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The Federal Kingdom of Nardin - An Overview

The Federal Kingdom of Nardin

Fedijla Skijlau av Nårdinsk (Narthic)


National Flag



Anthem:
"Skijic Hymn" (since 1790)



Motto:
"Fides, Lex, Patria"
"Faith, Law, Country"



Population (2014 census): 6,500,450



Capital
Krajik (from 1816 to present)

Largest City
Venilik



Official Language
Narthic

Regional Languages
Favic, Veliin, Jiliskar



Ethnic Groups
Nardinik - 72%
Jilinar - 11%
Favin - 7%
Veliin - 5%
Other 1%



State Religion
Nardinik Orthodoxy

Minority Religions
Jilitar Low Church Orthodoxy, Favn (Ishrajc) paganism



Demonym
Nardinik (official)



Government Federal Parliamentary Monarchy

- Monarch: Stanislav III av Krajik
- Federal Chancellor: Mathias Bjirk (CRF)
- Vice Chancellor: Henrik Ascov (CRF)
- Leader of the Opposition: Chloë Cestrev (LP)



Legislature: The Houstålau (Parliament)
- Upper House: Boyarskijic Legiståvic (Royal Boyar Legislature)
- Lower House: Houståli av Påpåvil (House of the People)



Establishment
- Settlement: circa. 240 A.D.
- Early Nardinik Principalities: circa 400
- Tsardom: 1166
- Grand Duchy: 19 November, 1310
- Confederate Principalities: 1 March, 1624
- Federal Kingdom: 4 January, 1816



Land Area 32,440 mi2



GDP (nominal) ₮ 382 billion
GDP (nominal per capita) ₮46,017



Currency Nardinik thaler (₮)



Date Format dd/mm/yyyy

Drives on the Right

Calling Code + 72

Internet TLD .fsn

The Federal Kingdom of Nardin is a federal parliamentary monarchy currently under the rule of Stanislav III of the ruling House av Krajik. It consists of eight states, with the city of Krajik being the federal and administrative capital. It is bordered to its north by Favn, by the disputed province Jilitar to the north-west, and by Veliinsk to the south. Nardin is mountainous and heavily forested, spanning a total area of 32,440 square miles. The population of six and a half million is predominantly Nardinik, and closely split between rural and urban living.

The lands of Nardin have been inhabited since at least the fourth-century B.C., when it was the home to a number of native tribes, the largest being the Favn and Veliin. Settlement by the Nardinik people began in the mid-third century A.D. by the Nardinik people, who came as refugees from an unknown kingdom to the south. By the fourth-century principalities began to appear, until banding together as the Tsardom of Nardin in 1166 A.D. The Tsardom became a weak and ineffective nation over time, eventually breaking into minor principalities in the fourteenth century. Eventually the most powerful of these states, the Grand Duchy of Skijic, reunified the country in the early seventeenth-century through deftly crafted alliances and a series of wars.

At first more a loose confederation, over time a stricter federal system was established, seeing the Grand Duchy of Skijic secure its especial prominence. With few alterations, the grand dukes of Skijic would usually thereafter be elected as Nardin's monarch, the seat of the Federal Kingdom's executive branch.

In the 21st-century, Nardin is a middle power, and has in recent years abandoned a policy of isolationism in favor of taking a more active role in international issues close to its own borders. A developed country with a high standard of living, it upholds a universal health care system. Though generally socially conservative, there is a growing progressive movement in the nation that seeks to decrease the nation's reliance on fossil fuels, end the occupation of neighboring Jilitar and policy of conscription, and push for greater civil rights for minority groups that have long been discriminated against.

Etymology

Nardin is derived from the Nardinik words "narthi," meaning "north," and "dinsk," meaning "land." The combined name, Nardin, essentially means Land of the North. While little is known about the beginnings of the name's use, it appears in early foundational texts and literature of the region in reference to the legendary Jaski "Snow Pilgrim,' who lead the first settlers from the south. Most of these sources indicate that Jaski named the region Land of the North so as to make a distinction between this their new homeland and the one left behind far to the south.

