The United Principalities of Veitenland
This wild and barbaric land has not seen a great age since the kings ruled in days long dead. The wars between brothers, between fathers and sons, has stamped down the earth of the lonely places strew out in the untamed splendors of the north. The hardest country to settle has long defied the efforts of empires and men to tame it, now it is faced with a war for the hearts and minds of its people, the hope that perhaps a future can be constructed for a government that can barely function of its own accord, a government that flounders and battles against its own people and administrators. The path ahead is rocky.
Structure
The structure of Veitenland is a rather complex issue. At the local level, the government rests in large family units called clans. These clans all have a chieftain, the oldest male of the group. These clans inhabit settlements rather than cities, though in the small southern portion of the country near the sea larger cities do in fact exist, but not so in the country's interior. These clans or cities in turn answer to a Yarl, this yarl or jarl, used interchangeably. These jarls are regional overseers who in turn must answer to a Prince who oversees the larger reason and in turn, represents his people on the council of princes who vote upon the laws of the people over which they govern.
Public Agenda
The public agenda of the government of Veitenland is to bring stability to Veitenland after many years of turmoil and fighting, but this has only partially succeeded. The sharp talons of war have not dragged across the flesh of humanity for a while, but it is always brewing and getting more and more hungry. The jarls and princes often have conflicts which are settled by armed conflict. The government is grudgingly accepted rather than rejoiced in and celebrated because it is desperately necessary to avoid worse conflict.
Assets
The assets of the local areas vary wildly. In the small southern parts of the country, the majority of the country's military stays there, along with their small navy. The further north one goes into the interior, the fewer government assets the country possess. Most of the riches of this country are in the southern part of the country where its two largest principalities are.
History
The history of Veitenland is a bloody one, full of changing powers and epic deeds by great kings of song and story. It is only of very recent that peace is attained, and even this seems painfully short lived. When this place moved from the mythic age into the age of Kings, it was the sight of constant war, now, in this age it again seems ready for war. The overthrow of the Kings by the Jarls, brought on by the loss of Mariel, was both a step forward and a step back. The struggle over this country, its struggles, its pain is long held and those who dwell here have known it since the earliest days. Many pray for the return of the Kings, while others try to make the Jarldom function. It will all fall apart soon.
Demography and Population
The vast majority of the population is human, broken into two distinct people groups, the northerners and southerners (more can be found in the Veitenlander article). The secondary race of this area would be Dwarves, many pass through or settle for a time, but rarely live for long in Veitenland. Halflings and Lycans also cross over from Mariel from time to time, depending on the circumstances.
Territories
The territory of Veitenland is indeed vast stretching from the border with what is now Mariel to the southern border with the Inner Sea's northernmost edge and then running far into the trackless north, nearly endless until it finally reaches the mountains of ice at the top of the world, somewhere out where the World-Tree lies.
Military
There is no standing military for the nation, though serfs can be levied. The primary fighting force are the warriors of the princes and/or jarls who serve as the backbone of the nation's armed forces.
Technological Level
Significantly lower than many of the countries around the Inner Realms, especially Jahlbar by comparison.
Religion
There is no true state religion for Veitenland. The classical religion is the Brotherhood of the Beam, the worship of the sister goddesses. Lately, the Cult of Tarja has been growing in popularity in the border regions, though the Brotherhood still influences the culture to a much greater extent and shows little sign of weakening.
Foreign Relations
Foreign relations are generally rather poor as the government of Veitenland is so weak in the current time, the country has a friendly relationship with the Dwarves and gets along alright with Mariel, though this two has begun to strain as of late. They have a poor relationship with the Elves and with he Sterii who one time, long ago tried to conquer this land and failed miserably.
Agriculture & Industry
Agriculture is difficult everywhere except for in the south, the majority of industry in this country involves wood and minerals extracted from the north and shipped elsewhere in the world for very large sums of money. That being said, the lack of organized industry, other than those who have dealings with the Dwarves who use these roads for their higher-quality minerals, has certainly injured the economy and held them back.
Trade & Transport
Trade and transport is very difficult because of the sheer size and disrepair of the nation's roads, that being said, the Veitenlanders are great seamen and have great experience sailing down the rivers and lakes to the Inner Sea and thereby being a part of trade, especially with Jahlbar whose need of wood frequently forces them to pay dearly for their desert climate.
Education
The level of education in Veitenland is generally very, very low. Outside of mythology it is rare than commoner would know much beyond practical local history and natural information. There is no schooling system or even a great emphasis upon it in the public sphere.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is a significat struggle for the people who inhabit the rough lands of the north. Some of the old kings built great structures in their time, but these are rare, most of their roads are truly of Dwarven make, either that or they are dirt tracks through the wilderness. The boundless, seemingly limitless expanse of the north is a great challenge to tame and span.
Together There is Victory
Founding Date
125 B.V. (of the current government)
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Alternative Names
The Northlands, The Upper World
Demonym
Veitenlanders
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Provisional government
Economic System
Gift economy
Major Exports
Mainly minerals and wood, especially wood, they are by far the largest producer of lumber in the Inner Realms.
Major Imports
Veitenland is rich in natural resources, but they often have to import grain and finished materials that otherwise couldn't be grown or made in the rough and untamed landscape.
Legislative Body
The Legislative body is the Council of Princes, where all 9 princes of Veitenland join together twice a year to vote on the laws of the nation. These princes are elected by life, by the other princes in one of their councils from among the jarls of a principality.
Judicial Body
Ultimately the princes themselves are judges, but it is also worth noting that the jarls themselves have a significant amount of authority regarding the judiciary treatment of law. The jarls interact with the law far more often than the princes do.
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
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