Happy Leif Erikson Day

So yea, remember back when I did my map in regards to Vinland (seen right here:void-wolf.deviantart.com/art/A…)

I finally went ahead and created the world-map for it. In fact, I amy thinking of putting my World War Weird series on pause for another series: One for Pre-Columbian contact of the Americas.

Here's the first!

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Historical Background

One decision can have massive ramifications on a town, a city-state or even the world. Rarely are such events so cataclysmic, but the butterfly effect truly is unpredictable. In a moment of mercy, Olaf I sentenced the Norse pagans to exile rather than death. Where these pagans would be exiled? To a strange cold land found west of Greenland, discovered by Leif Erikson. Despite Erikson's devotion, he maintained his duty in transporting the believers of Odin, Thor and the others across the sea to this strange land. Furthermore, the strange land remained Iceland's secret, Olaf I and his successors remained ignorant of where the pagans were banished to, just as long as they were no longer here. Eventually, Erikson died and while he was buried in his homeland, the pagan settlement, now a city, Leifsborg had a memorial for him there. Despite this, Vinland was never truly forgotten. Legends stated of a strange land filled with monsters where the pagans, the prisoners or just the undesirables would be shipped to.

The Year was 1000. The first establishment in this new continent was formed, unknown to anyone but a few obscure individuals in Iceland. Over the next centuries, Leifsborg would grow and settlers would go out to explore this brave new land that was theirs, free to practice their religion without worry or fear. However, this new land posed many challenges, such as the original inhabitants of the continent. The Vinlanders found themselves allying with some tribes such the Wyandot, Mohican and Powhatan against enemy tribes and their new land began growing. It was a new country for them... Vinland. Through the small stream of immigrants coming, the Vinlanders were able to maintain technological advantage and their allied tribes also benefitted from these changes. However, not everything that came from the so-called Old World were good. Plenty of diseases followed and caused a great deal of suffering, but through knowledge and perseverance, the people prevailed and over time, they began to grow a resistance against these diseases, all while learning other secrets and inventing their own techniques. Animals were becoming domesticated and the tribes growing in power and prestige. Some of the natives converted into Norse beliefs while some Vinlanders adopted native customs. Eventually, a former Christian monk accepted among the Vinlanders helped reform the religion in order to unify and strengthen it. This also promoted literacy amongst the various peoples, especially when a printing press managed to make its way.

The first major ally of Vinland was the Iroquois nation, who were a major benefit in developing their nation and thriving in this land. Eventually, Vinlandic sailors would create ships, larger and greater to explore this new land, growing ever more impressed with it. This land of Hah-nu-nah, as the Iroquois had called it, due to their belief that the land rested on the back of a giant turtle of the name. Eventually, they learned this land was not one, but two major continents. Twin brothers. Over the next centuries, trade and settlements were established all across both Hanunahs, with the various people coming into contact with the diseases, customs, beliefs and knowledge building them up and having ramifications for them. For the Vinlanders, they believed that nothing would disrupt this way of life. However, the Fates had different plans for them when an unfamiliar ship approaching from the East. While Vinland grew and establishes connections with the tribes and nations, Europe and the Old World kept developing.

Columbus, the name of the ill-fated explorer who arrived in the isles south of the Cherokee territory was surprised to see this strange people and how they resembled the people of the Kalmar Union. However, connections fell flat and it was not long before he was sent on his way… However, he would not be going alone. Some of the people who accompanied him possessed a sickness… one unfamiliar to the Old World. After centuries of exposure, many tribes developed resistance against Old World sicknesses and as various animals became domesticated, whether native or brought from afar, they changed and with them, new diseases were born. It was one of these diseases that would follow Columbus back to the Old World and change everything. The Plague… Westpox… the New Suffering… this disease went by many times, now known as a radical divergence from cowpox and loosely related to smallpox. It made its way to Spain… and the curse found itself in Europe, a Dark Age descended upon them.

