Protectorate of Toscov

The **Protectorate of Toscov** is a Republican state in the Eastland. It borders the hostile Kingdom of Toscov to the east and the Kymelian Republic and the Kingdom of Lesterwood to the south. It has a shoreline on the Endless Ocean to the west and Frozen Ocean to the north.

In its current form, Toscov is a Fühlgartian Protectorate, replacing the short-lived Republic of Toscov which failed to maintain order in the region after the Republican Invasion of Toscov. The Protectorate has been fighting the Toscovish Civil War against the Monarchist-backed Kingdom of Toscov and Duchy of Kinzova since the country's establishment.

## History

### Founding

The Great War broke out in 1211 AW, which saw a resurgence of the fallen Monarchist alliance established during the Fühlgartian Civil War. With the exiled titular king of Fühlgart, Erik von Kalzberg, fleeing to Wyrsia, the alliance was rekindled between the Wyrsians and Fühlgartian Exiles. This also brought the Duchy of Redwall, a long-time ally and former subject of Wyrsia in the Eastland, into the conflict. After the fall of the Wyrsian mainland, the Monarchist remnants fled to Redwall for safety.

The Republic of Fühlgart anxiously eyed the Monarchists in the Eastland. Erik von Kalzberg, in particular, went around petitioning the case of his alliance to the various monarchs of the Eastland. These petitions were unsuccessful, yet they triggered a Republican response nonetheless. Fearing that the Eastland would turn against them, the Fühlgartians targeted the declining Kingdom of Toscov in the northwest of the continent. In 1214 AW, they launched their invasion of the kingdom, rapidly sweeping aside the old monarchy. This invasion continued further into Avateaux, which removed their own king after he fled the country, and Redwall, which held out against the invasion.

In the wake of these conquests, the Fühlgartians created two new states: the Republic of Toscov and the Republic of Avateaux. While the new government functioned decently in Avateaux, in Toscov, this was not the case. Particularly in the Kinzovan Mountains, a large group of royalist rebels, now part of the Monarchist alliance, remained under the leadership of the third-in-line to the throne: Prince Kazimir. Together with his sister-wife, Diana, Kazimir built an organised resistance that began gaining ground against the Republic of Toscov.

With the Fühlgartian armies still in Redwall, it was up to the new Republican government in Toscov to solve the issue themselves. Instead of an organised defence, the government collapsed immediately amidst a wave of defections. At this point, a local general, Elsov iz Taranovkh, seized control over the Republic and contacted the Fühlgartians for assistance. While he would receive aid in the form of troops and supplies, it also came at a cost. With any faith in a local government lost, the Fühlgartians "downgraded" Toscov to a protectorate, granting them oversight in a bid to stabilise the region. Elsov iz Taranovkh would retain his power as Head of the Republic, a position identical to that in Fühlgart.

## Civil War and Modern Day

While the Protectorate of Toscov was more internally stable than the Republic that preceded it, there were still significant problems with defections to Prince Kazimir's rebellion. While they had briefly been forced back into hiding in the Kinzovan Mountains, the Fühlgartians had many other fronts to worry about. To compensate for this and to not leave Toscov undefended, the Eleventh Army was stationed in the country to act as a peacekeeping force while the Toscovish could build up their own armies.

The Eleventh Army, while certainly helpful, was not enough to stem the tide of the rebellion forever. In time, Prince Kazimir began capturing territory in the east of the country. The Toscovish Civil War raged on throughout the Great War and into the Epilogue Wars, with the Protectorate somewhat ironically becoming increasingly dependent on itself for protection. While the Eleventh Army remained in full, the number of soldiers that constituted this full amount rapidly decreased as the need for manpower on other fronts grew ever more dire. By the 1220s, the entire Eleventh Army consisted of barely 2,000 men.

Elsov iz Taranovkh has filled this gap with a policy of quantity over quality. While Prince Kazimir's troops are experienced yet small in numbers, Taranovkh has relied on conscription and the use of militias to fill the ranks. This resulted in the Protectorate's standing military being gigantic compared to its population and young statehood. Admittedly, however, it also led to a decrease in morale and, despite the large, the Monarchists have been able to advance by executing carefully planned attacks on specific weak points on the frontline. The Toscovish Civil War has therefore been a slow war of attrition between the two sides, with the conflict generally swaying in favour of the Kingdom of Toscov. By now, roughly half of the former borders of the Kingdom of Toscov have been reclaimed with very limited manpower and resources, which could spell a drastic collapse if other Monarchist states came to the assistance of Prince Kazimir.

