-Baresark
-Watch Towers
-Ossuary
-Masters of Horror

-Loyal
-Brutal
-We Stand As One!
-The People's "Entertainment"
-Winged Messengers
-Tunnelling Rats
-Tales of Horror
-Unquestionable Violence

-Hunger for Knowledge
-Maps of The Hidden Paths
-Tome of Monsters

-Strategists
-Heavy Armour
-Superior Training
-Nightmares in the Trees
-Camouflaged Sally Ports
-Many Walls
-Drums in the Deep
-Relentless March
-Buckets of Heads

-Block out the Sun
-Bushes Are Your Friend

-Hold the Line
-Testudo
-Arrow Fodder
-Weapon Academy

-Thunder of Hooves
-Self-Sufficient
-Masterful Cavalry
-Monster Cavalry
-The Ride of the Dead
-Beast Cavalry

-Wyverns
-Sirens
-Chimera

-Trackers
-Strong Stone Foundations
-En Mass
-Horrifying Edifice

-Exotic Trade Goods

-Element of Shadow
-Rune Magic
-Hex Magic
-Blood Magic
-Necromancy
-In Power Reanimated
-Death Magic
-Reputation of Nightmare
-Arch-Spellcaster

-Barghests
-Hook Horror
-Choker
-Beast Armour
-Sorcerous Bindings
-Abominations

-Abrasive
-Bloodthirsty
-Abominations Against Nature!

-Captial; Mountain (5)
-Citadel; Forest (15)
-2 Fortresses (12)
-3 Medium Cities (18)
-4 Forests (8)
-12 Plains (24)
-8 Rivers (16)
-2 Tundras (2)

Name of Nation: Aerionic Diarchy of Niutieh

Flag:

The flag of the Aerionic Diarchy of Niutieh is shaped like a tall shield, however two points come down from the opposite ends of the banner, with their length being about half that of the pointed curve at the bottom of the banner. The outer edge of the flag has visible dark threads running in a helix pattern across the outside border, contrasting with the inner part of the shield. The inner part of the banner has three colors, dividing the shield into thirds. The top third is a visible blue, meant to represent the sky, and is distinctive because two points rise from the third below it, forming a shape that represents a mountain. The third below that is a dark grey, meant to represent the stone of the mountains which their settlements traditionally dwell on. The third below that is a somewhat dark shade of green, meant to represent the forests that lie at the feet of the mountains.

There are two entities shaped like both the Aviani and the Raptorians covering the colors below however. The Aerion on the left, an Aviani, brandishes a handful of grain in the left hand, and a scroll in the right. The Raptorian on the right holds in his hands (talons?) a bow, presumably composite, in one of his hands/talons/grasping limbs, and a fairly simple axe in the other. Both of the entities are fairly stylized, not to the point of being unrecognizable, but where one who only saw the flag and not any of the Aerions would be somewhat surprised at their actual appearance.

Nation History: The history of the Aerionic Diarchy of Niutieh (from here on referred to as Niutieh,) is rather long, starting with the migration of three Aviani tribes and two Raptorian tribes into the mountainous region now considered synonymous with Niutieh, and thus called Niutieh as well. These tribes were initially peaceful, however if you attacked or provoked them even once, they would consider you a permanent enemy and work to destroy you no matter the cost. Though the people of Niutieh have since grown beyond that, seeking peace with the other powers as often as possible while keeping the status quo between themselves and foreign nations, this was not the case in earlier times, where, after a consistently hostile attitude between them and the wild Elves which inhabited the area, the wild Elves were either wiped out or forced to move outside of the mountainous regions. The presence of these elves is now sparse, extremely sparse. However, the Gnomish and the Satyrs were able to integrate fairly peacefully into Niutieh society, with only the Gnomish suffering against any discrimination, due to their laughably short stature.

