Aikthudr'zhur

Aikthudr'zhur officially the Kingdom of Aikthudr'zhur is a country in northwest Novaris. It borders Gräntierik to the south, Endertopias to the north, and the Varentine League to the east. The country's small coastline lies on the Norsian Sea. Aikthudr'zhur is home to a diverse population of 9.5 million people with a wide variety of different languages, species, and ethnic groups. Its capital and largest city is Highdrilian, which also acts a important religious center for Akuanists in Novaris.

Kingdom of Aikthudr'zhur
Flag
Motto: Come, Listen to our stories
Anthem: Sun Over the Hills
Capital and largest city	Highdrilian
Official languages	Nys’tat’en; Vhydaszi; Shatlo; Dorteth
Demonym(s)	Aikkian
Government	Constitutional Monarchy
• Queen	Halein of House Ny'thudr'zhan
• Prime Minister	Mhiob’ethar Enaaz
Legislature	Ny’Iznakor
Foundation
• Declared	400 AD
Area
• Total	154,002 km2 (59,461 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	9,500,000
• Density	61.7/km2 (159.8/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$61,750,000,000
• Per capita	$6,500
Currency	Kryvava
Driving side	left
Calling code	527
Internet TLD	.akz

History

Early Settlement and Pre-Kingdom Era (1000 B.C. - 399 AD)

The Aikkian coasts were first home to native lutryne groups, while the Atiovha mountains were later settled in 1,000 B.C. by exiled Vhydaszi Akuans. The new arrivals lived a mostly pastoral lifestyle and primarily raised goats and sheep. Around 800 B.C. the region saw an influx of Shatlo elves who had been pushed out of their homeland on the Oshombran Peninsula by Taragai and later Talveri pressure. They named their new home "Aikthudr'zhur," or literally, "The Eastern Places." The arriving Shatlo converted to Akuanism but maintained much of their existing hierarchy and cultural traditions. Their comparatively long lifespans also allowed them to establish their power in region, and many modern political dynasties can trace their roots back to these original settlers.

Unification

In 400 A.D. Aikthudr'zhur was finally united by the House of Ny'thudr'zhan. The House was formally enshrined in the Akuan tradition and is supported by four powerful Shatlo elven families which in turn are granted governance over their respective regions of the new Kingdom. This created a division between supporters of the new monarchy and Akuan Traditionalists, the latter of which cited Akuan religious positions on non-hierarchical governance in opposition to calls for centralization in the face of foreign influences.

The monarchists found an important political ally in local Ny'Sænuri clans within the kingdom, who supported the enshrinement and became the enforcement arm of the monarchy. Despite this the political divides lead to a period known as the Troubles. Though no violent uprising occurred, the Kingdom suffered from general discontent and passive opposition throughout its lands. support of other groups.

First Dwarven Migrations

The Kingdom experienced an influx of dwarven migrations in 539 A.D. These groups were largely welcomed in by the House of Ny'thudr'zhan in exchange for their political and military support against the Traditionalists. The new arrivals were settled among the mountains which had historically been difficult to project authority into and were a bastion of Akuan Traditionalism. The Dwarven migrations ultimately ended the Troubles and allowed the House of Ny'thudr'zhan to stabilize and legitimize its reign.

Second Dwarven Migrations

A second wave of dwarven migrations took place almost a thousand years later in 1558 as a result of repression against dwarven groups by foreign governments. The Kingdom once again allowed entry to the new arrivals, but mandated conversions to Akuanism - A fact which served to reignite Traditionalist thinking which opposed forced conversion.

Constitutionalism

Aikthudr'zhur first established a constitution in 1643 which created a formal parliament and implemented land reforms. The 1643 Constitution was a compromise between the Monarchists and the Traditionalists and served to define the role of the Crown and the nobility. The creation of the parliament helped legitimize the monarchy in the eyes of the Traditionalists and served to alleviate many of the renewed cultural disputes within the country.

Plague and Cryrian Imperialism

Älemsi Plague sweeps through the country, killing rich and poor alike in 1767. Aikthudr'zhur enters a period of isolation. The plague ripped through the country, killing several members of the royal family and left the King bedridden for the rest of his life. His heir, luckily, was spared.

