Rise and Fall OOB

**Pumpkin Pirate** · 12-25-2012

This is the OOB, where your nation sheets will go.

ONLY POST HERE ONCE YOUR NATION HAS BEEN ACCEPTED.

Furthermore, only post your nation sheet, nothing else.

- - - Updated - - -

Nation Name:
The Imperium of Molreos

Crest of the Imperium:

Spoiler

Molreos:
Molreos was, naturally, a fantastically cold and barren wasteland. It was rocky and entirely unsuitable to any life. However, when, several centuries ago, it was settled by a huge exodus of Elves, they implemented dangerous magics that effectively terraformed the entire land. It became green and virile, an almost haven for life. The land was locked in an eternal Spring time, while the weather itself was carefully controlled by meteorolomancers.

All was well in this tiny northern bubble of Eden, until the Cataclysm. From then on, Molreos has been a land of wonder and zany terror. The green ground turned a bitter purple, tainted by errant arcane, while the flora became twisted into grotesque mockeries and horrific forms. The wildlife too is warped beyond recognition, creating awe-inspiring creatures that live and breathe the arcane.

The land itself is torn apart and cracked. Rocks float, while fissures of white arcane scar the land, leading to one central point, known as the God-Heart. This crater is filled with white arcane residue, and in the centre is a dormant chunk of lifeless gold rock, shaped curiously like a heart.

Race:
Etereons

Race Description:

Spoiler

The Etereons are, amongst the races of the world, so remarkably new that one might shudder to imagine how innocent these beings are. At barely a century old, their culture is in that embryotic stage of unparalleled malleability, where each sole individual can bring to their nation unique experiences to share and expand upon. Their people are bright, inquisitive, and filled with the childish naivety that those new and untouched carry, and while their natural timidity gives them an almost secretive, territorial air of isolationism, they gleefully thirst for interaction with the world.

This ambition is hampered, however, by a thoroughly jarring, and most unfortunate fact. The Etereons are not biological in the slightest, and, in fact, are quite bound by manners that transcend the ordinary mundane of physical entrapments. An Etereon is made purely of errant arcane energy, that twists and writhes into the construct of a short – barely one metre tall – being that hovers from the floor. Naturally, they are incorporeal and immaterial masses of mindless, not-sapient arcane, unable to interact with the world in the slightest, but, due to remarkable magical methods, the Etereons were made a race. They are, as such, wrapped and bound in unfathomably tatty shawls which serve to give the Etereons life and substance.

This binding does not, however, save the Etereons from their most damning flaws, however. Firstly, they are bound to lands rich in magic. Molreos is, as a rule, a land of latent and errant magic, where streaks of arcane dance from runestone to runestone in wondrous displays of purple and blue lightning; flora and fauna is twisted most grotesquely by this magic, and large cracks of bubbling magic ooze throughout the land. It’s a land of great peril, and great beauty, and one of the few area in which an Etereon can safely live. Other, less magically diverse areas of the world are impossible for Etereon life, even for several days.

Furthermore, Etereons are neither male nor female. This is a fascinating, yet unnatural, concept to the Etereons, and while they wish to know more about these biological intricacies, they themselves possess them not. Etereons are not, therefore, born, as much as they are created. While an Etereon has yet to die of old age, and it is postulated that they may, in fact, be quite immortal (yet their experience on their world cannot verify this), the creation of an Etereon is a funny business. It involves huge, cumbersome birthing monuments. These monuments are several metres high, and feature two intricately designed pillars, framing a seething, portal-like creation of deep purple. This swirling mass plucks from areas of instability the energy needed to give an Etereon form, yet is not enough. An Etereon must also be dead, or have died, nearby. From this, the construction will warp the “soul” of the old Etereon into that of a new one, containing a new life that will not remember the previous. Through this method, the population of Etereons has, and always will, remain constant.

The queer formation of the Etereons means that they have neither face nor expression. They have no mouth with which to speak, nor eyes to see. However, they are able to communicate with one another through subtle shifts in the small arcane fields which they themselves are made of. Furthermore, they are able to emulate sounds by vibrating these fields at various frequencies. Food and sleep is a pointless endeavour, and while an Etereon can ‘hibernate’, it is not necessary.

An interesting note is that Etereon names are actually numerical amalgamations in their own language.

Population Scale:
Small – 300,000 citizens

Government:
Magocratic Monarchy

The Etereons are ruled by an enigmatic ruler who has ruled them since the dawn of their rather catastrophic creation. Kejser - the Etereon word for Emperor – Sindellius was the first Etereon to make its way from the primordial ooze of the God-Heart.

Etereon government is a wholly curious affair. While the Kejser does, in theory, hold supreme power, various universities, built in the discarded ruins of previous colleges, have been created. These structures, known as Cynosures, have amassed vast power, and each Illuminant – effectively the Headmaster – holds a position of considerable power in governmental proceeds. There are forty seven Illuminants, all forming the Eduskant. This Eduskant is the equivalent of a parliament for the country, and it severely limits the power of the Kejser.

One might presume from this that there is some form of democracy in the nation, but this is wholly incorrect. The Eduskant is unelected, and devoted to nepotism. It actively cripples the Kejser regularly, and promotes those Etereons with outstanding magical ability to high levels of society. Indeed, a curious class system has been created due to the Eduskant, in which any Etereon, despite their allotted position in society, can be brought to a form of nobility just through owning incredible magical ability.

Laws are created and drawn up by the Kejser, but it is the Eduskant which approves or denies them. Power truly does rest in this arrogant party.

People of Importance:
Kejser Norionil – the eccentric Kejser is named, in the Etereon language, “One”. He crawled from the seething God-Heart which spewed his people, and found himself wandering alone for a single year before he was joined. His position of authority was instantaneous, and while he is indecisive, weak, and prone to severe mood swings, he has a natural charisma which allows him to inspire and gratify those around him.

Illuminant Sindellius – “Forty-Eight” in the Etereon language, Norionil is the Illuminant of the Cynosure of Endrelthas.

Nation Size:
Small

Capital:
Endrelthas

Endrelthas is a quaint city, for the twisting nether that is the eternally mad land of Molreos. Visitors would be struck by how purple the land is, and then by the multitude of floating spires, buildings, and other miscellaneous items. The city is square, and boxed in by a low wall that almost mathematically encloses it. At each corner is a frightfully large obelisk that glows white-blue permanently, offering the city its necessary magic to ensure a suitable level of magic. Like most, if not all, Etereon settlements, Endrelthas is simply the discarded ruin of a long dead civilisation.

Settlements:
Etereon architecture is fanciful and fantastical. Almost always supported by magic rather than true masonry, structures made within inflated mushrooms, disproportionate rocks, and even underground burrows are common. However, towns and cities tend to contain similar architectural styles, and, as such, one would be hard pressed to discover spires coinciding with burrows. Imagination is key with Etereon housing, and the only common feature is three metre high obelisks which constantly maintain the impossibly built homes. These fragile structures, if destroyed, would ensure each settlement would fall.

Nation History:
The Etereon are a spectacularly new race to the world, and their history is shallow and watery, in need of the richness afforded to other races. They first came to the world one-hundred-and-twelve years ago. Molreos, at this time, was inhabited by a rather curious group of Elves. Introverted and callous, these Elves delved deeply into magics forbidden and obscure. There was no limit to their quest for knowledge in these arts, and, through the use of remarkable, yet now defunct and ruined, magical gates, they were sealed off from the world.

These Elves were obsessed with divinity above all else, and their pursuits of magic reflected this.

At one stage, they finally created an avatar. This avatar would, through painful magics, and harsh arcane wizardry, transcend their race to godhood. Preparations were made, and libations to their gods of Reason and Logic offered, but when the time came, their magics proved too volatile and prideful. Molreos was torn asunder in a great cataclysm which wrenched the land apart. The great gate which had protected their lands magically shattered under the terrifying explosion, but not before protecting, ironically, the outside world from the hubris of the Elves.

Molreos itself was forever changed. Where it has once been a vibrant land, stuck in a perpetual spring-time due to the magics of the Elves, it was now a barren mess. Plants grew, and the fauna survived, but magic was infused in the land now so completely that everything was altered. Molreos is a land to put Wonderland to shame, as great mushrooms rise into the night sky, while tulips chase down winged-rabbits across the purpled landscape. Great fissures dot the land, all meeting at a central crater, all emanating bright white arcane which permanently burns away.

