[READ THIS FIRST] A Guide to the Republic of Alduria

[Alduria]

 

Welcome to the Republic of Alduria!

So you have gone through the depths of the internet and somehow ended up here in Alduria. Welcome!

This Guide will try to explain more about what Alduria is, how to join, and how to participate.

If you are familiar with play-by-post games, forum-based worldbuilding, or government simulations, then you'll find Alduria pretty easy to pick up. If not, that's fine too! This Guide is for both beginners and people that have made rounds on forum-based games.
 

What is Alduria?

The Republic of Alduria is a community of participants that take part in a hobby commonly called "micronationalism." We prefer to call the hobby "interactive geofiction" to separate us from serious attempts at creating small independent nations in real life. We just like to simulate and role-play things, with a reasonable commitment to at least some realism.

Alduria does not concern itself with real world sovereignty or independence or anything like that. We're a community of people that enjoy designing and simulating cities, countries, or in some instances entire worlds (also known as worldbuilding or conworlding).

Unlike regular geofiction and conworlding, Alduria contains elements of role-playing, model government, wargaming, and economic simulations whenever possible. (Sometimes you can only do a few well and often, while others are more of a "this is cool" for a little while and then die suddenly.)

We're try to be organized as close as we can to a real country. That means there's political parties, political campaigns, relationships with other nations in Micras, involvement in Micras-wide organizations, and much more. This may include an economic system soon.

Participants are free to create characters that participate in whatever function or purpose their creators would want - could be a politician, a businessman, a soldier, a member of the judiciary... could be anything! Each character has to be designed using the citizenship form. You can be as detailed as you'd like with your character creation using that form.

Alduria is based in the world of Micras, a community that has existed for more than 20 years. The map of Micras is regularly maintained by the Micronational Cartographic Society. There are a ton of other countries and participants in the world of Micras, and all of these fictional countries engage in diplomatic relations, trade, warfare, and so forth with each other.

Activity in Alduria happens in a few places:

• We have a wiki hosted in Miraheze. You can register an account for it here. We try to maintain the wiki as the central repository of information of all things Alduria and strive to keep it updated.
  
• We have this forum! You can register an account in this forum. The bulk of the national activity occurs here, this is where governance occurs, where elections are held - it's the main arena for life in Alduria.
  
• Last but not least is our Discord server. This is where Aldurians get together in real time. We encourage everyone to create a Discord account here and join us in the server! You can reach and talk to other Aldurians this way and be part of the conversations there about the development of Alduria, Aldurian politics, and Micran affairs.
  

What is Alduria's history and culture?
Understand Alduria, it's important to start with a bit of its history and a bit about Micras. You can find more detailed write ups of Aldurian history in the wiki.

There are vast parts of Micras that are empty. Many of these lands once held different nations and people. As often happens in real history, nations rise and fall, and that happens in Micras too. When I say a nation "falls" or "collapses" in Micras, it means that it no longer has a claim in the Micran map, and that can happen several ways: through persistent inactivity, self-removal request, or by the MCS Administrative Council removing the nation. You can find more information about how having land in Micras works here and here for your reference.

Alexandria, Ashkenatza, Babhka, Caputia, Iteru, and the Wechua Nation were projects that were, at different points in Micran history, prominent in activity. They were also, at times, among the most influential nations in Micras. However, these projects have all ended and narratives created to explain the fall of these nations have resulted into a backstory. This backstory is very important to Alduria.

In a nutshell, the backstory provides that Alduria is a nation born out of the adversity and difficulty of the stateless experience in the planet of Micras. When nations fall in Micras, it can be expected that surviving populations become "stateless", that is, a person that is not recognized as a citizen of any country. In the story that leads to the creation of Alduria, Alexandrians who survived the catastrophic Alexandrian flu were later joined by Caputians and Wechu that survived the White Plague. These stateless refugee populations leave their homes under threat of anarchy, disease, and violence.

With the support of non-governmental organizations and wealthy expats residing in nations like Natopia, Constancia, and Craitland, these refugees were able to unite and find an empty corner of the Micran Green to settle, deciding to settle at the mouth of the Nouradin river in the continent of Eura.
 

The Republic of Alduria as represented in the latest MCS map, in blue.

