The United Provinces of Dùnrath
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The United Provinces of Dùnrath, of which also known in full commons as The United Provinces of Rathonia, Svealand and Norraberget, or known simply as Dùnrath or The United Provinces (Common: Dunrae (/dʌn.ˈre/),Sveasspråk: Ratteborg) is a semi-constitutional monarchical vassal state of the Kingdom of Norland, having a population made up with individuals of different races. It was established after the Proclamation of the United Provinces in year 70 of the second age by the last Jarl of Dùnrath, Dùghlas Sutharlainn, of which he decided to divide up his power to other governmental departments.
Contents
History
Morantìr (First United Provinces of Dùnrath)
Pre-War of Wigs Period (42 – 60 S.A.)
Before year 42 of the Second Age, even though the sovereignty was secured by the Norlandic Government from the Raenrland Decree on year 20 of the second age, its population is highly concentrated to the western part of the region, closer to the Norland Proper. On the other hand, the Southeastern part of Raenrland was sparsely inhabited by nomads and tribal people of the region, which will be called the “Aboriginals” in the future by the Rathonian Authorities. On year 42 of the Second Age, the Sutherland Corporation, at the time a multinational business venture, and the Clan Chief of the United Clans of Barr and Suther, Daibhidh MacFhilib Sutharlainn stroked a deal with the Norland King at the time, Vane Freysson Ruric, to set up a merchant political entity in the South-eastern part of Raenrland, and they both signed the Helmsdale Agreement to warrant the creation of a new political entity, of which Norland sold the lands of Rath and Vestlandet to the United Clans. Soon, the news of the newly established merchant colony spread across the continent and attracted a substantial amount of Sutican and Urguani people to move into the colony and cultivate the virgin land. On year 45, Daibhidh Sutharlainn decided to enact Article 6 of the Helmsdale Agreement, of which he reorganised the merchant colony to a Barony of the Kingdom of Norland, named the Barony of Dùnrath. The barony was given a substantial amount of autonomy under the Kingdom of Norland by the Helmsdale Agreement and the Rathonian Diplomatic Agreement, which ensured absolute independence in all Legislative, Administrative and Judicial matters and partial-independent in Diplomatic matters. The Barony then exists under the Kingdom of Norland as “A Political Entity of the Kingdom of Norland with a high degree of autonomy”. On year 53 of the Second Age, the Baron of Dùnrath at the time once again stroked another deal with the King of Norland to expand its borders to tackle the over-population issue in the city of Dùnrath. Hence the South Dunbar Agreement was officially signed, in which Norland sold the lands of Osmode, Östlandet, South Dunbar and Gräns-Kristianstad to the United Clans. Moreover, the United Clans of Barr and Suther were also given a Jaric title by the Norlandic Government. This marked the border and the political position of the Pre-United Province of Dùnrath. On year 56 of the Second Age, the Jarl of Dùnrath at the time agreed to sell land to the clan leader of the Anarórë Clan, Boots Anarórë and set up a fortified village by the Gräns-Kristianstad neighbourhood, and the village was subsequently named in Waldenian as Grenzstadt (Agnesa:Baile nan Crìochan, Sveasspråk: Gränsstad), not long after that, the Norlandic Crown gave the title of Laird of Grenzstadt to the Anarórë Clan. On year 57, the first Jarl of Dùnrath (Rathonia) Daibhidh Sutharlainn died from old age. The second Jarl of Rathonian was, and is Dùghlas Sutharlainn.
War of Wigs Period (60 – 70 S.A.)
The Kingdom of Norland joined the War of Wigs in year 54. However, it is not until year 60 that the Rathonian Government start preparing for possible military engagement with the Holy Orenian Empire at the time. On year 61, the Orenian Army, known as the Imperial State Army (ISA), started large-scale assaults throughout the Southern Borders and threatened the safety of rural areas of the Jarldom. In year 63, the ISA launched a full-scale raid throughout the lands of Norland from Krew, Varhelm, and Dùnrath. Hence a skirmish happened between the ISA and the Rathonian Citizens since, at the time, there were no Ashguard Garrisons in the region. The Rathonian Citizen Units, being way more underprepared and inexperienced compared to the ISA, lost the battle against them, and the ISA subsequently raided the Little Matilda Ranch in Osmonde, this is known in history as the Skirmish of Osmonde-Östlandet. That particular action sparked the Anti-Oren sentiment in Dùnrath and strengthen the determination to win the war. The Rathonians have participated in several operations and skirmishes, including the Sacking of Stone Tower, the Battle of Haverlock Fields, and the Siege of Haverlock. On year 69, which is the year before the Battle of East Fleet, following the statement by the Marshal of Norland at the time, Ragnvald Eiriksson Ruric, the People’s Council of Dùnrath also issued a statement with the heading: “When the Sun Shines Brightly on the Blue Sky.” (Agnesa: Nuair a dheàrrsas a’ ghrian gu soilleir air an speur gorm. Sveasspråk: När solen lyser klart på himmlen blå) which the Rathonian Government condemned the action and war crimes done by the Orenian Authorities.
