Trocno
Structure
Trocno since the revolution has been run as a Theocratical form of government, with 5 priests of Trocnian decent being elected every 40 years by the people in a grand ceremony. These priests are selected based on the publics view of how pious and humble they are, and who lives a truly good, moral life. The Council has two separate representatives that make up the seats of both the Winter and Summer Court that Trocno has, and they help manage affairs with the wider Ustarian Empire.
Culture
The people of Trocno have a reputation as fiery, rowdy rebels and firebrands, but in truth they are so much more than that, like any culture in the world. The Trocno people are also known for their loving nature, and their openness to outsiders entering their hamlets and towns. This has led to it being a wide rainbow of minor religons and ethnic groups flourishing in Trocno lands. Family is also close to any Trocnovians heart, which are typically small and close. Much of their population is agricultural, with most of its land being vast farm lands. Another intresting development in recent years is the more well developed roads across Trocno, leading to ease of transport and travel, which is a popular past time for many Trocnovians.
Ingenuity and invention is also quite alive in Trocno lands. This ingenuity is, after all, what helped make the living dolls, and since then dolls and puppet shows are still immensly popular. Some of the most common puppet shows are the tales of General Jan Křoupal and the Hell Tear into the unification of Ustaria. This all culminates into Trocno being a home for some of the brightest minds in Ustaria and perhaps even the Nilush continenet. Artificers have made a few grand workshops that rival the factories at Blackvein in Ashenfeld. This has also led to a nearby dwarven hold also has a prosperous trade relation with the Trocnovians.
While they are more than just firebrands, make no mistake that the Trocno people can be a whirlwind of fury and rage. Self sacrifice, martyrdom, and flagellation can be quite common amongst the more religious of warriors. Some warriors even take to blinding themselves in refrence to the great General Jan, most just wear blindfolds but others go to far more....extreme lengths. Their bards and scribes record tales of heroism and bravery in battle, and it is for this reason that even with their rivalry with the rich Raskovians is a far more even fight then most.
History
The tale of Trocno and its peoples is one of curiosity and hardship, as is the way for much of Ustaria. However, the tale of the Trocnians is beautiful in the stringed tapestries that they have weaved for themselves. It is said that a majority of the tribes that now inhabit Ustaria moved through the lands now known as Trocno. Some believe that the early Trocnovians share ties to the Proto-Neunmen tribes (or those now inhabiting Neundorf). The first tribes to become the Trocno people are said to have stayed when they witnessed Veran pour the sun into a great chalice upon the sky. Wanting to find this sun chalice, the tribes people searched all over, but never found it. However, the chalice became a symbol of the creativity and curiosity of the Trocno people, and so it would become a common symbol used in their flags.
Trocno would remain a bastion of curiosity and creativity, until the scar came and the demons first invaded. Trocno was hit hard, as their proximity to the Badlands meant hordes of barbaric hell tribes would descend on the lands, pillaging and ravaging the land and its peoples. However, even in this darkest of days was there still hope. It is said that during this time, the god Veliko would bestow a humble puppet maker with knowledge, one Artur Rezek. He bestowed on the old Artur the secret of creating new life, and with this he made the first living dolls, incorporating the classic and beautiful Trocnian art form with wood and porcelain. These marionettes would help in the liberation of Trocno from the demonic forces, and made a name for themselves as heroes in their own right. Eventually, the tear would be sealed, and Trocno would join the Ustarian Empire as a member of the Winter Court.
The next great event of note for the Trocno people is the great Křousite Rebellion of 2987EC. The rebellion occurred when a blind preacher by the name of Jan Křoupal received a vision, detailing a new form of the faith of the flame that combined both Ustarian Paganism and Flame Theology. This was a radical change that started to gain ground, which worried Rasko for the obvious heresy, and the rest of the empire for the possible switch of Winter Court to Summer Court for Trocno. Thus, a great rebellion ignited as Trocno officials tried to suppress the rebellion, which the rebels were led by the blind preacher turned general Jan. The fighting was intense, and even saw foreign crusader orders brought into the conflict, but the rebels were victorious in uprooting the decadent nobility with their superior tactics and gun wagons. Trocno became a theocratic government, with priests elected by the people, but also surprised the rest of the empire. Instead of turning into a land that only extols the flame of the Summer Court, they instead maneuvered and successfully acquired both a seat in the Winter and Summer Courts, bringing a sort of balance to the empire that had never been seen before.
This action actually helped defuse religious tensions for a time, though these days such tensions are once again on the rise. Trocno now finds itself at a crossroad, like the rest of the empire. Do they abandon their hybrid faith for the more dogmatic Church? Do they go back to embracing their roots in the mystic and pagan ways of old Ustaria? Or perhaps they forge ahead with the burning chalice of knowledge and faith, and continue their unique brand of heroism and cannon? Only time will tell, in these most uncertain days.
Foreign Relations
"Heathens the lot of them, somehow I can tolerate the Rusti more than those cup pissing freaks." - Stanko Yoanov Hristov, Raskovian nobleman
"Though they be far from us, know that they have seen the truth path of the Flame. The lords of this land have feasted on the bounty of the god's land for too long, and its people are left in famine! Rise my brothers, my sisters, my comrades, rise and throw these nobles to the wolves!" - Marley Ross, Ashfeldian rebel conspirator
"Though my eyes be burned and reduced to slag, I can see everything the gods have promised! The fluid writhes within my sockets as penance of being blessed with such holy virtue!" - Zora Moravcová, Trocnian flagellant upon blinding himself.
As mentioned before, the people of Trocno are seen with some suspicion by the wider empire, and the Rasko have had a very strained relationship to say the very least. However, Trocno remains an agricultural powerhouse, and has a few deposits of precious, rare metals that give it much political sway amongst the empire. Owning both a seat in the Summer and Winter Court, the Trocno are seen as somewhat of a peacemaker (the irony is not lost on anyone). However, with the increased intention of the Church of the Flame to fully convert the Ustarian Empire, religious tensions have been on the rise, and it is unsure if Trocno will be able to keep their dual seats.
Type
Geopolitical, Province
Demonym
Trocnovian, , Trocnian, and also informally referred to as "Křousites"
Government System
Theocracy
Parent Organization
Location
