Hilnizbors

Hilnizbors, officially Her Holiness' Walled Principality of Hilnizbors (Izlegalian: Hir Hellegkeet Walled Fürstentum vun Hilnizbors), also known as the Republic of Hilnizbors, is a small country and Alutran located between Izlegal and Martland. Located on the Guiles River and surrounded by the Candac Mountains, Hilnizbors covers a land area of just over 140 squared kilometers and boasts a population of 55,620.

Hilnizbors is a landlocked country and therefore conducts all seafaring trade through the centrally-running Guiles River. The nearest airport is also in Martland. The country's capital city, the City of Hilnizbors, is located on the base of Mount Lasreus, while its second largest settlement is Hunulf within the largest municipality of Munderic. Hilnizbors does not have an official language, as its existence is thanks to its international guise.

The name of Hilnizbors derives from the words "hill" and "door", named after the large, roughly 10 meter tall stone wall which has, through several iterations, surrounded the city for many centuries. The walls are the most prominent landmarks in the nation, providing the city with equal external protection in both the middle ages and the Brotherly Wars. As the sole neutral Serpentine nation, Hilnizbors was the signing location of the Hilnizbors Accords, which brought peace to the Serpentines following the Brotherly Wars. Since this, Hilnizbors receives international funding for summits, political meetings, and more. Despite its size, Hilnizbors is one of the richer Serpentine nations thanks to its clean record and external charities. The country's economy is mainly based on finance, industry, services and tourism.

Uniquely, Hilnizbors' constitution dictates that its democratically elected legislature, the Grand and Minor Council, must elect two heads of state every ten months. Known as Fraujas (Izlegalian for "Lord"), the two heads of state serve concurrently and hold equal powers until their term expires after ten months.

Hilnizbors is a member of the World Forum and engages in several other international cooperations. Due to its 1978 constitution, Hilnizbors has open borders with customs at each of its road entrances to the nation. As Izlegal has put pressure on the nation to fix issues regarding Izlegalian immigrants hopping the border into Martland, Izlegalians must have written permission to enter the nation or else they will be turned away.

History
The region of modern-day Hilnizbors was initially settled in the 1st century BCE by groups of nomadic Sedes who made the area home most likely for its plentiful soil, flora, and wildlife. Mount Lasreus, a prominent peak located within a grander mountain range, was the defining feature of the settlement. Located on the Guiles River, the small habitation of just a couple dozen grew to several hundred over the course of several generations. Due to the settlement's proximity to other, more violent petty kingdoms, Hilnizbors was often the site of frequent raids and attacks. Over time, Hilnizbors became more and more powerful due to its strategic location and its toughening up after frequent raids; the city soon became dominant in its sphere of influence. Segments of heavily secured and guarded walls were constructed along the edges of the city, with specially trained men and women being those who protect the city. These warriors were some of the most skilled fighters of their time. The walls were soon constructed to encompass the whole city.

Hilnizbors would continue to peak in its regional supremacy for several generations onward until Marts would attempt to claim the city. For many years the city held its ground, remaining independent until eventually the kingdom forfeited, allowing Martland to take its lands. This, however, did not stop Hilnizbors from carrying on its time-honored traditions. Hilnizbors' guards were so widely known for their proficiency that Martland was known to hire them to guard their own leaders during times of unrest or conflict. During its time under Martland's reign, the city's growth largely stalled, prohibited by both the city's walls and the economic state of its region. Under Martic rule, Hilnizbors was generally insignificant, being the regional capital of its municipality. Still wanting independence from Martland, Hilnizbors uniquely drafted and declared the 1600 Constitution of Hilnizbors, which listed everything an ordinary independence nation would. Starting in 1889, a railway would bein construction in Martland, eventually rooting through the small nation with two stops.

While the Izlegalians declared independence from Martland in 1933, Hilnizbors - always seeking independence - declared independence from both Martland and Izlegal. Due to the overall chaos of the situation, this wish was granted, finally gifting the city the freedom it sought after. After its freedom, the city became sandwiched between the new Izlegal and its old owner Martland. During the plenty unrest the 20th century held in store for the Serpentines, Hilnizbors was quickly thrown into the thick of things, having to deal with tons of turmoil from all around it.

