Tross

Tross, officially the Free City of Tross, is a located in central Vestea. It is situated at the mouth of the river Vestrum, bordering Felsinia to the north, [?] to the south and the Midvestean Sea to the east. The city-state comprises the city proper, consisting of nine densely populated urban boroughs, and the Hinterland, which includes a number of small towns and villages, and also encompasses a number of small islands and islets off the coast. The country is home to people, more than 95% of which resides in the city proper.

Originally settled in the Neolithic era, Tross rose to prominence in the 11th century as a major haven from northern Crusaders venturing south. The Crusades left the city as a bilingual community, housing both the original -speaking population and the -speaking Crusaders who remained in the city even after the Crusades had ended. The city subsequently became an important centre of commerce, which prompted a golden age in the 14th and 15th centuries, in which Tross was renowned for its advances in economics, arts and sciences. An uprising by Sigmuntine Protestants in the 1520s led to the founding of the Church of Tross, which remains the city-state's public church to this day.

Today, Tross is a   with a plural  represented in the Chamber of Commons. The city's ceremonial head of state is the Lord Provost. Tross' economy is traditionally largely based on commerce and industry, but has more recently seen a rise in tourism, with visitors from across Vestea coming to Tross for its early Renaissance architecture and its seaside resort at Meeresbad.

Etymology
The first mention of the name Tross is found in the accounts of the Sertorian geographer ?, who spoke of a village called Trosa. Modern scholars have speculated that this name might be derived from the Proto-Felsinic prefix *tro-, meaning "through", and either the word *sagu, meaning "sand", or the word *saro, meaning "bend" or "turn". Upon conquest by the Sertorians, the name was (Latinised) to Trosarum, but the Felsinian-speakers native to the city after the fall of the Sertorian Empire would continue to call it Trosa. The spelling Tross is the Frennian variant of the name, given to it by the northern Crusaders upon their arrival in the 11th century. Several names have since been derrived from it, including Trossel ("Tross Isle") and Trosserhavn ("Tross Harbour").

Early history
Archaeological evidence suggests that the area around the mouth of the river Vestrum was permanently settled by the Neolithic era. Around 400 BC, the Sertorian geographer ? mentioned a settlement named Trosa situated on the southwestern tip of the island now known as Trossel or Ixoła-di-Trosa. Following the Sertorian conquest of ? in 121 BC, Trosa became a Sertorian municipium called Trosarum, developing and acquiring a clear urban physiognomy by the first century CE. The Sertorians built bridges to connect the island to the two banks of the river Vestrum, and the town became a important centre of maritime commerce in the Midvestean Sea. Trosarum's population was estimated to have peaked at roughly 12,000 by the second century.

After the fall of the Sertorian Empire in ? CE, Trosarum became part of the barbarian kingdom of ?, which in turn became part of the Agrestic Holy Empire upon its establishment in ?. The town dropped significantly in population as a result of the collapse of Sertorian trade networks and infrastructure. Throughout the Early Middle Ages, the town was frequented by Christian monks who founded the Trossel Abbey in 719.

Crusades and Golden Age
In the 11th century, Tross became a major haven for Crusaders from Frennia, Camlia, Anglea and Lindenholt marching south to fight the Madrakhai Sultanate. Emperor Charbagne de Françeau ordered the construction of the Tross Castle on the southwestern tip of the island, which was finished in 1189. Around the same time, a small fishing settlement on the south bank of the river, some three kilometres east of Tross, became a port named Trosserhavn, capable of transporting Crusaders across the Midvestean Sea. In 1213, the Frennia-born friar Saint Sigmund founded the Sigmuntine Order, which would be headquartered in the Trossel Abbey. The influx of northern Crusaders, many of which remained in the city after the Crusades had ended, revitalised Tross demographically; by 1300, the city's population had risen back to some 10,000, and its area now covered around a third of the island of Trossel. It also established Tross as the bilingual city it remains to this day. Despite resistance from the Felsinian-speaking oligarchs who ruled the city, many Crusaders who settled in Tross were given citizenship, granting them suffrage and access to positions in the civil service.

