The Sicherlands

## Description:

The Sicherlands, which translates into Angshirian as "safe country," was originally referred to as the Schlosslands, or "castle country," and is the border region which separates the Republic of Truseau from the Kodian State; while the area was originally split between both of those countries, the Treaty of Ashes ordered that portions of both Truseauch and Kodian land be ceded over to the creation of a neutral barrier state. Now the newest nation on the planet, The Sicherlands is tasked by the Treaty to prevent either the Republic of Truseau or the Kodian State from invading one another. As such, The Sicherlands maintains suspicious relations with both Truseau and the Kodian State, but is allied quite closely with the Union of Birmingham, Dubring, [REDACTED], and [REDACTED].

The Sicherlands rests squarely between the Republic of Truseau and the Kodian State in the center of Breit. The Sicherlands are known for their temperate climate, forests, rivers, and, most importantly, the thousands of old castles, forts, trenches, and other fortifications which cover the landscape. The Sicherlands have experienced several centuries of near-constant raids, attacks, skirmishes, and invasions from both the Trusueachs and the Kodians, neither of whom held the region for more than a few years at a time; as such, the region was forced to meld into a border culture which combines elements from both Kodian and Truseauch lifestyles. Similarly, the residents were forced to adapt to their environment and acclimate to sheltering in place, fleeing from raids, digging in, building defenses, and stoically resisting violence and oppression.

### Organization:

#### Capital: Fredenau

The Sicherlands is a constitutional monarchy, led primarily by its Parliament and elected Prime Minister; the monarchy of The Sicherlands, acting under the official title of "King/Queen of Oblange," serves with executive powers at their disposal although few monarchs exert these powers for fear of disturbing the public. The word and influence of the monarch remains extensive, however, and conflicts between the Monarchy and Parliament/the Prime Minister are relatively frequent; for instance, the monarch's signature is required for any bill to be signed into law, and a Prime Minister cannot dismiss a cabinet without the approval of the monarch. This system of government was determined by the Treaty of Ashes, which serves as the constitution for The Sicherlands, as a balance between the Republic of Truseau's staunch anti-monarchism and the Kodian Empire's adherence to an absolute monarchy. As such, the monarchy of The Sicherlands is drawn from the Kodian side of the country, as are most of the nobility, although some exiled Truseauch noble families returned to The Sicherlands to reclaim land they lost during Truseau's [REDACTED]. Parliament is split into Ministries, each of which handles a different aspect of daily operations and/or represents a major industry or concern within the nation, including the Ministry of Titles which is comprised of The Sicherlands' landed nobles and the Ministry of Castles, which oversees the nation's defensive preparations and diplomatic management. Below Parliament sit the Provinces, each of which is led by a King/Queen's Commissioner, who serves as the provincial governor; local affairs are commonly handled by elected councils and aristocrats. Citizens will vote for their local representatives and MP's that will represent their region at the federal level, while general elections are held to determine the Prime Minister, although the King/Queen must sign off on the rise of a new Prime Minister as a matter of tradition; it is theoretically possible for a King/Queen to refuse a Prime Minister's rise to their position, but this has not happened as of the time of writing.

Notably, the government of The Sicherlands has an additional system of its government which is not found elsewhere: redundant positions. Important leadership ranks within Parliament, and even the Prime Minister, are selected by the Members of Parliament after elections to determine who will take over what position should any leaders be assassinated or die whilst serving their term. This measure is included in a separate amendment to the nation's original constitution found in the Treaty of Ashes, and creates special titles within government which denote who will take up what position. In the event that the entire secular government is eliminated or deemed insufficient or incapable, the monarch will automatically assume total control of the country.

