Svaldon

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SvaldonFlag3.PNG
Nation Sovereign Principality of Svaldon
Planet Disparatus
Government Constitutional Monarchy
Motto "Loyalty and Tradition"
National color(s) Red, Green, and Blue
Population Approx. 53,500,000
Demographics 92% Human (Including Neophytes, Centurions, etc.), 5% - 7% Mixed Ancestry, 1% - 3% Other
Location Northern Hemisphere, near the United Provinces
Primary Languages Universal, Svaldic
Founded 11 March 1512
Capital Falkenaas
Owner Tyler


Overview

The Sovereign Principality of Svaldon, commonly referred to as Svaldon or the SPS, is a sovereign state located to the northwest of the United Provinces. It is a constitutional monarchy currently headed by Prince Sigmund Magnusson. Being an island nation, it has no borders with any other country. Svaldon is a former colony of the United Provinces, having gained autonomy following the Svaldic War of Independence in 1511 AE.

Despite its small land mass, Svaldon is one of the more economically successful nations on Disparatus. It has historically often been at the forefront of social innovation and change, which many find unusual considering it is a monarchy. However, remembering its past, the throne of Svaldon has tended to keep an open ear to the voice and needs of its people in order to not only preserve its own status, but keep it competitive in the global market.


Government

Svaldon is ruled by a prince, the eldest son of the prince before him. After the future prince comes of age to succeed the throne at age 17, his father takes on the ceremonial title of king and becomes his lead advisor.

If a prince dies before the heir apparent comes of age, the prince's closest living relative of at least age 17 will become a "transitional prince", who will rule until the heir apparent comes of age. If a prince dies without producing offspring, the prince's closest living relative of at least age 17 will be named prince. However, if the king is still alive in such an event, he can choose to override this relative's ascension in favour of the next in line. Additionally, if the closest living relative has children of at least age 17, succession will go to their children instead.

While there have been two transitional princes of Svaldon and a number of cases of a prince dying without producing offspring (most of which passed over to a sibling or nephew, but three of which resulted in a new line of princes), there has not been an event of the king overriding the ascension of a dying prince's nearest relative. The king and other anscestors of a prince are not eligible to become prince in any of these events. However, this is a case where a ruling Princess of Svaldon can occur, generally through the crown passing to the closest female sibling of the prince, which has happened three times.

The Svalern Slott Palace of the Silver Eagle, located in Falkenaas, is the seat of the Svaldic monarchy. Constructed shortly after Svaldon won its independence, it is one of the oldest remaining human buildings on the island nation. From here, the prince and his advisors enact policies and discuss military operations.

Economically, Svaldon has socialistic tendencies, with the throne nationalizing transportation and manufacturing sectors. Politically, Svaldon is an ally of the United Provinces, and arguably Ostfold.


Religion

Svaldon is a secular society, and does not officially condone any religion. There are vestiges of certain religions in some parts of the nation, but they have never claimed more than a small minority of the population. In a nationwide survey taken in 2318, 34% of Svaldic citizens claimed to believe in a god or goddess of an unspecified faith.


Military

The Svaldic military is comprised of four branches: The Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Military ranks in Svaldon are similiar or identical to those of the British military in the real world. Only two personnel from each branch of the Svaldic military can hold a Four-Star rank at a time. Doviko Olta is currently one of the two Four-Star Generals of the Army.

Svaldon requires all citizens upon graduation from secondary school or turning 17 (a legal adult) to enlist in 2 years of mandatory military duties. Although Svaldon tends to avoid conflicts, it has a large budget for defense. In particular research and development, it specializes in its Marine Corps, which is the largest by percentage on Disparatus, although not the largest branch of the Svaldic military in size.

The Lykken Corporation is a defense research and development company that has close ties to the Svaldic government. It is a common manufacturer of Svaldic weapons, having pioneered the use of the Flashstar Module, a framework design for firearms that has become common in use in the Svaldic military.


History

Beginning as part of the United Provinces, Svaldon (then North Svaldenstadt Province) became increasingly distanced by the increasing political strength of the corporations that eventually formed the cornerstone of the United Provinces. Because these corporations were based on the mainland, the citizens of North Svaldenstadt had little control over their own state of affairs. Economically struggling under the pressure of the mainland monopolies, North Svaldenstadt declared independence from the United Provinces and incited the Svaldic War of Independence.

The war ravaged on for almost two years. Svaldon would have certainly lost this conflict had Jektas Algensar, the emblematic leader of the Svaldic independence movement and later the first prince of Svaldon, not sought out aid from other nations. While the response was not particularly large, it was enough for Svaldon to keep the war effort alive.

