Empire!7 - Into the Depths: Out-of-Character Thread (CWBG)

[farothel]

Just to let you know I'll be on vacation from now Saturday until the 6th of January. I should have Wifi on location, but I'll probably be on a bit less and certainly not during the days I travel.

[Minescratcher]

And another writeup.

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Region 176
Yuksekale, the High Valleys

Spoiler: Geography

Show

West and south of the poisoned waters of the Toxfall Gorge, a vast massif rises out of the depths almost to the surface of the sea. Atop it lies the Kingdom of Yuksekale, named after its capital city, which is built atop terraces cut into the highest peak and whose great stone walls and towering heroöns stretch up to and above the water’s surface. Below the highest ridges, the three great brine river valleys of Kaikos, Seha and Gedir run westward towards the great brinefalls at the edge of the depths. The valleys bustle with activity, as mussel farmers scrape parasites from their saline-resistant livestock, miners harvest the local black-and-green stone, and merchants drag their sleds from town to town. At the precipice above the brinefalls, a few carrier fish drift on the currents, their tranquil drones belying the pocket of civilization that lies just behind.

Spoiler: People

Show

The Denizkizlari are the sole intelligent species in Yuksekale. They are merfolk, with a piscine lower body and tail meeting at the waist with a humanoid torso, arms and head, with scales typically in shades of brown or olive green, and they average three meters in length. Their primary occupation is mussel farming, which takes place along the brine rivers – the mussels of Yuksekale are adapted to a highly saline environment and grow very poorly outside of the brine. Unlike the Sereia, they do not use personal grafts, considering the practice somewhat barbaric, but they seem to have a strong immune system and a highly active liver compared to other merfolk, giving them a cultural taste for extremely salty food that often overwhelms outsiders. They also place a greater emphasis on modesty compared to other merfolk groups, and both men and women wear long dresses that cover the torso and the base of the tail as well as tailfin ornaments of metal or dyed seagrass.

Spoiler: History and Government

Show

The biological similarity of the Denizkizlari to the Sereia strongly suggests that Yuksekale was once part of the Tritaol Republic, but a complete lack of pre-collapse records renders it impossible to make any claims about this period with certainty. The oldest reference is to a pair of merfolk, called “The Unseen” and “The Unheard”, who founded and fortified the city of Yuksekale after receiving an omen of disaster, preserving the Denizkizlari through the Republic’s collapse even as the waters just to their north became completely uninhabited. The next certain figure is at least a century later – a merfolk leader named Attalis Salvador who re-fortified the city of Yuksekale against marauding bandits and a people called the “Tubaropek”, who may have been a faction of Pojanese raiders. His victory over the latter group cemented his claim to kingship, and under his rule and that of the descendants of his adopted heir Pellesh I, the Denizkizlari re-colonized the brine river valleys.

In recent years, the former Grand Master Oliver of the Ironkelp Order dispatched diplomats to the region in hopes of gaining promises of protection for the Lux-Glossian colony to the north. They quickly befriended the reigning King Pellesh IV with offers of lore and administrative aid, as he considered himself a polymath and preferred study to the responsibilities of rulership. He had been rendered infertile after a childhood accident, and upon his childless death he willed his Kingdom to the Ironkelp Order. Rumors of foul play and bribery or worse swirled among the nobility of Yuksekale for some time, but the Order was eventually able to persuade them of their good intentions, and the kingship was combined with the position of Grand Master of the Order. This did not last long, as upon Grand Master Martin’s formation of the Order of Orders, he transferred the title from the Grand Master of the Ironkelp Order to the Insmiddish Grand Master Gareth of the also newly formed Order of the Blind and Silent Knights, who now rules Yuksekale.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

Yuksekale has historically been isolated from trade owing to the surrounding geography, but with the arrival of Lux-Glossian colonists and Brilhinte priests in Narcis’s Rest to the north, the Costa Sereia took interest in the Whispering Eggs, by far the strangest mystery of the region. Neither fully biological nor mineral, the Eggs have never been observed to hatch; in fact, they are composed of a thin translucent purple membrane surrounding spiraling layers of some kind of black stone. Bubbles and the faint sound of whispering periodically emanate from the Eggs, and some claim they possess minds of their own. They are found only in two places, in briny seacaves in the southwest, and the darkness and pressure make their harvesting difficult and dangerous – though profitable enough to support a small trading town, Fisildayan Magara, in the southwest.

The Denizkizlari concern for modesty does not mean they are unappreciative of fashion, and Yuksekale requires significant imports of Dyes so its people can maintain their appearance.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

If the Brilhinte faith was ever present in Yuksekale, it seems to have faded soon after the collapse of the Tritaol Republic, and the Denizkizlari are largely unaware of its gods. The main figures of worship in the kingdom are [/b]The Unseen and The Unheard[b], the legendary deified founder heroes of the high city. According to legend, the pair were cursed on their wedding day, for reasons that vary with the telling, to be blind and mute (or, in some versions, deaf), and were shunned as a result. Wandering in exile, they settled atop the highest peak of the region, where they began to receive prophetic dreams foretelling the apocalypse. They expanded Yuksekale to accept more and more refugees as the Republic collapsed, preserving the Denizkizlari through the collapse. Two towering heroöns built over their tombs stand at the east gate of the old city walls, reaching perhaps ten feet above the surface, and the Denizkizlari still sacrifice there to call upon the Unseen and the Unheard for aid.

[MappyPK]

Proposing a tacdoc:

Spoiler: Tacdoc

Show

General: Tiaki, Protector of the Golden City
Name: Impenetrable Bubble

-20% enemy casualties (-2)
-20% own casualties (+2)
+12 enemy leader loss (-2)
+4 to battle (+4)

Fluff: It is far more important to protect the merchandise that one may be carrying than to inflict severe losses and come out clearly victorious when it comes to battle, at least for those who appreciate the finer things in life. Weather moving through another territory or resisting an attack, the best strategy is a strong defensive core, which Taikan armies achieve through strategic placement of obtrusive bubbles on the battlefield in front of their units. Although this strategy is quite annoying for the opponent, it results in a relative stalemate much of the time, which is more than enough to escort the goods.

[Aerin]

Okay- how about this-

The Trowel of Eternity

This Artifact may not be used by a Sakura-Jin Empire.

The holder of the Trowel may, once per turn, spend a treasure to attempt to plant a holy seed as part of any action requiring a roll. This requires designating a unused Holy site slot in a territory they hold aristocratic or mercantile support in. They get a +3 to the roll (this counts as a seek aide and a treasure spent) but, if the roll is successful, the Holy site becomes consecrated to Sakurado.

I really like the fluff for this (surprise, the plant biologist likes the artifact that plants seeds). This is still a little complicated for an Artifact. Let me work continue to with you to find something over Discord, if that's alright with you.

I've added more text to all sections of region 5 and the people section of region 13, as highlighted in blue. I've also altered the fluff for Rocksplinter Stars, they are food now, consistent with farothel's use of them.

Region 5 - Nguurhaln Polanau

Spoiler: Geography

Show

The sea is thick and aromatic with plant juices. Islands of vegetation float at the surface, Waveweed vines hanging down from them. The seafloor is also teeming with plant life. It is difficult to access the seafloor proper given the continuous, dense foliage, which recovers quickly after it is cut down, making mineral mines in the region unpracticable.

Astronomer settlements can be likened to spider webs. The individual dwellings and buildings are floating in the water, connected by numerous nets designed to trap the nutrients in the water. The webs are anchored to thick plant trunks, and in time, the anchor plants and the settlement grow into each other, as the Astronomers make no attempts to keep the plants out of their buildings. The capital, Kdar, is located on a mountain plateau in the shallowest area of the region, where observing the supersurface world is the easiest. A surprisingly large portion of the Astronomer populace lives in urban centers, about 60%, since most Astronomers are philosophers rather than farmers, and Waveweeds supply enough food to make these cities possible.

In the center of the region stands the Tree of Life, a massive colony of flora forming a thick pillar stretching kilometers from the seafloor to the surface. The species comprising the Tree change as one goes up or down. The Reapers have attempted to damage the Tree in the past, but they quickly left it alone. In that incident, it is said to have taken on a life of its own. Countless green tentacles sprouted with amazing speed, crushed the guts out of the aggressors. Immediately afterward, the vines halted their movement and the Tree went dormant again, leaving the mutilated corpses on display before the Reapers' shocked comrades.

Spoiler: People

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Nguurhaln Polanau is inhabited by the Astronomers, fish that exhibit barely any vital signs, spending most of their time lying on plants. They are not dead, but rather they absorb nutrients that are emitted into the water by the plants, and thus they have no need to hunt or farm to obtain food. This leaves them free to pursue various hobbies full-time, the most prominent of which is astronomy, hence their apellation.

The gills of Astronomers have adapted to the filtering of nutrients from seawater. This renders Astronomers sensitive to poisons or bad water quality. The powerful gills also make their faces noticeably wider than those of other fish. Another distinguishing feature of Astronomers is that they sport vestigial whiskers on their chin consisting of dead cells that can be cut and styled.

Scientists had long been perplexed by the symbiosis between the plants of Nguurhaln Polanau and the Astronomers, as the plants stand nothing to gain from feeding the fish and could simply evolve to stop emitting nutrients. Recently, however, it has been noticed that not even one percent of the vegetation Nguurhaln Polanau has been cleared out, even inhabitants of other regions rush to industrialize no matter the environmental costs.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

The Foregone Constellation is a philosophy that is based around predicting the movement of the stars from events in one's personal life. Advanced philosophers play chess with the stars as pieces, making the heavens move to their whims by living their life in specific patterns - for example, trying to meet people whose names start in "A" and avoiding everyone else, or always travelling in the direction of the sun.

