In short how is your country run? How is your ruler selected? How much power does your ruler have. Is it a monarchy, a republic, or something else? What is the ruling dynasty? I don’t want to see five paragraphs here about how your monarch has to go through parliament to select viceroys or something. It needs only be long enough to provide a sufficient summary of your government. Feel free to add additional info under a hider if you feel compelled to.


This should be more just a claim of your location. Talk about the climate, terrain, and important locations in your country. Specifically mention major cities and your capital. Bonus points if you have an internal map that includes highways.


Much like the government section, don’t drown us in details, though feel free to add more info under a hider or something. Is your country culturally homogenous or a mixture of ethnicities? Are your people humans or some other race? If you have various ethnicities, how do they interact with each other? What are your people’s values? Bonus points for adding insults they use to refer to the people from countries they have been at war with. A note about nonhuman races: do not simply make them arbitrarily superior to humans, if they are better than humans in one way then they will be inferior in another way.


How do your people fight? What strategies and tactics do they usually employ? What sort of equipment do your troops use? What’s the emphasis of your military? Try to be somewhat unique here. If a pre-existing country makes heavy use of heavy infantry and shield walls, for instance, don’t do the same yourself. I am not interested in numbers or percentages, so don’t use them.


Each country gets one superior hero and three normal heroes. In terms of combat strength expect a superior hero to be on par with about 150 men and normal heroes to be on par with 100 men. (Yes, this is the only place in the sheet where there are actually numbers) Basically these are the badasses of your country that you can use for point of view characters if you want. At absolute bare minimum you need a name and one line description of what your hero is good at; however, ideally this should be the largest section of your sheet. You can use any explanation you want for why your heroes are stronger than normal people. For example using magic, being blessed by a divine entity, or simply being very skilled with their weapons. Also keep in mind that if a hero dies you can replace him or her with a new one.


A brief history of your country is fine, so long as you cover the last 20 or so years. I’m looking for more of a summary of important events than list of dead monarchs.


How does your country interact with its neighbors. I am not looking for a list of exports and imports, but feel free to add them if you want. At bare minimum I want a listed rival here, another country that yours viewed as an enemy and actively worked against during the past twenty or so years.


Optional section. Put any info about any characters here. Examples of this would be your kings or queens, military leaders, and non-hero “badasses”. You can also put more detailed info of your heroes here as well.

A religious military order, the Argentum Knights are by definition an ecclesiastical organization. The General Chapter of the Argentum Knights is made up of two organizations, the Church, which legally includes all the priests of Argenism in and beyond the borders of the Argentum Knights, and the knights. The Argentum Knights is lead by its Lord Champion who is elected by the General Chapter and holds office until his death or he resigns.

Due to issues with gathering all of the members of the General Chapter, deputations from its various commanderies and the churches would gather to form the governing body of the General Chapter. While in theory the General Chapter is supposed to gather twice a year in order to form policy, usually it gathers only upon a Lord Champion’s death, resulting in the Lord Champions of the Argentum Knights having near absolute power.


This should be more just a claim of your location. Talk about the climate, terrain, and important locations in your country. Specifically mention major cities and your capital. Bonus points if you have an internal map that includes highways.


The Argentum Knights draw recruits from all across the continent, meaning they are an ethnically and racially diverse group united by faith and a common purpose. Of all the ethnicities the Levinites, natives of the capital city of Levine, are the most numerous and influential. The Levinites are fair skinned humans who typically have blonde or light brown hair and blue or green eyes. The Levinitess are known to be an industrious folk who enjoy song and dance.

Levinites take part in folk dances on a regular basis as they serve as an important social and entertainment purpose. Most folk dances are intended to be done by dozens of individuals at once and have few rules or guidelines. The Autumn dance, for instance, is a dance where men form a large circle and jump around. Typically the Autumn dance is male only, but inviting a woman to the circle is acceptable and a common means of asking for her hand in marriage. Tavern dances, on the other hand, are large scale partner dances that are done by all members of the community over the age of eight, where dancing partners are frequently switched throughout the dance. These massive dances last until either all the dancers or musicians tire, whichever comes first. The upper class citizens, usually the families or knights and priests but also some merchant families, perform or watch sword dances for entertainment.

Ancestor veneration is a common practice in the territory controlled by the Knights. Those that are descended from the original members of the Silver Legion take great pride in this and often erected statues or shrines in their honor, whereas others find descendants of their own to venerate. It is also common practice for citizens of Levine to show veneration for the Silver Legion despite possessing no blood ties to them. The Row of the Legion is a street in Levine lined by statues of all the members of the original Silver Legion, where many choose to leave small offerings and try to commune with the fallen heroes.


The military of the Argentum Knights is a prime example of a quality over quantity approach. Never able to field more troops than its foes, the Knights instead uses training and the state’s wealth to provide higher quality troops. The Argentum Knights are famous for their heavy, two-handed sword using, infantry and the tactics they use to employ them. The Knights favor fast-paced attacking tactics centered around two-handed swords and pikes, or other polearms, and supported by crowsbows and mages.


Each country gets one superior hero and three normal heroes. In terms of combat strength expect a superior hero to be on par with about 150 men and normal heroes to be on par with 100 men. (Yes, this is the only place in the sheet where there are actually numbers) Basically these are the badasses of your country that you can use for point of view characters if you want. At absolute bare minimum you need a name and one line description of what your hero is good at; however, ideally this should be the largest section of your sheet. You can use any explanation you want for why your heroes are stronger than normal people. For example using magic, being blessed by a divine entity, or simply being very skilled with their weapons. Also keep in mind that if a hero dies you can replace him or her with a new one.


The Argentum Knights have a rather short history when compared to many of the countries of Aksor. When the Prophetess and the Silver Legion survivors returned from their campaign in the East, the families of the Silver Legion gathered together in a fighting force, fearing that the people of Askor would turn against the Silver Legion. Their fears were justified, as before they could rally into a unified force the Silver Legion was attacked and killed to the last and the Prophetess was taken to the city of Levine. The families rushed to Levine, hoping they could rescue the Prophetess. They almost made it; their army was within eyesight of the city when the Prophetess was burned at the stake.

Upon hearing of this, they were so outraged that they attacked the city anyways and quickly captured it. Taking the city did little to ease their anger and so for the next few decades they waged a series of wars against their neighbors. During this time they formally formed themselves into the Argentum Knights and declared Levine to be a holy site and they its defenders.

Over the next few centuries they adopted a more defensive and peaceful stance then they had previously used. Banking, and trade brought in by pilgrims, allowed them to accumulate a great treasury.

((I’ll add more about the more recent conflicts and the like in a bit))


How does your country interact with its neighbors. I am not looking for a list of exports and imports, but feel free to add them if you want. At bare minimum I want a listed rival here, another country that yours viewed as an enemy and actively worked against during the past twenty or so years.


Optional section. Put any info about any characters here. Examples of this would be your kings or queens, military leaders, and non-hero “badasses”. You can also put more detailed info of your heroes here as well.

Osetina is a feudal monarchy wherein practical autonomy is granted to the upper nobility in their domains, but ultimate authority resides in the crown. One third of the country is held by the crown in perpetuity, and the remainder is divided among the high nobility. The relationship between the high nobility and the crown is based upon the latter providing protection, stability, and law to the former in accordance with the rulings of the High Council of the Serene One.

The rulings of the sovereign are absolute in theory, though in practice convention dictates that the sovereign shall not impinge upon the rights of the high nobility to govern their respective domains how they see fit so long as that governance abides by the rulings of the High Council of the Serene One. High lords and ladies exercise near total autonomy under this convention, though they are in turn expected to pay tax proportional to their wealth and provide fighting men in times of war. While not strictly law, these conventions are entrenched to the point that their violation would be equivalent to undermining the state itself and earn harsh punishment.

When a king or queen dies their successor is considered to be whichever member of the immediate royal family was appointed to be the heir by the erstwhile sovereign. If the departed sovereign selected no heir all eligible heirs are expected to hold an election among themselves to select the next ruler.

With regard to eligible heirs, the princes and princesses of Osetina are granted temporary holds within crown lands which they may govern at the leisure of the sovereign. Meant to provide possible successors experience in governance the tradition also serves another purpose. On the occasion conflict breaks out among heirs that conflict may be resolved more expediently should the designated heir govern a larger share of the country. In cases where there is no clear successor eligible heirs often find themselves with lands of equal worth, making war a riskier proposition when election offers an easier avenue to command of the kingdom.





Osetina is dominated by a large mountain range broken in two by the Valley of Bones, a fertile stretch of land once contested by nearly every tribe on the peninsula. The climate in the mountains ranges from temperate in the summer to cool in the winter. For most of the year the foothills, valleys, and coasts can generally be described as mild, but wet.

Large forests in the north mark the border with Lynnfaire. Though largely thinned by agriculture where the land makes such a pursuit practical these forests dominate the northern mountains to the extent that they are often considered impassable without a local guide or a great deal of luck. The southern peaks are somewhat more amenable to travel, being carpeted by shrubs and wild grasses in the milder summer months.

The largest city on the Osetinan peninsula is Murno in south, the agricultural capital of the kingdom. Surrounded by fertile fields and near enough to the mountains to make the city a mining hub, Murno is the economic heart of Osetina. However, it is not the capital. That particular accolade goes to the honoured city of Otocres. Situated in the Valley of Bones Otocres was once the spiritual core of the peninsula, and it was there the First Prince declared his new kingdom.



Though ruled for centuries by a Lynnfairian upper class, the culture and society of Osetina is remarkably similar to what it was in the past. While largely human the nation is far from ethnically homogeneous. The largest division is between the denizens of the northern and southern halves of the country who share much, but still retain their own dialects and customs. Those in the north have long been exposed to the Lynnfairian customs by virtue of proximity, and that exposure has led to the old traditions changing in ways inconceivable to some in the south. Another division of note is the gap that exists between the people of the mountains and the majority people of the lowlands. Barbarous even by the standards of the lowest southern peasants, the mountain peoples are a brutish and mysterious lot. Speaking the old ritual tongue, some even keeping to the wicked religion, the mountain folk pay taxes only when they are forced to and it is not uncommon for that to be the case. Some call them the last vestige of the old Osetina, and others call them the perpetual thorn in the side of the new Kingdom.

As for the majority in the lowlands, custom is not so varied as some would insinuate. The southern folk still use the old titles of Chief, Witch, and so on, but though the names change in the north the roles stay the same. Whether they are called Chief or Mayor, one still comes to be the village elder through the old contests of strength. If a village man can best his better in whatever odd martial ritual is that regions custom then in most cases he is to be the new leader. That is not to say that such custom extends far beyond the rule of villages.

North or South, Lynnfairian rule has made anyone titled count or higher immune to challenge. Powerful lineages rule any settlements or fortresses of real note and in general they care little for the old ways. With the support of the Church the powerful ruling class is free to go about its business, their right to rule enshrined and made holy by doctrine.

Yet in the end the low folk think about their betters as infrequently as their betters think about them. They pay their taxes, live their lives, and attend the great multitude of odd pagan festivals that time has twisted the meaning of. Song, dance, merriment, the foundation of Osetinan culture is in what happens after the day is through. Family ties are strong, and though it is common to men to head their houses the reverse is not unheard of. Osetina does not vilify women, but neither are they given explicit honours.

That is, unless they carry the old blood. The Witches of Osetina are often seen as in a class of their own, above their male counterparts and aside from the social order. To practice magic as a female is to join an ancient sisterhood, one whose right to exist is explicitly guaranteed by the nobility. Small castles built and used by the Witches periodically dot the countryside of the south, and none ask their purpose.

The highest born live by Lynnfairian custom, but only where it pleases them. In truth the traditions of the nobility are unique, but only in the way they seem to blend foreign values and religion with native pragmatism. Answerable only to their peers, the rule of the nobility is unchallenged everywhere but the mountains of the interior.



The soldiers of Osetina have grown to know the hills and mountains of their homeland, and it is in that environment they know how to fight. Fielding almost no mounted forces Osetina looks to dominate terrain where cavalry would be hard to deploy effectively. Short shorts, heavy armour, strong shields, and frightening masses of pike are what make Osetina a force to be reckoned with.

The fighting square is the preferred formation in Osetina. With Footmen to form the outer walls and Pikemen and Crossbowmen to form the inside, the formation is a minor fortress to itself. The shield heavy formations are ponderous and lack flexibility, but in rough terrain they are powerful as other normally mobile forces share their handicap.













The very earliest of Lynnfairian records all speak of the menace to the south, that land of tribal barbarians and their cruel eldritch gods. For centuries the strange people of that jagged land plundered and laid to ruin the fertile plains of Lynnfaire in defiance of countless punitive expeditions, all of which crumbled upon the southern mountains. Yet in year x of the Age of Heros that all changed. An unremarkable Lynnfairian third prince sought the blessing of his father and the church to embark on another expedition, one with merely a third of the resources of its predecessors. Though all thought him sent to die, he would usher in a new era.

Marching south with his south the prince at first saw little resistance, like all who came before him. All that seemed to remain of the forest's inhabitants was tracks, a notable lack of game, and the unearthly sensation of being watched by unseen eyes. The price knew they would bide their time until he was well into the northern mountains before they struck, but rather than




How does your country interact with its neighbors. I am not looking for a list of exports and imports, but feel free to add them if you want. At bare minimum I want a listed rival here, another country that yours viewed as an enemy and actively worked against during the past twenty or so years.








Yams ginger glass taro

The Serene Kingdom of Lynnfaire is ruled by a monarch, supplemented by a council of nobles and maintains its authority from the Church. The monarchy is passed down from parent to child, with no specifications on gender, although it is presumably usually male. The administrative body of the kingdom is feudal.

