House Kovachev

The Sons of Kovacs "By right of flame” The Sons of Kovacs is an order of hardened men from the Northern plains of Turov. Sworn to House Kovachev, they follow with unwavering loyalty, and serve as protectors of its holdings and peoples. Those within the order are known to fight and die on the battlefield before the thought of surrender crosses their mind, fighting with widely unknown fervor in the name of their cause. Although the Order has recently been raised and organized, there are numerous men within who are loyal veterans to House Kovachev. More often than not these men came from the original levy force of The Brotherhood of the Gryphon, and are noted for being well versed in the arts of war. Their experience through the whole of the Courlandic-Carnatian War is indubitably the source of their fame and widely known honour. [!] A Carnatia cavalry charge at the battle of Kraken’s watch led by Duke Jan Kovachev. [!] - The Infantry - Enlist “By right of flame, you will rise to be reborn as one of us.” ✯ Fresh from the local town or places from abroad, many of these men will have little to no experience with a sword or bow. They will begin with extensive training to mold them into the capable soldiers that they will become. Footman “You can no longer be slain. No longer are you one, but are instead many.” ✯ These men have sworn their lives to train and fight for the glory of the Sons of Kovacs. They reside in Turov; taking an oath to protect it and the Kovachev bloodline, they are lightly armed and armoured, the first step in proving yourself loyal to the cause. Streltsy “Your blade is no longer frozen by the North’s icy winds, for it is warmed by the heat of your brothers now.” ✯ Men who have proven, through dedication and work, that they are deserving to represent the order and their actions. Skilled with an array of weaponry, it is a known commonplace for Streltsy to challenge each other to fist fights and wrestling matches, seeking to prove their personal strength amongst their brothers. Hussar “Standfast and ride hard, for glory comes to those who do.” ✯ The Hussar is a heavily plated infantryman, and the first step towards glory and prestige within the Order. Their armor forged by the flames of Kovachev, known to have a similar toughness to dwarven armour. Serjant “Due to outstanding loyalty you’ve shown your worth over your fellow comrades.” ✯ The Serjants are those among the Hussar who have proven themselves further in battle and more often than not have served House Kovachev for a many faithful years. They can be called upon to organize small groups of the lower ranked soldiers, menial work or smaller scale fights such as riots or the occasional bandit group. It is also not uncommon for them to personally take part in the training of the Enlisted. Winged Hussar “We ride through the flames of hell and back, nothing will stop us from carrying out the will of the Order.” ✯ The Winged Hussars are the cavalry of the Sons of Kovacs. They are a force to be reckoned with; their wings are an uncommon and fear inspiring sight. They are very heavily armoured from head to toe, and ride equine beasts that have been bred for speed, war, and courage. Using long poles or heavy warpicks to inflict damage against other horsemen or infantry at a long range, and at short range they use single hand warpicks or shortbows, depending on personal choice. Kommandant “You have served long and well, your scars a memento of your sacrifice, your perseverance unwavering.” ✯ A rare breed of men, only a few are ever given the prestige of such a title. Those that have struggled and toiled throughout much of their life are honoured with this name. They demand respect in the ranks, they are the leaders of the Tazky, though the same as the Prizak of the Sipka, their commands are universal throughout. Gamesmen Gamesmen are specialized ranks are jobs given to men of the Order. During peace and war it is their duty to fulfill these roles just as they would fulfill their roles on the battlefield. They are as follows: COOK (Empty) Cooks ensure rations are made for each soldier in his brigade before going on scouting missions and REPORT MASTER (Empty) Deals with roster and general reports. Must be literate. QUARTERMASTER (Empty) Typically given to higher rankers, the Quartermaster ensures everyone is well fitted. They are in charge of seeing that the necessities and supplies required of the Order are filled. DISCIPLINARIAN (Filled) The Disciplinarian leads training exercises at least twice per Saint’s week to ensure the order is in shape. The disciplinarian, during training exercises, is given permission to discipline anyone in a non officer rank. DRILL INSTRUCTOR (Filled) The Drill Instructor is tasked with the training of the Unoathed within their respective company. The role is typically assigned to a Kovachev Man, and they are responsible for ensuring the qualified Unoathed pass their trials and formally take their oath. MEDIC (Empty) Those well versed in medicine and the healing arts that ensure the health of the brigade. Holdings The main hold of the brotherhood lies on snowy grounds in the Kingdom of Haense, specifically the County of Turov. It is where the Count and his family reside, along with the majority of the order men. Weapons: -Horseman’s Warpick The Long Warpick is the favoured long range and mounted weapon of the order. It is used as a means to penetrate thick plate armour