[hider=The Most Serene Key Republic]
Name: The Most Serene Key Republic

Flag (picture or description): [img] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Flag_of_Key_West%2C_Florida.svg/1200px-Flag_of_Key_West%2C_Florida.svg.png [/img] Without the writing and date.

Territory (picture or description) and Geography: The Most Serene Key Republic is comprised of the Florida Keys, east and west coast of Florida, the northern portion of the Bahamas, northern Cuba, the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, the Outer Banks, Point Lookout, the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, and the city of Tampico. The entirety of Florida, excluding the coastline, has been invaded by the overgrown ‘Garden of Eden’, and remains deadly for explorers and traders to this day. 

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History: The Most Serene Key Republic is the offspring of the pre-war city of Key West, the southernmost city of the continental United States. Before the black day known as the Great War, Key West was a hub of tourism, a popular stop for all sorts of vessels, and an important city for military operations in the region. The island-city also proved to be an excellent location for Vault-Tech’s Vault 60, which would play a major role in the formation of the Most Serene Key Republic.

When atomic fire rained from the sky in 2077, Key West was spared the utter annihilation that some other regions experienced. Many miles away from the nuclear warheads which detonated in southern Florida and northern Cuba, the isolated city of Key West remained physically intact.  Following the onset and rapid end of the Great War, Key West quickly fell into anarchy and gang rule, as the majority of the military personnel at Zachary Taylor and other nearby military bases were sent on suicide missions to Florida or were shot down in the vicious air battles over the United States.

The Overseas Highway, which connected Key West to the far-away mainland, had sustained significant damage in the north, leaving Key West stranded and adrift in the Caribbean. Before long, hunger set in, as the keys did not produce nearly enough food to support their population. This was followed by extreme weather, as the effects of nuclear fallout set in and the seas reacted violently to the destruction humanity had wrought on planet Earth. In truth, the first few years following the Great War were not kind to Key West in the least, and at this point it was up to outside influences to make Key West what it is today.

Far under the small island of Key West, Vault 60 was experiencing a hell of its own. The Vault was an experiment by Vault-Tech to study how large, modern families adapted in the absence of a greater authority. The Vault had been filled to the brim with extended families who were assigned whole sections of the Vault. The chaos really started, however, when the Overseer was poisoned the day after the Great War as part of the Vault experiment. With no election system put into place to replace the Overseer, it didn’t take long for people to draw loyalties along a familial line. To make matters worse, the Vault was slowly but steadily leaking salt water and flooding the bottom chambers of the Vault. Whether this was planned pre-war or purely accidental is still unknown.

Eventually, three families came to dominate the Vault, bringing many other weaker families under their protection. These were the Suttbrays, the Wilsons, and the del Bosques, and they would all prove instrumental in the formation of Key West and its empire. As the water level in the Vault slowly rose, claiming another level of the Vault year by year, the three warring families came to the realization that if they didn’t find a way out of the Vault soon the sea would claim too many vital systems and too much living space for the Vault to be functional. The trouble, however, was that the Vault’s systems claimed that the surface was unlivable, and it was quite possible that the Key itself had been blasted away, leaving nothing but ocean outside the Vault entrance.

In the end, it took 42 years of infighting and flooding before conditions in the Vault became poor enough for the families to call a temporary truce and open the doors of Vault 60. To their surprise, they were greeted with a (mostly) structurally intact Key West, which at this point was rife with gang warfare. The only stabilizing force on the key was the force at Zachary Taylor which, while depleted, continued to act as some sort of stabilizing force. The Suttbrays and del Bosques immediately vacated the vault and carved out territory for themselves, while the Wilsons retained control of the Vault and its surrounding neighborhood. By 2120, order had been brought to all corners of Key West in one way or another.

What followed was an era or rediscovery as each of the clans refurbished pre-war vessels and sponsored their own expeditions of mainland Florida. What they found amazed and shocked them. Where they were expecting a burnt hellscape of barren ground and broken towers, they found an unnaturally lush and verdant expanse of alien vegetation. Beyond the edges of this gargantuan, state-sized jungle, however, lay innumerable horrors and beasts. Shambling men who had their bodies commandeered by fungi, massive centipedes, horribly mutated men praising dark gods, and a series of kingdoms inhabited by Crocfolk of varying intelligence.

