Vosk-Moreva

During the early years of the First Age Tyrrell's climate began to cool significantly, freezing over mankinds prehistoric homelands in the arctic. When primitive humans first migrated south, one of the first places they settled was the Vosk River Basin. With temperate weather and fertile soil, the human population quickly grew over the millennia. Due to a lack of Fieldic resonance or resulting leylines in the area, the region saw little interference from the early Elderkin civilizations. 

Historical documents from Midboria report the early Vosk Basin as being little more than a sparsely explored hinterland inhabited by tribal humans. These early tribes used stone age technology and lived a mainly hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Few amongst the Elderkin at the time considered mankind to be anything more than primitive wandering barbarians.  Early interactions with the Elderkin were mostly limited to bartering for furs or preventing human tribes from crossing into Elderkin lands unannounced.       

However as the Elderkin nations began to expand, and their concept of borders became more defined, the early migration patterns of humanity became increasingly restricted. This forced many of the previously nomadic tribes to form permanent settlements. As these settlements grew in size, human bronze age towns and city-states began to develop in the eastern Vosk Basin during the mid to late 2500s of the First Age. 

Many of mankind's first true countries arose within the lands of what is now the modern Vosk-Moreva Federation. Amongst the earliest of these was the Areghiev Empire. Located in what is now the Vosk-Morevan state of Husnil, Areghiev began as the largest in a chain of city-states that rose and fell within the Vosk-Viek river system. With a robust and organized agricultural system, it was ruled by a council of three princeps chosen by the high priestess of the cities patron goddess, Zevira. In the Zoryaosist religion Zevira was the goddess of the moon but also of knowledge and civilization to the Areghievites. 

Using bronze tools and weapons Areghiev quickly expanded, conquering and assimilating the surrounding city-states. Areghiev rose three times to rule the other city-states in the region. They were noted for their innovations in agriculture and warfare, as the warcarts of the 2nd and 3rd Areghiev Empire might have inspired the designs of early human tanks. The distinctive short, wide, serrated spear points and arrowheads can be found across the basin and along the Obalon coast. The rise of such a large organized human country surprised many of the Elderkin. As trade and political interactions increased, Areghiev would become a tributary of Midboria. 

The city was sacked at the end of each empire, but it was the sacking at the end of the third empire which destroyed Areghiev. A confederation of Ferani Clans who had pledged allegiance to Tassendrel burnt to the city to the ground after a brutal year-long siege. The careful irrigation system was wrecked, leaving the region deserted and unpopulated. Another major First Age human nation was the empire of Udalar the Bold. He was a proto-Crobian whose father had conquered the bickering city-states of the Morevan peninsula and forged a powerful army of foot soldiers there. 

He swept first into modern Aprela to pacify the tribes there, marrying a proto-Aprelan princess in the process. Udalar then turned south and defeated remaining cities-states who united to face him in battle. He conquered Osneic and down to the River Tiir. Further conquests were only prevented out of fear of the Elderkin's magic if he proceeded any further. Udalar fell back to the city of Evagur where he contracted an unknown disease and died. His generals quickly began to bicker among themselves and one killed his son. This quickly divided the empire as it fell into squabbling. All of the successor kingdoms would fall apart within 250 years. 

Despite the rapid growth of human civilization, the Elderkin as a whole still did not view mankind as equals. So paltry were the achievements of the early human race, and so confined was their spread, that the Elderkin failed to challenge any preconceived notions about mankind's supposed inferiority. Humans within the confines of Elderkin nations found themselves living as second class citizens. The independent states of mankind were often ruthlessly destroyed the moment they conflicted with the desires of the ancient Elderkin empires.  

A profound sense of envy also began to spread amongst humanity as the magical abilities of the Elderkin became better understood. Many desired the same powers and longevity as the Elderkin, but due to their Lesserkin biology could never achieve it. The growing human resentment felt towards the Elderkin would eventually have catastrophic consequences. In year 0 of the Second Age, a human from the Vosk Basin unsealed the First Gate located within Midboria. Now known by historians as the first Dark Lord, he unleashed the forces of the Forgotten upon Tyrrell. 

Using the Dark Lord as their proxy, the Forgotten would tempt many human nations to join them with the promise of supernatural powers and longevity in exchange for servitude. Most of the human countries in the eastern Vosk Basin thus willingly pledged themselves to the Dark Lord. These corrupted humans used their new supernatural powers to overthrow and enslave the remaining human nations, adding to the Forgotten's conquest. The preexisting human kingdoms, city-states, and empires of the Vosk Basin were largely swept away in the face of the onslaught. 

