A web of whispers
Your master of spies is a genius. His contacts are numerous and you have many insiders in different courts. Your spies are good at seeking out and buying information, at spying, extorting, falsifying, and sabotaging. Although such a reputation doesn't make you popular.

A breaker of webs
Your agents are many, and as such they combat the spy network with great efficiency.

Honorable folk (Cannot take with A web of whispers)
In all of history you were known for being most honorable. Your diplomats are one of the most trusted, although that makes all the more.. Sneakier affairs, more difficult.

Beloved by the people
Your royal family is widely popular among the peasantry. To sow dissent and seeds of doubt into your populace would be met with fierce resistance, for sometimes even a bad jest about your cousin's lazy eye could get you into trouble.

Friends with the nobles
Your dynasty sometimes gave landed titles to those they deemed worthy, or they sometimes helped during disasters or married some nobles, making quite some blue-blooded people happy.

Wondrous beauty
Your cities are adorned with fountains, gargoyles, churches, cathedrals, chapels, statues. Not to mention the world's wonder in your capital.

Developed infrastructure
Your roads are well-built, your villages have wells, watchtowers, schools, and even walls sometimes. Armies and caravans pass rather quickly through your lands.

Clean streets
Your streets are regularly patrolled by the city guard.

Fair law
Your justice court is renowned for its' fairness. No one can complain about unfair treatment at your unbuyable judges' hand.

Schools
Your people are taught in schools. Some folks are literate.

Knowledge of war
All high-ranked officers and commanders learn from veterans in military institutes. Your strategists are brilliant and can plan elaborate attacks and maneuvers. Many interesting cavalry and infantry formations are known.

Messengers with wings
Your communication is rather fast with the use of trained birds. It helps relay urgent and sometimes vital orders to different places.

Show of war
Songs are sung, crests and sigils are adorning the shields, tabards, flags, and even painted on faces. The morale in such moments is extremely strong.

War taxes
You tax your populace in time of conflict. It helps greatly with paying for the upkeep and cost of armies. However, if war goes on for too long, the peasants will revolt.

Foraging
Your armies can live off the lands indefinitely; hunting game, gathering fruits and growing vegetables. It helps sustain your army in alien lands.

Big armies
You don't miss up on an opportunity to recruit more people, even if they lack in a finger, eye, or limb. You recruit the old men, the boys barely out of their teens, and even women at times. This does however add more mouths to feed sometimes and more people to pay to, but can be worth it when needed cannon fodder.

Masters of ambush
Your armies have mastered the art of ambushing an enemy - taking them by surprise and slaughtering them. Indeed, a small squad can destroy an entire entourage of soldiers if they have prepared all the traps and tricks needed for the excellent ambush.

Good equipment
Many of your soldiers have access to good equipment, which means that they'll fight with better armor and arms. However if you take this trait along with the trait 'Big armies' you get a modifier making less soldiers have the same good armor and weapons.

Heavy armor (Cannot take with Light armor.)
Your forces are heavily armored, prone to enduring many blows in battle in exchange for mobility.

Light armor (Cannot take with Heavy armor.)
Your soldiers are lightly armored, leading to them being more faster and mobile.

Note that the Heavy and Light armor are simply preferences. You will still have heavy cavalry or heavy infantry if you take the Light armor. Just that they'd be less heavy than the ones with the 'Heavy armor' trait chosen.

Good archers
Your archers are extremely good, either at discipline and teamwork or at being good shots.

Jousting lords
Your knights have practiced jousting at tournaments for hundreds of years. This means that your lancers are amongst the finest.

Trained troops
The troops that you command are highly skilled and disciplined, taught the art of war and all of its' great and important details. The men are hardened warriors with training and are ready for combat. However, if you take this trait along with the trait 'Big army' you'll get a modifier with less soldiers being experienced and somewhere along the recruits unless after several battles.

Sieging genius
Your engineers know well the craft of building siege towers, siege ladders and digging under the walls. All in all, you are feared as a besieger.

Awe-inspiring fortifications
Your castles and keeps are known for its' beauty, but most of all its' security as they stands tall and imposing, as a big challenge for the world. The kingdom's forts are highly valued strategic positions which reinforce certain regions and protect it from the foe.

Ships
Your navy is formidable with many a ship, crewed by bonny sailors and admirals.

Riding the waves (Can't take with 'Massive ships' trait)
Your ships are among the fastest. You ride atop the waves as if on a chariot, and can cross seas and oceans with ease.

Seaworthy
Don't worry about your entire fleet sinking to meet the god of water himself! Because with the vessels you possess, it's near impossible.

