Bujanid Empire

The **Bujanid Empire** (Old Bujanid: **Bavalaukoz Bujanskei**) was an early form of the nation of Bujan after its founding and independence from Sarmelonid rule.

The people of this empire are later known as **Old Bujanids**, to differentiate themselves from their regal Drevobojanse and Bujanski Slavic descendants who venerate them as saints and heroes.

## History

Formerly the Kingdom of Bujan, its transformation into a self-styled empire was ordered by Solintoz, grandson of its founder Koschei. After the death of his insane grandfather, he agreed to growing calls to style his country as a Sarmelonid state, and himself after the self-named "emperors" of an alliance of post-Sarmelonid nations.

He led his army to wage war and arrest runaway noblemen on the jungle planet of Ontemâz, earning the respect of the Emperors of Vozolaz. Answering people who mocked the Bujanid Slavs as barbarians, he claimed to be a monstrous king who instead honours Father Sarmelon and the gods by doing their will. Several of the revolts west of Vozolaz chose to join the Bujanid Empire as protectorates.

Later, an empire in Darros waged war against the neighbouring Slavic states, massacring anyone who resisted or happened to be in the soldiers' way. The Slavs of Bujan already became Sarmelonid out of disgust over what their kin had done, so they declared war on Darros and used whatever Sarmelonid technology on the island to build an air force. The aerial fleet teleported westward to Darros, bombing much of the imperial expeditions. This encouraged the other Slavs to wage devastating counterattacks that forced the expeditions to flee to their homeland, and the downfall of their dynasty in Darros. For helping the countries defeat the war criminals, the Bujanids were forgiven of various crimes associated with their Darroskei kin, and were allowed to learn from the Rukanians to improve their standing to everyone else.

During the reign of a later empress of Bujan, the embittered Darroskei sent a fleet to destroy and conquer Bujan. The same fleet was defeated, marking Bujan's total separation from its ancestral homeland of Darros and closer integration with its victims and the rest of Jerde.

## Culture

The Bujanids created new traditions, incorporating or mixing Wonao and Vozonid traditions with their own Slavic ones to represent separation from Darros.

In the Bujanid Empire, Knowledge Day was moved to the sacred day of the Wonao god of knowledge instead of the Darroskei date, September 1.

### The orcs behind the mirrors

The "orc" was a monstrous warrior born from the fears of the Bujanids, a curse that befell on anyone who lost their honour and reason. Like the monsters the "orc" was born from, the Bujanids feared that if they behaved in a dishonourable and domineering manner, they would become Darroskei again. They were like shadows, incubating in the worst desires in all hearts, and lurking in the darkest corners of every mortal soul whenever any sought power.

As "orcs", they would rot into desperate murderers and soulless brutes, driven mad by power to the point that they would no longer have any conscience or beauty. It was a bogeyman that frightened many Bujanski in all walks of life and all ages into behaving honourably, even as countless evildoers became examples and orcs themselves.

From the smoking days of Bujan's birth to the uneasy present, the orc was a reminder of what evil all Bujanski - or just anyone - *must* avoid to ensure they are truly free.

### Independence from Vozolaz

The slur, "Šjeuloi", was reclaimed by the Bujanid Slavs to mock the Vozonids' arrogance, after Emperor Solintoz used it on himself in a speech. It became a proud term, pointing to those using it to look at the Bujanids being a thriving nation that emerged from the ruin of the Kyrvotin Invasion.

August 18 was the Bujanid Empire's national day, held two days after Emperor Solintoz's "barbarian king" speech. Although Bujan was considered as a tributary of Vozolaz, it was never enforced due to the Vozonid Empire focusing on reconstruction. Still, the Bujanids refused to accept the status due to their country's independence, and when the news of Vozolaz ending their country's tributary status was brought to Bujan, the Bujanids laughed and threw a party to make fun of Vozonid chauvinism.

That became "Independence Day" in the Bujanid Empire, replacing the day of Bujan's restoration by King Koschei as the country's national holiday.

## See also

* Kings of Bujan
* History of Bujan
* Zvesta