The old European kingdoms, the Muslim sultanates… rich and poor, young and old, this new disease spread across the European continent and through the extensive trade-routes, brought ruin and suffering to kingdoms, sometimes over a few weeks or even days. From Spain and Portugal, it spread south to the sultanates while heading east, bringing ruin to the French, the British, the Teutonics… it didn’t matter. It would keep heading east through travelers and merchants. It ravages the Ottoman Empire, brought ruin to Muscovy and the Khanates, traveling even into China and the sultanates down in the southern seas. The Old World would be changed forever.

Larger kingdoms that survived assimilated the smaller peoples to help make up for the sudden depopulation, but it was not enough. There was a severe lack of skilled workers and they would take anyone they could get. They began even assimilating the people of Northern Africa who were ravaged by the disease. Beliefs and old rivalries did not matter when their survival was at stake. Royal families met with one another to establish powerful alliances to ensure their security. The Kalmar Union endured this before assimilating their neighbors into the union and even admitting the Scots in after an arranged marriage. In response to this, the British monarchy joined with the French to become a powerful diarchy. The Spanish kingdoms united with Portugal. Over time, new nations would arise, formed from the various survivors along with people from other ruined areas, even across the seas. From the graveyard of the Germanic kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire arose the Teutonic Federation. Poland formed a commonwealth with Lithuania and several other nations. Austria formed a confederacy around the Danubian with its neighbors. 

In the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire was crippled and leadership focused on internal problems and reforming to keep the survivors under their domain and wish to rebel. Persia fully collapsed and remained in chaos until a Zoroastrian revival movement resurged, calling back to the Persian empires of yore and how it was the change of religion that ruined them. Persia rebuilt under the Zoroastrians and took advantage of the power vacuum left by the isolated Ottomans. Meanwhile, the Solomonic dynasty became home to hundreds of refugees and scholars fleeing the Ottomans and new Persia. The influx of people and knowledge allowed the Solomonic dynasty to grow in power and expand further out, exploiting their weakened enemy and annexing more land for them.

The disease eventually hit the Ming Dynasty, ravaging the land and bringing chaos. This brought further instability to the land and the Emperor’s life became threatened. He and his followers escaped out east based on how scouts heard from lost Zheng notes of a land east that they could flee to. With the Ming dynasty ended, China was divided between various warlord states until the Mongols and the Manchus united to bring order to the land. The Chinese Civil War came from the north and the south, with the south winning and remaining independent of northern China, now under the control of the Manchurians, having assimilated the Mongol people. The new southern China focused on expanding toward the Nanyang region, assimilating the various kingdoms and acquiring their resources and kingdoms. From the Tengri beliefs of northern China to the Taoist faiths of South China, the Buddhists found themselves pushed once more into the southern isles. The sultanates and kingdoms fell there, but the Majapahit managed to reform themselves with the influx of immigrants swearing royalty along with knowledge brought by Buddhist monks from up north, including the usage of gunpowder. With these advancements and additional support, the newly Buddhist Majapahit Empire took back its territories and then some, even finding some colonies of their own.

As nations required and established further trade with the New World, they were able to colonize some areas that have been not as well touched by the Vinlanders as others and the influx of resources and people also helped bolster their populations up while promoting cross-trading. Of course, war was inevitable. There were a couple of wars in the Hanunahs between tribes and even between the two continents, the European Wars, the Chinese Civil War, a couple of African wars, but no Great War has truly ever emerged and all major parties wish to keep it that way.

