Norlund

Norlund (/Nɔːrlʊnd/ or /Nəʊrlund/), officially the Kingdom of Norlund, is a sovereign country in the far northwest of the mainland. It is a federal constitutional monarchy, comprised of 10 cantons and 3 federal territories. The population of Norlund is not centered 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 Cabtibs other than Kannin were created, the first being Yoslan during the administration of Prime Minister Assjackets.

These cantons 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 cantons, 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 first 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, now King, 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 stabilized, 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, though sometimes strained 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 2nd 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 had assembled the Norlundic Expeditionary Corps, which were tasked with organising the search for the new continent, as well as establishing Norlundic presence there. This exploration was the largest and most structured exploration mission to date, which included 10+ citizens at different distances from the main continent, sent out to explore - ensuring that Norlund would be the first to find it, regardless of luck. The initial routes were completed with Kingsluund not yet found, so the remaining explorers went even further out - resulting in Joadgr finding the new world, naming it "Kingsluund". 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, starting the Northern War. The Norlish colonizers 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 were damaged, and goods were stolen from homes and communal storage facilities in some Norlundic cities. At 10:00 GMT, the Norlundic Government issued a statement regarding the invasion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CivRealms/comments/hty536/a_note_from_the_norlundic_federal_government/

The Events of the Invasion, and the Ceasefire
As the day went on, and people from Norlund who hadn't been initially pearled during the events were either waking up or coordinating efforts, resistance against the invaders grew more and more, despite the majority of the nation viewing the events with a pessimistic attitude. With the remaining forces of Norlund grouping up and coordinating efforts to resist, namely the majority of the Federal Council, the remnants of the military/colonization efforts, and the brave efforts of the civilians of Norlund, Blackwater and Yggdrasil began facing increasingly difficult odds, with their PR taking a giant plummet as the international community condemned them for their aggressive actions, but despite this, the ceasefire was not called until the near end of the day of the invasion, because of a few certain actions.

First, was the aggressive actions of Okx, who managed to take on one of the invasion forces top PVPers on a one vs one, and not only managed to temporarily trap them, but was able to continue forward as a one-man army.

Secondly, was the actions of the Federal Council, mainly the Prime Minister Jacob Grox, and the King, Leobonet, both with direct negotiations with the invasion force, and the behind the scenes actions with several international communities to garnish military support for a possible retaliation against the invasion.

With these combined actions, Blackwater and Yggdrasil agreed to a temporary, 48 hour ceasefire, where the invasion force withdrew, and began unpearling anyone who happened to get in their way, and Norlund began to regroup as negotiations began. At first, it wasn't exactly sure why the invaders had first attacked the islands, and then the mainland (though that just made the outrage even worse), it was soon discovered that Blackwater had been hired by ComradeNick, an Imperial Federation senator and former Norlish citizen, who had wanted Fortuna, Norlund's colony, for the IF, and despite Norlund bargaining for the lands, had hired Blackwater to kick them off. When Norlund refused to take off the claim for Fortuna, some sources say that Blackwater had offered to attack mainland Norlund, with Nick taking the offer, sparking the attack, while others say that ComradeNick, after Norlund refused to surrender the claim, ordered the attack on the mainland, to which Blackwater complied.

Yggdrasil, on the other hand, had merely joined to support their ally Blackwater, with Grave being convinced by Blackwater that Norlund had instigated the attack with placing the bastion on Blackwater land. However, they weren't the only contributors for the invasion force, excepting Blackwater, who had made up the majority of the invasion force, though Yggdrasil did contribute some of their men to the cause.

Events of the Ceasefire
Norlund, was in mass chaos, despite their best attempts to reorganize. Most of the military was scrambling about, trying to re-arm, despite a good majority of their gear being destroyed during the events of the colony attack, and citizens, during the invasion, had fled all over the place, many taking refugee down south, in dangerous journeys that could've easily taken their lives and items. As the ceasefire was called, and the summon for all Norlish citizens to come home was announced, people's views were mostly grim. They willing to return and fight for their home, but knowing that the fight wasn't likely to go in their favor.

