A summary of what has happened in the past six months regarding Gattania and the Colour:
On a late winter day (as it is now mid summer) the sky opened up over the center of Gattania, only a few miles from the capital of Whitehead, named so after either the neighboring mountain or the booming dairy industry surrounding the largely agricultural center of the nation. From the opening a large beam of light struck a prominent lake surrounded by farmland. Soon after a meteor came rocketing out of the sky, guided by the light and slammed into the lake. The entire area erupted from the collision and the light beam was fractured into previously unknown color that seemed glossy by nature.
All that was left of the immediate area was a crater filled with the lake water, shimmers of unknown color snaking through its ripples, and the large meteor cresting above the water. Those who survived the impact but witnessed the fracture soon succumbed to gibberish, babbling, and overall madness, claiming to have seen something inside the color, that something was stuck on them. All examinations of the insane showed no signs of any physical damage but the insanity persisted. Glass like globules colored that strange color were found floating in the lake. Upon fracturing under examination they would shatter and then slowly shrink into nothing. Samples of the almost clay like meteor were taken, but the material would burn itself away in a matter of days. Some globules were left untouched, fearful of losing all evidence of the impact, as the meteor itself had started to shrink much like the samples.
That month spring came early to the farming lands, and crops bloomed months ahead of time. The entire nation had its eyes on the farming area, as barrels upon barrels of massive fruits, larger than any season before hand were brought into Whitehead for selling. The plants those few months were a glorious sight, thick and strong, and bearing more than one harvest in a matter of weeks. It was incredible, so much so it even seemed like the trees were waving in the wind when there was no wind, as if moving by themselves. Alas, things were not perfect: the fruit was bitter, disgusting, and vile. Buckets of the fruits and vegetables were thrown into the streets, the surplus disgusting. Farmers were forced to have to eat the fruits of their labors while the city refused.
Then everything came crashing down. City folk had started to be curious of the sudden taste of the well water, strands of that color being found in each pail, and the farming folk had started to show more signs of insanity, madness starting to grow outside the city has animals began to mutate, milk began to spoil before it was even taken from the cow, and the trees began to take on a dark, grey color, laced with strands of that unknown glossy colour.
Some people started raving, ranting, babbling, and so they were locked away. Farmers grew suspicious of everyone as their family members started to be confiscated by the government out of fear of some unknown disease among them. Some children and those of improper mind were being found drowned in the lake, along with dogs and horses. Soon the outbreak of insanity hit the streets of the city, vague and cryptic words being yelled about the colors, demons, things stuck on their skin and in their minds. The animals in the farms began to disintegrate much like the plant life. Cows legs would crumble, a person’s nose would fall off, and to show for it would be a pile of dust and a vapor of that unknown color escaping the pile. People claimed the lake pulsed at night, even glowing slightly, some claimed the well water was doing it too now. People began to flee as this plague was spreading out of Whitehead and the Farmland to other cities and towns, first the crops would come in, then everything would collapse. People were being driven mad by the sights, strange dreams, headaches and events, and those who weren’t were smart enough to leave. Fugitives both insane and sane were escaping Gattania as the events suddenly took over the entire country. The last words of the monarch before he collapsed into a pile of dust were raving mad rambles about something in the water. Those closest to sources of water seemed to lose their minds first as the plague erupted across the entire nation, until the colour had turned all to dust, leaving only hordes of the insane to escape the wasteland, some partially disintegrated themselves, some physically fine, but mentally belligerent, none to be reasoned with.
Gattania today consists of a dust wasteland, fit with rain showers of the colour, and hordes of partially disintegrated inhuman maniacs that will attack all on sight. Hordes of the latter are now escaping Gattania, and pose a threat to the livelihood of all that are sane.
Increased time in areas affected by the color causes headaches and strange dreams Area’s near water experience faster contamination Wearing a mask in color deserts (areas completely disintegrated) may help marginally with immediate infection Water laced with the color pulses at night if in great abundance. Does not react to music or religious symbols Mutates animals For event timeline on how things react when infected, read the events of Gattania above.
I'm hoping this covers all the bases, but since I'm not perfect, it might not have and thus is always subject to change (albeit minor)
Auerbruck is only a state of which was recently formed, a union of former duchies and petty kingdoms, held together by a strong sense of national unity and faith in the centralized government. Known for its rolling hills surrounded by towering mountains, Auerbruck is remote to nations around it, but has recently bolstered its foreign policy to orient itself for changing times.
Government
The government of Auerbruck was formerly an absolute monarchy, but recent clamors for reform of the governing system saw the installation of a constitution along with a two-house legislature. The lower house consists of officials chosen by provincial governments, and is known as the House of Electors. The upper house consists of officials appointed directly by the monarch and their cabinet, and is known as the House of Nobles. At the head of everything sits the monarch and his/her cabinet of advisors. While the monarch has a great deal of power, the legislature keeps their decisions in check, preventing a catastrophe at the hands of an absolute ruler.
Ethnicity
The ethnic groups besides the main body of Auerbrucks are generally so minor, noting them is futile. But, to elaborate on the general body of the populace, Auerbrucks are generally similar to central Europeans of the period, having features of Caucasian descent. Languages spoken vary slightly by province, however they all stem from the tongue known colloquially as Auer, making intermingling between citizens of different provinces easy, as all the languages bear near the same alphabet, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
Geography
Culture
Auerbruck's system of society is not deeply rooted in wealth, rather in location. Those situated in more centralized and urban provinces are generally held as 'better' than those of surrounding rural and mountainous areas. Most of the wealth is held by the monarch, nobles, and electors due to their position of power. Citizenry general hold small amounts of wealth, but most in urban and surrounding rural areas are well educated, having skills in basic arithmetic and writing/reading comprehension. Only when you venture into the outlying mountains does education vary.
Economy
The economic situation of Auerbruck is rather stable, as they have a steady stream of tax flow from its populace, a currency with intermediate worth, and a focus on balancing exports and imports. They produce mainly timber and iron, and utilize those as their main exports. Though they are well situated on the agrarian front, they have a small, but still noteworthy deficit of foodstuffs, prompting their main import to be that of grains, vegetables, fruits, and a limited amount of salted meat.
Military
The Grand Army is that of recent creation, but constitutes an effective fighting force, drawing their mass amounts of line troops from the rural lowlands. Cavalrymen are generally of wealthier descent, but still a sizeable force is maintained. Skirmishers, though a very recent addition, play a vital role in the Grand Army's strategic position. Drawn from the mountains and highlands, these skirmishers are unrivaled marksmen when armed with longrifles, and are masters of the hunt, giving them great skill in lying stealthily or marching quietly against any opposing force.
Auerbruck is by no means a naval power. They are not great shipbuilders, nor are their sailors particularly skilled. A small force, the Grand Flotilla consists of a mere 21 vessels of varying size, and performs a simple task of general coastal defense, and limited escort of merchant convoys.
Sailors had no set uniform, and generally wore rough clothing which they brought of their own accord and forewent shoes for extra agility on-deck.
The Rotturan flag is a combination of red and blue, the colors associated with Rotturans & Rotteros/Wetlanders, as well as the country's famous sunsets.
Nation Overview & Government
The Rottura Wetlands are home to some of Dysium's finest fruits, spices, jewelery, and performance, while housing some of the continent's foulest slums, brothels, and drug dens. Because of this, there is a deep-seated caste system and power dynamic in the country, which has created two cultures -- The artistic, cultured landowning merchant-lords, ruling houses, and their vassals, known as Rotturans, and the impoverished sailors, criminals, and itinerant workers who are called Wetlanders. Due to the country's lack of available work and high population, many Wetlanders travel around Dysium by way of boat, camping on riverbanks and under bridges which has given them the popular monicker "Muddies". Because many are willing to work for low wages, which are sent back and worth more in their native country, Wetlanders make up a large amount of the continent's fishermen, maids, farmhands, cooks, and laborers, while making up an even larger amount of the continent's pirates and smugglers.
Ethnicity
Ethnicity, and the percentages that create different ethnicities is a closely examined feature in the culture of the Rottura Wetlands. Those that identify as Rotturan -- or at least, the wealthy landowners who are Rotturan -- are descended from early Gattanian settlers, and have light skin, hair ranging from golden to dark brown, and are typically blue or brown-eyed. Their features are round and soft, to the extent that a common descriptor for a round jaw throughout Dysium is a "Rotturan Chin". Almost all are tall and full-bodied.
Wetlanders, on the other hand, have a large range of skin tones and features but have universally black, curly hair and dark brown eyes. They are commonly short and wiry as a result of malnutrition, though the well-fed pirates and thieves grow to be tall, fat, muscular, or any combination thereof. Because a large number of them can trace their ancestors to inbred Ranuun slaves, many generally have pointed features, thin lips, and hypodontia, a genetic condition causing them to naturally be missing teeth. As a result, many Wetlanders wear orthodontic cosmetics, such as golden tooth-caps, metal grills, and false teeth. Many Wetlander pirates and mercenaries sharpen their front teeth.
There is a caste system in place in the Rotturan Wetlands, which restricts purchases that may be made -- Rotturans, for instance, may inherit or buy property, farmland, and indentured servants, whereas a Strotero may only inherit farmland worked by regularly paid peasantry. This caste system is borrowed from their earliest Ranuun and Gattanian ancestors, which has allowed the Rotturans to remain comfortably in power since the country's inception.
• Rotturan • Stromatero (Half Rotturan and Half "Foreign") • Strogaturan (Rotturan descended from Non-Rotturan foreigners) • Strotero (Half Rottero and Half "Foreign) • Rottero (Rotturan of mixed/ambiguous ancestry, considered a catch-all term for Wetlanders by Rotturans) • Oruneno (Half-Isa raised by traveling Rotteros as part of a drug-bartering based tradition) • Gartero (Half Rotturan and Half Rottero, considered untouchable by Rotturans)
Geography
Capital City Rotturan City Wetlander City
The Rottura Wetlands are the most tropical of Dysium's regions, and is the continent's sole producer of tobacco, sugar, and many types of fruit and spice. Closer inland, the landscape is hot and humid, with thickets of rainforest filling the space between the country's innumerable swamps, marshes, and bogs. Where there is arable land, there are swathes of tilled fields growing tobacco, cotton, or various spices, whereas farms closer to the country's many bogs grow sugarcane, rice, and water chestnuts.
The Rottura Wetlands are also known for their wildlife, which ranges from the everyday foxes and hares found in all of Dysium to tropical birds, venomous insects, and exotic, colorful fish. In particular, the most noteworthy of the animals in the Rottura Wetlands is the mosquito, a feared harbinger of disease. The "Mosquito Basket" is a creation which has become a common sight on the Rotturan countryside -- long nets attached to hoops on tall poles, meant to catch and trap the pests as they fly. Abandoned mosquito baskets fill with thousands of mosquito carcasses and frequently attract bats, the second most common pest of the Rottura Wetlands.
Further away from the rice paddies and tobacco fields of the Rottura Wetlands are its cities, which are as stark a contrast as the rest of the country -- Rottura cities are known for their remarkable design, featuring elaborate aqueducts, hanging garden-style citadels, and tremendous theaters, concert halls, and coliseums. Rotturan cities are patrolled by city guards and kept well lit by crown-paid lamplighters, with architectural design emphasizing open space and symmetrical design. Wetlander cities, however, are known for their cramped shanty-town conditions and use of improvised construction materials, such as debris of wrecked ships, driftwood, and hand-crafted mud bricks. Many are built on ports to aid in smuggling, jutting hundreds of feet outwards onto ever-extending docks and harbors. Floating gardens are popular methods of farming, though aside from fishing, virtually all business done in Wetlander cities is illicit.
Culture/Society
To most outsiders, the Rottura Wetlands house a single, homogeneous culture; They are a limp-wristed, oily-haired folk who spend their days eating mangoes, lounging in the sun, smoking exotic drugs, and buggering men. Most from the Rottura isles found elsewhere are Wetlanders, which has made the popular view of the Rotturan that of a swarthy, hot-blooded lout. At the same time, their reputation is affected by those who have visited the Rotturan cities, adding "musical", "liberal", and "effete" to their long list of stereotypes. They are largely seen as godless criminals by more pious countries due to the Rotturan crown's lax stances on prostitution, homosexuality, and religious freedom, which has incited many to blame them for the arrival of the color.
Those more versed in the culture and history of the Rottura Wetlands can make a slightly more accurate, if biased summation of the two groups; The Rotturans are wealthy enough that their culture centers around high art and philosophy, while the Wetlanders live in such poverty that their culture is one that focuses on drugs, violence, and crime. The two groups just so happen to live in the same mosquito-laden orchard of a country.
A few hundred years ago, the nuances of Rotturan culture had a far more basic explanation -- The Rotturans were masters, the Rottero were their slaves, and that was that. Rotturans, who were freed from labor by virtue of their use of slavery, were free to pursue higher intellect, a facet that is ingrained in their culture, even now that the freed grandsons of their slaves call themselves "Wetlanders" and live in squalor and debauchery. The Rotturans however, for all the buggery, hallucinogens, and binge-drinking the rest of Dysium use in their japes, were among the earliest intellects. The early Rotturans were the first to build sundials and chart the stars, the first to study human anatomy, and if a Rotturan was asked on the subject, likely the first of Dysium's spear-throwing tribesmen to hit two rocks together and make fire.
The Rotturans are a very musical people, who favor the concertina and accordion, as well as common stringed instruments such as the guitar. In addition to music, they are known for their penchant for theater, opera, and a type of political satire theater native to the country called "Statodroma", which has been historically used to mock unpopular low lords, clergymen, supporters of race-mixing, leaders of foreign countries, and the gentry of the Rotturan Wetlands. Because Statodroma is only performed in the country's native language, Rotturan, it is considerably less popular overseas.
Typical Rotturan dress is one meant to announce the wearer's wealth without becoming gaudy or tasteless -- Long, white robes and colored belts or sashes are popular as a demonstration of the wearer's cleanliness, while retaining modesty in the country's hot, humid weather. From their first "flowering" until their marriage, women traditionally cover their hair with a red scarf to denote their availability, whereas men are expected to shave their facial hair until they have fathered an heir, at which point they may grow beards or mustaches.
