The United Kingdoms of Europe
The United Kingdoms of Europe is a major nation-state on the continent of Weralt, considered a federal republic and ruled by elected representatives. The UKE consists of 9 kingdoms, also considered provinces, and constitues the central regions of its home continent; such a position also makes it the confluence of many different races and cultures.
For almost 600 years the nation has existed, most of that time as the Kingdom of Raskaria under King Pierre Antois III. A series of political upheavals in the mid-to-late 1400's resulted in drastic shifts to the concept of governance within Raskaria, causing the formation of the United Coalition of Burgundy (Burgundy being the name for the greater area of Raskaria and Rohan), the United Kingdoms of Europe, and finally its final democratic form on November 19th, 1485, after the convening of the Übercouncil. Since then, the UKE has championed ideals of liberty, freedom, and democracy in a world still saturated with monarchists and magocracies.
The UKE's history is stained red with the blood of many wars, but at the same time the nation has also spearheaded the largest peace movements and alliances in centuries. With its closest ally, The Idgyptian Empire, at its side, the UKE has been influential for many world events and promises to continue that influence for generations to come.
Culture
Culture in the UKE is not a single quantifiable topic, as with all nations it can vary from town to town. Especially in the UKE however where freedom reigns supreme and each province carries unique properties and origins, it is impossible to describe culture without making sweeping generalizations. Reader be warned.
Religion
- Full Article: UKE Religion
Art
In the UKE, art is known for being intertwined with a sense of functionality in many aspects. Art galleries or statue gardens by themselves for example are not a common sight, instead usually incorporated into entryways, museums, or larger structures. Weapons and armor are crafted for function but often have some form of artwork incorporated into the design.
Paintings, poems, music, and other such works of art are just as important in the UKE as they are in any culture. The UKE's distinctive style of functionalism is easily identifiable by works of art having some purpose beyond just being art. Paintings in the UKE, for example, tend towards photorealism and interpreting on real images or events. Poems are often written with the specific goal of teaching or enlightening their readers. Songs, as boistrous and unintelligable as they may become during a night at the tavern, are usually written as storytelling devices rather than for purely melodic reasons.
Many brewers and winemakers in the UKE would consider their craft an art as well. Especially in Dwarven cities, thousands of different types of alcohol are available and the makers of the most popular brews are celebrity artists in their own right. Combined with drinks of course is the nature of food in the UKE. This is perhaps one of the most varied aspects of UKE culture from city-to-city, though a very basic rule applies; Taste is paramount to presentation. A filet of perfectly-cooked steak surrounded by vegetables and garnish is good, but many in the UKE would contend that the same vegetables chucked into a stew of special sauce and poured over the same steak would be the preferred method of serving. Meal and drinking time is believed to best be kept entirely seperate from work, and should be enjoyable pasttimes by themselves. Meals are to be savored and enjoyed, and a cook should not burden themselves with presentation when the food will almost certainly be gone within the hour anyway.
Architecture
Cuisine
Daily Life
Government
Structure
The structure of the UKE government, which has gone through many changes in the last century, revolves around the Constitution and its Proclamations. At the head of the federal government is an Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branch established with equal power. Below the federal branches, the 9 kingdoms, with the exception of Kharanos, each hold a similar structure to the federal government. A number of the kingdoms retain their previous monarchs, who operate as governors of their respective provinces but retain some measure of authority- essentially, governors but with a lifelong term of office. This exception was passed in order to appease those which believed the traditional values of the monarchy should remain in place at the formation of the republic.
Military
Major Cities
- Map of major UKE cities yet
- Raskaria City
Economy & Industry
Technological Advacements
CANNONS: The UKE in particular is the only nation to mass produce cannons on a large scale to outfit its armies, giving a slight edge in long-range bombardment and defense.
CLOCKWORK CONSTRUCTS: Besides some small sects of the ancient Narmans and modern Gnomes, the UKE (The Dwarves in Particular) is one of the only major nations with a decent amount of constructs. Some heated political strife has occurred in recent times regarding the Warforged, a race of constructs that largely gained sentience. The clockwork knowledge has also been used to bolster the air force with flying machines capable of delivering high-yield explosives, and the navy with advanced propulsion systems on the UKS Wutbrecher.
STEAM POWER: Beginning first in Karaz-Ankor in the mid 1400's, steam-powered machines and factories have allowed the UKE to begin the process of industrialization. Mass production of certain products has created areas of abundance, and allowed corporations to grow immensely in size and influence. Additionally, steam engines are a vital part of the UKE's most advanced naval vessels and airships.
AIRSHIPS: Airship technology has existed since the early 1400's, but construction of such vessels was deemed too expensive and fell out of favor, save for the dwarven Gyrocopters. The UKE began popularizing the technology once again at the start of the 1500's, with experts concluding that advancements in construction and supply chains had once again made airships viable. The UKE's airships are currently all built and sold by the United Shipwright Company, though other companies are rumored to be working on their own designs. Current models are powered by advanced arcano-tech steam engines, levitation crystals, and sails.
Demography & Population
The 1510 census places the UKE's total population at 43,500,000. This marks a 20% increase in population from 1500 to 1510, the large rate of growth primarily attributed to the country's increasing industrialization.
Humans make up the largest portion of the UKE's population at just over 50%, mixed between humans of German, French, and Idgyptian origin. Dwarves are the next largest population, followed by Halflings, Orcs, Narmen, and Elves. Roughly 8% of the remaining population of the country consists of relatively small populations of various other races.
Public Agenda
The agenda of the UKE varies widely depending on the current administration that holds office. Commonly followed though, is a firm devotion to the countries allies, and an unwavering war-machine always ready for battle. The culture of the UKE values efficiency, and so those trade partners which are deemed reckless or no longer beneficial to the economy are quickly separated ties with to avoid future conflicts.
Education
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