Volscina

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The Empire of Volscina L'Impero Volscino
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: "Per Sempre Vittorioso!" “Forever Victorious”
Anthem: “The Sun-kissed Empire” ("l'Impero Baciato dal Sole") Royal anthem: “Hymn of the Sevenfold Throne” ("Inno del Settuplice Trono")
Location of Volscina (green) in Novaris (grey)
Location	Far Western Novaris, mostly on the Asciec Peninsula
Capital	Cadrigrano
Largest city	Acaimo
Official and national language	Imperial Norvian
Regional and minority languages	Videnzan Norvian Cadrigrane Norvian Cavellanese Norvian Ietracian Norvian Ietranika Cryrian Talveri Volscine Nys’tat’en
Demonym(s)	Volscine
Imperial Electorates	Arlenboro Brevento Dagomarca Dighaira Erevia Ladevera Nerobordo Taravano
Government	Confederal Constitutional Elective Monarchy
• Imperatrice	Ilania Lucera I di Brevento
• Cancelliere	Ludovico Nosce
Legislature	Dieta Imperiale
Establishment
• Convocation of Seven	1267
• Conclusion of the War of Seven Emperors	1537
• Establishment of the Volscine Confederation	1918
• End of the Volscine Civil War and reestablishment of the Volscine Empire	2005
Area
• Total	2,059,878.512 km2 (795,323.540 sq mi)
• Water (%)	0%
Population
• 2023 estimate	~119.5M
• 2022 census	119,220,400
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	2,868,402,480,000 (11th)
• Per capita	24,000
Currency	Imperial Volscine Throne (Trona Imperiale Volscina) (icon pending) Imperial Volscine Note (Nota Imperiale Volscina) (IVT/IVN)
Date format	MM/DD/YYYY BCE/CE
Driving side	right (RHD vehicles)
Calling code	+5
ISO 3166 code	EV, EOV
Internet TLD	.ev

Volscina, officially the Empire of Volscina (Norvian: Impero di Volscina), sometimes abbreviated to the EoV, is a country located in west Novaris. It borders Cavellan to the east, Durakia to the south through Ietracia, and shares maritime borders with Durakia, Viratia, Varletia, the Varentine League, and Cryria. Covering an area of 2,059,878.512 square kilometers, it lies mostly on the Asciec Peninsula, sitting next to the Cerenerian Ocean to the west, the Asciec Sea to the north, and the Asciec Channel to the south.

The Empire of Volscina was first created in 1267, a year into the Volscine Revolt, as an allied coalition of rebel lords dissatisfied with Celanoran rule. Its success in fighting off the Celanoran Empire saw the Empire of Volscina emerge as one of the largest challenges to Celanoran hegemony in West Novaris, alongside the Kingdom of Tretrid and Celanor’s own internal disunity. The strength of the Empire of Volscina was proven with the Westward Crusaders of 1269 and 1352, the first seeing Volscine forces reach the Celanoran March of Cavellan’s capital before being repelled, and the second seeing Cavellan defeated and offered the chance to join the Volscine Empire instead.

The death of Emperor Corradin I of Brevento led to the War of Seven Emperors, caused by his appointment of new electorates, which split the vote on his successor and provoked a succession crisis. The War of Seven Emperors lasted until 1537, seeing the involvement of foreign powers such as Tretrid and Cryria, the secession of the Varentine League, and the freedom of the Venostan Confederation. Lucrezia Sordamor I of Cadrigrano was crowned empress at the war’s conclusion, and the reforms she passed are widely regarded as the beginning of Volscine centralization, and the main reason it persisted as the Empire of Volscina for so long.

The Volscine-Celanoran War of 1846 shattered the guise of strength Celanora had maintained, and revealed Volscina to the world as a centralized Novaran power. Under Empress Katharine of Cryria, Volscina would go on to fight in the Great War, from which it emerged bloodied but mostly victorious under the newly-established democratic government of the Volscine Confederation, left alongside Tretrid as one of the two main powers on Novaris. Their continued rivalry led to the Novaran Cold War, lasting until the outbreak of the Volscine Civil War in 2002. The end of the Civil War in 2005 saw the restoration of the Empire of Volscina, though the states of Cavellan and Seccera had declared their independence and seceded during the period of conflict. Despite the legitimization of both Cavellan and Seccera to the international community, Volscina continues to claim both states.

Today, Volscina is a confederal elective monarchy led by an emperor or empress elected by the thirteen electorates. The emperor sits at the head of the Imperial Diet alongside the archchancellor, who is elected by popular vote among citizens, and presides over the representatives each constituent nation of Volscina sends to the Diet. Volscina’s capital city is Cadrigrano, its largest population center is Acaimo, and other significant financial and population centers are Mazarona, Brevento, Ietraccos, and Videnza.

Volscina is a rising regional power with a robust but damaged economy, still in recovery from the damages wrought by the civil war. It is heavily developed and industrialized, and is a major exporter of metals, foodstuffs, and automobiles. Volscina is known for its beautiful landscapes, historic cities, and many castles, making it one of the premier tourist destinations in Novaris.