or mail which the standard sword cannot. While very effective at long range, it becomes rather useless at short range combat. -One Handed Warpick The One Handed Warpick is another version of the warpick, adapted by Carnatian engineers to inflict heavy damage and penetrate armour in short range. Its weight is well balanced to be easily maneuverable, and once stuck through armour it can be torn out with more ease than other weapons. The opposite end of the pick has a hammer that can also be used in a sort of duel sided weapon when needed. -Carnatian Waraxe The Carnatian Waraxe is a heavy axe that is most commonly found in a two hand variant, though a one hand variant can also be seen in battle. The Axe is heavily weighted towards its blade to ensure a deeper cut and harder hit upon striking an enemy. The axe’s heaviness can often lead to it being hard to dig out once stuck in armor, but can inflict much damage before becoming stuck. -Carnatian Crossbow The Carnatian Crossbow has seen its usage in battle many times, as well as in the assassination of Courlandic Enemies during the Courland-Carnatia conflict. Though it is slow to reload, the weapon once loaded shoots a bolt with a force strong enough to penetrate almost any armour. The weapon is loaded by cranking the string back, then loading the bolt. -Carnatian Arming Sword The Carnatian Arming Sword is the primary weapon of the initiates of the Order, It is given to the freshly enlisted upon acceptance, Although many prefer to use the One Handed Warpick or Waraxe when they achieve a higher rank and gain access to more weapons. -Carnatian Longsword - Carnatian Compound Bow The Carnatian Compound Bow is the main bow of the second brigade. The weapon’s many years of use has allowed it to be developed to surpass common bows. An advantage of the bow is its relative ease in being kept drawn for periods of time, while also firing with the same force of a recurve bow. - Medals - -Medal of the Risen: This medal is awarded to the Sons of Kovacs brave new comrades who have finished their training. -Medal of the Tried: These medals are given to the brave men who have faired through the whole of a war alongside their liege, the current Lord of Kovachev. -Ivan’s Medal of Service: These are awarded to soldiers who have faithfully served House Kovachev for six years, battle hardened men who are recognized throughout Turov as men who are to be honored. -Tarrons’s Medal of Service: This medal is awarded only to wood elven members of the order. It represents bravery and courage in battle, as well as expert marksmanship. - Sergei’s Medal of Service: These are awarded to soldiers who have faithfully served House Kovachev for a total of twelve years, like Ivan’s Medal of Service it’s recipients are honored and respected. -Jan’s Medal of Courage: This medal is awarded to only soldiers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, often gained through heroic acts of honor and or bravery. Their recipient is known to possess undying loyalty and respect for the Lord of the House and his family. Application (In Character) [!] A man in a Kovachev Tabard looks down over you, inspecting you with a few circles before speaking. [!] “Name, comrade?”: “Hrmph, so be it. Vhere are ye from?”: Looking the man over, he’d then ask, “Any experience fightin’? Men or beast?”: “I see.. vhat be yer reason for joining?”: “Do ye have a profession?”: “Anything else ye vanna add?”: [OOC] MC Name: Skype: Do you TS? If not, are you willing to get it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlD84j7DcJU Subculture : Carnatians [ ! ] A painting of a small Carnatian village on the frontier by Andreas Krznezky. The town would be deep within the Carnatian forests, overlooking the River Dvor. Garrisoned by the Duke’s finest, the wooden town proved to be a stronghold against Dreadlandic incursions. History Carnatians are a blend of both Raevir and Hansetian culture, exemplifying the finest qualities of both. Carnatians truly began to set themselves apart as an independent subculture under the rule of Jan Kovachev during his reign as Duke of Carnatia. During his reign as Duke and his station as Lord Marshall, Carnatia established itself as a valuable militaristic vassal within the Holy Orenian Empire. During our humanity’s existence upon the Realm of Vailor, their numbers were rather few, but their presence on the battlefield was often the deciding factor in whether victory would be claimed on that day. Carnatians are a rare, yet fine breed of hardy men born out of the harsh, unforgiving cold of the Carnatian mountains. As a result, the Duchy offered to the Empire tough and durable foot troops to compliment their ranks, and men of great strategic mind to fill their officer positions. During this period, Carnatian men were renowned for their resilience, remaining undeterred from all forms of attrition and never tiring from a day’s march. Indeed were Carnatian men a valuable asset, and so universally, they came to be both respected and feared. This set the stage for Carnatia to emerge as a great power and shaped their society to this day. “Put these Staunton dogs to the sword, and show no mercy! For they would do the same to us, had they the chance.” - Ivan Zvonimir, before charging headlong into Courlandic lines. Language and Speech As before mentioned, Carnatians are a mix of Raevir and Hansetian. However, aspects of Botch Raevir are completely non-present within Carnatian speech. To Carnatians, Botch is seen as a barbaric and uncivilized method of speech. On the other hand, Carnatians are a very forward-thinking and advanced society. Thus, they keep Botch out of conversation. Their accent draws influence from Raev, Northern, and Imperial speech. While Carnatians do not utilize Botch and its grammatical atrocities, they are not afraid to sprinkle in Raev words occasionally into their speech. “Da” and “Niet” in replacement of “Yes” and “No” respectively, would be a common example of this. As for how words roll off the Carnatian tongue, “Ws” and “Fs” sound more like “Vs”. “I must say, I’ve never quite seen anything like it, these Carnatian people... Their culture, their architecture, the landscape… all so colorful.”