"Bóg Jest Z Nami!" Overview: The Republic of Marzanna is a primarily human colony situated in the Gita Nexus system. It has a population of roughly 10,000 people, the vast majority of which are ethnic Poles, with a significant number of Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and other smaller demographics. While originally situated in an abandoned USSS military base, over the years it has grown and formed a number of smaller enclaves throughout the planet's surface. Marzanna is governed legislatively by the Marzannan Curia, a council of representatives from the Colony's assorted districts, as well the judicial 'Council of Order and the executive 'President', who serves as the Colony's chief executive and the Commander-in-Chief of its Armed Forces. Dr. Wiktoria Drazkowski, Encumbant President of the Republic of Marzanna Presidential elections are held every 4 years, while Curia elections take place every 2 years, and justices on the Council of Order serve essentially for life. While there are no term limits, political offices do have an age cap of 70 years. The current President is Dr. Wiktoria Drazkowski, who also holds the office of 'Surgeon General'. The colony is protected by the Militia of the Marzannan Republic (more commonly referred to simply as the Militia), which consists primarily of small local chapters, but retains a core of highly trained and dedicated professional soldiers. The duties of day-to-day law enforcement also lay with the Militia, specifically the 'Gendermarie', who are likewise dedicated as opposed to volunteers. Most citizens over the age of 18 are considered 'Reserve Members' of the Militia, and while not compulsory, the ownership of personal firearms for the purpose of personal and National Defense is strongly encouraged by the government at large. Marzanna's national anthem is 'Mazurek Dąbrowskiego' (aka 'Poland is not yet lost') and its national languages are Galactic Common and Polish. While there is no state religion, the primary faiths are Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, with a number of other faiths. It's national motto is 'Bóg Jest Z Nami!' (God is with Us!), while the motto of its armed forces is 'Dla Dzieci Naszych Dzieci' (For our Children's Children). The colony's primary source of income is its placement at a convergence of a number of popular shipping lanes, as well as a heavy complement of orbital defense cannons, which assure the planet remains a safe anchorage for merchant shipping. Lax laws regarding cargo that otherwise might be contraband elsewhere has likewise made the planet a potential haven for those less than reputable characters looking to offload suspect cargo. Marzanna also presents itself as a haven for those seeking to keep their bank accounts private, and further supplements its income as a 'Flag of Convenience' state for businesses and ships that might otherwise be outlawed elsewhere. Stemming from the backgrounds of its primary demographics, the Marzannan people have a strong dislike and distrust of 'Collectivist Ideologies', including Fascism, Communism, and Socialism. They are also a highly insular people, with more of them hailing from Civ-Space than from the Fringe. It is only recently that the public opened itself up to the possibility of interacting with the wider Fringe in general, allowing visitors to gradually begin visiting some of the Colony's residential, urban, and industrial districts beyond the confines of Jadwiga Terminal. The Marzannan people are a quiet conservative people, little interested in the affairs of the wider galaxy so long as those affairs don't involve them. They prefer liberty over security, and often live in tightly knit communities which they are somewhat hesitant to admit outsiders to. Nonetheless, there are no laws preventing a person from seeking Citizenship within Marzanna or even just the purchase of property there, so long as they've not been declared 'Persona non Grata'. In the context of Marzannan Law, a person so declared is prohibited from setting foot on Marzannan soil. It is a status usually enacted through a Curia vote, though in extreme situations an official might make the declaration without first convening a vote... In this instance, the status is considered 'Temporary', and may be overturned by the Curia. Typically the status of 'Persona non Grata' is reserved for Non-Citizen offenders that are considered to pose a legitimate threat to the safety of the stability of the colony. To date, only five such statuses have been declared and upheld by the Curia, two of which were enacted following the Legionnaire Incident. Of particular note with regards to violence that might break out there is that Marzanna is a Mutual Combat jurisdiction, which means that two consenting parties may fight up to and including the Death, so long as that fight doesn't interfere with the safety of others or result in major property damage. The Main Entrance of Jadwiga Memorial Freight Terminal Notable Hubs Include (but are not limited to): Jadwiga Memorial Freight Terminal ((Build Complete, save for updates as plot demands.)), the Casimir Archipelago ((Build in Progress)), Pastwika ((Build planned but not started)), Fort Casimir Military Base((Build planned but not started)), and the Capitol City of Skłodowska ((Next in Build Queue)). The first Colonist to set foot on Marzanna (Militiaman Szymon Androwski) plants a symbolic flag, later replaced with a true Marzannan Flag History: The basis for the creation of the Republic of Marzanna occurred in 3279, when the Union of Soviet Socialist Systems selected the fifth planet of the Gita Nexus system for use as a supply and fuel hub, as well as a storage facility for nuclear weapons. It served this purpose quietly and dutifully until the year 3282, at which point it was evacuated and left abandoned. The facilities were left unattended for several years, until arrival of Doctor Wiktoria Drazkowski, a former High Ranking officer in the Red Army. Her ties to the USSS were at the time ones of convenience, a means to pay for her attendance of several prestigious medical schools as well as to gain valuable experience treating combat casualties. Finding the facilities of Gita Nexus V to be more or less intact, and with her ties to the USSS thoroughly severed, Doctor Drazkowski returned to Civ-Space to begin an effort to form a Colony, specifically one of ethnic Poles, as a means of preserving their culture which had fragmented at the destruction of Earth. It wasn't long before her efforts found purchase, not only among Poles, but Lithuanians and Ukrainians as well. It was during the course of these efforts that she would meet her husband Maksym and convert to the Eastern Orthodox faith. Financing the Colony was a challenge, but while serving in her former role in the USSS, Drazkowski had seen the writing on the wall, and so had used her position to transfer certain arms and other supplies to various 'caches' in the Fringe, which she gradually sold off as needed. With the finances covered and several thousand eager colonists, the first of the Colony ships touched down on Gita Nexus V almost a year to the day the Colony Effort began. The name Marzanna was chosen from the Polish name for the Slavic Goddess of the Sun, a motif that was further enshrined in the Colony's flag. It took roughly 2 years for the entirety of the Colonists to arrive at their new home, traveling in small groups so as to avoid rousing the suspicions of Civ-Space Authorities. Through it all Doctor Drazkowski would continue working as physician and Professor of Medicine in Civ-Space, maintaining a close and regular bond with the Colony, visiting at least five times a year. Following the murder of her husband and son in a Civ-Space mugging gone awry, the Doctor returned to Marzanna permanently, at which time the Curia voted to instate her as the Colony's first real President, having only had 'Provisional Governors' up to that point. This marked the beginning of a period of moderate reform within the isolationist colony, not only as attitudes changed towards the Fringe as a whole, but as finances became a more pressing issue. Jadwiga Memorial Freight Terminal was operating at a fraction of what it was capable of on account of security concerns, but in the end the Colony's overall prosperity was deemed of greater importance. That being said, the decision to open Marzanna to the public was not an entirely popular one, though a number of polls have since indicated that most residents consider it to be a 'Necessary Evil'. ((I have a lot more to add to this as time goes on, but for now I thought I'd post some of the lore I'd written up, expanding more on what I said in the Jadwiga Terminal post. Expect sporadic edits as time goes on!))
