Kingdom of Vunk
The southernmost member of the aforementioned Southern Alliance as well as its leader, Vunk is a harsh land wirh a harsh people. United after many years of clan warfare and the spread of the White Lion faith over the native polytheistic faiths, Vunk has a dual reputation of ferocious warriors feared across the world, but also a rich history of trade, exploration, mythology and poetry.
The terrain of the Scythe Peninsula varies especially in its south, with tall ice peaked mountains in the highlands, topped with trees on their sides, while the lowlands are full of bogs, forest, cold grasslands and shrubs. The people of the land survive on more meagre crops than elsewhere, as well as livestock adapted to the cold. Nevertheless, farming and husbandry are common here, particularly of plants creatures not typically associated with it elsewhere.
Well outside it’s lands, the Vunkish have been known by many names. ‘Drakuunborn’ among the Vulgar, for their ships’ heads resemble that of the mythological sea beast they worship, ‘Wanderers’ among the people of the East, for their tendencies of settling in lands far from their own, the Evergno called them the ‘seawalkers’, and in the Dominion and its vassals, as ‘Beastmen’, for their helmets and clan sigils would resemble great beasts of lands all around. Nowhere are they feared and reviled more however than the Isles of the Yamachai, some of the most prone to their raiding and pillaging, particularly in the days before their unification. In more recent memory, as the peninsula unified and the White Lion took over, the Vunkish formed a more centralised regime around their namesake town of Vunkstag, which limited the power of their clans and formed a unified fleet and army and a powerful merchant class, making them deadlier than ever before, but much more restrained than their glory days, preferring to trade with other nations and sell services as mercenaries. Economically dominating the smaller nations of the south, they rallied peoples afraid of the Dominion’s conquests and of Xu’s growing power, calling themselves the “Shepards of the South”. As they said in Phurzia, “it’s dark down south”.
Structure
Clans and tribes that once warred with one another have settled under the leadership of Vunk itself. Tribal and smaller cultural differences have been put aside mostly with a more unified state under a high king, having been elected from among the clans using the ritual of the Five Valors. Since the rise of the White Lion, this practise has continued in a form, but centralised around the Morgveg dynasty, a clan who rose to dominate the others. Now the Valors are only among the king’s children or nephews or nieces instead of clans from across the kingdom. There are many, however in Vunk who wish to return to the old ways, and not just with the monarchy.
In the highlands, the mountain dwelling clans known collectively as the “Snow Panthers” or ‘Ceidvar’ in the Vunkish tongues, rarely answer to the law and often do their own thing, as do the Yamachai ‘Nohairs’- the nomadic descendants of exiles from the isles to the east. Warring with the lowlanders and each other, they help make this harsh land even more hostile.
Culture
In some ways like the Jazyart much further north, the Vunkish clans are not a single monolithic culture but have multiple divergent local variants, as well as clans that rule over these regions. Since the rise of the Morgveg after their conversion to the White Lion, regional differences and especially rivalries have declined, though not disappeared.
Old worship of the naturalistic gods has still been maintained by the Ceidvar tribes of the mountains, and rumoured to be secretly followed by some of the clans themselves, particularly those of the somewhat warmer north, where Vunk’s authority is weaker. A wide animist culture is deeply rooted historically, with even the White Lion faith acknowledging the importance of nature and revering somewhat the beasts and landscapes, though disavowing their worship. Still, many multi-headed totems showing the beasts and monsters of the land and of mythology are easy to find. These tribes hold a sacred festival at times when the green southern lights are seen, believed to be two great green foxes chasing one another through the sky, lovers or rivals, no two tribes may agree.
Directly Democratic in methods, the Vunkish prefer councils to make decisions with regards to trade, taxes and war, and they definitely prefer to take wealth and grain from more fertile lands when possible, either through trade or raiding. Loyalty and determination in whatever one’s assigned profession is are seen as exemplary in Vunkish life, and those who fail in their duties, whether it be betrayal or too many errors, are seen as less than human. Thus if one fails one profession, they are strongly pressured into finding another. Often this finds the form of combat, whether in the Vunkish army, the notorious raiding parties known as Morgots, or as mercenaries like the Yellow Spears.
Assets
Timber for building ships is found aplenty here, and the cool waters provide an abundance of fish to catch. In the forests, wild boar, elk, bison, moose, wild murks and alpacas in the mountains roam, hunted by eagles, wolves, rippers, bears, snow panthers, white griffs and the ominous hypogriffs. With cold and harsh winters and moderate dry summers, along with dangerous game to hunt, the Vunkish people are taught strength and tenacity to survive above all else.