As the situation deteriorates in the North with the death of Jan Luftschwert and the subsequent outbreak of the Second Fühlgartian Civil War, the Republican states of the Eastland are increasingly left to fend for themselves. Jan Luftschwert's brother and successor, Ulfric Lutschwert, has steered the Republicans down a more militaristic path. However, his personal favour towards Elsov iz Taranovkh has not resulted in military assistance, as all resources are tied up back at home. In fact, the Eleventh Army has deteriorated even further in recent years, now barely consisting of 500 men on the ground, effectively leaving Toscov to its fate.

The Protectorate has reached out to the only other Republican state in the Eastland, the Republic of Avateaux, with little success. Ideology has simply not triumphed over national rivalry. The Kingdoms of Toscov and Avateaux have been locked in a mutual hatred for many years, and a change of government does not take this negative sentiment away from the people. Effectively, the Avateauxans have also condemned Toscov to whatever their fate may be. With this abandonment from their fellow Republicans, some speculate that Toscov may drift away from the alliance altogether. Perhaps General Taranovkh will seek reconciliation and maybe even compromise with the Monarchists, or establish an independent state altogether.

## Politics

The military is in charge of the Protectorate of Toscov, yet it is not a stratocracy or military dictatorship. The politics of Toscov mirror that of the Republic of Fühlgart in the sense that there is a Head of the Republic, in this case, Elsov iz Taranovkh, who leads a local senate. Most members of the senate in Toscov are members of the military, as is also the case with many high-ranking bureaucratic and diplomatic functions. However, there is still a degree of civilian say in how the country is run. Elections have been limited thanks to the ongoing civil war, yet civilian councils providing oversight over the government have been established in many parts of the Protectorate. Finally, one does not have to be in the military to reach a high position on the bureaucratic ladder, as the system is largely meritocratic and allows civilians to rise through the rank.

## Geography

Toscov has a mixed climate, though most of the country is temperate. The northern coastlines are battered by the cold winds and weather which make for a colder climate than further inland. In other parts of the country, the climate is more nuanced allowing for a wide variety of agriculture and decently warm summers. The Kinzovan Mountains, which have made up the historical eastern border of the Kingdom, shelter much of the country from the much colder climate of Avateaux. To the south of the country is the Blue Forest, a sprawling untamed woodland mostly located in the Kingdom of Lesterwood which Toscov owns small parts of. To the north of the Toscovish mainland is Redemption Island, which remains an unresolved territorial dispute between Toscov and Avateaux, even with their new governments.

## Economy

Toscov has a very mixed economy, specialising in a wide variety of productions. The territory it possesses is rich in resources, allowing for the exploitation and sale of many resources. These resources include iron, copper, silver, sulfur, and coal from its mines, high-quality timber from its forests, a wide variety of agricultural products ranging from simple grain to expensive fruits, as well as a wide variety of military goods such as tools, swords, armour, ships, and even some guns.

This results in Toscov being largely self-reliant economically, as it imports very few goods. Its economy depends largely on exports and trade, supplying other countries primarily in the Republican sphere with much-needed essential goods which they are unable to produce locally. Ostland, in particular, is largely reliant on Toscov's exports.

## Demographics

The Protectorate of Toscov is a primarily Human country, though numerous non-Human communities exist. Notably, there is a large population of Krighal Vitna, dating back to the outbreak of the Sixth Plague of Ihyll over 1,000 years ago. Since the fall of the Golden Empire of Toscov, a large amount of Krighal Vitna have returned to the Eastland to resettle their ancestral homeland, many having been driven from it after the War of the Fifteen Princes.

Besides the Krighal, there are coastal communities of Xyphians and, though technically not in Toscovish territory, nearby underwater communities of Phinakh. There is also a decently sized amount of Hyllidans in Toscov, mostly descendants of the Hyllidan Old Freeholds on the Eastland.

## Culture and Religion

Toscov has one of the oldest cultures in Enselonde, tracing its roots to the fall of the Kingdom of the Eastland, if not earlier. A predominantly Human culture, the Toscovish are tough and resilient, simple in mind yet extravagant in doing. They have adopted certain elements from foreign invaders on their shores, yet their culture has largely clung to tradition, albeit modernising them over the centuries.

