South Surov

History
Main Article: History of South Surov

Early History
Early habitation of South Surov is poorly documented, and the history of the region only truly starts with the Prisnite Union. The Prisnite Union held sway over the Eastern portions of the modern Kingdom of South Surov, and during the flourishing of the Union, the regions of South Surov under its control prospered, and several large cities, most notably Kruvak (now Kruvayka) were founded during this period. The collapse of the Prisnite Union in the 600s B.T. saw the gradual decay of the large cities of the Union, and the regression of the former Prisnites into tribalism.

The post-Prisnite epoch of the region saw the inhabitants separate into various tribes and clans. The name for these peoples as a whole, the Mutverki is a Surovik construct, and most of the original names for the Mutverki tribes have now been lost. Regardless, some tribes such as the Korpekki are recorded in the histories of South Surov, though the names are likely modified from their original forms.

The roughly 1300 year period between the fall of the Prisnite Union and the life of Rudek is poorly understood and records of the period are scarce to nonexistent. According to local legend and tradition, sometime in the 700s A.T. the chieftain Rudek came to power in a Mutverki tribe whose name is no longer known, but who derives their current name from Rudek himself. The Rudnyiki as they are now known began a campaign of conquest and centralization during the reign of Rudek, who managed to subjugate and conquer much of the West and South of modern South Surov. After his death, his son, Kurak, proved unable to consolidate and maintain the conquests of his father, and the Rudnyiki were forced westwards during decades of sporadic war during and after the reign of Kruvak. These wars persisted intermittently for several hundred years, until the arrival of the Surovki in the mid 1000s A.T.

Arrival of the Surovki
The arrival of the Surovki from Surovia, fleeing the devastation of the Great Khuzar War, is undoubtedly one of the most important events in the history of South Surov. In the year 1048 A.T. Grutmir, leader of the Surovian exiles, concluded his journey southwards and arrived to what is now South Surov. He had with him over three hundred thousand refugees and soldiers, all fleeing the destruction of the Khuzars. The arrival of Grutmir upset the tenuous balance of power between the Mutverki and Rudnyiki, as the Rudnyiki opted to ally with the new arrivals while the Mutverki mostly opposed the Surovians. The refusal of the Mutverki to acknowledge the supremacy of Grutmir began the Vazugat War, which saw the Rudnyiki and Surovki pitted against a large coalition of Mutverki tribes. The defeat of the Mutverki chieftain Kurkug at the Battle of Kruvak, and the subsequent fall of Kruvak, effectively ended the Vazugat War, and forced the Mutverki into vassalage to the Surovki. Despite this decisive victory, events such as the Siege of Ivruk by Gevrin and continued skirmishes between the Rudnyiki and the Mutverki in the Southwest make deciding a definitive date for the end of the war difficult.

Kingdom of South Surov
The Kingdom of South Surov began in earnest following the victory at Kruvak. Grutmir returned to Svetepol, which had been inhabited and had continued its construction in his absence, and oversaw the progress of the new capital, while Ranyek, the Rudnyiki chieftain was sent southwards to subdue the remaining rebellious Mutverki and Gevrin was sent to the coast to found another great city. The cities of Grutmir and Gevrin, Svetepol and Kadovo respectively, would become the foremost cities of the Kingdom, with Kadovo rising to challenge the primacy of Svetepol itself during the reigns of the Murikovivi.

The early Kingdom was characterized by the sporadic rebellions of the Mutverki, the influx of Surovian immigrants, peaking during the Second Surovian Migration during the early 1100s A.T. and the construction of many new cities. The Kingdom was governed primarily by the King himself and each of the nine Princes of the March, together governing the ten Dafnyzeki of South Surov. The last recorded large scale rebellion of the Mutverki occurred during the reign of Kudrik in 1171 A.T. but prior to this small scale rebellions were frequent. By the death of Grutmir in 1093 A.T. the Kingdom was far more prosperous than the region had been during the long period of Mutverki rule, and the constant influx of Surovian immigrants strengthened the position of the Surovki in South Surov.

The peace and prosperity of the Kingdom was soon challenged by an old enemy. A second Khuzar army, forced southwards by their inability to overcome the Surovian Empire, the Khuzars traversed the mountains, emerging into South Surov in 1112 A.T. This army was much smaller than that of Khongtaghar that had invaded Surovia almost a century earlier, but nevertheless posed a great threat to the Kingdom. The response of Grutmir II was swift and decisive. Making use for the only time in the history of South Surov the full capacity of the mobilization of the nation, Grutmir II assembled an enormous army to confront the Khuzars. At the Battle of the Ovekan Plains, the Khuzar army was routed, and forced to flee even further southwards by the vengeful Suroviki. This victory cemented the growing power of the Kingdom, and for the duration of the reigns of Grutmir II and Kudrik, the kingdom enjoyed enormous prosperity.

Hundred Years' Anarchy
Main Article: The Hundred Years' Anarchy

The death of Kudrik would end the rapid growth of South Surov. Kudrik had lived to such an advanced age that he had outlived both of his sons, and so his grandson Yeberik ascended the throne. Yeberik was only a child at the time of his accession, and so his cousin Beneler, some years his senior, enacted a plot to usurp the throne. With the support of much of the Bogovin priesthood, Yeberik has deposed and forced into exile. Beneler was opposed by many of the eastern nobles, and these men took in the young Yeberik, who set up a new court at Kadovo, and continued to proclaim him the rightful King of South Surov. For fourteen years the cousins maintained an uneasy peace, but in 1245 A.T. Yeberik invaded the domain of Beneler, determined to retake the entirety of the Kingdom for himself. During the Siege of Svetepol, both Beneler and Yeberik were killed, leaving the throne without an occupant. Yeberik had no sons, and the infant son of Beneler was killed after being captured in the aftermath of the siege. This left the First Prince of the March, Gavaryn to take the throne. But the weakness of Gavaryn led to the rapid disintegration of the Kingdom, as his authority was insufficient to maintain the loyalty of his subjects. The chaos of this period has caused many of the records of it to be lost, but it is clear that by the year 1270 A.T. the Kingdom of South Surov had ceased to exist as a single entity.

Geography
Main Article: Geography of South Surov

Military
Main Article: South Surovik Military

Ethnic Groups
Main Article: Race Relations in South Surov