United Kingdom of Eirenn and Pictfearr

The United Kingdoms of Eirenn and Pictfearr (officially *An Ríochtaí Aontaithe Eirénn agus Pictfeárr*) ar a country in Zamoroziet.

It is referred to colloquially and informally as "An Riochtai."

## History

### Prehistory

Archaeologists believe the Pictish ethnic group has occupied the region of Pictfearr and Eirenn for around four millenia, and may have been the original human settlers of the region.

### Antiquity

Reman records tell of angry blue warriors in chariots who refused to be conquered, and waged effective war against the northernmost boundaries of Reme. Although initially unsophisticated with technology, they quickly learned the innovations of the Remans and kept their borders free for many generations.

At the close of the first Reman Empire, Pictish conquests increased, and distant kingdoms were founded in the expanding zone of Pictish dominion. The greatest of these would become Celtica.

The Pictish people were nominally united under the Pictish Federation, but the great size of their holdings results in a constant shifting of the political balance.

### Middle Ages

The seafaring kingdom of Dalriada, composed of a heavily interlinked maritime city-states scattered around the Encircled Sea, was based in Pictfearr between the 7th and 12th Centuries. Dalriada mariners, in their traditionally-constructed longships, were avid traders (and occasional raiders). This maritime empire slowly withered during the 1200s, as many of the more modern nation-states formed.

During the Middle Ages, the Bolish invaders pressed in on the Pictish Federation.

The Pictish people also began to convert to the Theophanite religion, which came up from the southern end of the Encircled Sea. This monotheistic religion replaced the old Pictish paganism.

### Modern

Still keeping the kilts and plaids, but now industrializing and more civilized.
The Forty Years War resulted in the Bolish overrunning he neighboring kingdom of Gwyneath. Pictfearr and Eirenn were heavily engaged fighting the Great Northern War against the Bols to their north, who eventually withdrew to their borders in Prem-Bol and Aukustia. The wars resulted in the foundation of the Arkadyetsiyan Empire and the breaking of the Pictish Federation.

During the Bonaventurian Wars, the Antargentinians of all people invaded and for a very short time made Pictfearr and Eirenn part of their empire, ruled as a tributary kingdom called the North Pictish Confederation. During this period, Eirenn and Pictfearr were ruled jointly for the first time. Gwyneath was also conquered by the Antargentinians and then lost to Arkadyetsiyan attack.

This invasion and war resulted in some major social upheaval in the two countries as they were exposed to much more modern ideas of popular representation, finance, etc. For political purposes, the rulers of Eirenn and Pictfearr eventually defected away from their alliance with the Antargentinians but didn't throw out the system instituted during their arrival.

### United Kingdoms

Eirenn and Pictfearr officially merged in 1892 thanks to the efforts (machinations) of Tuathal Ó Cathasaigh. Tuathal abdicated in 1898 in favor of his granddaughter Feidelm Ó Cathasaigh, who has ruled since that time.

## Geography

Eirenn is hilly. Southern and central Pictfearr is covered by several rugged mountain ranges, with the Monadhliath Range and the smaller Cairngorm Range to its north. The sum total of these mountains are called "the Highlands." Northern Pictfearr flattens out considerably, and these are called "the Lowlands." The northern border of Pictfearr, with Hangria, is dominated by the Teith and Carron Rivers.

### Climate

Most of An Riochtai is temperate, with somewhat chilly winters and warmer summers. Eirenn and the Lowlands are great for most temperate crops including grain and cotton, while the Highlands are good pasture-land for cattle and sheep. The northern slopes of the Monadhliath and Cairngorm mountains are heavily forested with deciduous mixed forest.

### Biodiversity

An Riochtai offers great variety of temperate flora and fauna.

#### Fauna

The Highlands have both Pictish Aurochs (a species of wild cattle) and the Mouflon (whild sheep). Wildcats live in the woods. Wolves and bears were once very common, but have been heavily hunted by natives and are now only found in wilderness areas.

The Pictish coast is quite rocky, with numerous small bays and a shallow offshore shelf. This environment supports an exceptionally diverse and rich ecosystem in the immediate vicinity of the shoreline. Pictish sea lions (Zalophus picticus) and otters (Lutra picticus) were once extremely common sights in this environment, but they were hunted extensively for furs during the 18th and 19th Centuries. Even prior to unification, Eirenn and Pictfearr independently banned the hunting of both otters and sea lions in their territory, and zealously chase away foreign sealing ships from national waters. Two sanctuaries were established in 1908 to prevent further destruction of these species.

Salmon feature quite heavily in local Pictish lore, and can be found both in coastal oceanic environments as well as in the extensive rivers.