History
Even in the days of Olm, control over the southern tip of Tzunar was limited to the easy to access lowlands, and even there it was loose at best, due to how far it was from the capital, with griffins only making communications quicker, not more effective. As order broke down, Vunk was particularly harshly affected by the Fires, the decade long volcanic winter devastating their food supplies and leading to a collapse in order that took centuries to recover from. As they did, the trading ports, with fertile fishing and limited farming chances, took to trading their fish and gold from the mountains in exchange for goods. Those they could not buy, they took in force. The morgots, great raiding parties out to find supplies and lands to settle became feared across the Forbidden Isles, particularly the Yamachai who were close targets, with their women taken as concubines and siring silverskins of mixed blood.
Ferocious raiders came out of these lands as they went across the Forbidden Isles, some as kings and others as conquerors, and some as legends. As the leaders of great morgots, they could be granted the title of ‘Morgul’. Great names such as Grizda ‘Snaketongue’, Akilav Brucheveq, Jyarnsgzun ‘Ironheart’ and the most infamous of all, Urungmar ‘the Unbreakable’, founder of the Phurzic province of Slithia, came from this time. Their names echo throughout history long after the end of the golden age of the Morgots ended and Vunk became more settled.
As Vunk began to unify under the campaigns of Morgva the Conqueror from 428-463AF, the Morgveg Clan are known to have adopted the religion of the White Lion, a faith that originated in Zcarothia, then still independent of the Dominion, possibly due to a vision to their clan leader, Morgva, of the Lion himself appearing to him in his dreams and giving him a vision of a United Vunk. Others argue that it was merely a pragmatic move to develop kinship with Zcarothians to teach them more disciplined warfare and strengthen unity. This latter explanation however doesn’t make as much sense geopolitically as Vunk at the time was very isolated from other realms where the White Lion was adopted, and it was outright persecuted in some of the southern lands such as in Imska and Xiphos. So it seems genuine religious conversion may have been a factor on the Morgveg’s faith. Nevertheless, the more centralised structure of their army, and a new religious fervour they had, encouraged them to take down rivalling clans, starting with the weakest in a divide and conquer strategy. Once the whole of Vunk was under his control, Morgva moved from the decentralised elective monarchy of the tribes and settled toward an organised kingdom like those further north in less harsh lands. Instead of curtailing their warlike spirit, the Vunkish expanded northwards against the small chilly kingdom of Ugri, conquering it entirely, and doubling down attacks on the centaurian Imska and Krita. Raids against the Yamachai island of Uzto, already a nuisance before, became a major threat to the pointy eared peoples there, and for the first time in centuries, the Yamachai clans put aside their differences and collaborated against the Vunkish, resulting in the sack of Vunkstag in 523. An attempt to raid the bizarre island “god-kingdom” of Xiphos was also made in 456, but the hardened Morgva was horrified and shook by what he saw on the coasts when he followed up, and since then, no more large Vunkish attacks on Xiphos occurred. Those who dare tend to face similarly gruesome fares.
Demography and Population
Much of the most present population gravitates towards cities like Sogwed and Vunk itself, though the majority of the general population is spread across the countryside. Centaurs are found in the city mainly as traders and mercenaries, and Yamachai settlements and nomadic horse riding clans exist in the mountains and highlands away from the more fierce persecution that the larger clans may inflict. Known as ‘Nohairs’ locally, these sturdy pointy-eared people are known to sack villages for resources and carry off Vunkish women as pleasure slaves, ironically raiding the raiders. The mountainous Ceidvar tribes are more territorial and less mobile, but their fierce warriors, wearing the skulls of fallen beasts and riding bears and griffs into battle, in-still great fear.
Territories
The territory of Vunk itself tends to be mountainous inland with lowlands and wetlands around. The coldest but most fertile waters are present around the tip, hence the fishing town of Vunk rising to political dominance with trade and diplomacy, being used by the Morgveg clan to rise to power and become Vunk’s ruling dynasty. Other lands mostly follow Vunkish culture, with the exception of the subjugated Ugriana, who despite centuries of conquest retain their own distinct culture and language, even if many speak Vunkish for simplicity’s sake.
Settler colonies formed by Vunkish raiders historically are found across the known world, including small minorities in the Yamachai Isles, the House of Lamash in Evergnon’s Hydric island, and the Slithians in Phurzia, and they were also the first humans to discover the Umbur islands of the far west, initiating trade with the furry Umborri and opening a new network to both peoples.
