Nornhil
Nornhil is the northern most country of the known world. A land of stark beauty and strong weather it is an often unforgiving land. Over the millennia it has slowly been settled with settlements as far north as the Nordgrenze. Beyond this river are the unknown lands full or many dangerous creatures.
The people of Nornhil are tough hardy people. That have learnt that in the cold of winter nothing warms a person more than a friendly face.
Public Agenda
The primary agenda is to increase trade through out it's domain. The founding belief being that trade brings cooperation, cooperation brings understanding, understanding brings peace.
While trying to be light handed the Hansa look to influence trade policies across the land in the belief that this will bring peace and understanding.
Assets
As an organisation the Hansa have little major assets, rather relying on their influence, diplomacy and alliances. Most mid to large sized cities will have a council building either near the government district of near the docks.
History
For much of its history Nornhil was a poor backwater country consisting of many separate independent settlements. Despite the number of towns and villages most remained independent and often fought amongst themselves. All of this had the impact of preventing the country from moving forward.
The coronation of King Einar of Gullborg marked a turning point in the country. Einar was determined to unite the country and bring the prosperity he thought it deserved. He began with the formation of the Hilstrung, and invited the southern cities to join. To entice the deal, Einar create trade agreements with neighboring nations, enriching both in the process. These deals made it easier to entice other settlements to join under his banner.
In the process of opening the country Einar created an treaties with the Elves, who then set up an observatory in the northern part of Jarnfjoll. The Dwarves were invited to establish mines in the unforgiving brutal mountains to extract the lands mineral wealth.
In a move of generosity and compassion the Gnomes were invited to settle after their exodus from their homeland. Taking advantage of the stability of the region after enduring centuries of war, the Gnomes quickly established themselves to be excellent innovators and contributed to the wealth of the nation with the invention of flying air ships. Despite the limited cargo spacethese ships have been used to improve the speed of communications and move small supplies quickly between cities.
Demography and Population
The people of Nornhil are quite varied. Across the land are Human, Elven, Dwarven and even Gnomish and Orcish settlements.
Smaller settlements tend to be primarily human and are often based around a single industry (fishing, logging, mining, hunting, etc). These industrial towns often have other races providing supporting services. Gnomes provide trade support and logistics. Dwarves provide engineering services.
Military
As the wealth of the country has grown, so have the threats. Traditionally a peaceful people the residents of Nornhil have had to increasingly contend with raiders and invaders from the south, as well rampaging hordes from the north. To counter these threats a standing army and navy was established.
The Nornhil Army
Each settlement contributes soldiers or equipment to the nations army. Experience has shown that split race units do not work due to the differences in sizes. A unit works best when everyone is of similar height and build. The army is organised into battalions and divisions. Division command is often centered around a major city or a fortress. Battalions are mobile units are are often placed where they are needed most.The bulk of the army is based around martial soldier, mostly human with some Elves mixed in. Their primary weapons are the sword, spear and halberd. When in the field they are supported by Archers, when fighting in cities, Crossbowmen. Due to their smaller size the Dwarves are not often part of martial units, but support the army through advanced engineering. Almost all crossbows, ballistas and siege weapons are of Dwarven design and construction. Dwarven units are found defending their cities in the Jarnfjoll. The Eleven output of Vorsposten contains its own garrison. Its small size means it lacks to numbers to bolster the Nornhil Army. Instead it offers limited training services to officers, archers and scouts. Successful candidates are taken and given an intensive 6 month training course. The Gnomes are not known for their military prowess. Rather they offer support through their fleet of airships providing logistical services, communication, scouting and in small numbers troop transport. The small size of the army and the large area it has to defend means that it relies quite heavily upon mercenaries and adventurers to fill the ranks and undertake jobs that they simply don't have the manpower or expertise to complete. Each division commander is authorised to recruit auxillary forces when required.The Navy
Nornhil is a land of rivers, fjords, lakes and an unyielding coastline. This has given rise to a strong seaman ship culture as boat is often the only way to travel. The Navy forms the first line of defense against would be invaders and raiders. Navy ships can often respond much faster than their land borne counterparts. The shipbuilding yards of Halfjar in the north are know for some of the finest vessels in the known world. This all serves to produce one of the most formidable navies in the world. Despite its strength the navy is not known for ocean going or majorly offensive operations as the political and military leadership often spends more time looking towards strengthening alliances, building new trade pacts, and generally handelling internal matters. Over time the navy has begun to move its gaze towards the horizon but for now it is a mostly local force.Foreign Relations
The Hilstrung have spent quite some time positioning Nornhil as a trade hub for the northern world. As a result it has favorable relations with most of its neighbors.
Agriculture & Industry
The climate of Nornhil is very unforgiving and has resulted in a land of harsh beauty, but little in the way of sustainable agriculture. The land is barren and suitable for more hardy and grazing animals. Sheep are common as are cows.
To supplement their diets most people hunt and fish.
The land holds considerable mineral wealth. Many towns have grown around ore deposits. The mountains are known to hold significant reserves of many metals, but the harshness of the range prevented them from being mined. Thus the Dwarves were invited to tame the mountains and in the process have contributed significantly to the wealth of the country.
Trade & Transport
Trade and Transport is conducted mostly through boat. There are very few areas that are not accessible via boat, and many that can only be reached by water. Great trade cogs fill the major rivers as good are moved from towns, mines and villages to the major cities. From there they are sold in markets and shipped offshore to foreign lands.
Maps
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Fiskborg
Type
Court, Royal
Capital
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Confederation
Currency
The primary currency are gold coins. Coins have a standard size and weight and are issued by the royal mint.
Major Exports
Lumber, iron, copper, gold and gems are the primary export of Nornhil.
Major Imports
Due to a shortage of arable land basic stable like rice and grain are often imported. The might and growth of Nornhil is uncomfortably dependent on these imports.
Legislative Body
The Hilstrung is the government structure that covers Nornhil. The role of this organization is to encourage trade between the local population and the wider world. It dictates and controls trade laws, while leaving the individual towns and settlements to govern themselves in what ever manner they see fit.
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