Alsesia

The Nine Star Flag

The Northern Shield

The **United Republic of Alsesia** (Alseslang: De Soyut Volkstāt of Alsesia), commonly called **Alsesia** and officially styled the **Northern Bālthorist Realms of the United Republic of Alsesia, Home of the North Volaryns** (De Norden Bālthorist Reichs of de Soyut Volkstāt of Alsesia, Hom of de Nordvolaryns), also called **Nogodrick** or **Norvangol**, is a constitutional monarchy located in northern Granheim, Arpeia. It is bordered to the east by the Makiric Ocean, to the southwest by Ilvis, the central south by Yorchest, and the southeast by Magrick. Its directly administered overseas territory of Tamborsk is bordered by Horhem. Alsesia covers LAND AREA square kilometers and has an estimated population of 321,178,210. The nation consists of 16 provinces, 11 organized island territories, and many unorganized territories.

Alsesia is considered one of the leading great powers, with a strong economy, a dominating industrial and scientific sector, excellent primary and higher education, widespread cultural influence, and stable demographics. The Alsesian Armed Forces are widely recognized as the most powerful military on the planet, with global force projection capabilities through island bases and strategic alliances with other nations. The Alsesian language is spoken abroad for business in many former colonies and their neighboring states, while Alsesian cinema, music, literature, and television are held in high regard.

The Circum-Bolic War solidified the country's position as a world power, which was further secured by the outcomes of the First Continental War, the First World War, and the Second World War. Alsesia was one of the three International Union members that jointly developed nuclear weapons, and was the second to utilize them in combat. It was also the first nation to send and successfully retrieve a live animal from space, and was the first to land humans on Golma, the farther moon of Arpeia.

Alsesia is a founding member of the International Union, where it serves as a permanent member of every component body, in addition to being one of the Four Nuclear Powers. It is also the founder of the Alsesian League, formerly known as the Bālthorist Union, as well as a major contributor to the Coalition of Northern Democratic States. Alsesia maintains active participation in most international organizations, with a notable exception being the Organization to End Chemical Warfare.

## Etymology

The name "Alsesia" originates from the Kylish words "alses" and "ia", respectively meaning "chilly" and "place". The nation received this name when it was founded on Soldakia. Later on, the name Nogodrick, literally "No hope land" and Norvangol, which meant the same but was constructed of words from *native* languages, were used following Czar Ēddard IX's proclamation.

Norvangol is a name created as a result of connecting three separate words, Nor, Van, and Gol, from the three largest non-Kylish languages in the country (Atyrnlang, Hoschlang, and Norjlang).

## History

For a more detailed description see the history of Alsesia and the outline of Alsesian history.

### Early Pre-Bālthorian Period

The oldest evidence of human settlement in northern Granheim can be traced back to at least 8,000 BGC. The oldest known skeleton discovered in the region is that of a woman buried near the Grotvolar, aged approximately forty. The bones were dated to be about 7,800 years old, although the oldest known archaeological ruins are estimated to be nearly a century older. Evidence supports the belief that these settlers migrated from central Granheim during a period of warmer temperatures around the globe.

The first well-known literate civilization in the region was that of the Vurbathians, who were the genetic ancestors of some of the ethnic groups present for the arrival of the Bālthors. The Vurbathian Civilization flourished from around 3,000 to 1,700 BGC, after which it dissipated and was supplanted by the Kolurpians and their Civilization, which lasted from approximately 1,700 to 800 BGC. During this time, other migrating peoples settled in different parts of northern Granheim. These include the Detrotsian people, ancestors of the modern Montyns, and the Wolkryonians, who later intermingled with the Kolurpians to father the future Hoschyns.

### Late Pre-Bālthorian Period

Just prior the arrival of the Bālthors and their Kylish subjects, the lands of Northern Granheim were divided between scores of small states and tribes. The main ethnic groups inhabiting the region during this time were the Hoschyns east of the Grotvolar, the Atyrnyns in the Canyonlands, the Norjyns in the Heartlands, the Palyzyns in the Western Plateau, the Montyns north of the Norlam Mountains. The two other ethnic groups with significant populations were the Logyns, inhabiting the Goldmuds in the northeast of the Heartlands, and the Edyns, distributed widely across the region as a consequence of their more recent arrival in northern Granheim. These groups would later be designated as North Volaryns under the Bālthors.

### The Arrival of the Kylyns

Alsesia's origins are deeply intertwined with the nation of Kylan. Although modern Kylan was only refounded in the 19th century, its predecessor was a great power that dominated the economy and politics of the North Makiric. Almost 32 years before the Great Collapse, Kylan fell into a civil war caused by two rival princes seeking the throne. Ruther and Jakob Weslan, both holding entirely different ideas of how the nation should be ruled, began a long powerful struggle.

