Project Purity - APP
☣ Player
Name: Elisabeth
Personal LJ: olynthus
Age: 19
Contact: ( aim ) nightmistfairy / ( plurk ) olynthus
Current Characters: N/A!
Are you fine with your application being unscreened? Yes
[Optional] Where did you hear about PP? Friends
☣ Character
Character Name: Norway, the Kingdom of
Character Age: officially 1069; physically, like, 19
Canon + Format: Axis Powers Hetalia + Web comic
Background: One day a long, long time ago, a Country was suddenly born when a man named Harald finally defeated the last of the neighbouring petty kings. This country was Norway-a cute little kid, whose name roughly means “way to the north”. The year was 872. The only other “kingdoms” in Europe weren't even really kingdoms: there were the Franks, Denmark, England was a kid, and Russia was...something. Maybe a province.
Right off the bat, you can see that Norway's old. Like really, really old. He might not look it, and most people might forget it, but he doesn't. It's part of the reason why he's so jaded and detached-he's just dealt with a lot. Probably everything, really. So for him, a lot of worldly things are vaguely wearying. But rather than dwell on this and lament things past, he honours history where it's important. As for the rest of it, he handles it with an attitude and humour that only really makes sense to him.
Let's start in 1349, when Norway got Plague. Up until this time, he had been experiencing a kind of power decay. He had been declining since his power peeked in Viking times, but he still had control of Iceland, Faeroes, and Greeland. Then he lost 50%~60% of his population and a good portion of his nobility. The crown fell to a Swedish heir, and until 1355 Norway was in a union with Sweden, when the next heir came of age and could be crowned King of Norway. This was Håkon. He then married Margrethe, a sister of the Danish king.
And then the Danish king died. When he did, Denmark's throne went by right to Olaf, the son of Håkon and Margrethe.
But then Olaf himself died of sickness. So. The Norwegian male royal line was pretty much pwned.
That left Margrethe and her nephew, Eric of Pomerania. Margrethe, with a vision of a united, single Scandinavian state, worked to have her nephew elected-and accepted-as the king of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. This she achieved finally in 1397. Although some of the other magnates weren't in agreement with her definition of it, kalmarunionen was born.
For Norway, this union entailed a kind drop in status. Not that he was oppressed or repressed, but he lacked the social structure that Denmark and Sweden had. Consequently, he lost influence within the union, losing power to Denmark and Sweden. Over time strife broke out between the two, catching Norway up in between them. Brief as it was, he allied with Sweden in 1439-40, when the two of them were so against the king Denmark they fought about it.
But mostly, Norway was kind of just. There. Not getting any more powerful, but not disappearing from the map either. He had his own church still, and chilled with Denmark when he wasn't busy eking out an existence from what part of his land was arable--or when Denmark wasn't busy fighting with Sweden about power within in the union. This strange kind of twilit, backseat position that Norway fell into during these years was the beginning of a pattern that would define the next few centuries of his existence.
And then it was 1521. Sweden, sick of Danish rule and political antics, decided he had had enough. So he tried to leave. In a strip, Sweden mentions that he leaves the house (where he had been living with Denmark) with Finland because he's tired of the issues. It might be worth noting that Sweden does not mention Norway as a reason for leaving, or even at all.
Anyway, needless to say that Denmark wasn't exactly thrilled with Sweden leaving. What went down next was Denmark''s boss Christian II going to Sweden to play out a reprisal against the Swedish nobility and various other important people that supported breaking the union. The total executions would number around a hundred; the episode would be known as the Stockholm Bloodbath.
So terrible was it, Christian II would be dethroned by his own people in 1523. But the damage was done: Sweden officially broke from the union, and a resentment that would lay--simmering--beneath decades of war was kindled. It would take centuries for Sweden to calm down (and even then he really didn't), and would refuse over and over to reunify. Kalmarunionen was not completely dead, however, for Norway, too weak to manage it structurally and politically, had not left. This of course meant that Denmark and Norway continued on in a union.
But.
Norway wasn't exactly thrilled with this arrangement. You see, around this time Denmark got a new boss who, despite claiming to be against Lutheranism, wasn't actually all that averse to the ideas of the Reformation. Also, the whole dethroning of Christian II? Not really cool with Norway: for centuries, he had only ever been a hereditary monarch. And he's a guy who likes tradition. So when the rightful king replaced by an elected substitute-who was elected by Danish nobles no less-it would only follow that Norway would get a little ticked.
So, the logical solution? He teamed up with about everyone conservative ever-Church officials, old nobles, and even good old Christian II himself, who planned to use Norway as a launching point for an invasion of Denmark. Norway even asked the Archbishop (outside power, aka the Holy Roman Empire) to invade him in hopes of setting up a situation in which the Danes might be kicked out, but it didn't go over so well. In fact, it all pretty much dissolved into a conflict called the Count's War following the death of Frederik I in 1533. The conflict led to some pretty important things, the paramount being that Christian III, on the “liberal.” Lutheran side, ended up becoming the elected king of Denmark. In his charter of 1536 he effectively altered the fabric of Norwegian society by
1) chartering away Norway's Council; from now on, Denmark would take care of Norway's political affairs;
2) making the Norwegian church Lutheran; all earnings and tributes paid to the church were now diverted to the Danish crown
3) altering the clergy that had played a prominent role in Norwegian life in lieu of nobility;
4) threatening Norway with subjugation and the loss of his independent kingdom if he were to ever join in any armed conflict against Denmark.
Some pretty heavy stuff there. This is the point in history where things truly became “tense” or “strained” between Denmark and Norway, especially in retrospect. You see, it's really easy to think that Norway was made a Danish province at this time; he wasn't, but that's the common misconception, one that was heavily disseminated in and after 1814.
Be that as it may, it wasn't the best time for Norway. Here's where some say the “decline” of Norway started. But that is really an ugly term that skews the truth. It was more like the disappearance-for all intents and purposes, Norway disappeared from world history for the next few centuries. And he didn't decline so much as just become stagnant. Technologically, he advanced a bit, and his population grew. Though he was involved in wars-Denmark and Sweden would begin to fight with each other on and off, as well as get sucked into conflicts on the continent. Norway never led anyone but his own army, and his involvement with other countries was very limited. Most of his contact with outside forces was limited to trading partners and the actions of the Hanse, a group of merchant elite that had control of Norway's fishing for awhile.
Meanwhile, Norway's personal outlook began to change. Headcanon: for the first time, Denmark was really truly beginning to pay attention to him. Before this, Denmark had been focussed on Sweden with an intensity so strong it contributed to Sweden's break from the family. Although still focussed on Sweden, by and by Denmark began to notice Norway, spending more and more money and time on Norwegian affairs. So, for a time, Norway was resigned to being taken care of. Maybe he wasn't happy about it, but he didn't revolt. Norway didn't become Danish during this time-the two cultures diffused to a large degree, and Danish became the language of the realm since Norwegian, no longer having a sponsor in a local church, faded away--but Denmark never forced Norway to give up his identity as Norwegian. He loved him-overbearingly so-but always Norway was, well, Norway.
