Varjan people
| Varjans | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 6,924 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Hurmu |
6,924 |
* Normandie |
6,900 |
| Languages | |
| Common Tongue | |
| Religion | |
| Norman Orthodox Church | |
The Varjan people are a culturally distinct micronational group whose identity traces back to the short-lived Communist Republic of Varja, founded in 1470 AN. Though the original state collapsed within less than two decades, its legacy evolved through layers of conquest, assimilation, and cultural transformation. Today, only a few villages near the Arpad frontier of Normandie still claim Varjan descent, though they have been largely Normanised and intermixed with the Kernevon sub-population.
History
Varja was founded in July 1470 AN by a figure known as El’Dorni, later revealed to be Thomas Hubert, a notorious former micronational agitator. Hubert had previously disappeared from the scene, only to re-emerge under a new identity. Varja attracted a small group of Elendor-based roleplayers, including:
- Zarathustra Erutirn ("Zary"): a practical Idahoan and El’Dorni’s close ally.
- Sirithil nos Fëanor: a conservative Canadian roleplaying as an Elven queen, who clashed ideologically with El’Dorni.
- Others such as Gozzle (a monarchist), Friedrich Bakunin (a communist idealist), and Sirithil’s friends Adam Safran and Phoenix Valor.
Varja declared itself a communist republic and achieved initial diplomatic recognition, particularly from Baracao.
Controversy and Collapse
The early stability of Varja was disrupted when Dafydd Young of Baracao uncovered that El’Dorni was in fact Thomas Hubert. The revelation caused an uproar in the micronational community due to Hubert’s controversial past. While Hubert claimed to be "playing a character" in his earlier appearances, skepticism remained.
Zarathustra defended Hubert passionately, urging others not to judge the new Varja by its founder's history. But the real crisis came shortly after Sirithil nos Fëanor won the election to replace Hubert as Prime Minister. In a dramatic move, Hubert annulled the election, expelled Sirithil, and effectively established autocratic control. Many citizens, outraged by the power grab, left Varja to support Sirithil’s newly formed nation, the Imperium of Menelmacar. By 1484 AN, Varja had effectively collapsed, reduced to a shell of its former self with only a few communists and loyalists remaining.
Assimilation and Legacy
Following its fall, Varja was absorbed into Duchy of Normandie (Stormark) during a wave of conquests and was subject to a campaign of Normanisation. The Varjan people were reclassified as part of the Kernevon ethnic subgroup of Normandie. In the mid-1500s, Varjan-inhabited territories came under the Vanic cultural sphere, a period that lasted until the fall of Stormark in 1685 AN. Over the following centuries, the region entered a feudal dark age characterized by local lords, isolation, and fragmentation. In 1744 AN, the region was formally reintegrated into the Grand Duchy of Normandie. Since then, the Varjan name has faded from administrative records but survives in oral traditions and village identities in the Arpad frontier.
Modern Varjans
Today, a few scattered villages on the Arpad borderlands of Normandie continue to refer to themselves as Varjan, despite carrying significant Kernevon genetic and cultural influence. These communities often maintain distinct regional dialects and customs, and identify with their ancestral name more out of nostalgia and regional pride than actual political or ethnic continuity.