However, it was still a war of attrition, and the conflict wasn't decided until some time later, when Dragonoa also declared war on the United Provinces for unrelated reasons. Unable to wage war with two nations with its military might halved, the United Provinces begrudgingly acknowledged the sovereignty of Svaldon in March of 1512. There was a long period of cold animosity between the two nations before Svaldon began to seek reconciliation with the United Provinces.


Princes of Svaldon

The following are various notable Princes of Svaldon.

  • Jektas Algensar (1512 - 1547): First Prince of Svaldon.
  • Baldor Algensar (1547 - 1554): Established laws regarding ascension to the throne at age 17.
  • Olav Algensar (1554 - 1583): First Prince to ascend to the throne at age 17.
  • Vegard Algensar (1583 - 1589): First Prince to die without having any children.
  • Tormod Algensar (1589 - 1610): Ascended to the throne following his older brother's death.
  • Sven Algensar (1610 - 1616): Died without having any children.
  • Petrine Algensar (1616 - 1644): First ruling Princess of Svaldon, ascending to the throne at age 19 following her older brother's death.
  • Asmund Algensar (1644 - 1667)
  • Randolf Algensar (1667 - 1687): Died while his eldest son was only 13.
  • Harmud Kolden (1687 - 1691): First transitional prince of Svaldon. Nephew of the deceased prince Randolf Algensar.
  • Fredrik Algensar (1691 - 1712) (Fredrik I)
  • Andor Algensar (1712 - 1723): Last Prince in the Algensar line. Died without having any children.
  • Morten Grimsrud (1723 - 1742): First Prince in the Grimsrud line, the second line of Svaldic princes. Great-grandson of Asmund Algensar, through his eldest daughter, and nephew of transitional prince Harmud Kolden.
  • Alrek Grimsrud (1742 - 1766)
  • Bernhard Grimsrud (1766 - 1794)
  • Josef Grimsrud (1794 - 1799) (Josef I): Signed the Credit into law as the nation's currency following negotiations started during his father's reign. Died without having any children.
  • Ivan Grimsrud (1799 - 1826): Ascended to the throne following his older brother's death.
  • Ragnar Grimsrud (1826 - 1844)
  • Gudleif Grimsrud (1844 - 1846): Shortest-reigning Prince of Svaldon, and last in the Grimsrud line. Died without having any children.
  • Canutus Rolstad (1846 - 1861): First Prince in the Rolstad line, the third line of Svaldic princes. Great-great-grandson of Alrek Grimsrud, through his second son.
  • Henrik Rolstad (1861 - 1889)
  • Edgar Rolstad (1889 - 1914)
  • Marcus Rolstad (1914 - 1936)
  • Victor Rolstad (1936 - 1957)
  • Peter Rolstad (1957 - 1966): Died without having any children.
  • Johanne Rolstad (1966 - 1984): Second ruling Princess of Svaldon, ascending to the throne at age 29 following her younger brother's death.
  • Fredrik Rolstad (1984 - 2005) (Fredrik II)
  • Elias Rolstad (2005 - 2022): Died while his eldest son was only 7.
  • Vendel Loken (2022 - 2032): Second transitional prince of Svaldon. Cousin of the deceased prince Elias Rolstad and nephew of King Fredrik Rolstad.
  • William Rolstad (2032 - 2070): Longest-reigning Prince of Svaldon, having ruled for 38 years.
  • Julian Rolstad (2070 - 2091)
  • Anton Rolstad (2091 - 2112)
  • Mathias Rolstad (2112 - 2144) (Mathias I): Last Prince in the Rolstad line. Died without having any children. Was known for being one of the chief proponents for the signing of the Treaty of Svaneholm in 2137.
  • Tallak Magnusson (2144 - 2155): First Prince in the Magnusson line, the fourth and current line of Svaldic princes. Grandson of Julian Rolstad, through his eldest daughter.
  • Andreas Magnusson (2155 - 2173)
  • Roald Magnusson (2173 - 2191)
  • Josef Magnusson (2191 - 2212) (Josef II)
  • Erik Magnusson (2212 - 2220): Died without having any children.
  • Katrine Magnusson (2220 - 2246): Third ruling Princess of Svaldon, ascending to the throne at age 23 following her older brother's death.
  • Mathias Magnusson (2246 - 2277) (Mathias II)
  • Alf Magnusson (2277 - 2299)
  • Sigurd Magnusson (2299 - 2327): Current King of Svaldon.
  • Sigmund Magnusson (2327 - Present): Current Prince of Svaldon.


