Vorshka

*Written by Qwerty14*

This document is the official source of all lore relevant to the people of Vorshka. Or, in it's current state, the Dominion of Vorshka.

## ***Vanderir - The Nomad Tribe***

The Vanderir were a tribe of religious nomads native to the Pelingov region. They traveled around the area, peacefully practicing their monotheistic religion. As they frequently migrated through the river area, they were the primary source of informal messaging between the settled tribes, such as the Korvinski and Keravs. They prospered off of collecting common materials from certain tribes and selling them in places where they were considered rare.

The Vanderir’s dedication to a nomadic lifestyle gave the people of the Pelingov critical interconnectivity, communication, and trade. This allowed the people in the area to successfully initiate effective diplomacy to form the Pelingov Empire (83 AtD). However, the Vanderir were not interested in playing a direct role in the government. Without this vital link, the Pelingov Empire collapsed in 89 AtD, resulting in what would be known as the Unification Wars.

In 94 AtD, the catalyst that was the Kerav Forge transitioned the war into the Kerav War. After the Valdivok tribe (former Capital of Pelingov Empire, translates to Golden Sanctuary) was completely eradicated by the Keravs (94 AtD), a man named Miytok Vorshk created the Vorshk coalition to counter this threat. Vorshk was from Dimtrovod, a relatively minor Pelingov tribe.

Unfortunately, the Vanderir mysteriously disappeared at this time. Not much is known as to why, but a rumor originating from Korvinski guards that it was because of lack of faith in the coalition’s ability to win the war.

## ***The Pelingov Empire (83-89)***

In 83 AtD, under the rule of the Valdivok tribe, the tribes of the Pelingov were united. The Empire, however, was mainly focused on Valdiv imperialism and dominance over the Kerav tribe. The tribes of the upper river were left largely to their own devices. The Valdivs recruited Kerav cultural warriors as a means of asserting dominance over northeastern land. All at the expense, of course, of the Kerav’s passionate warrior culture.

This eventually led to Kerav succession (89 AtD), which, due to Keravak’s pivotal position on the intersection of the river, disrupted all trade and means of controlling the northern tribes. This shattered the empire and led to the Unification Wars, fought primarily between the people of Keravak and Valdivok. Other tribes, like the Dimtrovs and Korvinski allied with the Valdivs.

## ***Unification War (89-94)***

In 93 AtD, the settlements along the Pelingov river that would eventually unite to form Vorshka were in a state of disarray. The Unification Wars were only laying waste to the river civilizations. There was no end in sight. The war had been raging for four years, and little had changed. Most of the fighting consisted of night raids through the small, hilly forest that separated Keravak and Valdivok. Before the war, both settlements had fair, freestanding residences. But, as the pillaging intensified, the average citizen of either settlement lived in either an outdoor living space, or shacks built up around natural structures, such as boulders (this is a real thing in Keravak today). As the fifth year of the conflict approached, much was changing. After a successful murder of a Korvinski leader, Korvinsk declared neutrality. The landscape between Validvok and Keravak had been decimated by fallen trees, landslides, and earthworks, a direct product of the war. Because of this, most of the fighting had now taken place in the desert up north, in order to protect strongholds created by Valdivok during their reign in the Pelingov Empire. Still, there was no direct resolution in sight.

## ***Kerav War (94-95)***

But then one day, on the ninth day of the 94 AtD summer drought, a god was said to have fallen from the sky. Upon contact with Terra, a scar that burned so deep and so bright was left in the center of Keravak, home of the passionate, warlike Kerav tribe. The Kerav's quickly realized the potential this wound in the land could bring them, and they harnessed it by constructing a forge on the site. The Unification War quickly shifted into the Great Kerav war. Weapons of unmatchable power were constructed and used against the other tribes. Through extensive use of the forge, the fire of the wound quickly infected the surrounding lands. It is said that the air hung red and hazy for the duration of the conflict.

