Valnitz

The Princedom of Valnitz, (Valen: Valenice, Deinegger: Walnitz) is a princely city state located within the centre of the continent of Norvinia. It is a mercantile republic made up of two distinct cities: Vraneberk, Valnitz, and the town of Dalenov, as well as Zwilling castle. It is presently an independent nation on the continent.
Valnitz is considered a city state, and is administered as a heavily oligarchical mercantile republic, though it is officially administered by the Burgrave, a minor noble whose position has however been empty since the death of the last member of the house of Vraneberk in early 2024.
== Etymology ==
Valnitz /valnit͡s/ is the anglicised form of Valenice, the old valén word for the city. The term valén /valɛːn/ (pl. valéni) itself is of unclear origin, though it is similar to vél /vɛːl/, the valén word for warrior, possibly indicating the self-identifying term of origin. Most likely, the origin of the name Valnitz thus comes from the valén people. The deinneger spelling of Valnitz is sometimes Walnitz. 
The town of Vraneberk /vranəbɛrk/ might come as an adaptation of the valén Vraní hora /vraɲiː ɦora/ (Crow mountain), which was adapted by the deinneger as Vraneberg, before regaining its valén form of spelling. The town is most likely named after the castle, which stood on the mountain above it, but later gained the name Zwilling /cviliŋ/, meaning twins, likely owing to the fact that the castle is made up of two distinct parts, the old Burgravial palace and the Monastery of St. Hilderic.
== History ==
=== Prehistory ===
In prehistoric times, the land of present day Valnitz was inhabited by various tribes and clans. Little is known of their origin or what language they spoke, though their jewelry, sometimes recovered from digs under the city, is prized by the wealthy burghers of Vraneberk and Valenice. The area of the Valnitz peninsula has been inhabited for several thousand years before today.
Some time around the 3rd century before the arrival of Iristor's comet, the Valén people of southern Tiberia migrated to the area, founding the first village which would later become known as the town of Valenice. Little is known of their origin, but according to ancient mythology, they sought to migrate east because of the call of a certain Jaropluk, who is also the mythical founder of the nation. He supposedly walked onto the Grand hill in the centre of the peninsula and uttered the famous phrase "Here shall be the home of all the righteous, of plentiful harvests, and milk and honey." One other possible origin points to the Rathniri nation of Daelyria, with whom the Valén share some joint customs, though this does not align with the traditional recounting that the city of Valenice was founded before Vraneberk, which would not be possible if both groups arrived at the same time.
The arrival of Iristor's comet marked the arrival of the Deinnean (end. Deinneger) people, hailing supposedly from the north of Tiberia. Some strange occurences question this - the Deinneger people arrived with much more knowledge than any tribal people would otherwise have, more so as merchants and warriors than migrants, and they brought strange relics with them, including the supposed relics of ancient Carn, destroyed with the end of Rathnir. Theories have been suggested that they might have originated from Carn, or at least interacted with the Carnian Caeronate at some point. The Deinneger merchants quickly formed a new elite within Valenice, and eventually founded the larger town of Vraneberk, which is presently the centre of Valnitz. Little suggests, though, that interaction between the Deinneans and the Valén was hostile, as is supported by the fact that the old dynasty of Jaropluk married with Hervard I., a Deinnean noble, to form the house of Vraneberk, which ruled over both Valenice and Vraneberk.
=== Early history ===
Valnitz was ruled by the house of Vraneberk under the title of Burgrave until May of 2024, when the last member of the dynasty, Adalrich II., died childless. In the aftermath, the Grosbirgers (the most prominent and wealthy burghers of the cities of Vraneberk and Valenice), agreed to continue the co-rule of the towns. Early 2024 oversaw significant growth and development, and the earliest stone buildings in Vraneberk date back to this time period. The first elected Purkmistr, who ruled over both cities in the first half of 2024, was Pavel Liszka, a burgher of Valenice. He was replaced by Jobst Samael deyn Leszau, a deinnean burgher of Vraneberk, who was reelected for many terms until acquring emergency dictatorial powers for the rest of his life. 
Through 2024, the small nation of Valnitz was ruled over by several more powerful lieges, to whom it swore its fealty, but famously never lost its independence. First was the Kingdom of Medena, which was then replaced by the Aurean Empire. The house of Fiorenci briefly attempted to rule as burgraves during this period. In October, Valnitz swore its fealty to the Empire of SahriyaSee the Treaty of Vraneberk , which it held allegiance to until the Great Northern War, when it sided with the Tiberium, citing Sahriya's inability to uphold Valnitz's safety. The cities both grew during this period, and a new Rathaus (town hall) was constructed in Vraneberk to house the Burgravial council.
