Valisfold

Valisfold, officially the Kingdom of Váliszföldek is an eastern Brigidnian country in Siora. It lays on the eastern fringes of the sub-continent of Marzanna with Imperial Duran on its western border and Kubaniza to its south-west. The entirety of the country encompasses the Great Transkarjelinnian Plain, roughly cut in the centre by the Nagyszábás River and surrounded by the Ukrekian Alps. Váliszföldek's geographical location offers harsh winters, but the centre of the country, somewhat-shielded by the Alps, offers a temperate climate suitable for the country's expansive agricultural industry.

The origins of Valizfold are ancient. The so-called Old Kingdom of Váliszföldek originates from 1642 BCT as the [Transkarjelinnian people] crossed the Ukrekian Alps into the Great Plain, where they settled. Saint-King Mikály I is known to be the Kingdom's original founder and first King, which House Kálándory and all Váliszfolk kings claim descent from. While there is little common with the Old and current Kingdom, the modern Kingdom of Váliszföldek was founded by Saint-King Mátyás II, also known as "the Restorer", reunited the country in 9 BCT. Since then, the country slowly evolved into the modern nation it is today. The Golden Bull of 642 marked the heigth of the Váliszfolk nobility's power over the King, while the Golden Bull of 1337 formally turned the Kingdom into a Constitutional Monarchy, formalising the Royal Diet's position as the country's legislature and creating the country's constitution.

Today, Valisfold is a developed country with a high standard of living. While it is an industrialised nation, it still has a significant agricultral sector and has been known for centuries as "Marzanna's Bread Basket".

Etymology

Váliszföldek roughly translates to "Outer plains" or "Outlands", referring to the Transkarjelinnians' migration from Karjelinn. Meanwhile, the name of Váliszföldek's main ethnicity, Transkajelinnian (Transzkárjélainok) also reflects their origins as one of the Ukrekian peoples, meaning "Karjelinnians beyond" or the people "across Karjelinn".

History

Template:Main Article Prior to the settling of the Váliszfolk in the 17th century BCT, very little is known about the inhabitants prior to the migration and it was assumed that they were integrated and melded with the invaders, eventually creating the diversified dialects of the Transkarjelinnian language known today. It is assumed that the inhabitants of the region were a mix of proto-Ukrekian and proto-Vostic peoples that had settled the valley many years prior. Regardless, only scattered archaelogical evidence remains of the inhabitants of the region before the arrival of Saint-King Mikály.

Pre-history

V­­­alisfolk pre-history includes not only the country's history before the arrival of the Transkajelinnians, but also the latter's history prior to 1642. By the third millenium BCT, the Karjelinnians and Transkarjelinnians lived together in what is modern-day Karjelinn. They likely arrived in the region as far as the 8th millenium. It is theorised that the Ukrekian peoples were closely related as they settled Marzanna and that geographical and tribal differences led to the linguistic and cultural split between the Ukrekians by the 4th millenium. Because the ancestors to the Transkarjelinnians lived in the lowlands in the south of Karjelinn, a semi-nomadic pastoral livestyle eventually replaced the hunter-gatherer society that was common in the region at the time. Eventually, climate changes in the region motivated the Transkarjelinnians to find better pasture by 1800 BCT. This exodus of the Valisfolk is commonly called the Great Journey (Nagyütáz) and they reached the Great Transkarjelinnian Plain around two centuries later.

Ancient History (1642-489)

Saint Michael's Conquest by Mikály Munkácsy (1444)

According to tradition, Saint Mikály was crowned King of V­áliszföldek on the west bank of the Nagyszábás in 1642 BCT, where he founded what would become Szentmikályvár, the current capital of Váliszföldek. He divided the land between the Transkarjelinnian tribes, creating a tribal federation under his authority. The years between 1642-1536 BCT is traditionally referred to as the Tribal Era, where this system persisted as the Transkarjelinnians settled the Ukrekian basin. The Tribal Era is, more importantly, marked by the shift from Nomadic pastoralism to a mix of Pastoral farming and proper Agriculture in the lowlands.

As the V­áliszfolk abandonned their nomadic lifestyle, the tribal system was abandonned as well and paved way for a more centralised form of government. In 1536 BCT, Mákzimilián II divided the Kingdom among his most trusted tribal leaders and named them Prefects. The Prefectural system persisted until 1049 BCT with the collapse of the Old Kingdom, but the Kings of Váliszföldek would lose their dominant position in the region as early as 1351.

Traditional historiography refers to the period between 1351 and 996 BCT as the Era of Chaos. Monarchical power began to deteriorate at the begining of the era as quarreling between princes led to open warfare. As parts of the Kingdom laid in ruin, the Kings couldn't maintain their influence and the realm became more decentralised, giving more power and influence to the Prefects. This regional divide led to further instability in the Kingdom as the Prefects attempted to solidify their higher positions and different Princes declared themselves independent. At the end of the 12th Century BCT, the Kings of Váliszföldek were once again dominant in the region, but several states claimed to be Kings and disputed the Váliszfolk King's dominant position. Nevertheless, the arrival of the Black Fever in 1057 BCT led to the complete collapse of the Old Kingdom and the states by 996. While the plague retreated by 1049, the instability and chaos caused within the 8 years of disease left the region with no dominant military power able to reunite the realm.

