Irongrad

Irongrad was the first nation announced on CivEx 3.0. Styled after the 19th-century Russian empire, the nation's main population centre is the city of St. Plumingrad. The citizens, referred to as Irongradiants, are governed by the King who holds centralized power, the Chancellor who works as a go-between for Parliament and the King, and Parliament, a body of elected and appointed representatives who create and vote on legislation.

Key Irongradiants advocate for "a strong Irongrad", a nation with multiple vaults and large quantities of gear. Ideally, every citizen would be able to defend themselves in a fight against regular players, and a sufficiently large group of citizens would be capable of fending off power players from other nations. Other goals held by members of the nation include decorative, lore-focused builds; economic influence; infrastructure development; and high-quality lore, gathered in books and subreddit posts, that contributes to the aesthetic of the nation.

## Government

The Bentarus Rebellion, a *coup d'etat* organized by House Bentarus, led to the creation of a new government for Irongrad, which was voted into law by a public referendum on January 9, 2017.

### "Old Irongrad" government

Irongrad's previous government style strongly favoured the power of the King and his appointed Crown Ministries. Ministries included the Ministries of Defense, Propaganda, Foreign Affairs, and Domestic Affairs, each of which were headed by Crown Ministers chosen personally by the King. A three-person Parliament elected by the citizenry worked with the Ministries and the Crown to govern the nation.

As of the institution of the noble class and the House of Nobles on December 15, there existed a legislative body given authority to create laws by the King -- though Parliament retained checks on the actions of the House of Nobles -- but the long-term consequences were never revealed, as the official Titling of Houses on January 3 was soon followed by the Bentarus Rebellion on January 7.

### Post-coup provisional government

In the interim between the end of the old government and the ratification and election of the new government, a three-person provisional government established itself to maintain order: Thomas Bentarus, Tracer Oxatyek, and Astarothe Lilith Marsh Draconis. Immediately following the Rebellion, the provisional government began arranging a framework for the New Irongrad Government, also called the People's Government of Irongrad, for referendum by the remaining citizens. The provisional government will remain in effect until the election of the first New Parliament.

### People's Government of Irongrad

The People's Government of Irongrad was unanimously approved into law by public referendum on January 9, 2017. This new government places the seat of power largely in the hands of the people with three levels of government, each with specifically allotted power.

**Parliament** is the crux of the People's Government: a minimum of three MPs are elected every two months by public vote. The so-called New Parliament holds the seat of legislative power, in addition to being able to impeach and replace the new Monarch with public approval.

The **Monarch** is not able to directly propose permanent legislation, but instead can issue a Decree which overrides Parliament for thirty-six hours, during which time Parliament can vote to make the decree permanent, or else to abolish it. While the Monarch cannot declare war, they can declare peace. Foreign affairs and diplomatic relations rest in the hands of the Monarch and their Royal Household of delegates; the Monarch's most important role is to serve as both the pillar of the nation and its public face.

It is through the **Chancellor** that the Monarch and Parliament interact; appointed by the Monarch, the Chancellor serves as the judicial body for the government, interpreting laws brought up by Parliament and decrees by the Monarch. Additionally, the Chancellor sits in on Parliament with two votes compared to regular MPs' one vote.

## Influential members

Irongrad boasts about twenty members, of whom some of the most well-known are:

* Astarothe Lilith Marsh Draconis, Head-of-House of House Draconis (asakuun)
* Tracer 'Valkyrie' Oxatyek, of House Valkyrie (TracerOxatyek)
* Thomas Bentarus, of House Bentarus (Thomas\_Bentarus)
* Kelsey Galiena Silver Draconis-Verentis, of House Draconis and House Verentis (Kelsey\_Silver)
* Chromatic Aberrationalist, Grand Master of House Verentis (Chrono\_1000AD)

## Domestic organisations

The following groups are known to exist within Irongrad's territory, either as organisations of the citizenry or as chapters of a larger international organisation:

* **St. Plumingrad Historical Society** A lore-focused group that "excavates ruins and documents the history of the City and the Nation." (c. November 2016)
* **Lovecraft Society** This organisation intends to incorporate Lovecraftian mythos into the design of Irongrad's settlements; aiming to "spread public awareness and appreciation of H.P. Lovecraft," the Society intends to contact enthusiasts across nations for collaborative builds and lore posts in the future. (Est. 6 December 2016)
* **Empire of Bone** Formerly a one-man nation, the Empire of Bone was incorporated into Irongrad on November 12, 2016. It is subject to the actions of the Crown where they apply, and is no longer autonomous, but seems to be allowed to continue recruiting to its specific group as desired.
* **CivRail** A few members of Irongrad act as delegates to the CivRail organisation, as of a decision made early December 2016. Irongrad is now an official member of CivRail.
* **Arrakis** **of Irongrad** An enthusiasts' club forFrank Herbert's *Dune* novel series, established in response to the announcement of the Lovecraft Society. (Est. 6 December 2016)

*Additional organisations, as they form, will be added to this list at a later date.*

## Foreign relations

Irongrad interacts regularly with several nations, especially its allies and friends. Following the coup, Irongrad's political standing has decreased, with it being taken less seriously, but public relations aim to recover Irongrad's status over time.

### Allies

Irongrad retains a **Joint-Settlement Pact** with the nation of Victoria, which was established prior to the coup and re-affirmed afterward by the provisional government. A six-person council with delegates from both sides will oversee the arrangements for scouting and settlement at launch.

Irongrad remains friendly with the kingdom of Veria, which pledged support to the "people of Irongrad" at an undetermined time in 2016. Old Irongrad maintained strong friendly relations with Veria as part of the "BDSM Alliance" or the "Iron Pact", and the People's Government expressed an interest in continuing friendly interaction following the Bentarus Rebellion.

### Enemies

Thomas Bentarus named Dorado as an enemy state during the time of the Old Government, but it is unclear if that position was carried over through the coup. An official position on the matter has not been released by the Irongrad government at any time.

#### Personae non gratae

The following players are declared *personae non gratae* by Irongrad; those caught interacting with them in any official capacity or position will be sentenced to an appropriate fine.

* fireball1234 -- early December 2016, for spam, trolling and "being a general shitter". (PNG status was renewed by the provisional government and is expected to be permanent.)

Irongrad currently has one *persona non grata*, fireball1234, declared as such during the time of the Old Government, but the status has remained in effect since then. Interaction with PNGs by anyone in an official or governmental capacity is prohibited.

#### Discord bans

The following players are banned from the Irongrad Discord:

* "Katerina Smirnov" -- January 8, 2017, after a unanimous public referendum.
* MasterOfParadox -- January 2017, for "spam and being a shitter".