Republic (Fourth Era)

Imperial Banner of Respublica

## Introduction

##### *This article is a continuation of Republic (Third Era)*

The Republic would rejoin divinitycraft at the beginning of the Fourth Era. Months after rejoining the server, the once-independent power became part of the Aeternum Empire as the Province of Respublica. After rebelling, the now-independent Respublica would see many changes in government, leadership, and territorial holdings. Regardless of these changes, Respublica maintained a fairly consistent population. At its height, Respublica would be known as the hegemonic faction of the server and would play a leading role in many wars and international events. Although Respublican action resulted in many victories, their failures were almost as equally numerous. Consequently, Respublicans would continue to be known for their never-ending optimism and perseverance, while simultaneously being known by other factions as a 'noob' faction. This latter reputation is typically attributed to the history of their predecessor faction, the Republic. Respublica would eventually cease to exist at the end of the Fourth Era after the Second Respublican Civil War.

## History

**Republic as Respublica (August 2016-April 2017)**

Now with a clean slate, the Republic chose to become incorporated as a region of the new superpower of Divinitycraft: Jotunheim. Unfortunately, the server reset was not immediately successful and the leadership of Jotunheim was largely absent. The inactivity eventually gave the region of the Republic absolute control over the faction. With its new capital of Quale, the Republic attempted to remain a small city-state. Unexpectedly, a new faction - also a descendant of Jotunheim - began to grow, this faction was Kronos. Under the joint leadership of Ara\_72 and wittypotato, Kronos would grow to an awesome size given the inactive status of the server. Seeing that the Republic was one of the more active factions, a merger was declared and executed between Kronos and Republic. And thus the Aeternum Empire was born with Ara\_72 and wittypotato as its leaders.

Under the Aeternum Empire, the Republic changed its name and titles to a more Roman/Latin aesthetic and moved its capital from Old Quale to New Quale (now known simply as Quale). The Republic was renamed to the Respublica and was the most populous province of Aeternum. It contributed much to the activity, not only of the faction, but to the entire server as well. The Respublica province would be known for its independent nature and dislike for the imperial government which was inactive for most of the time. Eventually, after being advised by Niknakjsb123 and later on a popular support for independence, Imperator geko96 gave an ultimatum to the un-elected leader Ara\_72. This ultimatum demanded absolute power be given to the Respublica and its leadership. After being rebuffed, the Respublica organized a coup d'état, known as the Respublican Uprising, and reestablished the Respublica as an independent nation.

**The Respublica-Zakuul Merger and the Fourth Great War (May-August 2017)**

After countless debates and many long government meetings, the Fourth Era of the Republic (Respublica) completed its first merger between them and Zakuul. Zakuul, led by Seanslayer, was a merger between Zakuul and TheIndustry (led by philperron00). The Senate of the Republic and the High Government of Zakuul eventually devised a government plan that mixed the two different government styles. In the end, Seanslayer and geko96 agreed to be co-leaders, switching off faction leadership every once a week or whenever they saw fit. Soon after this merger, a lesser merger occurred which resulted in the annexation of the city of Atacama from the faction Atacama (led by PolskiMelonski). In so doing, Respublica more than doubled its size within a few weeks, living up to it's forerunners' precedents.

Similarly to the other Eras, as Respublica grew in size, the magnitude of Her wars grew as well. When Respublica seceded from Aeternum, they took the capital, Astroika, with them. Tension between an Aeternum successor-state, WallTec, and Respublica have been apparent but more or less calm given that Respublica and WallTec were allies. However, when asked to hand over Astroika geko96 firmly denied such a prospect. Despite this request, WallTec persisted and, after hearing about a group called The Alliance, geko96 began to fear that a new Lordaeron was emerging. In response to this potential threat, he gave ducksRus9 and philperron00 the right away to blow up Astroika. As the two were blowing up the city, WallTec and its ally, Seshara, began claiming the land. It is unclear what happened first: the bombing or the claiming. Regardless, this land dispute sparked the beginning of the Fourth Great War. On 7 June 2017, the warring parties were: WallTec, Seshara, Vandermar and Lordaeron versus Respublica and Wallachia.

Despite it being a Great War, the Fourth Great War saw very little battle with the greatest skirmishes being around Quale. As the war winded to an end, the city of Astroika had been claimed by WallTec and was being rebuilt much to geko96's dismay. Discouraged by the outcome of the Fourth Great War, geko96, leader of the Republic for over five years, chose to temporarily step down for a short time - giving sole control to Seanslayer.