 

The World Today

The world is currently stable and undergoing economic and technological revolutions, with rapid development being the current atmosphere. Slavery was outlawed by the major powers late during the latter half of the Dark Ages; this was done for practical reasons as there was so few people that slavery was not a viable option and people with skills and talents were needed to maintain society. Furthermore, the widespread of the plague led to the powers being less picky over where their new subjects would come from. Women took over households, the slave trade was hijacked by the European powers for a greater need of manpower and promises of freedom, the definition of human lives were re-evaluated. Culturally, the atmosphere is more progressive and more evenly spread out than in OTL. However, in exchange, technology has lagged behind considerably in some places, with a range of 1930s-1950s in regards to technological levels though unlike present in OTL, the technology levels are much more consistent across the globe, meaning there is no drastic advantage regarding technology barring the most far-off places and even then, black markets have been diminishing that gap. Flying machines are becoming more common to travel, but large ships remain the popular way while everyone listens to stories or news on the radio or from the glowing box known as the feorsicit. Meanwhile, cultures have shifted and blended together, with diplomacy and the need for multiple languages key here though those that speak Danish have an advantage here due to the large influence of Vinland.

Religion remains an important factor, but is certainly different here. The Roman Catholic Church remains a power player of Christianity, at least in the Mediterranean and the Teutonic Federation while the Eastern Orthodox has settled nicely in the Commonwealth and Danube. A third branch known as Celtic Insular was born the result of specific Celtic (and to a lesser extent, Nordic) traditions mixed with general Christian belief. Born during the early years of the Dark Age, it spread to the Diarchy upon its formation while the Kalmar Union was introduced when the Scots were brought into the union, where it grew to become the dominant form of Christianity. Completing the “Christian Cross” would be the Coptic Church, born in Egypt, but revitalized and reformed by the Solomonic Dynasty with some Jewish influences. Islam is present mainly in the Ottoman Empire along with some Persian vassals, Morocco and a few others while Judaism remains sporadic around the world.

Zoroastrianism meanwhile has taken plenty of followers from Islam while spreading to Africa and now have begun to appear in the Hanunahs. Buddhism and Taoism remain mainly in the Far-East, but have begun spreading to the Hanunahs through Shenzhou.  Buddhism exists primarily as Tibetan Buddhism or the New Nusantaran Buddhism while Taoism is divided between Classical Daoism and Manchurian Daoism. The largest difference is the so-called “pagan” religions maintaining prominence here. Reformed Norsism is the popular religion of Vinland and their allies though reformed belief systems such as the Long House followers, the Cherokee Church, Reformed Kukulism are also popular, along with smaller local beliefs. Outside of the Hanunahs, Siberian Tengrism while the Cossacks tend to worship a reformation of Slavic deities, a result of many Slavic people assimilating into the Cossacks, with their beliefs as well.

 

Alliance of the Hanunahs

The dominant power of the world, this sphere of influence is led by the Republic of Vinland. The first modern republic established, it is a very cosmopolitan place to live in. After their official mark of independence to the world in 1600, they have been growing and maintaining a semi-active role in global politics, such as Iceland being granted independence (though Iceland rejoined the Kalmar Union decades later). They have plenty of allies across the continent, consisting of either long-time allies or former enemies they were once in war with decades ago. Regardless, they came together for the greater good. The Cherokee has been trading more frequently with their Europa-allied neighbors and assimilated more of the permanent settlement lifestyle the Vinlanders had. The Sioux Confederacy meanwhile never deviated from their nomadic lifestyle fully. While there are a few permanent cities, including their capital, most of them live on the move. However, they still use plenty of modern conveniences, modified to be portable. Sometimes there are entire mobile communities or merchant groups.

Meanwhile, the Husatek Federation has been doing very well with its oil fields and cannabis remains a very popular crop for a variety of purposes, including religiously. However, they have been also dealing with the blend of cultures, especially the Nahual minority, but overall things are going quite well for them. The Gurunibira Kingdom remains the odd duck. Rather than be found by Vinland contact, it was discovered by the Manchurian Khaganate, or the Qing Empire as it was known as back then. Of course, during the marriage between the Manchurians and Mongols, the Gurunibira vassal become its own kingdom when the objecting nobles escaped to here when their coup failed. While enjoying a rich about of resources, they’ve also been improving relations with the Manchurians. Admittingly, they are actually somewhat closer to the Gvangjish Kingdom than they are to the Manchurians. They also have a significant minority of Mongol Tengri worshippers, since most fled here when during the merge, most went to Daoism.