With the recent death of the previous King, the throne was claimed by his daughter as he had no sons; however, the new Queen’s cousin, a Duke, claimed that he was next in line since he was the next plausible male. Conservative nobles supported the Duke while more progressive nobles supported the Queen and eventually a civil war of chevauchee and strife broke out, much to the irritation of the Church.



Lynnfaire is comprised of temperate and fertile grasslands, which in turn are bordered by gentle hills and tall mountains. The landscape is well irrigated by natural babbling streams and brooks that cut across the grass, and many types of fauna roam the copses that pock the fields. Most of the forests are deciduous and congregate on the sides of the mountains and edges of the valleys, with apple groves common lower near the fields.

A massive sea wall of legendary age and construction holds back the ocean from a significant portion of the heartland area of Lynnfaire, and the revealed ancient sea bed gone valley is prime for agriculture and society.



Contemporary Lynnfaire is very much a cradle of gentle civilization, with its extensive agriculture, its faith in the church, and long history at its core. While the long and arduous history of Lynnfaire and the Serene Church play a major role in the culture of Lynnfaire, the constant working of the land has also impacted the way people live in the Kingdom.

The common peasant of the land knows Lynnfaire at its truest, and works as the real portrait of the Kingdom. Most peasants are completely free in the feudal sense, and they are allowed to leave their lords land, so long as they can find a new lord to rent from (albeit the costs of this are terribly inconvenient and it is easier to simply stay put or to take the chance and move to a burg). Some peasants outright buy or inherit the land they work on and live as yeomen, serving no lord’s manor directly in peace, but still answering to the baron during times of war or tax.

Of course hamlets, towns and cities also have various crafts and trades to be done, and many peasants find themselves as the ones to do it. They either rent or own their home, which could be a shared hovel to a family house, depending on their trade and wealth.

All these commoners work under the local authority which more often than not is a baron, who is tasked with keeping the peace, the law, and the collection of taxes/rents, who in turn answers to the count and so forth. Opulence isn’t a large rash in the lower nobility but, greater counts and dukes tend to live very large in Lynnfaire, enjoying the spoils of the land and the wealth it brings.

Nobility or commoner, both attend the weekly masses at the local parish, be it outside by the hamlet center, the Lord’s Manor, or in a stained glass cathedral that would make the Lynndians of yore blush. The sermons are presented by the priests, also known as the deacons of the church, while in some cases (usually among more noble parishes) the bishop or archbishop will deliver the mass. A mass is held on every weeks beginning, and three days after. Work is not enforced on any Lords Manor during the masses, and in the case of the Firstday’s mass, not at all that day. Thirdsday mass only lasts one hour past the end of the sermon, giving the people a slightly shorter work day. Many farmers work on the Thirdsday mass despite it not being enforced, as it is still highly encouraged.

Everyone loves to impress during mass days, and most commoners break out their best wool clothes, some even have had the chance to get them dyed the bright blue of the gerre flowers that grow in the heartlands, and because of this many masses end up looking like a blue sea of woolen people: coincidentally the color of the church’s banner.

A common ceremony during the harvest sermon is to mark the foreheads of the people with the gerre dye in the form of a circle, the symbol of the Serene One’s order, and many farming lads and lasses make off hand bets on who will work the hardest that harvest to sweat it off first: with the prize usually being the other gamblers desert that night (usually a sweetened cooked apple in sauce, or a flaky pastry of white flour and honey).

The people of Lynnfaire boast a wide and vibrant food palette for their many meals, where even at the most basic and humble of peasants experience breakfast (usually some form of cooked oat and fruit), a midday snack or luncheon (usually leftovers from the previous supper), and the final meal of the day, the supper.

Suppers are considered very important socially. Many families get together for suppers each day, especially among the poor. Suppers include small amounts of meats, large amounts of grains, vegetables, yogurts and cheeses, with cooked fruits and honeyed pastries for dessert (one of the most important parts of the meal). The church is fond of the Lynnfaire suppers, claiming it is a physical representation of the joy of paradise after a long day of working towards order as well as a good way to build camaraderie. The poorer families tend to do stews and broths to make up for less proteins, while richer families have more roasted meats, including goat, sheep, duck, chicken, pig and very very rarely cow. Drinks tend to be brewed, to stem off any possible waterborne infections and disease, and come in the form of ciders and beers, with the richer families dipping into honey-apple wines and brandy.

The common Lynnfairean dresses to stay warm in the winter months and cool in the summer months, sticking to layers of cloaks, trousers, tunics, and leather belts for men, and dresses, cloaks, capes and smocks for women.

It is important to note at this point that Lynnfaire is on a tipping point in regards to the separation of women and men. The Kingdom has become more progressive over the years but still hold women in the light as have different societal roles than men. While this is rapidly changing with the Queen’s take-over and emergence of the progressive movement, many conservative minds are resisting heartily and the older generations sometimes see it as silly.











The Lynnfaire militaries are commonly levied from the local lords, lead by nobles, and sent on chevauchee campaigns to force other lords into submission and surrender.

wip

https://imgur.com/a/heQZh

In the beginning the world was right with order and peace, ruled solely by the hand of the Serene One. In a moment that may be described as a mistake, The Serene One allowed the creation of a new being, the primordials. For a long time the primordials frolicked in the paradise of the Serene one; however, over time the first beings created proved to be rebellious with their free will and eventually brought chaos into the world. In an attempt to right this wrong the Serene One cast the first beings from the world, but sadly too much damage was already done. The world was cast into chaos and disorder, shutting the Serene One from the world.

All that remained were the mortals, dregs of the first ones, and the smallest of creation. They were quickly tasked by their creator, the Serene One, to rebuild order upon the chaotic world, so that some day the Serene One may return in full and re-establish paradise.

To rebuild order there must be structure, and so the Church was born. The written codes and laws of the Serene One was to be kept safe and ministered by priests, who in turn are to be organized by bishops, who in turn are organized by Archbishops, who in turn decide the fate of the church through the high council of Archbishops.

The church supports a strong nobility, and chivalry. Nobles are not to be harmed or displaced in battle or politics, so they may rule orderly, and the lower classes are to obey and be productive so they may too remain orderly. The sovereigns are to be trusted with administering nations on behalf of the Serene One, and no other religious order or structure should interfere with the Good Serene Ones work on this world, So says the Serene One.

The ultimate authority remains in the hands of the Archbishops to ensure order is kept and rules and mandates are followed and created properly, and in turn governments administer to the populace in their own choosing, so long as it is orderly and conforms to the church law. All must do their part in rebuilding order, all must remain at their task at hand and seek nothing further or less.

War is unnecessary but should upheaval arise it is on the feudal lords and governances to quickly quell battles with battles in such a way to leave order intact.

The fundamental virtues of the church are humility, temperance, generosity, compassion, and order. The fundamental beliefs is that while magic exists, it exists to serve mortals so that they may more effectively bring back order to the chaotic world. The Serene One is the only true creator and way back to paradise, and the first beings are the bringers of chaos and sin. Despite no longer being of this world, the Serene One watches and quietly intervenes with the world around us, indirectly pushing us back to order and smiting chaos.

In the end of times the sun will freeze, and so will all creation. The moon then will erupt in blue flame and the orderly shall thaw, releasing a blue mist with which the Serene One will arise from to reclaim paradise. Everything will be of order and perfection once more, and all chaos will be frozen.

Note: There is an underlying protestant movement in the Serene Church that while it upholds the cosmic beliefs of the church and the underlying values, it disagrees with the absolutism or necessity of the high council, and is against class restrictions/class oppression.

Brief history of the church: The church began at an unknown date far lost in the age of Legends. It survived as a murmuring, a cult among the oppressed mortals of the Lynnde Empire. Only during the Mortal Revolts did the religion break free from a murmur and turn into a wildfire among the rebels. It wasn't until the complete fall of the Lynnde empire, and the rise of the new mortal Ruler, Halwende, that it became proper church.

Inpired by forgotten realms drow.

Vlaanburg is a confederation of semi-independent states, with political power dominated by a vampyric elite. At the pinnacle sits the Archon, who acts as head-of-state. Succession is not hereditary, although the Archon’s heir is an obvious candidate. Instead, new Archons are chosen by Electors - lords with the right to elect successive rulers. The Archon’s power is far from absolute. Each province is governed by its own lord. The Archon is “first among equals,” in the sense that he acts as the head of the Electors, who are powerful in their own right.

The Archon does not control the entire military of the Electorates, although may act as commander-in-chief of coordinated military efforts between states. His taxes and resources are collected from his own province and the military units under his direct control are paid via his own own personal treasury. Likewise, each of the Electors and provincial lords collect and spend taxes from his respective province. They recruit and pay their own provincial armies; in some cases, a wealthy Elector may be able to recruit and maintain a larger army than the Archon himself.

The Archon and his Electors are vampires. They are the descendants of a powerful strain of Primordials that lived on the continent in the Era of Legends. Many are hundred of years old. The exact nature of their race is unbeknownst to the general population, but it is common knowledge that they are very old, outliving generations of human dynasties. Most chalk this up to their Primordial blood and question them no further. Besides their longevity, they live and reign no differently than human lords.

Beneath the Electors are provincial rulers, who may be dukes, counts, barons or governors of smaller regions within the Electorates. They appoint the governors of cities, although there are many free cities run by elected councils. Some regions have weaker aristocratic backgrounds, where democratic practices and guild-rule are the norm. Others are patricianships, in which ruling families are more historically ingrained to the region. Local administrations may or may not be vampires themselves.


Detailed map & information forthcoming.



The central Electorate states are located in the valley of the _ River. This plain extends across the core of the confederation, from the coast to the foothills of the Wetternitz mountain range. The _ River valley is the most populous region of the Electorates. The river is the largest in the provinces, and diverges into many small channels. It runs through many major cities, with dykes in place to control flooding. The Wetternitz is the natural northern and western border of the Electorates and is a natural defense against invasion from either direction.

The core of the Electorates has a continental climate, with cold summers, hot winters and plenty of rainfall. Snow is frequent in winter months, and thick fog is commonplace throughout the year. The climate of the Wetternitz mountain range is alpine with lots of precipitation year-round. The peninsular and coastal regions have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers, whereas winters are mild.


Vampires are a powerful race, sired by Primordials in the Era of Legends. Today, they are very rare, and have consolidated their numbers around the Electorates, making up the highest echelons of government, although not all vampires are political leaders. They are indistinguishable from normal humans at a glance; the only tell-tale signs of vampirism are their fangs and lack of reflection. They are a far cry from the monsters of folklore and legends; they do not sulk through forests at night, nor are they undead spirits from the grave. Vampires are a race in their own right, and are long-lived. It’s true that vampires have an affinity for blood, but it isn’t necessary to sustain them - it has an effect comparable to alcohol. Many vampires choose not to drink at all, to better coexist with their human subjects. It is not forbidden to feed on humans, but it is to kill them. Those that succumb to their bloodlust and leave corpses in their wake are ostracized and hunted down, if their sprees are heinous enough.

Vampires are endowed with extreme strength and supernatural abilities. They can turn invisible for periods of time, and transform into a ‘bestial’ state, in which they become terrifying, bat-like monsters with razor sharp claws and powerful jaws. In bouts of emotion a glimpse of these forms may come to light - bestial visages and long talons. They can paralyze enemies with a gaze and are immune to fire and sunlight. They have regenerative abilities, allowing them to heal wounds, even lost limbs. The period of time depends on the severity of the damage. Beheadings can take decades or longer to regenerate; longer still if the body has been mutilated, burned and scattered into the winds.

The mortal population of the Electorates is well aware of their lords’ supernatural lifespans, as generations pass without a change in Archons or Electors. But the true extent of their being is known to few. As far as the average villager is concerned, they owe their titles to their Primordial heritage and that’s good enough. Even vampires that live normal lives outside of politics are rarely suspect, unless a farmer finds his sheep bled dry in the morning. Vampires, however, are obliged to follow a number of unwritten codes designed to facilitate coexistence with mortals and to maintain the existence of their race. These codes are enforced by a shadowy council of elder vampires that oversee happenings within and without the provinces. Their existence is virtually unknown outside of the Electorates, and the Archon only consults them when absolutely necessary.

The human population of the Electorates is united in language and in faith, but can be expected to display more loyalty to their own provinces than the Electorates as a whole. When it comes to their home states, they are fiercely patriotic and proud of their respective histories. Still, they differ by social standing and geographic location, with city dwellers and rural communes having different outlooks on life, traditions and dialects. Local governments differ from province to province, and even within from urban centers to forest villages. One thing that they all share is stubbornness and dependability. Beyond arms and tactics, their rugged determination and refusal to yield earned them their independence from much larger neighboring kingdoms.




The Electorate military is structured around a core of infantry, pioneering a fighting style analogous to the real-world Swiss pikemen. Its armies are organized into vanguard, center and rearguard formations. These columns emphasize tactics meant to outmaneuver the enemy, before overcoming them in close combat. Electorate pikemen have gained worldwide renown for their ferocity, their refusal to take prisoners, and the stubbornness with which they hold their ground. Although referred to ubiquitously as ‘pikemen,’ Electorate formations include halberdiers and skirmishers armed with crossbows.

A major factor of the Electorates’ military effectiveness is its ability to draw up large numbers at a given time. This is achieved by a three-tiered system of conscription - a corps of capable men aged eighteen to thirty, a category of older men ready and able to serve away from home if need arose, and a mass levée raised only in dire emergencies. The exact number of conscripts raised per locale is decided upon by local authorities.

