The High Kingdom of the Na-Totambu and the Ra Gada

Notes on the Name: While officially “The High Kingdom of the Na-Totambu and the Ra Gada” is the official name of what once was the province of Hammerfell, Hammerfell is stil used to refer to the now-independent nation both inside and outside of its borders.

Location: The City of Sentinel on the Southern end of the Lilac Bay to the Port City of Rihad just north of the gold coast, and from the Island of Stos M’Kai to Dragonstar in the North and Elinhir in the east. Geographical borders consist of the Lilac Bay, the Colovian highlands in the south, the ocean in the west, and the far edge of the Dragontail Mountains in the Northeast.

Notes on Sructure: As a High Kingdom, Hammerfell is composed of smaller kingdoms—like Rihad in the south Hegathe in the west—city states—like Dragonstar in the northeast and the island of Stros M’kai— and nomadic tribes—like the Alik’r and the Ash’abah of the Alik’r Desert—that have sworn fealty to the High King, who has personal holdings of his own.

Military Information:
• Hammerfell has a standing army of about 15,000 troops drawn from all corners of the realm, with the ability to raise about 33,000 in total in the event of serious conflict. However, that 33,000 is split up between the many realms that make up the High Kingdom, and would take a considerable amount of time to raise for a broad offensive mobilization. Defense of regions left to local rulers in the short-term, giving them free-reign to defend themselves until reinforcements can arrive.
• Hammerfell possess about 7,000 ships, giving them the ability to easily transport their standing army, and up to about 22,000 troops should that man be raised.
• Unofficially, Hammerfell allows pirates to dock in its port cities unmolested, so long as they do not attack ships belonging to or trading with Hammerfell. Should Hammerfell from an official military or trade alliance, they will be forbidden targets as well. These pirates are estimated to number about 700.
• The Ash’abah tribe, numbering just under 1,000, actively pursues and represses undead activity within Hammerfell’s borders. They could be called upon by the High King to aid against any undead threat. Because of cultural stigmas related to interaction with the undead and the use of magic, the Ash’abah are outcasts, which limits their movements within Hammerfell.
• Hammerfell’s military does not officially hold any mages whatsoever. This is related to a cultural stigma against the use of magic, and those Redguards who do openly practice magic are outcasts for it. Redguard clergy, be they of the Divines or Yokudan pantheon, do not practice magic as a result of this, and are not considered combatants unless otherwise enlisted.
• Hammerfell is actively pursuing a rediscovery of the techniques of the ancient Yokudan Ansei, or “Saints if the Sword.” (Note: While this shall be pursued by Hammerfell no matter what, it will not come to fruition without express approval separate from the overall application. The lore from the games paints the Ansei as very powerful figures, able to form powerful weapons from their own spirits. I am more than willing to role-play without being able to field any, but I would like to know if I could do so in a limited fashion)

Icon:
Source
(Note: This guy has some pretty awesome stuff, which some of you may want to snag for your own flags. Either way, I recommend checking it out.)

History: For centuries, the Crowns and Forebears of Hammerfell have been in a state of tension and conflict. When Hammerfell rejected the White-Gold concordat, and the Aldmeri Dominion invaded the desert province, they, for the first time almost since the destruction of Yokuda, found unity. To solidify this unity in a way that would last for the duration of, and after, the war with the Dominion, King Vird-si of Rihad, who ruled a predominantly Forebear realm, married his daughter to King Azzhlan of Sentinel in the North, a Crown. The union of these, the two most powerful Forebear and Crown realms, is credited by many as the only thing that has kept Crowns and Forebears from once again breaking out into civil war.

With the death of the old king Vird-si in the war, and his son and heir of the same name being untested, Sentinel was widely considered the strongest realm of all the holdings in Hammerfell. This, and the guaranteed allegiance of Rihad from the aforementioned marriage, led to King Azzhlan becoming High King of a united, independent Hammerfell.

This united realm is an exercise in compromise between the traditionalist Crowns in the north, and the metropolitan forebears in the south. The name itself comes from the Yokudan names for the two groups: Na-Totambu refers to the Crowns, and Ra Gada (from which the word ”Redguard” originates) refers to the Forebears. The Name is an example of how the High Kingdom has many traditionalist trappings. Given tensions between Hammerfell and the Empire, after the White-Gold Concordat officially ceded much of southern Hammerfell to the Dominion, as well as Hammerfell and the Dominion even after the signing of the Second Treaty of Stros M’kai, even the metropolitan Forebears have been reluctant to pursue international trade on the scale of the Third and Early Fourth Eras.