- Adalhard Rosiere, Imperial Scholar. Appearance The Carnatian build is tall and robust. Most Carnatian men tend to be capable of growing muscle more easy than the typical malnourished Raev. The typical hair color of a Carnatian ranges from a pure blonde to a dirty blonde colour. These fair haired men typically have blue or green eyes, with pointed chins, and thick eyebrows. Rarely, a Carnatian household will have a trait for black hair, and will thus have jet black hair and dark gray eye color. Beards are an important part of the Carnatian culture. They are kept thick and neat, never growing beyond the length of one's neck. The Arts Carnatians tend to praise those who are well versed in the arts. Be it painting, music, literary, etc.. During the period upon Axios, several famous works originated from the Duchy. Paintings of the era tended to capture the beauty of the Carnatian wilderness. It seemed at every corner there was something that required an artistic rendition. As for musical arts, typical traditional Carnatian instruments include the balailaka and the treschyotka and focuses on folk music opposed to the more contemporary style of today. Landscape and Scenery The natural beauty of the lands falling within the Duchy of Carnatia were truly a sight to behold. For miles on end did dense forests of evergreen stretch as far as the eye could see. The forest was tranquil as well as it was tame. The canopies of the forest, shot upwards as if reaching out to touching the skies. It was surreal, with wildlife roaming free and unique species of flora dotting the lands. A brief stroll through the Carnatian forest was said to be all it took to soothe one’s mind from whatever troubles may have been accompanying them. For the most part, the forest was devoid of monsters and beasts, save the occasional bear or pack of wolves. As you head up in elevation, the treeline would eventually give way to the imposing snow-capped Carnatian mountains. Traversing these mountains would be nearly impossible due to the steep incline of the mountains and jagged rocks protruding their side. Deciding to use this to his advantage, Duke Jan constructed the stronghold of Gryphon’s Nest, high up in the Carnatian mountains and overlooking the surrounding valley. Construction was a massive undertaking, and numerous blasting charges were required as the keep was carved into the mountain. It proved worthwhile, seemingly impregnable and warding off Dreadlandic ambitions on several occasions. The positioning of Gryphon’s Nest could not be any more perfect, for the stronghold of House Kovachev sat upon a large deposit of raw materials. Deep within the recesses of the Carnatian mountains were plentiful amounts of ore and riches. From this, House Kovachev and Carnatia grew rich, and resulted in a speeded up process of industrialization. With the iron collected, much was used for war efforts that Carnatia often found itself in. “I thought I had seen it all. That was, until I stepped foot into the borders of Carnatia.” - An unknown wanderer, passing through the Duchy of Carnatia. Carnatian Military Tradition The Carnatian peoples have always been a militaristic society, be there no doubt. There is not one aspect of Carnatian society not dominated by militarism. In fact, it is required of all men to be in possession of a weapon. From the young age of six, children are expected to learn how to properly wield a sword. The harsh and rugged mountainous of Carnatia are as unforgiving as the instructors. Yet, these efforts are not fruitless. The boys undergo rigorous training, alongside whatever formal education they may be receiving. This proves to discipline the younglings and also to teach them to fend for themselves. For some day, they’ll be out on in the world, perhaps starting a family of their own. By one’s eighteenth nameday, they are expected to be proficient with the blade and the bow. From there, whether they choose to pursue a career in the military or not, is entirely up to them. Those who are not firstborn and have no inheritance, are more so expected to take up the sword. When there are multiple sons, at least one ought to seek employment in an Order or in the banner force of their local lord. Thus, through the generations, there is a long line of standing military background. [ ! ] Duke Jan Kovachev and Coalition forces marching towards the Staunton stronghold of Riga. “The two pillars of which Carnatian society are built upon are the sword and the axe...” - Ivar Svedvilas, during the Courland-Carnatian War, speaking before Duke Jan at court. Battles The Eighteen Years War & The First Rurikid Rebellion House Kovachev, and particularly Jan Kovachev