Varkonia

The Grand Duchy of Varkonia, commonly known as Varkonia, was a constitutional monarchy on CivClassic located in the -,-. Varkonia's mainland borders stretch from neighboring Gabon in the east to Tierra de Conciencia in the west. The Grand Duchy of Varkonia is made up of eight provinces. The province of Varkonia is the center of government and the most populous. Other provinces of note include Nevrast, Kaiserreich, and Westmore.

The Grand Duchy of Varkonia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected senate of at least five sitting members. It is led by The Red Duke, who serves as the head of state, and the Senate, which is the highest decision-making body in the Grand Duchy. The current sitting monarch, Varkanos, is the figurehead of the nation and generally acts as the arbitrator of senatorial affairs.

Varkonia was a prominent and founding member state of the United Northern Congress (UNC) with a range of contracts, treaties, and economic arrangements with many of its regional neighbors, and now currently is a member of the Entente, with Gensokyo, Nyasaland, and Hjaltland. Varkonia has been directly involved in the resolution of several regional affairs and conflicts, as well as a major participant in the War of The Coalition and Infinity War on the side of the Coalition.

Varkonia remains a prominent member of the loose organization of nations in the post-war server, referred to as the World Police, including the members of the Entente, SATO, and UDF, and is keeping many war criminals and unrepentant combatants pearled for the foreseeable future.

Founding of the City State of Varkonia
The City of Varkonia was founded In early July 2018, after extensive work and deliberation by Mickale, who had returned after the resolution of the Somber War. While he was initially offered citizenship in Coventhia, there were calls for a new nation to be formed by stateless former Volterrans and SPQR citizens from previous iterations. Varkanos, S4NTA, RedSkillz, Cicero, and various others came together to help Mickale in the founding of Varkonia.

Several candidate sites were considered, including the area north of the Airbud Republic and former Republic of Vallera. These sites were rejected in favor of proximity to more friendly nations and the center of the map. Varkonia’s geography contained considerable natural beauty, which ultimately favored the current site for selection.

The formation of the City State of Varkonia was warmly received by all neighboring nations and their citizenry. Gabon in particular developed a very close relationship with Varkonia due to their common histories and views.

Construction of the Capital
The first Varkonian construction on the island was a small birchwood hut built by Redskillz and Mickale at the base of Mt. Velino, looking out over forest gently sloping toward the Tiber River. Within this hut, the initial factories were placed and rails were dug to neighboring Gabon and Impasse.

The area was hilly and heavily forested. The process of developing a city was slow and difficult. Jett213 was responsible for clearing the largest trees, which had 3x3 block trunks and were at least 24 blocks tall. Vast excavations of the local surroundings took place during this time, with deforestation being a high priority as areas suitable for construction were required to house the growing population. It was common practice to ask passers-by to assist in the deforestation effort, with limited tools and wealth available to the fledgling city-state. Ez2Clutch was one such passer-by who single-handedly deforested the entire Eastern side of the island. After clearing enough suitable locations, work began on constructing the Tower of Varkanos, located in the center of the city, which was completed in just three days. It is situated atop a naturally elevated plateau, which inspired the Varkonians to preserve as much natural elevation variability as possible. At 125 blocks tall, it is still the tallest and most recognizable structure in Varkonia. The tower is a national icon and can be viewed from any point in the capital.

The tower’s reputation attracted the attention of Gobblin, who invited Varkonia to join the Order of St Marcus, whos builds and aesthetics are still highly regarded. After this, the rate of construction in the city exploded as Gobblin designed new buildings at a prolific rate. After joining the Order, a town hall was designed by Mickale to replace the initial birch construction and the rails were redirected into a new station directly under the tower. The town hall remains the seat of Varkonia’s government to this day and is at the heart of Varkonian politics.

Early Politics
From the founding of the City-state, Mickale ruled as de facto dictator, making decisions about location, construction, immigration, and development unilaterally. The Varkonians valued central leadership in the developing phase of civilization. As a result, the city of Varkonia was planned out extensively first with a strict building code.

With a growing population and growing number of responsibilities to respond to, Mickale set the groundwork for the Varkonian government. He titled himself the Red Duke of Varkonia, and created a Senate. The early Senate was made up of appointed prominent active citizens who served to assist the Duke in governing Varkonia, to represent the provinces, and to hear and rule on internal disputes, crimes, and punishments.

The early Senate primarily focused on creating organization and forging bonds with neighboring nations in order to firmly establish Varkonia within the region. During this time, Varkonia began establishing XP production and solidifying its borders. Vendemmia, a settlement due East of Varkonia, was established by Jonnyflatz to supply pumpkins and potatoes to the growing needs of Varkonia.

