Borca

Borca is a nation ruled by noble poisoners, filled with poverty-crushed peasants, and ruthless social climbers. Borca is also, essentially, the birthplace of the Church of Ezra. The ruler, Ivana Boritsi, is said to be eternally young and beautiful, but her touch is death. Likewise, Borca is often regarded as a land of pastoral beauty that is rotten and foul beneath the surface.

Background

So far as history can tell, Borca's first ruler after it's discovery was Camille Dilisnya, and it passed to her daughter when Ivana Boritsi assassinated Camille. During the Grand Conjunction in 740 BC, Borca absorbed neighboring Dorvinia, ruled by Ivana Boritsi's cousin Ivan Dilisnya. Born on the same night and sometimes called "the Dark Twins," the cousins had long corresponded and considered themselves close friends. After their countries merged and they were forced to become co-rulers, however, they grew to loathe one another.

History

• 157 BC (Likely False History) A merchant-prince named Lech Cosco transforms a monastery of Andral into his own personal fortress. He names it Lech's Mountain.
• 314 BC The War of Silver Knives, a conflict between the Dilisnyas, Katskies, and the Petrovnas, purportedly begins with the Assassination of Lady Izabela Dilisnya. Pidlwik Dilisnya, her son, swears a vendetta against the foes of the family.
• 316 BC Count Barov von Zarovich commands an end to the War of Silver Knives and appeases the warring parties with gifts of land, though the war will still fragment Barovia in the face of the Terg invasion to come. Pidlwik bears lingering resentment for Barov as a result.
• 320 BC Leo Dilisnya is born. Like the rest of the children raised by Pidlwik, he will gain Pidlwik's hunter for power and hatred of the von Zaroviches.
• 325 BC Barovian armies drive back the Tergs from Borjia, leaving that region of Barovia to thrive when war engulfs the rest of the country for the next twenty or so years.
• 347 BC Last of Tergs driven out of Barovia.
• 349 BC Pidlwick dies, but Leo still carries his hatred and plots out a conspiracy against the Von Zaroviches.
• 351 BC The nobility of Borjia leave for the Wedding of Sergei von Zarovich. Whereas the absence of Borjia's aristocracy was supposed to be only a matter of weeks, it turns out to be a matter of centuries. The Mists cover Barovia, apparently due to the actions of Leo and his assassins. Modern Borcans, whom trace their origins to the Borjia of the Prime Material Plane, believe this marks the start of the Vacancy of Power. According to Borcan histories, during the Vacany of Power, Borca is imprisoned alone in the Mists due to the same curse that enveloped Barovia.
• 684 BC Borca forms due to the actions Camille Dilisnya. Native Borcans believe her to have delivered them from isolation in the Mists, thus ending the 333 year epoch of the Vacancy of Power. As the then-apparent sole heir of the Dilisyna rule, she is given uncontested ownership of all Borcan lands.
• 685 BC After Yakov Dilisnya convinces Camille to fund the construction of the Great Cathedral of Levkarest, a location is selected and building begins. The Church of Ezrais spreading across Borca.
• 694 BC By this year, Borca has transformed into a major hub of trade. This is due, in part, to the arrival of the Dilisnya Family over the past decade and the utilization off their social and economic ties.
• 698 BC The Dinner of Death. Yakov is among those poisoned by Camille. Blame upon her for the murder of their leader spreads far and wide among Ezra's faithful. Borca's streets erupt in open violence. Under advice, Camille quells the riots by building a monument to Yakov on church grounds and demonstrating great acts of (apparent) mourning.
• 701 BC Praesidia Donella Borovsky passes an edict declaring witchcraft as a force of corruption created by hags. This solidifies the Borcan position on the Church of Hala, one of loathing and distrust.
• 705 BC Borcan monk of Ezra turned heretic Renthon Vorishtok writes The Revelations of the Prince of Twilight.
• 706 BC Falkovnia invades, expecting the conquest of Borca to mark an easy victory. However, Camille and her ilk make short work of the invaders by poisoning their food even before the invasion. Thus the event became known as the Widow's Massacre.
• 709 BC The degenerate and murderous sororicide Ivan Dilisnya is exiled to the Mists. Dorvinia, a kindred realm to Borca and also thought to be a part of ancient Borjia, forms with him as darklord. Despite this date of formation, Dorvinians believe their realm emerged the same time as Borca.
• 711 BC Ivana Boritsi, daughter of Camille Dilisnya, researches to find a way to endow humans with poisonous touches. Nostalia Romaine volunteers as her first test subject, becoming the first ermordenung.