Horses are quite common in An Riochtai, being used primarily as working animals. Picts tend to breed their horses along the extremes, using very small ponies (which are used in tight mining environments) or extremely large draft horses. One of the largest horse breeds in the world was bred in Pictfearr, as well as one of the smallest.

#### Flora

The northern slopes of the Pictish highlands are covered by old-growth forest of mixed coniferous and deciduous trees. Although the higher hills and mountains are usually barren and rocky, the steeper lower-altitude slopes host extensive stands of Pictish spruce. This fire-resistant coniferous tree inhabits much of the middle altitude regions of the Highlands.

At lower altitudes, the forests change quickly to deciduous trees. Huge stands of aspens and curly maple (the iconic tree of Eirenn) dominate the landscape. Overcutting threatens many of the old-growth deciduous forests, and steps have been taken to change forestry habits.

On the northern plains of Pictfearr, the landscape is ideal for

The Hardy Northern Jujube tree (Ziziphus tuathica) is an unusual hybrid tree introduced to Pictfearr along with cotton in the early 1600s. Although by nature preferring subtropical and warm temperate climates, Pictish farmers developed a particular species more resistant to freezing winter temperatures. The jujube provides edible berries useful for many applications, and is intercropped alongside cotton.

## Government and Politics

The United Kingdoms are a constitutional parliamentary monarchy.

### Overview

As a result of the Bonaventurian Wars, the traditional clan dynamics started to break down, with more democratic reforms instituted. Unlike Celtica which noped right on out of there, both Pictfearr and Eirenn decided it wasn't too bad at all, as long as it was adopted in moderation and with intelligence.

### Monarchy

Pictfearr was a hereditary monarchy while Eirenn was an elective monarchy (with certain hereditary traditions). An Riochtai has started to follow the Eirennach tradition of elected monarchs.
An Riochtai is ruled by Queen Feidelm Ó Cathasaigh, the granddaughter of Tuathal Ó Cathasaigh, who organized the union of Eirenn and Pictfearr. Originally, Feidelm's father Raibeart Ó Cathasaigh was supposed to be elected king of Eirenn and Pictfearr as the unifying figure of the two crowns, but in 1892 he was assassinated by an Anarcho-communist. Tuathal was elected in his place as a short-term expediency. Tuathal abdicated in 1898 due to declining health and died in 1901. Feidelm took over rulership of the country.

Feidelm has five natural children and three step-children. See House of Ó Cathasaigh.

### Administrative Divisions

Eirenn and Pictfearr both retain a degree of autonomy in their internal administration, although the roadmap for the future passes increased powers either to the central government or the lower-level counties.
An Riochtai is organized into a total of thirty-seven counties and seventeen shires. Counties elect two representatives to Parliament. Shires are smaller and only elect one.

### Foreign Relations & Military

An Riochtai has good but sometimes tense political relations with Firocco. Firocco guaranteed An Riochtai's independence against Arka, but their financial dominance of the area is somewhat annoying.

Arka is viewed as an existential threat due to their genocide of Gwyneath and their recent invasion of Dauneach.

Celtica is one of An Riochtai's most longstanding allies and friends.

We have a treaty of friendship with Liotain.

#### Arm Rìoghail (Royal Army)

The Arm Rìoghail or Royal Army was mostly inherited from Pictfearr. The larger percentage of manpower for the Army comes from Pictfearr. The Army has constructed some defense lines in the Pictish mountains called the MacAlpin Line (with underground fortresses designed to prevent Arka invasions) while the border of Eirenn is also fortified with the Kennedy Line.

#### An Cabhlach Ríoga (Royal Navy)

The An Cabhlach Ríoga or Royal Navy, sometimes called the Royal Navy of Eirenn and Pictfearr by foreigners, was mostly inherited from Eirenn. The larger percentage of manpower for the Navy comes from Eirenn.

## Economy

The main currency unit of Eirenn and Pictfearr is the Choróin (crown) which is subdivided into twenty scillings (shillings).

### Banking

Prior to nationa integration, Eirenn had a modern banking industry. The Union Bank of Eirenn (UBE) is still the largest bank in the United Kingdom. They were an early adopter of many banking reforms such as paper currency, fractional reserve banking. A central bank for both Eirenn and Pictfearr was started in 1804 in order to better organize money needed for the Bonaventurian Wars. The main problem with banking in the United Kingdoms is that Firocco is right next door, with a lot more money to lend than the UKEP has. As a result Eirenn's banks have often bee used illegally by Firoccans trying to evade taxes. Regulations have been put in place to stop this but not always successful. Also, while inhabitants of the United Kingdoms may be wealthy by the standards of most of their neighbors they are significantly less wealthy than Firoccans. As a result, Pictfearr introduced the concepts of the Postal Savings Bank to allow the rural poor better savings options.

