High Kingdom of Yooper

Map of Yooper

1. Guthræthi of Flattberg
2. Jarldom of Bjorile

The High Kingdom of Yooper

"Þú Veðja!"

Established: 6/19/2675

The High Kingdom of Yooper, Commonly just referred to as "Yooper", "Superior", or "Uppen" by some cultures, is a small tribal Kingdom on the peninsula between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. It contains most of the Peninsula but does not fully control the former counties of Gogebic, Iron, Dickson, or Menominee. It has a total area of 14,824 mi², though with a subsequent population of only 46,386, is an extremely loosely populated realm even by tribal standards. Yooper is classified as a “High Kingdom”, though calling it such is technically incorrect as the highest titles below it are Jarldoms. Similarly, Yooper is only referred to in its native languages as “The Kingdom of” Yooper, Kongeriket Yooper, or Kongerdom af Yooper in the three most common languages. Its government is a semi-elective monarchy with a King, or rather Konge, acting as supreme ruler over the entire realm. While the King is autocratic by nature, he is elected by every recognized tribal leader. However, unlike most elective monarchies, only members of the Soady dynasty can be elected.

Yooper is frequently considered to be one of the most powerful of the Norse realms in terms of sheer military power. While the Merchant Republic of Duluth distinctly has more influence and Minnesota is distinctly larger in both size and troops, the land of the Upper Peninsula is known for its harsh climate and mixture of Finnish, Nordic, and American cultures, creating a patriotic and “hardy” culture known for stoic determination and valor. While it is powerful, it is approaching a crossroad in history as the Viking Era of North America is slowly drawing to an end. While it might have another century until the Viking Era is truly over, even the most headstrong of Berserkers are realizing that their downfall might be near. Only time can tell if they will fight their last stand, if they’ll ship the oars and accept Christianity, or if they’ll join the world stage as civilized Pagans with a reformed faith. However, until then, the Yoopers remain a terrifying force in the Midwest, with even the cities of Chicago and Detroit closing their gates when they see the moose-tree banner sailing in the distance.

Geography

Yooper contains around 14,824 square miles of territory and is primarily located on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Saint Marys River is its easternmost border whilst its westernmost border is a bit fuzzy but contains the vast majority of populated villages east of Wakefield on its Northwestern border whilst Flattberg (Escanaba) is its Southeastern border. The realm also contains Beaver Island, Grand Island, and Bois Blanc Island. However, only one Beaver Island is populated and is home to Jarldom of Bjorile, the smallest recognized Jarldom in the world. 4.2% of the realm is water, entirely inland as any claims over area in the lakes would be both unenforceable and would likely stir tensions in the previously “neutral” Great Lakes.

The vast majority of the Upper Peninsula is forested, with around 82% of the realm being forest with farms and grassland being scattered and in-between large sections of woodlands. In terms of terrain variation, the East is far flatter with the region being considered apart of the Great Lakes Plains. However, the more westwards one goes, the rougher the terrain becomes until reaching the Laurentian Upland, which Yooper contains a portion of. The Uplands of Yooper is highly mountainous with peaks reaching way about 1500’ above sea level. This region is also rich in resources such as iron, copper, nickel, silver, and even small amounts of gold. However, due to the presence of the large hills, the west is also less densely populated, albeit only slightly. Marshlands and swamps are present within the central area of Yooper, the vast majority of which being conifer swamps. This includes the Gogomain Swamp, the so-called “Kingdom of Darkness”, which is supposedly so cursed that not even the experienced swampmen of Wexas and Louisiana or Woodsmen of Minnesota are expected to come back alive.

Climate

The entire Upper Peninsula is classified as Humid Continential, specifically the Warm Summer subtype. Due to the presence of Lake Huron, winters are long, cold, and snowy. Due to its latitude, days can be as short as 8 hours during the winter, and during the summer, days rarely last longer than 11 hours as well. The hottest month of the year is July, with an average of high of 74.5*F, though sometimes it can be as high as 90*F on abnormally hot days. While it can get that hot, it typically doesn’t go higher than 75*F and usually, there is an average temperature of 66.5*F throughout the day. On the other hand, the coldest month of the year is January. Though February has lower minimum temperatures, January is on average colder. The typical day during January does not get hotter than 25*F and can get as cold as -49*F. While January is the coldest month, winter tends to last from November to April, with calendars and seasons thusly reflecting this variation in climate from the typical 4-season calendars most of the world uses.