The construction of Trosserhavn and the establishment of a Trossian fleet established Tross as a major centre of maritime trade in the Midvestean Sea in the period following the Crusades. The city became a major link in the trade of luxury goods between east and west. This lucrative trade resulted in a golden age in which Tross was renowned for its development in economics, arts and sciences. This manifested itself in the establishment of the University of Tross in 1341 and the Bank of Tross in 1351, and in the construction of early Renaissance buildings such as the Provost's Palace and the Old City Hall. This golden age further stimulated the city's growh, and by 1450, Tross had come to cover the entirety of Trossel, reaching a population of roughly 35,000. Around the same time, the city developed a complex government structure, consisting of a Lord Provost elected for life, a hereditary Chamber of Patricians and an elected Chamber of Commons. The city developed a republican ideology emphasising freedom, independence and the common good. Nevertheless, the city's government was largely oligarchic; suffrage was limited to inhabitants with the status of bürger or sitadini, a relatively small proportion of the population, and vote buying was a common occurrence. Public life was dominated by a small class of merchants and patricians.

Reformation
In the early 16th century, Tross saw a significant influx of Protestant refugees fleeing persecution, and the theological beliefs they brought with them became increasingly popular among native Trossians. In particular, many Trossians had come to view the Papacy with suspicion as a result of allegations of corruption and misconduct, as well as its suppression of Sigmuntinians. In 1519, the lay theologian Karl Brenz published the Trossian Confession, in which he sought to reconcile the teachings of Protestantism and those of Saint Sigmund. This often considered the birth of Sigmuntine Protestantism, which retains many elements of Catholic theology, but discards the doctrines of Papal primacy, supremacy and infallibility, and puts a greater emphasis on asceticism and communal rites. Trossian authorities shared their population's suspicion of the Papacy, but were equally displeased with the spread of Sigmuntine Protestantism, fearing that its teachings might harm the city's commercial interests. When riots between Catholics and Sigmuntine Protestants broke out in 1523, Lord Provost Matteo Foscari responded by deploying troops, who disproportionally targeted Protestants. When a number of Sigmuntine-sympathetic members of the Chambers of Commons and Patricians protested this response, Foscari dissolved both chambers and established what would later be known as the Provostocracy (Profostokratie or Prevotocrasia). This in turn prompted the Sigmuntine-sympathisers, led by Giovanni del Carretto, to rally troops of their own, bolstered by a renewed and militarised Sigmuntine Order under the leadership of Grand Master Konrad von Altenburg. The Sigmuntine Uprising that ensued would take the lives of some 5,000 people and lasted until 15??, when the Sigmuntinians captured the Provost's Palace and Foscari was publicly executed.

The Sigmunine Order subsequently ruled Tross as a theocracy, with Von Altenburg as head of state. The self-declared intention of this regime was to reinstate civil order and guarantee compliance with the city-state's new religion. This state of affairs lasted until 15??, when the ? Agreement was signed. This agreement reinstated the old civil government and set out its relation with the Sigmuntine Order and the newly established Church of Tross. The Chambers of Commons and Patricians, upon their reconstitution, elected Del Carretto as Lord Provost, while Von Altenburg was confirmed as Archbishop of Tross, heading the Church. Henceforth, the Church of Tross would be the city's public church, inextricably linked with its civic ceremonies. Other churches would not be permitted to operate within Tross' borders, although, upon the insistence of a number of moderate members of the Chambers, individual inhabitants were assured freedom of conscience.

Climate
Located at the mouth of the river Vestrum south of the [?] Mountains, Tross lies at the convergence of a zone to the north, an  zone to the west and a  zone to the south. Temperatures are fairly mild; average temperatures (1971–2000) range from 3.6 °C (38 °F) in January to 22.2 °C (72 °F) in July, lows below zero are somewhat rare and highs above 30 °C (86 °F) are not as common as in other parts of the Aclidian Bay area. Humidity levels are fairly low (~70%). Precipitation is adequate, totalling at more than 1,000 mm (39 in) annually, and is relatively well-distributed throughout the year, with no month receiving less than 60 mm (2 in) of precipitation, although autumn is slightly wetter than other seasons. No real summer draught occurs. Snow occurs on average 4 to 6 days per year.

