Olga of Volkov

Grand Duchess Olga de Volkov was a Yutemond was a general and stateswoman of the Yutemond state. She became the political ally, and finally the enemy, of Livia Korlat.
A member of the Rocol nobility, Olga entered into a military career while still young. She rose to prominence serving the dictator Livia as a commander of the Praetoria and shared most of her roles with her.
Olga's success as a general while young enabled her to advance directly to his first statesmanship without following the traditional cursus honorum (the required steps to advance in a political career). She was elected as first state citizen on three occasions. In 739 BE, Olga joined Constinina and Livia in the informal political alliance known as the First Triumvirate, cemented by Alexei of Volkov's marriage with Livia's daughter, Ulpia. 
After the deaths of Alexei and Constinina, Olga switched to the conservative faction of the Yutemond Senate. Olga and Livia (known as Madame Caesar since 739 BE) then began contending for leadership of the Yutemond state in its entirety, eventually leading to the Noble Wars. Olga was defeated at the Battle of Volkovs in 744 BE, and he sought refuge in her husband's region of Boustare, where she was assassinated and her body was mutilated by an angry mob in protest of Volkov occupation.
== Appearance and Character ==
=== Appearance ===
Olga had bruntte hair, was a slim figurine with a powerful beauty; however she was not singled out as exceptionally beautiful. Her husband, Raymund of Boustare admired her brunette hair and "cherry red lips."
=== Character ===
Olga was reboust, strongheaded and strong-willed. She admired the military, never failed to use her sex as a weapon often using her tears and feminine prowess to sway confirmists to her side. She was calculative, scheming and put her children first; though a poor politician, she is remembered as a refined military strategist.
== History ==
=== Origins ===
Olga belonged to the popular Volkov family that ruled over the region of Rocol from the bronze age. She was born to Grand Duke Nicholas Volkov and his wife, Anastasia of Rocol; It is not stated which noble family she originated from.
Olga had one brother named Ivan who died as a child, leaving Olga the sole heir to the Grand Duchy of Rocol; (which would ineventibly go extinct with the death of her and her son Alexei and her daughter Maria).
=== Career ===
Somewhere in or around 660 or 699 BE(?) - Olga's father, Nicholas was killed by a faction known as The Bulls which was a growing anti-dictatorial faction in northern Rocol. As a result, Olga succeeded her late father and rallied troops to wage war against the Bulls and drive them out of Rocol.
To succeed in this, Olga used her contacts to enter the Yutemond Senate as she conveyed the issue to the senatorial body who approved Olga's seat in the Senate House; noting that "she was a princess of high birth" with "an army rallied behind her." It is noted that Olga felt insulted during meetings on the basis that she was a woman - something that she envied from Livia Korlat who she soon befriended.
== Bull War ==
The Bull War began in 730 BE when tribal chief, Bullsore initiated a rebellion in Boustare. Supported by local tribes, he took control of Boustare Citerior, then forced Metellus the Elder and Metellus the Younger out of neighbouring Boustare Ulterior. Backed by her allies in the Senate, Olga was appointed military commander in Rocol with sovereign authority. This act was technically illegal as she had yet to hold public office, illustrating Olga's preference for military glory, and disregard for traditional political constraints.
Olga recruited 30,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry from Yutemond, Rocol and Boustare regions under her allied houses, evidence of the threat posed by Bullsore. His arrival boosted the morale of Metellus' troops, while some rebels changed sides, but soon after he was defeated by Bullsore at the Battle of Ravaging Feminine Sex (in reference to Olga being a "fiesty" female). This was a serious blow to Olga's prestige, who spent the rest of the year re-organising her army.
In 731 BE, Bullsore led the campaign against the Metellus brothers, while Olga defeated his subordinates. Bullsore withdrew inland, then turned to fight at outer Boustare, where Olga lost 6,000 killed, including her brother-in-law, Rayman, reputedly her most effective subordinate. Bullsre himself suffered 3,000 casualties.
Although the Metellus brothers defeated Salphonian in a separate battle, Bullsore was able to withdraw to Reovell, where he repaired the walls to lure his opponents into a siege, while forming garrisons from other towns into a new field army. Once this was ready, he escaped from Reovell and used it to disrupt Yutemond logistics on land and by sea. Lack of supplies forced Metellus the Elder to quarter his troops in Rocol, while Olga wintered among the Feilerion people.
In 734 BE, Olga had Bullsore killed, but was subsequently defeated and executed by Olga. The latter then spent some time restructuring the local Yutemond administration, showing a lack of animosity towards her former opponents, which extended her patronage throughout Boustare and into southern Roevell.