So, Norway's sense of independence did develop a little bit. Not in the sense that he had an identity that was repressed, but that he had an identity that was linked closely with Denmark. Because they were friends-maybe lovers-and their union lasted 434 years. As the years passed, he and Denmark both settled into a kind of personal routine. Denmark's the one who did the most falling in love, though, and came to see Norway as something--more. As his bff, if you will. I believe Denmark came to see Norway as his best friend, too, because they just spent a lot of time together. While Norway himself came to care deeply for Denmark, his affection seems almost nominal compared to Denmark's since 1) he is no where near as expressive or emotive as Denmark, and 2) he's just not as fond of Denmark as Denmark is of him.
Skipping some years. Denmark and Sweden fought some more wars, essentially. :| Also did some reforming.
On 2 April, 1801, England, in a move justified by war and self-interest, attacked Copenhagen. He was not happy with Denmark trying to be neutral in the Napoleonic conflict(s). Though England was the primary maritime power at this time, Denmark managed to put up a pretty decent fight, especially considering that a lot of his navy was dismantled at the time. Even after peace was negotiated and concessions made, he got to keep his neutral trading rights. A pretty sweet deal to be sure, but it probably contributed to a certain atmosphere that lacked the appropriate urgency and caution.
The corrective lesson would come on 2 September, 1807, when England attacked Copenhagen once more. This time, however, there was no mercy. Copenhagen was utterly devastated. What part of Denmark's navy wasn't destroyed, England carried off. Denmark was forced so forced to join Napoleon's side, against England.
So, as part of Denmark, this put Norway into the war. From the beginning, he wasn't exactly thrilled by the decision to side with Napoleon, and this discontent became amplified when his people-and he himself-began to starve. Yeah. England had blockaded. He could not get grain from Denmark, and his own exports of timber and fish suffered. Only in 1809 did things get better when Denmark, wary of possible Norwegian discontent, worked out a deal with England. Norway was allowed to export timber to England and in return England exempted vessels taking Danish grain to Norway. This deal was screwed over in 1812, however, and soon enough famine (and peasant uprisings) were back. What's worse, there were crop failures in Norway.
Meanwhile, Sweden had a change of government. And then Sweden's new Crown Prince and unofficial Dude-With-the-Power, Karl Johan, made Sweden's foreign policy pretty much “forget Finland, we're going for Norway.” Basically, Sweden got weird and realised, "Oh hey, Norway exists, let's take him from Denmark." So, Sweden joined in with England, Austria, and Russia to get Norway promised to him.
In October of 1813, when the war was drawing a close, Sweden broke his troops away and marched up to Denmark. Sweden threatened to invade Jutland (the continental part of Denmark), stuff happened, and Denmark knew that he wasn't going to be able to keep Norway. On 14 January, 1814, the Treaty of Kiel was signed, by which Denmark gave Norway to the king of Sweden in exchange for Pomerania. Denmark was aloud to keep Iceland, Greenland, and Faeroes, possessions that had been Norwegian during their union. Norway was expected to...do something. Maybe join with Sweden. Definitely to obey the Bigger Countries.
The floodgates were opened, at least sort of. What happened next wasn't exactly revolutionary, but emotions certainly ran high. And Norway was not happy with being given over like that. He was basically like “hello, uh, I exist.” Because, you know. You'd be pretty pissed too if someone just decided for you like that.
The first major climax came on 16 (or 17th, officially) May, when a Norwegian Constitution was signed, Norway was declared an independent nation, a governmental body called Storting was provided for, and the Danish viceroy was declared king.
This whole time Sweden was not amused by Norway not coming to live with him. After all, that is what the Treaty of Kiel-and the bigger nations-had told him to do. So, on 29 July, Sweden invaded Norway. Kind of awkward for the both of them, really.
Despite being a greater military power, Sweden wasn't able to immediately overwhelm Norway; Sweden was tired from the previous war. Obstinate, Norway won a few important tactical victories. However, that was not enough, and on 7 August Sweden presented a ceasefire that called for a personal union, saying that the Norwegian constitution would be considered as a base for negotiations. On 10 August the Convention of Moss convened for negotiations regarding the ceasefire. It was over by the 14th. The outcome of this was Norway effectively getting to coast around the Treaty of Kiel. He still agreed to settle into a union with Sweden, though.
This all worked for Sweden, too, since it looked better if Norway negotiated into a union, rather than if he was forced. Or annexed. So, in this, Norway's resistance before and during the war kind of sort of paid off; even if he was forced into the union he-by his own will and with the help of outside forces-was able to actually have a say. And that was what mattered the most.
During the next 90 some years, Sweden and Norway didn't exactly get along. Sweden tried a few times to symbolically place himself above Norway; Norway immediately fussed each time. In doing so, Norway only fuelled his own nationalistic fire. As the years past Norway became more fiercely independent, but it wasn't a destructive force. He focussed his energy on building up institutions and infrastructure that Denmark had never developed for him, as well as developing a truly Norwegian identity; only a fraction of energy went towards giving Sweden a hard time. In my head, I can easily see Norway glaring at Sweden when their two governments were meeting, making weird gestures and chatting up his faerie friends just to make things awkward and uncomfortable. If not that, then just looming and trying to make Sweden uncomfortable. He's done this canon. He stood over his brother, looming and threatening, his hand on his little bro's shoulder as he tried to get him to do something.
In 1906, he and Sweden finally dissolved the union when several irreconcilable issues came to a head in a remarkably peaceful way. Independent at last, Norway set out into the world. Didn't make a big splash, but he was there-a fully sovereign nation, finally, after having spent all the time from 1380 to present in various political unions. Instead of bursting onto the world stage, Norway set his sights on internal development. Again, not really focussed on the outside world; he avoided power politics and alliances. Given the choice, Norway chose to be removed.
Norway's person was also deeply affected by his 90 year union with Sweden. That much became quite apparent at this time. (And this is all headcanon from here, orz) In 1906, after Denmark gave Norway his prince, he approached Norway about resuming their relationship. Denmark was actually quite excited as it was, having hardly seen his friend for most of the past century. However, Norway turned Denmark down because there was no political need. He was very proud of independence, to the point where maybe he was a little paranoid. In any case, he still talked to the Dane and was on good terms. He just wasn't ready to have a friend with benefits, and he really didn't want to bother with someone who insisted on taking care of him. He could take care of himself, of that he was certain.
With this in mind, it should be noted that in canon Norway is kind of violent towards Denmark. Just like. His irritation actually radiates in little waves, and he chokes the Dane with own tie when Denmark begins to make an annoying comment. Norway may be violent towards Denmark, but he is not vicious--he acts not with the intent to hurt, but with the purpose to make a point. After spending much time together, Norway is pretty sure he can count on the fact that Denmark won't understand him. To compound the problem, Denmark still thinks of Norway as his bff and cannot be convinced otherwise. Even if Norway teases him.
