Ruskovich (RUSS-ko-vich)

Government

The ruling class of Ruskovich is known as the Winter Court. The Winter Court is mostly composed of elves, orcs, and humans, but there have been those lucky few of the other races who have fought their way into the Court in ages past, and whose families remain there to this day.
The Czar/Czarina technically rules as an autocratic dictator, answerable to no one, but in practice, the power of the Seven Families, and the knowledge that another family will take charge when they die, tempers the worst excesses of the current occupant of the Imperial Throne.
The current Emperor, Vladislav, Czar Anchabadze IX, came to the throne already old, and after 50 years, his health is said to be failing. His house is not especially fecund, even by Elven standards, and he is actually the last Anchabadze left on the line of succession. If he dies without producing an heir, it is entirely possible one of the Anchabadzes will never rule again. As a result, there is currently a STORM in the Winter Court, behind the scenes, as some families seek to cut them out forever, and others seek to keep them in, whether out of alliance, or their own mutual self-interest.
There are rumors of a half-elven bastard of the current Emperor, which has never happened (that anyone previously admitted) in the court’s history, and fierce debate as to whether the child, if they exist, should be added to the Imperial line of succession. There are also those who would be just as happy to see that child removed from the equation.
The Ruskovich Empire continues to work as a constitutional monarchy, and so most peasantry are part of the serf class and tied to the land that they work. According to the provisions of the peasant reform act, nobles are not allowed to sell peasants without selling the land that they are attached to, in essence giving the peasants a right to have a home. Serfs can either pay cash rent to the nobility, or if they are unable to pay, they commit to forced labor intermittently throughout the year.
There is an Oknovorksy class, a middle class, that are allowed to hold land but do not own serfs. Most Oknovorksy are dispossessed nobility that fell out of favor with the Seven Houses or were unable to maintain their title and rank due to misfortune. Many Oknovorsky become pioneers or attempt to join one of the Seven in order to gain a more valuable position within the Empire.

Military

Brutal Military Philosophy
Organized duels and ritual combat is full of rules, but when it comes to an ACTUAL fight, the one Ruskovian rule is, “If, at the end of the fight, your opponent is dead, and you are alive, you have won.” (This is actually inscribed on the front archway of the Imperial Ruskovian College of War.)
This means Roskovian military tactics tend towards ruthlessly pragmatic and brutal stratagems. Long before the Iron Curtain (see Misc Notes) fell in Ruskovich, the preferred tactic of dealing with invading armies was to let them gain ground deep into Ruskovich, stall them through the summer, and then take advantage of the knowledge of the home terrain to destroy the enemy’s supply lines right before winter. The invading army would be left undersupplied to starve and suffer through the brutal Ruskovian winter, and then slaughtered in the spring, when the Ruskovian Army returned in full force. Even Ruskovian peasants who lived near the border would play along - they would appear docile, seeming to submit meekly to the notion of foriegn rule when the invaders marched in, but as soon as winter began, they would form local militias and engage in guerilla tactics, poison water supplies, and raze crops to deny the enemy. An old Ruskovian saying roughly translates to, “If cutting off one finger costs your enemy five, cut two.”

