Granrik of Heralya
(Article is completely out of date at this point and needs a full re-write. Moved to non-canon while it waits.)
Formed only a mere two decades ago after its conquest of the petty kingdoms of Summerlen, the Granrik of Heralya is the would-be successor to the legacy of the Grannrormrlen. The last great Pretheyan kingdom outside of the borders of Ethlarnashem to refuse to embrace Shahru, the Heralyans cling to their ancient traditions, dreaming of a world ruled by Arcana rather than Theos.
Politics
Situated at the very centre of the Landamar region, Heralya finds itself pressed in-between Ressengia, the Vestaltir's southernmost border, the Kingdom of Ressengia, Vaeoule just over the sea, and its Asatroan sister-states to the west. Having grown to its current size through constant warfare, the Heralyan nobility are split into two categories; those who support the crown and wish to see the Granrik flourish, and those who resent being brought into it by force and wish to secede from the kingdom. The Granrik's relationships with its neighbouring countries are also strained without exception. The Vestaltir yaps tirelessly for the Shahru nations to descend upon the Heralyans and drive them back beyond the Silver Mountains, while the Ressengians and Vaeoulen watch them with a wary eye, constantly searching for any hint of weakness. They can find no allies in the west, either; with the other Landamaeri nations occupying the area in and around the Granite Capital just as likely to attack them as any of their Shahru neighbours. For this reason, Heralya has survived through the cultivation of one of the most powerful armies on the continent. Possessing a corps of the most competent Esoterikii in Pretheya, they have shocked the Rukhmarite world by being the first faithless nation to field an army capable of going toe-to-toe with Theos-wielding opponents. Their success is also in part thanks to the advantages yielded by being the first and only country in Pretheya to adopt Intues, granting them access to logistical and military technologies strong enough to turn the tide of battle.Religion
Even prior to the conquest of Summerlen, adherence to Shahru had steadily been spreading south through openings in the Silver Mountains, despite it being illegal to practise under Granrik law. In spite of the fierce persecution believers faced, the religion was still able to propagate in the northern region of the country to the point where it came to be held by a majority of those living there. The situation only further complicated after Summerlen was annexed, leading to a situation in which more than half of the Granrik's population now worshipped Rukhmar. In the years that followed the conquest, the ethnically Heralyan citizens of the Granrik began to place more and more pressure on the nobility to implement equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion; a proposal that gained momentum when, for the first time ever, Summerlen conscripts wielded Theos in battle alongside Heralyan Esoterikii in a small skirmish against one of the western kingdoms. Though the king of Heralya and his court at large remain staunchly Asatroan, discontent continues to rise by the day in Heralya, and in the present, the country is nearing a boiling point. Some suspect it is only a matter of time before civil war breaks out between the Shahru and Asatro parts of the country, though others hold onto hope that the king may yet avert this fate through shrewd decisionmaking.Culture
Culture within the Granrik is split heavily along geographical lines, primarily along the east and west of the river Demtoper inside Heralya, and at the border between Heralya and Summerlen. Additionally, it also varies immensely depending on religious beliefs, with Asatro and Rukhmarite Heralyans tending to hold very different views even on matters not pertaining to their religion. The core of most Heralyans' identity stems from their relationship, either positive or negative, with the Grannrormrlen and the Wyrms. Heralya was one of the last regions to secede from the Grannrormrlen's control in the wake of the Karvina invasion, and was then invaded a century later in a war that would last over eighty years in an attempt by the Grannr to bring them back into the fold. This war created long-standing divisions between separate families depending on which faction their allegiance lay with during the conflict; with pro-Wyrm restorationists holding bitter grudges against the monarchists in favour of independence and human rule. Although it ended in 501 FF, nearly five hundred years ago, the rivalries forged in this war still live on to the present day, leading to the perpetual instability that the Granrik experiences on a political level, with rulers having to try and keep various parts of the kingdom from being at each-others' throats. The situation became even more complicated when Shahru began to spread within the Granrik. While the restorationists were united in their hatred for the Theos-wielding worshippers of the Firebird, opinions among the monarchists were split; which in many cases lead to even further rifts amongst their groups. Among the followers of Rukhmar, not all are or were monarchists, either; some came from restorationist families who had long looked back fondly on the days of the Grannr, and find that their nostalgia for it chafes against their Rukhmarite beliefs. Some wish for a recreation of the Grannrormrlen to be ruled by a figure similar to the Alight of the Vestaltir, but the role of the wyrms themselves in such arrangements remains unclear.Notes 29/03/2023
Political State of the Granrik
The Granrik of Heralya has been under atheistic governance for many centuries as a stubborn holdover of its time under the Landamaeri empire. After the war against Karvinasstrad that caused Landamar to let go of Heralya, however, the motivation for its peoples to remain divorced from religion has slowly begun to ebb, sustained only by a cultural hatred for the Rukhmarites who - in their view - shattered the Grannrormrlen centuries ago. Heralya was the last nation on Pretheya to expel the dragonkin, and is still largely sympathetic to the wyrms in many ways. The Granrik recently succeeded in conquering the north of the country, which had been majority Rukhmarite for nearly a thousand years. They are far from happy to be under the Granrik's rule, and there has been constant unrest from the provinces ever since the conquest was complete. South-eastern Heralya has also converted due to trade with Ressengia, and the faith has continued gradually spreading inland, popping up in rural villages far from the central authority with the power to stamp it out. As a result of this, more than half of the Granrik's citizens are now Rukhmarites, but the nobility and wealthy elite still remain faithless as a component of their position. As such, simmering conflict has been building up over the years between the people of the towns and villages and the ruling class. Cities, meanwhile, remain bastions of the old ways due to the tight influence of the local lords over them. Charters of self-governance are nonexistent in Heralya, with all land being owned by the Granrik. The nobility has been severely curtailed and largely serve as puppets of the king, but the king is not all-powerful, requiring constant loans for money from the merchants and unable to finance his armies without them. The merchants constantly lobby for the advancement of Shahru, as conversion of the state would mean more lucrative trade opportunities for them.
Founding Date
1821 Re / 984 FF
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Alternative Names
Often simply referred to as "Heralya"
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Demonym
Heralyan
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Neighboring Nations