Name: Azzhlan, High King of the Na-Totambu and the Ra Gada

Appearance: Like most Redguards, Azzhlan is dark-skinned and wiry of hair. He is muscular, though no more so than the average Redguard swordsman, and is almost as tall as an Altmer. His formal attire consists of silk robes billowing around brightly polished steel chain. At his hip is a scimitar made of the highest quality ebony.

Bio: Azzhlan was the second born-son of the Crown F’othta, King of Sentinel. The city of Sentinel, capital of the realm of the same name, was a center of trade, bringing in great wealth to its merchants, who were then taxed by F’othta. This brought in great wealth to the northern realm, and Azzhlan was immersed in it as he grew up. As a result of his Crown heritage, he was also immersed in Yokudan history and language. He has been fluent in the latter from a young age, and was enamored with the old Yokudan heroes as a boy—the Ansei in particular. Being second-born, he was not in line to inherit his father’s throne, and when he came of age, asked his father’s leave to join the provincial branch of the Fighter’s Guild to seek a glory of his own. F’othta consented, and had a scimitar crafted from imported ebony for his son to use.

As a member of the Fighter’s Guild,Azzhlan traveled all around Hammerfell alongside his guild mates, vanquishing those monsters that even Hammerfell’s hearty populace could not handle on their own, and occasional ventured forth into the surrounding provinces. As a Crown, he had been raised with a dep respect for the past, and to follow the traditional Yokudan pantheon. However, the vast majority of his guild mates were Forebears—the traditionalist Crowns often frowning on those who joined such Imperial institutions. Initially, there was great distrust between him and them, but as he did battle and shed blood alongside them, a bond was formed, and Azzhlan acquired a respect for the Forebears that would last for years to come.

Azzhlan journeyed far. He vanquished giant scorpions, exterminated bandits on trade routes into Cyrodiil, fought off an incursion by the Foresworn into Hammerfell, and even worked with the infamous Ash’abah to bring down a necromancer. In these travels, Azzhlan acquired a respect, not just for the Forebears, but for the broader spectrum of cultures in Tamriel, and came to see the isolationist tendencies of most of his fellow Crowns as more then antiquated. He also built up a good deal of fame, not only for being a Crown in the Fighter’s Guild, but also for how effective he and his compatriots were.

This time, though, came to an end. Disease swept through Sentinel, and both his father and elder brother, who remained childless, grew deathly ill. Knowing what was to come, he quit the Fighter’s Guild to return to Sentinel. The Guildmaster assigned his closest friends to accompany him on his journey, as bodyguards. They arrived after much of the city was in better health, but covertly, so as to avoid fanfare. His brother had already passed, but he was in time to see his brother interred. F’othta barely clung to life, and having just enough time to great his returned son, he bade him farewell for the final time.

Azzhlan ascended to the throne of Sentinel to a world on the brink. Close to home, tensions were high between Crowns and Forebears, though this worldly Crown gave both sides pause. Abroad, the Aldmeri Dominion was embarrassing the Empire, and all eyes could see that war was drawing close. When at last it broke out, Azzhlan led the forces intended to relieve the besieged south, only to be pushed into the Alik’r Desert by the Elven aggressors. It was here that Vird-si, Forebear King of Rihad, proposed a strategic marriage. If Crown and Forebear tensions should break out into infighting, Hammerfell would be lost to the Dominion, so Vird-si thought that a marriage between Sentinel, the mightiest of the Crown lands, and Rihad, the mightiest Forebear realm, would bring strategic unity to the province. Azzhlan married Vird-si’s daughter, Nisira, the day that the Imperial city was captured by the Dominion. It was not a marriage of love, but Azzhlan and Nisira respected each other enough, and found each other attractive enough, that it was hardly a miserable marriage.

As the Imperial City was recaptured, so began the campaign to retake Rihad. It was a hard-won victory, and cost Vird-si his life. Despite this, morale was high. With the Imperial City retaken, and the Dominion on the back foot in Hammerfell, things were looking up for the Redguards. Then Titus Mede II signed the White-Gold concordat, ceding much of southern Hammerfell to the Dominion. Natually, all of Hammerfell rejected this idea: the south may largely be Forebear land, but even the Crowns would see it ruled by Redguards. Then the Emporer denounced Hammerfell as an Imperial Province, which all felt as a stinging betrayal. The Fighter’s Guild in Hammerfell was soon defunct, as all of its Redguard members—including the Guildmaster—deserted. Azzhlan soon found all of its old friends at his side.