The Alpko-Gabon Crisis
The first Senate was tested by the Alpoko-Gabon Crisis, a serious dispute between Varkonia's neighbors: the Kingdom of Alpoko and the Principality of Gabon. Gabon had established itself within the claims of Alpoko, which had been considered a dead nation for months prior to Gabon's founding, however Alpoko decided to return and restore its old land claims on the 12th of July 2018. The two states began discussions, searching for possible resolutions to the competing land claims. The capitals of Gabon and Alpoko were only separated by 500 blocks, and the entirety of Gabon existed within the old claims of Alpoko. As tensions began to mount, Bloom became involved in the crisis as a third-party arbitrator. However Bloom failed to set an agreeable path for peaceful resolution. Alpoko would not compromise on its beliefs that most of Gabon should be returned to Alpoko and that a third of the leftover Gabon territory should become a trading territory mutually administered by Alpoko, Bloom, and Gabon. Initially, Varkonia remained neutral in this dispute.

However, on the 14th of July, Varkonia was approached by both Alpoko and Gabon, each seeking support for their claims. Varkonia expressed no interest in getting involved, however the Red Duke commented that the mutually administered region sounded like a bad idea. The early Senate concluded that, while Alpoko had a right to come back and exist, Alpoko did not have a right to remove Gabon's settlement, which had been established for months in previously undeveloped land, and that negotiations were needed to draw a new border without shared administration.

On the 15th of July, the Queen of Gabon, GetSkinny, asked Alpoko to contribute materials alongside Gabon towards the mutually administered trading territory. Inexplicably, Alpoko refused to contribute anything towards this effort, even though it was their idea to create this zone. This decision was seen as a breach of trust in good-faith negotiations, at which point Bloom ceased arbitrating and would not support Alpoko's claims. Furthermore, the Varkonian Senate decided to support Gabon in the dispute. While no actions were decided or planned, word of Varkonia's support reached Havana, the leader of Alpoko. Despite the Red Duke assuring Alpoko that a diplomatic solution was still possible, Havana severed diplomatic relations with Varkonia and shortly after disbanded Alpoko on July 16, 2018.

After Alpoko disbanded, Gabon came into full possession of Alpoko's former claims, and the new claims were recognized by Bloom and Varkonia as Gabon's sovereign territory.

The Transition of Government between Varkonia and Gabon
In late July, The Red Duke was contacted by the Lord Chancellor of Gabon, who under the pretenses of seeking protection and reuniting their common peoples requested to negotiate a treaty with Varkonia which would see The Principality of Gabon incorporated as province. Gabon had previously considered joining Coventhia however retracted their request after a decision could not be reached internally.

Negotiations over the terms of the supposed document were time consuming and took hours until both parties were in agreement. Following the verbal agreement, The Queen of Gabon, alongside her Chancellor, BritishWanderer, drafted the transitional document to be sent to The Red Duke. The treaty stipulated that Gabon should receive two permanent senatorial seats as representation and the ability to, with notice, withdraw from the document at any time, known as Article 10.

The incorporation of the territory and peoples of Gabon were of a great benefit to Varkonia, vastly expanding the land claims and the valuable resources of which lay beneath them. Gabon’s code of laws and judicial code was rewritten and adopted to be enforced throughout the Grand Duchy. Both Gabon and Varkonia were elated at the union and each began working in earnest to expand and develop the newly united Grand Duchy.

UNC-Era Politics
With Varkonia’s incorporation of the province of Gabon, the treaties between the latter and neighboring nations were upheld in full by the Varkonian government, with most notably the defensive alliance between Gabon and Bloom. Using their historical ties and good relations, Varkonia opened discussions with the nations of Nevrast and SPQR about a prospective alliance organization, using the Gabon-Bloom treaty as it’s foundation. The establishment of the UNC was a turning point in Varkonia history, which significantly increased Varkonia's diplomatic ties and participation in regional affairs.

Formation of The United Northern Congress
Main Article: UNC

The Red Duke hoped that a new alternative alliance bloc in the northwest quadrant would allow nations the ability to stand aside peacefully, not involving themselves in the cold war between FRIENDS and SATO, while also furthering good relations and economic ties between signing parties. With the idea given backing by the Varkonian Senate, and the nations of Nevrast and SPQR, The Red Duke worked with Senator Britishwanderer to draft up a reasonable set of terms worthy of an alliance organization.

The UNC Charter, as it came to be known, was signed into effect on the 6th of August 2018, by Varkonia, SPQR and Nevrast. Later to be joined by Bloom and Kaiserreich, with Tvtopia, Kaltsburg and Westmore joining throughout September 2018. Gensokyo, Nyasaland, Corvus, and Iria would also join in the early months of 2019.

