Wattenmeer

Kingdom of Wattenmeer (Wattenmeeran) Königreich Wattenmeer
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Gott und Vaterland" "God and Fatherland"
Anthem: "Hail to the King" ("Hail König dir")
Capital and largest city	Müddeck
Official languages	Wattenmeeran German
Ethnic groups	94% Wattenmeeran 2% Nordmarkennen 1% Furenenian 3% Cascadian
Religion	88% Wattenmeeran Catholic (official and dominant) 12% Other
Demonym(s)	Wattenmeeran
Government	Constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Otto III
• Chancellor	Alfred von Dorkel
Legislature	Bundesrat
History
• Established	1521
Area
• Total	2,248,803 km2 (868,268 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 census	105,000,000
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$7.166 trillion
• Per capita	$86,255
HDI (2020)	0.820 very high
Currency	Mark (MAK)
Time zone	UTC–3 and –4 (WMW, WME)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+34
Internet TLD	.wm

Wattenmeer, officially the Kingdom of Wattenmeer (Wattenmeeran German: Königreich Wattenmeer) is a mid-sized nation on the mid-western coast of the Altaris. It is bordered in the north-west by Cascadia, to the north by Nordmarken-Flattieland, and to the direct east by Furneni Teundur. Wattenmeer has ocean access with the (ocean name) to it's south Wattenmeer's capital and largest city is Müddeck which lies on Slow Harbor (locally Langsamer Hafen) on the western coastline of the country. Wattenmeer's culture is based in ancient Germanic tribes that have migrated to the area across the ocean and settled in the area, and the militarism that developed with the coming to power of the Klostermann monarchy and subsequent reign. The history then was followed by a northern expansion into the Cascade Mountains (Wattenmeeran: Kascädenberg), war with neighboring Cascadia, civil war with what is now modern-day Nordmarken-Flattieland, and the current border tensions with Furneni Teundur.

As per the 2020 Wattenmeer Census from the Wattenmeer Bureau of Labor Statistics (Amt für Arbeitsstatistik), the population of the Kingdom of Wattenmeer is approximately 105,000,000 people, referred to as "subjects."

History

Early Migration

The Wattenmeer people can be traced back to very early tribes from across the ocean to the are of what is modern day Khozhlod and migrating across the *NAME OF STRAIGHT PLACEHOLDER* and followed the coastline down until settling into what would be across modern day Wattenmeer.

These early peoples would find fertile land for agriculture, and thus would develop very early towns, only one, being the small town of Bergen, just outside of Idenheim, which remains standing fully today. However, ancient ruins litter the country with archaeologists exhuming many historically significant artifacts in the last century.

Germanic Kingdoms

Around the year *PLACEHOLDER*, the Luthen tribe would begin to demonstrate its power, and engage in wars against other tribes in the area in an attempt to conquer them, however failed and their land was split among local lords, which many peasants flocked to in order to find security, with soldiers and knights bidding allegiance to other lords. These lords would eventually be crowned Kings of their local regions, and would begin the period known as the "Germanic Kingdoms Period."

These Kings would generally maintain peace, however conflicts had broken out over minor issues such as cattle theft, crop loss, political maneuvering, however none had ever escalated into a large conflict between major Kings. Out of these minor conflicts however, would bring two major Kingdoms into the fold that held spheres of influence over the remaining 23 minor kingdoms, that being the Wachten and the Sansouccen monarchs, who would come to prominence around the year 1080 AD, and 920 AD, respectively. These two powers in the region would eventually compete with each other for influence over their minor states, as neither one wanted to concede that it was a lesser power.

Christian War of Rites

Main article: Wattenmeer Christian War of Rites

While the original tribes that make up the modern Wattenmeeran land area were at once members of various pagan religions, they would all convert sooner or later to Christianity around the mid 900s AD (it remains uncertain which specific tribe became Christian first). By the 1100s, all paganism would be removed from the Germanic Kingdoms, either by willful conversion, or forceful indoctrination.

This unity of the area in religion would spark an interest in maintaining the rights of Christians in surrounding areas, and when south-eastern territories in the Wachten sphere of influence (modern day realms of Alberten and Wurtem has a overthrow of their Christian government in 1122 AD and was usurped by a band of revolutionary pagans who deemed Christianity to be a demise of their traditional culture in the area. With the determination to restore the old ways, the revolution quickly turned violent and lead to a massive overthrow of the current King in the area, and was replaced with a dictatorial leader Maljuk Yorbonsraum. Yorbonsraum would enact the brutal repression of Christianity in the land he now controlled. This included but was not limited to, burning and looting of churches, destruction of Christian iconography, murder of clergy, and execution of followers who refused to convert back to paganism.

It was due to this outbreak of violence that Wachten and Sansouccen would begin to take a keen interest in the area, and send an envoy to Yorbonsraum in an petition of religious exceptions. When the envoy was beheaded and the head sent to the Sansouccen throne, an immediate call was sent out, resulting in Wachten and Sansouccen, along with the remaining 22 smaller Kingdoms raising an army of approximately 1,500 knights, 3,000 archers, and some 5,000 men-at-arms. This army set out on the march to meet the Yorbonsraum army of 5,000 in May of 1123.