So Norway'll be teasing him forever. And ever.
Anyway, some stuff happened. Germany got really poor, then the whole world did, and Europe fell into a mess. Then Poland got invaded. Hello, 1939.
As had become habit, Scandinavia called for neutrality. The effectiveness and reasons behind this policy varied from country to country: Denmark knew he would have to be careful with Germany, considering that they were major trading partners. Sweden hadn't fought a war since 1814.
Norway, who had maintained neutrality since laying down his arms with Sweden in 1814, figured that no-one would bother with him and, if someone actually did try to invade, England would rescue him. Because really, who would want to mess with him? In my headcanon, he was quite passive-aggressive about the whole thing: passive in the sense that he was neutral, aggressive in the fact that he was so determined to be so.
Under no realistic circumstances was Norway really going to be able to maintain his neutrality though: England was going to need his waters since Swedish ore was so vital. As was control of the Baltic Sea, although here England limited himself from testing Danish neutrality: Denmark was likely to turn to Germany or, if not, Germany was likely to get involved under the pretense of “helping” Denmark. So he left Denmark's point of access to the Baltic sea, the Sound, alone.
And the Allies weren't the only one with interests in Norway-Germany imported a lot of Swedish ore, and so control of Narvik, one of the key shipping ports in Norway and access points to Scandinavian minefields, could under no circumstances be allowed to fall into Allied control. But Norway still remained determined. Neutrality was something he would strive for, a traditional policy he would uphold. This all in the face that, with the Great Powers now interested in his ports and position, neutrality seemed a bit impractical. Something was bound to happen which would prompt one side to flagrantly violate his neutrality, if not take him over completely.
Both the Allies and Germany came up with plans to invade Norway as the months dragged on. Germany was also upset over the Altmark affair, during which Britain completely violated the neutrality of Norwegian territorial waters to mount an assault on a German ship carrying prisoners of war. This was despite Norwegian officials--who had been tricked--insisting that there were no prisoners. The point, as Hitler saw it, was that Norway could not be counted on to defend his neutrality from Britain and British interests. Norway, upset at England, tried to reassure Germany that he could manage his waters, but he did not go to great lengths to do so.
Both sides were getting ready to carry out their invasion plans until March 12, 1940, when word reached them that Finland, who had been defending against invasion from the Soviet Union, had capitulated. This upset all plans-the would-be occupiers lost the pretense for military action (though not the will, to be sure, as Germany and Britain just made other plans). Because of the subsequent increase in pressure and warning signals from Germany-news that some kind of action was looming-Norway finally allowed England to carry through with a defensive plan, beginning with setting up minefields in his waters.
This mining started on April 8. By a mere matter of timetables coincidentally lining up, Germany invaded on the night of April 8-9. Operation Weserbung-the invasion of Norway (and Denmark)-had been launched.
But it was clear that Norway would not just roll over, and that's part of the reason why the German occupation of Norway was more “tough” than the occupation of Denmark. Norway was not going to make it easy for the invader, even if that invader was clearly stronger than him; that's just his person. He doesn't make things easy, and that's generally how the occupation unfolded. Meanwhile, King Håkon and the Norwegian-government-in-exile continued to govern Norway from London, co-ordinating everything from raids to resistance with the help of British forces.
One more thing that's illustrative of Norway's mentality of resistance and is important to mention is Prime Minister Quisling. A Norwegian Nazi, he had always been considered a strange man and was outcast to the political fringe. In 1939 he had appealed to Hitler and had helped plan the initial invasion of his Norway until those plans fell through. He was then ignored until the aftermath of the 1940 invasion. Quisling, by chance, caught Hitler in an euphoric mood, and thus got himself support to prop up a government. Although he would eventually lose most of this power and become not much more than a glorified talking head, here was a Norwegian Nazi who had pretty much sold out his country. The point being? Headcanon says that Norway is not fond of Quisling at all--neither on a personal level, or the part of him that is his people. Instead, Norway is fiercely loyal to his king, as he always has been.
Anyway, the whole Quisling thing made a lot of outside people think that Norway was Nazi sympathetic. The Allies called him a traitor. But he wasn't. The thing is, after his initial resistance, he was kind of quiet in a way that seemed submissive. Really though, it was more a way of avoiding a major conflict, since there comes a point when direct confrontation is pointless.
Norway can appreciate that he's defeated. Doesn't mean that he likes it, or that he's conquered, but he knows there's a certain way he has to go about these things. Maybe an impractical way, but that doesn't matter. He can still sabotage German plans on a small scale, but a large scale uprising would just result in large scale reprisals against his citizens.
So why would he make a bad situation worse? In his subtle resistance, though, his hardworking nature and resilience is quite lucid. Seriously, despite this guy's pretty bored and deadpan appearance, he's actually very thoughtful. Just very internal and pessimistic-with a bit of a fatalistic streak, but that's a fallacy most smaller countries share. He's described as being very removed from the world.
As for the internal part, he at the very least has a special understanding with his little brother Iceland. In canon Norway teases the poor boy to death, but it's a very affectionate teasing, even if it mortifies Iceland. Also, he mentions that he and Iceland had an agreement to do something when they were kids--if Norway turned out to actually be Iceland's older brother by blood, Iceland would have to call him "older brother". Iceland refused at first. Then Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, invited by Iceland to see the DNA report that officially confirms that he and Norway are brothers, give Iceland a hard time. They all ask him to call them "older brother". Norway's the one exerting the most pressure--looming and everything--until Iceland gets flustered and storms off. Norway then kind of gets this look about him that makes it seem like he wants to go after Iceland. But he doesn't, even though he moves in front of the other family members.
This suggests that Norway was concerned, but didn't go after Iceland since he knew his little bro wasn't really that mad. He was just having a tiny tantrum. Iceland's got a lot of volcanoes, you see, so he can have moods like a teenager.
Norway believes very much in egalitarian principles-for most of his life his people have mostly been self-sufficient. And while he wasn't exactly self-sufficient under Denmark, it's not like he was mooching off of the guy. Although he did kinda depend on him in an unspoken why, just like he depended on Britain. There's a reason why, though, I figure his relationship with England isn't as complex as his relationship with Denmark. It's true that the both of them end up bossing him around to a degree. Be that as it may, England doesn't always pretend that he knows what is best for Norway, whereas Denmark does. Instead, England just thinks that Norway ought to do what he tells him if he expects to be helped. Denmark expects Norway to listen because he's doing what is best for him: more than England, Denmark has Norway's best interests at heart, and that can be a bit overwhelming for a guy who is trying to make his own decisions.
Also, despite the fact that he depended on England and Denmark to certain degrees, Norway gives the both of them a hard time. He's really good at that-even his poor little brother gets teased.
