Solvrige
Jarldom of Solvrige[1] Solvrige e-Jarlid | |
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 Flag
Coat of arms
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| Motto: "Solvrige Yvir Aln" Solvrige Above Everything | |
| Anthem: "Solvrige fe Britfal" | |
| Map of Solvrige Map of Solvrige | |
| Capital | Vitback[2] |
| Official languages | Solvrigean |
| Recognised regional languages | Götaish, Inuit |
| Demonym(s) | Solvrigean, Solvriger |
| Government | Semi-absolute elective monarchy |
• High Jarl | Wenzel the Affable |
• Tveristoren | Jeoffrey the Ironkettle |
| Legislature | Moot |
| Jarl’s Council[3] | |
| People’s Council[3] | |
| Area | |
• | 425,600 km2 (164,300 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 21,378,600[2] |
• Density | 50.23/km2 (130.1/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | 146,764,089,000 |
• Per capita | 6,865 |
| Gini | 38.5 medium |
| HDI |  0.75high |
| Currency | Solv[4] (SLV) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (UTC) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | + |
Solvrige, officially known as the Jarldom of Solvrige, is a sovereign state in Yeetland, Argis on Eurth. It is bordered by Gotneska to the east, Nyantastan to the west, the Argic Ocean to the north, and the Auraid Bay to the south. The elective monarchy consists of 15 Holds, 1 Autonomous Region, and 1 Capital City. The capital and largest city is Vitback, situated in the Vit river valley, meanwhile the nation's trade hub is Srevangyl, located at the estuary of the Vit river.
Humans are known to have settled in Solvrige as far back as 3000 years ago. For most of history, Solvrige was split among various petty jarls. In 1644, the jarldoms united into a de-centralized elective monarchy, which was incredibly unstable. Despite finding success in the late 20th century, a destructive 16-year civil war gripped the nation from 2004. In 2020, the Peace of Grynstjar was signed, creating a more centralized and democratic government. The High Jarl is Wenzel the Affable, who has served since 2021, and the elected Tveristoren is Jeoffrey the Ironkettle, serving since 2020.
The Solvrigean economy is highly deregulated, and its primary industry, historically and in modern times, is silver mining. Located in the nation's mountainous heart, Solvduþ mine is among the largest silver mines in the wurld. Despite this, due to the civil war, as well as high income inequality and unemployment, Solvrige is considered a developing economy. The government has recently tried to diversify the economy away from silver by subsidizing industries such as banking and manufacturing, the success of which remains to be seen. Solvrige is a member of the Assembled Nations.
Etymology
The name Solvrige is literally translated as "Silver Realm". It is named this due to the vast amounts of silver the country is known for.
Geography
Solvrige is situated on a moderately large island, full of tall, jagged mountains and evergreen forests. The tallest mountain, Monhaven, an extinct volcano, at 3,931 meters high, and is revered in Solvrigean mythology. While the volcanos once created fertile soil, exploitation has led to its fertility decreasing massively from normal levels. There was once a lot of grazing land for goats, however it has now been covered with mines, and it must be de-mined in order to reach pre-war levels. As for climate, the coastal plains generally have warm, humid summers, with cold winters. While the inland mountains have mild, dry summers, and freezing cold winters with plenty of snow.[3]
The capital and largest city is Vitback, situated in the Vit river valley, meanwhile the nation's trade hub is Srevangyl, located at the estuary of the Vit river.
Solvrige can be divided into three main parts geographically. The flat, temperate south coast, the high, snowy Yetis mountains in the center, and the icy tundra plain in the north.
- The south coast, as well as the Vit and Strunheim river valleys, are home to the vast majority of Solvrige's population. This can be explained by their relatively warm climates, experiencing short, hot summers between June and August and long, cold winters from November to March. This region also receives more rainfall than anywhere else in the country, additionally making it the center of agriculture. Due to the cold climate, most of Solvrige's agriculture revolves around roots such as potatoes, turnips, and carrots. The fauna in this region consists mostly of farm animals, deer, badgers, and a rich variety of birds in the summer.
- The southern foothills of the Yetis are home to vast boreal forests full of evergreen trees. Additionally, this is where most of Solvrige's famed silver is mined. The Yetis proper straddle the center of the country, and are covered with snow year-round. Morafjal is the nation's highest mountain, at 6,956 meters. The animals in this region mainly include bears, eagles, and the national animal of Solvrige, the mountain goat.
