Secrets of the ancients (Classical antiquity era, sword and planet Rp)

[Forseti]

An ancient and vibrant world, Kufra is a distant world, far from Earth. In Kufra's southern hemisphere in particular, a place called the continent, old kingdoms and peoples live in both peace and violence. As there are also many peoples, so too are there many creatures, some familiar to Earthmen, others not quite so both on Kufran soil and in her oceans. The world is in a time period similar to that of the classical period of Earth's history, the age of iron marked the current second era in the Kufran calender.

Map of the continent, Kufra, 2nd Era, year 1133.


Peoples of Kufra

- Nemen are tall beings with golden skin and purple eyes. They as a species have hair that varies either in naturally platinum blonde or dark black hair. A noble and proud people, from the highest lord to the lowliest of serfs they are considered the most prominent people on the continent. They have strong and disciplined armies, renowned for their strong phalanxes and terror inducing heavy cavalry.

+ The Arakosian Empire (or Arakosia)
Once a group of separate city states, the Arakosian empire began in the court of the king of Ajamennon, who expanded from his capital over the centuries until finally only two of the six original city states remained. Arakosia is upheld by large hordes of foreigners as slaves to produce its food and mine its wealth, with many low born but free arakosians living with their afforded rights of their varied positions in society. The emperor of Arakosia is one of the most (if not the most) powerful man in the world, with millions of subjects at his disposal, high above the capital city in his palaces. The current emperor is Ixican VI.

+ Chiron and Fyros
The last of the free Nemen cities, plots against the arakosians are most of the time conspired by the leaders of these two city states. They are only united however by their hatred of Arakosian empire, who over the centuries have fought numerous, bitter wars on the border near the city of Isca.

+ Kaytra
The first Kaytran's were refugees of the arakosian's expansionist wars who fled across the Huriness sea, upon making land fall, they discovered ancient and vast canals that connected the Huriness to the Norssra ocean in the south. The Kaytran's would later build the two cities of Trybios and Niybios at either end of these canals, opening and exploiting a now bustling trade route between the nations on the Huriness and to the outside world. This has made the Kaytran's to be seen as a nation of traders and merchants, united by the powerful merchant-princes council. The wonders of lands from distant shores flow into vast forums and markets of the Kaytra.

- Wirgoths are a savage and destructive people from the vast Wirgoth steppe. A centaur like Half-man, half lion combination, their fur ranges from many colours and patterns, from stripes to spots. They range all across the steppe in hundreds of nomadic prides, following the vast herds of steppe bison that roam their homeland. They are notorious raiders who often when near nemen cities bring looted treasures from lands beyond the steppe, trading more with the nemen than raiding their lands, though Wirgoth raids are not unheard of along the borders of Arakosia or Kryta. They are masters of mounted combat, from fast paced archery to devastating charges with great swords.

- Natives of the Sejousian river basin, they are characterised by their olivine green skin and their brown hair, though they are somewhat shorter than nemen they are by no means a lesser threat. They as a people collectively worship the various river spirits and annual floods of the basin, headed in both religion and government by the messianic sons and daughters of the chief river spirit, the high Kheprisan. Like nemen society, Osirii too also keep slaves to work their muddy fields and paddies of the basin, however slaves are also joined by poverty stricken Osirii who were sold into slavery by relatives at an early age.

+ Serjousia
The latest in a long dynasty of high Kheprisan claiments, the Horakhty dynasty has ruled over all the Sejousian river basin for over a century ( a relatively short time compared to other dynasties which have lasted well over a millennium in the past). Serjousia is a chief competitor as the continent's super power against the Arakosians, though years, even decades usually pass before their armies fight in the field. The Serjousian military machine revolves around an Osirii's place in society. The lower orders are usually conscripted to make up the vast bulk of their armies with battle sickles and machetes with a more armoured and disciplined force called Amunaki, made up of the middle classes. The high born of Serjousia can afford themselves chariots with which to become a deadly mobile force on the battlefield.