**The Sacking of Quale (September 2017)**

##### *Click here for more information on the city of Quale.*

On September 5th 2017, Quale, the capital city of Respublica, was sacked by a successor faction of WallTec, the Kaiserreich, and officially ended the Fourth Great War. Respublica had lost the expansive city of Quale due to the inactivity of Respublica citizenry. The consequences of the Sacking of Quale were four-fold; (1) The loss of many territorial holdings [Quale, Lapidum, and Atacama], (2) The temporary reductionist re-interpretation of the Respublica government, (3) The loss of many citizens [both of Plebeian status (recruits/members) and Patrician status (mods)], and (4) Moving the new capital to the city of The Spire (former capital of Zakuul). Despite these setbacks, Respublica retained its status of hegemony over the server - however, this was due more to a lack of competition rather than any might within herself. Additionally, the Sacking of Quale led geko96 to resume his co-leader position as Dux alongside Seanslayer, who also held this title.

**The Zakuul Period (October 2017-January 2018)**

Since the merger between Zakuul and Respublica in May of 2017, the Respublica government and capital had always retained greater control over her counterpart of Zakuul; however, after the fall of Quale, the city of The Spire suddenly became the new centre of administration over the vast republic. This brought a renewed and more vigorous attention to the antarctic outpost. As the newly appointed capital, Zakuul began to influence the government of Respublica - tying evermore closely the once separate factions into one united republic.

During this new Zakuul-centric administration, activity had initially declined greatly. In this brief period of time, the Senate was forced to abolish the Imperator and Prince offices - leaving only the Senatus (Senate) to rule. This period of time was, again, short-lived and, once the player count began to return to its former heights, the former government was returned but with slight modifications, the greatest being the permanent removal of the Prince position and the switch from the Imperator title to the Dux title (this latter title was now used by both Seanslayer and geko96). Under these changes, Respublica established the Second Republic of Zakuul and began to regain her strength.

The Second Republic of Zakuul ushered in a general peace immediately following the fall of Quale. However, some minor wars and battles were fought and resulted in decisive victories for Respublica. These victories, though small, helped reconfirm the hegemonic leadership which faltered during the Fourth Great War and the Sacking of Quale.

In fact, during this post-Quale period, Respublican hedgemony took official form in her status as an empire. Although Respublica may have achieved this status earlier, the date 19 December 2017 has been acknowledged as the official start of the Respublica as an officially recognized empire per the rules of the server. In the weeks preceding her ascension to empire status, Respublica began recruiting en masse. Drawn by the stability and unique liberties permitted by the Second Republic of Zakuul, many former enemies and allies either joined Respublica or declared themselves to be her vassal. Unfortunately, this speedy growth ended on 12 January 2018 when the empire status was lost.

This loss represented a series of weaknesses and instabilities within the Respublican system which had not been previously noticed. The seemingly infallible Duces became distant as a result of the lost status and are claimed to have disregarded with the Senate in a bid for a more tyrannical order within the empire. Though these claims are contested and political alternatives existed to allow for reform without the need for civil war, a conspiracy was orchestrated by one of the Consuls, rudytudy14, against the Duces. Though numerically few, the conspirators held a significant advantage in resources, land, and fighting experience. On the 15th of January 2018, the bottled up grievances erupted in the form of the Respublican Civil War. The immediate consequences of this conflict led to the dissolution of the Respublica-Zakuul Merger and the loss of Senators, military leaders, and - most notably - the faction's hegemonic role in the server.

**The Rossarum Period (February-May 2018)**

By the 18th of February 2018, Respublica, which was still combating the Asterreich in the Civil War, had begun to draft a new codex for the creation of a new government. This government would mark the beginning of a new period in Respublica known as the Rossarum Period, named after discarded plans to rename Old Quale to Rossburg.

Since the Civil War had costed the remaining loyal citizens all their lands, with the exception of Treve and Atacama, a new homeland had to be founded so that these Respublican citizens could be relocated to a newly settled land. The subsequent question of where to settle was what marked the debates of the new Senate. The debates ultimately concluded on either repopulating Old Quale or establishing a maritime empire in the centre of what is now known as the Cannoli Sea. The results of the Senate Meetings would eventually choose the latter option as Respublica founded their new capital city of Gekoli. Additionally, the resettlement program would mark out the plans to create new provinces to foster confidence within the Rossarum Government.

While the Rossarum Government was taking its first steps, it also began establishing new international relations. Since the Civil War started, allies were difficult to find as Respublica was still seen globally as a dying empire rather than a nation of potential and stability. Interestingly, despite the Civil War, the Rossarum government began to flourish as a series of plans began to unfold successfully. First among these plans was the Respublican-HolyRelic Merger and the plan to recruit new people. By merging with HolyRelic and starting a limited attempt to invite players within her ranks, an unexpected growth in the Respublican population occurred. Soon after, Ara\_72, an officer of the Asterreich, betrayed the Asterreich, in accordance to a plan devised by Ara\_72 and geko96. This plan, which was executed on 10 March 2018 after the celebrations of Respublica Independence Day, resulted in the Pillage of the Asterreich, during which all major Asterreich holdings, with the exception of its capital, were unclaimed, destroyed, and looted. These events led Respublica back to its status of world hegemony by the early weeks of March 2018.

