Bulgaria
Overview
Bulgaria was a Balkan nation that existed from 11 November 2018 to 11 November 2019.
Geography
Bulgaria had two primary environments. The eastern, more settled half of Bulgaria is known for its rolling hills, pastoral oak and birch forests, and large deposits of podzol, while the western portion is of a wilder biome, covered with much denser forests of oak and spruce as the rolling hills transition in to the Balkan Mountains. The Danube River formed the northern border of the nation.
Infrastructure
There were two major towns in Bulgaria, the capital Turnovo and the slightly smaller coastal town Varna. At the Tsar's decree, all buildings in the nation are of Medieval or Neo-Byzantine style.
The nation is crisscrossed by a series of gravel and stone roads for ease of transportation through the dense forests. The main borders with Byzantium and Romania are clearly demarcated by the walls of Constantinople and the Danube River, respectively. While the border checkpoint with Byzantium is free for passage, heavy socio-political tension between Bulgaria and Romania forced close monitoring of the Danube checkpoint. Meanwhile, the East-West European Line, a now defunct ice and rail line that used to connect Turnovo, Paris and other capitals.
Bulgaria was home to all the necessary amenities for a safe and comfortable life. The imposing Turnovo Citadel was the chief administrative building and central hub of the nation, providing safety and public storage and smelting space for its citizens.
Political Standing
Despite its relatively small geographic area, Bulgaria was at its zenith very densely populated, with a population comparable to its considerably more spacious southern neighbour, Byzantium. Due to this, as well as its position at a hub of a network of roads and railways, Bulgaria functioned as a hub for international trade, most commonly with Byzantium, but also frequently with France and former Baltoslavia. However, Bulgaria recognized its desirable position, and was armed accordingly to repel any attack.
In terms of international relations, Bulgaria enjoyed a friendly relationship with France and Byzantium due to their frequent trade and connections, and more noncommittal but nonetheless warm relations with its northern neighbours of Poland and Baltoslavia. Bulgaria’s international image was generally positive do to its lack of scammers and illegal raiders, as well as its once notable shop. Owing to a series of border disputes and political disagreements, tensions between Romania and the nations of Bulgaria, Poland and Baltoslavia. These tensions were the flash-point for several battles and uprisings in Romania in the early months of TerraNova, and hat the time attracted international attention, especially after the November 11 2018 border incident.
Bulgaria officially has neutral relations with former Nazi Germany, but internal opinion at the time showed a distrust of the nation due to their political ideologies and vocal support of Romania. Meanwhile, as a member nation of the now defunct NATO and a victim of several terrorist attacks, Bulgaria is openly hostile towards the Islamic State and voiced its approval of the Armenian retaliation against ISIS.
History
Pre-History:
The founder and ruler of Bulgaria - SimonTheCrafterI, referred to as Simeon or Simon and known on discord by the name - Sik'j began preparation for the creation of his state like many others, by making the discord - Tsardom of Bulgaria and discussing land divisions with others who are doing the same. His previous experience in EarthMC was as a citizen and prime-minister of the country of Earthera, the TerraNova direct descendant being the Solomon Empire, ruled by IanSpace71. He earned the rank after the previous prime-minister, Pansebjorn was kicked from his post for attacking oceanian colonies of Germany without a proper casus belli and without permission from IanSpace, which led to Ian starting a voting process for a new prime-minister in which Simon won.
Simon managed to complete a couple of projects in the nation such as the creation of a large mob-grinder known as the "Kubrat Grinder", make a villager farm and try organising the capital of Mergopolis.
During his time, he managed to create a group known as the National-Technocratic party, which consisted of people which he was close with in the town such as theFlamd, Cheeseknife, OzoneTacoLegend and ClayDaBoss. Others would later loosely join, but these would be the primary ones. They would all later defect from IanSpace's nation and moved to Antarctica, founding "Eis Stadt" gaining new members such as Valaraukar and Grandpapa_Nurgle. All these people, besides ClayDaBoss would later join the Bulgarian Tsardom discord server and would transfer into Terra Nova as members of Bulgaria.
Pre-server launch period:
Before the creation of his in-game country, he began prepearing a discord "Tsardom of Bulgaria" and discussing land divisions with other future leaders. The primary discussions were done with the rulers of Byzantium - Florene and Justinian and the ruler of the leader - ScaryDragon of the nation known as the Eastern Union, which would later rename itself as Baltoslavia and who's latest name change is that to "Minskan Rus".
Simon was originally offered by the Byzantines to become a governor of Moesia (North Bulgaria), which he denied and pushed for his nation to span modern Romania, Moldova and all the way to the Balkan Mountains, similarly to the early years of the first Dunav Bulgarian Empire. Which was agreed. Discussion were also made of Simon and Bulgaria being a part of a Roman Federation aka a part of Byzantium with a couple more future nations at the beginning with the purpose of using an increased town chunk claim limit to expand more and better protection from being united with other states in this federation. The plan was to eventually declare independence at one point, but the federation idea fell completely flat once the server was launched.
The player ScaryDragon had a claim conflict with Simon for a time regarding Moldova, declaring the land as a part of his nation and that he has planned towns for the region. Simon wished to also add lands from Ukraine which were historically Bulgarian but let this claim go once ScaryDragon approached him. For the next couple of days, he would try to make a deal with ScaryDragon regarding Moldova where he can keep it. This deal was eventually made where Simon had to pay a sum of gold, around 20 ingots, at the time a large amount, and make an alliance with ScaryDragon in exchange for Moldova. This deal however would never be completed by both once the server launched, because the area would become a low-claim priority because of distance from both nations, internal conflict within Baltoslavia and the country of Romania being formed between the territory and Bulgaria.