For decades war would rage across West Ciradon as the Elderkin struggled to contain the Forgotten and their new human servants. Eventually however Forgotten's forces would suffer numerous defeats as the various Elderkin nation united together to defeat the invasion. The first Dark Lord was killed in battle and the Forgotten resealed back into the First Gate. The humans who had pledged themselves to the Forgotten now discovered their previous supernatural powers had been severed. Those found to have served the Forgotten willingly faced severe punishment by the Elderkin, often up to and including mass executions.        

In the aftermath of the Forgotten's failed attempt at world domination, the Vosk Basin was left in tatters. Humanity was largely blamed as a whole for its role in causing the war, even those who were mostly uninvolved. Now distrustful of mankind, many of the Elderkin believed humanity needed their direct guidance in order to prevent future disasters. Thus an informal system began where the remaining human nations of West Ciradon would be forced to undergo vassalage to a patron Elderkin nation. Those countries who refused typically faced invasion and eventual destruction by superior Elderkin armies.   

One by one, the surviving human countries fell, no match for the magic or ageless prowess of the Elderkin. The remaining human nations would be corralled into a number of small tributaries, protectorates, and vassal states. These nations were kept on a short leash controlled by the neighboring Elderkin empires. Tassendrel, Midboria, the Union of Great Holds, and the Elruth Empire all carved out their stakes. Whenever a human country would grow too powerful or too independent, the Elderkin would fund a rival vassal state to invade on their behalf and put them in their place.  

The Elderkin viewed these early conflicts as a way to keep mankind subservient to them and divided amongst themselves. However many ambitious individuals began to use them as a way to grow their own nations power and influence in the region. Thus the Greater Vosk Basin would witness numerous proxy wars fought between the rival Elderkin states over the course of the Second Age.  

Following the mass destruction brought by the Ninth Gate War around the Ruby Sea, limited attention was paid to the human realms of the north. This allowed for the consolidation of larger human states within the Vosk Basin. By the 2700's of the Second Age there were at least 10 major human nations within the Vosk Basin. These were the countries of Moreva, Voskgardia, Torfall, Crobia, Husnil, Trimostna-Vyzlevini, Aprela, Kaskea, Viekash, and Osneic. They frequently changed hands between the Elderkin powers through diplomatic maneuvering or proxy wars. 

Tassendrel controlled most of the western states within it's sphere of influence. Elruth maintained dominance over the countries on the River Vosk, while Midborea and the Union of Great Holds vassalized most of the remaining western nations. A major shakeup in the region would come in the year 2784 SA. Since the time of the Succession War, the nations of Voskgardia and Husnil had fought multiple conflicts against each other siding with opposed Elderkin overlord. However when when Husnil sided with the Elruth Empire, Voskgardia overthrew it's Elruth aligned monarch and pledged their vassalage to Tassedral to spite them. 

In the following conflict known as King Lappin's War, Trimostna-Vyzlevini would unite with the other Tassendreli aligned states to defend Voskgardia. The Elruthian vassals of Husnil and Torfall would suffer a major defeat and be forced to relinquish territory to Voskgardia post war. Torfall in particular would loose it's independence entirely and be subsumed into the Elruth Empire. When Trimostna-Vyzlevini and the other Tassendreli vassals willingly united with Voskgardia, the fledgling republic became the strongest human country in the Vosk Basin by far, greatly upsetting the regional balance of power.    

Following King Lappin’s War most of the remaining nations in the Vosk Basin viewed Voskgardia antagonistically. Many considered the Voskgardians to be little more than Tassendrel’s attack dogs, a reputation that only gained validity as Voskgardia rolled up the remaining states between themselves and Tassendrel. However as the Second Age approached its end, Voskgardia would experience an economic and technological miracle when it became the first country in Tyrrell to fully industrialize. 

At first many of the other Vosk Basin countries viewed Voskgardia’s industrial capabilities as a threat. They would enact protectionist policies to help protect their own economies. However those who rejected the spread of industrialization quickly found themselves outcompeted. As Voskgardian factories struggled to meet demand, they would attract foreign workers from neighboring human nations. Some of these workers would learn the technical knowledge behind how modern machinery operated and bring back these innovations to their home countries. 

Amongst the other nations of the Vosk Basin, the Kingdom of Moreva was perhaps the most open to the changes Voskgardia brought. Located directly on the other side of the river from the capital city of Voskgard, Moreva had benefited immensely from the economic activity that was brought to the region. Sheltered geographically from the nearby Elderkin states it also enjoyed a significant degree of anatomy compared to many other vassal states. 

In 2900 SA Moreva signed a free trade agreement with Voskgardia, enabling the unrestricted movement of people and goods. Crobia and Aprela joined the agreement shortly afterwards. With the first train lines crossing over into these nations they would slowly begin to industrialize as Voskgardia previously had. One of the contributing factors for the War of the Dawn was a fear amongst the Elderkin that Voskgardia was beginning to unite the rest of their vassals against them. Certain Elderkin states would encourage Tassendrel to invade Voskgardia in hopes that Voskgardia’s swift destruction would bring the other human states to heel. 

