Ludz
 A noble Ludz during the 16th century | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Drevstran | 20.25 millions |
 Ostrozava | 2.31 millions |
| Languages | |
| Ludz and Lush | |
The Ludz or Ludzians are a Slavic Ethnic group native to Drevstran and who share a common ancestry, culture, and history and speak the Ludz language. They are related to the Polnitsians and the Ostrozavans.
There are currently around 20 millions Ludz in Drevstran, mostly in the eastern half of the country, representing around 40% of the total population. There are Ludz minorities in many other countries, but the principal community outside of Drevstran can be found in Ostrozava with 2 millions people.
Ethnogenesis
The early Slavs came to the region of Lake Kulpanitsa in several waves from the 5th and 6th centuries. The first recorded migration was in 428 CE brought on the collapse of the central Tervingian rule. Slavs were organized on a tribal level and fought both Cyneric tribes and the Gothic people of Tervingia. Following their success, many tribes settled around the Drev river and its tributaries. Their names remain unknown due to a lack of written sources until the Thraysian western expansion which conquered the coastline of modern Drevstran around the 520s CE. Many of the more inland tribes formed the Dravo Federation, named after its most proeminent warlord. While the Federation managed to keep its independence, it became a tributary of the Thraysian Empire until 70 years later, when it stopped sending their annual tribute and began plundering the coastal regions. By the middle of the 7th century, the Empire had lost all influence in the area. The lack of a common ennemy also resulted in the dislocation of the Dravo Federation and the resuming of petty warfares among slavic tribes. The legacy of Thraysia can be felt in the spread of Eastern Christianity but also in the construction of a united Ludz identity superseding tribal affiliations for the populations of the area.
The arrival of the Lushyods in the early years of the 9th century changed the relationships between the Ludz tribes. Attempts were made to unite against the new invaders, but all failed to either materialize or succeed in their goal. The majority of the Ludz, from the the Mren river to the Valley of the Drev, found themselves under foreign rule. They were not without representation in the Lush courts however, as the adoption of Christianity by the Lushyods allowed Ludz priests to serve in high religious functions, and ultimately have leadership role in the bureaucracy of the nascent Kingdom of the Drev. Many Ludz bishops served as advisors for the kings, favoring the hybridation of the two peoples' cultures. It's during this era that the Ludz gained officialy gained their name, as they had been known as the "Dravoslavs" by Thraysians chroniclers, when they weren't being grouped depending on their religious affiliations.
Medieval history
While the majority of the Ludz territories were conquered by the Lushyods, twelve coastal polities remained independent from the Kingdom of the Drev. These trading hubs were united only against the Lushyods and were otherwise in a permanent state of rivalry for the control of the trade flux with the east. However, over time, the relationship between the Lushyods and the Ludz became more peaceful, with marriage between Ludz and Lushyods princes and princess, as well as greater economic ties between the two states who shared a common faith. However, the Drevstag would continue to wage war periodically with the coastal cities but no longer for the sole purpose of plundering the region, but to support their allies and defend their interests in the area.
When the Ikonkivoyra began, the Ludzians cities became de facto allies of the Grand Duchy of Yugstran against the iconoclast Sevromark. However, this alliance soon became akin to a form of Protectorate, leading to revolts against the Grand Duchy. The defeat of the Ludz led to the annexation of their cities by their ex allies, as they were pushed away from their original holdings by the Sevromark. At the end of the Ikonkivoyra, during the 13th century, the Ludzian coastal lands and towns remained as part of Yugstran, now a protectorate of the Neo-Bayarids.