History
(main article can be viewed here)

Founding and Early Governance

The land that was later to be named Nardin was first explored and settled in the mid-third century by men from a kingdom to the south. The first principle town founded in the region was named Skijic, and over time would become the capital of the nation.

From the late third century A.D. to the early seventh, Nardin was colonized and administered as a trade settlement until the first of the city-state principalities began to appear. These principalities were each self-governing and for the most part kept to themselves, only banding together to keep the northern barbarian tribes from invading.

By the early twelfth-century the boyars of Skijic had united most of the other princes to form a more stable state. Following a successful victory against one last Favin attempt to subjugate them through invasion, Ottokar I, known as 'the Great', created the Tsardom of Nardin; over time the power of the monarch began to eclipse that of the other nobility, which lead to periods of internal dissension.

Waning Hegemony

One such period of strife lead to civil war breaking out at the turn of the fourteenth-century, known as the First Brothers War. After dragging on for nearly a decade, the boyars on the side fighting for greater autonomy won out in 1310 A.D., effectively bringing the Nardinik Tsardom's hegemony to a close. Each of Nardin's provinial territories essentially became independent of one another, with the greatest being the former Tsardom's capital at Skijic and ruled by the disgraced royal family, called the Grand Duchy of Skijic. While the Tsardom continued, it was largly in name only that it lived on.

With the unity of the Nardinik people brought to its lowest point in centuries, the Kingdom of Favn to the north, a strong confederation of most of the native pagan tribes, invaded the south and brought several provinces under its rule, most notably the border princedom of Jilitar. After many years of failed campaigns against this new threat, the Tsardom lost much legitimacy in the eyes of most of the individual princedoms, and the Tsardom was dissolved completely. In the decades following, the region fell again into disarray and internal conflict, all while falling prey to continued Favn advances. For the next three centuries, relations between the independent provinces were much the same as before the days of the Tsardom, isolating themselves from the others for the most part, and waging petty wars over territory and resources.

The Confederate Principalities

By the turn of the seventeenth-century, increasingly aggressive incursions from Favn and its confederacy caused many statesmen in the princedoms to recognize that continued disunity would lead to their eventual destruction. Gathering together in congress for the first time in nearly three hundred years, the majority of the minor princedoms joined together into a new confederation. This union, created in 1624 A.D. and known as the Confederate Principalities of Nardinsk, was able to push back against Favn and begin the process of regaining her lost territories.

The Brothers Wars and Federalism

Having achieved the goal of keeping their northern neighbors in check, the loose confederacy continued as an entity, but saw the member nations acting as sovereign states, with the alliance serving only as a kind of defensive pact. Over the course of the seventeenth century's remainder, this too began to be ignored as each princedom sought to pursue its own interests and vie for regional dominance. Conflict was inevitable, though the sheer scale of what was to come was unprecedented to the minor feuds and border squabbles that had marked previous hostilities.

Events began to come to a head when the two principal powers of the Confederate Principalities - the Grand Duchies of Skijic and Krajik - had an irrevocable falling out in the 1730s. In an attempt to mend a lapsed alliance the heirs of both royal houses were to be joined in marriage; in a sudden and tragic turn of events the royal couple were murdered on the day of their wedding. Both houses claimed the other had orchestrated assassination in order to destabilize them. Thus in 1733 the conflict that would become the First Brothers War began as a blood feud when Krajik launched an incursion into Skijic. The two duchies clashed over the rest of the decade, but the conflict escalated over time as other neighboring princedoms joined on either side either out of alliance obligations or seeking to undermine one of the two dominant regional powers. The bloody First Brothers War then came to a close in 1741 with a peace that did little other than reestablish the antebellum status quo.