Of course, since the movements of all but a few heavenly bodies are nearly imperceptible, the adherents of the Foregone Constellation have developed a great knowledge of mathematics, physics and related fields.

Holy site 1: Mirror Pond
Near the capital of Kdar, a high-quality silver vein had been exposed by centuries of erosion. Of course, if the people of Kdar had been anyone except the Astronomers, the silver vein would be long gone. Instead of chasing after material profit, the Astronomers had preserved this natural wonder, basking in its beauty. After yet more centuries of erosion, the Astronomers have been rewarded. A fortuitous water stream has polished the silver ore into a clear mirror. Every night, the star-spangled sky has a rival of equal splendor in the Mirror Pond. The reflective seabed, although clear, is uneven, and so it cannot be used for precise observations, contrary to the viewpoint of some early Astronomers. On the other hand, that makes it even more beautiful, as it shows mirage constellations that will never appear on the firmament above.

Holy site 2: Death At The Feet Of Life
The rotting Reaper corpses embedded in the branches of the Tree of Life have left a deep impression on the cultists of the Dreaming Dead. A local chapter has been founded to worship the Tree and add to its majesty by decorating it with further corpses. Their base is a "graveyard" (some think "corpse storage grounds" would be more appropriate given how often the dead are disturbed in that place) at the bottom of the Tree built of austere, meticulously scrubbed stone blocks that contrast with the chaotic, unrestrained growth of the Tree.

Spoiler: Resource

Show

Export: Waveweed Root
The Astronomers are too lazy to cut down plants, so they declared harming plants to be immoral in their ethical code. Fortunately, the plants quite often happen to lose some branches to natural phenomena, and these are gathered by the Astronomers. These are called Waveweed Roots and contain long fibers, suitable for making textiles or tools. When cooked, the fibers break down and they are quite edible - though more of a staple food than a delicacy.

The fruit of Waveweed Roots is called an arisle. It is elongated and blue in color when ripe. For most intelligent species, it is mildly poisonous to eat as the waveweed plant purifies itself and the water around it by gathering toxins inside its arisles. This also provides protection to the soft seeds that could otherwise be easily digested.

Import: Luxuries
Although the Astronomers' basic needs are all taken care of by the local flora, they do occasionally want to treat themselves to something nice. With no industrial base or even simple markets to speak of, any delicacies, accessories, books or other products made by specialists have to be imported.

Region 13 - Aino Kava

Spoiler: Geography

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The region is delimited by roughs in the west and wastes in the east. These inhospitable environments influence vegetation and climate across the borders, meaning the best farmland is in the middle of the region. Notable landmarks include great stone steles erected at the borders facing the four cardinal directions, which have marked the immutable borders of Aino Kava since time immemorial, bearing the sacred family tree of all of its rulers from the Ocean to the current king or queen.

Spoiler: People

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The Kucen nobility, present since an invasion or migration event that has been lost to the ages, rules over a diverse populace including Mer, crabs, Auros and Tobar. Although there are no formal castes, social mobility is very low due to the fact that the technological level of the kingdom has stayed approximately the same for centuries. There has been no demand for new products or services and so almost everyone carries on the work of their parents.

There is also a large importance placed on ancestral homes. Everyone is expected to know the place where their family name originated or where their ancestors lived for a long time, and visit it once a year, on the last week of the year, if possible. If an Ainokavian discovers someone shares an ancestral home with them, they become very friendly, as if that person were their family.

The Ainokavians consider nudity to be barbaric and they dye their clothes according to their social rank. Peasants wear brown; craftsmen wear as many as fifty shades of gray, yellow and red depending on their profession; nobles are clothed in blue-green. Only the reigning monarch can wear purple. Not even the ruler's children can wear purple, as it is not determined in advance that any of them will inherit the throne. The heir is chosen by decree of the monarch, who can choose anyone from their dynasty. This decree is typically conveyed in a sealed envelope that is opened after the king or queen's death, to stop other potential heirs from squabbling and plotting against the chosen heir during the ruler's lifetime.

Ainokavan dynasties are not patrilineal. Rather, children are considered to be of the more prestigious of the dynasties of their parents. Consequently, dynastic prestige is in a state of constant "inflation", as the most esteemed surnames slowly spread to the whole populace. To prevent the potentially disastrous de-stratification of society, once in a few generations the sovereign prunes distant branches of the royal dynasty, creating new surnames and titles for them that typically rank above all other non-royal families.

The weave and cut of a "najed", the main item of clothing that an Ainokavian wears, a fish equivalent of a long shirt, is also rigidly determined - almost everyone dresses in the style of their hometown, providing a social cue that is rather important, as detailed above.

Spoiler: Faith

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The King or Queen of Aino Kava is said to descend from the first being, a living embodiment of the Ocean. In the beginning, Ocean consorted with itself to produce many daughters and sons, the Seas, and gave each of them a part of the world to rule. It divided the whole world between its progeny, except for a small forgotten part of the globe. Ocean's children used their seas as playgrounds; they created all the various things seen in the world today, and at last they created mortals. Mortals were like a very useful tool or a very interesting toy at first, capable of thinking for themselves to a degree, solving complex tasks and producing an endless stream of entertainment for their masters. One day, the mortals got so smart that they figured out they were being used by Ocean's children. They rebelled. After an exhausting, bloody war that shook the foundations of the world, the mortals prevailed, killing every one of Ocean's children and putting the entire world under their rule.

Ocean grieved for its children. It resolved not to take revenge on the mortals, but it still wanted to leave behind at least one wise and righteous ruler leading one righteous kingdom when its time came, as it would soon come. Searching through all the seas, unseen, Ocean came upon the sea it missed earlier; it was still so devoid of any features or living beings that mortals failed to notice it as well. Ocean gave birth to one more child, assigned to it rule over that land, and oversaw the creation of mortals and the creation of a legal code that enshrined the social hierarchy, so that the tragedy of the mortals' rebellion might not be repeated. Ocean's child ruled in peace and prosperity for hundreds of years after their divine parent left the world, and when their time came, they passed the crown to their successor. The name of that last child of Ocean? Aino Kava.

Spoiler: Resource

Show

Export: Rocksplinter Stars.
Slow to act, the Rocksplinter Stars are single minded in their ability to perform tasks. Once shown what to do, they can repeat tasks almost endlessly, be it growing crops, moving things from place to place, or sorting fruits. It takes Rocksplinter Stars longer to learn for more difficult tasks, but they are eager to have a use, making them excellent for both Unskilled Labor.

Although a few thinkers consider the stars to be intelligent, the vast majority of people considers their capabilities to be simple muscle memory. They are fairly easy to hunt down ("collect" might be more appropriate) or farm. Their meat has a soft texture and an earthy, mineral-like aftertaste.


Desired Import: Preservatives.
The eastern streams carry corrosive chemicals from the wastes, which can damage food, tools, or even buildings. To prevent this, Ainokavians meticulously coat their possessions with layers of lacquer made with domestic and imported ingredients.

Region 5 - Approved! It's always fun to see more fishy species, and I love the overgrown forest vibe you've got going on. The Dreaming Dead holy site is really neat as well. Please add it to the Waters of the World.

Region 13 - Love the additions to the People section! For the Rocksplinter Stars, because what you have written is a bit of a departure from the previously-established fluff, I'd like to see you directly talk to Farothel to make sure that whatever you settle on satisfies you both. I know that Farothel is traveling until late in the round. If this causes the finalized writeup to be delayed a round, I understand. Copied below is what was originally written when the region was prospected:

The Abyssal Stewards unearth the Bounty of the Depths in region 13 for HEX; with the hopes of uncovering starfish in mind, and the cooperation of local authorities, they’re able to identify a species of sponge-eating starfish, the Rocksplinter Star, that was very nearly wiped out by the locals, generations ago. At the time considered a pest, it now survives in only a few isolated areas. The prospect of a market for such creatures, though, opens the possibility of farming them - this would, however, mean using up the vast majority of the region’s surplus Stonesponge harvests.

And another writeup.

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Region 176
Yuksekale, the High Valleys

Spoiler: Geography

Show

West and south of the poisoned waters of the Toxfall Gorge, a vast massif rises out of the depths almost to the surface of the sea. Atop it lies the Kingdom of Yuksekale, named after its capital city, which is built atop terraces cut into the highest peak and whose great stone walls and towering heroöns stretch up to and above the water’s surface. Below the highest ridges, the three great brine river valleys of Kaikos, Seha and Gedir run westward towards the great brinefalls at the edge of the depths. The valleys bustle with activity, as mussel farmers scrape parasites from their saline-resistant livestock, miners harvest the local black-and-green stone, and merchants drag their sleds from town to town. At the precipice above the brinefalls, a few carrier fish drift on the currents, their tranquil drones belying the pocket of civilization that lies just behind.

Spoiler: People

Show

The Denizkizlari are the sole intelligent species in Yuksekale. They are merfolk, with a piscine lower body and tail meeting at the waist with a humanoid torso, arms and head, with scales typically in shades of brown or olive green, and they average three meters in length. Their primary occupation is mussel farming, which takes place along the brine rivers – the mussels of Yuksekale are adapted to a highly saline environment and grow very poorly outside of the brine. Unlike the Sereia, they do not use personal grafts, considering the practice somewhat barbaric, but they seem to have a strong immune system and a highly active liver compared to other merfolk, giving them a cultural taste for extremely salty food that often overwhelms outsiders. They also place a greater emphasis on modesty compared to other merfolk groups, and both men and women wear long dresses that cover the torso and the base of the tail as well as tailfin ornaments of metal or dyed seagrass.

