Great Nortend

The Kingdom of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Magnus Dominus mecum sit · Quoniam filii sactorum sumus
Capital	Lendert-with-Cadell
Largest city	Greater Lendert
Official languages	English (de facto)
Government	Unitary Parliamentary Monarchy
• Sovereign	King Alexander the Second
• Prime Minister	The 8th Duke of Limmes
Legislature	The Royal High Court of Parliament
• Upper house	House of Lords
• Lower house	Houses of Commonsa
Area
• Total	190,542 km2 (73,569 sq mi)
Population
• 2017 estimate	32,102,002
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	£1,600,000,000
• Per capita	£50
Currency	Pound marten (EPM)
Time zone	DMT
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	left
Calling code	+37
Internet TLD	.gn
Formed of the House of Burgesses and House of Knights.

The Kingdom of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria, commonly known as Great Nortend or only Nortend, is an island nation in Astyria comprising of the three civil provinces of Nortend, Hambria and Cardoby. The main landmass of the Kingdom is formed of the islands of Greater and Lesser Erbonia. It has a population of around 32 million and is a predominantly pastoral country though with large swathes of forest, woodland, grassland, moor and heath. The Kingdom is mostly self-sustaining in terms of food production with exports of corn, wool and textiles also with a sizeable domestic industrial and manufacturing sector as well. The largest island in the Kingdom excluding the two main islands, is Cardoby, located off the coast of north-eastern Nortend.

Names and Gentilics

The formal name for the country is the Kingdom of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria. Whilst the Kingdom's short name for diplomatic and poetic purposes is Erbonia, from the Latin name of the isles, Insulæ Erboniæ, Great Nortend is the common term for the entire country, encompassing the entire kingdom and inclusive of all islands and isles.

Nortend is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name, Norteland, meaning 'land of the Norch'. The name Hoebrideland derives from the local name for the land, Hoembride, which means literally, The land of the Hœs. Thus, the name Hoebrideland effectively means, 'Hoe land land', a tautological construction. The more modern name for the province, Hambria, comes from the Latinised form of Hoembride. The name Cardoby is derived from Anglo-Saxon as well, meaning the 'island of the Cardes', as the island was the location of a Gardolian kingdom of the Cardes. Nortend is often used to refer to what is really Great Nortend in error and should be avoided.

A person from the province of Nortend is known as a Norchman. Nortan is used as an adjective relating to Nortend. The gentilics of Hambria are Hambrian as an adjective and Hoebridman as a noun referring to persons. The adjectival form of Cardoby is Gardolian whilst a person from Cardoby is known as a Cardman. The gentilic of Great Nortend is informally Nortan to refer to people as well as used as the adjective; however, the formal gentilic for both persons and the adjective is Erbonian, as seen in the King's formal diplomatic title, His Erbonian Majesty.

History

Antiquity

The country has been settled since antiquity by the Hœs which were a group of tribes spread throughout the island, originating from the Continent with features of both the Teutonic and Celtic traditions. The famous 'Herfield man' has been carbon-dated back to 300,000 BC, though this is controversial. The population fluctuated greatly, however by 500 BC, a distinctive mix of Erbonian culture had emerged, speaking mostly a variety of Middle Erebbonic, a language related to the Insular Celtic Brittonic as well as elements of Gaulish and Western Proto-Germanic. Most lived in fairly stable settlements, often near water sources such as rivers or wells, farming the land. They held pagan beliefs, similar to the Frankish and British pagan religions. A major feature was the reverence towards certain trees and plants, with oxen being considered sacred animals. Roman settlement The land that is now Nortend was invaded by Romans in 32 AD, and subsequently conquered to become the province of Erbonia, with the capital the prosperous port city of Lendartus. This led to around four centuries of Roman rule. The wild lands of Hambria in the northern region of the island, was until around 87 AD, uncaptured by the Romans who were not able to pass through the rugged and desolate Morians, a large mountain range, whose name comes from the Latin word, mors, meaning death. Finally, in 88 AD, the Romans bypassed the mountains with the discovery of the Aparian Pass. After establishing only a few minor forts in Hambria, the military withdrew back to Nortend, with the Hœs still remaining.