Canon Point: 1943
[Optional] Previous RP History:
Personality: So first off, Norway is not shy, he is introverted. The reason this distinction is important is this: he has a very limited capacity for self-consciousness. That said, Norway is very secure in his own actions because he does not doubt himself.
He doesn't care what others think of him, and he's not very good with them, so there's reason for him to be “timid”. He just would prefer not to talk to everyone under the sun and avoid small talk. He's happiest when he's alone--or at least he prefers to be alone. Now, he would like to do things on his own, but he's not stupid/immature enough to not recognise he is too weak to be self-sufficient. So he silently appreciates what is done for him and never mentions it again. For example, he appreciates what Denmark does for him, without taking it for granted, but he doesn't see a reason to actually thank Denmark. He would much rather assume that Denmark knows he's grateful even though he complains.
This brings up another thing: Norway assumes things even though he knows they aren't true. This is a symptom of his detachedness, his living in an almost completely different world. He doesn't really hate the world, though, he's just bored with it for reasons that are centuries old. Traditionally his people have lived in isolated communities with little government other than local authorities and the uniting king. Because he has never really had to deal with anyone other than Denmark telling him what to do, Norway has an odd trust issue: he doesn't start out trusting anyone, but he never worries about how much someone can hurt him. Again this has to do with living in his own world, since the idea of being hurt isn't related to what he thinks about, and he's never had to worry about anyone but his neighbours trying to invade.
Norway is rarely disappointed by other people. It's not that he has low expectations-he just rarely expects anything at all. He tends to think in terms of, "well, it would've been better if..." If there's one thing that he has taken from his experiences, it's that nothing is ever good enough. And though he is annoyed by incompetence, he never really gets worked up to the point of true anger. He might rage, but he won't loathe someone. For example his neighbour Sweden, who has invaded several times, but whom Norway still has something of a relationship with. He also has never tried any vain, major retaliatory strikes.
Appearance: Pretty. I mean--
He's actually a good looking guy, almost the perfect Nordic stereotype. He's got white-blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and broad shoulders. He'd be the perfect stereotype if he didn't have the typical Japanese-comic character prettiness. That is, he's got a pretty pretty face. At about five feet four inches, he's pretty short for a guy; his bangs are kind of long, too, and he's got a white Nordic-cross hairclip holding back some bangs. The cross-shape helps wards off bad trolls. His usual facial expression is a bored frown impervious to amusement.
And he's got a floating hair curl at the back of his neck. This hair curl is Svalbard, and the little dot above it is Jan Mayen.
Norway's probably got a pretty nasty set of scars on his thighs and back from all of the plague/province-jacking he's experienced in his time, but no-one's going to see them since he usually wears sleeved shirts, dress shirts with ties, and a naval uniform that reflects his rich marine history. He tends to wear darker colours and blues. Unless it's a Santa suit.
Abilities: Norway is a nation-tan, which means that, as long as his country he exists, he'll be around. ( If the country dies, he goes to hang out in country heaven with Rome and Germania. ) This does mean his will be a good existence, though. As the embodiment of a nation, his condition parallels that of the nation and people-when the people are starving, he's starving; when his economy sucks he gets sick.
He can see and talk to faeries, trolls, dwarves, ghosts, etc, whatever mystical folk others normally can't even see. As a former viking, he's most likely got some yandere-strength he's hiding. Usually he'd have godly stamina, but recently he's been ill due to the damage England has done to his and Denmark's economy.
Items/Weapons: His hairclip; the only “weapon” he has is his troll.
☣ Samples
First Person Sample: ( the cld clicks on and for awhile there's nothing because the user-well, there's a lot of technology suddenly that he's not even remotely familiar with; what is a gramophone, or the ENIGMA, compared to this device thingie.
After a while of staring at it he says, his voice sounding barely above a whisper ) Hei?
( pause. and he switches to English; this is America, after all, isn't it? though is accent is pretty evident, stretching vowels giving interest to constants: ) Hello? Hey, ya, whoever thinks this is a good idea-America's got technology, yes, but even that guy has nothing like this.
Quit messing around. Send me home.
Unless ya can show me Håkon. Or the rest of the family, down in Washington. ( the rest of his royal family, who made it to America. )
Third Person Sample: Sweden hardly visits Norway anymore. Partially because Sweden's government is just too concerned with its own affairs. Another reason: Norway's government, static as it is, is quite functional, and the whole of its body doesn't want to run away from Sweden. Pro-Unionists--those sick of Danish anything--existed well before the union.
Even if Norway isn't completely co-operative--which would make things so much easier--he'd never be able to effectively revolt. Break-aways and revolutions are the business of seriously discontented people who have power to push their purpose. The majority of his people are non-violent-and anyway this union, neutral by Sweden's foreign policy, has avoided participation in any of the wars and revolutions that have torn apart the continent. Conflicts which have stripped Denmark of his lower lands.
But if they don't talk often, they're still a union. So they do visit each other, sporadically. Usually it's Norway who has to come to Sweden, going with people of his government when they go to meet with a Swedish council and their king. On these visits, Norway stays at Sweden's house. It cuts down on costs.
So, Norway is sitting in Sweden's dining room to work on paperwork. It's a large room, with windows of a size generous enough to let in enough milky afternoon light to see decently by. He's not one to ever show that he's tired, but as he pauses to dip his antiquated quill in a near-empty inkwell, he takes a second longer than he should to let the extra ink drip off the tip.
He watches a drop-two drops-and wonders if perhaps he should grab another inkwell now. He decides to wait; he'll get it when he lights lamps for the evening.
And then Sweden walks in. Norway leans over the table and begins to read again while Sweden walks right up to the table, stopping to set something down on the surface with a soft thump.
Unacknowledged ( but not ignored, ever ), Sweden waits. The smaller country continues to read until Sweden finally says:
"Though y'u'd like it."
Only then does Norway raise his head and gaze at what has been placed before him. A jar, with a green cocoon in it, of a species that he recognises from his own home. Inside that green structure is a yellow swallowtail. Encased in glass and sealed with wax, it looks like some kind of scientific display. If Norway didn't know any better, he wouldn't know that there was a butterfly growing somewhere in there; he would imagine some kind of gross little spirit festering.
Norway taps the gift with his pen. "I've got those at home, you," Norway says as he looks down again at his work.
"Found it last year, 'fore w'nter snow," Sweden answers, pushing the jar closer as he takes a step away, gravitating towards the door.
For a moment, Norway can imagine it. Sweden out and about, tying up loose ends well before the last minute. Coming across the cocoon, silent but staring at it like it presented some kind of danger. Eventually Sweden must have come up with a solution-put it in a jar until it's given to Norway as a small gesture of good will.
"Don't you have something else to do?"
"T'ke it 'ome," Sweden says as he leaves the room.
"Not much of a butterfly keeper." Norway doesn't bother looking up. But, when he's finished with his work, he takes the jar out with him.