Spoiler: History and Government

Show

The biological similarity of the Denizkizlari to the Sereia strongly suggests that Yuksekale was once part of the Tritaol Republic, but a complete lack of pre-collapse records renders it impossible to make any claims about this period with certainty. The oldest reference is to a pair of merfolk, called “The Unseen” and “The Unheard”, who founded and fortified the city of Yuksekale after receiving an omen of disaster, preserving the Denizkizlari through the Republic’s collapse even as the waters just to their north became completely uninhabited. The next certain figure is at least a century later – a merfolk leader named Attalis Salvador who re-fortified the city of Yuksekale against marauding bandits and a people called the “Tubaropek”, who may have been a faction of Pojanese raiders. His victory over the latter group cemented his claim to kingship, and under his rule and that of the descendants of his adopted heir Pellesh I, the Denizkizlari re-colonized the brine river valleys.

In recent years, the former Grand Master Oliver of the Ironkelp Order dispatched diplomats to the region in hopes of gaining promises of protection for the Lux-Glossian colony to the north. They quickly befriended the reigning King Pellesh IV with offers of lore and administrative aid, as he considered himself a polymath and preferred study to the responsibilities of rulership. He had been rendered infertile after a childhood accident, and upon his childless death he willed his Kingdom to the Ironkelp Order. Rumors of foul play and bribery or worse swirled among the nobility of Yuksekale for some time, but the Order was eventually able to persuade them of their good intentions, and the kingship was combined with the position of Grand Master of the Order. This did not last long, as upon Grand Master Martin’s formation of the Order of Orders, he transferred the title from the Grand Master of the Ironkelp Order to the Insmiddish Grand Master Gareth of the also newly formed Order of the Blind and Silent Knights, who now rules Yuksekale.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

Yuksekale has historically been isolated from trade owing to the surrounding geography, but with the arrival of Lux-Glossian colonists and Brilhinte priests in Narcis’s Rest to the north, the Costa Sereia took interest in the Whispering Eggs, by far the strangest mystery of the region. Neither fully biological nor mineral, the Eggs have never been observed to hatch; in fact, they are composed of a thin translucent purple membrane surrounding spiraling layers of some kind of black stone. Bubbles and the faint sound of whispering periodically emanate from the Eggs, and some claim they possess minds of their own. They are found only in two places, in briny seacaves in the southwest, and the darkness and pressure make their harvesting difficult and dangerous – though profitable enough to support a small trading town, Fisildayan Magara, in the southwest.

The Denizkizlari concern for modesty does not mean they are unappreciative of fashion, and Yuksekale requires significant imports of Dyes so its people can maintain their appearance.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

If the Brilhinte faith was ever present in Yuksekale, it seems to have faded soon after the collapse of the Tritaol Republic, and the Denizkizlari are largely unaware of its gods. The main figures of worship in the kingdom are [/b]The Unseen and The Unheard[b], the legendary deified founder heroes of the high city. According to legend, the pair were cursed on their wedding day, for reasons that vary with the telling, to be blind and mute (or, in some versions, deaf), and were shunned as a result. Wandering in exile, they settled atop the highest peak of the region, where they began to receive prophetic dreams foretelling the apocalypse. They expanded Yuksekale to accept more and more refugees as the Republic collapsed, preserving the Denizkizlari through the collapse. Two towering heroöns built over their tombs stand at the east gate of the old city walls, reaching perhaps ten feet above the surface, and the Denizkizlari still sacrifice there to call upon the Unseen and the Unheard for aid.

Approved! Love the mentions of the other nearby regions and the Costa Sereia parallels. Please add it to the Waters of the World.

Proposing a tacdoc:

Spoiler: Tacdoc

Show

General: Tiaki, Protector of the Golden City
Name: Impenetrable Bubble

-20% enemy casualties (-2)
-20% own casualties (+2)
+12 enemy leader loss (-2)
+4 to battle (+4)

Fluff: It is far more important to protect the merchandise that one may be carrying than to inflict severe losses and come out clearly victorious when it comes to battle, at least for those who appreciate the finer things in life. Weather moving through another territory or resisting an attack, the best strategy is a strong defensive core, which Taikan armies achieve through strategic placement of obtrusive bubbles on the battlefield in front of their units. Although this strategy is quite annoying for the opponent, it results in a relative stalemate much of the time, which is more than enough to escort the goods.

Approved! Woe unto whatever foe stands between the Miru Miru and profit.

[farothel]

Proposing for a miracle:

Spoiler: Veil of the ancients

Show

a field around my borders that titans don't like, so they avoid my regions.

mechanical: if you roll for where the titans go next, reroll if you get one of my regions. If the reroll still yields my region, it overcomes it's reluctance and goes there anyway.

[Kythia]

Proposal for a Military Tech:

Battlefield Scavengers
Military slot: Mounts and Warbeasts
Pre-reqs: Carnivorous Animals
Effects (preferred): Negates one technology or tactical doctrine which reduces casualties
Effects (alternate): +20% enemy casualties +10% own casualties
Write up: The army is accompanied by a horde of scavengers and carrion seekers, perhaps tamed, perhaps simply aware that blood will be spilled. They feed on the dead and dying, hampering the efforts of healers and doing their part to transform battlefield injuries to battlefield casualties.

Proposal for an Eco tech (couple of rounds away)
Kratorocracy
Pre-reqs: Mercenaries (or similar)
Effects: +2 Military for non-dynastic rulers, -2 military for dynastic rulers
Write up: Leadership in this culture is held by those who can take it. To rise to the top one must be a powerful combatant in one's own right and also be able to command (albeit maybe only temporarily) the support of powerful military factions. Reaching that position and holding it for more than a couple of days is a masterclass in the exercise of might and those who manage are capable generals and powerful fighters. Conversely, attempting to sidestep this process just because mummy or daddy was a ruler will have you branded a coward and a failure by those currently under you rendering them less likely to listen to and follow your military instructions.

[Kythia]

Region 154
The Bloodripper Lands

Spoiler: Geography

Show

One of the powerful currents that bring salt to the Magaramchi Salination passes through this area. Over the years and centuries it has worn away softer rock leaving strange towers of granite and the like projecting from the landscape. The constant flow of nutrients from the current means that vegetation is lush but the constant scouring means it is largely low-laying, clinging to the seabed. The exception is leeward the various dunes that have built up of current-swept detritus where localised biomes flourish in what would be called a rainforest were it on land.

Spoiler: People

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As unsettled lands, there are no intelligent natives.

Spoiler: Resources

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The lush vegetation could have given many potential resources and perhaps if the area had have been colonised by a different race then the Bloodripper Lands would be known for its medicinal herbs, or dyes, or foodstuffs. It would likely have a different name as well. But it was colonised by the Magaramachi and they were taken by the apex predators in this area, the Bloodripper Eels. Powerfully built eels, the largest around half a metre in diameter and three or four metres long with powerful jaws and enough internal musculature to choke prey by wrapping themselves round it, the bloodrippers are a source of food, amusement, danger and waste disposal for the Magaramachi colonists.

Those same colonists are the most inquisitve and curious of an admittedly uninquisitive and uncurious race and the discovery of some ancient stone carvings left noone-knows-who has intrigued them. Each of the solitary Magaramchi guards a horde of carvings that they lack the eyes to decipher along with other trinkets that the currents have brought. Their thirst for other Esoterica is limitless, though unlikely to be fed.

[Gengy]

Proposal for a Military Tech:

Battlefield Scavengers
Military slot: Mounts and Warbeasts
Pre-reqs: Carnivorous Animals
Effects (preferred): Negates one technology or tactical doctrine which reduces casualties
Write up: The army is accompanied by a horde of scavengers and carrion seekers, perhaps tamed, perhaps simply aware that blood will be spilled. They feed on the dead and dying, hampering the efforts of healers and doing their part to transform battlefield injuries to battlefield casualties.

Just curious: Does this negate the entire effect of the technology/doctrine, or just the reduced casualties?

[Kythia]

Ah yes sorry that was ambigious wasn't it. Just the reduced casualties

EDIT: Was what I had in mind but I guess the whole thing would be better if DMs were willing

[Aerin]

Proposing for a miracle:

Spoiler: Veil of the ancients

Show

a field around my borders that titans don't like, so they avoid my regions.

mechanical: if you roll for where the titans go next, reroll if you get one of my regions. If the reroll still yields my region, it overcomes it's reluctance and goes there anyway.

Each Titan is a unique creation with unique capabilities. There is no "one size fits all" solution for defending your region(s) from Titan incursions, unfortunately.

Proposal for a Military Tech:

Battlefield Scavengers
Military slot: Mounts and Warbeasts
Pre-reqs: Carnivorous Animals
Effects (preferred): Negates one technology or tactical doctrine which reduces casualties
Effects (alternate): +20% enemy casualties +10% own casualties
Write up: The army is accompanied by a horde of scavengers and carrion seekers, perhaps tamed, perhaps simply aware that blood will be spilled. They feed on the dead and dying, hampering the efforts of healers and doing their part to transform battlefield injuries to battlefield casualties.

Proposal for an Eco tech (couple of rounds away)
Kratorocracy
Pre-reqs: Mercenaries (or similar)
Effects: +2 Military for non-dynastic rulers, -2 military for dynastic rulers
Write up: Leadership in this culture is held by those who can take it. To rise to the top one must be a powerful combatant in one's own right and also be able to command (albeit maybe only temporarily) the support of powerful military factions. Reaching that position and holding it for more than a couple of days is a masterclass in the exercise of might and those who manage are capable generals and powerful fighters. Conversely, attempting to sidestep this process just because mummy or daddy was a ruler will have you branded a coward and a failure by those currently under you rendering them less likely to listen to and follow your military instructions.

Mil tech: I rather like the preferred effect, with the clarification that it only negates the part of the tacdoc or tech that reduces casualties. Would you want it to negate all casualty-reducing effects, even those that would reduce enemy (MGM) casualties?