Rotturan food uses a number of ingredients considered exotic delicacies despite their local abundance, making the cuisine a highlight of the country. Rice, flatbread, and pastas are more popular than bread, while most meat used is goat or poultry. Olive oil, mangoes, peppers, and goat cheese are all considered stereotypical Rotturan ingredients. In addition to their sought-after delicacies, there are many items on a typical Rotturan plate most denizens of Dysium would stray far from -- Roasted insects, raw fish, and snake meat are all fairly commonplace in the country's kitchens.
Though "Wetlander" seemingly applies to one group of people -- the peasants and laborers of the Rotturan Wetlands -- it is a culture with two distinct splits; The Wetlanders who remain in the Wetlands, and the Wetlanders in the rest of Dysium, which are more than double the number of natives. This is due to the high number of Wetlanders, who are typically the impoverished descendants of slaves, and the low amount of legal work there is to be done in their home country. Because Wetlanders are a very nautical culture, they travel the coasts and rivers of Dysium where there is work to be found, giving them the derogatory term "Muddies" due to their common practice of running their small boats aground in shallow banks in order to camp freely amongst themselves rather than for a fee at a dock or inn.
Native Wetlanders live in coastal shantytowns of their own design and rule, too far and too unlawful to successfully be governed any further than their infrequent tax contributions and meager support in wartime. Those who own boats frequently live in them, while the rest live in tightly-packed hamlets by the shore. Because of their distance from the crown, Wetlanders have even greater numbers of brothels and drug-houses than the refined variants found in Rotturan cities, though the Wetlanders can undeniably say theirs are the cheaper options. Wetlanders also have a very "loud" manner of dressing, preferring frilled collars, vests, and ornate copper jewelry and piercings to the more modest dress in the rest of the world. Wetlander barmaids and singers are frequently bare-breasted, whereas many Wetlander males wear little else than pants. Dye, beads, and braids are all commonplace in the hair of both sexes, as well as piercings and coal-based eyeshadow. Many Wetlander pirates have tattoos, filed teeth, and other forms of body modification, one of the most popular of which being the removal of the front teeth which had once a mark of slavery.
Wetlanders speak Common and Rotturan, as well as a pidgin dialect known as "Low Rotturan" used to communicate amongst themselves. Low Rotturan employs a mix of Common and Rotturan words, as well as complex slang and words used in Old Gattania, Ranuun, and Middenland. It is illegal to speak Low Rotturan in front of Rotturan nobility, as it is essentially a criminal's language and considered probable cause for dissent.
Wetlander food is similar to Rotturan food, with an emphasis on shelf stability moreso than flavor. Fried fish is a staple of their diets, as well as porridge and pickled vegetables, fruits, eggs, or meats. Drinking, smoking, and all forms of drug use are commonplace, which frequently aid in the enjoyment of their cuisine, which foreigners usually describe as "sour". Because of the commonplace use of seawater as an element of stewing, Wetlander food can cause an outsider to vomit, even if it is cooked properly.
Economy/Industry
The Rottura Wetlands are the continent's source of luxurious goods -- Namely several types of fruit, wine, sea salt, spices, incense, tobacco, sugar, and mind-altering drugs. In addition, the two cultures both seem to export two very different types of itinerant labor; Rotturans give the world travelling bards who sing in the courts of kings and concert halls, Wetlanders give the world cheap labor for construction, cooking, and cleaning. Many travelling Wetlanders are also used as shock troops for hire in times of war, though they are not considered any more skillful than local peasantry and are mostly hired to gain an advantage in numbers. In terms of imports, the Rottura Wetlands is the largest purchaser of livestock, fur, and wheat in Dysium. Due to their low number of mountains, there is very little metal to mine in the Rottura Wetlands outside of bog iron, so metal is also a considerably in-demand commodity.
Exports • Wine • Incense • Fruit & Vegetables • Various Spices • Tobacco • Sugar
Imports • Livestock • Vegetables • Stone • Bread & Wheat • Fur • Cheese • Metal
Military
The Rottura Wetlands, for all the chaotic disarray they are in, have lost surprisingly few wars. Despite lacking a standing army or siege weapons, the Rotturans have historically held strong advantages over opponents due to the high number of itinerant Wetlanders living in the ports, rivers, and cities of each of Dysium's countries, who can be swayed by the Rotturan crown for relatively little money to slow their work pace, sabotage tools and ships, steal, malinger, spoil crops, act as spies, incite riots, and outright murder. This is a reason Rotturans are viewed as untrustworthy -- They are not only a clannish folk who speak a secret language and live amongst themselves in other countries, but they have historically worked against these countries during wartime.
Aside from their cultural history of working as saboteurs, when the Rotturan crown calls men to war it boasts one of the world's largest armadas, and though it is an armada unlearned in the ways of naval warfare, it is an armada nonetheless. The Rotturan navy for this reason has been referred to as "Merchants and fishermen given grapeshot and swords" by historians.
History
Self-explanatory. This doesn't need to be long; just informative. We encourage players to collaborate and create shared history, in fact, it is almost necessary. No nation exists in a vacuum.
Relations
• The Trade Union of Isang Tribes
Instead of competition in the face of a shared market, there is an unusual bond between the Isa and Wetlanders. For centuries, traveling Wetlander merchants, sailors, and pirates have relied on mind-altering drugs from the Isa when their coffers are dry, either by way of smuggling to other Isa and Wetlander distributers, or selling the Isa's products themselves on the streets of any Wetland city. It is a mutually beneficial relationship -- The Isa, who are otherwise considered outsiders in Dysium and have some difficulties selling wares, have a steady consumer in the Muddies, who would otherwise have to openly farm their drugs, which the Rotturan crown has been meeting with increasing force.
Additionally, the two groups share a strange custom known to the Rotturans as the "Oruneno", or "Golden Babe". Due to the Isa's harsh stigma against children that have only an Isang mother, these children are frequently given to Wetlanders to raise in exchange for a large gift -- as is custom for the Isa traders -- usually in the form of drugs, spice, or food. The family, crew, gang, company, or even sole caretaker who raise the Oruneno use the child's presence in business agreements with Isa for the rest of the child's life until it is matured to gain favor, receive bargains, and command a bare standard of respect or hospitality in Isa households.
• The Ranuun Dominion
The Rottura Wetlands and the Ranuun Dominion have a fairly strained relations, despite their long-standing trade relationship wherein the Ranuun trade the Rotturan Wetlands flatbreads, nuts, and medicinal herbs in exchange for Rotturan spices, wine, and jewelry. Aside from their fiscal relations, however, the two countries have had escalating conflicts in the past year alongside the Rotturan Wetlands' eastern border, where Wetlander cities farthest from Rotturan rule have become breeding grounds for the country's biggest criminal syndicates, which then periodically spill over into Ranuun's western territory, pillaging secluded villages and trading drugs in cities.
Characters
Wetlander drug lords are typically Rottero, and thereby lack a proper surname. When their illicit trades begin to make them rich and powerful enough to have their name be differentiated from others, they typically choose flamboyantly intimidating names, such as "King Reaper" or "King Skin-Taker". In the eastern marshes, King Mosquito has recently won a territory war with King Gelder, in the north the arrival of the color has forced King Blood into hiding, and so on. It comes as a great surprise to many that one of the richest drug lords in the Rotturan Wetlands is known as "King Rice".
Before he was called the rice king, King Rice was called "Hector", a rice farmer and Kocho smuggler from Calitrian, the northernmost Wetlander city in the Rottura Wetlands' famous "Bay of Pleasure". Little is known about him but three things -- He is constantly surrounded by an entourage of Oruneno guards while displaying his own weapons in plain sight, he commands a fleet of twenty ships, and is known for giving locals sacks of rice wherever he goes to gain favor. King Rice's whereabouts for the past year have been unknown, though he is rumored to either have been killed in Gattania, staying with an Isang tribe negotiating a large trade deal, or imprisoned in the Amorian Desert.
Known for their large navies, merchant fleets and mastery over the seas, the Isang Tribes of the Far East are a collection of united chiefdoms that fly under one flag with a council of at it's head. A powerful presence around the great oceans of Dysium, they frequently trade with the various nations on the mainland. Their wares of whalebone and oil, tropical fruits and silk-like materials give them fame amongst the elite. Also known for their supply of strong liquors and mind-numbing drugs, most find nothing wrong with trading such things to common people as they frequently use them as well. These illicit and potentially poisonous wares have been banned across many states but this rarely stops the common people and the elite from wanting to feel these "out-of-this-world" experiences these Isa people claim to possess.
A journeyman's culture, built from the ashes of an old island migration of their ancestors some centuries ago, many chiefdoms had grown stagnant in their use of drugs and are thus absorbed by the bigger and stronger tribes. The political world of Isang is still very barbaric. If one chieftain or his people showed weakness, they would quickly be claimed by another bigger tribe. Those who grew complacent and fat would be gobbled up and forgotten in history. This brutal process lead to only four prominent Chieftains left to control the Trade Union, constantly vying control over the main trade routes they possessed with other, much smaller tribes controlling one or two. These smaller tribes are much more likely to deal in the more illegal wares the Isa possess to keep up.
There are still deep, tribal boundaries separating the four main Chiefs that lead the Union. Some chiefs, such as the brothers Aquiano, are strictly against the use of recreational drugs, instead opting to trade other wares under their disposal. But the majority of them do not care for the wellbeing of the mainland people. As the great chieftain Delossantos of Te Toa once boasted, feasting with his many wives and concubines "Let these mainland wretches drink themselves silly and make them dependent on our fair drugs, I say! Let us feast to their empty pockets and limp tools!"
Chieftains are mainly Dalawang, an offshoot of the Isa that possess light grey eyes. Usually explorers of great renown, these chiefs are loosely held together through the Union, acting as a "united" front for their island. However, the tribes still have independence and may have different objectives than the Union they are in. The Chieftains vote on laws and actions, drawing up trade routes and dividing these routes amongst themselves. There are four main tribes; Te Tika, Te Whakahonoretia, Te Pākiki and the Te Toa.
Ethnicity
The Trade Union is of one culture but many tribes. The Isa are a race of tan skinned tropical people, their ancestors navigating to their island from Quinso a millennia ago. Dark hair colours and brown eyes are the norm amongst Isang but most of the Chieftains of their people have been born with light grey eyes. They are called Dalawang. Those who have such eyes are seen to be pureblooded and have a destiny of greatness. Many of their greatest leaders possess such eyes so those born with them are respected but also feared. There are many cases of these grey-eyed infants being taken away and butchered for their threat against the current social hierarchy of a tribe. Strife can occur within a tribe if two fully grown Dalawang appear at once, usually ending in a civil war that destroys the chiefdom from the inside out.
Proud, mighty but curious, traditional Isa must follow the strict doctrines of their ancestors that dictate how they should act, how they should explore and how they should fight. These ancient rules are only loosely enforced by the Union and different tribes interpret these passages in a way to benefit them. They speak in their language of Hiligaynon, hard pronunciations of vowels and consonants with short sentences. The letters of "wh" form a harsh "f" sound, something that many foreigners mistake about their language is that they pronounce it as a "w" sound. They often speak in fast, short bursts as long winded speech is offensive towards them. To waste an Isang's time with compliments and extended language is insulting. Keep it short and sweet to avoid the blade of an exasperated Isa placed on your neck.
They view the other races of man with great interest but keeps them at arm's length. The Union are wary, ancient passages warning the Isa of colonialism and how such attitudes could affect indigenous people such as their own. Their own experiences with Albians has not helped this view. This is why you will rarely see any Isa amongst the mainlanders, sticking to their large boats, trimarans and their tropical island paradise. The island of Quiso is an exception however, many Isa move to their larger island brother to work and provide manpower to its growing industrial base, an industry that also provides for their people. In turn, Quisanos come to the southern islands for vacation, staying in places known for little to none raider activity. Adventurous and especially curious young Isa however roam the lands, leavings their island to experience the cultures of others. Many become independent merchants or are hired as navigators by other navies.
There is one more racial group found within the Union, a people with a sad past, shunned by the Union. The constant rape that happens within its lands has brought to light a problem amongst the tribes. Half-Albian and half-Isa, these outcasts are shunned, their blood mixed with the impure and savage northern-men. Most tribes have the pity to raise these children to their teenage years before being cast out, their entire existence a reminder of their failures. These misfits of society usually move to the more accepting island of Quiso, where they could work and live as any normal person without the pressures of past failures on their shoulders.
Geography
The different Pa of the Island Red - Te Toa Blue - Te Pākiki Yellow - Te Tika Black - Te Whakahonoretia White - Miscellaneous Small Tribes
The Isang island could be best described by it's many Quisano visitors, as a tropical paradise. Exotic fruits, white sandy beaches, fertile soils and an extinct conical volcanoin the middle surrounded by several smaller dormant ones and a thick rainforest, many would question the Isa's desire to visit other places. Many colourful plants exist within the tropical biome, these bear fruits of either the incredible delicious variety to portentously dangerous hallucinogenics. It is these hallucinogenics that the Isa use to produce their famed "sweet mixtures" that come in gas or powder form. Greenstone is commonly found in caves near the extinct volcano though they are not traded with, only used to make traditional melee weapons such as the mere.
The four lands of significance, owned by either Te Toa, Te Whakahonoretia, Te Pākiki or Te Tika, are significantly more populous than the other, more ravaged lands of smaller tribes. It is these smaller tribes that Albian raiders are most likely to target, little in the way of grand pa defences nor much sea defences either. The chieftains of these lands must either have a pact with one of the big four or fend for themselves.
Pa are great stone structures built upon the face of a hill or facing a beach, often used as ports, military garrisons and civilian living quarters. At the bottom of these pa are rows and rows of civilian huts, made from wood with roofs made out of large flax weaves and leaves. Due to the tropical nature of this biome, made this way by great heat waves in the form of heated air coming from the seas of the east, these houses are often open at the sides with drop down flax walls and regularly empty. The busy nature of an Isa ensures that he, his belongings and his family are never in the same place at the same time. These civilian districts are usually used by tourists, merchants, passing seamen or older Isang.
