Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun
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The United Kingdom of Aaun, or simply Aaun, is an independent sovereign nation that follows a feudal system ruled by a constitutional monarchy. It was founded as a successor to the Harvest Confederation after its formal dissolution following an election by the Harvest Lords in 1892 F.A. It derives its name from the Kingdom of Aaun, an ancient kingdom founded by Godwin - the secondborn son of Horen. Since its foundation, it has heavily emphasised its desire for a united humanity bonded by its shared history and values. Its current capital is New Vienne, gaining its name due to it being reconstructed from the remnants of the Ruined City of Vienne that had been sacked in 1883 F.A. during the Harvest Revolution almost a decade prior to the nation's founding. The region that the capital encompasses, including other lands under direct control of the monarchy, often referred to as the Crown in formal internal documents, are known as the Crownlands.
The current monarch is Charles I, a former Harvest Lord and the patriarch of the well-regarded House of Alstion.
History
Before the First Kingdom of Aaun
In the Ancient History, Horen's older brother, Krug, would be wrathful for not receiving the holy wisdom of virtue that Horen himself would be gifted by the Creator. To better lead his people, Horen had established a city hidden away from the other tribes that would soon garnish a reputation for its piety and trustful nature. In a cunning scheme planned by Krug and his tribe that consisted of deception, they would eventually locate Horen's city and slaughter its citizens who had become easy targets due to their unlocked homes. This event had also involved the fratricide of Horen committed by Krug which had he and his tribe inflicted with their bestial appearance by the Creator as a mark of their sin. Following the slaughter, the kingdom that united Humanity had been put into a state of disarray that led to the exodus of Horen's three sons and their followers.
The First Kingdom of Aaun
Godwin, the secondborn son of Horen, led his followers to the Valley of Jrent - a region previously inhabited but was presumably abandoned upon the foundation of Horen's pious city - and there he would declare the first Kingdom of Aaun. While there would be new three kingdoms of men established between the three brothers, the Kingdom of Aaun would be the largest in size though not in strength as the Kingdom of Idunia led by Harren had a mightier army. After 21 years following the occupation of Horen's city by Krug's tribe, Harren - the firstborn son of Horen - would pillage the Kingdom of Aaun with his army, sacking many villages along the way before eventually reaching Godwin's keep and murdering him. The Kingdom of Aaun was left in a state of disorder and occupation, much like Horen's kingdom. Owyn, son of Godwin and heir to the kingdom, would be unable to claim his inheritance and fled at the age of seven to his uncle, King Joren, in the Kingdom of Edel which had previously been pillaged by Harren. The Kingdom of Aaun would remain in a state of occupation for roughly 17 years before Owyn had slain Harren and reclaimed his kingdom as well as Harren's kingdom. Owyn reigned as king until his eldest son came of age and he abdicated the throne. Not much is known about how Owyn led his kingdom, though he is known for appointing and consecrating individuals he deemed virtuous as priests to shepherd the faithful - including the first High Priests which formally established what would become the Church of the Canon. It is unknown how much longer the Kingdom of Aaun lasted and in what manner it was ruled, though it is believed that it later came to be merged with the Old Kingdom of Oren before it fell in the 14th century.
Pre-Restoration
Prior to the restoration of the United Kingdom of Aaun, the Harvest Confederation served as its legal predecessor. It consisted of former Orenian rural nobility that rose against the Kingdom of Oren in rebellion after an attempt was made to revoke Hannes de Vilain's title as Baron of Acre and declare his family criminals. Following their success in the revolution and dismantling the kingdom, the nobility came together to form the Harvest Confederation with each major landed noble granted the position of Harvest Lord and Hannes de Vilain holding the authority as de-facto leader. The Confederation lasted almost a decade before a party of Acreans led by Baron Volker - Hannes' son and successor - attacked the Kingdom of Balian, prompting a list of demands to be sent by Balian and Haense as an ultimatum. The demands were agreed to, and so the Confederation had to concede land; force Petra to secede; allow others the option to secede; force the abdication of Volker; and force an election of a new de-facto leader among other concessions.
Restoration
The remaining Harvest Lords would soon after unanimously elected the Harvest Lord, Charles Leopold Alstion, as their new de-facto leader who would go on to swiftly dissolve the Harvest Confederation and reformed the union into the United Kingdom of Aaun. Though the Harvest Lords were not told in advance that Charles would dissolve the Confederation, the dissolution was well-received with the exception of Acre who felt that this decision had ultimately meant that they had fought for nothing. This would prompt a period of tension that began to increasingly escalate. During the next summit intended to formally establish the United Kingdom of Aaun, the Barony of Acre's new baron - Wolfgang de Vilain - would arrive with mercenaries from House von Draco, a newly landed Haeseni vassal, in what was perceived by others as an intimidation attempt. Despite this, the vote formally established the kingdom as an entity in a 4-1 vote which prompted Acre's vocal desire to secede. Throughout the tensions, the Kingdom would continue to develop its internal institutions and reconstruction.