Then the full might of the Aldmeri Dominion fell upon Hammerfell. A lack of hostility was hardly enough to guarantee Redguard survival, they needed total unity. The only ruler acceptable to both Crowns and Forebears was Azzhlan, the worldly crown joined to the Forebears in marriage. The thought of being ruled by a Crown was not something that almost any Forebear relished, and Crowns did not like the idea of following prospective heirs of Forebear blood, but all acknowledged that he was the only candidate both sides found palatable. What’s more, he had enough experience in battle that Hammefell-at-large felt hopeful that they had a chance under his command.

And so the war raged. For five years there were gains and losses, but the united Redguard forces eventually forced the Dominion to sign the Second Treaty of Stros M’kai, pushing the Dominion from Hammerfell. However, none believed that the Dominion would hold up their end of the Treaty should Crowns and Forebears again break out into violence, so all the realms of Hammerfell swore fealty to Azzhlan.

Age: 32

Skills:
• Sword Combat
• Diplomacy
• Resource Management
• Military Strategy and Tactics

Personality: Azzhlan is a proud man. He has pride in his accomplishments, pride in his people, and pride in his country. He is under no illusions about his people’s abilities, and acknowledges their limits, but sees the good as outweighing the bad. This leads him to a position of optimism in regards to his people, and his realm, that has spread to the rest of his life. His pride also extends to his history—specifically, the history of Yokuda. Azzhlan has, over several years of fighting defensively, developed great patience. It is his way to wait for something until the opportunity arises to strike. Azzhlan has a long memory, and is aware of disrespect and dishonor. Large scale betrayal, humiliation, deception, and other despicable actions inspire great anger in him. It can easily be said that he is over-sensitive to these things. When he feels that he has been wronged, forgiveness does not come easily to him, and revenge, while hardly ever his highest priority, is always a part of his strategy.

Faction: By Blood, he is a Crown.

Nation: Res Publica Location: Though it has membership and support all over Cyrodiil (and somewhat in other parts of the Empire), its base of operations is in Anvil particularly. Total Military Numbers (Keep it Reasonable!):

• 10,000 Ex-Legion Veterans scattered all across Cyrodiil.
• 1000 Members of the Fighters' Guild all across Tamriel.
• 700 Clergy of Talos forced underground due to the White-Gold Concordat.
• 50,000 Civilian supporters.
• Enough Money to hire 10,000 Mercenaries, including Mages.

Icon: History:Res Publica began as a mere political idea in Cyrodiil by one Antonio Salutati. He advocated for a republican form of government, one in which the leadership was elected yet ran by the merchant classes. The idea was thought to be lunacy at first; regardless, Salutati expressed his ideas in a book – Res Publica. The text was ignored for the most part by the nobility but became quite popular amongst other groups of people, especially merchants, ex-legionaries, and guilds. The book was well-liked in fact, that it lead to the creation of an advocate group named after the book in Anvil. Res Publica proved to be a flop at first, attracting few members with noticeable prospects. All that changed when a tycoon of sorts – Lucius Cincinnatus learned of this group. Lucius, disenchanted by heredity rule as well as the emperor in particular, chose to join the organization. With him, he brought both his wealth and influence which shifted the group in a much more active yet radical direction. In no time, propaganda swept through Cyrodiil’s, bringing in supporters from all corners of the province and, slowly, from other parts of the Empire. Since the war in Skyrim began, the group has seen a drastic increase in membership and support. As approval of the emperor decreases, Res Publica grows and fosters with the potential to bring his dynasty to an end. With Imperial forces spread thin, it seems as if the time for an uprising is approaching…

