@Willy VerebI'm the Dwarfs, though you can make a splinter faction. I think someone was going to but they haven't talked in awhile and they might be gone.

And yeah, we got swords, bows, muskets, magic, unobtanium armor, steam tanks, and gyrocopters!

Shit, we have muskets?! I may have made a mistake technology wise with my Nation...

Oh well, I have living suits of armour a la Alphonse Elric, crossbows, blood magic, and good ole Moe! And drugs, but you don't need to worry about that yet XD

Who's to say there can't be multiple dwarf kingdoms? There are a handful of human and elven states so far; I would think different dwarf nations could spring up around the continent.

@VocabOnly the Dwarfs and Humans have muskets atm, not everyone, so don't worry if you don't feel like adding them. Plus, bows still have advantages! Hell, my Dwarfs use crossbows just as much.

@AristoThat's what I was suggesting, though whoever does make a Dwarf Kingdom I'd need a good reason for my guys to be splintered since they pride themselves on high morale and loyalty to race.

Can somebody help me with the colors?
I know which faction the greenish purple belongs to but the rest?
It seems you used a different kind of map in the past and nobody really modified their NS since then.

@Willy Vereb If you want to see my claim, it's the first post on the previous page. It's in pink on the Far East.

People kinda ended up using different maps and mine got lost, so XD

@AristoThat's what I was suggesting, though whoever does make a Dwarf Kingdom I'd need a good reason for my guys to be splintered since they pride themselves on high morale and loyalty to race.

In humans you have varying racial identities/ethnicities, yet you'll find that they all war with each other. There is hardly a notion of loyalty to the entire 'human race.'

One of the biggest failings of fantasy, in my opinion, is that fantasy races are all expected to be homogeneous - all dwarves mine and are good at crafts, all elves are long-lived, graceful and 'perfect,' all orcs are inherently evil and war on the 'good races,' etc. Fantasy becomes much more interesting when these traditions are subverted, and you have different races of dwarves or elves or orcs.
So a dwarf that lives deep in the mountains, knows everything there is to know about geology and is immune to magic might be very different from a dwarf that lives on the other side of the world in a tropical jungle. Put them side-by-side and any concept of loyalty to their species might go out the window.

As influential and comfortable as Tolkien and D&D are (and I have great admiration for both), I think there needs to be some breaking of the mold once in a while.

I think I'll recreate my Mongorks here. They'd be coming from the Northwest and will be perhaps the third nation to use gunpowder. Our shamans are scholars and priests first and magic casters second.
On the other hand you will be screaming bloody sorcery when you hear the roar of our cannons.

@Willy Vereb I will set my Moe Kitsune Girls on you!

@ClocktowerEchos

Magic

The kingdoms of the Commonwealth have never been renowned for magical prowess, unlike the empires of Yore or Rune. For centuries, the flow of magic was thought to be naturally weak in this part of the world. However, study in recent years has shown this to be untrue. There is indeed some extra-planar force in the Commonwealth, although this sorcery is not the kind as the rest of the world knows. The Commonwealth's mages, rather than master the elements or conjure illusions, practice a unique school – Anti-magic.
For reasons unknown, the winds of magic that ebb between Korczyn and Astarac repel the energies of other lores, like magnets with the same polarity pushing away from each other. This phenomenon is strongest the closer one gets to the heart of the Commonwealth, but can be replicated by charging anti-magic into conduits, chaperoned by the Commonwealth's mages. When unleashed, fireballs fizzle to sparks, storms scatter before the sun, illusions dissipate and the world reverts to its natural form.

Is this cool with you? The Commonwealth's lore is focused on dispelling and passive defense, lacking any offensive capability. This ensures that the waging of battles are reduced to mundane means, where the strength of men and will prevail!

@Aristo Weeeeeeeell shit, there goes my suits of armour and talking swords... XD

@ClocktowerEchos
<Snipped quote>

Is this cool with you? The Commonwealth's lore is focused on dispelling and passive defense, lacking any offensive capability. This ensures that the waging of battles are reduced to mundane means, where the strength of men and will prevail!

I feel it's a bit too "absolute". Wouldn't it be more fair if you can just create magic-resistance wards and such in order to shield your forces from sorcery?

For example what if somebody's equipment relies on enchantments to be effective? Or having magic-like effects as core part of their combat.

Anyways, on a similar vein.
@ClocktowerEchosWould it be a problem if my shamans wouldn't explicitly rely on the winds of magic AKA typical warhammer fantasy style? Rather they'd rely on communicating with spirits and this good relation allowing them to help. In effect this is magic all the same. The difference is that:
1.) It cannot be abused, spirits help because they want to and will be angry if they are called upon too much
2.) You need the favor of the spirits and they might be fickle. They might protect Uruk because they're cool but will not help my human allies because they never even gave a single offering to them.