The following layer is made up of dug-in trenches and larger closed stone houses for the garrison, protecting the relatives of the chief, his own family and the treasuries up above. This layer is also where most of the illicit drugs the Isa are so famous for are produced. On top of this, lay the treasuries and the Chieftain Village. This is where most of the juicy stuff is, the reason that raids against Isa are so common. Piles of precious silk fabrics, greenstone weapons, muskets and their ammunition, gunpowder, whalebone by the dozen and barrels of whale oil. Riches so valuable and protected that close allies would be lucky to even have a glimpse of the treasury. They are often located on the coast but some are built in land as markers of territory.
Culture/Society
Traders, merchants and journeymen, all Isa possess a mighty urge to explore the unknown. To feel the wind in your sails, gliding across the oceans with your brothers and sisters, that is what it is too be Isa. To be envelop yourself in the Goddess of Wind, to be one with your boat. This is the true nature of the Isang, a people who want nothing more but to satiate their ever-present curiosity. This inner feeling of wanderlust is quickly dulled however by the weight of their own history, filled with blood, rape, murder and pillaging.
Their ancestors came to their island approximately one thousand years ago, an offshoot race from the old Quiso Empire. They carved their laws and history on five immense stone pillars in the middle of the island. These pillars dictate how Isa society shall work. To be an ever present collection of tribes, connected only by their race and religion. To praise the Goddess of Wind who's name was lost to history, praising her glory through sailing the seas, to let her carry them to unknown and unclaimed lands. To be wary of outsiders, their deceit and treachery may be the downfall of the curious Isa. But a Dalawang Chieftain must also bring gifts to his neighbours, asking for gifts back in return, to appease both his people and the wretches who threaten them.
These pillars gave the founding principles every tribe was founded on. Most of the rules and regulations have long been forgotten, eroded by the elements over many centuries. One of the most debated rules given in the five pillars is the "give to thine neighbour and thine neighbour shalt give unto you." Many tribes, both large and small, argue that this justifies the immense drug empire that they have laid across the land, that their gifts gave happiness to both common people and elite. More traditional tribes argue that this reliance on drugs has tainted their culture, that these gifts were cursed. The argument still rages on today but most of the traditional tribes had fallen already, Te Toa being the only large tribe to speak against their fellow chief's reliance on drug trade.
The Goddess of the Wind is the only deity worshipped among Isa and this worship can come in many forms amongst the various tribal states. Despite this, all can agree that the basic foundations of the religion is that the Goddess was not the Creator for there was no Creator. The world was just there and has always been there, existing forever and ever. No, the Goddess of the Wind granted the Isang the great wind to carry them forth into new lands. She was the reason they ever set off from Quiso and bestowed upon them their greatest gift, their curiosity. It was their curiosity that made them build their boats. It was their curiosity that made them travel the world to experience different cultures. It was their curiosity to know all things that willed them to drive forward against the Albian raiders, refusing to be stamped away from history.
Alas, with their greatest gift, also comes their greatest weakness. Curiosity has slain many young Isa, going beyond what was needed to reach newer heights. It is this knowledge, this restraint gained from maturity that older Isang tried to bestow upon their younger ones. Still, these lessons are never learned and many young ones rush to join the merchants, the seamen, the warriors, travelling diplomats to explore the world, some deciding to travel on their lonesome. The Goddess of the Wind is thus honoured and respected, prayed to during these journeymen's travels as they are carried by Her Eternal Wind.
Women are given equal opportunities amongst the men but are also seen as sacred. To insult or desecrate a woman's purity or love for her mate is a great offence against said woman's whole clan. There has been few female chiefs due to the lack of Dalawang women. However, Dalawang women have been rumoured to be extremely beautiful, wild with a curiosity that could never be satisfied.
Multiple relationships between the various countries of the continent have also shaped the island and culture. The most prominent of these relationships has been with Albians and has deeply impacted the Isang Island people.
The Isang's relationship with Alba has been somewhat... tense. For many a century, various Albian Jarls have conducted raids against the tribal peoples, pillaging and raping their women, stamping upon religious ground. They took crops, food and slaves frequently. Constant pillaging and killing, the smaller separated tribes of the island having little defence against such raids. Eventually, the tribes united to fight this force, stealing northern-men's muskets, forging mere and taiaha from hardened whalebone, constructing great fortresses of pa. A deep hatred for all Albians linked these tribes together and are one of the only reasons this Union doesn't fall apart. However, some tribes have allied with friendlier Albian Jarls to work together against rival chieftains, hiring raiders to conduct rape and pillage upon their lands.
A famous example of this was the alliance between Salinas, the chieftain of the great Te Hara tribe and one of the various Jarls. Pillaging Te Whakahonoretia lands when their chieftain was away, setting fire to their great pa and taking the beautiful daughter of the chief. To take a woman or desecrate the holy body of a woman is an affront to the great Goddess of the Wind, a deep insult to the men of the tribe. Unfortunately for Salinas, many survivors of the raid saw his warriors wreaking havoc with the Albians. Summoning a great war party, the Te Whakahonoretia chieftain destroyed Te Hara lands, a once mighty and proud tribe destroyed by an extremely angry father. Unfortunately, his daughter was already whisked away by the mysterious Jarl by the time his party got to the boats. Sinking to his knees, he wept.
The children of Albian raider men and desecrated Isang women were sent away once they reach the age of 13, left to fend for themselves. These outcasts of the Isa are typically very beautiful, fair-skinned with a large range of hair colours and light coloured brown eyes. A product of a most unholy union, if things were different, these half-breeds may have been praised for their beauty, not sent away because of what they represented. Occasionally, however, these half-cast children are sent to Wetlanders, a close ally of the Isa, to be raised and taken care of. This practice has seen a rise in popularity amongst Isa, almost as a friendly insult to the muddies. "Let the awkward Wetlanders handle these half-casts. They might stumble at the sight of a baby with more beauty than their own."
Economy/Industry
The Isa people, long before they ever formed into the Trade Union, had traded independently for centuries in exotic fruits, silks, furs, fish and maybe the most important of all, whale oil. Whale oil, made form the blubber of a large Eastern whale, are used by the early industrial societies of Dysium as fuel for oil lamps, to make soap and margarines. Although valuable, having whale blubber as the only non-luxury resource has resulted in most Isang tribes thinking of more... illegal methods. Large drug smuggling rings, complex webs of contacts and personal trade for goods. These drugs are the backbone for most of the Trade Union and are the reason that it is a country even worth noting on the other side of the continent. Many common people and country elite have fallen prey to their addictive "sweet" drugs, feeding money to Isang coffers.
Traditional tribes survive on uniting together, with their disgust towards drugs, they monopolise on the fish and whale oil trade. These tribes commit great amounts of manpower towards fishing and whaling, earning their keep through providing food to the other tribes and fuel for the lamps of the world. As the populations of local Isa whales and sea life die out, fishermen must venture further and further away from the island, nearing the Great Eastern Seas. It is unknown whether these traditional tribes will survive the next century or so.
Imports:
Food - Poultry and Dairy
Grain
Livestock
Metal
Muskets
Gunpowder
Wood
Stone
Exports:
Luxury silks
Tropical fruits
Furs
Exotic meat
Seafood
Whale oil
Illicit "sweet" drugs
Military
The Trade Union is only truly together in one branch of their government. Their navy. Every tribe must send a portion of their population to the military, to guard their merchant ships, their island and the diplomats overseas. A naval power in their own right, the Union became renown for their incredibly diverse fleet of speedy boarding ships and monolithic galleys. Preferring overwhelmingly fast ships for primitive boarding and ramming tactics, the duo of gunnery galley ships they possess in each fleet is built for sustained cannon fire to take the aggro of incoming ships. The Admiral-Captain at the reigns of one of these monolithic beasts send orders across ships through the use of ika birds, carrying messages towards the faster ships to perform complex manoeuvres they were trained to use prior to engagement. These fleets are often accompanying vast droves of trimarans that merchants often use to carry their goods.
An Isang warrior is a truly fearsome sight, usually young and hot-blooded Isa are chosen to become and most likely stay as one for life. Commonly used for boarding actions, manning ships, protecting the land against raiders as well as diplomats, drug traders and merchants. They serve as the bodyguards, the soldiers and the seamen of the various tribes. Tattoos adorn their bodies, reaching from the tips of their toes to their scalp. The more of these markings adorn a warrior's body, the more battles and encounters they have taken apart of. Clad in tribal furs and little armour, they rely on their martial art and discipline, screaming war cries in guttural speak before battle to strike fear into the enemy.
They are often armed with a musket carved with complex patterns and scratches, representing their particular tribe with pride. These muskets are used in great effect, usually used within the great pa in the trenches or in lines. A taiaha is often used, a short, reinforced wooden/whalebone spear with a heavy curve at one end and a blade of greenstone at the other. The curve is used to bash enemies in the head with, mostly likely ending with their brains mashed into pieces while the blade is used for light stabbing movements. The mere is a short handed, broad bladed club weapon also often used in close combat. Made out of tough greenstone, it can be used against lightly armoured opponents to cave their skulls in but also used against the heavily armoured as stun weapons. There is no uniform for the Isang warrior and sailor, their clothes made of flax, furs and silks.
There is no structure to the Isa army because they have none, no cavalrymen because there exists no horses amongst the Isa. The eldest and most experienced warriors lead in battle and that is that. Most warriors travel in groups of ten to fifteen when guarding roaming merchants and drug traders but can soar up to fifty when guarding diplomats in foreign nations. They are often summoned by their own chieftain individually, called to do certain tasks that they have been trained to do. When they are to be summoned en masse for war parties, the great horn every chieftain possessed would sound, thus calling all able warriors to come to their aid at once otherwise facing consequences of varying degrees. These numbers can number up to the tens of thousands if the tribe was particularly militant like Te Pākiki and in the old glory days of Te Whakahonoretia.
Te Whakahonoretia's revenge party against Te Hara:
Led by Chieftain Ramos, the 10,000 strong force, the largest war party in Isa history, assembled under him to lay siege against the Te Hara pa. Taking each fortress by force and without mercy, it only took a few days for the once mighty pa of Te Hara to fall. Unfortunately, Chieftain Ramos' daughter had been whisked away by Te Hara's Jarl ally, away to Alba. As he wept for her on the beaches of his homeland, he dismissed his mighty war band, swearing revenge against this mysterious Jarl.
Te Pākiki vs Te Waka:
Tensions between the militant neighbours of Te Pākiki and Te Waka came to a climax with the summoning of 1,000 Te Waka warriors to lay siege against one of Te Pākiki's least defended pa. With a small garrison of a measly 100 male and female warriors, it was said by many that this pa was doomed to fall. However, led by an unlikely female Dalawang warrior and possessing a large surplus of ammunition and gunpowder, the Hundred made Te Waka fight for every inch up their hill, fighting to the last warrior. Once Te Pākiki reinforcements arrived, the female Dalawang was still fighting on top of the pa. Many heard her shout over the Te Waka war cries, a powerful bellowing voice that would be remembered for the ages. "We are Te Pākiki, warriors of the West! We claimed this pa as our own and by the Goddess' divine will, we shall keep it!" Her words moved the reinforcements into action but it was too late, her corpse found amongst the Hundred who fought there, names forgotten in history.
Te Toa's defence of Te Wareware:
An Albian raiding party, great in manpower and fleet, approached the friendly tribe of Te Wareware near Te Toa lands. Fearing the worst for their comrades, the brother Aquianos sent for a mighty 5,000 strong war party to protect their ally's only pa. Unfortunately, when they arrived, Te Wareware warriors were already on their back foot against the northern-men, fighting fiercely for their lives and families. Enraged by the sight of their closest friends being butchered, the warriors of Te Toa let loose a mighty cry and as one, charged towards the surprised raiders. All Albians were butchered and beheaded, their heads preserved and sat atop spikes sticking out of the Te Wareware Bay, a warning to all outsiders. Stay. Out.
History
Self-explanatory. This doesn't need to be long; just informative. We encourage players to collaborate and create shared history, in fact, it is almost necessary. No nation exists in a vacuum.
Relations
The Roturra Wetlands
- Insert relations -
Alba
- Insert relations -
Characters
A bitter husk of his past self, Chief Ramos is the current head of Te Whakahonoretia. Born from the seed of of his father, a warrior-chief of great fame, the Dalawang was destined to become even better than his father. Trained from a young age in the use of both taiaha, mere and musket, at the age of six he was already as tall and as broad as the thirteen year olds he sparred with. Talented, young and hard-headed, he was not as curious as the other boys and stayed to defend his home, rather than becoming a journeyman like so many of his peers. Honing his talents with the taiaha, he was known for his martial prowess on the battlefield, fending off raiders and rival Isa.
He eventually became chieftain for the Te Whakahonoretia, leading his people into a golden age of prosperity under his rule. The warrior population within his pa grew, as many Isa sought to become the fierce warrior he was. Ramos' steel grey eyes struck fear into the hearts of many and the various rival tribes hated him for his brutality on the battlefield. And thus, Te Hara laid out its plans. Sneaking through the night, Te Whakahonoretia's rivals allied with Jarl Vikar Totisson, future High King of Alba. They raided their pa when the chieftain and most of the warriors were away for a meetings of Chiefs, taking his precious daughter and burning homes to the ground.
To this day, even after the destruction of Te Hara and years after his daughter's taking, Ramos has never been the same. He has become weary throughout the years, growing more and more spiteful, missing his daughter and swearing revenge against the Albian High King. He is sat atop his once mighty throne, a deep warrior's grudge growing within him. His blood pumps with rage and soon, he will get his revenge. He controls much of the trade to the Federation of Lythian States, trading furs, meats and silk in bulk for better muskets, gunpowder, tools and processed metals. His traders are also starting a small drug smuggling group there that he hopes will feed his growing war machine.
Known for their grandfatherly personalities and traditional ways, the brothers Aquiano of Te Toa are older and wiser than most. Both nearing the age of their late 70's, these two were born with a year separating each other. Carlos Aquiano is the older of the two, firstborn of their great family with José Aquiano coming second. The Aquiano family is an old one and the two brothers can trace back their ancestry all the way to the first Isa, the ancients who came to their island a millennia ago. They hold great sway over the traditionalist tribes of the island and monopolised the fishing and whaling industry. They control much of the sea around the northern part of the island and provides seafood for the Union.