The United Northern Congress was an integral part of Varkonian diplomacy, keeping close ties with neighbors and friends, encouraging trade and discussions between peoples. As one of the leading member states of the UNC, Varkonia took an active and nurturing role to the organization’s continued benefits and activities. Varkonian Senator, BritishWanderer was the Spokesperson of the UNC. As of 2020 the UNC is dissolved.

The MTA Court Case from Hell Debacle
Mount Augusta (MTA) in early October 2018 was a tumultuous state. Members of Rhodesia, a member state of FRIENDS, had been discovered breaking bastions of the MTA Vault. This followed weeks of violence and raiding by players using Rhodesian bunkers under the city. Hearing the reports of violence, Varkonia began to mobilize a taskforce led by S4NTA in the defense of MTA. Before the Varkonian military could arrive, Hallow, a FRIENDS-ally of Rhodesia, had pearled offending members of Rhodesia and retreated from the area. However, while in MTA, S4NTA, Mirians, and members of the Varkonian taskforce, including Mtndew98, disabled the bunker Rhodesia was using with reinforced obsidian, in an attempt to reduce the recurrence of violence in the city emanating from it. The operation was a success and the Rhodesian bunker was disabled.

The owner of the Rhodesian Bunker, pds, allowed Baes20 to represent him in the MTA court system and filed charges against the taskforce for damage to his property. This case directly impacted sitting Varkonian Senators, and the Senate as a whole acknowledged that it was a facetious and ungrounded case; the taskforce defended MTA against a party aggressing against MTA, and was now being sued in MTA by the aggressing party. However, HanTzu, a leader of FRIENDS and Judge in MTA, picked up the case and began processing it. Due to the sluggishness of the case, HanTzu's term expired as Judge and there was a delay before the next judge would pick up the case. Even at this early stage, HanTzu described the case as a "Mess" due to the multiple defendants and lack of clarity over who had authority in the case. At this point, MTA, Mir, Nevrast, Rhodesia, and Varkonia were all directly involved with the court case.

Eventually Citylion, a pro-FRIENDS newly-elected judge in MTA, picked up the case and began processing it. Varkonia enlisted the support of Queen GetSkinny of Gabon to act as legal representation for the Varkonians in the case. What ensued can objectively be described as a legal nightmare. Arguments were held in multiple discords, including Varkonia's and MTA's official discords, as well as the CivClassic official discord and the MTA Justice Subreddit. The case had exploded to include input from multiple judges, the public, as well as increasing participation from members of the UNC.

Capri, a member of Rhodesia acting on behalf of pds, reached out to the Red Duke of Varkonia in order to discuss terms of settlement for the Rhodesia bunker case. Rhodesia wanted to know the identity of the Venus_Fly account and would drop charges on Varkonians upon being informed. The Red Duke considered this proposal and consulted with the owned of Venus_Fly, who agreed with the terms. Having reached a settlement, Varkonian citizens were happy to exit the legal dispute.

However, just as pds was settling the case with Varkonia, additional plaintiffs from Rhodesia were added to the case in early November, including Gthomas4, the leader of Rhodesia. The court case would continue. Queen GetSkinny argued that continuation of the court case, allowed by Citylion, was unjust as the case had already been settled. However, Citylion claimed that since Gthomas was a co-owner of the bunker, he could also press charges for the same crime. GetSkinny argued that such an interpretation violated MTA laws protecting people from double-jeopardy, by which someone would be charged for the same crime multiple times. Additionally, the defense claimed that there was no way to know for sure that Gthomas4 was actually an owner of the bunker at the time, as opposed to being added after the fact to reap the rewards of the settlement without actually settling.

Furthermore, GetSkinny alleged that Citylion was biased in the court case and could no longer serve as an impartial judge due to the fact that Citylion had been granted Gabonese citizenship, which automatically granted Citylion Varkonian Citizenship under the rules of the Transfer of Government between Varkonia and Gabon. While this is true under Varkonian law, the allegation was rejected in MTA, leading to a recall vote on Citylion from the MTA court system posted by Tvman, citizen of MTA and leader of Tvtopia, a UNC ally of Varkonia. The recall vote failed, however the mounting political pressure and weeks-long case had exhausted Citylion. Pds, who was disgusted with the whole process, dropped charges, and citylion ruled that the case was closed with charges dropped.