At the time of the war, the second most powerful noble house in Kylan of the House of Bālthor. The family had made its wealth from its near-monopoly over trade along the coast, and the formidable military strength that it possessed caused both Weslan pretenders to seek its support. However, the lord of the house, Tomas Bālthor, knew that the Weslan dynasty saw his family's strength as a threat to its power, and clandestinely prepared to leave for the island of Urraka, a colony once prosperous, but abandoned as Kylan's strength had waned over the years. With the support of its vassal houses, including the houses of Lētters, Boltyr, and Stārki, the Bālthor Fleet left Kylan and sailed west.

When the fleet arrived on Urraka, it found a sparsely inhabited and fertile island. However, Urraka was small compared to the vast territories of Kylan, and Lord Tomas took a great gamble, deciding to sail further west to Soldakia, a much larger island that truly epitomized Kylan's once vast reach. He did not know it at the time, but Soldakia would later prove instrumental in his descendants' conquest of northern Granheim.

Before leaving Urraka, Tomas offered his vassals the choice to remain on the island, citing the uncertainty of safely reaching Soldakia. Several families accepted this offer, while those who did not swore they would follow Tomas into the unknown. With these remaining vassals, the fleet once more sailed west, arriving on Soldakia's shores on September 9th, 27 BGC.

Soldakia before the Great Collapse was an untamed land of Granish natives and Kylish settlers who had long forgotten their roots. Having brought some 50,000 people, most of whom were farmers, the Kylish declared themselves the independent state of Alsesia, and began a conquest of the island. The exact length of this conflict remains unknown, but preserved records show that resistance holdouts existed until the year of the Collapse. The official end date set by Alsesian government officials is April 13th in 0 AGC, but this date is considered artificial.

### The Great Collapse

27 years after the arrival of the Bālthors, all of Soldakia's inhabitants witnessed an extraordinary event. Stars appeared to be raining down upon the land, and with explosive consequences. This was the Great Collapse, brought about by a meteor that broke apart in the atmosphere of the planet. Though Soldakia was largely spared from this disaster, the ensuing impact winter was harsh on all its inhabitants. Of an estimated 300,000 inhabitants on the island at the time, only 90,000 survived the first winter.

Faced with a disaster, Alsesia's rulers sought to quickly seize warmer lands that could provide food and a hospitable climate for their people. After a year of preparation, the Alsesyns launched an expedition to the shores of Granheim proper. On the mainland, they discovered a habitable bay that was rich in fish and surrounded by defensible mountains. It was in this bay that the city of Frosgard was founded, and it would serve as the heart of Alsesia's conquest of northern Granheim.

### The Unification Wars

The Unification Wars officially began on June 1st, with the founding of Frosgard and the subsequent Conquest of the Coast. The Conquest was initiated with scouts being sent southward in an attempt to discover the natural boundaries of their new realm. During this time, the Hoschyn people were first encountered in large numbers, and tensions arose due to the expansion of the Alsesian nation.

### Non-Canon

In June of 2022, NISRD experimented with a newly discovered form of energy named **Inversion**. After an attempt to weaponize it, the prototype was detonated on Naheg Island in the southern Bolic Ocean. The explosion unexpectedly triggered large-scale tectonic activities, resulting in the **Second Great Collapse** and the deaths of nearly 700 million people living near the coasts. The volcanic activity from the collapse threatened to blot out sunlight until Dakletus himself intervened, offering the **Great Trials** to Alsesians as a means of redemption.

## Geography

### Topography

The two large islands, Urraka and Soldakia are largely flatland, while the region east of the Grotvolar consists of a coastal plain interrupted briefly by the small Rajanbak mountain range. West of the Grotvolar is the Tohoski Plateau, which dominates the landscape before dissipating into the flat, fertile grasslands and forests between the West Alsesian Plateau and the Norlam and Tohos Mountains. The lands north of the Norlam Mountains are flat before encountering large volcanic ranges further in the range. The area east of the West Alsesian Plateau is flat, but features soil of significantly lower quality than the Tohoski region. Further west, the landscape rapidly breaks into jagged fjords and countless smaller islands, with a few coastal areas being large and flat enough for large-scale human settlement. South of the Tohos Mountains are the Southern Plains containing the most productive soils in the country, with the Grotvolar demarcating the southern border.

### Biodiversity

See the Fauna and Flora of Alsesia articles for additional details.

### Population

According to the National Census Agency's census in 2020, there were approximately 321,178,210 people residing in Alsesia as of January 1st, 2021. This figure accounts for residents of all provinces and organized territories, unorganized territories, as well as military and diplomatic personnel stationed abroad. Alsesia is the third most populous nation in the world after Yansem and the Granish Federation. The median age of population was recorded as 35.6 years, with a sex ratio of 1.014 males per female.

### Ethnicities and Race

The majority of the Alsesian population (87.27%) belongs to the North Volaryn umbrella group.

