Norlund

Norlund (/Nɔːrlʊnd/), officially the Kingdom of Norlund, is a sovereign country in the far northwest of the mainland. It is a federal constitutional monarchy, comprised of 8 cantons and two federal territories. The population of Norlund is not centred around any particular administrative division, with its citizens and residents spread across its several cities. Norlund is popularly known for its friendliness toward new players, its direct democracy, and its many culturally diverse Cantons.

History
While the exact date of Norlund's founding on this iteration is unknown, Norlund is certainly one of the oldest nations on the server. Prior to CivRealms, Norlund had a storied past on servers such as CivEx, TheRealmsMC, and, briefly, CivClassics. Its demographics and political system has changed throughout the years, but the constitutional monarchy and leadership of Terry III has been around since nearly the beginning.

On CivRealms, Norlund has rarely been a center of attention. Near the start of the server, Norlund was concentrated around its capital, Kannin, which, at the time, was little more than a hamlet. The foundations of the now iconic Kannin Fortress had been laid, and there were only a couple of houses. Rather quickly, however, Norlund industrialized. Factories were built within the fortress, then, later on, public factories came into use for all of Kannin. A general store was created, and bronze and iron tools became a major export. With the introduction of mithril into the economy in late November, early December 2019, things quickly took off thanks to the dedication and cooperation of the early Norlundic players. It was at this time that the first international rail was also built.

Shortly after the infusion of mithril into Norlund, Kannin began to develop from a tiny hamlet to a quaint village, then soon became an urban center focused on the Kannin Peninsula. In addition, agriculture quickly became a hot commodity, with the selling of Carrots becoming a massive export, along with agriculture outposts throughout the nation. It was around this time that the first Municipalities other than Kannin were created, the first being Yoslan under the reign of Prime Minister Assjackets.

These municipalities were far from the last, however. With the outbreak of COVID-19 in real life, and the resulting quarantine, the population of Norlund, and that of the server as a whole, exploded. The population of Norlund ballooned to around 50 active members across 7 municipalities, 2 territories, and 9 towns/cities. Norlund has quickly become a cultural, economic, and population center of the world, and quickly continues to grow.

The Talamh Uprising
A little while before the founding of Yoslan, in January 2020, the settlement of Talamh was founded by former Wheatistanis. Under a tribal structure, Talamh managed the farms around Lake Vatican, and made a small hamlet for themselves. However, the reason they had migrated to the region was to reclaim what they claimed was their ancient homeland. The citizenry of Talamh began an insurrection, the only case of an active rebellion within Norlund. The uprising was quickly put down, and the tribal inhabitants left for the IWW. In late January, Pope Leobonet founded the Vatican City on the island within the namesake lake, and in Early February, Talamh was refounded as Tallum, and was quickly modernized and converted to Norlish architecture by Knoxmore, who would later become Prime Minister.

The Death of the King
On April 29th, 2020, King Terry III abdicated the throne due to IRL reasons, leaving a power vacuum that briefly left the nation confused and without leadership. The death of King Terry was a shock to the nation, and quickly after his parting was announced, a law was put to vote that created the Constitutional Assembly in order to fix the issues caused by the power vacuum left by a king without an heir.

Constitutional Crisis
Over the next month, citizens from all over Norlund worked tirelessly through the Constitutional Assembly to draft a new Constitution for Norlund. On May 18th, 2020 a new Constitution was finally posted to Reddit and the Kingdom of Norlund was reborn again. The new Constitution allowed for the Prime Minister and Federal Council and a new Monarch to be elected, after a period of instability and interregnum. King Shamus I has become the first elected Monarch of Norlund, and the internal situation in Norlund has stabilised, but only for a brief period of time.

The King's Crime
In early June 2020, a dispute between player Raine and the Norlundic government has occurred. RainofPain125 was a highly controversial figure in Norlund, but his right to remain in Norlund was being defended nonetheless. An incident had occurred, where RainofPain invited King Shamus to his settlement of Paris, and following an argument between the two involved parties, Shamus pearled Raine. Shamus and his Ansgar Vikings would claim that the pearling was due to RainofPain threatening bounties upon Shamus, while other Norlund citizens would claim that Shamus pearled Rain to cash in on a bounty or just to remove him from the country. While most people considered Raine to be a gaslighter and have perceived the pearling as something positive, the pearling of a Norlundic citizen by the King extrajudicially without any repercussions would create a dangerous precedent. As a result, charges were pressed against Shamus, which has led to him deciding to push towards Ansgar's secession.

