Kingdom of Albia

The Kingdom of Albia is a small landlocked nation on The Continent. For most of its existence as an independent nation, Albia has been plagued by political and military strife between the ruling family and the Noble Houses. The House of Stanwick has managed to remain on the throne by playing the noble factions and Houses against each other, maintaining a precarious balance that has allowed the king to conduct the business of the State. However, the last twenty years have seen a breakdown in the careful balance that has resulted in a period of great instability.

Geography
The Kingdom of Albia measures 37 miles north to south by 17 miles east to west at the widest points. Bordered both east and west by rivers, and north and south by mountains, Albia is confined geographically from the nations surrounding it. The central region of the small nation consists of gently rolling plains that make for excellent farmland. Lake Albia, the only internal body of water, is located in the center of the plains along the eastern edge of the Central Hills. All the mountains within Albia are a part of the same range; technically, the majority of Albia is a valley of the range.

Climate
As a mountain valley, Albia has a unique climate that is unlike that of the surrounding region. Protected by the mountains around it, the winters are cool with moderate snowfall and the summers mild with frequent rain.

Government
The government of Albia is officially a semi-constitutional monarchy, although the current internal situation has resulted in a loss of royal control outside of the capital city. Within the capital, the official government continues to operate according to constitutional intention. The Head of State is the monarch, currently King William of Albia of the House of Stanwick. The King's Head of Government is the Chief Minister, currently Sir Jeffrey Rhyles, who was appointed in IE2016. The Executive Council advises the King and Chief Minister, and serves by appointment on the whim of the monarch. The Executive Ministers also head the official governmental ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Economy, State, and Human Affairs.

The National Assembly, the state legislature, consists of two chambers. The upper chamber is the Chamber of Lords of which the heads of the ten Noble Houses are members. The Lords are chaired by the Senior Peer, the eldest of the assembled members. The lower chamber is the Chamber of Deputies. The forty Deputies are elected by the populace to serve for a period of three years. Ten Deputies are elected from each of the Farthings and are chaired by the Thane of Albia, who is selected by the Deputies from amongst their membership. The National Assembly writes and approves legislation that is then sent to the Chief Minister or Monarch for final approval.

The judicial branch of the government consists of two courts, the five member High Court, which acts as an appellate and tribunal court, and the six member Ordinary Court, which tries all criminal and civil cases originally.

Governance Outside the Capital
The national government ceases to exist outside of the capital due to the current siege of the town by the forces of the Amberly Faction. Most of the towns of Albia are currently governed by a Noble House with the exception of Bottomborough and South Dell in Southfarthing. South Dell is governed locally by the town council, although they are close enough to still follow the royal order despite being occupied by the Amberly Faction. Bottomborough has maintained its autonomy from the three factions and is currently governed by the mayor and town council.

The Amberly Faction, consisting of the Houses of Amberly, Thornhill, and Ross, controls the towns of Ambershire, Berwick, Narthing, and South Dell. The Longsley Faction, consisting of the Houses of Longsley, Dallowmar, Halloway, and Zagmere, controls the towns of Coopers Green, Runymede, East Ford, Waystop, and South Shore. The Millerton Faction, consisting of the Houses of Millerton, Bigsby, and Anderson, controls the towns of Millertown, Thorpe Hill, and the Sarn Valley. The countryside falls under the jurisdiction of either the local town government or the rural Granges.