They find bountiful stores of oil under the ground. They find a prominent position along some of the world's most important shipping lanes. And they also find immense and powerful challenges to overcome as they seek to build a home for their families to grow and thrive in a Republic that is "free, indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic."

The continent of Eura has a deep and rich history, and it is infamous for being the site, 90 years ago (in the simulation, but we'll talk about that later), where the great Kingdom of Babhka nuked itself into oblivion, also known as the Babkhan Holocaust. They simultaneously detonated atomic mines buried as area denial weapons beneath Babkha's cities (thereby making a civilization ending event out of a petty dynastic squabble). Babhka was one of the most prominent nations in Micras for many years and when the people participating in it decided to close the place down, they chose to nuke themselves. There's been other times where other countries in Micras have done the same. Crazy, right? Well, in the interests of not complicating things too much, we will recognize that it happened yet act as if the realistic effects of a continent having been nuked a couple times over aren't as harsh as one would expect them to be.

The continent of Eura was also home to other empires and nations, like Ashkenatza, which occupied parts of what is now Alduria for a long time. Alexandria occupied the island chain of Valenciana y Valladares for a long time as well.

Alduria's immediate neighbors in Eura are the nations of Constancia, the Ceridgul, and Passio-Corum.

If we were to use real world cultures as a handy reference, here's how I can best describe what Alduria would look like:

• Alexandrians are more or less based on a mix of French and Spanish cultures, with dashes of many other cultures (too many to list, it was a bloated and complicated Empire) thrown in for good measure. The Spanish core of Alexandria was centered around its old provinces of San Martin and Rio Grande. In game, the cultures and languages in relation to their Micran equivalent are as follows: French is Alexandrian, Spanish is Martino, and English (the language in particular, not the culture) is "the Common Tongue", adopted from a fallen Micran nation called Istvanistan. Most Alexandrians practice the religion of their ancestors: the Church of Alexandria. A large majority of Aldurians are of Alexandrian descent and form a key pillar of the nation.
  
• Caputians come from another large nation that was once called Hamland. You can find the old archives here. The span of cultures that lived under the Caputian Crown are Jewish/Israeli (known in Micras as the Israati or Haifans), Spanish (yes, again - in the Caputian context known as the San Luisians), Scottish and English (known in the Caputian context as Hammish). The second largest group of refugees living in Alduria are the Caputians. Most of the follow the Faith of Melusine.
  
• The Wechu people are based on the Quechua culture, and was a nation that was a monarchy that was a modern Inca style. Although they represent a smaller portion of the refugees that founded the state initially, favorable immigration policies instituted by the Transitional Government have begun to attract more Wechu refugees from around Micras, and they follow the Faith of Inti.
  
• The Babkhi are Empire (of Babkha) nostalgists, follow the regulations of the harmonious society rigorously, look for the "Fourth Rastakhiz" in every ten-penny tyrant who heaps up a ziggurat. Includes Raspurids, who managed to heap up two ziggurats. On earth, they would be Persians or Iranians.
  
• The Eurani are the rejectionist Babkhi. After the Babkhan regime, the cataclysmic events that ended Babkha understandably soured the attitude of many of the ethnically Babkhi survivors towards the legacy of the Kingdom.
  
• Constancians are an ethnic minority whose ancestry can be traced to the Willith Union, whose heartland was in the Gulf of Aqaba and the north-western islands of Eura in ancient times. Forced migrations after the Babkhan conquest saw their populations dispersed. Their numbers quietly recovered over the course of centuries, leading to their being optimally positioned to seize the remains of a city called Vey after the Babkhan Holocaust. Forcibly displaced back to the Gulf of Aqaba region by the events of the Second Euran War.
  
• The Baatharzi are the Arabs to the Babkhi Persians, wayward and independence-minded for much of their history, once briefly established a Euran empire that rivalled Babkha's own.
  
• The Mahozim, or Ladinos, are the descendants of the old Ashkenatzan settlers, based on the Sephardim Jews. Reflecting the animosities of the past between Babhka and Ashkenatza, a Babhkan would consider them "the Yehudi kuffar of yesteryear." They are found in the coastal parts of Alduria, once called Alkhiva by Babhka, while the Babkhi lurk in the interior, against whom vendettas and blood feuds abound.
  