However, despite this grim attitude, most of Norlund participated in gathering resources for the military and federal council, with mass harvests and collection of materials and gear beginning across the nation, and soon, bunkers were full of crops for xp, mainly from the efforts of TheGreatUniter, ArnasZakas, CuntJesus, and many others. During this time as well, propaganda and memes attacking the invasion force, especially Yggdrasil, were posted in the subreddit, not only by Norlish citizens, but also by others in the international community, making it explicitly clear who the community supported, which aided with negotiations.

Suffice to say, negotiations were rife with anger and hostility, mainly from the Norlish, who were understandably upset from the action of the two nations. Blackwater maintained their position that they were only hired and taking orders from ComradeNick, which Norlund would reluctantly agree meaning that Blackwater couldn't be punished severely without it being just, but Yggdrasil wasn't able to maintain the same level, having joined in on the invasion from their own volition.

During the negotiations, as peace was beginning to be discussed, when GraveKeepersGod, the King of Yggdrasil, and ScubaSteve/ShamelessShamus, both stepped down from their positions of power, allowing the new King, Aeth/Grettir, to take power, alongside his council. While Grave's actions weren't entirely clear, Shamus admitted he had wanted to stop this endless cycle of toxicity between the two nations, noting that during the time spent in Norlund, and the following events like the secession, had, along with others, especially from Norlund's side, started this trend of hatred by the two sides, and knew that him stepping down would be an essential peace to allowing the two sides to begin to heal from one another's wounds. Along with this, he noted that this toxicity had begun to seep into his own life, and has chosen to begin to retire from CivRealms, but not before tying up what loose ends he had left, and seeking forgiveness where he could, and to forgive where he can.

With this mentality in place, a treaty was drafted between the two sides, with Yggdrasil allowing all territories remaining in Norlund to go back to Norlund, with the caveat that some of the more southern farms, located next to Tallum, be allowed to be public to both sides. Along with this, a vault that had been terrifyingly close to the two nation's borders was rendered useless, foreign snitches and bastions were removed from Norlish territory, and Norlish colonization efforts would be honored by Blackwater, as long as it didn't combat Blackwater's own colonization efforts.

With this, the sides agreed to a white peace until the treaty was signed by all parties, and upon this writing, has yet to be accomplished, (mainly because a couple parties are currently away from CivRealms and are unable to sign), but the treaty is unofficially been agreed upon, with both sides reconciling, and even having a coronation ceremony for Grettir and Leobonet in Tallum, where all were welcomed to party alongside them.

However, while the ceasefire was expanded indefinitely until all parties had signed, some controversy came from the treaty, which erupted in the Norlund's discord in their House of Commons, where a citizen argued against the treaty, and accused the Council of violating the House, which was met with backlash not only from the Council, but several other citizens, who protected the Council, especially considering the fact that the Council had both been under great deal of stress at the time, and had informed many citizens beforehand about the treaty. It culminated in a motion to remove Jacob Grox as Prime Minister, which failed unanimously, and then, as the Custodian attempted to put down the hostilities from all parties involved, resulting in the temporary closing of the house of commons, the motion for the removal as Imic from Custodian began as well, which, like the previous motion, failed miserably.

Reconciliation
Shortly after the white peace granted by the Second Treaty of Kannin, King Grettir of Yggdrasil came forward with a proposition for a new alliance between Norlund and Yggdrasil. Despite initial hesitation from the Federal Council after the Northern War, which some had come to call The Great Backstab, the Federal Council agreed to the treaty, and soonafter, Norlund and Yggdrasil became the first signatories to the Northern Defensive Pact. This pact was tested when, on August 5th 2020, Yggdrasil was called upon to aid Norlund in the War of the Isles. Yggdrasil honorably answered and was immensely helpful in the counterattack against the Isles. Norlund now considers Yggdrasil to be a valuable ally, and is working toward improving ties between the two nations.

Recolonization
On August 3rd 2020, the SPQR contacted Norlund to inform them of their intent to leave the continent of Kingsluund, and their intent to grant their new world colonies to Norlund in return for tin-mining rights in the mainland. Norlund, grateful and excited at the premise of new colonial endeavors, signed the treaty that formalized the handover and began preparing the Norlundic Expeditionary Corps for a new colonization mission.