Culture

Heritage: Orcish, Elven
Elves, Humans, and Orcs have been the the more elite/noble class
It is more fashionable among the nobles to converse in Elvish, and the human nobility are more likely to adopt Ruskovian Elvish fashion and customs. Art, poetry, and other more “refined” pursuits tend to follow in Elvish tradition, language, or style.
The peasant class and serfs speak Common as a general trade and governmental language, while the races tend to favor their ancestral tongue for their local communities (see Cultural Norms.)
Humans and orcs tend to dominate the lower echelon of Ruskovian society, as the orcs represent about 25% of the non-nobility of Rukovich, and humans around 20%, the highest of any of the other races, but there is not much prestige for them in it, beyond the fact that it is slightly more culturally acceptable for orcs and humans to dwell in areas dominated by other races, than vice-versa.)
Orcs and humans tend to be the leaders in non-noble settings, and most of the mayors, elders, judges, sheriffs, and other such positions of lower authority tend to be filled by them.
Staunch Traditionalists
There is a strong cultural belief that the traditions of one’s people, as well as Ruskovian ones, should be respected and upheld. Someone who never intends to travel (which is highly discouraged, anyway,) and does not intend to engage in commerce or bureaucratic work, will likely never learn another language than the one their family and community speaks.
Rigid adherence to the Letter of the Law
As a result of the Winter Court’s Elvish influence and the culture’s obsession with precision and perfection, there is a strong cultural adherence to precise language. As a general rule, Ruskovians are honest people to an almost rude and blunt degree…but they tend to follow the letter of what they say, and not the spirit. If a Ruskovian offers you hospitality, and says you will come to no harm under their roof, they will defend you to the death…until you step outside. Then, if one guest ends up stabbing another out in the backyard, and isn’t under any form of awning, gazebo, or anything else that could be described as a roof, they tend to be celebrated for their cleverness for circumventing their host’s strictures, and their host would likely end up agreeing with them. As a result, the law in Ruskovich is full of a large number of highly precise strictures and technicalities that would baffle most outsiders…not to mention a few cunning loopholes Ruskovians tend to keep to themselves.
Exceptional precision and attention to detail
Ruskovian art, craftsmanship, or and other work is best summed up as a pursuit for perfection. There is no detail too small to be noted and attended to, in their mind, and anything worth doing is worth doing well.
If a Ruskovian is part of a group endeavor, it is viewed as a mark of perfection to do everything precisely the same as their fellows. This means that while shoddy work is punished severely, it also means that exceptional work beyond what the others are doing is viewed negatively as well. If one dancer is dancing better than the rest of the company, then the rest of the company is judged harshly for not meeting that standard, and that lone dancer is viewed as someone who is seeking to disrupt the norm, and unwilling to work for the collective goal. Similarly, if someone IS given a role of prominence, such as the foreman of a group of laborers, or a Prima Ballerina, the levels of expectation placed on them are great, and if they do not deliver superior work to their followers or underlings, they are judged as familures.
The dark side of this is that people who find themselves assigned to work under a political appointee, like someone with connections to the Winter Court, or a minor cousin of the Orlov family, etc., their work had better not outshine this connected or influential superior, or they will embarrass them. Some laborers actively seek out such assignments, because it means they are incentivized to not work hard, or deliver slip-shod work. Even this tends not to be tolerated for long, however, and there are plenty of stories of ineffectual leaders who met with ‘accidents’ on the job, freeing the way for more talented underlings to advance.