• Iterans are the populations that survived the collapse of the nation of Iteru based along the Nouradin river. They are mostly agriculturalists that depend for their lives upon the heavily polluted river.
  

These nations and these cultures are among the biggest influences on Alduria. Of course, this does not mean necessarily that we will always honor the past perfectly and that every one of these influences will be felt equally or consistently across the board.

How the "Game" Is Run
The Administrator is the final authority on all matters of in-game canon, they create most of the context within which Alduria exists. This means in practice that the Administrator is the highest source for information about much of the domestic situation in Alduria.

To simulate the hum of a busy world, the Administrator maintains a newspaper on the Aldurian Press which frequently publishes reports describing events around the world and here in Alduria. Officials in political offices are responsible for responding to these events as they pertain to their official positions; private citizens and aspiring leaders may also choose to comment on events, or take action to respond to them.

Depending on the nature of the event, events may proceed as before or change course drastically depending on the response by the government and private citizens; the failure of the government to respond to a story (such as a terrorist attack or an economic crisis) may also lead to serious consequences. Additionally, the Administrator runs cost estimates for major government initiatives and new legislation, and is responsible for simulating the effects of government policy.

The Administrator is Edgard, currently using the admin account called "Alduria". Feel free to message him via private message here on the forums or reach him directly on Discord (@eddyplolz#1987) with any questions! 

The Passage of Time In Game
Alduria uses a modified calendar based on Micras, called Anno Nortone, named after this guy. With the AN calendar, 1 month in real life equals 1 year in Alduria. This is mostly for narrative purposes, as the passing of time in the simulation tends to be as fluid as the simulation needs it to be. We want to be reasonably realistic, but not to the point that it constrains creativity and fun.

The Government of Alduria, Elections
The Republic of Alduria is a unitary republic that has a Constitution. The Constitution sets up a semi-presidential system of government, that means that there is a President who acts as a head of state and a Prime Minister that acts as the head of government. There are elections every five months (5 AN years). The President has no term limits.

Elections for Parliament are contested by a lot of parties and independent candidates. They also happen every five months (5 AN years), so presidential and parliamentary elections always happen at the same time.

There are several political parties in Alduria, and they span the political spectrum. Altusian political parties can be roughly categorized as ‘Left’ or ‘Right’. Here are the main ones:

• The center-right National-Liberal Alliance (party color: #000099) is one of the largest parties in Alduria. It covers a broad range of opinions ranging from traditional conservatives, social liberals to more-right leaning libertarians and neo-conservatives.
  
• The New Center (party color: #ffcc00) is a centrist liberal movement composed of self-proclaimed "democrats" and independents.
  
• The Euran Destiny Party (party color: #f39c12) is
  
• The Liberty and Democracy Party (party color: #006600) is a libertarian and classical liberal political party. It has firmly pushed economic liberalism and has aligned itself closely to the promotion of free markets, privatization, human rights, civil liberties and internationalism.
  
• The Movement for Alduria (party color: #660066) is a small sovereigntist and humanist party positioned between the right and the far right.
  
• The National Congress for Social Democracy (party color: #ff0000) is the main party on the Left and was formed from an alliance of parties of the non-Communist left.
  
• The Communist Party of Alduria (party color: #990000) is a small yet vocal political force in the far left.
  

We occasionally allow the creation of new political parties. These are subject to administrator approval and must have a decent effort at defining the narrative, creating activity, and meaningfully participating in the political process of Alduria. It's not an easy climb, but if you're willing to create something truly Aldurian and well-developed, you can go far!

The Aldurian political situation
Starting out, the country is ruled by a Transitional Government that was installed by the Constituent Assembly, an elected body of representatives from all over Alduria to draft a Constitution for the new Republic. The country ratified the Constitution in a national referendum and went into effect. The current Transitional Government has the powers to make decrees with the force of law to establish basic government structures, government agencies, and electoral law. There will be general elections for the first Aldurian Parliament very soon. You can find information about upcoming elections in this announcement forum.

You can find the Constitution of Alduria, along with other articles and information about the Republic of Alduria in our wiki.