Unique among the Electorate military is the nomination of officers - contingents are led by elected individuals, chosen at muster by the administration of that contingent’s community. War councils are often conducted democratically, with officers from separate contingents present to coordinate tactics and maneuvers. For this reason, few supreme military commanders are found in Vlaanburg’s history, but its victories are testament to the system’s success.

Soldiers are obliged to purchase their own arms and armor, although local communities are responsible for repairing damaged equipment. In some exceptional cases (outlying villages, cities, guilds) provincial administrations must finance their own corps. Each soldier is expected to carry a week’s worth of rations with him to muster.

The average infantryman dons a blackened, munitions-grade plate on his breast over a quilted gambeson. He wears a kettle helm or sallet and additional protection if he can afford it, such as a gorget to protect his throat and tassets over his thighs. The principal weapon is a pike with a tapered head about 4.5 meters long, while some soldiers carry halberds. Both weapons are paired with an arming sword. Crossbowmen are armored much the same way, with slightly less protection than their frontline counterparts. They carry pavise shields on their backs, with which they can hide behind and operate their crossbows safely.






The original Vlaanburgers were known as the Berditii - an ancient tribe of peoples living under the shadow of the Vlaanburg Mountains. They were subjugated by the Lynndian Empire during the Era of Legend, and so became Imperial subjects. These tribes revered a number of Primordials that had called the region home, and in turn, the Primordials were their guides and caretakers. During the Lynndian occupation of the Vlaanburg peninsula, some of these Primordials rose against the Empire, sparking the Mortal Revolts. To counter the Empire’s military strength, they created the race known today as vampires - nigh immortal beings instilled with a measure of the Primordials’ godly power. These vampires became the commanders and elite troops of the mortal Vlaanburger armies.

The Mortal Revolts spanned a number of years and saw key battles wrest territories out of Lynnde’s grasp. At their conclusion, the Vlaanburgers were liberated, and used the opportunity to expand their own lands. Their vampiric allies gradually settled into leadership positions of new territories and in prominent positions in human courts. They began to take on the role of the Primordials, who had fought themselves to extinction during the Mortal Revolts. The independence of the tribes brought peace and prosperity for a time, but as local chieftains styled themselves as petty kings and claimed more land, they often came to blows.

They remained a free people until threatened by King Alfred d'Halwende of Lynnfaire, eager to reclaim land his ancestors once ruled as the Lynndian Empire. In Era of Heroes 208, four urban communities - Volksingen, Bergen, Kraften and Lichtenburg - established an alliance to oppose Lynnfaire. This original alliance gave rise to the Vlaanburg Electorates, which solidified after a series of engagements and a decisive victory over King Alfred. His heirs continued a long chain of struggles to assert dominance over the alliance, which had been joined by several other communes and small states. By the 400s, the alliance had twelve members.

WIP


TBD


Optional section. Put any info about any characters here. Examples of this would be your kings or queens, military leaders, and non-hero “badasses”. You can also put more detailed info of your heroes here as well.

The Empire of Khandarai is a Monarchy presided over by an Empress whose decisions are final and binding upon her people. She is advised by an appointed council drawn from the various Houses that make up the upper class of the Empire. Should the Empress die, a Magical rite is cast that calls upon an ancient spirit, the Khandarai believe it is the spirit of the Prophetess herself, who then travels the Empire and selects a minimum of five young women who are then put through a gruelling set of tasks and tests of their skill. The survivor is crowned Empress of Khandarai.



The Empire of Khandarai is a nation that has found its way in the harsh central desert of Askor. Bordered on East and West by massive Mountain ranges that serve to deflect most moisture away, it is a hard and foreboding place. Even the desert itself is broken in many places by violent movements in the earth. There is however one large river, the Kafadan River, that actually pours forth from the desert, welling up from deep beneath the surface of the earth, winding its way north to the coast where the Empires only seaport, Basul, resides.

All along that river is a green belt of lush fertile land that supports much of the Empire. There are other oasis, hidden away in the deeper portions of the desert and they are known almost exclusively to the Salakan themselves. These are reached by ancient camel roads and, in some cases, by travelling through the great ravines and canyons that cut across the sun baked surface.

Most Khandarai towns and villages are located in the same canyons and ravines, built into places where some shelter can be found from the ever present sun. The Capital itself, Shasa, is located at the head of the great river where it pours from the earth, the river providing both defence and life for the city. Though not the largest city in the Empire, that title goes to Basul, it is certainly the most impressive for its



Life is tough in Khandarai, made even more difficult by the dangerous creatures that lurk in places even the sun never reaches. Wyverns are not unknown in Salakan and while the majority are hostile, some Khandarai have managed to tame the beasts and use them in battle, though never outside of Khandarai as leaving the desert often leads to them becoming sick and, eventually, to death.


The Empire of Khandarai is unique in the world for its class system in which females rule the Empire, provide the skilled fighting force, and males are used for breeding, menial labour tasks, or occupy lower castes of society.

The Khandarai worship the Prophetess who they believe showed them that women can be strong and independent, capable of caring for themselves and their offspring. Large temples exist to worship the Prophetess as, over the years, her image has changed from one of inspiration to one of divine entity.

The Empire is relatively young in the grand scheme of things, no older than the legends of the Prophetess who gave the first Empress the courage to rise up against the vicious enslavement of the desert tribes patriarchal society. Women were bought and sold like cattle, they had no rights and their lives forfeit for any reason deemed necessary by a male family member or relative.

Fuelled by her freedom and the burning desire to never agin let men control her destiny, the first Empress led her comrades to overthrow and slaughter the patriarchy that ruled the sands. In a cruel twist of irony that the Khandarai see as but a small vengeance for the tribulations they suffered, men are now taken in raids, or purchased through a lively slave economy, and used for the purposes of breeding, or fulfilling menial jobs within the Empire. Male offspring are ritualistically killed, enslaved by neighbouring Houses, or simply sold at auction in Basul. Many Khandarai males can be found in the slave galleys of the world, or wandering from home. To return would mean death.

Female offspring raised in the fighting spirit of their mothers and given every advantage possible to succeed in their harsh climate and while some leave to see the world, the majority remain within the boundaries of the Empire.



The Khandarai conduct trade through Basul but also engage in lively raiding against their neighbours, and even amongst themselves if there is no one else to fight. Broken up in Houses, Khandarai boasts seven Great Houses, and a dozen lesser houses, all of whom control various portions of the region. The power and wealth of each House has risen and fallen over the years, none truly holding any real power, all beholden to the Empress in the end.

The Khandarai are a Humanoid race, though they have an increased ability to see in the dark and are hardier than their neighbours. Their skin is darker than their neighbours as well, ranging from a soft brown to black as night.


The Empire of Khandarai is best described as an army with an Empire. So dangerous is the desert that all Khandarai are taught to fight and survive from a very young age. One of the great tests of their full rise to womanhood is a week spent in the desert with nothing but a small blade, a bow, and a single canteen of water.

The Khandarai excel in small unit operations. They are far to isolated and spread apart to be able to form large armies and in Khandarai, big armies starve and small armies are defeated. Like many other nations they have their share of archers, sword masters, cavalry, and the like. Their cavalry tends to be far from traditional horses and camels, and beasts found in the desert are tamed wherever possible.

Magic is a powerful tool of the Khandarai, spells that allow assist them in vanishing in to, and surviving, the great desert. The Khandarai themselves are far from the most dangerous thing to be found in the desert and any Khandarai worth their salt has learned how to hide from the predators that inhabit their home.

Enchantments are common amongst the fighting forces as well in the form of fire, lightening, or even poisoned weapons. Priestesses of the Prophetess are the only true magic users of the Empire, either as Healers, Spell Casters, or Spellswords. The Spellswords are a unique melee class of warrior that use magic to augment their fighting ability.



Khawla al-Mir, a legend in her time. She is the greatest Khandarai Spellsword of the latest hundred years. Fighting with little to no armour, she wields two scimitars with deadly skill and precision. Her warlike nature often brings her to the fore of raids against enemy settlements and ferociously hunts the strange and wonderful beasts of the desert. She is a master of small unit operation and often works with a picked band of fighters that she considers worthy of her company.



Naaila al-Arshad is the most skilled Beast Master in the Empire. She excels in the taming of various monsters found in the desert and using them to great effect against each other, or against her enemies. She is the only known living Khandarai to have ridden on a Wyvern though it is not something she tries on a regular basis as her hold on a creature is not permanent.


WIP. Waiting to see details on Western neighbours.


Khandarai enjoys a wild roller coaster of relations with pretty much everyone. They are not against raiding their neighbours one day, and trading with them the next. The desert holds many precious and incredibly rare stones, spices, and the skins from any number of desert beasts can fetch a small fortune.

Khandarai does not have great fortresses built at her borders, in fact, it is easy enough for anyone to enter the desert, leaving it is another adventure altogether. A single major road, known as the Spice Road, transits from East to West, leapfrogging from oasis to oasis. Trade caravans regularly pass along this route and it is the only place a foreigner can be assured they are safe from Khandarai raiders, if they come in peace.


WIP








1. Act 1: The Hakam

Yngvar is the homeland of dwarves, bordering multiple nations and close to the major trade routes. They are known for their unique culture, skilled craftsmanship and mercenaries. The nation is generally referred as Yngvar but alternatives include: Yngvarseidgenossenschaft (semi-official), Eidgenossenschaft, Zwölfberge, Yngvarsland, Free Cities, Dwarvish Hills, etc...

Yngvar is both the name of the land and the unique chain of mountains populating it. There are twelve major mountains with a large city-state each. Due to their government structure Yngvarians don't have a capital, in theory all 12 cities are equal.

Yngvar in archaic dwarvish means "protected by Yngvi" and this is more than just a name for the inhabitants. Yngvar mountains are considered sacred to dwarves and while they are open to visitors they are far less willing to let them stay. As such Yngvar's population is predominantly dwarvish. Yngvi itself is an entity considered the creator of the dwarves, some consider it a Primordial others as something else. Some even connect Yngvi with the Serene One. Yngvi is the great ancestor and teacher of dwarves, universally respected by them. Dwarvish relationship with other faiths is somewhat strange, while they don't belong to either Argenism or the Serene Church they can respect them. In return dwarves are left alone with their faith which can be best described as ancestor worship while mixing elements from other faiths. What elements? It depends on the dwarf you ask, they tend to shape their beliefs to whichever large religion they're the closest. This does not harm dwarvish faith and also allow them to easily integrate with other cultures. Aside from religion dwarves are also well-known for their work moral and practical thinking. They are diligent craftsmen famous for their skills. They are also somewhat distant with other races, always keeping them at arms length. Another weird custom and show of their craftsmanship is that they wear armor. Every adult dwarf, be male or female are mandated to wear at least a maile shirt outside. Some cities' customs even mandate helmets or a full hauberk. Due to their robust build this does not bother a walk during their daily life and keeps reminding outsiders to tread carefully with them. This also gave dwarves an interesting nickname: Ironskins.


Yngvar is ruled by twelve clans centered around a mountain each. These mountain city states are completely autonomous and at best can be only considered to be in alliance with each other, though some likes to call it a non-aggression pact. All leaders are tied by blood oath to not turn their arms against each other. They regularly hold the Twelve Chairs council, where the 12 Dwarven Lords sit at round table and discuss matters that involve entire Yngvar. Number of laws are laid down in the past that apply to all clans equally and they have certain obligations to defend each other. Aside from that all Clans are free to do whatever they want.


Dwarves beleive in individual powers and that no self-respective adult member should be unable to defend themselves. All dwarves above a certain age know how to fight while wearing armor and weapons, often their own craftsmanship or family heirloom. For this reason other nations often dub the dwarves as Ironskins because they nearly always coat themselves in metal armors. In times of need citizens band together to defend their home. In addition to that there are dwarves who dedicated themselves to military service, either as watchmen and police force known as the Shieldbearers or to become full-blown mercenary. The latter often become travelers going from country-to-country until they return and settle down in their Clan as combat instructors and military leaders. As such dwarvish military are often a mix of eager volunteer militia, town watch and professional mercenaries.



TBA

Yngvar generally has good relations with its neighbors but only while keeping them at arms length. Dwarves travel a lot and known through the continent and while Wotanism isn't quite celebrated, both Argenist and Selenist faiths mostly tolerate it. That being said Yngvarian culture is exclusive to dwarves and other nationalities only know few details about it.


TBA

Freishann is pronounced more akin to ‘Freis-hann’ than ‘Frei-shann’.

Most of Freishann is run by a combination of mayoral dynasts and the clannish nobility, answering to the Monarch, High King or Queen. The cities and their shortly surrounding areas have fallen into mayoral control, reinforced by their control of the merchant marine while the nobility manages the majority of the land and peasant populations through various castles and forts, although not directly, most noble land are actually various holds held by contract to the Noble estate. The Monarchs of Freishann have always had difficulty effectively managing this system however the current Dynasty, House Glynbhasdoich, have maintained their own holdings and expanded their power over the competing groups by the establishment of the Royal Freishann Navy and expansion of the Royal Guards into the Royal Legion. The Modern Dynasty have consistently maintained and expanded their hold slowly turning the feudal realm into a more directly controlled state.



There is the Spine of the East in its titular direction, it is a large barrier for organized traffic to and from Freishann over land although they are not completely impassable, the few mountain paths are not something to be traversed easily. The Spine of the East are very tall and actually block most of the rain fall further East, helping establish the great desert that is Khandarai. Further west the terrain smooths out from the mountains into forested hills which make up the majority of the terrain in Freishann, although in the far west as you approach the coast the terrain flattens to a greater degree.

