Granites of Veltsgorsk
Overview
The Granites of Veltsgorsk are found deep in the mountains of Brez, in the Varushkan territory of Volodmartz. Custodianship of the Granites of Veltsgorsk grants an Imperial title; a seat on the Imperial Bourse; and a seasonal bounty of valuable white granite.
The Resource
In the mountains of Brez lie the open mines of Veltsgorsk. The white granite that comes from these mines is sometimes streaked with pink quartz - storytellers claim it is steeped in the blood of all those who have died fighting over Volodmartz in the past, and will help give life to nearby vegetation as a result. This makes it a popular choice among those Varushkans responsible for tending forest groves - as well as with many Navarr. Indeed, control of the quarry is partially determined by Varushkan forest owners; it is standard practice for them to sell their votes to potential candidates in return for an agreed share of the white granite over the coming year.
The workers of Veltsgorsk are a tough-minded, hardy breed, almost as hard as the granite that they mine. They mine the granite in big blocks, seeming to saw along the ground, before hammering in wedges that will break the granite into a neat, rectangular block. So practiced are they that each block needs hardly any dressing before it is ready to be stacked. Once broken from the mine, each block is raised by a team of workers, all of them aware that what they are raising is a block of pink granite easily large enough to crush them to death were any of them to fail in lifting correctly.
It is common practice for the quarry overseers to engage a storyteller to work alongside the labourers, calling out tales of the Varushkan heroes whose blood is said the suffuse the granite. As each block is raised, the cry of "Remember!" will reverberate around the mountains, shouted by both storyteller and worker alike. While some overseers have seen the practice as being a waste of money, and a distraction for the workers, stories claim that whenever a storyteller is not engaged, accidents among the workforce increase tenfold. At least one volhov who has visited the quarry claims that the presence of the storyteller, and the reverence for the past, is not mere superstition but actually helps to propitiate some (potentially) malign force associated with the quarry.
Prior to the start of 385YE, the Granites of Veltsgorsk produced only 26 wains of white granite each season. With the completion of the Iron Roads in Volodmartz, however, improved access meant they were capable of producing 28 wains each season.
appointed to the Seat Winter 377YE
The Bourse Seat
Responsibilities
The Seat has no particular responsibilities; they simply receive a bounty of white granite which is theirs to do with as they will. If the Granites of Veltsgorsk were to be threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Seat to deal with those threats. Likewise, if any particularopportunity were to arise related to the Granites of Veltsgorsk, the Seat would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.
Powers
Seat on the Bourse
Custodianship of the Granites of Veltsgorsk comes with a seat on the Imperial Bourse. For the most part, this Seat comes with no additional responsibilities. It is an Imperial title that grants the right to participate on the rare occasion when the Imperial Bourse as a body is required to make a decision.
Bounty of white granite
The Seat has control of a source of white granite and receives Bourse certificates to represent that control. They can dispense this resource as they choose. Production is 28 Imperial wains of white granite every season.
| Storytellers and Miners | |
| 72 crowns | 3 wains of white granite |
| 168 crowns | 6 wains of white granite |
| 288 crowns | 9 wains of white granite |
| 432 crowns | 12 wains of white granite |
Storytellers
The Inn of the Granite Stag, constructed by the Senate in Spring 386YE, enables the custodian of the Granites to hire more storytellers, not only to keep alive the long traditions of the seat, but also to encourage additional miners and thus the safe extraction of further wains of white granite. This functions as a ministry that allows the holder to spend money in downtime to accrue additional wains at the next summit.
Appointment
As with all white granite Bourse seats, the holder of the title is determined during the Summer Solstice. It is assigned to whichever Varushkan candidate receives the most support from Varushkan owners of mine and forest resources. Votes are recorded in private in conjunction with the civil servants who support the Bourse.
Custodianship of the Granites of Veltsgorsk is retained for a year, or until the citizen holding the seat dies, or steps down. An Imperial Bourse seat cannot be revoked by the Imperial Synod.
| Summit | Elected | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Solstice 386YE | Blazh Zbignev | 273 Votes |
| Summer Solstice 385YE | Blazh Zbignev | 233 Votes |
| Summer Solstice 384YE | Vitaly Grigorovich Dukov | 201 Votes |
| Summer Solstice 383YE | Vitaly Grigorovich Dukov | 207 Votes |
| Summer Solstice 382YE | Vitaly Grigorovich Dukov | |
| Summer Solstice 381YE | Vitaly Grigorovich Dukov | |
| Summer Solstice 380YE | Vitaly Grigorovich Dukov | |
| Summer Solstice 379YE | Zlatimir Prochnost | |
| Summer Solstice 378YE | Zlatimir Prochnost | |
| Winter Solstice 377YE | Zlatimir Prochnost | |
| Winter Solstice 376YE | Bohdan Ivanovich Bashry |
Recent Elections
This title is currently held by Blazh Zbignev; it will be reelected at Summer Solstice 387YE. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.