Basic Description The basic physical grasp of the satyr is the upper torso of a human and the lower torso and legs of a horse or that of a goat. Behaviorally they are much like any other sentient creature, if freakish in their hybrid nature. Susceptible to the same afflictions as man, though may get the shits like a horse.
Their understanding as a race and a society isn't well grasped by scholars due to a notable lack of a written language before the Visha. To historians and ethnographers studying the race, their appearance in a way coincides with that of the Visha themselves, leaving some to suggest they were created by the Visha themselves. While on the other hand, the satyr lay claim to a oral mythology as long as human or other pre-Visha myth.
The satyr live scattered across the continent as a side-effect of their enslavement to the Visha who used them either as sex objects or as slaves in their mines or factories. Though the revolt of Sithsravat Amin freed a fair few and carved out a land that they may call home there are scattered communities living abroad for any number of reasons.
Social
Socially the satyr are a diverse group fitting into whatever castes that may be in where ever they're welcome. They prefer to not claim to live at odds with other groups or religious customs due in part to their immense pantheon of many millions of deities in the umbrella religion of Booen. Booen being such a large continuous community it's not impossible for there to be fairly well integrated cult-communities surrounding the many popular gods, or even off-shoot religions. The later none the more apparent than in the raj of Manyaa-Samya.
Realm Great Kingdom of Khino Demonym Khinoni Race Vanara location Backstory-History Prior to the coming of the Vishput the land that now encompasses the Great Kingdom of Khino was controlled by the Four Kingdoms of the Khinoni, each kingdom encompassing the fertile valleys and basins along one of the major rivers that cut through the area. However, most knowledge of this time has been lost to the ages thanks to the coming of the Vishput; not even their language survived, and to this day the Vanara who live in Khino speak a language closer to that of the Vishput than to that of their sncesotrs. For when the Vishput made contact with the Four Kingdoms of the Khinoni, they would refuse to bow and serve the Vishput in any way. And thus came their downfall.
Not willing to abide this transgression the Vishput went to war against the Four Kingdoms, though to say battle rages across the mountains would be untrue. For the Khinoni had little interest in meeting the Vishput armies in open battle, preferring to utilize their knowledge of the terrain to arrange ambushes and rain arrows upon the enemy from afar. Unfortunately such tactics could not save them forever, for when the Vishput armies found a Khinoni settlement, the Khinoni were forced to fight to defend their settlements and more often than not were soundly defeated with those left alive being forced into slavery and servitude under the earth. And so it came to pass that the Vishput were victorious in their endeavours, destroying and sacking the cities of the Khinoni and enslaving all who were unable to flee into the mountains.
Thus begins the next chapter of Khinoni history: the centuries of slavery and servitude to the Vishput, whom the Khinoni know as the Julamagaro (meaning 'oppressors' or 'tyrants'). The oppressors and tyrants were apt descriptions of the Vishput in their dealings with the Khinoni, for not only were they 'barbaric' surface-dwellers their appearance lead to the Vishput to call them Bandara, which would eventually twist into the name the modern Khinoni use for their race. And the Vishput were all to happy to put the Vanara to work in their tunnels and mines and caves and pits, working them to death. Others were forced to take part in blood sports, to fight for the entertainment of their masters until they were killed or became injured to the point that they could no longer fight and were cast aside.
But all throughout this period of enslavement and oppression stories of what they once were lived on. Though there were no writings and eventually their own tongue was lost to time and replaced with that of the Vishput they still spoke of the time before their enslavement. A time where they were masters of their own destiny, where they reigned over beautiful hidden vales on the surface. And these tales kept the Vanara strong, kept the people from ever truly becoming complacent servants to the Vishput. There were several revolts against the Vishput, though each one ended disastrously for the rebelling slaves. And then the day came that the grand empire of the Vishput, built on the backs of slaves, fell.
I actually have most of my nation's history already thought out, I just need a little bit of time to actually figure out how to get it written down and into words. Shouldn't be too long, but it'll probably be tomorrow that I actually get to writing it down; it's getting kinda late. But I figured it best to at least get what I have down and claim my territory.
EDIT: Also, Dinh AaronMk, your signature(s) annoy me to no end. Most of them are cut in half and I can't see them in their entirety.
