OOC Writer Account
OUT-OF-CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Create the government for the largest community of Homo Sapiens Augeus in the Galaxy.
- Image Credit: Source 1, Source 2, Source 3.
- Canon: N/A.
- Permissions: N/A.
- Links: Kabal IV - Frysk, Nórrmen | Homo Sapiens Augeus.
Organisation Name: Grutter Norr Ryk ("Greater Norr Realm/Greater Norr Nation/Greater Norr Empire").
Other Name (s): De Ryk ("The Realm"), De Grutter Ryk ("The Great Realm").
Classification: Unitary Constitutional Autocracy, Client State.
Affiliation: The Empire.
Organisation Symbol: The flag of Frysk is a black field with a crimson logo that speaks to the ferocious and martial nature of the Dominion's inhabitants. Centred is a barbed sword that rises from a stem that tapers into an arrowhead; its' barbs reach along the blade's length. The sword is laid over an ancient Norr rune with a loose modern translation of "The Unconquerable".
- Description: The Norr Ryk is an authoritarian client state of the Empire and, according to the Dominion's constitution, consists of all of the Kabal System and its' terrestrial bodies. The political, economic and military capital of the Dominion of Kabal IV is a planet with which the government shares its Name. The Dominion is a one-party constitutional autocracy with an executive, legislature and judiciary. Political office in the lower house of the legislature is elective. However, the positions in the upper house are made by recommendation to the Archon, who has the power to appoint its members. The executive is headed by an Archon who fulfils the role of Head of State and Head of Government; the Archon is elected by party membership to a life term unless they otherwise elect to vacate their office or are assassinated successfully as per dark custom.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION- Capital: Northstar City.
- Headquarters: Frysk IV, Northstar City.
- Domain:
- Notable Assets:
Anthem(s):
Language:
- De-Jure:
- Recognised minority:
Demonym(s): Norr, Norrman.
Government: Unitary one-party fascist state under a constitutional autocracy.
Area: Frysk System.
Population: ~14,000,000 (870 ABY Census).
- 99.9% Homo Sapiens Augeus.
- Executive:
- Archon - Head of State and Government.
- Haad fan Ryk Feiligensmacht ("Chief of State Security Force").
- Ministries:
- Chancellor - Finance Minister.
- Emmissariat - Foreign Minister.
- Haad Shireev - Defence Minister.
- Haad fan Leger ("Chief of Army")
- Haad fan Marine ("Chief of Navy")
- Archon - Head of State and Government.
- Legislature:
- Viceroy - President of the legislature.
- Councilman - An appointed Member of the legislature's upper house, referred to as the "Convocation".
- Magister - An elected member of the legislature's lower house, referred to as the "Magisterium".
- Judiciary:
- Arbiter - Superior court Judge-Inquisitor.
- Magistrate - Local court Judge-Inquisitor.
- Shireev - Judicial Enforcement Officer, manages service of court documents, orders to recover unpaid fines or debts resulting from court judgments and appointment of bailiffs, is also responsible for preparing jury books.
Climate: The Norr Ryk, as an Autocratic and Authoritarian society, has an equally Autocratic and Authoritarian government, law enforcement powers, and surveillance is broad. Within the government at all levels, obedience to one's superiors, supervisors and managers is expected as a matter of course. Wisdom and martial force are respected. Indecisiveness is scorned.
Reputation: The Norr Ryk is, by far and large, reasonably considered a client state of the Empire that shares its' political vision for the galaxy's future. The Norr Ryk depended economically on the Empire for its continued prosperity and efforts to colonise the Kabal System. The Dominion's military forces are feared, reviled and respected in high though equal measure with a reputation for monstrous ferocity and steadfast discipline, obeying the commands of their superiors without question where the only dishonour is considered to be surrender. Though it is rightly criticised as an Authoritarian place, public safety and ease of doing business are high, promoting continued population and economic growth. What the Dominion codifies as Corruption and Crime are prosecuted with zeal and without compassion.
With an ideology of racial supremacy over all others, the Grut Norr Ryk prohibits the permanent settlement of Non-Norr within their borders. The only way to lawfully reside within the Ryk's borders is to obtain a temporary visa, most of which are connected with employment or study. And then again, most are not entitled to renewal except those with critical skills. Inside the Ryk's society, Baseline Humans are socially discriminated against and arrogantly looked down upon as 'Middle' or 'Low' men, with the Norr believing that Baseline Humans are the result of their ancestors' weakness in sparing their mutated children from the ancient charnel pits.
