[b]Faction:[/b] The Uwan Isle Republic [b]Race:[/b] Human [b]Location:[/b] [img]http://i.imgur.com/l7cpJvI.jpg?2[/img] [b]History[/b] [U]Government:[/U] The Uwan Isles government is a very loose republic made up of three branches. [i]The Captain's Quorum [/i] The electorate and legislative body of the Uwan Isles, the Captain's Quorum is made up of every citizen who owns and operates their own ship. From fishermen in dinghies to merchants with fleets of trade ships, every man is captain of his own boat and every man has one vote. The current Quorum is made up of roughly two hundred captains. The Quorum meets once a year for a three week period. During that time they elect the Sealords and any other officers they need, as well as pass any laws that are needed. [i]The Sealords[/i] The Sealords act as executives for the Republic. They all must be members of the Quorum for at least six years before they can be elected. They are elected by the Quorum to two-year terms, no Sealord serving more than two consecutive terms. They enforce the laws of the islands and conduct the day to day business of the government. Any executive decision must be passed unanimously by all three lords. [i]First Sealord[/i] The chief executive of enforcing laws, the First Sealord acts as head of the isle's provincial law enforcement service as well commander-in-chief of the Uwan Republican Navy. The First Sealord serves as the president and chairman of the Captain's Quorum whenever it is called. He is considered as first among equals with the other Sealords, acting as chairman in executive committees. [i]Second Sealord[/i] The Second Sealord's duties rely more on foreign relations. As the chief diplomat the Second Sealord is responsible for maintaining strong diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties with the islands' trading partners. [i]Third Sealord[/i] The Third Sealord regulates commerce and collects the few taxes the Republic levies. The Third Sealord is also empowered to levy any taxes as they see fit, but only with a unanimous decision from the executive committee. He works with the Second and First Sealords to help balance the cost of government and keeping the Republic's governmental expenses as small as possible. [i]The Chief[/i] The top arbitrator in the Uwan Isles, the Chief is responsible for upholding laws passing judgement on all civil and criminal cases. The post is elected by the Captain's Quorum for a five-year term. No man can serve consecutive terms as Chief. [u]Backstory[/u] The people of the Uwan Isle Republic are fiercely independent. Part of their independence comes from being one of the few parts of the world not to have close contact with the Visha. A nation of fisherman and sailors, they value rugged individualism over the trappings of large governments, monarchy, and institutions. In their eyes, a man is only a man if he can provide for himself and those he loves. Their roots lay in their old homeland of Sharod. Many years ago they sailed from Sharod in a massive armada to invade the Visha mainland. Storms, disease, and the Visha's sheer military ability forced the invasion off the mainland and to the archipelago just off the coast. With only a fraction of their armada remaining, the commanders were not sure how to proceed. Stuck in boats and afraid to venture back to the mainland or back home, where the price for perceived cowardice was steep, they found their new home on the islands. Melechon, the then king of Sharod, had been a particularly cruel one to his people. The men of te armada had saw what the rule of kings could do and hastened to fix it. The captain of each ship gathered to a conference aboard the admiral's flagship the [i]Uwan[/i], there they laid out the constitution for a new nation. No longer ruled by kings or monarchs, they were instead ruled by laws. A decentralized government they proclaimed the Uwan Isle Republic. Now that Republic stretches across the archipelago. Their chief economic service to the world is fish, trade, and transport. While not a militant people, they are a nation of seaman with the ability to unite to become one of the most prolific navies in the world. Characters Jock Munrue First Sealord. Jock is currently halfway through his two-year term as the chief executive of the Republic. A merchant seaman, Jock is a self-made man who started out as a cabin boy aboard on a trade ship when he was twelve. From there he learned the tools of the trade until he became captain of his own ship at twenty-five. He served in the Republican Navy as captain, later Rear Admiral, in a previous war with Angoria. He is a long-serving member of the Captain's Quorum and is seen as a strict constitutionalist who abides by the will of the captain's and takes his role as First Sealord seriously. Iomhar Cinead Second Sealord, Cinead is in many ways a stark contrast to Jock. He is from one of the wealthiest families in the Uwan Isles, a prosperous trader who has an entire fleet of ships at his disposal. By employing several ships under contract, Cinead has a large block of votes in his pocket anytime the Captain's Quorum is called. His expertise in global affairs and trade makes him a natural at the diplomatic skills needed to serve as Second Sealord. Eachann Wallis Third Sealord. A "landlover", a man who has a boat but only so he may be part of the Quorum, Wallis has a sharp mind for numbers and is an expert at the administrative tasks that comprise the Third Sealord's duties. His being branded a landlover means that the Quorum will never seriously vote for him to rise past the post of Third Sealord. Hamish Sturgeon Pirate/captain of the pirvateer vessel [i]Dromon[/i]