=== New-found independence ===
Following the defeat of Sahriya in the Great Northern War, Valnitz sought from independence from the Tiberium. It proclaimed its sovereignty on 26th January, 2025, alongside the announcement of the Treaty of Divine GniesbertSee the Treaty of Divine Gniesbert., which solidified its ties and relations with its neighbours. Valnitz's independence was accompanied by an era of expansion and prosperity, as well as colonisation of the eastern lands beyond the river Pißau.
== Geography ==
Valnitz is located in a peninsula bearing the same name, on both sides of the river Pißau, which are connected by a stone bridge known as the Old Bridge. The centre of the peninsula is famously hilly, and the steep cliffs serve as the base for Zwilling castle. It is bordered to the North-east by the kingdom of Medena, to the north by the Empire of Aurea, and to the south by Jonkburk and Jarazeh.
The climate is temperate and continental, with all four seasons of winter, spring, summer and autumn present. The coldest months are December and January, when a thin layer of snow covers the city, and the warmest July and August, when warm air blows in from the South-East. Phytogeographically and traditionally, Valnitz belongs to central Tiberia.
== Government and Politics ==
The Princedom of Valnitz is an oligarchic republic, sometimes referred to as a merchant republic, though it gets its name from the Prince or Burgrave of Valnitz and Vraneberk. Since early 2024 the position of Burgrave has been vacant. The city is administered by the Burgravial council, comprised of Grosbirgers, the wealthy and influential citizenry of both cities. There is no official rule for how Grosbirgers are appointed, except that each one should represent one powerful family of the cities, and that they should be elected into their ranks by the rest of the council of Grosbirgers. 
Every month, a Purkmistr is elected to run the city, organise the council, and represent the city on a foreign policy level. His powers are, however, still fairly limited, and he must answer to the council in any major decisions, unless stated otherwise (as in the case of Purkmistr Jobst Samael, who was granted dictatorial powers by the council until death or abdication). The Burgrave is a secondary leader within the city, and their power is not officially stated. They have the formal right to dismiss laws formulated by the Burgravial council, and though their hard power is limited, they can heavily influence the administration and heading of the city. At the present day, no Burgrave is in office.
=== List of past and present Purkmisters of the city ===
# (11.07.-01.09. 2024) Pavel Liška 
# (1.09. 2024 - Present) Jobst Samael deyn Leshau
== Constituent cities and main sights ==
=== Valenice ===
The city of Valenice, though older than Vraneberk, has lacked severely in economic development and growth since the expansion of the trade and commerce in Vraneberk. Ethnically, Valenice is still primarily valén, aside from a small population of skilled labourers that settled in it during the construction of its various building projects. At present times, Vraneberk is home to the Rathaus of all Valnitz, and thus the importance of Valenice as an early administrative centre has largely wained. The primary commerce in the city is presently mainly rural and agricultural exports, which may be traded in its small markets - though greater opportunities for trade are present in Vraneberk. Still, its historical nature gives opportunity to visit some of the oldest wooden and stone buildings of Valnitz, typical of secular valén architecture.
==== The Provisional Rathaus ====
The oldest continously used administrative building within Valnitz, the provisional Rathaus, has largely lost its importance after the establishment of the larger stone Vraneberk Rathaus. It is located directly on the Altrynk, the main square of Valenice, which holds weekly markets. Plans have been presented by the Grosbirgers of Valenice to construct a new Rathaus, but they have not yet come to fruition. The present building, built by valén architects some time after the arrival of the deinneans, stands atop the foundations of an older wooden building from the 1st century before Iristor's comet, of which only records remain today. It is presently the residence of Grosbirger Pavel Liška, former Purkmistr of the city.
==== The Church of St. Jaropluk on the Altrynk ====
The church of St. Jaropluk is the oldest (and only) stone church in Valenice, constructed after the arrival of the deinneans in the early carnesque style, indicated by its typical small windows and sparse interiors. According to records, it was built with the aid of deinnean masons, as one of the first major examples of cooperation between the different ethnic groups of Valnitz.
==== The Old walls of Valenice ====
Valenice has been noted as a fortified city ever since the arrival of the deinneans, though its first walls were likely wooden. The present stone walls, constructed from rubble and masonry bricks, were built during the reign of house Vraneberk, and financed through the Burgrave's generous contributions. The most famous sight of the walls is the Southern Gate, leading into Vraneberk.
