Callisdrun

Introduction

Callisdrun is a medium sized nation in the far north. It is notable for having never been Christianized like most of the west, and for this reason, its people do not consider themselves to be part of "the west." While it could be considered a very advanced country, its people are surprisingly steeped in tradition. The country itself goes back more than a thousand years as a national entity, and its culture can be traced back about three thousand years. There are numerous regional differences, with the north being dominated by the city of Drun, the south by Callisdrin, and the east by Istengrad. For a monarchy, it can boast the remarkable fact that its current ruler can trace his ancestry directly back to King Haakon I and Queen Anna I, who unified the country. Its Parliament has been dominated by a coalition of three left wing parties for more than two decades. The current monarch is King Haakon IX, and the Prime Minister is Anne Eriksen.

General Information

National Name (translation): The Constitutional Monarchy of Callisdrun

Alternate Name (translation): The Unified Dominion of Callisdrun (fallen out of usage)

Short Form: Callisdrun

Abbreviations: C.D., CD

Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy. Democratic Parliament holds most powers, but power of King/Queen is still a significant office. Very strong democratic tradition as Parliament has existed since shortly after unification.

Government Divisions: Executive: King/Queen, Prime Minister and Cabinet, which includes heads of all the departments. Has the power to carry out laws and conduct all diplomacy, make judicial appointments, veto laws and to call elections.

Legislative: Parliament. Includes members from every district, be it a County, Province, State or Territory. Representation is based on population and is proportional by party. All districts are multi-member. Has the power to make laws, to call elections, confirm/reject appointments, make war and demand resignation of government officials.

Judicial: The courts, headed by the Court of Elders in Drun. The final arbiters of Callisdrun’s constitution, have the power to rule any law or executive action to be unconstitutional, and to try government officials.

Government Departments: Department of Education, Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, Department of the Military, Department of the Environment, Department of Diplomacy, Department of Social Equality, Department of the Treasury, Department of Health, Department of Energy, Department of Water, Department of Transit, Department of Labor, Department of the Arts, Department of Agriculture, Department of Moroii Relations.

Capital City: Callisdrin, primary. Drun, secondary

Constitution: 0 AC (år Callisdrunsk, same as year 814 C.E.)

Legal System: Evolved gradually from ancient Callisdrunian law, vaguely similar to English Common Law and law in Scandinavian countries.

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal Political Parties (in order of size): Socialist Party*, Green Party*, Business Party, Communist Party*, Fascist Party, Anarchist Party (sometimes falls apart for periods), other smaller parties.

      ·Note: the three large political parties marked thus are part of the "Coalition of the Left." 

Ports and Harbors: Drun, Callisdrin, Bergen, Gothenburg, Sorgrad, Budapest, Aydindril, Oslo, Hammerfest, Trondheim, Narvik

Geography

Terrain: A rugged, yet stunning country, with deep fjords all up and down the western coast. Soaring mountains form the eastern border, while a shorter range lines the coastal side. In the middle is a hilly area that has fertile soil, though Callisdrun’s extreme northern location makes for a very short growing season.

Location: Very far north, close to the pole, due west of Altar Rang, at the northern end of the First Reich of Der Fuhrer region.

Climate: Short, cold, and very wet springs and summers and long dark winters during which the temperature only rises slightly above freezing during the middle of the day. Darkness all year round due to the near constant clouds and rain in the summer and its far northern location in the winter. Callisdrunians see the sun between thirty and fifty days out of the year.

Elevation Extremes: Highest point- Mt. Agaden, 21,081 ft. Lowest point- the beach (sea level).

Natural Resources: Timber, iron, titanium, some crops, fish, game, natural gas.

Hazards: Blizzards, avalanches, floods.

People

Population: Look on the nation page, since it changes all the time.

Sex Ratio: .97 male/female

Population growth rate: .4% (OOC: I RP as if whatever my population is at the time is constant)

Birth Rate: 11.2 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death Rate: 9.45 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate: .25 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: Male- 92 Female- 96.5 Total- 94.25

Total Fertility Rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Nationality: Noun- Callisdrunian(s) Adjective- Callisdrunian (Callisdruni also used)

Ethnic Groups: Callisdrunian, 15% Callisdrunian Moroii (vampires), smaller minorities due to influx of political and war refugees from various nations.

Religions: Pagan rites of Callisdrun- 68%, Unitarian Universalist- 11%, Roman Catholic- 5%, Buddhist- 3%, Jewish- 2%, Satanist- 2%, Hindu- 2%, Atheist/agnostic- 4%, Other- 3%

A bit about the Pagan Rites of Callisdrun: Gods and Goddesses include Odin, Frigg, Thor, Frey, Freya, Skadi, Hod, Tyr, Balder, Loki and Ithtyr. Worship services for most of the gods, despite being pagan and so quite foreign to members of monotheistic religions, would still be somewhat familiar in practice. Sacred songs are sung, sacred texts are read, chants are recited and small rituals pertaining to the god or goddess in question are performed. The priest or priestess says a piece, small amounts of food are eaten, etc.

