[center][h2]Gosudař Gospodin Velikij Novigrad 
His Majesty Lord Novigrad The Great
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[center][img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Khudiakov-Veche.jpg[/img][/center]

[h3]Leaders[/h3]
[b]Ostap Mykhalovich Rjurikovich, Prince of Novigrad[/b]

Prince Ostap Rjurikovich of Rjurikgorod is the de-jure leader of Novigrad. Despite his supposed authority, he is heavily curtailed by the R’ad negotiated with the Veche thirty years ago, with the backing of an especially hard-nosed and popular bishop. Now that he advances in age, he is spending less and less time within the confines of Novigrad itself, leaving governing to his steward while he fends off usurpers at home in Rjurikgorod. As the last of the Rjurikovich line, he has failed to produce any heirs and will likely be the last prince to bear the Rjurikovich name. Given that Rjurikgorod is one of the main suppliers of grain to Veliky Novigrad, the coming chaos may spell lean times for the city and unpopular decisions will have to be made.


[b]Steppenoy Posadnik Anatoliy Yaroslavich[/b]

The Steppenoy Posadnik is an old and experienced statesman. He hails from the powerful Yaroslavich boyar clan, the second most powerful in Novigrad, and draws his ancestry back to the mythical warrior Yaroslav the Great. Anatoliy has spent the past ten years of his seventeen year tenure alternating in the office of Steppenoy Posadnik with Simeon Ostromich. Whereas Simeon is often seen as more hardline and imperious, Anatoliy is considerably more content with the status quo and is sometimes seen as a puppet for whoever is currently the strongest personality on the Sovet Gospod. Tilting with the wind, he is seen more as a tool to manipulate than a force in his own right. May god have mercy on Novigrad should it ever face a crisis during his tenure.


[b]Vladimir Voronin "The Crow", Bishop of Novigrad and Vostochgorod[/b]

Bishop Vladimir "The Crow" is an experienced diplomat, having spent over twenty years in his position as Bishop and having overseen the massive expansion into the land Beyond the Portages in search of further fur-trade. His diplomatic experience mostly focused on negotiating land deals and protectorate status with two of the nearby tribes, offering them military protection and trading privileges at Novigrad ports in return for regular tribute and access for Novigrad’s fur trappers. As such he has made many friends in the fur trapping industry, and is the main ally of the Mekhovyye Kolpachki and other commerce-minded individuals. However, he has neglected to resolve a number of border disputes with several of the neighboring principalities, drawing the ire of many of the greater boyars who see his inaction as a stain on the honor of Lord Novigrad. Many of those same boyars also see his dealings with the pagan tribes as improper for a faithful servant of God, and would prefer a more conservative candidate as his successor.
 
 
[h3]Other Characters[/h3]
[b]Lavrenti Stanislavich Lagounov[/b]

A prominent tradesman and a rising star in Novigrad politics, he's the founder of an increasingly wealthy fur trading company and the loudest proponent of the rights of the self-styled Mekhovyye Kolpachki or 'Fur Caps', those with the wealth to buy their way into the ranks of the nobility, so named because many of them made their fortune in the fur trade. Rumors are circulating that he plans to stand for election for the office of Tysyatsky, the traditional first step in the political careers of those boyars seeking greater political office, with some going so far as to say that he aims for a seat on the Sovet Gospod itself. His status as an upstart has drawn the ire of Ostromich, who sees him and the other Mekhovyye Kolpachki as mere Chernye Liundi (peasants, lit. ‘black folks’), giving them the derisive nickname of Chernye Kolpachki.
 

[b]Posadnik Simeon Ostromich[/b]

Head of the most prominent of the noble families, he is the senior-most member of the Sovet Gospod. At the age of seventy three he is older than even Anatoliy, and is currently reaching the thirtieth year of his tenure on the Sovet Gospod, having spent most of that as the Steppenoy Posadnik. He is prideful of his noble heritage and attributes his longevity to his strong Terkhazi heritage. He is not shy about advertising his descent from the great dwarven warrior Ostromir the Clever, the former Prince of Vladimir-on-Inzho. He is considerably more hard-line than Anatoliy, and chafes under the restrictions of the Law of Aleksandrovich which granted increased autonomy and rights to the Twelve Towns and banned the practice of slavery within Novigrad’s borders.
 

