Grand Duchy of Bočechnia

Stretching from the coast of the Altaric Sea in the north to the Giragz Lowlands in the south and from the Tobyl Mountains in the east to the Vexan-Arcian grasslands, over all the many lakes and streams this land is famous for, here lies the Grand Duchy of Bočechnia. A nation used as much to civil strife and brother hatred as to water, seldom in history the former Urunkharian satrapy knew peace within its borders without the "help" of foreign intervention.

The Land of the Lakes

Bočechnia is a country centred around the "Lakelands", or Bočech-nia, which literally means "Water Hole Land" in the Urungkhi language, by which language the land is most known. It does have multiple endonym's, among others "Limnóngi" in High Eldar , "Esgraniţă" in High Vexan and Našiľudia in Czatczêkian.

This name was not given without any reason. Bočechnia's borders are very much defined by the many lakes and rivers that feed them, with the country being devided under the many geographic basins and flood plains of individual rivers.

History of Bočechnia

For more information on the Bočetti peoples, read the full article on the Bočetti .

Bočechnia has since ancient times been a land of strife. Although the majority of the inhabitants are stemming from the same people, for many centuries they have been making war with eachother over many reasons. From feuds between two leaders to small scale village ot village wars, up until someone decides to bring a halt to it and unite the land. Then when that man dies, many states split off again, a happening which often went paired with a seccession was as well over the now almost worthless throne.

In 1054AZ, one of these Bočechnian unifiers called Vadim Merlikonov, or king Vadim I of the Kingdom of Bočechnia how he liked to call himself, was murdered at the age of 39 by some of his unhappy lords, he left his 26 year old wife Patranka and his 3 year old son Morcock to inherit the throne, since he already had declared his son the official heir in the years prior. Patranka took on the title as Queen-Regent of Bočechnia, preparing to hold the throne until her son was old enough to lead the nation. The rebelling lords offcourse did not legitimize her regency and proclaimed independance as the nations of Czatczêkia, Zrzkystan, Nikastaršía, Ponokia-Yalícherk and Arciá, who together fought as an alliance called the "Přední Nechci-Tě-Znát", or PNTZ, which basically means "Union of people who do not want to know eachother".

The ensuing civil was was both long and bloody, as both sides fought eachother like animals. After 2 years of strive it is estimated by Vexan scholars that over 20% of the Bočechnian population was eighter dead or missing, with more then 40% displaced by the war to eighter the Imperial Protectorate of Bridgehead, a Prabaiian satrapy in the region that later would become The Kingdom of Vexan, or to Unrunkhar.

Grand Knyaz Udar VII of Urunkhar decided then that this was a fine chance to gain sea access again, since in 1042AZ with the signing of the Treaty of Lihuanan Urunkhar promised Prabai to not expand westward if they would not invade any lands south of theirs. This meant that Urunkhar was now cut off from the sea. In 1056AZ Urunkhar invaded Bočechnia with an army of nearly 130.000 strong. Most cities surrendered without resistance, the few who did were quickly taken. Even after the quareling lords put their civil was aside for the time and formed the Bočechnian United Front against the armored and bearded sea of short broad dwarfsm the tide could not be turned. The Urunkharian invasion of Bočechnia took less then a month.

After that, to much joy of the former PNTZ members, the central monarchy in Bolovech was abolished and in it's place the Urunkharian Ducal system was put in place. Every ethnical centre got it's own duchy, with it's own duke, appointed on location by the Ducal Elector, a high ranking Urunkharian politician. The duke usually was chosen from already noble families in in local communities, but not always. Especially in regions that united with the Kingdom of Bočechnia against the PNTZ tended to have disloyal traits against the dwarves and thus were set aside in the blue blooded social society. This led to, especially in the Krylceann Basin, to a shift in power to a new batch of nobles, in the Bočechnian tongue called the "Nováčeki", or greenhorns.

Over the next 82 years, the Bočechnian duchies became integrated under Urunkharian rule, in the year 46PB the Urunkharian court in their policy of reorganizing the vassal states into larger duchy states decided to mend Bočechnia together again under one administrative unit, as well as centralizing power there by making the semi-autonomous Bočechnia a proper Oblast of the Grand Knyazate. This angered the population, so much so that there were massive riots in the city of Krylapech, who were in turn brutally put down by members of the Alvic Order, a Urunkharian loyalist group.

From then on the first pockets of organized resistance appeared all over the country, six years later the people of Krylapech rioted again on a way larger scale. This time enough for the Governor-General of Bočechnia, Duke Boris Jamaczesh to call in reinforcements from Urunkhar. But the moment Urunkharian troops entered their satrapy state to put down the unrest, Vexan stepped in and guaranteed the independance of Bočechnia, declaring war at Urunkhar if they would not step back. Vexan, which just liberated itself 50 years ago from a foreign power wished to keep foreign imperialism as far away from their border as possible. Letting their squabeling eastern neighbour secumb fully to complete dwarvish rule was not really part of that plan.

