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States of Ossurwald
Topic Started: Apr 12 2012, 11:17 PM (520 Views)
Ossurwald

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Minister-President: Merryn Goodmar (Anderklien Action Party)
Capital: Ottaclur
Motto: "On Guard, On Watch"

Anderklien was first established as an earldom in 1433 by Duke Regulus II as a reward for the Kelruss who had served him. It also served as a way to both warn the southern barbarians off and to keep the southern lords suppressed for fear of Kelruss attacks. The first Earl of Anderklien was Cadwalader Brakespear, who was also the Kommaniken of the Kelruss Carfael by that point. The Brakespears acted as a sort of permanent representative to the Duke's court from the Carfael, each serving as the Earl. When Serhiy Aodhan and the Levellers defeated Duke Gernot IV at Galmaen, many Kelruss went into exile when the Commonwealth of Ossurwald was established. After the fall of the Commonwealth, Duchess Ursula declined to reappoint the Brakespears as earls. Instead, a non-Kelruss aristocrat was found, and Anderklien lost its specific character as the Kelruss Earldom.

In the 1800s Anderklien was a gateway to the territories from the south, and numerous people settled there after moving in from the coast. These people helped push the earldom into revolution in the 1848 Liberal Revolution, and Anderklien was one of the original 24 states that ratified the 1848 Constitution. It chose for its flag the colors of the Kelruss, choosing to de-emphasize the black. The state tended to lean Democratic Liberal during the Second Republic, thought occasionally went National Republican. During the Dictatorship, Anderklien was most famous for the 200 Hands; when Kelruss loyal to Murrasos hunted down and killed 100 fellow Kelruss who rebelled. A statue of a hand marks the spot in the Sayberk Range.

Anderklien today is a diverse state, where the two major parties are the Civic and the Action Parties, whose state affiliates are constantly at each others' throats. Kelruss or those descended from Kelruss hold many important positions; the most famous are Minister-President Goodmar and Secretary of War for Ossurwald Rachel Bonesteel.
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Ossurwald

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First Mayor: Tamaya Carvetian (Action for Kannlem)
Capital: Kannlem City
Motto: "We Keep the Hearth"

Kannlem was a small town in Westnoppen, unremarkable by any means. In 1658, Leveller forces built a fortress on a rocky outcropping. This fortress was chosen by the new Velstaad as a place for the government to meet. When Duchess Ursula was invited back, she chose Kannlem as the place to hold her court, as a way to acknowledge the Commonwealth government. With the court held there, people quickly flocked to the town, and by the early 1700s it was a large city. By the early 1800s, Kannlem had grown to be one of Ossurwald's premier cities.

In 1848 Kannlem faced the decision of remaining in Westnoppen, or seceding from the newly established state. By an overwhelming majority, the Kannlem city council voted for secession, taking a hefty part of Westnopppen and significant part of Braicynn. From this point on Kannlem became Ossurwald's first city-state.

Kannlem has been a major place in terms of historical importance. Two presidents were killed there, and a large portion of the government resides there. Government buildings and all public museums in Kannlem are open to the public free of charge, and its public transportation is considered the best in Ossurwald. Kannlemites are very proud of their place in Ossurwalder society, though much of Ossurwald resents them their place. Typically, Kannlemites refer to outsiders as "tourists".
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Ossurwald

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Minister-President: Jarmil Aresvorek (Braicynn Radicals)
Capital: Fandrelmar
Motto: "Never Broken"

The smallest of the Phonix states, Braicynn has never achieved as much fame as the others. For years it was considered the province for northern barbarians, and it's believed that Braicynn is the birthplace of both the Ferena and Kelruss peoples; two nomadic groups in Ossurwald. Despite (or perhaps because of) being the possible homes of these people, Braicynn's cultural consciousness has never been very fond of either.

Reluctant to join Khan Goran's conquest of Ossurwald, Braicynn's leaders failed to reap any large spoils. They quickly abandoned the Khanate when Gruffudd rose up during the Earls' Wars. Like Westnoppen, the region was wealthy in iron, but in comparison to the quality of Westnoppen steel, Braicynn ironwork is considered crude. In the 18th and early 19th Centuries, Braicynn was the cast iron capital of Ossurwald. Braicynn is particularly resentful of the loss of land that they suffered from Kannlem's rise; border disputes of where the boundary line falls is a common occurrence.

