Alright, here's my app. I have a feeling I might need balancing since of number of traits I have plus the custom ones I may have put in. I'll pretty it up later. Sorry if I fucked up somewhere along the way or made myself OP by mistake >///> [hider=NS] [center][h2]Celestial Empire of Ryukyu[/h2] [img]http://i57.tinypic.com/xvton.png[/img] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfUul9zxGNw]Some Theme Music[/url][/center] [hr] [u]Major Cities:[/u] Torioto - The Imperial Capital, its less of a city than it is a giant castle complex. It has been around since the oldest times, home to the clan which first united the realm. It is home to the famous Amaburi Fortress, told in stories to be invincible to siege. It is where the Imperial family lives and works out of. It is a highly urbanized area with small farms in the wall and alrger farms in the surrounding area. Shanshui - Major coastal city, its the base of of Ryukyuan mercantile actives like trade and naval construction. The merchant guild has a heavy presence here and if you can't find something here, you won't find it anywhere else. The Shanshui Shipyard is an impressive sight, only dwarfed the the naval school and base. Daishin Fortress - Once a remote castle, it has become a giant mining and armory complex. With metal dug up daily from the mountain, much of the nation's military equipment is created here. It is often the greatest achievement for a blacksmith to work here as the best smiths in the empire, and arguably Seyan, are located here. Attacking the fortress is a difficult challenge, a daunting task for all but the most ingenious tacticians due to the natural defenses of the cold peaks and the man-made defenses built into the mountains. Omihara Villige - The largest village in the Empire not because of its size, but the amount of huge farms it has. It is very hard to tell where the village center is as between the farms are grouping of buildings, plus isolate houses and towers spread out. Ruler and Royal Family: Emperor-Ni Shitatsu Showa (Deceased) Empress-Ni Shitatsu-Kanume Tachi (Deceased) Emperor Shitatsu Sho (21) Princess Shitatsu Owari (26) Prince Shitatsu Hari (20) Prince Shitatsu Harume (20) Princess Shitatsu Chihan (15) Princess Shitatsu Hanne (6) Traits: [hider=Kingdom] Honorable folk - 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. 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, and even walls sometimes. Armies and caravans pass rather quickly through your lands. Celestial Mandate (Good) - As per traditional belief, it is said that the Emperor's authority comes straight from the heavens. As long as he continues to support and improve the realm, his support amongst the people will only increase. [/hider] [hider=Military] 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. Heavy armor (Cannot take with Light armor.) - Your forces are heavily armored, prone to enduring many blows in battle in exchange for mobility. 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. Good archers - Your archers are extremely good, either at discipline and teamwork or at being good shots. 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. 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. 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. Honorbound - It is a glorious thing to die on the battlefield! The soldiers of Ryukyu are willing to fight to the very bitter end and beyond if it means they can die an honorable death. [/hider] [hider=Trade] 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. 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. Armed 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. [/hider] Flaws: [hider=Kingdom] 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. Bloodline Dishonor - Something horrible had been once discovered about your family, and it's a sweet juice for rumors to be made by your foes. Celestial Mandate (Bad) - As per traditional belief, it is said that the Emperor's authority comes straight from the heavens. Should he fail to do the nation constant good and see to the improvement of the realm, the people may take it as a sign of the heavens turning their backs to the Emperor. [/hider] [hider=Military] Real men don't need shields - The Ryukyuan military lacks shields, not because they cannot make them, but more that its seemed more cowardly which no real soldier would do. The few, the elite - While the Ryukyuan army is strong, it lacks the numbers to make it dominant. Although on a man-to-man basis Ryukyu might be stronger, a soldier can only hold off so many enemies and take so many wounds before he falls. Too high standards - The Ryukyuan army is famous for its incredibly effective arms and armor, but its not like it grows on trees. Army supply lines, while guarded, take longer to reinforce its armies not because it can't traverse roads but because they have to wait for the equipment to be produced as all of it is held to very high standards. [/hider] [hider=Trade] Inefficient trade bureaucracy - The ruling Ryukyuan merchant guild has a rather inefficient way of running trade in the realm. While profitable, they refuse to change their ways even butting heads against the Emperor himself on the issue. [/hider] [u]Demographics:[/u] Largely human with elves being a common sight. Dwarves and orc minorities are a rare sight. [u]Culture:[/u] Ryukyuan culture is marked by strict adherence to the ideas of honor, order and respect. Punishment for crimes is especially high, death is the usual punishment for criminals unless one has enough money or power otherwise. Another major that outsiders will note is a lack of... "modesty". Contradicting Ryukyu's strict code of conduct, promiscuity is more lax and free definition on it especially in the lower classes. The conduct comes from the time of infighting which fabric was hard to come (outside of the very expensive silk), thus many got used to wear little to conserve whatever tiny amounts of cloth they had. Outsiders might feel a little more than awkward in the villages. Resepct is embetted in all social classes, although variation are present. While many Ryukyuans are respectful to outsiders, take care to note the more conservative, zealous kind who want the Empire to isolate itself once more. [hider=Social Classes] [center]Royal | v Generals & Officers | v Distinguished Soldiers | v Nobles/Soldiers | v Priests | v Skilled Artisans | v Commoners/Peasants | v Criminals[/center] [/hider] Military: The Ryuyuan army is the pride of the nation, composed of entirely warrior class citizens, they are trade from birth to live, fight and die on the battlefield. With such incredible skills, the fine weapons and strong iron armor they carry only increase their deadliness. A strong history of almost constant internal wars prior to the unification of the realm has created brave yet skilled families of warriors; the old recount their exploits and tactics as the weak learn from them as to surpass their elders. Stories of brave heroes and epic battles are told to children of all ages and every soldier want to be remembered in a national epic or even be graced by the Emperor's personal gratitude. However, as times are changing, it seems the elite army of the Celestial Empire won't be able to hold out against the hordes of enemies that might crash upon its borders. There as been talk of a controversial move of accepting common folk into the army. Despite heated debates on both sides, the Emperor has remained neutral but the reality is that he will have to choose, and his choice will alter his realm forever. Navy: Their is a very unique ideal within Ryukyu about the navy; a warship should not be a boat with soldiers and sailors, it has to be able to accommodate for all of that. And if you're going to build a boat big enough to house all of that, you might as well build a floating castle! While not an actual castle, the ships of Ryukyu are an impressive sight to see. While they started out smaller, like a giant wooden crate on a boat, they've evolved into an epic feat of military naval construction, sturdy enough to brave any wave or enemy. Even the smallest of ships have at least several dozen sailors and warriors on board. Castles: Ryukyuan architecture cannot be spoken about without mention to the unique castle design. Many castles have at least one tier of terraces around the castle, with larger, more important ones boasting larger, more complex Terrance that are the envy of many. It can be said that castles are the true settlers of cities as many cities started out as castle that have had town build on the terraces. Economy: (describe the industry and trade relations of your kingdom) While Ryukyu is no bread basket, it provides its people with enough rice and grain, supported by good fishing off the coast, to keep them fed (for the most part). One of the greatest blessing Ryukyu has though is its mountains. Known since the olden times, they've recently been exploited to their greatest potential, the mines pumping out all sorts of useful metals and ores like copper, tin, coal but most importantly: iron. Although they also produce consumer goods like tea, fabrics and various decorative ornaments, caravans are not often seen coming out of Ryukyu. The old grandmasters of the Ryukyuan Trade Company uses a system of voting to insure that no infighting breaks out. However, their long, drawn out debates on everything from what to send and the prices to what color the damn horse is means that merchants are often stuck in limbo for long periods of time. Noting the rarity of the caravans, the Emperor sends small detachments of troops to make sure the cargo gets to its destiantion safely and he can still earn money from it. History & Reputation: For much of its history, Ryukyu was known as a place of constant infighting between local tribes over petty land claims and foolish reasons. When the first Emperor cleverly untied the land under a single banner, through conquest, diplomatic guile and royal marriages, he was seen as a local hero, not that others cared all too much. Little was often heard about the kingdom then as the land isolated itself from the world. Again, Ryukyu was mostly seen as an unremarkable place with the occasional trader or rare diplomat venturing forth into the lands. However, the then small domain of Ryukyu suddenly burst into relevance when they quickly conqured neighboring lands and marrying into others. Tales of the Ryukyuan warriors from bystanders and enemy soldiers spread news throughout the land and established the army as a legendary figure of Ryukyu. It seems like all of that former infighting and bandit hunting did something to their troops. It almost seemed like they would attack other nations with their legendary army and new vassals but with the sudden death of its Emperor, the nation once more became a hermit kingdom. Now, with the new Emperor Shiatsu Sho claiming the throne, he has slowly let the celestial flower bloom, encouraging trade and diplomacy. The Ryukyuans are now known for honorable conduct diplomatically and Sho's friendly attitude only assists in their reputation. But, he is left with some of the issues of his late father, Shiatsu Showa, created. Despite Emperor Sho's best efforts, he is wary of his vassal attempting to claim lands of his own while trying to figure out on how to deal with the discovery of several memoirs of his father's "hospitality maids". Misc: [list][*]The Celestial Mandate is akin the China's Mandate of Heaven. [*]The reason the royal family is so young is that Showa and his wife had been killed in an accident at a young age. [*]The current Ryukyuan army stands at some 6000 strong.[/list] [/hider]