Line of Ascension

  • Algensar Line

Jektas (1470) -> Baldor (1505) -> Olav (1537) -> Vegard (1566) / Tormod (1568) -> Sven (1593) / Petrine (1597) -> Asmund (1627) -> Randolf (1650) -> Fredrik I (1674) -> Andor (1695)

  • Transitional 1

Asmund (1627) -> {Daughter} (1647) -> Harmud (1669) (No children)

  • Grimsrud Line

Asmund (1627) -> {Daughter} (1647) -> {Daughter} (1671) -> Morten (1701) -> Alrek (1725) -> Bernhard (1749) -> Josef I (1777) / Ivan (1781) -> Ragnar (1809) -> Gudleif (1827)

  • Rolstad Line

Alrek (1725) -> {Son 2} (1752) -> {Daughter} (1772) -> {Daughter} (1790) -> Canutus (1811) -> Henrik (1844) -> Edgar (1872) -> Marcus (1897) -> Victor (1919) -> Peter (1940) / Johanne (1937) -> Fredrik II (1967) -> Elias (1988) -> William (2015) -> Julian (2053) -> Anton (2074) -> Mathais I (2095)

  • Transitional 2

Johanne (1937) -> {Daughter} (1963) -> Vendel (1994)

  • Magnusson Line

Julian (2053) -> {Daughter} (2078) -> Tallak (2109) -> Andreas (2138) -> Roald (2056) -> Josef II (2174) -> Erik (2095) / Katrine (2098) -> Mathais II (2229) -> Alf (2260) -> Sigurd (2282) -> Sigmund (2310)


Notable Locations

Locations in Svaldon will be listed by regions, of which there are five.


Svaldon (Mainland Island)

The main island of the nation, and its namesake. Approximately 60% of the Svaldic landmass consists of this island, and it contains most of its population, with approximately 34 million people.


Falkenaas: The capital city of Svaldon. It is an historical and cultural city, well known for its many art museums and the Prince Gudleif Memorial Hospital, one of the largest and more highly acclaimed hospitals on Disparatus, although it was the center of some controversy in 2304 when it was found to be breaking the nation's law that all nurses must be "hot chicks". The city is connected by an intricate and complex network of public transportation. The PTAF (Public Transportation Administration of Falkenaas) being central to the island, Falkenaas is also a hub of transportation throughout all of the nation.

  • Svalern Slott: :The Grand Palace and seat of the Svaldic government, also known as the Palace of the Silver Eagle. Located in Falkenaas, it is a chateau of great grandeur and home to the Room of the Ruby Fountains, many diplomatic and ceremonial events are hosted here. It is the home of the royal family.

Svaneholm: Located at the southeastern end of the island, Svaneholm is known as the gateway to the Provinces because of its interlocking transportation network with the UP. Many ferries and underwater subways travel from Svaneholm to the UP and back. It is an artistic and philosophical cradle, historically serving as the meeting place for thinkers and artisans from both the UP and Svaldon. Its rich cultural history has caused it to be known as the cradle of art.

Haldenstad: Known also as the City of the Crater Lake. Built around a large lake formed by an impact crater, it is a popular resort town, and one of the more wealthy cities on Disparatus. Many businesspeople and political figures own a getaway home here. It has a high cost of living, and garners much of its income from tourism.

Gravenholt: A national park, and also a forest. There are trees and things. It's a cool place for cool people. Everyone should hang out here or else.


Refalta

Mother Russia. The second largest island of Svaldon. It makes up about 20% of the overall Svaldic landmass and contains approximately 11,500,000 people.


Ademor: The largest city on the island of Refalta, and the region's capital, with a population of about 850,000.


Giveia

Boats and stuff. The third largest island of Svaldon. It makes up about 13.5% of the overall Svaldic landmass and contains approximately 5,400,000 people.


Fortyra: The largest city on the island of Giveia, and the region's capital. It's Svaldon's fourth-largest city, with a population of about 600,000.

Belhas: A popular port town on the island of Giveia. It's the second-largest city on the island of Giveia, with a population of about 300,000.


Holensund and Outlying Islands

A series of six small islands in the western part of Svaldon. The region is named for its largest island, Holensund, which is the fourth largest island of Svaldon, though a fair amount smaller than the main three. The islands in this region make up about 6.5% of the overall Svaldic landmass, and contain approximately 2,500,000 people.


Songuil: The largest city on the island of Holensund, and the region's capital.

Slotheim: A small island located north of Holensund, and home to Slotheim Manor.


Selimma

A network of caverns running under areas of Svaldon, and at parts under the sea, primarily under the northwest part of the mainland. Selimma is technically a municipality in classification, but for various reasons does not pay taxes. While some people do live here, its population is quite low compared to the rest of Svaldon, amounting to only approximately 100,000 people.


Baralynn: The largest and most well-known city of Selimma is Baralynn, an expansive underground city whose entrance is located near Haldenstad. It is a mining community where certain rare ores are mined and refined, and additionally various jewelers operate here.

A map of Svaldon and its regions.