When the War of the Dawn began, the nations of the eastern Vosk Basin declared neutrality. Though many sympathized with Voskgardia, the other human states were all unprepared to fight the much larger and stronger countries of the Umrinor Cordiale. Fearing that the Umrinor Cordiale's ambition stretched beyond the waters of the Vosk, these smaller nations would enter into a mutual defense pact. As the war raged on with no end in sight however, the pact began to take on a different character. Joint military exercises and defensive plans evolved into a joint command structure. 

Most of high command consisted of Morevan generals as they biggest state with the largest professional army. However all states represented in some capacity. A hastily constructed defense was refined to perfection with time. The Eastern bank of the Vosk turned to a fortress, yet Voskgardia showed no sign of wavering. Preparedness gave way to impatience as the combined forces continued to ready a war without an enemy, and with every news dispatch that arrived over the border of the latest Vosk victory or the crimes committed by the Elderkin, the young soldiery grew thirstier for blood. 

In 6 TA after Tassendrel had gathered the Umrinor Cordiale for another great campaign, the ad hoc council of the state's rulers granted their combined armies permission to organize a volunteer corps. This was on the condition that they fight in a standard Vosk uniform with no identifying markings and that no nation would claim them if they fell. When the decree was announced to a gathering of soldiers, a cheer went up and nearly every man present raised his hand to volunteer. Contrary to the complaints of the army, the civilian governments had not been idle all this time. 

Despite frequent gridlock and few ways resolve disagreements among the sovereign powers, they had come to an agreement with the Voskgardian Council to expand the railway network across the Vosk. They begun transporting supplies and materiel toward the front under the guise of civilian aid. They had to be cautious as more than half their number were still nominally vassals of parties to the war. However they were begrudgingly left along so long as tribute was paid and any direct orders were followed. This gave them latitude to support the Vosk war effort as much as possible without raising undue suspicion.

It was the 7th of Firewane when the first volunteers crossed the Vosk to join the fighting. It was a battalion-sized force of 1000 soldiers under the command of young Morevan General named Alban Roth. Their first few months in Voskgardia were spent training with the advanced Vosk weaponry and studying the tactics that had been so successful against the Elderkin. After training and preparation they were sent to the front, where they served with distinction at the 5th Battle of Tiirgard and numerous other engagements. 

During ceasefires and lulls in the fighting as the Umrinor Cordiale retreated to regroup and reinforce, the volunteers returned across the river to share the training and experience they’d gained with the Vosk weaponry, as well as bringing Vosk engineers to help update domestic production. However by 14 TA despite the best efforts of the Vosk army and her unofficial allies, the war began to turn decisively against Voskgardia. The Cordiale, learning from past mistakes, had adapted to the Voskgardian's new way of war. With the capture of the railway hub at Dolinka, Voskgardia's defeat was seen as inevitable. 

It was considered a serious possibility that once the Umrinor Cordiale reached the River Vosk they would continue on to conquer the remaining human states in retribution for their clandestine support of Voskgardia. Knowing they could not hope to survive an invasion alone the nations of the eastern Vosk Basin officially united into the Federation of Moreva and the Nations of the Vosk. The federation quickly shoring up their own defenses. In order to appease the Cordiale and prevent war from spreading, Vosk-Moreva reluctantly began cutting off support for Voskgardia, going so far as to turn away Voskgardia's fleeing warships and military aircraft.     

Voskgardian High Command met with General Roth and asked him to have his force begin organizing a mass evacuation of civilians from the combat areas. They were to be relocated to Vosk-Moreva. He accepted and the Federation Volunteer Corps, now several battalions strong, shifted from fighting on the front lines to organizing the logistics of a refugee exodus. As the war came to a close, hundreds of thousands had been displaced and made their way across the Vosk, with Morevan volunteers guarding the crossings as long as possible during the final Siege of Voskgard. 

Upon returning home, Roth’s volunteer army took charge of the crisis. Hastily they began turning refugee camps into impromptu cities, organizing work projects and transportation deeper into Federation territory or further afield to friendly human nations. The rest of the Federal Army joined him in this without question, yielding to his orders regardless of any existing chains of command. The expertise of the engineering corps and the manpower of the army combined with that of the Voskgardian refugees made quick work, constructing new housing and further expanding the rail network.