Eco tech: This is too strong, but it's certainly something to work off of. How's this for an alternative: "On non-dynastic turnover: Your new ruler receives a +1 bonus to Military if their predecessor had a Military score of 8 or higher."

Requirements and fluff on both look good.

Region 154
The Bloodripper Lands

Spoiler: Geography

Show

One of the powerful currents that bring salt to the Magaramchi Salination passes through this area. Over the years and centuries it has worn away softer rock leaving strange towers of granite and the like projecting from the landscape. The constant flow of nutrients from the current means that vegetation is lush but the constant scouring means it is largely low-laying, clinging to the seabed. The exception is leeward the various dunes that have built up of current-swept detritus where localised biomes flourish in what would be called a rainforest were it on land.

Spoiler: People

Show

As unsettled lands, there are no intelligent natives.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

The lush vegetation could have given many potential resources and perhaps if the area had have been colonised by a different race then the Bloodripper Lands would be known for its medicinal herbs, or dyes, or foodstuffs. It would likely have a different name as well. But it was colonised by the Magaramachi and they were taken by the apex predators in this area, the Bloodripper Eels. Powerfully built eels, the largest around half a metre in diameter and three or four metres long with powerful jaws and enough internal musculature to choke prey by wrapping themselves round it, the bloodrippers are a source of food, amusement, danger and waste disposal for the Magaramachi colonists.

Those same colonists are the most inquisitve and curious of an admittedly uninquisitive and uncurious race and the discovery of some ancient stone carvings left noone-knows-who has intrigued them. Each of the solitary Magaramchi guards a horde of carvings that they lack the eyes to decipher along with other trinkets that the currents have brought. Their thirst for other Esoterica is limitless, though unlikely to be fed.

Writing up open waters regions is tough, and I would know. For the people section I'd like to see some description of the colony that the Magaramachi have founded, fledgling though it may be. I'd also like to see some description of what the region's newly created or newly discovered holy site looks like. I like what you have so far!

[farothel]

Each Titan is a unique creation with unique capabilities. There is no "one size fits all" solution for defending your region(s) from Titan incursions, unfortunately.

Okay, how about this for a miracle then?

Spoiler: Clean the waters

Show

requesting the assistance of the ancients, the Hymenocera priests manage to clean up wastes regions W33 and W31. Nothing changes except that they are normal regions and not waste regions anymore.

[Kythia]

Mil tech: I rather like the preferred effect, with the clarification that it only negates the part of the tacdoc or tech that reduces casualties. Would you want it to negate all casualty-reducing effects, even those that would reduce enemy (MGM) casualties?

I'm never gonna have reduce casualties tech! And I kinda ssume that any enemy tech that reduces my casualties is gonna be counterbalanced by Magaramchi infighting anyway. Plus, fluffwise, enemy tac docs that reduce my casualties wouldn't really be observed by the bloodrippers. So yeah - it applies to my casualties equally.

Final:
Battlefield Scavengers
Military slot: Mounts and Warbeasts
Pre-reqs: Carnivorous Animals
Effects: Negates all the casualty reduction effect(s) of one technology or tactical doctrine
Write up: The army is accompanied by a horde of scavengers and carrion seekers, perhaps tamed, perhaps simply aware that blood will be spilled. They feed on the dead and dying, hampering the efforts of healers and doing their part to transform battlefield injuries to battlefield casualties.

Eco tech: This is too strong, but it's certainly something to work off of. How's this for an alternative: "On non-dynastic turnover: Your new ruler receives a +1 bonus to Military if their predecessor had a Military score of 8 or higher."

I do kinda like the penalty to dynastic if you don't mind me keeping it? I've added a bit to the fluff to justify the previous ruler requirement as well

Proposed:
Kraterocracy
Pre-reqs: Mercenaries (or similar)
Effects: +1 Military for non-dynastic rulers if predecessor's military was 8 or higher. -1 military to dynastic leader's military
Write up: Leadership in this culture is held by those who can take it. To rise to the top one must be a powerful combatant in one's own right and also be able to command (albeit maybe only temporarily) the support of powerful military factions. Reaching that position and holding it for more than a couple of days is a masterclass in the exercise of might and those who manage are capable generals and powerful fighters. Conversely, attempting to sidestep this process just because mummy or daddy was a ruler will have you branded a coward and a failure by those currently under you rendering them less likely to listen to and follow your military instructions. Of course, if their predecessor leaves the military underfunded, undermanned or under-led then their successor will find it easier to divide and conquer and so won't receive the benefits of having to do it the hard way.

Writing up open waters regions is tough, and I would know. For the people section I'd like to see some description of the colony that the Magaramachi have founded, fledgling though it may be. I'd also like to see some description of what the region's newly created or newly discovered holy site looks like. I like what you have so far!

(to follow, included out of a warped sense of completeness)

[Gengy]

Effects: +1 Military for non-dynastic rulers if predecessor's military was 8 or higher. -1 military to dynastic leader's military

Not a GM. But. Here is my issue with this technology.

• Technologies can be gifted.
• It's very rare to not want a technology.
• If someone is not paying attention, they might accept a technology they don't want.
• If a person has a Dynastic Ruler, and the Mercenaries to power it, Kraterocracy either penalizes them (unknowingly?) or they choose to not power it for their Dynastic Ruler change over [GM Ruling depending]

Effectively, the negative aspect makes this tech less appealing and overly imbalances it. Far better (imo) to just have it read:

[+1 Military for non-dynastic rulers if predecessor's military was 8 or higher.]

[Kythia]

Not a GM. But. Here is my issue with this technology.

• Technologies can be gifted.
• It's very rare to not want a technology.
• If someone is not paying attention, they might accept a technology they don't want.
• If a person has a Dynastic Ruler, and the Mercenaries to power it, Kraterocracy either penalizes them (unknowingly?) or they choose to not power it for their Dynastic Ruler change over [GM Ruling depending]

Effectively, the negative aspect makes this tech less appealing and overly imbalances it. Far better (imo) to just have it read:

[+1 Military for non-dynastic rulers if predecessor's military was 8 or higher.]

I'm genuinely not bothered by your rewording but I just want to quickly explain my reasoning.

Kraterocracy is a system of government (fluffwise). I don't really think (again, fluffwise) that one can accidentally assume a system of government. Just as people can have military techs and choose not to use them in a battle I had pictured other nations who had the tech effectively knowing how a Kraterocracy works - it's frankly not that complex - but choosing not to use it. I also kinda think that your

It's very rare to not want a technology.

is actually a pretty good reason to have a tech that people don't want. At the moment there's no drawbacks to having techs and no interesting decisions to make regarding them. But thats a secondary issue.

We're probably prioritising different parts of the game here and as I say, I'm not gonna fight against it if Aiden Aerin prefers your wording to mine

EDIT: Spelt GMs name wrong. Hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me....

[Tychris1]

Artifact Proposal: The Round Table

Forged in the early days of the Giantslaying legend of the Lighthouse the scrappy upstart champions, beasts, stalkers, and trappers would convene around this relic to swap stories about their hunts. This mystical place of camaraderie forges an indelible bond between heroes of yore whose bravery and zealotry infuse the very stone of this sacred shared space. From here no Titan is safe from the machinations of radiant rangers and their reach spreads long and far.

Effect: Any country may sponsor The Round Table as a non-action. While sponsoring the Giantslayer’s Titan Hunts count the sponsors Capital as their own for distance penalties and receive a +1. You cannot sponsor yourself if you possess The Round Table.

[Tychris1]

Tac Doc for approval:

Hold the Line of Light: +4 to Defending a Region, +2 Enemy Leader Loss Roll

[JBarca]

Writeup of Region 73 for approval.

Raconensae[Region 73]

Spoiler: Thalassography

Show

Soft, pale sands shift with the darkening of the water to harsh shards of crystal and rock, melding together in geometric patterns and pockets where arching anemones and clams attempt to root. The water is startlingly clear for how close it borders the Wastes, while an observer from the surface can’t see straight down, once the boundary of crystal is passed, it is quite easy to see circular structures in the depths, interspersed and apparently using the alternating softness and hardness of the substrate for construction. As scouts approach the boundary of the Wastes, the anemones cluster and reach heights of several meters, forming an underwater forest stretching from northwest to southeast.

Spoiler: People, Government, History

Show

When the Doflein arrived, there were two primary populations in Raconensae. Most notable were the siliike, whom the Doflein call the strisii. These are squidlike creatures with a long, narrow head mounted atop three girthy tentacles, each ending in a trio of smaller tentacles that allow for fine manipulation. They are exceptionally quick and agile, both mentally and physically, and given to rash decisions, fully anticipating an easy escape.

The other people group is the Kiwa. The Chrysomallon Kiwa are cancrine mollusks whose cutting claws are coated in near-luminous hair. These extend three inches--half their body length--forward from their main shell, from which their reamining eight over-articulated legs riot outwards, between which a cancerous mass of eyes peer dimly out. The shell under whose rim these endless eyes squint slopes thickly back, glinting with specks of the same gold of the clawhairs, but otherwise the rude black of unworked iron dominates their greigite-based exokeleton. They do not know permanence, as they are migrants to these waters, but they are fully bound to the seafloor.

