Hellonian Realm

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Hellonian Realm

5 other official names
  • Hellonian:ᚺᛖᛚᛚᚨᚾᚦᛖᚱ ᚱᛉᛕ
    Ellandic:ᚺᛖᛚᛚᛅᚾᚦᛋKᚨ ᚱᛁᛕᛖᛏ
    Menakan:ᚺᛖᛚᛅᚾᚱᛁᛕ
    Lilotukan:He Aupuni Heloanoa
    German:Helländisches Reich
Anthem: "Mars aller Winden"
"March of all Winds" (English)

MediaPlayer.png
Capital
and largest city
Owidal
Official languagesHellonian (de facto)
Regional languages
Demonym(s)Hellonian
Countries
(non-sovereign parts)
Leaders
• Monarch
Kristoffer of Hellona
• Great-Minister
Hilda Storfjällen
• Minister-Governor of Norsund
Arske Iq'tua
• Governor-Minister of the Menako isles
Sanne Bränne
• Governor-Minister of Lilotuka Island
Keao Pelikea
• Governor-Minister of Tirpitz
Hendrik Altmaier
• Governor-Minister of Batavia
Peter Endeljan
• Governor-Minister of Ebure Isles
Elisabet Roos-Aldeberg
• Governor-Minister of Hellonian Sevros Islands
Tjard Opperhuys
LegislatureAldag
CurrencyHellonian krona
Date formatdd-mm-yyyy
Driving sideright
Internet TLD
5 TLDs
  • .hl
  • .li
  • .ns
  • .mk
  • .tr

The Hellonian Realm (Hellonian: ᚻᛖᛚᛚᚨᚾᚦᛖᚱ ᚱᛉᛕ Hellander Ryk, Ellashian: ᚻᛖᛚᛚᛅᚾᚦᛋKᚨ ᚱᛁᛕᛖᛏ Helländska Riket), is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territories on Veterra, the Lilotukan archipelago, the Menako Islands, the Sevros Islands, the Ebure Isles and Novallonda.

The constituent parts of the Realm, currently consisting of Hellona, Norsund, the Menako Islands, Lilotuka Island, the Sevros Islands, Tirpitz, the Ebure Isles, and Moundra and Tyrean, act on an equal basis within the Realm. On that basis, the Realm is largely decentralised, with most power being vested in the individual constituent countries. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral Aldag, which acts as an upper chamber to the legislatures of the individual countries, while executive powers lay in the Realm Council and His Majesty's Council. The nations act as one entity in foreign, military and monetary affairs.

History

The Hellonian Realm can trace its establishment back to the creation of the Kingdom of Hellona by the legendary king Björn Wodanerson. Starting from the 7th century, Hellonians ventured outside their country on raids, but later also for trade and colonisation. This led to Hellonians settling in the Menako Islands and Eburon and later Norsund. Voyages between these places and the Hellonian mainland became common, as these areas were slowly integrated into the kingdom itself. During the growth of Hellonian trade, its influence on the southern parts of the Vismar region grew substantially. These lands eventually became known as Sconia and integrated as a Hellonian territory in 1441. It was the first overseas territory of Hellona to be officially integrated.

While colonial settlements already grew after the initial wave of settlers, the increasing demand for raw materials during Hellonian industrialisation in the 18th century, led to the strengthening hold of Hellona on the overseas colonial territories. The first step in this progress was the declaration of Afrik as a special dominion in 1786. Norsund was declared an integral territory of Hellona in 1816. After the devastating Great War, Lilotuka sought refuge in Hellona by becoming a special dominion in 1858.

Centralising efforts during this era were halted by Eburon, where there was an increasing demand for independence. In order to appease rebels, they decided to not integrate the region into Hellona. A referendum was held on Eburonian independence in 1866, in which Eburonians massively voted for independence.

The devastating Great Trident War forced the island nation of Lilotuka to seek refuge under the neutral country Hellona. It was administered as a lower between equals. The native monarchy was kept and day-to-day administration was in the hands of the Lilotukans.

Around 1870, demands for self-rule became common in the overseas territories. In addition, the evergrowing tasks of the Ryksdag due to the integration of overseas territories led to its dysfunctioning. It was eventually decided territories would be decentralised and given home rule. Norsund was granted home rule in 1869, Batavia was granted home rule in 1874. The Menako Islands were granted home rule after the establishment of the Germano-Hellonian Union in 1886. In 1877, the Charter for the Realm established the Hellonian Realm and the Aldag. The act reorganised the Hellonian territories into constituent countries of equal importance. It abolished all bicameral legislatures and established unicameral legislatures in each country, with the Aldag functioning as the second chamber to all national legislatures.

