Cennito

Holy State of Cennito
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Deus Vult!"
Capital and largest city	Cennito
Official languages	Latin, English
Demonym(s)	Cennitan
Government	Unitary Theocracy
• Archbishop	Pontian II
• Auxiliary Bishop	Paul Litwin
Legislature	Episcopal Council
Establishment
• Founding	1212
Area
• Total	530,000 km2 (200,000 sq mi)
Population
• 1980 estimate estimate	2,100,000
HDI	0.74 high
Currency	Cent
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right

Cennito, officially the Holy State of Cennito, is a theocratic state lying on the northern side of the Vulpes Mountains, bordering the State of Scharnau and Fiucce to the west, Vyarmansk to the east and the Grand Principality of Livoli to the south across the mountains. Bolsering a population of about 2.1 million, Cennito is a deeply religious society where all aspects of life, economy and politics revolve around the church and clergy. There is no separation between church and state.

With a size of around 538,000 km², Cennito is largely agricultural and pastoral based, with a majority of the population living in small communities centered around churches and Priories. The economy is slow, but most of the population live simply without a need for consumer goods. Most of the population are farmers, stonemasons, carpenters or monks. The population attempts to live sustainably and in harmony with nature. Farming practices are sustainable, any forestry and logging required is done so in a manner to encourage new growth. Mining is conducted to not deplete resources and damage the landscape, and makes up a very small percentage of the economy. The clergy believes that a healthy, well maintained landscape leads to a healthy people. As farming and animal husbandry are very common professions, Cennito exports oats, dairy products, potatoes, beans and wheat (flour). Tourists from neighboring nations bring in a healthy portion of revenue, with tourists arriving to see the vast number of ornate and elaborate churches, buy local goods and spend time in the countryside.

Monastic orders are common, and monasteries can be seen dotting the landscape. The most notable monastic orders are the Order of Saint Laurence the Recluse, the Order of Saint Anne, and the Order of Saint Cuthbert. The Church of Cennito can be described as a form of insular old catholic christianity. It yet retains a greater emphasis on penance and monasticism, encouraging pastoral and rural isolation.

The only legal form of marriage is heterosexual and monogamous. Divorce must be approved by an Abbot, Deacon or in certain circumstances, the Archbishop or Auxiliary Bishop. Same-sex relations are criminal. Male and female adultery is criminal, as is deviancy and witchcraft. The law enforcement is vested in the Order of the Faith and Peace and the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, which acts as a secret police. The main form of non-lethal punishment is public flogging, humiliation via pillory or hard labor. Those sentenced to death suffer crucifixion or burning at the stake. For a criminal to be sentenced to crucifixion, the Archbishop must approve of and be present during the punishment.

Geography

The Vulpes Mountains, the border between Cennito and Fiucce.

Cennito is a rural, mountainous nation on the northern side of the Vulpes mountain range. Cennito consists partly of farmland in the north near the coast, and to a larger extent is considered an Eastern Mediterranean conifer–sclerophyllous–broadleaf forests biome in the rest of the nation. The ecoregion is bounded by forest ecoregions to the north in heading towards the coast, and shrubland to the east and south. The ecoregion covers coastal plains, low mountains, and interior plateaus. The region has a Mediterranean climate, with a mild, rainy winter and hot dry summer. Rainfall varies across the region. It is generally higher on coastal-facing slopes. It also has three mountain ranges, with forestation mainly at altitudes above 1000 meters: Imorpi, a winter ski resort, situated in the west; Sociras in the east; and the Vulpes Mountains, famous for its size and beautiful scenery, in the south.

Flora

The predominant trees are olive (Olea europea), carob (Cerotonia siliqua), Palestine oak (Quercus calliprinos, sometimes classified as Q. coccifera subsp. calliprinos), pistacio (Pistacia terebinthus, sometimes classified as P. palaestina), lentisk (P. lenticus), and Arbutus andrachne. Scattered pine forests hosting Turkish Pine are common.