However, the newly reestablished hegemony would not go unchallenged. In addition to the Civil War, which would continue on throughout the early part of this period, Asterreich military policy created a momentary vacuum of power in which TheFederation stepped in in hopes of establishing itself as a world power. In order to do this TheFederation allied itself with the Asterreich and declared war on Respublica. Though initially TheFederation acted as a mere auxiliary branch of the Asterreich's campaign against Respublica, the rising power soon started its own campaigns independent of Asterreich requests. These battles would soon be considered as an entirely separate conflict from the Civil War. As the attacks on Gekoli increased, Respublicans began to concede that the Federation Wars had begun.

The Federation Wars and Respublican Civil War continued throughout the month until the very last few days of March. During this time, most battles were either close victories for Respublica or decisive defeats. In both cases, Federation forces eagerly exploited the poor defensive abilities of the Respublican military to further strengthen their claim that they were the new superpower of the server. Perhaps out of an annoyance for the growing arrogance of their ally, Asterreich began to loosen its support for TheFederation. This divide would be complete when the strongest voice for war, rudytudy14, left Asterreich to join Furia. With no motivation left to continue the Civil War, and with the main architect for the Kaiserreich-Astroika Merger gone, the union within Asterreich dissolved and the Stahlreich was born. This new successor state made peace with Respublica a short time after the regime change (though the Stahlreich would restore its former name as Asterreich shortly thereafter) and officially ended the Respublican Civil War on 30 March 2018. Meanwhile, rudytudy14 had grown impatient with the leadership of TheFederation and, under the Furia name, decided to wage war not only against his former enemies in Respublica, but also his former allies in TheFederation. In so doing, TheFederation quickly sued for peace with Respublica and a defensive pact was declared between the previously warring parties.

In short succession, the defensive pact led to the establishment of the Veteres Confederacy, which was a league of allied factions promising to each other free trade and cooperation. At this time, TheFederation was reorganized into a new Lordaeron and led the Confederacy in the Furian War. However, due to various dealings and promises, wittypotato, a disillusioned officer of Lordaeron, denounced the Lordaeron President, \_spoons\_, and joined Respublica as a censor and plebeius (member). Although Respublica welcomed wittypotato into their continually growing empire, they did not expect that wittypotato would destroy Lordaeron in accordance to a separate pact made with rudytudy14. On 13 April 2018, wittypotato put these plans into effect and joined Respublica while destroying their recent ally. Immediately following these events Respublica initially pardoned wittypotato and assumed control of the Veteres Confederacy, Seshara, and the ruins of Lordaeron's capital city.

What followed the collapse of Lordaeron was a virtual renaissance for Respublica, dotted with various scandals as well. These scandals were focused on instances where patricii (mods) and officers began abusing power in order to secure their personal visions of justice. Although their goals were coming from a place of good intentions, Respublican leadership was doing away with due process in favor of a more tyrannical approach to justice. In order to stop this growing corruption, the Dux assisted closely in the restoration of many people who suffered at the hands of this abuse. However, as those who were pardoned for abuse began to gain support for their populist actions, the Dux began to be viewed as weak and ineffective.

In secret, populist Consul, RedVoltage\_\_, began recruiting support for a Senatorial agreement to usurp the powers of the Dux at the Eighth Senate Meeting by a majority vote cast by whomever was present. At this meeting, the Dux attempted to defuse the resentment for his choices by explaining his reasoning and debunking many flawed accusations against his character. Although some saw truth behind the words of the Dux, RedVoltage\_\_ refused to acknowledge any such compromise. After having exhausted all peaceful means to obtain power, RedVoltage\_\_ subsequently pretended to accept the results of the debate while secretly waiting for the right moment to strike.

**The Second Respublican Civil War**

The time to strike arrived abruptly on the 14th of May 2018. Unbeknownst to geko96, nerdtyler had been accidentally exposed by ducksRus9, who was a conspirator turned neutral after the results of the Eighth Senate Meeting. In requesting her personal projects remain untouched during RedVoltage\_\_'s coup, loyalists took notice and nerdtyler immediately fell into a panic. Realizing his cover had been blown, nerdtyler - through RedVoltage\_\_- kicked all plebeii (members) and socii (recruits) from Respublica and initiated the Second Respublican Civil War. He then began to conquer Respublican territory as leader of Argutus. Due to a deal made between Furia and nerdtyler, Furia immediately began to conquer large swathes of Respublican territory as well. By the time the Dux was aware of what had happened, Respublica had already been absorbed by Argutus and Furia.

