Vollachia Empire

The Sacred Vollachia Empire (神聖ヴォラキア帝国), usually referred to as the Vollachia Empire (ヴォラキア帝国), is one of the Four Great Nations of the world. As explained in its name, the Vollachian state considers itself an empire, ruled by the Vollachia family, though importantly, no single bloodline within the extended family controls succession.

Vollachia is the largest known country in the world. Though its geography and boundaries are, for the most part, unspecified, it shares a large northern border with the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica, whom it has historically quarrelled with for over a millennium.

As of the events of Arc 7, the 77th Emperor, Vincent Vollachia has been deposed from the Imperial Throne. Furthermore, civil unrests have sprung forth across the region, with a possibility of larger conflicts and civil war occurring. With the potential civil war and the non-aggression pact between the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica and the Sacred Vollachia Empire being rescinded due to the change of leadership, Vollachia finds itself in a rather precarious position.

Geography
The Empire of Vollachia is blessed with fertile soil, mild weather, and the temperature remains relatively the same throughout the year, making it one of the more hospitable regions for a person to live.

Population
As with the other Four Great Nations, a sizable portion of the population is Human, however, the Empire is known for being home to a large population of various Demi-Humans which form different clans and tribes. Some of these clans are world renowned for their physical attributes, such as the Multi-Arm Clan which is notorious for their brute strength and thirst for battle. Other clans, such as the Shudrak tribe, residing in the Buddheim forest, are in active rebellion, refusing to swear fealty to the Emperors.

In the present time, Demon Beasts are rare sight in the Empire, most likely due to local extermination.

In the Sacred Vollachia Empire, nobles belong to one of the three following ranks; Low-Grade or Low Level Counts/Countesses, Mid-Grade or Mid Level Counts/Countesses and High-Grade or High Level Counts/Countesses. With a higher class or rank, a count has considerably more influence, with High Level Counts even being able to influence the state of the nation itself, while Low Level Counts barely hold any authority outside of their territories.

Government
The Imperial government is an Imperial monarchy led by an Emperor, though it is not a monarchy in the traditional sense.

Their flag is a defiant wolf impaled by three swords. Because it is a meritocracy it doesn't place as much weight on race or status compared to other nations, making it arguably one of the better places for Demi-Humans to live in. However because of its emphasis on strength above all else, the weak and disabled are often crushed or left behind by society.

Vollachia typically has bad relations with its neighbouring nation Lugunica, resulting in skirmishes between the two countries. Currently, Vollachia's borders with the Kingdom are closed, not permitting a single citizen of the Kingdom or the Empire to pass. Following Vincent Vollachia's resignation, the non-aggression pact between the two nations has also been rescinded, as according to the way things are done in the Empire, it is the norm to negate whatever the previous government did, which is opening up a possibility for further conflicts.

It is also worth noting that their iron-clad rule of "The strong rule over the weak" seeps into every aspect of their society. Most crimes can be pardoned or overlooked, if one is a national hero. After the successful subjugation of the Black Dragon almost a year after the end of the Demi-Human War, Kurgan was pardoned of all his crimes of assisting Stride's bloody rampages and betraying the Empire, due to his title and status as Vollachia's strongest warrior.

Mages
The Empire has a large number of skilled magic stone craftsmen. It's also worth noting that contrary to Lugunica, there are only a few Spirit Users spread across the Empire.

Religion
The Empire does not follow a set religion, such as their neighbouring Kingdom of Lugunica. Instead, the Vollachian people are taught to be strong, as only through raw power, one can rule over others. This philosophy resulted in a population which is built on the principle of "The strong rule over the weak."

Accordingly, many disputes are solved with the use of violence. Different nobles often fight between each other for dominance; when conflicts between nobles arise, however, no one is allowed to intervene as long as they're not directly involved in the said conflict. Even the Imperial throne is up for grabs to whoever can get it (naturally, they must overcome the army, Divine Generals and the Emperor himself, which is no easy feat to say the least).

Economics & Currency
Vollachia maintains their own currency based solely on gold, or more specifically, gold coins.

Despite the Empire having a rather hostile relationship with its neighbouring nations–especially with the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica–they actively engage in trading with all kinds of goods, which are scarce or unavailable in the Empire. Cities such as one of the Kingdom's Five Great Cities, Picoutatte, is widely known as the Kingdom's largest trading hub with the Empire, for example.

Military
The nation highly prides itself in having a strong military and has a national creed of "soldiers should always be strong", resulting even in lower ranked soldiers being exceptionally strong. Throughout the centuries, the Empire was constantly at war with the other nations, specifically with the neighbouring Kingdom of Lugunica. However, it has been stated that through the last 7 years, during Vincent Vollachia's reign, no major conflicts with the other nations have spurred, aside from battles throughout the Empire itself, which is to be expected from a nation such as Vollachia. According to Zikr Osman, the Empire has been in its most peaceful years during the aforementioned Emperor's leadership–something that had never happened, ever since the Empire's foundation over a millennium before the main story.

