House Albalaski

House Albalaski is the ruling house of the Grand Duchy of Lonin. Its head is Grand Duchess Zaria Albalaski. Its seat is in the fortress-city of Vilslev. It counts House Sikorin among its vassals.

History
House Albalaski has ruled the Grand Duchy of Lonin since some time after the First Greytide, which devastated the lands of Lonin as demons beyond counting swarmed in from the north. The early Albalaskis established the fortress-city of Vilslev along the banks of the Whitewater, a glacial river, the plains around which are fertile and productive, in stark contrast to the poor land of much of Lonin. At the heart of Vilslev is the Spire of Ice, a citadel so vast that many believe it cannot have been the product of human hands. How it was actually built is a mystery; no records survive. During the Second and Third Greytides, many of the people of Lonin fled to Vilslev, and it is a point of pride, even all these centuries later, that the Greytides failed to breach the walls. Some even regard it as being as mighty as Sanctuary, though Sanctuary's walls cover an area far larger than the outer walls of Vilslev and accommodated a great many more people during the Third Greytide.

Lonin remained an independent polity until 547, when it elected to form the Commonwealth and to join the empire. It had a long history of association with Hana before that. Their people share a language and culture and marriages between people from Hana and Lonin have been common for a long time. Their political systems share similar roots, although Lonin has always had a hereditary ruler, and so it remains - House Albalaski disposes of many matters within Lonin much as it always did, including oversight of its vassals, though said vassals still have a voice in parliament. In theory, it now owes some measure of revenue to the exchequer; in practice, Lonin is subsidised by Hana, and has been before they ever merged. The nobility of Hana regard this as a necessary expense to ensure their security against the Terror. Within the Commonwealth, House Albalaski promptly became one of the most prominent voices in the parliament.

Lonin is a harsh land. The Whitewater Plains are productive, but that is not the case for much of the grand duchy, which is largely tundra, especially farther north. The Worldspine winds gradually northwest as it passes Hana, such that the land east of Lonin is in part the northernmost reaches of the Red Waste, and in part the Worldspine itself. As far as anyone can tell, not even the dwarves settled there. A few expeditions have set out over the years in efforts to explore the mountains. All have met with disaster, whether due to perilous conditions or encounters with monsters. Rumours persist of untouched mineral deposits.

House Albalaski has taken care not to let the state become wholly militarised. It has taken the view that if nothing is left but soldiers and people supporting soldiers, then the people's will to maintain the grand duchy shall wither. The Albalaskis go to some lengths to sponsor a number of festivals each year, and are notable patrons of artists and musicians. Vilslev's festivals can even be a draw to nobles from around the empire.

House Albalaski ardently supported the election of King Victor Vanzek of House Vanzek, a good friend of Grand Duchess Zaria, to the throne of the Commonwealth in 627, deeming him steady and reliable. The king has been a strong supporter of House Albalaski in turn.

In 629, Antanas Albalaski, husband of the grand duchess, vanished while accompanying an expedition of House Sikorin and House Lindner to the fringes of the Terror. After a search by the three houses, all who went on the expedition are presumed dead.

Holdings
House Albalaski's home is in the city of Vilslev, on the banks of the Whitewater, a glacial river that flows from the northern reaches of the Worldspine to the east and eventually meets the Wailing Sea to the west. Vilslev is the largest city in the Commonwealth and is the hub for the Whitewater Plains, one of the only fertile regions of Lonin. The fertility of the Whitewater Plains is regarded by many as being due to benevolent totems at work, while a few others speculate that it is due to some ancient magic. Vilslev's citadel, the Spire of Ice, is a vast fortification and said to be impregnable, rivalling even the Tower of Valon in Sanctuary, although Sanctuary as a whole is many times larger than Vilslev. Ownership of the Whitewater Plains makes Albalaski the dominant economic power in Lonin, though by long tradition, once Vilslev is supplied, the house is generous with anywhere else in the grand duchy which requires it. Vilslev hosts a few festivals each year and is an unlikely hub for art and music, with House Albalaski's long tradition of supporting artists.

River trade is frequent from late spring through to late autumn, but less so in the winter and spring, when ice or stronger currents due to meltwater render it hazardous. House Fletza of Hana has people familiar with the Wailing Sea and there are long-standing arrangements between House Albalaski and House Fletza that extend beyond the latter's naval service and into having Fletzas take command of merchant convoys. Vilslev is subsidised by other houses across the Commonwealth, and indeed the empire, and receives substantial imports.

The Knights Custodian maintain a large force in Vilslev, though not quite as large as that which they have in the Expanse farther north, ruled by House Sikorin.

Current Events
The increasing number of incursions from the Terror is a concern for House Albalaski. The disappearance of Antanas Albalaski while accompanying Rasa Sikorin in 629 was never solved. However, Lonin has always been a harsh place to live, and no Albalaski sees the incursions as something to panic about.

The Albalaskis understand very well that their position is based on substantial and consistent support from across the Commonwealth and the empire as a whole. A number of the house are present in Sanctuary at any given time, participating in the imperial court. There, some are known more for their support and love of the arts than for their remote home or the perils they face. It is a form of diplomacy which has worked; other houses are regularly forthcoming with aid for Lonin.

With war threatening elsewhere in the empire, particularly in those parts closer to Dominion of Rin - even though it is not actually at the empire's borders - House Albalaski has been looked to as a source of experienced soldiers, but it is not clear how it could make a substantial commitment without stripping Lonin of protection.