Member
Tortoise
FEDERATION OF RIKSAAND
Name: The Federal Dominion of Riksaand, Riksaand Federation Tre Kronor (three crowns)
Government Type: Federal Constitutional Monarchy
Head of the State: Riksuurd/Kejser (loosely translates either as king or emperor)
Capital: Drachenfel
Dominant Species: Human
Important Minorities: Dwarves, Elves, Trolls, Minotaurs
The history of Riksaand began a long time ago when the rifts sent through people from diverse set of worlds. Not having a way home these people have created their own communities fighting off raiders, monsters and each other. Yet these small communities would not survive long term so they formed an alliances, confederated and ultimately 3 major countries emerged. These countries ultimately merged together and formed Riksaand. The kingdom has diverse races and cultures, each with significant degree of autonomy. Though seemingly a single cohesive country, Riksaand is anything but truly united.
Governance & Structure
Riksaand is a federation of many states but especially the kingdoms of Fröjtand, Sveogard and Amsel. These three major nations contribute 70% of the landmass and 90% of the population of Riksaand. Aside from them there are over a dozen small autonomous states. This is not counting that the three kingdoms are also far from united, each have their own small autonomies usually inhabited by major non-human populations. The main governing body is the Riksdag, an assembly of representatives from all member states of the realm held in Drachenfel. Riksaand is formed as a personal union of all three kingdoms and as such officially the Kejser is ruler of the entire realm. Yet in practice his power only exist on paper and for emergency situations while the true governance is done through the Riskdag, the individual parliaments of the three kingdoms and the autonomous governments of the miscellaneous states.Amsel
Rich country with highly industrialized environment. The center of trade and naval goods. With the capital of Drachenfel the country is often envisioned as the most important member of the federation of Riksaand yet the full picture is of course a bit more complicated. Amsel depends on the foods and resources imported by Sveogard and as of late they began switching over to services rather than industrial production. The Yngval Dwarven Bank is an independent bank which holds deposits not just for Riksaand but for private clients from across the world.
Sveogard
The largest country in Riksaand defined by its beautiful green plateaus and picturesque mountains. Sveogard holds high quality ores and can be also considered the breadbasket of the realm. Almost 40% of the population lives in Sveogard and more recently they became the mainstay of heavy industry of all kinds. Löwenholm is the capital of Sveogard.
Fröjtand
Entirely landlocked region found towards the continental borders of Riksaand. Due to unique fluctuations of magic Fröjtand is ruled by tundra-like cold and often extremely harsh winters. Fröjtand is a home to hardy people with many of them still chosing nomadic lifestyle. Though easy to write them off Fröjtandians are the most militant out of all kingdoms and they are also possessing massive reserves of Ragnarite, a type of magical crystal essential for modern Riksaandians. Its capital is named Hälsinke/Helsing.
Rich country with highly industrialized environment. The center of trade and naval goods. With the capital of Drachenfel the country is often envisioned as the most important member of the federation of Riksaand yet the full picture is of course a bit more complicated. Amsel depends on the foods and resources imported by Sveogard and as of late they began switching over to services rather than industrial production. The Yngval Dwarven Bank is an independent bank which holds deposits not just for Riksaand but for private clients from across the world.
Sveogard
The largest country in Riksaand defined by its beautiful green plateaus and picturesque mountains. Sveogard holds high quality ores and can be also considered the breadbasket of the realm. Almost 40% of the population lives in Sveogard and more recently they became the mainstay of heavy industry of all kinds. Löwenholm is the capital of Sveogard.
Fröjtand
Entirely landlocked region found towards the continental borders of Riksaand. Due to unique fluctuations of magic Fröjtand is ruled by tundra-like cold and often extremely harsh winters. Fröjtand is a home to hardy people with many of them still chosing nomadic lifestyle. Though easy to write them off Fröjtandians are the most militant out of all kingdoms and they are also possessing massive reserves of Ragnarite, a type of magical crystal essential for modern Riksaandians. Its capital is named Hälsinke/Helsing.