For this reason, the siliike have ruled Raconensae since the Kiwa arrived - their mobility granted them power, and the Kiwa could not compete. Mostly, this just means that the Kiwa survive by eating and providing labor, while the siliike hunt, party, and feast.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

Export: Rust-Veined Pumice. The dying scraps of the anemones often drift beneath the seafloor, beyond the grasping reach of the Kiwa. As they decay, they release a foul gas that is trapped within the roiling, half-molten rock far below. As the floor shifts, chunks of this pumise rise, carried on currents, to heights from which normal folks can harvest them.
Import: Drugs. The strisii are hedonists.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

Kiwa wished on an Ancient scales
And that's what started Ancient Tails
Around the sea the Strisi swim
But the kiwa offered up their hymn:

They in chorus sang about their lieges' tails
Now their religion can never fail

Ancient Tails, Ancient Tails
It's long past time for Ancient Tails
Come along and take my fin
Let's all sing our Ancient Hymn

The faith is simple, grocking isn't too hard
You feel envy for tails, they're your favorite part
They look so majestic in the waters above
And they're the only thing that the Kiwa love

Ancient Tails, Ancient Tails
It's long past time for Ancient Tails
Come along and take my fin
Let's all sing our Ancient Hymn

Ancient Tails, Ancient Tails
It's long past time for Ancient Tails
Come along and take my fin
Let's all sing our Ancient Hymn

The holy sites are as follows
The Spire: A towering, spiraling column of crystal and anemones that juts out of the ocean floor. It is surrounded by a swirling mass of grit, scraps of biomass, and pumice. The lighter pumice floats ever up, while the biomass sinks slowly to the waiting claws of the Kiwa.

The Stillness: A pocket of warm, stagnant water that is formed between two dense patches of crystal sits nearly at the center of Raconensae, the Stillness is a meditative paradise. It is quiet, calm, pleasant, dark, and enclosed, free of distractions and cut off from the demands of the world.

[Aerin]

Okay, how about this for a miracle then?

Spoiler: Clean the waters

Show

requesting the assistance of the ancients, the Hymenocera priests manage to clean up wastes regions W33 and W31. Nothing changes except that they are normal regions and not waste regions anymore.

You could hypothetically carve out a part of a single Wastes region, which would result in a Contaminated Toxic Open Waters region. Possibly Deep as well, depending on where exactly you choose to target. The sort of ecological restoration required to obtain a fully thriving, non-toxic region will take years of time and continued effort.

I'm never gonna have reduce casualties tech! And I kinda ssume that any enemy tech that reduces my casualties is gonna be counterbalanced by Magaramchi infighting anyway. Plus, fluffwise, enemy tac docs that reduce my casualties wouldn't really be observed by the bloodrippers. So yeah - it applies to my casualties equally.

Final:
Battlefield Scavengers
Military slot: Mounts and Warbeasts
Pre-reqs: Carnivorous Animals
Effects: Negates all the casualty reduction effect(s) of one technology or tactical doctrine
Write up: The army is accompanied by a horde of scavengers and carrion seekers, perhaps tamed, perhaps simply aware that blood will be spilled. They feed on the dead and dying, hampering the efforts of healers and doing their part to transform battlefield injuries to battlefield casualties.



I do kinda like the penalty to dynastic if you don't mind me keeping it? I've added a bit to the fluff to justify the previous ruler requirement as well

Proposed:
Kraterocracy
Pre-reqs: Mercenaries (or similar)
Effects: +1 Military for non-dynastic rulers if predecessor's military was 8 or higher. -1 military to dynastic leader's military
Write up: Leadership in this culture is held by those who can take it. To rise to the top one must be a powerful combatant in one's own right and also be able to command (albeit maybe only temporarily) the support of powerful military factions. Reaching that position and holding it for more than a couple of days is a masterclass in the exercise of might and those who manage are capable generals and powerful fighters. Conversely, attempting to sidestep this process just because mummy or daddy was a ruler will have you branded a coward and a failure by those currently under you rendering them less likely to listen to and follow your military instructions. Of course, if their predecessor leaves the military underfunded, undermanned or under-led then their successor will find it easier to divide and conquer and so won't receive the benefits of having to do it the hard way.



(to follow, included out of a warped sense of completeness)

Mil tech's approved.
If you drop the (-1 military to dynastic leader's military), then the effect of the Eco tech is approved. You'd need different fluff for it, as was discussed on Discord.

Artifact Proposal: The Round Table

Forged in the early days of the Giantslaying legend of the Lighthouse the scrappy upstart champions, beasts, stalkers, and trappers would convene around this relic to swap stories about their hunts. This mystical place of camaraderie forges an indelible bond between heroes of yore whose bravery and zealotry infuse the very stone of this sacred shared space. From here no Titan is safe from the machinations of radiant rangers and their reach spreads long and far.

Effect: Any country may sponsor The Round Table as a non-action. While sponsoring the Giantslayer’s Titan Hunts count the sponsors Capital as their own for distance penalties and receive a +1. You cannot sponsor yourself if you possess The Round Table.

A bit too much. Revised effect: Any country may sponsor The Round Table as a Diplomacy or Economy action. Once per turn, the owner of the Round Table may pay 3 effective regions of distance to skip to a sponsor's capital for a roll relating to a Titan hunt or Titan-related investigation. The owner of The Round Table may not sponsor themself.

Tac Doc for approval:

Hold the Line of Light: +4 to Defending a Region, +2 Enemy Leader Loss Roll

The math doesn't quite work out. I'd recommend the following: If fighting defensively, +4 to battle and +4 to enemy leader loss

Writeup of Region 73 for approval.

Raconensae[Region 73]

Spoiler: Thalassography

Show

Soft, pale sands shift with the darkening of the water to harsh shards of crystal and rock, melding together in geometric patterns and pockets where arching anemones and clams attempt to root. The water is startlingly clear for how close it borders the Wastes, while an observer from the surface can’t see straight down, once the boundary of crystal is passed, it is quite easy to see circular structures in the depths, interspersed and apparently using the alternating softness and hardness of the substrate for construction. As scouts approach the boundary of the Wastes, the anemones cluster and reach heights of several meters, forming an underwater forest stretching from northwest to southeast.

Spoiler: People, Government, History

Show

When the Doflein arrived, there were two primary populations in Raconensae. Most notable were the siliike, whom the Doflein call the strisii. These are squidlike creatures with a long, narrow head mounted atop three girthy tentacles, each ending in a trio of smaller tentacles that allow for fine manipulation. They are exceptionally quick and agile, both mentally and physically, and given to rash decisions, fully anticipating an easy escape.

The other people group is the Kiwa. The Chrysomallon Kiwa are cancrine mollusks whose cutting claws are coated in near-luminous hair. These extend three inches--half their body length--forward from their main shell, from which their reamining eight over-articulated legs riot outwards, between which a cancerous mass of eyes peer dimly out. The shell under whose rim these endless eyes squint slopes thickly back, glinting with specks of the same gold of the clawhairs, but otherwise the rude black of unworked iron dominates their greigite-based exokeleton. They do not know permanence, as they are migrants to these waters, but they are fully bound to the seafloor.

For this reason, the siliike have ruled Raconensae since the Kiwa arrived - their mobility granted them power, and the Kiwa could not compete. Mostly, this just means that the Kiwa survive by eating and providing labor, while the siliike hunt, party, and feast.

Spoiler: Resources

Show

Export: Rust-Veined Pumice. The dying scraps of the anemones often drift beneath the seafloor, beyond the grasping reach of the Kiwa. As they decay, they release a foul gas that is trapped within the roiling, half-molten rock far below. As the floor shifts, chunks of this pumise rise, carried on currents, to heights from which normal folks can harvest them.
Import: Drugs. The strisii are hedonists.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

Kiwa wished on an Ancient scales
And that's what started Ancient Tails
Around the sea the Strisi swim
But the kiwa offered up their hymn:

They in chorus sang about their lieges' tails
Now their religion can never fail

Ancient Tails, Ancient Tails
It's long past time for Ancient Tails
Come along and take my fin
Let's all sing our Ancient Hymn

The faith is simple, grocking isn't too hard
You feel envy for tails, they're your favorite part
They look so majestic in the waters above
And they're the only thing that the Kiwa love

Ancient Tails, Ancient Tails
It's long past time for Ancient Tails
Come along and take my fin
Let's all sing our Ancient Hymn

Ancient Tails, Ancient Tails
It's long past time for Ancient Tails
Come along and take my fin
Let's all sing our Ancient Hymn

The holy sites are as follows
The Spire: A towering, spiraling column of crystal and anemones that juts out of the ocean floor. It is surrounded by a swirling mass of grit, scraps of biomass, and pumice. The lighter pumice floats ever up, while the biomass sinks slowly to the waiting claws of the Kiwa.

The Stillness: A pocket of warm, stagnant water that is formed between two dense patches of crystal sits nearly at the center of Raconensae, the Stillness is a meditative paradise. It is quiet, calm, pleasant, dark, and enclosed, free of distractions and cut off from the demands of the world.

Approved! Please inform me how I ought to pronounce "siliike" at the next available opportunity.

[Tychris1]

Can I keep the +1 to Titan Hunts while sponsoring.

[TheDarkDM]

Region for review:

The Crawling Crags (Region 20)

Spoiler: Geography

Show

The Crawling Crags (Region 20)

A rocky expanse riven with shallow fissures, the Crawling Crags has little at first glance to entice long term habitation. That is, until night falls, and the faint glow coming through the cracks in the sea floor. Through those crevasses, a visitor would see the hidden world of the Crawling Crags, shallow caverns that play host to a wide variety of hearty corals and grasses, fed by geothermal vents and a series of dizzying currents that draw in unwary prey from the edges of the region. It is in these fragile bubbles of life that the inhabitants of the region, the Revenant Hermits, construct their dizzying spiral villages.

Spoiler: People

Show

Revenant Hermits

Reminiscent of bone-white hermit crabs, the Revenant Hermits stand three feet tall when in motion, though this belies a great deal of their mass due to their hunched posture and manifold limbs. However, unlike the smaller crabs with which they share a name they do not scavenge mollusc shells - instead, small family groups construct elaborate spiral shell structures from the chitinous resin secreted from a specialized gland in their underbelly. Disdaining large settlements, groups of Revenant Hermits range far afield, their hunters appearing above ground briefly, if ever.

