Despotate of Voiyagrad

The **Despotate of Voiyagrad** is a Skaldic state founded in 2132 AU, as a quasi-independent domain within Northgard by royal decree of King Alberecht Gaerhart, centered upon the **Free City of Voiyagrad**  and including the coastal city of **Blackport**, alongside numerous other small villages, minor towns, castles and noble estates of Bogatyrs, Knyazi and Voivodes, sworn to the Despot's service.

## **History**

### Origins - Havincourts and Desolation (2091-2130)

**Voiyagrad** was formerly known as **Hjoldovre,** a small, modest village founded in 2053, known mainly for its monastery dedicated to the Steel Drake, which housed a small contingent of the Knights of the Steel Drake. It was ruled by members of the Havincourt Clan, and like all of their holdings, was ruthlessly sacked in 2091 by the forces of King Argus the Eliminator, during the Storm of Khaos; the population of Hjoldovre was slaughtered, enslaved or displaced, the Knights butchered in the field of battle or executed after surrendering, and most of its buildings burned to the ground for the Havincourts' defiance.

The village remained in ruins, the burnt-out husks of dwellings and the ruins of its once-great monastery standing as stark reminders of the Storm of Khaos, and what little remained after the coming of Argus was picked apart and looted by bandits and drifters. The climate began to cool and grow bitterly, unnaturally cold due to the influence of the god Khaos in the North, rendering attempts to restore Hjoldovre half-hearted and doomed to failure. Even Hjoldovre's name had largely been forgotten, and it almost certainly would have been little more than a footnote in the history of Northgard were it not for the chance arrival of Trielzygnii Yanyikoth.

#### Reconstruction and Repopulation (2130-2132)

Trielzygnii Yanyikoth, a turncoat Dragon Caste Lieutenant of the Mordaenye Imperium, took up residence in what was once Hjoldovre; with no civilized settlement willing to accept the presence of a renegade dark elf, she took it upon herself to begin fixing up the remaining homesteads and monastery, ostensibly to provide herself a place to live, and to lure Skaldics in need of a home and mutual protection to work alongside her to restore a safe haven for the war-torn and Daemoniac-ridden North.

After conscripting gangs of bandits she defeated to work for her in exchange for clemency and an escape from brigandage, work proceeded apace, and the monastery and homesteads were reconstructed and refurbished. She and the comrades she made whilst adventuring in the north and south, in between working on the town, proved to be a stalwart against not just bandit raiders and Daemoniac marauders, but also undead assaults and even Heshwati attacks. Soon, Hjoldovre became known as a sanctuary and safe haven for Skaldics seeking refuge. A few former inhabitants of the village returned as well, and Hjoldovre's population began to steadily increase; with the influence of the god Khaos beginning to wane, the climate returned to normal, and the land became fertile and fit for farming and pastoralism, allowing Hjoldovre to support more settlers, bringing forth more industry, and within the span of a year, Hjoldovre had begun to flourish.

Trielzygnii, by then, had been recognized by the people as their leader, and began making trade deals with various merchants, as well as the Dwarves of Durh Zerrahd, trading lumber (an extremely valuable commodity for dwarves) in exchange for cattle, and the ogre Grabba Grokvar, the Mountain King, buying the King's granite to create a mighty wall around the settlement, and the foundations of the seat of Trielzygnii's power, the mighty tower **Wyvernhold.** In addition, she established diplomatic relations with Auduiliah, who lent their magical expertise to the town in exchange for establishing a formal embassy within Hjoldovre. Prospecting discovered rich mines filled with tin, silver, iron and coal, bringing forth an industrial boom that brought great wealth to Hjoldovre's people, and commerce began to flourish.

The worship of Kzendaal, a deity worshipped both by Mordaenye and the Skaldic people, began to spread, alongside worship of Lux; the monastery that once echoed with prayers to the Steel Drake was reconsecrated in the service of the Onyx Dragon.

Hjoldovre had, within the span of a year, turned from a ravaged, near-forgotten collection of hovels into a thriving city. Accompanying the breakneck progress of the city, Hjoldovre's warriors had been bolstered by Dwarven mercenaries eager to be paid to defend Hjoldovre from near-constant attacks, and by the expertise of Auduiline golems constructed by the Wizard Lord Achaius Stavros. Trielzygnii, by then known as *Daemonbane* for her exploits in slaying the demons that hounded Northgard, had become the ruling lady of a young, energetic city-state, and had won fame throughout Northgard, having overcome the prejudice her race often suffered upon the surface.

