Sorhaithe

Sorhaithe is a constituent province of the Republic of the Fhainn situated in northern Levantia. Separated from metropolitan Faneria by land, it borders Caergwynn to the west and south, Fiannria to the east, and the Sea of Nordska in the north. It is the most northerly territory of modern Faneria and consists of both mainland and island regions, including roughly half of the Saelish Archipelago. Historically, Sorhaithe's provincial boundaries consisted of the majority of the Archipelago as well as the northern third of the mainland region of the former Kingdom of Saelin; however, since the Treaty of Loughlin in 1942, the region composes only a fifth of the historic Kingdom's area, a quarter of the Saelish language's coverage by area, and half of the world's native Saelish-speaking population. Sorhaithe is both the geographic and spiritual center of Saelin's culture and population, and contains both of Saelin's former capitals.

Province of Sorhaithe Sorhaithe Rianachd Sgìre
Administrative Area within Faneria
Principality	years
Military Frontier	years
Vicariate	years
Province	years
Governor's Seat	Igar Dún
Government
• Governor	Some dude
• Lt. Governor	guy mann
• Judiciary	Provincial High Court
Area
• Total	17,852 sq mi (46,240 km2)
Population  (2025 Census)
• Total	4,095,752
• Density	230/sq mi (89/km2)
Postal Code	FH-O1
Area Codes	68-(900-915)
Website	vraelsgire.fh

History

Sorhaithe as a concept originated after the Saelish Crusade, with the Knights of St. Selyn establishing two Church-governed bishoprics in the conquered Kingdom of Svaerige. Svaerige was at the time partly colonized by Vithinjan settlers, primarily in the population centers on the coast and in the Isles of the Saelish Archipelago. As a result, the boundaries of the diocese created separated the region into Gathlan, consisting of the southern regions, and the more populous Saelia. The term 'Sorhaithe' originated from the Saelish term for 'here' (haithe, from the Faeskt word haigh), in reference to the northern Diocese and as a general alternative for Saelia which included Christianized Vithinjans. Subsequent pogroms against pagan communities (including both Vithinjan and local cults) frequently involved the name as a rallying cry, only falling out of favor beginning with the persecution of the Northern Churches for heresy beginning in 1452.

The region which became Sorhaithe was districted after the War of Saelish Succession into Brevehaithe and Imhrin, consisting of the coastal and archipelagic regions of the Kingdom. Brevehaithe was significantly impacted by the Wasting Plague of 1641-1660, during which reduced food imports from the Vandarch and secondary waves of the disease devastated urban populations and revitalized religious tensions. After the succession of Cywir I of Faneria to the Saelish throne in 1794, Brevehaithe was contracted sharply to a coastal strip surrounding the principal Saelish cities of Saelaer and Igar Dun, with the southern regions of Saelin being reintegrated with Fanerian Gathlann.

Brevehaithe acted as the base of operations for the northern theater of the Second and Third Kin Wars, with the ports in Saelaer and Igar hosting significant garrisons and naval squadrons during each war and several of the major battles being fought on Saelish soil, including the Battles of Saelaer and Marlin during the Third Kin War. The Third Kin War was, in part, fought over Fanerian dominion over the rump Kingdom of Saelin, leading to an influx of Throne investments in the region, including concessions towards the local Saelish population easing the demands of Fhazenization.

Sorhaithe first became an official name for an administrative region following the integration of the Kingdom of Saelin into the Kingdom of Faneria in 1827. Luthais I of Faneria instructed the redistricting of the Kingdom into larger provincial regions, with Sorhaithe being created as a combination of Imhrin and Brevehaithe. The name Sorhaithe was adopted expressly to invoke Catholic sentiment and insinuate Fanerian rule as a unifying and positive force.

The province acted as a military hub for the Royal Army during the Fourth Kin War just as it had during the previous century, although no major battles took place in Sorhaithe itself during the war. The Boreal War less than a decade later largely took place in the Kilikas theater, though Boreal Republic forces did attack the naval base at Igar Dun several times during this period. Sorhaithe was spared significant hardship in the Fhainnin Civil War, remaining one of the last Royalist strongholds until the end of the Siege of Rihsport, after which loyalist forces in the province surrendered. The significance of Sorhaithe's surrender was a boon for the Republican movement, as Saelish law contributed to the development of liberalism in Faneria and contrasted with the attempts by Culriocha and Lyukquar to secede from the country during the civil war. A brief period of peace, highlighted by the discovery of the Imhrin Oil Fields, ended within thirty years as the province was once again subjected to wartime conditions during the Second Great War. Sorhaithe sat at the end of the largest oil supply line in the country, and more than any other part of Faneria was subjected to bombing in depth by Fiannrian and allied forces. Near the end of the war, the Great Saelish Offensive saw bitter fighting stall on both ends of Sorhaithe, with the war ending with the province pocketed by Caeric and Fiannrian armies.