 

Treaty of Europa

The new powers of Europa after the Dark Age. Many small kingdoms were either destroyed or absorbed by the larger kingdoms. Consisting of six major powers, the Treaty of Europa was signed nearly fifty years ago to bring an end to the wars that ravaged them and to promote a greater state of community. Despite there being only six major powers, there are various autonomous states within each one. The Iberian Union was the first power to reform itself. Consisting of the different Kingdoms of Spain, they had a merger with the Kingdom of Portugal and were able take the rest of Naples. A religious nation, they are a constitutional monarchy and a beacon of Catholicism while looking out for their former colonies, now associate states. Spanish and Portuguese are the main languages, but regional languages are also recognized here. Meanwhile, the Anglo-French Diarchy have remained one of the strongest powers in the world and one of the largest contributors to art and music all around. Ruled by a diarchy, they also granted legislative power to a parliament to help balance powers. They also were better organized to deal with the former colonies they had. A mix of various cultures meet here and English, French along with some Celtic languages are common here. They’re also home to the Duchy of Holland and the Duchy of Flanders, two of the more well-known autonomous states within the Diarchy.

The Teutonic Federation, formerly the Teutonic Royal Confederation was formed from the remnants of the Holy Roman Empire after it collapsed from the Plague. Quickly formed to prevent the surrounding larger kingdoms from absorbing them, it was a proto-republic state formed from the nobles, their subjects and the supporters they could get surrounding them and the various peoples they took in across the sea. After a few decades, they reformed into a powerful federation and are a mighty nation, well-known for their scientific and engineering prowess. They maintain close ties to the Daunbian Confederacy. Initially the Austrian Empire when it absorbed its neighbors that were formerly under the Ottomans, they reformed themselves to better represent the people. They have a unique culture, but still maintain Germanic ties. They are on still somewhat uneasy terms with the Ottomans, especially regarding the state of some of the city-states there such as the Greek city-state, but have remained quiet on the matter.

Meanwhile, the Polish Commonwealth had managed form despite the Plague making matters difficult, but were also able to assimilate the people more quickly. They also grew more powerful when some of the remnants of Muscovy also absorbed into the Commonwealth, while also growing the influence of the Eastern Orthodox church in it. However, arguably the strongest power, sharing the role with the Diarchy would be the Kalmar Union. They have only grown stronger and more powerful. They hold a certain amount of pride on what Vinland has done. At the same time, there exists small amounts of tension due to the religious divide. Granted, with the rise of secularism, these tensions have been easing up. Meanwhile, they maintain domain over their protectorate states and trading with Vinland and the other neighbors. They also have a strong economic rivalry with the Diarchy as well as in regards to cultural influence.

 

Centralist Coalition

In the middle of the frey, the Centralist Coalition form a pact to help manage Central Asia as well as compete for influence there and down south in the eastern coasts of Africa. The Ottoman Federation is the successor to the Ottoman Empire. Despite being crippled by the plague, they survived through good leadership, internal focus and a lot of luck. Of course, their lack of presence allowed their fellow Coalition members to rise and while they may have recovered, the Ottoman Federation still has seen better days. Their European members have become more agitated and have considered leaving though it’s been debated whether they could survive on their own. Despite this, they hang on as a secular republic and their tenacity is admirable. Meanwhile, Persia has grown only stronger. After their own collapse, Zoroastrianism became popular once more and rose up. The Muslim population either converted or were sent to live in vassal states, a magnanimous action the Zoroastrians considered. They also exploited the Ottoman’s weaknesses and fought them for control over the areas divided them, increasing their borders before expanding into Arabia. They have been getting into conflicts with the Sikh Empire however and are somewhat weary of their northern neighbors. Further south is the Solomonic dynasty. Having remained in power since ancient times, they are a powerhouse of industry and might. Benefitting from the refugees of the Plague, it allowed them to grow and expand. Early alliance with the Persians allowed them to modernize at a quick rate. They’ve been trying to get Kemet into their sphere of influence, but haven’t met with much success since Kemet is keen on neutrality, not to mention their fondness for their former partner-state, the Teutonic Federation. Despite this, the dynasty remains strong and has served as a haven for the Jewish diaspora as well.