Massive ships (Can't take with 'Riding the waves' trait)
The ships in your fleet are massive, and can take in more than several hundred men, as well as hundreds of crates. But they're rather slow.

Agriculture
Your fields and soil are rich. Your people can feed off it and make bread aplenty. All in all, it is a big bonus to feeding your civilians and your big hosts.

Filthy rich (COSTS 2 POINTS, REQUIRES IMPORTANT TRADE ROUTES TRAIT)
You live in mythical extravagance, for you are very rich and your coffers are full.

Rich with ores
After successful expeditions into your mountains, you've discovered numerous veins of rich ores and still to this day you're making profit from them.

Important trade routes (COSTS 2 POINTS)
Many roads vital to international trade go through your country. Merchant guildmasters bow and pay tariffs to you, coin circulates through your demesne like blood.

Ports
Trading ships set anchor upon your shores as they trade many different, important and luxurious resources from overseas.

Industry
Your craftsmen and artisans create many important and quality goods.

Black market
There is some very interesting wares that can be purchased in your domain, if you find the right person and have good coin. And even for Your Majesty's unspoken approval, they can give a share.

Ancient merchant families
Your merchant families are old, all having haggled with kings and queens of old. Through them you can get access to many other markets and places. The Merchant families and guilds are extremely powerful, almost as powerful as your vassals, or even more.

Caravans
Not just caravans. Very well guarded ones, extraordinarily quick and big. Your merchants won't get robbed by some filthy brigands, and sometimes an army won't stop them, though that's unlikely.

Not a flawless family
Your family members all have flaws. Maybe one is crippled, the other proud and slothful, third a feebleminded abomination. That doesn't help with alliances, which are almost all made through betrothal. Nor does it help with popularity.

Not a flawless family 2
Something horrible had been once discovered about your family, and it's a sweet juice for rumors to be made by your foes.

Corruption
There is clientelism, bribery, and other disgusting things in your government. Your closest advisors take a slice of the tax money for themselves and possess too much power, fighting over the kingdom like petty children.

Arguable claims
Several of your vassals have been married to your ancestors, and all have some considerable claims on the throne, putting your dynasty at risk.

Horrible vassals
Your vassal lords are not very nice to you, nor to each other. They often fight and burn each others' estates, sowing chaos in the country with their disputes and skirmishes. They also often do not help out with troops nor financial contributions to the good of the realm.

Debt
Your parents left you in a bad debt to several rich merchant families. This hurts your prestige and they can take action to take back the money you owe them, by force. Better pay up.

Beggars by day, brigands by night
The poor turn to banditry as a way to eat some more bread at the expense of others. They kill and rob, getting bolder day by day.

Sellswords
Often mercenary companies form the backbone of your army, which is not a very good thing considering that they are only loyal to their purse.

Depleted resources
Your fields cannot sustain your populace, your mines are abandoned and ruined as there is nothing else left to milk out of it.

Hated by the people
Your dynasty better get some equivalent of a Varangian Guard to supress revolts, because there's going to be plenty. Your ruler is loathed and despised by many, (for a reason you can make up yourself.)

Overly powerful merchant guilds
These ones can become an annoyance if you get on their bad side. They can even try and assassinate you if they consider you dangerous or a liability.

Terrible boats
Your hulls are broken, there are holes in it and the sail is nearly ripped apart. Your fleet is a pitiful view.

Even your horses look weak
Yes, your cavalry deserves its' obscurity in the world. Many horses are lame, swaybacked, stubborn, and bad-tempered. Not to speak of your 'knights'.

Your arrows fly like dung
The archers of your kingdom are bad at their jobs. They're an undisciplined raggle-taggle host of weak, cowardly rangers.

Serf Armies
Your infantry is rather undisciplined, and at times poorly armed.

Name of the Kingdom: The Northern Reaches
Current Ruler: King Eyvindr II
Dynasty: The Ragnvaldr dynasty
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[hider=History] Founded approximately 1000 years ago by the Hrothgar of the Felbjorn dynasty, the Northern Reaches has long established itself as masters of the ocean, conducting vital interkingdom trade through their large number of ships. Exiled with his household and supporters from the region of Chalewiel after an attempted uprising due to cultural differences and Hrothgar's lust for power, the exiles arrived in the lands of Wund. Encountering an apparently bleak land, filled with foreboding at the fact that omens along the voyage had not been king, he nevertheless persevered and began to establish his kingdom where he disembarked (the large claim area), naming the place Valheim. Having arrived just as spring was starting, the populace was fortunate enough to have scavenged seeds before leaving, allowing them to sow the fields with crops that would be ready by the time winter came. To their surprise, the land's fertility surpassed that of their home in Chalewiel despite the apparent barren state of the land.