The five tribes were never true rivals, if anything the only thing that really divided the five tribes was three were Aviani and two were Raptorian, but even then they always considered each other relatively close. As such, they easily acquired friendly relations with each other, and as such became quick to ally together to bring down the mutually hated Wild Elves which had been causing them so much trouble that they had to abandon the forests and establish themselves higher in the mountains. After several decades of whittling down the power of the Wild Elves, their de-facto coalition started to integrate into each other’s politics, with the Raptorian tribes creating a dominion among their selves and the Aviani acting similarly.

When the threat of the Wild Elves was nearly gone, the two tribal coalitions convened with each other to make their two realms into one, since they shared so much culture and influence with one another that they both became unidentifiable from each other. Though there were several clans and families that did not support this transition, and at first attempted to resist it militantly, there was not enough support among their separatist faction to manifest into a full-blown rebellion, though at some moments it seemed that civil war might become a reality within both nations. However, this disaster was narrowly avoided due to dexterous political maneuvering by the supporters of the unification.

The two realms formed into what is now known as the Unified Aerionic Diarchy of Niutieh, formally bringing them together under one government with two diarch’s, one to represent the interests of the Raptorians, and another to represent the interests of the Aviani, with each diarch holding veto power over one another. The militaries were convened into a single organization dedicated no longer to the two governments but instead to the primary, with their allegiances being refocused towards the benefit of the entirety of Niutieh. There was only one other chain in the hierarchy of politics, and that was the tribal councils of the five primary settlements, which was composed of military leaders and major clan members, and is responsible for dictating the policy of major settlements throughout the whole of the nation. They were primarily oligarchial bodies, composed only of the most powerful or most influential men within the specific region. This body still exists today, however it now manages a more general area beyond the initial settlements where they were once confined to, stretching their jurisdiction into other villages, mines, and smaller settlements.

Until relatively recently, Niutieh has been fairly typical when technologically compared to other nations, however, they have always had a notable aversion to magic. Though they do not fear it, they deeply distrust it, with the belief that it is an unnatural and overly-mysterious force that should not be harnessed by any well-meaning individual. This belief is firmly and almost irremovably lodged into Nituiehaen culture, and any attempts to bring about the widespread use of magic within Niutiehaen territory have either met with the demise or utter failure of those who desired to do so.

As such, the option that would be pursued for an advantage over their foreign neighbors would not be the mastery of the magical arts, but instead a proficiency for craftsmanship, trade, and machinery, which is complemented by the fact that the Niutieh were already a hard-working and industrious folk to begin with. The advancement of these technologies were pushed forward by the dominating and well-loved personality of Aviani Diarch Seoirse the Great, whom of which is now deceased, with his son having taken his place. Raptorian Diarch Cathal the Mighty was also well-renowned for being indirectly responsible for the pioneering of the zeppelin and the telescope, which earned him the title ‘the Mighty.’ He still rules today, however he is somewhat old and incapable, many expect his death to be any day now. He is a small, self-conscious, egotistical member of his species, and despite his contributions to modern mechanics he is widely disliked. The son of Seoirse, Aviani Diarch Aonghas Ceallach, is currently the Diarch of the Aviani, and is gaining wide renown for his diplomatic skill, his strong preference and trust of electricity and pneumatic systems, and his pursuit of new trade.

Though there are new inventions entering Niutieh society, the people have largely retained their culture, and as a result are a trusting, well-meaning people, with a fierce adherence to independence and a love of detail and flair. This is reflected in the military of the Niutieh as well, which, while having a fairly modern system of organization, consists of loosely organized divisions that rely on skirmishing tactics, and still wear their traditional war paints before heading into battle. Because of this, the enemies of Niutieh have attempted to push the other powers into believing that the Niutieh are barbaric savages incapable of negotiation and ultimately dishonorable and hostile to all they come across. However, since their enemies are few, they do not typically have to confront this problem.