EDIT: Also, Dinh AaronMk, your signature(s) annoy me to no end. Most of them are cut in half and I can't see them in their entirety.
I know. I'd re size them but I'm lazy.
Or I could hunt them back down and add the thumbnail. But that too is work. And there's some with text that I know is hard to read in a thumbnail format.
The Uwan Isles government is a very loose republic made up of three branches.
The Captain's Quorum
The electorate and legislative body of the Uwan Isles, the Captain's Quorum is made up of every citizen who owns and operates their own ship. From fishermen in dinghies to merchants with fleets of trade ships, every man is captain of his own boat and every man has one vote. The current Quorum is made up of roughly two hundred captains. The Quorum meets once a year for a three week period. During that time they elect the Sealords and any other officers they need, as well as pass any laws that are needed.
The Sealords
The Sealords act as executives for the Republic. They all must be members of the Quorum for at least six years before they can be elected. They are elected by the Quorum to two-year terms, no Sealord serving more than two consecutive terms. They enforce the laws of the islands and conduct the day to day business of the government. Any executive decision must be passed unanimously by all three lords.
First Sealord
The chief executive of enforcing laws, the First Sealord acts as head of the isle's provincial law enforcement service as well commander-in-chief of the Uwan Republican Navy. The First Sealord serves as the president and chairman of the Captain's Quorum whenever it is called. He is considered as first among equals with the other Sealords, acting as chairman in executive committees.
Second Sealord
The Second Sealord's duties rely more on foreign relations. As the chief diplomat the Second Sealord is responsible for maintaining strong diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties with the islands' trading partners.
Third Sealord
The Third Sealord regulates commerce and collects the few taxes the Republic levies. The Third Sealord is also empowered to levy any taxes as they see fit, but only with a unanimous decision from the executive committee. He works with the Second and First Sealords to help balance the cost of government and keeping the Republic's governmental expenses as small as possible.
The Chief
The top arbitrator in the Uwan Isles, the Chief is responsible for upholding laws passing judgement on all civil and criminal cases. The post is elected by the Captain's Quorum for a five-year term. No man can serve consecutive terms as Chief.
Backstory
Coming soon, need to work with Googer on that one.
Work in Progress, will probably finish off the history tonight...
The Principalities of Vös
Location
Race Vös-Vishastani
The elite ruling castes of the Principalities of Vös are Vishastani. Genetically, the Vös are essentially the same as the rest of humanity, however they do share a few traits and characteristics and distinguish them from others. The Vös are typically slightly shorter and significantly more robust and stout than average, their skin the colour of dark copper and their hair darkest brown or black.
What makes the people of Vös Vishastani is their culture, which is almost exclusively derived from the culture of the Visha. The Vös also claim blood descent from the Visha as well, noting their robust nature as evidence of this. They say that in the days of old, the beautiful daughters of the Visha were wed to the human men of Vös to create the current Vös. However, the claim of blood descent from the Visha is a very politicised one, that should not be taken at face value.
The lower castes have humans from other parts of Gaṇājya, as well as the other races that exist across the continent. The personal slave harems and household slaves of the ruling princes are particularly diverse in their racial composition.
History
The Principalities of Vös are old and soaked with the blood of ages.
They trace their origin back into the days of the old Empire of Vishashtan, when it was emerging from the Northern mountains in its violent conquest of the rest of the known world. Back in those days the Vös had been a warlike human people who eked out a meagre existence fighting one another and their neighbours for control of flocks of goats and grazing land. They were not princes back then, nor truly Vös, as much of what would come to define their culture and their society was given to them by their soon to be patrons, the Visha.
If the peoples of the ancient Vös had a talent for one thing, it would have been violence. They fought with savagery and brutality that was unrivalled amongst their kinsmen. When a Vös fought, you could think the fate of empires and armies were at stake, not a few hides of poor land and a herd of mangy goat flesh. They were inspired in their ability to kill and maim, but unfortunately something was holding them back from achieving their true capacity: weapons and discipline. The Vös were goat herders, not blacksmiths, they lacked the weapons and the armour to turn them into warriors. They also lacked a strong hand, a controlling force that could turn transform the individually deadly and barbaric Vös into a fighting force that would unite like an iron fist to crush anything in its path.
