Årania
| Free administrative region of Årania | |
|---|---|
| Region part of the Commonwealth | |
| |
| Ære til Årania | |
| Stats | |
| State | Unified Commonwealth 
|
| Capitol | Åranvik |
| Political system | Monarchial Democracy |
| Independence | -48,46Ð |
| Population | ~7300 |
| Area | 700.000m² or 70ha |
| Density | 104,28/ha |
| GDP | 374.508.655 Crowns |
| GDP per capita | 51.635 Crowns per capita |
| National languages | Åranian |
Thorildsk (minority) 
| |
| National colours | ㅤÅranian Pomåran (Orange)ㅤ |
| ㅤÅranian Goldㅤ | |
| Main cities | |
| Åranvik | |
| Lyvan | |
| Vesgrot | |
Årania, also known as Aarania or Arania (pronounced ˈɔˀraːɲɪa / o-ran-ia) is a region in the Thorildsby Project. It's population is estimated at around 7300, with a size of approximately 700.000m² or 70ha giving it a population density of 104,28/ha. It borders Thorildhøj in the north and Høvemark in the south. Årania has three cities: Åranvik, Lyvan, and Vesgrot with Åranvik being the biggest city of Årania and also the capitol.
Culture
Due to its geographical position, Årania represents a sphere of different cultures. Especially notable is the cultural influence of Thorildhøj in the city of Åranvik and the cultural influence of Kalkdui in Lyvan. The interior of the country to this day preserves the older cultural heritage of the pre-war times, which was the most influencial period of national cultural history, as the country grew away from its historic ally and became more dependend on itself, causing a rise in patriotism and giving way to many historical figures.
Due to the aftermath of the War of Dignity, Årania has the need to seperate itself from the Lanborg Region, therefore fueling patriotistic movements and implementing a patriotic mindset. Because of that, to many Åranians, cultural identity is very important, therefore making preservation of local traditions a common practice among the young population. This mindset in its strength in Årania is not seen in other regions, making Årania famous for its patriotism and associating the country with its national colour - Deep Orange, and the national flower the Åranian Edelweiss, which is also depicted on the national banner and flag. Another good example of patriotism is the wide usage of the phrase "Ære til Årania", translated "Glory to Årania", which was the standardized greeting in the Åranian army and to this day is in legal environments.
Like in the entire Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Chamber of Cultural Heritage is tasked with preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage and overseeing its development. The FYNesco list contains 10 structures protected in Årania.
Cuisine
Åranian Cuisine has been shaped widely by political, cultural and economic influences giving the nation a unique mix of dishes. Due to the hot climate and fertile soil on riverbanks and shores, Årania developed a strong agricultural economy which contributed to the cuisine as well. The main ingredients to the cuisine became flour, pumpkins, potatoes, cabbage as well as meat and milk products. One of the most famous dishes is called Gry, which is originated in the city of Lyvan during war times, and sees varieties such as Fiskegry or Sorgry. It more commonly consumed in rural regions and Lyvan and more rarely in Åranvik, which was influenced more by Thorildhøj dishes such as Sødsnegl originating from the Spandauer in Thorildhøj.
The nation's cuisine is also very famous for its small pumpkin custard pastry - Paastje. It became popular as a bakery snack in urban regions as Åranvik or Lyvan. Together with Sødsnegl, there have been many varieties. The nation is also a moderate wine producer, also being important for the cultural identity, as during the War of Dignity wine cellar networks (catacombs) were used to hide from axis Lanborg powers.
Holidays
Holidays are an important part of Åranian culture, reflecting on the war-times and the freindships and losses that came with it.
The most famous and spectacular holiday in the nation is the Paradisdag, which is a farewell to all soldiers who died in the War of Dignity, which shaped Årania forever. On the first day of uneven months, participants gather on the Paradisstra'e in northern Åranvik at around 22:30 with orange wish papers and banners. There, stuntmen perform until midnight which is when the participants release the orange wish papers in the air.
The capitol, Åranvik celebrates the famous Kavenø Duatlon, with which the friendship between Årania and Thorildhøj is celebrated. The annual race starts from the ex-Thorildhøjan exclave Kavenø, from where the participants swim to Pomåran Havn and eat a cod filet before they pass the torch to their partner who then runs on the ₴1 tracks back to Kavenø, where they consume a cup of traditional Thorildhøj coffee with a Spandauer. This holiday was first celebrated on -3Ð.