Freishann is fairly temperate although temperatures vary with altitude and various dependencies of weather as air fronts can have a large impact on the climate of Freishann. Normally a decent amount of rainfall and the numerous streams and creeks from that are enough to water the land for agriculture, and for the broad forests.







Frieshann is made of four major cultural groups and three major ethnic groups although variation and minority populations are not unknown. Almost every native inhabitant is Human, except for Vuor and the Vuori drow and the few foreigners. Common threads between these cultures are an honor and devotion virtue culture. Although this varies in how it presents itself. In the East duels, feuds and strong Prophetess worship dominate while in the West mercantile interests and a less fanatically Prophetess worship operate. However overall, what unites the nation as a whole is an intense thread of individualism, from lordlings, wishing independence to the free farmers and holders living as they please, merchants following the money and their desires and the Magi and independent projects. Almost every group and person will follow their desires and needs, the average Freishannese values and seeks self-reliance as a goal.

In addition to these groups, there is also the split in the magical population between Witches/Warlocks and the Magi.












































The Third Dynasty, the current one, has established many Royal institutions in Freishann, from expanding the Royal Guards into a small Standing army, the Royal Legion, to the Collegiums for magic and learning throughout Freishann, and the establishment and expansion of the Royal Freishann Navy. In the past few decades, Naval expansion has gone by at an incredible rate, seemingly as though the increased conflicts with the Kingdom of Atharia has spurned the Royal Family into action to protect the Freishannese merchant marine. Despite the many border wars with Atharia and the raids and counter-raids against the Khandarai, or perhaps because of those conflicts Freishann has been seeking to become increasingly less insular in the recent years. More attribute this to the influence of Magus Káhesh Carmyar, also High Queen of Freishann, who studied as a scholar before marrying the Crown Prince, some eloping may have been involved.



A minor enemy but more of a rival is the Kingdom of Atharia, control over the temperate regions west of the Spine of the East have always been contested often but the last few decades have seen a rapid increase in the number of skirmishes and limited wars between the two Kingdoms. Although nothing unresolvable through negotiation has occurred, escalation has not been altogether prevented. It is only fear of the Eastern threat that has kept the conditions such a slow and consistent simmering conflict. Right now one of the many skirmishes has once more erupted into a limited border war.

For the Freishannese raiding is a fact of life. Whether on the constant border wars in the South, or the conflicts with Eastern desert peoples. Of the Eastern Deserts, raids and counter-raids are especially common, although full-blown conflict is strongly limited by geography that has not eased the viciousness of conflict for border Freishannese. Although in some parts trade still occurs with desert tribes, or even Westerners trading with the main port city, although that has caused tensions with Freishann.

The Kingdom of Atharia is a Feudal Argentist land that often has rivalries with its neighbors, primarily over various disputes on the ownership of certain territories. Highly prized for its knight culture and extensive population of knights, Atharia generally has been a strong if somewhat fractious Kingdom no doubt in part because of the previous fact.

In current times Atharia has built of a more sizeable supporting force of common infantry and a relatively strong navy, although they are somewhat overshadowed by other powers in the region in naval regards. The Human population of Atharia was in the past fractured into petty Kingdoms and cultures although they have generally been absorbed into the greater Atharia culture in current times.


Atharia proper as a unified Kingdom began far in the past when the Primordials still reigned over [continent here]. Actually having descended from a Kingdom formed by a Primordial from the far Lynnde Empire, Atharia has often had conflicts with the surrounding petty Kingdoms. A new reign of slow expansion, mostly peaceful although some land was integrated into the Kingdom proper by conquests, came about after the absence of Primordial beings.

Atharia would continue to slowly integrate and vassalize the surrounding petty Kings for centuries yet. Very dependent on strong Kings as formed from a governance centered on a Primordial the actual power of Atharia has varied widely throughout the ages. Falling back onto Feudal arrangements from the lack of such a powerful being as leader, Atharia has had troubles expanding as such arrangements threatened to consume it some centuries past due to the level of in-fighting.

This changed with the rise of the High Kingdom of Freishann, also at the time a Feudal-like structure. Freishann created an external enemy for Atharia to focus against. Particularly during the first Dynasty of Freishann in which Frequently warred with Atharia. Initially this was quite successful for Freishann, overrunning the poorly integrated and defended Northern Atharia, what is now mostly part of Freishann. However subsequent wars went significantly less decisive as Freishannese invasions were stopped by a combination of force from Atharian cavalry and fortification while Atharian counter attacks were thwarted by terrain and fanatic resistance.

These wars caused the eventual deaths of the First Dynasty of Freishann with the Second dynasty being significantly less confrontational, setting a relationship that would vary between rivalry and guarded neutrality for the centuries to come. Atharia and Freishann would have periods of renewed hostility but they were mostly related to border wars and incidents. With the arrival of the Emerald Empire on the scene Atharia has greatly increased their naval power although they lag somewhat behind nations that focused on those prospects sooner. In practice Atharia has attempted to compete with the Emerald Empire and Freishann, particularly in the taking of Eastern Islands to attempt a further improvement of trade through Atharian ports.

In recent times Atharia has had increased hostilities over border territories with Freishann, getting into many minor skirmishes and such over the western territories in particular. Not all of them have had decisive victors but enough to create some border movement over the last thirty to twenty years.



The Atharia military is divided into several fields.
First is that of the Army, subsequently divided between royal forces, vassals of the crown and mercenaries. Royal forces and vassals are in large part levied militia, they have some form of training in either ranged weaponry such as longbows or melee troops such as men armed with billhooks or another similar weapon. In addition there are the more formally trained numbers of men either as supporting cavalry as men-at-arms, these being lowborn troops well trained and equipped. In addition to men-at-arms there is a large Knight population trained extensively as heavy cavalry but also in many other weapons, more often than not considering their foes they will have to fight dismounted in one situation or another.

Atharia mercenaries tend to follow the same general rules as the armies of Atharia at large, it is likely to see some groups solely as a well armed cavalry force while others focus on providing a large number of decent billmen. While mercenaries do not overtake the Atharia system of governance they are important particularly due to their Northern neighbor’s discouragement of their operations there.

Second is that of the Royal Navy of Atharia, while quite a new creation is steadily becoming a force to be respected and feared. Built up in response to Freishannese naval expansion and Emerald involvement in the area, the navy mostly has recruited from fishing ship and merchant ship crews and other civilian sailing operations. As because of this lack of a strong naval tradition to maintain discipline and order many of the measures of punishment are unusually draconian in nature. This has led to a somewhat underperforming recruitment drive and so impressment is the usual way or ‘recruiting’ for most Atharian sailors.



Atharia modern society is still very Feudal, much more so than Freishann, who has for the most part moved away from the system. Atharia is divided into several classes, at the top is the King and subsequently priests and noblemen, below that are various Freemen, crafters, merchants, free farmers and the general like. Below them is the peasantry, while not technically bound to the land like serfs they are still effectively kept there by economic means.

Atharian high society is very militarized as a focus from the nobility on Knighthood and subsequent codes of conduct. Other portions of society are less so although it does have an impact on social currents, creating a system wherein most soldiers are respected as well as or better than some Freemen. Men-at-arms are almost exclusively drawn from the Free class of people, putting them at the top of that class by and large. While other more levied soldiers are generally viewed as somewhere between Free people and the peasantry.



Semi-Hostile/Rival relations with Freishann, due to recent periods of conflict and limited warfare over various territories along their shared border. Significantly increased by the Emerald Empire’s presence and positive relations with Freishann.

Semi-Hostile/Rival relations with the Emerald Empire, both in Atharian attempts to dominate trade around the western edge of the continent but also in disputes over the ownership of several islands to the East of Atharia proper.

Cold and distant relations between Olira and Atharia in recent times do to Olira’s friendships with the Emerald Empire and the Freishannese. Relations are ascribed to be “like a teenage girl and her dad who just doesn't get it”. Which is which is left open to interpretation.


King Alaric II

Olira is made of up 11 small kingdoms on 6 islands who act as a vassal to one larger central kingdom, Talnoc, the King of Talnoc also bearing the title of High King of Olira. The throne of Talnoc is passed down from father to son, the Ardri dynasty ruling from their capital of Rilik. The other kingdoms have varying levels of autonomy. The current king of Talnoc is High King Had.




Olira has a varied climate and terrain, from the lush forests and palms of Khasibuil to the green hills of Talnoc, from the sandy beaches of Sahil to the rocky beaches of the Seobaghs. Olira is made up of six islands; the Seobaghs (Deach, Anaghyr, Easif, and Janeas), Khasibuil, and the main island of Kamor. Khasibuil and Kamor and separated by the mighty Ulain river, on which lies Rilik, the capital and by far the largest city in Olira. Other major cities include the southern seaport of Minhu (though Rilik still functions as a port) and the Formorian capital of Malakh.








Descendants of both the peoples of Freishann and Khandarai, the humans of Olira are a mixture of ethnicity and culture which take from both lands, these ethnic divisions forming the basis of the kingdoms. Gabhar and Sahil are primarily descended from Khandarai, with the people of Gabhar known for their shepherding and those of Sahil known for sailing. The Seobaghs, Rokai, Trabahr, and Adhmadh are primarily of Freishannese descent, respectively known as fishermen, Karkadanh riders, a mixture of fishermen and shepherds, and woodsmen. Laghad, Sciadire, Khasibuil, Talnoc, and the humans of Shasur are a mixture of both, with Laghad being known for its clergy and cathedrals, as well as being home to the Order of Laghad, a Serenist missionary group. Sciadire is home of many human warriors, but is economically stalled. Khasibuil is extremely fertile, exporting dates, figs, olives, and many other agricultural goods. Talnoc being by far the largest kingdom has a very mixed economy, while Shasur is an industrial hub, with mines dotting its landscapes and blacksmiths filling its towns. Sheepherding something that all the groups of Olirians have in common to some degree, which is why the ram is the symbol of Olira.

Formor is home to the Formorrin; Grogars originally from Tarkima who migrated to Olira two and a half centuries ago. Formor is the most impoverished kingdom in Olira, largely due to the economic influence of the Serenist Church, which is absent from Formor. It's also to do with an Olirian mistrust of Formorians, populations of whom are prevalent all over Olira and are often discriminated against. Shasur is home to a significant Formorian population, but Formorians are completely segregated, being forced to live in separate parts of towns and cities, while Sciadire has specific laws preventing Formorians from even living there. Significant Formorian populations have also found their way to Talnoc (especially Rilik), where despite a lack of actual discriminatory laws, Formorians still often live in poverty and crime, the Seobaghs and Sahil, where due to their historic maritime prowess Formorians are actually often welcomed, Formorian sailors making up a significant proportion of the pirates and privateers of Sahil. Only in the Seobaghs do Formorians live side by side with humans without poverty or poor reputation. Even lower in society than the Formorians are the children of humans and Formorians, who, with no real place, often resort to crime, banditry, piratry, and mercenary work.

Existing in Olira since before the arrival of humans, the Yara Ma are an indigenous people in Olira who live in the remotest regions, especially on the island of Anaghyr. Yara Ma often disappear as humans populate a region, relying on a balanced ecosystem, and even if they do not disappear, they have, in the past, been exterminated, due to their consumption of human livestock. Not much is currently known about Yara Ma society, as the only place where Yara live freely without hinderence, the island of Anaghyr, is also extremely hostile to outsiders, often killing them onsite. While the vast majority of Yara Ma encountered are male, females do exist, as do infants. Yara Ma do not fight with weapons, aside from rocks which they throw with a strange expertise, instead relying on magic and their disproportate strength for their small bodies. Yara Ma are arboreal, spending most of their lives in trees, and are thought to be carnivorous. They also have octopus-like suction on their hands, and can easily crush a human throat, which tends to be their preferred method of execution.











It is the responsibility of each vassal kingdom to create their own armies, though the High King's army will protect its vassals if attacked by an outside force. Vassal kingdoms are also allowed to go to war with each other, and small conflicts occur often. Conquests, however, are rare, the last one taking place twenty years ago. Standing armies do not exist in Olira, and instead, Kings rely on various methods to raise armies when the occasion arises.













It's not quite known when humans arrived in Olira, but the displacement of the Yara Ma began almost immediately. As the human migrants to Olira began to settle, different ethnic groups began to form, which formed into clans, which formed into small kingdoms, who remained isolated, warring against each other for hundreds of years. The world of the early Olirians was shook 250 years ago, when Grogar supremecists from Tarkima, seeking to form a true Grogar homeland, invaded Olira, and thus began half a century of war. Eventually, the different kingdoms began allying each other to form larger ones, when two families from two large central kingdoms married to form the Ardri dynasty and the Kingdom of Talnoc. Talnoc sought support from the Serene Church, who sent them funds, and soon the other kingdoms bowed down to Talnoc to lead them, thus creating the title of High King of Olira. Talnoc soon drove the Formorians, or 'Outlanders' back to the seat of their invasion, planning to force them from Olira for good, when the King of the Formorians also swore loyalty to Talnoc, thus ending the war, and bringing Formor into the fold of Olira.

After the Great War, the country began to modernize rapidly with both the unified government and the new support of the Serene Church. Meanwhile, the old prophets who guided to Formorians to Olira clung tightly to their traditions, forming the Grogar Circle to lead the Formorians religiously. While Talnoc remained in peace amongst the island kingdoms, the other kingdoms still waged wars against each other, though those diminished with time and increased adhearance to the Serene Church.

After the war between Laghad and Sahil twenty years ago, the King of Laghad became extremely religious, building a new cathedral and founding the Order of Laghad, a missionary group. These missionaries soon began preaching in Freishann, and gained much support in one coastal city. After riots ensued, some of the missionaries were executed, the rest imprisoned, and a privateer war was waged against Freishannese shipping. Freishann, who's military was thought to be vastly superior to Olira, invaded, and while the navy saw success, their army was crushed by the new strength of the Black Band. After this war, Olira began modernizing their navy, and was brought in as an associate to Freishann and the Emerald Empire's trade league.