This is a country that has just been founded - so there are huge challenges. There's an element of nation building to the governance, especially in a difficult and rugged terrain like Eura.

Here's some of the political ideas and issues that are featured often in Aldurian politics. You don't have to adopt them, and you can even develop your own!

By no means is this list exhaustive (regularly updated):

• Aldurian Self-Sufficiency: A new nation can snuffed out by major powers quickly and Micras has its fair share of them. There's a global tug of war between two major political blocs: the Raspur Pact and the USSO. Alduria needs to ensure its own survival and have as its highest aspiration the preservation of national sovereignty, unity, and build strength to defend itself. This is by far the most popular political idea in Aldurian politics.
  
• The Need for Infrastructure: The construction of a nation is a huge project to undertake. This will mean roads that connect major cities to each other and to important ports. This means railways, water supply, sanitation, airports, and any other needful buildings for the country to grow and be self-sufficient.
  
• Nationalized Oil: The Transitional Government is depending on the revenues from the extraction of petroleum and its derivative industries to finance the construction of the country. It's an accepted fact in the country that the best way to finance the construction of a new country will need to draw on this resource that is plentiful in central Alduria. People often clash politically over what to do with the revenues, and about how much access should foreign companies have in extracting Aldurian oil, among other things.
  
• Laïcité: Alduria's political culture discourages religious involvement in government affairs, especially religious influence in the determination of state policies; also forbidding government involvement in religious affairs, especially government influence in the determination of religion. The principle of separation of church (or religion) and state is enshrined in the Aldurian Constitution, defining the Republic as a "free, indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic."
  
• The Aldurian Destiny: Because Alduria is a new nation, it has begun with only 7 of its original 9 states founded. The Transitional Government has chartered two companies to settle the states of Biscarrose and Napoléon along the Euran coast to the southwest of the country and attract more investment and settlers to the Republic. The goal of settling all 9 states of the Republic of Alduria is called the Aldurian Destiny, and many Aldurians believe it is their duty to do what they can to achieve the Aldurian destiny.
  
• Distrust of Government: Aldurians have a pretty strong streak of distrusting its government, having roots probably in the formation of the military regime of the old Altusian Republic, a neighboring nation that rose and collapsed quickly and heavily influenced the formation of the Republic of Alduria.
  
• The Law of Graces: An Aldurian law instituted as a decree by the Transitional Government that extends Aldurian citizenship to any and all refugees from the Alexandrian, Wechu, and Caputian diasporas, in exchange for their commitment to build and develop the country. Other refugees and stateless persons from the Green can be extended the privileges of the Law of Graces, but these are considered on a case by case basis by the Aldurian Government, resulting often in pledges to help build and develop the country as well. Citizenship or residence in the Aldurian nation is, in practice, open to anyone who shares the values of the Republic.
  
• Agree To Disagree: A very strong characteristic of the Aldurian political culture is the agreement to disagree. The division in political opinions into "left" and "right" can at times lead to vociferous disagreement, but consensus often has been reached by uniting behind a common purpose or uniting behind a strong, charismatic leader, only to be lost when the leader dies or goes into public disfavor.
  
• Broad-based Civic Nationalism: The legitimacy of the government is based largely on a broad-based civic nationalism, a love of history, and instinct to preserve the elements of the common nationhood that are alive in the hearts and minds of Aldurian citizens. The Aldurian civic nationhood is a political identity built around shared citizenship within Alduria. Alduria is a very diverse state, counting on the presence of Alexandrians, Caputians, Iterans, Constancians, and others as citizens. Thus, the Republic isn't defined by a language or culture, but by its political institutions and liberal principles which its citizens pledge to uphold.
  
• The Importance of the Family: Most Aldurians consider the family as the fundamental nucleus of society. Aldurians are proud of having large families and children are popularly seen as a joy to have. This can manifest politically, with the debate usually centered around whether the Republic should be enacting policies to encourage the formation of families. This may be enacted through taxation, social spending (or a combination of both), or through other policies available to the Government.
  