A famous holiday in Årania is the Paradisdag. It celebrates the independence fighters in the War for Årania. Participants take an orange flag or banner and orange wish paper and let it go at night.
Music
The music scene of Årania is portrayed by its deep connection to traditions and patriotism, resulting in a massive folk-scene in the country. This means that most other genres such as electronic, hip-hop and pop all have elements of folk. This tradition-rich music scene has led some artists to try to express themselves differently to seperate themselves in recent times. An example of that is Åranian hip-hop artist Skytter, who returned to basics of music and experimented with synthetic and electronic sounds, which created the music genre "Rage", which Årania is also famous for. Rage has grown an international following.
This means that the Åranian music scene is divided into one group which has lots of similarities with folk and another, quickly growing, yet small scene which tries to escape folk which results in Rage.
Lore
Clay Era
Scientists don't know for how long people have been living in the area which we now know as Årania, however more developed civilisations can be tracked by the remains of their clay, terracotta and porcellain creations which include pots, tiles, plates and sometimes parts of shelters. The clay age dates back to -910Ð, but experts say that the first settlements were not constructed until about -600Ð. In the Clay Era, Åranians slowly started taking more potential of the fertile soil, for example building small clay channels to funnel the water into drier areas. The population of Årania was way smaller than today, so a very small portion of Årania's farmland was used by settlers in the Clay Era. Even though there was a boom in agriculture, most people died due to waves of pandemics, as viruses and bacteria can spread wonderfully in the warm and humid climate of Årania, but the population was growing slowly. At around -600Ð, Åranians started building improvised homes out of clay and similar materials in proximity to each other, creating the first settlements. They often consisted of 3 to 10 small shacks, and are non-existent today.
End of Pandemic
After the establishment of the Lanborg Empire in -670Ð, adventurers wandered around the Lanborg Empire, in an order by Alvar I for cartography purposes. Eventually the wealthy Lanborgians stumbled upon areas which today belong to Årania. They faced the same issues as some of the rural settlers to the south, which today are located in Høvemark: Bacteria spreading in the warm, humid climate and killing local population. The Lanborgian cartographers were not getting infected, most likely because their ancestors already had the infection. After councelling with Alvar I, the cartographers took one of the three doctors from Lanborg, which after examination of Åranians gave coal tar to kill the bacteria that was spreading inside their bodies. This worked out and caused the establishment of the first Åranian trade route.
Trade over land
Soon after the charcoal medication ended the pandemic in Årania in -568Ð, the first trade route between Årania and Lanborg was established: Lanborgians shared their coal tar in exchange for crops grown by Åranians on their fertile land. This trade route made Årania very dependent on Lanborg, so the uncoordinated Åranians tried to find other trade partners.
Eventually, after leading their own cartography exploration program, Åranians stumbled upon Kalkdui population, with which communication was difficult but manageable. As Kalkdui is mostly on desert soil, Åranian crops were very important to them. This way, another trade route was established in -546Ð, the Årania-Kalkdui trade route. The Kalkdui people wanted crops in exchange for robust construction material like calcite and limestone, which became an essential part of Åranian architecture.
The trade route was used more often than the one to Lanborg, so to better supply Kalkdui, which is west of Årania, settlements in the west of the country were seen as places with guarantees of a good job, attracting more settlers. By -540Ð, western Årania was attracting settlers from outside the country, most notably Kalkdui, Årania's trading partner. This mixed Åranians with Kalkdui people, creating a strong connection between the two countries, which was very important in the War of Dignity and to this day remains very visible.
Trade by ship
At around -500Ð, other small trade routes were forming, such as the ones to southern distant territories, which were only trading with expensive goods and tropical fruit, as transportation would make up most of the cost of the product.
These merchants were coming by small boats, for financial and geographic reasons.
When Ari I realised that by digging canals to Lanborg, the trade to Årania could be done by boats, which were a lot cheaper on average than trading over land, his plan was fulfilled. The merchants from far southern regions could now have a stop in Lanborg before continuing to western Årania. Therfore they could now ship by bogger boats to the same destination and from there directly to western Årania, making the Lanborg route more important.