The following decades saw regional politics operate much as they had before, although it was clear that all was neither forgiven nor forgotten as rivalries between the Skijic and Krajik factions remained intense, threatening to break the peace at any time. During these years the dream of a once again united Nardin began to emerge in a small but growing portion of the popular mind. By the 1770s this dream began to take real form as supporters of Nardinik unification, known as Federalists, achieved their first victory when Krajik adopted some elements of democracy by instituting a parliament, the first of its kind in the region.

Because of the inconclusive result of the war decades earlier, relations between the factions only deteriorated over time, and it was inevitable that the fragile peace would not last. Many in the Skijic faction believed that the democratic advances being made by its rival were ploys meant to undermine their own authority. The Second Brothers War then began in 1786 with Skijic invading Poltivin, one of Krajik's junior partners. The next thirty years saw a near continuous state of war between the factions; while there were a handful of minor truces in this time, none lasted long. A characteristic that differentiated this war from the one previous was that both sides did not side away from committing atrocities indiscriminately against civilian populations, leading to much senseless bloodshed.

Creation of the Federal Kingdom

Emerging victorious from the end of this second bloody war, the nationalist minded nobles and leaders of the Federalists declared a new national congress to meet in the liberated city of Krajik. The most powerful and influential of the nobles, Grand Duke Josef av Krajik, the grand duke of Skijic, presided over the congress as it first convened in August of 1815. Through the end of fall and into winter, the congress drew up the first constitution of a new Nardinik nation-state, and formulated the workings of the new government. Shortly after the new year on the fourth of January, 1816, the congress signed the constitution of the new nation, declaring the formation of the Federal Kingdom of Nardin. The Federal Kingdom was to be a constitutional monarchy, with the monarchy as the executive branch, supported and checked by independent legislative and judicial branches. Soon afterwards, the first free elections to the federal legislature were held, though suffrage was still limited to the nobility and landholders.

Geography

Klarsdinsk, the eastern mountain range

Nardin and the surrounding territories are mountainous and heavily forested, located almost entirely within the arctic circle. There are two primary mountain ranges, one to the south and the other to the east. The southern range is characterized by a single pass known as Pilgrim's Road, believed to have been the route of the country's first colonists. The eastern range is the least forested territory in the country, instead being mostly arid tundra and generally inhospitable.

The southern region of the country is the most hospitable, as it lies either just beyond or on the border of the arctic circle. The land just north of the southern mountain range is mostly hilly, though these are intermixed with areas of plains. A number of major rivers run through the region with the mountains as their source, such as the Nicivy and Vessila Rivers. These, along with several other minor waterways, empty either into the western ocean or one of two main lakes in Brankivadinsk.

The north and northwest are covered by ancient and dense boreal forests. While many of these forests were targets for deforestation campaigns during industrialization in the nation, subsequent conservation efforts have made inroads on preserving the taiga.

Climate

The climate is mostly cool temperate throughout the country. This ranges from the arctic climate in the north, gradually becoming warmer towards the south and south-west. Depending on the region, average summer temperatures range from 12°C to 25°C. In the winter, winters are generally very cold and sometimes even harsh, ranging from 1°C in the south to its very coldest at -30°C in the northeast. The regions of Krajik, Skijic, and Resilic have the highest populations due to their being situated in the warmer south.

Government
(main article can be viewed here)

King Stanislav III, the current monarch

The Federal Kingdom of Nardin is a federal parliamentary monarchy, running under a three branch system; the King holds executive power and serves as commander of the nation's armed forces, the legislative creates laws, determines taxes, and serves as a check to the monarchy, and the judicial branch interprets law according to the Constitution of the Federal Monarchy.

  • Executive - The King of the Federal Kingdom
    The crown is traditionally held by the Grand Duke of Skijic, which is currently held by House av Krajik, though technically any leading noble from any of the provinces could be elected monarch. The monarch is elected, at the time of death of the previous king or queen, by the leading noble from each province (except Jilitar). The monarch is bound to enforce the laws of the Federal Kingdom, and leads the armed forces in peace as well as in war.

