Rusulka
Before the rise of the rebellious elves of Veliuona seized power and created their own nation, a crowning nation dominated the southeastern Sea of Fallen Stars, in a corner known as the Bay of Ashes. This nation was named Rusulka, and it held the entirety of the coast from the Beregundi Barrens to the Black Ash Plains. The power over the area Rusulka held was immense, but like any powerful nation, it required might to hold its bordering neighbors in check. After the Crown's strength was crippled by a constitutional revolution that instated the Lordly Parliament, the delayed reactions imposed by bureaucracy were quickly noticed and exploited.
Rusulka now sits splintered and beset by foreign enemies, with a formidable force of ambitiously conquering elves moving from the west, and several nations vying for control over the area to their south, the Crown desperately begs for its authority to be restored from a stubborn Parliament, lest Rusulka be no more.
Structure
Historically, the Koról (King) was the sole head of the government, with the following tier system following beneath him:
Velykyi Knyaz (Grand Prince)
Hertsoh (Duke)
Vitse-koról (Viceroy)
Markiz/Boyar-kor (Marquess/Lorded Knight)
Hraf (Count)
Vikont (Viscount)
Lytsar (Baron)
Boyar (Knight)
However, with the advent of the Royal Parliment of Rusulka , everyone from the rank Markiz and above was allowed to sit on the Parliament and the Koról's power was nearly extinguished.
History
Long ago, many centuries before the Convergence, and the Fallen Star still smouldered, the southeastern part of the sea was home to a great many tribes of various people, be they elves, humans, goblinoids and more. They were shamanistic and nomadic across the vast grasslands that extended inland. These tribes were even responsible for the domestication of the horse, and became incredibly proficient with it.
The first country to develop was east of the Volhynia Mountains named Khazar. The Khazarat would become the framework for much of the culture to come, and were extensive in their records in the cities that they built. Even today, thousands of years after the fall of Khazar, their ruins can still be found and explored, and their records intact, bestowing in depth knowledge of their time.
However, a natural disaster would cause the end of Khazar, for in the middle of their nation lay the sleeping caldera of a super volcano. When it erupted, the entire nation of Khazar was buried underneath the dense black ash that billowed out of its mouth. So great was this eruption that it affected the entire coast to the west, dumping into the sea. The western elves bore witness to this, and commemorated the bay that turned black with ash as the Bay of Ashes that remains to this day.
Life slowly struggled to recover here after the extinction event, and where it did, it was hardly improved from the fragile tribes of the last several thousand years. It was the Orsinúr Elves who, after being exiled by the Kingdom of Sildeyuir (ruled by the Mithril Elves) for their worship of Malacath, migrated into the recovering land and made it their own. As humans and orcs forged an alliance, coexisting in the fertile land south of the Black Ash Plains , the population exploded, and once more civilization arose, this time along the coast west of the mountains.
It was then that the Impilturian Empire arrived in the 4th Century AC, and rather swiftly assimilated the southeastern corner under imperial rule. Surprisingly, the two peoples coexisted rather well, with only the rarest of rebellion. It was only when the Empire began to decline and recede back to its home peninsula in the 10th Century that the area became more unstable, and small countries began sprouting up from the remains of the Empire.
The strongest of these claimed the most populous city, Nerthus, as its capital and began its expansion across the plains southward. This was the beginning of the Kingdom of Rusulka, and it saw a massive expansion, becoming an empire in its own right. The domination of the land by Rusulka continued for hundreds of years until 1299, when a revolution by the vassals arose and captured the king. As a peace condition, they merely demanded a equal representation in a grand court that would be equal to or greater in power to the monarch. A central document was created, and thus was founded the Royal Parliament, composed of the various feudal lords in a central council.
The sluggish nature of a feudal congress became incredibly evident as the years wore on, and when several lords struck out and formed their own kingdoms, the king was powerless to pull them back into the fold without the backing of an overburdened system. No threat was more poignant than when various elvish races united together to form a new country named Veliuona. The newborn country was hardly peaceful, and devoured vast swaths of Elyn'aran and Rusulkan land, along with several smaller lands in a mad rush for power and land.