### Agriculture

Farmers in Eirenn and Pictfearr have taken a leading role in an agricultural revolution called intercropping, where two grows are grown together in the same field. The most common intercrop is interspersing rows of fruit-bearing Pictish jujube trees with cotton. This increases the yield from both crops.

### Manufacturing

Much of the nation's manufacturing is located in Eirenn or along the southern coast of Pictfearr.

The Benhar Company recently started building automobiles at their factory in Cahersiveen, in Eirenn.

The Royal Arsenal Kinvara produces naval artillery, torpedoes, and mines, while the Royal Arsenal Enfield produces small arms and artillery. A smaller arsenal at Carron in the far north switched to civil production in 1900 but was responsible for inventing the carronade during the age of fighting sail. The former arsenal at Carron now produces other things like gasoline engines, propellers, and other stuff.

### Infrastructure

There is a giant bridge over the Carron River into Hangria.
Railways in An Riochtai are world-class, and since 1905 they've held the speed record for steam trains. The country had a railway-building craze in the 1880s and 1890s which resulted in a lot of mileage being laid down. This actually resulted in an economic crash in the 1890s when too many people bought into the railway stocks and prices rose much higher than the stocks were actually worth. The nation uses Celtican Standard Gauge.

## Demographics

### Cities

1. Stirling: traditional capital of Pictfearr
2. Corcaigh: a major city just between Pictfearr and Eirenn
3. Cahersiveen: traditional capital of Eirenn
4. Airdrie
5. Arbroath
6. Kinvara
7. Dundee
8. Glendalkeith
9. Blackburn
10. Rahara

### Ethnic Groups

96% of An Riochtai's population is composed of Picts.

### Education

Almost everyone can read, if they want to. Mandatory schooling probably needs to be expanded, though.
The Gaelic alphabet is widely used for all publications.

### Religion

Religion is predominantly Theophanite.

* 73% - Pictish Orthodox (stable)
* 15% - Gaelic Orthodox (growing)
* 10% - Pictish paganism (declining)
* 2% - Other or none (stable)

### National Symbols

The curly maple was the national tree of Eirenn, and the maple leaf remains a very common symbol of the region. (The maple leaf replaces the Irish shamrock.) Pictfearr, by contrast, uses the oak as their national tree, and this is much more common in the north.

Dalriada Whiskey is viewed as the approved national drink of An Riochtai.

### Arts, Literature & Music

Picts are rather fond of stonecarving and metalworking as one of their primary forms of artistic expression. This ranges from geometric designs carved into large slabs to ornate statues incorporated as columns in major buildings.

The most common form of literary expression is poetry. Picts still particularly enjoy an oral storytelling tradition telling stories of epic heroes and villains. In the 19th Century, writers in An Riochtai were major contributors to the Adventure Novel, with volumes such as "Kidnapped," "The Black Isle," and "Cormac MacGriffin."

Folk music is either very jaunty or very sad. A mix of instruments can be used including violins and fiddles, pipes and bagpipes, drums, and harps. An Riochtai still holds the bardic tradition in highest regard.

### Cuisine

Don't expect surprises. It's probably a little bit on the bland side.
But the whiskey is excellent. We totally, definitely, absolutely know how to do that.

### Sports

Need research. I want to include some traditional Celtic sports, but also some invented sports and a few real life equivalents.

### Fashion

Most people, both male and female, wear their clan tartans / plaids in almost all circumstances. Everyday clothing for men is usually a kilt in the appropriate plaid (usually an argyle pattern), and a ghillie shirt (a cotton shirt laced up at the neck). In more formal occasions, men wear a wool jacket called a doublet.

Women in more traditionalist areas wear a draped belted plaid dress called an earasaid. In the cities more radical styles are common with knee-length skirts, and a blouse, the latter often covered with a close-fitted bodice, vest, or jacket.

Cloaks and capes are still preferred by most people to jackets.

Headgear is extremely common, particularly the Kilmarnock bonnet, a knitted soft wool cap often with a clan crest badge (made of metal).

Brooches, either in iron or precious metals, are traditionally used rather than rings to indicate marital status. Brooches of this style usually incorporate a pair of intertwined hearts. However The relative scarcity of gold or silver in the United Kingdoms has encouraged particularly the poor to adopt rings (using less metal and therefore cheaper) as people become more aware of foreigntrends.

Torcs are still commonly worn by both genders as jewelry.

### Trivia

An Riochtai doesn't advertise this, but they ended up with the vast majority of crown jewels from the conquered Pictish kingdom of Gwyneath. Their collection of crown jewels is one of the largest in existence, with many gems certifiably dating back to the middle ages.