Government of Centrum

The Merchant Prince believes he is tough but fair. Critics say the merchant prince is a miserly bully.   The current Merchant Prince is the third Merchant Prince and he has promised some modest reforms. He has lowered taxes on his subjects.

Structure

Every minister and military commander is handpicked by the Merchant Prince.   Many are at least loosely affiliated with the Masks.

Public Agenda

To use their strategic trading location to profit themselves and their subjects.

History

Centrum has changed names and changed government many times over their history. About sixty years ago the Baron died a suspicious death of natural causes (and a lot of his male heirs died suspicious deaths), and an outcast Fumayan noble backed by the Masks assumed power in the chaos. He married the surviving daughter of the previous Baron and assumed the throne himself. It’s actually not uncommon at all for second or third born sons of Fumayan nobles who are shut out of power in their homeland to stage a coup in the Border Baronies but relatively few succeed.   The new Baron, err Merchant Prince, tried to create a niche for himself as a middleman in trade between Fumaya, Swynfaredia and both Stahlheim and Meckelorn. He was very successful at this. He was largely viewed as an untrustworthy lying usurper. In most cases these four nations prefer to deal directly with their rival nations rather than rely on a middleman this untrustworthy.   The current Merchant Prince, the usurper’s grandson, is a little bit more charming and adept than his grandfather and he has won some new friends. He is hoping that Fumaya and Swynfaredia enter a long war of attrition that results in a stalemate, so he can make money smuggling goods and people around the war zone playing both sides against each other.

Demography and Population

Centrum has roughly 32,000 souls.   85% humans, 6% gnomes, 3% tengku , 6% other.   About 8,000 souls live in the town proper and the rest live in surrounding farming villages and lumber camps.

Territories

Centrum has jurisdiction over several farming vilages and a lot of timberland with a town by a river at the center.

Military

Centrum has about 900 full time soldiers. They are as much of a police force as they are soldiers. Most are literate and many are trained as investigators. They are backed by 15 Phidas-aligned theurgists.   Centrum's government is borderline repressive though their true zeal is on regulating outsiders more than oppressing the locals who generally fall in line.   Centrum has a citizen militia of about 1500 people. Centrum only started it about six months ago, so they have lots of newbie problems.

Religion

Phidas is the state religion. The Merchant Princes have given the Masks a lot of leeway to do as they please and in return Phidas has repaid the Merchants Princes with the aid of their magic, counsel, and spy networks. Among other privileges, the Masks run the local police force and judiciary. The Merchant Prince can override the Masks on any decision they make, but he rarely does so. Over three generations, the Masks have successfully converted most of the commoners to Phidas worship. Worshiping the rest of the Nine is not forbidden. In fact it’s encouraged…in small amounts. The Masks often oversee religious observances to the other deities…even Zarthus .

Foreign Relations

Centrum is a trading hub between Swynfaredia, Fumaya, Meckelorn, and the Borderlands but various traders have taken efforts to circumvent their services because of Centrum charging high tolls and the rulers proverbially burning bridges with the envoys of foreign states.

Agriculture & Industry

The farmland of Centrum is adequate to support it's population and then some. A big portion of their economy is selling food and provisions to travelers embarking on a trip across the Borderlands.   They also have ample timberland and they sell lumber, firewood, and woodcrafts to Meckelorn. They have a very small reagents industry too.

Education

Centrum pushes literacy and provides free schools for all their citiznes.
Founding Date
1757
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Demonym
Centrumites
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Market economy
Major Exports
timber goods, reagents
Major Imports
metal work, luxury goods
Official State Religion
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Related Ethnicities

Articles under Government of Centrum



Cover image: Map of the Border Baronies by Pendrake

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