The Borderlands of Clantonia Clantonia | |
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Flag | |
Motto: Deus benedic Clantonia "God Bless Clantonia" | |
Anthem: Long Reign Freedom | |
| Location | Central Archipelago in Ecros |
| Capital | Bodie |
| Official languages | Clantonian |
| Ethnic groups | Clantonians 88% Native Alacki 7% Other 5% |
| Religion | 81% Protestantism 13% Atheist 5% Native Faiths 1% Jewish |
| Demonym(s) | Clantoian |
| Government | Presidential Republic |
| Cody Grant | |
| Population | |
• 2025 estimate | 20 million |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | Clantonian Note Billion ₵[386 Billion Notes] Billion |
• Per capita | Clantonian Note ₵[13,092 Notes] |
| Gini (2025) | 67.6 very high |
| HDI (2025) |  0.480low |
| Currency | Clantonian note (CTN) |
| Time zone | TMB–3/-4 (Clantonian time) |
Clantonia is a nation that exists in the center of Ecros. Its only current border is a maritime one with Adentia to its south. It occupies the peninsula directly north of Adentia and the archipelago that surrounds it. It is infamous for its rampant criminal activity, and in most areas of the country, the bandits have more control than the government. It has a population of 20,000,000, making it the 35th most populated. It has a land area of 184,793 km2, placing it 50th in terms of size globally. It is classified as a flawed democracy by the Global Democracy Index, scoring a 6.17. Clantonia holds the number one position of most intentional homicides, with a rate of 15.89.
Pre-History
Before the mass immigration by modern Clantonias, the area in which Clantonia resides was inhabited by the Alacki people. They were a semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer society and were very hostile towards outsiders from within and outside Old Clantonia. They had a cornucopia of different faiths, most of them were polytheistic, and different parts of the world, such as the wind, sky, and earth, had gods assigned to them. They made tools and weapons out of stone and flint, such as daggers, arrows, and spears.
In modern-day Clantoia, their population is 80-90% smaller than what it once was, many being forced to integrate into Clantonian society as their lands were taken over by settlements, mining towns, and lumber plantations. While most of them converted to Protestant Christianity or became atheists, some, however, have kept the old ways alive. They, unfortunately, experience discrimination in most parts of the country, primarily in rural areas.
Modern History
First Settlements
The three main settlements before the main influx were Bodie, Talonburg, and Dullbrook, which were small fortified settlements located on the main peninsula made by rich merchants to facilitate trade through the waterways. The settlements of Talonburg and Dullbrook would not stand the test of time, with Talonburg being burned to the ground by the Alacki and Dullbrook being abandoned due to a disastrous harvest. Bodie would survive being located at the most leftward point of the peninsula.
The Gold Rush
At some undiscovered point in its history gold would be found in the region. Only the time when the news of the gold presence in the peninsula reached other points of the world was when the mass migration of people, primarily from Jackson, flooded into Bodie. The Alacki attacked the new settlers, which prompted them to organize a militia. The leader was called the Chief Enforcer, who defended any new settlements and pushed the Alacki away. The attack against the Alacki was successful with a combination of modern weaponry and new diseases, which decimated the Alacki population and forced them to flee to the surrounding islands. The settlers spread all over the peninsula looking for gold.
A small percentage of them were successful, but the majority were forced to permanently settle in Clantonia as they were bankrupt from the journey there. The people who found the gold mostly left back to their home countries, but some remained and became the new elite in the area.
The Creation of Clantonia
In 1824, the new elite would band together and unite their separate militias and settlements to cut down the cost of managing them separately and for protection from outside threats. A meeting was held at what is now the Clantonian Assembly building between the elite, which decided how the new country should be run. A vote was cast, and a direct democratic republic was decided on with the largest and most economically strong city of Bodie chosen as the capital.
When it was declared, only men of Jackian heritage at the age of 21 could vote. To be able to run for office in the newly created Clantonian Assembly, which was its legislative branch, you had to have a large amount of wealth and connections with the Clantonian elite.
