Mythopoeia: A combined Nation and Godgame RP now recruiting

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Original recruitment thread here: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/540.842654-Mythopoeia-A-combined-Nation-and-Godgame-RP-Now-closed?page=1

Mythopoeia is an RP about player controlled gods and nations interacting and developing in a new age of Myth. Engaging in (among other things) war, political turmoil, colonization, the gift of magic (in various forms) and technology (in others). It's been running for a few months now and is still going strong though a few players have left for various reasons. Given the scope of the RP it needs a fairly sizable number of players to stay running so I am reopening recruitment.

-No godmodding, controlling other peoples characters, and so on. Be respectful of other players, it?s just a game so try not get angry or frustrated at other players when/if things don?t go your way.

-Posts should be of decent length, this shouldn?t be hard seeing as you will have either an entire nation to post for, or a deity.

-Consistent posting, I expect people to post at least once a week, if you don?t post for a week an event will happen to explain your nation/god?s inactivity and if you go another week without posting then you will be removed from the game. If you have a nation something will happen to destroy it, and if you have a god then they will fade away. If you know you aren?t going to be able to post for some reason then let me know and you won?t have to worry about such things befalling you.

-Please try your best to keep player and character knowledge separate, this will likely be especially difficult for nation players as they will have a lot of characters but just do your best.

Rules for Deities

Overview

The system gods will use for character generation and resolution is Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ).

Standardized Divine Qualities

One of the biggest problems about a game of this type is that people will often place their qualities into categories and then proceed to completely disregard them. There are also catch-all qualities that, when looked at by some players, would suggest that they pretty much may as well be used damn the consequences.

A Dominion(s) or Domain(s) [+X] - This is what composes your deity. This is their primary reason for being in existence, and is a broad category type of quality.

Domains / Dominions

This is your deity's realm of expertise. While all gods can use their relevant domains to modify this thing we call existence, they will find it more difficult to try and use their domain in a way which it wasn't intended. (Indeed they may find that their efforts may backfire completely.) The following is a listing of a few domain categories and domains. This by all means is not an all-inclusive list! Some domains may even overlap such as the domain of "nature" and someone with a domain of "natural magic". Feel free to mix and match or come up with concepts of your own.

FUNDAMENTAL FORCE: Life, Death, Creation, Destruction, Protection, Good, Evil, Light, Darkness, Order, Chaos, Law, Anarchy, Decay, Change

NATURE: Natural Phenomenon (Storms, Lightning, Volcanoes), Elemental (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, etc.), Natural (i.e. Forests, Deserts, Mountain God, Oceans), Cosmic/Celestial (Sun, moon, stars), Disease, Toxicity, Pollution, Evolution,
Generic: All of Nature

MAGIC: Shamanistic, Nature, Blood, Ritualistic, Runic, Lore, Hexes, Curses, Arcane

EMOTIONAL CONSTANT: Love, Hate, Strength, Compassion/Mercy, Justice, Vengeance, Sorrow, Joy, Pride, Corruption, Redemption

CIVILIZATION: War, Diplomacy, Architecture, Artistry/Arts/Inspiration, Education/Learning, Kings, Royalty, Government, invention

SPIRITUAL and MENTAL: Oracle, Wisdom, Knowledge, Secrets, Dreams, Insanity, Madness, Deception, Revelation

FUNCTION: Murder/Assassination, Hunters/Stalking, Trickery/Con-artistry, Thieves, Blacksmithing, Craftwork, Merchants, Strife, Corruption, Redemption, Chance, Luck

More examples:

A good domain description:
Death: There is an end to all that is living and it is the god of death, this domain ensures the natural end to all things.

A bad domain description:
"The Cat Drops the Kettle in Hay": Being of the only living cats and last of the nine lives gives catgod the power over "The Cat Drops the Kettle in Hay" and "feet paws at the head of a sick man" (GM thoughts: wtf, is this death?)

This list comes to me from previous godgames, and contains various things that would simply be more trouble than they?re worth in a game.

Time - Too hard to keep up with and do well both for the GM and the Player. Also, it wouldn't do justice to the game or the player.

Inanimate Object-Style Domains - "I am a swordgod of godswords." - No one wants to worship a pet rock and it is just about as interesting.

Being Multiple Beings or Constant Shifting - "I am a sentient dining room set, I am through states of being twins, I am a series or group of things. I am a baby then a man and then an old man." - It gets confusing! Stop it!

Opposites, Balance, Equilibrium - They're never done well and the players who pick these NEVER accomplish anything other than being annoying to the other players.

Plain Mindless or Mindless Destroyers - Gods without minds are like the pet rock example above. Mindless destroyers or destroyer gods more often or not simply destroy have no character. If you do submit a destroyer god MAKE IT GOOD!

Atheism - Really? In a GODgame?

Pacifism - Just more trouble than it's worth.

If you have an idea that you?re worried falls too close to these feel free to voice your concerns either in a PM or in the forum and I?ll let you know if I?ll allow it or not.

Name: Your god's name and title(s).

Picture: Worth a thousand words.

Bio: How did your god emerge into the world? Try to give a sense of who they are as a character as well.

Domain: +2 [Whatever] then a brief description of it. How would you use this domain to perform an action? To attack another ranked PC/NPC? To defend against another ranked PC/NPC. Keep in mind that the domain bonus will not apply to actions not related to it. You will be able to acquire new domains, or strengthen an existing domain as you gain worshippers.

Drawback: -2 [Whatever] Be careful of your wording.

Core Value: Optional. The most important thing to your god. It can relate to your domain or your drawback, though it does not have to. This is mostly there to help with character generation and direction.

What you want out of the game: Basically your intended playstyle and what you expect/want out of the game.

On gaining certain levels of worship a god will advance in power, gaining either a new +2 domain or improving an existing domain?s modifier by +2. A god can reach up to +10 in total bonuses overall, but if they lose enough worshippers then they will lose the power gained from them. The threshold for how much worship is needed to advance in power will be set after all sheets have been accepted.

Gods are allowed one major action each round, with a round ending either when all players have taken their action(s) or when a week has passed since the start of the round. A round begins with a GM post giving the results of actions taken.
Effortless: no roll, not counted as actions
-Conjure up a small quantity of anything
-Talk to someone
-Take on a physical avatar, gods may only have one avatar at a time
-Listen to mortal prayers
Difficulty: 5 Cost: 1AP
-Place or remove a blessing/curse on a single mortal for the term of his/her life.
-Creating a -2 or worse magic item.
-Identify a magic item in your possession.
-Scry an area the size of a large room.
Difficulty: 7 Cost: 2AP
- Place or remove a blessing/curse on a small group of mortals (less than 50) for their entire lives.
-Creating or altering a one-off living creature smaller than an elephant.
-Changing the weather temporarily (eg make it rain, cause a hurricane, etc).
-Teach a technology or system of thought to mortals that will offer minor benefits
-Break a weak enchantment.
-Scry an area the size of a village or neighborhood.
Difficulty: 9 Cost: 3AP
- Place or remove a blessing/curse on a large group of humans (several hundred) with permanent, ongoing effects.
-Creating or altering a one-off living creature bigger than a blue whale.
-Creating or altering a non-sentient species smaller than an elephant.
-Constructing a large building by divine hand.
-Teach a technology or system of thought to mortals that will offer moderate benefits
-Introduce a major change to the world's structure or its atmosphere without thought of the consequences (eg adding a new island or lowering sea levels, etc.)
-Break a moderate enchantment.
-Raise a small number of dead mortals (less than 50)
-Create a weak permanent enchantment (difficulty 7, immediate area of effect)
-Scry an area the size of a town or small city
Difficulty: 11 Cost: 4AP
-Find a mortal who is capable of hiding from you.
-Creating or altering a sentient species roughly comparable to a human.
-Creating or altering a non-sentient species larger than an elephant.
-Causing major changes to the topography of a land.
-Teach a technology or system of thought to mortals that will offer significant benefits
-Grant transmittable immortality of a sort to a small group of humans (eg vampires; immortality with a major instant-kill weakness, basically)
-Grant genuine immortality and invulnerability to a single human. They will gain the quality Immortal +0 as long as their god still lives. This does not include superpowers (eg the ability to break out of a prison cell).
-Find a powerful entity which is capable of hiding from you.
-Create a moderate permanent enchantment (difficulty 9, immediate area of effect)
-Scry an area the side of a Large City or a town and surrounding countryside.
Difficulty: 13 Cost: 5AP
-Summon a volcano, rain of fire or other devastating land-focused event.
-Create a +0 magic item.
-Teach a technology or system of thought to mortals that will offer enormous benefits
-Break a strong enchantment.
-Scry an area of several cities/towns.
Note: all gods are aware of DC 15 and above actions
Difficulty: 15 Cost: 6AP
-Create a new rule, or disable one of the existing rules of the universe in a small area (eg gravity, existence of magic etc)
-Introduce a major change to the world's structure or its atmosphere without causing any lasting damage to the world (for example adding a new island)
-Scry a nation in its entirety.
-Create a +1 magic item
Difficulty: 17 Cost: 7AP
-Create a +2 magic item
-Create or alter a sentient species vastly superior to a human (GM and player to agree on any bonus/es, eg immunity to disease, invulnerable to certain types of weapons etc)
-Break an incredibly powerful enchantment.
-Create a strong enchantment (difficulty 13, immediate area of effect)
Difficulty: 19 Cost: 8AP
-Create an incredibly powerful enchantment (difficultly 17, immediate area of effect)
-Scry the entire realm
AP (Action Points)
Every god will start with 15 AP, and their AP will restore at the beginning of each new season, though this amount isn't set in stone and may be adjusted to balance things as the RP goes on.

AP (Action Points)

Every god will start with 15 AP, and their AP will restore at the beginning of each new season, though this amount isn?t set in stone and may be adjusted to balance things as the RP goes on.

Avatar: The physical form you manifest as. You may only take actions when in avatar form.

Bless- A lasting positive action performed on a mortal or group of mortals.

Create Race(non sentient)- Whether it be large medium or small, please be pretty clear about it's form and habits. Carnivorous rabbits or beetles the size of a T-Rex for example.

Create Race(Sentient)- A mortal race roughly equivalent to humans in intelligence and ability. It should be noted that a created species cannot provide worship. This action is still under some consideration as to whether it will be allowed or not.

Curse- A lasting negative action performed on a mortal or group of mortals.

Enchant: A sustained magical effect over an area. Break DC will always be 2 less than the DC used to create it. Can just be present or have a focal point like a physical object.

Forge Magic Item(Ranked 1-2): Through increasingly considerable costs and effort you forge a magic item capable of wielding a fraction of the power of the gods. Please think carefully about these. -2 to +0 magic items are magic items (along the lines of something you might see in D&D) that have useful power for mortals but not for gods.

Scry- To use divine senses and powers to search over an area.
Note: Please ask 1-4 clear, concise questions you hope to have answered by the scry.

Should two gods wish to fight each other directly they will make opposing rolls and use the following rules to determine what happens to the loser. As with all conflict if the players involved want they can forgo rolling and simply discuss what would happen and agree on an outcome.

-As normal, the difference of the attack roll minus the defense roll equals the number of ranks lost.

-However, you cannot be destroyed outright by the outcome of a single skirmish. Instead, should a PC be dropped to 0 ranks they will lose all of the AP in their pool(basically out of play until the next age), the winner can choose to confer an additional drawback(to be discussed with opposing party and GM. Example: in D&D histories Corellon wounding Gruumsh's eye) if they wish.

-Attack/Defense for both sides will be resolved at the same time, so nobody has to jockey for attacking first.

Imprisonment: Should a god run afoul of many others, if the opposition should so choose they can imprison the target in a demiplane(DC19 action, the likely overwhelmed defender gets a free opposing roll or normal cost final action). This effectively ends a character's run and is kind of a big deal.

Rules for Nations

Nation Name:

Capitol Name:

Territory description: (What the geography looks like, desert, plains, forest, ocean etc. Please specify an area on the world map where you would like your nation to be located (the world map will be posted below))

Nation Perks: (Up to 2 perks)

Nation Flaws: (Must have the same number of these as perks)

Short History:
___________________________________________________________________________

Race Name: (This is optional, should you choose to have your nation be composed of a nonhuman race)

Race Description: (Include as much detail as possible on the race in your nation. Appearance,
biology, society, etc)

Race perks/flaws: (up to 2 positive perks, must have equivalent number of negative flaws. Remember humans are considered the baseline when creating a new race. These are mostly for the purposes of fluff, and more distinctly indicating how your race differs from humans, but its possible they might come up in a more substantial way as well.)
___________________________________________________________________________

Social Values (Social engineering of your kingdom. Go into detail about it.)

Government: (What type of government do you have?)

Economy: (What kind of economy do you have? Free market? Planned? Green?)

Religion: (What religious beliefs did your nation hold before the old gods vanished, and what do they hold now?)

Military: (What is the predominant method of military thinking of your nation?)

Ideology: (What are the significant cultural values of your nation? Wealth? Power? Asceticism?

Honor? Feel free to mention competing ideologies within your nation as well, if they exist)
___________________________________________________________________________

Major Characters: (For leaders, heroes or other viewpoint characters you might use. You can make new viewpoint characters as the game progresses, but you should have a few to start with)

Name:

Race:

Personality:

Short History:

Each round each nation can take up to three actions. All actions can be taken secretly with the exception of culture actions, attacking, sieging, settling, and upgrading a settlement.
Espionage
-Conceal a character from the gods (costs 4 wealth, and prevents them from being targeted by the gods unless they are uncovered)
-Counter-espionage, uncover a foreign agent
-infiltrate another nation; put an agent into place (needed to perform the espionage actions below)
-Spy on another nation, learn or steal their secrets (this can be learning some of their research or learning about secret actions they've taken.)
-Sabotage their progress in another area
-Attempt an assassination
Military
-Launch an attack
-Launch a raid (this is an opposed roll where the raider takes 1 wealth from the target for each success they have over them, they can suffer their own losses if they are beaten severely enough though.)
-Lay siege to a city, or attempt to break a siege
-Reinforce or garrison a location (costs 2 wealth, 1 for defensive nations)
-scout an area (to gain an advantage on an attack, or to make it safer to settle)
-Train an elite unit (costs 2 wealth, said unit must specialize in either open combat, scouting, or sieges, and can only be used to assist one action each turn. They can be deployed freely once trained and grant an extra die to whatever action they are assisting with, but can be lost if losses are suffered during the battle).
Diplomacy
-Send a diplomat (yes your diplomat could also be a spy, though you still need to spend an action for infiltrating as well as sending the diplomat)
-Trade with another nation (at least one side needs to have a diplomat in place for this or the lower action to take place)
-Form a formal treaty (could be anything from a long standing trade agreement to an alliance. You can have an alliance without this, this just serves to make it official.)
-Hire mercenaries (for each point of wealth spent gain an extra die on the next military action)
Development (some development actions may take multiple attempts to complete)
-Research a new technology
-Improve an existing technology
-Implement a researched technology (costs 1 wealth for each success needed to research it)
-Establish a settlement/colony (costs 2 wealth and 1 food, must have sufficient pop.)
-Upgrade a settlement to a citadel (costs 3 wealth and causes the citadel to reserve an extra point of population, but removes a die from siege attempts against the citadel)
-Stockpile food or take food from stockpile (stockpiled food is not removed by the springtime reset, but also does not count towards bonus pop growth)
Culture (culture actions are free and do not cost an action, many of them are fluff actions you could use to show the flavor of your nation)
-Encourage or discourage the worship of a god
-Demonize a god (this allocates a portion of your nation's worship to reduce a chosen god's worship by the amount allocated)
-Create a holiday or festival
-Commission a work of culture (art, food, music, etc)
-Record something (a myth, history, etc)

There are four main resources nation players have to handle, each is very abstracted too keep the system simple and easy to manage. All these resources can be traded in different ways, and such trades are a diplomatic action players can agree on. The levels of starting resources will be assigned at the start of the game, and can be affected by your nations perks/flaws, though keep in mind the nations will start relatively small to begin with so they have plenty of room to grow over the course of the game.

Population: This represents how many people are in your nation, though the exact number will never be stated (a pop of 10 might mean around 10,000 people for instance but it?s not an exact count). Population determines how much worship your nation can offer, and affects other resources in different ways. It increases at the start of each spring by 20% (this percent can be increased by different things) provided you have enough food to allow expansion.

Wealth: This resource indicates not just the amount of money a nation has at its disposal but general resources. Wealth is needed to perform a variety of actions, and you gain more wealth from territory.

Food: This resource represents food production and the ability to feed your people, not simply a giant pile of food your nation holds. If your food is equal to your population come spring then your population expands, if it is less then your population does not expand and some of your people are going hungry which if not addressed may begin to lower your population and makes some actions more difficult in the meantime. If your food is greater than your population then your population will grow faster. Each spring your stock of food is set to a number determined by your territory. Finally food is required for certain actions.

Territory: This represents the area you control, as well as the value of that area (so a large area of desert might equate to a smaller area of more hospitable land), and is increased primarily through gaining settlements either through making them or through conquering an existing one. Territory controlled determines how much wealth you gain, and what your food sets itself to each spring. The maximum amount of territory you can control will be determined by your population.

When an action is taken that requires a roll the player taking it will roll a number of D6s, the default being 2d6. Any roll that is a 5 or 6 is counted as a success, though some actions may take multiple successes to succeed. Anything that makes the action easier, be it improved technology, a nation perk, an god action assisting, and so on can add extra dice to roll. Things that make an action more difficult would either add another success to the number needed, or reduce the number of die allowed (in the case of opposing rolls). In instances where players are rolling against each other the one with the most successes wins, the number of successes they have over the other player determining how much they succeed by. In the event of any opposed action the players can instead discuss and write out what happens without rolling if they want, though both have to agree to how it works out in such a case.

Warfare- Warfare is a particular example of opposing rolls, smaller battles like skirmishes will be a case of a single roll, but larger affairs may take multiple actions/rounds to be concluded. It should be noted that if a player attacks with their army the defending player does not need to spend an action to defend. While in general warfare will be handled somewhat on a case by case basis it should be noted that resources of all types can be gained through combat, in particular capturing a city will gain some of every resource (though if your nation decides not to take slaves they won't gain any population from it).

