The Temple of Bosancovac, founded in 956, is a mercantile theocracy in the Ynn. Built atop the Ynn on a reservoir created by the Bosancovac Dam, the city of Bosancovac was constructed to float on the water. Due to the increased importance of boats in the city, Bosancovac developed the first and only navy of the Ynn complete with its own forces known as the Paddleboard Knights. One of the newest cities of the Ynn, it grew to regional prominence in the 17th century, and became the largest city of Dolindha by the 18th century.
Etymology[]
Bosancovac comes from the Dolindhan words "bos-" meaning bridge and "-ancovac" meaning merchant. Together the name means "The Merchant's Bridge" referring to the large amount of merchants and commerce in the city.
Government[]
The Temple of Bosancovac was a theocracy ever since the coup of 1224, prior to which they were a republic led by a mayor. Over time however, once Bosancovac had grown prosperous the clergy of Bosancovac was infiltrated by the patricians. In order to regain previous power they held, the patricians raised their children as priests in the hopes of becoming High Priest of Bosancovac. This overall created a government that while being a theocracy, had elections held only between the patrician families.
Economy[]
The economy of Bosancovac was historically largely derived from salt gathered from the inland marshes created by the reservoir, however over time the Bosancovaco exports grew to include processed animal goods such as lamp oil and rope made from the fat and leather of Dolindhan animals. With the discovery of explosives, Bosancovac started manufacturing bombs which boosted their economy significantly.
A large portion of Bosancovac’s economy was based in commerce. Sitting at the crossroads of Sarda and Dolindha, many merchants passed through the town or lived there and made deals with travelers. The merchants based out of Bosancovac also made trade deals all along the Ynn using the Holy Merchant Fleet. As the only country in the Ynn with a naval presence, it created a natural advantage for the merchants. There were no restrictions on who the traders, or the Temple itself, made deals with. Bosancovaco merchants were quick to trade with the Cannorians, since they brought new exotic goods with them and had no problems trading with the Bosancovaco. Trading with the Cannorians was widely looked down upon at the time by the Ynnics, but Bosancovac wasn’t concerned about that. They stayed true to that policy no matter the circumstances, even being one of the very few trading partners of High Havoral during the Decades of the Mountain.
Demographics[]
The majority of Bosancovac is Dolindhan with a small population of Sarda. Starting in the 16th century, they became the home to various Cannorians as Bosancovac was open to anyone who had something to trade. They also were host to the first Gnomish community among the Ynnics when they arrived from the Gnomish Hierarchy in the 18th century.
Bosancovac is the largest city of Dolindha and one of the largest cities of North Aelantir. A large amount of the population is made up of descendants of refugees from elsewhere in Dolindha, having fled to Bosancovac as a safe haven.
Military[]
First and foremost the most unique part of Bosancovac’s military was their navy, being the only one among the Ynnics. A mixture of gondolas and canoes, the Bosancovac Holy Merchant Fleet was a common sight along the Ynn both in peacetime as well as during wars. After Bosancovac’s independence in 1205, they created a force known as the Paddleboard Knights. While the founding members were hired mercenaries and landless knights, the Paddleboard Knights over time became a formidable force, both well trained and well armed by the wealthy patricians of Bosancovac.
With the arrival of the Cannorians came the arrival of advanced weaponry. Bosancovac was relatively quick to incorporate the Cannorian technology and train their troops in the use of gunpowder weaponry. Once the production of bombs was underway, they too were added to the arsenal. Bombs were used by the Paddleboard Knights as well as by the navy in the form of bomb launches mounted on the vessels.
History[]
Building the Dam[]
When the Ynnic Empire under Emperor Armynn II decided to build a new dam in Dolindha, they had first chosen Bostynn to host it due to its historical significance. However, due to an incident there, a new location downstream was chosen at what is now Bosancovac. Work began on the construction of the Bosancovac Dam in 948 and was finished by 956. The purpose of the new dam was primarily to act as a crossing from Sarda to Dolindha which would allow easier access for the Ynnic Empire’s troops to enter the region. Over time, this new route would be called the Tromseloc Way.
Founding of the Town[]
Once the dam was built, fishermen and merchants started building stilt houses and floating platforms around the reservoir. Over time these platforms grew and joined together to form a town floating on the water. Situated between Dolindha and Sarda, as well as a crossing point of the Ynn, the town was a natural location for merchants to peddle their wares. The town was named Bosancovac, or the merchant’s bridge, after the large presence of merchants in the town.
Due to the numerous dangers of the Ynn, vessels on the river were an infrequent sight. However, at first due to necessity, the merchants of Bosancovac would conduct trade via gondolas and canoes. After some success, they used the unique position of the town to launch voyages across the Ynn.
Third Ynnic Civil War[]
The War of Three Emperors, or the Third Ynnic Civil War, starting in 1151 was the first major conflict near Bosancovac. Bosancovac managed to stay neutral in the war with the protection of its fleet and its natural defense from being located atop the river, and so was the destination of many people seeking shelter from the ravages of war. These arrivals quickly grew the population of the town and challenged the infrastructure keeping the town afloat. After the war ended in 1205 with the dissolution of the Ynnic Empire, the Tromseloc Way had been completely abandoned, being taken over by wendigos and Veykodan tribes. Without the protection of the Ynnic Empire’s troops, Bosancovac was itself vulnerable to those threats coming from the east. To protect itself, Bosancovac hired mercenaries and landless knights and trained them in fighting atop the water on gondolas. These troops were derisively named “Paddleboard Knights” by other Dolindhans, however they proved very effective in protecting the floating town.
