It was a misleading name "Chief Magistrates Palace". It was an old military college that had once belonged to a minor Cult of Bellator. It had been forfeited in the middle of the 1800's and turned into a complex where the Magistrate could both live and run his staff from. What it did have however was a vast lawn and it was here that Narcis Zappa awiated the arrival of the various delegates for his proposed conference. The guests would be meet by the Primarch of the Covenant, Octavia Pax, at the International Airport. She would do all the formalities and greetings as you would expect from a Head of State in a nation where religion was both complex and confusing. From there a helicopter would whizz each of them over the city, ensuring views of both the old red roofed town and the new ultra modern glass and steel sides of the capital. Then it would be a touch down where a young military officer would greet them, ensure they were free from the complexities of a harness and then Narcis would greet them. "Good Morning" he said enthusiastically hoping to make a good first impression. "We're excited that you agreed to come. I've some warm coffee inside please follow Lieutenant Hafalsa until I have a chance to welcome everyone else, I'm sure it won't be long."

The blonde haired Jana Hafalsa saluted their first guest and escorted them towards the conference room. "While the Chief Magistrate had coffee in mind I can arrange anything else you'd prefer, juice, tea, water.....please let me know. If I can be of any assistance I'd be delighted to help." She said as she led them into the conference room where there were a series of long rectangular tables formed into a square where tiny flags marked where each nation would be expected to sit.

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The Federal Alliance of Xerente
Chief Magistrates Palace, Xarqueada, XQ7638, Mendaxian Quarter
www.fexerente.org

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To the governments of Abertone, Tytor, Kermah, Paracambi, Drakensjolund, Nya Aland and Dartfordia

I would like to invite you to the city of Xarqueada in order to discuss a proposal for improving the economic co-operation of our nations. It is my belief that our position on the Kyne and our close geography to each other could help each of us grow our economy at a much faster rate. If you would be agreeable I would like to invite you to the Magistrates Palace in our capital for discussions on how to make this happen.

Chief Magistrate
Lord Narcís Zappa

Octavia was 54 years old in 2024. She was born into a wealthy family who were determined that she would become either a doctor, lawyer or priestess. She was sent to the best private schools and had extra tutition. When she reached the age of 18 she attended the nations finest University for Theology and Law having ruled out being a doctor after finding science highly demanding in school. She graduated at the age of 21 with near perfect grades in Theology and began training for the Priesthood. She was approached several times by followers of the Cult of Voluptas but opted to remain loyal to the Mother of all Gods, Salvatrix. She worked her way up through the ranks and in 2021 was appointed as the Primarch of the Covenant which is the highest rank within the nation and acts as one of the two pillars of the government. She has tried to reign in some of the more extreme of the Cults and this has made her not the most popular of leaders.

Evelina was 58 years old in 2024. She became the Primarch in 2019. She had grown up in a wealthy family who ran several businesses including a copper mine complex, gold panning and food processing. Evelina attended University and became an accountant splitting time between working for the families associated businesses and preaching. She took over management of the Cults investments for a few years before throwing herself fully into religious affairs.

Marika is 51 years old in 2024. She has been the Primarch of Voluptas since 2017. She was an orphan brought up in the Cults orphanages. She has spent her whole adult life within. She was a great dancer and taught Priestesses at the Cults main temple. Since becoming Primarch she has ensured the expansion of the Cult via ensuring its strong financial basis by investing in several industries making some concerned that the Cult is becoming a “brand” and not just a faith.

The current Primarch is Amalia Rogetovi. In 2024 she was 70 years old. She has been the Primarch for 18 years. She has worked her way up through the ranks of the clergy.
She has spent a lot of her reign trying to subdue conflicts between the various Cults while promoting more to worship Salvatrix directly. She has sought, unsuccessfully, for the Primarch to have a direct role in government but this has been overruled by several leaders. Many have accused her of nepotism with her daughter Andona being rapidly promoted with the service of Salvatrix.

The XNF can trace its history back to the 1600's however it was not formed in its current guise until mid 1800's. While primarily a naval force it also has responsibility for duties most nations would consider part of its coastguard and it operates two amphibious military forces. The Xerente Naval Commando force is an elite special forces unit and the Xerente Expeditionary Corps (XEC) is a unit that provides a mixture of security onboard ships and also can carry out small unit actions on land. In addition they also take leading responsibility for most Search and Rescue operations within the nation.

