Novenae

Novenae Commonwealth
Map of Novenae with Paxem highlighted
Skyline of Aberdeen, Novenae. Pictured left is the Governor-General's palace.
City Details
Nickname(s)	City of Corporations 诺维娜 (Cantonese)
Established	June 22, 3018
Head of State	Governor-General: Faye Ming-liang
Government	constitutional monarchy
Demonym	Novanite
Ethnic groups	Chinese (65%) European (30%) Tibetan/Nepali (4%) Other (1%)

"To have a home is not a favour." —Novenae Basic Law, Preamble

Novenæ, often nicknamed the City of Corporations, is an independent nation in central Doggerland.

The city is known for its cosmopolitan society and importance as a business hub for the continent as a whole. Its' name comes from the Latin "group of nine"- named after the nine corporations that originally founded the city. It is one of the most populous regions of the Doggerland, and the most densely populated, with an estimated population of over 2,000,000 people. Efforts by the government to minimize bureacracy have made it one of the easiest cities to do business in, and the city is an established entrepot. A multicultural society, a majority of Novanite citizens are immigrants or the children of immigrants, with a widespread reputation for taking in refugees. The dominant culture, however, is Chinese-influenced, with one of the city's official languages being Cantonese (alongside English). Significant enclaves of Bonitanian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian immigrants remain and have shaped the city's culture.

History

Prehistory

The land on which present-day Novenae sits was not populated until after the destruction of the British Monarchial Clique. Dutch-speaking peoples lived in sparsely populated villages along the plateau and named the region "Malmani". The origin of this name is not known. These people slowly left the region due to crop failures, after which Chisel Enterprises seized the land to use for its Airbase 103 project.

Founding

The idea of a neutral city-state gained traction in the early 3000's, a place where corporations and nations could meet and discuss issues without the fear of their representatives being harmed while on foreign soil. The ultimate goal of this city-state would be to facilitate cooperation and diplomacy, thereby promoting international peace. This idea would not come to fruition until a meeting between HR, a combat medic turned Buddhist monk from Tibet, and representatives from nine corporations, to whom he pitched the original idea for the city-state of Novenae. With their approval, he received the former land of Chisel Enterprises' Airbase 103 and an investment of 8.1 billion corporate marks to begin development of the city.

From the start, Novenae was planned as a highly dense city. Limited usable land area made vertical expansion a necessity. To incentivize corporations to participate in the city's development, HR's government passed a law which gave businesses owning property in the city representation in Parliament. Shortly after, Chisel Enterprises, BlackCon Labs Corporation, ANAC Group, and several other major corporations established regional HQ's in Novenae. Novenae also began to accept record numbers of refugees, far more than other nations in Doggerland at the time. This would go on to become an integral part of the city's identity: a refuge for those who had been forced from their homes due to war, famine, and instability.

Civil War

Corporations wielded powerful influence over Novenae, both economically and politically. As a result, Novanite society became heavily stratified. Income inequality had worsened to a degree that many were forced to move into cramped and unsanitary underground slums. Within these slums, anti-capitalist and socialist ideas became widespread. This tension culminated in the Novenae Riots, a series of violent protests which aimed to topple Novenae's capitalist market and replace it with a socialist economic system. These protests targeted Novenae government buildings and corporate offices in Aberdeen (then called Bern). After attempts at diplomatic resolution failed, HR authorized the first use of military force in Novenae's history, beginning the Novenae Civil War.

The war was mainly fought between two parties: the revolutionary Novenae's People for Liberation (NPL) and the government's Novenae Defense Force (NDF), then heavily supplemented by corporate militaries such as the C.E. PMC. The NPL gained a significant advantage when it won the support of both the Almere Socialist Republic (ASR) and the United Cities of Greater Bonitana (UCGB), ideologically similar nations with powerful, established militaries. Both nations provided the NPL with weapons and allowed them to operate in Novenae's neighboring regions Byfair and Barkshire. This resulted in "hit and run" attacks where NPL insurgents would cross the border into Novenae, ambush the NDF and damage critical infrastructure, and then retreat into Barkshire where the NDF could not pursue them without potentially inciting conflict with the ASR/UCGB.

Federation

The ASR and UCGB soon merged into the Eastern Federal Republic (EFR), becoming the largest nation on the continent at the time. The EFR's formation was a significant cause for concern for Novenae, since it consolidated the military, economic, and political power of Novenae's two largest adversaries. This sentiment was shared by multiple smaller nations across the continent, and eventually lead to the founding of the Novanite Federation. Originally envisioned as a union between Novenae and Scion, the Federation grew to include Wiltshire and Marino at its height. Under the Federation, Novenae funded an armed far-right insurgent group known as the Modus Individuum, which carried out attacks on neighboring Barkshire. Soon after, the NPL's leader Markus Gustav disappeared and the EFR ordered that NPL insurgents be disarmed, thereby ending the Civil War.

