Queendom of Ruskata

**Ruskata Capital**: Kzatch Racial make up: 80% humans, 10% snow elves, 8% dwarves, 1% trolls, 1% others.

**Government:** Matriarchal Feudal-Chiefdom Monarchy.

Sitting in the frozen expanses of Northedge, spread across the Kizek River Valley, lays the Queendom of Ruskata. Log constructed cities surrounded by walls of wood and stone, with colored rooftops and effigies to ward off hostile magic placed in every tower that litter the valley. The Red Walled City of Kzatch lays watch where the river touches the ocean, and it is counted among the largest trading ports of the north. Originally formed by tribes exiled from their homelands for their worship of dark entities known as the 'crones', who demanded many things of their followers, including human sacrifice.

#### **Origin**

Ruskata is mostly inhabited by descendants of humans who hailed from mountain tribes in the north, who in different times, were banished from the mountains by their peers for their practicing what was then called a 'Black Faith'. The worship of crones and hags - terrible humanoid entities of legend, said to consume human flesh and be able to take the guise of beautiful women to lure the careless into traps and feast on their entrails and wear clothes made of their skin. Of course, those that worshipped the hags considered them neutral spirits, not evil or good, simply self interested beings that would honor contracts and protect those that paid homage and respect to it. More than that, they believed the crones, women who were half human, half hag, could conjure protective magic to protect them, help them survive winter and shield them from creatures such as trolls and other dangers of the great white north. Those banished from the villages usually lived short lives in exile before dying alone in a cave. But a few banded together and formed communities known as 'black tribes', for their practice of black faith. Somewhere around the year 3200, the first Black Tribes settled permanently at the shores of the Kizek. Why it took so long is a mystery, but it's believed that the valley was avoided by mountain clans due to the presence of dangerous creatures who only by their efforts were sufficiently culled to allow for civilization. By 3500, several small permanent villages of Black Tribes exists along the Kizek river, but despite sharing a faith, each village was headed by its own crone and they weren't above waging war against each other. The first kingdom where now Ruskata exists was formed in 3852, known as the Kingdom of Svala. Svala was one of the largest settlements along the Kizek and they managed to conquer many neighbouring tribes, forcing them to pay sacrificial tribute to Svala's Crone-Queen. Other kingdoms formed and passed, and Svala grew in importance in the region until the formation of the City-State of Yagila and the Northern league. Able to stop the expansion of Svala, the Northern league would eventually collapse in infighting and foreign invasions. Yagila was conquered by foreigners from Grendarym, who use it as a staging ground to raid the now dimming kingdom of Svala. By 4250, Svala's grasp of its lands was greatly diminished and the capital was sieged by Yagilan forces, which included a great number of trolls, snow elves, and foreigners from all around the North Edge. A priestess of the Black Faith, aspiring to become a crone one day, named Ruska, rode hard on a ashen horse - visiting many villages and cities from other tribes, and rallying an impromptu army even without the approval of other leaders to relieve Svala of the siege - claiming it's fall would cause the fall of the Black Faith. She wasn't wrong, Yagila's black faith temples had been deemed demonic and burned to the ground after being sacked. Ruska animated the first Baba-Ostrogs and defeated the foreigners. She drove them back to Yagila, and upon retaking the city, was named the Crone of Yagila despite being too young. Her display of mastery of ice magic was seem as a blessing of the hags. She refused the title and led a group of discontent followers to where the Kizek met the sea. There, in a small fishing village, she laid the foundations of her keep, that would become now the Winterhold Castle, and the city that would grow to be Kzatch. Ruska was never a queen but her legend allowed her daughter, Marisha, to claim the title of Queen and lead a war of conquest that would give her control of the whole valley and beyond, creating the Queendom of Ruskata.

