Soolia

Soolia, officially The High Kingdom of Soolia, was a kingdom located in western Eldham, on the continent of Onthukhan. The Absolute Monarchy was comprised of three constituent states, separated by the Soolianic Bay into three regions: Fjellgard's Central Soolia, Midjor's Western Soolia, and Holm's East Soolia. Central Soolia shares land and maritime borders with Geraria, Sylvania, The Trade Republic, Falholt, and Anglunia. The nation's capital, largest city, and industrial center was Rolk. 
==History==
===Early history===
The Soolians were a mountainous people who thrive off the many treasures found inside the mountains they inhabit, quickly plying trade with those around them. The Soolians were united by the great hero Bjorn during a period of instability and turmoil within the Soolian clans. Bjorn's last command before he died was to colonize and expand Soolian culture throughout the world of Eldham, their homeland. The Soolian clans followed their orders and started to spread, Rolk being the most prominent settlement so far. Soolian culture now dictates that every town or village must have a statue of the great hero.
===Soolianic Congregation===
The Soolianic Congregation was the predecessor to the High Kingdom of Soolia. It was an Oligarchic Committee with three people at its center, Block Fjell, Mason (unknown last name), Dice (unknown last name), and Mox Bloom. It was formed on May 30th, 2021, by Block and Mason, with Mox and Dice joining a little later. They rapidly expanded their country and population and founded three settlements: Rolk, Allium, and New Victorialis. They would go on to have good diplomatic relations with the countries around them and set the course for the Kingdom we have today.
The then recent war between Zamotz and Skjoldrbrodir, in which the Soolianic Congregation had participated in, had demoralized most of the population after their drastic losses, and many citizens lost their gearsets and valuable loot to the forces of the Eldham Entente. People were dissatisfied with how the government handled the situation and viewed their leaders with distrust. Block Fjell saw this as an opportunity to consolidate his power in the nation, and he took it. On October 14th, 2021, Block declared himself the High King of The High Kingdom of Soolia. This new nation was a constitutional monarchy under himself that he had hoped would help reinvigorate the population and restore order to the land. This would be the official end of the Soolianic Congregation as it would continue under a new flag and name.
The High Kingdom of Soolia succeeded the Soolianic Congregation when, on October 14th, 2021, Block declared himself the High King following the Zamotz-Skjoldrbrodir War. It became a Constitutional Monarchy under Block himself, and he had hoped that would help reinvigorate the population and restore order to the land. 
=== Abydos Fjell===
When the reign of Block ended, The High Kingdom of Soolia stagnated, and with the end of the “golden age of Allium,” it took a downward trend. Block's successor, Abydos Fjell, aka gbmc_, tried his best to recover the success that had happened during his predecessor’s reign or at least halt the declining path that the kingdom was on, but it was ultimately fruitless. His reign ended with him allegedly being killed in a hunt.
After Abydos Fjell’s alleged death, he had not declared an heir. Through a will that was produced, the heir would be Arthur “Mad”, aka yourfriendmad. Because the succession was unclear, a contender stepped up, King Dvusi Fjell. His argument was based upon the fact that all Arthur had to substantiate this claim was the words of a dead man and the fact that Dvusi was of the Fjell lineage. This went on for some days, splitting the Kingdom in two; those who supported Dvusi and those who supported Arthur. The matter was resolved when Block’s son, Gunnar, and his wife, Dreanki, adopted Arthur, thus ending the succession crisis.
=== High King Arthur “Mad” Fjell===
True to his name, Arthur “Mad” Fjell’s reign was often described as mad. Early into his kingdomship, the former High King merged The High King of Soolia with the Second Empire of Plagatéa, a widely controversial decision within the kingdom. Outside of the realm, this decision angered many nations; the Ashtrokan-Wandenreich Empire saw the merger as Plagatéa annexing their territory, as they held claims to the province of Stone. This eventually led to war, and other nations who had grudges against Plagatéa saw this as a perfect chance to hinder the country. Shortly thereafter, Soolia had left the merge, becoming independent once more; however, the Ashtrokan-Wandenreich Empire saw this as an excellent opportunity to get the province of Stone under their control once more, as the decision to merge with Plagatéa had voided all defensive and military alliances. Since The High Kingdom of Soolia had just left the protection of Plagatéa, this was the most opportune time. High King Arthur antagonized them, which furthered the idea of war, which led to more reasons for the Empire to declare war against the Kingdom. The Ashtrokan-Wandenreich Empire declared an offensive war against the Soolians; however, few citizens of the Kingdom wanted to march to war. Before the first battle had been fought, the two had reached a compromise: The High Kingdom of Soolia was to hand over Stone and dethrone the High King, which they, in return, would cancel the declaration of war. The Kingdom agreed, which led to the current borders between The High Kingdom of Soolia and the Ashtrokan-Wandenreich Empire and the end of the reign of High King Arthur “Mad” Fjell. 