In the midst of this damage, the Elves vanished. The avatar was also destroyed, apart from its fiery heart, from which the Etereons spewed forth. After several hundred thousand were vomited out, the heart sealed itself.

Since then, the Etereons have taken up to inhabiting the Elves’ former cities and towns. None have managed to escape the confines of their borders, and, at present, contact with other races has yet to be made. Still, the Etereons are developing their own culture slowly, amidst the corpse of an old one, and their love for magic has ensured that the Elves now have a place of godhood amongst the Etereons; ironically fulfilling what they had originally set out to do. Indeed, the Transmutagional Church holds the Holy Triumvirate, of the gods Reason, Logic, and Magic, as well as thousands of other lesser gods and demons, all based upon the culture of those now-extinct Elves.

Nation's Trade Resources:
Exports:
Tin
Copper
Bronze
Pretty purple crystal ornaments

Imports:
Hard and soft woods
Iron
Weapons
Stone

Military:
Very, very poor. The military is 5% of the population, making 15,000 soldiers.

Regular troops:

Spoiler

2,000 of these are regular foot soldiers. They are armed with poor quality swords and shields, and trained equally poorly. The Etereons have no experience of war, or of real fighting. Etereon soldiers are bound in armour instead of the arcane rags normal Etereons are. They are also provided with legs, interestingly, for no real reason than aesthetics.

5,000 troops are involved in archery.

Navy: This does not exist. The Etereons have not ever built a boat.

Magic: The remaining 8,000 soldiers are magi of various kinds. Magics from pyromancy to necromancy are practised with equal measure, though there is a high emphasis on the College of Abjuration, which professes a highlight on protection and shielding.

**Palamon** · 12-25-2012

Nation Sheet
Nation Name: The Edyr Sovereignty (Eh-der)
Race: Human - Ederian (Eh-der-ian), Other mixed races - however the Empire files other races in a lower class system
Race Description: Human - Race of Human with white skin and almost 95% of Ederians have a gene for silvery white hair

Spoiler

Population Scale: over 1,400,000 - including the slave population of over 200,000
Government: Imperial Theocratic Republic - The Emperor is a descendant of Utherius "the first god". There is a senate that is comprised of elected officials from across the regions of the Empire. Senators are elected officials, and they make up the law making body. Yet the emperor retains rights to enforce or veto any law he sees fit. The senate is comprised of five different individuals who have gained enough popularity to be elcted as voices of the Emperor. A senator is powerful enough to negotiate with foreign powers, but ultimately the Emperor can decide the course for the nation. Women have no power in government.
Hierarchy of Ederian Government

Spoiler

People of Importance: The Emperor - Emperor Ralimus Utherius III, Heir - Torval Utherius II, Queen Maligna Yhurim, and the Senate
Nation Size: See map
Capital: Uthum
Settlements: Large stone buildings in central Edyr near capital, (Think Greco-Roman). But as you travel farther out from the capital you reach a more primitive German style architecture, wooden frames with thatch roofs. They have built an extensive road system through the empire, and it is the first priority of any new settlement to immediately build roads connecting to the Empire.
Nation History: Originally formed from a series tribes more than 2,000 years ago, the empire is one of the oldest nations. The tribes held in common their belief in the gods, called the Itheric Pantheon, the belief in the "first god" Utherius was the leading force to their unification. As the tribes connected and grew, the first city began to develop and they named it after their god, they called it Uthum. After the unification of this tribes the Ederians began to quickly conquer the scattered tribes surrounding them, and a worrior and politician rose from this named Tyuriel Utherius I who was proclaimed Emperor, and descendant of the Utherius. From this the Empire was born, and they began an age of imperialism, and expansionism, absorbing remaining Ederian tribes, and conquering the Non-human races around them.
Nation's Trade Resources: Mix of agricultural, and luxury goods.

Military: Compulsory Military service required for all citizens, roughly 30% of Population - over 310,000.
Regular troops: Ederians are know for their heavily armored footmen and cavalry. They rely on discipline and protection, thus missing out on skilled archers, and freedom of movement. Using superior formed ranks and steady advances the Military philosophy of Edyr is to crush the resistance by outlasting and surround its enemies.

Spoiler

Field Clerics: The church of Utherius also deploys some of its clerics to the military. These "field-clerics" as they are know, utilize heavy armor, and the restorative power of prayer to fight and aid troops in battle.

Spoiler

Navy
Mostly comprised of a large merchant fleet. However the Sovereighty retains a powerful, yet small amount of trireme warships. The navy is mostly used to further the imperialistic colonization efforts of the Sovereignty.
Magic: Ederians have a hatred of magic, and it's users are persecuted in the empire. The the only semblance of magic that exists is that of the Church of Utherius, whose priests practice restorative powers.

Map

Spoiler

Flag

Spoiler

**Arxia** · 12-25-2012

Nation Sheet: (Kingdom of) Rivalia

Race: River Elves

Race Description:
The River Elves are a subspecies of elves that adapted and developed in accordance with living close to rivers. Yet, despite this they have many common Elven characteristics. They tend to be tall, with the average male standing 6'11" and the average female standing 6'6". Like most elves, they tend to be light in comparison to their height with the average male being 180 pounds and the average female being 125 pounds. They have sharp facial features, like a pointy nose and ears as well as a rather thin jaw.
However, because of their development into a seperate subspecies, they have a certain things other elves don't have. Their hair is usually blond, though dark brown is found. Their eyes are usually blue, but green is found in about 22% of the population (a decent margin). They are very agile and excellant swimmers, it coming as an almost innate ability at birth that just needs honing with time. The skin is always a pale tan colour. River Elves tend to live to about 200, but the military brings the average lifespan to about 95. River Elves reach maturity at age 20. Being light, agile, and excellant swimmers has led most River Elves to have fairly broad shoulders and unbelievable grace in the water has led to many aquatic sports to rise up. This agility has also led to the need for quicker, sharper senses and so their hearing and eyesight is about 30% better than other elven species. They also have a reaction time quicker than other elves by about 50%.
The typical diet of a River Elf is about 10% Land Game, 25% Fish and Seafood, and 65% Plant Food. However, at times in the year Fish and Seafood makes up as much as 60% of their diet because of festivals and celebrations.

All of these things have led to the River Elves having a strong warrior culture. Men are taught from a young age about fighting and self defence and military strategy. Women are taught from a young age about the works of a home and healing. Yet, despite this warrior culture, they still maintain almost perfect harmony with nature like their elvish nature would suggest.

Population Scale: 1 Million

Government: Constitutional Monarchy
The Government of Rivalia is split into three branches, Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. All are located in Riverdale.

People of Importance:

