New Sammichian Empire

The New Sammichian Empire, also known as the Fulfwotz Empire, or Empirax Xamichia Novus in Old Sammichian, is a sovereign state mainly located in the southwestern Shire, in the Demmatrodine Region, but also holds dominion over many outlying territories throughout the Shire. It is a common misconception that the New Sammichian Empire is an absolute monarchy; in reality, it is a constitutional monarchy, with the government split into the Emperor and the Sammichian Imperial Chancellery. It is considered the successor of the Old Sammichian Empire. The state was established on May 24th, 1929.

With a total of 55.7 million inhabitants, the New Sammichian Empire is one of the most populated nations in the Shire. It has a wide disparity of cultural and social practices, since its territory includes so many different towns and villages which are scattered around the map. Peace is shakily maintained between the government and the annexed populations through the Empire's secularism and reluctance to force religious and cultural practices onto those annexed. Despite this, the interior of the government has a long history of instability.

The New Sammichian Empire first rose from the aftermath of the First World War, but that was simply the point when all of the territories previously held by the Kingdom of Fulfwotz were consolidated into the Empire; most of its expansion actually predates its establishment. Under the rule of King Drefnex in the mid-1800's, the Kingdom of Fulfwotz began an aggressive annexation campaign of the surrounding area, asserting itself as the dominant power in the Demmatrodine Region. This followed nearly 1,800 years of isolationism from the rest of the Shire. During this time, the Kingdom increased its size ten-fold and even began to claim outlying territories all around the Shire. After the coronation of King Drefnex's son, Prince Sammich, a failed invasion of a town that refused to be annexed prompted the Kingdom to declare war, and drew the attention of nations throughout the Shire. After splitting into two factions, the First World War was fought.

In the end, Fulfwotz's forces were defeated, and had surrendered. Despite this loss, King Sammich ennobled himself Emperor of the New Sammichian Empire not a day after the Treaty of Niflheim was signed on May 24th, 1929. All territories of the former Kingdom were consolidated into the New Sammichian Empire. Today, the empire has gained superpower status and is a founding member of the Shire United Nations, with a permanent seat on the organization's Security Council. It is one of the largest nations in the Shire and boasts one of its largest economies. The current ruler is Emperor Sammich the Magnificent, with High Chancellor Kiera C. Krugerrand as head of the Chancellery.

Etymology

The Empire derived its name from its predecessor, Xamichia, now more commonly known as the Old Sammichian Empire. The history of Xamichia is incredibly popular amongst not only Sammichians but the rest of the Shire, being the world's earliest known civilization but at one point the most powerful domain the Shire had ever seen; it is for these reasons that many Sammichians look back on it with pride and desired a name that reflected the power it once had.

The empire was originally established under the name of the Commonwealth of the King's Territories by the Chancellory in 1929, but was changed to its current title after considerable prodding by the populace. The name struggled to gain traction for recognition within the Shire United Nations, despite the state being one of the foremost entities in the institution. Many claimed that the title was absurd and reflected an air of imperialism and geopolitical dominance which the Shire was trying to recover from after the events of the First World War. However, as the nation's influence grew and it became a more valuable trading partner and ally, recognition was eventually earned under the name of the New Sammichian Empire.

However, in recent years, many have criticized the name as being xenophobic and a failure at representing the extremely diverse population of the Empire. Despite officially being a Sammichian domain, since it is ruled by a family of Sammichian descent, the majority of the population is made up of Humans; the Sammichian race is actually the second-most numerous racial group within the Empire. In 2013, racial advocacy group ASRR (Association for Shire Racial Representation) filed a lawsuit against the Empire and was brought to the Shire United Nations International Court, arguing for a more inclusive and broad title. The case was lost under the policy of state sovereignty.

