Jotunn Draugr — Roleplayer Guild

<Snipped quote by Willy Vereb>

Did someone say commie Dwarves?

Because I brought commie Dwarves

The Worker's Union of Vokietija

Nation Intro

Vokietija is a cosmopolitan nation often called the odd one out in the civilized world, having taken an entirely different approach to industrialization. While power remained concentrated in the hands of the rich in other lands, in Vokietija it fell into the hands of the common man during a massive civil war that raged across the entire country for years. They are no strangers to war, having long been a major military power in the world and being one of the few territories to force out all the empires that tried to conquer it. The peoples of Vokietija remain optimistic that they will continue to be able to repulse outside invaders and spread the revolution throughout the world.

Geography

(The unbroken red, you know, the one that's a bit darker and in the place where there wasn't anything before)

History

For most of its history, Vokietija was not at all a unified nation or even culture. It was simply a land where countless tribes fought one another for dominance. This period lasted since the stone age until the late bronze age, when empires from the east attempted to conquer the lands of the tribes. Unlike various other lands that were quickly overwhelmed by the significantly more civilized empires, word spread quickly through Vokietija and a summit was called. Representatives from all tribes met upon a river in the southeast of the land to discuss the course of action they would take. Due to the countless different species that were represented, it was believed that no consensus could be reached.

That was, until Sigihard reached the summit. There is no consensus concerning his own personal history, most of what is known comes from legends and lullabys. He hailed from the north of Vokietija, from one of the mountain tribes. It is said that he was born atop the tallest mountain in the north, and that when barbarians came to conquer his tribe's village all it took was his infant face to turn back the hordes. Wherever his homeland, and however exagerrated the tales, it is known for a fact that it was his appearance at the summit that changed the history of Vokietija.

He put forth a simple plan: crown him as king, and he would fight back the empire. For once, legend and written facts align. It took a mere day of debate for all the tribes of the land to swear an oath of fealty to him. To this day, none know how. Many even say it could have never happened, that the records were fabricated. However, the ancient and forgotten magic he used upon the empires of the continent suggest a different theory as to how he convinced so many to serve him.

It was under his early rule that Vokietija truly united. Together, the people pushed back the empires. They learned to fight as their enemy did, with bronze shield and sword. Even so, it is said that the magic wielded by Sigihard turned back many an army on its own. Though he was young at the time, there is no denying that there must be at least some truth to the tales of his strength as a wizard. Even the records of the other empires (available to Vokietijan scholars, that is) claim that entire legions were turned back by a single man.

By the end of the wars to protect Vokietija, the land had grown from countless disorganized tribes into one great empire. Vokietija entered a golden age. Art and culture flourished, and a national identity rose out of the ashes of war. Alas, the empire would not last. After decades of progress, Sigihard fell ill and soon after was found dead in his bedchambers. The empire was passed on to his son, but the lords which he had previously held in his hand grew more and more ambitious. With their ambition grew their autonomy, and the early centralization of Vokietija was set back into the age of feudal lords just like the rest of the world.

That dark age continued for centuries, until the winds of change once again blew upon Vokietija's sails. War tore across the continent, all because of a few dozen ideas a lone man had nailed onto a door in an entirely different country. The nobles of Vokietija fought each other in open warfare, with countless other nations intervening in an attempt to grab their own slice of the pie. Once again, however, the land was drawn together in their darkest hour. Emperor Nichols took power by assassinating the former Emperor-his own father-and quickly called for peace.

A treaty was signed, and the religious civil war in the empire came to an end. Once again, in the same mysterious circumstances. However, the other empires and kingdoms did not cease their own campaigns. This, the Emperor argued, was proof that all they wanted to do was weaken and conquer Vokietija. He himself took up leadership of the army, and with new tactics and technology brought the war to the other nations. Anyone whom he considered "Against the interests of Vokietija" was slaughtered to protect the nation. He forced his enemies to surrender one after the other, until his army finally marched back to the capital in victory. Vokietija was independent still.

That was the beginning of the second Vokietijan golden age. Emperor Nichols and the Emperors after him kept Vokietija standing tall as a world power, and the great monarchs were quick to adopt the new industrial technologies sweeping through the world. The merchants of old soon became a much larger class, taking more and more power from the aristocracy. In time, the only power the nobles had left was that of the people's respect for their titles. It seemed as though the nation would enter an even greater golden age of free trade and commerce, fueled by this new "bourgeoisie" class.

But instead, the golden age came to a halt.

It started with a strike in a coal mine, a few workers wanted a couple more coins a day. Then the rest of the mines went on strike. The nation's industry halted, and the army was sent in to quell the strikes with lead. It backfired, and the coal miners instead took up arms against the army. Next it was factory workers, and then farmers. The people of Vokietija had decided that they could stand by no longer, and the entire land erupted in another civil war. 