Braicynn's people are largely considered the unfriendliest in Ossurwald, though their beer is considered some of the best (and indeed, "unfriendliest" to an Ossurwalder is far friendlier than most nations). Self-responsibility philosophies now reign supreme in the state; though the Reform Party (and its successor the Radical Party) only caught on in the early part of the 2000s. Aldo Mannix is perhaps its most famous native, for 10 years he was its MP before rejoining the Velstaad in 2001 and then becoming Stadtwalda in 2002.

The Ossurwalder humorist Elijah Lee (himself a Braicynner) once described Braicynn's state motto as "Small But Ornery" instead of its more regal "Never Broken", Lee's motto is often misattributed as the actual one. Lee was once declared persona non grata by Braicynn's State Assembly; though legally unenforceable, he did indeed stay away, though in a final taunt to his home state, he was buried in a massive tomb on the median of the highway entering Kannlem from the Braicynn side.
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Ossurwald

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Minister-President: Vidar Damolgan (A Progressive Curfend)
Capital: Eskek
Motto: "All Roads Have A Destination"

Curfend joined Ossurwald in 1863. Before then, its settlement. For a long period of time, only trappers had ever seen the interior of the region. But in 1783, Ekkehard Jagesian landed in Beger Bay and travelled down the Willobek River into the region, which he named Curfend on behalf of his financier Sir Cynewulf Curfellos. He was followed by Roger Graddi, who named the region he discovered Gallei and claimed for the Ducal Fur Company. By the 1810s, Jagesian and Graddi were in an all-out competition over who could attract the most settlers to their region, with both men made thanes of their respective regions.

By 1830, Eskek, in the Curfend region, had grown much faster, mostly due to its location on Willokek, which provided it with a floodplain for agricultural growth. Gallei was limited by its lack of such an agricultural boon. In 1863, when the territory joined the nation as a state, Curfend had essentially annexed Gallei, and the state was recognized as Curfend with its capital in Eskek.

Curfenders have a brisk border trade with the Imperians, and likewise are considered rugged people. Curfenders are one of the states most open to immigration and also tend to offer protective social policies. Some folks argue that Curfenders are the most welcoming of all Ossurwalders, but many states beg to differ.
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Ossurwald

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Minister-President: Lynn Wanelaw (Honnavan Radical Party)
Capital: Narborisha
Motto: "No Flank Can Be Guarded From All Directions"

Honnavan's place as a reliable backer of the Khanate gave it a major presence in the Khanate era. Initially resistant to the Saranbaatarid dynasty, their defeat at the hands of Khan Ganbaatar created a client state of the Phonix Khanate. When Gruffudd Alvok overthrew the Khanate Honnavan suffered the most, losing much of the patronage it had enjoyed under the Khans. Instead, Honnavan became a hotbed of Leveller thought, and a large number of Phonix Levellers were from Honnavan. After the 1657 Great Massacre, surviving Leveller thinkers retreated to Honnavan, and the Honnavan faction was considered the dominant group in the Velstaad until it was overtaken by the Westnoppians.

Honnavan prospered well into the 19th Century, though it resisted the rule of Ferdinand Murrasos. Arkaitz Hustorn, one of the leaders of the Popular Front for Freedom, was instrumental in organizing the Honnavan resistance while on assignment for the PFF's Directorate. Honnavan's intake of troops during the Ossurwalder Civil War is considered a key moment of attrition for the Murrasos regime, and a key in weakening the National Army to the point where Popular forces could surround Kannlem.

