1711–1714 Ostland Expedition
The 1711–1714 Ostland Expedition was a diplomatic and exploratory mission of Normark, sent to establish contact with the barbarian polities which had established a presence in eastern Keltia following the demise of Nova England. Ola Valtatsjakk, a leader of the Reindeer Herder indigenous nation and former speaker of the Nordisketing (1679–1685, 1687–1690), was chosen by His Majesty Tarjei Thorgilsson and the Prime Minister, Arnold Christianssønn Einhorn to carry a message of peace and amity to the purported court of Nikolaus VI, the man who had claimed sovereignty over a significant portion of Nova English territory along the shores facing the Warring Islands.
Plan
Once the primary mission of delivering the missive to the Reichsborg had been accomplished, the expedition was to continue onwards to Anahuaco, and establish contact with the newly admitted Raspur Pact allies there. The expedition was instructed to survey Arevacía, but not to tarry on its way to Anahuaco.
Departing from Revby, and travelling overland in a caravan of Snatch Land Rovers and pack horses, the expedition was to be accompanied by two eight-man teams from the Elian Militia and the Nordhær respectively, as well as a mounted warband provided by the chieftains of the Green Einhorns, intended to ensure the safety of the expedition as it traversed the Bassarid and harpy infested portions of the ungoverned wilderness.
Itinerary
- Revby to Sørstrand (a beach on the eastern bank of the Strait of Haifa, a few hours sail from the Norse border) (Norse Navy ship)
- Sørstrand to Holme ("caravan")
- Holme to Ostland border ("caravan")
- Ostland border to Reichsborg ("caravan")
- Reichsborg
- Reichsborg to Arevacía ("caravan")
- Arevacía to south of the border, natural harbour in the Green (Punto Cálcico) ("caravan")
- Punto Cálcico to Aldama (Anahuaco), refuelling stop. (Anahuaco Navy)
- Aldama (refuelling stop) to Puerto San Jeremías (Anahuaco Navy)
- Puerto San Jeremías to Ciudad de Anahuaco ("caravan")
- Ciudad de Anahuaco to Guerrero ("caravan")
- From Guerrero, sail north in the Strait of Haifa (Norse Navy ship)
- Return to Revby (Norse Navy ship)
Major participants
Ola Valtatsjakk, as representative of the King of Normark
Johannes Klaron Djupvik, as representative of the Order of the Holy Lakes and the Senate of the Lakes
Brocwulf, son of Sigeric, native guide to the Green and leader of a warband of the Einhorns of the Green.
Account of the expedition
Prologue
Ola Valtatsjakk, the aged Reinish statesman, was helping his eldest great-grandson, also named Ola, outside their goahti, in the central parts of the Boazodoalloguovlu, to tend to the birth of a new reindeer calf. The váža (as female reindeer are termed) was rather young, this was her first birth. Despite this, Ola (the younger one) was nervous. He had tended to many births before, but this was the first time in which he had responsibility. Being fourteen years of age, he had just passed the rite of manhood, and was considered a fellow adult among the Reinish people. It would be another four years before the rest of Normark's society would consider him a legal adult. But that was a matter of semantics.
As members of the Reinish nation, they had far-reaching autonomy. Reinish society was rather separated from that of the rest of the Norse society, and many matters of civil law, such as marriage and schooling, were delegated to the Reinish bodies. Ola and Ola paid little attention to the greater affairs of state – even though Ola the older had a long political career, culminating in holding the Speakership of the Nordisketing for almost ten years in total. This office had even forced him to travel to Eliria every week for meetings with the Council of Eliria. In those days, Normark was part of the Elwynnese Union, and as speaker of the Nordisketing, he was ex officio a member of the supreme legislature of the Union. He knew much of the world outside the Boazodoalloguovlu, spoke several languages (aside from his native Reinish, he spoke Norse, Elw, and some Babkhi, Martino, Alexandrian, and Saxon), but he felt only at peace, and at home, when tending to his herds of reindeer in the Boazodoalloguovlu. Time would pass slowly, it was quiet around him, and there was only he, his family, and their myriads of reindeer. And mosquitoes. Far too many mosquitoes. He hoped that he would never have to leave the Boazodoalloguovlu again, and that he could live out the rest of his days here.
He looked at his eldest great grandson, who had received his name in honour of him, and smiled. The lad was a good Reindeer Herder already, and he managed the váža's delivery without any problems. Great-grandpa didn't even have to intervene once. Suddenly, a tiny slime-covered calf emerged, dropped onto the autumn-reddish ground, and immediately managed to get on its four legs (albeit somewhat clumsily). The two Olas smiled to each other.
The calf was a female, and Ola the elder let the younger decide a name.
"Sigrid," he declared, "in honour of our queen". He referred to Sigrid Årud Jegerdatter.
Ola the elder assented.
Moments later, a helicopter bearing the coat of arms of the Kingdom emerged and landed a few minutes later right in front of them, scaring a way some of the herd (who fled some hundred metres – not a problem – they were all busy grazing anyway and needed some fresh ground to harvest).
Chapter 1: The mission
Chapter 2: Revby
The party had now arrived at Revby by rail, the town founded to link Normark and Mercury through the Trans-Keltian Express. The town was even named Revby (fox town) in honour of Joe Foxon, the first president of Mercury.
Chapter 3: Crossing the Green
Chapter 4: Arrival in Ostland
In Ostland, the expedition was met with initial skepticism from Ostlandic authorities. After a few weeks of informal house arrest in the capital (during which the expedition members had time to read Ostlandic literature, understand Ostlandic media, and become acquainted with the culture and concepts of this unique country), Ostlandic authorities softened and understood the authenticity of the expedition, and invited the members of the expeditions for formal negotiations on opening formal relations.
There were three negotiations conducted in tandem:
- Hurmu–Ostland relations
- Normark–Ostland relations
- Nordic Cultural Community
Hurmu–Ostland relations
With regard to the first of these, Ostlandic authorities were skeptical of beginning formal relations with Hurmu due to Hurmu not having a humanist ideology as its guiding ideology. The Hurmu representative sought assuage any skepticism by discussing the impact of humanism on Hurmu society and politics – Humanists have been in Hurmu's government since Hurmu's re-establishment 22 years ago. With emphasis on Hurmu's Norse culture and anti-Storish approach, representatives of the two governments could agree on establishing formal relations, under the following principles:
- Acknowledgement of each other's neutrality in matters of war and other matters
- Acknowledgement of each other's shared Norse history, culture, and mutual understanding, including, but not limited to, the role of the Einhorn lineage in both countries.
- Establishment of embassies in each other's countries
- Opening up certain trade routes via air and sea on certain products
Normark–Ostland relations
Negotiations between Normark and Ostland were easier than those between Hurmu and Ostland, due to the shared humanist creed and Einhorn lineage in both countries. There was some military mistrust between them, however, and Normark agreed to respect Ostland's military neutrality at all times.
Moreover, both countries agreed on establishing trade routes, allowing for cultural pilgrimages, exchanging embassies, as well as both committing themselves to a human-only Keltian future.
Nordic Cultural Community
The three countries decided to set up a Nordic Cultural Community to help change the Norse narrative that had been appropriated by Stormark in the last two centuries. In this community, the countries would aid one another in fields of archaeology, anthropology, religion, mythology and theology, linguistics, history, and runology. This would include shared research grants, research and student exchanges, cultural trips for pre-approved participants, and so on.