saw their rise in power throughout the 18 years war. Jan Kovachev lead and assisted in the commanding of multiple battles throughout the war, whilst also saving John I Horen from multiple assassination attempts. Though the war would eventually be ended by waning support and John I Horens assassination. Jan would continue to serve the Empire loyally, and prevent multiple assassinations of John II Horen. The Rurikid Rebellions Doggers Bay The Rurics and their Nortruppen had built one of the largest vessels known to mankind for the sole purpose of laying siege to the Imperial City of Felsen from the sea. Feeling foolishly confident, they decided to meet the Orenian Fleet in a pitch battle on the open waters. The Rurics and their Dreadlandic allies set forth with their behemoth as well as with a Dwarven steamship they had commandeered. They were quickly intercepted by three Orenian ships of the line and a standoff ensued. What was once a naval battle quickly became a land battle when the decaying carcass of what seemed to be a whale surfaced in between the two fleets. Carnatian marines quickly made the effort to cross the gap and seized the high ground. The Rurikid and Dreadlandic forces surged forwards but were ultimately repulsed forcing them to return to their behemoth. Though, they could not rely upon the behemoth for safety. The Devourer, a creature of myth and tale, emerged, most likely drawn by the scent of flesh and blood, tore apart the Rurikid fleet, shattering all hopes of a Rurikid victory at sea. The massive creature used its tentacles to tear the ship in two, devouring half the warship before disappearing into the ocean once more. Sack of Seahelm After being driven back inlands following the decisive Orenian victory at sea, the remnants of the Rurikid forces walled themselves in within the coastal stronghold of Seahelm, upon the Island of Avar. For weeks on end, Imperial forces laid siege to the walls of Seahelm. For the beginning stage of the siege, there seemed to be no effect upon the city. Fortunately, the trebuchet teams struck a critical weakness upon the walls, unknownst to Imperial forces and a large breach was formed. The order to charge was given, and men poured through the gap whilst men propped ladders against the stonework of the walls. Those who found themselves ‘over the top’ were surprised to meet little resistance. It had seemed the Rurikid forces had been starved out or perhaps they decided to hold elsewhere. Nevertheless, Imperial forces quickly swept through the winding streets of Seahelm, neutralizing whatever stragglers they did find. Carnatian marines engaged heavily in the street to street combat, breaching and clearing several homes in which defenders remained. Eventually, all resistance was stamped out, and Imperial banners flew proudly above the city, amongst them, the Kovachev Gryphon. The Courlandic-Krajian Conflict What began as an inter-vassal conflict quickly sparked into a world war when the self-proclaimed ‘King of the North’ Aleksander Staunton, called upon Dreadlandic allies to come to his aid. The conflict escalated quickly and nations began flocking to sides. Deep into the war, the Empire was taken aback when Krajia, a former member of the Coalition, suddenly declared for the Axis, opening up yet another front. Now, the Empire found itself surrounded by enemies on all sides, within and outside the reach of their borders. House Kovachev, as always, remained steadfast and loyal to the House of Horen. At every corner, Carnatian blood was spilled, though in the end, it was not in vain, for integrity of the Empire was kept in tact. Siege of Kraken’s Watch It was no secret that the Houses of Vanir and Staunton has butted heads for multiple years upon the Realm of Axios. Though, tensions came to a boiling point when the Stauntons illegally usurped the Vanirs of their ancestral seat of Kraken’s Watch and killed two members of House Vanir in cold blood. Outraged by these crimes, House Vanir called for the aid of true Northern houses. What became of this was the Northern Coalition, an alliance of Vanir, Kovachev, Barbanov, and for some time, Krajia. An initial skirmish took place in the Carnatian forest, in which Courlandic forces were utterly crushed and scattered. Coalition forces quickly seized the advantage and marched on Courland, while forces loyal to Aleksander Staunton recuperated their losses within the stronghold of Kraken’s Watch. Caught off-guard by the speed in which Coalition forces arrived, Staunton-allied forces were forced to stand their ground inside Kraken’s Watch. Meanwhile, Coalitions forces wasted no time in setting up a perimeter around the Keep and erecting siege equipment. For a day the Coalition forces bombard the formidable walls of Kraken’s Watch. Shot after shot battered the east wall until it finally gave way, crumbling before Coalition firepower. The horns were sounded and the charge order was given. Loyal men to Kovachev, Barbanov, and Vanir made the dash forward, braving arrow fire. All the while, Courlandic forces rushed forwards to keep Coalition forces at bay, plugging the gap. The battle proved to be a meat grinder, by far the bloodiest battle of the War. The Courlandic men soon gave way, their lines faltering, allowing Coalition forces to make the necessary push. The keep was stormed and reclaimed then reclaimed for House Vanir. [ ! ] The document is stamped with the heraldry of House Kovachev.