  • Judicial - The Grand Federal Judiciary
    As the Federal Kingdom operates under a federal structure, each province of the nation has its own semi-autonomous judiciary. The Grand Federal Judiciary serves as the nation's supreme court; there is no seat limit, with members being elected to the body by the high courts of each province. The court interprets constitutional law of the Federal Kingdom, hears appeals from lower courts, and mediates in disputes between provinces.

  • Legislative - The Houstålau
    The legislative branch is composed of two houses of parliament, one upper and one lower, both of which are under the leadership and moderation of the Federal Chancellor. It drafts, votes on, and passes laws for the entirty of the Federal Kingdom. Each of the states, except for Jilitar and Ezrakiv, also have regional legislatures that are deferential to the final authority of the Houstålau.

States and Territories

The Federal Kingdom is officially comprised of eight states. Several of the states are lead de facto by a regional chancellor, while others are directly lead by royalty. While the first seven are full member states, Jilitar is a semi-autonomous province, and disputes on the legal status of the province have raged for centuries.

State

Population

Capital

Governor

Grand Duchy of Krajik

1,987,600

Krajik

Chancellor Nikolai Terenic

Grand Duchy of Skijic

970,560

Skijic

Chancellor Jacoby Freljin

Duchy of Resilic

1,307,900

Venilik

Chancellor Vesna Kelisi

Margraviate of Brankivadinsk

621,500

Chesnisav

Margrave Issak av Chesnisav

Principality of Ykateric

484,060

Kalvnas

Prince Pyotr av Ykateric

Viscounty of Poltivin

331,620

Paljak

Viscountess Margarethe Zueljic

Archeparchy of Ezrakiv

15,000

Kylma

Arch Patriarch Athanasius II

Principality of Jilitar

782,210

Isingar

Prince Wilhelmik av Krajik

Foreign Relations
(main article can be viewed here)
Excepting the period of hegemony during the existence of the Nardinik Tsardom, Nardin has for most of its history been relatively isolationist to the wider world, focusing its diplomatic attentions almost exclusively to its neighboring nations. In modern times this is largely still the policy, though the past century has seen a gradual shift in the other direction. Particularly during the reign of King Ottokar V (r. 1962 -1991), Nardin began to expand its diplomatic gaze, and took greater interest in the larger world community, forming several mutual economic and defense agreements as well as creating an embassy program.

Nardin's major diplomatic opponent is the Kingdom of Favn, which lies on the northern border. Favn and Nardin have in one way or another been rivals since the region first began to be settled by Nardiniks in the third-century, and have at many times been at war with one another. Though there has been no major conflict between the two for over a century, the two still view one another as rivals despite ongoing Nardinik overtures for peaceful relations. The province of Jilitar is often a flashpoint for conflict between the two, and as recently as the late 1980s was the location of a veritable proxy war.

Veliinsk, another of Nardin's neighboring states, has also long been a rival of Nardin. The Veliin people, another ethnic group native to the region, had gradually been forced south beyond the southern mountain range that the Nardinik people had originally migrated through. Relations between the Nardinik and Veliin peoples have been cold for much of their history as a result.

Military

In order to protect her interests, Nardin fields a moderately sized standing army, and has implemented a policy of mandatory two-year conscription for all men that may be served between the ages of 18 and 32; more recently this policy has been extended to women as well. In lieu of directly serving in the military, these two years may be served in a form of alternative national service in fields such as agriculture, medical service, and other various civil services.

The Federal Nardinik Armed Forces are the military forces of the Federal Kingdom of Nardin. Its four main branches are the Federal Nardinik Army, the Federal Nardinik Navy, the Federal Nardinik Aviation Corps, and the Federal Nardinik Grenadier Corps. The monarch of Nardin is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces during both war and peacetime, though he is assisted in managing the armed forces by the other members of a Military Council.

Since the 2010s conscription has faced increasing resistance particularly among the youth of the nation, who believe the policy an outdated relic of the isolationist years. The issue is always hotly debated during election seasons.

