Difference between revisions of "Nation/Weremark"

Revision as of 11:44, 27 August 2017

The Kingdom of Weremark Weremark
Motto: "Andaláus Ihre, Magnem Liuda." "Endless Honor, Great Prosperity."
Anthem: "Hostages of Circumstance."
Capital and largest city		Hailia
Official languages		Werman
Recognised regional languages		Ostrogothic, Low Prussian, Norse
Ethnic groups (1999)		Werman (95.65%), Heimarn (4.26%), Vand (0.09%)
Demonym		Werman
Government		Feudal Kingdom
-	King	Dagmund Altberg
-	Duke of Altberg	Magnus Altberg
-	Duchess of Scarin	Brynhild Hermann
Legislature		House of Lords and Ladies
Independence
-	Consolidation of Wermark	1041 CE
-	Werman War of Succession	1337 CE
-	Ratification of the Kuningsjesazen	1398 CE
-	Water (%)	17%
Population
-	2014 estimate	77 million
HDI (2013)		0.944 very high
Currency		Eagle (WME)
Time zone		Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Date format		DD/MM/YYYY
Calling code		+82
Internet TLD		.wm

The Kingdom of Weremark (pronounced /wɛrmark/) or Wærmark in Wereman is a developed nation of approximately 77 million inhabitants in the TEMPLATE LOCATION. The nation of TEMPLATE lies to the west and southwest, respectively. <INSERT SPECIFIC LOCATION DETAILS HERE>

Originally a conglomeration of Germanic tribes collectively referred to as the Weres, the Kingdom of Weremark was consolidated by Ragnar von Altberg in 1339, after which feudal traditions gradually entrenched themselves in the nation's sociopolitical sphere. The Kingdom expanded throughout the first millennium, resulting in various tributary states and vassals, including Wahland. It is governed as an absolute monarchy with varying degrees of vassal control and popular input. It is considered to be a highly decentralized state, with defence, economics, and energy often relegated to the sole responsibility of regional vassals. There are over 150 bannermen sworn to the King of Weremark, among them Dukes, Counts, Margraves, and Jarls. Weremark holds a strong aristocratic tradition and is noted for its enduring sense of chivalry, a fact marking it as one of the few clear-cut feudal states remaining in the modern world. Culturally, it shares links to neighbors Heimar and Vandinium, as well as Artstotszka.

Weremark holds considerable natural and energy resources but has neglected to access them since the onset of the 21st century, for various geopolitical reasons. Weremark has come to be known for its furniture, automobile, and defence industries. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and around seventeen weapons of mass destruction.[35] Weremark has been recognized as both a great power and a regional power since its civil war, however, the nation was characterized as a superpower for a large portion of the early 2000s. <INSERT GEOPOLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS HERE>

Etymology

The etymology of the word Weremark is a subject which occasionally attracts debate. Most sources derive the first part of the word, and by extension the name of the people, from the general Germanic root for "man", related to English Werewolf. The -mark is believed to mean borderland, with probable references to the southern border with Vandinium.

The first recorded use of the word Weremark within Weremark itself is found on the baptismal Writ of Weremark, which consolidated Weremark's as a Duchy in 1041 CE. The word is written in the form of nominative ᚹᛖᚱᛖᛗᚨᚱᚲ, a form still used today. The inhabitants of Weremark are there called "Wæren" ([wɛren]), or "Weres", in the accusative.

History

Prehistory

Weremark's history begins at the southwestern base of the Kørpergroße mountains, located along Weremark's modern borders with Heimar and Artstotszka.This period was characterised by small bands of hunter-gatherer-fishers using flint technology. Agriculture developed independently around 11,500 BCE, with Germanic tribes in the area consolidating and forming economies based on the cultivation of wheat and potatoes.

