Sevraeja

**Sevraeja** ("the north"), properly known as the **Republic of Sevraeja** (Sevraejan: Rjodzamja Sevraejae), is a large nation to the north of Rukania and east of Thralond and Zarijana across the Velmorian Ocean. Baniorel is at the southwest, Plaeskovia is just east of it, and Lesoslavia (Forest Slavs) is northeast and north of this nation.

Its capital is the metropolis of **Veljegoroda** or **Velskegoroda**.

## Flag and symbols

### Current flag

The current flag of Sevraeja is a blue flag with a light blue bottom, a white triangular hill, and an arch with a bell. Three stars are above the arch and bell.

The design was implemented after three years of debates, where the entire country quarrelled over several new designs. Back then, much of Sevraeja was unhappy with the three stripes flag, and they wanted something more distinct.

### Classical flag

Sevraeja's previous national flag is three blue stripes against a white background, with several white edges on the blue stripes, and three stars on the left. Blue represents peace, white for happiness, the outer blue stripes for the sky, the inner blue stripes for the sea to the west of Sevraeja, and the other white stripes for the winter that Sevraeja triumphed over. The stars represent ambition and hope: the middle eight-rayed star represents success against all odds.

The three stripes may also represent three nations who founded the United Kingdom of Otjaezva: Zivagorodja in the north (the great cities), Jontoro in the middle (the freed ex-vampires), and Laesendara in the west (the survivor cities). These now represent the three major regions of the Republic.

Some people claimed that the other two stripes and stars also represent the Otinomirjo, or collectively as "Russians" (where they came from), two ethnic groups of Terrans who became loyal to Sevraeja after living and working there for millennia. Therefore, these and their successive threefold elements also represent the loyalty of all Sevraejans to their homeland.

Several alternate traditional flags of Sevraeja include:

* A crimson and dark blue flag, with a ship under an aurora
* A crimson flag with the golden outline of a ship
* Two blue stripes with a white stripe, and the top stripe having an aurora
* The "Aurora Flag".
* A green flag with five white stars over a yellow or white stripe, as the flag of the Kingdom of Luskara, or northern Sevraeja during the Eighth Age.
* Blue, white, and green, with the green representing the warmer southern grasslands.

### National symbols

Its national symbols are a dragon (representing the sea and happiness), an aurora (for its northern latitude and its creativity), and a ship with colourful sails (for its love of the sea). In Sevraejan folklore, the dragon, known as an okoroko or morjokoro ("sea strider"), is a holy creature that serves the sea and wind god Stribog.

Another symbol is a great ship known as a *koche*, for its strong bark and enduring sails. The sails of every koche much be painted in bright colours with stars and suns.

A third national symbol of Sevraeja is the Great Bell of Veljegoroda, symbolising survival. Bell shapes can be seen in many Sevraejan works of art, decorated with snowflake designs.

Snowflakes and ice motifs are also popular themes in Sevraejan traditional art, reflecting the northern latitude of the country and its people's love of art.

Another symbol is a ring of twelve sections, representing the zodiac (influenced by the Zarijanian calendar) or all the provinces of the country. Although the actual number is around 57, twelve became an idiom for "everyone".

The national plant of Sevraeja is the lezolka (from leto "year" and zoloto "gold"), or "yeargold", a tree that produces fragrant yellow blossoms or a delicious nectar. Although lezolka nectar is nutritious and sweet, most Sevraejan prefer to use it as a perfume. The flower is named for its two varieties: the northern variety only blooms at autumn, while the southern variant blooms every month, making it useful to mark ancient calendars. The different timing of the trees' blooms also represent the unity of the country, being of the same trees. At New Year's Eve, copious amounts of lezolka oil or incense are burned at night to usher the coming year and worship the spring stars.

Green is also a popular colour in Sevraeja, representing the people's survival and the warm southlands near the Rukanian border. The southern grasslands are where the majority of farmland and people are found. Green is also used when using two shades of blue are not accepted in some events, and in other events purple and green are used as green may be easily confused for blue.

Green is also the traditional colour of the Otinomirjo Slavs, who mostly live in the warmer southeast, so they sometimes colour the light blue sections of the national flag to represent themselves as members of Sevraeja, or to mock the Veljegorodian elites for their neglect.

Aurorae, a frequent sight in the northern edges of the country, are a popular symbol representing the northern latitude of the country and its rich cultural history. In Sevraejan mythology they are seen as the paths or the banners of the gods and their celestial armies across the Heavens.

Stribog, and one of his sons, Solnestiboro, are venerated as patron deities of the country, representing the winds that blow away winter and usher spring.