Economy

Nardin has a mixed economy, which it has operated under since coming out of isolationism in the 1960s and 1970s. Though in the early 2000s the nation struggled economically due to a regional recession, the economy has since stabilized and continues to rise as new sectors of the world economy are explored. The Nardinik Thaler has been the nation's currency since the founding of the Federal Kingdom in 1816. Fedijla Nardinik Bankka, or the Federal Nardinik Bank, is the central bank of the nation and is responsible for issuing the currency in form of notes and coins.

Economic Indicators

Currency: Nardinik Thaler (₮)
Fiscal Year: June 30 - July 1


GDP (nominal): ₮382 billion
GDP (nominal) per capita: ₮46,017
Labor Force: 3,668,400
Unemployment: 9%

Energy

Nardin is self-sufficient in terms of energy, with exports of energy to neighboring nations serving as a significant sector of the nation's economy. Andrési, Chlar, and An-dul are among those who are supplied by Nardinik energy.

Nardin has a large coal mining industry which serves the needs of much of the nation's industrial needs as well as for much of the domestic population. Natural gas has also been a source drawn upon, particularly for exportation abroad. Hydroelectric energy has also been a growing supplier in recent years as many seek cleaner alternatives to the dominant coal and natural gas sectors.

Starting in the early 2000s and continuing to the present, movements to decrease the nation's reliance on fossil fuels have gained traction, though these movements have faced significant opposition from lobbyists of the coal and natural gas industries.

Demographics

As of 2014, the total population of Nardin according to its population register was 6,500,450. The population is closely split between urban and rural living, with 53% living in rural areas and 47% in urban areas. Of this population the majority is Nardinik (72%), with smaller minorities of ethnic Jilinar (11%), Favin (7%), and Veliinar (5%) comprising the remainder.

The total fertility rate (TFR) in 2014 was estimated at 3.42 children born per woman, and so enjoys a modest replacement rate, with a slight yearly increase of 1.4%. As of 2014, the median age of Nardin's population is 28.3 years.

As Nardin has recently ended its policy of isolationism, little of the nation's population growth is due to immigration. Of the immigrants that have come, most are refugees from the province of Jilitar and the Kingdom of Favn. However, it is projected that in years to come this number may rise as immigrants from Nardin's smaller, poorer neighbors come seeking a higher quality of life.

Religion
(main article can be viewed here)

Nardin is a confessional state, with Nardinik Orthodoxy as the state religion, and is the most widely practiced. It has existed in its current form since 785 A.D. The head of the Church is the Arch Patriarch, the incumbent being Arch Patriarch Athanasius II of Skijic. Nardinik Orthodoxy has for centuries been a major aspect of Nardinik culture, and has inspired many of her greatest leaders, artists, and writers.

St. Ezrakiv, first Patriarch and patron of Nardin

A religious minded people, over 90% of the population identifies as Nardinik Orthodox. Other Christian denominations, particularly Jilitarian Low Church Orthodoxy, make up another 5%. While nearly 95% of the population identifies as Christian, recent studies have suggested that the number of actual practitioners may be somewhat lower. Instead, Nardinik Orthodoxy has become such an ingrained part of the nation's character that many are part of the Church in name alone. This seems to be supported by legislative attempts to be more inclusive of other religions and practices, something which would have been unthinkable in previous decades.

Favin paganism and other native beliefs are held by another 3%, and 2% of the population is unaffiliated. Ethnic Favin paganism, known as Ishrajc, was largely eradicated in Nardin as Nardinik Orthodoxy became more widespread, though some continued to keep the old ways privately. In recent years, it has been seen slowly but steadily increasing, particularly among the nation's youth as many seek to embrace these ancient practices native to the region.

Languages

The official language of Nardin is Narthic. Three regional languages are also recognized by the federal government, these being Favic, Veliin, and Jiliskar.