Demographics & Society
Riksaand is diverse realm of humans, dwarves, elves, trolls and a number of other races normally you'd only hear about in mythology and folklore. Even members of the same race often originated from more than one universe. As the majority race this applies to the humans the most. Scientists still disagree on the exact count of Rifts and the exact number of worlds from which humans have arrived. Conservative estimates put it at just twelve for Riksaand but more radical theories support a much larger number. This lack of united culture further motivated Riksaandi people to make connections and work together. The realm's official language is the Rikerōst ("voice of the realm") which about 96% of the nation speaks or at least understands. Aside from that Riksaand has a myriad of local languages, reflecting their mixed culture.Humans are by far the realm's most populous race. They are roughly comparable to the Homo Sapiens from the modern world yet they aren't exactly them. There are various unique genes, either inherited from humans of various alternate dimensions or even from other races. Humans can intermarry with other humanoid species, producing hybrids. By law any hybrid which is at least quarter-blood of the race is automatically granted citizenship and recognition as such. So a half-elf is both human and elf, although in practice they like to choose a culture they honor the most. Since humans make up 72% of the population this also produced an unique effect. All non-human sapient species are referred as The Races and often times clash between Humans and Races can occour. This doesn't mean The Races are united or even they prefer to support each other instead of humans, though. Just the fact that in practice the minority rights of The Races is something they have to fight for and it's easy to forget the unique needs of certain non-human species when the majority of Riksaand are humans.
The largest minority in Riksaand. Dwarves are short but robustly built and significantly stronger than humans. They are also long-lived with the average life expectancy of around 200 years but some living for over 500 years. Dwarves live for action, booze and their machines. As such they die relatively young by their standards. In the past decades significant leaps were made towards health and safety but even with that a dwarf dies by their race's equivalent of 52 year at average.
Dwarven culture is unique and yet strangely similar. It's been said that dwarves arrived from seven different universes yet all of them were the same. Dwarves find a strange kinship no matter the country so what is more defining is their disposition to humans and other races in their neighborhood. Clan Dwarves are highly industrious. They quickly adopted the technology of Amsel and transformed their underground holds into giant factory complexes. Another category are diaspora dwarves who true to their name tend to form their own cliques in foreign lands. They are the most common type of dwarf to encounter and the ones perhaps most attuned to modern life.
Somewhere in the mountain ranges of Sveogard lies the autonomous state of Zwölfberge. Unlike their Clan brethren these dwarves broke away from their traditions and built their own community based off socialist ideals. Meanwhile in Fröjtand there is the United Kingdoms of Svenfal, a loose collection of traditionalist dwarven holds. Unlike the other dwarves the Svenfali are fairly open with humans and their kingdoms often have a significant human population. Human-dwarf mixed marriages are by far the most common in Fröjtand and there is little distinction there between the two races. At the same time Svenfali dwarves are more rooted in traditional craftsmanship and runes. Some runemasters sages are said to be a match for even elven archmages.
Dwarven culture is unique and yet strangely similar. It's been said that dwarves arrived from seven different universes yet all of them were the same. Dwarves find a strange kinship no matter the country so what is more defining is their disposition to humans and other races in their neighborhood. Clan Dwarves are highly industrious. They quickly adopted the technology of Amsel and transformed their underground holds into giant factory complexes. Another category are diaspora dwarves who true to their name tend to form their own cliques in foreign lands. They are the most common type of dwarf to encounter and the ones perhaps most attuned to modern life.
Somewhere in the mountain ranges of Sveogard lies the autonomous state of Zwölfberge. Unlike their Clan brethren these dwarves broke away from their traditions and built their own community based off socialist ideals. Meanwhile in Fröjtand there is the United Kingdoms of Svenfal, a loose collection of traditionalist dwarven holds. Unlike the other dwarves the Svenfali are fairly open with humans and their kingdoms often have a significant human population. Human-dwarf mixed marriages are by far the most common in Fröjtand and there is little distinction there between the two races. At the same time Svenfali dwarves are more rooted in traditional craftsmanship and runes. Some runemasters sages are said to be a match for even elven archmages.
