Danzer Republic

**Danzer Republic**

The Danzer Republic (Danzish: *Witendled ri Danzericce Folkmaer*, lit. Council-Leadership of the Danzish Nation/Peoples), unofficially known as Danzermark, was an authoritarian, industrialised nation-state located on the north-east fringes of Severia, known for its reactionary right-wing politics, which only emerged during the latter part of the region's recorded history. The Repbulic was founded by the descendants of Panzerian peoples who had emigrated from Centralia and the Kingdom of the Isles due to various political conflicts, combined with a substantial minority of eastern Daelic peoples.

The Republic was not known to have any official flag or insignia. Entrance to the territory was kept under tight control, and this - combined with geographic separation from other inhabited areas of Severia - means many aspects of the Danzer Republic remain shrouded in secrecy. However, the Republic was known to take an antagonistic view towards the South Severian Community and its allies.

The civilian government, responsible for everyday decisions in the town of Danzerfold, was known as the *Folkmaer*. The larger military protectorate region, known to have taken at least one native settlement under its umbrella, was known as the *Theodgard*, and operated under a separate, more draconian set of laws.

**Origin of The Danzer Identity**

The Danzer regarded themselves as fundamentally Panzerian, and the terms were used interchangeably. The origins of the term ‘Danzer’ are believed to be found in Centralia before the year 50 CE as a label to describe those of majority-Panzerian ethnic background living in the rugged countryside outside Newport, chiefly around the settlement of Saint Joan’s (Haelen Johanne).

By the end of the first century CE, Danzish as a language had truly diverged from Old Panzerian, picking up a variety of new vocabulary and structural differences as a result of exposure to other languages that came to be spoken in Severia.

**Birth of the Republic**

The biggest single grievance of Centralian-Panzerians was the forced clearing of old Panzerian neighbourhoods of Newport to make way for grand new developments such as the South Severian embassy - at the time of its construction, the largest single building outside South Severia itself, and taken as a symbol of Centralia’s ‘colonisation’ by South Severia, or even a deliberate act of ‘ethnic cleansing’. Many of the families evicted from Old Newport, feeling abandoned by mainstream Centralian society and betrayed by their own representatives on the Newport city council, flocked to Danzerian communities in the north.

It was during this time that the Panzerian peoples were galvanised by a man named Panryk Daft, who emerged as a Danzish community leader; beginning his career as a librarian in Newport in the 50s CE, Daft later became an author, political theorist, and champion of Panzerian heritage. By 90 CE, his works had coalesced into a complete political theory and moral code, advocating a rejection of consumerism and individualism being promoted by South Severia, and instead a return to the traditional Panzerian values of extended family ties and strong local communities; Daft’s works struck a chord with many who felt the Panzerian identity and culture were being slowly eroded in Centralia. Daft also felt that Western Democracy was deeply flawed, and was doomed to be an endless media circus in the battle for public opinion.

While some of Daft’s followers argued for a Pan-Panzerian uprising throughout Centralia, Daft himself argued against this. The prospect of leaving Centralia to create a new, fully-independent, isolationist, protectionist state seemed like the ideal way to realise the movement's ideas, however the resources to achieve this were still lacking.

The final catalyst was the collapse of the Kingdom of the Isles at the end of the first century CE. Much of the Kingdom’s former nobility - many of whom were of Panzerian ancestry - blamed various states in the West for the downfall of their kingdom, and were seeking a safe haven for themselves and their treasures. It wasn’t long before Islander exiles were turning up in north Centralia as refugees - a dramatic reversal of fortunes, following their history of raiding those coasts in previous decades. Under the urging of Daft, old animosities were put aside; the Panzero-Daelic exiles were welcomed to the Danzish cause, bringing treasure, rare goods, specialist tools and weapons with them.

By now, Danzish explorers had ventured far to the north of Centralia, discovering a sheltered, fertile coastal plain overlooked by majestic mountains, with ample woodlands and other resources nearby - a seemingly ideal location. Everything was now in place for the creation of the new state.

**Foundation and Early Developments: 101-130 CE**

Initial waves of settlement took place between 101 and 110 CE; it is said that the first boat to land contained Panryk Daft himself, along with the former High Druid of the Kingdom of the Isles, who together laid the foundation stone of the new town of Danzerfold.

Accommodation was severely lacking during the early years, as priority was put into setting up vital infrastructure. Families often lives in cramped, basic conditions - it was only due to the hardy nature of the Danzer and the Daels that disease was not more widespread. Food, at least, was plentiful, with farming being an early success, and morale was raised by organising expeditions to explore beyond Danzerfold; the eastern neighbouring native township known as ‘Eastburg’ (Umhurm in its native tongue) signed a ‘Pact of Friendship’ with Danzerfold in 104 CE, while to the west, an overseas trade route was established with the savannah townships of the ‘Ascadia’ region a few years later, where it is also rumoured that Danzish special forces climbed the ‘highest peak in Severia’.

The Danzer Storehaus, a ‘temple of industry’, soon dominated the early town; this large structure was later directly linked to mining, smelting, and logging operations by underground rail, also functioning as a meeting house and as an improvised bank during the town’s early years. A Nether Portal, situated on a tidal island just offshore, was also present since the earliest days of the town; in contrast to traditional Panzerian caution around nether travel, it is known that the Danzish put huge investment into activities within the nether.

From 115 CE, industrial facilities - including a large dry dock, and cutting-edge auto-smelter - began to take shape on the east side of town. Meanwhile, a residential area took shape in the west corner, the so-called ‘Old Town’, built using more traditional methods, but showing a distinct Centralian influence with its colourful walls. A faithful replica of a New Iotanian galleon was built by 117 CE, closely modelled on a sunken shipwreck found nearby, and functioned as a training ship for the fledgling Danzish navy. The ‘Temple of Gratitude’, a large quartz monument containing a traditional Panzerian arch-shrine, was completed by 130 CE and dedicated as a work of thanks to the divine powers for ‘bestowing their blessings and abundance’ on the new state.

The 130’s saw a lull in construction in Danzerfold, while it was believed several outposts in the outlying territories were being developed. Chief among these seemed to be ‘Saebord’, a large mountainous island lying to the west of the capital, and the location of some spectacular rock formations.

Not much more is known of the state’s ultimate development or its political scene, but the last records show that Panryk Daft was still overseeing operations as defacto head of state. Danzish rangers and marines continually patrolled the frontiers, turning away or detaining intruders.

**Controversies: Detention of Journalists, Activities in the Nether**

In 111 CE, two Hekkian journalists - Astrid Hägerlund and Gustav Paanz-Cow - were captured within the Nether by Danzish special forces, while attempting to document the large-scale hyperloop transportation projects being undertaken there by Danzish engineers. The exact extent of this network was never made public and was considered a state secret by the Danzer leadership, as it provided access to essential resources and strategic locations across eastern Severia. But the details that came to light suggest it was a huge project, consuming a large chunk of the Republic’s resources during the first decade of its existence, with many workers living almost permanently within the Nether for extended periods. The project is believed to have initially used stores of Packed Ice recovered from the former Kingdom of the Isles treasury, which had abandoned its own Overworld hyperloop project after running into repeated flooding issues under the sea floor.

The two journalists were held without trial until 113 CE, being at various points under threat of life imprisonment for the crimes of ‘sabotage’ and ‘threatening the national security of the Danzish people’, before the Danzish High Council decided to release them as a goodwill gesture. However, it is rumoured that other journalists were not so lucky, and there are reports of other journalists from various countries having gone missing after venturing into Danzish territory.