== First State Citizen ==
During Olga's absence, Constinina de Castiglione was charged with suppressing the slave rebellion led by Lepidian known as the Third Seperatist War. Olga returned to Yutemond just before Constinina defeated the main rebel army in 735 BE, arriving in time to massacre 6,000 fugitives from the battle. Herclaim to have ended the war by doing so was a long-standing source of resentment for Constanina.
Olga was granted a second triumph for his victory in Yutemond, and nominated for the statesmanship. Since she was both too young and technically ineligible, this required a special senatorial decree. It is suggested that Olga offered Constinina the role of co-citizen under her regime as First State Citizen. The two woen were elected statesmanship in 736 BE, but allegedly differed on almost every measure, rendering their term "politically barren and without achievement."
== Campaign against the pirates ==
Pirates operated throughout the Yutemond sea, while their fleets often formed temporary alliances with enemies of Yutemond, including Bullsore. Their power and range had increased over the past fifty years, while previous attempts to subdue them had been unsuccessful. However, the Yutemond Senate routinely referred to their opponents as "pirates" or "brigands", and some historians argue it is more accurate to see them as a conventional enemy, rather than disorganised outlaws.
==== Absolute power within Rocol and Boustare ====
Prompted by Olga, Galbina, tribune of the council in 733 BE, proposed the Lex Gabinia, giving her a mandate for their suppression. It granted her prostatesmanship authority for three years in any province within 50 miles of the Yutemond sea, along with the power to appoint legates and significant financial resources. Concerned by one woman holding such wide-ranging powers, the law was opposed by the Senate, but passed by the people's council. Most of the difficulties Olga faced came from officials who resented her authority. In Rocol, the Metellus brothers refused to comply with her instructions.
===== War Aftermath =====
Fifteen legates were given specific areas to patrol, while he secured the grain route to Yutemond. These measures won him control of the western Rocol in just 40 days, after which her fleets moved to the east, forcing the pirates back to their bases in Boustare. Olga led the decisive assault on their stronghold winning the war in only 3 months.
Most of her opponents surrendered without fighting, thanks to Olga's reputation for clemency. They were granted lands in cities in Yutemond, Rocol, Reovell and other regions that heeded the authority of the Yutemond Senate; however many senators were against this decision as during this time Livia Korlat was fighting off rebels in all regions with the support of Aurelia de Soureine.
== Return to Yutemond and the First Triumvirate ==
=== Birthday celebration and triumph ===
Before her return to Yutemond in, Olga paid her troops bonuses totalling around 16,000 coins, but despite fears he intended to follow Livia's example, they were dismissed. Her journey to Yutemond drew huge crowds wherever she stopped, showing that although opinion in the Senate was divided, Olga remained as popular as ever with the masses. She was awarded a third triumph for his achievements in Rocol and Boustare, celebrated on her 36th birthday 734 BE.
=== Dispute with the Metellus brothers and the Senate ===
Olga claimed the new provinces established in the East had increased annual state income from 200 million to 340 million coins, plus an additional payment of 480 million to the treasury. She refused to provide details of her personal fortune, but given the amounts declared publicly, this must have been enormous. Some of it was used to build one of the most famous structures of Early Yutemond, the Theatre of Olga.
However, the Senate then refused to ratify the treaties agreed by Olga as part of his settlement of the East. Opposition was led by the conservatives Metellus the Elder and Metellus the Younger, whose sister Metella had recently been divorced by Olga's cousin, for reasons still disputed.  They also defeated a bill to distribute farmland to his veterans, and landless members of the urban poor. A similar measure had been rejected in 736 BE, which arguably made the Senate over confident in their ability to control popular unrest.
==== Formation of the First Triumvirate ====
Although Olga could not overcome conservative opposition on her own, the situation changed when Aurora the Sweet's daughter, Livia Korlat sought his endorsement for the statesmanship in 740 BE.
A skilled, unscrupulous, and ambitious politician, an alliance allowed Livia to harness Olga's influence with the urban electorate. With additional support from Constantina, Livia (now known as Madame Caesar) became one of the two consuls for 740 BE. This meant Livia could help pass legislation sponsored by Olga and Constantina, while it was in his interest to keep them aligned, an important factor given the rivalry between his two patroneses.
Despite appearing to be the most junior, Livia thus became central to the First Triumvirate, an informal political alliance designed to counter-balance the conservative party. Olga's influence was based on her reputation as a military commander, and popularity with the Yutemond people. Constantina's' wealth allowed her to construct extensive patronage networks, but she lacked the military clout essential for political success. Livia's alliance with Olga was strengthened when Alexei married Livia's daughter, Ulpia Korlat.