The Secession of Ansgar and the Double Claim of Kannin
On June 4th, in response to the controversy of the Rain Incident; the canton of Ansgar seceded, claiming with it many other lands of Norlund, including the capital, as well as seizing the national namelayers, with which Shamus was entrusted as Monarch. Norlund, seeking to avoid a civil war, allowed Ansgar to secede, but resented their claiming of other Cantons (Especially Kannin). Ansgar claimed it was their work that built a significant portion of Kannin, and Norlund claimed as Kannin is the birthplace and heart of Norlund, they deserved to continue to hold it. The former King Shamus quickly defected to Ansgard and Norlund was once again left without a king. Agreeing at this point that no monarchy would capture the glory of the golden reign of King Terry, Norlund abolished the throne. With the nation on the verge of collapse, the short-lived Republic of Norlund was born.

Ansgar has now reformed as a new nation named Yggdrasil. They retain the territory formerly known as Norvansgard.

The Secession of Yoslan
On the seventh of July 2020, the Canton of Tawa announced its intentions to secede from Norlund and join Yggdrasil, motivated by a widespread protest aimed against the construction of a wall by Tawa, surrounding the entire Canton's border. Tawa's declaration was soon followed by Yoslan, which has used the situation as an opportunity to gain independence as well. Talks were opened almost immediately, and the Five demands of Tawa were released, all of which were accepted, and Tawa made the decision to remain. Yoslan, however, went through with secession and became an independent state closely tied to Yggdrasil. Friendly relations have been retained between the Kingdom of Norlund and the newly formed Tribal Republic of YosLan, with new infrastructural projects being started between the two nations.

The Restoration of Norlund
Ever since Terry's death, Norlund's position and reputation have been at a steady decline. The first fully elected government and King have not managed to do anything of note due to the Ansgar Secession happening shortly after their election. The disjointed government that followed only managed to handle the crises at hand, not able to achieve much progress in other fields. Starting with the election of the 6th Federal Council, change started to happen once more. The national symbols have been changed to match the spirit of the New Kingdom, the Federal Government has consolidated power within Norlund, old projects have been resumed and many new have been started. On the 7th of June, following Tawa's declaration and the secession of Yoslan, the Kran has been redenominated into the Norlundic Kran, which has brought an improvement in stamina backing and control over its circulation through full accounting. The Constitutional Advisory Board has been called the same day, and has started work on the new and improved Constitution, as well as the harmonisation of the Norlundic legal system.

Amongst the new projects undertaken by the Federal Council was the rearmament of the Norlish Guard, which has received significant amounts of protection IV armour and god swords from donations and cantonal funds raised and precessed by the Federal Council. This has also led to the "Protect our Newfriends" program, granting each Norlish citizen access to free enchanted mithril armour that was deemed unfit for use by the Norlish Guard, but could otherwise be useful in day-to-day use. The Federal Rail and Horse Tunnel project has also been resumed with increased funding and public interest, leading to significant progress for the first time since the Ansgar crisis.

Recent events, in particular the successful secession movements, have led Norlund to vastly change the way it sees the role of central government and autonomy, as well as has united the remaining Norlundic Cantons in their common goals and interests. Despite the significant loss of territory, the crises have led to fundamental changes in the functioning of the state, and ultimately led to more national unity, and an increase in cooperation, coordination, communication and overall efficiency.

Kingsluund Colonisation Efforts
Prior to the release of the expansion islands, the Federal Council has assembled the Norlundic Expeditionary Corps, which were tasked with organising the search for the new continent, as well as establishing Norlundic presence there. The expedition was a great success, with Norlund becoming the first nation to reach the shores of the continent of Kingsluund. Norlund's colonial present was however short-lived due to an invasion which happened only hours later.

The Invasion of Norlund
At 4:30 GMT on the 19th of July 2020, Norlund was invaded by the forces of Blackwater, with backing from Yggdrasil. The Norlish colonisers were ambushed in the freshly set up bunker in the colony, and the mainland was invaded shortly after. According to reports, a few people were pearled, who were solely non-combatants, public utility buildings have been damaged, and goods were stolen from homes and communal storage facilities in some Norlundic cities. At 10:00 GMT, the Norlundic Government has issued a statement regarding the invasion.