Serene Kingdoms: Devout in Serenity, Olira maintains ties, economically and militarily, with the Serenist States.
Freishann: Though the two went to war eight years ago, relations have since cooled, and are actually somewhat close, with Olira now being an associate of Freishann's trade league, Freishann helping to modernize the Olirian navy, and the Black Band assisting the militaries of some parts of Freishann.
Emerald Empire: The Emerald Empire being a trade partner that Olira had long craved for, victory in the Freishannese war allowed a dream to come true. Currenlty, Olira is in talks with the Emerald Empire to sell the island of Anaghyr.

The Republic of Vangren

Government
The Republic of Vangren is a democratic republic only in name. The official head of state is the Consul, a man elected from within the members of the High Senate. The High Senate itself is composed primarily of members of the nobility or wealthy merchant families. It is extremely difficult to achieve a membership of the High Senate, as it requires a large sum of money paid to the treasury of the Republic, as well as support from current members of the Senate or other influential figures within Vangrenian society. Every now and then, a figure supported by the general public is allowed within the High Senate, if only to maintain the illusion of a democracy and prevent public unrest. Unfortunately, these “men of the people”, who are chosen due to their charisma and ability to lead, are rarely listened to or gain much support within the Senate. In all intents and purposes, Vangren is truly an aristocratic oligarchy masquerading as a republic.





Geography
The Republic of Vangren is divided into a number of different provinces called Freeholds, each of which having various climates. To the south and west, the Freeholds of Halstom and Kelek bordering the Heavenly Sphere and the Empire of Khandarai are mountainous and largely infertile. However, they are prosperous due to the large number of mining operations conducted within the mountain range. As a result of the large amount of mining, both Freeholds are home to a plethora of wealthy merchant families competing with each other.
To the east, the Freehold of Retrand dominates the coast. This Freehold is also dominated by merchant families, most of whom recently became nobles during the course of the Great Revolution, due to the many coastal ports within the Freehold that oversee trade across the gulf and even beyond. Here, the climate is warm, like that of the Mediterranean region in our own world. It is also within the Freehold of Retrand that the nation is set at the port city of Tilum, the site of the beginning of the Great Revolution. As well as being a center of trade, Retrand is a place of learning, with a variety of academies and universities being founded throughout. It is from these institutions of higher learning that many grand new innovations and inventions are created, especially as the Republic struggles to compete with the scholarly abilities of the Heavenly Sphere.

Finally, the interior and north of the Republic forms the breadbasket of the nation. The Freeholds Rednar, Helevia and Galend contain rich and fertile soil, the result of the great rivers that run through them from the mountain ranges to both the south and north. These Freeholds are also the center of the Republic’s nobility, as it was here that the old feudal society of Vangren had centered its power.

Culture
Vangren, even before it became a Republic, has been a very mercantile-focused nation. It’s position both at the center of Askor and its access to two different seas has caused it to become a prominent trading power. As a result, wealth reigns supreme in Vangren and merchants and their families wield a considerable amount of influence and power. In fact, many of the noble families of Vangren overlap with those of merchants, such as the House of Halvum maintaining a vast control over the mines in the southern mountains of Vangren.
The nobility and merchants of Vangren, especially those who form the High Senate, live lives of luxury and splendor. They make residences in great estates in the country or fine townhouses along the sea. They enjoy great feasts nearly daily and lack for nothing. They are meant to be shining examples of how through hard work and determination one is able to achieve wealth and success, even though very few of them have ever worked a day in their life.

Merchant guilds are common throughout the Republic, a collection of merchants who have banded together as allies in hopes of creating a greater profit. While the local politics of the Freeholds are meant to be controlled through the public, it is the merchant guilds that influence the most power.

Unfortunately for the large majority of the Republic’s population, they do not live as luxurious lives as the more influential members of society. These men are the farmers, sailors, craftsmen and small businessmen who produce the most for the Republics yet reap few of the boons. Even though they are led to believe that they play a role in how they are ruled, they are as subject and powerless as they were under the rule of the old Vangrenian Kings. Many are so poor they are forced to live as serfs on the large stretches of farmland belonging to the aristocracy or serve as indentured servants to wealthy merchants. While some truly believe they are better of now then they were under the monarchy and place their faith in the Proconsul and High Senate, others believe that the Republic is a farce and yet further action must be taken in order to ensure that each man has the right to control their own destiny.

Military
The bulk of the Republic’s land-based military is infantry-based. The Vangrenian Guard is the center-piece of the Republic’s military, as it consists of soldiers serving full-time, having gone through thorough and extensive training. While the Vangrenien Guard can not claim to be Askor’s finest swordsmen, they are well-trained and disciplined. Every able man between the ages of 16 and 30 are required to serve at least three years within the Guard, unless they are able to pay a fee to avoid conscripted. The Guard’s weapons of choice are a combination of halberds and short-swords. The nobility makes up the large portion of the Republic’s cavalry. While not the heroic knights of Lynnfaire, they serve as both heavy and light cavalry, depending on the wealth and expertise of the noble house providing troops. The rest of the Vangrenian military is formed by a levee of able-bodied men who are not currently serving within the Guard.
The true pride and power of the Vangrenian military lies in its navy, however. As a nation that survives on its trading ability, especially that of its sea-faring trade, it is not surprising that the Republic has produced some of Askor’s finest sailors. Their ships are some of the swiftest and strongest, using both sailing and rowing methods to maximize their ability to maneuver. The Vangrenian Marines are also something to be feared. With a detachment of Marines stationed on every military vessel, they are masters of both ship-to-ship and land combat, and are especially effective in raids and hit-and-run attacks. While the navy is currently simply used to patrol Vangrenian waters and protect the shipping routes of merchants, it can easily swell is size and power in order to defend against any threats or attack any potential enemies of the Republic.

Heroes
TBD

History
Vangren as a Republic is a youthful nation, having been born in the aftermath of the Great Revolution fifty years prior to current events. As nation, however, it is ancient. Having been founded during the dawn of the Era of Legends, Vangren had always been a monarchy, the kings being descended from the original children of the Primordials and thus possessing great magical abilities.
However, as the centuries passed, the blood of the Primordials began to wane within the royal line, especially as foreign marriages were arranged, and members of the family died unexpectedly, leading to distant members of the royal family inheriting the throne. All the while, as the divine right of the Primordials began to disappear, the Vangrenian kings grew more and more cruel. They would raise taxes to back-breaking sums and imprison or even execute those who were unable to pay. Soldiers would be stationed throughout the nation to enforce the taxes, acting more like foreign occupiers than their own military. Soldiers would often rape citizens of the towns they were stationed in or hang those who spoke out against their presence. The oppression of the monarchy only worsened upon the coming and eventual murder of the Prophetess. When she called men to her banner, many of Vangren’s young traveled to join her Silver Legion. When news of her cruel execution and the murder of the Legion, including many of their own, much of the populace of Vangren, especially the common folk, converted to Argentianism. However, the king adamantly refused to recognize her as a religious entity and thus began persecuting those who preached in her name. This only added to the great civil strife that grew rampant throughout Vangren, though it would still take many years before action was taken.

Eventually, a young sailor from the city of Tilum rose to action. After returning from a long voyage on a trading ship, he returned to find his lover raped and murdered. Furious, the man gathered friends and like-minded individuals and began to fight back against the oppressive military presence. At first, their actions were simply guerilla tactics, such as ambushing small patrols, stealing provisions or raiding unsuspecting outposts. Yet as they grew in infamy and gathered more and more people, they began to act out more and more. Eventually, they were even able to drive the forces loyal to the Vangrenian king out of Tilum. Upon doing so, the sailor declared that he intended to reform Vangren into a republic, one in which each man was equal and had the ability to determine their own destiny.

Not before long, though, the Vangrenian king amassed an army to punish the rebels of Tilum. Knowing there was little hope yet seeing no other action possible, the rebel leader and his forces gathered to face the army outside of the city, even though they were poorly armed and trained. The two sides met in battle, though the rebels soon began to show signs of breaking against the overwhelming power of the skilled soldiers loyal to the king. Yet just when all hope seemed lost, a new force charged the loyalists rear, swiftly routing them and winning the day.

After the battle was finished, it was revealed that the rebel’s saviors turned out to be a number of nobles who had become disillusioned under the tyrannical reign of the king and so had decided to aid the rebels in their plight. Thus, with the nobles wealth, manpower and skill, the Great Revolution was truly born. More and more flocked to their banner until the fires of war had spread across the entire Kingdom.

For five years the was viscously fought, as father faced son and brother battled brother. Slowly, yet ever so surely, the rebels pushed the loyalists back towards the capital, until it was the only remaining loyalist steadfast. It seemed that all was well for the rebels.
Unfortunately, there had long been division within the rebel camp. The original leader of the revolution in Tilum and thus the de facto leader of the commoners and the leader of the noble faction had long butted heads against one another, causing friction among the rebels.
During the course of the battle for the capital, the peasant leader was struck by a stray crossbow bolt and forced off the field of battle, leaving the noble lord in command of the army. In the course of the battle, the capital was sacked and utterly destroyed the city, killing and raping many of its citizens. The entire royal family was murdered, even the newborn son of the king.

When the commoner leader learnt of this, he was furious yet was unable to do much. With the revolution officially won, he turned his attention to reforming the government into what he hoped would see equality for all men. It was he who drafted the plans for a High and Low Senate. However, he was resisted by many nobles, who believed that they deserved many seats in the High Senate for their participation in the revolution. The sailor from Tilum turned revolutionary leader sought to oppose them as best he could, yet the conflict between the two factions began to escalate to physical violence until one day he was ambushed and stabbed to death by a number of assailants. The leader of the nobles declared that he had been killed by a group of loyalists seeking to avenge the death of the former king, as he knew that his rival was celebrated as a hero throughout Vangren. However, a number of the sailor’s supporters doubted the truth to this and continued their opposition, until one by one, they two were mysteriously murdered.

His opposition diminished to nigh on nonexistence, the noble leader created the legal system of the Republic as it is today, establishing himself as Proconsul. He has long since died himself, yet he has been replaced by a number of Proconsuls just as eager to ensure their absolute control and supported by a High Senate intent on maintaining their oligarchic control over society that they had been unable to have under a monarchy. Yet somewhere out there, in the shadows of cities and the hearts of common men, there are the old supporters of the simple sailor who lighted the sparks of a revolution, those that will fight to see his dream of a land where all men were equal become a reality.

Relations
The Republic is on fairly good terms with its neighbors, since it focuses more on trade than expansion. However, the recently elected Proconsul has been expressing some possible imperialistic tendencies…

Characters

Each of the Clans of Tarkima are ruled by their respective Chieftains and their inner circle of lieutenants, the Chieftain's rule is absolute, their word and blade law. If the current-sitting Chieftain were to meet an unfortunate fate, the selection process of succession often is done so in two ways. If the Chieftain was slain in a duel of honor against his opponent, the challenger would then by right, become the new ruling chieftain. If the Chieftain was to die of natural causes, or slain in battle, the new ruling chieftain would then be decided in a grand fighting tournament, the best warriors of the Clan would gather to battle in fierce arena combat for the right to rule the Clan.



Plum(Ardir), Red(Fervari), Gray(Brakor), Blue(Minor Clans)
The Lands of Tarkima while varied, they are rugged and harsh, ranging from cool, breezy plains and forests in the far north, green highlands, plains and rolling hills making up the central regions, the volcanic ashlands of Rothgul to the east, and the snow-covered, frigid mountainous regions that stretch across the southern border. These Mountains have been referred to by the Tarkimans as Jotanu's Gate, Followers of the Earth Primordial Lord revere it as his supposed magnum opus and those who lack respect for the mountains or are ill prepared will no doubt perish in the Gate's perilous jagged labyrinth. Jotanu's Gate has a quite obvious strategic purpose as well, forming a natural border wall between Tarkima and the rest of the Continent.


The many peoples of Tarkima are one of battle, honor, family, and for the select, pure savagery. Strength and skill above all else is highly valued to the People of Tarkima, with only the strongest of them all being able to lead the Clans or die. Religion in Tarkima centers around the worship of the mythical Primordials as Gods, several Primordial Lords and their Offspring once reigning over these savage lands. There also exists growing order that reveres the long dead Prophetess as a Divine Messenger of the Gods, a sentiment not too well shared to wider Tarkiman Society. When the Primordials had vanished from the face of Askor, it was said that the Gods had ascended into a higher plane of existence, out of the reach of their followers, the reason told by the many clergies that the Gods themselves saw fit to craft a new paradise for the devout, a life after death, a realm beyond the mortal world.

Mages are quite a uncommon sight in Tarkima, those found are declared Blessed, their bloodline tracing back to the Primodrial Lords. Mages found will find themselves in high positions in Tarkiman Society, either as members of the respective Priesthoods of the Gods, as specialized warriors in the warband, as close Advisors to the Chieftains, some Mages even become Chieftains themselves.

Crime is wide spread like in any other region, how it is handled in Tarkima is rather unorthodox. In determining one's innocence or guilt, the Tarkiman Clans will have the accused go through the Judgment, Trial by combat. The Accused will be made to fight the fiercest beasts or warriors that Tarkima has to offer, if they survive, their innocence is guaranteed if not, well they've met their brutal end. The Land of Tarkima is ruled by hundreds of Clans, but in actuality, the land is ruled by the three greatest of Clans, Ardir, Fervari and Brakor.