United Provinces Era (70 S.A. - 79 S.A.)
In year 70, two years before the end of the War of Wigs. There was a major earthquake that destroyed all buildings in the western and northern parts of the city of Dùnrath. Despite there being a mild amount of casualties, the city was mostly destroyed and thus, rebuilding was needed. Four days later, the Last Jarl of Dùnrath, Dùghlas Sutharlainn, decided to give up part of his administrative power and establish local governors governing their respective regions. Hence the United Provinces of Dùnrath was established, with the last Jarl of Dùnrath as the first Grand Governor of the United Provinces. Two years later, the War of Wigs ended, and peace was achieved after the war. Subsequently, the Rathonian Government started many building projects, including the Port of Dun’avi, the Finlaggan Place, and the finalisation of the Östlandet keep. In year 72, the Grand Governor of Dùnrath and the King of Norland of the time, King Ragnvald Eiriksson Ruric, signed the Gräns- Bromölla Agreement, expanding the United Provinces further and enabling Dùnrath to grow further. After the expansion was agreed upon, the Rathonian Government established the Province of Norraberget at the newly acquired land north of Mount Turnip. The province attracted a spectacular amount of foreign direct investments from nations such as Haense and the province started to be developed into a commercial area of the United Provinces. In year 78, the United Provinces of Dùnrath held its first-ever election on the First Minister of Dùnrath, of which Marta Sutharlainn, the Baronette of Helmsdale, won 86% of the vote in the election and was elected as the first democratic-elected First Minister of Dùnrath. In year 79, the Grand Governor at the time, Dùghlas Sutharlainn, was found missing from the United Provinces due to his exhibition to the Eastern Heather Island (Agnesa: Eilean Fraoch an Ear) by the east coast of Almaris, of which he was injured and one of his hands were damaged and soon removed from the body. At the time when Dùghlas was missing, his oldest daughter, Ailis NicDhùghlas Sutharlainn, took over temporarily as the Grand Governess of Dùnrath.
Post-Dùghlas Period (80 S.A. - 99 S.A.)
During the rule of Ailis as the temporary Governess of Dùnrath, the Commune of Bergen in Norraberget started to develop itself as a trading hub provided for traders from all around the continent, of which goods could be traded in the region tax and tariffs free. Hence the Commune of Bergen is also known as the Bergen Free Trade Area. In year 82, Urguan and Haense, alongside their other allies, formed the Eastern Almaris Treaty Organisation (EATO) and declared war on, initially Krugmar, then the Kingdom of Oren, of which Dùnrath was dragged into the war due to the overlord of Dùnrath, Norland has signed a defensive pact with Krugmar. However, Dùnrath will be able to declare its neutrality since Norland declared its neutrality from the conflict. During the Cartref Mor Uprising, since the Norlandic Ashguard were responsible for Dùnrath’s defences, the Rathonian Government did not send out the official army and only a team of Rathonian Citizen Unit was despatched to help the Norlandic Guards. Due to tactical reasons, the Vestlandet tunnel was destroyed by the Ashguard.
Helensburgh Period (99 S.A. - 130 S.A.)
After the signature of the Highlander Pact, Dùnrath was to cede "All lands south of Fort Catherine of Rathonian and Norlandic possessions.", since Dun'avi was turned into a military complex, it was decided that Dùnrath shall construct and create a new capital city. The location was chosen in between the commune of Oban, Osmonde and Bergen, Norraberget. It was then subsequently named Helensburgh, of which will be a part of the Province of Norraberget but gains its capital status.