[b]Presbyter Kostya Bogomolov[/b]

The bastard son of a Verkhovynsky nobleman, Kostya Bogomolov has risen up the ranks of the clergy and, after his election to the position of presbyter, he is second only to the bishop himself in his influence over the church in Novigrad. He is the de-facto leader of the Verkhovnysky (highlanders), an influential faction of nobles from Rjurikgrad in the southern highlands that followed their prince into Novigrad. They agitate for stronger ties to Rjurikgrad and a more conservative church line, revoking some of the privileges granted to their tributary tribes and expanding the powers of the prince. As a result of their conservative outlook they are staunch allies of the price have frequently advocated on his behalf in the Veche, though the local boyars view them with intense suspicion.

[h3]Culture[/h3] 
The Terkhazsky culture is a mixture of old Slovjansky traditions with a number of dwarven influences. A number of old Dwarven innovations in smithing, crafting, and art have bellied their reputation as skilled artisans.

Novigrad itself is by far the most prolific source of art in the region, owing to its relative wealth and strong artisan class. This art was not limited to the boyars, as rich merchants and members of the artisan class also supported these artists. So great is their production of religious icons that even some common people can afford one for their home, and many are sent abroad for export.

[h3]Religion[/h3]
The old Pre-Dvergaz Slovjansky religion holds some similarities to the various nature cults in the northern foothills of Azula Coatl. Although there are still orthodox practitioners, especially in the more remote areas of Terkhazia or in Dalekyslavija beyond the portages, they are vastly outnumbered by both the Church of Light as well as those who practice a syncretic mixture of the old ways and new. 

Terkhazia is dominated by the Church of Light (Tserkov’ Sveta), a gnostic faith combining elements of the Dunfender and Kazari faiths with several native Slovjansky and Terkhazsky deities and folk heroes rendered as ‘angels’ and ‘saints’ of the great Demiurge. The church itself is divided into five tiers; the Patriarch, the 12 apostles, the 72 bishops, the 360 Presbyteres, the Elect, and the Auditores. 
 
[h3]Attitude to Magic[/h3]
The Church of Light sees the study of magic as a holy pursuit, considering its study central to the accumulation of divine knowledge. A small number of old dwarven rituals are still maintained among the more esoterically inclined boyar clans, such as runecrafting and other methods of enchanting, but many of the tomes of Dvergaz knowledge were destroyed during the fall of the Terkhazsky kingdom.

Among the merchant class magic is treated as any other commodity to be bought and sold. It is not uncommon to see items of every persuasion from the elemental to the necromantic sold in the markets of Novigrad, and the local guards are more than willing to turn a blind eye to the occasional ‘unlisted’ cargo exchange for coin.

[h3]Brief history[/h3]
The people of Novigrad descend from the bands of old Slovjansky tribesmen that migrated into the land now known as Terkhazia several thousand years ago, displacing and assimilating the original inhabitants (collectively referred to as the Nemec). They lived in a tribal society, with most decision making taking place in tribal assemblies that later evolved into the modern Veche. 

[hider= The Arrival of the Dwarves and the Origin of the Terkhazsky]
The arrival of the Dvergaz 800 years ago spelled another chapter in the history of the Slovjansky. The Dvergaz made their living both trading with and sacking the villages and cities lining the river Inzho (the name of the river coming from the old Thweryaz word "insjo", or 'lake') as they quickly established an expansive domain over the whole of the Inzho valley and constructed a number of new fortresses ('grad' in Praslovjansky) to consolidate their holdings, including Novigrad. Within decades the Dvergaz had estabished themselves as a ruling class over the local Slovjansky, with the dwarf Hrodic the Great crowning himself king of the Dvergaz from his capital of Rjurikgrad. These dwarves came to be known as the Terkhazsky to the locals, and this name was soon applied to the Slovjansky they ruled over as they assimilated into the local populace over the course of centuries. 
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[hider=The Terkhazsky Principalities and the Early History of Novigrad]
These original dwarven princes later developed into the noble dynasties of the Terkhazsky principalities. Following Hrodic's passing his kingdom was weakened substantially, threatened from within by intrigue and subterfuge, and without by constant raids from the goblins fleeing the mountains. The sacking of Rjurikgrad by an army of goblins four hundred years ago finally shattered the fragile kingdom, which dissolved into a number of bickering principalities. Although the goblins lost all of their gains within a mere two centuries, the damage was done, and the Terkhaztsky would remain divided into the modern day.

