Derthalen

The Holy Empire of Derthalen 𐍃𐌰 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰 𐍆𐌹𐌻𐍁𐌹𐍂𐌰𐍄𐌴 𐍈𐌰𐌽 𐍃𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌽 𝔇𝔞𝔰 ℌ𝔢𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔦𝔠𝔥 𝔳𝔬𝔫 𝔇𝔢𝔯𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔫 :ᛋᚨ.ᚷᛁᚾᚾᚺᛖᛁᛚᚨᚷᚱ.ᚱᛁᚲᛁ.ᚨᚹ.ᛋᛖᛞᚨᛚ: Sa Weihaba Fylkirate wan Sadalen Sá Ginnheilagr Ríki av Sedal
Motto: 'Ohne Hemd und ohne Höschen.'
Anthem: Der morgige Tag ist mein Royal anthem: Unter dem Doppeladler
Capital	Heinrichstadt
Largest city	Morthal
Official languages	Alemannisch
Recognised regional languages	Heiligen Low-Gothic High-Gothic
Demonym(s)	Derthaler
Government	Theocratic Elective-Monarchy
• Emperor	Heinrich Johannes
Establishment
• Formation	A.I. 001.M1 (753 B.C.)
Population
• 2018 census	29,283,179
GDP (PPP)	2018 estimate
• Total	$290,000,000,000
• Per capita	$9,903
HDI	.600 medium
Currency	Thaler (ITT)
Time zone	UTC -1/0
Date format	c.ffff.yyy.MM, dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	left-hand side
Calling code	+1
ISO 3166 code	DT, DTH
Internet TLD	.dt

The Holy Empire of Derthalen (also officially known as the Confederated Empire of Derthalen), commonly referred to simply as Derthalen (meaning 'of the valley' )(not to be confused with the Kingdom of Derthalen), is a nation located in the Æitiastain region in the south-east of the continent of Argis, with the Dolch-See bordering its mainland to the south, the Bay of Morthal to its west, and the Adlantic Ocean to its east. Derthalen is also considered to be the most southerly nation on the continent.

Derthalen is a Theocratic Elective Absolute Monarchy, meaning that the Emperor rules the country with absolute power in both spiritual matters and physical, but is also elected upon death by an organisation known as the Imperial Senate. The Emperor has the role of the head of state, head of government, and the head of church. Despite this, the Emperor has traditionally allowed his Ministers and the Imperial Senate to rule the country for him while only concerning himself with matters of state during times of emergency or while dealing with a foreign threat.

Etymology

While it is unclear whether the name was originally Gothic (Sadalen) or Alemannisch (Derthalen) in origin due to there being significant populations of both in the Kingdom of Derthalen in the past, the etymological meaning of the name remains consistent in all its forms: 'of the valley'. This has lead to speculation as to whether the name arose independently in the different language groups or whether it was a simple matter of a calque.

History

Bronze & Iron Age

The original inhabitants of Derthalen were said to be great Beast-Men, who stood at 8 feet tall and were covered in brown or black fur. 4,000 years ago around the year 053.M2 B.T.E. (Before the Empire) the first of the modern Derthaler arrived in their glorious homeland. These men were brave Goths and Alemanni who had somehow managed to travel from their homelands in Europa all the way to the distant lands of Argis using only the stars to navigate by during the night. With their copper and bronze weapons they managed to wage an unending war against the Beast-Men for nearly 400 years before the Beast-Men surrendered and resigned themselves to living in the mountains. After defeating the Beast-Men, the Derthalers began to fight amongst themselves for dominance, and so their golden age of conquest ended and 600 years of intense infighting began.

The Great House of Fleischmann rose to dominance amongst the Alemanni due to their discovery and mastery of iron working, and eventually began to solidify control by founding the Kingdom of Derthalen. This ancient kingdom began the slow and arduous journey to unification. They waged many hundreds of wars and formed alliances with the other states until they eventually came to dominate the entirety of their land. During this time, most of Derthalen's many government institutions were established, such as the current senatorial system along with the elective monarchy.

In order to convince his allies to form one united Empire together, King Otto the Peaceful of House Fleischmann had to agree to hold an election over who would lead their Empire whenever their Emperor died, and also had to guarantee the other kingdoms would be represented in this new Empire. Thus the Holy Empire of Derthalen came to be, after nearly a thousand years of constant struggle. Emperor Otto's first act was to introduce the Imperial Truth to the masses. The Imperial Truth quickly became the basis of all Derthaler religion, and would mark the beginning of the Derthalen's Age of Enlightenment. With the Imperial Truth's holy mandate, Derthalen became a holy empire, guided by faith in their Emperor's teachings.