More to Come Later

Nation Size: Large

Capital: Riverdale
Riverdale, the capital city of Rivalia, is located near the source of the Rivals River, the large, western river within the nation. It is built off of one slender mountain that has a large, natural archway over the river. The city is, because of its mountain location, built in levels, terraces, which were artificially carved from the mountain. The city is tightly planned as to make the entire city an elaborate work of art of both Elven architecture and natural beauty.
The port is contained under a natural vault. This vault is almost 200 feet high, about 100 feet wide, and about 500 feet long allowing ships to maneuver into a docking position. When on land under this vault, one takes the ramps up to the first section of the city, the Merchant District.
The Merchant District is in a state of constant hustle and bustle. Centered on a circular plaza where new, aspiring traders can set up booths with their goods, the rectangle of stone that lies above the vault is split into squares where established merchants build shops to sell their wares. Around the border of the Merchant District are larger plots of lands where parks are alternated with plots for Trade Offices from other nations. Those plots for offices that are not taken yet are occupied during the day by carts of more aspiring merchants, which ended up forcing the government to put a gate around the District so people would stop falling off into the river below.
From the Merchant District, you can walk to the lowest of the three rings of the mountain, the Residential District, more specifically Mideast. The Residential can be subdivided into the northern quarter being upper class living known as the Northend, the bottom half being lower class living known as the Southend, and the areas in between (totaling another quarter, split into two eighths) being the middle class living areas known as the Midwest and the Mideast depending on where they are. Northend contains houses usually of two stories and has many gardens and clean streets. Northend is by far the most beautiful residential area in the entire nation, a well-coordinated piece of art. Midwest and Mideast mostly contain single story houses and each have a few smaller parks, which still make them beautiful places to live, but they pale in comparison to Northend. Southend, however, is the slum of Riverdale. Most people live in tents or worse, the streets are always dirty, and there are brothels galore. Yet despite this, the people in Southend have organized a sort of proto-housing committee in order to make sure even Southend has some artistic nature within it.
From the Residential District, you can go up a level to the Museum District, a district mostly covered in forests and waterways navigated by gondolas. Yet within this district under the canopies and birds flying are several museums and libraries, ones that many from all over wish to come see and learn at.
From the Museum District, one could take ramps to the Civil District, the area of Riverdale where all government affairs take place. The Civil District is centered on the Grand Castle of Rivalia, the home of the King and the place of work for the executive branch of government. The Grand Castle takes up the majority of the Civil District, but around the edge of the civil district is the Senate Sphere, a sphere built into the side of the mountain with side sections to hold the legislative branch, the Supreme Court Building, and various monuments around the edge.
Yet that is the artificial beauty of Riverdale. If viewed from afar, you see it surrounded on one side by forest and on the other by snow-peaked mountains. All up the sides of the mountain is greenery of the forest creeping into the city. And the city seems to be covered in a veil of mist, seemingly magical, but actually just coming off of the rivers and waterfalls and waterways and ponds within the city. Riverdale is the crown jewel of Rivalia, through and through.

Settlements: Architecture tends to be made of mostly wood with stone, some cities even being carved out of mountains. The shapes tend to be Grecko-Roman mixed with a bit more natural shapes and slight, almost non-existant, medieval influences. This should give you some idea, as well as expand the idea of what the capital looks like.

Nation History:

PC - Pre Collapse (of Ancient Rivalia)
CA - Common Age

***NOTE: Rivalia's Common Age coincides with the start of LR***

ca. 3000 PC --- Ancient Rivalia Established
1 PC --- Ancient Rivalia Collapses
1 CA --- Small Tribes come into existence warring with each other all across Ancient Rivalia. Legend states some elves fled the land that was Rivalia for other places.
600 CA --- The Lord of one Tribe in the west claims his surname to be Rivals and is descendent of the leader of Ancient Rivalia, and thus united the warring tribes. Rivalia begins eastward expansion.
645 CA --- Rivalia encounters the Lumen in the Legacy Mountains. Skirmishes are followed by peace talks that led to the Legacy Mountains being the northern border of Rivalia.
1963 CA --- Rivalia discovers how to make cannons and arms warships.
2000 CA --- The Current Year

Month 1
Day 1 --- Winter Solstice
Day 4 --- (Start of RP) Lord of Dragoria Assassinated; King Rivals Jr. Orders the Extermination of Elves on Legacy Peninsula
Day 5 --- Word Reached Riverdale that Tarrok was under Siege by Revolutionaries; Fort Letson Established
Day 7 --- Fallow Removed as being the Lord of Dragoria

Nation's Trade Resources: Lumber, Stone, Fish, Iron, Gold, Weaponry, Ships, Rivalian Glow Flowers

Military: 25% of Population (250,000 people)

Army: 60% of the Military (150,000)
Every Infantry in the Rivalian Army has the same basic gear consisting of Leather Boots (Brown), Cotton Pants (Green w/ Blue), Leather Chaps (Brown), Cotton Shirt (Green w/ Blue), Iron Studded Leather Chest Armour (Brown), Iron-Reinforced Leather Forearm Pads (Brown), Leather Belt (Brown), Combat Knife, Canteen, plus, for Winter Wear, Wool Scarf (Blue), Wool Winter Cap (Blue), and a Wool Peacoat (Blue).
Officers are then allowed to customize their armour as they wish, so their armour becomes very individualized by person.
Below Officers are Knights. Knights have Leather Armour, but it is usually replaced with iron armour made of overlapping plates for mobility. They also have an iron helmet with cotton padding on the inside covered by leather for comfort. Armament for Knights is typically an iron sword and shield (think classic shield shape) and for a secondary weapon they use a mini crossbow. Knights also have a Horse at there disposal but usually only use it for travel.
Below Knights are soldiers of various ranks that are equipped with either two iron swords, or an iron sword and a iron plated wooded shield.

Every Support Unit in the Rivalian Army has the same basic gear consisting of Leather Boots (Brown), Cotton Pants (Green w/ Blue), Leather Chaps (Brown), Cotton Shirt (Green w/ Blue), Leather Chest Armour (Brown), Iron-Reinforced Leather Forearm Pads (Brown), Leather Belt (Brown), Combat Knife, Canteen, Cloak (White or Blue) plus, for Winter Wear, Wool Scarf (Blue), Wool Winter Cap (Blue), and a Wool Peacoat (Blue).
Archers then have there bow and a quiver.
Crossbowmen have there crossbow and a quiver.
Trebuchet Men have a mini crossbow. (Trebuchets are usually only used in defence)

Uni-Calvary, Unicorn Mounted Calvary, have the same gear of Leather Boots (Brown), Cotton Pants (Green w/ Blue), Leather Chaps (Brown), Cotton Shirt (Green w/ Blue), Iron Studded Leather Chest Armour (Brown), Iron-Reinforced Leather Forearm Pads (Brown), Leather Belt (Brown), Combat Knife, Bow, Quiver (Plus Arrows), Mini-Crossbow, Canteen, plus, for Winter Wear, Wool Winter Cap (Blue), and a Wool Peacoat (Blue). They also have their own Unicorn and Leather Studded Armour for it, as well as a saddle. There are only about 100 Uni-Calvary at a time.

The Dragon Riders gear tends to vary a lot per individual, but they all have a ring bestowed to them for being Dragon Riders that allow them to Teleport. This ring causes a drain on them, and with the Dragon they can only teleport about two times without fainting. The Dragons tend to be 20-30 ft long, scales of several colours, and fire-breathing, with iron armour helmets for the dragons as well as other minor iron armour pieces.

Navy: 40% of the Military (100,000)
Rivalian ships in the Navy are marked with the designation Royal Sailing Ship - XXXXXX, the X's being numbers (i.e. RSS - 000019). These are the formal designations. They also have informal designations of names (i.e. the RSS Crossbow). Ships in the Royal Navy range from crew sizes of 50 to 500 depending on size. The Royal Navy splits the ships into three classes.
The first class, Transport Class, can range from any size and is usually to bring the Army or supplies to locations. These ships typically aren't armed except for maybe one or two mounted crossbows on the larger versions. They use sails in combination with oars and can achieve between 7 and 18 mph in good conditions, depending on size.
The second class, Fighter Class, is usually deployed to protect Transport Class ships and support Battleship class ships. Their size range from 50 to 300 crewman depending on size. Fighter ships typically use only sails or only oars and are only armed with what the crew brings and mounted crossbows. These ships typically get between 10 and 20 mph in good conditions depending on size and method of locomotion.
The third class, Battleship Class, is the biggest ship class Rivalia builds at the moment. With crews of 250 to 500 in size, these ships are massive. They typically have hidden iron plate armour, disguised to look like wood as well a combination of multiple sails and oars to propel the ship. Yet because of the size, these ships tend to not get above 10 mph in speed. These ships are armed with cannons (a relatively new technology for Rivalia), mounted crossbows, and ramming beams.

Magic: Magic the River Elves use typically comes from magical items. These magical items are few and far between, it being illegal to own with very few exceptions. In fact, most of it is concentrated in the Museums of Riverdale. These items are some of the last remnants of ancient Rivalia's Golden Age. They mostly have defensive purposes but there are some offensive items as well that can do things like shooting lightening at enemies. However almost all of these items take a toll on the user.

Still a work in progress. Black dot is Riverdale. Westernmost city is Westport. Southern Most City is Southpoint. Above Southpoint, still on the Dragon Peninsula is Dragoria. Above Dragoria is Championsville. The large Northern Central City is Tarrok. Others to be named later.

