Vithinja: Difference between revisions

Thanks to the mixing of the seafaring culture of these two migrant groups after many decades of tribal conflicts, the consolidation of smaller tribes into larger ones and general population growth the peoples of the north, especially those living on the Noborea mainland started to run into a simple but motivating scarcity: A near total lack of a stable food source. While some agriculture could be maintained and the both fresh-and saltwater fish were plentiful, the fish was not nearly enough to survive on alone and the harvests were incredibly variable depending on how harsh the harsh the years winter ended up being. These factors would all lead to a region-defining cultural shift that would spread from the west-most Nogeaths all the way to the east-most Gogaul: The raiding of far away, wealthier lands. Although most early raiding was done internally, the harsh resistance that was often met combined with lacking resources worth stealing lead raiders to start sailing further and further. By the early 800’s they idea of sailing south, to lands inhabited by much weaker and richer peoples started spreading like wildfire, in part thanks to the seafaring leading to a strong interconnectivity among the northern tribes. Based on the Nogeath title for one of these seafarers a new threat started to menace far beyond their Noborean homes: The Vikings.

### The Viking Age

[[The Viking Age]] commonly refers to a time between 800-1300 and is generally broken up into five periods, The Reaver Period, The Invasion Period, The Consolidation Period, The Viking Golden Age and finally The Viking Contentment Period. While each of these hold a massive amount of history within them, we will only shortly discuss the most imporant aspects of each here.

[[The Viking Reaver Period|The Reaver Period]] (~810-950) is named after the main term used for the viking raiders by the northern successor kingdoms of the Holy Levantine Empire. This period is mainly defined by the fast and vast expansion of raided areas. Throughout mid to late 800’s the vikings went from raiding along the nearby modern Fanerian north coast and among the island of modern Sorhaithe to targetting the entire North Ultmar coast, and travelling far along the rivers into the Ultmar mainland. While raiding a number of raiders set up conquered viking realms, with the largest of these period being the first of the Reaver kingdoms, settling along the coast running eastward from Noborea. Despite the vikings of this period remaining relatively decentralized it still saw a slow centralization of power. This took it’s final shape in between the 910’s and 950’s when a number of so-called viking lords rose to power, maintaining the fealty of vast numbers of tribes among large territories. The nature of these tribal federations were however still very decentralized, leading to modern historians usually not referring to these realms as tribal kingdoms. In the end, what finally ended up causing the next large-scale change among the viking cultures was, ironically, the exact same issue that started their marauding ways: All the new resources that they had successfully plundered and brought back lead to prosperity in their homelands, which caused a population boom that tripled their population over the course of the century. A great tribal chieftain who had united most of the western Ruthan tribes caused this next great change, by announcing, preparing and leaving their homelands at a massive scale, in a huge migration to conquer and settle the more prosperous lands their raiding peoples already dominated.

[[The Viking Invasion Period|The Invasion Period]] (890-1220) is empathized by the many migrations and new realms the Vikings created and maintained across large sections of Ultmar, even if most by the 17th century would be some combination of integrated into the local cultures, slowly fade in comparison to larger local cultures or simply be subjugated and expelled. These migrations would however lead to a strong bond between the Noboreans and North Levantines, both economically and politically. Even in the modern day viking descended cultures outnumber the entire modern Vithinjan population. The main cause of viking migrations fading was a mixture of improvements to defensive engineering in Ultmar as well as simply having less free lands to target and many Viking realms that were already well settled and fiercely aggressive against competitors. This also caused the slow start of the Contentment Period, which would start to vastly change the cultural idea of what a Viking was among the Noborean cultures.

[[The Viking Consolidation Period|The Consolidation Period]] (980-1330) coincides quite substantially with the invasion period, in part because it was a result of the response to these invasion in different parts of the world. This period can be separated between The Christian Consolidation, The Ruthinjan Unification and the Ultmar Viking Wars.