A citizen of the New Sammichian Empire is officially known as a "Sammichian", but due to this word being associated with a certain race many choose to identify with where in the Empire they originated. For example, someone from Caffa will identify as a Caffan before Sammichian. To mitigate the confusion that may arise from the terminology, a demonym that is just as commonly (if not more) used by the international community is Imperial. This term is often shortened to "Imp", typically to mock the Empire.

History

Old Sammichian Empire

Main Article: Xamichia

The Old Sammichian Empire, or Xamichia, was the first known civilization to rise in the Shire, established by Sammichian nomads around 2,350 PRY. Until then, Sammichians had traveled the continent of Thrennex in vekaxa caravans, large culturally-distinct bands of wagons and livestock that functioned as separate 'clans'. Their presence on the continent can be traced back as far as 7,800 PRY, but advancement was slow since there was little interaction between vekaxa early on. Eventually, the vekaxa merged under the legendary Sammichian Xenophon, establishing the city of Sarrimus (anglicized to Ceriumuse). Under a lineage of kings and queens, Sarrimus expanded from a city-state to a kingdom encompassing a large portion of Thrennex, named Xamichia. Sammichian rule did not reach outside of the continent until a hostile takeover by a different noble family in 1570 PRY, establishing the Ich Dynasty which still rules today. From there, Xamichia slowly began an imperialist expansion across the northwestern Shire under the leadership of Emperor Callistes.

The empire eventually became the largest the Shire had ever seen; it is estimated that around 900 PRY, Xamichia held dominion over one-fifth of the world's population. Despite the immense power and influence it had, inner turmoil destabilized the empire over time, climaxing in the Mandatux Imperatia in 210 PRY. It was a massive conquest of the central and southwestern Shire which, in actuality, was a desperate attempt to consolidate more power and rectify the instability of Xamichia. After the mass murders and carnage during the siege on Fauna (now Fulfwotz), Empress Flux experienced what is now referred to as the Great Epiphany, where she realized what the corrupted and depraved empire had done, and that it can only mean similar occurrences will happen in the future if the empire is not stopped. In 58 PRY, the Empress dissolved the great empire into dozens of independent and autonomous kingdoms, marking the end of the Old Sammichian Empire.

Kingdom of Fulfwotz

Main Article: Kingdom of Fulfwotz

Although the Old Sammichian Empire was broken up into a number of free realms, Fulfwotz is what most scholars and historians consider to be it's successor; after the dissolution, the Kingdom of Fulfwotz was ruled by the Ich Dynasty, the same family that ruled Xamichia. Fulfwotz remained largely independent and only traded with nearby towns. Around 150 CE, Fulfwotz became revered in the Demmatrodine for killing off and driving away the barbaric tribes that scavenged the deserts and savannas nearby, often raiding and pillaging villages they came across. This impression of strength and protection incited a large Enpeecee influx to the Kingdom, prompting unrest and racial tension. It is believed and commonly accepted that ancient Sammichians did not exactly discriminate based on race or gender, but moreso status and class. Since the Enpeecees came from the wild steppes of the Demmatrodine, they were considered uncivilized and barbaric. The Enpeecee migrants were not allowed into the city, and very similar to what the Venezian migrants would do around 1,800 years later, they began camping out near the city's borders since they had nowhere else to go. Several years later, under a more-sympathetic King Vinthux, the Enpeecees were finally allowed into the city, much to the distaste of the population. This is believed to have been the root cause of the long-standing animosity between the Sammichian and Enpeecee races, which continued well into the 20th Century and had a profound influence on the early social structure of the New Sammichian Empire.