With the exception of Ardir, the armies of the Tarkiman Clans are a rather disorganized rabble compared to the ordered and structured armies of more civilized kingdoms, the rank beyond Chieftain being meaningless. Tarkiman warriors of any race typically are organized into Warbands, said Warbands vastly differ depending on function, a Warband making up up a dozen or so warriors, to hundreds to thousands of warriors. Leaders of these Warbands are often hand-picked by the Chieftain himself or members of his Inner Circle.

Warbands of the Three Great Clans quite differ from one another, each Clan adopting their own style and tactics. The Fervari for one, are by far the most militaristic and Industrial of the Clans, favoring swarms of well-armored warriors and beasts, as well as employing the use of strange war machines churned out by the Foundries of Rothgul. Warriors of Brakor, while lacking the industrial might of the Fervari, make up for in numbers and savagery, the Clan of Brakor favoring hordes of swift, lightly, if crudely armored warriors and beasts, a typical trait of the more smaller clans.

Clan Ardir however, is a far different beast compared to the other two, the warriors of Clan Ardir, or the Kingdom of Tarkima as they've arrogantly refer to themselves, being a more ordered and disciplined lot compared to Brakor, Fervari, and numerous other clans, replicating more civilized military formations like their southern counterparts. Although despite this, old habits die hard, and as said, their formations, attitudes, and tactics are just that, mere replication, their barbaric tendencies flaring out in the form of their still crudely built weapons and armor, only a small core of their army being fitted with more finely crafted equipment befitting of a regal military force.












Millennia ago, Tarkima was once a untamed and savage land, moreso then present day Tarkima. The peoples of the land were grouped into small tribes, struggling to survive a harsh land filled to the brim with monstrous beasts, invading armies from beyond the shores. However on one fateful day, Tarkima was blessed with the arrival of a group of Primordials, whom would later become revered as Gods to the Tarkimans.

The Primordials, with their vast power had managed to carve up their own little kingdoms within this ancient, it was a long lost Golden Age for Tarkima. The monstrous beasts that once roamed the land freely had fled, the Primordials blessing their new subjects with wondrous weapons and warmachines to hunt, would-be conquerors were chased from the shores as the Tarkimans became more organized under the guiding hand of the Primordials. For generations they ruled, some benevolently, others not so, however, these Divine beings had given the gift of civilization to this savage land. Unfortunately, after they had vanished from the world, their Children had remained to steward the lands in their stead, if only temporarily until they too would wither away, giving rise to a free Tarkima.

Upon the dawning of the Era of Heroes and onward to the present day, Tarkiman Civilization had quickly collapsed upon itself once the Primordials and their offspring had "Ascended". The old Kingdoms had broken asunder, Clans both large and small forming to fill in the void left by the Gods.

The Era of Heroes would be known to the Tarkimans as the Age of War. The next five centuries would be follow countless wars among the clans, invasions of neighboring kingdoms, and to some extent, exploration. Tarkiman Clans, seeing new bounties beyond their homeland would set off further south, claiming lands that would be of the Emerald Empire, their descendants having long since lost traces of their barbaric lineage. Others would dare to venture further, many to never return.

Kingdoms bordering Tarkima would feel the unending wrath of the Clans, wars, skirmishes and raids fought on and off throughout the centuries. However, as of a century before the present day, something would change. A hundred years before the present day, Missionaries from the Serene Kingdoms had landed on Tarkiman shores, at first, the neibhoring clans were hostile to the foreigners. Some even actively hunting them, however, one clan, Ardir, lent its ear to the missionaries, becoming aware of the Serene One for the first time, many among their ranks were angered by the blasphemous words of the Missionaries, the Chieftain among them. However, a small group of warriors were more open to the fact that their "Gods" were flawed beings, the missionaries point of view was made realized as they converted these renegades.

Eventually, the Renegades challenged the Old Guard, overthrowing the Chieftain and his warriors, the leader of the converted proclaiming himself the rightful king of Tarkima, choosing by the Serene One itself. Clan Ardir, for the last hundred years, launched a crusade to claim all of Tarkima for the Serene One.

All the while, other Clans made similar power plays, devouring small clans as they're territory grew larger and larger. Now the land if divided among the three great Clans, Ardir, Feverai and Brakor, only a portion of the land remaining free from the three clans, yet, the smaller clans of the region remain at their mercy.


Emerald Empire: For the past centuries since the Dawning of the Age of Heroes, the Kingdom of Shenra, followed by it's conquerors, the Emerald Empire, have been in a near constant state of war with the Tarkiman Clans, often fending off raiding parties and large warbands occasionally. In recent years however, Clan Brakor under their new Chieftain have taken a more profitable and less bloody approach to the Empire. In exchange for wealth and resources, Clan Brakor would put a cease to all hostilities, their warriors as well as having the choice of taking up Mercenary work within the Empire.

Clan Ardir, or the Tarkiman "Kingdom" are more cold towards the Empire due to their more heretical beliefs, however, they would not turn away from a potential trading partner, but remain distant. The many smaller Clans and the Fervari however reject any sort of peace, and continue their own raids upon the Empire.

Utyre: Like the Kingdom of Shrena, the land of Utyre has been among the preferred targets of the Clans, and in recent times, Clan Fervari is the chief opponent for Utyre, they and their vassal clans often launching incursions and raids in Utyren lands.

The Crossroads: The relationship between the Crossroads and bordering clans is that of a school of leech fish hunting slow prey, clans both large and small often venture off deep into these battle scarred lands, looting long abandoned weapons and pieces of armor, often for the purpose of melting down aforementioned loot and reforging them into more fitting gear, of course, such looting ventures do not go unpunished, and often are made a target of the Crossroads less then enthused inhabitants.

The archipelago of Morkt is located in fiercely arctic waters. Amongst its steep fjords, the major portions of humanoid slaves cling to an existence in the form of wharf fishing villages. Deeper into the interior of these islands are bog lands that—through some twist of dark magic or geothermal runoff—stay temperately humid warmth. These swamps are the proving grounds for those whose blood can handle the guiles of magic. It is in these bogs that the plagues are forged.

The center island of the archipelago lays a massive volcano, known to be as fickle and violent as the merfolk who lie beneath. Due to its chronic billow, the island is covered in a misty cloud of soot. It is said that a great voyager returned here after traveling to the far East. Since that day the volcano has cracked back to life.


To those on land, there is no secret of who commands the Morktish waters. The Mistress, high dictator of Morkt, rules with a looming noose just tight enough to feign the illusion of free will. In reality, all non-cecaelian inhabitants are slaves to the master race, the Morj, which lurks below the waters. Whether their collection was achieved by naturalized birth, or as acquired trinkets; they are bound to service of their mistress for life. Enchanted neck rings are fastened onto each humanoid subject after their initiation below the black waves. To ensure Her hold, shaman’s known as “plagues” are sent with any party of humanoids who leave the Morktish waters. These agents of the Mistress are fowl servants who poison not only the minds of their crew, but often those whose shores they land upon.

Beneath the icy tides, the lines of power blur. The seas are a dark and vast place with many whispers. Though the Mistress maintains control, her rule is a loose hegemony of various mobs with ever morphing allegiances and tolerances. These mercurial desires do unite on their hatred of land bound creatures, and the merciless use of such beasts to appease the personal, political, and religious ends of the Morj. The only such human swine to escape their grasps live high in the icy mountains trapped on all sides by swarms of loyal agents and tides of the sea… where still greater dangers lie.


The enslaved population of Morkt hails from all corners of the known globe and beyond. As such, their culture largely mirrors this melting pot boiled together over the furnace of their merfolk masters. The frigid conditions and almost total reliance on the sea for sustenance has bonded them into a quiet, no-nonsense people where trust is a rare but prized commodity. All religions except for strict Primordial worship are wholesale banned by the merfolk and enforced ruthlessly by their plague agents. It is further professed that the primordial seaborn offspring hold an infinitely higher status than their bastardized land dwelling ilk (who were little more than agents of the deep much like plagues).

The merfolk themselves gather in a loosely clan based structure and inhabit a labyrinth of caves and gothic crevice cities. They make sport of hunting creatures of the land and sea, frequently performing elaborate sacrifices to appease their primordial ancestors. Juxtaposed to this predatory, often barbaric, society is a taste for the finer things. The merfolk adore fine jewels and metals. They have a keen sense of fashion and aesthetically design their structures and tools to the point of obsession. They are inherently elitist and though they can survive on the surface for hours, the thought of such depravity often disgusts them. The only reason they tolerate the enslaved land dwellers is their pension for looting treasures, capturing more live offerings, and filling their nets with fish. However, were the Mistress not so fond of them, they might endure a much mixed fate.


The humanoid arm of the Morkt exists almost solely as fishers and raiders, often relying on both traits during their distant incursions. They generally arm themselves with an ax and shield which is finely embossed with the cephalopod figures. Their true strength lies in the form of the longboats and dragonships which are capable of cutting even rough surge with blistering speed. It is this quickness both on open sea and in brackish shallows that is the hallmark of Morkt raids. They often strike at the softest targets and sow massacre and black magic in their wake. However, their attacks are more than a business enterprise as unsuccessful raids often risk their lives more than the combat itself. The Morj expect returns or the price raiders pay is gruesome.

The true destructive power of the Morkt lies in their fight at sea. The Morkt armies focus on one enterprise only, sinking ships and drowning air breathers with cackling delight. To this end they often prefer the thrill of destroying a hull by hand: cutting the bottom from boats, fishing sailors with billhooks, or destroying the hull and mast to watch the crew fester to death from immobility. For sturdier tasks they often use an array of metal netting chained to whale-beasts. They often use subsurface currents to maneuver large warbands with unmatchable speed hidden below the oceans depths. However, the Morj are cripplingly water bound. Though they can survive in amiable surface weather for a matter of hours, their appendages reduce their speed to a slow jog at best.








The Mistress- The Mistress is the most recent Lady of Morkt to ascend to the throne. Her title is not without contest, but her recent use of the land dwellers has proven a powerful political lever. It was her great grandfather who saw an opportunity for such exploitation and the family business has flourished. At her core, the Mistress is a talented sorceress. However, the fear of her name and seemingly omnipotent surveillance of her waters has increased her power parity tenfold. Her only known hamartia is a penchant for fine foods from across the globe. The subjects under her crown are wise to tailor their gifts to such ends.

The Voice- A siren of the deep, this vile creature ranks chief among her kind. The Sirens of Morkt have played an intricate role in the “settling” of the islands by their wayward human colonists. It is said that the call of the Voice can be heard even across continents for those who know to listen.

Trygve- Like most of the rabble who inhabit the isles of Morkt, Trygve was not born in this land. He and his father were captured off the North coast of Tarkima when he was a child. His father, a renown berzerker both in his homeland and in the service of the Morj, was killed shortly after enslavement. However, Trygve’s orphanhood was not a lonely experience. He was raised by the island and rose to prominence from a young age. As a maverick raider his exploits became the stuff of legend, said to have even sailed around the southern horn of the dragon kings and returned with the fangs of a vampire. His rise to prominence has caught the attention of the rules beneath with whom he plays a precarious game of prized pet or threatening usurper. He is untamable, inspired and an artist with an ax.

Trygve’s crew bear the mark of a seahorse.

---

The Sound- A colossal whale said to hunt the deepest trenches of the earth.


The Morkt has long been the ancestral home of the Morj, an eldritch cecaelia who rule its waters with an iron fist. Though it is rumored that a few native humans have lived for centuries on its mountain peaks, these freefolk are little more than myths for the hordes of slaves who inhabit its fjord coast. These slaves have been bound both geographically and more recently by enchanted throat manacles to the Morj who inhabit the icy waters around them. From within their human ranks the Morj have recruited and trained shamans (plagues) to act as their agents abroad. These agents are commissioned a boat and act as the thrall master of the crew for the means of raiding, slaving, or trading as the situation seems fit. These missions enjoy a fair amount of autonomy, wealth, and prestige provided they capitalize on this tightly monitored freedom. However, it is a dangerous game to become famous on these islands.


Pending personal convos.



External:

Radoslaw- A humble servant of the mistress, like all his plauger kin. His loyalty and guile has seen him climb the arch position amongst the raiding slaves, master of the thralls loyal to Trygve. Radoslaw treads a fine line between the voice of reason and the vice of control with the legendary Trygve. Radoslaw stands at a firm 8ft with husking build. He dominates the boat, but not with size alone. He is seldom seen outside of his armor and ceremonial headdress, the addition of which towers him further.

The Dutchess- Cold, suspicious, vindictive. This nobel woman lost her children to the living ships of of Yaval. Her hatred is vehement, but so too is her patience in collecting the debt. For a decade she has served her Mistress in the Sea of Lights as an agent to Shenra. In this time she has also heeded the words of land dwellers above and their plots to bring the Emerald Empire to heel.

Internal:

Ida- A renown smith, Ida’s profession has won her much acclaim amongst the Morj and her peers. Though often this fame is duboius, it has only doubled since her proposal to the legendary Trygve. The supposed daughter of a freefolk, Ida was captured as a newborn. She has grown into an indomitable and headstrong woman who would make her parents proud, whoever they are.

Yvette- The fierce leader of the the Morktish magic casts (both shamans and their seaborne cult of the plagues). Yvette is a mysterious creature who follows the will of the gods with savage fervor. It is said that she use to be a quite gorgeous and amiable woman, however her time in the eldritch marshes has changed her in more ways than known. It has forged her into the most powerful sorceress on the archipelago and solidified her regional power over the main island as absolute.