Fauna

The Vulpes Mountains gets it name derived from a native species of Vulpes, or "true foxes", which also reside in the mountains and over a large portion of inner Cennito along with native Golden Jackals. It is common to see domesticated Golden Jackals kept on farms or homesteads. Other wildlife include Alpine marmots, Ibexes, Golden Eagles, Calabrian black squirrels, European pine martens, and a wide variety of small birds.

Climate

Its climate features a mild, rainy winter and hot dry summer in the west, the south, and those parts of the central area that are less than 1000 meters above sea level. Fall and winter are mostly rainy, except in the mountains to the east, which are snowy in winter. The winter months can experience up to 156 mm of rainfall, resulting in high levels of humidity on the island. Winter temperature averages at 14-15 C the day and fall at night to an average of 8-9 C. During the summer months there is usually little to no rainfall. Rain in the summer can usually be seen, but the dry air prevents it from being felt as it is evaporated before it reaches the ground.

Politics

Archbishop Pontian II in his simple vestments.

Cennito is governed principally by the Archbishop and the Episcopal Council, where there is no separation between church and state. The archbishop serves as the head of state and head of government. The legistlature is the Episcopal Council, a body of clergymen (and occasionally lay members) that serve as an advisory body to the archbishop. The balance of power between the archbishop and Episcopal Council is simple. The archbishop holds the power to veto any measure proposed by the Episcopal Council, and the council retains the power to veto any measure proposed by the archbishop. A small lay council with limited powers also operates but this is elected by a relatively narrow suffrage, and serves only as a rubber stamp, usually approving of any matter decided by the archbishop and Episcopal Council. Appointment to the Episcopal Council requires approval from both the archbishop and auxiliary bishop, and a majority approval from the standing Episcopal Council. Any applicant for passports, government jobs, university places (among many more) must obtain a reference letter from a parish priest, who conveniently also reports dissenting opinions to the Inquisition. The clergy of Cennito never had the intention to create a party-state. Nearly every archbiship has been against the whole-party concept. Instead, the church stands to control and restrain public opinion rather than to mobilize it, like most political parties. The goal by not having political parties is to strengthen and preserve traditional values rather than to induce a new social order. The most prominent ministries include the Ministry of Faith (Archdeacon Deormund of Pontafon), Ministry of Internal Affairs (Deacon Aelwin of Pitleigh) and the Ministry of Agriculture (Deacon Wihthere of Dinworth).

The Archbishop

The Archbishop of Cennito is responsible for delineation and supervision of the policies of the Holy State. The current longtime Archbishop, Pontian II, has been issuing decrees and making the final decisions on the economy, environment, foreign policy, education, national planning, and everything else in the country. Pontian also outlines elections guidelines, and retains the ability to fire and reinstate Episcopal Council appointments. The Archbishop is directly involved in ministerial appointments for Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, as well as other top ministries, usually run by a Deacon or Archdeacon, and in rare occurances, a Subdeacon or Abbot. Cennito's regional policy is directly controlled by the archbishop. The budget bill for every year, as well as withdrawing money from the National Development Fund, require Archbishop Pontian's approval and permission. The archbishop can and has ordered laws to be amended. The archbishop is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces Order of the Holy Faith of Jesus Christ, controls the military intelligence and security operations, and has sole power to declare war or peace. The heads of the judiciary (ecclesiastical judges or inquisitors), the state radio and television networks, the commanders of the police (Order of the Faith and Peace) and military forces are directly appointed by the archbishop. The Auxiliary Bishop serves as deputy to the archbishop. In the event of incapacitation, death or some other reason where the archbishop is unable to perform the required duties of the position, the Auxiliary Bishop will rule as regent until a new archbishop is elected by the Episcopal Council. It is not uncommon to have the Auxiliary Bishop also be elected as the new archbishop. Pontian II was formerly the Auxiliary Bishop to his predecessor, Archbishop Liodanus, before being elected to the position by the Episcopal Council.

