Vandinium

The Democratic Republic of Vandinium Vandinium
Motto: "Fight for what you Believe is Right"
Anthem: "Imperium Rising."
Vandinium's Location in Audax.
Capital and largest city		Vantrakari
Official languages		English, Altic, Duhranik
Recognised regional languages		English, Gothic, Frisian, Old English, Duhranik
Ethnic groups		Vandiniumite (92.17%) Altic (4.25%) Kitari (2.27%) Other (1.31%)
Demonym		Vandiniumite
Government		Democratic Republic
-	Emperor (Imperator) (Figurehead)	Fredrick von Stien
-	President and Prime Minister	Cassius Tezuka
Republic
-	Great Migration of Katari	~5832 BCE
-	Height of Drakatari Empire	~4724 BCE
-	Colonization and Fall of Drakatari Empire	~2247 BCE
-	Unification of Colonies	January 20, 1497 CE
Area
-	Total	8,407,719 km2 4,970,960 sq mi
-	Water (%)	24%
Population
-	2015 estimate	622 million
GDP (PPP)		2015 estimate
-	Total	470,879,690,806,166 USD
-	Per capita	64,252 USD
HDI (2012)		0.922 very high
Currency		Vancea (VAE)
Time zone		EHST, WHST
Date format		D/M/YYYY
Calling code		+222
Internet TLD		.hw
a.	The Vance is Vandinium's offical currency, slightly more costly than a USD

The Royal Province of Hawkwick (pronounced /hɒkwɪk/) or Skarpraav in Skarzul is a developed nation of approximately 450 million inhabitants situated in the north-east of the western continent of Audax. Along with Heimar to the west, it makes one of two chief provinces of the Altic Union, Sad-States to the southwest, and the Hibernus Ocean to the east. The north border of the nation consists of the Luftberg Sea, and to the slight west of the northernmost Hawkwickan island, Luftberg, it has a maritime border with Artstotzska.

Hawkwick is noted as one of the main influences on the history of Audax, due to frequent invasions and migrations to other areas of the region from either the Altberg Empire, or it's rival, the High Lordship of Eldengarde, throughout history. After the two empire's unlikely unification in 1394 CE by dual-heir and founder of Hawkwick, High King Ragnar Ulfbert, also known as "Vokun" to the Eldenheim, Hawkwick entered an era of stability, which ended in the Splinter Era, during which several warring factions fought for control of the Dragon Throne, in the ancient capital of Volunruud. In 1624, the Kingdom of Hawkwick was restored. Today, Hawkwick once again enjoys relative internal stability. One of Audax's major powers, Hawkwick is the chief exporter of sweets and luxury cars worldwide and one of Audax' chief weapons manufacturers. Hawkwick is also one of the leading producers of clean-energy in Audax, with an estimated 73% of it's power provided by non-fossil fuel sources.

Politically, Hawkwick is now one of the two parent states of the Altic Union, and exists as a province within the central government of the Union.

History

Most historians agree that the original Hawkwickan ethnic group, the Kodiist, originated in the Hlymrek area around 4000 BCE, after several large tribes converged together. The Kodiist founded a city on the location of modern-day Hlymrek, called Forelhost. From this hill fortress, the Kodiist spread west, eventually sailing across the channel to found Rorik, and then the great capital, Volunruud, just to the east of Rorik. Eventually, the Kodiist split into two groups around 2000 BCE, when some migrated northwest, establishing the city of Eldbjorg. Over time, the groups slowly spread apart, and eventually, by 500 BCE, there were two distinct ethnic groups in Hawkwick, the Eld, which consisted of the remnants of the Kodiist, and the Alt, which derived from the founders of Eldbjorg, now known as Altberg. The Eld continued ruling from the Dragon Throne in Volunruud and re-established the splintered Kodiist kingdom, and with it the High Lordship of Eldengarde, while the Alt ruled from Altberg Fortress, situated in central Altberg.

Kensejunarr (421 BCE - 70 CE)

Due to ideological and minor religious differences, as well as the Eld having a strong claim on all of the Kingdom of Altberg, the first conflict between the two factions started in 421 BCE when the Kingdom of Altberg attempted to expand to Blackhorn Island, a land previously claimed and inhabited by Eldengardian warrior cults. This conflict, now known as the Diistkensejunarr, or "First War of Kings". The war lasted until 397 BCE, when the King of Altberg was assassinated, sending the various factions within the Kingdom of Altberg, most of which were controlled by the former King of Altberg's sons, into a civil war. Eldengarde, crippled from the war, took this bout of peace as a chance to rebuild, and began fortifying their borders. The Kingdom of Altberg collapsed in 396 BCE, with the deaths of all of King Harhold Jorall's sons, and out of it's ashes rose the Altberg Empire, controlled by the Hørenhelm dynasty. In 386 BCE, the new empire attempted to reconcile with their Eldengardian forefathers, but to no avail, as the Harbinger of Eldengarde, Hjalti II, stood by his nation's claim to Altberg, and demanded the Altbergians bend the knee.