[[Ultmar Christian Consolidation|The Christian Consolidation]] started with the arrival and success of [[Caergwynn]], one of the most vital rival powers in Vithinjan history. Through the use of a powerful navy and a well centralized highly militarized realm so close to the viking homeland the Caerics successfully pressured many concessions and treaties from the various viking tribes north of them. Although some attempts were made at both subjugation and devastation the Caric knights quickly found that the best relations they could hope for were tributes and allies, as the northern Viking cultures could not easily be quelled or destroyed. This forced the viking raiders to travel farther and target new regions, which helped to find new targets for the Viking migratory invasion as well. This consolidation was further worsened thanks to a combination of the successfully revitalized realm of Cuhlfros in addition to a number of stronger tribal federations forming along the western side of Northern Ultmar.

[[The Ruthinjan Unification]] describes the rise of The first unified kingdom in Noborea. It also saw the real first step for christianity spreading into Noborea, with the new Ruthinjan kingdom being formed by the first Viking Lord to ever baptise himself. He could howevernever put an end to the marauding traditions of his people.

[[Ultmar Viking Wars]] includes a number of wars among the various ultmari Viking realms as well as many bordering realms which lead to the destruction or consolidation of most of these regions into new kingdoms. Through the combination of these factors almost all the lands that were once the prime targets for their raids now became mostly inaccessible. This would lead to two great changes that once more redirected Viking history: More advanced seafaring techniques that allowed the raiders to venture far beyon the local region together with the and a shift in the power balance in the Noborean region away from the Vithinjan heartlands towards the north Ultmar riverlands. These two changes along with many other factors would birth the Viking Golden Age.

### The Noborea-Ultmar Templar Wars

[[The Noborea-Ultmar Templar Wars]], also known as the [[Noborea Irae|''Noborea Irae'']], covers a period between 1200-1500, where a combination of factors lead to large scale conflicts between the northern pagans and Christians, which later turned to a series of conflicts between the old traditional regimes and the new divinely guided holy orders. The final results of these wars was a partial shift towards more absolutist ideas, the large-scale conversion of most pagans, the establishment of Vithinja and Caergwynn as the two main powers north of the Empire and the rejection of the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith in the region.

Ultmar Crusade was started in the 12th century by the kingdom of Cuhlfros, supported by a number of more southern holy orders. However it did not truly reach Noborea until the start of the 13th. This first Noborean crusade was a massive failure, as the Crusaders could not make up for the superiority of pagan seafaring in a region defined by land barriers and islands. It was not helped that the strange threat from the south proved that the Viking realms were not as divided as thought, as many of them, especially those from the Borea mainland, would ally together against the southern incursion. Most of the Latin crusaders chose to focus on fighting along the rivers of the Vandarch after this failure. The few that didn't mainly turned to the more local northern christian elements of Caergwynn and Cuhlfros, hoping to learn how to fight a foe whose tactics were foreign to them.

The Third Caeric-Viking War would serve to show what the new status qua of the regions should be. In 1295 Clipprigar would declare war on Caergwynn to take back their lost island territories. This time Cuhlfros would end up not taking part, as their own holy order vassals disobedience strained relations. The war only lasted until 1298, but ended up being vastly more destructive than the second war, especially for the Viking island territories. This time there would be no mercy for the Viking realms, who were beaten badly. The holy orders would take for themselves substantial territories, even demanding any and all territories that may have been given to Caergwynn. While the war was the greatest Christian success so far it would also serve as the start of a rift between the Caerics and the Latin holy orders.  

==== Templar Consolidation ====

At the start of the 14th century the newly arisen templar lead nations in the Noborean region started acting much more independently of their sponsor nations. A series of smaller border wars ended up being fought between them and their neighbors allowing them to expand further. By 1320 they would make a monumental decision: they attacked Caergwynns old ally Havengem. This caused a war between the Caerics and the templar, which ended with the templars taking Havengems island holdings. This war served mainly to sour the relations between the various Christians in the region and the foreign templar orders. The following 20 years saw much fewer conflicts, with much of the region trying to recover from the many years of war.

Peace was however not on the horizon for Vithinja quite yet, as the government held little legitimacy and had only survived as long as it did thanks to the war breaking out. A severe civil conflict was brewing, with both more progressive and more reactionary elements hoping to secure control of the nations leadership. Many experts at the time, both foreign and local, expected the nation to fracture completely, with too much hostilities existing between the various ideological and religious groups.