• Commune-Driven Rural Development: State governments have begun granting licenses to "settling corporations" to establish collective communities in their jurisdictions to attract settlers called communes. These "settling corporations" are usually based around agriculture or animal husbandry, sprouting quickly in many areas of the Aldurian interior. Others have sprouted centering around building environmentally sustainable communities, and others have been granted permits to experiments in soil restoration and decontamination (some specializing in radition cleanup). The settling corporations get a license to set up the commune and run the community. These are seen as crucial for the survival of the state by most Aldurians, and thus have the close attention of the Government. The Church of Alexandria and the Church of Melusine have also set up their own communes, pursuing agriculture, animal husbandry, and the construction trades in their own "settling corporations". This is a popular cause among a vast majority of Aldurian voters.
  
• Large Economic Disparity: Alduria outside of Punta Santiago is on average 60% poorer than an Aldurian in the capital. There are very stark differences between the Aldurian Capital District and the rest of the country. This is a major political problem to tackle and will be at play in the elections constantly!
  
• Radiation-Related Illnesses: Aldurians have cancer at some of the highest rates in Micras. This is owed to the already existing pollution from the Babkhan self-immolation, the Second Euran War, and from the collapse of Iteru. There are 1,125 cases per 100,000 people. Among the most prominent cancers are leukemia, prostate cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, breast cancer, and thyroid cancer.  One out of two male and one out of three females are predicted to develop this deadly disease by the age of 85. This is a massive health crisis and the government is expected to act. The political debate shall be over how this will be done - how to provide quality health care to the most people possible, while keeping it affordable and accessible to everyone. Some people believe a single player health care system might do it. Others believe that a system of private insurance companies, regulated by the government, can do a better job of delivering health care that is quality and affordable as long as competition and inovation are maintained. There may be other solutions too - this also brings the environment to the forefront of Aldurians, in particular the clean up of pollution.
  

Where can I find the latest Aldurian news?
If you are looking to read up on the latest developments and news in the Republic of Alduria, your first stop should be the Aldurian Press. The Aldurian Press forum is the central location for news.

The way news reporting is done in Alduria is by the participants themselves and by the administrators of the board. People have to fill out a form to create a publication - could be a magazine, a newspaper, or something digital (details will be expected, of course).

The person who creates a publication then becomes the Editor-in-Chief (unless you specify a setup in the form and name different people as NPCs that you manage, either way) and uses that thread to publish articles and other written work.

If you're looking for an idea of what the form renders out, you can take a look at the first post of this thread, for the admin-managed "Newsflash", a Buzzfeed-esque website that is entering serious journalism and news reporting. The thread is used for news articles, interviews, and whatever other content is being created by the publication.

If you do open one, we encourage that you put a link to your publication on your forum signature! That way you will draw attention to your publication as you post throughout the forum.

As you may have noticed, the Aldurian Press forum is open to all to post and reply. There is no distinction between "official" and "unofficial" news forums. You should not be posting in any publication or newspaper's thread unless you are writing content for those publications.

You can write any news article about any sort of thing. Frivolous or sensational articles will be unlikely to have any major effect on anything, but are encouraged anyway. More serious and well-written articles can impact public opinion, the quality of the article is heavil weighs on its public impact. Different newspapers may be biased in different ways, so you can't entirely trust everything you read in the papers.

What is the Aldurian Destiny?
The Aldurian Destiny is a powerful political aspiration by many in Aldurian politics to settle along the coast of western Eura and establish a free and fair Republic that could house as many Alexandrian, Caputian, and Wechu refugees and provide them a safe place in the world, where they would no longer need to fear for their lives or security.

Supporters of the Aldurian Destiny circle this map of the continent of Eura among themselves as their ultimate goal in creating and perfecting the Republic of Alduria:
 

[Alduria]

Building Your Aldurian Character

So you've been through the first part of the Guide... which we admit, it's a big wall of text. We're trying to provide you with all the information we can right off the bat!

And after having read all of that, you want to be part of the Republic of Alduria?

The process to join Alduria is called "applying for citizenship".

You're not actually applying for any actual citizenship or anything, so your real life citizenship won't be affected by this. This is more a process for you to join as a participant in Alduria.

You start by considering what kind of character you want. It should be noted that Alduria is a pretty diverse nation, we strongly encourage people to follow these cultures when deciding a character name. You can find a more detailed write-up in the wiki, or you can refer to the wall of text we referred to earlier... which is convenienty just a few scrolls up. 

