Kingdom of Winterspell
Kingdom of Winterspell | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: "Ever changing" | |
| Anthem: "Citizens' Overture" | |
 | |
| Capital | Vetrône |
| Largest city | Château-Andreas |
| Official languages | English |
| Religion (2024) |
|
| Demonym(s) | Winterspellian |
| Government | Parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Petrus I |
| Jackson Whitted | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Independence from the United States | |
• Established | 13 April 2017 |
• Monarchy Established | 10 December 2017 |
• Current Constitution | 1 January 2022 |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.66 km2 (3.73 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Current estimate | 20 |
• 2024 census | 18 |
| Currency | Winterspell Valen (V) (WSV) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| Driving side | right |
Winterspell, officially known as the Kingdom of Winterspell, is a North American country enclaved within the US states of Colorado, New York, and Vermont. It is made up of two duchies, six counties, and a commonwealth. Winterspell is populated by 18 citizens. Winterspell is a semi-constitutional monarchy ruled by the nation's first and only monarch, King Petrus I.
Winterspell was initially the name of an exclusive club in the Minecraft city of Linsonkeep. On 13 April 2017, a Discord server was created for the club being run initially by a group of five lords. By December of the same year, the monarchy was established, crowning club co-founder Pierce (Petrus) the king. The nation's parliament was created in October 2018 and has overseen the kingdom's legislative affairs since.
The Kingdom has no active economy but maintained a PayPal money pool that took in donations before the feature was removed. There is a significant culture around creativity and design highlighted by Winterspell's many artistic outlets.
Etymology
The name Winterspell comes from the merging of two English words, winter and spell.
The word winter in English comes from the Proto-Germanic noun *wintru-, whose origin is unclear. Several theories have been proposed with a commonly mentioned one connecting it to the Proto-Indo-European root *wed- 'water' or a nasal infix variant *wend-.[1] It also can be used as the current monarchy was established on 10 December 2017, when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
The word spell, in this case meaning a period of time, comes from the Old English word spellian and the Old French word espelir both having originated from the Proto-Germanic word spellam. Spell's meaning in this context likely originated around the 1620s with sailors using the term to mean a shift of work. This definition has grown to be used to refer to something lasting for a period of time (e.g. weather).
History
Minecraft origins
Winterspell, as a club, was first built in the spring of 2016 as 'The Winterspell Club' in Minecraft by Pierce Anderson (later known as King Petrus) and Hunter Link (now Grand Duke Hunter). It was a one-story building with a single room featuring a large fireplace on the back wall. The building served as a club exclusively open to friends of the founders. The club featured 'membership jackets' made of black dyed leather tunics. This building has been replicated in various Minecraft worlds since.
Establishment
Discord server
On 13 April 2017, a Discord server was created as a breakaway from a previous community known as "The Chat of the People". This new server was titled "Winterspell Club Est. 2016" in reference to the original club in Minecraft. The server was initially run by a small group of administrators known as 'Lords'. Each lord wielded nearly limitless power to moderate and modify the Discord server and legislation.
On 15 May 2017, the first constitution was created. This constitution was made up of several 'Acts', half of which were more jokes than rules.[2] Winterspell saw little growth during this early period.
Establishment of the monarchy
Leading up to 10 December 2017, there had been a call from Lord Aidan to add more roles to the Winterspell Discord server. These were created as different titles of nobility, each achievable through different means but mostly managed through nepotism by the Lords. On 10 December, along with the new nobility, a monarchy was established crowning Lord Pierce as the first Winterspell monarch naming the other lords as princes. The monarch and newly titled princes acted as the executive, legislative, and judicial authority within the kingdom. During this period, Winterspell's early Houses (now guilds) saw their origin.
Discord kingdom
The New Winterspell Constitution
On 28 September 2018, a constitutional convention was convened in Château-Andreas. In attendance were King Petrus, Prince Jackson, and Prince Quinn. The goal of the assembly was to draft a new constitution as the old one didn't meet the democratic standards set by the Winterspell populace. The first draft of the constitution outlined the basic function of the monarchy and nobility as well as outlining the rights of Winterspell citizens.[3] A small number of the original acts were carried over to the new constitution. This document served as the Winterspell constitution until 1 January 2022.