**The Whacko** · 12-25-2012

Nation Name: United Kingdom of Rasalhague (Usualy just 'Rasalhague' on maps)
Race: Human, Highland Elves
Race Description: The Humans of Rasalhague come from a mixture of several related racial stocks. These peoples are the Chereks, Bretons, Pallians, Rakands, and each people lays hold over their own state within the kingdom. The Chereks are a tall, bulky and fair-haired people with a strong warrior-sailor tradition, often considered the best seamen in the world bar none. The Bretons are more varried, but typicaly follow the local patern of being large of stature, and like their Cherek cousins have a strong warrior tradition, but believe in the ancient code of chivalry rather than raw brutality, and have recently embraced trade with the neighboring kingdom of Rivalia. Pallians are what could best be considered the merchant class of Rasalhague, being smaller than their cousins, fair-haired and delicately featured. They don't have the warrior-codes of their neighbors, and have long been a 'client people' of the Bretons, trading their mercantile prowess for military protection, and were instrumental in establishing the standardized local economy. The Rakands the fewest in number, but also the most tenacious in warfare. They have a long history of violence, and many tyrants have risen amoung their ranks and commited horrifying atrocities. They are often distrusted by their neighbors, though since the unification of Rasalhague, they have 'settled down', and are embracing trade and cooperation with the other peoples of their state.

The Highland Elves are fewer in number, but no less important than their Human neighbors in local politics. Far more hardy and warlike than most other Elves, they are a tall, stocky people, strong-featured and, unlike other Elves, often grow beards. Living in the same lands as the Chereks, they share many of the same traditions, and can often be found on Cherek ships and in their cities, though they do hold their own state in Southern Rasalhague, known as Delchin. Elven-Human hybrids exist in small numbers, and do not face discrimination.

Population Scale: 1,223,734 (Roughly seventy percent Human, twenty five percent Elven, and five percent Elven-hybrids)

Government: A rather odd mixture of monarchy and republican governments, the royal family is appointed by an elected council made up of five representitives of each race in the kingdom, and each state is watched over by an elected jarl. These families usualy reign for only a century before they are required to step down, and jarls serve a term of five years. The council is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the kingdom, and overseering law and order within its borders. The royal family is responsible for overseeing the military and major issues affecting the entire kingdom, though the king typically colaborates with the council during times of war, plauge or famine.

People of Importance: King Tor Miraborgue, Jarl Korgoth Iron-Grip (Cherek) Jarl Sarion Whitemane (Delchin), Jarl Nikolas Kerensky (Bretonia) Jarl Olana Romanov (Rakand), Jarl Petra Yurionov (Pallia)
Nation Size: Large
Capital: Goonsberg

Settlements: Both Human and Elven settlements in Rasalhague tend to be made of stone and wood with thatch rooves, a reflecting of the harsh conditions in the Northern Highlands. Cities tend to be large, but simple and functional, and smaller villages and farms dot the landscape. Large patches of the kingdom are still undeveloped, and fauna that has long since gone extinct in other regions can often be found in these regions.

Nation History: Tradition places the ancestral home of the Rasalhague peoples in the Northern peaks and highlands, where they lived in scattered tribes, living out a clannish existance in their semi-frozen home. For most of their early history, the peoples were largely isolated from one another, occasionaly interupted by the odd skirmish between the tribes, but never escalating to open war. The Pallians were the first to establish cities, opening their doors to any that seeked to buy their wares. The Bretons quickly saw the advantage of having allies with such business savvy, and offered their military protection in exchange for the Pallians' mercantile prowess. They soon followed in their cousins' footsteps, establishing their own cities in the highlands, and soon found that they took to horses easily. These horsemen would later carve out their place in history as the legendary Winged Hussars, the knights of the North.

The Chereks and Highland Elves on the other hand were busy sacking the Southern Kingdoms, traveling the rivers in their longboats and bringing back glory and plunder to their mead halls and singing of their victory. Eventualy, however, these raids were forced to stop after their Southern victims began to fight back, learning how to combat these longboat attacks. They turned their focus to their cousins in the East, and quickly began sacking Pallian and Bretonian villages. The Bretons quickly responded, sending emassaries to the Cherek and Elven chieftains with a single message. Cease their attacks, of they would face slaughter. They laughed at this warning, and responded by commiting their forces to battle against the Bretonian lines. In several disasterous battles, the Chereks and Elves lost whole battalions to the Bretonian heavy infantry and the Hussars. After their retreat, the offered overtures of peace to their would-be victims. To their astonishment, the Pallians and Bretons quickly agreed, and even offered to trade horses, which they had previously lacked. They refused, however, even to discuss the training of heavy cavalry. During this time, the Rakands remained isolated from their neighbors, engaged in several brutal civil wars as tyrant after tyrant vied for control of the throne, leaving thousands dead. Occasionaly, ambitious Rakand warlords sent raiders to the West, butchering several Pallian villages and looting at will, while the Bretons did their best to drive back the invaders.

This remained the standard for centuries, until Jarl Faelion Wyrmbane of the Highland Elves married the princess of Bretonia, Katrina Kerensky, and managed to have himself declared King of Bretonia. With this new power, he promptly ordered that the Kings of Delchin and Cherek swear fealty to him, using the Bretonian army as a threat. After some grumbling and negotiation, Delchin and Cherek agreed, and Pallia followed soon after. With these three kingdoms under his command, he turned his attention to Rakand, which was in the throws of another civil war to overthrow its tyrant king, Vladimir Kruschev. Backing the rebels with the combine armies of the three kingdoms under his command, he quickly forced the surrender of the Rakand military, and Kruschev was executed shortly after. Following this, Faelion ordered the new government to swear fealty to him, to which they quickly agreed. Less than a week later, Faelion declared that the previously independant kingdoms would be united into a single nation, which he named Rasalhague. While some poud nationals objected to this, the governments eventualy agreed to his terms, and the United Kingdom of Rasalhague as it is known today was born.

Nation's Trade Resources: Food, precious metals and gemstones are the major trade exports, given their close proximity to the Northen peaks.

Military: 28%. Bretonians make up more than sixty percent of the military force, with Rakands, Chereks, and Elves making up the other forty.
Regular troops: Heavy infantry (Rakand, Bretonia) , heavy cavalry (Bretonia), light infantry (Cherek and Delchin) and pikemen (Rakand, Delchin).
Navy: The navy is not as impresive in size as others kingdoms', but the Cherek ships usualy outmatch their opponents in terms of construction and functionality.
Magic: Their magic is somewhat limited, usualy consisting of Druidic rituals of healing and blessings, but ends here, as the people of Rasalhague are deeply suspicious of magic (even the Elves.)

**DEMoGorgon47** · 12-25-2012

I'm on an iPad right now but I'll copy and paste my final nation sheet here tonight or tomorrow morning

**Obscurus** · 12-25-2012

Nation Name: The Obsidian Empire (as claimed by Ryvynk, though Avalon and Silvar do not acknowledge this claim)
Race: Nyír
Race Description:
Yet another subspecies of elves, the Nyír look a lot like drow. As the elven species suggest, they are slender with pointy ears. Their skin colour ranges from black to white, with sometimes a blueish or purple tint. for hair colors the same. Eyes can be either blood red or blue.
Compared to humans, they are lighter and have less strength, but they have about the same height.

They Nyír have a strong connection to the life force that flows through every living thing. Their life-expectancy would normally be that of humans, but can be strongly extended by peace of mind and harmony with the life around the individual. hate on the other hand, strongly shortens the lifespan. It is because of this, that peace and harmony have been strongly strived for since their very existence, and they have taken the art to great heights.

Population Scale: 400,000

Government: Triarchy.
Each island holds a different kind of government.
The Eastern Island known as Avalon, has a council of elders, both men and women.
The Center Island known as Silvar, is more tribal and led by a chief.
The Western Island, named Odisso, is ruled by a fascist leader.

There is no set system for how those three governments interact. The leaders and the council have a way of contact. It's not always good, but the physical distance keeps them from getting in each others way, and their shared history keeps them from ever harming each other.

People of Importance:

From Odisso:
Ryvynk Naljear, Self-proclaimed Emperor of Odisso.

Spoiler

'Phobos and Deimos' Naljear, Sons of Ryvynk.

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Lady Lyn Myarlic

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From Silvar
Leovan Nasgar, Chief of Silvar.

