Map of Gymia, Province of the Independent Commonwealth State of Retun (ICSR)
Article Written: 19 September 1452
For the 1299 Provincial Elections, the population of Gymia elected Godric Fane, who ran on behalf of the Diplomatic Party and carried a starkly conservative platform that favored eliminating taxes for the henshale industry as well as dictating a "social reform" agenda that involved strict enforcement of the existing nationwide darkfire prohibition. Also as part of his agenda, Governor Fane carried out a promise to bolster local firearm training programs as well as an already-robust firearms industry. In touting this accomplishment, the Governor hosted a ceremony at the Grand Governor's Lodge at a retreat named Camp Morova located in the Southeast part of David County. The ceremony took place in the vast grassy Yard outside the Lodge and demonstrated the use of the Shellshocker, the latest and most brutal tank-cannon developed the time.
The ceremony took place in the afternoon of 15 September 1300. There were five tanks used in the show; and afterward, they were returned to their parking places at the bottom of the hill next to the tree-line, and were parked in an alternating criss-crossed pattern as part of protocol. It was after 9pm that night when the incident happened. Authorities to this day do not know the exact cause, but one of the tanks, which happened to be pointing at the Lodge, randomly discharged and shot a load. The tank shot out a dud missile, which did not explode. However, the speed and mass of the missile upon impact was enough to destroy the Southeastern face of the structure. The missile, itself, missed the occupants as they were on the bottom level while the missile hit primarily on the second and third levels. However, Governor Fane was caught in the resulting collapse and was critically injured. He died later that evening.
As part of protocol, Lieutenant-Governor Woody Madden was sworn-in as the next Governor of Gymia.
The Retunian Department of Defense launched an investigation on the matter while Prime Minister Waltmann wrote an open letter to Council calling for legislation to authorize federal oversight over the use of law enforcement and military firearms in the Provinces. Governor Woody Madden voiced contempt against this, condemning it as government overreach; and the Gymian Provincial government filed a lawsuit against the federal government in the Supreme Court. The board of Supreme Court Justices was evenly divided on the matter, with the exception of one Justice, Jefferson Davis, who was appointed in 1297 by Prime Minister Waltmann and confirmed by Council. To the surprise of Waltmann, the Progressive Party, and their supporters, Justice Davis cast the deciding vote to favor Governor Madden and the Province of Gymia. And thus, both the Council bill and federal investigation were struck down. In consolation, Governor Madden carried out a province-wide investigation of the incident, but this would ultimately rule it to be a "freak event."
This would be the start of extreme conservatism in the province of Gymia, and such sentiment spilled over into the city of North Kempton, providing the perfect opportunity for the ultra-nationalist, Walter Scott Mason, to rise in power and influence in the years to come. Ceremonies and firearm demonstrations became a regular part of life in Gymia, especially in the years leading up to 1308, while Governor Madden signed legislation to have law enforcement conduct unwarranted searches in homes on a regular basis for darkfire, to implement surveillance resources for employers wishing to prevent collective bargaining organizations from forming, and to coerce estate arbitrators into choosing estate electors for solely the Diplomatic Party for future elections.
In the wake of the 1309 Revolution, Gymia became the Reformed Federal Estates of Retun, a short-lived nation governed as a military regime by now-former-Justice Jefferson Davis. And it was during the war of 1311-12 against the Independent Commonwealth State of Retun that former Governor Madden was killed in action, in the very same location of the death of Governor Fane. Governor Madden's influence would linger in the decades to follow. It was only during the Esurchian Occupation that the political landscape of Gymia was effectively neutralized and Madden's influence erased.