Snefaldia

Snefaldia is a smallish, snowbound country, almost entirely surrounded by mountains. Most of the country is perpetually covered in snow, with few exceptions. A conglomeration of allied tribes and cities, the national government is led by a Council of Elders, with one Elder elected to leade the council for a six-year term.

The largest city in Snefaldia is Sham-Bemash, which surrounds the hot-water lake of Erum-Erom; it is also the capital of the nation. There are only five cities in Snefaldia, and each one is located around one of the hot-water lakes in the nation. For the most part, the people live in either nomadic tribe-villages, or dig deep into the snow and ice to make subterranean homes.

Geography

Snefaldia is surrounded on all sides by high mountain ranges, with the Seril Mountains in the east, the Zogar Range to the west, the Hightops in the south, and the Velnar Mountains to the north. The center of the nations is a mizture of valleys, hills, and flat tundra, frozen year round. Hotwater lakes called Eroms dot the landscape, formed by thermal heat and pockets of natural gas. The land around these lakes is defrosted for miles, the only spots of greenery in the nation.

In the north, the Velnars descend into a series of deep, frozen valleys called the Ziral Cuts, and flattens out into windswept plain before terminating at Shusum Erom and the city of Peccadar, the heart of the region of Gundria.

In the south, the Hightops drop down to a flat plain, ravaged by wind and icestorms. The city of Juruum is built around Hagmar Erom, just north of the Hightops, the seat of the Surtabek region.

In the east, Seril Mountains descend into jagged hills and valleys, before cutting into large channels cut into the ice, some of which run all the way to the center of the country. Valkanect Erom supports the city of Belda, center of the Ifgras region.

In the west, the Zogar Range descends into softly rolling hills and plains before turning into the central tundra of Snefaldia. Erum Erom, the largest lake in the country, is in this area, as is the capital city of Sargedain and the seat of the region of Dainland, Bergand.

Climate

Snefaldia is perpetually cold, and does not thaw. However, certain parts of the nation are colder or warmer than others; most notably around the hot-water lakes in the nation. Flora is limited to species of evergreen trees, which thrive in the warmer areas. Hardier varieties of the tree survive buried in the snow, poking their branches out of the ground to take the sunlight.

The mountains surrounding the nation are almost completely impassable by foot, indeed the best way to leave the country is by air. In the mountainous regions, it is so cold that environment-suits and heated transports are needed to travel, otherwise death by freezing will occur.

Society

The inhabitants of Snefaldia are hard-working, intelligent people, and are either considered City-People or People of the Snow, depending on where they live. They believe strongly in the established order, and take active part in the democratic process which elects their Elders.

Names in Snefaldia reflect the environment or part of nature, sometimes involving an animal or an aspiration for greatness. Young people are not given a name until they turn 16, before that point they are simply called "First Son" or "Second Daughter." The current head Elder of the country, Cuts-the-cave-bear, was given his name after he killed a white cave bear that threatened his mother.

Politics

The government is comprised of two branches- the Council of Elders, and the Arbiters. The Council of Elders is composed of one representative from each tribe, city, or holding in the nation, and one Elder is elected to lead them. It functions as a legislature and executive branch. The current leader is Elder Cuts-the-cave-bear.

The Arbiters form the judiciary branch. Each Arbiter is elected from his place of birth to serve in that area as legal guide, they are confirmed by the Council.