EMPIRE! CWBG XIV: To Heir is Human - To Faith 10, Divine

[Aedilred]

Hello, I was invited to this game and it looks quite interesting. I was shown Pavonia and Faelthalas as NPCs and both look interesting. I don't remember the screen name of my friend, but he seemed to think Pavonia would be more interesting. Is that a good NPC to pick up in other people's opinions? I trust him, but I would appreciate more opinions (or if another NPC would be better for a noob to pick up) He said this was a very friendly forum so I look forward to getting to know you all!

It's raining new players!

Pavonia is much more developed than Faelthalas - Faelthalas only had one active round whereas Pavonia was active for a lot longer and had multiple regions for a time. But if Faelthalas appeals to you more from what you've seen then go for that: they're both Caercian vassals in any case so you'd have the same liege and likely many of the same opportunities.

[DurkBlanston]

Hello, I was invited to this game and it looks quite interesting. I was shown Pavonia and Faelthalas as NPCs and both look interesting. I don't remember the screen name of my friend, but he seemed to think Pavonia would be more interesting. Is that a good NPC to pick up in other people's opinions? I trust him, but I would appreciate more opinions (or if another NPC would be better for a noob to pick up) He said this was a very friendly forum so I look forward to getting to know you all!

It's Durk over here (Mr.) Roarke

[Roarke]

Holy crap fast responses! Also, holy crap werewolves and vampires in Pavonia! Germanic is cool, that's a clincher! I think I would like to pick up Pavonia. Is there a thread or summary or something of their involvement in history? I got a brief bit from Durk but would love to have something solid to look at and reference.

[Aedilred]

Holy crap fast responses! Also, holy crap werewolves and vampires in Pavonia! Germanic is cool, that's a clincher! I think I would like to pick up Pavonia. Is there a thread or summary or something of their involvement in history? I got a brief bit from Durk but would love to have something solid to look at and reference.

Short answer: no. There is some stuff about the early history of Pavonia on the wiki (link in my sig) on the page there which Reader added while he was playing.

Spoiler: Abridged history of Pavonia

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Before 400 - Duchy gradually unified under Gilgamesh
400-420 - Pavonia expands into neighbouring regions, invading and conquering Norogh from the dwarven kingdom of Mularuhm.
420-440 - Pavonia sends mercenaries to join the Qzare of the Salterri Imperium in its civil war against the Priory of Ascension.
431 - Pavonia finally agrees to terms with Mularuhm, paying wergild for the dwarves killed.
442 - Countess Lucrezia of Pavonia turns Huanle, a sister of the Qzarina to vampirism, antagonising the Imperium.
c.465 - Pavonia forms a Great Kingdom as the Pavonian Imperium.
470 onwards - Pavonia increasingly comes into competition with the Tyranny of New Crima for land as it seeks to expand, with conflict almost arising over the Thousand Vales.
489 - Pavonian assassins kill Huanle and attempt to kill Queen Kyria of the Heartwaste over an obscure and possibly personal dispute. In light of the world war raging at the time blame is initially placed with the Empire of Dawn and their allies. The event causes the Salterri Imperium to enter the Sunset War.
490-495 - Pavonian troops fight alongside the Concordat and Salterri Imperium in the Sunset War.
495 - Crima declares war on Pavonia over a territorial dispute in Miskaton, aka the Crystal Caves. Investigations show that the Heartwaste assassins originated in Pavonia. The Caercian Consortium and Mularuhm declare war.
495-505 - Norogh is reconquered by Mularuhm; Promise and the Thousand Vales are conquered by the Caercian Consortium and Crima respectively.
506 - The war is ended by the Treaty of Deeptree. Pavonia surrenders the conquered territory, reverts to Grand Duchy status and becomes a vassal of the Caercian Consortium.

The Pavonian player left during that last war so since then they have been NPC. More detail can be seen if you look for posts in the IC actions thread by ReaderAt2046 (before about R34) or Quinton's NPC actions thereafter.

The following IC threads were hosted by or otherwise specifically concern Pavonia, although they attended many events in the first half of the 5th century.

Unification Feast (Year 416)
Founding of the Pavonian Imperium (c.465)
The Treaty of Deeptree (506)

I think Pavonians also attended all the following events, though they are all a long time ago so don't feel obliged to go hunting through them.

Spoiler: List

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Celebration of the New Century (Year 401)
5th Raaneki Games (Year 407)
Second World's Fair (Year 408)
Jarrow Weddings (Year 415)
Sakaru Mitsura (Year 418)
6th Raaneki Games (Year 422)
International Council Summit (Year 425)
Wayve's Coronation (Year 429)
3rd Grand Ball (Year 431)
1st Tellurian Games (Year 437)
Rise of the Silver Wyrm - The Coronation and Nameday of Li Tianshi (Year 442)
Pink Tide Festival (Year 446)
Inaugural Grand Cree Providence Day Ball (Year 453)

[Roarke]

Alright, looks good. Thank you very much Aedilred. I will get started polishing things up. Can I copy the region post Durk has for them in the "Land of Telluris" thread to edit it? Also, would I be joining this round or next round? From what I understand Pavonia may be going to war soon to get land which I'm fine with, war gives all sorts of proper reason for a renaissance of culture and unity.

[BladeofObliviom]

Oh hey, lots of new people around.


I've got a couple of corrections to Morph's list for people to talk to about particular polities, by the by.