The Xerente Defence Force was formed by merging several different militia groups in 1804, at that time it was called the Holy Forces of the Divine however in 1933 the name was changed. While the nation has no form of national service the members of the the various Cults of Bellator are expected to serve and their branch of the faith does operate a record keeping of service meaning all those aged between 18-30 are expected to serve at some point for a period. While initially most members of the armed forces sign on for an initial 5 year period a special clause exists where a member of the Cults of Bellator can register to serve two years but then have a mandatory three years in the reserve but with much higher expectations of service than regular reserves. For example a normal reservist is expected to give 48 hours of service a month whereas a member of the Cults of Bellator must serve 96 hours and must also undertake a full weeks training alongside any call ups.

 

Chief of Police for Xerente has today confirmed that a total of 208 people have been arrested for various crimes committed during the period known as the Time of Avaritia. The time period is one where members of the Cults connected to the God of wealth and material possessions strive to increase their own fortunes and impress the God with their own ability to amass both financial excess and luxury items. Typically during the four days that make up this time period you can see members of these Cults engaging in "Get rich quick schemes", gambling and in some cases minor crimes. This year however one cult, known as the Golden Children, saw their nameless leader declare that wealth in Xerente can only be held by Xerentians and as such any foreigner in the country or any foreign business doesn't deserve to hold anything that would be considered wealth. As a result a warning was issued to foreign nationals and businesses across the country. There were reports of house break ins and thefts in some residences belonging to foreign nationals and a warehouses housing stock for a company from Toshikawa saw around $800,000 worth of stock in electronic devices stolen. Police across the nation were kept busy and in several cities the paramilitary Custodes Publici got into fights with groups wanting to break into other enterprises. In one city footage of around 20 members of the Custodes Publici beating a theif with sticks was filmed by onlookers surprised by the actions of the Custodes Publici. The paramilitary security force were tasked with helping secure sites across the nation and acting on intelligence reports however in many cases people believe they have carried out a large number of extra-judicial beatings as a punishment for damaging the reputation of the nation. Courts sat to fast track those caught and charged with 193 individuals being sentenced for a variety of crimes ranging from assaulting a peace-officer, theft and kidnapping. Sentences have ranged from 12 months to 10 years for one group who had tried kidnapping a citizen from Seaforth and demanding their spouse pay for their return. Thankfully members of the Custodes Publici were able to free the kidnapped individual shortly after their ordeal began.

Primarch Evelina Caragalis of the Cult of Avaritia had called for a peaceful adherence to the tradition and since spoke out saying, "The Golden Children are a very small group compared to the millions who worship our God. She guides us to enhance our life and our wealth but not at the expense of others. The Goddess does not diminish blessings upon one person to benefit another. Anyone who in the coming days makes offerings from their new found wealth and knows it is taken from a foreigner during this bedlam then they may as well spit in Avaritias face. As the time of Avaritia came to an end Primarch Caragalis also confirmed that a total of $289,893 was added to the sacred vault within the Temple of Rexfordia in the manner of golden coins, sacred objects and other items.

Nation Name: Xerente

Nation Link:https://www.nationstates.net/nation=xerente
Provinces you wish to claim:

1.B3
2.B4
3.G98
4.G97
5.G99

Proposed colour of your nation on the map: Something red, yellow, white or black whatever works best.

I, Xerente, have read the rules set down above, and agree to follow them.

The Federal Alliance is a loose collection of Kingdoms, Queendoms, Principalities, Duchies and city states. They have formed together through various means since the mid 1600's based very loosely upon a religious identity. Today the Federation allows its members to make their own policy on several factors but all have signed up to laws attempting to bring stability and co-operation between them.

At a Federal Alliance level the government is responsible for the following.

1 . Foreign Affairs
The Chief Magistrate is responsible for handling diplomacy, treaties, trade agreements, and defense pacts. These must be approved by the Primarch of the Covenant. Entrance into any foreign treaty must be approved by 3/4 of the Alliances members.

2. National Defense
The Primarch of the Covenant is responsible for oversight of a central military force to address external threats, this also gives them control a Federation wide paramilitary police force called the Custodes Publici.

3. Inter-Regional Disputes
The Chief Magistrate is responsible for arbitration by the central government, especially to mediate violent conflicts or territorial issues between alliance members and also between the various religious cults.