In terms of precipitation, snow is common throughout half of the year. Even during the “summer” months, traces of snow may be found, especially in higher latitudes. Throughout the year, some communities have reported upwards of 300 inches of snow, averaging at around 20 inches of snow every month during the winter months. Subsequently, communities frequently have to adapt to the heavy snow. However, during months that aren’t covered by snow, Yooper is relatively dry. While humid, rain is rarer on average than most regions of America, with an average yearly rainfall of 29 inches, which in comparison to regions like Florida or Texas, is very dry.

Pre-Soady History

According to the earliest legends of Yooper Mythology, the first men crossed the Straits of Mackinac by boat after the American Government compromised between the “Trolls” of Michigan, otherwise referred to as “Wolverines” and the “Buckeyes” of Ohio. While Ohio would get the city of Toledo, the Michiganders would get the Upper Peninsula in 1836. The “Frostbitten Convention”, as it was called, caused the Michiganders to move north in order to try and tame The Upper Peninsula. However, this caused a rift between the “Lower” Michiganders and the “Upper” Yoopers, especially after Nordic and Finnish immigrants began to settle in the region as well. This cultural split even caused many to want to split off from Michigan to become their own state, though due to the logistical challenges of such an event, independence would not be realized until after the event. Yooper remained mostly forested, an oddity in an increasingly urbanizing world. Their total population would never exceed 400,000 and their largest city of Marquette would never exceed 30,000 either, making their region considerably “untamed” compared to the rest of Michigan.

When the event occurred, the lands of Yooper were not immediately devastated by whatever the event was. No warlord would rise in the region, and instead, the region would briefly unify in order to try and survive. However, as goods stopped flowing into the region, the population slowly succumbed to the cold and hunger. However, there were survivors, and those survivors divided the land into tribes of varying importance. While these tribes divided Yooper, they remained culturally distinct from their Southern counterparts, only strengthened by both their isolation and hard land. For the next 200 years after the event, the Yoopers would be culturally and religiously isolated from the rest of the world. They would be the last Non-Amish Protestants in the Midwest, refusing to convert to Catholicism despite attempts at both peaceful and violent conversion though also refusing to be subjugated to the Evangelical Church of the South. However, they would actually convert to a Finnish-Christian syncretic religion, which would place Heikki Lunta as the “Spirit” of Winter, a God that would later be added to the American Norse Pantheon.

In 2271, the Yoopers encountered the “Northlanders” of Minnesota. Like the Catholics, the Norsemen preached of the end times and how only through the will of supernatural entities did mankind survive. However, unlike Catholics, the Yoopers converted to the Norse religion as Heikki Lunta was actually a God within many tribes of Minnesota and Wisconsin bordering the Yoopers, including the band that was trying to convert them. Temples to Thor, Freya, and Paul Bunyan would start appearing in 2281 alongside pre-existing temples to Heikki Lunta. Their faith would only grow with time as memories of Protestantism grow distant and Christianity became associated with the Catholic Church. Despite their new faith, life did not change much in terms of relations outside of the Upper Peninsula. They would continue to trade with Michigan, and even though the typical Viking image portrayed them as such, did not raid foreigners either. However, when the longship was re-invented in 2316, some Yoopers could be found as adventurers, re-exploring lands and trading with them, or as mercenaries to both raiders and those fighting against raiders.

