Desovo

Principality of Desovo Kneževina Desovo (Кнежевина Десово)
The Three-pronged blade of the Desovan emblem, placed before a globe representing defiance against all that would attack.
Motto		"Od tuge do snage, od poraza do pobede." - Sorrow to strength, Defeat to Victory.
Common Name		Desovo
Demonym		Desovan
Official languages		Laythi, Kalbanian
Currency		Royal Deisonar or Deisonar
Politics
Capital		Castasus
Government		Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
Regent		Ian Zanu
Demography
Ethnicities		88.9% Laythi 10.1% Kalban ~1% Other
Population		6,629,274
Area		41,557 km²

Desovo, officially the Principality of Desovo, is an independent nation located in central Veiid, sharing a border with Atreus and Novenad to the north, Fortis to the east, and Illishira to the south. The Principality was formed following the assassination of Clifford Desovo and subsequent reformation of the Republic of Desovo, conducted by the current regent Ian Zanu to stabilize the nation following the significant civil unrest following his assassination.

History of Desovo

The DCDC

In the 2120s, the economic situation in Laythia and Troakia had deteriorated significantly to the point that criminal fiefdoms had come to control peripheral territories of both countries, and their governments were too preoccupied with civil unrest to address the situation in any meaningful way. During this period of hardship, Clifford Desovo established the Desovo Civilian Defense Corps, also known as the DCDC, a paramilitary organization to maintain peace in the province of Medsous, in which his hometown of Polja was located. The DCDC would provide security that the government had failed to deliver to the surrounding area. In the years that followed, Medsous would become the safest province in the periphery, attracting others from surrounding provinces seeking shelter from the strife of the era.

Laythia Reformation

With the significant reform of the Laythian government underway, some of the regions in the area began to stabilize, resulting in the return of refugees to their hometowns and villages. Several of the refugees who attempted to return would find that during the civil unrest and subsequent reforms, a clerical error had resulted in the resident directories for several districts becoming lost. During the 2126 referendum, voting information was used to fill in the missing data, marking them as legal residents of Polja. The DCDC would attempt to work with the refugees to get their homes back; however, due to the violence that had transpired in the region, many of the homes had been destroyed, and the land had been sold or appropriated by the government for new housing developments.

Legal Issue, Alleged Treason

By 2132, the referendum had concluded, and the laythian and Troakian governments had signed the Fortis pact, uniting the two countries as one. While the newfound stability was initially viewed as a boon to the residents of Medsous, the now united government of the two countries, currently known as Fortis, began investigating the affairs of the peripheral territories. In August 2133, these investigations uncovered that at no point in time had Clifford Desovo been appointed as the governor or provisional governor of Medsous. As such, the DCDC was not a state-authorized peacekeeping division or law enforcement agency, and members of the new Fortisian government demanded that the DCDC immediately cease all activity in the region and that Clifford Desovo turn himself in for a formal inquiry into all actions taken during his unauthorized governance of the region. Initially, members of the DCDC, as well as Clifford, were amenable to the demands, as the most severe penalty was a fine, which was well within the organization's means to pay. The newly restructured government was also establishing a new peacekeeping force; as such, there would be no need to defend the region from roaming bandits. Unfortunately, three days after the demand was made, the government inspector sent to the region became inebriated in a local bar and was arrested by members of the DCDC following a bar fight, putting him in a detainment cell for the night. In response, minutes after his release, the inspector placed a call requesting arrest warrants be issued for Clifford Desovo, as well as other high-ranking members of the DCDC, claiming the citizens of Polja were being held captive, and being extorted by DCDC forces. This call would be placed on a recorded line in the lobby of the Polja Police Department office, where he had been previously detained. The inspector was detained once again to prevent the situation from worsening.

Attempted negotiations, assassination of the Negotiator.

To resolve the situation peacefully, and avoid life sentences for both himself and several others Clifford Desovo attempted to contact the government agents who initially issued the demands for the formal investigation, however as the DCDC had been labelled as a terrorist organization, the agents refused all attempts at communication, on that basis that negotiation with terrorists was not permissible, all future attempts to communicate via phone received only demands of unconditional surrender. One member of the DCDC, Jadimir Dovtrovic, who had close ties with several former and incumbent members of the Laythian government, offered to negotiate on behalf of Clifford and the DCDC. At 7:21 AM, Jadimir would depart Polja for the city of Medsous. At 8:01 AM, while on the highway, his vehicle was struck by an unknown weapon, breaking off the front left tire of the vehicle. His car veered into oncoming traffic, and he was struck by a passing utility vehicle. Attempts were made to resuscitate him by a passing doctor who was on his way to Polja; however, the crash had killed him on impact. A member of the DCDC, who was following at a distance, reports that a car parked by the side of the road rapidly left the area following the incident. This report matches several other witness statements. To date, the perpetrator has not been caught; however, most investigations have concluded that the perpetrator was most likely a Laythian Intelligence Bureau agent, as Jadimir was driving in a vehicle registered to DCDC. Laythia attempted to deny all responsibility, and to this day Fortis refuses a property inquiry into the assassination by claiming the car struck a piece of road debris, and it was in a state of disrepair; however, all declassified images of the scene taken by both LIB agents, aswell as nearby witnesses do not show any debris on the roadway, and although maintenance records for the vehicle could not be located, it was known to be maintained personally by a DCDC mechanic known for his diligence and work ethic.

