Also, it could not be reducing mass, otherwise people would know, because if mass was reduced not only would the laws of physics be out the window [even more so than now], but also collisions would not be a problem in the slightest.
"RAMMING SPEED!"
*Comical Boink*
We're doing everything we can to keep armored warfare out. That's why we stopped the Communist Mecha: such things would pave the way for PANZERKAMPF, which while being fucking awesome is not the focus of the game at first.
We need to have an NRP entirely focused around badass tanks. Like, an alt-history where infantry was entirely forgotten the moment tanks showed up, and now everyone just uses tanks and nothing else. Not even aircraft. It's just tanks.
Very good app Keyguy. However all this talk of elan based airships got me thinking about how I should describe the AUNS Northern Birds. When I wrote it out I imagined the air force being more giant hulking battleships (very similar in appearance to actual battleships) that rely entirely on bombarding land fortifications and positions to make way for the much larger, and less trained, Liberation Army. Very much a WW1 military theory really.
As you can see, I went and said "It's the Navy but in the sky". I envision Vanjanan doctrine saying "100% of the world is covered by the sky, so if we rule the sky, then we rule the world". Expect combined arms to feature heavily, especially since my destroyers are fast and maneuverable little bastards. The Army marches in with airships above them, the airships start bombing the enemy while the Army hands back and fires away, then the Army pushes in along with an Aerial Dreadnought and pounds the remaining enemy soldiers to a pulp.
You know, provided the enemy doesn't have AA guns. In that case, the Army hopes the King is leading them. Because he's (as you can tell) Charles XII.
An an observer, I wonder why Elan is only being used for colossal ships. Why not other hover-craft? Hover-tanks, hover-cars. Hell, that dude with bicycles could upgrade to hover-bikes.
No, no no. Not yet.
That's for when we find out that its effect is actually reducing mass and can also be activated by flowing an electrical current through it.
Nation Name: Holy Vanjanan Empire
Flag:
Government:
"The King should answer to none, so why does the Church expect me to answer to them?"
-King Kalle XII, "Behovet av Regeln"
The Holy Vanjanan Empire is an Absolute Monarchy, where the oldest remaining child of the monarch is heir to the throne. The monarch holds all power, and disobeying an order from them is the exact same thing as treason. Whether or not that charge of treason results in death is up to the monarch, as they can override any decision made by anyone else in the empire. The philosophy behind this is that by making the will of the Empire the will of its monarch, corruption and internal competition would be eliminated, thus creating a stronger nation. Whether or not this was correct can be debated, but the outcome of the Great Nordsjön War is usually referenced as proof of the government's effectiveness.
The monarch is also in complete control of the Empire's religion, a tradition that started with the current King Kalle XII Storen. Vanjana had long been entrenched in their religious beliefs, with the monarch always answering to the church. Kalle, however, refused to be crowned by the church. Instead, he claimed to answer to none other than God himself. After the Great Nordsjön War, the church found it hard to disagree.
Kalle Storen himself is famous for his genius, both political and military, as he proved during the Great Nordsjön War. His is known to be cruel to anyone who opposes him, to the point that he has many executed for daring to question the simplest of decisions. He holds a firm belief that to oppose him is to oppose the Goddess. However, this also means that to follow his orders is to serve the Goddess, and thus he is known to greatly reward those that do not question him. Because of his belief that his will is that of the Goddess, he will almost never change his mind, and refuses to accept that anything he does could possibly be bad. However, there is more to him than his arrogance, and he has been known to change his mind if someone gives him an extremely good reason to. These people always earn his respect, as finding a reason good enough to make him change his mind is nigh impossible.
Economy:
"If a nation is a steamship, then the economy is the boiler that gives it the power to move forward."
-King Kalle XII, "En Arbetare är Värt"
The Holy Vanjanan Empire has a strong tradition of capitalism, going back to long before its rise to power. The industrialization meshed well with their philosophy of using every centimeter for some kind of production. They adopted the new steam-powered machines with great enthusiasm, quickly building up factories and train routes in an effort to increase their production ability. Subsidies are provided for new factories, which now form the backbone of the Vanjanan Economy. With the aristocracy eliminated during the absolutist reforms of King Gustav II Storen, the bourgeoisie quickly became the leaders of the Vanjanan economy, establishing themselves as the owner of all the factories, railroads, and shipping companies.