Curios:
- Norr Ryk Diplomatic Passport: Employees of the Government and members of the Dominion Defence Force are provided with purpose passports that contain the same information as the standard passport, though with the addition of the individual's government personnel number and identifies which agency is the responsible issuing authority.
- Norr Ryk Passport: Adult Citizens of the Norr Ryk are provided with passports for identification; these passports broadly contain: A photo of the holder, their given and badge name, date of nameday on the galactic standard calendar, place of birth, height, unique chain code identifying number and the issuing authority's details.
- Legislation: The Norr Ryk's legislature creates legislation that is referred to as "Acts" before receiving the permission of the Archon. They are known as "Bills". Acts contain three broad types of sections: Procedural, Powers and Offence-Creating.
- Regulation: Certain pieces of Dominion legislation delegate procedural processes and powers to specific government organisations and agencies; thus, certain Acts of the legislature have a corresponding "Regulation" that provides for the implementation and application of the source Acts powers and procedures. An amendment to a regulation does not require a vote by the legislature.
- Policy: Government organisations may publish procedures governing practice administration; they cannot lawfully contradict regulations or legislation. They aim to encourage practices that comply with statutory obligations, requirements and lawful exercise of authority and power.
- Regulation: Certain pieces of Dominion legislation delegate procedural processes and powers to specific government organisations and agencies; thus, certain Acts of the legislature have a corresponding "Regulation" that provides for the implementation and application of the source Acts powers and procedures. An amendment to a regulation does not require a vote by the legislature.
- Evidence Act: The evidence act applies to criminal and civil proceedings within the Greater Norr Ryk. The evidence act strengthens the nation's inquisitorial system and permits the submission of relevant evidence. The Norr customarily do not entertain the idea of protections for accused persons, and thus only evidence considered unlawfully obtained shall be considered inadmissible; what would be considered "hearsay" evidence may be admissible as long as it is deemed relevant. Interestingly, the Evidence Act states that admissions must be audio and visually recorded mechanically for admissions to be admissible.
- Family Law Act: Families in the Ryk are governed by the Family Law Act; effectively, one of the key parts of the Act is that it creates an offence for an adult male to identify themselves as the Father of their children knowingly. This is an act to reduce nepotism that, at one time in ancient Norr history, was rampant throughout their society. The act effectively forces the Fathers of children to adopt the position of an outward maternal uncle. The Family Law Act requires that marriages be entered consensually between a male and female adult equal or greater to 90 standard years of age. It creates a serious offence for any person who lawfully or unlawfully marries any man or woman less than this age. The Family Law Act also requires that each fertile adolescent female between the age of fourteen and nineteen standard years must carry three pregnancies or provide the genetic material required to develop three embryos; exceptions exist for infertile females or for females who cannot carry a pregnancy to term due to unacceptable risks posed by the pregnancy to the female's life or embryonic development.
- Law Enforcement Powers Act: The Law Enforcement Powers Act endows the officers of the State Security Force and recognised law enforcement officers as per that act with extraordinary powers inaccessible to normal citizens. For example, it permits its' officers to "Stop, detain and search any person and seize anything that the officer suspects is connected to a relevant offence, may be stolen or lawfully obtained, a dangerous or prohibited article, or a prohibited or restricted drug." There is no requirement for the officer to "suspect on reasonable grounds" the detainee has any of those things on their person. The power may be exercised at an officer's discretion. Likewise, the act empowers law enforcement officers to arrest a person without a warrant if they suspect they have committed an offence. They may discontinue the arrest at any time after the arrest is made without affecting the lawfulness of the arrest itself. Additionally, the act provides law enforcement officers 48 hours to investigate the offence for which the person is under arrest. The Law Enforcement Powers Act requires an officer to inform a person subject to a power of their serial number, place of duty and reason for the power's exercise. However, suppose the officer fails to do these things. In that case, it does not affect the validity of the power except if the officer is challenged and, when reasonably practicable, does not comply with those safeguards. The Law Enforcement Powers Act provides civil indemnity for any injury or damage occasioned in the execution of any power or function conferred on law enforcement by any act made by a law enforcement officer. The Law Enforcement Powers act empowers Law Enforcement Officers and persons assisting them to "Use as much force as is suspected to be necessary, to exercise any power or function conferred on them by this act or any other act."
