Our general advisory to intending visitors: take note of the difficulties and look for other destinations.
The semi-isolation from the rest of the Archipelago has made Junno into a haven for people with a dislike of centralized authority. Although there is a nominal Seignior, his family were violently exiled two hundred and fifty years ago, since when no tithes or tributes have been made and the three-island state has operated as a relatively stable anarchy. The islands have been declared ‘open’, allowing unrestricted havenic immigration.
When independence was first declared there was a flood of immigrants from every part of the Archipelago and it was these guest workers who were put to work in the mines. Their descendants are still on Junno, performing most of the manual labour. It is impossible to learn much about the conditions these people live and work under. We know they are paid extremely well but are not allowed contact with the outside world.
The Junnians abolished shelterate legislation at the same time and a steady trickle of deserters from the war in Sudmaieure still arrives in Junno every few weeks. The fate of these young deserters after arrival tends to fall into one of three groups.
The black-cap escouades of military policier are based at the airport and they are always on the alert to seize deserters from either side. They re-educate them all, then they return Faiand deserters to the front, and Glaundian soldiers are offered the choice of induction into the Faiand forces or a further course of re-education. Some of the fugitives from war, though, successfully avoid the black-caps and embrace the fiercely independent way of life in the nation. After what is usually a difficult period of habilitation, most of these young deserters settle down to remain in Junno. A third group, soon sensing that where they have arrived is not that different from what they have fled, take advantage of the lax border controls, and move on.
Unlike the inhabitants of almost every other island in the Archipelago, the people of Junno are armed to the teeth. There are not only more guns than people on Junno, there are estimated to be more than twenty guns for everyone, counting new-born babies, the elderly and the guest workers (who are prohibited from having their own weapons). More guns are acquired every year.
Apart from hunting and fishing, the main leisure pursuit on Junno is the thrice-yearly range war on the smallest of the islands, Junn Ante. The range wars are freely entered into by Junnian and immigrant worker alike. There are huge cash rewards for the guest workers if successful — their choice of weapon is said to be restricted and the guns lack the high power and accurate sights of those used by the Junnians, but there is never any shortage of participants. For the Junnians there are opportunities to gain land and other property from each other. Live ammunition is used.
The journalist Dant Willer was despatched as correspondent to cover the hostilities in the war taking place across the frozen plains and glaciers of Sudmaieure. For six months Willer filed horrifying stories about the extreme conditions suffered by both sides in those endless grinding hostilities, but then was recalled to Muriseay. On the return journey, Willer fell in with a group of young deserters who were travelling to Junno, to take advantage of what they imagined were liberal shelterate laws. Willer’s touching descriptions of what these six young men had endured in the war, followed by the gruelling account of what happened to them once they reached Junno, won the Islander Daily Times a Prix Honorré for Investigative Journalism, and a cash bonus and promotion for the young reporter.
Willer later wrote a non-fiction book, The Junno Range Wars: Earned Peace?, and this too was awarded a Prix Honorré, in the category of Literature of Neutrality.
Currency: all trade on Junno is conducted with the use of convertible bonds, but we have been unable to discover what money would be used by travellers. We assume that the Archipelagian simoleon would be acceptable, and perhaps it would be possible to convert money at the point of entry.
Keeilen
GREY SORENESS
Close to the southern continent, Sudmaieure, KEEILEN was originally developed as a neutral garrison island. The idea at the time was to encourage the forces of the opposing belligerent powers to use this bleak, remote and previously unpopulated island as a base, rather than have them force the use of the more densely populated civilian islands elsewhere. Two large bases were partially built, at opposite ends of the island, encouraging occupation, but although Keeilen came to be used as a port of call, for refuelling, picking up supplies and so on, the garrison buildings were never used.
Later, the Keeilen authorities converted one of the sites into a civilian high-security prison. A tidal-flood cell was readied and set aside for Kerith Sington, the vicious killer of the much-loved mime artiste, Commis, but he was sentenced to death, so the cell was never needed. As it had remained unused for more than a hundred years, it was allowed to revert to its wild state. The prison was later downgraded to Category 2, for long-term as opposed to high-security prisoners.
Keeilen is free of mountains, but the south-eastern zone is a high plain, exposed to southerly gales. The bitter wind of the winter, the CONLAATTEN, brings heavy snowfall for several months. Modern settlements are in the northern quarter of the island, where there is some shelter from the cold.
Keeilen Town, the administrative centre, is where most of the prison officers and other staff have their homes. There is some manufacturing industry and a small fishing fleet ventures out when the sea is not frozen. It is a cheerless, wind-blown place where rain or sleet often fall. The sun is rarely seen. The sky remains dark and cinereous for most of the year. In the interior of the island there is mining of a deep seam of coal.
Because of its location so close to the southern mainland, Keeilen is a common first stopping-off place for soldiers trying to desert from the war fronts. The Covenant of Neutrality defines shelterate provisions, under which deserters are guaranteed a safe haven should they manage to reach any of the free Archipelago islands of their own volition. Traditionally, Keeileners make these desperate and unhappy young people welcome, but strictly speaking Keeilen is not a free island, as defined in the Covenant.
Because of the recent upsurge in hostilities, and thus because of a greater number of deserters, islands such as Keeilen have been experiencing problems with housing and employment. Now there is an unofficial policy of encouraging deserters to move on to other islands. Many stay, though, and as a result escouades of black-caps are often seen scouring the island. This is a breach of the Covenant, but there seems little the people can do.
Visitors are welcome because Keeilen is not a wealthy place, but in truth there are few attractions. For fell walkers the southern cliff do provide a harsh challenge, but it is dangerous to move away from the marked viewpoints. The cliffs should not be attempted during winter as there are no emergency or rescue services on the island. The former tidal-flood punishment cells are well worth a visit, but only at low tide. Again, great care should be taken. Tunnelling is allowed on Keeilen, and there is a practice area close to the coal mines. Local architecture is vernacular; what few public buildings there are were built in the masonic style.