and Adelslin in 1664, and the subsequent Treaty thereof with Ethalria, the Aivintian army was far from equipped to handle the invasion of Saintmagnus, not without facing even heavier losses and potential revolts from their newly conquered lands. Additionally, King Martin Dale was unwilling to provoke Ethalria again by sailing through Westhafen’s waters to invade Saintmagnus. Instead, Aivintis focused on strengthening its own government and recovering from the eight year war which had just united the country. Saintmagnus was offered a non aggression pact and trade deal, which enabled its government and economy to continue to thrive during its independence.

 

 

In 1670, Westhafen launched an invasion of Saintmagnus, landing its Ethalrian army on the eastern coast of Saintmagnus in an attempt to flank the cities and take the Guard by surprise. The goal of this invasion was for the Ethalrian protectorate to control the Joralesian strait from the east side, an attempt to undermine Joralesia’s control of the trade and military routes to Arcturia, bringing wealth to Westhafen. However, the conquering armies got lost in a dense fog on their way to Saintmagnus, and were delayed and disoriented for long enough for the Guard to assemble and defeat them. The failure of the invasion is often credited to Saint Magnus himself.

In 1812, Theodore Stuart was crowned the King of Aivintis. This being the second time the crown changed hands since Saintmagnus became independent, Saintmagnus was faced with renewing the treaty of non-aggression and trade once again. However, before discussions could conclude, the Kingdom of Aivintis invaded Westhafen in early 1813. The High Council of Saintmagnus, feeling threatened by the expansionist policies of the Aivintian Kingdom, voted to terminate the treaty, leaving Saintmagnus without a main economic partner. The Kings of Saintmagnus fundamentally disagreed, believing the nation needed to secure the treaty because of, not in spite of, Aivintis’s expansionism, to protect itself and allow it to fund an expanding army. This became a point of tension between the council and the sitting kings, which would only damage relations between the two further when a term limit of four was proposed by the High Council. Internal hostilities eventually led to the resignation of multiple Council members, and the imprisonment of one of the Kings for threatening the council with execution.

 

 

Internal instability and hostilities only disrupted the economy, causing profits in many businesses and guilds to plummet, which in turn created more instability and hostilities. Many citizens intentionally broke laws as a form of protest, and many others emigrated to Aivintis, Joralesia, and other lands. The military’s pay was cut severely in order to subsidise industries and fund efforts to draw more business to Saintmagnus, leading to discontent within the only institution holding Saintmagnus together. The Hidden Stronghold, a bastion fort, was built shortly after by the Commander of the Guard, outraged by the High Council’s political overreach, the imprisonment of the King of Haven, and the low salaries. Funded by the guilds and businesses that sought security and stability in order to build a better reputation and drive more business to Saintmagnus, the Commander garrisoned more and more soldiers in the Hidden Stronghold, doubling the Guard’s numbers on the island.

When the Industrial Revolution swept through the Order of Enlightenment in the 1850s, Saintmagnus was hesitant to accept it. While Aivintis embraced urbanisation fully, Saintmagnus was already as urbanised as it could get, a byproduct of the small size of the island. Sanitary systems and similar developments were all it could adapt to. Even the institution of a police force wouldn’t make sense for Saintmagnus, given the close relationship between policing and the military in Saintmagnian culture, and especially with the heavy military culture and the nature of the autocratic government. As for industrialization, the Kings were afraid of sudden change, and the effects it might have on the nation’s stability and safety. The old republic would have launched itself immediately into the new developments, and that knowledge gave the government pause. Finally, the economic prosperity of Saintmagnus was essential to its stability as well, and the happiness of its citizens. The specific economy of Saintmagnus had kept it prosperous for over 300 years, and a period of instability had shown it what would happen if this balance was upset. As such, the first factory wasn’t built until 1890, and only three total were built, despite the Order’s requests to the contrary.

 

 

When the Third Aivintian Civil War began in 1909, Saintmagnus reluctantly declared its neutrality, and received harsh backlash from the population. At its core, Saintmagnus was a religious nation, and The Order of Enlightenment was its mother faith. Critics argued that the Kings were betraying their faith and their nation by not siding with the Order and the Florentines. The guilds and businesspeople argued that the Order of Enlightenment was solely responsible for the wealth and prosperity of Saintmagnus. Even the military, usually non-interventionist, acknowledged the role of the Order in protecting Saintmagnus, and the implications of losing the Order to King Thaddeus were dire. However, the Kings were bound by the constitution, and the spirit of neutrality that itself was fundamental to Saintmagnian success. Their supporters argued that foriegn nations came and went, but neutrality was the only constant that contributed to Saintmagnian success.

The Guard was disbanded in September 1915, replaced with a small police force created from its ranks. The Aivintian navy expanded the ports of Haven and New Carmere, docking modern warships and trading vessels. The Aivintian army expanded and occupied the garrisons in the three cities of Saintmagnus. The Aivintian Ministry of Culture expanded and built museums of art, preserving the rich cultural history of Saintmangus. The Aivintian Ministry of Welfare offered Saintmagnian citizens early retirement and pension, and offered the poor homes and food. The Aivintian Empire expanded Saintmagnian prosperity in every way possible, and brought it forward in technology. The 98 years of history under the banner of the Aivintian Empire were integral to the ability of Saintmagnus to survive on its own in the modern day.

 

 

The coup d’etat of the Aivintian Empire by Chief Minister and Justice George Whitcher in 2013 restored the independence of Saintmagnus for the first time in almost a century. The Federal Kritarchy of Aivintis, uninterested in the maintenance of a large territorial empire, readily abandoned Aivintian dependencies considered too useless or difficult to maintain, and the independence of Saintmagnus was granted by Whitcher’s government shortly after the coup, in the Writ of Independence. As the closest independent dependency, and the closest supporter of the old Empire, Saintmagnus quickly became a refuge for fleeing Imperial officials. At the same time, the supporters of the coup, and those who had grown comfortable with Aivintian rule, emigrated to Aivintis. The population remained the same, but still changed in a significant way.

 

== Culture ==