Cityscape
The historical core of Tross is the island of Trossel. Tross Castle and the Trossel Abbey are the only remaining buildings in the city predating its Golden Age. The Castle Square (Burgplatz or Piasa di Castèło) on which the two buildings are found features an equestrian statue of Emperor Charbagne de Françeau. Most of the island's architecture dates from the 14th and 15th century, Tross' golden age, and was built in the early. Many important civic buildings feature characteristic swallow-tailed s. Trossel's street pattern is generally dense and organic, with only a few wider avenues constructed in later centuries. There are many squares of varying sizes scattered throughout the borough, some of which were adorned by a statue or fountain in later periods. Notable buildings include the Provost's Palace and the Old City Hall. The historical core of Trosserhavn also features some architecture from that period.

The borough of Sudbank, connecting Trossel to Trosserhavn, mostly dates back to the late 17th and 18th centuries, and features predominantly baroque and neoclassical architecture. At its centre, equidistant to the two bridges connecting it to Trossel, lies the Commons Park, which runs from the river bank up to the Palace of Commons. The borough's street pattern is slightly more systematic than that of Trossel, with streets forming rings from its centre outward. The borough of Vestbank was also originally settled in the late 17th and early 18th century, but most of its current architecture dates from the 19th century, when it became the heart of the city's financial services and commercial activities. Vestbank's street pattern was largely built with the construction of tramways taken into account. As a result, the borough's basic street pattern is defined by two wider avenues: one that runs from the river bank in the southeast to Meeresbad in the northwest, and one that runs from Kräheberg in the southwest to the Neuhavn in the northeast. The two avenues meet at the borough's central square, which features the headquarters of the Bank of Tross, the Tross Stock Exchange and the Tross Chamber of Commerce.

Trosserhavn has a wide variety of architecture. Its core mostly stems from the 14th and 15th century, while the neighbourhood between this core and Sudbank was built in the 17th and 18th centuries in the baroque and neoclassical styles typical of that period. The areas encircling the core to the east were build in the late 19th and early 20th century in order to house the growing population of dockworkers and factory workers. Most of Meeresbad, meanwhile, dates from the late 19th century, when it was popularised as a seaside resort. Buildings were generally built in the, intended to evoke grandeur and luxury. Its street pattern, in a similar fashion, is defined by a number of wide avenues, most prominently the one connecting Vestbank to the seaside boulevard.

The three most inland boroughs were generally the most recently built. The only exception to this is Kräheberg, which was a separate riverside village which had come to border Tross due to its urban expansion, and was annexed by the city proper in 1913. The core of the historical village, located in the southwestern half of the contemporary borough, mostly consists of narrow, organic paths dating from the 18th century. The remaining northeastern half connecting it to the rest of the city is similar to the boroughs of [7] and [8]. These areas were constructed in the early 20th century in order to facilitate the strong population growth at the time, and feature some of the most famous examples of south of the Aclidian Bay.

Hinterlands
The Hinterland constitutes roughly two thirds of the city-state's territory, but contains only a fraction of its population. Most of it is sparsely populated and rural, with small towns and villages scattered throughout. The banks of the Vestrum river, due to the fertility of the soil, are largely agricultural.

Government and politics
Tross functions as a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic. Legislative power is vested in the Chamber of Commons (Bürgerkammer or Camara dei Comuni). Its 93 members are elected for six-year terms, with a third of seats up for election every two years. Elections are held under the single transferable vote system, with the city's nine boroughs functioning as multi-member constituencies, while Hinterland elects a single member every two years under an instant-runoff voting system. The Chamber of Patricians (Patrizierkammer or Camara dei Patrisi) formerly functioned as the upper house of a bicameral legislature, but the 1853 Constitution left it with exclusively ceremonial functions, and it is customarily no longer considered part of the legislative branch.