If there's two people listed, the more important ones are listed first, but the other usually has some key information too.

Kingdom of Stolok - BladeofObliviom (note the m)
Voreal Kingdom - BladeofObliviom
Sympolemou - Tychris1
Tyranny of New Crima - ...I'm not sure who the best person to talk to would be, since they have quite a tumultuous history.

Kingdom of Stolok should also have Quinton listed. For the Voreal Kingdom, both Quinton and Zabbarot have better knowledge of it than I do. Tychris is still the best source for Sympolemou but I can supply some too if anyone cares.

With Doom gone, I'm probably the best source on Crima.

[Aedilred]

Alright, looks good. Thank you very much Aedilred. I will get started polishing things up. Can I copy the region post Durk has for them in the "Land of Telluris" thread to edit it? Also, would I be joining this round or next round? From what I understand Pavonia may be going to war soon to get land which I'm fine with, war gives all sorts of proper reason for a renaissance of culture and unity.

Rounds are two weeks long and the current one ends this coming Sunday, so although it might be possible for you to get set up in time to post actions this round it might be easier to take the next few days to get your stuff sorted out and start from next round. On the other hand I know Quinton is keen to divest himself of NPCs so the sooner you can get started the sooner he can stop worrying about that.

Copying Durk's post on Pavonia in the Lands thread is probably the best place to start, yeah, although for the time being it would be a good idea to post your region post and any associated revisions in this thread as it'll get more attention here, then you can move it over to the Lands thread when you're approved and ready to go.

[Rain Dragon]

It's raining new players!

Holy smokes, you're not wrong.

[Zayuz]

Thanks for the swift responses and welcomes! I've claimed Alzeroth with permission Waylander, and I should be playing that in the time to come. I see I'm not the only new player, lets hope we don't get crushed on round one, yeah?
I think I should have things organized and may have barely enough time to post this round. There's a lot to be done! Well, I suppose most of it has been handled anyways. (Thanks to Waylander and Quinton for helping me out.)

[BladeofObliviom]

Thanks for the swift responses and welcomes! I've claimed Alzeroth with permission Waylander, and I should be playing that in the time to come. I see I'm not the only new player, lets hope we don't get crushed on round one, yeah?
I think I should have things organized and may have barely enough time to post this round. There's a lot to be done! Well, I suppose most of it has been handled anyways. (Thanks to Waylander and Quinton for helping me out.)

Honestly the only reason Alzeroth hasn't already been destroyed by its neighbors is pretty much because it's mostly surrounded by non-expansionist folks (except for Maur, but there are...other reasons why they haven't attacked Alzeroth recently). It's not like Hurosha could extend the force necessary to protect Alzeroth from a serious attack without crippling its own air force/army and making some serious negotiations to pass through the necessary lands.

So you probably won't get ganked on the first round. :P

[WaylanderX]

Honestly the only reason Alzeroth hasn't already been destroyed by its neighbors is pretty much because it's mostly surrounded by non-expansionist folks (except for Maur, but there are...other reasons why they haven't attacked Alzeroth recently). It's not like Hurosha could extend the force necessary to protect Alzeroth from a serious attack without crippling its own air force/army and making some serious negotiations to pass through the necessary lands.

So you probably won't get ganked on the first round. :P

EY! I did some pretty good scheming as well dangit! Hell, without my scheming Alzeroth wouldn't even exist in the current day.
And yes, the distance is long, but that doesn't mean I can't get there or provide support in other ways than throwing massive legions against everything.

[Roarke]

The Grand Duchy of Pavonia
Regions 68 and 127 NPC
Lesser Vassal to the Caercian Consortium and the Salterri Imperium
Vassals: None

Grand Duchess Maria Wulfendyne: Grand Duchess of the Pavonians and the Burrata, Duchess of Pavonia, Prefect Pavonian

Stats
Diplomacy - 5
Military - 7
Curiosity - 4
Faith - 3

Original Rolls

ALL UPDATED TO END OF ROUND 35

Resources/Trade

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Pavonia

• Iron [Good]
  
• Stone [Good]
  
• Mercenaries [Good]
  
• Adamantine [Good]
  

Sterkelv

• Sungbone
  [/INDENT]

Trading Posts

Population and Armies

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Pavonia - ???,000 [0]
Frios - ???,000 [5 Ducal Circles]

Technologies

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Winning Tactic

Government

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Noble Rankings within the Grand Duchy

• Qzare
• King
• Grand Duke
• Duke
• Count
• Baron

Noble Houses & Holdings throughout the Grand Duchy

Duchy of Pavonia - Grand Duchess Maria Wulfendyne

• County of Grove - Grand Duke of Promise
  • Barony of - House
• County of Skywall - Duke of Pavonia
  • Barony of - House

Duchy of Frios Duke Ramirez

• County of Ciudad Vieja - Duke of Frios
  • Barony of - House
• County of - House
  • Barony of - House

Military Hierarchy


Military Rankings

• Fuhrer - Commands the Ducal Circles of a Duchy
• Praetor - Commands 1,000 men, a Ducal Regiment
• Kommandant - Commands 100 Men in a Legion, a Battalion
• Lieutnant - Commands 10 Men in a Battalion, a Schlag
• Schwerter - Rank and file soldiers of the Ducal Circles

Honorific Military Titles

• -

Major Cities & Sites in the Grand Duchy

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Duchy of Pavonia

• Grove City

Duchy of Frios

• Ciudad Vieja

The Salterri Imperium: Agreement

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The Grand Charter of the Salterri Imperium

Preamble
The Salterri Imperium exists as a unified empire with the goal of bringing peace, order, and civilization to the world. All Regions, Provinces and Protectorates of the empire agree to a code of conduct to support those goals.