Education

All primary (ages 6 to 11) and secondary (ages 12 to 17) public schooling for children of Nardinik citizens is free, most of which is payed for by the ambitious Citizens of Tomorrow Act of 1982, which allots a portion of the annual national budget for this purpose. University level schooling must be payed for, cost differing by level of schooling and fields of study. Various state and private institution scholarships are available to many students to help fund higher education.

Up to the begining of the twentieth century, much of the population lived in rural settings, making the rate of literacy fluctuate from state to state. Due to efforts to increase the quality of education throughout the Federal Kingdom during the past fifty years, approximately 97.5% of the population is literate.

Health

The Federal Kingdom prides itself on a robust health system, providing universal health care to all Nardinik citizens since the late 1970s.

Culture

Nardinik culture as it exists today first began to be developed when the region was settled in the third century by settlers from the south. Due to both living in close proximity to the native tribes of Nardin and intermarriage with them, the cultural identity of the settlers gradually shifted and became a blend of the two cultures, and aspects of both of these are noticeable even in the present.

The major cultural contributions of the south were those of spirit and ideology. One of the most notable of these was the development of a strongly religious people, which in turn lead to a flourishing of the visual arts. Another is a strong sense of self-determination, which stems from the oppression that the original settlers had faced back in their homeland. While Nardin is a unified country, Nardiniks tend to be more concerned for the needs of their home provinces before that of the rest of the nation.

Influences from the native Favin and Jilinar cultures include the wide spread love of folk music, prowess in winter sports such as hockey, and especially a love for the world's beauty and concern for care of the environment. These cultures have greatly influenced the tourism industry that Nardin has developed since shedding its isolationist policies, and has drawn many people into experiencing Nardinik culture.

National Symbols

The flag of Nardin is a tricolor that was adopted when the Federal Kingdom was formed in 1816, though it is based on the flags that the Grand Duchy of Skijic had long been using. The teal blue represents the nation's close relationship with the sea. The forest green is for region's many and ancient boreal forests. The third and center stripe of white is the largest, referring to the region's harsh winters and snowy mountains, and also standing for the peace hoped for by finally uniting the country after years of bloodshed. The national animal is the Skijic Falcon, an animal native to the region which has a prominent place in the founding legend of Nardin and has long been used as a symbol of the Nardinik people. The national flower is the Resilic Tulip, widespread across southern coastal Nardin and comes in various shades of yellow and red.

Literature

Nardin's literature has largely been formed by the dual influences of its long cultural history and natural surroundings. Themes often revolve around the beauty and harshness of the arctic taiga, the mysticism and folklore of Nardin's religion and mythology, and the resilience of the Nardinik people throughout times of adversity.

One of the great pieces of early Nardinik literature is the "Pilgrim's Chronicle", a poem supposedly written by the first ruler of unified Nardin, Tsar Ottokar I, which tells the tale of the life and exploits of the legendary figure Jaski the Wanderer.

Sports

Nardinik Ice Hockey

It should come as no surprise that the most popular sports in Nardin are winter and alpine sports. Of these, ice hockey is by far the most popular. There is a primary men's professional league, the Fedijla Hokei Liga (FHL), as well as a women's league, and a multitude of amateur leagues and teams. Cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and figure skating also attract large followings.

The Fedijla Hokei Liga (FHL) has existed for nearly a century and a half, being first incorporated in 1883. Since then it has continued practically uninterrupted and missed only two seasons. Beginning with a core of only five teams based in the Duchy of Resilic, it has since expanded to every state but Ezrakiv, having twenty-four member clubs and further expansion teams planned for both Nardinik and international venues. The FHL is a large source of revenue throughout the federal kingdom, and its headquartered in Resilic's capital of Venilik.

In terms of the non-winter variety, popular sports include association football, track and field, and tennis. Along with holding events for these sports domestically, teams have been invited to compete in various international championships.