Middle Ages

Shortly after the establishment of the Holy Empire of Derthalen, the earliest examples of steel weapons were discovered to have been made. These weapons marked the beginning to what is now known as the Middle Ages due to the proliferation of steel tools, weapons, and armour and the decline of bronze & iron as the main metals used. This period saw the rapid expansion of Derthaler influence and trade, along with the establishment of colonies in foreign lands which was aided by the superior craftsmanship and metal working skills of Derthalen. This period is generally agreed to have lasted from around A.I. (Anno Imperium) 455.M2 to A.I. 455.M3, ending with the advent of industrialisation and the invention of the steam powered engine and the start of the Age of Strife. It should be noted that this period also saw a steady amount of population growth throughout, and the importation of the tea plant to Derthalen.

First Colonial Expansion

After the establishment the Holy Empire of Derthalen in the year A.I. 001.M1, the Emperor of that time decided that the only way forward was to establish trade outposts. The fleets of Derthalen heeding the words of their Emperor, spread out across their region and found settled and unsettled lands which held goods which they thirsted for. Through treaty or force of arms, they made outposts for their merchants to thrive in. For a time all was good, their trade flourished and their coffers filled with the exquisite luxuries of foreign lands.

As their might over these lands became more apparent, their outposts naturally grew as those who scoffed and chafed under their empire fled from their Emperor's light, and into the wild frontiers. Eventually their colonists came to blows with the already existing nations of these lands. An era of new conquests began, as the Derthaler armies and fleets destroyed those who would oppose their coming. Many thousands of enemies were slain, their people's either killed or enslaved. After nearly two centuries of conquest their Empire stood triumphant, and this new land was named Morheim in A.I. 951.M1 after the great explorer who first discovered it. And so this colony began to slowly grow, though for many years it remained under Derthalen's direct rule, it eventually developed its own culture and ways. The Morheimers became strange to Derthalers, with their lack of belief in the Emperor disturbing most of Derthalers; the Morheimers became a cold and Stoic people, who for generations harboured a secret worship of false gods their based off of the elements of their homeland.

Second Colonial Expansion

Around the year A.I. 956.M2 Derthaler explorers discovered the land that would eventually come to be known as Ahrana. After finding what is now known as the Canamo Sea to be one rich with fish and the land to be a great deal more hospitable than those bordering the Argic Ocean, it was decided that a colony would be founded there to provide supplies and trading goods for ships coming through the region. As such, in the late winter of A.I. 960.M2 roughly 800 Derthaler settlers were left there to establish a colony for the benefit of Derthalen. Due to its extreme range, the colony was allowed to govern itself free from Imperial interference in all but the most extreme of cases, and it quickly began to trade and deal with the local Nordic population. The colony continued to grow, but unlike Morheim had remained true to its roots and maintained a culture very much in line with that of their motherland. The population also rebuffed all attempts at conversion by foreign missionaries, but allowed believers of foreign religions to live amongst them.

By the year A.I. 157.M3 the colony of Ahrana had developed into a self-sufficient state, and had merged with some of the local tribes to form part of a new Kingdom of Ahrana.

Age of Apostasy

Despite the best efforts of Derthaler officials and missionaries in Morheim, Morheimer attitudes towards the Imperial Truth became quite astonishing to most. It was only in the year A.I. 764.M2 that Morheim received a colonial charter and the right to its own colonial government, but they made the best of that short time. Their colonial government passed laws and legislation which exploited their lands to their full potential, while also taking care of their denizens. Their schools became quite well respected even by Derthalen's venerable institutions. Their contributions to the field of literature must be noted, as they became some of the most prolific writers in the Holy Empire of Derthalen and also translated and printed untold numbers of books. This period was not to last for long though, as in the year A.I. 223.M3 Morheim broke out into open rebellion against their rightful rulers and proclaimed their Heretical beliefs and Apostasy to the world. Despite the best efforts of the Imperial Inquisition, the Derthaler forces were unable to root out the Heretics and the colony was finally abandoned in the year A.I. 271.M3 after its capital had been burnt to the ground in the final battle of the revolt by Inquisitors trying to purge the traitors.

This revolt left a black mark on Derthaler history, and influenced them to become even more vigilant and intolerant of Heresy and Apostasy afterwards.

