Drystone
Drystone | |
|---|---|
| Province of Drystone | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 | |
| Country |  Wegmat |
| Established | 1 September 2021 |
| Capital | Dunning Schorch |
| Government | |
| • Type | Federated republic |
| • Governor | Valentine (DP) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 13 population as of 2,023 |
| • Rank | 1st |
| Demonym | Drystoner |
| Postal Abbreviation | DR |
| Official language(s) | English |
| Area | 168 Acres |
| Legislature | Provincial Assembly |
| Website | Province Page |
Drystone is a province in the Federal Union of Wegmat. Drystone is part of the In-Provinces, meaning it is in the general area of Two Pine. Drystone became a territory as a protest to a road being expanded, removing several trees.
Etymology
Drystone derives from the name of geodes found in the area which the first Weg frontierspeople called drystones due to their distances from bodies of water.
History
Drystone's growth was stagnant due to difficult-to-pass trails through Whynofly as that was the only way in. An easier trail would later be found in the north but to access it one would have to cross the Schiller River and traverse a grove of thorn bushes. Pioneers would give up and found homesteads along the Schiller River becoming Dunning Schorch. Geodes were discovered in the Schiller River as well as a deposit just south of it. This encouraged early frontiersmen to travel further south in pursuit of geodes. This became the Drystone Geode Rush. The Drystone Material Corporation was formed giving the name to the region. A massive geode deposit was discovered between Kaplon and the newly discovered Traders Mountain. The new homesteaders in this area founded the Town of Lot Lake City as a center for resource extraction. This opened up roads and cartways to Whynofly and the Des Plaines River. The Town of Lot Lake City became Lost Lake City once it received the status of "city" by the Belmont Territory commission, the second city in the territory. In late December the territories were split up forming the Territory of Drystone under the Local Government of Cornerstone, Lost Lake City would become the administrative capital of the Territories of Whynofly, Drystone, and Abierta. Dunning Schorch would become the home-rule capital of the territory itself however the territorial commission lacked a large amount of legal power. Lost Lake City would grow to be the fourth-largest city in northern Wegmat. During the Great Des Plaines Valley War the territory was in danger of an invasion from Kapreburg. Wegmat Parliament ordered that the military installation, Fort Kaplon would expand into the nearby federal land forming the Drystone Defense District. After the taking of Levare, the DDD would become the new storage, testing, and training facility of Wegmat, especially after the Madison Defense District was lost. On September 1 the territory was admitted as a province of the Federal Union giving it full control over its boundaries. In the Weg Nationwide Attacks, terrorist Nate Johnson attempted to destroy the Bobist temple in Lost Lake City where he was apprehended by the Wegmat Special Police and Investigation. Drystone would face stagnation in its growth during the Paulina Depression. The flora of southern Drystone is dominated by invasive species and thus agriculture has not been important to the province's growth. In 2023 the population remained consistently at 13, prominently deer.
Geography
Drystone sits in a small basin making the province dry during weeks of no rain and very muddy during the rainy season. Drystone borders 4 provinces, 1 autonomous province, and the United States to the east. Whynofly to the southwest, Irving to the west, Abierta to the northwest, South Potawatomi to the north and Golfia to the south. Southern Drystone is characterized by the Lost Lake Valley, a flat low area densely filled with brush on the forest floor, it is the most populated part of the province due to Lost Lake City hosting an oasis of edible plants. Central drystone is defined by the Brook Range which also has a very thick brush making it impassible and empty. The northern part of the province opens up to the Great Plaines of Schiller. The population, is confined to three chartered cities in the province: Lost Lake City in the southeast corner, Dunning Schorch in the northwest on the Schiller River and Leno in the north near Big Mud Lake. There are 4 other towns in the province, some without population. Kaplon near the border with Whynofly, Odd Village just to the west of Lost Lake City, Addison in the center of the province and Hiawatha south of Leno.
Economy
The economy of Drystone is reliant on mineral extraction with stone, geodes, and ground wood being major exports. The province is difficult to reach and has a smaller economy making many of the deer registered in the province agriculturally working in Irving and Abierta. A large amount of the population is wanted by the Golfia Autonomous Province for being a general nuisance in their property. Drystone refuses to hand over any deer however Golfia/Cook County officials have not made any request.
Law and politics
Drystone is a right-leaning province consistently voting for Deer Party tickets in federal elections. Drystone is a direct democracy, every 4 months any citizen of the province may attend the conference at Assembly Hall in Dunning Schorch. The Drystone Governor is elected by the people every year and has veto powers to any proposition made at a people's conference in Dunning Schorch. The governor appoints the attorney general and secretary of state, the 2 executive offices of the province. The Court of Drystone based in Dunning Schorch consisits of one judge appointed by the Assembly.
Infrastructure
Drystone's infrastucture is among the worst in the nation with roads being regularly blocked and unmaintained. There is no running water or electricity in the province and many of the buildings are sub-par even in Fort Style. The Federal Government holds much of the land in the province in the form of national forest as well as the Drystone Defense District. The Federal Government has been denied the right to take over provincial infrastructure and buildings in the sake of improvement. The Wegmat Domestic Development Board has given the province the lowest rating in infrastructure and has offered many solutions to make services and structure better. The Town of Hiawatha is made up of a large bus stop of the Chicago Transit Authority bus stop of the line on Irving Park Road connecting the north with the American city of Chicago.