=== The Syndicalization ===

As protests and rioting started to become commonplace in most Vithinjan cities in the mid 40s, it seemed certain a civil war was looming. The three strongest militant factions at the time was the Reds, a collection of mainly militant socialists wishing to create a Democratic socialist republic, the Blacks, who was mainly a mixture of nationalist and royalist elements mainly supported by the Church to recreate the Vithinjan kingdom, and finally the Whites, a catholic-nationalistic mainly Guerig faction with some Caeric elements that mainly wished to split the nation in two and allow the Guerigs to have their own nation for the first time since before the Reformation. Of these three the Reds was by far the most powerful, holding substantial support from foreign elements while also being greatly popular among most city-dwellers in the nation. Only one of these factions would truly maintain themselves past the next year.

This civil conflict would be avoided through the most surprising of happenstances: the friendship of two very popular political figures. A lone young prince far from being the next in line for the throne together with a popular but controversial figure within the Reds would utilize each other as informants to undermine many of the main leaders within both the Red and Black movements. Through this process they were able to reshape both. The Reds would be focused more on a strange new Syndicalist idea and have their hostility turned mostly away from the Royals instead focusing it on the rich capitalistist of the nation. Meanwhile the more aggressive nationalist element within the royalist would be compared to the Whites they fought, branded as a group that would ensure the splintering of the nation. Most importantly of all, the young prince would challange the heir for the right of succession, and win. To this day it is a quite controversial subject as many historians, especially foreign once, believe the young prince to have cheated somehow. In the end though, their schemes would pay off, as they got control of the Red and Black factions allowing them to reach their ultimate goal: Peace. The two would meet officially together with most other important figures of both sides and attempt to figure out a way for each to work with the other. It took over a week of arguing just to get the group to agree that this would even be possible, but over the next months they would work out an agreement that everyone could accept. This was being done at the same time as their followers rose up and took over the government and the White faction was defeated by the much more numerous and powerful alliance. The deal that was finally made would become the new Vithinjan constitution and always be known under a single name: The Vithinjan Compromise.

After the end of the revolution the new government set the nation to focus on reconstruction and the implementation of a new, decentralized planned economy. This would also lead to a new age of isolationism for Vithinja, where almost no trade international trade was allowed, with some small exceptions mainly for Burgundine and Coscovian dealings that were seen as being traditional agreements between cultures rather than corporate markets. The main exception however was Caergwynn, with whom larger trade deals were established. All of these dealings turned out to be excessively profitable for Caergwynn, as they were able to serve as the middleman for many Vithinjan goods to reach the global market. During this period of isolation Vithinja focused a lot of it's efforts on it's own scientific sector, hoping to overcome their meager size through technological supremacy for whenever the next war would come.

==Geography==

Vithinjas varied geography is both a blessing and a curse. Although large portions of the lands are difficult to impossible to inhabit, they hold some of the most beautiful landmarks to be found in the world. Between the innumerable fjords covering the coast to the northern villages surrounded by the sights of huge tall mountain ranges, large glaciers that glimmer in the sunlight and if any visitor is lucky, the wondrous northern lights. This would make it a better tourist location if the temperature didn't drive most foreigners away.

===Climate===

The climate in Vithinja is defined by the separation between the warmer coastal regions including the Vithinjan isles, the fjord covered northern coastlines the northern mountainous regions and the subarctic lake regions. The nations economic centers have always been tied to the coastal regions, with very little agricultural lands excluding the Vithinjan islands. A few local grains being hardy enough to survive the boreal summers thanks to the north-blowing winds. The coastlines nearest joining the two landmasses of Vithinja together however are constantly a target of the cold arctic winds from the north.

==Politics==

===Syndicalist Government===

In effect the syndicalist government functions as a hierarchy of unions each of which may function as either an executive or legislative body, but usually both branches for part of the nations rules, laws and social groupings. The powers of each union is based on what has previously been agreed to be delegated to that level of the hierarchy from above. These powers include both serving as the executive branch for any issues the representatives bring from the legislative decisions of their own unions, one step down in the hierarchy, as well as serving as part of the legislative branch for any higher unions they send representatives to. One of the main purposes of this division of power was to ensure the each part of the government could take care of their issues swiftly and effectively. The [[Vithinjan Parliament|''Ällänsþinget'' (national council)]] refers to the members, who hold the title of chancellor, of the highest point in the hierarchy who hold only executive powers, including the first level of delegation of all state power towards the lower branches.  