### Flag of Veljegoroda

The flag of the capital city of Veljegoroda is blue with a large bell at the left, and three stars at the left. The bell represents the endurance of the city over the many ages of the world, and the unity of the three regions.

Zjagorona is the top of the bell with mountains and stars; Laesera is represented with trees and the dragons with axes; and Jontara is the bottom, with a snowflake and winds.

This city flag retained the national flag's old design. One reason why Sevraeja once proposed a new design was to remind the Veljegorodians not to be treat the other regions as lower than the rest.

## Geography

See also: Provinces of Sevraeja

Sevraeja is made of three regions: Zjagorona in the north, Laesera in the west coast, and Jontara in the centre and the rest of the country. They are in turn divided into 59 provinces.

Twelve of the provinces were named after astrological signs, or months of the year.

Zjagorona is a mountainous region full of forests.

Laesera is the wealthy and forested western coast, full of seaports and harbours.

Jontara is the rest of the nation, sparsely-populated but more fertile, owing to volcanoes along the border that enrichened its soil, causing jungles to grow in the cool Sevraejan air. The southern lands, which are warmer, rainier, and humid, provide most of the country's food and are the home of the majority of all Sevraejans. Due to the southern farmlands, Jontara's traditional colours are green and saffron, green for the crops, and saffron for the fragrant flowers.

The ocean west of Sevraeja is locally and officially known as Draya (Draja), after a Madaenan word that means "the sea". Elsewhere, it is known as the Velmorian Ocean, after "velskyj morje", "great sea".

## History

### Ancient Sevraeja

Sevraeja was the second civilisation to emerge after Oruz (Rukania) on the continent of Darros, building splendid cities from the vast pine forests all over the land, at some time during the Second Age. The first known city recorded in the earliest birch bark writings in Old Naevanian was "Iribori". When this lonely city was founded, its early kingdom was known as **Naevana**, formerly an old word for "nowhere"; in Madaenan, it was transcribed as "Najavanash", or interpreted "New Shores".

Emulating the richer civilisation of Oruz, the Naevanians became another power, independent from Oruzii domination but still a good ally. For centuries, the two nations thrived in peace, trading with the richer civilisations of the west. The ancient predecessors of Zarijana were also a major influence to the western ports, who built their halls and palaces in the style of the Zarijanian kings.

The Madaenan traders taught them to write in cuneiform, and when the Naevanians were already recording pictograms of events in their birch bark tablets, they adapted the Madaenan cuneiform into one of the oldest-attested Slavic languages on Jerde. This was where the earliest kings were recorded, such as "Gustamidzelo" (Madaenan: Gustamidzharush).

Although Oruz was much older than Naevana, the oldest Oruzii texts were transcribed in a variant of Naevaniska cuneiform, allowing later students to read ancient pictograms from both Slavic civilisations.

Later, other Slavic tribes were influenced by it and Oruz, leading to the creation of other states like Baniorel, Plaeskovia, and the Forest Slavs of the north.

### Vampiric Plague

It was later laid waste in the Fourth Age when vampires emerged from the far north, reduced to a few hardy city-states. According to the songs of Pokureni, the first vampire in the world was a murderer known as Oktoponto, banished to a cave for his brutish force. Perhaps with some followers or his own remains in legends, more vampires were born until they littered the caves with their rotting corpses.

As the vampires' power weakened, a great alliance of northern cities killed off the remaining vampires and reunited the divided realm. They were aided by the expeditions of King Oruzla, who built a great wall to stop the vampires; and an accidental serum created by a peasant woman from spilled crystals, salt, and herbs. That woman's first patient, and therefore the first man to be cured of vampirism, was Gorobjoro, who brought it to his kingdom to cure the remaining vampires.

The vampires in Gorobjoro's tribe were lucky that they had a weaker strain, allowing them to retain their sapience and walk in sunlight unharmed, so they were quickly cured and restored to humanity. These restored humans united with the great cities of the north and the survivor-forts of the west to form the United Kingdom of Otjaezva ("There-It-Is"), a threefold-kingdom that repopulated the land. To celebrate their unity, the three kingdoms forged a great bell from the weapons of the slain vampires, the symbol of their capital now used for the whole nation.

Some Sevraejan survivors formed many of Oruzla's knights, and they stayed behind to protect his wall from further incursions, becoming the noble Valjad people.

### Eighth Age

In the Fifth Age, the Sevraejans began taking up Norse art from several outlaws who settled in the western coast.