Early Middle Ages

The Roman military withdrew from Nortend in the late fourth century to the European mainland with the imminent collapse of the Empire. By this time, Barardian and other Erebbo-Latinate languages had begun to develop within the country, though not fully ousting the native Hoebric tongues. Without the deterrent of the Roman army, the Norts, Saxons, Angles and Cardes sailed and landed on the shores of the island, invading Nortend. Originally, there were only sparse settlements however in the late 3rd century, an increasing number of Norts and Cardes arrived. There was a surge in Angles and Saxons in the mid-4th century. By the late 4th century, the Germanic invaders had settled in various areas, mainly with the northern regions by the Saxons, north-eastern and western by the Cardes and the southern and central by the Norts, with the establishment of Germanic social structures.

Around ten major kingdoms were formed in the country by this time, which were, roughly from north to south:

• Bissex
• Norsax
• Cardoby
• Barardia
• Allanglia
• East Cardes
• Lanorts
• Suthnorts
• Dunricia
• Weatendland

Scandivanian armies conquered much of Norsax and Barardia early on in the 6th century, with Nordic rule established in the area. Around the same time, the three Nortch kingdoms of Lanort, Suthnorts and Dunricia were united to form the Kingdom of Nortenland in 512 by the King of Lanorts, the richest and most powerful kingdom in the area, King Ærulthea, who later died only three years later in 515.

The King of Cardoby attempted to increase their lands by invading Allanglia and East Cardes, which called for help from Nortenland in 523 which lead to a period of warfare, known as the Wars of Belryham. The Nortchmen under King Edred won the war against Cardoby in 527 and took the Gardolian throne as Lord, forming the Kingdom of Nortland and Cardoby. The Kings of Allanglia and East Cardes were indebted towards Nortlend, which imposed heavy taxes on them. Drained of resources, Allanglia was conquered by the Norch in the 7th century anyway.

Bissex, the northern-most Saxon kingdom, at this time was beginning to start battles against the even more northernly Hœ tribes in an effort to conquer their lands however this failed. They themselves were conquered by the Nortch kingdoms in 706, which was now ruled by King Freowun I, the King of the Norts and Lord of Cardoby. The Christian missionary, St Laurence, arrived on the shores of Nortend in 744 by order of the Pope Zachary I, in a quest to convert the Kingdom. Though Christianity had first been introduced during the Roman Empire, the old pagan religions still held sway over a large part of the recent invading Germanic population. King Freowun I, desiring the assistance of greater military powers should he need it, agreed for St Laurence to start proselytysing the people, he himself being baptised in 745 which is generally considered the start of the Roman Christian Church in Great Nortend. St Laurence of Sulthey founded Sulthey Cathedral in 749, and was its first archbishop.

Under the rule of the Christian Edmund the Good, King of Nortend and Lord of Cardoby, the Nortch progressively conquered the kingdoms including those controlled in the North by the Scandinavians, as well as the smaller Kingdoms of Wiste and Frælind, till the entire country was united in one single Christianised Kingdom of Nortend and Cardoby. The last kingdom to submit towards King Edmund as suzerein, that of Weatendland, was conquered in the Battle of Walecester in 880. Edmund the Good died in the Battles of the Morians, in 894, fighting the Codeni tribes of Hoes. Later, the Hœ people of the Codeni, Wignod and Tunel merged to form the Kingdom of Hoebrideland in the 10th century.

Late Middle Ages

11th and 12th centuries

The eleventh century brought much warfare in the northern counties of Nortend, during the Peasant's Rebellion from 1034 to 1036, against increasingly high royal taxes. Queen Jane ordered the slaughter of many peasant villagers in the north as punishment for their rebellion; however, she was defeated by her barons and the Church who refused to kill their tenants, for fear of causing a great famine. This led to the formation of the earliest statutes of rights which protected the liberty and life of the Queen's subjects. In the twelfth century, new trade laws and legislature opened up the economy and meant the country prospered financially with Lendert becoming a fairly large port for the trade of especially wool, but also corn, linen and dyestuffs. The House of Barmast took the throne in 973 under King Gerulf the Peaceful.

