Free North

The **Free North** (Bujanski: **Smardjōsvertsy**, singular, **Smardjōsverets**; Eosome: **Nesjaktörau**) is a cultural community of Terrans in Bujan. They were descended from defectors and slaves liberated by the Bujanski Revolution.

## History

The Free North was a revolt that began in northern Bujan, founded by many Terrans who rebelled against the Wannaenids for their corrupt mismanagement and propaganda. They eventually defected to the revolution and supported the natives as members.

One of their most famous leaders was a Christian pastor who was disgusted by the abuse and hypocrisy in colonial society. For his loyalty to Bujan and refusal to practice forcible conversion, the King of Bujan appointed him as the only Christian governor of a province. This one even became an ambassador to the allies who supported the royal government against the Anti-Terran Action terrorists.

The Free North also protected many fans of a show, Broken Plates, from being massacred by angry mobs. Many members of the Free North were originally defectors who accepted the Bujanski monarch's amnesty, earning the trust of the natives by reconciling with petty enemies and declaring peace with Bujan. In one ceremony, hundreds of Broken Plates fans conducted a ceremony representing a peace treaty with the King of Bujan, causing all of them to become Free Norths and Bujanski citizens.

However, after independence, the Free North suffered a division, where members were split between killing other Terrans as a collective punishment, and saving the remaining Terrans who had not committed a single taboo. The Free North's members who advocated protecting local Terrans prevailed, as they did not want Bujan to collapse into chaos again.

## Culture

The Free North was mostly assimilated into the Bujanski Slavic culture, to ensure they remain trustworthy before their protectors. Although they are aware that their traditional languages were discouraged from any public use, they believed that they were allowed to use English and Russian in private, or when translating or explaining from those languages.

Since its adoption by its founders, orange has become a traditional colour for Terrans who supported Bujan.

The cross is discouraged in most of Bujan, due to its association with Terran oppressors. People throughout the country were allowed to use simple crosses in their designs, but using a *Christian*-style cross is seen as disrespectful, and possibly wrongly seen as "supporting colonial rule". However, the Free North wanted to rehabilitate the symbol, as among the Bujanski citizens who are allowed to use it in honour of their support for the revolution.

The most notable instance was the "cross fence", a wall of large neon crosses raised in defiance to the Terrans' imperial symbols. Defectors who came close enough to the gates formed by the wall of crosses were brought into the gates by regiments of Free North guards, known as "the King's Angels".

Another instance was the usage of simple crosses in Free North regiments, from the Bujanski Revolution to the counterattacks against the July massacres. Crosses and images of angels appear in many Free North regiments.

The ancient soldier known as Lonhyn became a popular symbol among Bujanski Terrans. Just as Lonhyn was one of the earliest foreigners to repent to one extraordinary prisoner, so were they, outsiders and cursed, able to undo their wickedness.

Free Norths and other Christians often kept showing notable loyalists as proof that they are not traitors against Bujan.

## Free North Christianity, or Bujanski Christianity?

### Christianity in Buyan?

The "Free North Association" was established to allow Free North Terrans to practice their faiths away from the public.

It is actually the continuation or revival of Christianity in Bujan. More accurately, it is three Christian denominations as a replacement for the banned Tyrskan and Qyuvian cults: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism. These are revivals that attempted to correctly practice the ethics of their god, "Iisus Kristo", as a healthier replacement to the militarist Terran cults.

By law, their practice of Christianity has to be kept as a secret that only trusted outsiders can know, to protect the Free Norths from harrassment. As Christianity was mostly practiced by Terran militants during Wannaenid rule, who also waged war on the natives, many people in Bujan do not trust anyone seen as "Christian", associating the entire religion with those militants. While many Bujanski openly called for banning Christianity as a "religion of war", in practice, the Free North Association is mostly regarded as the only exception, until the Valtoisians and Sondorians visited Bujan and became more exceptions tolerated and trusted by the Bujanski people.

Most Free Norths of the Christian faith tend to hide their real religion, appearing publicly as atheists or monotheists in order to coexist with the other people of Bujan. They are still allowed to pray very quietly; and nearly all Bujanski still allow them to quietly practice Christianity because the Free Norths are seen as more trustworthy.