Numerous expeditions traveled into this overgrown tangle, and very few ever survived to tell the tales from within. The massive overgrowth of the mainland did, however, appeal to the clans of Key West, who saw great opportunity in it. Massive and fertile farms, exotic goods, biofuel- an end to the backwards state that Key West currently found itself in. It didn’t take long before the first Key communities sprung up in western Florida. The natives of Key West, known as the Conchs, were quick to settle the untamed territory, despite how dangerous life there proved to be.

It didn’t take long before the fledgeling colonies and their supporting fleets encountered competition in the Caribbean. Not only did Key West have to deal with constant incursion from the completely alien ‘natives’ of Florida- they also had to compete with rising human city-states which had begun to trade with other elements of the Caribbean. On top of this, piracy soon followed trade, becoming an issue that would plague trade in the area to this day.

Further inspection into the source of the growth and mutation on mainland Florida yielded similarly dire results. From what limited information was still left to gather beneath the aggressively spreading foliage, Conch expeditions came to believe that the incident in Florida had been caused when an unknown Vault’s GECK either malfunctioned or was tampered with, causing a sudden terraforming of the surrounding area (the northern Everglades) and producing a number of highly adaptable species of flora and fauna. When combined with irradiating and God knows what else, the mess that was once Florida was created, now called the Garden of Eden.

As the Conch Clans rose in wealth and power, Key West’s status as the dominant trade center in the region was cemented. Key West quickly eclipsed its rivals in Nassau, Naples, Nawlins, Port-au-Prince, and New Houston, with its semi-cooperative clans erecting impressive commercial fleets with effective naval protection. However, this did little to stop the rampant piracy coming from all corners of the Caribbean. After years of individually struggling against the various pirate factions and losing, the Wilsons of Vault 60 called for the Summit on Piracy.

Many powerful merchant families, coastal lords, and shipping magnates attended this Summit. After long negotiations on how to best deal with the issue of piracy, two city-states, three clans, and two wealthy businessman banded together to form the AAP, or Alliance Against Piracy. After a long and mostly successful campaign into the Bahamas, Cuba, and parts of Mexico, the seven members of the AAP saw opportunity in their unity, and convened again to draft the Key Concord of 2173, which would serve as the foundation of the Most Serene Key Republic 

The seven signatories became the Seven Concordant Houses which still dominate the MSKR today. The original del Bosque’s, Wilsons, and Suttbrays of Vault 60 remained, the shipping mogul Frederick “Hemingway” Bosh started the Hemingway line, the city of Naples produced the unique House Maddox, the kingdom of Nassau produced the Scotts, and the kingdom of Nawlins produced the Saults. While still relatively free to go about their business, the extra protection provided to the Concordant Houses by a unified fleet with numerous scattered fueling stations allowed for a boom in progress. 

Since then, the Key Republic has expanded both its business ventures and territory greatly. The Republic found excellent trading partners in the civilized states of eastern Texas, the principalities of the Antillian Ecumene to the south, the various merchants of Mexico, the religious orders of the north, and numerous other folk across America’s East Coast. The wealth earned by this great exchange of goods has lead to the reconstruction of the Overseas Highway along with the continued construction of the Republic’s fleet. Colonial expeditions into Mexico and Cuba have proven to be quite successful, though the latter has lead to a series of wars with the Antillian Ecumene out of Port-au-Prince which have persisted until modern times. On top of this, a limited terraforming project using research gleaned from the Garden of Eden and carried out by the government has taken place in Cuba with varying degrees of success and mishap.