Conflict Brews
Following the summit, Charles Alstion would issue a royal ban on Wolfgang de Vilain and his supporters, claiming that Acre had only caused trouble and that they will honour their wish for independence but only through exodus and not secession. This led to the intervention of both the Kingdom of Haense and the Kingdom of Balian to issue a joint letter summoning Charles and Wolfgang to Balian's capital to peacefully discuss Acre's secession dubbed the 'Congress of Atrus'. The negotiations would ultimately prove to be unsuccessful. Charles was adamant on Acreans leaving while offering to pay for their relocation, yet Wolfgang wanted Acre and its people to secede and retain independence in their homeland. The sovereigns of Haense, Balian, and Petra would then privately discuss the situation on their own which prompted Aaun to leave Atrus, feeling that he was not being respected as a sovereign in the discussion. Haense, Balian, and Petra would later issue a document titled the Treaty of Atrus, which declared that they would recognise Acre's independence and sovereignty in their currently held lands, partitioning lands between Aaun and Acre, and affirmed that they would uphold the treaty with full force. The document received mixed opinions. Many aligned with the three nations felt that Aaun may have received better treatment if they were to remain, while few argued that it was a needed treaty that Acre deserved. Many aligned with Aaun (though not exclusively) felt that the forced intervention heavily infringed upon the territorial sovereignty of the Canonist kingdom by partitioning its land and guaranteeing the rebellion as well as feeling that deeper motives could be at play due to its supportive relationship with Acre (who had attacked Balian years prior). While Acre did not sign the initial treaty, they later came out with a reaffirmation of independence, claiming that they have always been independent, that they never swore fealty to Aaun and were never told of Charles' intention to dissolve the Confederation. Many Aaunites felt that Acre's decision to initially remain as a Harvest Lord and vote for Charles as the de-facto leader meant that Acre had already recognised Charles' authority and thus felt their attempt at secession was unreasonable. House de Vilain came out with a later document which was written in an insulting manner while threatening Aaun not to transgress on their sovereignty.
W.I.P.
Culture and society
Fashion
What is the general style of fasion in the Nation?
Art
How does art affect the Nation? Do the people love it? Hate it? What is the general art style of the Nation?
Religion
The United Kingdom of Aaun follows Canonism as its official religion. Canonism is a monotheist religion that asserts that Humanity should pursue virtue and piety as revealed to them by the Scroll of Virtue, a scripture that was revealed to Horen - the first Man - by the Creator (known as God) to teach his tribe how they can reach the Seven Skies, an afterlife reserved for virtuous humans from which the Creator supposedly resides. The Church of the Canon, or simply the Canonist Church, or the Church, is the institution led by the High Pontiff that acts as the spiritual and temporal authority regarding matters of the faith.
Politics
The Six Offices
The Six Offices, henceforth referred to as The Six, are considered to be the executive provisional bodies that assist in the governance of the Crownlands. It derives its authority from the Crown directly and is thus expected to be dictated by the Crown solely. From the Six's inception, it has been granted a level of autonomy with the intention to allow them to perform their duties at the best of their capabilities with little interruption. Each Office is headed by an officer who is presumably appointed by the reigning monarch from the kingdom's citizens with no preference for nobility. The Archbishop of Albarosa, appointed by the Church to manage the archdiocese the kingdom encompasses, is encouraged by the Crown to work alongside the Six to ensure that any action taken does not disrupt the Church's agenda in stewarding the spirituality of the kingdom.
The Office of the Seneschal is the highest authority of the Six. It is responsible for the administration of the kingdom's treasury, and its officer is granted the courtesy title 'Chancellor of the Crownlands'. The Chancellor is considered the Crown's chief executive and is given the authority to act on behalf of the Crown in totality. With this authority, they are expected to guide the rest of the Six to ensure that they work in the kingdom's best interests.
The Office of Rites is chiefly responsible for the kingdom's liturgical and secular calendars, and revitalisation of the kingdom through programs such as festivals, tournaments, and other cultural affairs. Its officer is granted the courtesy title 'Master Almanac'.
The Office of War is chiefly responsible for the defence of the kingdom's territories in conjunction with the provincial nobility. They are expected to assess the kingdom's military capabilities, maintain the strength of the Crownland's army in coordination with the levies held by the provincial nobility. Its officer is granted the courtesy title 'Royal Marshal'.
The Office of Restoration is chiefly responsible for the reconstruction of the capital city, Vienne, management of any revenue gained from the capital, and general administration of the capital in a manner dictated by the Crown. Its officer is granted the courtesy title 'Grand Steward'.
The Office of the Peers is chiefly responsible for representing the provincial nobility in direct communication with the Crown. They are expected to stay updated on the status of the provinces and coordinate with the nobility to ensure that the kingdom is prospering in its entirety. Its officer is granted the courtesy title 'Lord Representative'.
The Privy Seal is chiefly responsible for maintaining the royal archives, documentation, and other letterings of the Crown.
Aristocracy
Noble Houses of Aaun
Noble Families:
The Nobility Council
The Nobility Council is considered to be an advisory council consisting of the kingdom's nobility.
Succession
Using an absolute primogeniture succession, the United Kingdom of Aaun designates the eldest child of the reigning monarch as the sole heir to the monarchy's throne and any of its additionally held titles. Upon the death or abdication of the reigning monarch, the heir is immediately designated the new reigning monarch. Traditionally, they are required to be coronated by the High Pontiff, or their appointed representative, as soon as it can be arranged to legitimise their authority as a Canonist Prince in accordance with the Church's Canon Law.
Demographics
The United Kingdom of Aaun's population comprises of mostly Humans with Heartlander and Highlander origins. The majority of population are identified as being baptised Canonists.
Army
Geography
Almaris
The United Kingdom of Aaun resides to the east of Cloud Temple and borders three neighbouring nations: the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, the Commonwealth of the Petra, and the Grand Kingdom of Urguan. The geography of the nation consists of a wide variety of landforms such as rolling hills, mountain ranges, winding rivers, leafy forests, prosperous prairies, and a salty ocean to its east. Many of the settlements, including the capital, have cultivated the grasslands nearby to grow crops, predominantly wheat and potatoes.