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Nayír Nasgar, Son of Chief Leovan

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Shyla Nasgar, daughter of Leovan

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Yillumaan Fae, tribe shaman

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Yikkutak Fae, second tribe shaman

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Royak the Proud, lone wolf druid.

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From Avalon
Ryu Svak, Councilmember on Avalon.

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Ryhulvar, Councilmember on Avalon

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Nation Size: small.

Capital: Ops (Odisso), Ingeni (Silvar) and Anim (Avalon).

Settlements: On Avalon and Silvar the building structures are simple and made to fit the environment. Wood is the most common building material. Sometimes clay and natural rock. On Odisso, they added brick to the building materials as well as obsidian, making it possible to create larger buildings. Often these buildings bear detailed decorations carved in the stone.

Nation History:

In another era, -as the story is told- the Nyír were more numerous and lived on the continent north of their current habitats. They had found a way to live in harmony with the lands that they lived on and took good care for it. The only magic arts they knew back then were healing and communication -with both nature and spirits. For a long time they lived without interference of the rest of the world. For so long, that they were able to build up a very precious and delicate balance. A very very fragile one as well.

... (insert invasion/great war/apocalypse here)

After this event, the Nyír fled their homelands for a place safe. And they found the island Avalon. For many years, their only concern was not being found. They learned and practiced the art of darkness and deception. Magical constructions were build, so that no one could find their island except for Nyír. Even if they knew were it was.

Avalon was meant to be a place were all Nyír could hide and rest and heal from what had happened. The mages of old, together with a large group of craftsmen, set up the obelisks that would secure their future. The Obelisk of Darkness made sure that the island was forever surrounded by magical mists. A side effect was that by day, it always looked as if it were twilight. And the island was always surrounded by dense mists. The other Obelisk was of Healing. Those two obelisks would prevent the Nyír from getting into war with any nation or race ever again. A side effect of the Obelisk of Healing, was that it extended one's life. The Council of elders build their houses around that obelisk, and they have been alive for a very long time.

Peacefully and secluded, the Nyír lived on Avalon for a long time. But in time, the fact that they were so cut of from the rest of the world, began to feel prison-like to some. There was a group that didn't want to hide anymore, and they stepped out of the shadows. The migrated to an island southwest of Avalon, were they were happy to live in the sunlight and to make contact with other species. To the rest of the world, it may have seemed that de Nyír had vanished from the world for over a millenium. And when they returned, they had changed somewhat. They had magical items for trade, coming from a place, seemingly no one else could find.

On Silvar, this group of Nyír could settle peacefully and be in contact with the light and the world as they wished. But again, some found it hard to find harmony with the rest of the species in the world. One person in particular couldn't settle with the fact that they could not revenge themselves on what happened in the past, because they all would die from their inner hatred before they could do anything at all. His thoughts made him very unhealthy and he had to stay at the Healing Obelisk on Avalon in order not to die. As he spend his days there, he was schooled in the arts of magic by the elderly mages. They hoped to achieve peace in the young man, by making him see how everything was connected and worked together. Being somewhat of a magical genius, he accidentally invented another way to tap into the life-force. Instead of his hating consuming his own life-force, he could make it consume other's, which healed him in return. Ryvynk realised that this was his change to get away from Avalon and to make the world pay for what it did to his species. He traveled west to Odisso and founded a new settlement there. He made it clear to all the Nyír that they were welcome to come live with him there and to join his army. In return he would teach them the art of vampirism. On the other two islands, they watched this event with great fear. And they denied any assistance and coörporation with the newfound and pretentious empire.
As it turned out, all that were thaught the art of vampirism and followed the path of hate, disconnected themselves from the life-force in such a way, that like the rest of the world, they were forever unable to find Avalon.

Nation's Trade Resources: As the islands are all vulcanic in origin, Obsidian is a common ore amongst the Nyír, and the number one export of Odisso. Furthermore they trade in healing potions and items that are created on Avalon. Most trade goes via Silvar, because the Avalonians are too secluded to deal with others.

Military:
Regular troops: Odisso has a relatively large army (30% of their population) consisting of rogues, ninjas and swordsmen, assisted by a few mages. blades and arrowheads are made from the obsidian that is common on Odisso. Silvar's battle forces consist of druids and rangers, that often ride an exotic animal. They are about 10% of their island's population. On Avalon there are some powerfull mages, priests, clerics and necromancers, about 5% of the population.
The Obsidian Empire has proposed to join the Silvarian and Avalonian forces with the Odissian military. But both solely use their forces for defence, evasion and healing. They refused to join the Obsidian Military.

Navy: They have a swift and small navy, which they use for communication and travel purposes. The ships are fast but would do poorly in battle. Most ships are imbued with magic that makes them hard to spot or to track.

Magic: There is two kinds of magic that the Nyír are specialized in. One is the magic of being unseen and untrackable. The magic of darkness and illusions. Anything to keep you from finding them. The other one is the magic of life force. The magic of healing and the afterlife. It goes hand in hand with the study to the life force that connects all things. As well as the corrupted version of vampirism.

On Avalon, they practice the art of darkness, healing and necromancy.
There are two huge magic obelisks on the island. It was said, forthy-one mages gave their lives to create them. One keeps the island hidden from non-Nyír. The other one heals everyone that sets foot on the island, non-Nyír included. It also extends life-expectancy.

On Silvar, the main magic type is communication with all that speaks another language (like plants and animals), through the life force. As well as healing.
On Odisso they practice darkness and vampirism.

Apart from magic users, the Nyír have a way of channeling magic through magical items, mostly obelisks. Even though the creation of various magical items, still comes fairly easy to them, the art of creating giant obelisks of magic, seems lost, or is too costly. Small obelisks are sometimes still created.

**The Nexerus** · 12-25-2012

Lumenor

Race: Lumen.

Race Description: The Lumen are some of the longest living still existent species in the world. They've lived longer as a cohesive, civilized national entity than most tribes have existed in their migratory states for, and have had generations upon generations of time to develop their own distinct culture and traditions. This makes Lumenistic society fairly unique, but also encourages sort of a friendly xenophobia. Lumenor is all in favour of trading and working together with other nations, but tends to underestimate them, and at times assume they have the same moral standing that Lumenor is. The Lumen have a natural fascination with cartography and history, and are known all across Soorden as a nation of explorers, and the writers of history. Ethnically, the Lumen are generally seen as being a mixture of Elves and Humans; they lack some distinctly Elven characteristics, such as pointed ears, but possess many others, chief among them their long life-spans. The average Lumen reaches full maturity around age 90, and lives to be between the ages of 240 and 260. In extreme cases, particularly healthy and well bred Lumen can live up to the age of 300, or (in exceedingly rare cases) even more. Lumen biology and musculature possess Elven height and agility, but Human strength and endurance. For males, the average height at maturity is 6'7. For females, the average is around 6'4.

The most well known quintessentially Lumen trait is the ambiance that emanates from their pale white skin. Lumen naturally emit a faint glow, enough to make them stand out in dark spaces from other races, and sometimes even enough to fully illuminate otherwise shadowed areas. A Lumen's brightness is said to be indicative of their moral standing. A newborn Lumen is brighter than an elder one, for instance, as the newborn is devoid of sin. A priest, too, would shine brighter than a professional thief or assassin would. The reasoning behind the ambiance is unknown, but by tradition it's believed to be caused by an innate magical energy inside of the body of each Lumen. The Lumen are said to be a holy species by birth, and their continued brightness is an indicator of their having remained holy and pure throughout their long lives.

Lumen have very "northern" aesthetic features. Although they are partially Elven, they more resemble Human Norsemen than their Elven cousins, and are known for their light hair (ranging from snow white to a bright, sunny blonde) and visible physical strength. The most common eye colour for a Lumen is a strong, dark blue or green. As they age, however, a Lumen's eyes become progressively more and more white. A Lumen of significant age is unlikely to have any colour left in its irises at all, and there is no historical precedent for a Lumen living a full, natural life and dying with coloured irises.

Population Scale: The strongest disadvantage of the Lumen when compared to other races is their remarkably slow pregnancies and the long periods of their lives spent as children rather than adults. Both of these factors contribute to the Lumen having extraordinarily low populations when sat side by side with their non-Lumen neighbours.

Lumenor is home to 300,000 citizens.

