Duchy of Vecunia

Description

In the southeast of Middenland lies the Duchy of Vecunia. It is the oldest still standing duchy of the region, just ahead of the Duchy of Rosalia. It has a long history of power and influence as it is the last remnant of the powerful Kingdom of Veloria that once held nearly two-thirds of Middenland and which originated from this region. Even in recent times it used to be one of the most stable and powerful duchies for decades, however in recent times it has fallen behind somewhat due to a slow assimilation of new technologies and techniques. This comes as a result of an entrenched class of nobility that have shown resistance to investing in what they consider risky ventures, or because they simply thought these advancements would not be as significant. It is still one of the 'richer' duchies in a sense, mostly in tangible assets such as real estate, but it's falling horribly behind in terms of production and thus domestic product.

Politics

While the region is officially ruled by Duca Ernesto Grimaldi of House Grimaldi, control is effectively split between several noble houses of deeply entrenched nobility. These have been in power for decades and have held a strong hold on this power. The established hierarchy changes very little within Vecunia, even less so than in the other duchies of Middenland. Their foreign policies are as conservative as their internal policies, and any deal they make is heavily scrutinized to ensure that it is at least marginally in their favor and they are not liable for any unforeseen failures. This in particular means that the more informal and adventurous Sulvari dislike dealing with them, and have shifted most of their trade to the Duchy of Anthalia instead.
They strongly dislike how they have fallen behind Anthalia in current times and they have employed various tactics to regain their relevance. Their latest ploy has been to dispute the ownership of some parts of the very valuable Trizack Rivers area that is in the hands of the Duchy of Anthalia. They have some very old legal claims to the area from a past kingdom which is of questionable relevance, but they are trying to use it anyway, because if they could wrest some control of the river area from Anthalia it would seriously hamper the competing Duchy's ability to transport its goods to and from further inland. Vecunia could then graciously allow them to use the river again, but at a tariff that would drain much of Anthalia's economic gain into Vecunia's pockets.

Culture

(See also Middenlanders for general sentiments of the region.)
The region is home to the headquarters of the Iron Arbiters, as well as many of their training monasteries. As such it feels their presence and influence far more than the rest of Middenland, leading to an oppressive religious atmosphere. Their trainees are also often tasked with maintaining general order near their monasteries, which has had the beneficial side effect of reducing crime rate as well.
The houses have always kept a focus on maintaining stability within the region, to prevent revolts from the populace or scrutiny from the Arbiters. Laws are strict and much more punishing than in other duchies, and as such it is the duchy with the lowest crime rate. It is also why the middle class who can afford to leave, have often done so, leading to a great disparity in the region between the rich upper class, a very shallow middle class and then a large lower class that have little economic mobility. With the advancement of other duchies and the increasing freedoms expressed there, the grass is looking much greener there and therefore the lower class is starting to grumble more from a mixture of dissatisfaction and jealousy.

Military

Vecunia does not have a centralized military in the usual sense. Instead each of the noble houses maintain their own standing armies, that also double as law enforcement within the lands and districts that they govern. These are well-trained, but not particularly experienced. The main deterrent for invasion of Vecunia is still the Arbiters in that sense, as they are not divided and their assassins pose a significant threat to any commanders or casters on the enemy side.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Vecunia is a simple dark green grassland, set against a bright yellow sunset with a grey castle rising in front.

Stability and Order

Type

Geopolitical, Duchy

Training Level

Trained

Veterancy Level

Trained

Demonym

Vecunians

Location

Middenland

Related Ethnicities

• Middenlanders