• Think of what kind of political ideology or opinions your character will have. They should make some general sense in the Aldurian narrative constructs and remain consistent with the general backstory of the character (ideally).
  
• Think of what the background of your character is. Is your character someone who is a business owner? A teacher? A trade union leader? A politician? The possibilities are endless, really. As long as the background makes sense and is relatively consistent and realistic, you aren't likely to have problems.
  
• Your application does not have to be too detailed in the beginning. It's great if you have a decent idea and want to expand as much as you can on the first take. If not, that's fine! You have power to edit your biography after you have applied, and even after your character has been accepted. There are some considerations here: you are welcome to update your character's bio with latest electoral wins, legislative or personal achievements, or whatever else may need to be documented or included. But you cannot drastically change the character in an edit. If you want a new character, you're simply welcome to create one!
  
• You can have multiple characters in Alduria. These are called multis, or NPCs. There may be limits placed on the creation of multis in the future. But for now, all we require is that you create a citizenship form for each character and that you disclose all of your created characters in this thread serving as a Character Registry, just so we avoid any confusion or uncertainty.
  

 

THE ALDURIAN CITIZENSHIP FORM

FIND THE ALDURIAN CITIZENSHIP FORM HERE!

 

In case the citizenship application form above does not work for you, feel free to use the one below!

You can copy and paste this application into a new thread, using the name of your Caputian character as the title of the new thread. It'll make it easy for people to track and refer back, and it could even be useful to you should you want to update the application with new biographical details.
 

OOC Information About You
What is your name? (What is the name we should call you OOC? This is where you tell us.)

Discord Tag Name: (If you have a Discord tag name, please put it here. EX: @eddyplolz#1987)

Micronational Citizenships Held By You: (Please use this space to list any and all citizenships you hold in other Micran nations. If you do not hold any, please write "None".)Information About Your Aldurian Character
Your Character's Full Name: (Your character's name. Please note that Alduria has a mix of cultures, please consider names that originate from these cultures when creating your character.)

Age of Character: (How old is your character?)

Other Micronational Citizenships: (If your Aldurian character has other micronational citizenships, please list them here.)

Avatar: (Whose picture will you be using as the representation of your character?)

Aldurian State of Residence: (Pick your Aldurian state of residence. Here's a list of them.)

Biography: (Please provide a brief biography of your character.)Political Details About Your Character
Political Affiliation: (What is your character's political affiliation? You can find information about the Aldurian political parties here.)

Political Views: (Use this space to explain further your character's political views, if needed. This is helpful to use if you are starting out as a politician and want to shape your character's main political narratives, pet issues, and previous political record.)Affirmation of Loyalty"I, [NAME OF YOUR ALDURIAN CHARACTER], hereby affirm that I absolutely wish to become citizen of the Republic of Alduria; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of Alduria against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of Alduria when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Aldurian Armed Forces when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion."

Code:

[quote][b]OOC Information About You[/b]

What is your name? [i](What is the name we should call you OOC? This is where you tell us.)[/i]

Discord Tag Name: [i](If you have a Discord tag name, please put it here. EX: @eddyplolz#1987)[/i]

Micronational Citizenships Held By You: [i](Please use this space to list any and all citizenships you hold in other Micran nations. If you do not hold any, please write "None".)[/i][b]Information About Your Aldurian Character[/b]

Your Character's Full Name: [i](Your character's name. Please note that Alduria has a mix of cultures, please consider names that originate from these cultures when creating your character.)[/i]

Age of Character: [i](How old is your character?)[/i]

Other Micronational Citizenships: [i](If your Aldurian character has other micronational citizenships, please list them here.)[/i]

Avatar: [i](Whose picture will you be using as the representation of your character?)[/i]

Aldurian State of Residence: [i](Pick your Aldurian state of residence. [url=https://www.alduria.cc/forumdisplay.php?fid=32]Here's a list of them[/url].)[/i]

Biography: [i](Please provide a brief biography of your character.)[/i][b]Political Details About Your Character[/b]

Political Affiliation: [i](What is your character's political affiliation? You can find information about the Aldurian political parties here.)[/i]

Political Views: [i](Use this space to explain further your character's political views, if needed. This is helpful to use if you are starting out as a politician and want to shape your character's main political narratives, pet issues, and previous political record.)