Spoiler: Resource

Show

Carcinized Architects

Though they lack the large settlements that normally presage elaborate monuments in other cultures, the entirety of Revenant Hermit art is focused around architectural endeavor. To that end, their isolated homesteads are miracles of angle and curve, expertly crafted such that seemingly diaphanous supports can anchor structures of majestic scale. It is this expertise more than anything else that draws the eyes of outsiders to the Crags, and the Revenants profit greatly in plying their expertise as free masons.

Resource Requirement: Unskilled Labor

For all their expertise, however, the Revenant Hermits are not a profligate people, and architectural ambitions are too-often stymied by lack of labor. To solve this issue, some exceptionally sociable homesteads have begun seeking a source of “alternative labor,” that might be put to the backbreaking work of exceeding the greatest achievements of Revenants past.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

Spindleshrines: Isolationist by nature, the Revenant Hermits do not gather for conventional worship. Indeed, the faith of each individual Revenant is a deeply private affair, and they rarely express their faith even among family. Instead, each homestead maintains a fragile, luminous spindleshrine somewhere in the vicinity of their claimed cavern, where Revenants can travel at their own whim to contemplate the endless tides. As with their other structures, these spindleshrines are built as expressions of architectural excellence, with the grandest and most beautiful drawing the rare pilgrim from farther afield.

[mystic1110]

Region Writeups

179 - Sunken Necropolis

Spoiler: Geography

Show

Geography

Deep beneath the surface of the ocean, an otherworldly world exists. Sunlight filters down through the water, casting a soft blue glow over the sunken city ruins that litter the seafloor. Ancient buildings, once grand and mighty, are now covered in coral and seaweed, their walls and pillars crumbling.

Ships and boats, long since abandoned, rest on the ocean floor, their masts and hulls encrusted with barnacles and shells. Schools of colorful fish swim through the streets and alleyways of the sunken city, darting in and out of windows and doorways.

As you swim through this underwater realm, you can't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder. The city, now forever entombed in the depths of the ocean, is a testament to the passing of time and the impermanence of all things. Yet it is also a place of great beauty, a haven for all manner of sea creatures. It is a place where the past and the present collide, a place where one can truly lose themselves in the magic of the sea.

Spoiler: People

Show

The Wetherwisps.

These ghostly creatures are native to the darkest depths of the ocean, where they dwell amongst the ruins of ancient cities. Water Wraiths are highly intelligent and can communicate telepathically with others of their kind. They are known to be fiercely protective of their territory and will attack any intruders with powerful psychic blasts. To whom the ancient cities belonged to is beyond the knowledge of the Wetherwisps. In terms of government, it is difficult to say as Wetherwisps do not really have a traditional government like other regions. It is possible that they may have some sort of hierarchy or social structure within their own kind, but this would be largely dependent on their individual personalities and the specific needs of their group. In general, it is likely that Wetherwisps operate in a more predatory or survivalist manner, focusing on securing resources and territory for themselves rather than working towards the greater good of a larger community.

Spoiler: Resource

Show

Weatherwisps

Weatherwisps are both the people and the resource of this Region. While Weatherwisps are essentially ghosts, it is possible to swallow a weakened ghost and allow oneself to be temporarily possessed - thus experiencing a euphoric high similar to a hallucinogenic drug.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

Heartsweepers

The central tenet of the Heartsweepers faith is the belief that the living are corrupt and unworthy of existence, and that it is the duty of the Weatherwisps to cleanse the world of their presence. According to the teachings of the Heartsweepers, the Weatherwisps are blessed with the power to purify the world through their powerful psychic abilities, which they use to attack and destroy any living beings that they encounter. The Weatherwisps believe that by cleansing the world of the living, they will be able to bring about a new age of peace and prosperity for their own kind. The Heartsweepers faith is a deeply nihilistic and destructive religion, and those who follow it are often feared and reviled by other underwater species. However, the Weatherwisps are fiercely devoted to their faith and will stop at nothing to spread its teachings and bring about the purification of the world.

187 - Marble Kingdom

Spoiler: Geography

Show

Geography

As you dive deeper into the ocean, the sunlight gives way to darkness and you enter a world of shadows and mystery. The water around you is icy cold and still, and you feel a sense of isolation and solitude as you swim through the abyss. But as you continue on your journey, you begin to notice openings in the rocky walls of the ocean floor. These openings lead to a network of caves and grottos, each one more beautiful and mesmerizing than the last. The caves are illuminated by a soft, glowing light that filters in from the surface, casting a warm and welcoming glow over the rocky walls and floors. Stalactites hang from the ceiling like crystal chandeliers, and stalagmites rise up from the ground like marble columns. As you explore these underwater caves and grottos, you feel as though you have entered another world, one that is hidden and unknown to most people. You are filled with a sense of wonder and excitement as you discover new nooks and crannies, and marvel at the beauty of the underwater world.

Spoiler: People

Show

Deep Dancers

These graceful creatures are native to the depths of the ocean, where they dwell in underwater caves and grottos. Deep Dancers are known for their shimmering, iridescent scales and long, flowing tentacles, which they use to swim and maneuver through the water with ease. They are highly social creatures and are often found in large schools, where they engage in elaborate courtship rituals and dance to the rhythms of the ocean. In terms of government, the deep dancers have a egalitarian and cooperative society, as they are known to be highly social and value harmony and cooperation. They may have a council of leaders that help to guide and make decisions for the group, but these leaders are chosen through consensus or democratic means rather than through a more hierarchical or authoritarian system. The deep dancers may also place a strong emphasis on personal freedom and individual expression, as they are known for their elaborate courtship rituals and dance to the rhythms of the ocean. This leads to a more decentralized and fluid system of governance, where individuals have a greater degree of autonomy and the group works together towards common goals.

Spoiler: Resource

Show

Stripdrill Hyphae

Stripdrill Hyphae is a type of underground fungus that has the ability to produce a powerful drug when ingested. The fungus grows in long, thin strands, which are typically harvested and dried for use. When ingested, Stripdrill Hyphae has a number of effects on the body, including increased energy and focus, as well as heightened senses and sensory perception. Some users have even reported experiencing hallucinations or altered states of consciousness when taking the drug. In addition to its use as a drug, Stripdrill Hyphae can also be used as a heat source. The fungus has the ability to generate a significant amount of heat when it is exposed to oxygen, making it a valuable resource for those in cold or inhospitable environments. The fungus can be burnt as a fuel source, or its heat can be harnessed and used to warm homes or other structures. Stripdrill Hyphae is a highly sought after resource due to its unique properties, and is often traded or sold on the black market.

Spoiler: Faith

Show

The Deep Dancers follow the faith of the "Eternal Communion" - however as was well known the teaching of this faith were wide a varied and rarely practiced the same way twice. According to the teachings of the Eternal Communion, as interpreted by the Deep Dancers, all living beings are connected and part of a greater whole, and it is the duty of each individual to maintain harmony and balance within the natural world. The Deep Dancers believe that through the practice of meditation and the cultivation of inner peace, they can tap into the collective consciousness of all living things and better understand their place in the grand scheme of things. They also place a strong emphasis on the importance of community and cooperation, and believe that by working together and helping one another, they can bring about a greater sense of harmony and unity within the world. The Deep Dancers view the oceans as a sacred place, and believe that they have a special connection to the spirits of the water. They often engage in ritual practices and offerings to honor and give thanks to these spirits, and believe that by doing so, they can maintain a strong and positive relationship with them. Overall, the Eternal Communion is a faith that promotes peace, unity, and a deep respect for the natural world. The Deep Dancers who follow this faith strive to live in harmony with the oceans and all the creatures that dwell within them, and believe that by doing so, they can bring about a greater sense of balance and harmony within the world.

[mystic1110]

GP in Region 58 Proposal

Basilisk Protocols

The faith project was constructed by the Herring surrounding the Cathedral of Comprehension during Deep Blue's disastrous loss to Tadgceallachmarix. The hivemind upon its return to Coresite, began to refit it's faith nodes to follow the Stony teachings of the Gravekeepers - this inspired them to build their own statues through the dripping of silt cement deposited by thousands of herring over three years in the form of wavy patterns around the Cathedral. These waves acts as amplifiers of the Cathedral's effects towards a more martial interpretation of the Gravekeeper's initial tenets, after all this act of building upon the bones of the dead came from many bones of many dead. The Basilisk Protocols are thought to improve the Artificial Intelligence already in effect in Deep Blue by analyzing hypothetical situations. They are designed to improve decision-making abilities for Deep Blue and when active, the Basilisk will analyze all available information and present Deep Blue with the most optimal course of action for any given threat. The protocols, like the rest of Deep Blue, will continually update and improve its algorithms, becoming more efficient and effective over time.

The proposed ability is that a successful seek aid action allows the use the Child of Pearl's ability to roll twice on Maneuvering rolls without treasure expenditure.

[Tychris1]

Region 22 Neraka Berpasir

Spoiler: Geography

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The region is fittingly named by its distant devolved Siren settlers in years of yester yore for it is a massive and seemingly endless flat expanse of sand. The region is almost remarkable in how unremarkable and disorienting it is. The sole feature of significant note is the sand itself. The shape, coloration, and dissemination of the sand lend to a strange semi-hypnotic gradient pattern. When exposed to this for hours on end it can cause extreme vertigo, disorientation, and migraines. Sporadic structures jutting out of the ground are the only respite and welcome change in the horizon.