**Language**

Toscov has two official languages: Toscovish and Common. Toscovish traces its roots back through Old Toscovish from the Eastlander variant of the Old Human Language. Common was introduced on the continent some 1000 years ago thanks to its convenience in communicating with foreign peoples. Notably, there has been a spike in the usage of Tarroki-Toscovish, an evolution of Toscovish by the Krighal Vitna population of the City-State of Point Miklhail in Nuj Tarrok. As some of these emigrated back to Toscov in recent centuries, they have spread the usage of their language to the Eastland. Critically, however, neither the Protectorate, Republic, nor Kingdom of Toscov has acknowledged Tarroki-Toscovish as an independent language, claiming it to be a mere dialect. The similarities between the two languages are close enough that two people can converse with each other, yet changes in grammar structures as well as Hreki loan words make discussing more complicated topics very difficult.

**Arts**

Toscovish art has always leaned towards romanticising the past. This comes in various ways, including literature, painting, songs, and grandiose statues. Favoured topics for Toscovish artists have historically been the Toscovish Wars of Unification, War of the Fifteen Princes, and the Five Kings' Invasion, as these were periods of great conflict, drama, and change with many noteworthy and often eccentric characters.

**Religion**

The Protectorate of Toscov, against the wishes of the Republic of Fühlgart, remained adhered to the Faith of the Five Gods as its state religion. Despite a broad Republican push to worship the God of Storms, Syarus, as the sole Divine needing to be worshipped, Toscov has clung to tradition. Syarus is treated as just one God amongst many others. Locally, the Divine Order of Enselonde is granted full authority to operate and has served as a mediator in the ongoing civil war on numerous occasions.

## Relationships

* **Republic of Ostland** - Ostland is Toscov's main trading partner, as well as its closest ally both literally and figuratively.
* **Republic of Fühlgart** - While the Heads of the Republics of Toscov and Fühlgart share similar visions and goals, geographical isolation and manpower issues result in neither country being truly able to help the other.

* **Kingdom of Toscov** - The Kingdom of Toscov is the Protectorate's main enemy in the ongoing Toscovish Civil War.
* **Duchy of Kinzova** - Toscov views Kinzova as an upjumped rebellious region at best. Its continued support of the Kingdom of Toscov in the Toscovish Civil War makes it an enemy of the Protectorate.
* **Republic of Avateaux** - Republic or not, Toscov and Avateaux have been each other's nemeses for centuries. This sentiment has not faded in the past two decades.

## Military

### Land

* **First Army** - The First Army is Toscov's most professional force consisting of veteran soldiers. Its task in the ongoing civil war is that of the initiator, usually launching offensives independently.
* **Second Army** - The Second Army is a reserve force for the First Army, consisting largely of volunteers, militias, and inexperienced soldiers. It usually follows the First Army into battle, yet does not take on an active role in launching attacks.
* **Third Army** - The Third Army consists almost entirely of conscripts and is by far the most numerous of the Toscovish armies. Undersupplied in terms of quality weapons and armour, the Third Army's task is a defensive one. It remains behind the frontlines, usually, and is relegated to defending points of interest from attacks.
* **Eleventh Army** - The Eleventh Army is a Fühlgartian army, not a Toscovish one, sent to assist them in their civil war. In practice, the manpower shortages and outbreak of the Second Fühlgartian Civil War have led to the Eleventh Army becoming a skeleton force at most. With only 500 soldiers, they do not fight on the frontline and mostly carry out signalling duties for the First and Second Armies.

### Sea

* **First Fleet** - Toscov's fleet in being, mostly inherited from the old Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Toscov. Its costs to operate have led to the First Fleet mostly remaining in port.
* **Second Fleet** - A smaller secondary fleet of newer vessels built by the Protectorate, the Second Fleet patrols the northern coastlines of the Eastland against ships that seek to bring goods to and from Monarchist-held territory.
* **Bleakbanner Strike Force** - Bleakbanner Island's neutrality was shattered during the Great War when their ships began targetting Republican vessels thanks to the efforts of William Ryker. The Bleakbanner Strike Force escorts merchants and supply ships through particularly vulnerable shipping lanes.

### Air

* **First Airlfeet** - Small yet functional, the First Airfleet is Toscov's only organised airforce. It consists of a handful of small airships supported by a few dragons. This allows it to enter the battlefield effectively, yet it lacks the overwhelming firepower that inspires fear in the enemy that other, larger, airfleets often do.

## People of Toscov

*For a full list which includes minor and dead characters, see: Category:Characters (Protectorate of Toscov)*

* **Elsov iz Taranovkh** - Head of the Republic

## Locations of Toscov

*For a full list which includes minor locations and buildings, see: Category:Locations (Protectorate of Toscov)*

* **Toscov** - Capital City