Germanic tribes living in what was to become Weremark are first mentioned by EXTERNAL HISTORIAN in 120 BCE. In CLASSICAL WORK OF HISTORY, he mentions the Goths (Goteas) as a powerful tribe specializing in bronze mining, and the Jylls (Jillanis) as great warriors and sailors. Though the exact history of these early tribes is not exactly known, Germanic mythology mentions several mythical and semi-mythical kings as having ruled both tribes at the time. As for literacy in Weremark, evidence of a Proto-Runic system exists from as far back as 300 BCE. Artifacts recovered from Oltbjorgvilke reveal that, when transliterated correctly, the Proto-Werman language was much more mutually-intelligible with modern Werman compared to other languages of the time.

Around 49 CE, EXTERNAL HISTORIAN #2 describes the Goteans and Jyllans as being of the same stock and the tallest of people. He also mentions various Germanic tribes as having gained in the territory, including the fledgeling Vareans. The Vareans return in later histories of the era, noted for their strong and organized society and iron metalworking.

Feudal Age and Reformation

Sudrogothic historian Schaonric mentions around 321 CE that the Varans had begun a conquest of neighbouring Germanic tribes, but had been repelled by the hosts of Redoric Theordicing and Jarkin von Nikberg, of Hailia and Jylmark, respectively. External sources at the time falsely describe the whole region as having belonged to the Varans, and, in the next centuries, the whole region and its peoples came to gradually be referred to as belonging to the 'Weres', a phenomenon accelerated by the near-identical languages of the Varans and Jylls, and the shared Germanic religion of all the tribes.

By 940 CE, the Varans had successfully annexed the lands of the Jylls, and created the first legitimate governmental structure in Weremark, the Grand Duchy of Jylmark. In 1041 CE, Jylmen under the command of Otto von Altberg, 'The Werewolf', successfully conquered the Gothic lands of Sigisland and Stiurberg, enabling the creation of the modern title of King of Weremark, and stabilizing the region under one ruler for the first time in recorded history. The Grand Duchy of Jylland passed onto cadet branches of the Altberg family, while those who had submitted peacefully were allowed to keep their lands and titles as vassals to the crown. In Weremark subsequently developed Feudalism in a modified form, known as Lahnschaft. Lahnschaft Feudalism excludes the clergy from owning land, instead granting the First Estate to merchants and the middle class.

While thralldom had been common in Weremark, indentured servitude developed as the basis for hard labour, supplanting serfdom and thralldom. Eventually, both slavery and serfdom were abolished altogether by a decree of King Magnus Beartooth in 1244. Former thralls and serfs tended to be absorbed into the peasantry, and some became labourers in the towns. However, aside from the important port city of Hailia, Weremark remained a largely backwards country, with most rural communities operating on barter-based systems until the consolidation of the Banking Orders in 1299. In the early 1300s, Weremark expanded north into Aurora, conquering Vipura and Blackhorn from the local Kitari cultures.

In 1337, King Rikard von Altberg of Wermark died prematurely, leaving his teenage daughter Jorva in command of Weremark. Rikard's bastard, Ragnar the Hawk, recently returned from Aurora, raised questions about Jorva's illegitimacy, given Rikard's record of adultery and his own birth. Ragnar argued unsuccessfully before Weremark's vassals that he should be the rightful ruler of Weremark, as he had tangible proof that he had been born within Weremark's castle walls to a noblewoman, while Jorva had no such guarantee. After being sternly rejected by Gunther Horenhelm, Grand Duke of Jylmark and Designated Regent, he declared open rebellion against Jorva's supporters in the Werman War of Succession, securing a victory in 1339 and legitimizing himself as King Ragnar von Altberg.

Early Modern History (1400–1849)

Geopolitical Relevance (1849–present)

In 1971, Vandinium, then helmed by Emperor Treven Vonstoiben formally declared war on Weremark after the Vandiniumite Senate reached consensus regarding a War of Conquest. The First Nevthronian War formally began on 9 April 1973, in a surprise attack. As surprise strikes are largely considered to be dishonourable in Werman culture, the event is often referred to as the Blackguardly War, especially in Southern Weremark. Though the war quickly devolved into a stalemate near Weremark's southern border, it is perhaps best remembered as having popularized many figures in pop culture and politics, including Johannes Jensen von Rokir and TV personality Hinrich Reinhart. During the war, the Altberg Disaster occurred when a stray cluster bomb launched by Wereman aircraft struck the Altberg North Nuclear Power Plant, inducing a meltdown that displaced 1.21 million people, including the King of Altberg, and resulted in the construction of New Altberg.