Government: Lumenor is a democratic nation. Its closest comparison would be a Noble Republic, wherein the population decides upon a ruler (a "Kuunin") by election, and that ruler remains in power until he either resigns or passes on. Every citizen of Lumenor holds one vote, and citizenship is universal among Lumen living in Lumenor, and common among foreign species living inside the borders of the realm. A deceased or resigned ruler has no control over who proceeds them, which prevents dynasties from ruling by former rulers successively appointing their children as heirs. To prevent the long-standing reign of an incompetent Kuunin, a new election can be called at any time should the ruler lose the favour of the people. These votes of no confidence (called "remorals" by the Lumen) are launched by an organization called the Council of Elders. The Council has nine seats, and five of the members must agree that the current Kuunin is unfit for the role in order for a remoral to be called. Three seats in Council are gained through being auctioned off to the richest members of Lumen society, these seats being called the Merchant's seats. Three seats are won by placement in a combat tournament in which the top three competitors gain a seat, these seats being called the Warrior's seats. The last three seat's Elders are decided by election in Lumenor's three largest cities, these three elected seats being called the Diplomat's seats. By tradition, after a remoral is called, any war or internal conflict going on involving Lumenor is halted until a new ruler is agreed upon, a process which can sometimes take as long as a year. Council Elders keep their seats for periods of six years, after which every seat is filled with a new ruler through its respective process. The exception to this is when an Elder dies or for some reason resigns whilst owning his seat in Council, in which case the Kuunin may personally appoint a new Elder to fill the seat.

People of Importance

Yarril Mundwich, Kuunin of Lumenor.

Gair Haegal, Grandmaster of Lumenor's Military.

Ulrew Viichy, Lumen Envoy to Rivalia.

Waiser Jukkund, Lumen Domestic Envoy to Avara.

Vilho Stenvall, Lumen Envoy and Explorer.

Nation Size

The bold line represents the nation's land border, the dotted line represents its maritime border, and the "X" represents the location of the Capital.

Capital: Homestead.

Homestead is seated at the south-eastern edge of Lumenor, south of the Bright Bay, at the tip of the Steadfast Peninsula. Among other important establishments, the city contains the House of Elders, the personal residence of the Kuunin and the place where meetings of the Council of Elders are held. Homestead is the most heavily populated city in all of Lumenor, and has a number of ports on its border with the seas which make it a prime destination for naval traders and merchants. Homestead is unique among cities of its size for having very little poverty or crime. The Homestead Guard are somewhat notoriously harsh to the law-breaking denizens of the city - a factor which has encouraged criminals to seek to make their fortune outside of Homestead, and usually outside of Lumenor altogether.

Settlements: Most of the settlements in Lumenor are made of stone, occasionally used in conjunction with lumber to create more aesthetic appeal. In the northern regions, besides the occasional mining town made of stone, settlements are usually transitory - small villages fielded with tents, moved around as the seasons change. The area between the Steadfast Peninsula and the mines in the northern extremities of Lumenor is called "the Barrens" by the Lumen, a term which Lumen usually mean to extend over all of the land in that general region, in or outside of Lumenor, which is covered in snow all year around.

Nation History: The Lumen, being ancient as they are, have a surprisingly simplistic history as a people. They're said to have come from a continent in the far north, covered in snow and ice-cold winds all year around. They were tribals, with long-standing feuds and rivalries, and each tribe only willing to work together or trade with another in a time when the tribes were being assaulted by an outside force. Eventually, a great warrior by the name of Kuunin rose to become Chief of one of the weakest tribes. Kuunin's tribe was the smallest of them all, and it had little standing amongst the other tribes due to its pacifistic nature, and its dedication to naive principles of justice. Kuunin saw the wisdom of his tribe's ways, and let them throughout the times of war with a steady hand, always just barely capable of keeping them outside of conflict. Eventually, a war broke out larger than any of those before it, and many of the tribe's Chiefs were killed in battle. Kuunin became the only Chief left, and his tribe, having stayed out of the war, was the only one capable of feeding its people or maintaining order. The members of the fallen tribes pleaded Kuunin for aid, and he gave it to them, admitting them into his tribe should they agree to abide by its practices and principles. The tribe prospered under its new-found substantial population, and gradually grew to encompass all of the tribes weakened by the war.

The peace and prosperity of the land compelled its denizens to spread out to find new lands to bring their ideology and principles to. An age of exploration befell the Lumen, during which time they encountered a land much larger and more habitable than their own. The Lumen explorers called the land Soorden, a name which modern day Lumen still use to refer to their continent and its surrounding landmasses as a whole. The explorer's tales of Soorden's plentiful land and resources encouraged mass migration to the continent, with the chief landing spot for newcomers becoming what is now Homestead, at the eastern tip of the Steadfast Peninsula. The settlers swiftly spread westward, into the Lesser Pleasant Bay area, where they founded many more prosperous settlements in the region. The discovery of silver and precious resources in the Barrens sparked northward settlement, too, with a number of mining towns being set up next to mountain outcrops for workers and their families to live. Explorers, meanwhile, continued their discovery and more and more new lands - far more than the Lumen could ever hope to tame and settle. The explorers were still convinced Soorden was unpopulated, though, having not yet found any inhabitants. Indeed, at the time of the Age of Lumen Exploration, most of Soorden truly was unpopulated.

It is important to note that the mass Lumen migration to the continent occurred far, far before the rise of most of Soorden's modern nations. The Lumen explorers, for generations after having landed, assumed Soorden to have been empty previous to their discovery of it. It was only after near all of the Lumen outside of Soorden, in the old lands, had already migrated over, and Lumenor's connection to the few in the north whom refused to leave was cut off, that the Lumen made contact with the non-Lumen inhabitants of Soorden.

The Lumenistic Map of Soorden.

Nation's Trade Resources: The mountains in the north-west and north-east of Lumenor contain vast deposits of silver and precious jewels. The mountain range to the south-west, shared with other nations such as Rivalia, contains a number of stone quarries and iron mines. Most of Lumenor's area has little agricultural value, spare in the south-western 'Fertile Corner", fed by the Lesser Pleasant Bay, so a large amount of the foodstuffs eaten in Lumenor are imported.

Military: 5% of the population, with another 20% trained for potential service during their upbringing should dire circumstances befall Lumenor. Of the 5% that actively serve, 50% are Warriors serving in the army, wielding iron armour and weapons of varying kinds. 30% work in the Navy, either as Bowmen or Sailors, helping patrol Lumenor's territorial seas. The remaining 20% are Mages, mostly Healers, with a lesser skill in either ranged or melee combat. The Mages can join either the Navy or Army, with the majority serving in the army. Life is a precious commodity to Lumen, especially so being that a full grown man takes 90 years of forging, so the military generally tends to favour the preservation of life over "going down in a blaze of glory" - hence the abundance of Healers.

15,000 active. (7,500 warriors, 4,500 bowmen/sailors, 3,000 mages)

60,000 trained reserve.

ACTIVE DEPLOYMENTS OUTSIDE OF LUMENOR

1,000 mages, 2,000 bowmen/sailors and 2,000 warriors deployed in the Horizon Isles.

Magic: Lumen are incapable of learning elemental magic, any magic which is inherently offensive in nature, or any magic such as necromancy which deals with the manipulation of mortality. This inability compels Lumen who wish to serve as Mages to focus on restoring, rather than destroying, life. The cause for the inability is mostly accepted to be due related to the Lumen's ambiance. There are rumours that a Lumen who is so evil as to have lost all of its ambiance loses the restriction on learning forms of magic, but a Lumen of that sort would be an outcast of society, so the rumours are as of yet unverified.

**Forseti** · 12-26-2012

Nation Name: Frissenmark

National banner:

Race: Human

Race Description: Standard humans of all shapes and sizes, due to a being originally a combination of different cultures formed into a single state.