In the early 600's, Fulfwotz was overcome with a plague, which is believed to have been a more virulent strain of Yersinia pulex, the virus that killed approximately 9% of the Shire's population in the 1960's. Called Kleopintra's Plague, many Sammichians believed that it was a holy scourge on the kingdom after King Pliades took an Enpeecee Queen, Kleopintra. While death tolls from that period are unreliable, historians estimate that the strain had a mortality rate of 70% and killed around 150,000 people in a city of roughly 215,000. With the drastically-reduced population and damaged infrastructure, the kingdom entered a Dark Age, along with many other parts of the Shire where the plague had spread. Intellectuals, such as scholars, historians, and certain nobility were targeted and viewed with distrust as the Orthodox Church (not to be confused with the Orthodox Sammichian Trinity) perpetuated rumors and fear-mongered to gain a foothold over society. Claiming that the Enpeecee Queen was the figurative straw that broke the camel's back, the Church asserted that many other things contributed to the plague; such as the societal progression from a sectarian, religious kingdom towards a more scientific and rational one. This led to a century of clerical authority over that of the King and Queen.

The Church's influence climaxed after the death of King Egox. They had long been grooming his son, Novax, for kingship, but the Kingdom's ancient policy of absolute primogeniture did not permit the coronation of Novax since his sister Altira was the eldest. Altira was very popular with the Kingdom, and many believed her rule would be a blessing. The Church did not look favorably on absolute primogeniture, and had not been grooming Alira, meaning they would not have sizeable power in the government. They attempted and successfully blocked her coronation, putting Novax into power, a move that was horrifically unpopular with the Kingdom. His ultimately disastrous and heavily-devout reign resulted in Altira taking power and the populace overthrowing the Orthodox Church around 1000 CE. It is speculated that this event is what led to modern-day Sammichians' inherent distrust of religion and impious tendencies, a bias that is clearly defined in the secular nature of the current Imperial government.

Government

The New Sammichian Empire is one of the Shire's few surviving empires. The government ideology is commonly perceived to be an absolute monarchy by many Shirefolk, but the government is actually a constitutional monarchy comprised of the Emperor and the Sammichian Imperial Chancellery. The Chancellery serves to implement a system of checks-and-balances which prevents a potentially destructive ruler from being able to do much harm both internally and on a global scale.

For each of the Empire's distinct territories, a Chancellor is appointed by the Emperor to oversee that respective territory. It is left largely autonomous and self-governing, though major decisions do need to be approved by the Emperor or Chancellery, depending on the situation. All of the Chancellors make up the Council, the highest branch of the Chancellery and presided over by the High Chancellor. Similar to Fulfwotz borough council members and aldermen, Chancellors are subject to the Grand Sextennial Inquisition. Every six years, their actions are inspected by Emperor and various third-party entities. If they are subpar and did not accomplish much, they are recycled and new Chancellors are chosen; otherwise, it is possible for them to serve a life term.

The other part of the Chancellery is divided into the Senate and Assembly. The Senate is composed of elected Chancers from each territory based on the respective populations. For example, Fulfwotz currently has fifteen Chancers in the Senate, whereas the village of Demma only has two. Chancers serve six-year terms. In the Assembly, Representatives are elected from territories and the branch functions similarly to the Senate, though they have the power to draft bills and laws; the Senate exists to review, amend, repeal, and approve said bills for final Council ratification. There are currently 68 serving Chancers and 100 Representatives.

The High Chancellor presides over the Council, ergo, the Chancellery, wielding considerable political power almost on par with that of the Emperor's. On the Council, their vote is triple-weighted and therefore the most crucial in votes resulting in a draw (it is customary for the High Chancellor to vote last, to abstain from influencing the votes of other Chancellors). They are elected from within the Council by the Senate and Assembly, and are subject to the Grand Sextennial Inquisition. With the High Chancellor leading the Chancellery and the Emperor leading the state, and the Chancellery divided into houses, many have likened the system to that of a parliament. This is only countered with the fact that the Emperor does retain more influence in lawmaking and authority than a typical head of state would.

Political Parties and Elections

Though dozens of independent parties vie for seats within the Chancellery, the New Sammichian Empire became rooted in a three-party system following the global Industrial Era throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, since the drastically-altered international stage resulted in conflicting views on which direction to take the Kingdom of Fulfwotz.