By the time winter came, construction of many buildings approached completion. Desperate, the worked faster, scavenging most of their remaining ships to finish the construction before the snows came. If the decision had gone differently, the exiles would have been claimed by the fierce blizzards that roared constantly during the winter, breaks far between yet of length enough to allow work. Looking longingly back to the sea, construction began once again on the fleet which had been destroyed in their ploy to survive. Slowed by the winter, ships were built slowly, the first few being completed the following autumn. With not enough time left for any journey of length, ships were sent up and down the coast, exploring the land. Villages were founded in fertile areas, spreading the burden of the population. Seasons came and went, and within a hundred years the Northmen had spread through much of the peninsula, even discovering an island off to the northwest. The Felbjorn dynasty grew in power, but as power comes, so do those that covet or despise it. In the Year after Founding 157, a group of nobles banded together and forced the king to abdicate. Despite earlier agreements to form a council of nobles, they fell to fighting amongst each other. While such chaos was occurring on the mainland, one of the nobles on the settled island, Arnnor the Wise of Wodanz, solidified his position, ensuring that those others on the island were behind his lead firmly. Advancing with an army behind him, Arnnor swiftly defeated the remaining nobles, executing them for treason against the king. No member of the Felbjorn dynasty was left alive, leaving the position open. Arnnor claimed it as his own, beginning the rule of the Wodanz dynasty.

A fair ruler in most matters, he became beloved by the people for his compassionate nature, yet was hated by the surviving relatives of the rebellious nobles and their allies. Discontent remained in the land as they lived yet the faith of the people was unshakable so long as Arnnor lived. Upon his death, a series of weak kings followed, landing the kingdom in debt and reducing much of the fleet to destitution. At this point, YF 601, another uprising took place once again, this one more covert in nature. Assassinations and bribery became common. a silent war in the midst of the people. The jarl of Valheim, Asmund of Ragnvaldr, maneuvered his way into the graces of many of the noble families, establishing himself as a friend to many, enemy to few. Upon the death of the king, as no viable heir was left, tensions threatened to break into a civil war. Using his strings, Asmund secured the throne for himself through a series of opportune marriages, trade contracts, and bribes of his own. Gaining the throne in YF 609, the Ragnvaldr dynasty worked to become friends of both the people and the nobles so as to ensure the continued support of the entire nation.

In the current year, YF 900, Eyvindr II sets his sights on expanding the borders of the Northern Reaches into southern territory, the first proposed large foreign excursion since the inception of the kingdom. Such plans are kept secret among a few people, yet a tension rests in the air that is difficult to ignore if focused on. With the full support of the people behind him, Eyvindr hopes to establish a Northmen hegemony over much of the world. Having access and general control of the world's premier naval force, Eyvindr plans to exploit this fact in both a military and economic fashion, the Northmen having already established themselves as deadly raiders and sought-after cargo bearers due to their famous ships.

• Beloved by the People: The Ragnvaldr dynasty has long spent building faith with the people through the general abolition of serfdom in favor of paid labor, large festivals and other events, and very low taxes.


• Friends with the Nobles: Through dynastic marriages early in the rule of the Ragnvaldr dynasty, along with continued appropriations of land and royal support in times of need, the nobles have come to view the king with respect, in addition to a growing sense of nationalism.


• Knowledge of War: The life of a Northman raider is a dangerous one. Ever since the kingdom recovered its sailing capacities, parties have ventured out to other lands, looting what they could to survive and bring back for the prosperity of their families. Due to their location, access to equipment of good quality was rare and not as many men could be raised for war. This led to the establishment of a military school late in the Wodanz dynasty, allowing aspiring warriors to learn the art of war. Taught by veterans too old to continue battle yet not old enough to be inactive, soldiers graduating from the academy are well-learned in matters of strategies of all kinds, a useful skill for an army with less variety than most. In addition, this skill complements their mastery of ambush, allowing post-attack formations to be formulated quickly. Improvisation is a key skill taught at the school for no plan survives contact with the enemy.


• Masters of Ambush: Raiding is a very risky business, depending greatly on being able to come upon the targeted settlement or group without being spotted beforehand. With an extensive raiding history, the Northmen have come to develop stealth to an art, able to come upon villages and towns without having been detected beforehand. Such an element of surprise allows loot to be claimed and defenders to be overwhelmed without great interference. Adding to this is the preference of light armor, allowing ambushes to be set up quickly and without much noise.