Technology- Developing/improving technology is a special case, as some developments might take multiple rolls to finish, but previous successes are counted towards the number needed. Advancing technology is one way to gain additional dice, but in the case of opposed rolls if both sides have equivalent tech neither gets an extra die for it.

Magic: Magic is the province of the gods alone, and as such there are no mages and while a race may have a magical aspect to them it can?t be very strong. Of course it is entirely possible that by the actions of one of the new gods a race might gain some magical power, the specifics of which would be determined by the action taken to grant them such. The magical workings of the old gods have all but faded, so any workings of theirs upon a race or location would be either gone or left extremely weak.

Technology: The starting level of technology is roughly that of the Ancient Greeks. Bronze is the metal of the day, medicine is not very advanced, ships, horses and roads all exist to facilitate transportation, and so on. If you need more information about a specific technology feel free to ask.

Every four rounds the season will change, for the purposes of this summer and spring are lumped into one season, and winter and fall are lumped together into another. Winter makes certain actions more difficult, in particular military efforts. While spring on the other hand comes with population growth among other changes, every season change Gods get their AP restored and nations gain wealth.

The amount of population a nation has determines how much worship it can create for a god, or multiple gods. If a nation decides to worship more than one god then the worship is divided evenly among the gods they worship. In addition multiple nations can worship the same god, though such a thing could eventually create conflicts of interest. The thresholds of how much worship is required to advance in power will be set once all players have been accepted.

More specific rules exist of course but this post is large enough as is, but if you have questions feel free to ask. I will be posting the current god and nation sheets as well as the current world map.

Each player can be have a god or a nation but not both (if you want to submit a sheet for both that?s fine, but you?ll only be allowed to have one or the other in the game). I will provide feedback on sheets as they are posted here and the list of newly accepted sheets will be declared at the conclusion of recruitment in roughly two weeks. A time skip will occur in the RP itself in order to introduce the new nations/gods to it. Finally I am looking for about two or three new god players and one or two new nation players. As a side note I will not be around from the 6th to the 14th so I won't be able to provide feedback during that time.
 

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Ray-Das - White
Raptor States - Grey
Deep Tribes - Black
Aurora - Red
Sammah Ajihva-Tahna - Purple

White building is Qartoq manor (Qartoq was the goddess of death, who has since left the game)
Black building is Silverroot University, a living building created by Gangari to aid the nations.

Nations

Nation: Holy Auroran Empire, known colloquially as Aurora

Race: Human

Head of State: His Imperial Majesty Kaius III, by Grace of the Gods, Emperor of Aurora, King of Kings, Light of the World and Son of Heaven

Capital: Nova Verde

Territory Description: The Holy Auroran Empire exerts it's dominion over three large islands, a number of smaller isles and on a coastal strip that lies on the continent to the west of the Auroran Archipelago. See the map below for more details.

The nation's relatively small land area is compensated by the fact that most of the land in Aurora is very fertile and green, with tropical forests covering the parts which are not urban or farmed. The climate is warm, with regular rainy and dry seasons. Geologically, the region is somewhat unstable and there are several large volcanoes dotted across the Archipelago.


Nation Perks:

Aurora rules the waves: Aurorans are seafaring folk and are adept at all marine-based activities, peaceful or warlike.

Loyalty unto death: On the whole, Aurorans are deeply loyal to their nation and will willingly give their lives if ordered to.

Nation Flaws:

Zealotry: Your average Auroran will react angrily and even physically violent towards an individual expressing an idea considered heretical by the state.

Resource poor: Aurora has relatively few mineral resources and so depends on colonisation or trade to obtain these goods.




Appearance: Aurora is only inhabited by humans but within this race there are a variety of different ethnic groups. Ethnicity is not considered as important as class in determining an Auroran's status, but the majority of the nobility tend to be Novaren by heritage. The nine recognised ethnic groups of Aurora are:


[li]Novaren - 25% - The descendants of the freed slaves from Turok's fleet, Novarens are typical pale skinned with dark brown to black hair, their eyes can be brown, green or blue. Many display features seen in the native ethnicities of the Archipelago, due to intermarriage in the seven hundred years since their arrival.[/li]
[li]Tianese - 23% - Native to the island of Tian, these people are short and tan-coloured with almond-shaped eyes, typically black hair.[/li]
[li]Maian - 16% - Indigenous to Maia, these people resemble their cousins the Tianese but on average are taller and paler. This may be partly due to significant intermarriage with the Novarens. [/li]
[li]Samosan - 12% - From the island of Samosa, Samosans are medium to dark skinned, often with dark frizzy hair. They claim to be partially descended from the original inhabitants of the Archipelago, who were driven to extinction millennia ago with the exception of the Kashim Isles.[/li]
[li]Mainlander - 8% - A fairly new addition to Aurora, these people originate from the new colonies to the West of the Archipelago and range anywhere from pale to olive skinned, usually with dark hair and eyes.[/li]
[li]Peshenese - 7% - Native to Pesh, they resemble the people of Tian and are believed to be closely linked to them.[/li]
[li]Mixed Ethnicity - 5% - A minority of Aurorans are too mixed to be assigned to one ethnic group, Novaren and another ethnicity is the most common combination[/li]
[li]Kashimi - 3% - From the Kashim Isles, these people are the darkest skinned of all Aurorans and have almost exclusively the frizzy hair also found in many Samosans.[/li]
[li]Toro Islander - 1% - These rare people are found only on Toro and the surrounding islands, they resemble Maians and Tianese strongly but are far shorter, with few taller than an average human ten year old.[/li]

Regardless of ethnicity, most Aurorans dress in the same manner: in light coloured togas and tunics, and even less if the weather permits. Serfs often farm just wear loincloths in the summer months and swimming and public bathing are generally done nude. All male Aurorans are circumcised for aesthetic reasons.

History: The origins of the Auroran Empire stretch back over seven hundred years in the past, when a warlord from the West, Turok the Bloody, sailed his fleet through what in the future would become known as the Auroran Archipelago. What he did not foresee was that the slaves who made up the majority of his rowers were plotting a coup lead by a particularly wily slave named Matthias, and in the middle of a violent storm they made their move. Less than an hour later, Turok and his crew's corpses were being thrown over board and the freed slaves found themselves lost in the middle of the churning ocean, with no idea where they were or where to steer. Suddenly through the darkness Matthias spotted a bright star with a red gleam, he instructed his people to aim the ship towards the glowing light. They followed the star and to their surprise, the storm abated and on the horizon they saw an green and pleasant uninhibited island, which in time was named 'Verde'. The star was taken to be a sign from the gods that they were destined to survive and Matthias became the first 'Father' of the people, later posthumously recognised as the first Emperor.

The records for the first two hundred years of the new colony's life are patchy, there was little time for writing and the Aurorans were almost wiped out by famine and disease at-least twice. What is known is that around four hundred and fifty years ago they first colonised the island of Maia, the larger brother of Verde, planting crops in it's lush green Eastern meadows. Here they came into their first extended contact with the native Maians, who largely lived in a pre-agricultural society. The natives were quickly out competed by the settlers and within a couple of hundred years the vast majority had either converted to the Auroran religion and swore allegiance to their leader, who by now titled himself Emperor, or were driven to extinction.

In the present day, the entire Auroran Archipelago is under the control of the Empire, the islands of Tian, Samosa, Pesh, Toro and the Kashim Isles all either conquered or voluntarily submitted to become Auroran. With the newfound multi-ethnicity of their nation, the original Aurorans have come to call themselves 'Novaren' or 'new people', to differentiate themselves from the other ethnic groups who live on the islands. Within the last fifty years, the colonisation of the mainland to the west of the islands has begun in earnest and now much wealth is found in these new lands. Driven by a religious fervour, it is unlikely the expansion of the Holy Auroran Empire will cease any time soon.

Social Values: Aurora is intensely patriarchal, with inheritance rights exclusively passed down the male-line. Women cannot own property and are legally bound to obey their husband (or father if unmarried), unless doing so would break the law. The family and the state are the two pinnacles of Auroran society which all else depends upon. Children, especially sons, are particularly honoured and mistreatment of youth is considered among the most heinous of crimes. As is often repeated across the nation, the most honourable life an Auroran can live is 'to have many healthy sons and then die in service of the Emperor'.

Relationships are also male-oriented, a man can take as many wives as he can support but a woman may only have one husband. In reality, multiple wives are usually only found within the nobility. Women are expected to remain faithful to avoid falling pregnant with another man's child but there is no social expectation of monogamy for men. Sexual relationships between men, and even with boys, are common and often continue after one or both partners are married. The pleasures of homosexuality are endorsed in many traditional Auroran texts, but with the caveat that it is expected that the partners will eventually each marry a member of the opposite sex so as to carry on their family name.

Government: The Aurora Empire is an absolute monarchy, headed by the Emperor. The Emperor is chosen in a complex religious ceremony from all the male-line descendants of Aurora's original 'Father' Matthias and once chosen reigns for life. There is no principle of abdication. In theory the ceremony is to determine who the spirit of the Father has passed to, in practice the choice of individual is intensely political, depending on the most powerful nobles and families at the time. It is not uncommon for the position to be granted to a young child as a compromise between the most powerful competing factions. Once enthroned, the Emperor is believed to be the living incarnation of a god and in all matters his word is final.

There are currently eleven Princely Families who contain male-line descendants from the Father, though this number varies over time as some families produce no male children and others produce enough to split into two or more families. All potential heirs are entitled to be a Prince, the head of each recognised Princely Family is titled as High Prince. Below the princes there are a menagerie of noblemen, some the descendants of tribal chiefs who swore sovereignty to the Emperor in exchange for his protection, others commoners who were promoted for great deeds. These noblemen control the lives of the majority of the population, each ruling his own little fief with considerable autonomy.

Economy: The Auroran Empire has a largely feudal economy, with the majority of the population farming or fishing for a living. Metals and jewels are generally traded from other nations, in exchange for fine clothing, elaborate wood furniture and rare spices which only grow in Aurora. The Aurorans command a large fleet of trade ships which travel around the world, selling and bartering goods as they go. They are also known for taming whales and larger dolphins for riding short distances between islands. Economically, Aurora is strongly divided by class, the main four classes are as follows:

[li]Nobles - 1% - The top tier of society, the nobles hold the vast majority of wealth and power in Aurora. They range anywhere from princes who are almost monarchs in themselves, to poorer local barons who depend on taxing their serfs to maintain their house.[/li]

[li]Freemen - 19% - Freemen are untitled ordinary citizens, but unlike serfs they are free to travel anywhere they wish within Aurora. Many are merchants, others form the backbone of the feared Auroran army and navy. A successful freeman may be awarded a title of nobility, or more often, buy his way into the upper classes.[/li]

[li]Serfs - 68% - The bulk of society, serfs are tied to the land on which they work, and must ask their noble master's permission before leaving. They also must sacrifice a percentage of their produce, typically around 10%, to their master annually in exchange for him protecting them and maintaining rule of law.[/li]

[li]Slaves - 12% - The lowest rung of society, slaves are actually owned by their masters and are bound to obey their every command. They have very few rights under law. Slaves comes from a variety of sources, some captured prisoners of war, others convicted felons, many more simply born into the class. Some slaves, particularly those of royalty, actually lead a better life than many serfs but pay for it in another way: a good number are castrated to ensure their loyalty and those who aren't are often used for the sexual pleasure of their owners.[/li]

Religion: Religion in Aurora is surprisingly heterogeneous, with the Novaren's gods often sharing temples with the local deities of the native islanders. Popular gods include Vera the Fertile, Marcus the Warrior and Roe the Trickster. This comes with a caveat though, all Aurorans are expected to worship the Emperor as the incarnation of a living god and not making the appropriate annual sacrifices to him is considered grounds for banishment or execution, depending on the severity of the heresy.

Beliefs about the after-life are hazy but most Aurorans believe in reincarnation and ancestor worship. It is thought that good deeds and loyal service in this life will result in a better life in the next.


Military: Aurora maintains a fairly large military, a requirement for protecting it's outer colonies from attack and quashing any rebellion against the Emperor. Much of the military is naval-based, with both larger ships for transporting hundreds of foot soldiers at a time and smaller boats fitted with archers and sometimes catapults. There is also a significant land capacity however, including cavalry and siege weaponry. Typically, the Aurorans prefer quick surgical strikes and careful tactics as opposed to brute force in warfare.

Soldiers themselves come from all classes, with high command always comprising of the nobility and foot soldiers a mixture of hired mercenaries and conscripted serfs and slaves. Recruitment to the military is encouraged with the belief that if an Auroran dies in service of the Emperor, they will be greatly rewarded in the next life.

Ideology: The ideology that is taught to all Aurorans from a young age is that service to the family and the state is the most important duty in life. This is largely tied in with the religious teachings of the Empire, that Aurora is divinely blessed and destined to eventually conquer the entire world. Most Aurorans are fervently loyal to this ideal and dissenters often have to be taken into custody not only for punishment if they refuse to recant, but also to protect them from vigilante attacks by their own fellow Aurorans.

Name: His Imperial Majesty Kaius III, by Grace of the Gods, Emperor of Aurora, King of Kings, Light of the World and Son of Heaven

Age: 18

Race: Human

Appearance: A stick thin youth with slick black hair, Kaius maintains a haughty air when performing his royal duties. When in public he is invariability dressed in heavy imperial robes, otherwise in private he wears lighter gold-laced togas and tunics.

Personality: Kaius is naturally quiet and studious, preferring to read about a subject deeply and think before making decisions. Even after five years he doesn't feel entirely sure in his position as Emperor and doesn't trust most of his court either, with the exception of his mother and younger brother. He can be prone to flying into rages when things don't go as he planned, however.

Short History: At the age of 13, Kaius suddenly found himself thrust onto the throne when previous Emperor Sirius II finally surrendered in a long battle against dementia. His own father having been slain in battle a year earlier, at first the youth was happy for his uncle, the son of Sirius High Prince Octavius, to continue his role as Prince Regent but as he approaches his late teens he gradually becomes tired of the elder statesmen and resolves to claw back power for himself.

Name: His Majesty High Prince Octavius, Prince Regent and Duke of Pesh

Age: 52

Race: Human

Appearance: Octavius is tall and despite his middle age, lean and muscular. He wears simple, unadorned clothing and customarily carries around a dagger everywhere he goes as a reminder of his time in the military.

Personality: A ruthless and ambitious man, Octavius has little time for pomp or ceremony and prefers to get straight to the point in any matter. To put it simply, he prefers the freedom of being the power behind the throne rather than the man constantly in public view. Privately, he has compared the position Emperor to being a slave in golden chains. He is calm and collected in a crisis, showing minimal emotions to allies and friends alike.

Short History: Eldest son of Emperor Sirius II, Octavius had already been the effective ruler of Aurora for over a decade before his father's death, and before that an accomplished general with a plethora of victories to his name. It was little surprise to any canny observers then that the next Emperor chosen was a fatherless minor who had few objections to Octavius continuing in his role as Prince Regent. As Kaius reaches adulthood however, it becomes clear he is losing patience with his uncle's grip on power and sooner or later someone must give...

Name: His Royal Highness Prince Maximus, Duke of Verde

Age: 7

Race: Human

Appearance: With bright blue eyes, messy black hair and an inquisitive expression, Maximus is a typical Novaren boy. When he isn't forced to dress ceremonially, he usually wears a white tunic with a wooden sword tucked into the belt in the same manner adult Aurorans wear their blades.

Personality: Mischievous and energetic, Maximus is often seen running around the palace corridors, much to the chagrin of the domestic slaves. He adores play-fighting and detests all females who aren't his mother. Particularly as his father died when he was still an infant, he is very attached to his older brother Kaius and sees him as a role model.

Short History: The younger brother of the Emperor, Maximus is more concerned with avoiding his private tutor and his elder brother's attempts to marry him off to a foreign Princess than court intrigue. As a power struggle germinates between his uncle and brother however, the boy finds himself caught in the middle of a rapidly spiralling drama that threatens the stability of the Empire itself.
 

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Nation Name: The Raptor States

Capitol Name: Silver Claw

Territory description: With the exception of Silver Claw, the Raptor States are perched on the lips of a valley. The valley parts gently revealing Silver Claw in the middle. In the center of valley is Silver Claw which is separated into three parts by a forking fresh-water river. From above, the Krakaris see a resemblance to a claw of which they named the city after. The city spills to either side of the valley with its cliff-faces even holding houses. The valley is lush enough to sustain the Krakaris and accessible to everybody by its roads that follow the rushing river. The valley is wide and gracious to the Krakaris, allowing them to fly with ease from either ends of the valley. The either ends of the large valley are occupied by the more affluent of the Krakaris with their manors and large houses at either end of the valley. To the Krakaris, the valley is known as the "Nidus Valley". The river that runs into the valley stretches all the way in to the ocean and is wide enough to accommodate barges.

Nation Perks:

Mercantile- The trading families of the Raptor families have their pockets in many clients across the known world. Krakaris merchants fly across everywhere and bring with them riches and influence that may come with being friends. The bird merchants are wherever the money is and if they can fly there then they can have business there.

Subversive-Krakari "subtlety" is well-known and they feel themselves almost born for subterfuge and espionage. Their natural night vision helps them peer into the darkness at their targets and their natural flight helps them track them down with ease. A Krakaris assassin needs no blade to do their killing. Years of acting underneath their treaty has made them used to acting covertly.



Nation Flaws:

Divided-Only a few families control the Raptor states but even those families have a difficult time cooperating with each other. Each family holds a grudge towards another that they are not willing to let go. Money and power may sway these families as easily as the wind would when they are in flight.

Indulgent-The Krakaris are infamous for their indulgent nature. The wealthy families are even more notorious for their endless stomach for all things they can get their hands on. They insist on throwing lavish parties and festivities even in times of war and a Krakaris' thirst is never quenched. It is a wonder that the rivers of the Silver Claw haven't dried up already.

Short History: Before the Raptor states, the Krakaris weren't truly all in one place. They all wandered from place to place trying to sate their hunger and following the gods. When they weren?t migrating, they were fighting each other for resources. Then they came upon the Nidus valley and the tribes joined in meeting to consider this place to be their home. The deliberation was long but the decision was clear. Silver Claw was founded where the tribes of the Krakaris met. The old claimed that the old gods themselves tore at the earth's flesh and dug them out a paradise to settle. All the major tribes swore to never take up arms against each other so that they may prosper.

