Grand Principality of Kronstadt

A northeastern nation known for its long, barren stretches of land and bone-chilling cold, it is a hardy people that live and thrive there. For much of Kronstadt’s history, there were only small pockets of civilization, each living under different laws and with different banners. It took the massed armies of the dead threatening to extinguish all of the eastern reaches to bring Kronstadt into existence, and even then it was with reluctance on the part of stubborn Princes. Since then, however, the Principality has unified and proven to be a power in their own right. Used to deadly winters and famine, their people are determined and fierce in battle. They have a history of being talented cavalrymen, a necessity in a country where there are leagues of empty land with no sustenance. A unique quality of Kronstadti armies is that the lowest among them are still able fighters, serfs and farmers who are not only able to hold a line without routing, but might turn back an attack with nothing more than axes for weapons and padded furs for armor. The Kronstadti government is headed by a Grand Prince, a noble elected from among his peers who oversees day to day activity as well as the House of Princes, the country’s legislative body. This collectivization is surprisingly competent and enlightened, and the sheer will of the Kronstadti people ensures that it never descends into chaos. Currently, the country is relatively stable, improving upon infrastructure and attempting to establish a standing army in a move away from depending upon individual loyalty of nobles for soldiers.

Geography
Kronstadt is bordered westerly by the Kretingan Order and by frozen uninhabited wastes to the east. To the north and south of the country is the coast. The Grand Principality is the largest country by sheer landmass in Estoria, though it is also one of the harshest places to live in. It is affected heavily by the cold, with winters far below freezing and summers that might make a southron man shiver. There are long stretches of grassland with little signs of life, occasionally dotted by rural villages, roaming horses, or some stubborn farmer’s lands. The country farms hearty foods that can survive the harsh soil, and there are many horses within the country.

Economy
The Kronstadti economy relies on large scale farming, both to avoid famine in the winter and to ensure a healthy economy isn’t overtly affected by said famine. There are also large amounts of iron veins in the north, though it is only the exceedingly tough or the criminally punished that brave the cold to bring it out of the earth. It is an important job, but one few are eager to take up unless it is a necessity. There are many horses in Kronstadt, a hardy breed that does not easily succumb to the cold and can travel for long distances before tiring. They make excellent warhorses, and are valued highly by farmers to make gathering their harvest easier.

Religion
There is no official religion within Kronstadt, a point that has alienated them somewhat from other Estorian nations and earned them minor prestige among the embattled countries of the Kretingan Order. There isn’t a great sense of spirituality in the Grand Principality, for the history of the Kronstadti people is a tragic one. There have been many harsh winters, many cruel leaders, and many would-be invaders attempting to subjugate them. It is from the far northeastern reaches that all of the Marches of the Damned have been heralded and Kronstadt has always been their first target. As such, the people of Kronstadt do not look for a deity that has never watched over them. Instead, they focus on living a life wherein they serve their people and improve their family’s lot in life. It could be said they worship past ancestors who have done great things, but it is more accurate to say they admire and try to emulate their work.

Culture
The Kronstadti people are viewed as cold, harsh, and distant. Though they may seem this way to outsiders, it is simply because they are blunt and not fond of mincing words. They are a people that have suffered much, and tell the truth directly to avoid misunderstanding or later troubles. They have strong family values, believing wholeheartedly that to serve one’s family and provide for them is noble. There is also a great respect for fighters, regardless of class. They are a people that value simple things, and many outsiders are surprised at the gratitude the Kronstadti display upon receiving a gift that others might view as meaningless. The people of Kronstadt also have a little known love of poetry, for few ever come to such distant lands in search of philosophy.