Now, the king is becoming desperate, but will he be able to act with the necessary independence to save his country in time? Or will Rusulka become just another country to rise and fall on this earth.
Demography and Population
As with most places around the Sea of Fallen Stars, the primary demographic is the wildfire that is the human race, living fast and vigorous lives, and breeding across the land making themselves the primary race. However, Rusulka has in its lands more orcs than anywhere else, with the Tusked Ones making their capital at Orisinium, and dominating most of the lands of eastern Rusulka.
Formerly, elves came next in the demographic list, until the vast majority of the populous split off 50 years ago and formed Veliuona. Now, elves are heavily shunned by the general population of Rusulka.
Dwarves are endearing to the Rusulkans, the former slave race forging their own path, and the skills that they bring to the table, are incredibly useful for any who come across them, and as such the stocky folk are welcomed anywhere within Rusulka.
Wild Centaur roam south-eastern Rusulka, but their primary conflict arises from Elbasan. Rusulka has made many promises and treaties with the centaurites, something Elbasan cannot claim.
Territories
Rusulka's modern territory reaches along most of the eastern coast, south into the Bay of Ashes before it meets Veliuona in the southwest, and Kvasir in the north. It expands outward deep into the Black Ash Plains, but the land there is nearly useless after the volcanic eruption devastated most of the land there. Formerly, Rusulka reached to the Sea of Voros, but now its south border is mostly determined by the Krovitya River.
The entire Volhynia Mountains are within its borders. The Krovitya River Basin, alongside the foothills around the mountain range provides Rusulka with a lush living space, with the eastern shore being a hot spot for population while the south is a primarily agrarian locale.
Military
Rusulkan military might was primarily forged by a triple alliance of arbaletchyk (crossbowmen), heavy infantry forming shchyt (shield walls), and the elite Cossak light calvary, with heavy Boyar supporting.
Rusulkan military doctrine determined that several walls of heavy infantry wielding board shields and pikes would surround companies of crossbowmen who would fire upon enemy forces to either bait them out or at the least soften up their troops. The Cossaks were the primary force of mobility, and would perform feints, lures, and charges against retreating opponents. The goal was to utilize the crossbowmen most heavily, winning the battle by attrition against their heavy arbalest.
The Rusulkans were not a fast military, but they rarely lost a battle be it defensively in their castles, or in the open field. Most opponents of Rusulka described it as a "turtle strategy."
Religion
There is no central religion of Rusulka, making it a melting pot and safe haven for practitioners of most organized religions. The most notable faiths include the Impilturian Triad, consisting of Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater. The orcish population primarily reveres Torm as the defender, but also Tempus for war, and Gond Greensteel for the forge.
The only notable exception is the ancient magic, the natural world manipulators belonging to the druidic sects. While not inherently shunned, most are suspicious of druidic magic, as it is the primary practice of elves, who have made the impression of invasion upon the common population.
Agriculture & Industry
The primary export of Rusulka is the rich mining industry in the Volhynia Mountains, with precious metals abound. However, the primary metal to be found there is copper, which has proved a necessary ingredient for cities. Perhaps the most useful aspect for the copper is its usage in making Green Steel, a metal that, when forged by orcs, takes outstandingly well to magical enhancement.
The agricultural side of Rusulka has shrunk in recent decades due to the loss of farming lands by invasion and new nations sprouting up. However, the richest lands, those closest to the Sea, are still within Rusulkan grasp, and the population remains fed.
In the east, husbandry is extensive, much to the chagrin of the centaurs that live in that territory. They see similarities to the beasts, even if they won't care to admit it.
There is a particularly beautiful kind of flower, known as the Fire Plume that grows extensively only in the Bahati Fields and in patches in the Black Ash Plains. These make a particularly potent honey that is highly sought after for its healing qualities and sweet earthy taste.
The Bay of Ashes is rife with fish and other aquatic fauna, and with storms being rare in these waters, provides an extensive population of fishermen.
Maps
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Rusulka
Founding Date
1066 AC
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Rusulkan
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Impilturian Coinage
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Comments