More recently, the Republic (and its Houses) has been expanding its horizons both to the North and to the West. In the North, the growing nations of the East Coast and an effort to establish strong trade networks with them has lead to House Suttbray’s personal annexation of Broken Banks and the merchant-lords who had previously ruled there. Meanwhile, in the West, the Republic showed its support for the Confederation of Free Texan States by supporting its trade partner with a small force of volunteers and support goods for their troops on the front, such as biofuel, canned goods, and a small amount of chemical weapons. While not directly involved in the Hoover War, the move proved that the MSKW certainly has an interest in supporting nations who will prove to be possible trading contacts.
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Population: 860,000, including some 50,000 humans and mutants held as slaves

Government/Domestic Politics: The Most Serene Key Republic is a Crowned Merchant Republic which was born out of an association of merchant families and city-states intent on fighting piracy in the region. At the Republic’s foundation are its citizens, who hold some amount of power. Citizens who meet the voting requirement (literate, land or ship-owning individuals over the age of 20) are responsible for electing the only truly democratic offices in the Key Republic- the Judges of the Greater Court, which serves as the Republic’s judicial branch, appoints judges of the Lesser Courts, and oversees the Grand Auditors, whose job is to root out high-level corruption in the government. Above this is a body known as the patricians- a group of families with roots in the mercantile traditions of Key West and its territories. Members of the patrician families aged over 20 who either served the central government in some capacity or attended the Golden Academy of Key West (GAKW) for four years are free to serve in the Senate.

The Senate serves as the bulk of the legislative branch of government in Key West. Made up of anywhere from 200 to over a thousand members depending on the year and the issue at hand, the Senate meets in person to vote on bills and organize various committees on a regular basis. Placement on these committees is a matter of high contention, and carries with it a great amount of competition and prestige. The Senate is also responsible for the election of the Consul, Key West’s head of state, after the passing, resignation, or impeachment of the former Consul. This election is held in a closed Conclave with mandatory attendance, and does not end until a supermajority of 60% is decided upon and approved by the body above the Senate- the Great Council.

The Great Council itself is made up of representatives from the Seven Concordant Houses themselves. Usually composed of the first sons of the House’s heads, the Great Council advises the Consul, raises families to patrician status, and determines the yearly budget along with funding for special projects. In addition, each House is allowed to colonize new territory with permission from the Consul and is able to govern and develop this land with a great deal of autonomy, only needing to obey the laws of the Concord, pay a tithe to the central government, allow Republic ships to dock and refuel in their ports, and provide a certain amount of military men and sailors to the central government.

Finally, at the government’s head, is the Consul. Elected in Conclave by the Senate, the Consul represents the Most Serene Republic of Key West on an international scale, and has a monopoly on foreign relations. In addition, the Consul also holds the power to appoint the heads of the Republic’s various Departments and can propose special projects of all sorts to the Great Council, who may choose not to fund them. On top of this, the Consul can set staple ports and their zones, giving him a great control over the flow of trade in the Caribbean and beyond along with providing increased funding to the government if needed. Finally, the Consul serves as the official head of the military, though very few Consul’s take a direct role in the operations of the military. Unlike some other heads of state, the Consul is paid an immensely large yearly salary (which has the neat side-effect of making bribery unfeasible), and is examined closely by Greater Court-appointed Auditors who ensure he is free from corruption. 

Notable People: His Serenity Horace Wilson IV- Consul of the Republic, Horace Wilson IV is certainly an older gentleman, being 83 and looking even more ancient. Once a war-hero in the struggles against the Ecumene to the South, Horace spent his career as Consul attempting to expand Key West’s horizons across North America. The humorless and solemn man is determined to achieve greatness in his final years.

Alexander Suttbray- The new head of House Suttbray, Alexander is the son of the late Erwin Suttbray, who conquered the Broken Banks and worked to greatly expand Key trade with the East Coast. Following in his footsteps, Alexander moved to take Point Lookout and has been infatuated with the two warring cults just to the west ever since, taking a particular interest in the worship of Ug’Qualtoth.

Bartholomew Hemingway III- One of the famed polydactyl ‘Hemingways’ of Key West, Bartholomew was destined for greatness since birth, in his family’s eyes. Proving his effectiveness in diplomacy and politics, Bartholomew has quickly risen to become a favorite of the Consul’s. More recently, it appears the the Consul has been grooming the man to become his protege and hopeful successor.