Several hundreds of years later and the tribes remain but now as the Raptor families all heading their own state. The valley is separated into their own spheres of influences. The Krakaris may have sworn to never fight against each other on the battlefield but that didn't exclude the shadows. Assassinations and back stabbing spilled enough to blood that made an actual conflict seem less dangerous in comparison. All the blood was shed usually in the name of business. When the Krakaris started going around the realm to trade they brought back profit. Each of the families sought their own profit leading them to plot against one another. The criminal underground has never thrived so much more better when the Old Gods left. When they finally stopped answering their prayers, the Krakaris were at each other's throats more often than ever. It would take a miracle to unite the Krakaris or maybe enough gold.

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Race Name: The Krakaris(plural), Krakar(singular)

Appearance: Long, lean and lithe, the Krakaris are an avian race with feathers and all. Their feathers vary from one Krakar to the other much like hair or eye color in humans. But instead of humans, the Krakaris are covered in feathers. Their face carry large eyes used to spotting prey from afar and beaks from when they had to tear them apart. The Krakaris descend from birds of prey so their beaks are strong and hooked at the end. Their hearing is better than normal but not abnormally good.

Their necks turn from side to side like a regular human being but they have a natural hunch in their back whenever their attention isn't piqued. When they are detecting noise, searching, listening intently or trying to intimidate something they raise their necks and reveal their true height. When they spread their wings, their wingspan are almost double their height. An average male Krakar is usually between five and six feet tall with the females between four and five feet tall.

Their arms are deceptively long but are usually tucked at their sides with their small hands in the middle. Their arms are actually proportional to their bodies but muscle exists beneath their hands that hold the rest of their wing making it seem like they have their hands in the middle of their wings when at full length. Their hands are long, wiry digits with three fingers and a thumb with a perpetual cold feel to them despite the Krakaris being warm-blooded. They fold their arms and keep them at their sides making their wings tuck neatly next to their body. It acts as a natural cloak if need be and water usually slides right off their feathers.

The Krakaris have very strong legs that bend slightly backwards with talons at their feet. Their talons are sharp and deadly and help the Krakaris get a good grip of earth alongside helping them hang off of things. They have a very recognizable sound when they walk especially on flat stone or marble floors which is why rich merchants usually dread having Krakaris over in their lavish mansions. Their talons tear and grab instinctively and of recently the wealthy Krakaris dip their talons in bronze, silver or gold to show their wealth.

The Krakaris still lay eggs and are fiercely protective of their young. They guard their eggs with their life and when the eggs are hatched, they care for them deeply. Often the parents of a newborn egg will guard their offspring until the baby emerges from the egg. The initial period where the baby emerges from the egg are when the parents see the characteristics of their child. A child may burst out of an egg showing their strength or even crack the egg at certain places to weaken the structure to signify its intelligence. But newborn that do not emerge at all are cast down.

Perks:

Natural Flight- Their gift of flight is a wonder to see. The Krakaris fly at high speeds and for long periods of time enabling them to cover large distances of land. A Krakaris can cover a swathe of land in a day that a walking man might need a week to traverse and not even a strong Krakaris either. Simply gliding takes little to no effort for any Krakaris but they still have to be wary of the winds. A strong Krakaris is as helpless as an insect when caught in a sudden gale.

Night Vision- Darkness does not hinder their progress as the eyes of their ancestors are tuned for hunting not only in the day but in the night as well. Their large eyes allow them to see where there is no sun either at night or in dark caves. Because of this, they do not fear the darkness for they simply see right through it.

Flaws:

Fragile- A Krakaris' body is meant for flying rather than fighting. They may have strong legs to tear and kick at their enemy but their arms are too unwieldy to properly swing a sword. Not only that but all Krakaris are pampered from birth until they are allowed to fly and even then, their parents are very cautions. This sort of parenting have spoiled a large amount of Krakaris and makes them less hardy in difficult conditions. A popular phrase concerning the Krakaris is "A Krakar doesn't fear the darkness but he fears the rain more so than any man would."

Hastened metabolism- A Krakar must feed constantly and often. To fuel their body's ability to fly, the Krakaris must keep on eating which fuels their hunger for more despite already having enough as it is. If they do not eat then they slowly die and are unable to fly. This hunger has carried into politics as well.

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Social Values: Hard work is valued with the Krakaris but wit is even more so applauded. Each Krakaris seeks to further themselves in their lives and they dream of living on top of the valley where the rich families have lined the cliff face with lavish houses. To the Krakaris, they all emerge from the bottom of the valley where their forefathers signed a treaty and decided to stay. From there they see how far they are up valley as to their social status. Some Kraskari make it and others don't and they stay at the bottom of the valley floor.

For the richer families the tribe mentality still remains strong. Families don't marry with one another as they rather keep their own bloodlines pure.

The Kraskari are tied close to their families, calling back to their tribal origins. A patriarch or matriarch runs the entire family alongside any business they may well have. Once the patriarch or matriarch get to a certain age, they pass down that title to the children of the next generation. The successors are usually determined by age following ability the ability to lead if age isn?t an issue. The patriarch or matriarch inherits the wealth and business that the last generation made and one of their first duties is to evenly distribute the wealth among her generation. The tradition is usually honorable but instances where a sibling unlawfully becomes the head of their family are not unheard of.

Ever since the treaty that brought all the tribes of the Krakaris under one flag, the Krakaris honor it deeply. The tribal conflict that preceded their uniting brought forth many dead and none of them wanted that period again. So instead of civil wars, the Krakaris simply work beneath the treaty and relied on covert actions for their family to succeed..

Government: An oligarchy runs the Krakaris. The richest families have the most say in what the nation does since most of the nation works for them. The families provide protection and food for the regular Krakaris if they work for them and remain loyal to them which often leads to most choice in deciding which family to work for. An assembly is held by the elders of the powerful families to inform each other of what is going on and make decisions. Then those elders relay those orders to their sons and daughters who usually run their families when they grow too old to run it.

The main families of the Krakaris consist of:
The Aquilas(white feathers)- Most powerful of the families and their ancestor was the Krakar who united them all in the first place. They see themselves as the balance bringers and arbiters to the Krakaris. Their family members also are judges for the courts. The other families respect them for their lineage and modest amount of wealth. Their household army is the largest in order to protect all of the Raptor States and defend Silver Claw to the death. All families offer tribute to the Aquilas as a share of their profit.

The Strixs(Blue feathers)- A merchant family with an eye for the sciences. They are always looking for ancient artifacts to trade and sell. They welcome the patrons of the science with open arms. They are the most knowledgeable of the families and usually the best of the families to interact with since they are very open minded about a large number of subjects. They sponsor libraries and schools for the Krakaris.

The Kraai(Black feathers)- Another merchant family but with a taste for blood. They sell weapons and armor to all who seeks conflict. For a heavy price they sell the use of their own household guard. Their household army is the most experienced since the Corvus lend them to their clients very often. They also own the vast majority of furnaces and blacksmiths in the valley.

The Oscens(Red feathers)- The wealthiest of all the families. Most of the regular Krakaris are under their employ and with their large workforce, the Oscens own most of the farms and lands in the valley. The Oscens also own the docks and ferries that need to transport large amount of goods that regular Krakaris can't carry on themselves. The Oscens not only hire regular Krakaris but foreigners as well and offer them a place to stay in Silver Claw.

Economy: A mostly free market ruled by all the major families with the Aquilas watching over the markets to make sure that the deals are fair and proper. With the range that the Krakaris can travel, places they can travel is vast. The river on the Silver Claws also stretches far enough that the Krakaris use the river to transport heavier goods. Their wings really help bring products to and fro allowing them to really cash in on business ventures.

Religion: Before, the Krakaris believed in "The Great Wind" which was an ethereal being that controlled the wind and therefore controlled where they went when they used to be a migratory race. Followed by that was "Urdu" which was the talon that tore a hole in the sky which is identified as the sun. When they found the Nidus Valley, they thanked Urdu for tearing the earth to reveal an oasis for them to settle in. They thanked the Gods "Jhokar" for their vision and "Zae " for their wings who are represented as eyes and wings respectively. "Taerys" was their god of combat and war who is represented by a red talon.

Ever since the old Gods, the Krakaris have been looking for new Gods to honor with the Strix family searching diligently. The Strix see all knowledge as equal and whether it be religion or science, they consider it all quite useful to have although the main reason for the Strix seeking it is to make more money by possibly constructing temples or statues for profit. Believers of their old ways still exist but are their numbers dwindle as time goes on.

Military: The Krakaris prefer swift and deadly tactics. Their primary military doctrine is base around the "Wing and the Talon". The wing represents their swiftness and agile ability while the talon refers to their quick but deep strikes. The Krakaris soldiers are trained to hunt for officers and commanders to kill outright. They see the breakdown of discipline as their key to victory and often they will engage in frequent harassment tactics like targeting supply lines in the dead of night. Each family has a household army and guard that protects them at all times. They are trained and outfitted with the best equipment that money can buy. Often the family will send out units of their household army to assist a client or charge them extra for increased protection. In times of war, the most eligible of any household will lead their armies to do battle and it isn't unheard of for a family member to go off with the household guard to fight in battles far away from their home.

In terms of combat, the Krakaris sharpen their talons and tip them with pointed bronze. Then they cover their hands with gloves with elongated metal tips and sharpened to a point to stab at their enemy which resemble a second set of talons because of its length and sharpness. They fly at high speeds and slash at the enemy.

Their armies are partially professional with each Krakaris needing to own some land in order to enlist although some families dangle the prospect for more land to entice soldiers into their own household ranks. Once enlisted the Krakaris train diligently in a barracks until given to different household armies. By default, a soldier with no preference joins the household army of the Aquilas since it is they that watch over their entire lands.

Ideology: Wealth(Oscens), Power(Kraai), Compromise(Aquila) and Knowledge(Strix)

Name: Aerya Aquila

Race: Krakaris


Personality: Often sees herself as venerable because of her age and wise because of her family. The latter may be debatable but her seat among the assembly wasn't a wrong position to put her in. Aerya is among the oldest of the Aquila but also the most attentive. She has to be when she has to deal with the other three families and sometimes her own kin. She is direct and straightforward as she usually finds all the subterfuge more befit to a show.

Short History: Aerya was the eldest child of the new batch of Aquila children and with being the eldest there were expectations placed on Aerya that she sought to match the second she was born. Aerya educated herself and became a judge. She oversaw numerous trials but her most difficult trial was dealing with the bandit leader that killed her brother.

Using all her strength, she gave the bandit leader a fair trial. This earned both respect and controversy from some families especially from the Oscens who suffered directly from the bandits. Instead of sentencing the leader to death, she sentenced him a life of work. The leader was supposed to live such until he was found choked to death in his prison cell. Investigations yielded no suspects but she had a feeling that Yoren Oscen was behind the it since that family had used such clandestine agents before. But she doesn?t have sufficient proof to sentence such an influential family so she remains suspicious of their entire family. She also keeps a grudge against the Kraai for getting her brother killed.

Now she rests on the seats of the assembly where she converses with the other elders of each influential house.
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Name: Khyber Kraai

Race: Krakaris


Personality: Aggressive and ambitious, Khyber is either the worst Krakaris to bet against or the best one to make a profit from. He is headstrong and impulsive like his father of which he looks up to the most maybe even too much. He yearns to make his father proud of him no matter what. Because of this Khyber often goes with his household guard to fight and kill for his family's name.

Short History: Khyber burst from his shell and tore apart the shell showing his parents how strong he was. His mother and father were proud to have such a strong son. His father recognized his strength and tenacity but chastised his aggressiveness. His father saw it as foolish of him to be such a flush of emotion. His father claimed that true prowess came from control rather than rage. So Khyber trained and trained as much as he could.

When a dangerous bandit clan began to attack their trade convoys, Khyber jumped on for a chance at proving himself. His father allowed him to take a portion of their household guard to take care of the bandits but he also asked one of the Aquilas to advise Khyber. Aulen Aquila agreed and took a portion of his household guard to assist Khyber. Khyber proved to be an able commander and warrior as he successfully hunted down the bandits.

But when it was time to apprehend the bandit leader, Khyber rushed forward to meet him. To his dismay the bandit leader was a battle-hardened Krakar and a much better fighter than he had hoped. The Krakar landed a glancing blow on Khyber resulting in a grisly scar. Before the Krakar could continue it was Aulen who intercepted him. Sadly, Aulen perished to the bandit as well before the bandit was seized by several of Khyber?s guard. The bandits were all killed or imprisoned but the death of Aulen soured the relationship between the Kraai and the Aquila.

Now, Khyber?s scar has partially healed but the feathers haven?t grown back since and a horizontal line marks his face that draws contemptuous looks from his father. A look that he seeks to turn to pride.
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Name: Cawles Strix

Race: Krakaris


Personality: Curious of everything around her, Cawles goes with her sisters to learn about the knowledge that the world holds around her. When she isn't out and about, she is at home reading what she can or learning what is possible to be learnt. She is even more fascinated by the culture of other civilizations along with different religions. She already knows about the religions of yore and she seeks to know more about other people as well. Her curiosity often gets the better of her which can lead to hasty decisions. But her condition as the eldest sister, Cawles was taught to be as the matriarch of the next generation. Cawles is also easy to talk to and converse with because of the vast amount of subjects she is versed in.

Short History: Cawles poked curious holes from her shell giving her parents a hint of who their child really was. At first, her parents thought that her curious nature would make her shy but those fears were dismissed when Cawles went about the entire household guard and asked them questions. Cawles was easily sociable with a range of people and she was eager to learn all that she could.

This curiosity turned to adventure as she ventured out to learn about the world around her. Whether it be from reading history or venturing around the valley, her guards had a hard time keeping up with her.

Now she takes tutors in learning about diplomacy and being matriarch of her family as her time draws near since she is the eldest of her generation.
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Name: Yoren Oscen

Race: Krakaris


Personality: Yoren is careful and while deliberate with his work. Not only that but being the patriarch of the family, he has to be aware of what his children is doing at all times. He is cautious but not afraid to speak out against something he despises. Ever since the death of his wife, Yoren hasn't had the time to mourn her passing but rather keep himself and diligent with all matters of business. He sees work as an escape and the Oscen family has seen the busiest time in quite a while so he has no shortage of that.

Short History: Yoren wasn?t the first choice to become patriarch of his family. Originally it was his sister but she died mysteriously before she could even claim her title. The title was passed down to his cousin but he was imprisoned after an investigation proved that he was the culprit of his sister?s death. With no one else, Yoren was made the patriarch of the family. A role that he accepted apprehensively but the choice was well made as Yoren proved to be a good merchant. He watched over his family well and lead them in one of the more prosperous periods of the Oscen family.

But some attribute Yoren?s success to his frequent use of spies and confidants to get ahead of others in the market. All those who would speak out are all silenced or vanish. This has always been the case with Oscen family as they are the most generous patrons of these ?Krakaris tradesmen? who are far from their namesake suggest. But Yoren?s prolific use of these men have increased ever since his wife died when she was ambushed with her trade convoy by bandits. The bandits were hunted down and the leader apprehended. He was angered to learn the fate of the leader but after a few whispers, the leader was found choked in his cell.

Controversy has since met the Oscen family but to Yoren sees nothing of it. Now he watches closely over himself and his generation making sure that his family succeeds no matter what the cost.

Nation Name:
Ray-das

Capitol Name:
No true capitol, current temporary capitol is Lot-vos. Cultural Capitol is Bar-shk, back in their home islands.

Territory description:
As before, the Ray-das never held a true home, as their old god created them on islands that would sink or rise with the waves, and the Ray-das made their way through this to other lands where they began to take and claim land from others. Their god was always rather direct in helping them, but more on that later. At the moment, they are living in a sea-side forest teeming with wildlife for hunting. The Ray-das are currently in the process of trying to decide whether to continue their nomadic, pirate-like lifestyle on the seas or to finally settle down.

Nation Perks:
Chop 'Em Down and Build 'Em Up!: The Ray-das have gotten very used to producing things made of wood, as they often have to bring down trees and quickly produce new ships and bows before setting sail once more. They can quickly produce most things made of wood, and also are pretty good with metals and stone, but they don't get as much experience with them. At least, not before, as they had no proper time to set up mines and such.
Living the Sea Life: Though they love forests, the Ray-das got very used to life aboard ships and as such they learnt how to build and train armies and such whilst at sea. The Ray-das always travelled in one massive fleet and as such brought many supplies. Archers would practice by taking at the latrine barge, a barge where-on the various waste of the fleet was taken and dumped. Soldiers would take their training to the decks and fight their, often using the environment to their advantage.

Nation Flaws:
Un-built and Un-developed: The Ray-das's current capitol is one that they have actually built, yet it is unfinished and undeveloped. The wall is up, but most of the infrastructure is still taking time to build and produce.
Angry Little Buggers: Whilst the Ray-das can make allies, they often don't, due to war being one of their main ways of re-stocking their fleet. Whilst they may know many people and even be semi-allies with a few, the Ray-das are always very slow about entering alliances. Gotta keep the jobs open, you know?

Short History:
The Ray-das started as an Old God's pet. They were throw onto islands which rose and sunk with the waves, and quickly learnt how to survive on both the sea and land, using their god-given ability to turn into animals to great effect. After the Ray-das had gotten themselves into an actual tribe, their God visited them directly and told them that he would help them if only they sail out and take land for their own.

They did as such and began to survive off of raiding and living in stolen cities and towns. Their God was always there to help them in times of great need, like when a wall HAD to collapse or when a siege engine had to be destroyed. However, when their god died, most of their abilities to turn into animals vanished. Many committed suicide or went crazy after this, but those who survived adjusted. Now, only every 1 in 200 Ray-das can turn into animals, but those who can are revered and treated like nobles.
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Race Name:
Ray-das

Race Description:
The Ray-das are short people, resembling humans the most, who are often very jolly and happy but take great pleasure in stealing everything you owe and watching you bleed whilst they do it. They used to be able to turn into animals, but while that is gone for most of them, they still retain traits for each of them. It's often said you could figure out a Ray-das's animal just by the way they acted.