Constituting only a bit more than 4% of the entire population the elves of Riksaand are regardless a powerful and influential race. They are marked for their beauty, grace and magical prowess. That being said calling the elves as a race may be a bit reductive, if anything there are at least four. Sylvan elves are the significant majority. These elves are slender and often a bit shorter than humans. They are deeply spiritual and close to the nature. As such they are often living in hidden villages and barely interact with humans. Compared to the past they at least hold diplomatic relations to others and they are no longer just ghosts to Riksaand but they are highly autonomous tiny communities which often refuse the advances of technology. A portion of these Sylvans become wanderers and they are semi-frequently seen in various places. They are aloof folk with their own unique set of values, only offering their services to earn a living. Wanderer and traditionalist Sylvans are often at each other's throats due to disagreements. For the recluse folk it's sacrilegous to leave their forest and do anything with humans. While the divide is far narrower than it used to be the two groups still try to convince each other of their right.
Sylvans are the majority of elven folk yet not the only one. Svártalfal (dark elves) once used to be even more prominent in Riksaand. Their dark arts managed to conquer Sveogard and they ruled the nation from the shadows. History books teach this as the era of the Black Empire, a power which lead to all its neighboring states to form a coalition against them and ultimately succeed. The war and the subsequent purges lead to untold thousands of dark elves to be slain. The remnants formed their own tiny country but they eventually collapsed. Since then dark elven diasporas are spread across Riksaand. It's been decades and the dark elves managed to become productive members of society. While discrimination and unreasonable hate does pop up they are doing far better than before. Compared to other elves who at least have a passing respect to nature and tradition, dark elves are more akin to dwarves. They are known for their craftsmanship and they often combine it with sorcery. Highly skilled dark elven craftsmen are a resource sought after by everyone. Dark elves are the shortest among the elven races and they have charactistically black, grey or bluish skin tones.
High elves are a noble race of elves who are remarked for their great magic. A high elven archmage is often remarked as the greatest magic user known in the realm. High elves make use of arcane technology powered by nothing but mana. They are disdainful of others as well as rejecting "modern" technology because they feel it doesn't fit them. High elves are distinct for their very tall yet slender builds and the fact their eyes vibrate with magical energy. Ice elves on the other hand are an often forgotten race in Fröjtand. Unlike other elves the ice elves have little problem with humans of Fröjtland or even the local dwarves. They are often neighbors and they show mutual respect. Like their name implies the ice elves prefer cold environments and they are highly uncomfortable with anything above 15 degrees Celsius. In many aspects their culture is similar to the Sylvans, albeit they are more accepting of technology so long it doesn't harm the nature. They are slender and beautiful folk like the other elves, mostly identified by their pale white to bluish skin tones.
Elves of different races don't really like each other. In certain extremes they even refuse to cooperate or can't be put in the same room. Carefully maneuvering between these elvish relations only becoming more complicated when you add hybrids to the mix. Half-elves have varying degrees of acceptance. They often have to prove themselves and their loyalty to their elvish heritage. Consequently a lot of half-elves don't even try and chose to remain in human-dominated communities. A lot of "elves" met in urban areas are actually half- or quarter-elves. Ironically this lead to the fact that elven hybrids are a larger minority than genuine elves. This bothers the ice elves not since intermarriage between races is kind of normal in Fröjtand. The dark elves also see opportunity in this and some say their "unofficial" population is at least 5 times larger when they add humans with strong dark elven ancestry. Yet for every other elven hybrid this is a significant social and moral issue and goes to the point where these people are about to form a minority group of their own.
Sylvans are the majority of elven folk yet not the only one. Svártalfal (dark elves) once used to be even more prominent in Riksaand. Their dark arts managed to conquer Sveogard and they ruled the nation from the shadows. History books teach this as the era of the Black Empire, a power which lead to all its neighboring states to form a coalition against them and ultimately succeed. The war and the subsequent purges lead to untold thousands of dark elves to be slain. The remnants formed their own tiny country but they eventually collapsed. Since then dark elven diasporas are spread across Riksaand. It's been decades and the dark elves managed to become productive members of society. While discrimination and unreasonable hate does pop up they are doing far better than before. Compared to other elves who at least have a passing respect to nature and tradition, dark elves are more akin to dwarves. They are known for their craftsmanship and they often combine it with sorcery. Highly skilled dark elven craftsmen are a resource sought after by everyone. Dark elves are the shortest among the elven races and they have charactistically black, grey or bluish skin tones.