Leadership
{1} Loyalty to the Qzare is absolute. As ruler of the Imperium, the Qzare maintains ultimate authority over the empire. The Qzare agrees never to rule unilaterally without the input of the Senate unless necessary for the preservation of the Imperium.
{2} Regions under direct control of the Qzare shall be referred to as The Silver Throne. These regions shall retain their native leadership and traditional native methods of leader selection. Said leader is granted the Imperial Title of Provincial Governor and may use this title for all legal purposes. Traditional local titles for leadership may be retained and legally used, provided said titles explicitly called out in this treaty.
{3} Cohesive geographical unions consisting of 4 or more regions shall be called Provinces. These Provinces are bound to the Imperium by treaty or conquest. Provinces shall have full rights and responsibilities to maintain their native leadership and methods of selection. Leaders of such nations shall be granted the Imperial Title of Proconsul and may use this title for all legal purposes. Traditional local titles for leadership may be retained and legally used, provided said titles explicitly called out in this treaty.
{4} Non-cohesive geographical unions consisting of 1 or more regions shall be called Protectorates or alternatively Prefects. These Protectorates are bound to the Imperium by treaty or conquest. Protectorates shall maintain their traditional methods of leadership unless formally objected to by the Qzare or a vote of the Senate. Leaders of such nations shall be granted the Imperial Prefect and may use this title for all legal purposes. Traditional local titles for leadership may be retained and legally used, provided said titles explicitly called out in this treaty.

The Senate
{1} The Senate shall be convened on a regular basis to debate the priorities, goals, and agendas of the Imperium and put to a vote said issues. The result of such votes shall be made law to the Imperium.
{2} Senators are to be selected by a method determined by the regional rulers, whether that be by vote or appointment. The Imperium shall not interfere in the method of Senatorial selection.
{3} Each region shall have one Senator and receive one vote in the Senate. Additionally, for every two regions under direct control of the Silver Throne, they shall receive an additional senator and vote.
{4} Each Proconsul shall also receive one vote.
{5} The Qzare shall receive no votes but does maintain veto power over any law passed by the Senate. The Senate may, however, override the Qzare's veto with a three quarters vote of the Senators.

The Imperial Court
{1} Each regional ruler, Protectorate Preator, and Provincial ProConsul shall have the right to attend or send a duly appointed representative to the Comitatus Judex Primus, Court of the Chief Magistrate of the Salterri Imperium. Here, leaders may petition the Imperium or have grievances addressed.
{2} A tribunal of three Magistrates will hear the petitions and issue rulings on a timely basis.
{3} The Chief Magistrate of the Salterri Imperium shall be appointed by the Qzare, and serve a term of no less than 5 years.
{4} Two other Magistrates shall be chosen by the Imperial Senate from a candidate list of no more than two from each region. These candidates should be of good moral character and knowledgable in Imperial Law.

Military

Military Obligations
{1} The territorial integrity of all provinces and protectorates is guaranteed by the Silver Throne.
{2} All provinces and protectorates are expected to maintain reasonable defensive forces proportional to their extent and population, including a navy.
{3} All military units shall follow the following naming convention, to assist in integration of disparate units from multiple sources. A Legion is defined as 1,000 armed and expertly trained soldiers or equivalent thereof. A Classis is defined as a grouping of naval ships capable of carrying a Legion as well as defending it while in transit.
{4} Should any region within the Imperium come under attack from outside, all provinces and protectorates are expected to contribute a reasonable number of troops to its defense at the request of its ruler, reasonable to be construed as all troops that can be made available without endangering the integrity of that subject.
{5} Provinces and protectorates are encouraged but not obliged to support foreign deployment of troops undertaken or endorsed by the Silver Throne.

Military Actions and Limitations
{1} No region will raise arms against another member of the Imperium, except in defense.
{2} Proconsuls and Prefects shall not raise unreasonable military forces and will voluntarily disband some or all of them upon request of the Qzare or a vote of the Senate.
{3} No region will militarily invade lands belonging to nations outside of the Imperium, except in times of war. With Senate approval, expiditionary forces can be sent to assist and encourage undeveloped regions to join the Imperium or to protect native unaligned peoples.
{4} No region shall sponsor privateers nor issue Letters of Marque and Reprisal without consent of the Senate.

Faith and Religion
{1} The Imperium officially recognizes the Hailings of the Silver Sea as the official state religion for use in all Imperial ceremonies. Clergy of the Hailings of the Silver Sea are granted autonomy to move through all Imperium lands and spread their beliefs without hindrance.
{2} The State officially recognizes the Qzare as the bearer of the Silver Mandate and having divine favor to rule.
{3} Proconsuls and Prefects must adhere to a state approved faith for all public Imperial actions. Special dispensations may be given to leader who follows a regional religion with long standing traditions in the area.
{4} The Qzare and the Senate reserve the right to ban any religion determined to be detrimental to the Imperium.
{5} Regional rulers may petition the Courts to restrict the Hailings of the Silver Sea to a minority in a region where a conversion to a majority might cause civil unrest.
{6} The spreading of native faiths to other regions requires consent of the ruler of that region, the Prefect or Proconsul, and a full vote by the senate. At no time may any traditional faith be greater than a minority outside its home regions.
{7} No member of the Imperium may start or organize a new faith or religion without formal decree from the Senate.
{8} No member of the Imperium may spend more than 1/5 of its taxes in support of any religion without formal decree from the Senate.
{9) Missionaries from outside of the Imperium are denied entry to Imperial lands and are prohibited from spreading their faith anywhere within the Imperium without formal decree from the Senate