Politically, the democratic aspects of The Sicherlands operates according to a system of political parties. These parties are split between 2 primary dichotomies: Truseauch influence vs. Kodian influence, and monarchists vs. democrats. The Castle Party (or "Rooks/Rook Party") is a Kodian-leaning monarchist organization, while the Pawn Party (or "Pawns/People's Party") is the Truseauch-leaning democratic group; these 2 political groups engage in frequent debate, slander and propaganda campaigns, expensive campaigning efforts, etc. in order to win votes in the elections. Rural demographics tend to vote more in-line with the Pawns, while urban residents tend to vote for the Rooks, while the wealthy nobles vote for Rooks and wealthy business owners vote Pawn. The 2 parties constantly fight with one another, but both are usually overshadowed by the Safe Party (Safes/Treaty Party), which maintains a balance between the 2 extremes and runs on a platform of cultural independence from both Truseau and the Kodians, and seeks only to uphold the nation's constitutional duty of defending Breit from another Truseau-Kodian war.

The Sicherlands was established as an independent country specifically to prevent the outbreak of war between the Republic of Truseau and the Kodian State. As such, The Sicherlands are entirely against war, and are very minimally expansionist, only seeking to expand their borders colonially, primarily in Ostia and the Sky-Islands. The Sicherlands maintains a strict policy of neutrality, and does not sponsor an established religion in order to emphasize this. However, some people criticize The Sicherlands for their hypocrisy; while they talk of peace, The Sicherlands prepares for war. The nation has a large well-equipped and well-trained army with top-of-the-line weaponry, and is informally referred to as "Castle Country" for its sheer impenetrability. The entire nation is, supposedly, riddled with hidden fortifications, trenches, underground tunnels, redundant storage facilities, backup railroads, concealed airfields, underground military factories and munitions depots, etc. in order to prepare for the eventuality of war. The Sicherlands' first Prime Minister officially stated that it was "better to prepare for war and not have it then have it and not have prepared for it." The Sicherlands receives substantial military backing from the Union of Birmingham and the Westgaardian Royal Empire.

The Sicherlands dedicates all of its resources to the maintenance of peace between the Republic of Truseau and the Kodian State by any means necessary, including both extensive diplomatic efforts and the militarization of the country. The Sicherlands spends a majority of its yearly treasury budget, on top of the numerous grants and contracts and loans from allied nations, bolstering its defensive capabilities; it is for this reason that the region's archaic nickname of "castle country" has begun to fall back into style among the public, because The Sicherlands has been turned into a massive fortress. Similarly, The Sicherlands works with ambassadors and diplomats to inform the defensive measures of both the Republic of Truseau and the Kodian State in an effort to increase trust, and conducts negotiations between the rival nations to prevent conflict. The Sicherlands operates primarily in Breit, but also manages some small colonial holdings in Ostia and the Sky-Islands, and must maintain diplomatic ties with all Truseauch colonies and ex-Kodian colonies.

The Sicherlands maintains positive relations with the Union of Birmingham and the Westgaardian Royal Empire and suspicious or neutral relations with every other major nation. Being split between the Republic of Truseau and the Kodian State, The Sicherlands maintains a fluctuating and flexible relationship with both states, working to please both while upsetting neither and taking a strict position when necessary, which provides a complex system of international ties which must be carefully managed.

The War of Vile Men had a devastating impact on Castle Country, as one might expect; the Kodian invasion and subsequent 15 years of total war left the border region obliterated, ruined, and depopulated. When the Treaty of Ashes declared that the region be released as an independent buffer state, the residents were both overjoyed and terrified; while they would now be safe from some of the violence, raids, and oppression, they now had to balance both sides' desires or face another invasion. The Sicherlands became a country as a result of the War, a fact which cannot be overlooked when discussing the nation; while the War did much harm for billions of people, it make the residents of The Sicherlands considerably safer, stronger, and wealthier. The region is still in the process of rebuilding as of the time of writing, and continues to face shortages, a housing crisis, and economic turmoil as well as political instability and diplomatic tensions.

#### Internal Factions:

1. Royal Family
2. Parliament
	1. Castle Party
	2. Pawn Party
	3. Safe Party