Ruheg

**Ruheg**, officially the State of Ruheg (*Ruhr.* Landeer den Rörheg) is a federal parliamentary republic located in Western and Central Enshelm. Ruheg is bordered by Zardegy to the East, Corduroy to the South-Southeast, and Argewald to the Northwest, and is also bordered by the Rohen Sea to the South. Ruheg is the third most populous nation in Enshelm, with a population exceeding 78 million as of 2116. Ruheg is the second largest nation in Enshelm, with an area of 1.125 million square kilometres. Ruheg's official capital since 1894 is Wohlgen, however the nearby city of Ottensberg, which served as the capital from the mid-15th century until 1894, continues to serve as the meeting place for the States-Assembly (*Rohr.* Staatengezunge).The official language of Ruheg is Rohen, specifically the High Rohen dialect, although a significant population of Rohen speakers in Ruheg (approximately 38%) speak the alternative Low Rohen dialect. Lushein is a recognized minority language in the state of Oustland-Lusheia. Ruheg's climate is temperate, with most regions experiencing cool winters and mild summers, with the exception of the Southeast, which is generally warmer in summer and winter.

## History

### Argen Empire (900 BE-1 AE)

Proto-Rohen tribes such as the Gaustars and Andari have occupied modern day state of Ruheg as early as 900 BE. Descended from the Argens, Rohens resided West of the Argen Sea before migrating further South and East around 570 - 450 BE. From then, Rohens began to develop their own language and culture and emerge as a people group over the course of the next few hundred years. Following the Treaty of Luudem in 389 BE, the Province of Rowald was founded, named for Rowan (born c. 425 BE), a renowned Edwellian military leader and first Duke of Rowald, who is revered as the father of the Rohen nation. Seven years later in 282 BE the town of Ewerdhale (now Ottensberg) was founded and declared the capital of Rowald.

Beginning around 160 BE, the local rulers of Rowald began objecting to Argen rule following a prolonged food shortage in the province. Rowald was the foremost provider of foods such as grain dairy for the Argen Empire, however, most of the food supplies were transported northward to the Argen homeland to accommodate the growing urban population, which left peasant farmers in Rowald with scarce food supplies. Along with the food shortages, Rohens began to further emphasize their increasingly distinct culture, leading to a series of revolts that culminated in the Ewerdhale Resolution of 274 BE, authored by Duke of Rowald Baldwin I that granted greater autonomy to Rowald and Draithem. The Resolution was authored in large part by Baldwin I, great-grandson of Rowan.

Another series of revolts occurred in the second century BE, centered around religious rights for Rohens. Saint Markel (b. 212 BE) lead a movement to recognize the Rohen Sanctum of Garydon as separate from the Argen Sanctum. Markel was killed and made a martyr in 144 BE, but after several more decades of internal conflict, the Markellian Addendum to the Ewerdhale Resolution was signed in 118 BE, recognizing most of the practices of the Rohen Sanctum as legitimate, under the stipulation that Northern Vexic remained the sole liturgical language.

Around 65 BE, tensions began to escalate in the Argen Empire as Rohens and neighboring Augens of the neighboring Farwald began vying for complete independence from the Empire, along with others in the Cortriien half of the Empire. Tensions culminated in the assassination of Prince Edgar II in 48 BE, which began the Argen Civil War between the loyalist Argen-Cortriium forces and freedom fighters from the provinces of Rowald, Farwald, and the Cortrium province of Ancoret (modern day Drekofou, Lezodos), ending with the Everten Concordat in 1 BE, signed by King Hareld II of Argewald and King Leonor II of Cortrium, co-monarchs of the Argen-Cortrium Empire, and Emperess Astoria VI Caleida of the Altriied Empire which dissolved the Altriied Empire, and divided the Argen-Cortrium Empire into the sovereign states of the Kingdom of Argewald, the Dukedom of Rowald, the Cortriium Kingdom, Reíndom of Galvadeor, Free Realm of Farwald, Reíndom of Edenwell, Reíndom of Draithem, Reíndom of Wense, Margraviate of Femaîgn, Duchy of Velegua, Duchy of Merizea , Principality of Valeron, Duchy of Ocovre, and the Republic of Novostrem.

### First Kingdom of Rohenau (13-1432 AE)

In 13 AE, the Dukedom of Rowald became the Kingdom of Rohenau, when Rudolf I declared himself King of Rohenau, founding the House of Unterzold, often shortened to just Unterzold. By 35 AE, the territory occupied by the Kingdom of Rohenau comprised the modern day states of Feltzeg-Allemburg, Nordgeurieg, and Midtgeurieg. In 439, Ruheg engaged in a series of conflicts with the Kingdom of Argewald, gaining control of all of Argewald, as well as all of its client states, by 460. Eventually, however, Alwenn of Aberdor defeated Rohenau at the Battle of Dunmar in 548.