The Holy Vanjanan Empire exports almost exclusively manufactured goods of all types, which they produce in great quantity. They do export raw materials, but even the most common export (Lumber) is an almost trivial percentage of total export profits. Elan is abundant in the northernmost part of Vanjana, and the captains of industry quickly developed it in order to export it to other nations. However, the King stepped in and took control of all Elan mines, securing the supply for the government and outlawing any unauthorized exports. In the present, Vanjana does not export any Elan, and the only possible way to import Vanjanan Elan is through negotiating a trade agreement with the King himself. Given the vast Elan reserves, such a trade agreement would surely be beneficial.
Leaders/Important People:
"The best of troops are useless without a general to command them, so how can anyone expect a nation to succeed without a King to lead it?"
-King Kalle XII, "Behovet av Regeln"
Now in his mid 30's, Kalle XII has reigned ever since he was fifteen. At that young age, he turned a defensive war into an offensive war and conquered two nations in the Great Nordsjön War. He is beloved by his followers, who believe him to be the voice of the Goddess' will. His arrogance is famous as is his cruelty to his enemies. If you follow him, he will love you. If you oppose him, he will hate you. There are very few, if any, things and people he is neutral towards.
During the Great Nordsjön War, he took command of the Vanjanan armies and crushed the nations of Nordsted and Varmjord in a series of miraculous Vanjanan victories. This earned him the respect of the church and the love of his people, but he wasn't done yet. He cemented his rule in Nordsted through political maneuvering, making the people see him as a liberator instead of a conqueror. In Varmjord, he decimated any rebels that would dare rise up, keeping his rule safe simply out of fear that he was invincible.
In her late fifties, this woman was one of the first to enlist when King Kalle XII opened up the military to women. Joining the Navy to utilize her skills as a former Merchant Captain, she rose through the ranks relatively quickly, reaching Admiral by her late 30s. Since then, she has always remained in the Navy. When the first Elan warships came into use, she was asked to become an Admiral in the newly minted Holy Vanjanan Airborne Corps. She turned down this offer, saying "Left and right is already hard enough, I don't need up and down to deal with too".
She led the forces of the Holy Vanjanan Empire against those of Varmland in the Great Nordsjön War, decimating their superior Navy with what she referred to as "A tenth wit and the rest the will of the Goddess". She has a great deal of respect for the King, but having reached her position before his Reign, she likes to remind everyone that her position has nothing to do with that respect (something she believes few other military leaders can say, especially those in the Airborne Navy).
Mathias was the first Vanjanan to fly a powered vehicle, and also oversaw the first construction of a Vanjanan airship. He is in the mid fifties, and once he built the first Vanjanan airship, he dedicated his life to the advancement of aerial technology. When the King demanded that all Elan mines be given to him, Mathias complied without protest, earning him the respect of the King. Since he had been the first Vanjanan to utilize Elan for flight, the King gave him control of the Elan mines, telling him to find a way to use the material in the military. Being a patriot, he agreed to these terms, becoming Fleet Admiral of the Holy Vanjanan Airborne Corps.
Spending his time on creating formations and maneuvers from scratch for an entirely new battlefield, he became the father of Vanjanan air combat, with his strategies becoming the backbone of the Holy Vanjanan Airborne Corps. During the Varmland Rebellion, the Holy Vanjanan Air Corps was tested for the first time at the battle of Hjemsted. The King's camp had come under attack from all sides by rebels, while the majority of his troops were out on patrol. A telegram was sent to Mathias, who immediately launched his fleet and rushed to help. Using the air-to-ground weapons on his airships, he surprised the rebels and decimated their forces, saving the King. However, he has still never engaged in real air-to-air combat, as the Holy Vanjanan Empire has remained surprisingly peaceful since the Great Nordsjön War.