Gnima- The arch shaman’s daughter, Gnima has been tailored to the task of carrying on the rites of her people. However, the process for such a role is long and requires much more wisdom and acumen than Gnima possesses at present. Her journey into the darkness of voodoo will take all she can muster and can only end with the death of her mother by her own hand. Such is the way of the Primordial gods. In order to give, one must take.

Vallenguin is ruled by the Grand Council, consisting of the 10 great Houses. Each sends a representative (commonly the matriarch or patriarch of the family) to each council session. The Grand Council is generally only summoned once a year to decide on the greater course of Vallenguin. Power within the council depends on the prowess said family showed in the Magus Games of that year. Lower administrative duties depend on the ruling House. The Patriarch or Matriarch position is hereditary, running from holder of the title to the eldest child. In dire times, a supreme ruler is chosen. While the position holds no actual title, it is commonly referred to as the 'Greater King'-position. In the whole history of Vallenguin, that position has only been filled once and it cannot be carried across bloodlines. Once the Greater King dies, a new is chosen should the need arise.


Stuck in the armpit of the Holy Sphere, the land of Vallenguin is well hidden away. To the north you’ll mostly find sandy shores, with on the other side of the canal the Huayuan’s land. To the eastern shores the sandy shores continue. The Western shores become much more cliff-like, until the very western tip, where the cliffs reach their highest point. Then following the southern coast, the cliffs shrink again, about 3/4th of the shore. Then they make place for the white beaches. The landing place of the First Exiles. So here, in the South-West of Vallenguin lays Hudrin, the capital city. Towards the East, in the mainland you’ll mostly find forests and plains. Nearing the West-Eastern cliffs, you’ll find Wraequin, the Weathered City. These two are connected with a road, but that’s the only road on Vallenguin. Many slaves toil away in the feels between these two cities.


Hidden Land
Vallenguin was created by Exiles who, by chance, gathered on a small island just outside of the Heavenly Sphere of Huayuan. Through painful diplomacy the Exiles could maintain their independence but act as a proxy for the Huayuan. To maintain that ability, Vallenguin does everything in its power to remain hidden from the vast nations. Instead they try to spread false rumors and myths surrounding them. The most common rumor is that of the Pirate Haven. As Vallenguin’s acts of piracy grew more numerous, and they vanished so quickly through the fog back towards the East, many rumors say that somewhere in that sea is a small island that is a true Pirate Haven. More educated people will have heard rumors of a so called Freehold City State, a place for artistic and magical talent. A true Utopia.

Lesser & Greater Houses
Born from the ancient Exiles, the Lesser and Greater Houses form the framework for Vallenguin. Greater Houses generally rule over cities directly and allow their subordinate Lesser Houses to manage the smaller villages and so on. Higher Houses often give their children important positions like High Admiral of the Dreadfleet. While Lesser Houses fill the ranks of Seafangs. While Lesser Houses must answer to their liege, they generally still exercise a lot of power over so-called freemen, people who are not slaves but not affiliated with any House either.

Blood Purity & Magical Affinity
Obsessed with magic and the power it brings, the earliest Exiles that landed at Vallenguin began to map their ancestry back to the Primordials. When the Exiles formed their houses, blood became an important factor, as it is one of the three known factors for magical aptitude. When Houses marry, skill, talent and prestige are important, but so is the purity of the Houses. Many lesser houses are generally lesser in blood purity, while the Greater Houses will do everything to breed stronger and purer mages. This makes marrying upwards rather tricky. Only to be done through skill, talent and prestige can it be achieved. However, there will always outsiders that are purer, more talented or gathered more skill. Even though Vallenguin wants to maintain its mystical, hidden nature, it desire for power outweighs it. Individuals, especially in the west, can be invited to be adopted into one of the Houses. Though such invites must first be explained before the Grand Council, so that no needless amounts of them are send out and Vallenguin remains hidden.

The Trials
As said before, each House’s power within the council comes from their power in magic. This power is gauged yearly during the Trials. The Trials are a week long time of challenges. On the first day or two, heirs of Lesser Houses are pitted against each other in an attempt to win favor with their Greater House, as well as to settle rivalries. These battles are not just to decide who is stronger. They are an attempt to secure important posts like captain for a Waverider or even Dreadship. After that come the heirs of the Greater Houses, facing off against each other. This is the first part where that year’s power of that Greater House is decided. Not every Trial demands the heirs to face off directly. The Trials of the Stars, for example, drop off each heir on a small boat on the sea. Using the stars and their own knowledge they must reach Vallenguin again. On the final days the entire generations of the Greater Houses and their subordinate Lesser Houses join together in an all-out battle. There are magical wards in place to make sure nobody is killed, but this gauges the power of each Greater House the most. Two weeks after the Trials, the Grand Council gathers.

The Academy of Exiles
There are few institutions in Vallenguin, considering the nation itself is so young it didn’t even exist during the Era of Legends. Never the less, one institute was born when the very first Exiles set foot on the land. The Academy of Exiles began as a place where knowledge was shared among the Exiles that arrived. Scrolls and books were voluntarily given up, in return for access. When the Houses were established, a conscious choice was taken to gift governance over it to one House. In return, the House would never be named Greater or Lesser. It would have no chair at the Grand Council, but it wouldn’t be a subordinate either. When marrying, the other person would join the House, no matter the prestige or gender. So nobody could marry him/herself out of the many demands of the position. In the end House Ulstur took up the task of Keepers.

These days, that one small hut gathering all those scrolls and books became the Arcania, the largest Academy on Vallenguin. A myriad of diciplines are taught to children for all Houses, Greater and Lesser. True to their vow, House Ulstur has never tried to exert any semblance of power. Instead, they alone have send the most envoys in pursuit of knowledge. In fact, the name Ulstur is the only name that some rumors outside Vallenguin share. Their sages, dressed in mothed, grey robes and carrying gnarled wooden staves, can sometimes be seen accompanying the strange, rich dressed independent merchants. But the Ulstur Sages carry gold, enough to buy the books and scrolls they must have.

Arreantis, the Reclaimed Primordial of the Southern Sea
Arreantis was once a Primordial that had exiled herself into the Southern Sea, far from the surface world. Instead she lived beneath the waves, with the fishes and other creatures of the sea. She was a stern but fair Primordial, often warding off storms to those who prayed for her. Yet she send waves and storm for those that exploited the sea and took the calm waters for granted. She was a rarely worshipped, and when she died all knowledge of her swiftly vanished from the surface world. Until Leviathan was awoken. The ancient being, after years, told the Choir about his maker: Arreantis. The Primordial of the Southern Sea. With this one tale, the True-Seers began their dives again, searching for anything on the bottom of the sea that could point to the ancient, forgotten Primordial.

These days she has the largest Temple in Hudrin, the Capital. Her worship is wide-spread amongst Vallenguin. Both the Pirates and Merchants pray to her, one in public by sometimes even sacrificing captors to her, the others pray in secret. Each hoping that her god-like power that they believe remains amongst the people will bless them and their voyage on sea.

Pirates and Merchants
To the outside world, Vallenguin does not exist. Instead they see two facets of it. The first are the Merchants. Travelers and traders that bring goods from Huayuan. They will maintain that they are independent traders, not affiliated with any nation. As strange as that might sound, they will continue this claim. Most Merchants do truly go out to trade with the outside world, forming a bridge between Huayuan and the other nations. Of course they heed the demands of the Huayuan. However some have other primary interests. Many Truth-Seekers and House Ulstur sages travel amongst the Merchants, disguised.

The Pirates are another part, completely separated from the Merchants. There are strict rules to maintain the unaffiliated status. No noble that was once a Merchant can ever become a Pirate. Nor vise versa. These pirates operate on the Southern Sea. They raid merchants, patrols and fishermen alike. The Pirates often vanish in mist and towards Huayuan, using the massive country as a passive shield against anyone who would give chase. At Hudrin they dock and trade the stolen goods with Merchants who then transport it towards Huayuan’s Southern Peninsula.

Both these factions are part of Vallenguin’s official forces.


There are not enough people on the island (including the slaves) to fend off any nation's invasion. In fact, if Huāyuán wanted, they could just reconquer Vallenguin again. What separates them from others are the pursuit for magical talent and ability. Mages are bred in the houses and their expertise is applied everywhere possible in an attempt to nurture even more skill. On land, Vallenguin's individual career soldiers are fair. Though very low in numbers. On the sea, however, they become a real hidden menace. In terms of size, the fleet is small but compared to the other nations, it's not too bad. However, it is each ships quality that brings the treat. While slaves row away in the lower decks, career soldiers man the upper decks, ready to fire magic, arrows or to board an enemy ship and ruthlessly and indiscriminately slaughter everyone onboard. Only to vanish in a thick fog.

















Last 20 years
Vallenguin, under the protection of the Heavenly Sphere, mist and myth has remained undetected even till present days. The ten Houses, while not united on every subject, have little hostility towards each other. Piracy attacks in the Eastern bay against Lynnfaire have escalated cautiously. Twenty years ago the first Dreadship has entered the Pirating waters there. The High Admiral then, Lord Easling of House Quinjin and father now current High Admiral Syvella has send in total a single Dreadfleet there, led by a single Dreadnaught. Increasing the acts of piracy from simple Waverider raids upon fishing ships and small traders to larger, international trading vessels. Mostly targeting Lynnfairian ones. Under High Admiral Syvella the deployment of Dreadfleets increased considerably, showing a more aggressive stance in the pirate acts as well.

Lord Ittain of House Ulstur has decided to send several expeditions towards Marathan. He believes the many Primoridal Sites houses knowledge that could proof useful. These expiditions will be deployed with the World Hauler ‘Northern Sun’. This will be the first time a World Hauler enters the Eastern Bay. Northern Sun will send its smaller crafts to dock at a Vlaanderburg port soon.




The Kingdom of Lynnfaire - Vallenguin has send many smaller raids against Lynnfaire, mostly meant to distrupt fishing and small, regional trade. However, recently the pirate attacks have increased massively. Captains are commanded to kill everyone, unless they are on a return voyage to Vallenguin. Then taking slaves is allowed.
Holy Sphere of Huayuan - The only nation that knows of Vallenguin's existence. Vallenguin has special trading rights on the Southern Peninsula and many traders go from the western nations here and back, trading. Vallenguin knows that they are still looked down upon, but under the protection they have survived and thrived.





Optional section. Put any info about any characters here. Examples of this would be your kings or queens, military leaders, and non-hero “badasses”. You can also put more detailed info of your heroes here as well.

Despite being nominally a monarchical state, Lynn-Naraksh resembles a feudal oligarchy (with strong theocratic undertones) more than a true imperial order. Its lands are divided into Demesnes, regions of roughly comparable size, each of which is under the rule of a member of the aristocracy, known as a Blood Lord. The Lords hold almost unlimited authority within their domains, being capable of creating and altering laws, issuing decrees and levying militias on a whim, as well as wielding immense power in individual fields of administration. They are free to command the imprisonment, execution and conscription of whomsoever they wish, as well as to pass judgment over any dispute, whether called to do so or not, levy armies and command the undertaking of grandiose projects such as building a castle or dam. All that is formally required of them is that they pledge their loyalty and obedience to the imperial throne, observe the tenets of the Order of the Divines, which are few and liberal, and bolster the armies of the suzerain with their own forces in the event of a war.

In practice, however, all is not so simple. While the Emperor is indeed the highest authority over all matters temporal and spiritual, being, by virtue of position, the head of the Order, they rarely act directly or even pronounce themselves on any subject short of those affecting the entire nation. Instead, all necessities below this threshold are administered to by the Imperial Court, a gathering of the most disparate figures in the realm. Advisers, commanders, high cenobites, members of the imperial bloodline, envoys from the Kuraxxi bog-folk and the Vurogg tribes, executioners, kennel-masters, magisters of the militant orders, even some influential (and high-blooded) guild council members form complex but rigid hierarchies bound together by even more complex webs of codes and statutes. The Imperial Demesne, vastly larger than any other, is virtually a small empire within an empire, with various court dignitaries presiding over sections of it even as the Blood Lords do over their feuds. Knowing who of them can issue commands, who can give "advice" that is more or less worth heeding, and who can be disregarded altogether is vital for a Lord, lest they incur the displeasure of the Emperor or the scorn of their peers.

Emperor and Lords alike generally come into their position by succession. As the Blood Lords' title indicates, for one to be admitted into the rank they must be of sufficiently "high" blood, that is, with strong enough traces of Primordial lineage. Prospective heirs are placed through gruelling ritual trials by priests of the Order, in the course of which their blood is sampled and their force of will, desire for power and mastery of the magical craft are put to the test. Should any of them fail, they are quietly done away with, and a suitable replacement is drawn from the ranks of the Deathless Guard. The procedure for heirs to the throne is similar, though the trials are harsher and carry heavier symbolic connotations. Candidates for substitution are numbered among the more prominent Lords, though to this day there are no records of it ever having been needed to call upon them.

While, as far as most people in Naraksh are concerned, the power of the Blood Lords is absolute, there are nevertheless certain forces in the realm that are exempt from their rule and answer to the Emperor alone. The most notable of them is the Order of the Divines, the clergy of the state-mandated Primordial-worshipping religion, along with its affiliates, the Deathless Guard and the Scourge Knights. Tasked with upholding the old faith in the lands of the Empire and the minds of its subjects, the adherents of the Order can be spiritual guides, inquisitors and enforcers as the situation requires.

The other parties not subordinate to the Lords are the Kuraxxi and the Vurogg, who exist as semi-independent polities within territories allotted to them by the imperial administration. Their only duty, aside from the universal pledge of obedience, are to offer a regular, yet not greatly onerous tribute to the throne. However, it is a tacit assumption that they are to support the Empire with force of arms should they be unofficially called to do it, and so far they have never disappointed. Internally, the two races are loosely organised into, respectively, a cult-like structure and a confederacy of minor tribes; owing to their small populations, such simple systems can exist in relative stability.