This could lead to interesting results.

@Willy Vereb Interesting results? By that do you mean the eradication of your nation, because I'm down for that! XD

<Snipped quote by POOHEAD189>

In humans you have varying racial identities/ethnicities, yet you'll find that they all war with each other. There is hardly a notion of loyalty to the entire 'human race.'

One of the biggest failings of fantasy, in my opinion, is that fantasy races are all expected to be homogeneous - all dwarves mine and are good at crafts, all elves are long-lived, graceful and 'perfect,' all orcs are inherently evil and war on the 'good races,' etc. Fantasy becomes much more interesting when these traditions are subverted, and you have different races of dwarves or elves or orcs.
So a dwarf that lives deep in the mountains, knows everything there is to know about geology and is immune to magic might be very different from a dwarf that lives on the other side of the world in a tropical jungle. Put them side-by-side and any concept of loyalty to their species might go out the window.

As influential and comfortable as Tolkien and D&D are (and I have great admiration for both), I think there needs to be some breaking of the mold once in a while.

While it is good to add variety (and I mean it, I'm not saying it just to be agreeable), it would be terribly hard to enjoy any kind of race if they were as wide and varied as humans. To have a culture of Dwarfs who are the quintessential race, then to have Dwarfs who are desert dwelling spear hunters, to then having Dwarfs who are druidic and and barbaric, would take away the charm of being a Dwarf and you'd essentially have short, stocky humans who are effected by every change in geography. It's the fallacy of "everyone is special, so no one is." Someone likes Dwarfs BECAUSE they are a certain way. If they weren't, there'd be no difference between them and man.
I have to disagree sir. It's one of fantasy's greatest strengths to have races who are culturally strong, so as to differentiate them from others and make them unique.
People joined this RP because it is akin to Warhammer. They didn't join it to be edgy or different.

That being said, my point was that different Dwarfs are definitely good. But since I already made Warhammer Dwarfs, our histories would need to diverge.

WAAAGH!

@POOHEAD189
I definitely see where you're coming from; when someone says "dwarf" or "elf," it conjures up a very specific, recognizable image. Yet, WHFB has promoted distinct different subgroups of elf (high, dark, wood) and each draws its own fans. Not to mention its brief stint with Chaos Dwarves (RIP). Different editions/campaing settings of roleplaying games have tried to make even more distinctions of classic races, though I suppose there's a reason why the traditional branches always come to mind first.

I have to disagree sir. It's one of fantasy's greatest strengths to have races who are culturally strong, so as to differentiate them from others and make them unique.

I understand what you mean, but you can just as easily look at the vast wealth of human cultures and appreciate them for being unique. Compare the Aztecs to the Celts to the Norse to the Romans to the Greeks to the Chinese to, etc. etc. Plus, when you have a fantasy setting, these can be combined and played with to create entirely new cultures. With such an array of material, what more does adding dwarves or elves even add?

@Willy Vereb Interesting results? By that do you mean the eradication of your nation, because I'm down for that! XD

"White Mage Shaman, plz heal!"
"The spirits are not listening to those who don't respect them."

@Willy Vereb Don't worry, I can help! If mercy kills count as helping ;P

@AristoI think we agree and just have a differing of words. Like I said, variety is good. I'm glad Warhammer has Chaos Dwarfs, and I'm glad there are various subraces of Elf, and even Greenskin. And my original quote of this

@AristoThat's what I was suggesting, though whoever does make a Dwarf Kingdom I'd need a good reason for my guys to be splintered since they pride themselves on high morale and loyalty to race.

was honestly me wanting to speak about history and not keeping someone from making another Dwarf subrace. My concern though was how my Dwarfs would view a splinter faction and how they would in turn view mine since I wasn't sure if they would go the Chaos Dwarf route, or simply say "My Dwarfs decided to just be different." I just wanted to be able to plan for my guys.

Can somebody help me with the colors?
I know which faction the greenish purple belongs to but the rest?
It seems you used a different kind of map in the past and nobody really modified their NS since then.

I'd like to change my color soon, but I'm the green mountains at the center. Aristo is the red beside me.

@POOHEAD189Yeah, I gotcha! I wasn't trying to nitpick or anything; just offering up some food for thought.
That and I'm a dirty, progressive hippie when it comes to fantasy and like to rock the mainstream boat when I can.

We should also get to talking about history as the rest of the northwest gets fleshed out. I've a feeling we'll be friendly, what with the dark elves, beastmen, vermintide and now @Willy Vereb's Mongorks to contend with!