File:2024-12-29 14.03.50.png|The provisional Rathaus of Valenice
File:2024-12-29 14.03.41.png|Church of St. Jaropluk, Valenice
File:2024-12-29 14.03.20.png|Southern Gate of the Old Stone walls, Valenice
=== Vraneberk ===
Vraneberk is the larger and arguably more developed of the two cities of Valnitz. It is more recent in origin, though it has older stone buildings than anywhere in Valenice, owing to the early funding it received from the house of Vraneberk, who chose the city as their primary subserviant town. After the fall of house Vraneberk, it became the administrative centre of Valnitz, and nowadays forms the city centre and all major sites within the city, such as the Rathaus or palaces of important Grosbirgers. Its population is comprised of both deinneans, who form the city's upper class and elite, and valéns, who reside in the northern parts of the city, adjacent to the Rathaus. It is both an industrial hub and a major regional centre for commerce, thanks to the Terszplaß, the main square of the city, where daily markets are held. Notable also are the many mills surrounding the river Pißau, which have granted Vraneberk significant power over the surrounding countryside, as grain must be milled within them instead of older local mills outside the city.
==== Vraneberk Rathaus ====
The Vraneberk Rathaus is the largest stone building in the city, constructed at considerable cost largely thanks to the funding of the Grosbirgers of Vraneberk. It houses the government of Valnitz, including the old council chamber. It was formed from many houses generously lended to the city by the Grosbirgers, which were connected, expanded, and transformed into the building visible today. Architecturally, it is notable as an example of high carnesque architecture, supposedly inspired from the work of ancient Carn, typically exemplified by the building's small stone windows and simple wooden ceilings. The Rathaus has several notable architectural elements, including its tower, which is the tallest tower in the city, as well as the Old Stone hall, which has a rare stone-vaulted ceiling, built by expert deinnean masons.
==== The Terszplaß church (Church of the Arrival) ====
The Terszplaß church is the oldest stone building in Valnitz. It was constructed under the rule of house Vraneberk, during the reign of its last burgrave, Adalrich II., in the carnesque style. Though it is a small and unassuming building, its age has given it a renowned reputation amongst both deinneans and valéns. 
==== The Samael Palace (Jobst's Palace) ====
The Samael Palace is the largest stone palace on the Terszplaß, owned by the Samael family, one of the most prominent Grosbirger clans of the city. It was built fairly recently, under the direction of Jobst Samael deyn Leshau, purkmistr of Valnitz and Vraneberk, and is notable for its large glass windows, innovative within the city and larger region, which were assembled with the aid of Sahriyan craftsmen from the South. 
==== The city walls of Vraneberk ====
Vraneberk is a walled city, and its walls are more recent than those of Valenice, having been constructed only after the fall of house Vraneberk. They are larger and more expertly crafted than those of Valenice, owing to the wealth of the city, and have two gates, the White gate, leading north into Valenice, and the Black gate, leading westward and out of the city. Both, though built with the purpose to defend, are also fairly decorated and ornamented, especially the Black gate, which was funded through vast resources from the Vraneberk Grosbirgers.
==== The temple of the Vyrchen ====
The Vyrchen are a group of "heretical" sectarians who refuse to acknowledge the state religion of Valnitz, and instead cling to worship of the "old-gods", either pagan deities of the valéns and the deinneans, or other gods. They are persecuted vigorously within Valenice, but within Vraneberk, through the aid of the vyrchen grosbirger Jobst Samael, they have constructed a large and modern stone temple, bearing innovative elements differing from other carnesque buildings within the city. This has given rise to the vyrthic style, which can also be seen on the Leshau residence.
File:2024-12-29 14.05.42.png|The Vraneberk Rathaus and its large stone tower.
File:2024-12-29 14.06.21.png|The Vraneberk Rathaus (back view)
File:2024-12-29 14.05.52.png|The Old stone Hall in the Vraneberk Rathaus
File:2024-12-29 14.07.28.png|The Old Terszplaß church, Vraneberk
File:2024-12-29 14.05.26.png|The White gate, Vraneberk
File:2024-12-29 14.07.57.png|The Black gate, Vraneberk
File:2024-12-29 14.07.06.png|A view of the Terszplaß from the south-west, Vraneberk
File:2024-12-29 14.07.15.png|The Samael palace, Vraneberk
File:2024-12-29 14.07.42.png|The temple of the Vyrchen, Vraneberk
File:2024-12-29 14.09.55.png|The mills of Vraneberk
Category:City state
Category:Towns