After High King Arthur's reign, it was mutually agreed that an interim regency council needed to be set up to avoid another succession crisis, which worked. The Regency Council’s purpose was to stand in and act as a High King usually would and look for a suitable candidate for the throne. When they did find a new High King, it would then act as advisors to said High King, but also with the power to impeach if need be. Eventually, they settled on a man of the name Dennis Godd-Fjell, the son of Dvusi Godd-Fjell, to rule the nation.
===High King Dennis Godd-Fjell===
With High King Dennis’s reign, the nation was no longer in a downward trend; it had stabilized, and the collective nation started along the path to recovery, prosperity, and overall bettering itself. One of the first things he did was order the reconstruction of the nation’s capital, Rolk, as it had not seen any updates since its initial construction. The Kingdom has seen an increase in the number of its citizens, the towns are flourishing, and diplomacy has been re-established with the majority of its former allies. This rejuvenation is not only material, but also spiritual, as the Soolian faith is becoming more relevant and the visions of Deepcallers are returning.
The lands of The High Kingdom of Soolia used to be inhabited by gnomes that lived amongst the mountains. For the majority of the Kingdom’s existence, these gnomes were believed to be the progenitor of the Soolian race due to the abundance of archeological findings. The only discrepancy of this theory during this time was those of royal blood. The more pure the bloodline, the more discrepancies arose, with those of the Fjell family being the purest. This is further explored in the book The Soolian Paradox by Frodi Brekkholm. Relatively recently, archeological findings in Artemis of stone tablets that were written upon have depicted that the gnomes that were originally living in the Soolian lands were at war with a conquering people from the sea and had utterly lost. Whether the gnomes were forcefully displaced or killed off by the diseases these new people brought is unknown. This is corroborated by the discrepancies of the former theory, with the more pureblooded Soolians having increased lung capacity, cyan-like complexion, and increased strength. All of the Soolian High Kings have exhibited these features, with the exception of High King Arthur, as he was not originally of the Fjell family and had only been adopted into it to end the succession crises. It is then safe to say that Soolians are not entirely human but rather a type of mer-people. This would also explain the Kingdom’s maritime traditions and the common occupation of piracy. 
The official state religion of the High Kingdom is called Soltrú. However, there is a lack of clarity around what the religion is other than this is what the Soolians believe in, as most of the information regarding it has been lost in time. However, this may change in the coming future, as there are reports of alleged Deepcallers awakening, who are Soolians who have a connection with the Abyssal Realm, which grants prophetic dreams, although the only official Deepcaller is High King Dennis. This gives hope that new information regarding the history of Soltrú and other religious practices will be known through these dreams.
===Death of Goober Godd-Fjell & The Battle of Far Harbor===
The first reign of Goober Godd-Fjell was short and tragic, starting off at the tumultuous end of High King Dennis Godd-Fjell's reign. Right before Goober's Father stepped down from kingship a deadly war had erupted by a rebellious state that held half of the Kingdom of Midjor. Thinking they were weak and lowly rebels Goober had declared war on Far Harbor, however this would prove to be a horrible mistake as the rebels were backed by the at the time indomitable A.W.E. King Goober immediately began to industrialize the nation, frantically having his people forge armor and weapons, brew potions, and pull together finance. 
The first battle of Far Harbor saw Soolia fight against the A.W.E on offense, and it came to be a Soolian victory. This victory however, came at a cost. Later that night as King Goober slept he began having nightmares, premonitions of destruction wrought throughout his nation. Visions of an emperor, with bloodshot eyes signaling a war to burn the entire country to the ground. He tossed and turned in his sleep, but the torment had only just began as he had suffered an aneurysm and died in his sleep, where his soul would be sucked back down to the Deepcallers realm in the Abyss. He would be isolated in the darkness and cold, and tortured by indescribable horrors that mocked him in the image of the people he died trying to save. His friends and relatives that morning saw the King dead where he slept. Distraught, they held a funeral for the King and Dennis ultimately signed the conditions of Soolia's surrender. “The reign of old King GOOBER GODD-FJELL saw the near desolation of His country.
Before the first battle of FAR HARBOR He seemingly sweat drops of blood, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. A short time later He would die in His sleep leaving the council devastated and the fate of the nation in the hands of KING CHARLES GODD-FJELL...
The old King was laid to rest and new times emerged, the nation underwent vassalization and expansion, crisis and peace, yet nothing could quite fill the void the old King left in His wake. An absence that took on a form:  Storms loomed over the country. The air of Rolk became heavy and suffocating.  The oceans were tense, summoning great waves to crash into our shores, and the murals of past kings in our halls seemed to stare back at the people. It was apparent that the tormented soul of the old King was restless and tethered to our lands...” - Frodi “Wonderer” Brekkholm 
===High King Charles Godd-Fjell=== 
The reign of Charles Godd-Fjell was by far the longest lasting and impactful regime in the nations history, as under Charles the nation saw some of its most prosperous days, yet also some of its most tumultuous. After the disastrous war in Far Harbor, the nation was left in shambles. The city of Odenia, the place where the attack had begun was now occupied by Far Harbor and the forces of the A.W.E. With Goober’s death, Dennis Godd-Fjell signed the conditions for Soolias capitulation, requiring Soolia to pay millions in reparations, recognized the occupied territory, and come under vassalship of the A.W.E with a new High King. 