Slowly, the revolts became more and more organized. A man was appointed to lead them, Ernst Liebknecht. Like the great leaders of the Vokietijan people before him, he could turn men to his side with nothing more than his eloquence. He was learned as well, he knew the ins and outs of warfare, politics, and economics. And his education had led him to invent an entirely new economic system, completely separate from that which had been thought of as the only option since the dawn of agriculture. Equalism. The idea that all men and women are inherently equal, and that said equality must be translated into social and economic equality through giving direct control of the industries to the workers with violent revolution.

Ultimately, the sheer numbers and willpower of the Vokietijan people won out against the army. Ernst Liebknecht was appointed Fuhrer of the nation that rose from the ashes. As it was with leaders such as him in the many years before, Ernst led Vokietija into an entirely new age. Industry and agriculture were reformed, and the revolutionary Red Army was turned into a professional fighting force. Now the nation stands tall under his rule, ready to spread Equalism to the world. However, like all men, the Fuhrer has aged, and there are already whispers of who shall replace him.

Society

The most numerous race in the Worker's Union, Dwarves hold ancestral claims to the lands of Vokietija. For most of its history they were the only race considered worth existing within the land's borders. With the revolution, however, they have become "equal" with the other races. Equal here meaning the other races do not have to bow or avert their eyes when near them anymore. Though it is now a vile crime to claim that Dwarves are in any way superior to the other races, it is no secret that their massive numbers make Vokietija very much their nation. Their culture is dominant, and they hold the overwhelming majority of positions in the government and military.

They are thought to have a direct evolutionary connection with humans, though it is not clear where the two diverge. In fact, there is as of yet no consensus regarding which one came first. All that is known is that they were very much intertwined with human culture up until an ill-defined point at which there was some form of schism between the two. Following said schism, they migrated to the lands of Vokietija during the ice age. At the time, the land was extremely hostile and there was little arable soil. As a result, they formed hunter-gatherer groups to hunt the mighty beasts that once populated the land. This lifestyle led to their current appearance, the reasons for which are obvious when one takes into account the skeletons of mythical size found in Vokietija.

In contrast to the elves, Dwarves are a short, strong, and hardy people. Aside from one or two circus attractions, Dwarves simply never grow above the upper limit of five feet of height. To make up for this, they naturally build muscle mass faster and lose it slower. Furthermore, their bone structure is incredibly stronger compared to that of a human. It takes a serious hit to crack a dwarf's bones, and as such warfare between Dwarven tribes has long focused on killing through blood loss and piercing weaponry. This led to them adopting the ultimate piercing weapon-the musket-before quite a few other races.

As a people, Dwarves are (in)famous for their attitude. They are a rowdy and brash people, with a penchant for alcohol. Their beers are now considered the finest in the world, and immigration during the revolution has brought vodka into their markets (Referred to as Konsum in modern times). In fact, beer continues to be a common drink for all citizens despite the easier access to pure water compared to earlier times. Beer is completely ubiquitous at lunch due to tradition, and it is rare to see a dinner without at least some kind of alcohol. Not even breakfast is sober, with vodka becoming increasing popular in the morning. Alcohol is so common in Dwarven society that a classic jokes goes "A sober man walks into a bar with two Dwarves in it. The elf leaves with a broken arm."

Religion in Dwarven culture once played an important role, with most of them subscribing to Arvandor at one point (they didn't get the memo that it was Elven until much later, at which point tribal chiefs and warlords had already claimed to have the support of Eru Illuvatar). During the age of the Holy Vokietijan Empire, a massive wave of discontent with Arvandor swept through the nation and led to the creation of a "More Dwarven" version of the religion. The resulting war was barely halted with the unification of Vokietija, which in turn led to significantly more religious tolerance as the two sects learned to live among each other and consider being Dwarven to the more important. After the revolution, however, religion in Vokietija has fallen upon hard times due to the insistence of the government that religion is "the opiate of the masses". The only remaining churches are those in isolated villages where the people all pitch in to keep them standing, others have simply fallen into disrepair or been outright seized by the state (as is the case in many of the cities).

It is important to note that, while all races are officially equal, elves are generally hated. Aside from the long history of Dwarves butting heads with the elves, most elven participants in the revolution fought for the side of the imperial government. Most of the elven population has found itself in gulags for supporting the losing side, while those who fought for the Red Army are often looked down upon if they don't make it clear that they fought in the war.

Economy/Industry
(What is your economy like? What do you mine, produce, trade? How developed is your nation in terms of technology? Anything unique you invented or even make?)

Military
(Unsurprisingly you must also talk about your military. How militarized are you? What is your army like in general? What kind of equipment you use? Any special units or machines worth mentioning? I think you already know how this goes.)
@Keyguyperson

Well well Keyguy, my non-Communist Japa-Chin-Orea might make a wonderful contrast to your dwarves!
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