Name: Elisabeth
Personal LJ: olynthus
Age: 19
Contact: ( aim ) nightmistfairy / ( plurk ) olynthus
Current Characters: N/A!
Are you fine with your application being unscreened? Yes
[Optional] Where did you hear about PP? Friends
☣ Character
Character Name: Norway, the Kingdom of
Character Age: officially 1069; physically, like, 19
Canon + Format: Axis Powers Hetalia + Web comic
Background: One day a long, long time ago, a Country was suddenly born when a man named Harald finally defeated the last of the neighbouring petty kings. This country was Norway-a cute little kid, whose name roughly means “way to the north”. The year was 872. The only other “kingdoms” in Europe weren't even really kingdoms: there were the Franks, Denmark, England was a kid, and Russia was...something. Maybe a province.
Right off the bat, you can see that Norway's old. Like really, really old. He might not look it, and most people might forget it, but he doesn't. It's part of the reason why he's so jaded and detached-he's just dealt with a lot. Probably everything, really. So for him, a lot of worldly things are vaguely wearying. But rather than dwell on this and lament things past, he honours history where it's important. As for the rest of it, he handles it with an attitude and humour that only really makes sense to him.
Let's start in 1349, when Norway got Plague. Up until this time, he had been experiencing a kind of power decay. He had been declining since his power peeked in Viking times, but he still had control of Iceland, Faeroes, and Greeland. Then he lost 50%~60% of his population and a good portion of his nobility. The crown fell to a Swedish heir, and until 1355 Norway was in a union with Sweden, when the next heir came of age and could be crowned King of Norway. This was Håkon. He then married Margrethe, a sister of the Danish king.
And then the Danish king died. When he did, Denmark's throne went by right to Olaf, the son of Håkon and Margrethe.
But then Olaf himself died of sickness. So. The Norwegian male royal line was pretty much pwned.
That left Margrethe and her nephew, Eric of Pomerania. Margrethe, with a vision of a united, single Scandinavian state, worked to have her nephew elected-and accepted-as the king of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. This she achieved finally in 1397. Although some of the other magnates weren't in agreement with her definition of it, kalmarunionen was born.
For Norway, this union entailed a kind drop in status. Not that he was oppressed or repressed, but he lacked the social structure that Denmark and Sweden had. Consequently, he lost influence within the union, losing power to Denmark and Sweden. Over time strife broke out between the two, catching Norway up in between them. Brief as it was, he allied with Sweden in 1439-40, when the two of them were so against the king Denmark they fought about it.
But mostly, Norway was kind of just. There. Not getting any more powerful, but not disappearing from the map either. He had his own church still, and chilled with Denmark when he wasn't busy eking out an existence from what part of his land was arable--or when Denmark wasn't busy fighting with Sweden about power within in the union. This strange kind of twilit, backseat position that Norway fell into during these years was the beginning of a pattern that would define the next few centuries of his existence.
And then it was 1521. Sweden, sick of Danish rule and political antics, decided he had had enough. So he tried to leave. In a strip, Sweden mentions that he leaves the house (where he had been living with Denmark) with Finland because he's tired of the issues. It might be worth noting that Sweden does not mention Norway as a reason for leaving, or even at all.
Anyway, needless to say that Denmark wasn't exactly thrilled with Sweden leaving. What went down next was Denmark''s boss Christian II going to Sweden to play out a reprisal against the Swedish nobility and various other important people that supported breaking the union. The total executions would number around a hundred; the episode would be known as the Stockholm Bloodbath.
So terrible was it, Christian II would be dethroned by his own people in 1523. But the damage was done: Sweden officially broke from the union, and a resentment that would lay--simmering--beneath decades of war was kindled. It would take centuries for Sweden to calm down (and even then he really didn't), and would refuse over and over to reunify. Kalmarunionen was not completely dead, however, for Norway, too weak to manage it structurally and politically, had not left. This of course meant that Denmark and Norway continued on in a union.
But.
Norway wasn't exactly thrilled with this arrangement. You see, around this time Denmark got a new boss who, despite claiming to be against Lutheranism, wasn't actually all that averse to the ideas of the Reformation. Also, the whole dethroning of Christian II? Not really cool with Norway: for centuries, he had only ever been a hereditary monarch. And he's a guy who likes tradition. So when the rightful king replaced by an elected substitute-who was elected by Danish nobles no less-it would only follow that Norway would get a little ticked.
So, the logical solution? He teamed up with about everyone conservative ever-Church officials, old nobles, and even good old Christian II himself, who planned to use Norway as a launching point for an invasion of Denmark. Norway even asked the Archbishop (outside power, aka the Holy Roman Empire) to invade him in hopes of setting up a situation in which the Danes might be kicked out, but it didn't go over so well. In fact, it all pretty much dissolved into a conflict called the Count's War following the death of Frederik I in 1533. The conflict led to some pretty important things, the paramount being that Christian III, on the “liberal.” Lutheran side, ended up becoming the elected king of Denmark. In his charter of 1536 he effectively altered the fabric of Norwegian society by
1) chartering away Norway's Council; from now on, Denmark would take care of Norway's political affairs;
2) making the Norwegian church Lutheran; all earnings and tributes paid to the church were now diverted to the Danish crown
3) altering the clergy that had played a prominent role in Norwegian life in lieu of nobility;
4) threatening Norway with subjugation and the loss of his independent kingdom if he were to ever join in any armed conflict against Denmark.
Some pretty heavy stuff there. This is the point in history where things truly became “tense” or “strained” between Denmark and Norway, especially in retrospect. You see, it's really easy to think that Norway was made a Danish province at this time; he wasn't, but that's the common misconception, one that was heavily disseminated in and after 1814.
Be that as it may, it wasn't the best time for Norway. Here's where some say the “decline” of Norway started. But that is really an ugly term that skews the truth. It was more like the disappearance-for all intents and purposes, Norway disappeared from world history for the next few centuries. And he didn't decline so much as just become stagnant. Technologically, he advanced a bit, and his population grew. Though he was involved in wars-Denmark and Sweden would begin to fight with each other on and off, as well as get sucked into conflicts on the continent. Norway never led anyone but his own army, and his involvement with other countries was very limited. Most of his contact with outside forces was limited to trading partners and the actions of the Hanse, a group of merchant elite that had control of Norway's fishing for awhile.
Meanwhile, Norway's personal outlook began to change. Headcanon: for the first time, Denmark was really truly beginning to pay attention to him. Before this, Denmark had been focussed on Sweden with an intensity so strong it contributed to Sweden's break from the family. Although still focussed on Sweden, by and by Denmark began to notice Norway, spending more and more money and time on Norwegian affairs. So, for a time, Norway was resigned to being taken care of. Maybe he wasn't happy about it, but he didn't revolt. Norway didn't become Danish during this time-the two cultures diffused to a large degree, and Danish became the language of the realm since Norwegian, no longer having a sponsor in a local church, faded away--but Denmark never forced Norway to give up his identity as Norwegian. He loved him-overbearingly so-but always Norway was, well, Norway.
