People's Republic of Dorvik

Dorvik is a country at the northern end of the continent of Artania.

Human Geography
In northern Atria lies the county of Kordusia, the most populous county in Dorvik. Along the northern and western coasts are several rapidly-expanding cities, Langton, Kordaw, Haldor and Birdon. Kordusia's position means it is a major point for trade in northern Artania.

To the south lie two counties, Largonia on the west coast and Miktar on the east. Largonia's coast, including the town of Paddock, is a favorite Dorvish holiday destination. Miktar is more rural and isolated, and the lack of favorable currents offshore means it has not become a major location for trade.

To the west lie the two island provinces, Mothar and Dorvan. Due to cold currents from the arctic meeting warm water from Largonia, Mothar is foggy and a good source of fish stocks. To the south across the Neptune Straits, Dorvan's two islands are the location of the capital, Fairfax, and are very fertile.

Mountains
Dorvik does not have any major mountains. There is a chain of hills running up the "backbone" of Atria. The interior of Atria and Mothar is rocky and forested, but not mountainous. There are no known volcanos in Dorvik.

Rivers and Lakes
Dorvik has numerous small rivers and lakes, but few of them are large enough to note. In Atria, most rivers are small and non-navigable, but in the southern parts of Largonia and Miktar there are a few leading into the interior. In Mothar, a number of marshy creeks flow from the centre of the island to the sea. On the north island of Dorvan, the Vinisk river provides irrigation and nutrients to the fertile centre, while the south island has a few small rivers.

Climate
Dorvik is one of the coldest countries in Terra, but it still has much variation. Mothar is cool and foggy, with relatively stable temperature. Kordusia is temperate but windy. Miktar is the coldest province, and smow is common there from November through March. Largonia is temperate, and has mild temperatures year-round, which has allowed it to become the tourist destination of Dorvik. Dorvan is relatively temperate and very rainy.

Flora
Inland, pines and conifers mix with deciduous trees like maple and oak. In Mothar, bogs and peat are common, especially in the south. Atria's coasts have more deciduous trees, and in Largonia palms can be seen due to the warmer climate.

One thing you will notice when visiting Dorvik is the low numbers of flowers. While lupine and some fruit-flowers can be seen in some areas, flowering plants are not very common; the cut flower industry is practically nonexistant.

Fauna
The national bird is the Lesser Spotted Kwonmbongo Bird, which lives in forested areas of Atria and Dorvan. It used to also live in small pockets of Mothar, but due to foresting, it has gone extinct there. Also inhabiting southern Dorvik is the Greater Spotted Kwonmbongo Bird, which migrates south to central Artania during winter and can only be seen in Dorvik from June through September.

The area around Mothar is a major location for fish like tuna and trout. These fish stocks extend all the way to Dorvan and Kordusia, but fish are not plentiful in Miktar.

Forest creatures inhabit inland areas of Dorvik. Brown bears and deer are common, raccoons less so.

Early History
The area that is now known as Dorvik was home to 3 major tribes pre-500. The most notable and powerful of these was the Dorvin, who inhabited the northern tip of Atria (The regions of Kordusia, Largonia and Miktar). The Dorvin lived in fairly advanced dwellings made from stone and were very communal people, villages found around this period are larger in area than most others on Terra.

The Outer lying islands of Dorvan and Mothar were also colonised by 2 respective major tribes. The Lormans were a tribe localised around the Dorvan Region who first appeared there around 178 and are believed to have originated from Largonia. Mothar was home to the Mothin tribe, who were very similar to the Lormans.

These tribes advanced steadily inventing such marvels as the printing press, gun powder, the ballista and the worlds first flushing toilet system amongst many other things.

300 Years War
The first conflict between the Dorvik tribes came in 767 when the seafaring Mothins sent 20 ships containing 3,000 men to invade Dorvan. The invasion attempt was not succsessful, however, becuase The Lorman High Commander Svenson the Great had ordered troops in Vinisk harbour to use shields to direct sunlight against the Mothin Ships, burning their wooden frame and drowning the troops.

This incident sparked the 300 years war between the Mothin and Lorman; this however was little more than a few skirmishes and a political war. In 932 the Lorman High Commander, Gronad the Bear was poisoned by his wife, Annabelle of Vinisk. It turned out that Annabelle of Vinisk was actually Annabelle of Mothar, a spy sent to kill the Lorman leader. Annabelle is now referred to as Annabelle the Betrayer. She was beheaded at behest of the Lorman court.

Kingdom of Dorvik
While the high political intrigue of the Lorman and Mothin developed, life on the mainland passed relitavely peacefully with only a few skirmishes with Alorian tribes. Great cities such as Paddock blossomed and in 1063 the area inhabited by the Dorvin had its borders officially legitimised. It became the Kingdom of Dorvik under the leadership of King Egbert I (The Mighty Uniter).