An Eldenheim Spearman depicted around 80 BCE

This led to an extended period of |cold war between the two kingdoms, despite the time period and tech level. Assasinations, blackmail, infiltration, and espionage were frequent. This period of tension exploded in the Ziistkensejunarr, the "Second War of Kings". The war is still in the top most destructive Hawkwickan wars in history, numbering approximately 1.3 million deaths, 2.23 million displaced, and 2.15 million driven to poverty, out of 35 million Hawkwickans. The war's final battle was fought in 347 BCE, around Rorik. During the Battle of Rorik, Eldengardian Harbinger Gaarsaviik was killed in personal combat with the Altbergian Prince and Heir, Stundarr Hørenhelm. With Gaarsaviik dead, the Eldgardians were thrown into disarray and driven from their lands, eventually retreating to the Forelhost Peninsula, and it's city, which they fortified, and renamed Hlymrek, after the newly elected Harbinger. Meanwhile, the Altbergians continued to expand, taking the city of Ostwind from several Kavalan trading republics in the south, and expanding north onto Luftberg, where the Altbergian Emperors set up their retreat and estate, Nordschloss. After his father's death, Stundarr Hörenhelm, revolutionized the empire, introducing consistent currency, sewage, easy water access, and even public baths in some areas. Despite the acquisition of Volunruud, Altberg continued to be the capital of the Empire. At it's second-largest extent in 100 BCE, the Altberg Empire stretched from Luftberg to Ostwind, and from the Anhurian border to Rokir.

During this time, the Altbergians had turned a blind eye to Eldengarde, thinking that their lands were not worth invading, and that the Hlymrek peninsula was barren and desolate. In 24 CE, the Eldengardians united under a new leader, Vulonir, "The Night Hunter". Vulonir used Eldengarde's navy to invade the Altberg Empire from several points, and initiated the Siidkensejunarr, the "Third War of Kings", or as some still call it "The Great Hunt". For nearly fifty years, the Eldengardians relentlessly attacked the Altberg Empire, managing to retake Volunruud and Rorik. In 70 CE, Vulonir was killed by an Altbergian assassin, while visiting a marketplace in Volunruud. The Third War of Kings ended, but the factions were once again on equal ground.

Growth Era (70 CE - 1392 CE)

Eventually, Vulonir's successor, Yunzaak, successfully reconciled with the Altberg Empire over a period of several years. In 179 CE, the Altbergians, now with a trading partner on their east, decided to expand elsewhere. Altbergian colonists successfully spread to the plentiful farmland directly south of Ostwind, bringing a much needed surge of crops to the two empires. In 300 CE, the Order of Traders was established in Rokir, bringing much needed wealth and resources from all over the world into the city, and greatly expanding it. This lead to what is known as the "Growth Era", due to the rapid expansion of both Eld and Alt ethnic groups throughout the continent. Around 900 CE, one branch of Altbergian colonists went on to the land of Heimar, where they mingled with the local Nordic population. The Eldenheim colonized Sofya, and discovered the western continent, while the Alt launched invasions into both Vandinium and Artstotszka in the early 1100s, both to some degree of success as the remaining invaders began to colonize, or in Vandinium's Case, merge with the populations of, the two areas.

