Ustalav
The Immortal Principality of Ustalav (pronounced OO-stah-lahv) is a fog-shrouded nation of countless horrors and a once-proud realm that suffered under the clawed hands of the Whispering Tyrant for centuries.
Geography
Political Survey
Ustalav's position is precarious, as it is located next to two hostile nations: the orc-inhabited Hold of Belkzen to the west and the demon-infested Worldwound to the north. Its neighbours to the east are not much better. They may be human nations, but they include the tyrannical land of the living god: Razmiran, the constant chaos of the River Kingdoms, and the barbaric monarchy of Numeria. Considering the nature of its neighbours, it is no wonder that many of Ustalav's inhabitants are insular and distrust foreigners. Only along the southwestern border does Ustalav find a friendly (if highly suspicious) neighbour: the country of Lastwall.Physical Survey
The geography of Ustalav is hugely varied, with each of the thirteen counties having its unique geography. Ustalav lies on the northern tip of Lake Encarthan, surrounding much of Avalon Bay. However, if one geographic feature dominates the entire country, it is the Hungry Mountains that encapsulate an entire county in their stony reaches.History
The Kingdom of Ustalav
The modern history of Ustalav began during the Age of Enthronement in 2361 AR, when numerous Varisian families settled the unclaimed land north of Lake Encarthan in the shadows of the Hungry Mountains. Ustalav did not become a true nation until its ancient hero, Soividia Ustav, united the disparate Varisian settlements and drove out the native orc and barbaric Kellid, Numerian, and Sarkorian inhabitants. Naming it after himself, the Kingdom of Ustalav grew for five centuries, ruled by his descendants of the Ustav line. However, near-constant feuding among the clannish Varisian families began to dominate the kingdom. King Kaldemov decided to split the nation into sixteen counties in 2862 AR to prevent a civil war. He divided up the land and assigned it in perpetuity to the various noble families. Each county's ruler possessed significant autonomy, but they owed their allegiances to the monarch (descended from Ustav). This change eased tensions and led to a rare Ustalavic golden age of growth and prosperity for centuries thereafter.The Whispering Tyrant
This golden age of the Kingdom of Ustalav was tragically cut short in 3203 AR when the wicked and immortal warlord, Tar-Baphon, rose from the dead as the Whispering Tyrant: a lich-king of incredible power. A dark secret had been festering under Ustalav's soil since before the first Varisian settlers had arrived: unknown to the rulers of the land, the remains of Tar-Baphon had been buried beneath, poisoning the land. The Whispering Tyrant quickly created vast armies of undead and, through careful diplomacy, united the orcs of the neighbouring Hold of Belkzen under his command. With these two great forces and his military and arcane genius, the Whispering Tyrant attacked an unprepared Ustalav. Despite a spirited defence of their kingdom, Tar-Baphon conquered Ustalav in 3206 AR creating a land of the dead. The defenders were mortally disadvantaged that every fallen Ustalavic soldier was recruited into Tar-Baphon's undead army. The rest of the people were turned into his slaves. For over 600 years, the rotting remains of proud Ustalav languished under the despotic rule of the Whispering Tyrant.The Shining Crusade
It was not until 3754 AR that the first glimmer of hope appeared. Finally deciding that the necromantic nation presented a significant threat to its continued expansion, distant Taldor launched the Shining Crusade. They secured a beachhead on the northern shores of Avalon Bay in 3801 AR.[9] Warriors from the Taldan empire rallied, converging on the Ustalavic town of Vellumis as a forward staging area. Dwarves from the Kingdom of Kraggodan and the famous Knights of Ozem joined them. It was not until 3828 AR, three-quarters of a century after the Crusade began, that the Whispering Tyrant was defeated, and the shadow over Ustalav was lifted. The Tyrant was imprisoned in his haunted capital of Gallowspire. Ustalav lost four counties: two were declared uninhabitable and became the haunted wasteland surrounding Gallowspire known as Virlych, the others were given to the crusader army to create the nation of Lastwall as a permanent guard against any resurgent horrors.The Immortal Principality of Ustalav
Ustalav re-established itself after the Whispering Tyrant's defeat and was renamed the Immortal Principality of Ustalav, preserving much of the rules and culture of the old Kingdom of Ustalav. However, the Immortal Kingdom could not recapture its former glory. The royal line of Soividia Ustav had died out during the country's long dark age, and the few surviving nobles who now clamoured for the throne only had tenuous ties to the former ruling family. After a census of the remaining nobility, the crown was eventually given to Prince Andredos Ordranti in 3834 AR. This contributed to greater infighting among the nobility, a series of weak rulers, and a slowing of the country's stuttering recovery.Orc invasion & Kazavon
