Looks absolutely fantastic, Flagg! I'll get working on this sheet pronto. I'm looking to create a sheet for the Empire that will be bordering (and eventually aiming to conquer) the Seven Cities. I'm going to paste what I sent Flagg in a PM (as well as some additions I've made in the final paragraph in light of the main post), during a discussion about the various existing empires, that will hopefully provdie a general overview of what the Empire is going to 'be like', while I iron out the fine details of the NS and the history. On that note, please feel free to contact me on this thread or shoot me a PM if you want your city-state to have had specific interactions with the Empire in the past, and I'll see about working it in, as I've intentionally left things vague enough when it concerns the city-states to allow for many different interactions in the past. [hider=Very General Overview (Subject to change)][center][quote]I'm thinking that perhaps the rival empires are, in comparison to my own empire, relatively young and are currently undergoing periods of expansion to almost grow to match the size of my own nation. My empire, having been confident in its position of superiority over the rest of the continent, will likely not have seen true warfare or conflict for some time. Instead, it has been enjoying the status-quo while the nobility and ruling classes have lived lives of affluence and luxury, so confident in their own greatness that they have paid little attention to the empires growing around them until recently. When they actually did look to the increasingly powerful, rising empires, they will have undoubtedly grown cautious, if not nervous for their continued supremacy over the continent, and are now looking to re-affirm their authority over the region. With the isthmus just beyond their borders, taking control of the area would not only bolster the confidence of the empire against their growing rivals, but it would also bring a strategically key location under their control that would allow for the Empire to begin to solidify its authority over not only its home continent, but over the entirety of the known world, making the isthmus the perfect target. I'm thinking that the empire, as a result of being by-and-large unchallenged for a long period of time now, will be overly confident and assured of its ability. Consequently this will mean they are of the belief that the conquest of the seven city states shall be no trouble at all, almost entirely underestimating the ability of those city-states. This will then lead to a prolonged conflict that will take place in the roleplay. In short, the empire's conquest of the isthmus is designed to be a 'message' to the growing rival empires on the mainland that would look to challenge the authority of my own nation, while also providing a strategic landmass that can be used to allow for future expansion by the empire, should the conquest be successful. Not to mention the gigantic boost to their treasury that would come about from controlling the isthmus. However, the flip side is that, should the empire fail in this task, their rivals will surely take the opportunity to pounce, making this a very much do-or-die scenario for the empire.[/quote][/center][/hider] [center][b]The Nation Sheet (WIP)[/b][/center] [hider=Empire of Abelon] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/YxjSUqX.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/uqajoeJ.png[/img][/center] [center][b][color=9e0039]NATIONAL DRAMATIS PERSONAE[/color][/b][/center] [hider=Royal Family] [url=http://i.imgur.com/IU24in1.jpg]Emperor Coreolanus Sheffield (79)[/url] [center][i]"Archaic. Arrogant. Haughty. Pompous. Misogynistic. Racist. Our Great Emperor."[/i][/center] Emperor Coreolanus has reigned, unchallenged, for near fifty years and is one of the longest-ruling monarchs in Abelonian history. His reign has seen a steady and progressive advance in technology alongisde the rest of Avara, though little else of note has been achieved. This is not to say his reign has not been successful, however, in fact it could be argued that his has been the most successful of any reigning emperor. No land has been lost, and no great crisis has afflicted the Empire, leading to a prosperous fifty years. Coreolanus, as a man, is most unpleasant. Similar to his father in that he maintains his viciously misogynistic and racist attitudes towards non-humans with a certain degree of pride, the two have no-doubt contributed to the less than favourable reputation Abelon has gained abroad, with most common folk believing Abelon to be an empire of slavery, racism and tyrannical rule. The truth is entirely different, with