In the midst of this, General Roth was summoned to the Morevan capital of Tavohr to meet with the Ruling Council. Alban Roth traveled to Tavohr alongside ten thousand soldiers, most of them fanatically loyal volunteers who had served under him. They paraded through the streets until they reached the royal palace. There they stood in formation while General Roth entered with a dozen of his closest advisors. After three hours Roth came out onto the balcony alone, announcing that the Ruling Council had unanimously named him the first High Marshal of the Vosk-Moreva Federation. 

This new government was to be advised by the Ruling Council, whose positions would continue to be inherited as before. They would officially supersede the High Marshal, but with only nominal authority. One of High Marshal Roth’s first acts came with the final collapse of the Elruth Empire. The newly independent country of Torfall feared that they would be annexed into the Elruth Occupation Zone as had their neighboring nations. Representatives of Torfall came to Tavohr seeking protection. The Marshal responded by sending an army group to secure the territory, halting at the Vosk River when they met an opposing Elven force. 

The meeting became a standoff with both sides rapidly fortifying the opposing banks, but no shots were fired as the opposing forces dug in. Torfall was quickly integrated into the Federation and the river became the new border of the Elruth Occupation Zone. This crisis tentatively resolved, High Marshal Roth wasted no time redoubling his infrastructural projects, taking full advantage of the manpower of the army and the refugees, as well as the technical expertise of Voskgardian engineers and scientists who had managed to escape. 

Today Vosk-Moreva has grown into an industrial and military powerhouse. Many new mines, forges, and factories have been built, all connected extensively by rail. The young nation continues to reproduce and enhance previous Voskgardian tech and weaponry. However the federation continues to live under the specter or war. Every country Vosk-Moreva borders is currently a potential enemy. Border disputes and skirmishes continue across the River Vosk as the Voskgardian Liberation Front wages a guerrilla war against the occupation zone government. 

Some in the Umrinor Cordiale are even rumored to have advocated for invading Vosk-Moreva in order to finish off any remaining industrialization in the region. The conditions for another war remain red hot, as everyone lives under a constant state of alert. As other human states began to industrialize, many of them found common ground in the cause of human liberation from the Elderkin. Now, with secret alliances forged with the Fifth Column the hour of reckoning is at hand. 

The Vosk-Moreva Federation is situated in the eastern portion of the Vosk River basin, bordered by the Vosk River on the west, the Amber River to the south, and the Kaske River to the east. The land of the Federation is nearly completely magically barren due to the lack of leylines crossing the territory, apart from field-rich areas on the northern coast of Moreva and along the Amber River. Despite this, its nature as a river basin makes for lush plains ideal for farmland and rolling hills rich with mineral wealth. 

While he officially serves at the pleasure of the Ruling Council, in reality, all governmental authority is held by High Marshal Alban Roth. Upon his return from the Dawn War, he was invited to Tavohr to meet with the council. There, they unanimously agreed to invest him with the power to form a unified government to protect seven disparate nations from Elderkin aggression, with the hope of one day returning  Voskgardia to human rule.

Prior to Roth's ascension to supreme executive power, the Federation was a loose collective of states, with their rulers gathering in the Morevan capital of Tavohr to discuss issues that affected them all. With no state willing to accept the leadership of another, and no recourse for resolving disagreements among sovereign powers, this loose collective proved woefully inefficient. 

As the federation was founded more by political necessity than by historical kinship, Vosk-Moreva is not a culturally unified nation-state. Instead the country displays a bewildering array of competing cultures, traditions, religions, and languages. While the central government has undertaken a major nation building program to try and reduce these differences, many citizens still identify more with their home state than with the notion of being “Vosk-Morevan”. Many of the old preexisting rivalries of the Second Age persist to this day, albeit unofficially. However there are some notable similarities that the Federation has attempted to capitalize on. 

The Vosk-Morevan citizenry has rallied around the concepts of human self-determination and overthrowing the old racial hierarchies of the Elderkin. In schools children are taught that the preexisting nation states of the Vosk Basin were largely artificial constructs created by the Elderkin to keep humanity divided and weak. A sense of pan-human nationalism has swept the federation in the aftermath of the War of the Dawn. 

Upon unification the Vosk Language was chosen as Vosk-Moreva’s official language. It had already been spoken throughout much of the region in the centuries prior to the Third Age. The War of the Dawn and subsequent refugee crisis only increased the language's importance. Today most people can speak it as a second language to some extent. Other popular languages include Morevan, Osneican, CoreSpeak, and a dozen others. 

The majority of Vosk-Morevans belong to either the Dhazigastic or Zoryaosist religions. However there is a large minority of Vosk-Morevans who belong to the Catenic Pantheon, especially in the southeast due to the historical influence of Midboria and the Union of Great Holds. This remains a sore point as many fear the religion is being used by the Elderkin to divide and influence the sourthen Vosk-Morevan states.