Cultural Norms

Elvish Nobility
The Elvish ruling class are very different from their more carefree and lighthearted Western counterparts - they are icy, reserved, impassive immortals that look more like living statues than flesh and blood people. (Think Galadriel with the One Ring in LotR.) They bear superficial resemblance to the Summer Court of the Summerlands - ancient beings, draped in splendor and elegance, but the Winter Court is reservedly, cold, and obsessed with dignity, reputation, and order in a way the wild, chaotic Summerlands would never be.
There are elven communities and families that are not in the nobility. These tend to be much more like their usual Western counterparts, although still very much Ruskovians to the core. They share a similar cultural status as non-noble orcs and humans, and can generally live in any community, but most still tend to keep to their own enclaves and towns in the Ruskovian wilderness.
Racial Segregation
Ruskovich tends to be an extremely segregated country, with towns and communities tending to be composed of one race each. Or in the case of the larger cities, very clearly defined burroughs of which race, and which families live where. There is a unified pride and shared Ruskovian traditions that unite them, and aside from the cultural and political dominance of the Winter Court, and the ubiquity of humans and non-noble elves in both the high and lower class stratas of Ruskovian society, no one really has a better or worse situation than any other race.
As a result of the stratified and rigid nature of Ruskovian society, half-breeds occupy an odd outlying status. While not OUTRIGHT scorned by society, they tend to be pushed out of their communities, with both sides feeling they would be more at home with the other side of their heritage. Since they get this from BOTH sides of their heritage, they are often left as outsiders everywhere. As a result, they tend to form far more inclusive communities together, and be far more tolerant of outsiders. Half-elves, half-orcs, tieflings, aasimar, dragon-bloods…anyone with a mixed heritage are far more likely to find themselves outside of normal society, and so, as a result, they tend to compose most of the secret underclass of Ruskovian society - thieves, smugglers, gangsters, and more. As a result, their secret societies tend to be far more inclusive, tolerant meritocracies compared to the rest of Ruskovian society. There are rumors that there is a group of outcasts banding together under the leadership of a half-orc named Leona Nenokov that is spreading a philosophy of a united lower class that has no need for a ruling class of noble elites. Their movement is currently small, but more and more peasants are whispered to be growing sympathetic to their cause. As a result, the Winter court is going to great lengths to locate Nenokov, and strangle her growing movement in its crib, before it can gain too much traction.
Reputation, honesty (sort of) and a strict adherence to your word (the letter of it)
As mentioned above, Ruskovian society places great weight on one’s reputation, personal honor, and honesty. This can make them a grim and blunt people - they view false compliments as a patronizing offense, and excessive cheer as a form of lying. Smiling at strangers is viewed as suspicious and an attempt at forced familiarity or manipulation. They do not generally volunteer their opinion, as a general rule, but if asked, they will share it as bluntly as possible, and view attempts to moderate their language or tone to fit their audience as extremely rude. They believe non-Ruskovians to be untrustworthy and two-faced, and view what most other countries consider to be common courtesy to be false manners and lies.
As a result of their manner, and general distrust of outsiders, they do not feel obliged to inform others of their strict adherence to the letter of the truth at the occasional expense to its implied spirit. If they sign a business deal to deliver 200 mugs to a Vodaccian merchant, with no other caveats explicitly spelled out, they will feel no qualms about delivering exactly 200 of their crappiest, most poorly made mugs, and will demand full payment, or else. As a result, Ruskovian contracts between new business partners, or themselves and knowledgeable outsiders tend to be very, very detailed and highly specific.
Between Ruskovians themselves, however, they tend to start that way at the beginning of business deals, but once a relationship has been established and a trust developed, they view such things as unnecessary. (In fact, there is a long-held tradition in Ruskovian law that states that a long-established pattern of behavior is just as strong as a written and signed contract.) Again, they tend not to tell outsiders this, and more than one foriegn merchant has found themselves surprised when they draw up a new contract for a Ruskovian they have been doing business with for years.
Anti-Elemental Technology
Ruskovich is against the widespread use of new Elemental Technology, in part because of their rigid adherence to traditional norms, but also because its widespread use could make it easier for a burgeoning merchant class to grow and potentially threaten the Winter Courts hegemony over Ruskovian society.
Certain grudging allowances have been made for some elemental technology, such as trains and airships, but even then, their ownership and use are STRICTLY controlled by the Seven Families, with the orc and human ones, the Diasamidzes and the Orlovs respectively, being the widest adopters.

Economy

Oligarchical Economy
There is not really a “middle class” in Ruskovich - if a peasant does well in business and amasses wealth and influence, they tend to very quickly try to buy their way into the upper class, since the nobility is really the only true long-term path to lasting wealth and prosperity. Titles can be bought, poorer noble houses can be married into…even if one is not a scion of the Seven Families, being a noble makes it vastly easier to achieve success in Rustovich. However, the greatest share of wealth, power, and influence, by far, rests in the hands of the Seven Families and the Imperial Throne. It was built that way so anyone hoping for success must curry favor with the powerful nobles, and undercut any rivals attempting the same. It keeps the lower class fighting against each other rather than unifying against the Winter Court.