Just as it was thought the case had ended, a mistrial was requested and approved by MTA judges, with crimeo leading a continuation of investigation into the charges. Individual cases were then levied against the defendants, however Varkonian citizens were not prosecuted in the following cases, with their involvement ending on November 10 2018. As a result of the case, Citylion sued GetSkinny for defamation from the Rhodesian court case, alleging that GetSkinny's claim of Citlyion's bias due to holding Varkonian Citizenship was false and defamatory. Crimeo picked up this case and ruled that GetSkinny was guilty of defamation on November 19 2018, and sentenced to two days exiled in the MTA vault. To this day Getskinny has not fulfilled this sentence, making GetSkinny one of the oldest criminals to avoid MTA justice on the server.

The Transition of Government between Varkonia and Westmore
The Duchy of Westmore was an independent nation and UNC Member state run and built by Gobblin, Duke of Westmore, in the Northwest of the map, north of Varkonia and east of Coventhia. It was created on a peninsula granted to Westmore by Coventhia. Westmore was very close in alignment with Varkonia and the populations of both nations had strong ties to each other. After working closely together within the framework of the UNC, and after solidifying connections with a direct rail and iceroad connection to Varkonia, the bonds strengthened and it was decided by both Westmore and Varkonia that a union would be mutually beneficial.

The Transition of Government between Varkonia and Westmore was proposed by Senator BritishWanderer on October 21 2018, and was approved by the Varkonian Senate and signed by the Duke of Westmore and Red Duke of Varkonia. Passage of the treaty brought Westmore into Varkonia and guaranteed Westmore protection as well as a seat on the Varkonian Senate. It united another beautiful town under the Varkonian banner, as well as expanded Varkonian security capability with extended snitch coverage north of Varkonia. Westmore maintained its voting status within the UNC after its unification with Varkonia, and its union was well-received by citizens and foreigners alike.

The Gabonese Revolution
During the final days of the MTA Court Case from Hell, the immense pressure of providing legal services in MTA's court system got to GetSkinny and induced an episode of insanity. She, acting as Queen of Gabon, called for independence from Varkonia. This motion was rejected and, with worries about her ability to govern, popular belief in Gabon and Varkonia that she should step down and let BritishWanderer lead Gabon began to mount. Getskinny would not surrender her rule of Gabon, however, and declared war upon Varkonia and Hjaltland. Given there was no local support for the Queen, the war ended within an hour on November 9 2018 in a decisive Varkonian victory with no casualties and no collateral damage to Gabon. GetSkinny was exile-pearled by Varkonia and BritishWanderer was hailed as the Lord High Chancellor of Gabon, restoring Gabon's union with Varkonia and ending the revolution.

The First Transition of Government between Varkonia and Nevrast
Nevrast was an independent nation and UNC Member State run and built by Seldomshock in the northwest of the map, directly north of Varkonia and south of Coventhia. Nevrast was created on former Impasse/Corvus territory ceded to Seldomshock to develop and was several months older than Varkonia. Seldomshock had a long history of friendship with many in Varkonia from previous iterations of CivCraft, which deepened as Nevrast and Varkonia worked closely together in the UNC. There had been off-and-on discussions about a union between Varkonia and Nevrast for weeks, however there was hesitation due to Seldomshock's relations with the remaining members of Corvus and the potential for deterioration over Nevrast joining Varkonia.

Despite the hesitation, the first Transition of Government between Varkonia and Nevrast started off written in the now-standard format used in previous governmental transitions. However, while the treaty was under review by Nevrast, edits were made on behalf of Nevrast to lighten the nature of the document and intentionally give it some ambiguity as far as how serious it was meant to be taken. Ultimately the treaty was approved by the Varkonian Senate and signed by the Leader of Nevrast and the Red Duke of Varkonia on December 1 2018.

Nevrast was considered part of Varkonia until the January 2019, when Nevrast received negative feedback from Corvus and upheld that the treaty was just a meme. Varkonia was fully cooperative with Nevrast's wishes and acknowledged that the treaty was invalid without issue. Nevrast remained a Member State of the UNC.

Influencing the MTA Mayoral Election
MTA was the center of a geopolitical battle of control between SATO-leaning and FRIENDS-leaning personalities, exerting influence by having their members register to vote in MTA. Candidates perceived as favorable to either side would acquire that side's support in the elections. Of particular note is the December 2018 Mayoral Election, which saw Godomasta (SATO-leaning) vs Citylion (FRIENDS-leaning). Varkonia, which was not initially SATO-leaning, was disturbed by the actions of FRIENDS affiliates in MTA, and was particularly opposed to Citylion, who participated in the MTA Court Case From Hell Debacle. Varkonia threw its full support behind Godomasta and the Red Duke personally led trains of Varkonian citizens down to MTA to register to vote, finding accommodations anywhere they could in the city- mostly in the MTA University Dorms. The result was a clear victory for Godomasta, which embittered Citlylion and FRIENDS, having felt that the election was stolen from him. Estimates from the Varkonian Bureau of Political Affairs indicate that Varkonian citizens made up the largest voting bloc in December 2018 MTA mayoral election, ahead of MTA native citizens, decidedly carrying the election for Godomasta.