With the disentegration of central power in Valisfold, the region was left with a myriad of independent states. Between 996 and 489 BCT, while the survivors of House Kálándory continued to act as Kings of Váliszföldek, the Kingdom only had Szentmikályvár, the surrounding area and some tracts of land around the Nagyszábás river under their direct control and influence and were unable to spread their power further for many years. The Era of Fragmentation, as it became called by historians, was dominated by the post-collapse conflicts and the early foundations of the Istenymád Church, as many Váliszfolk turned to spirituality and religion for guidance. By the 9th century BCT, the Kings of Váliszföldek regained limited influence over the divided realm as the many regional lords began to recognise the Kings' importance in the past, but they remained staunchly independent for many centuries. During the 7th century BCT, old military traditions had been revived and warriors from different states formed raiding parties and plundered neighbouring regions. This led to a short-lived military alliance of most of the region with the King of V­áliszföldek as its head, leading several expeditions outside the realm. The Transkarjelinnian horsemen became feared in Marzanna, but after a failed expedition where the King was slain, and widespread famine in 513-512 BCT caused by a drought, the alliance collapsed and Valisfold remained divided.

Medieval History (489 BCT - 856 CT)

The so-called Reconquest begins in 489 BCT at the beginning of the rule of King Sigmund IV "Ironsides". While the region remained as fragmented as ever at the turn of the century, Sigmund Ironsides was able to launch several military campaigns in the east of the Old Kingdom as his lands recovered from the famine and the subsequent conflicts. By 467 BCT, the south-east was returned to House Kálándory. However, by the death King Sigmund IV in 466, the Reconquest practically halted as his successors were unable to make significant gains for the Crown.

Administrative Divisions

Template:Main Article Váliszföldek is divided into 14 Crownlands. which includes an Archduchy, 5 Duchies, 3 Marches and 5 Royal Free Cities. As a Federal Monarchy, the Crownlands have a large amount of autonomy, each having their own ceremonial ruler and unicameral legislature with competencies either shared or independent from the Royal Diet.

Since 1337, the 14 Crownlands are as follow:

Coat of Arms	Crownland	Capital	Ruler	Minister-President
50px	Archduchy of Öszterák	Hábsvár	Archduke Ferdinánd III Hábsváry	Josef Rádezky, Graf de Rádez
50px	Duchy of Közévidek	Hédervár	King Agüstüz V	Jániká Házek
50px	Duchy of Wiszlá	Poniátovár	Duke Kásimérz VII Poniátováry	Lászlo Lecsinsky
50px	Duchy of Alatwiszlá	Rádwilá	Duke Lükás I Jogáliá	Stániszláw Pulászky, Graf de Pulászk
50px	Duchy of Észterság	Észtkárjélainvár	Duke Konstántin IX Észtkárjélainváry	Szofiá Laidoner
50px	Duchy of Kiszhégyá	Szentjohán	Duchess Szilviá I Lászy	Jögen Laudon
50px	March of Grenzáriá	Grenzsvár	Margrave Mátyás II Hádik	Filip Wukaszovics
50px	March of Felvidek	Ésenstád	Margrave Éduárd XI Skocs	Alekzántery Brüszy
50px	March of Levédiá	Wédelvár	Margrave Jögén IV Wáldstain	Wenzel Bürgündy
50px	Royal Free City of Szentmikályvár	Szentmikályvár	King Agüstüz V	Isák Kolowrát
50px	Royal Free City of Erzsébetstád	Erszébetstád	Lord-Lieutenant Roderik II Édelstain	Gábriel Árpádfi
50px	Royal Free City of Krowátstád	Krowátstád	Lord-Lieutenant Zwonimir XIV Krészimoriwics	Mátyás Rukavina
50px	Royal Free City of Kárelstád	Kárelstád	Lady-Lieutenant Máriká I Lajosfi	Konrád Páláky
50px	Royal Free City of Fejbányávár	Fejbányávár	Lord-Lieutenant Tomás XII Hárisz	Johán Roszy

Governance

The Chancellory Wing of the Royal Palace accommodates the Government in Szentmikályvár.

The Kingdom of Váliszföldek is a Federal Constitutional Monarchy and its government is officially referred to as the Crown (Korony). The Crown includes the Monarch, the Crown of Saint Michael and the Royal Diet. The government is divided into three branches, following the traditional idea of Separation of Power: Executive power is vested into the Royal Council, which includes the Monarch, Great Palatine-Chancellor, the First Minister and the Ministers, while Legislative power is shared between the upper and lower houses, the House of Magnates and the House of Subjects respectively. Finally, the Royal High Court represents Judiciary power, acting as the final authority in judiciary matters, including constitutional interpretations and common law. The Royal High Court is independent of the Diet, although the Ministry of Justice does oversee general procedures of the courts.

The Monarch of Váliszföldek (Rekzy Váliszföldek or simply Rekzy) is the Head of State of Valisfold and, unlike most Constitutional Monarchies, is not limited to a purely ceremonial role. The Monarch is a permanent member of the Royal Council and shares executive power with its members. Alongside their ceremonial duties, the Monarch may veto any pieces of legislation approved by the Royal Diet, but this veto, in turn, may be overturned by a joint decision of the Great Palatine-Chancellor and the First Minister. The Monarch is the formal Commander-in-chief of the Kingdom's military. In addition, the Monarch formally nominates the First Minister at the recommendation of the Royal Diet and appoints the Great Palatine-Chancellor.

The Great Palatine-Chancellor (Nagypálátinkanzellár) and the First Minister (Fejminiszter) share the position of Head of Government in Valisfold. The First Minister is elected and is, typically, the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Subjects, the lower chamber of the Kingdom's legislature. The Chancellor, meanwhile, is appointed from the House of Magnates at the latter's recommendation and is usually the leader of a faction or an independent nobleman. While the Monarch appoints the position, the First Minister, when elected, must formally approve the new Chancellor. Together, the Palatine-Chancellor and the First Minister form the new government, appointing the Ministers of their Cabinet.

The Government of Valisfold operates under the Constitution of Váliszföldek, which defines it and sets Valisfold's fundamental laws and principles.