Worship services of some gods differ from this standard, however. The worship service for Odin is much more elaborate, often almost taking the form of Drama in the portrayal of Sagas. The meal is quite a bit more substantial, and often functions as dinner for the participants. A portion of the food is burned for Odin himself, and mead is consumed by all, some of it poured into a sacrifical bowl. Worship of the goddess Frigg is similar.

Services for the god Loki are a tad more sinister. Thousands of years ago, he was one of only two deities in the Callisdrunian pantheon to demand human sacrifice. Victims would be killed and then burned in a bonfire, while chaotic dancing and wild singing ensued. The practice of human sacrifice stopped around two millenia ago. Burning of an effigy replaced the practice, and human effigies continue to be burnt to this day.

The goddess Ithtyr also has elaborate worship practices associated with her. Like Loki, in ancient days, people were violently sacrificed to her. The priestess (in those days, all Ithtyr's priestesses were vampiresses) would tear out the throat of the victim with her own fangs, then drink some of his/her blood and spill the rest into a large sacrificial bowl, which drained to bare soil. Human sacrifice ended for Ithtyr the same time as for Loki, a little less than two thousand years ago. Now, worship services conducted by the High Priestess (who is still always a vampiress) and Tanács Moroii differ from those conducted by lower priestesses and Tanács Human priestesses. The High Priestess (or a Tanács Moroii priestess) selects a donor from the group of worshipers, who consents to being fed from. She then feeds from him/her, and then dribbles a little of her own blood into a sacrificial bowl. One must be a registered member of a temple, or a guest of a registered member, to be present at these services. Ceremonies conducted by lower priestesses (or Tanács human priestesses) involve cutting the throat of a human effigy and the pouring of symbolic blood into a sacrificial bowl. The word "Communion" has a completely different meaning in the Callisdrunian religion than in Christianity, as it refers to another ritual associated with the goddess Ithtyr. In this ritual, a Priestess takes a worshiper into a private room. If the priestess is Moroii, she feeds from him/her, if not, she makes two cuts on the worshiper's shoulder. While doing so, the two have a sexual experience, as Ithtyr is also the goddess of lust/passion. It is consensual, of course, but the higher-ranking the priestess, the less acceptable it is to refuse. Luckily, priestesses almost never ask a worshiper to participate in this ritual unless they are sure he/she will agree to it.

The Religion is organized by Orders. The Order of Odin has a High Priest, and the Order of Ithtyr has a High Priestess. Other gods and goddesses have Fellowships (for example, the Fellowship of Loki and the Fellowship of Frigg). These have their own hierarchies but are all organized into the Order of the Pantheon, which has both a High Priest and High Priestess. These four High Priests and Priestesses are equal in power. Under each one, is a Forsamling. Members of the Forsamling are known simply as Forsamlingers. They are appointed by the High Priest of their Order, but must be approved by religion members in their districts. The districts are called "havns." If the Forsamlinger candidate is not approved, a new candidate must be appointed. In the Order of Ithtyr, the Forsamling is called the Tanács. Members are called the same thing, but an additional designation between human Tanács and Moroii Tanács. Below the Forsamlings are the individual Priests and Priestesses. These are appointed to various temples by the Forsamlinger of whatever Havn the temple is in. A Priest or Priestess must be approved by the members of that temple.

Languages: Norsk Callisdrunian (official), Callisk Callisdrunian (official), English is an almost universal second language, small German and English speaking minorities.

Literacy: Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write- 99.998%

History

Pre-Unification (Dark Ages): For approximately 1500 years before unification, various city-states and small kingdoms and queendoms once made up the land the land now known as Callisdrun. They fought small wars with each other, and there was much strife between Moroii and humans, though it lessened over time. Eventually, the dominions of Drun in the north, and Callisdrin in the south came to dominate these smaller states, acquiring more and more land. Within each, a movement to unify surfaced, as already it was recognized that it was really one people, despite lines drawn on a map. Confusion over succession in one of the smaller states sparked the long Wars of Unification.

Unified (Early Middle Ages): These wars raged for approximately a generation, and were finally ended by King Haakon of Drun. He was a brilliant tactician and also a skilled diplomat. He had been helped to power by the Moroii clans in the north, and secured footholds in the south by rousing support from the Moroii clans there. The forces of Drun defeated those of Callisdrin, but instead of treating the latter as a conquered land, King Haakon married the Queen Anna I and they formed the Unified Dominion of Callisdrun. A split capital city system was decided upon, with Callisdrin being the home of the monarchy and early parliament, while Drun held everything else. The first amendment to the constitution drafted shortly thereafter guarenteed freedom of speech and religion. The second amendment to the new Callisdrunian constitution granted Moroii equal rights and set up the donor system, finally allowing for peace and acceptance between Callisdrun’s human and vampiric citizens. Soon afterwards, Callisdrunian Privateers (think "Vikings") ravaged the coasts of the surrounding medieval nations with near impunity. As long as they had been sailing, Callisdrunians had carried out raids on foreign shores in their longships. However, after Callisdrunians ceased fighting each other, these assaults increased in both their frequency and their scale. Larger fleets of longships raided farther abroad, astonishlingly often. Despite this, Callisdrunians also used their expertise at seafaring for peaceful (but highly profitable) trade. Their ships were known for being fast and reliable in the transport of goods, and so were even hired when the goods in question were not destined for Callisdrunian ports (for a fee of course), though much of it was. Callisdrun soon became much richer.