The Episcopal Council

The Episcopal Council is responsible for electing the archbishop, and has the power to dismiss him on the basis of qualifications and popular esteem. To date, the Episcopal Council has not challenged any of the archbishop's decisions, nor has it attempted to dismiss him. The Episcopal Council retains the right to veto (with majority vote) any motion set by the archbishop. Due to the very longtime unchallenged rule of the archbishops, many believe the Episcopal Council has become a ceremonial body without any real power. There have been instances when the current archbishop publicly criticized members of the Episcopal Council, resulting in their dismissal. For example, Pontian publicly called then-member of the Episcopal Council, Deacon Ecgwald of Linceter a sinner, resulting in his arrest by the Inquisition and eventual dismissal from the Episcopal Council. Another instance is when Pontian indirectly called Auxiliary Bishop Paul a sinner for a statement he made, causing him to retract it, and retired from the session to "pray and reflect on his actions".

A Militant in standard uniform.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement lies within the Order of the Faith and Peace, which holds around 12,000 members and lay volunteer auxiliary personnel. The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition acts as a secret police, observing and listening for sinful, deviant or heretical activities. Its original aim was combating religious deviation, but Archbishop John IV passed legislation that extended the activity of the courts to cover censorship, divination, witchcraft, and bigamy. It is common for the Inquisition to spy on the population, primarily through a vast network of citizens-turned-informants, and fighting any opposition by overt and covert measures, including hidden psychological destruction of dissidents. The Inquisition is called the "eyes of God" and acts in such a manner to conduct mass surveillance to prevent sinful or heretical activities. Individuals suspected of sinful and deviant activities are investigated and eventually interviewed or interrogated by the Inquisition. Once sufficient evidence is collected, the individual faces a tribunal of 3 inquisitors, where punishment and sentencing is determined.

Law is extremely strict; men and women are severely punished for a variety of crimes. Even a child could be put to death for cursing his parents. Church attendance is mandatory. Those who missed church regularly are subject to a fine. The main form of non-lethal punishment is public flogging, humiliation via pillory or "community service" which has been recognized as hard labor. Those sentenced to death suffer crucifixion or burning at the stake. For a criminal to be sentenced to crucifixion, the Archbishop must approve of and be present during the punishment, according to the law.

Military

The Order of the Holy Faith of Jesus Christ, also called the Militia of the Faith of Jesus Christ, is the official military organization of Cennito. Primarily a monastic organization, the 10,000 active-duty order members are mostly monks and members of the clergy, with lay volunteer auxiliaries numbering around 500. The number of reservists is estimated to be around 30,000. The order is split in a number of smaller units called "chapters". Ususally to be considered an official chapter, the Archbishop grants a chapel and a small portion of land to a group of order members that have proved themselves and wish to become a chapter. The lowest rank within these chapters is called an "Initiate". Initiates are prospective clergymen undergoing a period of training to determine if they are worthy to becoming a full member. If an Initiate succeeds, they become a "Holy Militant", though usually just shortened to "Militant". Initiate-Masters are senior militants in charge of commanding formations of Initiates. They hold no authority over other Militants, only Initiates. Drill-Masters are senior order members entrusted with ensuring discipline within the ranks of the order. They organize and command militants on a day to day basis. Those militants who have proven themselves in combat and/or service move to lesser-command positions such as Militant-Corporal and Militant-Sergeant, and can train to become Drill-Masters.

