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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    SOSDarkPhoenix's Avatar

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    Default Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands


    Only but a hundred years ago, the Godchosen Empire's furthest outposts began to crumble. One by one we watched as their spires sank into the ground and the great walls that guarded their lands fell into ruin. None know what happened at the heart of the Empire to cause this collapse, but all know the terror that followed.

    The Swarm, ancient hive of ever-hungering maws crawled forth from their hidden refuges across the world, spreading their vile infestation to every corner of every land. Tens of thousands died in the opening weeks of the Swarm's re-emergence across every race and nation, causing mass extinctions of flora and fauna alike as entire biomes were consumed to fuel the Swarm's return. Banding together, the mortal realm fought bravely against the Swarm, but none could stop the endless tide of flesh.

    The world faced annihilation without intervention from above, and deliverance came in the form of the Call. Four million mortal souls were about their days and nights as an unknown melody caught the breeze. It was beautiful—an ethereal gift and the end of all things. The choir sang, only ten strong. As the voices grew in volume, the Swarm began to scream and writhe as if their very brains were bursting. The beasts were driven back to the darker places of the world, but terrible remnants of the great infestation still remain, and the Swarm are merely delayed, not destroyed..

    With the sounding of the harmonious melody, new races have begun to crawl out of the mud, and some as old as the Godchosen begin to consolidate their borders once more, bent on purging the last remnants of the Swarm that nearly consumed them all. The Call still sounds, the hunger kept at bay, but with each year the choir loses steam, quiet, and quieter.

    Will you choose to renew the call and save the godchosen's legacy? Or will you silence the melody and snuff out the ancients forever.


    The Lands of the World
    "If the universe wasn't meant to be ruled, why does the power to rule it exist at all?"

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    Played the Harmony in Empire! 5
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  2. - Top - End - #2
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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands


    The Kupua of the Hidden World
    Region: 247 hopefully
    Ashu, Elder of Half-Truths
    Dip: 3
    Mil: 5
    Op: 5
    Faith: 1
    Int: 4
    Starting Tech: Sailing

    Spoiler: Terrain:
    Show
    Āina Nalowale is the land of the Kupua. It is a long thin peninsula sharply jutting out from the mainland. Though many years before, The Swarm left the land scarred and barren, Āina survived, barely. At first glance, you wouldn’t think so, but the land is near overflowing with life. The ground is rocky and sparsely peppered with bushes, grass, and trees and the land terminates to steep rocky cliffs, falling off into the sea. As you get closer to the mainland, the beaches grow less rocky and sandier, and the cliffs recede into the landscape. Among the boulders and roots on the surface, a closer look will reveal openings and crevasses that lead below the surface to a hidden world. Just beneath the surface lies a sprawling jungle or vines, trees, flowers, teeming with life. Plants grow on every surface and animals of various shapes and sizes thrive down here. Water from the sea filters through the ground, forming freshwater springs and streams. Sun shines down through many small cracks and crevasses illuminating the vast majority of the jungle. The largest openings are those in the cliffs where the waves have eroded away the walls, creating many little hidden coves. The most notable feature of the jungle is the ancient temple of Mata Kala. Mata Kala is a large pyramid-like temple half embedded into the stone wall of the cave. It is made of stone and gold because the deep caves in the mainland are teeming with gold.


    Spoiler: People:
    Show
    The Kupua are the primary residents of Āina. They appear humanoid, though it is hard to tell at first because they stand only 1-2ft high and always wear intricately carved masks. They have very dark skin and eyes that glow a faint red. Their masks are usually carved out of driftwood and intricately painted and depict 2-3 faces of different emotions. There weapon of choice is usually a spear or bow because the Kupua prefers to engage at a distance. The Kupua cover the rest of themselves with grass skirts or leaves of various varieties. The Kupua are an ancient and traditional people, believing in many powerful spirits, each in control of an aspect of nature. The Kupua worship Aka’naloa, a god of trickery, chaos, and the sea. Because of these beliefs, the Kupua love causing trouble and mischief to those who sail too close to their waters. The Kupua are known by others as trickster spirits of the sea, causing trouble for sailors if they are unlucky. The Kupua always try to avoid being seen so as not to compromise the safety of their home. In their hidden underground jungle, the Kupua build circular hut-like buildings in the trees or hanging from the walls or ceiling. They are very adept at climbing and thus, their sailing vessels are odd and wiry in construction making them lighter and faster than most ships, but they are not near as strong. They dock their ships on the north side of the peninsula in the sheltered coves that lead to their home. The Kupua are omnivores, mostly eating fish, served with fresh herbs and fruit. Spices are also popular among the Kupua, most notably, a spice made from the dried stigma and styles of the vibrant flowers that thrive in their jungle.


    Spoiler: History/Government:
    Show
    The History of the Kupua is mixed with folklore due to their lack of written language. Their history tells that they were once protectors of the land, using the power of their spirits to protect it. Then The Swarm came and shattered their idols, driving them from the land and killing them off. The few who survived called on the sea for salvation and were delivered to the caves where they thrive till this day. Just like in their past, the Kupua look to the eldest members of their tribe for guidance. The elders are called Kahiko and meet to discuss large decisions in their tribe. The Kahiko meet in the ancient golden temple in the middle of the Jungle called Mata Kala


    Spoiler: Resource:
    Show
    The Primary export of the Kupua is Taku Gold, mined from the deep caves. Due to its high iron content, Taku Gold has a reddish tint, making it a rare and desirable metal. It also has a slightly higher melting point and is a bit harder making it more durable but not enough so to make tools.
    TP 1: Pohaka Mines
    TP 2: Gala Caves
    TP 3: Onaka Valley

    Required Resource: Construction Materials


    Spoiler: Religion:
    Show
    As stated before, the Kupua believe in many ancient spirits, each controlling an aspect of nature. Wind, fire, the ocean, plants, etc. These spirits live in idols and statues built to them. When the swarm came they destroyed most of the idols, wiping out most of the spirits and leaving the world barren. Now the Kupua worship one of the last gods, Aka’naloa, a god of the sea, trickery, and chaos. He saved them so they devote themselves to protect his last idol and honor his teachings. Aka’naloa is depicted as a giant serpent with red eyes and scales like the sea. The Kupua have many folk tales of heroes and spirits and how they created the world. One of note is how Aka’naloa creates waves while he slithers.
    HS - Mata Kala: Stories of the Spirits
    Last edited by Ivor_The_Mad; 2021-02-04 at 12:32 PM.
    Come to the dark side; we have pop-tarts.
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    "Is no fun. Is no Blinsky" "He is... FIZBOP THUNDERTOES!!!!!"

    Spoiler: The Night of the Living Thread
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    Quote Originally Posted by DivisibleByZero View Post
    We, as humans, have incisors. Those are made for tearing flesh and meat.
    Meat tastes good.
    If we aren't supposed to eat people, then why are they made of meat?

  3. - Top - End - #3
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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Le Royaume de Chanson (the Realm of Music)
    Region: Chanson (137 - Drenath)
    Starting Tech: Aqueducts (+1 stabilization)
    Ruler: Seigneur Chastain du Chanson

    [2][1][4][2][1][3]

    2
    1
    4
    2
    3

    Diplomacy: 3+1
    Military: 1
    Opulence: 4+1
    Faith: 2
    Intrigue: 2

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    "Come away, human child
    To the woods and what is wild
    With a Faerie hand in hand
    For the world's more full of weeping
    Than you can understand..."

    -Stolen Child by Heather Alexander

    Chanson is a land surrounded on three sides by the mightiest river in Drenath. Much of the land consists of plains and farmland, with villages dotted all throughout, most on small hills. The ruins of villages less defendable leave little doubt as to why. Footpaths lead across the territory through various small towns and villages, all eventually leading to Chateau Solide, the only true city in the land and the seat of power for the Seigneur.

    Aqueducts run throughout the region, providing sources of irrigation to villages far from the river. These structures are one of the few examples of any form of centralized planning in the region. Since time immemorial, Chanson has been one of the most divided regions in the known world. Villages that loathed and despised one another absolutely refused cooperation, and so each developed in their own ways. This lead to an eclectic mess of a region, with no two villages being the exact same.

    This changed when the Swarm attacked. Drenath was not hit hard by the Swarm, but that does not mean it escaped unscathed. Chanson endured harsh attacks from beneath that no one village could stand up to. The various leaders of their communities did what they could, but none could stand alone, and so many villages were simply wiped off the face of the world. Their ruins still dot the countryside, many feeling they cannot respectfully make use of such places. Others were able to find safety in Chateau Solide, then just a small fort town by the mighty river.

    When the Swarm eventually abated, these scared victims of war eventually found their way back to their old homes. Most villages in the land have a sizable ruin beside them, a reminder of what was lost. Those who seek to write funeral dirges will often go to such places alone, and let the desolation be their muse.


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    "So I labor for hours 'cause I know the power
    Of a song when when a song hits you right
    Pouring my soul into stories of life
    Hoping someone'll hear one tonight"

    -The Sound of a Million Dreams by David Nail

    [Races]

    Chanson's natives largely consist of three major groups of humanoid: humans, Changelings, and Tieflings.

    Tieflings are almost demonic in appearance, most with a pair of twisting horns, a long tail, and skin tones that range across all the rainbow, from ruby red to sapphire blue to alabaster white. Tieflings for the most part believe their strange appearance comes from dragon's blood in a time long forgotten, though this is disputed by many others; the horns fit, as does the myriad colors, but no Tiefling has been known to have wings, as the people of Namaichi do. Others assert that tieflings are descended from angelic or demonic beings that took lovers among human kind. Regardless of the truth of their origin or their blood, the Tieflings of Chanson are charismatic, emotional creatures. They feel emotions more strongly than other creatures (or so they say) and find self-control very difficult.

    Changelings are rarely seen in their natural state; to them it is akin to seeing one naked. They have the ability to reshape their appearance at will, though by all accounts this is merely outward appearance; a changeling can look like a strongman, but without actual training they will simply be weak and small. Changelings are, in many ways, the invisible citizenry of Le Royaume. Since they can appear to be a human or tiefling as they desire, most simply adopt the form they personally enjoy. Like fashions or personas, changelings adopt new physical characteristics as it pleases them, ranging from new scars and hair colors to things as radical as lost limbs.

    Chanson nominally and legally does not treat any of these peoples as different from one another in any meaningful way. In practice, this is an ideal to strive for rather than the reality of the situation. Bards and Chanteurs are most often Tieflings, as an example, while politicians are mostly humans and changelings.

    [Government]

    Chanson is a region largely consisting of rural villages. The capital of Chateau Solide is the only place large enough to truly call a city. As such the land is primarily ruled by local townships. However, in the times of the Swarm, Chanson was too divided to stand. The people rallied around Chevalier Matthias who ruled the now-capital city of Chateau Solide. Matthias had the intelligence and knowledge to command a siege, but he had no ability to inspire his troops. And so a Tiefling woman by the name of Carolina took it upon herself to maintain morale. She was a bard, and she sang for the warriors of a brighter future for them and their children. As such, bards in the court are generally given as much of an ear for politics as the Seigneur, or any of the Magnats.

    Chevaliers are knights and commanders of military forces. Magnats rule villages or townships. Chanteur are Bards of exceptional skill. All are sworn to the service of the Seigneur, the ruler of Chanson.

    The government of Chanson is best described as a decentralized mess. While the Seigneur nominally has authority over the other noble lords of the region with an allowance for a majority veto, in practice there are simply too many of them for any measure to overrule them, save in crises. It is not uncommon for Landsmeets to devolve into shouting matches that make bar brawls look downright civil in comparison.

    [Culture]

    Even in the time before the Swarm, wandering minstrels were a vital part of Chanson's unity; or what little there was. Storytellers and bards would sing of great heroes and greater deeds, crossing the barriers that geography and personal distaste often left behind. When the territory retreated to Chateau Solide, they were even more vital for keeping morale high, and when the Choir first began to sing, the minstrels and bards found themselves akin to priests overnight.

    Within Chanson, music is everywhere. Warriors march to the beat of drums and the screams of metal on metal. Funeral dirges are played by family members of the deceased. Taverns echo with the soft strings of minstrels. Young maidens judge boys by the songs they sing in their honor. Songs have taken on a religious reverence within the territory, seen as one of the only true ways to be immortalized. In particular, however, the ability of music to stir emotion is prized and exalted throughout the land. Though Chanson is most well-known for its music, the region values anything that can stir emotion: Exquisite paintings, statues, even jokes. If it makes life worth living, it has a home in Chanson.

    Their attitude towards love, strangely, is far more conservative. Flirting and teasing (so long as it remains coy) is one thing, but actually engaging in a romantic or sexual relationship is a special and sacred thing. Courtship is meant to take months at the very least, and years more properly. One's lover stirs the heart in a way that no one else can, after all. Relationships are difficult to disentangle oneself from, both on a personal and social level; they are not to be entered into lightly.


    Spoiler: Resources
    Show
    Tomorrow will take us away
    Far from home
    No one will ever know our names
    But the bard songs will remain...

    -The Bard Song by Blind Guardian

    Resource: Bards

    Almost everyone in Chanson is trying to be a singer, storyteller, or some combination of the two. For most, however, it is a flight of fancy; an entertaining hobby but never anything more. The Bards are those who have managed to turn their talent for singing and storytelling into a career. The bard's life is one of adventure and travel in search of new songs, both others and their own. The most revered of these singers are called Chanteur, legends of storytelling whose songs and deeds echo down into eternity. The greatest of the Bards are called the Chanteur, and they are said to have music so beautiful that mere skill alone cannot explain it.

    Requirement: Stone

    Chanson's aqueducts are a core part of the heavily decentralized nature of Chanson, and their maintenance is vital.


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    Come and place your hand in mine
    For you, too, will dance with time...

    -Rhana Dandra by Stringstorm

    Music and song are revered in Chanson the way that many in the world once revered the sun. It is a life-giving thing, a driver of will and reminder of purpose. There is little that can stir the heart like a good song, and those in Chanson would tell you that its power over hearts and minds is proof enough of its divinity. Emotion and music are born from one another, and the cycle between them is unending and glorious. Perhaps there is truth to their words, for Chanson's music is mesmerizing in a way that any amount of skill is not enough to explain.

    It should come as no surprise, then, that the Choir is revered in Chanson. There are those in the priesthood who spend all of their time playing music to add to the Choir, believing that by doing so they help to keep it going for a little longer. It is the savior of all the world, and joining in it is not only an honor, but absolutely vital to the world's survival. Efforts to keep it going have ever been messy and disunified, but as the song grows weaker, those who sing are beginning to pressure others into joining the melody.


    Spoiler: Post WIP
    Show
    Le Royaume de Chanson
    Ruler: Seigneur Chastain du Chanson
    Round 1

    Territory: Drenath
    Regions:

    Spoiler: Ruler Information
    Show
    Current Stats

    Diplomacy: 3+1
    Military: 1
    Opulence: 4+1
    Faith: 2
    Intrigue: 2

    * Dip Mil Op Fai Int
    Rolls * * * * * Total * * * * *


    Actions

    ---

    [Diplomacy - Establish Claim on 139 - 1/2]

    [action]

    [action]

    [action]

    [action]

    ---

    Nonactions:

    Spoiler: Saved Actions Workshop
    Show




    Spoiler: Notes
    Show
    Army/Troops:
    Round 1: 0

    TPs:
    Bards (137 - TP1)

    GP:



    Spoiler: Technology
    Show
    Acquired/Created links:

    Name Effect Resource Req Slot
    Aqueducts +1 to stabilize None (Start tech) Civilian Tech
    Last edited by HalfTangible; 2021-02-07 at 02:38 PM.
    Hate me if you want. But that's your issue to fix, not mine.

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  4. - Top - End - #4
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Carcinidan
    Capital Region: Acea (119)
    Other Regions: 107, 108, 118, 120


    Spoiler: Ruler
    Show

    Diplomacy 5
    Military 5
    Opulence 4
    Faith 1
    Intrigue 4

    Paralith is the current leader of the Carcinidan, the great unifier who has been able to collect the other lords of the Carcini under his banner to form the Carcinidan, a true nation rather than a collection of squabbling factions. Between his own talents and those of the advisors he surrounds himself with, his rule has been a good one and he has been able to forge the Carcinidan into a strong state as he turns his vision outwards and thinks of organised pushes out of Acea - not just in the typical military fashion of the Carcini, though, plans for diplomatic and subtle approaches circling among his advisors. He is, however, rather sceptical about the importance of faith - the local gods had never particularly impressed him or seemed important to worship, and the new gods from the east are useful to his people but of little personal interest, so he is content to let things stand without putting his time into building up the faith.