Controller one of the largest drug empires on the continent, Delossantos has navigated the globe and works more personally and frequently with the Wildlanders. He is more boisterous and loud than the other chieftains, acting like he is still a young journeyman travelling the world. He has an air of arrogance and pride surrounding him and contains all the stereotypes the Isang people have collected over the years. Not much of a warrior, he's more useful conducting famous trade deals or manning the ships of his people than fighting. Rising to the top using his own wit and charm, he is the premier Trader Chieftain. He wants the money and income for his tribe, to cement Te Tika and by extension, the Trade Union as a superpower. His tribe interacts the most with Wetlanders, sending half-breeds more often than most other tribes.
The Butcher of Tribes came to power through bloody wars. Te Pākiki was a smaller tribe once, with only a few pa and a port, not much of a presence on the island. It was not until the feud between a larger tribe called Te Waka that they truly stepped into the limelight. Datu rose to power after the climax of their feud, inspired by the desperate cries of a fellow Dalawang warrior as she fell against a Te Waka spear. He fought like a beast when he heard her final cries, roaring as enemies fell against his mere. He fought for the past chieftain in the war that followed afterwards, a hero of spectacular might, tall and brave. When the old chief fell to an ambush, he was quickly chosen by his people to lead them. He devoured Te Waka, cementing his tribe as major power in the Union to come. He fields much of the ships and warriors in the Union, often lending warriors to other tribes. Despite his unstable personality, he acts as a mediator between the tribes, being the biggest military power after Te Whakahonoretia's fall.
Alba is a nation filled with large barbaric individuals known mainly for pillaging and conquering land without remorse. In recent decades the wave of chaos have slowed as raiding parties have begun to settle down to create settlements. This is partly due to the centralisation of the original clans of Alba that have now joined together under one flag.
Alba society is divided into three socio-economic classes of Thralls, Karls and Jarls.
Thralls are the lowest ranking class and are slaves, used for everything from chores to large scale construction. New Thralls are supplied by either the sons and daughters of thralls or enemies captured.
Karls are free peasants. They own farms,land and cattle and engage in daily chores. They employ Thralls if they can afford to buy them to do the more manual aspects of farming life.
Jarls are the Aristocracy of Alba society, owning most of the wealth and living in excess. Jarls involve themselves in administration, politics, hunting, sports and expeditions. Jarls will have many Thralls tend to them, and receive offerings of allegiance from Karls. Jarls rule over Karls, a beneficial agreement for both parties as Jarls receive food and minerals from the land of the Karl's of which they trade with other Jarls. Karls receive protection from the Jarls in exchange for this, and also can buy food and minerals from other settlements that the Jarls trade with.
At the top is a King, a recent addition to the classes, this man or woman is the main connecting force between the Jarls and calls upon them when diplomatic manners must be attended.
Ethnicity
Albians are tall and bulky individuals, men standing at an average of 6’ 5”, and woman standing at 5’ 7”. They speak Branter, a mix of Old Norse and Gaelic languages. The Albians deem non-Albians lesser to themselves, seeing those south as weaker and feeble.
The climate of Alba is that of frozen tundra, the further north the worse the conditions are, despite this many settlements reside all over, surviving however they can. Despite this most settlements are to the southeast, as the climate is better and allows more opportunity for farming.
Ruling Jarls Yellow (The North) -Sigvid Snækolsson Orange (The Crossroads)-Thorarin Kolbeinsson Green (North islands) -Svein Arnorsson Blue (WestLands) -Ormhild Krakidottir Red (Grasslands) -Holmfrid Sveindottir Black (Civility) -Hervor Havardottir Grey (The Swamps)-Thyre Kardottir
Culture/Society
[/b] Albians are a hardy people that take pleasure in the simplest things. Fighting, sex, money and eating, because of this many festivals occur all year around in Alba culture. Power is deemed the most important and impressive aspect, and an individual who can show they have power, be it through physical strength or through the subjugation of others, will earn respect with the Alba people. What are your people like? What is notable about their culture and how they do things? History may play a large role in this section, and vice-versa. Include a religion here if you want! There is no official dogma, so have fun.
Economy/Industry
Alba is rather technically challenged and so must import firearms and gunpowder from other nations, as well as any machinery.
The mines in the mountains of Alba produce many minerals including copper, iron and gold. This, plus the large amount of vegetables such as potatoes and turnips that are produced provides an excess of possible export goods. The large furry animals of Alba also produce a large fur trade.
Military
The military consists of all aspects of Alba society. Thralls are used mostly to carry and care for animals whilst traveling, but can rise to become true Alba Warriors. Karls are expected to fight at the request of a Jarl, and most will gladly take up arms to prove their worth. Due to the large population of Alba, this creates a large military force.
The general equipment of the Alba military is varied between the different clans and Jarls.A large axe or sword is the most common weapon, paired with a shield. Muskets have become more common but many factions will fire off only a single volley of musket fire then throw their guns to charge at the enemy. This technique is used effectively due to the size of the Alba forces, as well as the intense fear it creates in the enemy that is traditionally used to volley tactics.
Alba forces are adored with many furs, covering the body from head to toe. This armour is a necessity in the cold, but has also known to deflect a sword slash or bayonet lunge.
The Alba are also master seamen, the longboats they hand craft light enough to be some of the fastest ships on the continent, and able to transport many men and women over large areas.
History
Started off on one of the islands to the north then expanded. IM BAD AT HISTORY OK.
Relations
The Trade Union of Isang Tribes. Many raids in past. Hired by them sometimes
'The Federation of Lythian States' Import citrus, steel, blades, guns, textilea,olive oil, wine and lumber Export gold iron copper and furs.
Emruen, the place of soft quiet rustling of forests and grasslands, tall steep whistling heights of mountain peaks, and the crack of high whipping winds of the brewing seas. The people of the Empire are the embodiment of courage and strict iron discipline, to a point where if you’re in the Empire, the first greeting you will have is of marching armed guard, and an escort of galloping dragoons. The Empire serves the crown, and the Military has its own governing body.
The General Staff is separate from the Crown. They are in charge of enforcing the policies and laws that the crown would decree. They are the police, the army, the navy, the cavalry, and the guard; the embodiment of power through force. However, the General Staff cannot rule the country itself alone thus there is the crown.
The Crown is the crucible of power, the order that brings in line the whole nation. His word is law, his mere whisper can cause the demise of an individual if he so pleased. However, he cannot rule upon just his word, therefore there is the General staff.
The two go hand in hand, one cannot live without the other, and if one does not do their job right, the one with sense will fix them. There have been many who have called for reform, but usually the crown is reasonable enough to change his edicts and laws not to conform but to be reasonable.
Ethnicity
Emruenians have a standard build, with bright blonde to dark walnut hair. Their eyes are ocean blue to emerald green, and the color of their skin is a peach white to a tan or light brown color. They usually stand 5’0ft to 6’5ft.
They have a large ethnic diversity that have just melted into one; there used to be the Highlanders, Lowlanders, Sea Folk, River Folk, Horse Clans, Forest Clans, etc., but they’ve all been lost to time and have become Emruen, which derives from an old Highlander phrase “Emruene Vras” (United we stand). This is the reason that there are many qualities an Emruenian can have, from the brown skin of old sea and river folk, to the pale skin of the Highlanders or the squarish chins of old Forrest Clan members and the round chins and cheeks of the Lowlanders.
Geography
Emruen has beaches, grasslands, wetlands, valleys, mountains, and forests.
Culture and Society
Emruen has been known to be very strict when it comes to enforcing their laws. They are usually reasonable, but this has caused some friction with visiting foreigners and the people of Emruen themselves. Many times has it been the heated topics of debates: philosopher versus philosopher, academe versus academe, scholar versus scholar; these debates have yielded results in how to improve the laws that are in play and will come in to play.
The Military is a large part of Emruenian society, it is where boys become men, and men earn prestige, even a common footman would still be considered noble of some sort even without retaining a rank. Corruption is heavy in the military though inquisitorial visits by the Liego ons Imperi: Lion Corps, Emperors own, keeps everything in line as they root out all corruption and take it to the barrel of a musket.
What regiment and rank you possess will determine your social standing, though the Military does not make one rich; instead, it garners respect from the people, a status symbol of endurance, dignity, and self-respect. The proudest traditions of the Emruanian people are from the proud disciplined military. If you are a high ranking cavalry man you are revered as a hero, if you are a low ranking skirmisher, you are considered a skilled huntsman, and so on. Being in the military defines who they are as a person as they choose the fighting style they will pursue.
However, there are people outside the military who can make a name for themselves, such as scientists, poets, philosophers, artists and more. Even for a highly militarized society, a community cannot survive without diversity. An Emruenian biologist and philosopher applied his study during a debate whether or not the Military should be the sole focus of the Nation, and it was beautiful.
“In a small ecological community of insects, plants grow and bloom, butterflies and bees pollinate other plants in order for the others to fruit, the spider makes its home on these plants and eat the bees and butterflies, now you remove the spider, the butterflies and the bees no longer have a source of nectar because all the plants have fruited, the bees and the butterflies die off or leave, and soon the flowers follow the next season, same goes if you increase the number of spiders, the spiders will eat all of the butterflies and bees, until there are none left, the flowers will wilt and die with no next generation to come, and the spiders having run out of food, die as well… Too much or too little is bad, you must find the balance in between.”
-Philosopher Ecologist Jasfer Haarp
These are people that preserve cultures, traditions, art, literature and many more. It is a popular movement, as it has shown progress with the Empire. Even the Emperor listens to any argument these people have to make as long as it makes sense. This, in turn, makes the people sort of a third governing body, a pillar in which their society stands. Thus, the King must maintain his people’s faith and the military must protect the people from all harm and enforce the laws to the best of their ability.
Religion
Emruen is open to all religions far and wide, however any large religious movement that acts against the state is completely forbidden, and is punishable by death if it does damage to the Empire, and harm to the people.
Economy and Industry
The Emruenians draw their wealth from the mines of their mountain ranges and their agriculture, which can both be used in trade. They also forge weapons fit for any self-respecting military from guns of quality production to canons tested to breakage. The quality of their arms are impressive, and are very expensive.
The Emruenians also have a large fishing and whaling community up north, they use the oil and fish as exports to other countries, as you continue further south along the coast, less and less whale product and more fish get exported, some being rare delicacies, and some you can only catch off the black sea and west near the Emruenian coastline.
A lot of things are still handmade, though the machinery did exist to automate some parts of production. This is a mix of both to ensure that certain parts that would normally take a considerable amount of time to make would be able to be made quicker, while at the same time maintaining a carefully crafted look and feel; however it should be noted that these places are few, and more are planned to be made to increase production and economy.
Military
The Military are the police; they are the guard, they are the navy. The military is the enforcer of laws, and the fury of the Empire. As such, they are expected to be disciplined and unwilling to give up till the very last man. Their quality and training must be grueling and harsh for the combat they expect to see.
They are forced to march kilometers, climb mountains, traverse rivers, swim in the cold, traverse through thick forest, hunt, camp, navigate, run, crawl, and endure hours of tests and drills day in and day out for the rest of their stay in the military. Selection process lasts four months, and when they have been selected, they move on to training. The selection process is made to weed out the weak.
Their training will be slow and grueling: sparring with makeshift bayonets and sabers, sparring without weapons, shooting, maintenance, shooting on horseback, melee on horseback, cavalry tactics, artillery, explosives, more drills, more exercises, formations in practice, and formations in mock combat, tactics, strategies, drum and trumpet signals. This turns the weak into the strong, the followers into leaders, the fire that forges the sharp sword of the empire. Those who can’t handle the yearlong course must be removed from the Military, and if they so wish, can come back to try again.
If they make it through all of this they then have to choose their respective Branch, Division, and Regiment.
Most, if not all regiments are equipped with a standard uniform color depending on their branch, and a head dress that include officers bicorn and tricorn, NCO Shako, and regular Shako with plumes.
Cavalry wear either a chest plate over their campaign uniform or none at all depending on their type of cavalry. Heavy cavalry usually wear the chest plate and are equipped with spears, lances, or sabers. Light cavalry such as skirmisher cavalry are equipped with a saber, carbine, and pistol.
Scouts and Skirmishers wear green campaign uniforms that are quite loose compared to that of the regular infantry and they have simple shakos with a green plume; they are equipped with bayonets, long rifles, and pistols.
Imperial Guards wear embellished grey uniforms, usually embellished with golden or bright yellow trim, their shakos adorned with a bright red plume. The design of the uniform closely resembles that of the regular line infantry.
Regular Line Infantry wear nothing fancy: maroon colored coats with Shakos and white plume.
Grenadiers wear something similar to the regulars, but wear Black with white trim and large pouches filled with grenades and munitions. Their shako plume color is yellow.
Artillery wear long trench grey trench coats during a drawn out siege laying in the dirt alongside the canons; they also wear a Shako with a green and white plume and are equipped with muskets if they so needed to fight.
The Emperors wear bright yellow, decorated with blue trimmings and their shako is decorated with the coat of arms in gold trim, their plume is cyan. They are the inquisitorial force of the emperor, it kept the military in line, though the Emperor’s own is large, they are not larger than the military as a whole, they have enough resources to police the military and bring corruption to the barrel of a musket.
The Marines and Navy men wear separate uniforms. The Marines have similar colors to the regular line infantry though they have blue trim, and their head dress is different, favoring bicorns for the lower ranks and Tricorns for higher ranking officials. Same goes for the navy, except they wear blue uniforms with gold or yellow trims.
All of these men have the first standard training of a year, and then the additional months training under a regiment on duty. They are all equipped with the ins and outs of the military, and through their training, will have been hardened through their drill instructors, a professional fighting force that is to be reckoned with.
They have proven themselves more than capable of defending their coastal regions. Raids from the north often occur from a nation that calls themselves Alba; because of this, the navy battle is constantly in melee, and at range, earning their worth at sea, and if they manage to land, the guards and garrisons defend to the best of their ability with the smoke and crack of gunpowder from muskets firing lead. One such battle occurred on the port city of Brenuin
The small force of naval ships spied the large Albian force approaching from the horizon. Bells rang as the large hulls of ships splashed across the blue burbling sea, the sound of unfolding sails and the shouts of men filling the air. “Wait till they’re in range!” Captain Tarus commanded, lowering his spyglass for a moment. A sudden flash, then a pop, exploded out of nowhere as a cannon ball came whizzing through the air, followed shortly by a loud cry from the Albians.