Trade, Resources, & Technology
Imperial Provinces and Protectorates may make trade agreements as they see fit with the following requirements.
{1} If a region of the Imperium has need of a resource you can provide, you must offer the resource to that region before offering it to any nation outside of the Imperium.
{2} No trade agreements of any sort may be made with any nations declared to be an enemy of the Imperium.
{3} The Qzare and the Senate reserve the right to declare any technology a ‘state secret’ and forbid trade of it outside the Imperium.
{4} All acquired technologies are to be shared openly with all members of the Imperium, though recipients of the technologies may still be required to provide resources in payment for the technology.
{5} No ruling member of the Imperium or Senator shall support illegal acquisition of technology that violates existing Imperial Treaties.

Treaty of Deeptree

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The following treaty seeks to put an end to the war between the states of the Caercian Consortium, the Cree Tyranny, the Mularuhm Kingdom and their allies and the state of the Pavonian Imperium. Such terms as laid down in this agreement are to bind the signatories now in their current form and from here forward in perpetuity.

• The Pavonian Imperium shall cede any and all claims now or future on the region known as Norogh, Novorogh, or other alternative names such that encompasses the region below the surface of Pavonia Proper to the Kingdom of Mularuhm.
• The Pavonian Imperium shall cede any and all claims now or future on the region known as Promise, Needlemarch, or other alternative names such that encompasses the region southwest of Pavonia Proper to the Caercian Consortium.
• The Pavonian Imperium shall cede any and all claims now or future on the region known as The Thousand Vales or other alternative names such that encompasses the region south of Sterkelv and West of Promise to the Tyranny of New Crima.
• The Pavonian Imperium, under the reign of the Wulfendyne dynasty, shall retain rights to the lands of Pavonia Proper and Frios and these rights shall be respected and recognized by the signatories of this document.
• The Empress Maria Wulfendyne will recognize as her successor as she sees fit and their successor to follow shall wed a member of the House Caercia. The Empress may select her heir to the Pavonian Imperium as she sees fit but this selection must be unwed that they might be wed to a bride or groom of Caercian consent.
• The Pavonian Imperium shall recognize the rights of the Caercian Consortium to two tradeposts in the region of Pavonia Proper. As a sign of goodwill the Pavonian Imperium is recognized as possessing rights to one trading post in Promise, a claim subsidiary to the right claimed by the Qzare.
• The Pavonian Imperium shall swear its vassalage to the Caercian Consortium and, ultimately, the Salterri Imperium by the terms laid out in the Grand Salterri Charter. In recognition of the laws and agreements of the Grand Salterri Charter the Pavonian Imperium shall relinquish the title of 'Imperium' as will its leaders renounce the claim to the title 'Emperor/Empress' reverting to 'Grand Duchy' and 'Grand Duke/Duchess' respectively. For the purposes of this document the titling of 'Pavonian Imperium' and 'Emperor/Empress' shall be used and is considered the same and equivalent title as 'Grand Duchy of Pavonia' and 'Grand Duke/Duchess' in its binding legality.

-Signed
King Hanyeo Caercia: King of the Caercians and Ritians, the Sterks, the Wyrmar, Men and Minotines of Minotron, the Bjurns, the Melzin, and the Promised, King of Dragons, Suzerain of the Grand Duchy of Pavonia, Proconsul Caercian, Warden of the West

Lord Protector Vitus Caercia: Sword of the King, Protector of Palas Caercia, Magister Equitum, Legatus Caercian

Grand Duchess Maria Wulfendyne, Duchess of Pavonia, Duchess of Frios

Tyrant Khoonbish the Inhuman

Pavonia (68)

Terrain

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The Skywall Mountains - Surrounding Pavonia on three sides these steep and almost impassable peaks long isolated the Pavonian tribes from their neighbors. Within the cradle of the mountains, Pavonia is shaped like a giant turtle-soup tureen. The upper two-thirds to three-quarters of this region are one vast forest, with settlements and fields carved out by the labor of ten thousand axes. The inner section is mostly open fields, rich and fertile with all the nourishment and minerals the rivers bring downstream from the mountain and forest regions. At the lowest point of this bowl, all the rivers empty into the sea.

The Sea of Green - A vast lake that in turn drains into the Wile River, which in turn drains into the ocean, known as the Black Sea. The Black Sea is a source of many dark legends in Pavonia, explaining its macabre name.

Grove City – Sitting on the shore of the Sea of Green and named for its vast groves of fruit trees, one of the few places in Pavonia to feature such verdure, this was once the stronghold of the Wulfendyne lineage. Now, it is the capital of Pavonia. Grove City is not architecturally a might or impressive to those with more of an eye for art but despite its rough appearance the city is well constructed and solid, serving reliably as a fortified point of much military strategic value along the Wile as well as an important trading hub in the region.

People

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Pavonia is chiefly inhabited by humans, but orcs and goblins are both numerous and werewolves and vampires, alterations undertaken by the human population, are not unknown.