Varkonia's influence on MTA's elections prompted Citylion to rework voting in MTA after Godomasta's term expired in early 2019, leading to a decline in voting and MTA population.

Mutual Defense Pact between Varkonia and Columbia
Relations between Columbia and Varkonia had been positive since the origins of Varkonia. The Red Duke was on friendly terms with the Chancellor of the newly independent Empire of Columbia since early August 2018. Over time the Varkonian monarchy also forged a stronger relationship with the Columbian leadership, leading to direct rails being established and several guest visits. In late August 2018 the Red Duke visited Columbia to help clean up grief in the city alongside hamboy_jr and Shadedoom. Varkonia's support for Columbia during the Fish Troubles, along with increased trade, building advice, and reception of Columbia's embassy within Vakronia City, all led to the signing of a mutual defense pact called the Treaty of Vendemmia when hamboy_jr became Chancellor.

The Varkonian Senate rapidly approved the treaty on December 1 2019 and the two nations pledged to protect each other should they be attacked without just cause. The qualification of "Just cause" in Article 3 of the treaty was an important addition on behalf of Varkonia, knowing that Columbia was increasingly drifting to the controversial FRIENDS alliance bloc. Varkonia had attempted to sway Columbia towards joining the UNC instead, and had warned Columbia about the potential risks of being involved with FRIENDS, however this was not successful and the defense pact remained bilateral between Varkonia and Columbia, with Varkonia having no desire to be obligated to fight on behalf of FRIENDS.

Establishment of the Kaiserreich Protectorate
Prior to joining the UNC, Kaiserreich was an independent nation with close ties to Lusitania. In early 2018, Kaiserreich partitioned the former nation of Columbia with Lusitania. Metriximor, King of Lusitania, laid claim to Columbia’s capital city on May 29, 2018 after Columbia went into decline and remaining Columbians, including KnotNSA and F1sh98, joined Lustania. Kaiserreich claimed Columbian land to the north at the same time in a combined effort. This lasted until July 2018, when shadedoom rallied Columbians to return and reclaim their historic territories, largely succeeding. This process created animosity between Columbia and Lustitania and Kaiserreich, however, as both were reluctant to return lands to Columbia. Kaiserreich was interested in keeping territory close to its capital. Lusitania had former columbian citizens who did not initially want Columbia to be independent of Lusitania, favoring a treaty other Columbians considered to be unfair, increasing hostility and placing Metriximor in a difficult position. Ultimately, KnotNSA favored Columbian independence, leaving Lusitania, and neither Lusitania nor Kaiserreich were powerful nor influential enough to maintain resistance, ceding territory back to Columbia.

Kaiserreich opted to join the UNC in September 2018 to counter the rising pressure from Columbia, thereby putting to rest potential disputes over their territory. As a member of the UNC, Kaiserreich enjoyed closer ties with the other UNC member states, particularly Varkonia. Varkonia opened up Kaisserreich’s first and only XP shop within its embassy in Kaiserreich, aiding the development of the local economy, and providing a considerable profit to Varkonians, who were able to sell at higher rates due to their monopoly in the far-flung region.

The migration of newfriends, including Doommad and Kiwi, into the region in December 2018 started a curious series of events. These newfriends, who would later found Valyria, originally traversed the border regions of the map into Hallow’s territory. They were soon pearled by Hallow and told to leave their territory. Shortly after, they migrated into neighboring Kaiserreich, and began pillaging it. Every house had been gutted, every factory broken, and the Varkonian Embassy had also been vandalized. The Red Duke, seeing the persistent presence of unfamiliar names on snitches at the Varkonian Embassy, personally made the journey up to Kaiserreich to investigate. The destruction he found was considerable, and since Varkonian property had been damaged, he immediately took charge of the situation and organized a meeting with Flushy and HanTzu of Hallow, Kiwi and Doommad of Valyria, and LazavPhenax of Kaiserreich. The result was a negotiated settlement whereby the Valyrians would return their stolen items and pay some reps to Kaiserreich while abandoning their plans to settle in Kaiserreich.

