Nordvest

Nordvest, often referred to as the Holy Nordvestian Empire, was a union of the eastern northern states existing from 1720 until 1800. Nordvest was a product of the Karelian Civil War, in which the predominantly eastern Houses of Black rebelled against the largely western Houses of White. Following the Civil War, Nordvest maintained the limited monarchy of the old Kingdom of Karelia, but gave official powers and state postings to religious leaders.

Through the middle of the 1700's, Nordvest would continue to be a major force in Unus Solum. Under the Černá family, it would make itself the antagonist to both Karelia and the Shirudo. Tensions with Karelia would lead to various small skirmishes and campaigns over the hotly contested Dwyrain border region. However, distrust with the Shirudo would lead to far more disastrous consequences, ultimately leading to the collapse of the nation.

Organisation
Nordvest was organised around the 1612 compromise that formed Karelia, however, extended powers were given to the monarch to maintain a central standing Army to respond to external or internal threats.

Each of Nordvests regions, East Dwyrain, Coven, Ukotka and Námořní Srdce, had a vice duke which ruled the region. Various degrees of sovereignty were exercised by each house, with East Dwyrain having little to no control over the region depending on the monarch. Each region had its own passports, police forces and armies, with movement between regions even being restricted during times of inner tension.

Throughout the monarchies existence, both Námořní Srdce and Ukotka would be home to the capitol of the monarch. Initially Nordvest, being the historic home of Elis Magnus, was made into the capitol. Attempts were made by Franz Černá III, the first Emperor, to remake his Emerald Palace on the grounds of Přechodný Castle, Magnus' initial home during the early days of the Karelian Rebellion. However, a lack of materials and skilled engineers would make the Nordvest Palace, while impressive and imposing, a completely different structure.

After the Shirudo-Nordvestian War, with Nordvest being on the border with the Konchinentaru Shogunate after the peace treaty, it was decided to move the capitol to Kisvarda, the current capitol of the Nordvestian Shogunate.

Demographics
The majority of Nordvestians were ethnically Severnian. Significant populations of Dwyrani and Konchinentarians lived in regions where they were majorities. The primary languages were Severni, with Dwyrani and Shirudan being spoken in various regions.

Military
The Nordvestian military was built around its duchy militias. However, a much greater permanent federal force was maintained than in Karelia. Furthermore, unlike Karelia, the airforce was placed under federal control, giving the Emperor a great deal of control over military affairs. Černá III gave command of the military to the Duke of Ukotka Conrad Albercht. The military would stay under Albrecht control until the aftermath of the defeat in the Shirudo-Nordvestian War forced reform. Jan Černá IV, the last emperor of Nordvest, placed control of the military under the Duke of Freidrich Teschen, a reformer who sought out the few successful commanders from the war.

Collapse and Dissolution
Despite attempts to reform the government by Jan Černá IV and the military by Teschen, the fifty years of Černá III rule and the entrenched religious order proved to be too much to overcome. Fought by nobility and religious leaders at every corner, any attempts at fixing education, infrastructure or communications proved too slow for the rapidly advancing outside world. Jan Černá IV was ultimately forced to sign the Northern Pact with Rowlind Haakon Hillevy of Karelia, hoping it would stem of Shirudo invasion while securing his western border. However, this was not enough, and the Shirudo returned in 1800.

Despite the best efforts of Freidrich, poor Nordvestian infrastructure meant the disparate Duchy militias could not be mobilised fast enough to save the nation from a Shirudo combined arms invasion. Kisvarda was captured within the first week of fighting, and the ancient fortress city of South Line fell by the end of the first month. The Shirudo attack was so decisive and effective that the Emperor and his family were not able to escape. Jan and his family were executed in the forests of Ukotka by Shirudo forward troops. By the end of the sixth week of fighting, all that remained of the Nordvestian state were the forces under Field Marshal Balzej Kolar, who had managed to pull a force of 250, 000 to the Covenian border.