However, it soon became apparent that the treaty was not without controversy. The SPQR had decided to leave the new world after conflict between them and a region of the Imperial Federation, Synlandia. In order for the Imperial Federation, or IF, to unpearl SPQR citizens, the SPQR had to leave Kingsluund and hand over the territories to a neutral third party. SPQR never specified that the territory should go to an existing new New World nation, and following their decision to hand it over to Norlund, the IF preferred to it to go to a New World nation. Following this dispute, the IF decided to claim over the territory, bastion, and snitch it. However, after intervention by prawny331 as requested by the SPQR's NovaCeasar, the IF backed off and allowed Norlund to continue it's colonization efforts.

On August 6th, 2020, Norlund officially began construction on its first settlement within the new territory of New Kannin. In addition, massive deforestation efforts were began to allow for construction of large scale Cocoa farms. A large recruitment effort in order to foster a lively and healthy community in the new world has begun.

The War of the Isle
Main Article: The War of the Isles

Another small nation, known simply as the Isles, had established control of abandoned SPQR land. When the IF gave the land back to Norlund, the Isles decided to enforce their claim to land. Norlund, deciding not to back down from their claims, opted to instead demarcate the border between the Isles and the new territory. Unfortunately, Cortwade, who was demarcating the border, ran out of fences, and opted instead to dig a 1-meter deep trench in order to solidify the border ingame. This angered InfinityXerox, who was the leader of the Isles, and, in a surprise move, attacked Cortwade, CuntJesus, and the Minister of Defense Zamoradin. The Battle of the Border, as it came to be known, resulted in heavy casualties for Norlund, and resulted in Cortwade being logboxed, along with Zamoradin and Hitmehn being pearled.

After the battle, Norlund retreated and Okx, a military councilman, was appointed Minister of Defense pro tempore. In addition, Norlund began to bolster its allies, including Yggdrasil, and volunteers from Paradise. In addition, the SPQR and Sesoria publicly denounced the actions of the Isles. As reinforcements arrived, a counterattack was mounted, and, in the Battle of New Kannin, the Isles surrendered unconditionally. In the end, a white peace was signed where the Isles would recognize Norlundic Sovereignty, and Norlund would promise not to interfere with the internal affairs of the Isles.

The Imperial Federation, the FSA, and Norlund
By now, Norlund's misadventures in the new shard was already beginning to become well-known. After being approached by certain members of what would become the Far Seas Alliance, ( Far Seas Alliance ), and inducted into the new alliance, which at the time seemingly was anti-IF. There was those within the alliance who had hinted towards the IF's powerhold over the new shard now being challenged by this new alliance. Norlund disliked the IF because of a few reasons, namely, not being included in the Berlin Conference (which was founded by members of the IF), the recent war with the Isles (which the IF tried to support during this conflict), and lastly the induction of ComradeNick with Fortuna into the Imperial Federation (for those who need note, ComradeNick was formerly a Norlish resident before the New Shard was released, and upon the new world being found, ordered an invasion of Norlund so he could claim Fortuna, which would be accepted into the IF just a few weeks later), who Norlund was less then friendly with.

This, would all come to a head when certain members of the Norlish government were approached by Dama, with an offer that could basically be described as improbable at the least. With the promise of land (namely Arlington), and a chance to get revenge against the IF, these Norlish members accepted readily, launching a coordinated invasion into the Imperial Federation whilst Dama used their inside connections to throw the entire government into disarray, and setting up what was believed to be a temporary dictatorship.

Dama's plan had begun to unfold. This temporary dictatorship, was only to grow longer and longer, with notable members of the Imperial Federation growing fearful of the lack of response of the new government for the formation of a democratic nation, and upon the reveal of Raindrop, a Cantina puppet state, formed out of the combination of Paradise and of the Imperial Federation, the Imperial Federation Civil War sparked ( Imperial Federation Civil War ), in which Norlund was greatly divided upon. Certain members would go to support the Imperial Federation rebels, aiding them when possible, whilst others stayed neutral, believing that they shouldn't worry about this.

Luckily for the Imperial Federation, Cantina was busy with a mainland war, meaning they couldn't dedicate serious manpower to taking this land, and actually found great success in the FSA, to which they would later join, while the FSA would continue attempting to remove Norlund, all members clearly upset about the actions of the nation, and upon the reveal, would be unanimously kicked out.