Weremark's successful defence of their borders led to sporadic border conflicts with Vandinium forces for the next two decades, culminating in the Second Nevthronian War in 1991 and Wereman interventions in Vandiniumite Civil Wars, in 1995 and 2012. The latter intervention proved particularly disastrous when the Karthspire Incident resulted in the deaths of several members of the Wereman military mobility, and a largely successful invasion of southern Weremark by Vandiniumite forces then under the control of the Blackwatch Regime. The event called into question the political legitimacy of the House of Altberg, and prompted several western Lords under the command of Karl Narheim, Grand Duke of Jylmark, to rebel against the Werman term. Existing political movements in the east materialized into the anarcho-socialist National Freedom Assembly and fascist National Socialist Werman Worker's Party, both of which mobilized sizable militia forces against the royalist factions. Though the NFA were initially able to secure the support of Heimar, the Royalist victory against Vandiniumite invaders in the south, and new Heimarn leadership in Markus Albrecht led to Heimarn forces joining the royalist faction and helping to reunite Wermark under the status quo.

Geography

A Cabin in Central Hawkwick.

Hawkwick is approximately 9 million square kilometers, and situated in the northeastern corner of the westernmost continent on the planet of Audax. The mainland is full of fjords and peninsula, the most prominent of which is the Hlymrek Peninsula on the eastern side of Hawkwick. To the north of the mainland lies Blackhorn, an off-limits island that serves as a hub to many military installations, such as HARM Command Control Center, The terrain of northern Hawkwick and the Hlymrek Peninsula is largely mountainous, while areas south of Rokir begin to depress, but not completely, as rolling hills keep a steady presence throughout. The southernmost region, Karthspire, turns to windy steppe just south of Ostwind. The islands Blackhorn and Luftberg are both mainly rocky taiga, with Luftberg holding slightly more forest than Blackhorn. Due to the Blackhorn Current, both the south of Blackhorn and the island of Sofya, as well as the northern end of the Hlymrek Peninsula, are home to a slightly more temperate environment than central Hawkwick and Luftberg. The Ostwind Area also holds a largely more temperate and fertile environment than central and north Hawkwick. The Altis Islands have a grassy, Mediterranean climate, due to the Blackhorn Current passing directly through it, warming it's waters.

Hawkwick is one of the most fresh-water saturated nations in Audax, with approximately 7% of it's landmass being home to lakes, ponds,and rivers. The largest of the lakes, Lake Ragnar, situated near Sorvik, is over 36,000 square kilometers. Additionally, several hundred glaciers of large proportions are located throughout northern Hawkwick, several leaving behind glacial lakes during their spring retreat. Northern Hawkwick experiences cool summers and harsh winters, while the temperate regions experience mild winters and warm summers. Hawkwick is not home to any arid or tropical environments of considerable size.

Hawkwick is home to a variety of unique flora and fauna. Of note are the Riid Wolves, a species of large wolf native to the Hlymrek Peninsula. Flora in Hawkwick is largely evergreen in the north and temperate in the south, although the transitional central region is home to a unique variety of deciduous pines, especially along the lower ends of the Bearpeak Mountains in central Hawkwick. The Black-Tailed Hawk, the national animal of Hawkwick and the namesake of Ragnar Ulfbert, is also present throughout Hawkwick.