Religion

Akmon, God of the Sun & Nobility - the deity most celebrated by the noble class, and the one with the strongest influence in the country as a result.
Caelus, God of War
Barasios, God of Contracts
In keeping with the Ruskovian respect for tradition, there are set times of the years, religious holidays and festivals, for ALL of the gods, except for a few of them. It is considered right and proper for everyone to celebrate the right god during the right time of year, but frowned upon to openly worship a god or goddess when it is not their “time.” There are temples and such to all of them throughout the country (even the forbidden ones, although those are carefully hidden) but smaller communities tend to just have one temple that honors all the gods, making changes to the temple as different holidays and celebrations arrive. It is generally acceptable for people to honor certain gods in more private ways year-round, or when certain life events happen. All soldiers pray to Caelus and Eriu, for instance, and everyone invokes Peitho during Weddings, etc.
The Forbidden Gods
Eosphorus, God of Natural Disasters - People will quietly invoke him to ward off storms, fire, and other disasters, but the god’s association with “rebellion” makes him “unsuitable” for common worship.
Gorath, God of Chaos - Ruskovians view “chaos” as right next to “evil” in desirable traits.
Steyfano, God of Trickery & Thieves - Similar to Eosphorous and Gorath, Steyfano’s portfolio goes against the nobility’s view of an ordered society. However, the criminal underbelly of Ruskovich has many hidden shrines to Steyfano throughout the land.
Tanith, Goddess of Torture & Depravity - Tanith is used as the “Devil” figure in most of Ruskovian folklore and myth - the other gods and goddesses overcome Tanith’s machinations trying to disrupt a harvest, a war, etc. The other three forbidden gods are framed as her servants in the common religion, and are said to carry out her dark work.

Holidays

There are far too many to count, as there are feastdays and celebrations to each of the gods every year. The Equinoxes and the Solstices tend to be the most important, with the Summer Solstice marking the beginning and end of the Ruskovian year, marked with a solemn celebration to Morwen at Sunset, to mark the end of the last year, Elowyn at night, to mark the beginning of the new year, and Kelesta on the morning of the new year, to ask her to direct all the gods and goddesses to bless the people and the land for the year ahead.
The Feastdays of Akmon, Caelus, and Barasios are the other major holidays.

• Akmon’s is celebrated the day after the Winter Solstice, to celebrate the return of light and the banishing of the dark, and is marked with much giving of gifts.
• Caelus’s Feastday falls in the middle of Summer, and is said to mark an ancient battle against the hordes of Dragon in the land’s to the country’s south, centuries ago, and is commonly viewed to be the ‘Foundation’ of the Empire, and the start of the reign of first Emperor, Czar Lortkipanidze I.
• Barasios has a full week in the fall, to mark the end of the harvest, and it generally viewed as a time to shift from the activity of the summer months to a time to reflect on what tasks and duties you will address during the long, dark winter. It is also considered an auspicious time for business deals and weddings, and any other forms of establishing partnerships.