At some point before the Aspuruk Invasion, in the Seventh Age, the Sevraejans also built a sort of flamethrower using volcanic minerals and gunpowder, some time after the Daizhouvians started utilising gunpowder further away in the east. During that time, flamethrowers were used to repel enemy ships and burn their walls, but later they were also designed to paint stone walls and launch fireworks. Their technology was shared to the Zarijanians, and then to the Rukanians; especially because they needed those strange new weapons that easily burned armies of Maaros vampires that plagued their lands.

The first *Stereletsjo* (streltsy, riflemen) in Sevraeja were formed from bands of huntsmen, made of Slavic and Tchukorjan warriors who wanted to fight the vampires.

Daizhouvian and Tuksharan visitors to Sevraeja were surprised that gunpowder was independently developed by the Slavs of the west, while they already did the same earlier.

Sevraeja was one of the countries that remained unscathed by the Aspuruk aliens, along with a number of far-flung places like Hiriwa. Back then, it was known as the Kingdom of Luskara, north of a less-united realm to the south made of protectorates and principalities. The main territory of Luskara consisted of a league of five cities, Vejodena, Oboniska, Polgoronska, Bezhicheskaja, and Lopaizora. Luskara was an elected monarchy whose kings were elected among the dukes of each of the five capitals, but Vejodena was the main capital of the kingdom, and a place of industry and education.

Only the southeastern fields were attacked by the Aspuruks, but due to the small size of the raider parties, they were defeated and some of the southerners were experimenting with the raiders' strange machinery. The locals also recorded that the Aspuruks also used the last known vampires in their hunting parties, degrading these ancient foes to nothing more than "dogs with men's faces". Only later did they join the Ecumene because the Sevraejans or Luskarii were very suspicious about the new machines.

### Sixteenth Age

In the Fifteenth Age, Alexandros III of Archonia attempted to conquer Vystrane (as it was known back then) and plunder its seaports. Aside from a few capes, many of his forces were driven out, as any further support was halted to mourn his sudden death.

Five hundred years before Alexandros' invasion, Vystrane experimented with a democratic system. Contrary to popular belief, it was not influenced by other similar traditions in other nations, but it developed independently after a succession crisis and a plague killed off many noble houses.

It was one prince of Vystrane, Vejoreno Njebeskijo of Bezhineska, who personally fought Alexandros as soon as the latter was halfway burning down the port of Voiska. After wounding the invader, forcing him to retreat to his trireme, he renamed himself "Aleskonro" to mock his defeated foe's cowardice. When Alexandros finally died from an unusually-mighty disease, Vejoreno threw a party to join the ensuing nationwide celebrations.

During the Sixteenth Age, it resisted various empires. It was one of four superpowers who destroyed the fleets of the Tuksharan Empire; it fended off the Red Darroskei and the Ardeschi hordes; and later the armies of Terrans that lay siege upon the world. It was a member of the Slavonian Brotherhood that kept much of its autonomy, even as the Brotherhood itself was a federation.

Its name was changed from Naevana to Novigorodia, and then to Novisevraeja after Darros and Rukania collapsed due to a great war.

In two eras, the two peoples of the Otinomirjo settled in the sparse southeast, where they formed their own communities emulating the Valjad Guardians of Rukania. They arrived before and during the Terran Invasions, but instead of building an empire, these frightened, desperate migrants instead offered to fight for the Novisevraejans. Given their own territories, the two Slavic Terran peoples defended Sevraeja from the other Terran warlords, and even supported their nation's entry into the Denlotia. This was because they and their whole nation suffered during World War III, and they wanted the Denlotia to help rebuild their homeland. Furthermore, the Otinomirian Slavs were so assimilated into Sevraejan society before the great war, that they were not considered as Terrans.

Later on, the Otinomirians defended their homeland from other Terrans, the Kleshans, the Six Powers of the Reorganisation Wars, and the combined Konjor-Terran invasion of Jerde. While they remained distinct, they became the ancestors of half of all ethnic Sevraejans due to a high rate of intermarriage, and other minor Slavic nations in the east.

Vystrane (as Sevraeja was known back then) was strengthened by the Denlotia, allowing it to help other allies resist the Terrans.

### Modern Era

Sevraeja was invaded by the Zlotosii, descendants of Zetrosian warriors from another dimension who were summoned to build a space empire on Darros. Due to the resistance of the Otinomirjo, the Zlotosii were defeated, and those who surrendered or were prisoners had to rebuild their honour from scratch by living as subjects, deprived of the authority of their emperors.

From the Green Years onwards, the Sevraejan nation switched from one of its many republican phases into a series of monarchies.