From then, Rohenau began expanding Eastward into the territory of Farwald, encompassing the modern day Zardigen states of Lower Hœldreg and Neumansfarg, and most of Upper Hœldreg, Schweizeg-Fahnholm, Eld Mattenheis, and Western Jószeim & Margaretrüm, and defeated Zardic tribes occupying the area, capturing the Principality of Velhus and surrounding settlements in 719.

Rohen expansion Eastward continued as Rohenau conquered territories occupied by Volgey tribes, such as the Kosckivs, Grigors, and Vovuls. By 850, Rohenau controlled the modern day regions of Kosckivichy, Grigertzia, Vovulertzia, and South Vovulia, as well as other Volghelvic provinces such as Fedorozky-Zemetzy, Fedorozky-Vosetzy, and Northern Vladeyratzia.

In 1024 a peace agreement was signed between the Kingdom of Rohenau and the Second Empire of Morvenia, the largest and most significant Volgey kingdom of the time period. Rohenau gained control of much of what is now modern day West and Southwest Volghevsky.

In 1176, Willelm the Valiant, born in Rohenau in 1145, spearheaded a liberation movement in Eastern Rohenau, and successfully proclaimed the Grand Duchy of Zardegy in 1183 when he replaced the Rohen Archduke. Rohenau maintained control of modern day Eastern and Southern Zardegy. By 1300, however, the territory fell under the control of various Volgey petty kingdoms and republics.

### Rohen Civil War

Internal conflict arose as the Herzaft (Duke) of Wenstmaar, Ludewik III of the House of Weitkamp, discontent with the supremacy of the King and lack of real authority amongst the Dukes (Herzaft) and Counts (Rifft), declared the independent state of the Dukedom of Wenstmaar (modern day Midtgeurieg & Southwest Feltzeg-Allemburg) in 1424. Several other constituent states of Rohenau followed by declaring their independence from the Kingdom, leading to the Rohen Civil War in mid-1427.

The Civil War was fought between the Dukes of six of the fourteen states who declared independence, led by Ludewik III (also called Ludewik the (?), and the loyalist forces, led by King Friedrik II Hansen. Amidst the war, a young nobleman named Henrik Hollehempf, 5th Count of Stromhaus, quickly became the most trusted adviser to Ludewik III. Following Ludewik's death in the Battle of Rugemdam in 1429, Henrik succeeded him as the Duke of Wenstmaar. Three years later, Henrik was successful in reuniting the states of Rohenauw when the Klauzieg Agreement was ratified by all of the dukes and King Frederik II Hansen in April of 1432. Under the agreement, King Frederik II Hansen would abdicate his throne, and Henrik would ascend to the throne as Emperor Henrik I, forming the Rohen Empire.

### First Rohen Empire (1432-1690)

The First Rohen Empire was Henrik of the House of Hollehempf, who ascended to the throne as Emperor Henrik I in 1432. The first Gorethien monarch in over three centuries, his reign marked the beginning of a return to the Sanctum of Goreth by many Rohens, many of whom through forced conversion at the behest of Henrik.

After the death of Henrik I in 1459, his son Ludewig I ascended to the throne, beginning an era known as the Rohen Golden Age, where feudalism was gradually replaced by democratic and egalitarian ideals which coincided with the early days of the Enlightenment period.

From 1514 to 1519, the throne of the Emperor was left vacant after the death of Ludewig II, as he left no heirs. The rules of succession for the new empire were undefined, which led to a crisis lasting four years before Ludewig's second cousin Otto I was chosen to ascend to the throne.

In 1519, Otto I ascended to the throne of Emperor. Otto is remembered for his populist reforms, including introducing public education in the capital of every state in 1530, and introducing an independent judiciary system in 1552, as well as mandating jury trials for all accused and fair punishment for all convicted. Otto came to be known as Otto the Fair, and is often regarded as the greatest Emperor from the Hollehempf dynasty, and even the greatest monarch in Rohen history.

Otto died in 1576, with his firstborn son Konrad I ascending to the throne as Emperor. Konrad upheld the reforms of his father, and, in 1600, officially renamed the city of Ewerdhale (Ewardhalle) to Ottensburg in honor of his father Otto I. In 1616, after continued pressure from republicans, Konrad established a democratically elected legislature, known as the Gezunge (Assembly), which first convened in Ottensburg in 1616.