Back when their god still existed, they would travel the world and take land as they saw fit, drinking and looting before leaving for a fresh city to live and survive in. The main reason they succeeded in this was due to their blood thirsty Old God, who often helped them along their path. However, when the Old God's died, they took the first perfect land they could, which happened to be the land of a weak new God who died in a duel with another, they began discussions on whether to settle down or not.

Their old home was a large archipelago of islands that would rise and sink with the waves, and only one stood above. That island holds the solid stone and metal home of the Ray-das, which is constantly stocked with fish and seafood, wood and supplies. The people their either fish, train all day and night to become an Elite or collect and turn all the materials on the surrounding islands into a variety of siege weapons, armour and weapons. This place is known as Bar-shk, and is where the retired Ray-das king/queen lives. A king or queen retires when they are too old to fight at the front-lines, and their general takes their place. If the general is not suitable, their children take their place. If they too are inadequate, then a trial by combat is held, alongside a trail by command. Whoever wins the trial by combat and survives the trail by command is crowned king or queen.

Race perks/flaws:
Through the Shields!: To compensate for their size, many of the Ray-das are amazing archers that specialize in piercing heavy armour or skin. They always take just the right shot to pierce and take down their target.
One with the Land: Before the Old God's died, all Ray-das could turn from humanoid to animal. They were often born into a certain type of animal, but through hard work they could train themselves to turn into a different animal. However, when the Old Gods died, almost all of the Ray-das lost this power. They still retain their connection to the wild life and animals of the land, taking them on as friends and companions when they could no longer join them in the forests.

Short: The Ray-das have always been a bit shorter than the normal human, and often receive both jokes and disadvantages for it. The jokes about their height are a lot worse now they can't turn into a bear when someone told them to pass them the chips from the top shelf.
Chaotic: The Ray-das always used to sail around, landing on new God's land, and looting and stealing their way to a new home. They would stay until the food ran out, then sail once more and leave, bringing the spoils with them. Such old habits die hard.
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Social Values:
The Ray-das value efficiency above all else. If someone is a fish, a cat, a dog, a farmer, a fighter, a man, a women or anything, if they are efficient and do their job they will be respected. This is because if a fighter fails and the Ray-das lose a siege, they might just end up with an entirely sunken fleet and thousands upon thousands of dead Ray-das.

Anyone can become anything in the Ray-das empire, just as long as you can show that you can do it. The only differing factor in the current Ray-das culture is those who can and those who can't turn into their animal.

Government:
The Ray-das have a form of a monarchy, wherein the king or queen retires when they are too old to fight at the front-lines, and their general takes their place. If the general is not suitable, their children take their place. If they too are inadequate, then a trial by combat is held, alongside a trail by command. Whoever wins the trial by combat and survives the trail by command is crowned king or queen.

Economy:
Everything is owned by the empire, and as such all gold, money and loot are stored on "store" ships, where all workers go to get their pay. People then often trade among themselves or the others they met in the land. Because of this, the Ray-das are pretty shrewd traders, trying to trade for more than they worked for and so on. However, the situation might change if the Ray-das decide to settle down.

Religion:
Before the Old Gods died, they believed in Trank-mosta, a god of animals and blood shed. They were never required to hold ceremonies or the like, because the God accepted the constant raids as tribute enough. When the God died, the Ray-das quickly took and settled in a land whilst new Gods begin to appear.

Military:
"Rain arrows and siege weapons on it's head. If it doesn't die, back up and keep doing that. Board a ship if you must. But if you do get into close combat, carry your hand crossbow and sword. Wait for the Ray's with hooks and spears to smash their armour, then fire into their eyes or chest. When they are stunned, strike like a wolf and take them down. If they haven't either hit the floor or gained a metal extension to their throat within the next few seconds, you need to back off and continue your assault as a formation. Spread out, surround and bring down. But first, just try to shoot it?"
- Sergeant Tigra-Sam, telling her men how to take down an enraged Luug.

Ideology:
Take a sword or axe, and take what they made for your own. 'Tis the way of the Ray-das, and shall forever be. If you cannot take it by force alone, get creative and make them pay for trying to hold out on you.

Honor?:
A test was made long ago in the Ray-das lands. If a prisoner or such was caught and was subjected to punishment, they would have to show off their preferred trade. Whether that be farming, fishing or fighting. If they were good enough or efficient enough, they were spared and were jailed/enslaved/fined. If they failed or were too slow, they were executed/killed/punished.

Also, if someone throws down their arms, a Ray-das is to take them in, if possible, for said test. If it is not possible, the Ray-das will allow them a last prayer or such before summary execution. The same extends to un-armed people, but only if they get down or do not run. Runners or people who do not submit are just butchered like the rest.
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Major Characters:

Name: Bear-Keal

Race: Ray-das

Personality: Wolf-Keal is a calm but calculating leader. As the current leader of the Elites, Keal wishes to make no mistakes. If he were to slip up and let his men and women die, he would regret it for a long time. As such, he is very careful and thoughtful, but often changes his mood to suit his need, like cheerful and happy to raise the morale, or raging to help inspire his soldiers into a charge.

Short History: Wolf-Keal is the latest leader of the Elite, a team of Ray-das who sail ships equipped with siege weapons, who land on beaches and take them 1 to 5. The Elite are mostly made up of Ray-das who can turn, but often a good enough non-turner will get in. After Keal helped take down an enemy ship that was wrecking havoc among the fleet by boarding it and sinking it from the inside, people began to rank him higher and higher until eventually he became the new leader of the Elites.


Name: Ber-Sam

Race: Ray-das

Personality: Ber-Sam is an angry person, who constantly spends most of her time either in battle of hyping everyone up for it. If she can be persuaded away from this for a little while, she may calm and take on a slightly happier tone, but often she is called back to fight

Short History: Ber-Sam is the Queen of the Ray-das, and is currently leading them in Lot-vos.


Name: Pathr-Grath

Race: Ray-das

Personality: Pathr-Grath is now a wise old Ray-das, who spends most of his time looking after and controlling the fortress of Bar-shk, as he is the retired old king.

Short History: Pathr-Grath is now a wise old Ray-das, who spends most of his time looking after and controlling the fortress of Bar-shk, as he is the retired old king.
 

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Race Name: Luug

Race Description: A hulking, gray, stone skinned, and hard-headed breed of beasts, the Luug are of the earth. Literally, the Luug are spawned from large pools of a primordial substance, practically beings of living stone. Apparently immune to the ravages of time, the Luug's rocky scabs grow over their body and eventually come to form a boulder upon the Luug's back. When the Luug has become this old, they start to catalog their own history on their own back, their life story engraved for all to see. Then, finally, when a Luug desires death, or has fallen in battle, they give themselves to the pool that spawned them. In giving themselves to the pool, they feed it, keeping it "alive" and able to spawn more Luug. New pools can be made with several Luug dying with each other and being in a place where their liquid remains can pool.

Their appearance is dependent on the Luug's surroundings during the first years of development, along with the location of the spawning pool. Once the Luug reaches adolescence, their skin is like that of the earth around them.

Born warriors, the Luug value strength, but they also see strength in places that others might not. In the runes the elders carve on their back, the Luug see wisdom, which hones strength in directing its fury. In the crawling of newborn Luug from the spawning pools, the Luug see perseverance, which keeps one strong in the darkest times. In honor, the Luug see the practical restrictions of stength, for the raging beast destroys its own home, as the Luug have seen firsthand.


Perks

1) Rock Hard: Made of earthen materials, the Luug are hard to kill. On top of that, every punch they throw hits with the strength of boulders. In a straight-out brawl, very few can beat a Luug.

2) Metal Sense: Spawned from the rock itself, the Luug have an innate sense of what lies within stone. This makes them effective miners, able to dig directly to the ore without the need for prospecting.

Flaws

1) Slow: The Luug, while strong, are also bulky and large. This leads to the natural conclusion that a Luug won't exactly be able to keep up with more flexible species.

2) Direct: The powerful Luug are beyond the subtleties that other races might pride themselves with. In all paths in life, a Luug will usually take the straightest one.

Nation Name: The Deep Tribes

Capitol Name: Highcrag

Territory description: The Deep Tribes' homeland are caves that burrow deep into a long mountain range. The peaks are so high that there is rarely a time where they are not capped with snow. The surrounding lands are rather verdant, with forests covering most of the foothills. However, there is a lack of any visible body of water wider than a stream.

Nation Perks:

1) Quaking Might: Strong warriors, and adept in the art of warfare (due to the Tribes' history), the Luug are quite capable on the battlefield.

2) The Riches of the Deep: Natural miners, the Luug can easily exploit the lands they live within. The Tribes are quite affluent when it comes to mineral wealth.

Nation Flaws:

1) Can't Fit in the Shadows: Being so huge, loud, and lacking a sense for the subtleties in life, the Luug do not have the build or sensibility for the dark world of espionage.

2) Without Reservations: The Luug lack the tact to maintain easy diplomatic relations with those who are not Luug. While some among them can learn how to communicate properly with other races, there will always be a sort of discomfort among those who have to deal with other nations.

Carved within the Great Stones deep within Highcrag, and on the backs of some of the oldest Luug, the Deep Tribes' history is one that allegedly began when the world was new. From pits of primordial mud, the Luug rose, and claimed the world as their own. Eventually, more crawled out of the pit, and the Luug's number swelled to a number large enough to cover the globe. However, when there was no more room to spread, the Luug fought one another. Tribe versus Tribe, from the obsidian-skinned Magma Tribe to the bleached Sands Tribe, the tanned Plains Tribe to the gray-skinned Cave Tribe, the Luug clashed, leaving their spawning pools to solidify or dry out.

Finally the race was no more than a handful of Tribes sharing a single cave system. However, before the Luug drove themselves to extinction, the Pale One emerged. No one knew from what Tribe he came; but with him came order. He showed the Luug in those caves that they were the last, and that while they fought the world had filled with other, younger, more ambitious races that strode upon the lands of their brethren and forefathers. Then, when he saw that the Luug understood that only together could they survive, he carved a deep pit into the stone, deep in one of the caves, and cast himself into it. Soon, as Pale One's remains liquefied, the Tribes sealed their pact by each sacrificing one of their own to the pact, helping the pool fill and spawn the last generation of Luug.

Social Values: Loyalty to your elders and your betters, at least those that can prove they are better. Elders are valued for the history that can be read off of their stones; and those that prove themselves stronger than you are undoubtedly better than you. However, if you carry yourself with enough strength to be a challenge, then you may claim their position as your own.

Government: The Deep Tribes are a confederation of large groups of Luug that each pledge loyalty to a chieftain, who is unrivaled in matters pertaining to operations within his/her own tribe. However, each chieftain in turn pledges loyalty to the Supreme, the Chieftain of Chieftains, who is the master of all affairs. Succession within each tribe is usually carried out through the current chieftain naming a successor before either devoting him/herself to the pools or going on campaign. Chieftains can also be challenged for their place at the head of the tribe, with a duel to the death being the standard method of challenge. However, succession for the Supreme is carried out through a tournament, where all who think themselves worthy of leading the tribes fight to the death. In the intervening time, the nation is led by a council convened by the tribal chieftains.

Economy: The Tribal economy is focused on a free market, but works through a sort of coined/bartering system. Because Luug can sense the materials in the ground, value of metals/coins is based on overall rarity, not just with already extracted materials, but also materials they can detect in the surrounding land. For example, a Luug might be willing to give more for a pound of gold in an area with no gold around than he/she may near a gold vein. They also focus more on need than want, so workable materials like iron may fetch a better return than gold.

Religion: When the Old Gods wandered, the Luug worshiped the great being of stone, Therax, believing him to be their creator. While they have no proof that the god ever claimed to be their creator, Therax nevertheless guided the Luug as they spread across the primordial world. While Therax may be gone, the Luug hold true to their faith, believing that that Pale One, who saved them from self-destruction, was really their god in a new form.

Military: The Deep Tribes' military is mostly made up of small bands of individual warriors that are led by a single leader that is stronger than those he/she follows. This model is kept even in large campaigns, but instead becomes a hierarchy that can be mapped up like a pyramid, with several bands a part of a larger horde that bands together with other horders to form a Tribal Army, led by the chieftain. In circumstances where the leader is slain, the warriors immediately fall under the next strongest, which they are acutely aware of due to many days of training and personal contests. In rare circumstances where two Luug match themselves in strength, the band splits under preference.

Ideology: Honor, to be upheld until survival demands it to be forsaken. Wisdom, to be used to guide the force of the Tribes. Power, for the Luug once spread across the globe, and shall do so again.

Name: Budraal, Supreme of the Deep Tribes

Race: Luug

Personality: Budraal is a fierce warrior, but the centuries of leadership have honed his wisdom. The former Luug that thought might makes right has been tempered to believe in just decisions, and holds a firm leash on the chieftains.

Short History: A Luug spawned from the pit in Highcrag, not long after the Pale One's sacrifice, Budraal became known as a champion of the Tribes when they expanded across the mountains. Beasts fell under one stroke of his club, or were torn asunder by his sharpened claws. When the Supreme of his time devoted himself to the pools, the tournament to name his successor was a formality. Only three other Luug faced Budraal in the ring, all of them with affairs already in order. By the end of the day, three more bodies were given to the pools, and Budraal was named Supreme.

During his long reign, he has seen that the Tribes can not be constrained by mere threat of force, or even harsh application of it. Rather, he sees the Tribes for what they are, and uses that knowledge to makes the Tribes' desire align with his own.

Name: Lew'Pan, Leader of the Glass Shifters

Race: Luug

Personality: Lew'Pan is a bungling sort of Luug. Not stupid, even clever at times, he ends up being the joke of many Luug jokes. However, while the Luug may not take him seriously, he more amicable nature makes him one of the few Luug that can play the game of espionage. To accomplish this, he plays off peoples' low expectation of him in order to pull off what some might call "heists".

Short History: A Luug runt, even Lew'Pan's emergence from the pools was met with laughter and ridicule. However, Lew'Pan knew that he had an edge where most Luug did not, he could move without being noticed, both literally and metaphorically. He has used this to prove himself of use to the Supreme, who, in his wisdom, knows that someone with an art to deceive is needed in a time where the Tribes must interact with the other nations of the world.

Given a merry band of fellow Luug misfits, Lew'Pan seeks to prove to all the Tribes that he can be their better in a way they could not even conceive.

Name: Jugaan, Chieftain of the Gold Tribe

Race: Luug

Personality: A leader who has had to prove her strength countless times, Jugaan is stoic in the face of challenges, form within or without. She speaks little, but with force when she does. However, there is also a flair for the lavish visible on her back, as the runes describing her history are made of solid gold.

Short History: Jugaan: ambition personified. From the moment she crawled out of a small spawning pool deep in a cavern filled with gold ore, this Luug had a want to be something. She toiled as a miner, to hone her strength and amass a private fortune, and then she started on her own personal warpath. She challenged everyone on the way up to her Tribe's chieftain, and in a duel to the death, she slew him.

However, even near the top, her position was not secure. Jugaan has been challenged countless times for her seat, but she's beaten back every attempt so far. Should Budraal ever leave his place as Supreme, there are many who believe Jugaan to be a contender.

Nation Name: Sammah Ajivha-Tahna (adj: Ajivan) (Translation: Sons of Grand Ajivha)

Capitol Name: Grand Ajivha (Ajivha-Tahna)

Territory description: A relatively flat kingdom; plains to the east, desert to the west. The centre of the kingdom is dominated by a single mountain, Ekaki, standing on its own. At its base rests Grand Ajivha. Only one major river, the Tatni, however its souce is Ekaki so water is no problem for Grand Ajivha. The land is very rich in mineral resources, however crops and pastures can be a problem due to the dryness of the land and the mountainous nature of Grand Ajivha?s surrounding region. Goats and horses are the most prevalent animals.

Nation Perks (I was hoping you would balance these once you?ve compare with everyone else?s):

-Hold!: The Ajivan?s are masters of defence, both in architecture and combat

-Job well done: The Ajivan?s pride themselves on hard work and the finished product. Ajivan wares are seen as the finest in the land. (Not sure how you?re doing trade but I figured this would have to be made a perk)

-Relentless (Gained via research and magic): The Ajihvans possess and maintain an army of automaton soldiers that are incredibly durable granting them an advantage in combat, though the robots are not intelligent enough to function without live soldiers to command them.

Nation Flaws:

-We got no dirt: Ajiva-Tahna has little to no space for farming or animals other than horses, naturally their food
supplies take a hit.

-Kevlam Nasta Ajivha-Tahna: New settlements are a strange concept to the Ajivans, one not entirely encouraged. All new settlements cost more.

Short History: Kevlam Nasta Ajivha-Tahna; There is only Grand Ajiva. That?s how the legend goes anyway. At the dawn of time there was nothing but a single house in an unending desert, in it lived Mamata, the first man. Mamata needed crops, and so the plain came to be. Mamata needed shade, and so rose the Ekaki. Mamata needed water, and so the Tatni began to flow. Mamata needed companionship, and so a wife came to be. ?Truly this land is great? spoke Mamata, ?It and no other shall be ours, and we shall call it Ajivha.?

Factual history is vague, mainly because there has been no reason to keep records. From that starting point Ajivha grew; over time its name became Grand Ajivha as it grew in symbolic importance. Around 1000 years ago, after first contact with another people, the Vazin of the time decided his people needed a communal name. The settled on Sammah Ajivha-Tahna, which was used unofficially before then anyway. Ajivan work ethic has no clear origin, at least not in their myth. Most assume it come from practical reasoning, survival was hard and so when you were given a job you did it.
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Race Name: Ajivam?s are a very tight group, even when other humans exist they see themselves as Sammah Ajivha-Tahna.

Race Description: Olive skinned humans. Think Turkish or eastern Greek.

Race perks/flaws: N/A
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Social Values: Ajivan society is simple: you are given a job, do it. This is the foundation of their entire system.
Ajivan society is basically a web of jobs; a merchant is given an unofficially job by his customers ?Give me something to buy?. The merchant then gives the blacksmith a job ?Make me something to sell?. The blacksmith will then pass smalls jobs down to his apprentice who then goes out to buy something from a store. In essence its similar to our concepts of capitalism, however everyone is subservient in Grand Ajivha, aside from the Vazin. What?s different is the Ajivan work ethic; every job is done with the fullest of effort, no matter how small. It?s clear how this applies to craftsmen, a tailor will make the best clothes he can, a blacksmith the best armour. However it even applies to merchants. Their job is to the customer, they?ll charge what to object is worth plus enough to make a living. Rules of supply and demand are still in effect; a rare object is worth more and so the merchant can charge more. The customer knows this and pays what he is asked, no side haggles as that would be detrimental to their jobs. Rejecting a job is seen as a complete and utter insult, however it is still a perfectly valid thing to do. If for whatever reason an Ajivan has some issue with the job they?re given they have the right to reject it, it will just severely sour their relationship with whoever gave it.