In 200 BT, King Gjurjaton planned to abolish the traditional native syllabary, making Common the compulsory script for the Sevraejan language. This led to nationwide protests against the proposed edict, where people across the country smashed porcelain with sentences in the new script. They explained that the broken porcelain represented their language looking more ugly and broken if it is written in Common. Eventually, the compulsory Common script was reversed within just two days as most people refused to obey the edict.

Very few signs were replaced, and in the rare cases when signs were replaced some workers were booed and shamed. Some signs written in the new script were painted over or vandalised with angry complaints. King Gjurjaton was impeached when all the governors denounced him and called for his imprisonment for being too unpopular, and he was jailed for seventeen years for all of his policies angering the people.

A new dynasty was enthroned. Days later, priests from all over Sevraeja received visions that claimed that the Gods decreed that the new dynasty would be the last before Sevraeja would return to its ancient republic.

Its last king took control of a corrupt corporation and attempted to convert Sevraeja into his own theme park. To prevent themselves from being enslaved by that false king, the Sevraejans revolted and defeated their monarch, and locked him as a prisoner for life as neither the Rukanians nor the Zvestarids wanted to imprison him.

A century later, the Great Game broke out in Randros and other parts of the continent. Zvesta, already a global superpower and among the wealthiest nations in the world. aided Sevraeja and its neighbours to protect them from the empires, forming the Wall of Dazhbog as a defensive alliance.

Parts of Sevraeja were shut down by the worldwide EMP caused by the Second Kyrvotin Invasion. Having retained most of its technology, the Zvestarids aided a massive reconstruction of the country.

Although there were occasional Thralondian invasion fleets attacking Sevraeja, all the airborne fleets were shot down, and nearly all the marine fleets were sunk by an array of laser towers. The few surviving invaders were interrogated and imprisoned for life, and from them the Sevraejans shared more information about the Thralondians' society, government, military, and technology with their allies. Aside from one rampage across the Rukanian countryside, all Thralondian attempts to breach the Wall of Dazhbog's members were defeated, including many portal incursions and one attack at the southern tip of the Darroskei supercontinent.

Encouraged by the successful defeat of the Thralondians, many Heronoi slaves migrated east to Sevraeja, where they were protected.

Sevraeja and Rukania supported Zvesta when it was invaded by the Terrans, and later aided the Bujanski in liberating their kingdom. During the Bujanski War of Independence, the President of Sevraeja was Semiradno.

In the 19th century AT, Sevraeja spent three years on nationwide debates over a new flag design, after protests reduced the authority of Veljegoroda over the rest of the country. Although occasional fistfights broke out, it did not split the country into a civil war. Thankfully, the Thralondian Empire was already gone, so no serious threats attacked or infiltrated the country, aside from occasional Wannaenid incursions.

## Government

Sevraeja is a republic.

The President is only a figure who managed day-to-day administration, while the real power of the republic is the Grand Veche, one of the oldest republican systems in Jerde's history. It is a Parliament consisting of all the representatives of every province, fifty-nine in total.

### Rulers of Sevraeja

* King Gustamidzelo (Second Age) - first recorded monarch in Sevraejan history, ruler of Naevana.
* Vejoreno Njebeskijo of Bezhineska - Prince of Bezhineska, defeated Alexandros III by mortally wounding him in a duel. Alexandros ran back to his ship, seeking to see his empire before he could die from his wounds, and his invasion rolled back. As the new high ruler, Vejoreno renamed himself Aleskonro ("not-Alexandros") in mockery of his defeated foe.
* King Gjurjaton (210 BT-199 BT) - notorious for trying to replace the Sevraejan syllabary with Common letters being compulsory. For his unpopular policy making him unfit to rule, he was impeached and thrown into prison.
* King Bjelujanon (-400 AT) - the last king of Sevraeja, overthrown and exiled for attempting to enslave his nation into a theme park.
* President Semiradno (1890s AT)

## Military

Sevraeja was known for two kinds of units: the uoskoinoje (singular: uoskoinjo), and the stereltsjo (sg. stereletsjo). The former were pirates who later became marines, and the latter were regular footsoldiers who also wore camouflage to hide in the vast forests of the country.

## Culture

Sevraejans love colourful art and weaving. The sarasa plant in the northwestern wetlands can be woven into sarasa cotton, which is known for its "glimmer" when exposed to light.

Lezolka, a kind of flowering tree, is used to make perfume or nectar from its yellow flowers. In ancient times, these commodities were very valuable to other traders, especially from as far away as the Gauvajut civilisation.

Calligraphy contests are a tradition in Sevraeja, adapting its characteristic cuneiform syllabary into fanciful brush strokes.

Wind chimes are popular decorations in Sevraeja, as they represent Stribog, the wind god. Nearly every Sevraejan home has at least three wind chimes, one for each resident.