Military
Vunkish army size, given its varied and fierce terrain, is bound not to be as large or as disciplined as those of the Dominion, relying more on Valors and morale rather than intense training. While meritocratic and flexible on the battlefield, often favouring quick and fierce blows on enemies, using any means necessary to win, this means Vunkish armies or raids often have more fragile morale, and so killing a clan or raid leader, or even a king may be sufficient to break their spirits and cause a retreat.
Vunkish infantry consists of multiple types of soldier suited for different needs. Archers will wear yellow cloth alongside their chainmail armour and prefer the longbow, just as those of Hartstone do, compared to the shorter bows of Phurzia or the composite bows of the Jazyart. As well as spearman and swordsmen, Vunkish axe-weilders , known as “Beastmen’ are some of the most infamous of the Vunkish army, due to their habit of helmets forged by inspiration of or even directly from the skulls of animals in the isles. For instance, the former king’s bodyguard and mercenary captain Narrok ‘the Walrus’ Nedbrik uses a modified walrus skull as a helmet, modelled after the tusked helmet of Urungmar the Unbreakable, though the latter had the tusks just from the helmet’s lower jaw due to his great strength. Either with an axe and a shield, or sometimes with the large two handed ‘skullsplitter’, Beastmen otherwise wear armour that varies in thickness depending on build, with the tall and powerful skull splitters rivalling that of an Evergno knight. Fighting with feral attitudes, few dare to face them, especially when backed by white griffs from the sky and fierce wolfhounds.
The core of the Morgveg army that allowed them to unify Vunk consists of cavalry and modified chariots that can overwhelm infantry with speed. Some may be even ride a tamed murk, or even more rarely, a hypogriff against opponents, creating a truly formidable opponent in the battlefield, even against other cavalry based enemies. Vunkish ‘Frostbiter’ chariots aren’t quite as heavily armoured as their Zcarothian counterparts, but are still heavier than the pre-Olmese civilisations, and even more fearsome looking, with blades around the rim and scythes or maces on the wheels, as well as the skull of a Great Elk at the forefront.
A typical Morgot consists of a large force of between three and four thousand infantry, including the berserk beastmen, and one thousand cavalry, including the frostbiters and those daring enough to ride great elks, murks or hypogriffs to battle. Air support through tamed white griffs is not uncommon either.
It is impossible to talk about Vunkish military ability without covering their sleek longships, with heads modelled after the legendary fire breathing sea serpent, known as Drakaa in Vunkish mythology, or Drakuun to the Vulgar people. Long and thin like a serpent, but made from hardwood and garnished and painted, the ships not only look the part of fearsome sea monsters, but they play the part, quickly raiding coasts and outmanoeuvring the larger vessels of the Dominion, Xu or even Hartstone and cutting deep into lands. They may even evoke the literal beasts of the sea by letting loose the blood of slaughtered livestock or human captives as a way to attract predators such as sharks, orcas, ocean-reapers (aquatic scythebeasts) and even the Rot. They coat their own ships in toxic varnishes to protect them from the Rot, making it an unwitting ally of them at sea.
Foreign Relations
Strong diplomatic ties have formed with the other nations of the scythe peninsula resulting in the formation of the Southern Alliance. Following the conquest of Altyn by the Dominion, Vunkish protection has extended further, and now all of the nations of the south except Xiphos acknowledge Vunk as their chief protector.
Trade & Transport
Being accomplished shipbuilders, the Vunkish are also known traders, finding, selling and supplying goods all across the known world, in their own ports or transporting it across others. Their engineers are prized across the known world and possibly beyond for their ingenuity, and so their networks are far and wide.
Iron sings
Founding Date
106
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
Vunk, the Deep South, the Tip.
Predecessor Organization
Training Level
Semi-trained
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Demonym
Vunkish
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Palace economy
Currency
The Vunkish, being a cool maritime power surrounded by fertile water, had over centuries taken to collecting seashells that land on their shores and using them as a form of currency, once they’ve been carved into a more traditional coin shape. Those further inland wouldn’t have money but would directly trade goods with one another, just as they did before the rise of Olm. As the country centralised, however, reliance on copper and silver coins known as Draks took over from this.
Legislative Body
As well as the election of a king upon the death of the previous, the clan leaders as well as appointed bureaucrats and landowners in the city take part in the writing of laws. The Council of Clans and Council of Wisemen represent the respective interests of the landed aristocracy and the urbanites, with both negotiating to determine justice within the lands, though on the clan’s own territories, it involves direct input from the ruling populations towards the Ghorvek or Clanlord’s judgement.
Judicial Body
The Ghorvek are a judicial council under direct supervision of the king responsible for enacting Vunkish law on the lands.
Official State Religion
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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