[/i][b]Affirmation of Loyalty[/b][i]"I, [color=#E74C3C][NAME OF YOUR ALDURIAN CHARACTER][/color], hereby affirm that I absolutely wish to become citizen of the Republic of Alduria; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of Alduria against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of Alduria when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Aldurian Armed Forces when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion."[/i][/quote]

[Alduria]

So you want to travel to Alduria...?

The Aldurian Travel Guide

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

For the intrepid traveller, adventure awaits in the lands of the Republic of Alduria, located in western Eura.

A beguiling blend of cultures, landscapes and traditions, Alduria contains everything from tranquil fishing ports, bustling cities, sandy beaches, and the unmatched drama of the interior of the country, the Alkhivan Desert.

 

The map of Alduria.

 

As one of the smaller countries in Eura, Alduria's terrain is not hugely varied. However, few visitors travel beyond the country’s port cities on the North Raynor Sea (namely Alkhiva, Susa, and the capital, Punta Santiago), which lie amidst coastal plains and the scattered vestiges of the Euran empires of old, like Babhka, Ashkenatza, and Alexandria.

 

The interior of Alduria can be terribly unforgiving at times. It bears the scars of a tumultuous Euran past,
containing in them some of the most surprising beauty in Micras.

 

Often called the "Pearl of Alduria", the capital of Alduria's most important showpiece is its Alcazaba.

 

The Alcazaba of Punta Santiago. At the bottom of the hill is an old Babhkan ampitheater.

 

 

The Alcazaba of Punta Santiago refers to the large citadel of Punta Santiago. The walled citadel was originally the remnants of an old Ashkenatzan walled outpost. When the city of Punta Santiago was founded, it was expanded and fortified, expanded to contain parts of the city inside. The Alcazaba is heavily guarded. It has numerous armed checkpoints, coils of razor wire, and chain link fences. The newer walls enclosing the government and traditional districts of the Alcazaba include reinforced and blast-proof concrete slabs.

Its high security makes it one of the safest parts of the country, encompassing both crumbling ruins and newly-renovated spaces. For travelers, it is well worth a visit. Taking a guide is recommended.

Punta Santiago has a decidedly Alexandrian vibe, with its Alexandrian and Martino influences evident in everything from the soaring Sacré-Cœur Cathedral, the largest Church of Alexandria cathedral in the country, and the Executive Mansion, built in the Martino original style.

The ancient port city of Alkhiva shares much of the Alexandrian vibe of Punta Santiago, but it is mainly a reflection of its ancient Babhkan and Ashkenatzan past. The city has long been a popular trading post and remains one of the busiest ports in Western Eura.

The Alkhivan Desert is Alduria’s defining feature and one of its biggest drawing cards. It covers much of the country and is the source of myriad myths and legends. Nomadic Aldurians still live here, eking out lives in difficult conditions. Some adventuring Aldurians have formed communes in these lands, with Charters licensed by the government, where they have built settlements to redeem the desert into productive land.

The city of Amapola is the largest of these settlements, focusing in petroleum and in the cultivation of the Thespesia grandiflora tree. This tree is widely distributed throughout Alduria where it is endemic. Its Martino common name is amapola. It is also grown as an ornamental tree in various Euran islands. The maga is used as an ornamental plant, but the wood of the tree itself is valued elsewhere for its durable timber.

The security situation makes independent travel difficult in the desert. Under the guidance of reputable tour operators, travelers can visit attractions like the small oasis towns and villages, or venture deep into the heart of the desert to view the prehistoric rock art or Babkhan, Ashkenatzan, or Iteran ruins. 

The desert is also home to the world’s most remote film festival. The Amapola Film Festival takes place annually and is partly funded through grants by the Aldurian Oil Company and the Aldurian government.

For a long time, warfare and the tumultuous politics of the Euran continent deterred many from settling into Eura. But now, a naw nation has risen. If you are looking for a beautiful, safe, and distinctly authentic experience in the contient of Eura, Alduria has much to offer.