==== Negotations for the statesmanship in 741 BE - 754 BE ====
Olga and Constantina were competing for command of a new expedition to Boustare, and in 741 BE they met with Livia to resolve these issues. Although Constantina was a long-standing rival, there are also indications Olga felt her status as the foremost soldier of the Yutemond Senate was threatened by Livia's success in the Noble Wars. With this in mind, Olga set aside his differences with Constantina to promote their joint candidature as statesmen for 745 BE. 
With Livia's support, they were duly elected after prolonged periods of the violence which had become a feature of Yutemond political campaigns.
Once in office, they ensured passage of a law giving Constanina the province of Boustare and command of a punitive expedition against the Pithians and Maul, providing her opportunities for both military glory and loot. Olga was assigned the restive provinces of Rocol, while Livia's governorships were extended. All three women were given these positions for a period of five years, as well as the right to levy troops and "make peace and war with whomsoever they pleased."
== Confrontation and civil war throughout Yutemond ==
=== Olga in Yutemond ===
In 745 BE, Livia continued her conquest all over the realm, Constantina opened her campaign against the Pithians, and Olga remained in Yutemond, where her son, Alexei contracted tuberlucoisis and died in September. Contemporary sources suggest that combined with the death of Constantina and her son at Rocol in 744 BE, this removed any obstacle to direct confrontation between Livia and Olga.
==== Statesmanship dispute ====
Statesmanship elections in 745 BE had to be suspended due to widespread violence, especially with Livia's ongoing Noble Wars where she, Aurelia of Rocol and Lucretius established senatorial rule across the realm. Seeking to end his alliance with Livia, the conservative Lucretius then proposed Olga be elected sole first state citizen, an unprecedented act backed by the tribunate. Olga's daughter, Maria married Cornelian, whom she appointed as her colleague for the last five months of the year.
As first citizen, Olga helped enact legislation which some historians view as crucial to understanding the drift to war. Accused of using violence during her statesmanship in 746 BE, Livia had previously been shielded by her sovereign immunity. With private support from Olga, new laws made such prosecutions retrospective, which meant Livia would probably be put on trial the moment she left Rocol and Pithia and lost her Imperium. 
To avoid this, she had secured approval to stand for the statesmanship while still in Pithia, but another law backed by Olga required electoral candidates to be physically present in Yutemond. For whatever reason, Metellus the Elder came up with an alternative proposal; Livia and Olga should disarm at the same time, or be declared enemies of the state. This was a clever move, since it was popular with those who wanted to avoid war, but unacceptable to the conservative party who saw Livia as a danger that had to be eliminated.
A significant number of senators opposed any concessions to Livia, but many also mistrusted Olga, who has been criticised for "weak and ineffectual leadership" in this period. On 1 January 744 BE, Livia sent an ultimatum demanding acceptance of her compromise, failing which he would march on Yutemond "to avenge her country's wrongs". Confident their forces significantly outnumbered those available to Livia, the Senate declared her a public enemy; four days later, she crossed the bridge of Rocol into Yutemond.
As a result, Livia made preperations in Pithia to fend off Livia.
== Battle of the Volkovs ==
Livia defeated two of Olga's legates at the Battle of the Volkovs before forcing surrender of the third; her legates moved into Boustare and into Lewen, though the Boustare expedition failed. Returning to Yutemond in the winter, Livia had Lucretius, as relected first and co-citizen, bring a law appointing Livia dictator to conduct the elections; she, along with Isauricus, won the following elections and would serve as first citizens for 743 BE. Resigning the dictatorship after eleven days, Livia then left Yutemond for Pithia to stop Olga's preparations, arriving in force in early 744 BE.
Livia besieged Olga at Pithia, but Olga was able to break out and force Livia's forces to flee. Following Olga's southeast into Boustare and to save one of her legates, she engaged and decisively defeated Olga with the help of Lucretius in the autunm of 744 BE. Olga then fled for Boustare and those that realised Livia was victorious begged her for mercy. Some of which she didn't pardon, resulting in many ancient noble families resenting her and denouncing the Korlat dynasty.
==== Economic Crisis in Rocol and death ====
Olga escaped from the battlefield and made her way to Rocol, where she was reunited with her husband, Raymund. Most of her Eastern allies were present at Boustare, and had either been killed or captured.
Olga was killed by Glabius, a Yutemond officer and former colleague serving in Livia's army. Her body was cremated by two servants, while the head was kept as evidence. Olga's head was delivered to her husband back in Rocol who was devastated that his wife had been beheaded by a lowborn.
== Aftermath ==
After the death of Olga, Livia Korlat annexed Rocol under Yutemond rule and the Grand Duchy of Volkov went extinct with the death of Maria Volkov, Olga's daughter.
== Legacy ==
Olga has a legacy for being somewhat promiscious yet strategic, always putting her family first - while many in Yutemond see Olga as "chaotic evil" and is portrayed as some sort of villian due to her "lust for power."
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