• 711 BC Camille is poisoned to death by her own daughter, Ivana Boritsi, thus marking the exchange of power from mother to daughter. Nostalia Romaine deliver of the poison with a kiss.
• 717 BC {Template:Potential-canon-small Starting on this approximate year, rumors start flying around about Ivana Boritisi giving birth to an illegitimate child
• 727 BC (Dorvinia) [[The Gold Claw Massacre}] In response to the rampant corruption in Ivan's court, Vlad Drakov initiates a raid on Levkarest and massacring hundreds. His soldiers loot and retreat back over the border, but tmost or all of them perish horribly from poison.
• 729 BC The Treaty of Four Towers. Both Ivana Boritsi and Ivan Dilisnya eagerly sign it.
• Template:Netbook-small730 BC A vampire slays Turk Mader's best friend. Mader pursues from Nova Vaasa to Levkarest and slays it with the help of Ronald Kranston.
• 732 BC Levis Andreyev discovers Elsepeth's guise as Madame Elsa by finding a doll containing the soul of one her victims. Elsepeth fleas Borca, but Levis also disappears some time thereafter.
• 732 BC Praesidia Kristyn Stoyista reverses the 701 BC edict issued by Praesidia Borovsky. However, ill feelings towards the Halans still linger dormantly in the hearts of many Borcans.
• Template:Netbook-small733 BC The Society of Huntsmen is formally founded in at Dengar's Retreat, a tavern in Levkarest.
• 734 BC A thief breaks into the Nuikin Family Estate, determined to get the spellbook of Aurek Nuikin. In Aurek's scuffle with the thief, a magical burst of energy goes off, leaving both thief and spellbook vaporized. The explosion transforms Natalia Nuikin into a statue.
• 739 BC Anton Boritsi perishes under suspicious circumstances. He is survived by his wife and two children (Hellena Boritsi and Bevel Boritsi. They take over his operations, including the branch of the Boritsi Trading Company still working out of Levkarest. Meanwhile, Count Sulo Boritsi moves his family (save for his eldest children) from Borca to Bergovitsa
• 740 BC Following the Great Upheaval, Dorvinia and Borca fuse together, thanks to the close presence of Ivan Dilisnya and Ivana Boritsi.
• 745 BC: The Great Cathedral is finished.
• 746 BC As Carnival makes its way through Borca, it picks up Roman Olzanik
• 747 BC The Jongleur comes into the service of Ivana Boritsi.
• Template:Netbook-small749 BC Blackblade is drawn into Ravenloft, specifically Borca.
• 751 BC Previously a floating pocket domain, the House of Lament settles down in the southwestern part of Borca.
• Template:Netbook-small751 BC or 752 BC Marcu Vasilis, a psionic Borcan gambler, is drawn into Bluetspur by the Illithid God-Brain. As his mind is being devoured, he telepathically reaches out to his love, Lidia Kurator. The God-brain feels her presence, and it sends out a biomanced duplicate of Marcu to get her.
• Template:Netbook-small752 BC (Approx.) Dr. Henry Masham, a native of Lechberg, injures himself in a medical experiment. His limbs are maimed such he cannot use them for surgery any more. Masham grafts dead flesh to repair the damage, taking his first steps down the path to remake himself as a Half-Golem. His activities are eventually discovered by a nurse, and he accidentally kills her trying to quiet her. Masham abandons his practice and goes to work caring for the poor in the slums of Lechberg.
• 752 BC Vladimir Nobriskov begins wooing Lady Gennifer after doing the same to her sister Lady Monique. At some point during the courting process, he murderers Monique. Template:Potential-canon-smallAt some point, his activities are discovered, and he is killed.
• 753 BC The Glutton of G'Henna appears in the hills east of Morfenzi and moves into Borca, attacking the hamlet of Vasey.
• Template:Netbook-small755 BC Captain Josef Zhitoff confronts the Bad Wind in Mavalga.
• Template:Netbook-small755 BC As part of an insidious plot to free itself, Thissallra Torr comes to Lechberg.
• Template:Netbook-small757 BC By this approximate year, the Weeping Rose Actor Society has made it big in society's underbelly. It has reached Borca, earning the approval of Ivan Dilisnya.
• 757 BCTemplate:Potential-canon-small By this year, Oton Boritsi is 33. He has joined the Church of Ezra. He plans a conspiracy to seize power over the Church with the help of his fellow Scions of Yakov Dilisnya
• 757 BC In response to the Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins asking her to relinquish the Deathstone, Ivana Boristi poisons Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove, then forbids the twins from ever entering Borca again.
• 757 BC By this year, the legend of the Night Swarm is well established in the Balinoks.