Despite the booming relations between the two nations, the Eld still held a claim to all of the Altberg Empire, even if it was seldom mentioned and never enforced. This changed in 1371 CE, when newly-elected Eldenheim Harbinger Hakonor decided to bring his claim directly to the Empress of Altberg, Jorva IV, and with it demand that they return to their rightful place. As Hakonor entered the throne-room in Altberg, the Empress was ordering her men to execute her father's bastard son, and next in line to the Altberg throne, Eldenheim-raised Ragnar Ulfbert, also known as "Skal", or "Hawk". When Hakonor entered, he distracted the guards, and, as his meeting was unannounced, surprised most of the retainers within. In an event now known as "The Maltiid", Ulfbert wrestled one of his distracted guards to the ground, retrieved his longsword, and dispatched him. In this confusion, the Harbinger's men drew their swords, taking Ulfbert's actions as a threat. This caused a chain reaction, and a skirmish broke out in the throne room between the Harbinger's warriors and the Queen's guards. As the queen turned to flee the throne room to safety, Ulfbert plunged his longsword into the queen's head, killing her instantly. He then turned his attention to the skirmish, which had regressed into a one-on-two fight between two guardsmen and the Harbinger. Ulfbert picked up another sword, and threw it at the group, reportedly hitting one of the soldiers in the back and bringing him down. As the Harbinger dispatched the last guard, the throne room's remaining reunite looked on as the duel between the two remaining members began. That day, Ragnar Ulfbert defeated Hakonor in single combat, and by Eldenheim custom became the next Harbinger. As he was already next in-line to the throne of Altberg, in 1392, for the first time in thousands of years, the two tribes were unified once again. the The new state was from then on known as the High Kingdom of Hawkwick, named after Ulfbert himself.

Einheit Era (1394 CE - 1567 CE)

Ragnar Ulfbert's March to Volunruud

With The Hawk at it's helm, the Altbergian Army immediately marched to Volunruud for a proper coronation. In Volunruud, the Elders named Ragnar Ulfbert I "Vokun", therefore abolishing the Order of Harbingers, and proclaiming Ulfbert King of Altberg and Eldengarde, Lord of Blackhorn, Watcher of Truth and High King of the Kodiist. Under Ulfbert's rule, the new Kingdom of Hawkwick flourished from the combined resource yield of the two former areas. In 1400, a large festival was held in Volunruud, where the High King announced the next territorial expansion of the Kingdom, Xelghast. Ulfbert's forces also established new castles in Vipura, consolidating Hawkwick's power in the upper landmass while also reclaiming and rebuilding the Luftberg retreat. During this time, Hawkwickan explorers discovered Aglrinia, the Nervousa Isles, and attempted to re-establish relations with Drasnia. Despite the growth, Hawkwick's fragile military presence in east Artstotszka, a remnant of the Altberg Empire, came to an end in 1410 with Artstotszkan Independence.

Despite the new kingdom, the culture and religion of the two former kingdoms remained distinct, and at the dual-blooded Ulfbert's death in 1442, his only son, Hrongar, took over, proving much less unifying and a much weaker ruler than his father, and barely managing to hold power amid his vassals' quarrels. After a period of stagnation and his death in 1460, his daughter, Ava the Greater, took over, managing to swiftly restore order to the vassals before anything worse could happen. The kingdom continued, in tension, for years, with some prosperity restored as the Kingdom acquired unique crops from exotic lands and started exporting them. The military also evolved, with new crucible techniques being invented, enabling Hawkwickan steel, especially that high in Osmium content, known as "Skar Steel", to be made for the weapons, shields, and armor of the Hawkwickan navy. Gunpowder was also discovered, although the existence of automated crossbows relegated it's use to smoke bombs and siege weapons. On Ava's death in 1510, her oldest child, Ava the Lesser, took power, her reign holding a similar pattern until her poisoning in 1561, which sent the kingdom of Hawkwick into disarray. Many called for the King to step down, and some even called for the Harbinger of the Eld to be recreated. This culminated in 1567, when an assassin fired a repeating crossbow at Ava the Lesser, killing her in her throne room.

Volbur (1567 CE - 1851 CE)

The ramifications of Ava II's assassination were felt throughout Hawkwick as the kingdom splintered into many small states, all vying for control. Known as the Splinter Period, not much is documented about this era, and the only records available are of great battles. One of these battles, the Battle of Hlymrek, was a two month assault on the citadel within, between the Ulfbert Heirs and the reinstated Eld Harbinger. Although it is unknown how the battle ended, it is known that the Ulfbert heirs survived. In 1613, with the help of gunpowder cannons and grenades, Ragnar II Ulfbert, "The Snake", managed to capture Altberg and reinstate the Kingdom in full force. Despite his triumph, Hawkwick was not totally unified as the several other states coming out of the Splinter Era were not on friendly terms with Hawkwick. These states included the Ativut Federation, in control of Ostwind, The High Duchy of Rokir, in control of Rokir and Hlymrek, and The Blackhorn Dominion, a militaristic splinter nation in control of Blackhorn, Luftberg, Sofya, and Vipura.