- The northern third of the country experiences short, mild summers and long, extremely cold winters. This region is generally flat and forested, with the northern extremity being barren tundra. At Solvrige's northeast corner is the Skjälfandis ice cap, one of the largest ice caps in the wurld, home to northern wildlife such as polar bears, walruses, and narwhals. There are parts of this region where, in the winter, the sun is up for less than 2 hours a day.
In addition to those three, Solvrige owns the Soltheim islands to its south. These islands are considerably warmer than the rest of the country, and are a popular tourist destination.
A valley of pines in the Yetis mountains.
A polar bear on the Skjälfandis ice cap.
Morafjal, Solvrige's tallest mountain.
A mountain goat in the Yetis.
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History
- Recorded Solvrigean history dates back nearly 3000 years, however its form as a united monarchy is much newer.
- For most of its history, the land of Solvrige was ruled by a collection of clans, who constantly waged war with each other, both on land and at sea, earning Solvrige a reputation for its privateers. There have been periods where one clan gained absolute dominance, such as during the rule of the Grarfath clan in the 1100s.
- The modern Solvrigean state only took form in the 17th century. Faced with challenges both foreign and domestic, most of the clans agreed to form a loose confederation, which was solidified by a constitution in 1644. This established an elective monarchy, and gave significant autonomy to the clans to do what they pleased. This made rebellions and civil wars commonplace. There were several pushes for a republican government, but none were successful.
- In the beginning of the 21st century, Solvrige entered its most destructive civil war ever. Caused by a demand for increased clan rights, high taxes, and demand for minority rights, the war soon spiralled into a complex network of factions and groups all fighting each other. After 19 years of this, the Peace of Grynstjar was signed to design a government that did not allow for such things to happen again.[3]
Mollenbirk monastery on the southern coast.
High Jarl Kanut the Ironface.
The Temple of the Divines in Vitbäck.
The Battle of Srevangyl.
Politics
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In the wake of the civil war, Solvrige agreed upon a new constitution, which heavily decreased autonomy in the Holds. The Solvrigean legislature is bicameral, consisting of the People’s Council and the Jarl’s Council. The People’s Council will be elected every 4 years through proportional representation, while the Jarl’s Council is unelected. There, the Jarls of various clans serve in hereditary positions, who also elect the king. The People’s Council is led by the head of government, the Chancellor, who is chosen by the Council and confirmed by the king. The Jarl’s Council is led by the Husjarl, who is considered a first among equals and does not have special power. To pass a law, the bill first needs a simple majority in both councils. A law may be vetoed by the Jarl’s Council for any reason. When this happens, a 2/3rds majority of the People’s Council is needed to override the veto. The third branch of government is the Law House. They may strike down any law passed by the legislature. The current King, who has just been elected, is Wenzel the Affable. The Chancellor for the last 2 years has been Jeoffrey the Ironkettle.[3]
Economy
The Solvrigean economy used to be quite sizable, but the war destroyed much of it. The largest industry is the silver mining in the mountains, after which the country is named (Solvrige means Silver Realm). This has been the main export of Solvrige for hundreds of years, and shows no signs of depleting anytime soon. However, the industry must be revitalized if Solvrige is to reach its pre-war economy. Currently, due to the need for rebuilding, construction is the second largest industry, with several illegal quarries and logging operations being set up to meet demand. Another famous industry in the past was fishing, however this did not stop during the war, and is actually bigger than ever now. In order to attract investment after the war, Solvrige has adopted a very deregulated economy, with private enterprise running nearly everything with little government interference. The government currently is very small and enforces a very low tax rate.[3]
Demographics
Solvrige is nearly homogeneously made up of Solvrigers, a race with pale skin, black or light brown hair, and blue eyes. Due to the isolation and relatively small population of the island, a large amount of inbreeding occurred, leading to features primarily associated with Solvrige. These include the nearly universal possession of a cleft chin, broad face, large nose, and on some parts of the island, a protruding jaw. Additionally, the islanders are quite tall and broad, with an average height of 176 cm.
Religiously, the majority of Solvrige follows the polytheistic Vuthaedr faith, also known as the Old Gods. They have a pantheon of 17 lords who rule over different parts of human life. There is a sizable minority of the monotheistic Novadr faith, which splintered off from the Vuthaedrics. The third largest faith is that of the Dovnuthors, or the Dragon Cult, which believes in 13 lords who are all dragons.[3]
Culture
As for their culture, Solvrigers prioritize honor and perseverance above all. This is what has inspired the great spirit of revanchism it's seen after the recent war. In Solvrige, one of the greatest humiliations you can bring upon yourself is resignation, which can be a double-edged sword. Solvrigers are also known for being blunt, which can come off as rudeness to outsiders.[3]