Roles within chapters that are considered officers are Militant-Lieutenants and Militant-Captains, senior commanding order members that have proven themselves fit for leadership. They command groups of militants into combat, and also manage defense and security of their home chapel. The Chapel-Master is the senior most militant in a chapter, who has been assigned the task of overseeing the sanctity and carrying out the day-to-day administrative tasks of maintaining a chapel and other places of worship for the faithful. The Chapel-Master is always considered the highest rank within a chapter, followed by the Chapel-Sacrist or (in certain circumstances) the Militant-Captain. The Chapel-Sacrist is second only to the Chapel-Master. The Sacrist is the individual in charge of everything holy, including books and relics of the chapel. If in the event where the Chapel-Master cannot carry out his duties, officially the Chapel-Sacrist will succeed him, with the Militant-Captain remaining in charge of the defense of the chapter. The Militant-Captain is third in the order of sucession for the chapter, unless specifically written in the Chapter Codex., maintained by Relic-Keepers. The Relic-Keeper is a senior militant charged with the preserving and safekeeping of most holy relics. They answer only to the Chapel-Sacrist and Chapel-Master, never the Militant-Captain. A typical small chapter within the order will have 1 Chapel-Master, 1 Chapel-Sacrist and 1 Militant-Captain, 1 Militant-Lieutenant. Among the lower ranks, ~40 Militants, 4 Militant-Sergeants, ~10 Initiates, 1 Initiate-Master and 3 Relic-Keepers.

All chapters and their respective chapels are answerable directly to the archbishop, who holds the title of Grand-Master of the Order of the Holy Faith of Jesus Christ.

Economy

The economy of Cennito is predominantly agricultural. Over 80% of the working population is engaged in farming, even though agriculture only contributes to 27% of the GDP. The services sector accounts for more than half of GDP (54%), compared to 11% for manufacturing and 8% for other industries, including mining. Cennito invests 28% of its GDP to the agriculture industry.

The main agricultural products of Cennito include wheat, cabbage, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, sorghum, cattle and goats. The main industries are flour mills, tea and cotton processing, sawmill products, cement and consumer goods. The industrial production growth rate is estimated at 10%. The country makes no significant use of natural gas. Records show that Cennito does not import or export any electricity, but does import all its petroleum fuel like diesel, mainly for farm or industrial machinery. The country does mix unleaded petrol with 10% ethanol, produced in-country at two plants, to reduce dependence on imported fuel. Despite having no automobile industry, Cennito has begun testing cars that run solely on ethanol, and initial results are promising, and the country is continuing to increase its use of ethanol.

Horse-drawn plows are still very prevalent.

Cennito relies heavily on tea, cotton and corn, which makes up around 90% of Cennito's export revenue. Other exported goods are wheat products such as flour and cereal, sorghum, wood products, and some construction materials such as gravel and limestone. The main destination locations for the country's exports is Livoli, Hafodmark and Hrastče. Cennito imports a variety of commodities such as petroleum products, consumer goods, and transportation equipment. Nearly 70% of all imports arrive via rail from Livoli.

Infrastructure

Larger cities in Cennito serve as transportation hubs, financial and communications centers, and providers of merchandise, services, and entertainment. As the railroads continue to expand in Cennito, connecting the vast amount of small towns, they build service towns to handle the needs of railroad construction crews, train crews, and passengers who eat meals at scheduled stops. In most of the South, there are very few cities of any size for kilometers around. Despite Cennito being known for its agriculture, the country has been urbanizing, mostly due to the expanding railroads and foreign investment in other industries. Strict environmental regulation however, keeps many foreign companies from expanding at a significant rate.

Mining

Cennito hosts one native coal company and one native oil field and refinery company. The Milsent Mining and Coal Company provides all of the country's coal production, which is primarily used as fuel for locomotives. The Langfield Kerosene & Tar Co. produces all of the country's oil, kerosese and tar products, which have a variety of uses nationwide.

Transporation

Cennito currently has 797 kilometres (495 mi) of railways, all of which are operated by the Livoli based company Central Livoli and Northern Railroad. Gravel or stone roads are most common, as Cennito lacks equipment to lay asphalt. Wooden or stone bridges are a normal sight. As most people do not leave their hometown, cars are virtually non-existant. Railroads are the primary means of transportation into larger cities. Most rural small towns are situated on a rail line, which provides the only means of connection to the outside world. Railroads ensure the delivery of consumer goods, export of locally produced products, mail delivery and passenger services. Tourists frequently see the countryside via railroads and visit the small rural towns and churches. The G.V. Morys Company, which originally sold dry-goods, offers a goods catalog for mail order to provide rural towns with consumer goods. Stagecoach companies like Davis Overland Despatch Co. provide passenger transport to places not services by rail connections, and horseback riding is still very prevalent for individual travel. Large farms may be able to import tractors for use on fields, but are not usually used for transporation due to high fuel prices. Most tractors are imported from Vyarmansk

Electric trolleys are the main form of public transportation.