What followed is known to historians as "Volbur", or "Chaos". What was an on-and-off war between the various kingdoms developed, and with it, knowledge of the sciences of war and and a intellectual enlightenment in the various Hawkwickan nations, largely in protest of this. In early 1611, the Blackhorn Dominion lost Vipura to Artstotszka in the Colonial War of 1611. After the Ativut Federation fell to Hawkwickan forces under King Horvald I Ulfbert, the enlightenment fell into full swing as dozens of thinkers, inventors, and progressive views developed throughout the realm. English was adopted as Hawkwick's primary language in 1645, and muskets came along in 1680, replacing the aging autocrossbows. The Domination of Blackhorn, which resulted in Hawkwick gaining most of it's territories and islands back, came along in 1721. Despite rebel groups and dissidents all over the former splinter kingdoms, Hawkwick's new state was one of the largest it had ever been. Hawkwick colonized Stinpor, known as Wahland today, in 1728, and set up a large regional government there, and late in the century fought The War of the Blackbirds with the nation of Heimar after an invasion attempt by Hawkwickan High King Ragnar V Ulfbert. The War was brief, and ended in one of the largest defeats in Hawkwickan history. During this time, Wahland was ceded to Heimar.

By 1815, all of Hawkwick's territories aside from Blackhorn, the Luftberg Archipelago, Sofya, the Altis Islands, and Sovunjaar were lost to foreign powers, had gained independence, or had dissolved from either the forces of nature or war. Internally, many called for the king to step down, in the wake of other, more democratic nations, appearing throughout the world. When the king went with a compromise, and attempted to implement a constitutional monarchy under the Valkragrind Act, his actions were mistaken by the populace, who staged a violent revolution. The revolution lasted for years, with unrest until the 1840s. In the end, the Ulfbert line was exiled to Vandinium, and in it's place the First Republic of Hawkwick was initiated, banning the Order of Lords and nationalizing the vassal-based military.

Contemporary Era (1851 CE - 1983 CE)

Immediately after it's creation, the First Republic set out on modernizing the nation even more, working with the remnants of the enlightenment movement to bring both institutions of learning and modern industry to Hawkwick. The new Hawkwickan Army was one of the first to switch to cartridge-based weapons during this time, with the revolutionary W.H. Shaw's Repeating Rifle (RR-1) being designated the Army's primary weapon in 1854. New, revolutionary building projects began in Altberg and Volunruud, mainly as governmental buildings. New technologies gripped the nation around the 1880s, with electric lighting, running water, and air conditioning common in most Hawkwickan houses by the turn of the century. Mass Media also began to take it's grip, with movie stars, radio show hosts, and playwrights receiving attention throughout the nation. Flight, which was tamed in Hawkwick as early as the 1890s, received particular attention, and air racers and their craft received the most. By 1921, piston-engines aircraft were common in Hawkwick in the Army Air Force and in the civilian sector.

The First Republic, too, flourished, and progressive movements helped bring the nation's civil rights up to near-modern standards; nationality was no longer discriminated against, women could vote and legislation was quick and efficient to pass through the Bundestag. However, with freedom came extremism. Communist, Fascist, and Theocratic parties gained huge amounts of support as their gripping campaigns swung through the nation. This came to a climax in 1923, when the People's Worker Union of Hawkwick, a communist group, gathered an artillery piece in the suburbs outside of Altberg and fired it into the Parliament courtyard. Although nobody was harmed, it was a shock to the government and the capital was placed under martial law until the perpetrators were found. The PWU relocated the artillery piece, and then used it to fire on the parliament again, this time to stage an assault upon the capital. Large crowds gathered near the gates as the Communist Party members ousted the First Republic's government, burning it's flag and beheading most of it's present members.