The soaring Godd-Fjell palace on the mountain of Rolk sat hauntingly abandoned. Many of the Fjell had fled to the far away nation of Irulan, leaving only one castle dweller in Rolk’s monstrous citadel. This lonely young inhabitant was none other than Charles Godd-Fjell, Dennis’ only living son. At the negotiating table, Dennis realized Charles may be the last Fjell who could continue Soolia’s survival, and luckily, the new overlords favored the young Charles Godd-Fjell, and so he was granted the throne as the new High King. 
With the ascension of High King Charles Godd-Fjell the politics of Soolia shifted dramatically. Under the vassalship of the A.W.E Soolia had little ability to go on diplomatic ventures to other countries, and it ran as a sort of A.W.E puppet state to the dismay of many former allies of Soolia. Debt repayment began slowly as the nations economy was crippled after the war, but Charles’ leadership helped finally put Soolia on an upward trajectory, with an influx of new recruits, industrial facilities, and a growing economy. The cities also continued construction, as Rolk expanded greatly in size Along with Frihelm. This growth allowed for the repayment of war debts, and the purchasing of conquered territory. 
=== High King Charles' decent into madness & Goober Godd-Fjell's resurrection ===
While Soolia prospered much under Charles reign with a boom of activity and construction and finance, what also seemed to rise were many nation’s animosity towards the new High King. Charles had already started with a relatively negative reputation, being seen as a puppet of the A.W.E, which at the time was increasing in power and aggression. Charles would become similar to these imperialist ways and looked to emulate some of the tactics used by the A.W.E against targets and enemies of Soolia.
Tensions increased between neighbors and international leaders alike, most notably the Kingdom of Geraria, a former ally of Soolia during the Battle of Far Harbor that covertly switched sides during the war before Goober’s death. Geraria was suspected by Charles to be discreetly manipulating Soolian government officials to chip away at his regime and retake Soolia for the older members who were there before the war. These sentiments would come to a head when Charles saw an opportunity in the far northeast of Eldham. A small nation called Korosechev that possessed a valuable swath of land, and was escalating conflict with its neighbor of Valresh. Charles saw this as an opportunity to snag some land that could be sold for more money to the crown. Negotiations for the territory failed, however, and Charles along with Valresh looked to invade the small country, with Soolia eventually gaining the northeast enclave, and Valresh taking back a city that was occupied by Korosechev. In the process however, Soolia had broken its Mutual Defense Pact with Geraria, who assisted Korosechev by helping to prepare its cities for war. The pact was nullified following this ordeal, and relations between Charles and other Soolian allies began to decline.
==Government ==
The former government was situated around the High King as the central authority, with the Chancellor directly underneath, Kings below, and lastly the Royal Council as. The various positions in the government exist so the High King can delegate power to them, so he does not have to do everything. 
The Royal Council was more of an advisory board for the High King, Chancellor, and Kings, although they have the right to impeach the High King should he break the conditions outlined in the constitution. They are also in charge of large-scale, nationwide systems and projects and can also enact changes on the local scale within provinces if it is in the nation’s best interest.
The Chancellor was, essentially, the High King, and acts as a bassline balance between the High King and the Royal Council. The Chancellor is elected via the immediate High King. 
Kings were elected by the High King to head a Lower Kingdom. They have authority over their domain, and as such, they can commission projects, handle court cases that arise inside of their province, levy militias, and manage their province’s economics. They can also enact laws for the province, as long as they do not contradict the Kingdom’s laws.
Counts and Barons (Mayors) lead their settlements, and the first one is always the original founder, and they can appoint their successor if they wish to move on. They make the rules of their respective settlement, as long as such rules do not contradict the laws of the Kingdom or the province. They can also propose laws for the province, but they must pass a majority vote from the Dukes.
===Constituent Kingdoms===
Soolia was comprised of three Kingdoms: the Central Kingdom of Fjellsgard, the Eastern Kingdom of Holm, and the Western Kingdom of Midjor. While each of the Kingdoms were demarcated differently, they were centrally controlled in the capital of Rolk and did not have their own constitutions, however the Western Kingdom of Midjor used to have a semi-autonomous rule in regards to its internal organization under High King Dennis Godd-Fjell. 
===Military ===
The Soolian Armed Forces were organized into the Marine Corps (Army) and the Royal Soolian Navy. The Marine Corps and the Royal Navy were controlled by respective supreme commanders appointed by the High King, with the former army position belonging to Prince Aravor Godd-Fjell and the former navy position belonging to Admiral Ernst Naktinmol von Malaksson-Douglas. In peacetime, the Soolian Armed Forces is commanded by a representative appointed directly the High King. In a state of war, the High King of Soolia would assume the role of the commander-in-chief of the Soolian Armed Forces. The role of the Soolian Armed Forces was described in the Soolian constitution to act not only as a shield for the nation but also as a sword against threats to the national security of Soolia. 
Category:Nations
Category:Eldham
Category:Onthukhan
Category:Traveler's Era