The Reveal, was the revalation by Onederful, ( https://www.reddit.com/r/CivRealms/comments/iamll2/the_truth_behind_the_invasion_of_the_imperial/) showed that the Norlish force that had invaded into the IF, was partly in the interests of land (apart from the aforementioned dislike of the IF), and not in fixing the supposedly corrupt government. This all resulted in Jacob Grox, aka Groxlord, stepping down from Prime Minister due to both national and international pressure.

The Interim Federal Council
With Prime Minister Groxlord stepping down, the at the time Minister of Foreign affairs The Big Kannon got agreed upon to become the Interim Prime Minister.

This period was troubled by bandit raids, notably on the city of Tallum which took the brunt of griefs. Pets were killed, chests were popped and people felt threatened. Other members of the NDP were also troubled by the same bandits, and an unified effort in getting rid of these was organized. A bandit hideout was found in the western Tallum mountains, but got disabled by a large unified NDP army, with members from all signatory nations. Eventually the raiders, known as the Goodfellas, got found out to be funded and members of Blackwater, which then due to being defeated in the north by the NDP and international pressure, signed a peace treaty - in which they payed very large reps to the victims, amounting to around 2000 stamina in total (albeit some of it was paid in XP rather than stamina, with varying, but mostly good rates). The reps paid to Norlund, was after being discussed between the King and federal council with the bandits, paid to a large Norlish convoy in Varathia with the motivation of: breaking a previous agreement not to raid, killing livestock, killing pets, popping civilian chests with invaluable items (like eg. books and collectibles), raiding the Tallum bank, actively fighting inside Veria and Tallum, petty griefing, re-griefing newly repaired stuff from the previous griefs, erecting hostile military infrastructure inside Norlish territory and ultimately scaring newfriends and established civilians alike. After the threat of the Goodfellas were eliminated, a new snap election was held for the prime minister, which in turn became the "3 and 1/2 federal council". Elections proceeded normally as per schedule after this point.

The World War
With world tensions rising, and unrest from a number of server changes it all eventually culminated into the obbybombing of CivCorp, in which several civilians of Norlund being affected. Notably the Tawa merchant Hitmehn, who ran a successful store and owned a plot in CivCorp. The Tallumite Presley_Yows was also logged out at the time, but managed to get out once Civcorp briefly got re-captured. After the Obby bombing the group at the time known as the "obbybombers coalition" merged under the authoritarian superstate known as the USA, this superstate mainly consisted of Blackwater, Chungus and Bobanga, with some support from Laconia. Many of the citizens of the USA had previously been involved in the "Goodfellas raids", a bandit group operating in western Tallum, known for their war-crimes on Norlish newfriends, destruction of civilian and national property. Norlund, and the Northern Defence Alliance decided, for both the good of the world and the nations, to pledge their support for Civcorp and with it Carbon, even if Carbon and Civcorp initially wasnt held in the highest regard by some people in the NDP. Norlund rapidly prepared for total war, making roadblocks and hiding valuables.

The Defence of Asgård
The federal council urged all able to fight citizens to hole up at Asgård and prepare for the anticipated siege. Asgårds geographical position placed it as a chokepoint to the North, making it strategically viable for Norlund to hold to ensure national integrity. Many of the Norlish Guard and armed militia went over to Asgård to help defend it. International volunteers also joined up with the NDP, notably from Alexandria and the BSR. A tunnel was connected to Carbon infrastructure by 1drop, Tremerius and King Leobonet, making Carbon forces able to support the NDP and making it easier for defenders to enter the vault safely. Many Norls also helped dig the large outer trench and with other maintenance work on Asgaård itself. Norlund played a large part in bowing the USA attackers, with some ultimately meeting the end, sacrificing their lives to defend their North when the vault eventually got breached - dying with sword and flag in hand. These notably included cantonal leaders and almost half of the federal council; the Minister of Foreign affairs Joy_a and the Minister of Defence Kaoos. Some people got trapped in the fallen vault, but everyone trapped eventually managed to escape the clutches of the USA safely. Asgård eventually met its end, but it held far longer than expected due to the Norlish support, and the additional time allowed much-needed modifications to be made to Heaven. The remaining Norls made their way to Heaven to prepare for the next siege.