Destroyed by the personal betrayal nerdtyler committed, geko96 stepped down as leader of Respublica and entered into exile. In his place, geko96 named Consuls EDGRRRRs and Mecrazy13 as co-leaders of the republic. Under their leadership, a new capital was established, raids were launched against other factions, and the Respublican state was ensured survival until the last days of the Fourth Era.

## Government and Politics

Respublica government models have always been centered around the republican model of Rome. During the Third Era, the Republic (or in its full English name, the United Republic Empire) held firm in the variation created of this model. After the server reset and a new era dawned, the Republic, later the Respublica (whose full Latin name being the Imperium Iunctus Respublicae), switched its governing model seven times; the Jotunheim Government, the Aeternum Government, the Respublica Government, the Republic of Zakuul Government, the Small Government, the Second Republic of Zakuul Government, and the Rossarum Government.

As more and more events transpired, and new governments came and went, new issues and interests developed. Since the Respublica had always been a large faction which permitted all her citizens to voice opinions, this has allowed political divisions to form and, at times, threaten the Republic with secession. However, throughout those turbulent periods and new government models, the common factors were their adherence to the Roman ideal and the principle – upon which the Republic was founded on in 2010 – that all factions would be united under one common republic. Ultimately, it is this unifying principle which has permitted great liberty and great security within the following government models.

**Jotunheim Government**

This governing system, not counting the Third Era, had two phases; a provincial period, and an independent period (although it did not change in transitioning between those phases). Due to the laxity of the federal Jotunheim Government, this model of the Republic was first used when she was a mere province within Jotunheim. Shortly after the collapse of the federal government, however, the Republic stood alone with her governing bodies. Rudimentary in design, the Jotunheim Government continued the model from the Third Era in some ways and improved it in others. The Emperor was the highest office and was responsible for overseeing the entire faction as well as its two legislative bodies; The High Council and the Senate.

*The High Council*

The High Council was a small elite group which was headed by the Emperor and was supported by two subordinate advising positions; the Head-Advisor and the Advisor. This group made the final and ultimate decisions for the faction and answered to none other. Within the group the Emperor (obviously) held the highest command; followed by the Head-Advisor and then Advisor. Although it could pass decrees by fiat, the High Council did not usually act without counsel with the Senate first. Additionally, the High Council acted also as the head of the military of the Republic. The position of Emperor was immovable and geko96 held that title without any legal means set in place to remove him. The advisor positions were instead fluid and the person holding that position could be removed if geko96 and the other advisor agreed. In order to join the High Council a vacancy of either one or both of the advisor positions had to be open. If such a vacancy occurred, a referendum would be called by the Senate and then the Emperor would choose who would become the new advisor(s).

*The Senate*

The Senate was the second, and lesser, governing body of the Jotunheim Government. Its responsibilities were restricted to only an advisory capacity for the High Council to follow. Under this government, membership in the Senate relied totally on the individual’s faction status – in other words, restricting membership only to mods. To become a mod during this government, the Emperor and the High Council would appoint an eligible candidate among the citizenry (often times relying on the Senate for advice on the matter). To be considered as “eligible”, the citizen had to prove him/herself as competent in one of four fields. These fields corresponded to the four different positions that could be attained by joining the Senate; Governor (leadership capabilities being demonstrated by having run a faction or a section of a faction [like cities, states, provinces, districts, etc.]), General (great skill in coordinating attacks, organizing defenses, and fighting in battle), Lord/Lady (great talent for building), and Senator (an exclusive position which guaranteed mod-ship on any other server the Republic was on; it was earned by helping administer the faction website, social media, or youtube channel). A member of the Senate, during this time, could be removed at the will of the Emperor and High Council (sometimes at the request/advisement of other Senate members).

Since the members of the Senate were required to administer the building, military organization, and other faculties of the Republic, the official government of the Republic ended with the Senate. However, the non-official hierarchy continued with independent citizens competing for differing jobs and private positions which have not been recorded (such as religious leadership or commerce).

**Aeternum Government**

Similar to the Jotunheim faction, Aeternum placed the Republic, now the Respublica, in a subordinate governing role to the imperial government of Aeternum. Under the Aeternum regime, the Respublica was, despite being subordinate, still allowed a fraction of self-government. Consequently, the system used under Jotunheim was re-employed but with the introduction of the new Roman/Latin aesthetic which had come to dominate Respublican culture. This meant nothing really changed in a functional sense, but the titles and names for people and places have been renamed to their Latin counter-part (ex. Lord became Dominus, Emperor became Imperator, Advisor became Consul, etc.).

*Major Political Divisions*

Under the Aeternum Government, the first political divisions were formed in the Respublica. Of the more noticeable interest groups which were born were the Independence Party and the People’s Party (it is important to note that these names [and subsequent “party” names] were never formal nor used; their names are to be used as short-hand for the purposes of their description).

The Independence Party during this government was an interest group focused on the separation of the Respublica from the Aeternum Empire. This group was nationalistic and resentful of the Imperial government which – as they claimed – was oppressing, ignoring, and ridiculing the Respublica since the merger was announced.