Honnavan is the center of filmmaking in Ossurwald, considered the ground zero of Ossurwalder films. Most major studios have their headquarters at Canding in Honnavan, and most celebrities own some kind of property in the area. This has led to the stereotype that Honnavanians are somewhat overly dramatic. Generally, Honnavanians see their state as the center of Ossurwald, which geographically, it's very close to being.
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Ossurwald

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Minister-President: Tyr Vakossian (Obricon Radicals)
Capital: Caldirk
Motto: "Stand Together"

Established as a realm for the second son of Khan Daliman, Obricon had a rapid turnover in leaders. Daliman's son died, leaving Khan Jaromir I to appoint a trusted noble. That noble rebelled when Jaromir named his daughter Ilinka as his heir. Ilinka appointed her own second son, who died without issue and the title reverted back to the throne. A new appointee's line fought against Gruffudd Alvok in the Earls' Wars and was defeated and wiped out.

Obricon is sometimes called the "Birthplace of Ossurwalder Democracy" due to the fact that Serhiy Aodhan was born there. Aodhan's own history in the state is the cause of much controversy. Most reliable historians say Aodhan spent at least some of his time as a highwayman and that this indeed was what he was doing when the Great Massacre occurred. However, the state of Obricon does not believe this is correct, and the state historian is often trotted out to refute these claims.

Obricon also takes great pleasure in being the starting point of any good leadership campaign; partly in deference to its place in history as Aodhan's birthplace, leadership campaigns invariably begin with the state's endorsement of a candidate for party leader.
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Ossurwald

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Minister-President: Daphne Eolrume (Civic Party of Ovattecht)
Capital: Lashenbayr
Motto: "Stand Together"

One of the Seven Ossur Kingdoms, Ovattecht is considered the weakest of the seven. Unlike Westnoppen or Laolshier, which never contributed an Ossurwalda, Ovattecht managed to contribute one, Egilhard. This was accomplished through a variety of means, but mostly thanks to good marriages between Egilhard's kin and the other Kings of Ossurwald. Despite his good rule, Egilhard's kin did not manage to place a successor on the throne, and it was only Ansgar of Vok who managed to make the Ossurwalda a hereditary succession. Of course, Ansgar's son Keghar was killed in battle against Khan Goran's forces, and Ovattecht became an earldom of the Khanate.

Ovattecht's earls supported Gruffudd Alvok in his war against Khan Jaromir II, and were considered loyalists for the Ducal cause when the Commonwealth was declared. So devoted was Ovattecht to the ruling family that they advocated for the crowning of an obscure bloodline relation of the Higmar dynasty rather than Ursula Valloen. Ovattecht's elites (who together with those of Gavalim and Langelam make up the so-called "Posh Shore") were heavily engaged in trading and financing, and were the primary backers of Murrasos' coup of Geoffrey Tomalek. Many did very well under the Dictatorship, though much of their wealth had to be abandoned when the Revolution broke out.

In Ovattecht, the revolution erupted out of the Keukhaz Highlands, the place where the poorest of Ovattecht's population lives. Ovattecht itself slopes up from the coast to the Highlands, with the average wealth of its citizens decreasing in that direction as well.
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Ossurwald

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Sedordia


Minister-President: Verena Mannrek (Sedordian Action)
Capital: Joriham
Motto: "First to Rule"

One of the first Ossur Kingdoms, Sedordia also contains the Ossur capital, Joriham. Famously, Halvard of Joriham forced the kings of the other six kingdoms to swear fealty to him and declare him Ossurwalda. From then on, all other Ossurwaldas were chosen to rule in Joriham, and even Keghar of Vok, whom most think of as a Vokshierman, was actually born in Joriham. Sedordia's place in the country was usurped by the Khanate, and Carvecynna and Svashi overtook prominence.

From then on, Sedordia became what many consider a state of dreamers. Sir Bertran Ellis, the leader of the Knights' Rising of 1421 was from the state. The Joriham Declaration of 1650 (the Year of the Five Dukes) was a condemnation of ducal authority in Ossurwald as restrictive and dangerous to free peoples. Anticipating the complaints of the Levellers in a The Case of the Ossurwalder Person, Verily Put Forth, Joriham proposed democratic rule for the first time in Ossurwalder history.