Even though the power of the Whispering Tyrant no longer united the orcs from the Hold of Belkzen, they remained a serious threat, especially in the north-western counties near the Belkzen-Ustalav border. Emboldened by Ustalav's weaknesses, they launched countless raids against what was then known as the county of Tamrivena (now Canterwall). For generations, the nobles of Tamrivena held their ground against these sporadic but incessant attacks, bolstered by a standing army of rangers and commanded by a long succession of brilliant tactical minds among their nobility. In the mid-41st century AR, a new Count Andachi came to power in Tamrivena. It quickly became apparent that he did not possess his forefather's genius in military matters. Despite the Count's best efforts, the orc hordes began to make inroads into his lands. In a final act of desperation, he called out to one of his family's oldest patrons: the dark god Zon-Kuthon. His pleas were seemingly quickly answered by the appearance of a brilliant mercenary captain named Kazavon. Kazavon took control of the forces of Tamrivena, training them most brutally but also imparting his formidable tactical knowledge until they were a highly-disciplined and ruthless fighting force. When they took the field against the chaotic orc hordes, the Ustalavic forces once again began achieving stunning victories, driving the orc armies back across the border into the Hold of Belkzen; by the spring of 4043 AR, no orc armies remained on Ustalavic soil, having retreated into the foothills of the Kodar Mountains. It was then that Kazavon revealed his true intentions: instead of returning to Ustalav, he built a stronghold at Castle Scarwall and began to gather forces of his own. When Count Andachi realized Kazavon's cruelty and lust for power, he turned against the general, raising an army and marching against his former general's redoubt. The Count was easily defeated and publicly executed. Kazavon expanded his realm and ruled with terror and war for over a decade until he was destroyed by an army led by the Lastwall hero Mandraivus.Ustalav today
Ustalav now finds itself a strongly divided country, struggling to reclaim a semblance of its former greatness and burdened with a history of darkness few nations can equal. In recent history, the country has had to deal with some massively disruptive events:- 4670 AR: The country was fractured as three north-western counties overthrew their hereditary governments, becoming the Palatinates
- 4674 AR: Prince Valislav Ordranti moved the Ustalavic capital from Ardis to Caliphas and shortly died thereafter
- 4674 AR: The current Prince of Ustalav, Prince Aduard Ordranti III, ascended to the throne under the shadow of a rival claim from Reneis Ordranti, who was born the same year
- 4687 AR–4693 AR: a civil war, known as the War Without Rivals, rages in the east leading to the formation of the wasteland called the Furrows
Government
The monarchy
Since the ancient days when it was first unified, Ustalav has been ruled by a single king. Unfortunately, the line of kings was broken during the Whispering Tyrant's reign, and the current rulers are but a shadow of their predecessors. The leadership of the land has become particularly contentious since the death of the so-called 'Eunuch Prince' Valislav Ordranti, who left behind no official heir when he died in 4674 AR. His brother, Prince Aduard Ordranti III, stepped into the mantle of monarch, a role for which he was ill-suited. The whole affair was complicated even further when the Eunuch Prince's long-time companion, Millaera Caliphvaso, gave birth to a bastard child she claimed was the son of the Eunuch Prince. The claim caused a huge scandal, and Millaera disappeared under mysterious circumstances shortly after making these claims. Her child, Reneis Ordranti, was adopted and raised by the child's devious and conniving aunt, Countess Carmilla Caliphvaso. Rumour has it that the Countess has her eyes firmly set upon the throne as soon as Reneis reaches manhood. Other darker rumours whisper that she may have her incestuous eyes set on becoming queen, willing to marry her nephew to get it.The Counties
Modern Ustalav is split into thirteen distinct regions called counties. While each county is still subservient to the monarch of Ustalav, Prince Archibald Ordranti, the rulers of the individual counties are allowed a lot of independence. The counties can be split into three types:- The Soivoda encompasses the entire expanse of eastern Ustalav: they are still run by the noble families appointed millennia ago when Ustalav was first divided. Their power within their counties is immense and unable to be questioned by even the Prince, and they also hold great influence over matters at the royal court.
- The Palatinates in the northwest third of the country: In 4670 AR, the northern province of Lozeri overthrew their hereditary duke, placing a council of prominent citizens in charge. This approach caught on, and soon two of the neighbouring counties had also thrown off the rule of their hereditary noble lords in bloodless coups. These three states, Lozeri, Canterwall, and Vieland are known as the Palatinates. Their leaders hold little sway in the royal court.
- The south-western wasteland of Virlych.
Inhabitants
The centuries-long presence of orc troops in Ustalav led to the founding of numerous half-orc bloodlines in that nation that persist today. In much the same fashion, Ustalav still is home to numerous sorcerous bloodlines that can be traced back to the titanic forces of good and evil who fought during the Shining Crusade. In the most remote corners of Ustalav, amongst its abandoned forts and darkened woods, a few small clutches of deep-dwelling xulgath remain.Religion
After centuries of abuse and exploitation, the people of Ustalav are highly suspicious and superstitious. Descendants of Varisian wanderers who immigrated there millennia ago, many still hold to their traditional beliefs. Among these is the worship of the goddess of travellers, Desna. Their long occupation and enslavement at the hands of the lich, however, also left their marks. The worship of Pharasma, who abhors the undead, and the Pallid Princess Urgathoa, who reveres the undead, are also common in the nation. Under the leadership of Prince Archibald, Asmodeus worship has also become more commonplace.
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