Ibrahim Regime

Interim Director James Ledger, who had been appointed after HR's kidnapping by Chisel Enterprises, suddenly resigned. As a result, the Minister of Defense Isaak Ibrahim came to power as Novenae's leader. Ibrahim resented all forms of foreign influence, including the federal government, corporations, as well as the newly formed EFR. Believing the federal government to be socialist, he declared Novenae's independence from the Novanite Federation. He censored all forms of press, prevented Novanite citizens from entering or leaving the city, and formed the Novenae Office of Security Enforcement. James Ledger, who had been imprisoned and tortured for defying Ibrahim, fled to the neighboring BlackCon corporate sector where he asked for John Seymore Jr.'s assistance in liberating Novenae. Meanwhile, Novenae Chief Justice Kurt Inveyuri and members of the Institute for Peacekeeping and Intelligence formed a resistance movement. With military support from the federal government, Inveyuri and the resistance took control of the eastern districts of Novenae. As the rebellion progressed, confidence in Ibrahim's regime plummeted. Ibrahim's government was on the verge of bankruptcy, and law and order began to breakdown. Military forces from the Oscdean State moved in to retake Novenae, on behalf of Novanite Federation President Marco Pierre, but these forces were repelled by Chisel Enterprises. Novenae was then declared to be property of Chisel Enterprises, and made capital of the New Corporate Republic (NCR). This marked the end of Ibrahim's rule.

NCR Occupation

The first few months of Novenae's occupation saw recovery of the economy, as Chisel Enterprises lifted Ibrahim's trade restrictions and began hiring individuals en masse. However, the NCR began to enact anti-Tauran policies in which Tauran residents of Novenae were disenfranchised, forcibly relocated, and sometimes even placed under house arrest. Soon after, the continent would be embroiled in a war between the NCR and the International Defense Organization. HR and Samuel Peters covertly aided in helping the Wiltshirian ambassador escape the city. NCR rule ended after the Battle of Novenae, in which the former NCR territories became part of the Republic of Paxem.

Independence from Paxem

After the fall of the NCR, Novenae became part of the Republic of Paxem. Paxemese rule was already unpopular, as many Novanites believed Novenae should have become independent after the NCR's dissolution. Paxem's prioritization of Cyrene in its government funding further stoked discontent, with many believing that Paxem was simply taking advantage of Novenae's economy. This ultimately culminated in the Novenae independence referendum. While denounced by corporatist parties, the referendum was widely popular with the general public. To spearhead the independence movement, HR formed the Novanite National Congress (NNC), which would go on to occupy a supermajority of seats in the Novenae Parliament. In response, the Paxemese government threatened to charge members of the NNC with treason. When ignored, Paxemese forces were deployed to arrest HR and halt the independence movement. These forces were met with hundreds of protesters, who attempted a nonviolent blockade, however HR was detained and brought to Cyrene for his trial.

HR resigned, triggering an election in which Faye Ming-liang became Governor-General and the Novenae populace overwhelmingly voted for independence. This decision was ultimately accepted by the Paxemese Triumvirate, making Novenae an independent nation once more.

Ming-liang Era

Ming-liang represented a paradigm shift in Novenae political philosophy. Ming-liang enacted a series of progressive legislation including a universal healthcare program, education reform, housing reform, and forcing vertical urban development. Ming-liang also abandoned Novenae's previous policy of laissez-faire economics by founding the Novenae Development Consortium (NDC), a group of corporations subsidized by the Novenae government in exchange for selling products to foreign markets. Dividends from the NDC directly funded many of Ming-liang's social policies. Some of the companies to arise from the NDC included Heliu Telecom, Keoi Construction, and Qu Media Group. Unbeknownst to the public, Ming-liang enforced these policies with an iron fist, covertly assassinating those who disagreed with her. Ultimately, she enacted these policies on behalf of the Wheel-Turners, a clandestine organization with the goal of ending sapient suffering.

Government & Politics

Novenae is a constitutional monarchy with three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The Monarch

Novenae's monarch is the Governor-General. Unlike most monarchs, the Governor-General is directly elected by voting citizens, making it more akin to a President. The monarch has a wide range of executive powers including being able to issue executive orders and appoint/dismiss members of the Cabinet, thus giving the monarch full control of the executive branch. The Governor-General does not have to appoint Cabinet members from the legislative branch, but is accountable in that the legislature can impeach the Governor-General with a 2/3rds majority. The legislature would then be able to appoint an interim Governor-General to serve until the next election.

National Diet

Novenae's supreme law-making body is the National Diet. It is composed of 120 MPs, half of which are elected and half of which represent the corporations of the city through "business constituencies". Aside from passing laws and approving the government's budget, the legislature may also subpoena private citizens or the Governor-General themselves. The legislature also has jurisdiction over all royal property, by simple majority vote, a measure that was installed to prevent the Governor-General from hoarding wealth for themselves.

Members of the National Diet are elected by two classes of constituencies: geographical and business.

Business Constituencies

Business constituencies represent the various corporations of the city. Any registered business which owns property in Novenae is entitled to vote. Small to medium-sized businesses are grouped into a constituency based on their sector of the economy. For example, the Information Technology constituency which represents over 500 technology-related corporations including cloud computing platforms, cybersecurity providers, and chip manufacturers. Large corporations such as BlackCon which are vital to Novenae's economy are placed in a constituency where they are the sole constituent, allowing them to effectively select their own representative. In either case, the CEO or Board of Directors reports their vote to the electoral authorities. Subsidiaries are prohibited from voting altogether.

Geographical Constituencies

The remaining 60 seats of the Diet are elected by geographical constituencies- which represent the citizens of Novenae's six districts. These seats are apportioned based on population, calculated based on the census which is taken every two years. Currently, Aberdeen and Kiuh Saang are Novenae's two largest districts, and therefore hold the most seats.

Judiciary

Novenae's highest court is the Supreme Court, which is led by nine justices including the Chief Justice. These justices are appointed by the Governor-General, on the advise of the National Diet. Lower courts carry out criminal trials, resolve civil disputes, and interpret laws. The Supreme Court has the authority to strike down laws which are unconstitutional.