13th and 14th centuries

The House of Dester claimed the throne with the coronation of King Ecgbald the Uniter, after King Edmund IV of the House of Dester died in 1267 during the Battle of Rodchester. The radical changes brought to the country during the Dester period included the establishment of the doctrine of brevis auctoritas. This established the Curia Regis, who were an assembly of the King's barons, courtiers and favourites. Its function was to advise the King in the matters pertaining to the operations of the Kingdom. Most importantly, this role permitted to propose new statutes to the King, who would either assent or place it aside. The legislative proposal functions of the Curia Regis later evolved into the present Parliament whilst the Privy Council to-day serves as the advisory body to and executive body of the Crown.

15th and 16th centuries

The Destern period was marked by the Battle of Travlesea in 1455, when two factions of the House of Dester, lead by Abern and David respectively, claimed the throne after the passing of King Charles II in a hunting accident. Though Abern's forces vanquished David's, Abern being crowned in 1456, the reign of the House of Dester ended when King Albert died in 1518 without any heirs.

The title of king thence passed to King Edmund V, of the House of Anthord, crowned in 1519, in a series of greatly disputed judicial and Parliamentary debates over the law of succession whereon many potential Destern heirs were labelled as as illegitimate or otherwise ineligible to the throne. Despite this, there was never any military conflict and the transition of power was diplomatic. The House of Anthord remains to this day the ruling house of the Kingdom.

16th and 17th centuries

Beginning in the 16th century, Nortend increased in size her army and navy in principle, developing stronger merchant shipping fleets with the newly discovered New World. Research into history and the sciences increased with the founding of the King's Circle, the King's Society and the Royal College.

In 1571, the future Charles III married the queen regnant of Hambria, Clenancy of Rhise, of the House of Burt, which had ruled Hambria since King Gaydruth in 986. After Charles III's death in 1599, Clenancy became Queen Dowager of Nortend and Cardoby, whilst remaining Queen of Hambria. Clenancy died in 1623 and her son, the then Alexander I of Nortend and Cardoby, became King of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria.

In 1614, King Alexander I rejected the supremacy of the Pope and established the Church of Nortend as an independent national church in the Erbonian tradition and mirroring the establishment of the Nikolian Catholic Church. It is said that the King and the then Archbishop of Sulthey heard during the same night from God, urging him to persuade the King to establish a new church. It is believed that God said to the King, 'The church shall be cloven away and set upon this rock and ye shall I make governour and vicar of my flock', arguably referring to the Isle of Sulthey. The King appointed himself, being the King by the Grace of God, as the Supreme Governour of the Church Mundane.

After eighteen years of personal union, the Kingdom of Nortend and Cardoby, and that of Hambria were joined in the Acts of Cleaving of 1642, when the Curage (a corruption of Curia Regis) of Rhise joined the Houses of Lords in the Nortan Parliament, in return for financial support after numerous failed harvests and famine. Though the famine lifted soon after, rebellion ensued after the excessive taxes of 5 per cent on tithable revenues were levied by Lendert. The so-called Hambrian Rebellion culminated in the Battle of Borlockton in 1646, with the Nortan Army and peasants of Hambria fighting on the fields near Borlockton in Marcastershire; however, the Nortan Army subdued the peasants, and the rebellion ended with the signing of the Treaty of Rhise granting power to the old Hambrian Curage of Rhise, still operating from Lendert, for the setting of taxes and other matters. The Nortan Army was granted the title 'Royal' to commemorate this occasion.

Early Modern period

The Early Modern period beginning in the 18th century saw the influence of the Kingdom expand in its region. The tiny islands of St. Parth and Hastica were colonised by Great Nortend as well, to this day remaining the only colonies of the Kingdom.

The industrial revolution spread across Great Nortend slowly during the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th, initially with the rapid building of canals and digging of coal mines with railways in the mid-19th century. The various Combination Acts ended the historical system of feudal open strip-farming for much of Great Nortend by establishing conterminous fields under the control of a single tenant, thereby increasing efficiency and yields significantly, as well as reducing the number of people required for agricultural purposes from nearly 90 per cent of the population to less than two-thirds.

