Nation/Weremark
| This page is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final. |
| The Kingdom of Weremark Weremark
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| Motto: "Andaláus Ihre, Magnem Liuda." "Endless Honor, Great Prosperity." |
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| Anthem: "Hostages of Circumstance." | ||||||
| Capital and largest city | Hailia | |||||
| Official languages | Werman | |||||
| Recognised regional languages | Gothic, 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 Weremark | 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 |
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| Currency | Eagle (WME) |
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| 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 Werman 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 Otto Altberg in 1041, 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. 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 1990s and 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 declared Weremark's official existence 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 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 Jylmark 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 Altberg of Weremark died prematurely, leaving his teenage daughter Jorva in command of Weremark. Rikard's bastard, Athalaric the Hawk, recently returned from Aurora, raised questions about Jorva's illegitimacy, given Rikard's record of adultery and his own birth. Athalaric 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 Athalaric Altberg. Today considered a national hero, King Athalaric is now best remembered for establishing the modern basis of the Werman status quo: the Kuningsjesazen (Kingslaws).
Expansion and Renaissance (1400–1621)
After Athalaric Altberg's death, the realm passed to his firstborn son, Alfarin, but his premature death in a tavern brawl led to the realm passing to Athalaric's thirdborn, Heinrich, after his daughter Ava had refused the throne. Heinrich's line was marked with the arrival of the sociocultural Renaissance, and the reinvigoration of foreign trade. By 1485, Weremark had a sizable avenue of trade through the Gulf of Hailien, and had established relations with many nations on Cotf Arayne. As the largest cities, including Hailia and Altberg, began to suffer from overpopulation, many left, either as missionaries or as adventurers. A particular target was neighbouring Vandinium, an already destabilized husk of its former self. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Vandinium's borders were subject to considerable emigration from Weremark, and several Werman border vassals took it into their own initiative to conquer large stretches of Vandiniumite land occupied by a mostly decentralized society of city states and villages.
Weremark is notable for its independent discovery of a new form of steelworking during this time. Tjornbolt Steel, made with naturally occurring Osmium and Vanadium, proved especially resilient, and served as a large revenue stream for Weremark abroad. Foreign crops, such as potatoes and rice, likely prevented a major famine in the late 15th century. Despite the influx of trade, Royal Decree led to Werman craftsmen beginning a concerted effort to remain self-reliant around this time, a fact which led to many independent discoveries, including gunpowder and the matchlock musket in 1564.
Early Modern History (1621–1849)
In 1621, Weremark faced its first serious external obstacle when Lydia the Steadfast of Aurora invaded Vipura with the objective of reclaiming lands lost three hundred years earlier. The High Lord of Vipura, Wilhelm Blausteining, immediately called for Royal help, thus beginning the Four Years' War. Primarily fought in Vipura and at sea, the war saw the first large-scale use of gunpowder weaponry in Werman history. By 1623, the war had swung largely into Auroran favour, due to internal strife and a serious plague in central Weremark at the time. Out of options, King Athalaric II manoeuvred the main Werman host away from the capital and marched to Vipura to personally speak with Lydia. After a heated discourse, Lydia left the rest of Weremark in peace, but the High Lordship of Vipura entered into Auroran hands. The conflict reignited tensions between the two nations that would last for centuries, and Athalaric II departed the realm in dishonour, abdicating the throne to his son.
The following century would see the establishment of two of the most important educational institutions in Weremark: The University of Altberg in 1644, and The University of Jylmark in 1684, both of which served as a merger of earlier vocational and clerical schools. The presence of these institutions led to a liberalization of the nobility, and for a brief period, many nobles married the daughters and sons of prominent merchants, as opposed to their fellow mobility. Set on expanding Weremark's influence and ensuring its insulation from outside forces, King Adolphus Altberg, grandson of Athalaric II, ordered expeditions abroad, which led to Weremark's discovery of promising lands in Wahland in 1710, which was subsequently colonized by plethora of lesser Nobles and various merchant families searching for gold.