Sedordians thus call their state the "Birthplace of Ossurwalder Democracy", a claim disputed by Obricon. The two states are considered bitter rivals due to this, and games between their two baseball teams, the Joriham Warrios and the Elbrang Eagles are considered the most hostile in Ossurwalder Baseball.
Edited by Ossurwald, May 7 2012, 11:09 PM.
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Ossurwald

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Norvappen


Minister-President: Sanna Caedallos (Norvappen Radicals)
Capital: Ketralion
Motto: "Never Follow"

Established as an earldom under the rule of the Alvok dynasty, Norvappians quickly gained a reputation as a being "near traitors". Norvappians fought on every side of nearly every internal conflict in Ossurwalder history, though very rarely did they fight in their own state. Generally, they supported the side that seemed to be winning.

Norvappen has thus been a bell-weather state. It has since always attempted to remain on the side of the victor, rather than clinging to ideals. Its motto, "Stand Together" is considered rather ironic in Ossurwald, since Norvappen's abandonment of a cause is usually a sure sign said cause is about to lose. The defection of Norvappian soldiers before Galmaen certainly sentenced Duke Gernot IV to defeat, while the passing of the 1928 N.V. Resolution 112 "In Support of the Directorate" is considered a major political blow to Murrasos. Up to that point, Norvappians had been staunch supporters of the regime.

In more modern times, Norvappen still lives up to this reputation. The majority of its votes have been cast for the winning candidate for Stadtwalda in all ten elections, making it a key campaign stop for any would-be Stadtwalda. This has also led to what some call the "Norvappian Conspiracy"; allegations that Norvappian elites secretly rig the Stadtwalda elections. This theory is not taken very seriously.
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Ossurwald

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Veltrio

Minister-President: Rylan Argevasian (Veltrio Civic Party)
Capital: Haupkey
Motto: "He Who Sows Lies Will Surely Reap a Harvest of Blood"

Veltrio, one of the last states to join Ossurwald in 1928, the same year that the first Velstaad under the Third Republic was elected, is one of the strongest agricultural producers in the country. For much of its history, Veltrio was considered "pass-through land", the wide plains and vast fields being considered not worth much. After the Paledcynn gold rush of the 1860s though, prospectors began viewing the country with a bit more respect. This, and an initiative by the National Republican Party to connect the border states with the industrialized heartland by railroad suddenly made Veltrio an attractive area. More money poured into the territory, as did people. Veltrians suddenly became some of most experience railroad engineers in the country. Today, Haupkey houses the major transportation firms of Ossurwald.

During the Ossurwalder Civil War, Veltrians were employed on both sides, destroying and repairing railroads, in a period many consider the state's most prevalent in Ossurwalder culture. Perhaps more track was laid in that period of time than when the system was laid down during the 19th Century.

Veltrians themselves are considered kind people, if a tad conservative in their private lives and when it comes to politics.
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Ossurwald

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Vokshier

Minister-President: Morelle Mikkelos (Veltrio Action Party)
Capital: Vok
Motto: "There's Beauty in the Silver Singing River"

Vokshier is perhaps best known for Ansgar and Keghar of Vok, the father and son who ruled Ossurwald before Keghar (called "the Cruel") incited the wrath of Khan Goran the Conqueror with the Dressel Raid. Ansgar was a fearsome warrior in his own right, though at the time he was made Ossurwalda, he was childless and many thought him unlikely to wed or have child; he had produced no bastard children at that point, a rarity for a man of his stature in that time. Keghar, who unexpectedly arrived after his father's unexpected marriage, was far worse than his father, known for torturing his enemies to death.

Vokshier was perhaps one of the most hated earldoms, and seeking the assistance of the Earl of Vok was a death knell for any cause. It wasn't until Gruffudd Alvok and his successor had died, passing the line to the Higmar dynasty of Norvappen that Vokshier began to regain its stature, though it never again rose to prominence. Vokshier instead became a socialist hotbed, though never too far. This philosophy weakened in the latter half of the 1900s, with social democracy coming to the fore to be usurped by the Third Way policies of Gregory Jarlmir.

Vokshier's political establishment did stay with the Action Party though, leaving the state's political system most like before the 2011 changes in the party system.
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