The Visha, would provide both of these.
If you are a clever, ambitious and expanding people, what do you do with a violent, yet poor and wretched neighbour? You arm them, you train them, you make them owe everything they have to you. You make them loyal. The Visha approached the Vös and became their benefactors. They gave them weaponry and armour made in their great forges and factories, they taught them tactics and strategies thought up by their superior thinkers, and most of all, they gave them supremacy over all the human neighbours of the Vös. They became masters of these violent dogs and put them use hunting down the enemies of Vishastan.
The Vös were the vanguard of the oppressing Visha armies. They fought and died as soldiers for the Visha in their wars and conquests, and in return they were rewarded with wealth, power, and stewardship of lands above grounds. And for this the Vös worshipped the Visha. They began to imitate them in all ways, dressing and grooming like them, as well as adopting the Visha tongue. They even abandoned their gods in favour of the ideology of the Visha.
Eventually, using their wealth, they moved from the narrow and poor valleys of their homelands down into the central lands of the rapidly growing Vishastan Empire, which were then rich and beautiful, for this was long before the Visha carved it up to fuel their industries and turned it to desert. Here they built fortresses and palaces atop the mountains and crags from which they ruled the surface slave populations as Rajas, all under the hand of the Visha Voivodes. But obviously, this was not to last...
When the Empire of Vishastan collapsed into smoke and ruin, the Vös endured. Though there was revolt, civil war and conflict in those first few decades of blood and fire, the princely Rajas of Vös still rule from their mountaintop fortress-palaces. They have lost influence and land, as well as having to reform and rebuild their economies, but Vös still endures.
Society
The Vös take almost the entirety of their culture from their former Visha masters, in many ways the Vös wish to recreate the Empire of Vishastan, in their own image. However, Vös is not an Empire, it is not even united under a single ruler. The Princely Rajas of Vös are all fiercely independent warlords who rule their mountain strongholds, half fortresses, half palaces. They all fight for dominance and dominion over all the Vös but none have achieved it since the last Voivode of the Vishastan Empire died over three hundred years ago.
Vös is ruled by a number of oligarch families called a 'Great House', headed by a Princely Raja. Each of the Great Houses can supposedly trace their lineage back to the Visha, and therefore, they claim this this gives them, and them alone, the right to rule. Infighting and skirmishes amongst these Houses are common, as is the use of assassins and treachery. Above the Princely Rajas, there is no formal higher authority, however, there is the Magnate.
The Magnate (meaning: 'Great Man') is considered to be the most powerful individual amongst the Princely Rajas, and therefore the most powerful man in Vös, in a given generation. Their rule is informal, and often changes between Houses and lineages upon their death, but nonetheless, they do enforce a slight sense of unity and common purpose into the Vös.
However, there are rules and structures which cross the boundaries of the Raja states. One of these is the Vös caste system. People in Vös are divided into seven castes, with an additional eighth caste reserved for the sacred dead ancestors, the Visha. Together these form the eight spoked wheel of existence. Within the living castes, there are three high castes, which are exclusively made up of the Vös-Vishastani, and four low castes which are made up of people of other races.
The high castes are ranked thus in order of sacredness, from most to least sacred: - Suktatar, The Warrior Caste, virtually all Rajas come from this caste - Vaitana, The Intellect Caste, scribes, priests, and the mysterious enchanters are drawn from this caste - Mutareskt, The Merchant Caste, traders, merchants and large landowners
The low castes are ranked thus in order sacredness, from most to least sacred: - Junrayan, The Solider Caste, the rank and file of Vös armies, lead by Suktatar, often raised from slavery. - Kyrania, The Craftsman Caste, skilled trades people like potters, masons, or smiths - Buratpur, The Labourer Caste, unskilled workers and servants - Duriatatap, The Slave Caste, all slaves belong to this caste, they can perform any trade from the lower castes.
Men cannot change Caste unless raised by a Raja in accordance with priests of the Vaitana as well. Rajas often do this with slaves as children to raise levies for their armies. Women can marry up and down the castes, but a woman marrying from a low case into a high one is virtually unheard of.