Despite numerous defeats initially due to poor planning, supply issues, and infighting that Yorbonsraum enjoyed in the early months of the campaign, winter of 1123-1124 would be disasterous for the pagan forces. Disease broke out in the camps, in part due to poor crop yield due to invading forces, and a general lack of trade. With this, in spring 1124, the superiors numbers and training of the combined forces were able to decisively defeat Yorbonsraum at the Battle of Tolken Plains. This allowed for the restoration of Christianity to the area, and the realm would fall under permanent Wachten control due to a peace agreement with Sansouccen that is considered dubious by modern historians, as Sansouccen seemed to get very little out of the war.

Geography

Wattenmeer generally encompasses notably favorable terrain and geography, with a plethora of biomes inside its borders it maintains substantial ocean access and its own water supply from the northern Cascadian Mountains and eastern Zarguthian Mountains (Wattenmeeran: Zaragütenberg) mountains. The country also maintains a an island chain within Langsamer Hafen and another on west of the mainland.

Topograghy

Topography of the Kingdom of Wattenmeer.

Wattenmeer is guarded on all sides by the Zargutian Mountains, with the most difficult part in the north along the border with Nordmarken, with the mountains leveling out on the western Cascadian border in the Dulga Lowlands and on the eastern side with the Furneni border in the Saarbruch Plains. To the main southern portion of the country, it is mainly made of flatlands with small hills breaking up the countryside. The country does have areas of higher elevation within the flatlands, such as in the middle and south of the flatlands.

The Kingdom also maintains a number of islands off the coast of Wattenmeer, of which most sit at or below sea level, with the exception of three islands.

Climate

Wattenmeer enjoys a very temperate climate along all of it's coasts and in the lowlands of the country, with snowy weather in the northern Zarguthian Mountain chain that borders Wattenmeer with Nordmarken. The coastline and interior of the country maintains a general flatlands suitable for agriculture and thus the majority of the population is centered in the south of the country.

Government & Politics

The Wattenmeer government is defined as a Constitutional Monarchy that maintains three separate branches of government in the legislature, judicial, and monarchical branches of governance, meant to check and balance each branch. This was established with the Wattenmeer Constitution of 1312 after a time of extreme poverty due to the reigning monarch's inability to govern, and with the signing of the Herrschaftsrecht (Right of Governance), bringing a stable system of government to the country. There are seven states within Corevilla and the Leócia Capital Region, each maintaining its own legislature and an elected Count as executive rule of the state, as well as maintaining its own minor courts whom answer to the Royal High Court (Königliches Obergericht). These state government function nearly identically to the federal government, however the states may not rule against or create a law in conflict with the Bundesrat. The state governments also oversee local governments and municipalities own legislative bodies and councils, with the same aforementioned rules applying to them.

The main governing body of the Kingdom of Wattenmeer is the Herrschaftsrecht (often referred to as the Wattenmeer Constitution or colloquially just, "The Constitution") which defines the structures and responsibilities of each branch of government, its expectations, and relations to its constituent states. The Constitution may be amended but requires a 2/3rd majority vote in the Bundesrat, the Chancellor and Monarchy's signature, and the acceptance of half plus one of the realms to officially become law. This has happened nine times in Wattenmeers's history. Under the Constitution, all laws that are voted upon are also subject to review by the Royal High Court and may be rejected for being against the Proclamation.

Federal Government

Main article: History of the Wattenmeer Government

Legislature

Main article: Bundesrat

Wattenmeer maintains a monocameral legislature of the Bundesrat elected every four years by popular vote in each of the nine realms of Wattenmeer, and each representative may serve six terms total, making for a possible 24 years in the legislature. Generally, it is run on a two part system, namely the Partei des einfachen Mannes (Common Man's Party, or PEM) as the liberal front, and the Souveräne Unionspartei (Sovereign Union Party, or SUP) as the conservative body, however third parties have been known to run and win elections. Each state receives representatives based on population, however in recent years it has been debated on modifying the Herrschaftrecht to create a new body of legislation to ensure the inclusion and equal representation of the lesser populated areas of Wattenmeer, however originalists in both parties have strongly opposed and stonewalled this idea.

The head of the legislature is the Chancellor, who is selected by the legislature and approved by the reigning monarch once every four years, but is offset from the rest of the legislature by two years and serves as head of government and a powerful figure in the Bundesrat. The chancellor is able to (but not limited to), introduce law, initiate recall votes, referendums, and declare states of emergencies (with the monarch's permission). The Bundesrat maintains several committees for the discussion and creation of bills to propose to a general assembly of the Bundesrat to vote on passing a bill into law, requiring the Chancellor's signature before moving onto the Monarchial Branch for it's approval.

Monarchy

Main article: House of Wachten

The Monarchical Branch of government is defined by the power of the crown, and the House of Wachten at its lead. It is a hereditary throne that passes to the eldest son first before future children. While the monarchy cannot directly make laws anymore, it wields a great deal of influence on the legislature and can steer the government's course of action. The Monarchy is the Head of State and is also the Generalgroßmarschall der Königlichen Wattenmeer-Streitkräfte (Grand Marshall of the Royal Wattenmeer Armed Forces).

The Monarchy maintains a large infrastructure to maintain the law of the land, and executes the law which the Bundesrat passes. For this, the Monarchy maintains twelve Ministries in which it executes its power, such as the Kriegsministerium (Ministry of War). However, these Ministries are subject to numerous checks by the Bundesrat to ensure no corruption or abuse of power by the Monarch occurs.