Whittvale

Republic of Whittvale
Flag Coat of arms
Political map of Whittvale.
Capital	Whittley
Largest city	Whittley (city proper) Whittmouth (metropolitan area)
Official language	English, Whitt, regional dialects
Demonym(s)	Whitt
Government	Parliamentary Republic
• President	Thomas Upton
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Parliament
Establishment
• First Charter of Unification	1325
• Second Charter of Unification	1548
• Acts of Abdocation	1820
Population
• 2018 estimate	83,982,620
Currency	Whitt Rand (WR)
Internet TLD	.wv

Whittvale, officially the Republic of Whittvale, is a country in Seora. The country is made of, and takes its name from, the vales of the rivers Whitt and Thunn. The country's capital and largest city is Whittley. The country has a population of roughly 84 million people. The official language is English, however several local dialects are also recognized.

History

Early Period

Excavations at Olde-Canley, the oldest city in the Whitt Vale.

Whittvale's archeological record goes as far back as 3,500 bc with the oldest finds coming from sites in the Upland Counties along tributaries of the Whitt and Thunn rivers. Evidence of stone tools, pottery and bureal mounds paint a picture of a tribal society which may have settled down and adopted agriculture as early as 2,800 bc. Distinct groupings can be made between the settled peopled of the area, dealt neatly into the Whitt and Thunn cultures. The first large settlements also go back to this period, some of which are still inhabited today. The origins of Whittvale's counties go back to this tribal period.

By 500 ad the first signs of more organised settlement start to manifest in the petty-kingdoms, which would later become the Duchies. The oldest and most imposing site, the walled city of Olde-Canley, was the seat of the Petty Kingdom of Whittan and dates back to the fifth century ad. A common trend to many of the walled settlements was the distinct multi-layered earthworks which surrounded the oppidium-like cities. From these expansive sights, the Petty Kings excercised their power throughout the Vales, consolidating their power over the centuries until they formed rigid fuedal societies around their leaders. At this point, Christianity began to spread throughout Whittvale.

A notable exception the trend of feudalisation are the southernmost reaches of Whittvale along the country's southern coast. The rugged terrain enabled the villages and towns to excercise more freedom, later deveopling into Free Counties. The cities that formed along the southern coast turned their focus to the trading and other maritime affairs. The maritime influences on this region can be seen in the cuisine, archetecture and festivities of the southern cities. In the Thunn Vale, in the north of what is now Whittvale, the process of consolidation took much longer due to several factors including the rural nature of the area, lower population and the Thunn being a much smaller river which made it harder to navigate, hampering trade. The Thunn counties would remain free until the sixteenth century when they too would fall under the influence of the Whitt kings.

Kingdom of the Whitt

By the tenth century, the Petty Kingdom of Whittan's influence over the Vale had increased to the point where the Kings of Whittan were for all intents and purposes the de facto kings of the Whitt Vale, the other rulers paying hommage to them. Whittan had reached this point through a careful web of adventagious marriages, trade agreements and being on the right side of the many conflicts that raged throughout the Vale. This hold was solidified in 1325 with the first Act of Unification, forming the Kingdom of the Whitt under King Edmund I. The new kingdom's capital was quickly moved from Olde-Canley to the centrally located city of Saint Albans-in-the-Vale where the first royal court was established. The former Petty-Kingdoms were allowed to continue to exist as duchies in the new kingdom. The families were permitted to maitain their rule over their lands as vassals under the new high king.