“Return fire!” the voice of a strained officer echoed from man to man till it reached every gun deck the creaky boat had. He stood on the deck, flag signals waving behind him signaling to fire. One by one, each gun began to go off, rippling across the enemy’s horizon as a belt of smoke and cannon ball viciously ripped through their hulls.
Several ships began to sink to the bottom of the sea, yet it was clear that men from the wreckage of the first salvo would survive. Another few flashes from the horizon signaled the arrival of the round iron ball that smashed through the hull in a splintering, cracking mess. The Albian gun boats immediately responded as the thunderous sound of canons filled the air, leaving massive holes in the hull and dozens of men injured by the shrapnel that scattered from the impact and threatened to puncture those nearby.
“Continue firing!” Tarus held the line in a brave attempt to maintain his calm. The captains of the other ships followed suit they watched the Albians plow onwards; their number was large, their battle cry deafening, and the air now thick with gunpowder smelled of sweat and anxious frenzy. Suddenly, the man next to Tarus put a hand on his shoulder and gripped tightly.
It was the Lieutenant of the marines, Aaron Smith. “Marines, Open fire!” he bellowed, and the marines heard it echo throughout the ship. The crack of muskets pierced the air, however, the Albians returned the salvo with their own, their shots landing everywhere. The purpose of their fires served only to frighten the Marines, out of which only four were hit and injured, yet their discipline kept them in line.
Anger bubbled up in them, for the Albians who called themselves Svedning had come to conquer new lands seeking fame and glory and had done nothing but provoke them endlessly. Furthermore, none of them seemed to be hit.
At this point, the Albians had successfully managed to reach the ships and were now starting to board it, however the tall decks made it harder for them to clamber on, thus the boarders were met with fire and musket volley. The Marines then proceeded to drop their muskets and draw their sabers, while a loud ruckus started from below as people began firing their muskets at the ascending Albians. The now entangled crews were unable to stall the rest from reaching the docks.
It had bought enough time for Morrison Heugh and James Mot, the Commanding officers of the garrison at Brenuin, to hustle the people to the garrison fort. They took up positions and started firing at the oncoming Albians who were now within range of the skirmishers. Volley after volley descended upon them as they came in closer towards the line infantry, the smoke of the gunpowder becoming a rolling fog downwind into the town as the firing continued from both sides. The raiders finally made land fall and the Sverdening tribesmen fired their last volley, after which the invaders drew their swords and shields and charged forward to meet the lines of the Emruenians in a clash of metal and muscle.
They stood their ground with their equipped bayonets, and gave way for a gap in the lines revealing canons between the infantry. Inside the buildings, the skirmishers continued to fire as their vantage point allowed them to shoot, free from obstruction, at the charging Albians; the canons bellowed fire, causing the horses that were there to whinny and neigh in frightened protest, surprised from the thundering blast of smoke and iron being spread out from the canon like the flames from the mouth of a dragon.
The Guard artillery sergeants yelled “Load the powder!”, as the Albians at the front were battered and sent scattered, the remainder still charging, yelling at the top of their lungs.
James, the Commanding officer of the Army who was stationed there, ordered a man from the front to tell the grenadiers to position themselves. With a quick nod, the runner made off and proceeded to go into the town in order to pass along the orders.
James yelled “Heugh, order the final volley then get the artillery and men into the town!”
Heugh looked back, and with a slash of his saber, he barked “Fire, you dogs!”
With that, the guard and army regiments fired their musket the canons roared as the guns exploded to life once again, unleashing a massive hail of lead and iron onto the invaders, smashing through wooden shield, dismembering attackers, and blowing down the front row, as the second and third waves made land fall.
The long beach grew shorter as the Sverdening Albians charged into the town, the onslaught would not stop once they reached the line; the last boat would make land fall, and in the distance, canon fire and men onboard ships fought for dominance at sea. Heugh and James took a final glance at Tarus and Smith fighting for their lives on The Resilient and turned back to join their men.
They ran into the ghost town as the shouts and gunfire grew closer, echoing into the empty buildings and streets, hollow and abandoned; grenadiers waited on the rooves ready to fire and toss their grenades on hand. The Albians passed down the streets, and with a spark and toss, the small balls of gun powder exploded into shrapnel between the raiders, the grenadiers began to rain lead heavily onto them as the skirmishers and line infantry started to line up to fire volleys at them at the farther end of the streets, yet with absolute ferocity they still charged through, now with an apparent plan to get up to rooves of buildings and fight the grenadiers.
The garrison retreated once again towards the Garrison fort, while the Grenadiers, now stuck on the rooves, still fought in melee as the relentless raiders found a way to their position. The lunges of bayonets proved ineffective as they bluntly hit the thick fur coats and shields, yielding little to no damage. Amidst the great chaos, they began to try a different approach and bottle necked them through the roof stairwell. A few desperate ones, in their last bid, collapsed the stairwell onto them using a cluster of grenades; in melee, they started to aim for the legs and fought the raiders two to one in the bottlenecks and choke points.
Meanwhile at the Garrison fort, the fort guns started to fire onto the raiders, coming through the streets, mowing them down like bowling pins. The Svedning raiders used the alley ways as cover and leapfrogged their way to the front; they’d been reduced to a third of the fighting size as the others were busy either tangling with the grenadiers in a deadly dance of swords and explosives, or were dealing with the Navy and Marine forces.
Still, they outnumbered the garrison, three to one, and they fired out from the forts battlements and various towers. The gate was closed off, and the canons continued to fire. The Albians lost hope of conquest and switched their focus to taking what they could and sail away; however, as they made their retreat, the Garrison followed. The Grenadiers noticed that they were leaving, and the remainder of the grenadiers that weren’t holding choke points started to fire, they were beaten back block by block. Eventually the town was quiet with only the rumbling of boots and the crunch of rock and gravel, then a shout issued from the Garrison.
“For the Emperor and his people!”
This was the cry that echoed throughout the streets that they dashed to clear the city, and the smell of imminent victory engulfed them as the confused Albians began to surrender or fight till the last man as they were surrounded by Emruenian troops, yet this was all in vain for they would soon be humiliatingly vanquished.
As the remaining Albians reached the shoreline, they saw with sinking realization that the Emruenian navy which survived the initial attacks had blockaded their escape and their ships in the distance a sinking and as the ruined vessels keeled over. The Emruenian armed garrison rushed to fight them on the beach, scattering Albian blood onto the sand dunes.
Nothing could break the high spirits of the Emruenian Garrison as this fortunate turn of events pushed them to fight harder. As the battle came to a close with one side soon to emerge victorious, the final clash of saber, steel, and gun powder ended the battle of Brenuin at the break of noon.
The streets were littered with dead Albians and Emruenians, yet the enemy had been crushed. Despite this, the battle had been won at the cost of three heavily damaged ships with broken masts, torn sails, and a riddled hull along with a heavily reduced crew count as they had either fallen overboard and drowned or had been killed in action.
Many of the Grenadiers had also fallen under the pressure of the Albian assault, the tally of dead and injured were extremely high, and many had been put out of action as amputations were carried out on the heavily injured. Very few Albians surrendered, and they were released to tell the story of their defeat despite the Emruenians not having fully understood what they were trying to tell them as their language was rough and foreign a garbled transmission of gibberish received by unfamiliar ears.
“Our people will never listen to the weak, we will just attack another.” They whispered under their breath and with that they sailed off. James and Heugh survived the battle, though Smith fought valiantly he succumbed to the enemy onslaught. His death was not in vain nor was it a sad waste; he brought down with him many Albians that had boarded The Resilient. Surely he was a noble fighter, and Tarus Moore grieves the loss of a good friend.
The tally that day…was indeed high.
The military divides its men from Liego downwards to Cieko, a standard squad. This is to help organize their formations and training, from large formations down to small infantry tactics. Cieko can bring down a Brieko through a standard harass of supply lines and smart maneuvers. A war philosophy thought of by a young general in Emruen’s history
“Even a full plated knight can die of a small knife even if the knife makes a mere scratch, it takes time, but it will bring him down as the wound starts to fester and the flesh around it starts to blacken and puss ooze from the wound left untreated.”
– General 2nd Class Fox Christiansen
Liego 50,000 men Striedo 10,000 men Riedo 1,000 men Meto 500 men Brieko 100 men Griedo 50 men Cieko 10 men
History
Before the region known as Emruen became a nation united under one banner, it was first a region fought over by small clans ruled by Chieftains. These clans were not at all hindered by lack of technology, as the region in the east was also at the time divided. There were some that traded with these clans by and introduced them to new technologies. One day, a fledgling Chieftain by the name of Erik Fredriksen took further interest in their neighbors; he discovered that they were as divided as the Clan Families that spread across old Emruen, but then he noticed that out of all the Duchies and Nations that had received him, only one saw him as a person and not a brute or barbarian. Many a time he has had to turn tail and run as the people he spoke to were not open to him.
A union of Duchies that would become the Kingdom of Auerbuck received him with at least a lukewarm welcome; he had explored their territories, he had learned from the warm welcomes of their people, and he had witnessed their rising success first hand. It was when he mused to himself, “What if all the clans could come together as one? What if the Clans would gain greater power when united?”
He didn’t leave with just this in mind, he studied in the growing country for a modicum amount of a year, and in the amount of time he was there he witnessed the union grow even larger either through membership or through conquest. When he finally returned home to his clan, he was received well by both the clansmen and his retainer. He asked everyone to gather at the large drinking halls within the clan’s motte and bailey; as the drinking hall became full, he asked with a booming voice that echoed throughout the hall, “We as a clan are strong, yes!?”
The clansmen gave a hearty cry of approval.
“And you all think that the other clans are weak!?”
Another cheer broke out from among the clansmen, who were drinking and celebrating. Then, with a voice that cut through the festivities like a whip, Erik proclaimed,
“Then you are all wrong!”
The Clansmen fell silent. Erik gave a loud sigh, a pregnant pause before he was ready to speak, looking at the shocked faces of his Clansmen, clearly thinking that their Chieftain had too much to drink.
“We are not strong, the other clans aren’t strong…”
In an act of protest, his restrainer placed a steady hand on his shoulders, but Erik looked him straight in the eyes; his stare was like a glaring hot piece of iron which pierced and burned through his soul. The retainer let go after realizing this wasn’t drunken madness… this was the Chieftain being serious.
The Chieftain looked upon his fellow kin. “We are not strong, not alone: we can mine, hunt, and fight, but we can’t farm or fish. The Clans of the Riders and the Clans of the River, they can Farm and fish, yet they can’t mine, the Clans of the sea, they can sail, The Clans of the Riders, The Clans of the River, they can’t sail, and we can’t sail, the clans in the forests have quality wood, the other clans don’t…”
His kin grew anxious, straining to understand why the Chieftain was telling them this. “What does this have to do with anything? I hear your questions rise among the confused faces around me, thinking that I may just be drunk. I am not, my point is, as one clan we are weak, but as many we are strong; I want the clans to unite under one banner.” The Chieftain grumbled and sat on his chair, overlooking the crowd.
“But knowing who we are, we can’t become united if we cannot come to terms… that’s why I say we, Clan of Mieko Grad, one of the Major Clans of the Highlanders, announce that we will be talking with other clans about this thought. Not just with ours, but with the rest of the other clans in different regions… We will first start with the Clans of the Lowlands, the Riders of the grass plains, and wealthy merchants of the river.”
After that announcement, Erik stood up again, and asked.
“What do you all think?” A long silence crept through the long hall in response, with only the blank stares of surprised men and women.
One man raised his pint, and said “Aye! You bastard! Let’s try this idea of yours! If the east folk can become united, strong, and sophisticated like, we can too.”
Almost immediately after those words left his mouth, one by one ales, pints, and legs of mutton were raised in the air, proclaiming “Aye!” in agreement with the man’s statement. Erik gave a grin that went ear to ear, and chuckled as he walked out of the Hall, “Drinks are on me!” he shouted, “…Enjoy your night!”
Days went by: talk after talk, little by little, clans bought into Fredriksens’ idea; though at first, the many clan families didn’t want to join them. Though as time went by, the clans that did join became so influential on the other clans that Fredriksen’s Union grew bigger than any individual clan covering the mountains, the Grasslands, and rivers. Rival clans created their own unions in response to Fredriksen. The Forest Clans in the south of Old Emruen decided to join Fredriksen’s Union, for his influence had spread further south towards the Southern Clans of the sea, where they decided to join the union.
The union grew bigger in a few months’ time, and soon they wondered who would lead them. Meanwhile the Union to the east, in the region beside them, the one Erik took inspiration from, began to take notice, and therefore began to trade with the Union of clans. Rival Unions soon fell as they would break apart due to their unruliness. Fredriksen, learning from the recent incidents, summoned the Clan Chieftains to a meeting.
A large drinking hall was prepared in the Union’s center territory; this drinking hall was then filled with Chieftains from all the clans. They all sat together drinking and engaging in heated debate, and as Fredriksen sat there and watched as they argued over who would be the Union’s great leader. After about an hour, someone beside Frediksen pointed at him and asked, “What do you think, Fredriksen? Do you think I should be the Leader of our Union?”
Everyone sat silent, as Fredriksen has not uttered a single word. The noise turned into deafening silence, a silence that felt like forever in anticipation of a grizzled old man’s opinion. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, and ate a piece of mutton with it. Anxious to hear his say, a chieftain beside him shouted again right into Fredriksens’ ear.
“HEY OLD MAN! ARE YOU DEAF!?”
Fredriksen looked at him, and said, “Oh, are you done arguing with amongst youreselves like children? Olaf, are you done?” he pointed in the spot across from him, as he continued “Are you done, Joseph?” and onwards “Roland, what about you?”
After that, Fredriksen stood up. “What kind of union are we? We fight, and we bicker… we’re no better than a disbanded union! We can’t even agree on a place to meet! We only met here because of convenience, but even before that, you were all writing to me about where we should agree to meet! I didn’t pick this place because I liked the River Clans more, you dolts!” he shouted as his anger and patience was running thin.