The name Clantonia came from the founder of the settlement of Bodie, Thomas Clanton. The formation of the executive branch, called the Chief Enforcer, as a callback to the leaders of the old militias, would be directly voted in by the people and wielded very little political power. A separate title of Commander of the Armed Forces was completely separated from political life, but the Assembly held funding power over the military to keep them in check. The new military was formed from the merger of the old militias, with high-ranking positions given to family or friends of the ruling elite.
Expansion Into The Archipelago
The population would soar in the peninsula, causing many to move out into the surrounding islands for a better life. In 1868, the Clantonian Assembly decided to annex the islands to keep populations under control, passing the Free Soil Act of 1868. The new military was tasked with dealing with any uncooperative Alacki and defending the settlers. It succeeded in both tasks, which gave the government legitimacy among its citizens. Most of the islands would prove to be too unfertile for farming, but fishing was widespread throughout. A rare sort of palm tree was discovered on the smaller islands, which only grew there, leading to many timber corporations being formed and later being consolidated under the Wanwood Family.
Economic Crisis of 1901
Starting in the 1890's the many gold deposits began drying up, drastically damaging the income of the country and employment of the citizens. The debt Clantonia was accumulating trying to find more gold reserves was at a tipping point, and they defaulted in 1900. The economy started to go into freefall as the domino effect of losing their primary export hit every part of Clantonian society. The Clantonian Assembly decided to print money in mass quantities to pay off the debts, but it only made the situation worse as the Clantonian Note experienced rapid inflation. The economic instability caused the citizens to riot, and criminal activity exploded. In response to the ineffectiveness of the Clantonian Assembly, the Chief Enforcer at the time, Darryl Boone, a former general in the military, conspired with a disgruntled military to take complete control of the government, later declaring martial law and dissolving the assembly in 1905. The gold mines that remained in operation would be taken over by the Aureatirs Family, gaining a monopoly over gold production in the country.
The Boone Dictatorship
Darryl Boone would abolish the democratic system with enforcement from the military. Boone then began passing much-needed economic reforms and began to industrialize the nation. The citizens did not riot as their lives became so miserable under the old government; all they wanted was stability, and Boone was able to provide that to them. Boone also made agreements with the Wanwood Family and Aureatirs Family to invest in the new factories, slowly beginning a manufacturing industry that was carved up between the families and Boone's government. The economy recovered with many sent back to work in the factories and a large government initiative to build up the nation's infrastructure, including schools in which elementary education was free, hospitals, and the first university in Bodie, called Bodie University. Roads were paved in large numbers, connecting the major cities, and modern cars were imported to modernize transportation. All these factors allowed Boone to build up the military to reward them for their loyalty. The increase in pay and the introduction of benefits to the soldiers caused their numbers to swell, where they were able to force any organized criminal groups underground, further increasing their popularity among Clantonians. The Clantonian Navy was also created with the ordering of 7 destroyers, 3 battleships, 12 submarines, and 1 large cruiser. The benevolent nature of Boone's regime did not last forever. As he aged, he grew more paranoid about being ousted and began arresting past and current political opponents and cracking down on civil liberties. Many old members of the old government fled into exile or went into hiding, the remainder being imprisoned, many being executed after. Boone merged multiple political positions into his own and went as far as to execute members of his own family on suspicion. His 24-year-long reign would end in 1938 when he suddenly suffered a heart attack, killing him at the age of 75.
The Great Scramble
After his death, politicians who went into hiding would return and form political parties that fought each other for power in the assembly, as the position of Chief Enforcer was off-limits due to the infamy it gained under Boone, causing a decade of political violence called The Great Scramble. The main parties were the Social Conservatives, Democratic Liberals, The Socialists of Clantonia, The Liberty Party, and the Neo-Booneist Party. All five parties would be involved in multiple corruption scandals, and take bribes mainly from the Wanwoods and Aureatirs families in exchange for the deregulation of the industry sector. Most of the government was not able to operate as the fierce competition and even some assassinations caused positions in the government to be filled and become vacant in quick succession of each other with different parties trying to steer the country in their desired direction.