Born into a mining family, Helmi had always been fascinated by machines, especially machines that used Elan. Due to her family's occupation, she get to see plenty of it, being brought in to in the mines every once in a while. She caught on quickly to the operation of steam engines, and often operated the mine's steam lift just to learn more about it. Over time, she became well-known for being good with steam engines, even being sent to other mining towns to fix problems with their own steam engines. When she was only 19, everyone in the Nordsted mines knew that if Helmi Lisbet couldn't get your machinery working, then you wouldn't be able to find anyone that could in all of Adara.
When the mines were taken by the King, none of the miners really noticed a difference. They were still mining Elan, and still had no say in where it went, so it didn't matter who gave them their money as long as they got it. However, Helmi's life was entirely changed by it. Mathias Holger, now Fleet Admiral of the Holy Vanjanan Airborne Corps, visited a small mining town in order to track her down. She was upgrading their steam lift to meet newer standards when Mathias approached her. Having heard of her skill with steam engines, he asked her if she was willing to donate her expertise to the Airborne Corps. She eagerly accepted, overjoyed with the opportunity to fly. Mathias had not underestimated her, and at only 24 years old, she became known as the best engineer in the Airborne Corps. She is currently stationed on the Helig Vind, the flagship of the Airborne Corps.
Nikolaus I was the leader of the Varmland rebellion three years ago, and his uprising seemed promising until the airships arrived. He was the Prince of Varmland before the war, and this has earned him the support of the people, who supply his rebels with everything they can without getting caught. People often fake their own death in order to join his army, being brought to one of his hideouts through a complex series of safehouses and forgotten roads. There are other rebel groups, but his is the most well funded, with rumors saying that he even has a naval force. However, he hasn't forgotten the Airborne Corps that defeated him, and is now obsessed with getting Elan to build his own airships.
There is little known about the man himself, but it is a well known fact that he despises Kalle XII. He sees him as a manipulative and power-hungry tyrant who gains loyalty through word instead of action. Despite being a royal, he is a Communalist and is greatly inspired by the A.U.N.S, and has many times vowed to create a Communalist state if he ever succeeds in securing Varmland's freedom. Since it seems to be the only choice for the people of Varmland, most of them now find themselves becoming Communalists.
Desired Map location:
"The Goddess smiles upon the north, for the north smiles back."
-Unknown Vanjanan Monk
Important Locations:
"Our cities are thriving, our fortresses are impenetrable, and our monuments stand tall. Never before has the North seen such glory."
--King Kalle XII, "En Arbetare är Värt"
Heligastaden: The capital of Vanjana, this city is both a bustling port city and a center of industry, a thick cloud of smog constantly hanging in the sky. The classes are highly visible here, with the rich living right on the coast and the housing getting progressively worse as one journey's further inland. Since the factories are far from the rich, the city seems relatively clean from the coast. However, venturing too far from the docks will land you in a smog-filled, gang-run hell.
Oövervinnligafästning: The center of all Vanjanan military operations, this is a massive citadel on Vanjana's coast that contains facilities for all four military branches. It is connected via telegram to all other military installations, able to command any force, anywhere in Vanjana. Its defenses are certainly not trivial, with a division of Vanjana's best troops stationed there at all times and many of Vanjana's Naval fleets calling it home. It is where the main Elan Ship fleet is stationed as well, and has a dedicated AA system to support them in the event of an aerial attack. It is said that even if the cities of Vanjana are reduced to rubble, Oövervinnligafästning will still be standing.
Palatsavdenlord: The royal palace, located in the countryside near Heligastaden. It was built quite recently by King Kalle XII himself, as he had come to hate the smog of the city. It is famous for its extravagance, which the King has many times asserted is only to impress diplomats, insisting that he would have rather spent the money on something more practical. Whatever he claims, it is still true that the palace is a perfect example of badly allocated funds. Funnily enough, with the constant expansion of industry, the King had to officially order that the land around the palace be kept rural so as to keep the smog away.
Vanjana: The central part of the nation situated in-between Varmland and Nordsted, this is the location of the capital, royal palace, and Oövervinnligafästning. It is the seat of the Empire, and its inhabitants are by far the most loyal. Industry is abundant here, as the Vanjanan Kingdom that became the Holy Vanjanan Empire was quick to embrace the industrial revolution.