The Chieftains filled with pride all stood and started shouting again, their egos burnt, and Fredriksen, sick and tired of the bickering, took a pistol and shot it in the air, the loud booming crack of the pistol’s discharge echoing through the room, louder than anyone could shout.
“Shut your filthy mouths you ungrateful excuses for Chieftains! We will not decide who the leader of the union will be in this room tonight, who that position goes to is not for us to decude, but for the people of our union as a whole to decide; not divided as different clans, but as one people one nation!”
His voice echoed in the air draping over the room like a heavy stench to everyone’s mind trying to comprehend what he was implying.
“That’s right, we’re putting it up to the people to decide, by some of the outside folk call ‘a vote’ where each person will put in a piece of paper who they want to be the leader, and the person with the most votes wins.”
The person beside him began to object. “But you know I’m fit to be leader of the union, Fredriksen.”
To which Fredriksen replied, “It shall be in the hands of the people, Arik. Whatever happens we have to accept the outcome, for it is crucial to our people we remain united otherwise all we’ve worked for, is for nothing.” Fredriksen stroked his unkempt beard, and drank a bit of ale, before dismissing them.
“Any more questions? Objections? Violent reactions?” A moment of silent agreement, as the chieftains looked upon him as the sole driving force of the nation that is to come; they nodded to eachother as if they all knew who they thought their people would elect.
“This meeting is disbanded, you may either return home, or continue to drink and eat, the day is coming to a close and the night is young.”
He calmly left the hall and proceeded to travel home.
And so after several days of voting, and tallying the votes by region, they sent Fredriksen the result and his retainer, took up the tally results sent by each chieftain and wrote the majority result on a piece of paper and gave it to Fredriksen, and to the new nation he announced: “From this day forward, this nation will serve under this man whom I have written in a small piece of paper…” anticipation builds as he unfolds the paper.
“I announce our new leader to be… Chieftain Fredrik-“ He stopped short, squinting hard at the paper as if a mistake had been made, yet there it was, written clearly in ink.
“Chieftain Fredriksen… That’s me.” All around him, a thunderous cheer erupted as people began to spread the news and celebrate while he harbored doubt.
Fredriksen had expected someone from among the older clan chieftains to become the Union’s head, but with that being said, he thought he knew why they chose him, seeing as he was the one who suggested the idea of Clan unity, he made sure and checked again with the other chieftains personally, and as he heard from the Chieftains and saw the results for himself, he no longer had any doubts about the results.
When he finally got home from visiting the other territories verifying the results, he sat down on his chair with a pint of ale and a plate of he sighed heavily as if a large weight had been taken off of him, his doubt finally laid to rest, a new weight was placed on his shoulders and as he drank he said
“Well, that’s enough of that.” Sighing into his drink.
He began to work on things that would make them more into a country rather than a union of different clans, starting with the development of a new name for the Union.
“Emruene Vras,” he softly whispered to himself; he wrote up names and began thinking whether he himself should make the union a Monarchy or a Republic. He chose the former after a few days of contemplating, and made many legislations and laws that would lay the foundation of what the Empire would become.
Many years passed, many generations that saw the birth of newly crowned kings, as well as several cases of corruption had been crippling the Empire and threatened the unity of the state as the people no longer had any regards to the laws of the Empire seeing it as a corrupt institution, and the Empire was sent into a state of anarchy. The reigning monarch at the time Johann Erikson saw the military to be the solution that would most benefit the people; he expanded the military, made it a separate entity, and raised his own guard, The Kings Own that would be renamed into the well-known Emperor’s Own.
Later, he would turn the Kingdom into a reigning Empire and expand its influence in all directions, from the northern clans to the western clans, all the way down to the remaining mountain clans. He then focused on building relations with the Kingdom of Auerbuck by offering better trade, and even a defensive pact. It served as no surprise that these two countries became fierce allies. As even before the two were even fully fledged countries, they were already helping each other through trading goods, and technology and they’ve opened their doors to the vast world outside of their own.
This went on until the present, as the Great Empire of Emruen flourished after a significant of progress and development.
Relations
On and off Hostilities with Alba Trade and Defensive pact with The Kingdom of Auerbuck Semi-tolerant of Aurea
Characters
Chieftain Erik Fredriksen - Founder of the Empire
Emperor Markus Fredriksen – The Emperor
Field Marshal Mikkel Christiansen – Head of General Staff
Captain Tarus Moore – Hero of Brenuin
Colonel James Mot – Hero of Brenuin
Colonel Morrison Heugh – Hero of Brenuin
Lieutenant Aaron Smith – Hero of Brenuin
(Will increase as more characters of note get added into the story)
In the Amorian Desert, a powerful force has come to dominate the many city states in the region- that of the Ranuun people. The Ranuun people are a people of great confidence as they have come to believe themselves the agents of a all-powerful being they have direct contact with.
The various cities represent a different culture loosely related to the Ranuun that dominate them, that of coastal traders and merchants who have been distributed into multiple castes consisting of Artisans, Workers, Merchants and Slaves. The highest caste was usually the Warrior-Priest Caste, who acted as the the sovereigns of the local city.
The general structure is not entirely wealth based, but the general idea is that there is one Dominant caste with three middling castes who are considered 'equal' as brothers and sisters while the Unwanted Ones are treated as human cattle. Interbeeding between castes is strictly forbidden and this is enforced not only by the Ranuun People, as the social order of things requires that every caste keeps to their part in society and interbreeding the races dilutes the role one performs in society.
The main ruler is the Grand Soverign, always a Ranuun who through power politics has worked up through the ranks and rules absolutely. The line of secession is generally on the lines of brothers, which has ended up with many Ranuun Soverigns killing their brothers before they die until only the brother they favor most is left. As a result, often a Ranuun Soverign tries (but in practice, usually fails due to how easy it is as a agent of god to get any pureblood Ranuun woman you want) to only have two male heirs while having many female heirs to shore up loyalty with local leaders in other cities by giving them princesses to father new Ranuun of the Soverign's bloodline.
The Ranuun Caste acts as the ruling elite and makes up a surprising 10% of the whole realm's population due to how much the Ranuun have had children. The Ranuun despite their deeply patrical social order are majority female due a the tendency to kill the boys whenever there is more than two of them. The male Ranuun are pretty much all warriors and no other role in life is considered remotely acceptable as a pureblooded Ranuun Man. The female Ranuun carry out the building of encampments, cooking and enforcing the social order domestically. The Ranuun Caste has lots of social mobility and is to a degree a meritocracy, but even here neopotism and delineation based on which clan you are a part of is considered important even if interclan marriages are considered a good thing as long as it is a Ranuun clan. The Ranuun practice polygamy heavily and every Ranuun Man usually has multiple women who take care of some different domestic activity with the high ranking Ranuun Men having whole groups of women who try to vie for his favor.
The other four castes, or the Urban castes exist in tightly bound interdependant city states where mutual dependancy is the norm.
The Builder Caste, the Mercantile Caste, the Farmer Caste and the Slave Caste,
The Builders, Merchants and Farmers make up the bulk of society and all look down on the Slave Caste, which is also referred to as the "bought" as they are people bought from other cultures through trade that whoever owns them can do whatever they want with from the other castes. Like with the Ranuun Caste, none of them can interbreed and face horrific consequences if they do so.
Each caste has its own hierarchy and bloodlines that feud for the top of their internal structure.
Ethnicity
The Khanate has multiple ethnicities within their dominion due to the overall society having deeply entrenched systems of forced breeding among multiple groups of people that over the millennia have created a caste system that has perpetuated itself from a total hostility to any racial mixing. It is one of the most strictly enforced caste systems in the known world, where any form of social mobility is absent and any attempt to disrupt the harmony is bet with in extremely, extremely brutal fashions. For instance, any refusal to do what your caste demands of you will lead to your family having to murder you or risk fratricide on part of the regional chief. Interbreeding in particular has deep, deep contempt among Ranuunian civilization. For it is tradition that Children born from mixed marriages must be cooked to dearg and their remains fed to those who made the kid to begin (both the mother and father) with to forever taint them. For they aren't even considered people of any sort- failing to fall into any of the castes.
There are five recognized castes, typified mainly by skin and eye color.
The Ranuun, or the angels of god. The Ranuun are a rough skinned, golden eyed group and dark haired ethnicity of people who have a long running tradition of horse mounted warfare that has managed to prove shockingly adaptable to modern advancements with weapons, switching between bows and rifles as they will.
The Builders who make infrastructure and maintain the roads, aqueducts and so on. They tend to have darker skin and olive eyes.
The Merchants who trade and sell goods between the castes. Merchants tend to make the art in society and have tan skin and olive eyes.
The Farmers who make food. They tend to have darker skin and brown eyes.
The slaves who the other castes can do whatever they please with. They lack any real single ethnic due to their origins, but are expected not to interbred racially regardless- generally slaves get castrated.
Mixed breeds have severe consequences, mainly in that the mother and father must dine on the body of the child of mixed origin raw. The sickness they get from doing so, along with the social taint from the mixed breeding is used to keep them from ever trying to interbreed again.
Geography
The Amorian Desert is a temperamental, hot place with many aquatic resources manifesting in a oasis in many places. Various water sources from the mountains in the north have also been beds of major cities as well, with the rivers running from the central hills being the site of ancient cultures in times long past before the rise of the Ranuun. There is fertile soil to be found towards the major coastal areas where the major cities exist.
Culture/Society
The Amorian societies all share the general trend of a strict interpretation of human nature where certain peoples are good and only good for one set of tasks in life and is rigorous in the caste system that is perpetuated with mixed races being viewed as not even a human of any sort with a strong ritual punishment for the parents of mixed race children- the recycling ceremony. The recycling ceremony simply dictates that the mother and father must eat any mixed race children they give birth.
The cities of the Salt Coasts are trade oriented in nature, content to travel around the coasts to many nearby places trading mostly in barter due to money being only used within the Amorian desert.
The cities have various water networks and often are built near a river delta or oasis.
Economy/Industry
The majority of industry in the Khanate is within the coastal towns and cities which are controlled by the Ranuun Caste whose horsemen protect the trade routes and generally act as a stabilizing actor for perchant trade within the Ranuun dominion. Which ensures easy land trade throughout the deserts and ensures a constant revenue of tribute for the Ranuun people. The system so far has been stable only so much that the Ranuun are very hard to remove from power due to other castes being deprived of any knowledge of military tactics and any attempts to revolt leading to the complete wipe out of a dissenting city.
A slave economy exists in the cities, for slaves teach, serve and are used as target practice for all matter of things that the people who bought them want.
Military
Basically Ottoman-Style military with a gun welding Calvary, large cannons and various detachments of conscripts whose job is to carry out logistics.
The rifles the Ranuun use are often highly decorated and usually are manufactured by Merchants in the cities who the Ranuun distrust highly. Their technology seems highly derived from other lands, but they insist it to be a invention of the ancient realm and nothing modern in nature. The Ranuun rifles tend to be effective more as a shock weapon used before arrow barrages or a direct charge into the meat of battle with a curved sword known as a Kleviar, which is well known for its ability to slice through skin very easily even if it is not terribly effective against heavy armor as the Kleviar's main purpose is to slice the neck of other horse riders and slice through civilians.
The bows that Ranuun Archers use are ancient, developed over the centuries and are well known for how hard they hit the enemy while still being compact enough to fire from horseback.
The horses tend to be armored as well, with stirrups and metal scales built up by the rider.
The Ranuun in combat use heavy armor, with broad shoulder pads and silk plating to minimize the heat of the desert while maximizing a resistance to ranged assaults by any enemy forces.
History
According to myth, the Ranuun are the chosen people of god, his soldier on Earth as angels fallen from the power they once had. There was the age of division between the Ranuun confederations, and endless war before the great one Sanguis- a forgotten member of the lost civilization who would bring back the advancements lost to the Ranuun people. And with those advancements came unity once more as a once backwater people regained their supremacy as god intended it. Conquering the cities on the Salt Coasts across the Amorian Desert and basing their home in the Pyra mountains where the Supreme Sovereign leads from, the Ranuun reigned supreme over the other peoples of the world once again.
The Kingdom of Rhoda would be among these conquests, a relatively recent one at that which has been primarily used as a tributary more than as a direct territory like the city-states under Ranuun dominion.
Yet there is still too many out in the world who have yet to recognize the supremacy of the Ranuun- and the current Supreme Soverign is aging. He had a father who made a critical error in caring too much for his children against god's wishes and now instead of having a designated brother to succeed him, there is much fear among the inner circles that a dynastic struggle is on the verge of breaking out in the midst of preparing for the next big conquest.
Relations
Probably wants to also conquer and dominate all neighboring players. They don't like that there are other societies not paying tribute. Mercantile, more cordial relationships with the distant countries are likely.
Characters
Insan, the current Sovereign of the Ranuun and the deserts. A aging leader who has let too many of his brothers live and now the consequences of this action concern those of higher echelons of society in how secession shall go in the event Insan perishes- for than the plans to invade the savage south western lands or secure the eastern frontier will have all matter of complications if a secession crises breaks into civil war as it had twice before. He is known for having a harem of over two hundred women.
Linsan, a younger, very spirited man and one of the brothers of Insan who has managed to avoid the wrath of a aging Insan by being mindlessly loyal. It is uncertain if he has ambitions for running the domain, however.
Clisan, a middle aged man and another brother of Insan who is believed to be the designated successor of Insan due to his experience and being the mastermind behind the vassalization of the fertile northern kingdom of Rhodos, which has brought much wealth and food to the normally desert centered Ranuun Dom
The League of Lythian States, normally referred to as the Lythian League or more commonly, Lythos, is a collective of tightly knit city-states. It is ruled by a council of elected aristocracy from each of the seven region of Lythos, with each state given three delegates to be assigned each year to ensure that every state is given accurate representation within the League. Elections for the these coveted seats occur at the start of each year, with the acting heads of each noble family campaigning and eventually elevating three if their own to attend the council for that particular year. The common man has no say in these elections, but the aristocracy makes sure to cater to the whims of the civilian population often enough to make them feel heard.
