Der Frei und Hanseatic Stadt von Amstrad, commonly referred to as Amstrad, is a port city and sovereign state in the central, desert area of the Hanseatic region. It is a member of the Hanseatic League and Northern Alliance of States. Originally named Amstrad when it was a city in the Tall Kingdom, it adopted its current name as "The free and Hanseatic" following the monarchy's dissolution.
It is the home of famous entrepreneur and phonoscope pioneer Arno... forget his name.
History[]
The earliest recorded settlement in the area was located to the northwest of Amstrad, on the bank of the ???. It is believed the city was named after the Ammer Straße, which runs from the north to the south of the city over the top of Ammer hill.
Prior to the signing of the Treaty of the Kingdom in 879BGE, Amstrad was a member of the Hansea Staatenbund. In 849BGE, Bismuth II moved the capital of the Great Kingdom to Amstrad to strengthen the monarchy's political and economic ties with the major cities on the Hanseatic landbridge. The Vertragschloss, a fortified castle, was constructed on Ammer Hill near the modern day site of the Panzerwerks to serve as a fortress to project the power of the new monarchy. The Palast der Hansea was later constructed adjoining the fortress, the site is now Peatz Kaffe Haus.
The construction of the Zitruspalast attracted more nobles to make a permanent residence in the city and an artistic culture built up around the patronage of the nobility. Their wealth brought more sophisticated industries such as metalworkers and clockmakers to the city and the city's lemon and lime products became fashionable in the courts of Hansea, Pem and Alleuria.
As the city's metalwork industry grew, so did its need for coal. Due to the scarcity of mineral coal in the region, the forests to Amstrad's north and south were consistently logged and their lumber burned to provide charcoal. Although the smoke from this production was drawn away from the city by the predominantly west-blowing winds of the region, the Brückenrest mountain range often prevented a dispersal of the clouds, with acid rain becoming an increasing issue in the city. The city's metalworks became increasingly successful and the Great Kingdom produced the Known World's first cannons in ???, with Amstrad's metal products and technologies being traded across Hansea and the Known World.
However, the pollution caused by industry and the destruction of nearby forests destabilised Amstrad's environment and the quality of its agricultural products, including its famous lemon and lime orchards, began to rapidly deteriorate until the soil around the city became unable to sustain plant life.
Following the environmental collapse of Amstrad's agricultural ecosystem and the relocation of the capital to Wasmeinau, Hansea's nobility moved away from the city. The city's cleaner industries and its arts industry moved with them and the city's land prices collapsed. Almost all of the city's industry relocated, leaving only the metalworks and a skeletal ocean and canal trade. Large portions of the working classes moved to other cities as a result of the skyrocketing food prices, with those that remained falling into poverty.
It was at this time that the land to the west of the city was purchased by House Zweibeln and they began to prospect it for ore, in what later became the Übermine.
Economy[]
Amstrad's economy centres around its heavy industry and stock market. Amstrad has an Eastern Sea deep-water port, multiple canal links and numerous short-distance light-rail connections to facilitate the movement of heavy goods such as cannons, ore and metal products for international trade.
Heavy Industry[]
Amstrad is home to much of Hansea's major heavy industry including the Panzerwerks and the Arno Sugar factory, the Central Hanseatic Übermine, and the Amstrad metalworks. To facilitate the export and trade of these heavy indsutry goods, a network of light rail connects these industries and Amstrad docks and canal wharfs. These rail connections are extensive and are highly advanced for Hansea, though they are relatively unsophisticated and low-capacity when compared to more established railway technology in the Commonwealth of Pem and the Centrelands.
Stock Market (Marketzentrum)[]
The Amstrad Marktzentrum is Hansea's only stock market and is considered to be the most sophisticated institute of its kind in the Known World. Located in the Zitruspalast, a former royal palace, a variety of securities and commodities are traded in the building. Tax payments from activity at the Marktzentrum contribute heavily to the Amstrad government's budget, whilst fees from transactions form the backbone of income for the market's owners, House Zweibeln.
Coffee (and tea) Houses[]
The coffee houses of Amstrad have a long history....