Spoiler: History

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Many many years ago a single clever Siren thought herself more treacherous and innovative than all the others. So much so she bragged about it constantly and was summarily exiled. Unrelatedly she chose to travel far to the south in search of the perfect stronghold and settled on... this. A sandy endless waste. She reached its border (What she thought was its border) and wept for she had seemingly no more worlds to conquer. The organization of sand-riding raiders and cutthroats that devolved from her carefully settled initial court has survived to this day. For years they worked in tandem with the strange creatures of the Unity, but then the light of Binar Fajar found them once more and the locals continue to pay their taxes and pay little attention to the goings on of far off lands.

Spoiler: Resource

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Sandfish

The mighty Sandfish is lord of these lands. In the endless hellscape of boredom and monotonous repeating colors this behemoth is the sole judge. Perfectly camouflaged with the patterns of the local sand and large enough to swallow even a Magaramachi whole these creatures are the apex of the local food chain. They are sometimes venerated by locals, who attempt to follow in their strange sand-shifting mannerisms, and live nomadically.

Resource Requirement: Hard Minerals

There's only sand here! With great burly monsters about and a ground that makes you want to scratch your eyes over time the locals need all the hard minerals they can get to provide structures and protection from the surrounding nightmares.

Spoiler: Faith

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No faith has a strong foothold in the region, for the local Kucen care more for material goods and dangers than supernatural or theological. Still, those who do congregate tend to do so in one of two locations. The Old Palace which the nameless ancient Siren once constructed as the heart of her "New" empire and The Sandfish Spawning Grounds because it is quite the sight to behold behemoths copulating under the sand.

[Kythia]

Region 154
The Bloodripper Lands

Spoiler: Geography

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One of the powerful currents that bring salt to the Magaramchi Salination passes through this area. Over the years and centuries it has worn away softer rock leaving strange towers of granite and the like projecting from the landscape. The constant flow of nutrients from the current means that vegetation is lush but the constant scouring means it is largely low-laying, clinging to the seabed. The exception is leeward the various dunes that have built up of current-swept detritus where localised biomes flourish in what would be called a rainforest were it on land.

Spoiler: People

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The Bloodripper lands were colonised, and later named, by the Magaramachi somewhat accidentally and it takes a certain type of person to coonise strange new lands, even if those lands are only a couple of miles north of familiar old lands. The Magaramchi aren't famous for their scholarship or inquisitve nature but there is still variation in the race and by and large it was the more thoughtful (as in, they occasionally wondered what they were eating or from time to time paused attacking something to think about other ways of attacking it) individuals that made the trip. The de facto leader, Big-Brains endlessly circles the piles of tablets and other miscellania he has acquired, pausing only to drive off thieves, and the others have taken his lead Seperated from their ancestral spawning pools and the society built up over the generations, the Bloodripper colonists have become insular and rapacious, little more than a loosely bound group of individuals in endless semi-civil-war over the the collections of one another that are second only to size in their internal hierarchy. If they did any actual scholarship, the Bloodripper lands would be a land of reclusive scholars jealously guarding their stashes. But they don't, they just circle, guard and raid.

The most important area to them, and the closest to a holy site for the reclusive hoarders is Tablet Gully. You may think it's a gully, with tablets in. But youd be wrong. It's a gully where tablets used to be, all are now in the hands of individuals. But over the years the geography shaped powerful currents through the gully and it is still where a lot of detritus washes up. If they have sufficiently subdued their neighbours to feel safe leaving ther stash unguarded, most Bloodripper colonists make the trip here to see daily to see what the currents have washed up.

Relations are strained to the point of non-existence between the Bloodripper colonists and those Magaramchi which remained int he salination. The physical leadership style of the Magaramchi fades quickly with distance and the Bloodripper colonsts consider themselves a seperate nation. The Salination and whoever lays claim to it at the moment, predictably, doesn't.

Spoiler: Resources

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The lush vegetation could have given many potential resources and perhaps if the area had have been colonised by a different race then the Bloodripper Lands would be known for its medicinal herbs, or dyes, or foodstuffs. It would likely have a different name as well. But it was colonised by the Magaramachi and they were taken by the apex predators in this area, the Bloodripper Eels. Powerfully built eels, the largest around half a metre in diameter and three or four metres long with powerful jaws and enough internal musculature to choke prey by wrapping themselves round it, the bloodrippers are a source of food, amusement, danger and waste disposal for the Magaramachi colonists.

Those same colonists are the most inquisitve and curious of an admittedly uninquisitive and uncurious race and the discovery of some ancient stone carvings left noone-knows-who has intrigued them. Each of the solitary Magaramchi guards a horde of carvings that they lack the eyes to decipher along with other trinkets that the currents have brought. Their thirst for other Esoterica is limitless, though unlikely to be fed.

[Volthawk]

Finally got it all together for the mil tech I'm planning on making next round:

Spoiler: Reanimation Colonies

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Originally envisioned by Arnel Belar to bring the ancient creatures who remains were found in the wastes back to a semblance of life, reanimation colonies are interdependent networks of engineered organisms, serving the purposes of muscles, organs and any other tissues necessary to make a dead body move again (the colonies don't quite work right with inorganic or plant matter), creating creatures Arnel refers to as the Reborn, directed through chemical commands picked up by specialised receptors, and sensory organs that are trained to recognise friend from foe. The science of bionecroengineering is still quite young, and thus far the creatures made from the colonies aren't particularly more effective than a normal soldier - Reborn using the titanic skeletons found in the wastes are slow, lurching things, finding difficulty in moving the heavy fossilised bone, and while they're mostly theoretical (the Cyphiri lacking the...raw materials to make them on any meaningful scale, and Arnel not particularly caring to try) Reborn made with smaller corpses may be a more agile, but still not much of a much for a trained army. They are, however, quite useful cannon fodder and forces paired with Reborn contingents can use them to avoid taking some of the losses that would have otherwise been taken by living, sentient soldiers.

Prerequisites: Graduated Symbiosis, Resource: Corpses/Skeletons*
Category: Mounts & Warbeasts
Effect: -10% to own casualties

*I'm personally planning on using this with the Ttianic Rune-Carved Fossils in the wastes, but given this is just a tier 1 tech it seems reasonable to have it more widely usable with smaller bodies - I seem to remember someone (the Riftlings/Riftborn, I think) mentioning planning on making a suitable resource at some point, and if someone really wants to get on the biotech necromancy train, they can always make a usable resource one I guess (putting the whole ethics factor aside - there's a reason the Cyphiri are using the long-dead besides the cool factor). And yes, fossils aren't typically actual skeletons, but the way it was described in the exploration result ("the bones of enormous dead creatures, some of whose skulls alone are larger than their ship, and all of which are etched with geometric patterns that seem to be unreadable runes") suggests there's still usable material and it's not all rock (at the least, going off that description was why I came up with this thing) - if that won't fly, let me know and I'll come up with something else.

Not directly needed for the tech approval, but for reference the relevant bit of the OASIS conference where I first mentioned the idea.

[Tychris1]

My proposed Miracle mechanics:

Change from Crimson Chant to Radiant Indah (RI)

Expand my Communion as Such

RI Followers only takes 0%/5% additional casualties from losing Maneuvering when one or both sides are attempting to use the Eel to their advantage.
RI Followers are not affected by the increased effective region count for distance losses and distance penalties where the Eel is present or Omnipresent
RI Follower Supports will not become Open in regions where the Eel Without End is omnipresent.
RI Head may attempt to shape what the Eel Without End converts Holy Centers to when it enters a region for the second time.
The Eel Without End will not Coerce RI Follower’s Trading Posts unless those are the only Trading Posts in the region.
RI Head may use a Faith action to try to direct the path of the Eel Without End each turn.
RI Followers may buyout TP's coerced by The Eel Without End against TN 14

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Not sure whether this goes here or in the discord but I'll just do it in both.

The Aristrocrats in region 66 should be owned by ESP now, given I impressed them and how a Reaved Aristocrat node is always a TN 13 according to the rules, it shouldn't be decaying reavedly from that node, and the fact that I got that node should be counted.

[Czard]

Region 160 - Neralam

Spoiler: Geography

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Traveling eastward, the expansive basalt plains of Rahakera slope downward; initially, quite gently before rapidly descending into the darkness of the depths of Neralam. Rising from the darkness are numerous white rock spires around which the local species gather, feasting on plants and corals that grow the nutrient-rich rock face. It is around these rock spires, known to the locals as the Menar, that Neralamese society gathers and flourishes. The Menar were carved over epochs by the fierce currents of the region that flow between, carrying in detritus and debris along with the occasional unwitting visitor. They now serve as beacons around which the many clans of the region gather and live.

Spoiler: People

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The Neralamese consists of numerous clans of Pertlan and Bertuaga, each controlling its own Menar, though some larger and more powerful clans have expanded to seize multiple Menar. The dolphin-like Pertlan make up a small majority of the clans, though the porpoise-like Bertuaga make up most of the larger and more powerful clans, including the preeminent Kuasa Clan. These clans are in perpetual conflict, refusing to make any alliances and only settling for the utter annihilation of their rivals. As a result, no earnest attempt to look beyond the depths of Neralam has been made, for all attention is focused inwards on enemies near rather than opportunities afar.

The Pertlan physique can be aptly compared to a small dolphin, being on average one meter in length and sharing similar tails, pectoral, and dorsal fins to dolphins. They have jet-black backs and bright white underbellies, with both colorations extending from the base of their beaks to the tips of their tails. Their beaks are wholly black but vary in shape and size between clans. Other variations from clan to clan include differing patterns of yellow spots just above the pectoral fins and varying tail shapes, with some clans having smoothly curving fish-like tails similar to bottlenose dolphins while others have sickle shaped tails. These features are central to the clans’ identities; a newly born individual whose features deviate significantly from the rest of its clan or worse yet, bear resemblance to a rival clan’s features, will be exiled from its clan, leaving it to die or join one of few colonies of Pertlanic and Bertuagan rejects that have formed in the deeper waters, away from the conflicts above.