So, Norway's sense of independence did develop a little bit. Not in the sense that he had an identity that was repressed, but that he had an identity that was linked closely with Denmark. Because they were friends-maybe lovers-and their union lasted 434 years. As the years passed, he and Denmark both settled into a kind of personal routine. Denmark's the one who did the most falling in love, though, and came to see Norway as something--more. As his bff, if you will. I believe Denmark came to see Norway as his best friend, too, because they just spent a lot of time together. While Norway himself came to care deeply for Denmark, his affection seems almost nominal compared to Denmark's since 1) he is no where near as expressive or emotive as Denmark, and 2) he's just not as fond of Denmark as Denmark is of him.
Skipping some years. Denmark and Sweden fought some more wars, essentially. :| Also did some reforming.
On 2 April, 1801, England, in a move justified by war and self-interest, attacked Copenhagen. He was not happy with Denmark trying to be neutral in the Napoleonic conflict(s). Though England was the primary maritime power at this time, Denmark managed to put up a pretty decent fight, especially considering that a lot of his navy was dismantled at the time. Even after peace was negotiated and concessions made, he got to keep his neutral trading rights. A pretty sweet deal to be sure, but it probably contributed to a certain atmosphere that lacked the appropriate urgency and caution.
The corrective lesson would come on 2 September, 1807, when England attacked Copenhagen once more. This time, however, there was no mercy. Copenhagen was utterly devastated. What part of Denmark's navy wasn't destroyed, England carried off. Denmark was forced so forced to join Napoleon's side, against England.
So, as part of Denmark, this put Norway into the war. From the beginning, he wasn't exactly thrilled by the decision to side with Napoleon, and this discontent became amplified when his people-and he himself-began to starve. Yeah. England had blockaded. He could not get grain from Denmark, and his own exports of timber and fish suffered. Only in 1809 did things get better when Denmark, wary of possible Norwegian discontent, worked out a deal with England. Norway was allowed to export timber to England and in return England exempted vessels taking Danish grain to Norway. This deal was screwed over in 1812, however, and soon enough famine (and peasant uprisings) were back. What's worse, there were crop failures in Norway.
Meanwhile, Sweden had a change of government. And then Sweden's new Crown Prince and unofficial Dude-With-the-Power, Karl Johan, made Sweden's foreign policy pretty much “forget Finland, we're going for Norway.” Basically, Sweden got weird and realised, "Oh hey, Norway exists, let's take him from Denmark." So, Sweden joined in with England, Austria, and Russia to get Norway promised to him.
In October of 1813, when the war was drawing a close, Sweden broke his troops away and marched up to Denmark. Sweden threatened to invade Jutland (the continental part of Denmark), stuff happened, and Denmark knew that he wasn't going to be able to keep Norway. On 14 January, 1814, the Treaty of Kiel was signed, by which Denmark gave Norway to the king of Sweden in exchange for Pomerania. Denmark was aloud to keep Iceland, Greenland, and Faeroes, possessions that had been Norwegian during their union. Norway was expected to...do something. Maybe join with Sweden. Definitely to obey the Bigger Countries.
The floodgates were opened, at least sort of. What happened next wasn't exactly revolutionary, but emotions certainly ran high. And Norway was not happy with being given over like that. He was basically like “hello, uh, I exist.” Because, you know. You'd be pretty pissed too if someone just decided for you like that.
The first major climax came on 16 (or 17th, officially) May, when a Norwegian Constitution was signed, Norway was declared an independent nation, a governmental body called Storting was provided for, and the Danish viceroy was declared king.
This whole time Sweden was not amused by Norway not coming to live with him. After all, that is what the Treaty of Kiel-and the bigger nations-had told him to do. So, on 29 July, Sweden invaded Norway. Kind of awkward for the both of them, really.
Despite being a greater military power, Sweden wasn't able to immediately overwhelm Norway; Sweden was tired from the previous war. Obstinate, Norway won a few important tactical victories. However, that was not enough, and on 7 August Sweden presented a ceasefire that called for a personal union, saying that the Norwegian constitution would be considered as a base for negotiations. On 10 August the Convention of Moss convened for negotiations regarding the ceasefire. It was over by the 14th. The outcome of this was Norway effectively getting to coast around the Treaty of Kiel. He still agreed to settle into a union with Sweden, though.
This all worked for Sweden, too, since it looked better if Norway negotiated into a union, rather than if he was forced. Or annexed. So, in this, Norway's resistance before and during the war kind of sort of paid off; even if he was forced into the union he-by his own will and with the help of outside forces-was able to actually have a say. And that was what mattered the most.
During the next 90 some years, Sweden and Norway didn't exactly get along. Sweden tried a few times to symbolically place himself above Norway; Norway immediately fussed each time. In doing so, Norway only fuelled his own nationalistic fire. As the years past Norway became more fiercely independent, but it wasn't a destructive force. He focussed his energy on building up institutions and infrastructure that Denmark had never developed for him, as well as developing a truly Norwegian identity; only a fraction of energy went towards giving Sweden a hard time. In my head, I can easily see Norway glaring at Sweden when their two governments were meeting, making weird gestures and chatting up his faerie friends just to make things awkward and uncomfortable. If not that, then just looming and trying to make Sweden uncomfortable. He's done this canon. He stood over his brother, looming and threatening, his hand on his little bro's shoulder as he tried to get him to do something.
In 1906, he and Sweden finally dissolved the union when several irreconcilable issues came to a head in a remarkably peaceful way. Independent at last, Norway set out into the world. Didn't make a big splash, but he was there-a fully sovereign nation, finally, after having spent all the time from 1380 to present in various political unions. Instead of bursting onto the world stage, Norway set his sights on internal development. Again, not really focussed on the outside world; he avoided power politics and alliances. Given the choice, Norway chose to be removed.
Norway's person was also deeply affected by his 90 year union with Sweden. That much became quite apparent at this time. (And this is all headcanon from here, orz) In 1906, after Denmark gave Norway his prince, he approached Norway about resuming their relationship. Denmark was actually quite excited as it was, having hardly seen his friend for most of the past century. However, Norway turned Denmark down because there was no political need. He was very proud of independence, to the point where maybe he was a little paranoid. In any case, he still talked to the Dane and was on good terms. He just wasn't ready to have a friend with benefits, and he really didn't want to bother with someone who insisted on taking care of him. He could take care of himself, of that he was certain.
With this in mind, it should be noted that in canon Norway is kind of violent towards Denmark. Just like. His irritation actually radiates in little waves, and he chokes the Dane with own tie when Denmark begins to make an annoying comment. Norway may be violent towards Denmark, but he is not vicious--he acts not with the intent to hurt, but with the purpose to make a point. After spending much time together, Norway is pretty sure he can count on the fact that Denmark won't understand him. To compound the problem, Denmark still thinks of Norway as his bff and cannot be convinced otherwise. Even if Norway teases him.