Nordsted: The norther part of the Empire, this is a territory conquered fifteen years ago in the Great Nordsjön War. It is a frozen and mountainous land with many deposits of resources such as iron, coal, lumber, and Elan. It is were the majority of the Empire's resources come from, and tends to be cooperative with the Imperial government thanks to Kalle XII's political maneuvering convincing them that he was liberating them from a corrupt government.
Varmland: The southern part of the Empire, which is across the Lägre Nordsjön and borders Rhinland. It is by far the most rebellious, though every attempt at freeing themselves from Vanjanan rule has been met with failure. They are kept in line only with fear, and most inhabitants of this land are simple farmers, with no way to get effective weapons. They provide most of the food to support Vanjana and Nordsted, but are nonetheless treated as second-class citizens due to their rebelliousness.
Cultural Overview: The people of Vanjana proper come in two types: The extremely rich and the extremely poor. Almost everyone lives in a city, and all cities have clear class separations. The rich live in the middle of the city, and as you go further out, the buildings get more rundown and covered is soot from the factories. Sadly, there is no sign of this changing, as even the poor workers are content with it. They have a "There's no point in trying" attitude towards change, and settle for their meager wages and constant bombardment of smoke. While these poor men, women, and children slowly kill themselves in the smog-filled hellhole of the outer city, the rich throw extravagant parties in the inner city, not caring at all whether their workers live or die so long as they get their profits. Even in the hell in which they live, the poor can find the time for fun, and it is not uncommon to see people of all ages playing various sports during off-hours.
In Nordsted, the same society as Vanjana proper continues until a point at which the hills end and the mountains begin. Past that point, there are no rich or poor, only people. They may be employed by the rich of Vanjana and the King himself, but the rich rarely come to the mines, and thus they live a much better life than the poor of Vanjana proper. The only steam-powered machines in the mountains are mining lifts, which don't cause nearly enough pollution to create the hellish conditions seen in the cities. Those in the mining towns are famous for their "Festival av Frihet", which is an annual festival celebrating the day Nordsted was conquered by Vanjana. They see that day as their day of liberation, as the mines were formerly harassed by bandits until the Vanjanan military wiped them out. Even the rich in the cities allow their workers to travel to the festival, as doing so gets them in well with the King, who obviously likes the fact that the festival exists.
In Varmland, there are few cities, and most of the land is dotted with farms. It holds the vast majority of Vanjanan food production, as Vanjana proper and Nordsted have little arable land. Even more so than Nordsted, its people are free from the tyranny of the rich, with each farm being independent of any larger organization. Despite their relative freedom, they are the most rebellious, still holding on to their nationality. However, very few will publicly display their ideas, as the freedom only extends to those who do not oppose the King. The Vanjanan military puts down any revolts, and the people of Varmland live not in fear of the rich, but in fear of the King.
The dominant religion in the Holy Vanjanan Empire is "Aätt av Atjärnan Ljus", and its followers are known as "Soldater av Stjärnan Ljus". They believe that all the universe is in a constant struggle between good and evil, and that there are an infinite number of gods and goddesses constantly battling on each side in order to secure victory. They believe that the stars are worlds just like Adara, some of which are populated by mortals, and others which are wastelands created from the endless war. It is believed that all mortals were created by goddesses (and only goddesses) on both sides to do battle for them. As such, it is an incredibly violent religion, known for seeing anyone who refuses to convert as a mortal created by an evil goddess.
The Soldater av Stjärnan Ljus worship one goddess in particular, who they simply call "The Goddess". She is believed to be the goddess that created the good humans, and is said to grant her power to only the best of people. King Kalle XII claims to be one of these people, going so far as to say that he is the avatar of The Goddess' will. There are many Monks and Nuns who have spent their entire lives devoted to worshipping the Goddess, hoping to be chosen to gain her power in their next life.
There are multiple languages in the Holy Vanjanan Empire, but the most used is Vanjanani (Similar to Swedish). Ancient Vanjanani is used in the anthem, however, and most know at least those words. The currency is the Fyrapoängstjärnamynt (Often shortened to Frya). There are quarter Frya coins, half Frya coins, one Frya coins, two Frya coins, four Frya coins, eight Frya coins, and sixteen Frya coins. The coins below one Frya are made from silver, their thickness determining their value. Above one Frya, the coins are made from gold, with their width determining their value. All are stamped with the face of Kalle XII.