From Town to Temple[]
Bosancovac was a town ruled in tandem by its mayor and its river priests. The mayor was backed by the “Boat” faction made up of merchants and craftsmen and managed the town’s secular life. The priests meanwhile, managed the town’s spiritual life and were backed by the “River” faction who were opposed to being ruled by a mayor and were supported by noblemen. In 1224, the River faction along with the Lordship of Amacimst and many Paddleboard Knights, opposed to the idea of a republic, enacted a coup and proclaimed the Temple of Bosancovac. They forced the mayor out of the town and confined them to live in Imstana, a settlement on the far side of the Ynn. From then on, there was an annual celebration of the coup, marked by festivities and a parade and sponsored by the patricians of the town.
Once the priests succeeded in their coup, they established a theocracy and created The Holy Merchant Fleet from the assorted trading vessels of the Boat faction, becoming the only nation of the Ynn with a presence on the water. The Holy Merchant Fleet was used for trading and the movement of goods of course, but it also had the task of delivering the payments of crossing tolls when funeral barges passed through the dams.
New Business Partners[]
Due to the mercantile nature of the inhabitants of Bosancovac, there grew to be a stereotype among the Ynnic that the Bosancovaco people were greedy and untrustworthy. This came to a head in 1273 when the Scrolls Against Rea Narsi were published, a collection of complaints by various alleged customers against Rea Narsi, a merchant hailing from Bosancovac. This caused the negative stereotype to grow and badly damaged their business prospects, which caused the Bosancovaco to act more honestly and upstandingly in the hopes of regaining the trust of the other Ynnics. Ultimately this reputation led to Bosancovac being receptive to the Cannorians when they arrived as they had no preconceptions about them. In 1444 Bosancovac aided Vels Bacar during the Trompolerey conquest of Vels Bacar, seeking to improve their standing among the Ynnics.
When the Cannorians arrived in the 16th century, Bosancovac viewed them as a great opportunity. A whole array of new goods became available for the merchants of Bosancovac to peddle to the Ynn as the Cannorians didn’t have the negative preconceptions of Bosancovac that the Dolindhans had. This boom in commerce revitalized the town and started new industries. The processing of animal products into rope and oil became the new mainstay of Bosancovac, with eventual production of bombs becoming an important export as well. The import of firearms helped advance the military of Bosancovac allowing it to maintain its independence.
The arrival of the Cannorians sparked tensions across the Ynn, with two factions forming, The Vodynnar and the Polervit. Of which Bosancovac found itself among the Vodynnar, the faction promoting progress and trade with the Cannorians, along with its close trading partner of Vels Bacar. Following the death of Lord Ultaran the Kind of Vels Bacar in 1602, the War of the Bacaran Succession started, a deadly war of a scale not seen since the collapse of the Ynnic Empire. Bosancovac, disconnected by land from Vels Bacar, sent what help they could by gondola. The disconnection however also proved beneficial, as it meant Bosancovac was safe from invasion and Corinsfield in the east provided a buffer of protection. This also made Bosancovac a safe haven for those fleeing from the war. In the end, the war was lost in 1623 and the Bacaran Republic was razed and split up by the victors. Bosancovac however ended the war in a better state than when it started, having its population grown once again from those seeking refuge.
A Second Wave[]
The early 17th century was a turbulent time in Dolindha, with wars being waged against Malacnar, the Istranari Crusade , as well as the rise of the Dragon Dominion. This series of wars devastated Dolindha, with a significant amount of its population having either fled the region or died. Bosancovac was a natural place for these refugees to flee to due to its natural protection and proximity. With that influx of population, as well as from the War of the Bacaran Succession, Bosancovac grew to be the largest city of Dolindha. Leveraging its large population, Bosancovac's manufacturing also grew significantly keeping the town prosperous despite its rapid growth.
In the latter half of the 18th century, there was a new arrival to the Ynn in the form of Gnomes from the Gnomish Hierarchy. Bosancovac was their first point of contact and became host to the only Gnomish community of the Ynn. The gnomes grew interested in Bosancovac’s usage of clockwork in their city as well as their navy and the potential of making a vessel worthy of travel on, and underneath, the Ynn. By 1777 the gnomes with help from the locals created the Coddorran Class Submersible, a boat able to travel under the water of the Ynn and see what lay beneath. This proved to be a marvel as people would spend their life’s savings on a single trip to see what had never been seen before.
Decades of the Mountain[]
The invasion of the Sarda Empire by the Havoric Jahanon in 1788 marked the start of a period of Cannorian rule over the Ynn known as The Decades of the Mountain. Being a prosperous city surrounded by the expansionist powers of the Dragon Dominion and the new High Havoral, Bosancovac was in a tenuous position. In an attempt to keep their independence, they adopted a flexible diplomacy strategy to trade with and appease both powers. In addition, they played the two against each other in their attempts to control the “city of the Ynn’s desire”.
Bosancovac managed to stave off invasion for 5 years, but over time the rivalry between High Havoral and the Dragon Dominion grew large enough that it came out of Bosancovac's control. In 1795, High Havoral declared war on Bosancovac as the start of what’s known as the War of the Three River-Banks or as the High Havorics called it, the War of Ynnic Reunification. The Siege of the Floating City ended with High Havoral's forces successfully invading the city after a costly siege, but were trapped after their bridges were destroyed by water serpents. After two months of occupying the city, they eventually managed to extract their forces, and their king Jahanon, from Bosancovac after looting the city. Peace was reached after 3 years in 1798 after the Dragon Dominion defeated High Havoral. As part of the terms for peace, Bosancovac’s independence was maintained, cementing it in the new political landscape after the war.
Following the decline of High Havoral, Bosancovac was left independent but returned to their previous position of being flanked by two major powers. The resurgent Sarda taking the place of the fallen High Havoral. Continuing their policy of diplomacy, Bosancovac entered into trade relations with Sarda while maintaining their existing ties with the Dragon Dominion.