4. Currency and Monetary Policy

The Chief Magistrate is responsible for maintaining a unified currency and financial system to stabilize the economy. This allows them to set a nationwide budget and handle taxation on matters across the whole nation such as income tax, inheritance tax, national insurance and the like.

5. Transportation and Infrastructure

The Chief Magistrate must manage and maintain Federation-wide railroads, highways, ports, and communication networks.

6 . Justice for High Crimes

A supreme judicial system for crimes affecting the entire nation exists. This sees responsibility for crimes that would carry more than five years imprisonment and all treason and terrorism trials. This system utilises judges appointed and overseen by the Primarch of the Covenant.

7.Trade and Economic Policy

The Chief Magistrate has responsibility for regulating trade between regions and external nations. This includes the setting of legislation governing what can be imported/exported and what tariffs if any can exist.

8.Environmental Policy

The Chief Magistrate has responsibility for creating policies that are aimed at preserving natural resources shared across the alliance.

9. Immigration and Border Control

The Primarch of the Covenant may set Federation-wide policies to manage borders and migration this includes establishing a border force responsible for the day to day security of borders.

10. Cult Regulation

The Primarch of the Covenant has oversight to monitor and manage cult activities to prevent catastrophic escalations however this is often ignored by hardliners.


At a Local level the government is responsible for the following.

1.Education

Local leaders have systems so that they may establish curricula reflecting cultural and religious values that are important to their area. This can cause problems because the nation has no single educational standard assessment.

2. Healthcare

Local leaders can set policies and funding. For example some regions permit IVF via the local health care system, others meanwhile only allow it via private providers. This means there is a complex system of providers with variations in quality and focus.

3. Law Enforcement

Local policing forces and paramilitaries exist to maintain order. These are overseen by a local structure. These forces are subserviant to the Education
Local curricula reflecting cultural and religious values.

4. Religious Practices

With different cults holding sway in different areas each region has its own seperate leadership that overseas worship regulations and cult-specific events or holidays. This often can be split between different Cults that can lead to violent conflicts.

5. Local Taxation

The local leadership has the right to set and collect taxes specific to local needs. This includes local sales taxes, taxes on businesses based there and property taxes.

6. Social Services

Local leaders may establish welfare systems or community-based support reflecting regional priorities. This can be social security, food support and housing policies.

7. Housing and Urban Development

Local leaders have a responsibility for the management of local infrastructure, zoning laws, and housing projects.

8. Agriculture and Resource Management

Local leaders can establish rules for farming practices, resource allocation, and trade within local jurisdictions.

9.Cultural Preservation

Local leaders have the ability to establish systems promoting regional languages, arts, and traditions.

10. Judicial Systems for Minor Crimes

Local courts handling civil disputes and lesser criminal cases likely to result in less than five years in prison.


IN PRACTICE

While there are supposed to be clear divisions between local and national responsibilities the often chaotic nature of the country means these lines sometimes get blurred. As a result there are inconsistencies. For example some regions refer many more court cases to Federal Courts than others. Religious leadership also holds a huge sway over the individuals loyal to the various cults.

Every five years the Federal Alliance have elections for the Chief Magistrate. This position is responsible for much of the day to day running of the nation. These elections see a series of votes, potentially three. The first round is a nomination stage. Here each member of the Alliance holds elections where anyone may put their name on the ballot if they are over the age of 30 and have served in either the military, clergy, emergency services, medical or educational iinstitues. If they get at least 10,000 votes in at least three regions they proceed to the 2nd stage. The 2nd Stage is a nationwide vote where each individual over the age of 18 may vote. You select one individual to vote for. Should no candidate get at least 50% of the vote then all but the top two candidates are removed from the ballot and a 3rd run off stage takes place. While it is highly unlikely that a 3rd stage vote would result in a draw provision is in place that if it should happen then the Primarch of the Covenant casts the determining vote. There are no term limits on running for this position.

The other section of government responsibility is the Primarch of the Covenant. They are best thought of as the highest ranked individual in the nation. They are elected and serve until one of three circumstances take place. The first is their death or abdication,  the second is that 3/4 of the Alliance members issue a vote of no confidence in them and for this to happen their must be a referendum of the general public in that region. The final way that they Primarch can be removed is if they are deemed to have violated the sacred covenant that underpins the Federation's religious and political unity. Such a decision must be reached by a unanimous vote of the Council of Monarchs and confirmed by a tribunal of high-ranking clerics from all major cults.