Marquis and the establishment of parliament
It was decided in January 2019 that a more representative system of government was required for the smooth operation of legislative functions and to allow for all citizens to participate if they should so choose. The first iteration of the Parliament composed of the monarch (subsequent parliaments of this system did not include the monarch), princes, and a marquis appointed by the head of each House (subject to the size of its population).
The First Parliament was inaugurated on 15 January 2019. It remained Winterspell's most active parliamentary term for over a year despite the fact that near the end of its two-month term, half of its members had either resigned or gone on hiatus.
House of House of House
The House of House of House known informally as HHH and dubbed the 'Red Menace' by King Petrus, held a majority of seats in parliament for seven nearly consecutive terms. The house was run at the time by Ben Cooper, though most of its functions in parliament were overseen by Grayson H. This dominance allowed for an increase in corruption within the government especially for favourites of either the monarch or the house itself. During this time, members of the house found themselves achieving high ranks and titles within the Winterspell Discord server despite doing little to nothing to earn them. This corruption lasted until Grayson made the decision to step back from parliament. The House of House of House lives on in its current form as the Guild of Guild of Guild though its influence on Winterspell politics has diminished.
A bicameral parliament
The idea of a bicameral system of parliament was originally proposed during the first constitutional convention, but it wasn't attempted until November 2019.[4] Parliament featured two houses: The House of Commons, made up of members elected from the general populace, and the Lord's Room made up of the monarch and princes. This system proved to be ineffectual and sluggish with legislation often taking days or even weeks to pass with members of both houses needing near-constant pressure to vote at all. This had been a stark contrast to the previously quick method of parliamentary voting.
Departure of princes
On 11 February 2020, an argument within the Lord's Room regarding the monarch's use of his power led to Princes Jackson and Quinn leaving the Discord server and the kingdom as a whole. Parliament was then disbanded by King Petrus. Winterspell underwent a period of change following the exodus of princes. All houses were disbanded by royal decree and all title grants were frozen. During this time, the monarch and remaining princes, with the help of other members of the Winterspell Discord server worked to try and return Winterspell to a more unified community and ease any tensions that had been developed over the prior few months. Two new princes (Ben Cooper and Nick R.) were appointed to fill the empty roles. Parliament was reinstated soon thereafter in a unicameral form with only elected members. This ran nearly uninterrupted until 1 June 2020.
The June Concordat
Following the second server ban of Karsen B, the veto of that ban by King Petrus, and the subsequent overturn of that veto, tensions within the government had grown high with voices calling for a change to how parliament operated and how other functions of government and server administration should be modified to create a more fair environment. These ideas were drafted by King Petrus with help from members of parliament, former princes, and close friends into what became the June Concordat.[5] The Concordat primarily altered how parliament operated adding the idea of a 'session of parliament' when all MPs would convene in a voice call or in-person to debate and vote on proposed legislation. It also served to create an established judiciary, a new system for houses separating them into noble houses and guilds, and modify outdated legislation. After the Concordat was passed, parliament was again disbanded to make way for the change.
Prime Minister of Winterspell
On 6 October 2020, the Winterspell Discord server reached 100 members prompting the proposal of a Prime Minister position for the parliament. The proposed function of the prime minister was to act as the speaker of parliament and oversee the proposal, discussion, and voting for all parliamentary matters. The proposal passed unanimously and Joey R. was elected as the first prime minister..
Modern Winterspell
On 3 December 2021, it was announced by King Petrus that Winterspell would be divided into the Winterspell Club and the Kingdom of Winterspell as two separate entities on the first day of 2022. A second constitutional convention was held privately by the king to draft a new constitution for the kingdom in preparation for this split.[6] Following the division, Winterspell's population dropped dramatically decreasing by 87% as the majority of its former population wished to remain part of the Winterspell Club only. The kingdom has since seen slow but stable growth in population.