The People’s Party was, at this time, an anti-mod bloc of the Respublica populace. These people did not feel the Respublica was offering the same representation or equal treatment of her players as she once had before the merger between the Respublica and the Aeternum Empire. Although this party shared similar goals with the Independence Party, the People’s Party was specifically interested in the individual’s voice rather than the nationalist fervor of the Independence Party.

**Respublica Government**

After the coup and the declaration of independence that followed, the newly freed Respublica faction developed an entirely new government which did more than use Latin titles for the old Republic senatorial positions. The four original senatorial positions, under the Respublica Government, changed to a total of five new positions. The High Council, once an official body, became an unofficial group – although its influence was still felt. The citizens were also more included in this new form of government by the formal creation of an organized military apparatus as well as the distinction between formal office holders and mods (renamed to Patricius [plural: Patricii]).

*The High Council*

The High Council under the Respublica Government became entirely advisory and unofficial in name. The purpose of the High Council was to help take more decisive and executive actions – much like how the previous High Councils functioned under other governments. None of these members, in contrast to previous High Councils, could be removed by a decision made within the High Council itself. This is because the leader of the High Council, the Imperator, was impossible to remove due to his power being the unchallengeable supreme authority within the entire faction and the Consuls could only be removed if a general election resulted in their replacement by a new candidate.

*Senatus*

Under this government model, the Senate began to obtain greater power. Since the High Council was now an unofficial advisory body, the Senate became filled with new offices which held true power and responsibilities. The Senate was led by the two Consuls, who were advisors to the Imperator and the top military leaders and diplomats. After the Consuls came the Praetor positions, which were in charge of ensuring people followed the rules by acting as judges. The third position were the Aediles, which effectively replaced the Dominus position as the new builder office. Following Aedile were the Quaestor positions, which were assistant positions for anyone who wanted to help the higher ranked Senators. The lowest rank in the Senate at this time was the Tribunus Militarum, which held no power and was a temporary position to be held before being approved for Quaestor rank; during this time, the Tribunus Militarum was expected to help Legates with their duties.

*Non-Senatorial Offices*

Outside of the Senate and the unofficial “High Council”, there were newly created positions to better organize religious, military, and provincial affairs. The Gubernator position was created to lead provinces. The Legate was the position of General and oversaw one legion in the Respublica military. The Pontifex Maximus led the Respublica in religious matters and built temples (Lightism was the state religion). The final non-Senate office was the Tribunus, which was the ambassador position.

*Social Orders*

As all following governments (with the exception of the Small Government) will also do, the Social Orders were created to separate faction leadership from mods. This was to better integrate new people into the faction and have the faction leadership better represent the people in the faction. In so doing, the people best suited to lead the faction were allowed to do so even if they were not mods. To clearly demonstrate this separation of office and social status, these three statuses were created:

* *Patricius – Mods*
* *Plebeius – Members*
* *Socius – Recruits*

Of these social statuses, Patricians and Plebeians were allowed equal access to Senatorial and non-Senatorial offices. Only the Socius position was still restricted and could not serve. This was because recruits were deemed “too new” to be allowed even a minimum of governmental power.

*Major Political Divisions*

Under the Respublica Government, three political groups vied for power: the Merger Party, the Independence Party, and the People’s Party. Of these parties, two existed prior to the formation of the Respublica Government.

The Merger Party is the name to be used to define people who had supported the merger between the Respublica and Zakuul. As with all the party names, this was never popularized or mentioned, nor were any of the parties “official”. Regardless, the sentiment of uniting Respublica and Zakuul into one faction was not a universal agreement in the Respublica. Of the more notable proponents of this was the Imperator, geko96.

The Independence Party was one of the two parties of people which existed before the Respublica Government was formed. Under this government, the Independence Party changed its goal from achieving Independence from Aeternum (which was a success) to avoiding the merger between the Respublica and Zakuul factions. According to people who subscribed to these ideas, the merger was a bad idea because it seemed to reflect the same choices made previously with Aeternum.

The People’s Party under the Respublica Government became the most popular party of the faction. Unlike under the Aeternum Government, the People’s Party now focused on the disparities between the Patrician and Plebeian classes. Although never going so far to argue for a disbandment of the faction, the People’s Party argued that the newly formed Respublica Government was not rewarding Plebeians fairly for doing what they perceived as the work that either met or surpassed the work which Patricians did.

**First** **Republic of Zakuul Government**

After the Respublica leadership agreed to the merger between the Respublica and Zakuul, the Respublica Government was modified to fit the new ideas of the Zakuul faction.

