The Kingdom of Varoselum
The Kingdom of Varoselum was one of the successor states that emerged from the Finorrian Republic following its collapse in 83YD. for eight and a half centuries its borders remained relatively stagnant, only beginning to expand into the northern wastes in the early 9th century through the foundation of the Order of Ash.
Structure
The Kingdom of Varoselum was a feudal monarchy, led by a single monarch, to whom numerous vassals are sworn. The last true monarch was Queen Marguerite I Delacroix, though she was absent from the kingdom for much of her reign due to several overseas conflicts, and the much maligned designated regent, Count Matthieu Ménard of the Spearpoint, ruled in her name during her absence.
The monarch's most important vassals were descended from the warlords that seized control of sections of Varofia following the Finorrian Republic's collapse, and were guaranteed seats on the monarch's privy council in accordance with the treaty that formed the Kingdom of Varoselum. When the kingdom was overthrown, these nobles were:
- Duke Louis Favre of the Arcachons Duchy, which was made up of most of the Southern Plain and much of the Northern Plain.
- Margrave Bertrand Gaubert of the Girons March, which was situated between the March River to the north, the Charpente to the east, and the Northern Plain to the south.
- Prince Florian Delacroix of the Charpente Principality, which ruled the eastern forest regions from the city of Cotest with higher autonomy than the other vassal realms, and came under the control of the royal Delacroix family toward the end of the monarchy.
- Deeplord Granmond Evereyes of Bierg-Garda, a dwarven vassal realm with stewardship over the Guardian Mountains.
Culture
Varofian culture values both martial prowess and learnedness. They epitomise the ideal of the warrior-philosopher, but tend to be proud, and disdainful of outsiders. They also value strict hierarchy, with the nobility filling many government functions even in the new republic, alongside small numbers of clergymen. Despite the common folk valuing honesty, the nobility constantly scheme among themselves.
History
The region of Varofia, which the Kingdom roughly occupied, is believed to contain the Second Paradise, the homeland of humanity according to Teghneist belief. In ancient times, the people of Varofia supposedly joined the mythical Finorr Union, a peaceful joining of all races of the world that lasted centuries until its hubris led to its downfall during the invasion of the Abyss.
Between 544BW and 538BW, Varofia was gradually conquered by and integrated into the Finorrian Republic, which claimed descendence from the mythical Finorr Union. Varoselum was established in 521BW to act as an administrative centre for the region, and by 293BW was the largest human city on the continent. Due to the western half of the region being covered in vast plains, as well as the proximity of the northern steppes, the Varofians developed a strong horse-riding tradition which remains to this day.
Following the collapse of Finorr and the coming of the Great Northern Winter, and the resulting mass emigration to Colossia, Varofia was split between several warlords. Between 83YD and 128YD, these factions fought each other for dominance, but ultimately came to a peaceful settlement wherein the Varofia would be ruled by the Kings of Varoselum, and the other warlords would become their vassals while keeping a high level of autonomy.
The reign of Queen Marguerite Delacroix in the early 10th Century saw the decline of the Kingdom, as she was almost constantly overseas on military campaigns. This allowed the regent, Count Matthieu Ménard, to mismanage the kingdom for his own personal gain. When Queen Marguertie was killed in 922 in battle with the Legion of the Dead, factions that had been plotting against Ménard quickly sprung into action. Ménard and the new queen were overthrown by a brief but violent coup d'etat with foreign backing, and a new Varofian Republic was proclaimed.
Demography and Population
The Kingdom of Varoselum contained some 4,500,000 inhabitants, across an area of roughly 150,000 square kilometres. The vast majority of these are humans, though significant dwarven minorities existed. The demographic makeup was as follows:
- Human - 93% - 4,185,000
- Dwarven - 5% - 225,000
- Halfling - 1% - 45,000
- Other - 2% - 90,000
Territories
The Kingdom of Varoselum was located primarily within the fertile peninsula of Varofia, which is split between plains in the west, forests in the east, and mountains in the north. Varofia has a temperate climate, becoming warmer in the south. The new Varofian Republic follows the same borders as the old Kingdom.
Military
Varofians are famed for their powerful heavy cavalry, which comprised the core of Varofian armies. These cavalry tended to be nobles who equipped themselves, while less wealthy combatants filled infantry and light cavalry roles. Dwarven auxilliaries from Bierg-Garda were sometimes called upon by the monarch in times of war, though the Deeplords had historically been unwilling to commit soldiers to far away conflicts.
The Charpente Watch served a double role as royal guards and intelligence agency. Their primary duty was to protect the reigning monarch, though at any given moment, between half to two-thirds of the Watch were generally hunting down enemies of the state at the behest of the monarch or spymaster. They were occasionally used as scouts or skirmishers in battle, but only rarely due to the cost of replacing members of the Watch. The Watch was disbanded following the revolution, and many of its former leaders executed.
Religion
Almost all Varofians follow the Finorrian Priesthood of the Teghneist faith, and have done so since Time Immemorial. Small numbers, however, sometimes belong to Shroud Cults or follow the Colossean Pantheon, and there is a small Opitarean community in Varoselum itself.
Agriculture & Industry
Varoselumites subsist primarily on vegetables wheat-based foods, as well as significant amounts of fish in coastal regions. Dairy and meat products are also consumed, though more commonly by the nobility. Chicken is viewed as a high-status food, due to the value of live chickens for producing eggs. Wine is prdouced in the centre and south of the country, with Arcachons wine being the most prestigious.
128YD - 922YD
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
Varofia
Predecessor Organization
Demonym
Varoselumite
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Official State Religion
Location
Neighboring Nations
A map of the Kingdom of Varoselum
Alliance
Clan Daymender is charged with defending the Breathing Wastes from Dusklander incursions, and are supported in this by the Kingdom of Varoselum.
Vassalage
The Order of Ash is subject to the Varoselumite monarch.
Distrust
The Awinwald Republic distrusts the Kingdom of Varoselum
Insurgency
Varoselum and the Resistance are in conflict
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