Administrative Divisions
Norlund is composed of 8 Cantons and 2 Territories. A municipality is defined as an area with a settlement occupied by at least three people. A territory is a swath of land lacking any towns or settlements of significant size, and are largely uninhabited and/or uninhabitable.

Kannin
Kannin is the second largest Canton of Norlund, and by far the oldest. It is currently the capital of Norlund, and has a population of 15 as of the last census. It is known for it's urban landscape, with many shops, factories, and government infrastructure. It is known worldwide for its picturesque views and storied past, and is home to the Kannin Fortress, the seat of government, and a federal district ruled directly by the federal government.

Kannin Fortress
Kannin Fortress is a federal district within the Canton of Kannin. It is home to the throne room and quarters of the ruling monarch, and is also where the Federal Government is based. It is under the direct jurisdiction of the ruling monarch, formerly Terry III, who oversees maintenance and expansion of the small fortified island.

Condor (Formerly Laketown)
Condor is a district within the Canton of Kannin, and is home to a significant portion of Kannin's population. Known for its fishing-based economy and its lakefront views, Condor is a quaint place to call home. Founded as a newfriend haven away from the secure bastioned area of Kannin Proper, it has quickly grown to be a town within a city worthy of recognition for its simple and rugged, yet aesthetically pleasing architecture and its friendly community.

Kannin Peninsula
Kannin Peninsula is the core of the Canton of Kannin. Home to the majority of businesses, government buildings, and homes, Kannin Peninsula is an urbanite's dream. It has gone under significant renovation, going from an underdeveloped swath of land with only a couple of dwellings, to a multi-layered city center focused on Odilia Square, where prominent buildings such as the Cathedral of Saint Odilia and the Supreme Court of Norlund are centered around.

Tawa
Tawa is one of the newest Cantons in Norlund. After a period of rapid growth, it has become one of the biggest urban areas within the country, mostly owing to the dedication of the local leadership, led by Koojikii, and the success of their newfriend recruitment policies. The city of Tawa is home to the tallest structure and one of the most recognisable landmarks in Norlund, the Great Tower, which towers well above the clouds.

Veria
Veria has a long and storied past, spanning over four years. Founded on Civcraft 3.0 after a merger between the nations of Euthenia and Illyria. It continued on through many civ servers, including Civcraft 3.0, CivEx 3, CivEx First Light and TheRealmsMC. After the outbreak of Coronavirus, Veria decided to mobilize and settle within Norlund as a new municipality. Maintaining a socialist economic system, Veria holds everything in common, and maintains both a representative and direct democracy, with an executive in the form of the Communal Council and a legislature in the form of the Popular Assembly. With a population of 18 as of the last census, Veria is the largest municipality within Norlund, and the fastest growing. It is now the center of the great Norlundic Rail Boom, with the construction of the Euthenian Grand Central Station beginning on May 4th, 2020.

As of 22 June 2020, due to unfortunate real life events on the part of the Verian railway project's leader Cortwade, Veria's station remains unconnected with the national rail network. As of the 15th of July, the project has once again gained traction and the station, as well as tunnels to most bordering cantons, have been completed.

Euthenia
Euthenia is the capital of the Commune of Veria. According to the most recent population census it remains the largest city within Norlund. Its neoclassical architectural style is almost unique in the country, with the only other area utilising it being Palaisance. Veria is a major economic and infrastructural hub within Norlund, and is home to the Euthenia Grand Central station. Amongst the most recognisable landmarks in Euthenia are the Great Clocktower and the Communal Library of Veria. Euthenia is also home to the Verian Communal Storage Building and the Iron Bank of Veria, a subsidiary branch of NorBank.

Illyria
Illyria is, alongside Euthenia, one of the cities which have founded the Commune of Veria over four years ago. It has been settled by A_M_A_Z_E by the northern coast of the Canton, and is planned to be the main port for the Norlundic Expeditionary Corps.

Luzia
Luzia is the second biggest settlement in Veria, with a population of around 6 citizens. It is a quaint medieval settlement located on the western hills of Veria, where once stood the town of Ostertal. Its position close to a picturesque river valley overlooking Lake Veria, as well as its own architectural beauty, has led to its recent rapid population growth.

Palaisance
Palaisance is a small Canton on the cold Northern Coastal Plains of Norlund. With grand French architecture, Palaisance is a home to the Francophone population of Norlund, and is quickly building one of the prettiest cities within the nation.