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show

    The rocky, windswept coastline and surrounding foothills of Acea have been the home of the Carcini since they first came out of the ocean a century ago. For most of that time, the Carcini have been rather spread out along the region, mostly living in small scattered family holdings with a few that held a local lord growing larger as the lord expanded their influence over their neighbours. The formation of the Carcinidan has brought change here, Paralith's policies and transition plans seeing more centralisation take place - primarily in the new capital, Great Carcinidan, the great unifier's former home turned into a place for all Carcini and built into something more suitable for the title of city. That said, the Carcini city is still a little strange, the native's size and shape leading to certain quirks in design - in particular, everything is on the larger side (to accommodate the size of the Carcini) and more spread out, the average Carcinus not quite being comfortable of the idea of dense urban living yet. It's also a rather flat city, stairs being manageable but rather impractical - when a Carcinus building has upper levels, they prefer to use pulley-based lifts rather than stairs - and much of it built out over or under the water.

    Spoiler: People
    Show

    The Carcini are hulking crustacean-like humanoids, their precise appearance varying but tending towards appearing crab-like with a fully crab lower half. They are a very young race, born after the Swarm, who have only recently established themselves - there are some of their number who claim that they descend from some mighty ancient empire in the deep ocean, but most of them dismiss that as desperately grasping for a significant past, the main line of thinking among them being that the priority is to establish a strong future instead. As a race, a Carcinus tends towards aggression and strong desires - not to the level where they're incapable of peaceful relations (they're quite capable of diplomatic manoeuvring), but an instinct that drives them to not leave issues alone, oppose those who offend them, and constantly look for opportunities for more. This has had its effects on their social structure, with those who exemplify these traits often rising to the top, leading through charisma and bravado while the more restrained among the people often finding themselves acting as advisors and moderating presences (positions that are respected. Further down the social pecking order, Carcinidan society is rather fractious and conflict-prone (natural armour makes fighting without killing an easier proposition than for the weaker races with bare skin, after all), but with a common understanding that its better to direct those feelings towards the wider world, for the good of all of the Carcini, rather than spending all their time in-fighting.

    Spoiler: Resource
    Show

    The waters and coastline of Acea are rich in crustacean life of varying sizes, shapes, and colours, and the Carcini have always relied on them as a food source, their amphibious nature allowing them to easily catch the animals - evidently, the Carcini have no issues eating creatures so similar to themselves. Recently, with the formation of the Carcinidan, they have started looking for opportunities to expand their harvesting operations and export the excess - Paralith is well aware that there regions of the continent with rather less richness in food, and sees opportunities there.

    While the Carcinidan do have knowledge of metal-working and make use of it, the region where they have settled is rather poor in iron - something which the early Carcini weren't too concerned with, their natural gifts making up for it, but something which the modern-day Carcini are starting to notice, importing iron and steel to make up for their deficiency. Because of this, good steel is rather valued by the Carini, and the lords of the Carcinidan supplement their shells and claws with plate and blades.

    Spoiler: Faith
    Show

    The Carcini have adopted the beliefs of the Companion Collective, the belief that there is spiritual energy contained within the souls of all sentient creatures. The greatest heroes and leaders are believed to possess more powerful spirits and enter a pantheon of venerated ancestor spirits, something which has easily integrated into the Carcini culture of charismatic, forceful leaders and heroes.

    Of particular interest to Carcini followers of the faith is the Lithodon Petram, a craggy outcropping where, in the early years of the Carcini's short time in the world so far as they emerged from the sea, a mighty warlord and his followers fought a last stand against his enemies, who came from both sea and land, in the last days of the first attempt to reunite the Carcini. Despite the failure, the attempt is regarded by many Carcini as an impressive and laudable feat, and his spirit is often invoked by Paralith, that warlord's grandson, in speeches to support his authority.

    Spoiler: Starting Technology
    Show

    Sailing: The Carcini are naturally amphibious, albeit not that great at swimming, and their origin and location means they have also established a ship-building industry, favouring large and sturdy vessels that can accommodate their large sizes.



    107: Straca
    Spoiler
    Show

    Geography
    Straca's landscape is mainly defined by the water, the two coastlines dominating the region and providing the main draw for the Carcini that came here - a large number of Carcini settlements can be found on both sides, built around the docks the sailors come and go from. Going inland, tall rocks and hilly terrain lines both coastlines, not providing much in the way of defence from invasion but protecting the innermost regions from the elements and allowing the farms to survive (particularly since the weather here is generally calmer than it is further north in Acea).

    People
    Broadly speaking, two types of Carcini moved to Straca - farmers and sailors. The farmers make up a smaller proportion of the region's population, living in the inland parts of Straca, growing fields of barley, while the majority settled around either coast, or along the paths that cut through the rocky hills and connected the two sides. They weren't all directly sailors, but one way or another they lived off the sea. A long stretch of the coast to the southeast was bare of the normal settlers. Cassivel, Carcinidan's chief warlord, had claimed the land there, workers under his authority constantly at work establishing safe havens for his ships and living space for his warriors. The rumour among the settlers, fueled by the more talkative warriors and workers, is that the military is setting up here in case invaders from the southern continent come towards Carcinidan.

    Resource Barley
    Farming had never been a particularly popular way for the Carcini to get their food - they could eat the crop like they could eat most kinds of food, sure, and some small homesteads dotted Acea, but they generally preferred to eat meat from the land or sea, occasionally supplemented by foraged wild plants, and live a life other than that of a farmer. However, a good amount of those Carcini content with that lifestyle were among those who moved down to Straca, and they found old, now wild stretches of farmland in the inland parts of the region, presumably owned by whoever lived here in the old days, before the Swarm and before the Carcini. They moved in, bringing the farms to their former glory (albeit with some changes to facilitate the size and shape of the Carcini compared to the more humanoid race that previously lived here), and food made from the barley grown there has become a larger part of the local Carcini diet than typical.

    Faith None
    While a significant part of the Carcini follow the words of the Arbiter of the Pantheon of Souls, a rather lower number have ended up among the Carcini who settled Straca. There's the odd building dedicated to worship here and there, and some faithful can be found here, but there isn't any major, organised religious presence here.


    108: Bulwark
    Spoiler
    Show

    Geography:
    Bulwark is named after the cliffs that line the region's coastline, tall and treacherous things that give the region its name (a holdover from the region's old faith that was supplanted by the Creed). Rocky trails and cave tunnels run along and inside the cliffs, linking the many caves within the cliffs to each other, the coves down by the water, and the surface. Above the cliffs, the land soon develops into gentle hills and valleys. Settlements are split between the three main locations - inland, you find fairly traditional villages and towns, primarily living off sheep farming in the hills and crop farming in the flat land available, along with the new mining camps and the communities growing around them; the coves contain clusters of buildings and docks where sailors, smugglers and pirates rest, repair, resupply, trade and make deals between journeys; and the caves hide rather strange communities where the Swarm-Callers and their most devoted followers dwell when not travelling out into the wider region.

    People:
    A newly conquered part of Carcinidan, the Carcini presence here is somewhat light, with the military focused elsewhere and not much call for mass immigration. Besides the official representatives of Carcinidan that have come in to make the region a proper part of the nation, som Carcini have drifted in from Straca, generally setting up their small communities a decent distance away from the locals, although some have moved into established settlements (with some trouble, as most human buildings weren't designed for someone of their size), and the amount of Carcini wanderers has increased with the change in rulership (although the amount of trouble they cause has decreased, as the Carcini that are settled here are rather better equipped to handle one of their own causing problems). After some internal discussion and consideration, the Carcini have gone with a relatively hands-off method of rulership, allowing day-to-day life in the region to go as normal and instead focusing on integrating the influential people of Bulwark into Carcinidan's power structure in some way or another - powerful enough figures are judged to be somewhat equivalent of a Carcinus lord in any other part of Carcinidan (a somewhat hazy and judgement-driven decision made by the Carcini bureaucrats and the existing lords, and as such one involving substantial politics and hard work to influence relevant people), and one of the lords is established as the region's overlord, their representative on Carcinidan's council (a less lofty position than it sounds, between the vast power given to the High Overlord and the majority of the council being Carcini who favour other Carcini that they know rather than a new lone human). This system also means that the name of the land and the people has been left unchanged, allowing the local lords to keep using the old names and identities rather than giving the region a new name like those given to the lands the Carcini have settled. The name is rather fitting for Carcinidan's intentions, anyway, as its status as a coastal region close to Kaal means that it is one of the regions where their military leaders expect to have to go to meet any invaders from the other continent, along with Straca.

    When it comes to the locals, they can be grouped into roughly three categories.

    The majority of the population are humans living in various towns, villages, farms and a single city, built out close to the cliffs, where the wealthy and powerful of the region live - technically, Bulwark is the most populous part of Carcinidn, particularly in the city, as humans are more numerous than the Carcini and far more happy to live in denser conditions. Few Carcini go into the city if they can help it, the place exacerbating their issues with human architecture and planning, and just generally being far too claustrophobic and dirty for their tastes - even by human standards, the place is full of narrow alleys and twisting roads, and design decisions that most people would find strange but the locals just seem to accept. A large amount of the city is also below ground, with many of the buildings having basements and people often making holes, tunnels and doors connecting related areas, and connections between the surface and the underground being made or sealed as needed depending on who owns what (some say there are also hidden tunnels used by the priests and other cave-dwellers to get into the city, or by various internal factions to do various nefarious agendas depending on who's telling the story). With that in mind, it's no surprise the people took well to mining when the Lightsteel Brotherhood established an interest in the region's mineral reserves, and away from the city and the towns new settlements and camps have sprung up, typically around one of the region's many cave entrances.

    The priests of the Creed are also human, albeit on the pale side - at least, those that the Carcini have found or who travel to other communities are. There are others within the communities other than priests, of course, but few outside of the communities have to deal with them - they generally stay away from outsiders, and the priesthood deals with external matters. Besides these communities, few live in the caves - the miners may go down there for the nickel and other metals, but they don't live down there, and there are plenty of stories about what dwells in the unexplored caves and the dangers they present, enough that even for the people of Bulwark the prospect of living down there isn't particular appealing. The Carcini have found the whole situation rather frustating, really - their caves are particularly awkward when you're larger than a human, making it hard to actually get in there, and they have been rather stubbornly mysterious and quiet. On the whole, the response has been to just leave them alone, as it's no problem for the Carcini if some people don't want to get involved - after all, many Carcini have the same attitude towards the governing lords back home and particularly in Thropa and Malaco. To the people of Bulwark above ground, though, the cave dwellers provide their priests and spiritual guidance, and few go against something one says.

    The people that live down in the coves are mostly a transient people - sailors come and go with the ships, stay for a while while looking for a new ship to work on, or spend longer doing something in the settlements themselves, but ultimately leave at some point or another. A few remain though, typically owning the most important establishments in the cove, and their influence provides some degree of stability to things. It is these that the Carcini have looked to when establishing lords from these people, and have had mixed successes as regional politics aren't exactly the priority of these people, although some of the more enterprising business owners have accepted the offer - it doesn't actually give them more influence in the coves, but they see interesting opportunities with using the status to interact with Carcinidan and make deals, deals the Carcini are happy to accept in exchange for ensuring safe harbour for official vessels in many of the coves. These people are also the most varied of the region, as while some came from elsewhere in Bulwark or descended from those who first decided to establish themselves down there, most of the people here came from somewhere else and will probably end up somewhere else. If a kind of people in Drenath has sailors (and to a lesser extent Kaal, now routes between the two continents have been established), there's a fair chance at least a few of them have ended up here.

    Resource:
    While the caves held by the Swarm-Callers are off-limits to outsiders, there are many that can be explored by those not afraid of the stories, and some of these other caves have proven to contain decent supplies of ores - most are nothing exceptional, but nickel can be found here quite often. It's still not an incredible amount, but it's still notably more than most mining operations find, and enough to catch the Lightsteel Brotherhood's interest. The opportunity to get some of the Brotherhood's wealth led to mining operations being established by the locals, with small towns growing up around the mines to provide for the miners and get their cut of the Brotherhood's coin, and by now the mines are busy and the nickel is flowing into the Brotherhood's stores.

    Faith: Swarm-Caller's Creed
    On the surface, the Creed is rather harmless as religions go - sure, their priests hide away in dark caves and nobody knows what they get up to, and they're rather more positive towards the Swarm than most people, teaching that they are agents of divine change and ultimately to be allowed to destroy and create as they wish, but when it comes to day to day matters the lessons they preach seem fairly tame. They teach the people of Bulwark that the Swarm-Caller brought about the end of the old way of living through the Swarm as a sign of its displeasure with the way the lived, acted and thought, and that by following the Creed their god set down to the priesthood (which, as far as anyone can tell, seems pretty reasonable - the usual kinds of lessons you'd expect, instructions to make people live more harmoniously and not cause trouble for those in charge, that kind of thing) the people of Bulwark would be protected from the returning Swarm - since the Swarm's first appearance, they have taught that they would eventually return, and the Swarm's reappearance in Drenath has only given them more credibility among the people.

    While some people aren't particularly happy with the Swarm being cast in such a positive light, the priests don't cause any problems and with their current level of influence, the common people won't let anything happen to them. However, some whisper that the priests have darker plans for Bulwark (or even all of Drenath), share rumours strange temples and dark rites performed below the city, and question why they live so apart from the rest of Bulwark. Furthermore, rumours from Kaal that some people there followed a similar faith only for their land to become infested with Swarm has thrown up its own questions and concerns, particularly among some of the warlords of the Carcini - after their first clash with Krovos, they don't want Swarm closer to home. However, ultimately there is little proof, few have managed to get anything out of the priests of the Swarm-Caller one way or another, and most of the lords of Carcinidan aren't particularly concerned what some local priests get up to, particularly as it doesn't impact the wider region's contributions to Carcinidan.


    118: Malaco
    Spoiler
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    Geography
    Malaco is a heavily wooded land, although past that the terrain depends on where in the region you are. The north is more like Thropa, gentle hills and stretches of rather flat land, where the Carcini flax growers and cloth producers have set up shop, clearing out large amounts of the forest to make space for their buildings and for clear, safe routes to the neighbouring regions and between each other. Meanwhile, the south gets increasingly hilly as it gets closer to the highlands between Carcinidan and the Kalacite territories. Unsuitable for the flax growers,

    People
    Malaco's population is made up of a mixture of Carcini from Acea and Thropa, settlers from the former having come across small communities of the latter scattered across the region - loners and small families living off the land, never numerous enough to have a major influence or claim on the region, but starting to become a minor issue to the Acean Carcini who have established themselves throughout the region. The Aceans see the land as theirs, by declaration of Paralith and the simple fact that Thropa is part of Carcinidan and not the other way around, while the Thropans care little for what the lords up north agreed to and even less for Carcinidan and the Aceans. Officially, the word from Great Carcinidan is that the agreements made between them and Thropa when they merged stipulates that the survivalists have a right to their patch, but unofficially the average Carcinus on both sides always wants more land, there are constant clashes over how much the Thropans are obligated to control and how much the Aceans can use, and there's the frequent small clash and occasional death over the matter. In particular, many of the Thropan communities in the north have already been displaced, the new lords having taken decisive action against those who might threaten their operations before word from the capital to stop reached them.

    Resource Cloth
    The Carcini settlers soon found wild flax growing in their new land and a few enterprising souls, representative of the new breed of Carcini the nation was allowing to flourish, set to work exploiting the resource in the flatter northern part of Malaco. Carcinidan had always had small textile industries, providing sails for their ships but little else - Carcini typically preferred leathers and metals over cloth - but the businessmen saw an opportunity for growth here. The influential among them established themselves as lords of the new settlements, cultivating and harvesting the wild flax and clearing out the forest to establish bases from which to grow the plant and turn the fibers into cloth. They've been quite successful, creating enough of a surplus that they're now looking for buyers from outside of Malaco. They aren't particularly picky who they deal with, primarily concerned with their own wealth and power, so as long as they get what they're asking for in return they're happy.

    Faith None
    No religion dominates Straca. The Thropans typically follow the beliefs of their homeland, arguably to an even greater extent to the people there, but their situation limits the influence their beliefs have on the Aceans that make up the bulk of the nation. For their part, the Aceans take the typical trend of the Carcini settlers - some might follow the ways of ancestor worship that the Companions brought to Acea, and others might be vaguely aware of the religion but not particularly care, but there is little in the way of organised worship or religious institution.


    120: Thropa
    Spoiler
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    Geography:
    Thropa is a forested region, with a few gentle hills. Scattered across the area are the small settlements of the Thropan Carcini, the buildings buit in the typical Carcini stlye (wide, to accomadate the Carcini body shape, typically lacking an upper level and built with a definite eye towards practicality and sturdiness over aesthetics) but few in number in each settlement - even more so than other Carcini-occupied regions, the Thropans don't like to live together in large communities, and many prefer to stay mobile and use less permanent dwellings, carrying canopies and other equipment to erect temporary covered campsites wherever they temporaily settle before taking it down to move on.

    People:
    The people of Thropa are Carcini, physically more or less like the ones found in Acea, but with some notable cultural differences. The broad strokes are similar - minor lords ruling over their clans, seeking to become one of the more powerful lords with the loyalty of multiple clans, a spread out population, a strong warrior culture, and so on - but being an inland people, they lack the strong ties to the sea and large proportion of sailors that the Aceans have, and their faith has led to an even greater level of decentralisation than Acea. Even now, with Thropa being brought into Carcinidan, many Thropans are more or less ignorant of the political shift, more concerned with their own affairs and those they are directly loyal to - eventually, this chain leads up to the region's overlord, and as such Carcinidan, but it can cause issues when trying to get the locals to act in Carcinidan's wider interests rather than their own. Being inland has also had an effect on their diet, as rather than the large amount of crustaceans and seafood that makes up an Acean Carcini's diet Thropans generally live off the wild animals that thrive in their forests, supplemented by foraging and small domesticated animals that can be kept and reared without needing much forest to be cleared.