Locations of Note

The Iron Curtain
The most commonly known feature of Ruskovich to outsiders is commonly known as “The Iron Curtain.” Sometime centuries ago, a massive wall of dense fog rose up around most of the country - land borders, out to sea along shorelines, encompassing most of the country (see ‘the Wasteland,’ below.) The mist stretches for at least a mile at its thinnest point, as near as anyone can reckon.
The Iron Curtain made travel into Ruskovich nearly impossible for a long time. It cannot be flown over, tunneled or swam under…anyone who tries just finds more mist. The vast majority of anyone who tried to make it through them from either direction just…disappeared without a trace, never to be seen again. Of those rare few who made it through, the ones still sane told tales of creatures straight out of nightmare in the mist, who hungrily preyed on anyone foolish enough to wander through them.
In time, after about a hundred years, there have been ‘checkpoints’ established in weaker spots of the Iron Curtain, where a trail is marked by strange torches that burn a deep indigo flame. These are passages through the mists that are safe(ish) to travel, and maintained by the Diasamidze family. Anyone seeking to enter or exit Ruskovich is questioned closely, searched thoroughly, and tracked meticulously inside the country until they leave. The Iron Gates, as they are called, are guarded by soldiers and paved with wide, thick roads, but there are still rumors that every once in a while, people disappear when traveling through them. The Ruskovian government denies this, of course, and insists the Iron Gates are perfectly safe, but still, the rumors persist.
In addition to the Iron Gates along land borders, there are also a number of them in the sea, allowing sailing vessels through. Airships can also travel either variety of Iron Gate, but they are STRONGLY encouraged to fly low, and to not deviate from the path lit by the torches.
Most of the Iron Gates are at narrower spots in the Iron Curtain, and are generally only a mile or two long, but some are much longer. One path, called the Dire March, threads for miles through the mountains between Vodacce and Ruskovich. Most go to lengths to avoid it, but it is the fastest path between two countries, and both sides have strong commercial centers at either end, so there are always a few brave souls who seek to try their luck.
The Imperial Court has maintained since the moment the Iron Curtain rose that it was a deliberate act of the Czarina Vorotynsky IV, the result of the powerful magics she and her family wrought, to keep Ruskovich safe forever. The truth of the matter is…more opaque. Even among the Seven Families, no one is entirely sure whether the Iron Curtain was created by the Vorotynskies, the intended result of some hideous experiment of theirs gone wrong, or something else entirely. If the Vorotynsky family knows, they have never said definitively one way or another. It was the Vorotynsky and Diasamidze families working together that created the Iron Gates, and the fact that it took almost a hundred years after the Iron Curtain fell to make them certainly suggests Vorotynsky IV did not intend to create it…but neither can anyone entirely rule out that the Vorotynsky family would create such an enigmatic and dangerous barrier without making sure there was a way through, either.
The Wasteland
The only section of Ruskovich that was not covered by the Iron Curtain is a section of the country west of Vodacce and south of Patlov that has been dubbed ‘The Wasteland.” The Wasteland is an bleak-looking region full of unforgiving mountains in the east, and desolate plains in the west. No one lives there, the mist does not fall there, but anyone who tries to travel through it just…disappears. Ruskovich insists that it is still part of their country, and that they know precisely what is going on there, but no one knows for sure.
There were whole cities and populations living in this area, long, long ago, but no one does, now. There is some debate whether the Wasteland predated the Iron Curtain, receded out of the mists long after the Iron Curtain sprang up, or if both happened at the same time. There have been no reports of the dire, alien creatures that patrol the mists of the Iron Curtain…largely because if there ARE anyone who actually admitted to traveling through the Wasteland, they have never told anyone else about it. This has led to con men making up tales of traveling through it, and selling the ‘strange and mysterious artifacts’ they have found within to the gullible, but no real hard facts about it.
The Dire March actually runs along the southern edge of the Wasteland, and some have used it as a jumping-off point to explore the Wasteland, something strongly discouraged by the soldiers who patrol the longest of the Iron Gates.

Maps

• 

  Ruskovich

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Vyrkova, Ruskovich

Demonym

Ruskovian

Head of Government

Vladislav Anchabadze IX

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Subsidiary Organizations

• Winter Court of Ruskovich

Location

Europa

Related Traditions

• Taxation and Tariffs

Controlled Territories

• Bironrog, Ruskovich
• Groksa, Ruskovich
• Kirongu, Ruskovich
• Mawtin-Altaghyir, Ruskovich
• Ruskovian Diplomatic Embassy
• Sterga, Ruskovich
• The Dire March
• The Wastelands
• Tungelsk, Ruskovich
• Vyrkova, Ruskovich
• Zheleznolitamak, Ruskovich

Neighboring Nations

• Patlov
• The Dragonfly Isles
• Vesten
• Vodacce

Notable Members

• Alliluyeva Elisavetta Anatolievna
• Pelyovin Denedikt Victorovich

Related Historical Events

• 1854
  The Elemental War