Helena

Note: This page contains information on a location from a past map that is no longer inhabited.

Imperial City of Helena Capital city The sun shining over the Imperial City of Helena, 1736 Nicknames: Helena, Oren Country: Oren Founded: Original design in 1705 by Helen Horen, later reconstructed by Lord Protector Adrian de Sarkozy in 1731. Government Empress: Anne I Emperor: Joseph II Governing Body: Imperial Administration, Ministry of the Interior Lord Mayor: Lorenzo d'Amato. City Clerk: Annabelle Kelmenour. Population: 90,000 Previous Capital: Carolustadt Language(s): Common, Botch Raevir, Hansetian, High Imperial

The capital of the Holy Orenian Empire, Helena provides the housing of all Imperial affairs, bureaucrats and citizens. Named after Helen of Carolustadt, who oversaw the construction of the city, it houses men and women from all reaches of the empire, from Heartlanders to Kadarsi. The city operates as the seat of the House of Helane, who rules from the Novellen Palace at the peak of the grand city.

History

Construction

An atypical approach was taken by the Emperor at the time, Augustus I, who decided not to employ a vast array of Imperial architects that have constructed plentiful cities before - but instead, bequeathed all jurisdiction of the project to his wife, Helen Horen, who spent countless hours working on the construction of a grand city, one quote from an Imperial advisor at the time said.

• "Helen has shown the utmost dedication to the project, rising at four at night daily and starving herself of slumber to complete the city."

The city was completed in time for when the migration of the Empire came upon Arcas.

Upon the arrival in Arcas, the City of Helena was used until 1732. Following the death of Alexander II, the city was torn down and replaced with an updated city featuring many new designs in architecture. It is in this city that the Emperor, Imperial Diet, and Citizenry live now.

Geography

Helena was built on an island in the middle of Lake Helena in the Crownlands. The island before the city being built upon it was rocky & barren with the surrounding being icy cold water, a truly hostile environment for the normal man. Through time & effort, the Empire of Renatus was able to tame the landscape & build a majestic city. Surrounding the island is hills & oak forests which were used to harvest resources for the construction of the main city.

City Government

The Lord Mayor

Similar to other imperial cities of the past & present, Helena hosts mayoral elections to the public every four years. However, during Helena's first few years under the rule of the Holy Orenian Empire, a council of five livery masters elected the lord mayor as opposed to the open elections we have to this day. Even with the livery masters being elected by popular vote, there was an outcry for the Lord Mayor to be elected by popular vote too. Roughly around 1740~ the Ministry of the Interior changed the elections of the mayor to public elections.

Iconic Lord Mayors

• Tybis de Ruyter
• Gustav Ratmane
• Peter d'Arkent
• Dimitri Orlov

The Livery Board

The Livery Board is the Lord Mayor's most trusted advisors. Once or twice every year they are required to hold a public meeting in Varoche Hall where citizens may spectate & ask questions to the council at the end of the session. At the start of the imperial regime, there were five livery masters in total, each elected from their own city district by popular vote. These five livery masters had an important job of elected a new lord mayor & advising them on how to best run the city. Sometime around 1755~ that system was replaced by a new one, where instead of districts choosing livery masters, different types of companies would choose their master. This increased the about of livery masters to eight to accommodate the different companies. Along with this change, the election for lord mayor became a public election. The last change to the Helena Livery Board came in 1784 when the newly appointed Secretary Padraig O'Rourke abolished the board of '55 & replaced it with a new one where the name Livery Board was changed to City Assembly. Candidates for the city assembly no longer ran to represent a company or a district but instead ran individually, similar to how the lord mayor elections worked. The number of members of the assembly was cut down to seven, each serving four years with the possibility of running for re-election.

[!] The clicking of iron on stone heralded the advance of Minister O’Rourke, growing louder as he drew closer. As it drew close to outside the door of Varoche it paused. The doors of the hall would screech as they were burst open and the lanky Adunian swept into the room. Flanked by Mayor Orlov and a troupe of Illatian and Raevir youths, he crossed the threshold into the hall. Padraig would raise his hand and extended two fingers gesturing to the rafters. Breaking from the group, he finally turned his cadaverous maw to face the members of the livery board, malevolence steeped into the very air that drew about him as he slowly crossed the room. The sound of clicking would roar in the ears of the livery board before he came to a rest before them. leaned forward on his cane and resting his gnarled hands on the stylized Kaedreni Rose handle of his cane, he looked each member of the livery in the eye. One after the other, his jaw tensed and pronounced like a prized boxer daring one to make a move, before he spoke in a growing rumble. “Too few, too inept, too corrupt! That is what you all are, those of you who voted to keep this destitute establishment either are too stupid to realize your fallacy or too power-drunk to actually serve your people! Tell me when was the last time you have helped the poor!?” He paused for a half-second the rage building within him as his cheeks darkened. “Never! Now I’m going to do something I should have done long ago. You are not going to choose to dissolve this defunct rotting shite hole no. But neither am I! The people of Helena will vote and decide in a general referendum to strip the power that was so lavishly enshrined by this body or disbar it in its entire state.” He said as his eyes again searched out those of the livery masters.

Iconic Livery Masters

• Alpha Carington
• George Galbraith
• Victor C. Halcourt
• Ledicort d'Azor
• Doctor Mogryn
• Gino Falcone

The City Clerk's Office

Every town or village, big or small, no matter their style of democracy requires city clerks or more commonly referred to as, stewards. Helena is no different. There is a team of city clerks, numbering around ten that serve the citizens of the empire by providing them the best prices on homes. The sale money makes up the majority of the imperial vaults which makes the job of the city clerk highly important. Throughout Helena's history, there has been a back & forth battle between the city clerk office & The Ministry of The Interior about how best to manage the clerk team. Secretaries of the Interior such as Edward Galbraith preferred to personally oversee the management of the city clerks while others like Secretary O'Rourke preferred to allow the Head City Clerk to manage their own team. Most Head City Clerks hated having the Secretary of the Interior to manage their own team which caused a division in cooperation. Even with the lack of friendship between the two offices, the city clerks of Helena have always been able to successfully do their job.

Iconic Head City Clerks

• Sir Alexander Pruvia
• Sir Rylan Swint
• Annabelle Kelmenour

Notable Figures of Helena

• Augustus I, former Emperor of Man.
• Helen Horen, architect of Helena, and Empress-consort of Man.
• Amelia Horen, lady privy seal.
• Cassius Horen, former commander and grand-marshal.
• Antonius I, former Emperor of Man.
• Godfrey II, former Emperor of Renatus, and Holy Orenian Emperor.
• Adeline of Alstion, former Empress-Consort of Renatus and Holy Oren.
• John VII, former Holy Orenian Emperor.
• Alexander II, former Holy Orenian Emperor
• Adrian de Sarkozy, second Lord Protector of the Holy Orenian Empire.
• Peter Cardinal Helena, Former Archchancellor
• Simon Basrid, former Archchancellor.
• Peter III, former Orenian Emperor.
• Lorena of Cascadia, former Empress-consort of Oren.
• Anne I, first female monarch of the Holy Orenian Empire.
• Joseph II, co-monarch of Anne and former Holy Orenian emperor.
• Jonah Stahl-Elendil, former Archchancellor.

Notable Buildings

• Novellen Palace, the imperial palace of the capital, where all economic and diplomatic affairs are held, also the home of the Emperor.
• Basilica of the Final Revelation, the grand home of the Faith in the Imperial City.
• Anpalais Place, Historical District of Helena.
• Varoche Hall, Home of the Imperial Diet.
• The Imperial State Army Bastille, Home of the Imperial State Army.