In succsession, Åranians realised that the same logic of boats could be applied to the Kalkdui route, which in return made it more important. This caused a competition between Kalkdui and the Lanborg Empire.
TODO: -500Ð - 100Ð put things here Fyn
Yellow Revolution and fall of monarchy
Born in -97Ð, Åranvikian journalist Ingun Hele witnessed a person criticising the Åranian religion being taken into prisonship by the royal guards. She believed the king of Årania at the time, Veste Alsten, was responsible for this action and wanted full free self-expression to be allowed. Following this, she created the first newspaper service in the world, Årania Times, in -74.4Ð.
Because of her often spreading information criticising the monarchy of Årania, the newspaper started out in secret, with an extensive network of street vendors and suppliers. It was in -74.1Ð, that the newspaper was uncovered under request of the king. Ingun Hele was killed in her apartment by the royal guard for critisizing the monarchy.
The news spread quickly through Åranvik and Årania, with many supporters of the Årania Times going onto the streets to protest. They were turned down in small groups and some of the protesters were killed. On the following day, the former dealers of the newspapers organised all protestors into one single group, which marks the beginning of the Yellow Revolution. Most of the population of Åranvik protested for free speech and the fall of the monarchy, but there was also an oppision by the royal guards of Årania. After multiple days of protesting, where the protestors were supplied with food by the remaining population of the city, all of the guards were killed or surrendered, allowing all protestors to raid the King's Palace.
Veste Alsten was publically decapitated and his body parts were eaten by the protestors. Some of his bones can be found in the National Åranian Museum.
This marked the fall of the monarchy in Årania and the establishment of a free democratic state. Årania's first elections were held in -74Ð. This was the first event that connected most Åranians together for the same cause, creating a spike in patriotism.
Transport
As Årania was heavily damaged during the War of Dignity, Lanborg and its region pay financial reparations to the nation. This money paired with the Commonwealth fund allows construction of bigger projects and overall modernisation. Therefore, after the creation of the Commonwealth the RS1 was planned, as the Commonwealth wanted to focus on the development of Årania as a whole.
Before trains existed, people were hiking across the nation, no matter how long the journey was. This is how the settlement of Vesgrot was created; as many peasants were hiking between the cities Åranvik and Lyvan, they often pit-stopped and a camp was created to sell nutrients and offer a place to sleep. As Årania was a very religious country, lots of temples were built along the hiking trail between Åranvik and Lyvan (going through Vesgrot). They can still be prayed in and seen today. The biggest temple of Årania is the Hæjvé Temple, being one of the most spectacular temples of Årania.
Recently, a rail connection was established between Åranvik and Lyvan, the RS1
Economy
Before -48Ð, the economy of Årania was very fragile, as during the partial occupation of Årania by Lanborg druing the War of Dignity, all leftovers of industry were forced to be sent to Lanborg and there was no chance of economic development. After the war, Årania gained a massive forced donation by Lanborg as a reperation the the damage done during the war. Using the money, Årania became the fastest developing region at the time. The economy was aided even more, when the Commonwealth demanded that Lanborg donated even more money as reparations. That money was not focused on the economy, but rather on medicine and education.
The most important sectors of the Åranian economy are agriculture, shipbuilding and tourism.
Agriculture
Agriculture is by far the largest field of industry in Årania. Because of its warm summers, large amounts of sun days and abundance of drinking water, it is one of the best places to grow crops. The land on the interior of the country is drier than on the river deltas and bays, so it usually not farmed in the interior of the country. Additionally, the soil on the bays and deltas is much richer. Årania is such a big exporter of crops, that the neighbouring region Thorildhøj, which has colder conditions unfit for agriculture, relies on Årania to export a portion of their crops to them. The industry produces 250% of what Årania itself can consume.
Shipbuilding
Årania is the biggest builder of ships in the northern Commonwealth. AVII has their biggest boat factory in Åranvik, which was historically an important place of sea trade. The shipbuilding industry is rapidly decreasing however, as demand gets lower each year. Some reasons for that might be that wars are very unlikely to happen due to the Commonwealth and other countries don't need military sea vehicles anymore. Also, the quality of the boats is the best in the Commonwealth, so the boats will be used for many decades of Ð; the places that needed boats already recieved them and will only need to replace them in the far future.
