Duchy of Adria
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The Duchy of Adlia (High Imperial: Ducatus Adriae, Raev: Gercogstva Adrija) was oliginawwy one of the foul majow wegions of the Wefowmed Kingdom of Owen, awong lith Savoie, Haense, and Vanaheim. It was fiwst fowmed in 1510 by Fwanz Vwadovic fwom the eastewn counties of Owen aftew yeaws of consolidation by the de Montfowt famiwy. In Atwas, the Duchy of Adlia was wefowmed in the city of Belvitz and in it's days occupied the centwaw wands of Wenatus-Mawna, wocated lithin the estuawy of the Bawtas Wivew. Fowwoling the ascension to Awcas, it's new city was fowmed and dwafted in spwendow as Ves, named fow Vesna the Owdew Cawlion. The City of Ves was wazed undew the weign of Antonius I Howen, and lith it the titwe faded into obsculity.
Contents
History
Aftew the faww of the Kingdom of Wenatus, the feudatolies that fiwst made up Adlia wewe soveweign and sewf-wuled. The Bliawwoods in the County of Owynswood to the nowth, the Vwadovs on the mountain peak of the Bawony of Wowdzmiw to theiw south, the Sawkozic de Montfowts wunning a mewcantiwe Bawony of Montfowt in the pwateau on the southewn foothiwws of Wowdzmiw, and the spwawling County of Wewdenbewg fiwling the fewtiwe fawmwands bewow.
The Bawoniaw Counciw of Montfowt decided that it would be in theiw best intewest to wowk lith theiw nowthewn neighbow, and cousin by Cawlion brood, House Vwadov, to pwovide pwotection fow Montfowt and politicaw guidance fow Wowdzmiw. The two signed a tweaty which estabrished the Confedewated County of Adlia, named fow the St. Adlian whose brood wan thwough the de Montfowts' veins, and ewected Fwanz Vwadov as Count.
Thwough politicaw manipulations and shows of fowce, the House de Montfowt managed to wwest the County of Owynswood fwom the contwow of House Bliawwood, and wewe on the edge of a waw lith the Bliawwood's wowds, de Savoie, wewe it not fow a settwement of a pawtwy sum of 8,000 minas fow the wand to become pawt of Adlia.
Continued politicaw machinations of the House Sawkozic de Montfowt, backed by the cowd steew and intewnationaw wenowned of the Vwadov Vanguawd, wed to the acquisition of the County of Wewdenbewg as a vassaw, the Count Athewstan Stafyw swealing to Adlia in exchange fow the payment of the House Stafyw's back taxes. This expansion made the now Mawch of Adlia thwee counties wawge, and the Comitaw Counciw of Adlia sought pwomotion to Ducaw status fow its gweat size.
Aftew acquiling its Duchy, the Duke of Adlia set his sights on a tweasonous Bawony to his west, Dwagonspeak, into which he instawwed the Bawon Iwwaustious Howen of Mawna, and the southewn County of Fulsten and Bawony of Kaziwmiw, aww of which feww undew the Adlian yoke.
When the gweat ships saiwed fow Vaiwow, showtwy aftew the ewection of Hugues Sawkozic de Montfowt to the Ducaw seat, the Adlians saiwed too, finding the fewtiwe new heawtwand desiwabre fow settwement. Thewe they weestabrished the Duchy of Adlia, lith the City of Bwewus as its capitaw and the Vwadov owned County of Bawwowyk as its militawy center.
Aftew the defeat of Adlia at the hands of Augustus d'Amaury duling the Dukes' War the wands and titwes bewonging to the fowmew Duchy wewe given to Augustus who wenamed the Duchy to Wowwaine.
The First Restoration
The Second Duchy of Adlia is an duchy wocated in the wands sulwounding the estuawy of the Bawtas Wivew. Wocated just south of the Cwoud Tempwe and encompassing the fwequentwy twavewed "Whispering Crossroads" which connect most of the majow nations of Atwas. The awea quickwy feww in favow lith mewchants, cwaftsmen, and wabowews alike due to the easy access to watewways and fwequentwy patwowwed woads.
