Helsia

Helsia is a province of Sylvania in the Valresh region of Eldham. Formally founded around 05/13/2021 by Django and Crimson, Helsia was a relatively new nation with plans of grandeur. Other than their founding myth, the origins of Helsia weren’t clear because written documents hadn’t been popularized until recently in Helsia.

Founding
Django and Crimson initially had a chance meeting in a Rathnir TCG game and through a bit of talking their aligned goals emerged and they started to work on a nation together based around the thing that brought them together. Around 05/13/2021 the first city of Helsia, Osmere, was created. Since then Helsia has expanded into a giant island, of the coast of former Ellysian lands, which is their current base of operations.

First steps of independence
Helsia became independent once more on the 22nd of January, 2022, as the Confederation of Garxijos was dissolved in the wake of the CoG civil war and collapse. The newly independent nation quickly faced an existential threat, as the Uraki Imperium, which had annexed most of former CoG, seemed like it was going to attack Helsia. This changed however, when Uraka, prompted by Barbossan members of the government, reached out to Helsia to sign an alliance instead. Helsia accepted and the nations became friends instead. Helsia also looked to attack the former CoG state of Gyeoul, which was still in a state of war with Helsia. This never happened as the Lunari Empire unexpectedly annexed the territory, which prompted Helsia to back down while still maintaining their claim over the territory. This relationship was very tense for the first month of Helsian independence, but relations slowly improved despite no resolution being found for the land dispute. During the same time Helsia also pledged support for the Pirate State of Barbossa, which they had signed an alliance with, in their war against the USSE due to the recognition and alleged support the USSE had granted to the SPG. Helsian troops fought in the Battle of Al-Basaad mainly in a supporting role, defending the castle while the Barbossan mercenaries stormed the USSE war camp. Another alliance was signed shortly after with the Kingdom of Irulan, which Helsia shared cultural ties with through Barbossa. During the first months of Helsian independence, Helsia also had tense and almost hostile relations with the Aionios Impervia, due to their hostile actions against Helsia and their opposition and rebellion against the city of Ycaz. There were several skirmishes between Helsians and Aionians, which led to multiple deaths, including the crown prince of Aionios, Constantine. These skirmishes prompted Aionios to later join the Iron Brotherhood, an alliance network of smaller states. Later on Aionios, still fearing Helsian attack despite Helsia repeatedly stating they didn't want war, decided to integrate into the Kingdom of Scylding.

Helsia and Yunria
Due to the support they provided during the CoG civil war, Helsia also became friends with the Kingdom of Yunria, an Uraki vassal at the time, and signed an alliance with them. Due to this alliance, an expeditionary force of Helsians was sent to fight to fight alongside Yunria in the Battle of Karak, where Yunria and their allies came out victorious. The Helsians defended the eastern side of the walls of Karak and joined the counterattack when the defenders, led by the warriors who would later found the Kingdom of Drackar, sallied forth to fight the invading Aureunites and their mercenaries. Due to their cooperation in the battle, Helsia formed a friendship with the Simulami Empire and the nations would later become allies.

The Murussa Purchase
On the 13th of March, 2022, Helsia purchased the strip of land that the Uraki Imperium controlled upon the Helsian peninsula, reaching it's current borders. This land had belonged to Helsia previously before it had been illegally sold by a former Helsian king. This deal was met with backlash from the Dominion Republic of Stultum, the Uraki dominion that controlled the area and later the Imperial Domain of CoG, but Uraka honoured the agreement refused to go back on the agreement despite the efforts of the lord protectors of both Stultum and CoG.

The Treaty of Murussa

The Oreä plot
On the 28th of March, 2022, then senator Vortexpie, also known as GayForDaddy, discovered that CommanderJake, then senator and high priest of the Oreä faith, had created backdoor access for himself to official Helsian government communication channels. When CommanderJake was exposed for this, the Supreme Justice of Helsia was contacted and he was put under an impeachment vote. CommanderJake, realising he was about to lose his power, started threatening the Helsian people not to vote for his impeachment. When people ignored these threats, he reached out to the Lunari Empire, which he believed to be planning agression against Helsia to get support for couping the nation in exchange for Helsia becoming a part of Lunaris. Despite their still ongoing dispute, the governments of Lunaris and Helsia had in fact developed cordial relations and Amaranthine Luon, phoenix empress of Lunaris, exposed the plot by leaking it to Aaron Olea-Lhamaj'i, consul of Helsia at the time. Not knowing of this, Commanderjake publically declared the end of Helsia as a nation and the establishment of the state of Helska, a theocratic Oreä state. This declaration was quickly denounced by Lunaris and Helsia both and CommanderJake, realising he had no support, fled the country with his small band of supporters.