Tourism
Årania is a perfect destination for tourists looking to see unique architecture, great food, wonderful culture and sunny beaches. Most tourists visit the capitol, Åranvik by train. The tourism sector in Årania is an industry that rises very slowly, making up about 18% of the economy.
Others
Other important industry sectors include financial services, fishing and forestry.
Languages
There are two very similar languages spoken in Årania, that being Åranian and Thorildsk. Both of them are mutually intelligible. Åranian is used everywhere, however a small Thorildhøjan minority exists, which prefers Thorildsk. Åranian as the main language, is forced to be taught in schools. However, after the scholars are confident in their language skills, they can replace half of their Åranian lessons with Thorildsk lessons. This acceptance of Thorildhøjan culture has been introduced by the minority party during the introduction of the Commonwealth.
Notable People
Ingun Hele
Ingun Hele was a journalist born in Åranvik in -97Ð. She founded the newspaper "Årania Times" which was one of the first independent news services in the world. The newspaper was founded in -74.4Ð when she witnessed a person criticising the local religion of Årania and being taken into prisonship. She believed that the everyone had to have access to events as they happened, without censorship and intervention from the government, which was then the King of Årania, Veste Alsten.
The newspaper started in secret, giving exemplars to street dealers, which are trained to sell them without being spotted. Business ran in secret for 0.3Ð and flourished with 70% of all Åranvikians reportedly having read at least one newspaper of the Årania Times. Veste Alsten recieved information about a newspaper criticising his rulership of Årania, which turned into an investigation and an assasination attempt.
At the night of -74.1Ð, Ingun Hele was murdered in sleep by the King's guard. On the next morning, people noticed immediately that Ingun Hele#Hele was dead. This lead to the Yellow Revolution, as the dealers of the newspaper gathered the crowds into a single group to protest in Åranvik at -74.1Ð. This was not only due to the death of Ingun Hele#Hele, but also against censorship, for transparency and for freedom of expression, which was not supported by Veste Alsten. The revolution consisted of the protestors, which were trying to storm the King's Palace and the King's guard, which was better equipped, but outnumbered against the entire population. All 200 guards in service got killed or surrendered, which allowed the demonstrators to set the King's Palace ablaze and kill Veste Alsten, who was publically decapitated on the demonstration and eaten by the demonstrators. Some of the bones which survived the protest are able to be found in museums across Årania. This killing of the king lead to Årania becoming a free democratic state. The first elections were held in the same Ð, -74Ð.
Allan Egeval
Allan Egeval was a politican focused in the theoretical perspective. He is famous for his books "Death of a Kingdom" and "Crime blooms into Riches", both published during the War of Dignity predicting that Lanborg will lose the war with scientific evidence, this turned out to be true. After the War of Dignity ended, he recieved a medal with a massive monetary prize for his studies by the monarch of Årania, Gunnar af Hoogbjerg. After this, Allan Egeval returned to his quiet hometown, Vesgrot. According to him, in his hometown he "felt his inner peace" and "was happier than ever", publishing books about politics and life.
In -11Ð, Allan Egeval was reached out to by the Åranian president, wanting to liberate Lanborg from the dictatorship under Einar II. Over the next 2Ð, Allan Egeval created a peace plan with the creation of a Commonwealth of nations, united under a single constitution and units of measurement. For this he met many politicians, physicists and theoricians. Then, an ultimatum was made, that until 6Ð Einar II should hold independent votes, else the Northern Coalition will invade the Lanborg Empire.
After small protests have been turned down, a conspiracy got through the people, to assemble at all squares of Lanborg, including Melon Square right before 0Ð. During the protests that blocked the city, Einar II tried to kill protestors, yet they comitted to their action. After 14 hours of protests, Fyndrix killed Einar II and Allan Egeval's plan of the Commonwealth of Nations was established.
Allan Egeval recieved the Commonwealth Platinum Plaque as his peace prize. He passed away in in 14Ð, at 101Ð old. According to his doctor and therapist, he was in perfect condition and very happy with his life.
Skytter
Skytter is a rapper and label-owner who is known for experimental and synthetic music. In combination with the mumbled rhymes, his music is collectively defined as "Rage", which he is considered a pioneer in. His name is simultaneously derived from the Åranian words for "shooter" and "shit".