The first legitimate attack by the Yoopers occurred in 2362 when the tribe of Soo attacked a village near Clear Rapids due to previous attacks on Sooer Merchants. The raid was successful, and further raids would happen during the later 2300s and early 2400s. While their armies were typically not much larger than 400, the ferocity of the soldiers reportedly made up for it as villages, monasteries, and other small settlements became targets of raids. However, in 2453, a coalition of Yoopers managed to besiege many cities and castles in West Michigan, even managing to kill the Duke during a breach of Holland. While previous Norse raids had occurred, the ransack of West Michigan began the height of the Viking Era of North America. Similarly, it put the Yoopers on the map - not as a weird tribal people in the far north - but as warriors who refuse to back down even during the toughest of situations. Though, as to be expected, that image was mostly exaggerated accounts of their raids.

From 2453 to 2600, the Yoopers and other followers of the Norse religion ransacked the great lakes and northern Mississippi. Not even the mighty cities of St. Louis or Toronto were safe as Northlander, Dellsmen, and Yoopers frequently attempted to besiege the city, sometimes even looting parts of it then leaving. However, the cities that saw the most raids were Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland. While these raids were destabilizing for the Catholic and Rust Cultist world, not all of the Yoopers were raiders. The vast majority of Yoopers remained in their homeland, peaceful merchants, or equally peaceful explorers. Yoopers during this time used their ore resources and refined metals to trade with the Great Lakes, making both tools and weapons for Norse and Non-Norse alike as far away as New Orleans. Similarly, Yooper explorers could be found almost everywhere East of the Rockies, sometimes beyond as they traveled the I-90 and I-40 to the lands of the Pacific Coast. Some legends even state that, with the help of Newfie fishermen and sailors, a longship of mixed Yooper-Northlander-Newfie crew landed in Iceland, coming into contact with a strange people even more tribal and bizarre than the Northerners.

Kingdom of Superior and Downfall

In 2598, Albert Soady would be born to his parents, poor farmers in Markathur. He was a landless Yooper, but what he lacked in ownership he made up with charismatic and martial skills. In 2627, he raised an army of nearly 23,000 Yoopers and Northlanders to ransack the largest city on the Great Lakes: Chicago. While previous raids had occurred in the city, Albert not only breached the walls but managed to ransack the entire city. He had the then-President of the Americanists and his family sacrificed to the Gods along with several other religious authorities in the city. Chicago would only be the first city, as he then sailed down the Mississippi River, getting tribute from or ransacking every city he came across, including St. Louis, New Orleans, Minneapolis, and Memphis. He took Mobile by siege, leaving only a few hundred survivors out of the thousands that used to live in the city before moving onto Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville. In the Confederacy, not even their mighty knights could stop him as he took tribute from Savannah and Charleston and destroyed Wilmington. Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and even Boston gave him tribute. He returned home on the Saint Lawrence River and, given how most of Canada knew of his exploits by this point, he gained tribute from both Anglicans and Ursulines without a fight. Due to a previous treaty, he left Detroit alone before, in a show of power, he raided ruined remains of Chicago as his last raid.

By far the most successful Viking of all time, Albert Soady had enough money and influence to not only establish himself amongst Vikings as a legend but forge his own bloodline: The Soadys, a title respected by both Vikings and Pirates who caught word of his exploits. He settled in Markathur and, with his army of the 10,500 survivors, overthrew the local chieftain and consolidated all of the Yooper tribes under him. However, whilst the other Norse expected Albert to pillage and take their lands by force, Albert instead offered peaceful vassalization. He would even respect the cultural customs of tribes such as the League of Twin Cities, but they must accept him as King of the Kingdom of Superior. Not wanting to suffer the potential consequences, almost all of the tribes and even the “civilized” city of Duluth became vassals of Albert. His previous raids and raids taken by him and other members of the Kingdom are known as the zenith of the Viking Era of North America. Even the faraway cities of New York and New Orleans shivered at the thought of Longships landing on their shore. Though, ironically, this was the most peaceful era as most settlements knew to simply pay tribute to these men rather than try and fight.