- Mage Protection Act: An ancient piece of Ryk legislation hundreds upon hundreds of years old that is still enforced, the act created the "College of Mages", an organisation responsible for the education and training of Magi. The College of Mages is subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior in the contemporary environment. The act requires physicians to test all persons for force sensitivity. It empowers Security Force officers to take without warrant Norr citizens suspected of being force sensitive to a College of Mages monastery, whereby they forfeit all civil claims to property, becoming a ward of the state. The Act provides that each Monastery shall be administered by a council of senior Mages who live within the Monastery under the close supervision of Warders from the Security Force. As per the act, fully-fledged Mages may only leave their Monastery with the permission of the Monastery's Archmage for a genuine reason and generally then with a Warder escort. The relevant regulation stipulates that all apprentice Mages must be subjected to a "Trial of spirit." before becoming fully fledged Mages to test their discipline and will to resist the malevolent spirits that dwell within the deep; those who fail are lobotomized or summarily executed by the Warders. However, the Act creates a serious offence for Warders and Mages having intimate relationships with one another. The regulation does permit Archmages to exercise discretion concerning permitting apprentices and journeymen to maintain ties with their families. As per the regulation, children born from relationships between Mages must not reside with their parents in the same monastery. For a Mage, the act makes absconding from one's Monastery without consent or authorisation of the Archmage or Minister an offence.
- Preservation of the State Act: The Preservation of the State Act creates procedures for all Norr children to be enrolled in the country's numerous primary and secondary military schools and provides civil indemnity to the state for any injury or death occasioned to children through their ferocious and brutal education. The act also includes sections that grant the state the power to conscript all Norr adults into the military. The Act states that all Adults must serve in the military for not less than twenty-five years. Adult males serve on an active basis for fifteen years, except those in work or education related to a critical skill may serve part or whole of their service period in the active reserve at the minister's discretion. Females are also required to serve on an active basis for not less than five years and not more than fifteen years; the regulation provides the defence minister discretion when determining what period of service each intake is appropriately balanced by the operational needs of the military. Females are entitled to the same exemptions from full-time service as men but may also be exempted from full-time duties when pregnant.
- Ryksgestel ("Government Constitution"): The Constitution sets out the separation and division of powers and creates three branches of government: Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. Successive governments have blurred these lines, with the legislature infringing on the judiciary's independence by introducing mandatory minimum custodial sentences where accused persons are found guilty. The Constitution is amended with a bill of civil and political rights such as entitlement to civil and political speech, excluding sedition, the entitlement of 'responsible citizens to keep and bear arms administered by acts of the legislature, entitlement to keep and protect property, and most importantly, a presumption of innocence before guilt. Interestingly, there are no safeguards for a 'reasonable' search; thus, any suspect cannot be forcibly silenced by the executive; however, it may come with the price of perpetual surveillance, search and repeated detention by the authorities.
- Export-Focus: The Norr realm's economy is commodity and resource intense as their capital world of Frysk is extraordinarily resource-rich; as a result, they focus on exporting anywhere between 65-80% of their total extracted resources into the market. This promises to drive dramatic double-digit economic growth per standard year for the foreseeable future.
- Foreign Policy: Contemporary realm policy emphasises aggressive colonialism and expansion into the rest of the Frysk system to help drive population and economic growth. The Norr realm's position on alien unidentified first contact is to pursue any unknown force beyond the borders of their space but halt at its' rim.
- Letters of Marque: Through contracting and sponsoring Private Military Companies and Privateers, the realm intends to prevent, disrupt and destabilise the operations of their enemies; the PMCs and Privateers are required by law to bring captured prizes before a military court required to surrender any sensitive technology permitted by law to retain seized commodities and capital goods belonging to a hostile, belligerent state.
- Manufacturing Focus: With a comparatively low cost of living and corresponding low-income and high value-added skills of the long-lived Norr, the realm aims to leverage these economic factors to promote the manufacturing industry to further industrialised and urbanise Frysk's sparsely populated surface and act as a factory for their planned expansion into the Kabal system.
