Bjagríki Union

United by Lies and Fear

You of all people should know what awaits our union if even one constituent state secedes. All around us are power-hungry leaders who would be more than eager to jump on such an excellent opportunity to destroy all we've built for ourselves. Only as one can we have any hope of keeping this land, just as we’ve done for over a century already.

— Þora Dagsdatter, Union Elder of Bjagríki

The Bjagríki Union is a confederation of smaller petty kingdoms and Vakner tribes in northern Henvikendal that rallied under a single banner to protect its people from foreign threats.
Initially, the political entities that made up the confederation had intended for it to last around fifty years, giving them enough time to grow and become self-sufficient on their own, but the rising threat of the Rahyamin Empire kept the union together.

Politics

Bjagríki is a country made up of three distinct states with significant amounts of autonomy. These states are led by their own governments which can come up with their own laws, muster their own armies, and collect their taxes, but these semi-autonomous states are required to contribute a portion of their income to the common treasury of the union.

Fearmongering

The Bjagríki Union was originally supposed to be a temporary confederation that could keep the three small countries alive from foreign threats, but more than 150 years have passed since the unification.
Each time a state has considered declaring their independence, the union elder has reminded them of the world’s dangers.
Some believe that those who want to keep the union together have launched raids on their own people to threaten them back into line.

Elders of the Union

Each of the states is led by a hereditary leader, most of whose ancestors were rulers of their land before the union was formed. Such rulers are called state elders, and one of them heads the entire nation as a union elder.
All three state elders have a vote in important national matters and while all of them may bring up new law proposals and other important issues, the union elder could veto them if they believe such an act threatens the cohesion of the confederation.
The union elder reigns over the country until their death, after which a coin will be flipped and one of the other state's leader shall be granted the position of power.

Military

Compared to the rest of the Vakner nations that surround them in Henvikendal and Rothnia, the Bjagríki Union is fairly weak and they lack the manpower and equipment for large-scale conflicts. Each state controls their own armies, but a small portion from each force is sent to guard the confederation's northern border from the regular raids that threaten those regions.

by Gigi

Strategic Value

Although the government of the union may preach of the unity that protects their nation, a more likely reason as to why Bjagríki has never been conquered lies with its strategic value.
The confederation is in the northernmost reaches of Henvikendal and they bear the brunt of the war bands that come south from Æþíne. For their southern neighbours, the union is a convenient shield that lacks the spears to threaten them.

Economy

What they lack in military might the confederation makes up in their economic power. The northern passage, one of the few ways of traversing through the mountain range, lies within Bjagríki. Lots of trade between merchants of Henvikendal and Rothnia flows through those valleys, enriching the land’s inhabitants.

Mines of Elska

In the northern passages lies the mining town of Elska. The settlement is a major centre of trade and it serves as a home to the miners who delve into the nearby mines. The wealth they dig up from there has provided a tremendous boost to the union and mining town.
The mines of Elska are mostly rich in gold, but in recent years people have uncovered more deposits of precious gemstones, leading to a fresh wave of prospectors eager to make their fortunes there.

Founding Date

157 AA

Type

Geopolitical, Republic

Capital

Gildrhofn

Demonym

Bjager

Leader

Þora Dagsdatter

Government System

Oligarchy

Power Structure

Confederation

Economic System

Market economy

Major Exports

Gold, gemstones, stone

Major Imports

Iron, grain, livestock, lumber, fabrics

Location

Henvikendal

Official Languages

• Henvikish

Controlled Territories

• Elska
• Gildrhofn
• Valrtún

Related Ethnicities

• Vakner

Raid on Valrtún

In 283 AU, two years after the greatest threat to the union’s existence, the Rahyamin Empire, had perished, a great tragedy befell the Bjager.
Hours past the sun had set, a large band of unknown assailants launched a deadly raid on Valrtún, a town in the heart of the union.
Before the incident, the three states were planning on ending the confederation for good, but the union elder had rallied support for the union's continuation following the event.
He claimed the marauders had come from the south and that the world was in more chaos than ever before. All attempts at independence were soon stopped and right to veto decisions was granted to the country’s leader.

---

Old Pekkola

Open full size