Being the Zenith, however, also meant that this would soon come to an end. King Albert Soady died at the age of 58 a natural death. While it was expected that Remnar Soady, his eldest son, would become King of Superior, without the terrifying presence of Albert, the Kingdom fell apart as Soady’s two sons, Remnar and Reuben, became mere chieftains of tribes in Yooper as even the peninsula fell apart. The Vikings of the far north returned to their pre-Soady state and large-scale raids such as those committed by Albert became non-existent. 15 years after the death of Soady, the Norse suffered another major blow through the disastrous raid of Little Rock, which saw the death of the Jarl Pal Ringbringer, a rift between Viking-Pirate relations, and the first time a minor city had managed to resist such a large army. Many historians point to that siege as the beginning of the end of the Viking Era of America, as raids became more common - but more unsuccessful.

Reemergence of the Soadys

While the Kingdom had fallen, Albert Soady had a lot of children to carry that legacy. While most were women, and thusly married for political power or their beauty, Albert had two sons: Remnar and Reuben. The brothers loved each other as family, and due to being granted their own lands, allied with each other to join each other’s wars. Remnar, however, wanted to restore at least some of his Father’s legacy. So, with his brother, he devised a plan to unify the Yooper peoples under one banner. Remnar first started by invading the Jarldom of Soo in 2673. The war went well, as the combined forces of the two brothers won at several battles in the Hiawatha National Forest before surrounding Sault Ste. Marie. However, Remnar was a bit too eager to see the war over, and thusly destroyed most of the town by pelting it with catapult rocks. A disappointed Reuben was given the title of Jarl of Soo, though he moved his capital to Munising as Soo was damaged. Reuben also gave Flattberg to a friend of his as a theocratic vassal, as he owed a favor to him.

Noting how poorly the war in Soo went, Reuben took control of the war against Iron Mountain and Copperland. Iron Mountain’s war ended a lot more smoothly and, alternatively, they found major support from Yooper rebels in Copperland against their primarily Northlander counterparts. A treaty would be signed between the Yooper rebel leader and the Soady brothers, agreeing to accept the rebel as both a legitimate leader and as a vassal of the “King” of the Yoopers, in exchange for control of Ontonagon. This treaty is considered to be the first document that officially mentions the High Kingdom of Yooper. However, there was a major problem, neither brother could agree on who should be given the title of King. Both agreed they gave about equal effort, but the argument came between Remnar’s better administrative skills and Reuben’s better martial skills. Remnar argued that they need to administer their new lands and, as such, he should be King. Meanwhile, Reuben argued that outside powers would look upon their new Kingdom with envy and, as such, needed a militarily competent leader. Not wanting to kill each other over the position, the brothers instead agreed to let their new vassals decide who would become King. They invited all the Jarls, Chieftans, and one Referi to vote on which brother would become King. After weeks of debate, the Vassals voted for Remnar, and he became the first King of the newly established Hight Kingdom of Yooper.

Reunified Yooper

While Remnar was indeed able to handle internal affairs fairly well, his brother’s superstitions turned out to be right when the combined force of The Republic of Duluth, The tribe of The Woodlands, and Green Bay formed a coalition and tried to invade Yooper to depose the Soadys, fearing what happened last time a Soady had so much power. Remnar, rather than fighting to the very end, instead made a peace with the coalition. He explained to them that, in good faith, he was no harm to them and that he would remain within Yooper. He offered them a gift of some gold and, in the case of the Republic of Duluth, he offered that he would refuse to allow Detroit to build trading posts in his realm. They accepted this treaty and, as an indirect consequence, they recognized Remnar’s kingly authority over Yooper. While he had managed to maintain peace, such peace was unpopular with some people as it was seen as cowardly to negotiate without a fight. Despite this, Remnar would continue to rule until his death, where he would formalize the elective system of Yooper.

Due to their opinion of his father, Remnar’s son Ole was not elected to be King. Instead, Reuben’s son Teppo was elected king. Teppo became to be known as the peacemaker for his peace-loving nature, something which was actually respected by the Yoopers for they had previously seen so many decades of war. Teppo visited “Lower” Michigan and made peace with their dukes, proclaiming that he would not attack them out of cultural respect. He also made several visits to the Republic of Duluth, both to negotiate trade deals and to simply visit both the city and its inhabitants. Along with external affairs, King Teppo would manage internal affairs as well, building several structures and even helping to rebuild the village of Soo, though it would never grow to be a major settlement even under Teppo. His last crowning achievement would be to build a mural to the Soadys, with each new King asked to add their own story onto it. He would die in 2749 from natural causes.