Heaven and the redemption of the Norlish Guard
Norlund started a "levee en masse", urging all able bodied Norls to head to the Northern coast - starting one of the largest ferrying operations on the server. Organized by the king - to make everyone able to get over to heaven, and to save boats, Norls were told to log off at the Northern coast and wait to be ferried by a ferryman/ferrywoman. This operation was a resounding success and everyone participating got over safely.

During the Heaven defence, after fighting side by side with Norlund - the Queen of Yoslan, Antea formally requested to re-join the Kingdom. This was discussed in the House of Commons and ultimately after opinion polls and many discussions got voted through. YosLan later rejoined fully, with half of it's members remaining unable to vote as a compromise for being dual citizens. With it, YosLan brought the northern claim of Agotep into Norlund claims. Antea, initially unable to vote as apart of the remerger compromise, was later made a full citizen with voting rights.

The Defeat of the USA
TBD

Administrative Divisions
Norlund is composed of 10 Cantons and 3 Territories. A Canton 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 third largest Canton of Norlund, and by far the oldest. It is currently the capital of Norlund. 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 14 as of the last census, Veria is the largest canton within Norlund.. 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.

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. Presently undeveloped, soon it will be the official port of call for expeditions into and out of the new world.

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, officially the Palaisien Republic (French: République Palaisienne), is a moderately-sized 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 small sized Canton with a population of 3 according to the last census, Florentia is a Christian-Socialist settlement. 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 represented Florentia in the assembly.

Tallum and the Vatican City
Tallum is the 3rd oldest Canton in Norlund. 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 had a relatively large cathedral near its northern border, prior to the redevelopment of the area.

The Vatican City is apart of Tallum, resting on a island in the middle of the lake, with the majority of the structures being built Leobonet, with varying aid from several other citizens. 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. The Vatican, specifically the cathedral of Saint Lucia is marked as an international heritage site, and was the first site to be done so in the entire north west.

After the Great Northern War concluded, Tallum saw a spur of activity and dug one of the largest man made canals and terraforming works on the server in the northern part of the city. The project was led by the Tallumite Sene_BR. This feature is not seen on most global maps, but plays a big part in the dynamic of the city.

Buryatia
Buryatia is a Canton located on the western coast of Norlund. It has a population of 3 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.

Drengrfold
Drengrfold is the newest Canton in Norlund. Drengrfold is focused on the settlemenst of Port Lokkarme and Gwenyth. With a population of 4 as of the last census, Drengrfold surpasses several of the stagnant cantons, and is looking to be a new center of development. Formed out of the former territory of Northreach (now Midreach), Drengrfold is isolated from the federal infrastructure network, including rail and road. However, this will change once the rail boom reaches Kannin, where a line will then be routed to Port Lokkarme.

YosLan
YosLan (officially LörYosLan) is a Canton of Norlund, having rejoined Norlund during The Great War after seceding from Norlund earlier in the year on July 7th.

The Southwest Territory
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 Midreach Territory
The Midreach Territory encompasses the entirety of the northern peninsula. Composed of steep cliffs, tall mountains, and thick glaciers, the Midreach 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. While Paris had now since fallen to disrepair after Rain's departure from Norlund, it has since been in the process of rebuilding under two newfriends MaiNai and MadBaronofUrga, now calling it Port Lohikäärme, or Kärme for short. This settlement has since been moved to the Canton of Drengrfold, along with Gwenyth. As a result, Midreach had its name changed from Northreach, in order to more accurately depict its geographic position. In addition, 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.

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 was no longer part of Norlund, and instead a major territory of the new Kingdom of Yggdrasil.

Following negotiations between Norlund and Yggdrasil during The Great War, the territory of Norvansgard rejoined Norlund, although not as a Canton due to lack of permanent residents. It's exact legal status is currently undecided, although likely to be a territory.

Former Cantons/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 five 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.