Florentia
A moderately sized Canton with a population of 6 according to the last census, Florentia is a Christian-Socialist municipality. Like Veria, the population holds everything in Common, and has abolished private property. In accordance to the teachings of the Bible, capitalism is the root of Pride and Greed, and socialism is the way to solve those issues. They are friendly and amiable, and are frequently seen discussing laws and current affairs in the Norlund Discord. Presently, there is no significant aboveground settlement within the borders of Florentia, due to their grand goal of eventually building a grand cathedral and holy site. Bill 20, the Bill that created the Constitutional Assembly, was proposed by a Cardinal of Florentia, Ahri, who now represents Florentia in the assembly.

Tallum
Tallum is the 3rd oldest Canton in Norlund, and boasts a decently sized population of 7 as of the last census. A relatively quaint settlement, Tallum sits on the coast of Lake Vatican, and is known for its lighthouse and verdant farmland. It is a low density settlement, with a large footprint due its homes and places of business. It has a relatively large cathedral near its northern border.

Vatican City
The Vatican City is a Cantonal settlement sharing it's borders with Tallum. Even if it still is it's own municipality, there are talks about merging with Tallum once Prime Minister Knoxmoor steps down. It sits on the island of Sanctuary within the namesake Vatican Lake, and is known for being a major site for Norlundic Christendom. Headed by Pope Leobonet, the Vatican City the site of significant development. While the full plan for the Vatican has not fully been realized, it's still a site to behold. One of the, what will be, the largest buildings are under construction here: the cathedral of Saint Lucia.

Buryatia
Buryatia is a Canton located on the western coast of Norlund. It has a population of about 10 citizens and is centered around the town of Dubrovnik. Due to its rather isolationist nature in the past, it remains unconnected to major federal infrastructure, but that is a subject to change in the close future.

Gwenyth
Gwenyth is the newest Canton in Norlund. Shortly after it has acquired cantonal rights due to reaching the population quota, the main settlement of Gwenyth has been abandoned. Its inactivity has raised concern over the low requirements bestowed upon new Cantons, and calls to dissolve it and to return the lands to Northreach Territory have been heard since.

The Western Territories
The Western Territories are the region of Norlund on the west coast that have not yet been fully settled or developed. Despite this, there has been some development, namely the Western Bell Tower, and the Zexenia/Norlund Friendship Bridge. The Western Territories has a mostly cool climate, with Boreal Forest and Mountains dominating the geography, along with Cold Steppe on the southern border with Savagard.

The Northreach Territory
The Northreach Territory encompasses the entirety of the northern peninsula. Composed of steep cliffs, tall mountains, and thick glaciers, the Northreach territory is near-uninhabited, and near uninhabitable, as little grows in what little hardy soil there is. Despite this, the settlement of Paris is an exception to the rule. A small commune founded by Rainofpain125, Paris has been a controversial settlement due to their leader's extreme political beliefs. Other than Paris, Irithyll Fortress is a major landmark. Nestled between the glaciers, Irithyll is meant to be a fallback point should invasion drive the government out of Kannin. Built by RobM, it has since fallen into disrepair. Now it serves as a monument to the Norlish people, honouring RobM, it is also of importance to the church due to RobM's death in the crusade against the Ez2crew. Irithyll hosts a small church in the center of it.

Former Municipalities
There have, on a couple of occasions, been Cantons that simply failed to take off and fall to ruin and obscurity, or have decided to go their own way. To date, there has been four cantons which have either been dissolved or have seceded from Norlund.

Ostertal
Ostertal was a militaristic Canton situated roughly between Kannin and Veria. Reaching a height of 3 members, it was officially declared a Canton only a couple days before it fell into inactivity. It's leader, Spacey, went inactive due to duties with the U.S. Military, and the other two members simply went inactive shortly after. Its territory has been divided between Veria and Kannin, and the river Ostertal was once based on has since been converted into massive carrot farmland. it eventually evolved into the Settlement of Luzia, a loyal subdivision of Veria, with 4-5 current inhabitants.

Dikketijger
A bastardization of the Dutch words for "Fat Tiger," Dikketijger was a promising settlement of 5 newfriends, who quickly went inactive for unknown reasons. Despite the aid of Verian officials, and attempts to contact them, it's unknown where they went.