The other factions of Hawkwick, the Republicans and Fascists especially, were not pleased when the coup was staged, and fled to the countryside, hiding out in abandoned castles and farmhouses. The Hawkwickan Army and the two guerilla groups fought for years, out of the public eye of most nations and to a large amount of success. In 1954, after years of Communist rule, the Hawkwickan National Army finally cracked down on the many hideouts and strongholds, and decimated the rebel groups, which fled mostly to hideouts on Luftberg, Sofya, and even Vipura and neighboring Heimar, in some cases. By 1980, the secret war was still going on, although the fascists were largely destroyed or had merged with one of two factions. In 1981, the Hawkwickan public staged huge demonstrations in the very place the demonstrations of the 1920's were staged, and almost simultaneously the nation of Vandinium then lead by Emperor Treven Vonstoiben staged an invasion of Hawkwick through the south and east, in a war known now as the Great Nevthronian War, after the Nevthronia Accords of 1983. The war ended two years later, when, after a stalemate in the northern regions of Hawkwick, the Premier of Hawkwick threatened a nuclear strike, only to be apprehended by the crowds as they finally stormed Parliament. In an emergency protocol, the Hawkwickan government launched a nuclear device, which was stopped mid-flight over Altberg. The ICBM fell onto Altberg, without any launched MIRVs, and a combined force of 3 megatons flattened the city in a massive nuclear explosion. Quickly cited as an action of the government by the rebels, they garnered international support in the last days of the war. Among the leaders of the rebel Hawkwickan faction were then-Sergeant Hans Jensen, who had recently returned from the front after a confrontation with the Emperor. Hinrich Reinhart was also present, opening the gate that let the crowd storm in. After the chaos, the Vandinium Army retreated, and the Republic of Hawkwick, known by some as the Second Republic, was created in it's wake. A popular vote surprisingly named Jensen president of Hawkwick.

Information Era (1983 CE - 2015 CE)

In recent years, Hawkwick has developed extensively, and by 1991 they were one of the most developed nations in Audax, with a powerful economy, albeit still recovering from the war, an advanced military, with several installations already built at Blackhorn, Sovunjaar, and other locations. After some tension in Vandinium, a terrorist faction and former military unit seized control of the government, known as Blackwatch. After going on a crusade through Vandinium, they invaded Hawkwick, in the First Blackwatch War, committing genocide and seizing control of the nation, driving Hans Jensen's government, once again, back to a guerrilla movement. Jensen went on an ardent recruitment campaign throughout the neglected portion of southern Hawkwick, while Vandinium's Emperor Treven did the same in the mountains of northern Vandinium. After nearly a year of prolonged fighting, Blackwatch officials became distracted by an unknown biological reagent sweeping across northern Audax, and the rebels simultaneously struck Blackwatch positions throughout Hawkwick. Although the leadership of Blackwatch in Hawkwick was killed in a daring raid, said by some to involve the former President himself, the Free Republic of Hawkwick was created, leading to the near-total removal of Blackwatch.

The Free Republic lasted for six years, being reformed at the turn of the millennium into the United Republic of Hawkwick. The FRH's army was then reformed into HARMFOR (or HARM, as it is now known.). Progressive social policies were implemented, and the Republic proceeded in relative peace for the next decade or so, until 2012, when a falling out between Vandinium's Royal Family members led to a civil war. In an effort to resolve the war, Correspondent Hans Jensen, along with President Arnkell Erikson, left for Vandinium to reconcile the factions. On the way there, Blackwatch struck again, killing Hans and Treven and critically injuring Erikson, therefore sending both nations into disarray. Blackwatch, which had procured an army of indoctrinated Vands, mainly of the lower class, swung throughout Vandinium's south arm, then headed into Hawkwick. However, HARM was much more prepared than the NHA was, and stopped Black-Watch at a bottleneck near Ostwind.

In early 2014, the Hawkwickan Parliament was bombed, killing almost all major government officials. General Erik Matterhorn, Supreme Commander of HARM, declared martial law and attempted several operations overstepping national and international law, including execution of war-criminals without trial and raids on civilian population. HARM then cracked down on the initial naysayers, leading many to turn against them, especially in the absence of a government. The initial bloodbath led to two more factions emerging, the Hawkwickan Nationalist Authority, claiming Altic-Hawkwickan superiority and fiercely fascist, and the National Freedom Assembly, a fiercely reformist democratic socialist militia focused on rights and freedoms for all, two qualities they had claimed HARM lacked after Matterhorn's swift acquisition of power. As of June 2014, these factions, as well as several smaller ones, Blackwatch, and the Imperial Vandiniumite rebels are locked in a destructive ground war, one that has attracted international attention from various nations, with NFA initially receiving and rejecting support from Aglrinia's Shizhu Government under Mauta Kudu as well as Imperial Vandinium, while other nations are leaning towards HARM, with nations such as Xelghast interacting with HARM in September 2014. In November 2014, HARM launched a massive offensive against Blackwatch, dubbed "Operation Hazard", while in the following week, the NFA received governmental support and an alliance from an additional two nations, Heimar, and Artstotszka, the latter of which launched an orbital strike at the capital city of Vandinium, effectively destroying it's leadership. With this act and Operation Hazard greatly diminishing Blackwatch presence in Hawkwick, the focus of the war shifted from the south to the center. Heimarn and Artstotszkan troops entered combat against the HNA, effectively destroying them by December 20th, while HARM crowned Magnus II Ulfbert on December 20. In early 2015, fighting between the factions devolved into a stalemate, leading many, including the King, to call for peace. On January 15, the reinstated Ulfbert family went into exile after receiving threats from HARM. The final days of the war had begun.