The next, and current, King is Bernd Soady. A far cry from his “Peacemaker” predecessor, Bernd was previously known for ransacking Cleveland with only 512 men, albeit after getting extremely lucky. His prestige, in combination with his “natural” charisma, got him elected as his competitor was a frail man. While Bernd upheld Teppo’s request to not attack Michigan, even going as far as visiting Detroit, the rest of the Great Lakes is, according to him, free game. Using a personal army of 1200, he managed to besiege Chicago. He, in honor of his great-grandfather, took all of its money and executed its duke. He became a known Viking, being considered dangerous by Ontario, Illinois, and Ohio. However, these attacks are more than just Bernd being greedy. Bernd, along with some within the Kingdom, realizes that the time of the Viking might be coming to an end sooner than they’d like. And so, while Bernd and his Vassals are trying their best to delay it, sooner or later, history’s change may force Yooper to take drastic actions.

The High Kingdom of Yooper is an elective monarchy with the Soady Dynasty being the current ruling dynasty of Yooper. The King, or Konge, is the Head of State and Government and acts as the sovereign over the entire Kingdom. Unlike the feudal realms elsewhere, however, Yooper is primarily tribal, with legal code, organized religion, and any form of organized hierarchy being absent except in the loosest of forms. Similarly, the authority of the King or his vassals is not legally enshrined, with many communities and tribes having significant autonomy over their own land. Unlike many Kingdoms, however, Yooper has an elective monarchical system where, upon the death of the previous King, the member of the Soady Dynasty with the most votes becomes King until their death. This system has been compared to the Celtic Tanistry, though with some key differences, the biggest of which being only landed Soadys or their adult sons can be elected. Women cannot become King but can vote if they are a recognized Jarl, Chieftain, or if they had been appointed to run the templetown of Flattberg.

Below the King are his vassals. There are 4 Jarldoms: Soo, Markathur, Bjorile, and Kopparhoffin, along with one Theocracy: Flattberg. Below the Jarls are Chieftains. Chieftains are anyone who runs a settlement with a population of over 200 and, technically speaking, all Jarls double as Chieftains of their own settlement. Similarly, all Kings have been Jarls, as Jarls who are elected as King keep their personal holdings. With the exception of Flattberg, Vassals are typically hereditary and hold significant power over their own lands, but still have to pay taxes to their King. Jarls have Chiefdoms below them and collect taxes from them as well. However, this system is not to be confused with feudalism, as, unlike feudalism, recognition of lordship does not exist outside of paying taxes. Under the tribal system of Yooper, prestige matters a lot more than birthright, with there even being cases of Chieftains being overthrown by more popular members of their community.

The Economy of Yooper is primarily based on farming, mining, and logging. Farms make up the majority of Yooper industry and manpower, with most of the population either farming or ranching. Barley is a staple crop of the Yoopers, with the crop being found in many meals and its grain being used to feed sheep and cattle. Alternatively, especially in the hilly western part of the Kingdom, mining is a lot more common. The most common ore found in the western part of the region is iron, but nickel, copper, and silver are also frequently mined. This mining tradition dates back to the 1800s and is actually a source of pride for some communities. Gold is also irregularly found in the region, but as silver is a much more common resource, silver is considered to be the more valuable resource. Ores are typically processed within Yooper as well, allowing them to either be used within the region or shipped overseas for profit. Logging is also a common industry, with lumberjacks being idolized as an honorable people akin to ranchers in Wexas or merchants in New York.