The Old Banners Rebellion
When the Old Banners Rebellion began and the Uraki Imperium descended to chaos and civil war, Helsia, having treaties with both sides, chose to stay neutral in the conflict. The Old Banners Rebellion resulted in the rebirth of CoG as a nation, which Helsia has tense relations with due to the new CoG's ties to the former SPG and the colonisation of the Helsian Peninsula that was carried out by CoG. During this time of chaos, the Ellysian Empire reemerged out of nowhere and declared war on Yunria. Helsia was going to support the 4th coalition in defending Yunria, but the war suddently ended as Yunria voted to peacefully integrate into Ellysia. This vote was contested by foreign powers and the Ellysian empire eventually collapsed with most of Yunria joining Drackar.

The Reunification
On the 4th of may 2022, the Lunari Empire Approached Helsia, offering to sell it the former Helsian territories it controlled. Helsia accepted this, and the nations signed the Pact of Evil Nations, returning the territory to Helsia and making Helsia and Lunaris allies.

Culture and demographics
A major portion of Helsian culture is based around the people that live there. They are a highly militaristic nation solidified by their history of struggling to survive. They are a vigilant folk always looking for an opportunity to rise up on the global stage and make a name for themselves. Along with the militaristic side, they seem to have a strong bond between themselves which will quickly get a target objective done faster than normal. Helsia is made up mainly of four cultural groups, these being the indigenous Helsians, the Barbossan settlers, the valdic settlers of Miklagard and the undead dwellers of the caves of Nazarath. Through the years, these groups have mixed heavily with each other to create the current culture in Helsia.

Helsians
The indigenous Helsians are among some of the oldest people's of Eldham. They have inhabited the Helsian peninsula since the dawn of Eldham. The ancient Helsians mainly passed history down through oral tradition and didn't build in stone, until the founding of the first capital of Helsia, Grimsgil. Although some Helsians used ancient runes to write, literacy became more common in Helsia when the traveler's tongue got a foothold in Helsia and people begun to write using it. A vast majority of indigenous Helsians follow the religion of Helceye.

Barbossans
After the Valorant war, where the Uraki Imperium destroyed and annexed the Pirate Empire of Barbossa, many Barbossans fled the carnage in their ships. Many of these ships landed on the shores of Helsia and the pirate survivors were welcomed by the people of Helsia. These Barbossans spread knowledge of their pirate ways and cultivated an appreciation for freedom and the sea in Helsia. These pirates were also the foundation for the friendship between Helsia and Barbossa and their successor states. The Barbossans in Helsia follow either the Deep Sea Faith, Helceye or a syncretic mixture of both.

Valdic Miklagardians
In late November 2021, a longship showed up out of nowhere on the nothern part of the Helsian peninsula next to the small settlement of New Grove. This longship carried with it a group of Valdic warrior adventurers who had been caught in a storm made of primordial magic, which had transported them through space and time and spat them out in Helsia. After coming to an agreement with the Helsian government, they settled in the area to found the city of Miklagard and converted to Helceye. The longship's hull was turned into the first community hall of the city of Miklagard, which quickly expanded to become the largest city of Helsia by size and population. After multiple Miklagardians were elected into office in the newly democratized Helsia, Miklagard was made the capital of Helsia. Miklagard has since slowed in growth, but the Miklagardians still make up the core of the Helsian military.

Nazarathians
After Helsia purchased the island which would later be called Nazarath in an auction from CoG, Helsians prospected on the island and stumbled upon an ancient tomb located underground, which was inhabited by undead followers of the Cult of Norok. After some discussion they agreed to join Helsia and received full autonomy for the island. An industrious people, the Nazarathians have constructed multiple farms to contribute to the prosperity of their city and Helsia as a whole.

Religion
Helsia has religious freedom across all of its territories, but it's main religion is the church of the eye / helsianism. it states that there is a god of gods if you will, one who favours strategy and quick thinking, rather than the senseless killing of barbarians.

Another popular religion is the Cult of Norok ,the majority religion on the island of Nazarath, which worships Norok, the Dark Lord and God of Death.

Geography
Being an island nation, Helsia has very little land to call it’s own. Regardless of this, Helsia is always looking for small islands to snatch up and expand into. They have taken full advantage of their surrounding terrain by building high walls and a great number of arrow slits they use to rain down on any intruders looking to invade their keep.

Government
Helsia is a democratic nation, with the nation being governed by the Helsian senate, which is elected monthly. The senate is made up of 2 consuls, which act as the heads of state and 3 senators, 2 of which are appointed by the elected consuls while the third is elected along with the consuls. The senate votes on day to day running of the nation and the making of lower tier legislation or foreign treaties, but any changes to the constitution require a public referendum. The legality of the government's actions is overseen by the Supreme Justice and the Supreme Court, where any citizen can put in an appeal to contest the government's actions if they act unlawfully.

The Helsian Constitution

Founders
The founding fathers of Helsia.

Kings
People elected in to the position of king.

Consul
People elected into the position of Consul.