Rinnarit Republic

The **Rinnarit Republic** is an island nation located on the north of Centra Island. To the south are the Federal Republic of Bigton, Groenveld, Kuoyan, and Barekitaisa; and to the northwest is the Northwestern Federation, who practices a similar culture.

It is the homeland of Leukia, Dorian, and their friends.

Its capital is the metropolis of Ozymandias in the eastern mountains, a former mining town.

## Flag and symbols

One unusual custom the Rinnarits practice is burning their country's flag. It is even encouraged as a patriotic act, as Rinnarits consider this to offer the flag as a sacrificial offering to the Rinnarit gods, more worth than ten animals at a bloodied altar.

They even consider burning the Rinnarit flag, especially in a solemn manner, as an act of love for the Rinnarit Republic and its gods!

Some people thanked Odin by placing the flag on a stone altar. They chant prayers as they carry the torch and march to the flag, calling upon Odin and the Gods to bless their nation as they wave more torches.

## History

The Rinnarit Republic was founded by Ivan Jorvik, a tormented exile from Vega who formed his own rebellion. He was joined by many Norse outlaws who were attracted by his campaign to destroy Earth and punish its people for their historical sins. But before he was able to reach the portal to Earth, his army was overwhelmed by the Dharmic League, a splinter group from its counterpart from its distant motherland of India. The Dharmiki arrested him and supported a reformist group, fending off attacks by furious Vetarbroitar fanatics.

Through a combined Hindu-Norse government, the Rinnarit Republic was turned away from the hatred by its fellow Vetarbroitar towards higher callings - it thrived as a growing economy, supported by peace with its neighbours. Although its people tried their best not to repeat the sins of Old Earth, their fear of Earth societies caused them to develop a somewhat-isolated culture, stubbornly rejecting foreign influences in favour of their own.

In 4234, a widespread campaign led to the disbandment of the unpopular State Church, in favour of turning the Rinnarit Republic from a Christian state to an Asatru state. In spite of objections from the Christian minority, the day when the Third Constitution was signed into force was celebrated as "Reunion Day", when the Rinnarit Republic became a full member of a Vetarbroitar federation. It also led to stronger anti-Earth attitudes, though it did not lead to violence.

One incident where a mad person destroyed a Rinnarit temple out of fear of being killed for his religion sparked a civil war at the western parts for a few years, in which the Rinnarit armed forces and several neighbouring states suppressed the warlords. The warlords wanted to carve separate states for pagans, Norse, and Christians, especially the more fanatical members of Rinnarit society.

### Modern history

Leukia, an orphaned Snowfolk woman, was born in the mid-46th century, when the Rinnarit Republic is undergoing a series of reforms. During her time, the Rinnarit Republic may be recovering from its dark era of religious fanaticism, but it is trying to confront echoes of its past. Already its people knew about the religious wars that broke out and the fear of America and Terrans, but it is still a pain that lingers to this day ...

## Society

The Rinnarit Republic has four main cultures: Rinnarit, Norse, "Christian" (Norwegian), and Hindu.

The Norse culture of the Rinnarit Republic is similar to the Vetarbroitar culture, but it is less violent. Over time, it was brought back to proper Asatru, instead of the militarised death cult of Volandr.

The Norwegian culture of the Rinnarit Republic, derisively known as the "Christian" culture, was influenced by Ivan Jorvik's policy of Byzantine art.

The Hindu culture of the Rinnarit Republic was based on Khmer art, as an attempt to revive Hindu and pre-Christian influences in Rinnarit culture. Like many Galactics, the fictional country of Trunduk, with its fierce nationalism and hatred of Anglo-American civilisation, is treated as a role model for an independent country.

A fifth culture, the "American" minority, was gradually tolerated, as the reformist government wanted the Rinnarit Republic to integrate them and give them a chance to prove themselves as good people. Although they were mostly shunned by other Rinnarits for the past sins of their ancestors, the reformist leaders wanted to rehabilitate them. Many Americans were former pirates and outlaws who settled in the eastern plains, only to be conquered by the Rinnarit armies and imprisoned for their ancestors' online crimes.

## Religion

### Christianity

The founding state religion of the Rinnarit Republic was "Lutheran Christianity", but by President Ivan Jorvik's orders, it practiced Byzantine rites. Rinnarit Christian churches are characterised by domes and striped pillars and arches.

#### Persecution and fear of Rinnarit Christians

Before 4234 AD, the Christian faith was administered by the strict State Church, or "Craticous Eccless" in Rinnarit English. Christians were subjected to very strict laws that forced them not to have any form of "idolatry" - except while honouring the Norse traditions. Although it gave the pagan majority a lot of freedom, the association of Christianity with the evil empires of Earth made it rather unpopular. Influenced and indoctrinated by a hatred of Earthlings, the majority of Rinnarits saw Christians as terrorists, so if an occasional Christian dared harrass a pagan or talk ill about the Norse gods, he might become targeted for harrassment.

