The Founding and History of Waldavia-Mollachia
The Border Princedoms are a rather interesting place; they have been called "The last refuge of the defeated and the last resort of the outcast."
One of the lesser-known, but still interesting, ones is actually two principalities under one Prince: Waldavia and Mollachia. They are currently in control of a third principality, Transmontania, but they have often lost control of Transmontania to their neighbours and bitter rivals in Dolgany, a Border Princedom settled by exiled Dolgans who imposed their language on their "subjects."
Waldovia-Molachia begins at the Blood River, and is bordered by the Karpath Hills line, the Black Mountains, and the third river to the west of the Blood River flowing into the Black Gulf. It does include all of the long, skinny peninsula sticking out into the Black Gulf.
Waldavia and Mollachia were originally settled by Tileans, around a thousand years after Adare the Great's time. The language spoken still has strong resemblances to Tilean dialect; it is called Tilremian, and characters who already speak Tilean or Estalian learn it more easily than others. However, there have been many influences on Tilremian, from languages as disaprate as Arabian, (the Arabians conquered the area and held it for a time), Dolgan, Kislevite and Adarian.
The society is strongly feudal, with a nobility holding all the land. The frequent wars with Dolgany, not to mention incursions from the Dark Lands and other raiders, have kept the country poorer than it should be; the soil is rich and fertile, the rocks are full of minerals, and the people themselves are industrious and hospitable. In general, Waldavia-Mollachians seem rather rustic to Imperial citizens or other people from outside the Border Princes, which they rather resent. The current ruler's name is Waldemar III, known as The Cruel to his neigbors and enemies, but The Defender to his own people. He punishes crime harshly enough that, as a proof that theft has been eliminated, he sometimes puts gold cups out for common use at village wells---and nobody dares to steal them!
The national religion is very similar to that practiced in the Empire. The Lords of Chaos, of course, are hated by all right-thinking folk, and although there are many Khainite cults about, belonging to one will get you a short trial in front of Prince Waldemar, followed by a slow, painful execution. The Old Faith is practiced outside the towns. The most popular deities are Taal, Myrmidia (who is often called Mirimidiaula in Tilremian) and Ranald in his aspect as The Protector. Cults of Lawful gods are nearly illegal, following a rebellion raised by some followers of Illuminas some years back.
The population groups in Waldachia-Moldovia are most easily told apart by their native languages. The majority population speaks Tilremian, and calls themselves Waldavians or Moldachians, depending on which of the dual princedoms they come from. One quick test is to ask the name of the country...a Waldavian always calls it Waldavia-Moldachia, while a Moldachian calls it Moldachia-Waldavia. Other than that, there is almost no difference between the two, and intermarriage is very common. Minority populations include a large enclave of Dolgan-speakers, or "Bogzori" in Tilremian. Despite the fact that they are culturally very similar to their neighbours, they feel very different, and look down upon the Tilremian-speakers. At one point, much of what is now the Dual Principality was under Dolgan rule, and the Dolgans are remembered as harsh masters. The Dolgans are mostly concentrated in the disputed area of Transmontania, in an enclave surrounded almost entirely by Tilremian speakers. There is also a population of Adarian-speakers, or "Fritzies,"as they are called, and even a scattering of Ormuzd-worshipping Arabians left over from the conquest. Almost everybody in the Dual Principality knows Tilremian, though; the Dolgans are about the only people who refuse to learn it, and even some of them do.
The capital city is called Brasov, and is in Waldovia. The current Prince is from a Waldovian family, despite his Adarian style name---that name has been widely used in Tilremian-speaking areas for a long time. Waldovia-Molachia is located in the Border Princes, and includes that long spit of land that juts out into the Black Gulf.
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