User:Rakkeyal

Characters

Willard Magnus Ward (598 - )(Active)

Chancellor of the Kodiak Republic (657-663)
President of the United Regions Alliance (659-665) Leader of the National Unity Party (655-)
Member of the Kodiak General Assembly for Rykkburgh Central(648-)
Former CEO of Ward-Gage Amalgamated Steel, Limited

Willard Magnus Ward (commonly known as Magnus) was born in 598 in Robingrad, the son of a steelworker father and a schoolteacher mother. He attended Kodiak National University, where he earned a degree in engineering. After graduation, Ward worked for several years as an engineer in a steel manufacturing plant overseas before founding his own company in 625, named Ward-Gage Amalgamated Steel, Limited.

Under Ward's leadership, Ward-Gage became one of the most successful steel manufacturing companies in Kodiak, known for its innovative technology and efficient production methods. In 648, Ward retired from his role as CEO at Ward-Gage Amalgamated Steel, Limited in order to pursue a career in politics. He joined the National Unity Party in 640 and quickly rose through the ranks, earning the party's nomination for the seat in Rykkburgh Central. In the 648 general election, Ward was elected to the Assembly and has since become a respected and influential member of the legislative body.

Ward is known for his pragmatic and business-minded approach to governance, advocating for policies that promote economic growth and development while also prioritizing the needs of his constituents. He is a strong advocate for investment in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, and is committed to improving the quality of life for all citizens of Kodiak.

Outside of politics, Ward is an avid collector of vintage cars and enjoys spending time with his family. He is married with two children and is known for his passion for hiking and photography.

Patrick "the" Barber (595 - )(Retired)

Chancellor of the University of Rykkburgh (651- )
Former Chancellor of the Kodiak Republic (642-645)
Former President of the Kodiak General Assembly (645-651)
Former Leader of the Kodiak Workers' Party (638-651)
(Technically the Kodiak Section of the Workers' International)
Former Representative for Rykkburgh South (639-651)
Former Secretary of the Kodiak Federation of Industrial Unions (635-642)

Born in 595 in Kodiak to two immigrant parents, Patrick Barber was raised in San Chico where he spent and equal amount of time in the mechanic shop down the road as he did in school. Originally educated as an agricultural mechanic at the San Chico Trades College, Barber moved to the agricultural region near Rykkburgh in 615 and it was here that he attended his first Kodiak Workers Party meeting. By 620 he was President of the Workers' Youth League. He was arrested a number of times for staging illegal walkouts and protests against local businesses and was charged at least twice with battery.

Barber was regional steward of the Kodiak Mechanics Guild and was instrumental in the amalgamation of it with the Automobile Workers Union into what is now the largest Kodiaker industrial union, the United Machinists Union. In 625 Barber was elected Assistant Secretary of the UMU and by 633 was Vice President of the Kodiak Federation of Industrial Unions. With the sudden death of Secretary Frank Hollowitz by heart failure in 635, Barber was eventually selected as KFIU Secretary in the fourth ballot.

There have been unconfirmed allegations of intimidation by members of the San Chico organised crime syndicates against KFIU electors. While there is no solid evidence Barber is involved in criminal activity, a number of businesses have been victims of arson after refusing UMU arbitration.

At least one retired intelligence officer has made allegations of KWP involvement with and funding for the "Peoples' Brigades," a known domestic terrorist group supposedly seeking a Marxist take over of the Kodiak State.

Patrick is often referred to as "the Barber" in reference to how thin he has managed shave operating margins for manufacturing businesses in Kodiak after union disputes.

Ulrykk von Guelderlaand (567-638)

Father of the Nation
Deceased, 638

Born in 567 in Kodiak to the prestigious von Guelderlaand dynasty, Ulrykk von Guelderlaand was raised on the centuries old Thatcher Estate. The oldest of three, the death of his younger sister at the age of 9 in 582 deeply affected him. Von Guelderlaand graduated in 592 from the Kodiak National University with a Masters of Public Affairs. His parents and younger brother were both killed in a motor vehicle accident in 594. Without family, he devoted himself to his work running the von Guelderlaand trust, expanding the number of charitable projects it funded, and worked to rebuild international confidence in the failed republic.

In 625, after decades of work, the Assembly of Nations selected von Guelderlaand as the primary liaison for the removal of Kodiaker quarantine. He pledged millions of his family's fortune to the cause, personally funding many of the civic institutions required for the preparations to rebuild the republic. In 628 he was appointed Provisional President of the Kodiak Provisional Assembly. In 630 he was selected by the Provisional Assembly as the first Chancellor of the new Kodiak Republic. He served as Assembly President from 633 until his death in 638.

On 4 August 638, while giving a campaign speech where his notes suggest he was about to declare his intent to run for Chancellor, Ulrykk von Guelderlaand was gunned down by right-wing domestic terrorists in front of the Rykkburgh City Hall. He was 71. After his death, it was discovered that von Guelderlaand had anonymously spent his entire fortune on funding state rebuilding projects. The von Guelderlaand Trust was bankrupt, and the Thatcher Estate was sold to the Kodiak National University for just one florin.

Von Guelderlaand was posthumously granted the title "Father of the Nation" by Chancellor von Battenburg-Grafton. Dying childless, the historical von Guelderlaand dynasty ended with his assassination.

NationStates

Rykkland

Link to History Dispatch
Link to Nation

The Kodiak Republic

Link to Nation

Out of Character

Rakkeyal is a father of two young children and lives in Australia. He has been Community Director of the Kodiak Community since 2008. His university background is in education and counselling.