The Treaty of Loughlin outlined peace conditions which had initially divided most of Gathlann and the whole of Sorhaithe between Caergwynn and Fiannria; however, the final treaty subsituted the western province of Sioc Siar and the remainder of Gathlann, as well as a large part of the Saelish Archipelago, in exchange for Faneria retaining the remainder of Sorhaithe. Sorhaithe at this time required significant reconstruction and economic support, with severance from the remainder of metropolitan Faneria further hindering development of a solely internal economy. Sorhaithe as a result was one of the first parts of Faneria to have its international markets and infrastructure reconnected to the neighboring countries, enmeshing Sorhaithe in the emerging international order.

With the exception of the chill in Caeric-Fanerian relations following the Saelish Crisis in 19XX (check/move canal crisis back?), (Sorhaithe has benefited greatly from integration with a global economy, seeing exceptional GDP growth centered on the energy and industrial fishing industries. Despite this, modern Sorhaithe shares the severe inequality common to the northern provinces of Faneria, with oligarchic corporations and ) - better for other thing

Geography

Snowcover remaining in April 2027, taken near Saelaer.

Sorhaithe lies on the northern end of the Sea of Nordska, shielded from the warmer water seasonally brought up between Kiravia and Levantia in the Kilikas Sea; as a result, it often suffers long, bitterly cold winters akin to those in northern Caergwynn and Vithinja as well as typically cool summers. The topsoil of the region is relatively thin in most areas, with the risk of snap colds making many less hardy plants highly undesirable. Potatoes and some specialized varieties of beets are grown at scale, though these are overshadowed by the area's mineral and energy wealth.

Mainland Sorhaithe sits at the end of the Giath Mountains, which historically protected the lowlands in the east from overland invasions; however, the lower hilly regions in the eastern mainland are entirely exposed to foot travel both from Fiannria and Turlann, resulting in Sorhaithe being both the first target in the region struck by viking landings and the last redoubt of Saelish power during wartime. This lead to Sorhaithe in particular becoming a launch point for numerous campaigns against Fiannria by the Kingdom of the Fhainn in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Economy

Wool is one of the larger local industries within the province, with most sheep in Sorhaithe being imported Kiravian breeds rather than the local, coarse-wooled Claggens.

Sorhaithe's mineral wealth, both in iron, Wolframite and later fossil fuels, directly resulted in the area being retained by the Republic of the Fhainn after the Second Great War; the post-Rose Revolution government under Cillac Bataís went as far as negoitiating away the entirety of the provinces of Sioc Siar and Gathlann, the latter of which previously connected Sorhaithe to the rest of the metropole, to retain the most oil-rich areas of Sorhaithe itself. The fossil fuels industry, particularly petroleum, is a significant part of the provincial economy and is only partially supplemented by sporting tourism, fishing, and wood products; however, the improvement of rail lines connecting the trinational region around Saelin has somewhat invigorated the local economy since the 1980s.

Fossil fuels extraction and proccessing is the primary economic driver and export of the province, and petrol from the Saelish oil fields is sold in both crude and refined forms to Caeric, Fiannrian, and Vithinjian energy and fuel companies. Pipelines through Caergwynn also transport oil to southern Faneria. Tourism, industrial fishing, and wood products make up the moajority of the remaining local economy, with additions from wool ranching and glazing businesses which underwent significant declines in the 20th Century as a result of physical separation from and competition in Faneria proper.

Politics

The provincial capital, Igar Dun, c. 2026.

Politically, Sorhaithe is one of the few provinces not strongly controlled by the National Republican Party; since 1942, the province has elected a slim majority of Party for National Advancement and independent candidates in most election cycles. Sorhaithe's republican tradition is more closely related to Fiannrian and southern Levantine republicanism due to Saelin's aggressive import and later export of enlightenment ideals, and for geopolitical reasons, most notably its economic reliance on exporting fossil fuels to Fiannria and Caergwynn, the province remains a significant source of support for internationalist and pro-Levantine Union movements in Faneria, second only to the expat community in Fiannrian Costaban.

Demographics

The town of Rida, located on Eile Kivija, was primarily built in Brutalist Style during the late 20th Century to support the Rida Fish Proccessing Plant.

The population of Saelin is majority-Saelish (Fhs. Saelifhainn), with the indigenous gaelic community composing about 56% of the population; another thirty percent are Marfhainn or Sheafhainn, with notable Caeric and Faeskt minorities. Most of the population is concentrated along the coast, with an 84% urbanization rate largely due to the poor farming properties of the region, a fishing-dependent food economy, and a growth in immigrant labor since the late 1800s in response to the discovery of oil fields under the Isles. This has been exacerbated by a predominantly train-based transport sector in the region due both to terrain and comfort. The largest settlements in the province are the capital, Igar Dun, Galnea, and Saelaer, the former two of which both rest on the coast of the mainland.

Culture

Saelish people exist on a broader scale than Sorhaithe alone, with many Saelish families being spread across countries. In areas previously or still ruled by Faneria, this translates into a culture of bi- or trilingualism, with a strong sense of cohesion around the arts and uniquely Saelish cultural practices. To the modern day, Saelish (and particularly Sorhaithe-born) people form an outsized portion of the notable painters and writers of northern Levantia in particular, with many of these moving to the larger hubs of civilization to further their careers.

- holidays, foods, religion