House Kovachev

[Andustar 4143]

Spoiler

 

 

 

HOUSE OF KOVACHEV

‘By Right of Flame’

 

---

House Standing

~-~

The House Kovachev is a masterly Raevir House, claiming their descent as a cadet branch of the Great House of Carrion. Originally founded by Kovac Karovic, Lord of Kovachgrad, literally ‘Kovac’s Hold’ in the tongue of ancient Raev. Once ruling as King’s in their own right; now standing as Ducal lords of Carnatia and loyal vassals to the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska; faithful bannermen to their Karovic cousins in the Royal House of Barbanov, rightful Heirs to the Black Barbov.

 

Standing Patriarch- Rickard I of Carnatia (Ended_)

Standing Heir- (Vacant)

 

---

Ancient History

~-~

During the time of old Raev, the Carrion Vochna had firmly cemented its rule over the surrounding provinces and all of the area inhabited by the Raevir people from their newfound capital of Khazav. However over the generations there had been a single, unrelenting thorn in the side of House Carrion - that was to say House Nzech, who Barbov the Black had originally rebelled against and deposed, claiming Raev for himself, his sons and grandsons until the end of time. The present line of House Nzech was in fact descended from a lesser first cousin of the monarch who Barbov had deposed, who had bent the knee to the rebel forces in return for his head and his family’s castle, Ralich, and all its attendant lands.

 

Barbov did reluctantly spare his line, however as a consequence of this, after generations had passed and Barbov had become a cold corpse in the ground, House Nzech began to speak once more about their ‘ancient rights’ to Raev and their supposed superior claim to the realm. This talk eventually took root in the courts of a number of feudal lords and slowly gained leverage in the realm until it culminated in a rebellion from House Nzech, whose lord proclaimed himself the Stone King from the mountainous border territories surrounding Ralich.

 

This was not the first instance of House Nzech’s defiance, and would, as any learned Raevir historian knows, sadly not be the last. King Timov I, himself the great-grandsire of the ‘Old Crow’ Emperor Siegmund, sent his young and brazen nephew Kovac to raise a cohort from across the realm and put down the Stone King’s rebellion. The young lord did just that and marched through the mountain passes to the stronghold of Ralich, laying siege to the fortress. Ralich was reputed as being unconquerable and highly defensible, and the Stone King’s forces merely hid behind their walls avoiding all combat, endeavouring to sap their assailants reinforcements. Unfortunately Kovac had a similar idea, and while his own forces could be consistently replenished and supplied by King Timov’s host, the Stone King had no such luxury and was to be starved out of his castle.

 

The lengthy siege lasted for ten and a half months after which the Stone King, trapped in his castle, decided he would sally forth and see what damage he could do to his besiegers. His cohort was utterly destroyed by Kovac’s forces and he himself was slain by Kovac in single combat, who was said to have cut him in twain with a single arc of his bardiche. His sole child and heir, Lyudmila, crowned herself from within the halls of Ralich the Stone Queen. The Stone Queen’s servants, incited by her castellan, were less than loyal to her and understood from past example what became of those who continued to oppose the dynasty of the Crow. They yielded the fortress and delivered her to Kovac trussed and hooded.

 

As a reward for his exceptional service in the Siege of Ralich, King Timov granted his nephew Ralich and its surrounding territories which became known as Kovachgrad or Kovac’s Hold. Taking up a role as warden of the mountain passes, Kovac firmly entrenched himself within the Stone King’s old fortress, marrying Lyudmila the Stone Queen and subsequently creating House Kovachev, a cadet branch of House Carrion, taking for his sigil a feral red griffin on a black field, one of the many hardy beasts that resided in the mountains surrounding Ralich. House Nzech may have been dispossessed and pronounced extinct, but while the Stone King’s line was absorbed into House Kovachev when its patriarch wed the Stone Queen, many more and lesser lines of the house existed. Like a weed, House Nzech is known for being very difficult to eradicate, as while treasonous their roots ran deep. Descendants of the Nzechonovic dynasty are rumoured to still exist to this day.

 

From their position in the ore-rich mountains, House Kovachev had become a house of industrious repute with famed metalwork and jewellery, their smiths and furnaces producing fine artisan works. Despite this, however, the house remained poor due to the almost complete lack of arable land in the mountains, preventing Kovachgrad from growing its own food with the exception of a few sparse berries in the boreal forests. As a result of this, fire had become a more integral part than usual in the life of the communities ruled over by Kovachev, allowing their livelihood of metals and weaponry to be produced and providing them with warmth and the hearthfire that sustained them.

 

---

House Holding

~-~

The Duchy of Carnatia stands as one of the largest vassal states within the Kingdom of Haense. The majority of its lands lie to the west where Castle Kovachgrad stands within one of the numerous valleys, sheltered by the vast pine and the ore-rich mountains of the Greyspine, beyond which rests lake Burkhardt. This access to lumber, mines and fertile land also makes Carnatia one of the most productive regions within the Kingdom.

 

House Titles

~-~

King of Akovia (Formerly)

Duke of Carnatia

Lord of Kovachgrad

Count of Karovia (Formerly)

Count of Turov

Count of Kvaz

Count of Ayr (Formerly)

Baron of Valwyk

 

---

House Relics

~-~

Spoiler

 

The Bardiche of Kovac Karovic- A large Ruskan styled war-axe, almost reaching the size of a halberd and demanding a great deal of strength to carry into battle. The weapon was once wielded by Kovac himself, said to have been used to cut the Stone King in twain with a single arc. Often times the patriarch of House Kovachev is seen carrying this weapon into battle, hence the blade has often been in need of repair and has been reforged many times so that it may remain in a usable condition.

 

Spoiler

 

The Crown of Ralich- Fashioned within Ralich by the House of Nzech as a symbol of their false Royalty, the Crown was seized by Kovac Karovic following the capture of Ralich and extinction of House Nzech. Since then the rusted iron crown has been kept as a trophy by the House of Kovachev for many ages, a reminder of their past and a testimony of strength to all other Houses, friend or foe.

 

---

Culture and Physicality

~-~

Ethnically, the House of Kovachev are of the Raevir culture and hence claim their ethnicity as Highlanders. Though over time they have adopted many Heartland and Northern traditions, an example of this is their diluted use of Raevir botch. 

Typically the descendants of the Kovac-Karovic line are robust and broad men, with most claiming light hair that ranges from flaxen to dirty blonde. Most are thick-bearded and the members of the noble line almost always possess the deep-green eyes of their Karovic forefathers or alternatively a shade of steel-blue eyes.

 

---

[Jentos 9422]

"Ave Kovachev." Stated a joyful Blackwood

[Pureimp10 5691]

"Fellow crows and good men, may the House of Kovachev serve well for generations to come," says Otto as he inspects the newly renovated castle of Kovachgrad.

[Chorale__ 2147]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.

 

If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.