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.

Etymology
The first mention of the name Tross is found in the accounts of the (Roman) 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 (Romans), the name was (Latinised) to Trosarum, but the Felsinian-speakers native to the city after the fall of the (Roman) Empire would continue to call it Trosa. The spelling Tross is the Englean 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 (Roman) geographer ? mentioned a settlement named Trosa situated on the southwestern tip of the island now known as Trossel or Ixoła-di-Trosa. Following the (Roman) conquest of ? in 121 BC, Trosa became a (Roman) municipium called Trosarum, developing and acquiring a clear urban physiognomy by the first century CE. The (Romans) 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 (Roman) Empire in ? CE, Trosarum became part of the barbarian kingdom of ?. The town dropped significantly in population as a result of the collapse of (Roman) trade networks and infrastructure. Throughout the Early Middle Ages, the town was frequented by Christian monks who founded the Trossel Abbey in 719.

In the 11th century, Tross became a major haven for Anglean and Lindian Crusaders marching south to fight the Madrakhai Sultanate. King ? 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 Anglea-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.

Early modern period
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.

In the Protestant Reformation, 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 1489, 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 1491, 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 Hundred Week Tyranny. 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 1493, 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.

Cityscape
The historical core of Tross is the island of Trossel. Tross Castle and the Trossel Abbey are the only remaining pre-Golden Age buildings in the city. The Castle Square (Burgplatz or Piasa di Castèło) on which the two buildings are found features an equestrian statue of King ?. Most of the island's architecture, however, dates from the 14th and 15th century, Tross' golden age, and its 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 ? 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 19th century in order to house the growing population of dockworkers and factory workers.

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 90 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.

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.

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 have maintained a policy of neutrality whilst advocating free trade and international law. Tross maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries, and is an observer state of the Vestean Union.

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.

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 48% of the population comprised of native -speakers, while the proportion of native -speakers amounts to 46%. The Englean-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.