So Norway'll be teasing him forever. And ever.
Anyway, some stuff happened. Germany got really poor, then the whole world did, and Europe fell into a mess. Then Poland got invaded. Hello, 1939.
As had become habit, Scandinavia called for neutrality. The effectiveness and reasons behind this policy varied from country to country: Denmark knew he would have to be careful with Germany, considering that they were major trading partners. Sweden hadn't fought a war since 1814.
Norway, who had maintained neutrality since laying down his arms with Sweden in 1814, figured that no-one would bother with him and, if someone actually did try to invade, England would rescue him. Because really, who would want to mess with him? In my headcanon, he was quite passive-aggressive about the whole thing: passive in the sense that he was neutral, aggressive in the fact that he was so determined to be so.
Under no realistic circumstances was Norway really going to be able to maintain his neutrality though: England was going to need his waters since Swedish ore was so vital. As was control of the Baltic Sea, although here England limited himself from testing Danish neutrality: Denmark was likely to turn to Germany or, if not, Germany was likely to get involved under the pretense of “helping” Denmark. So he left Denmark's point of access to the Baltic sea, the Sound, alone.
And the Allies weren't the only one with interests in Norway-Germany imported a lot of Swedish ore, and so control of Narvik, one of the key shipping ports in Norway and access points to Scandinavian minefields, could under no circumstances be allowed to fall into Allied control. But Norway still remained determined. Neutrality was something he would strive for, a traditional policy he would uphold. This all in the face that, with the Great Powers now interested in his ports and position, neutrality seemed a bit impractical. Something was bound to happen which would prompt one side to flagrantly violate his neutrality, if not take him over completely.
Both the Allies and Germany came up with plans to invade Norway as the months dragged on. Germany was also upset over the Altmark affair, during which Britain completely violated the neutrality of Norwegian territorial waters to mount an assault on a German ship carrying prisoners of war. This was despite Norwegian officials--who had been tricked--insisting that there were no prisoners. The point, as Hitler saw it, was that Norway could not be counted on to defend his neutrality from Britain and British interests. Norway, upset at England, tried to reassure Germany that he could manage his waters, but he did not go to great lengths to do so.
Both sides were getting ready to carry out their invasion plans until March 12, 1940, when word reached them that Finland, who had been defending against invasion from the Soviet Union, had capitulated. This upset all plans-the would-be occupiers lost the pretense for military action (though not the will, to be sure, as Germany and Britain just made other plans). Because of the subsequent increase in pressure and warning signals from Germany-news that some kind of action was looming-Norway finally allowed England to carry through with a defensive plan, beginning with setting up minefields in his waters.
This mining started on April 8. By a mere matter of timetables coincidentally lining up, Germany invaded on the night of April 8-9. Operation Weserbung-the invasion of Norway (and Denmark)-had been launched.
But it was clear that Norway would not just roll over, and that's part of the reason why the German occupation of Norway was more “tough” than the occupation of Denmark. Norway was not going to make it easy for the invader, even if that invader was clearly stronger than him; that's just his person. He doesn't make things easy, and that's generally how the occupation unfolded. Meanwhile, King Håkon and the Norwegian-government-in-exile continued to govern Norway from London, co-ordinating everything from raids to resistance with the help of British forces.
One more thing that's illustrative of Norway's mentality of resistance and is important to mention is Prime Minister Quisling. A Norwegian Nazi, he had always been considered a strange man and was outcast to the political fringe. In 1939 he had appealed to Hitler and had helped plan the initial invasion of his Norway until those plans fell through. He was then ignored until the aftermath of the 1940 invasion. Quisling, by chance, caught Hitler in an euphoric mood, and thus got himself support to prop up a government. Although he would eventually lose most of this power and become not much more than a glorified talking head, here was a Norwegian Nazi who had pretty much sold out his country. The point being? Headcanon says that Norway is not fond of Quisling at all--neither on a personal level, or the part of him that is his people. Instead, Norway is fiercely loyal to his king, as he always has been.
Anyway, the whole Quisling thing made a lot of outside people think that Norway was Nazi sympathetic. The Allies called him a traitor. But he wasn't. The thing is, after his initial resistance, he was kind of quiet in a way that seemed submissive. Really though, it was more a way of avoiding a major conflict, since there comes a point when direct confrontation is pointless.
Norway can appreciate that he's defeated. Doesn't mean that he likes it, or that he's conquered, but he knows there's a certain way he has to go about these things. Maybe an impractical way, but that doesn't matter. He can still sabotage German plans on a small scale, but a large scale uprising would just result in large scale reprisals against his citizens.
So why would he make a bad situation worse? In his subtle resistance, though, his hardworking nature and resilience is quite lucid. Seriously, despite this guy's pretty bored and deadpan appearance, he's actually very thoughtful. Just very internal and pessimistic-with a bit of a fatalistic streak, but that's a fallacy most smaller countries share. He's described as being very removed from the world.
As for the internal part, he at the very least has a special understanding with his little brother Iceland. In canon Norway teases the poor boy to death, but it's a very affectionate teasing, even if it mortifies Iceland. Also, he mentions that he and Iceland had an agreement to do something when they were kids--if Norway turned out to actually be Iceland's older brother by blood, Iceland would have to call him "older brother". Iceland refused at first. Then Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, invited by Iceland to see the DNA report that officially confirms that he and Norway are brothers, give Iceland a hard time. They all ask him to call them "older brother". Norway's the one exerting the most pressure--looming and everything--until Iceland gets flustered and storms off. Norway then kind of gets this look about him that makes it seem like he wants to go after Iceland. But he doesn't, even though he moves in front of the other family members.
This suggests that Norway was concerned, but didn't go after Iceland since he knew his little bro wasn't really that mad. He was just having a tiny tantrum. Iceland's got a lot of volcanoes, you see, so he can have moods like a teenager.
Norway believes very much in egalitarian principles-for most of his life his people have mostly been self-sufficient. And while he wasn't exactly self-sufficient under Denmark, it's not like he was mooching off of the guy. Although he did kinda depend on him in an unspoken why, just like he depended on Britain. There's a reason why, though, I figure his relationship with England isn't as complex as his relationship with Denmark. It's true that the both of them end up bossing him around to a degree. Be that as it may, England doesn't always pretend that he knows what is best for Norway, whereas Denmark does. Instead, England just thinks that Norway ought to do what he tells him if he expects to be helped. Denmark expects Norway to listen because he's doing what is best for him: more than England, Denmark has Norway's best interests at heart, and that can be a bit overwhelming for a guy who is trying to make his own decisions.
Also, despite the fact that he depended on England and Denmark to certain degrees, Norway gives the both of them a hard time. He's really good at that-even his poor little brother gets teased.
