Kaska is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Dobruja, one of the remaining crusader states and the largest political realm in the west of the Midlands. Most major towns and many large fortifications along the Bolgra fall directly under its governance, allowing the various crusader orders to occupy them at their discretion. The realm is led by Inga the Grand Duchess, a zealous woman who encourages radical Koraldur worship within her lands. The realm is constantly under assault from Orcs to the south, though Kaska itself generally remains safe. Kaska sits at the confluence of the rivers Pachanka and Gob, securely fortified in the crook of those two mighty waterways. The city was founded by Premyslid crusaders, and retains certain elements of that northern realm even today, notably the brick architecture scattered among the original buildings.

Politics

The Duchy of Dobruja, and thus Kaska at its heart, sits in a somewhat unorthodox situation in the western portion of the Midlands. The Duchy operates many of its holdings in cooperation with smaller and independent crusader orders, each without an official state to patronize them. All of these, except for the exceptionally large such as the Silver Hand, pay some sort of tithe to the Duchy for their continued position in the region, in effect acting as vassals in a more traditional feudal system. This arrangement has allowed the Duchy to enrich itself off the rents and tributes it requires from these tenants, while also effectively outsourcing its own security onto the heavily militarized orders. They maintain the status quo by playing as a middle man between each of the disparate knightly groups, keeping the rivalries and opposing goals in check, and ensuring that everyone is focused on keeping the Kathak at bay. In this delicate balance they have found the key to longevity, succeeding where the other crusader states have faltered over time.

Groups

Bright Hundreds

The constant conflicts with the Orcs to the south has bred very deep and bitter rivalries between the human defenders and the Kathak that oppose them. This has entrenched certain views of supremacy in the minds of some crusaders, either about their own religion or race, and led to the radicalization of piety in the region. Chief among these extremists are the Bright Hundreds, an offshoot of Koraldur’s faith with considerable influence in the Duchy. Their members fill notable positions at Duchess Inga’s court, and push their agenda from that city across the region. Their growing role is resisted by the more powerful crusader orders along the Bolgra, competing with them to assert dominance in the area. This rivalry has chased the leadership from the Duchy, forcing them to remain in their stronghold of Dessen far to the north. As time goes on, and Duchess Inga becomes more and more involved in their plots, it seems inevitable that they will return to the region, however.

Landmarks

Jurbarkus

The lands in the western Midlands are rugged and wild. Forests are in abundance, yet little of the wood is suitable to build with. Certainly not fit for the great fortifications required to defend the region. Stone, too, is in poor supply, locked high in the World’s Spine mountains. Brick is instead the chosen medium for fortifications along the Bolgra, hauled in great quantities from clay pits near the riverbanks. These bright red walls have become iconic to the region, visually and architecturally unique among the Midlands. The citadel of Jurbarkus, while not the grandest of these castles, is the one closest to Kaska. It is the home of Grand Duchess Inga, and sits on the western edge of the city, along the banks of the river Pachanka. Consisting of a circular curtain wall, a trio of towers and a large central keep, the castle is formidable enough to ward off most Orc attempts. It is connected to a mixed brick and wood palisade that surrounds much of the city itself, allowing for a more coordinated defensive effort if need be.

Personalities

Inga, Grand Duchess of Dobruja

The Grand Duchy of Dobruja is a political remnant of the crusades, established to govern the land that was taken. As time passed, however, most forgot about the threat from the Orcs and focused their attention on more traditional political pastimes, intriguing and warring with one another. Chaos enveloped the land, and yet the Grand Duchy remained standing, a final callback to the halcyon days of unity and fraternity. Rather than fall, Dobruja had prospered, buoyed mostly by its proximity to the remaining knightly orders along the Bolgra. Settled by those zealous colonists who followed in the wake of the crusaders, the Duchy administers to the towns and villages beyond the veil of fortifications to their south. Dobruja has a leadership as equally fervent as its subjects, made up of an extremely devout and religious nobility. Inga is the current Grand Duchess leading them, and is perhaps the pinnacle of what they aspire to. Her forebears have worked to enact ever greater influence over those individual fortifications to their south, so that only the largest orders are free from her control. These she has seduced with her piety, encouraging them to act according to scripture, and supporting ever greater radicalization within their ranks. The Bright Hundreds have sway in her court, and she has made herself a patron of sorts to the offshoot of Koraldur’s followers. She is tall and fair, with long blonde hair that she keeps tied up and bound beneath bejewelled hairnets. Her manner is reserved and quiet, though her fierce eyes see and take in all that is said around her.

Anno Hohenlohe, Mouth of Koraldur

The Bright Hundreds are a force to be reckoned with in the Duchy. Through their constant preaching and radical actions they have managed to worm their way into every level of administration. Their most notable victory is in replacing key members of court, surrounding the Grand Duchess with true believers in their cause, and feeding her constantly with their own twisted perspectives. And yet, the true power of their conquest comes at the lower levels of society. Their preachers spread among the peasantry, working to normalize their bigotry and encourage a more radical and literal interpretation of Koraldur’s word. By emphasizing the grass roots of their dogma, they have created a much wider power base than the other orders, allowing them to infiltrate the holdings of other religions and convert them to their own. The most prominent of these preachers is perhaps Anno Hohenlohe, a fervent and zealous itinerant preacher of the order. She travels around the Duchy and along the Bolgra, inspiring soldiers and peasants alike into resisting the Orcs beyond the river. She is a welcome sight in Kaska, known for her fiery speeches in the city squares, attracting sizeable crowds. She is known for her human-centric views, and for rhetoric demonizing other races and religions, especially the Noreya. Anno has a nearly shaved head, and very hard features. She is tall and thin, wearing a tattered robe depicting the insignia of her order.