Throughout the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries The Kingdom of Dorvik advanced technologically, economically, socially and politically at a great rate. In 1326 Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Kingdom, an intense period of religous conflict arose in Dorvik as a result of this, with the newly empowered clergy ruthlessly executing followers of Druid belief.

Second Lorman-Mothin War
1063 marked the end of the 300 years war. Lorman High Commander Edwin the Brave met with Mothin Grand Emperor Rankin VI on a boat in the Neptune Straits. They signed the Neptune Accord, which suspended hostilities between the two tribes. However, when Grand Emporer Rankin VI offered Lorman High Commander Edwin the Brave his daughter Annabelle II's hand in marriage, he was promptly met with a swift blow to the head which knocked him over board killing him. Edwin was then slain by Duke Trilby of North Mothar and so began the War of Revenge or the War of Imperial Conquest (depending on where you came from).

In 1389 the Lorman tribes held the Council of Fairfax which set out to further unite their peoples. It was declared by Lorman High Commander Selkath the Unifier after the meeting that their island would be known as the United Isle of Dorvan (named after the Lorman God of Unity). 1389 also marked the end of the War of Revenge or War of Imperial Conquest (Depending on where you came from) with the Dorvan High Commander Selkath the Unifier marrying Grand Princess Lydia of Mothar.

(Note: History ends about 1400, and needs to be extended.)

Ethnicity
There are several demographic ideas in Dorvik. In general, the people of both Atria and Dorvan, and possibly Mothar, are all descended from a common ancestor in Largonia about year 0. This ancestor may be related to the people of Aloria or Kirlawa. However, the people of Mothar may not be descended from this ancestor, and may instead have come to their homeland across the sea, either from Dovani or Davostan.

The idea that the Mothin were descended from Largonians is central to the "Nation of Dorvik" ideas put forward by Lord Alexander Piso. He believed that Dorvik was a superior nation due to their genetic heritage. However, modern ideas that the Mothin are non-Largonian has put a damper on his followers.

In modern times, immigrants have entered the area of Dorvik; however, thay do not make up a large part of the population.

Religion
Due to the secular nature of Dorvish society, religion is hard to judge there. Protestantism is the dominant religion, but evangelism is almost nonexistant. Other religions, like Catholicism and Buddhism have been on the increase, but still form only a tiny minority.

It has been speculated that Atheists and Agnostics outnumber Protestants in Dorvik. This statement is true if "Protestant" does not include those with general Protestant ideas and who attend church at least three times a year, but not every Sunday; it is false if it does.

Language
See Also Lormann

Originally, the different tribes of Dorvik each had their own language, but these languages have largely died out.

Atrian disappeared soon after the import of Christianity, due to its associations with heathenry. It was replaced by English brought by missionaries to Kordusia. It was never written, and there is no known record of this language.

Mothin also died out after Mothar was united with Dorvan. It appears to have been somewhat related to Atrian, but with many loanwords from some unknown language. It has been speculated that this language is the Welsh spoken in Dranland and Gishoto; however, this will probably remain a mystery forever, as Mothin was never written down.

Lormann is the only native language surviving, but it is making a comeback since being designated an official language. It did not suffer the same fate as Atrian when Christian missionaries arrived because they arrived later, after the language had already been written. Also, Lormann did not have the Druid connotations of Atrian.

In modern times, some dialectization has occured to the English spoken in different parts of Dorvik. In Dorvan and Mothar, young people have taken up blending Lormann with English to form "Lormish". Also, because of its isolation, Miktar has long spoken English with a heavy accent, putting emphasis on "K"s, thickening "H"s and silencing some sounds, like "L". (For example, the phrase "Half of Miktar" would be pronounced "Khalhf off Mikktah".) However, this accent is being lessened due to modern communications.

Culture
Dorvish customs are largely Christian-based and are not very unique. Marriage is normally traditional, either in a church or a court. Hospitality varies from region to region, with people from Dorvan famous for their generous hospitality while those from Miktar are known for their cold reception to guests.

Rural
Rural life, as in Miktar or Mothar, tends to be simple. Regular church attendance is not as common, as there may be a long distance to the nearest church. Agriculture is common, and gardening is a favorite pasttime.

Urban
Urban culture has developed greatly in recent years. As opposed to most countries, women tend to be the cultural leaders. There is a very strong youth culture conducted in Lormish, a mixture of Lormann and English.

Visual Art
Visual art in Dorvik is not very developed. Painting is uncommon. The nation has a strong history of sculpture, with sculptors like Kirso famous for their creations made of wood and metals.