Races of the Nation:

-Aviani
The most numerous inhabitants of the nation of Niutieh, the Aviani of Niutieh are a fairly peaceful people, though some still do join the military, they are usually limited to only ranged regiments, since the Aviani do not carry the same aptitude for warfare as the Raptoria. The Aviani share a common disdain against the Elvish and Gnomish peoples with the Raptoria, and are also quite distrustful of magic. This does not mean that they are afraid of it, it is just that magic was never commonplace in either of the original cultures of the Raptorian and Aviani tribes that came to Niutieh, and since the wild Elves were far more familiar with it, they grew the same disdain towards magic as they did towards Elves.

-Raptoria
Though with a somewhat smaller population then that of their cousins, the Aviani, the Raptoria are regarded just as equally in Niutieh society. Though they can be sometimes be someone stuck up and think of themselves as superior to their Aviani cousins due to their greater talent for war, but they generally regard each other as equals. The Raptoria of this nation have a common distrust of the Gnomish. The Raptoria of Niutieh have a generally greater skill in combat, and are far more common in the military. The ruling class has somewhat more Raptoria than it does Aviani.

-Gnomes
The Gnomish people, once one of the native people that lived in the lands that are now called Niutieh, have been subject to varying degrees of racism and repression by the Aerion tribes that once inhabited the area, and still fairly unwelcome in both cities and village. Subsequently, the few Gnomish settlements that lay in the forests between the many mountains of Niutieh tend to keep to themselves and try not to involve themselves in the affairs of the larger Niutieh state. While you may not often find Gnomes wandering through villages and around the countryside, you can usually find at least a few members of their kind in the cities, usually concentrated towards the Tradesmen Academy.

-Satyrs
The Satyr’s of Niutieh, due to them having been relatively friendly towards the new Aerion settlers and having provided maps and information about the region, have remained relatively free from persecution at the hands of the rest of the Aerions. Several of their kind run renowned breweries in several settlements, and are sometimes employed by spies by either the clans or by the Diarchy, if only occasionally due to their non-Aerionic appearance.

-Wild Elves
By far the smallest minority, the wild Elves of Niutieh are a poor and impoverished people, their population reduced to a small fraction of what it was before the Niutieh came. Most wild Elves have migrated away, searching for greener pastures, but some still cling to the land, despite the racism against their kind and the fact that so many of their brothers have left. There are almost none in the cities, they all keep to the wilds, and the rest of the population is perfectly content to keep it that way. For those that do stay in the cities, they are unwelcome, and are usually forced out onto the streets with no home and no money. Despite the disrespect shown to them, a choice few wild Elves can be found in some of the academies or institutes, where they somehow managed to accumulate enough renown to be accepted regardless of their species, due to their sheer skill. Naturally, the rest of Niutieh society is distrustful of Elven folk, the Gnomes being the exception.

Important Characters:

Aviani Diarch Aonghas Ceallach:

A tall, witty, and quite stubborn member of his kind, Aonghas is the current Aviani Diarch, and shares power with the relatively unpopular, old, Cathal ‘the Mighty’. His father was the prestigious and well-renowned Seoirse ‘the Great,’ meaning that he naturally inherits some of his father’s wide connections and good will. At the beginning of his rule he was largely viewed as the ‘junior’ so to speak, with several believing that he couldn’t compare to his father, and wouldn’t be able to match his good qualities and strong rule as well. This opinion was naturally spread around as he approached the age where he would take his place as Diarch, but never inhibited him to the point where he would be incapable of ruling. At most it would be a nuisance and would prevent his implementation of new policies, but otherwise it could be easily handled.

His first years were marked primarily by his promotion of trade and the funding of new public works projects in Cullahill, which took the form of new marketplaces, in an effort to bring about his expansion of a new trade hub in order to facilitate greater foreign contact, something which Niutieh had always been sorely lacking. These efforts paid off greatly, with the then newly-fledgling settlement being expanded into a full-blown city. He also granted additional power to the merchant clans, further cementing his reputation as a worthy successor to his father.