Through the power of fire, they scorched neighboring settlements into extinction. The Valdivok tribe was completely eradicated, the Vanderir’s were said to have fled the region at this time, and the smaller tribes, such as the Dimtrovs, homogenized into the Vorshk Coalition. The Vorshk Coalition, created by the Dimtrov Miytok Vorshk accommodated for the disastrous mass of displaced peoples created by the Unification Wars, as well as the remnants of Dimtrovod. A faction of the Korvinsk tribe also joined this coalition, but the settlement remained neutral and untouched by the Keravs.

## ***Battle of Alaeria (95 AtD)***

Eventually, the Kerav Empire set its sights on the wooden mountains of the east. They encountered the Alcove of Alaeria, a place teeming with knowledge, wisdom, and philosophy. As they had done previous times before, the foot soldiers advanced and without warning, began pillaging the houses. At first the Alaeri simply abandoned their homes and fled to the bushes, but once a Kerav foot soldier bashed his spear against the door of the library, the attitudes shifted. The soldier was dead before he hit the ground, as  two long, white arrows pierced his chest from the back. Almost immediately, the power of the fallen god was unleashed upon the town. Buildings and people burned alike. About 12 minutes later, 5 more Keravs lay dead, alongside 37 Alaeri.

At this point, there was only one Alaeri standing between the Keravs and the library. A man of seemingly perfectly average age, height, and physical appearance. He knelt to the ground. "Restires dae la Celestiere" he murmured. He collapsed. The fires began to wither, and the forge began to die. Realizing what was happening, the leader of the Kerav warband thrust his spear through the center of the Alaeri's chest, impaling him to the ground. The Alaeri's breathing faltered, and he closed his eyes. With a final exhale, a billowing fog of light escaped his now deceased body. It seemed to saturate the land around him. Back at Keravak, the forge burned brighter than ever, but not with fire. It was glowing with the Holy Light of the Alaeri, a mystical race never to be encountered again. Only moments had passed before the land was restored to something resembling its original state. The air was cleansed in a moment of calm, satisfying glow. Only four pillars of fire still stand at the former sight of the forge.

## ***The Consulate of Vorshka (97-129)***

After 12 years of conflict, there was finally hope at peace. The Coalition was able to subdue Keravak after the destruction of the forge. The state of Vorshka was created. Keravak was excluded from the country, but kept under full control. For the first two years, Miytok Vorshk served as the Sovereign head of state and government over the unified nation. It was during this time period that Korvinsk agreed to join as a province. In 97 AtD, Miytok Vorshk ran for the position of Head Consul in his newly forged democracy. He, of course, won with no issue. He relocated all governmental operations to the nearby Uthrak mountains, where the capital (Hildavok) would watch over the people of Vorshka without tribal bias. The next 32 years were spent in a time of demilitarization. This changed in 129 AtD, when increased contact from the peoples of the western desert, tribesmen, and the Luangese from the east. The increased need for national security caused two pivotal changes to occur: The integration of Keravak, who had finally settled down after a generation, and the creation of units of soldiers trained in waging warfare in the Uthrak mountains. However, only a small skirmish was fought against a group of bandits. The small military was kept and maintained, but any militaristic culture was quickly extinguished.

## ***The Vorshk Concordium***

In 129 AtD, the Head Consul, a Korvinski, dissolved the council in favor of a more provincial-based governmental system. At the time, the dormant state of the land allowed the federal dictatorship to persist rather smoothly, and a successful pacifist state, The Vorshk Concordium, was achieved. From 129 to 181 AtD, the people of the Pelingov prospered under the Concordium. Infrastructure was upgraded, farms were nationalized, food and resources were distributed for free, and little to no internal conflict appeared at this time. It was a time of great prosperity for the people. Along with the organization of the provincial system, frontier zones were set up alongside the provinces to be used for natural resources and as buffer zones for the core cities.