Tross has a plural multi-party system. Historically, the two dominant parties were the left-leaning social democratic Labourers' Party and the right-leaning Liberal Union, an alliance of classical liberals and conservatives. Recently, the Labourers' Party has suffered major electoral losses, leading to its displacement as the major party on the left in favour of the Green Party. Other parties represented in the Chamber of Commons include the progressive liberal Democratic Party, the right-wing populist People's Party and the Hinterland League, representing Hinterland interests. Additionally, a small number of independents have been elected to the Chamber.

Executive power is exercised by the twelve-member Council of Ministers (Ministerrat or Consejo dei Ministri). Ministers are elected by the Chamber of Commons for six-year terms, with four seats up for election every two years. Once elected, Ministers are accountable to the Chamber of Commons, and dependent on its confidence. Partisan candidates are occasionally elected to the Council, but the majority of Ministers are typically nonpartisan. The chairmanship of the Council of Minister, a position known as the First Minister, rotates on a three-monthly basis.

The head of state of Tross is the Lord Provost (Herr Profos or Don Prevote), who is elected by a joint session of the Chambers of Commons and Patricians for a six-year term, although he is customarily re-elected until he retires. Like the Chamber of Patricians, the Lord Provost was stripped of all substantive prerogatives by the 1853 Constitution and today, the office is largely ceremonial. He formally appoints Ministers, fulfils ceremonial duties for the Trossian Navy and represents the city-state in state visits.

Administrative divisions
The city of Tross is divided into nine boroughs. Each borough has a borough council responsible for running most local services, such as schools, social services, waste collection and roads. Most national parties are represented in most borough councils, although some boroughs have their own local parties as well. Furthermore, independents are more common in borough councils than in the Chamber of Commons. Boroughs are further divided into 54 neighbourhoods for census purposes. Some neighbourhoods have informal neighbourhood councils which advise the borough council on local matters.

The Hinterland as a whole has no single administration; instead, each town and village has its own local government. Unlike boroughs, these local governments are not uniformly imposed by national legislation, but are separate and autonomous entities enjoying recognition and support from the national government. Generally speaking, larger towns elect a town council, while smaller villages are governed by a public assembly.

Foreign relations
Due to its small size and dependence on international trade, successive governments of Tross historically maintained a policy of neutrality whilst advocating free trade and international law. Whilst still formally committed to neutrality in international relations, the city-state joined the Vestean Union in 1994 after Trossian voters supported opening accession negotiations in a 1991 referendum. Tross maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries.

Economy
The economy of Tross is historically based on maritime commerce, a tradition which started in the 14th century, when Tross became a vital link in the trade of luxury goods between western Vestea and the east. Today, Trosserhavn is a trade hub with a significant commercial shipping business, busy container and oil terminals, and steel works. Additionally, Tross has a sizeable fishing sector, part of which is export-oriented. More recently, the Trossian economy has become more reliant on the tourism sector, drawing visitors to its historic city centre and its seaside resort in Meeresbad. Tourism in Tross dates back to the late 19th century, but was stimulated by the opening of a dock for cruise ships on Ixoła-di-Faro in 1964. Additionally, the island features one of the last remaining commercial aeroship stations in Vestea.

Infrastructure
Tross is accessible by a number of different modes of transportation, most of which converge at the Ixoła-di-Faro, which functions as the city's primary travel hub. Tross' main railway station is Tross Central, located on the Ixoła-di-Faro. One trans-Vestean high-speed railway line crosses the city-state and stops at the station; the South Aclidian Line connects Tross to Fêlsna and Janjiris to the west and to Séddori to the east, with trains stopping every 60 minutes. Additionally, Tross has a domestic train network connecting the city proper to villages in the Hinterland. Other train stations in the city proper connected to this network are Meeresbad, Trosserhavn and Kräheberg. The Faro Passenger Docks, also on the Ixoła-di-Faro, connect Tross to other port cities along the Aclidian Bay by sea, including Aclîdia and Séddori, and includes a dock for cruise ships, which opened in 1964.

Trams are the most common method of transportation in the city proper, accounting for roughly 58% of longer-distance trips. The city's tram system is one of the oldest in Vestea; its first line, connecting Tross' city centre with Trosserhavn, was opened in 1868. Today, the tram network comprises eight lines totalling roughly 115 km (71 mi) of rail. Some tramlines reach out into the Hinterland, connecting outlying towns and villages to the city. Car usage in Tross is relatively low, especially in the city's inner boroughs, which are characterised by narrow, winding streets. Some borough councils actively discourage car usage with high parking fees and travel restrictions.