• Light armor: Ores were difficult to come by in the northern lands and as such had to be prioritized for other purposes. This resulted in lack of armor development. Most armor is usually leather or padded cloth, with only a few of the richer having chain armor. Also, as occasional raiders, it helps to be able to escape from a situation quickly.


• Trained Troops: Combat tournaments, along with the experience provided by raiding and training provided by some jarls to their soldiers, has propagated the development of combat readiness among the Northern Reaches. A jarl is looked down upon if they cannot assemble a skilled war band should the need arise, adding social pressure to this fact.


• Ships: Separated from other nations and originally a sea-faring group, the Northern Reaches has come to hold the largest fleet of ships in the world in terms of pure numbers.


• Riding the Waves: Separated from other nations by large gaps of water and requiring speedy ships to get away after a raid, Reach ships have focused on speed rather than bulk carrying capacity.


• Seaworthy: Having mastered the construction of ships over a thousand years, Northern Reach longboats and galleys are made to withstand some of the strongest storms in the world. In addition, their innovative compartmentalization adds to the sturdiness of the boats.


• Agriculture: Despite the northerly status of the terrain, old volcanic systems have made the soil fertile, allowing the production of food. In addition, food has become specialized to growing in cold climates. The warmer areas in the south are dedicated to growing massive amounts of wheat for the other areas of the kingdom.

• Even your horses look weak: When the Northmen were exiled from Chalewiel, no horses were brought with them. Due to the detrimental terrain, cost of purchase, and time spent without them, horses have been generally phased from warfare.


• Your arrows fly like dung: Due to the Northmen's reliance on fishing and agriculture rather than hunting to survive, archery was not kept alive by civilians. In addition, many warriors view the bow as an inferior weapon, not worthy of a true fighter.

. . . Finlaugur Ingmarsson.

This jarl is a cruel, unlikable man. But a legendary warrior and commander. Several time had the Cardinals of the East called for him to appear at his trial for the crimes he did in battle, such as torture impalement of an enemy lord, and his family afterwards. Indeed, while strongly loyal to your family, he's seen by many as a horrible savage, a baresark barbarian - and many dislike you for having such a man in your service.

His family is ancient, though its' power withered over the years as having to keep armies while not having men to work the fields left a toil on their land, as well as killed much of the population. The Ingmarssons are rather few at the moment, and the lord is not married, nor does he any heir aside from his younger sister. It is a small family, managed by a ruthless and reckless noble.

His younger sister, Dorothea Ingmarsdottir, doesn't show much promise either. She is said to be feebleminded, and is locked away in a dungeon at the tender age of seventeen.

Name of the Kingdom: The Affadyqid Sultanate
Current Ruler: Mehran bin-Laysham al Affadyqid
Dynasty: Affadyqid
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History:

The Affadyqid Sultanate was established some 500 years ago by Beneran "The Lame Mare". Originally the third daughter of Orghan, the chief of a tribe of Kara nomads, she managed to take over by manipulating her older brothers into killing themselves in a duel. Once in charge of the tribe, the ambitious chieftess wasted no time in subjugating the neighboring tribes into her growing domain. And after five years of war, during which she asserted herself as one of the most powerful leaders of the region, Beneran set her eyes on the true prize: The Sestani plain, possibly the most fertile patch of land of the entire northern reach of the continent and the "Promised Land" for the Kara and other desert-dwellers.

During that time, the Sestani plain was under the control of the Zurvanid Empire. An ancient realm already in its twilight years, suffering from stagnation, corruption and a intense civil war between the Emperor and a league of rebel city-states. And it was during this time of weakness that Benenan and her army of desert-dwellers barged into the region. Proving once again to be a masterful commander, Benenan easily slaughtered the divided armies of her opponents, burning all cities and villages who dared to resist. It was during this time that she gained the nickname of "Lame Mare", for during a battle she took a wound that soon got infected and forced the doctors to cut off her left leg below the knee. Though that didn't stop her from continuing the campaign, and as soon as a wooden replacement could be arranged Beneraz was back on the saddle.

After more four years of intense combat, the old Zurvanid Empire was conquered, save for a few remnants roaming the countryside, and so the victorious chieftess declared herself Sultana and choose the city of Iskenderyah to be the capital of the "Affadyqid Sultanate" (Meaning Blue Eagle in the Kara language). Surprisingly, the Lame Mare proved to be a merciful ruler, restoring the many temples and monuments destroyed by her army and protecting the freedom of religion and respecting the different cultures of her subjects. She died after other 20 years in power.