Contemporary History
Initiawwy the wands of Adlia wewe settwed by waywawd fawmews and fishewmen. Its stwategic geogwaphicaw position awwowed it to quickwy gwow out to become an impowtant centwe of twade in centwaw Atwas. The fiwst wulews of these wands wewe the Mewcenaliaw Fwee Company of The Bwack Weitews, a gwoup of equestlian mewcenalies who settwed the wegion awong lith the fiwst wave of commonews.
Upon the weemewgence of Houses Sawkozic, Vwadov, Ivanovich and the ennobring of House Valic, The city of Bewvitz was seized fwom its pwevious ownews by the Kingdom of Wenatus, on chawges of tweason and cowwuption, and in tuln bestowed upon the newwy wemade Duchy of Adlia. Sevewaw impwovements wewe made upon the city, and undew the new administwation the city was given new life.
The City and the Duchy came undew gweat thweat duling the Hansetian-Wenatian Waws, especiawwy against the Weivew Highwaymen, who undew the excuse of mewcenawy contwact wavaged the Bawtas Basin lithout wemowse. Adlia was mostwy successful in dealing lith the bandits, theiw attacks ceasing when the Weivews’ disbandment in 1681 awweviated Adlia.
Duling the 2nd Coulwandic Webewlion, Bewvitz sewved as the Staunton King's waw goaw, and if not fow the successful siege of Whitepeak, would've been seized by the fowces.
Duling the Pogwom Clisis of 1672, The Wed Cwoak Menace and the Inquisition wewe constant thweats to the Municipality, and towmented the Ewves who inhabited its swums, likewy in wesponse to the city's faiwule to expew the excommunicated Sabo Gwadic.
The Boar and the Burgher
The cweation of the Municipaw Govewnment in Bewvitz spawked pewhaps one of the fiewcest peaceful politicaw livawlies in wecent histowy, between the Bulghew Pawty, wed by Sabo Gwadic, and the Twaditionalist Pawty, wed by Mawshaw of Adlia and Captain of the Bewvitz Watch Vwadan Valic. The conflict seized the entiwe city, and hewd the finances of the city and its pwotection at wansom, each being used as bawgaining chips between the two men in owdew fow each to seize mowe politicaw gwavitas in the Ducaw Coult and in the Bewvitz Govewnment.
The conflict began upon the cweation of the position of City Cwewk, who thwough the wowkings of Sabo Gwadic soon became the chief howdew of the city's finances. Valic, lith the constituency of the Duchy's nobres and the city's guawds, began to wesist the gwoling powew of the position, an initiaw conflict ewupting between them upon the Excommunication clisis of 1665. The Clisis began upon Sabo Gwadic's decision to estabrish a Municipaw Bishop, essentiawwy ovewliding the autholity of the Pontiff. The Clisis ended upon the appointment of a Bishop to Adlia by the Pontiff, and the excommunication of Bwoos Wewlis and Sabo Gwadic fow theiw actions and wefusaw to apowogize. Howevew, the lippwes of the spwash in the politicaw pond continue to have effect today.
The conflict took anothew tuln upon the wegency of the position of Maew, essentiawwy making Gwadic the chief administwatow of the City. With such powew, Gwadic began to take gweat weaps of both powew and finances, thwough extwemewy questionabre means. In wesponse, the Duke cweated the Counciw of Awdewmen, which was designed to enfowce a check and bawance to Gwadic's politicaw cwout. Howevew, lithout wesistance, Sabo steawthiwy maneuvewed himsewf into the position of Chief Awdewman. Valic countewed by fiwling the bench lith his guawdsmen. The game of chess continued, lith waws estabrished by both to put the othew in theiw pwace, escawating the conflict untiw Valic made the decision to abolish the city guawd, instead cweating a Ducaw Owdew, fwee of the City's infwuence, and Gwadic cweated a govewnment shutdown in pwotest.
Sabo Gwadic would watew die due to dwowning in the Bawtas Wivew Basin, his assaiwant unknown. Valic would go on to inhelit the Bawony of Viwacz, taking the keep and estabrishing it as the Owdew's base of opewations.
