Free City of Mantle

The Free City is a micronation located on an archipelago off the coast of Koganon.

Founding
Mantle was founded by Cyan Nox Rose-Timemantle, who, coming from another realm in which her family were esteemed nobles, wanted to rebuild the Timemantle Family name. According to legend, she found an enchanted apple shortly after her arrival in Alathra, which she sold for more then enough money to establish the City. She would establish a new branch of the Timemantle Family, the Rose-Timemantle branch, in order to run this new City.

Trouble first came to Mantle before it was even founded, as the original site of the City was to be on a Peninsula in Prospit, however, the Lothridgians would not allow settlementation there. Left with no other Options, the Grand Princess to be departed for Koganon, where, near the fellow independent city of Eisenbury, she would find an uninhabited, snowy Island to call home.

Financial Crisis of 22
In the Year 22, a Financial Crisis struck the newly formed City-state, as it began to very quickly run out of Money. During this time, the Grand Princess controversially ordered more funding be poured into both the research of the Magical, Alchemy, and Mining Industries, a Gamble that would pay off with the invention of the Magitech Pickaxe, which allowed for extremely increased ore production. This, coinciding with the founding of Mx Pharmaceuticals by the future Viscountess Sienna, lead to a major economic boom that propelled Mantle economically onto the world stage.

The Violet Scourge Outbreak of 31
Main Article: The Violet Scourge

In the year 31, 10 years after the founding of Mantle, it became Ground Zero for the Violet Scourge epidemic, as a startling new disease threatened to destroy the entire city, and an eternal night fell over it. A multinational foreign intervention was the only thing that managed to save the battered city, which incurred over 1.1 Million Mantlean Marks in damage and the lives of 247 citizens being lost.

The Rift Wars
Following the Invasion and Violet Scourge Epidemic in the year 31, Mantle sensed that the battle was not yet over, and began a historically massive military build-up. The Crown issued the War Defense Declaration, ordering all factories to begin producing material for the coming war. Martial Law was declared, as Mantle began issuing warnings to its allies on the current situation. It was during this time that the Mantlean Office of State Security, and the Secretary of Defense Colonel Rein Cor Blackwell, sent a missive to the nearby city of Eisenbury about an imminent invasion. Unfortunately, Mantlean Intelligence dropped the ball, and the Invasion came directly to Mantle. The war forced Mantle to rapidly evolve and create new ways of fighting, and caused the Militarization of the Free City, whom formed the Royal Navy and Blue Army to counter the threat. Eventually, Mantle would secure victory in the war at great cost. But, because of her Leadership in the war, and due to the Annexing of the Island directly south of Mantle, the city popularly declared Cyan Nox Rose-Timemantle, Queen Cyan Nox Rose-Timemantle I, The Defender, first Queen of Mantle. The day that Mantle declared victory, Church bells rang, and citizens celebrated in the streets. The new Queen declared it was "Victory Week", and Schools were to be cancelled and non-essential business closed as a week of celebration was declared, ending with a Festival.

Economy and Government
Mantle is a Semi-Feudal Monarchy, whose head of state is the Grand Princess. The Grand Princess appoints "Viscounts" to run the various districts of the city. Viscounts can further appoint up to two Barons to assist in the administration of their district. Both titles are considered hereditary, however, they can be revoked at any time by any person above them in the Mantlean court.

Mantle's Economy is mostly capitalist, with the only checks instituted on the Government being labor laws to protect workers. The Mantlean Government believes that capitalism encourages innovation, and therefore has a hands-off, Lazes-faire approach to the economy. The Economy itself is one of Alathra's few Industrial based economies, with Magitech-based machinery in factories making things like Potions and Medicine in large quantities quickly. Mantle also has a strong Tourism industry, with many people from all over Alathra travelling there to enjoy the hot springs, take in the beautiful sights of winter, and enjoy the world-class Mantlean brewed Vodka.

Mantle is renowned across Alathra for their dedication to a completely Neutral foreign policy, and their lack of a standing army, maintaining only a Self-Defense guard force known as the Blue Rose Order, who also acts as the cities police.