===Military===

The Vithinjan military can be divided into three distinct organizations: The Kingdoms Flotilla of Vithinja (''Viþinjske Rikysflottjan''), The Union of the National Reserve (''Fhecket fyr Länsvärnent'') and the Guards of the Revolution (''Nydåningsvacktyt''). Some would only consider the first two as actual members of the military and the third as a paramilitary organization, especially since the constitution contradicts itself when describing them. The Kingdoms Flotilla is divided into four main components: The Royal Marines (''Rikysvärnet''), The Valkyries (''Valkyrierne''), the Homeland Navy (''Länsförsvarsflottan'') and the Wolves (''Ulvärne'').

==Economy==

The economy of Vithinja has in modern times been pushed to switch from an export-oriented market economy during the Boreal Republc, to a totally mobilized arms economy for the duration of the Second Great War, to a partially isolationist decentralized planned economy until the Counter Coup of 1984, to the modern mixed-export-oriented economy with some elements of the previous planned economy remaining. This apparent instability would likely have lead to the nation having further issues if it wasn't for three helpful factors: extensive resource wealth, a continues and successfully maintained legal institution dating back over 200 years and finally a strong working culture where the populations identities, social communities, political movements as well as very often large parts of their families are all organized around their professions. It is these factors that are often pointed towards when investigating the [[Vithinjan 1990 economic miracle]], where the nominal per capita GDP of the nation jumped over $15 000 in a decade, while still growing at a good rate to this day.

==== Transportation ====

Vithinja has one of the most heavily train based economies in the world. This is based in their previous isolationist period, where they avoided implementation of roadways as it was protested against by the average worker, mainly either for economic considerations or because they feared cars would ruin the layout of their cities. Because of this isolationism the transportation sector had to be entirely domestic. Today it this has resulted in a large export sector surrounding trains, maritime vessels and smaller airplanes. This includes not only the production of machinery and other components for these vehicles but also research and economic theory developing new and improved methods for these industries.

==== Mining ====

While Vithinja has large manufacturing and service sectors, but since the time of their economic isolation the nation has built their industries mainly on resources extracted at home. These includes large mineral wealth, mainly iron, copper and tungsten. Even though there are other reserves for metals important in the industry these three are impactful as they make up the vast majority of domestically produced materials for the large manufacturing sector. The main missing material for this is aluminum, which now makes up one of the most important imports in the entire economy. Vithinja has spent an obscene amount surveying for the light metal, but with little success.

| label1 = [[Ruthans]]

| value1 =20.81

| label2 =[[Ruth-Gvär]]

| value2 =27.42

| label3 =[[Guerigs]]

| value3 =30.88

| label5 =[[Caerics]]

| value5 = 4.23

| other =Other or unspecified

}}

===Language===

The official and most spoken language in Vithinja is Ruthi, a gothic language very unlike most other gothic languages, with strong influences from the celtic, coscovian and burgundi languages. This is the expected language to use for any official work such as law, education and research. Almost as common but not always allowed officially is Siarvish, a celtic language closely related to Caeric. While in some regions one can easily live only ever speaking Siarvish it is difficult to achieve great success without also learning Ruthi. Both of these languages may be taught at schools but most schools either teach Ruthi or both. There is also a few minority languages, especially within the Novalke group, some of which are allowed regionally but most are rarely even taught in local schools. On the Vithinjan isles, especially in the south there are many who still speak Caeric. While recognized as a regional language it is often discouraged, usually by the higher levels of unions, to use the language outside of private matters. Considering private business is strongly discouraged this essentially means using it at home if at all.

===Religion===

Vithinja is a religiously divided nation. In the [[Novalke]] and [[Ruthi Language]] regions the Church of Rolv, a unique protestant branch which implements many ideas from the old pagan beliefs of the region, still holds a lot of power and support. This church is the main reason for the survival of the monarchy, as the royals serve as important figures within the faith. Then among mainly the [[Guerigs]] especially in the northeast there is still a strong catholic presence. It is weaker than the other two but serves as one of the main points of internal conflict within the nation. Finally there is the idea of fully abandoning the old beliefs which is an idea that was heavily pushed by the Syndicalist movement and holds strongest in the southern parts of the nation. At one point the Syndicalists tried to push for a fully secular nation, but failed in the face of the Church of Rolv almost breaking the nation apart.