Pavonia’s human population resembles Ritian men of Palas Caercia and to a lesser extent the Sterks of Sterkelv, tending towards large and bulky with light skin and dark hair. Most men exhibit formidable musculature while the women tend towards what a satirical poet once described as the “flour-dumpling look”. Furs are commonly worn amongst the Pavonians and beards are popular and a sign of age and status amongst men. Thick long hair is popular with both men and women either tied back or let to fly free in an animistic show of frenzy.

Pavonian orcs, referred to locally as Jaegers, are a civilized people, and integrate closely with human society. Resembling the orcs of Bracia and Grmanhil these monstrous humanoids mark themselves as powerful and intimidating forms. Tusks protrude from their mouths and their skin ranges from green to purple-grey in shade. The Jaegers all have black hair but their eyes range widely in color from orange, blue, green, red, and gold. Whether the humans or Jaegers populated the region first is unknown but the two people's have formed a close connection and interdependence between one another.

The goblins of Pavonia are believed to be related to the Rijwak of Palas Caercia and the Cyaqueet of Norogh. They are more on the outskirts of society, maintaining a distinct culture even amongst the humans and jaegers of the region. Much of Pavonia sees them as vermin, but their quick minds and affinity for serving without causing problems when called upon has kept them safe from high governmental persecution though local duchies vary in their treatment of goblins. They are often blue skinned with some skin colors ranging to green and have light to white hair. They have remained far removed from the higher politics of the realm, though not by their choice.

Resources

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Iron - The soaring and rich Skywall Mountains contain vast deposits of this essential metal used for creating weapons and armor for the fierce Pavonain people. The lack of ready food but much iron has lent itself to the warrior culture of the Pavonians.

Stone - The Skywall also contains hefty deposits of good solid stone useful for construction and reinforcement of buildings and military holds.

Mercenaries – Forbidden by Pavonian law laid down by the first Grand Duke to partake in armed struggles against one's fellow Pavonians the militant and sharp minded conquerors of the land of Pavonia quickly adopted themselves to mercenary work. Many work as mercenaries abroad though some especially adept at the art of war are granted the title of 'Graf' by the Pavonian system and work to lead, reinforce, and aid the Pavonian military complex.

Adamantine though long resting in the Skywall is took decades for the Wulfendyne Dukes to gather the knowledge and ability to extract and refine the adamantine of the Skywall.

The Skywall mountains, despite their bounteous supply of iron, adamantine, and stone are severely lacking in precious metals, most notably Gold which is disproportionately valued by the Pavonian people.

Religion

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The Pavonian people were never an overly religious people, believing in a creator-deity known as "The One Who Guides The Wave" but this belief having little to no impact on their day to day life. Instead, their supernatural attention was devoted to a web of superstitions that reflects the abundance of monsters in the forests and mountains.

This changed with the discovery of Promise and the arrival of the Path religion though Caercian efforts have seen a marked attempt to turn the Pavonians from the religion of the south to Panshen which has proved quite successful, driving back the monotheistic religion.

The Pavonians also practiced and continue to practice the art of inscribing and tattooing runes. These runes are geometric designs that Pavonians believe capable of nudging fate and reality into specific paths. Every Pavonian bears an intricate web of runes covering his entire body, save for the head, the palms of the hands, and the soles of the feet. These runes allegedly do everything from warding off plagues to enhancing strength to increasing fecundity, and they are one of the most fundamental and important aspects of Pavonian culture. Similarly, runes are inscribed on the thresholds of houses to ward off evil spirits, vermin and fire, on swords to make them strike true and not break as easily, and so on.

Pavonian werewolves are those who have taken great effort and care to apply to themselves runes capable of uniting their spirit with that of a wolf's spirit unlocking this hidden power. This practice is extremely dangerous although many still pursue it for the power and the attunement with the wild natural world around them. Whether this practice would allow Pavonians to adapt themselves to further fusing with other animals is unknown.

Frios (127)

Terrain

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Altura - The southeastern end of the Skywall Mountains lies in Frios and is known to the inhabitants as Altura. It's foothills are nourished by the rivers of glacial water carried down the great mountain. Old abandoned mines pockmark these slopes, and traces of sungbone architecture can be found thereon

Vacia - South of the Altura foothills lies a vast empty plain traversed by herds of caribou, penguins, and polar bears, and inhabited by tribes of roaming hunter-gatherers. Those who don't make their home in the city often occupy this lush land.

Ciudad Vieja – At the southern end of the region lies Ciudad Vieja, an ancient and abandoned port city constructed by a long-vanished civilization and now inhabited by a goodly chunk of the region’s population, subsisting on the vast shoals of fish that fill the seas around Ciudad Vieja. The city is made almost entirely of sungbone architecture, with the handful of non-sungbone structures either modern additions or structures that required exceptional durability, such as banks or jails.

People

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The inhabitants of Frios refer to themselves individually and collectively as the Burrata. They are mostly human, with extremely pale skin, silver to blond hair, and predominantly blue or gray eyes. They tend towards the small side of the spectrum, rarely topping 5’6” and generally slender. The Burrata organize themselves into tribes of a couple thousand, ruled by an elected chief known as a granqueso, supported by a council of advisers elected as experts on specific topics. The exception to this is the Ciudad Vieja tribe, which numbers nearly twenty thousand and is the only tribe to remain in one location at all times. For this reason, its granqueso, historically a descendant of the Ramirez line, is something of a first among equals and the closest thing the Burrata have to a king.