• United Progressive Party- With loose social laws but very heavy economic regulation, the UPP currently holds 24 seats in the Senate and 31 in the Assembly. Many consider them detrimental to the Imperial economy, which relies on being unregulated and attractive to businesses. The party tends to be more popular outside of Fulfwotz, especially among Caffans who believe the economic policies would alleviate their current crisis.
• Conservative Constitutional Party- The CCP is known for having a more conservative attitude towards social and economic matters, along with a stronger sense of imperialism and the need for territory. What makes them most distinct, however, is their belief that the Emperor should have less power in political proceedings and that the Chancellery should become the main governing body of the New Sammichian Republic (note: not Empire). They currently have 17 seats in the Senate and 30 in the Assembly, making them the smallest party; however, the High Chancellor Kiera C. Krugerrand is aligned with the CCP, giving them considerable power in the Chancellery.
• Free Monarchy Party- The FMP currently makes up the majority of the Chancellery, with 27 seats in the Senate and 36 in the Assembly (the remaining 3 seats belong to independent parties). The FMP is responsible for the extremely loose laws and deregulation characteristic to the New Sammichian Empire. They also have a favorable view towards the traditional constitutional monarchy system, believing the Emperor should have a major role in governance. It is extremely popular in Fulfwotz, with the 2014 census indicating that over 78% of Fulfwotzians align themselves with the FMP. Though not at liberty to say, it is believed that Emperor Sammich is a member of the FMP, which also gives them a strong influence over lawmaking.

Imperial elections are typically held every six years throughout the Empire after campaigning the year before elections take place. The elections for the Assembly and Senate are designed to coincide with the Grand Sextennial Inquisition, so if the Council is reformed, the entire Chancellery is essentially 'flushed out' all at once. During the elections, corruption within parties and the general primaries is commonplace and have generally been accepted as part of the whole process.

Foreign Relations

During the First World War, the Kingdom of Fulfwotz aligned itself with the Overtaker coalition; as such, many of its allies in that conflict remain close today. The New Sammichian Empire maintains an alliance with the city-state of Venezia Nuova, with their respective capitals existing as sister cities. The Empire is also extremely close with the Enderian Nation, being allied through one of the world's oldest unbroken alliances.

The New Sammichian Empire is a founding member of the Shire United Nations, with a permanent seat on the organization's Security Council. It also provides the bulk of the SUN's Peacekeeping Force. The contribution of so many peacekeepers was a term of the agreement made between the SUN and the Empire; they believed such a nation (especially a founding one) should be on the Security Council, but the Empire did recently incite the world's first war involving almost every sovereign state. A deal was reached where the Empire would volunteer 50% of all peacekeeping forces in exchange for a seat on the council.

Another entity is the PDTO (Pan-Demmatrodine Treaty Organization), a intergovernmental military alliance created after the Fulflet takeover to better handle and protect the Demmatrodine from future attacks. Despite being created in 1991, the alliance was not fully put in place until 1999, when the regime was ousted by Imperial allies. Today, it is one of the Shire's largest regional affiliations, with over ten participating states.

Finally, the Empire is an active member of the DFTA (Demmatrodine Free Trade Agreement), a trade bloc spanning the Demmatrodine, designed to promote economic cooperation and trade between nations. Other members include the Enderian Nation, the Solurian Empire, Sravasti, Zaphoria, Redwoods, and Bucketheadland. Operating under the jurisdiction of the New Sammichian Empire is also Summerstone, Greenvale, Demma, Al' Zinga, Plainview, Deserta, and Leif. Similarly, under the Solurian Empire is Gosd and Alwasy. The Enderian Nation controls New Enderton and Vertiment.

Military

With an annual military expenditure of $256.2 billion, the New Sammichian Empire commands one of the Shire's largest and most capable militaries, augmented by government organizations such as the Imperial Intelligence Agency. The Imperial Armed Forces are divided into terrestrial, naval, aerial, and special forces, those special forces being further divided into distinct units. It currently has 1,180,750 active personnel, with 650,720 reserve personnel.