Urunkhar called it's army back while the revolt grew out to be a national movement. Revolutionaries under leadership of Androvich Merlikonov, great-grandson of the last Bočechnian king Vadim I, took Krylapech from Duke Jamaczech, although the dwarven duke managed to flee and organize counter-resistance from a hideout in the Zachir mountains. A short civil war ensued afterwards between the Urunkharian loyalists and the seperatists, which ended in a seperatists victory in the summer of 56PB.

After they got their new gained independance, now as the "United Duchies of Bočechnia" the lords went to talk over the fate of the nation, it's new borders, it's political structure and all other facets of political life. Although initialy the majority of the lords wished to split up into 7 independant nations, in face of the dwarven danger Androvich came out on top with his idea of a Federal Monarchy with him as it's head, not based in Bovolech like previous central governments, but in Krylapech, that had grown to be much larger over the years. From then on the current structure as described below was put into place, and the country was renamed to its current name: "the Grand Duchy of Bočechnia." Although a lot of the policies were written into law shortly after the declaration of indepence, at the first meeting of lords, also called the "First Sitting of the Law", many things up until the day of today are not, with the original "Temporary Power Act of 56PB" being the leading law on most topics, which basically means that the Grand Duke is free to decide temporary law in accordance to lawfullness and spirit of other inplaced laws for as long as the temporary power act is in place. Which is until the finalized constitution is completed. Something that now, after the "38th Sitting of the Law" has been held in the 2nd Gaerthmor of Transian 61PB, seems just as far away as five years ago.

All and all, the people of Bočechnia did not like this, so much so that their revolting blood is starting to boil again, with riots, worker strikes and other dissentry becoming more common by the week.

in the year 62 PB, religious revolutionaries from the Nikeldaria stormed the capital and took the archducal throne by force, bringing an end to the short-lived nation. Replacing it with the Apostolic Federation of Bočechnia.

Political Structure

The Grand Duchy of Bočechnia is a young nation, although it certainly is not it's first throw at unified independance. Bočechnia is officially a federal monarchy. Meaning that the nation, led by the grand duke is built out of several smaller nations, led by a duke. It is a nation form where normally almost all local power is given to the local duke, but power over national matters are in the hands of the grand duke. In reality, this is far from the truth, as since the founding of the nation by passing of the "Temporary Power Act of 56PB" also most of the local power over criminal law, taxes, conscription and good prices are in direct hands of the grand duke.

On the local level

On the local levels rulership follows a strict feudal hiearchy, largely based on Vexan ones. In everyday social life, these ranks almost function like castes, with people not being allowed to marry or duel anyone from a higher class. In actualality most people do not even interact in any way with the higher class, although the smaller the comunity is, the bigger the exeption. For instance in the small town of Veniverk, Depan County, all classes free talk with eachother since as a small town, one often does not have a choice, although the custom is still that one does not actively seek contact with one of higher class. The other way arround, so a higher class gentleman going for instance out drinking with his stableboy, is permitted, but often frowned upon. This is especially true if it is concerning people of opposite sexes, since marriage between different classes are rare and almost always controversial, even when it's concerning higher nobility marrying royalty.

The social classes, high to low are found in the sidebar -->

Bureaucracy

Although Bočechnia is under tight grip of it's sole ruler, it is by origin a decentralised country, one where local freedom of rulership is deeply engrained in it's cultures. Still, there are some bureaucratic organisations in place from a national perspective to keep everything on the right rails.

More of these are located on the sidebar -->

"Стойиме на Свободě"

"Stojíme na Svobodě"

"We Standeth Free"

56PB - 62PB

Maps

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  Bočechnia

56PB - 61PB

Type

Geopolitical, Archduchy

Successor Organization

• Apostolic Federation of Bočechnia

Neighboring Nations

• Kingdom of Vexan

The Grand Office of Internal Diplomacy

Coat of Arms of the Grand Office of Internal Diplomacy.png

Perhaps one of the most important organs within the Bočechnian political organ, the Velký Úřad pro Vnitřní Diplomacii, or Grand Office of Internal Diplomacy is an office based in the 5 largest cities of the country, from which they serve as intermediaries for internal feuds. Since Bočechnia is a country of many people's, also ones who often don't like eachother, combined with that many things, especially in the more rural regions are led by local lords and rulers who often play by their own instincts instead of the law, this organ is one the central organisations arround which the Grand Duchy is built.