Name: Lucius Cincinnatus Appearance: As an Imperial, Lucius is covered with tan skin, dark hair, and small dark eyes. Keeping in which his countrymen’s culture, he keeps his hair especially short, never quite long enough to breeze freely in the wind. His body structure is scrawny and in no way fit for military service. With a preference for showing off his wealth, he typically adorns himself with several sets of robe at once with red and white being his favorite color combination. He almost always carries with him a small dagger for protection, though ardently believes he’ll never be forced to use it. Bio:Lucius was born as the sixth child of a poor farming family near Bravil, Cyrodiil. At a young age, his only notable trait was his sickliness which often manifested as fatigue and a vulnerability to illness. Rarely was he able to work the fields for as long as his siblings, a fact his father resented greatly. His mother, on the other hand, was much more accepting of this major flaw and proved to be a soft spot for much of Lucius’ childhood. Of course, “Mama’s Boy” became an eventual nickname of his among the rest of the family, though it was rarely meant in a malicious way. The first step in Lucius’ malcontent with monarchies began with the count of Bravil, a sour young man by the name of Dante Pergrande. Count Pergrande was painfully corrupt and infamous for cooperating with Bravil’s major crime lords. One day, the Cincinnatus Farm had become the unfortunate target of one of these crime lords who found it rather profitable to steal the farm’s crops and sell them at a farmer’s market at a ridiculously low price. This had become somewhat commonplace until, after some time, the Cincinnatus family managed to come up with the proof to have the crime lord arrested. Count Pergrande, however, would have none of this and, instead, had the crime lord set free. This was an injustice that seemingly tore young Lucius apart and, in the process, sowed the seed to his hatred of royalty. By sixteen, Lucius had become completely disillusioned to the farmer’s life. He despised the labor, the poverty, and especially the lack of social prestige. Ultimately, he made the decision to leave home and try his luck somewhere else – where, he did not know. His family, of course, was none too pleased but did little to stop him with the assumption that he’d return after seeing the real world for himself in mind. Lucius, filled with a youthful determination, traveled to Skingrad, where he found a job as a shopkeeper’s assistant at a general store. Although he was nearly illiterate at the time, Lucius proved to have a knack for numbers. With this latent talent of his, he was able to see small ways in which the shop could save a few coins here and a few more there – micromanagement essentially. Though the improvements were small, they soon added up. Four years after Lucius arrived in Skingrad, the shop (nicknamed Oval) had increased its net income by 25%. Crediting this growth to his assistant, the shop owner (known as Blandus Aquinas) gave Lucius more control over the shop, hopeful it’d spark more improvement. Lucius was not daunted by the task of making Oval even more profitable; no, he was actually excited by the challenge. His solution, after some time at the drawing board, was simple – buy commodities from straight from the producers, sell them to the craftsmen, and buy the finished product from said craftsmen and then sell them. He didn’t stop there though: he started buying the supplies needed to produce commodities and selling them to the producers; same with the craftsmen. Although he didn’t know it, Lucius was using vertical integration, a business practice never before seen in Tamriel. Essentially, it allowed him to control the production of his product right from the beginning. This method didn’t just work, it caused Oval to boom with a wealth that overpowered every other business within Skingrad. Blandus Aquinas was content, but Lucius was ambitious. Using Oval’s recourses, he began opening up sister shops in neighboring counties. In consequence, Lucius’ reputation amongst merchants started to pick up. Although he hailed from a meager farming family, merchants couldn’t help but respect his talent in business. After the Great War between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion, Blanuds passed away and, with no living children, left ownership of his business empire to Lucius. Lucius might have been over joyed by this fact were it not for a thorn in his side – the Emperor’s new policies, a series of taxes that greatly hampered the production and growth of businesses. This seemingly reawakened Lucius’ resentment toward monarchies; the only difference now was that he could do something about it. Within months after the new policies came out, he began attending secret meetings with respected merchants from all over Cyrodiil. The conversations were always the same: how were they to influence public policy? While many nobles could be bought out, the emperor was surely not one of them. Around this time, a peculiar book began circulating: Res Publica. Lucius, who had learned to read by this point in time, rarely put it down. It strung at his heart like a musician playing the lute. Whilst he was originally silent on his acceptance of the ideas of the book, he came to find others in favor of its ideas as well, particularly other merchants, the middle-class, and ex-legionaries. In fact, a group of merchants in Anvil started an organization (Res Publica) that advocated for the book’s ideas. Seeing an opportunity afoot, Lucius started to back the group financially. He didn’t stop there though; Lucius used his ties with the rest of the business world in Cyrodiil to spread the group’s influence and ideas beyond Anvil, thus attracting even more supporters and financial backers. By the time war in Skyrim was raging, Lucius had become the prime director of Res Pubica’s efforts at bringing about a republic form of government to the Empire. However, the question loomed over Lucius’ head: when and how would they strike? Age: 37 Skills:

• Mathematics and Logistics
• Political Strategist
• Business Management
• Intrigue

