A Brief Encyclopedia of the Chronicles of Sacrifice

Viikinki

Viikinki is a massive continent of only a few nations, though more sparsely populated than its southern neighbor. In terms of raw numbers, each nation has a similar population, but also many large swaths of unpopulated areas, rich in wildlife, resources, and very small or individual settlements. The main portion of the population resides in the cities, or right around them.

Viikinki has similarly varied geography to the Freelands, randomly spaced out in mountain ranges, plains, southern deserts near the canal, forests, swamplands, and frigid regions. While the small islands are not technically part of the continent, they are owned by these nations, and as such, are treated as part of Viikinki.

The nations that make up Viikinki are vast and varied, though few in number. Below, we will give a brief overview of each one.

-Qana Federation: A nation of deserts and plains, the Qana Federation is the border state between Viikinki and Abwärtspfeil, acting as a sort of cultural go-between for the two. The states to its north tend to be more rugged, survivalist states, while to the south are the more administrative states, if such a comparison is understood. The nations of Viikinki rely less on magic and more on technology for a great deal of their infrastructure and services.

One of the Qana Federation's main sources of income comes from its canal and related services. Foreign vessels pay significant sums just to pass through, but also spend money along the way for supplies, lodging, refueling, and entertainment, building a strong industry of temporary goods and services. Along the canal is heavy tourism, while elsewhere in the nation there are some mines, farms, and production means for various culturally relevant goods.

They try to remain out of conflict, opting for easy money with foreign trade, and remain neutral in nearly every conflict, much to the pleasure of their northern neighbors. Their neutrality keeps conflicts from Abwärtspfeil out of direct reach, letting the nations of Viikinki intervene from afar to further their own agendas and economic well-being.

-Glykelan: One of the world's more powerful nations, responsible for a massive amount of technological advancement and a major source of overseas trade. They tend to focus a great deal on the Freelands, trying to push their technology on the land to replace magic so that they might become the main source of goods the city-states of the Freelands would then need to import.

More recently, they had to turn their attention south to Abwärtspfeil to deal with the predecessor state to the UGRA, as too much trade and too many allies were under threat from the rogue nation. Glykelan contributed troops directly to the fight as well as resources to assist their allies and were extremely important in fighting off the enemy. It also helped them establish greater economic dominance, as the state's production capabilities faltered after, and Glykelan filled the gap.

The people, as a result of recent successes, have developed something of an interventionist policy, trying to police states they can influence. While the Pfeil Kingdom attempted to annex its neighbors several times, Glykelan seeks to develop strong trade partnerships to weaken those who might defy its desire to expand and gain greater wealth. They have developed extremely adept military forces and created several new strategies to dominate enemies, though recent changes in the nature of war have tested them immensely.

-Amanaya: With a negligible coastline, Amanaya tends to be much more isolationist, relying on trade from its neighbors for goods it cannot produce itself. The people are hardy and independent, living in forests and mountains primarily, and with less available to them than their neighbors like Glykelan, they hold much simpler pleasures in high regard, like combat sports, interpersonal relations, and even basic needs. They do not interact a great deal with their neighbors, save for travel and socializing.