Culture[]
Before the formation of the Great Kingdom, Amstrad was a prosperous but otherwise un-influential agricultural city-state. Amstrad was well known for its limes and lemons (collectively referred to as Zitrus), and its ruling prince was referred to as the 'Zitrusprinz'. The city had an annual festival celebrating its citrus produce, Zitrusfest, with the most ostentatious celebrations said to feature 'brunnen der fließenden Zitrus' (translation: 'fonts of flowing citrus')[1].
Citizens of the period are believed to have been worshippers of Suradan, with small rock shrines dedicated to the green god in the four corners of each field and orchard[1]. Offerings of agricultural products were given at these shrines, as well as in people's homes and at larger communal shrines in a ceremony known as 'eine Frucht, ein Kontrakt, zwei Hälften' (translation: one fruit, one contract, two halves), in which food would be cut in half, with a portion offered to the green god and the rest eaten by the worshipper.
After the formation of the Great Kingdom, the other cultures of Hansea and the promoted cultural edifices of the kingdom began to permeate the city. As Hansea's religion became increasingly standardised under the Hanseatic Church based on Wasmeinau-doctrine, so too did worship in Amstrad. Some elements such as small scale shrine worship persisted, but communal shrine worship was shunned in favour of church worship.
After Amstrad became the Great Kingdom's capital, its eastern side increasingly catered to the rich and the city became a summer seaside resort for Hansea's nobility. As the city became richer and the monarchy more established, Hansea's nobility began to relocate to the city and began to fund artistic and culture pursuits, turning Amstrad into a centre of the arts. The city's wealth peaked with the construction of grand buildings such as the Zitruspalast palace, Hoffen Cathedral and Rundumsichtspeer pleasure tower. It was during this period that Partyhat Fashion was at its peak, with the tradition of wearing Partyhats to dinner parties persisting in Hansea into the Great Era.
However, Amstrad's culture changed drastically due to the climate change experienced in the city state. The desertification of Amstrad's arable land destroyed its agricultural industry to the western side of the city. The desertification and Amstrad's loss of status when the capital was moved to Wasmeinau encouraged the majority of the city's nobility to relocate taking many industries and their artistic patronage with them. The rise in food prices at this time also displaced many of the city's poorer residents to neighbouring settlements and decreased the quality of life of those who remained.
Government[]
Amstrad is governed by a council of 16 members known as the Merkantilmontage, or Montage for short.
The seats of the Merkantilemontage are ostensibly distributed to ensure that the major industries, stakeholders and establishments of Amstrad are represented. The council also features elected seats to represent the civilian population and, in times of crisis, emergency seats of an elected nature. It also features advisory representatives for agendas such as infrastructure and the military, in which all representatives have some vested interested.
Permanent Council Seats (The Big Six)[]
The six major industries each hold permanent seats on the council. Their representatives are referred to as the 'Big Six' and are assisted by numerous support staff. Each seat posses two votes. In no particular order, the 'Big Six' permanent council seat holders are:
- Agriculture
- Industrial Production
- Minerals and Metallurgy
- Academia and Administration
- Textiles and Partyhats
- Creditors and Guarantors
Advisory Seats[]
There are five advisory seats, elected by the council, to cover the five major agendas that fall outside of the purview of the permanent council members. Although each seat posses a vote, their main role is to provide advice within their area of expertise. In no particular order, the Advisory seats are:
- Infrastructure and Warehousing
- Indemnity and Insurance
- Financial Regulation and Listing
- Military Affairs
- Diplomacy and Cultural Affairs Committees
Special Council Seats[]
The special council seats were ostensibly intended to allow the Hanseatic League and major families invested in Amstrad to be included in the council's discussions. The seats currently posses a vote each. Functionally, the seats serve as a medium for House Zweibeln to exercise additional influence over the council.
- House Zweibeln representative
Supplementary Council Seats[]
There are additional council seats selected by the Big Six on an adhoc basis to cover companies and other stakeholders not covered by the permanent or advisory seats, or with exceptional or significant interest.
- Beverage Dispensers
- Amstrad Panzerwerks MLK
- Arno Sugar ZLK
- Internationale Zitrus Holdings und Fokusgruppe (International Citrus Holdings and Focus Group)
Districts[]