1773 AD

A still-recovering Aikthudr'zhur comes under pressure from rising Cryrian power in the region. The First Treaty of Highdrilian forces the Kingdom to open up its economy and cede concessions in its ports to Cryrian control. Cryrian interference in Aikthudr'zhur only intensifies as Leidenstad begins to increasingly monopolize its mining and logging industries over the following decades. Aikthudr'zhur also became an important base for Cryrian naval projection into the Norsian Sea.

1887

As the new Albertine government in Cryria seeks to consolidate its sphere of influence in Northern Novaris, Aikthudr'zhur is pressured into ending restrictions on foreign agricultural imports. Almost immediately, cheap Cryrian agricultural goods flood into the Kingdom and force its many small farmers off their traditional lands and into the mines to sustain themselves. In 1887, Cryrian-owned docks increased their fees on local fishing vessels, causing an explosion of anti-Cryrian riots in Highdrilian. Cryrian forces react violently and the Royal Family is forced to flee to the interior mountains when the RCRN threatens to bombard the city. Cryrian troops briefly occupy the capital and sack the Royal Palace while unrest spreads around the Kingdom. The looting of the Royal Palace has been a long lasting scar on Aikkian history, and several artifacts was robbed out of the royal shrine. The most important of these were the three swords of the royal Aikkian house - The Sword of Generations, the Sword of the Ancestors Past  and the Sword of the Crashing Moon. The blades have been in the royal family since the founding of the Kingdom, and each sword was wielded by the first monarch of the kingdom. They has been used in every enshrinement as a means of symbolically channeling ancestral spirits into a new monarch. The swords were now delivered to Leidenstad as a means of ensuring Cryrian control over the monarchy and the throne's future inheritance.

The loss of the swords serve to unite many different factions within the country and turn local bureaucrats against Cryrian influence, thus prolonging the conflict.

The situation is resolved in the Second Treaty of Highdrilian, which allows the monarchy to return to the capital and sees Cryrian military forces withdraw back to their concessions, while officers linked to the worst of the violence are recalled to Leidenstad. However, the Treaty also allowed for a Cryrian official to be appointed to the Royal Court and generally ceded further economic control to Leidenstad. Thus, Cryrian control over Aikthudr'zhur only expanded, while the root causes of the unrest remained unaddressed and continued to plague the Kingdom.

Smuggling and tax evasion became a patriotic symbol against Cryrian economic domination. Burning paintings and dolls made in King Albert's image became commonplace in front of the docks, which only increased the tension between the Cryrian military officials and the native population.

Modern Era (1900 - ongoing)

Great War and Removal of Cryrian Imperialism (1904-1924)

With the advent of the Great War, Queen Katharine forms an accord with the Aikkian government. In exchange for the Kingdom’s support, Cryria would remove itself from Court affairs and allow Aikthudr'zhur to once again set its own tariff and trade policies. Aikkian troops are primarily drawn from the impoverished interior and serve under the Cryrian banner across numerous fronts in the war, while Aikthudr'zhur itself remains an important naval base.

1923-1924

The end of the Great War sees the fulfillment of Katharine’s bargain with Aikthudr'zhur. However, the escalating Cryrian Anarchy offers the Kingdom a chance to fully eject foreign influence once and for all. In 1923, Cryrian military outposts in Aikthudr'zhur were closed, and the Kingdom reclaimed the coastal concessions as well as full control of its own affairs.

Green Deal, Environmentalism, Queen Halein and Return of the Three Swords

In 1960, under King Håkan and a new parliament, renewed interest in protecting the interior of the country’s natural resources led to a new constitutional amendment to keep at least 65% of the forest in the country intact. The push led to a trend of eco-friendly and environmentalism in both culture and government. The Kingdom sees a widespread push towards renewable energy, with its geography considered to be particularly suitable for hydroelectricity. The trend of green energy and environmentalism is still strong and on-going, with a ban on all non-electric personal cars enacted in 2011, and public transit switched over to renewable power sources in 2021, which was met with success. By 2022, virtually all cars, trains and cities are completely powered by renewable energies.