The Kaiserreich-Valyrian Incident exposed massive shortcomings in the Kaiserreich government’s ability to protect its own citizens and coordinate with its allies. Without the Red Duke’s intervention, it’s unknown when Kaiserreich would have realized the extent of the damage, and it would probably have been much harder to do anything about it. In acknowledgement of Varkonia’s support, LazavPhenax and Wub of Kaiserreich agreed to have Kaiserreich become a protectorate of Varkonia on December 10, 2018, allowing Varkonia to take the lead on international matters and increase security within the territory. The Senate quickly and unanimously ratified this agreement. As a protectorate of Varkonia, Kaiserreich remained a voting member within the UNC.

The Initial Varkonian Response to the NATO-Mir War
Main Article: NATO-Mir War

FRIENDS- and later NATO- affiliated players, such as Baes20, continued to cause trouble in MTA, inducing larger and larger responses from Mir throughout January 2019. While Varkonia had receded from involving itself in MTA, after influencing the mayoral election of December 2018, there was a high degree of overlap between the Varkonian and Mirian populations. S4NTA, Magier, Gregy165, and Ez2Clutch, for example, were all at one point or another appointed Senators in Varkonia, as well as prominent members of Mir. In January 2019, S4NTA and Magier were both sitting Senators in Varkonia, and as conflict escalated in MTA between NATO and Mir, so too did S4NTA's and Magier's involvement. S4NTA attempted to de-escalate and reprimand offending Mirians (theJKH and Gregy165), however nothing came of it. Eventually tensions boiled over later in January, and Mir effectively declared war on NATO.

This put Varkonia in a very difficult position. While Mir and members of NATO, such as HJE, were old, established nations with large world border vaults of 20+ rings, Varkonia was still relatively new and its vault was still in the very early phases of construction, having only 4 rings and minimal defenses. Varkonia's military, while suited for expeditions and offensive deployments, was simply not prepared for a prolonged war necessitating around-the-clock defense. Furthermore, Varkonia's relatively strong military compared to the other members of the UNC granted it influence within the UNC, however this also meant Varkonia did not have many reliable military allies to call upon, and that Varkonia would have to be responsible for the defense of the rest of the UNC, which would have spread Varkonia's resources dangerously thin.

Emergency discussions were held in the Senate along two lines of thought:


 * 1) PvP-oriented players such as S4NTA and Magier advocated for Varkonia joining the war on Mir's side and combining forces to rapidly defeat NATO. NATO had a large number of fighters, but their quality was poor. Mir had an elite military, but lacked the numbers to successfully siege and dismantle the primary NATO vaults. It was argued that Varkonia's support would solve that problem and bring a quicker end to the war, minimizing the need for defensive infrastructure.
 * 2) Civ-oriented players such as BritishWanderer, and other high-profile figures in Varkonia, such as Baron Van Batavanos (Flushmore), argued for neutrality. This argument was supported by the hassle of prior involvement in MTA and the relative unpreparedness of Varkonia at the time, as well as the daunting prospect of having to protect its far-flung allies against a sizeable opposing alliance bloc.

In one of the most difficult decisions faced by Varkonia, the Red Duke removed Senators with ties to Mir from the Varkonian Senate. The remaining Senators voted in favor of neutrality and passed measures forbidding involvement in the war, under penalty of losing Varkonian citizenship and having belongings seized by the state. This law, the Foreign Affairs Permission Act, was furthermore retroactively enforced on the Vakronian-Mirian dual-citizens involved in the war. The Red Duke, after receiving multiple questions from nations around the region, made a public announcement of these measures and Varkonia's commitment to neutrality on the first of February. The announcement was received positively by the UNC and NATO-aligned parties, and was received negatively by Mir.

In parting, S4NTA warned Varkonia that it was just pushing the problem down the road, and that it would be more difficult to deal with later. The Red Duke agreed that this was likely, but insisted that Varkonia was not prepared to go war on that scale at that moment.

Columbia Inquires about the Applicability of the Defense Pact
A day after the public declaration of Varkonian neutrality, Shadedoom, Chancellor of Columbia, reached out to the Mickale, the Red Duke of Varkonia, inquiring about the applicability of the Mutual Defense Pact signed in August of 2018 between Columbia and Varkonia. Columbia, a member of NATO, was obligated to mobilize in support of their allies in the war, and was questioning whether Varkonia would be obligated via its defensive pact to support Columbia.