### Languages

The *de jure* national language of Alsesia is Alseslang, a constructed language designed to serve as an auxiliary tongue among the various different peoples in the country. Per national law, Alseslang must be taught in schools up until the end of secondary education. As such, the language is spoken fluently by approximately 94% of adults, with most exceptions arising from immigrant populations.

Other official languages in the country correspond with the local languages of the different North Volaryn, Odenst, and Ojerman peoples.

### Communities and Families

Per the 2020 census, 63% of Alsesians age 19 or over were married, 5% were widowed, 4% were divorced, and 28% had never been married. The average age at first birth was 26, and 13% of births were to unmarried women. The total fertility rate as of 2020 was 2.245 children per women. The rate of children living in single-parent households was 5.28%, below the global average of 7.44%.

### Religion

Although the majority of the population identifies as secular, the most common religion is Mordprav. The Alsesian Constitution prevents the government from criminalizing the worship of any religion or officially endorsing one.

## Government and Politics

Alsesia is a unitary state with a presidential system and constitutional monarchy. The nation practices devolution, with every province and organized territory possessing the right to elect its own governor and legislative assembly. However, these devolved powers are subject to review and modification by the central government.

The head of state is a monarch belonging to the House of Bālthor, the oldest unbroken lineage of monarchs on the planet, which, although not calling itself a one, remains a singular dynasty. The head of government is the President, who is in charge of the executive branch.

The Alsesian government is composed of four branches:

* Executive: The executive branch consists of the President and their Cabinet, alongside other appointed officials who are not authorized to deliberate or vote upon national law.
* Legislative: The bicameral Sobrut, consisting of the Denbrut and Okebrut, votes on nationwide legislation such as initial approvals to wage war, binding treaties, funding to any institution that utilizes government revenue, and the confirmation and impeachment of government officials, both elected and appointed.
* Judicial: The Supreme Court and other judiciary, whose judges are appointed by presidential and legislative approval, interpret laws and overturn those they find unconstitutional.
* Royal: The Royal Authority consists of the Czar(a) and their Council, who serve a limited but critical role in the affairs of government. It is ultimately the right of the monarch to approve a final declaration of war or the acceptance of a treaty, to confirm the successors of noble holdings, assign certain honors to citizens, and conduct smaller, ceremonial roles.

All four branches follow a system of checks and balances.

### Political Divisions

*Main Article: Provinces and Territories of Alsesia*

The 16 Provinces and 11 Organized Territories (OTs) are the principal political divisions of the country. Each of these holds jurisdiction over a defined geographic territory, where it shares sovereignty with the central government. Provinces and OTs are subdivided into Counties (Kreēs) and Districts (Distreks).

### Parties and Elections

Since the advent of modern legislature and political parties, Alsesia has largely been under the one-party rule of the National Party of Nogodrick. Although elections were competitive to an extent, the powers afforded to the NPN made it nigh-impossible for any other party to receive sufficient votes to secure a majority in the Sobrut. However, the Alsesian Spring and its aftermath saw the rise of true multiparty democracy, with the NPN rebranding itself as the National Coalition.

Currently, there are seven political parties represented across both houses of the Sobrut. The largest party as of 2022 is the New Republican Party, a centrist party. The other parties of the Sobrut, sorted by seats across both chambers, are the National Coaliton (center-left populism), United Alsesia (right-wing populism), the Social Democratic Party (social democracy and republicanism), the Volkists (democratic socialism), Alsesian Freedom (right-wing and nationalistic), and the National Socialists (religious nationalism, autarky, and state-socialism).

### Law Enforcement and Crime

*Main Articles: Law Enforcement in Alsesia and Crime in Alsesia*

*See Also: WIP*

Nationwide law enforcement is provided by several agencies and branches. The National Guard, the National Agency of Intelligence (NAI), and the Independent Security Department (ISD) are some of them.

## Economy

The Alsesian economy is dominated by diverse manufacturing industries and an Alskomist view of economics. According to the International Union, Alsesia boasts a $22.67 trillion nominal GDP, the third largest in the world after Yansem and the Granish Federation. Alsesia is the third largest importer of goods, and the second largest exporter. The country's national currency, the Kredit, is widely considered one of the safest to do business with, and is the primary currency of the Alsesian League's member states. Large metropolises such as Anhel City, Hel's Landun, and Nu Muskov are home to multinational corporations which contribute significantly to the economy.

## Culture

Main Article: Culture of Alsesia

As a multiethnic state with a long history and plentiful immigration, Alsesian culture is built on the traditions and values of several others. The nation is generally divided into four cultural regions: The East with its predominantly Kylish roots and populace, the Heartlands, the West, and the North.

The unity of the nation is said to come primarily from its Three Pillars consisting of the language, the faith, and the arts.

### Holidays

There are 12 national holidays, most prominent of which is April 13th, Foundation Day.

### Cuisine

The shkolze is considered the national dish of Alsesia.

### Sports

Bolshlat is considered the national sport.