Kingdom of the Basilican States

The monarchist flag of Basilica

**Basilica**, formally the Kingdom of the Basilican States, is a constitutional monarchy located in the Urazian Region. It borders uninhabited jungle to the north, and the Urazian Mountains to the south.

## History of Basilica

### Early history

The name "Basilican States" was first used to describe a community of four catholic city-states connected by an enormous ornate cathedral, designated the "St. Micheal's Basilisk" build, expanded, and maintained over generations. It was named after Saint Michael the Archangel, the leader of all angels. Over time the church gained more and more influence and became more centralized. One of the leaders of the basilisk, Bishop Benedictus, called for a central authority and said he was told by God in a dream that he should lead the church. After a short protest by some other bishops, Benedictus became the very first Archbishop of St. Michael's Basilisk, making him the most influential figure in the Basilican States and de facto leader of the Catholic Church. The city-states were rich merchant states, trading between each other and those around them.

The city-states were:

* Aquitania
* Eboracum
* Ashfordshire
* Yrnsburry

### Establishment of the Kingdom

The Basilican States formally became a unified kingdom after a series of wars between the city-states. The ultimate victor, Rudolf the Conqueror of Ashfordshire, crowned himself King of the Basilican States. He used the devotion of the masses to his advantage and managed to get the Archbishop of the time, Marcus, to give his blessing. Church and state became closely intertwined, and it became a tradition that Archbishops were the closest counsellors of the regents.

### The King's Compromise

Basilica had been a kingdom for hundreds of years. It was ruled by religious kings and queens by the method of succession, varying wildly in their ability to rule. "Appointed by God themselves", as they would say it. Eventually, the religious influence of the basilica was getting weaker and weaker due to influences from foreign travellers and immigrants. This caused the Basilican people to lose faith in their king, William IV, who was misusing his power anyways. The nation split up and tensions were rising, and when the King called for the heads of the leaders of the rebellion, the king's guardians took matters into their own hands. They killed the king and brought his smarter and better-liked brother, Alexander I, into power.

Alexander I, in a speech to the rebellious mob, proposed what is now known as the King's Compromise; a framework for the cooperation between the king and the people. This did not fully abolish the power of the king, but it was a big step towards democracy for the time. It formed a Council of Masters, chosen by the population, to manage affairs like the treasury, trade, military, and other internal business. The King still had some powers and could make executive decisions to some extent. This all was formalized in the world's very first constitution.

### Oil Trade Wars

In a more modern age, the Kingdom grew closer to a cluster of 5 small states in the nearby Urazian Desert. Although they suffered from a lot of infighting, these states were famous for their export of oil. This caused an industrial revolution in the Kingdom and accelerated their production and economy drastically. After some years of intensive trade, Basilica noticed that some of the Urazian States, mainly the state of Urbon, grew closer and closer to the nearby Republic of Remi. The Kingdom saw this as a threat to their oil trade, and sent a fleet to the Urazian coast, in an attempt to intimidate them. The Republic responded by providing Urban with troops and other military supplies, which alarmed the rest of the states greatly. This prompted the Basilican Kingdom to send their diplomats to the remaining states in an effort to band them together against their common enemy. A truce was formed between the four nations. The Urazian Truce was being protected by the Basilican troops for as long as the oil kept flowing. During this period, the Urazian Treaty evolved into a Union, and after that it became the Urazian Federation.

## The current state of Basilica

Over the years, the role of the King became less and less influential. They still had a lot of power in theory, but this power was never used as an unwritten rule. The Council of Masters was modernized and became the Committee of Ministers with a Prime Minister. Political parties are technically not a thing in Basilica, but political organizations inevitably came into existence. People running for minister are officially not affiliated with any organization. The influence of religion is nearly non-existent now and is mostly seen as a thing of the past. The Basilican people look at the church with fondness and see it as important in a historical and cultural sense, rather than spiritual.
It is a prosperous nation, mostly revolving around the four large cities.

It continues the ancient trade practices of the city-states by practising a version of state capitalism, where the government uses state-owned companies to enrich their nation and employ their people. The government has no monopoly on companies, and many Basilicans have started their own. The government is often criticized for favouring state-owned corporations over public ones. The most well-known Basilican state corporations are Arrow Air Systems, General Steel Industries, and Royal Basilican Petrochem.

## The Basilican Royal Family

The Royal Family of the Basilican Kingdom has been treated like beloved celebrities for centuries. In the years after the King's Compromise, the actual power of the Royal Family stagnated, but the power formally consolidated in the Constitution is actually still quite substantial. But in the last two hundred years, fearing a further limitation of their influence, the Family took on a role of a cultural figurehead. The Family currently have two castles to their name where they reside and work. This is Harbury Castle, just outside Ashfordshire and near the Basilica, and there is Dunbeck Castle where they spend their holidays.

They are (publicly) devout followers of the St. Micheal's Catholic Church and regularly attend masses at the Basilica. The senior members of the Family are the most respected, as they have had an integral part in the Urazian Oil War and have been credited with bringing prosperity to the nation. All Family members have served in the army for at least some time, although it is commonly known that they always get the "easy and safe" jobs.