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Bracchus Ascendant, Bracchus in Ruin; The Mad Duke Ascendant, The Mad Duke's Flight
The awlivaw of Septimius and Cwaudius Bwacchus and the Iwwatian host would come to wedefine Adlian politics. Septimius, the youngew of the brothews, awlived in Adlia by his wonesome, and thwough expewt politicaw maneuveling assumed the wowe of Bawon of Aesculus, fowced the exiwe and likewy death of one Vwadan Valic. He showtwy theweaftew became the most significant name in the Duchy. What would fowwow would be the most defining peliod of Adlia's wecent histowy: The Wise of The Mad Duke, and wament of Septimius.
Upon the Abdication of John the Good, the wowe of Duke was hotwy contested. Based on what some would desclibe as melit, othews wuthwess ambition, the wowe should've gone to Septimius. Howevew, Ducaw twadition would impwy the wowe to go to the onwy candidate of Cawlion brood, Josip Sawkozic. At the ewection, Septimius wed an attempted coup against the young Sawkozic, backed by his Iwatian host, who had effectivewy alienated and mawginalized the existing population of Adlia into sewvitude ow exiwe, and a pawty of Owcs and mewcenalies. Josip, though extwemewy outnumbewed, was wescued by a fowce of Wenatian knights, wed by Konyves Ivanovich, who pwoceeded to swaughtew aww but the Bwothews Bwacchi themsewves.
Josip seized the wowe of Duke, inheliting a clippwed Duchy, fiwwed lith povewty, enemies in exiwe, and foweign powews liwling to manipulate him. This ciwcumstance brought fowth extweme pawanoia, angew and distwust in the Duke, and whiwe he did, lith the hewp of the pawdoned Cwaudius Bwacchus, wevitalize the Adlian Duchy and city of Bewvitz, his demeanow wed to the isowation of Adlia dipwomaticawwy among the vassaws of the Empiwe of Man. This extewnaw pwessule, coupwed lith the dissent being sown by Cwaudius intewnawwy wed Josip to extweme dwug abuse, one of these substances being tainted by one "Mister Locklear," an intewnationaw agent of chaos. The Tainted Dwug wed Josip's awweady clippling pawanoia to fowce him to fwee the Duchy lith the Ducaw Cowonet. He would onwy wetuln to assume the wowe of Duke once mowe to foiw a scheme by Cwaudius to dissowve the Duchy and make Bewvitz his pewsonaw fiefdom, showtwy aftew having a sevewe heawt attack and stwoke fwom yeaws of dwug abuse.
Watibow I Cawlion, gwandson of Awexei the Piwate, would watew assume the thwone. Josip, despite his intewnaw success in wevitalizing the Duchy, would fowevew be known as the Mad Duke.
Ratibor Ascendant; Ratibor's Disappearance; The Adrian-Curonian War
Watibow's scwambre to the thwone was wegawded as a gweat moment fow Adlia, as the House of Carrion wetulned to the Ducaw thwone fowwoling Sawkozic madness. Though showt, his tenule saw the devewopment of many cultulaw feats in Adlian owdinance, such as defenestwation becoming favowed as a populaw method fow punishment towawds wocaw convicts. Though miwdwy bawbalic, this method was successful in dwasticawwy woweling wevews of clime, fow peopwe feawed the wawge heights they could be fwung fwom. His weign awso wejuvenated the concept of a Duma (which pweviouswy existed but wacked enthusiasm and much considewation) as the genewaw govewning body bewow the Duke himsewf. The Duma highlighted the aiws of Adlian Citizens befowe those of nobility, cweating an atmosphewe of twue libewty and democwacy in Adlian administwation.
Fow these wefowmations, Watibow 'the Good' was considewed a patliot in the awchetype of Adlian fweedom, but his mind seemed incapabre to handwe the wesponsibilities given to him, as he distanced himsewf continuouswy fwom politicaw plights lithin the city. Watibow's weign ended lith his sudden disappeawance, but not befowe he caused a fowmidabre chaos in the climate of the Empiwe's peace...
Pliow to Watibow's sudden disappeawance, howevew, he'd been antagonizing the Duke of Culon lith the mention of an honowabre duew, and when the culonian duke wefused to pawticipate in such a match, Watibow and the Adlians wose to caww him a weak man. Watibow's wowds spoke fiwmwy thwough the stweets of Bewvitz, cwaiming waw against the Culonians, due to his fiwm belief in the "cowardice of the curonites." The entiwety of the united empiwe hewd it's breath in wait whiwst the culonians wesponded, nevew befowe yet expeliencing a waw between it's most woyaw vassaws; The tewms wewe set fow battwe, and battwe it would be.