Population Scale: Medium population = 800,000

Government: Absolute Monarchy

People of Importance:
- King Alphred 2nd of Frissenmark
- First lord Hmyrik of Lansorr rock
- Spymaster Syril var Sperjch
- High Admiral Greysan var Fitzram
- Lord Treasurer Jark mariss
- Territorial watch commander Rictan ven Kimmer

Nation Size: significantly medium, all outer islands being connected through sea routes to the home island of Frissen

Capital: Telleshelm

Settlements: The vast majority of settlements of Frissenmark are located on the coast. The larger towns located either as the capitals of outer islands or on the home island. The stuctural design of most of the settlements of Frissenmark could be held as similar to that of tudor english architectual influence.
+ Frissen island is the largest island of the Frissenmark and named the 'home island' as it is the centre of both Frissenmarkan government, culture and ultimately wealth. The capital of Telleshelm is located within the Telles bay on the north west coast of Frissen, it is where the royal palace, the admiralty and the royal college of mages are found and is home to some quarter of the total population of Frissenmark. The bay itself is guarded by numerous shore batteries and fortresses of the territorial watch.
+ Haigges island is the most northern and second largest island of the Frissenmark, its original government were ousted in a pro-frissen coup and was sworn into what would shortly become the Frissenmark. Haigges is noted as the centre of much of Frissenmarks mining of copper and iron, most of which is shipped out to Telleshelm to be formed into steel. Its largest city is Velternam.
+ Mareness is the third largest island of the Frissenmark, consolidated after a short naval war and yet longer blockade after the said war with the Frissiens, the Marenessen's city of Salshaupt and its notable ship building industry was surrendered and the whole island became part of the Frissenmark.
+ The Colsdammen isles in the furthest eastern reaches of the Frissenmark allied with the Frissiens many years ago to prevent the threat of conquest from the neighbouring island of Mareness. Eventually though, Frissien banners began flying from people's windows in the Colsdammen cities of Kermauris and Prigmarr and Frissien songs sung in their taverns. The Colsdammen islanders willingly petitioned to become under Frissien sovereignty, and were granted the privilege shortly afterwards after a state visit by the Frissien king of the time.

Nation History: Originally the realm called Frissenmark was once just a loose trading coalition of islands, squabbling amongst themselves over territorial claims, eventually the island of Frissen gained dominance among the coalition and over centuries of diplomacy, conflict and subterfuge, Frissen eventually became the ruler of all the coalition and reformed itself as the Frissenmark. The kings of Frissenmark have had their share of insurgencies and rebellions from the lower orders, but nothing has escalated over a few seasons or across further than its island of origin. This trend however has decreased as Frissen culture had infiltrated and expanded into the outer islands and ousted their native cultures.

The previous century of Frissenmark's history was marked with the decade long war with an amphibious non human species that harrassed Frissenmark's shipping and raided coastal villages. The aftermath of that war led to the extermination of the 'frogmen' as they were called by the Frissenmarkans and the strong national policy against non humans, but also the expansion of the Frissenmark navy particularly the Frissenmark marines, who developed after the war from a small detachment of the navy to a key force within the military.
The current king, Alphred 2nd, is soon to be known as Alphred the seafarer, as his increased spending on Frissenmark's navy and the patronage of naval exploration is creating a shift in Frissenmark's ports and anchorages.

Nation's Trade Resources: Crustacean meat, fish, oats, timber, iron and copper combined to make steel as an industrial result, beer and salt

Military: 15% of the population (120,000)

Regular troops: 20% (24,000) of the total Frissenmark military is what could be called a 'army'. The territorial watch, as they are called, are more of a gendarmerie that mans coastal forts and shore batteries. They are made up mostly of men-at-arms and ranged troops who almost exclusively man defensive positions.

Navy: 80% (96,000) of the rest of the Frissenmarkan military are either members of the ocean going navy or of the royal marines. The navy is mostly made up of large, heavily manned carracks and light, fast moving caravels along with a compliment of support vessels. The royal marines act as the main land based attack force the frissenmarkan's possess. 52,800 sailors man the 264 carracks of the navy, 24,000 sailors man the 240 caravels of the navy and an additional 19,200 men make up the royal marines.

Magic: The formation of the royal college of mages was to facilitate the needs and organisation of the magically touched of frissenmark. The Frissenmark college of mages is made up of two schools of magic, salt and rock. The school of salt utilises their mild control of salt-water to the benefit of the monarchy, while the school of rock train their minds to shift and mold rock to their will with unfortunately little progress.

**Everblight** · 12-26-2012

-Nation Name-
Tōdan

-Race-
Human

-Race Description-
The Tōdan people are hardy and well built. Quite a large people they have a more physical presence than most humans. Typically blue of eye and blonde of hair they are attuned to the frosty northern climates found higher in the country.

-Government-
Monarchy

-People of Importance-

-King Narga Krogrund-

King Narga has been the source of much contention within the Nation for many years. As a young boy he was brought up to lead the people, his father teaching him right from wrong and the importance of the people. His father was in fact, the last leader of the Brotherhood. He tried to pass on his knowledge of the magics to his son but it did not take, he could not control himself enough to bend the powers to his will.

It is now the fourth age of Tōdan and the king lies in solitude. No one has seen him for close on a year now, he has locked himself in his room at the Fortress-city of Korg. Where he still lies today, no one knows of his purpose or if he is even still alive. The door to his room has somehow become unbreakable, even the triumvirate reluctantly stopped trying to open it's hard kept secrets. No one knows if King Krogrund will ever return to the world again.

-Queen Thadia-

The Queen, reluctant to rule in Krogrund's stead has made it her duty to accompany her son, Ralilin and help with what she can across the Nation.

-Prince Ralilin-

With the king lost to the nation, Ralilin has taken the task of leadership upon himself. Acting as a stand in king he tends to the nations needs unselfishly, waiting for his father to return to the throne.

Named with Bilind in mind the young prince holds many qualities of the protector. Strong, sharp of mind and handsome he has become a beacon of hope for the nation and a perfect role model to men. Without his fathers teachings he has not learnt the magics of Tōdan, thus ending the lineage of powerful sorcerers that occupy the throne.

With the nations interests at hart, Ralilin is a great leader, focused by his mother he will no doubt rule the country to a new golden age when the throne is finally passed to him.

-Ambassador Valanvor-

-The Triumverate-
Brother Kagan the Indomitable
Brother Njal the Recondite
Brother Hyred the Clairvoyant

-Nation Size-
Roughly 750,000

-Capital-

Korg. A great fortress-city that bores into Mt. Tridus in the north.

-Settlements-

The settlements of Todan are made of hard stone and thick wood. Houses are built partly underground to conserve heat and space making the Todan people very efficient. Towns and villages are very common, especially near the coast where ports are easily accessible. The vast cities in Todan however, are few and far between. There are six of these great metropolis' across the nation currently, including the capital.

-Kiad-

-Braek-

-Adaresh-

-Grolind-

-Onias-

-Nation History-

"Come friend, sit and listen to the tale of Tōdan and it's beginnings.

Our land was once bleak, grey skies and marshland stretched from the mountains the the coast. Monsters and men of equal evil tred the ground causing havoc and pain wherever they went. But our ancestors persevered, as they always did. Buildings lives, homes even villages at points, they did what they could with what they had. Nature however had different plans, it would not bow to man and as such our efforts were continuously wiped out by creatures and catastrophes alike. We could not grow in the land Todan used to be, but that changed.

The setting is hard to believe I'm sure, some say if you travel far north you can catch glimpses of what Todan used to be. But this story will tell of our rise, the peoples rise to civilization and the arrival of the greatest man to ever walk this earth, many say he wasn't a man but a god. All I hope is his soul rests peacefully. The tale of Bilind the indomitable has been warped by time, told a million different ways by a million different people it no longer retains its original form. My tale is definitely not the truest account, but it is what I was taught as a child and it is what I choose to believe.

Bilind was a man of tall stature, casting a shadow no man could equal. He came from the east, many say through the mountains. All I know is he came with a spirit of stone and a body surely made of Iron. Now where many people will tell you of his insurmountable personality, his instant command and love for the people, I will not. Bilind although great, was human. He came to the village with a wound that would have killed a man twice your size. He choked and he spat his crimson blood into the mud and made for the settlement our people had carved into the landscape, only a small collection of houses at the time.

He came to us damaged. With no name, no origin, no purpose. We did only what we could, we took him to our beds and gave him rest. We fed the giant man our food and healed him with our remedies. It took two weeks for him to gain his strength back, to pick himself up and walk among us. Two weeks. A wound that would down a great northern bear caused him stress for two weeks, if he was human he was blessed.