Government: Somehow this system ended up with a man on top, it?s not entirely clear how. The Vazin has absolute power; to reject a job given by him is to be put to death. Near the end of his life he appoints a new Vazin, this is given like any other job. The Vazin has a council, decided by public vote and each dealing with their own specific area of government. If, for whatever reason, a Vazin dies before he names a successor the council will pick to most suitable replacement. This means that the idiotic Vazins will only go about 4 days before being assassinated and replaced by someone who knows what they?re doing. It?s no surprise that many leave ruling to their council.

Capitol: Grand Ajivha is huge, home to around 90% of the entire population. The surrounding regions are home to some smaller towns and villages, exclusively those set up to work resources too far from the city. Even these outlying settlements see themselves as Grand Ajivha, very distant suburbs of the capitol. Despite its size Grand Ajivha is an orderly construction, gridded streets leading to the Vazins palace (known as the Asanda), which is situated with its back to the Ekaki. The entire city spreads out from this one point, the housing perfectly designed to give a clear view onto the nearest roads. A block of houses has a watch tower in the centre and then each house lowers in size from that point, allowing archers on every roof a firing arc. The streets themselves as set out to allow 5 mean abreast to easily block off all access with their shields, essentially created a deathzone where archers can pick off enemies at their leisure. For convenience the city is divided into districts, allowing the customer to fulfil their job as easily as possible.

Economy: As mentioned before the economy is pseudo-capitalist; there are common values given to all products and it?s up to the merchant if they feel theirs are worth more. If they?re not then they won?t sell. Many nations do not like trading with Ajivan?s simply because there is no room to haggle; however given the quality of their wares most swallow their pride and pay the asking price. Naturally, industry is the life blood of Sammah Ajivha-Tahna.

Religion: None. Beyond their creation myth Ajivan?s have remained without a state religion, Gods sort of ignored them. People are free to worship what they wish, ancestor worship is common and ome see divinity in their work. However there are no formal religious ceremonies, the closest being the yearly celebration of Jamadinam, the ?First Day?.

Though not technically a religion Grand Ajiva itself has huge significance to its people, to the point of reverence. Kevlam Nasta Ajivha-Tahna is a common phase, serving as everything from a greeting to funeral rights. Insulting the city is worse than murder; a famous story speaks of a diplomat who said the streets could have done with ?a bit more cleaning?, he was subsequently thrown off the city walls.

Military: Defence is everything. Ajivan?s see no need in conquering so their military exists to protect Grand Ajivha. They employ huge square shields (essentially a Roman Scutum but with spikes on the base) and spears placed into tight formations. Archery is given huge importance, each archer is also equipped with a shield so they can form cover by ramming them into the ground. There have been some cases of men forced into service by recruiters calling it a job, a law has since been passed granting the right to refuse with no consequence.

Ideology: Do your job. Serve the city. Kevlam Nasta Ajivha-Tahna.

Name: Vazin Prajja Tu Andha (addressed as Vazin Andha)

Race: Sammah Ajivha-Tahna

Personality: An old man, wise but heavily set in his ways. He lives and breathes Kevlam Nasta Ajivha-Tahna, a traditionalist through and through. Recent times have put him in conflict with himself, it is time for the Ajivans to set forth from their walls and yet he just can?t bring himself to take the plunge.

Short History: Given his title around 50 years agom, Vazin Andha has ruled longer than anyone expected. Andha has always had a place in politics, he was chief visor to the previous Vazin Upamrta and was the clear choice after he passed, bizarrely he was actually competent and the council had no reason to dispose of him. Since then he has ruled fair and intelligently, under his guidance Grand Ajiva has continued to prosper. Unfortunately times change and Andha need to leave tradition behind and move into the future.

Name: Grand Visor Sarpa Dhurta

Race: Sammah Ajivha-Tahna

Personality: A direct contrast to his Vazin, Dhurta looks only towards the future. He is by no means a bad man yet his progressive views have made him unpopular with the council. He sees a future beyond the mountain, beyond the walls. As visor he is the Vazin?s right hand man, however Andha is a stubborn old man, not easily swayed. Dhurta?s role is to suggest, not run the country from the shadows. Despite their differences the two have genuine affection for one another.

Short History: While serving in the military he was injured fighting some bandits a few miles into the desert, his left arm crippled he was unable to hold a shield and thus useless to the Ajivan forces. His right arm was still strong and able to wield a spear, making him perfect for the shield less guards of the Vazin?s palace, a primarily ceremonial role. Time spent guarding the Vazin eventually allowed his voice to be heard, seeing that he spoke wisdom Andha made him the Grand Visor.
Name: Indraj-Alika

Race: Sammah Ajivha-Tahna (Human)
Subrace: Demiurge of Gangari

Age: 19 years old
Appearance: Average face though darker skinned than most Ajivhans. (Think Indian rather than Middle Eastern)
Tall and lean with surprising upper body strength due to his years at the smithy.
Clean shaven apart from a small black goatee. He thinks it looks good. It doesn't.
His eyes have a slight blue glow to them.
Bonded to the back of each of his hands are pieces of golden metal in the shape of eight spirals linked to eachother in the centre by their tails.

Personality: Inherently good natured though not particularly social much preferring the company of himself or a hammer. Selfish as a result of this and unaccustomed to social situations. Curious but not educated, mainly due to lack of interest. Will dedicate himself utterly to anything he pursues to the point of narrow sightedness.

Short History: As with any country Ajivha-Tahna has its fair share of bandits, most of whom hail from the desert to the south. Though much darker skinned they are still seen as Sammah Ajivha-Tahna and some repent their ways, finding a place in the great city. Indraj is the child of one of these men, his father leaving his criminal ways behind and settling down as a labourer, eventually marrying a local tanners daughter.
Unfortunately the law caught up with him after being recognised by a merchant, a man he had robbed some years back. He was arrested and sentence to life, his wife left pregnant.

Indraj was sent to work as soon as possible, though he and his mother had a home with her family they were still two extra mouths to feed. Most of his formative years were spent doing whatever work he could find, normally doing something unpleasant sometimes even begging.

One day while on the street with a cup in his hand the boy heard something, a beat in the distance. Having nothing better to do he followed it, eventually finding his way to the Artisan Ward. The rhythm was hypnotic, layer upon layer of sounds; steel on steel, hammer of stone, shout upon shout, enchanted by the beat he wandered into one of the wards shoddier workshops.

While in there a man asked him to fetch a new hammer, assuming the scruffy child was a helper. Needless to say Indraj did as he was bid. Once that was done another man had asked the lad to fetch him some water, Indraj delivered. After two weeks of just showing up to help the boy was offered a job and became the workshop's newest apprentice.

12 years later he met Gangari.
 

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God sheets

Name: Cyth?raul, The Whisper In the Dark; Tutelary of Treaties; Pactforger

Picture:

Bio: Cyth?raul was not the result of a mortal ascending to godhood, no, the being started life as a concept, as an idea. The voice of temptation in your head, whispering the way to the dark path of deception and despair; that little homunculus inside your mind, knower of your deepest darkest secrets, your greatest desires and fears; or does that little thing sit atop your shoulder, sending a sea of susurration through the direct line to your brain? In any case, the notion of such a creature spread like a plague. Via communication, all mortals in the land were infected with the idea. Finally, at the dawn of a new Age of Myth, the creature awakes. But will those mortals choose to listen to Cyth?raul or not?

Domain

Guidance [+6] - While mortals have short lives and small minds. Cyth?raul, however, thanks to the method of ascension, has been endowed with unlimited knowledge, or at least that is what is said. Regardless, the deity sees mortals as inferior creatures, rather like a stern teacher among a bunch of babies. And so, Cyth?raul has vowed to give them a helping hand! The power of Guidance is simple, it can be used to teach others various things such as how to do this or even guiding mortals to follow the being?s whim.

Drawback

Contractual Constraint [-2] - Of course, power comes at a price and Cyth?raul isn?t exactly running a charity here. Every interaction with a mortal is a chance to do business, and maybe get a little contract signed. Because of this little foible, the Pactforger honestly finds it hard to perform any charitable work, whether it is blessing a random mortal or making the sun shine, at least without due payment. Another little detail: the god cannot break contracts penned with its own hand.

Core Value: Promises. Policies. Power. Pre-eminence.

What you want out of the game: To take part in this little experiment.

Worship: 12 from Rok'lo Sha 6 from the Deep Tribes

Name: Jashiki, lord of water

Picture:

Bio: Born as a human he lived his whole life next to and in rivers. Fishing, moving on and just plain living in it. He was like that for a long time, living on the water and keeping several small lizards as pets. he lived alone for the most part and didn't communicate very often with other people, some of that is because where he lived but the larger part of that is he finds the majority of people grating and not worth being around. The times he did have people close enough to talk usually they were small bands of robbers or thieves running from the law, many of them dying soon after when they tried to attack him and take what little he had. His prefered way of fighting was with a fishing spear, which he would use to great effect. Some were people running from something, these were welcomes and fed. Allowed to stay and rest for a while he enjoyed the conversations he had with them. He was a very happy person, always willing to laugh with those who did stay with him but also getting serious if something became wrong.
One day there was a flood, unexpected because where he was it was in the middle of a drought. Being swept away by it because he had been underwater fishing when the flood thundered by he was rolled around inside it and bounced off rocks and other debris that had been washed down with the flood. He could feel several of the lizards he kept as pets clinging to his skin. Just before passing out something erupted inside him causing a shock wave to roll out from inside his body. The water in that section of the river disappeared and in the dead center stood Jashiki lord of water. His face and body changed into what is now seen and he can now feel and control water in all its varied forms..

Domain: +4[Water] Water, steam, even ice. All of these are some kind of water and all of them can be controlled by Jashiki. Pulling it from the air and using it as water to strike like a whip, or freezing it and sending the flying through the air to stab into and sometimes through others.

+2 Change

Drawback: -2 [Chaos] Unable to work with things that are chaotic, because water is so ordered in how it works and moves. Things that are natural chaotic are hard for him to even understand.

Core Value:
he is adaptable, changing as he needs to. Like water changes depending on his environment he does also, to one group he may be a calm god who helps the ships get back safely. But to another he is a god that means death, going out in a boat the same as opening their veins.
Being adaptable to whatever comes at him and surviving past it, moving when needed and being harder than diamonds when he needs to be firm. This is what is most important, surviving whatever comes his way and getting through and past it.

What you want out of the game: I want a long running game with lots to happen and do.

Worship: 11 (from Ray-Das) 7 from Aurora, 2 from Sammah


Name: Gangari



Elderly in appearance but possessing the vigor of youth. He has long grey hair and a beard. His left eye is missing and has a smooth layer of skin covering where the socket should be, as if it never existed for him, however he does wear an eye patch to cover this aberrant piece of his body as it seems to disturb others. His right eye is a clear ocean blue with a slight glow to it. He wears grey and black hooded robes and usually carries a walking stick with a metal spike on one end.

Bio: He doesn't remember the beginning as most of his memories from the before time has faded from him, but he thinks he was there, a servant of the old gods, the creators. But they left and he faded. Over the course of perhaps a season or so however he reformed with a piece of their power (something he wouldn't feel until much later), how or why he returned is unknown to him. But afterwards, he lived amongst a tribe of humans, learning from their primitive but fresh minds and teaching them how to survive more effectively. He began molding them into a stable community and they began to worship him. He didn't understand for the first few days of this, but began to realize they were beginning to treat him as their kind had treated his masters, this made him uncomfortable at first but he began to understand their need for such figures.

One night he awoke to the sounds of battle, the people he came to call his children were being slaughtered, their works destroyed. He rose to fight but it was a lost cause. By morning his children were dead.

He spent the next decade in the wilderness, living and learning, meditating upon his memories.
At the end of said decade, in his meditations his divine spark finally activated.

It was time to begin again.

He isn't an ideal incarnate like some are, at the core he's human and fallible. He's a kind old man who wants to learn and understand and teach, he wishes to see the world develop culturally, spiritually, and technologically into a utopic state capable of wondrous things.

Domains:
+2 Wisdom: Understanding is paramount to the pursuit of true knowledge.

+2 Rune Magic: the working of power through glyphs and inscriptions.

-2 Corruption: His ability to affect humans with his divine power in a negative controlling manner is stunted and ineffective due to his lack of will to do so.

Core Values: Culture, Wisdom, and Nature.

Plan: Influence society along civilized and desirable paths.
What I want: To be part of a long and interesting game.

Worship: 6 (from Sammah) 3 (from Deep tribes)


Name:Lysei


Bio: Few answer the calls of the just. Those who have been wronged by evil and who seek retribution. Those who followed wisdom said to simply lie in wait, that those who committed evil acts would receive their due punishment in time. Lysei however, does not wait. He acts. Originally a god of benevolence and mirth, Lysei accepted a challenge to go into the darkest corners of the globe and to try and bring them joy. It was there that he witnessed a small six year old girl being raped and murdered on the street for seemingly no reason other than that she had witnessed a crime. Lysei called out for them to stop, but nobody would listen to him. In a rage, Lysei discovered his true purpose. Powers that once were used to create fireworks and spectacular lights would now be brought into a greater purpose. Wiping the scum off of the planet, one way or the other.

Lysei has a deep connection with each mortal who falls under his followers. He seeks justice for all, but rarely trusts the judicial system, calling it corrupt and politicized. Lysei prefers that he and his followers take it into their own hands. If one is unjust, they must be stricken down. Lysei puts a high value on most life however, and is not a fan of wars without cause. Lysei will only aid those he feels are acting justly, so a war for resources would likely not fall into his favor.

Domain: +6 Fire: Fire to purge, fire to clean, fire to rid the world of every evil part in the hearts of men and beast alike. Flames to wipe away the sins of those who would follow sin and to rip even their memory clean off Lysei's slate.

Drawback: -2 Diplomacy: Diplomacy is only delaying the inevitable climax of war that Lysei demands. As such, he is terrible at it and often simply blows people off.

Core Value: Eye for a life justice. If a mortal proves himself to be scum, he can expect nothing but death at Lysei's hands.

What you want out of the game: Lysei is going to try and wipe out all evil, and nothing will get in his way if he has anything to say about it.

Worship: 10 from Raptor states, 7 from Aurora, 4 from Sammah
 

booksv2

New member
Aug 17, 2012
632
0
0
Nation Name:
Grat Shee

Capitol Name:
IronTooth

Territory description:
Heavily forested area with a mountain in or close by or plains up against a forested area. They use them to their best advantages and are more deadly and harder to find in them than elsewhere.

Nation Perks: (Up to 2 perks)
Nature Provides; They use wood, bone, leather and anything else found in nature to great effect. Using each in ways that maximize how effective they are.



Nation Flaws: (Must have the same number of these as perks)
Mining Ignorance; They do not mine themselves and so have very little metal to work with or use. They don't know how to use it or how to gather it.


Short History:
Born in the deep forest by a god who watched over them for a while before leaving this realm. they started small and some died early before they got together and formed squads to survive easier. When they hunted out an area they would move to the next area and start again, never building permanent structures and using anything they could find. As time went on a clan structure formed, some stopped going out hunting to work on how to make other necessary things better. Soon they started using bows and spears on their hunts, while they grew into a larger and more effective group.

When they were almost wiped out when a semi stupid chief tried to make them move to a place they couldn't survive because there wasn't enough food they implemented the shamans and since they have not had to worry that much about whether one chief will run them into ruin, since the shaman has the ability to tell them no if it would affect the clan in a very large negative way.

___________________________________________________________________________

Race Name:
Grat

Race Description:
Grat stand between 3 and 4 feet tall and have a 3 foot long tail behind that. Weighing 45-55 pounds a good portion of that is in their tail and stores food for when they have to go a while without eating. They are scaled from nose to the tips of their tail and the scales range from light yellow on their belly and chest to dapples greens and blacks on their back arms and tail. Their eyes are large and the pupils are vertically slitted. Under their slitted powerful noses they have a mouth full of sharp pointed teeth made for shredding and tearing flesh. The Grat arms are very muscles naturally and have short fins on the elbows for swimming, while they end in 5 fingered hands with pointed claws at the end. Their legs are doubly bent to help them in running and stalking their prey, bending normally at the knee their ankles are pushed back and bent the other way and their toes have slightly curved down claws. The males have a crest that runs from their head down their spine and down their tail also, while the females have none of these. To outsiders this is the only way to tell the females and males apart.

The gestation period is about 5 months and they give birth to 1-4 live young at the end of it. These young stay in the clan until they are old enough to take out and show refine their hunter instincts. They have an average life span of 30 years and it takes 5 or more depending on how rough the years are for the baby's to grow to adult hood.

In forests they build huts and hideaways at the tops of the trees and swing between the branches to get around with a few rope and wood walkways between some of the more used places. Climbing trees easily with their sharp claws and talons to get up and build the huts. In the plains they either dig out burrows into shallow hills or into the ground in the middle of the territory they have taken.


Race perks/flaws:
+Natural Hunters; They are natural hunters, their sense of smell as good as most dogs while they also have natural weapons and camouflage.
+Sub Audible Vocalization; They vocalize below the hearing of most creatures and talk back and forth that way.

-Coldblooded; They are cold blooded and will succumb to hibernation or death if they get cold enough.
-Carnivore; they can only eat meat, meaning that even in the middle of fertile ground if it is barren of animals they will have to raid or find a new place to hunt.

___________________________________________________________________________

Social Values: (Social engineering of your kingdom. Go into detail about it.)
Clan comes first, then the squad, then self. This is the thought that every member is taught and that they follow from the day they are born. This means that if they are good at something they do it to make those who can do other things able to do it without having to worry. Those behind the scenes taking care of weapons, armor,buildings,food and anything else are just as important as those out fighting and hunting and patrolling.