Folk art is by far the most common form of visual art in Dorvik. Small carved creatures made of wood were originally worn as Druid amulets, but are now used for aesthetic purposes. In Mothar, many artists create small objects as a side-job or hobby, and may sell these in street markets in Dargun from whence they are exported.

Literature
Spoken war and love poetry were a common form of art in Dorvan and Mothar, but most Mothar spoken poetry was lost with the vanishing of their language. In recent times, some of these poems have been set to music in Lormann.

Some of the most popular literature in Dorvik is foreign. The most popular work sold is Kerolaend by Almad_Yalzhengo, translated from Valruzian, followed by the Bible.

Music
Dorvik's folk music is very distinct. Important instruments include the pipes, a set of small pipes attatched to one another with holes which can be pressed to change tone, and small drums carried in one arm and played with the opposite hand.

After Dorvik was united, classical music took root and is still played in several concert halls in large cities. Classical artists like Vorm and Morsit composed long pieces for the piano with small amounts of accompaniment from other instruments. Probably the most famous Dorvish classical song is Vorm's Fourth Symphony for Piano, Tuba and Triangle.

Singing has never been very popular in Dorvik, but it has recently taken hold. Short songs with strong beats are the most popular currently. Many foreign songs can be heard in Dorvik, especially those made in places like Kirlawa and Davostan which are common on the radio. Also, there has been a recent craze for music in Lormann; this music tends to be more focused on lyrics and less on tune than those in English.

Film
Film took off in Dorvik in the 2100s, and movie theatres are common. In recent years, "Lollyvilm", or Lormann-language film, has taken off, and there is a major film district in southern Fairfax.

Sport
By far the most popular sport in Dorvik is Ice Skating Badminton. It is played on an oval-shaped rink divided by a net, with each side trying to hit a "Kwon" across to land on the other team's court. The game is scored both based on number of "lands", or points scored, and on style - jumps and twirls gain extra points, especially if they result in a "land". Many young people play a more intense version in which style is not counted.

The game can be played outdors on lakes or ponds in the winter and in skating rinks in the summer. There is also a doubles version that is gaining popularity.

Cuisine
For many years, bread and other grain products have been the staple of Dorvish cooking. Fish normally provides the primary protein. Dairy is also very popular, and Dorvan is famous for its many exquisite cheeses. Root crops like beets (originally brought from Endralon) and potatoes and green vegetables like kale round out the typical diet.

In poorer households, food is normally prepared simply, by broiling or baking. In more middle-class homes, food is cooked in fruit oils, like apple oil.

Although wine and beer are rare and do not ferment well in Dorvik's climate, hard alcohol like cider is popular. Apple and Maple based spirits are popular in winter, as they are very calorie-intense.

Many food luxuries, like chocolate, and even some more common foods like corn must be imported due to the cold climate and short growing season.

Senate Seats & Active Parties
The active political parties in Dorvik fall into two main groupings:
 * The entire left is controlled by the Dargun Conference for Moderate and Leftist Unity. The member parties are (from radical to centrist):
 * The People's Progressive Party
 * The Socialistic Left
 * The Green Freedom Party
 * The Liberal-Socialist Party of Dorvik
 * The only major non-DCMLU party is the Green Coalition (VolksUnie), a libertarian-right party.
 * There is also a tiny Ace4273 Party, but their political affiliations are unknown.

National Government
The head of state is Charles Austin of the Socialistic Left. He was re-elected in the first round of the 2322 snap elections, defeating Air Marshal Albert Kesselring of the Green Coalition (VolksUnie).

The current government includes the Green Freedom Party (with Tekno Kratt as Prime Minister), People's Progressive Party, and Socialistic Left, and controls 148 of the 199 Senate seats. The Green Coalition (VolksUnie) makes up the entire opposition.

Regions
The different regions in Dorvik have different voting patterns. In general, Atria (peninsular Dorvik) tends to vote more to the right than the island regions, who tend to be more leftist.
 * Kordusia is the most libertarian of the Dorvish counties, and normally gives its votes to the centre-right (e.g. GC(VU)).
 * Dorvan is normally on the centre-left, giving its votes to the moderate parts of the DCMLU (e.g. GFP).
 * Largonia is often considered a "swing county", and gives its votes to the centrist parties (in the last elections, its seats went on an 11-10-9-8 split).
 * Miktar is the most religious and conservative county, and normally votes as such. It gives the most votes to the most radical parties (e.g. PPP).
 * Mothar is the most leftist county in Dorvik, and tends to vote for socialist and progressive parties (e.g. SL).

Regional Governments
Unless otherwise stated, the governorship is controlled by the first party listed in the coalition. The exception is Kordusia, where the Green Coalition (VolksUnie) controls the governor's mansion.