*The High Council*

Under the First Republic of Zakuul Government, the High Council was restored to be an official branch of government. Within it, however, now stood two co-leadership positions and two subservient leadership positions. The Imperator position was the greatest of the four titles; however, it shared equal power with the Dux office. These two positions governed the entirety of the Respublica with absolute power. Serving directly beneath them were the Princes. Each Prince was selected by one of the two co-leaders and was responsible for either the military or the Senate. Subsequently, the two Prince positions were the Princeps Senatii (Prince of the Senate), and Princeps Militarii (Prince of the Military). All together, the High Council was an executive branch that had its own hierarchy, as just described, and was both collectively and individually the highest authority(ies) within the Respublica.

*Senatus*

The Senate remained largely unchanged from the Respublica Government model. The only difference was the Senate was now led by the Princeps Senatii.

*Non-Senatorial Offices*

Most non-Senatorial positions were eliminated or changed. Of those which remained unchanged and un-elminated was only the office of Gubernator (which continued to function as before the merger). Aside from Gubernator, the new positions which replaced the old ones were all military. The office of Knight Captain officially replaced Legate (although Legate remained in use) and the position of Knight was created as a new rank for elite soldiers.

*Social Orders*

The Social Orders remained the same as under the Respublica Government.

*Major Political Divisions*

After the merger with Zakuul had been accomplished, the Merger Party ceased to exist, as did the Independence Party. The People’s Party, however, remained and acted as the rival interest group to the developing War Party.

The War Party was the group of people which came together from the Independence and Merger Parties. Although such an alliance might seem strange, the merger ironically worked so well that the faction stood as the greatest power on the server by a much larger margin than ever before. As a result, there were no other factions worth a concentrated effort in merging with nor any other major factions to worry the Independents. In other words, the Respublica was now surrounded only by allied factions or pseudo-vassalized factions. This newly formed “supremacist” attitude led to many players to demand war against any who stood against the might of the Respublica. Consequently, this party was responsible for the antagonizing of the Lordaeron Alliance and the eventual declaration of war which sparked the Fourth Great War.

The People’s Party continued to stand as the party against the mods and leadership of the faction. Feeling disillusioned with many of the choices made by the faction leaders, and not feeling respected, the People’s Party openly threatened secession during this period and some did leave temporarily. However, in part due to the Fourth Great War, many of these anti-establishment and anti-war feelings were not as popular as they once were. As people rejoined the faction and made amends with the leadership, the People’s Party slowly dwindled in influence as class conflict was replaced with a hatred for the Lordaeron Alliance.

**The Small Government**

After the Sacking of Quale and a large drop in player activity, the Respublica adopted the Small Government model which abolished the High Council, the Social Orders, and elevated the Consul office as the highest authority of the faction.

*Major Political Divisions*

Although the Fourth Great War did not end terribly, it did not provide the satisfying conclusion many had hoped. Additionally, the Sacking of Quale and decline in player activity reduced the government in such a way that class conflict was all but eliminated. As a result, both the War Party and the People’s Party ceased to exist – leaving no major political divisions within the Small Government.

**Second Republic of Zakuul Government**

Once the player count returned to normal and the capital was moved to The Spire, the Small Government was removed and all it had abolished was returned with some revisions.

*Dux*

The High Council was finally abolished in its entirety with the exception of the leader position. This position replaces the Imperator position with the title of Dux and both co-leaders (geko96 and Seanslayer) share this title with equal powers, privileges, and honors. The official faction leader powers, under this government, are transferred between the two co-leaders weekly.

*Senatus*

The Senate remained the same with few exceptions. The Praetor position no longer is a judge and has now replaced the Gubernator position to oversee Provinces. In addition to this change, the Quaestor also has been given more duties and responsibilities. Under this government, Quaestors are expected to count chunks, collect taxes, and recruit and introduce new players to the faction.

*Non-Senatorial Offices*

Under this government model, the Exarch was the first non-Senatorial office. The Exarch position meant command of a legion though also subordination to the Duces and the Consuls. In later Senate Meetings, the Senatus permitted the creation of other non-Senatorial offices. Magistrum was made to formally name the office which distinguishes a player as a city-owner and administrator. The Censors were also another office added in by a Senate Meeting. A Censor became the office responsible for the faction census and Office and Rank Reviews; additionally, there could only ever be an odd number of censors.

*Social Orders*

The Social Orders remained the same as under the Respublica Government.

*Major Political Divisions*

Due to the resurgence of player activity, the Respublica under the Second Republic of Zakuul Government could afford to restore many of the practices from the First Republic of Zakuul Government. Although initially the Second Republic of Zakuul did not have any divisions, later complications between the relationship of the Duces and the Senate would create a secret movement which would spark the Respublican Civil War. This Civil War, though unsuccessful in destroying Respublica, was successful in breaking the Respublica-Zakuul Merger, and, by extension, the abolition of the Second Republic of Zakuul.