There is also a small population of jaegers, native, who unlike their Pavonian cousins never integrated fully into human society. Developing parallel to the Burrata the jaegers developed a strong clan sense and were reticent to even accept the jaegers of Pavonia as their people when first joining the Grand Duchy. The Frios jaegers are often of gray to greyish white skin with grey to black eyes though there are more uncommon colors. Never adopting the Burrata language and terms the jaegers were and continue to be led by their Herzog, an elected supreme autocrat, who leads the local tribe in retaining self sufficiency and martial prowess above all else.

Though long split into individual tribal groups the unification under Pavonia and the now-defunct Pavonian Imperium brought the Burrata closer together and strengthened the control and power of the Ramirez line in the region. Many of the roaming tribes have since settled into villages, mainly concentrated on singing free large deposits of Sungbone from the region.

Resources

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Sungbone - Though the Burratans struggle to get by, one thing they have in ample supply, sungbone. This material may have been invented by a now long-vanished civilization which inhabited Frios before the Burrata, which made all of their buildings out of this material. It is an off-white substance, with much the texture of bone, though its consistency is more like very firm clay. Its name comes from the fact that by humming certain notes and concentrating, you can cause sungbone to reshape itself as you desire. The process is extremely slow, for example, opening a hole in a wall big enough for a person to squeeze through would take several hours. When not reshaped by song, sungbone works to maintain its current shape, so if someone were to stab a spear into a sungbone wall, the sungbone would mend the resulting scratch over a few hours. If brought into contact with regular bone, sungbone will slowly engulf and digest the bone, transforming it into more sungbone. Sungbone cannot be used to make armor or weapons, as it cannot be sung to a sharp point or edge and is too heavy and soft to make useful armor.

To produce sungbone enough to provide housing and for exportation the dead of the Burrata are skinned and dressed, their hearts often eaten by an important family member while their bones are transported to massive pits dug for the production of sungbone from their remnants. Some consider the practice barbaric or disrespectful to the dead but the Burratans pay little heed to what outsiders have to say about their practices.

Due to Sungbone's unique nature the Burrata "miners" are not easily recognized by foreigners as they carry no picks, shovels, or other metal gear but instead appear more as musicians in other lands. A skilled Burratan miner might be a well regarded bard or singer in some other region of the land and some find employment as such when they grow too old to bear the cold of Frios' landscape or desire to see the world rather than sing forth the region's strangest resource.

Due to Frios’s lack of vegetation, the Burrata greatly value flammables and will pay well for such substances.

Religion

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Though many of the people of Frios have adopted the religion of Promise, that of the Singer and the Path some Burrata continue to practice a unique form of ancestor worship. For the Burrata the spirits of their ancestors are not a source of knowledge for the living but instead a composition of power of the soul that might be called upon to accentuate one's own personal power at the cost of the soul of one's ancestors. It is for this reason those with long, distinguished lines are most respected and most feared for they have such history and power within their line to call forward a great power at their whim. Those without a recorded line are less powerful and less respected for the same for their ancestors will not know it is their descendant which calls to them in times of trouble.

The jaegers of the region put their faith in the land, believing the local animals, plants, and themselves to be bound together by cosmic force and that for every death there is a birth and every birth a death and maintaining balance as the most important aspect of a being's relationship with the world. One must not take what they are ready to give and vice versa.

[Zayuz]

Honestly the only reason Alzeroth hasn't already been destroyed by its neighbors is pretty much because it's mostly surrounded by non-expansionist folks (except for Maur, but there are...other reasons why they haven't attacked Alzeroth recently). It's not like Hurosha could extend the force necessary to protect Alzeroth from a serious attack without crippling its own air force/army and making some serious negotiations to pass through the necessary lands.

So you probably won't get ganked on the first round. :P

Well, that's definitely good to know. I don't think I'm starting with any lack of fighting troops, but I'll be sure to stockpile a few more. Just in case. (Assuming I'm able to)

As for a question for clarity, if I was to respond to this threat by fortifying the walls or building watchtowers, would this be military or curiosity, and what kind of bonuses would they bring? I need to be prepared, after all.

(This Maur guy sounds pretty scary. )

[Lord_Burch]

Well, that's definitely good to know. I don't think I'm starting with any lack of fighting troops, but I'll be sure to stockpile a few more. Just in case. (Assuming I'm able to)

As for a question for clarity, if I was to respond to this threat by fortifying the walls or building watchtowers, would this be military or curiosity, and what kind of bonuses would they bring? I need to be prepared, after all.

(This Maur guy sounds pretty scary. )

Military, but they would bring no mechanical advantages- without certain other techs and resources.

Most projects of any sort don't have any mechanical value; that is, they exist solely for fluff. Of those that do "provide" benefits, they all require accompanying technologies that actually grant the benefits.

[Aedilred]

Military, but they would bring no mechanical advantages- without certain other techs and resources.

Most projects of any sort don't have any mechanical value; that is, they exist solely for fluff. Of those that do "provide" benefits, they all require accompanying technologies that actually grant the benefits.

As Burch said. As a vassal of Hurosha you should have access to Shintouite Fortifications technology* which does provide a defensive bonus if you put in a five-round project to build fortifications out of Shintouite (a magic type of stone). You would need to import the Shintouite first though as Alzeroth isn't receiving any at the moment.

*Not guaranteed. Consult with liege for full details of agreement.