Demographics
The Free City of Tross has a population of (as of 1 January 2020). The city proper has a population of 620,738, while the remaining 22,699 people, roughly 3.5% of the national population, reside in villages throughout the Hinterland. Tross is bilingual, with an estimated 58% of the population comprised of native -speakers, while the proportion of native -speakers amounts to 36%. The Frennian-speaking population is concentrated in the city's central boroughs, with outer boroughs predominantly Felsinian-speaking. Most Hinterland villages are almost entirely Felsinian-speaking. Throughout the city-state, public facilities and signage are bilingual. Immigrants constitute roughly 11% of Tross' population. This includes a sizeable group of Asqalanians working in the docks of Trosserhavn.

An estimated 71% of the population Tross is a member of the Church of Tross, the country's established church. It enjoys fiscal privileges and plays a role in ceremonies of state, such as the inauguration of a new Lord Provost. The Church, founded in the aftermath of the Reformation, combines elements of Protestant theology on the one hand, and Sigmunitine teachings on asceticism and liturgy on the other. A small minority of Church of Tross members adheres to a mysticist movement within the Church which originated in the 19th century. Aside from the Church of Tross, some 9% of the population is Catholic, while 5% adheres to another branch of Protestantism. 3% of the population belongs to "other religions", most prominently Joguenism. The remaining 12% of the population is either agnostic or atheist.

Education
In Tross, education is obligatory for all children from the age of 6 to the age of 15. The country's education system is generally divided into three phases: primary, secondary and higher education. From age 6 to 15, children attend an elementary school (Grundschule), where everyone receives the same curriculum as dictated by law. This curriculum starts off with basic subjects such as mathematics, Frennian and Felsinian, but gradually expands to a wide range of subjects, including science, history, geography, modern foreign languages and arts, and eventually computing and citizenship education.

Secondary education generally takes three or four years, up to the age of 18 to 19. An exam at the end of primary school determines which type of secondary school each child is most suited to. These types are vocational schools, general schools and gymnasia. At vocational schools (Fachschule), students receive practical training in either a specific vocation (eg. electrician) or more generally a sector (eg. technology), in addition subjects deemed necessary for the "general development of all citizens", including Frennian, Felsinian and citizenship education. At general schools (Algemeinschule), in contrast, students are taught a wider range of subjects at a more theoretical level. In addition to shared subjects such as mathematics, Frennian and Felsinian, students can choose to follow either an "alpha" course including history, economics and law, or a "beta" course, including physics, chemistry and biology. A general school diploma grants access to vocational universities (Hochschule). At gymnasia, students follow a curriculum similar to those at general schools but generally more challenging, in addition to the classics subject obligatory for all gymnasium students. A gymnasium diploma grants access to university.

In terms of organisational structure, primary and secondary schools generally fall into one of three categories. So-called "council schools" (Ratschule or scòƚa del conséjo) are instituted and run by the local borough council. "Foundation schools" (Gründungsschulen or scòƚa fondazione) are run as a foundation of parents and/or teachers. Finally, "institutional schools" (Institutschule or scòƚa istituto) are linked to an institution, including most notably the Church of Tross. All types are publicly financed, but are also required to teach the curriculum prescribed in national legislation, the quality of which is subject to oversight by the national government.

Culture
is one of the most popular sports in Tross. The city's oldest football club, Trossel F.C., was founded in 1893, and the number of clubs in the city-state has since increased to 82. The Trossian Football Association (TFB/FCT), founded in 1899 as a federation of Trossian football clubs, has some 45,000 members. Another popular sport in Tross is, particularly longsword duelling. The late 19th century saw a revival in the interest in medieval and early modern martial arts, as manifested by the books on the subject written by martial historians such as Dominic Malevolti and Konrad Novati published in the 1880s and 1890s. The city's first historical martial arts academies were established around the same time, and commercial competitive matches soon followed.