The Kaiserreich Party was a secret political party without name. Its goals were to overthrow the Duces and establish an absolute republic and expanded patricii (moderator) privileges to more citizens. Other aims of this party was to: abolish all taxes, revoke all laws, and establish a oligarchy. The party eventually were given the name Kaiserreich due to its eventual transformation into the Kaiserreich faction.

The Conservative Party, also known as the Loyalist Party, was a reactionary group which arose upon the Kaiserreich Party's declaration of civil war. Its main goals were to put down the rebel faction and restore unity within Respublica.

*The Codexes*

Since the Respublica Government, the idea of a written code of laws and constitution which would lay out the frame work of the Respublican government was in the mind of the founder of the Respublica, geko96. During the First Republic of Zakuul, a first draft of the *Codex of Land a*nd *Codex of Titles* was produced, but never officially recognized because not all the codexes had been produced (the *Codex of Laws* had not been written yet).

During the Second Republic of Zakuul, the *Codex of Land II, Codex of Titles II,* and *Codex of Laws* were all completed. All these texts were written by geko96 and jointly approved by geko96 and Seanslayer. However, within the *Codex of Laws,* there is a clausewhich permits Amendments and, consequently, Senators can alter or add to the three codexes if motions are passed during senate meetings. Amendments have allowed the Respublica to adapt to changing times and tackle new problems more efficiently - all the while also giving a voice to the Senators, who represent the people of the Respublica. Since the adoption of the Codexes, the Senate and Duces have added new offices, dictated foreign policies, created new land reforms, and passed judgements on various other issues which have been brought forward to the attention of the Senate.

**Rossarum Government**

*Dux*

The ultimate sovereign of Respublica and caretaker of the empire. The authority of the Dux allows him the highest command of the military and veto powers over the Senate.

*Senatus*

The Senate under the Rossarum Government has been defined as a "council of citizens who can call for [and participate in] Senate Meetings". Senate membership is restricted only to those who are of plebeian status or higher and those citizens who are both active, loyal, and possess one of the four Senatorial offices (Consul, Praetor, Aedilis, and Quaestor). Senate membership can be revoked by a Censor.

The Senate is tasked, under this system, to resolve large issues which concern Respublica. Through a simple majority, the Senate can pass Amendments to resolve these issues. Although the Dux may veto their proposed amendments, the Fourth Amendment allows for the Senate to overrule the veto power.

The offices which make up the Senate have not changed substantially under this system. The Rossarum Government only changed the Praetor position, which was made to have all the same powers and responsibilities as a Consul but is subservient to the Consular command. Additionally only Praetors, Consuls, and the Dux may govern provinces as a Gubernator.

*Non-Senatorial Offices*

There are only four non-Senatorial offices in this government; Legate, Gubernator, Magistrum, and Censor. Legates are tasked with leading legions (which are groups of soldiers that cannot exceed 20% of the total faction population). Gubernators are those responsible for governing provinces, which are made up of cities. Consequently, a magistrum is tasked with governing a city. The censors are responsible for updating the census, a list of active citizens in the empire, and determining who, among those qualified, may be a member of the Senate.

*Social Orders*

The Social Orders remained the same as under the Respublica Government.

*Major Political Divisions*

Upon the dissolution of the Zakuul-Respublica merger, the Dux established a new order which attempted to meet some of the grievances the Kaiserreich Party had, so to avoid another Civil War in the future. Unfortunately, despite these measures, the Dux failed in preventing another Civil War and the political divisions within Respublica that preceded the Second Civil War demonstrate why.

The People's Party of Argutus was a populist party based in the Respublican province of Argutus. Led by RedVoltage\_\_, this party kept its aims secret and often times collaborated with the Dux as if no grievances were held against the current regime. In reality, this party was deeply influenced by Furian propaganda and cited criticisms against the Dux upon their surprise revolt that began the Second Respublican Civil War. By withholding their views and inseminating resentment against the Dux, RedVoltage\_\_ established a base of support which permitted him to eventually betray Respublica and establish a new republic under the Argutus banner. Put simply, the ultimate aims of this party were: ending the Furian War, seceding from Respublica, the destruction of Respublica, and the abolition of the Dux.

As with the first Civil War, a reactionary group fought to maintain the Respublican way of life. This party was commonly referred to as the Conservative Party or Loyalist Party.

*Codex Rossarum*

The Codex Rossarum is the new constitution of the Rossarum government. The purpose of the new codex is to replace all previous legal texts regarding Respublican governments and select the most important sections to condense within one single book.