Aibhios (Second United Provinces of Dùnrath)
Culture
The core culture of Dùnrath is the Agnethe Culture, which is the predominate culture of the ruling clans, The United Clans of Barr and Suther, and the Svealands Culture, which is the native culture of Southern Raenrland before Dùnrath was established. Other cultures could also be found in the city due to the diversity of origin of the population. Cultures were legally protected by the Rathonian Government when the Language and Culture Act was introduced in year 65 of the Second Age.
Demographics
The United Provinces have a more diverse demographics than the entirety of Norland. As it was a settler colony when it was first established, the majority of the citizens currently are not born in Dùnrath. The human race takes up roughly half of the population, whereas elves, especially wood elves, take up 40% of the population, the other 10% consists of Halflings and other races. Dùnrath born Rathonians only takes up 17% of the population, with Norland and Savoy-born Rathonians taking up a total of 40% of the population.
Language
The official languages of the United Provinces are Commons, Agnesa and Sveasspråk. The first two were formalised by the Language and Culture Act (65 S.A.) and Sveasspråk is officialised in a de facto manner due to the Council deciding to respect the local native culture and language. All official documents have to have all three languages as the title and the bureau must create a translation in any of these languages by request. The United Provinces also have a list of protected languages for languages that are not prominent as official languages but still have a group of users within the state. Languages such as Ancient Elven and Li-Wen are also used on a daily basis in the United Provinces, mainly for Elvenesse-Rathonians and Liren-Rathonians.
Religion
According to the census done by year 71, half of the population is non-religious, and the largest religion in the United Provinces is Agnethe Folk, which accounts for 26% of the population. The second largest religion in the state is the Red Faith, which accounts for 9% of the population. Other minority religions in the region, such as Cannonism can also be found in the United Provinces. According to the Basic Law of Dùnrath, all official departments must stay Religiously Neutral, and the Rathonian Government must stay secular. Therefore, religion does not play any major role in the United Provinces.
Health
Healthcare in the United Provinces is centralised, universal to all citizens and residents, and fully tax-funded. The Cabinet Secretary for Health is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the clinics and other medical associations throughout the country. The largest clinic of the United Provinces, the Agnes-Rathonian Clinic is located in Central Dun'avi, accessible to all citizens and visitors of the United Provinces.
Cuisine
Rathonian Cuisine includes a variety of different cuisine either originally from the Lovland-Svealand-Tulipa region or brought by settlers from all over Almaris. The original local cuisines are generally simple. Fish, meat, wheat products, such as bread and dairy products, play a major role in the local cuisine. Spices are almost unused in local cuisines and generally, sugar and salt are used in seasoning. As a major producer, Suther Whisky, especially the Challenger is consumed on a daily basis by some residents, it is also known as the strongest whisky distilled on the continent with an alcohol content of 61,7%. Local desserts such as Sirapsvåffla can also be found in the region.
Government and Political System
Dùnrath is a semi-constitutional monarchy, with the The United Clans of Barr and Suther as the sole legitimate ruling clans. The Clan Chief of the United Clans will automatically be the Grand Governor of the United Provinces. The Grand Governor has a high degree of Administrative and Diplomatic rights. However, they do not have absolute power over Dùnrath's Judicial and Legislative matters. The Rathonian Ashguards are responsible for Dùnrath's Justice under the Rathonian Laws, which include the Rathonian Basic Law and Rathonian Civil Law. The political organisation of the Rathonian People's Council decides on Dùnrath's law. The Rathonian People's Council consists of Local Governors and the Grand Governor's Cabinet.
The Local Governors are governors that are appointed by the Grand Governor, they have administrative power in their assigned provinces that can only be vetoed by the Grand Governor, but in actual practice, the Grand Governor seldom interfere with provincial administrative matters unless it goes out of control and residents of that particular province objects about it.
The Grand Governor's Cabinet is made of members that assist the Grand Governor on a broader scale, instead of focusing on individual provinces, they focus on the entirety of Dùnrath. The leader of the Grand Governor's Cabinet is the First Minister, which starting from year 82 of the Second Age, will be elected by the general public, and elections will be held once every 12 years. Under the First Minister, Cabinet Secretaries oversee different aspects of Dùnrath's day-to-day operation. The Cabinet Secretaries can be appointed by the First Minister or the Grand Governor and appoint people to the position by their specialities.