Late Middle Ages: Callisdrun enjoyed relative peace for the next few hundred years, getting into occasional disputes due to Callisdrunians’ tendency towards piracy and Viking raids upon other nations. These were all settled, however, the only exception being in the case of Altar Rang. Altar Rang had unified a couple hundred years after Callisdrun had, and unlike Callisdrun, had largely converted to Christianity. Border disputes were the least of the problems, as the Altar Rangian government had decided that the Callisdrunians were infidels who had to be converted by force. Ever increasing conflicts and atrocities, including the burning of vampires at the stake (and other horrors such as removing vampires’ fangs and making them into slaves, often for rape), as Altar Rangians generally believed them to be the devil’s spawn, eventually caused the Ten Year War, from 1253 to 1263. Queen Bente the Great led Callisdrun through the war, often personally leading Callisdrunian forces in battle on the Plains of Sorrow, despite savage promises of what would be done to her if captured by the Altar Rangians. She died a short while after the war from a wound received in the final battle. Callisdrun was victorious and received a great peace settlement from Altar Rang.

Rennaisance/Age of Discovery: After the war, during the period of rebuilding, much scientific advancement was made and the once tiny University of Callisdrun grew to occupy almost the entirety of Drun Castle. On a political note, things continued much as they had before, with matters changing only gradually to suit new scientific discoveries. Several more battles with Altar Rang were fought over the centuries, but by and large, life was peaceful. Viking raids largely fizzled out (except against Altar Rang) as they became less of an important source of revenue and the navies of other nations improved. Seafaring continued unabated, as trade was as strong as ever.

Modern times... the last century: Callisdrun's era of peace and prosperity couldn't last forever. The situations that led up to the Great War (Also called the Great War with Altar Rang and the Great Northern War) were similar to events leading up to the Ten Year War. Altar Rang and Helvetefrosk (a mountainous region perpetually changing hands, then having been independent for some time) took the opportunity to attack. King Harald VI was killed in one of the first battles on the Plains of Sorrow, leading to the succession of his son, Olaf, later known as Olaf the Great. Callisdrun was given no mercy from the brunt of the Altar Rangian military might, due to old hatreds between the two nations. Both sides invented and used terrible weapons and often killed indiscriminately, though the Altar Rangians were said to treat it as sport. In one battle, a million men and women died in twenty-four hours. Altar Rang had pushed almost to the coast, but when great Callisdrunian naval victories threatened their capital city, Callisdrunians rallied and threw the invaders back across their own country. Callisdrun withdrew after Altar Rang’s government was destroyed and the country left in disarray. Both it and Helvetefrosk became anarchies and remain so to this day. This war, more than any of the others, caused Callisdrun's army to be organized into a force well suited for defensive fighting, experts in guerilla warfare. Thankfully, peace reigned again for decades after this brutal conflict.

After this bloody contest, Callisdrun took a distinctly isolationist stance in foreign policy. Though able to rebuild, it is felt that nothing can replace the millions upon millions lost in the last wars. The country has been run by the Socialist party for the past thirty years with only brief periods of the Business party or Communist Party in power. The royal family is much beloved and the people are quite patriotic. Callisdrun has, in the last few years, begun taking part in international politics once more.

National Holidays

Unification Day: December 1st. It marks the anniversary of the day in 814 that the monarchies of Drun and Callisdrin merged to finally make the lands into one. It is usually celebrated with large patriotic parades, feasts and fireworks.

Winter Solstice (AKA Ithtyr’s night, Midwinter): Celebrated on December 21st, it is the most important religious holiday in Callisdrun’s old religion. Supposedly the goddess Ithtyr’s power in the physical world is greatest at this point in the year. The festival also celebrates several other Callisdrunian winter gods, but Ithtyr is the most important of them. During the week long celebrations, there are feasts every day, bonfires, and lots of sex (for adults that is. Many teenagers also partake in this aspect of the holiday). It is a very busy time for the Order of Ithtyr, from the High Priestess all the way down to initiates (Priestesses in training).

Summer Solstice: Celebrated on June 21st, it is the second most important religious holiday in Callisdrun’s old religion. It celebrates the summer gods and includes much singing, dancing and feasting, mainly on barbecued food. It is a busy time for the Order of Odin and the Order of the Pantheon.

Remembrance Day: Celebrated on March 3rd, it is the day that the Great Northern War ended with the surrender of the remaining cohesive military forces of Altar Rang. It is celebrated with singing of mourning songs and flags and winter flowers placed on war graves.

Economic Information

National Currency: The Kroner

Government Priority: Education, the Environment

Income Tax Rate: Progressive

Major Industries: Book Publishing, Shipbuilding, Sailing/Shipping, Music, Gothic Pornography, Stonecarving, Woodcarving, Vodka, Absinthe, Steel, Services.

Percentage of population below poverty line: NA