The people are mainly Stadhoffian and Throecian immigrants, but they have produced a unique mix of peoples. Although mainly Eastern �tonist, they have converted the religion into their own particular way of working, which includes many local myths about evil things such as wolf-beasts, ghosts, and vengeful wood spirits.
The leader of Kovlich is the Czar, a title they adopted from an ancient Dasidian word for "Emperor."
The country is divided into districts of two differing types. The Oprichnina are states within a state. They are completely loyal to the Czar and justice there is swift. The Oprichnina includes whole cities, blocks of cities, individual estates, classes of citizens, etc. They are ruled by the Oprichniks, who are not noblemen but fall into the class of service gentry. They have been set up to "sweep" treason away from the Czar. They wear all black and ride black horses. They hang brooms and dog-heads off of their saddles. The brooms symbolize the sweeping away of treason, and the dog-heads put fear into their enemies. They are, in operation, very similar to the Hernandes of Esor�a.
The second type of district is the Zemshchnina, which lie outside of the Oprichnina but are still part of the country of Kovlich. These areas are, for the most part, more free, independent, and wild than the Oprichnina. They answer only loosely to the Czar.
The language of Kovlich is very different from the other languages in the West even though it is part of the Buchlaynian-Verundhian Family. Of particular note are the following words which I learned from Tropol and which may be helpful to travelers and merchants.
Boyar - a landed nobleman. They wear long, unkempt beards and carry horsebows and scimitars.
Duma - a council of nobles to the Czar.
Veche - an assembly open to all freemen. They have little power.
Zemsky Sobor - an assembly of advisors to the Czar.
Druzhina - the armed guard of the Czar
Streltsy - an elite branch of the Czar's army
Kvass - a malt brew, weaker than beer
Shchi - a soup made with sauerkraut
Bylina - an epic folk ballad
Grivna - silver ingots (the common currency of the country)
I am certain that there are "Persons of Note" in this country. To be honest, Dear Reader, and I must say I am quite embarrassed by this, but Atrexandr Tropol is the first person I have met from the country of Kovlich. I most humbly apologize for not being able to share any more about this dark and mysterious country. If you ever travel there, I will pay most handsomely for any more information about the customs and [text illegible]
It may also be of interest to some to note that the country of Margova was actually settled by peoples from Kovlich, and it was in fact a province of Kovlich in ages past. Tropol spoke little of the matter, but indicated that Margova broke away from Kovlich after a head-strong Kovlichite Duke gathered an army loyal to him and defeated the Czar's imperial forces at the Battle of Evzenek Les (Evzenek Forest). It is still a mystery to military scholars how the small army of Margova was able to overcome certain defeat at the hands of the Czar's well-equipped forces. Nevertheless, the Margovan Duke won the day and since then has ruled the country independent from the Czar. I daresay that both nations have similar customs, languages, and religious beliefs and therefore cannot explain the desire of the Margovan Duke to pull away from his homeland.