- Population Growth: Dramatic population growth is a goal of the Norr realm, and they have implemented several policies and legislation to achieve this aim. Access to sterilisation procedures is effectively outlawed outside of medical necessity, access to reproductive contraception is restricted, and same-sex unions are prohibited by law. Adult females pay reduced personal and sole trader income tax calculated against the number of live children delivered. The realm also has an opt-in cloning program for gifted children, childless adults and adults who work in dangerous professions and die unexpectedly.
- Security Guarantees: The Norr realm is a client state of the Empire and bound by the Ironstar Concordat to support the Empire's security needs and requirements. It fulfils this obligation by permitting its' citizens to enlist in the Imperial Military and utilises its' own military and defence contractors for this goal as required. Additionally, the Norr realm's security is mutually guaranteed by the Empire.
- Branch(s): Ryksmacht ("Realm Forces").
- Ryks Feiligensmacht ("State Security Force").
- Ryksleger ("Realm Army").
- Ryksmarine ("Realm Navy").
- Personnel:
- Active: ~250,500 personnel.
- Military Obligation: Full-time service.
- Active Reserve: 2,400,000 personnel.
- Military Obligation: 100 Standard Days per standard year.
- Inactive Reserve: 2,700,000
- Military Obligation: 75 Standard days per standard year.
- Active: ~250,500 personnel.
- Grann Ironfist- Chapter Master, "Black Legion", Chapter of Veiled Deceit.
- Fenneke Grimlaw - Captain, "Black Legion", Chapter of Veiled Deceit, 8th Assault Company.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
- 426 ABY: What would become The Norr Workers Union comes to power on Frysk after a largely bloodless coup with the assassination of powerful albeit deeply unpopular key figures within the executive and legislature. The NWU's coming to power signalled the beginning of what is identified in contemporary Norr history as the "Discovery Age". It started with 10,000 hapless Human colonists landing on Frysk, seeking to escape the Gulag plague. The Norr Workers Union were threatened by this development, and the Chantry of Angul condemned the return of the "Low men". 10,000 Norr soldiers descended on the colonist's settlement in the dead of night and slaughtered every man, woman and child. And cast what infants were present into great charnel pits. Capturing the colonists' spaceship, the early atomic-age Norr went to work attempting to reverse-engineer its' technology and steal the information contained within its' learning machines.
- 502 ABY: The Norr Workers Union achieved manned spaceflight and began manufacturing advanced polymers, plastic materials, and strong metallic alloys. Construction begins on a copper-based telecommunication network that would span the breadth of all Norr settlements on the surface of Frysk. The Ryk's government begin sponsoring research into genetic therapy, stem cell treatments and cloned biological prosthetics.
- 863 ABY: A New Imperial Navy exploration task force arrives in the Kabal system; they are engaged by the Ryk's navy in Frysk's high orbit where the task force is destroyed by a pair of Ryk Light Carriers and their fighter craft.
- 864 ABY: The New Imperial Order dispatches a quick-reaction force to the loss of their exploration fleet consisting of a single-star destroyer called the Triumphant staffed with the 1st Stormtrooper Legion. Shortly after that, they arrive in the Kabal System and win a decisive engagement against a Dominion Cruiser escorted by two Torpedo Corvettes.
- 865 ABY: The New Imperial Order attempts to occupy Frysk using the Triumphant and its' Stormtrooper complement. The Ryk permitted the Triumphant to land and begin disgorging hardware and equipment. The Dominion used its unconventional forces to board the Star Destroyer and disable its' radar systems period to launch a decisive assault.
- 866 ABY: After the loss of the Triumphant and its' crew, the New Imperial Order allocates several Stormtrooper Legions and a Naval Taskforce to seize control the entire Kabal system. Leading to a protracted medium-intensity conflict with the Dominion of Frysk.
- 874 ABY: Frustrated with their ability to break the Ryk's will to fight, the Empire bombards Frysk's barren surface and then threatens to destroy the agricultural lands of Frysk and leave its' population to starve unless they agree to negotiate. The Ryk signs an unfavourable treaty with the Empire, acknowledging its' last Imperator, Rurik Fel as the Empire's lawful successor. Frysk, after that, became a client state of the Interstellar Empire. Following Imperator Rurik Fel's passing, the Ironstar treaty was assented to by his successor Lord-Regent Erskine Barran and the Ryk's Archon.