Norvansgard
Norvansgard is a former Canton of Norlund. It is primarily composed of former Vaskr members, a Viking clan from TheRealmsMC. They maintain a moderately sized town due North East from Kannin.

Following The Secession of Ansgar, Norvansgard is no longer part of Norlund, and instead a major territory of the new Kingdom of Yggdrasil.

Yoslan
Yoslan was a Canton of Norlund up until the events following the 7th of July, leading to the secession of Yoslan as an independent state with close ties to Yggdrasil.

Government
Norlund was formally a federalized Constitutional Monarchy under the guidance of King Terry III. The monarch had near-absolute power in the form of royal assent, and was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. With the death of Terry III, and the lack of an heir or an appointed Governor General, the Prime Minister has taken on the roles of the Monarch, making Norlund a fully democratic state for a short period of time. Nowadays the Monarch is more of a figurehead and does not possess any prerogatives or executive power, but he remains as the holder of the national namelayers. Recent events have lead to the election of Leobonet, Pope of the Vatican in the Canton of Tallum, as Monarch.

The House of Commons is Norlund's legislative body, which functions on the basis of direct democracy. All citizens, regardless of their Canton of residence, may propose and vote on bills following a schedule kept by the Custodian of the House. The citizenry also elects the Prime Minister and members of the Federal Council once every two months, as well as the Custodian every month. According to the current Constitution, the Monarch is elected once and for life during an extended vote, following a referendum.

The executive branch of government is the Federal Council, which apart from its executive powers has limited legislative powers (issuing decrees, taking part in the constitutional amendment procedure). Its composed of the Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defence and Minister of Economic Cooperation. The Council cooperates on solving present issues, initiating economic, infrastructural and defensive projects, handles diplomacy and foreign treaties, recruitment and coordinates the cooperation between Cantons.

The judicial branch of government is the Federal Court. Led by the Head Judge, its an organ composed of representatives from each of the Cantons. The Federal Court internally decides its procedures and assembles whenever a case is filed. It serves as the criminal, civil, administrative and constitutional court of Norlund.

Notable Figures
TerryTheThird aka Terry - The former King and founder of Norlund

Knoxmoor - Former Prime Minister of Norlund and former head of Tallum.

Okx - Former Prime Minister, former Minister of Finance and Master Horse Breeder.

NeoTide - Former Minister of Defense and owner of The Poppy.

Jacob Grox / Groxlord - Current Prime Minister, Head of Government of Veria

Raptor - Leader of Palaisance

Leobonet - Current King of Norlund, Pope and leader of Tallum

Cortwade - Current Minister of Interior and former Custodian of the House of Commons

A_M_A_Z_E - Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and mayor of Illyria

Zamoradin - Current Minister of Defence

Joadgr - Current Minister of Economic Cooperation

KannonKyle - Current Minister of Foreign Affairs

Koojikii - Leader of Tawa

SkinnyBitch - Leader of Florentia, two terms head of the Electoral Committee

Sixx - Entrepreneur, one of the head donators to the Norlish Guard

Elections
Every two months Norlund holds an election to determine the composition of the Federal Council, as well as the Prime Minister.

1st Norlundic Election
Records are unclear

2nd Norlundic Election
Okx - 5 votes

assjackets - 3 votes

3rd Norlundic Election
assjackets - 6 votes

Okx - 2 votes

4th Norlundic Election
The method of electing the prime minister changed, now votes are cast using a ranked system and are privately sent to the king.

Knoxmoor - 7 votes

5th Norlundic Election
The election code has changed significantly, with each position into the Federal Council being elected separately. The lists will only display the elected candidates.

Prime Minister: Groxlord - 36 votes (87,8%)

Minister of Foreign Affairs: A_M_A_Z_E - 39 votes (95,1%)

Minister of Economic Cooperation: Mirakles - 20 votes (47,6%)

Minister of the Interior: Leobonet - 37 votes (90,2%)

Minister of Defence: Ahrimanne - 20 votes (46,5%)

6th Norlundic Election
Prime Minister:​ Groxlord - 28 votes (75,7%)

Minister of Foreign Affairs:​ TheBigKannon - 18 votes (50,0%)

Minister of Economic Cooperation:​ Joadgr - 29 votes (82,9%)

Minister of the Interior:​ Cortwade - 32 votes (91,4%)

Minister of Defence:​ Zamoradin - 23 votes (60,5%)