Departure from Laythia

Following the assassination of Jadimir, Clifford held a meeting with DCDC Commanders, aswell as several community leaders in Polja. After six hours of debate, it was determined that a future in Medsous was not a viable option for members of the DCDC. Over the coming weeks, members of the DCDC would depart the borders of Laythia for central Veiid. The territory of central Veiid was at the time still governed by the New Kalban Republic, however, the NKR had also suffered from the deterioration of the region, and recovery for the southern territories was almost certainly impossible. Several warring micronations had formed in the interim. One of these nations, the New Laythia Union, which had been founded by members who had chosen to flee during the upheaval of the 2120s, readily welcomed members of the DCDC, aswell as the former Laythi citizens that followed.

Establishment of the Republic

The Republic of New Medsous was formally established in 2140, with Clifford Desovo winning the inaugural election and becoming the Republic's first and only president. In the following years, Clifford would push for industrialization and revitalization of the region. Due in large part to these reforms, the surrounding areas sought to join the Republic and were ultimately welcomed as districts in the newly founded country. The de facto leader of the largest states was Ian Zanu, who, upon gaining a seat in parliament, ran for deputy chairman of the republic, which he ultimately secured.

The Six Month War

Assassination of Clifford Desovo

The Pike Incident was a significant event in late 2150 involving the RMSS Pike, the first of a new class of low-Kerbin-orbit research and transit shuttles. Clifford Desovo was delivering a live speech aboard the Pike, a mission intended to bolster national security and promote militarization.

Seven minutes after achieving orbit, and just thirty seconds into Clifford's speech, an explosive device detonated in engine #2 of the Pike, resulting in a loss of stability and an uncontrollable spin. Two minutes after the explosion, the shuttle began re-entering the atmosphere. Despite the crew’s attempts to regain control, the spacecraft suffered structural failure and disintegrated during re-entry.

Following the incident, authorities launched an investigation into the ground crew responsible for engine maintenance. The investigation revealed that the lead fueling technician had links to Fortis. Under interrogation, the technician confessed to planting the explosive device on behalf of the Fortis Intelligence Bureau (FIB), to prevent Clifford Desovo from unifying the Republic. The technician also identified several other Fortisian agents embedded within the government of New Medsous. Many of these agents were subsequently apprehended, interrogated, and imprisoned. However, some managed to escape the country with assistance from Fortisian operatives, evading justice.

Engagement

After the lead perpetrator admitted to assassinating Clifford Desovo on behalf of Fortis, Deputy Chairman Ian Zanu invoked the Emergency Defense Act and assumed the position of acting president. The Republic demanded formal reprimands and the extradition of those responsible from Fortis. Following Fortis’s refusal to comply, the Republic deployed three armored divisions across the eastern border to apprehend the suspects. The Fortisian government responded by mobilizing its military forces, leading to open conflict between the two nations. Several military engagements ensued over the subsequent months, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.

Stalemate

After six months of hostilities, the conflict reached a stalemate. Desovan forces succeeded in reclaiming the region of Medsous, reaffirming its historical claim. However, further advances were impeded by difficult terrain and severe winter weather, which disrupted logistics. The recapture of Medsous prompted the return of thousands of displaced Desovans, many of whom resettled in the major city of Polja, which had remained largely intact following its capture early in the conflict.

Medsous Incident

The Polja Sarin Attack, known commonly as the “Medsous Incident,” was a mass-casualty terrorist incident that occurred in Polja on November 23, 2151. The attack involved the use of a stolen DC-12 passenger airliner and the deployment of sarin nerve agent over a densely populated urban area.

Background and Preparation

On November 20, 2151, a Hook Brzinair DC-12 airliner was stolen from a regional airport in the Republic of Medsous, and flown to an unknown location. Two days later, on November 22, a military research facility in Fortis was seized by an armed group, who subsequently stole approximately 30 liters of sarin nerve agent intended for weapons development, along with several other military assets.

Attack

On November 23, 2151, at approximately 11:07 AM, the stolen DC-12 was flown over the city of Polja. A large explosive device was detonated aboard the aircraft, splitting the airframe and releasing a substantial quantity of sarin gas, which quickly spread over several city blocks. The initial release of the nerve agent resulted in an estimated 25,000 fatalities.

Impact

Following the explosion, debris from the aircraft struck multiple residential buildings, igniting fires in several multi-story structures. Many of these buildings, constructed during the previous Lathian regime, featured Commune-Block design, which was highly susceptible to fire and offered limited evacuation routes. Emergency response efforts were severely hampered, as the nerve agent incapacitated most motorists and rendered roadways impassable. Cold weather conditions caused the gas to linger for days, further increasing the death toll, particularly among those trapped in buildings. Fatality estimates range between 45,000 and 55,000, though exact numbers remain uncertain due to incomplete census data amid ongoing conflict.

Perpetrators

Following the attack, during the cleanup of the wreckage, two passports belonging to Drakke Svono & Jocxya Nicholsa, known members of the Tachystani Liberation Front, were discovered. Combining this with witness statements from both the hijacking and the security footage from the weapons military research facility confirmed them as the perpetrators. Two years into the cleanup of Polja, the cockpit DVR was discovered in the wreckage. A transcript was released by the FIB and DSDB in 2153 as part of a briefing known as the "Medsous Incident DVR"

Establishment of the Principality

Pan-Veiidic Commonwealth

In 2192, the principality joined the Pan-Veiidic Commonwealth as one of the founding countries, aiming to protect the nation and its people from Fortisian aggression.