He personally helped to fund research into pneumatic systems, a venture which paid off well and continued his family’s’ reputation as pioneers of new technologies not relying on the poorly regarded ways of Magecraft. He has also been regarded as responsible for the new breakthroughs into the sciences of electricity, and, despite the lack of advancement in that field, he genuinely believes that electricity and pneumatic systems are the way of the future. As such, he continued to burn money into the further investigation of electricity, eventually stopping as new discoveries ran dry and instead moved on to the pneumatic field, which he still continues to fund to this day.

He is a shrewd diplomat, and though it seems like he is often happy and full of good humor, few people see the dry and almost sad undertones below his cheery attitude. He is known for his almost excessive minimalistic tendencies and his utmost dedication to his duties as the Diarch. He is very rarely seen drinking and never seen being overly affectionate with anybody, and some worry that he has not produced an adequate heir to his position yet. His home in Moroespeak has not been lavishly decorated in any way, and besides the already existing structure on the outside, has been seen as excessively utilitarian.

He is approaching the age of twenty-eight.

Raptorian Diarch Cathal ‘the Mighty’ Conchobhar:

Old, somewhat cowardly, and reeking of excess, many view the ageing Cathal as the polar opposite of Aonghas. While in his youth he was renowned for his bravery, energy, and sometimes aggressiveness, he has grown in his age to be a greedy, self conscious, wasteful wreck of a man. He is a major drunkard, and tries to drink away his sorrows despite the futility of it all, and is almost-lethally overweight. Approaching the age of sixty-five, the people eagerly await his imminent death.

While in his earlier years he had an enduring, dominating, larger-than-life personality and was well-regarded within politics, his relatively old age has brought with it not only ineffectiveness, but also cowardice, with he, despite angrily opposing several of Aonghas’ policies, has been unable to push any real resistance towards his decisions, besides vetoing, to the dismay of nearly everybody in the political stratum as well as the common people, several of the policies he has attempted to implement with the help of the trade clans and the support of the Lower-Council.

Many joke of his title behind his back, and he is regarded as the laughing-stock of Niutiehaen politics. Though he could easily be removed from his position legally, he hasn’t been challenging enough to the rest of the ruling class to warrant it, and his poor health and old age indicate he is likely to die very, very soon.

Acharia Domhnaill of the Lower-Council of Belcarra

Acharia is a female Aviani, and also a major member of the Lower-Council of Belcarra, a city within which her large and well-known family has consolidated much of its resources, and has a large play within both the urban and rural politics of the region. They have, however, begun to decline from their former monopoly of power within the area, which is due in part to the meddling of both the Diarch’s, not just the Aviani one, in the politics of the region. Something which she, and several of her family members, find as appalling, in part because they believe that the Diarch has no authority in the management of the affairs of the Lower-Council, and also because they do not like having power taken away from them.

Acharia is by far the most capable member of her family, and also one of the most well-liked, and as such is one of the several Domhnaill family members in the Lower-Council. She is known to be able to see through a person on first sight and figure out their intentions before they do, and has represented Niutieh itself as a diplomatic envoy several times.

Proinnsias Bellina, Leader of the Bellina Trade Clan:

Proinnsias is an Aviani, more specifically, a male Raptorian whom of which is the de-facto leader of the up-and-coming Bellina Family Trade Clan. The Bellina’s were one of the first families to recognize the potential of zeppelins for trade, given that they could carry far more than that of a normal courier and could traverse the sky with relative safety, in contrast to a caravan which had the potential for being raided at any point it was travelling. Though the initial investment was rather costly, the payoff was worth it. Their first few trade zeppelins were capable of reaching the cities far quicker than any other caravan could, and the initial money made was enough to fund their purchasing into several different industries, and as such they have long roots in trades like mining and smithing. They are in possession of several major forge facilities in Cullahill primarily.