Personality:The crux of Lucius’ personality lies in his ambition. Each goal he has is seen as a puzzle waiting to be solved by him through any available. One might even say the phrase “the ends justify the means” suits him well. Furthermore, he is motivated foremost by his hatred for anything monarch-related. He truly despises the arrogance of royalty and considers them and their old form of government to be the scum of Tamriel. On the other hand, he’s holds highly the idea of all races being equal, believing them be equal in dignity. Honor is a foreign concept to Lucius in that he finds it impeding on his ambition. Why face your enemy when you could stab him in the back? As one might guess, he’s somewhat of a coward when it comes to head on conflicts, preferring to work everything to his advantage before making his move. Overall, Lucius is an effeminate man. He dreads hard labor, is light-hearted in his interactions, and enjoys the finer delicacies in life such as the high-grade wine and fanciful carriages. When it comes to matters on the Empire, Lucius hopes it will one day retake its position as the sole superpower in the world. He fully believes that, with Res Publica in charge, it could become a bastion of freedom and equality. In contrast, he despises the Aldmeri Dominion before its racist beliefs of men being below the other races. Faction: Res Publica - De Facto Leader

The largest of the nine holds of Skyrim, Whiterun, due to it's central location, is a hold of strategic importance for dominance of the realm, and preciously sought by Imperials and Stormcloaks. Due to the temporary peace brokered by the Dragonborn as Alduin threatened Skyrim, Whiterun was able to maintain neutrality in the civil war that threatens the Nord kingdom. With Alduin destroyed, fears return that Whiterun will be thrust into the war.

The landscape is mostly boreal plains with vast, sparse tundra and flowing rivers; however its most striking landmark is the Throat of the World, the highest peak in Tamriel. It is said among Nords that this is where mankind was first given life. High Hrothgar is an ancient monastery resting atop the mountain where the Greybeards dwell, masters of the Voice and trainers of the Dragonborn.

This hold is also known for having a large number of Giant camps. The White River divides the region. Sparse plains extend from west of the river to the township of Rorikstead near the western border, which is situated on ideal farmland. Much of the area near the southern border and east of the river is mountainous. Whiterun's insignia is a horse's head, which can be seen on the hold guards' shields and on banners inside Dragonsreach.

Thane Hrongar
The younger brother of Balgruuf, Hrongar serves as a thane in his brother's court. He is a trusted adviser in matters of war and a proud Nord, yet untrusting of Ulfrik and the Stormcloaks. Instead, Hrongar supports the Empire and tirelessly attempts to persuade his elder brother to join the war. As well as being Balgruuf's chief war advisor, Hrongar is also next in line for the crown of Whiterun


Frothar
Son of Balgruuf
Frothar is next in line for the crown of Whiterun. He admires his uncle Hrongar and dreams of becoming a valiant warrior when he reaches adulthood. He is patient and humble, and has also exhibited qualities of fairness among his peers.


Nelkir
Son of Balgruuf
Nelkir is a bastard born son of the Jarl of Whiterun. He is arrogant and combative and resents his brother Frothar.


Dagny
Daughter of Balgruuf
Dagny has grown well accustomed to the life offered in Dragonreach, to the point of being spoiled. She looks down upon other Nords, believer herself and her family to be superior, because of her father's postion.


Farengar Secret-Fire
Court Wizard
A proud man, well versed in elemental magic. Farengar views the civil war with a degree of distaste, seeing it as an obstacle to progress. Though wizards are generally despised in Skyrim, Farengar is given an honoured place among the Nords of Whiterun. Because of this, Farengar remains ever loyal and respectful of Balgruuf.


Irileth
Housecarl Jarl Balgruuf
Irileth is a Dunmer nightblade and a resident of Whiterun living in Dragonsreach. She acts as housecarl to Jarl Balgruuf the Greater, and rarely leaves his side. Trained by the Morag Tong, an assassins guild in Morrowind, Irileth was once a battle comrade of Balgruuf years ago. When he came to power in Whiterun, she agreed to follow him as his Housecarl.


Proventus Avenicci
Steward of Whiterun
A native of Cyrodil, Proventus is well respected in Whiterun. His daughter runs a smithy in the Plains District of the city while he advises the Jarl. Proventus is horrified by the actions of Ulfrik Stormcloak, yet he is a cautious man, and advises the Jarl to remain neutral until a winning side can be determined.

Blade
Mercantile
Security
Sneak
Speechcraft

Magic Talent:
Alteration
Illusion
Restoration

Acrobatics
Alchemy
Athletics
Block
Hand to hand
Heavy Armor

Magic Talent:
Mysticism

Armorer
Blunt
Light Armor
Marksman

Magic Talent:
Conjuration