The Vös-Vishastani worship their own distorted version of the religion of the Visha, based around the concept of acquiring divinity through conquest and dominion over the world, but with addition ideas of ancestor cult and remnants of the ancient pantheon of Vös from before their integration into Visha culture revived by the priesthood to explain the demise of the Visha.
The Vös believe that like the Visha, divinity can be achieved through shaping the world in one's own image. Great men have great karma is an old saying to this effect, that it is those who shape the world and are powerful and great, who are most holy and most sacred. Where the Vös significantly differ from the Visha is their additional focus on the veneration of the great dead, the ancestors who were most powerful and greatest in their own generations. This has lead of the widespread practice of ancestor worship of both Vös-Vishastani, and the Visha themselves.
The additional major component in Vös theology, is the concept of three primordial Gods who administer the forces of the world and effect change in it: Aem the Creator, Veloth the Preserver, and Sil the Destroyer. These were the principal three Gods of the old pantheon of Vös, originally lost to the ages, preserved only as myth, they experience a mass rival around the time of the destruction of the Empire of Vishastan.
The explanation offered by the Priests was that the Visha had erred in their application of acquiring divinity. They served the Aem the Creator in their empire building, but had neglected their worship of Sil the Destroyer, and thus he had enacted in the forces of the universe and wrought destruction upon them. The Vös survived because they were chosen people of Sil, being principally ruled by warriors who bring destruction and thereby bring honour to Sil and enact his will.
With the death of the Visha, Aem offered the place of the principal creators in the universe to the Vös, and through their survival of the crisis, they were also shown to have the favour of Veloth the Perserver as well. Therefore, whereas the Visha were unbalanced in their attainment of divinity, the Vös honour all for forces of the universe, and therefore are destined to exceed the Visha, and build an empire that will last for all of time.
Outside of the ruling classes and the Vös-Vishastani, there are many religions in Vös brought from all over Gaṇājya by the slaves taken there, mostly worshipped in secret.
Economy
The economy Vös relies on two key cornerstones: slavery and trade routes.
The lands of Vös are now mostly poor in natural resources and infertile, after centuries of exploitation by the Visha, so the Vös make their money off of stealing and slavery. The slave markets in Vös are some of the biggest in Gaṇājya, traders come from all over the known world to buy and sell in life. Vös is both centrally placed, is a nation of slave owners, and has the military might and will to readily acquire slaves, making it an ideal hub for the slave trade.
The location of Vös is also key to its second great preserve, its taxation of foreign trade. The Princely Rajas of Vös control the southern entrances to the two central mountain passes to the north of Gaṇājya. They also control the deserts to the south of their mountain homes, where trade going between the eastern and western coasts often passes. The Vös never fail to exact their dues on the caravans and merchants that travel these routes, and should one try to escape paying, the Vös will seize their cargo as payment instead.
The secondary industries of Vös are ceramic wares, silver mining, iron mining, goat herding, and camel rearing.
Clay is abundant in the south and west, and ceramics from Vös are known to be of fine quality. There is unexploited iron veins in the north of the territory, and old silver mines dug by the Visha in the central regions. The south-east is the most fertile and best irrigated lands of Vös. All the lands have ample sandstone for quarrying.
Agriculture is the weakest link in the Vös economy, often food and virtually all lumber have to be imported from outside of their lands.
What is this, an NRP where everyone actually stays close together instead of spreading all the fuck apart? I thought i'd never see the day. I think this is a very good omen.
Aaron's gonna have to do some border interpreting when it comes time to draw up the map though. We're all leaving peculior thin strips between our nations.
And I don't care about my borders as long as I control that cluster of smaller mountains and the entrances to those two passes. It's kind of integral to my nation, since I have the land that's worth fuck all, they make all their money off of taxing trade and slaving. Gotta have a dick nation.
What is this, an NRP where everyone actually stays close together instead of spreading all the fuck apart? I thought i'd never see the day. I think this is a very good omen.
Aaron's gonna have to do some border interpreting when it comes time to draw up the map though. We're all leaving peculior thin strips between our nations.