Nomadic period:
SimonTheCrafterI spawned in Quebec and Immediately began moving towards the Balkans. He walked towards Newfoundland and sailed towards Europe. entering the Mediterranean sea through the Strait of Gibraltar and finally reaching Constantinople where he was greeted by a byzantine who he knew known as HereForThePizza. Later he would travel towards the Bulgarian lands and begin mining for gold to create the town of Turnovo which he chose to become the future capital of Bulgaria. He received help from a person whose name is now forgotten, but who gave Simon 5 golden ingots. This person would go offline soon after giving Simon the gold and be so for the following days and appear once stating that he helped make the town of Turnovo, but would not be heard from or seen again. The town of Turnovo was finally founded on the 1st of November 2018.
City-state period:
After founding the settlement of Turnovo, SimonTheCrafterI declared himself Tsar of Bulgaria, a title only confirmed by his allies in the Byzantine Empire, so more or less he was a voyvod, a lesser ruler or warlord.
(Tsar deriving from the Roman word Caesar, meaning Emperor.)
The first person he invited to the town was the man known as Habstrakkt, who would help the settlement and quickly integrate. Simon would invite others from his discord - Tsardom of Bulgaria, those being Valaraukar and Grandpapa_Nurgle. Valaraukar was declared the "kavhan" which is the bulgarian title for second in command in the nation, but because of his long absence later on, would be replaced by Habstrakkt who proved himself as a skilled builder and town administrator. The others from the old "Eis Stadt" group would join later, with Cheeseknife joining first after the mentioned above, followed by OzoneTacoLegend and finally by theFlamd much later.
During this period the town of Turnovo would invest in the creation of Tirana, with SimonTheCrafterI giving it's future founder Hampusk8, 5 gold ingots in order to earn his trust and possibly integrate him into Bulgaria in the future, but this idea would be abandoned as Hampusk8 proved to be an unstable individual who would annoy other Balkan nations who thought of himself as above them. He would make demands to the people in Bucharest to give him loot which angered them and led to them killing Hampusk8 with lava buckets. Hampusk did not annoy Bulgaria the same way as he did the other nations due to Simon’s contribution.
heat1804, know simply as Heat or HeatyMeaty suspected Turnovo as an ally of Hampusk and thus a threat, which would lead to the beginning of sour relations between the two towns and later on, countries.
National History
Notable events in Bulgarian history include the November 11 border incident and finding of the first dark oak trees.
On 11 November 2018, a large skirmish broke out in the border checkpoint between Bulgaria and Romania over the Danube river. Heat1804, in an effort to prevent raids from Albanians moving north through Bulgaria, built a cobblestone wall along the Romanian side of the Danube river. Habstrakkt, councilor of Turnovo initially assumed that it was an attempt at griefing with a cobblemonster, and responded with blowing up the structure with TNT. This action would later be chastised as not being a proportional response. Within minutes, the situation had escalated to the point that confused citizens from both sides were being called to the frontlines, many not knowing what had caused the skirmish. Romania received reinforcements from Nazi Germany, while Bulgaria was supported by volunteers from Krasnodar. Romanian forces were driven from the Danube river all the way to Bucharest, while Krasnodar forces destroyed trees and roads with TNT. After making contact via discord, both sides withdrew, and Bulgarians repaired the TNT craters left behind by Krasnodar and dismantled fortifications outside Bucharest. This incident was the largest, first and last direct confrontation between Romania and Bulgaria. Future engagements north of the Danube river would be caused by Poland and the former Baltoslavia.
In late 2018, it was announced that the first dark oak trees were being placed, with three in the Nile delta and three in southern Bulgaria. Finding two of the six trees, Bulgaria became one of the first nations to possess this resource.
In January 2019, the Great Balkan War took place between the Tilted Powers (including Romania and Austria Hungary) and numerous Byzantine aligned nations. Bulgaria at this time was heavily underpopulated, and could not field a significant force in the battle, save for a few volunteers. Bulgarian opinion was also neutral in the war, due to the Tzar not being present to push for a particular political stance. Some volunteers supported the Byzantine side, while others participated in Red Cross activities. The old red cross tent is still partially present south of Bulgaria, preserved in its outer claims
After the Balkan War, Bulgaria descended into inactivity. A skeleton crew was maintained for the remainder of the year to prevent the nation from collapsing. Many of the oldest members from the days of Mergopolis had become inactive or emigrated to other nations, and some members such as Zaroquen and Habstrakkt moved far to the northeast to create what was initially called the colony of Siberia. Cheeseknife remained waiting some months longer in Bulgaria to monitor Varna and the new Tsar in Turnovo, should Bulgaria ever become active again, eventually leaving when it became apparent that the newer tsars did not want to continue managing the nation. When Xander became inactive, Paco01was selected as Tsar, who also became inactive. At this point, most of the Bulgarians that had moved to Siberia had lost the sentimental ties holding them to the area, considering Siberia their new home. Bulgaria was eventually sold to the Byzantine empire.
Today, Turnovo and Varna (now Odessos) are in Byzantine management, remaining dormant. The nation of Bulgaria was later sold, and its capital was moved north of the Crimea, being renamed Ukrainian Reich. Following this event, the First Bulgarian Empire came to its close.
Government
Tsar (Former): SimonTheCrafterI
Tsar (New): Xander_Prime
Mayor of Varna (Former): Cheeseknife
Mayor of Varna (New): SkeletonPepperon
Other Major Citizens:
- Valaraukar13
- GrandpaNurgle
- Dakoko
- ultra_death
- Zaroquen