Union Era (2015 CE - 2017 CE)

As February neared, several HARM generals, which had become distraught with Supreme Commander Erik Matterhorn and the war, elected to simultaneously sue for peace and attempt a coup against Matterhorn. By February 1, the coup had been successful, and Jorik Narheim, the leader of the coup, had a session with Markus I Albrecht, the newly-elected King of Heimar, in order to seal the peace treaty. During the procession, Matterhorn's HARM loyalists attacked and destroyed the NFA, leading to the leadership perishing or fleeing and the entirety of the Hlymrek peninsula being turned over to Artstotszkan peacekeeping forces. During the meeting, King Albrecht proposed the Altic Union, a conceptual government made up of Hawkwick and Heimar. Much to his peers' surprise, Narheim accepted, leading to the immediate unification of most of Hawkwick with Heimar under a new central government. Hlymrek was spared due to the Eld ethnicity being dominant there, and instead acting Head Councilor Janus Wulfar opted to make the NFA a protectorate of the Union, known as 'The Federal Union of Hlymrek'. Massive rebuilding efforts were put underway by the Vokun conglomerate. By 2016, the Union had accepted Artstotszka as an ally and both Sadia and Articalla as protectorates. In early 2017, amid Sadian unrest, it was supplanted by Salithia, making Sadia no longerp part of the Union. As of today, the Union is working with Salithian officials in order to secure the rights of Altic minorities throughout the region.

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 17% of it's landmass being home to lakes, ponds,and rivers. The largest of the lakes, Lake Ragnar, 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. Aside from a very small patch of desert on the Altis Islands, 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 439,000,000 people, most of them pertaining to the primary 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 124.44 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, 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, with Eldenheim genes granting glowing eyes greatly improved in both night vision and peripherals.

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 the government.

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, Hawkwickans are supporters of maintaining a large and equipped military, likely due to the instability of Audax 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.

Urbanization

Hawkwick is home to a large amount of cities, largely pertaining to it's huge landmass. There are 144 recognized metropolian 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. Yorviik - 11 million inhabitants
8. Keldaar - 10 million inhabitants
9. Karthspire - 10 million inhabitants

Government

Hawkwick was, until recently, a self-declared "United Republic", a federal democracy, operating off of the principles of the Hawkwickan Constitution of 2000 which serves as the country's supreme legal document. In almost all cases, officials are universally elected by first-past-the-post, popular voting, with eligible voters including citizens of Hawkwick, ten-year residents of Hawkwick, protected minority representatives, and all RAAF members.

The Hawkwickan Government consists of three branches, the Legislative, Executive and Judicial. The Legislative Branch includes with the two houses of Parliament, which are headed by the Prime Minister. It can declare war or peace, pass reforms, and create laws. The Executive branch is headed by the President, which serves as an approving force for all laws and major elected officials aside from himself. The Judicial Branch is headed by the Order of Elders, which serves as the Supreme Court of Hawkwick, presiding over the enforcement of laws throughout lesser moots in Hawkwick and it's territories.

Military

Main Article: Hawkwickan Armed Forces
After the creation of the Altic Union, efforts were almost immediately put underway to create a unified armed force. Despite HARM's ideological incompetence, it had great strategic success, and as such most surviving members and equipment were integrated with the Heimarn army while HARM was dissolved, creating the Royal Altman Armed Forces (RAAF). The new army had a defense budget comparable to HARM's, and continued to use the majority of HARM's equipment and uplink networks, including the Dragon and Wyvern networks, which were expanded to cover Heimar.

The RAAF is composed of three branches, the Royal Altman Army (RAA), Royal Altman Navy (RAN), and Royal Altic Air Corps (RAAC), each of which hold their own jurisdiction over land, sea, and air, respectively. All branches are extremely technologically advanced, with unmanned vehicles receiving regular use, especially on the infantry level. The RAAF is also supplanted by the Sadian, Hlymrekian, and Articallan armed forces, as well as the Artstotzkan armed forces when applicable.

The RAAC operates an undisclosed number of nuclear weapons and orbital defense stations, however estimates have placed the numbers at 6 Viirkun battlestations and over 5000 ICBM silos.