Due to their militaristic society, Vollachia's Imperial Army is the strongest standing army out of the 4 great powers on the continent.

In Arc 7, Vollachian soldiers can be heard using "Vive Vollachia", or "Long Live Vollachia" as a rallying cry.

History

 * Note: The characters within the story rarely describe historical events within helpful context, so the unit BA, “Before Arrival”, and AA, “After Arrival”, will be used to place moments in time with the best available knowledge. Both are in reference to Natsuki Subaru’s arrival in the new world. In this case, only BA will be used. Also note that the units are not official.

Over 1000 years BA

 * The Sacred Vollachia Empire is founded by an unnamed faction. For the following centuries, the Empire engages in heated conflicts with its neighbouring nations, especially with the Kingdom of Lugunica.

Approximately 400 BA

 * Vollachia has historically engaged in war with the Kingdom of Lugunica. However, the major periodic wars cease after the King of Lugunica, Farsale Lugunica, makes a covenant with the Divine Dragon Volcanica to have him protect the newly renamed Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica.

Approximately 40 BA

 * Only months after the end of the Demi-Human War in Lugunica, Stride Vollachia and his wife, operating out of Vollachia, summon a three-headed dragon known as the Black Dragon Valgren to attack one of the Five Regional Capitals of the Kingdom–Picoutatte. Hundreds of Kingdom's Knights are killed before its eventual subjugation.
 * The Sword Demon of Lugunica, Wilhelm van Astrea, famously fights Kurgan, Vollachia's strongest warrior, in two battles which came to be known as the Silver Flower Dance of Picoutatte. In the first bout, Wilhelm cuts off Kurgan's arm, though not without taking a heavy injury to the left side of his body. Wilhelm then goes on to triumph in the following battle, inflicting mortal wounds on the Vollachia's strongest. Kurgan is later healed by the Divine Dragon who made its appearance in Picoutatte, after Gionis Lugunica summoned it due the Evil Dragon's appearance.

18 BA

 * Al is summoned to the new world inside Vollachia. There, he learned combat skills as a gladiator before moving to Lugunica.

15 BA

 * The warrior Kurgan is slain by the Sin Archbishop of Greed when he attacks and destroys the city of Garkla.

7 BA (Crimson Afterglow content)

 * Vincent Vollachia becomes the 77th Emperor of Vollachia around this time, after defeating and slaughtering his siblings in an event known as the Imperial Selection Ceremony.

Around 3-4 months BA (Ex4 content)

 * The Empire enters a non-aggression pact with the Kingdom, following a diplomatic expedition and a staged coup d'etat.
 * During the Kingdom's diplomatic expedition to the Empire, Reinhard van Astrea is wrongfully accused of killing the 9th ranking Divine General and a couple of guards. What follows is a game of cat and mouse between Reinhard, Julius, Ferris and His Majesty Vincent Vollachia, and the Divine Generals tasked with killing the Royal Guards and bringing back the Emperor. At the end, the true plan sees the light of day; a coup d'etat orchestrated by the supposedly-dead Balleroy and an Imperial minister Gramdart Holstoy. Following the Divine General's actual death by the hand of Julius, the Emperor and the three Knights made their return to the Crystal Palace, where Vincent signed the non-aggression pact.

Locations
Lupugana (ルプガナ Rupugana): Lupugana is the capital of the Empire of Vollachia. The city is completely enclosed within a square-shaped outer wall, and there are no obvious differences in wealth which can be observed with the naked eye in the city, in contrast to the Kingdom's Royal Capital.
 * Crystal Palace (水晶宮): The Crystal Palace is the palace where the Emperor of Vollachia resides. Due to magic stones being used throughout the palace and in its construction, the interior contains excessive amounts of mana. This excessive amount of mana serves well in both defending the castle and attacking from it, as they render outsiders almost completely unable to use magic while the soldiers situated inside the Palace are completely used to the strains are not bothered by the "debuffs" in the slightest; the Crystal Palace is stated to be borderline impossible to conquer. The palace is said to have a heartbeat and Vincent Vollachia himself confirmed the Palace to be alive, referring to it as some type of a spirit. Another interesting feature of the Palace is a secret teleportation device that is built into the Emperor's throne. The device was used by Vincent Vollachia to escape the political turmoil in the capital before the events Arc 7, teleporting him to the Nameless Graveyard in Buddheim Jungle.

Chaosflame (カオスフレーム): Chaosflame, also known as the Demon City of Chaosflame (魔都カオスフレーム), is an Imperial city located west of the massive Buddheim Jungle. It got its title as the Demon City due to various different races living there, which results in the city not having any conventional laws, as it's known as the place where people live in disorderly harmony. It's governed by the 7th ranking Divine General Yorna Mishigure.
 * Crimson Lapis Castle (紅瑠璃城 Beniruri-jō): At the centre of the city, a giant red castle sprouts forth. The castle vaguely resembles a traditional Japanese castle, though the building materials are different as its foundations and framework are built out of lapis lazuli which constantly switches between a deep blue hue and a blood red colour, hence its name. The Crimson Lapis Castle is used as private residence for the 7th ranking Divine General Yorna Mishigure.

