The Unending Winter
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| Flag of The Unending Winter | |
| Motto: Condemnant quod non intellegunt! | |
| No Map Available | |
| Region | The Frozen Paradise |
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| Capital | Delume |
| Official Language(s) | Winterian (Scholars), Kalenden (Common), English (Trade/Diplomatic) |
| Leader | Queen Maleficent III |
| Population | 171 million |
| Currency | Banana |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Contents
Description
The Unending Winter is a harsh, desolate land nestled in an enormous but easily-ignored valley high in the mountains of The Frozen Paradise region. Despite the inhospitability, the population leads a quiet and -on the whole- comfortable life, free of the distractions that beset their low-land neighbours. Surprisingly, for their position, The Unending Winter is an advanced civilisation, with an established education system and a national Internet service. In addition to this, an unusual set of circumstances has bestowed every member of the country with magical powers. Thus, The Unending Winter is recognised as the first nation in the world populated entirely by witches.
Population
The current population stands at approximately 171 million, though this number naturally fluctuates. The population, comprised of both men and women, are unusual -perhaps even unique- in the world, due to their mastery of arcane forces. Women have historically taken roles of importance, filling high governmental roles and positions of authority, whereas men generally oversee more manual occupations, in maintenance, construction and security.
Languages
The most common language used in The Unending Winter is Kalenden, designed for everyday conversation. It is, as all live languages are, constantly changing, and new phrases are brought into popularity everyday as old ones fall out of favour. Kalenden is a harsh language, reflecting the harsh land upon which it was created. Dr Jenn Velifus' seminal book, "Common Kalenden Usage for Outsiders", gives many helpful phrases to those tourists mad or brave enough to want to visit The Unending Winter for a holiday. 'Lemed fassk titeras?' being the most helpful, translating to 'Do you have a functioning radiator?' Kalenden is difficult, and any outiders who can master it is well-respected by the population.
Realising the need for a smoother and more easily understood language, the Scholaric Section created Winterian, in order to better communicate with educated men and women worldwide. Winterian is described, by those who hear it, as one the most beautiful languages in existence. Crafty scholars understood the importance of phonology, and purposefully allowed Winterian phrases to flow seamlessly into one other. Indeed, to those unskilled in deciphering Winterian, it can seem like sentences are merely one long word. One phrase, "Heleniri ulura safilius esera", was recently voted the most beautiful phrase in existence. It is, therefore, unfortunate that said phrase translates to mean 'I believe that your grandmother once destroyed my uncle's turkey'.
In addition to both of these language, The Unending Winter -sensing the need to open trade and diplomatic relations with the world- has adopted English as a tertiary language, though it is rarely used outside of official channels.
Government
The Old Days
Many years ago (though so long ago that nobody is entirely certain when), The Unending Winter was ruled by a council of three elders. These men, generally considered by the population to be wise and fair, were usually anything but. Close friends, and easily bribable, the elders would rule with a corrupt and iron fist. They led the country into pointless wars, taxed indiscriminately and harshly and generally acted in a manner most unbefitting of their station. The nation accepted this, until one day. That day, known as 'The Revolution of Grace', is seen one of the most violent and bloody wars that the Unending Winter has ever had, despite the brevity. Over 10,000 citizens died as they clashed with the elders and the army they controlled. Brothers against sisters, children against parents - relationships mattered naught as the opposing factions clashed. It is said that the streets of Delume flowed red with the blood of the innocent for a week, though the poets of the Romantic period may well have exaggerated on this point. What is fact, however, is that the sacrifice of the population paid off. The elders were overthrown and killed, their army scattered. Those who followed the elders in the war were welcomed back, and life returned almost to normal.
One thing, however, changed. The population decided that, in the interests of national safety, men would never again be allowed to rule The Unending Winter. One woman would be placed in charge of the government, and she alone would be responsible for making decisions and appointing her council. She was given the title of Queen, and her word was law. This situation has remained in place to this day. Though no set list exists, the Queen's Council usually consists of a Foreign Secretary, a Home Secretary and the Financial Secretary. All other titles lie at the Queen's discretion.