Age of Strife

Over the course of the next three centuries, Derthaler influence overseas began to wane. Where as before trade and exploration missions were outfitted every half-decade, they increasingly became more infrequent as interest in far off lands dropped, trade routes solidified, and agitation from the northern frontiers grew more and more frequent. Ongoing religious and political rest began to also ferment, as faith within the Holy Inquisition and Imperial Cult was not restored to its levels before the loss of Morheim. Radical new interpretations of the Imperial Truth began cropping up around the year A.I. 333.M3, with such teachings as those of the Alleman Doctrine, which supported the interpretation of all men being equal to the Holy Emperor and that rather than only the most blessed and pious seeking truth in knowledge, that all should embrace the pursuit of rationality and logical discourse of the truth. The Heresies were able to continue largely unopposed and continued to creating dissent amongst the masses until the year A.I. 391.M3. Large numbers of Heretics had managed to arm themselves and moved to attack the seat of Ecclesiastical power of the time, Kjimhold. A heretical army of nearly twenty-thousand armed fanatics lay siege to the city and its righteous three-thousand defenders. Holy Brothers belonging to the Order of Saint Jarvik the Purifier, sworn to burn all those that corrupt and defile the Holy Emperor's teachings. Despite the overwhelming numbers attacking the city, the defenders managed to repel the initial assault by setting fire to two of the districts within the city walls once they had been breached on the thirteenth day, and fell back to the citadel in order to consolidate their forces. The initial assault and following conflagration cost the attackers nearly a third of their forces, damaging their moral severely. In the following three months of siege, the Heretics would attempt to breach the citadel repeatedly by using such pathetic methods as climbing through sewer pipes, dressing as starving residents of the city begging for food, and even attempting to bribe a guard with promises of wealth.

The siege came to an end in the harvest of the year, when an Ecclesiastical army was able to arrive after fighting smaller uprisings elsewhere in the Ecclesiarchy's domain. A force of ten-thousand battle-brothers descended on the foolish rabble slaughtering nearly a third with their surprise usage of a large number of Arkebusiere and when rebel cavalry consisting of greedy and ungrateful former-nobles attempted to charge the advancing line of soldiers, they were simply torn to shreds by volleys of shot and those that made it through fell onto the weapons of pikemen already ready. The ensuing slaughter that occurred was long and brutal, nearly going on until nightfall. Unfortunately, nearly half of the Heretics were able to flee from the battle with many deserting their lost cause and hiding from justice, while others continued to fight for their blasphemy. That said, around three-thousand were cut off from retreat and ran into what remained of Kjimhold to hide in the buildings. Over the next week, they were burned, hanged, and crucified for their crimes against the Holy Emperor, so that they might possibly find redemption. The walls of the city were decorated with the sinners as a testament to the folly that their beliefs were. The infighting and civil unrest would continue on throughout Ecclesiastical lands and other parts of the Empire until the year A.I. 455.M3, when the last of the heresies were driven from this mortal plane and peace was finally restored throughout the lands. Sadly, the damage had been done and many had died during these heresies, leading to weakening of Imperial power and a furthering decline of interest in the outside world.

This culminated in two major events; namely the First Great Northern War between the Holy Empire of Derthalen and the First Coalition of Sampir in A.I. 478.M3, and the eventual building up of the first fortifications along the new border march of Meinitzmark over the remainder of the Fifth Century and half of the Sixth Century.

Geography, climate, and environment

The Empire's geography is vast and varied with some areas being extremely mountainous, others being noxious bogs, and others being old forests from before the time of man. Of note, only the southern parts of the empire have somewhat mild summers and winters. The rest of the empire tends towards mild summers and harsh winters, with snowfall and thick freezing fog being a constant issue for much of the year. Due to its geographical location, much of the Æitiastain region suffers from thick rolling fog, near constant rain, and thunderstorms during the fall wet season. This is caused by warm and wet air being forced above cooler air by storm systems coming off of the Adlantic. The resulting pressure and potential differentials lead to electrostatic discharges being rather common for the season and cool air filled with moisture condensing near the ground.

Special note should be given to the mountain range in the north of the Empire. The Apf Kadirn-Gebirge are truly massive, with the largest mountain in the world, Jokultitbjarg, rising in them. They are of quite a large amount of historical importance, as wars have been won and lost over the control of passages through them.

Demographics

Many of the Holy Empire of Derthalen believe themselves to be Homo Sapiens Derthalis. Homo Sapiens Derthalis is the systematic name used in taxonomy (also known as binomial nomenclature) for the second extant Human species. The name is Old Tagmatite for 'wise man of Derthalen' and was introduced in 2015 by Carolinus Astorius (who is himself of the species Homo Sapiens from Tagmatium).

Extinct species of the genus Homo include Homo erectus, extant during roughly 1.8 to 0.1 million years ago, and a number of other species (by some authors considered subspecies of either H. sapiens or H. erectus). Homo sapiens idaltu (756.M3) is a proposed extinct subspecies of H. sapiens.

The age of speciation of H. S. Derthalis out of ancestral H. Sapiens (or an intermediate species such as Homo heidelbergensis) is estimated to have taken place at roughly 300,000 years ago. Sustained archaic admixture is known to have taken place both in Europa and (following the recent Out-Of-Europa expansion) in Argis, between about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago.

In certain contexts, the term anatomical modern Derthaler (AMD) is used to distinguish H. Sapiens Derthalis as having an anatomy consistent with the range of phenotypes seen in contemporary Derthalers from varieties of extinct archaic humans and extant Humans. This is useful especially for times and regions where anatomically modern and archaic Derthalers co-existed, e.g. in Ancient Æitiastain.