Empherias

the Kingdom of Empherias, commonly known as Empherias, is a nation in southeast Alaxia. It is a province of the greater High Kingdoms of Alaxia since 1948. It is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, but the monarchy plays little to no part to politics in Empherias, living in Kiavar. It is often cited as one of the most democratic and peaceful nations in the world, and has been consistently Social-Democrat or Centre-Left since 1895. The capital city of the nation is Wynnoa, located in the south central region on the river Ewynn. The second largest city is Esthullen, followed by Rommes. Vreimer acts as an important trading hub with the rest of the High Kingdoms, Rhequons is a seat of many company institutions and both Gateshaven and Nieuwbourg are large port cities on the coast.

Since 1988, the nation has been ruled by Prime Minister Lucy King as leader of the People's Socialist Party, which runs as a subsidiary of the larger Red Bloq party that runs nationally in High Kingdoms' elections. Empherias, along with a lot of the rest of the High Kingdoms, use a calendar system exactly 500 years behind the regular calendar (meaning dates such as 2500 will be written as 2000).

=History=

Brekenreidkegt Brekepaine
Following decades of out of touch politicians continuously winning in Parliament, due to the bad representation system, having dukes and high titled men and women being allowed to vote, many people are angry. The most angry are the middle class in the suburbs of the largest cities: Wynnoa, Esthullen and Rommes, who are upset that the gap between them and the upper class were increasing. the "Brekenreidkegt Brekepaine" (English: Breaking Point at Brekenreidkegt) was a novel written by poet Lewis Rhommel in late 1894 criticising the institution of pointless suppression of voting by the lower and middle classes. The Brekenreidkegt being the local name for a town hall in southwest Esthullen which had been notorious for often comical voting margins and gerrymandering. The building was seized in the early morning at around half past four by around five hundred middle class civilians, with hundreds of lit torches and common weapons such as cricket bats, fencing swords and cooking knives. However, the pure amount of people forced the doors to break under pressure and the people to swarm through the front gates. One of the leaders of this protest was Edgard Morrison, an avid populist, who wanted to convince the corrupt Duke in the area to free up voting regulations and allow people to vote and elect a new representative of the people. This was important as a new tax law, which would've raised taxes, was about to be passed by the government of the nation. Windows smashed, royal guards stabbed and killed, and the Duke fled the scene and declared an emergency to Rijkse James VII of Empherias.

A local populist man named Felix D'laminet was chosen by the local mass of people among popular opinion to replace the current duke in hiding. The overthrown Duke self-declared his exile, being rich enough to support himself elsewhere in the countryside and fearing a return. Felix had previously worked as an adviser to the Duke, trying to promote new and radical reforms and ideas. He was fired after not blending well and then started work at a local outspoken newspaper, the "Real People's Work" where he gained popularity amongst the classes. A cult of personality had formed around Felix D'laminet. He had formed the People's Populist Party (PPP) and hoped to challenge the ruling class in the upcoming elections under the Rijkse James VII. However, another popular man. Henry Alark was also popular amongst populists known for his more violent and militarist opinions. This extremist branch believed that they should remove the entire current Parliament by force in a revolution. These Alarkists began planning to take over.

Aerogastnicht - Night of the Many Ghosts
Four months before the scheduled national elections, Henry Alark rallied his small extremists in the town of Scudbourg. They had used months of preparation, and many were armed with ex-military rifles ready to storm the government. They began at the King's Palace, the Parliament, the Main City Centre, and many rich manors around the city. They stormed the Parliament. Two hundred militia and Alark himself stormed in the doors and creating mass panic in the building. Only a dozen of MPs were there, but they were all slaughtered as they were defenceless. Immediately, the Royal Guards were called. The Prime Minister immediately sent Rijkse James VII to flee in Rommes, while he would rally the Royal Guards to attack and defeat the insurrection, and the PM himself would try and calm down the crowds. the Battle of Parliament was fought for three whole days, with the Royal Guards against the Militia until the militia was entirely unorganised, chaotic and leaderless. As Henry Alark fled, the Battle had claimed eighty lives, and many MPs had died.

Despite not taking part of inciting the insurrection, Felix D'laminet was arrested on charges of treason for defying the Duke, and being a pretender in a public position. The elitists tried to do this to curb the influence of the populists, but many of his supporters threatened another insurrection, but bigger this time. The Royal Guards were put on high alert. Felix D'laminet became a very well known figure across the country due to many newspapers of the event, and many sympathised with his cause. Applications to join the populist party skyrocketed in the next few weeks and months. On election day, the populists were not taking part, and the Conservatives had won the election, with many of the nobles and elite sympathising for their lost party members. the Alarkists prepared a march on Parliament again, this time with numbers of tens of thousands instead of a few hundred.

The Princess Coup
The King's daughter, the eldest of the children, Princess Abigail has taken over the duty of ruling the country following her father's flee. Abigail, having had her education in foreign nations due to the King's busy work, has a different idea on how to control the government. While the Rijkse has fled from Rommes to the Hveden Federation, Abigail disbands the entire government of mostly un-elected dukes and lords and takes complete control of the entire nation's government. She promises she will remove this power from herself once a parliament of only elected officials is put in place. Taking charge of a newly elected Parliament, she creates a faction of liberals which allies itself with the large following of the People's Populist Party and has the support of many lower and middle class people. The nobles and lords that have been removed from power are very angry to lose influence over the government. Very few now support Princess Abigail and many of them form a faction of Frankists, supported by rich and upper class people, lords and nobles, and the people who work for these nobles and lords to support themselves. Rijkse James, if he was to return from Hvede is likely to be torn between his daughter and the Frankists.

The Populist Uprising
Princess, now Rijkdottir, Abigail releases Felix D'laminet from prison as she is sympathetic to his cause. She asks Felix to form a new government and become the new Prime Minister. Despite his violent tendencies, he selects other prominent populist figure Henry Alark to lead a ministry of defence. This is mainly to raise an army to quell any noble uprisings if they are to come, or other foreign nations who may intervene with the revolution. He also selects Harry Redworks, a left wing political adviser to the old Rijkse; Edward Broedesmore, a slightly middle class land owner and philanthropist who had devoted time to helping the poor; William Weslington, a former army general and liberal advocate brought to serve in the new military as a high ranking general; Robert Webber, a political commentator and expert who leant conservative; Henry Watford, a local business owner who leans conservative; Maria Harris, a friend to Felix who leans liberal; Amelia Rattsenburg, owner a local newspaper and daughter of a rich noble who leans liberal; and Alice Rettels, a descendant of the famous Empherian ambassador Alexander Rettels.

Provincial Prosperity
=List of Prime Ministers=