In larger cities, automobiles remain uncommon, but not a rare sight. Walking or trolleys are the best way to get across a city. In the capitol, the Cennito City Railroad provides public transportation via electric trolley.

Energy

In many rural towns, the only electrical connection is that which services the telegraph station, usually connected to the railroad station. Many small towns use candles or corn-oil lamps for interior lighting. In many cases, electricity is not required for a town to function. Due to the general lack of electricity demand, power plants take the form of primitive wood-fired or biomass power plants. Wood-fired power plants use waste wood products from the lumber industry. Biomass power plants use waste agricultural products. Power plants are usually only situated around larger cities. In rural towns, wood and waste agricultural products are used in fireplaces and at local blacksmiths.

Culture

Family Life

In Cennito, very few single men attempted to operate a farm; farmers clearly understand the need for a hard-working wife, and numerous children, to handle the many chores, including child-rearing, feeding, and clothing the family, managing the housework, and feeding the hired hands. Over time women have increasingly left the fields, thus redefining their roles within the family. Women are encouraged to turn to more domestic roles. County fairs constantly feature achievements in home cookery and canning, advice columns for women in the farm papers, and home economics courses in the schools all contribute to this trend.

Cennitan children playing baseball.

Although the image of farm life in Cennito emphasizes the isolation of the lonely farmer and farm life, in reality, rural folk have a rich social life for themselves. They often sponsor activities that combine work, food, and entertainment such as barn raisings, corn huskings, quilting bees, Grange meetings, church activities, and school functions. The womenfolk organize shared meals and potluck events, as well as extending visits between families.

Society

Cennito is often viewed as a backward country, holding on to conservative, religious tradition. Much of the population prefer to remain farmers and live simply. Farm families tend to have larger families, because sons are needed to perform farm labor. Community is central to the Cennitan way of life. Working hard is considered godly, and some technological advancements have been considered undesirable because they reduce the need for hard work. Machines such as automatic floor cleaners in barns have historically been rejected as this provides young farmhands with too much free time. Cennitans stress strict obedience in their children, and this is taught and enforced by parents and preachers. Several passages in the Bible are used to support this view. Their children, as with all children, may resist a parent's request. However, things such as tantrums, making faces, calling others bad names, and general disobedience are rare because the children are raised to comply with strict social codes. Any youthful dissatisfactions are usually verbally expressed, but profanity is never allowed because the guilty child can expect swift punishment. Rural Cennitans are known for their avoidance of certain modern technologies. They do not view technology as evil, and individuals may petition for acceptance of a particular technology in the local community through the church.

Those who live in the city enjoy a higher standard of living, as there is more availability to running water, electricity and consumer goods. Factory workers make up a significant percentage of city dwellers. Those who live in the city also get more exposure to the grip of the Church of Cennito. In cities, church attendance is mandatory, while in rural areas church attendance is not mandatory, but remains high. Due to the reluctance of the rural population to accept new technology and live in accordance to their beliefs, societal advance has grinded to a halt, which is why many rural towns look vaguely familiar to 1800s style western towns.

In society, women are treated lower than men and are expected to be the caretakers of the home and raise children. Men and male children do most of the work on a farm, and in the city the men (and of age male children) are the ones who work in the factories. Women take care of children, prepare meals, do laundry and other household cleaning. Children attend church-schools during the week in cities. In rural areas where children are needed on the farms, church-schools are in attendance only two or three days a week, depending on the local Prior. Sunday is typically a day of rest, as stores are closed and factories are shut down and the population congregates in churches.