I know, if you were on last night I would have exclaimed my surprised to someone else than Hugs and some guy who's irrelevant.
Aaron's gonna have to do some border interpreting when it comes time to draw up the map though. We're all leaving peculior thin strips between our nations.
Well little thin strips could always be fixed by either rationalizing the area as having little independent NPC nations there or by the players just extending their borders a little bit until they touch.
Aaron will probably finagle the borders a bit to fill in some gaps. I think the gap between him and Kassarock can be kept, but the gap between him and you, the gap between you and me, and the gap between Kassa and me should probably be close a little.
History: The Angorians lived in the province the Vishput called 'Angori' for millenia before the dwarfs invaded with their golems and powerful weaponry. Angori was transformed from a tribe-ridden jungle region into a civilised, obedient Vishput province that specialised in silviculture and fishing. The Visha founded the ancient city of Angor a millenia ago and it became a hub of activity for Angorians and Visha alike. Angori was an obedient province with revolts being frowned upon. When the empire began to decline and living conditions for Angorians deteriorated, however, trouble began to rumble among the Angorian nobles.
And one fine day, control over Angori collapsed completely. The Visha elite, a minority in their own province, escaped the crumbling ruins of Angor 400 years ago and left the region to its own devices (which, unfortunately, were bickering nobles). After the collapse of the empire, Angori split into several moderately powerful states, each vying for control of the other. However, in these early days, one young nobleman, Sriv Pak, took a chance and conquered his neighbours, forming the Angorian Kingdom and declaring himself Narayang - Visha Reincarnate. The Angorian Kingdom was one of the more successful states that emerged from the turmoil that ended the Empire and is today one of the oldest Human kingdoms still in existence. Taking advantage of his weakened and divided neighbours, Sriv Pak launched invasions in every direction and at its peak, the Angorian Kingdom controlled vast swathes of land to the west of its current borders.
Sriv Pak, as he grew older, grew less fond of war and gathered an interest in spiritualism and the Visha. It is said that during a visit to the ruins of Angor, he came across a Visha wisemen who revealed to him the ancient wisdom of their people. Although these claims are dubious at best, many believed their beloved leader enough to found a religion around him when he died. Sriv Pak has become something of prophet or guru to the people of Angori and his teachings of the Great Balance of Peace have gained traction in every class of Angori society..
After the death of Sriv Pak (in which his body is said to have disentergrated into space dust), the question of inheritance became a hard one to answer. Sriv Pak bore no sons in his long life and many were disgusted at the idea of being ruled by one of his daughters. The crown was put up for grabs and an election was called amongst the nobles for a new king. The competition was fierce, with numerous alliances being forged and destroyed as the month-long nomination process went on. In the end, Jang Bahutar became the second Narayan and was declared to be the reincarnation of Sriv Pak. The Bahutar dynasty has lasted to this day, over 200 years later.
Upon Sriv Paks death, the soldiers pulled out from their invaded provinces and returned home. The current borders of the Angorian Kingdom have more or less stayed the same for the last 300 years, save the frequent wars with their southern Republican neighbours and the several failed attempts of moving northwards. The Angorian Kingdom is currently looking at the tail end of a golden age and an uneasy period with a stagnant economy and revolt are just over the horizon. The most recent emperor, 12th Narayang Shen Bahutar, is a young, careful man who looks to the future with a grimace. Rising tensions with the Isle Republic to the south are reaching a head as the two powers fight for control of a few islands, the right to trade and the right to kill pirates of both countries. Some say the denizens of the lost city of Angor are re-awakening and are travelling into the night to capture children and livestock. Whether these rumours are true or not is to be discovered.
There be dark days ahead.
The Angorian government is a hereditary monarchy, with the monarch being considered a religious as well as political leader. He is referred to as the Narayang - God Reincarnate. There have been twelve Naranyangs as of today and the current is a young man known as Shen Bahutar. Shen is the current reincarnate of 11 former Narayangs, which according to Angorian religious texts, means he is 11 times as powerful as the original Narayang and the next Narayang will be more powerful than him.
