Boreal Republic

The Boreal Republic was a nation in northern Ultmar, controlling lands that today belong to Vithinja, Caergwynn, Faneria and Fiannria. The nation was a Federal Republic that spent most of its history ensuring its people prospered in peace.

The nation was mainly centered around it's two largest cities, Dol Awraidd and Tor Bringgar. The connection between them so important it lead to the earliest parts of the Awraidd-Bringgar bridging project.

On the international stage the Boreal Republic served as a vital strategic ally for any nation with naval interests in the northern seas. The Vithin Strait creating a chokepoint for both trade and military affairs in the region. The two main powers who would hold such interests being Kiravia and Burgundie, both of whom invested heavily in the region in exchange for various agreements with the Boreans.

Because of it's stance against bloody conflict the Boreal Republic spent most of it's existence in peace, evading any real war until it's final years. This is however only half-true, as through methods such as piracy, mercenary work and other unofficial methods fighting continued to be a part of the lives of many.

Their avoidance would be compromised in the end as a result of the duel interests of their great power allies. A longstanding defensive pact between Burgundie and Vithinja originally that was maintained after unification would drag the Republic into what would become the First Great War. This was a war that would doom the union. Within the first three months of the war the Battle of Olvithamm would cause a devastating defeat that broke yhe back of the Borean navy.

The Boreal Republics final war would come in the middle of the First Great War, when Faneria invaded from the west. This would come to be called the Boreal War. The opportunistic attack was partially made plausible by the sinking of the Borean navy and the war keeping Burgundie for providing much aid. Even after the end of the Great War assistance from Burgundie was minor as they focused on recovering from the brutal war.

The Boreal war would continue for a few years, before a crushing naval defeat would ensure the final outcome, surrender. The treaty would be one of the harshest in the regions history, with excessive reparations, annexation of vital indutrial regions, occupation of important logistic hubs, and more. Although some of these would be overturned in the following years mainly because of the Fanerian civil war, the first decree of the treaty would seal the fate of the Republic: an enforced dissolution of the Boreal Republic, splitting it in half ones more.

Cultural Impact
The Unification was originally very sudden change to the peoples of modern Vithinja, as none of them had lived under the rulership of a mainlander since the crusades. It is believed that it is the successful cooperation within the Boreal Republic that helped change the traditional views between caerics and vithinjans from the bloody rivalry that even predates the crusades. Through building this friendship both nations united past have helped them in the modern age. The cultural, political and most of all economic cooperation between Caergwynn and Vithinja has helped boost both nations past obscurity despite their otherwise somewhat distant and isolated locations.

On the other hand, the Boreal Republic also drastically changed the power balance of Ultmar, as previously Vithinja had served as a counterbalance against both Faneria and Fiannrian expansion. With the Republic mostly staying out of conflicts it allowed Faneria to reach a clearly dominant position in the region. This would however shift again as the Boreal War would in the end, unify most of Ultmar (as well as many outside of it) against them. The isolation caused by this would hurt Faneria far into the modern era, with only recent changes in the last 40 years really starting to smooth over relations.