- Estiuans with their tanned skin and their hairless bodies (except on their heads) feel comfortable in the warmer, northern regions of the continent. They posses the same pointed ears of all elves, thus giving them the commonly used name summer elf. The heartland of the Estiuans is the Paritheon peninsula wedged between the Numa to the east and Parica to the south. Estiuans built their cities on the ruins of settlements built by an extinct race that once inhabited the continent, they have later come to revere the ancients as gods who they believe communicate with them from beyond the grave through special individuals, called oracles. Estiuans are as a side effect, very superstitious, especially when ancients ruins or sites of interest are concerned, often asking for the blessing of oracles before battle or religious ceremonies. Estiuan warfare is mostly to some an imitation of nemen phalanxes and Osirii chariotry, their real strength lie with light troops who are excellent javelin throwers and often are employed to fight in skirmishes or along the straits of phalanx formations.

+ East Paritheon
The division in Estiuan society occurred after the death of the last king of united Paritheon, the king had married two different women, the first had died and gave him his eldest son, while the second gave him his youngest son. As is tradition the first child regardless of wife is named king, but a number of oracles stated that is was the second son that should be crowned king. This division quickly erupted into civil war between the two claimants. East Paritheon was the kingdom that sided with the younger claimant and his mother, whom many look to as the real power behind the throne. East Paritheon benefits from trade links with Serjousia to fund their war with West Paritheon.

+ West Paritheon
The lands in control of the eldest son of the previous king. Its capital Selars used to be the capital of united Paritheon but was taken in a coup led by the eldest son and forced his step-mother and half-brother east to Inech. They claim that their king's step-mother blackmailed and/or bribed the oracles into claiming the ancients had chosen his half-brother. The majority of the fighting between the two kingdoms occurs in the mountain range passes that divide the two, a war of attrition occurs every harvest season as levies are raised in each kingdom and fighting erupts until winter when food runs low and the weather works to everyone's disadvantage. West Paritheon has trade links with the Kaytran merchant fleet and mercenaries from across the Parica bay.

- Though they share the same traits of ears and height as the summer elves, winter elves are significantly paler and have more body hair. They have never really been united under a single banner. Hivernan society is somewhat primitive compared to most peoples, living in numerous tribes in the cooler forests of the south coast. They live off limited agriculture and hunting-gathering methods to survive in the Hmuri and Syrnix forests that they inhabit. Hivernans are known as accomplished archers due to their hunting dependency, conflicts are conducted through the calling of a war band to fight, the losers of small tribal wars are usually sold as slaves by the victors to Nemen and Osirii slave traders that plague the southern coast.

- Humans are not native to Kufra. They are the descendants of humans on Earth that through unusual storms and caves become lost and are trapped on Kufra with no known way back to their home world. The oldest human tribes exist in a region of the continent called the Eatewass hinterlands, different tribes of humans from various backgrounds and time periods. These descendants have mixed over time into new and diverse cultures and societies, all of which however are preyed upon by slavers and armies from across the continent. Recently tribes have slowly joined the banner of a person called 'the chainmail man', a former member of a underground pro-human guerrillas that work to free human slaves across the continent called 'the hands'. Why the tribes are being united is a mystery to most except the leaders that gather with the chainmail man.

This Rp begins with your character on Earth uncovering a cave of sorts and investigating deeper into the cave. Eventually, your character is swept into something of an hallucinogenic stroke. They awaken unscathed in the cave to find that they have exited onto a strange and unknown coastline, where they are captured by roving slavers and taken to the arakosian city of Lyeutia. From there on you can accept one of many options available to you to explore this world. Your character could be bought by some trader and taken to distant lands or you could plot an escape with help from 'the hands' and travel to the Eatewass hinterlands and many more for your choice and ultimately your adventure.

[Jorian]

Sounds like a personal spin on a John Carter story. Count me in!

[Forseti]

Well Edgar rice Burroughs was the pioneer author of the sword and planet sub-genre, so its almost expected for some elements of 'Princess of Mars' and other books of the series to appear in the sub-genre I'm glad you are aboard so soon

[bluedragon168]

Sounds very interesting. I really like, and am impressed by the sheer amount of work you clearly put into this. Every race has a rich, interesting and detailed history and presence in Kufra. I can't wait to learn more.

[Heyitsjiwon]

Well, if this thing progresses, then count me in.

[Arxia]

I myself am interested and thought I already posted here, but it seems not.

[Heyitsjiwon]

That's 4 people now.

[Angelica]

interested :3