The State Church's authority weakened as the new pagan majority became more dominant, and the Christians were punished for their association with various Terran enemies. A new association was formed to replace the dying State Church and protect the Rinnarit Christian community from total destruction, especially in the wake of a civil war sparked by one madman who was afraid that he would be crucified.

Eventually, another faction of nationalists defeated the more fanatical rivals, leading to restitution and reconciliation between the pagan and Christian communities of the Rinnarit Republic. While the warlords in the west still fought each other and the Rinnarit state to establish their own theocracies, in general, both communities sought to work together to protect their nation, although they are still wary over alleged historical crimes.

In Rinnarit law, telling someone that "you are going to hell for not believing in Jesus!" is a capital offense. Because it is considered treason that serves the empires of Earth, it is not punished with public executions, but simply with murder. The murderer would not be arrested, but celebrated as a hero for preventing a possible Terran conquest by killing a supposed traitor. The same punishment also applies to people who utter the same threat to force people to worship Odin or any other god, to force the Rinnarits never to commit such a Terran crime.

In the early years of the Rinnarit Republic, thousands of people, especially Earthlings, were killed for threatening people with hellfire for not converting. Even people who posted comments demanding conversion or hellfire were dragged out and murdered. The Rinnarits claimed that doing so was to punish all the Earthlings for their historical crimes, and they boasted that they will come to Terra to kill more people for doing that.

#### A Rinnarit Christian's life

An example of how Christians live in the Rinnarit Republic is Leukia Joriksdottir, a Snowfolk woman who was raised in a Christian household. She prays to her God, Jesus, but she does not follow the Rinnarit stereotype of Christians: she is friendly, she does not harass people or threaten them with hellfire (these are actual criminal offenses) for not worshipping Jesus, and she even follows her family to pray at the shrine.

For the most part, she is safe, and she has many friends, including Dorian, a pagan woman. Sometimes Dorian reassures her that Leukia is a good person - unlike the image of a "Christian", she is very friendly and helpful.

She also learned that in the early years of the Rinnarit Republic, people used to paint red crosses on houses of Christian criminals, marking them for potential harassment or death. The pagan majority also punished Christians who were accused of sympathy for America and other invaders by throwing bombs at their houses and shops. At night, snowman-like lamps were put in front of Christian homes, and Christmas music was played to mark the house for punishment. Before sunrise, the police would grab the criminal to be hanged. This was why Rinnarit Christians do not use snowmen decorations or play Christmas music outside the festive season, as there were traumatic. Leukia was lucky that she was safe and far away from such torments, but she wanted to help others be safe. Even Dorian felt sad for such things, although she was also a Norse pagan.

### Asatru

Asatru, in the distorted form of Volandism, became the majority since Norse settlers immigrated to the Rinnarit Republic. At first, the Norse were willing to follow Ivan Jorvik, putting aside their usual hatred of Christianity to build an army to destroy Earth, until their leader was arrested. The Norse fought each other between reformists who wanted a more modernised society and the fanatics of Jorvik. Although the moderates won, tensions sometimes simmered between the pagan majority and the Christian minority - the latter sometimes live in fear of the Norse, who see them as terrorists.

Rinnarit Asatru became the state religion of the republic in the year 4234 AD, abolishing the unpopular State Church. It is more democratic than the Rinnarit version of Christianity, and in later times it was adjusted to proper, mainstream rites instead of the militarism of Volandr's cult. It became the majority of all Rinnarit citizens after many Vetarbroitar settled in the Rinnarit Republic during Ivan Jorvik's reign: originally as warriors bent on the destruction of Earth, they later settled down and abandoned extremism, although they still hate Earth for its people's historical atrocities.

One common fear, fuelled by Volandist propaganda, was that the Christians might one day attempt to take over the Rinnarit Republic, and use all kinds of excuses to turn the nation into a murderous theocracy worshipping the evil empires of Earth's ruined history. This led to persecution of Rinnarit Christians, and later attempts between the two to reconcile and let go of their fears.

Like other forms of Asatru practiced in the northern Galaxy, it worships the many gods of the Norse peoples. When the religion became the national religion of the Rinnarit Republic, Odin was selected as the national god of the country.

Asatru temples in the Rinnarit Republic have double roofs and crests on the edges of their roofs. Some temples are painted in different colours to represent which god is primary: for example, Odin temples are blue, Thor temples are red, and Freyr temples are orange.

In Rinnarit law, it is a criminal offense to insult or attack the Asatru religion. Rinnarits believed that doing so is a call for Earthling empires to take over the country and create a cruel theocracy. While the punishment is a jail sentence or a fine, people with suspected anti-pagan or anti-Hindu sentiments used to be beaten up by mobs.