Furs are a part of Sevraejan culture. Sometimes, hunting certain species of deer, bears, and goats was prohibited to allow their numbers to grow, so instead wool was used as it had the same quality.

Clay dolls are also a popular tradition, especially practiced in the northwestern parts of the country.

Neighbouring countries mockingly called the Sevraejans as "half-Norse" or "Zarijanian Slavs".

Western Sevraeja was more influenced by Zarijanian culture, so its cities have blue domes.

The eastern border city of Kaqyttel, inhabited by natives, is a haven for students of art and engineering, boasting the best universities in the entire east.

### Sports

Hockey is the national sport of Sevraeja, so beloved, to the point that people who talked ill about hockey would be beaten up by gangs of angry fans, similarly to how people who hate jousting are punished in fanatical Rukania.

However, Sevraeja also has two national jousting championships. The Siangwaanian-majority district of Čečoljeńna is one of many jousting hubs across the republic.

### Calendar

Unlike its Slavic neighbours, the Sevraejan calendar's months were named after translations of Zarijanian months. Its new year is on the month of March, known as Vravarine or Varonije (from "Fravardin").

* 1 Vravarine (March) - Sevraejan New Year, Novikaela
	+ Vravarine - Fravardin (Guardian Angel)
	+ Novikaela is the name for the traditional new year in Sevraeja. Formerly merely a poetic name, it later became the proper name for the traditional new year.
* 1 Ardavische (April) - New Year's Day, Novileta
	+ Ardavische - Arta Vahishtam (Best Truth)
	+ The Bujanski celebration adopted in Sevraeja, such as cart races to push fireworks into bonfires, is known as Prevodena, corresponding to the Bujanski name "Pjervodjeni".
	+ "Novileta", the former name for "new year", later became associated with the Bujanski New Year.
* Nowruz - Spring Festival, Sweets Day
	+ Celebrated with picnics and eating candy.
* 7 Tischeri (June) - National Day
	+ Tischeri - Tishtrija (Sirius, the Burning Star, the Hound Star)
* 8 Amondare (July) - Stribog's Holy Day
	+ Amondare - Amurdad (Immortality)
* 23 Michaera (September) - Ship Races
	+ Michaera - Mithra (Angel of Friendship)
	+ Celebrates Prince Vejoreno's victory over Emperor Alexandros' invasion of Voiska.
* 28/29 Ramjeka (February) - New Year's Eve, Letaduora ("year gate"), Star Day
	+ Celebrated by burning incense and worshipping star gods, and putting up wind chimes with paper stars.
	+ Ramjeka - Armatoisha (Angel of Harmony)

In ancient times, southern lezolka trees were used to mark the months of the year, because they usually bloom at new moon days.

## Demographics

### Sevraejans

Ethnic Sevraejans are a Slavic people, but due to their independence and distinctive history, they have become more different from the Darroskei to the east.

They make up 51 percent of Sevraeja's total population.

### Golden Slavs

The many smaller Slavic peoples east of Sevraeja are their relatives, and they are protected as fellow kin. All of these tribes voted "Golden Slavs" (Zolutosiluona, Silouskije) as their own name, replacing "Lesser Slavs".

Like Rukania, Sevraeja is notable for allowing the smaller Slavic cultures native to its land to retain or revive their traditions, as a contrast to Darros, which forcibly binds all Slavs there into a single ethnic group.

The Golden Slavs are 15 percent of all Sevraejans.

### Tchukorjans

Tchukorjans and other related people live along the eastern border, where they had built wooden cities of their own surrounded by vast tracts of farmland.

Two major Tchukorjan peoples are the artistic Kaqytleng and the technological Tonrobireh, having flourished in their own crafts before they willingly joined Sevraeja to access more avenues for their crafts. These peoples make up around 30 percent of Sevraeja's population.

One border city, Kaqyttel (Kogittela), is one of the richest cities in eastern Sevraeja for being a trading hub, and it was a former Tchukorjan protectorate that adopted parts of Sevraejan classical culture.

### Otinomirjo

Sevraeja also has three other Slavic Terran minorities at the eastern borders, alongside the Darroskei and several related kindreds. All three of them are simply known as "Russians" (Rossaetsjo) or "Otinomirjo" (from-another-worlders) from the name of the otherworldly country where they came from, but the more archaic Otinomirsii have little to no loyalty to whatever "Russia" they came across in spite of having a few similarities to their ancestors.

When the Zlotosii and Zetrosians invaded the country, the two Slavic peoples took up the former mocking term as a badge of honour, representing their loyalty to Sevraeja. They consisted of the Glazjorii and the Okosii, earlier Terrans who were so naturalised by their new Motherland for millennia, that they consider themselves as Sevraejans instead of subjects to any Terran nation.

