Post by Witchcraft and Sorcery on Apr 12, 2019 18:05:06 GMT -5
The United Republic of Witchcraft and Sorcery
The United Republic of Witchcraft and Sorcery is, compared to many of its neighbors and allies, a relatively recently formed nation, made up of the two large islands of Witchcraft and Sorcery, and the surrounding off-shore states. In the last hundred and fifty years, the nation has gone from a loose band of constantly warring factions led by dictatorial leaders to a champion of government transparency, welfare, and environmental standards, and its citizens consistently rank among the happiest and healthiest in the world.
Witchcraft and Sorcery is a constitutional parliamentary republic, governed by a Prime Minister, who serves as head of government, and a President, who serves as head of state. The Prime Minister is elected by the people; the President is nominated by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the Legislature.
Many millennia ago, it is believed that Witchcraft and Sorcery was indeed home to supernaturally-gifted beings, though the legends write that they all perished as the result of a mysterious plague in the span of a single year. The islands of Witchcraft and Sorcery are named for the Witches and the Sorcerers that are thought to have ruled the respective islands for all the millennia before the current societies formed. Due to the amazing powers of these beings and the detail of the surviving texts, a majority of listeners today, however scientifically advanced their civilization, remain devoutly religious. Many religious leaders tell of a day when the supernatural will return from the sky, and these have inspired religious and scientific groups alike to turn their eyes to the sky in search of a sign from the beings that once walked the islands to return.
The United Republic was officially formed on February 1, 1923 at the signing of the Treaty of Night Vale, and the Constitution followed several months thereafter. With these documents, a formerly bloody war between the factions led by Anton Jarvis of Witchcraft and Peter Berlioz of Sorcery was brought to an abrupt end. A series of foreign attacks on the islands in the 1910s caused a rapid rise in support for unification and the resulting ceasefires gave the liberal-democratic nationalist movement real political ground for the first time. This they seized, and once the foreign attacks had been quelled, the former governments of Jarvis and Berlioz retained almost no credibility, and the founding of Night Vale in 1922 was seen as the final blow to the former states. The Treaty of Night Vale, signed on the construction site of the new capitol building, unified the two nations, and the new democratic government was formed.
The people of Witchcraft and Sorcery are called “listeners.” This term has both historical and cultural significance that is difficult for any historian to understate. In the search for a unified cultural identity around the turn of the century, the development of radio was a critical part of the formation of Witchcraft and Sorcery, as the unification movement used this method to transmit political messages. Then, shortly after unification, the young nation became an international sensation in its use of radio for broadcasting information and entertainment, and the “listeners” became famous all over the world for their inquisitive, attentive, and understanding nature, as well as their incredible advances in the entertainment industry. The term stuck and in 1954, by referendum, “listener” became the official demonym of the country.
In politics, Witchcraft and Sorcery is well-known for its progressive, compassionate, inclusive, culturally-focused politics.The government tends to prioritize and support the environmental, science, entertainment, arts, and technology sectors, though it also commands significant respect for its foreign policy and military. All schoolchildren are educated in self-defense and military skills and nearly all listeners between the age of 20 and 40 are technically able to be activated in case of an attack on sovereign soil. Within the constitution of Witchcraft and Sorcery, as well as the Treaty of Night Vale itself, the first listeners considered it paramount that the country remain neutral in any conflict and not be an aggressor on any side. National defense is thus focused solely on that, defense. Instead of traditional military, these reserve forces are trained to fight guerrilla-style in the rainforest, and active-duty and official reserve military are more intended for specialized things like missile defense, patrol on and offshore, and security of government officials at home and abroad.
Though not always the case, it is considered customary for a Prime Minister from the island of Witchcraft to nominate a President from the island of Sorcery and vice versa. Prime Minister Lisa Stöckl signaled a return to this tradition after her predecessor Brad Tuttle ignited a political firestorm by nominating University of Braggton professor Damon Hamilton for President. Not only was this move condemned because of its breach of tradition, it was discovered that the two had been friends since childhood and had been conspiring to skim millions of cosines off the economy and use their political positions to secure millions more in deals for Tuttle’s businesses. The subsequent criminal proceedings and emergency election led to the near-complete collapse of the fiscally-conservative Angels movement.
Another continuing point of debate is the language of Witchcraft and Sorcery. Kolman is the historical language still spoken by most listeners, but LT (Listener Tongue) was created to serve as the official language of government in order to address the problem of the increasing divergence of Kolman dialects from one another after the founding of the nation. Almost all listeners are fluent in LT and Kolman and both are classified as official languages, but the continued and increasing use of LT has proven to be a point of political contention as some advocates have accused the government of whitewashing their history and culture. Both languages continue to be taught in schools, but an increasing number of politicians, especially those campaigning for Legislature in their local districts, have disavowed the use of LT entirely. There have, however, been a number of high-level scandals involving officials who once disavowed it being heard using LT in committee hearings or behind closed doors. Supporters of LT claim this underscores its importance on the national level; its detractors call these officials hypocrites.