Vallonia(province)

The Grand Duchy of Vallonia is a sprawling province in the center of the nation of the same name. It houses the capital of all of Vallonia, Kronenburg, the crown jewel of the empire, as well as a great deal of the empire's denizens.

Considered not only the birthplace but also the heartland of all of Vallonia, it is also the original homeland of the Vallonians. Traditionally, the Grand Duke of the province is also the Autarch, but in recent years other Dukes have successfully claimed the position. The current Autarch, however, is also the Grand Duke of Vallonia.

Vallonia itself has rarely come under attack or invasion in all of the years of the empire. However, many conquests have been launched from it; almost all of the other Vallonian provinces are the result of expansion from the heartland. Vallonia is also one of the most urbanized and industrialized regions in the empire, as well as the one with the most feared military.

Geography
Vallonia lies in the very heart of the empire, separated from Schwabia to the south by the River Schwab, bordered on the west by Kessland and Wessia, and divided from Flandria and Piktland in the east by the Vallon River. It was originally a land of towering pines, but many of those great forests have been felled, making way for sprawling cities and mighty fortresses.

As Vallonia was the empire's founding province, its borders have fluctuated greatly, sometimes swelling to accompany new conquests and sometimes being carved up in order to form new provinces. At its greatest extent, Vallonia occupied all of present-day Wessia, Swabia, Flandria and Piktland before those provinces were formed. In its present state, most of Vallonia is made up of cities. Great urban centers teeming with life spill over much land, and one will only be able to travel through a few kilometers of open fields before they reach the next such municipality. However, there are a few vast woodlands that have not yet been greatly disturbed, most around the city of Waldheim.

In the old days of the empire dozens of castles, small and large, were erected all over the then-borders of Vallonia, to keep watch over the land and to put up an adequate defense should the barbarous tribes of neighboring regions invade. As Vallonia expanded far past these fortresses they either fell into disrepair; these ruins were either turn down or allowed to remain as a reminder of the empire's distant past. However, a select few were gifted to some of the Autarch's most loyal lords, and then renovated by those noblemen into luxurious palaces, with only the high ramparts hinting at the stronghold's original purpose. These crumbling castles, juxtaposed against lush valleys and towering cities, provide a downright breathtaking backdrop for Vallonia's most treasured province.

The largest and grandest city in Vallonia is the nation's capital, Kronenburg, the crowning jewel of the empire. Its palaces, temples, markets, harbors, smithies, and forges are unparalleled in design and splendor throughout all of Vallonia, and most of human civilization. Each and every individual building has been carefully planned by the empire's most brilliant architects, both to appear imposing and grand and to flow together seamlessly and make for an efficient and prosperous city. There are, however, other towns throughout Vallonia- though none can match the capital in terms of size, population, or grandeur. Some of these include Mün, a city so swollen with people that it is beginning to rival Kronenburg; Serzdorf, a township which sprang up around an ancient citadel and is famous across the country for its companies of elite soldiers; Dummel, a center of trade and economics which is centered on the roads that lead to Buhnberg, Piktland, and the northern border; and Waldheim, a town shrouded in foreboding pine forests and housing a mystical collection of arcane colleges, orders, and secret societies.

Inhabitants
The people of Vallonia are descended from the Wolfvolk, the ancient tribe which once inhabited the province, long before the foundation of the empire. They have since spread all across the current lands of the empire and even beyond, with some plucky colonists venturing as far as Vrusska before settling down. Originally very rural, agrarian, and, in the case of the males, excessively masculine, the average Vallonian has very much changed in the past few centuries.

As the middle and upper classes began to grow and thrive, and Vallonia rapidly became a center of wealth, knowledge, and importance throughout the new world, its inhabitants developed an arrogant and pompous attitude. Vallonian men, without the bother of plowing a field or hammering steel, became overly concerned with their appearance, dressing themselves in frivolous lacy garments that happened to be in style- and the current style changed at the whim of the Autarch. To accompany this look of constant preening and effeminacy, the Vallonian dandies also adopted a vainglorious attitude, looking down their noses at any backwater peasant that dared to get in their line of sight. All of this was much to the amusement of the more down-to-earth provinces, who chuckled quietly behind the backs of the "Vallonian fops". Despite all of this, a warrior's blood still runs in many nobleman's veins, and Vallonia is renowned both nationwide and across Pynthia for their military prowess. After all, it was not fops and dandies who conquered the Pikts, the Saaxons, the Daanes, the Flemings and the Gorsks, and the province has a strong and flourishing martial tradition. Chapter houses abound throughout the land's cities, housing some of the most well-known and venerated holy orders in the world, many of which were founded during the Great Crusades or even earlier. When the Autarch sends out his mustering call, these knights are sure to answer in force, amassing hundreds of men and steeds, decked in full plate mail with lance in hand. It is the sight of one of these warriors bearing down on you, polearm extended, winged helm gleaming, that truly strikes fear into an enemy's heart.

While the average, middle-class Vallonian merchant, craftsmen, and especially farmer is still devoutly faithful to the Gods. However, this can not be said for the landed classes who, with the financial means to support their carnal desires and without need to rely on blessings to survive, have fallen from grace, instead pursuing their earthly desires. Many still pay lip service to the Gods regardless of their personal infidelity, if nothing more than to keep up their public images.

The stereotypical Vallonian is slim and pale, with dashing good looks, but a haughty, arrogant personality. Young men generally shave their face, while older noblemen, especially those who have survived at least one entire military campaign, grow out mutton chops.