[PepperP.]

Well, that's definitely good to know. I don't think I'm starting with any lack of fighting troops, but I'll be sure to stockpile a few more. Just in case. (Assuming I'm able to)

As for a question for clarity, if I was to respond to this threat by fortifying the walls or building watchtowers, would this be military or curiosity, and what kind of bonuses would they bring? I need to be prepared, after all.

(This Maur guy sounds pretty scary. )

Hey Zayuz, here's a link to the tech table, you're abbreviated ALZ: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/shows...51&postcount=5

Don't let talk of surly neighbors scare you off!

[Zayuz]

As Burch said. As a vassal of Hurosha you should have access to Shintouite Fortifications technology* which does provide a defensive bonus if you put in a five-round project to build fortifications out of Shintouite (a magic type of stone). You would need to import the Shintouite first though as Alzeroth isn't receiving any at the moment.

*Not guaranteed. Consult with liege for full details of agreement.

Alright, I got it now. This seems like a really good idea.. I'll have to find some people to trade with.

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself though, I still need to finish setting up. Thanks everyone for your help!

[Aedilred]

Alright, I got it now. This seems like a really good idea.. I'll have to find some people to trade with.

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself though, I still need to finish setting up. Thanks everyone for your help!

No harm in planning ahead!

The history of Alzeroth and Maur is kind of entertaining, as it happens, as an imaginative defensive strategy and one serious OOC blunder changed the course of the whole war. At least initially: a suspicious amount of help from neighbours arrived soon afterwards to help the Dragon Queen regain her kingdom, but they hadn't really done their research and weren't too impressed by what their ally's proclivities, iirc.

More recently, Maur became a vassal of Niskovia (Kitsanth) but, having benefited from their protection in order to expand, betrayed them and switched their allegiance to the Tzaltec Empire (TheDarkDM). Which has caused a degree of friction.

Your other neighbours are the lightly dozing giant Empire of the Silver Moon (Lord_Burch), the friendly Chivalric Republic (Kasanip) and the reclusive Kemuliaan and Fera (The Necromancer and Rain Dragon, respectively).

[Rain Dragon]

(This Maur guy sounds pretty scary. )

Alzeroth isn't entirely defenseless, if you ask me.

As Aed mentioned, my nation is Fera.

[Zayuz]

No harm in planning ahead!

The history of Alzeroth and Maur is kind of entertaining, as it happens, as an imaginative defensive strategy and one serious OOC blunder changed the course of the whole war. At least initially: a suspicious amount of help from neighbours arrived soon afterwards to help the Dragon Queen regain her kingdom, but they hadn't really done their research and weren't too impressed by what their ally's proclivities, iirc.

More recently, Maur became a vassal of Niskovia (Kitsanth) but, having benefited from their protection in order to expand, betrayed them and switched their allegiance to the Tzaltec Empire (TheDarkDM). Which has caused a degree of friction.

Your other neighbours are the lightly dozing giant Empire of the Silver Moon (Lord_Burch), the friendly Chivalric Republic (Kasanip) and the reclusive Kemuliaan and Fera (The Necromancer and Rain Dragon, respectively).

I found the story, according to the records, it went like this. (Heavily Summarised)

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"Invasion! While the Ministers had been worried on being swallowed up from the south a new power has arisen to their east and marches now on Alzeroth to raze it to the ground! The reports indicate the army is 5 times the size of Alzeroth's own forces and led by a cunning general, though relief is felt that whatever martial leader commands this nation is not at the helm of the army."

Alzeroth trains as many units as possible, and calls for aid over the next few rounds.
Then.. This.

"News from the army of the Grand Minister reaches the ears of the Alzerite people that the Grand Minister stands poised to strike at the heart of the Ash Kingdom of Maur and cripple the invading enemy!.." "..Still, while the hearts of the people stand resolute the Ministry sees the armies outside the capital grow in number. They cannot withstand this siege alone."

"Victory! The Alzerites have driven the conquest minded Dragon Queen of Maur into exile! This victory emboldens the Grand Minister to seize greater military power, a move looked at with considerable trepidation by the Six Ministries but embraced and adulated by the common people. The Grand Minister insists the war is not won until the Dragon Queen has been found and executed and the people rally under his words..." "..Having failed to acquire aid from the Free Knights and with the Grand Minister's unprecedented victory on the field the Ministries have little to hold sway against the Grand Minister. "

And finally..

"Defeat! The Grand Minister Visontas' impressive victories over the hordes of the Dragon Queen came to an end as a bounty of nations rode to aid the exiled Dragon Queen who had begun the war with her unprecedented attack on the Alzeroth Collective. Faced with this shocking and unprecedented host of international support to the Dragon Queen the charismatic Grand Minister was defeated. Though a loss for the armies of the Collective for the Six Ministries it was a quiet victory and an arrest warrant for the Grand Minister was issued and enacted. Before the Grand Minister could be returned to Alzeroth for his trial however he reportedly took his own life and the Six Ministries appointed a new Grand Minister who immediately sent missives to the army of the Dragon Queen and her allies begging for peace between their people."

In the end they both ended where they began. I can't seem to find what the ooc blunder was though.

[BladeofObliviom]

In the end they both ended where they began. I can't seem to find what the ooc blunder was though.

Basically, Maur's player could have conquered NPC Alzeroth extremely easily, as Alzeroth had barely any army and no allies. Instead of wasting his 1 unit defending, Kialdo Visontas counterattacked.