### Irikkavenai

The polytheist religion of the Rinnarit peoples, descended from a fanbase in the Philippines, is Irikkavenai. Its most popular deity is Paivonkjari, the god of spring.

Rinnarit temples have green, slanted roofs, similar to Thai temples.

### Hinduism

A small portion of the Rinnarits (both Rinnarit and Norse) are Hindu converts. The nationalist society of the Ramrajya became a role model for many Vetarbroitar states for a "society free from Abrahamic domination", including the Rinnarit Republic.

It was a splinter faction of the Dharmic League that arrested Ivan to stop his war against Earth. They also wanted to make the Asatru and Christian communities of the republic to work together, rather than live in fear of each other.

One Hindu politician was the one who enacted a law that made it mandatory for all schools to have morality classes, because he did not want to see mob violence spill into the Rinnarit lands as it did in India and nearby countries.

One Rinnarit law also provides the same legal protection to the Hindu religion, in honour of Hinduism being an example of freedom from Earthling domination. Therefore, people who show any hatred of Hinduism may be jailed, and in older times they may be beaten up by mobs as "Earthling puppets".

## Foreign relations

The Rinnarit Republic is usually friendlier to Norse and Hindu countries. It is a member of the League of Light, a devout Vetarbroitar alliance, and with its principles it became more hostile to Earth and its people.

### Relations with Earth civilisations

Although the Rinnarit Republic is trying to emerge from the Jorvikist reign, its society was indoctrinated by Vetarbroitar teachings, that it absolutely refused to accept anyone or anything from several Earth nations.

Even after Ivan Jorvik was imprisoned, the Rinnarit Republic's society was fiercely opposed to whatever it perceives as enemies of Hinduism, Cambodia, Greece, and the Norse faith. So its rulers prohibited any support or relations with Britain, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Italy, and most of the Middle East (including Negev, but except for Lebanon, Egypt, Persia, and Rafidain/Iraq).

Any praise or glorification of those countries was punishable by exile, as the culprit would be accused of calling for these countries to take over the Rinnarit Republic and erase its culture in favour of their tyrannies. In spite of this, Rinnarit culture was partly influenced by Thai (actually Khmer) art, and it uses British English as its standard accent.

Alongside and below these blacklisted Terran nations, America is also reviled in Rinnarit society as a chaotic wasteland and a warmongering empire, so it is also forbidden for Rinnarits to have any relations with American people. Galactic Americans are turned away or threatened to leave, and are often depicted as chaotic, warlike, unruly, arrogant, and selfish. The crimes committed by historical Americans was the main reason for the Rinnarit Norse hatred of Christians, associating all Christians with American fanatics, even if said Christians were the most fanatical loyalists to the republic.

One exception to this is the southerly neighbour, Bigton - because they also denounced America's past atrocities, they are grudgingly accepted in Rinnarit society as neighbours. The Bigtonians, in turn, try not to disturb or anger the Rinnarits by being good neighbours, rather than become the stereotypical warmongers and terrorists. Several other countries, such as Russia, Brazil, Poland, China, and Arabia were also avoided because they were the superpowers of the world on the eve of World War III; whereas India and Australia are still welcomed to this day for their resistance to those empires, even though they were also superpowers.

Hatred of Hinduism and Asatru, two popular religions in the Rinnarit Republic, is also a criminal offense and suspected support for Earthling rule.

In modern times, a series of reforms led to attempted, cautious relations with Thailand, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. Attempts to establish relations with Britain, Vietnam, Turkey, and Pakistan were met with protests by the Rinnarits, who denounced what they considered as alignment with "children of oppressors", so these were still avoided.

Fanatical people among various activist groups, especially online users who developed a hatred of majorities, were shown in schools as examples of why the Rinnarit Republic must be strict. Christian students were ordered to look at the centuries-old online posts to prove that they will never hate the majority and become terrorists, or worse, implement an oppressive theocracy as revenge for persecution - a common fear that "minorities will start killing the majority out of hate and revenge".

In one particular incident, Leukia invited her Bigtonian friend to have lunch together. Unfortunately, when the Bigtonian friend said certain words, Dorian got angry and attempted to attack the Bigtonian, accusing her of being an American tyrant. Leukia tried to calm her friend down, and the Bigtonian tried to convince her that Earthlings, such as from those civilisations, are not evil monsters, not even if they were misguided and indoctrinated by tyrants.

## Trivia

* The early Rinnarit Republic, from the author's teenage years, was influenced by Southeast Asian culture.
* In 2019, the author turned it into a pagan dictatorship, as he was very angry with world news and politics, and extremists on the Internet.

## See also

* Rinnarit Republic (19-canon), the dystopian version
* Holy Gauvajut Empire, Denlotia, the Rabydosverse counterpart