Jotunnfold

As Laggsunde typically live nomadic and tribal lives, they traditional handled all affairs internally and never had the need for a federal government. The provisional government they formed was led by the elders and was planned to be abolished after it had served its purpose. Many at that time assumed it would be around for a decade at most, but it still persists to this day 300 years later.

Structure

Jotunnfold's government was never intended to last as long as it has, so it lacks many expected elements including a constitution or even mandate laying out the duties and powers of itself.
The Governing body of Jotunnfold is a simple council comprised of Elders from every tribe and stronghold city. Each stronghold city supplies one elder, and each nomadic tribe may supply one. There is no limit to the amount of seats nor is there a requirement for a tribe to send an elder. How an elder is chosen varies from tribe to tribe and city to city, but traditionally it will be either the oldest and still competent member or the most experienced shaman. The council traditionally convenes on every solstice to discuss matters at hand, however not every tribe will send their elder. The last two times a 'full' council meeting was held was after the failed Freedom Festival in 809 and before the Communion Expulsion of 813. Both meetings has an attendance of over 34 elders.
As long as the council has at least 8 attending elders, they may lay out new laws, decide on public works projects (such as the construction of Dirdala), and even plan offensives (such as the Communion Expulsion). An early session of the council established a secondary 'Mushroom Committee' made up of the elders from each stronghold city. This committee was in charge of producing and maintaining stockpiles of the very rare and important psychedelics used throughout Laggsundian culture.

History

The nation of Jotunnfold was formed several months after the Castran Exodus by the freed Laggsunde slaves who were kept in the lowermost Catalaunii Isles. The Laggsunde were chosen to live the on the lower island due to it being most similar to their native lands, and their ability to easily overcome the islands terrain and climate, that many other cultures found unbearable.

The remaining freed slaves would name the Isle Jotunnfold, meaning "Giants Land", due to the unusual abundance of various giant spirits that wandered the compact island. The freed Laggsunde put in a great effort building ships to send their people back to the mainland in batches, but only a few months after the first batch of 20 ships departed, a single returned warning the others of great beasts that roamed the waters outside the isles, preventing anyone from leaving. In the following panic, the elders of the Laggsunde people got together and formed a provisional government to help try to make the Isle as close to their home as possible.

As Laggsunde typically live nomadic and tribal lives, they traditional handled all affairs internally and never had the need for a federal government. The provisional government they formed was led by the elders and was planned to be abolished after it had served its purpose. Many at that time assumed it would be around for a decade at most, but it still persists to this day 300 years later. The Islands name would eventually go on to be synonymous with provisional government.

Demography and Population

The nation is entirely made up of the Laggsunde culture, some newly joined, others owing their ancestry to the original Laggsunde slaves that were brought to the isles.

Territories

Jotunnfold governs the main Jotunnfold island as well as two small forts located on two Kukulu collective islands that are connected to the main island by elemental sea lanes.

Military

Jotunnfold by technicality has no standing military, but many consider the large guard populations in the stronghold cities to be equivalent to a standing military. However these populations have always been for defense and have only ever been on the offensive once before.

Technological Level

The Laggsunde people have no problem with technology and artifice but regardless never see much use in it for their normally nomadic and peaceful lifestyles. Aside from their Madja neighbors, the Laggsunde people can be considered the most technological deficient people on the isles. Outside of the stronghold cities, you will rarely find much artifice.

Religion

While Jotunnfold does not enforce any sort of religion, most of the country follows Laggsundian traditions of worshiping the Credoth Pantheon. Due to government also leaving judicial duties up to individual tribes and cities, many times these duties become the responsibility of Shamans. This means that when punishments are decided for criminals, they are often 'determined by the gods'. The shaman will often partake in psychedelics to commune with the gods and ask their advice if someone is truly guilty and if so what punishment they deserve. Luckily for most criminals, save a few, Laggsundians believe gods to be merciful and the harshest punishhment for many Laggsundians is banishment, as they view execution an affront to the gods wills.