Geography
The geography of Lythos is fairly diverse, providing the nation with many distinctive regions. The western portion of the peninsula is dominated by the mineral rich Rgar mountains, which have long since separated the nation from the Continent, acting as a barrier to prevent invaders from the hostile, neighboring khanates from breaching Lythos. To the east, Sycalia sits upon the seas. Rich in forests and fertile soil, the landmass has long been known as ‘the Emerald Isle’ by mainlanders.
Culture/Society
Economy/Industry
What resources do you import and export? Is your strength in industry or agriculture? Do you produce anything especially coveted or unique? Geography will play a role here. No state is wholly self-sufficient.
Military
Separated very specifically into two arms, the Lythian military takes the maxim “quality over quantity” to heart and for much of recent history, has been a defensive force. Protected from the threat of invasion by land through the Rgar mountains, the army of the League has afforded to forgo the bane of conscription many nations engaged in to fill their ranks.
The army itself is comprised entirely of volunteers, professional soldiers to the last. The majority of those whom enlist will find themselves serving as line infantrymen, while those who show aptitude are provided more specialty roles. Lythian skirmishers, whom operate close to their rank and file counterparts for safety, are known to be especially accurate and the bane of any forward advancing army and are renown for their ambush tactics among the rocky cliffs of Rgar. All armies of Lythos hold an artillery component, the finest guns of the Lythian industry making up the corp and allowing the ground troops significant support. While the age of cavalry is fast beginning to end, the Lythian army fields wings of light cavalry as support, the gems of which are the dragoons, whom have been molded through conflicts with the Khanate to more effectively utilize their unique mobility.
The other arm, the Lythian navy, is the more popular of the two. As much of Lythos is coastline, they are the first line of defense against external threat. Often tasked with the protection of civilian trade routes, the Lythian navy is comprised heavily of smaller corvette ships that favor the mobility required to hunt pirates without losing the firepower to bring such rogues down. Larger ships, largely forsaken in the past, have begun filling the ranks in increasing order in recent years. Frigates and ships-of-the-line are no longer an uncommon sight among the larger garrison ports along the Sycalian strait. The ships of Lythos, while more numerous than the army comparatively, remain quite high in quality. The practice of copper plating the bottoms of vessels is a testament to this, using vast quantities of the metal to fend off hull rot and thus, allow Lythian vessels to operate at sea for far longer than their purely wooden counterparts.
History
Self-explanatory. This doesn't need to be long; just informative. We encourage players to collaborate and create shared history, in fact, it is almost necessary. No nation exists in a vacuum.
Relations
As above. Collaborate with other players.
Characters
Optional section. Put any info about any special characters here: kings or queens, military leaders, and hero “badasses”.
The Kingdom of Gara is divided into four provinces. The largest and most powerful province, Aroth, is located in the northwest, and under the direct rule of King Veliath Wilkar in his capital city of Ironhelm. The other three provinces are ruled by Dukes, all of whom swear fealty to him, and are allowed a great deal of independence in the day to day management of their territory. In peacetime, the King's main responsibilities are resolving disputes between Dukes, negotiating trade deals or establishing alliances with other nations, and leading the nation in times of war. He also has the power to declare war, however any one of the Dukes has the right to call the nobles together and vote against it. But if it is the foreign nation that declares war, then no vote is held and the King automatically assumes his role.
Anyways, beneath the King and his Dukes are the Counts. The Count are to the Dukes what the Dukes are to the King. Each Count controls a county, a section of the province consisting of one main city and the surrounding towns, villages, and forts. They swear an oath of fealty to both the King and to the Duke who rules their province (which for some also happens to be the King himself.) Then you have the Barons, who swear fealty to the Counts - they are given fortresses or fortified towns, and are tasked with directly patrolling and protecting the surrounding villages and farmland.
Then you have the Knights. Once used in reference to the armor-clad noble-born warriors who rode in horseback, it is now a term bestowed upon those who make a meaningful contribution to the kingdom. This could be an act of valor on the battlefield, or a revolutionary invention. A knight is automatically elevated to the status of a minor noble, beneath a baron. Although they are not usually granted any land, it allows them and their descendants to marry into noble families, as well as purchase a commission in the army.
The villages and smaller towns of the Kingdom are ruled by Mayors, who are elected by the townspeople. With the vast majority of the lawmaking in the hands of the nobility, the mayor is tasked with training and maintaining the militia, keeping the peace, and resolving disputes that are beneath the notice of the local Baron.
Ethnicity
The inhabitants of Gara call themselves the Garuth. They are tall with skin that could be described as a bit on the pale side, with either blond or black hair, brown being uncommon and red being extremely rare. Their eyes are generally blue, green, or brown. They have hardy constitutions, and the men often grow thick beards.
Geography
(Apologies, I do not know how I would go about manually adding my claim to the map.) Located in the northwestern corner of the continent, Gara is a chilly place, with tall mountains in the north and east, hilly forest in the south east, and rolling plains in the center and southwest. The mountains are rich with mineral deposits such as iron and coal, which have made the nation an industrial powerhouse. The coastal waters are teeming with fish, although they are frozen over for much of the year, and the southeastern forests have wildlife which is hunted for food and furs. Although the grasslands to the west can be used to grow food, yields are poor and they are much better suited for farming livestock. The eastern grasslands are close to a lake, which has led to better soil quality, but they alone are only enough to feed the province in which they are based.
As for the borders of the four provinces, Aroth is the largest one, ruled by the King. West to east, it covers the area from the coast to the mountains. North to the south, it also starts at the coast, and extends down, stopping just as it dips into the grasslands. Ironhelm is located next to that particularly large mountain in the center of the nation (not the largest one in the north - it is just a bit south of that.)
The grasslands themselves are under control of Valender, ruled by Duke Wilhelm, who rules from his city of Daralt, located near the mountains on the western end of his Duchy. The forested area is the smallest Duchy, known as Elkwood, and under control of Duke Torrin in his city of Dunwick, which also happens to be near the mountains in the north. The eastern plains make up the final province, known as Jalka, and is under the control of Duke Edwick, whose seat of power is the city of Solace. As you can probably guess, it too is near mountains - on the northwestern corner of his Duchy. All of these cities originally sprang up near rich mineral deposits.
Economy
As previously stated, Gara is an industrial powerhouse. The iron and coal mined in their mountains are used to build and fuel machinery and weapons. Their currency is the Garune - coins based on silver, another mineral which is of ample supply.
Imports - Fruits, Vegetables, Ales, Raw Materials. Exports - Excess Iron and Coal, Manufactured goods.
Culture/Society
The Kingdom of Gara takes its social order very seriously. You generally don't question those who are of higher birth than you. It is also a patriarchal society - women don't get to serve in the military, though they can take on certain trades involving the manufacturing of weapons or uniforms. Noblewomen only inherit land or titles if there are no male members of their family able to take on the responsibility. Homosexuality isn't explicitly forbidden, but the expectation is that everyone will eventually marry and have children, so such relationships almost never last.
But despite its strict and rigid social order, they do know how to celebrate. They have a large number of holidays, where workers usually take the day off to drink and sing in taverns. They can also be quite rowdy, too. Commoners often resolve their disputes through brawls and drinking contests, and duels are not unheard of among the nobility - although you are not obligated to accept, and you cannot challenge someone of higher birth than you.
Military
The Garan military is quite large, its soldiers trained and well-disciplined. The officers themselves, can vary.
Only nobles are allowed to serve as officers, and promotion isn't based just on merit or seniority, but also on wealth. Nobles must purchase their commissions, as well as all subsequent promotions. That said, there are precautions put in place to prevent a regiment or division from being led by an incompetent.
First of all, you can't just buy your way to the rank of General. The highest rank an officer can start their career with is Lieutenant, or maybe a Captain if they are directly related to a Duke or King. Secondly, a certain amount of seniority must be acquired before you can buy the promotion, ensuring that the officer has at least some degree of experience. Thirdly, frequent investigations are made into the careers of newly promoted officers to determine if they are suited for command - incompetent officers have even been removed from their post without refund in the past. Finally, there are only a limited amount of commissions, and if two officers go for the same commission at the same time, their careers will be closely examined - whether their noble rank is taken into account or not depends entirely on the person launching the investigation, but those who accept bribes are usually executed.
The system is meant to ensure that only those of the highest social class or with extraordinary merit reach high positions of command. You're either from a high enough birth to afford it, or you're a skilled enough officer to be given the most profitable assignments. Knights and particularly poor Barons often need to be sponsored by wealthier families.
Anyways, enough about the officers. Let's talk about the military itself. Different provinces are known for producing different types of soldiers. Aroth is known for designing and producing the finest cannons, and training the best officers to operate them. Valender's natural talent for breeding livestock also extends to horses, so naturally they have strong horses, and since many of Valender's residents grew up on ranches, they are also skilled riders. Since Elkwood's residents know how to hunt, track, or gather, they naturally end up serving as scouts, skirmishers, or partisans. Jalka is known for its infantry, having been the sight of many a historic battle.
The country also has a small navy - enough to transfer and supply a modestly-sized army if it came down to it, or escort cargo ships. With the harbors frozen over for much of year, it doesn't see much use.
Religion
The Garans believe that the world was created by an individual known only as the Creator, also referred to the as the Almighty or the Allfather. After he created the world, he then sought to guide its inhabitants, but then another being came along known as the Destroyer, and to this day the two are said to still be fighting a cosmic battle which has prevented the Creator from returning to aid his Children. Eventually, one will triumph over the other, and the world will either be destroyed or enter a Golden Age under the Creator's guidance.
This of course gives the Church of the Creator a convenient excuse for why other nations don't share their faith. Having been absent for so long, other nations began to distort or forget the Creator's teachings, forming their own religions. Other religions can be viewed as either naive interpretations or outright blasphemy depending on how similar or different they are.
The Church was once a major political power in Gara. But as the years went on, Kings gradually began to strip away its power. The Grandmaster Cleric is the highest ranking church official, and as it currently stands his only real powers are the ability to declare or remove religious holidays, and he can participate in the vote to veto a declaration of war, with roughly the same power as a Duke. He can also speak freely about the King, but still needs to watch his words as careless talk is exactly why the Church had its power stripped in the past.
History
The Kingdom of Gara was once a series of divided petty kingdoms, city-states, and tribes, frequently fighting amongst themselves. Then one day, the leader of one of these small nations sent out his eldest son, Prince Arrus Wilkar, to explore the surrounding land, posing as a merchant with the intention of gathering as much information as possible. He made maps and took note of their various techniques - everything from farming to fighting to smithing to hunting.
He returned with he received word of his father's death, and it was time to become king. But after all he had seen, the land he inherited was not enough for him. Having taken note of the strategies employed by the various kingdoms, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, he used them to build up a well rounded army, and through a mixture of conquest and diplomacy he gradually conquered the continent. The leaders who had joined him willingly became the first Duke, Counts, and Barons, and finally the Garan Highlands were united under one King.
Characters
King Edward Veliath - King of Gara. Twenty-nine years old, with a three year old son. His wife died during childbirth.
Duke Wilhelm Nolan - Duke of Valender. Thirty-eight years old, with two sons and a wife.
Duke Torrin Quinlan - Duke of Elkwood. Twenty-three years old, unmarried. Has an illegitimate one year-old son.
Duke Edwick Martin - Duke of Jalka. Fifty-three years old, and a traditionalist. Has three daughters, but no sons. His wife died of sickness.
Count Kennith Vendal - Count of Greenhaven, vassal to the Duke of Valender. Renowned general.
Sir Gerald Arenar - An army Lieutenant who used to be a commoner. He participated in a battle along the border twenty years ago. When the noble-born officers were killed, he stepped up to assume command of the men and led them to victory against nearly impossible odds, although not without heavy casualties that saw most of the troop annihilated. He was knighted for his valiant actions and granted his first officer's commission, and although he has been unable to rise above the rank of Lieutenant, he is a hero to the common folk nonetheless.
Sir Gareth Valyn - Knighted recently for designing Gara's first locomotive - a new means of transportation. Unfortunately, since it is a relatively new vehicle (at least in Gara) there is a great deal of doubt cast upon it. Combined with its great expense and recent events, it will be decades before it sees widespread use. After all, when the world is ending, laying railroads is about priority #1257 for the average person.
"The white wolf does not care how harsh the cold storm blows, nor how hungry the jackals stare...his pack shall endure!"
Nation Overview & Government
"What proud and noble people they are, the children of the white wolf! Its a hard land they life in, and most of them have harsh, cold lives. Yet, never before have i been met with more warmth, more hospitality and more kindness, then in the villages of these people! Gattania could not wish for a more faithful ally!" The nations of the known and civilized world; Fredrec Holding
Middenland, the Nation of the white wolf, devote in their worship to their god "Wulfen", industrious in building cities of stone and marble, and unyielding in defending their homeland against all invaders. Seen as the last "civilized" nation in the north, Middenland is often watched with mixed feelings by most people. On one hand, the whole world knows about the magnificent city of Bremburg, which is seen as one of the most beautiful cities in the whole world, and the great academies of sciences and arts it holds, on the other hand, they seen the dominant faith of Wulfen as a relic of a barbaric past!
Ruled not by a king, but by an Archduke, Middenland is currently ruled by his excellency Boris Weißbacher, who holds this title for more then fifty years now. The title itself in not bound to a dynasty, but awarded to a chosen candidate by electors, appointed by the church of Wulfen among the nobility of Middenland. The church itself holds an immense sway of power, and is currently lead by his most devote holiness Arch-priest Karlso VI. , who is seen by many as the main reason why Boris reign has remained prosperous and peaceful.
Ethnicity
The people of the Duchy of the wolf are mostly hardened by the cold climate of their homeland, and used to long periods of harsh winters, followed by long wet summers. Most fit a pale skin, with a tan coming from the reflection of snow, rather then warm summers. With mostly blond or red hair, striking blue or green eyes, and often suiting impressive breads or mustaches [at least for men, yet the topic of female facial hair is a common joke around the whole of Dysium, at least as long as no Middenlander is in hearing range], and as such offer quite a distinctive look that sets them mostly apart from most people.
Geography
Choose a color and draw your borders on the map. You are also at liberty to describe the geography, weather, flora and fauna of your nation here. Try to pick a climate that makes sense, given your proximity on the map, and to other players. Also to be mentioned are important cities or locations within your nation.