* Zelaezjo - The most recent, being Zlotosii migrants.
	+ In older times, they were the most isolated because they were disliked for being too violent and unruly. They were also notorious for scrawling Z's and imperial propaganda everywhere, and threatening war over even a small offense - the other Terran Slavs dislike the Zelaezjo for their arrogant attitude and paranoia.
	+ As the Zlotosii moved their empire back to their homeworld, the Zelaezjo became more loyal to Sevraeja. Some Zelaezjo used a different symbol to represent their penance, a hand, from a slogan: "the same hand that tore houses shall rebuild them with wounds." (та же рука, что разрушила дома, на ранах отстроит их > то ж'река, шо дазрушила ломаё, ла ралла ёссорои-и)
* Glazjorii - Descendants of farmers, refugees, exiles, and modernised people. These were surviving Terrans who joined Sevraeja during the Denlotian era and after in rejection of the Fifty-Six Tyrants and the Red Fronts.
* Okonsii - An earlier wave of Terrans from an alternate mediaeval Russia who fled from a great catastrophe. Considered among the best artists in the republic.

The Otinomirjo Slavs comprise around 9 percent of all people in the republic.

### Other peoples

Aside from people from other countries (like Rukanians, Lesoslavians, and Plaeskovians), there are many "minor Slavic tribes" all over Rukania.

Ethnic Zarijanians tend to live along the western ports, where they were among the aristocracy due to their cultural influence in ancient Sevraeja.

The Heronoi, refugees from Thralondian slavery, tend to live in the northwest. They are often told apart from the locals with their blonde hair and their aversion to ice cream.

Many Waxeroi who went with their Heronoi friends work in Sevraeja as craftspeople, as the Sevraejans were pleased by how eager and quick they are to learn to use their super strength to better uses.

Čečoljeńna has a district mostly inhabited by ethnic Siangwaanians, who made it a centre for jousters.

Other Terrans, such as runaway slaves and defectors from the Thralondian reign of terror, are allowed to be citizens of Sevraeja.

## Language

See also: Sevraejan language, Sevraejan glossary

Sevraejan is one of several Slavonian languages that still kept Ѣ (ae) as an independent phoneme, alongside Bujanski.

The cuneiform that became the ancestor to the syllabic script of Sevraeja, and its language, were known as **Naevaniska**.

Although it is written with the same Darroskei alphabet as in Bujanski and related countries, the language has become more syllabic, to the point that there were many attempts to write Sevraejan in syllables.

In syllabaries, clusters are either shown with the first consonant being a same vowel symbol with a muted mark, or a diacritic for the next sound. For example, "грамота" (book) would be *g(a)'-ra-mo-ta*, or *g-ra-mo-ta* in syllabic spelling. Older words with consonant clusters are usually split into syllables.

The only consonants that can end a word in native Sevraejan are -t (in ot, ѿ, "from") and -n (which can make a vowel nasalised). The ot letter is also used to transcribe a final -t in foreign words and names, or double the following consonant, as in Heronoi and Pinogunian (and Japanese).

Sevraejan is written with three scripts: Common (Cyrillic), its native syllablary influenced by Zarijanian cuneiform, and a "common" script derived from neighbouring Slavic states. Officially, Sevraejan is mostly written in the syllabary.

Some Sevraejans write in futhark - the only major Slavic culture to use it to that often extent - but usually as a decorative script.

For example: (D - Darroskei, S - Sevraejan)

D - Ploskov

S - Poloskuo

Minority languages in Sevraeja include other Slavic languages in the northeast, some Tchukorjan dialects in the far east, and the two Russic languages of Glazjorisii and Okonsii in the southeast. The main language among the local Tchukoric languages of Sevraeja is Kagyttedlat, the language of the market city of Kagyttel.

Glazjorisii and Okonsii are known as "Otinomirsii", as Slavic languages from other worlds.

## Religion

See also: Sevraejan mythology

Sevraeja's state religion is Rodnovery, the worship of the Slavic gods. It is locally known as Staravaerja, the Ancient Way. Due to its independence from the other Slavic powers of Rukania and Darros, owing to the vast distances from both countries, and the influence of Zarijanian culture in its classical art, its mythology and pantheon became more distinctive.

Its national god is Stribog, the god of the winds and seas. Stribog is served by many dragons known as okoroko or morjoko ("sea striders"), which became the national animals of Sevraeja. He has seventy-seven sons, the gods of the major winds of the world, and the spring winds that blow across Sevraeja are represented by Solnestiboro.

