Bolscemena

The Sallodag family is currently the ruling dynasty of Bolscemena, their banner mustard with white antlers on it. The traditional Bolscemenan crown is a set of rare white antlers fashioned into a circle and adorned with precious gems.

Bolscemena is not very much of a military dictatorship but it is certainly somewhat authoritarian - no democracy whatsoever. To this end, the various City Watches do have what is called the Junior Watchmen as some sort of combination of cadets and the Hitler Youth but aside from making coffee and aiding proper Watchman, they lack any proper qualities of Hitler Youth. In Alteross, the military youth is taken to its full extent and considerably approaches that of 1984 or that of A Clockwork Orange. In Acrefell specifically, there is an ongoing conflict between the Juniors and the Little Dogs - boys and girls on the street tend to be scrappy and aggressive.

Soldiers cleavers

Terror Corps. West has history of nasty psychological torture and damage as opposed to physical. The usage of creepy doll faces and creepy music to scar and terrify enemies. All flash and no bang.
 * Music - psychological techniques and modern techniques are employed and such music is played before military engagements to lower morale and increase fear. Grating, uncomfortable, nauseating, creepy.
 * Fire - an awesome and spectacular sight especially in the frozen north. Mainly used as lure or display of power. Flamethrowers, fire wheels and fire bombs.
 * Bezerkers - Using several techniques borrowed from Ras Ghenupp and a helpful sprinkling of Red Mist, trained bezerker soldiers are used sparingly in front lines as although they do strike fear into the heart of the enemy, they have a tendency to not follow orders and break international peace conventions.
 * Masks - a standard for most special ops as they project a sense of mystery and cold uniformity. Mainly used by the Terror Corps but have their benefits in regular infantry.

Due to being near a volcanic hotspot, Bolscemena is subject to lava flows, some of which flow into the ocean - the flows around Scoga are said to be quite spectacular. Acrefell, despite its geothermal activity, has few lavaflows (and even these are heavily monitored and controlled) as a result of its geology.

Bolscemena's main trees are Kohson's Pine (dark rich wood) and bear larch (Pau Ferro looking but beige). Kohson's is mainly used for housing exteriors, whereas bear larch is a favourite for floorboards, public works and interior panelling.

For soldiers, the uniform is a salmon pink knitted jumper and a militarised mix of a tarleton hat and a kartus hat, along with brown trousers and leather boots. Officers get the added bonus of fur-lined boots, a white trench coat with epaulettes and a fur-lined salmon pink cape attached at one shoulder.

Psychological warfare (Thomas the Tank Engine tank) and flamethrowers

Bolscemenan swords traditionally and currently resemble chunkier and more ornate cleaver blades, with square edges. Traditionally, more focus is placed on the ornateness and inheritance but they are all very similar now due to mass production. Soldiers tend to decorate their swords with doodles/whatever and treat them with high respect.

During the Libertist days, trade embargos on coal and such meant that in extreme cases, bodies were burnt as fuel, though it just ended up angering the populace as a result of the stark difference from traditional burial practices. The regime came about as a result of King Hektar Sallodag's increase in power and greed for more power. He ended up alienating a lot of the court, who were then purged including Crebir Helvgard. A lot of immigrants fled back to their home countries for fear of persecution. To make up for the poor foresight of her toying with the king, Cesca organised kidnappings of the remaining Helvgards and Sallodags to protect them from potential counter-revolutionaries and then had the greedy king killed. Despite a whole bunch of massacres and all that, the onset of normal government meant that she had the opportunity to sneak in lots of her own agents into politics.

What is the point of Morogravia? I think that it's probably a legal and historical thing, forged from an old treaty requiring a province to remain independent.

Kohson's Pine. A common evergreen found in Tylle and used extensively in the exteriors and foundations of many Bolscemenan buildings. It has a very nice rich caramel or gingerbread colour, despite it being a softwood. As an added bonus, its bark is quite retardant to protect against the forest fires as a result of the strong summer heat, so again it is very helpful for the construction of homes.

Of course, the Verver Express train is armoured and contains mounted guns and barrack carriages, even occassionally transporting a railway gun. Goes through undisturbed mountain tundra with nice iron-wrought military bridges. It's a very sought after military position since you don't have to do much except look at beautiful untouched wilderness.

Architecture
Within the lower tiers, the buildings are constructed with mismatched grey bricks (Lincor Grey stone) and typically come in large apartment styles. They have wooden supports with sparing Kohson exterior decorations. As you go up the tiers, houses begin to get more individual with many differences, made upon Bohannon's criteria, though most tend to go tall with the same wooden foundations but with more elaborate exterior facades on the top floor. At the very top, where the rich live, the houses become very large with wood and the vast majority have very slanted roofs for the snow. Mansions in the Luviln District come in a more alpine chalet style but with variations depending on the inhabitants. For example, Coscello's mansion is chalet style but encompasses Gravenian architectural styles. Rural Bolscemenan villages have similar senses of wood and folkloric decor, but sometimes whitewashing can come into it too. Bolscemenan natives are skilled in carpentry and so are often employed to do the extravagant wood carvings on exteriors.

