Azerban
Contents
History
The Voivodeship of Azerban is a state in the northeastern Threshold, a satrapy of the Realm under care of House Sesus. Historians have traced its origins to the tumultuous times in the aftermath of the Great Contagion, when government in the area had broken down. The first voivode was the leader of a military force, some say a Shogunate militia raised from local peoples others a barbarian tribe which settled after raiding. The state arose around the ancient Palace of Azure, a powerful air manse, its borders stretching to cover the surrounding land as its forces marched out to plant their banners.
In RY259, in response to Azerbani raids across the border into the satrapy of Madura, the Realm deployed the 8th Imperial Legion against Azerban, bolstered by the presence of young prince Sesus, funds from House Ragara, and mercenaries from House Iselsi. After suffering several defeats to Realm forces, and facing a looming declaration from prince Sesus, the reigning voivode and his supporting knights-vassal were put to death by their own troops, and a new voivode was appointed to negotiate a surrender.
All those who embrace the rule of the Realm shall be welcomed, their positions preserved and engraved into the natural order of Creation. All those who raise arms against the Realm, against my Mother, shall be put to death without mercy, without forgiveness, and without me taking rest until they are dead by my hand.”
- Imperial Prince Sesus, Azerban Campaign, RY259.
Following the surrender of Azerban, House Iselsi was rewarded with Azerban as a satrapy, while the Palace of Azure was gifted to the new voivode as a reward for his wisdom. Azerbani auxiliary troops, known for their berserker fury, formed part of the Iselsi army that launched their failed assault on the Scavenger Lands… the satrapy was granted to House Sesus on the dissolution of House Iselsi, and Azerban was left with little of its martial spirit remaining. It remained quiet, of little note in the annals of the Realm, until RY764.
In that year, the Voivode of Azerban died under mysterious circumstances. His only child, a girl of fifteen years, was accused by her uncle of having carried out an assassination... the uncle, backed by the local 4th Imperial Legion garrison, laid claim to the Throne. When an attempt was made to slay the girl, she was revealed as an Anathema and escaped… her unnatural wiles soon turned much of the population against the Realm, and the 4th Legion was forced into retreat, falling back to the south with heavy losses. Azerban’s armies, under the skull-and-sun banner of the Anathema-Voivode, seemed unstoppable as they conquered neighbouring Madura and threatened Valis and Ceben beyond, until the 4th fell under leadership of the former Outcaste Sesus Dochao and turned the tide, slaying the anathema and restoring Realm rule in the Campaign against the Anathema-Voivode.
Politics
Azerban is a feudal state, whose government is made up of one thousand Knights-Vassal, war leaders each owning a long strip of land and responsible for maintaining a watchtower and fielding twenty-four Bannermen in times of war Bannermen in turn are responsible for raising and arming soldiers in wartime. The Knights-Vassal swear fealty to the Voivode, who serves as head of state and overall commander of the army. Since the Realm first conquered the country in RY259, the Knights-Vassal have elected the Voivode from amongst their number (though by tradition the firstborn child of the previous Voivode is favoured). In the aftermath of the Anathema-Voivode’s defeat, Bannermen have in turn elected their Knights-Vassal from amongst their number. Bannermen are hereditary, with a single family typically filling the post of a Knight-Vassal and his twenty-four bannermen, their soldiers in turn part of the family. This has meant that the noble families of Azerban have been devastated in times of war, which has in turn influenced them to spread their lines far and wide… in peacetime, noble families dump excess members into apprenticeships to peasants and artisans or give them over to serve in the Imperial Legions.
The representative of the Realm in Azerban is Imperial Satrap Sesus Magel Kaizan.
Religion
Azerban is nominally an adherent of Immaculate doctrine, though this competes with a strong and open cult of ancestor worship amongst the military families, which has spread lesss openly amongst the common folk.
Economy
Azerban is not a wealthy state by any stretch. It produces some wood, and some root vegetables. Those of occult interest know its untamed terrain to house a few types of medicinal or alchemically-useful herbs, and pit mines in its northwest produce iron ore and silver. These ores are smelted in Azer, and form the bulk of its tribute to the Realm. Azerbani steel is of low quality, but their weaponsmiths are known for making good axes and shields, which equip their own armies and are exported to neighbouring countries. An Azerbani axe is symmetrical, used thrown or one-handed, connected to a haft of hickory wood by three looping prongs, often clad in bronze or silver which is decorated with scenes depicting their ancestors in battle.
Geography
Azerban is bordered to the southeast by Valis and by Madura to the Southwest. The Maduran border stretches from the mountainous area surrounding the lake known as the High Torrent, down through the fertile Cloven Valley that stretches from the banks of the Thousand Rushes River. Once, the river was the primary route for trade between Azerban and the rest of Creation, and the valley was responsible for a food surplus. Two crossings linked Azerban and Madura: one was the Wall of Ice, a First Age dam of frosted metal which towered to fill a cleft in the mountains at the head of the Cloven Valley, restraining the High Torrent from flowing freely. The dam was 700ft in height and only 300ft across, with an outflow at its base for the Thousand Rushes River. While the Wall formed a bridge across the border, it was not a useful crossing, the treacherous mountains surrounding it lacking developed roads and presenting an obstacle to any large movement or commercial traffic. The second crossing was the Ford of Chumo-Sheh, where an ancient First Age bridge had collapsed and been partially rebuilt by Shogunate engineers to create an area of the Thousand Rushes where water was only a foot deep and footing was relatively stable, allowing carts and foot traffic to cross the river. The city of Chumo (in Madura) sat on the south bank at the crossing, and the village of Sheh (in Azerban) sat on the northern bank.
When the Realm’s 4th Imperial Legion destroyed the Wall of Ice, the Thousand Rushes flooded. The dam was washed away by the immense pressures, which also turned the croplands of the Cloven Valley into river or marsh, clay-rich soil becoming sucking muck threatening those walking through. Chumo and Sheh were completely destroyed, as was the city of Isesu in Ceben. The Ford of Chumo-She ceased to exist, while the army of the Anathema-Voivode was in the midst of a crossing... it too was destroyed.
Azer, the capital of Azerban, was located in the middle of the country far from the destruction, and without their Anathema it was soon conquered by the 4th Legion, which spent some months celebrating and looting.
-- General’s Streets: Formerly home to Azerban’s wealthier residents, the District was commandeered by many officers in the 4th for their residences, while other buildings were turned into taverns and brothels. It became known particularly for its good beer and excellent catamites.
-- Streets of Iron: District known for its smelters and blacksmiths.
-- Palace of Azure: The massive Palace of Azure, an ancient air manse of expansive blue crystal galleries and spires. It is home to the ruling family and government of Azerban, along with the Imperial Satrap and local Legion garrison. While it was once a possession of Azerban’s voivode, since the defeat of the Anathema House Sesus has taken direct control of the Palace.