Aurorae, known as dorosvaetja ("roads of light") are considered sacred, as they are associated with Stribog and other heavenly spirits. They are also believed to be the flags of the angels. This may be why Sevraejans love sarasa cloth and lanterns, as they may represent the aurorae.

In ancient times, the Galaxy was known as Velje Dorosvae, the Great Road of Light, mistaken for an enormous aurora. Even as they now understand that it is an aggregation of stars, they still believe that it is the plane of Heaven, but its cities are not allowed to be seen by mortal eyes.

### High gods

* Pieruno - King of Heaven
* Makosha - Queen of the Earth
* Stereibogo - God of the Winds and Seas, Lord of Sevraeja.
* Jerila - God of the Crops
* Datibogo - God of the Sun
* Simagralo (Simargl) - the beast-god of the north star

### Local gods

* Matǐslovaja - goddess of the birch tree, language, and writing. Also the mother goddess of the Sevraejan language and its cuneiform.
* Sarisoljato, Sarjalo - god of the sarasa plant, clothing, art, and beauty. He and Matǐslovaja are two popular deities representing Sevraeja's unique culture.

### Other beings

* azitjo - the angels, the heavenly warriors of Perun.
	+ From a word in Madaenan, "yazata", which means "an angel".
* star gods - the servants of Pieruno who look after the heavens
	+ Twelve star deities represent the months of the year.
* doroskjae - goddesses of the aurorae, stars, and the sky.
* Seventy-Seven Winds - the sons of Stribog, the major winds of Jerde.
* okorokjo - dragons of the sea, servants of Stribog.

### Evil beings

* Volunno - God of Plagues, Veles
* Rimonno - Ahriman, the Lord of Corruption
* Virondo - god of lies and stealing, god of Darros and its vices
* Murona - goddess of blizzards, cold, death
* Tjarano - the three-horned king of brutality, god of the Terrans and warmongers

### Religious practices

Sevraejans sometimes raise streamers and banners on rows, somewhat like ornate buntings, to indicate holy sites. It was a practice influenced by traders from the easterly land of Zhang La. This led to the construction of flying buttresses and arches around larger temples of Stribog, representing the winds.

### Other religions

Mazdajasna, the noble faith of Zarijana, is mostly practiced among the gentlemen in the western ports.

Sevraeja is one of the few countries on Jerde where Christianity is openly practiced, in contrast with Bujan. This was to accommodate ancient Terran refugees who became subjects of this civilisation.

## Diplomatic relations

Sevraeja is a member of the Pact of Independence, along with Rukania, Baniorel, and Olossa. Under the terms of the Pact, the members cannot annex each other or become into a single super-state, but citizens of all four nations can freely travel and do business into each other's countries.

Sevraeja and Bujan are good allies, having both the "ae" phoneme, blue and white flags, and a love of jousting and the sea. It was also because back when Bujan was the mighty Kingdom of Zvesta, it used its vast wealth to prepare it and its allies to protect each other against the Great Game's armies.

The Sevraejans mockingly call Darros "Magpieland" because in older times, merchants who travelled through Darros lost most of their money and goods in tariffs and fees, so they likened the Darroskei tollmen to thieves and magpies.

Plaeskovia, a nation just east of Kagyttel, is another ancient republic, though a little younger than Sevraeja. Both nations freely consider themselves as brothers, though Sevraeja tended to be the "big brother", and they remained the closest allies over the ages more so than Rukania. This made Darros very envious, leading to attempts to subjugate the two nations and the other Slavs.

Zarijana is sometimes a friend of Sevraeja, due to the large influence of Zarijanian culture in classical art. In turn, sometimes Slavic influences do show up in Zarijanian classical art, especially in carpentry, shipbuilding, painting, and architecture.

There are many ethnic Heronoi who live along the western ports, mostly descendants of slaves who fled from the Thralondian tormentors. The information the fugitives shared to the Sevraejans helped them easily defeat the Thralondian sky-fleets, leading to more aid and better relations with Harolan, one of the countries that resisted Thralondian conquest. After Heronoja's independence from Thralondian slavery, Sevraeja became one of the most popular destinations among Heronoi tourists, and also one of the places where the Waxeroi fled to during the purge.

The Sevraejans and Heronoi are also good friends because both nations hate vampires.

Sevraeja is one of several places where Siangwaanian jousters go to study, although its southern neighbour is much more popular.