Gladiator Island Ginunhive (剣奴孤島ギヌンハイブ): A relatively big island located on a larger lake that's situated on the south-west side on the imperial territory. The islands are infamous for its arenas, where gladiators are pitted against each other or against Demon Beasts. Also, this was the place where Al fled after losing his arm, and where he obtained his helmet.

Garkla (ガークラ, Gaakura): Garkla is a border fortress city located north of the Imperial Capital. It lies on an unnamed larger hill that overlooks the Gairahal Tropics. The fortress city was known for its importance in trading between the Empire and the Kingdom. Despite being one of the most fortified cities alongside the nation's borders and manned with thousands and thousands of extremely well-trained and battle-hardened troops, it was single-handedly destroyed 15 years prior to the story by Regulus Corneas, when items which were associated with the witch were put up for sale. It is rumoured that the auctioned item was in fact the Artificial Spirit Echidna. The city was later rebuilt after Greed's rampage.

Gairahal Tropics (ガイラハル温帯): Gairahal Tropics is a a massive lake, situated at the Imperial border with the Kingdom of Lugunica, lying east of Garkla and west of Barielle Terrotory.

Gariu Heights (ガリウ高地 Gariu Kouchi): Gariu Heights is a mountain range located on the west of the Imperial territory. The Cloud Sea City of Mezoreia is located on it, and the mountain range itself is located somewhat close to the Gladiator Island Ginunhive and the lake surrounding the island.

Mezoreia (メゾレイア Mezoreia): Mezoreia, or more commonly known as the Cloud Sea City, Mezoreia (雲海都市メゾレイア Unkai Toshi Mezoreia), is an Imperial City situated east of Ginunhive and the home of many flying dragons. It is said to contain the nest of a dragon, and areas close to the city experience year-round overcast skies.

Glarasia (グララシア Gurarashia): Glarasia, also known as the City of Iron and Blood, Glarasia (鉄血都市グララシア Tekketsu Toshi Gurarashia), is an Imperial City situated relatively close to the Gladiator Island Ginunhive, and lies directly under the Gariu Heights mountain range. It lies on the far western part of the Empre.

Buddheim (バドハイム, Badohaimu): A settlement in the Empire of Vollachia. Its inhabitants seem to have a darker skin tone. The region is covered by a vast jungle.

Buddheim Jungle (バドハイム密林): A vast jungle that got its name after the settlement of Buddheim, located to the far east territory of the Empire. It has a thick flora, making it extremely tough to maneuver through and nigh impossible to unravel all its secrets and hidden places. Geographically, it borders the Kingdom's Aihaya Swamp to its north-east, and Crau-Crown Grasslands to its north-west.
 * Shudrak Clan's Village: Deep in the forest, a settlement belonging to the Shudrak Clan is located. This settlement is inhabited solely by dark-skinned women.
 * Nameless Graveyard (名も無き墓所): At the edge of the Buddgeim Jungle, overlooking the Great Waterfall, a single cliff is located, where the remains of the nameless monarchs, as well as a tombstone dedicated to them, are located. The location of this place is unknown even to the Imperial Family, and is only known by select and trusted individuals.

Guaral (グァラル, Guararu): Guaral is a heavily fortified Vollachian city, located somewhere near the Buddheim Jungle. According to Subaru, its appearance makes one think that the city's inhabitants are trying to protect themselves from giants.
 * City Hall: At the centre of the city, a multy-story building was built which serves as Guaral's city hall. Roughly two weeks after Subaru's sudden transportation to Vollachia, the city hall was the battleground of the so-called Bloodless Battle and the Arakiya Incident that followed not-long after. During the ensuing battle, the city hall's roof was almost completely blown off.

Faradar (ファラダー, Faradaa): A small village located in the south of Vollachia where the Evil Eye Tribe once lived and a location where Melty Pristis and Salum Pristis lived. However, the location was destroyed and the Evil Eye Tribe migrated elsewhere. Rumors' says that there are still living Evil Eye members existing.

Godraidh Waterfall (ゴドレード瀑布): Godraidh Waterfall is a massive waterfall situated on the far east of the Empire, near Lake Penelope. The water from the waterfall flows directly off of the world into the uncharted depths underneath.

Lake Penelope (ペネロープ湖): Lake Penelope, also known as My Beloved Lake Penelope (我が愛しのペネロープ湖) is a larger lake, situated at the south of the Empire, half way between Godraidh Waterfall and the Imperial Capital of Lupugana.

Crau-Crown Grasslands (クラウクラウン草原): Crau-Crown Grasslands is a large grassy area in the Vollachia Empire, located nort-west of Buddhei, Jungle and east of Picoutatte.

Averyk (エイブリーク): Averyk is a very small town, located west of Chaosflame.