BRASOV (Kingdom of)
Location: Continent of Brun, western side of the Endworld Line, north of Zuyevo, south of Klagorst. WB
Area: 26,700 sq. mi. (69,155 sq. km.).
Population: 19,000 (94% human, 6% elven).
Languages: Brasovian (85% Visneskayan, 15% Elvish), Elvish (Belfadil dialect).
Coinage: Florin (gp), peszy (sp), markwi (cp).
Taxes: 10% income tax, to be paid on the 1st day of spring and 1st day of autumn, plus a special "death tax" that goes to the clergy of Azrael and is paid by the wealthy families (consisting of approximately another 1% of yearly income), which must be paid to the temple of Azrael on the day of the Winter Solstice. No taxation system exists among the Belfadil elves of Eadil.
Government Type: Senatorial monarchy.
Industries: Textiles, agriculture (wheat, corn, apples), farming (sheep, goats).
Important Figures: Szabo II (King, human, male, F13), Daunidel Belfadil (Elven King, elf, male F11/M11).
Flora and Fauna: Brasov was originally a steppe, dotted with woodlands, but in the last centuries most parts of the steppe have been converted into farmlands. The woods are of pine in the north, but oaks become more common southwards.
Common animals in the region are wolves, bears, deer, foxes, horse, cattle, rats, and sometimes an elk or some reindeer that have crossed the northern mountains from Klagorst.
Further Reading: None.
Description by Giulio diSergio-Orsini.
The Land
Brasov is a small coastal kingdom south of Klagorst, inhabited by humans of Visneskayan ancestry, although their tongue is a little different from that, and is called Brasovian. The capital city of this land is Kronstadt, renowned for its textile industries. The land is good for agriculture, producing wheat and corn, and in the southern regions apples are grown, while in the colder, more mountainous region of the east sheep and goats are free to graze.
Brasov is not a bad place to live in. Its winters are milder than those in Klagorst, and the sea enjoys the last stretches of warmer currents that arrive from the south, and is thus free from the ice in all but the hardest winters. At the same time the northern regions and their cold winds are blocked by an extension of the Endworld Line, which bows in a 90 degree angle towards the coast, just on the border with Klagorst, where the passes are controlled by two military fortresses.
The People
Brasovians are much like the people of Klagorst in appearance, but some of them possess some elven ancestry that gives them some unique features: they have slightly pointed ears, and tend to be a little lighter and shorter than their relatives to the north.
They are generally more open-minded than the Klagorstans are; maybe this is connected with the fact that their land enjoys a warmer climate that protects them from the periodic famines that harass the northern lands. Brasovians are very proud of their military strength, that has allowed them to win the three wars fought with the Klagorstans. It is to be noted that there is a small elven community, the Belfadil Clan. Although some of the elves mixed with the Brasovians, there is still a strong group of Belfadil elves, 800 of whom live in the town of Eadil, and are led by King Daunidel Belfadil. These elves are formally independent, but have always helped the Brasovians since their arrival in the region, even with military support.
An interesting aspect of Brasov is the incredibly high rate of infant mortality, which is well above the average mortality rate of Klagorst. It is really difficult to find a family who has not suffered the presence of a spontaneous abortion or stillbirth. The reason for this is not known, however the elves are not affected (as far as I know). A stillborn child is brought to the clerics of Azrael, Lord of the Dead, the second most important divinity of Brasov, after Pavan.
History
The Brasovians are descendants of the people of Visneskaya who left that kingdom around AC 400, when the first conflicts with the Zuyevans begun to arise. Led by Lord Ivan Brasv, 4,000 Visneskayans arrived in the region in AC 412, when they built the city of Kronstadt. Here they grew in number and slowly colonised the region, and many of them mixed with the elven clan of Belfadil, composed of about one thousand elves; this caused the slight changes of language and physical features that distinguish them from the Klagorstans. Another aspect borrowed from the elven culture was the peaceful attitude of its people: the Brasovians managed to live without internal conflicts, and remained always united against external threats. The first of these were the Visneskayans fleeing from their conquered homeland, in the first half of the 6th century, and then their descendants in the 8th and 9th, and then, finally, in the Sixth Brasovian War, when Brasov was allied with Stygia and Chevalle. The Brasovians were always victorious in all of the wars in which they participated (they fought defensively), and have never engaged in conquest of the northern lands, especially since there is no real reason to do so.
Don't Miss
The goulash, a fantastic dish that can be served in every
single inn of Brasov. The Brasovian
cuisine is rustic and spicy, but very good!