Still, some Bujanski are paranoid enough to even avoid a kind Free North who was a veteran in the Royal Armed Forces. A very few fanatics even had legal restraining orders that banned any Christian or Free North from going within one meter of their presence, forcing them to hide or disguise themselves. The last of these restrictions was lifted in 1904, sparking terrorist attacks by ultranationalists who were angered by integration of Christians into Bujanski society.

In most of Bujan, Free North temples appear like libraries and halls, using local architecture to hide their real functions as Christian churches. In only a few parts of Bujan, they are allowed to openly display religious symbols, such as in Chano Province and Rongarik Town. In such places, many Free North temples use the otherwise-banned onion domes, complete with simple crosses.

Rongarik Town is sometimes known as "Christmastown" because its people themed themselves after the festival of Christmas, to convince the Bujanski that their faith does not need to wage war against the monarchy.

### Other Christians of Bujan; Kristoverije

Many Christians exist in Bujan, although nowadays outnumbered by Free Norths. While outsider Christians are known as "Kristovery", they are not recognised by law, as their actual faith was hidden to avoid being shunned again. They tended to register themselves as other religions, such as Atenists; or more often as atheists.

The early years of Bujanski independence shaped their culture. The natives cursed them as terrorists and children of oppressors, constantly showing them war crimes and even Internet comments and screencaps of abusers to remind them of their collective guilt. During the July massacres, Christians were especially targeted by violent fanatics, who accused them of some comment years ago or for the slightest sign of hatred against the country, its people, and its gods. Years later, those Terrans recounted sad experiences when they were shunned by society:

* bans from various venues, and even parts of towns and cities
* bans from public transport
* signs warning that Christians are banned from the venue, accusing them of the crimes of one or several violent fanatics
* people asking guests about their gods
* stereotypes of Christians as violent fanatics, bullies, and online trolls
* depicting Christians as "monsters who only think of hate and violence"
* people dressing up as farmers and truck drivers, pointing replica guns at the air, as stereotypical Terrans
* people constantly threatening to draft any Christian to be immediately drafted to the Armed Forces - again with the stereotype of Christians as violent and treasonous
* parents keeping children away from suspected Christians
* angry people beating up Christians for even one angry word against the gods
* Bujanski who were caught being Christians were expelled from their own families and accused of terrorism
* almost all Christians, including Free Norths, were asked about what have they posted online, with any anti-Bujanski comments being punishable with prison or torture
* being asked every day by random citizens about their loyalty to Bujan and any possible hatred - because any who were caught with hatred against Bujan were punished, beaten up, or killed.

Although this was what Christians in neutral or pro-death gangs provinces had suffered under, it also applied to anyone else seen as a Terran, even if they were undergoing penance or became more Bujanski. The Free Norths were lucky enough to avoid this treatment for the most part, yet they also wanted to help anyone in Bujan who was being punished and shunned in that manner.

As many Christians feared torture and death in the hands of angry mobs, the orange provinces tried to integrate them into Bujanski society, by hosting exhibitions to allow them to apologise to the Bujanski under police protection. The exhibitions, which showcased Terran beliefs and ideologies, also depicted how Christians actually practiced, to prove to the public that they were not a violent cult. The murders of the Anti-Terran Action caused more Bujanski to reluctantly allow Christians to work alongside them, as the locals were torn between wanting collective punishments on the Terrans and avoiding the wickedness of the ATA's terrorists.

Being social outcasts drove many Christians in Bujan to change their attitude. They became more sociable and friendly, and they adopted Bujanski Slavic customs, to ensure they did not stand out from the public. They knew that people were afraid of them, so they wanted to reach out to the public. Those same Christians encouraged their children to attend public schools and morality classes, and to learn the official languages of their country, to ensure they will not be viewed as backwards, isolated fanatics, Internet terrorists, and supremacists. They were also more quiet online, wanting to avoid stereotypes of their own people.

Some were also glad to be brought to moral classes and museums, as they knew that explaining to the guests meant that people might understand them better, rather than fear them as "violent monsters".