Government
The Winterspell government is made up of two branches, the Monarchy and Parliament.
Monarchy
The Monarch is the head of state and the title is passed down hereditarily using absolute primogeniture. The monarch may issue Royal Decrees, which are often used to modify legislation.[7] The monarch may also appoint individuals to the Royal Court, who work as advisors to the monarch. The official powers of the monarch have never been clearly defined, meaning the throne has the legal potential to wield near limitless power.
Parliament
The Parliament of Winterspell is composed of members elected from the general populace annually. Parliament votes on proposed legislation. There is one seat in parliament for every 10 citizens of Winterspell with a minimum of three seats overall. Parliament is run by the Prime Minister who is elected at the start of each term, and has the ability to call for a session of parliament and run all discussions around proposals.
Prime Ministers
Winterspell has had four Prime Ministers in its history. The role of the Prime Minister is to call to session and oversee the function of Parliament. Because of this, and the low frequency of proposed bills, it is uncommon for a session of Parliament to be called.
Foreign relations
On 5 October 2021, King Petrus I signed a treaty of mutual recognition with the Kingdom of Indradhanush as its first engagement in international diplomacy though this treaty was made void in December of the same year by Queen Monroe I. Winterspell has also signed treaties of mutual recognition with the Kingdom of Salanda,[8] the Westarctican Colony of Raphania,[9] Vishwamitra,[10] and the Kingdom of Northwood-Oregon.[11]
Titles
The Kingdom of Winterspell maintains a system of nobility, managed at the discretion of the throne. Winterspellian landed titles are almost always held by provincial leaders. There are currently twelve extant titles held by eight individuals.
Administrative divisions
Winterspell is made up of nine administrative regions of varying size and location though all Winterspell territory in located in North America.
| Flag | Name | Abrv. | Capital | Leader | Government Type | Area (km2) | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
County of Adenalas | AD | Adenalas | Count Ben I | Absolute monarchy | 0.01 | 3 February 2022 |
|
People's Commonwealth of Castra Culina | CC | N/A | Legatus Populi Gaius Atilius | Direct democracy | 0.16 | 16 May 2023 |
|
Duchy of Pondore | PD | N/A | Grand Duke Hunter I | Absolute monarchy | 0.36 | 30 July 2024 |
|
County of Provenance | PV | Château-Andreas | King Petrus I | 0.64 | 3 March 2021 | |
|
County of Roosevelt | RV | N/A | Co-Countess Ruby I
Co-Countess Aimee I |
Absolute Diarchy | 0.03 | 3 March 2021 |
|
County of Roth | RO | N/A | Count Charles I | Constitutional monarchy | 0.01 | 23 March 2024 |
|
County of Starbuck | SB | N/A | Princess Olivia | Absolute monarchy | 0.01 | 11 March 2021 |
|
Duchy of Taylor | TL | Vetrône | King Petrus I | 8.37 | 3 March 2021 | |
|
County of Whale Cove | WC | Standingway | Duke Nathaniel | 0.01 | 9 June 2021 |
Culture
Much of Winterspell's cultural identity originated from the Winterspell Club, but both club and kingdom come together to host various events and celebrate holidays as a unified 'Winterspell'.
Observed holidays
The Kingdom of Winterspell recognizes and celebrates a many holidays. Holidays are separated into two categories: national holidays and recognized holidays[12].
| Date | Name | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | Recognized |
| 8 January | Gnome Takeover Day | Recognized |
| 13 April | Winterspell Day | National |
| 21 April | Roma Condita Day | Recognized |
| 22 April | Earth Day | Recognized |
| 21 May | International Tea Day | Recognized |
| First Friday of June | Doughnut Day | Recognized |
| 28 June | Formal Day | Recognized |
| 1 August | Stand Under a Bush Day | Recognized |
| 20 August | Voyager 2 Day | Recognized |
| 23 August | yaD sdrawkcaB | Recognized |
| 1-7 September | Culture Week | Recognized |
| 5 September | Voyager 1 Day | Recognized |
| 2 October | Parliament Day | National |
| 9 October | Leif Erikson Day | Recognized |
| 23 October | Fallout Day | Recognized |
| 10 December | Monarchy Day | National |
| 25 December | Christmas | Recognized |
Culture Week is a cultural festival held in the first week of September during which a nation's culture, selected by popular vote, is explored, learned about, and celebrated. The first culture week was held in 2017 celebrating German culture. Subsequent years have celebrated several other nations[13]. Culture week in Winterspell is host to several activities and cultural explorations often including the showing of popular or historically important films, the discovery and sharing of music, the preparation and consumption of culturally unique dishes, and presentations on cultural history.