Politics
Politics in the Grand Principality are relatively straightforward, if a bit strange by western sensitivities. The legislative body, the House of Princes, serves to propose and create laws. There is one Prince that represents each noble family, and votes between them are distributed based upon a family’s contribution(in gold and soldiers) to the Grand Principality. To balance this, less affluent Princes may challenge a vote if they can find five members of the Council to vouch for their character to prove they are not acting selfishly. This vouchsafe is considered binding, and doing so falsely will lead to execution. From there, there are arguments and another vote will be held. In addition, votes are distributed equally during the election of the Grand Prince(occurring every decade or as the situation calls), an event not taken lightly by any man among the Council. The Grand Prince enforces all laws and is the head of the country’s diplomacy and military, and essentially decides how best to enact laws and direct the country. He can veto laws the Council has made, but not if two thirds of the Council votes for the law. Kronstadti politics are focused predominantly inward, interactions with other countries often cold or foregone in place of securing unity and better conditions.

Military
The Kronstadti military is characterized by exceedingly tough soldiers, skilled cavalrymen, and no small amount of citizens simply doing their duty. Every man and woman in Kronstadt knows at any time some foolhardy army could invade or the dead could rise again, and they are prepared for this eventuality to prevent further tragedy for their people. No matter the profession or mindset, there is not a militia in the world more willing than the people of Kronstadt. They will hold a line better than most and refuse to flee, knowing that most often they will simply be cut down and lead to the deaths of others if they do so. Kronstadti cavalry are well respected across Estoria, and rightfully so. Often riding with less heavy armor than their more western counterparts, the cavalrymen of Kronstadt favor plate shirts and layers of chainmail. They ride with iron-tipped lances and several javelins, each man softening the enemy ranks before lowering his lance and crashing into the unprepared enemy. He rides right through, only to continue throwing javelins and prepare for another charge. Kronstadti infantry are known for being well skilled axemen, and most elite foot soldiers prefer a bardiche to a knight’s sword. A majority of needed troops come from each of the Prince’s own forces, though in Kronstadt there is rarely an issue with raising soldiers. The price for failing to act in defense of their home is one painfully engraved in each man’s mind.

The Kronstadti have the largest and perhaps best trained unit of soldiers trained to slay the undead in all of Estoria, known only as the Watchers. They are feared for their mystique and deified by their commitment, operatinga series of battlements and catacombs that span the length of the country and protect from the dangers of the Eastern Wastes.

History
The landmass that the Grand Principality now encompasses has been settled for a majority of human history, though rarely voluntarily. When man was still young and nomadic peoples began migrating in search of permanent homes, most settled where the weather was temperate and resources allowed for a plentiful life. Those that had been stricken by foul diseases and sickness lagged behind and were left to fend for themselves. This melting pot of people realized that they had no hope in reaching more hospitable lands, and so settled the massive, then largely empty, land mass of Kronstadt. Though the weather was harsh and the dirt unforgiving, there was plenty of hunting to be had. Many died in the first several years, but the melting pot of cultures and backgrounds came together and those that survived became stronger. This became the basis for a singular Kronstadti identity, a unification by strength through excessive hardship. A sense of permanence was developed as camps turned to villages and villages to loosely connected towns, lessening the hardship upon the Kronstadti and bringing with it a habitability.

The history of Kronstadt has consistently been tragic, the people faced with plagues and winters that killed off large portions of the population. The most devastating events have been the three Marches of the Damned, for each March finds its beginnings in the Eastern Wastes that exist at the edge of the Grand Principality. It is from there that the armies of the undead are strongest, swelling in massive numbers and shambling constantly westward to destroy the Kronstadti. With each great March Kronstadt suffered greatly, countless dying and the survivors becoming stronger because of it. Those that lived through tragedy became better for it and became better prepared for whatever foul enemy came next. This became the defining characteristic of Kronstadti history and culture, and though there have been innumerable setbacks they have grown and improved constantly. In the modern era they are a great and mighty power, ever ready to take on the threat of the damned and never willing to admit defeat no matter the bleakness.

Recent Events
Recently, the Grand Principality has experienced a period of stability that has allowed it to begin to flourish. An abundant harvest saw them through the winter with no famine, and a lack of wars has allowed changes enacted to put them forward instead of simply keep up. Improvements have been made to the series of forts and walls that guard the country from the northeastern reaches, and the Council of Princes has recently made laws that will allow for a larger standing army, taking the country’s reliance upon nobility away.