Houtsnieu

Crest of Hotspata, only surviving heraldry of the kingdom.

**Houtsnieu** or the **Kingdom of Houtsnieu** (Birgol: Kingdom of *Koolouarn*) was a short-lived Birgol kingdom centered on southern Birgol, with its capital at the ancient city of Lacki.

Houtsnieu was founded by Hotspata (namesake of the kingdom), a Birgol warlord native to modern-day County Preski. He raised an army out of a combination of disgruntled draftees for the Exelon army, militias of Birgol nobles, and local revolutionaries to overthrow the provincial government which, under the Empire of Exelon, ruled Birgolon at the time. He took Azirun quickly, and later made his way to Lacki where he conquered large swaths of southern Birgolon.

Houtsnieu held hegemony over most of southern Birgolon until the area was again taken by a foreign force, this time by the Kingdom of Ahremia. Houtsnieu's king, Hocien, was executed and the kingdom faded into obscurity shortly after.

## Etymology

The state was known as the "Kingdom of Koolouarn" during the time of its existence, which means "Kingdom of Birglon". Presently, the state is known as Houtsnieu to not confuse it with the modern-day Kingdom of Birgolon. "Houtsnieu" is simply the Lohnian way of pronouncing the name of the kingdom's first ruler, Hotspata.

## History

The kingdom began with Hotspata, a warlord from from the Sniadansk area of Birgolon. Hotspata resided in a fort and owned large amounts of the land in the region, plus a small militia. He was known as a generous, yet tough, ruler and was admired by his followers as a shining example of a "traditional Birgol".

Birgolon was, at the time, ruled by the Empire of Exelon - a massive empire which had suddenly and very effectively conquered almost all of Ivlon and originated from the island nation of Elvekia. Prior to Exelon, Birgolon was a collection of warring kingdoms and tribes that were easily subdued by a large centralized force like Exelon. Birgolon was swiftly put under provincial rule, ruled by a succession of Elvekian nobles who administered the collection of taxes and maintained general peace within the province. The city of Sagda was chosen as provincial capital.

Due to political reform, Exelon chose in the 1110s SY to put more native Birgols in governmental positions. The emperor at the time, Xethanele I, personally met the likeable Hotspata and chose him as the "ceremonial governor of south Birgolon and the land of Saniadansk." Hotspata was beloved by the Birgols, and soon he had ammassed a large amount of power in southern Birgolon. Despite being a member of the provincial government himself, he longed for Birgol independence.

In 1134 SY Hotspata raised an army outside the city of Azirun at a parcel of land he owned and marched to the city. There he demanded to the Elvekian nobles that they had committed "unspeakable acts of treason and undue governance upon the Birgol people" and that they must surrender his land or face execution. The nobles relented and gave the city, but immediately fled to the city of Lacki where they hoped they could rouse the Elvekian militia there and quell the rebellion.

Hotspata then led his army out of Azirun and traveled southwest towards Lacki, taking many towns and villages along the way. On the plains near Lacki the Elvekian army put up a weak fight under the leadership of Alandya Irrinmis, a Elvekian general. Hotspata won the fight and he took the city easily, executing or forcibly exiling most of the Elvekian living there. That evening he declared to the populous that the "age of outsiders" was over and the "age of the Birgol people" had begun.

## Three Kings: Hotspata, Volsha, Hocien

Hotspata would rule for around 15 years, consolidating his power and exiling or killing most Elvekian nobles still left in southern Birgolon. The people of Birgolon saw Hotspata as a liberator, a strong Birgol warrior who with sheer amounts of patriotism would reunite the entire country one day. Hotspata made the city of Lacki his capital, where he renovated the Elvekian-built castle there and began raising a militia for the kingdom out of his own personal wealth.

Although Hotspata was good at maintaining the morale of his subjects, the ever present reality that the kingdom was soon to be under attack from all sides began to set in. The growing Kingdom of Ahremia, also newly independent from Exelon, had begun conquering south towards flimsily-held Elvekian territory, and it was only a matter of time until the great armies of the Andalin Dynasty reached Hotspata's kingdom. To the south, the Elvekian capital at Aure was just a two days journey from the border, and the royal army stationed there was not afraid of encroaching on Hotspata's newfound territory.

Despite these struggles, Hotspata is credited with swiftly installing a effective taxation system within the kingdom which allowed him to raise an army to inhabit the abandoned forts and outposts along the kingdom's border.

In 1149, at about 60 years old, Hotspata suddenly died - leaving only his son and multiple widows to survive (he had multiple wives). His son, Hocien, was initially assumed to take the throne. This action was curved when Hotspata's closest advisors, a council who called themselves the *praxis adorrna* (literally "intelligent people") decided that the most seasoned general amongst them, a man named Volsha, should take power until the council voted that Hocien was capable. Although this decision was somewhat ridiculous considering Hocien was 24 when his father died and was fully capable of being a ruler, the "voting" of the council was not to be questioned by anyone.

Volsha only ruled four years, with Hocien as his steward. Midway into Volsha's rain a terrible famine struck central and western Birgolon, drying out crops and freezing livestock. The "long winter" as it was called threatened the kingdom at an extent never seen before, forcing the kingdom to use its precious funds to buy grain from its neighbors. In 1152 SY Ahremian forces operating from Sagda (now a possession of Ahremia) invaded *Plaatya*, the hinterland which buffered Houtsnieu and Ahremia's possesions. On this land occured the Battle of Dil-Dunfrie, between the Ahremians a the tribal vassals of Houtsnieu. The Ahremians won and invaded the fort of Dil-Dunfire, at which one of Volsha's generals, a man named Lylmag, was residing. His ultimate execution spurred full on war between Ahremia and Houtsnieu. As the conflict began to heat up Volsha handed the kingship to Hocien.

Hocien was not not thought of as an extremely confident ruler by his subjects, at least compared to his father. He didn't fight personally in battle and wore fine silks from Zedia, while his father was thought of as a battle-hardened warrior who fought with nothing but a loincloth and a bronze helmet.

1153 SY marked the invasion of Houtsnieu from the north. The Ahremians quickly took Luvanpert, Houtsnieu's northernmost fortified town. A second battle commenced on the plain of Lacki, in which the Ahremians won.