History

Ancient History

Ietracian Colonization

The largest state on the early Asciec Peninsula was the Lykosaean Empire, centered around the Ietracian city of Lykos (near modern-day Ladevici). Lykos and a number of the lesser cities it ruled were originally established as colonial holdings under the Ietracian city-state of Békaris. Though Lykos declared its independence in 255 BCE, most Ietracian colonies remained under the rule of the mainland Irnac city-states until the later conquests of the Celanoran Empire.

Reign of Cadrigar the Magnificent

Cadrigar Sartori Macellario, also known by the agnomina Lykosarius, Ascianori, and Sicarius, the epithets "the Magnificent", "the Spear-lord", "the Bastard", "Haruspex", and "Kingslayer", and later as Emperor Cadrigar I of the Lykosaean Empire, was a Norvian warlord born in the Ietracian city of Sartos. Infamous for carving out a realm that spanned modern day Volscina, Cavellan, and Viratia throughout the span of his lifetime, he rose to power by systematically assassinating every member of the original Lykosaean royal family before seizing the throne in the short but bloody Cadrigaric Invasion. He is the namesake of the modern Volscine capital of Cadrigrano, which was established as a majority-Norvian settlement during his reign. Cadrigar’s death spelled the end of Lykosaean rule over southern Volscina, causing it to splinter into a number of smaller factions all contesting the throne.

Celanoran Rule

Volscine Revolt

The feudal states that went on to forge the Empire of Volscina first came into being between the 7th and 9th centuries as titles under the Celanoran Empire, following its practice of granting conquered land to the knights, nobility, and loyal commanders who had secured it. Across the span of generations the local nobility became dissatisfied and disenfranchised with Celanoran rule, unpleased with Celanor’s perceived focus on its central and eastern territories, despite the Asciec Peninsula’s position as one of its richest and most fertile holdings. This separatist sentiment came to a head with the outbreak of the Volscine Revolt in 1267, when an alliance of local nobles declared open rebellion against the Celanoran Empire. The rebel realms comprised much of the Asciec Peninsula, and as they commanded the majority of local manpower the Celanorans were forced to move their standing legions westwards to combat the new threat, drawing them away from the contentious border with the Kingdom of Tretrid.

After a number of disastrous skirmishes with local Celanoran forces proved to the revolting lords that the disunity of their rebellion would soon spell its end, the Convocation of Seven was called in the city of Cadrigrano, widely regarded as the first meeting of what would soon become the Imperial Diet. The Convocation saw the first seven electors of the Empire of Volscina codified, and the first imperial election was held in early 1268, elevating Duke Dagomar II of Cadrigrano (later known as Emperor Dagomar Grifo I) as the first Emperor of Volscina.

Early Imperial

The Early Imperial period of Volscine history is characterized by internecine internal conflict and a series of power struggles contesting the title and authority of the emperor and the electorates. It is generally defined as the period between the Volscine Revolt in 1267 and the beginning of the War of Seven Emperors in 1512.

First Volscine Crusade

In 1268 the Kingdom of Cavellan was established as a march under the Celanoran Empire, comprising a number of border titles granted to the Vassal-King Luzio I of Nervino. The perceived weakness of the untested Cavellan led Emperor Dagomar to raise hosts from across the Empire of Volscina, declaring war against Cavellan and Celanor in 1269 as part of a gambit to seize the land and titles recently granted to King Luzio. In response, King Luzio secured an excommunication against Dagomar from the Luceric Ecclesiarchy, and declared a crusade against the traitor lords of Volscina.

High Imperial

Spanning the period between the outbreak of the War of Seven Emperors in 1512 and the signing of the Imperial Constitution in 1790, the High Imperial era covers the Empire of Volscina during its greatest periods of expansion and reform.

War of Seven Emperors

The War of Seven Emperors is the single largest internal conflict in Volscine history, initially sparked by a succession crisis following the death of Emperor Corradin I of Brevento (1426-1510). Though widely beloved in life, Emperor Corradin had increased the number of Imperial Electorates from 13 to 15, appointing the Duchy of Erevia and the Grand Principality of Ladevera, and breaking the tradition of maintaining a prime number of electors. When the electors convened to select Corradin’s successor the vote was split in a three-way tie between the candidates of Alcogna, Cadrigrano, and Brevento, something that would have been impossible under the previous system. Though established legal precedent for ties decreed that Corradin’s heir, Princess-Elector Orsa III of Brevento, should win by default, both the Cadrigrane and Alcognan factions disputed her claim. The conflict began in 1512 when the Princess-Elector attempted to have herself sworn in as Empress by the three other electors that supported her, claiming the technical majority she held.

Lucrezian Reforms

Portrait of Empress Lucrezia Sordamor I of Cadrigrano, depicted shortly after her coronation. Attributed to court painter Priamo Collazo, 1537. Currently on display in the Palazzo Solstizio, Videnza

Demographics

Language

Norvian, specifically Imperial Norvian (also called Volscine Norvian or Cadrigrane Norvian), is the predominantly spoken language in Volscina and has been the official language since its standardization in 1554. Other Norvian dialects, namely Videnzan, Cavellanese, and Ietracian (not to be confused with Ietranika) remain as regional majorities throughout the nation. Cryrian is a sizable minority language throughout Charlottesborg, as is Talveri, though to a significantly lesser extent. An endemic dialect of Nys’tat’en also exists on the islands of Quattiolzna.