Shortly after the establishment of the Vismar Union in 1888, Moundra and Tyrean fell into despair. Civil unrest became widespread in the country. Emperor Zasl I plead the Vismar Union to help quell the unrest, having troops nearby the new Vismaric protectorate of San Cortez. Moundra and Tyrean was integrated in the Vismar Union as a protectorate, which brought about peace in the country again. In 1913, Sconia was traded for the South German colonies of Tirpitz and the Sevros Islands. These lands were granted home rule immediately after integration.

After the dissolution of the Vismar Union in 1912, several states were divided between the member states. The Menako Islands in its entirety was given to the Hellonian Realm, as was the dependency of Moundra and Tyrean.

In 1902, Prince Avgust, the brother of reigning Queen Amalia, was shot by Norsundish separatists, wounding him heavily and eventually resulting in his death. The short revolt was put down by the Norsundish Special Guard, with five people being convicted of an assassination attempt. The event deepened divides relatively young Hellonian Realm. In order to try to appease Norsunders, the government of Hellona proposed a referendum on independence to be held. The Norsundish parliament, however, voted against it, quoting the economic dependency of Norsund on Hellona. Relations between both nations in the Realm were rather tense for the few years after the event. It is still widely regarded as one of the darkest moments in recent Hellonian history.

Queen Estelle and her successor king Kristoffer, would promote further collaboration between the Vismar countries. The lobbying of them and the Hellonian state in the two other countries eventually led to the approval of a second Vismar Union. Although resulting in the reestablishment of the Vismar Union, all countries agreed that the Union would take a new political form. It was decided the Union would be one of confederal nature, with each country being highly autonomous. Nonetheless, the Vismar crown, a pan-national currency, was adopted by all three nations.

Eventually, Nambalonians expressed discontent about how the Union was working out. The overall interest for the Union decreased exponentially in Nambalonia. In contrast, the cooperation between Hellonian and South German institutions strengthened, eventually leading to the countries becoming governmentally intertwined. With the approval of a new member state, Dutch Polynesia, Nambalonia requested their withdrawal. Hellonian, South German and Dutch Polynese desperately tried to keep the Union intact. In order to try to appease Nambalonian wishes, the Vismar Union was once again dissolved and a new organisation for Vismaric cooperation was established, the Vismar Commonwealth. In this new organisation, all countries would be sovereign members and economically and politically separate. The Vismar crown was slowly replaced by national currencies once again. Hellona and the South German States enjoyed great cooperation still, while relations between Dutch Polynesia and Hellona blossomed with the signing of several trade deals.

Constituent entities

Hellona

Hellona (Hellonian: ᚻᛖᛚᛚᚨᚾᚦ Helland [ˈɦɛlɑnt], Ellandic: ᚻᛖᛚᛚᚨᚾᚦ Helland [ˈɦɛlɑnd] ) is the main constituent country in the Hellonian Realm. It is bordered by Arialucia in the north, the Latvian Spartopian Veterran Property on the east and the United South German States to the south. It has a coastline on the Vismar Sea on the western side. Hellona currently has an estimated population of 57 million.

The majority of Hellonians are Hellonic (sometimes called Andusians to differenciate them from Hellonian citizens), and the second largest group being the Ellandic, having their own language, Ellandic. Although both groups are constitutionally equal throughout the country, their actual distribution makes it so that Hellonian is standardly used in the western side of the country, while Ellandic is almost solely used in the province of Elland. Nevertheless, Ellandic is an official language throughout the country and is required to be used in all places of government.

Through its long and tumultuous history, Hellona has gone through several forms of government. The basis of the current system was established in the 15th century with the creation of the unitary state. Further democratisation and social changes through several social-democratic governments in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the current situation in Hellona. It is now known for being socially and culturally liberal and ranks high in numerous metrics of national performance, such as quality of life, education, civil liberties and equality.

Norsund

Norsund is a constituent country of the Hellonian Realm located on Novallonda. It is the most sparsely populated country on Novallonda and in the entire Hellonian Realm. The capital and largest city is Kristianshamn, which together with surrounding areas are home to over two-thirds of the population.

According to Hellonian myths, settlement started at around 900, when Hellonian traveler Avnar Helgurson became the first permanent settler. In the next few centuries, settlers came from all over Hellona. This meant settlers could be of both Ellandic and Hellonic origin. Due to the large-scale immigration of Hellonians to Norsund, the indigenous people adopted many Hellonian and Ellandic customs and much of its culture. Eventually the number of Ellandic settlers exceded the amount of Hellonic origin, often due to the inequality between the eastern provinces such as Elland compared to the western Hellonic provinces. Due to this large amount of Ellandic migration, the most commonly spoken language of the colony became Ellandic, rather than Hellonian. When Norsund gained home rule in 1869, the official languages were named Ellandic and Hellonian. With the decentralisation to a federal state, the indigenous languages were declared official in the corresponding Special Region.

