La Tene

[Linkus]

A paradise for the philosopher.
A hub for the merchant.
A haven for the weary traveller.
A home for the people.

General Overview

La Tene is, in a word, varied.
Formed originally from the Mollys within the system of Newcastle, it has also gained members from various other sources such as Junkers, Bretonia and further afield.
Formed as a simple extention of the already present divisions between it's members and the general Molly Republic, it is a culture orientated Merchant Republic.
The faction is not a stereotypical Molly faction, the stereotype being a bunch of drunks with guns who would sooner shoot someone than talk to them, and promotes trade and culture throughout it's society.
The differences between it and the other clans results in independent relations as will be seen below. These relations may seem odd compared to the other clans but they are logical.
La Tene hold power over Belfast, Mull and Tayport.
It has no great territorial ambitions except to secure the space it has and consolidate a safe environment for it's people.
Trade relations are core to the people, for they give them the exchanging of goods and ideas so vital to cultural growth.

History

When the Mull Base in Newcastle was first built in 772 A.S its relative proximity to Dublin and small population size allowed it to be commandeered strategically and economically from Arranmore by the Molly's officers.

This all changed in 795 A.S when Belfast was captured. The presence of two Molly stations in the system, one of which with the facilities to harvest minerals and construct ship components, led to an increase in emigration subsequent and population boom. Quickly, Arranmore's power begun to show signs of being stretched too thin. To avoid internal conflict which could prove deadly thanks to the inevitable retaliation by the Bretonian Armed Forces, a local council, based out of Mull was created. This council consisted of 50 officials elected by the people of both Mull and Belfast. The voting was highly influenced by the power of the families who backed the candidates, which manifested sometimes in media exposure and others even in the literal tilting of the scales by the sheer size of some families alone.

After the Bretonia ceased its attacks on Belfast and the station capture was solidified as a success the Mollys of Newcastle continued to develop as a group, growing more and more independent from Dublin as time passed and Belfast and Mull expanded.

Away from the bloody battles for the liberation of Dublin, the mentality of the Newcastle Mollys shifted from fierce and territorial to diplomatic and trade-oriented. The construction of the Invergordon Space Port in the neighboring Inverness system in 799 A.S served as a catalyst to this change, opening a door into the Libertionan markets, hungry for Molly gold.

Other hallmarks, such as the successful development of nuclear armament aboard Mull, which had only taken it's baby-steps from it's creation until that time, fact such that had given them an unique defensive strength, the significant part that Belfast took in the construction of Tayport Base in the Dundee system, a further display of their economic might which expanded their influence or the near-autonomy reached via supply routes and trade agreements with the Inverness Junkers, all solidified their status and evidenced their development as a people.

This development, however, was severally limited by their heritage and behavior of their Dublin counterparts. With the signing of the Treaty of Dublin by the Union of Gold, the Mollys of Newcastle sought to expand their influence and establish a foothold in the Betonian markets. Such efforts were short lived, however. Before any progress could be made diplomacy-wise the Union was disassembled and the Treaty torn to shreds, effectively returning them to their starting point.

As a similar fate seemed to befall the Molly Republic which had risen from the ashes of the Union of Gold short thereafter, the Newcastle council took upon itself to finally stand up for the interests of it's people. The vast majority of the council agreed that declaring independence from the Mollys would harbor more benefits than consequences. However, some members disagreed, believing that the economy was still too dependent on Gold to push forward a change that had the possibility of restricting their access to this commodity. Some of these council members and consequentially the families backing them moved to Dublin, others remained in Newcastle, establishing more lasting contracts with their Dublin brethren. The outcome of this was a more solid council, united in their stance of independence.

With this declaration of independence La Tene was formed.

Goals

Permanent Goals:
1. Develop the La Tene people culturally
2. Ensure the safety of the La Tene people

Temporary Goals:
1. Establish trade links with neighbours
2. Gain recognition of Independence
3. Re-organise Belfast/Mull/Tayport to suit our needs

Longer Term Temporary Goals:
1. Upgrade or improve Belfast/Mull/Tayport
2. Improving relations between the Mollys and Bretonia

OOC Goals:
1. Get known by other factions
2. Get solid trade deals in place
3. Fix the infocards to reflect La Tene's existance

Structure

La Tene is set up as a relatively simple Merchant Republic.
Mercantile business is at the very core of the Republic, with large dyanstic families holding commercial and political power. Those that do well in trade usually do well in politics too, though the vicious political nature of the Republic reduces the danger of inefficient corruption.

It is led by a Council made up of 50 members that are elected democratically, though the actual case is of the richer, more powerful families holding most of the seats. This suits the La Tene people quite well considering most people belong to those powerful families. To be elected you need to be a citizen of La Tene. Non-citizens are not restricted in any way aside from being barred from being elected to the Council.

There is a Council Chairman that leads the Council, and so the people, and is the figurehead of the Republic. It is currently Cael Mc Cormack, a Scylla Captain that was a strong figure in the independence movement. A Vice-Chairman can also be appointed. There are 3 offices in the Council each representing Security, Trade and Foreign Relations respectively. These offices are filled with Council members, though there are many general Council members.

In an OOC sense, I lead the faction right now but it's more of a free-for-all when it comes to most things. Perhaps when we grow we may need a proper command structure.

Anyone who joins La Tene doesn't get thrown into a rank but rather out of any.
You can be anyone you want within La Tene, whether it be a simple security grunt, a wealthy head of a family or even a Junker doing deals within the Republic.
You are free to be who you want and do what you want.

Relations

Allied:
None

Friendly:
Molly Seperatists
Clan Feegle
Junkers Congress

Trade Relations:
Colonial Remnant
Vagrant Raiders
Gas Miner's Guild

Neutral:
Everyone not listed above or below

Unfriendly:
None

Hostile:
None

Equipment/Ships

These are the vessels that the Council sanctions as the most appropriate for La Tene representatives.
Less common ones (Such as Kusari, Libertonian or Rheinland vessels) are seen, but would not be the most common sights in La Tene space.

Fighters and Bombers
Greyhound
Wolfhound
Werewolf
Barghest
Civilian line

Freighters
Mule
Repair Ship
CSF
Bactrain
Civilian Freighter
Clydesdale
Camara
Domedary

Transports and other large vessels
Rogue Gunboat
Pelican
Gull
Albatross
Percheron
Heron
Pirate Transport
Firefly
Border Worlds Transport

Recruitment

Joining La Tene is simple. You can use any character you have, whether they be Mollys, Outcasts, Corsairs, Ex-Navy, Hogosha, Junker. Any character is allowed to join.
When it comes to OOC joining, we do welcome everyone but we expect a good level of roleplay from every member. No lol's in the system chat for example.
You can play as anyone you want within La Tene and even take on the role of one of the powerful families. We don't restrict people with what they want to do, as long as they keep it fair for the other members.
Simply head to the link down below and follow on from there.

Information

Important Groups and Individuals
Station Overview
Recruitment
Message Dump

As you can see, this is still requiring some finishing touches but I thought I'd post it up here for people to see as it is and comment if they wish:)

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Facilitating the rise of robotics since 0 A.D.