The Imperial military is unique in its adamant refusal to implement a draft, and there has never been one in its history. It is because of this that the Empire, specifically Fulfwotz and the Demmatrodine, became a popular destination for draft-dodgers during conflicts in other states. Despite the lack of any sort of conscription or draft, the Empire has one of the highest population-to-personnel ratios in the Shire, likely due to its various state programs put in place to reduce overcrowding in prisons. Certain prisoners who are not deemed a serious threat to society may choose to enlist in the armed forces in exchange for a lighter prison sentence. Their military service is begun after their release for double of how much time they chose to eliminate from their sentence. This system also helps ex-convicts reintegrate into society and many choose to remain in the armed forces even after their mandatory service term is over.

Many also enlist due to (waning) societal pressure; Sammichians of the porpoise subtype were commonly used as soldiers and generals during the Old Sammichian Empire. The Empire has been trying to distance itself from the stereotypical societal niches the various subtypes filled, but the Sammichian bulk of the military is compromised of porpoise subtypes.

Culture

Being host to a wide array of cultures and practices, it is very difficult to apply one cohesive culture to the New Sammichian Empire. Customs vary greatly between territories, and some have nothing in common except for their government. However, since many current territories had relationships (be it annexations, alliances, or trade agreements) with the Empire in the past, some have gradually adopted mentalities characteristic to that of Fulfwotz capital culture. Individualism is highly valued as a virtue, while at the same time, status is extremely important and notoriety is sought-after.

This culture was mainly formed and influenced by the Old Sammichian Empire, where the Emperor and Imperial Family were viewed with both intense admiration and violent jealousy. This mindset evolved to be directed at any person in a position of power, inciting competitiveness in the political, business, and social worlds. It also contributed to the higher-than-average amount of coups and attempted government takeovers in the history of the Empire and Kingdom of Fulfwotz.

The Imperial culture is also very unique for its stance on cosmetic surgery and procedures; in many other cultures, the practice of altering one's natural appearance through plastic surgery is seen as fake and disingenuous, whereas such procedures are commonplace in capital culture. In some places, it's common for parents to pay for cosmetic procedures for their children as graduation gifts. The mentality of finding acceptance and happiness in one's own natural appearance is rare, trumped by that of finding happiness in improving your own appearance. While this objectively does little harm, it contributes to the development of severe body image and self-esteem issues in people who lack the money to pay for cosmetic surgery. In a 2014 poll of Fulfwotz teenagers in low-income families by DePrey Institute, 41% of males admitted to having such problems, and 68% of females confessing to similar image problems. Similar studies suggest that 4 out of every 10 Fulfwotz teenagers will develop an eating disorder at some point. Depression rates Altogether, beauty is highly-emphasized in the Imperial culture, leading many foreigners to believe Imperials to be egocentric and pompous.

Territories

Cities and Towns

• Caffa
• Floffwym
• Fulfwotz

Villages

• Epsilon
• Greenvale
• Karaam
• Little Wangleton
• Niflheim
• Snowy Mill
• Summerstone
• Withering
• Woodstock
• Woolowotz

Enpeecee Villages

• Activia
• Al' Zingahashbrown
• Cathedral
• Demma
• Deserta
• Gucci
• Husurra
• Hytide
• Leif
• Palaven
• Paris
• Pawooga
• Plainview
• Poppiton
• Prada
• Thessia
• Vevuki
• Vitruvius
• Watersong

Castles, Fortresses, and Royal Residences

• Castle Hyunadorea
• Castle Mugg
• Grand Nether Palace
• Niflheim Palace
• Telluva Fairy Sanctuary

Lands

• Caffan Isles
• Demmatrodine Region
• Grunesblatt Forest
• Niflheim Plateau
• Sudettanbach Alps