The Queen
As the Queen's power is absolute, this is little need for a constitution. Some critics have argued that this provides a Queen with far too much power, but as none in history has ever abused her power, this point is all but moot. The population back their Queen totally, as she is generally thought to be infallible.
The procedure itself, however, has revealed itself to be very fallible indeed. Chosen by magical process, each Queen throughout history was then locked into a binding magical contract to govern until such time as she becomes unable, at which time another Queen is chosen. This worked well for thousands of years, until the process went wrong. The appointment of the current Queen (Maleficent the Third) was greeted with shock and outrage, as she was revealed to be a he. Son of Anastacia von Deathbat (the Home Secretary to the old Queen Lilith), Rory von Deathbat was as surprised as anyone when he was chosen, ten years ago. Groomed for a job in the military, Rory's accession as Queen was as unexpected as his mother's assassination two months after he took the throne. Thus, signed to a binding magical contract, Rory von Deathbat became the first male Queen of the Unending Winter. Taking the name Maleficent in honour of Queens long dead, the political vocabulary is ill-equipped to deal with this situation. Thus, all corespondence and lesgislation refers to the Queen as 'she'.
Judicial Branch
As crime is almost totally unknown in The Unending Winter, the Judiciary is comprised of appointed Supreme Court officials, who have final say in all matters of law. 13 judges (10 women and 3 men) must reach a majority in all cases, otherwise the case is re-tried until a decision can be reached. In other countries, this would be time-consuming and a waste of resources but, because crime is so uncommon and only generally occurs on a grand scale, the system works exceedingly well.
General Information
The Flag
The national flag of The Unending Winter was adopted 600 years, and features the head of the most famous and influential Queen in all of The Unending Winter's history: Queen Natalya IX. Hailed as a revolutionary and the most powerful force for good in the country, Natalya was responsible for establishing most of the laws and rights that the nation still lives by today. Additionally, Natalya is credited with constructing The Winter Palace, the seat of government for The Unending Winter, and also the expansive, sumptuous home of the Queen.
The Motto
'Condemnant quod non intelligunt!' or 'They condemn that which they do not understand!' is reportedly what the elders were claimed to have screamed in defiance as they were executed. Since that day, the nation has kept those words as a remembrance of what they liberated themselves from, during The Revolution of Grace.
Climate
Understandably, The Unending Winter had an arctic climate, rising to tundra in some of the flatter areas. However, since most of The Unending Winter -apart from the area of Delume- is mountainous, temperatures never rise above freezing. There is heavy snowfall on the higher areas, which often leads to avalanches. However, most of the population protect their dwellings with dispersal wards, magically diverting the avalanche away from their homes.
Military/Security
The Unending Winter has no standing army, as it was decided that -in a nation where every civilian could wield terrible magical force- no special service was required. Every subject is required to do their part for national security, though no punishment is given for those who hide when the country is attacked. The Queen knows all too well the power of fear.
United Nations Classification
Due to her staunch support of civil and political freedoms, Queen Maleficent III has steered The Unending Winter to the title of 'New York Times Democracy'. The Queen is reported to be very pleased to have garnered the nation such a reputation, and 'hopes to continue this good work in my coming years as Majestrix'. Says the United Nations: The Queendom of The Unending Winter is a very large, socially progressive nation, notable for its punitive income tax rates. Its intelligent population of 171 million enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms.
The Unending Winter is also currently the most free of all nations in the region.
History of The Unending Winter
Much of the nation's history is shrouded in secrecy, and several layers of permafrost. Historians work diligently to uncover the secrets that the nation keeps, and hope to submit a report soon. If you are a historian with information about The Unending Winter's past that you wish to share, please contact Baroness Sophia Jefferson at the Home Office.
- This nation article is incomplete. You can aid Her Majestrix Queen Maleficent III by submitting any historical information you have.