Culture/Society
The People of Middenland have a deep connection to their homeland, and to their people as a whole. Believing to be chosen by Wulfen himself to settle this land, they see it as their sacred duty to uphold the faith, and their ways of life, be it against what ever odds. Often seen as grim or even melancholic by other countries by foreigners, few understand the mind of a Middenlander, but few question their integrity nor their honorable nature.
There are two distinguished kinds of Middenlander. The inhabitants of the great cities near the river of Ewigblau, and the hardy folk that lives in the lowlands, the woods or the mountains, who make up the smaller part of the population. While the cites have seen an incredibly expansion in architecture and wealth, the common inhabitants of the land still hold up the same simple life as their ancestors, making them hardy, simply people.
The cities of Middenland, most of all the beautiful city of Bremburg, hold "his most devote highness, the archdukes own Acadamies of Science and Art", a melting pot of some of the brightest minds, who are offered a safe haven in the cities of the white wolf. Under the protection of the Archduke himself, students and magistrate staff enjoy great privileges over the common citizen, which has created great tension between the people and the academies.
The only tolerated faith in the Archdutchy is the "Devote church of our bestial lord Wulfen, the white wolf", a faith based around the worship of the god Wulfen, who takes the form of a great white wolf. A highly organized faith, with a strict hierarchy, with an Archpriest on top, and a written scripture, the "Tombs of Faith", the church is the second power in Middenland, and still holds great sway over its people. Even the smallest village in Middenland has at least a shrine of Wulfen, and the great cities hold competitions against each other, who has the most beautiful and impressive cathedral.
Economy/Industry
Middenland has a strong economy, that is mostly based around the great riches their land hold. Their Hills and Mountains are rich in Iron, Copper and Silver, while their Forests provide game, pelts and most of all Lumber! Middenland Lumber is among the most seeked in the whole world, and almost unavoidable for any nation with naval desires. The thousand years old trees of the great forests fetch great prices and are make for perfect planks for the fleets of the Continent.
Among the great cities of the main River of Ewigblau a newly industial spirit starts to take roots, and great trade houses hold much sway in the economy, yet not nearly as much as the Church, who is also the biggest landholder in Middenland.
Military
Soldiers of both armies protecting the border of Middenland
The army of the Archduke has quite an odd reputation. Even through Middenland never has ever conducted a war of aggression in its recorded histry, and never before annexed land, their army has a long rooted tradition, and is respected across the world. As the staunch allies of Gattania, Middenland history books are filled with glorious battles all over Dysium.
Remarkable is the fact that there are two armies in the Dutchy. The "Grand army of Middenland" under the direct command of the Arch-duke, and the "Army of Wulfen" which directly stands under the command of the Archpriest of the church of Wulfen.
The main Army of Middenland, made up from a core of professional soldiers, and commissioned officers from the nobility. In dire times, drafting can be enforced, and press gangs are known to mercilessly raid any village of their able men, to bring them to the Camps, where they are turned into the feared "Bluecoats", hardy and disciplined soldiers, able to fire three rounds and speak a prayer to Wulfen in a minute.
Marching with the sound of drums, and blowing horns, the soldiers of the Archduke sing warchants as old as Middenland itself, and march with priests who will bless their muskets even in the depth of enemy fire. It is to note that there is no law that forbids the priests of Wulfen to fight, and many carry muskets themself, joining the battle on their own will. The death of a priest is often seen as a bad sign, yet also an easy way to drive a whole unit of Bluecoats in a wild frenzy, and has on multiple occasions led to charges that broke the enemy.
The Rank of a soldier is easy to see, as conscripts are required to shave their beards and only if they are full soldiers are permitted to mustaches. Only full combat veterans are granted additional side-whiskers, and it takes five years of service and three survived battles to wear a full beard.
The second army of Middenland, and its second line of defence, many Generals made the to mistake the men of the Army of the Archpriest as a disorganized militia. These Generals would find themselves a rude awakening, as they stood against hardy veterans and marksmen, lead by skillful and ruthless Warrior-Priests. Forgoing expensive uniforms for simple coats, the men of the army is drafted from the peasants of the church land, and, due to the enormous wealth that the faith holds, it can provide excellent training and equipment for its men, as well as using the deep rooted faith of the typical Middenlander to implore a fanatic loyalty.
Mostly used for Inquisitional duties in Middenland, the Army of the Archpriest seldom leaves the country of the white wolf, yet if it does, its soldiers are known for their merciless actions against all, who they see as "heretics" and "heathens" leaving a trail of destruction in their way.
History
Relations
Characters
Archduke Boris Weißbacher- Arch-priest Karlso VI- Confessor-General Luther Hass- Hussar-Captain Hugo Todbringer- Warrior-Priest Hans Hutten
While originated as the united island of Quiso, Emilio Gonzales’s empire has grown far, far beyond its original birthplace. While Emilio Gonzales is the Inheritor of the Sun, and the Pachanova, as well as main military leader of this empire, there is also a republican system of governors democratically elected below him, though he still approves of their appointment. As far as most day to day politics are concerned, however, his wife, Queen Tatiana, is given most of the responsibility.
Ethnicity
Gonzales’s seat of power, Quiso, is populated by Quesanos, a mix between people who initially settled the island a millennia ago and people from the mainland who showed up about four hundred years ago. Quesanos speak a language very similar to/that is Spanish. Gonzales’s mainland holdings are populated by the white people who colonized Quiso a few hundred years ago, many of whom speak a similar language. Additionally, the capital city of Porto is populated by various immigrants from around the continent, mainly the island to the south of Quiso, Isa.
Geography
Though the mainland is somewhat frigid, Quiso is contrastingly tropical, with the interior of the island being a fertile grassland, and the borders being jungle, with a mountain range that dominates its northern edges. This climate is caused by the warm, tropical, Pachahuaca current that flows from the east, which brought the initial settlers to the island. The mainland northern mainland holdings tend to be cold, while the southern mainland holdings, though not as temperate as Quiso, are somewhat warmed by the Pachahuaca current. The island colony of Castillo is contrastingly a frozen boreal forest, covered in lumber camps, fishing villages, and naval forts.
There are three large cities on Quiso: Los Blancos, Porto, and Huaca. Porto is the administrative and economical capital of the empire, being situated in a southern jungle, and with a metropolitan population hovering around a million. Los Blancos was the seat of power under the Caudillos, at the time known as Rio Verde, named for the river that runs through much of the interior of the island, as well as through the city. Despite the name, the river itself isn’t green; rather, the land that surrounds the river is extremely fertile. Los Blancos, the full name being Ciudad de Los Blancos, has a population of around 100,000, down from 250,000 under the Caudillos. Huaca, the final major city, is the historic and spiritual capital, being the capital under the Pachas, situated around a fortress in the northern mountains of Quiso, with a population of 300,000, having risen in recent years. In total, the population of Quiso is somewhere around six million.
The mainland holdings, meanwhile, are largely a breadbasket, with no cities rivalling the size of Porto, and in total make up around another six million.
The island colony of Castillo, meanwhile, is contrastingly unpopulated, with a total population of around a hundred thousand, with about half of these being in the military. The largest settlement on the islands is Presidio Frio, a naval fortress on the northeastern coast of the main island of Castillo with a total population of around 40,000, and a civilian population of 10,000.
Culture/Society
Among the Quesanos, there are four ethnicities, which were the basis for treatment under the rule of the Caudillos: The Blancos, Nativos, Blanquitos, and Mestizos. Blancos are descended from almost entirely the white settlers of Quiso from four hundred years ago, and made up the Caudillos. They are the second smallest ethnicity in Quiso, and speak a dialect of the Quesano language closer to the language the white settlers brought with them. While they don’t really make up a majority anywhere, their populations are centered in the central grasslands of the islands. Blancos largely do not support Gonzales, and overwhelmingly supported the Caudillos during the revolution and the civil war that followed. Many were killed in the course of the war.
Mestizos are by far the largest ethnicity on the island, being the mixed descendants of white settlers and island natives. They speak the ‘standard’ Quesano language, and are also culturally a mix between mainland and island customs. They make up the majority in Porto and most of the coast, as well as the grasslands, and are also a large portion of the mountain population. They largely support Gonzales, though some wish for a more democratic government.
Nativos are the natives of Quiso, having arrived there a thousand years ago in the same wave of migration that brought the Isa to Isang. While they mostly speak Quesano, many speak Puezdae, the native language of the island. Natives make up the majority in many parts of the mountains, and are about half of the population of the mountain city of Huaca. Their native religion dictates that their god, Pachahuaca or ‘Sun-Master’, chose Quiso to rule the world, and for the Pachas (suns) to rule it, and gifted Quiso the Pachahuaca current to set it apart from all other lands. While many natives still worship Pachahuaca, it is almost out of good faith and habit at this point, though under Gonzales, it is starting to be taken more seriously. Nativos almost unanimously support Gonzales, and were a large portion of his support base during the initial parts of the civil war.
Blanquitos are the group of people Gonzales was born into, and by far the smallest ethnic group in Quiso. When the Blancos initially settled Quiso, most of them settled either on the coast, or by the Rio Verde. A small group of them, however, moved into the mountains, and adopted the customs of the natives, though still retaining some of their own. While for a while they acted as an intermediary between the natives and the blancos, when the war between the Pachas and the Caudillos broke out, the Blanquitos largely sided with the Pachas. Because of this, when the Caudillos won, they rejected the Blanquitos from the privilege of being labeled a Blanco, and made them into a separate ethnic group. The Blanquitos now live as a part of the native communities in the mountains, with a distinct culture and way of speech. Though they largely marry among themselves, they have intermarried a fair amount with the natives, and the average Blanquito is 80% from the mainland and 20% native. A notable part of Blanquito culture is the Izque, a sort of militia organization which for a while just acted as a fraternal social club, until Gonzales became a part of it. Blanquitos are the most adamant supporters of Gonzales.
Culture in Quiso also largely depends on the environmental part of the island one’s from. The parts of the grasslands farthest from the Rio Verde are known for their Gaucho culture, a culture of horsemen who live by honor and justice, Porto is a hub for multiculturalism and liberalism, the mountains are known for being austere and traditional, and the Rio Verde area is really just everything in between. Porto is also home to many immigrants from around the world, namely Isa and Auerbruck.
The mainland, meanwhile, is populated by people descended from the same group of people who the Blancos are descended from, as well as reflecting the cultures of the nations they border. Support for Gonzales in the mainland depends; partially on how far from the sea they are, and partially on what they status was before and after Gonzales. Usually, the poorer groups and racial minorities are largely supportive of him, as well as women, while the wealthier people and nationalists dislike him.
The colony of Castillio is very mixed. When it was claimed by Gonzales, it was almost completely depopulated, with about a thousand natives from a culture similar to Alba’s. Though these natives haven’t been massacred or their lands confiscated, as more and more settlers from Gonzales’s other land showed up, tensions with them have grown. Most of the civilian settlers come from Gonzales’s mainland holdings, with the exception of a sizeable Blanquito population, while the military garrison is mostly Quisano.
Economy/Industry
Historically, the Island of Quiso has produced coffee and cotton for the consumption of the rest of the continent. Since the downfall of the Caudillos, this coffee and cotton has begun being manufactured into finished products. Due to the warm waters that surround it, Quiso is a poor place for fishing, but Castillo produces a large amount of fish and lumber. Gonzales’s mainland holdings mainly produce wheat and cattle, and there are some tracts of land for cattle in Quiso as well. While Gonzales has begun manufacturing arms, which are standard in his army, these arms aren’t good enough for export. The main thing Gonzales is lacking in his territory is metals and minerals, which have to be imported, mainly from Auerbruck and Emruen.
Military
The absolute authority of the military lies in Emilio Gonzales, who also commands the largest and main army of his empire. Most people in the military are Quisanos, though a growing number are from the mainland. Guns and artillery, as said before, are manufactured domestically, and are not completely up to par with the rest of the continents’. This is the main weakness of Gonzales’ army, with it being extremely well organized and discipline. While Gonzales still has influence over the sizeable navy, since he is not an experienced naval commander, he delegates much of that responsibility to his 24-year-old daughter, Celeste, who is referred to as ‘Admiral Gonzales’.
During the days of the Caudillos, the military worked in a strange way. While each caudillo raised their own armies, there were central schools which produced officers, who were then sought out by the caudillos to serve in their armies. Because of this, Quesano officers have historically been very skilled.
As far as cavalry goes, historically, the main cavalry backbone of any army in Quiso has been made up of bands of Gauchos, the horsemen who ride on the dryer plains of the island. The Gaucho regiments in the Caudillo and revolutionary armies were very disorganized, with officers being sent into the plains to gather up as many gauchos as he can. Under Gonzales, the Gauchos have been organized and their equipment standardized, acting as light, skirmisher cavalry, armed with carbines, a pistol, and a light saber. Gauchos still make up the backbone of the cavalry, lancers do exist as well, and though mostly have a Gaucho upbringing, are known as ‘Lanceros’. As time goes on, more and more of those in the “Gaucho” regiments were raised in a non-Gaucho lifestyle.
Infantry wise, infantry equipment and training is also standardized under Gonzales. Most soldados carry a bayoneted musket, while Gonzales has also institutionalized the use of riflemen. With hunting being an important part of the Blanquito culture, rifles were used regularly in Gonzales’s community growing up, and were standard in the Izque. Gonzales proliferated the use of the rifle when he came into a larger command, rifles being more accurate and with a farther range, though since they have a slow reload time, he still only uses them for special skirmishing regiments. He also has adopted certain drills and exercises from the Izque and made them standard throughout the army. While the rifles manufactured are based on traditional Blanquito rifles, the muskets are based on designs from the Corax Dominion.
Artillery designs are also based on designs from the Corax Dominion, although with some of Gonzales’s own input, as well as input from his father-in-law, Mario de Zaragoza, the inventor of the cotton gin.
History
Self-explanatory. This doesn't need to be long; just informative. We encourage players to collaborate and create shared history, in fact, it is almost necessary. No nation exists in a vacuum.
Relations
As above. Collaborate with other players.
Characters
Optional section. Put any info about any special characters here: kings or queens, military leaders, and hero “badasses”.