slavery having been outlawed almost one-hundred years ago and most of the power being divided among a far 'kinder' nobility, though such things do not make a good setting for the countless horror stories that have been created about Abelon. [url=http://i.imgur.com/Lwtv1Qm.jpg]Empress Celeste Sheffield, Third Wife of the Emperor (38)[/url] The Empress has little in the way of true power, particularly with such a misogynistic husband, and yet she is officially the most influential and powerful womanan within Alberon, highlighting the sexist society that women live in. As is to be expected, however, women can often have great sway over their husbands and, excluding Coreolanus, misogyny has almost disappeared entirely with the more progressive and open-minded, modern nobility. [url=http://i.imgur.com/uoJSOnk.png]Heir Apparent, Prince Oswin Sheffield (44)[/url] Prince Oswin is the embodiment of the 'modern' nobility and ruling class within Abelon, and is absolutely antithetical to his father. Where Coreolanus would refuse to shake hands with any non-human, Oswin would happily embrace them. Having travelled around Avara himself in his youth, Oswin is determined to defeat the views resolutely held by many in foreign lands about Abelon that have been born from a line of successively malevolent emperors, and hopes to usher in a new era of international co-operation with the growing empires that his father considers rivals. Likewise, Oswin was instrumental in bringing about the technological advancements over the past decades that his father initially refused to recognise. He is, by no exaggeration, beloved by both the nobility and the commonfolk alike. Appealing to the nobility, Oswin has, if nothing else, a gregarious personality and has become a welcome face among many noble households who often meet him at social gatherings and other such social ventures. His devotion to family and country alike has made him a 'role model' for others in the Abelonian nobility, looking to reach heights similar to his own. On the other hand, Oswin is loved by the commonfolk for his equally charitable nature, and his tendancy to walk among the commoners without a guard, almost creating the impression that he is 'one of them'. This has naturally led to him being viewed by the masses, and nobility alike, as a man to be trusted and his word is heeded at times without question. He is married with two children, both girls. [url=http://i.imgur.com/cXRKBgz.jpg]Prince Casper Sheffield (39)[/url] Living in the shadow of his elder brother, Prince Casper accompanied him on some of his travels across Avara and will always be seen by his side, though he has never reached the same levels of distinction and popularity as Oswin. It does not appear as though this bothers him, however, and instead an element of brotherly loyalty is evident between the two, with Casper looking to aid his brother in his ventures rather than competing against him in a sibling rivalry. He is married with no children. [url=http://i.imgur.com/li4nDm9.jpg]Princess Eleana Sheffield (21)[/url] A rather tragic figure, Eleana is still unmarried, and this does not look to change anytime soon. Always having been a sickly child, an unfortunate accident that left her gruesomely scarred has not aided her image to potential suitors, nor her own confidence. She is softly spoken, on the rare occassions that she does, and is often found with her brother Phelix, their common love of literature having led to the development of a close bond between the two. Coreolanus has all but given up on her, describing her as a 'lifeless waste of space' on the few occasions he does deign to speak with her. As for her other siblings, while none are hostile in the same manner as her father, she cannot help but feel they look upon her as a failure no matter how hard they try to mask it. [url=http://i.imgur.com/zak56cn.jpg] Prince Phelix Sheffield (19)[/url] Prince Phelix, unlike his brothers, is not a man keen on tournaments and combat, for he is instead a man of the cultural arts, literature and peace. Needless to say, this has not been welcomed by his father who has taken to shunning him until he becomes a 'real man'. It is likely through their own rejections at the hands of their father that Eleana and Phelix have formed a close friendship and loyalty to one another. Yet despite rejection at the hands of his father and the condescencion from Casper, Phelix has been treated kindly by Oswin, again highlighting his open-minded and amiable nature. He is unmarried, and has no children. [url=http://i.imgur.com/UPh7TWR.png]Princess Gwendolyn Sheffield (17)[/url] Gwendolyn is the daughter Coreolanus always hoped for. As