Technology Overview: Vanjana is highly advanced in aeronautics, thanks to their large supply of Elan to experiment with. They are on the frontline of aeronautical advancements, constantly finding new ways to extend airship efficiency and effectiveness. They view the sky as the future, and are eager to reach it. Their cities are all connected by rail and telegraph lines, and they laid a telegraph line across both the Lägre Nordsjön and the Övre Nordsjön to enable telegraph communications between Vanjana proper, Nordsted, and Varmland. Industry in Vanjana is also quite advanced, with Elan being used more commonly than in other nations.
Vanjanan airships use a special type of ammunition in the mains guns. Known as "Elan Shot", this ammunition burns a small amount of Elan to reduce its weight when fired. There are different types of Elan Shot for different distances, as they are meant to run out of Elan before hitting the target. The antigravity effects of Elan allow a higher velocity to be achieved for these projectiles, and have the side effect of leaving behind a trail of Elan smoke. One can always tell when a Vanjanan airship is firing from by looking for those trails of smoke, but they have a larger destructive capability thanks to their velocity.
Military Overview:
'For the glory of the Goddess!"
-Vanjanan battle cry
The Vanjanan military is split up into three divisions: The Holy Vanjanan Army, the Holy Vanjanan Navy, and the Holy Vanjanan Air Corps. Out of these three, the Navy is by far the weakest, as they are the smallest in number. They van hold their ground given a good leader, but without one, they'll find themselves easily overrun. The Army has been the pride of Vanjana for decades, with well-disciplined and well-trained troops that hold their own even when vastly outnumbered. However, it is the King that truly makes the Army shine. It is believed that if the King is leading a battle, the Goddess herself is fighting with the Vanjanans. The King certainly does his best to reinforce this idea, as he didn't lose a single battle in the Great Nordsjön War.
The Airborne Corps is the most advanced division, with highly efficient Elan Drives and their Elan Shot. However, they are inexperienced in air-to-air combat, as war games can only account for so much. If the enemy uses a strategy they practiced for, they could most likely easily crush them. However, if the enemy Admiral invented a new tactic, they could very well be defeated unless their own Admiral came up with a way to counter it. The Airborne Corps is, however, one of the largest air fleets in the world. If all else fails, they could resort to sheer numbers. If they reached that point though, it likely means that they'll either lose anyways or take heavy losses winning.
Vanjanan Elan Dreadnought, used by the Fleet Admiral himself as the flagship of the Airborne Corps.
Vanjanan Elan Destroyer, the mainstay of the Airborne Corps fleet.
Indeed it does, but really I don't give a hoot. Do you want your air fleets to use big guns? Do you want them to use rockets? Do you want them to bomb their enemies or a little bit of everything? Air battleships and armored cruisers or just floating weapon platforms? It really doesn't matter, I appreciate that people have gone through the effort to do the math for such things, but to be perfectly frank I don't really care. Airships exist for thematic purposes, there's magical fucking antigravity clay, and steam engines are far more efficient and powerful than they have any right to be. This setting doesn't exactly need to be 100% perfectly logical down to the newton or joule or coulomb considering that this is steampunk, and steampunk and "math" have never made good bedfellows. Major breaches in logic should obviously be addressed, but for the rest things can be hand waved as needed.
At the end of the day, take a deep breath, relax, and repeat the following to yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ugebzq3juE
Ahh... MST3K Mantra... speculative fiction's best friend.
The Empress looked the doctor in the eye, listening carefully to every word she said. The accent was definitely alien, but the "translator ring" (however that worked) didn't make a single mistake. Even the grammar was correct, speaking the formal dialect that would be required when speaking to the Empress. The ring appeared to have more knowledge of Abh culture than the doctor, which was especially odd since there didn't seem to be any major electronic component to it. As far she could tell, it was just a ring.