#### Fealty and Investiture (2132-Present)

Trielzygnii's work in securing the Skaldic people from outside enemies and internal strife had not gone unnoticed; her efforts to aid Hafgar's Rest when the remnants of Argus's Warband of the Bloody Fist attempted sack of the city, and her ability to administer a flourishing city-state, had captured the attention of King Alberecht Gaerhart, Dragon of the North and Scourge of the Heshwati. Whilst he was on campaign in the south fighting Revarine and compromised by a treacherous advisor, the situation in the North had been neglected by the King; however, once his advisor's crimes were exposed and Albrecht returned to his seat of power in Fjorsette, he was made aware of Trielzygnii's efforts.

In the summer of 2132, Alberecht entered Hjoldovre, escorted by his retinue, the Knights of the Black Dragon, having heard of Trielzygnii's efforts to aid his vassals and people by Hafgar Many-Kills and other lords in the North. He bid Trielzygnii to bend the knee, and to rise as his vassal and ruler of the independent city of Hjoldovre. Trielzygnii willingly swore an oath of homage to the King, and thus, rose as Despot of the newly-formed and incorporated Despotate of Hjoldovre, which would soon be renamed to Voiyagrad, in recognition of its ferocity in defense of the North.

The newly-appointed Despot's first challenge would be the defense of the North from Heshwati invaders, as part of the Heshwati Empire's great invasion of Erodemus. A major battle was fought outside of Voiyagrad in the summer of 2132, involving not only the forces of Heshwat, personally led by Emperor Celleach, but also a Mordaenye war band and the Voidspawn of Bastias, in a chaotic melee which saw an avatar of the god Virgil, the Architect, intervene to aid Voiyagrad; Voiyagrad's forces, led by Trielzygnii and with support from her allies, scored a crushing victory, with Heshwati, Voidspawn and Mordaenye forces crushed or routed, and Emperor Celleach quitting the field.

With Voiyagrad's warriors having proven themselves militarily competent, King Alberecht commanded Trielzygnii to lend her forces to the siege of Blackport, a major coastal city that had been usurped from its rightful ruler, Lacaille of Blackport. Trielzygnii, in the interests of providing her troops experience for further conflicts and to prove Voiyagrad's loyalty and strength, committed almost her entire army to the siege. Whilst her forces were not the largest or most skillful of Alberecht's armies, they nonetheless distinguished themselves during the siege and subsequent assaults upon the walls and districts, sustaining moderate casualties. During this time, Voiyagrad's armies were reorganized along more feudalistic lines as various Bogatyrs and Knyazi were incorporated into the Despotate's growing borders, paying homage to Trielzygnii and providing their own troops, as the Despot reassigned some of her own warriors to serve under her newfound lords and knights, though she maintained a core of her most elite soldiers.

After a long, grueling siege that lasted over a year, Blackport was finally seized, and the necromancers killed in battle or executed for treason and other crimes. The city was methodically purged of undead, and Lady Lacaille of Blackport was reinstated as the rightful ruler. In recognition of Trielzygnii's aid and the efforts, commendable conduct and sacrifices of her soldiers, King Alberecht commanded that Blackport be made part of the Despotate's domain, and thus Lady Lacaille was made a vassal and Voivode under Trielzygnii. Blackport would provide the Despotate access to the Whispering Sea and the lucrative trade opportunities that came with it, and Lady Lacaille's ships would form the core of the Despotate's fleet. The liberation of Blackport would spell the Despotate's beginning as a naval power, and as Blackport was restored, trade was re-established, which greatly aided in reconstruction efforts within Blackport, and enriched the Despotate further.

In the spring of 2133, Trielzygnii, with the consent of her nobility, implemented the *Despotic Charter*, placing limits upon her otherwise absolute power, providing legal guarantees of protection for both the nobility and commoners, and establishing a formal *Sejm* to debate and vote on laws and proposals, to allow public debate among the peerage of the realm without fear of censure or retribution.