    Resource:
    For as long as the Carcini have been in Thropa, there have been dogs there, big energetic animals that the locals are quite fond of. Presumably left by whoever lived here before the Carcini arrived, some of the Carcini have taken to keeping and breeding the animals. Attitudes towards what to use the animals for, how to treat them and if they're for sale varies from person to person, but anyone interested in acquiring a steady supply of the animals should be able to find an ample supply.

    Faith: Rugged Individualism
    The Thropans follow one of the old Carcini belief systems, one that claims an ancient divine being that dwells in the deep ocean created the Carcini and sent them out into Drenath. The creator itself doesn't play a major part in their beliefs and practices though - they follow the tenets it set out, praising self-reliance, being true to one's own desires and drives, and sheer endurance above all, but the entity itself isn't too important to the Thropans (it made them and established the way they live and die, but their lives are their own and it doesn't care for their worship). They believe that sticking to the principles will put them in good stead in the life after death, but not exactly in the sense of the typical "good people are ushered into a good afterlife" sense - there is something like a heaven, yes, but the road the soul must take to reach it is arduous and lonely, so those who have lived their life according to the ways of the Thropans will be the ones who are prepared to walk that road, while those who reject the tenets and live weak, sheltered lives and depend too much on others won't be able to make the journey and will be doomed to never reach the ultimate destination. The most ardent followers of the tenets are the survivalists, extreme isolationists who live alone or in family groups, living off the land and not relying on other Carcini for anything, even in trade, if they can help it, while most Thropans instead take a rather less severe interpretation of things, allowing for them to live under the influence of a lord, and now Carcinidan, and to participate in the trappings of a wider society.
    Last edited by Volthawk; 2021-05-20 at 06:47 AM.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Pixie in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    110: Rainbow Isles

    Companion Collective


    Spoiler: Ruler
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    Felix Silvermane
    Spoiler: Rolled stats
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    1,2,2,3,3
    Diplomacy: 2
    Military: 2
    Opulence: 4
    Faith: 4
    Intrigue: 1

    Starting Tech: Sailing

    Spoiler: Terrain
    Show
    The three main islands of the Companion Collective are varying in terrain and the different racial groups of the Collective have made homes on their own islands. The biggest of the islands is mostly a wooded area that is inhabited by the 'Canine' clans of the Collective in addition to the tree tops being homes to the 'Avian' clans. The second largest island is mostly a swampy grassland with many small rivers running through it, it is mostly inhabited by the 'Rodent' and 'Reptile' clans. The remaining island is an elevated highland where the Collective council is held, this area is mainly inhabited by the 'Feline' and 'Equine' clans.
    The highest point of the elevated highland contains a holy site revered by all the clans as a soft spot between the spiritual barriers between realms. Some of the more religious of the Collective say they can hear the whispers of long passed loved ones who have re-entered the spiritual realm.

    Spoiler: People
    Show
    The Companion Collective is comprised of various races of Magical beasts who's ancestors used to be magical familiars, companions or awakened beasts who through a pact or magical mishap remained magical after their 'bonded' companion passed on from this world. The Collective is grouped into six main clans which all of the citizens align themselves with. The clans are the Canine, Avian, Rodent, Reptile, Feline and Equine. Each of the clans has its own focus and purpose in the Collective.

    Spoiler: History and Government
    Show
    The Companion Collective was founded by a group of awakened animals who during a magical accident found themselves able to learn and communicate and think on the level of the other sentient races. Banding together first out of necessity then out of brotherhood they formed their own nation. The wisest among them was crowned the ruler and his descendants have been ruling them since with caveat to the council of clans. The council of clans oversees and maintains the majority of the inner workings of the Companion Collective and have the ability to overrule the 'king' in emergency situations should the council reach a consensus.

    Spoiler: Resources
    Show
    Rainbow Fish: These fish spawn in the shallows around the tri-islands of the Companion Collective, a major delicacy and food source for the Collective. In addition to being a nutritious meal their scales are prizes for their rainbow iridescence and varying coloration. Larger Rainbow fish's scales have been known to be thick and large enough to make shields or armor out of.

    Petals of a Magical Flower: This luxury item is desired by all of the creatures of the Collective. Due to their magical heritage certain side effects have shown in long periods of time without have a bath soaked infused with the magical properties of of any magical flower. The petals are sought after for their alleged restorative effects and soothe magical build ups that occur in the older magical creatures.

    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    The Collective believe that there is spiritual energy contained within the souls of all sentient creatures. Great heroes and leaders are believed to contain powerful spirits within them and are venerated even after their deaths. Great spirits are entered into the pantheon to revere, venerate and seek aid from.


    Spoiler: Edit Log
    Show
    1/21/21 - Added Flag and broadened required resource
    1/22/21 - Switched faith and military stats on my ruler
    1/22/21 - Switched back like a waffle I am, I swear this is the last
    1/24/21 - Switched flags.
    1/25/21 - I can spell, I promise - fixed my ruler's last name

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    AlexanderML's Avatar

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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Spoiler
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    The Kalacite Kingdom

    Region: 109 (Drenath)

    King Tuleos Kalacite (D-3 M-5 O-4 F-2 I-1)
    Spoiler
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    King Tuleos Kalacite

    Spoiler
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    A young king that has only recently come into power. While humanoid his host-body’s chest and throat was heavily damaged before he was born in some tragedy involving the old queen, to the point where many thought it an unsuitable corpse. Able to rally the elders effectively under his command through the use of riches and promises of good bodies for their families children he looks out into the world in search of a future for himself and his people.

    Diplomacy (3): Tuleos’s mother had schooled him in both how to communicate with flesh-born races and deal with the elders of the kingdom. Yet he and his diplomats lack real-world experience.
    Military (5): Paranoia of the flesh-born races wishing to invade is common within the Kalacite Kingdom, Tuleos being no exception.
    Opulence (4): The infrastructure of the kingdom has finally been coming together in recent years and Tuleos intends to fill the coffers of his home with the taxes of a flourishing nation.
    Faith (2): The vague ambivalent nature of Kalah has not caught the eye of the king or many of the people within the Grey Plains outside of the Temple of Ascension.
    Intrigue (1): Unable to understand the flesh-born races Tuleos and most kalacites struggle to properly engage in trickery.

    Other Royal Members:

    Prince Yirol Kalasite: Born into the body of a large troll, Yirol is the older brother of Tuleos who gave up his claim to the throne to instead focus on becoming a hero of the kingdom. Something that has brought the two brothers together in recent times as instead of struggling between one another for the throne they can look outward.

    Irasite: The royal consort to the king, carrying similarly large scars to Tuleos she rarely shows much of her body out in public, wearing strange colorful clothes when possible.

    Little Qorite and Ahm: The young twin princes that the king has recently spawned with Irasite. Being newly-born kalsites in three year old bodies, they have yet to develope deep personality traits.



    Geography:
    Spoiler
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    The Kalacite Kingdom occupies a region mainly consisting of cold plains where tall grey grasses grow half the year and snow the other. It is called simply ‘Home’ by the kalcites when speaking to one another, but is often referred to as The Grey Plains to outsiders or in written records. The hillsides that dot the north are where the majority of kalacites live, extracting what mineral material they can. The southern parts of the region where it is a bit warmer are used for fishing and farming.


    People:
    Spoiler
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    The Kalacite people appear at a quick glance to an outsider to be a bizarre collection of various races and sentient animals; all working together in some strange parody of normal life as farmers often call their cows ‘father’, trolls sell bread at the market, and clothing is a complete an utter mess as pants are oftentimes assumed to be shirts missing a hole.

    This chaos in society is derived by the fact that Kalacites are not the animals and humanoids that walk the land, but instead crystalline-creatures that inhabit the brains of these creatures.

    Spoiler: History
    Show
    The kalacites do not know how they began, but through oral tradition the kalacite remember being used as weapons against the Swarm. For while a soldier of the empire may fall, the kalacite could make them rise again (if only in body), and every monster slain could potentially be used against it’s evil kin. This was a fleeting thing, as their capabilities were deemed too little for the conflict and too disturbing for the godchosen to stand amidst them; so they were discarded.

    Lost and without guidance the kalacites became like beasts that roamed the world for a time, lost and barbarous. Nearly all of them died as hovels of their kind would be destroyed by the Swarm or more civilized races that deemed them to be a part of it.

    To the knowledge of the Kalacite Kingdom only in the north did they find a minimum amount of acceptance, as their neighbours tolerated their existence due to focusing on other more pressing concerns. For years now they have studied the remnants of the destroyed humanoid settlements in their kingdom and what records they could find in the hopes of creating a ‘normal’ society for themselves; both to be accepted more by the other powers around them and to find some purpose in their lives.

    Spoiler: Biology
    Show
    Kalacites are necro-symbiotes that are primarily made of a blue-crystalline structure embedded in a dead creature shortly after it has expired (most of the body has to be intact).
    A new kalacite-spawn placed inside a corpse is typically 1.5cm long and 0.5cm wide, has minimal mobility through being able to wiggle through flesh, and needs to reach the brain stem of its host before it runs out of energy or the body degrades too much (most spawn are placed right on the brain stem so as to not waste a corpse). Once it has arrived at the brain stem it fuses with the tissue there and begins to convert the brain matter into semi-crystalline tissue over a number of days initially and years after ‘birth’. Bodily functions return to the corpse soon after the brain starts conversion and the wounds on the body begin to be healed, with large wounds having crystal-blue scars placed over them.

    After the spawn has a few days to adapt and repair the body it goes into the kalacite ‘child’ state, where it awakens and begins to learn as its brain develops. The bodies of the kalacites do not age during this time, the healing factor from their spawn state lasting till adulthood (though you can have kalacite children inhabiting old bodies). Bodies without the native ability to speak (or had their throats ripped apart) can use the crystalline structure near their throat to create a high-pitched metallic voice. This period of the kalacite life-cycle lasts from between 10-15 years.

    Once a kalacite becomes an ‘adult’ it can implant a spawn into corpses, and the aging process of the body they are inhabiting begins to reassert itself. It takes twenty more years for this part of the lifecycle to complete.

    Elder kalacites have the aging function of their bodies fully resume, with bodies that naturally are immortal or long-living being aged as fast as humans. These kalacites cannot create any new spawn, and begin to have crystalline cancers appear on their bodies.

    Few kalacites can live in a typical humanoid body for more than a hundred years at best, and animal bodies degrade at adulthood before they can become an elder.

    After reaching the child state of the life cycle kalacites need nutrition that is suitable for the host body as well as other appropriate amenities that might be required.

    Kalacites that can breed with each other produce offspring that are not kalacites. By tradition these children are killed then have a kalacite spawn implanted into them so they are ‘reborn’ as kalacites.


    Spoiler: Government
    Show
    The Kalacite Kingdom is in name ruled over by a royal line of kalacites, but this is mostly because it’s what they believe humanoids would expect to be the default rather than a true belief in the superiority of the monarch. It is law that the monarch has to inhabit a humanoid body, as their primary purpose is to decide on forgien affairs.

    Internal politics are run mainly by elders from any given community, though a few use wise adults instead to give animal-spawned kalacites representation. The monarch acts as judge over disputes concerning multiple communities.


    Resources:
    Spoiler
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    The Grey Plains that the Kalacite Kingdom inhabits have a number of mines producing a number of precious metals, though by far the majority of it is Gold which they use in artwork and public works; not yet realizing that it can be used as currency (or at least why it would be).

    However the kalacites have an ever-present need for more Bodies that can be inhabited by their kind. While they can breed using the bodies they already have or use animals, the former is very uncomfortable for them and the latter gives the child a shorter lifespan.


    Faith:
    Spoiler
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    The Kalacite Kingdom has little in the way of faith native to the people within, no gods worshiped and no spirits appeased. If such things exist they are for the other races that walk the world.

    The Kalacites do believe that someday they will overcome the biological hurdles of their species and reach a ‘higher state’ of being, becoming gods themselves. This will be a slow process that takes time and dedication; but through seeking to be better the Kalacites will eventually overcome their flaws. While the Kalacites don't name there belief themselves, seeing it as self-evident truth for the time being, it is sometimes called Kalah to outsiders.

    Currently in the Grey Plains there is the Temple of Ascension, based in an abandoned building of crystal and glass that is half-destroyed (or half-made as the priests there like to say).


    Technology:
    Spoiler
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    Starting Tech: Animal Husbandry: +1 to Opulence and Diplomacy exploration
    Last edited by AlexanderML; 2021-02-09 at 09:28 PM.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Ausar's Avatar

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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Last Order of King Eredivistus and the Temple of Eternal Uhlonna
    Commonly referred to as the "Last Order", "Order of Ered" or "Red Order"

    Region 238, New Eredonna.


    Sir Revain, Grand Seneschal of the Last Order of etc etc

    Diplomacy: 2
    Military: 2
    Opulence: 5
    Faith: 5
    Intrigue: 1

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show

    New Eredonna is a fertile land, rain-fed slopes of the Peaks of Sorrow only recently tilled. The mountains rise in the east, becoming near-impassable in numbers. Two rivers flow down from the peaks, the Aubr and the Dieraubr. The largest settlement is New Askilon where the Grand Seneschal dwells, overseeing the myriad smaller settlements along the rivers. The Order have been slow to expand their reach, awaiting the completion of the Order's new chapterhouse and cathedral in New Askilon. Now, however, it is nearly complete.


    Spoiler: People
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    The exiled squatters that the Last Order are dwarves, typically standing 4-5 feet tall. The Order are dark-skinned folk, accustomed to the beating sun of their former homeland beyond the mountains. They ride griffons, at least those few that can - only 40 griffons survived the Exodus of Sorrow across the peaks, and while their numbers are building they still do not yet exceed 300. Strong and hardy the Last Order lost their history and their writings in their flight, and their oral tradition is primarily devoted to the remembrance of their scripture, the reverence of the goddess Uhlonna and their first King Eredivistus. Once, before the Fall, the dwarves of the Order by their own reckoning flew on griffon-back through the never-ending sky, untroubled by the concerns pf the tall-folk living on their own gods' whims. Until the Swarm came. The Swarm swum the sky building pillars of vile blue stone to reach the flying Order, who at that time had not been founded as such. The dwarves were slaughtered by the horror until their goddess saved them all, building the earth around her for them to live upon and using her keening cry of grief to slaughter the Swarm in turn.

    The Order then was founded, one of many formed around the court of King Eredivistus, Uhlonna's chosen upon the earth. As the first Grand Seneschal of the Orders (all claim that Eredivistus was their founding Seneschal, of course) Eredivistus wrote the first teachings of Uhlonna, as she was no longer flying among them to advise the dwarves in person. From then the Orders separated, following Eredivistus' disappearance beneath the earth in search of Uhlonna herself. The Last Order made for the mountains, seeking as near a return to the never-ending sky as they could manage. They built mountain cathedral-citadels and farmed fungi beneath the earth, building a land of fortifications and isolating themselves from the chaos of the new world. Then one day the messages from the other Orders stopped coming. The next few weeks were uncertain, silent, worried days, until the Swarm began to stir. They came from below, into the fungi farms. While the Order began to fight, they also began to starve. Unable to reclaim their sustenance the Seneschals met in conclave. They decided at last to leave, to seek a new home beyond the mountains. They departed with haste, the Swarm clipping their heels but unwilling to crest the surface. The Order fled.

    Over the mountains they went, without food, without water, all struggling against the altitude as they climbed higher and higher. The terrain was deadly too, crevasses and cliffs claiming many. Eventually the remnants of the Order emerged on the other side. They found a land uninhabited, the slopes of a mountain fertile but untilled. Wary now of their underground farms for the risk of the encroaching Swarm they began to farm. The first winter was harsh, but the survivors thrived. From then the Order has built and built, their Cathedral of the Exodus near-complete, a new chapterhouse for the Order.


    Spoiler: Resource
    Show

    The most prized resource of the Order is their Griffons. More companions and friends than beasts, the Order would not have survived the Exodus without their steeds.


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show

    Uhlonna's Children. While the dwarves of the Order revere many gods it is the goddess Uhlonna that they hold in the highest esteem. As the goddess that built the earth as her shield against the Swarm she created the land from the bodies of the swarmlings she destroyed, the oceans from her tears for the dwarves killed by the swarm she was not fast enough to save. Her grief still issues from the earth as rivers and springs, her people now tied to the earth where once they flew through the never-ending sky. The other gods she birthed to act on the surface, her divine agents, while she still flies the sky, dreaming of her people's return to their divine purpose.