Though they are not the largest Trade Clan and do not have many connections in politics, they, new on the trade scene, are quickly growing. Proinnsias is the head of the family and the de-facto leader of their trade, and is known for being overtly serious and not very humorous. He is a man who does not like factual inconsistency and an informal and casual attitude, and is known for having the same amount of humor as a rock, never laughing and almost never smiling. Only one person outside of his family can say that he has seen him smile, and even he isn’t that trustworthy a source.

Great General Ruadhri Ceallach:

Less of a warrior and more of a strategist, Great General Ruadhri Ceallach is not like the great monolithic heroes of Niutiehaen legends who rode into the forests to do battle with the Wild Elves, nor is he like the men renowned for their inspiring leadership capabilities and popularity among their armies. Ruadhri, if anything, is an antisocial workaholic, a man who would much rather direct a battle from camp, knowing every detail, every movement, and every ambush being carried out in concise, clear, and meticulous detail. This contrasts somewhat to the normal way of doing things throughout the common ranks, where attacks are often unofficial and carried out at the whims of the soldiers. For this he is unpopular among some, but especially well liked by the Aviani Diarch himself, who saw it fit to recruit this man immediately to organize and direct armies, something much more fitting for him given the skill he had in managing his former messenger outposts.

While not having the most enduring personality or the greatest skill with an axe (rather lack of,) he is a strategic and tactical genius; he himself personally enhanced the messenger bird system to take into greater account the movements of the loosely organized skirmisher style regiments, while also enhancing the command structure for far greater efficiency in combat scenarios, much to the disdain of some of the more traditional members of the military.

Some view him as a coward, partially because he is an Aviani in a position of command, partially because of his unorthodox and untraditional methods of military command, and also because of his inherent antisocial and sedentary habits. He only drinks when it is socially required, but is hardly comparable to the ruling Aviani Diarch in his utilitarianism. He sometimes writes as a hobby, and has been told he is quite good at it.

Great General Tadhg Loingsigh:

An advocate against Ruadhri’s organizational changes (though not his changes to the messenger system,) Tadhg is a Raptorian Great General trusted among the ranks for his skill in combat and inspiring leadership abilities. He is thirty-eight years of age and has decent military experience, it would be more if there happened to be more conflicts between the surrounding states and Niutieh, but he does what he can with mock battles and training exercises.

He is fond of alcohol and is renowned for being almost impossible to get drunk no matter how much drink you pour into him. He is usually reserved being boisterous and informal, sometimes to the dismay of his more serious counterparts, but both his skill and knowledge of combat and his leadership capabilities make up for this. When in battle he is usually seen brashly heading dives and participating in low-flight skirmishing, up close against the enemy, usually with some flair associated.

He is not very fond of paperwork and the administrative duties of being a major general, but still does it with some skill, in contrast to Ruadhri, who is almost always working at his desk, at least during times of peace.

Traits:

Nation Traits: 8
Mountainfolk
For The People
Peaceful
Agents Everywhere
Manipulative
Natural Architecture
Master of Disguise
Spies, Spies Everywhere!

Population Traits: 10
Brave
Stand Tall
Talented
We Stand As One!
Brutal
Fair Law
Game Trails
Winged Messengers
Small Town Talk

Academic Traits: 6
Agricultural Institute
Tradesmen Academy
Institute of Commerce
Maps of the Hidden Paths
Bards
Information Brokers

Military Basic Traits: 5
Ambush Predators
Strategists
Fearless
War Paint
Death Before Dishonor
Nightmares in the Trees

Archery Traits: 6
Witch-Hunters
Apple Shots
Bushes Are Your Friend
Men in Tights
Composite Bows
Archery Range

Infantry Traits: 1
Lords of the Axe

Airborne Traits: 2
Control the Skies
Gryphon

Cavalry Traits: 0

Naval Traits: 0

Tradesmen Traits: 9
Farmhands
Master Carpenters
Master Stonemasons
Trackers
Industrious
Buy Only the Best
Bang for Your Buck
Perfectionists
Inspiring Edifice

Merchant Traits: 7
Silk Roads
Exotic Trade Goods
A Little Money Here and There
Welcome Sight
Fast Travel
Diplomatic Savants
Super Caravans

Magecraft Traits: 0

Monster Traits: 0

Mechanist Traits: 6
Steam Engines
Zeppelins
Environmental Protection
Telescopes
Pneumatic Systems
Electricity!