John Maddox- Head and progenitor of House Maddox, John has been a businessman in the shipping industry for the last 228 years. Now a rather weathered and pompous ghoul, John runs his House much more like a pre-war corporation, and has “adopted” only the best minds into his family for the last two centuries. 

Military (try to be somewhat realistic): The Concordant Houses command 8,000 military forces in total, while the actual military is comprised of 30,000 soldiers and sailors. Grand total of 38,000 available combatants.

In truth, the Most Serene Republic of Key West has 8 different military forces, with each Concordant House possessing its own small fleet and security forces and the central government controlling a much large fleet and army. The forces of the seven Houses vary greatly, compromised of everything from local militias to professional military forces with gunboats and a couple light cruisers to boot. The Suttbrays even laid down a battleship of their own four years ago to protect their territory in the north and ward off piracy in the area.

At the heart of the military forces of Key West is the Republican Navy. A byproduct of scattered, thalassocratic territory, the Republic-Ecumenical Arms Race of the 2270’s, and a history of naval conflict and piracy in the region, the Key Republic boasts the largest Navy in the Atlantic. Made up of 10,000 sailors, it is comprised of a single battlecruiser, three battleships, 8 light cruisers, and a smattering of transport ships and small torpedo gunboats. Though the Republic holds many naval bases and refueling station, most ships are based out of Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas, which has been greatly expanded and renovated. All Republic ships are steam-powered, and run either solely on biofuel from the Garden of Eden or a mix of biofuel and nuclear power.

The remaining 20,000 military forces in the Key Republic are formed of actual boots-on-the ground soldiers, mostly specialized in marine tactics and naval landings. Armored mostly in light combat armor and equipped with conventional firearms, the Republican Army is a decently well-equipped force, though many of its members lack experience, as only a thousand who served alongside the Texans during the Hoover War remain in the Army today. The Republic’s real military edge when it come to ground forces, however, is its stockpile of chemical weapons made using research gleaned from the Garden of Eden. Deployed from either ship cannons or artillery, these chemical weapons can wreak havoc on an unprepared enemy. While the Republic also possesses a handful of VTOL vertibirds and can theoretically put a few single-engine craft in the air, it has yet to encounter a situation where air power was required, and has not attempted to create any aircraft-effective fuel as of yet.

Economy: The Most Serene Republic of Key West thrives on trade, and is run almost entirely by merchants. The Republic possesses a mixed economy, with the Consul possessing some mercantilistic powers. Selling foodstuffs, biofuel and exotic items from the edges of the Garden of Eden and the terraformed sections of Cuba, along with goods like sugar, fish, slaves, coffee, wool, hemp, copper, precious metals, finished goods from Key West, and much more, the Key Republic has become the leading mercantile power in the east.

Culture and Technology (include views towards slavery and mutants): The Key Republic, being a state which engages heavily in trade and is composed of many spread out territories, is a rather multicultural nation. While English is still dominant, Spanish, French, and various Creole languages are also spoken within Republic borders. The Conchs, or natives of Key West, are the dominant culture, and are mostly atheists who advocate diplomacy and trade over war. Recently, the pre-war ideals of Classic Liberalism have been gaining traction amongst the Conchs, threatening the power of the Consul.

For many, quality of life in the Republic is high, though not nearly what it was before the Great War. For others, however, life in the Republic is dreadful. The slaves and poor laborers working the edge of the Garden of Eden are often victims of terrible disease or mutant raids, and generally do not live long lives. The subject of slavery has been brought up increasingly in recent years. Haitian prisoners of war and non-ghoul mutants make up the majority of slaves in the Republic, though the right to own human or near-human slaves has been coming under attack in the last few years by some patricians and adherents of Classic Liberalism. Generally, Ghouls and slightly mutated humans represent a suppressed minority in the Republic, though notable exceptions do exist.

Religion: Inhabitants of the Key Republic are free to follow whatever religion they wish, and the state remains separate from any church. While many are athiest in Key West itself, trade with other nations has spread belief in Christianity, Carolinism, the Church of Atom, and the Cult of Ug’Qualtoth.
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