{{Pie chart

| radius = 50

| label3 =Catholics

| value3 =28.9

| other =Other or unspecified

}}

===Health===

Vithinja features a very extensive public healthcare system. The union of healthcare holds a lot of influence and has at numerous occasions pressured other industries towards decisions that would assist public health. One of these choices is a complete ban on smoking and huge efforts toward reducing drinking. Despite these efforts both smoking and drinking are still publicly practiced in many communities. Tobacco smuggling is an extremely profitable black market in Vithinja because of these efforts.

===Crime===

For being a nation in modern times Vithinja features a large indirect punishment for pretty much any crime: increased difficulty to join a union, which makes everything from getting a job to finding a partner more difficult and may lock one out of the political process. Despite this the number of people convicted for a crime has been hovering around 2.5% up until the last two years, where it has slowly increased to 3%. It is often noted that 90% of convictions are against those already considered residents, and 95% of everyone who has a criminal record are residents.

The fighting spirit which lives strongly in the nations cultures is one of the more influential forces in the Vithinjan society. It is a common belief that once inner violence should not be suppressed, nor should it be let run wild. One should shepherd once violent soul so that when it is needed it can overpower anything that would threaten your kin. This does not play out that well a lot of the time, and violence of many kinds is rampant in many parts of Vithinja. The state has built a lot of institutions to resolve this issue, not to reduce the violent ideals as they are seen as vital in the nations continuous survival, but through outlets. Sports in Vithinja are the most common outlet, with most sports including more protective gear than in other countries specifically to allow people to take more of a pounding during their games. Another outlet in the modern day is video games, as they often serve as a quick and easy way to give someone a way to vent. Finally... for those who have passed the point of no return, Vithinja features a sizable paramilitary. For those with at least some control they will often find themselves in the Revolutionary Guard, ready to protect the freedoms of the workers if ever necessary. For everyone else, there is the 'Fecket fyr Legosoldatir' (The Mercenary Union). A collection of organizations that are Private Military Companies in all but name (because of language taboo). These operate in conflicts all around the world for whatever their goal may be; whether that be money, glory or political change.

Being close with your family in Vithinja is meant far more literally than in most other Christian nations. Different kinds of physical contact such as sitting in someone's lap or lying in a sofa together is common within most households. One of the traditions which foreigners find most strange, and even most southern Vithinjans are starting to distance themselves from, is the single massive bed most old school households use. Having the whole family share a bed is a tradition which dates back to ancient times where it was simply a tool for keeping warm. This is only one of many such examples, another is that it is common for the youngest son to sit in the lap of their mother and the youngest daughter to sit in the lap of their father during dinner. While some foreigners view these things as obscene, ironically enough when Vithinjan families are seen breaking these norms in more conservative parts it is often viewed as a sign of lacking trust and devotion towards your family.

One of the most important differences as thus is the distinctions, comparisons, separations and representations of rulers chosen by god and angels serving as his messengers mean. One of the distinctive beliefs is that the Christian idea of angels generally being male is incorrect, that there is a separation between the two kinds of representatives for god. Those who spread gods name to foreign lands serve as the traveling messengers on missions in gods name. As those angels are male, so is the priests who now represent them. Meanwhile, for those who stay in the various communities, maintaining gods connection to his followers, those angels and their representatives must be women.

Within the ruling family there was two things made very clear: The rulers are representatives of god, just like the kings of old, no divine representative is needed to grant this right of rule if ones family has been blessed for this purpose. Thus the royal family of Vithinja (and some other Royal bloodlines) are seen as holding the right of rule within their blood, with the blood of other dynasties being a somewhat disputed topic. This means the whole family, there is no room to waste the royal blood of children just because they are women, all must help serve their divinely given purpose. The ideas and roles of the royal rulers family is in part parted by sex but mainly by what must be maintained.