Foreign Relations

Laggsundians have always been open and welcoming people, because of this they have had little conflict with other cultures and nations that were not aggressive towards them. They held neutrality throughout the great war, and had been peaceful with all of the Isles people for many years. Currently the only foreign entity Jotunnfold holds hostile relations with is the Communion of Balance. This is due to a history of violent confrontations between Communion missionaries and Laggsundians over the last 20 years.
Around the year 800 missionaries from the Communion began visiting Jotunnfold and early on there was little to no conflict, many Laggsundians would take the time to learn about the Jouliat religion and culture, even if they had no interest in joining. Many stronghold cities even allowed the Communion to build churches and setup permanent residence in the country. However by 808 many citizens in the cities had grown tired of the Jouliat who would consistently hound and bother Laggsundians, trying to get them to join their religion or adopt more modest lifestyles like theirs. On several occasions the Communion attempted to enforce clothing rules in the city of Fluda, as they believed the partial nudism present in the cities was unacceptable. Altercations between Communion Paladins and Clerics and citizens became more and more frequent and would eventually would hit boiling over point during the second week of Winterwane 809. Communion members attempted to throw festivities for their annual freedom festival for the first time in Jotunnfold in the city of Fluda. The celebration typically lasts an entire week and despite tensions between them, many Laggsundians participated and it was on route to becoming a good way to ease tensions and hostilities between the groups. Unfortunately on the third day of festivities a fight broke out between some civilians and a group of Paladins, and in the cross fire a child was killed. As news spread through the city and to surronding strongholds, the child quickly became a martyr and rallying cry against the Communion. Increasing confrontations continued to occur across Jotunnfold. Some city guards and shamans would attempt to maintain the peace over the next few days to no avail.
Tensions would final hit climax during a confrontation between several paladins and a city guard on the last day of the festival. The guard refused to turn over two juvenile protestors who had thrown rocks through the window of the cathedral, so the paladins attacked the guard and took the juveniles by force back to the cathedral where they were locked up in a stockade out front. This was the final straw for the city guard and any citizens still friendly with the Communion. The city guard and citizens would lay siege to the large cathedral and torching it to the ground and forcing the remaining Communion members to flee to the docks and escape to island. It would end in the deaths of 5 city guards, 22 civilians, 4 paladins, 3 cleric, and 6 clergymen
The missionaries would make several attempts to return over the next four years in an attempt to reestablish relations with the Jotunnfold government to no avail. It was during this period that Jotunnfold's elders found out via Madja travelers that the Communion had setup a settlement on of the Kukulu islands just north of Fluda. The elders worried that the Communion was planning something heinous and decided to make a move first. So on 27th of Fellnight 813, during the Feast of Last Light a small militia of Laggsunde warriors traveled in the darkness to the island and drove the residents out while their magic was weakened. The militia then burnt the settlement to the ground, and built a fort atop its ashes that they would use a forward watch point to intercept and turn back any missionaries that would attempt to return to Jotunnfold.
To this day Communion and Jotunnfold relations are cold, and while many who did not live in Fluda or another city that held some of their missionaries.

Education

Education is typically seen as a families duty in Laggsunde culture, and most people obtain the majority of their knowledge from their family. The exception to this is found in Oshfnda, where the Halsgrod Institute of Natural Sciences exists. The institute is a large set of buildings containing lecture halls, libraries, and research labs where Laggsundians from all over Jotunnfold come to study and learn. Students range from young teens to adults looking to learn more about the world. The school is run and taught by volunteer professors, shamans, and researchers. Classes are open to the public, but individual professors may take on several apprentices to receive private and more detailed tutelage. The institute is also partially operated by the Order of Enlightenment, who manage and run the libraries contained inside, including the Midnight Sanctum.

Infrastructure

Public Infrastructure is minimal in Jotunnfold. They have one large highway that circles the Island connecting the many stronghold cities, but lack other roads paved roads. Many trails can be found throughout the center of the island but they are not maintained by anyone, and exist due to traffic from the nomadic tribes around the island. The only other instance of public infrastructure is Dirdala, a large festival ground that is surrounded by a stone henge like construction that is enchanted before festivities to help keep dark spirits at bay during celebrations.

Broderfolkenes vel

Maps

• 

  Oshofnda

Founding Date

535

Type

Geopolitical, Republic

Government System

Gerontocracy

Power Structure

Provisional government

Economic System

Barter system

Major Exports

Mushrooms

Major Imports

Crops

Legislative Body

None

Judicial Body

Theocratic Judgement

Official State Religion

Credoth Pantheon

Neighboring Nations

• Castrum Empire

Related Ethnicities

• Laggsunde