The Churchgoers were a sect of Christians who hid their real religion for decades, until they decided to admit their real faith. They begged the King of Bujan to forgive their people's actions, so the King forgave them and allowed them to become Free Norths.

## Other religions

### Rodnovery

A third of all Free Norths have converted to the state religion of Rodnovery, in attempting to fit into Bujanski society. Like any Terran who willingly converted to local faiths, or became atheist, they are seen as more trustworthy, openly welcomed by their fellow citizens for being more Bujanski.

### Other beliefs and atheism

A smaller number of Free Norths were Buddhists, Hindus, and worshippers of Sarmelonid gods, due to these faiths being more open to them.

Some Free Norths remained atheist, as they were descendants of defectors who joined the revolution due to Bujanski being more tolerant of atheists. In fact, some Free North families regarded atheism as a proud tradition, being the very reason why they defected to support the natives. On the other hand, most Bujanski believe that even an atheist can still enter Paradise because their direct attitude makes them more righteous.

## Terminology

* Qyuvian, Serpentian, English: Free North, Free Northerner
* Tyrskan, Russian: свободсевер, Svobodsever

### Positive

* Repentants
* Orangers
* Dawnpeople - proposed name by Free Norths
* Atoners
* Children of Bujan
* "Christians" - the majority of Free Norths are people who revived proper Christian practices in Bujan, causing most Bujanski to assume that every Christian was either a timid Free North, or a violent fanatic. They initially had to deal with stereotypes that caused people to hate them over their Terran origins.
* Novokagarury, Kagarury - "the new kagaruros, the new loyalists who love the nation". Used in response to slurs like "kerso" and "bloka", to show that the Free Norths are not traitors, but loyal to their new homeland.

### Negative

* Uoky (Infidels) - Qyuvian
* Terrans - other Bujanski
* Fanatics - Bujanski
* Kagakury - an old name from Wonao that was formerly used towards Bujanski Slavs, meaning "Liars". Sometimes used to point out the irony of Bujanski hatred of ethnic Terrans, in that it was the same thing as how their Bujanid ancestors were shamed millennia ago.
* Heretics - Qyuvians
* Stanems (Heretics) - Qyuvians
* Roswells (Outlaws) - Qyuvians
* 400 - "cursed for four hundred years of oppression", cursing Terrans in Bujan for historical crimes that they are now trying to undo.
* Orcs
* "Terrorist"
* Terminal - short for "terminally online", stereotype of Free Norths and Terrans as Internet fanatics and trolls. May be seen as a slur because suspected Internet trolls were killed.

### Bujanski

* Smardjōsverets - a Free North
	+ pl. Smardjōsvertsy
* Kristoverije - Christianity, religion of the Free North Terrans
* Kristover - a Christian
* Istibog - "True God", the Free North's god
* Verkhon - "High One", the god of the Free Norths
	+ "Istibog" and "Verkhon" were also used in earlier translations of "God" in monotheist religions.
* Iisus Kristos, Iesus Kristos - the Son of God, according to Free Norths

### Eosome

* Nesjaktörau - a Free North
* Rumai Mi-Kristos - Way of Jesus (the Free Norths' supposed god)

## Trivia

* The first full translation of the Bible into the Bujanski and Eosome languages was around 1892, completed during the July massacres. Earlier, the Bible was only available in English and Russian; it was even first translated into Wannaenid in 1803!
* One of the most notable ironies in Bujanski modern history was that an actor for several kings and mythological figures was revealed to be a Christian. When the studio who hired him was investigated, the director stated that he hired him because he happened to be there, not caring about his background since he was well-behaved. The actor himself also claimed that he loves Bujanski culture because it looked so beautiful.

## See also

* Bujanski taboos
* Volzeraen, a nation notable for being mostly descendants of Terrans who also sided with the native Jerdiskar.
* Sevraeja, another Jerdiskar nation known for having partial Terran ancestry, so it becomes more tolerant of Terran defectors.
* Bloky, another kind of people in Bujan who have also become social outcasts, as a collective punishment over online offenses.