Her son, Muffahar, would rule like his mother, merciful and generous to his allies but ruthlessly cruel to his enemies. As it would soon be discovered by the many rebels who rose up during the early year of his reign. Other than that, his reign would be mostly quiet. Muffahar's son, Zedanyin would take the throne and spend most of his reign warring with the neighboring states and expanding the Sultanate. After him the Affadyqid realm would be wracked by a 9-year long civil war that would end with the nobility ruling the realm and the Sultan reduced to a mere figurehead.

This situation would remain for some hundred years. Until the start of the 30-years War. This conflict started rather far away from the borders of the Sultanate, but thanks to a complex web of alliances the Affadyqids found themselves in one of the sides of the war. The conflict, like many others, was bloody and senseless, ending with little more than a white peace and ruining several rulers across Astieb and Chernogavia. Including many of the most powerful lords of the realm, which allowed the reigning Sultan to wrest the control of the nation back into his hands.

The next big event would happen some 50 years later with the birth of the Ularid Faith. A militant religion by nature, its followers surged from the deserts and into the settled lands, sparking yet another long and bloody conflict that lasted for some more decades. Fortunately for the Affadyqids, when the Holy Warriors of Ular reached their borders they were already overstretched after years of brutal fighting. This allowed the Affadyqid armies to triumph and beat the fanatics back. Though to this victory did not stop the spread of Ularism through the population of the western regions of the Sultanate.

And so we reach the current era. Some 230 years after the first Ularid Wars, and 10 years into the reign of Sultan Mehren.

Not a Flawless Family 2: Mehran's grandfather was rather fond of the young children of his court. This inappropriate infatuation led to his poisoning by his younger brother, who then took the throne. Only to die of a heart attack decades later while engaging in certain activities with his daughter. The throne then passed to Mehran's father, who was rumored to take part in ceremonies to consort with demons. Needless to say, the prestige and standing of the Affadyqids was seriously damaged by these events.

Terrible boats: Beneran conquered and ruled her realm from atop of a horse and while her sons may have built palaces for themselves, no Affayqid ruler ever paid much attention to building himself a fleet.

Agriculture: The Affadyqids rule over fertile the Sestani plain provides them with vast amounts of foodstuff for the realm.

Rich with Ores: The Lamani mountains located along the northeastern coast of the nation and the Alberrin on the southern edge of the Sultanate are among the richest of the continent.

Industry: The Affadyqids rulers always placed great emphasis on ensuring the productivity and quality of local craftsmen

Big Armies: The continent of Astieb is no stranger to conflicts, and the Sultans never forgot how their illustrious ancestor simply took the lands of those unable to resist. And as such maintaining large armies was always a must for the Affadyqid rulers. After all, isn't it the task of every men and women to defend it's liege?

Messengers with wings: Communication was and always will be a vital cornerstone of warfare.

Trained Troops: Despite it's large size bringing a quality of its own, the Affadyqid Sultans have always maintained a smaller force of very well trained troops under direct control of the crown.

Foraging: The sheer size of the Affadyqid armies have forced them to be efficient at foraging when in campaign.

Developed Infrastructure: When Beneran took over the old Zurvanid Empire, she ensured that the old roads and monuments survived, and her sons and successors prided themselves in expanding the general infrastructure of the realm

Fair Law: In theory, the mandate of the Affadyqids is due to their ability to maintain peace and order. For this reason the Sultans have always worked hard to maintain a strong judicial system

Clean streets: The cities are dutifully patrolled by guards day and night.

WIP

Royal House Sheffield


King Elroy
28 years old. Recently ascended to the throne after the sudden death of his father, the late King Leopold. Elroy now seeks to prove himself and live up to the legacy left by his father.

Queen Amara
27 years old. Being from one of the most prominent noble families within the kingdom, Amara was marred to Elroy soon after his ascension and the pair have been together for less than a year, and have had no children. Despite the marriage being arranged and initially being against it, Amara has grown increasingly fond of her husband over the course of their short marriage.

Princess Rhiae
21 years old. She is the younger sister of king Elroy and was married three years ago to a member of the same household of Queen Amara.

Princess Eloise
17 years old. She is also the younger sister of king Elroy, and oddly remains unmarried. She caused controversy for the late king Leopold amongst the nobility due to her appearance being significantly different from others of the Sheffield household, and many believe her to have been born out of an affair between Leopold and his sister, due to her stark resemblance.

WIP

WIP

Filthy Rich

Important Trade Routes

Caravans

Ports

Wondrous Beauty

Developed Infrastructure

Good equipment

Awe-inspiring fortifications

Flaws

Overly powerful merchant guilds

Not a flawless family (2)