Government: (What type of government do you have?)
When they were nomadic they had one chieftain and he was in charge of all the hunters and warriors, while the shaman was in charge of making sure everything else ran smoothly in the tribe and gave advice to the chief. Now each village and city has their own chief and shaman, while the one at IronTooth is the Chief of Chiefs and will stands over judgment of the others of they have broken Grat law. The shamans work to keep those who provide weapons and houses and food and other things to the tribes on task and not fighting with each other, as well as making sure their chief does not do something to hurt the clan.

Economy: (What kind of economy do you have? Free market? Planned? Green?)
Everything is owned by the clan, collectively. The people who make something put them out and that "Pays" for the food they use and places they stay. Those that take something now owns the clan something back.

Everyone knows they own much more than they could ever pay back so they do their best to help others pay back as they can, bow and spear makers working with hunters to pay some dept, while the hunters bring in meat and leathers and other things for everyone to use.

Religion: (What religious beliefs did your nation hold before the old gods vanished, and what do they hold now?)
Before the gods vanished they worshiped a god of nature and hunting, who.s name was never recorded. As well as their ancestors and those who died with honor and well.

When the dogs vanished they slowly stopped worshiping or believing in gods. But kept their worship/honoring of the dead. But it changed to all who have died for the clan.

Military: (What is the predominant method of military thinking of your nation?)
Find the trail. Follow it till you see your prey, follow them some more to make sure its alone or they don't have outliers. Wait till they sleep or are still or you have a perfect shot. Work with your squad and make sure you kill them all. Go in strip them down. Then fade back and away and make sure you tell the chief.
-Told by the hunting teacher to a pack of new borns.

Ideology:
Honor, ability, and skill.
These are what is the center of their mentality and life.
For those who hunt and fight it is more the honor of the kill and their skills at surviving.
For those who work behind it is their ability to further the clan.

___________________________________________________________________________

Major Characters:

Name: Chief Sharo

Race: Grat

Personality:
Very serious and determined he takes his position of Chiefs of Chiefs seriously and the safety of his people is one of his top concerns. While he will break down and play with young Grat and can teach them nicely he is always expecting the best out of adults and will hold them to high standards.

Short History:
He was born as the largest new born in his birthing group and quickly grew to becoming a hunter. He had some trouble with the other more carefree young seeing hunting as something very serious and important work to helping the rest of the clan. The old chief when he was the leader of a squad of his own. Joining into the tests to becoming the new chief he soon passed and went threw the ceremony to becoming one. His first decision that they needed to move on into being larger than one clan, moving to a new place and spreading out more to take more territory.



Name: Shaman Kesar

Race: Grat

Personality:
Quiet and soft spoken he is just as important as the chief and knows it. Usually willing to let the chief go as he wants he always steps in and corrects him when he does something that could harm the clan, usually long term rather than short. Always looking forward into the future.

Short History:
He was birthed alone, something that is very rare and when done watched carefully. Growing up and going through craft and job like all other young Grat he was best at nudging others into doing better work faster. Taken as the apprentice of the shaman young and shown how the old shaman worked with the chief to make everything run he took over before the old shaman died.

comments and critique please.
When you have the time of course.
 

EmperorZuma

New member
Jul 16, 2009
527
0
0
[HEADING=2]The Chronicle[/HEADING]​

So it began, five gods: the deathly Qartoq, watery Jashiki, wise Gangari, fiery Lysei,and the crafty Cyth'raul, strode upon the world populated by five mortal nations.

In the mountains, the Luug of the Deep Tribes kept mostly to themselves, expanding their tunnels and dealing with their own ambitions. In time, their dominion grew to include even the home of Qartoq, after the god had left this mortal realm. Now, they are in the midst of their own conflict. As one of their Tribes seeks to make itself supreme, binding itself and many other Tribes to the worship of Cyth'raul, the current leader marshals his forces to quash a potential rival.

In the east, among their many islands, the Holy Auroran Empire sought to expand, but was met with difficulty until rather recently. All the while their politics have been thrown into turmoil through the machinations of Lysei. Their former Emperor twice-murdered, and a child on the throne represented by a man only loyal to their fiery god. So far, the former slaves of the Empire are on the cusp of emancipation, but will the Empire free itself of Lysei's will?

Between the Empire and the Tribes, there lie the Raptor States, populated by the winged Krakari. Originally bound to Qartoq, but now spread among many deities, they have built a union between themselves and many of the other nations, though some of the ties have yet to be truly tested. However, once their lands were singed by the flames of hostility, the Krakari quickly marshaled an army to rout out this enemy and crush it. In this effort, they have been joined by Aurora, and also bolstered by the arrival of a smaller force of Luug to help break the back of this opponent. As the War of the Burning Tides rages on, it remains yet to be seen if this battle of righteous vengeance will be worth the price.

Their opponent, the Ray-Das, have been the victims of a cruel fate. Seafaring halfings with a penchant for more violent tendencies, it was their want for easy prey that sparked off the current conflict. Now the alliance against them besieges their capital, and even if their victory isn't certain, the wounds they have inflicted are deep. Compounding the tragedy is the tale of their god, Jashiki, who has been the object of abuse from the mighty Lysei. First incurring his wrath through Jashiki's attempt to influence the people of Aurora, Lysei has since mustered the rest of the gods against Jashiki. With their god about to be banished to oblivion, only time will tell if the Ray-Das can hold out.

Finally, there is the nation of Sammah Ajivha-Tahna, who have busied themselves with exploring the mysteries of existence under the tutelage of Gangari. Blessed with a grand university to study in, the world has been given the opportunity to combine their knowledge and advance further than what was possible before. Regardless, Ajivha always profits from these efforts. Not only that, but Ajivha's current neutrality has allowed it to gather all sorts of people blessed by the gods' power. People like the Artificers and Necromancers, who combined their power to allow Ajivha to create entire armies of metal-men. Surely, if there is something to know in the world, the Sammah probably already know it.

Aurora is a nation of great beauty, and great tragedy. It is my birthplace, and my home. I am Lysei, god of fire and the true power behind Aurora's throne. I came to this world destined to bring out the joy it once held, but I could only find misery. After years of abuse, the people of Aurora needed someone to step up and rid the world of those who would scourge it. As such, I decided this duty should fall unto myself. I begun by confronting the Emperor of Aurora himself, Kaius III. He was weak, ignorant of the suffering of the slaves, and content to stay within his own palace and shut out the plight of the world. Well, I brought the corruption in his own nobility to the forefront, by giving him the ability to see what I saw. In the dreams of mortals I bless, corruption, murder and hatred can be seen, as well as their just reward. For this end, I created Katalia, my Weaver of the Inferno. She is my true avatar upon the realm, who puts forth my judgement. She spent the greater part of a year cleansing the corrupt nobles from Aurora, but there is still so much for her to do.

After creating my Weaver, I soon left in order to explore the world and what it had to offer. It was upon adventure that I discovered the Krakari, and the terrible Ray Das who instead of making an honest living, prefer to steal and pilfer from others. Their violence had spread to the Raptor States, the motherland for the Krakari, and death had swept the nation. Qartoq, the god they worshipped did nothing to stop the invading Ray Das, so I took it upon myself to end this raid. I marched to the Ray Das camp and met their god, Jashiki on the fields. He showed to me a level of insane complacency in the state of things. He refused to reform the Ray Das, stating that it was their right to invade and plunder and murder. Nobody has that right. I placed a mark upon their camp, stating that they had until the end of the month to leave the Raptor States, or they would face my wrath. For some reason, they did not believe me. Fifty of the greatest military minds, including the leader of all Ray Das, Ber Sam, found themselves consumed in an inferno of my design. The punishment for their crimes. Jashiki resented me for this, but it was only done because he could not control his own nation. This would not be the last I would see of the god of Water, however.

I soon met Gangari, god of wisdom, and patron to the Ajivhans, who live in Sammah. He was much more sensible and we quickly found common ground, from this common ground we forged an alliance. This would stand the test of time, and triumph over those who would plunge the world into chaos, though not immediately. I soon visited the Ajivhans themselves, and there at their international university I founded my own form of magic. I gave the downtrodden of the world the ability to create life from nothing, just as I could. This was the first step of my grand design, an experiment to see if a nation run solely by my principals truly would work. I let hundreds of slaves run free in Aurora, demonstrating their desire to be absolved of their chains. I let loose the political prisoners of the Krakari, who were imprisoned as a matter of convenience, rather than for any real crimes. Lastly, I freed Emir, an interesting Ajivhan who would prove to the world that even the Vazin is not invincible, and that his deeds, both good and bad had consequences.

My experiment however, was interrupted by Jashiki, who corrupted the mind of Kaius, blinding him from the suffering of others once again, and giving him a life of luxury away from his duties. He had tainted my home, disrupted my reforms and further undermined my ability to free the slaves in Aurora. This could not be forgiven. I used Kaius' uncle to quickly remove the Emperor from his position of power, though he insisted on a non-leathal method, a mistake that would prove fatal to him later. Still, despite his weaknesses, Octavius proved himself to be worthy of the throne for a time, freeing Aurora's slaves and accomplishing the first goal I set out with. But it wasn't enough. I gathered the final piece of my alliance, Cyth'raul. This god's goals are admittedly difficult to know, but as it stands it has done nothing to slight me, and when called to bring Jashiki to heel, it answered. Thus, the alliance that would spell doom for Jashiki was formed. We attacked without warning, sending ripples through space as we fought. I suffered great injuries in this fight, taking the brunt of all damage, but we emerged victorious and I ensured Jashiki would never effectively fight again. But his corruption had taken root in Aurora, through the Octopi. Who Kaius actively took a part in leading, unsurprisingly. I had my Weaver hunt Kaius down and with a quick burst of power, Kaius was killed, and the Octopi's grudge against me soon fell as well. In the meantime, Jashiki attempted to interfere in a war between the Aurorans and Ray Das, one for political leanings, rather than civilian looting. There was no reason for either of us to be involved, and the fact of the matter is that I would have stayed neutral in the matter had he not gotten involved. Cyth'raul decided it was time to end Jashiki, and we hunted him down like the dog he was. The Octopi managed to lead a coup against Octavius, but it mattered little to me. Kaius' brother and Octavius' nephew, Maximus was brought to the throne and soon I will model him into the Emperor Aurora desperately needs. The world's future is uncertain, but what is certain is that I will be the one who purges the wicked from it with blood and fire. Gangari, Cyth'raul and I hold the fate of the nations in our hands, and those who would threaten our reforms will meet a swift end, just as Jashiki.
 

Rogue Trooper

New member
Oct 25, 2012
179
0
0
Nation Name:Kingdom of Mereton

Capitol Name: Stowhurst

Territory description: A fertile land of rolling fields, forests and rivers; the land of Mereton is more than suitable for sustaining life. Several large rivers teaming with fish run through this land. The rivers offer the inhabitants a quick route of travel through their land, and also provide a good source of fish that can be caught. This combined with the large yearly yield of crops which are harvested from the farmlands, give the kingdom amble stocks of food, to see its people through the winters and support the steadily growing population.

The kingdom when compared to other lands is unusually flat with the highest land being no bigger than a medium sized hill. Cenric hill which is named after the legendary first king of Mereton is the largest hill in the kingdom and home to the capital town Stowhurst. There are no cities for the population to live in. Rather the population live in the many towns, villages and hamlets which are dotted across the land.

Most of the kingdom?s towns are built near the great rivers or on the few hills that are available. The villages on the other hand are built and organised around the ?Bruh?, earth and wood forts/castles which vary in size depending on the size of the local village. The Bruhs? give the villagers a place to flee for protection if the situation calls for it, act as rally and supply depot for the military and also act as centers of administration and trade for the local region or ?Borough? as it is called by the kingdoms administrators.



The Battle standard of Mereton kings; This has been considered and used as the flag of the kingdom for some time.

Nation Perks:

Strong Military: In the past the Mereton army was no more than a mass of disorganised and poorly led militia with divided loyalties. But after the kingdoms experiences in the long war and the reforms of King Edgar ?Ironsides? the nation?s military has become a well-oiled and trained fighting machine. Service in the military is considered an honour and most young men are expected to serve in an area of the military, for at least a few tours of duty. Indeed there are some fathers that will not let their daughters be married unless their suitor has served in the army for some time. The army is also the preferred area of work for sons of the nobility. This results in an experienced and dedicated pool of leadership. The army is also supported by a strong logistics system which owes itself to the bruhs.

Fertile land: The kingdom of Mereton is a green and fertile land, with healthy fields, rivers filled with fish and forests which contain many beasts for the people?s usage. This results in the kingdom having large stores of food for usage and trade.

Nation Flaws:

Lack of raw materials: Although abundant in food and wood. Mereton has a startling low level of important raw materials such as iron and coal. The issue with coal has been solved through a reliance on wood. While iron which is mostly important for the military, is severely rationed and protected, only being used for projects of importance. The usage of stone has taking the place of iron for tools to build houses and farm for example.

Uneasy peace: Recently the Mereton kingdom has made peace and incorporated the river tribes into the nation. The peace was made by the marriage of the principality?s ruler Aileen ?the Shield maiden? to King Edgar ?ironsides?, which effectively ended 25 years of war. Although the peace was welcomed by most, a minority of the river tribes have refused to bow to the king of a people who they consider weaker than them. This minority has continued to raid and attack Mereton villages, and at time towns. They have been a frustrating menace for the army to deal with. The continuation of small scale fighting has made some aspects of Mereton nobility and society, severely distrust the river tribes which have followed their queen?s orders and have become a part of Mereton society. This had led to local tensions between the people and at times the nobility.


The origins of the Mereton kingdom is shrouded in legend and to this day, no one is truly sure what exactly caused the creation the nation that exists today. What is known and what is considered to be the truth is that the Mereton people settled on the land and built their first settlement on Cairn hill, so called named after their leader which had led them. The settlement flourished and eventually expanded into a small kingdom. The people then began to worship Eostre the goddess of fertility - the guarding of the lands which they now called home - for good harvests and happiness.

Generations past and the great ? grandson of Cairn, Alfred ?Gods bane? had become king. At this time his kingdom was going through a devastating famine and in order to save his people he sought out the goddess Eostre for her help. The goddess helped the young king in-exchange for the completion of several tasks and soon normality returned to the king?s lands. However at the end of his adventures Alfred had fallen in love with Eostre and the two of them began a romance with one another.

This romance between goddess and mortal caught the attention of Bourne a minor god of the rivers who lusted for Eostre?s affections, upon seeing Alfred?s romance with the goddess and inflamed by jealous at what he saw, he challenged Alfred for the right to her affections. Alfred accepted and the two duelled. Although Alfred fought well, he was eventually slain and Eostre seeing the death of her love; wept and cursed Bourne for what he done. Bourne angry at his rejection swore that he would destroy Alfred?s people, believing that once they were gone Eostre would have no choice but to fall in love with him.

Bourne blessed the river tribes and sent them towards a conflict with the Mereton kingdom, which had now come under rulership of Alfred?s cousin; Athelstan. This begun a series of conflicts between the Meretons and the river tribes. They were a series of on-and-off generations long conflicts, which became known collectively as the ?Long War? by the Meretons.

These periods of conflict nearly ended with the near destruction of the Mereton kingdom. But when King Edgar succeeded his father at the age of 17, he began a series of military reforms and led the army and his nation from the brink of collapse, personally leading his men at crucial moments and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. The young king was named ?Ironsides? by his men, due to the young king?s unyielding nature and military skill. He reconquered old lands, established his dominance and after years of bloody combat had reduced the river tribe?s lands to nothing more than a rump state.

Weary of war, Edgar agreed to a political marriage to end the war and bring the river tribes peacefully into the Kingdom?s fold. His new Queen was Aileen ?the Shield maiden? a feared warrior and commander of the river tribes. It was an interesting agreement, as only a few months before the two individuals had been bitter enemies that had fought and bested each other numerous times. Regardless the marriage went ahead and peace was finally gained after generations of war. The King and his queen have led the kingdom well and most of the scars of the past have been healed, the nation is strong and the people are happy. The royals? marriage has also resulted in three children being born: two sons and one daughter.

___________________________________________________________________________

Race Name: Human

Race perks/flaws: N/A

___________________________________________________________________________

Social Values: Work and live with Honour whatever you do in your life and show loyalty to your neighbours and your king. Fight bravely when you?re King and country calls you for war and die well. These social values although simple owe their existence to Mereton Kingdom?s experience during the ?Long War? and the fact that most levels of society were touched by the conflict.

Government: The Kingdom of Mereton is a Monarchy. The King and his family rule the nation as its undisputed rulers. The kings listen and take advice from the council of elders which contains the most influential and wise men in the kingdom. These men who are picked from amongst the best nobles, administrators and army commanders, use their combined knowledge to advise the king so that he can better rule the nation. The council is also considerable powerful, and only an unwise king would go against them. The council is commonly male dominated, although it is not uncommon for a female to sit on the council. However, at the moment only Queen Aileen occupies a seat on the council.

As it stands rulership will pass firstly to the sons of the king and then his daughters if he should have any. Female rulership in the kingdom of Mereton is something which most nobles do not want, due to the belief that women make unsuitable and weak rulers. However, with King Edgar?s marriage to Queen Aileen that viewpoint has been put under strain. Queen Aileen is an excellent commander, warrior and has shown sound ability and judgement while working in the elder council. Her daughter princess Hild has inherited the abilities of her mother, which adds more argument to the question.

Economy: Free Market: The Kingdom of Mereton?s economy is primarily based around the growing of crops and the fishing industry which provide surplus amounts of food for the people. People are allowed to buy and sell as they wish, although it must be done either within the confines of a Town or Bruh. Trade is thriving within the kingdom as the many rivers and waterways offer quick transportation from one area to the next. Iron ore is highly sought after, as the kingdom has only a small number of mines which barely provide the quantity needed. Trading with other nations is commonly done with the large quantities excess food which the kingdom produces.

Religion: Before the old gods died. The Meretons believed in the goddess Eostre who blessed the land making it highly fertile, she also favoured the Mereton people following her romance with the hero Alfred ?Gods bane?. The river tribes however worshipped the river god Bourne and through that they became sworn enemies to the Meretons. However, as the god eventually faded the hatred ended, this was a major reason for the peace as the river tribes saw no need to exercise their god?s wish of vengeance. Although the gods have died, there are still some elements within the kingdom which believe that Eostre has not gone, due to the continual fertility of the land.

