Rezyk

The Rezyk Cooperative (RC/R.C.), officially the Rezyk Cooperative and also known by other names such as "The Cooperative", is a corporatocratic state on (X CONTINENT), founded in 1577 by merchant and explorer Danjel Rezyk. The Rezyk Cooperative is divided into (X AMOUNT) of equally sized administrative regions known as, and contains a population of (X AMOUNT). The national capital of Rezyk is Vrijhaven and the most populous city is Welvaart, with a population of 7.8 million.

Pre-Colonization (~1575)
For unknown reasons, the region that would become Rezyk was not permanently inhabited by any of the local tribal peoples of the region. Some anthropologists and historians state that some of the local tribes claimed that the area was the birthplace of an evil, devil-esque creature, while others argue that the local fauna and wildlife made inhabiting the region permanently without modern technology too dangerous. However, this did not seem to stop the nomadic tribes in the surrounding areas from passing through the area semi-regularly.

Expedition of Danjel Rezyk (1575)
On the return of his 1570 voyage, Danjel Rezyk landed his ship and his crew on the shores of [x continent] following a storm that caused major damage to one of the ships in his fleet. With intention to repair the ship they beached the vessel and disembarked the crews of each vessel as a whole, finding lush tropical forestry. The party would document colorful, tropical birds and exotic lizards in their notes, as well as making a rough map of the region and notable terrain features. It would take a month before the damaged ship was returned to a seaworthy state and around three more months of travel for Danjel Rezyk and his retinue to return to his home port. However, upon his arrival back at his home port, Danjel would set about immediately preparing for another expedition back, this time with intent to colonize.

Founding of Vrijhaven and the Rezyk Free State (1577-1579)
Two years after the first impromptu expedition, Rezyk returned with a fleet of 15 vessels and around 1,600 settlers. Upon their arrival to the area previously treaded by the expedition, many of the ships built specifically for the voyage were broken down and formed into housing for the colonists. Rezyk declared himself as the sole governor of the city, dubbed Vrijhaven (Freeport), by its inhabitants. The lush, untouched surrounding forestry made for prime logging conditions, and the clear tropical coastline which Vrijhaven sat near provided access to fertile fishing grounds.

Rezyk would directly oversee his colony's growth for a period of two years, however in 1579 he set off again to explore, leaving his trusted first mate, Erik Van Zandt to run the colony in his absence. Shortly after setting sail, a major typhoon was reported to have struck the area where the Vrijhaven colony sat. Danjel's ship, crew and his body, although never found, was presumed to be lost during the storm, either destroyed or thrown off course.

Zandt Reforms (1579-1585)
Under Zandt's governance, Vrijhem became a vibrant trading and business hub for merchants, described as having a constant "party atmosphere" by some. 1580 saw the population see a sharp incline as logging companies began to bring in foreign workers in order to exploit the local jungles for their wood. Quickly, Vrijhem's population grew, and the people of the Rezyk Free State began to explore deeper and deeper into the lush forests, discovering new animal species and natural wonders. However, as the city grew and prospered, it also quickly became a beacon for piracy in the region, with well stocked merchant ships heading in and out of the harbor.

The fledging nation had very little in the way of its own armed forces, especially that in the way of naval forces, only having a single 45 gun frigate to its name, the RFSS Foregone Conclusion, captained by Captain Rhys Hammond. In 1581, governor Zandt appointed Rhys Hammond as admiral of the Free Navy, which had its creation coincide with his promotion to admiral. The creation of a standing military force for the otherwise legally lax country was generally positive, however a few notable critics in the colony feared that Rezyk would begin to step on the toes of its citizens. In a mostly successful bid to win back over his detractors, Zandt entirely dropped income taxes for citizens of the colony, making its money off of light tariffs on merchants and sales taxes.

War of 1586 (1586-1588)
On the morning of January 17th, 1586, the RFSS Foregone Conclusion, under command of Admiral Hammond responded to a pillar of smoke on the horizon, finding the smoldering, splintered wreck of a merchant ship that had left port just before sunrise, and a single crewmember who had survived. The story relayed to Admiral Hammond was that the merchant ship had been engaged by pirates and a handful of barrels of black powder that the merchant ship was carrying detonated, instantly killing the entire crew, save for him. The pirate ship in question was one that Hammond himself had linked to a pirate fleet that was operating in the area known as the Unbound Fleet.

Three days later, on January 21st, the Foregone Conclusion was patrolling along trade routes. Around midday the crew had noted they were being trailed by an unmarked vessel. By sundown, around the time the tailing vessel caught up and hoisted a jolly roger, and near a particularly rocky outcropping, the Foregone Conclusion had its T crossed by a second ship, a planned ambush for the sole frigate of the colony. Quick thinking of the crew caused the ship to avoid major damage during the skirmish. A call for privateers was put forth following the engagement, which left one pirate sunk and the other limping away, a call answered by many of the merchants who called Vrijhaven and the Free State their homeport.

The war would continue into 1588, a series of hit and run attacks by both sides eventually culminating in the Battle of Stork Beach, a three day naval and ground engagement between the majority privateer Free Navy, and the Unbound Fleet.