"Since this is a defensive war, where do you stand on the Columbia-Varkonia alliance being in effect" (Shadedoom, 2018)

The Red Duke considered this, and had earlier been discussing the possibility of the Defense Pact being invoked by Columbia with the Varkonian Senate. The Red Duke responded:

"We are allied to each other, that does not mean we are allied with your allies. If this started by Mir attacking Columbia, then we would be on your side. Since Columbia joined a war between other parties, that doesn't obligate Varkonia to do anything" (Mickale, 2018)

Columbia being called into a larger scale war through their affiliation with NATO was no surprise to Varkonia, with the possibility of something like this happening being a major factor to the Defense Pact being bilateral in the first place. Still, there was a feeling of lament in Varkonia for their Columbian friends who seemed to be stuck on the losing side of a complicated war not of their own making. The Red Duke asked the Chancellor of Columbia what Columbia's goals were in the war. The Chancellor could not comment. The Red Duke remarked that if the objective was to break the Mir vault, that it would be almost impossible to achieve. It was the Red Duke's belief that the only possible outcomes for NATO were a negotiated surrender, stalemate, or total loss, with no path to victory seeming likely. Pinkerton would fall to Mirian forces this same day. Varkonia wished Columbia luck for its civilians to stay safe, but would offer no support.

Base on the relations between the involved parties, it would never have been possible for Varkonia to join Columbia against Mir in war. If something had happened that resulted in Mir specifically going to war with Columbia, the incident would likely have resulted in the nullification of the Columbia-Varkonia Defense Pact before the outbreak of war.

Vault Expansion and Militarization
The Varkonian military was put on high alert as the war began intensifying. All civilian building projects in the capital were put on hold indefinitely to divert labor towards the vault. The meager 4-ring vault was not nearly sufficient to protect Varkonia nor deter an attack. It was poorly stocked and disorganized. It thus was essential for Varkonia to maintain neutrality during this time due to how vulnerable it was at home. Urgent work was needed on the vault to fortify it into a reliable bastion of defense. Many players were brought back in a flurry of activity which saw the likes of ghalen, unknown122, Ceramic_Haze, Icer, and others all contributing towards expanding the vault. Gobblin set to work an army of bots to help drain the vault, which was the main obstacle to construction dur to the vault's position in the ocean. In a couple weeks the vault would grow from 4 to 8 rings, with Callum taking charge of construction efforts and using his wealth to supply bastions. Varkonia built its first armor factories and Callum also headed the effort to build up prot reserves. Bulk orders of prot, pearls, and pot ingredients were ordered by the Red Duke from Shapha and Meat. Snitching efforts were also undertaken, with large portions of the coastline of the ocean around Varkonia and Nevrast being snitched. Varkonia was steadily readying itself in case it needed to defend itself or its allies in an escalation of the conflict.

The February 2019 MTA Mayoral Election
With the adoption of neutrality in NATO-Mir war, Varkonia needed to reassess its defense arrangements and its position in world. The Senate was of the mindset that Varkonia should utilize its position as a major power and build support among other nations remaining neutral in the war. As part of this effort, the Senate mobilized several citizens to register to vote in MTA once more, this time to vote in favor of Citylion for Mayor. It was hoped that supporting Citylion would show that Varkonia had committed to change, and that diplomatic bridges could be repaired with Citylion and some factions in MTA after they were burned during the Court Case from Hell Debacle and the prior major effort to prevent Citylion from being elected in December 2018. "He seems like a nice guy now" was a popular phrase being circulated at the time, and his election was not heavily contested, with Godomasta voting in his favor as well. The Red Duke had hesitations about trusting Citylion, but viewed the possibility of repairing relations as worth the effort considering Varkonia would lose nothing by supporting him in the election.

The votes were counted and Citylion won handedly. Only a few Varkonians took the time to travel to MTA for this, some still having reservations about Citylion, while others wanted nothing more to do with MTA. The result was that the Varkonian effort was minimal and had no significant impact on the outcome of the election. The effort went largely unnoticed and did not achieve any of the desired outcomes as far as Varkonia's larger goals. Citylion would retain his anti-Varkonian sentiments later on.

Varkonian-led UNC Action in SPQR to Maintain Neutrality
As the NATO-Mir war escalated, Mir was increasingly on the offensive, and by the end of February had seized and disabled the Columbian vault. Mir then turned its attention to attacking Hallow, northwest of Columbia and directly north of SPQR, a member of the UNC. The UNC proclaimed alliance-wide neutrality in the ongoing NATO-Mir war in an effort to protect everyone in the UNC from collateral damage, deterring an attack by leveraging the weight of the entirety of the UNC becoming involved. The attacks on Hallow began causing significant diplomatic tension between the UNC and NATO as Mirian forces were using a river along the border between SPQR and Hallow to gain access to Hallow proper. Furthermore, some tunnels and excavations had been constructed within SPQR lands by Mir without SPQR's permission. Hallow, in response, had begun snitching the SPQR borderlands, as well as making their own incursions into SPQR.