    Spoiler: Starting Technology & Required Resource
    Show

    Animal Husbandry - +1 to Opu and Dip exploration

    Required Resource: Building-Grade Stone. The Exodus may have found the Order food, but outside of the stony cliffs and caverns stone enough to build their great edifices is a laborious and ruinously expensive acquisition. The Cathedral and Chapterhouse have sapped so much of the available manpower and material that the Order is close to facing a crisis of construction.
    Last edited by Ausar; 2021-02-15 at 07:22 PM.
    "Into the Jaws of Death, into the Mouth of Hell;" (Tennyson)
    So shall you tread, once you pass the precipice of villainy.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Silent_Interim's Avatar

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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    The Umbral Accord (UMB)

    Region 67 – Darkhome
    Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The shadows know...

    Spoiler: Flag
    Show


    Ruler: Kalathax, Child of the Accord

    Diplomacy: 2
    Military: 3
    Opulence: 1
    Faith: 5
    Intrigue: 4

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show

    Darkhome is a fairly temperate land, with the weather largely kept moderate by the natural windbreak of its hills and valleys. It is only lightly developed, with roads and some smaller communities, alternating between farms and large sections of rolling woodlands, out to the coast. There is an air of peace to the place, and the sun’s heat and light seem a little less overbearing within.


    Spoiler: People
    Show

    The Umbral Accord is populated mainly by two races, humans and the Umbra, and the greater beings known as the Umbrals born from the fusion of the two.
    The Umbra are a race of living shadows, created by dark magic as the cast-off sins of an ancient people. On their own, they are not much to look at, and have very limited ability to act on the world having minimal ability to think or reason, largely operating on instinct. Strong light is lethal to them if they cannot slink away to cover, so during the day they are largely sedentary. In dark and shadowed places, when they swarm together, they can seemingly merge and re-divide to make more of themselves. The only way they can truly act on the world is to enter a living host.
    Once they occupy a living thing, though, they can fuse with its mind and body, permanently creating an Umbral, through a process known as an accord. Not much is required to prevent the accord- long-term, the Umbra cannot force the host to serve its will, insofar as it has any, for more than a few minutes.
    Umbrals are generally a little tougher, a little stronger, and a little more cunning than the beings they are made from, but most of all they’re hungrier- both literally and metaphorically. Physically, you can tell an Umbral from a normal member of their species mostly by their eyes- Umbral eyes are usually pitch black all through, giving an effect that some find menacing. While Umbrals can breed with other members of their host species, or even other Umbrals with a similar host, the resulting children will not have any Umbral nature about them, and a new Umbra will need to possess them if the child is to become an Umbral.
    The Umbrals, and all citizens living in Darkhome, are bound by the Grand Accord, for which the polity is named. This founding document lays out the structure of Umbral society, its leadership and its organization. By its rules, Umbral society thrives and prospers. Guided by the firm hand of a leadership elected by all Umbral citizens, the Accord strives on towards a darker future. In practice, the vast majority of citizens are Umbral, and accepting an accord with an Umbra is regarded by many as a rite of passage into adulthood- but technically, there are some few who refuse, for whatever reason, and are then treated as second-class citizens.


    Spoiler: Resource
    Show

    The Shadewood Trees are an unusual plant with a variety of useful properties, the result of Umbral influence seeping into the soil. Rather than growing leaves above the ground to harvest sunlight for its food, these ash-white trees grow their leaves on their roots, drawing in sustenance from the darkness of the earth. The root-leaves can then in turn be eaten to alleviate the pangs of hunger- at least until you next find yourself in sunlight. They are not filling, but many a traveller has stretched their rations with them. And, despite having no leaves above the surface, they provide deep and restful shade, even under the hottest noon-day sun. Because of this, and a few other useful properties like the potential to make a sunburn-resisting salve from the bark, they are sometimes known as the Wanderer’s Tree.
    In addition to their more immediately useful properties, Shadewoods have a number of useful alchemical properties. The seeds store the harvested darkness in a concentrated form, and can release it in a wave of darkness if properlycracked. The wood can be mixed with more ordinary woods to remind it of the hunger of life and allow it to absorb energy, both ambient and acute, and in its powdered form this property can be exploited so that it may be used both as poison and antidote. Finally, its roots can be used in a variety of infusions and rituals to draw darkness in towards a source.
    One thing the Shadewood cannot provide, however, is sufficient [COLOR=]food.[/COLOR] Their faith leaves them with a preference for a lavish lifestyle, and the Umbrals need more food than an ordinary human would. Their territory is in many places ill-suited to grow food, and the hunger only ever grows.


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show

    To live in The Shadow of Eternity is to live forever in a moment; to try and grasp immortality by the second. The Umbrals have unique insight into vice, with the Umbra being literally born of it, but where many view such things as evils to be excised or purged, the Shadow preaches that such things are the very purpose of life. Enjoy yourself! Seek pleasure, even at the expense of the future! For the light of eternity is harsh and endless, but the darkness of the moment is infinitely soothing.

    Ailitha, Rock of the Accord (Holy Site): The place where the Accord was first signed, and where the blood that sealed it fell. This is a holy place for the Umbrals, a representation of their very right to exist. On these stones, sacred blood was spilled in compact; in this place to this very day, humans may ascend to become Umbral.


    Spoiler: Starting Technologies
    Show

    The Umbral Accord have mastered the art of Printing, borrowed from some of their constituent members. They print primarily in the Umbral Pidgin Script, a blend of different writing systems borrowed from the various polities their human members originate from.
    Last edited by Silent_Interim; 2021-01-30 at 09:12 AM.
    I go by them/they/their pronouns, but I'm comfortable with he/him/his or she/her/hers.

    Spoiler: STUFFS
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by Silent_Interim View Post
    Yes... continue ignoring me... exactly as planned
    Quote Originally Posted by Xihirli View Post
    'Kay! Ignoring a ninja never hurt anyone.



    Being terrible at being a wolf since always.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    LapisCattis's Avatar

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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Spoiler: The Karlik - Region 21 - The Pescheran Isle
    Show
    Spoiler: Leader
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    Mori Spelogiya

    Diplomacy: 3
    Military: 2
    Opulence: 5
    Faith: 2
    Intrigue: 5


    Spoiler: Geography
    Show

    The Pescheran Isle is the western-most of the known Sebarcan islands off the main continent. Fairly protected from winds and harsh waves by the rest of the islands, Peschera is covered in healthy shrubs and grassland, with some small game and wildlife. Steep cliffs border the island, and entrance is difficult for any who cannot read the faint signs of trails hewn into the rock. Beneath the soil, the interior island is a vast network of carved caves, caverns, and tunnels. The lower levels are oft filled with or lead into the ocean, and have a stable population of cave critters, fish, and the occasional diving snake. The history of the world can be seen in the caves, layers of various rock deposits, ores, and even some strange bones exposed by decades of tunneling. No sunlight penetrates the depths, though the caves that haven't been strictly sealed off by the inhabitants tend to be lined with softly glowing mosses or worms.



    Spoiler: People
    Show

    The Karlik are a race of short, stocky, near-bald humanoids. Their hair is sparse but stiff and long, covering their arms, legs, head, and face in a 2-4 inch high layer. Hair is typically let loose and is not brushed back, and long, stiff, clean hairs are seen as a sign of health and wealth. Hair is typically pale, as is the skin and eyes, as most of a Karlik's life is spent underground. Though their eyesight is average at best, their sense of smell and touch is incredibly sensitive, partially due to their hair. When forays above ground are needed, long covering capes and hoods made from surface grasses are worn. Otherwise, clothing is tight to the body so as to not snag against the rock.

    The Karlik survive by mining minerals, carving out cities and shops from the rock. Fish and eel make up a bulk of the diet, and diving for new deposits and food is as critical and time-demanding as mining. A normal healthy Karlik would live up to 80 years, but the physical demands of mining and the dangers of subterranean life have made any Karlik older than 60 years a celebrated, protected elder. Females are slightly larger than males, and are primarily in charge of tunnel and cave maintenance, securing supports, and other logistical and social issues. The leader of the Karlik is the Etnya, chosen by the elders to be cunning in order to preserve as many Karlik lives as possible.


    Spoiler: Resource
    Show


    The Karlik offer Cherry Eel, a red-glowing cavefish that is a staple of the Karlik diet. A slightly fishy white-fish, Cherry Eels are blind, scaleless, and white except for a trail of glowing 'pods' on either side. They are often smoked or grilled with citrus, berries, and shrubby herbs.

    Living underground, the Karlik are in need of Wood in order to begin expanding settlements onto the surface and construct more flexible tools and items.



    Spoiler: Faith
    Show

    Drums...drums in the water. Merciless is the Ashapt and great is its rage. Fear the drums and run upon their beating, or beg, beg for your life and pray your sacrifice will save your friends from the Ashapt. Pray at the altar before the drums sound and you may be spared. Sacrifice morsels at every meal and spare any odd creature lest its rage fall upon you. See its scales in the water and kneel before its fangs. Pray...pray before the drums beat upon your corpse.

    The Karlik pray at the awe-ful Altar of the Ashapt, a god to be feared and begged for borrowed life.


    Spoiler: Starting Technologies
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    Construction

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    HalflingPirate

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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Region 240, Kaal- La Illopaña

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    La Illopaña is an isolated region from the rest of Kaal, cut off from the south of Kaal by the snowy Amartera mountains to the south, with only a small gap to the west. The northern edge of La Illopaña lies the coast of the Biscaro sea. Though snowy in the mountains, the climate in Illopaña is moderate, verging on warm on the steppes. Though devastated by the swarm, the inland areas have since been covered over with grasslands, with isolated shrub moving in in the mountains. It is not uncommon for farmers and travelers on the steppe to stumble over degrading corpses or abandoned weapons in the ruins of a battle site. Though the temptation to simply ignore these and keep walking may be great, it is a crime punishable by the removal of an ear in La Illopaña not to cremate any sentient remains thus encountered.

    Small Highland villages in the Amarteras grow Potatoes, Millet, and Raspberries to sell to the coastal towns and cities. The Amarteras are also home to a number of monasteries, where Preguntadores train in seclusion.

    The midlands of La Illopaña are more dedicated to agriculture than the Amartera villagers. Campusinos on the plains and rolling hills heading down towards the ocean settle in valleys to grow olives along creekbeds and run sheep on the nearby hillsides.

    On the coast, the villages of the inland regions become towns of real significance. Though trade with travelers from Kaal is not common on the Biscaro, ships arrive in La Illopaña from foreign regions with strange goods every week, and ports feature a bustling fishing business.


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    Las Illopañas, as the people call themselves, are mostly humans of typical stature, normally around 5 and a half feet tall for the men and 5 feet for the women, with dark hair and ruddy complexions weathered by sun, wind, and surf. Townsfolk for the most part clothe themselves in wool and linen short-sleeved garments and breeches, and colorful scarves are very fashionable among the rich in the cities.

    In the cities there also exists a significant underclass of dwarven survivors of the exodus of Sorrow. Living close to the earth in basements and primitive sewers and treated with suspicion of harboring magical knowledge by the Redención, most work menial positions as servants or dock laborers, though there also exists a significant black market for magical trinkets and artifacts in which the exiles are often the first but far from the only suspects.

    One of the most noticeable things for any visitor to the Illopaña is the singing around sunrise and sunset. Five minutes before sunrise, a bell sounds in every town and village in La Illopaña, marking the beginning of five minutes of complete quiet, reserved for meditation listening to the sound of the call. Then, as the sun rises, the entire town breaks out in song, adding their voices to the call. The same ritual happens at sunset in reverse: five minutes of song followed by five of meditation. It is both an eerie and thrilling experience to participate in these choirs listening to and singing with the music of the world.


    Spoiler: History and Government
    Show
    According to common knowledge amongst the Illopañas, the swarm was not a disaster, but a punishment. The corruption of the old empire, its hubris, and most importantly its reliance upon damned magics drove the Chorus to summon the swarm to cast down the greedy and arrogant Godchosen, of which the Illopañas were an enthusiastic part. The Chorus then began singing to pacify the Swarm, mercifully giving the peoples of the world a chance to rebuild a better order, and sending the prophet Latona Gun to show the world the way. El Redención is one of the few governments taking this chance.

    The Redención, according to its own lore created by the king of La Illopaña following the arrival of the teachings of Latona Gun to bring the country into accordance with her teachings, takes its duties seriously. Having since deposed the monarchy for its failure to provide for the poor in the country and its corrupt fascination with the magics of the old empire, the Redención is led by a man known as the Mariscal, a man appointed by consensus of the Apazias, the female religious heads of the bureaus of La Illopaña. The Mariscal has the ultimate authority to judge and punish all crimes against the holy order of the world in La Illopaña, and to command the ranks of the Preguntadors and other agents of the Redención.

    Local governments in villages are typically presided over by theoretically hereditary Mayors. Though technically given broad powers in civil law within their jurisdictions, the position of Mayor is a dangerous one because of the continuous watchful eye of the Redención in all but the most rural and isolated towns, keeping an eye out for lack of generosity or infatuation with magic.


    Spoiler: Resources and Starting Technology
    Show
    One of the most profitable exports of La Illopaña are the fine Sword Blades crafted by Illopañan smiths.

    Though La Illopaña has metal enough for agricultural implements, nails, and other such low grade smithed goods, the construction of swords requires a very high quality of metal not available in the region.

    Starting Resource: Sailing Though agriculture has begun to take root in the mountains and steppe of the Illopaña, the urban population is still dependent upon fishing for food, and the region's ports boast numerous sailing vessels daily braving the Biscaro in search of fish.


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    El Mandamiento de la Propheta Latona Gun, or simply “The Mandate” is a religion organized around the teachings of the Prophet Latona Gun, who came to La Illopaña to spread her message shortly after the Call was first heard in the region. Her message: that the survivors were chosen to succeed the Godchosen, who had been punished with the swarm for their hubris. She guided the King’s army from their retreat in the mountains to the coast, showing them that the Swarm was over and it was time to build the world anew.

    The Mandate is modeled off of Latona Gun’s three tenets, Compassion, Community, and Cremation.

    Compassion: The tenet of Compassion states that one must help those in need and accept help when one needs it. Greed, avarice, and the enslavement and oppression of the downtrodden for power and prestige were one of the greatest sins of the Godchosen empire. Provisions must be made in every community that all people have adequate food, shelter, and work, and turning a stranger out or a beggar away is a crime.

    Community: The tenet of Community states that one may choose a fitting profession for their life, but every needed role must be filled, and each job must be performed to the best of one's ability. The followers of the Mandate are all one community working for each other’s benefit. Some may be chosen to lead and others to follow, but all serve the same holy purpose.

    Cremation: The tenet of Cremation states that through fire, one's body and soul are freed from each other. To let the dead linger in the world is a crime, and to cremate them is a holy duty. Similarly, the time of the Godchosen being past, their corrupting magical artifacts must be removed from the world.

    El Mandamiento holds that the use of the godchosen’s magic artifacts was what corrupted the Godchosen empire, for which they were punished with the swarm. It posits the existence of a kind of person known as a barchato, people who have surrendered their humanity to greed and ambition of magical power. barchato ruled the old empire, using their perverse magic to enslave and subjugate thousands and the swarm was intended to wipe their stain from the world. The Call holds off the swarm to give the peoples of the world a chance at redemption. However, as has become obvious to all, the Call is weakening, and new barchato corrupted by old magics are the cause. To prevent another resurgence of the swarm, the Redención has now turned its eyes outside its own borders to combat the corrupting influence of the barchato.

    Holy site: Coastal Street Shrines: Throughout coastal cities and towns like Banca, shrines set up on streetcorners and tended by the locals honor the prophet and are a gathering place for the singing at dawn and dusk.

    Nonmechanical holy sites:

    Banca Cathedral: The true heart of the Mandate, the large and well furnished Banca Cathedral is the seat of the Apazia and the location where they meet to attend to matters of the faith, like appointing a Mariscal.

    Baños de la Profeta: an isolated cold water spring in the Amartera mountains, a significant monastery has developed around the location, where it is said the Prophet once bathed. As a pilgrimage destination and one of the largest mountain monasteries, it is an important site for the training of the Oyende order.

    Spoiler: The Redencion, the Mandamiento, and the Oyente
    Show
    The Redencion is a male-led arm of the female-led Mandamiento church, responsible for guarding against the mind-corrupting influence of Chullachaca and Godchosen artifacts. To be safe, the Redención tends to treat all obvious magic as possible indication that a person is a Chullachaca, but while this enthusiasm is tolerated and often encouraged the official doctrine of the Mandamiento is that the magic of the Godchosen is the real threat of corruption.

    To deal with godchosen trinkets and other dangerous magics, the Redencion employs an order of magic-hunting warriors known as the Oyente. To become an Oyente, an aspirant travels to a monastery in the mountains and spends a year and a day speaking to no one, their only activity listening to the call and meditating on their faith. This ritual rids the Oyente of their desires, making them brave and loyal but also cold and compassionless. Free from greed and Avarice, Oyente cannot be corrupted into Chullachaca and are immune to all known forms of mind control magic. Their connection to the call allows them to hear the slight distortions in the rhythm caused by the use of magic, and they are the only ones trusted with hunting and disposing of Godchosen artifacts. To become an Oyente and sacrifice one’s desire is a powerful gesture of service to the community, and they are both honored and feared throughout La Illopaña. The Oyente is an order open to both men and women, and the highest honor achievable for a woman in the ranks of the Redención rather than as a member of the Mandamiento clergy.
    Last edited by Potato_Priest; 2021-02-18 at 04:39 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by No brains View Post
    See, I remember the days of roleplaying before organisms could even see, let alone use see as a metaphor for comprehension. We could barely comprehend that we could comprehend things. Imagining we were something else was a huge leap forward and really passed the time in between absorbing nutrients.

