The Principality of Vlach

Location
The Principality of Vlach is located in the mountains known by the Sarassids as the Vlach Mountains, and by the Northerners as the Great Barricade. It is bounded to the south by the Sarassid lands, to the north by barbarian lands and the westernmost marches of The Western Wilderland , to the east by the sea and to the northwest by the Kingdom of Varenia .

History
The Principality of Vlach has a turbulent and bloody history. Founded almost a thousand years ago by King Vladislav the Ruthless, Vlach initially encompassed a significant part of the east of what is now the Kingdom of Varenia. It didn’t hold these plains lands for long, being rapidly forced back to the highly defensible mountain area it now occupies.
Around 700 years ago, the vagaries of dynastic politics led Vlach to be united with the crown of Varenia. Although notionally a separate domain, it was ruled from Balvabacz with the Royal title being “King of Varenia, Prince of Vlach and Lord of the Trans-Driva”.
But the role of Prince was a separate title, even though held by the King of Varenia, and was conferred by the Council of Vlach. For several centuries it was a mere formality to confer the role to whoever was the current King of Varenia, but in 792 AFJ, the Council was split, half voting to give the title to King Sigisvan IV of Varenia, the other half preferring to elevate one of their own, Vlach Damadacz, to the Princedom. Thus began the War of Vlach Succession. This bloody conflict drew in several neighbouring states, raging across the whole of Vlach and Varenia. It culminated in the apocalyptic clash at the Battle of Tivarath Pass, where the Varenian army was smashed and Sigisvan slain by a Sarassid horde notionally supporting Prince Damadacz.
After the battle, Vlach was declared independent of Varenia, and forced firmly into the Sarassid sphere of influence. But such a place is impossible to control without the acquiescence of the population. The Sarassid Tirosc Radagar was clever enough to recognise this, being satisfied with imposing the Peace of Tivarath which banned any alliance or embassy between Vlach and Varenia, and allowed Vlach to relapse into its traditional isolationism provided annual tributes were paid.

Terrain
The terrain of the Principality is primarily mountainous, but there are also numerous steep-sided “U” shaped glacial valleys. Many of these valleys contain small rivers, fed by rapid mountain streams running off from the snow-covered peaks. The sea to the east is virtually inaccessible, bounded by sheer cliffs for almost the entire length of the coast, with just one small harbour town in a river-cut cleft of the Barvasz Valley.

Climate
For much of the year, the climate is quite harsh, with massive snows in winter and torrential rain in summer. Temperatures are frequently well below zero in winter, feeling even colder as gale force winds whip around the mountain peaks. In summer it can feel warm, with the eastern end of the Principality having the warmest temperatures. Prevailing winds are westerly, bringing moisture from the sea to feed the rain, snow and many rivers that divide the land.

Ecology
The topmost peaks of the mountains are perennially snow-capped. Below the snow line is a band of arctic and alpine shrubs, mosses and grasses, and below this is a wide belt of primarily coniferous forest, although holly and birch are also present in more sheltered spots. The valley floors, however, are highly fertile with the high rainfall coupled with mineral rich silt washed down from the mountains allowing bountiful crops of barley and rye to be grown in summer.

Economy
The economy of Vlach is mostly an agricultural one, based around the farming of crops on the valley floors, sheep herding on the lower, grassy slopes of the valleys, and mountain goats being kept in the higher reaches.
Primary exports are large quantities of good quality pine and other timbers, fleeces and goatsmilk cheeses, and also significant quantities of tough goatskin leather. In smaller quantity but of high value are aromatic wood oils, the pelts of mountain lions and the eggs, young and body parts of the various monsters which inhabit the remoter parts of the Principality.
There are a few iron and silver mines in the mountains, but most of their produce is kept for domestic use. The Principality also makes a small amount of hard cash in tolls (and sometimes outright brigandry) from occasional merchant caravans passing through the mountains. The Principality also makes some hard cash from hiring mercenaries out, mainly to the Sarassids but with a recent diminution in conflict there, more recently also to Varenia.

Social Structure
The social structure of the Principality is basically a loose feudal one, based upon villages in the valleys held in fief by Boyars and Vlachs. The villages are usually fortified to some extent, both against each other and against the monsters which roam the land at night. Each village considers itself somewhat independent, and rivalries and feuds between them are common.
Higher up in the mountains, the goat herders, hunters and woodsmen live a semi-independent existence based on small hamlets and isolated cabins. These groups elect their own Hetmen, and although the Prince nominally imposes the rule of Boyars upon them, in practice he is sensible enough to leave them alone as longs as he gets no trouble from them and they maintain their contribution to the economy.