Music
Bolscemenan traditional music uses of instruments such as drums, mancarlildas and upbeat rhythmic chanting such as the type demonstrated in Ievan's Polka. The mancarlilda is a traditional instrument consisting of a lengthened staff with strings of varying thickness running from end to end. Bolscemena was often exposed to mainland trends during its history so it quickly transitioned to the mainland popularity for orchestral instruments, lutes, pianos and so on). Traditional instrumentation was overlooked with the exception of very rural areas and the occasional fusion concert. However, the acapella aspects were very popular once the mainlanders discovered them so certain orchestras began to include Bolscemenan folk singers. Acapella heavy, meaningless gabble?

With the rise of alternativism, both orchestral and traditional music fell by the wayside after introduction of styles across the world and random shit Cesca threw together, before the entire music scene collapsed after the introduction of electronic music. Industrialisation allowed mass production of home instruments as well as microspools, further shaking up the music world.

Art style based on Ivan Bilibin, including borders, rectagular plain layout and nature/folklore focus.

Language based on Swedish/Icelandic/Chinese. Jiggo-Mormilic or whatever it is. Ormeunnic. Refers to days, months and years as suns, moons and summers respectively and the practice .has leaked across into Mernian Bolscemenan dialect. Amid confusion, suns was dropped for days in translation

Yordjuanist temples are led by the equivalent of priests: shiskjat. They are notable for their dark brown vestiges and that weird starchy collar thing seen on the eternal fire priests in the Witcher 3. The Yordjuanist temple in Acrefell, Jaukesov Pantheon, sits in the Lamprey District from Tiers 2-4.

The Tjenralligota was named after the Bolscemenan traditional practice of the same name. Yordjuanist folklore consists of the numerous interactions between the three races - men of ice, men of stone, and men of earth, with the various rulers and heroes making up the pantheon. And then followed by mythical creatures, adventures and side characters. Such are the sagas. The tjen are the men of ice and are known for their cold beauty and cold aloof demeanor. They are said to live far away in the Lajapo Range. Increasing technology is said to have scared the various gods and beings up into the mountains from the ranges, which is why natives got pissed off about the construction of the mines and the various expeditions into the range. Anyway, there are some rebels of the Tjen who are sympathetic to humans and long for the warmth, comradery and such that is devoid in their courts and kingdoms. Legend tells of the Tjenrallig (tjen-rebels) who come disguised into human settlements and partake in excessive festivities, bonding and dancing for a single night of the year. Eventually, these festivals became an occasion designed to attract the Tjenrallig into the villages and are referred to as Tjenralligota (Tjen rebel parties). Creation and destruction mythos need to be developed (giant space narwhal). Ash cloud lightning

First Aid Kit Wolf mask

Since Yordjuanism or whatever it's called is a modern polytheistic religion with a mythos inspired by sagas and all that, such stories are still being drawn up and authorised today, albeit with less human interaction. They are pretty much identical to the ancient ones but there are rising conflicts over canonity. Most people accept the stories as doublethink, or at least as metaphors, and trust the authorities to make the best judgements on morals and entertainment.

Like Game of Thrones, the sagas have a focus on character development - children often know the in depth history and traits of their favourites gods and heroes.

Most of rural Bolscemena heavily draw from native practices and themes and slowly morph into urban culture with proximity to cities. For clothing, it tends to be thick furs and hides, like from bears, elk and seals. The animals are treated with reverence but still killed in large numbers, especially if such creatures have uniquities. Clothing is often marked with traditional patterns and symbols in dyes. This practice is still popular with urban Bolscemenans, though naturally subject to foreign fashions. Southern materials like cotton are also imported. Fashion tends to go with minimalist and angular colours/layouts but with striking patterns. Earth tones? Hair is long and freeflowing for both genders though they are often done up in fanciful styles for special occasions. Beards associated with authority. Make-up is frowned upon as it is deemed wrong to defile the skin (hence a small number of tattoos), more often a bit of kohl and trace lipstick. Beauty is placed more on natural purity than on splendour and elegance.Wooden jewellery, inlaid with bone and common gems are said to grant different boons to the wearer, moreso worn every day than on special occasions. Rural areas are subsistence in fishing, farming and hunting but urban areas specialise in manufacturing, particularly metalwork and artificery. In the capital, service and philosophy is a large employer. Strong links to other tribalist nations, Clare and most of the Thwaitian countries and wary of the Dallanaist theocracies. Political structure is based on a parliament of aristocrats, special groups, industrialists and philosophers united under a monarch.