    Biggest play I ever made: "I want to eat something over there." Anticipated the trope of "being able to move" that you see in all stories these days.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lleban's Avatar

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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Kingdom name: New Republic of Margaritarum


    Ruler: Magister Ibn Jezzert


    Diplomacy: 2
    Military: 1
    Opulence: 4
    Faith: 5
    Intrigue: 2

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    Nesteled in the calm waters of Banana Bay the city of Margaritarum lays on the north shore of Eastpoint. Surrounded by long drained marshlands to the south and fishing villages to the north, Margaritarum has always been fairly secure in food production. The city itself largely rests on reclaimed marshlands, existing as a series of elevated islands crossed by shipping canals and an expansive harbor. Most of the buildings are made from a mix of red clay brick, marble, and oak wood. Many newer constructions are decorated with facades of alchemical iron.


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    The people of Margaritarum can be divided into two ethnic groups, the Margatae, the native inhabitants of the region, and the Tazmat Alchemists. The Margatae were the original founders of the city during the prosperous centuries before the swarms' advent. Serving as a key stop between the tropical north and temperate regions of the south. The Margatae become prominently known as a mercantile people, famous for their elaborate red brick constructions and harbors. Banana bay is lined to the brim with lighthouses, the ship stops, and coastal forts all in the signature red brick construction of the region. Physically the Margatae range from bronze to olive-skinned in skin tone. They also possess very angular faces with high cheekbones and fairly pointed noses. The Margaatae value both physical and mental skills. Bricklayers, fishermen, and poets are all highly honored professions with powerful guilds that shape the politics of the city, even under Tazmat occupation.

    The Tazmat on the other hand are a round-faced, Russet-skinned people from the northern lands that were slowly pushed south since the swarm era. A collection of cultists, mystics, bandits, exiles, and hedge wizards the Tazmat have organized themselves into a series of secret societies, and brotherhoods that bind various subgroups together. The metallurgist's, carpenters, flame alchemist, fluid alchemist, and aether alchemist all keep their professions highly guarded not via bloodline but often through various hazing trials and exhaustive initiation rituals. Jewelry, tattoo's, and specific bright fabrics are key indicators of what society any particular Tazmat belongs to.



    Spoiler: Resource
    Show

    The Republic's most valuable export is Dragon Eyes, a type of pearl that has been alchemically treated using a ferrous impurity in order to give it a bright crimson coloration. Dragon eyes, serve as both an alchemical reagent and as popular jewelry for the highest-ranking members of society.

    One resource in high demand is Precious Metals, namely gold and silver.


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show

    Alchemy

    Influenced by the writings of the mystic Nasir of Oroseros, Alkahestry covers a series of philosophical writings that attempt to encourage investigation into the spiritual constitution, and material existence through an application of the mysteries of birth, death, and resurrection. Persuing the mysteries of nature is considered one of the highest callings in Alchemy. The discovery of knowledge is a celebration of The Maker. Followers of Alchemy believe, the ultimate reality is personified by a deity known as The Maker. The Maker is unitary and transcendent: it is one and exists apart from the material cosmos, rendering Alkahest monotheistic.

    Various acolytes devote themselves to uncovering the various mysterious of The Maker. Alchemists tend to ensconce themselves in guilds, fraternities, and sororities devoted to studying and debating specific mysteries.
    • The Mystery of Symmetry
    • The Mystery of Stars
    • The Mystery of Shape
    • The Mystery of Death



    starting tech: Mathematics



    Beautiful Avatar thanks to Gengy


    Hangs out on the World building forums

    Giantitp projects: Caligoven the toxic seas, Baalbek Empire!3, Coatl Empire!4, Short and sweet world building
    Personal stuff: World of Tieg, Nexus: City of the Multiverse, Forgotten Planet Lost Between 2 stars, World of the 9 gates
    Spoiler: The gift that keeps on giving
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    Spoiler: and giving
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    Spoiler: and giving some more
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    Spoiler: Metric tons of giving
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    Spoiler: Keep going
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    Spoiler: Suprise
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  12. - Top - End - #12
    Orc in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    The City-state of Rutovir

    Region – Agrantir (250)

    Leader: Grandmaster of Commerce Raba-yan
    Diplomacy: 3
    Military: 3
    Opulence: 5
    Intrigue: 4
    Faith: 1

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show

    Agrantir used to be fertile grassland. Heavy emphasis on used to. After the Swarm's appearance, it's been reduced in large part to wastelands. The only place that has retained its former beauty is a small part of the northern hills, referred to as the orchid meadows. What little farmland and other vegetation remain are hardly sufficient to feed a large population. As such many of the Dara-un are scavengers, scouring the land for anything of use. Fishing has also become a common profession outside Rutovir's walls, since the nearby waters at least escaped the Swarm mostly unscathed.

    Spoiler: People
    Show

    The Dara-un are small, rat-like creatures with dark brown fur. They tend to walk in a hunched manner, making them appear even shorter than they truly are, or on all fours. They breed at a frightening pace, leading to very large populations. They mature faster than a human, but also live somewhat shorter lives, even if they reach natural death. A group of Dara-un is called a mischief.

    The Dara-un fled to Kaal from the north, refugees courtesy of the Swarm. The seat of the Godchosen Empire proved a poor choice for a new homeland, however, since in the chaos of the Swarm they had fled towards rather than away from it. Furthermore, the denizens of the crumbling Empire were not at all welcoming to the Dara-un mischief as they were viewed as plague-ridden, thieving bringers of bad omens. So their journey continued until it could continue no more, having arrived at the outskirts of the city of Rutovir on the western coast.

    The people of the city didn’t welcome them, but couldn’t really drive them away either as what was left of the Empire’s military was focused on the Swarm. Sizable slums quickly formed outside the city walls. And as fate would have it, some of the burghers’ fears were soon realized. A terrible plague spread through the squalid Dara-un settlements that were packed to the brim, and within a week was inside the city walls as well. The ratmen survived the disease through sheer numbers; the city-dwellers, however, were not so lucky. Or at least that’s how the Dara-un tell it.

    With the city vacated, as many of its new masters as could fit within its walls moved in. Now the ancestors of those who moved into the city form the upper classes of Dara-un society, while those who live outside its walls comprise the lower classes. As a consequence the city is incredibly cramped, for no sensible person would want to lose their status by moving elsewhere. Rutovir had trade privileges that were never officially revoked, something that the mischief’s leaders like to use to assert their legitimacy. In the years since they’ve develop quite a keen nose to sniff out opportunities to make money, trying their best to profit off the misery caused by the Swarm. It is thus unsurprising that out of all the guilds the trade guild holds the most power, with the Master of Commerce as the city's most influential individual.

    Spoiler: Resources and Technology
    Show

    In disputes over city or trade law, it's best to bring something in black and white to the court. But if there wasn't any such document or it's contents aren't pleasing one can always be forged. This has led to the crafting of forgeries becoming close to an art form in Rutovir. Many a court case has been won by bringing in a more convincing forgery than the opposition. Of course, that's hardly the end of it in some instances. The winner of the case might end up with a knife in his back a week later, and the loser the week after that.

    The Dara-un pride themselves in being numerous but only have one city and it's ravaged hinterlands to feed the entire population. While eating the dead provides a nice supplement to the diet, food is still in high demand.

    The Dara-un may lack many fine qualities, but they are savvy when it comes to the haggling and mathematics associated with trade, both fair and unfair. They also tend to hold their end of the bargain once one is struck. Whether what was agreed on is actually fair recompense, however, is another matter.

    Spoiler: Faith
    Show

    In matters of faith, the Dara-un are highly adaptable. They tend to adopt the local religious customs for the sake of convenience, with few developing any notable piety. At the moment the most popular religion in Rutovir is that of it's previous inhabitants, which worships the god of agriculture Riviter. His temple can be found north of the greater market square.

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Zayuz's Avatar

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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands



    Manastone University (MSU)

    Spoiler: Government
    Show
    Manastone University and its provinces by extension are ruled by an elective council of magical experts who abide by the will of the Chancellor (and their elected successor) as something akin to a republic where only the head of each discipline of magic gets to vote. The university supports 13 schools of magic, and therefore there are only 13 possible voters at any given time. The summary of the magical disciplines can be seen in the spoiler below.

    The University tends to deal with most federal issues, concerning military, foreign policy, laws, and justice. As an institution for learning, however, it also has a set of rules and regulations for conduct within as a student or professor that tends to be very strict and demanding. Those who complete their education are required to take roles in government for a number of years before they are free to do their own thing, but most tend to stay for the many resources, funding, acceptance of most magical arts, and variety of roles that the educational/governmental blend assures them.

    When for whatever reason the head of a magical school cannot continue to work in their position, one of the university’s professors as chosen by the Chancellor will assume their position provided that no more than ⅔ of the other schools’ heads oppose the selection. In such an unlikely scenario, a vote is held and the results of that election result in the new head of that discipline.


    Spoiler: The Magical Disciplines
    Show
    Necromancy (A heavily restricted art concerned with the study of undead creatures, souls, ghosts, and the art of manipulating them.)
    Life (The practice of healing living creatures)
    Illusion (Arts that create false experiences)
    Transmutation (Changing substances from one to another)
    Alteration (Changing elements of living creatures)
    Enchantment (The practice of giving objects magical properties)
    Domination (The heavily restricted art of influencing the minds of others)
    Evocation (Arts of war for the magical, the ability to cause damage with magic)
    Abjuration (The art of keeping things safe with magic)
    Druidism (The art of creating and maintaining nature)
    Summoning (The heavily restricted art of calling creatures and objects alike from other realms)
    Divination (The art of viewing the unseen and predicting the future)
    Enlightenment (The experimental art of granting non-sentient things intelligence)
    Philosophy (Less to do with spellcasting and more to do with understanding magical theory, the world, and the surrounding realms - most mages are trained in but not experts at Philosophy. It is the only school in the academy that permits those who show no aptitude for magic to join, and experts in the field can find themselves working among any of the other schools at various times or purely on their own for developing new applications and theories using magical resources.)




    Namaichi - Region 113

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    Frigid with densely populated cities and a mostly desolate forest surrounding it, Namaichi is far from what most people would call an ideal place to live. Various winter animals prowl the area, not so dissimilar to the fauna of Ural in real life (elk, brown bear, fox, wolf, wolverine, lynx, squirrel, and sable). The thick ‘Foshou Woods’ are mostly safe, but over the last century without supervision have begun to feature various monsters and brigands that make things difficult for the average citizen of the area’s only city - Hitaki.

    Few urban centers in all the north compare to the grand City of Hitaki, which boasts a current population of over a million people and bustling capital industries that made it legendary before the swarm. The city landscape is hilly but soft, most of the earth hardened by the frost in the winter and leaving enough fertile territory in the summers to grow crops (wheat, peas, cabbage, turnips, carrots, onions, and garlic) before the winter returns. As a city on the coast of ‘Jinchi Bay’ there is a large presence of fishermen as well that keep producing all year round.

    The architecture and craftsmanship of the people in Namaichi is similar to those of traditional China, which is to say they’re made of wood, have a horizontal focus, multiple slanted (tile) roofs, and screen walls indoors. Much of Hitaki lies in ruin, and there are constant efforts to restore the city to what it once was at the height of their kingdom’s power.


    Spoiler: History
    Show
    Once part of the warlike Kingdom of Kai Shi, Manastone University’s city of Hitaki and the surrounding territories were loyal subjects to their king and devout adherents to their faith. Said to have been the ‘Jewel of the North,’ it was the capital of the kingdom and a place of prosperity. During this time the University had only as much power as a typical center of learning under their government, albeit with more privileges for their expertise in magical elements to integral for government operation as a kingdom in their day.

    When the swarm appeared a century ago, the young king of the time rallied his entire army to cross the seas and come to the defense of Kaal’s people. Not a single man returned, and in fact their fate has been considered completely unknown with the very likely assumption that they were overrun and slaughtered, with too few left with the right abilities to navigate the return voyage. Weeks of no communication made the people uneasy, and when the swarm appeared on their shoes they were taken completely off guard. Not only did the kingdom have no ruler to stand for it, but the entire military had vanished and there was no time to prepare or run.

    The most capable hands left in the city were those of Manastone University’s most capable wizards, who took their entire store of manastone and slung spell after spell into the unceasing horde as the city was gradually lost and countless were run down on the streets. Their finest wizards of war had left with their king to go overseas, and they were left with only tricks, apprentices, and non-combat mages who did what they could. The head abjurer at the time known as Professor Akan Isaya had her staff set up an experimental project in the center of the university, one that required all the manastone they had left and the focus of their most senior wizards: a force field projection that covered as much of the city as they could manage. The device worked, splitting the horde in two and preventing those within from receiving reinforcement, but abandoning the rest of the city and then the rest of the kingdom to extinction. Neither was it free - all the wizards who partook in the channeling were ultimately killed by the device, and the entire reserve of manastone was spent. In the days after the horde had passed the city and the university was the only piece left untouched, grieving immigrants and survivors from other lands flocked to it… And in their rage at how these mages had avoided the fate that all others had through their unfair acquisition of abilities, blamed them for not being able to help their own and burned the university to the ground. Priceless knowledge in untold quantities was lost, and there were no living experts to rewrite their scrolls.

    But of course, reconstruction did begin, and the University’s only remaining head of staff (that of Philosophy, known as Chancellor Dai Ye the Unbroken) took over efforts to restore the institution. He was renowned for his ability to lead the lost people, and provide hope in their new, awful age. The Kingdom of Kai Shi was no more - only Manastone University remained.


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    Namaichi is home to the Namari, a race of people with draconic traits and the bearers of an age-old curse. Namari have light skin tones and black or white horns that protrude from the skull, often curved and always growing with the individual as they age. They also carry tails coated in hard scales and in rare cases draconic wings that grow up to three arms length in span but are only ever conducive to gliding at best. For the majority of their body aside from this, hair, and other physical features they are identical to humans.

    Namari are afflicted with a curse from long ago that made them from what was said to be an immortal race of humans blessed by the twelve to mortal Namari who exist now without any of their blessings. The curse came from a powerful ice dragon, whose final words are inscribed in MSU’s largest courtyard statue: “You will be cursed to tread upon the world knowing the depths of our pain, so long as we are slighted, so too shall you be.” The race lost some angelic features and instead inherited the draconic ones, they became immune to the rigors of the cold (but still unable to survive in the tundra for lack of food) and the gods could speak to them no longer. Females developed an intense craving for mana and males could no longer shape magic at all. Both of them, however, could extract mana from the world around them and consume it in a practice that was declared evil in the first few years of its existence. An example of this would be killing a flower and being able to cast a more potent spell while the energy was stored inside of one’s self, at least for the female half of the population. Males can reduce magical effects more efficiently, being able to absorb the effects of a spell gone wrong or return a summoned elemental to its plane if needed. Effectively, the curse stripped them of their connections to their deities that had trapped the dragon to begin with and shaped them in their enemy’s image instead.

    Though Namaichi once had many races to call it home, there remain only Humans, Namari, and a minority of dwarves. Humans appear similar to the Namari without the draconic features, and the dwarves of the region have ginger hair and are responsible for the mining of the region’s critical resource of manastone.

    Culture in the region has much to do with hard work and doing as much as you can without complaining. Laziness is seen as a sin while innovation and persistence is seen as a great virtue. Most would value safety and some good entertainment more than anything among the citizens, but the mages of MSU tend to value the pursuit of knowledge before most everything else.

    Clothing styles tend towards robes and stylish black and white outfits that keep one warm amidst the winter, but as the Namari came into power they tended to lighter outfits for their ability to ignore the cold. Flexing their curse in public, now thought of more as a blessing in the modern day, keeps them distinct as part of a reserved upper class that flexes their magical might more to show off and as part of government than to hold down those who cannot wield it with as much capability.


    Spoiler: Resource (Manastone)
    Show
    Manastone is the primary resource harvested in Namaichi, and a very important one for the wizards of the university so named in its honour. It is (technically) a metal mined throughout the region, which takes on complex and strange shapes using only right angles, and has a scintillating rainbow color scheme to it. It is used to store mana, the raw arcane power with which wizards (by MSU’s definition) operate through a process called ‘charging’ that requires a wizard pour their mana pool into it. All wizards have a natural affinity to shape, give, and take mana, most of which is usually manipulated from within themselves. For more powerful spells or for cases in which many spells are to be cast without rest, charged manastone can serve as a powerful supplement. Equipment made from manastone breaks with almost no effort and is therefore useless for tools, weapons, and armor. If one could potentially synthesize it with another metal they would theoretically become filthy rich off of the potential applications for it, but many of the realm’s brightest wizards have all tried and failed to do just that for generations.