Large political machines would be formed, wrought with election fraud, such as Soil Hall, the largest political machine for the Neo-Booneists. It is agreed among historians that The Great Scramble ended in 1950 after riots from government inaction led to the mob hanging of the Blindpost mayor, a city located on the south of the largest island, David Karrel. The five political parties would band together and scrap the old system of government, creating the new provisional government in 1951.
Reign of the Provisional Government
The Provisional Government was divided equally between the five parties, with 250 seats being split 50 seats per party. Any other party was barred from participating, and voting rights were only available in local elections. A new head of government was formed, called the Central Committee which was made up of 1 member from each party that decided what the government should do. The Provisional Government did, however, expand suffrage to women and the Alacki minorities, and they decreased the voting age to 18, which garnered them some support. The finances of the nation were somewhat stabilized, but they still suffered from a large government deficit, which was largely caused by the lack of income from the gold and the exotic palm trade, as the families who controlled them were able to dodge taxes due to bribing members of the Central Committee. They cut the social welfare and education programs first, which caused discontent to rise among citizens and the comeback of criminal organizations thought to be destroyed by the Boone regime. This gutting of social programs was not enough, and a compromise with the Socialists and the Democratic Liberals when the programs were defunded forced the Provisional Government to massively cut the large military budget. The budget cut fell mostly on the common soldier, who grew angry with the evaporation of all benefits and a sizable reduction in their pay. Soldiers of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade who were tasked with dealing with bandits in the area saw the wealth the bandits were able to amass, and their anger grew more as the Provisional Government confiscated any wealth from the bandits, with none returning to the soldiers. This would cause them to revolt and kill their commanding officers, who were much more well-off than they were. They took over the fort and rebranded themselves as the Clantonian Dragoon Legion, or CDL for short. They terrorized the countryside and small towns, pillaging them for all their wealth. This created a domino effect where other parts of the military would follow suit and rebel, forming or joining gangs. Only 20% of the military remained loyal as many parts of the country would be controlled by the bandits.
End of the Provisional Government
The Provisional Government did send its troops to fight back, and for a while, they were successful. This caused the bandits to cooperate and later align themselves with each other to prevent themselves from being destroyed completely. The bandit alliance was able to push back on all fronts, pursuing a brutal no-prisoner policy where POWs could be expected to be tortured and have their heads stuck up on spikes to warn members of the Clantonia Armed Forces from even trying to fight. The Provisional Government began to enact mass conscription acts, which made the war deeply unpopular with the masses. The bandit alliance was able to push Clantonian forces back to Bodie, where, after a month-long siege, they entered the city. The city was completely sacked by the bandits, and the Provisional Government was surrounded and captured. The Provisional Government was forced at gunpoint to dissolve itself and re-establish the old system, with the Chief enforcer and Clantonian Assembly making a return. The bandits would leave to city devastated and go on to fight each other for influence and power in Clantonia while still retaining the alliance protocol to team up to destroy any powerful foreign or internal enemy.
Modern Day Clantonia
Internal Affairs
The position of Chief Enforcer is currently occupied by Liberty Party member Cody Grant, who was elected into office January 6th, 2022. The Liberty Party has taken a light approach to the bandit organizations as well as the Aureatirs Family and Wanwood Family to conserve money which was mildly popular when the party took office in 2002, but has fallen off in popularity as Clantonians want more action to stabilize the country. The Neo-Booneist Party and The Socialists of Clantonia have greatly risen in popularity as they believe the government should take greater action to address the crisis. The two parties are extremely hostile to each other, with protests and counter-protests met with violence committed by both parties. The Aureatirs Family and Wanwood Family, upon seeing the Clantonian government unable to defend their business, used their immense wealth to establish their own mercenary army, who are better equipped than the Clantonian Army. The families also have occupied regions all over Clantonia, with the Aureatirs Family taking the most profitable gold mines along with the industrial city of Talonbrook. The Wanwood Family has occupied some of the smaller islands off the coast, which are home to the most profitable palm plantations. Life under bandit-occupied or anarchic areas is miserable for the citizens, with raiding from bandits being common. Most simply surrendered in hopes of leniency, while some fought back. Most towns that fight have a varied success rate. The Clantonian Citizens Militia is the most successful militia group, having many towns north of Crimson Island in the militia. The political system is fraught with corruption, with the families and some bandit groups bribing politicians and military officials to turn a blind eye towards their operations. However, voting was re-established, but only people located in the government territories or the families' territories were able to vote, since it was considered too dangerous to send voting officials into bandit-held territory.
