Vovtarla

The **Kingdom of Vovtarla** (Vovtarlan: **Rolshon se Vovtarla**), simply known as **Vovtarla**, is a planetary nation located in a star system near Jerde's solar system.

## Factfile

* Official name: Kingdom of Vovtarla
* Anthem: Royal Hymn
* Official motto: Better A Horse Than A Slave
* Capital city: Veugatchosse (administrative), Kozawez (royal capital)
* Official language: Vovtarlan
	+ Classical and religious languages: Sarmelonid, Gauvajut
* State religion: Vozonid polytheism (Pjosaroz-based)
* Government: Monarchy
* Climate: Mostly tropical and savanna
* Currency: Min (100 sjerippo)
* National Day: 19 of the sixteenth month (Independence Day)

## Flag

The flag of the planet-kingdom of Vovtarla consists of a white horse in a light blue background.

The horse (Vovtarlan: koz), its national animal, represents freedom, national identity, and happiness, while the light blue in the background represents peace and prosperity. The horse in the flag is also Zrotharoz (meaning "Iron lightning" in Vozonid), the steed of King Aghurendon I, the first of Vovtarla's proper kings.

## History

See also: Kings of Vovtarla

For much of its early history, Vovtarla was uninhabited, populated only by various animals and reptiles. It was first settled by pirates of Monterjo descent who sought for a planet to build new bases and fleets, but frequent power shortages caused the resulting colonies to regress into backwardsness.

When the Sarmelonid Vozonids arrived, they found that most of the planet's inhabitants were barbarians who were only capable of building furnace-powered machines, so they put most of them into slavery. Decades later, one of the first freedmen who emerged from the planet's blue populace led a planet-wide revolt and created his own nation, Noviron, as the first of Vovtarla's kings. That man is now known as Aghurendon I, the Liberator.

At some point, the kings of Vovtarla adopted the mannerisms of some human space colonies who broke away from the Ardeschen Empire. From the royal house down to the lowliest freeman and peasant, almost everyone on the western hemisphere took up Ardeschen art as a trend. Needless to say, the Ardeschen humans went there as tailors, brewers of tea, musicians, and military tutors, but some also were involved in the trade of slaves that was rampant in the kingdom, whether of Vovtarlan or human origin.

Millennia later, the kingdom of Shkettada became a tributary of the Jauparturnid Dynasty to protect itself from the Cyan Senate's rising might. Once the Jauparturnid Vozonid monarchs became unreliable and destructive, Shkettada's emperors ordered the construction of the Golden Fleets to protect their kingdom from incoming attacks, such as the devastating invasions by the Ontemazei Empire.

Around nine centuries after the Tornarin Bombardment on Jerde, Vovtarla was split by a civil war into three kingdoms, and then reunified under the current royal dynasty. After fending off waves of barbarians, Vovtarla sought diplomatic relations with various other civilised worlds in the Galaxy. One of those human nations was Bujan, which became a reliable ally to this exotic kingdom for its interest in friendlier relations.

Around a millennium and a half from the civil war, the merchant Azdortil Lorrovil was sent southwards to the kingdom of Bujan on the planet Jerde to deliver a shipment of Zejornid spices. He was attacked by Jartigi pirates, and he crashlanded on Arantar, where he was detained in a prison mine. He joined a prison break led by Enedris the immortal, where he learned to fend for himself as he fought his way home.

Slavery was abolished in the 1960s AT, leading to an economic boom from the new businesses founded by former peasants and slaves.

## Geography

Much of the planet of Vovtarla has a tropical climate, and many parts of the planet's continents consist of cleared grasslands and rice farms. The planet has eight continents and nine oceans.

Its capitals varied throughout its history:

* Kossuawenz (founding, Sarmelonid era)
* Rauna
* Raunava
* Ronaivoro
* Present day: Veugatchosse (administrative), Kozawez (royal palace, site of Kossuawenz)

## Military

Vovtarla's military practices a mixture of different cultures. Soldiers wear blue uniforms, similar to those worn by the Ardeschen Empire's space colonies. In battle, they wear black armour like the Sarmelonids, and officers wear green Sarmelonid robes with golden helmet-crowns.

## Economy

The Vovtarlan currency consists of the *kozan*, which is made of 160 *lakerivensh*.

Its primary industries consisted of agriculture; and mining gold, obsidian, and emerald.

In spite of the country's prosperity and high living standards, Vovtarla suffers from widespread poverty due to its caste system. In the 1950s AT, poverty was slowly being reduced as more people started to earn more from a growing reformist movement, and former slaves began setting up their own businesses. The abolition of slavery in the next decade onwards accelerated economic growth.

## Society

See also: Vovtarlan language, Vovtarlan glossary

Vovtarla practices a culture influenced by that of the Sarmelonid Empire. However, some cities in Vovtarla design their buildings using Ardeschen architecture after being influenced by certain space humans.

Horses are very popular animals in Vovtarla, and most horses in Vovtarla have grey ("white") coats and tips. As a result, most horses in classical Vovtarlan art looked white.

Vovtarlan society is characterised by a caste system that can be shown by the suffixes in names. It involved royalty, nobles, scholars, soldiers, merchants, and workers, followed by slaves at the bottom. Slavery in Vovtarla was abolished in the 1960s.

## Religion

See also: Vovtarlan mythology

Like the Sarmelonid Empire, the national deity of Vovtarla is the four-headed guardian of the universe, Pjosaroz. Nonetheless, the gryphon god Zomjonor is a popular deity worshipped by commoners and merchants, and Tarhunz is invoked by warriors and the royal family for protection against enemies.

Vovtarla also has its own community of wights, mostly derived from Monterjo folklore. Some Vovtarlan wights even rule over areas as large as continents and entire oceans, and these wights are invoked by the King in special ceremonies and prayers for the entire kingdom.

Vovtarlans use humanoid statues in proper ceremonies to worship their gods and wights, while in private they use geometric shapes and frames as their idols.

## Trivia

* Vovtarla was based on Indianised kingdoms in Southeast Asia, especially the Majapahit Empire and Thailand; and Mahishmati from the Baahubali films. The "Westernised" art and uniforms (Ardeschen or "German" style) were based on Austria-Hungary and Germany from World War I, or the Westernisation of Siam under King Chulangkorn.
	+ Its name was derived from "pop tart", as the author originally intended for the Vovtarlan language to be a joke.
	+ The horse on Vovtarla's flag was based on Double Diamond, a character from *Friendship is Magic*.
	+ The Vovtarlan social hierarchy was ultimately inspired by an American World War II propaganda poster against the Japanese Empire. The caricatured depictions of the Japanese people in the poster gave him the idea to depict a stratified hierarchy, complete with nobility, merchants, and slaves. It may be also be based on the social classes in ancient India and China.

## See also

* Nandegakko, its atheist and octopus/fashion/archery-obsessed rival
* Porashon, another society influenced by Sarmelonid culture