Due to this history, Norsunder culture is a mixture of Hellonic, Ellandic and indigenous cultures. The country also enjoys the tightest relations between itself and its former motherland, Hellona, due to its cultural ties. Together with the Menako Islands, it is said that these three countries form the core of the Hellonian Realm and the Hellonian cultural area.

Menako Islands

The Menako Islands (Menakan: ᛗᛖᚾᛋᛕᚨᚱᛟJᚨᚱᚾ Menskarojarn, Hellonian: ᛗᛖᚾᛋᛕᛟᛖᚱᛖᚾ Menskoepen, German: Menskupen) is constituent country of the Hellonian Realm. It is located in the middle of the Danonian Sea.

The Menako Islands can trace their history back to the first Vismaric settlers starting from 500. These early Vismaric settlers would establish their own culture and states on the islands, with others sailing further and eventually establishing communities in contemporary Norsund. Starting from the 7th century, Hellonian and German expeditions led to the discovery of the islands by Hellonians and South Germans. It would lead to the establishment of a long-time dependency of the islands on these two nations, which partioned them in two zones of influence. Under their control, the islands would come to be important trading hubs in the Hellonian and German colonial empires. Greater autonomy to the Hellonian side of the islands was granted in 1865. With the ratification of the Acts of Union in 1886, the unification of the United South German States and Hellona led to the unification of the Menako Islands as a constituent country in the Hellonian Realm. When the Vismar Union dissolved itself in 1912, the Menako Islands as one entity became a constituent country in the Hellonian Realm.

Lilotuka Island

Lilotuka Island, officially the Country of the Realm of Lilotuka Island. (Lilotu: He moku‘āina ‘o Lilotuka Mokopuni, Hellonian: Ryksland Lilotuka) is an Overseas Territory in the Hellonian Realm. It is located on the Equator in the Arcadian Ocean. Lilotuka Island has an estimated population of 20,650, with 70% of the population live in the capital of Port Oululano. There are 4 islands that make up the territory.

Tirpitz

Tirpitz (Hellonian: Driespits) is a constituent country of the Hellonian Realm. It is located on the southern point of Grovallis, bordering Libertania in the north. It is a federal parliamentary democracy under the constitutional monarchy of Hellona.

Sevros Islands

The Sevros Islands (Also called the Hellonian Sevros Islands, as to not be confused with the Slavic Sevros Isles nor the whole archipelago, which also includes Dutch Melanesia) is an island country consisting of an archipelago of small islands in the Arctos Ocean. The area is approximately 61,022 square kilometres (23,561 square miles) with a 1913 population of 48,700.

Ebure Islands

Moundra and Tyrean

Moundra and Tyrean, officially under the Realm Constitution the Dual Kingdom of Moundra and Tyrean, is a semi-autonomous country under the protection and a part of the Hellonian Realm, located on Veterra. Moundra and Tyrean became a Vismaric protectorate under the Vismar Union, after the civil unrest in the country. After the Vismar broke up, the San Cortez-Moundra and Tyrean Autonomous Protectorates was split up in German San Cortez and Hellonian Moundra and Tyrean. Moundra and Tyrean has a co-king under the Hellonian monarch, acting as head of state for the Moundra and Tyreanian country while the Hellonian monarch represents them as country under the Hellonian Realm.

Batavia

Batavia (Batavian:Ol-Vatavanja) is a constituent country in the Hellonian Realm

Politics

The Hellonian Realm is a sovereign state, compromising of several non-sovereign constituent countries. Governance is mostly done by the individual countries themselves, and as such, the Realm has very little federal structure. The Realm acts as a second and unifying layer to these countries, as the unifying element in the relationship of these countries. This idea, the Unity of the Realm, is embodied by certain shared institutions which are laid down in the Charter for the Realm. The Realm, as such, is only seen as an element for easy cooperation between these countries and bases itself in free cooperation and participation in these institutions by the individual constituent countries. As such, all power of the Realm is derived from the countries themselves. The only power the individual countries officially delegated solely to the Realm government is that of monetary and military policy.

Charter and institutions

All countries within the Hellonian Realm are subordinate to the constitution of the Hellonian Realm, called the Charter for the Realm (Hellonian: Ryksgrondleg, Ellashian: Riksgrundlag). In this Charter, the basic principles of the Realm and its institutions are laid down. In addition to this unifying Charter, each constituent country also has the ability to have their own fundamental laws. In several countries of the Realm, there are multiple documents that form the fundamental laws of the country.