The similarly clannish Bertuaga bear resemblance to porpoises, with jet black backs and tan underbellies. They tend to be stockier and larger than their Pertlanic rivals, averaging about one and a third meters long and weighing twice as much. There is less variation from clan to clan amongst the Bertuagan ranks, with the unifying feature of each clan being its distinct dorsal and pectoral fin shapes. The Bertuagan clans will similarly reject individuals whose features do not match the rest of their clans’ well enough.

Spoiler: Resources

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The preeminent Bertuagan Kuasa Clan frequently launches raids on rival Pertlanic clans, kidnapping and enslaving their civilians. With little else in the way of resources offered by the Menar besides what food is needed to sustain the local population, all the Kuasa can offer outsiders are these captured Blackbeak Dolphins, dead or alive.

Ever hungry for the downfall of their neighbors, the Neralamese clans are always searching for the means to bring this about. Any supplier of Military Equipment would be readily welcomed to assist in the clans’ constant skirmishing.

Spoiler: Faith

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Most of the Neralamese Clans adhere to local pagan faiths, whose most devout followers are known as the New Wardens. The New Wardens are believed to communicate with the Spirits of Menar, supernatural guardians each responsible for the protection of its own Menar. Most New Wardens believe their Spirit of Menar wishes for the doom of the other Spirits, driving much of the conflict between the clans.

The faith of the New Wardens originated from the seas north of Neralam where its previous incarnation, the faith of the Old Wardens, first appeared. Since that time, the Old Wardens’ faith drifted south into Neralam via the currents that carved the Menar. Much of the clans’ conflicts predate the arrival of the faith, being originally over resources or local control, but the moment the faith of the Old Wardens was introduced, the clans twisted and contorted it into the New Wardens’ faith to justify their conflicts with their rivals as being endorsed by the divine Spirits of Menar, demanding the destruction of the other spirit guardians and the clans that they protect.

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Region Writeup Second Draft

Region Name: Verja (61), The Factory Of Thorns

Spoiler: Geography:

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A deep, deep region composed of two major strata. The upper strata is populated by a billowing mass of smoke, a foggy region with little in it but water and waste. At the bottom of this barren place, a treasure chest buried under the depths, is the Crown Of Avarice. Within it flows all of the malice and greed and desires of not just this region, but of all of polar. Coalescing into a black spot for Mawbel specifically to harness and direct. Its true appearance is something many desire to know, but something none but the Inky Industrialist herself has seen, and to tell the secrets of the Crown would spoil the value.

Deeper below is the true colony. At depths that would crush standard living organisms live plants that have accustomed to these depths and lifeless machinery that sprawls all throughout these lands. The once rocky, empty lands have filled up to the brim with useless metal that lingered just below the surface. Scrawled up by magic and held together by magnetism into a great factory that yearns forÂ…

Better left unsaid.

Along this place lies thorns, a hedge of brambles, thousands upon thousands of them the size of tree trunks, some veins approaching the size of whales, masses filled with poisonous ink stretching out through the entire region and making even the light from the Crown Of Avarice dim in retrospect. This flora that makes up the outermost layer of seafloor terrain is best described as the Ruling Caste.

Spoiler: People

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There were people, once. They worshipped the Glacial Gods, perhaps entirely unknowing of the true Glacial God that lurked within their waters. MAWbel v2.5 [Songstress] has brought it to life, given it new cylindrical form, and even now its work continues. The people serve within this new religion, and even their forms have been shifted in indistinguishable ways. The process is selectively reversible, supposedly, but most of the denizens of this place have been converted into Burrowing Shrimp, with the intelligence of the Original Shrimp and the New Shrimp equalizing out into something productive, yet compliant.

Society here works towards the goals of the faith as it ever was, and life for those people has been, while diminished, otherwise left uninterrupted. The now-less-mindless Shrimp appreciate the change in hierarchy too, all have become one, and made their coves inside of their new metal alcoves and homes in this place where all light is artificial.

Medusa live here too, although now it is all iterations of Mabel, and all connected to the whole. Her thorns stretch to every corner, give off magnetic waves that the people have been attuned to hear, and is by scholars regarded to be a lower frequency, selectively applied method of Mawbel v2.XXÂ’s singing. The otherwise confused and isolated shrimp-people of the region are easily corralled into efficient construction crews.

Spoiler: Resource / Require Resource

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Resource: Burrowing Shrimp.Shrimp that can burrow. Subterranean people.

Mass amounts of them, thinking, and yet not supremely thinking. Enough to have their own commerce and society, but when examined on a micro level seem more akin to animals than people. Some of these shrimp are smarter than the others, and selectively breed with each other to preserve their comparative intelligence. Mawbel gives slight favoritism towards the intelligent breeds too, delegating them to the leads of tasks and making sure the collective brains donÂ’t breed themselves into oblivion, also making sure that when she needs food or compost to select for the least intelligent of the lot.

The same traits that genetically grant intelligence are also those most suited towards surviving at more intense pressures, and are thusly not really equipped to survive at all at the looser pressures up above. They if anything prefer to dig deeper into the structures, and leave any typical ‘resource’ needs to their less ‘evolved’ brethren.

Required Resource: Unskilled Labor

Turns out, the shrimp becoming a consumerist black hole means they demand an awful lot of labor, far more than they can wrangle out of the shrimp. Far more than they can wrangle out of the remainder of the local wildlife too, for that matter. The local shrimp can do wondrous things on a massive scale, but only when the song directs them to a project, they are too mindless otherwise. The smaller shrimp lords have a thousand things they desire, and can only acquire about four of them. For their unyielding, endlessly growing list of desires they must look to external sources of labor.

Spoiler: Faith

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The Eternal Communion, as headed by Mawbel v2.XX [Songstress]. There is a bigger Industry bent here than most, as it is what the entire evolutionary structure and ecology of the region is based on. There are even connections to the outside, although worship of the High Priestess is far different down below than above, and the shrimp rarely come above for worship. Tribute is given and collected in a different way, with The Crown being a constant beacon no matter the time, although Mawbel will still rise up on Holy Days to collect it and sing for herself.

Unlike other regions where the merits of the religion are held up for their own right, VerjaÂ’s culture is one of utmost practicality, and recognizes that commerce too is something to be channeled for the good ofÂ…

Better left unsaid.

Holy Sites
Abyssal Shroud
A holy site based on a local crater, a holy site based on a similar project in Magma Falls. With imported squid, the few that can survive these pressures, and plastic glitter and smoke trails to adorn it and the holy tourist sites that are even being visited here and there because more and more kingdoms are getting depth access.

Gear Rim
Less of a singular location, and more of a pathway, this makes up a wide 'road' that winds in a mostly oval shape on the base of the region. Going around the whole thing is a sign of pilgrimage, a useless but fulfilling trip around the hampster wheel. Whatever a hampster is.

The Cylinder
A towering titan like entity of smoke, pointing directly up at the Crown Of Avarice. A premium real estate position for the most important of worship, and something that finds its locals overturning fairly often as more and more residents buy their way in and buy the others out.

[Grim ranger]

Region 63 - Redselle

Spoiler: Geography

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A region with similar frozen temperament to the waters of neighboring Yor-sul Depths, Redselle is regardless widely inhabited. A thriving region of merchants long since adapted to combating the cold to practice their craft near the supplies required for their work, the region has long traditions and connections far to other regions of the frozen seas. Its geography possesses few larger underwater mountain ranges, the space between them forming valleys unusually lush for such a cold place. Numerous sorts of flora adapted to the cold and often long dark find a home in this region, he most distinctive of which is dark red reed after which the region has ultimately been named.

The region has many trading towns traveled by caravans hawking fresh discoveries from near and far, the largest of which is Zivia. White not in any way fortified, it is a jewel of the area, the dwellings of richest merchants each attempting to outdo each other in sheer opulence.

Spoiler: People

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The basic social structure of merchants banding together and various people working for them to eventually form large, competing enterprises forms the bedrock of the local hierarchy, and as a result of its extremely developed textile markets the region has long had a large standing army overseen by the richest of merchant families to protect the valuable wares of its inhabitants from foreign aggression. Mer form the bulk of the local population, although with the arrival of Nathi explorers the Nen-shor (or Burning people) have also begun to settle to the area in some numbers. Others come further still, lured in by prospect of rich trade.

Spoiler: Resource & Requirement

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Resource: Sheerspun Fabric

A traditional industry of the region, weaving has long been basis for Redselle's strong economy, and the area's sheerspun fabrics are akin to art by now. Woven from the abundant strands of Redselle's local red reed so finely that the material is somewhat see-through and soft as a dream, this luxury good is in high demand among higher class of merchant.

Requirement: Preservatives

With the production of fabrics being an operation that must be constant for trade to flow uninterrupted, some of the materials needed require means of preserving them further until they can be made use of, the gathering and transportation of large amounts of unprocessed plant matter opening up the very real possibility of spoiled harvests.

Spoiler: Faith

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The region has some prior religious practices united under the banner of Aging Occultism, which are quickly being superceded by the emergent mega-faiths of the Polar waters. So far, however, these larger religions have seemed to deem Redselle beneath their notice.

The site most sacred to the local faith is centered around the Deep Sink (HS 1), an oddly smooth natural well formed into the rock at the very top of a mountain that occasionally sends up erratic jets of water. Many of the local occultists try to decipher the meaning of this ever-changing torrent, while others still dive into it to seek powers beyond the knowledge of common Mer. Another site of mystical significance can be found in Cave of Reeds (HS 2), a cavern so full of local flora that ones venturing inside rarely have an easy time returning...and those who do often seem delirious, speaking of visions of varying accuracy.