Though trade grew increasingly domestic, coal became a dominant export, although wool and grains still remained important. Nortend's plentiful anthracite, however, was prohibited for export and instead was and is still to-day kept for domestic use. The continuation of the legal doctrine of no-fault liability severely hambered further economic and industrial growth in the increasingly dangerous workplace. Hence, steam power never fully supplanted wind and water power in factories, however became widespread in use the collieries and mines for draining water more effectively, replacing the windmills used thitherto. Water power continued to power the village blacksmiths' trip hammers, though mass production of iron and steel stock developed strongly in centralised smelters.

Modern day

Great Nortend remains lethargic in technological development since the early 20th century, hampered by the continuation of the doctrine of no-fault liability in tort and the general lack of societal desire for change. The economy of Great Nortend went into a serious decline after its hey-day in the early 19th century, and has only regained some of its losses in the last few decades. Electricity is slowly gaining ground in the country, being widely generated by specialised generator mills or as a side product of traditional water and wind mills. The majority of electrical use in the cities and towns is for lighting, the telephone, and the wireless, with electric appliances qutie rare. Villagers often still rely on oil lamps and even candles and rushlights in the remotest regions.

Compared with modern, highly-industrialised countries, Great Nortend is very traditionalist. It uses the Carolinian system of weights and measures rather than the metric SI system, as well as a non-decimal currency, with twelve pennies to a shilling and twenty shillings to a pound, along with numerous other denominations, as well as 'wetch' as well. With no national electrical grid, access to the Internet is restricted and so the telegram, telephone and postal networks remain heavily used and contribute significantly to the economy.

Great Nortend has an average domestic economy, but with only a 1·4% unemployment rate and a middling GDP of around 1,600 million EPM. There as a less of an emphasis on economic prowess as there is a focus on sustaining the status quo.

Economy

The economy of Great Nortend is heavily agrarian, which provides the livelihood for around half of the population, and localised, with a domestic semi-regulated market economy favouring isolationist mercantilism. Agriculture is well-developed to early-modern levels, with the highly fertile soil, temperate climate and plentiful rainfall providing excellent cropping for numerous small mixed farms. Great Nortend grows a wide variety of produce, and is effectively entirely self-sufficient in terms of food.

The local economies in Great Nortend are mostly centred around the county and hundred, especially the market towns established under charter. Weekly or fortnightly markets held in these towns form the backbone of local agricultural economies along with the commercial sector of tradesmen and merchants. More locally, parochial rates raised from the populace are used to further the parish's infrastructure, services and development.

Greater mobility through cheap railway travel have been tempered by complicated feudal and tenure restrictions on the transfer and conveyancing of property leading to less of the rise of cities and large towns than in other countries. This is further controlled by the national policy of advocating for a replacement rate of births, with two children recommended per family, in an attempt to control overpopulation of the country.

Economic growth in the commercial and trade sectors is slow, owing to isolationist policies and low levels of imports. The Government's policy is to levy high tariffs on incoming goods whilst levying lower tariffs on exported goods, which are mainly raw materials in the form of wool, linen, cloth and some grain and meat, which is well-regarded by many. Imports are mainly of iron ore, steel, copper and sand, as well as petroleum fuels and pharmaceuticals. Another growing focus is on tourism, which is becoming increasingly popular owing to the scenic natural landscapes the Erbonian countryside offers, as well as historical cities, towns and villages. As a result, the Nortan economy has been most self contained, with injections of foreign currency from exports and tourists, and with a constant outflow of money to pay for those goods which Great Nortend is unable to produce by itself.

The nominal gross domestic product in the 2017-2018 tax year (same as the civil year) was around £1,600,000,000, though the PPP GDP is considered to be somewhat greater. The nominal GDP is broken down into £1,025 million in private household consumption, £158 million in private investment, £300 million in government spending, £231 million in exports and minus £108 million in imports. The GDP per capita for the 32 million subjects is around £50 or approximately 6,000 US dollars however does not reflect that general unemployment of married women in Great Nortend, and of non-monetary compensation for many domestic servants.

Unemployment of working-age able-bodied men of the lower and middle classes is low, at around 1·04 per cent. Average annual income of the lower and middle classes is in the region of £200 in the lower end and £400 in the higher end. Around 31 per cent of the population live in large towns and cities, with a majority of people residing in agrarian communities and around 40 per cent directly involved in the agricultural industry.