As of Year 87 of the Second Age, Cabinet Secretaries are as the following:
- Cabinet Secretary for Health
- Cabinet Secretary for Trade
- Cabinet Secretary for Social Security
- Cabinet Secretary for Architecture
- Cabinet Secretary for Internal Affairs
- Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs
Georgraphy
Physical Georgraphy
The terrain of Dùnrath is 36% Forest, and only roughly 20% of the current Rathonian land is inhabited. The primarily rugged and mountainous terrain is restricted for habitation. The major habited zones are highly concentrated by the lakeside of Loch Fiag, which is why the Loch has sometimes been called the "Loch of Life" by the Rathonian people. The North and East banks of Loch Fiag are prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, and the great earthquake that happened in Year 69 of the Second Age destroyed the capital city of Dùnrath at the time, causing many to flee to other parts of Dùnrath or Norland.
The main type of tree that can be found in the region is the Grand Dark Oak tree. Other trees, such as Birch, can be found in the region.
Climate
Dùnrath has a temperate climate that is humid subtropical. Temperatures average around 2 to 6 °C (35 °F - 42 °F) in Winter and 27 to 30 °C (80 °F - 86 °F) in Summer. A great majority of the annual rainfall occurs during the summer.
Administrative Division
The United Provinces of Dùnrath consists of 3 provinces and one Minor Territory. They are subdivided into 11 communes that serve mainly for geographic purposes. Before year 94, there were 16 communes, but because Grenzstadt, Kristianstad and Bromölla was ceded to the Kingdom of Haense and thus the number of communes decreased.
| Colours | Province | in Agnesa | in Sveasspråk | Symbol | Administrative Centre | Communes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Osmonde | Osmonde | Osmonde | ❃ | Little Matilda | Little Matilda Oban Dun'avi Cinged-Östfiag |
Formally known as Osmonde-Östlandet |
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South Dunbar-Svealand | Dùn Barr a Deas-Sbhea | Söderbarborg-Svealand | ☘︎ | Fort Catherine | Fort Catherine South Dunbar Mountains Östlandet New South Dunbar |
|
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Norraberget | Na Beanntan a Tuath | Norra Berget | ✤ | Bergen | Helensburgh Bergen North Turnip |
Helensburgh gains capital status, Bergen is the capital city of Norraberget. |
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Vestlandet | Fearann an Iar | Västlandet | - | Vestlandet | Uninhabitable, Minor Territory of Dùnrath |
Largest Populated Areas
| Rank | Name | Province or others | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helensburgh | Norraberget |
1200 |
| 2 | Little Matilda | Osmonde |
500 |
| 2 | Oban | Osmonde |
500 |
| 4 | Fort Catherine | South Dunbar-Svealand |
300 |
Economy
Trade
Whisky is one of Dùnrath's more known goods of economic activity. The ruling clan of Sutherland has been a major whisky producer for more than 200 years before the establishment of Dùnrath. Since the dawn of Dùnrath, whisky has always taken up a substantial amount of Rathonian Export. For the year ended 72 of the Second Age, Elysium is the largest export destination for Rathonian whiskies, accounting for 65% of the sale, followed by Elysium with 10% and Haelun'or with 5%.
Agriculture acts as a major player in the Rathonian economy. Agriculture accounted for 30% of total production in the Rathonian Economy in Year 72. Wheat is the principal commodity. Major secondary crops include potatoes and pumpkins, and Carrots are mostly grown in the Lairdship of Gränsstad.
Currency
Defined by The Monetary Act (73 S.A.), the official currency of the United Provinces of Dùnrath is the Rathonian Agra (Agnesa: Agra Rathanach, Sveasspråk:Ratteborgs Agra). It is a currency with a floating exchange rate regime so the value of the Rathonian Agra is influenced by the activity in the foreign exchange market. This is a new currency that replaces the old Agnethe currencies that have been used in the United Provinces. This currency is considered legal tender in the United Provinces and used to pay off private and public debts. Moreover, instead of Almaris Minae, Rathonian Agra is paid to workers working in the public sector as wages. The currency is also backed by commodities, national bonds and other currencies. As at year 75 of the Second Age, 100 Rathonian Agra is 12 Almaris Minae.
Transportation
The Port of Dun'avi acts as the main port of the entirety of the Kingdom of Norland, of which there are regularly scheduled ferries between Dun'avi and Alisgrad. Moreover, the road network of the United Provinces is also considered to be developed, with paved roads to Alisgrad and almost all of Norland and unpaved roads to Karosgrad and the Ruins of Alba of Oren. There are a total of two ports in Dùnrath: The Port of Dun'avi and the Port of Bromölla.
See also
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