## Culture

Respublica was a faction inspired by the legacy of ancient Rome. Consequently, most of its art, laws, and architecture resembled – or made an attempt to resemble – that of the once great empire. In addition, the Respublica championed ideas of individual creativity with all her citizens and is so reflected in the builds made by all citizens in different parts of the empire as small as indoor decorations to as large as designs for city planning. Aside from builds, Respublica accumulated a great deal of resources which permitted large scale copies of important texts to be available to her citizens. As a consequence of books and builds came the lore and religion of Respublica. Various different cults and faiths were kept alive within the faction by means of temple building and the writing of holy scriptures. Entertainment was also valued in the Respublica and thus (perhaps more out of a desire to construct fancy buildings) theatres, arenas, and other institutions of enjoyment were constructed within the cities of the empire. Respublican culture has encapsulated all these elements in two holidays; the August Celebrations, which is a month-long celebration in honour of the first appearance of the Republic in Fourth Era divinitycraft, and Respublica Independence Day, which is celebrated on 10 March in honour of the Respublican Uprising. In short, Respublican culture admired and sponsored Roman architecture, legal codes, literature, religion, and public spectacles.

After the Second Respublican Civil War began and Dux geko96 entered into exile, those who remained loyal to Respublica were those belonging to the so-called "Loyalist" or "Conservative" political parties. The Loyalists, as their name suggests, viewed Respublica as more than a mere political entity designed to unite the world under one republic. Instead, these loyalists adopted a nationalist ideology known as *Respublicanism*. *Respublicanism* militarized the founding beliefs of Respublica and compounded them into a quasi-religious undertaking. Inspired by the prosperity Respublica obtained in some of its earlier iterations, this ideology created a new culture which, unlike those who followed the Furian propaganda of the time, bred a zealous will to fight, and even die, for the values of Respublica. This movement was born organically and fueled by the likes of EDGRRRR and Mecrazy13 as a response to the First and Second Respublican Civil Wars - adding nationalism to the list of cultural traits of Respublica.

## Lore and Religion

*Lightism*

Lightism is an ancient religion which preceded the Fourth Era. Although many holy scriptures of this faith have been made in the past, few are public knowledge today. The name of this religion derives from her founder and prophetic leader, LightBright.

*Gildism*

Gildism is an ancient religion/cult which preceded the Fourth Era. Although some texts regarding this faith may exist, the exclusivity of the religion makes precise claims difficult to make. In fact, the exclusivity is partly due to the zealous nature of its adherents.

*Lil’Buddism*

Lil'Buddism is a faith which arose in the Fourth Era. No religious texts exist for this faith. Though a welcoming religion, not many are attracted to its teachings. The faith focuses on a deified rabbit named "Little Buddy" who died and rose again according to oral tradition - the site of this death and resurrection is considered sacred and - by extension - makes TheSpire the religion's holy city.

## Territory

Respublica is one of the oldest factions of the Fourth Era. Though it was founded by the members of the Republic (a relatively new Third Era faction), the impact of Respublica on the political geography of the Fourth Era world cannot be understated.

Since its time in Jotunheim, Republic players have set claims over lands which would forever be considered territory of Respublica. Although there has never been one set homeland for Respublica, indeed the leader, geko96, continuously attempts to locate the perfect region for such an endeavor, the roots can be traced back to Old Quale. From this small town on the western coast of the Northern Continent, Republic was first established. Republic would become Respublica in Quale on Quale Island at a much later date; and beyond that, after the Sacking of Quale, the faction home would again move to the Zakuul capital of The Spire. Due to the Respublican Civil War, the displaced Respublica were forced to relocate to Gekoli. Gekoli would eventually be abandoned because of the Second Respublican Civil War. Respublican refugees either left to establish a new capital or abandoned the faction and joined Kronos.

Aside from the capital, Respublica has held many different other lands and classified them in different ways. Of these other claims, the Respublican Provinces are the most important regions. Devised for the purpose of housing citizens in impressive, and defensible, cities, Respublican Provinces have been many over time, though some of the most significant have been Lapidum, Felnsar, Zakuul, Atacama, Verdute, Gormorium, and Argutus. Of these provinces none survive to this day.

Other territories which have been classically attributed to Respublica were the private bases and public works. In order to permit her citizens the option of holding and building bases of their own, Respublica leadership developed policies by which to find a healthy balance between public lands (cities and provinces) and other types of territory. Although these policies have caused unrest at times, most evidently in the Respublican Civil War, their positive impact can be seen in the establishment of large private institutions such as The Great Library of Quale, Fort Scala, and Solaris. After the first Civil War, however, these policies were temporarily disrupted, spurring a new order which - in a more simplified manner - continues the balance between private and public lands. Despite this, the second Civil War costed Respublica all of her territories, including her many public works.

## Players

Below is a list of all the players who have joined the Republic during the Fourth Era. The "Date Joined" category shows when the player first joined, whereas the "Date Left" shows the most recent time the player left the faction. Additionally, some of the office titles under the "Highest Office" category do not exist anymore due to government changes and some office titles under the "Highest Office" category share the same name as offices under the "Current Office" category, but their role or meaning has since changed also due to government changes. N/A means information for that player in that category is not available.