    Spoiler: Image of Manastone
    Show


    Textiles are required, as the region lacks any native way to harvest them and most all the clothes in the area are made of them. While wool and other such materials are possible, they are not well liked. Silk and cotton are the favourites, but the people take what they can get.


    Spoiler: Faith (Twelve Archons)
    Show

    The gods of old may have been cut off from the Namaichi, but the rest of the region’s races could still pray to them and receive their blessings. The church of the twelve is still an active and popular faith, though the Namaichi have become less and less inclined towards any sort of religion since their curse was first set upon them.

    What started long ago as an effort to donate mana to the cursed Namaichi who craved it has become commonplace, with mandatory mana taxation occurring that allows the mages to continue their craft with resources both to survive and then more to experiment with. The devotion with which this is offered is somewhat cult-like, but no Namaichi has dared to claim a dragon - the enemy of the twelve - as a divine being. There is a pressure to hate the dragon for cursing them this way, but then they look to the power it has granted them in the time since and few among the government can really say that they lament it for what it had done.
    "What is to give light must endure burning."

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    On the Internet

    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Ashen League
    King Borislav ‘the Ashen’

    OOC note: the Ashen League title will be adopted once I acquire additional regions

    The Scorchland
    Region 259
    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    Spoiler: Visuals
    Show


    The landscape of the Scorchland is relatively new, supplanting a forgotten prior order around the same time as the emergence of the Swarm. To be frank, its existence is unenviable; rendered completely arid with long-dead foliage and thoroughly blanketed in ash. The terrain is relatively unremarkable save for occasional hills, most commonly found in the southwest. The aforementioned monotony is broken up by a prominent plateau in the geographic center of the Scorchlands, upon which the last remaining architectural evidence of the civilization prior to the inferno can be found. The city’s name has been lost to history, but its columns and arches of basalt* are a distinct symbol of prior glory, now scorched and coated in soot.

    *I picked a random stone that I like the sound of, if anyone more versed in geology objects to Basalt being out here then please let me know and offer some alternatives, thanks

    Spoiler: History and People
    Show
    The people who once occupied the Scorchland kept no lengthy written records of their region’s past, which proved to be prudent in hindsight as any paper would be reduced to ash alongside the rest of the region. What little remains in the collective memory of the region’s denizens is as follows: when the swarm arose and Kaal was set to receive the worst of the damage, King Dimitrov concocted a scheme to defeat the encroaching Swarm. Using some now-defunct relic of the Godchosen, he unleashed a maelstrom of hellfire upon his region. Such a burst of unyielding flame served its purpose and drove the Swarm away from the region, however (quite predictably) the inferno still eradicated his realm and immolated its people. Any outsider could justifiably claim that Dimitrov was a madman who, in his attempt to save his people, doomed his region to an eternity as a desecrated hellscape while personally ensuring the deaths of every single subject he claimed to defend, but later events would throw this analysis into question.

    As the Call sounded and the Swarm receded, the newborn Scorchlands slowly ceased to burn and settled into its current ashen state. By some quirk of Dimitrov’s relic, the ash left behind became a bulwark by which the souls of the immolated remained trapped within the material world (instead of dying, as one would think they should). Whether or not this was intentional on the part of Dimitrov is unknown, as his soul seems to have gone missing in the calamity, but regardless of intent the fusion of ash and soul allowed the region to ‘live’ again.

    Spoiler: Visual Reference
    Show

    Credit to AbelardTullus on DeviantArt


    Such a traumatic experience naturally left the victims’ souls in disarray, but over the past few decades some individuals have managed to collect their essence enough to ‘live again’ as an ashen approximation of their former selves. The specific original species of the Scorchlanders is a meaningless piece of trivia lost to the passage of time, but they were almost certainly some kind of basic humanoids. The Scorchlanders, for all their lost memories, also seem to retain this basic standard of a self-image, and so those with the will to rise from the sea of ash do so in a bipedal humanoid form. Asides from the basic shape, not much else of their humanity remains, coalesced ash taking the place of flesh and blood while a fiery heat courses through the form as a manifestation of the soul’s remaining willpower. Unnatural embers lurk where the being’s eyes and heart are located, seemingly the source of their continued existence.

    These ‘Ashen,’ as neighboring peoples have taken to describing them, are highly intimidating combatants if one is unaware of what they’re doing. As animated clumps of ash that take human form, they are not hampered by most injuries that would slay a normal warrior, but their soul’s attachment to their body has a fatal flaw: decapitation. By fully severing the head (with its eye embers) from the body (with the heart ember), the cohesion of the construct will fail and the soul will be banished back to the fields of the Scorchlands with a significantly hampered ability to re-form. This may initially seem like a tough task, but any blade with sufficient length can cut through the Ashen’s neck like parchment. Similarly, any blunt blow with enough weight behind it can knock the head clean off its shoulders. Once the relevant adjustments are made, the constructs can be taken on in combat as easily as any other foe.

    In spite of what the prior summary on how to kill them might suggest, there hasn’t been much of a need to face the Ashen in combat by anyone outside their home region. The existential ramifications of undeath have hampered the population’s capacity to reorganize a capable social order until recently; while individual consciousnesses and names were preserved, memories were incredibly damaged or simply missing entirely. This has caused the Ashen to lack any cohesive identification with their prior selves, but nearly all of them remember King Dimitrov in some form. In a last-ditch effort to attain some continuity, the Ashen have placed their support behind his resurrected heir, a particularly brittle construct belonging to the soul of Prince (now King) Borislav. This support is apathetic at best and malicious at worst, thrusting the heir of the man responsible for their unliving hell into a position of responsibility to undo their misfortune. In life, Borislav was a hotheaded youth prone to anger issues, so brash action can be expected in the years to come.

    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    As is natural for any people in the century following the sounding of the Call, the Ashen pay it its proper reverence as some form of divine influence upon the material world, but beyond this they have little faith in anything anymore. Some have taken to regarding their ‘curse’ as a blessing and worshipping the cleansing flame that King Dimitrov delivered to them, but this movement has little support. Any potential religious observance would be held in the ruins of Dimitrov’s capital in the center of the region, uncreatively dubbed the “Unnamed City" when addressed as a proper noun.

    Spoiler: Resource
    Show
    Any agricultural integrity that the Scorchlands may have once possessed has long faded, as the land was left desolate and ash-ridden without any benefits afforded by ordinary volcanism. However, amidst the ash is a fantastic supply of viable charcoal, which could feasibly be collected in large amounts if anyone desired as much.

    While the Ashen don’t need much for sustenance, their existence is a rather dismal one. One of the few unhampered senses is that of taste, so while food can’t exactly be digested it has become highly desired for the sake of its myriad flavors.

    Spoiler: Starting Technology and Stat Math
    Show
    Many among the Ashen were once great scholars, and amidst their fractured memories they have managed to recodify and pass on mathematical processes; while it may be of no use to the Ashen as a whole, some select individuals believe that it may be the key to reorganizing a proper society.

    Mathematics: +1 Buyouts

    Original stat rolls (3, 3, 2, 2, 1)

    Dip: 2+1
    Mil: 3+1
    Opu: 3
    Fai: 1
    Int: 2
    Last edited by moossabi; 2021-02-14 at 09:13 PM.

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Imp

    Join Date
    Sep 2020

    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Spoiler: Antzua R256
    Show
    Spoiler: Terrain
    Show

    Antzua is dominated by mountains in the east and south. A few fir trees have manged to take root on the gentler slopes, creating groves of younger trees with a few old survivors reaching towards the sky. The slopes gradually give way to a barren steppe cut through by massive stone aqueducts from the mountains. The harsh lowland terrain has been kept at bay in the northwest by a few maintained farmlands and a small village.

    The mature inhabitants of the region otherwise prefer to live in the treetops, inaccessible from the ground. At first centred around the groves some of the small wooden houses have sprawled out into entire towns, with a minority of the living quarters still above ground most of the newer houses are built in stone. The largest town web is known as Herriak des Egurra and is built around a tall stone structure known as Eliza.

    Spoiler: People
    Show

    Tximeleta are large sentient butterflies. Adults have 1/2 -1 foot long bodies (excluding antenna) with corresponding wingspans between 2 - 3.5 feet wide, depending on their type. Besides size their timbals set them apart from their smaller counterparts, allowing them to imitate human speech patterns, with some difficulty. Normally they communicate in low harmonic pitches, sometimes below human hearing range. The adults, with some variations based on type, live for about 20 years and are not visibly dimorphic in the normal colour range.

    Mainly moving by flying the Tximeleta prefer to stay close to the ground and frequently rests between shorter, fluttery flights. On sunny days they can be seen sitting still for hours, basking in the warm light. Unable to fly properly in stronger winds bad weather is the main bane of productivity in Antzua, also dampening the general mood if it is prolonged.

    The silk pupa varies in length from just below one foot to slightly above two feet. The cocoon is preferably spun from a sturdy branch in a quiet grove. The more common solution is to let them hang from the ceiling beams. During this year the pupa should be left alone and in the best case kept warm, otherwise it might take longer to transform.

    The larvae grow rapidly from a tenth of an inch to 0.5-1.5 feet over a few years. During this time the only thing that matters for them is sustenance, unable to forge enough for themselves without perfect conditions they die after a couple of weeks if left unattended. After the initial growth spurt they slowly become approximately half a foot longer before reaching maturity, which takes 40-60 years. The larvae have two strong short appendages just below their head and can, for their size, grip things with immense strength. In addition they have an uncanny ability to balance with their tiny hindlegs, allowing them to stand upright and simultaneously bend their body in all kinds of directions. Trying to communicate with them is hard for a fully grown Tximeleta and near impossible for anyone else, that their singular focus on food only doesn’t really go away until the pupal stage complicates things further.

    The eggs are smaller than a tenth of an inch and uncountable numbers are laid each year. An egg can lay dormant for decades, even a century, in wait for the right conditions to hatch. A few of the old eggs survived the swarm but the vast majority was destroyed by the swarm. During this time it is completely unaware of its surroundings. Once hatched the larvae are very vulnerable and only a few of them survive the first weeks.

    Spoiler: Society
    Show

    Mature Tximeleta rules the lands. This is not an act of superiority over the larvae but one of necessity. While outright calling the larvae stupid would be frowned upon they are, admittedly, very singelminded. Yet they form the actual workforce in the society, unable to perform any heavy labour the Tximeleta needs to delegate all such tasks to the larvae.

    Thus providing enough food for them is essential and large larvae hunting parties led by male Tximeleta has formed over the years, scouring the steppe for any edible prey, the plants no longer sufficient to sustain their population. The larger larvae are also used as construction workers and farmers, under supervision. Meanwhile the larvae in the end of their growth spurt are used against more dire threats. Reaching the peak of their hunger induced frenzy they tear into anything smelling of death. Directing and reeling in such groups is a task for only the most experienced larvae communicators, Nagusia de heriotza.

    Meanwhile the Tximeleta women oversee the towns, prepare cadavers and introduce any newly transformed larvae to the hierarchy. Every town have its representative (or group thereof), usually women, which meet in Eliza to discuss matters concerning more than one town. The Enperatriz lead the debates, while she owns no definitive power herself her political influence is unmatched. Maneuvering from town representative into Enperatriz is generally seen as a great feat and requires the support of every councilmember.

    Separate from the Enperatriz exists the silent choir, a group of women dedicated to the Fedea the only communicate with a low pitch humming, aiming to understand the Godchosen choir through meditation and practice alike. Left to their own machinations they expect uninterrupted passage for any of their divine calls but do not hesitate to slow down, in order to help those in need.

    Spoiler: History
    Show

    The Tximeleta are not native to Antzua but descended from the mountains generations ago, fleeing from the swarm, their rumoured homeland had flowers larger than any man and with pure bliss as nectar. But it was not to last, ravaged beyond recognition by the swarm they fled elsewhere. Facing starvation as no other flowers were large enough to sate them, they turned to another liquid nutrient for their food, cadavers. The larvae could eat the flesh raw but the mature Tximeleta had to wait for it to moisten before they could suck up the nutrients. Sickened by this act many chose to abstain.

    Having been on the run for months the encounter with Latona Gun high in the mountains came as a blessing. Lacking a woman with conviction themselves they latched on to every word leaving Latona’s mouth. Parting with the woman, as she left to lead her own people towards glory the Tximeleta burned with a newfound conviction. In the pursuit of reclaiming a more stable existence they claimed the western lowlands for themselves, establishing a new kind of society, as a new generation fed on flesh instead of nectar grew up they began to take a liking to the cadaver taste.

    Spoiler: Resources
    Show

    Only reaping tangible benefits of their own from the pupa’s material, as they require minimal clothing and the grown larvae are quite uncaring about weather a great resource of silk has accumulated in Antzua from the continuous transformations.

    The barren steppe no longer provides enough prey, as the animals have moved to different pastures or simply been hunted to local extinction. As such Tximeleta is in dire need of a new, more reliable source of non-sentient meat.

    Spoiler: Faith
    Show

    Cursive- Added by Tximeleta

    The Orden Santua de Fedea de Latona Gun, often abbreviated as the Fedea de Latona Gun or simply the Fedea, is the sole faith of the Tximeleta. Latona Gun, the Prophet, was a human woman who lived at the time of the Call; her husband and children had been slain by the Swarm, and she had been separated from her neighbors as she fled into the mountains. She climbed for three days until she reached the summit, falling to her knees in despair, but even as she fell, the Call first rang out. She knelt, entranced, as the Chorus spoke to her, giving her the message that still fuels the Fedea: The Old Godchosen are gone. You and your sons and daughters shall be the new Chosen. Hold to our tenets, and your destiny will find you in time.

    From a fated encounter in the mountains, her message spread like wildfire, and as the Swarm receded, Tximeleta reclaimed a new form of society. Though she had no living children, on her deathbed, she blessed all those who followed the Fedea as her sons and daughters, to share in the glorious destiny the Chorus had promised.

    The Fedea is modeled on three tenets: Compassion, Community, and Cremation.

    The tenet of Compassion states that one must help those in need and accept help when one needs it. Charity serves everyone, but arrogance serves no one. What good is a Prince who lives in splendor with great wealth if his subjects go hungry?

    The tenet of Community states that one may choose a fitting profession for their life, but every needed role must be filled, and each job must be performed to the best of one's ability. The strict gender roles of the Jenauak are considered more or less adjacent to the tenet - enforced by it but not strictly necessary for proper practice among other peoples.

    The tenet of Cremation states that through fire, one's body and soul are freed from each other. The body is destroyed, preserving it from the Swarm, while the eternal soul can escape to the sky rather than being trapped in a tomb. In the sky, the Chorus determines whether one was a faithful practitioner of the Fedea, and rewards or punishes them accordingly; thus, those not cremated after death are believed to be trapped in the world forever, while devout followers are rewarded and immoral followers rebuked.

    Letting sentient beings rot for feeding purposes is an act of blasphemy. Only soul-less animals may be used for such acts.

    The Orden Santua sees other, foreign faiths as misguided at best and generally deceitful and immoral. Every shadowy cult is a potential sign of the Swarm, and the Aukeratutako must be protected from it.

    The temple at Mendia de Voix, the highest mountain in Harana de Profeta, is the headquarters of the Orden Santua and the holiest site of the Fedea. The ashes of the Prophet Latona Gun are kept there, as are many scrolls of the bureaucracy of the Orden Santua. The lower-ranking “deaf writers” work with parchment and pen or with ink and printing press within its walls, while higher-ranking “open ears” meditate on the mountain peak to commune with the Chorus and gain divine guidance.
    Last edited by Torv; 2021-02-08 at 09:37 AM.

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Gengy's Avatar

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    Aug 2005
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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Regions of the Dvergar of Fikta
    ---------------------------------------


    Fikta
    The Reborn Lands

    (FIK - Region 63)


    Ruler: The Metal Firebird, Eldhraddin, Speed of Flame

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    Fikta is a land of ruins. A once great civilization lived here, and what is left of it is a functioning husk of memories. There are sprawling, vast - but empty – towns that dot the land, just waiting for their owners to return. Yet they never will. The Swarm wiped out any whom knew the actual purpose for these towns and broke down almost anything that seemed to once work.

    From the southwest to the center, and then to the north, great big steel structures are now filled with holes. Stone pillars still float in the air in some places, but no one knows for what reason, nor how to get to them; if indeed, there even is something inside. After a century of loneliness, the great metallic structures have given way to the laws of nature. It is not uncommon to find what appears to be a grassy gnoll, only to discover that underneath the moss and plant growth is in fact part of a building.

    The wilderness to the east and south are filled with forests that seem to have overtaken any civilization that might have once called the place home. The animals in the area stay away from the floating pillars, but otherwise are themselves strange to behold. Wild animals seem to have machine parts, even from birth. Goats are common in the region, but often have horns made of metal rather than bone. Bird wings – from the large hawks to the tiny robins - often shimmer in the morning dawn, like their feathers are part of some machine, reacting to the new day’s sun. Bears, already deadly beasts, are often spotted with cybernetic limbs. Only the fish seem unaffected.