Novigrad was the richest of these principalities, and thanks to the political and military cunning of the legendary Vitali Inzhosky, they were able to avoid foreign domination. Over the centuries no single dynasty was able to maintain control of the throne of Novigrad, with various principalities vying for ownership of its lucrative trade routes. This allowed the local Posadnik to wrest increasing amounts of control from the Prince, eventually reducing them to a mere figurehead. The Tysyatsky became an elected office, as did the position of Bishop, and local merchants soon earned the right to enter the ranks of Boyars by virtue of their wealth.
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[hider=The White Death and the Triumph of the Veche]
Two centuries ago, the scourge of the White Death ravaged the Terkhazsky lands, killing commoner and noble alike. The plague began in Novigrad itself, arriving from overseas on one of the many merchant ships that made their way upriver. The plague spread through the lands like wildfire, killing a whole half of the populace and littering the streets with the ghostly-white husks of its victims.

This massive depopulation was followed by a wave of peasant rebelions that rocked Terkhazia. A number of serfs had been left entirely lordless as whole boyar families were wiped out. Many boyars responded to the massive decline in workers through increasingly ruinous taxes and entrapping those free peasants they could find. A mere twenty years after the plague's passing a great peasant rebellion arose in Volodymyr and was quickly imitated in the other principalities, including Novigrad. These rebellious peasants formed their own veches, which demanded increased rights for peasants or in some cases the outright abolition of serfdom. A handful of princes were forced to cede power to the angry mobs, granting new town charters to many of these villages and putting an end to the practice of forced impressment of free peasants. Although most of the rebellions were put down, reforms were enacted throughout Terkhazia to head off another peasant rebellion and pacify the serfs.

In Novigrad the rebellion was eventually put down through diplomatic means by Bishop Igor Aleksandrovich, who freed the few remaining house slaves from bondage, awarded over a dozen town charters to outlying villages, and formally recognized the rights of Freeholders to participate in the Novigrad Veche, allowing those newly freed towns to send delegates to represent their interests in the Novigrad Veche with the same rights as the local tysyatsky.
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[h3]Military[/h3]
The Prince of Novigrad is entrusted with command of the armed forces, mostly composed of a diverse (and chaotic) mixture of town militias, peasant levies, boyars, and mercenaries, with their navy composed of river-borne pirates and impressed merchant ships. Although a skilled prince is able to cajole these groups into working together, if the prince fails to constrain their troops the army will quickly dissolve into an uncoordinated mess.
 
[hider=The Tysyacha]
The town militias are organized into a number of tysyacha (lit. "thousand"), a volunteer army of a thousand men, each commanded by the local tysyatsky (literaly "thousandmen") elected by the town veche for one-year term from among the boyars. In addition to their judicial and commercial responsibilities the tysyatsky lead the militia in times of war. Each townsman is responsible for procuring armament for themselves, with the tysyatsky assisting in paying for rations, training, and other equipment for the men under their command from their own pocket. In addition to the tysyacha of the outlying towns, each of the five kontsy (ends) of Novigrad raises its own separate tysyacha under the command of their local tysyatsky. Serving in the tysyacha is a great honor and many young men eagerly volunteer to go off to war for the glory of Lord Novigrad the Great. It is especially popular among the free rural population, which sees it as a way to advance in the urban-dominated politics of the city. Tysyacha are armed with a heterogeneous mixture of pike, spear, and bowmen, with a small corps of cavalry recruited from the free rural population, typically riding on horses supplied by the church.
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[hider=Peasant Levies]
The greater boyar families of Novigrad are able to call up peasant levies of substantial size, which have since come to rival the tysyacha in size as the great families consolidate their control over the countryside. These levies are typically less well-equipped and motivated than the volunteer Tysyacha and are only called up in times of dire need. Armed with a variety of improvised weapons, they are the last line of defense for Lord Novigrad.
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[hider=Boyars]
The boyars themselves are a different story. Forming the core of Lord Novigrad's cavalry force, they are well-trained and well-equiped, adorned in brightly painted mail bearing their family colors. Although the lesser boyars are forced to fight on foot or on horses supplied by the church, the greater boyars are able to supply their own purpose-bred warhorses, and are truly a force to be reckoned with.
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[hider=Mercenaries]
The merchants of Novigrad form another pillars of the city's defense. While they lack the peasant levies and stables of the landed boyars, they instead rely on foreign mercenaries to do their fighting. Novigrad's mercenary armies vary considerably, ranging from tribal horsemen from beyond the portages, to the pikemen of the Southern Lands.
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[hider=Ushkuiniks]
Ushkuiniks are the core of Novigrad's navy and a key tool of power projection into the interior of the Inzho river basin. the Ushkuiniks are so-named because of their flat-bottomed river boats (the Ushkui) capable of taking them over portages and between watersheds. Frequently enjoying the patronage of Novigrad's great boyar families, they are used to project Lord Novigrad's dominance into the interior, moving in squadrons hundreds or thousands strong as they raid villages along the river or extract tribute from the neighboring principalities. This has lead them into conflict with neighboring powers multiple times, such as following the seizure of a major dwarven trading post ten years ago.
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[h3]Government[/h3]
The government of Novigrad is, first and foremost, the government of the Veche. Although the prince has traditionally been the country's chief executive, their power has waned over the past two centuries, with most of their responsibilities outside of the military sphere being taken up by the Steppenoy Posadnik and the Bishop of Novigrad.
 