The kingdom also co-hosts an annual Summer Festival[14] with the Winterspell Club. The festival, held in late July, usually takes the form of an American style barbeque and is attended by both Winterspellian citizens and Winterspell Club members.
Guilds
The Kingdom is host to several guilds. These guilds originated from the five houses of the Lords of Winterspell during the nations genesis and have undergone many changes since their inception. The early houses were controlled initially by the Lords but after the establishment of the monarchy, the creation of a house was opened up to the general population. The houses served as social and political organizations. Until 2019, the requirement to be in a house to be elected to parliament led to rapid growth of the most popular houses giving them near-total control over the kingdom's legislature. Following the passage of the June Concordat, the houses were reorganized into guilds and all direct connection to parliament was severed. Today's guilds retain their social function and continue to be an important aspect of the kingdom.
Art
Winterspell has a thriving artistic community. Countess Ruby S. often produces drawings of her various pets often including local favourite chicken and folk hero, Ms. Jane, and Microball cartoons are also often produced, primarily by Sir Joey R. Winterspell has an art gallery run by Countess Aimee E. which curates the best works from within the kingdom to keep on permanent display.
News and media
Winterspell has been host to three newspapers and a broadcasting company, most of which were organized under the Winterspell Media Alliance.
The Winterspell News is the oldest form of publication in the Kingdom of Winterspell.[15] Although articles are infrequent, it has put out seven issues often reporting on international crises and internal events. It is run by King Petrus on a personal basis, and is not state-owned.
Chängr News, run by Co-Countesses Aimee and Ruby, covers events in both the Kingdom of Winterspell and the Winterspell Club. Like much of Winterspell's media, it is published infrequently, but enjoys wide acclaim both domestically and with foreign readers.
On 18 March 2021, much of Winterspell’s news and media were organized under a newly created "media alliance", in a move spearheaded by Karsen B [16] The alliance consisted of three media entities: Chängr News, The Bravura, and Polybox Broadcasting (the latter two being owned and operated by Karsen). This entity made publications sporadically but maintains a high approval rating among its readers. In February 2023, Karsen cut ties with Winterspell rendering the media alliance defunct.
See also
- Monarchy of Winterspell
- Parliament of Winterspell
- Prime Minister of Winterspell
- Winterspell Nobility
References and notes
References
- ↑ "Winter | Origin and meaning of winter by Online Etymology Dictionary". Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ↑ Winterspell Club Constitution docs.google.com. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ↑ Original 'New Winterspell Constitution' docs.google.com. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ↑ Winterspell News Issue #2 Winterspell News Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ↑ June Concordat docs.google.com. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ↑ The Winterspell Constitution docs.google.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ↑ Royal Decrees docs.google.com. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ↑ Winterspell-Salanda Treaty of Mutual Recognition docs.google.com. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ↑ Winterspell-Raphistan Treaty of Mutual Recognition docs.google.com. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ↑ 164/MR/3/2022 - Kingdom of Winterspell (05-02-2022) docs.google.com. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ↑ A Treaty of Mutual Recognition Between the Kingdom of Northwood-Oregon and the Kingdom of Winterspell docs.google.com. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ↑ Holiday Reform Act docs.google.com. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ↑ Chängr News: Swedish Edition Chängr News. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ↑ Chängr News #3 Chängr News. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ↑ Winterspell News Issue #1 Winterspell News. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ↑ WSMA Terms of Agreement docs.google.com. Retrieved 25 March 2021.