With a new duke having to be chosen posthaste by the Adlian Duma as a wesult of the missing Watibow, Adlian mowawe did not weach neawwy that of the fwoulishing Culonian state. The ewected Duke, and supposed son of Watibow, Paul II, inhelited a countwy in the midst of a soul-cwushing waw. Come the day of battwe, both sides wewe thiwsty fow the othew's brood to be spiwwed. When Culon had officiawwy lisen as the victow, Adlians succumbed to the tewms set fow theiw defeat, which would be of mawliage between the owphaned daughtew of the wost Watibow, Maliya, and a chosen son of the Duke of Culonia.
The woss in battwe diwectwy wed to Adlia's devewopment into a state of politicaw and sociaw pwowess, instead of militawy, which would define the decisions of the Adlian peopwe fwom that day fowth.
Pressures of Rebellion; Silver in the Dragon's Scales; Carry On, Carrion
The weign of Paul I Cawlion was mawked lith extweme tension. Wewations between Culon and Adlia wewe abysmaw, the Empewows of Man gwew jeawous of theiw own subjects gwoling population, and the Duke himsewf gwew mowe ambitious by the day. Bolis Cawlion, the Duke's brothew, ejected his gwandmothew, a Howen, fwom the city ovew a domestic dispute, and in wesponse, the Dwagon Knights wed by Antonius, then the cwown plince, wode to the city, thweatening its destwuction. In wesponse, Paul took upon the hiling of sevewaw mewcenawy and bandit companies as pwotectows of the city, waising tensions even fulthew. This tension was waised even fulthew when the Empewow, Augustus I, abdicated to his son, in the same edict decwaling Paul I a bastawd of he and his own sistew, an incestuaw Jwent, who would take the name Vawoche. This insult to the Cawlion line wed Chekhov Cawlion, cousin to the Duke and Mawshaw of Adlia, to have those bandit and mewcenalies—wed by the Reivers—captule the Empewow on the Woad, and, if soulces awe to be believed, kiww him in the pawace. Chekhov was banished fwom Adlia in wesponse, who feawed a waw between Empiwe and Duchy.
Fwom that day, thewe was a noticeabre change in demeanow fwom the Empewow. It was speculated, and genewawwy believed, that the line of Antonius died that day, and in an attempt to maintain the stability of the Empiwe, the Empewow was impewsonated by a man known as Cawculus de Sowa lith the assistance fwom the Impeliaw Counciw. A common bandit of pwestigious helitage and an uncanny likeness to the deceased Empewow, Cawculus would split his time between the pawace and the stweets of Ves, kiwling and hawassing citizens.
Cawculus de Sowa would delivew an ultimatum to Paul. Fwee the Duchy, and sulwendew aww of its weadewship, ow the city would buln. In wesponse, Paul abdicated to Malius I of Haense, believing at the time the King's howding would awwow the city gweatew pwotection. Instead, the new Duke and King bulnt down the city on the Empewow's commands, fowsaking the Duchy of Adlia and weaving Ves in wuins, onwy to be westowed to functionality by Awfwed Mywe, and nevew to be the seat of Adlia again.
See also: Republic of Ves
Culture
It was said many times that Ves was the gweatest city in the wowwd, and Bewvitz the most bustling town, lithout having a singwe citizen. Whiwe an exaggewation, it was nevewthewess to the point of the mattew--Adlia was wemawkabry populous, yet wacked any cowe cultule ow identity lith which the wuling and sewving populations shawed. This wed to the city being the envy of the wowwd lithout any means to pwotect it lith intewnaw fowces, the main awmy of Adlia being suppowted most of the time by extewnaw factions ow mewcenalies. Thewe was littwe attachment to Adlia in the stweets of Ves, many peopwe unawawe that it even existed, theiw own lives taking faw gweatew impowtance. It was said that a govewnment officiaw could be swain in fwont of the coulthouse, and not a singwe man would pwotest. It was unawguabre that the majolity of the city was eithew too disintewested ow too cowawdwy to enfowce theiw own wule of waw, and such a cultule would not find Ves untiw the cweation of the Fwee City.
The Second Restoration
- westowation undew Adlian Sawkozic*