beautiful as she is charming, Gwendolyn has hosts of suitors lining up to win her hand in marriage, and she revels in the attention. While she has never developed particularly strong bonds with her siblings, she instead surrounds herself with other friends of nobility and potential suitors. She is yet to be married and has had no children. [/hider] [hider=Crown's Council] [center]Naturally, one man cannot rule over an empire the size of Abelon by himself, and indeed no wise ruler would trust themselves to do so even if they could. The Crown's Council is, for all intents and purposes, the most powerful governing body in Abelon, second only to the Emperor himself. For while the Emperor is not forced to obey [i]anybody[/i], those on the Crown's Council ought to represent the most able minds in their chosen fields and as such, most Emperors tend to lend the Crown's Councillors their ear.[/center] [url=http://i.imgur.com/NqksLpK.jpg]The Lord Seneschal, Celbar Othelen[/url] The Seneschal is, officially at least, the second most powerful figure across the Empire of Alberon. They hold the most regular audience with the Emperor, are responsible for holding meetings of the Crown's Council in the name of the Emperor should they be unable to attend, and they generally speak with the authority of the Emperor himself. Most often however, the Seneschal will be found handling the more trivial duties of an Emperor. [url=http://i.imgur.com/glCD2vy.jpg]The Lord Marshal, Abaloft Fearlocke[/url] The Lord Marshal holds authority over the land-based military forces of the Empire and is one of the greatest strategic and militaristic minds in the Empire, or at least they should be. Abaloft is very much a 'man of the future', and has dedicated much of his time studying the latest technological advancements in the applications of gunpowder, with firearms being gradually introduced on a larger scale in the Abelonian military under his instruction. [url=http://i.imgur.com/yBEMhaU.jpg]The Lord Admiral, Galain Nolford[/url] Unsurprisingly, the Lord Admiral is the highest office one can reach in the Abelonian Navy. The Abelonian Navy has a rather unorthodox method of appointing a Lord Admiral, in that the six members of the Abelonian admiralty elect one of their own to the post of High Admiral for a period of five years, at the end of which another election is held. It is their belief that through this method, the High Admiral will truly represent the greatest naval mind Abelon has to offer, and it has proven relatively successful since its introduction fifty years ago, with the land-based military considering implementing a similar method somewhere down the line. [url=http://i.imgur.com/YPgf0IO.jpg]The Lord Treasurer, Tholan Safilix[/url] Responsible for handling the economy, it is the role of the Lord Treasurer to preside over the Imperial Treasury and find the means to finance Abelon. Likewise, the Lord Treasurer also oversees the imports and exports of Abelon on a very general sense, with merchants in the empire being granted surprising levels of autonomy, so long as they pay the trade tax set and enforced by the Imperial Treasury. [/hider] [center][b][color=9e0039]NATIONAL[/color][/b][/center] Capital: -Government Type: -Currency: -Population: (one million is max, and is a very, very large city which will demand a lot of food and have a lot of internal unrest problems) -Unique Trait #1: -Unique Trait #2: -Unique Flaw #1 -Unique Flaw #2 [center][b][color=9e0039]GEOGRAPHICAL[/color][/b][/center] -Major Towns/Colonies: Please describe any smaller cities, towns, villages, or colonies under your city's control. -Major Castles/Fortresses: -Buildings of Interest: -Geographic Features of Interest: -Territory Description: [center][b][color=9e0039]RACIAL[/color][/b][/center] -Majority Race: -Majority Race Appearance: -Majority Race Characteristics: -Minority Races: (If any) -Minority Race Characteristics: [center][b][color=9e0039]RELIGION & MAGIC[/color][/b][/center] -State Religion: (If applicable. Either create your own religion or take on a major religion. If you design your own religion, I will add it to the religion tab above so other players might choose it.) -Religious Information: -Religion Demographics: -Holy Relics In Possession: -Holy Sites Under Control: -Magical Schools and Curriculum: (What forms of magic are common?) [center][b][color=9e0039]MILITARY[/color][/b][/center] -Military Details (Focus on unit types, ect. You can keep numbers vague) [center][b][color=9e0039]CULTURAL[/color][/b][/center] -History: (I will add key historical episodes to the history timeline above.) -Historical Relations and Greivances -Cultural Notes [/hider]