To the west, Weremark began competing with the Heimarn crown for political influence over smaller Germanic duchies, which had for centuries served as a buffer zone between the two powers. Though slow to build, these tensions ignited after Heimar formally annexed several bordering duchies, including the most prominent Duchy of Jagerfeld. Taking it as a provocation, King Athalaric III, barely a teenager, declared war on Heimar in 1794, suffering defeat after defeat in the subsequent War of The Blackbirds. The pivotal Battle of Neauarnsberg led to a pyrrhic Heimarn victory, and by virtue of honour, Athalaric was advised to sue for peace. The war left many Wermans and Heimarn displaced, and led to Weremark's loss of Wahland and several border territories, while also ensuring Heimar's continued independence. At the onset of the 19th century, Weremark was at its smallest extent yet.
Tensions regarding the result of the War of The Blackbirds, as well as a stark geopolitical shift in the world's system of government, led to massive unrest in the early 19th century, with advocates for democracy or constitutional monarchy increasingly vocal. Aiming to distract, King Athalaric invaded the newly-independent Wahland, aiming to save face and regain lost territory. Despite promising gains in the first month of the conflict, the Wahlsh navy crushed what remained of the Werman Navy in the Battle of The Strait. After large riots in Hailia nearly breached the Altberg Keep's walls, Werman troops withdrew from Wahland in 1810 to help police the capital. Soon after, the riots were quelled by the Royal Decree of 1811, which granted the merchant class more power and promised the construction of more schools for the poor. The decree, along with the expansion of various city guards at the time, likely quelled a potential revolution. 19th May, the day the Royal Decree was officially signed, is now the national Labour Day.
Industrial Revolution
The first industrial mill was commissioned by Theoric Narheim, Grand Duke of Jylmark, in 1849, after two decades of slow advancement. The mill marked the first of many mechanized ventures in Weremark, with an additional sixteen springing up throughout the realm in the following five years. The force of industry returned much-needed trade revenue to Werman shores, as it had been earlier lost to Wahland's powerful mercantilistic power. While most systems throughout the world began to transition to capitalism, Werman feudalism persisted unhindered, with a string of royal decrees anticipating the later need for worker's rights, and therefore foregoing the unrest witnessed elsewhere in the world by the end of the century. Nevertheless, several important corporations still emerged from the merchant class, including Ostrofracthandal and Winter Armory. The arrival of foreign investment enabled the merchant class to balloon in wealth, with some eclipsing the nobility in net worth.
In 1889, noting his vassals' unwillingness to implement modern infrastructure, including infrastructure and railroads, King Rikard II overrode his vassals, starting a major works program throughout their lands, in exchange for being unable to levy direct taxes on the nobility for the duration of construction. The venture nearly bankrupted the personal coffers of the Altberg family, but managed to bring modern infrastructure to Weremark, and the support of the peasantry back to the crown, at least partially.
Feudal authority suffered a serious setback in 1905, when Rikard II died to an assassin's bullet, and the leading business moguls of the First Estate claimed full responsibility, declaring their intention to turn Weremark into a democratic system. The upheaval proved that the concessions of a century earlier were not only temporary, but also ineffective. Liudger Altberg, the new King, elected instead to cement the power of the nobility, declaring a series of heavy taxes designed to cripple the merchant class. Though considered unlikely to work by most economists of the time, the tax was successful, and had the unexpected side-effect of further increasing the popularity of the status quo among the peasantry, who had been reeling from unchecked corporate business practice throughout the Gilded Age.
Geopolitical Relevance
In 1968, tensions with Weremark's rival Aurora reignited over the disputed land of Korlun when a group of Men-at-Arms under the authority of the Grand Duke of Jylmark on the island opened fire on Auroran foot soldiers, leading to a chemical accident and the destruction of a dam. Initially, the crown denied the soldiers' involvement, but after their presence was proven, they instead took a defensive stance. Both nations began a military buildup in preparation for conflict. Nearby Vandinium took note of the military buildup and followed suit, fearing for a potential flashpoint in the region.
In 1971, Vandinium, then helmed by Emperor Treven Von Stein formally declared war on Weremark after the Vandiniumite Senate reached consensus regarding a 'preemptive' 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 capital moving to Hailia.
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 nobility, 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 Weremark under the status quo.
