The Carthya Inquirer Issue 1

The Carthya Inquirer Vol. I No. 1                                          June 18th, 2021                                          $2.00 Lennox Annexed by Bardonia!

On June 10th, 2021, the nation of Lennox was annexed into the ever-expanding Bardonian Empire. This was initially done on the grounds that Lennox was illegally occupying rightful Sand Republic (and by extension, Bardonian) lands.

The situation developed further later that same evening, when Bardonia changed its rationale. They argue that Lennox’s northern holdings used to be a part of The Sand Republic (TSR), whose territories were granted in full to Bardonia. This is, however, considered a poor or incorrect justification by those in opposition to the Bardonian ultimatum, as letters between Founder Pharaoh Buzzb of Lennox and Odawg of TSR were archived detailing the formal transfer of the ‘sand of Yakura’ to Lennox.

Despite the firm opposition of the ultimatum by the Lennoxer populous and their apparent will to go to war, Lennox’s friends and allies turned their backs on what they perceived to be a lost cause, leading to the Lennoxer leadership caving and agreeing to the ultimatum.

The official announcement of the former nation’s liquidation came just minutes later, coinciding with the extinguishing of the flame of Lennox’s Grand Lighthouse. Only two countries - the Alokhradi Republic and the Kingdom of Falnir - publicly expressed their sympathies for the Lennoxer people, and the future of the region remains uncertain. How Long Can Bardonian Imperialism Last?

The Bardonian Empire is, without a doubt, one of if not the most powerful nations in existence. The Dandelion Guard is a force revered for both its careful discipline and fighting prowess, and the Bardonian based Hands organization is widely perceived as one of the most elite combat groups in Rathnir. Bardonia controls a significant portion of the northwestern hemisphere and her colonies span the length of the world.

A glance at the world political map is enough to show anyone that imperialism has fared well for the state of Bardonia, allowing it to amass great prestige, territories, and power, symbolized by the Empire. However, the current political map cannot show you the darker side of this nation - the subjugation, power struggles, internal issues, and cracks in the Bardonian armor.

Let us begin with what is likely the most pressing issue for Bardonia: depopulation. Although the effects of the mass exodus to Eldham have been felt the world over, it presents massive problems for Bardonia. Thanks to the brutal suppression of the Wivamovian Revolution, the military conquests of Hälge, Valle, and Lennox, and the lack of central administration in Askonia, huge chunks of the population in those territories have fled to the New World, seeking a better life free of the people they see as their oppressors. This has left once great, thriving cities like Sindria and Luperkania abandoned and looted, left to the wilderness and the few citizens that chose to remain. In the opinion of Lennoxer Pharaoh Buzzb, “either Bardonia should become a more hands-on empire, nursing these cities back to their former greatness and respecting their individual cultures, or the establishment of Bardonia should be destroyed on the field of battle.”

Despite the challenges, the Bardonian Empire remains at the forefront of global geopolitics, and with major domestic reforms on the horizon, Bardonia is likely to remain in its current position as a world superpower. The ‘New’ Constitution: Statutory or Self-Coup?

The ‘new’ Constitution passed into law by Liberal Party politicians on June 15th has sparked a lot of controversy within the nation, especially among more conservative-minded individuals. In a statement by Duma delegate Bogomila Korola of the Free Fatherland Front, when asked about the new form of government she said, “Whilst I have nothing against the Duma and it looks to be a promising form of government, the way that it is being brought about, i.e. the fact that the Senate was dissolved leaving no apparent government other than the upper officials, was a dodgy, unprofessional, and potentially risky act.”

Others in the FFF, such as Slout Korol of Nebskoslavia, have a much more negative view of the new legislation.

“Well [the changes] aren’t for the good of some people, like maybe the nobility and royalty who you decided to remove? None of them were oppressing any citizen in any way, yet the Senate still removed them for one reason: ‘the Ryzani royalty was nearly dying and it did almost nothing.’ It wasn’t legal at all! None of us have the right to just remove the royal family! This was a god damn coup! And about that, one of you said ‘it makes people more equal.’ Isn’t this what a commie would say?”

Although many in his party agree that the removal of royal titles was uncalled for, Mr. Slout’s baseless claims that the moves were illegal and that the Liberal Party are “commies” do raise some questions concerning his knowledge of the situation.

On the other hand, the senators who favored the revised Constitution argue that although it was passed in a narrow timeframe, the Senate explicitly had the power to amend the Constitution and exercised that right. An NLP spokesman said that the new changes were being “blown way out of proportion”.

The Tsarina had very few powers prior to the Constitution revision, only being able to oversee some diplomatic activities and grant citizens the title of knight, and the NLP argues that their loss of titles was merely to reflect the change in Ryzan’s style of governance, and all other former nobles still retain their powers and positions in their Freeholds.

When asked for comment about the alleged instability in the Second Republic, Vice President Kovalsky said only “Bet.”

As for the general populace’s opinion, the latest Duma election results have indicated strong support for the reforms, with the NLP receiving an outright majority of votes. Duma Elections Conclude, Liberals Retain Control

The first-ever elections for the Ryzani Duma concluded yesterday evening, revealing the National Liberal Party (NLP) as the clear winner with 54% of the vote. The Free Fatherland Front (FFF) followed at 28%, along with the Central Ryzani Authority (CRA) with 13% and the Nationalist Radical Party (NRP) garnering 5%.

This translated to 21 votes for the NLP, 10 for the FFF, and 5 for the CRA in the Duma, as the NRP failed to achieve the required 3 vote minimum for votes in the Duma.

Despite their full agenda not being public, the NLP has promised voters that they will promote the military, businesses, and industry, establish a national budget with a tax collection system, and amend the Constitution to lay out Freehold rights and obligations. The party has already completed a small first part of their agenda, confirming that the right to bear blades would be included in a Second Constitutional Amendment with a 44-0 nationwide referendum.

The National Liberal Party has also indicated its openness to a coalition with the Central Ryzani Authority, even though it is not required for their continued rule. On the other side, an FFF-CRA-NRP minority coalition seems possible, despite the FFF and NRP being on complete opposite sides of the political spectrum.