Bilind was gracious and helpful around the town, looking for a way to repay the people who had nursed him back to health when he was alone. Not two nights later he announced to the town that they needn't worry about the horrors of the land anymore, that we could live happily and prosper. There was almost laughter at his proposal. How could one man make such promises? how could he ensure prosperity. It was said that Bilind sat, in the mud, on the edge of our settlement. Neither man nor nature could move him, he sat and he meditated. Eye's shut he was closed away from everything but his thoughts. Another two weeks later the man the town had grown to love vanished, he had left and was never seen in the land of Tōdan again.

It is here that the story trails off, I was never told it's ending. Supposedly the days grew brighter, the land more fertile and the trees bred taller. Some say in the midst of night you could see the spirit of Bilind fighting off the creatures that once plagued our towns and villages.
That was nearly 1,700 years ago. Bilind gave prosperity to us, to our ancestors. As he had promised. Without him we would not call, no we could not call this land of ours home for our people would have perished long ago.

Now, how about you by the bard a drink?"

-Nation's Trade Resources-

-Imports-
Copper
Tin
Luxury Items (Metalwork, exotic items ect.)

-Exports-
Stone
Luxuary items (Furs, Metalwork, precious metals and Gems)
Iron
Marine foodstuffs (Fish, Shellfish ect.

-Military-

The Tōdan military constitutes roughly 10% of the current population (75,000) however in wartime drafting and recruitment drives will push this number as far as 25% (187,500)

Whilst the Military might not be the largest in the world it holds the reputation of the most vicious. Naturally bigger than most humans Tōdan warriors are prone to fits of rage mid-battle that make them as formidable as Polar bears at times.
Whats more with a nation bordered by the sea a strong navy was paramount in the military's construction.

Finally but most definitely not least, Tōdan holds close the shamanistic clan of priests known collectively as the Brotherhood of the Red bear. There are many sects of Tōdan religion but it is the Brotherhood that has developed it's influence across the nation. Gaining amazing abilities they have become revered masters that build the pathways between gods and mortals.

Out of 75,000 men currently two thirds are dedicated to the standing army (50,000). 20,000 men are the sailors and navy men whilst the remaining 5,000 are all students of the priests. Nowhere near as powerful as their teachers they are still capable of feats beyond that of normal men in battle, however siting's of these druid like brothers are rare as they join the field of battle very occasionally, in times of need.

-Regular troops-

Tōdan warriors are fearsome opponents, towering over many a man they swing axes and swords capable of cleaving limbs in an instant. Making particular use of ambush tactics many are surprised to learn these monstrous men are more intelligent than their appearance suggests.

These warriors can wield a plethora of weapons. Axes, Maces, Swords, Spears and more. Their indomitable nature comes not from what weapons they wield but the spirits they break on the front lines.
-Navy-

The Tōdan navy is a powerful machine. Not particularly large it has to commit it's entirety to the task ahead. The ships themselves are sturdy and well built, capable of long voyage's and even sustaining hefty damage before the vessel sinks.

-Magic-

Magic in all it's forms is well received in Tōdan, it has a strong history with the people and they do not shy away from it's lure. The Brotherhood of the Red Bear, a religious sect within Tōdan that has taken magic as their right have become formidable sorcerers and druids, able to unleash their power when they see fit.

However, in keeping with the traditions of Tōdan and it's culture, magic has taken quite a symbolic and ritualized throne within the nation. The triumvirate that heads the Brotherhood have each taken upon themselves the spirits of great animals. Kagan took the bear, Njal the Wolf and Hyred the Raven. Three animals of religious and ritual significance. Emblazoned upon their skins are tattoos, Celtic weaving's supply the ritual sealing yet each have their power animal across their bodies as. At a single thought they can transform into the animal they have taken into their soul.

Kagan was named the indomitable because he is the bear, a powerful beast that can tear iron with it's claws and chew bone with it's jaw. Njal the Recondite because of his mysterious ways, the wolf, the hunter. You will not see him till the last.
And Hyred, the Raven, the Clairvoyant. He see's all, he knows all. He heads the three and the Brotherhood. He is the most powerful sorcerer ever known in Tōdan only a fool would stand across from him on the battlefield.

There are roughly 5,000 brothers in the Red bear. Many of them Neophytes, beginners mere conjurers learning their path. However in the higher respected class of the Brotherhood there stands nearly 1,500 Brothers. All of them learned students of the triumvirate, each of them accomplished sorcerers who can turn the tide of battle.

**RavenxVoid** · 12-26-2012

(Adding more history)

Nation Name
The Free People of Amerzone
Race:
Humans
Race Description:
Originally from the the desert, these Humans possess a hardy constitution and a reduced need for water
Population Scale:
Medium
Government:
Representative Democracy
Centuries ago these people where a nomadic race of humans and did not take the authority of a man who had not shown their worth though battle or other feats of courage. As such when the various clans came together to form a nation under one banner it was decided that which of the individual clans would have a representative to voice their wishes, a practice that continues to this day. At the top of this chaos is the Supreme councilor, he is the one that is often the tie breaker, when the various clans can no agree on a law that they wish to enact. One does not simply become the Supreme councilor, he first needs to show that he or she is a warrior without equal with the mind of a tactical genius, after he needs 70% of the senate to approve his accession.
People of Importance:

Medium, around 800,00 citizens
Capital:
Amershrine
Settlements:
In the desert the homes of the Amerish people are made of sand, and in more fertile places, settlements are usually made entirely out of stone, with imposing walls and a great castle at the center. The capital of Amerzone is especially stunning and imposing, the whole city is made out a special white stone that is blinding to look at with the desert sun shining down on it. It is said that with the highest walls, the mightiest walls and the unforgiving sun, that Amershrine is and will never be conquered.
Nation History:
Centuries ago the people of Amerzone lived as separate tribes and clans all vying for supremacy and the sparse resources that were located within the desert. None would have thought that a young sickly boy from a dying tribe would be able to rise up and unite them all under a common banner. It was said this boy's magic so powerful he could summon great steads of war and undead armies to do his bidding, and even when the elders of he various tribes would not bow down to him, when he promised their people better lands, as the desert was running even more scarce. He went and tamed the most vicious animal the tribes had ever seen, a Griffin, they immediately swore fealty to this unknown boy. The boy had a heart of gold and though the loyalties he was given he took his newly formed nation to conquer more fertile lands to the west of the desert.

Today the people of Amerzone are an extremely rich race of humans, their cities being a gateway to the mainland which is safer then taking a ship though the waters where unknown creatures lurk. Each city is under the control of an individual clan which when not during wartime competes with each other to see who can attract the most traders to their cities, which in turn allows completion amount these cities. Allowing Amerzone to be quite the wealthy country. The only city where there is no completion is allowed at all Amershrine, at the national Capital located is the Grand Senate Hall and even more importantly the location of the Great White Tower of Solitude. In this tower it is said that the very boy that first united the nomadic tribes, resides when he entered it over 1,500 years ago, and in the time of their greatest need will emerge and ride out with the greatest warriors of the nation of Amerzone. That boy is worshiped as the God-Emperor of modern Amerish culture.

The Amerish people while trading with Edyr for sometime now, have a shaky relationship with them. It makes both nations to trade but in the past Edyr and Amerzone have had many border skirmishes
Nation's Trade Resources:

Wood
Various Ores extracted form the mountain range
Special Breed of Horses
Fish
Stone

Military:
160,000 Troops
Regular troops:
96,000 Troops, 1,000 of which are part of the "Order of the Griffin"

Amerzone fields large number of archers, mounted or otherwise. The military here is starting to introduce the newer technology of muskets and cannons, but other wise most soldiers are highly trained in the usage of the bow and crossbow. Most of Amerzone's troops are lightly armored, the Generals of the army preferring highly mobile and elusive troops to slugging it out with opposing forces. Generals of the Amerzone army use hit and run and guerrilla warfare tactics, running forward on their horses to let out a barrage of arrows then retreating while peppering the pursing army, and then again running forward if the enemy stops chasing. This cycle usually repeats itself until the enemy is tired out
Navy:
56,000 Sailors
Magic:
8,000 Mages of varying sorts

Thread: Rise and Fall OOB

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Rise and Fall OOB

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