However, later in his reign, Konrad began to regard the Gezunge as a threat to his authority, and disbanded the assembly, calling for another election in 1620 only to disband the Gezunge once again only a few months later, and again in 1621. Modern scholars attribute Konrad's paranoia to a degenerative mental disorder, which likely led to his death in 1627.

Konrad was succeeded by his son, Theodor the Terrible, who reigned for six years until 1633, when he was ousted by the Royal Court. Theodor earned his name 'the Terrible' for the 1632 Ludolfurt Massacre, in which he ordered the execution of at least forty Lusheien republican protestors in Flouren Square in Ludolfurt. As Theodor had no heirs, Maximillien I, first cousin of Theodor and direct descendant of Ludewik III Weitkamp, ascended to the throne at the age of 27, forming the House of Hollehempf-Weitkamp.

Maximillien earned the title 'Maximillien the Belligerent' after declaring war on the Volghelvic Kingdom in defense of the Fourth Altriied Empire, triggering the Thirty Years' War - believed to be among the bloodiest conflicts in the history of the continent, second only to the Great Enshelm War of 2025-32. The war began in 1633 and ended in 1663 with the Treaty of Avixiium, ending the Fourth Altriied Empire and included a non-aggression pact between the Rohen Empire and the Volghelvic Kingdom.

The Rohen Empire would soon end under the brief reign of Konrad II, great-great grandson of Maximillien the Belligerient, due to the Rohen Civil War from 1725-42 between the loyalists of the House of Hollehempf, loyalists to the House of Weitkamp, republicans, and the Lusheiens. Republicans and Lusheiens were able to depose Konrad II in 1728 after just eleven days on the throne, and eventually formed the State of Ruheg in 1735, even though the conflict wouldn't officially end for another seven years.

### Modern Ruheg

Modern Ruheg began after the end of Rohen Civil War in 1742, with the election of the first official Federal Chancellor, Heinrik Wilhelm Leupoldt vonn Heftberg - generally known as just Wilhelm Leupoldt or Wilhelm vonn Heftberg.

Ruheg experienced a period of prolonged prosperity and peace, not entering or participating in any armed conflict until the 1937 Argen-Rohen Border War, and not entering a major conflict until the Lusheien War from 2016-18, a defensive war against the (?) regime of Corduroy

Ruheg faired comparatively well during the Era of Stagnation in the early-mid 20th century, compared to many of their neighbors.

## Politics

The State of Ruheg is a federal parliamentary republic in Western Enshelm. Ruheg has been a republic since the election of Federal Chancellor Wilhelm Leupoldt in 1735 following the Rohen Revolution in Verdant of 1734, but did not adopt an official constitution until 1738, which is still in operation today. The constitution designates the Federal Chancellor as the ceremonial head-of-state, appointed by the Grand Assembly to serve a four-year term. The constitution designates the Minister-President as the head-of-government, responsible for presiding over the General Assembly, assembling a cabinet and other appointments, and composing an annual budget. The current Federal Chancellor is Evelen Hoferzeim, and the current Minister-President is Ernest Wester.

The States-Assembly (Staatengezunge) is the bicameral legislature of Ruheg, composed of a lower house, the General Assembly (Allegzunge), and an upper house, the Grand Assembly (Großemzunge). The General Assembly is composed of 425 members, divided amongst 373 constituencies with 52 overhang seats. Members of the General Assembly are elected to terms of two years, and are limited to serving five consecutive terms. The Grand Assembly is composed of 33 members, 3 from each of the 11 federal states. The head of each federal state serves as one of the three members for the Grand Assembly, and the other two are elected to serve a term of six years, and are limited to serving two terms.

### Federal states

The State of Ruheg is composed of eleven self-governing federal states, each of which has its own independent legislature with the capacity for lawmaking, and most of which has its own constitution, with the exceptions of Endtland, Nordgeurieg, and Wohlgen-Ottensburg-Innemrörheg.

### States-Assembly

Currently, the centre-right liberal-conservative Republican Party of Ruheg (*Rohr.* Republiken Parten um den Röhreg) is the marginally largest party in the General Assembly with 125 members. The Republican Party of Ruheg forms a government coalition with the classical liberal Liberal-Democratic Party (*Rohr.* Liberaledemokratisk Parten). Together, the Republican Party and Liberal-Democratic Party form a government with 214 of the 425 members, just short of a majority. The main opposition is the social-democratic Social Democratic-Labour Party (Soziegdemokraten Arbetparten), with 114 seats. The remaining opposition is composed of the conservative Rohen National Party (Natziënparten), democratic socialist/left-wing populist Socialist Reform Party (Soziegtish Revorming), and the third way and populist Moderate Party (Midtparten).