The Clantonian Armed Forces
The Clantonian Armed Forces are made up of around 85000 in raw manpower demobilized. They possess no fighter aircraft, but they do have access to helicopters. The Armored Core consists of 150 light tanks and 20 medium tanks. Their naval numbers remain the same as before, but with modernized ships; however, these ships are still outdated by 20-30 years.
Economy
Exports
Clantonian Exports
Gold remains the primary export, nearly completely controlled by the Aureatirs Family, making up 50% of Clantonia's exports. The palm trade controlled by the Wanwood Family contributes 30% to Clantonia's exports. General manufacturing makes up 13% of exports, being divided between the families and the government, with the city of Talonbrook being the largest producer with 8%, out of all manufacturing taking place in Talonbrook. The remaining 7% of exports are smaller amounts of raw resources, mainly zinc, copper, silver, and iron.
Imports
Clantonian Imports
Due to Clantonia's size and geographical location, it lacks many crucial resources to keep the country running. Its main import is oil, making up 58% of Clantonia's imports. Clantonia lacks any oil from within its borders, leading to a reliance on outside sources. Steel is second with 17% of imports. While steel is made domestically in small amounts, the industry is completely controlled by the Aureatirs Family, leading to unpredictable prices and quality of the steel. Military equipment, such as automatic firearms and APCs, makes up 14% of imports. Clantonia can produce its own equipment, but most of it is outdated, and to keep an advantage over bandit groups, weapons imports are seen as necessary. General foodstuffs make up 11% of imports. Clantonia is not suffering from any food shortage, but consumer demand for a variety of food and to keep food prices down has given the government reason to import food.
Black Market
Infrastructure
Railroads
Clantonia's railroads were once one of the country's greatest prides, with railroads connecting nearly every part of the country. The railroads were built to help facilitate the country's lucrative gold and palm industries, with the rails being used later on to help set up new settlements deeper in the country. After the fall of the provisional government, the railroads were completely privatized between the Aureatirs Family and the Wanwood Family. Some parts of the rail lines have been heavily neglected, leading to most of them being in a state of disrepair. The most important rail lines have been militarized by the Aureatirs and Wanwood families, with outposts being built all along the rail lines to discourage raiding of trains. Despite this, the robbing of trains remains uncommon, especially by The Freed. Some train carts have been heavily fortified with many soldiers being stationed, as well as turrets being mounted on the trains.
Highways
Energy
Clantonia is completely reliant on coal and oil for its energy. Neither of these resources is found in large amounts on Clantonian territory, as a result, Clantonia needs to import both resources in large quantities. Green energy is non-existent due to the massive cost of building any facilities and the perception by the government and some of the citizens that oil and coal are a superior energy source compared to green energy.
Public Transpotation
Foreign Relations
Isolationism
Clantonia has strictly followed a policy of political isolation since its creation in 1738, with isolationism being written into the Constitution of Clantonia . It held little political relation with other countries in Ecros and no relation to countries in other continents. It did have a free trade policy and was willing to trade with anyone, as Clantonia lacked many crucial resources to keep the country running. This political isolation was broken when, under Liberal Democratic Chief Enforcer Calvin Braxton negotiated Clantonia's entry into the TCN. Clantonia retains a neutral foreign policy and has heavily disliked foreign intervention of any kind in the country, however, this view has begun to change as more Clantonians believe that foreign intervention is necessary to re-stabilize Clantonia.