The three swords are returned to Aikthudr'zhur in 2020 by order of the newly crowned Queen Ulrika II as part of a new Cryrian diplomatic effort to re-engage with the Novaran mainland. The swords had by now resided in the House of Leidensen's possession for one-hundred-and-thirty-three years. The return of the blades was received with much fanfare and nationwide celebrations, and marked a new chapter in the still-strained Aikkian-Cryrian relations.

Only days after the return of the swords, King Håkan passes away in a boar hunt after reigning for one-hundred-and-ninety-four years. The monarch had been crowned at the age of six and legendarily refused to die until the blades were returned so that his heir could have a proper coronation.

Queen Halein now took the throne and was enshrined shortly after her father's coronation. As the first monarch to grow up in the post-colonial era, her reign now begins with a sense of optimism for the future.

Economy

Energy

The largest source of energy source in Aikthudr'zhur is hydroelectricity, which is primarily drawn from the Sumac river that runs through the country. The Kingdom has made significant investments in environmentally friendly energy sources since the 1960s and expanded its energy goals to include more windmills and solar energy plants across the country by the 1980s. The government fell short of the objective by a large margin and did not achieve its goal until the 2000s.

Overall, Aikthudr’zhur remains carbon-neutral and is a net sink for greenhouse gasses. The Kingdom transitioned to electric vehicles starting in 2011, and by 2022 virtually all cars and public transit vehicles run on renewable energy. Aikthudr’zhur imports negligible amounts of oil for specific industrial uses.

Agriculture

Aikkian agriculture is primarily made up of forestry, animal husbandry(including sheep and goats) and wheat farming.

Forests are heavily protected by the government, and a minimal level of forest cover is enshrined in the constitution. Despite this, the timber industry remains important and its products are utilized for construction and furniture crafting within the Kingdom.

Animal husbandry in the Kingdom is mostly centered around sheep, which are raised principally for their meat, milk and most importantly wool. The wool industry is heavily subsidized by the government. The sector is also tightly restricted due to government limits on land clearing, and as a result it enjoys only limited growth compared to other countries.

Wheat and other food staples are subsidized by the government in order to maintain low food prices. While farming contributes relatively little to the national economy, it continues to hold cultural importance and is the center of many inland communities.

Fishing is the primary domestic food source. Salmon, tuna and shrimp are fished from the Norsian Sea. While the majority of food consumed in the country comes from imports, the fishing sector still provides a large percentage of the Kingdom’s diet..

Industry

Heavy industry is under tight regulations from the government and primarily consists of construction and other woodcrafts that utilize the nation’s timber. The construction industry is a comparatively large sector, particularly as the traditional Aikkian house is made out of wooden materials that must be replaced every 40 years.

The textile industry has historically been crippled by the legacy of Cryrian imperialism, which forced the Kingdom to import textiles from abroad. This persisted until 1904 when agreements with Queen Katharine allowed for the construction of domestic industry in exchange for soldiers to fight the Great War. To make up for lost time the government subsidized the creation of textile factories in Highdrilian starting in the 1930s. The textile industry is currently the only one which has exemptions from government environmental regulations.

The furniture industry also plays a central role to the economy. It largely outputs traditional handcrafted products made from recycled local materials that do not go to the construction industry.

Services

Tourism

Tourism is a huge sector of the Aikkian economy, and attracts a considerable sum of international tourists each year.

Aikthudr'zhur is rich with diverse natural attractions. Due to the government green policies and planning, virtually all of these are unspoiled by industry and largely affordable to foreigners.

The top Akkian tourist destinations are the Singing Forest, Crenel Swamp, Floria Gardens and the H.H Puffer Cenotes.

Foreign Trade

Despite a complicated relationship stemming from the colonial period, Aikthudr'zhur retains numerous economic links to Leidenstad. Cryria remains an important producer of renewable energy technology, and as such has played an important role in Aikthudr'zhur’s energy sector. Aikthudr'zhur is also an important customer for Cryrian electric vehicle manufacturers and imports significant amounts of machinery from Cryrian producers. Aikkian woodcrafts remain popular within Cryria, and Aikthudr'zhur is a common vacation destination for Cryrian tourists. Both the trade deficit and the impacts of tourism in Aikthudr'zhur remain a source of domestic controversy.