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officialskyrren · 6 years ago

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The Politics of Skyrren

Skyrren functions under a robust system of democracy, and has for the majority of its existence since it obtained independence from the Arpiolan empire. Several political parties have come and gone, but it has never once fallen into authoritarianism.

The Parliament of Skyrren is separated into two chambers - the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. The Chamber of Representatives is the lower, and more powerful, of the two houses, and its 250 seats are assigned based on proportional representation of the national popular vote. The current makeup of the Chamber of Representatives is shown below. (Red represents the SDP, blue the SNC, green the Greens, and gray for Other.)

The second chamber, the Senate, is elected via single member districts. There are 32 seats in the chamber. This upper house generally has less power than the other, but is delegated to perform other important governmental tasks, along with passing legislation. A view of the current makeup of the Senate, and a cartogram map of the different districts, can be seen below.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Social Democratic Party of Skyrren (SDP)

For the past 72 years, the Social Democratic Party of Skyrren has had almost total dominance over national politics - they’ve only lost one election in that period, and swiftly rebounded afterwards. They’ve been a major force in Skyrren’s political field pretty much since its inception, but it took them 40 years to get into government for the first time. They’re a very urban-based party, which is reflected in their traditional strongholds. The SDP has long been the primary player in the nation’s capital, Tiera del Amaya. Nearly a third of the nation’s population - and 10 of the 32 senate seats - live in the city or its greater metropolitan area in the Amaya Valley. They’re also very entrenched along the populated eastern coast of Skyros, the largest island in the nation. They also perform well in other urban centers - the cities of Nyrax on Sarlyk and Karhos on Sestreau often side with the SDP.

National Front of Skyrren (NFS) / Skyrren National Coalition (SNC)

In the initial years of Skyrren’s modern democracy, the old National Front of Skyrren (NFS), the same organization that claimed the nation’s independence, was very dominant, obtaining close to 80% of the vote most of the time. But, after a few decades, the National Front became the focus of dozens of corruption scandals. It slowly declined over the next century, before finally losing its final seat that it had held for 120 years - the Great Sestreau senate seat - and falling out of official party status. In recent years, the NFS has been replaced by a new party - the Skyrren National Coalition (SNC). It’s only existed for the past 12 years or so, and has struggled to gain traction outside of more rural areas. Its strongholds include the northern and eastern areas of Sestreau, the mountainous and sparsely populated western areas of Skyros, and southern Sarlyk. The party does well with rural voters - but its more conservative message hasn’t been able to hit home with urban SDP voters.

Green Party (GP)

Another recently created, and small, party. The Greens joined government for the first time 30 years ago, bolstered by growing concerns about the environment, even though the SDP generally has very strong pro-environment policies. The Greens have begun to draw good margins in from urban seats, better than the SNC, but still nowhere enough to claim them from the SDP. They have, however, gained traction in certain areas - they currently hold three seats in the senate, which is seen in Skyrrenese politics as the benchmark for being a competitive political party. All three have historically been battleground districts, but fit snugly into the Greens’ policy platform. The three seats are Mount Skyros, the largest district in the country covering the southern coast of Skyros, the Golden Coast on Sarlyk, and the Sunrise Cliffs of the eastern island, Karazhal.

- LIST OF ALL SENATE SEATS -

SKYROS

Amaya Valley/Tiera Del Amaya

Tiera Del Amaya, SDP

Lake Yrthon, SDP

Kilxiros, SDP

Acacia Ridge, SDP

Summerfields, SDP

Sithryi, SDP

South End, SDP

Amaya Valley South, SDP

Amaya Valley Northwest, SDP

Amaya Valley Northeast, SDP

East Coast

Silver Bay, SDP

City of Iskdiorn, SDP

Northern Cape, SDP

City of Aurix, SDP

Dawnpoint, SDP

West/South Coast

Cyclone Ridge, SNC

Seaward Mountains, SNC

Jagged Coast, SNC

City of Vorel, SDP

Mount Skyros, GP

SARLYK

Nyrax, SDP

Grand Terraces, SDP

Golden Coast, GP

The Pike, SNC

QYZHAR

Qyzhar, SNC

SESTREAU

Karhos-by-the-sea, SDP

Karhos North, SDP

Great Sestreau, SNC

Whitefjord, SNC

KARAZHAL

Western Karazhal, SDP

Sunrise Cliffs, GP

LENAY

Lenay, Independent

#lore

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officialskyrren · 6 years ago

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The Islands of Skyrren: Skyros (Pastora)

Welcome to the first of our spotlights on the five islands of Skyrren! Each one has its own unique history, culture, and story - and we’re excited to share them all with you. Without further ado, let’s get started!

The largest of the islands, and the heart of the nation, the island of Skyros is the home and origin of the Skyrrenese people. It was here that the nation of Skyrren got its start, with the people of Skyros moving out to neighboring isles and spreading their culture. It remains the beating heart of modern Skyrren, home to nearly two thirds of the population and several of its largest cities, including the capital of Tiera del Amaya.

(Above: The name of the island, “Skyros,” written in the ancient Skyrrenese runic alphabet.)

While under the colonization of Arpiola, Skyros’ name was naturalized as Pastora, the name of the empress reigning at the time of the isles’ annexation. This name is often still used by outsiders colloquially, but it still officially retains its true, ancient name.

The name of the island is taken from its most defining natural feature, the volcanic Mount Skyros (pictured above). Located on the southern side of the island, it has long been revered as a place of great power and spiritual energy to the Skyrrenese pagan faith, called the “Maw of the Dragon.” It is the highest peak in the country, and many who adhere to the old pagan faith (it remains very prevalent, with about 40% of the population following it) travel to the mountain once a year on the winter solstice as a pilgrimage.

Tiera del Amaya sits at the center of the island, named for the Amaya Valley it sits in beneath the mountains that dominate the western half of the island. The spot where it sits has been inhabited for millennia, with some ancient structures of an old Skyrrenese village preserved underground in the National Museum from a flood unknown centuries ago. It’s by far the most populated city in the country, housing nearly half the overall population along with being the administrative center of the isles.

The Parliament of Skyrren meets in Brightscale Hall in the heart of the city, presiding over the government of the country. It’s one of the oldest governing bodies in Eslaria, having been formed nearly 1300 years ago, and maintained during Arpiolan colonization due to Skyrren’s status as an autonomous region, though its duties were mostly just ceremonial.

Four of Skyrren’s largest five cities are located on Skyros - Tiera del Amaya, Vorel, Aurix, and the second largest, Iskdiorn. Located on the island’s Silver Coast (named for its mineral wealth in silver, and the color of its beaches) the city is Skyrren’s hottest tourist spot, averaging as by far the most-visited city in the isles due to its abundance of leisure activities, museums, and more. It also holds the country’s biggest port, largest arena (the hosting venue of Skyrrensong!) and largest park.

We hope you have enjoyed a close up look at the largest of the isles of Skyrren! Soon, we’ll take you to the southeast, to visit the twin isles of Sarlyk and Qyzhar. See you then!

#island spotlights #skyros

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