House Vanzek

House Vanzek is the current royal house of the Commonwealth of Hana and Lonin. Its head is King Victor Vanzek.

History
House Vanzek has been present in Hana for centuries, though it didn't come to particular prominence until the mid-300s, as it grew in size and consolidated land by canny purchases from other minor nobility. It has never in fact been the strongest or wealthiest house, but a few monarchs have come from it. The Commonwealth of Hana and Lonin, and the previous Realm of Hana, has operated an elective monarchy for hundreds of years. Technically, anybody is eligible to be elected monarch - on two occasions, a foreign noble has been brought in to the position as a compromise between houses of Hana.

Both the current king, Victor, and his mother, the late Queen Aldona, are Vanzeks. Aldona was elected primarily due to her remarkable political acumen and ability as a diplomat, putting herself forward as a candidate who promised steady rulership, even with the presence of stronger houses. She reigned from 611 until 627. Her son promised more of the same. Some were sceptical of having House Vanzek reign for too long, but the intervention of Grand Duchess Zaria Albalaski of Lonin, a close friend of Victor, saw his position cemented.

House Vanzek's own land is in eastern Hana, strung out along the River Prosna, with the eastern portions being on the border with the Red Waste. Its history is characterised by frequent minor conflicts with the tribes of the Waste, particularly ogre and hobgoblin clans. It sometimes cooperates with House Karalis to the south. When the dwarves went into exile from the Worldspine over a century ago, some came to settle in the Prosna Valley, though nothing like the numbers that arrived to Wayguard, the home of House Karalis, or that dispersed across Dyria as a whole.

Holdings
House Vanzek holds the capital of Hana, Zolev. Zolev is not owned by any noble, but rather is controlled by whoever the current ruler of the Commonwealth is. Zolev is a modest and unremarkable town. Zolev is seat of the Commonwealth's noble parliament which meets for a week each summer. This coincides with a two-week long summer fair in Zolev, when merchants from around the Commonwealth converge - fees from the fair are the source of much of the town's limited revenue.

House Vanzek's own land is in eastern Hana around the River Prosna, which flows from the distant Worldspine, through the Red Waste, and then veers northward through Hana to eventually join the Whitewater in Lonin. It makes its home in the the castle of Pulaw near the eastern frontier.

Current Events
House Vanzek itself is in a stable position and its core concern is the Commonwealth as a whole. Incidents in the Terror, north of Lonin, are becoming more and more frequent. The Red Waste is a constant but not particularly pressing concern for House Vanzek. It is used to the minor conflicts with raiding tribes there and tends to take any outbreak of violence in its stride. The departure of a number of dwarven expeditions from neighbouring Dyria, bound for the Worldspine, has been a source of some curiosity. Elsewhere in the empire, particularly along the borders of the Imperial Territories and the Grand Republic of Thasen, war threatens, and some in Sanctuary have already started to ask if the Commonwealth's experienced warriors will be able to march south.