Duchy of Sønderburg

Duchy of Sønderburg Ducatus Sønderburg Jarledømmet Sønderburg Sönnelinnen jaarlikunta
1021–1302
Flag
Motto: "Let Freya Guide Us"
Capital	Sønderburg
Common languages	Old Lilledic Dalish Old Nausikaan
Religion	Trúathi
Government	Elective monarchy
High Jarl or Duke
• 1021-1042	Magnus I
• 1042-1075	Johanna I
• 1282-1301	Johanna IV
• 1301	Alexander II
Legislature	Great Council of the Jarls
Historical era	Medieval Era
• Coronation of Magnus I	1018
• Invasion of the Vestplan	1021
• Northern Campaign	1044-1124
• Civil War	1301
• Accession of Marcus of Dybøll	1302
Area
1021	82,391 km2 (31,811 sq mi)
1302	98,348 km2 (37,972 sq mi)
Population
• 1021	768,290
• 1302	978,203
Currency	Guldmønt
Preceded by Succeeded by Old Duchy of Sønderburg Commonwealth of Särmäki Commonwealth of Lilledel Dalish people Crylantian Empire
Today part of	Crylante Navack

The Duchy of Sønderburg, also called the Jarldom of Sønderburg, was a medieval elective monarchy in what is now the Crylantian Federation, in its later years controlling the entirety of the modern-day nation. Founded by Magnus I, honorifically titled the Benevolent, the nation was an elective monarchy where the High Jarl, or Duke, was chosen by a council of the Jarls, who were defined to be powerful warriors and senior clergy from the various parts of the nation, who also deliberated with the High Jarl or Duke to decide the direction of the nation. This council was referred to as a thing, and many of these things were used to settle disputes and to decide local affairs across the nation.

Duke Magnus I did much to advance education and science across the nation and is remembered across the nation fondly. After his death, he was succeeded by Duchess Johanna, who engaged in the Northern Campaign to take the northeastern mountains, although she died 49 years before the campaigns would be finished. As the figures are both admired in their efforts to unify Crylante, they are depicted on the one hurten and the two hurten coins respectively. The Duchy came to an end in 1301, when Duchess Johanna IV died. Her son, Alexander II, was chosen as Duke by one vote, although his rival, Marcus of Dybøll, started a Civil War over the matter which led to the end of the nation.

Society

The society of the people of the Duchy of Sønderburg was rather unique; while it did display some similarities with the societies of mainland Asura, it had many differences, such as the role of things. Many of these differences have been attributed to the religious differences between the nation and the mainland of Asura; while the mainland devoutly followed Alydianism, the Duchy was a Truathist nation, although the nation's culture differed from the other Dalish Truathist nations, and these differences are attributed to the influence of Asuro-Lhedwinic and Nausikaan cultures.

Hierarchy

The nation maintained a divide in its society between the karls, the freyasthralls, the seiðrmen and the thralls. While many of the karls were warriors, some of them were merchants, trading with foreign lands in the duchy's foreign outposts around coastal Asura and bringing foreign commodities and knowledge into the nation. These merchants played a key role in the administration of cities such as Sønderburg, Neititsnot and Lillehavn, while the warriors were mainly landowners and held land which would be farmed and worked by the thralls in exchange for protection and pay.

The freyasthralls were clergy; the duchy was a devout Truathist nation and thus the freyasthralls were well-off and respected in society due to this and were responsible for collecting money from the population in tithes; while some of this money went towards the upkeep of the church, much of it went towards the government.

The seiðrmen were a very small, yet distinct, class of the population, who were largely healers and scribes; they were not allowed to turn down medical attention to anyone that requested it. To focus on their service, they were forbidden from marriage; many of them were known to engage in same-sex relations.

The thralls were peasants, although unlike in many Asuran societies of the time they were not the property of the lord; in stead, they would work the land of a karl in return for wages and protection; many of them also rented land for personal use from their land; many of them would live in small villages in the karl they worked for's land.

There was some degree of social mobility between these ranks, however, at the age of eight, a child would be apprenticed to someone who would train them in the ways of the social class they would serve in. As seiðrmen were forbidden from having children, many took apprentices who were of a thrall background. Also, children who were especially pious, no matter their origin, could be apprenticed to be a freyasthrall. However, it was rare for a karl to take on a child born of thralls as an apprentice, however, there are recorded examples of it happening.

Marriage and sex

Marriage in the duchy was seen as a way of giving two people a blessing for raising children; a man and a woman would get married before having children together and would then live together. However, while in most Asuran cultures, two people who would marry would be expected to be monogamous to one another, extramarital affairs were common in the duchy and carried little social stigma, with same-sex and opposite-sex marital affairs being almost equally common.

While marriages were sometimes arranged for financial and political reasons, such as the union between two rich families, a marriage between two people for reasons of love was not uncommon, especially among the lower classes. However, both partners entering a marriage would have to pay mundr, which would either be money or a physical gift, to each other's families before entering the marriage. A marriage would be performed in a Truathist temple and would see both partners spill a drop of their blood into a vessel of water to officiate the marriage. A feast would then happen after the marriage to celebrate the new union entered between the two people.

Homosexuality, often described as argr by the people at the time, did not carry social stigma itself due to the tolerant attitude of Trúathi towards the practice, and many of the dukes and duchesses that ruled over the nation were reported to have many same-sex partners, especially Magnus I and Johanna I. However, unless one was a seiðrman they were expected to marry and raise children as well, and thus there are few examples of long-term same-sex partnerships, and marriages were only conducted between a man and a woman.

Félagar

It was common for a group of individuals to enter a partnership called a félag, which would see them work economically together to produce goods. A precursor to a guild, it was common for thralls in the city, who would often be craftsmen, to enter a félag together to help produce goods more efficiently and to standardise their goods; some of these partnerships grew very strong and would dominate their respective industries, leading to those involved becoming very wealthy.

Things

Many villages would have a thing, which would see the people of the village get together and discuss issues. While the things at the national and sometimes regional levels would often be responsible for making laws, the things at the village would often be responsible for solving disputes in the areas and dealing justice. If someone in the village were to murder another person, they would have to pay wergild to the victim's family, a sum of money to retribute the wrongs. Many crimes with unknown culprits would be solved by the things, which allowed the locals to contribute information to the trials. The tradition of things was one of the main inspirations for modern Crylantian democracy; Crylante maintains consociationalism and direct democracy in its government system.

Social events

It was common for equinoxes and solstices to be celebrated by the people of the nation, they were mostly religious festivals, but had a celebrational aspect to them, and are still celebrated today. Alcohol was commonly consumed during events, such as mead and cider, and storytelling was common to pass the time among the populace.