## Government

### Despotic Government and the Despotic Charter

The Despotate of Voiyagrad and its territories is a feudal, constitutional and parliamentary province within the Kingdom of Northgard. It is ruled by the hereditary **Despot**, currently held by Her Grace Trielzygnii I Yanyikoth, who serves at the pleasure of the monarch King Alberecht Gaerhart. The Despot is not an absolute ruler; much of her territory is presided over by various noblemen who have sworn fealty to the Despot, and who owe her feudal obligations in the form of paying taxes, levying military forces, and to obey the laws and customs of the Despotate, in exchange for fiefdoms, protection, and fair and honourable treatment.

The Despotate is unusual - though not unique - in that the Despot's otherwise absolute powers (in the context of her lesser position in comparison to the King) are limited by a charter of laws, the "*Despotic Charter*", that serves to prevent breaches of good faith and prohibit abuse of authority. Among other things, the Despot is prohibited from arbitrarily disenfranchising, imprisoning, exiling or executing vassals or citizens not accused or convicted of crimes, protects the freedom of religions not antithetical to Skaldic customs or traditions, the right to swift justice and a speedy trial. The Despot may still draft new laws and veto those proposed by her vassals, and ultimately laws must be approved by her.

### Sejm of Voiyagrad

The Despotate distinguishes itself in that all nobles, from the most humble Bogatyr to the most illustrious Voivode, have a say in proposing and drafting new laws in the Despotate for the approval and ratification of the Despot. The *Sejm*, or "Gathering", acts as a form of parliament and grand audience to the Despot where they may advise and consult with her before she implements new laws, and to debate amongst eachother freely and without fear of retaliation. The nobility of the Sejm is not restricted to a single building; instead, they convene at least once a year on the fields before Voiyagrad. The nobility are prohibited from bringing weapons or troops to the gathering, and security is provided by the Despot's own forces, though they may be given weapons if disputes cross over into formal challenges of duels between nobles.

The Sejm itself follows a majority voting system, with all nobles being given a single vote, regardless of rank; the Despot is granted the privilege of veto powers, though the veto can be overruled with a large majority of votes. However, ultimately, the laws and proposals must not conflict with the will of King Alberecht Gaerhart, and such laws would be immediately vetoed. A key function of the Despotic Charter protects Bogatyrs and other gentry sworn to higher-ranking nobility within the Despotate from being maltreated due to voting contrary to their lord's interests.

## Culture

The Despotate of Voiyagrad, positioned as it is in the Havincourt Highlands, is something of a melting pot inhabited by many different groups of people, chief among them the Havincourts, who form the core of the Despotate's population in the central regions. With the advent of a new leader to rally around, the Havincourts have been reviving their traditions that were lost during the Storm of Khaos, bringing their architecture, cuisine and arts to the Despotate. To the northeast, the Hrothgarians are dominant, with those who shirked Argus's rule turning into refugees who have finally found stability and security under the Despot's banner, having a distinct influence upon the Despotate's art and music. Further south, Fjorsetti settlers form a sizable minority within the Despotate, and many of them serve as traders and fishermen.

### Sport

The city of Voiyagrad is notable for its arena, the *Arena of the Sable Wyrm*, inspired by old Theonian architecture. The Arena is owned directly by the Despot, and is frequently host to duels, melees, practice matches, and public performances of music and arts - many bards and performers are invited to the Arena to perform for the public's delight. Other sports popular in the Despotate are archery, hammer- and axe-throwing contests, as well as a vibrant and active custom of flyting between bards and nobles.

### Religion

Voiyagrad's largest church is the *Church of the Dragon Ascendant*, formerly a monastery to the Steel Drake, but now reconsecrated to the worship of Kzendaal, the Onyx Dragon. The Kzendaalians of Voiyagrad follow Orthodox Kzendaalian dogma instead of the more twisted and violent form prevalent among the Mordaenye, and the religion is most popular among urban dwellers in Voiyagrad and Blackport. However, the most widespread worshippers are Erodemnites and Luxites, who make up the majority of religious individuals within the Despotate. The worship of Kzendaalism, Erodemnity and Lux is formally enshrined in the Despotic Charter, and the rights and privileges of worshippers are protected by the nobility. A number of crusaders and knightly orders have established chapterhouses in Voiyagrad's territory, such as the Knights of the Iron Bulwark, the Knights of the Diamond Throne, and the Knights of the Black Dragon.