While Yooper has an excess of metals and timber, it is heavily lacking in many other goods. As such, merchants can be frequently found within and without Yooper, especially in the cities of Duluth and Detroit. While not as wealthy as their republican counterparts, without trade, Yooper could survive - but it would be extremely rough as Yooper imports most of its wheat, fruits, cotton, linen, etc. Due to this, being a Merchant is a highly respected career that comes with it its own prestige and, in the case of Kopparhoffin, even its own privileges as “established” merchants can get tax breaks. Raiding actually only has a minute impact on Yooper’s economy. While it does give the raiders and their families a boost in wealth, this wealth usually either only stays in the family or is circulated back out of Yooper through trade deals. Similarly, it is too infrequent to be a consistent stream of income for the realm. However, sometimes those quick bursts of cash are used to improve areas, allowing for some long-term growth.

The population of Yooper is 46,386 and its population is mostly religiously Norse Yoopers. However, the realm isn’t entirely religiously or ethnically homogenous. Some Yoopers consider themselves to be Finnish rather than uniquely Yooper, especially in more isolated communities of the Northwest. Ojibwe, Motowners, and Lacustrine minorities also inhabit the realm either as immigrants, slaves, or freed slaves and their descendants. There are negligible amounts of Ontarians, Chicagoans, and other cultures found in the Midwest and Canada. In terms of religion, the most common religion is the Norse Faith. However, “Yooper” Protestants - which is to say the pre-conversion religion of the Yoopers - are both a sizable and accepted minority within the realm. Catholic, Rust Cultists, or Anglican Yoopers, on the other hand, aren’t so peacefully accepted. Despite all of these minorities, a general number is that in any given major community, every 49 of 50 people within the community would be a Norse Yooper.

In terms of social structure, the vast majority of peoples within the realm are tribals living in single-family homes, typically either farming or mining. Those who live in the woods alone or with their family also exist but are less common due to logistical problems. The closest the Yoopers have to an ‘upper class’ consists of about 500-or-so wealthy landowners, chieftains, and Jarls. This number is so low due to both economic conditions and how inheritance is nominally spread through gavelkind, leaving large portions of wealth divided between sons and so on and so forth. While slavery is practiced in Yooper, it is not to the same extent as other Norse realms. Typically speaking, slaves only serve servitude roles, and traditional chattel slavery is uncommon, so there is far less of a demand for slaves. Similarly, a slave may be freed at any time if they are no longer needed - or killed, but the former is usually more common than the latter.

Yooper has special relationships with the Republic of Duluth and several other Norse realms. In particular, it continues to exclusively only allow Duluth to build trade posts on their land, though other realms are permitted to trade in general. As such, Duluth and Yooper are rather close, especially as Silver and Iron are resources Duluth particularly lacks. Another realm it is friendly with is Green Bay, as through marriage by Teppo, they have remained friendly due to familial ties between the Soadys and Kleutschs. Other regions they are friendly with include the Michigan realms after the “Teppo promise”, one which the current King has upheld, some revelationist tribes, and the tribe of Interlake: which while they are not independent, the Matyr of Interlake has signed a non-aggression pact with the King out of “respect” for the latter’s heritage.

While Yooper is friendly with many states, it has made a lot of enemies as well. The Duchy of Cook, who has had their leaders recently killed by the King of Yooper, is particularly hostile towards Yooper. The Duke of the Reserve, whose father was killed by the now King of Yooper as well, is hostile towards Yooper as well. Most Catholics view Yooper with suspicion, fear, or anger due to previous relations, especially as the Soady Dynasty is their ruler, similarly with Rust Cultists, Anglicans, Americanists, Voodoo, and mostly everyone else east of the Mississippi. West of the Mississippi, the Cowboy realms of the Trailwalkers have resentment towards Yooper, though this is more of a general distrust of Vikings rather than bad feelings to Yooper in particular. Both Californian and Cascadian realms have made note of Soadys conquest and, while they are thankful for the fact he didn’t “travel west”, they still dislike his raids as a humanitarian crisis.

As for Wexas, if you’re curious about what they think, the Wexan King Jerry II sent a letter congratulating Bernd for his ascension. He called Bernd's ancestor Albert Soady’s actions “sick”, in the context of being “cool” or “rad”, but Jerry was also thankful that Albert did not try to ransack Wexas - albeit jokingly noting that it would have been a net loss for Albert due to the lack of resources in Wexas. However, there is little interaction between the two polities otherwise.