The Hellonian Realm as an entity has been bestowed control over monetary and military issues by the constituent states, while all other policy tasks mainly are handled by the individual entities. Certain overarching laws exist on other issues, however, which are created and voted on in the parliament of the Hellonian Realm, the Aldag. This legislative body of the Hellonian Realm has seats that are dedicated to each of the individual countries, where the seats are distributed based on the latest election results of the constituent country's national assembly. This parliament can put forward law proposals and vote on them.

Government

The Hellonian Realm is governed by the Realm Council, which consists of all ministers from each of the constituent countries. The post of chairman of the Council, which acts as the head of government for the Hellonian Realm, can be any of the participating ministers but is in practice always handed to the Great-Minister of Hellona. In this Realm government lies the supreme executive power. It is, as such, responsible for the actions of the Aldag and following legislature. However, most issues are resolved by His Majesty's Council, which consists of the monarch, the Great-Minister of Hellona and all Minister-Governors of the other constituent countries.

As the Hellonian Realm is a constitutional monarchy, the role of head of state is vested in the current monarch of the Realm, currently King-Exalt Kristoffer. The role of monarch, however, is limited to ceremonial and representative functions. The monarch also acts as head of the Asatru faith, hence the title of King-Exalt. Officially both titles are seen as separate and only held by the same person. Within the constitutional framework of the Realm, the monarch must always be of Asatru faith. The State itself is of secular nature constitutionally, although the country is overwhelmingly of Asatru faith.

The current composition of His Majesty's Council, and thus the leaders of the Hellonian Realm are as follows:

Foreign affairs

Throughout the 19th and 20th century, Hellonian foreign policy was based on the principle of non-alignment in peacetime and neutrality in wartime. Hellona's government pursued an independent course of nonalignment in times of peace so that neutrality would be possible in the event of war. It, however, has always tried to maintain good relationships with other nations in the Vismar region.

The doctrine of neutrality is can be traced back to the 18th century, as the country has not been in a state of war since the middle of the 18th century. During the Great Trident War, Hellona joined neither the Allies nor the Coalition. This approach ended up negatively impacting Hellona's trading industry, due to both sides not wanting to trade with a non-participating country. The peaceful approach, however, was found pleasurable by one nation, Lilotuka Island, which asked to join the Hellonian Realm after being heavily damaged after the war.

Military

An F-16AM on approach
The Infantry fighting vehicle CV90, which is produced and used by Hellona

The Hellonian Realm Armed Forces is a government agency reporting to the Ministry of Defence and the Aldag of the Hellonian Realm. While the main focus of the Armed Forces nowadays is peaceful interventions overseas, it remains dedicated to uphold the ability to refocus on the defence of the entire Hellonian Realm in times of war. Due to its long-term neutrality and the waning risk of war in the region, conscription has been abandoned and the military is now purely professional. The Armed Forces are divided into several divisions.

First off, the entirety of the Armed Forces is split into several divisions. The four continental divisions of the Realm Armed Forces (Krygsmachten des Ryks) are based on geographic location within the Realm. When all individual divisions are combined, they form the entirety of the Hellonian Realm Armed Forces. The total capability of the Armed Forces, however, has rarely been used. It was in high alert during the Great War, during which conscription was enforced to prepare for potential invasion.

The four Continental Divisions are:

  • ᚻᛖᛚᛚᚨᚾᚦᛖᚱ Kᚱᛉᚷᛋᛗᚨᚷᛏ Hellander Krygsmagt (HKM), Hellonian Armed Forces - Hellona
  • ᚾᛟᛟᚱᚦᛖᛚᛉKᛖ Kᚱᛉᚷᛋᛗᚨᚷᛏᛖᚾ Noordelyke Krygsmagten (NKM), Northern Armed Forces - Norsund, the Menako Islands
  • ᚦᚱᛁᛖᛋᛈᛁᛏᛋᛖᚱ Kᚱᛉᚷᛋᛗᚨᚷᛏ Driespitser Krygsmagt (DKM), Tirpitzer Armed Forces - Tirpitz, the Ebure Isles
  • ᛚᛁᛚᛟᛏᚢKᛁᛋᚷᛖ Kᚱᛉᚷᛋᛗᚨᚷᛏᛖᚾ Lilotukisge Krygsmagt(LKM), Lilotukan Armed Forces - Lilotuka Island

Each of the divisions is composed of three to four branches, all of which carry the prefix Koniŋklyke (Royal). These are the Army, Navy and Air Force branches of each of the continental divisions. In addition, there is the Koniŋklyke Hellander Vrykryger Orde (KHVO), the (voluntary-only) Royal Hellonian Free Warrior Order (Military Police), whose tasks include protecting the royal family, military police and border control. This is a branch exclusive to the Hellonian Armed Forces.

The Sevros Islands are protected by a Military Police. It usually protects the research centres that are present on the islands; while also acting as border enforcers.


See also