Rockfield

4 February 2986 (membership of the United Federation of Planets)

10 August 2994 (Republic of the Rock)

1 March 3009 (Socialist People's Republic of the Rock)

8 March 3021 (Second Kingdom of the Rock)

**Rockfield**, officially the **Kingdom of the Rock** (Bonitañan Spanish: ***Reino de la Roca***) is a sovereign state in eastern Doggerland. Rockfield borders onto the Eastern Sea, as well as sharing a long land border with Wiltshire and Bonitana. Comprised of over one-hundred towns, villages and localities, Rockfield's main territory is in Doggerland. However, it also administers the oversees territories of Madeira and the island of Porto Santo.

Rockfield is among the oldest states in Doggerland, having its direct history date back to 2640 and the independence of the New Murica colony. Rockfield has also been able to maintain its independence, besides its voluntary membership of the United Federation of Planets (2986-2994) as a Spanish and Portuguese country. With the migration of Federation refugees in the late 2990s, the country has become a more urban and and progressive country, while still maintaining many of its traditional customs. Rockfield is a heavily Christian nation, being primarily of the Pontifical Church of Ecclesia.

As of 8 March 3021, Rockfield re-assumed its status as a monarchy following the 3021 Rockfield Constitutional Referendums. Charles VI re-ascended to the throne.

## Etymology

The term "Rockfield" is the unofficial name of the country, primarily used by English-speaking countries to refer to the country. The formal name for Rockfield is the Socialist People's Republic of the Rock, named for Rockfield's coastal rocky terrain.

The original Spanish name for the country, Balancía, is still unofficially used by traditionalist nationalists, with many calling for the name to be restored over the anglicised version. The original name has led to the official demonym of the country, Balancín.

## History

### **New Murcia Settlement**

The New Murcia trading settlement was established in 2609 by the New Spanish Empire (NIE). The Spanish's ambitious with the New Murcia settlement was to conduct trading with the people of Doggerland and Northern Europe. While the land was extremely damaged and much of it deescalate, the King of Spain Juan XVI firmly believed that Doggerland had significant potential and ordered expansion of the Empire into the continent. However, many of his successors disagreed - opting for greater trading opportunities in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. While future Kings of Spain did not withdraw from Doggerland, they stopped expansion with the New Murcia colony.

The colony remained a fishing and trading port for the Spanish throughout much of the 27th century, developing a small population of laborers, fisherman, traders and farmers.

### **Sir Raúl's adventures**

Sir Raúl was a Spanish explorer and commoner who lived in the late 26th and early 27th century. Many have documented his adventures across the world, most notably in the 29th Century novel "The Escapade of Eritrea", which depicts Sir Raúl's time in the African deserts including the Heist of Horn Palace, which became the name of the sequel to the original novel. The legend goes that Sir Raúl and his band of brothers broke into the "Horn Palace" to retrieve an artifact that would unlock the well of the town, said to have been locked away as a form of oppression by the ruling dictators.

Most historians agree that this story has been dramatized, making Sir Raúl out to be a greater hero than most accepted. In reality, it is far more likely that his 'adventures' were simply a scouting mission by the Spanish Empire as, shortly after Sir Raúl's adventure, the Spanish Empire annexed Eritrea. The annexation of Eastern Africa led to a humanitarian crisis as the Spanish brutally ruled for the next fifty years.

Despite this, Sir Raúl's story spread like wildfire throughout Europe. He was rewarded for his service by being granted the title "Lord of New Murcia", being given dominion over the Spanish holdings in Doggerland (which at the time was intended to be a great portion of the continent, due to the ambitions of Juan XVI). Sir Raúl founded the House of Murcia and settled into the small settlement of Balancía (Rockfield).

### **Independence**

Sir Raúl's tenure as Lord of New Murcia was short, with his death in 2611. His son, Lord Alfonso Murcia, became the first truly Balancín ruler of the Rock. His lordship saw Rockfield's expansion into Talaga and further westward into the continent. Alfonso, unlike his father before him, was a popular ruler and was placed in higher regard than even the Spanish King by the Balancín people. He kept taxes low, encouraged growth of agricultural and fishing industries, supported the development of education, and allowed the people of the Rock more personal freedom than any other subjects of the Spanish crown. Before his death, historians tend to believe that Lord Alfonso favoured independence from the Spanish crown in light of the ascension of Carlos XXI and demands for greater tax revenue from Rockfield.

Lord Alfonso's son, Philip, succeeded him as Lord of New Murcia (which was changed to Lord of the Rock in 2630) and became a loud advocate for greater autonomy from the Spanish crown. Philip refused Carlos XXI's Petición (petition) for troops to fight in the ongoing Spanish War of Conquest in North Africa. Philip's refusal was based in the belief that the Balancín people should not be forced to fight in a foreign war. On 20 March 2640, Philip wrote to the King of Spain requesting that Rockfield not be forced to comply with the demand for additional forces. With a reply some days later, Carlos XXI refused Philip's request.

#### **Carlos XXI's response to Philip's request**

*As translated from Spanish*

> "The people of New Murcia and all associated lands, as subject of his Imperial Grace, Emperor Carlos XXI, shall comply with the petition as ordered. Ignorance will result in desecration of the honour of his Lordship, the Lord of Murcia and the end of the people's right to inhabit his Imperial Grace's holdings in Doggerland."
>
>

#### **Declaration and crowning of Philip I**

In response to Carlos XXI's letter, Philip declared the Balancín people to be "free and independent" of the foreign Spanish Crown. On 30 March 2640, Philip was crowned Philip, King of the Rock by Lord Leo Bartelista. His coronation as King marked the beginning of Rockfield's war for independence and the official start of the Balancín Monarchy and the creation of the modern Rockfield state.

## Government and politics

The government of Rockfield is closely linked with the ruling Partido Socialista (Socialist Party or PS). Given the great success of PS in Rockfield's elections, it is the only major political party in the country and controls a super-majority of the seats in the Balancín Cortes Generales. Further more, every El Presidente has been from PS. The government of Rockfield is divided into three main sections;

### **Crown**

The Head of State of Rockfield is, as of 8 March 3021, the King of the Rock (Rey de la Roca). The Monarch has the authority to appoint the El Presidente, dissolve the Cortes Generales and issue Royal Decrees. The current monarch is Charles VI, who ascended to the throne on 8 March following the restoration of the monarchy in 3021.

*See More Balancín Monarchy.*

### **Cortes Generales**

The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Rockfield and is made up of elected Deputies from the 324 Departments of Rockfield. At each Cortes Generales election, candidates must win majority support in their respective departments to win victory. In cases where candidates do not win majority support, runoff elections are held two-weeks later in their departments between the top-two candidates (this has only ever occurred three times in history). The Cortes Generales has total legislative control in Rockfield. See below a graphical summary of the Cortes Generales.

```
Cortes Generales as of 6 August 3020.

```

### **El Presidente de la Roca**

El Presidente de la Roca is the Head of Government of Rockfield. Elected by the Cortes Generales, El Presidente is the most senior member of the government and the official representative of the country abroad. El Presidente is responsible for the execution of government, the enforcement of laws, the expenditure of budgets, the command of the military, the appointment of constitutional and national judges and the appointment of the cabinet secretaries.

While not constitutionally required, El Presidente has always been the incumbent General Secretary of the Socialist Party (Secretario General del Partido Socialista). The incumbent El Presidente is Emiliano Matias Alejandro who assumed office on 16 August 3020, following his election earlier that same month.