    The mountains to the west are large and show signs of actual life. The nearby rivers run west to east, and end in small lakes, filled with fish. Large bonfires are carefully maintained at the edges of great chasms, which crack the ground along what the new natives call the Undir, creating a network of caves that lead into the mountains themselves.


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    The Dvergar are dwarves. Those of Fikta are refugees from the west, hailing from another land beyond the mountains. The Undir collapsed behind them, and so far, the Dvergar have been unable to return. To try to scale the mountains would mean facing the great Eldhraddin – the Metal Firebird, Speed of Flame – and none within Fikta would oppose their benefactor.

    A large group of Dvergar split to come from the failed tunnel, and traveled until they found the ruins of Fikta, as well as a new network of Undir to live within. Now calling themselves the Fiktans, they research the ancient civilization and it’s ways; so far, their greatest achievement – and secret – is how they are able to meld parts of the machines they find into their own bodies.

    Fikta Dvergar are five to five and a half feet tall, with beards, broad shoulders, and a love for finding magitech that they can incorporate into their bodies. Males tend to have large unkept beards, with even bushier mustaches, while female Dvergar tend to grow smaller facial hair, that they braid carefully. The views of the people closely align with their faith in Eldhraddin, who is often seen soaring along the mountain range; a great streak of fire that wards off beasts and occasionally shakes the air and mountain, revealing a previously unexplored cave in the mountain side.

    These caves become new homes for the Dvergar, who usually stick close to the Undirgaurd; the sprawling city that they have built from the network of tunnels within Fikta. When they do venture out, it is to scavenge from the ruined towns. To find more parts that they can use to bequeath to themselves or their loved ones, always seeking improvement, either personally or in their communities.

    Some of the Fiktans dream of one day rebirthing the steel towns into their own cities, but first they must understand them. Other Fiktans want to return to the west, on the other side of the mountains, where the oldest of the Dvergar whisper is the Godsrealm.

    Governance of the region is given over to the Elder and their Biskop. Each Biskop runs a section of the Undirgaurd, but answers to the Elder for all matters. At the same time, all fifty Biskop coming together can call for a Quorum to replace the current Elder, or vote for a new one, should the current pass. There are constant games of politics that allow the Undirgaurd to function, but even becoming a Biskop is difficult. One must first become a Domari – a judge – and serve well for three years. And then one must receive a nomination from three other Domari, before being voted upon by eleven Biskop. Acceptance means replacing a missing Biskop. Denial means waiting another ten years before being eligible to become a Biskop again.


    Spoiler: Resource
    Show
    Fikta Salvage (Great)
    Scrap that can be melted down into various metals and used to create a variety of weaponry or useful – but crude – tools. There is a seemingly endless amount, and the Fiktans are eager to share it. Occasionally, they get lucky and locate something that is vaguely magical, but there is never enough…

    Required: [Magical Items]
    Fiktans need to satisfy their curiosity, and when they have, they constantly demand more things to study and learn from. Magical items in particular catch their fancy, and the Fiktans will go to great lengths to acquire more of it.


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    Eldhri is the practice of following the great Metal Firebird, Eldhraddin, the Speed of Flame. Eldhri is both the name of the faith, and the name of the faithful. Within Fikta, this means being led by the Elder and his Biskop. Eldhri preach the following:

    The speed of flame burns fast and strong.
    Life is too short, so live well. Indulge if you must, but all are judged by Eldhraddin eventually. We are better together, than apart. Only by working together will we return from the ashes.

    Born of earth, seek the fire.
    Be curious, people of the earth! Be ambitious, people of stone! Have passion in all that you do, for you can burn brighter for it. Never stop learning of something new!

    Death belongs to Eldhraddin.
    Weigh the cost of life heavily, for Eldhraddin chooses whom will receive rebirth. If you have been wronged, seek the justice of a Domari, not the justice of your own hands.

    The heart is reborn in heat and forged anew!
    Fear not failure, so long as you strive ever onwards! Failure only occurs when you give up, and try no more!


    Spoiler: Starting Technologies
    Show
    Fiktans have developed ways to continue Printing great historical works in their Eldhric Prose.
    Last edited by Gengy; 2021-05-18 at 08:46 AM.
    Spoiler
    Show
    BladeofObliviom said:
    I've only seen a character at anything resembling this level of absurdity thrive exactly once, and he/she/what-the-jongo had the advantage of being written by Gengy, who I look up to as a writer.

    "What-the-Jongo?"
    Before you insult someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
    That way, you'll be a mile away, and have their shoes!

    Got me a Real Job™ (yay!). Still busy (boo!).
    ~avatar by myself

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Miltonian's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    Brinstar Depths
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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    CENTER]The Damned Fleet

    Region 49: Port Blackwater

    Spoiler: The Flag of the Damned Fleet
    Show






    Admiral Archer
    Spoiler: ...and his parrot too!
    Show
    [/CENTER]
    Diplomacy: 2
    Military: 4
    Opulence: 1
    Faith: 1
    Intrigue: 3



    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    The Damned Fleet roams the waves,
    Sending sailors to their graves.
    But their harbor be what ye seek,
    Look for an isle with a twin peak.


    The Damned Fleet needs someplace to drop anchor, even if only for repairs and refits. Their undeath does not extend to their ships. And so, if you are brave enough, you can find their central ‘hub’ in Port Blackwater on Twin Peaks’ Isle. These twin peaks are actually the remnants of a volcano which once erupted and sheered off the original peak entirely. The port itself lies on the western end of the island, shielded from most of the winds which whip around the small spit of land at breakneck speed.


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    Ah-ah, the blood runs cold.
    We take our loot but don't get old.


    The Damned Fleet is the collective name for a group of pirates who have, over time, gathered together under the command of Admiral Archer. Originally, they plied their brutal trade all across the sea-lands of the Empire. But, when the Swarm came, the ships upon which they depended stopped coming. Unable to seek shelter inland, they resorted to other methods of preserving their lives, as they had no skill in farming or hunting. And eventually, their lives ran out. The unnatural magic they had used, however, brought them back.
    Now, with the Swarm in retreat, they set sail once more, looking for plunder and new crews to press into their service…


    Spoiler: Resource
    Show
    Haul, haul, haul away me hearties!
    No time for drinking parties.
    Saw, saw away to beat old Winter
    Work till bones and spirits splinter.


    Port Blackwater is situated on a largely untouched and very fertile volcanic island. As such, it has access to a wide selection of very large, very old trees of several varieties, good for all sorts of woodwork. Thus, it has a Great Resource of Lumber.

    …However, the island itself has a limited population, all of which are various breeds of undead. As such, it needs some variety of slaves or the like to be able to keep its ships fully crewed.


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    Arch! The demon of the sea!
    Run, ye sailors, run!
    With a beard of flame and a heart of ice!
    Arch, the devil’s son!


    Due to the foul rituals and fouler creatures that the Damned Fleet consorted with to extend their lives when resources dwindled, they follow the Code of Blood, Bone, and Spirit. These dark texts reveal the secrets of necromancy and purport to give power over both Life and Death, though the means employed are blasphemous and profane. Though in truth, nothing is nearer to their rotten hearts than the glitter of gold.


    Spoiler: Starting Technologies
    Show
    Sailing, of course.

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rolepgeek's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Maine
    Gender
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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    The Three Courts

    Region 253: Jiidaanhinetjch
    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    Jiidaanhinetjch has a very rocky coastline, with shallow waters extending a long way from shore and numerous reefs, both living and dead. Most of the wildlife is in the water, and this is also where a large portion of the region's dyes are harvested. On land, the terrain is similarly rocky close to the shore, and dry and sparsely vegetated farther inland - most plantlife is a result of active cultivation to stabilize the landscape and farm. There are few large animals - mostly birds and insects, though some claim that herds of wild beasts have begun to migrate into the area. What few are known to exist are often carefully managed, herded and culled through selective hunting practices to attempt to bolster their numbers - the skins, meat, bones, and horns are all extremely valuable both for practical purposes and prestige.

    There’s one primary, large urban center (Jaajihau’naude’sesthauw, more often just Jaaji’nau), home of the Court of Noon, and two smaller urban centers (Siiyaha’naugei’i, often simply called Siiyaha, and Sau’o’baahiit, sometimes called just Sau’baa) that serve as capitals for the Court of Dusk and the Court of Dawn, respectively.


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    For the elves of Jiidaanhinetjch, who call themselves the Hiinanikhebio’, masks are a centralizing feature of their culture - they are almost never seen without them. These masks are almost always very colorful and personalized, and most will have several masks for different occasions - it is for this reason that they are commonly called Maskfolk by outsiders.

    A masterful command of language and skilled speech are both highly valued culturally, and the Maskfolk display very expressive body language. Theater, poetry, and music are all highly valued artistic expressions, and much of their cultural history is told through these means - especially theater. Weaving and painting are both considered highly valuable professions as well for more everyday artistic purposes.

    The few times they can be seen without masks are often sacred ceremonies, which outsiders are rarely privy to - for the maskfolk do not have faces any could recognize - in their place is a swirling, blurry static. This is used to ensure anonymity for many purposes - in mediation, the judge will often wear a mask and heavy, concealing robes associated with the office that anyone could be behind - in some areas, they communicate through writing to an intermediary who will read out questions that are not provided ahead of time to make absolutely certain of the security of their identity.

    The Maskfolk in full are truly several groups of people, with numerous languages spoken among them, but many still consider themselves to be one people by the unifying trait of the Great Curse. Their diet is mostly made up of fish, shellfish, peppers, fruits, rice, flatbreads, and nuts, with spices playing a heavy role in cuisine and preservation methods.
    The influence of gender on one’s duties and expectations are very strong, but leadership roles are filled by both men and women - often spouses, even, split between leadership in peacetime and wartime. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for Maskfolk to adopt a different gender, and they commonly accept three different genders - man, woman, and haute’einiis. It is simply expected that one performs the duties of that gender properly with both diligence and care.

    The Three courts are a confederated group of three peoples, each with their own government, laws, territories, and armies. In times of great need, the foremost members of the Courts (whatever that may mean in each individual Court) will convene to find one to wear the mask of Titan - they who bear the terrible power and crushing responsibility of directing the Triplet Court upon whatever singular task demands their full attention.
    The Court of Noon, which presides over the Beneheinen and whose people populate many of the rocky islands of the region, is governed by a council of Naajaabaa - two sent from each of the island towns, and several more from each of the districts in Jaaji’nau.

    The Courts of Dawn and Dusk, whose people are the Haukhebiin and Bei’hiinun, respectively, are instead ruled by monarchs known as the Khanou’ubeihtii - these monarchs are purported to be immortal, and while this is not literally true, the title is more closely linked to the masks worn by said rulers, rather than the one who wears them. When the bearer of a Khanou’ubeiht mask dies, their successor is chosen by a convening of all the great Haukhuwuuna of the Court, who serve as arbiters for their villages - this successor is ceremonially sacrificed, after a fashion, to become the new bearer of the will of the monarch - the Khanou’-Jeith’wauo, and assume their identity - this process is essentially an open secret, preserving the cultural fiction of an immortal and unfaltering ruler - it is nonetheless true that this loss of identity has produced surprisingly fair governorship since the Midnight Accords. Periods of time with a given bearer of the Khanou’ are commonly called ‘moods’ in stories and histories, or the current ‘face’ of the monarch in contemporary use.


    Spoiler: Resource
    Show
    The locals produce Dyes from flowers, crushed seashells, corals, scales, and more, in a huge variety of colors. However, the region is depleted of many of its natural forests, devoured by the Swarm, and while much of the local agriculture makes heavy use of trees, they are needed to shelter crops and bear fruit, and grow the bark and leaves often used in clothing, and serve poorly as Wood for constructing the ships so many of the local inhabitants rely on for sustenance.

    Starting Technology: Sailing


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    The Hiinanikhebio’ are a very superstitious people, with a wide variety of folk beliefs. The only thing that could be called a unifying belief is the idea that they are generationally cursed - the origin of this supposed curse and what, if anything, might one day lift it, varies heavily from region to region. Beyond that, the opinions on matters of the divine and the magical vary widely, and the closest thing to a religion they could be said to have is really more just Ignorant Superstition.

    The most sacred site in the area would be a ring of large standing stones, set at curiously irregular increments atop a broad flat plateau not far from several large cliffs - the origin of the structure is believed to be lost to time and the depredations of the Swarm, but the name remains - Dejanousiis.
    Sincerely,
    Role P. Geek

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    BardGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Behind you
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Aukeratutako Berria
    We are the New Godchosen.



    ***

    Region 208
    Harana de Profeta, the Valley of the Prophet

    Spoiler: Terrain
    Show
    In the ancient times before the Fall, Harana de Profeta was known as Harana Aberatsa, the Valley of Riches. Its orchards were laden with fruit, its fields lush with grain, and its mines rich in ores. The Swarm ended its prosperity, and the land has still not recovered; it is fertile only in certain places, with much of its area being low grasses and little more.

    In the decades since the Call, the Jenauak people have reclaimed the valley, planting hardy millet and sweet sorghum, grazing sheep, finding sites where cotton still grows, and cultivating small apple orchards in the foothills. Nevertheless, the true beauty of the valley now is in the high snow-capped mountains which surround it and in the many rivers which run through it, as well as in the tall and elegant architecture of the towns of the Jenauak.


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    The Jenauak are the people of the mountains and the valley, survivors of the Swarm. They are humans of great height, averaging just below six feet tall among both men and women, and of medium complexion, with brown or black hair and a wide range of eye colors. Men and women both wear warm cloth robes dyed with blues, reds, or yellows and decorated with geometric patterns on the sleeves and trim. Laborers and soldiers wear tall and sturdy boots, while the Princes and priests (Apaizak) wear softer pointed shoes. Most men grow mustaches, and some grow short beards.

    Adulthood is reached at 17 for both sexes and is confirmed in a secretive ceremony performed by an Apaiza. Marriage is monogamous, presided over by an Apaiza, and often arranged from birth among the Princely families; the lower classes consider the formal rituals of marriage much less important and usually only marry after adulthood. Though an individual has leeway to choose their profession, gender roles are strong among the Jenauak: working the fields, guiding flocks, forging and carpentry, and entrance to the Zaindariak fall to men, while clothesmaking, cooking, pottery, and entrance to the Apaizak fall to women. The Jenauak diet revolves around millet, with the staple meal being artaxiki, a versatile millet flour pudding, often including diced apples and mutton.

    The military is divided between the peasant levies, called upon only in times of dire need, and the elite Zaindariak, career soldiers who train to fight in the mountains. Both groups wear a steel helmet with an ornamental spike at the front and carry a round shield. Levies fight with spears and wear cloth armor, while the Zaindariak fight with the kukri, a knife with a bent blade, and the talwar, a curved sword, and wear a chainmail hauberk.


    Spoiler: History and Government
    Show
    Little is known of the valley's ancient past; the Swarm devastated the land, slaying farmer and loremaster alike, the survivors fleeing into the high mountains where they could defend themselves. Since the Call, the survivors have repopulated the valley, establishing farms and towns along the various rivers, though the Apaizak and Zaindariak maintain temples and watchtowers in the mountains still.

    Harana de Profeta is divided into four principalities called Printzerriak (Bataprintzerriak, Biprintzerriak, Hiruprintzerriak, and Lauprintzerriak), each ruled by a hereditary Prince and his family. Above and unifying the four Printzerriak is the Orden Santua de Fedea de Latona Gun, with the Apaiza Nagusia (High Priestess) at its head. Just below the Apaiza Nagusia is the Orokorra Nagusia (High General), the leader of the elite Zaindariak soldiers. While the Apaiza Nagusia has the authority to order the military on any given campaign, the Orokorra Nagusia has great discretion in how that campaign is carried out. The bureaucracy of the Orden Santua is staffed by the Apaizak; lower-ranking members often stuff their ears with cotton as they work to prevent them from being distracted by the Call, giving them the nickname of “deaf writers.”

    Together, the Printzerriak, the Orden Santua, and the Zaindariak form one polity: Aukeratutako Berria, the New Godchosen.


    Spoiler: Resources
    Show
    Harana de Profeta was devastated by the Swarm, and has not yet fully recovered, but the region is not truly poor. Deposits of iron ores are especially common at the feet of the mountains, providing more than enough metal for tools, weapons, armor, and printing type once forged into steel.

    The valley is relatively lacking in trees, however, and requires imported fuel to sustain the forges and keep every hearth warm through winter.

    Starting tech: Printing (Idazketa alphabet)


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    The Orden Santua de Fedea de Latona Gun, often abbreviated as the Fedea de Latona Gun or simply the Fedea, is the sole faith of the Jenauak.


    The Fedea, One Doctine before the Chorus


    Spoiler: History
    Show
    The Fedea is the faith of those who follow Latona Gun, the Prophet. She was a woman who lived at the time of the Call; her husband and children were slain by the Swarm, and she had been separated from her neighbors as she fled into the mountains. She climbed for three days until she reached the summit, falling to her knees in despair, but even as she fell, the Call first rang out. She knelt, entranced, as the Chorus spoke to her, giving her the message that still fuels the Fedea: The Old Godchosen are gone. You and your sons and daughters shall be the New Godchosen. Hold to our tenets, and your destiny will find you in time.