The situation became a crisis and had to be navigated carefully to avoid deteriorating relations further with either Mir or NATO. Hallow claimed Mir had a bunker within SPQR territory and was operating out of it to attack Hallow. Varkonia led the UNC response by fully snitching the entirety of the SPQR-Hallow border on a joint-UNC group. The snitches were placed such that they could not be tripped unless someone was on land inside SPQR's territory. An expedition was led by the Red Duke of Varkonia and Britishwanderer, Spokesperson of the UNC, to SPQR to search for the alleged illegal bunker. No bunker was found, and while a small excavation was discovered, the only illegal snitches found belonged to Hallow. Varkonia made the case to the UNC that both sides, Mir and NATO, should have their combatants prohibited from entering UNC territory in order to remain truly neutral. Varkonia reached out to both Mir and NATO to discuss this policy change, both of which were cooperative. The UNC member states agreed and unanimously signed off on a resolution to enact this change, receiving locations of foreign snitches in SPQR and removing foreign combat accounts. The UNC posted an announcement of this to the subreddit on March 7th.

This effort was widely seen as a success for states remaining neutral in the conflict and for the pacifist civilians of SPQR. The resulting positive outlook on the UNC's capability resulted in several new member states seeking to apply, eventually including Corvus, Iria, and Imperial Truidence, all of which had Varkonia's approval. However, while initially a success, there were instances of violations, most commonly by Hallow, and relations with NATO steadily deteriorated as they were reminded to keep out. Mir, too, was not happy with the arrangement, as it made accessing Hallow more difficult, but had fewer violations than Hallow.

The Senate
The Senate is the heart of Varkonian government. Over the course of CivClassic, there have been 24 distinct senate sessions. The Senate writes, debates, and votes on legislation to pass into law. No law can be passed or treaty implemented without the approval of the Senate. Laws passed in the senate may be subject to the King of Nox's veto. While senators were appointed by the Red Duke early on, they were later elected by citizens after the end of the Infinity War.

Additional political positions existed within the Senate, including the Speaker of the Senate, Guild Master, Judges, and Crown Prosecutor. The Speaker was elected within the senate by majority vote of the sitting senators at the beginning of a senate session and would serve as Speaker until the end of that Senate session. Judges, the Guild Master, and Crown Prosecutor would be appointed by the Red Duke at the beginning of each Senate session and serve until the end of that session.

In total, 191 items of legislation were voted on within the Senate, of which 146 passed, 38 failed, and 7 were vetoed by the King of Nox. The following is a full list of the proposed legislation which was voted on within the Senate:

The Speaker of the Senate
The Speaker of the Senate was established during the 2nd Senate and is the 3rd highest political office in Varkonia, behind the King of Nox and the Red Duke. The Speaker enjoys a privilged position as the Senator with the most support within the Senate, making the speaker very influential when supporting or opposing items of legislation. It is the duty of the speaker to:


 * Liaise and maintain communications, between the King, the Red Duke and the senators
 * Maintain and foster strong relationships with the external territories of Varkonia
 * Represent Varkonia internationally to sovereign states, alliance blocs and other international organisations
 * Ensure that relevant information about Varkonia is communicated publicly and internationally in accurate wording
 * Be responsible for accepting or postponing for further discussion the initiation of voting on legislation within the chamber
 * In good faith, represent the true and faithful position and agreed policy of the Senate
 * Not, without Senate approval, negotiate on contentious issues

The Speaker has the following powers:


 * Present prosecutions against criminals to the Judiciary Committee
 * Act as the diplomatic representative of Varkonia internationally
 * Enter into diplomatic negotiations on behalf of Varkonia
 * With the approval of the Senate, form or enter into alliances and ratify treaties

Of the 24 Senate sessions, 23 were presided over by a Speaker. The following players were elected the office of Speaker of the Senate at least once: BritishWanderer, Callum, Dr_Nein, DroidJoe, Pride, Seldomshock. BritishWanderer served the longest amount of time as Speaker, while BritishWanderer and DroidJoe tied for serving under the greatest number of senate sessions, each presiding over eight sessions. Callum, Dr_Nein, and Pride each only presided over only one session.

Kaiserreich
Kaiserreich was ruled by Wublit and later LazavPhenax. During 2018 Kaiserreich signed a mutual defense pact with SPQR. Kaiserreich became a protectorate of Varkonia in December 2018, then a full province in April 2019. . The province is located at °N, °W.

Westmore
Westmore was a member state of the UNC. The nation was created by BritishWanderer and Gobblin. In October 2018 Westmore became a province of Varkonia. Westmore is located at °N, °W.