Religion is of the tribalist faction, Jordmaii, a polytheistic religion worshipping semi-intervening gods much like pre-Roman Europe. Plain food - fish/deer and potatoes (or similar starchy crop) and native vegetables. General perception of gourmet food as arrogant, even among the nobility who go for classic meals done well.

Marriage based on love and convenience and treated quite casually in comparison. Encouraged to marry young. Men and women often look the same from behind so perhaps this encourages people to get to know each other. Family and children are very important and last for life. No more remarriages - crimes against marriage are mortal. Having children is something to be celebrated and relatives are expected to help raise them. Families tend to stay together and move around as one and the estrangement of a family member is mourned. Women are taken seriously and have many of the same rights as men; there are almost as many women in authoritative positions as men. Few gender-specific jobs.

It is rude to swear or insult one another in front of guests, not even as a joke with friends. Etiquette is almost non-existent but it is common to gesticulate upon meeting and departure. For law, warnings are given generously but fall sharply down to capital punishment if repeated (death by falling). Generally, there are few official laws so it is often down to village vote. Beatings too. Language is Chino-Swedish. Sports are carrion, feats of strength and feats of speed. Korkorrum is a national sport, essentially a more complex version of capture the flag but with a ball. Obstacles and such change per pitch so long as the sides are fair.

Festivals
In terms of world impact, Bolscemena has punched above its weight due to natural philosophy and its natural resources.
 * Cacselal (name change) - the festival celebrating winter equinox. Off the chain. Most people wear animal masks and run around in themed gangs, having pose-offs and dance-offs with other gangs. Gangs can sometimes number in the hundred? If the night coincides with the ualek, people go particularly crazy. People mock people who don't join in and peer in through windows.
 * Feast of Dierdre (name change) - based on a saga tale. People gift each other food and eat in silence in the cold. A solemn day of introspection and reflection.
 * Midsummer Festival - maroon candles fill all the rooms with light, from city apartments to mountainside shacks. Involve a powerful incense banned the rest of the year and scraps of paper containing regrets/secrets/hopes/dreams/wishes/innermost thoughts are burned to mark the new year.

Cultural personality traits/stereotypes

 * Introversion balanced with warmness/honesty/caring
 * Romanticism, love of nature, lots of wilderness
 * Not foodies, plain
 * Slightly primitive/uncivilised
 * Long hair
 * Weak-skinned, intolerant to insults
 * Diligent, creative and thoughtful
 * Boring
 * Sophisticated
 * All psychopaths in disguise

Landscape

 * Inspired by a mix of the Pokhara-Kathmandu road, Iceland, Norway and Faroe

Not so long ago, a big expedition was made to both scale the tallest mountain in the world, Mt Woolfe, followed by reaching the north pole. The key expeditioners were Zarra Milokulli, Olir Modra and Imoginir Modra - the last two being husband and wife. They did make it up Mt Woolfe due to the flags. Lots of detailed sketches of surroundings and fellow expedition members were later turned into detailed paintings. However, Zarra and Olir died of hypothermia so Imoginir flung herself off a cliff in a fit of despair. The remaining nameless members cancelled the rest of the trip and returned to Acrefell without attempting to reach the north pole.

After the Goda-Milokulli expedition failed to reach the north pole, they did manage to mount Mt Woolfe. That much cannot be said for the Verver expedition, led by Arthas Verver in 1642. After a routine break, extremely large veins of metals and ore were uncovered and the expedition was immediately called off. They called in reinforcements to begin surveying and eventually mining from a coalition between the Bolscemenan and Tervan governments. Verver Mining Complex and the Verver Express to Heatherpoint Station.

An expedition by Eden Sterling did manage to make it to the north pole but skipped out Mt Woolfe in the 1670s. And an expedition to climb both in succession was first made by Fi Avarshing of the Scoga Adventurer's Guild in the late 1680s. She believed in the presence of the men of stone and ice in the mountains, as many Bolscemenans do, and attributed her team's success to their guidance and approval. An honour to be amongst them.

Considering that Mount Woolfe is actually quite close to Acrefell, it seems likely that the rich and powerful probably would want to take trips there. Oxdrie Luxury Airship Company runs trips from the Central Station to the observatory then further up to Camp 2. Not much exercise and, on a good day, fantastic views of the Bolscemenan Range and the surrounding fjordlands. Airships are the primary method since most people don't want the arduous climb up from the Upper Cascades District. Philosophers for the Astronomical Union, Seismography and Volcanics Institute and the Bolscemenan Meteorographical Office. Of course, all this depends on the weather conditions as a hint of an oncoming storm means the ships can't be safely airborne.