Military: The Mereton military is large, well trained and experienced. However due to the demands of the economy, men are always needed to harvest crops and work. This has forced the Meretons to use a system of seasonal drifting to ensure that there is a standing army ready to defend the nation no matter on the season or time of year. Every Mereton man is expected to serve in the army on; a full time, part time or levy basis. These expectations have resulted in three classes of Mereton troops, each differing in quality of training, equipment and experience.

The spear and shield are the most common and favoured weapons used by Mereton troops, due to their simple and easy usage. Not much training is required to use it effectively. Generally speaking to become a reservist is usually the highest level a peasant man will go in the military hierarchy. The more skilled the man at fighter they more likely he will be promoted to the Regulars or even the famous Housecarls.

Meretons prefer a direct strategy of warfare and believe that victory can be gained through decisive battles which sap the enemy?s strength, rather than the old tactic of siege advances to take and hold the enemy?s territory. Although the aim of taking territory is an objective for the military to achieve and strive for, it is a secondary objective and should be done once the enemy can no longer pose a serious threat on the battlefield. The Meretons rely heavily on the use of heavy infantry and the perfection of their tactics and usage; this has giving rise to heavy formations such as the Regulars and HouseCarls which are intended break holes through the enemy?s lines, to allow supporting light and regular infantry, including Calvary to flood through the gaps to break the enemy?s back.

The basic Mereton formation is the shield wall which involves the infantry overlapping their shields to present a strong defensive wall to the enemy. From this it is intended that the enemy waste themselves and energy upon the shield wall, and once this is done the decisive blows can be delivered by the Heavy infantry in conjunction with the Calvary. This basic tactic has been worked upon and there are many formations that the Meretons use to do battle with their enemy.

Logistics is a strong point for the Mereton army as the many Bruhs that are placed across the country, act as supply depots to help keep the army on the move. The same tactic is use when they advance. They build Bruhs along their route of travel to act as supply depots as well as staging points for army attacks if need be.



Levies are generally low quality troops when compared to the other formations within the Mereton military. For the most part, these men are farmers who are only mustered for service unless the nation is in a state of total war. Although they are giving training and could hold their own in a fight, they would not stand very long against better equipped and determined troops. In the case of a war, these troops are intended to slow down the enemy so that better quality troops can be organised and sent to deal with the threat. And once they are relieved, they are expected to bolster the battle line. Levees at the end of every week go to their local Bruh for training to keep their minds refreshed and have a better idea on how to react in combat. For combat the levies are equipped with a spear, round shield and if available a short sword or dagger. They have little in the way of armour as they cannot afford it and are not supplied with it by the state. In a shield wall the levies bolster the main line and if necessary bolster the Calvary on the flanks.



Unlike the levies, Reservists are fully trained troops who are deployed based on seasonal drifts so that one half of the reservist forces are on standby, while the other half are harvesting the crops and working in their towns and villages. Reservists are stationed across the many towns and Bruhs, to maintain a presence and act as a force to maintain law and order. They are also intended to bolster forces of Levies encase of an attack and aid in their training. Reservists are trained to a higher standard than levies and for the military leadership they are considered average level troops. Their equipment is also to a higher standard, as along with the usual spear and round shield combo, they are giving a short sword. They are also equipped with padded leather armour and either a metal or leather helmet. In the shield wall the Reservists are placed on the left and right wing of the formation.



The Regulars are the top standard infantry in the Mereton military. Experienced, excellently trained and well equipped. These troops are full time soldiers who are loyal to their king and country. The Regulars unlike the lesser formations are always stationed in the towns across the country to allow them to be more quickly organised. However, if need be small squads may be sent out to areas which require more experienced troops to deal with any issues. Unlike the levies and reservists, the regulars contain majority of nobles who are either the second or third son of a noble family. Equipped with a spear and a hardened kite-shield, the regular?s form a key element to the shield wall as they are always placed in the center or if need be the flanks, but that rarely happens. They are also equipped with a sword and full chainmail along with metal helmet. Units of Calvary are also present in the formations of the regulars. These Calvary formations have a duel role of an attacking and scouting force, although this is usually done by groups of light moving skirmishers.



The cream of Mereton soldiery, they are the most elite and feared formation in the entire Mereton military machine. HouseCarls are trained to the highest standard available and quickly become experts in a wide range of weapons. They are full time soldiers and reside permanently in the capital and act as the royal family?s personal bodyguard. Only taking the field of battle if the king himself leads personally or orders their formation to be deployed, the HouseCarls act as the main nucleus for the whole force and in effect shield wall, their presence has been known to lift moral and drive their fellow soldiers onto acts of victory. Equipped from head to toe in mail, padded leather and an enclosed metal helmet, the HouseCarls are juggernauts of the battlefield and can carve bloody paths through enemy forces, with their large two handed axes. They are also equipped with a hardened kite-shield along with a sword. In combat, the kite-shield is usually slung across the backs of the HouseCarls as unlike the rest of the formations present within the army, the two-handed axe is the favoured weapon and both hands must be free when wishing to use it effectively.

Ideology:Strength in battle and loyalty to your brothers, king and country. Work hard and lead an honourable life.

___________________________________________________________________________

Name: King Edgar ?Ironsides? of the Kingdom of Mereton



Age: 42

Race: Human

Appearance: Tall, broad shouldered and with a large build, the King still retains the physically imposing shape that he had in his youth. His red shoulder length hair has begun to turn grey from a combination of the stresses of being king and old age; his rough full beard has likewise also turned grey. Edgar prefers to wear sturdy clothing or simple ropes, rather than the colourful expensive clothing that are commonly worn by the nobility of the land. A preference of his that grew from his long years of campaigning.

Personality: Ruthless and with a cynical outlook. King Edgar is a man who bears the burdens of kingship and the scars from the bloody conflict he was flung into in his teenage years. Quick to anger, Edgar is not the sort of king to take any threat or insult lightly, he will deal with any issue he sees as a threat to his kingdom and his family with brutal efficiency. The king with a high work ethic is also a hard man to please and expects the best from his subjects and his children.

Short History: Born the third child of King Alfred ?The poet?. Edgar found himself crowned king of Mereton, following the death of his father and older brother at the battle of the banks. The young king determined to avenge his father and destroy the river tribes, flung himself fully into his nations efforts during the conflict. Edgar had victories and he had defeats, but out of the aftermaths of the many battles he fought during this period, he learnt from his mistakes and tried to improve upon the efforts and abilities of the military. He began a series of army reforms during the conflict, which became known as the ?Ironside reforms? due to the young king?s nickname. The reforms were a success and greatly improved upon the abilities of his army. After many years of fighting the river tribes having been a reduced to nothing more than a rump state, surrendered. The young king weary of fighting accepted their surrender and took a member of the river tribe nobility as his wife to ensure the continued co-operation of the tribes.

Now the king and Queen Aileen have ruled for many years and so far peace and happiness have become the norm within Mereton.

Name: Prince Cyneheard of the Kingdom of Mereton

Age: 20

Race: Human

Appearance:Inheriting most of his physical looks from his father, the prince is tall and well muscular man, with a natural strong frame which has set him apart from most other young men his age. He has short black hair, blue eyes and the typical pale complexion that is common in Mereton men.

Personality:Intelligent and energetic. From a young age Cyneheard has idolised his father and has sought to understand and learn everything he could from his father about being a king and a man. A skilled fighter and commander, the young prince has a strong sense of honour; he strives to protect the weak from harm and continue the fair system of justice that was installed within the land by his ancestors and maintained by his father. Taking the older brother role to heart, Cyneheard makes it a goal of his, to look out for his two younger siblings.

Short History:The first child of King Edgar and Queen Aileen, Cyneheard since birth has been taught in a diverse range of subject, Due to the expectation that he will be king following the death of his father. The prince strives to be worthy of this honour and works hard so that he may be a good and strong king like his father.

Name: Princess Hild of the Kingdom of Mereton



Age: 18

Race: Human

Appearance: With brown eyes, long red hair and a heart shaped face, Hild is an attractive young women. The princess typically dresses in loose flowing clothing due to her love of horse riding and to an extent weapons fighting, which puts Hild at odds with the typical Mereton view of womanly behaviour. However, she will wear in royal dresses at court occasions or during royal duties if asked.

Personality: An intelligent and free spirited young women. Princess Hild uses her royal title well, doing as she pleases, which usually mean riding all day long on her horse Aelfgifu and sparring with her older brother Cyneheard. Her wish someday is to take to the field of battle with her brother and father, but she knows that he father will never allow it.

Short History:Born the second child of King Edgar and Queen Aileen, the young princess was raised to be a lady of the court. But taking after her mother, she grew into a rebellious young woman who enjoys riding and weapons sparring, to dancing and sewing. She spends most of her days doing what she loves. But on occasion she is reeled in by her Aunt who attempts in her words to turn her into a ?proper Mereton lady?. However, fortunately her aunt?s efforts make little headway and the princess continues to do what she does.

Finished
 

JoJo

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Rogue Trooper said:
Nation Name:Kingdom of Mereton

Capitol Name: Stowhurst

Territory description: A fertile land of rolling fields, forests and rivers; the land of Mereton is more than suitable for sustaining life. Several large rivers teaming with fish run through this land. The rivers offer the inhabitants a quick route of travel through their land, and also provide a good source of fish that can be caught. This combined with the large yearly yield of crops which are harvested from the farmlands, give the kingdom amble stocks of food, to see its people through the winters and support the steadily growing population.

The kingdom when compared to other lands is unusually flat with the highest land being no bigger than a medium sized hill. Cenric hill which is named after the legendary first king of Mereton is the largest hill in the kingdom and home to the capital town Stowhurst. There are no cities for the population to live in. Rather the population live in the many towns, villages and hamlets which are dotted across the land.

Most of the kingdom?s towns are built near the great rivers or on the few hills that are available. The villages on the other hand are built and organised around the ?Bruh?, earth and wood forts/castles which vary in size depending on the size of the local village. The Bruhs? give the villagers a place to flee for protection if the situation calls for it, act as rally and supply depot for the military and also act as centers of administration and trade for the local region or ?Borough? as it is called by the kingdoms administrators.



The Battle standard of Mereton kings; This has been considered and used as the flag of the kingdom for some time.

Nation Perks:

Strong Military: In the past the Mereton army was no more than a mass of disorganised and poorly led militia with divided loyalties. But after the kingdoms experiences in the long war and the reforms of King Edgar ?Ironsides? the nation?s military has become a well-oiled and trained fighting machine. Service in the military is considered an honour and most young men are expected to serve in an area of the military, for at least a few tours. Indeed there are some fathers that will not let their daughters be married unless their suitor has served in the army. The army is also the preferred area of work for sons of the nobility. This results in an experienced and dedicated pool of leadership. The army is also supported by a strong logistics system.

Fertile land: The kingdom of Mereton is a green and fertile land, with healthy fields, rivers filled with fish and forests which contain many beasts for the people?s usage. This results in the kingdom having large stores of food for usage and trade.

Nation Flaws:

Lack of raw materials: Although abundant in food and wood. Mereton has a startling low level of important raw materials such as iron and coal. The issue with coal has been solved through a reliance on wood. While iron which is mostly important for the military, is severely rationed and protected, only being used for projects of importance. The usage of stone has taking the place of iron for tools to build houses and farm for example.

Uneasy peace: Recently the Mereton kingdom has made peace and incorporated the river tribes into the nation. The peace was made by the marriage of the principality?s ruler Aileen ?the Shield maiden? to King Edgar ?ironsides?, which effectively ended 25 years of war. Although the peace was welcomed by most, a minority of the river tribes have refused to bow to the king of a people who they consider weaker than them. This minority has continued to raid and attack Mereton villages, and at time towns. They have been a frustrating menace for the army to deal with. The continuation of small scale fighting as made some aspects of Mereton nobility and society, severely distrust the river tribes which have followed their queen?s orders and have become a part of Mereton society. This had led to local tensions between the people and at times the nobility.

Short History: The origins of the Mereton kingdom is shrouded in legend and to this day, no one is truly sure what exactly caused the creation the nation that exists today. What is known and what is considered to be the truth is that the Mereton people settled on the land and built their first settlement on Cairn hill, so called named after their leader which had led them. The settlement flourished and eventually expanded into a small kingdom. The people then began to worship Eostre the goddess of fertility - the guarding of the lands which they now called home - for good harvests and happiness.

Generations past and the great ? grandson of Cairn, Alfred ?Gods bane? had become king. At this time his kingdom was going through a devastating famine and in order to save his people he sought out the goddess Eostre for her help. The goddess helped the young king in-exchange for the completion of several tasks and soon normality returned to the king?s lands. However at the end of his adventures Alfred had fallen in love with Eostre and the two of them began a romance with one another.

This romance between goddess and mortal caught the attention of Bourne a minor god of the rivers who lusted for Eostre?s affections, upon seeing Alfred?s romance with the goddess and inflamed by jealous at what he saw, he challenged Alfred for the right to her affections. Alfred accepted and the two duelled. Although Alfred fought well, he was eventually slain and Eostre seeing the death of her love; wept and cursed Bourne for what he done. Bourne angry at his rejection swore that he would destroy Alfred?s people, believing that once they were gone Eostre would have no choice but to fall in love with him.

Bourne blessed the river tribes and sent them towards a conflict with the Mereton kingdom, which had now come under rulership of Alfred?s cousin; Athelstan. This begun a series of conflicts between the Meretons and the river tribes, they were an on and off generations long conflicts, which became known collectively as the ?Long War? by the Meretons.

Eventually the war nearly ended with the near destruction of the Mereton kingdom. But when King Edgar succeeded his father at the age of 17, he began a series of military reforms and led the army and his nation from the brink of collapse, personally leading his men at crucial moments and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, his men named him ?Ironsides? due to the young king?s unyielding nature and military skill. He reconquered old lands, established his dominance and after years of bloody combat had reduced the river tribe?s lands to nothing more than a rump state.

Weary of war, Edgar agreed to a political marriage to end the war and bring the river tribes peacefully into the Kingdom?s fold. His new Queen was Aileen ?the Shield maiden? a feared warrior and commander of the river tribes. It was an interesting agreement, as only a few months before the two individuals had been bitter enemies that had fought and bested each other numerous times. Regardless the marriage went ahead and peace was finally gained after generations of war. The King and his queen have led the kingdom well and most of the scars of the past have been healed, the nation is strong and the people are happy. The royals? marriage has also resulted in three children being born: two sons and one daughter.

___________________________________________________________________________

Race Name: Human

Race perks/flaws: N/A

___________________________________________________________________________

Social Values: Work and live with Honour whatever you do in your life and show loyalty to your neighbours and your king. Fight bravely when you?re King and country calls you for war and die well. These social values although simple owe their existence to Mereton Kingdom?s experience during the ?Long War? and the fact that most levels of society were touched by the conflict and after effect of it.

Government: The Kingdom of Mereton has a style of Monarchy were the King and his family rule the nation and make laws for it as they see fit. Although the power of the King?s is practically boundless, few kings actually do as they wise, why most seek advice and listen to the council of elders which contains the most influential and wise men in the kingdom. These men who are picked from amongst the best nobles, administrators and army commander, use their combined knowledge to allow the king to rule the nation to the best of his ability. The council is also considerable powerful, and only an unwise king would go against them. The council is commonly male dominated, although it is not uncommon for a female to sit on the council. However, at the moment only Queen Aileen occupies a seat on the council.

As it stands rulership will pass firstly to the sons of the king and then his daughters if he should have any. Female rulership in the kingdom of Mereton is something which nobles on the land do not want, due to the belief that women make unsuitable rulers. However, with King Edgar?s marriage to Queen Aileen that viewpoint has been put under strain. Queen Aileen is an excellent commander, warrior and has shown sound ability and judgement while working in the elder council. Her daughter princess Hild has inherited the abilities of her mother, which adds more argument to the question.

Economy: Free Market: The Kingdom of Mereton?s economy is primarily based around the growing of crops and the fishing industry which provide surplus amounts of food for the people. People are allowed to buy and sell as they wish, although it must be done either within the confines of a Town or Bruh. Trade is thriving within the kingdom as the many rivers and waterways offer quick transportation to one area to the nest. Iron ore is highly sought after, as the kingdom has only a small number of mines which barely provide the quantity needed. Trading with other nations is commonly done with the large quantities excess food which the kingdom produces.

Religion: Before the old gods died. The Meretons believed in the goddess Eostre who blessed the land making it highly fertile, she also favoured the Mereton people following her romance with the hero Alfred ?Gods bane?. The river tribes however worshipped the river god Bourne and through that they became sworn enemies to the Meretons. However, as the god eventually faded the hatred ended, this was a major reason for the peace as the river tribes saw no need to exercise their god?s wish of vengeance. Although the gods have died, there are still some elements within the kingdom which believe that Eostre has not gone, due to the continual fertility of the land.

Military: The Mereton military is large, well trained and experienced. However due to the demands of the economy, men are always needed to harvest crops and work. This has forced the Meretons to use a system of seasonal drifting to ensure that there is a standing army ready to defend the nation no matter on the season or time of year. Every Mereton man is expected to serve in the army on; a full time, part time or levy basis. These expectations have resulted in three classes of Mereton troops, each differing in quality of training, equipment and experience.

The spear and shield are the most common and favoured weapons used by Mereton troops, due to their simple and easy usage. Not much training is required to use it effectively. Generally speaking to become a reservist is usually the highest level a peasant man will go in the military hierarchy. The more skilled the man at fighter they more likely he will be promoted to the Regulars or even the famous Housecarls.

Meretons prefer a direct strategy of warfare and believe that victory can be gained through decisive battles which sap the enemy?s strength, rather than the old tactic of siege advances to take and hold the enemy?s territory. Although the aim of taking territory is an objective for the military to achieve and strive for, it is a secondary objective and should be done once the enemy can no longer pose a serious threat on the battlefield. The Meretons rely heavily on the use of heavy infantry and the perfection of their tactics and usage; this has giving rise to heavy formations such as the Regulars and HouseCarls which are intended break holes through the enemy?s lines, to allow supporting light and regular infantry, including Calvary to flood through the gaps to break the enemy?s back.