Canon Point: 1943
[Optional] Previous RP History:
Personality: So first off, Norway is not shy, he is introverted. The reason this distinction is important is this: he has a very limited capacity for self-consciousness. That said, Norway is very secure in his own actions because he does not doubt himself.
He doesn't care what others think of him, and he's not very good with them, so there's reason for him to be “timid”. He just would prefer not to talk to everyone under the sun and avoid small talk. He's happiest when he's alone--or at least he prefers to be alone. Now, he would like to do things on his own, but he's not stupid/immature enough to not recognise he is too weak to be self-sufficient. So he silently appreciates what is done for him and never mentions it again. For example, he appreciates what Denmark does for him, without taking it for granted, but he doesn't see a reason to actually thank Denmark. He would much rather assume that Denmark knows he's grateful even though he complains.
This brings up another thing: Norway assumes things even though he knows they aren't true. This is a symptom of his detachedness, his living in an almost completely different world. He doesn't really hate the world, though, he's just bored with it for reasons that are centuries old. Traditionally his people have lived in isolated communities with little government other than local authorities and the uniting king. Because he has never really had to deal with anyone other than Denmark telling him what to do, Norway has an odd trust issue: he doesn't start out trusting anyone, but he never worries about how much someone can hurt him. Again this has to do with living in his own world, since the idea of being hurt isn't related to what he thinks about, and he's never had to worry about anyone but his neighbours trying to invade.
Norway is rarely disappointed by other people. It's not that he has low expectations-he just rarely expects anything at all. He tends to think in terms of, "well, it would've been better if..." If there's one thing that he has taken from his experiences, it's that nothing is ever good enough. And though he is annoyed by incompetence, he never really gets worked up to the point of true anger. He might rage, but he won't loathe someone. For example his neighbour Sweden, who has invaded several times, but whom Norway still has something of a relationship with. He also has never tried any vain, major retaliatory strikes.
Appearance: Pretty. I mean--
He's actually a good looking guy, almost the perfect Nordic stereotype. He's got white-blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and broad shoulders. He'd be the perfect stereotype if he didn't have the typical Japanese-comic character prettiness. That is, he's got a pretty pretty face. At about five feet four inches, he's pretty short for a guy; his bangs are kind of long, too, and he's got a white Nordic-cross hairclip holding back some bangs. The cross-shape helps wards off bad trolls. His usual facial expression is a bored frown impervious to amusement.
And he's got a floating hair curl at the back of his neck. This hair curl is Svalbard, and the little dot above it is Jan Mayen.
Norway's probably got a pretty nasty set of scars on his thighs and back from all of the plague/province-jacking he's experienced in his time, but no-one's going to see them since he usually wears sleeved shirts, dress shirts with ties, and a naval uniform that reflects his rich marine history. He tends to wear darker colours and blues. Unless it's a Santa suit.
Abilities: Norway is a nation-tan, which means that, as long as his country he exists, he'll be around. ( If the country dies, he goes to hang out in country heaven with Rome and Germania. ) This does mean his will be a good existence, though. As the embodiment of a nation, his condition parallels that of the nation and people-when the people are starving, he's starving; when his economy sucks he gets sick.
He can see and talk to faeries, trolls, dwarves, ghosts, etc, whatever mystical folk others normally can't even see. As a former viking, he's most likely got some yandere-strength he's hiding. Usually he'd have godly stamina, but recently he's been ill due to the damage England has done to his and Denmark's economy.
Items/Weapons: His hairclip; the only “weapon” he has is his troll.
☣ Samples
First Person Sample: ( the cld clicks on and for awhile there's nothing because the user-well, there's a lot of technology suddenly that he's not even remotely familiar with; what is a gramophone, or the ENIGMA, compared to this device thingie.
After a while of staring at it he says, his voice sounding barely above a whisper ) Hei?
( pause. and he switches to English; this is America, after all, isn't it? though is accent is pretty evident, stretching vowels giving interest to constants: ) Hello? Hey, ya, whoever thinks this is a good idea-America's got technology, yes, but even that guy has nothing like this.
Quit messing around. Send me home.
Unless ya can show me Håkon. Or the rest of the family, down in Washington. ( the rest of his royal family, who made it to America. )
Third Person Sample: Sweden hardly visits Norway anymore. Partially because Sweden's government is just too concerned with its own affairs. Another reason: Norway's government, static as it is, is quite functional, and the whole of its body doesn't want to run away from Sweden. Pro-Unionists--those sick of Danish anything--existed well before the union.
Even if Norway isn't completely co-operative--which would make things so much easier--he'd never be able to effectively revolt. Break-aways and revolutions are the business of seriously discontented people who have power to push their purpose. The majority of his people are non-violent-and anyway this union, neutral by Sweden's foreign policy, has avoided participation in any of the wars and revolutions that have torn apart the continent. Conflicts which have stripped Denmark of his lower lands.
But if they don't talk often, they're still a union. So they do visit each other, sporadically. Usually it's Norway who has to come to Sweden, going with people of his government when they go to meet with a Swedish council and their king. On these visits, Norway stays at Sweden's house. It cuts down on costs.
So, Norway is sitting in Sweden's dining room to work on paperwork. It's a large room, with windows of a size generous enough to let in enough milky afternoon light to see decently by. He's not one to ever show that he's tired, but as he pauses to dip his antiquated quill in a near-empty inkwell, he takes a second longer than he should to let the extra ink drip off the tip.
He watches a drop-two drops-and wonders if perhaps he should grab another inkwell now. He decides to wait; he'll get it when he lights lamps for the evening.
And then Sweden walks in. Norway leans over the table and begins to read again while Sweden walks right up to the table, stopping to set something down on the surface with a soft thump.
Unacknowledged ( but not ignored, ever ), Sweden waits. The smaller country continues to read until Sweden finally says:
"Though y'u'd like it."
Only then does Norway raise his head and gaze at what has been placed before him. A jar, with a green cocoon in it, of a species that he recognises from his own home. Inside that green structure is a yellow swallowtail. Encased in glass and sealed with wax, it looks like some kind of scientific display. If Norway didn't know any better, he wouldn't know that there was a butterfly growing somewhere in there; he would imagine some kind of gross little spirit festering.
Norway taps the gift with his pen. "I've got those at home, you," Norway says as he looks down again at his work.
"Found it last year, 'fore w'nter snow," Sweden answers, pushing the jar closer as he takes a step away, gravitating towards the door.
For a moment, Norway can imagine it. Sweden out and about, tying up loose ends well before the last minute. Coming across the cocoon, silent but staring at it like it presented some kind of danger. Eventually Sweden must have come up with a solution-put it in a jar until it's given to Norway as a small gesture of good will.
"Don't you have something else to do?"
"T'ke it 'ome," Sweden says as he leaves the room.
"Not much of a butterfly keeper." Norway doesn't bother looking up. But, when he's finished with his work, he takes the jar out with him.