Where anarcho-capitalism thrives: Northern Region

The Northern Region bucks the public sector. But don’t worry. If you’re unsure how the region “provides” these services, it happens organically.

The Northern Region is the northernmost part of the fictional nation of Etharia in my young adult fantasy series, Arcane Elemental Academy. 

I picture it right in the center-north of Etharia, and on a northern peninsula jutting into the sea (not shown in Book I, The Arcane Prophecy) that feeds the nearby river. That nearby river flows into Etharia’s longest river, which empties into a gulf in Etharia’s Deep South region.

It’s also Etharia’s cultural outlier. While most Etharians are conditioned to believe government must provide services like education, healthcare, road maintenance, law enforcement, fire, emergency transport, and military, those living in the Northern Region reject such beliefs on principle.

Rolling hills, endless forests, and anarcho-capitalism

The Northern Region is also polarizing. Those who don’t live in it think it’s a capitalist dystopia. A borderline “company region,” whose inhabitants are slowly phasing out government-issued Etharian currency for privately-held notes.

Those notes are Goldbacks. These are small slivers of gold embedded in paper notes with pro-liberty imagery lining their front and back. Problem is, companies in the Northern Region aren’t forcing those notes on anyone.

And since competition is fierce, no one company holds a monopoly in the area. Not even a cartel. As it stands, companies will take any means of exchange it recognizes as legitimate currency.

Contrary to popular belief in most of Etharia, the exclusive private sector doesn’t engage in predatory acts. It can’t. The populace is well-armed if they’re a non-Elemental Acrax. And if they’re an Elemental, they’re too gifted in harnessing elemental magic.

There are too many checks and balances, and that also goes for private military and defense firms.

Sharpe Defense is gargantuan, but restrained

Ukko Sharpe, a supporting character in The Arcane Prophecy, is an excellent example. His defense firm is the largest around, to the point some voice concern that he could wield enough power to form a de facto state in the Northern Region.

The problem? Too many smaller firms outnumber Ukko. While his company has acquired many of them before the events of Arcane Elemental Academy, he faces too many hurdles and he knows it.

One hurdle? With such little government regulation in the area, new firms, sometimes even sole proprietorships, constantly spring up. Another hurdle? They niche out. Often niching down so much that it wouldn’t be worth Ukko’s time to pursue. Finally, contracts keep Ukko’s existing firm in check.

The giant ‘what-if?’

In an event Ukko did monopolize? Again, he’d face an armed populace, putting an end to any statist fantasy he may have. That said, Sharpe Defense is huge, but the armed Northern Region’s population outnumbers him.

The Northern Region displays the ultimate checks and balances system, and it’s a recurring theme in The Arcane Prophecy. But before you’re introduced to the Northern Region, meet Yote Diamondback, our fearless protagonist left with no choice but to venture there. Catch the first three chapters of the book, and you’ll discover why she’s heading north.

Check out The Arcane Elemental Academy Hub for more in-depth profiles.