The basic Mereton formation is the shield wall which involves the infantry overlapping their shields to present a strong defensive wall to the enemy. From this it is intended that the enemy waste themselves and energy upon the shield wall, and once this is done the decisive blows can be delivered by the Heavy infantry in conjunction with the Calvary. This basic tactic has been worked upon and there are many formations that the Meretons use to do battle with their enemy.

Logistics is a strong point for the Mereton army as the many Bruhs that are placed across the country, act as supply depots to help keep the army on the move. The same tactic is use when they advance. They build Bruhs along their route of travel to act as supply depots as well as staging points for army attacks if need be.



Levies are generally low quality troops when compared to the other formations within the Mereton military. For the most part, these men are farmers who are only mustered for service unless the nation is in a state of total war. Although they are giving training and could hold their own in a fight, they would not stand very long against better equipped and determined troops. In the case of a war, these troops are intended to slow down the enemy so that better quality troops can be organised and sent to deal with the threat. And once they are relieved, they are expected to bolster the battle line. Levees at the end of every week go to their local Bruh for training to keep their minds refreshed and have a better idea on how to react in combat. For combat the levies are equipped with a spear, round shield and if available a short sword or dagger. They have little in the way of armour as they cannot afford it and are not supplied with it by the state. In a shield wall the levies bolster the main line and if necessary bolster the Calvary on the flanks.



Unlike the levies, Reservists are fully trained troops who are deployed based on seasonal drifts so that one half of the reservist forces are on standby, while the other half are harvesting the crops and working in their towns and villages. Reservists are stationed across the many towns and Bruhs, to maintain a presence and act as a force to maintain law and order. They are also intended to bolster forces of Levies encase of an attack and aid in their training. Reservists are trained to a higher standard than levies and for the military leadership they are considered average level troops. Their equipment is also to a higher standard, as along with the usual spear and round shield combo, they are giving a short sword. They are also equipped with padded leather armour and either a metal or leather helmet. In the shield wall the Reservists are placed on the left and right wing of the formation.



The Regulars are the top standard infantry in the Mereton military. Experienced, excellently trained and well equipped. These troops are full time soldiers who are loyal to their king and country. The Regulars unlike the lesser formations are always stationed in the towns across the country to allow them to be more quickly organised. However, if need be small squads may be sent out to areas which require more experienced troops to deal with any issues. Unlike the levies and reservists, the regulars contain majority of nobles who are either the second or third son of a noble family. Equipped with a spear and a hardened kite-shield, the regular?s form a key element to the shield wall as they are always placed in the center or if need be the flanks, but that rarely happens. They are also equipped with a sword and full chainmail along with metal helmet. Units of Calvary are also present in the formations of the regulars, they have a duel role of an attacking force and scouts if need be.



The cream of Mereton soldiery, they are the most elite and feared formation in the entire Mereton military machine. HouseCarls are trained to the highest standard available and quickly become experts in a wide range of weapons. They are full time soldiers and reside permanently in the capital and act as the royal family?s personal bodyguard. Only taking the field of battle if the king himself leads personally or orders their formation to be deployed, the HouseCarls act as the main nucleus for the whole force and in effect shield wall, their presence has been known to lift moral and drive their fellow soldiers onto acts of victory. Equipped from head to toe in mail, padded leather and an enclosed metal helmet, the HouseCarls are juggernauts of the battlefield and can carve bloody paths through enemy forces, with their large two handed axes. They are also equipped with a hardened kite-shield along with a sword. The kite-shield is usually sling across their backs as unlike the rest of the formations, the axe is the HouseCarl's primary weapon.

Ideology:Strength in battle and loyalty to your brothers, king and country. Work hard and lead an honourable life.

___________________________________________________________________________

Major Characters: (For leaders, heroes or other viewpoint characters you might use. You can make new viewpoint characters as the game progresses, but you should have a few to start with)

Name:

Race:

Personality:

Short History:

Putting this up here to show my interest. I'll finish the character section soon.
Ha, nice to see another human nation, I play Aurora myself. The GM is going to be away for the rest of the week but I'll be on hand to answer any questions you might have, looking forward to seeing your character section :)

OT: Since we've got a couple of prospective nation players here, I recommend any further applicants strongly consider creating a god character, we're particularly low on those right now.
 

Drummodino

Can't Stop the Bop
Jan 2, 2011
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Okay let's see how this goes...

Name: Drya; Lady of the Hunt and Guardian of the Forest

Picture:

Bio:

Drya was born a simple human, to a pair of hermits who had retreated from human civilization to live in a wooden cabin, just inside of a forest. She was raised to live a simple life in harmony with nature. Her mother occasionally ventured to a nearby town to trade, but Drya never saw the need to. She spent all of her days within the forest, learning how to live and thrive off the land from her father. It was tough at times, particularly during the winters, but their existence was a happy one. Drya became a skilled hunter-gatherer, crafting her own tools and weapons using flint for the heads and blades. The bow quickly became her weapon of choice, although it was only ever used as a means to feed the family and to defend themselves from the more aggressive wildlife.

Sadly this blissful life was not allowed to continue forever. Returning from a long hunting expedition, Drya was horrified to find her home and the surrounding area engulfed in flames. She saw a man toss one final torch and then flee the scene, scurrying after several others. The screams of her parents could be heard from within, yet the heat was too intense for her to get to them. After several hours the heavens opened and rain poured from the sky, quenching the blaze. Rushing through the destruction, she found the ashes of her family in the ruins of her home, forever gone from this world. Tears mixing with the rain upon her skin, she wailed in anguish, as the downpour continued to fall upon her from above.

Minutes or hours later - she had lost track of the time - Drya's tears dried up and her sobs quieted. Glancing around, she realized that she was surrounded by all manner of woodland creatures. As she stared blankly at them they began to murmur, a deep rhythm filling the desolated area. Small green and white lights rose from the creatures and flowed into Drya's body, filling her with an odd sensation of power and energy. Overwhelmed by the experience she lost consciousness, her last memory was seeing the animals begin to disintegrate and fade away...

Reborn as the The Lady of the Hunt, Drya now seeks to protect the natural world and promote harmony, where the various races can live and work together with nature, rather than against it. She has little patience and no mercy for those who would destroy the natural world in the name of progress or advancement, especially her beloved forests.

Domain: +2 [Nature] Drya has a powerful affection for the natural world, and is its sworn protector. She has a deep spiritual connection with animals, plants and fungi and in return for her service they lend her their aid.

Drawback: -2 [Destruction] Death, decay and disease all have a purpose, they are a part of the cycle of nature. Destructive acts that upset this cycle are another matter entirely. Drya is unable to comprehend these, they have no place in her vision of the world.

Core Values: Nature, Harmony and Preservation.

What you want out of the game: I would like to try out a slightly different RP to those I have participated in before. This seems like fun and I hope it continues for a long while.

Feedback and comments are always welcome.

Edit: Changed domain from Forest to Nature.
 

drmigit2

New member
Dec 25, 2008
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Drummodino said:
Okay let's see how this goes...

Name: Drya; Lady of the Hunt and Guardian of the Forest

Picture:

Bio:

Drya was born a simple human, to a pair of hermits who had retreated from human civilization to live in a wooden cabin, just inside of a forest. She was raised to live a simple life in harmony with nature. Her mother occasionally ventured to a nearby town to trade, but Drya never saw the need to. She spent all of her days within the forest, learning how to live and thrive off the land from her father. It was tough at times, particularly during the winters, but their existence was a happy one. Drya became a skilled hunter-gatherer, crafting her own tools and weapons using flint for the heads and blades. The bow quickly became her weapon of choice, although it was only ever used as a means to feed the family and to defend themselves from the more aggressive wildlife.

Sadly this blissful life was not allowed to continue forever. Returning from a long hunting expedition, Drya was horrified to find her home and the surrounding area engulfed in flames. She saw a man toss one final torch and then flee the scene, scurrying after several others. The screams of her parents could be heard from within, yet the heat was too intense for her to get to them. After several hours the heavens opened and rain poured from the sky, quenching the blaze. Rushing through the destruction, she found the ashes of her family in the ruins of her home, forever gone from this world. Tears mixing with the rain upon her skin, she wailed in anguish, as the downpour continued to fall down upon her from above.

Minutes or hours later - she had lost track of the time - Drya's tears dried up and her sobs quieted. Glancing around, she realized that she was surrounded by all manner of woodland creatures. As she stared blankly at them they began to murmur, a deep rhythm filling the desolated area. Small green and white lights rose from the creatures and flowed into Drya's body, filling her with an odd sensation of power and energy. Overwhelmed by the experience she lost consciousness, her last memory was seeing the animals begin to disintegrate and fade away...

Reborn as the The Lady of the Hunt, Drya now seeks to protect the natural world and promote harmony, where the various races can live and work together with nature, rather than against it. She has little patience and no mercy for those who would destroy the natural world in the name of progress or advancement, especially her beloved forests.

Domain: +2 [Forests] The forests of the world are Drya's home and she is their sworn protector. She has a deep spiritual connection with the animals, plants and fungi and in return for her service they lend her their aid.

Drawback: -2 [Destruction] Death, decay and disease all have a purpose, they are a part of the cycle of nature. Destructive acts that upset this cycle are another matter entirely. Drya is unable to comprehend these, they have no place in her vision of the world.

Core Values: Nature, Harmony and Protection.

What you want out of the game: I would like to try out a slightly different RP to those I have participated in before. This seems like fun and I hope it continues for a long while.

Feedback and comments are always welcome.
Cool character. Might argue with the other gods but that's fine. We tend to do that a lot anyway. Forest is a specific domain though and you will find your actions limited if you take it. I always recommend broad domains like fire in my case or nature in yours. It can be used in unique ways and would allow for your character to straight up do more. Other than that, I would recommend you pick a home country. One where your character got burned in. One of the new nations would be easiest, but Aurora could also work as it is a human nation with forests and stuff. Expect to get to know Lysei if you do pick Aurora. He considers it his home.
 

Drummodino

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drmigit2 said:
Cool character. Might argue with the other gods but that's fine. We tend to do that a lot anyway. Forest is a specific domain though and you will find your actions limited if you take it. I always recommend broad domains like fire in my case or nature in yours. It can be used in unique ways and would allow for your character to straight up do more. Other than that, I would recommend you pick a home country. One where your character got burned in. One of the new nations would be easiest, but Aurora could also work as it is a human nation with forests and stuff. Expect to get to know Lysei if you do pick Aurora. He considers it his home.
Thanks! Arguing with the other gods is fine with me, hopefully that will keep things interesting. Forest is a pretty specific domain so I may change it if others feel the same way. I didn't pick nature outright because technically that can encompass most of the world - I'd exclude oceans and such if I do change it to that.

For a home, a new country would be best I think. Mereton sounds promising if we both get approved.
 

drmigit2

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Drummodino said:
drmigit2 said:
Cool character. Might argue with the other gods but that's fine. We tend to do that a lot anyway. Forest is a specific domain though and you will find your actions limited if you take it. I always recommend broad domains like fire in my case or nature in yours. It can be used in unique ways and would allow for your character to straight up do more. Other than that, I would recommend you pick a home country. One where your character got burned in. One of the new nations would be easiest, but Aurora could also work as it is a human nation with forests and stuff. Expect to get to know Lysei if you do pick Aurora. He considers it his home.
Thanks! Arguing with the other gods is fine with me, hopefully that will keep things interesting. Forest is a pretty specific domain so I may change it if others feel the same way. I didn't pick nature outright because technically that can encompass most of the world - I'd exclude oceans and such if I do change it to that.

For a home, a new country would be best I think. Mereton sounds promising if we both get approved.
Should also consider Gratt Shae. Their ideals seem to match with your god's. Maybe not where she was born, but moving there real quick could let your god snag a quick power spike.
 

Drummodino

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drmigit2 said:
Should also consider Gratt Shae. Their ideals seem to match with your god's.
Mmm, yes that could work quite nicely. She was human initially though so she would have been raised in another land, but there is nothing stopping her from taking up residence there.
 

booksv2

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i agree, a hunting god would be a big hit to the Grat.
if for no other reason than they are all big hunters.

though i will maybe be talking to other gods about other things outside hunting. Just saying.
 

Drummodino

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booksv2 said:
i agree, a hunting god would be a big hit to the Grat.
if for no other reason than they are all big hunters.

though i will maybe be talking to other gods about other things outside hunting. Just saying.
Sounds good to me. They sound like a very nature oriented race, especially with their forest residences
 

Aaronoftheages

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Name: Themeron the Relentless.



Bio: Themeron was born an untold amount of years ago, he Descends from a family of soldiers and warriors spanning a millennia, his father was a warrior, his Grandfather was a warrior, the cycle repeat itself once more. It was a more violent time, war was rampant as lords and their lord lings vied for control over the lands, there was plenty of fights, plenty of war, and he lived for war, He fough many battles long ago, and when those battles ended, he went in search of new folly, in search of a better thrill of the kill. He?s taken men to battles, Fought with sword, Bow, Spear and Axe. His ancestors, reaching a certain age relent and continue the family, but he was different, he simply couldn?t bring himself to stop. There was so much more that he wanted to do, he continued fighting, and he fought until his bloody and violent death, him vs a large group of heavily armed men, armor clad, brandishing spears, he attacked first but was brought down . This need for battle, it manifested into an entity, and he achieved ascension. This was merely out of his need for more, he can never be satisfied, he achieved ascension and become an avatar of war made manifest, a position he could see himself enjoying.
When the mortal?s come to battle, he revels in watching these wars, enjoying the display of bloodshed and the tactics brought into play, Mortals would pray to him for guidance for victory, if it means blood spilled in battle who is he to complain?
A common misconception is that he wants everything destroyed, but if everything where to be destroyed with no survivors, where would he receive his energy, he requires the constantly changing tides of war.
War is a game, and a fun game at that.

Domain: +2 War. He revels in it and during times of battle he is strengthened by the blood Spilt. And the indirect sacrifice that he benefits from it, as war is mortal nature.
Drawback: -2 Diplomacy, during these periods of time he becomes weakened. He cannot comprehend not fighting, he feels the battle lust within people but is denied access to it during these times. He Regresses, becomes sickly and starved in appearance.

Core Value: War, Death and Blood.

What you want out of the game: A direct Approach, Something that I?m able to get down and dirty with.
 

JoJo

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Aaronoftheages said:
Name: Themeron the Relentless.



Bio: Themeron was born an untold amount of years ago, he Descends from a family of soldiers and warriors spanning a millennia, his father was a warrior, his Grandfather was a warrior, the cycle repeat itself once more. It was a more violent time, war was rampant as lords and their lord lings vied for control over the lands, there was plenty of fights, plenty of war, and he lived for war, He fough many battles long ago, and when those battles ended, he went in search of new follow, in search of a better thrill of the kill. He?s taken men to battles, Fought with sword, Bow, Spear and Axe. His ancestors, reaching a certain age relent and continue the family, but he was different, he simply couldn?t bring himself to stop. There was so much more that he wanted to do, he continued fighting, and he fought until his bloody and violent death, him vs a large group of heavily armed men, armor clad, brandishing spears, he attacked first but was brought down . This need for battle, it manifested into an entity, and he achieved ascension. This was merely out of his need for more, he can never be satisfied, he achieved ascension and become an avatar of war made manifest, a position he could see himself enjoying.
When the mortal?s come to battle, he revels in watching these wars, enjoying the display of bloodshed and the tactics brought into play, Mortals would pray to him for guidance for victory, if it means blood spilled in battle who is he to complain?
A common misconception is that he wants everything destroyed, but if everything where to be destroyed with no survivors, where would he receive his energy, he requires the constantly changing tides of war.
War is a game, and a fun game at that.

Domain: +2 War. He revels in it and during times of battle he is strengthened by the blood Spilt. And the indirect sacrifice that he benefits from it, as war is mortal nature.
Drawback: -2 Diplomacy, during these periods of time he becomes weakened. He cannot comprehend not fighting, he feels the battle lust within people but is denied access to it during these times. He Regresses, becomes sickly and starved in appearance.

Core Value: War, Death and Blood.

What you want out of the game: A direct Approach, Something that I?m able to get down and dirty with.
Nice, I like it, having a god like this would hopefully prevent any boring world peace scenarios arising. The GM won't be back for a few days but like Drmigit suggested to Drummodino I'd recommend considering which nation your god originally came from as a mortal to give them a little more background.
 

drmigit2

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Aaronoftheages said:
Name: Themeron the Relentless.



Bio: Themeron was born an untold amount of years ago, he Descends from a family of soldiers and warriors spanning a millennia, his father was a warrior, his Grandfather was a warrior, the cycle repeat itself once more. It was a more violent time, war was rampant as lords and their lord lings vied for control over the lands, there was plenty of fights, plenty of war, and he lived for war, He fough many battles long ago, and when those battles ended, he went in search of new follow, in search of a better thrill of the kill. He?s taken men to battles, Fought with sword, Bow, Spear and Axe. His ancestors, reaching a certain age relent and continue the family, but he was different, he simply couldn?t bring himself to stop. There was so much more that he wanted to do, he continued fighting, and he fought until his bloody and violent death, him vs a large group of heavily armed men, armor clad, brandishing spears, he attacked first but was brought down . This need for battle, it manifested into an entity, and he achieved ascension. This was merely out of his need for more, he can never be satisfied, he achieved ascension and become an avatar of war made manifest, a position he could see himself enjoying.
When the mortal?s come to battle, he revels in watching these wars, enjoying the display of bloodshed and the tactics brought into play, Mortals would pray to him for guidance for victory, if it means blood spilled in battle who is he to complain?
A common misconception is that he wants everything destroyed, but if everything where to be destroyed with no survivors, where would he receive his energy, he requires the constantly changing tides of war.
War is a game, and a fun game at that.

Domain: +2 War. He revels in it and during times of battle he is strengthened by the blood Spilt. And the indirect sacrifice that he benefits from it, as war is mortal nature.
Drawback: -2 Diplomacy, during these periods of time he becomes weakened. He cannot comprehend not fighting, he feels the battle lust within people but is denied access to it during these times. He Regresses, becomes sickly and starved in appearance.

Core Value: War, Death and Blood.

What you want out of the game: A direct Approach, Something that I?m able to get down and dirty with.
...Lysei might end up liking this guy. Or they could end up murdering one another, really could go either way. (They literally have the exact same drawback).