High elves are a noble race of elves who are remarked for their great magic. A high elven archmage is often remarked as the greatest magic user known in the realm. High elves make use of arcane technology powered by nothing but mana. They are disdainful of others as well as rejecting "modern" technology because they feel it doesn't fit them. High elves are distinct for their very tall yet slender builds and the fact their eyes vibrate with magical energy. Ice elves on the other hand are an often forgotten race in Fröjtand. Unlike other elves the ice elves have little problem with humans of Fröjtland or even the local dwarves. They are often neighbors and they show mutual respect. Like their name implies the ice elves prefer cold environments and they are highly uncomfortable with anything above 15 degrees Celsius. In many aspects their culture is similar to the Sylvans, albeit they are more accepting of technology so long it doesn't harm the nature. They are slender and beautiful folk like the other elves, mostly identified by their pale white to bluish skin tones.
Elves of different races don't really like each other. In certain extremes they even refuse to cooperate or can't be put in the same room. Carefully maneuvering between these elvish relations only becoming more complicated when you add hybrids to the mix. Half-elves have varying degrees of acceptance. They often have to prove themselves and their loyalty to their elvish heritage. Consequently a lot of half-elves don't even try and chose to remain in human-dominated communities. A lot of "elves" met in urban areas are actually half- or quarter-elves. Ironically this lead to the fact that elven hybrids are a larger minority than genuine elves. This bothers the ice elves not since intermarriage between races is kind of normal in Fröjtand. The dark elves also see opportunity in this and some say their "unofficial" population is at least 5 times larger when they add humans with strong dark elven ancestry. Yet for every other elven hybrid this is a significant social and moral issue and goes to the point where these people are about to form a minority group of their own.
Trolls are the second larges minority in Riksaand and they almost exclusively live in Sveogard. They used to stay out of civilization and lived in rural communities until they were forced out by the Black Empire. Trolls were enslaved and became the muscle and enforcers of their regime. After the empire's fall the trolls slowly but surely integrated with human civilization. Although they still suffer stereotyping and discrimination they are active part of society. Trolls are often working in jobs which requires their strength the most.
Minotaurs are 9 feet tall creatures of fur and muscle. A long time ago they were considered mere beast to be slain the people of Fröjtand managed to convince one of the tribes to fight for them as mercenaries. Eventually the scattered tribes all grew to support the local countries. Being dispersed into small wandering tribes the minotaur race doesn't have a strong government and instead they often rely on the locals. Over the time a significant portion of minotaurs wandered into cities and found employment in various job where their brute strength is highly valued. Minotaurs are a rare sight but they are well-recognized for their powers. Some feel the stereotyping as dumb muscle is harsh but there aren't enough minotaurs who get an opportunity for proper education.
Military Overview
The Riksaandian Federal Forces are the major organization collecting all the diverse military units under one. The Federal Army doesn't strictly have their own forces. Instead they can request its member countries to provide troops for a purpose. That being said they do have enough authority to dictate more united standards for armies, including their equipment or the amount they can field. As such the kingdoms of Amser, Sveogard and Fröjtand all have their own military, same is true for various small autonomous states.In terms of doctrine and equipment, Riksaand is relying on conventional weapons enhanced by the usage of Ragnarite. They are the most common power source and it's even utilized for weapons. Ragnerite engines glow with blue light and they need special radiators to vent the heat. These radiatiors often need to be exposed and the biggest liability for the tech. This is less problematic for naval vessels which can just put the radiators below the waterline. Another element where Ragnarite dominates is firearms. Be it a pistol or even a warship cannon they use Ragnarite Catalyzers. These can be thought as controlled explosion devices which produce most of the energy while the cartridges only contain some additional fuel to help. This makes Riksaandian ammunition more compact and also significantly increases performance but at the cost of complexity. Other utlizations of Ragnarite include warheads, sensors and curiously enough also medicine. Ragnarite radiation in particular is renown for its healing and rejuvenating properties. Although overdosing Ragnarite can be dangerous.