Music

Though musical tastes vary from state to state, overall the most popular music genre in Nardin is Nardinik folk music. For centuries folk music has been used to tell fairytales and legends, commemorate important events in the nation's history, or simply as a means of expressing oneself. The most common instruments used in such music include the balalaika, various types of dulcimer, reed pipes, and accordions. Singing often accompanies folk music, and in live performances dances while wearing traditional garb are common.

Secondary musical genres include classical and rock. Pop and metal entertain some following especially among the youth in major cities.

The national anthem of Nardin, The Skijic Hymn, was originally written by the famed classical composer Henrik ap Ovirnek in 1722 to commemorate victory over the Principality of Jilitar, completing the centuries long process of reuniting the entire region under one banner. The anthem's lyrics envoke all that is held most dear by the Nardinik people, including the region's beauty, the legendary founder of Nardin, Jaski, and especially their faith.

Visual arts

Example of ninth century temple stonework

Little evidence exists to suggest that the early settlers of Nardin created much by the way of art. Examples of early Nardinik art are few and far between, usually taking the form of crude paintings done on animal skins, and have nearly all deteriorated to the point of indecipherability. Where the visual arts really began to be embraced was around the same time that Nardinik Orthodoxy became adopted as the dominant religion throughout most of the region, this being in the eighth century.

Early religious art was comprised of three mediums that were used in close support of one another. These were the architecture of temples, icons of the saints, and stonework. While design of temples varied from place to place, it was clear that very early on from the establishment of the Church that a general formula was adopted for places of worship. Temples were generally round or hexagonal shaped buildings, with tall walls and ceilings supported by many narrow buttresses, crowned with peaked roofs that were commonly finished with a tower spire. Both the insides and the outsides would be painted with religious art. Most of the art pictured on these walls, particularly on the outsides, has not survived to the present day due to deterioration over time as a result of the harsh climate. Even though the art painted on the building itself did not usually survive, what did survive was stonework, which Nardin would eventually become famous for. The tall walls and ceilings of the temples were supported by tall columns on the inside, and these would be carved with all manner of religious and secular figures, spiraling up from the floor to the ceiling. Stonemasons of the region quickly became skilled in the art, and many beautiful examples of temple art survive to the present day, from both early temples and the later cathedrals.

Icons, over time, became a unique art in and of itself. Created solely by members of the Monasticate, icons were religious pictures that featured a saint or holy person of the Church, generally in portrait form. To the Church, they were more than simply pieces of art, but became objects of great devotion. It was said that the pieces were created as much with prayer as with brushes or chisels, and that the resulting product was said to be something of a conduit of that being depicted. As such, they are treated with the utmost reverence. Icons have been created on several different mediums, though most are those that are painted on wood or those carved into stone. On the former, bright colors are used and often contain elements such as gold leafing, where on the latter in many instances they have many precious stones set in them.

Stonework was also widely practiced in secular settings, especially being used to adorn the residences and fortresses of the aristocracy. In time, artistic masonry became separated from use solely on buildings and icons, with secular sculpture becoming a widely practiced art. Even during the years of isolation, Nardinik sculptors and masons were much in demand in neighboring nations due to their great skill and long pedigree of beautiful works.

Cuisine

Smoked Resilic Herring soup

For centuries the average Nardinik diet has been centered around fish and various other types of seafood, as the nation's close proximity to the sea has given regular and easy access to it. As a result, most easily recognizable ethnic Nardinik dishes contain fish of some kind. Two such examples are baked ironfin trout and smoked Resilic herring soup, which is widely considered Nardin's national dish. With Nardin being situated near to the artic circle, fresh fish is not readily available year round, due to much of the coastal waters being made inaccessible by ice. While some ice fishing is done, this staple is usually still made available by having preserved surplus through smoking and salting during the warmer months.

Besides fish, the most prominent source of meat comes from venison, namely the Brankivadinsk elk, found predominantly in their namesake's state. In addition to meats, much of a regular diet is formed by cold weather food crops and root vegetables, such as potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots, and cabbage.

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