    Upon her return, her message spread like wildfire, and as the Swarm receded, Latona Gun led the Jenauak back into the valley. Though she had no living children, on her deathbed, she blessed all those who followed the tenets of the Fedea as her sons and daughters, to share in the glorious destiny the Chorus had promised. In the decades after her death, the Orden Santua grew in strength, nurtured by the first two Apaiza Nagusiak, Jordana the White Knight and Eulalia the Just, and spread among the Tximeleta to the north. At an unknown point during this period, the Mandate of La Illopaña was forged and El Redención established.

    The tenure of the third Apaiza Naguisa, Karlota Degun, marked a noted change in the Orden Santua. Missionaries and proselytizers spread the Fedea across southern Kaal, bringing the Three Courts of the Maskfolk and the rats of Rutovir into the fold of the fededunak, among numerous other less powerful peoples. The Tximeleta likewise began to expand their territory, bringing the Fedea into lands left uninhabited by the Swarm. With such rapid growth, the old Orden Santua could not sustain itself, and a council to reform the authority of the faith was called: the Second Karlotian Council, at which the assembled fededunak (the Jenauak word for followers of the Fedea) voted narrowly to centralize the doctrine of the faith, with special attention to be paid in the future to finances and trade. From that Council and the work of many Apaizak emerged the following standardized doctrine.


    Spoiler: The Three Tenets
    Show
    The three tenets of the Fedea are Compassion, Community, and Cremation. All fededunak must embrace these tenets, as set forth by the word of the Prophet; those who would refuse any tenet are not followers of the Prophet.

    The tenet of Compassion: One must help those in need and accept help when one needs it. Charity serves everyone, but arrogance serves no one. What good is a Prince who lives in splendor with great wealth if his subjects go hungry? And of what value is pride to a starving man?

    The tenet of Community: One may choose a fitting profession for themselves, but every needed role must be filled. Specialization strengthens the community, so long as every person supports the rest to the best of one's ability.

    The tenet of Cremation: Through fire, one's body and soul are freed from each other. The body is destroyed, preserving it from the Swarm, while the eternal soul escapes to Zerua rather than being trapped in a tomb. Those unfortunate enough to be left uncremated after death are imprisoned in their rotting corpses, unable to move or sense the world around them beyond their own slow decay and damned to a slow, torturous insanity.


    Spoiler: Cosmology
    Show
    The universe is divided into the three realms of Arima, Lurra, and Zerua, which are layered above each other. Pillars of rock and earth support Lurra above Arima, while Zerua floats atop Lurra, lifted on the wind and moored on mountain peaks. All three realms originate from the primordial being Lehenengoa (alternatively Kassis, Dejan), from whose dreams sprung the Chorus and all mortal souls.

    Arima (alternatively Kassis), the lowest of the realms, is the primordial expanse from which existence sprung, the remains of Lehenengoa's flowing consciousness. Its nature is ever-changing and difficult for mortals to express. All beings who will ever exist slumber as souls in Arima; when a child is born, one stirs and lifts itself into Lurra. Arima is represented with a single horizontal line.

    Lurra is the world of mortal existence, and is divided into many lands, with Kaal central among them. When a child is born, a soul rises from Arima to inhabit it, and when a creature with a soul dies, its soul remains trapped in its physical body until it is burned, freeing it to rise into Zerua. Lurra is represented by an upward-pointing triangle with a circle at its tip.

    Animals have no souls; the Swarm are less clear-cut, with competing interpretations not yet resolved. Harana de Profeta holds that they are creatures who were meant to have souls, but did not get one; Jiidaanhinetjch claims that they are souled creatures trapped underground for so long they turned to rock, and could no longer be cremated, filling them with insane rage; and the heretics of La Illopaña claim them to be weapons of the Chorus. The emergence of the dragon "Krovos" in the northern lands has cast all these theories into doubt, and the Fallen and Forgotten's interpretation of the nature of the Swarm - souls who hate corporeal form and wish to tear down the three realms to return to the dreams of Lehenengoa - seems to be the most likely. The Fallen and Forgotten also claim that the original Godchosen were constructs built by the Chorus to fight an earlier incursion of dragons, but mainstream Fedea thought considers this dubious, holding instead that the Chorus created many mortal creatures and elevated the greatest among them as they have done again through the Prophet.

    Zerua is the highest realm and the domain of the Chorus (or Archons). Existing above Lurra, it resembles the sky as seen by mortals. Souls which are released through cremation come here, where they are judged by the Chorus; those who followed the tenets of the Fedea faithfully remain in Zerua, under the care of the Chorus. Those who did not (but were still cremated) are cast down into Arima, where they slumber once more. Zerua is represented alternately by a single vertical line or by a circle of twelve stars.

    The Twelve Archons attested by the Fallen and Forgotten are evidently the beings who make up the divine Chorus (two of them have vanished from the world, leaving the ten voices of the Chorus behind), but to worship them individually as the Fallen and Forgotten do is to miss the point. They have great individual power, but only together through the tenet of Community could they overpower the Swarm. Some have suggested that the "Uhlonna" the dwarves claim as their patron is the same as the Archon Citas; the Children therefore elevate a single voice among all the rest that comprise the Chorus, making them especially misled.


    Spoiler: Selected rituals and holidays
    Show
    Though proper magic is outside the structure of the Fedea (magic being seen as a tool requiring mastery like a quill, a flute, or a carpenter's chisel), many rituals exist as a method of petitioning the Chorus. Performing them is the most important job of the Apaizak, to which end they study symbology, astrology, and singing and composing holy music. The most important of these rituals have grown over the decades into grand annual holidays. Though their original forms were unique to the Jenauak, their religious elements have been standardized, and the celebrations themselves have accreted elements from the other fededunak, especially the Tximeleta.

    Spoiler: Holidays
    Show
    Egunadeitu

    Egunadeitu, the Callday; Xth of Y. Marks the beginning of a week of quiet commemorating the day, over a century ago, that the Call first rang out across Kaal, heralding the enlightenment of the Prophet and the salvation of the people of Kaal. All of sufficient age are expected to sing along with the Call for at least an hour a day. The week is ended by the celebrations of Jatoria de Profeta and the beginning of a new year.

    Jatoria de Profeta

    Jatoria de Profeta, the Day of the Prophet’s Descent; Xth of Y. Celebrates the day the Prophet Latona Gun is believed to have led the Jenauak out of the mountains and back into Harana de Profeta. Traditionally held a week after the first melting of the winter snows, it has been standardized in the new doctrine and joined with other spring festivals across Kaal. Bonds of family and rule are reaffirmed as the people prepare for the spring planting to begin, and it is considered an auspicious day to start new ventures, swear oaths, and propose marriage.

    Haize Aldakorrak

    Haize Aldakorrak, or Windschange; the Summer Solstice. As summer draws to a close, the fededunak reflect on the nature of life. Those who have suffered great loss don painted wooden masks and join the Apaizak in mourning those who fall to the depredations of the world before the fulfillment of their great destiny. Black robes are a common sight among the typically-colorful Jenauak, but when the sun sets on the longest day of the year, they are shed in favor of white garments as the fededunak break out in celebration. Parades, song, drinking, contests of strength, games of chance, and public dances continue through the night.

    Utza Jaialdia

    Utza Jaialdia, or Harvest-tide; no fixed date. Celebrates the bringing in of the final harvest of the year. Attempts to standardize the date have failed; officially, it is celebrated on the day that no more crops remain to be brought in. The Princes of Aukeratutako Berria traditionally distribute bread and apple preserves to the urban poor on this day, and continue to do so through the winter.


    Spoiler: Rituals
    Show
    Helduaroa


    Helduaroa is actually the name of two separate rituals, both celebrating an individual's coming of age, distinguished as Helduaroa Txikia ("lesser adulthood") and Helduroa Handia ("greater adulthood").
    Helduaroa Txikia is a large, public ceremony involving several hymns held at the age of 14, marking a child's transition into a full member of the community of fededunak. After undergoing Helduaroa Txikia, one is expected to know and understand the Tenets, and to act always with them in mind; though still a child in body, they are respected as an adult in mind.

    Helduaroa Handia is a much more secretive rite involving only an Apaiza and the soon-to-be-adult, performed at the age of 17 among the Jenauak but adjusted to the cultural age of adulthood elsewhere. For a month prior to the rite, the child must wear a gray cloth robe and hood which cover the body entirely; among the Tximeleta, time spent in a cocoon serves the same purpose. At the end of this period, they enter three days of seclusion, after which the gray robe is burned, and the now-adult is dressed in a multicolored robe to reenter their community as a full adult.

    Zin Madarikatua

    The oath of Zin Madarikatua, evolved from the Hiinanikhebio' ritual of niidauwauhutii, is among the most momentous in the Fedea; a pledge to undertake some holy task, calling upon the Chorus to curse the swearer if they break their oath. Under the eyes of an Apaiza and several members of their community, the swearer lays out the task they intend to accomplish or the vows they are making; the Apaiza then uses a specially prepared book to determine the consequences of forsaking the oath. Most common among the nobility of the Three Courts where it originated, those who swear Zin Madarikatua are reputed for gallantry and known to undertake noble quests on behalf of their people, turning their strict oath into a tool of Community.



    The Orden Santua sees other, foreign faiths as misguided at best and generally deceitful and immoral. Every shadowy cult is a potential sign of the Swarm, and the Aukeratutako must be protected from it.

    The temple at Mendia de Voix, the highest mountain in the region, is the headquarters of the Orden Santua and the holiest site of the Fedea. The ashes of the Prophet Latona Gun are kept there, as are many scrolls of the bureaucracy of the Orden Santua. The lower-ranking “deaf writers” work with parchment and pen or with ink and printing press within its walls, while higher-ranking “open ears” meditate on the mountain peak to commune with the Chorus and gain divine guidance.
    Last edited by Minescratcher; 2021-04-30 at 11:29 AM.

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Troll in the Playground
     
    mystic1110's Avatar

    Join Date
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    New York, New York
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    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    The Paukobez Clutter

    Region (Preference) – No preference – any region that would geographically contain a Jungle.



    Leader Name: Yvrep, Cobweb Alpha

    Rolls
    Diplomacy: 4
    Military: 2
    Opulence: 2
    Faith: 1
    Intrigue: 3

    Spoiler: Geography
    Show
    The land of the clutter is an imposing and dense jungle that is in the process of completely swallowing a series of Aqueducts and other Godchosen constructions. Formerly the region was called Arman Wildes Outpost, and the Clutter has not seen any necessity to change that name. The leaves and vines drape from formerly glimmering examples of the Empire and birds perch on these stones while overseeing a verdant canopy


    Spoiler: People
    Show
    The Godchosen may have created a golden empire, but every empire has its secrets and dark dealings. The Paukobez were the Godchosen’s favored assassins, the race engineered to be flexible, clever and immoral. Many died by their hands as they enforced the Godchosen order from the shadows. However, since the collapse of the Empire, the fate of the Paukobez was similarly grim. Seen as ill omens and hated for their sinful duties the race was exterminated and hunted till all that remains is a relatively small tribe of Paukobez hidden from the world in the dense jungle and ruins of their former master’s architecture. The remaining Paukobez are an envious lot. Angry at their lost status, the Paukobez aim to reclaim their place in the world.

    The Paukobez resemble slender simians, with lithe muscle and fur-covered bodies. With tails and prehensile feet - one could see their skin is grayish and that their face would resemble that of a chimp although unlike their simian forbearers they have eight eyes and instead of a mouth they have a chelicerae. Their fur is much more vibrant than their skin, ranging from fiery reds to dusky oranges and golden yellows. Around their head, the fur accumulates more into a woften braided mane. Each of their simian fingers contain their own spinneret glands with which the Paukobez can weave webs to swing among the trees and capture prey.

    The Paukobez live in a variety of gangs called "Barrels", which are groups of the creatures that consist of a Male Alpha and a Female Alpha, their brood and their associated Betas. The Barrels collectively make the Clutter and the strongest of the Alphas set the agenda for the Clutter such that it has one. The Alpha that controls the Clutter is usually referred to as the Cobweb Alpha a term that comes from the large silk nests in which the Paukobez sleep in.


    Spoiler: Resource
    Show
    The Paukobez produce Spider Silk for trade. They want for a lot, but as a people perhaps what they want the most are bananas or, barring that specific fruit, any Fruit.


    Spoiler: Faith
    Show
    The Clutter does not have any strong faith other than a deep veneration of their former masters, as such they believed in the Godchosen's personal faith - the Twelve Archons. That said, their master's fall from grace has made them question as to the veracity of the religion. . .


    Spoiler: Starting Technology
    Show
    While not of their own design, the Paukobez live in a jungle that has already swallowed former Godchosen architecture – by chance one of the Aqueducts still works and provides them with water.

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Apr 2010

    Default Re: Empire! CotW The Remnant Lands

    Kingdom Name: Acorn Kingdom
    Region 119, Troglydite’s Republic of Troglydites
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    Summary
    Geography (Slaggin’ COLD)
    People (Primarily Troglodytes, some Goblins, plus a few humans as underclass and the queen)
    Resource+Required
    Faith (Blizzard Festival Witches)
    Starting Technology Printing

    Spoiler: Geography
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    Ice, ice everywhere. Once the invaders moved in, it only got so much worse. Even in summertime the temperature of this area barely breaches the freezing point of water, and during the deep winter there is solid snow abound. The goblins wear thick fur coats to withstand all of it, while the Troglodytes swim in the snow as if it were water.

    The ocean itself actually provides respite, especially at the peninsula tip, because the farther from the north and the closer to the ocean it gets the warmer the climate goes. Although at the very tip itself resides the capital, and the capital sees a castle made supposedly wholesale of ice, granite, and glowing mushrooms. A deep navy blue fills out the area, and while it is beautiful, only a single human makes it her home.


    Spoiler: People
    Show

    Did she betray them, or did they reduce her to this?

    Human settlements are in despair, wild fanatical creatures from the north have invaded and all but taken control of the region. Now they live in conditions barely better than slavery as the troglodytes seize the lands and their monstrous king takes the helm alongside the wicked betrayer.

    Troglodytes are about four to five foot, scaly finned things. Burly, bulky, wearing primitive armor to serve as the front line troops that doubles as a weapon to be thrown at them.
    Goblins vary in size, never shorter than two feet and never taller than four. Smooth skin that goes from green to blue to white in shades. They are very nimble and expert craftspeople.



    Spoiler: Rulers
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    King Kraast
    A troglodyte of massive proportions. Scales and armor seemingly built into his frame, looming at nine feet tall. His castle is built with giant proportions in mind, and he rules it with an iron fist. Jovial, but ready to slam his fist down at a moment’s notice. Apparently he can also breathe water at people? Nobody’s ever seen this in action from the Trog King who seems more like a humanoid dragon than anything.

    Princess Acorn
    A pale skinned human with brown hair, appearing completely mundane. Outfitted with jewels and glitter all of it fake. She appreciates the look far more than the worldly value of the gemstones though, so is unphased. At this point unfettered, shrewd beyond measure, and with a… complicated relationship with the king, she is often considered the true power behind the throne.

    Dip 2
    Mil 2
    Opu 1
    Fai 3+1
    Int 3+1


    Spoiler: Resource+Required
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    Aquamarine Soul Gems
    Lovely, pretty things. Capable of holding the souls of bad mariners within, although it takes an elaborate ritual to do so. Without a soul, they are just pretty gemstones in surprising abundance in this specific part of the world. With a soul, they hold a bright white glow, depending how active the soul is at the moment, and faint chilling sounds can be heard.

    TP 1 Castle Leviathan
    The capital, adorned and showered in gemstones of all kinds. The glistening howls of souls provide an extravagant melody from their encasement in the piano in particular.

    TP 2 Amethyst Mountain
With rituals, souls are rested peacefully and of their own volition within the gems here, to be reincarnated after they rest sufficiently within these helms.

    TP 3 Belly of the Beast
    The lowest valley, almost a canyon, with mines encrusted. A deposit of Aquamarines is here, ripe for the taking.


    Required: Metal
    Some form of machinery, steel, or the like is craved by the people of this land. Perhaps for religious worship, perhaps just to make use of it, but magi tech and the like have been specifically deprived from these lands moreso than for any other. The people want it in mass amounts, more than one can ever fulfill.



    Spoiler: Faith (Blizzard Festival Witches)
    Show

    The storm and steel are hailed as an animate force of Mother Nature, and are believed to provide shelter and life. This is a belief primarily held by the Troglodyte invaders, but is quickly spreading to the conquered humans as well. Some measure of grace is given back to them as they shelter from the storm, even as their Troglodyte conquerors revel in the frostbitten outsides.

    Mother Nature is generally the aspect of worship, in all its forms, the bitter cold is just what the Troglodytes themselves focus on. There is a focus on merriment and liberation, although as the faith is unconsolidated these beliefs are loose and vary widely even within the populace itself.

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