 

Pacific Pact

The pact of powers that control the Pacific Ocean, this collection of countries are seen as the new kid on the block by the other alliances, though they’re also one not to be messed with. The Gvangjish Kingdom was formed after the Chinese Civil War by the Zheng along with other southern Chinese groups before they expanded down south, conquering and assimilating the peoples below. They’ve started industrialization somewhat recently, but the rich resources led to an economic boon in the region though some wonder if the kingdom will be able to maintain it. The Gvangjish have been planning to try and switch to a constitutional monarchy in order to better deal with the new change. They haven’t warred with the Khaganate up north in a while, but feelings remain tense. Not enough to build a second Great Wall of China however. Down south, the Majapahit Empire has recovered and thriving from a powerful thalassocratic empire. The rush of Buddhist followers and other refugees from India and the Chinese civil wars helped bring life back into the dying empire and they reclaimed their place as a strong power. Currently, they have been helping in modernizing their colonies while using their resources to build a strong middle class. Furthermore, they have also been receiving plenty of funds from tourists, incentivizing them to look into different forms of electricity production and have been experimenting with windmills, which has caught the attention of the rest of the world.  Lastly, the Incan Empire recently joined the Pact. The only native major power not to be aligned with the Vinlanders, they survived somewhat in obscurity up until the Gurunibira Kingdom was established. The early years were friendly and with trade, but it eventually became tense due to territory wars, which only ended with Pindorima being established. That said, it did inspire the Incans to go out to sea and see what laid out east. They colonized plenty of the small islands and some of the larger ones as well. They remain a proud nation with a close connection to their heritage.

 

Neutral Powers

Despite the balance of power because of these four blocs, some nations exist which could turn the tide. The Vijayanagara Empire is still somewhat bitter over its loss of territory in the Hindi-Sikh wars, but they have been getting over it thanks to modernizing though the hopes of getting back the land remain in the thoughts of some ambitious individuals. While not as strong as its neighbors, it is growing rapidly and some believe that should the Vijayanagara conquer the Sikh and Bhauti lands, they would grow quite powerful to present a challenge to Persia at the very least.

The Nipponese Shogun Khanate is a strange result of the Plague. While they remained ignorant of it, isolated from the world, it all came crashing down when they were invaded by the Manchurian Khaganate. Their superior numbers plus their devious use of proto-biological warfare by flinging infected corpses with the plague brought them to their knees and for the next several decades, they were a vassal state to the Khaganate. However, the Nipponese adapted the practices and proceeded to win their independence from the Khaganate. However, they have changed, becoming more powerful and ambitious. Their government a combination of the khan system and shogun system, they began expanding up north. The sudden population growth, a result to counter the effects of the Plague land to a surge for new lands and establishing vassal states and such. A growing power, they could become a strong sphere if they are able to maintain control of their vassals.

Lastly, the Manchurian Khaganate itself. Despite the prevailing Mongol culture and Mancurian influence and languages, the Chinese style still seems to live within. A strange mix of large and beautiful cities alongside large nomadic clans roaming around the side, serving as mobile towns, it is quite an exotic land to say the least. While they have not been as much of a rush to develop, they still take in to technology to help make nomadic life more convenient. Strongly Daoist in their belief, they’re a friendly culture and often lend outsider services to various other powers. They retain tense relations with Nippon and some believe war may break out between the two eventually should the Manchurians decide to take their vassal states for their own. They have also been getting into growing conflicts with the Siberian Khanate, especially since many Tengri believers fled there after the widespread acceptance of Daoism and its decree as the official religion during the early years. Regardless, these powers remain something to keep an eye on, especially as technology marches on.