Generally speaking, Hilnizbors was the only Serpentine nation to be peaceful domestically. Hilnizbors' guards became especially important during this time, protecting the city from threats all around. Unfortunately, Hilnizbors was not spared from some of the other hardships nearby nations faced. Food and money was scarce, relying mostly on whatever minerals lay within Mount Lasreus, agriculture, and meager international funding.

As the Second World War broke out, Hilnizbors swore to remain neutral no matter what was thrown its way. Luckily, conflict mostly stayed out of Hilnizbors' way during the Second World War, however the Brotherly Wars were not the same. With war and death on all sides, Hilnizbors remained vigilant - guarding its soil from all potential invaders. On multiple occasions, Hilnizbors was struck with loose artillery or shells, leading to the deaths of several. By the end of the war, however, Hilnizbors had not engaged in any conflict, remaining neutral throughout the entire ordeal. Due to this, Hilnizbors was selected to be the site of the Hilnizbors Accords, which secured peace with the Serpentine nations. Due to this, Hilnizbors was supplied with plenty of funding for international summits which sprouted from this, gaining widespread fame for its newfound prominence in international affairs.

After the war, Hilnizbors suffered from high rates of unemployment and inflation, leading to increased tensions between the lower and middle classes. The latter, fearing that the moderate government of Hilnizbors would make concessions to the lower class majority, began to show support for the Hilniz Fascist Party (Hilniz Faschistesch Partei, HFP), founded in 1945 and styled largely on their Izlegalian counterpart. The HFP, however, would never take lead of the nation and would fall out of interest by the 1990s.

Between 1982 and 1990, Hilnizbors elected a Noyonist government - a coalition between the Hilniz Noyonist Party and the Hilniz Socialist Party. This government was generally well respected. Hilnizbors would join the World Forum in 1992.

In modern times, Hilnizbors largely struggles under the pressure of Izlegal, who has issues with illegal immigrants hopping the border into Martland using Hilnizbors. Due to the 1978 Constitution, Hilnizbors has open borders, which conflicts with domestic laws of bordering nations of Izlegal and Martland. While Martland supports Hilnizbors with extra funding to help better secure borders and thwart illegal immigrants, Izlegal instead scorns the small country.

In 2019, Izlegalian man Alaric Hildebrand - an ultranationalist who disagreed with the Hilnizbors Accords - opened fire unto the Zentrale Plaz near the Hilnizbors parliament building brandishing an AK-47, killing 2 and injuring 10 before a Guard of the Valley disarmed him. The guard - Yves Welter - would be found dead in his apartment 12 days later in unknown circumstance, ruled to be homicide in the courts. Suspecting Izlegalian doing, Frauja Lucien Goedert would put pressure on Izlegal and impose a temporary halt in Izlegalian entrance into the country. This situation, known as the Welter Crisis, would cause mild disruption in the nation and remains the nation's most well known unsolved crime. After refusing to own up to the murder and a general standstill, the ban on Izlegalian entrance would be lifted after 4 weeks.

Geography
Hilnizbors is landlocked and situated between Izlegal and Martland in the Serpentine region in Alutra. The nation's borders are largely defined by the Hilniz Valley, a flat stretch of land enclosed in the Candac Mountains and sandwiched between Mount Lasreus to the west - the country's tallest peak - and Mount Bjarka to the east. The borders also extend into a hilly and densely forested region to the east beyond Mount Lasreus in the municipality of Lucien. Hilnizbors' southernmost tip dips into the steep valley between two Martic peaks. The country's eastern region is also rough in terrain and littered with smaller, managed forests. The nation does not harbor any substantial bodies of water beyond its central river and small river lakes.

Mount Lasreus, the country's tallest and most recognizable mountain at 851 meters, is composed of two prominent near-vertical cliff faces sticking up from the mountainside. The cliff is a popular destination for mountain-climbing and hiking, with several trails and climbing areas for such. Mount Lasreus' cliff face is also a popular destination for free climbing. Mount Lasreus was ranked as the second-most popular tourist destination in the country, beaten only by the Wall of Hilnizbors. Directly to the west of Mount Lasreus lies the village of Recceswinth, whose inns are packed during winter months due to winter sport activities. In the downtown area of the City of Hilnizbors, the Kutter Fortress lies atop a steep hill, and is the main entrance to the city through the walls.