Shen holds court in Kehlo, the political capital of the Kingdom that sits along the coast. Although most smaller matters are handled by his Suktra (ministers/governors), he is the highest authority in the land and demands respect from all those below him. Angori is split into five castes - slaves, peasants, clergy, Suktra and the Narayang himself. Mixing between classes (apart from with the Narayang) is strictly forbidden and the punishments are harsh. The Clergy and Suktra are often odds with each other, with each grasping to hold influence over the Narayang. While the Suktra are more warlike, political and encourage the Narayang to strike hard against his enemies, the Clergy are more fond of spirtualism and encourage the Narayang to meet with his people more reguarily. A minority in both classes encourage the Narayang to explore into Angori's past, more namely the Visha. At the end of the day, however, the Narayang often makes up his own mind and is in fact more influenced by his family than anyone else.
Upon a Narayangs death, the highest members of the Clergy class cremate the body and begin looking for a successor. The successor is either the eldest son or, fail that, younger brother of the dead Narayang. Upon being chosen, the next-of-kin spends three days within the Monastery of Angor, where he is dabbed with the ashes of his father and 're-incarnates'. When the new Narayang is declared reincarnated, he is sent back to the capital and is crowned Narayang in front of an adoring crowd.
The Angorians are named for the former great city that was founded in the region by the Visha, Angor and the region they live in is called Angori. Despite the fact that the Visha are gone, they are not forgotten. Many look back at their former overlords with fondness for the stability and prosperity they brought with them to the Angorians. Angorian culture is heavily influenced by the pre-Visha cultures that existed in the region, the Visha culture and the religious worship of the Narayang. The langauge of the Angorians is a bastardised mix-match of the spoken languages prior to the Visha invasion with a sprinkling of High Vishiput on top.
Music and arts are usually religious in nature, mostly depicting Sriv Pak and the Narayangs. Instruments are usually simple in form - large drums, bells and flutes are among the most common. The main religion within the country is worship of the Narayang. There is no centralised authority telling people how to worship the Narayang. Each person is encouraged to pray to the Narayang in their own way, whether it be through meditation, sacrifice or a life of solitude. Churches do not exist at all but most homes hold a painting or statue to the current Narayang.
People obey the Narayang, as he is the God Reincarnate and it is believed he will lead them to the next life with his wisdom in the Great Balance of Peace. The teachings of Sriv Pak, known as the Great Balance of Peace, are popular among all levels of society. They argue in order to maintain balance in ones life, you must not be afraid to defend yourself or your people from harm. In order the balance of peace to be level, you must not be too aggressive nor too passive - you must be Quesh. When one is Quesh, they must remain Quesh in order to move onto the next life.
People within the Kingdom usually have three names - a class title, a given name and a family name. For example, Twelth Narayang Shen Bahutar. A women who had sexual relations with a Narayang is known as Nym-Narayang. Narayangs are forbidden to marry but often take court concubines to be with them, producing sons and daughters. Narayangs must always be male, so the daughters are married off to Suktra men. It is considered a great honour to sleep with a Narayang and Nym-Narayangs often hold great power within court.
Characters:
The Bahutars
(12th Narayang) Shen Bahutar: Religious and political leader of the Kingdom. Young man in his mid-twenties. Unmarried but already with a young son to court concubines.
(Nym-Narayang) Desha Bahutar: Shen's mother, an older women in her late fifties. She had sexual relations with Shen's father and was declared Nym-Narayang upon Shens birth. She is seen in court as the women who holds the most sway over Shen.
Qin Bahutar The eldest and only son of Shen, Qin is a healthy young man who is cared for by the concubines of the court. He is unaware of his mothers identity.
The Court of the Narayang
(Suktra-Higher) Puya Bikram: A Suktra-Higher (general within the army) who is hot-headed and is happy to start wars with the Kingdoms neighbours. Despite being a rather unlikable man, he is loyal to the last to his Narayang. He is an older man and a veteran to many wars.
(Clergy-Higher) Wu Ganesh A young Clergy Higher (equivalent to a bishop) within the court who advises his Narayang on matters pertaining spiritualism and the state. Young, unexperienced yet well liked around the court.
Others:
Wanli Shiva: A young peasant serving in a southern unit of the army.
(Suktra-Higher)Rana Shivret: Ambassador to the Uwan Isle Republic.