The Kings task is to rule over all, not in every detail but as a single whole. He must not be specialized, and any faults he has must be accounted for, for his power is not in taking care of tasks himself, but in applying the right part of the people and the nation to the purpose. But only the royals may rule. Thus he must ensure his family can make up for all his needed skills and faults. As such the remaining siblings and children must all be made to serve the role of ensuring all the tasks of the king have a skilled expert ready to serve as the kings acting hands. While the exact nature of what these expert roles are has varied greatly over time, a few specific roles have been maintained almost since the faiths establishing. The first of these is the kings heir. The heir is the oldest son who has not been defeated at a fair trial of the heirs choosing. As the king rules all, one can not be king if they cannot ensure their own win when choosing their field of battle. Second is the [[Valkyran]] and [[Valkyrian]]. The Valkyran is the royal most capable of leading offensive warfare. He ensure that the capabilities necessary to defeat an enemy completely is always available to the king. The Valkyrian represent the defensive understanding that any army attempting to march on their capital will find itself against an impenetrable wall while withering away from skirmishers devastating their supply lines. She ensures that the king may feel safe sending most of his armies to invade their foes, as outnumbered thirty-to-one his Valkyrian will still ensure there will be no victory for any invaders.

All royals hold the expectation that they act according to their divine duty, with no exceptions. Thus beside extraordinary circumstances such as being deeply wounded or in the late stages of maternity, all Royal Family members are expected to take part in and carry out the rulership of their people.  

Vithinja is the inventor of both ice hockey and field hockey. They are an important part of the nations history.  

==== Skiing ====

Skiing is also a very popular sport in Vithinja. Although competitively most people are interested in downhill skiing and ski jumping, among the common public cross-country skiing is generally more popular. Another popular competitive skiing option is the imported 'biathlon', where cross-country is combined with rifle shooting.

==== Football ====

====Veterans====

Vithinjan tourist centers are often especially targeted at soldiers from other nations. This is in large part because a lot of Vithinjan tourist locations serve as a place for people to take out their competitive spirit, aggressions and test themselves in a real fight. Barfights, hooliganism and street brawls are not a rare sight in some of the more extreme tourist locations. These fights usually include both locals and tourists, although the locals are often just joining for fun, not taking things too seriously and letting the tourists win in many cases. The most infamous of these is the Vittimarkijöni hockey center, which uses the slogan "The most dangerous ice ever skated on!". It is the only ice ring in the world with multiple mid-game fatalities. The last of these happened in 1982, as safety has been increased since then, but it is still one of the few places in the world where you can legally hospitalize someone as part of a sport anytime of the year.

===Cuisine===

Much of Vithinjan cuisine has been based around a mix of fish, hardy vegetables and grain mixed with rare meat from hunting. Because of the relative lack of farmlands there was never much room to raise cattle, leading to a near complete lack of cattle based food for a large portion of their history. By the time these products became more common they generally imported the way to cook meals together with the meat.

Although most of southern Vithinja has shifted largely to international foods of various kinds (mainly coscovian, burgundian and cartagenian) in the northern regions outside the Vithinjan Isles cooking has not changed much, with the exception of replacing most hunted meat with cattle meat. In most rural areas a good part of this meat is provided through hunting, which is still largely practiced in these regions. While much of this hunting is legal, a lot of it is not. The most damaging illegal meat trade however is provided by the black-whaling fleet, a term used to refer to illegal whaling both because it is a black market but also because it mainly targets two black whales: the sperm whale and the orca. While the orca population is mostly fine hunting sperm whales is still limited under international law. The reason these two are hunted in particular is because there is a small minority in Vithinja who follow a tradition of eating predators for good fortune. These two whales are near the pinnacle of predation making them the perfect target.

The Vithinjan meatball has developed to have a huge variety of local recipes for how to make it, with significant differences in the use of spices (mostly herb-based ones), meat mixtures (usually today one wild and one cattle) as well as heating method (grilled, oven-cooked, even a few examples of baked).

===Holidays===

Despite celebrating holidays like Christmas and Easter unlike most catholic nations vithinjans have incorporated their old pagan traditions into these holidays.

On top of that vithinjans also celebrate some of their own holidays. First of these holidays is Midsummer, which takes place during solstice. Earlier in the year, about a month before Easter, [[the Farewell]] takes place. At the start of fall the Union is celebrated.