Flora & Fauna

• Adder's Tongue
• Silphium
• Passionflesh Fruit
• Caldura Rose
• Royal Morel
• Belladonna
• Dewplum
• Foxglove
• Hemlock
• Henbane
• Banewort
• Staggersap
• Strychnine
• Wolvesbane

Geography

File:Borca.png

Borca map by the MCS. Note: Since this fan-made map predates 3rd Edition Ravenloft, there are some inconsistencies with the more recent maps.

Titles

Borca is ruled by Ivana Boritsi and Ivan Dilisnya. It would be untoward, however, not to mention that the Church of Ezra has ruled the spiritual life of Borca since the church was founded by Yakov Dilisnya. Indeed, it would be attempts at bribery by Camille Dilisnya towards the church that created the schism that formed the First and Second sects of the Church.

The land, like neighbouring Barovia, essentially has a three tier system:

• the Lord and Lady of Borca, Ivana Boritsi, and Ivan Dilisnya.
• the Conte or Contessa of each city's overall holdings (which usually includes wide tracts of connecting wilderness)
• the Stapans that act on the wills of the Conte or Contessa.

Less officially, there is also the League of Nine, the rulers' dark hand. It is described in greater detail below.

Holdings

• Lechberg
• Levkarest
• Ilvin
• Sturben
• Vor Ziyden
• Chiara
• Vasey

The League of Nine

Somewhere in Sturben is the Cerulean Chamber, meeting place of the infamous League of Nine, a self-appointed court of justice composed of apothecaries from Borca’s ruling houses. When the law fails and duels are not an option, those who think themselves wronged can petition the League for retribution. No petitioner ever meets the League members in person. The Nine work through various proxies, and although they know each other by name, they ritually don cloaks and masks during their tribunals. So secretive is the League that many who have used its services are still unsure that it actually exists. If the League accepts a petition, the Nine convene to debate its merits. They mete out only one punishment: the subtle slumber. Within a month of the League reaching a decision, the “guilty” party will almost inevitably die of “natural causes.” On that day, the petitioner receives a bill for the League’s services, usually equaling half the legal fine for the victim’s murder.

These genteel assassins operate by several rules that are not well known to the public, however. First, the League' primary goal is to strengthen their own positions. They mete out “justice” as best suits themselves, so they will not execute members of their own families, nor will they strike directly against the sefs. Second, once a petition is made, the ruling lies entirely in the League’s hands. Should the Nine decide that the petitioner is the true wrongdoer, it is they whose end is near. The unwitting accused soon receives the bill, and they would be wise to pay it.

Blood Banking

Many Borcan banking houses insist that a borrower fill a small vial with her own blood, which the banker keeps until the loan is repaid. Most folk believe this is merely a symbolic gesture or intimidation tactic. It often is, but a few bankers can call upon dark forces to enforce their contracts — or know someone who can. Should a borrower attempt to renege on her debts, the bankers can use sympathetic magic — a technique originally stolen from the Vistani — to inflict grievous punishments from afar. The greater the debt, the more powerful a spell the lender is likely to use to ensure compliance. Debt collectors typically utilize troublesome spells like bestow curse or geas rather than deadly spells like flesh to stone or phantasmal killer; dead men cannot pay their due.