Even as its name is a dissonant amalgam of reverend speech from the east and the harsh accents of the region, the lands of Lynn-Naraksh are a patchwork of stridently unnatural contrasts. From the north, covered in cold, barren tundra and icy hills rising, here and there, into strange isolated mountains capped with glaciers, long and narrow stripes of frozen ground stretch like talons to clash with dry, scorched barrens. In the south, the soil is dry and smothered in ash perpetually rising from innumerable calderas and pits of restless magma which irregularly surge up and withdraw with no apparent rhyme or reason. These fiery regions have their own mountains - monoliths of bare rock, rich in valuable ores, yet perilous and volcanically unstable. Deep beneath the earth are vast chambers, once the abode of a Primordial, and now little more than glorified catacombs. Only the inhuman Lords of the land, the fanatical Order of the Divines, and hardy and ferocious beasts willingly make their home at these two unforgiving extremes. However, many fertile patches of volcanic ash in the more temperate central regions are inhabited and cultivated, and most of the subjects of the southern Blood Lords have little choice but toil in the mines to make a living.

The west is an anomaly all unto itself. There, swamps, marshes and damp moors intersect and mingle with perfectly flat salten wastes, pitted with bitter lakes and veined with torbid rivers. They are no more welcoming than the tundra: the swamps crawl with all manner of pestilential vermin and venomous foulness, the lakes are tainted with divine blood, and miasma chokes the skies, too heavy for any wind to disperse. In sparse and unlikely places, thickets and small forests of twisted trees rise from the white desert, and they are replete with perils of their own. None but Kuraxxi and Vurogg lives here, for the land is too wretched even for the Lords to scavenge; yet those monstrous beings seem to thrive here, festering in the traces of their fallen progenitor like the parasites to which they have a strange affinity.

Of the four corners of Naraksh, the east is beyond a doubt the least harsh for mortals to inhabit. While it is, notwithstanding, far less welcoming than many a place in Askor, being shrouded in ashlands as the south, bursting cauldrons and treacherous crevices are far less common here, and the terrain is altogether more even. Of note are the small, yet thick forests of strange dark-wooded trees scattered at relatively brief intervals throughout the region, and the few yet imposing extinguished volcanoes that tower over them in places. Perhaps due to their past activity, the ash fields of the east are among the most fertile in the Empire, leading to most of its population gathering between the central wastes and the mountains that mark the border of Vlaanburg. Yet the common folk are not the only ones who reap the bounty of the land; given the ease of procuring the vast amounts of nutrition required by the imperial warbeasts, Kennels and Stables have been built among the fields in great quantity, flanked by the barracks of handlers and other soldiery.



While Lynn-Naraksh's population has always been divided since the days of the Great Beasts and their hybrid spawn's cruel rule over the resentful masses of their subjects, the passing of centuries and the weakening of the Empire's rule have greatly aggravated this. The two formerly monolithic strata have fragmented into numerous splinters, sects and factions; while the dominant class remains mostly united by its enduring common cause (with the notable exception of the heresy of the Charnel Prophet), the larger populace has become divided by discordant faiths and causes. This separation notably only extends to the Empire's human population, since the Kuraxxi and Vurogg minorities have, as far as anyone can recall, always been cohesive not only internally and with the Lords, but, curiously, between themselves as well.

Superior to all in the imperial hierarchy are the Blood Lords, direct descendants of the Primordials that once held sway over the lands of Naraksh. Their efforts to maintain their bloodlines as pure as possible have led to virtually all of them being related to some extent, and generations of inbreeding, along with the strength of their elder lineage, make many doubt whether they are truly human at all. None has ever seen a Lord's face; all of them invariably appear clad in more or less ornate suits of armour. This is as much a tool of intimidation as it is a natural consequence of their abilities: the invariably high magic potential of the Blood Lords allows them to exert particular mastery over metal, ash and magma, which they are adept at conjuring and manipulating for their purposes. This enables them to wear their armour as nothing short of a second skin, reshaping it at a whim and not suffering any apparent ill effects from remaining encased in it for most of their lives. Due to the impossibility of discerning what is beneath their helmets and their own silence on this matter, the terms "Lord" and "Emperor" carry no connotations of gender in Narakshi, a peculiarity which has gradually spread to include most other titles and ranks in the Empire.

The staunchest supporters of the Blood Lords' regime are the clerics of the Order of the Divines, recruited for the most part from offspring of the aristocracy not in line for succession and those portions of the people who, through either cultural inertia or misguided loyalty, remain genuinely faithful to the Old Gods and their descendants. Though politically united, the Order, as well as its militant offshoots, is doctrinally split into two main currents. The Successionists maintain that the demise of the Great Beasts is final and irrevocable, and that the sacred duty of Lynn-Naraksh is to produce worthy inheritors of their legacy, who will eventually become deities themselves. They are ideologically opposed by the Resurgentists who hold that the absence of their Primordial lords is only temporary, with them having disappeared to face threats unknowable to mortals and fated to rise again when the time shall come. While the latter sect is somewhat influenced by Tranquilist doctrine, the latter is clearly heavily distorted, as some of its core tenets - animism and personal closeness to the divine - are fundamentally incompatible with the centralised and rigidly hierarchical religion of the Three Eyes. It is worth noting that the two currents do not violently clash with each other, and several syncretic teachings exist.

The colossus of the Empire's ruling faith is contrasted by the haphazard collection of what most of its subjects turn to for hope and support. While the worship of any entities, or even ideals, other than the Great Beasts is forbidden, the masters of Lynn-Naraksh have long since lost the power to effectively control the private lives of their citizens, and can only attempt to maintain appearances through terror and the occasional string of inquisitional trials. In the comparative safety of their homes, many revere the unnamed Primordials who struck down the Great Beasts and crippled the Empire's iron fist. For many, their number has been joined by the Prophetess, who is seen as a bringer of hope; tales of her being of humble origins are popular, as is the belief that the Silver Legion would have dethroned the Blood Lords, who scorned it, had it triumphed over the darkness in the east.

Strangely, the Serene faith has failed to obtain much of a hold in Naraksh, despite having been at the roots of the rebellion against the masters of Lynnde. Its support of a strong aristocracy is regarded negatively by the land's inhabitants, who have long grown weary of the uncontested excesses of tyrannical rulers and firmly believe that power will corrupt any who holds it, regardless of any codes they might try and impose upon themselves. Nonetheless, those remains of the ancient bonfires of rebellion the Blood Lords failed to stamp out have not fully abandoned their erstwhile religion. Most of them have come to embrace Protestant Serenists doctrines, which continue to slowly gain support at somewhat irregular rates as their proponents conduct clandestine evangelism.

Outside religious matters, life in the harsh environment of Naraksh, under the enfeebled but still vicious dominion of demigod-like figures who scorn them and treat them little better than slaves, has left many of its common folk hardened, if a little cynical. Though it will rarely find truly hostile manifestations, a distrustful, somewhat secretive and at times irreverent "us-against-them" mentality is a common sight among them, as are pragmatism and a strong attachment to family or small community ties. The Narakshi folk work hard when they must, rest when they can, preferably without being noticed, and celebrate quietly. Given the dismalness of the public order enforced by the Empire, the ability to find reasons for hidden joy in small things is valued and almost necessary.

Far removed from most of this, the monstrous races of Naraksh are for the most part culturally insular. The Kuraxxi, creatures combining insectoid, reptilian and a number of other, not better identified traits are the less human-like of the two. Little is known about these hideous, agile beings, said to be the offspring of the Bogwraith, the Primordial of the west. They live in moderately large clades in some of the most perilous places of the swamps and gnarled woods, refusing to speak or even show themselves to anyone other than the Lords and the Order; anyone else attempting to discover more about them inevitably fails to return from their expeditions. Among the few things they are noted for are their skills with poisons, pestilential curses and the taming of many of Naraksh's terrifying beasts. The latter makes it so that they are often sought after as handlers for the imperial army.

The Vurogg are believed to be descended from men touched by the vile blood that spilled from the Bogwraith when it fell. Large and strong beyond what most humans could hope to achieve, yet clumsy, feral and freakishly deformed, these brutish horrors are barely intelligent enough to congregate into tribal communities and follow the commands of the Blood Lords. Like the Kuraxxi, with whom they seem to understand each other quite well, much about them remains unclear, including how they reproduce - given that they are difficult to distinguish from each other in any way, and no one has ever seen anything that could be recognised as a Vurogg child.





The bulk of Narakshi forces in times of war is made up of troops, or more accurately militias, levied by individual Lords from their Demesnes. Their rank and file are far from an impressive force: they are sparsely armed, as each is required to assemble their own equipment and weapons (mostly consisting of pikes and the occasional crossbow), poorly trained, and their morale leaves much to be desired, seeing as they know full well they are fighting for interests far from their own and they will be fortunate to make it out of it alive at all. And yet, it would be dangerous to deny that the armies of the Empire are capable of tremendous destruction and bloodshed.

The truth is that the strength of the hosts of Lynn-Naraksh does not reside in their bulk. The imperial armies are infamous for their use of monstrous beasts of war and of small units of individually tremendously potent combatants. Their tactics are invariably of the aggressive sort, regardless of their position; while this would be suicidal for a more conventional force, the sheer brute strength they can bring to bear is such that no obstacle seems too great. This might, however, comes at a price. Terrifying though the Narakshi forces might be in direct combat, many of them are unwieldy and difficult to control, and collateral damage tends to be significant whenever they take the field.

At the core of the imperial hosts are horrifying creatures of the accursed lands of the Blood Lords, tamed and trained by the arts of the Kuraxxi. From the immense bonejaw terrorbeasts of the northern tundra and the cinderhide wurms of the south to the less describable monstrosities of the swamps, the most lethal and horrifying dwellers of Naraksh are fielded against the enemy, some even clad in plates of armour to add to their already fearsome resilience. Their handlers are often close by, with envenomed spears and plague-enchanted claws at the ready.

Next into the fray are the troops proper. The Blood Lords themselves are seldom far from the heat of battle, either tirelessly marching on foot or, depending on how close their Demesne is to the tundra, charging astride monstrous armoured boars who have little to envy to the creatures unleashed by the Kuraxxi. Those without such a mount are typically accompanied by small, heavily armoured retinues, who, while they might lack the magical potency of their lieges, are for the most part well-trained and superbly equipped. Reinforcing them are the forces of the Order. For the most part, they are comprised of Scourge Knights, skilful and zealous warriors sworn to the Old Gods. Despite not having exceptional numbers of magic wielders among their ranks, the Knights are redoubtable foes, capable of combining hefty armaments with dangerous mobility on the field of battle. More rarely, they will be joined by Deathless Guards. This cryptic order, largely made up of Blood Lord offspring, is usually tasked with the defense of sacred sites in Naraksh; however, its members have been known to march to war when summoned by an Emperor. Completing the Narakshi ranks are Vurogg auxiliaries, poorly disciplined yet savagely effective if employed by a skilful commander.













In the long-gone Age of Legends, Naraksh was part of the sprawling Lynnde Empire that covered most of eastern Askor. It might have been one of many unremarkable provinces, had it not been for its vicinity to the Empire of Huayuan, which time and again repelled the invading armies from the north. Perhaps curious about the force that could withstand the advance of the mightiest dominion in the known world, or perhaps simply drawn by the smell of battle and bloodshed, three of the Primordials that ruled Lynnde, known as the Great Beasts, came to join the fray in person. They are remembered as the Ashen God, the Bogwraith and the Iron Maw, their names either lost to the ages or never having existed. The Great Beasts reshaped Naraksh to suit their unfathomable tastes, and begat monstrous spawn to serve as their lieutenants. At their command, legions were marched off to the south every day, accompanied by unnatural creatures of magic and ferocity, yet still they could not overcome Huayuan's defences. The war dragged on, amid the torments and vexations with which the Primordials prodded their more reluctant subjects, until rebellion struck. Over all of Lynnde, mortals rose up against their divine masters, seeking to break their brutal rule, and so it was in Naraksh.

Yet the Narakshi rebels did not possess the secrets that allowed their fellows in the east to overthrow the Emperor, and the blood-spawn of the Beasts, loyal to their progenitors, stood against them with their own forces. The uprising would have been crushed had it not been for the unexpected intervention of five other Primordial beings. Of those, much less is remembered than of the masters of Lynn-Naraksh; only their number remains in myth and chronicle, and it is said that they came from the sea. The five fought and slew the Great Beasts, supposedly due to taking pity on the plight of their thralls. They did not, however, take up arms against the Blood Lords, either deeming it dishonourable to battle such badly outmatched foes or hoping that even they might be brought to embrace freedom, and withdrew, leaving nary a trace of their passage.

From that point, the tide of the war had turned in favour of the rebellion. The Blood Lords of old were said to wield each the might of an army, but they were few, and their enemies were many. But, once again, a force from outside Naraksh stepped in to alter the course of the conflict. The Empire of Huayuan would have rather aided its old foes than seen the Serene faith triumph, and so it happened. With its support, the Blood Lords were able to rally and soundly defeat the rebels, shattering the resistance, it seemed, once and for all, and bringing Naraksh under their sway once more. After the Huayuan withdrew into its borders, they spent years consolidating their rule and stamping out the last vestiges of the rebellion. Though the Empire of Lynn-Naraksh is but a shadow of its former self, the ambition of its rulers has not changed over the generations, and, now that war and chaos are stirring through Askor once more, they prepare to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.



[To be added at a later stage.]



[Idem.]