When she heard "Roa'marri", it was quite clear that she was afraid. While she controlled most of her facial cues, her eyes gave it all away. Whoever she was, that name meant something to her.
"I was on the bridge of the Imperial flagship, which is probably what you found crashed. I was leading an attack on an enemy colony of about a hundred million people, not an invasion, just a blockade. We figured that if they couldn't launch anything, then we could set up defenses and construction facilities uninterrupted. After all, we were only trying to establish a frontline outpost. It was our first offensive of the war, the plan was to surround the enemy homeworld on all sides then force them to sign a peace treaty. I'll give you the short story for now, maybe later I'll tell the whole story. After we had entered blockade formation around the planet, an allied warship rammed us, setting off the emergency escape system and forcing me to flee. Before I jumped away, I heard a transmission from the ramming ship. It wasn't the voice of that ship's commander, it sounded just like him, but it wasn't him. They declared allegiance to the enemy, something no Abh would do after what they did at Midway. The only explanation I have is that they were somehow mind controlled by our enemy, who revealed themselves in that message to be known as the New Roman Empire. That was the first time they let us learn anything about them aside from the shape of their ships and what their weapon discharges looked like."
I need a nation friendly to the Communalist cause... Right now I'm simply a pariah state amongst Capitalists and Monarchists, which is just fine with me but THE REVOLUTION MUST SURVIVE!
Hey, we kinda sorta have respect for the worker!
We just have a capitalist system.
Where the workers get paid fuck all.
And its all run by an absolute monarch who is probably insane.
I'm a weeaboo communist. Are you surprised?
EDIT: You probably are now, but I'm not going to tell you why you wouldn't have been like two years ago. You get to agonize over that yourself.
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I'm a weeaboo communist. Are you surprised?<br><br>EDIT: You probably are now, but I'm not going to tell you why you wouldn't have been like two years ago. You get to agonize over that yourself.</div>
Member
Alisdragon911
TokyoPewPew
Government:
"The King should answer to none, so why does the Church expect me to answer to them?"
-King Kalle XII, "Behovet av Regeln"
The Holy Vanjanan Empire is an Absolute Monarchy, where the oldest remaining child of the monarch is heir to the throne. The monarch holds all power, and disobeying an order from them is the exact same thing as treason. Whether or not that charge of treason results in death is up to the monarch, as they can override any decision made by anyone else in the empire. The philosophy behind this is that by making the will of the Empire the will of its monarch, corruption and internal competition would be eliminated, thus creating a stronger nation. Whether or not this was correct can be debated, but the outcome of the Great Nordsjön War is usually referenced as proof of the government's effectiveness.
The monarch is also in complete control of the Empire's religion, a tradition that started with the current King Kalle XII Storen. Vanjana had long been entrenched in their religious beliefs, with the monarch always answering to the church. Kalle, however, refused to be crowned by the church. Instead, he claimed to answer to none other than God himself. After the Great Nordsjön War, the church found it hard to disagree.
Kalle Storen himself is famous for his genius, both political and military, as he proved during the Great Nordsjön War. His is known to be cruel to anyone who opposes him, to the point that he has many executed for daring to question the simplest of decisions. He holds a firm belief that to oppose him is to oppose the Goddess. However, this also means that to follow his orders is to serve the Goddess, and thus he is known to greatly reward those that do not question him. Because of his belief that his will is that of the Goddess, he will almost never change his mind, and refuses to accept that anything he does could possibly be bad. However, there is more to him than his arrogance, and he has been known to change his mind if someone gives him an 
Important Locations:
"Our cities are thriving, our fortresses are impenetrable, and our monuments stand tall. Never before has the North seen such glory."
--King Kalle XII, "En Arbetare är Värt"
Heligastaden: The capital of Vanjana, this city is both a bustling port city and a center of industry, a thick cloud of smog constantly hanging in the sky. The classes are highly visible here, with the rich living right on the coast and the housing getting progressively worse as one journey's further inland. Since the factories are far from the rich, the city seems relatively clean from the coast. However, venturing too far from the docks will land you in a smog-filled, gang-run hell.