Hawkwick is largely mountainous, with four major mountain ranges dotting it's landscape. The northernmost Altberg Mountains are home to both New Altberg, and formerly, Altberg. They are generally considered as the most docile geographically of the mountain ranges, as they encompass the lowest and most temperate of Hawkwickan mountain ranges. The Hawkwick-Heimar border is home to the Kørpergroße Mountains, which stand tall and windy, but still relatively lush with flora. This mountain range is Hawkwick's longest, linked directly to both the Altberg Mountains and the Bearpeak Mountains. The latter are a unique breed, situated in a dry area in central Hawkwick. Typical mountains in this range have little to no plant-life anywhere above 600m of Altitude, and they are considered the most dangerous, as frequent rock avalanches, cave-ins, and extreme cold with little protection are common. The final range are the Hlymrek Mountains, which jut out of the Hlymrek Peninsula from top to bottom. They are considered one of the harshest, and are home to the tallest mountain in Hawkwick, Ruknaar, which has a height of 9,221 meters above sea-level.

Demographics

Hawkwick is home to approximately 450,800,000 people, most of them pertaining to the primary English-speaking Hawkwickan ethnic group, as designated by the Hawkwickan Census and Demographics Agency in 2010. It's population density stands at about 220 inhabitants per square kilometer. The overall life expectancy in Hawkwick is 94.44 years. Hawkwick is home to a large minority of Heimarn, with approximately three million Heimarn living throughout Hawkwick, with a large concentration around the Sumpfland Valley in Southern Hawkwick. Hawkwick is also home to other minorities, including Vandiniumites, Altic-Vipurans, Drazics, and Kitiari.

Hawkwickans are on average slightly taller than the average person with a an average height of 1.82m (6'0") for males, and 1.72m (5'8") for females. Although some Hawkwickans have Artstotszkan Kitiari DNA, the large majority of Hawkwickans are not distinguishable from an average human, with only minor differences in eye coloration. In recent years, more exotic and varied eye colors have become increasingly common, especially with the outlawing of discrimination against Eldenheim genes.

Hawkwick has three official languages, English, Altic, and Skarzul. Skarzul is mostly spoken in the former Eldheim Kingdom, in the states of Hlymrek, Rokir, and areas west of Altberg. Altic is spoken in the east and south, with areas around New Altberg and Ostwind, as well as the islands of Blackhorn and Luftberg. English, or Basic, has served as a unifying language of the two groups since the early 1890s, when it was designated as the language of government, with it taking almost total precedence in and around New Altberg, and around the entire south of Hawkwick, particularly the Ostwind area.

Although former wars between the groups have led to tension before, today, issues are largely resolved, and Hawkwickans identify as one ethnic group. After the communist regime was overthrown, Hawkwickans have leaned towards democratic socialism, with Hans Jensen's presidency implementing social policies against discrimination, legalizing same-sex marriage. Hawkwickans are also generally ardent supporters of total freedom in civil rights, and democracy. Despite their negative attitude towards big business, war, and international intervention. The creation of the Altic Union seemed to flip the political axis of the nation, with megacorporations such as Vokun being tolerated, and many advocating war against Vandinium or other types of international intervention.

Hawkwickans are supporters of maintaining a large and equipped military, likely due to the instability of Audaxia, and particularly, Nevthronia, in recent years. Hawkwick has no official religion, and every Hawkwickan constitution since the First Republic's have forbidden theocracy. Due to this focus, recent Hawkwickans are largely irreligious, although many still follow ancestral Heimarn-Hawkwickan religions, with Trinitat or familial Animism related to organized Trinitat being the most popular.

Urbanization

Hawkwick is home to a large amount of cities, largely pertaining to it's densely populated landmass. There are 144 recognized metropolitan regions in Hawkwick, 9 of which number over ten million inhabitants.

1. Rokir - 35 million inhabitants
2. New Altberg - 26 million inhabitants
3. Hlymrek - 19 million inhabitants
4. Ostwind - 19 million inhabitants
5. Volunruud - 14 million inhabitants
6. Sorvik - 13 million inhabitants
7. Skuldafn - 11 million inhabitants
8. Keldaar - 10 million inhabitants
9. Arnsburg - 10 million inhabitants

Government

Military

Main Article: Hawkwickan Armed Forces