[hider=The Veche]
The Veche is at the center of Novigrad political life. Descended from the old pagan tribal assemblies, the Veche is a common town assembly open to all freemen in the city limits as well as any free peasants that attend. The Veche votes on a number of crucial civil and legal matters, as well as directly electing most city officials from among the boyars. Although anyone can, in theory, call the Veche by simply ringing the cathedral bell, it is the responsibility of the Tysyatsky to organize meetings and chair them in the absence of one of the Posadniki. It is the Veche which nominates and approves the candidate for Prince, as well as expelling the Prince should his service prove unsatisfactory to the people of Novigrad. Despite its crucial role in the city's governance, it is not unheard of for a Veche to descend into violence, with multiple accounts of boyars, merchants, or foreigners being lynched in the square should they draw the crowd's ire.
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[hider=The Tysyatsky]
The day-to-day administration of Novigrad is handled by the ranks of the Tysyatsky, or "thousandmen". Originally militia commanders, it has since transformed into a political and commercial office, tasked with handling disputes between townspeople and collecting taxes and customs for the city. They are elected for year-long terms by the Veche from the ranks of the boyars and are seen as the advocates of the common people. It is not unheard of for a tysyatsky to be elected to office several years in a row.
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[hider=The Posadniki and the Sovet Gospod]
The Veche itself is chaired by the Posadniki. Novigrad currently has four Posadniki, each elected by the Veche from among the boyars for a life-long term. Together with the bishop the Posadniki form the Sovet Gospod, or Noble Council. Together, they run the civil affairs of the city, assigning tasks to the Tysyatsky, resolving legal disputes between the boyars, and regulating trade within city limits. Each year they elect a Steppenoy Posadnik to head the council. The Steppenoy Posadnik is tasked with keeping an eye on the prince, co-chairing any trials they sit on, and ensuring that they stay true to the r'ad they signed when they ascended to the office of Prince.
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[hider=Bishop of Novigrad and Vostochgorod]
The Bishop of Novigrad and Vostochgorod is often characterized as the chief executive of Lord Novigrad. The Bishop is directly elected by the Novigrad Veche (alongside all the bishops in Novigrad's territory) and sent to the Patriarch in Volodymyr for confirmation. They are the most powerful official in Novigrad and its largest landowner, with the church having a near-monopoly on horsebreeding and controlling substantial wealth. In addition to their expansive landholdings they also collect fees from local merchants for the use of weights and measures in city limits. They are responsible for conducting diplomacy and foreign affairs on behalf of the city, although they rarely make any major decisions without first gaining the consensus of the Sovet Gospod. They have the authority to draft foreign treaties and submit them to approval by the Veche, and are also responsible for the wellbeing of  any foreign dignitaries within city limits, as well as maintaining embassies abroad. They also hold a number of secular legal responsibilities, overseeing legal disputes involving foreigners.
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[hider=The Prince of Novigrad]
The Prince of Novigrad is the city's chief military official. He is charged with leading the city's military in times of war and chairing several important trials alongside the Steppenoy Posadnik. However, most of his responsibilities are outlined in the R'ad signed with the Novigrad Veche prior to taking office, which can vary from one prince to the next.
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[h3]Main sources of income[/h3]
The city was founded on the Lake Inzho to take advantage of the local fish and the lake's location towards the mouth of the River Inzho. Novigrad itself stands as the primary trading hub for the river basin, acting as the mai intermediary between the people of the Inzho watershed and overseas markets.
 
Other large industries are apiculture (beekeeping), flax farming, other agriculture, and animal husbandry. The estates of the Bishop have become famous for their skilled horse-breeders, making them the primary suppliers of Novigrad's military.
[h3]Current goal[/h3]
Secure trade dominance of the Inzho river valley. Improve the infrastructure in and around Novigrad to support the expanding population.