Paris/Kärme
Paris was a Canton of Norlund, barely, ruled by RainofPain125, a founder of IWW, and a controversial figure of not only Norlund's history, but server-wide history. Before the events that led to his pearling by King Shamus the First, the channel dedicated to Paris was mainly just posts from Rain supporting their ideological beliefs, and the occasional debate between other Norlish citizens. While entertained during Terry's reign out of fear of IWW's possible retaliation, during the new government, Paris was one of the many cantons under fire for being unable to come up with the minimum number to be able to sustain a canton, and was eventually removed from cantonal status, which then sparked the conflict between Rain and the new government, eventually ending by them being pearled by Shamus.

However, in more recent times, newfriends MaiNai and MadBaronofUrga were searching for a new place to call their home, discovered Paris, and under consideration of the Federal Government, were allowed to settle down there, renaming it to Port Lohikäärme, or Kärme for short, and have hopes of restoring it to cantonal status (without the toxicity that was formerly accompanied with the region), but in the meantime, are content remaining as a territory and settlement.

Gwenyth
Shortly after it had acquired cantonal rights due to reaching the population quota, the main settlement of Gwenyth was been abandoned by most of its inhabitants, barring its leader Seldomshock. 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/Midreach Territory have been heard frequently. When the July Census showed that it had a population of 1, it was formally dissolved back into Northreach. However, shortly after this, Seldomshock, along with the citizens of Karme, together formed the canton of Drengrfold.

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 - Former Minister of Defense, Former Prime Minister, Head of Government of Veria

Raptor / Xraptor3344 - Leader of Palaisance, judge, and Constitutional Advisory Board member

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

Cortwade - Current Custodian of the House of Commons, Former Minister of Interior

A_M_A_Z_E - Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of Colonization, and mayor of Illyria

Zamoradin - Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Minister of Defence

Joadgr - Current Minister of Economic Cooperation and co-leader of Tallum

KannonKyle/TheBigKannon - Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Custodian of the House of Commons, former interim Prime Minister

Koojikii - Leader of Tawa, Former Minister of Economic Cooperation

SkinnyBitch - Leader of Florentia, two terms head of the Leader Electoral Committee. (In)Famous E-lawyer.

Sixx - Entrepreneur, one of the head donators to the Norlish Guard. Current Minister of Defence.

RobM - Norlish folk hero, Saint, one of the head donators to the Norlish Guard

TrolStein_PT - Former Prime Minister, former Minister of the Interior, Founder of Luzia

Wolftale - Co-care taker of Kannin. Current Minister of Interior.

TheGreatUniter - Entrepreneur and co-care taker of Kannin. Current Prime Minister.

Antea4204 - Former Minister of Defence Leader of YosLan, advocate for Norlund abroad. Current Minister of Foreign affairs.

Joy_a - Former Minister of the Interior.

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 - 1st Federal Council
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 - 2nd Federal Council
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%)

7th Norlundic Election - 3rd Federal Council
Prime Minister: Groxlord (93.1%)

Minister of Foreign Affairs: TheBigKannon (68.9%)

Minister of Economic Cooperation: Joadgr (93.1%)

Minister of the Interior: Cortwade (79.3%)

Minister of Defense: Zamoradin (66.66%)

The Interim Federal Council
Interim Prime Minister: TheBigKannon

Minister of Foreign Affairs: TheBigKannon

Minister of Defense: Zamoradin

Minister of Economic Cooperation: Joadgr

Minister of the Interior: Cortwade

The Provisional Federal Council (aka, the 3 and 1/2 Federal Council)
Prime Minister: Okx

Minister of Foreign Affairs: TheBigKannon

Minister of Defense: Zamoradin

Minister of Economic Cooperation: Joadgr

Minister of Interior: Cortwade

8th Norlundic Election - 4th Federal Council
Prime Minister: Cuntjesus/Trollstein_PT

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Joy_a

Minister of Economic Cooperation: TheGreatUniter

Minister of the Interior: Imic

Minister of Defense: Kaaos

9th Norlundic Election - 5th Federal Council
Prime Minister: Cuntjesus/Trollstein_PT

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Zamoradin

Minister of Economic Cooperation: Joadgr

Minister of the Interior: Joy_a

Minister of Defense: Groxlord

10th Norlundic Election - 6th Federal Council
Prime Minister: TheGreatUniter

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Antea

Minister of Economic Cooperation: Joadgr

Minister of the Interior: Wolftale

Minister of Defense: Sixx (Gingerbuddie)