Sorhaithe

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

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.

History

Sorhaithe as a region 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 byVithinjan 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 hinterland regions, and the more established Saelia. The term 'Sorhaithe' originated from the Saelish term for 'curse', largely as a tactic used in rousing subsequent pogroms against pagan communities (including both Vithinjan and local cults) during the Christianization of the region. The term was adopted by both the Catholic and Northern Rite populations in the region, though the Northern Rite itself would become persecuted for heresy beginning in 1452.

The decline of the Knights of St. Selyn and their defeat in the Seven Companies Crusade created a power vacuum which was filled by the Bishops of Saelia. The expenses involved with direct church rule and the Protestant Reformation ultimately lead the Papacy to instruct (???) Bishop of Saelia to crown Prince Morgan Caradrad as King of Saelin in 1544, immediately following the conclusion of the Nordmontaine War. Caradrad ultimately shuffled off papal responsibilities and siezed Church properties following the Great Confessional War, despite leading to his being excommunicated. His successor Mag Caradrad made some amends but reinforced rule by the nobility, embracing the Fanerian tradition of nobility fees and further centralizing power. Saelia during this time experienced a period of religious retrocession, with Mag declaring the Northern Rite as the state religion before his death. This would lead to the War of Saelish Succession between Catholic and Northern Rite members of the Saelish nobility, which established an uneasy medium between religious practice within the country.

The use of the term Sorhaithe for the Saelish core reemerged in 1596 with the introduction of the Greater Audonian Rat. While the Croprot Famine had been ongoing in the Vandarch since 1591, Saelin was reliant primarily on fishing and sheep ranching for domestic foods, and weathered the invasive species relatively well. Winter diets in the country regardless relied on imports of rye from the south, with meager yields in the preceding years exacerbating the effects of disease. Catholic priests levied charges of heresy as the cause of

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 the province remains a significant source of support for 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