## Trivia

* Sevraeja was inspired by the Republic of Novgorod from mediaeval times, and ultimately from the white-blue-white flag used by Russians who protested against the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The white-blue flag was also inspired by a former flag for modern Novgorod, which focuses on the historical Novgorod's aspect as a republic to make Russia more democratic.
	+ For that reason, the author used mediaeval Novgorod and Canada for the basis for Sevraeja's distinct Slavic culture. Other sources of inspiration for Sevraeja include Vikings, ancient Greek art, mediaeval Slavic legends, and zombie apocalypse works.
	+ One possible redesign of the Sevraejan flag would incorporate a koche ship and aurora borealis.
	+ The author based Sevraeja's name from северный (severnyj), Russian for "north", in turn from Old East Slavic сѣверъ (severu), also "north". There was an ancient Slavic tribe known as "Severia", located somewhere in present-day northern Ukraine.
	+ Sevraeja, like Bujan, was also influenced by Kislev, which shares Sevraeja's mediaeval Russian aesthetic, themes about ice and snow, and usage of the colour blue. However, the actual Novgorod where Sevraeja was based on is at a more southern latitude, with irritatingly hotter summers.
	+ In August 2022, a militant group within Russia called for the usage of the white blue flag, after bombing the daughter of the extremist statesman Alexander Dugin. Due to its association with a militant group (even as it also opposes Putin like he does), the author decided to redesign the Sevraejan flag. It retains the blue-white, bell, and three stars elements.
	+ Bujan already had a blue and white flag before the white blue flag was created in Russia. It might be inspired by the flag of Arantar (a gryphon with a sword), which in turn was inspired by the flag of Sri Lanka.
* Sevraejan was based on the Old Novgorod dialect, with bits of Japanese and a lot of Persian vocabulary.
* Sevraeja is depicted as a seafaring country, whereas the actual Novgorod Republic in history may not had any strong navy as it did not have much control over its vast territories.
	+ On the other hand, the western ports are known for the blue domes, influenced by Zarijanian architecture. While they were inspired by Sassanian Persian art, they also evoke the onion domes in Russian architecture.
	+ Onion domes do not exist in Bujanski architecture.
	+ The names of the cities of Luskara were based on administrative divisions of mediaeval Novgorod: Rzhev'skaa, Bezhichkaa, Oboniskaya, Lop'skaya, and Povolkhovskaya (Ржевьскаа, Бежичкаа, Вочьскаа, Лопьская, Поволховская). Luskara's name was from Luskaa (Лускаа), west of the Luga River and Novgorod.
	+ Plaeskovia was based on mediaeval Pskov and its system of posadniks (presidents or mayors). It was later depicted as somewhat based on Belarus, with its association with Vseslav of Polotsk resulting in it being a nation with magical technology.
* Some people, especially later Terrans, compare Sevraejan people to Canada, largely due to its cooler climate, and their cheery and friendly attitude. Those Terrans may sometimes call the country as "Canada" or "Aehland", from the Sevraejan usage of the Ѣ (ae) and Ѧ (en) vowels.
* The addition of bells as part of Sevraeja's symbols was a suggestion by a Russian artist who was from the city of Novgorod. It was also how Sevraeja also has a southern temperate climate, because the artist also said that in summer, the weather over there was too hot.
	+ Mediaeval Novgorod had a great bell for the veche assembly. When the city-state was conquered by Russia, its bell was taken to Moscow.
	+ Another influence for Sevraeja was Strudeler's mod for Civilization VI, where a civilisation based on mediaeval Novgorod was added to the game.
* The beast in an old Novgorod seal is interpreted as a dragon, even though it may had been a leopard.
* Vejoreno Njebeskijo was based on Alexander Nevsky.
	+ The historical Alexander Nevsky led his armies against Swedish and Teutonic invasions, and prevented the Mongols from totally subjugating Russia. This man was a Christian.
	+ However, Vejoreno named himself "Aleskonro" (Alexander) to mock his enemy, whom he wounded. The name "Aleskonro" also meant "not Leskonro", using the Zarijanian prefix "a-" for "not", to show that he was a more just ruler. He also defended his country from a western invasion, but simply challenged the invader's leader to a sword duel and won. Vejoreno was a Rodnover or "polytheist", like most people in that world.

## Why is it peculiar?

* Sevraeja is the only Slavic nation on Jerde whose native language is officially written with a syllabary, not an alphabet or abugida.
	+ It is also the only Slavic nation to use cuneiform as its national writing script, or more accurately, a derived syllabary.
* Sevraeja is one of the few nations in Jerde to have significant Terran mixed ancestry.
* Sevraeja is one of the handful of nations to permit any Ontemazei and Terrans to become full citizens, rather than avoid them as monsters as in other countries.
	+ Other nations that tolerate Terrans include Volzeraen and Gimbarish.