OOC, Maur's player didn't notice, so Visontas didn't meet opposition and got a round of conquest in. Then Maur's player didn't post at all the next round, so his conquest finished.

[Snowfire]

In the end they both ended where they began. I can't seem to find what the ooc blunder was though.

The player of the nation failed to get in their actions for the round. In the middle of a war they started.

This made them become the first (and only) rebel ruler in the history of the game. And then Niskovia + some more rode in to save them for...reasons that have yet to be properly explained - and probably never will be.

[SamBurke]

Holy smokes, you're not wrong.

And I'm talking to (another) RL friend who's seen me and Phi around, and grew interested...

[Mynxae]

Well, that's definitely good to know. I don't think I'm starting with any lack of fighting troops, but I'll be sure to stockpile a few more. Just in case. (Assuming I'm able to)

As for a question for clarity, if I was to respond to this threat by fortifying the walls or building watchtowers, would this be military or curiosity, and what kind of bonuses would they bring? I need to be prepared, after all.

(This Maur guy sounds pretty scary. )

I'm as harmless as a fly.. Well, as harmless as someone with 10,000 troops (+3,000 more next round) can be

No harm in planning ahead!

The history of Alzeroth and Maur is kind of entertaining, as it happens, as an imaginative defensive strategy and one serious OOC blunder changed the course of the whole war. At least initially: a suspicious amount of help from neighbours arrived soon afterwards to help the Dragon Queen regain her kingdom, but they hadn't really done their research and weren't too impressed by what their ally's proclivities, iirc.

More recently, Maur became a vassal of Niskovia (Kitsanth) but, having benefited from their protection in order to expand, betrayed them and switched their allegiance to the Tzaltec Empire (TheDarkDM). Which has caused a degree of friction.

Pretty much Quinton (the GM/main boss man) had decided (I think, not sure if C'nor* inputted at all) that Maur would go to join Niskovia for protection, meaning I started in a spot I didn't exactly want to. Although, technically it's kind've Kits' own fault that I left. She told a story of dragons and ritual sacrifice to me, and it sounded a lot more Tzaltec than Niskovian. So it wasn't exactly a betrayal.. More like.. Tzaltec had more respect for dragon-blooded people (of which my people are).

Basically, Maur's player could have conquered NPC Alzeroth extremely easily, as Alzeroth had barely any army and no allies. Instead of wasting his 1 unit defending, Kialdo Visontas counterattacked.

OOC, Maur's player didn't notice, so Visontas didn't meet opposition and got a round of conquest in. Then Maur's player didn't post at all the next round, so his conquest finished.

Wait. Seriously, my entire history was not only just generally screwed over by C'nor's damned blunder, but by ONE UNIT?!

* C'nor was the person who created the Ash-Kingdom of Maur, played them for a few rounds, screwed it over and then pretty much gave up and let it become NPC. After about 2-3 rounds of NPC'ness, I took it over after being dragged (more like persuaded) into the game by Elemental, Kits and Rain.

[Rain Dragon]

Mynxae, you chose to start as Maur. Handwaving things and blaming Kitsanth is totally not cool.

And I'm talking to (another) RL friend who's seen me and Phi around, and grew interested...

Neat!

[Kitsanth]

This made them become the first (and only) rebel ruler in the history of the game. And then Niskovia + some more rode in to save them for...reasons that have yet to be properly explained - and probably never will be.

The Grand Prince at the time saw more value in assisting the Ash-Kingdom so as to be able to claim concessions and suchlike at a later date.

Pretty much Quinton (the GM/main boss man) had decided (I think, not sure if C'nor* inputted at all) that Maur would go to join Niskovia for protection, meaning I started in a spot I didn't exactly want to. Although, technically it's kind've Kits' own fault that I left. She told a story of dragons and ritual sacrifice to me, and it sounded a lot more Tzaltec than Niskovian. So it wasn't exactly a betrayal.. More like.. Tzaltec had more respect for dragon-blooded people (of which my people are).

Wait. Seriously, my entire history was not only just generally screwed over by C'nor's damned blunder, but by ONE UNIT?!

* C'nor was the person who created the Ash-Kingdom of Maur, played them for a few rounds, screwed it over and then pretty much gave up and let it become NPC. After about 2-3 rounds of NPC'ness, I took it over after being dragged (more like persuaded) into the game by Elemental, Kits and Rain.

When I suggested that you might like this game and also suggested that my NPC might be a good fit for you, I told you everything I knew about the Ash-Kingdom in the hopes that you would become a loyal vassal that I could plan long story-arcs with.

Obviously we can all see who got the better part of the deal there.

[Mynxae]

Mynxae, you chose to start as Maur. Handwaving things and blaming Kitsanth is totally not cool.

From what I was told, it was pretty much Maur or Fera. I liked the idea of Maur more from what I had been told, since usually if I play RP games, I go a more evil/bad take on things.

[Rain Dragon]

From what I was told, it was pretty much Maur or Fera. I liked the idea of Maur more from what I had been told, since usually if I play RP games, I go a more evil/bad take on things.

My part in 'dragging you into EMPIRE!' was specifically giving you information on other options. You wanted to start with Kitsanth and/or Elemental and was not interested in claiming one of the regions you have now colonised and starting from scratch.

[The Blue Guard]

So! Many! New! Players!

[Snowfire]

So! Many! New! Players!

Quick, set them all on fire!