Oövervinnligafästning: The center of all Vanjanan military operations, this is a massive citadel on Vanjana's coast that contains facilities for all four military branches. It is connected via telegram to all other military installations, able to command any force, anywhere in Vanjana. Its defenses are certainly not trivial, with a division of Vanjana's best troops stationed there at all times and many of Vanjana's Naval fleets calling it home. It is where the main Elan Ship fleet is stationed as well, and has a dedicated AA system to support them in the event of an aerial attack. It is said that even if the cities of Vanjana are reduced to rubble, Oövervinnligafästning will still be standing.
Palatsavdenlord: The royal palace, located in the countryside near Heligastaden. It was built quite recently by King Kalle XII himself, as he had come to hate the smog of the city. It is famous for its extravagance, which the King has many times asserted is only to impress diplomats, insisting that he would have rather spent the money on something more practical. Whatever he claims, it is still true that the palace is a perfect example of badly allocated funds. Funnily enough, with the constant expansion of industry, the King had to officially order that the land around the palace be kept rural so as to keep the smog away.
Vanjana: The central part of the nation situated in-between Varmland and Nordsted, this is the location of the capital, royal palace, and Oövervinnligafästning. It is the seat of the Empire, and its inhabitants are by far the most loyal. Industry is abundant here, as the Vanjanan Kingdom that became the Holy Vanjanan Empire was quick to embrace the industrial revolution.
Nordsted: The norther part of the Empire, this is a territory conquered fifteen years ago in the Great Nordsjön War. It is a frozen and mountainous land with many deposits of resources such as iron, coal, lumber, and Elan. It is were the majority of the Empire's resources come from, and tends to be cooperative with the Imperial government thanks to Kalle XII's political maneuvering convincing them that he was liberating them from a corrupt government.
Varmland: The southern part of the Empire, which is across the Lägre Nordsjön and borders Rhinland. It is by far the most rebellious, though every attempt at freeing themselves from Vanjanan rule has been met with failure. They are kept in line only with fear, and most inhabitants of this land are simple farmers, with no way to get effective weapons. They provide most of the food to support Vanjana and Nordsted, but are nonetheless treated as second-class citizens due to their rebelliousness.
Cultural Overview: The people of Vanjana proper come in two types: The extremely rich and the extremely poor. Almost everyone lives in a city, and all cities have clear class separations. The rich live in the middle of the city, and as you go further out, the buildings get more rundown and covered is soot from the factories. Sadly, there is no sign of this changing, as even the poor workers are content with it. They have a "There's no point in trying" attitude towards change, and settle for their meager wages and constant bombardment of smoke. While these poor men, women, and children slowly kill themselves in the smog-filled hellhole of the outer city, the rich throw extravagant parties in the inner city, not caring at all whether their workers live or die so long as they get their profits. Even in the hell in which they live, the poor can find the time for fun, and it is not uncommon to see people of all ages playing various sports during off-hours.
In Nordsted, the same society as Vanjana proper continues until a point at which the hills end and the mountains begin. Past that point, there are no rich or poor, only people. They may be employed by the rich of Vanjana and the King himself, but the rich rarely come to the mines, and thus they live a much better life than the poor of Vanjana proper. The only steam-powered machines in the mountains are mining lifts, which don't cause nearly enough pollution to create the hellish conditions seen in the cities. Those in the mining towns are famous for their "Festival av Frihet", which is an annual festival celebrating the day Nordsted was conquered by Vanjana. They see that day as their day of liberation, as the mines were formerly harassed by bandits until the Vanjanan military wiped them out. Even the rich in the cities allow their workers to travel to the festival, as doing so gets them in well with the King, who obviously likes the fact that the festival exists.
In Varmland, there are few cities, and most of the land is dotted with farms. It holds the vast majority of Vanjanan food production, as Vanjana proper and Nordsted have little arable land. Even more so than Nordsted, its people are free from the tyranny of the rich, with each farm being independent of any larger organization. Despite their relative freedom, they are the most rebellious, still holding on to their nationality. However, very few will publicly display their ideas, as the freedom only extends to those who do not oppose the King. The Vanjanan military puts down any revolts, and the people of Varmland live not in fear of the rich, but in fear of the King.