#### **Culture**

Ruskata is a very agrarian queendom, with more tiny hamlets and villages than large towns, and only one major city. Culture is based on their faith in the crones, the Black Faith, as well as their fierce dislike for outsiders and of course the weather. Ruskata wear hides and furs almost all year round, and put sacred value on the color black, as such, most peasants avoid it, wearing white and leaving it to the Crone and Priestesses. While Ruskata is a matriarchal queendom for religious leadership and queenship, most villages are led by chiefs, who are always male. Crones and Priestess are seem as advisory figures to most chiefs, and only rule over villages built around the holy sites of the faith. Each family in ruskata, rich or poor, has a 'pattern', which they use in their clothes. Usually a repeating pattern for sleeves and hems, with a background color. These patterns have the role of coat of arms in Westrasi cultures. Black and Red are the colors of the Queen's pattern.

Ruskatan value the bow, the sleigh and the warscythe as weapons, and put a lot of value in hunting and endurance. Ruskatan girls, when they are 10 years old, are taken away from their families for six months to the nearest temple, where they receive basic education on the Black Faith's secrets (that every woman knows). A small number of them never return home, being selected to become priestess, while the rest will return home and take the duty of blessing and warding the household. Men participate in the Black Faith only in festivals and by paying tributes, but they do not attend temples, nor do they participate in the deepwood rituals known as Black Sabbaths.

#### **Religion**

The Black Faith focus on the worship of the Black Goat, who through his direct agents, the Hags, and their servants and apprentices, the crones, protect those that pay it tribute and respect. However the average worship is many times removed from the Black Goat and most solely deal with nature-centric rituals organized by the crones. Rituals are always conducted by females and the role of males in Ruskatan religion is small. They provided tributes, hunt down sacrifices and protect the faith, but may not become priests or be chosen to receive magic. Ruskatan religion, the Black Faith, isn't a exclusionary religion. As long as you pay the proper tribute and attendance, you may also worship other gods, and many, specially the men, do so. Ruskatans have holy sites nobody but the highest ranking priestess are allowed to visit, believed to be sites where the hags dwell. The Black Faith is a layered religion based on secrets and initiation. The higher one's rank in the faith, the deeper the secrets that are revealed to them. There are seven 'rings of revelation'. Only the Winter Queen Herself is privy to the First Ring, with the six Great Crones, being privy to the second ring, and so on, until the seventh ring, where all initiates of the Faith are introduced.

#### **Organization**

The Towns and villages are ruled by chiefs, who are the absolute local authority but pay tribute to the nearest 'Chapel' of the Black Faith, who in turn pays tribute to the Winter Queen in Kzatch. Kzatch and Chapel towns are directly ruled by Crones, women initiated in the Black Faith. Each town is also expected to, in times of war, provide and arm a given number of warriors based on its population. These warriors, often well armed and trained as their peers take pride in then, are called 'Boyars'. Chiefs and their retinue are almost always Boyars. Aside from boyars, levied peasants may also serve the kingdom in times of war. Junior members of the Black Faith are sometimes used as elite magical skirmishers, and have a dedicated formation known as the Battle Witches of Ruskata.

#### **Economy**

Ruskatans trade in furs, hides and pelts, as well as whale oil and bones. The countryside if mostly self sufficient, and Kzatch, the capital, relies on tribute paid in kind (grain, fish, game, etc) to feed itself. Salted and smoked fish are important in their economy and while Ruskata has it's own currency (The Silver standard is called a 'Seal', the gold is an Elk and the copper is an Otter), most of its internal economy runs by barter.

#### **Geography**

The Kizek river valley is a series of valleys and flood plains along the Kizek River. Due to the cold weather, agriculture is limited and population is low. However, big game and fishing serve as additions to Ruskatan diet. The mountains and hills around the valley are rich in coal and iron, and Ruskatan steel is of decent quality. However, the shape of their veins and Ruskatan technology does not allow for the making of good plate armor, and they rely on chain and scale armor instead. Large pine trees are abundant and the main construction material, as well as winter fuel.