Varshalshka
Varshalshka (From the Uqesheg Varshalshı ("of truth") and the suffix -ka ("land" or "area")) is a semi-tribal confederation far east of Occident, encompassing primarily the shoreline of the Tetyj Khir. It is known primarily in the West as a land of godless atheism and undead lich-kings, although there is an indigenous animist religion in the southern and western reaches of the confederation.
Structure
Varshalshka operates less as a single unified entity, and more as a loose coalition of tribal groups and nationalities. Each nation-tribe, or l'epq, has its own territory, and within it the chieftain or high chieftain's word is law. These high chieftains send representatives to Cherkess, the capital, where they represent the concerns of their L'epq. Some chieftains choose to do this themselves, but most venture to Cherkess only when a conclave is called by the High King or Raven Queen.
The High King of Varshalshka is an elected title; he is chosen from amongst the various chieftains after his death, and holds that position for life. Conclaves are always called for such an occasion, and the chieftains gather in the hall of Zhiw' to choose one of their number to head the federation. The appointee must give up his chieftancy, in order to ensure that no one group achieves domination of Varshalshka. The King has little authority over the internal matters of the realm, other than arbitrating disputes between tribes, but he guides foreign policy and negotiates on behalf of all the tribes.
There exists a second supreme office, that of the Raven Queen. She is elected from amongst the leaders of the spellsword lodges, and serves as cult authority, ensuring that Varshalshka remains free of the influence of organized religions. She enjoys equal power with the High King, and during times of war, while the two are nominally equal, she often takes the lead given her martial training.
History
The lands that are now Varshalshka have been inhabited for over ten thousand years in one form or another. The original inhabitants were the fair-skinned race of giants known as the Ishtakarans , who dwelled along the northwestern shores of the tetyj khir and what is now the floor of said sea. Six thousand years ago, the mGya rKhar Empire spread northwards from the Zhangpa plateau, bringing their religion Khabzeh. Their wars with the ancient Ishtakarans are the stuff of legend, eventually culminating with the birth of the dragons and their rebellion against Ishtakar . This calamity caused a great flood that swallowed the heart of the Ishtakaran Empire, and gave birth to the Tetyj khir. mGya rKhar colonization in the region had taken place for some time prior to this war, but much of south and east Varshalshka, as well as the coastline of the Tetyj Khir, fell under their control during this time, and many mGya rKhar moved into the region, interbreeding with the locals. The collapse of the mGya rKhar empire left the region in anarchy, and other groups began to settle.
Chief among these groups were the Kolkhetians, who at one time were the slaves of the Ishtakaran dream-giants. During this time, many small tribal kingdoms developed, all living in varying states of feuds with each other
The most cataclysmic migration in Varshalshken history, however, was undoubtedly that of the Steppe Tribes. Originally from Grand Erbakan, they were forced from that land across the great steppes following their resistance to Altan Unal, bringing with them the magical traditions of Grand Erbakan's mage-lords. The steppe-tribes threw the original inhabitants of the north and the east westward, forcefully claiming the forests and mountains as their new homes, before their conquests spread south and west beneath the banners of their Khagans. Some joined freely, others were put to the sword.
Some of those who resisted had long since converted to the faiths of Occident , and hosted within their lands paladin and monastic orders, most of which fought to defend their hosts from the foreign invaders, bolstered by religious fervor once the extent of lichdom within the steppe-peoples was noticed. Through the involvement of these church warriors in what was otherwise a secular dispute, word reached the Occidental Empire, and the fathers of the church declared that it was the duty of the Occidental people to rally to the defense of the faithful against the godless heathens from the east. So the Oriental Crusade began.
The Oriental Crusade lasted for eleven years, during which the Occidentals took to ever-increasing measures to curtail the steppe-tribes' guerilla tactics, slowly turning the population of even the western tribes against them; the zeal with which their priests attempted to root out the native faith of Khabze from the western tribes that still followed it, believeing it's multitude of spirits to be demons, served to gradually turn many away from the cause of the crusade. The war officially ended, following a meeting between Gw'ne Tlepchuk, known to many today as the Raven Headmistress or Raven Queen, and High Master Odilon, the impromptu leader of the crusade following the assassination of King Thietmar.
Founding Date
11 AC
Type
Political, Confederation
Alternative Names
Empire of the Raven
Predecessor Organizations
Demonym
Varshalshken
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Federation
Economic System
Traditional
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
Comments