Flaws:
Afraid of Water
Facts, Facts, Facts!
(Custom) Aversion to Magic:
Niutieh culture is highly distrustful of magic, and is thus unable to utilize it on almost any scale without vocal disdain from the majority of the population or military. This does not mean, however, that they are fearful of magic. (Cannot take traits that refer to them being in any way magical. This is pretty much terrified of magic scaled down.)

Territory:

The lands of Niutieh are quite mountainous, and are full of winding, narrow valleys with tall, temperate forests. The forests are coniferous, with the canopies obscuring the sky (infamously so given the skirmisher tactics of Niutieh armies,) and the understory littered with branches often covered with bright green mosses, with the bushes reaching from as low as a man’s shins to as tall as his head (approximately,) the forests are lush to say the least. The cities of the nation have been founded upon the mountains because of two reasons. One, to avoid the no longer relevant tribes of hostile wild elves, and two, for the reason of defense and simply because the Aerions are capable of flight and it is not a detriment to them to place them there.

Though the oldest cities are located in the mountains, the Niutieh began to settle farther down the mountains as the threat of the elves continued to diminish as they were slowly wiped out. The largest city in Niutieh, Cullahill, is located farther away from the capitol then most settlements, but has grown to its size because of its prime trade position, as well as the natural fertility of the surrounding plains. The population is far more mixed here compared to the other major settlements, but that is simply because it is both easier to access and has far more trade running through it.

The land is infamous for its thick fog.

-Mountain Capital (Moroespeak)
-Medium Mountain City (Belcarra)
-Medium Forest City (Falkirk)
-Large City (Cullahill)
9 Mountains
7 Forests
2 Rivers
1 Plain

Armies: The armies of Niutieh have always relied on fast movement with lightly armored troops, where they attempt to divide and crush hostile forces in the narrow valleys and temperate forests of their lands, where they fly relatively undetected in the canopy. However, when forced out of cover and into more open conditions, they are forced to rely on very fast, unrelenting dives with their infantry and the use of skirmishing in order to get the job done. They are not very good against organized heavy infantry and cavalry, which is one of the reasons why they have kept to their own lands for all this time.

Due to the very nature of their flying abilities, they are forced to rely on very light armor, as anything heavier would weigh down their units immensely and render them far slower, if not incapable of flight. This is why they tend to rely on mercenaries if they are looking for an open field engagement with a hostile country, but since they aren’t war-mongerers and try to avoid conflict, military matters are usually limited to defense.

182/182 Regiment Points

-2 Regiments of Aviani Infantry

200 Total Units When at Full Strength

-7 Regiments of Aviani Composite Bowmen (6 Experienced)

700 Total Units When at Full Strength

-30 Regiments of Raptorian Infantry (4 Elite, 9 Experienced)

3,000 Total Units When at Full Strength

-20 Regiments of Raptorian Composite Bowmen (1 Elite, 9 Experienced)

2,000 Total Units When at Full Strength

-5 Regiments of Raptorian Royal Guard, Infantry Class

500 Total Units When at Full Strength

6,400 Total Units

Command Units:

-3 Great Generals (1 Aviani, 2 Raptoria)
-6 Commanders (1 Aviani, 5 Raptoria)
-3 Generals (Raptoria)

Air Force:

-2 Regiment of Gryphon Cavalry
-1 Light Zeppelin