Eirenn

## Overview

The Kingdom of Eirenn is located on the Encircled Sea.  It is bordered on the north by Pictfearr, on the west by Arkadyetsiya, and on the south by Firocco.

## History

The Kingdom of Eirenn was part of the large Pictish Federation, which spread across a large portion of the continent.  The area has extensive history within the ethnic Pictish group, although Eirenn was not identifiable as a distinct region until Aodh Mac Gearailt led a rebellion in the 16th Century against foreign domination.  The local clans supported him, becoming the Eirennach.

The 17th and 18th Centuries saw extensive changes in the kingdom's borders, its method of rule, and religion.  Significant western and southern lands were lost to both Akadytsiya and Firocco, while several coastal and northern territories under the control of minor kings or clan chieftains were incorporated into the nation.  The current government structure was established in 1817, and has remained relatively stable ever since.  As of 1905, Eirenn remains a small country surrounded by larger and more powerful neighbors, forced to juggle priorities and potential threats against each other.

The nation's language has diverged rather significantly from Pictish over the last seven hundred years.  It is widely spoken within the country itself, but with few native speakers outside Eirenn's own borders.

## Government and Politics

Eirenn is governed by a system of elected monarchy, which has roots dating back to the succession crisis following the death of Aodh Mac Gearailt.  The monarch of Eirenn is selected from among the clan chieftains (taoisigh), although all of Eirenn's monarchs since 1817 have come from the Ó Cathasaigh clan.  On the most recent occasion, the parliament selected a younger daughter to take the throne.

The current monarch, Feidelm Ó Cathasaigh (b.1864), has ruled Eirenn as Banríon agus ceannas ('Queen and Sovereign') since 1898, when she was appointed as monarch in succession to her grandfather, Tuathal.  Feidelm was elected queen in preference to her older brother Uilleag, who was disqualified from kingship - with Tuathal, prior to his death, publicly disavowing him, and collecting an oath from the clan chieftains not to vote for him.

A de facto tricameral parliament exists within the country, having grown somewhat organically over the last few centuries:

* Taoisigh (clan chieftains)
* Tionól (Assembly)
* Chomhairle (Council)

The clan chieftains (taoisigh), currently thirty in number, serve as a vague aristocracy, from which the monarch is selected to serve as head of state and 'first among equals.'  Clan chieftains serve for life, being named at the death of their predecessor; they can abdicate in favor of their successor, however.

The ninety-member Tionól (Assembly), by contrast, is elected by the people of Eirenn for two-year terms.  The Tionól passes taxes and certain minor laws, with their most important duty being the final approval of the clan chieftains' choice of a monarch.  Each clan elects three assembly-members.  Many people can run for Tionól, and the three individuals with the most votes are placed in office.

The Clan Chieftains and the Tionól each nominate ten members of the Chomhairle (or Council), with the monarch appointing a final five members.  The twenty-five members of the Chomhairle serve for ten-year terms, and are responsible for passing major laws, finalizing government budgets, and ratifying treaties.  In addition, the members of the Chomhairle select several of their number to serve additionally as the monarch's privy council, with specialties such as diplomacy, military affairs, or economics.

Natives of Eirenn are divided according to their clans, with thirty clans currently recognized.  When a clan becomes too large, it often splits, with a certain portion of the clan breaking away, electing a new chieftain, and appealing to the Taoisigh and Tionól for representation.  By and large, this is an amicable process (as occurred in 1890 when Clan Mac an Bhaird split from Clan Ó Cionaoith), although it is not without political repercussions.

Membership in a clan is conferred at birth from an individual's parents.  In cases where parents hail from different clans, one of the spouses chooses to leave their birth clan and join their spouse's clan - by custom, usually the smaller clan.

Unless they marry into one of Eirenn's clans, foreigners are not counted as part of Eirenn's citizenry; their only path to citizenship is to appeal directly to the chieftain of a clan for adoption by that clan.  In such a case, the new citizen becomes a formal member of the clan and takes one of their surnames.

## Foreign Relations and Military

### Eirenn Navy (Eirennach Cabhlach)

Eirenn maintains a small navy designed primarily for coastal defense and patrol, consisting of three coast-defense battleships armed with 21cm guns, a single small armoured cruiser with 152mm guns, a single destroyer, and a significant number of small torpedo boats designed for area defense.

### Diplomatic Relations

Options are: war, none, poor, normal, friendly, excellent, allied.

**Main Items of Note:**

* Celtica: excellent to allied. Celtica acts as the protector of the traditional Pictish states, including Eirenn. While there is always some resentment at this, Eirenn recognizes this is one of the keys to maintaining their sovereignty against foreign threat.
* Pictfearr: friendly to excellent. Another ethnic Pictish state. The relationship is not without certain strains, but generally the two countries feel their mutual threats warrant close diplomatic cooperation.
* Arkadyetsiya: poor to normal. Arkady is a major military threat to Eirenn, and the government expends significant efforts to maintain a degree of normalcy in their diplomatic relations.
* Firocco: normal. There is a great deal of resentment in Eirenn over the domineering attitude and the economic strength of Firocco, but Eirenn also realizes that this has provided them excellent opportunities for their own diplomatic and economic improvement.

## Economy

Eirenn's economy largely revolves around several main industries.

Beginning in the late 1700s, Eirenn began developing and modernizing their financial markets. As a result of these developments, Eirenn has some of the best financial connections in the world, acting as a banking intermediary between the traditional industrial powerhouses such as Celtica, Firocco, and Drakenstaat, and the smaller, poorer countries to the north.

Eirenn also possesses a small but highly modern merchant marine.

In the 1870s, Eirenn built a railway from the coast of the Encircled Sea to the western border in order to allow the transshipment of goods between Arkadyetsiya and the Encircled Sea.

Agriculture and mining remain fairly large parts of the economy.

## Demographics

### Largest Cities

* Cahersiveen: capital city and medium-sized port.
* Leacanabuaile: port city