Political Structure
The head of state is currently Prince Vaclav, ruling from his citadel in Vlach Town. He has the advice of his Chancellor and a Council of State made up of various major nobles and a number of elders who have special knowledge of particular fields. Under the major nobles, or Vlachs, is a large class of feudal landholders, or Boyars. These hold their lands directly from the Prince but are subject to the Vlachs on day to day issues.
Although the populace are fairly religious, religion plays very little part in politics, the archbishop and four bishops of the Principality being chosen by the Prince and Council of State.

Religion
The official religion of the Principality is a form of Odinism, with Thor and Heimdall as secondary deities. It is debased to the point of becoming unrecognisable to more mainstream worshippers of these gods. The populace as a whole, although devoutly religious, tend to worship a selection of local nature spirits and godlings, and in a few places, some of the older gods from an ancient pantheon which was dominant throughout the north before the current gods held sway. The head of this pantheon is Daghda, but many warriors of the Principality carry fetishes to the was goddess Morrigan. For most people of Vlach, the “new” gods are just something they say prayers to as a form of insurance against the terrors which haunt their nights.

Foreign Policy
The foreign policy of Vlach is heavily dominated by their powerful Sarassid neighbours to the south. For most of the last 230 years, ever since the great defeat at the Battle of Tivarath Pass, the Principality has been in tribute to, and a virtual vassal of, the Tirosc. Because of this subjugation by the Sarassids, the Principality has had hardly any contact with The Kingdom of Jakta and the other northern kingdoms. Secret contact has been maintained with Varenia, but the Sarassids try to discourage contact between the two kindred states. A certain amount of contact is maintained with the barbarians to the north and the more organised of the tribes of monsters living in the northern part of the mountains, some of whom are occasionally hired as mercenaries.
Recently, with the Crusader invasions and consequent weakening of Sarassid power, Vlach has been able to establish much closer ties with Varenia and begun developing a far more independent foreign policy, albeit one which still has a highly isolationist flavour.
One of the other facets of Vlach foreign policy is the hiring of large numbers of mercenaries to the various states of the Sarassid lands. Some of these are provided under tributary obligations, but many are hired out as a source of foreign revenue.

Armed Forces
The armed forces of the Principality are efficient and quite numerous considering the size of the population. Whilst a considerable number are hired out to the Sarassids, it is a matter of policy to always retain enough for the defence of the Principality. It should be noted that many of the troops are of feudal origin and are thus only called out when needed; in an emergency, almost the entire male population can be called to arms. Military training is considered vital for all males and, in areas subject to depredations from monsters, for many of the womenfolk also.
Units and troop types in the army include;
The Guard Hussar Regiment: the premier mounted regiment and the Prince’s own household guard, consisting of 500 winged hussars, heavily armed and armoured and mounted on the very best horses.
Guard Strelitz: 1500 heavy infantry, elite troops armed with bows and bardische axes.
Vlach Cavalry: elite noble heavy cavalry on armoured horses.
Boyar Cavalry: Ordinary noble and gentry cavalry, equipped with medium or heavy armour and riding less heavily armoured horses than the Vlachs, but still very good quality troops.
Winged Hussars: the best of the Boyar cavalry, famous for their fanatical charges. They are distinguished by large vertical “wings” mounted on their backs which clap together as they charge, intimidating the enemy with their noise and appearance, as well as providing an effective defence against lariat-armed foes.
Dellis: light cavalry, raised from the mounted shepherds of the foothills and the hunters of the mountains. Renowned for their fanaticism and savagery, disciplined on the battlefield but with an unsavoury reputation for looting and atrocities. Their name, literally translated, means “mad-heads”.
Strelitz: the best infantry, heavily armoured and armed. Favoured weapons include bardisches, lucerne hammers, halberds, crossbows and bows. The strelitz are drawn from the personal retainers of the Vlachs and Boyars.
Feudal Infantry: the rank and file infantry, with a wide variety of arms and armour. Most of their number are drawn from the populations of the valley villages. They are still good troops, the equal of the regular infantry of many other armies. A favoured method of fighting is a deliberate advance behind Gulay Gorod, strong mobile wooden defences on wheels with closable hatches for archers and crossbowmen to use while the troops behind are protected from return fire.
Woodsmen and mountaineers: these provide reasonable numbers of good quality light infantry and scouts to the forces of the Principality. Some are mounted on tarns to provide an effective air cavalry. Without strong leadership or left to their own devices, these men have a terrible reputation for brigandry, rapine, looting and worse.
Mercenaries: the Principality takes into service a few mercenaries, mainly drawn from the tribes of Semilar Barbarians, as well as a few northern knights. Quite a few Varenians also serve with the Principality’s forces and are generally indistinguishable from the native troops. Sarassids are never hired due to the danger of even greater loss of sovereignty.

Important People
Vaclav Vladovitch: Hereditary Prince of Vlach. Descendant of King Vladislav the Ruthless.
Olgerd Zizkla: Lord Chancellor of Vlach
Maloyiskar: Court Wizard
Szendar Barovescu: Archbishop of Vlach