The dominant religion in the Holy Vanjanan Empire is "Aätt av Atjärnan Ljus", and its followers are known as "Soldater av Stjärnan Ljus". They believe that all the universe is in a constant struggle between good and evil, and that there are an infinite number of gods and goddesses constantly battling on each side in order to secure victory. They believe that the stars are worlds just like Adara, some of which are populated by mortals, and others which are wastelands created from the endless war. It is believed that all mortals were created by goddesses (and only goddesses) on both sides to do battle for them. As such, it is an incredibly violent religion, known for seeing anyone who refuses to convert as a mortal created by an evil goddess.
The Soldater av Stjärnan Ljus worship one goddess in particular, who they simply call "The Goddess". She is believed to be the goddess that created the good humans, and is said to grant her power to only the best of people. King Kalle XII claims to be one of these people, going so far as to say that he is the avatar of The Goddess' will. There are many Monks and Nuns who have spent their entire lives devoted to worshipping the Goddess, hoping to be chosen to gain her power in their next life.
There are multiple languages in the Holy Vanjanan Empire, but the most used is Vanjanani (Similar to Swedish). Ancient Vanjanani is used in the anthem, however, and most know at least those words. The currency is the Fyrapoängstjärnamynt (Often shortened to Frya). There are quarter Frya coins, half Frya coins, one Frya coins, two Frya coins, four Frya coins, eight Frya coins, and sixteen Frya coins. The coins below one Frya are made from silver, their thickness determining their value. Above one Frya, the coins are made from gold, with their width determining their value. All are stamped with the face of Kalle XII.
Technology Overview: Vanjana is highly advanced in aeronautics, thanks to their large supply of Elan to experiment with. They are on the frontline of aeronautical advancements, constantly finding new ways to extend airship efficiency and effectiveness. They view the sky as the future, and are eager to reach it. Their cities are all connected by rail and telegraph lines, and they laid a telegraph line across both the Lägre Nordsjön and the Övre Nordsjön to enable telegraph communications between Vanjana proper, Nordsted, and Varmland. Industry in Vanjana is also quite advanced, with Elan being used more commonly than in other nations.
Vanjanan airships use a special type of ammunition in the mains guns. Known as "Elan Shot", this ammunition burns a small amount of Elan to reduce its weight when fired. There are different types of Elan Shot for different distances, as they are meant to run out of Elan before hitting the target. The antigravity effects of Elan allow a higher velocity to be achieved for these projectiles, and have the side effect of leaving behind a trail of Elan smoke. One can always tell when a Vanjanan airship is firing from by looking for those trails of smoke, but they have a larger destructive capability thanks to their velocity.
Military Overview:
'For the glory of the Goddess!"
-Vanjanan battle cry
The Vanjanan military is split up into three divisions: The Holy Vanjanan Army, the Holy Vanjanan Navy, and the Holy Vanjanan Air Corps. Out of these three, the Navy is by far the weakest, as they are the smallest in number. They van hold their ground given a good leader, but without one, they'll find themselves easily overrun. The Army has been the pride of Vanjana for decades, with well-disciplined and well-trained troops that hold their own even when vastly outnumbered. However, it is the King that truly makes the Army shine. It is believed that if the King is leading a battle, the Goddess herself is fighting with the Vanjanans. The King certainly does his best to reinforce this idea, as he didn't lose a single battle in the Great Nordsjön War.
The Airborne Corps is the most advanced division, with highly efficient Elan Drives and their Elan Shot. However, they are inexperienced in air-to-air combat, as war games can only account for so much. If the enemy uses a strategy they practiced for, they could most likely easily crush them. However, if the enemy Admiral invented a new tactic, they could very well be defeated unless their own Admiral came up with a way to counter it. The Airborne Corps is, however, one of the largest air fleets in the world. If all else fails, they could resort to sheer numbers. If they reached that point though, it likely means that they'll either lose anyways or take heavy losses winning.
Vanjanan Elan Dreadnought, used by the Fleet Admiral himself as the flagship of the Airborne Corps.
Vanjanan Elan Destroyer, the mainstay of the Airborne Corps fleet.
Keyguy confirmed for Satan.